Cornwalls Foreign Mission School, which began operations in 1817, was virtually unique in the United States, educating both Native Americans and young men from around the globe, including Hawaiian, Bengali, and Japanese. The school was created for the purpose of educating youths of heathen nations, to convert them to Christianity, educate them, and train them to become preachers, translators, and teachers back in their native lands. The problematic nature of the schools seemingly forced assimilation, causing the erasure of cultures, paired with the disdain for foreign students in town lead to much animosity towards the school in Cornwall. The tension reached a head when in 1824, John Ridge, a student at the Foreign Mission School and the son of a Cherokee leader, began a courtship with Sarah Northrop, the white daughter of the schools steward. A year later they married. Additionally, in 1826, another Foreign Mission School student, Elias Boudinot (John Ridges cousin), fell in love with a young Cornwall girl named Harriet Gold, they married in 1826. These marriages were generally opposed to and racism caused support for the school to dissolve, closing by 1827. This c.1814 house was the home of John Northrop, the father of Sarah Northrop, and steward to the Foreign Mission School. The family home, seen here, was also used to house some students while they attended the school. The Northrop House remains one of the few extant buildings with direct ties to this school. The house is one of 65 National Historic Landmarks in Connecticut.

BLAGWhat's Inside Issue 06 of BLAG (Better Letters Magazine?Between the covers of the worldwide adventures in sign painting from Issue 06 of BLAG.Better LettersJan 16, 2025 7 min readBLAG 06 and the 'Pillow Gild' poster insert.The sixth installment of our adventures in sign painting craft, community, and culture is out now. Inside, you'll find work and contributions from 18 countries spanning five continents, so read on for an appetiser...BLAG 06 contains 80 pages packed with our latest adventures in sign painting from around the world. GIF and all magazine photography: Edgar Gonzalez.The magazine's 80 pages are once again completely free of advertising, thanks to members around the world . Then, sandwiched in the alphabetic centre spread, is our latest limited edition poster insert: a how-to for Veronika Jrgensen's 'Pillow Gild' effect.The poster came about after Veronika shared the results of a project on social media, and then kind of snowballed when I suggested it could make for a nice poster/instructional piece. So thank you Veronika for rolling with it, and to Brian Kure who took on the photography side of things.Inside each copy of BLAG 06 there's a folded poster insert with a step-by-step guide to creating the 'Pillow Gild' in reverse on glass.BLAG in print ships exclusively to members worldwide twice each year. Join today to get your first copy sent straight away.Join BLAGBLAG Meet: Inside Issue 06The BLAG Meet event for Issue 06 is happening on Saturday, 26 April. Register here for this free online event, and catch up on the recordings from previous events.On the CoverThe cover photo comes from the 'Pillow Gild' how-to that sits on the reverse of the poster insert. Gilding features a few times across the issue, which inspired the designers at UTILE to suggest a special foil finish for the masthead.A magnesium plate was created to apply the gold foil to the letter outlines. The cover photo is from Veronika Jrgensen's poster insert that shows how she created the 'Pillow Gild' effect.ContentsThe absence of advertising inside the magazine means that all 80 pages are packed with what we're all here for: the sign painting. From the longer features, to the tidbits in the 'Sundries' section, this content is intended to inform and inspire in equal measure, with a few pleasant surprises along the way.The BLAG 06 contents, showing the numerous articles, features, and sections that fill the issue. Before getting deeper into it, I'd like to thank our wonderful sponsors, whose support is a big part of making BLAG what it is:And to give a big shout out to BLAG's patrons: Blackout Signs & Metalworks; Chicago Sign Systems; Colossal Media; Dragging the Line; John Moran; Right Way Signs; Romana Schrift; Sepp Leaf Products; Skiltmaler Gundersen; Through the Wood Signs; and W&B Gold Leaf.BLAG patrons receive two copies of the magazine, in addition to recognition of their support in print and online. It's a good option for larger shops, or for those that want to gift a membership to someone less able to pay.American SignsOne of the three main features looks at the American Sign Museum's recent expansion, and the sign painting and gilding produced for the new 'buildings' on its flagship flagship Main Street exhibit.Also at the museum are drawings from Chicago's Beverly Sign Co., whose influence on sign design is explored in another feature from the authors of The Golden Era of Sign Design. (The book will soon be available in the BLAG Shop.)'Magic on Main Street at the American Sign Museum' and a spread from Kelsey & Andrew McClellan's piece on the enduring influence of Chicago's Beverly Sign Co.Books, Books, BooksIn addition to the Beverly Sign Co. book, this issue's 'Book Club' profiles publications from no less than five countries: Argentina, Belgium, Costa Rica, India, and The Netherlands.There's also a bookish theme for 'Inside Letterform Archive', where Stephen Coles introduces The Complete Commercial Artist from Japan, and the archive's new publication about this 1920s/30s periodical.Books in BLAG 06: The Complete Commercial Artist; Estudio de Fileteado Porteo; Arti Letterboek; Publi Fluor; Pura Vida, Costa Rica; and SADAK.The RegularsIn some of the other regular columns and sections, you'll find: San Francisco's secret palimpsests in 'Ghost Sign Corner'; thoughts and advice on pricing in 'Doing it the Right Way'; negative space in 'Interowriting'; painting dragons in 'The Sercrets of Fileteado Porteo'; and Rob Cooper's 'Inscribe' alphabet.Alice Mazzilli's adventures in writing continue in her latest 'Interowriting' column, while Gustavo Ferrari's next instructional is on painting the dragons of Fileteado Porteo.ProfilesEvery sign painter, and every firm connected with the trade, has their own story to tell, and the pages of BLAG once again feature a host of these. In addition to celebrating significant birthdays for A.S. Handover and Colossal Media, we get to meet Italy's Nicolo Granata in 'Ye Olde Sign Shoppe' and the Lee family behind Portland's Studio Sign Co. in the 'Shop Talk' column.This issue's 'Ye Olde Sign Shoppe' tells the story of Sicily's graphic design pioneer, Nicolo Granata, while Jenna Homen looks back at more than 60 years of Studio Sign Co. in her 'Shop Talk' column.Fernanda Martins introduces us to the unique output of Brazil's Nelson Stefanelli for our latest 'Lettering Location', while Vanessa Power builds on her research into the history of Irish mosaics by sharing her experience of trying out the medium.We once again 'Meet the Letterheads' at some recent events, while also remembering and honouring those that have left us: Hanif Kureshi, Brian Heppell, and Chris Mackenzie-Gray.Adventures mosaic making in Sligo, Ireland, and remembering those we have lost, but not forgotten.Projects'On the Brush' features ten projects from around the world, while the third main feature is a deep dive into sign painting for film and television, including a number of productions with work from the five profiled painters. (There's even more sign painting for film in the feature on Wes Anderson's French Despatch in BLAG 01.)'On the Brush' shares new, fun, and interesting projects from around the world, while BLAG 06 also has an extended feature profiling the work of sign painters on film and TV productions.End MatterAs always, the back of the issue is given over to 'Sundries', with some 'not safe for work' lettering and sign painting, more miniature goodness from Danielle McGurran (also see BLAG 03), an award-winning business card, and some fan art.'Wise Words' and 'Back to the Future' are some of the regulars in BLAG's 'Sundries' section.'Tools of the Trade' takes a look at the nifty proportion wheel, and there's also a full page cartoon with the humble mahl stick as its subject. It's creator, Hana Sunny Whaler, has also turned it into a tea towel, so go buy one and dry your dishes in style!ThanksMore than 65 contributors from around the world made BLAG 06 possible, and it was once again a pleasure to collaborate with so many brilliant people. Thank you all.Nothing happens without the members, patrons, and sponsors that fund all the work that goes into the magazine. Thank you! If you're not one already, then join today and receive everything above, and more, delivered directly to your mail/post box.Join BLAG HereFeatured bl.ag online articles and details of contributors, sponsors and patrons in BLAG 06.Thanks also to the wonderful team that brings the final print magazine to fruition: Jenna Homen on sub-editing; UTILE on design; SYL, The Art of Books on print; and Ra & Olly on distribution.Fonts in Use are Aktiv Grotesk by Dalton Maag and Utile by Sibylle Hagmann from Kontour.BLAG Back IssuesBLAG Meet

ASDF - stock.adobe.comNewsBank of England and New York counterpart exchange puts technology cooperation into 3DA staff exchange between regulators will see US and UK financial technology experts cross the Atlantic ByKarl Flinders,Chief reporter and senior editor EMEAPublished: 16 Jan 2025 11:15 Financial services regulators in the UK and New York are to share staff through a secondment programme that kicks off next month.The New York Department of Financial Services and the Bank of England plan to share insights, knowledge and experience of emerging financial services and technologies.The Transatlantic Regulatory Exchange programme, as it is known, will start with the exchange of experts in emerging payment platforms and digital assets.Secondments will be for a minimum of six months, but could be extended to up to one year.The New York regulators superintendent, Adrienne Harris, said: Connecting the two global financial capitals of New York and London is critical for regulatory harmonisation in a world where financial services are not defined by geography.Those taking part are expected to return to their home regulator where they can bring their enhanced insights, knowledge and experience to work on regulation of emerging financial services and technologies, according to the New York Department of Financial Services.The programme will take the organisations beyond just sharing notes, according to Jean-Louis Bravard, a former managing director and interim CIO at JP Morgan.I think its a great idea because its basically a 3D view instead of a 2D approach to sharing notes on problems, he told Computer Weekly. In terms of method, I think the two regulators are quite different, while in terms of tools, I dont think so.Bravard, who also spent time in the IT outsourcing sector, added that the exchange of knowledge and skills will help the organisations fill gaps without having to outsource. He said the people working at both organisations are highly trustworthy so it is a safe way of accessing different skills.Cross-border cooperation by regulators will also contribute to the global market. Sarah Breeden, deputy governor for financial stability at the Bank of England, said: By sharing our knowledge and learning from one another, we can better ensure that regulation supports global financial stability and safe innovation in payments and financial markets. Connecting the two global financial capitals of New York and London is critical for regulatory harmonisation in a world where financial services are not defined by geography Adrienne Harris, New York Department of Financial ServicesAccording to Chris Skinner, CEO of The Finanser and industry commentator, called it a win-win for both organisations.This is an interesting development as the USA and UK see themselves as leaders in developing and regulating financial technology startups and markets, he said. The USA can bring insights into how the big tech firms think and their position on digital assets. The UK can bring access to the worlds leading fintech centre with the most advanced startup community.In consideration of the first planned exchange, which is around emerging payments and digital assets, David Bannister, analyst at capital markets-focused consultancy GreySpark Partners, said the US could learn a lot from the UK in terms of payment platforms.The US payment system is still stuck in the past and its only in the last few years that the split between electronic payments and cheques was finally in favour of a electronic payments.He added that in terms of digital assets, an emerging field of expertise, international cooperation is vital.The cooperation will inevitably expand into other areas of finance where advanced technologies are used. With the rapid rise in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the banking sector and the continued threat from cyber criminals, keeping up with technology is a constant challenge for regulators.One senor IT executive in the UK banking sector told Computer Weekly that AI is likely to cause the next big banking scandal. Subprime mortgages, PPI all these scandals have happened because the banks push something too far, then it blows up, he said. Then they have to reverse out and pay. Thats the lifecycle of how the banks operate and AI will be the next.Read more about the Bank of EnglandBank of England warns against AI complacency: UK financial services regulator wants to increase understanding of AIs benefits and how firms are managing the risks it poses, as take-up grows and use cases increase.Bank of England starts recruiting Britcoin team: UKs central bank is recruiting people to join its team focused on the development of a digital pound.Bank of England replacing beating heart: Bank has reached a major milestone in its core system replacement programme, with next landmark in sight.In The Current Issue:Interview: Wendy Redshaw, chief digital information officer, NatWest Retail BankPreparing for AI regulation: The EU AI ActDownload Current IssueData engineering - Percona: Measure twice, implement once, the art of thinking ahead CW Developer NetworkThe UK government's AI plan covers all the bases but needs a dose of pragmatism Computer Weekly Editors BlogView All Blogs

ZDNET's key takeaways The Asus ProArt P16 is available now, starting at $1,900.It pairs powerful hardware with a suite of customizable options designed for creatives.The deep personalization requires engagement from the user, the huge trackpad won't be everyone's cup of tea, and the ultra-glossy display tends to glare. more buying choices Asus' ProArt series consists of sleek laptops with high-end hardware for creatives. At the top of the line is the new AMD-powered ProArt P16, which exudes power and performance with a sleek, all-black form factor, giant trackpad with Asus' proprietary DialPad, and brilliant display.I recently had a chance to go hands-on with the ProArt P16 and found it to be a highly capable machine with a lot of raw power. However, it also requires some customization and optimization to get the most out of it. Before I touch on that, let's take a look at the hardware.Also: This Asus laptop is my go-to MacBook alternative - and it's on sale at Best BuyThe ProArt P16 comes with 32GB of memory and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, a 12-core, 24-thread chip with a 50 TOP NPU. This strong core powers the device's creative endeavors, whether video editing, using advanced animation or graphic design programs or simply multitasking with a handful of different apps and dozens of browser tabs. details View at Best Buy One of the best parts of this laptop, however, is its display. The 500-nit, 3840 x 2400 resolution AMOLED touchscreen display delivers a crisp, bright picture with a glossy, premium coating. Powered by the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, it features DLSS 3 (Deep Learning Super Sampling) and support for ray tracing.Although it is certainly capable of delivering a good gaming experience, it's held back a bit by the 60Hz refresh rate, something that is part of the give-and-take of the device's overall feature set. Asus' decision to limit the refresh rate is disappointing, but it keeps the price point low and solidifies its intended use case as a creator-first machine.Also: I recommend this 2-in-1 laptop to both creatives and professionals - and it's on sale right nowIn that vein, it comes with a stylus that feels precise and responsive, especially on the smooth, glossy display, which feels like a blank canvas beckoning you to sketch on. The pen on this laptop is good enough for artists and designers to use seriously, as all too often, they're either too laggy or too barebones to justify using. Here, however, it's snappy and responsive and comes with various capabilities that work in tandem with the DialPad to power customizable, single-click actions.I also appreciate that this laptop isnota 2-in-1. Convertible laptops are often forced to switch to tablet mode if you want to use them with a stylus, as pressing on the display in laptop mode pushes it down unless you support it with your hand.The ProArt P16 was designed with this in mind, as the display locks into place at its furthest angle. Instead of folding back from the pressure of the pen, it stays upright with a generous degree of bend. Just keep in mind that pushing back too hard will result in the front of the device lifting off of the desk.Also: Asus' 2025 laptop lineup features a sleek, understated design ethos (and OLEDs all around)The Asus DialPad is another unique feature that creatives will love to tinker with. If you haven't seen it before, it's a small, raised wheel on the trackpad that can be customized to activate different settings, like changing brush sizes in Photoshop or cutting, pausing, or rewinding in CapCut or Premiere. The DialPad's small physical size makes activating and scrolling through the "wheel" fast and easy, especially for common features. Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETMy only gripe about the DialPad was that it took a minute to set up. It came disabled on the laptop out of the box, requiring me to activate it with a specific gesture on the trackpad that isn't obvious unless you look it up (you press the icon in the top right corner of the trackpad, then quickly slide diagonally down toward the middle of the trackpad). As one of this laptop's premiere features, wouldn't it make sense to a) have it work out of the box and/or b) feature an easy setup tutorial?Also: I tested the lightest 16-inch convertible laptop of the year, but that's not even its best featureOnce it was activated, however, I quickly became a fan. I like how granular you can make the customizations, and it's useful even beyond creative use cases. In fact, I found that some of the most handy cases were in productivity apps and in the browser, enabling quick functions during the workday for frequent actions. Asus/ZDNETThe other Asus programs that come with the laptop have varying degrees of usefulness, not to mention they were rather slow to fire up. Asus' "Muse Tree", for example, took an unexpectedly long time to install and get going. I had a chance to go hands-on with this app previously, and although it's a very cool idea, I'm still on the fence regarding its usefulness.The high-end and satisfying keyboard has absolutely silent keys. Similarly, the trackpad is massive, extending from the keyboard to the edge of the device, and has a velvety matte texture. One downside is that I had some trouble getting it to function at a high capacity in a particularly cold office. If your hands are on the cold side, you might experience some slow responses.Also: This excellent ThinkPad for hybrid workers isn't even Lenovo's newest model (and it's 50% off)This could potentially be adjusted with optimization, which is the other big thing I'd like to mention about this laptop. In my experience, Asus laptops respond particularly well to optimization settings across the board. The ProArt P16 is a perfect example of this; different profiles or settings parameters can drastically affect performance, ranging from battery life to speed and responsiveness.This also applies to Windows updates, particularly regarding demanding workloads. When I first fired up this laptop, for example, its performance was noticeably worse until I went through the series of Windows updates for the OS, updated drivers, and followed up with the list of updates in the MyAsus app.The P16's performance improved after I updated it, and it was then optimized further once I got used to the DialPad and configured the trackpad and power profiles. Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETAll of this is to say that the ProArt P16, for me, was not a laptop that came ready to go out of the box but rather requires some personalization and attention to get the most out of it. This applies to its rich feature set, but it takes a moment to incorporate it into creative workflows. Ultimately, this is a good thing, as it encourages innovation on the user's part to break out of cloned UIs and workflows that all look the same.Putting a more concrete number to its performance, in our benchmarking tests, the ProArt P16 placed somewhere in between the M3 MacBook Pro and the M4, although it should be noted that it's more on par with the M3 than Apple's latest M4 product. Cinebench 24 MCGeekbench 6.2.2 SCGeekbench 6.2.2 MCApple MacBook Pro with M41,0003,82314,849Apple MacBook Pro with M3 906 3,072 11,623 Asus ProArt P161,0962,90412,787Apple MacBook Pro with M1 Pro8282,21112,482Lastly, let's briefly mention the battery. This is a laptop with a powerful suite of hardware and a 16-inch AMOLED display, so I wasn't expecting much going into my testing. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how robust the battery is, especially when paying attention to power-saving settings.Also:The best OLED laptops: Expert testedI easily got over 10 hours of battery life with normal use and intermittent high-demand tasks. However, with intensive creative tasks and heavy multitasking, you can expect around seven hours before connecting to an outlet.ZDNET's buying adviceIf you're looking for a powerful laptop with solid hardware and a rich, dynamic feature set, I recommend the Asus ProArt P16 as a solid choice for advanced creators who want to challenge the status quo and enjoy tinkering with customization settings to maximize creative output.However, if you're looking for an out-of-the-box creative powerhouse, I recommend the Apple M3 or M4 MacBook Pro. It has all the powerful hardware ready to tackle creative tasks and couldn't possibly be easier to set up. If you like the ProArt P16 but want something a bit more accessible, Asus' ProArt PZ13 is a more compact version at almost half the price.Featured reviews

Innovation in document management may not be a "hot" initiative to bring up at the next executive leadership team meeting, but its a necessary discussion.

By Tharin Pillay and Harry BoothJanuary 16, 2025 7:07 AM ESTIf 2023 was the year of AI fervor, following the late-2022 release of ChatGPT, 2024 was marked by a steady drumbeat of advances as systems got smarter, faster, and cheaper to run. AI also began to reason more deeply and interact via voice and videotrends that AI experts and leaders say will accelerate. Heres what to expect from AI in 2025.More and better AI agentsIn 2025, well begin to see a shift from chatbots and image generators toward agentic systems that can act autonomously to complete tasks, rather than simply answer questions, says AI futurist Ray Kurzweil. In October, Anthropic gave its AI model Claude the ability to use computersclicking, scrolling, and typingbut this may be just the start. Agents will be able to handle complex tasks like scheduling appointments and writing software, experts say. These systems are going to get more and more sophisticated, says Ahmad Al-Dahle, Metas VP of generative AI. Jaime Sevilla, director of AI forecasting nonprofit Epoch AI, envisions a future where AI agents function as virtual co-workers, but says that in 2025 AI agents will be mostly about their novelty. Melanie Mitchell, a professor at the Santa Fe Institute, warns that agents mistakes could have big consequences, particularly if they have access to personal or financial information. A national-security priorityGovernments will increasingly view AI through the lens of national security, says Dan Hendrycks, director of the Center for AI Safety: Its how many of the big decisions about AI will be made. The U.S. has curbed Chinas access to critical chips, while Meta and Anthropic have forged closer ties with U.S. intelligence agencies by allowing them to use their AI models. Political developments around the world are pointing us in the direction of continued competition, says the U.N. Secretary-Generals envoy on technology, Amandeep Singh Gill, emphasizing the need to preserve pockets of collaboration between the U.S. and China.Governance races to catch upWhile developers compete to build ever-smarter systems, governments around the world are racing to regulate them. The E.U. leads with its AI Act. Its Code of Practice, set to be finalized by April and enforced from August, is one of the first laws targeting frontier AI developers, and many of the E.U. requirements will likely have global impact on how companies operate, unless they opt to take distinct approaches in different markets, says Markus Anderljung at the Centre for the Governance of AI. In the U.S., where more than 100 bills have been brought to Congress, Anderljung predicts very little will happen federally this year, though states may act independently.Facing the investment testThe year ahead will be a year of reckoning, Rumman Chowdhury, CEO of Humane Intelligence, tells TIME in an email. With billions invested, companies now have to show consumer value. In healthcare, that value seems clearfor example, additional AI diagnostic tools are expected to gain FDA approval, and AI may also prove useful in discovering and monitoring the long-term impact of various drugs. But elsewhere, the pressure to demonstrate returns may create problems. Because of the pressure to make money back from all these investments, there might be some imposition of flawed models on the Global South, says Jai Vipra, an AI policy researcher, noting these markets face less scrutiny than Western ones. In India, she points to trends in automating alreadyexploitative jobs like call-center work as a source of concern.AI video goes mainstreamIn December, Google and OpenAI released impressive video models. OpenAIs Sora launch was plagued by access delay, while Googles Veo 2 was released to select users. Sevilla expects video-generation tools to become more widely accessible as developers find ways to make them cheaper to run. Metas Al-Dahle predicts video will also become a key input for AI, envisioning a not-too-distant future in which systems analyze video from smart glasses to offer real-time assistance across various tasks, like fixing a bike.

Intel's Arc B570 is a scaled-down version of the B580 GPU we reviewed about a month ago. The B580 is a budget-minded GPU that really impressed us when we first tested it, but since then things have soured a bit.First and foremost, the discovery of a major overhead issue that negatively impacts performance in CPU-demanding games, particularly when paired with older or slower CPUs. While the B580 is still very usable with a CPU like, say the Ryzen 5 5600, it does result in noticeably slower performance than we initially expected. This shortcoming obviously hurts the overall value of Intel's new GPUs. We have since re-tested the B580 and today's review will incorporate updated data to evaluate the B570.The second issue has been availability. Even a few weeks after launch, the Arc B580 remains frustratingly difficult to find in stock. This is not a great start for Intel's latest GPU lineup, and we will discuss this issue further later in the review.The new Arc B570 is priced at $220, which is only $30 less than the B580. It is based on the same 272mm2 die, but the Xe core count has been reduced by 10%, from 20 to 18. Additionally, the peak core clock has been reduced by 4%, from 2,850 MHz to 2,750 MHz.The memory subsystem has also been downgraded to a 160-bit wide memory bus, which reduces the VRAM buffer to 10 GB. Despite using the same 19 Gbps memory, the memory bandwidth has been reduced by 17%, down to 380 GB/s.In a nutshell, the Arc B570 features a 10% reduction in cores, a 4% decrease in frequency, 20% less VRAM, and 17% less memory bandwidth. All of this comes with a small 12% reduction in price, which could present challenges for the B570's competitiveness. However, we need to examine its performance before drawing any conclusions, so let's dive into that.Gaming BenchmarksMarvel RivalsFirst, we have Marvel Rivals. Here, the B570 roughly matched the performance of the RTX 4060 at native 1440p, achieving 60 fps. This makes it 12% slower than the B580 and 25% faster than the RX 7600.Switching to the Ryzen 5 5600, the B570 remained 11% slower than the B580. However, it also became 8% slower than the RTX 4060 and just 10% faster than the RX 7600.When upscaling is enabled on the 5600, performance levels out across the board. However, the B570 emerges as the slowest GPU tested, rendering 82 fps, which is 7% slower than the RX 7600.Star Wars Jedi: SurvivorNext, we have Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. At native 1440p, the B570 was 14% slower than the B580, regardless of whether it was paired with the 9800X3D or the 5600. This performance placed it on par with the RTX 4060 and RX 7600. However, enabling upscaling left it 9% slower than the B580 and 8% slower than the Radeon and GeForce GPUs.Marvel's Spider-Man RemasteredSpider-Man Remastered continues to expose the Arc GPUs' overhead issues, especially when paired with lower-end CPUs. At native 1440p with the 9800X3D, the B570 was 12% slower than the B580 but managed to outperform both the RTX 4060 and RX 7600, boasting a 27% lead over the Radeon GPU.However, when paired with the Ryzen 5 5600, the B570 became only 4% slower than the B580. This may seem acceptable, but performance of the Arc GPUs was capped at around 80 fps due to CPU overhead. This limitation negated the earlier advantage, as the B570 dropped from being 27% faster than the RX 7600 with the 9800X3D to being 5% slower with the 5600.Additionally, enabling upscaling exacerbated the issue. The B570 ended up 23% slower than the RX 7600, as performance was again limited to approximately 80 fps with the Ryzen 5 processor.Hogwarts LegacyThe Hogwarts Legacy results are noteworthy. At native 1440p using the 9800X3D, the B570 was 16% slower than the B580, making it the slowest GPU tested. Switching to the Ryzen 5 5600 narrowed this gap to 9%, allowing the B570 to match the RTX 4060.When upscaling was enabled, however, the Arc GPUs fell behind, even when paired with a high-performance CPU like the 9800X3D. In this case, the B570 ended up nearly 30% slower than the RX 7600.Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2In Space Marine 2, the B570 trailed the B580 by 18% at 1440p with the 9800X3D. This margin decreased to 12% when using the Ryzen 5 5600.The bigger issue arose when upscaling was enabled. The Arc GPUs were limited to less than 60 fps with a mid-range CPU, and the problem persisted even with the 9800X3D. At native 1440p with the 5600, the B570 was 20% slower than the RX 7600. Enabling upscaling slightly increased this margin to 22%.Although Radeon GPUs faced their own overhead issues in this scenario, the comparison with the RTX 4060 was less favorable, as the Nvidia GPU was nearly 50% faster than the B570.A Plague Tale: RequiemIn A Plague Tale: Requiem, the Arc CPU overhead issue was not a factor. At native 1440p with either CPU, the B570 was 11% slower than the B580. With upscaling enabled, the B570 matched the RX 7600, offering decent performance overall.Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom LibertyIn Cyberpunk 2077, the B570 performs roughly on par with the RTX 4060, making it slightly faster than the RX 7600, at least when using the 9800X3D. Installing the Ryzen 5 5600 results in performance becoming more CPU-limited, with all four GPUs delivering similar performance at approximately 60 fps.Enabling upscaling pushes all four GPUs to around 80 84 fps. However, the 1% lows are noticeably lower when using the Arc GPUs, which may impact gameplay smoothness.Dying Light 2 Stay HumanDying Light 2 is similar to A Plague Tale: Requiem in that the Arc overhead issue is not a significant factor. Consequently, the B570 performs well in this title, even with the 5600 and when upscaling is enabled. For example, with the 5600 and upscaling, the B570 nearly matches the RTX 4060, trailing by just 4%.StarfieldIn Starfield, the B570 performs poorly, much like the B580. It renders just 37 fps at native 1440p on the medium quality preset. This level of performance is consistent across both the 9800X3D and 5600. With upscaling enabled, the Arc GPUs cap out at around 50 fps on the Ryzen 5 processor, whereas the RTX 4060 achieves 63 fps, making the GeForce GPU 31% faster than the B570.Dragon Age: The VeilguardIn Dragon Age: The Veilguard, both the B570 and B580 are capped at 67 fps when using either the 9800X3D or 5600, matching the performance of the RTX 4060. With upscaling enabled, the Arc GPUs reach just over 80 fps, but the RTX 4060 maintains a slight 6% performance advantage.Star Wars OutlawsStar Wars Outlaws remains an extremely demanding title, even with the medium preset. The B570 achieves only 37 fps at 1440p or 53 fps with upscaling enabled. Interestingly, slightly better performance was observed with the 5600, though this improvement was just a few extra frames.The challenge for the B570 is that while it matches the RTX 4060 at native 1440p with the 5600, enabling upscaling causes the B570 to fall 13% behind as the Arc GPUs struggle to reach 60 fps.War Thunder (DX11)Testing War Thunder in DirectX 11 mode reveals some interesting results. At native 1440p with the 9800X3D, the B570 is actually 10% faster than the RTX 4060. However, switching to the 5600 causes the B570 to become 20% slower, as both Arc GPUs are capped at around 180 fps. This gap widens further with upscaling enabled.War Thunder (DX12 Beta)Switching to DirectX 12 in War Thunder significantly changes the performance landscape. With the 9800X3D, the B570 is only 6% slower than the B580 but remains 8% slower than the RTX 4060. With the Ryzen 5 processor, results are similar, though enabling upscaling gives the RTX 4060 a slight performance edge. The DX12 API effectively addresses the Arc GPUs' overhead issue in this title.The Last of Us Part IIn The Last of Us Part I, the B570 matches the RTX 4060 and RX 7600 at 1440p when paired with the 9800X3D. Similar performance is observed with the Ryzen 5 processor. Although the Arc GPUs fall slightly behind with upscaling enabled, the B570's performance remains respectable overall.Power ConsumptionIn terms of power, the Arc B570 performs well, consuming 8 14% less power than the B580, which aligns with the hardware downgrades.On average, power consumption is about 20 watts higher than the RTX 4060. However, this is unlikely to concern gamers, as the B570's power consumption is not excessive for its class.Performance SummaryUsing the Ryzen 9800X3D at 1440p, the Arc B570 is on average 13% slower than the B580. It roughly matches the RTX 4060 and Radeon 7600, delivering solid results for a $220 GPU. However, when upscaling was enabled for higher performance, the B570 slipped slightly behind the RX 7600. Even so, the overall performance remains reasonable.Now, when testing with a slower CPU, such as the Ryzen 5 5600, the B570 still performed adequately at native 1440p, once again matching the RX 7600 while being 8% slower than the B580.With upscaling enabled, it was 4% slower than the Radeon RX 7600 and 6% slower than the Arc B580. While this represents decent performance for a $220 GPU, we need to evaluate its cost per frame before making any value judgments.Cost Per FrameBefore diving into the data, it's important to acknowledge that Intel B580's $250 MSRP is largely unattainable. Retailers like Newegg remain out of stock, making this pricing unrealistic. Similarly, listing scalper prices is unhelpful. Essentially, if the B580 isn't available at $250 or equivalent pricing in your region, it's not worth buying. The same applies to the B570 if it isn't available at its $220 MSRP, it doesn't offer good value.It's also really difficult to accurately assess the value of the new Arc GPUs as it depends on so many factors. Both the B580 and B570 offer more VRAM than competing AMD and Nvidia GPUs, but the Arc overhead issues often see the Arc GPUs underperform at 1080p or even 1440p with upscaling, and the CPU used plays a key role in all of this. That being the case, we have a few different data sets to make better sense of where these GPUs stand...At native 1440p, the B570 offers excellent value, especially when paired with the 9800X3D. In this configuration, it matches the B580 in value, outperforming the RX 7600 by 15% and the RTX 4060 by 34%.Using the Ryzen 5 5600, the B570 improves its value position relative to the B580, coming in 4% better. Against the RX 7600, it provides 12% better value, while it remains 22% better than the RTX 4060.However, when using upscaling, Intel's value proposition becomes less favorable. With the 9800X3D, the B570 is only 10% better value than the RX 7600 and 18% better than the RTX 4060. With the Ryzen 5 5600, the B570 delivers just 8% better value per frame than the RX 7600, and when factoring in 1% low data, Intel's position becomes even less favorable.Drawing the LineEvaluating the true value of Intel's new Arc GPUs is not as straightforward as it should be. On one hand, if paired with a powerful CPU, the GPUs perform well. On the other hand, those shopping for a budget GPU are unlikely to have high-end CPUs like the Ryzen 5 7600 or better. So if you're running a Ryzen 5 5600 or slower CPU, opting for a competing GPU like the Radeon RX 7600 ensures better overall performance.This is major problem problem for the B570. As an entry-level GPU designed for budget gaming, it needs to perform well with older and/or less capable CPUs but realistically, most budget gamers do not use CPUs more powerful than the Ryzen 5 5600.In our opinion, the Arc B580 can still be worth the gamble as the 12GB VRAM buffer makes it more attractive than the Radeon RX 7600 or RTX 4060. But the cut-down B570 isn't cheap enough to consider. While the 10GB VRAM buffer is an improvement over 8GB, the difference is marginal. Moving forward, 12GB should be the minimum VRAM for GPUs priced at $200 or more.If the Arc B570 were available for $220, should you buy it? Probably not. At that price, it's better to spend $250 for either the B580 or the RX 7600. Since the B580 is largely unavailable, the Radeon GPU becomes the better choice.So far, availability has been the biggest issue for Intel's Arc GPUs not the drivers or the CPU overhead, but simply finding them in stock. A month after the B580's release, availability remains extremely limited. Pricing in other regions is also less favorable than in the U.S., which exacerbates the problem.For example, in Australia, the B580 is available for $470 AUD, which matches the price of the RTX 4060 and is about $40 more than the RX 7600. Using more favorable 1440p native data but factoring in Australian pricing, the B570 offers just 6% better value than the Radeon 7600 when paired with the 9800X3D, and only 5% better value when using the Ryzen 5 5600. And this is assuming Intel's B570 ends up costing $410 AUD, which we've been told might not be the case, and it might cost nearly as much as the B580, which would be disastrous for its value proposition.What began with optimism and excitement for Intel's second wave of Arc GPUs has been marred by critical setbacks. While Intel still has an opportunity to salvage the lineup, it remains to be seen if they can turn things around.As of writing, the Arc B580 is the only model worth buying as long as it can be found at the $250 MSRP. Prices will vary depending on your region, but our rule of thumb is that the B580 needs to be at least 20% cheaper than the Radeon 7600 or RTX 4060 to be a viable option. Otherwise, the competing GPUs are simply better choices.The B570, on the other hand, needs to be priced even lower $200 is the maximum it should cost. If it's not, it's simply dead on arrival.Shopping Shortcuts:Intel Arc B580 on AmazonIntel Arc B570 on AmazonAMD Radeon RX 7600 on AmazonNvidia GeForce RTX 4060 on AmazonNvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super on AmazonAMD Radeon RX 7800 XT on Amazon

Intel Arc B570MSRP$219.00 Score Details The Arc B570 is truly in a league of its own.ProsExcellent priceFantastic 1080p gaming performanceHolds up well in lighter ray tracing titlesOnly requires a single 8-pin power connectorConsPerformance loss with older CPUsNot quite powerful enough for the most demanding PC gamesTable of ContentsTable of ContentsIntel Arc B570 specs1080p gaming performance1440p gaming performance4K gaming performanceRay tracing and XeSSA note on older CPUsShould you buy the Intel Arc B570?Intels new Arc B570 is a difficult GPU to evaluate. Its hard to call it one of the best graphics cards when it wins by default. Not dissimilar to something like Nvidias RTX 4090 in the previous generation, the Arc B570 faces basically no competition. In this case, though, the class of one works in favor of the Arc B570 rather than working against it.Recommended VideosClocking in at $219, the Arc B570 doesnt face any current-gen competition from AMD or Nvidia. We never saw an RTX 4050, nor an RX 7500 XT to reach down to the sub-$250 price range, and I dont have high hopes that well see those options this generation, either.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming Thankfully, the Arc B570 doesnt earn its stripes on price alone. Its a competent follow-up to the wildly popular Arc B580, and it gives PC gamers a much-needed option around $200 that doesnt completely fall apart under scrutiny. Its not without issues driver problems still poke up, and older CPUs may struggle but the Arc B570 is still a very compelling option for a budget gaming PC in 2025.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsAs the name and price implies, the Arc B570 is a slightly cut-down version of the Arc B580 thats already available. There are 10% fewer cores across the board, a 6% reduction in clock speed, and 17% less memory, and those spec reductions scale almost perfectly with pricing. The Arc B570 is 12% lower in price compared to the Arc B580.Normally, I dont bust out the percentages this early on in a review, rather using this space to talk about architecture, but the specs are important here. Given that there arent any contenders to the Arc B570, the big question for a lot of shoppers will be if you should buy this graphics card or spend an extra $30 to get the Arc B580. There are still some clear comparisons to Nvidias RTX 4060 and AMDs RX 7600, but both of those GPUs fall around the $300 mark spending an extra $80 is significantly different than spending an extra $30.Arc B570Arc B580ArchitectureBattlemageBattlemageProcess nodeTSMC N5TSMC N5Xe cores1820Ray tracing units1820XMX engines144160Graphics clock2,500MHz2,670MHzVRAM10GB GDDR612GB GDDR6Memory bandwidth380GB/s456GB/sBus width160-bit192-bitTotal Graphics Power (TGP)150 watts190 wattsList price$219$249The core reduction is what matters most here when looking at overall performance. Memory is an interesting point of contention, though. The Arc B570 only has a slight reduction in memory capacity, but that forces a thinner bus width, and therefore, reduces memory bandwidth significantly. The bandwidth is still higher than what youll get on 8GB GPUs like the RX 7600 and RTX 4060, but unlike those cards, Intel doesnt include a pool of L3 cache to boost the effective bandwidth of the GPU.That shouldnt pose an issue in most games, but its something to note. We dont see 10GB GPUs often, and understanding the memory subsystem is important. The Arc B570 is closer to an 8GB GPU than it is to the Arc B580 when it comes to the overall memory system. I wouldve liked to see 12GB on the Arc B570, as well, though given the very small difference in price between it and the Arc B580, I understand the design change.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsStarting at 1080p, the Arc B570 is near the bottom of the stack in overall performance, only beating out Intels own Arc A770 and A750 from the previous generation. Its also the least expensive option, and by a fairly significant margin. AMDs RX 7600 XT is 5% faster, but its also 50% more expensive at $330. The RTX 4060 is less extreme at only 36% more expensive, but it comes out just a mere 6% faster than the Arc B570.The most apt comparison is Intels own GPU, though. The Arc B580 is 17% faster than the B570 and 14% more expensive. That means the Arc B580 is still the better value overall, but there are a few devils in the details here to touch on.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsFirst,Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered.As you can see from the results above, the Arc B570 gets clobbered in this game, and Im not sure why. Intel says it might be a VRAM-related issue, which is possible. The 8GB RTX 4060 performance significantly better, for example, but it has higher effective bandwidth with a pool of L3 cache. The Arc B570 might be running into a bandwidth issue.Thankfully, thats the only game where I encountered a major issue. As you can see above, the Arc B570 manages a clear lead over the RTX 4060 inCyberpunk 2077, Dying Light 2,andRed Dead Redemption 2.The Arc B580 is faster, unsurprisingly, but its astounding the performance Intel is able to deliver in these games considering the price of the Arc B570.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsReturnalalso shines particularly bright on this GPU, which isnt a surprise given the performance of the Arc B580 in this game. Here, the Arc B570 is even nearing the performance of the $400 RTX 4060 Ti, which is downright impressive.Its not all upside, though. There are games likeCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Forza Motorsport, and Assassins Creed Miragewhere the Arc B570 just doesnt make the cut against the competition. Thats where price works in favor of the Arc B570, though. Youre still getting above 60 frames per second (fps) in these games, which is completely playable. No, youre not getting the performance of an RTX 4060 or RX 7600 XT, but youll also spending a whole $80 less.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsThere are also some games that youll struggle to play on such a low-performance GPU.Black Myth: Wukongwith its cutting-edge use of Unreal Engine 5 is a prime example of that. Even with Intels XeSS upscaling, youll struggle to get playable performance without resorting to tools like Lossless Scaling. Those are the trade-offs you make with a $219 graphics card, though.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsAs I saw with the Arc B580, Intels Battlemage architecture scales up better to higher resolutions, and the Arc B570 is no exception. You can see this flat line from the Arc B570 up to the RTX 4060, with Intels own Arc B580 and much more expensive AMD and Nvidia options breaking the stalemate.Still, the story here doesnt change much compared to 1080p. InReturnal, Cyberpunk 2077, Red Dead Redemption 2,andForza Motorsport,the Arc B570 punches far above its weight class, at least compared to the price and performance of the competition.Similarly, the Arc B570 loses inCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Forza Motorsport,andAssassins Creed Mirage.As far as comparisons between GPUs go, the situation hasnt changed much.The real-world situation has changed, though. Although the B570 scales well up to 1440p, its falling short of the 60 fps mark in a number of games. Upscaling and settings tweaks can make up that difference, but whereas the Arc B580 is comfortable at 1440p, the Arc B570 will struggle. Memory issues become a largely concern, as well, particularly with recent demanding games likeIndiana Jones and the Great Circle.There are some games where you cant make up the gap, too, with Black Myth: WukongandHorizon Zero Dawn Remasteredbeing prime examples. That really shouldnt come as a surprise, though. Even $300 graphics cards are locked to 1080p in most cases, so the fact that the Arc B570 even puts up a fight is impressive.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsThe Arc B570 already struggles in some games at 1440p, so you really shouldnt use it at 4K that shouldnt be surprising considering the price of this GPU. In an effort to show my work, however, you can see the 4K average for all of the games I tested above. Again, you can see the scaling of this graphics card at a higher resolution. Whereas is fell clearly short of the RTX 4060 on average at lower resolutions, Intel actually claims a small lead here.Still, 4K isnt really an option on the Arc B570. Its a fine option if youre playing less demanding games or indie titles, and it could make a good option for budget-focused home theater PC with a 4K TV. But for the latest games, youll want to focus on 1080p if you plan on picking up the Arc B570.Despite the low price tag, the Arc B570 comes with dedicated ray tracing hardware, and it can run games that feature ray tracing will decent performance.Returnalis a good place to start, as it shows the best of what Intels latest GPU has to offer.Returnaldoesnt have a very demanding implementation of ray tracing, and due to that, the Arc B570 shows some solid performance, particularly at 1080p. Youre getting 70 fps with maxed-out settings, and barely breaking a sweat.More demanding forms of ray tracing arent as favorable, andCyberpunk 2077is a good example of that. Intel has done great work to put pressure on Nvidias ray tracing prowess with its B-series graphics cards, but Nvidia still wins the day when pushing demanding forms of ray tracing likeCyberpunk 2077offers.Most games should perform near the level thatDying Light 2demonstrates. You probably wont get a locked 60 fps in games at 1080p with maxed-out ray tracing, and you especially wont at higher resolutions. This comes down to the individual game, however. Titles like Resident Evil 4have a very light tough when it comes to ray tracing, whileDragon Age: The Veilguardis more demanding. With the Arc B570, youll need to make some compromises depending on how demanding the game youre playing is.Intel wants you to use its XeSS upscaling to fill in the gaps, which is a fairly impressive upscaling utility. Unfortunately, Intel doesnt have the same level of support for XeSS as Nvidia has for DLSS and AMD has for FSR; there will be some games where youll have to resort to a tool like a Lossless Scaling. Thankfully, Intels new XeSS 2 with frame generation is very impressive, and it works on the B570. Youll just need patience as Intel broadens support for the feature.Most reviewers, myself included, test new graphics cards with a blistering fast CPU. In my case, I use the Ryzen 9 9950X. Although you can criticize this approach for being unrealistic I mean, who would pair a $220 graphics card with a $600+ CPU? it makes sense for GPU testing. By using a high-end chip, you can remove any potential PC bottlenecks and show case the true performance of the graphics card. Its a way to provide an accurate view of how GPUs scale in relation to each other, and usually the best representation of what you should expect when choosing between different GPU options.9800X3D vs. R5 5600, Old PC vs. New PC: Intel Arc B580 Re-Review!As HardwareUnboxed revealed with the Arc B580, however, Intels latest architecture is particularly sensitive to older CPU architectures. Its so sensitive, in fact, that it can completely change the comparison between two graphics cards. You can see the full video above for specifics.The issue isnt as big of a deal on the Arc B570, especially considering how much less youll spend on it compared to something like the RTX 4060; Intel is still delivering a good value, even accounting for the performance delta with older, slower CPUs. Given the gap, though, it might be worth considering your whole PC build before making a purchase decision. After all, if youre forced to upgrade your CPU alongside the new Arc B570, it might be worth pooling that money and just buying a more powerful graphics card.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsAs I mentioned at the top of this review, the Arc B570 wins by default. There arent any current-gen options to contest it, and the card absolutely blows away last-gen options around this price like the RTX 3050 and RX 6500 XT. So, yes, you should buy the Arc B570, but you should also be aware of its limitations.Unlike the B580, which directly challenged the AMD and Nvidia competition on price and performance, the B570 takes a clear backseat for a much lower price. It comes with limits, particularly in those prestige AAA games likeBlack Myth: Wukong.Still, Im happy that gamers on a budget have an option to score a GPU around $200 with Intels latest release thats something we havent seen for a while.Editors Recommendations

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One More Turn Civilization VII preview: The most complete package since IV 15 hours in, it seems like an improvement on Civilization VI's missteps. Samuel Axon Jan 16, 2025 9:00 am | 0 Worker units have been replaced by a centralized city management screen. Credit: Samuel Axon Worker units have been replaced by a centralized city management screen. Credit: Samuel Axon Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreMaking the seventh Civilization game is a tall order. With six prior entries, each with a different flavor, it's challenging to create a unique identity to get people to buy it while ensuring its familiar enough that it doesnt drive long-time fans away.This week, I spent 15 hours playing Civilization VIIwhich is slated for release next monththrough two of its three ages: Antiquity and Exploration. Thats enough time to know that this is the most radical overhaul yet in a single new release without any expansions.Regardless, my initial impressions are that this is also a return to form for the series. Like many others, I had many gripes about Civilization VI. To be clear, VII isnt a reset to pre-VI times; many concepts introduced in VI (like the hex-based city district system) are revisited and refined here.But theres a lot to like here for new and old players if you have an open mind. A full review is coming early next month, but for now, here are a few initial observations from a long-time Civilization geek.For first-time or lapsed playersAs always, the developers of Civilization VII want this to be an ideal starting point for players new to the franchise or those whove gone a decade or more without starting up a game.Ive played at least a few full games of Civilization a year since about 1996, so its difficult to speak to the uninitiated experience. But let me try to make an informed guess as to how appealing this will be for new players.The tutorials are improved compared to earlier entries. Theyre clearly worded, and they closely guide at the very beginning. Nonetheless, coming to the game from nothing involves reading numerous pop-up text boxes. Its nowhere near as overwhelming as what you face when learning Crusader Kings III or Europa Universalis IV, but its still a lot.Any prior familiarity with 4X-style games like this will make a big difference, though. You can recruit city-states into your civilization, but they start as towns, where you have to spend gold to add new buildings. Credit: Samuel Axon This is the best game to start with, if only because the systems are more clearly laid out and easier to understand. Some prior Civ titles had opaque systems, where even experienced players would ask, Why is that happening? I havent felt that way about VII.As for players who havent played a Civ game since V, IV, or even earlier, I was disappointed that, unlike other recent entries, there werent different tutorial presets. Some other games in the series allowed the player to say whether they were completely new to Civilization or just the new concepts introduced in that particular title. As far as I can tell, theres just one tutorial path here. That means that folks coming from Civilization V will want tutorials on how city district adjacency bonuses work, but to get that, theyll also have to put up with tutorials about stuff that hasnt changed since the dawn of the franchise, like building cities.Thats a little annoying, sure, but its only an issue for the first couple of hours. After that, the tutorials really are less of an issue and only appear when new concepts are introduced as you progress through the ages.Fully fleshed outPlaying through two of the three ages gave me full access to almost all of the games big systems, and the breadth of those systems is the most impressive thing about Civilization VII. I can already tell this game is more fully fleshed out at launch than V or VI were.With both of those, I felt enough systems had been cut from the previous title (and left to be reintroduced in expansions) that they felt a bit barebones when they came out. Thats not the case with Civilization VII. It has brought over (and sometimes expanded upon) almost all the systems that were in VI.Sure, a couple from VI (like the global warming system) didnt make it, but the ones that didnt were my least favorite ones, so Im not complaining.A visual return to formSince I'm comparing prior titles, I prefer VIIs visual presentation to VIs. Its closer to what we got in V, which many felt was the best-looking Civ titleat least until now.Civilization VII is not a city-building game, but its cities look more impressive than before as they gradually sprawl out through hexes adjacent to where they were founded. Credit: Samuel Axon On top of that, the graphics are noticeably more detailed. Cities look awesome as they slowly grow out of their origin hex with new types of buildings and public squares. When the age changes, so does the architecture. Firaxis definitely achieved its stated objective of capturing the feeling of an old, sprawling city expanding itself in distinct historical or cultural layers.Age transitions feel like starting a new gameThe most significant change compared to prior titles is a completely new approach to ages. In most of the earlier games, the equivalent of ages was called eras (like Ancient, Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Industrial, or Modern) and were just signposts to show how far youd gone through the tech tree. Sometimes, certain buildings would be gated behind eras, but they werent really a system unto themselves.Civilization VI introduced the Ages as a complementary concept to eras. In that, there was a sort of boom-and-bust cycle of golden and dark ages, where youd try to achieve one or the other in the next cycle to gain certain bonuses.Confusingly, the ages in VII mostly resemble eras of past games and include some of the ideas from VIs ages, while also totally overhauling the whole concept.There are now just three ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. Each has its own totally distinct tech tree, and each has gameplay systems that are entirely relevant in that age and only that age.Each age also has its own paths and success metrics, akin to classic victory conditions. Yes, there are Science victories for the Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern Ages, but the specific goals in the Science victory vary between them. There's a dedicated screen for tracking your progress in each Age, with differing objectives for each. Credit: Samuel Axon When an age concludes, it feels like the end of a classic game of Civilization. Youre shown a recap screen that shows how different civilizations did on their goals for the age, with rankings that make it clear who (if anyone) came out on top. How you did on the aforementioned paths and metrics defines what the starting point of the next age looks like.When you begin the next age, it's like starting a new game entirely, except the city placement and other starting conditions are defined by what happened in the game you played before. (Im told this resembles how the Civilization-like Humankind works, but I havent played that game, so I cant elaborate on that.)This is by far the most radical change weve ever seen in how Civilization plays. I really like it, though. Its hard to articulate why it feels so much better, but I think its because it makes for more frequent and meaningful payoffs for how youve been playing. It allows the games designers to go deeper with the systems when they dont necessarily have to work the same way across the whole span of a playthrough.Diplomacy worksMy biggest complaint about Civilization VI (I had many) was that war weariness was crippling and frustrating to deal with, but the games diplomacy system (or arguably, lack thereof) always meant that AI players were constantly trying to push you into war with them.Once you get sucked into one of those wars, the system for preventing or managing war weariness was too opaque and difficult to deal with. That meant that with most games, I gradually got sucked into being a widely hated global conqueror whether I wanted to play that way or not. You can spend a diplomacy resource on a wide range of interactions with other leaders (or city-states). Credit: Samuel Axon Civilization VII completely redoes all of this. There are still penalties for warmongering, but diplomacy is now handled through a numbered resource akin to science or culture points. You can spend these points to sway leaders (and your own people) to support your wars or to prevent them.Its much more sensible than what we had before, and it makes more peaceful strategies more viable. This is my favorite change coming from VI.Lingering questionsThere are still many things Im curious about or would like to see that I didnt get to experience during my preview time with the game.For example, Id like to know how the late game and Modern Age feeldoes this game address the series longstanding issue with that part sometimes becoming a slog of keeping up with micromanaging too many things?Theres also multiplayer; is it fun? How does it work compared to prior entries, especially with the new ages system that ultimately feels like playing three distinct matches?How well does the game work on consoles or the Steam Deck?These are all questions Ill look to answer in my review. But for now, Im pleased to say that Im more optimistic about the next Civ game than I have been in a while.Samuel AxonSenior EditorSamuel AxonSenior Editor Samuel Axon is a senior editor at Ars Technica. He covers Apple, software development, gaming, AI, entertainment, and mixed reality. He has been writing about gaming and technology for nearly two decades at Engadget, PC World, Mashable, Vice, Polygon, Wired, and others. He previously ran a marketing and PR agency in the gaming industry, led editorial for the TV network CBS, and worked on social media marketing strategy for Samsung Mobile at the creative agency SPCSHP. He also is an independent software and game developer for iOS, Windows, and other platforms, and heis a graduate of DePaul University, where he studied interactive media and software development. 0 Comments