There’s a new Garmin Fenix smartwatch on the market with a better screen and tons of new features, but is it enough to warrant an upgrade? The Fenix 9 will set you back $1,000, the same price we saw the previous generation launch for. Like all Garmin Fenix models before it, this one’s built for athletes and outdoor adventurers who want to take on everything from ultramarathons to mountain climbing to open-water diving.

The Fenix 8 is already a well-rounded and highly capable watch that covers almost every possible scenario. Since the new model’s release, the company has, on occasion, discounted the older version. For instance, during the week that the Fenix 9 launched, you could get the 43mm Fenix 8 on sale for $850. The new Fenix starts at $999.99 (43mm) and goes up to $1,099.99 for the 51mm size.

Since you can still get both models from Garmin, what exactly sets them apart and how should you choose? The company has its own blog post detailing some of the changes, but of course, you’ll want input from a source that isn’t trying to sell you its latest product. We’ll go beyond the spec sheet to look at what’s different between the two generations, what stayed the same and where each watch makes the most sense depending on how you train and live.

This is the first clear area of improvement for the Fenix 9. The smartwatch features an AMOLED display that Garmin says is “twice as bright” as the Fenix 8’s. As a refresher, the Fenix 8 was the first of its family to feature an AMOLED panel (the Fenix 7 and 7 Pro used “Sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP)” displays). 

Garmin did not disclose the specific number of nits for the Fenix 8’s AMOLED screen, but it does say the Fenix 9 Pro version reaches up to 3,000 nits of brightness, so a bit of math suggests the Fenix 8 came in significantly below that. For context, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Pixel Watch 5 both go up to 3,000 nits at peak brightness as well. 

The Fenix 8’s AMOLED panel is still bright and vibrant, so it won’t be a night-and-day difference in everyday use, but for athletes who frequently train under harsh sun, the added brightness will make the screen more readable.

When it comes to the case, the standard Fenix 9 keeps the same construction as the Fenix 8 had in its higher-end models, pairing a titanium bezel with a sapphire lens. It is worth noting that Fenix 8 offered a stainless steel bezel with a glass lens on its base configuration. Still, both watches are rugged, tested to US military standards and rated for diving up to 40 meters.

The under-the-hood improvements are more substantial than they first appear. The Fenix 9 doubles the Fenix 8’s capacity to 64GB, letting you download twice as many apps and store up to 7,000 songs from your Spotify, Deezer or Amazon Music accounts.

The Fenix 9 also has 50 percent more RAM than the Fenix 8, so it’s going to deliver a snappier performance, switching quickly between whatever apps you need to use, loading maps and so on. When it comes to map performance, Garmin also states that panning is up to 30 percent faster on the new Fenix 9, mostly thanks to a more powerful map engine.

More storage is always great, especially when you don’t have to pay extra for it. This will make it easier to load multiple regional maps and large music libraries, so you don’t have to worry about deleting songs before an upcoming trip. Frankly, that extra storage is one of the most practical reasons to upgrade.

There are loads of features that carry between generations. These range from the built-in LED flashlight, the onboard speaker and microphone for calls and voice commands, to the ECG capability and a slew of perks like Garmin Pay, music streaming and your daily metrics.

The Fenix 9 brings some new or improved features to the table. For example, Garmin Epic is a new feature that groups multiple activities over days, weeks or months into a single shareable story in Garmin Connect. This will make your multi-day hike or training camps easier to share online. The smartwatch also makes it possible to now track stamina zones and your stamina curve, telling you more about how your endurance changes over time so you can pace yourself more effectively.

The Fenix 9 also expands its rucking features. If you’re going to adjust your pack weight mid-activity, you can now mark that up in your watch. The watch also integrates structured GORUCK workouts so you can follow guided routines, step counts and rests.

Many of these software features may eventually reach the Fenix 8 through updates, which will soften the argument for upgrading. The hardware-dependent additions like the brighter display, however, are exclusive to the new model.

Battery life is not something that should factor into your decision between these smartwatches. The Fenix 9 brings no upgrade over the previous model, delivering the same 29 days of use on a single charge. If battery life is something you have concerns over, you might be better off getting the Fenix 9 Pro Solar, which will get you up to 57 days of use.

Stacking the two side by side, the Fenix 9 improves on the Fenix 8 in the following ways:

• It has a brighter display.

• It has twice as much storage space.

• It delivers faster and more detailed maps.

• It brings new software features like stamina tracking and Garmin Epic.

At the same time, the fundamentals are strikingly similar as they both share the same starting price, size options, dive rating, health tracking suite, speaker and mic combo, ECG capabilities and flashlight. The Fenix 9 is more of an evolution than a revolution.

If you already have the Fenix 8 and you’re content with the features and specs it delivers, it’s probably not worth shelling out another thousand dollars for it. If you’re running out of storage, have a hard time seeing what’s on the screen at times and you’re dreaming about a faster map, the upgrade may be worth it.

If you don’t own the Fenix 8 but are just looking for a new smartwatch that will keep up with your training sessions and outdoor activities, then the Garmin Fenix 9 is an absolute beast that is well worth your attention and your money. 

Here’s another thing to help you make a decision. Garmin guarantees critical security vulnerability patches for a minimum of two years from launch, and that window has already passed for the Fenix 8. The company doesn’t have a clear schedule we could check, and we’ve reached out for clarification on this particular policy. But if it does decide to cut off these updates anytime soon, it could leave sensitive information, including that integrated into Garmin Pay, vulnerable, much like it will happen to a bunch of other popular smartwatches.  

As vinyl record sales continue to soar, swarms of converts are looking to upgrade their turntables. Of course, you can always invest in a high-end record player. And while cleaning your records and adding an alignment protractor can noticeably improve performance on the cheap, you may want to invest in improving the quality of your current turntable. 

While newer turntables tout Bluetooth connections, your speakers are among the most important pieces of the equation when it comes to audio quality. But on the turntable itself, it’s the stylus, or needle, which will make the biggest difference in your record player’s sound quality. Logically, it makes sense. Because the stylus is the piece which picks up the grooves of your vinyl record, its quality determines the level of details your record player is going to pick up.

Styluses are made of diamond and typically come in elliptical, microliner, Shibata, line contact and spherical shapes. If you are rocking an older or budget turntable, you’re likely using a spherical stylus. Also known as conical needles due to their cone-like tips, these styluses are durable and affordable, making them a great option if you don’t spend your nights yearning for precise, detail-rich audio. However, if you’re looking to take your record game to the next level, you’ll want to invest in a higher quality stylus. But which should you choose? And how do you maximize your new stylus once its in place? 

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option that delivers stellar performance, consider upgrading to an elliptical stylus. With an oval-shaped tip that increases your turntable’s contact area through two radii, elliptical styluses improve your turntable’s distortion, frequency response and modulation tracking. Cheaper than the premium options listed below, an elliptical stylus is a midrange option perfect for most casual listeners. However, take care when installing your new stylus, as improper alignment can cause noticeable wear on your records.

For a more premium experience, consider a microliner stylus, which uses a narrow, elongated tip like those used to cut your records. More agile than elliptical styluses, microliners can track high-frequency inner grooves while remaining durable, producing high-detail sound and inner-grove clarity without an audiophile-grade setup. Unfortunately, microliner styluses are more dependent on a quality setup, so be sure to pair one with a high-end cartridge and tonearms.

Those seeking audiophile performance can seek out the infamous Shibata stylus. A Japanese creation in the 1970s designed to play 4-channel vinyl discs, a Shibata’s flat narrow point increases the contact area, perfect for high-frequency recordings and high-fidelity playback. Ideal for high-res jazz and classical recordings, the pricey Shibata styluses require intensive installation to ensure proper alignment. For the most premium experience, opt for a line-contact stylus. Typically reserved for the best audiophile cartridges, the extended contact area means total fidelity to your record’s grooves. If you need a studio-grade configuration, this specialized stylus will render the highest resolutions — for a price.

No matter which tip you opt for, make sure to switch from a bonded stylus to a nude needle. Bonded styluses are diamond tips attached to a metal shank fastened to the cantilever. Affordable and durable, bonded styluses are commonly found in lower and midrange cartridges. However, the shank’s mass dampens the needle’s responses to the record’s grooves. However, a nude stylus, in which the diamond is fastened directly to the cantilever, has a lower mass, allowing it to better follow the grooves of your record. 

Another way to improve your record player is to upgrade your cartridge altogether. Because these tiny devices convert the vibrations picked up by your stylus into the electrical signal that emanates from your speakers, some might consider upgrading your stylus without upgrading your cartridge akin to putting a new engine in a jalopy.  A new cartridge can help bring out the minute details of your favorite records, improving sound quality, enhancing groove tracking, minimizing distortion, and can extend stylus life.

For simplicity’s sake, lets look at Moving Magnet and Moving Coil cartridges. Both use magnets and coils to convert vibrations of your stylus into electromagnetic signals that travel through your turntable’s tonearm to your sound system. In the former, vibrating magnets send electrical currents between two coils.  Best for entry-level and midrange setups, Moving Magnetic cartridges are perfectly suitable in most cases, producing astounding sonic outputs with a punchier presentation. And while they lack the refinement of their Moving Coil counterparts, they are also substantially cheaper, easier to maintain and are often compatible with user-replaceable styluses. 

For a more advanced setup and stylus, consider a Moving Coil cartridge, where a cantilever vibrates a pair of coils with fixed magnets. Smaller than those used in a Moving Magnetic cartridge, these coils create more subtle, precise movements, rendering better resolution. However, you’ll likely need to pair your Moving Coil cartridge with a good amplifier or high quality headphones due to the lower output levels. Pricey, delicate, and typically without user-replaceable styluses, investing in a Moving Coil cartridge isn’t for the faint of heart. However, if you choose one with an elite stylus, you may be in for an audiophile’s dream.

By most measures, NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5090 is a more powerful GPU than most will ever need. Priced at $1,999 when it was announced, it has 32GB of GDDR7 memory and can consume 575W when pushed. Despite all that power, though, there’s still another step up the NVIDIA desktop GPU ladder.

That would be the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Workstation Edition. NVIDIA describes it as the “most powerful desktop GPU ever created.” Put another way, it’s a very powerful graphics card for people whose needs extend beyond gaming. And sure, you can buy one, but your bank account may not be very happy about it. NVIDIA’s current US price for the RTX PRO 6000 is $16,000, nearly double the $8,565 it cost when it launchedup from $13,250. 

NVIDIA has not disclosed why it raised the price, although the increase comes amid sharply rising memory costs and broader GPU price hikes . What’s clear, though, is that NVIDIA is targeting the RTX PRO 6000 at AI developers, engineers, 3D artists and other professionals who can make use of hardware that would be overkill in most gaming PCs.

The simplest way to understand the price is to start with memory. The RTX PRO 6000 features a fairly ridiculous 96GB of GDDR7 ECC memory, compared to 32GB of GDDR7 on the RTX 5090. It also has 24,064 CUDA cores and a max board power of 600W.You’re not going to suddenly find a game that needs the additional 64GB of RAM, but professional workloads can.

NVIDIA is specifically targeting that huge memory pool at massive 3D and AI projects, larger datasets, VR environments and multi-app workflows. The ability to detect and correct memory errors is also more important when a GPU is doing some serious number crunching or a long professional job than when you’re trying to eke out a few more frames in Cyberpunk 2077.

The professional premium is not just in the hardware. RTX PRO cards are supported by NVIDIA’s workstation-focused driver ecosystem, with enterprise support and certifications for professional applications, as opposed to the gaming-focused priorities of NVIDIA’s Game Ready drivers.

This isn’t a new trick with a new name. For over 20 years, NVIDIA sold its professional graphics hardware under the Quadro brand before transitioning to RTX professional branding. RTX PRO sitting next to GeForce RTX might now require a second look at the box, but the five-figure price tag helps to clear up the confusion pretty quickly.

AMD’s Radeon PRO line targets similar workstation users, but the 96GB RTX PRO 6000 sits at the extreme end of the market.

Testing by Tech YouTuber der8auer found that the RTX PRO 6000 could outperform the RTX 5090 in some games even when using NVIDIA’s workstation driver. It was about 14 percent faster in Cyberpunk 2077, about 11 percent faster in Star Wars Outlaws and Remnant 2 and just about three percent faster in Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Those are good numbers — but they are not $16,000 good numbers. 

At $16,000, the RTX PRO 6000 costs about eight times the RTX 5090’s original $1,999 price, and those gaming improvements are in the single digits or low double digits. The economics get a lot less crazy when the card is doing what it was meant to do, since 96GB can mean running a larger AI model locally or handling an enormous visualization project.

That’s also why “rarely sold to consumers” doesn’t mean that NVIDIA has one behind a velvet rope. The company sends customers to its Marketplace and workstation partners, and a dedicated enthusiast can own one. The more difficult question is why a gamer would want to invest thousands of dollars in extra memory, professional drivers and workstation features that their games don’t even know exist.