2020 has been a rough year for most people with the pandemic pretty much slowing life as we know it way down than normal. The tech world however, didn’t really slow down all that much and there were a lot of good smartphones that came out in 2020. Here are some that we feel are the best smartphones that 2020 had to offer. This is Pokde.net’s Best Smartphone Awards of 2020!
Best Camera Smartphone – Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G

Arguably the best Samsung smartphone you can get right now, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G features top-tier specifications that you’d expect from a flagship device like this. It has a large and near bezel-less 6.9-inch WQHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display, an eye-catching matte glass design and a triple camera setup. The camera setup consists of a 108MP wide-angle camera, a 12MP periscope telephoto camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera.

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The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G takes absolutely beautiful pictures with vibrant colours and good detail and bokeh shots look good too with its Live Focus feature. Low light pictures look pretty good too. The 5x optical zoom feature is also pretty solid and can capture pretty decent shots especially on bright and sunny days. Add to that, camera features such as an extensive Pro mode and Single Take mode makes the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 a noteworthy companion for any smartphone photographer.
It also takes great selfies with its 10MP front shooter. Pictures are crisp with good detail though the beautification can be a little aggressive at times.
You can read our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G here.
Best Gaming Smartphone – ROG Phone 3

ROG is a behemoth when it comes to gaming. As a brand that’s pretty much synonymous with gaming, ROG’s third iteration of their gaming phone is still the benchmark when it comes to gaming-focused smartphones. The ROG Phone 3 has everything you want in a gaming smartphone and then some. It features a big 6.59-inch AMOLED screen with 144Hz refresh rate, a powerful Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset, capacitive AirTrigger 3 shoulder buttons, a massive 6,000mAh as well as two front-facing speakers.
In terms of performance, the ROG Phone 3 pretty much blew almost every other device device out of the water, consistently coming in top of the charts in all our benchmarks. Real world performance is pretty impressive too as it blazed through any game available now on the market with absolute ease. Coupled with a gigantic battery powering the device, you’re definitely in for long hours of gaming bliss.

The AirTrigger shoulder buttons also make a return on the ROG Phone 3 with the AirTrigger 3. Now, you are able to designate the AirTrigger 3 buttons into two partitons on each side, essentially giving you four shoulder buttons instead of just two. The overall gamer-esque design the ROG Phones are known for have been streamlined on the ROG Phone 3, giving it a slightly more elegant look compared to previous generations. Also it’s got RGB at the back and everyone knows RGB lights makes everything right-s.
You can read our review of the ROG Phone 3 right here.
Best Practical Innovation – POCO F2 Pro

The original POCO F1 practically lit a fire in the smartphone world with its offering of a high-end chipset with high-end performance packaged in an affordable price tag. OnePlus may have popularised the term “flagship killer” but the POCO F1 embodied it, becoming the very definition of the term. While the POCO sequel’s long awaited arrival didn’t blaze a trail like its predecessor, the POCO F2 Pro is still very much a “flagship killer” with killer specs, innovative features and an affordable price tag.

The POCO F2 Pro’s practical innovation stems from the fact that it includes features that not even other “true” flagships possess. Some of these features include an IR blaster, a 4,700mAh battery that can last for about two days and a “true” macro camera with a 50mm equivalent FOV for larger than life details. Furthermore, the POCO F2 Pro houses the largest vapour chamber found in any smartphone as of yet as well as being the first smartphone in the world to utilise a fast UFS 3.1 storage. This also means that the POCO F2 Pro has the most complete hardware package found in a sub-RM1,500 smartphone.
You can read our full review of the POCO F2 Pro right here.
Best Value Smartphone – Xiaomi Mi 10T/Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro

Xiaomi is known for churning out bang-for-your-buck devices and the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is no exception. Coming in hot on the heels of its predecessor, the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro, the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro features a flagship Snapdragon 865 SoC, UFS 3.1 storage, a triple camera setup and a high refresh rate screen at 144Hz. Yes the Mi 10T pro features an LCD screen and not an OLED screen which some might say is a downgrade compared to its predecessor but in all honesty, you’re not really losing much as far as the display goes. The screen looks great and with its high refresh rate, our experience with it has been nothing but smooth.

You also get flagship grade performance with its Snapdragon 865 chipset and handles pretty much everything we throw at it with ease. Gaming on the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is also a joy not just because of the chipset but also its large battery size. The camera setup of the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is no slouch either and offers great camera performance. Pictures taken are clear and crisp with good colour and detail with close up shots being one of the highlights. Night photos are also good with great detail and minimal noise.
The Xiaomi Mi 10T is also one of the best value smartphones as it offers pretty much everything the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro offers but for a few hundred ringgit less. The only difference is that the Xiaomi Mi 10T has a 64MP main camera as compared to the 108MP main camera on the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro as well as 128GB internal storage compared to 256GB. For an even better deal, a new 6GB RAM version of the Xiaomi Mi 10T was just released with an even lower price tag.
You can check out our review of the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro right here.
Most Ambitious Smartphone – OPPO Find X2 Pro

There have been quite a few ambitious phones on the market in 2020 but to us, none have been as ambitious as the OPPO Find X2 Pro. The OPPO Find X2 Pro is the successor to the OPPO Find X which was famous for its outrageous motorised pop up camera feature. The OPPO Find X2 Pro did away with the pop up camera in favour for a more traditional looking punch hole front camera.
The OPPO Find X2 Pro is one of OPPO’s best flagship devices you can get. It comes with a large 6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and is quite possibly one the most beautiful displays we have the pleasure of using. Pair that with the phone’s dual speakers with Dolby Atmos surround sound and watching videos on it certainly did take our breath away. It also comes equipped with other specifications that you would expect from a flagship device such as a Snapdragon 865 SoC, a triple camera setup, a 4,260mAh battery with 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 Flash Charge as well as an IP68 water resistance rating.

The cameras on the OPPO Find X2 Pro produced very satisfactory photos with colours that are more accurate to real life especially when compared to previous OPPO devices. It also packs other camera features to complete your photo-taking experience such as AI Color Dazzle which improves your photos via AI as well as Night Mode for great night shots.
All in all, the OPPO Find X2 Pro actually feels like OPPO is trying to make a great flagship smartphone that doesn’t have the need to rely on fancy gimmicks like its predecessor. Instead, it relies on the phone’s actual performance and features to properly stand out. The price might be a huge deterrent though for some people, as it comes a hefty price tag of RM4,599.
Check out our full review of the OPPO Find X2 Pro right here.
That’s it for Pokde.net’s Best Smartphone Awards of 2020. This was a tough one as there were many great smartphones that came out this year. Hope we see more exciting smartphones come out in 2021. For all things tech and games, do stay tuned to Pokde.net.
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ADATA DDR5-4800 and XPG LANCER RGB DDR5 memory starts from RM620

Are you prepping for your 12th Gen Intel Core build? ADATA is probably the first to the line with their DDR5 memory in Malaysia, priced from RM620. ADATA has worked with AORUS, ASRock, ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI and ROG to ensure maximum compatibility and optimal performance on most mainstream motherboards.
ADATA DDR5-4800 – 16GB kit, RM620

The ADATA DDR5-4800 memory offers you all the benefits that you would expect from DDR5. High performance, on-die ECC and low power consumption. There are no heatsinks, but you do get a black PCB for a cleaner look. The ADATA DDR5-4800 is available in single sticks of up to 32GB, or dual-DIMM kits for quad-channel configurations.

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A 16GB kit of ADATA DDR5-4800 will be priced at RM620 in Malaysia, and you can get it by the end of October.
ADATA XPG LANCER DDR5 and LANCER RGB DDR5 – coming soon

If you want a more aesthetically appealing kit of RAM, you might want to wait for the ADATA XPG LANCER or LANCER RGB DDR5 kits. As the name implies, the you can get the XPG LANCER DDR5 memory with or without RGB. The ADATA XPG LANCER memory comes with a sweet heatspreader, and they come with XMP 3.0 profiles of up to DDR5-5200.
Availability is set to start in November 2021, and the ADATA XPG LANCER DDR5 will only come in 2x16GB kits. Pricing is currently unconfirmed.
Pokdepinion: Phew, the pricing does sting.
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Xiaomi Mi 11T Pro passes SIRIM, launch imminent?

It seems that there are plenty of eyes on our very own SIRIM. The latest smartphone to pass through SIRIM’s doors is the Xiaomi Mi 11T Pro. The device has previously received the FCC certification, which revealed a few key features, like 5G support. But of course, 5G support is pretty much ubiquitous across Xiaomi’s entire range, so it doesn’t really mean a lot.

The Mi 11T Pro will apparently bear the 2107113SG model number. Interestingly enough, this is not going to be a rebrand of an existing product. It is going to be an entirely new device, just like the Mi 10T Pro. Rumors have apparently hinted that the Mi 11T Pro will feature the Snapdragon 888 chipset, but given that the T suffix usually denotes a more value-oriented flagship, we might also see it come with the Snapdragon 870.

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Another feature that might be included with the Mi 11T Pro is ultra-wide band (UWB) technology. Xiaomi is reportedly going to release an AirTag-like tracker, so this might be the first smartphone from them to work with their trackers. There are also rumors that Xiaomi will launch not only the Mi 11T Pro, but also the Mi 11T and Mi 11T Lite, but of course we will have to keep our eyes peeled to see if the latter two get certified down the line.

Xiaomi kicked off their T-series with the Mi 9T and Mi 9T Pro, both excellent bang-for-buck devices that were actually better than the Mi 9 in a few ways. Then the Mi 10T series followed the tradition with similarly great value, bringing features like an optically-stabilized 108MP main camera, as well as an excellent 120Hz LCD display to its sub-RM2000 price point. Hopefully we will see something similar with the Mi 11T series.
Pokdepinion: I wonder if Xiaomi Malaysia is planning a big launch, along with the Xiaomi Pad 5…
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LG Launches 49-Inch Curved UltraGear Monitor With 240Hz Refresh Rate

LG has unveiled UltraGear 49GR85DC, featuring a 49-inch, 32:9 curved dual-QHD (5120 x 1440) panel with a 1000R curvature, at up to 240Hz of refresh rate plus 1ms GtG response time. This VA-powered panel is also VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certified, with a 3000:1 contrast ratio, peak brightness of 1000 nits (sustained brightness listed as 450 nits) and 95% of DCI-P3 coverage.
As a 32:9 ultrawide, the monitor comes supported with Picture-in-Picture (PIP) and Picture-by-Picture (PBP) modes; connectivity options include a single DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.1 ports, 2x downstream USB-A ports, as well as the headphone jack which supports DTS Headphone:X standard. Much like other redesigned UltraGear models, there’s a hexagonal-shaped LED backlighting behind the display.

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“As the gaming monitor market continues to mature and grow, so too does the demand for expansive displays offering high refresh rates and superb picture quality,” said Seo Young-jae, senior vice president and head of the IT business unit of LG Electronics Business Solutions Company. “Designed for gaming, but equally suited to multitasking, the new LG UltraGear is a versatile, premium display solution that shows our commitment and ability to satisfy the diverse needs of today’s consumers.”
The LG UltraGear 49GR85DC is currently only available in US regions (priced $1,299), however the model will be launched next month in Europe, while Asian regions will follow at a later date.
Pokdepinion: At this price point the VA panel seems slightly underwhelming, could’ve gone with mini-LED or OLED really.
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Digi Telco Officially Partners with Vivo; Flagship Smartphone Now More Affordable

Are you looking for a brand new smartphone? Digi’s partnership with vivo Technologies means you can get their affordable flagship at an even lower price!

Digi Telco Officially Partners with Vivo

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Digi Telecommunications officially announced a partnership with smartphone brand vivo Technologies Sdn Bhd today. This partnership will see vivo’s flagship smartphone, the vivo V5s, made available at all nationwide Digi outlets starting July 2017.
Joyce Chu, vivo’s selfie icon!
In conjunction with this partnership, Joyce Chu, vivo’s selfie icon will have live performance at Lot10 Bukit Bintang Digi store. 20 Creative Digizens with the best slogan won themselves entrance for this once in a life time meet and greet event.
vivo V5s comes equipped with a front camera consisting of a 20 Megapixel (MP) IMX376 camera co-engineered with Sony. This front camera provides outstanding clarity and comes with a soft light function that enables users to capture the “Perfect Selfie” even in low light conditions. The rear camera has also been upgraded with a 1/2.8-inch 16 MP lens for super clarity.
With a body width similar to a 5.2-inch phone, the 5.5-inch V5s is designed using a special mirror grinding technique to fit comfortably in your hand while the display is made using Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with enhanced scratch resistance.
An updated fingerprint recognition technology lets you with unlock the phone with a single touch while pressing it twice lets you access your favourite apps. This, coupled with a powerful dual-engine fast charging feature, makes it easier to live life on the go.
vivo V5s comes equipped with 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM and uses the Mediatek MT6750 processor for supreme power and energy efficiency. The next generation Smart Engine management system, combined with the updated Funtouch OS 3.0, gives a much better user experience compared to previous models.
If you’re wondering whether the vivo V5s is worth buying or not, check out our full-fledged review on the smartphone by clicking here. I’m sure it will help you decide on whether it’s worth your hard-earned cash.

Currently, vivo V5s is now available on Digi Postpaid 78, 108, and 138 plans. Customers can also purchase the Y53 and Y66 at better rate from Digi, too. For more details on the Digi postpaid plans, click here.
Psst, you can up to 3% cashback with Shopback if you were to sign up with Digi’s postpaid plans.We’re not sponsored by Digi nor Shopback, just helping you consumers get a better deal.

Pokdepinion: Well, these kinds of thing usually benefit the consumers a lot as they can get the phone at an even lower price. Just make sure you can afford to pay for the postpaid plan every month and not go overkill just because the pricier plan has the phone for a cheaper price. It’s all about affordability.
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Twitter is interested in TikTok too

Aside from Microsoft, it appears that Twitter is also interested in acquiring TikTok in the US. Twitter has reportedly approached ByteDance to express their interest in the deal. However whether they can raise enough funds to pursue that endeavor remains to be seen.
As it stands, Twitter has a market capitalization of nearly $30 billion, which is about as much as the valuation of TikTok’s assets to be divested. However they will need more than that to be able to close the deal. One of Twitter’s share holders, Silver Lake is already in on helping to fund a deal.
Twitter also made an argument that they will be facing less regulatory scrutiny than Microsoft, as they do not operate in China, unlike the latter. Trump has reportedly said he would support Microsoft’s efforts to acquire TikTok if the US government got a “substantial portion” of the proceeds.

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The Trump Administration has claimed that they are banning TikTok in the US due to security concerns with the app’s ability to collect data and its servers in China, although TikTok has repeatedly denied allegations that they share data with the Chinese government.
ByteDance has until 15th September to decide which suitor will it accept, as Trump will be blocking them from any dealings with US companies after that.
Source
Pokdepinion: On the other hand… Is no one interested in WeChat?
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Acer Announce GeForce RTX GPU Support For Their Predator Orion Series Gaming Desktops

Following last night’s unveiling of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs, Acer has followed up with the news by announcing that their Predator Orion series gaming desktops supports the new cards.
Acer Predator Orion Series Desktops Support GeForce RTX GPUs

With the new GPUs powered by the all-new NVIDIA Turing architecture, the Predator Orion 9000, 5000, and 3000 gaming desktops will be able to provide incredible new levels of gaming realism, speed, power, efficiency and also immersion.

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The new NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs have reinvented graphics and set a new bar for performance. Powered by Turing GPU architecture, the graphics cards bring together real-time ray tracing, artificial intelligence, and programmable shading.
With the Predator Orion series gaming desktops, it gives gamers a spectrum of powerful gaming PCs depending on user’s requirements and needs. The Orion 5000 is a beast of a machine for the serious gamer, while the Orion 3000 is aimed at users entering the world of serious gaming. Of course, we couldn’t forget about the Predator Orion 9000, it comes with the top-of-the-line NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti and up to 18-core CPUs is a gamer’s dream machine.

All three of the refreshed Orion gaming desktop series will feature  new RGB lighting on the chassis and fans through the preinstalled PredatorSense app.
Here are some of the features of each Orion series:
Predator Orion 9000

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 TI GPUs
Intel Core i9 Extreme Edition
IceTunnel 2.0

Predator Orion 5000

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 GPU
Up to 8th Gen Intel Core i&+ 8700K
IceTunnel 2.0

Predator Orion 3000

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 GPU
Up To 8th Gen Intel Core i&+
VR Ready with support to 4K gameplay
Up to 32GB Intel Optane memory
Up to 64GB DDR4 RAM

Exact specifications, prices and availability for these new products may vary by region. You can find more at Acer’s official website.
Pokdepinion: Well considering that the new RTX cards aren’t cheap to begin with, be prepared to sell a part of your body.

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Some Google Pixel 3 Are Shutting Down Due To Overheating Issue

If you think that the multiple notch issue was the last of the Google Pixel 3, well think again. It turns out that some units of brand new smartphone from Google has been shutting down due to overheating.
Google Pixel 3 Overheating
Besides the horrendous issue with its notch, it seems that the Pixel 3 has gained a new problem where some devices have been overheating while they were charging.
Due to the high temperatures, these devices would then result in a total device shut down. Some reports has said that the problem is triggered when the device is performing an action while the phone is charging its battery,

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Users have complaint that they were notified with a ‘Phone is getting warm’ notification and that some features will be ‘limited while phone cools down’. Afterwards, the charging rate of the device would face a slowdown in speeds.
If it wasn’t resolve, the device would then completely switch itself down. Based on reports, the problem occurs no matter if they were charging through the Pixel Stand, a third-party wireless charger or even by a USB Type-C cable, which is alarming.
As of now, Google has yet to respond on what is the cause of the issue or mentioned of a fix.
Pokdepinion: Things aren’t looking pretty on the Google Pixel 3 side.. As if the bug with the notch wasn’t bad enough.
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ZTE Axon Mini available globally — Hi-Fi audio and octa-core chip

Just recently, ZTE has announced their new smartphone, the ZTE Axon Mini. The ZTE Axon Mini shares a similar outlook with the ZTE Axon but with lower specifications and price tag. The ZTE Axon Mini shared the same Hi-Fi audio features like the ZTE Axon.

The ZTE Axon Mini comes with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 which comes with a Adreno 405 graphic processing unit. The phone features a Super AMOLED FHD 5.2 inch screen with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage, expandable with microSD storage. While the larger ZTE Axon packs a 3000 mAh battery, the ZTE Axon Mini is only equipped with a 2800 mAh battery capacity.

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With a 13MP rear camera, ZTE claims that with the phase detection autofocus (PDAF) technology usually employed in DSLRs, it is capable of super fast camera focus times of 0.1 seconds. Selfie addicts will not be left out either as it features an 8MP shooter up front. Not only that, the ZTE Axon Mini will also be using Boeing 787 aircraft-grade aluminum-titanium alloy for the phone body, so it shouldn’t bend as easily as cough some other cough phones cough.
Now for the interesting part, the ZTE Axon Mini is using ZTE’s pressure-sensitive touchscreen technology, which is almost similar to what is in the latest Apple’s iPhones. With the pressure-sensitive touchscreen it could introduce new ways for users to interact with apps, games, and the device’s interface. We are not sure what operating system will be used since the ZTE Axon boots with Android 5.1.1 but there’s a possibility that the Axon mini will come with Android 6.0 Marsmallow.

The Axon mini also supports fingerprint security measures, voice control, and eye-scan biometric authentication. The ZTE Axon Mini will be prices from USD 379 for standard version and up to USD 439 for premium edition.

Pokdepinion : A Hi-Fi chip on a phone might be a great idea but how much can it improve the audio quality, if we were to comparre it to the RM 300 (around USD 80) FiiO Q1 Portable Amplifier & DAC.

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Tencent Reveals Technology Impact From Pandemic

I think we all can agree that the pandemic has accelerated digitalization in more than one industries and sectors. Previously considered as unnecessary or just “nice-to-have”, various technologies has become essential in an attempt to bring normalcy back to daily life. Tencent has hosted a recent Technology for Change Week Asia panel discussing on the matter.
Tencent’s discussion on technology

The panel included industry leaders from Tencent, Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority, Unreasonable Group and The Commons Project, where they’ve discussed how technology has been used for good during the pandemic and how it will continue to have an impact in the post-pandemic era.

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One of the sector that has benefitted from the adoption of technology during the pandemic has been education, where UNICEF has reported that schools for more than 168 million children were completely closed, due to the COVID-19 situation.
To combat the matter, educational institutions pivoted towards  utilizing video conferencing tools to provide education access to students, a tool that was previously considered as solely for conducting businesses.
When the pandemic first hit, Tencent realized very quickly that we had to roll out our video conferencing technology, Tencent Meeting (Tencent VooV Meeting in markets outside China) and adapted that our Smart Classroom Solutions for schools. In line with our mission of Value for Users, Tech for Good, we assisted teachers and students to resume learning immediately. The Tencent Education Platform served millions of teachers and students in China during the pandemic.
Krittee Monaleehagul, Managing Director of Tencent Thailand
Mr Krittee believes that technology will continue to evolve and serve society  as we adapt to the new normal where he has said “technology doesn’t always have to be disruptive. In fact, technology innovations can make communications and sharing more convenient and accessible”.
Cloud computing enabled businesses will soon become an integral part of many businesses and nations’ digital transformation. He adds that remote working will be a new norm as companies now believe that not every meeting has to be face-to-face.
Pokdepinion: I guess it does make sense on what the company has said. Technology will never stop developing for the benefit of us all.
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[EXCLUSIVE] ASUS ROG Strix GL503 to arrive in Malaysia at under RM5000; comes with IPS panel with full sRGB coverage!

We have just received word of ASUS ROG Strix GL503 which was launched back at Computex 2017 is about to arrive in Malaysia. While the ASUS ROG Zephyrus was eye-wateringly expensive, gamers who prefer a slightly more affordable gaming option will be able to get the ASUS ROG Strix GL503, a gaming laptop which sports a slightly thicker body at 23mm thin but a much more palatable price tag that is CONFIRMED to be below RM5000.

While it sports a less imposing price tag, the ASUS ROG Strix GL503 is expected to come configured with an Intel Core i7 7700HQ for more than adequate processing power for all the latest games. The CPU will be mated with 16GB of DDR4-2400 RAM, which is great to see when most OEMs pack their “gaming” laptops with 8GB of RAM or less. A GeForce GTX 1050 will be under the hood handling the graphics on this gaming system, which will be fed to a 15.6″ Full HD IPS panel with 100% sRGB coverage. 100% sRGB coverage means that this laptop won’t only satisfy gamers, but also people who work on color-sensitive tasks.

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Internal storage will be courtesy of a 128GB M.2 SSD partnered with a large HDD for bulk storage. You will also be getting 3 USB 3.0 ports, 1 USB 2.0 port and a USB Type-C USB 3.1 Gen1 (5 Gbps) port. For secondary displays, the ASUS ROG Strix GL503 will offer you a HDMI 1.4 port as well as miniDisplayPort 1.2.

All of that is packed into an nearly all-black chassis with minimal red accents, a surprising design decision from the brand that pioneered red-black designs on their gaming lineup. RGB illumination is also available on the keyboard as well as the iconic ROG emblem on the lid. Oh and this laptop weighs a svelte 2.3kg, just 100 grams more than the ROG Zephyrus.
Pokdepinion: For less than RM5000, the ASUS ROG Strix GL503 looks like a great deal especially if you need a color accurate display.
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Square Enix is Hiring for Future Kingdom Hearts Project

If you’re in the midst of a job hunt, perhaps this would be of interest to you. Recently, Square Enix published a number of new job offers, particularly for  UI Designers, Technical Artists, and Effects Designers. What’s interesting here is that it’s listed for the “HD development of the Kingdom Hearts series.”
This may not be a surprise given how big of a company Square Enix is and how early they have to start on game development, especially for something as big as Kingdom Hearts. This isn’t even a new game announcement but we can point out some interesting details based on the given information.
“HD development” means PS4 and Xbox One era, and experience on these two consoles is listed among the skills required for the jobs. But this could also hint that Square Enix is already working on Kingdom Hearts projects for the next generation. But again, it would be nothing surprising seeing how big of a company Square Enix is.

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Here’s the second interesting hypothesis: while the Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind DLC still has no release date,  Tetsuya Nomura previously said he wishes to release it before the end of 2019, and focus on it before moving on to another KH project If recruitments are starting for a new Kingdom Hearts project, it means the development of the KH3 Re:Mind  DLC is nearly done and it should launch very soon.
At the moment, there is no exact release date for the Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind DLC. There’s only a rough window of “This Winter” and is expected to arrive before the end of the year.
Pokdepinion: I do wonder if this future Kingdom Hearts project will be a proper mainline entry, or if it will some side game like Chain of Memories / Birth By Sleep. If it works as a full-fledged game, then I don’t think I would mind.
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Instagram brings Force Touch-esque feature to Android

When the iPhone 6s was launched with Force Touch, few apps took advantage of its pressure sensitivity display. One of those few apps is Instagram, which offered a “peek” function, whereby you can take a closer look at images in an Instagram profile without actually opening it, just by pressing harder on the screen.

Force Touch is not a feature available to Android users yet — it is available on certain variants of the Huawei Mate S but that variant is unavailable here in Malaysia — so you would assume that this feature is only for users of the latest fruity smartphones, but apparently this feature was already available sometime back when I noticed some Sony users sharing about this feature in Facebook, but I never really got about to try it. According to Android Police the feature was actually removed for a while on Android, before re-adding it back in the latest update.

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To use it, all you have to do is to long press on the thumbnails in the grid view of any Instagram profile, then the peek window will pop up. Lift your finger and it will shrink away. Slide your finger to the like, comment or share button and there is some nice haptic feedback.

Does this update change the way you stalk view Instagram profiles? Let us know in the comments section below.

Pokdepinion: With the arrival of this peek feature in Instagram, I am waiting for the usual gallery to offer peek functionality too. But that might take some deep thinking to come up with an intuitive way to do that as we are used to long press to highlight in the gallery.
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Due to the chip supply shortage affecting the supply of PS5 consoles, Sony will continue to produce PS4 consoles in 2022. Here’s what Sony has in mind.
PS4 Production Will Continue in 2022 Due to PS5 Supply Shortage

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It’s a brand new year and it’s still hard to get your hands on a PS5 console. The global chip supply shortage isn’t ending anytime soon, which means it will be harder to get hold of the next gen PlayStation console still. As a result of this, Sony has a new business strategy in mind which involves continuing PS4 production in 2022.
The information stems from from a Bloomberg report, which claims that assembly partners were told to continue making the older PlayStation console through 2022 sometime late last year. This would also be easy for the company since the older console uses less advanced chips and cost less money to produce.
The idea here is to “fill the supply vacuum and keep gamers within the PlayStation ecosystem.” There will be no moves to discontinue the PS4 at least for this year. When the supply shortage is mostly fixed, it would be easy to transition over to the newer console, making it an easy solution to implement given current circumstances.
For now, if you have yet to get your hands on the newer PlayStation console, you may have to wait for much longer. On the other hand, if you have yet to own the older one or still have it at home, you may want to hold on to it for now.
Source
Pokdepinion: Sales of the older console are still going strong and at this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it top the best-selling videogame console of all time. I wouldn’t say it’s a matter of when rather than if, but the chances are very likely at this point.
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Unreleased NVIDIA TITAN RTX “Ada” Surfaces – Quad-slot, Dual-12VHPWR Monster

So you thought NVIDIA has already made RTX 4090 insanely huge. The unreleased TITAN RTX is here to prove otherwise…
Source: YouTube/Moore’s Law is Dead
Now, if you’re have been paying some attention in the GPU market for the last few years, you should be aware of the absence of NVIDIA’s TITAN series enthusiast-workstation GPU since the final model was released under RTX 20 “Turing” generation. We don’t know if NVIDIA have plans of making this particular card a reality, but for now – it looks like it has definitely existed in their labs.
Prominent leaker Moore’s Law is Dead (MLID) has released a few render images, as well as actual photographs of this behemoth to confirm TITAN’s existence:

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Source: YouTube/Moore’s Law is Dead
Source: YouTube/Moore’s Law is Dead
Source: YouTube/Moore’s Law is Dead
The photo seem to point to a fully functioning prototype, with dual 16-pin 12VHPWR connectors on the GPU. A single 12VHPWR is capable of supplying 600W of power – hence, in theory this GPU is given up to a staggering 1,275 watts (including PCIe bus connector 75W) to work with. While it’s extremely unlikely that it’ll use the full 1,275W of power, we wouldn’t rule out the power usage has exceeded beyond 600W to warrant a second 12VHPWR connector.
NVIDIA TITAN RTX “Ada” GPU Prototype. Source: Videocardz
As far as the specs are concerned, this is likely using the full GA102 die amounting to 18,432 cores (RTX 4090 currently has 16,384 cores) – however earlier rumors has shown the existence of one AD102 variant that uses a nearly-full die with 18,176 cores instead. VRAM is powered by the fastest GDDR6X modules, at 24Gbps, and totaling to 48GB – which increases the total memory bandwidth by 14% over RTX 4090.
No signs are pointing to NVIDIA releasing this card to the market, and it’s very likely that this card will stay in the lab for the foreseeable future.
Source: Videocardz | Moore’s Law is Dead (YouTube)
Pokdepinion: I wonder if it’s the same one which previous leaks has claimed to be so hot that it melted itself…
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Razer Ifrit Review – A Great Gaming Headset Concept But…

Razer Ifrit Review

Looking for a new gaming headset that’s lighter on your head or doesn’t mess up your hair? Check out our Razer Ifrit review and see if it’s the one for you.
Unboxing the Razer Ifrit

Check out our earlier unboxing post on the Razer Ifrit gaming headset by clicking right here.
Appearance

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The Razer Ifrit gaming headset certainly doesn’t conform to the typical style seen in other products. Rather than the usual headphone-based headsets, this an IEM (In-Ear Monitor) style gaming headset with a slim, rubberized band that goes behind the wearer’s head to hold everything together comfortably on the head. The band has these “hooks” on both sides, which is meant to go over your ears.
From those very same “hooks”, you’ll see a very thin and narrow wire connecting the earbuds itself. Regardless of how big your head is, it should be able to easily reach your ears without feeling like there’s excess wiring around your head. The earbuds use bi-fllange ear tips rather than ordinary ones for a better seal and higher levels of isolation. In case it doesn’t fit you, Razer also included some spare ear tips of varying sizes. Behind the earbuds is where you’ll see a shiny Razer triple-headed snake logo, which adds more flair to it.
Of course, a gaming headset would not be complete with its own microphone. The Razer Ifrit utilizes a cardioid-pattern condenser microphone which hands on the left side. If you happen to be wearing it on the right side, you didn’t put it on right. Just in case you’re wondering, the microphone isn’t detachable.

The Razer Ifrit gaming headset also comes with the new Razer USB Audio Enhancer. It’s this thing that look’s kind of like a flash drive but with with wires sticking out of it. It has a mute button on the top, a volume rocker on the side, and two 3.5mm audio jacks on the front.
The idea here is to use the Razer Ifrit by connecting to it via the 3.5mm jack, and then connecting the Razer USB Audio Enhancer to your PC or console. However, you can forego this and connect directly via the 3.5mm jack. Razer suggests the USB Audio Enhancer wherever possible for the best experience.
Given its unique design choice for a gaming headset, it can be a hit or miss with the crowd. Personally, I see value in what it offers rather than aesthetics, although it does look good to me. If you really want the traditional headset look, this might not be in line with your tastes. Now to take you to the more exciting parts of our Razer Ifrit review.
Specifications

Drivers:
10mm drivers

Frequency response:
20 Hz – 20 KHz

Sensitivity:
 -41 ± 3dB

Impedance:
 32 ± 15% Ω

Microphone:
Cardioid-pattern condenser microphone

Features:
Low profile, discreet design
USB Audio Enhancer
Adjustable condenser mic
Duo recording capability
Compatible with PC, console, and mobile

User Experience

For the purpose of getting a clear idea of its potential, our Razer Ifrit review will include both the direct use of the 3.5mm connector, as well as the Razer USB Audio Enhancer. Not only is this determine if there’s any noticeable difference but also because some devices require the use of either one of those connectors, not both. For PC, I will be connecting it straight to my motherboard, the ASRock Fatal1ty AB350 Gaming ITX/ac, and not use any sound cards / DACs.
The Razer Ifrit gaming headset is a very unique offering as it’s unlike any other headsets around. It’s designed with a more low-profile look and doesn’t take up much space on your head. Furthermore, there’s also less weight on your head, and it doesn’t disturb your hair, for most parts, if you’re very particular about that.
Personally, it grew on me. It was very comfortable to wear, especially for long hours. In Malaysia, the weather is generally warm, and using this leads me to having less heat on my head / ear area. Even with air conditioning on, regular headsets can get rather warm after a while. Sometimes, I even forget I have the Razer Ifrit on my head.

Not to mention, the bi-flange ear tips fit me nicely. It’s sealed in my ears rather well, and it actually isolates noise surprisingly well. If I’m listening to music, playing games, or watching videos, I definitely won’t hear what’s going on around me unless someone probably screams real loud next to me.
As for the sound quality, I’d say it’s surprisingly wholesome without any over-the-top bass. Listening to music is a joy and audio is reproduced with good balance, and you can pretty much capture plenty of details when used in games. You can clearly hear movement, explosions, and more. However, in-game voices do sound a little odd, as if it’s a little lacking in volume. Everything else is great.

I could barely tell the difference in quality when using it directly via the 3.5mm jack and the Razer USB audio enhancer. However, it is suggested to use the Razer USB Audio Enhancer whenever possible, and I have no complaints about using it. It does give you a free microphone mute button as well as a volume rocker to play with after all.
One thing I really like about the Razer USB Audio Enhancer is the ability to use two 3.5mm headsets simultaneously, complete with microphone support. While the idea here is to use two Razer Ifrit gaming headsets, you can actually use any headset as long as it uses the 3.5mm jack. Tested it with my HyperX Cloud Alpha and it works perfectly.

On PC, you are free to use either the 3.5mm jack or via USB but that’s not the same with other devices. In the case of the Nintendo Switch and smartphones, you will have to use the 3.5mm jack, and it works just fine. Both audio and microphone works without any issues. As for the PS4 however, you will need to use the Razer USB Audio Enhancer. This can be a bit of a bother as the PS4 doesn’t have many ports and some of you may already have some dedicated for charging controllers as well as connecting to an external HDD.
Looking for an external HDD to use with your PS4? Check out our Seagate Game Drive for PS4 review by clicking right here.
Despite it being discreet, it’s not exactly something that’s easy to carry around. It is not a foldable headset, and the build quality isn’t something I’m confident about having it tossed into my bag with other items should I want to bring it around. I’m personally okay if they want to maintain the build quality because it’s not bad, but having some sort of folding mechanism will encourage people to bring it out and about more.
Overall, the Razer Ifrit gaming headset is a unique offering and it certainly is a good product. It is not a perfect product as it has some quirks here and there, but Razer has certainly found a good concept that they should continue pushing. Improving certain aspects of it will certainly make it a very popular option if they ever come out with a newer, upgraded version.
Wait, where’s the microphone test in this Razer Ifrit review?
Microphone Sound Test

You didn’t think we’d forget about the microphone sound test for our Razer Ifrit review, did you? Well, I decided to create a section for its own to make it easier for some of you who may only be interested to know how the microphone sounds like. While I could describe to you how it sounds like, no words can give you a truly clear idea until you’ve heard it yourself, so give the video above a listen as the audio is recorded solely with the Razer Ifrit gaming headset.
Personally, I feel like the microphone quality is average at best. I personally thought it would be on par with the HyperX Cloud Alpha or Cloud II even. Unfortunately, we have audio that sounds rather muffled and also a bit too sensitive to environmental noise. Sure, you can dial down the sensitivity to alleviate the problem, but even then, you’ll notice that it seems oddly sensitive. I feel like the Kraken Tournament Edition has a better microphone.
I hope Razer will continue to make similar headsets in the future, but if they truly want something that is catered to streamers / shoutcasters / commentators, the microphone definitely needs some big improvements for it to be a viable option. It is an attractive offering on paper, not so much on performance.
Razer Ifrit Verdict

We’ve had quite a bit of fun tinkering around with it for our Razer Ifrit review. It’s a good gaming headset with a great concept, but it does have certain drawbacks that may scare away some potential buyers. From the unfoldable design to the average microphone quality, there are some areas that still need to be worked on to make it a very great option for gamers today.
Given its unique nature however, it’s hard to compete against something like this unless you plan on / already are gaming on regular IEMs. If you needed a gaming headset complete with microphone to game comfortably for long hours, there’s no better option than this. With that being said, I award the Razer Ifrit gaming headset with our Silver Pokdeward.

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The PS Plus Asia March 2021 free games lineup is finally here. This is a particularly special lineup given what’s included, as it’s a huge surprise for many gamers. If you needed a reason to subscribe, this might be the best one yet.
PS Plus Asia March 2021 FREE Games Lineup

The star attraction of the PS Plus Asia March 2021 free games lineup is none other than Final Fantasy 7 Remake. As the name implies, it’s a remake of one of Square Enix’s most popular creations, with new content, added story elements, and a brand new way to play the game in high definition.

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In case you weren’t aware, the game only covers up to the end of Midgar saga, so the rest of the game will be released in an episodic format. This is great since they recently announced a PS5-enhanced version of the game recently, and there’s a new DLC in the form of Intergrade, which sees our favourite bubbly ninja, Yuffie Kisaragi, play a major role. It’s worth noting that this free version is the PS4 version and will not entitle you to the free enhanced edition upgrade.
Apart from that, we are also getting Farpoint, Knack 2, and Maquette. It’s certainly a solid lineup of free games coming to PS Plus Asia March 2021, but we know which game takes the spotlight. If you ever needed a good reason to subscribe, this would be a pretty solid one to start out with, especially if you have a PS5 console. Destruction All Stars is still free to claim until 5th April 2021.
Source
Pokdepinion: Oh look, we’re getting Knack 2, baby. If you get that reference, then we most likely watch the same things on YouTube.
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Xiaomi Mi 8 review — a great budget flagship!

Introduction

Every year, Xiaomi releases a flagship with the simplest naming they can think of. Mi . This is not the 8th Xiaomi flagship though It’s actually the 7th. There is no Mi 7 not because there was a certain device bearing the number 7 that had somewhat explosive tendencies, but because the Xiaomi Mi 8 was actually launched on Xiaomi’s 8th anniversary. We have been playing with the Xiaomi Mi 8 for a week or two right now, and here’s our opinion about the device.
Unboxing

The Xiaomi Mi 8’s packaging is very minimal, yet just premium enough to draw your attention. It seems like only the flagships from Xiaomi deserve a black box. The 8 is chromed, and as you can see, can reflect light in interesting ways. Over on the back you get the usual sticker with the IMEI numbers and some basic info about the variant you are getting. We have here the 6GB + 64GB variant, or the base variant of the Xiaomi Mi 8 here in Malaysia.

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Just like the exterior of the packaging, the contents are quite minimal. You don’t even get a pair of earphones, something which the competition is bundling with mid-range devices. Earphones aren’t even that expensive, and Xiaomi has a really great range of budget earphones. Perhaps selling them separately is still more profitable? The included charger here is an 18W QuickCharge 3.0 adapter.
Appearance

The screen takes up most of the device , but  there is still a sizeable notch and chin.

The back is glossy glass, which as you might expect, collects fingerprints prodigiously. The back is curved around the sides for a better grip, while the rear camera bulges out just a bit. This camera hump design is in many Xiaomi devices, but I must say I am no fan of it. At least this one here isn’t nearly as prominent as the one on the Mi A2. That one sticks out like nobody’s business.

The USB Type-C takes the center of the bottom edge, flanked by two arrays of holes hiding the microphone and loudspeaker. The antenna lines are not perfectly flush here though, detracting from the whole premium feel and appearance. No 3.5mm jack anywhere to be found.

Since the back glass curves around the back a little, the sides taper down to a rather narrow edge. You get all the buttons on the right and the SIM tray on the other.
Specifications

CPU/Chipset:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (4 x Kryo 385 Gold @ 2.8 GHz + 4 x Kryo 385 Silver @ 1.8 GHz), 10nm FinFET

GPU:
Adreno 630 @ 710 MHz

RAM:
6GB LPDDR4X

Display:
6.21″, FHD+ (1080p) AMOLED display, DCI-P3 color gamut, HDR support, 600-nit brightness (High Brightness Mode)

Storage:
64GB UFS 2.1

Camera:
Main Camera(s)
Primary: 12MP f/1.8, Dual Pixel AF, 1/2.55″ Sony IMX 363 sensor, 1.4μm pixel pitch, standard angle (28mm (35mm eqv.))
Secondary: 12MP f/2.4, 2x zoom (56mm (35mm eqv.))
Dual LED flash, AI HDR, portrait mode, AI scene recognition, AI Beauty, filters, Pro mode, 4-axis OIS (primary camera only), [email protected], [email protected] (slow-mo), [email protected] (high frame-rate)
Front Camera
20MP f/2.0
AI portrait mode, AI scene recognition, Beauty mode, screen flash, HDR

OS:
MIUI 9.6 based on Android 8.1 Oreo

Connectivity:
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), supports WiFi 2×2 MIMO, MU-MIMO
Bluetooth 5.0 (AAC, aptX, aptX-HD)
NFC
LTE-FDD: Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/20

SIM:
Dual nanoSIM

Battery:
Li-ion 3400 mAh (non-removable)

Dimensions:
154.9 x 74.8 x 7.6 mm

Weight:
175 g

The specfications are well in line with recent flagships. We get all the niceties we want here, except maybe we would love to have expandable storage considering the limited 64GB storage we have here.
Performance

It is faster than the POCOPHONE F1 and ZenFone 5z (without AI Boost), but loses out to the ZenFone 5z once the latter’s boost kicks in. The OPPO Find X and vivo NEX scores much higher for some curious reason though.

In Geekbench the Xiaomi Mi 8 scores well too, but actually loses out to its cheaper brethren.

Graphics performance is where we see the Mi 8 falter. In fact, it does slightly worse than its cheaper brethren, yet again.

Here we see yet another benchmark where the Xiaomi Mi 8 comes in behind the POCOPHONE F1.

Battery life is great, with the Xiaomi Mi 8 lasting longer than the OPPO Find X which had a bigger battery for some reason.

Battery life in my daily usage was good, with it lasting more than 16 hours away from the plug with nearly 6 hours of us, with mostly mobile data connection, as well as some GPS navigation thrown into the mix before it hit the 15% mark. Connecting it to the included QC 3.0 charger juiced up the battery by 45% in just 30 minutes. Good numbers all around.
Day-to-day performance with the Xiaomi Mi 8 was great, never did I run into stutters or lag with the device. 6GB of RAM is definitely sufficient for me and my light multi-tasking, while the Snapdragon 845 chipset ensures that every game runs smoothly. Speaking of games, the Xiaomi Mi 8 does heat up when playing PUBG Mobile, but it doesn’t start to lag later in the game or anything. It’s just warmer than I would like it to be.
The Xiaomi Mi 8 has a dual GPS system in it, but I didn’t see much difference in my normal usage when driving. It does seem more accurate when I was on foot versus other devices though, not spinning around erratically as I walked. If you frequently use GPS to guide the way when you walk, this is definitely a nice upgrade to improve your navigation experience.
User Experience

Xiaomi has never disappointed when it comes to the display, and while the Mi MIX 2S stays with an IPS panel coming from the Mi MIX 2, the Xiaomi Mi 8 adopts a new AMOLED panel which supports the DCI-P3 color gamut. This brings with it vibrant colors, the deepest of blacks and even HDR support with a maximum brightness of 600-nits. Holding on to the device is really comfortable too with the curved edges, but I was quite wary of its slipperiness.

The AMOLED display also lends itself to another cool feature that I love, Always On Display (AOD). Unfortunately the Xiaomi Mi 8 doesn’t really have the most feature rich AOD out there. It doesn’t show you your battery life, nor does it have that many supported notification icons. Telegram notifications doesn’t show up here, and that is my main instant messaging app. No customizable background either. But at least I can see what time it is.

Above the display is the sizeable notch which is home to the infrared facial recognition system, selfie camera, necessary sensors and the earpiece. The infrared recognition system works very well, but this does not do 3D mapping, so it is a little weaker compared to what you will get with the fruity phone. What it has is seamless quick unlocking even in total darkness. It works so well that I am suddenly unaccustomed to using fingerprint scanners.

With the huge notch in the middle of the screen, MIUI 9.6 does not show any notification icons in the status bar. I don’t really like the fact that I have to swipe down on the notification shade to see a whole list of notifications I have yet to respond to. The overall UI is easy to get used to, but you don’t get the option of an app drawer for a neater homescreen. MIUI has one of the best gesture navigation system out there. It borrows heavily from the iPhone X, but it works so well I ain’t even mad. Better than an original idea that doesn’t work, right?

The camera on this thing is definitely flagship class. You get a 12MP f/1.8 primary camera, and a secondary 12MP f/2.4 zoom camera. The primary camera does most of the heavy lifting, even handling zoom shots in lower light conditions. Which is a pretty good idea, as much as it may seem redundant. The secondary camera lacks OIS, has a smaller aperture and a smaller sensor. All of which isn’t good for low light photography.

Software wise it’s also very full featured. I am still annoyed by the fact that I have to swipe through the modes to reach the manual mode, but other than that it’s nice to use.

Shooting with the Xiaomi Mi 8 was easy. The AI scene detection does an amazing job, getting most of the shots right. It’s fast, without unnecessary shutter delay and images in good lighting turn out great. Low light images are slightly noisier than I would like though. But on the plus side the OIS does a great job and I almost never had any shots that turned out blurry. You can check out the full-sized samples on Flickr.

We also tested whether using the wide-angle sensor when zooming in low light is a good idea. While it happens automatically in the Photo mode, switching over to manual mode allowed me to choose which camera I wanted to use. Both photos were taken at 3200 ISO, and the shutter speed I used for the telephoto and standard angle shots were 1/8 and 1/13 respectively. That’s really slow without OIS, making it near impossible to get sharp shots without any additional support.

But the Xiaomi Mi 8 actually did a horrible job with the automatic 2x zoom on the primary camera, delivering unusably grainy shots. Perhaps Xiaomi should work on their noise reduction algorithm a little there. We understand that users expect to have easy-to-use auto mode, but these grainy shots are pretty horrible. If you have a tripod or something to help you steady your hand, use the manual mode and fire away with the telephoto lens.
Conclusion
The battery life is great, and the dual GPS can come in handy. Performance is faultless here, and MIUI is one of our favorite custom Android skins in the market. The cameras delivers great images too. For RM1679, you would be hard pressed to do better.
But it isn’t perfect though. If it came a few months earlier, it might have bagged our top accolade. But now the “budget flagship” market sees a few new contenders in the ring. Like most of the flagships we tested recently, it lacks a lot of the fancies we would expect from a flagship. No wireless charging and ingress protection, and you are out of luck if you want to hoard movies or music on the Xiaomi Mi 8 without support for microSD cards. The notch is also a bit too wide for my liking. I wish they could have gone with a smaller notch, or no notch at all like the Mi MIX 2S.
At this point, you might be thinking, why the Xiaomi Mi 8 over the POCOPHONE F1? Well, you are getting a camera setup which is a lot better, a much more premium design, NFC, dual GPS and also support for more LTE bands. Whether the extra features are worth RM420 is worth it to you, that’s for you to decide.

Our thanks to Mi Malaysia for provisioning the Xiaomi Mi 8 we used in this review. To support us, check out the Xiaomi Mi 8 on Lazada via the following link:

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USB-C Extended Power Range allows for up to 240W, up from the previous 100W limit

USB-C is a do-it-all cable, with it capable of being configured to carry anything from analog audio all the way up to 40Gbps of bandwidth with Thunderbolt 4/USB4. With the current USB-PD standard, it can also handle up to 100W, but that number rises to 240W with the Extended Power Range (EPR) specification.
Instead of topping out at 20V and 5A, or 100W, the updated USB-PD specifications will allow for up to 48V and 5A, or 240W. The USB-C cables that support EPR will have to be electronically marked to communicate its capability to its devices, and must also be marked with EPR cable identification icons so users can easily identify if the cable supports the standard.

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Once USB-C is able to carry 240W, we will probably see even gaming laptops transition to using the USB-C port for charging. Current-gen ASUS ROG gaming laptops are already bundling a 100W USB-C charger for portability’s sake along with a standard 240W power adapter.
I guess it won’t be too much of a stretch for them to just make one beefy 240W USB-C charger that can not only deliver enough power for your gaming laptop, but also charge your smartphone, tablet and other devices.
There will always be gaming laptops that will need more than 240W though — some even need two power bricks — so maybe we will need a few more updates to the USB Type-C Cable and Connector Specification before we will see all gaming laptops powered via USB-C.

There are of course technical concerns of delivering that much power over the dainty USB-C connector. The USB-IF has noted that arcing could occur due to the higher voltages delivered over the connector, but they have also come up with methods to mitigate the issue, so maybe it will not be too much of an issue. Hopefully.
Source
Pokdepinion: I sure hope all the cables are appropriately labelled. USB-C is a mess as it is.
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ZenFone Max Pro M1 Gets Firmware Update — Well That Was Fast!

With the release of the ZenFone Max Pro M1 (ZB60KL) just recently, it was announced by ASUS that users of the phone can now enjoy a new FOTA update for the device, improving its performance.
ZenFone Max Pro M1 Firmware Update
So what are the updates specifically? Well first up, you can now enable in Airtel, Idea, Vodafone, ID Smartfriend, TH DTAC/AIS/True 3rd & RU Megafon/MTS VoLTe & RU MTS VoWifi to the device.
Another feature that they’ve improved is on the fingerprint. Now, the sensor is optimized, ensuring better unlock speed. Last but not least, expect an enhanced camera performance with the device as it is too been updated.

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The Zenfone Max Pro M1 was launched recently here in Malaysia on May 31st 2018, alongside with the ZenFone 5 as well. If you’re planning on buying the phone or would like to simply know more on the device, you can read on the review of the device by clicking on the link right here.
In addition to that, if you’re wondering on whether you should get the Max Pro M1 or Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 5, just hold on. You can read on our in-depth comparison between the two before you make a decision.
Pokdepinion: We’re quite curious on what enhancements that they did with the camera. Do you own one? Let us know if you’ve updated the software and tell us how it’s like!
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More Than 7000 Digi WiFi Hotspots Now Available In Malaysia

Digi has revealed the availability of their new All Access Unlimited Digi WiFi on demand service, which is available for their Digi customers.
There’s more 7,000 hotspots available across Malaysia in high traffic areas such as shopping malls, business centers, universities, college campuses, as well as tourist attractions.
Previously on a 2-month pilot program, the Digi WiFi hotspot is commercialized after being held in over 277 locations in the Klang Valley area and Seremban.

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You can activate the Digi WiFi by switching your WiFi connection on and search for #DigiWiFi, follow the on-screen instruction, select “Buy Now” and activate the chose WiFi pass. In addition to that, you can also find the nearest hotspots to you through the MyDigi app.
Wondering on the rates? Well you can check them down below:

Introductory Price
Normal Price
Duration

RM0.50
RM1
30 minutes

RM1
RM2
2 hours

RM1.50
RM3
4 hours

Payment for the pass is done through Digi Direct Operator Billing, where the sum will be directly deducted from your prepaid balance or added to your postpaid bill. From now until the 31st of October 2019, you can enjoy an introductory promo price.
For more details on the Digi WiFi, do check out Digi’s website.
Pokdepinion: The prices seem pretty decent, don’t you think so? Definitely will come in handy when you’re low on data while being outside.
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Dark Mode Proven to Improve Battery Life on Smartphones, Especially iPhones

I’m sure many of you have heard of people saying that Dark Mode can help save battery life for your smartphones. This is especially the case for OLED screen devices it’s capable of shutting off pixels to give the truest blacks. However, is the battery-saving trick just a myth or is it real?
Well, YouTube channel PhoneBuff put that “theory” to the test. They used two iPhone XS smartphones in a series of tests done by robots to make it as evenly as possible. The only difference is that one is using Dark Mode while the other is using the normal UI.
For more details of the test, here’s what we understood from the video:

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The tests included watching a YouTube video, using Twitter, navigation via Google Maps and chatting on iMessageBoth phones were run at 200 nits (that’s bright)Only dark-mode compatible apps were used in the test
The result is surprisingly substantial. When the iPhone XS with normal mode is dead, the one running Dark Mode still has about 30% battery life left. It’s an amazing amount of difference between the two modes.
And there you have it, Dark Mode indeed makes a difference. Arguably, the difference will vary from smartphone to smartphone but it’s definitely worth using either way. Keep in mind that it may not really save battery life for non-OLED devices.
Pokdepinion: I personally love Dark Mode solely because it’s pleasing to my eyes. The battery life extension is just a bonus to me.
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Win RM500,000 Worth Of Prizes When You Sign Up With Celcom Home

Celcom has introduce their new Celcom Home 90 Days of Awesomeness Campaign, where you have the chance to win RM500,000 worth of prizes when you sign up for their Celcom Home plans.
The campaign runs from today, 15th of October 2019 until 15th of January 2020 where there are a couple of prizes that includes;

Daily Prizes: RM200 online shopping vouchers (9 daily winners)
Main Prizes: Holiday trip for a family of 4 (9 main winners)
Grand Prize: Proton X70 (1 grand winner)

All you need to do is to subscribe to their Celcom Home plans, which includes the Celcom Home Fibre or Celcom Home Wireless from that campaign period.

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Daily prize winners will be revealed at their official website on a daily basis, while the main and grand prize will be announced at the end of the campaign period. Prize winners will also be notified by the telco company though email.
To participate, you can simply walk-in into any Celcom bluecube or Celcom authorized sales partners throughout the country. Every customer who registers themselves during the period will stand a chance in winning the prizes.
For more details, do check out the Celcom website right here.
Pokdepinion: I wouldn’t mind a new X70 to be honest :P
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Ubisoft Collaborate With Lucasfilm Games On New Star Wars Game

Are you a Star Wars fan? Well Ubisoft has announced that they’re collaborating with Lucasfilm Games on developing a new story-driven video game that’s set in the Star Wars galaxy.
Ubisoft to make new Star Wars game

The new Star Wars game will be headed by Massive Entertainment, Ubisoft’s AAA studio that’s based in Malmo, Sweden. where they will incorporate the company’s Snowdrop engine.

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Here’s what the company has to say about the collaboration between the two:
The vast Star Wars lore is an incredible source of inspiration for our teams. This is the beginning of a long-term collaboration with Disney and Lucasfilm Games, and we are pleased to be working hand-in-hand to build upon the incredible legacy of Lucasfilm to create a game that we know Star Wars fans will love.
Yves Guillemot, co-founder and CEO of Ubisoft
Despite the announcement, not much is known about what the story or game will be like except the fact that it will be an open-world title. There’s no confirmation on what platforms it will arrive on but we expect that the game will be available on PC and next gen consoles. We shall update you should more news come out. Till then, stay tuned to Pokde.net for the latest tech and gaming news plus review.
Pokdepinion: I’m not much of a Star Wars buff but then again, this is indeed interesting. Hopefully it’ll satisfy fans everywhere.
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ROG Phone 2 Accessories and their prices

The ROG Phone II is one heck of a phone, and part of its awesomeness is thanks to its support for a wide range of accessories. To allow you to take full advantage of that, ASUS Malaysia is offering the ROG Phone II Superpack, an online-exclusive bundle that will give you the ROG Phone II and all the accessories along with it.
ROG Kunai GamepadROG TwinView Dock IIROG Phone BagROG luggage bagDesktop DockWiGig Dock
What accessories do you ask? Well, here goes:
ROG Phone II Superpack
ROG Phone II (12+512GB): RM3499Desktop Dock: RM599TwinView Dock II: RM899ROG Kunai Gamepad: RM499ROG Phone II Lighting Bumper: RM199ROG Phone Bag: RM199WiGig Display Dock Plus: RM899ROG luggage bag: RM599
Now some quick maths will give you RM7392 as the total cost of the Superpack’s contents, but no, ASUS is offering it for just RM6999! Aside from that generous discount, the ROG Phone Bag, WiGig Display Dock Plus and ROG luggage bag are Superpack exclusives, and cannot be purchased separately.

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You will also find the AeroActive Cooler II worth RM249, and the Aero Case worth RM149 in the ROG Phone II’s box as well. That’s a lot of accessories!
ROG Phone II Specs
Snapdragon 855+, octa-core, 2.96 GHz, 7nm FinFETAdreno 640 @ 675 MHz12GB LPDDR4x RAMUp to 512GB UFS 3.06.59″ FHD+ (19.5:9), 120 Hz AMOLED panel, 240 Hz touch sampling, 108% DCI-P3, Delta E<1, 10-bit HDR, SDR2HDR support48MP f/1.79 + 13MP f/2.4 ultra-wide24MP f/2.0 selfie camera6000 mAh battery, QuickCharge 4.0 + USB PD 3.0 supportElite Edition (12GB + 512GB): RM3499Ultimate Edition (12GB + 1TB): RM4499
Rather than get the ROG Phone II alone, getting the Superpack does give you the full assortment of accessories to take full advantage of the ROG Phone II’s capabilities.
Pokdepinion: Absolute unit!
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DisplayPort Alt Mode 2.0 brings DisplayPort 2.0 to USB4 and USB-C devices

The USB-C port is probably one of the most versatile ports now, with it supporting everything from data transfer to display output. Well, now it has gotten even better, with VESA announcing the latest update to the DisplayPort Alt Mode Spec. DisplayPort Alt Mode 2.0 adds interoperability with USB4 and offer all the features of DisplayPort 2.0 over USB-C.
That includes support for beyond-8K resolutions, HDR and high refresh rates. DisplayPort 2.0 offers the capability to deliver uncompressed [email protected] Hz HDR visuals with 30 bits per pixel (bpp), or [email protected] Hz HDR with 30 bpp, compressed. For gamers, prepare to ogle at [email protected] Hz, complete with HDR. Thanks to DisplayPort Alt Mode 2.0, those capabilities are now available to the USB ecosystem.

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The USB-C connector will transmit a maximum payload of 77.37 Gbps with DisplayPort Alt Mode 2.0 when all four high-speed lanes are used for carrying DisplayPort video data, or half that when used concurrently with SuperSpeed USB data delivery.
Don’t get all excited so soon though, as VESA expects the first products to incorporate the new DisplayPort Alt Mode 2.0 standard to appear in 2021.
Pokdepinion: One cable/port to rule them all!
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Lenovo announces slew of new smart products at MWC 2017

Lenovo has announced a whole ecosystem of devices in nearly every size at MWC 2017, ranging from the Moto G smartphones to the Yoga series of convertibles. With such a wide variety, there is definitely one for you.
Moto G5 and G5 Plus

Starting off with the Moto G5  and G5 Plus smartphones, the smartphones bring premium features without the associated price tag. The latest smartphones drop the all-plastic bodies that previous iterations of Moto G relied on, instead opting for a precision metal crafted metal design. In terms of performance, you will be getting a Snapdragon 430 with the G5, while the larger G5 Plus opts for the punchier Snapdragon 625. You get 2GB of RAM with the G5, and a choice of either 2GB or 3GB if you go for the Plus variant. The G5 is also probably one of the very few phones featuring a 5″ fullHD display in recent years, with the G5 Plus featuring a marginally bigger 5.2″ fullHD one, which is also pretty small by today’s standards.

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The screen size is not the only unusual thing on the G5, as it also features a removable 2800 mAh battery, but the G5 Plus is pretty conventional with a non-removable 3000 mAh battery. The G5 Plus sports a pretty impressive camera, packing the 12MP Sony IMX260 with a f/1.7 aperture, similar to the one in the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. The G5 opts for a standard 13MP camera with a f/2.0 aperture, so if you are looking for a more impressive camera, you should opt for the G5 Plus. Pricing wise, the G5 will start at €199 (RM936.31) for the 2GB/16GB variant, while the Moto G5 Plus starts at $229 (RM1016.42) for the 2GB/32GB variant, while the higher end 3GB/32GB variant will cost €279 (RM1312.72). The prices in MYR are not confirmed, and only serve as an estimation. They will be available here in March, so stay tuned.
Lenovo Tab 4 tablets

We have the Tab 4 8, which packs a Snapdragon 425 processor mated to 2GB RAM, 16GB of storage and a 8″ 720p display. The Tab 4 10 features similar specifications, but spreads the 1280×720 pixels over a larger 10″ display. Plumping for the Plus variants will net you Snapdragon 625 chipsets, up to 4GB RAM and 64GB storage and also a much higher resolution of 1920×1200 on both the Tab 4 8 Plus and Tab 4 10 Plus. Designed for multimedia, all the Tab 4 tablets will feature stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos enhancement.

The Lenovo Tab 4 is designed for the family in mind, therefore they can be optimized to enhance a kid’s experience with whitelisting and scheduling tools for parents to stay in control. Transform it into a workhorse with the Productivity Pack with Bluetooth keyboard, which complements the Lenovo Tab 4’s productivity interface. The Tab 4 8 and Tab 4 10 start at €169 (RM795.89) and €179 (RM842.99), respectively. The Tab 4 8 Plus retails at €259 (RM1219.74) and the Tab 4 10 Plus at €299 (RM1408.12).The prices in MYR are not confirmed, and only serve as an estimation for now.
Miix 320 Detachable with LTE option

The Miix 320 is a Windows 10 tablet with a full keyboard in a lightweight, affordable detachable. The 10.1″ tablet weighs only 550g and packs a whooping 10 hours of battery life. You can even work away from WiFi hotspots, as there is a LTE-capable option. An Intel Atom X5 paired with up to 4GB of RAM offers the horsepower necessary for productivity.  The Miix 320 (keyboard included, Wi-Fi only without LTE) starts at €269 (RM1266.84), and the Miix 320 (keyboard included, with LTE) starts at €399 (RM1879.06) and are available beginning in April 2017. The Miix 320 with Active Pen support and Microsoft Office 365 (for 12 months) will be available in select markets starting in July 2017. Pricing in Malaysia has yet to be announced.
Yoga Convertibles

There are times when mobile users want the full power and productivity of a PC in a thin and light machine. As these multitaskers constantly flip between work and play, we built the Yoga 720 and 520 for them, available in 13, 14 and 15-inch models. The 15-inch Yoga 720 is the most powerful convertible in its class 3 and comes with up to the latest 7 th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 processors, NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050 discrete graphics, blazing-fast Thunderbolt™ 3 and up to nine hours of battery life. 2 For those looking for a wafer thin device, we designed the 13-inch Yoga 720 that’s 17 percent thinner than before at just 14.3mm. 4 All the convertibles give users the most freedom and flexibility to use Yoga the way that fits their on-the- go lifestyles best through multiple modes. The Yoga 720 (13-inch) will be available starting at €999 (RM4704.72) in April 2017. Yoga 720 (15-inch) will be available starting at €1099 (RM5175.66) in April 2017. Yoga 520 (14-inch) will be available starting at €599 (RM2820.95) in July 2017. Malaysian pricing is not confirmed, and prices in MYR only serve as a rough estimation.
Pokdepinion: I am most interested in the Lenovo Tab 4 8 and 10 tablets. I am looking for an affordable tablet for reading and watching videos on. I don’t need too much performance, and the Snapdragon 425 looks just nice for that.
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You Can Get These 11 Amazing Capcom Games For Just USD $20

Capcom Summer 2022 Bundle: 11 Games for USD $20

If you’re looking to buy some new games, you can actually get these 11 amazing Capcom games for a low price of just USD $20 as part of the new Capcom Summer 2022 Bundle. Those games are:

Monster Hunter World
Devil May Cry 5
Devil May Cry HD Collection
Street Fighter V
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
DmC: Devil May Cry
Ultra Street Fighter IV
STRIDER
Bionic Commando
Street Figher V Champion Edition Upgrade Kit (50% off)
Monster Hunter Rise (50% off)

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The catch here is that a couple of those listed are only 50% off coupons, though this is understandable given they are two of the more recent games by Capcom. All of them combined are said to have a value of USD $224, which translates to about RM986.05, but you only need to pay a measly USD $20 (RM88.04).
In case you’re wondering, Monster Hunter Rise and Street Fighter V – Champion Edition are priced at RM248 and RM78, although the latter is currently being offered at a discounted price of RM36.27. If you’re interested, the new Capcom Summer 2022 Bundle is will be available from now until 22nd June 2022, so you still have quite a bit of time to decide whether you should buy it or not.
Source
Pokdepinion: If you don’t have most of these games and are interested to play them, or just to expand your game library, this is a good chance to pick all of them up. It’s so much more affordable this way.
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PNY GeForce RTX 4070 12GB VERTO Dual Fan Review – Efficiency Does Not Come Cheap

The fourth NVIDIA RTX 40 series product finally arrives, in the form of newly-released GeForce RTX 4070. Leaks and rumors have been flying around the Internet prior to the launch, but now that it’s official – here’s what you can expect from PNY’s entry-level model of the RTX 4070.
Unboxing
Box front
The box packaging received updated designs (aside from mandatory NVIDIA typeface rebranding) with the image of the new RTX 4070 now depicted in front of the box. Apart from that, it’s still the white box that basic Dual Fan models are known for.
Box contents
Opening the box and you don’t get a whole lot of stuff that tags along the GPU itself. No GPU brackets, no 12VHPWR adapters, extra screws, what-have-you – all you get is a setup documentation and the RTX 4070 itself.

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Appearance
GPU front
Fan blade profile
The new design shares some design cues from the higher-end VERTO EPIC-X RGB models with the X cross styling running across the card. Since this card contains no RGB, it does look subtle despite the lines and edges that run along the plastic shroud. The fan blades are now slightly different with the 9-blade design, though it’s not using the ‘blade ring’ design commonly seen on high-end GPU cooling fans.
GPU top
On top you get a pretty bare-bones look inside the GPU, with colored fan cables and a single PCIe 8-pin connector in the middle of the card (though the location is close to the edge of the PCB itself). NVIDIA allows for AIBs to pick between 12VHPWR and traditional PCIe 8-pin connectors as they see fit, and since this is the entry-level model that do not utilized overclocked silicon, it’s better off using the more common connector which helps with general compatibility of most PSUs out there (and makes the build cleaner, at least).
GPU bottom
Down the bottom, same heatsink layout is mirrored down here – it’s likely symmetrical, which leaves a small bit of space unused (where you can see copper heatpipes between the gaps of each sections). As for the thickness, this is merely a 2-slot card, so most cases will not have any issues fitting it in.
GPU backplate
We’ve tested similar line of GPUs from PNY before (this RTX 3060), and the difference between the backplates, visually, is obvious. Gone is the triangular graphics occupying the bottom left corner of the backplate, and now the entire chunk of metal is complete devoid of any artistic touches with only the mandatory regulatory and product labels seen here.
I/O layout
In terms of I/O, it’s the usual stuff: a single HDMI 2.1 takes on the 4K144 displays while three DisplayPort 1.4 ports – ever-so-slightly outdated by now – deal with multi-monitor outputs.
Specifications
PNY GeForce RTX 4070 12GB VERTO Dual Fan

GPU Core & VRAM:
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070

GPU Core Variant
AD104-250-A1

Microarchitecture
Ada Lovelace

Process Node
TSMC N4

Transistors
35.8 billion

Die size
295mm²

Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs)
46

CUDA Cores
5888

Tensor Cores
184

RT Cores
46

Cache
36MB (L2)

VRAM Configuration
12GB GDDR6X 192-bit

Memory Bandwidth
21Gbps, 504.2GB/s peak

Add-in board:
PNY GeForce RTX 4070 12GB VERTO Dual Fan

Base/Boost Clock
1920 / 2475 MHz

TDP
200W

Recommended PSU
550W

Dual BIOS Mode
No

Display Outputs
3x DisplayPort 1.4
1x HDMI 2.1
*Max output resolution: 7680×4320 (8K) @ 120Hz via HDMI 2.1

Power Connector
1x PCIe 8-pin connector

Bus Interface
PCIe 4.0 x16

Dimensions
2-slot

Test System

CPU
Intel Core i9-13900K

Cooling
ASUS ROG Ryujin II 360 AIO
Cooler Master MasterGel Maker

Motherboard
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 HERO

GPU
PNY GeForce RTX 4070 12GB VERTO Dual Fan

Memory
Kingston FURY RENEGADE RGB DDR5-6400 CL32 (2x16GB)

Storage
Samsung SSD 980 PRO 256GB (Boot)
Kingston NV1 1TB

Power Supply
Cooler Master MWE Gold 1250 V2 Full Modular 1250W

Case
VECTOR Bench Case (Open-air chassis)

Operating System
Windows 11 Pro 22H2

Performance
All benchmarks are done in out-of-the-box settings, unless otherwise specified. Games are tested under these settings (upscaling features such as AMD FSR, Intel XeSS are turned off):

Forza Horizon 5 (RT ON)
Maximum settings (all settings maxed out to EXTREME preset when available, Ray Tracing set to EXTREME).
Forza Horizon 5 (RT OFF)
Ultra High preset – Ray Tracing turned off.
Red Dead Redemption 2
All settings set to ULTRA – slightly higher quality over ‘Favor Quality’ from the in-game settings slider.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (RT ON)
HIGHEST preset. RT Shadows set to ULTRA (which overrides default Shadow settings).
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (RT OFF)
Same as the previous run – with the exception of RT Shadows turned OFF, with Shadow settings set to ULTRA instead.
F1 2022 (RT ON)
ULTRA HIGH preset. Ray Tracing is set to HIGH under this preset.

Synthetic Benchmarks

Starting off with synthetic benchmarks – for a 200W card, it did quite an amazing job just by the fact that it is within striking distance of the previous generation flagship class GPU, the RTX 3080 Ti (which has a 350W TGP). The gap are mostly consistent regardless of the type of render used, even when ray tracing is taken into account.
Gaming – 4K (3840×2160)

And there’s even better news. All tests here are all running with native pixels, meaning no DLSS upscaling and frame generation black magic getting involved here. Despite that, the PNY RTX 4070 stayed very close to the RTX 3080 Ti for the most part, nearly matching its performance in a few occasions. In the case of RT-heavy title like F1 2022, the gap does accurately reflect what is observed on the 3DMark Port Royal’s results (with RTX 3080 Ti edging slightly closer to 4070 Ti than the 4070).
Gaming – 1440P (2560×1440)

Moving down the resolutions – and the advantage is further shifting to the RTX 4070. The only obvious losses for the card is, again, F1 2022; but aside from that, the RTX 4070 virtually matched the performance figures of the older card, at 150 watts less! It even snatched a win on the pure raster run of Forza Horizon 5, which is quite the achievement. We think the huge L2 cache (36MB for RTX 4070) may have massively helped its chances as resolution goes lower, where access speeds is critical for peak framerates (which is how AMD’s Radeon RX 6900 XT used to win against RTX 3090 in certain cases on 1080p gaming).
Gaming – 1080P (1920×1080)

The trend continues (short for the outlier result on FH5 raster run), and generally the RTX 4070 is more advantageous while consuming nearly half the power. As CPU bottlenecking creeps in on this resolution, the gap towards bigger brother, the RTX 4070 Ti, has started to shrunk as well.
Thermals

Next is thermals. Despite its rather unassuming cooler, thee GPU has no problem running at its full load with minimal noise. On the 10-minute Furmark run, we see the GPU quickly stabilizes itself just 2 minutes in, with the temperature consistently sitting at 69°C while VRAM fluctuates slightly in between the 74-76°C range. As for the fan speeds, it’s very smooth for the most part, aside from the initial spike which may have been just the VBIOS trying to figure out what kind of workload it’s dealing with.

The Time Spy Extreme test meanwhile has shown quite a bit of temperature fluctuations on all metrics, with the hotspot temperature having as much as 6°C in between highs and lows. Despite that, the VRAM temps remain consistent and are well within their designed thermal limits. The fan curve behavior is also largely identical to that of the Furmark run, so no big surprises here.
Software
PNY VelocityX Software
PNY uses their new VelocityX VERTO as the go-to for GPU tuning – and it comes with a pretty intuitive controls with everything accessible from a single screen. Usually when the GPU contains RGB lighting, the software will reflect that accordingly; but since this card contains no lighting whatsoever, the Lighting tab is omitted from the homescreen of VelocityX app. All in all, it’s certainly one of the more user-friendly GPU tuning apps out there.
UI artifact seen on Forza Horizon 5 (with the number 9 flashing as the number refreshes).
While testing this GPU we found out a rather odd visual artifact on Forza Horizon 5, with elements of UI missing and flashing (such as the speedometer above). Further examinations seems to indicate it being a driver issue (from NVIDIA) rather than on AIB’s part. We tested this on pre-release press drivers so things may change as you get your hands on the retail GPU and corresponding public drivers provided by NVIDIA.
Warranty
PNY Malaysia would like to mention that users can get direct warranty support through their pages (Fusion Tech Supply Sdn Bhd, local distributor for PNY products) and PNY Malaysia’s Facebook page. Products will be eligible for warranty support from these two channels as long as it contains the sticker as seen below:

Conclusion
For a 200W GPU, the performance this PNY GeForce RTX 4070 12GB VERTO Dual Fan offers on the table is incredibly good. Keeping up with a 350W card just one generation ago is no small feat – it takes lots of architectural upgrades on the GPU to achieve this level of efficiency, which in turn saves on the physical footprint and cooling requirements.

That in turn also brings another chain reaction with the inclusion of 8-pin PCIe connector, doing away with the newer 12VHPWR connector which is somewhat redundant for low-power GPUs like this. Adoption for the new 12VHPWR standard, especially on the PSU side, has remained low, so it’s one less part to worry about if you have this card as your next upgrade. It also doesn’t require a dedicated GPU bracket since the weight is low enough to support itself (at just 686g), so installing this GPU is as easy as it gets.
The official pricing for the PNY GeForce RTX 4070 12GB VERTO Dual Fan is RM3,049 – not cheap for a 70-class GPU. If you consider the performance though, the value does improve against RTX 3080 and RTX 3080 Ti, though everyone is pretty well aware by now with NVIDIA trying to raise their ASPs (average selling price) on GPUs to generate more profits, often making the value improvements as little as they can get away with. However, if you can ignore the name and look at the price-to-performance objectively, then the value is still there. Still, I wish GPU pricing can go lower – we’ll have to see what AMD or even Intel have in response to introduce competition in this segment.

Thanks to PNY Malaysia for providing us the GeForce RTX 4070 12GB VERTO Dual Fan for this review.
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Xiaomi Malaysia’s 63rd Merdeka with Mi arrives with laptops, soundbars and more up for grabs!

From today until 16th September, Xiaomi will be running the “63rd Merdeka with Mi” campaign, which will see attractive prizes worth a total of RM388 888 up for grabs. All you need to do is purchase one of the following selected Xiaomi smartphones, and you will be entitled to one entry into the lucky draw.
63rd Merdeka with Mi Smartphone Deals

Price
Special Deal

Redmi Note 9 (4GB+128GB)
RM749
A chance to win:

HP Laptop
Sony Soundbar
Tefal Air Fryer
Netflix Gift Card
RM200 Touch ‘n’ Go card

Redmi Note 9 Pro (6GB+128GB)
RM1099

POCO F2 Pro (8GB+256GB)
RM2299

Mi Note 10 Lite (8GB+128GB)
RM1599

Mi 10 (8GB+128GB)
RM2799

Mi 10 (8GB+256GB)
RM2999

Mi 10 Pro (8GB+256GB)
RM3899

Redmi 9A (2GB+32GB)
RM359
A chance to win:

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Tefal Air Fryer
Netflix Gift Card
RM200 Touch ‘n’ Go card

Redmi 9C (2GB+32GB)
RM429

Redmi Note 9S (6GB+128GB)
RM899

Redmi 9 (4GB+64GB)
RM599

Meanwhile for the Xiaomi ecosystem products, you can get them with significant discounts during this promotional period:
63rd Merdeka with Mi Ecosystem Deals

Usual Price
Promo Price

Mi Smart Band 5
RM169
RM159

Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop
RM999
RM949

Mi Home Security Camera 360 1080P
RM159
RM129

Mi Air Purifier 3H
RM688
RM629

Mi True Wireless Earbuds Basic
RM99
RM85

Mi Smart Band 4
RM149
RM109

10000mAh Mi 18W Fast Charge Power Bank 3
RM79
RM69

10000mAh Redmi Power Bank
RM59
RM49

20000mAh Redmi 18W Fast Charge Power Bank
RM99
RM79

This campaign will be available at all participating Authorized Mi Stores and other offline retailers, and the winner announcements will be put up on Xiaomi Malaysia’s Facebook page. The grand prize winners will be announced during a Facebook Live session, while the rest will be announced via a video.
There will be four weekly announcement sessions from now until 16th September, so make sure to check out their Facebook page to see if you have won in the 63rd Merdeka with Mi campaign!
Pokdepinion: Why aren’t they giving out some of the sweet Xiaomi/Redmi laptops instead :-P
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ASUS Extends Zenfone Max Pro M1 Flash Sale — Get Yours Before It’s Too Late!

ASUS just announced that they have decided to extend their Lazada Flash Sales for the ZenFone Max Pro M1, where you can get it for just RM599.
ZenFone Max Pro M1 Lazada Flash Sale Extended
The recently released ZenFone Max Pro M1(3GB+32GB), can be purchased at a lower price of just RM599 (retails at RM649) during the flash sales. It is extended to the whole month of July, specifically on every Tuesday. Dates to be precise are the 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, and 31st of July 2018.
First 500 orders by customers will receive Lazada’s express delivery in the next following business day, albeit within the Klang Valley area.

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ZenFone Max Pro M1 Specifications

CPU/Chipset:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Octacore 1.80GHz with Kryo 260 architecture, 14nm

GPU:
Qualcomm Adreno 509

RAM:
3GB LPDDR4X

Display:
6.0″, FHD+ (2160×1080) 18:9 Full View IPS display, 1500:1 contrast ratio, 85% NTSC color gamut, 450 nits, 404ppi, 10-points multi-touch

Storage:
32GB eMCP 5.1 (expandable via microSD up to 2TB) + 100GB Google Drive storage upgrade for 1 year

Camera:
Main Rear Camera
13MP f/2.0, PDAF
Single LED flash, 4K video
Second Rear Camera
5MP bokeh camera for depth-of-field
Front Camera
16MP with Softlight LED flash

OS:
Stock Android Oreo 8.1

Connectivity:
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz) with Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth 5.0 with HID
GSM, WCDMA, FDD-LTE (Bands 1/3/5/7/8/20), TD-LTE (Band 40), VoLTE

SIM:
Dual nanoSIM + Dedicated MicroSD slot

Battery:
5000 mAh (non-removable)

Weight:
180 g

Made for long hours for gaming, the ZenFone Max Pro M1 features a big 5000mAh battery and is equipped with an efficient Snapdragon 636 chipset. If you would like to know more on the device, you can check out our in-depth review of the Max Pro M1.
Pokdepinion: Although previously there was a shipment delayed (for the 4GB version) and they’ve issued an apology to their buyers, the Max Pro M1 is still getting attraction, just because of what it offers. Have you gotten yours yet?
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