Nokia 7.2 Review — It’s Not Just About The Hardware

Introduction

In this review, we’re taking a look at the Nokia 7.2, the latest mid-range device from HMD Global. Aside from being an Android One smartphone, the Nokia 7.2 is their first device to be fitted with a 48MP triple camera setup. Can it impress? Let’s find out.
Unboxing

Inside the box you’ll get:
Quick start guideChargerUSB Type-C cableSIM Ejector pinHandsfree / Earphone (3.5mm connector)The Nokia 7.2 smartphone itself
Appearance

On the front, the Nokia 7.2 sports a waterdrop notch and a little bit of a chin going on at the bottom where the Nokia branding can be seen.

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On the right side, we have the usual volume rockers and power button for the smartphone.

On the opposite side is where you’ll find the SIM tray accompanied by the Nokia 7.2’s dedicated Google Assistant button.

Down below is where the microphone, USB Type-C port, and speakers are located.

On top, there’s the 3.5mm audio jack as well as the secondary microphone hole.

As you can see, we have the Cyan Green variant of the Nokia 7.2. Here, you can see the triple rear camera setup as well as the LED flash at the top. There’s also your traditional fingerprint sensor right below the camera. Right below that, you have the Nokia branding present.
Nokia 7.2 Specifications
CPU:Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-core (4 x 2.2 GHz Kryo 260 + 4 x 1.8 GHz Kryo 260) 14nmGPU:Adreno 512RAM:6GB LPPDDR4xDisplay:6.3″ FHD+ PureDisplay (1080×2280), Waterdrop, 500-nit max brightness, IPS LCD, HDR 10, 82.4% screen-to-body ratioStorage:128GB eMMC 5.1 (expandable up to 256GB)Camera:Main camera(s)48MP f/1.8 + 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide + 5MP depth sensorZEISS optics, Night mode, Pro, HDR, Panorama, Bothie, Portrait, PDAFFront camera20MP f/2.0OS:Android 9.0 Pie (Android One)Connectivity:LTE Band 1/3/5/7/8/20/28/38/40/41Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)Bluetooth 5.03.5mm headphone jackQualcomm aptXNFCSIM:Dual SIM (with dedicated microSD slot)Battery:Li-Po 3500 (non-removable)Dimensions:159.92 x 75.15 x 8.25 mmWeight:180gIngress protection:–
Performance

We’re quite curious about HMD’s decision to utilize an old Snapdragon 660 chipset on the Nokia 7.2, where we can see the difference in scores compared to the Snapdragon 710 on the Nokia 8.1. It did manage to beat the newer Snapdragon 665 device however.

In 3DMark we found a similar results to the previous test.

Over at Geekbench, it didn’t do too bad as it managed to beat two smartphones with newer chipsets.

The same can’t be said on PCMark’s work performance test however as the score is rather low.

As for endurance, we found that the Nokia 7.2 is the longest lasting device with a Snapdragon 660 that we’ve tested thus far. As you can see however, it doesn’t fare quite well compared to other mid-range smartphones in the market currently.

As for real life usage, it adds up with the battery benchmark. Most of my usage comes from the usual social media apps. I noticed that with 5 minutes on WhatsApp, the battery decreased by 2%. This can be very concerning.
I feel that if you’re not a heavy user, the phone can last for you the whole day (or even more). They could’ve added a bigger battery capacity but that would add more weight to the smartphone.
With a 30-minute charge, we find that you’ll be able to get 23% of battery life using the charger included in the box.
User Experience

From a design perspective, it doesn’t feel like any other mid-range device. It is crafted from polymer composite which makes it feel quite light despite the look. Although it feels like plastic on the back, it is actually glass. Moreover, it actually feels nice on the hands thanks to the curved glass. Hats off for HMD for that.
Though the phone comes with a small waterdrop notch, I’m glad that they still provide an LED notification light, which they’ve placed at the power button.
With the Nokia 7.2, it comes with a dedicated Google Assistant button on the left side. It’s definitely convenient for users to utilize for things like setting an alarm or checking your schedule without looking. The only thing that I’m dissatisfied with is the placement. With it being exactly on the opposite side of the power button, I find myself pressing the wrong button often.

While it was never meant to be a gaming smartphone, I’d just like to share this part here. If you’re a fan of Call of Duty Mobile, the highest graphics settings that you can play is at medium. The result is a consistently smooth gaming experience which can be surprisingly enjoyable.
With the smartphone’s PureDisplay, it does make videos more enjoyable. With good level of brightness and colour contrast along with colours being rather vibrant, it’s pretty good as a multimedia device.

As you’d expect from an Android One device, the software for the Nokia 7.2 is smooth. Expect no bloatware from the phone right off the box. HMD has promised that they will provide 3 years of monthly software updates. Rest assured that it will also be receiving the Android 10 update soon.

The camera UI is pretty straightforward and everything’s conveniently placed. There are a few modes that you can play around with including Night mode, Portrait, Pro, and Nokia’s own Bothie mode that captures both front and back cameras.

I find that picture quality from the camera rather inconsistent, where the details and colours can be quite off at times. Despite having an ultra-wide lens, it doesn’t feel like it covers enough area.
The ZEISS portrait modes are fun to play around with, but then again, it only changes the shape of light around the photos. You can access them instantly from the UI or edit them by accessing Google Photos.
For the front camera, Portrait mode is a bit aggressive when it comes to the bokeh part. Normal shots are surprisingly decent though.
If you wish to check the full resolution pictures, you can do so here.
Nokia 7.2 Verdict

Is it worth the RM1,299 asking price? It’s a bit hard to justify it, especially after seeing the competition out there in the mid-range segment. If Nokia priced the phone slightly lower, offer a bigger battery capacity or a newer chipset, it would certainly be a much more attractive offer.
With the Nokia 7.2, you will be getting the best possible experience from an Android smartphone, at least for the next 3 years. I’ll let you be the judge of whether that’s a good selling point or not.
With that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the Nokia 7.2 overall, especially for the smooth user experience. It just could have been so much better. For that, I award the Nokia 7.2 with our Bronze Pokdeward.

Our thanks to HMD Global (Malaysia) for providing us the Nokia 7.2 used in this review!
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Fortnite Could Be Forced To Shut Down – Epic Games Sued by PUBG Developers

Imitation is the best form of flattery? Not this time

Epic Games, the developers of popular battle royale game Fortnite has been been sued by the developers of PlayerUnknown’s Battleground in South Korea, which could potentially cause problems in the game’s future.
According to the Korean Times, developers Bluehole is taking Fortnite to court on accusations of the developers copying PUBG’s intellectual property. In this case Fortnite’s weapon designs and certain parts of the game’s user interface.

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OMG so similar
“We filed the suit to protect our copyright,” Bluehole officials said.
Both Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battleground or PUBG as most call it are both immensely popular online battle royale style video games with very similar playing styles. 100 players are dropped on an unknown deserted island to fight and run from other players, offing one another until the last man standing is proclaimed the victor.

The similarities don’t end there though as both games are backed by Chinese company Tencent in China and built from Epic Games’ own game engine Unreal Engine 4. There are some differences between the two with Fortnite’s wall building mechanic and over the top cartoonish character design setting it apart.

PUBG was first to release back in March 2017 to immense popularity among gamers and established itself as one of the biggest video games on the planet until Fortnite’s release of their battle royale mode back in September 2017. Fortnite started as an online co-op survival game where you fight zombie-like creatures but PUBG’s massive success prompted Epic Games to release their own battle royale mode.
Now Fortnite has become the battle royale game of choice for many gamers as evident by Fortnite’s record 3.4 million simultaneous players, surpassing the 3.3 million simultaneous players previously set by PUBG.
Fortnite is set to release in South Korea as developers Epic Games have struck a deal back in January with South Korean games publisher Neowiz Games to bring the game to the South Korean market.
Pokdepinion: This lawsuit is just plain ridiculous and petty and in my opinion this could potentially backfire on PUBG and its developers rather than Fortnite and Epic Games. Shame.
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Let’s Talk: Do You Need PCIe 5.0?

Let’s Talk: Do You Need PCIe 5.0?

Since last year we’ve seen flagship motherboard equipped with PCIe 5.0 touting crazy transfer speeds, and this year we are seeing PCIe 5.0 SSDs popping up here and there as well. However, that introduced some rather unpleasant side effects: heat, and cost.
Image: @momomo_us (Twitter)
If you have been paying attention to recent PCIe 5.0 product releases, you are probably familiar with this particular SSD (pictured above) with a tiny fan that produces not-so-tiny noises. Now to be fair – not all PCIe 5.0 SSDs come with a fan like this, but anything that requires passive cooling will certainly see a huge heatsink sitting on top of the SSD itself, like this one from GIGABYTE.
GIGABYTE AORUS Gen5 10000 SSD. Image: GIGABYTE
So, marketing hype aside – if you have a PCIe 3.0 and even a SATA SSD right now, do you need to jump on the PCIe 5.0 bandwagon right away? Short answer: no. For the long answer, keep reading.

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Understanding PCIe
PCIe, or Peripheral Component Interconnect express, is the successor of the original PCI (and AGP for graphics) standard back in early 2000s. Simply put, this is a connection standard dedicated for anything that requires high amounts of bandwidth – think of it like USB, but on steroids. Most add-in hardware uses this slot and the standard is largely universal, you can see it in most PCs, workstations and even datacenters have them.
Each PCIe connection has its link speed, x1, x2, x4, x8, x16 and even x32 (this one is extremely rare). The most common ones are x16 slots, usually occupied by GPUs, then x4 belongs to M.2 SSDs and some add-in cards, whereas x1 can be reserved to some USB expansion cards as well. Different link speeds also have different slot length – so x16 will be the longest and x1 is the shortest.
The latest version of the standard currently on the market is PCIe 5.0 – its fifth revision. There’s sixth and even seventh revision on the way, but that’s for the far future so for the purpose of this topic we won’t delve into that. What does each revision does, you may ask – just like other connection standards such as HDMI or DisplayPort, each revision may bring new features that changes the way add-in card behaves (power management, for example), but the most common feature in every PCIe revision is the doubling of bandwidth.

PCIe Standard
Bandwidth (x4 link)
Bandwidth (x16 link)
Transfer rate per lane

PCIe 1.0
1 GB/s
4 GB/s
2.5 GT/s

PCIe 2.0
2 GB/s
8 GB/s
5 GT/s

PCIe 3.0
3.94 GB/s
15.75 GB/s
8 GT/s

PCIe 4.0
7.88 GB/s
31.5 GB/s
16 GT/s

PCIe 5.0
15.12 GB/s
63 GB/s
32 GT/s

PCIe 6.0 (upcoming)
30.25 GB/s
121 GB/s
64 GT/s

Simply put – PCIe 5.0 x16 is double the bandwidth of PCIe 4.0 x16, which by itself is double the bandwidth of PCIe 3.0 x16, and so on. A PCIe 5.0 x4 slot used by SSDs has the same bandwidth of a full-size PCIe 3.0 x16 slot that GPU runs on just a few years ago!
In The Quest Of Speed
Now all of this double-in-speed does sound like dark magic, but it’s all physics. Cold, hard physics. (Bear with me, lots of science ahead.)
Data is passed through conductors, in this case, copper traces hidden below the motherboard surface. But copper as a material is not perfect – like all materials, it contains some internal electrical resistance, which can degrade signals (we call it “attenuation”); when it gets too degraded, the receiving end will not understand what is sent from the source. Think of it like a bad antenna on your old analog TV – that’s how bad/noisy signal looks like.
If you’re passing through fairly reasonable speeds over copper, like USB, the signal degradation won’t be a concern until you have cables that are over tens of meters or possibly 100m long; but for something as high speed as PCIe 5.0, the attenuation can kick in really fast – sometimes within centimeters. To combat that, you’d use a chip called re-driver (or re-timer). What it does is it boosts the signal halfway through to ensure the signal quality is good enough to the receiving connection.
Phison PS7101 PCIe 5.0 re-driver seen on ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X670E HERO motherboard.
On the SSD’s side, the chip that is responsible for their extreme transfer speeds are called ‘controllers’. It usually sits right behind the connectors with DRAM and NAND chips (the chips that actually stores data) further behind. Think of it as a traffic police – it directs the flow of data to DRAM and NAND chips whenever necessary to deliver the highest speeds. In some ways, the controller functions similarly to CPUs, except it’s for a single purpose. What happens when you puts a lot of work on it? It gets hot.
PCIe 5.0 SSDs are in fact so fast it has seemingly started to hit the wall on its maximum sequential throughput (for now) – here’s some napkin math. PCIe 3.0 SSDs often maxes out at 3.5GB/s read/write, and PCIe 4.0 – as we’ve talked earlier, doubles in bandwidth – tops out at 7GB/s. PCIe 5.0 SSDs so far has hit around 10GB/s read/write on average (with some reaching 12GB/s), which is still some way from hitting the theoretical 14GB/s wall the connection can provide.
If they needs to improve on speeds, a better and more efficient chip is most definitely on the books. But that also means using more advanced chips built in more advanced process nodes – and that, increases the BoM (bill-of-materials) cost, which will mostly be passed down to consumers. Same applies to PCIe connectors – all these re-drivers and re-timers needed to deliver the speeds will add cost to the whole motherboard.
DirectStorage: A Case For PCIe 5.0?
So far the realistic use case for PCIe 5.0 is frankly, hard to come by. GPUs are nowhere close to saturating even the PCIe 4.0 x16 connection (even the RTX 3090 barely broke past what PCIe 3.0 x16 could handle), so that leaves the SSDs being the sole type of device on the consumer PC market capable to even fully utilize the high bandwidth it provides. However, most people will tell you that sequential read/write speeds don’t matter – it’s the random read/write performance that users should pay attention to (which do not saturate PCIe bandwidth for the most part).
Then comes Microsoft’s DirectStorage – a new tech designed to massively decrease game loading times down to mere single-digit seconds. It works by removing the CPU bottleneck in between SSD and GPUs, which allows SSDs to directly pass game assets and texture data over into GPU’s VRAM at a much higher speeds. Here’s a chart of the maximum throughput clocked in the DirectStorage benchmark test (courtesy of pcgameshardware.de):
Image: pcgameshardware.de
On the bottom row is where DirectStorage is completely off – meaning the data is passing through CPU first before it gets to the GPU VRAM. Enabling DirectStorage nets you more than double the throughput even on PCIe 3.0 SSDs, but notice that PCIe 4.0 only gets a small improvement after that. How would affect game loading times? Probably very little in between both M.2 SSDs. Keep in mind DirectStorage has to be actively implemented to the game itself, so old games will not be affected nor improved in terms of loading speeds.
What does that mean for PCIe 5.0 SSDs then? Assuming the improvement is +20% (or +50% if you really want to be generous) over PCIe 4.0, that’s still not a whole lot of improvement to the overall speeds. Remember, at this rate the loading times are already shredded down to as little as two seconds, and just like high refresh rate monitors, we’re entering the territory of diminishing returns very fast – to the point it’s hardly noticeable.
So Who Is PCIe 5.0 Really For?
Last question: if PCIe 5.0 adds monetary costs and heat costs so much so to the point of not getting much in return, then who is PCIe 5.0 really for? The answer is: servers. The fact is, servers are the ones that usually gets the leading edge hardware especially when it comes to storage-related technologies – the pace that datacenters are currently growing are immense. PCIe speeds are especially important for cloud computing based datacenters where lots of virtual machines can hit on a same system (or nodes) at once, saturating the available performance quickly.
In fact, the datacenters are in need for such high speed interconnects, so much so they have made a new standard for it – called CXL (Compute eXpress Link). It mostly functions like a PCIe connection but introduces new protocols for even higher transfer speeds, and some datacenters are utilizing the speed provided to install memory expansion cards – something that requires extremely high access speeds (around 50GB/s peak for DDR5).

As a regular PC user, should you need to get a PCIe 5.0 device in the near future? In virtually all cases, no. Outside of SSDs, no device actually supports PCIe 5.0 standard, not even the RTX 4090. Even SSDs themselves provide very little benefit over PCIe 4.0 or even PCIe 3.0 SSDs where the performance leap over each generation is too small to notice any realistic difference (if you ignore the sequential read/write speeds which are mostly unattainable and is an unrealistic metric by itself).
If you own a SATA SSD right now and are concerned about being left behind on Microsoft DirectStorage – fret not, even a reasonably cheap PCIe 3.0 SSD or PCIe 4.0 SSDs will give you enough speed boosts to mostly equalize the benefits that PCIe 5.0 would’ve brought to the table, without the huge pricing and heatsinks associated with them.
Info source: Ars Technica | @momomo_us (Twitter) | pcgameshardware.de (via TechSpot) | Tom’s Hardware | PC Gamer
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Destiny 2 Curse of Osiris Opening Cinematic; Things Are Getting Interesting

The upcoming expansion for Destiny 2 titled Curse of Osiris has just received its opening cinematic fro Bungie and Activision. It’s pretty damn epic, that’s for sure.

Destiny 2 Curse of Osiris Opening Cinematic

Bungie and Activision just released the opening cinematic of the “Curse of Osiris” expansion for Destiny 2.

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The cinematic introduces Osiris himself. He is Ikora’s mentor and the most infamous warlock in the world. He’s also an exile, voiced by Oded Fehr from The Mummy. Perhaps even more interesting is his the sassy ghost Sagira who accompanies Osiris.
Following the events in the cinematic, she will somehow meet up with the players and guide them in their mission. She is voiced by Morena Baccarin, and she’s a bit eccentric to say the least. Incidentally, she will also be the first ghost to speak to the players besides their own.
The expansion will increase the character level cap to 25, while the power level cap will be raised to 330. It will add Mercury as a destination, the Lighthouse as a social space (open to all, this time around), a new quest, new missions, strikes, adventures and the new Raid Lair feature. Basically, it’s supposed to keep Destiny 2 players busy for a while, which will be certainly challenging considering how fast some players go through games nowadays, especially Destiny 2.
For those of you who aren’t aware, the main Destiny 2 game itself was released earlier for consoles, specifically PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is now also available for PC via Battle.net. Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris expansion will launch on December 5th 2017 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC via Battle.net.

Pokdepinion: I’m pretty much aware of certain people playing Destiny 2 for 12 hours straight almost everyday at this point so it’s no wonder that they don’t have much to do in the game. Well, it’s mid-November and the Curse of Osiris expansion is coming soon so I suppose all of you will have more things to do in the game soon.
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One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 Release Date Confirmed

Fans of the popular Japanese manga / anime One Piece, rejoice. Bandai Namco has officially announced the release date for the Japanese and English versions of One Piece Pirate Warriors 4, and we’re not far off from the date.
One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 will be coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on 26th March 2020 in Japan. For the English release, it will be coming a day later on 27th March 2020. Each platform will have their own differences in terms of bonus costumes.
The PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch version will come with Wano Country arc costumes for Zoro and Sanji. Digital versions will get the Wano Country arc costume for Nami as well. As for the Xbox One version, you will be getting all three costumes and more. All versions will have the costume for the Luffy.

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Interestingly, Bandai Namco published a table retracing the technical differences between the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One versions of the game.On PS4, the game runs in 1080p but on the PS4 Pro, it’s 2160p. For the Nintendo Switch, it will be 900p when docked, and 540p in portable mode. Lastly, the Xbox One will run it in 900p while the Xbox One X will run at 2160p.
Once again, One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 will be coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on 26th March 2020 in Japan. For the English release, it will be coming a day later on 27th March 2020.
Pokdepinion: I had quite a bit fun with the previous entries. Sure, it did get quite repetitive but I still played for quite a number of hours. I’m really looking forward to this one.
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Nokia Teased Three New Devices Coming Next Month — Could We Soon See The Nokia 9?

Juho Sarvikas, the Chief Product Officer (CPO) for HMD Global, has revealed on his Twitter of a Nokia teaser which comes with the hashtag ‘Expect More”. We should be seeing them on the 5th of December this year where they will be revealed in Dubai.

#ExpectMore pic.twitter.com/Z4F9F0xcZK
— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) November 15, 2018

While the teaser doesn’t give away much information on whether they are three separate devices or only one, we can see that the one in the middle offers a notched display and the right offering a copper accent color on the side, a standard you’d normally see from recent Nokia devices.
The teaser is just less than 3 weeks from now and it would be interesting to see what exactly HMD/Nokia is offering for the smartphone market this time around.

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While unconfirmed, it could possibly be that the Nokia 9 will be making its way officially after periods of leaks found over the internet. Nokia 9 is reportedly to come with a unique five camera lenses at the rear, a first in the industry.
As of now, we’ll have to play the waiting game for the mean time for more information of what Nokia phone(s) will be launched later in the year. Be sure to stay tuned to Pokde.net, as we will definitely update the news once they’re available.
Pokdepinion: Man, I really hope that it will be the Nokia 9 that’s coming out. It’s been awhile since the company have come up with a real flagship smartphone (ever since the Nokia 8). I can’t wait for 5th of December already.

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Kingston Named Biggest Third-Party SSD Supplier in 2021

TrendForce has named Kingston as the biggest 3rd-party SSD supplier as of 2021, accounting for 26% or the 127 million units shipped in that year.

Despite component supply issues on 2021 due to pandemic, the shipments through global distribution channels remained in growth with the annual growth rate at 11%. The second-biggest supplier, ADATA, contributed to 8% of total shipments in that same year – significantly lesser than Kingston’s 26%, of which the company has credited its flexible supply strategy and global sourcing plans.

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As PCIe 4.0 SSDs continues the transition from older systems which runs on SATA protocol, the company’s KC3000 and FURY Renegade SSDs are introduced in 2021 as the key products among their portfolio of client SSDs. TrendForce has noted that ‘comprehensive global production and sales services’ will be important for increasing PCIe SSD shipments in the future.
“It’s an honor to achieve this top ranking as Kingston celebrates its 35-year anniversary”, said the company. “From the beginning, Kingston’s focus and core sales strength has been with our customers and channel partners worldwide as we embody the ‘Kingston Is With You’ working attitude. Together, these successful relationships have helped our SSD business grow rapidly and the same approach in the DRAM division has led the company to be the largest third-party memory module supplier for the 19th consecutive year.”
Pokdepinion: With new models coming in line such as NV2, they are not losing that first place anytime soon for sure.
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MSI GE66 Dragonshield Limited Edition Pre-order Now Open At RM13,499

MSI Malaysia has revealed that they are now opening up pre-orders for the MSI GE66 Dragonshield Limited Edition and you might want to be quick as they are limited in quantities.
MSI GE66 Dragonshield Limited Edition pre-order

Originally unveiled at CES 2020, the MSI GE66 Dragonshield Limited Edition is designed in collaboration with Colie Wertz, who’s known for his work in the Star Wars prequels, Transformers, as well as Iron Man.
The Dragonshield edition will come with a special Dragonshield spaceship model, mouse, mousepad, as well as a Colie Wertz design album of the GE66 Limited Edition. If you’re wondering, the package is only limited to 3000 sets globally and is worth around RM1,025.

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In terms of the specifications, you can check that out below:
MSI GE66 Dragonshield Limited Edition specifications
Display:15.6-inch (1920×1080), 240Hz, Thin bezel, close to 100% sRGBGPU:NIVIDA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER GDDR6 8GBCPU:Intel Core i9-10980HKConnectivity:Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i (2×2 ax) + BT5.1Battery:99.9WhrRAM:32GB DDR4 3200MHz (16GB x 2)Storage:1TB NVMe PCIe Gen 3×4 SSDAccessories:GE Dragonshield Edition packWarranty:2 year warranty (SEA)Price:RM13,499
The MSI GE66 Dragonshield Limited Edition will be available for pre-orders starting from tomorrow, 26th of September 2020 till the 4th of October 2020. You can register your interest at the MSI MYStore, as well as the MSI Official Store on both Lazada or Shopee.
Pokdepinion: It’s certainly not your average looking laptop, I’ll give you that. A bit too striking for my taste however.. What do you think of the laptop? Would you get one? Let us know in the comments below.
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11th Gen Rocket Lake CPUs will not work on the Intel B460 and H410 motherboards

The 11th Gen Intel Core Rocket Lake processors use the same LGA1200 socket as the 10th Gen Intel Core Comet Lake processors, but apparently not all LGA1200 motherboards will support the next-gen processors. Intel has officially confirmed that the Intel H410 and B460 motherboards will not work with the 11th Gen Intel Core desktop processors.
Instead, you will have to upgrade to new Intel H510 and B560 motherboards if you want to use the Rocket Lake processors without splurging on the motherboard. Or maybe switch to a Intel Z490 or H470 motherboard, which will require a BIOS update to support the upcoming processors.

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As it stands, the Intel B560 chipset will now support additional PCIe lanes from the CPU to handle a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. There’s also integrated WiFi 6 AX201, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 for faster connectivity and also memory overclocking, all of which which were not available on the Intel B460 chipset. The Intel H510 also comes with integrated WiFi.
There might be more reasons to it like the fact that the lower-end Intel H410 and B460 motherboards not designed to take advantage of the PCIe 4.0 bandwidth available with the 11th Gen Intel Core desktop processors.
Or maybe the power delivery system might not be up to the task of handling the Rocket Lake processors. Well, we might just see enthusiasts reverse engineer the Intel H410 and B460 motherboards to work with the 11th Gen Intel Core processors.
Pokdepinion: Well I don’t think that many Intel H410 or B460 users will make the jump from a 10th Gen Intel Core to the 11th Gen processor? Still, the option would have been nice…
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ROG Ranger and ROG Archer gaming backpacks now available in Malaysia

What better way to show your allegiance to the Republic of Gamers than to carry some ROG swag? And we aren’t talking about the gaming machines. You should already have an ROG system if you are a member of the Republic of Gamers anyway. The new ROG Ranger and ROG Archer gaming backpacks are now available in Malaysia, so you can bring your stuff around in style.
ROG Ranger and ROG Archer backpacks priced from RM399 in Malaysia

The bigger of the duo is the ROG Ranger BP2701, a humongous backpack that can accommodate up to 17″ laptops along with your full kit of peripherals including your keyboard, mouse, headset, and still have room for your power adapter, tablet, charger… Well you get the idea, this is a a capacious backpack. You don’t even need to settle for smaller keyboards — the ROG Ranger BP2701 has room for full-sized keyboards. All of its contents will be well protected by the water-repellent and scratch-resistant polyester.

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More importantly, the backpack features holographic ROG logo and script across the surface, as well as a reflective surface to keep you safe when you are walking around at night, as well as for bonus style points. Comfort is also a priority, with ASUS using mesh-covered back padding, padded Lycra shoulder straps and a chest strap to keep the weight better distributed.

If you want something smaller, the ROG Archer Backpack 15.6 is a more compact option that fits 15.6″ laptops. It is designed for versatility, with easy-carry handles to let you bring it around as a briefcase, or as a shoulder bag, with detachable straps. Or as a regular backpack. Constructed out of Cordura 610D fabric, the ROG Archer Backpack 15.6 is durable, water-repellent. The back side of the backpack features ultra-breathable materials to keep you cool.
The ROG Ranger BP2701 Gaming Backpack is available now priced at RM469, while the ROG Archer Backpack 15.6 is slightly more affordable at RM399.
Pokdepinion: Waiting for the RGB-infused version of the ROG Ranger BP2701…
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Cooler Master Teams Up With ASUS TUF Gaming Alliance — Are You TUF Enough?

Cooler Master has announced a new line up of TUF Gaming branded collaboration, which yes, you’ve guessed it, is in collaboration  with ASUS TUF Gaming.
Cooler Master ASUS TUF Gaming Alliance
As some of you might know already, TUF Gaming was created for gamers looking to build a dedicated gaming PC, where they were created with three main design concepts: functionality, reliability, and also visual consistency.
MasterBox MB500 TUF Gaming Edition
The new products produced from the new collaboration between the two includes special versions of the MasterBox MB500, MasterAir MA620P, MasterAir MA410M, and also the MasterWatt 750 TUF Gaming Edition.

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MasterAir MA620P TUF Gaming Edition
One of the core values  of Cooler Master is reliability, giving PC builders products that work well and for the long run. TUF Gaming products on the other hand is similar to that concept. Getting a TUF system, isn’t just a temporary solution to your gaming needs, it’s also a long term commitment.
MasterAir MA410M TUF Gaming Edition
Well, a gaming build shouldn’t just work well, it also needs to look good so you can flaunt it off. To establish that, ASUS has come up with a pattern and color scheme that stands out from other companies. You can easily distinguish that a product is from TUF Gaming just by looking at it.
MasterWatt 750 TUF Gaming Edition
The new Cooler Master TUF Gaming products is now available for purchase nationwide. Price wise, you can refer to them below:

MasterBox MB500 TUF Gaming Edition – RM289
MasterWatt 750 TUF Gaming Edition – RM375
MasterAir MA620P TUF Gaming Edition – RM199
MasterAir MA410M TUF Gaming Edition – RM229

Pokdepinion: Need I say more? If you want endurance and reliability, check them out!
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[CES2019] ASUS announces AMD-powered TUF Gaming laptops — say hello to the TUF Gaming FX505DY and FX705DY!

Hot on the trails of the launch of the second generation AMD Ryzen Mobile APUs, ASUS has announced their latest gaming laptops featuring the new processors. The ASUS TUF Gaming FX505DY and TUF Gaming FX705DY have just been announced at CES 2019. Based on the features list, it appears that these TUF Gaming laptops are actually pretty well-equipped to improve your gaming experience.

For starters, ASUS will be using the AMD Ryzen 5 3550H, which offers four Zen+ CPU cores and Vega-based integrated graphics. All of that fits into a 35W power envelope, ensuring good battery life as well as lower temperatures with a well-designed cooling solution. And we do know the ASUS TUF Gaming FX505’s HyperCool cooling solution is pretty good, so it should offer even better temperatures here.

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If you need more graphics processing grunt, the ASUS TUF Gaming FX505DY and TUF Gaming FX705DY will switch over the discrete Radeon RX 560X, promising enough performance for popular esports titles and more. And with the FreeSync-enabled display, you will be getting fluid gameplay even when your frame rates drop below the maximum refresh rate. I personally think this is a huge advantage as affordable NVIDIA-powered systems do not come with G-SYNC, and thus gamers lose out on the joy that is adaptive sync.

The one thing that might disappoint gamers is that the ASUS TUF Gaming FX505DY’s NanoBezel 15.6″ FHD IPS-level display sports a 120 Hz refresh rate, but the NanoBezel 17.3″ panel in the ASUS TUF Gaming FX705DY only goes up to 60 Hz. Fans of fast-paced shooters should definitely opt for the ASUS TUF Gaming FX505DY.
The only detail left is the pricing. Bringing AMD components and a FreeSync display together in a laptop is definitely a move that can shake up the laptop market, one which has been dominated by Intel and NVIDIA for ages. Priced right, gamers who pick one of these up will definitely get hooked onto the AMD FreeSync experience.
Pokdepinion: Considering that there are no slim-bezel G-SYNC displays, this is a niche where AMD should quickly strengthen their stronghold. Slim-bezel FreeSync display. Just as good, but much cheaper.
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Lazada 12.12 Online Revolution Sales is TOMORROW! Get amazing deals on HP, Motorola and Lenovo!

After the exciting 11.11 Online Revolution Sales which coincided with Singles’ Day, we are now looking at Lazada’s 12.12 Online Revolution Sales. While the full list of items with discounts is probably too long to list out in full here, we have here a short list of some deals from HP Malaysia as well as Lenovo and Motorola!
Get up to 62% off selected HP products!

HP actually upped the ante this time around, with discounts of up to RM500 instead of the RM300 discounts offered for the HP 14 and HP Pavillion 14 models during the 11.11 sales. You can also get the HP Sprocket instant printer with RM100 off (it was RM50 during the 11.11 sales) the list price along with a free Personalized Pouch. Store wide discounts of 7% applies, while a 15% discount is available on Ink Twin pack, XL and Combo packs. The full list of promotions are as follows:

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For the full list of offers and promotions, check out HP’s official Lazada store here!
RM516 worth of freebies with your Moto smartphone!

Lenovo and Motorola are giving out even more freebies this time around, more than they offered during the 11.11 Sales or Cyber Monday. The Moto G5S Plus which offers great value for money at RM999, is now set for even better value for your moolah with gifts worth up to RM516. You will be getting a second year of extended warranty, 1 year of accidental damage protection, vehicle docking stand, a TPU case and tempered glass to protect your new phone straight out of the box. The Lenovo K6 Note is also offered at an amazing RM350 off its list price of RM949, while still coming with free TPU case and tempered glass worth RM49! That’s not all, you can get 10% off Moto Mods and other accessories with the code MOTOACC10D. Here’s a list of what’s Motorola and Lenovo are offering from tomorrow until 14th December:

Moto X4 (RM1899)
2nd Year Extended Warranty
1 Year Accidental Damage Protection
Vehicle Docking Stand
Freebies worth RM499

Moto G5S (RM999)
2nd Year Extended Warranty
1 Year Accidental Damage Protection
Vehicle Docking Stand
TPU Case & Tempered Glass
Freebies worth RM516

Moto M (RM799)
Sandisk microSD Ultra 16GB
Vehicle Docking Stand
Freebies worth RM79 +
RM200 rebate off SRP (RM999)

Moto E4 (RM549)
16GB SD Card
TPU Case and Tempered Glass
RM20 Giant Cash Voucher
Freebies worth RM88

Lenovo K6 Note (RM599)
TPU Case and Tempered Glass
Freebies worth RM49 + RM350 rebate off SRP (RM949)

Lenovo Ultimate K8 Note (RM999)
–
RM300 rebate off SRP (RM1299)

Moto Mods & Accessories:
-JBL Sound Boost (Black)
-Projector (Black)
-360 Camera (White)
-Gamepad (Black)
-Hasselblad True Zoom
-Incipio Battery
-Black Leather Style Shell
-Crimson Nylon Style Shell
-Herringbone Nylon Style Shell
-Black Flip Cover Style Shell
–
10% off with code MOTOACC10D

The Lenovo K8 Note will be exclusive available starting this 12th December in Motorola’s Official Store on Lazada. It is the first dual-camera Lenovo Note smartphone with a 4000 mAh battery for long-lasting battery life. It will be priced at RM1299 after the promotion is over, so be quick or miss it!
Pokdepinion: Seems like great deals will be available during Lazada Online Revolution Sales starting this 12th December. Can’t wait to check out the deals I can actually afford!
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Xiaomi Is Testing Out 120Hz OLED Displays — Reportedly To Be Out In 2020

Xiaomi has been pushing hard with their smartphones lately and of course, with features that excites consumers. After the Mi Note 10 series with 108MP penta lens setup, it seems that they are now working on their displays.
According to a leaker on Weibo, it appears that Xiaomi is looking to introduce 120Hz AMOLED displays for their devices and they will be ready for the market next year, 2020.
We definitely can’t wait to see it being implemented on their ‘affordable’ flagships, possibly a new POCOPHONE (please make this happen) or a Mi 10T Pro? That’s looking too far ahead, but let’s just wait for the display to be officially announce for the meantime.

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Pokdepinion: Let’s just hope that if it does comes out, it’ll run smoothly. None of that Pixel display issue please.
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Upcoming Apple MacBook Pro to pack AMD Polaris GPUs

The MacBook Pro line will see a refresh according to reports and will gain a few new features including a programmable strip of OLED function keys above the keyboard that will change according to the software you are running. Aside from that, it is expected that the MacBook Pro will use AMD GPUs as has been seen with the previous top-end MacBook Pro which packed the R9 M370X. But the latest MacBook Pros will most probably feature AMD’s much newer GPUs, based on the Polaris architecture.

AMD has yet to reveal their mobile GPU line-up, but given that they are designed with great performance-per-watt in mind, they should make perfect mobile GPUs. Considering that AMD RX 460 will feature a TDP of less than 75W, it is actually quite plausible to cram one of these into the MacBook Pros.

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We will most probably not see AMD CPUs being packed into the next generation of MacBook Pros, and Intel’s Kaby Lake should be Apple’s Choice. Given that the ASUS Transformer 3 has already been announced with a 7th generation Intel Core CPU, we do not expect Apple to trail behind in terms of CPU.
SOURCE: ExtremeTech

Pokdepinion: Gaming MacBook Pros? Most probably not, but the AMD Polaris GPU should offer extra oomph in OpenCL,Mac which Mac OSX uses for GPU-accelerated compute.
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Samsung’s new microSD is ready for 4K recording — Samsung PRO Plus micro SD

Samsung has just recently unveiled its newest microSD, the Samsung PRO Plus with 128GB storage, based on Samsung’s advanced MLC NAND flash technology. The 32GB and 64GB options were first introduced in May 2015.

The new Samsung PRO Plus microSD is aimed towards the growing consumer base that will use the cards with action cameras, drones, premium smartphones and DSLRs with 4K recording and playback features.

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The Samsung PRO Plus 128GB microSD card is designed to be compatible with any devices that has a microSD slot. It equipped with Samsung 4-proof features which include waterproof (IEC 60529,IPX7), temperature proof, X-ray proof and magnetic proof.

The Samsung PRO Plus microSD will be available in more than 50 countries with 10 year limited warranty.

Pokdepinion: I’m using the Samsung EVO 64GB and it is capable of recording 4K video footage with my ASUS Padfone S. But with average write speeds of 11Mbs, the Samsung EVO doesn’t meet the requirement when it comes to 4K video recording with DSLRs.
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Overwatch Free Weekend Happening Again – For Consoles and PC This February

Looks like Blizzard is running yet another Overwatch Free Weekend soon for consoles and PC gamers. For those of you looking to get the game for yourself, give it a try first during the Free Weekend.
Overwatch Free Weekend Happening Again This February

HEROES WANTED!
Play Overwatch FREE Feb 16–19 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
💻 🎮 https://t.co/Pq264DygsZ pic.twitter.com/dw31d2Z2Do
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) February 12, 2018

Since its debut in 2016, Blizzard’s popular shooter Overwatch has built up a large community thanks to its fast-paced gameplay and unique roster of characters. Soon, there will be a new opportunity opening up for players to try out the game for the first time.

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Blizzard Entertainment has announced yet another Free Weekend for Overwatch will be running from February 16th – 19th, 2018 across all versions of the game, allowing new players the chance to jump into the game for the first time on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
The trial itself will give players access to the full roster of 26 heroes and all of the game’s maps and modes, along with the ability to earn and open loot boxes to get new skins and other cosmetic items. Any items, experience, and progress that players earn over the course of the free trial period will also transfer over for players that purchase the full game on the same system / platform that they played the free trial on through Battle.net.
Overwatch is available now for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. For more specific details on the upcoming Free Weekend for the game as far as where and when you can access it, you can head here.
Pokdepinion: One of my favourite games of all time since I just hop in and out whenever I want and the games usually don’t last long compared to other eSports titles like DotA 2. Yours truly has spent over 300 hours in the, with over 100+ hours on Hanzo. In my defense, it can get very addictive when you start nailing headshots.
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This Calculator Not Only Calculates, It Also Runs DOOM Eternal

Can it run Crysis? Perhaps not. Can it run DOOM? Oh HELL YES IT DOES!

By now you have probably seen many episodes of people stuffing the venerable DOOM into places it isn’t supposed to be, from pregnancy test kits (I’m not kidding) to within Windows’ Notepad itself – this time around though perhaps there is less insanity involved and more value to be had. Specifically, it’s a desktop calculator called GHLBD that costs less than $25 in overseas markets (and as low as $10 second-hand, too). YouTube channel Taki Udon got one such device and found some truly wild capabilities inside.

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This unassuming calculator comes with a color LCD display with only basic calculation buttons offered, so it’s not exactly like the Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus that many modders like to fiddle with. Despite that, under the hood it comes with a basic but still capable-by-calculator-standards quad-core Allwinner A50 SoC with 1GB of RAM. This kind of specs isn’t far off from low-end phones just a few years ago, and it even comes with Android 9.0 inside, leaving plenty of chances for modders to have fun with.

Apparently, there’s no safeguards against any sort of software modding in this calculator: the Android UI is simply hidden from plain sight and with a simple swipe down, it reveals the notification bar and by extension, the entire Android OS to the user. From this point on, the sky truly is the limit. With some USB debugging and switch fiddling, the calculator is now capable of running emulators – at a respectable performance at that – and even running DOOM 3 natively, though the performance is so-so. Not that it’s already a hell of a value at just $10 this thing is asking for.
Since the calculator is seemingly made from a motherboard originally destined for a tablet, as Taki Udon noted – there’s also wireless capabilities which enabled Bluetooth controller support to connect the 8BitDo SN30 Pro controller used for this experiment. That also means you can technically do cloud gaming, and with the classic “Can it run DOOM?” question presented here, it’s perfect choice to go with the latest title, DOOM Eternal, to do the talking.
For as low as $10 (~RM45), that’s one hell of a deal you’re getting. Not that we endorse purchasing this calculator for the sole purpose of gaming on it, of course.

Source: Gizmodo
Pokdepinion: A calculator running Android 9 already sounds overkill by itself. Is hardware that cheap these days?
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Acer Aspire Vero Officially Arriving in Malaysia

With an emphasis making environmentally-friendly changes for a positive impact, the Acer Aspire Vero is here but that’s not all. Acer Malaysia is also inviting you to “make your green mark”. Here’s what you need to know.
Acer Aspire Vero Coming to Malaysia

For those of you who aren’t aware, the Acer Aspire Vero has an eco-friendly chassis made from 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic, with the keycaps being made of 50% PCR. Apart from that, it’s said to be easy to upgrade and maintain, with the bottom chassis needing only standard screwdrivers to open. Users can upgrade the RAM / storage without voiding the warranty.

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Apart from that, the Acer Aspire Vero features the 11th Gen Intel Core CPU with Intel Iris Xe graphics, up to 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, 15.6-inch Full HD LED display, stereo speakers, and 720p HD webcam. Battery life is said to be up to 9.5 hours per full charge.  As for ports, it has one USB 3.2 Type-C port, two USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a headphone jack, LAN port, and an HDMI 2.0 port. For wireless on the other hand, it has Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 6 support.
Unsurprisingly, the packaging for the laptop is also environmentally-friendly as it’s made up of 100% recycled materials. In fact, the packaging can be folded into a stand if you’d like. Moreover, the chassis is paint-free and certain keycaps are mirrored, such as R and E.
Acer Aspire Vero Specifications

CPU
Intel Core i7-1195G7 @ 2.9GHz (up to 5GHz Boost), 4C/8T, 15W TDP, 10nm SuperFin
Intel Core i5-1155G7 @ 2.5GHz (up to 4.5GHz Boost), 4C/8T, 15W TDP, 10nm SuperFin

RAM
8GB / 16GB DDR4

GPU
Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 96EU @ up to 1.3GHz

Storage
512GB SSD

Software
Microsoft Windows 11

Connectivity
Intel WiFi 6 AX201 (2×2 WiFi 6 up to 2.4 Gbps)
Bluetooth 5.1
1 x USB 3.2 Type-C
2 x USB 3.2 Type-A
1 x USB 2.0

Display
15.6″ FHD (1080p) IPS Display
USB-C supports DisplayPort Alt Mode
1 x HDMI 2.0

Audio
Built-in stereo speaker
Built-in array microphone
Cortana support
1 x 3.5mm combo jack

Power
65W power adapter, USB-PD support
48WHr 3-cell Li-ion battery

Dimensions
363.4 x 238.5 x 17.9 mm

Weight
1.8kg

The Acer Aspire Vero will be available from today onwards, retailing at RM3,399 for the Intel Core i5 variant while the Intel Core i7 variant will retail for RM4,299. You can purchase it on the official Acer Malaysia online store, official stores on Shopee, and authorized dealers nationwide.
As an added bonus, those of you who purchase this laptop from now until 19th November 2021, you will get some free gifts worth up to RM500, which includes an Acer backpack, Acer Gateway Pro wireless headset, Touch ‘n Go eWallet credits, and more. Furthermore, for every Acer Aspire Vero purchased, RM100 will be paid towards adopting more trees in Taman Tugu in KL, with the ultimate goal here being to adopt at least 15 trees.
Pokdepinion: This looks like an interesting laptop, especially for students and younger employees. The ease of maintenance will certainly be of good value for those who’d rather maintain1 the machines themselves.
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Only 10% Of Grab Drivers Passed For Their PSV Licence

In four days time, the new e-hailing regulations will take place. Grab Malaysia has given their response and statement on the issue of how they’re preparing for it.
If you’ve missed our previous post, the new law comes with several tests and cost that drivers need to bare (read more here).
At the start of April, over 200,000 drive-partners has been working to get their license. Despite that, Grab Malaysia has revealed that only 10% of their active drive-partners has successfully obtained their PSV licence.

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With the news, it will mean that there will be a reduction of driver-partners active on the roads. With fewer drivers, this could see consumers to face longer waiting times for their ride. On average, a passenger can get their ride within 6 minutes. Expect this time to be longer, come 12th July.
The company has given some advice on the matter. You should book earlier than usual for your rides. As you’d expect, getting a ride during non-peak hours is much easier, so avoid booking between 7-9am and 5-8pm.
Pokdepinion: I’m quite surprised at the percentage of them that passed the test. This might make consumers out there to go back to the traditional Taxi route. At least, in the beginning. Hopefully, Grab will have more drivers as time passes.
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POCO X3 NFC launched in Malaysia priced from RM899

The new POCO X3 NFC has just been announced here in Malaysia, with an exceptionally affordable price tag. The POCO X3 NFC offers POCO fans a sub-RM1000 option that actually offers certain features that are actually better than what’s found on their flagship POCO F2 Pro.

On the POCO X3 NFC you get stereo sound, a 120Hz LCD display and a whopping 5160mAh battery, all of which the POCO F2 Pro lacks. Of course you aren’t getting a flagship chipset here, but you get the point. The POCO X3 NFC has a pretty impressive feature set for users who are more into the user experience than straight out flagship performance.

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Speaking of performance, you do get the Snapdragon 732G, which is an overclocked variant of the already pretty capable Snapdragon 730G. The POCO X3 NFC is the first device to offer said chipset, and POCO pairs it with 6GB RAM and up to 128GB of storage.

The back is home to a quad-camera setup, with a main 64MP Sony IMX682 camera, a 13MP ultra-wide angle camera and a 2MP macro camera. There’s also a 2MP depth sensor, but we don’t talk about those here.
POCO X3 NFC Specs

CPU:
Snapdragon 732G (2 x Kryo 470 Gold @ 2.3 GHz + 6 x Kryo 470 Silver @ 1.8 GHz), 8nm

GPU:
Adreno 618

RAM:
6GB LPDDR4X

Display:
6.67″ FHD+ (2400 x 1080) 120Hz LCD display, 91% screen-to-body ratio
240Hz touch sampling
87.4% DCI-P3 gamut, HDR10, 450-nit brightness

Storage:
Up to 128GB UFS 2.1 (expandable via microSD)

Camera:
Main Camera(s)
64MP f/1.89 Sony IMX682 + 13MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle camera + 2MP f/2.4 macro camera + 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor
Night Mode, AI scene detection, auto HDR, portrait mode, Beautify, AI Skyscaping 3.0, ultra-wide angle distortion correction, 1080p60/4K30 video, ShootSteady video, Vlog mode, up to 1080p120/720p960 slow-mo
Front Camera
20MP f/2.2
AI Beauty, AI Portrait, AI scene detection, Night mode, 1080p30 video, 120 fps slow-mo selfie

OS:
MIUI 12 based on Android 10

Connectivity:
LTE Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/20/28/38/40/41
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Bluetooth 5.1
IR blaster
3.5mm headphone jack

SIM:
Dual SIM (hybrid dual SIM)

Battery:
Li-Po 5160mAh (non-removable)
33W fast charging (USB-C)

Dimensions:
165.3 x 76.8 x 9.4 mm

Weight:
215 g

Ingress protection:
IP53

Price:
6GB+64GB: RM899
6GB+128GB: RM1099

But that’s not all. As an introductory offer, the POCO X3 NFC will also be available during the 9.9 sale on Shopee from just RM799 for the 64GB variant, and RM949 for the 128GB variant! That’s significant savings of up to RM150 on an already affordable device! The POCO X3 NFC comes in Cobalt Blue and Shadow Grey.
You can read our review of the POCO X3 NFC here.
Pokdepinion: POCO conquered budget flagship market, and it seems like they are going to do it in the mid-range segment as well.
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The Malaysian tech brands we lost along the years….

When we think of tech brands, the first ones that come to mind might be ASUS or Xiaomi, but did you know that we had quite a few brands that offered consumer tech in Malaysia, before quietly dying out? Some of these Malaysian tech brand probably never enjoyed as widespread success as, say, HTC, before their downfall, so some of you might not even know them. Or you might just be too young to remember them. In the spirit of Merdeka, I am feeling quite patriotic, so let’s give them a memorial of sorts.
JARING (1992 – 2015)

If you were lucky enough to use Internet when dial-up Internet was still a thing in Malaysia, you most probably have heard of JARING. As the pioneering Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Malaysia, JARING went from 64kbps satellite leased-circuit, to using fiber for its 2.5Gbps backbone network across Malaysia. In 2006, they were acquired by the Ministry of Finance from MIMOS Berhad, before being sold off once again to Utusan Printcorp Sdn. Bhd. for allegedly RM2 million, despite the company being valued at significantly more.

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Utusan Printcorp Sdn. Bhd. itself was also embroiled in some scandal back in 2015, that saw it not paying its staff’s salary for three months, among other things, while also acquiring MISC Logistics with money that could probably have been better put to use to pay their staff. In any case, after being acquired by Utusan Printcorp, JARING sunk deeper into debt, so far that TNB were reportedly going to cut their power because they owed over RM1 million in unpaid bills. In April 2015, JARING closed and underwent liquidation. Essentially the company went from Internet pioneer in Malaysia to absolutely nothing, which is a real shame.
MetroVision (1995 – 1999)

Now this is slightly different, because MetroVision is currently known as 8TV, although not without a long break from 1999 to 2005. In any case, the TV channel was available to people in the Klang Valley, Seremban, parts of Pahang and Malacca, while expanding to Kedah and Johor later, with it being receivable from Singapore. And it had this fancy jingle that my older colleagues love. Fun fact, all my colleagues at Pokde.net are actually older than me.

In any case, it was apparently the second private TV channel after TV3 to be available in Malaysia, and it was aptly named TV4. And it was also called MetroVision – Channel 8 or something. I must note that since I am not from the areas, I have never heard of MetroVision. Not to mention that I am way too young for this. In any case, it got shut down in 1999 allegedly due to there being too much competition and the Asian financial crisis in 1999, but managed to rise from the ashes in 2004 as 8TV.
M.Mobile (2005 – 2007?)
Image Source: The Star
Founded in 2005, M.Mobile was Malaysia’s first cell phone manufacturer. They have reportedly invested over RM15 million in R&D in 2005 to bring the M.Mobile M10 to market. They have also planned to invest an additional RM25 million over the next 10 months, to develop another six models. Despite signing a five-year contract worth RM2 billion with Saudi Television Manufacturing Co (Satjet) in 2006, which would see the Saudi company buy up at least 1 million devices annually, it seems that the venture failed.
A quick Google search finds that in 2019, two ex-directors of Kosmo Technology Industrial Bhd., the company which owned a 30% stake in M.Mobile, were slapped with two-year jail terms and RM1.45 million fines each for furnishing false statements to Bursa Malaysia regarding Kosmo’s revenue figures in their quarterly reports for 2006 and 2007. From the looks of it, M.Mobile disappeared off the radar around the same time… So… I am not saying the cases are related, but it does seem to be such a coincidence…
Ninetology (2012 – 2015)
Image Source: Wayback Machine
This is probably a brand that might bring back some memories for some, especially for those who are not hitting their 30s yet. Founded in 2012, the earlier devices from the brand were the Ninetology Outlook series of tablets, as well as the Ninetology Stealth, Black Pearl and Palette smartphones. They later released a pretty stylish Ninetology Insight, as well as their premium Ninetology U9 series.
Image Source: vernonchan.com
The Ninetology U9Z1T was their first ever LTE-enabled smartphone, which was a pretty big thing back in 2014. Something like how 5G is today. Powered by the Snapdragon 400, the Ninetology U9Z1T was a pretty competitive entry-level 4G smartphone, at that time.
They were quite ambitious as well, expanding out of Malaysia into Indonesia, as well as other ASEAN regions. According to reports, they successfully sold over 1 million devices as of September 2013, with a 12% market share in Malaysia at the end of 2013. That’s more than what realme enjoys right now! However it seems that it just wasn’t enough to keep the company afloat, and in late 2014, the founder of Ninetology resigned from the company. By 2015 it was reportedly taken over by Avaxx Corporation. Since then we have yet to see or hear anything new from them.

A search for Ninetology on Lazada and Shopee will yield a few results, with really budget devices with extremely old hardware dating back to the times when Ninetology was still alive. As a bit of trivia, the founder of Ninetology, Sean Ng, is currently an Executive Director at Macpie Berhad, which is currently a distributor of Nokia smartphones. Guy really likes his challenges.
Bonus: UMNO Phone (2015)
Image Source: MalayMail
No smartphone will let you show off your political allegiance as well as the UMNO Phone. Well, it isn’t exactly called that, as its actual name is “Smartphone Jenama UMNO” or “UMNO-Branded Smartphone”, but we will be calling it the UMNO Phone for the sake of brevity. While also not technically a “brand”, as the UMNO Phone was made by Chili Mobile, which is yet another defunct local smartphone maker. And yes, there’s no UMNO Phone 2, so I guess its lineage has ended.

The smartphone looks eerily like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, and features the UMNO emblem on the back. The boot screen, lock screen and home screen is also apparently customized with the UMNO emblems. Sold for RM888, the UMNO Phone packed a quad-core chipset, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage and a 5.5″ display. Not too bad, if you are an ardent supporter of UMNO. Interestingly enough, it was also a limited edition device, with only 2000 units produced. So yeah, the UMNO Phone might actually be worth more money to collectors in the future. Hang on to it, if you got one.
Did we miss out any major tech companies or brands that you might have had the chance to experience? Let us know, and may they forever live on in our memories…
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HTC to make Exodus to the blockchain — a new blockchain-based smartphone with decentralization as its core

A lot of people claim that blockchain is going to be the backbone of the Internet in the future. The main draw of blockchain technology is decentralization to ensure privacy and security. HTC is the first to design a smartphone dedicated to decentralized applications and security, and what better name for a device meant for the future of the Internet, than Exodus.

The HTC Exodus is designed to offer blockchain features such as a universal wallet with a dedicated hardware stack to ensure you stay in control of your private keys on the device. The landing page for the device also claims that they will be bringing DApps to mobile, and also turn your device into a node.

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There aren’t many details about the HTC Exodus itself yet, aside from the fact that it will most probably feature a single rear camera. It is set for a launch in Q3 2018, which means it will be out before the end of September.
Pokdepinion: Nice name, cool features, but not too sure whether it will take off among the public.
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Intel bring Xeon to mobile — Real workstation laptop is near

Intel has never brought pro-level Xeon processors for the mobile platform, until now. Even though there are workstation laptops in the market, the laptop is power by high-end Intel Core i7 parts. But on August 7 2015, Intel has announced that they are launching their latest Intel Xeon processors for mobile. The first Intel Xeon processor for mobile that Intel has unveiled is based on the latest 6th generation ‘Skylake’ architecture, and the processor part is named Intel Xeon E3-1500M v5 ( the v5 indicate that it’s has reach the 5th revision or version).
The Intel Xeon E3-1500M v5 will deliver high precision computing horsepower in notebook form factors, delivering the right balance of power and mobility. Intel Xeon-based mobile workstations will have key features such as error-correcting code memory that automatically detects and repairs errors on-the-fly that cause data corruption and system crashes for peace-of-mind reliability. These new systems will also enjoy the benefits of the unique hardware-assisted security, manageability, and productivity capabilities of Intel vPro™ Technology.

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So what the deal with this Intel Xeon E3-1500M, of course it will support ECC memory that automatically detects and repairs errors on-the-fly that cause data corruption and system crashes for peace-of-mind reliability. USB type C will also be viable and not forget to mention, it’s also support Thunderbolt 3 that is able to hit a whopping 40Gbps transfer rate, making it double the speed of Thunderbolt 2. It will also be able to support USB 3.1 meaning you can plug in a gadget with that connector and get speeds of up to 10Gbps.
For the moment there are not much details going around about the processor yet as Intel engineering will release the details soon.
However, if you are thinking there are really no workstation laptops that is using Intel Xeon processors, you’re quite wrong. Malaysian based custom laptop company knows as ILLEGEAR has the option to outfit your laptop with a Xeon processor. Instead using a high-end mobile processor, they crammed a desktop processor in it. The processor used is none other than the Intel Xeon 1230v3, a quad-core Haswell part with 3.4Ghz clock speed. How much damage will your wallet take if you decide to get it? With great performance, comes great costs.

Pokdepinion : First question to come in my mind is the pricing of the Intel Xeon E3-1500M. Sure, it a new product from Intel for mobile platform. But if the price isn’t right, it’s better to get a desktop Intel Xeon that has been squeezed into a tiny form factor which may cost less and actually work better. But typical power consumption figures for a system that runs on an Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 is around 70 watt idle and 220 watt on load. With an dedicated GPU, it can reach up to 280 watt. So there are disadvantages of such a set up, for example, the battery life.
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Watch OPPO And Digi’s Reno Your Life Livestream And Win An OPPO Reno6 5G

OPPO is teaming up with Digi and local personalities for a fun and thrilling “Reno Your Life” livestream to celebrate the complete availability of the Reno6 Series in Malaysia.
OPPO x Digi “Reno Your Life” livestream

Viewers will be offered fantastic prizes throughout the livestream, including 3x brand-new OPPO Reno6 5G units, RM200 Digi cash vouchers, RM100 Reno6 cash vouchers (redeemable via the My OPPO App), and portable sterilisers. You can catch OPPO x Digi “Reno Your Life” livestream via OPPO Malaysia’s official Facebook page tonight (25 August) at 8PM.

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OPPO also announced a partnership with Digi to open ‘OPPO Hubs’ in 29 Digi Stores across the country, showcasing a wide range of OPPO’s latest smartphones, IoT (Internet of Things) gadgets, and wearables. The OPPO Hub’s goal is to provide a one-stop-shop for customers to engage with (‘touch and feel’) and test OPPO products before making a purchasing choice.
Digi users may now acquire the latest OPPO Reno6 and OPPO Reno6 Z with Digi’s PhoneFreedom 365 plans, which coincides with the launch of the OPPO Hub. Customers who subscribe to Digi Postpaid 60 and above can get an All-IN gadget and plan for RM130 with no upfront payment and 24 months of interest-free instalment options.
For more information, visit the official website here.
Pokdepinion: Don’t forget to catch the “Reno Your Life” livestream and win an OPPO Reno6 5G smartphone! You can check out our reviews of the OPPO Reno6 Z right here and the OPPO Reno6 Pro here.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Multiplayer Officially Unveiled

Just recently Call of Duty has uploaded and introduced the multiplayer trailer video for the next COD title; Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War multiplayer trailer

It appears that the game is set in the Cold War era, where the trailer showcases warfare that includes vehicles such as boats armed with machine gun, buggy, snow mobiles and more.
A few YouTubers have gained early access to the game where they get an experience on how the game is really like. It seems that the game comes with a revamped Create-a-Class section from previous Black Ops titles.

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The game will feature Scorestreaks including Spy Planes, Napalm Strikes, RC-XD, and Chopper Gunner. Of course, there’ll be more of them however but we’ll probably see more soon.
You can expect Call of Duty: Warzone to be available with the game as well, as it did with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. It is said that your progress will be shared between Warzone and Cold War.
At the end of the trailer, you can see that the game will feature some sort of Zombie Mode, which I’m pretty sure fans of the series will appreciate.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is set for a November 13th release where it will be available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, as well as Xbox Series X (and S). The game will support cross-platform, as is the case with Modern Warfare.
Source
Pokdepinion: I just hope that the game won’t take as much storage space as Modern Warfare/Warzone..
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Bandai Namco Teases Brand New Horror Game – Summer Horror Project

It appears that the folks over at Bandai Namco has opened a website with a teaser for a brand new horror game. For now, it’s known as Summer Horror Project.
Bandai Namco Teases Brand New Horror Game

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It seems that we may just have a rather interesting game to look forward to. The folks over at Bandai Namco has recently opened a brand new website which teases a brand new game. From its ominous look, clearly it’s a horror game.
The site is titled “Summer Horror Project” and the site reproduces a rather creepy video feed of a rather typical Japanese lowrise house. Among the keywords in the site’s source code there is a mention of zombies, and clicking on the social media buttons lets you share the message “A mysterious site appears? Something will happen this summer…”.
The site’s URL includes the word “Domas,” which also appears at the bottom of the image. Unfortunately, we have absolutely zero clue what that word means or is referring to.
We also see what appears to be a reveal date pointing to the end of the month. It states “08.30.2018” and
“PM04” followed by some weird text. This should mean 30th August 2018, presumably at 4 PM Japan time.
At the moment there is no mention of platforms or release dates / windows, so we’ll have to wait and see what exactly this new project will entail and whether it’s for PC, consoles, mobile platforms, or all of them even.
If you want to go check out the website yourself, click right here to head there. Be warned, you never know if something might just pop up.
Pokdepinion: Well, I haven’t been this excited over something I know little of in a long time. That house looks scary as heck, which makes me want to know more.
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Cooler Master MH752 and MH751 gaming headset review — spoilt for choice?

Introduction

Cooler Master has had somewhat of a rocky start to their Cooler Master family. The MasterPulse Pro which we reviewed was good, but not exceptional. Cooler Master has since launched several other designs, and more recently at Computex 2018, they introduced the Cooler Master MH751 and MH752. Today we will be taking a closer look at the Cooler Master MH752, which is the higher end of the two, while also taking a quick look at the Cooler Master MH751. Without further ado, let’s dive in.
Unboxing

Cooler Master tastefully designed the packaging to be just flashy enough to attract your attention, but not overdo it and look like a child’s toy. They applied their signature purple around the sides, with blocky text for the label and sprinkled on some highlight features around.

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Cooler Master spared no expense when it came to foam padding. The headphone itself, detachable boom microphone and USB DAC are each packed into thick foam to protect everything here from any damage.

The cables provided with the headphones are very long, so it should suffice even if you place your PC far away from yourself. The Cooler Master MH752 comes with a pouch which fits the entire headphone too, in case you want to bring it around with you when travelling. Really nifty.

The Cooler Master MH751 comes in similar foam padding, but instead of a USB DAC, it is bundled with a much simpler cable and splitter. It still comes with a full-sized pouch too, so kudos to Cooler Master for not skimping out here.
Appearance

In terms of appearance, the Cooler Master MH752 and Cooler Master MH751 probably won’t be winning any awards. There is no RGB to speak of, and the design is shared with a number of other gaming headsets in the market. It does however come with a pretty unique sandstone finish.

Everything on this headphone is modular. The microphone plugs in via a 3.5mm jack, and the main cable is also detachable. The cable is also detachable from the DAC, so if you would like to plug it directly into your system’s DAC, it will work fine for that too.

The leatherette earpads are plush and look very inviting, as does the headband which is also entirely wrapped in PU leather. The earpads are quite deep too, so larger ears might still find the Cooler Master MH752 comfortable.

Pulling on the earcups to extend the headband reveals the metal in it for flexibility. They extend a fair bit to fit even the largest of heads. The hinges allow the headphones to fold flat for stowing away in the included pouch, as well as to have the optimal angle to fit your head. Interestingly, Cooler Master used rubberized material for selected parts of the hinge. Weird choice of material, but okay.

The USB DAC included with the Cooler Master MH752 looks pretty simple, with huge buttons for easy access. The 7.1 icon lights up when it’s active, but it’s somewhat dim so it’s barely noticeable. A boon for gaming in dark environments though.

In place of the USB DAC on the higher-end model, the Cooler Master MH751 gets basic inline controls, with a volume dial and microphone mute switch.
Specifications

Headphone
Drivers:
40mm dynamic driver

Frequency response:
 20Hz – 20 kHz

Sensitivity:
97 ± 3dB

Impedance:
26 Ω

Input:
Cooler Master MH752
3.5mm 4-pole jack / USB Type-A
Cooler Master MH751
3.5mm 4-pole jack

Construction:
Steel and plastic headband, PU leather and foam cushioning
PU leather and foam cushion earpads

Weight:
340g

Cable:
Braided cables
Cooler Master MH752
1.5m 3.5mm connector (detachable)
1.5m USB cable (detachable)
Cooler Master MH751
1.5m 3.5mm connector (detachable)
0.3m 3.5mm splitter (detachable)

Microphone
Direction:
Omni-directional

Frequency response:
100 – 10 kHz

Sensitivty:
-42 ± 3 dB

SNR:
55 dB

In terms of specifications the Cooler Master MH752 does seem pretty othordox. Nothing out of the ordinary here. It’s nice to have two kinds of inputs, allowing the user to use the Cooler Master MH752 with either their mobile devices or PC.
User Experience
The first thing you will realize with the Cooler Master MH752 and Cooler Master MH751 is how comfortable and light it is on your head. I could be gaming for hours with it on my head without me experiencing any discomfort. The next thing I know my eyes are too dry to continue gaming, but I have yet to feel fatigued by the weight of the headphones or the clamping pressure of the earpads.
While it is really quite light, it does not feel flimsy at all. There are no creaks, the hinges twist smoothly and the headphone flexes easily. The sandstone finishing isn’t exactly great though. I admit I may have been a little rougher than I should be with my headphones, but the finishing did get slightly smoother after about a month of use.

While I never got my Cooler Master Pro’s driver software to work, Portal works like a charm with the Cooler Master MH752. We will take a look at that later. Even if you don’t install the drivers, you can mute the microphone, adjust the volume for both the microphone and headphones, and toggle the 7.1 surround audio, all from the USB DAC itself.

The software gives you the ability to tweak the equalizer for finer adjustments, or just turn up the bass and treble if you don’t want to mess with specific parts of the spectrum. And then there’s all the settings you can handle with the DAC, but now with a GUI so it’s easier to fine tune the volume if you are into that kind of thing.
In terms of audio quality, these headphones are really good.  Not exactly audiophile-class, but these here deliver great sound. The Cooler Master MH752 do require burn-in though, as they sound muddy in the beginning but clear up remarkably after a bit of use. The bass is not boomy like most gaming headphones, which makes them suitable for casual music listening too. And for those of you who just want to silence the world around you, the plush earpads are capable of blocking out most noise, including boisterous roommates/colleagues/teammates and even yelling bosses.
The Cooler Master MH751 has the potential to sound even better than the Cooler Master MH752, especially if fed by a high end DAC that some premium motherboards come with. In all honesty, the virtual 7.1 surround effect enabled by the Cooler Master MH752’s DAC is debatable in terms of effectiveness, as the spatial awareness is already excellent even without the virtual 7.1 effect turned on.

The microphone here is also a massive upgrade over the Cooler Master Pro, as it now comes on a detachable boom. It’s omni-directional, but because the microphone itself is only exposed on one side, it doesn’t really pick up environment noises. We have below the microphone test for the Cooler Master MH752.

https://pokde.net/assets/uploads/2018/12/MasterPulse-MH752-mic-test.mp3
Conclusion
The Cooler Master MH752 is a great gaming headphone. The microphone is great, it sounds excellent, and it looks pretty good too. Cooler Master did not throw in any RGB here, but that’s okay. RGB would have required additional wires which would probably hamper the functionality of the Cooler Master MH752 which works over 3.5mm and also USB. The pricing is also pretty on point, which just makes us love it more. RM389 is definitely a fair price for headphones this good.
Now if you want to save some change, there’s also the Cooler Master MH751. It’s a bit cheaper at RM299, and you get the same comfort and sound quality. You do however lose out on the nifty DAC with all the convenient controls and 7.1 surround sound… But do you really need it when these headphones already offers good surround sound even without the 7.1 surround mode enabled? You might want to opt for the Cooler Master MH752 if your PC has poor audio hardware, as the USB DAC is quite competent, regardless of what you think about 7.1 surround audio. I would personally choose the Cooler Master MH751 to save a few bucks, but both are deserving of our highest accolade, the Gold PokdeWard.

Our thanks to Cooler Master Malaysia for providing the Cooler Master MH752 and Cooler Master MH751 for review.
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MSI VR One is now available in Malaysia!

The MSI VR One, the most powerful backpack PC designed for VR is now available in Malaysia. The MSI VR One packs hardware like a 6th Gen Intel Core i7 (Skylake) and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10 series (Pascal) graphics card, all you need for an enjoyable VR experience, all while remaining under 3.6kg and measuring a mere 54mm thick.

The VR One comes with a HDMI port, Mini DisplayPort, ultra-fast Thunderbolt 3 port for transfer speeds up to 40Gbps and multi display output, four USB 3.0 ports and an extra DC out to power the HTC VIVE. It is not only portable, but it can fully function as a desktop replacement unit.

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Working with VR Portal in Malaysia, MSI aims to deliver an interesting VR experience to everyone from the casual consumer to the gaming enthusiasts on what VR can do for you. VR Portal, although being a new to the IT world, has garnered its own segment of fans. The company reveals that the related technology and hardware are mainly imported from the United States and they have a group of in-house specialists that focus on continuously improving and the related technologies and any technical issues should they arise. The company is also moving toward creating and designing its own VR content to better serve their customers’ needs.
Currently, in conjunction with the school holidays, VR Portal has introduced student package with attractive and affordable prices to encourage the students to come and experience this new technology. Pricing are as follows:

RM 30 for off-peak (11am to 5pm) and RM 35 for peak hours (5pm to 2am); while for non-students, you may also enjoy the VR experience at RM 39 for an hour/ per cubicle.

If you are looking to get your own MSI VR One for your personal use, the pricing starts from RM10 499 for the variant with a GeForce GTX 1060 (VR One 7RE), while the variant packing the higher end GeForce GTX 1070 will cost you RM12 499 (VR One 7RD).

Pokdepinion: I don’t think many will purchase a VR One except for the most hardcore enthusiasts of VR, but then the availability of one of their most unique designs shows that MSI takes our Malaysian market seriously.
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We Checked Out The Kingston Future Hub Showroom, And Here’s What We Found Interesting

Earlier today, we managed to visit the Kingston Future Hub showroom as part of their COMPUTEX 2023 showcase. While we did report on what they had in store for us yesterday, we didn’t get to experience it first hand until we went there so here’s what we found interesting about their new showcase.
Kingston XS1000 SSD

Starting with something simpler in nature, the Kingston XS1000 SSD is part of their Vlogger Essentials section, where it is a portable SSD using USB-C to connect to devices. It will be available in 1TB and 2TB storage capacities with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface.

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This should bring you about 1000MB/s of read and write sequential speeds. It’s parked under this section as it allows people to move large files, with videos being the more notable ones in this scenario, in a short amount of time across devices wherever they go. This would be a good mainstream attraction but for us, our attention soon shifted to the next portable SSD.
DataTraveler microDuo 3C
Let’s be real here; many of us have outgrown the use of flash drives. If we’re simply moving stuff from PC to PC, there are plenty of ways to go about it. With the DataTraveler microDuo 3C, it’s certainly a step ahead in versatility given that it’s USB-A on one side and USB-C on the other.
The speeds and capacities aren’t groundbreaking by any means, as it can only do 100MB/s of read speeds, 15MB/s writing speeds, and only goes up to 256GB in capacity. However, given that it’s capable of doing all of these while maintaining such a small footprint (29.94 x 16.6 x 8.44 mm) is amazing. It’s no wonder why this became the official media gift for COMPUTEX 2023.
Kingston XS2000 With Its Own Dock

Now, the Kingston XS2000 isn’t new by any means as we’ve seen this before since 2021. It’s a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 portable SSD with read and write speeds of up to 2000MB/s. It’s high speed with an even higher storage capacity of up to 4TB, but that’s not the best part.
With the dock, otherwise known as the Kingston Workflow Station, you can insert up to four of these XS2000s, giving you a potential maximum capacity of 16TB. This isn’t even including the card reader portion, which amps up its versatility as it gives you more ways of transferring data across while still maintaining good USB 3.2 speeds.
Kingston Ironkey Keypad 200

Now for those who prioritize more on security, the Kingston Ironkey Keypad 200 is here. For starters, it meets the FIP 140-3 Level 3 military-grade security specifications. Combined together with XTS-AES 256-bit encryption, Brute Force and BadUSB attack protection given the digitally-signed firmware, it makes the storage extremely difficult to tamper with. In case anyone tries to open it up to extract data directly, the circuit board is covered in tough epoxy, so any attempts to remove components will damage it.
Unsurprisingly, the keypad is used to ensure the drive remains locked but the best part here is it doesn’t require any software for it to work given the rechargeable battery inside. Users can even set up multiple PINs for multiple users, with the Admin PIN being the most important as it can be used to restore / remove user PINs, especially in the event of login attempts being exhausted.
Kingston DC600M

Lastly, we have the Kingston DC600M, a series of high-endurance SSDs designed for data centers. This series offers storage capacities up to 7.68TB and is built to deliver robust performance and reliability. Featuring hardware-based power loss protection, it ensures data integrity during unexpected power outages. The DC600M series boasts an impressive write endurance of over 14,000 TBW (Terabytes Written), ensuring durability and longevity.
Key features of the DC600M series include a SATA 3.0 interface, a 2.5-inch form factor with a thickness of 7mm, and capacities ranging from 480GB to 7.68TB. It adopts high-quality 3D TLC NAND for mixed workloads, provides hardware-based power loss protection with dedicated capacitors, and includes an enterprise-class SMART function for monitoring product life and temperature. The series also offers AES 256-bit encryption for enhanced security.
In terms of performance, the DC600M series delivers impressive sequential read speeds of up to 560MB/s, sequential write speeds of up to 530MB/s, and random read/write speeds of up to 94,000 IOPS and 78,000 IOPS, respectively. It has a read latency ranging from 180 to 240 μs and write latency ranging from 110 to 300 μs. The series ensures reliability with write endurance ranging from 876 TBW to 14,016 TBW, a Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) of 2 million hours, and a 5-year product warranty.
For more details on COMPUTEX 2023 happenings, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
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Xbox Series X GPU is More Powerful Than the RTX 2080 SUPER

We’ve known quite a bit about the upcoming next-gen Xbox Series X console by Microsoft. We know how it looks and some of the parts that make up the console. However, the newest detail may just blow your mind as it shows how powerful the GPU is.
Xbox head honcho Phil Spencer recently made a blog post detailing some of the technical details of the Xbox Series X. This of course includes the AMD Zen2 CPU and RNDA 2 GPU architecture. It is said to be twice as powerful as the Xbox One X, with the GPU capable of delivering up to 12 teraflops of performance. Furthermore, it has variable-rate shading and hardware-accelerated DirectX ray-tracing.

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Xbox Series X GPU VS GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER
In comparison, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is capable of 11.3 teraflops. This makes the Xbox Series X GPU fall between the RTX 2080 SUPER and RTX 2080 Ti, with the latter standing at 13.45 teraflops. In other words, it’s going to be very powerful and with typical console optimizations, we might see the capabilities push beyond what we can imagine.
From what we have heard thus far, the PlayStation 5 is expected to have a weaker GPU, possibly 1 teraflop less than the Xbox Series X GPU. However, there’s no confirmation yet. If there’s a chance that it is true, there is also a good chance that the PS5 may be cheaper as rumours have suggested.
We’re approaching the end of February 2020 and as the year goes by, we expect to hear more on both next-gen consoles. Stay tuned to see how these beastly consoles might just turn out.
What do you think of the GPU in the console? Join the discussion below here:

Source: Knowtechie
Pokdepinion: It’s going to be powerful, but I want to know how Microsoft plans on taking advantage of that. Ultimately, the games library is going to be what moves the units, not the power it holds so it’s still hard to tell.
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Steam Has Removed Hundreds of Games on Their Platform

It appears that Valve has been removing quite a number of games on Steam as of late. First spotted by Reddit user thomasthe1st via madjoki’s Steam tracker, Valve is in the midst of some spring cleaning of games and projects that appear to be clogging up their digital marketplace’s space.
One notable ban is Bloodbath Kavkaz, which will just lead to the Steam homepage if you search it up on Google. There are hundreds of games that have been removed, with more coming as time passes by. It appears that the victims are mostly cheap, obscure indie projects in which details on the game are scarce.
Games have been removed on Steam before but it’s always been in small amounts. This is the first time we’ve seen a mass purge, which can be seen as alarming for some. However, it’s no surprise either given that Valve has been under increasing pressure to moderate the content / games on their platform. This appears to be a step towards that direction.

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Either way, Steam still has plenty of games to enjoy despite the removal. There will also be tons more coming your way sooner or later, like Half-Life: Alyx for example. The purge is unlikely to affect the major, popular games unless the developer / publisher removes it themselves.
Source: PCGamesN
Pokdepinion: The purge isn’t really a surprise as it happens from time to time. However, the sudden influx of removals can be surprising. I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
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