HUAWEI announces new MateBook X Pro with latest 10th Gen Intel Core processors

HUAWEI has been gradually expanding their horizons beyond smartphones with their lineup of products which complement their smartphones, and they have just announced the new HUAWEI MateBook series. Leading the charge is the flagship HUAWEI MateBook X Pro, which is their top of the line ultraportable laptop.
HUAWEI MateBook X Pro
HUAWEI used machined aluminium for the entire chassis of the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro, thus allowing them to deliver a laptop that’s thin and light without compromising the rigidity of the laptop. In this compact design, the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro packs a 13.9″ 3K 3:2 LTPS display which offers an impressive 91% screen-to-body ratio, while also supporting touch input.

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Under the hood lies the Intel Core i7-10510U and GeForce MX250 graphics for exceptional performance in its class. Last but not least, HUAWEI packed a quad speaker system into the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro to deliver an impressive audio experience unlike other laptops in this segment.
HUAWEI MateBook X Pro Specs

Intel Core i7-10510U, 4C/8T up to 4.9 GHz, 15W TDP, 14nm
NVIDIA GeForce MX250 2GB GDDR5
16GB LPDDR3-2133 RAM
1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD
13.9″ 3K (3000 x 2000) 3:2 LTPS display, 91% screen-to-body ratio
56 WHr battery, 65W power adapter
304 x 217 x 14.6 mm
1.33 kg
RM7999

For early birds, the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro will also come with exclusive freebies including the HUAWEI Sound X, HUAWEI Bluetooth Mouse, HUAWEI Backpack and HUAWEI Band 4. Availability will commence from 16th May for the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro in Space Grey, with the Emerald Green option to be offered at a later date.

You can check out our first impressions of the Emerald Green HUAWEI MateBook X Pro above.
HUAWEI MateBook 13
The HUAWEI MateBook 13 takes most of the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro’s hardware and distills it to fit into an even more compact form factor. With options ranging from AMD Ryzen 5 3500U processors all the way up to the Intel Core i7-10510U, the HUAWEI MateBook 13 promises to be a lot easier on your wallet.

You get the same 3:2 aspect ratio and all-aluminium build as the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro, although the HUAWEI MateBook 13 sports a slightly smaller 13″ display that offers a 2K resolution and a whopping 88% screen-to-body ratio. The battery is also quite a bit smaller at 41.7 WHr. You can check out the various configurations available in Malaysia below:
HUAWEI MateBook 13 Specs

CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, 4C/8T @ up to 3.7 GHz, 15W TDP, 12nm
Intel Core i5-10210U, 4C/8T @ up to 4.2 GHz, 15W TDP, 14nm
Intel Core i7-10510U, 4C/8T @ up to 4.9 GHz, 15W TDP, 14nm

Graphics
Radeon Vega 8 Graphics, 8 CU @ 1200 MHz
Intel UHD Graphics 620 @ up to 1.1 GHz
NVIDIA GeForce MX250 2GB GDDR5
Intel UHD Graphics 620 @ up to 1.15 GHz
NVIDIA GeForce MX250 2GB GDDR5

RAM
16GB DDR4-2400
16GB LPDDR3-2133

Storage
512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD

Display
13″ 2K (2160 x 1440) IPS display, 88% screen-to-body ratio

Battery
41.8 WHr
65W power adapter
41.7 WHr
65W power adapter

Dimensions
286 x 211 x 14.9 mm

Weight
1.31 kg
1.3 kg

Price
RM3499
RM4499
RM4999

All three flavors of the HUAWEI MateBook 13 come in Space Grey, and will come with a bundle of free gifts including a HUAWEI Bluetooth Mouse, a HUAWEI Backpack and a HUAWEI Band 4.
HUAWEI MateBook D 14 and D 15

Meanwhile for those who want an even more affordable option, you can check out the HUAWEI MateBook D 14 and MateBook D 15 laptops. Both of them are powered by the 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Mobile Processors and feature equally attractive price tags. I mean, both of them are literally priced the same at RM2899.
HUAWEI MateBook D Series Specs

HUAWEI MateBook D 14
HUAWEI MateBook D 15

CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, 4C/8T @ up to 3.7 GHz, 15W TDP, 12nm
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U, 4C/8T @ up to 4.0 GHz, 15W TDP, 12nm

Graphics
Radeon Vega 8 Graphics, 8 CU @ 1200 MHz
Radeon Vega 10 Graphics, 10 CU @ 1400 MHz

RAM
8GB DDR4-2400
8GB DDR4-2400

Storage
512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD

Display
14″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS display, 84% screen-to-body ratio
15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS display, 87% screen-to-body ratio

Battery
56 WHr battery
42 WHr battery

Dimensions
322.5 x 214.8 x 15.9 mm
357.8 x 229.9 x 16.9 mm

Weight
1.38 kg
1.53 kg

Price
RM2899
RM2899

The HUAWEI MateBook D Series will also come with the same set of freebies that will accompany the HUAWEI MateBook 13, which consist of the HUAWEI Bluetooth Mouse, HUAWEI Backpack and HUAWEI Band 4.
All of the new HUAWEI MateBook laptops will be available starting 16th May, so don’t forget to check out HUAWEI’s official online store to get your hands on one of them!
Pokdepinion: I honestly wonder why aren’t the AMD variants offering the latest AMD Ryzen 4000 processors instead…
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Sony Expands Full-Frame Mirrorless Line Up – Introducing The New a7 III

Sony has unveiled of their latest addition to the full-frame mirrorless family with the introduction of a7 III which features the latest imaging capabilities into a compact package.
Sony a7 III
The new a7 III feature a newly developed Full-frame 24.2MP1 Back-Illuminated Exmor R CMOS Image Sensor with Evolved Image Processing, giving better sensitivity, resolution, and 15 stops of dynamic range at low sensitivities. The new full-frame model can also output 14 bit RAW format10 even in silent and continuous shooting modes.
With an updated BIONZ X processing engine, it is 1.8x faster compared to the previous a7 II. In addition of 4D FOCUS capabilities, it has 425 contrast AF points that work with a 693-point focal-plane phase detection AF system, which is inherited from the a9 model.

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Sony a7 III with SEL2870
Besides that, their Eye AF feature is also available in the new camera, even in AF-C mode, which is helpful in situations where the subject is turning around, looking down, or in other words, obstructed. The high speed mode is available with a mechanical shutter or a completely silent shooting, adding to the flexibility of the camera. The camera can shoot continuously at up to 8 fps in live view mode in the viewfinder or LCD screen.
SEL2870
It also features ‘My Menu’ functionality which allow you up 30 menu items to be registered for instant recall, when needed. Protection wise, the camera is both dust and moisture resistant, although they did mentioned that it is not guaranteed to be 100% fully resistant.
The new camera also comes with Sony’s new software suite called ‘Imaging Edge’, The software provides three PC applications called ‘Remote’, ‘Viewer’, and ‘Edit’, which is available to download for free. These apps can help on live-view PC remote shooting as well as RAW development.
Sony has said that the new a7 III and the SEL2870 lens will be available in Malaysia in April 2018.
Pokdepinion: Seems compact and convenient enough to bring around. What do you think of the a7 III? Will you be getting it?

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ASUS showcased some cool stuff at ServerDNA 3.0! Even showcased their latest ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2080 Ti!

ServerDNA 3.0 saw many exhibitors from all the major tech brands, and one of them was ASUS. ASUS did a great showcase this year, with a slew of new hardware such as the MasterBox MB500 TUF Gaming Edition as well as their peripheral lineup. They also setup a HTC Vive corner.

The rigs obviously feature ASUS hardware, and they look awesome. Watercooling pipes run near so cleanly across the rigs, ensuring that whatever CPU is under the waterblocks stay cool, and in style. Their latest lineup of ASUS ROG, Cerberus and even TUF Gaming peripherals were showcased too.

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Their latest ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2080 Ti card was also showcased, but to be honest the difference in design from the older ROG Strix GTX 10-series cards was a lot milder than you would expect from the press renders. Performance should have been amazing, and ASUS used Shadow of the Tomb Raider as the demo. Needless to say, the game played fluidly without any issues. The ROG G703 managed to handle it without breaking sweat, so the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti probably wasn’t even stretching its legs here.
The older card still looks amazing even with its successor out!
They even brought out their rig built in an In Win Winbot case. We think that the case would have looked perfect if modded to resemble a Poke-ball, but who are we to talk about modding when there were literally dozens of amazing mods showcased at ServerDNA 3.0?
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The MasterBox MB500 TUF Gaming Edition was a cool showpiece too. Despite the fact that it did not feature the painstakingly built watercooling loops, the entire system felt cohesive. The case definitely fit in with the theme of the motherboard, which goes a sort of a military-inspired look. And who says you can’t look badass in pink?

A rig was also dedicated for a VR experiential zone, but sadly the VR experiential zone did not get activated until later in the event because of the crowd. It would have been quite inconvenient apologizing to the throng of visitors to the ASUS booth because you hit them with a HTC Vive controller. Beat Saber is an amazing game though, and I am actually considering buying a mixed-reality headset to play it.
Last but not least, they also held mini-games, with a lucky draw at the end of all the games. I got a ROG mug! No pictures, so you will have to imagine a mug, with a ROG logo.
Pokdepinion: Every exhibitor at ServerDNA 3.0 was great, but we felt ASUS stood out with their sheer number of items on showcase. As well as the fact that you can play with almost everything showcased was definitely worth highlighting!
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ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED (M7600) Review — a wallet-friendly content creator laptop?

Along with the ASUS ProArt Studiobook OLED series, ASUS also announced the ASUS Vivobook Pro lineup. The ASUS’ Vivobook series are trendy, mainstream laptops, and with the Vivobook Pro series, ASUS seems to want to serve budding content creators, who might have much smaller budgets than the pros they are targeting with the ProArt Studiobook OLED series. Well, let’s see if the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED (M7600) here ticks all the right boxes as a more wallet-friendly content creation workhorse.
Unboxing

In the rather flashy packaging that says “WOW THE WORLD” in bold text across the top, we only get the basics: a 120W power adapter, some documentation and a cool set of stickers. One unfortunate thing is that ASUS didn’t go with USB-PD, and instead we have a standard barrel charging connector. Oh well.

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Appearance

The unit we have here is finished in a fancily named 0° Black, which looks pretty much like a standard sandblasted black finish. I do appreciate the raised label though, which sets the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED (M7600) apart from most of the laptops out there. Interestingly enough, ASUS has dropped their renowned ErgoLift hinge that raises the bottom of the laptop. Does it really matter? Well, let’s keep that for later.

The underside of the laptop features a few angular cuts along the sides for a more dynamic look, although I do feel like it will most probably be overlooked by most users. One thing that probably won’t be overlooked is the long rubber feet at the top, that will not only raise the laptop when you are using it, but also provide some additional grip if you are carrying it around. Nice touch there. And of course, I also like the generous vents, as they feed the fans directly.

Opening up the laptop, we are greeted by a pretty standard-looking layout. A nice keyboard with contrast modifiers and a numpad, as well as a taller 16:10 display that minimizes the bezels around the display. Overall, a pretty standard looking laptop. But there’s definitely more than meets the eye here. Remember the ASUS Dial? Well… Keep that in mind, for now.
ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED (M7600) Specifications

CPU
AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, 8C/16T @ 3.3GHz (Boost up to 4.6GHz), 45W+ TDP, 7nm

RAM
16GB DDR4-3200 (on-board, dual-channel)

Graphics
AMD Radeon Graphics, 8CU @ up to 2.1GHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU 4GB GDRR6, 35W TGP (50W with Dynamic Boost)

Storage
512GB SK Hynix HFM512GD3JX013N SSD M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD

Software
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
NVIDIA Studio Driver 472.47
ProArt Creator Hub
MyASUS
Microsoft Office Home & Student 2019 (included)
Adobe Creative Cloud (3-month subscription free)
McAfee Personal Security

Connectivity
Wireless
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (WiFi 6 + Bluetooth 5.2)
Wired
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-C), 5Gbps
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A), 5Gbps
2 x USB 2.0
1 x microSD card reader
1 x 3.5mm audio jack

Display
16″ WQUXGA (3840 x 2400) 16:10 OLED display (Samsung SDC415D)
550 nits, 100% DCI-P3, Pantone Validated, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500
1 x HDMI 1.4

Audio
Stereo speakers, tuned by harman/kardon
Array microphone, Alexa, Cortana voice-recognition support
AI Noise-Cancelling Mic + AI Noise-Cancelling Speaker

Power
96WHrs 6-cell Li-ion battery
120W power adapter

Dimensions
360.5 x 259 x 18.9 mm

Weight
1.95kg

Performance

The storage solution that ASUS equipped the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED with is definitely a strong performer. Its sequential read speeds are right up at the limit of what the PCIe 3.0 x4 interface is capable of, and while write speeds are significantly slower, the quick read speeds are what will let you load your apps faster, which is arguably more important to most people for a snappy user experience.

Continuing on that positive note, the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED’s CPU outperforms all its AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX peers, coming out on top of the stack. The only laptop we have tested that’s faster than the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED (M7600) in Cinebench is the ROG Zephyrus M16, which packs an Core i9-11900H.

And that’s about as far as the good news go. Due to a rather anemic GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU that only has a power budget of 50W, this is slower than even last-gen GeForce RTX 2060 and GeForce GTX 1660 Ti laptops. Definitely not something I can recommend if gaming is your primary usage scenario.

3DMark Time Spy puts it in a similar position. Here, it is actually lower down in the charts than the venerable ROG Strix SCAR II which packs a GeForce GTX 1070 that I still use to handle our weekly PokdeLIVE!

The ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED (M7600) is currently the slowest laptop we have tested with 3DMark Port Royal, which indicates that while you might be able to get away with some gaming, raytracing is not really an option you should consider unless you particularly enjoy looking at slideshows.

After the horrendous graphics benchmarks, let’s take a look at PCMark 10 which tests other usage scenarios. It seems to perform quite well in all aspects, with the exception being the digital content creation section. I believe this is due to the limited performance from the GPU when it comes to handling the parts that involve OpenCL and raytracing. In apps that can take advantage of NVENC and CUDA processing, like most of the Adobe suite, it should perform better.
Battery Life

What it lacks in performance, it definitely makes up with its battery life. The ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED ended up outperforming most of the laptops we have tested, charting a nice 11 hours and 10 minutes in the PCMark battery life benchmark. It does have the largest battery in the stack, but that still doesn’t take away from the fact that it offers more than double the battery life of my favorite laptop, the ROG Zephyrus G14, with its battery that’s less than 26% larger.
Cooling

While I will admit that the dual-fan, dual-heatpipe cooling system of the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED (M7600) doesn’t really give me much confidence, it seems that it is perfectly adequate to tame the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti here.
Over a 15-minute Realbench stress test, the highest CPU and GPU temperatures recorded was just 86.1°C and 71.7°C, respectively. CPU clocks averaged 3.28GHz with an average power draw of 48.2W. Peak CPU power draw was a tad lower than what we have seen in other laptops, at just 64.825W, but peak CPU clocks are still very respectable at 4.46GHz. Meanwhile the GPU chugged along at 1268.6MHz on average, with an average power draw of 34.79W.
I guess this is a lesson to never judge a book by its cover. Despite its suboptimal dual-heatpipe design and exhausts along its hinge, the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED (M7600) does a great job handling the thermal output of its components. I guess ASUS really managed make something great with the IceCool Plus cooling system.

With the bottom cover off, we can see that the fans and heatpipes are asymmetrical. The larger fan cools the heatsink connected to the larger heatpipe, while the smaller fan blows air through the smaller heatsink on the end of the smaller heatpipe. The CPU and GPU share both heatpipes, so the cooling afforded to both chips is the same.
One thing that you might notice is that the VRM feeding the CPU and GPU aren’t covered by the heatspreaders, so I do recommend using the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED with a laptop cooler if you are going to put it under heavy loads for extended periods. Aside from that, you can probably see that that there is no room for upgrades. The only thing that you can replace are the M.2 SSD and the WiFi adapter.
User Experience

As part of the “Pro” family, the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED (M7600) also gets a physical privacy shutter over its webcam. It definitely helps for those who are particularly concerned about their privacy and security. There’s no IR facial recognition here though, so you will have to rely on the fingerprint scanner that’s embedded in the power button. Personally, I do prefer fingerprint scanners over facial recognition systems, so this is great.
Display and Audio

The ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED (M7600) shares its 16″ 16:10 OLED panel sourced from Samsung with the much pricier ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED which we checked out recently. As such, it is also delivers the exceptional colors and accuracy that the ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED brought to the table. It is slightly less accurate with the average Delta E at 1.99, but it is still very good. Color gamut coverage is also amazing.
          sRGB: 100% coverage, 167.1% volume            Adobe RGB: 98.2% coverage, 115.1% volume            DCI-P3: 95.5% coverage, 118.4% volume
Going into the specifics, the gamut coverage figures are at 100% sRGB, 98.2% Adobe RGB and 95.5% DCI-P3. This puts the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED (M7600) right up there with some of the priciest content creator-oriented displays we have seen. It does seem to offer an ever so slightly lower gamut volume than what we saw with the ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED, so I am not exactly sure if there was some binning going on behind the scenes, but it is still an exceptional laptop display. The only thing that I can complain is that it is glossy, which can make it difficult to use in bright environments like a coffee shop.

On the audio end, I would definitely recommend any content creator to use headphones to gauge the sound of your content. Bass is evidently missing, and the sound seems to have an overly-stressed representation of the higher frequencies, resulting in a very clear sound that can be a touch sibilant at times. I do find this to be great for watching YouTube talk shows, but definitely not for movies. I guess I am grateful that there’s a headphone jack here.
Keyboard and Trackpad

I will start this off by saying that I really love the aesthetics of this keyboard. The contrast modifiers look amazing. The feel of typing on this keyboard is pretty decent, and the spacing between the keys is pretty standard, allowing me to type at my usual rate without spending any time acclimatizing to it. There’s also a PrtSc key and a numpad, which makes me very happy, although I rarely use the latter. For those of you who do a lot of number entry, this is a much better option for you than many of ASUS’ prior offerings which peculiarly decided to lose the numpad despite having a pretty similar footprint.

Now the trackpad. The trackpad itself is also a very nice size, with sufficient accuracy for daily use. But that’s not what’s interesting about this trackpad here. Remember we talked about the ASUS Dial on the ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED? Well, this is a simplification of it. ASUS baked it into the trackpad of the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED (M7600), and aptly named it the ASUS DialPad. The DialPad is indicated by the illuminated circle you can see in the left half of the trackpad. The tiny icon in the upper right corner is what toggles it on or off, and I would say it works relatively well.
ASUS DialPad

It might not look that visible in photos, but the illumination is quite distinct in real life. In a way, I actually prefer the ASUS DialPad over the ASUS Dial, as it involves less physical hardware taking up the limited space in a laptop’s chassis. however it does suffer from a lack of tactility, unlike what the ASUS Dial offers. I think ASUS could probably improve this by adding a vibration motor under the trackpad for haptic feedback to indicate each notch.

On top of that, the smooth surface of the trackpad makes it quite hard to trace a perfect circle around the active area of the ASUS DialPad, resulting in occasional skips as my finger runs off the track. I think this might be due to the fact that I am not exactly used to it, but even with that slight disadvantage, it still improved my experience in content creation apps, where all the little dials aren’t exactly convenient to play around with when you are just using a trackpad.

Interestingly enough we have the ProArt Creator Hub here for customization of the ASUS DialPad. Why do we not have a Vivo Creator Hub? With that said, I am sure glad that ASUS didn’t fragmentize their software suites, and the ProArt Creator Hub gives you everything you need to customize your controls in the Adobe suite, befitting of the “Pro” moniker of the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED.
Connectivity

Connectivity on the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED (M7600) is somewhat of a mixed bag. On one hand, we have the relatively recent Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 adapter here, which is actually better than the one we have in the ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED that we reviewed recently. The physical I/O is much less exciting, with just two USB 3.0 ports, one USB-C and one USB-A. The USB-C port also doesn’t support USB-PD and DisplayPort Alt Mode, the former which is a major bummer for this relatively portable machine. The standard HDMI port and 3.5mm jack are welcome, as is the microSD card slot. I do think a full-sized SD card slot would have been better though…

On the left flank we have two USB 2.0 ports, which might sound quite outdated in 2021, but are actually pretty decent additions to the ports on the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED. They are great for plugging in a mice or keyboard to enhance your experience, as well as your regular USB 2.0 thumb drives. There are also two status LEDs here, which to be entirely honest is a very peculiar position as I don’t think anyone actually looks at the side of their laptops.
ProArt Creator Hub

We have the same ProArt Creator Hub here, which is a pretty neat system management suite. I do like the monitoring, fan profiles and the aforementioned ASUS DialPad customizations all in one app. The one thing I don’t quite get is the fact that we have an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, but no overclocking controls here. I guess ASUS really thinks that creators prefer not to overclock and instead just run them at stock for stability?

We also have the ability to perform color calibration from ProArt Creator Hub, but once again, there’s only support for the i1Display color calibrators, and not the Datacolor Spyder5. The difference between the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED (M7600) and the ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED is that the latter has a color calibration report saved here, while the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED doesn’t.

On top of that, you also have MyASUS, which gives you other settings like battery charging limit, ASUS Splendid display color profiles, OLED care options as well as the AI Noise Cancellation features. Another rather cool feature is the Link to MyASUS, that lets you control your smartphone from your PC, transfer files and also use your smartphone as a webcam. Not like you would really need that, since the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED does have a webcam already, but I guess if you want to have additional camera angles in your video calls, this might come in handy.
Conclusion
The ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED is a serious laptop for serious content creators, and I would say that the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED (M7600) is an equally interesting laptop for creators whose pockets aren’t as deep. For RM6499, you get the ASUS DialPad, a rather unique feature allowing for more finetuned control of the dials and sliders in the Adobe suite. The sweet 16:10 4K OLED display is also great, with close to 100% DCI-P3 gamut coverage right out of the box.
One of the things that I foresee getting in the way of more serious content creators is the fact that there you can’t upgrade your memory. As you expand your workflow to incorporate more apps, you will quickly find the soldered 16GB RAM in the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED to be insufficient. The lackluster performance of the GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU might diminish its appeal to students too, who might be interested to use this as an all-purpose laptop for some gaming on the side.
The fact that you only have a microSD card slot and USB 3.0 ports is also quite irksome when it comes to I/O. You can’t plug in a fast USB 3.2 Gen 2 drive to transfer files to and fro at 10Gbps, and instead have to settle for USB 3.2 Gen 1’s 5Gbps. Using a camera for your photos and videos? Well, whip out that card reader, or go get a microSD card and use an adapter for your camera. Small annoyances, but I would say that they can really drive you mad if you are rushing to push out your content ASAP.

If you don’t think that the above drawbacks impact your workflow, well this might just be the laptop for you. As it is, the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED (M7600) is great for casual content creation, and you don’t have to worry about your friends asking about a weird knob on your laptop. With it being relatively portable at 1.95kg, the latter might be pretty important, as you might be inclined to bring the laptop out with you a lot. And did I mention the raised logo, which definitely sets it apart from the other laptops in the market?

Our thanks to ASUS Malaysia for sending us the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED (M7600) for review.
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Dell G5 15 5500 Gaming Laptop Will Be Launched in Malaysia

When it comes to gaming, you might know Dell for their Alienware line of products. However, there is the more affordable, bang-for-your-buck lineup with Dell Gaming. It has been announced that the Dell G5 15 5500 gaming laptop will indeed be coming to Malaysia.
The Dell G5 15 5500 gaming laptop is powered by the 10th Gen Intel CPU, up to i7-10750H and NVIDIA GeForce graphics, up to RTX 2070 Max-Q. For competitive gamers, you can choose between 144Hz or 300Hz refresh rate display with Full HD resolution.

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As for memory, you can have up to 1TB of speedy SSD storage which can also be paired with either a 1TB 5400RPM HDD or 32GB Intel Optane memory, and up to 16GB DDR4 2933 MHz RAM, with the maximum RAM capacity it can be upgraded to being 32GB.

Interestingly, the keyboard is spill-resistant, and you can also have a 4-zone RGB keyboard for that added bling factor. There is a healthy array of ports and it is still rather portable, measuring in at 2.34kg in weight and 21.6mm in thickness. Keep in mind that the stronger variants are a little thicker.
For a detailed breakdown of the Dell G5 15 5500 specs, check it out right below here:

Dell G5 15 5500 Specs

CPU
Intel Core i5-10300H (4C / 8T @ up to 4.5 GHz), 8M Cache, 45W TDP, 14nm
Intel Core i7-10750H (6C / 12T @ up to 5 GHz), 12M Cache, 45W TDP, 14nm

RAM
8 / 16GB 2933 MHz DDR4, up to 32GB

GPU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB GDDR6
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q 8GB GDDR6

Storage
128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD (Class 35 / 40)
Dual storage option includes either 1TB 5400RPM HDD or 32GB Optane Memory

Display
15.6″ FHD (1920 X 1080) 60Hz / 144Hz / 300Hz IPS Anti-glare display with 300 nits brightness

Keyboard
Spill-resistant keyboard with numeric keypad with either no backlight, one backlight, or 4-zone RGB

Connectivity
Wireless:
802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi (Dual Band 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz)
Intel AX201 / KILLER Wireless 1650 2×2 AC
Bluetooth 4.1 / 5.0
I/O:
1 x SuperSpeed USB 3/2 Gen1
2 x SuperSpeed USB 2.0
1 x RJ45 LAN (either 1×1 Gigabit Ethernet or 2×2 Gigabit Ethernet with KILLER Ethernet E2500V2)
1 x HDMI 2.0
1 x USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode (GTX 1650 Ti model only)
1 x Thunderbolt 3 (GTX 1660 Ti model and above)
1 x miniDisplayPort (GTX 1660 Ti model and above)
1 x Wedge lock slot
1 x SD card reader
1 x Proprietary Charging Port

Audio
2 x Tuned speakers with Nahimic 3D Audio
1 x Combo Audio Jack
Dual Array Digital Microphones

Power
51 Wh, 3-cell Battery (integrated)
68 Wh, 4-cell Battery (integrated)

Dimensions
GTX 1650 Ti model = 365.5 x 254 x 21.6 mm (W x D x H)
GTX 1660 Ti and above = 365.5 x 254 x 24.5 (W x D x H)

Weight
2.34 kg

The Dell G5 15 5500 gaming laptop will be available in Malaysia starting 26th May 2020. It will be retailing from RM4,499 onwards.
If you’re looking for something more productivity-driven, check out the new Dell XPS 15 2020, which is also coming to Malaysia, by clicking right here.
Pokdepinion: Given the price, what you’re getting seems pretty solid. Can’t wait to find out how well it performs myself.
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GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U Review – Gigantic 4K OLED 120Hz Gaming Monitor

Unboxing the GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U
GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U Review – Box

The 48″ GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U monitor comes in a large box. Inside the box, you’re expected to find the following items:
GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U Review – Box content

DisplayPort cable
HDMI cable
USB Type-B cable
Power cable
2 x Monitor stand
Screws for wall mount bracket
User guide
Warranty card
The GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U monitor itself

Appearance
GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U Review – Front
The GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U is a 48-inch OLED gaming monitor, making it the largest monitor we’ve reviewed thus far, right above the Acer Predator CG437K P. Looking at the front, you have thin bezels on all four sides, the AORUS logo on the bottom bezel, and an LED indicator below it. If you look at it from below, you can also find the navigation stick which also doubles as the power button.
GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U Review – Stands are not pre-installed
The stand isn’t pre-installed so you will have to install it yourself. It’s just two pieces of metal that you have to attach on the left and right side using screws and a standard Philips screwdriver. The overall process is simple, and I recommend placing it flat on a soft surface for maximum convenience.

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GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U Review – Rear
Switching over to the rear, you have the AORUS logo taking center stage sandwiched between some silvery streaks for that added design flair. In case you’re wondering, there is no RGB lighting whatsoever here, not even on the logo.
GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U Review – Ports
If you’re looking for the ports, they can be found on the side of the monitor. It’s a good thing that the included power cable is angled so you don’t have the wire standing out unnecessarily. For the ports, you can find two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, one USB-C port, two USB-A ports, one USB-B port, and an audio line-out.
Overall, the GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U gaming monitor has a rather clean appearance that looks more like a modern 4K UHD TV. If you plan on having a multi-monitor setup with this, it should be relatively easy to make it seamless given the thin bezels. Personally, it would be nice the included stand could make it a little taller but I wouldn’t say it’s a bad thing as it’s subjective and dependent on how you want your setup to look like.
Specifications

Panel Size
47.53″

Panel Type
OLED

True Resolution
3840 x 2160 (4K UHD)

Display Viewing Area(HxV)
1052.16 x 591.84 mm

Display Surface
Anti-reflection

Pixel Pitch
0.274 (H) x 0.274 (V) mm

Brightness
135cd/m2 (typical)

Contrast Ratio
135000:1

Viewing Angle (CR≧10)
178°(H)/178°(V)

Response Time
1 ms (GTG)

Display Colors
10 bits

Color gamut
98% DCI-P3
130% sRGB

HDR (High Dynamic Range) Support
VESA DisplayHDR 1000

Maximum Refresh Rate
120Hz

Low Blue Light
Yes

HDCP support
Yes

Viewing modes
Standard, Arcade, FPS, RTS/RPG, Movie, Reader, sRGB, Custom, Green

Adaptive refresh rate
Yes, AMD FreeSync Premium

Signal Input
1 x DisplayPort
2 x HDMI 2.1
1 x USB-C (DisplayPort 1.4 mode)
2 x USB 3.0 Type-A
1 x USB Type-B (Upstream)
1 x Audio line-out

Earphone jack
Yes

Power Consumption
325W (Max)

Chassis Color
Black

Stand adjustments
No

VESA Wall Mounting
300 x 300 mm

Weight
15kg

Performance
The brightness of the display when measured at 100% brightness in Standard mode was 318.8cd/m2, and it seems that the monitor was running at 50% brightness by default, which measures in at 196.2cd/m2. We conducted this test in the Standard mode, as it’s the one that doesn’t have any extras enabled by default.
Starting off with the screen uniformity test, the GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U performed pretty well. Out of 9 areas with the center as point of reference, 6 of them achieved recommended tolerance while the remaining pass with nominal tolerance. In simpler terms, this means that brightness is pretty much uniformed across all areas of the screen.
Color Accuracy

Standard
Standard mode, calibration with DisplayCAL

Whitepoint
6800K
6900K

Average ΔE*00
5.11
2.35

Maximum ΔE*00
12.73
5.33

By default, the GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U doesn’t seem to have good colour accuracy, given the high Delta-E figures for both average and maximum. After calibrating it using Spyder5 and DisplayCAL, both the average and maximum Delta E figures see a significant improvement but it’s still good enough. I did try it several times over and again but the results were about the same. This would mean that while the colours are still within acceptable levels, it’s not a good monitor for usage that depends on accurate colour representation.
Gamut

Gamut
Standard
Standard mode, calibration with DisplayCAL

sRGB
Coverage
100%
100%

Volume
156%
189.7%

Adobe RGB
Coverage
84.6%
87.4%

Volume
107.5%
130.7%

DCI-P3
Coverage
96.7%
96.8%

Volume
110.5%
134.3%

For the gamut coverage and volume, there does seem to be quite a bit of improvement after calibration. Overall with 100% sRGB, 87.4% Adobe RGB, and 96.8% DCI-P3, the range of colours it can show is very wide. The only issue stopping it from being used for professional work is the accuracy of the colours being displayed.
Looking for a solid gaming laptop to pair this monitor with? Check out our review of the GIGABYTE AORUS 15G XC by clicking right here.

User Experience
GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U Review – Power button
The GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U is designed for gaming, but it’s definitely geared towards immersion and enjoyment rather than competitive gaming. You get a large 48-inch widescreen display with 120Hz refresh rate and VESA DisplayHDR 1000 support. The best part about this is that it uses an OLED panel so you get an insane contrast ratio with the truest blacks for that added immersive factor. For adaptive sync, you can make use of AMD FreeSync Premium.
GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U Review – Ports
For ports, you have one DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.1 ports, an audio line-out, two USB Type-A ports, one USB Type-C port, and one USB Type-B port. The ports are adequate but what I’m most happy about is the shift towards HDMI 2.1. Not only does it mean that this monitor will be perfect for next gen gaming consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X, the improved bandwidth from 18Gbps to 48Gbps means it can support 4K 120Hz and 8K 60Hz natively. You can use the USB ports for charging, and it does so decently, which is a solid plus point.

On the bottom of the monitor, right below the AORUS logo, you have the power button / navigational stick hybrid. You can use it to navigate through the monitor’s OSD, and it’s more than enough but if you need more controls, it does come with a remote control. The OSD itself is pretty straightforward to use and I had no trouble switching to different viewing modes or manually adjusting it to my liking. But there is one issue I have with this monitor, and it seems like there is no way to disable it via the OSD.
GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U Review – Error message
From time to time, a warning message pops up which states that the monitor needs to shut down for safety purposes. It takes half a minute to shut down, and then the monitor’s LED indicator light will blink continuously for anywhere between 5 to 10 minutes. At first, I suspected it was due to the use of OLED panel and to avoid burn-ins so it want you to let it rest for a short while. However, this message has popped when I’ve used it for less than an hour on a couple of occasions. It’s annoying and there’s no way to disable this safety feature.
GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U Review – Install the stands

With the GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U, what you see is what you get as you can’t tilt, swivel, or adjust the height. The stands aren’t pre-installed but it’s pretty easy to put on as it’s just two pieces of metal to screw on the bottom of the monitor. If you want, you can swap it out for a VESA mount as it supports the 300 x 300 mm mounting brackets, which should at least let you tilt it a bit.
GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U Review – Space Audio
One area that I was genuinely surprised by is the audio. In case you weren’t aware, the GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U has a built in 2.1 channel sound system consisting of their Space Audio feature, two 15W speakers, and one 20W subwoofer. It can get loud without any cracks in the sound, you get some clear and wholesome mids and highs, and the bass is pretty decent. Space Audio optimizes your listening experience and you can even pick from 4 different sound profiles to suit your taste. This is by far the best built-in speakers I’ve experienced in a gaming monitor thus far.

GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U Verdict
GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U Review
If you’re looking for a large monitor that’s suitable for next gen gaming, or need a TV replacement with most of the features that PC gamers have been enjoying thus far, the GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U is a solid choice. You get a large 48-inch OLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, AMD FreeSync Premium support, good array of ports, HDMI 2.1, lighter compared to most displays with similar sizes, the stand is solid and easy to install, remote control included, built-in speakers work spectacularly, VESA wall mount support, and VESA DisplayHDR 1000 support.
However, it’s not the perfect gaming monitor. It’s limited to just 120Hz refresh rate, colour accuracy may not be the best for creative professionals, lacks ability to tilt / swivel / adjust height, safety warning message can be annoying, the smaller 43-inch sibling may be the better buy, and it’s pricey. At RM6,399, I would expect at least 144Hz refresh rate but if your hardware can’t push frames that high, then 120Hz is perfectly fine.
At the end of our GIGABYTE AORUS FO48U review, I award this gaming monitor with our Silver Pokdeward.

Big thanks to GIGABYTE Malaysia for sending us this monitor for the purpose of this review.
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There’s no better time to join the PC Master Race — get started on your PCMR journey with MSI (Part 2)

Didn’t fancy the Intel-based gaming rigs we discussed in our earlier article? Well, let’s take a look at some builds featuring AMD-powered hardware from MSI. As you might have known, the latest AMD Ryzen 3000XT deliver higher frequencies and thus gaming performance than the original Ryzen 3000 series. They also promise better overclocking headroom, which you can easily take advantage of with these recommended MSI motherboards and cooling solutions.

Premium Build – around RM15 000
          MSI MEG X570 UNIFY            MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio 10G

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To get the most out of the highest-end AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT, you will need something like the MSI MEG X570 UNIFY with a beefy VRM and extensive feature set to help you take full advantage of the next-gen features like PCIe 4.0 that AMD brings to the table. Pairing it with a MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio ensures that you enjoy both the powerful CPU along with strong graphics performance to tackle all the AAA titles you are interested in.
          MPG SEKIRA 500R          MAG Coreliquid 360R            Optix MAG322CQR
The AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT may not be the hardest CPU to cool, but keeping the temperatures low does yield benefits as it will be able to boost higher and deliver better performance. Fore that, the MSI MAG Coreliquid 360R is up for the task. Crammed into the MSI MPG SEKIRA 500X, you have plenty of airflow to keep your components cool, and loads of room for upgrades down the line. Last but not least, get a MSI Optix MAG322CQR for a fluid 165Hz gaming experience at 1440p.
Premium Build Specs and Pricing

Model
Price
Where to Buy

Processor
AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT
RM2299

CPU Cooler
MSI MAG Coreliquid 360R
RM729
Lazada

Motherboard
MSI MEG X570 UNIFY
RM1350
Lazada

Memory
32GB (2 x 16GB) KLEVV CRAS XR DDR4-3600
RM729

Graphics
MSI RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio 10G
RM3750

Storage
2TB (1TB x 2) WD Blue SN550 PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD
RM1178

PSU
Cooler Master V850 Gold V2
RM579

Case
MSI MPG SEKIRA 500X
RM999
Lazada

Display
MSI Optix MAG322CQR, 32″ 1440p, 165Hz refresh rate, 1500R curvature
RM2249
Shopee

Total

RM13 862

Here’s the pros and cons of this build:

Pros
Cons

+ Type-C ports on rear I/O and case I/O
+ Dragon Center allows for easy monitoring of entire system
+ Mystic Light to sync GPU, case and CPU cooler lighting
+ 2.5G LAN and WiFi 6 for great connectivity, wired or wirelessly
– Motherboard is not as flashy as MSI’s other designs
– Not using PCIe 4.0 storage

Upper mid-range build – around RM10 000
          MSI MAG X570 TOMAHAWK            MAG Coreliquid 360R
If you have a slightly tighter budget, you can also check out this build featuring an AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT. With eight cores and sixteen processing threads, you have more than sufficient CPU horsepower to blaze through all the latest games. Paired up with the new MSI MAG X570 TOMAHAWK WiFi, this build arguably offers the best bang for buck as well. To make sure that  you can take full advantage of the CPU and motherboard’s overclocking capabilities, the MSI MAG Coreliquid 360R is recommended for this build.
          MSI Radeon RX 5700 XT Gaming            MSI MAG272CQR            MSI GUNGNIR 110R
The graphics is downgraded to the MSI Radeon RX 5700 XT Gaming that is AMD’s current top-of-the-line graphics card, but it still offers plenty of performance and features, with the only exception being the raytracing and AI-accelerated upscaling features that the GeForce RTX cards offer. While the graphics card will deliver awesome 1440p visuals to the MSI Optix MAG272CQR monitor, you can also gaze lovingly at the hardware with the full tempered glass side panel of the MSI MPG GUNGNIR 110R.
Upper mid-range build Specs and Pricing

Model
Price
Where to Buy

Processor
AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
RM1899

CPU Cooler
MSI MAG Coreliquid 360R
RM729
Lazada

Motherboard
MSI MAG X570 TOMAHAWK WiFi
RM999
Lazada

Memory
16GB (2 x 8GB) KLEVV CRAS XR DDR4-3600
RM399

Graphics
MSI Radeon RX 5700 XT Gaming
RM2139
Shopee

Storage
1TB WD Blue SN550 PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD
RM589

PSU
Cooler Master V750 Gold V2
RM519

Case
MSI MPG GUNGNIR 110R
RM449
Lazada

Display
MSI Optix MAG272CQR, 27″ 1440p, 165Hz refresh rate, 1500R curvature
RM1999
Shopee

Total

RM9721

Here’s what good and what’s not with this build:

Pros
Cons

+ Type-C ports on rear I/O and case I/O
+ Dragon Center allows for easy monitoring of entire system
+ Mystic Light to sync system lighting
+ 2.5G LAN and WiFi 6 for great connectivity, wired or wirelessly
– GPU misses out on some of the latest features in the market

Budget Build – less than RM6000
          MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK            MSI MAG Coreliquid 240R
Have an even tighter budget? Well, this build might just fit the bill. Featuring an AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT, you still have plenty of CPU horsepower to go around, and the MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK will help you squeeze even more performance out of your CPU. Cooled by the MSI MAG Coreliquid 240R, you will have all the thermal headroom you need to get the most out of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT.
          MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT MECH 8GB OC          MSI FORGE 100R            MSI G24C4
The case used will be the affordable MAG FORGE 100R, which sports ample airflow for the cooling, while also looking absolutely amazing. An AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT MECH 8G OC ensures that you have sufficient performance for a good gaming experience at 1080p, which is where the 144Hz MSI Optix G24C4 comes in.

Model
Price
Where to Buy

Processor
AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT
RM1199

CPU Cooler
MSI MAG Coreliquid 240R
RM549
Lazada

Motherboard
MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK
RM799
Lazada

Memory
16GB (2 x 8GB) KLEVV BOLT XR DDR4-3600
RM319

Graphics
MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT MECH 8GB OC
RM999
Lazada

Storage
1TB WD Blue SN550 PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD
RM589

PSU
Cooler Master MWE White 550
RM215

Case
MSI MPG FORGE 100R
RM259
Lazada

Display
MSI Optix G24C4, 24″ 1080p, 144Hz refresh rate, 1500R curvature
RM999
Shopee

Total

RM5927

Here’s a quick breakdown of this build:

Pros
Cons

+ Type-C ports on rear I/O
+ Dragon Center allows for easy monitoring of entire system
+ Mystic Light to sync system lighting
+ 2.5G LAN and WiFi 6 for great connectivity, wired or wirelessly
+ Pre-installed I/O shield is nice to have at this price point
– AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT doesn’t offer the best bang for buck like the Ryzen 5 3600

Let us know what you think of this builds, and what would you change in them!
This is an exclusive article for MSI Malaysia.
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HTC announces the U Ultra and U Play – Priced RM2999 and RM1899 respectively

HTC launched their all-new HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play in the Malaysian market today.Built to be personalised to the needs of the individual, the HTC U series of smartphones embodies its slogan “It’s all about U”, that puts the user first and is truly built for the Brilliant U. Both devices come complete with features that reflects, learns, puts U on top, listens, captures the very best of U and is set to take personalisation to another level.

“Everyone with a smartphone today leads vastly different lives and we each have our own individual needs that we consider most important. By pursuing our passion and the things that make us unique, we believe that is is when we are able to truly become brilliant. This believe has led us to rethink our approach to smartphone design by putting you, the brilliant U first above all. Our all new line of HTC U devices are designed to grow with you and develop a bond with you, to help realise the potential that comes from being different.” said Chia-Lin Chang, President of Smartphone and Connected Devices Business of HTC.

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The HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play introduce a new, beautiful 3D contoured liquid surface design that’s designed to reflect the best U. The curved glass construction reflects light beautifully in a unique way, ensuring that it creates a distinct look under any lighting. Colours from vapoured minerals are also layered in to add depth and brilliance, creating an additional shimmer resembling the surface of water. The backk of the device is also polished with the glass screen to create seamless and smooth edges, allowing it to nestle perfectly in any palms.

Learning from U
The HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play truly captures the spirit of individuality with the introduction of HTC’s revolutionary system called HTC Sense Companion, a personal Artificial Intelligent companion that is always learning from you through the power of machine learning. It has the ability to provide smart suggestions based on a user’s lifestyle and external information, redefining what it means to own a ‘smart’ phone. It recommends what you should wear for the day based on the weather or remind you to charge your device at optimal times to help you last the day and even recommend the perfect restaurant. Best of all, HTC Sense Companion is made to evolve with more interactions and will eventually come to know you just as a friend would.

Responds to U
Using its voice recognition system, the HTC U series is able to listen to your every command and allows the user to interact in the most natural way using their voice. Just say the word and you can unlock your smart device, take or reject incoming calls, snooze or dismiss an alarm, send messages and even begin hands-free navigation.
Putting U on Top

Get updates, not interrupted. The HTC U Ultra features an exclusive always-on second screen at the top of the device, ready to give you the latest updates right at you fingertips. The large 5.7″ phablet-sized screen on this device is great for regular day to day activity; while the new second screen is perfect for fast, convenient access to the things you use the most – like your top contacts, app shortcuts, event notifications and more, because what’s important to you should always be right on top.
Listening to U
Every person’s inner ear is uniquely different like a fingerprint and experiences sound differently. HTC’s all-new HTC USonic earphones adapt to your hearing pattern by analysing your inner ears with a sonic pulse to optimise the headset for you, giving your music the perfect clarity and impact. Similar to having a sound engineer in your device; now with the HTC USonic, you can hear the finer details you were missing before in your favourite tunes.
Capturing the Best of U

Being built for U also means putting you in the best light. With both devices, you can take brilliant selfies anytime anywhere by easily switching your front camera between the unparalleled UltraPixel mode with 4x light sensitivity for perfect night shots and the 16MP camera mode for greater detail. As for the main camera, the HTC U Ultra’s 12MP UltraPixel and HTC U Play’s 16MP rear camera with super-fast laser focus enables you to capture every moment with greater precision and accuracy, not missing a single moment.
Availability of HTC U Ultra & HTC U Play
Both the HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play will come in a range of stunning color combinations. The HTC U Ultra comes in Brilliant Black, Cosmetic Pink and Sapphire Blue while the HTC U Play comes in Black Oil and Iceberg White. Both devices will be available from early March onwards for the price of RM2,999 for the HTC U Ultra and RM1,899 for the HTC U Play.

Pokdepinion: HTC is back to the scene again. From first impressions, the device is very well built – typical of HTC. The glass back gives it a very beautiful outlook and the corners are stupendously designed. The camera wasn’t as satisfactory but I suppose since this was a preview unit, the firmware upgrades are already in progress. The U Ultra was already running on Android 7.0 Nougat, has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage which is yummy. As for the facts and figures, I guess we’ll have to wait for our review for that. Oh, and sorry, no headphone jack here~
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[E3 2018] Ubisoft Reveals The Division 2 DLC Plans, Raids, and More

During the Ubisoft E3 2018 press conference live in Los Angeles, more details regarding The Division 2 were revealed including 2 trailers and DLC plans.
E3 2018: Ubisoft Reveals The Division 2 DLC Plans, Raids, and More

At the Ubisoft press conference at E3 2018 today, Ubisoft showcased more footage of The Division 2. There is a cinematic trailer as well as a gameplay trailer that was published by Ubisoft to give gamers a clearer idea as to what we can expect from the game.
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is set to the backdrop of Washington D.C. in crisis; Agents of The Division are tasked with pulling the city back from the brink amidst infighting of various factions. It is set roughly six months after the virus of the first game spread, and it doesn’t seem like what the players did in the first game stopped much of the chaos and anarchy that ensued if Washington’s jungle-filled appearance is any indicator.

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This particular trailer is a cinematic introduction to the chaos-fueled world of The Division 2, which struggles to real back from the trauma of near-destruction. Developers promise that the game will offer a “compelling story-based campaign”, and that players will focus on 1 of 3 classes that will shape the path for the recovery of America: Sharpshooter; Demolitionist; Survivalist.
The Division 2 will also feature 8-player raids, shaping it to become a proper MMO. Additionally, Episodes 1, 2, and 3 of DLC will be available in Year 1 and will all be free. Things are looking really exciting for fans of the The Division.

A beta was recently announced and is available for interested parties at the game’s website. The game will be developed by the same folks involved in the original game’s development, including Massive Entertainment, Red Storm, and Ubisoft Reflections.
The Division 2 will be coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on 15th March 2019. For more developments and news at E3 2018, be sure to stay tuned to Pokde.net :)
Pokdepinion: Not gonna lie, I was expecting a battle royale twist somewhere and I’m glad this is the direction Ubisoft chose to go with.
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Mi MIX 3 to come with pop-up camera too? Xiaomi is taking a step towards a true bezel-less device too!

The Mi MIX series goal was to push the limits of design and engineering, which led to the use of exotic materials like ceramic in the construction of the devices. The Mi MIX 3 is going to push the limits of engineering once again, with a bezel-less design, losing the chin which housed the front facing camera.

Xiaomi’s Mi MIX 2S seems more like an iterative upgrade, coming with an improved camera setup and chipset inside, but most of the design was just carried over from the Mi MIX 2. To mark a real generational leap, the Mi MIX 3 will hide the selfie camera, placing it on a motorized mechanism ala Vivo NEX. Xiaomi isn’t going down the route of the first Mi MIX though, settling for a narrow slit housing the earpiece.

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A teaser which appeared on Weibo reveals the silhouette of what may be the Mi MIX 3, aside from what could be the launch date as well. It is speculated to arrive in September. Are you excited about the Mi MIX 3? This year might just be the year of the hidden cameras.
Source: Playfuldroid, Gizchina
Pokdepinion: Good bye notches, we barely knew you. And I didn’t like you much either, so good riddance.
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MSI Officially Launches New Laptop Lineup In Malaysia, With Steam Wallet Code Up For Grabs

Users are eligible for $100 Steam Wallet code with the purchase of selected models.

MSI has refreshed and introduced significant redesigns to its laptops this year, packed with latest Intel 13th Gen CPUs and NVIDIA RTX 40 series laptop GPUs. This year sees updates on more than 10 models in gaming lineup alone, ranging from the entry-level Cyborg (newly introduced this year), Pulse, Katana series; to Stealth series that includes 4 sizing options, to the performace-oriented Vector GP, Raider GE series and finally – the flagship Titan GT77 with every top-of-the-line spec you could ask for in a laptop.

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The MSI Titan GT77HX in particular contains ridiculously powerful specs: a 24-core Core i9-13980HX CPU, quad-slot DDR5 with up to 128GB support, 17.3-inch Mini-LED 4K 144Hz panel, up to 175W RTX 4090, Cherry MX ULP key switches, etc. The price comes at an eye-watering RM26,999 – so if you want a no-holds-barred laptop, this is pretty much it.

It’s not just the gaming series that received updated hardware. On the creators segment, the new Creator Z series also comes with latest Intel and NVIDIA hardware all cooled with vapor chamber system making for “most powerful creator laptops”, claims MSI. The star of this segment though, is not quite a laptop: it’s the new MSI Pen 2, which literally writes like a pencil. Unlike most styluses out there, MSI has fitted a graphite tip on the pen – the same one on wooden pencils – to enable seamless writing on the screen and on physical paper.
The office-oriented Prestige series gets Intel Evo certification and all comes with Intel 13th Gen, plus NVIDIA Studio-certified RTX 40 series GPUs. The 13-inch Prestige 13 Evo is the star of this segment, with a new magnesium-aluminum alloy that sheds chassis weight down to sub-kilogram levels, at just 990g. The ultra-lightweight chassis still packs a huge 75Wh battery which should allows for long runtimes. Finally, the company also noted that the Modern series is set to receive new color options as well.

For the details on all laptop’s pricing and detailed availability information, click here to view MSI’s ‘The Leap To Singularity’ landing page. Coinciding with the launch, customers who pre-order selected laptops from now to Apr 30, 2023 will be eligible for $100 worth of Steam Wallet (redemption shall be made before June 30, 2023).
Pokdepinion: Surprisingly, I want to try out the pen more than the laptops themselves. Why hasn’t any manufacturer thought of this before?
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Samsung Galaxy A54: Longevity Doesn’t Require Excessive Spending

The Samsung Galaxy A54 proves that you don’t need to splurge in order to get a smartphone that can last you a long time, and here’s why.
What’s So Special About the Samsung Galaxy A54

We recently reviewed the Samsung Galaxy A54, and while it’s not the perfect smartphone, you do get flagship-esque features at a much lower price point. You get an above average camera performance (for a smartphone within its price range), excellent display, and good build quality. However, it’s easy to overlook it and focus on other smartphones but what there is one key factor to his smartphone that makes it stand out amongst the sea of smartphones out there; software support.

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The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is guaranteed to come with four Android OS upgrades with five years of security updates. This means you can continue using it until at least Android 17 (could be a different name by then but this should give you a clear idea of how long it can last), which is a very long time.

Typically, people would lean more towards flagships if they plan on using a smartphone for a longer period of time. It’s not a bad idea but realistically speaking, do you really need it? Unless you’re a heavy multitasker and / or mobile gamer, you likely don’t need all of that. The Exynos 1380 chip powering it is more than capable of running any app you can throw at it sans resource-intensive 3D applications.

If you’re the kind of person who only uses a smartphone for social media, messaging, calls, and light gaming, it’s more than enough. It’s not to say that you’ll be settling with a basic, boring smartphone either as it does have some added luxuries, including a buttery smooth 120Hz refresh rate, stereo speakers, and 5G support. If you look at our benchmark scores for the Samsung Galaxy A54, it punches up its price point in PCMark Work 3.0, clearly showcasing its capabilities as a daily driver.
Is it the one for everyone? No, but it is certainly capable of serving anyone well if you’re not doing anything hardcore with your smartphone.
Check out our Samsung Galaxy A54 review right here. For more useful information on gadgets, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
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New Nintendo Direct Broadcast Confirmed; 45 Minutes of Things Coming to Nintendo

Nintendo has officially confirmed their Nintendo Direct broadcast. We have the finalized date & time for it so if you wanna know what’s coming, stay tuned!
Want to know what’s coming to the Nintendo brand in the coming months? Well, mark your calendar and set an alarm because the Nintendo Direct broadcast has been confirmed, and we can expect 45 minutes of interesting news to pop up on that day.

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New Nintendo Direct Broadcast Confirmed

Nintendo has officially announced another one of its Nintendo Direct broadcasts, and it will be airing on September 13th 2017. The presentation will happen at 3 PM Pacific Time / 6 PM Eastern Time / 11 PM in UK. For Malaysia and those staying in the GMT+8 timezone, that will be 6 AM on September 14th 2017.
Apparently the show will last for about 45 minutes, and will focus on games coming to the Nintendo Switch and to the Nintendo 3DS family of systems over the next few months. We’ll also get new details about Super Mario Odyssey.
As usual, you can check out the show on Nintendo’s official site.
What can we expect from Nintendo Direct? That’s hard to say. We’ve heard inklings of an upcoming Super Smash Bros game but we’ve also heard that if it’s coming soon, it would most likely mean that it’s a port of the Nintendo Wii U game. Not that I mind, as long as they kept the DLCs and possibly add even more in the future.
Super Mario Odyssey will launch exclusively for Nintendo Switch in October 2017. Hopefully, we’ll hear a release date for Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Since it has been confirmed for this year multiple times, I’d say it’s high time that we know when we’ll get to play it.

Pokdepinion: All I need is just a Super Smash Bros. game and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Then I’d have a reason to stop the Nintendo Switch from collecting dust.
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Digi’s new unlimited data plan is just RM38/month — competition for the U Mobile Giler Unlimited Plans?

When U Mobile introduced the unlimited Giler Unlimited plans, we were so intrigued by it that we decided to give it a whirl. Digi is also apparently gearing up to introduce a new unlimited data plan too, with really competitive pricing.

For just RM38 per month, Digi is set to offer unlimited data with 3GB of tethering quota. We expect Digi to also implement a speed cap on the new unlimited plans to avoid sabotaging their other offerings, but as it is, the plan seems very interesting.

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Information is scarce about the new plan, but we will be sure to update when we receive more information about this.
Pokdepinion: I have been using Digi for a long time, and this would really make my day if it comes with at least 300 minutes of free calls.
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ASUS Confirms ROG Ally May Cause MicroSD Card To Fail Due To Heat, Fix Is On The Way

Users has complained that MicroSD cards in their ROG Ally has either degraded performance or outright failed as the card was exposed to intense heat, and upon investigation by ASUS, the company has verified the problem and is currently working on an update to solve the issue. RMA programs are also opened for Ally owners to fix their unit’s SD card reader in their respective regions.
Image: iFixit
It was found that due to the slot’s placement on the motherboard, which sits in very close proximity (we’re talking 3mm at most) to the VRM components that may produce significant heat as it delivers power to the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU, a chip that makes the ROG Ally especially fast against Valve’s Steam Deck. While virtually all SD cards out there are designed to withstand temperatures as high as 85°C, we’ve seen VRMs that get hotter than that when given inadequate cooling, especially during high load scenarios.

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This video from CPPC TEK (posted June 25th) explains the issue in detail:

ASUS’s workaround, which is in line with what the YouTube user suggests, is to modify the fan curve to increase cooling over VRM/microSD regions, which comes at a cost of noise. In the statement posted on ROG Forums, the company is assuring that the fix is on the way as they try to minimize the impact of fan noise while keeping thermals in check.

“To alleviate the issue, we will be releasing an update that further fine-tunes the default and minimum fan speeds on the device to improve reliability while keeping fan noise in check, as we know this is a concern for many of you,” the statement reads.
A small price to pay, then – should you face any issues with the microSD card (and slot) as a result of excessive heat, be sure to contact your nearest ASUS service center to sort out the RMA and repair process as needed.
Source: Tom’s Hardware
Pokdepinion: Cramming all the hardware into something this tiny is a challenge – it’s bound to have teething issues, but the learnings should apply into the successor if there is one.
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QNAP devices hit by Qlocker ransomware demanding 0.01BTC to unlock encrypted files

Another day another ransomware. Instead of targeting servers belonging to companies, Qlocker targets QNAP devices worldwide. The modus operandi is pretty simple: gain access to the QNAP devices and encrypt the files.
Once the QNAP devices are infected, they will run multiple 7z processes to encrypt all the files inside with a password. Then a ransom note will be left to provide the victim with a client key to allow them to login to the Qlocker’s Tor payment site to obtain the password to unencrypt their files.

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Victims are told to pay 0.01BTC (~RM2056), although there was previously a bug that allowed victims to obtain the password without actually paying the ransom. However the security flaw on Qlocker’s end has since been patched.

Speaking of patches, QNAP has reportedly addressed the critical vulnerabilities that Qlocker took advantage via patches on 16th April, although I guess not everyone installed the updates as soon as they were made available.
If you are infected and your files have been encrypted, QNAP warns that you should not reboot the device and instead run the Malware Remover tool. It will not help you recover your files, but it will help protect you and other people from future attacks.
Source
Pokdepinion: I think this really highlights the importance of staying updated with the latest security patches… Or maybe you should just get less capable NAS that can’t run 7zip 🤔
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Lenovo Legion Teases New, Powerful 5G Gaming Smartphone

It looks like there will be a new challenger in the gaming smartphone market as Lenovo Legion is expected to unveil their take on it soon. There have been teasers posted on Chinese social media Weibo, confirming that it is indeed real.
Based on the teaser picture, the Lenovo Legion gaming smartphone is expected to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset. Not only does this mean that it’s more powerful than the most powerful gaming phone in the market right now, it also means that it will have 5G capabilities.

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In a different teaser, it was suggested that the device will have a score that is higher than 600,000 on the AnTuTu benchmark. In comparison, the Snapdragon 865-powered Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro, which has an emphasis on the 600,000 score in the same benchmark.
Nothing else is known about the Lenovo Legion gaming smartphone at the moment. If it wants to compete against what’s available in the market right now, it definitely needs to have a number of key features to succeed this year. Such features include high refresh rate (at least 120Hz), UFS 3.0 storage, and a high capacity LPDDR5 RAM.
Source: Techradar
Pokdepinion: I’m personally excited to see what they can offer that would stand out from the competition. If they could do a pro version and a more affordable variant, that would be very enticing for a broad range of consumers. Also, I’m hoping the screen size would be big but that’s just my own preference.
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Samsung will see a significant drop in profits for Q1 2019

It appears that the slowing demand for smartphones has impacted Samsung’s profit expectations. Samsung has reported that it will be seeing significantly lower profits in Q1 2019 than expected, with a massive year-on-year drop in profit.
Yep, Samsung made those.
Samsung’s business revolve around the smartphone industry as a whole. They make their own phones, but they also supply parts for other manufacturers as well. Apple, Xiaomi and reportedly HUAWEI are now using Samsung’s AMOLED panels, which is part of the reason why a slow day for other smartphone manufacturers would also impact Samsung indirectly.
RAM prices has dropped significantly over the past few months.
Then there is also the fact that RAM prices have dived significantly. Samsung is one of the three major DRAM manufacturers, and lowered market prices would also translate to reduced profit for them. As DRAM is used in everything from PCs to even routers, it does represent a pretty significant revenue stream for them as well.

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However, don’t worry about Samsung going into the red. Samsung is set to announce an operating profit of around 6.2 trillion KRW (~RM22.29 billion). Year-on-year, we are seeing a sizeable 60% drop though as Samsung posted 15.24 trillion KRW (~RM56.23 billion) in profits for Q1 2018.
Pokdepinion: Is this literally, their loss, our win? I mean, we are seeing more affordable devices, more RAM… So what if Samsung sees less profits?
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Redmi Note 9 Series Globally Launched From ~RM855

Today marks the global launch of the Redmi Note 9 series, which features the Redmi Note 9 and Redmi Note 9 Pro. What are they all about? Well let’s jump straight into it.
Redmi Note 9 series global launch
Redmi Note 9 Pro color variants
Starting off with the Redmi Note 9 Pro, it is powered by a Snapdragon 720G chipset. It packs up to 6GB RAM and up to 128GB of internal storage.
There’s also haptic feedback, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, as well as the ability to support RAW images.

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Its display is a 6.67″ display and it comes with a 16MP selfie camera on the front. As for the back, there’s a quad camera setup that packs a 64MP main camera, 8MP ultra-wide lens, a 5MP macro, as well as a 2MP depth sensor.
Under the hood, there’s a 5020mAh battery which you can utilize its 33W fast charger. Thankfully it’s using a USB Type-C port and the phone is running the latest Android 10 (MIUI 11).
The price? Well at a global level, the Redmi Note 9 Pro is available at $269 (~RM1,156) for the 6GB+ 64GB and $299 (~RM1,285) for the 6GB+128GB variant.
Redmi Note 9 global launch
On the other hand we have the standard Redmi Note 9. It comes with a smaller 6.53″ display compared to its sibling.
It will instead be packing a Helio G85 SoC but offers the same 5020mAh battery inside. Aside from that, it packs a 22.5W fast charger straight out of the box.
It also uses a quad camera setup but slightly tweaked with a 48MP main camera, a 8MP ultra-wide lens, a 2MP depth sensor and finally a 2MP macro lens.
The Redmi Note 9 is available at $199 (~RM855) for the 3GB+64GB, $249 (~RM1,070) for the 4GB+128GB variant
Both Redmi Note 9 and Redmi Note 9 Pro will be releasing in the middle of May 2020.
Mi Note 10 Lite global launch
In addition to the Redmi Note 9 series, they have also introduced the brand new Mi Note 10 Lite, a new addition to the Mi Note 10 series.
Coming with three color variants, the Mi Note 10 Lite comes with a 3D curved 6.47″ FHD+ AMOLED display that supports HDR 10.
Mi Note 10 Lite specifications
For cameras, it comes with a 8MP ultra-wide camera, 5MP depth sensor, 64MP wide angle, as well as a 2MP macro lens at the back. Talking about it’s 64MP main sensor, it uses Sony’s IMX 686 which is a huge sensor.
There’s the headphone jack and IR blaster for you to utilize. Not to forget, it uses a Snapdragon 730G and it’s powered by a 5260mAh battery which includes a 30W fast charger.
The Mi Note 10 Lite is priced at €349 (~RM1,631) for the 6GB+64GB variant and €399 (~RM1,865) for the 6GB+128GB version.
Pokdepinion: Well I was expecting the Redmi Note 9 series, but man, I wasn’t prepared for the Mi Note 10 Lite. I wonder how they will price the devices here in Malaysia.
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OPPO Reno 8T Leak Shows Off Its Eye-catching Design

Alleged renders of the upcoming OPPO Reno 8T have surfaced online, and it shows off a rather eye-catching design for the device.
OPPO Reno 8T Renders Leaked Out

It is rumoured that OPPO is preparing to launch a new addition to its Reno8 series of mid-range smartphones, called the Reno 8T. Leaked renders shared by renowned tech insider Evan Blass (aka @EvLeaks) suggest that the device may feature a flat display with slim bezels and a small camera cutout on the upper left corner. The design of the rear panel reportedly closely resembles the design of the recently launched OPPO A78 5G, but with a curved surrounding frame and different rear camera arrangement.

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It is reported that the OPPO Reno 8T may come in both 4G and 5G variants. The 4G variant is said to be powered by a Helio G99 chipset while the 5G variant gets the Snapdragon 696 5G instead. Additionally, there is a possibility of the device having a 3.5mm headphone jack. However, no other details are available at the moment, and nothing has been officially confirmed so do take this information with a grain of salt.
Source
Pokdepinion: While there is still plenty of room for innovation, I’m at least happy enough to see that we’re not getting an empty, glossy candybar design wih this one.
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Sony Inzone Headsets Now Officially Up for Sale in Malaysia

Sony Inzone Headsets Up for Sale in Malaysia

Recently, the Sony Inzone line of gaming peripherals were launched, and it consists of three gaming headsets and two 27-inch gaming monitors. The official announcement for Malaysia was expected for 2nd July 2022 but now, it appears that they are already up for sale on the official Malaysia website.
Starting off with the Sony Inzone 3, it is an entry-level gaming headset that uses a 3.5mm headphone connector, which can be converted to digital with the included USB-A adapter. It also features a black microphone stem and a volume rocker on the left earcup. It is by far the cheapest among the three headsets, retailing at RM439.

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Moving on the Inzone H7, it comes with more premium features such as noise cancelling and ambient sound. Apart from that, you get wireless connectivity via Bluetooth and wireless dongle, along with USB-C for wired and charging, with a 10 minute charge said to give up to an hour of use. The microphone stem here is white instead, and you do get the ability to balance the audio between Game or Chat. The retail price of this headset is set at RM1,099.

Lastly, the Sony Inzone H9 is essentially the same as the H7 with the exception of LED indicators on each earcup and the addition of 360° spatial audio support. The battery life for both wireless headsets are still unknown at this point in time. This one is priced at RM1,299 but you can’t buy it yet as it’s listed with “Notify Me” instead.
As for the gaming monitors, they are not present just yet so we will likely have to wait until 2nd July, if not later for those to appear. We will report more on this as soon as information becomes available so stay tuned.
Source
Pokdepinion: Can’t wait to give these headsets a try. The Pulse 3D headset was pretty good as is so I hope the H7 and H9 can bring an even more immersive experience.
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NVIDIA GeForce MX450 says hello with PCIe 4.0 and GDDR6 memory

NVIDIA has quietly added the GeForce MX450 to their lineup by uploading the product page. While the GeForce MX-series are relatively low performance but highly efficient options for OEMs who want a bit more performance than your average integrated graphics, this time the GeForce MX450 appears to be quite a bit beefier with GDDR6 memory and PCIe 4.0.
We aren’t sure if Intel Tiger Lake will sport PCIe 4.0, but an educated guess points to it. AMD’s Renoir APUs does not have PCIe 4.0 anyways. AMD reportedly decided against adding PCIe 4.0 to their latest APUs due to a significant increase in power consumption over PCIe 3.0, and improved efficiency was a major goal for their mobile platform.
Whether you will need PCIe 4.0 at the performance levels that the GeForce MX450 will be capable of is probably debatable, but OEMs will probably try to market their laptops as the World’s First Ultraportable with PCIe 4.0, and that’s probably going to be a huge selling point for the next-gen laptops.

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Regarding the GDDR6 memory, well NVIDIA might have had to step up their game with the GeForce MX450 considering that the Intel Tiger Lake’s GPUs are expected to be significantly more powerful than its predecessor. The product page for the GeForce MX450 does list both GDDR5 and GDDR6 support, so you might have to squint closer at the specs sheet before picking up your next laptop.
Leaks point to a Turing-based TU117 GPU, which is going to be a nice upgrade from the Pascal-based GeForce MX350. Well, with both Intel and NVIDIA slated to unveil their next-generation hardware in a few day’s time, just stay tuned for more news about the GeForce MX450.
Source
Pokdepinion: I hope that this will be quite a bit faster than the GeForce MX350!
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Qualcomm and Thales Unveil 1st Commercially Deployable iSIM, Disrupting the Mobile Space

After their demos last year, Qualcomm and Thales have formally announced their first commercially deployable iSIM at MWC 2023.
First Commercially Deployable iSIM by Qualcomm and Thales
Picture credits: Thales
Qualcomm and Thales have announced the launch of the first commercially deployable iSIM, integrated SIM, on a modified version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset at MWC 2023. The iSIM-equipped Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has received a GSMA security certification, ensuring the same level of cyber protection as eSIM modules. It integrates the SIM technology in the chipset in a space of less than 1 square mm, over 100 times smaller than a traditional nanoSIM card, measuring 12.3 x 8.8mm.
The world’s first security certification of an iSIM by the GSMA follows several years of intense development work by Qualcomm Technologies and Thales. Alongside the increasingly popular eSIM, the Thales 5G iSIM gives device makers and mobile operators even greater freedom to offer their customers effortless over-the-air connectivity, and more exciting and accessible product designs.
Guillaume Lafaix, VP embedded products at Thales Mobile
Last year, Qualcomm, Thales and Vodafone demonstrated the new standard on a specially engineered Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3. It eliminates the need for a separate physical space for SIM services inside devices and draws less power, opening up the possibility for smaller device designs. Global shipments are expected to reach 300 million by 2027. For a more detailed overview of the emerging standard and its key features, Thales has a comprehensive guide available.

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Source
Pokdepinion: At first, I didn’t really care as much but when it could use less energy than the traditional SIM cards we have today, I’m all in. More battery life is always better.
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Samsung begins mass production of 512GB eUFS 3.0 — up to 2x faster than the eUFS 2.1 in the Galaxy S10 devices

Samsung has commenced mass production of the latest 512GB eUFS 3.0 NAND flash, based on their 5th generation 512Gb V-NAND die. The new storage will deliver up to 2x the speed eUFS 2.1 storage is capable of, with speeds now rivaling desktop SSDs.
To manufacture the 512GB eUFS 3.0 chips, Samsung is using 8 layers of the 512Gb V-NAND dies and a high performance controller. Samsung promises a sequential read speed of 2100 MB/s, which is faster than the affordable PCIe 3.0 x2 SSDs in the market. The write speeds are equally impressive at 410 MB/s, coming pretty close to what cheap SATA SSDs are capable of. Those speeds represent an amazing 2x improvement in terms of read speeds, and a not-too-shabby 58% upgrade for write speeds coming from UFS 2.1.
But that’s not all. Sequential is only applicable when you are transferring media in bulk. For daily usage, the random read and write speeds contributes more to the general responsiveness of the device. Samsung’s 512GB eUFS 3.0 storage promises up to 36% improvement in random read and write speeds, at 63 000 and 68 000 IOPS, respectively. With the multi-tasking capabilities of the Galaxy Fold, it should be able to really take advantage of all that speed.

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The new flash storage will make it in time for the April launch of the Samsung Galaxy Fold, but is just a tad too late for the more mainstream Galaxy S10 series. Galaxy S10+ users who opted for the 1TB variant need not feel outdated though, as Samsung’s 1TB eUFS 2.1 chips are also pretty fresh out of the oven.
For those who are waiting for more than 512GB of eUFS 3.0 goodness, rest assured that a 1TB variant is in the works, with mass production slated for the later half of the year, with a 256GB version joining the ranks as well. Perhaps we will see the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 lineup featuring eUFS 3.0 storage across the board?
Pokdepinion: More storage, faster storage. Can’t wait! Hope there won’t be a huge price hike though.
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Make a seamless transition to smart classrooms with the JOI Smartboard

As we continue facing the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing that we can be sure of is that the education of the young minds of the nation must continue. Classes, quizzes and exams have to be held to complete the curriculum in time, but they are significantly more challenging now with the fact that they have to be held online. Well, that’s where the JOI® Smartboard, JOI® Book 155 Pro and JOI® 11 Pro come in.
The devices are a part of the JOI® Smart Classroom ecosystem, which prepares schools for virtual teaching and learning. Instead of having to scour and try out various devices, JOI®’s well-tested and carefully curated ecosystem of devices ensures that educators and students are ready for remote learning.

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The key to it the JOI® Smartboard. As educators are probably accustomed to writing on a whiteboard in class, why change things? If the educator decides to switch things up and use more interactive learning tools, the JOI® Smartboard is also capable of handling them. The JOI® Smartboard is powered by an Intel® processor, making it practically a desktop PC in terms of capabilities, allowing educators to take full advantage of the wide libraries of Windows apps to convey the message across to students.

Meanwhile the students can take advantage of modern PCs powered by Intel® technology like the JOI® Book 155 Pro and JOI® 11 Pro’s portability and battery life, allowing them to participate in their classes wherever they are most comfortable. Not only can the lessons be more interactive, but as they are now digital, students can opt to revisit lessons later on for revision, with the JOI® Smartboard also serving as a media server.
Further down the line, schools can also look towards upgrading the JOI® Smartboard with smart cameras to take advantage of AI for real-time insight on student engagement. This will provide educators with key information on whether their lessons are effective, or they should adopt a different approach to deliver their lessons. A simpler use case scenario would be attendance taking with AI, freeing up more time for educators to teach instead of being bogged down with menial tasks like checking attendance.

For more information about the JOI® Smart Classroom ecosystem powered by Intel® technology, you can head on over to the following link to register your interest:
JOI® Intelligence for Better Learning
Alternatively, you can also reach out to SNS Network via WhatsApp or their hotline at 1-700-817-616.
This is an exclusive article for JOI® Malaysia.
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ASUS SDRW-08D2S-U LITE – Unboxing

last saturday during ASUS Master DIY : Lan Party event Pokde.net has won first and third place in Mini BF4 tournament hosted by MBT team , this is the victory prize we get , 4 ASUS USB external ODD and 2 ASUS pocket router

Unboxing ASUS SDRW-08D2S-U LITE
Click here for Specification : ASUS SDRW-08D2S-U LITE

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The most beautiful external ODD i ever seen , sleek design with diamond cut surface , anyone who own it will feel the unique of it

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