[Computex 2019] GIGABYTE introduces all-new AERO series laptops for creators

GIGABYTE is well-known for offering high performance in thin and light form factors with the GIGABYTE AERO series. Today, they unveiled a fresh new AERO 15 OLED, AERO 15 and the AERO 17. GIGABYTE’s new laptops will sport the latest octa-core Intel Core i9 processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20 series GPUs.
The biggest highlight of the GIGABYTE AERO series laptops would definitely be its thin and light design. While thin and light, GIGABYTE still packs an impressive cooling system featuring the Supra Cool 2 cooling technology. It touts dual fans sporting 71 blades each and 5 full copper heatpipes to effectively exhaust the heat out of the system. GIGABYTE made use of Thermal Grizzly thermal paste to ensure maximum thermal transfer between the chips and the Supra Cool 2 thermal system.

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GIGABYTE has optimized the latest AERO laptops for the Adobe creative suite, ensuring the best experience possible for creators in various experience. The specialized software and hardware compatibility tests also include tests with WACOM digital drawing boards and Thunderbolt 3 external storage devices. This promises improved work efficiency and enables creators to start working the moment creativity strikes. Further enhancing the GIGABYTE AERO laptop is UHS-II SD card reader, allowing for 12x faster transfer rates than regular SD card readers.

In addition to that, GIGABYTE will be offering the new AERO laptops with either a 240 Hz IGZO display, or a 4K Samsung AMOLED display in the AERO 15 OLED variant. The latter supports 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, as well as the VESA DisplayHDR 400 standard for more vibrant colors. All GIGABYTE AERO laptops are Xrite Pantone calibrated and certified out of the factory, promising users the most accurate colors.
GIGABYTE AERO 15/AERO 15 OLED Specs

Up to Intel Core i9 9980HK, 8C/16T up to 5.0 GHz, 14nm++
Up to 64GB DDR4 2666 MHz
Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q 8GB GDRR6
Up to Intel 760p PCIe NVMe SSD
WiFi 6 AX1650 + Bluetooth 5.0
94.24 Wh Li-po battery, 230W power adapter
2.1kg weight

The GIGABYTE AERO 15 and and AERO 15 OLED are slated for a June 2019 launch, while the AERO 17 is planned for a release in August.
Pokdepinion: Definitely looks like an awesome laptop for creators with all that performance in that sleek package!
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Logitech G610 Orion Blue now available, switches as clicky as they come

If you liked the aesthetics of the Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum but prefer Cherry MX switches, Logitech has always offered the Logitech G610 Orion Brown for you. But if you want audible feedback along with your tactile feedback, then go get the Logitech G610 Orion Blue, with original Cherry MX Blue switches.

The Logitech G610 Orion Blue brings everything we loved in the G810 Orion Spectrum with the exception of the intense RGB lighting, opting for bright white LED backlights. You still get the dedicated media controls with the nifty volume scroll, programmable macros on the F1-F12 keys via the Logitech Gaming Software and you can even set the lighting pattern via the software, even though it won’t illuminate in all the colors of the rainbow.

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It won’t be all that portable, weighing in at 1.2kg with a non-detachable 1.8m long braided cord, but if you are interested in a keyboard with very convenient media controls and of course, the Cherry MX Blue switches, you can get the Logitech G610 Orion Blue for RM479. The keyboard is covered by a 2-year limited hardware warranty.
Pokdepinion: I was never a fan of Cherry MX Blue switches, but if you want a clicky keyboard with really convenient media controls, the Logitech G610 Orion Blue is definitely worth checking out.
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The Legends Circuit Malaysia Recap; KL Hunters Crowned Champions

KL Hunters are the champions of The Legends Circuit.
Are you a big fan of eSports? Do you enjoy the local eSports scene here in Malaysia? Well, this is definitely something you’d like to hear about. Last week, The Legends Circuit Malaysia Grand Finals ended, and today, we’re going to recap what just happened.

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KL Hunters Crowned The Legends Circuit Champions

On 25th March 2017, KL Hunters successfully defeated Swestic in a 3-0 victory in The Legends Circuit Malaysia Grand Finals. Many predicted Swestic to take the cup thanks to their solid performance overall but unfortunately, they couldn’t perform against KL Hunters.
Under the guidance of manager Luqman “Crowe” Abdullah, the likes of Adrian “Shiro” Lee, Eric “Qaspiel” Sia Sze Pin, Chan “Arrhedge” Roonghan, Adrian “CO4” Leng, Ramsay “Bipolar” Devaraj and Joseph “CoolCat” Lim were able to consistently pick the right team composition to counter the plans of Swestic. Jungler, Qaspiel was in top shape through the grand finals and his performances warrant a Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

With The Legends Circuit Spring title in their hands, KL Hunters will now shift their focus to the Garena Premier League 2017, which is a SEA-tier tournament held bi-annually. It features only the domestic champions from Garena regions such as Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Dickson Lee, TLC & Garena eSports Commissioner, said:
We are extremely proud of KLH who have consistently shown that Malaysia is able to produce a high calibre League of Legends team that is ready for the international stage. The next few months will be an exciting challenge for the nation in GPL 2017 which is our direct road into the World Championships. “I am confident that teams like KLH and Swestic are able to raise the profile of eSports in Malaysia and inspire more homegrown talents to breakthrough the industry.
The Legends Circuit had a prize pool worth more than RM150,000 this year, and featured 165 teams from 9 different states in Malaysia. These teams competed through various divisions to qualify for The Legends Circuit Malaysia since November 2016.

It was the first top-tier eSports tournament held in Penang, and it featured various activities and prize giveaways courtesy of ASUS Republic of Gamers. The winners walked away with RM40,000 in cash, looking forward to their next battle in the international stage.

Pokdepinion: Kudos to KL Hunters for their solid performance. I certainly wished I could continue competitive gaming again but that thing is too stressful for me. I’d rather just stay here and write about you people in the gaming industry.
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miHoYo is Suing Bilibili to Hunt Down Genshin Impact Leakers

We’ve reported on a huge number of Genshin Impact leaks previously, and miHoYo has been looking for ways to shut down leakers for some time now. In their latest move, they are suing Chinese video site Bilibili in order to hunt down roughly 11 different leakers on the platform.
miHoYo Suing Bilibili to Hunt Down Genshin Impact Leakers

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miHoYo has filed a lawsuit against Chinese video site Bilibili to hunt down roughly 11 different Genshin Impact leakers on the platform. The hearing will be taking place on 17th September 2021.
As bad as this may sound, both companies aren’t in bad terms as miHoYo has regularly organized livestreams for Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact 3rd on the platform, and will continue to do so. The lawsuit is a necessity due to privacy laws in China, where user information can only be revealed in a court of law.
It’s worth noting that the 11 different leakers mentioned aren’t necessarily people who have participated in the Beta Test nor are they data miners. In the case of the latter, they simply “read” the data from beta tests and nothing more. The ones miHoYo are targeting are said to have inside sources, which are a bigger threat to the company.
Genshin Impact is a very popular MMORPG with gacha elements. As a result, many gamers would like to know what characters are coming ahead of time in order to see whether it’s worth saving us those precious Primogems. This means any form of leak would be helpful. miHoYo has countered this by revealed characters ahead of time, such as Baal and Kokomi being revealed after the launch of update 2.0.

Genshin Impact is currently available for free on the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Android, iOS, and PC. A Nintendo Switch port of the game coming in the near future. Update 2.2 for the game is expected to launch on 13th October 2021.

Source
Pokdepinion: I figured leaks would actually help the company as it sparks up interest but in this case, I can see why they are going the extra mile to track these people down. The issue might be far bigger than anyone might have expected.
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Intel has better support for Smart Access Memory than AMD themselves?

One of the big key highlights of the recent AMD Radeon RX 6000 series launch was Smart Access Memory (SAM). What it offers is increased performance thanks to the the CPU being able to address the entire graphics card’s memory. And we actually saw a nice bump up in performance when we tested the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT as well.
Smart Access Memory is not proprietary

AMD marketed SAM as sort of an AMD platform advantage, with it only supported on the latest Radeon RX 6000 series GPUs and Ryzen 5000 processors, but as we found out later it was just a fancy marketing name for a PCIe standard called Resizable Base-Address Register (Resizable BAR). And it appears that AMD didn’t add Ryzen 3000 series processors not because they didn’t want to have backward compatibility, but they just can’t, because Ryzen 3000 series are reportedly incapable of supporting Resizable BAR, or SAM.

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Sorry, I didn’t know that but this is technically impossible. Maybe they could emulate it, but it would be extremely slow.
Zen 2 does not support full-rate _pdep_u32. https://t.co/OwIv3lZ2WO
— CapFrameX (@CapFrameX) November 26, 2020

To support it, there’s a need to support full-rate _pdep_u32, which is an instruction that allows the CPU to address more than 32GB VRAM with a 32-bit register width, and AMD Ryzen processors apparently do not support in it hardware until Zen 3 came along. On the other hand, Intel processors dating back as far as Haswell, do have support for _pdef_u32. Of course, you will still have to wait for your motherboard vendor to release a BIOS update to add support for Resizable BAR, so the chances of you enjoying it on your older CPUs is probably quite slim.
Intel has been supporting Resizable BAR

After AMD’s announcement of the feature, NVIDIA stepped up and announced that they will also be bringing Resizable BAR support to their Ampere graphics cards, for both AMD and Intel CPUs. And now with this bit of information,  it seems like Intel actually has better support for said feature than AMD, if we were to consider their whole product stack till date. As of now, certain Intel 400-series motherboards are already receiving updates to support Resizable BAR. Whether Intel will capitalize on the aforementioned support for the feature to deliver better gaming performance on their older CPUs, remains to be seen.
But if they do, you will be getting Resizable BAR or Smart Access Memory support on more Intel processors than you can on AMD’s side, which is pretty interesting to think about. There are benchmarks of an Intel Core i9-10900K taking advantage of AMD SAM on a Z490 board with a Radeon RX 6800 XT, and the gains are pretty impressive. Of course performance improvements do depend on the game itself, in the end.
Source (1), (2)
Pokdepinion: Well, how the tables have turned on AMD…
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After extensive amounts of leaks online, it appears that Yelan and Kuki Shinobu will finally be making their arrival in Genshin Impact 2.7. Here’s what we know thus far.
Genshin Impact 2.7 Will See The Arrival of Yelan and Kuki Shinobu
We have learned quite a bit of new details on two upcoming Genshin Impact characters, the highly-anticipated and heavily-rumoured Yelan and Kuki Shinobu. As of right now, both characters are expected to launch in update 2.7 of the game, with Yelan in the first half while Shinobu will be in the second half, so don’t expect them to appear so soon.

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The official Genshin Impact Facebook page has shard the profiles and full-sized character artwork for both Yelan and Kuki Shinobu. The profiles read:

Yelan ‧ Valley Orchid
A mysterious person who claims to work for the Ministry of Civil Affairs
Yelan’s identity has always been a mystery. Like a phantom, she often appears in various guises at the center of events, and disappears before the storm stops.The people who are caught up in trouble look forward to meeting her. For some reason, most of them think she will help them, and if not, they want her to be their ally. But the problem is, their opponents harbor the same idea.
Every one of these people has met a Yelan who goes by a different name and identity, and each of them thinks they can reach a partnership with her. However, everyone has been kept in the dark. Who does she want to help? When will she tell the truth? Once she acts and intervenes, nothing can be trusted.When she reveals her true identity and speaks the truth, those who are eager for answers may not have the chance to hear it.
Oh, you’re looking for Yelan? Hmm, I’d like to suggest that you treat her as an ordinary person, but if you do, it’s easy to lose control over negotiations. There are some things that really depend on her impression of you. — Yanfei

Kuki Shinobu ‧ Mender of Tribulations
Deputy Leader of the Arataki Gang
Although Kuki Shinobu joined the Arataki Gang at a later stage, she is a powerful figure who transformed the whole gang. After she arrived, the gang’s business scope expanded to all walks of life, including but not limited to: legal consultation, business negotiation, banquet catering, clothing customization… What’s even more surprising is that the lackadaisical Arataki Gang was able to produce all the relevant practice certificates, all signed with the same name: Kuki Shinobu.
It is said that this second-in-command had studied abroad, and it is also said that she has close affiliations with the Tenryou Commission. When outsiders hear this, they inevitably have many suspicions. However, the residents of Hanamizaka who often deal with the Arataki Gang are different, and they always go to her for advice on various matters without any reservations. In their opinion, discussions with Kuki Shinobu are always smooth and efficient.
Just always keep in mind the following two rules:One, do not attempt to find out how she looks like under her mask. And two, don’t ask why she has to steer clear of the Grand Narukami Shrine every time she heads out for a job.
My apologies, I have not sent my regards for a long time. I am writing to introduce a talented person to you. She is very knowledgeable, well-versed in both literature and martial arts, and is an invaluable assistant… Unfortunately, she is currently working for the Arataki Gang and only accepts outsourced consultations, which is a pity. — Kujou Sara
For now, Genshin Impact 2.6 will be launching on 30th March 2022 for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Android, iOS, and PC. A Nintendo Switch port of the game is currently still in development.
Source
Pokdepinion: What a way to build up hype for a future update when already a major one coming soon. It’s certainly not easy to keep the longevity of games up in this day and age but it looks like Genshin Impact will still be going strong moving forward unless something really bad happens all of a sudden.
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New AMD Ryzen Mobile Powered Notebooks Are Now Here in Malaysia!

Small and powerful

A while back AMD released their hugely awaited Ryzen Mobile processors and boy are they quite beefy. Just today AMD have revealed the notebooks that will be powered by their AMD Ryzen Mobile APUs which are the Acer Swift 3 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 720S. Both the Acer Swift 3 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 720S are powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 2500U processors.

The AMD Ryzen 5 2500U processor features a 15W TDP and utilises 4 of AMD’s “Zen” x86 CPU cores, 8 threads as well as a max clock speed of 3.6Ghz. The Ryzen 5 2500U also comes integrated with Radeon “Vega” in a System-on-Chip design which should allow for decent performances despite its small size.

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Acer Swift 3
The Acer Swift 3 displayed by AMD during the launch is an interesting one. Not only does it pack an AMD Ryzen 5 2500U processor which in itself already has integrated Radeon “Vega” graphics but it somehow (impressively) manages to squeeze in a separate Radeon 540 GPU with 2GB GDDR5 Graphics in its ultrathin and lightweight body which should give this puppy some extra ‘oomph’ in the graphics department.

The Swift 3 also comes with 8GB of DDR4 RAM, a 256GB PCIe SSD storage and a 15.6 inch FHD IPS display. The notebook should be available by the end of March 2018 but no price has been revealed as of yet.
Lenovo IdeaPad 720S
As for the more compact notebook of the two, the AMD Ryzen Mobile powered Lenovo IdeaPad 720S features a 13.3 inch FHD IPS display, 4GB of DDR4 RAM as well as a 256GB PCIe SSD storage. This notebook only comes with integrated Radeon “Vega” Graphics however as opposed to the dedicated GPU found on the Swift 3.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 720S is available now in the market with a retail price of RM 3,299.
ASUS ROG Strix GL702ZC
AMD did not stop then and there however. They surprised us by unveiling another notebook powered by their Ryzen Mobile processor in the form of ASUS ROG Strix GL702ZC. The GL702ZC is powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 1700 processor and not any of the AMD Ryzen Mobile processors.

The more gaming focused ASUS ROG Strix GL702ZC sports not only the Ryzen Mobile APU but also a seperate Radeon RX 580. The ASUS ROG Strix GL702ZC also features 8GB of DDR4 RAM, storage-wise features a SATA 3 256GB M.2 SSD as well as a 1TB 7200RPM HDD. The notebook also features a 17,3 inch FHD IPS display with a 178° viewing angle which makes this the most powerful notebook unveiled by AMD.

The ASUS ROG Strix GL702ZC is available for purchase right now with a retail price of RM 7,099.
AMD says that additional products powered by the AMD Ryzen Mobile processors will be announced in the months to come.
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2nd Edition of Lazada’s ‘Buy Malaysia’ Campaign Aims To Boost Local Businesses

Lazada’s ‘Buy Malaysia’ Campaign, in collaboration with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (MDTCA), runs from now until December 31. This year’s Lazada campaign, now in its second edition, attempts to help local businesses stay afloat during the pandemic by encouraging consumers to support and shop for Malaysian-made products online. When buying Malaysian-made products or brands, online customers will be rewarded with exclusive promotions and savings as part of the campaign.
Lazada ‘Buy Malaysia’ Campaign 2nd edition

When purchasing locally online, customers can take advantage of a variety of advantages, including Daily Free Shipping and RM10 off discount vouchers. Additionally, Lazada will continue to work to remove barriers for local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to digitalise their businesses through the Pintar Niaga programme, which offers benefits such as zero commission and no listing fee for businesses who use Lazada’s eCommerce platform during the campaign period.

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As part of Lazada’s ‘Buy Malaysia’ Campaign, new sellers who sign up for Lazada’s eCommerce platform during the campaign period will be eligible for a special new seller package through Pintar Niaga, which includes the following benefits:

0% commission and listing fee
0% payment fee for all orders received within 30 days from onboarding date
RM300 ad credits for 90 days

Additionally, new sellers will receive guidance and support for the first 90 days from the dedicated Lazada incubation team, full access to Lazada’s suite of tech and innovative digital tools, Weekly New Seller Training by certified LazStars and education via Lazada University, as well as marketing campaigns including Weekly New Seller Campaign Exposure to help expand their customer outreach to the 1 in 3 Malaysians population who shop on Lazada and differentiate their business on the eCommerce platform.
Since the launch of its ‘Pakej Kedai Pintar’ SMEs stimulus package in April 2020, Lazada has supported hundreds of thousands of MSMEs in making the digital jump. This has resulted in a 300 percent rise in new merchants joining the platform, as well as a more than doubled gain in revenues by the end of 2020. Lazada established ‘Pakej Kedai Pintar 2.0′ and its ‘Kedai Pintar Niaga’ initiative earlier this year to provide further assistance to MSMEs and to help them overcome problems as a community.
For more information on Lazada’s ‘Buy Malaysia’ Campaign, visit the official page here.
Pokdepinion: Thanks Lazada for this great ‘Buy Malaysia’ Campaign. Local businesses need all the help they can get during these trying times.
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TCL hits the ground running with RM1199 TCL PLEX

TCL is probably better known as an OEM for BlackBerry and Alcatel in the smartphone industry,  but now they are in Malaysia to make a name for themselves with the new TCL PLEX. And instead of churning out a generic mid-range smartphone which no one will remember, the TCL PLEX is actually quite impressive as far as features go.

The TCL PLEX’s 6.53″ FHD+ TCL Dotch Display touts TCL NXTVISION, promising top-notch color accuracy and SDR to HDR real-time conversion, for a HDR-like experience even when watching regular SDR videos. TCL apparently harnessed their experience at making TVs to deliver a better display. Where have we heard this before?

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In addition to that, TCL equipped the PLEX with a triple camera setup. But unlike most mid-range devices, there is no depth sensor here. Instead TCL throws in a 2MP sensor with large 2.9 micron pixels as a dedicated video camera. The large pixels will help with low-light performance, and you won’t need much higher resolution for just 1080p videos. If you want 4K videos, there’s the 48MP IMX582. The third camera is a 16MP ultra-wide angle camera. Of course, TCL baked in software features like Super Night Mode, 960fps slow mo and more to round up the feature set.

TCL PLEX Specs

Snapdragon 675, octa-core up to 2.0 GHz, 11nm LPP
6GB RAM
128GB UFS 2.1 storage (expandable via microSD)
6.53″ FHD+ IPS LCD, TCL NXTVISION technology, TCL Dotch Display
48MP f/1.8 + 16MP f/2.4 ultra-wide + 2MP f/1.8 video camera
24MP f/2.0 selfie camera
3820 mAh battery, 18W Qualcomm QC 3.0 support
RM1199

The TCL PLEX will be offered in Obsidian Black and Opal White, and can be purchased via Shopee and Brightstar Distribution Sdn. Bhd.’s authorized retailers.
Pokdepinion: Would actually love to put the dedicated 2MP video camera through its paces!
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HUAWEI Teams Up With Serba Dinamik As Digitalization Partners

HUAWEI Malaysia and Serba Dinamik Group Berhad has teamed up where they aim to explore and develop innovative digital solutions as well as to jointly establish a digital industry and Smart Campuses in the country.
HUAWEI partners with Serba Dinamik

Both companies has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today, where they aimed to accomplish the following:
To jointly develop digital solutions through the adoption of HUAWEI Cloud and AI technologyCommercialize and jointly innovate to build a digital industry and Smart Campuses in MalaysiaEstablish go-to-market programs in relation to enterprise digital transformation, Smart Campus planning and AI training programsJointly explore, design, and execute cloud-based connectivity device solutions for commercial deployment
The MoU aims to bring digital transformation of the oil and gas industry, innovative IT solutions on Cloud and to reach the unreached by digitally enabling those in rural areas, as well as setting up smart industry areas in Sarawak and Johor.

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Pokdepinion: Hopefully they’ll benefit the community sooner or rather.
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Acer releases refreshed Predator and Nitro gaming lineup

We checked out Acer’s creator-oriented products, so now let’s take a look at the latest gaming machines from Acer that were unveiled at the #NextAtAcer Global Press Conference 2020. These include the Acer Nitro 7, Predator Helios 300, Helios 700, Triton 300 laptops and also the new gaming desktops, the Predator Orion 3000 and Orion 9000. But that’s not all, there are also new monitors, a mouse and a gaming massage chair. Intriguing enough? Let’s go.
Acer Nitro 7
Starting from the bottom, there’s the Acer Nitro 7. This is Acer’s more affordable gaming laptop, updated to feature the latest 10th Gen Intel Core processors, as well as up to the GeForce RTX 2060 graphics. It can be equipped with up to three M.2 SSDs and 32GB of DDR4-2933 memory, for some immense multi-tasking potential in its 19.9 mm chassis.

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Acer equipped the Nitro 7 with two fans, four exhaust vents and Acer CoolBoost technology, that can bump up fan speeds by 10% to improve cooling performance. The Acer Nitro 7 will sport a 15.6″ display with a 144 Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time. The Acer Nitro 7 will be offered in North America in October with prices starting from $1000 (~RM4276).
Predator Helios 300

The Predator Helios 300 now packs the 10th Gen Intel Core processors mated to up to the GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q. If you intend on fully maxing out the Predator Helios 300, you can equip it with two PCIe NVMe SSDs in RAID 0, a 2.5″ drive and up to 32GB of DDR4-2933 memory. That’s more than enough memory and storage for virtually any gamer.

To enhance the immersion, the Predator Helio 300 sports DTS:X Ultra audio for virtual 360° surround sound. You can even select differently tuned sound modes that are optimized for specific game genres. Speaking of noise, Acer is using the new 4th Gen AeroBlade 3D fans that run quieter while pushing more air.

Gamers can even manually adjust how fast the fans run via Acer CoolBoost, to achieve that ideal balance of cooling performance and noise level. Acer also moved the power connector port to the rear end of the laptop, to improve the ergonomics of the Helios 300.

The Predator Helios 300 will be offered from $1200 (~RM5131) in North America starting July.
Predator Triton 300

For those who seek a bit more portability, there’s the Predator Triton 300. Refreshed with the 10th Gen Intel Core processors, the Triton 300 can be configured with up to the GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q graphics. The display is a 15.6″ 240 Hz panel that also supports 100% of the sRGB color space, making it ideal for some content creation too, in addition to gaming.

Aside from sporting the newer 10th Gen Intel Core processors, the Predator Triton 300’s cooling system has also been revamped. It now sports two fans blowing out of four exhaust vents. Acer claims that three more heatpipes have been added to improve cooling performance too. All of that is packed into a 19.9 mm thin and 2.1 kg light package.

The Predator Triton 300 will be available in North America starting September priced from $1300 (~RM5558).
Predator Helios 700
The next step up is the Predator Helios 700. Acer abandoned portability in favor of gaming performance here. You can get the Predator Helios 700 with the fastest mobile CPU Intel has to offer, along with the beefiest laptop GPU NVIDIA can muster. Yes, the Predator Helios 700 can be configured with the overclockable Intel Core i9-10980HK and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER graphics.

Such powerful hardware can be pretty challenging to cool in a laptop form factor, but Acer is well prepared for that. Firstly, there’s the HyperDrift keyboard that slides forward to open up intakes for the cooling system. Then there’s the proprietary Predator PowerGem thermal solution. Acer claims that the Predator PowerGem offers 3.83x higher heat conductivity than copper, giving it comparable performance to liquid metal solutions. That, along with a vapor chamber, three copper heatpipes, two Acer 4th Gen AeroBlade 3D fans and Acer CoolBoost, allow the Predator Helios 700 to easily tame the thermals of the highest end Core i9 processors.
To fully take advantage of the processing power on tap, you can equip the Predator Helios 700 with up to 64GB of DDR4-2933 memory and PCIe NVMe SSDs in RAID 0. Acer will be throwing in the Killer DoubleShot Pro networking to ensure that you will have an optimized connectivity experience.

The display on the Predator Helios 700 is a 144 Hz FHD panel with G-SYNC for sweet tear-free gaming. The keyboard is updated to sport optical switches for the WASD cluster, giving you analog controls with a keyboard. There will of course be full per-key RGB lighting, because what gaming system is complete without some bling?
North America will be seeing the Predator Helios 700 in October with prices starting from a pretty eye-watering $2400 (~RM10261).
Acer Nitro 50

Now moving on the desktops, the Acer Nitro 50 is a compact entry-level gaming desktop that can be configured with up to the 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processors and GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER graphics. Up to 64GB of DDR4-2666 memory, two 3TB HDDs and 1TB NVMe PCIe SSD can be crammed into the Acer Nitro 50’s compact 18L chassis. And to make sure that all the components run cool, Acer used the Predator FrostBlade fans here. Gamers can also customize the fan speed to adapt to their needs.
The Acer Nitro 50 will be priced from $800 (~RM3420) in North America. They will be available starting September.
Predator Orion 3000

An equally compact gaming desktop, the Predator Orion 3000 adopts a more aggressive aesthetic, befitting of its Predator lineage. The Predator Orion 3000 can be configured with 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processors, GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER graphics and up to 64GB of DDR4-2666 memory.

Two Predator Frostblade fans handle intake and exhaust to ensure that the internals run cool. Extensive lighting on the fans, case internals and vertical light bars along the front of the case can be customized via PredatorSense. Gamers can choose between a metal side panel or a EMI-shielded tempered glass panel to show off the components and lighting inside. For seamless connectivity, the Predator Orion 3000 packs Intel WiFi 6 and Killer E2600 Gigabit Ethernet.

The compact Predator Orion 3000 also sports a handle for convenient portability. Prices start from $1000 (~RM4276) in North America, with availability starting in September.
Predator Orion 9000

The Predator Orion 9000 is for the hardcore professional gamers out there. With up to an Intel Core i9 Extreme Edition, two GeForce RTX 2080 Ti graphics cards, three 3.5″ HDDs and two 2.5″ SSDs, the Predator Orion 9000 is ready for any game you can throw at it.

Three new 120mm Predator FrostBlade provide more airflow and static pressure compared to prior generations. The CPU is cooled by a liquid cooler to keep temperatures low and deliver consistent gaming performance even as the fighting heats up. For aesthetics, Acer equipped the Predator Orion 9000 with ARGB lighting and an edge-to-edge tempered glass side panel.
Pricing starts from a cool €2799 (~RM13452) in EMEA, with availability starting in October.
Predator XB3

Acer announced four new monitors in the Predator XB3 series. There’s the 31.5″ Predator XB323QK NV, 27″ Predator XB273U GS and Predator XB273U GX and also the 24.5″ Predator XB253Q GZ. All of these monitors offer support for AMD FreeSync and G-SYNC Compatible adaptive refresh rate technologies, with up to 240 Hz refresh rates and 4K resolution. The new Predator XB3 monitors includes Acer AdaptiveLight for improved comfort during long gaming sessions, and also RGB LightSense to add a touch of bling to the monitors.

Prices start from $430 (~RM1838) in North America, with availability starting in September.
Predator X25

Targeted at pro esports gamers, the Predator X25 sports a 1080p panel that runs at up to 360 Hz for that maximum advantage in FPS games. It also touts NVIDIA G-SYNC to ensure a tear-free gaming experience. There’s also AdaptiveLight to adjust the monitor backlighting to suit the ambient light in the room. As a pro-gamer will be spending a lot of time on their monitors, the Predator X25 sports a fully adjustable monitor stand as well as ProxiSense to remind gamers to take a break after a set amount of time.
Pricing and availability were not announced.
Predator Gaming Chair x OSIM
One of the most interesting products to be announced today, the Predator Gaming Chair x OSIM leverages OSIM’s experience at designing massage chairs to deliver a relaxing massage as you game. With OSIM’s V-Hand Massage Technology, the Predator Gaming Chair x OSIM emulates the agile hands of a professional masseuse on your neck and shoulders.

In addition to the massage capabilities, the chair can be reclined up to 145° to take a quick break from gaming. The Predator Gaming Chair x OSIM is clad in black carbon fiber patterned PVC leather with metallic dark gray and teal accents for a sporty yet professional look and feel. There are also two built-in Bluetooth speakers in the chair’s headrest to deliver immersive audio without the hassle of a headset.
Pricing and availability were unavailable at the time of writing.
Pokdepinion: I am honestly quite interested to see how does the Predator PowerGem stack up against third-party thermal paste and liquid metal…
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HONOR Magic Earbuds Review — bringing ANC to a new price bracket?

HONOR launched a number of products on 27th May, and one of them is the HONOR Magic Earbuds. HONOR is a relatively new player in the audio scene, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t put out impressive hardware. The HONOR Magic Earbuds boast of Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling, which isn’t exactly a simple feature to pull off. The inclusion of said features also jacked up the price to a pretty lofty RM499, which might seem a bit steep, but hey, let’s see if it is worth the money.
Appearance

HONOR went with a very simple design for the charging case. It’s made of white glossy plastic, which does collect its fair share of scratches and fingerprints, but the white color does help to prevent them from being visible. HONOR calls this Pearl White but there’s no pearlescent effect visible on the HONOR Magic Earbuds nor its charging case.

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The earpieces themselves are finished in the same color, with a chrome tip at the end for a touch of style. Overall, the HONOR Magic Earbuds might remind some of a certain pair of true wireless stereo (TWS) earphones from a certain fruity company, but HONOR definitely put in a bit more effort to differentiate themselves, unlike certain other brands that just blatantly plagiarize.
HONOR Magic Earbuds Specifications

Drivers
10mm dynamic drivers

Headphone Type
True wireless, in-ear

Connection
Bluetooth 5.0
AAC codec

Wireless Range
10m

Noise-cancelling
Dual Microphone
Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation Technology
Awareness mode

Battery
Earphones
37 mAh
Up to 3.5 hours playback (ANC off)
~1 hour full charge
Charging Case
410 mAh
3x Full Charge (14.5 hours total)

Weight
Earphones
5.5g x 2
Charging Case
51g (without earpieces)

Colour
Pearl White

User Experience
Pairing

The pairing process of the HONOR Magic Earbuds is pretty similar to many other TWS earphones, i.e. you have to hold down a button on the charging case to initiate the Bluetooth pairing mode. It’s located on the rear side of the case, and is flush with the body, which when coupled with the glossy plastic that collects finger oils, makes for a rather fumbly experience.

If you own a HONOR or HUAWEI smartphone running EMUI 10 / Magic UI 3.0 or newer, you don’t even need to go to the Bluetooth menu to pair with the earphones. A popup will appear, letting you just tap Connect for quicker pairing. A popup will also appear every time you open the case, informing you of the battery remaining in the HONOR Magic Earbuds and its charging case.
HONOR seems to have missed out on the low-latency feature that the costlier HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 offers. There’s definitely a palpable delay between firing a gun and hearing the sound in COD Mobile, so I wouldn’t recommend these for gaming. They are fine for movies though, so you can use it for movies on a flight, where the active noise cancellation would come in handy.
Range and signal stability are top-notch on the HONOR Magic Earbuds, as I was able to walk around the whole office without a single skip. With two walls in between, the HONOR Magic Earbuds still maintained a strong connection to my HONOR V30 Pro which was left in the middle off the office.
Sound
The sound signature of the HONOR Magic Earbuds is definitely on the warmer side of things. It’s quite obvious that HONOR targeted a “fun” sound profile with the HONOR Magic Earbuds, with boosted bass and treble. The highs may have been boosted a touch too much though, with them sounding a touch sibilant. Out of the box, the bass sounded a bit bloated, but after a few hours of burn in, the bass seems to have been reined in, with punchy rather than flabby bass notes. Overall, I did enjoy the sound of the HONOR Magic Earbuds as it plays well with my playlist which largely consist of popular pop tunes, although the raspy highs weren’t exactly my cup of tea.
But while the sound quality was middling, the call quality was apparently pretty good. I called my better half with the HONOR Magic Earbuds, and apparently I sound nice and clear, instead of her usual complaint of me sounding distant, which is a common issue with most TWS earphones. The noise cancellation works well, and it seems that HONOR’s decision to use three microphones for noise cancellation in calls worked quite well here.

Now speaking of noise cancellation, the HONOR Magic Earbuds also offers active noise cancellation for you, as the listener. It even serves up an Awareness mode in case you need to keep tabs on your surroundings as well. I found the ambient mode to be quite neutral, unlike certain designs which actually amplify the noise around you. It sounds almost like you don’t have earphones in your ears, which is exactly what it should do.
The noise cancellation effect here is relatively mild compared to some of the pricier ANC earphones I have tested. Without any music playing, I also noticed a soft white noise in the background when ANC was enabled. If you have ANC on with the HONOR Magic Earbuds, you would also do well to avoid direct wind, as it can get quite annoying as the ANC tries to combat the wind blowing into the mics. With that said, unless you are in a location where a consistent noise is annoying you, the passive sound isolation is good enough to keep out most unwanted sound waves.
Comfort

The design of the HONOR Magic Earbuds isn’t groundbreaking in any way, with it looking rather generic. While the long stalks are not responsive to gestures, the round bits above it are. You can assign separate functions to double taps on either sides, and also switch between the noise cancellation modes mentioned earlier by tapping and holding. It’s a simple enough configuration, but it works.

As there isn’t a one-size-fits-all when it comes to in-ear earphones, HONOR provides three additional pairs of tips in different sizes. The silicone tips are soft and I found that the smaller ones fit me better than the ones that came attached to the HONOR Magic Earbuds out of the box. The earpieces themselves are really light too, lending to comfortable use even over longer listening sessions.
Battery life
The HONOR Magic Earbuds’s longevity is pretty abysmal though, with it clocking around 3 hours with ANC on, or 3 hours and 30 minutes with it off. At this point you will want to put them back in the charging case, because the HONOR Magic Earbuds will now start making random beeps to remind you that it needs to rejuice. A full charge takes about an hour, which means these here aren’t suitable for long flights at all.The case is good for about three full charges, which should be sufficient time for you to reach homebase and plug the charging case in to charge. I appreciate that HONOR went with a USB-C port here, as that meant I don’t have to rummage through my cables for a microUSB one just to charge my earphones, like what I have to do with my current Edifier TWS5.
Conclusion

The RM499 SRP is rather daunting for what the HONOR Magic Earbuds brings to the table, but HONOR is currently offering it for just RM399 along with some nice freebies, which makes them worth considering. Overall, you get ANC capabilities which aren’t all that amazing, but ANC is a rare feature in this price range, so the HONOR Magic Earbuds has that in its favor. The fun sound profile should please most listeners, especially those who enjoy pop music. The battery life is probably the weakest link here, but it should more than suffice for your daily commute, although long international flights will be out of the question. The HONOR Magic Earbuds also presents itself as a good option for those who want a pair of earphones to double as their handsfree device when driving, as they do offer excellent call quality.
Our thanks to HONOR Malaysia for sending us the HONOR Magic Earbuds for review.
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MSI Vector GP76 Review – Simplistic Powerhouse

Unboxing the MSI Vector GP76
MSI Vector GP76 Review – Box

Let’s kick off the MSI Vector GP76 review with the unboxing. The packaging is your run-of-the-mill brown cardboard box with the MSI logo and visuals on it, with nothing much else. Inside the box for our review unit, there isn’t much stuff but we do expect more in the final retail unit. Regardless, this is what we found inside:
MSI Vector GP76 Review – Box content

330W power brick
Power cable
The MSI Vector GP76 itself

Specifications

CPU:
Intel Core i7-12700H @ 3.5GHz (up to 4.7 GHz Boost), 14C (6P + 8E) / 20T, 45W TDP, Intel 7

RAM:
16GB (2 x 8GB) 3200MHz DDR4

GPU:
GeForce NVIDIA RTX 3060 GDDR6 6GB

Storage:
1TB NVMe PCIe SSD (Micron 2450)

Software:
Microsoft Windows 11 Home
MSI App Player

Connectivity:
Wireless
802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth 5.2
Wired
1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C
3 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A
1 x RJ45 LAN

Display:
17.3″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level, 240Hz
1 x HDMI 2.1 ([email protected])
1 x miniDisplayPort 1.4

Audio:
2 x 2W speakers
1 x 3.5mm combo audio jack
Array microphone

Power:
330W power adapter
65Whr battery

Dimensions:
397 x 284 x 25.9 mm

Weight:
2.85kg

Performance
MSI Vector GP76 Review – CrystalDiskMark
Kicking off our benchmark suite with CrystalDiskMark, the SSD on the MSI Vector GP76 is on the slower side but there are certainly much faster ones out there. Regardless, you should still be able to enjoy fast speeds overall, especially when booting it up. In case you’re wondering, it’s using the 1TB Micron 2450 SSD.
MSI Vector GP76 Review – Cinebench R20
Moving on to Cinebench R20, the MSI Vector GP76 managed to get a strong showing with its Intel Core i7-12700H. It managed to easily get within the top five highest scoring devices in our list of benchmarked laptops in this test.

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MSI Vector GP76 Review – Unigine SuperPosition
When you add graphical performance into the equation, it’s not as great but it’s still pretty good with the RTX 3060 GPU. It managed to get a score of 7,280 in Unigine SuperPosition’s 4K Optimized benchmark. This is a sign that you might not want to do anything in 4K resolution with this laptop, but 1440p should still be fine.
MSI Vector GP76 Review – 3DMark Time Spy
In 3DMark Time Spy on the other hand, the MSI Vector GP76 performed admirably well, though it is a little short of breaking the 10,000 mark. Regardless, the CPU and GPU combo used in the laptop is certainly shaping up to be a good combination.
MSI Vector GP76 Review – 3DMark Port Royal
Adding ray tracing to the mix since this is an RTX graphics card after all, the MSI Vector GP76 seemed to fare relatively well, especially comparing it to other laptops running the same GPU. Regardless, it’s still not performing at a level where we feel it can do ray tracing comfortably so I would recommend disabling it unless the game also has DLSS.
MSI Vector GP76 Review – PCMark 10
Lastly on PCMark 10, the MSI Vector GP76 is showing to be a well-rounded laptop, capable of doing pretty much anything and everything pretty well. Of course, do keep in mind that this is purely from a performance standpoint, and even then, it’s on a synthetic benchmark.
MSI Vector GP76 Review – Gaming
Of course, no gaming laptop review would be complete without a gaming benchmark and in the case of the MSI Vector GP76, it’s a pretty strong machine. Granted it might just be Full HD resolution but you can pretty much play anything at the highest settings and enjoy at least buttery smooth 60FPS. As I theorized earlier, enabling ray tracing might not be a good idea.
MSI Vector GP76 Review – Battery endurance test
As expected from a gaming laptop, battery life is the MSI Vector GP76’s weakest point. It only managed to last a mere 2 hours and 42 minutes (162 minutes) in PCMark’s Modern Office endurance test and is in the bottom five list of benchmarked laptops in this test. In the gaming endurance test, it only managed to last 51 minutes, but that’s to be expected given how resource-intensive it gets.
The Good
MSI Vector GP76 Review – Lid
The MSI Vector GP76 is a relatively simple, straightforward gaming laptop. For starters, it has a pretty sturdy build quality with the lid and keyboard area being made out of aluminum. The lid itself can be easily opened with one hand, and you can open it up to about 135°, which is adequate.
Next up, the keyboard is certainly one of the most comfortable ones on a gaming laptop, at least from the ones I’ve tested thus far. You get short travel distance, just needs a little pressure to actuate, and is relatively quiet. You may need a bit of time to get used to the arrow keys but this shouldn’t take too long. Of course, you still have that per-key RGB goodness to enjoy as well.
MSI Vector GP76 Review – Ports
You also get a good array of ports here, including three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, a miniDisplayPort, an HDMI 2.1 port, an RJ45 LAN port, and a combo audio jack. It doesn’t have any form of an SD card reader but given what you’re getting, it’s not a big loss.
MSI Vector GP76 Review – Display
Lastly, you have a 360Hz refresh rate display with 4ms GTG response time. This is ideal for those who play fast-paced games, especially shooters like Valorant and Apex Legends, where every bit of time counts. Granted, not many games are able to push the necessary frames up to make full use of that 360Hz but sacrificing some quality for it is still possible to get close. Images are sharp with nice colours provided that you don’t plant your face right in front of the screen.
The Bad
MSI Vector GP76 Review – Powered by Intel and NVIDIA
For a good number of people out there, the MSI Vector GP76 will be treated more like a mobile desktop rather than a laptop. This is not just because of the battery life but also due to how hefty it is. After all, it’s a 17-inch laptop that weighs close to 3kg, making it a bit hard to bring around often. I’m personally okay with the size but it would be nice to see some weight being shaved off.
In terms of thermals, the running temperature of the GPU is pretty cool while the CPU is generally running good with no thermal throttling whatsoever. However, the fans do get rather loud which can be annoying to you and your surroundings. I would recommend using headphones / earphones while you’re gaming to avoid the noise. Speaking of GPU, do keep in mind that this doesn’t have G-SYNC.
MSI Vector GP76 Review – Bottom
Lastly, the speakers are rather subpar. Mids and highs are reproduced relatively decent with bass being practically non-existent here. That’s to be expected from built-in speakers but I would have personally preferred if the volume was a tad bit louder than what we get here.
MSI Vector GP76 Verdict
MSI Vector GP76 Review
If you’re looking for a gaming laptop with a focus on performance, the MSI Vector GP76 could serve you well. If you need something that can push the frames up to make full use of the 360Hz refresh rate, then best to get a variant with beefier hardware. If you need something more mobile and versatile, then you may need to look for something else, perhaps one that is smaller in size.
At the end of our MSI Vector GP76 review, I award this gaming laptop with our Bronze Pokdeward.

Big thanks to MSI Malaysia for sending us this laptop for the purpose of this review.
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A Dedicated Google Assistant Button Will Be Featured In Future Nokia And LG Smartphones

Google has recently announced that they will be partnering with several brands in applying a dedicated Google Assistant button to their partner’s devices.
If you’ve followed MWC 2019 recently, a couple of devices have already implemented the button such as the Nokia 3.2, Nokia 4.2, Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 3, as well as LG’s G8 ThinQ. There are quite a few functions that the dedicated Google Assistant button can do. Pressing it will launch a digital personal assistant, where you can do things that are similar that you’d find on the app itself.
Additionally, a double tap will activate the upcoming/snapshot view, similar to Google Now. Finally, if you hold the button for a period of time, it will then take you to the “walkie-talkie” feature so that you can force it to listen to the full length query or instruction that you want.

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As you might have noticed by the title of this article, Nokia and LG are among the brands that are involved in this partnership with Google. Joining the list are selected devices from Xiaomi, vivo, Alcatel and Blackberry.
Pokdepinion: Personally, I don’t really utilize Google Assistant that much. Regardless, I guess people who do will appreciate this. It’ll be easier to access.
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Here’s What Happens If You Don’t Accept WhatsApp Privacy Changes

The new WhatsApp terms and conditions for users has caused a stir in the community, where it has left people concerned that their chats would be observed. It has caused a lot of users to move on to other messaging platforms. While it was scheduled for a release on the 8th of February, it was then delayed due to the concern. If you’re wondering what will happen if you don’t agree to the terms, WhatsApp has given their answer.
What happens if you don’t accept WhatsApp T&C

Should you refuse to agree to the new terms after 15th of May 2021, it appears that you will still be able to receive calls and notifications on the platform. Despite that, you will not be able to read or send messages, which is pretty much useless.

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It’s unknown of what will happen afterwards but the company does have a policy of deleting accounts that has gone inactive for 120 days. It is possible that will they will deem you inactive if you haven’t been messaging or utilizing the app as you would normally do.
As you might have already know, Facebook has acquired WhatsApp for quite some time now. People have been assuming that the new terms would give Facebook their metadata but truth be told, they have been doing it for years now.
For more of the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
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Pokdepinion: I see no point to use the app anymore if you don’t accept the terms. You’d be better moving to another platform.
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Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic Review – Mainstream Appeal

Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic
Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic Review – Box
Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic Review – Box content

The packaging of the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic is essentially the same as their other, more recent smartwatches. It’s a long white box with it being laid flat as opposed to a smaller box with the wristband tied up. Inside the box, you can find the following items:

Quick start guide
Terms and conditions booklet
Charger
The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic itself

Appearance
Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic Review – Top
The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic is one of the two new wearables introduced by the Korean giant recently at the latest Galaxy Unpacked event. For our review unit, it came with a 42mm Ridge Sports Band, which is a fluoroelastomer material that is durable and can withstand sweat, making it ideal for workouts.
Looking from top, you can see the 1.4-inch Super AMOLED Display with Gorilla Glass DX. The resolution has seen an improvement over last year’s model as it went from 360 x 360 to 450 x 450. It’s worth noting that the bezels can rotate, and it makes an audible click with each rotation.

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Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic Review – Ridge Sports Band
The band being used is the aforementioned fluoroelastomer material, which will remind you of the typical silicon strap used for wearables. It’s black in color and can stretch a bit. If you don’t like it or prefer to have different straps for different purposes, it’s quite easy to change it out.
Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic Review – Rear
As for the rear of the smartwatch, you can see the charging contact, the model the wearable, and some other text giving you more information on the product. There is a circular pattern that alternates between silver and black here.
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic isn’t a huge departure from its predecessor in terms of design. However, it does introduce a number of good improvement which we’ll dive deeper in the User Experience section. It looks suitable for workouts and can look classy when paired with a leather strap or metal band. As such, I recommend having a few straps ready for different use purposes.
Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic Specifications

Display
1.4″ 450 x 450 Super AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass DX, Always-on display, 321 ppi

Water resistance
IP68 (50mm water resistant)

CPU
Dual core Samsung Exynos W920 @ 1.18GHz

Memory
1.5GB RAM, 16GB storage

Features

Samsung Pay
MIL-STD-810G compliant
ECG certified
Blood pressure monitor
Compatible with standard 20mm straps
Rotating bezel
Natural language commands and dictation
Bluetooth 5.0
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n dual-band
NFC
GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS

Sensors
Accelerometer Gyroscope Barometer Heart rate

Battery
361 mAh, Qi wireless charging

Dimensions
45.5 45.5 x 11 mm 52 g

If you would like to compare this with the Samsung Galaxy Watch3, check out our review of that smartwatch by clicking right here.
User Experience
Pairing
Just like previous models, the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic can be used on its own. To make full use of it, you will need to connect it to your smartphone with the Galaxy Wearable app. Pairing it is very easy as all you need to do is:

Activate Bluetooth
Search for the smartwatch
Select it and continue with the pairing / verification process
Follow the instructions on the app for added personalization

For the most part, the app will take care of the process for you. It will take 2-3 minutes at best unless there’s an update available in the first connection, which can take a little long to finish as it will transfer over via Bluetooth. In this case, best to keep your smartphone close to the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic.
General Use
Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic Review
The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic is powered by the Exynos W920, which is notable for being the first 5nm processor to power wearables. It’s slightly stronger than the Exynos 9110 but it’s said to be noticeably more energy-efficient. Memory has also seen an upgrade as the RAM has increase by 500MB while the storage has doubled, effectively putting it at 1.5GB RAM and 16GB storage.
Instead of Tizen OS, this new series of wearables have moved to Wear OS with One UI Watch. This is a good move in my opinion given that Wear OS has matured more over the years, giving it more use and versatility. There isn’t too much different in terms of interface with One UI Watch, so I’m sure most people would have an easy time with it. Personally, it’s visually smoother than its predecessors.
To navigate through the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic, you will be using either the touchscreen or the rotating bezel for the most part. I had the most fun with the rotating bezel as it works pretty fast and it somewhat provides me with a fidget toy of sorts, and I tend to spin it out of boredom. Either way, both work reliably and I’m sure you’ll be happy using them.
Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic Review
As far as apps are concerned, the apps that are included in the watch generally works fast and reliably. If you often use Samsung Pay, it’s even easier with this as you don’t even need to take your phone. Even messages now can display pictures, emoji, and conversation history for new messages. Moreover, new gesture controls make it easier to use the smartwatch, such as shaking your wrist to mute incoming calls.
Given the move to Wear OS, app supports has improved significantly as there are more apps compared to other wearable OS. You have more options which means you can further expand its functionality. While I honestly don’t mind not having it as I would rather use the smartphone directly, having the ability is great, especially for times when you can’t easily use your phone directly.
If you’re using this with a Samsung device, you won’t be facing any trouble with it. With other Android devices however, you’re going to be spending some time installing a myriad of apps assuming you want to make full use of this smartwatch, such as fitness tracking. If you’re using an iPhone, don’t bother as limitations will not allow you to use this to its fullest potential.
Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic Review – Interactive Watchface
Unlike apps, there is a good variety of watchfaces available for the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic, both free and premium ones. If the pre-installed ones aren’t good enough for you, you can find more on the Galaxy Apps Store. Whether you find something you will like is a different story as I personally like what’s already included. Keep an eye out for the more interactive ones as some will display differently when you get notifications or do specific things with it.
Like before, you can use voice commands on the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic. Personally, I’m surprised that it works better than before as it seemed to understand my words better than in previous models. I don’t think this is much to do with improved microphone but rather, an improved AI system that now has a more nuanced understanding of vocals.
Health
Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic Review – Samsung Health app
The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic has seen a notable boost in the health department. It is now capable of detecting your body composition with some degree of accuracy, although it will require some input including your weight and height. This will make it easier for those who need a clearer starting point to lose weight / gain muscle mass.
Apart from that, it does have the necessary features in case you want to use it for that. It has activity tracking, workout detection, heart rate monitoring, enhanced sleep tracking, blood oxygen monitoring, and VO2 Max reporting. Similar to the Apple Watch, it can even call an emergency contact automatically if it detects a fall.
It does seem to track well enough as it shows a detailed description of my heart rate, calories and other data during my badminton and jogging sessions. The sleep tracker still gives me a score to evaluate how well I slept but I can’t make full sense of it, and could benefit from having better insight. However, it can be tough to do so since the science behind sleep still requires extensive research.
Battery Life
Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic Review
The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic is packed with a lot of features and, depending on how you use it, battery life is bound to tank. One thing I can say for sure is that it is an improvement over its predecessor as it lasted 38 hours with Always-on Display and and zero battery saving features enabled.
This means you are going to charge it on a daily basis, if not once every two days assuming you are a light user. It can definitely last a full day with ease so when you’re not using it, just put it on the magnetic charger, which is convenient to use. Personally, I hope one day I can see Samsung produce a smartwatch of this caliber (if not better) with a battery life of at least a week, which would be a major convenience booster.
Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic is a great smartwatch for those who want one that is suitable for both casual and formal setting, and also for the health-conscious folk. Best to have different straps for different purposes for a more fitting look. Starting from RM1,299, it can be a bit pricey but it’s pretty worth buying, especially if you use a Samsung smartphone.
At the end of our Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic review, I award this smartwatch with our Silver Pokdeward.

Big thanks to Samsung Malaysia for sending us this smartwatch for the purpose of this review.Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

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Windows 11: what you need to know about the next Windows OS

So yeah, Microsoft did say Windows 10 was going to be the “last version of Windows” when they launched it… But here we are. Windows 11 is now out, and it promises an improved experience for just about everyone.
New Start menu, refreshed Widgets

Widgets are probably the most Windows 7 thing you can think of. But I guess the people at Microsoft can’t get over it. However unlike the rather widgets on Windows 7, Windows 11’s widgets will provide a curated news feed powered by AI, which sounds pretty similar to what we have in the latest version of Windows 10: the unwanted News and Interest toolbar in our taskbar.

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And of course, the feature seen in the most frequently shared screenshot of Windows 11 is confirmed. Microsoft will be centering the Start Menu in Windows 11. It will also now be integrated with the cloud and Microsoft 365, allowing users to continue their work even if they did it on their Android or iOS devices. Pretty nifty. But it does seem to hint at a deeper issue at Microsoft: they literally have no idea what people want with their Start Menu. I mean, Windows 8’s start menu was a disaster, and I don’t see how a Start Menu that pops up in the center of my screen will make any sense.
Windows 11 will also be integrating Microsoft Teams into the taskbar. This is great for those who work with Teams, as it is a truly robust platform. However integrating more stuff into the taskbar is not a good way to encourage adoption. After all, have you seen anyone around you really use OneDrive or Skype, even though it is always trying to get your attention from the taskbar? My point exactly.
Improved multi-tasking support
          Snap Desktop            Snap Layout
On top of baking Microsoft Teams into the taskbar, Microsoft will also be launching something called Snap Layouts, Snap Groups and Desktops. The latter is probably something similar to what we have already, allowing users to customize spaces for the different tasks that they might do on the same PC. Meanwhile Snap Groups and Snap Layouts appear to be Microsoft’s olive branch towards multi-monitor users. Did you know that you can’t snap a window to fill up either the top or bottom half of a vertical display, but you can snap a window to fill half the screen along the long side in Windows 10? Yeah, I sure hope that’s fixed in Windows 11.
New Microsoft Store with Android apps

Yes, Microsoft will now offer a platform for Android app developers to offer their apps on Windows 11. This is done in a partnership with Amazon and Intel, with the use of Intel Bridge Technology to improve performance in Android apps even on x86 systems. On top of bringing Android apps to Windows 11, we can also expect to see a lot more offerings on the Microsoft Store. That includes stuff like the apps from the Adobe Creative Suite, and more.
Microsoft will be making the Microsoft Store more open to developers, allowing them to bring their apps to the store regardless of the app framework they are built on, fully taking advantage of Windows 11’s flexibility. Finally, Microsoft has come to their senses, instead of limiting Microsoft Store apps to just UWP apps.

Another major change in favor of developers is Microsoft’s revenue share policies. Developers can keep 100% of their commercial revenue if they used their own payment system. Hint hint, Google and Apple. I am sure at least Epic will be very happy to hear about this. Meanwhile app developers who opt to use Microsoft’s commerce ecosystem will only have to give Microsoft 15%, which is pretty competitive.
Is Windows 11 free?

Yes. Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 will be a free upgrade for eligible Windows 10 PCs later this year. Windows 10 support will end in 2025, so you still have plenty of time to make up your mind. But considering what we know, Windows 11 should be a nice upgrade over Windows 10, as long as your hardware can support it.
Minimum requirements for Windows 11
Here are the list of system requirements for Windows 11:

1GHz or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor/SoC
4GB RAM
64GB or more storage
UEFI, Secure Boot capable
TPM 2.0
DirectX 12 graphics
>9″ HD (720p) display
Internet connection to setup Windows 10 Home

Alternatively, you can download a PC Health Check app to see if your PC meets the requirements from the Windows 11 landing page here.
Pokdepinion: Seems like a nice upgrade, although I am not exactly sure if we will be using all the features brought about by the new version of Windows.
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Up to RM150 off last-gen laptops in MSI Dragon Promo — and also an exclusive giveaway!

Discounts up to RM150!

MSI may have just launched their latest 8th Generation Intel gaming laptops, but those may well be out of the average gamer’s means. The MSI Dragon Promo which runs until 30th April 2018 lets you own MSI’s gaming laptops with the still-potent 7th Generation Intel Core i7 CPUs for up to RM150 less.

Yep, they are slashing up to RM150 off two exclusive models, which sport the specifications as below:

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GL62M 7RDX-2605MY
GL62M 7REX-2452MY

CPU:
Intel Core i7 7700HQ (4C/8T @ up to 3.8 GHz)

RAM:
4GB DDR4

GPU:
GeForce GTX 1050 4GB GDDR5
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5

Storage:
1TB 7200 rpm HDD
128GB PCIe NVMe SSD
1TB 7200 rpm HDD

Display:
15.6″ FHD (1080p) Vivid Color 94% sRGB gamut

Price:
RM3799 RM3749
RM4399 RM4249

You can purchase these laptops online at MSI’s Official Online Store or check out MSI’s list of official resellers here.
How about FREE games?
Free stuff are always interesting, and we are definitely interested in MSI Malaysia’s very interesting giveaway of a a rather interesting game. They have Dragon Ball FighterZ up for grabs at their FB page, so if you are keen on fighting as Goku or against Goku, this is the chance for you to get the game for free and do it! The game itself is worth RM199 on Steam, so make sure you do not miss out on this opportunity!

Pokdepinion: Well, you may be considering whether to get the laptop or not, but don’t tell me you need to think whether to join a giveaway?
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Killer lan Vs Intel Lan

Before we start , let me tell you the purpose of this Killer Lan vs Intel Lan review , we want to see what is the different between Intel lan and Killer Lan chip and which one is the best between these two , and is it true or not that Killer Lan can give a better latency in gaming?
this is not a control test , so the result may be varies on different setup . This test will give you a general look of what Killer Lan can give , and i want you to know that im doing this test as a normal user that does not required a specific setup to maximize the network performance , basically a user who love Plug’n’Play (PnP)
This test not a very complex test , just a simple benchmark using Network Benchmark tools such as Jperf , LanBench and Lan Speed Test (Lite)

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Client Spec
Intel Chip (ASUS Z87 – PLUS 1150)

Killer Lan Chip (ASROCK Z87 FATAL1TY 1150)

Benchmark Tools

Jperf 2.0.2
Lan Bench
Lan Speed Test (Lite)

All the test is based on Client to Server throughput result
 everything was updated to the latest bios and drivers

Test Result
Jperf 2.0.2
Intel Lan Chip

Killer Lan Chip

Jperf 2.0.2
Single Parallel Stream
Intel chip = 746Mbits/s
Killer chip = 902Mbits/s
Multiple Parallel Stream
Intel chip = 934Mbits/s
Killer chip = 938Mbits/s
For this test im using default setting of jperf but I only change the output info into Mbits instead of Kbits
I did multiple test on both chip , it seem Killer chip has a better throughput for single and multiple parallel stream .
Lan Bench
Intel Lan Chip

Killer Lan Chip

LanBench
Intel chip = 768Mbits/s
killer chip = 900Mbits/s (win)
For lan bench the setting im using Packet size 2048KB , duration test 20sec and send only . it seem Killer chip has a better throughput on this test .
Lan Speed Test (Lite)
Intel Lan Chip

Killer Lan Chip

Lan Speed Test
Intel chip = 571Mbits/s (read) / 458Mbits/s (write)
Killer chip = 623Mbits/s (read) / 441Mbits/s (write)
For Lan Speed Test software it will create a dummy file then it will upload it to the target location and it will download it back
I did not expect this test will be close to 1Gbits because of the server is using HDD .
Judging from the result it both of the chip getting around 500>700Mbits that is equal around to 50MBytes to 70MBytes
LAN File Transfer (3.85GB rar file)
Intel Lan Chip

Killer Lan Chip

Client to Server
Intel chip = 52MB/s (55MB/s peak)
Killer chip = 45MB/s (53MB/s peak)
Average rate for Intel chip is 52MB/s and Killer chip is 45MB/s
Server To Client

Intel Lan Chip

Killer Lan Chip

Lets a take a look if both client and server were using SSD , Server to Client Lan Transfer rate will close to 1Gbits/s = 128MBytes/s
and the result from server to client test :-
Intel chip = 108MB/s
Killer chip = 107MB/s
Conclusion
Judging from the result of course Killer Lan has the advantage here but the last result of the .rar File Transfer intel has no problem doing its job ,
Which one is better? , honestly to me if a motherboard that have Killer Lan Chip and cost more than standard Intel Lan Chip on it , i would stick to standard Intel Lan Chip and invest on a router that have a good QoS feature for more control over the network .
on the next post i will review about the Killer Network Manager software , it is good? bad? or just simply a marketing tool .
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[TGS 2017] FFXV “Monster of the Deep”; That’s Not What She Said

Over at TGS 2017, Square Enix gave everyone an insight on Final Fantasy XV’s Monster of the Deep DLC expansion. Fire up them PSVR kits everyone!

Final Fantasy XV “Monster of the Deep” Expansion

In case you didn’t know, Tokyo Game Show has begun, and we’ve been learning a lot from some of our favorite studios. Today, Square Enix revealed a brand new trailer from your next adventure with Noctis, Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio (amongst some others); Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV.

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Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV is the upcoming standalone virtual reality title set in the Final Fantasy XV universe where you will have the chance to leisurely angle from some of Eos’ best watering holes, but also where you’ll need to fight for survival against some of the world’s most fearsome creatures.
You’ll find plenty of ordinary fish throughout your journey in Monster of the Deep, but soon you will encounter the game’s action-packed struggles with the watery wildlife. You’ll know what I mean once the rock ballad starts up in the trailer below.
Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV is scheduled to release on November 21, 2017 for PlayStation VR. As promised, you will find the new trailer provided below.
Earlier today, we received word about a story expansion for Final Fantasy XV from Tokyo Game Show 2017. If you missed out on that, click here to get up to speed on what’s coming to the game in the future.

Pokdepinion: So many new things coming to the game and so many things make me feel wary of it at the same time. It’s no secret at this point that I myself was a bit disappointed with the game, and I really hope these extra content for FFXV will indeed improve the overall experience. Otherwise, I’d be really afraid to think about the future of the Final Fantasy series.
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Digi Prepaid NEXT Monthly Plans Launched From RM15

The folks at Digi has introduced today their all new Digi Prepaid NEXT, their prepaid starter pack that comes with 30-day validity which starts from RM15.
Digi Prepaid NEXT plans
Digi Prepaid NEXT
Starting from the price of RM15, you can enjoy 30-day internet validity which starts at 3GB quota. With that package, you will get Unlimited Social usage on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. There’s also two RM28 packages, where the first offers 6GB quota that comes with unlimited YouTube and Unlimited Social access.
The other RM28 package offers a smaller 4GB quota but offers Unlimited Calls to all networks. You have the option to add-on internet from RM1.

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There’s benefits too as they will give free basic internet of 1GB per month for life as well as up to 2GB of free internet for successful on-time renewal every month.
Other than that, for a minimum of RM10 reload per week, you can get 100 minutes of Digi-to-Digi calls every week as well as free IDD minutes to selected countries every week.
For more details on the Digi Prepaid NEXT plans, you can head to the link here.
Pokdepinion: Believe it or not, I can survive with that RM15 package as my usage is not that high. Though I’m sure some would think otherwise.. What do you think of the Digi Prepaid NEXT packages? Let us know down below.
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MSI Afterburner Is Back With GeForce RTX 40 & Radeon RX 7900 Series Support

After a long hiatus and payment disputes, the developer for MSI’s tuning app is back and with it comes the updated UI.
Imgae: Videocardz
MSI Afterburner is pretty much ubiquitous among NVIDIA GeForce users who looks to eke out that last bit of performance – but the app developer had disputes with MSI with the lack of payment for months, which put the app’s future in question. Fortunately, the dispute seems to be solved and development has since gone back on track.
While Afterburner had Beta releases over the years since its last stable release (v4.6.4, released in 2019), there was no major changes to the app and was getting caught up by other vendor’s equivalent solutions. This new version of the app is setting the record straight – by adding support for the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series and AMD Radeon RX 7900 series GPUs to the official stable release.

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Apart from that, the app now also supports Intel 13th Gen and AMD Ryzen 7000 series CPUs, plus some yet-to-be-announced silicon hidden under the code. Even Intel’s Arc GPUs can now be monitored through the app a swell, though there’s no overclocking support for these models just yet.
Source: Videocardz | Guru3D
Pokdepinion: The new UI is a huge improvement over the old one which I find a bit hard to use unless you’re already familiar with the app.
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Snapdragon Wear 4100 looks good, but might just be too late to save Wear OS

While Wear OS was pretty promising back in the day, it was held back by smartwatches offering poor battery life. As HUAWEI and Samsung built their own smartwatch OSes, Wear OS gradually faded from the limelight. Qualcomm seems to think there’s still a future for Wear OS though, and have released the new Snapdragon Wear 4100 and 4100+ chipsets designed to power the next generation of smartwatches.
Now in case you were wondering, Qualcomm have been making the Snapdragon Wear 2100 and 3100 chipsets for smartwatches too, but they were not exactly the most efficient chips in the market. Manufactured on the 28nm process node and featuring antiquated Cortex A7 cores, they didn’t perform great either.
The Snapdragon Wear 4100 chipsets will bring more modern Cortex A53 cores running at up to 1.7 GHz, as well as a faster Adreno 504 GPU. Qualcomm will also be using the 12nm manufacturing process this time around. Overall, Qualcomm claims that the Snapdragon Wear 4100 offers 85% higher performance than the last-gen Snapdragon Wear 3100.

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So I guess by now you will be wondering what’s the difference between the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ and Snapdragon Wear 4100. Well, the Plus variant basically comes with an updated smart always-on (AON) co-processor, the Qualcomm QCC1110. This AON co-processor debuted in the Snapdragon Wear 3100, but can now support more colorful ambient display modes and also features like step counting, haptic feedback, continuous heart rate monitoring and alarms.
Qualcomm claims up to 25% lower power consumption or about a week of battery life. Mobvoi will be using the Snapdragon Wear 4100 chips in their next-gen TicWatch Pro, along with imoo, which will be launching the Z6 Ultra.
Snapdragon Wear 4100 Specs

4 x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53
Adreno 504
Hexagon QDSP6 V56
Support for up to to 16MP camera
Optional QCC1110 AON co-processor (Snapdragon Wear 4100+)
12nm

Wear OS has seen rather lackluster adoption in recent years, due to the sheer popularity of Samsung’s wearables packing Tizen OS. The only mainstream brand currently making Wear OS-based smartwatches is Fossil. Perhaps the new chipset and revitalized adoption from Google’s partners will see Wear OS’ comeback? Maybe, but it does seem quite unlikely.
Source
Pokdepinion: I really wanted the Moto 360 until I found out about the battery life… I wonder if we will see a new Moto 360 soon, flat-tire and all.
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Transcend JetDrive Go 300 with Lightning and USB 3.1 connectors

iDevice has never come with memory expansion options. Users will either have to fork out more moolah for more built-in storage, use cloud storage or spend time clearing their limited storage space by transferring files to a computer.

Now then, the Transcend isn’t the first Lightning OTG drive for iDevices, but it does have a USB 3.1 Gen 1 connector on the other end which will offer transfer rates of up to 130 MB/s. The Lightning end transfers data to iDevices at comparatively much slower rates of around 20 MB/s. The Lightning connector is extended so it will be compatible with more 3rd-party cases in the market. Both ends have individual caps to protect the connectors.

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To use the USB drives, download the Transcend exclusive JetDrive Go App. The JetDrive Go App features an intuitive user interface and comes with all the browsers needed to view images, audio files and documents including Microsoft Office, Apple iWork and Adobe PDF. The app will automatically classify files into folders, photos, videos and documents, making it easier for users to manage their files and promptly locate the one they want.
ARVE Error: need id and provider
The Transcend JetDrive 300 comes in either silver or black, which corresponds to 32GB or 64GB capacities, respectively. It is Apple MFi Certified and is guaranteed to work with any iDevice with a Lightning port.

Pokdepinion: Extra storage is necessary especially if you are an owner of an 16GB iDevice. Backing up without cables or using the cloud is preferable for the convenience, and given the cost of mobile data in Malaysia, a lot more cost effective.
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New Battle Royale Game Radical Heights Unveiled: From the Makers of LawBreakers

With the recent hype of Battle Royale games launching in all sorts of different platforms, a new challenger has arrived. It’s called Radical Heights and it’s developed by Boss Key Production, the same people behind LawBreakers.
New Battle Royale Game Radical Heights Unveiled

Boss Key Production released LawBreakers on PC and PS4 last year. The game unfortunately underperformed, so the developers recently shared their plans to move on from the game Today, we got our first glimpse at what’s next for the studio, and its a free-to-play battle royale game called Radical Heights.
The game will actually be availalble on Steam for free starting April 10th 2018, but will be in Early Access, or as Boss Key Productions describes it “X-TREME Early Access”. The developers decided to go with Early Access as they could start building a community right away while also getting feedback quickly from fans.

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Radical Heights will stay free-to-play, even after it leaves Early Access, which Boss Key Production plans on keeping the game in for about a year.
Zach Lowery, Creative Director of Radical Heights, said:
This is a 5 month passion project for the studio as we’re creating and publishing the game entirely by ourselves. We’re huge fans of Battle Royale games along with the bright, inviting irreverence of the 80’s aesthetic.
Because of that, we want to put our own spin on the genre and create a futuristic 80’s world that takes place in 2023 during an over-the-top game show where contestant battle it out for fame and prizes.

Radical Heights has an undeniable 80’s theme, and takes place in a sunny dome in Southern California. As is typical for the genre, players will drop in, pick up weapons, and aim to be the last one standing. Radical Heights is attempting to set itself apart though, as its features BMX bikes for players to ride, and lets plays bank cash that they gain from killing enemies, which can later be used to by new outfits or purchase weapons early in the next game.
You can check out the game’s reveal trailer at the top of this post. Radical Heights will be available on Steam via Early Access beginning April 10th 2018.
Pokdepinion: I suppose if you’re not playing PUBG and if you’re sorta bored of Fortnite, you can always give Radical Heights a try since it is free. Just keep in mind that it is a Steam Early Access title.
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[TGS 2018] Romancing Saga Re;univerSe and Romancing SaGa 3 Remaster Unveiled

Straight from TGS 2018, we’ve learned more about the upcoming Romancing Saga Re;univerSe and Romancing Saga 3 HD remaster.
Romancing Saga Re;univerSe and Romancing SaGa 3 Remaster Unveiled at TGS 2018

At TGS 2018 today, the folks over at Square Enix has announced Romancing Saga Re;univerSe and shed some more light on the upcoming Romancing SaGa 3 HD remaster.
Romancing Saga Re;univerSe is a sequel to Romancing SaGa 3 and takes place roughly 300 years after the latter. It will also feature various main characters from different SaGa games. The game is scheduled to release in Japan for both iOS and Android.

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For those of you who aren’t aware, the original Romancing SaGa 3 released in 1995 for for the Super Nintendo in Japan and it was not released in the west. The HD remaster of the game was announced in 2017 after the release of Romancing SaGa 2 HD remaster, but information on it was scarce until today at TGS 2018.
The SaGa series actually has its own browser gacha game with Imperial SaGa, so it will be interesting to see which direction this new game will take. If you’re wondering whether microtransactions will be a thing, it is confirmed to be part of the game.
Romancing SaGa 3 HD remaster will be coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS Vita, Android, and iOS sometime in early 2019. Romancing Saga Re;univerSe on the other hand will be coming to Android and iOS but no release window / date has been announced yet.
Pokdepinion: Well, this certainly brings back a lot of memories. This is one of the few series that made me really like J-RPGs.
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[E3 2018] Origin Access Premier Coming to PC – You Can Get Full Games Earlier

At EA Play 2018 @ E3 2018, the folks over at Electronic Arts will soon debut a premium service for PC gamers called Origin Access Premier. This gives gamers some special access to upcoming games.
E3 2018: Origin Access Premier Coming to PC

During EA Play 2018 @ E3 2018, EA shared that the company will be providing a new premium option for its Origin Access service on PC called Origin Access Premier. This new premiums service will provide gamers with the ability to play EA’s new titles in full as they arrive.
The service acts as an expanded option on top of the Origin Access service currently available on PC, though Premier will provide players access to full versions of EA’s upcoming new titles, in a similar capacity to Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass. However, Origin Access Premier will also deliver early access to these titles in full, versus the limited trials available with the base version of Origin Access.

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The Origin Access Premier service will also include access to the full Origin Vault of previously-released titles for subscribers, as with the base Origin Access service. The Origin Access Premier service will begin later with its first title, Madden NFL 19, and will also include EA’s titles such as FIFA 19, Battlefield V, and Anthem as the company announced on stage at E3 2018.
Origin Acess Premier will debut later this year. For a closer look at the service and what it will offer, you can check out the reveal trailer at the top of this post from EA Play 2018 @ E3 2018.
For more developments and news on EA’s reveals at E3 2018, be sure to stay tuned to Pokde.net :)
Pokdepinion: Well, anything to give gamers better access to games is a plus. Good move by EA on this but hopefully, this doesn’t turn into a simple money-grabbing scheme, though so far, it seems to be safe. #JustSayin
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MSI to release AGESA COMBO PI V2 1.2.0.2 for MSI 500 and 400 series motherboards by April!

Yes, there are only like two more days in April, but MSI has committed to releasing BIOS updates based on the AGESA Combo PI V2 1.2.0.2 for their AMD 500 series and 400 series motherboards before May comes around. They have even charted out the roadmap for their upcoming BIOS releases based on the latest AGESA update.

These updates is supposed to address the USB issues faced by AMD users, who are reporting that their USB devices are dropping out intermittently. On top of that, MSI claims that these new BIOSes offer “optimized compatibility” for their 500-series and 400-series motherboards, whatever that means.

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You can go onto MSI.com to find the latest BIOSes for your motherboard on the official support page for your specific model. As usual, make sure that you have the correct BIOS for your motherboard. There are usually safeguards preventing you from flashing an incorrect BIOS, but it always pays to double check before trying to flash your BIOS.
Pokdepinion: MSI is definitely doing a good job supporting their motherboards, and also communicating their updates with users!
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Corsair Hydro H60 Review

I used to say to myself that I will not use any close loop liquid solution since the price-performance ratio is rather poor compared to air cooling solutions. My first aftermarket cooling was the Cooler Master TX3 which worked very well with an Athlon II x4 before I switched over to a FX 4100 with the infamous temperature sensor bug (mine was 5 Celcius off) and upgraded the cooler to a Spire Gemini which served me well for it’s price until my current setup E3 1230-v3 both CPU. I really love my Spire Gemini so much that I could say it one of the best air cooling I ever used.
Eventhough I dislike AIO liquid cooling in terms of the price and performance yet I want to get one of those in my system due it cool looking appearance.
It all started when I asked my friend why he equips most of the custom PCs he built with AIO liquid cooling. He simply answered “it works well and make the rig look much better”. Then I decided to pick up a Corsair Hydro H60 for my system.

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The Corsair Hydro H60 is the third lowest end part after the H55 and H50 on Corsair’s Hydro line up. The only reason why I pick Corsair Hydro H60 is it fits into my budget.

Specification

Design
Here is the look of the retail packaging of Corsair Hydro H60 2013.

The graph on the box shows that the H60 is capable to cooling down an overclocked Intel Core i7 3770K @ 4.6Ghz to a decent temperature.

This is what we got in the box. From left is the Intel/AMD bracket, mounting screws, one SP120 fan, the Corsair Hydro H60 itself and product guide.

The Corsair Hydro H60 itself.

Made of copper, the base of the block has pre-applied thermal paste on it. No mirror finish here.

Test Rig
Thumb up to Corsair, installation was very easy and straightforward, I did not even look at the manual when assemble it.

Performance Review
This cooler will be pitted against the Spire Gemini to cool a stock clocked and undervolted Intel Xeon E3 1230V3 at 0.907V. Softwares used for the benchmark is LinX 0.6.5, Real Temp and CPU-Z. All fan speed configurations are default.

As we can see the different between pull-push and push configuration is not that different after all. Idle temperatures are similar with the Spire Gemini but for the load temperatures I am very surprised with the results, as it managed to cool the Xeon E3 better than Spire Gemini.

Conclusion
After the benchmark, I felt that Corsair Hydro H60 is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to use AIO liquid cooling. My recommendation is to stick with Corsair H60 if you are not planning to OC your CPU. But if you do, I would recommend you to use better fans or get the Corsair Hydro H80 or the H105.
What I am going to do with my Spire Gemini? Of course I will keep it and treasure it. The cooler itself already EOL product and its deserve to be in my rare collection.
Corsair Hydro H60 is available on Malaysia market with SRP RM299

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