OPPO Find X2 Pro Review — Setting The Benchmark

In this review, we take a look at the OPPO Find X2 Pro, the company’s latest flagship smartphone powered by Qualcomm’s high-end Snapdragon 865. But of course, the chipset isn’t everything that makes a smartphone. So how much of an upgrade is the phone compared to last year’s flagship? Let’s find out.
OPPO Find X2 Pro Unboxing
OPPO Find X2 Pro review
Remember the OPPO A91 that we reviewed and the box that it came with? Well, this smartphone right here is having none of that. The OPPO Find X2 Pro comes in a nice little dark blue packaging with gold font. A pretty nice touch, I’d say.
OPPO Find X2 Pro unboxing
Inside, you’ll find the following items:

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The phone itselfEarphonesUSB type-C cable65W SuperVOOC chargerPhone caseQuick guideWarranty card
Appearance
OPPO Find X2 Pro Review
Looking at the front, you can see that the OPPO Find X2 Pro comes with a punch-hole display, where it fits a single camera lens at the top-left corner of its AMOLED display. Right at the center of the top area, you have the secondary speaker.
OPPO Find X2 Pro review
Down below, there’s the SIM tray, USB Type-C port, as well as the main speaker grille.
OPPO Find X2 Pro review
On the right side, you’ll only find the power button for the OPPO Find X2 Pro.
OPPO Find X2 Pro review
On the opposite side, there’s the volume rockers. Sitting on top of the phone is only the microphone hole.
OPPO Find X2 Pro review
As you can see, we’ve got our hands on the Black (Ceramic) version of the OPPO Find X2 Pro.
OPPO Find X2 Pro Specifications
CPU:Snapdragon 865 Octa-core (1 x 2.84GHz Kryo 585 + 3 x 2.42GHz Kryo 585 + 4 x 1.8GHz Kryo 585) 7nm+GPU:Adreno 650RAM:12GB LPDDR5Display:6.7″ QHD+ (3168 x 1440) AMOLED, HDR 10, 120Hz refresh rateStorage:512GB UFS 3.0Camera:Camera(s)48MP f/1.7 (wide) 25mm PDAF, Laser AF, OIS13MP f/3.0 (telephoto) 5x optical zoom48MP f/2.2 (ultrawide) AFUltra Night Mode 3.0, Live HDR video, Ultra Steady Video Pro, Macro, up to 60x digital zoomFront camera32MP f/2.4 (wide)HDR, Portrait, BeautyOS:ColorOS 7.1 based on Android 10Connectivity:5G Nr Band n1/ n3/ n5/ n7/ n28A/ n40/ n41/ n77/ n78/ n79 LTE Band 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 7/ 8/ 12/ 13/ 17/ 18/ 19/ 20/ 25/ 26/ 28/ 29/ 32/ 34/ 38/ 39/ 40/ 41/ 42/ 66Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)Bluetooth 5.1NFCDual-band GPSUSB 3.0 USB-CSIM:Dual SIM (nano SIM)Battery:Li-Po 4260 mAh (non-removable)65W SuperVOOC 2.0 Flash ChargeDimensions:165.2 x 74.4 x 8.8 mmWeight:217 gIngress protection:IP68 dust/water resistant
Performance
In case you’re wondering, the OPPO Find X2 Pro is the first Snapdragon 865-powered smartphone that we’ve gotten so far and we’re quite curious on how much of an upgrade it is from its predecessors.

We see pretty impressive scores in the Antutu V8 benchmark, showcasing how powerful the Snapdragon 865 chipset is.

We get similar results in Geekbench as the OPPO Find X2 Pro tops some of the flagship devices that we’ve tested so far.

The phone sets the bar again in terms of graphical performance in 3DMark, showcasing the best scores in Sling and Sling Shot Extreme. It fails to beat Black Shark 2 Pro’s Ice Storm Unlimited score however, though it’s worth mentioning that the former is a gaming smartphone.

Here in PCMark’s Work 2.0 Performance test, the OPPO Find X2 Pro fails to take top spot but still achieved a rather high score.

This is where the OPPO Find X2 Pro faces trouble, its battery efficiency. Both 60Hz and 120Hz mode in the benchmark shows that they drain the battery quite a lot. This is probably due to the display panel that it uses.
In terms of real life usage, I find that after a day of heavy usage, I’d be left with around 55% of battery at the end of the day. This includes messaging apps, watching videos on YouTube and Facebook, as well as some light gaming on Call of Duty: Mobile. I find that it’s still okay considering the fact that it has the VOOC 2.0 fast charger.
I found that after a 30 minute period of charging the device, I managed to refill 77% of the battery’s juice, which is mighty fast to say the least. It’s awesome to have the charger that comes with it, but it would’ve even be better if they offered a wireless option for it too.
User Experience
OPPO Find X2 Pro review
The first thing that I’ve noticed on the OPPO Find X2 Pro is its beautiful display. Just the home screen was enough to catch my attention. Watching high definition videos were certainly a pleasure too.
One weird thing that I’ve noticed is that when playing games that support up to 120Hz such as Subway Surfer and Temple Run 2, the phone only runs at 55-60Hz only, which is something that you should take note of if gaming’s your priority.
If watching videos is more of your thing, you will be satisfied with the display of the phone. I’ve got to say that the OPPO Find X2 Pro’s screen is probably one of the best that I’ve watched content on (for a smartphone, of course). The Dolby Atmos surround sound and its dual speakers, they help elevate the experience even further. It’s too bad that they couldn’t fit in a 3.5mm headphone jack for the phone, that would’ve been nice.
OPPO Find X2 Pro review
In terms of the design itself, although the device is a thing of beauty, I can’t help but feel like it’s a bit bulky. I don’t really feel comfortable putting the device in my pocket. However, it might just be me.
OPPO Find X2 Pro UI
With OPPO’s ColorOS 7.1, you’ll be getting a simple user interface (UI). If it doesn’t suit you, you can further customize it by changing icons, as well as choosing an app drawer instead of the preset.
OPPO Find X2 Pro camera UI
The camera UI for the OPPO Find X2 Pro is quite similar to their previous models, pretty easy and straightforward, which is a good thing. There’s the 48MP mode but you’ll need to toggle it manually to use the mode.

So the OPPO Find X2 Pro comes with three cameras on the back, offering a 48MP main camera, a 48MP ultrawide lens, and a 13MP telephoto shooter. Overall I’m satisfied with the outcome of the shots.
The AI Color Dazzle feature makes your picture’s color ‘pop-out’, making it worthy for those social media uploads. Personally I’m not really a fan of a feature like it, but hey, there’s that option.
Colors are more accurate to real life compared to other OPPO smartphones that I’ve used previously and that’s a plus. It’s Night Mode does the job, giving brighter backgrounds.
Simply put, I’m pleased with the camera configuration that OPPO fit in to the device and the outcome.
You can check out the full sized images here.
OPPO Find X2 Pro Verdict
OPPO Find X2 Pro review
After using the OPPO Find X2 Pro for some time, is the phone any good? It definitely is and it is arguably one of the best flagship Android smartphones out in the market right now. Its display is one of the best that I’ve seen, which may not be perfect but I did enjoy my time with it.
Coming with a price tag of RM4,599, it’s safe to say that not everyone can afford it. Despite that, if you have the dough, you will definitely enjoy the device. For that, I give the OPPO Find X2 Pro our Silver Pokdeward.

A big shout out to OPPO Malaysia for providing the OPPO Find X2 Pro that was used in this review!
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Spotify Wrapped 2021 Announced — Here’s Malaysia’s Most Streamed Artists

It’s that time of the year again where Spotify releases their Spotify Wrapped for 2021 campaign, showcasing the top artists for more than 381 million users around the globe. If you’re curious on what are the top hits/artists for Malaysia, you’ve come to the right place.
Spotify Wrapped 2021

As usual, Spotify reveals the top artists, albums, songs, playlists, and podcasts from creators that has gained the most attention from listeners. Without wasting any time, you can check the lists below:

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Malaysia’s Most Streamed Artists

BTS
Justin Bieber
Taylor Swift
Ariana Grande
Olivia Rodrigo

Malaysia’s Most Streamed Female Artists

Taylor Swift
Ariana Grande
Olivia Rodrigo
Doja Cat
Billie Eilish

Malaysia’s Most Streamed Male Artists

Justin Bieber
The Weeknd
Bruno Mars
Ed Sheeran
Lauy

Malaysia’s Most Streamed Groups

BTS
Blackpink
Twice
Maroon 5
Tomorrow X Together

Malaysia’s Most Streamed Tracks

Butter – BTS
Heartbreak Anniversary – Giveon
Driver License – Olivia Rodrigo
At My Worst – Pink Sweat$
Stay (with Justin Bieber) – The Kid LAROI

Malaysia’s Most Streamed Local Artists

Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza
Yonnyboii
Naim Daniel
Hujan
Haqiem Rusli

In case if you want to see your personal Wrapped experience, you may do so on your mobile device right here. For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Pokdepinion: It’s weird knowing that I’ve never listened to any of the top 5 most streamed artists in Malaysia..
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Redmi 12C Now Available In Malaysia, From RM599

Xiaomi’s budget sub-brand touts the 12C as one of the most powerful smartphone at this price range.

Xiaomi has announced the release of the Redmi 12C, a new entry-level smartphone powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 processor and can support up to 6+5GB of extended LPDDR4X RAM and 1TB of microSD expansion. The phone is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery which should last a full day in most cases, but the charging port uses the old Micro-USB port and not the USB-C that’s common in most phones, which is a bummer. Though you do get 10W charging for which Redmi says it’s “fast charging”, so there’s that.

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The Redmi 12C has a 6.71″ HD+ 60Hz display and a 20.6:9 aspect ratio; on the camera front, the Redmi 12C boasts a 50MP main camera with HDR and Night Mode, and sitting inside the rear camera bump is the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. Front camera is a 5MP sensor housed inside a teardrop notch – both sides support up to 1080p 30FPS video recording.
The phone comes in four colors: Graphic Grey, Ocean Blue, Mint Green, and Lavender Purple, and will be available in two variants – 4GB+128GB (RM599) and 6GB+128GB (RM699). Sales will go live on March 16 – customers can purchase the Redmi 12C from Authorized Xiaomi Stores and other official retailers, as well as official online stores on Lazada and Shopee. Pre-orders start from March 9, for a limited time, customers who purchase the device will receive a free Redmi Buds 4 Lite (worth RM139), while stocks last.
Pokdepinion:  For the price the specs are decent, plus the TWS gift too – if you chose to preorder.
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How GeForce Game Ready Drivers Improve Your Gaming Experience

What Are GeForce Game Ready Drivers?

The GeForce Game Ready Drivers are graphics drivers for your NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards. What makes them different from the standard graphics driver is the objective and approach of it as it was launched 7 years ago to give the “best possible experience” in gaming. That might sound like a broad description but allow me to explain it clearer.
Unlike before, NVIDIA is actively collaborating with developers through virtually all stages of development and extensively testing hardware configurations across a multitude of games, even up until the last minute, to maximize performance and reliability even on new games from the first day of its launch. This is made possible as they have dedicated teams for Unreal Engine, Unity, and other mainstream game engines. Since its creation, we’ve had over 150 GeForce Game Ready Drivers with Day-0 support across 400 games.

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For the average consumer, a graphics driver is simply a software needed for a graphics card to be able to run, but of course there is more to it than just that. It’s how your GPU communicates with your OS, graphics APIs, games, and other software, but each game in itself requires their own tweaks and settings. On top of optimizations and ensuring stability, these drivers have evolved very far, especially with the inclusion game-changing features like NVIDIA Reflex to reduce system latency for faster mouse and keyboard response.

How It Goes About

As of right now, NVIDIA has a smooth working process to go about with their GeForce Game Ready Drivers, where they regularly exchange pre-release game builds and drivers with game developers, and the process continues even after the game has launched. Both parties will go through various parts of the game to test and ensure that the drivers are capable of giving the best quality and performance possible at launch.
This is made possible with the NVIDIA NSIGHT Graphics tool, which allows game developers and driver engineers to examine every part of a game, marking specific parts for optimizations, and inspecting the performance such as the memory throughput, cache hit rates and more. When issues have been detected, they can proceed to work on fixes, remove potential bottlenecks, and submit the data to the game developers who can help them further optimize the game.
At the same time, NVIDIA programs new performance optimizations, which will then be sent to developers for additional testing. This extends even to Microsoft at times as they make OS changes that can potentially benefit the performance of games, especially for future developments that could use the same piece of programming moving forward.

This may sound like a lot already but the amount of testing being done for this is very extensive as performance and stability could stem from matters outside of GPU, such as CPU and RAM. As such, NVIDIA implements a mega matrix of automated tests for games and drivers that covers over 4,500 configurations of CPUs, GPUs, RAM, and OS using hardware from as far back as 2012. For added perspective, there are over 1,000 different tests running every single day across a wide variety of released and unreleased games.

As tedious as it might sound, the rigorous testing phase does bear fruit as it allows them to create the GeForce Experience Optimal Game Settings for new games alongside each driver. As the name implies, it will determine the best game settings for specific PC hardware configurations by just clicking the Optimize button.

Lastly, you have the driver quality verification process through Microsoft’s Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) testing regimen, which covers over 1,300 tests to see each aspect of the driver. This is a necessary step as Microsoft can only recommend WHQL-certified drivers for guaranteed compatibility and a smooth user experience.
Once it has passed, the driver will get a WHQL release signature which ensures maximum driver quality and reliability. It’s worth noting that NVIDIA is the only GPU vendor to get the certification for every single driver. It is at this point that the driver can finally be launched on the official GeForce website and on GeForce Experience.

Game-Changing Features

It’s not enough to just ensure that games can perform well and in a stable manner. NVIDIA is going above and beyond by adding game-changing features that were thought to be impossible in the past, most notably with NVIDIA DLSS and NVIDIA Reflex. It requires game and feature coding, which will then flow through the driver and its code and brings improved frame rates and lower system latency.
Their test matrix will ensure that all of the features will work together seamlessly and if there are any changes needed with new driver updates for them to work, both NVIDIA DLSS and NVIDIA Reflex can be kept up-to-date with .dll updates delivered over-the-air by automatic web-based processes which have been rigorously tested beforehand.
And as of November last year, the new and improved NVIDIA Image Scaling was integrated into the NVIDIA Control Panel, bringing better sharpening and scaling algorithms while working hand-in-hand with existing features like NVIDIA Reflex. Unsurprisingly, the feature has also gone through its fair share rigorous tests.
For the consumers, it can be easy to look past the “Game Ready” name but there is a whole lot of meaning and work being put into that label. At the end of the day, the ultimate goal here is to provide you with the best, most stable gaming experience possible across a myriad of hardware configurations and games.
If you want to download the latest GeForce Game Ready Drivers available, either head to the official GeForce website or download it from your GeForce Experience client. If you want to look at a recent graphics card review with value for money, click right here for the COLORFUL IGAME GeForce RTX 3050 Ultra Duo review.
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MSI B560 motherboards employ switch to enable first M.2 PCIe slot with 10th Gen processors

If you have been watching or reading reviews of the Intel Z590 motherboards, you might have noticed a peculiar similarity between them. Most of them will disable the first M.2 slot if a 10th Gen Intel Core processor is used, and it absolutely irks me. The first Intel 500-series motherboard to have arrived in our labs to not do that is the MSI B560M MORTAR WiFi. And there’s a good reason to it.
Apparently on most of the 500 series motherboards out there, the first M.2 slot is understandably connected to the CPU to take advantage of the PCIe 4.0 lanes when an 11th Gen Intel Core processor is used. However when a 10th Gen Intel Core CPU is used, there are no PCIe 4.0 lanes, and thus it does not work.

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MSI works around this by using a switch to connect the slot to the PCH when a 10th Gen Intel Core processor is used, enabling it to work with the PCIe 3.0 x4 lanes from the chipset. This ensures that users will get at least two working M.2 slots on most of MSI’s B560 lineup, regardless of whether you decided to go with an 11th Gen or 10th Gen Intel Core processor.
This switch is notably missing from some Intel B560 motherboards from the competition, which means that you might end up with only a single working M.2 slot if you purchased a board with just two M.2 PCIe slots. There’s also the issue with how most motherboards only have a heatsink on the first M.2 slot, so being unable to use it can be quite a bummer.

Of course, if you went with an 11th Gen Intel Core processor, none of this would be an issue to you, but if you are looking at throwing a 10th Gen Intel Core processor onto an Intel B560 motherboard, here are the MSI B560 motherboards that feature the M.2 switch to allow you to use the first M.2 slot.
MSI B560 Motherboards with M.2 switch

MSI MPG B560I Gaming Edge WiFi
MSI B560M Mortar / WiFi
MSI B560M Bazooka
MSI B560M PRO-VDH / WiFi
MSI B560M-A PRO
MSI B560M PRO
MSI B560M PRO-E

Pokdepinion: I actually have no idea why are the Intel motherboards unable to just switch to use the PCIe 3.0 lanes from the CPU, like how AMD does it if you put a Ryzen 2000 CPU on AMD X570 motherboards. But I guess this is a good workaround.
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ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022) Review — this is what peak laptop performance looks like

The ROG Strix SCAR series are the go-to gaming laptops for FPS gamers who want the beefiest hardware under the hood, the fastest displays, the flashiest RGB… That sort of thing. Today we have the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022), the latest member of one of the laptop lineups that I have the most experience with. 17″ laptops aren’t exactly my cup of tea, but the ROG Strix SCAR 17 is a laptop worthy of replacing desktops. Oh, am I giving away too much at the start of this review? Well, there’s still a lot to talk about this laptop, so here we go.
Unboxing

The packaging of the ROG Strix SCAR 17 is quite flashy, with an outline of the ROG eye emblem. Then we have a whole row of ROG emblems running diagonally across the box, with the “For Those Who Dare” tagline daring you to pick this box up.

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Inside we have an excellent spread of accessories. The full retail kit that you will get with the ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022) includes a ROG Backpack and ROG Delta headset which are not present here. But what we have here are two Armor Caps you can swap out with the one that’s already installed, the ROG Chakram Core, the ROG Keystone and a fancy rubber keychain, as well as the absolutely humongous 280W power adapter. Speaking of which, USB-PD charging is supported, but you don’t get a USB-PD charger with the ROG Strix SCAR 17. ASUS is reserving that for the ROG Zephyrus series.
Appearance

You can see that we got an early preview of what the ROG Strix SCAR 17’s lid looks like with the packaging. We have a diagonal line of tiny ROG emblems cutting across the lid, and cleanly meet the Armor Cap portion of the lower half. The RGB lighting for the larger emblem has also been refined, forming just an outline. As compared to yesteryear’s ROG Strix SCAR series, the lid is looking way cleaner, but most of the design elements like the protruding lower half for cooling is still retained. From this angle alone, you know that this is one mean machine.

A continuation of the diagonal slash theme is seen on the underside of the ROG Strix SCAR 17, with the area above the fan on the right featuring a rubberized covering, presumably for better grip when you are carrying it around, while also helping it stay put when you are gaming. There’s sufficient perforation for intakes and stuff, and above the left fan you have yet another rubberized feet, with the ROG “For Those Who Dare” motto on it. On the lower half we have the speaker grilles as well as three more standard rubber feet.
          RGB wraparound light            RGB under the display
The ROG Strix SCAR 17 really is designed for those who are not shy of the fact that they are through-and-through gamer, and are ready to flaunt their excessive taste for RGB and flashiness. The ROG Strix SCAR 17 features not just a per-key RGB keyboard, but also a RGB underglow around the rim of the chassis, as well as a RGB strip just under the display for some additional lighting on your keyboard deck.

The keyboard deck itself is also a work of art, with a diagonal slash across and a translucent portion for that just that extra bit of flair, that additional touch that other laptops lack. I guess by now, you will have probably realized is an ongoing theme with the ROG Strix SCAR 17. It’s one over the top machine alright. And oh, it comes with a soft touch finish that looks incredible, feels great to the touch, but unfortunately also collects fingerprints better than CSI. A small price to pay.

As such, the ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022) is one laptop that you won’t ever mistake for a “regular” laptop. The uninitiated might think the ROG Zephyrus laptops are just your “normal” laptops with extra style points, but the ROG Strix SCAR 17 chugged a whole bucket of style points and probably went back for seconds. It’s that extra. It’s probably not for everyone, but for those who want a gaming laptop that looks the part, the ROG Strix SCAR 17 is one that shouts “hey, look at me, I am a gamer” for you. You can do that yourself too.
Armor Caps

But wait, there’s more. To help you scream “look I am a gamer,” the ROG Strix SCAR 17 also has swappable Armor Caps on its left shoulder. The preinstalled Stealth Silver one contrasts against the black finish across the rest of the laptop, but you can swap it out for the other two Armor Caps included which come in Prismatic Black and Translucent Speckled Black. I actually prefer the Stealth Silver one, but your tastes may vary.

Removing them is easy, just slide it sideways away from the chassis and lift. If you prefer, you can also 3D print your very own customized Armor Cap if you want, and there’s also a selection of stickers that you can print out to apply, giving you unlimited possibilities to make your ROG Strix SCAR 17 uniquely yours. You can even design one to say “look I’m a gamer,” if you so please.
ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022) Specifications

Processor
Intel Core i9-12900H, 14C (6P + 8E) / 20T @ up to 5.0GHz, 24MB cache, Intel 7

RAM
32GB DDR5-4800 (2 x SO-DIMM)

Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 96EU @ 1.45GHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 16GB GDDR6, 125W TGP (up to 150W with Dynamic Boost)
MUX Switch + Optimus

Storage
2TB Samsung PM9A1 PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe SSD
1 x slot vacant

Display
17.3″ WQHD (1440p) BOE NE173QHM-NZ2 240Hz 3ms IPS-level display
Adaptive Sync, 100% DCI-P3, Dolby Vision HDR support
1 x HDMI 2.1
2 x DisplayPort over USB-C

Audio
Quad speakers, Smart Amp Technology
Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res certification
Array microphone
AI Noise-Cancelling Mic + AI Noise-Cancelling Speaker

Connectivity
Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (WiFi 6E + Bluetooth 5.2)
Realtek RTL8125 2.5GbE LAN
1 x Thunderbolt 4
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C), 10Gbps
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-A), 10Gbps
1 x 3.5mm jack

Power
90WHr, 4-cell Li-ion
280W power adapter
100W USB-PD support (not included)

Dimensions
395 x 282 x 28.3 mm

Weight
2.9kg

Performance
Synthetic

You get snappy PCIe 4.0 storage, with the Samsung PM9A1, which is one of the fastest OEM PCIe 4.0 SSDs in the market right now. These speeds should be perfect to take advantage of DirectStorage, whenever that arrives in games. And you have 2TB of it, ready for any sort of games you wanna load onto the ROG Strix SCAR 17. If that’s not enough, there’s another M.2 PCIe 4.0 slot ready.

CPU performance is exceptional with the ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022), putting it well ahead of any of its last-gen competitors. It also outpaced the ROG Flow Z13 quite significantly in the multi-core test, which is to be expected given the large difference in size and thus cooling, allowing the ROG Strix SCAR 17 to draw 45W over the long run, versus 35W for the Flow Z13’s Core i9-12900H. Not much to talk about here, since we already compared the ROG Strix SCAR 17 to desktop processors, with it coming out on top most of the time.

3DMark Time Spy sees the ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022) barely edge out the ROG Flow Z13 and XG Mobile combo with a 5% gap, despite having a faster CPU and a beefier GPU. Versus the other GeForce RTX 30 series laptops, it does post excellent results, even edging out desktops like the Alienware Aurora R9. Yes, we will be comparing it against a last-gen pre-built gaming desktop as well, because the ROG Strix SCAR 17 is clearly a desktop replacement laptop, not only in size, but also in performance.

The ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022) does well in 3DMark Port Royal, enjoying a 9% lead over the ROG Flow Z13 with ROG XG Mobile. That should bode well for gaming with raytracing enabled, but you probably won’t get much of a boost if you are looking at playing games without DirectX Raytracing features.

Superposition sees a similar gap between the ROG Strix SCAR 17 and the ROG XG Mobile-enhanced ROG Flow Z13 at around 5%. Of course, there are also much, much slower GeForce RTX 3080 laptops out there, so you really have to see which exact GeForce RTX 3080 laptop are you comparing against.

PCMark puts the ROG Strix SCAR 17 slightly behind the ROG Flow Z13 and XG Mobile combo. It seems that the ROG Strix SCAR 17 isn’t all that great for productivity workloads, but if you are getting the ROG Strix SCAR 17, I do believe that productivity is probably one of the last things on your mind anyway.
Gaming

While the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti laptop GPU is positioned by NVIDIA to deliver 120FPS+ at 1440p, it doesn’t exactly do so in most of the titles tested. Sure, esports titles like Rainbow Six Siege, For Honor or Apex Legends might see the ROG Strix SCAR 17 be able to push well beyond 120FPS, but if we are talking about AAA gaming, you will have to settle for a 60FPS+ experience at 1440p, which is already very good in my book.
There also always the option of dialing down some graphics settings, or just dropping the resolution to 1080p. 1080p is not ideal on a 1440p display, and if you aren’t exactly a stickler for high refresh rates, the experience of gaming at 60FPS at 1440p is actually a really great one, thanks to the adaptive refresh rate offered by the display.
Battery Life

A huge, high refresh rate display and powerful hardware doesn’t exactly bode well for battery life, but the ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022) manages to squeeze out over 5 hours of juice from its 90WHr battery. This does require you to toggle the MSHybrid Mode into Eco mode to practically disable the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. Without that, you will be looking at less than three hours of juice. As the iGPU is already plenty for most of what most people will do when out and about, I do think it’s quite a practical solution to just disable the dGPU when you aren’t plugged in.
Thermals

The thermals are very well controlled in the Realbench stress test, with the CPU only hitting a peak of 79°C, while the GPU tops out at 80°C. With the CPU drawing 45W, the P-cores and E-cores are running at 2.2GHz and 1.9GHz on average, respectively. Meanwhile we have the GPU at 1.5GHz on average while pulling 135W. Realbench doesn’t trigger the Dynamic Boost capability, as it also throws a heavy load at the CPU, so that’s why we are seeing just 135W power draw on the GPU here. In a GPU-heavy workload like gaming, you will see the full 150W delivered to the GPU. Looking at the results, I do believe a more aggressive power profile could probably have been implemented to allow the ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022) to fully utilize the thermal headroom available.
User Experience
Display and Audio

The ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022) comes with one of the best gaming displays you can find built into a laptop. It measures 17.3″, touts a 240Hz refresh rate at a sharp 2560 x 1440 resolution. Colors are also excellent, delivering 93.8% DCI-P3 with a maximum Delta E of just 0.87, according to our measurements. Anything below 2 is already considered good, so 0.87 is just superb. It doesn’t quite hit the 100% DCI-P3 claim that was on the ROG Strix SCAR 17’s spec sheet, but 93.8% DCI-P3 and 132.5% sRGB is nothing to scoff at. While the ROG Strix SCAR 17 is clearly intended towards gamers, I am pretty sure content creators can quite happily use the ROG Strix SCAR 17 as well.

ASUS also made full use of the chunky area under the display, with it housing not just intakes for cooling, but also two speakers to handle the higher frequencies. In combination with the pair of speakers on the underside of the ROG Strix SCAR 17 that thump out the lower frequencies, we get a really sweet sounding laptop. I won’t say that it will replace headphones for gaming, but this is one of the few laptops that I won’t mind watching a movie on without reaching for my earphones.
Keyboard and Trackpad

The keyboard is great with an excellent 2mm of travel and a nice amount of tactility, but it won’t stand up to the sheer tactility of the opto-mechanical switches that graced last year’s ROG Strix SCAR models. Still, you can use the ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022) in the library, when the same can’t be said for the 2021 ROG Strix SCAR series. There’s also a numpad, a row of customizable hotkeys above the F-row, and most importantly, a PrtSc button.
No one buys a laptop like this to use the trackpad, and there’s already a flagship-class gaming mouse included in the package, so I will keep it simple: it’s good enough. It offers sufficient space and good tracking precision, but the lack of discrete clickers means that some maneuvers like drag-dropping becomes a bit clunkier.
Connectivity

As a full-blooded gaming laptop, I am very happy to see ports along the rear of the ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022). You have the usual two USB-C ports, one of which supports Thunderbolt 4, along with a HDMI 2.1 output and a 2.5GbE LAN port over here on the back. The latter is probably not so important since we have WiFi 6E built in as well. But if every millisecond matters to you, which is understandable given the esports-oriented ambitions of the ROG Strix SCAR 17, you have the option to go wired. The power adapter also plugs in to the back of the ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022), freeing up room on the sides of the laptop.

And on the sides, the ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022) somewhat falters. We get two USB 3.0 Type-A ports here, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The other side doesn’t have any ports at all. I do believe that ASUS could probably have optimized the arrangement by pairing a USB-C and USB-A port on the side, and put another pair on the rear. USB-C storage devices are getting increasingly common, and reaching around to plug one in isn’t exactly convenient. Or perhaps add more USB-A ports to the ROG Strix SCAR 17 on the right flank. I mean, this is a desktop replacement machine, more ports will always be welcome.
For a 17″ laptop, the connectivity options provided by the ROG Strix SCAR 17 isn’t all that great, as it seems like ASUS decided to use the same motherboard for its smaller 15.6″ sibling, resulting in a 17″ laptop that has the connectivity of a 15.6″ one. I won’t say that it’s bad, but it’s definitely not the best use of the larger dimensions of the ROG Strix SCAR 17.
ROG Keystone II

The ROG Keystone is a pretty unique feature which is now only available on the ROG Strix SCAR family. Why ASUS has yet to add it to the ROG Zephyrus family eludes me, but it does bring up some pretty interesting features. One of the main ones is the Shadow Drive feature, which lets you hide away a folder with your research material when you remove the ROG Keystone, and let you access it when you drop it back into its slot.

While the ROG Keystone debuted on the ROG Strix SCAR III, the implementation was far from polished back then. Now you get the ability to fire up software as well as soon as it is connected. Just got home from work and want to get ready to game? Drop in the ROG Keystone and fire up Steam while switching to the Turbo performance profile. Want to lock the laptop up quickly when you leave your desk? Just remove the ROG Keystone. There’s even the ability to minimize all your windows and mute the audio by removing the ROG Keystone… Nifty.

There’s potential in this somewhat gimmicky feature, but I wonder if ROG will continue enhancing it, or will they expect us gamers to find other creative ways to take advantage of it. And it comes in a fancy keychain, so even if you don’t find a use for it, it still makes for a pretty ornament.
Armoury Crate
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We already took a quick peek at Armoury Crate features pertaining to the ROG Keystone earlier, so let’s talk about everything in Armoury Crate, except for the ROG Keystone part. The software gives you customization options for everything from toggling the MUX switch, adjusting the CPU power limit, fan curves to the simpler stuff like the RGB customizations. In case you missed it in our performance section, the ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022) features a MUX switch, and our gaming tests were done with it enabled as it gives you the full performance available from the GPU by connecting the built-in display directly to the GPU’s output.

Overall, Armoury Crate is definitely something that you will take your time to go through. It’s not the fastest companion suite when it comes to loading times, but it’s really feature-packed. Some of the cooler features include the ability to customize the fan curve to your liking, as well as overclocking the GPU to eke out a bit more performance. One other thing that I find really useful is the MSHybrid Mode, which lets you disable the discrete GPU if you want to get more battery life.
Conclusion

For an eye-watering RM16 999, the ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022) gives you all the best hardware that ASUS managed to cram onto a gaming laptop. There’s a 240Hz 17.3″ WQHD display that can display nearly the full DCI-P3 gamut, easily outclassing many a gaming monitor out there. The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti and Core i9-12900H coupled with impressive cooling allows the ROG Strix SCAR 17 to run circles around most of the desktops out there. If you are looking for a desktop-class gaming machine that is still compact enough to slip into a backpack, this is it.

Note that I said “compact” and not “portable.” That’s because it weighs a whopping 2.9kg, and its somewhat limited battery life also means you will more often than not have to bring the charger around with you. But this is a desktop replacement laptop, and they aren’t meant to be carried around town as you run your errands. For that, look towards the ROG Zephyrus series. And while I really enjoyed my time with the ROG Strix SCAR 17, I won’t recommend it for everyone, but this is not meant to be an all-rounder anyway. The ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022) is an unapologetic gaming beast with the performance and styling to match, and I love it for that.

Our thanks to ASUS Malaysia for sending us the ROG Strix SCAR 17 (2022) for review.
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HUAWEI Mate 20 Series Sales Launch Starts This Weekend

Couldn’t get your hands on the Mate 20 series’ pre-order? Well don’t worry. HUAWEI will be hosting the official sales launch roadshows this 27th and 28th October 2018.
HUAWEI Mate 20 Series Sales Launch

So if you’ve missed the pre-order period, you can head down to Pavilion Kuala Lumpur this weekend to get one. The first 1,000 customers at the launch who purchase the Mate 20 series will receive a free DJI Tello which is worth RM469.

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Kuala Lumpur is too far for you? Well they’ve also prepared roadshows at Queensbay Mall and AEON Bandar Dato Onn too, where the first 300 customers (at each venue) will receive the same benefits.
To join in on the excitement, Dr. Shazril Shaharuddin (Dr. Say) will be at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur sales launch roadshow on the 27th October for a meet-and-greet session with fans, where he will be sharing his own experience on using the Mate 20 Pro. You can also experience the new MateBook X Pro and MateBook D at the venue.
You can read more on the Mate 20 series over here to know all there is to know about the devices.
Pokdepinion: Be sure to head down there guys if you are in the vicinity and if you’re planning on buying one of the Mate 20 series, be sure to be quick to get that DJI Tello for free!
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realme 3 First Sale Roadshow thronged by over 3000 realme fans!

Last weekend, realme hosted realme 3 First Sale Roadshows in Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall and Sunway Velocity Mall. Aside from getting to check out the realme 3 firsthand, realme fans were also given the opportunity to win up to RM10 000 worth of prizes at the roadshows.
Lim Tiak Cheong walks away with RM1000 after winning the mini game tournament!
Lim Tiak Cheong, a 15 year old boy, won himself RM1000 in cash after competing at the mini game tournament at the roadshow. A realme 3 was also given away at the event in a lucky draw contest. Aside from the mini game tournament and the lucky draw contest, there were various activities like PUBG challenge, Mobile Legends, Instant Selfie Print and more at the roadshows.
If you missed out on the realme 3 First Sale Roadshow, make sure to head over to realme Image Store at Sunway Pyramid or check out this list of authorized realme resellers near you.

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Pokdepinion: I wanted to join the PUBG challenge but alas I was needed back in my hometown  :cry:
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Here’s Why the M2 MacBook Pro Comes with Slower SSDs Than M1

M2 MacBook Pro Reportedly Comes with Slower SSDs Than M1

Some new reports have surfaced on the 12-inch MacBook Pro M2 which shows the base model coming with significantly slower SSD speeds compared to its predecessor, the M1 models. This can be seen in YouTube channels, Max Tech and Created Tech, complete with results and comparisons.
In case you were wondering, the speeds found on the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 is 1,446MB/s sequential read and 1,463MB/s sequential write. Compared to its predecessor, it’s 2,900MB/s sequential read and 2,215MB/s sequential write speeds, which is a huge difference.

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Despite the downgrade, it seems to not affect the SSD performance on M2 MacBook Pros with higher storage capacities as the 512GB variant appears to have similar speeds to its predecessor. This most likely points to it being equipped with two 256GB SSD storage devices for the speed to be possible.
It’s also worth noting that the 256GB variant only has a single NAND flash storage chip, whereas the predecessor has two NAND chips instead, which would explain the difference in speed. As for why this is happening, it’s most likely due to a lack of double 256GB NAND chips at the moment, but there’s no denying that it could also be a cost-cutting measure.
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Pokdepinion: At the end of the day, if the M2 MacBook Pro isn’t slow and you can still have an overall smooth experience, I personally don’t have an issue with it. Numbers is just one thing to denote performance after all as it ultimately boils down to your experience.
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Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra Spotted On Geekbench Ahead Of Launch

Reported to be unveiled tomorrow in China, it appears that the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra / Mi 10 Pro Plus has made its way onto the Geekbennch benchmark where it reveals a couple of interesting details.
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra listed on Geekbench

In the listing, the device is seen as M2007J1SC, where it scored a rather decent scores of 901 and 3275 for both Single-Core and Multi-Core tests.
We could possibly see the phone to be packing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset under the hood. It would be the latest phone to be packing the SoC, similar to the likes of the ROG Phone III and Lenovo Legion gaming smartphone.

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From the listing, we can see that it will pack 16GB RAM as well run on Android 10. If reports are to be true, the Mi 10 Ultra will be sporting a 120Hz FHD+ AMOLED display, a 4500mAh battery that you can charge with either a 100W or 120W charger, as well as a quad camera configuration at the back. Speaking of which, the phone should offer a 120x digital zoom.
It’s not confirmed yet on whether we will be seeing the device here in Malaysia but you can bet that if it does, we’ll be sure to cover the news. Till then, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
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Pokdepinion: I wonder what’s the price going to be like.. Hopefully it’ll arrive here in Malaysia.
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New Karakin Map Is Now Available In PUBG MOBILE

PUBG MOBILE’s new map, Karakin has finally dropped in the battle royale’s latest content update. The highly anticipated new map introduces all-new gameplay mechanics and weapons promising explosive action on the arid rock-filled coast. The new Karakin map also sees the new devastating Panzerfaust rocket launcher and Sticky Bombs as well as a new Demolition Mode and Thin Wall Bullet Penetration mechanics.
PUBG MOBILE: New Karakin map is here

The new Karakin map is a combination of Miramar’s tension with Sanhok’s fast-paced gameplay and offers a variety of areas to wage combat, and plenty of secret areas to discover. The new Demolition Zone also adds a fresh layer of excitement to the gameplay. Represented by a purple zone on the map, the new mechanic can demolish entire buildings in real-time, driving players out into the open.

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Here are some key features being introduced with the new Karakin map on PUBG MOBILE:

New Mechanic: Demolition Zone – The Demolition Zone causes random damage to buildings, and can ultimately destroy them and everything inside.
New Mechanic: Thin Wall Bullet Penetration – Thin walls in locations throughout Karakin can be penetrated by bullets, adding a new strategic layer or danger for players hiding behind
damaged walls.
New Throwable Weapon: The Sticky Bomb – these adhesive throwables stick to walls and can blow them up, creating broken buildings with new shooting angles and breach points, meaning players can get creative when attacking buildings. Sticky Bombs are also the key to finding hidden spaces in Karakin.
New Firearm: The Panzerfaust – A single-use weapon that spawns randomly and is a fixed drop from airdrops in Karakin, the Panzerfaust deploys rockets that explode on impact, dealing damage to players within the blast zone. The rockets can also damage thin walls and penetrate objects at short distances.

Apart from the new map, Version 1.3 update of PUBG MOBILE also introduced Royale Pass 18 with the “HUNDRED RHYTHMS” music-themed gameplay mode and a tonne of new content. The mode was celebrated with a collaboration with three world-renowned DJs for PUBG MOBILE’s three-year anniversary in March. The DJs included were Stockholm-based dance music producer Alesso, Belgian musician Lost Frequencies and Dutch-Moroccan DJ and producer R3HAB.
PUBG MOBILE Version 1.3 content update is available now for free via the App Store and Google Play Store.
Pokdepinion: I haven’t played PUBG MOBILE for so long. Though I’ve always wanted to get back into the game, I just don’t have the time to squeeze it into my schedule nowadays.
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IPRO Media Gathering

Phew. Been some time since I last set my fingers on my keyboard to type up a post for this blog. Did you guys miss me? Tell me in the comments section if you do. Hehe.
Yesterday I was invited to a cozy media gathering held by IPRO. For the uninitiated, they are a Malaysian local company that produces mobile devices tailored for our Malaysian market. Winner of The “Asia Pacific Top Excellence Brand Year 2012”, they have shown great potential and we just chit-chatted about their devices, their objectives as well as we got some hands-on time with one of their upcoming devices.
Guess who am I?
Over a cup of peach tea and between mouthfuls of cheesy wedges, three IPRO Sense Gii Plus were passed around for everyone to get some hands-on experience.

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The above are pictures of the IPRO Sense Gii Plus. That’s a 5.5″ 720p screen you are looking at. Now I have a question for you. How much do you think it is worth?

Metal frame. Chamfered too, no less.

This is possibly the only part of the device’s external appearance that will reveal the actual price. But I remember Samsung used to really like making “HyperGlaze” flagship models or in normal terms, glossy backs which were absolute fingerprint magnets, and they don’t come cheap either. It costs only RM299! Of course, nothing is perfect. The internal specifications are a lot more modest. With a dual core 1.2GHz CPU coupled with 512MB RAM, this isn’t a phone you will see topping the benchmarks anywhere. But it does work well as a entry-level smartphone. I can tell you we were very pleasantly surprised by the build quality of this one.
We also got some hands-on experience of the LivePad 8.9, and the experience was really pleasant too. After everyone got their fill of trying out the smartphone and tablet, the IPRO representatives asked all of us to provide some feedback about their devices. Everyone agreed that for RM299, this could possibly be the best built phone out there.
We also got to try an upcoming device which we can’t reveal yet, and that phone is even more amazing. Slim bezels, metal frame and much better specifications. And the user experience was fluid, eventhough it was more of an engineering sample than a market-ready device. We really can’t wait till it is appears in our Malaysian market. I am quite sure that IPRO will price it competitively and have a winner in their hands.
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HONOR launches their first smartwatch from just RM599 — but you can get the HONOR Watch Magic for FREE!

Yes, we do realize the name is kinda weird. HONOR could probably have called it the HONOR Magic Watch, but they didn’t. The watch was launched along with the HONOR View20, adding to the complete ecosystem that HONOR is vying to create. So what does the HONOR Watch Magic offer?

Quite a lot actually. The first thing that gets us right off the bat is the RM599 pricing. In Paris, it was announced for 179 euros, but Malaysians are getting a much better deal. Off the top of my head, the only smartwatches in this price range is Xiaomi’s AMAZFIT Pace, but that has a much less premium design versus this one right here.

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Now despite being very affordable, the HONOR Watch Magic packs a smorgasbord of sensors for all the tracking you need. Whether you are into walking, running, swimming, climbing or even sleeping (which is probably my favorite activity among all those listed here), the HONOR Watch Magic can help you keep records of your activities. There’s built in GPS too, so you can spare your smartphone’s battery for more important things.

Interestingly, the HONOR Watch Magic is claimed to be able to monitor blood pressure via heart rate variability. This data is used for its TruRelax feature, which will guide you to avoid stressing yourself out. From a quick Google search, it appears that it is going to be a pretty rough estimation, so don’t expect medical-grade blood pressure monitoring from the HONOR Watch Magic.
Now speaking of battery, the HONOR Watch Magic promises an amazing 7-day battery life, which is leaps and bounds better than the average smartwatch on the market. Of course how long will it last with all the features turned on will probably be a very different story, but we will be testing it for ourselves pretty soon, so stay tuned.

The HONOR Watch Magic will be offered for FREE for the first 200 customers purchasing the HONOR View20 this 26th January, so make sure to head over to One Utama early to pick up the HONOR View20!
Pokdepinion: Well, this might very well just be my next smartwatch…
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WhatsApp to share more data with Facebook and there’s nothing you can do about it

WhatsApp is updating its privacy policy to share more data with its parent company, Facebook. Starting from 8th February, Facebook will have more access to your WhatsApp data. This is a reversal of their decision to allow WhatsApp users to opt out of having their data shared with Facebook.
The main changes appear to be on the business end of things. With WhatsApp being a major communication platform for businesses, Facebook wants to know what business you are interacting with, presumably to help with more targeted marketing. This information can even be shared with other businesses.

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Facebook will now be offering the option for businesses to store and manage WhatsApp chats using Facebook’s infrastructure. You have the option to block out businesses if you do not want to submit more data to Facebook than you already are. As it stands, WhatsApp collects quite a bit of your data, including your phone number, your contacts, status messages including your last online time, location as well as diagnostic data.
The updated terms allows Facebook to reserve the rights to share the collected data with its family of companies. Your private messages would still sport end-to-end encryption, so that will not be accessible to Facebook. But aside from that, pretty much everything you do on WhatsApp is going to be available to Facebook. If you disagree with the new privacy policy, Facebook only has one option for you: delete your WhatsApp account.
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Pokdepinion: I wonder whether will I be getting better ads targeted at my interests after this…
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Will the HONOR View20’s hole in the screen affect your gaming experience?

When smartphone manufacturers embraced the notch, one of the main concerns (and rightly so) is whether the notch will cover certain on-screen elements in games. It still is a problem even today, even though Android now officially supports notches. HONOR’s transition to an in-screen camera with the HONOR View20 raises yet another concern. Will a hole in your screen affect your gaming experience?
The short answer is NO. But just to prove it to you (besides, we needed a reason to game during office hours), we downloaded popular titles like PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legend, Arena of Valor and Contra Returns. Of course, we also downloaded Fortnite, as HONOR is partnered with Epic Games to bring 60 fps gameplay to the HONOR View20. In addition to that, HONOR View20 users will also receive the the Fortnite Honor Guard skin for free.
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As you can see in the above shots, the camera hole doesn’t get in the way of any of the games’ controls. With the expansive 6.4″ screen covering 91.8% of the front, you will be getting the best view (pardon the pun) with the HONOR View20. The tiny 4.5mm cutout for the selfie camera is nigh invisible in most usage scenarios, and when you hold the HONOR View20 to play your favorite mobile game, you probably won’t even see the selfie camera. I had to purposely move my hand away from the controls just so you can see it.
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In certain games like Mobile Legends and Contra Returns, they decide to just cut away the area beside the camera cutout. That’s somewhat of a waste especially considering how unobtrusive the hole really is. This may or not be improved upon as the developers begin to recognize in-screen camera designs and update the games to accommodate it.

The HONOR View20 is targeted at a younger demographic, and one of the main use cases for it will be for gaming. With that in mind, HONOR has equipped the HONOR View20 with their proprietary NINE Cooling Technology to ensure consistent performance, even over extended periods of gaming. The Kirin 980 powering the HONOR View20 is also one of the most powerful chipsets you can get in an Android smartphone now, so you are pretty much ready for any game out there.
Aside from an excellent gaming experience, you will also be enjoying great shots with the HONOR View20’s 48MP rear camera. Priced at just RM1999, the HONOR View20 offers pretty great value for money.
Are you game for the HONOR View20? Let us know in the comments!
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Horizon Forbidden West Pricing and Pre-Orders in Malaysia Revealed

Horizon Forbidden West is one of the most highly anticipated PS5-exclusives and it’s expected to launch rather soon. Now, pricing and pre-orders for it in Malaysia have been revealed. Here’s what you need to know.
Horizon Forbidden West Pricing and Pre-Orders in Malaysia

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Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore has officially announced that pre-orders for Horizon Forbidden West will be opening from 14th December 2021 onwards. You can pre-order it at all PlayStation Authorized Dealers and Sony Stores nationwide.
There will be a grand total of 6 different editions available for the game; two for the PS4 and four for the PS5. Regardless of whichever one you choose, there are three different physical pre-order gifts; Focus Keychain, Horizon Forbidden West cap, and Tremortusk 3D Puzzle. The digital editions will get the Nora Legacy Outfit and Spear as incentives instead.
As for what you can expect with each edition, you can check it out right below here:
Horizon Forbidden West PS4 Standard Edition

Digital in-game bonuses (unlock via story progression)

Nora Legacy Outfit
Nora Legacy Spear

Physical copy of the game
RM249

Horizon Forbidden West PS4 Special Edition

Digital in-game bonuses (unlock via story progression)

Nora Legacy Outfit
Nora Legacy Spear

Physical copy of the game
SteelBook Display Case
Mini Art Book
Digital Soundtrack
RM299

Horizon Forbidden West PS5 Standard Edition

Digital in-game bonuses (unlock via story progression)

Nora Legacy Outfit
Nora Legacy Spear

Physical copy of the game
RM299

Horizon Forbidden West PS5 Special Edition

Digital in-game bonuses (unlock via story progression)

Nora Legacy Outfit
Nora Legacy Spear

Physical copy of the game
SteelBook Display Case
Mini Art Book
Digital Soundtrack
RM339

Horizon Forbidden West PS5 Collector’s Edition

Digital in-game bonuses (unlock via story progression)

Nora Legacy Outfit
Nora Legacy Spear

Digital copy of the game
SteelBook Display Case

Download code for the game will be supplied via voucher in the box.

A custom sculpted Tremortusk and Aloy statue

Statues will require some assembly; detailed instructions will be provided with the box

Mini Art Book
2 Special Outfits (Carja Behemoth Elite and Nora Thunder Elite)
2 Special Weapons (Carja Behemoth Short Bow and Nora Thunder Sling)
In-game Resources Pack including ammunition, potions, and travel packs
In-game Apex Clawstrider Machine Strike Piece
Exclusive Photo Mode pose and face paint
Digital Soundtrack*1
Digital Version of The Sunhawk, the first Horizon Zero Dawn graphic novel
RM839

Horizon Forbidden West PS5 Regalla Edition

Digital in-game bonuses (unlock via story progression)

Nora Legacy Outfit
Nora Legacy Spear

Digital copy of the game
SteelBook Display Case

Download code for the game will be supplied via voucher in the box.

A Regalla-themed, custom sculpted Tremortusk and Aloy statue

Statues will require some assembly; detailed instructions will be provided with the box

Replica Focus and custom stand
2 Art Print Cards
Replica Sunwing and Clawstrider Machine Physical Strike Pieces
Mini Art Book
Canvas Map
2 Special Outfits (Carja Behemoth Elite and Nora Thunder Elite)
2 Special Weapons (Carja Behemoth Short Bow and Nora Thunder Sling)
In-game Resources Pack including ammunition, potions, and travel packs
In-game Apex Clawstrider Machine Strike Piece
Exclusive Photo Mode poses and face paints
Digital Soundtrack
Digital Version of The Sunhawk, the first Horizon Zero Dawn graphic novel
RM1,099

In case you’re wondering, the game will be launching exclusively for the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on 18th February 2022.
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Pokdepinion: Not gonna lie, the Regalla Edition looks really good, and it’s quite tempting to get that. I wonder if it’s not too hard to get one after as I may want to get a feel for the game first before I commit to that.
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Attack on Titan 2 Gameplay Footage Released; Character Creation Looks Promising

Straight from a livestream all the way in Japan, gameplay footage of Attack on Titan 2 has been revealed. The character creation seems promising enough.

Attack on Titan 2 Gameplay Footage Released

Today, Koei Tecmo hosted a livestream from Japan, showcasing the very first gameplay of Attack on Titan 2. The stream was presented by Koei Tecmo President and Chief Operating Officer Hisashi Koinuma, and Omega Force Manager Hideo Suzuki, alongside Krista’s voice actress Shiori Mikami.

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First of all, we get to see a certain relevant cutscene involving Krista. It’s a spoiler if you have not seen the anime or read the manga (and care about getting spoiled), do not watch the third and last video.
After that, get to see part of the game’s introduction, and one of the main new elements of the new game, the character creation. We can customize a lot of different elements via sliders, and also change the character’s gender and outfit’s elements and colors.
The next gameplay section is the tutorial, that allows us to enjoy the overhauled gameplay with the three-dimensional maneuver gear. The scene then moves to an extensive city scene between missions, where the player can enjoy interacting with the other members of the cast.

After that, in the second clip, you can finally see some titan-slaying action from the first mission. Interestingly, the developers also showcased the new telescope, and how titans can get considerably more aggressive.
Interestingly, we learn that more gameplay footage will come in November, another dedicated livestream will come in December, and an Attack on Titan 2 Collector’s Edition is planned.
SPOILER ALERT

Attack on Titan 2 will launch in the west in March 2018 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Switch. The PS Vita version that will only be available in Japan. At the end of today’s video, it was also confirmed that the game will release in March in Japan as well.

Pokdepinion: Getting a bit more excited for Attack on Titan 2. The first game was a bit disappointing in the sense that it was kinda repetitive. Let’s hope that’s not the case this time around, otherwise we’re in for a snoozefest.
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MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ Outperforms Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Scores Leaked Ahead of Launch

The Dimensity 9200+, MediaTek’s upcoming top-end chipset, has already outperformed the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, according to leaked Geekbench 6 scores. Read on to find out more about its impressive multi-core and single-core performance.
MediaTek’s Dimensity 9200+ to Outperform Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Leak Suggests

MediaTek’s upcoming Dimensity 9200+ chipset is generating buzz among tech enthusiasts, especially after a Geekbench 6 score sheet surfaced online, demonstrating impressive single-core and multi-core performance that outperforms the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

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The chipset is slated to be launched on May 10 and is rumored to be powering a vivo smartphone, possibly the rumored X90S flagship. According to the alleged Geekbench 6 listing, the chipset has scored 5,655 points in the multi-core test and 2,121 points in the single-core scenario, which is higher than most Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-powered smartphones on the market.
The ASUS ROG Phone 7 Ultimate with X Mode turned on is the only Android handset that comes close to the Dimensity 9200+. However, the only chipset that currently outperforms the Dimensity 9200+ in terms of benchmark scores is Apple’s A16 Bionic SoC.
The chipset is expected to feature a Cortex-X3 main core clocked at 3.35 GHz, three Cortex-A175 cores ticking at 3.0 GHz, and four small Cortex-A510 cores with unknown clock speeds. The Dimensity 9200+ is expected to be a game-changer in the smartphone industry and could give MediaTek a significant advantage over its competitors.
Source
Pokdepinion: It’s still hard to say for sure but given how well recent MediaTek chips have performed, it is possible. However, I’m more interested to know if it’s capable of sustaining its performance over a longer period of time.
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Meta Winds Down Support For NFTs On Facebook And Instagram

One year later, the plan didn’t work out for Mark Zuckerberg.

Meta has announced it is winding down support for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Facebook and Instagram. The social media giant had previously made a push to adopt digital collectibles across its platform, but is now seeking to focus on monetization opportunities for Reels and messaging payments across Meta. Stephane Kasriel, Meta’s Head of Commerce and Financial Technologies, said: “we learned a ton that we’ll be able to apply to products we’re continuing to build to support creators, people, and businesses on our apps, both today and in the metaverse.”

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Mark Zuckerberg had previously suggested that NFTs could play a role in the company’s metaverse plans, and announced Instagram’s NFT support at SXSW last year. However, the company has struggled in the past year, with thousands of layoffs and the closure of various projects under the banner of what Zuckerberg dubbed “the year of efficiency”.
Meta’s recent decision to wind down support for NFTs is one of several initiatives that have failed to pan out for the company, including the closure of its crypto wallet, Novi, and the cutting of projects with Reality Labs – Meta’s metaverse division, and its program that paid bonuses to Reels creators.
Source: Engadget
Pokdepinion: Meta has truly fallen flat in a huge bet – no surprise to see Mark Zuckerberg trying all he can to recoup the losses from it.
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Digi And ZTE Partners Up In Exploring 5G For Malaysia

Today marks the day where Digi Telecommunications and ZTE Malaysia to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to further explore the potential of 5G technology in the country.
The partnership will see them explore several aspects of required collaborations to make 5G technology a reality in Malaysia, including 5G live trials of end-to-end network functions and features, and pilot trials of 5G use cases for enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC) and Massive Machine Type Communications (MMTC).
The trials will be conducted using low, mid, and high 5G spectrum bands.

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Previously Digi gave us a heads up of their thoughts of 5G technology in Putrajaya, which is also the same place they’ve held their 5G demo show at. You definitely should check the links out to know what 5G can bring to the country, besides faster connectivity.
Pokdepinion: Well you can’t do it alone, let alone a big project such as 5G. Hopefully they’ll have good news for us soon.
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AMD Renoir Mobile Destroys Intel UHD Graphics Gen12 in Benchmark

Recently, benchmarks for both the Intel UHD Gen12 and AMD Renoir Mobile graphics have popped up. The most interesting part about the data isn’t just that the red camp is doing better, but that it basically managed to obliterate Intel.

As you can see from the picture above here, the AMD Renoir Mobile graphics has the clear advantage here by a noticeable margin. Gaming on integrated graphics could become a more viable option this year if the data is accurate. The performance isn’t exactly a surprise as we’ve seen a number of good AMD APUs last year.

Taking into account the picture above here as well, it’s clear that the AMD Renoir Mobile graphics performs better than the Intel UHD Gen12 in virtually all areas. Intel has a win in the overclocked lighting area but the difference is within the margin of error, so you can’t exactly count it.

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It’s worth noting that both GPUs are still currently in development. Anything can change when the final product is out so take the benchmark data with a grain of salt for now. So far, the AMD Renoir Mobile was seen with 13 CUs and a 65W TDP. Moreover, it was spotted in both mobile and desktop versions.
Interestingly, the leak mentions that the integrated GPU will be available in the first quarter of 2020. We expect to hear more about it, especially availability, very soon.
Source: respawnfirst
Pokdepinion: When both are publicly available, I wonder if the results would change. If not, the phrase “get rekt” would be very apt for the situation.
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IPRO Sight Silver — RM799 with Fingerprint Sensor

IPRO’s latest device fits in a Mediatek 64-bit quad-core 1.5GHz processor with 4G support, 2GB RAM with 16GB memory (expandable) and a 13MP camera on the back and a 5MP one on the front, all under a nice 5.5″ 720p IPS display. That isn’t all though. There is also a fingerprint scanner on the back, which officially makes the IPRO Sight Silver the cheapest phone in the Malaysia with a fingerprint sensor!

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You can get it at the following locations.

IPRO is also having a roadshow at Plaza Low Yat from 6 to 12th July where you can try out the IPRO Sight Silver for yourself!

Pokdepinion: The smartphone looks great with the specifications to boot, and the affordable price is just the cherry on top to make the IPRO Sight Silver extremely interesting. I couldn’t get to a media gathering held yesterday so I don’t have any hands-on experience with it. But from my experience with the IPRO Sense Gii Plus, I am very sure IPRO is capable of building good phones with affordable price tags.

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Diablo 4 Release Date Leaked Out

For those of you looking forward to Blizzard’s newest RPG, the release date for Diablo 4 has allegedly been leaked out already.
Diablo 4 Release Leak

Diablo® IV ➡ Release Date: June 5, 2023 23:00:00 (Size: 80GB) | XBOX pic.twitter.com/jop761VxDw
— Aggiornamenti Lumia (@ALumia_Italia) December 7, 2022

According reliable insider Aggiornamenti Lumia on Twitter, Diablo 4 will apparently be launching on 5th June 2023. The game will be available for sale in Standard Edition, Digital Deluxe Edition, and Ultimate Edition, with the Xbox version supposedly being 80GB in size.

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According to the data miner, the game has surfaced on the backend of Xbox Store, which is why there is more details on the Xbox version of the game. For now, do take this information with a grain of salt as we expect an announcement of sorts on the game at The Game Awards 2022 on 8th December 2022.
Diablo 4 will be launching for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC.
Source
Pokdepinion: Well, mid-year 2023 sounds fine but as long as the game isn’t a buggy mess at launch, I don’t mind if it ends up being later either.
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ASRock’s Blazing Quad M.2 AIC Fits Up To Four PCIe 5.0 SSDs

It even requires separate PCIe power!
Image: ASRock
ASRock has launched a new PCIe 5.0 SSD add-in card designed to offer high-speed storage for desktop and server systems. The Blazing Quad M.2 Card comes with four M.2 sockets that support multiple M.2 SSD sizes, from M.2 2230 all the way up to 22110; with the physical PCIe slot requiring PCIe 5.0 x16 slots that are only found in primary GPU slots of consumer high-end motherboards (granted, this is more for workstation use). The SSD slot arrangement is rotated by 45°, which has to do with signal quality, the company says.
Image: ASRock
Going from PCIe 4.0 to PCIe 5.0 does mean a few things – you get increased speeds; but in turn you need to manage a lot more heat generated from the controllers handling data transfers that fast. The new upgrades include a physically larger footprint (+13% over predecessor), likely to fit in the larger dual-fan array. On the subject of fans, you need to connect the 4-pin header onto your motherboard; and on top of that, the card even requires a PCIe 6-pin connector to supply additional power as the PCIe slot itself couldn’t provide enough juice.

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As mentioned, this card is not meant for general consumers; ASRock has in fact released it in select regions alongside their new W790 motherboards which houses the latest Xeon W series workstation CPUs (that supports up to 112 PCIe 5.0 slots, so imagine how many of them you can fit in theory). No pricing is known so far, but perhaps it may be announced sometime in the future.
Source: Tom’s Hardware | Videocardz
Pokdepinion: Safe to assume the pricing would at the very least be eye-watering given PCIe 5.0 SSDs are still a rarity these days – plus, workstation hardware never come cheap.
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HUAWEI MateBook X Pro (2021) Review – Great for work and a little bit of play

HUAWEI has been producing their MateBook line of laptops for a while now and for the most part, they have been doing a pretty good job at it. So how does the latest HUAWEI MateBook X Pro fare? Read on to find out.
Unboxing

The HUAWEI MateBook X Pro features a rather unique unboxing experience. It comes with an unassuming brown outer cardboard box with an illustration of the laptop that acts as a sleeve of sorts for the HUAWEI MAteBook X Pro’s more premium looking white box inside. The design of the inner box is very simple yet elegant with just the name of the laptop written in gold and reflective lettering. The box also has a very nice finish to it, further showcasing the elegance of the box’s overall design.

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Opening the box you will find the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro itself wrapped in a white cloth sleeve. Underneath the laptop, you will see cutouts with two smaller boxes fitted inside them containing the 65W Type-C charger, the USB Type-C charger cable, quick start guide and warranty card. Our unit also came with the HUAWEI MateDock 2 but we’re not entirely sure if comes bundled with the Malaysian retail unit. HUAWEI has yet to respond to our inquiries on it.

Appearance

As far as the overall appearance of the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro goes, there’s little difference between this year’s model and the 2020 model. Not necessarily a bad thing in my book as last year’s model is already a beautiful laptop in itself and why change something that’s pretty in the first place? The unit we have here is the Emerald Green variant and features a nice and smooth surface on the lid. You will also see the HUAWEI logo on top of the lid written with a nice mirror-like reflective material. First glance certainly screams premium and elegant.

Opening the laptop you will be greeted with a huge and gorgeous glass display that has a 91% screen-to-body ratio and very minimal bezels. The 3:2 aspect ratio also makes things displayed look much bigger than what they actually are. You can also see that the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro features a full-size chiclet keyboard, a wide glass trackpad as well as the signature pop up webcam. There is also a power button at the top right of the keyboard that doubles as a fingerprint sensor.

Underneath the laptop, you will see that there are four circular rubber feet on each corner and no visible cutouts for vents. HUAWEI went for a more minimalistic and clean look for the laptop so I understand why there are no vents at the bottom. There are, however, a couple of speaker slits on either side of the MateBook X Pro.
HUAWEI MateBook X Pro Specifications

CPU
Intel Core i5-1135G7 @ 2.4GHz (up to 4.9GHz Boost), 4C/8T, 28W TDP, 10nm

RAM
16 GB LPDDR4X-4266

GPU
Intel Iris Xe Graphics

Storage
512GB PCIe NVMe SSD

Software
Microsoft Windows 10 Home

Connectivity
IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
2.4GHz and5 GHz
2 x 2 MIMO
Support WPA/WPA2/WPA3
Bluetooth 5.1
USB-C x 2, Charging/Display (Dual 4K[email protected] Max.3840 x 2160 resolution) / Data (Max.40 Gbps)
USB-A 3.2 x 1

Display
13.9-inch 3K (3000 x 2000) LTPS panel, JDI LPM139M422, 100% sRGB, 450-nit brightness
10-point multi-touch sensitive screen with finger gesture screenshot

Audio
Quad speaker
Dual microphone
1 x 3.5mm headset and microphone jack

Power
65W power adapter, USB-PD support
56 WHr Li-Po battery

Dimensions
304 x 217 x 14.6 mm

Weight
1.33kg

Performance

First up on our performance test is the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro’s CrystalDiskMark scores. As you can see here, the laptop has a pretty good score so you can expect fast boot-ups and loading times.

Moving on to the Cinebench R20 scores, the HUAWEI MateBook X pro performs just about as well as I expected. The performance is quite competitive with the other laptops in the same category, although the multi-core scores are relatively low.

As for the Superposition score, the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro only managed a score of 857 which is considered pretty decent especially when you consider it is an integrated graphics solution versus the other MX330/MX250 GPUs. However when compared against the other 11th Gen laptops, it is quite poor, but more on that later.

The Time Spy score points a pretty similar picture here. It seems that HUAWEI has designed the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro in a way that it can handle CPU workloads better than it can handle GPU ones.

The PCMark scores also reflect upon the laptop’s previous scores above. The HUAWEI MateBook X Pro scored a low 3999 for Digital Content Creation, a 6424 for Productivity, a 9416 for Essentials and an overall score of 4466.
User Experience

The 14-inch display of the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro is certainly the highlight of the laptop. Colours are bright and vibrant with splendid viewing angles. The 3:2 aspect ratio provides you with a lot more screen space that certainly helps a lot when you’re writing or viewing documents or if you’re simply just surfing the web. One thing of note is that there are no rubber bars around the screen and since the display is made of glass I worry that it can get scratched or damaged when you close the laptop.

The touchscreen is also pretty responsive and adds that added touch (get it?) of convenience especially when you’re dealing with web documents or you just want to show a particular part of a website to another person. The downside of using the touchscreen is that you tend to get ugly finger marks all over the screen but this can be easily wiped off with a cloth or any other cleaning method.

Watching movies or videos is also a treat on the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro as the 3K display is beautiful and satisfying to look at. The display of the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro is truly immersive which is pretty impressive for a device as compact as this.

Coupled with the laptop’s better than average speakers, and you’ve got a good laptop for your entertainment needs. Another good thing about the speakers is that they don’t distort even when volume levels are maxed out. Though I would’ve liked it more if the speakers had a slightly more punchy bass just to round out the whole sound experience.

The laptop also features Nahimic software onboard which you can use to tune the sound of your speakers and headphones to your liking. From my experience, it doesn’t really improve the sound experience all that much but the fact that it’s there is much appreciated.

The keyboard is a backlit chiclet keyboard that is pretty comfortable to use. The key travel is pretty short but there’s an acceptable level of tactility that makes up for it thus giving a pretty enjoyable typing experience. I have a huge problem with the trackpad though as it can be a little oversensitive at times with poor palm rejection. I can’t tell you how many time I accidentally clicked on something when I’m just scrolling. Not good if you’re planning to stalk your crush or ex on social media.

In terms of connectivity, I find that the ports provided on the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro are a little lacking. You get two USB Type-C ports, an audio jack and just a single USB Type-A port. Admittedly, this is still better than what you get on other similar laptops but it would really help if there was just one more Type-A port.
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Gaming on the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro is pretty interesting and for the most part, the laptop is pretty capable of running many games at 1080p thanks to the Intel Iris Xe graphics. I managed to run GTA V at a very respectable 40 frames per second on average though I did have to tone the graphics down pretty low. Phasmophobia ran at an average of 30 frames per second while Hades ran super smooth with no frame hitches whatsoever. I did have some issues with The Outer Worlds as the laptop struggled to keep it at even 30 frames even at 900p.

I can also say that the battery life can last close to what HUAWEI advertised the laptop to last. Based on my usage, the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro managed slightly more than 9 hours with a combination of work and Netflix binging.

The camera placement makes the webcam incredibly awkward to use. I get what HUAWEI was trying to achieve and without the pop-up camera, we wouldn’t get what is essentially one of the best screens on a laptop. I just wish there was a better way for me to use the webcam without showcasing my unkempt nose hairs to the world whenever I get on a video call.

Unfortunately, due to the design of the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro, a good cooling system is nothing but an afterthought as this laptop can run pretty hot even with mundane tasks. I find myself feeling quite uncomfortable using the laptop for long periods because of the heat the laptop emits. And I guess this explains the lacklustre scores in our GPU benchmarks, as the laptop just throttles down the GPU, resulting in lower than expected performance.

Another standing feature of the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro is the HUAWEI Share feature where you can synchronise your HUAWEI device to the laptop with just a single tap. By using the HUAWEI Share feature, you can also transfer files easily as well as use multi-screen collaboration. Quite a nifty feature I must say especially when you work using both devices.
Conclusion

I had a good time with the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro. It has a beautiful design, premium build, amazing screen, decent battery life as well as good audio. However, there are some issues with the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro.
Some of these issues are those mentioned before such as the awkward webcam placement, the slight lack of connectivity ports, the thermal issues and the wonky trackpad. The trackpad on the MateBook X Pro is really not good to the point where I resorted to using a mouse due to the sheer frustrations it gave me.
Regardless of these shortcomings, I still think that the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro is perfect for those looking for a great work companion as well as looking great while using it. The screen is an absolute beaut and the touchscreen will prove useful during presentations. It is also great for one or two Netflix binge sessions and the speakers work pretty well. Also, it can handle some gaming as well albeit at a limited capacity.
The HUAWEI MateBook X Pro retails for a cool RM6899 and can be gotten at either the HUAWEI Online Store or the official HUAWEI Store on Shopee and Lazada. Each purchase will also come with free gifts worth RM498 which include a HUAWEI backpack and HUAWEI Mouse.
And with that, I proudly award the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro a generous Bronze Pokdeward.

A huge thank you to HUAWEI Malaysia for providing us with the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro for this review.
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