Go back to school in style with the latest 10th Gen Intel Core laptops!

As we enter the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) period, schools and universities are reopening, it might be time to consider replacing your ageing laptop with a newer one. With these promos on the 10th Gen Intel® Core™-powered laptops, you can save some money while also snagging yourself a nice new laptop to attend your classes with.

These laptops from ASUS and HP are designed to be light and portable, making them easy to carry around your campus, while also delivering good performance and excellent battery life with the efficient new 10th Gen Intel® Core™ processors. The 10th Gen Intel® Core™ processors are more than capable of handling all your needs when it comes to e-learning or productivity.

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In this promotion on the GLOO Store @ Lazada this 8th August, a free copy of Office Home & Student 2019 will be bundled with selected laptops too, saving you some money while giving you all the tools you need for e-learning or working from home.
So lets check out the systems that are available in this promo:
GLOO Lazada Bonanza Promos

Processor
RAM
Storage
Graphics
Display
Promo Bundle
Price

ASUS ZenBook Duo (UX481F-ABM036T)
Intel® Core™ i5-10210U
8GB RAM
512GB SSD
Intel UHD Graphics
14″ FHD display
ScreenPad Plus secondary display
Stylus Pen
RM4099

ASUS A509J-PEJ185TS
Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1
4GB RAM
512GB SSD
Intel UHD Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce MX330
15.6″ FHD display
Office Home & Student 2019
RM2559

ASUS A509M-ABR102T
Intel® Celeron® N4020
4GB RAM
256GB SSD
Intel UHD Graphics
15.6″ HD display

RM1309

ASUS A509J-ABR360TS/
361TS (Grey/Silver)
Intel® Core™ i3-1005G1
4GB RAM
256GB SSD
Intel UHD Graphics
15.6″ FHD display
Office Home & Student 2019
RM1899

HP Laptop 15s-du2027TX/028TX (Silver/Gold)
Intel® Core™ i5-1035G1
4GB RAM
512GB SSD
Intel UHD Graphics
15.6″ FHD display
Office Home & Student 2019
RM2609

HP 22-b404d All-in-One Desktop
Intel® Celeron® J3060
4GB RAM
500GB HDD
Intel HD Graphics
21.5″ FHD display
Free Wired Keyboard and Mouse
RM1499

On top of the bundled items, GLOO will also be giving out cash rebates worth up to RM100 for these selected products. For every RM1000 spent on a single checkout, you get a RM50 rebate. Yes, spending RM2000 in a single voucher will net you RM100 of rebates, for additional savings on these already good deals!
          HP Laptop 15s            HP 22-b404d              ASUS ZenBook Duo            ASUS A509JP            ASUSA509JA
Don’t miss out on these promos as they will be happening this 8th August during Lazada’s 8.8 sales! Check out the GLOO Store @ Lazada for more deals and vouchers. You can also WhatsApp GLOO if you need any assistance. Click the link below to head over to the GLOO Store @ Lazada!
GLOO Store @ Lazada
Pokdepinion: Wow I didn’t know they refreshed the ZenBook Duo with a 10th Gen CPU!
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HTC 10 — the end of One era

With the launching of the HTC 10, it marks the end of an era for HTC. HTC’s latest flagship no longer carries the One moniker. Naming convention aside, let’s take a look at the HTC 10.
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The HTC 10 still carries on the family legacy of a premium aluminium construction, but instead of the curves of the previous flagships, HTC decided to use more chamfering for a decidedly more classy look. HTC claims it’s a poetry of light, in your hands.

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While the HTC 10 may look like a poetry of light, you can create your own pieces of art with the Ultrapixel 2 camera that scored a high 88 points on DXOMark. Don’t worry about the Ultrapixel 2 name though, as this time HTC has come to their senses (get it? Sense?) and the new sensor sports 1.55µm pixels and a relatively normal resolution of 12 megapixels. This is coupled with a bright f/1.8 aperture, OIS and also a laser autofocusing system. The camera can shoot 12-bit RAW photos as well as 4K 2160p at 30 fps and Hi-Res audio. For your info, the HTC 10 is the first smartphone in the world to feature stereo Hi-Res audio recording. And did I mention the front camera also features OIS?

The HTC BoomSound™ Hi-Fi edition on the HTC 10 is also re-engineered. Instead of simply (or not so simply) cramming stereo speakers into the front panel of the smartphone, the two speakers are designed to pump sounds of different frequencies, to emulate the separated tweeter (higher frequencies) and woofer (lower frequencies) design of leading acoustic systems. Each speaker has its own amplifier for unprecedented audio quality.

If you prefer to enjoy your audio alone, the HTC 10 is certified for Hi-Res audio output, and even comes with a premium pair of earphones which are also Hi-Res audio certified. The Hi-Res audio certified earphones feature an 8µm thin aerospace-grade polymer diaphragm and 70% oversized drivers to pump out richer sound across twice the frequency range. A Personal Audio Profile system is introduced in the HTC 10 to dynamically adjust specific frequencies to each of your ears, so you enjoy the music the way the musicians intended. Sounds familiar?

No flagship in 2016 will be complete without a fingerprint sensor and the HTC 10 has a front-mounted one which doubles as the home button as well. A revival of the capacitive soft keys is also observed here, except this time around they didn’t forget the Home button.

A 5.2″ QHD (1440p) Super LCD 5 display with a pixel density of 564 ppi is protected by a curved Gorilla Glass panel. The HTC 10 sports a slew of new software enhancements in Android 6 with HTC Sense to improve both personalization and performance. Speaking about performance, the HTC 10 features none other than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, paired with 4GB of RAM. A 3000 mAh battery powers everything and when its time to charge it, it gets its juice via the USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C connector, with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0.
What do you think?

Pokdepinion: I think HTC has finally got a winner in their hands! Unlike the HTC One M9 which was plagued with issues like heat and also a subpar camera, the HTC 10 features the latest Snapdragon 820 and an Ultrapixel 2 camera as well as a load of other new stuff. I hope to see HTC rise again to be a top smartphone OEM, or at least get out of the red.
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With the release inching closer and closer (and hopefully with no more delays), Kingdom Hearts 3 has been announced to have a playable demo at PSX SEA 2018.
Kingdom Hearts 3 Will Be Playable at PSX SEA 2018

Sora, Goofy and Donald return!@KINGDOMHEARTS III’s demo will be playable for the FIRST time in Asia at #PSXSEA2018.
For ticketing/event details: https://t.co/aMQ35Glu3s pic.twitter.com/PrdQGEjp6I
— PlayStation Asia (@PlayStationAsia) August 13, 2018

Are you looking for a reason to go to PSX SEA 2018 at Bangkok, Thailand this year? Are you also a fan of the Kingdom Hearts series? Well, now you have a very solid reason to head to the venue yourself.

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The PlayStation Asia official Twitter account has announced that there will be a playable demo for Kingdom Hearts 3 at PSX SEA 2018 for fans to enjoy. This will be your chance to get a close and personal look into the game before it’s finally released in January 2019.
Nothing is known about the demo at the moment but then again, knowing about it now might just spoil the experience anyway. So if you want to know what’s up, go grab tickets and head to Thailand for the event. If you’re not sure where to get tickets, click right here.
In case you missed it, we reported about PSX SEA 2018, as well as where and when it will be happening. If you missed out on that, click right here to get up to speed.
Pokdepinion: Well, it’s definitely a good reason for many gamers, not just the ones in Thailand, to head there now. It’s gonna be even more packed, that’s for sure.
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vivo V27 Launch Teased In Malaysia

vivo V27 Launch Teased In Malaysia

Shortly after the launch of V27e, the V27 will arrive here soon as well.

Vivo has teased the launch of V27 smartphone in Malaysia – however they didn’t mention the exact date just yet. The headlining feature is the color-shifting design that changes in between emerald green to dark green depending on lighting conditions. That being said, Vivo’s international website seems to include other colors including Flowing Gold, Noble Black and Magic Blue – we’ll have to wait until more information is reveal to see which colors make it to our market.

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On the camera department, the vivo V27 uses the Sony IMX766V sensor which the company says “are only found on flagship smartphones”. It is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 7200 (4nm) with 8GB RAM, 4,600mAh battery with 66W fast charging, and a 6.78-inch FHD+ display. Stay tuned on Vivo Malaysia’s Facebook page for more updates.
Pokdepinion: Have to see it in person to know what does that color looks like to the naked eye.
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Apple iPhone 15 Series Could See The Return Of An Old Design

The Apple iPhone 15 series design is expected to change for a good reason, and there is a possibility that it could go back to an old design they had.
Apple iPhone 15 Series Could Be More “Rounded”

So the new iPhone 15
From the early information that I have, the iPhone 15 will feature a new border design. The back edge corner (as pointed out in the images) will be rounded and not square anymore.
The material also will be titanium.
Still very early to take it as it is. pic.twitter.com/hbdCKUhVP9
— ShrimpApplePro 🍤 (@VNchocoTaco) November 20, 2022

A known leaker going by the name ShrimpApplePro (@VNchocoTaco on Twitter) has revealed some alleged details on the upcoming Apple iPhone 15 series, and it’s rather interesting. It appears that there is a likely chance of it being made of titanium and feature more rounded corners than recent models.

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The rounded corners will make it similar in appearance to the old iPhone 5c, though that one was made of plastic. It also means that if it is true, Apple will be going back to an older design, which isn’t a bad thing. There are still a large number of people who are fans of this design anyway.

What’s most interesting to note here is that if all the leaked details end up being true, the Apple iPhone 15 series will be their first time using titanium as a body material for a smartphone. Most recently, they’ve used titanium for the Apple Watch Ultra.

While it’s easy to just brush this alleged leak off, ShrimpApplePro has had a decent history with leaks, correctly predicting the Apple Watch Series 8 not having a redesign being the most recent one. Either way, do take this information with a grain of salt.

Source
Pokdepinion: In all honesty, they could for a drastic redesign if they wanted to, and I’m sure a ton of people out there will still buy it anyway.
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ASUS Republic of Gamers Sponsoring PSG eSports; Sponsor French eSports Team with ROG Desktops, Monitors and Laptops

eSports is on the rise, and ASUS Republic of Gamers is lending a hand to support one particular team.
You might think that playing games for a living is the dream but it’s not exactly an easy life either. You have to train for most parts of the day, keep your health in check, and ensure that you and your team can work as a cohesive unit.
Because eSports players need to spend so much time training, they would need all the help that they can get. It sounds grand to us but it’s something that they truly need. ASUS Republic of Gamers is doing just that for one particular team.

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ASUS Republic of Gamers Sponsoring PSG eSports

ASUS Republic of Gamers has officially announced that they will be sponsoring Paris Saint-Germain eSports (PSG eSports), an elite eSports team that focuses on playing League of Legends and FIFA competitively. They will be sponsored throughout the entire 2017 season, and this project is expected to be one of the most exciting eSports projects in Europe.
Fabien Allègre, PSG Director of Merchandising and Brand Diversification, said:
We are proud to welcome ASUS Republic of Gamers onboard as a main partner and the first kit sponsor for our PSG eSports team. This partnership shows the growing interest among brands in our project, and vindicates the strategy implemented by our Chairman, Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

The ASUS ROG logo will appear on the PSG eSports team’s kit and gear. They will also be supplied with high-performance ROG G20 gaming desktops, 24-inch Full HD ASUS MG248Q gaming monitors, as well as the ROG Strix GL702 gaming laptops.
Karim Ouahioune, ROG marketing manager, said:
ROG and PSG eSports share the same values, so it is the perfect partnership. ROG is No. 1 in thegaming PC market, and we are pleased to provide PSG eSports with the latest and most innovative high-performance gaming gear available. We can’t wait to see them in action!
ASUS Republic of Gamers is expected to strengthen their stance in the eSports world and this is an explosive start in the European region.

Pokdepinion: While I personally wish that I’d get those stuff as well, kudos to the guys over at PSG eSports. If ASUS ROG is willing to sponsor them, they must have truly noted how powerful of a team they are or can be.

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SCUF Reflex Gamepad Improves on the PS5 DualSense Controller Design

Corsair subsidiary SCUF Gaming has launched a brand new gamepad that improves on the PS5 DualSense controller, the SCUF Reflex. What’s different with this one and is it worth getting? Let’s find out.
SCUF Reflex Gamepad: A DualSense Alternative for the PS5?

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The SCUF Reflex is basically a series of modified DualSense controller that is compatible with the PS5 and PC. You have the standard model, the Pro model, and one that is geared specifically for FPS gamers.
The base model SCUF Reflex features back paddles that can remapped, interchangeable analog sticks, and built-in memory to for custom game profiles. The Pro model is basically the same, but with extra grip textures so it’s easier to hold.
As for the SCUF Reflex FPS, it removes two specific features to make it more suitable for FPS games; adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. Instead, the triggers are said to be “instant” for faster actuation while the removal of haptic feedback is to allow you to focus better in the game. It’s also the priciest among the three gamepads.
As for pricing, the base model SCUF Reflex will be retailing for USD $199.99 (RM844.86) while the Pro variant will be slightly pricier at USD $229.99 (RM971.59). The FPS model on the other hand will be retailing for USD $259.99 (RM1,098.33). Purchasing it via the international website will cost an additional USD $29.99 for delivery, but the first batch has apparently sold out so you’ll wait for the next batch.
Source
Pokdepinion: I’m personally very curious as I would be wondering if it’s worth going for this over the original DualSense controller for the PS5. Those additional back paddles would be super useful for a lot of games, but the price is quite high up there.
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[VIDEO] MSI GS63 7RD Stealth Promotional Video in collaboration with MSI, Intel and Nvidia

We recently reviewed the MSI GS63 7RD a while ago. While we had it with us, we decided to have a little fun and made this promotional video in collaboration with MSI, Intel and Nvidia. Here’s a story of Ruby Perreira, an executive who loves gaming as much as she loves her job (well, maybe she loves gaming more, why not you decide?)

This is the first time we have done such a promotional video. Hats off to the Pokde crew for the time spent in creating this. Lots of love to MSI, Intel and Nvidia for sponsoring this gig. And above all, you, our beloved readers for whom we try to go every extra mile to do something different and interesting for all the support you guys have shown to us.
Do checkout the review of the MSI GS63 7RD here.

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Pokdepinion: The ting goes Skkkkrrrraaaaaaaa
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[E3 2017] Marvel vs Capcom Infinite New Trailers Released – Demo now available

The hunt for the infinity stones begins

Sony revealed a brand new story trailer for Capcom’s Marvel vs Capcom Infinite video game over at E3 2017. The legendary video game franchise, which is the eighth addition to a franchise that first debuted in the arcades way back in1996, showcased a more cosmic focused story this time with the inclusion of the Inifinity Stones and the Mad Titan himself and a whole slew of new characters which includes Captain Marvel and Gamora, just to name a few.

Check out the story trailer down below:

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I gotta say Marvel vs Capcom Infinite looks like it could a total romp. It’s got the perfect blend of both the Capcom characters and Marvel characters, good news for comic book and video game fans around the world. It’s colourful, and visually captivating with this amazing energy exuding from the stunning visuals.

The trailer shows a captured Thanos over at the Avengers Tower forging an uneasy alliance with the rest of the Avengers and the Capcom characters to hunt for the Infinity Stones scattered across the Cosmos before Ultron Sigma (a totally BAMF fusion of Ultron and classic Mega Man villain Sigma) can get his hands on it and use them for his own nefarious deeds. I’m really curious as to how Thanos got himself locked up over in Avengers Tower but I guess I gotta play the game to find out.

The gameplay trailer of Marvel vs Capcom Infinite was also revealed right after the story trailer that features characters like Dante, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Nova, Spencer and a bunch of other MArvel and Capcom characters fighting each other. Check it out below:
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The gameplay looks like sheer pandemonium with all characters duking it out in a mixture of colours and bright lights. I definitely cannot wait to get my hands on this game.

Marvel vs Capcom is available for pre order and will be out on September 19 this year and will be out for both PS4 and Xbox One. A demo for the story mode is out now for both PS4 and Xbox One if you want to check it out and get a feel for yourselves.
Pokdepinion: I remember playing this game for the first time on my uncle’s original PlayStation and I remember just losing myself with all the button smashing and screaming in excitement while playing. Marvel vs Capcom Infinite looks it could bring all those memories flooding back, screaming included.
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Grab Free Mid-Autumn Festival Goodies From COD: Black Ops Cold War And COD: Warzone

Activision Blizzard is celebrating Mid-Autumn with Call of Duty players by giving out special Mid-Autumn Festival-themed freebies.
Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with COD Black Ops Cold War and COD Warzone
From September 21 to 22, players in both Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Call of Duty: Warzone will be able to unlock the time-limited Happy Mid-Autumn Festival Bundle, which will be available for free across all platforms. The bundle includes brand new festive and anime items such as:

Calling Card: Battle Under Moon
Sticker: Rabbit Operators
Emblem: Rabbit Ambush
Emblem: Running Around Mooncake

Calling Card: Battle Under Moon

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Sticker: Rabbit Operators

Emblem: Rabbit Ambush

Emblem: Running Around Mooncake
Activision Blizzard has designed a limited quantity of bespoke Call of Duty: Warzone branded, Mid-Autumn inspired motorcycle helmets to further commemorate Mid-Autumn and Call of Duty players in Asia. Over the next few weeks, players will have the chance to win one of them through local Call of Duty, partner, media, and influencer social channels.
Both Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Call of Duty: Warzone is available on PS5. PS4, the Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, as well as on PC.
Pokdepinion: I used to play Warzone quite a lot back then but I couldn’t stand the hackers and cheaters so I kinda moved on to other things. I have yet to try out Black Ops Cold war though.
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Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Listed On Steam, Confirms EA’s Return

Many gamers were left frustrated when EA decided to open up Origin and leave Steam to have their own store. We’ve previously reported that they might do a comeback. Now it seems that they are indeed coming back with the release of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

It seems that the game will be the first of many games to come to Steam. Adding to that, their subscription service, EA Access will also be arriving on the platform.
The game is already listed on the Steam store and will be released on the 15th of November 2019.

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In addition to the game, it will also be followed by The Sims 4, Unravel 2, Apex Legends, and Battlefield V to Steam.
EA’s very own CEO, Andrew Wilson states;
This is the start of an exciting partnership with Valve that will see us innovating for PC players around the world. Through our subscription, great games and more, we’re excited to bring players in the Steam and Origin communities together with access to the best games, whenever and wherever they want to play.Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts
Despite the news, crossplay will be made available for online games between Steam and Origin users, so you shouldn’t worry too much if you already bought a game on Origin.
Pokdepinion: Finally, the moment we’ve been waiting for!
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How to Enable Dark Mode on Gmail and Google Maps for Android and iOS

Hi there. We've started rolling out dark mode for Gmail in the latest update. You should see an option to enable it if you have iOS 11+/Android 10+ soon. Also, you can submit feedback regarding the mark as read option: Gmail app > Help & feedback > Send Feedback? Appreciate it!— Gmail (@gmail) October 9, 2019

I’m sure many of you have developed a fondness for Dark mode / Dark theme. It’s pleasant for the eyes and your device’s battery life. If you’ve been wondering whether it can be enabled on Gmail and Google Maps, then wonder no more. It is indeed possible now.
The implementation didn’t have a huge announcement but instead, was seen from the official Gmail Twitter account in the form of a reply. As you can see from the tweet, the feature is rolling out for users running Android 10 and iOS 11 or higher.
If you’re wondering how to enable it, here’s exactly what you need to do:

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iOS Users
If you are on iOS 13, you can toggle the system-wide Dark Mode in Settings > Display & Brightness > Appearance and tap on DarkAlternatively, you can go to the Theme tab (only available for those with the update) in the Gmail app, and turn it on thereIf you’ve got iOS 11 or 12, you can open Gmail and head to the Settings tab to turn on dark modeFor Google Maps, do the same thing you would on Gmail to enable it
Android Users
If you are on Android 10, head to Settings > Display > ThemeIf you own a Google Pixel device, turning Battery Saver on also turns on system-wide Dark ModeAlternatively, head to the Theme tab in Gmail to toggle it (only available for those with the update) For Google Maps, do the same thing you would on Gmail to enable it
If it doesn’t work for you, it’s either you’re not on the right OS version, or your app hasn’t been updated yet. In which case, just be a little bit patient as it’s slowly making its way out to everyone.
Source: KnowTechie
Pokdepinion: Now to wait for it to roll out to Android Pie. That or wait for Android 10 to roll out for my smartphone. Either way works for me.
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GIGABYTE Gets Hit By Ransomware Attack

Ransomware attacks aren’t exactly rare these days but it seems that GIGABYTE is the latest company to suffer from it.
GIGABYTE hit by ransomware
According to reports, the attack happened just recently on the 3rd and 4th of August 2021. Following that, the company has announced that they’ve shut down their IT infrastructure and added that only a few of their servers were effected.
It is said that the extortionist has stolen 112GB of private data as well as info from a code repository from the company. They include data on Intel and AMD chips as well as a s debug document.
The company has said that they’ve reported the issue to the authorities but didn’t confirm on whether they’d pay the ransom that’s put up.

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For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
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Pokdepinion: We’re seeing more and more attacks these days. I wonder how the company will respond to this. Let’s hope that they’ll be able to solve it.
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ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 16GB OC Edition Review – New Normal?

NVIDIA’s rather controversial GeForce RTX 4080 has landed, and not without its own issues. During the launch keynote in September this year – CEO Jensen Huang has announced two versions of RTX 4080 (16GB and 12GB) that frankly, does not resemble each other whatsoever. Every single specs on the 12GB version has been toned down making it a substantially slower card that has no right to share the same name as the 16GB version.
It wasn’t long until public’s dissent has finally forced NVIDIA to undo that naming, so the 4080 12GB has been – for the first time in NVIDIA’s history – “unlaunched”. So that leaves us with just a single RTX 4080 model, the 16GB one – which we now have on hand in the form of ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4080. Let’s see how ASUS handles one of the most notorious NVIDIA GPUs in recent history…
Unboxing
Box front.
The actual box is wrapped by the “box” you just saw above.
Unlike most boxes you see, ASUS has gone creative with the box design and given the box chamfered edges. The outer packaging is a very thin one though, so be careful if you want to keep it as a showpiece. The real deal… is what’s wrapped under the RTX packaging. Open it sideways like usual – but due to the shape you may need to pry your fingers to get this thing open. Not exactly ideal.

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Box contents.
The GPU holder – which doubles up as a screwdriver.
Opening the box and you get a few things – the GPU itself, a velcro tape, a 3x 8-pin PCIe adapter and a rather tiny GPU holder that can be doubled up as a screwdriver – so you can save time from searching that screwdriver just so you can install the screws into the case bracket. If you currently own the ATX 3.0 / PCIe 5.0 power supply, you can simply ignore the adapter and use a native connector instead.
Appearance
Front view.
Over the years TUF Gaming’s design has slowly been “maturing” so to say – less in-your-face looks and more subtlety. So it’s always nice to see a GPU that’s more reserved in design which will be visually more compatible with most builds. No RGB on this side of the GPU though, this is a very understated card all things considered.
Top view.
Coming to the top side reveals one of the thickest GPU we’ve seen so far, measuring at 3.65 slots. Though you can see some unutilized spaces between the fins, which overall makes it look less busy than it should be. Maybe it’s just the illusion of having a nearly skeletal shroud design on the backplate side?
Bottom view.
Look from the bottom side (from the PCIe slot), you can see there’s a gap between the ‘exoskeleton’ section and the heatsink at the right 1/3 of the card. Given this is a 320W card, I doubt it’s really warranted to use such a thick chassis to handle the heat.
Rear (backplate) view.
BIOS mode switch – this determines the cooling and fan behavior.
On the rear you get a bog-standard backplate design – flow-through cutouts, exposed capacitors and all that. Part of the cutout resembles right half of the TUF logo. On the bottom left you get a dual-BIOS switch, giving the option to choose between Performance and Quiet modes.
PCIe bracket & I/O view.
Now we get something more interesting. Unlike the standard layouts, ASUS has given this GPU one extra HDMI 2.1 port, totaling five ports. That being said, you can only use up to 4 at a time according to ASUS’s specifications. This is a thick card – at 3.65 slots, you won’t be leaving much gaps if you happen to have another PCIe add-in card right below.
Interestingly, the PCIe bracket is only a dual-slot one, so there’s less area to spread the load as you install it into the case. That being said, it’s not a concern – 8 of these PH2 Philips screws is more than enough to keep this secured to the chassis.
The only place you’ll be seeing RGB from the entire card.
Onto our test rig, the only place you’ll be seeing RGB is on the top right side – illuminating the TUF logo and a small light strip below it. If you build a more understated-looking PC, this will fit and blend right in. If you ignore that triple 8-pin PCIe adapter that is…
Specifications
ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 16GB OC Edition

GPU Core & VRAM:
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 16GB

GPU Core Variant
AD103-300-A1

Microarchitecture
Ada Lovelace

Process Node
TSMC N4

Transistors
45.9 billion

Die size
379mm²

Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs)
76

CUDA Cores
9728

Tensor Cores
304

RT Cores
76

Cache
64MB (L2)

VRAM Configuration
16GB GDDR6X 256-bit

Memory Bandwidth
22.4Gbps, 716.8GB/s peak

Add-in board:
ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 16GB OC Edition

Boost Clocks
2595MHz (Default)
2625MHz (OC)

TDP
320W

Recommended PSU
750W

Dual BIOS Mode
Yes (Performance / Quiet)

Display Outputs
3x DisplayPort 1.4
2x HDMI 2.1
*Max 4 concurrent display outputs
*Max output resolution: 7680×4320 (8K) @ 120Hz (DSC)

Power Connector
16-pin 12VHPWR connector
*Optional 3x 8-pin PCIe adapter included

Bus Interface
PCIe 4.0 x16

Dimensions
3.65-slot, 348.2 x 150 x 72.6 mm

Test System

CPU
Intel Core i9-13900K (24C 32T, 5.8GHz)

Cooler
ASUS ROG Ryujin II 360 AIO
Cooler Master MasterGel Maker

Motherboard
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 HERO

GPU

PNY GeForce RTX 4090 OC XLR8 Gaming VERTO EPIC-X RGB

ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 16GB OC Edition

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Founders Edition

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

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

Power Supply
ASUS ROG Thor 1000W Platinum II

Case
VECTOR Bench Case (Open-air chassis)

OS
Windows 11 Pro 21H2

Performance
In the following performance comparison, both the PNY XLR8 VERTO OC RTX 4090 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti FE will be used as comparison and reference. All benchmarks are done in out-of-the-box settings (BIOS mode set to Performance), unless otherwise specified.
Games are tested under these settings (upscaling features such as NVIDIA DLSS or AMD FSR are turned off):

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

Synthetic Benchmarks
Synthetic benchmarks. The RTX 4080 pretty much sits in the exact middle of the other two.
Given the core configuration between all three cards (16,384 vs 9,728 vs 10,240), it’s not that surprising to see RTX 4080 trailing behind with a gap that basically says “RTX 4080 Ti coming soon”. Let’s go through the numbers individually.
Now, despite having roughly 40% less CUDA cores, the 4080 isn’t 40% slower – worst case we’re looking at 32% deficit to RTX 4090 – while leading the RTX 3080 Ti by 39%, in the Superposition 4K test. 3DMark Time Spy has given the 4080 both wins at different margins: 39% on System scores, and 47% on GPU scores. Raytracing-based 3DMark Port Royal has similar advantage too – thanks to increased amount of updated RT cores, it nets a 40% lead over the preceding RTX 3080 Ti.
Gaming – 4K (3840×2160)
Gaming benchmarks – tested on 4K.
The pattern continues – we see RTX 4080 sits right in between RTX 4090 and RTX 3080 Ti. That being said, the 4080’s narrower 256-bit memory bus has certainly impacted its performance potential in 4K resolutions (you’ll see why in the 1440p test below). Memory bandwidth is especially important as you go higher in resolutions, so the 4080 having 30% less memory bandwidth certain has impacts on the performance in 4K than just simply lesser core counts.
In any case, Forza Horizon 5 has the 4080 lead by 42% over 3080 Ti on RT-enabled run, and 39% on pure raster run. The lead clocks at 30% for 4080 in Red Dead Redemption 2; meanwhile, Shadow of the Tomb Raider has very similar scaling behavior to that of Forza – which happen to translate nearly identical improvements over its predecessor by 41% and 38% respectively. Finally, F1 2022 is the only game where RTX 4080 has fell under 60FPS mark, however that is still a solid 36% faster than the 3080 Ti, which is barely at playable framerates.
Gaming – 1440P (2560×1440)
1440p gaming benchmarks.
To summarize this chart to that of 4K runs – the gap has closed considerably in favor of the RTX 4080 to its big brother, RTX 4090. The general trend here seems to point at RTX 4090 hitting a bottleneck – which made RTX 4080 substantially closer to it in some settings.
Forza sees the 4080 lead by 41% and 32% with its respective settings; Red Dead Redemption 2, among the most demanding games on GPU, has given 39% lead to the 4080 over the older card. Meanwhile, F1 2022 sees RTX 4080 easily beating 3080 Ti with a 38% lead.
Here’s something worth noting. Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a relatively easier game to run on, which puts more emphasis on the CPU and memory’s performance. With CPU and memory bottleneck realistically reduced to a minimum – we can see RTX 4080 is within reach of the much more expensive 4090 as the bigger card is starting to be dragged on by such bottlenecks. (We’ll need something even faster than i9-13900K to give the 4090 more performance potential.)
Gaming – 1080P (1920×1080)
Gaming benchmarks on 1080p.
Since we’re already talking about the potential bottleneck by CPU at 1440p (given GPUs has far outpaced CPU’s development over the years), it’s no surprise to see that 4090 is completely held back, which in some cases has the RTX 4080 to match its framerates (with 3080 Ti within spitting distance).
If you do play on raytracing on – the RTX 4080 can still lead with a significant margins: namely, +35% on FH5, +24% on SOTTR and +36% on F1 2022, against the RTX 3080 Ti. RDR2 remained GPU-heavy despite without raytracing, which means the 4080 still gets to lead by a significant +40% margin over the outgoing card. Without raytracing feature though – both FH5 and SOTTR’s lead to the 3080 Ti has either largely diminished or entirely disappeared due to bottlenecks on the other parts of the system.
Thermals
Thermals (Furmark) – Sensor data provided by HWiNFO64.
Fan speed (Furmark) – Sensor data provided by HWiNFO64. (The fans spun up before we began this run – do note that this GPU does support zero-RPM mode.)
First is the 10-minute Furmark stress test which represents the worst-case scenario for GPU workloads. Given this RTX 4080 is a 320W card – the thermals is fairly good. But when you consider other AIBs has similarly sized coolers that can easily handle 4090’s 450W, this might fell a bit short of that. Still, Averaging 63°C – you won’t be worrying about the GPU cooking itself in your PC case.
As for fan speeds, there’s headroom all the way up to 3,100RPM – but you won’t be needing all that speeds. (And it’s incredibly loud.) Under standard Performance BIOS mode, the fans push harder at around ~1,680RPM at the 10-minute mark.
Thermals (3DMark Time Spy Extreme stress test) – Sensor data provided by HWiNFO64. Tested under Quiet BIOS mode.
Fan speeds (3DMark Time Spy Extreme stress test) – Sensor data provided by HWiNFO64. Tested under Quiet BIOS mode.
For this run we chose the Quiet BIOS mode – which, unlike Performance – drops the fan speeds down to ~1,100RPM during our Furmark run. Here in the Time Spy Extreme run, also similarly 10-minute run – the fans pick up at a much slower pace and reaches ~1,080RPM at the end of the stress test. Temperatures are, expectedly, slightly higher on core; VRAM however has picked up 10 more degrees.
Conclusion

Compared to the previous generation TUF GPU, this is a whole lot thicker at 3.65 slots – which is not exactly what most users want when it comes to GPUs. Of course, with NVIDIA pushing TDP to crazy figures and with it brings associated R&D costs to develop such cooling solutions, this has given the current generation RTX 4080 a rather unpleasant side effects: you’ll likely be seeing more RTX 4080s like this which uses similar coolers as the 4090 despite much lower power draw. This is among the measures from AIBs to recoup development costs, with GPU profit margins as little as it is. (Again, look up EVGA.)
Would I say the TUF RTX 4080 is an efficient card? The silicon itself, yes. It’s very fast for its power draw – and honestly should’ve been NVIDIA’s flagship instead of throwing power efficiency out of the window and create the 450W monster that is the 4090. (Or at least, a 350W “4080 Ti” would’ve suffice.) The card itself? Not the most space-efficient. Granted, most motherboards leave 4 slots width to the next PCIe slot so vertical width isn’t an issue – but forget about ITX builds with these cards, they’re not designed for it.
And that is a rather worrying trend. Just look at cars: in some ways this resembles how people begin to buy SUVs in droves – and parking spaces becomes an issue because now every car is becoming huge. I hope we won’t be seeing GPUs keep getting larger to the point it no longer fits in the case (however absurd that idea might’ve be right now), because ITX users has pretty much been ignored for the last few years, unless they go with something exotic (say, custom waterblock liquid cooling).

Now, oversized coolers aside, how is ASUS managing the heat? Fairly well. It’s not as good as the PNY card we recently reviewed, but still good enough to not worry about any thermal issues, be it core or VRAM. Plus, there’s the ROG STRIX version if you really want to go balls-out. Fans are slightly more audible under load but it’s nothing to worry about. Although it does get very whiny if you decide to crank the fans to its absolute limits (not like you’ll ever need to).
Let’s address the elephant in the room. Remember NVIDIA priced this GPU at $1,199? I shall remind you this is a xx80-series card – not even the xx80 Ti card! In Malaysia this costs RM7,399 MSRP (actual prices are slightly lower) – which is a really terrible value when you look at the past xx80 models. Again, NVIDIA believes the days of low GPU prices are over – so it’s really up to you to decide whether Jensen Huang is right… the other side might say otherwise.

Special thanks to ASUS Malaysia for providing this sample of TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 16GB OC Edition for the purposes of this review.
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[E3 2021] The Outer Worlds 2 Officially Announced

[E3 2021] The Outer Worlds 2 Trailer

Microsoft has officially announced the sequel to their RPG shooter, The Outer Worlds 2. They showed a trailer of the game at E3 2021 during the Xbox and Bethesda presentation, but unfortunately, there isn’t much to learn about the game.
In fact, the trailer itself is poking fun at the lack of details to share. They described the hero as a mere silhouette because “the developers haven’t finished the design.” In fact, they admitted that they haven’t even finished the story and have no gameplay to show. The only thing that has been confirmed so far is the title of the game and nothing more.
According to Obsidian Entertainment studio head, Feargus Urquhart on Xbox Wire, The Outer Worlds 2 will be “taking place in a new star system with a new crew, we are excited to bring everyone back to The Outer Worlds franchise.”

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No release date, release window, or confirmed platforms have been announced yet. However, we do expect to be launched for the Xbox Series X and PC at least.
Source
Pokdepinion: I’m honestly surprised to hear this announcement so soon. Sure, it’s not like the game is coming out next month but given that its predecessor launched in late 2019, I expected it to be announced next year at the earliest. Here’s to hoping the game is launched safely and not as a buggy mess.
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PS Plus January 2020 FREE Games Lineup for US and EU

It’s a brand new year and a brand new decade. I’m sure there are many things coming up that you’re excited about but let’s kick it off with the PS Plus January 2020 free games lineup coming to both US and EU regions.
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection is developed by Naughty Dog, the same folks who released several of Sony’s best exclusive titles to the platform. It’s a compilation which includes the original Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, as well as Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.
Experience one of the most iconic game series ever on the PlayStation platform as you follow the journey of Nathan Drake across the globe, starting from his humble beginnings to extraordinary discoveries in this action-adventure title.

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Goat Simulator

Joining the frame is Goat Simulator, where you take on the role of..well, a goat. Ever fantasized of being a goat one day? Now you don’t need to. In the game, there are no rules. You can easily wreak havoc to your surroundings as a goat.
Did we tell you that you can be a goat already? Nice.
Both of these games can be downloaded for all PS Plus members starting from the 7th January 2020 until 2nd February 2020.
Source: PSBlog
Pokdepinion: If you’ve completely missed out on the Uncharted series, this would be a great time for you to subscribe to PS Plus.
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Bandai Namco Showing the Soul Calibur VI Basics of Combat

The folks over at Bandai Namco recently published a brand new trailer for its upcoming fighting game, Soul Calibur VI.
The video, narrated by Mark Julio, explains the basics that those who are unfamiliar with the Soul Calibur series may want to know before getting into the game.We hear about movement, the various kinds of attacks at your disposal, critical edge, soul charge, reversal edge, and more.
With the release date of Soul Calibur VI inching closer, we so far know that Inferno, Raphael, Cervantes, Tira, and Geralt of Rivia as playable characters. They also showed a brand new character named Azwel. As far as playable content is concerned, Bandai Namco gave a glimpse of the Libra of Soul story mode, where they let you create your own custom fighter.

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Be sure to check out the new basics of combat trailer at the top of this post.
Soul Calibur VI will release for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on 19th October 2018.
Pokdepinion: I am about pretty sure I’m going to be conflicted as to be spending time on this game more or Tekken 7. Well, for now, I know I’m in for plenty of fun.
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OnePlus To Work On Smartband Production?

The smartband scene has been going on around for quite some time now. Well now it seems that OnePlus is entering the market with their own according to a rumor which is reported to be from “insider sources”.
OnePlus Smartband to be unveiled?

OnePlus has revealed that they are indeed working on a smartwatch where Pete Lau, the company’s CEO has said that it would probably launch next year in 2021. He didn’t however stated or teased in any way of a smartband to be in production so you might want to take the rumor with a pinch of salt.

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Despite that, we wouldn’t be surprised if the company does indeed release a smartband of their own, seeing how their Chinese competitors already offer them such as Xiaomi, HONOR, HUAWEI, and OPPO.
It is said that the smartband from OnePlus would cost around $40 (~RM161) to fight with Xiaomi’s offerings. Again, this is just a rumor for now but we’ll update you should there be more concrete details regarding the matter. Till then, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Source
Pokdepinion: I’m just surprised that they aren’t in the smartband segment already. Other brands have been in the market for quite some time. Let’s see where this goes.
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Samsung Super Brand Day On Shopee With Promos Coming Soon On 23 July

The folks at Samsung Malaysia and Shopee has partnered up in bringing the second instalment of Super Brand Day where you can enjoy a host of Samsung products at special deals, starting from this 23rd July to the 25th of July.
Samsung Super Brand Day on Shopee
With the partnership, you can expect deals across various Samsung products including smartphones, wearables, tablets, monitors, TVs and digital home appliances.
Here’s what Samsung had to say about the partnership:

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At Samsung, we are continuously seeking ways to serve our customers in Southeast Asia better, and we were heartened by the overwhelmingly positive response during our first Super Brand Day with Shopee last year. Catering the needs of the growing pool of online-first customers, Samsung is thrilled to continue our partnership with Shopee, tapping on Shopee’s platform and technology to present another round of Samsung Super Brand Day, where consumers can access our products with ease and convenience.Grace Yi, Regional Head of Online Business, Samsung Electronics, Southeast Asia and Oceania
Exclusively for this year, you can enjoy Samsung bundle deals and additional savings from vouchers, exclusive free gifts, free shipping, as well as 0% interest installment plans. Aside from that, the first 30 customers who purchase selected washing machines will be entitled to one-year supply of detergent.
There’s deals including the Galaxy Note10+ at RM3,099, Galaxy Buds at RM279, Samsung monitors from RM319 as well as free gifts worth up to RM1,799 to look out for.
You can head to the link right here to checkout the Samsung Super Brand Day on Shopee.
Pokdepinion: This is the time to shop if you’ve been looking out for Samsung’s products!
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MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 Review – Bigger, Cooler, Sexier

Today we will be looking at the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360. This is MSI’s first liquid AIO to tout the MPG label, which should mean that it is going to perform better than their previous MSI MAG CoreLiquid coolers. But of course, let’s not dwell too much on the name. It does look very impressive, and I think we shouldn’t waste any more time and just get into it.
Unboxing

Let’s start with the unboxing. The MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 comes in a huge box, but that’s pretty much what you would expect, considering that it is after all a huge cooler. The text is done in reflective chrome to attract your attention, while a huge image of the cooler itself draws you in. A few labels inform you of its support for MSI Mystic Light and the fact that it is an Asetek based design.

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Over on the back, there are a few highlighted features, like its unique Torx 4.0 fans and the 2.4” LCD display that’s on the pump block. Yes, this is yet another AIO with a display on its pump. But we will get into that a bit later. It’s time to open up the box.
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First up there’s the user manual, VIP reward card and the shoutout program leaflet. Once the documentation is out of the way, all that’s left is the cooler and the included mounting accessories.

As you would expect, the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 comes with a huge 360mm radiator that measures a good 394mm long, 120mm wide and 27mm thick. That’s pretty standard. The hoses are 400mm long, so they should provide for sufficient flexibility when it comes to mounting orientations. Everyone has their opinion on rad mounting nowadays, so it is good that MSI included a sufficient length of piping.

The mounting accessories all come in one convenient bag, and MSI supports pretty much every socket from AMD’s AM2 to sTRX4, and also Intel’s LGA115X and LGA1200 sockets as well as all the Intel HEDT sockets from LGA1366 to LGA2066. Pretty amazing. There’s also a 1 to 3 ARGB splitter for the three fans. And now, the three fans. They are individually packed for freshness, with a hard paper sleeve on top of a plastic bag. It does seem like an excessive amount of packaging if you ask me.

These fans included with the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 are really quite impressive. They tout a dual-ball bearing setup and can push 77.4CFM of airflow. The static pressure is nothing to scoff at either with it boasting an excellent rating of 4.29mmH2O. You can see that the blades are quite unique to deliver these amazing numbers, with alternate blades linked together for improved static pressure.
The downside is the rather high noise levels that these fans can hit when running full tilt, which is at 2500 RPM. There’s also ARGB, for those who care about the aesthetics just as much as they do about the performance of the system.

Like most OEMs, MSI licensed the 7th Gen Asetek pump design for the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360. It promises a 50 000 hours life expectancy and is slated to run rather quietly at just 20 decibels. Thermal paste is pre-applied, so you don’t have to worry about getting thermal paste, but there are quite a few other concerns when it comes to installing the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 in your system.
For starters, its 360mm size does mean that it can be quite challenging to fit in standard cases. We will be testing on an open bench with the MSI MEG Z490I Unify, as we just didn’t have a case that can fit the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360. The processor is none other than the i5-10600K which boast a 125W TDP.
Specifications
MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360

CPU socket compatibility
Intel LGA1156 ~ LGA 1150/1151/1155/1156/1200 / LGA 1366/2011/2011-3/2066
AMD AM4/FM2+/FM2/FM1/AM3+/AM3/AM2+/AM2

Radiator dimensions
394 x 120 x 27 mm

Fan(s)
Size
120 x 120 x 25 mm

Quantity
3

Speed
0 ~ 2500 rpm

Airflow
77.4 CFM (max)

Air pressure
4.29 mmH2O (max)

MTTF
160 000 hours

Noise
39.9 dBA (max)

Pump
Size
79.9 x 76 x 47.1 mm

MTTF
50 000 hours

Noise
20 dBA

Included accessories
1 to 3 ARGB Splitter Cable x 1

Warranty
3 years

Test System

CPU
Intel Core i5-10600K, 6C/12T @ 4.1GHz (Boost up to 4.8GHz), 125W TDP, 14nm

CPU Cooler
MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360

Motherboard
MSI MEG Z490I UNIFY

GPU
Intel UHD Graphics 630 (iGPU)

Memory
16GB Kingston HyperX Fury RGB DDR4 3200MHz

Storage
512GB Kingston A2000 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD

Power Supply
Cooler Master MasterWatt 750 TUF Gaming Edition

MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 Setup

Now let’s talk about the installation. For Intel-based systems, you will need to use this funny looking backplate. I m not sure what’s so funny about it but that’s what our video guy said. Basically, it has four mounting points, which can be moved to accommodate the different sockets supported. It looks pretty standard for Asetek based AIOs, so I guess if you have used one previously, you will know what to do. If not, the manual is your friend.

Of course, you will also need screws, and there is a nice assortment of them packaged like peanuts, in sealed plastic wrappers. Once again, if you aren’t sure, just refer to the manual.

So for our system which used the Intel stock cooler, we had to remove it first and clean off the residual thermal paste with a clean paper towel. If it is proving stubborn, some alcohol should make things go smoother. You will probably have to do the same unless you are going with an all-new build with your MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360.

So then the next thing we had to do was to move the mounting points to fit the LGA1200 socket we have here. The LGA1200 socket has the exact same cooler mounting points as the LGA115X sockets, so you can follow these steps exactly even if you are using an older generation Intel CPU. Basically, it is the smallest socket supported by the backplate, so all you need to do is move the points all the way inwards. Mount it behind your motherboard and then use the standoffs with two long tips for this. Just hand tighten them and you will be fine.

The MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 has the Intel bracket mounted on by default, so you don’t have to swap it out. If you want to use it on an AMD platform, you will have to unclip the bracket and swap it out for the AMD bracket. As the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 already comes with thermal paste pre-applied, you don’t need to get your own, and that’s a step saved in the installation. We didn’t show you guys, but you will have to remove the shroud over the AIO pump to access the screws.
Now all you have to do is to put the pump block on the CPU, apply a bit of pressure and start screwing. Screw it down in a diagonal sequence to apply a more even pressure onto the CPU for better contact.

Once you are done with that, it is time to install the fancy MSI Torx 4.0 fans. Each fan comes with two cables, the standard 4-pin PWM and 3-pin ARGB cables, and it can get quite annoying if you didn’t plan properly. Make sure to have the cables towards the back panel of your case so the process will go slightly smoother.
MSI should have just added pogo pins or something to reduce the number of cables needed for the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360. But that would in turn mean that the fans won’t work without proprietary connectors, so I guess this is a compromise for the better. Screw them all in and you are set.

So to connect your fans, you will have to use the 1 to 3 ARGB splitter cable and plug in all the fans’ connectors to it before connecting it to the pump block’s ARGB connector. Then you will need to connect the pump block to the motherboard’s USB header. Then there’s a single CPU fan cable that will most probably be powering the pump. It is a 3-pin, so it is DC powered. For fan control, you will need to use software. More on that later.

The MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 has a rather complicated layout. Instead of having the fans connected to the mobo, MSI made the pump block into something like a hub. Power and ARGB lighting for the fans will be controlled by the pump block assembly, and that means a whole lot of cables running to the socket area on your motherboard. It does make cable management quite a painful ordeal and I hope you have a lot of patience if you are planning to use the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 in your build.

Now the final steps involve removing the screen protector from the display on the pump block, install the shroud and remove the shroud’s protective plastic. And oh, don’t forget to connect the SATA power cable, because that’s what will be powering the fans on the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360.
User Experience

Now that we have done installing it, let’s talk more about the features on the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360. It has a VRM fan under the LCD display, and that’s primarily to provide airflow to the socket area. One common issue with AIOs is that there’s no airflow around the socket area, which can lead to higher temperatures for the VRM and RAM. So this additional airflow will improve the situation there.

However, it is quite a peculiar decision for MSI, considering that their premium boards that will most probably be paired up with something like the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 comes with overkill VRMs and some even have tiny fans to push air into the VRMs heatsinks, and they won’t exactly need that extra airflow that the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 affords, even if you are pushing the limits of your CPU.
It only really makes sense in a system where you have lower-tier VRMs, and a case that has bad overall airflow, but then again, you probably have bigger issues to deal with if you are using the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 in a subpar case and motherboard.

Speaking of which, the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 has a cold plate big enough to support the humongous Ryzen Threadrippers. I m not exactly sure whether you will get optimal coverage of the four dies in a Ryzen Threadripper, but yeah there’s support for that if you are using AMD’s HEDT platform.

The massive shroud over the pump block is also quite functional. Aside from protecting the display, it also makes for a more integrated look by hiding away the bits and pieces that can be quite unsightly. It also directs the airflow downwards to the RAM and VRM areas, so it can provide better results.

Now it’s time to turn on the system. It looks really good with all the ARGB on the fans if you can ignore the cables. We tried to hide away as much of the cables as we can, but there’s really a lot of cables here.

There’s sufficient clearance below the socket. MSI definitely made full use of the socket area but didn’t extend beyond it so you can easily use an M.2 drive with massive heatsinks without having any issues with the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360. On the side, space is more of a premium. I am using a single stick of the HyperX Fury RGB DDR4 RAM, and I still can install a second stick. But you might want to take note of the thickness of your module as it might touch the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360’s pump block if it is exceptionally thick.

The fans look pretty nice from the side, with some visible reinforcements. The radiator is a lot more boring when it comes to looks. While most AIOs hide the rivets away, I guess MSI thought that the rivets would match the industrial look of the fans. I guess they aren’t wrong, but I do prefer a cleaner look for the radiator.
The radiator fins are pretty standard, and I guess that’s because this is an Asetek based design. It isn’t particularly dense, and we can see that there’s a slight gap between where the fins end and the frame,  and some competing brands have decided to optimize their designs by widening the fins to further increase the surface area.
ARGB
And now onto my favourite part, the ARGB lighting. There are about 10 modes that you can play with here. All of which can be controlled via the dedicated CoreLiquid software or MSI’s dragon centre. There’s the standard static, single colour lighting. Marquee which will see the light move around the fan back and forth, and Meteor which will see the light move in a single direction.

A very smooth rainbow lighting effect is also available, along with lightning which adds a flash of white to the RGB lighting. The regular breathing and flashing modes are available as well and there’s also a Random mode here. There’s the gaming echo mode too, which can sync up with your game and other ARGB devices in your system.
LCD Display

The display on the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 is also very customizable, with four major modes. There’s the hardware monitor mode that can show you the CPU frequency and temperature, GPU memory frequency and usage or the speeds of the various fans and built-in pump on the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360. You can also switch over to the image mode, which comes with four pre-loaded images and you can also upload a custom image to the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360.

If you prefer a more animated look, you can check out the banner mode which has four preloaded images and can be used to display either a custom image or text. Lastly, there’s the clock with three different styles to choose from. The last one is probably what I will use, just so I don’t accidentally end up gaming until 5AM when I have a 9AM meeting tomorrow.
Performance

I guess we have already established how feature-rich the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 is, as well as how great it will look in your build. How does it perform though? We tested in Silent, Balanced and Maximum modes.  Due to the fact that the pump handles all the fans, the only number we can get is the pump speed. In the silent mode, the pump spins at around 2036 RPM, with peaks of 2277 RPM. The CPU goes up to a peak of 64 °C, while the VRMs top out at 46 °C. Pretty good.

In balanced mode, we see an improvement on the CPU and MOSFET thermals, with the CPU topping out at 60°C now, and the MOSFETs are now even cooler at just 42.2°C average. The pump now averages 2429RPM.

Meanwhile, in max speed, we see a modest improvement, with the CPU now maxing out at just 58°C, and the VRM averages at 41.8°C now. The pump spins at around 2750RPM now.

When it comes to noise, we see an average of 41dB with the Silent mode active. The maximum recorded is just 43.9dB under load, which is still a very respectable reading. In better-built cases, you should be able to block out most of the noise.

Balanced mode somehow sees a lower reading for the fan noise, with a 39.9dB average and 42.8dB maximum.

Maxing out the radiator fans see the noise level jump to 48.5dB on average, with a loud maximum of 52.6dB recorded.

Meanwhile maxing out the CPU fan sees a reading of 45.9dB and a maximum of 49.5dB. The pitch of the pump fan is much higher though given its smaller size, which makes it a bit more annoying to run at maximum speed all the time. With everything maxed out, we recorded an average of 49.9dB and a peak of 53.1dB. We can’t recommend it to run at full tilt all the time with these noise levels.
Conclusion

In conclusion, the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 is a very good cooler. However, we do find its features to be quite unnecessary, especially if you were to pair it with a premium motherboard from MSI, which you should. I do believe MSI could have saved a few bucks by removing the fan above the pump block, and it would also be a quieter system overall. However, for those who worry about their VRM thermals, I guess it is a nice option.
On the plus side, you really do get a lot of cooling. Aside from cooling the CPU, the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 can also help cool your VRMs and your RAM. The LCD is also very nifty, adding not only extra customizability to your build but also giving you a quick way to monitor your system. I also really like the looks, as the pump fills up space on the motherboard and hides away most of the boring bits around the socket like the capacitors and inductors. Despite that, it still offers sufficient clearance for pretty much everything, and that’s also commendable.
Now onto the less savoury bits. The noise levels produced by the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 is really quite loud. It’s nigh impossible to run the system at full tilt every day unless you have ANC headphones on. Of course, a good case should tone down the noise a touch, but still, the pump fan makes a fair din.  The cable management is also rather challenging with the pump block being the hub of the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360. On top of that, system monitoring software also appears to be unable to read out the data from the fans themselves due to this layout, and that’s quite a bummer to me.
For RM1249, the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 offers plenty of features for its money. It is also slightly more affordable than the competition that offers similar features. However, its performance can probably be matched by cheaper offerings, although you will lose out on stuff like the customizable LCD and also the fan above the pump. The MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 offers more than what most people will need, and I am sure that some will appreciate it for that.
And that’s it for our review of the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360. We will probably be testing it on a more challenging CPU soon, so stay tuned for our written review.  What do you think of the cooler? Would you get it, or do you think that it is just too overkill with the VRM fan and LCD display? Let us know!
For more reviews like this, do stay tuned to us here at Pokde.net. You can also check out our video review of the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 on our YouTube channel or you can just check it out below.

Big thanks to MSI for providing us with the MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360 for the purposes of this review.
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ASUS releases update to patch ASUS Live Update vulnerability — also created a new diagnostic tool to check if you are affected

ASUS has released a response to the ASUS Live Update Utility vulnerability which was discovered by Kaspersky Lab. In their response, they admitted that their Live Update servers were compromised to send the malware to “a small number of devices”, despite Kaspersky Lab claiming the numbers to be in the thousands.
To solve the issue, ASUS has implemented a fix in Live Update ver. 3.6.8 to improve the security of the updates. There are now multiple security verification mechanisms which will prevent malicious manipulation of the update utility. ASUS has also implemented an enhanced end-to-end encryption mechanism and also strengthened their servers’ security to prevent future attacks of the same kind.

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For those of you who want to check if you already have the latest version of ASUS Live Update installed on your system, you can visit the this link to find out how. Basically what you need to do is just fire up Program and Features to see the version. ASUS also provides a guide on how to update ASUS Live Update if you aren’t already updated.
If you are still feeling paranoid, ASUS has released a diagnostic tool to check if your system is compromised by the malware. As we have previously reported, the number of systems that are affected may be huge but the hackers were allegedly only targeting a small number of systems. Still, if you want to be sure, you can download the diagnostic tool here.
It’s nice to see ASUS respond somewhat quickly regarding the issue, especially since it involves security concerns. If you are using an ASUS device, we recommend you to check if your PC is updated to the latest version of Live Update just to be on the safe side.
Pokdepinion: Well, that’s one known issue solved. To many more undiscovered security flaws!
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MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro review — the portable dragon

We can have really insane gaming performance packed into a somewhat portable package, like the MSI GT80 Titan or the GT73S Dominator Pro G. However, if you want to look for gaming laptops with both performance and true portability, you aren’t left with much choices to fill your shortlist. Which brings us to the latest MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro, one of the Taiwanese company’s latest models packing NVIDIA Pascal GPUs, which were just recently launched here in Malaysia. Let’s begin.

Unboxing

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This is actually the first time we received a complete retail sample from MSI Malaysia, as previously we actually got near-final engineering samples or just the notebook itself with the charger.

We got the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro along with a MSI backpack, which is not particularly eye catching in grey. It looks pretty much like any other laptop bag, which is great. You do not want to draw undue attention to yourself, especially when carrying such a beast. The MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro itself is inside the premium looking black box, quite a stark departure from the black and red cartons I received the other MSI notebooks I have reviewed in. Previous generations of the MSI GS series usually came in more premium boxes too, but this one just tops them all. The chromed red MSI Dragon emblem on the flat black background looks absolutely awesome.

Lifting up the top half of the packaging, we find the laptop immediately, in a thin fabric sleeve. You aren’t actually done yet, as inside the the fabric sleeve, the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro is wrapped in a plastic wrapper. And sliding it out of the plastic wrapper will reveal the laptop itself, with a plastic protective sticker on the lid.

Oh the joy of peeling it off..

Under the laptop there are two more little boxes, which store the 180W power adapter and also the documentation that comes along with the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro.

And here is the entire package! I am not sure what MSI is high on, but if you notice, they included a driver CD with a notebook that doesn’t have an optical disk drive. But they aren’t actually the first I have found to do this, as the HP Elite x2 also came with a driver CD for some reason despite not having an ODD, or even an external disk drive in the box.

Appearance

The top lid is finished in deep black, with a fine brushed metal texture. Worth noting is that this is not aluminium, but a magnesium-lithium alloy which is strong yet light, perfect for an ultra-portable gaming notebook. The MSI Dragon emblem sits on the back, and will glow when its on. Fingerprints stick on to the lid easily, and you may need a wet cloth and some elbow grease to buff it out. Two lines run along the sides from the front to the back, breaking up the monotony of a flat lid.

Opening up the laptop, I finally confirmed why I felt like the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro was a little smaller than other 15.6″ laptops. The slimmer bezels around the screen, and consequently around the keyboard, resulted in a smaller footprint than most of the competition with a similar screen size.

The keyboard by SteelSeries features full-sized chiclet keys, with the exclusive “silver lining” finishing, whereby the edges of the keycaps are clear, allowing for a more vibrant display of the RGB lighting effects the keyboard is capable of. The grille above the keyboard does not house the speakers, but are instead intakes for the triple fan cooling system, also known as the Cooler Boost Trinity.

On the underside of the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro, there is a suede-like layer on the actual bottom cover. There is no maintenance hatch for easier upgrading/maintenance of the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro, and the bottom cover will come off in as a whole. The actual speakers are on the underside of the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro, behind tiny grilles along the front edge of the laptop. Probably due to space constraints, there isn’t a subwoofer in the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro to give the lower frequencies more punch, and even more surprising is that the speakers aren’t by Dynaudio. I use headphones more though, so this omission doesn’t really affect me. Using headphones also allows me to make use of the ESS SABRE HiFi Audio DAC, which we will talk about a bit later.

The MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro’s rear end is home to vents, with nice red trim, with the Stealth logo in the middle. It looks great, and what’s really worth noticing here is how thin the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro is! At 17.7mm, it is really really thin, and when you find out the specs of this baby here, you will be even more impressed.

Specifications

CPU
Intel Core i7-6700HQ @ 2.6 GHz (up to 3.5 GHz Turbo Boost)

RAM
16GB (2 x 8GB SODIMM) 2400 MHz DDR4

GPU
Intel HD Graphics 530
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5

Storage
256GB Toshiba XG3 THNSN5256GPU7 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
1TB 5400RPM Seagate ST1000LM035 HDD

Software
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
372.70 WHQL NVIDIA Game Ready Driver
Dragon Center
SteelSeries Engine 3
Nahimic 2
MSI True Color
Killer Network Manager

Connectivity
Killer™ Wireless-AC 1535 and Killer™ E2400 LAN (Killer DoubleShot Pro)
Bluetooth 4.1
3 x USB 3.0
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C MSI SuperPort (works as Thunderbolt 3 port, DisplayPort)
SD card reader

Display
15.6″ FHD IPS (1920 x 1080) anti-glare display
1 x HDMI 2.0 ([email protected])
1 x mini Display Port

Audio
2 x 2W speakers
1 x 3.5mm output
1 x 3.5mm microphone jack

Power
180W AC adapter, 3-cell battery (non-removable)

Dimensions
380 x 249 x 17.7 mm

Weight
1.8kg

Performance

M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs outclass their SATA3 brethren by orders of magnitude, and the one in the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro is no different. It boots in a matter of seconds, and the sizeable 256GB capacity allows you to throw more than a few games on it with space to spare.

A 1TB 5400 RPM hard disk drive in the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro ensures that you have ample space for larger games (i.e. Battlefield 4, which takes up more than 60GB of space, with all the DLCs). Speeds are decent for a 5400 RPM drive, and should be great for storing offline games where slower loading times will not annoy your teammates.

CineBench is useful for testing the CPU performance, and here we see the Intel Core i7 6700HQ do quite well. I say “quite well” because the last-gen Broadwell-based i7 5700HQ actually outperforms it in the multi-core test, simple because of higher boost clocks with all four cores thumping away.

The GeForce GTX 1060 makes a great showing in the Heaven benchmark run. It is also much faster than the last-gen GeForce GTX 970M which we tested in the ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT, which actually had a slightly higher TDP. Not really that surprising, since there was quite a big leap in the manufacturing process, going from 28nm planar to 16nm FinFET, coupled with some new optimizations with the new Pascal architecture.

This is currently the only DirectX 12 game I have, and the GeForce GTX 1060 is just nice for this game, scoring an average of just above 60 fps. This score was obtained from the built-in benchmark, as our usual frame rate monitoring software, Fraps, does not support DX12 yet. Temperatures were obtained after about 30 minutes of walking around in Marrakesh, during which the gameplay was really fluid.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege involves frantic short battles, which makes measuring the average FPS during gameplay difficult. Luckily it has a built-in benchmark run. Of course, the benchmark run is not enough to allow me to gauge the temperatures. Hence, the temperatures were obtained from actually playing several multiplayer matches.

One of the biggest challenges we have for any GPU, The Witcher 3 is still one of our toughest benchmarks. HairWorks just takes a huge chunk of the frame rate away, in exchange for fabulous hair and grass effects. Despite a 45 fps average, it is actually quite playable, and would have been perfect if the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro came with a G-SYNC display.

Overwatch does not pose a problem for the GeForce GTX 1060 at all. Scoring an average of 95 fps, gameplay was fluid, and with a solid fiber connection, the only thing standing between you and victory is… you. Or your team. Yep, the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro has more than enough performance for this game.

The most popular F2P game on Steam, DotA 2 has one of the strongest followings in the local eSports scene. As expected, the GeForce GTX 1060 makes short work of the game, giving us high framerates. As observed in the desktop Pascal cards, the frame rates obtained in DotA 2 is not really a true reflection of the capabilities of a card, because it doesn’t even full stress these latest cards.
Thermal performance of the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro may seem worrying, with it throttling in every game. However I must state that I tested this in an environment without air-conditioning, with ambient temperatures around 25 – 30°C. And even with the high temps, MSI has designed the cooling system of the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro pretty well, with the keyboard and palm rest areas remaining comfortable to touch.
Overall, performance is pretty awesome. As usual for gaming notebooks, battery life is the first victim of the massive performance available. Running Chrome with about 13 tabs open, Spotify playing in the background, I only managed to squeeze out 2 hours 20 minutes out of the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealh Pro’s battery before it hit 20%. This was performed on the Balanced power plan with the display brightness at 70%, so you may be able to squeeze more out with a more conservative plan like Power Saver and less display brightness.

User Experience
The MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro is definitely the lightest gaming notebook I have used, weighing in at 1.8kg only. Of course, as a gaming notebook with beefy innards, you won’t go far without the charger, so you have to factor in the weight of the power adapter as well. But even then, it will still be a lighter set than most other gaming notebooks. The light weight coupled with the 17.7mm thickness, smaller footprint makes it a pretty portable gaming setup, and you aren’t sacrificing on screen viewing estate either, as it comes with a standard 15.6″ display.

RGB lighting is available on the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro, thanks to the keyboard by SteelSeries.  The RGB backlighting that can be configured via the Dragon Center as well as the SteelSeries Engine 3 software. Basically you can configure the keyboard lighting to react to your in game status via SteelSeries Engine 3n while Dragon Center offers more rudimentary effects.

You get the pretty standard breathing, wave and static effects, or you can go for the not-so-basic audio effect, which turns your entire keyboard into a visualizer. You have 3 configurable zones, and with the Silver Lining Printed keys, the full color backlight shine bright. The Windows key on the left is removed, replaced by an Fn key. This can prevent accidentally kicking yourself out to the desktop while in the midst of a heated firefight, but it can be an annoyance when working. The Ctrl key is also enlarged for easier actuation. This is truly a gaming optimized layout. A niggle I had with the keyboard is that the Num Lock and Caps Lock indicators are along the front, together with the rest of the status LEDs. This is sub-optimal to me, and I would prefer them to be more visible when looking at the keyboard directly. The touchpad features a red chamfered edge, and is a pretty decent one, but as usual for gaming laptops, will most probably be ignored for most of its lifetime.

Aside from allowing you to customize your keyboard backlighting, Dragon Center is a pretty comprehensive suite to manage the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro. You get a system monitor which allows you to check on the system load, temperatures and fan speeds, which is great. System tuner is also quite nice to have, as it groups up most of the MSI-exclusive settings into one place for easier access. The UI is also revamped from the previous version, becoming much cleaner and user-friendly.

Hidden in the intakes is the power indicator, which lights up in red right in the middle of the entire grille. It is not too bright, which is great so as not to distract you from your game.

The rest of the status LEDs are along the front edge, with little pinheads of lights indicating their activity. They are quite easy to see if you look at it intentionally, but they did not distract me from whatever I was doing.

The power button of the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro is on the right edge of the body. This is quite unique when most other designs have their power button near the keyboard. The left side is home to a USB 2.0 port, the USB 3.1 Type-C MSI SuperPort which supports the Thunderbolt 3 standard, a miniDisplayPort, a HDMI port and the charging port. An exhaust vent is also here, but it doesn’t blast hot air out like the HP Pavillion Gaming Notebook, making it a non-issue.

Yet another vent is located on the left side, followed by Kensington lock slot, LAN port, SD card reader, 3 USB 3.0 Type-A ports and the 3.5mm audio jacks. The 3.5mm output jack also doubles as a SPDIF output, and a popup will appear every time you plug something into the port, asking you to select whether the device connected is a headphone, speakers or you want to use it as SPDIF out. It is connected to the ESS SABRE HiFi Audio DAC, which is capable of driving headphones with up to 600 Ω impedance. I believe the variety of ports should satisfy most if not all gamers, and I really welcome MSI’s “future-proofing” the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro with a Type-C Thunderbolt 3 port, allowing you to connect external GPUs if someday you find the GeForce GTX 1060 to offer insufficient grunt for you.

Screen wise, the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro sticks to the tried-and-true standard of a 15.6″ 1080p IPS panel. No fancy (and impractical) 4K display here, which is great. Viewing angles are great, and colors are great with a claimed coverage of nearly 100% sRGB. I can’t test this claim, but colors are very vivid and blacks are deep enough for my usage, so I am a happy camper. Too bad it doesn’t support G-SYNC, as that would have been a great to improve the gaming experience, especially later on when the GeForce GTX 1060 starts to struggle to push an average frame rate of 60 fps in the latest titles. G-SYNC does have the drawback of disabling Optimus though, which would have affected the battery life of this very portable beast.

The display also has the unique ability to fold out more than 180°, which is pretty useless for gaming but may come in handy when you want to show off someone sitting on the opposite end of the table something on your screen. As mentioned previously, the bezels are also slimmer than on most gaming notebooks, which gives it a more premium look, if you may.

If you want to adjust the color profile to suit your current application, or simply to turn on the blue light reduction filter, there is the MSI TrueColor Technology for that. Connecting the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro to an external monitor will also disable MSI TrueColor, which is quite understandable since the software is designed to tune the built-in display only. A niggle I faced was the system becomes stuttery when connected to a monitor for some reason.

Audio from the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro is great. No, not from the speakers, which aren’t that great, actually. As expected from tiny speakers like that, and the lack of a subwoofer, the speakers do not offer much in the way of bass. Luckily they are loud enough for most purposes though. They do not sound good at max volume, so do turn it down a notch or two. Plugging in some headphones to the 3.5mm jack allows the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro to truly shine. Nahimic 2 coupled with the ESS SABRE HiFi Audio DAC offers pure listening bliss.

Nahimic, which was already awesome in its first iteration, is even better now here on the MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro, now in its second version. Nahimic 2 adds a Sound Tracker, allowing you to visually identify the direction your teammates’ voices are coming from. This may seem like a cheat to better scores in FPS, but hey, all is fair in love and war? A list of games supported is available here, but we here at Pokde.net solemnly advise you to git gud without these aids.

Conclusion
The MSI GS63VR 6RF Stealth Pro is an amazing gaming notebook. The strong performance figures packed into a chassis this compact and light makes it perfect for gamers on the go. The high temperatures may be worrying, but since it didn’t really affect gaming performance nor the user experience, it is almost forgivable. With the slim design, it has been expected, actually. Still, one could always wish for more, as that is what drives innovation, no? Who would have imagined we could have full GTX 980-class performance in a sub 20mm laptop? For RM8999, you are getting a gaming notebook that is lighter than the average multimedia laptop, and most probably thinner too. For such beastly performance in such a portable form factor, I believe it is a fair price to pay. For everything it is, it definitely deserves a Silver Pokdeward.

Now, I wonder if doing a repaste with Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut will alleviate the heating issues?
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ASUS TUF Gaming A17 leaked with AMD Ryzen 7 5800H and GeForce RTX 3060

After the ASUS ROG Zephyrus laptops featuring the AMD Ryzen 5000 series processors were listed prematurely by retailers, it is now the ASUS TUF Gaming lineup’s turn. An ASUS TUF Gaming A17 FA706QM has been leaked with a the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics.

From the images, it appears that ASUS will be reusing the design of their current-gen ASUS TUF Gaming A17. We have no qualms with the design as it does look great. And the cooling design also seems adequate to keep the Ryzen 7 4800H and GeForce RTX 2060 cool in our review of the TUF Gaming A15. However it also seems like they will be reusing the mediocre display from their previous lineup of laptops, with support for up to 62.5% sRGB only and 250 nits brightness.

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Onto the internals, it appears that the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H is going to be a pretty nice upgrade over the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H found in the current-gen TUF Gaming laptops. The frequency bump is minimal at just 100MHz, but combined with the increased IPC of the Zen 3 architecture, we should see a significant performance boost with the Cezanne APUs over the Renoir APUs. Little is known about the mobile GeForce RTX 30 series, but we can probably assume that they will have much lower power limits than their desktop counterparts.

The leaked TUF Gaming A17 packs a 90WHr battery, and hopefully that’s the variant that makes it here. ASUS Malaysia brought in the variants with a smaller 48WHr battery to make room for a 2.5″ drive bay for this generation, but I do think that most users would prefer a larger battery than having room for a 2.5″ drive, considering that there’s already room for a second M.2 drive in the TUF Gaming A15 and A17.
ASUS TUF Gaming A17 Specs *leaked*

TUF Gaming A17

Model Name
FA706QM-HX011T

CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, 8C/16T @ up to 4.3 GHz, 45W TDP, 7nm

Graphics
AMD Radeon Graphics, 8 CU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6

RAM
8GB DDR4-3200

Storage
512GB SSD

Display
17.3″ FHD (1080p) 144 Hz IPS display, 62.5% sRGB
Adaptive Sync support

Battery
90WHr battery

Dimensions
399 x 268 x 23.9 mm

Weight
2.6kg

What do you think of the specifications of the TUF Gaming A17? Would you consider getting one? Or do you prefer the ROG Zephyrus designs?
Source
Pokdepinion: I think a 17″ gaming laptop with narrow bezels actually makes quite a bit of sense if you won’t actually be using it while out and about too much.
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Apple App Store Gets New Pricing System: Devs Can Now Choose From 900 Options

Apple has introduced a new pricing system on its App Store, giving developers a choice of 900 options for app pricing and in-app purchases, including globally equalized prices.
Apple Introduces New Pricing System on App Store

Apple is rolling out a new pricing system on its App Store, as the company attempts to offer developers more flexibility when it comes to pricing their apps and in-app purchases. The new system will increase the number of price points by ten times, offering 900 options in total. Developers will now be able to set whole-number values, whereas previously the pricing system was limited to $0.99-per-step.

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Under the new system, pricing for apps and in-app purchases can start at $0.29 and can go up to $10,000 (although permission from Apple is required for this highest tier). The new steps will include every $0.10 interval up to $10 or every $0.50 interval up to $50.
Apple is also introducing “globally equalized prices,” which will allow developers to follow the most common pricing conventions in each country or region. The availability of apps and in-app purchases can be regionalized to allow developers to provide customized services to their users.

Developers will need to update their pricing information by 9th May 2023, and the globally equalized cost will be adapted using publicly available exchange rate information from financial data advisers. If developers fail to update their pricing information, it will be done for them, basing the conversion on the basic US dollar price.
The move to increase the number of price points and introduce globally equalized prices is a significant step forward for developers. It allows them greater flexibility and control when it comes to pricing their apps and in-app purchases, and also ensures that pricing reflects local markets and currencies.
Source
Pokdepinion: This sounds like a good, healthy step forward but I’m also wondering what it might just lead to down the road. Can’t really say anything bad, at least for now, given how strict they are with developers / publishers so the likelihood of them going crazy with it isn’t particularly high.
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ASUS hosts Incredible Intelligence 2018 in Malaysia — showcases extensive lineup for gamers!

It was truly an honor to be able to attend the ASUS Incredible Intelligence 2018 Asia-Pacific region launch event, held in Malaysia yesterday. At this event attended by media and business partners from the APAC region, ASUS unveiled several new products, as well as officially announcing some of their latest products, while also introducing a few new pieces of hardware.

This is probably the most interesting to us, and also probably to you. Today they brought in the latest ROG Maximus XI Apex, the motherboard which is designed for ultimate overclocks from its core. It only offers one DIMM per channel to maximize performance, with support for DDR4 4800+ memory. But you need not worry about having limited RAM, as it supports double-capacity DIMM for up to 32GB per slot. It also comes with an integrated Intel Wireless-AC 9590 (CNVi) so you don’t have to worry about connectivity.

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ASUS also showcased the rest of their Maximus XI motherboards. The prettiest of them is of course the Maximus XI Formula, with its strong focus on aesthetics with a mirror-finish on large swathes of the motherboard shield. It isn’t all-show-and-no-go though, as the built-in EK waterblocks for the VRM ensure that the power delivery circuitry remains cool and efficient, to help you achieve your high overclocks.

For the more budget minded, there is the TUF Gaming lineup. While TUF Gaming is not to be confused with the original TUF series, the latest TUF Gaming Z390 lineup brings back some of the armored look the TUF series is known for. We somewhat dig the looks a lot.

They also showcased their latest 802.11ax (WiFi 6) routers, including the way overkill ROG Rapture AX-11000. For the less demanding, there is the RT AX88U and AiMesh AX6100 WiFi System which are both capable of insanely fast networking speeds. The latter comes in a 2-pack to extend your speedy mesh network over your entire residence.

There is also the new ROG Strix XG49VQ which is a 49″ 1080p 1800R curved HDR display with an insanely wide 32:9 aspect ratio. This monitor meets the VESA DisplayHDR400 certification and features Radeon FreeSync 2 HDR technology, for breathtakingly visuals without any tearing or judder. The display can go up to 144 Hz and deliver up to 125% sRGB color gamut coverage. Just a ridiculously good monitor.

If you own a smartphone that supports Qi wireless charging, you might also want to look into the ROG Balteus Qi and ROG Gladius II Wireless. Unfortunately, ASUS has no smartphone which supports wireless charging at the moment, and curiously the ROG Gladius II Wireless does not support any form of wireless charging. The latter features some nice upgrades such as a 16000 DPI optical sensor instead of the 12000 DPI sensor in the ROG Gladius II, in addition to wireless connectivity.
Pokdepinion: The networking hardware is really cool!
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