BIOSTAR redefining affordable AMD motherboards

BIOSTAR has taken into consideration the demand of system builders that favor cost-effective systems based on the AMD platforms. With its new AMD PRO series motherboard, BIOSTAR is offering a better value option for consumers with great features. The new motherboards are meant to be use with the AMD FM2 and FM2+ processors or APUs.

The new BIOSTAR AMD PRO series motherboards feature enhanced power design to improve system durability thanks to its ability to endure high-current with consistent full energy output without any energy loss. It also coupled with a reinforced metal CPU backplate for secure, long term usage.

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Even though the board is aim to cost-effective build, BIOSTAR did not skimp on the audio, all the BIOSTAR AMD PRO series board features Audio Art Capacitors, a high-end Japanese Nichicon audio capacitors which bring the audio to life, promise a whole new artistic dimension and clarity to your listening experience.

All the new BIOSTAR PRO series will carry the exclusive BIOSTAR 6+ Experience feature set which delivers the best BIOSTAR has to offer: Speed+, Audio+, Video+, Durable+, Protection+ and DIY+.

Model
A70MD PRO
A70MG PRO
A68MD PRO

CPU
AMD FM2/FM2+ Processor
AMD FM2/FM2+ Processor
AMD FM2/FM2+ Processor

Power
5phase
5phase
5phase

Chipsets
A70M
A70M
A70M

Solid cap
100%
CPU in/output
100%

Memory
2 x DDR3-2600(OC)
2 x DDR3-2600(OC)
2 x DDR3-2600(OC)

Expansion Slot
1 x PCI-E3.0 x16
1 x PCI-E2.0 x1
1 x PCI
1 x PCI-E3.0 x16
1 x PCI-E2.0 x1
1 x PCI
1 x PCI-E x16 3.0 Slot
1 x PCI-E x1 2.0 Slot
1 x PCI Slot

LAN
GbE (RTL8111G)
GbE (RTL8111G)
GbE (RTL8111G)

Storage
4SATA3
4SATA3
4SATA3

Video
VGA , DVI
VGA
VGA , DVI

USB 3.0 / 2.0
4USB 3.0(2+2) / 6USB 2.0 (4+2)
4USB 3.0(2+2) / 6USB 2.0 (4+2)
4USB 3.0(2+2) / 6USB 2.0 (4+2)

Feature
Watch Dog, BIO-Relife, BIO-Flasher, BIOSTAR Flash, e-HotLine, BIO-Watch, Smart Speed LAN, BIOS Screen
Watch Dog, BIO-Relife, BIO-Flasher, BIOSTAR Flash, e-HotLine, BIO-Watch, Smart Speed LAN, BIOS Screen
Watch Dog, BIO-Relife, BIO-Flasher, BIOSTAR Flash, e-HotLine, BIO-Watch, Smart Speed LAN, BIOS Screen

Pokdepinion: Building a budget gaming rig based on AMD’s FM2+ platform is still quite worthwhile. An affordable quad-core PC is very likely good enough for entry and budget gaming systems with the option of overclocking to squeeze out even more performance.

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Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Coming This 12th November 2020

Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore (SIES) has announced recently that the PS4 version of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales will be available to play on the 12th of November 2020.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales PS4 release date

In the latest sequel of Marvel’s Spider-Man universe, you’ll play as Miles Morales who is adjusting to his new home while following in the path of his mentor, Peter Parker as the new Spider-Man.
A power struggle threatens to destroy his new home and he realizes that with great power, comes great responsibility (yeah, we just had say it).

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Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales retails at RM209 for both digital and physical copies. For pre-orders, you can get several bonuses such as the T.R.A.C.K Suit, second Spidey Suit, Gravity Well Gadget, and Extra Skill Points to have an advantage in the game.
For those who purchase and own the PS4 Digital version of the game will not need to pre-order the PlayStation 5 Digital version. That being said, those who purchase the physical version for PS4 (disc) can access the offer by inserting the disc on their PS5 to enjoy the game. This also means that it can only work if you purchase the PS5 version that supports disc and not the Digital Edition.
In case you’re wondering on what games will come out when the PlayStation 5 comes out, you can head to the link right here.
Pokdepinion: I think you might as well opt for the digital version (should you want to play it on the PS5 as well). It seems more convenient when you don’t need to think on whether to get the disc-less version of the PS5 or the normal variant.
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Xiaomi Redmi 7A Now Available In Malaysia From RM399

Xiaomi has today launched their new entry-level smartphone, the new Redmi 7A that sees an improvement in performance compared to its predecessor.

The Redmi 7A is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 chipset  and comes with a large 4000mAh battery under the hood. The phone comes with a faster 10W charger and the phone offers splash resistance.

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They’ve said that the Redmi 7A can last up to two-days of normal usage. Other than that, it sports a 5.45-inch HD+ display and it features low blue light eye protection certification from TUV Rheinland.

In terms of camera, it is fitted with a 12MP rear camera and a 5MP front shooter that features AI unlock. Storage wise, there’s two options available 2GB+16GB and 2GB+32GB respectively. If that’s not enough space for you, there is a dedicated microSD card slot, which you can expand the phone up to 256GB.
Available in Matte Blue and Matte Black color variants, you can get the Redmi 7A at RM399 for the 2GB+16GB version and RM439 for the 2GB+32GB variant starting from today at authorized Mi Stores. If you wish to purchase the phone via online, the 2GB+16GB version will be available on Shopee on the 22nd of July 2019 and 26th of July 2019 at Lazada.
Pokdepinion: Not much to complain here, seeing the price. Probably a phone for those who don’t use much storage and with simple needs.
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Retailer revealed Nokia 9 Pureview’s Malaysian Launch Date

Are you among the Nokia fans that’s waiting for the flagship Nokia 9 Pureview? While the phone was introduced to the public at MWC 2019, there hasn’t been any confirmation about its launching here in Malaysia. Thanks to one of our reader here in Pokde.net, we could possibly see it soon.

According to a conversation with a Nokia retailer that’s located in Bangsar, the Nokia 9 Pureview is set to arrive to our shores next month. Despite that, there’s no precise date that’s been revealed by them. It’s worth noting that they aren’t the official page for Nokia/HMD Malaysia but acts as one of their authorized dealers.

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Revealed alongside the Nokia 210(2019), Nokia 1 Plus, Nokia 3.2, and Nokia 4.2, the Nokia 9 Pureview sports a 5.99-inch OLED PureDisplay that comes with under-display fingerprint sensor. The main highlight of the device is sure to be the 5 camera lens setup at the back, which is a world’s first.
Under the hood is a Snapdragon 845 chipset that comes with dedicated custom ASIC and a 3320mAh battery that also can be charged wirelessly. Other than that, it comes with 6GB LPPDDR4x RAM that’s paired with 128GB UFS 2.1 storage and it offers an IP67 protection rating.
The Nokia 9 Pureview was revealed at MWC 2019 with a US$699 price tag (~RM2848).
Pokdepinion: …Just bring it to Malaysia already guys! I’m definitely pumped up about the device :D

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ASUS’ #TakHabisHabisLagi Is Back – Win A Zenfone 4 Max Everyday!

Recently we’ve shared on our Facebook page of the #TakHabisHabisLagi campaign by ASUS, now the details are confirmed. The campaign is back again, this time with the Zenfone 4 Max being offered everyday starting from the 24th October 2017 (11 A.M to be even more precise) till the 12th November 2017.
#TakHabisHabisLagi
How to enter the contest? It’s simple. Here are the steps;
Step 1: Follow ASUS’ Malaysia Facebook and Instagram

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Step 2: Answer the ‘Question of the Day’ in about 25 words or less by leaving a comment/picture (depending on your creativity) on the post or posting it on your Instagram.
Step 3: Include a hashtag of #TakHabisHabisLagi #ZenFone4MaxMY

Coming with an enormous 4100mAh battery, which can last you for up to 37 days on standby, Zenfone 4 Max features a dual-rear camera packing a 13MP f/2.0 camera with PDAF accompanied by a 5MP camera with a 120 degrees field of view. For your selfie purposes, there is a 8MP front camera. Additionally, the phone can act as a backup powerbank due to its huge battery size.
It runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 425, has 3GB RAM and paired with 32GB of internal storage. Android 7.0  The device features 5.2-inch HD IPS display and has a 2.5D curved glass for better screen protection.
For more details on the terms and conditions of the contest, you can check it out right here.
Pokdepinion: The Zenfone 4 Max currently retails at RM799, but knowing a typical human being, I would say we would all rather get it for free. Am I right? :P Well, you better get ready to join the contest. Who knows, you might be one of the lucky winners of the contest! Here’s to luck~

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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Ti Apparently Exists, Rumors Say

Full-fat 600 watts of pure graphics grunt.

Recently we covered the existence of what seemed to be TITAN RTX ‘Ada’ with its rather unique PCB layout and an insane 800W power draw, now the same leaker is also pointing out that a more ‘normal’ RTX 4090 Ti is also in existence. Somewhere in NVIDIA’s labs, at the very least.

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The very same @kopite7kimi dropped some info on this RTX 4090 Ti, which is mostly identical to the TITAN Ada short for half the VRAM and reduced power budget:

RTX 4090 TiPG136/139-SKU31018176FP3296M L224Gbps 24G GDDR6Xtotal board power ~600W
— kopite7kimi (@kopite7kimi) January 30, 2023

The 600W power limit means only a single 12VHPWR is needed – but it’s not known if NVIDIA allows for extra power budget in AIB cards (going by recent trends, probably unlikely). The new 24Gbps GDDR6X modules paired with 384-bit bus should account well over 1TB/s of memory bandwidth at 1152GB/s peak.
While the specs are nearly identical to TITAN Ada, the board might be different things altogether. Unlike the rotated PCB in TITAN, the RTX 4090 Ti is said to be using the same PCB as the standard RTX 4090 going by SKU codes (PG136/PG139). That being said, no word if this card will be released down the line – especially as AMD is not mounting any competition on the ultra-enthusiast segment of GPUs for the time being.
Source: Videocardz
Pokdepinion: Going by the past, how many SKUs produced by NVIDIA does depend on how much competition it is from AMD… good chance this card might just sit in the labs and never see the light of day.
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Intel Xeon W9-3495X Pulled Nearly 1,900 Watts In Latest Overclocking Attempt

That’s 5x the stock TDP!

We previously reported that Intel’s latest Sapphire Rapids workstation flagship, the W9-3495X, has clinched the Cinebench R23 world record in the extreme overclocking attempt. Ever wondered how much power is thrown into that chip to produce the record? Elmor of ASUS overclocking team has publish a video for everyone curious to take a look at the sheer power it consumes at such extreme levels.

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To feed this 56-core monster of a CPU, one power supply is not cutting it – in fact, the team has brought in two Superflower LEADEX 1600W PSUs just to supply enough power for the Xeon to take. For reference, the stock Xeon W9-3495X is rated for 350W TDP, with max power of 420W – this meant the CPU is running over five times its stock power consumption!
In terms of this attempt, liquid nitrogen (LN2) is used for cooling, and the motherboard in question is ASUS Pro WS W790E-SAGE SE paired with 8x G.SKILL Zeta R5 DDR5 RDIMMs. This run has produced 132,220 points – just shy of the world record of 132,484 points made by Team OGS.
Source: TechPowerUP
Pokdepinion: That’s a lot more power than I thought to be, wow.
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Sony WF-C700N Review – Basics Done Right

Unboxing

First off, the box of WF-C700N. Sony’s packaging these days are very much all about that sustainability, with recycled paper wrapping around the equally recyclable paper box. As with most Sony products, it lists out all the specs you need to now on the bottom half. Inside, you get these:

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User guide & documentation
USB-C cable
Spare ear tips (different sizes)
Charging case + earbuds

A few nice touches: including printing the quick start right on the box where all documentation is stored; and the spare eartips are kept in a stick to prevent them getting lost. Going with the sustainability theme, everything is made of paper, including even the paper ring that keeps the USB-C tied up – all recyclable.
Specifications
Sony WF-C700N

Drivers
5mm dynamic driver

Microphone
2 microphones (1 per side)

Frequency Response
20Hz – 20,000Hz

Headphone Type
In-ear

Connectivity
USB-C (charging case), Bluetooth 5.2 (earbuds)
SBC, AAC codec

Wireless Range
10m

Noise-cancelling
Yes (adjustable)

Battery
Earphones
Unspecified capacity, up to 7.5 hours playback with ANC on
Battery charge time: 1.5 hours
Charging Case
Unspecified capacity, up to additional 7.5 hours playback supplied to earbuds with ANC on
Battery charge time: 3 hours

Dimensions & Weight
Earphones
approx. 27 x 27 x 25 mm / 4.6g
Charging Case
approx. 77 x 36 x 30 mm / 31g

Colour
White, Black, Sage Green (as tested), Lavender

Ingress Protection
IPX4

The Good

First, the audio: the bass is definitely well balanced, though out-of-the-box it lacked some ‘brightness’ (i.e. >2kHz range) based on my preferred EQ. Still, the Headphones app is available if you need to make adjustments from there – which it offers plenty of presets to choose from, but you’re probably better off adjusting it by selecting either ‘Manual’ or either of the two ‘Custom’ presets and go from there.
On the subject of the Headphones app, it’ll probably be overwhelming for some novice users – Sony isn’t exactly known for making the most approachable UI for one (though for power users like me, I dig it), but all the options are pretty much presented in the three main pages below. For the most part you can ignore Activity and Information tab, both of which are non-essential for the earbuds’ functionality whatsoever.

In terms of passive noise isolation, it’s excellent: the eartips provides properly tight seal to block out most of the ambient noises. Add ANC on top of that and you get to filter out quite a lot of loud noises such as AC cooling units and drills from nearby rooms. By default, the earbuds allow you to switch between ANC and transparency mode (Ambient Sound) with a single tactile button on the left (you can also enable ‘Off’ as third option in-app to cycle through), though you can change that to other combination of shortcuts – more on that later.
As opposed to most TWS out there, Sony opted with a tactile button instead of capacitive touch targets for controls. In some cases touch controls take time to get used to – especially when it comes to muscle memory – but the design of WF-C700N allowed controls to be as natural as possible. You can either slightly pushed inwards to register button presses, or pinch it using two fingers.

As for the case, it’s quite sizable – though the majority of that volume is stretched in length and rounded off, so in practice it won’t stick out as much (I can’t say for sure for those who wear jeans with very tight pockets, though.) The entire construction is plastic and is textured to provide more grip – and no fingerprints will land on it, as a bonus. There’s also IPX4 water resistance for the earbuds, enough to fend off sweats and water splashes from all angles.
The Bad

As for the downsides, the case battery has two issues: one – the battery onboard only supplies one extra full charge for the earbuds, unlike other models that can often do multiple times over. (Sony also does not mention the actual battery capacity in their spec sheet.) Two, the battery level only updates when you remove the earbuds from the case – so you can’t monitor it when the earbuds are inside the case, or when charging is in progress if earbuds are already in use. At best you get an indicator light that alters between red and green to indicate low battery or charging.
There’s also no Bluetooth multipoint support to simultaneously connect PCs and phones at the same time (which most people own both of those). In my case, that means I had to manually disconnect and connect if I need to switch between audio sources.

As for the controls, you’re locked into presets only – on both sides you get the same four options to choose from and you can’t customize from that point. You can’t, say, remap the long press the voice assistant feature to something else if you’re one of those who never touched Google Assistant or Siri. Bummer. As for gaming – don’t expect anything, there’s absolutely no mentions of latency-related features designed for gaming, and in practice it’s expectedly lagging quite a lot behind what’s on screen (it definitely got me somewhat disoriented in my CoD Mobile sessions).
Verdict

While Sony didn’t exactly specify what kind of audio listeners it’s going for in terms of marketing, it’s pretty clear that gaming isn’t one of them. For music listeners though, this is a pretty good mid-range option to start with – at RM549, you get a pretty refined listening experience and the ANC is pretty flexible. The adjustable transparency mode is also a neat feature to pick the best balance between surrounding sounds and isolation so you don’t end up with white noise getting too loud.
Overall, the Sony WF-C700N is a good pair of earbuds: good fit, good audio, easy controls – most of the basic stuffs done right. If the battery life and customizability can be improved and it gains Bluetooth multipoint support in the future fiṙmware update, then we might have a winner, if not at least a very competitive package by then.

Thanks to Sony Malaysia for providing the WF-C700N wireless earbuds for the purpose of this review.
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PlayStation Studios Malaysia Is Now Hiring

In case you weren’t aware, Malaysia actually has a PlayStation Worldwide studio here and they are hiring! Hasnul Hadi, the man who currently heads PlayStation Studios Malaysia revealed on his Twitter account that the studio is currently looking to add to the team.
Wanna work at PlayStation Studios Malaysia?

Good cold and wet morning Malaysia!@PlayStaiton Studios Malaysia is up and about trying to get the rock band together.
Looking for all manners of DevOps, Artists, Animators, Lighters and Tech Artists!
Links here for the tryouts: https://t.co/J6l7mOao16#PlayHasNoLimits pic.twitter.com/Ly0pYLu0OR
— Hasnul Hadi 💙 (@mistahasnul) March 29, 2021

He revealed that PlayStation Studios Malaysia is currently looking for people to fill in DevOps, Artists, Animators, Lighters and Tech Artists positions. He also included a LinkedIn link for those interested to try out. According to the LinkedIn link, the studio is currently looking for 12 different positions.

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For those interested to try your luck, you can do so through the LinkedIn link Mr Hasnul included above.
Source
Pokdepinion: This would be a wonderful opportunity for those looking to get into the video games industry. What better way to kickstart your dream job than to do it at such a prestigious place as a PlayStation Worldwide studio?
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With everyone in Malaysia now finding themselves at home until the end of the month due to the COVID-19 restricted movement order, we may suddenly find that our current telco plans may not be best suited for the situation. Do not fret as we have a list of the best telco offers in Malaysia during this COVID-19 restricted movement order right here. Let’s dive into it, shall we?
Celcom
Best Telco Offers in Malaysia During the COVID-19 Restricted Movement Order
Arguably the best offering yet, Celcom has a number of great benefits for consumers to enjoy. For connectivity, you get free unlimited WhatsApp which includes chat, videos, and video calls from 8AM to 6PM daily. For productivity, you have free unlimited access to Microsoft 365 from 8AM to 6PM daily. Furthermore, data usage is free for both WhatsApp and Office365.
For the benefits that are geared specifically towards the pandemic, you can browse the official Ministry of Health website for updates without incurring any data usage or charges whatsoever. You can also make calls to the Crisis Prepared Response Centre, Movement Control Order Hotline, and the Ministry of Health Hotline completely free of charge.

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Lastly, you can enjoy the RM2 Ultra Hour Pass for 6 hours when subscribed via the Celcom Life App that’s available from both the App Store and Play Store. For those of you who aren’t aware, this particular Ultra Hour Pass initially give you unlimited internet access for anything at anytime you want for 3 hours. Now, it has been doubled to 6 hours, giving you more versatility in what you want to do at a lower price. Find out more about Celcom’s services here.
Digi
Best Telco Offers in Malaysia During the COVID-19 Restricted Movement Order
Digi has a number of offers during the COVID-19 restricted movement order. For prepaid and prepaid broadband users, you get free internet and calls. To be precise, you get free 300MB and 5 minutes worth of calls when reloading RM10 to RM29.99 (valid for 3 days). If you topup RM30 and above however, you get free 1GB and 15 minutes worth of calls (valid for 7 days).
For all Digi customers, you can redeem 1GB free internet daily via the MyDigi app, which can be used from 8AM to 6PM daily. Moreover, you can access Malaysia’s curriculum resources at JomStudi from 2PM to 8PM everyday starting 24th March 2020. You can also get one-month access to UPSR and SPM curriculums on Classruum for only RM1 via the MyDigi app.
For benefits geared specifically towards the pandemic, calls to all State Health Department’s telephone numbers in Malaysia are free, and accessing the Ministry of Health portal as well as Doctor on Call will incur no data usage / charges.
Maxis
Best Telco Offers in Malaysia During the COVID-19 Restricted Movement Order
Maxis has a number of offers depending on what plan you’re subscribed to. For starters, all Maxis, Hotlink Flex, and Maxis Business postpaid plans get an additional 3GB data for free. Furthermore, data usage will not be incurred when using Skype, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams.
For Hotlink users specifically, you get free 20GB data with every HotlinkMU purchase, up to 30% cashback credits with each digital topup, SOS topup in case of an emergency, and free internet redemptions on the Hotlink RED app. For Maxis Business, you get 6 months of Maxis Managed UC phone system package and 2 months on Voice Connect app for free.
For all telco plan under Maxis, you can surf government and news sites for free. Additionally, data usage is free for the Maxis eKelas portal.
U Mobile
Best Telco Offers in Malaysia During the COVID-19 Restricted Movement Order
U Mobile has a very simple offer in mind during the COVID-19 restricted movement order in Malaysia. You will get twice the amount of hotspot data to share with people.
Unifi Mobile
Best Telco Offers in Malaysia During the COVID-19 Restricted Movement Order
Not to be confused with the home internet offering, TM Unifi prepaid and postpaid users get some benefits as well. For postpaid users, you get a complimentary pass of 999GB hotspot for free. For prepaid users on the other hand, you get 7 days of unlimited internet pass for free.
If you’re looking for fun stuff to do during the COVID-19 outbreak, check out these free virtual tours you can take.
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JOI® Smart Classroom solutions to be showcased at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia’s Seminar Technology Update

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) will be holding their Seminar Technology Update (UTHMSTU2019), with this year’s topic being Digital Education Technology. In attendance will be representatives from over 200 institutions including K12, Higher Education & Technical and Vocational Education and Training, among others. SNS Network will also be there to introduce the JOI® Smart Classroom.
The JOI® Smart Classroom is a smart school solution which will provide a flexible learning approach for all environments and settings. It harnesses personal computers, education software, compliant local area networks and special access to academic to deliver a new learning experience to students and educators alike.

With the JOI® Smart Classroom, the way students learn is improved by encouraging interaction and discussions. The technology behind JOI® Smart Classroom is delivered by Intel®, which handles the performance and intelligence to improve the classroom setting. Intel® allows educators to make use of vision technology and deep learning to virtually take attendance, measure reactions and engagements and also find ways to improve learning in the classroom. Security and connectivity are also handled by Intel®’s solutions.

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The JOI® Smart Classroom solution will be presented in the JOI® Smart truck, where you can understand more about the future of education and the different ICT solutions that will transform education as we know it.

UTHM Seminar Technology Update 2019 will be open to public with no entrance fee charged. If you are interested, you can sign up via the link here. For more information, feel free to Whatsapp or call the hotline at 1700-817-616.

Pokdepinion: Why didn’t smart classrooms be a thing when I was still in school?
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Redmi 10C packs Snapdragon 680, 50MP camera from just RM559

The latest member of the Redmi 10 series has just arrived in the form of the Redmi 10C! The Redmi 10C is yet another addition to the value-oriented lineup of entry-level smartphones, bringing great bang for your buck. I mean, where else are you going to find a Snapdragon 680 and a 50MP camera in a sub-RM600 smartphone?
Redmi 10C now available in Malaysia from just RM559

The Redmi 10C distinguishes itself from the Redmi 10 that was announced last year with its Snapdragon 680 manufactured on the 6nm process. While performance might not be that different compared to the Redmi 10’s Helio G88, the more advanced 6nm process should promise better  This is paired up with 4GB of LPDDR4X memory and up to 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage.

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The display is quite severely downgraded with a 6.71″ HD+ Dot Drop display, and it also doesn’t have the high refresh rate of its brethren. You do get support for Widevine L1 with the Redmi 10C though, so you can fully take advantage of the HD display with Netflix HD or Amazon Prime HD.

The 50MP main camera stays, while it loses the macro camera that was featured in the Redmi 10. You still get a depth sensor to help with getting more natural bokeh effects.  Redmi also quite ingeniously hid the fingerprint scanner in the camera cutout, making for a cleaner looking rear. Keeping everything alive is a 5000mAh battery that supports 18W charging, although you only get a 10W charger in the box.
Redmi 10C Specs and Price in Malaysia

CPU
Snapdragon 680, 6nm FinFET
2 x Kryo 265 Gold (Cortex-A73) @ 2.4GHz + 6 x Kryo 265 Silver (Cortex-A53) @ 1.8GHz

GPU
Adreno 610

Memory
4GB LPDDR4X

Storage
128GB UFS 2.2 (expandable via microSD)

Display
6.71″ HD+ (1650 x 720) Dot Drop Display

Camera
Main camera: 50MP f/1.8, 4-in-1 pixel binning
Depth sensor: 2MP f/2.4

Selfie camera
5MP f/2.2 selfie camera

Connectivity
Dual SIM
4G: 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 7/ 8/ 20/ 28/ 38/ 40/ 41
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.0
USB-C (USB 2.0, 480Mbps)
IR Blaster
NFC

Software
MIUI 13 based on Android 11

Battery
5000mAh
18W fast charging (10W charger included in box)

Dimensions
169.59 x 76.56 x 8.29 mm

Weight
190g

Price
4GB+64GB: RM559
4GB+128GB: RM629

Pokdepinion: The Redmi 10C looks like a great second smartphone for those who need one for work or navigation.
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This is What Malaysians Do When The Internet Is Out

Sometime ago, we at Pokde.net asked you what you guys would do if the internet was out. We’re talking a complete network outage where both Wi-Fi and mobile data just won’t work. We’ve compiled all your interesting comments into a video for you to enjoy as part of our new TODIAY video series. You can watch that video at the top of this post.
Sudden internet service disruptions aren’t exactly uncommon in Malaysia. We’ve seen before a few times notably by TM and Maxis for their respective services. Not to say that the other providers don’t have similar experience however.
When times like this are upon us, you start to wonder what to do to pass the time. Our lives have become so dependent on internet access that sometimes, it feels hard to function without it. This is precisely why we asked what Malaysians would do if the internet was out. We received quite a bit of interesting comments from all of you and we do hope to continue hearing from you in the future.

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We will be doing more TODIAY videos and if you want a chance to be featured, all you have to do is leave your answers for the next question in our comments section. As mentioned in the video, our next question is “If you could ask Pokde anything, what would you ask?”. There’s a higher chance of being featured if you leave comments down here on our website instead of our Facebook page. Good luck, and hope you get featured in the next episode of TODIAY.
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Arcane to hit Netflix as the next MOBA-based animated series

I am not exactly sure how many were drawn into the DOTA 2 lore by DOTA: Dragon’s Blood and thus decided to try out the game, but I think there might have been quite some traction. Because the other popular MOBA on PC, League of Legends, will also have an animated series on Netflix soon. Arcane is going to premiere on Netflix sometime in Fall 2021, which means that it should be in Q4 2021.

It will mark Riot Games’ first series for television. From the stills shared by Riot Games, it appears that they will go with CGI animation for their series, similar to the various music videos and cinematics they have on YouTube,  versus DOTA: Dragon’s Blood which has a more Japanese anime feel to it. Given their vast experience with the awesome cinematics for YouTube, I am pretty sure that Riot Games’ Arcane will definitely look amazing.

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The series will be set in the utopian region of Piltover and the oppressed underground of Zaun, with the story following the origins of the two iconic League champions — and the power that will tear them apart.

The animation will be developed and produced by Riot Games in partnership with Fortiche Production. The animation studio has quite a lot of experience for turning video game IPs into beautiful cinematics, and have worked with Riot Games on projects like K/DA – POP/STARS, Rise – Worlds 2018 and a number of other cool animated shorts, which you can check out here.
Pokdepinion: I just hope that newcomers are ready to find out that neither League of Legends nor Wild Rift offers graphics that look anything like their cinematic videos.
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SNK Launched Countdown Site Teasing New Game – What Could it Be?

It appears that SNK has launched a new countdown site, teasing the arrival of a new game. Question is, what could it possibly be this time?
SNK Launched Countdown Site Teasing New Game

The folks over at SNK has launched a mysterious new website with a countdown clock in it. If you head over to the site, you can see that it blatantly looks to be teasing a brand new title from the studio. The countdown ends on 10th September 2018, roughly a week from now. The tagline under the countdown reads, “A new dawn rises.” The tab even literally says “NEW SNK GAME ANNOUNCEMENT”.

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As to what this upcoming game could be,anything is possible at this point. The studio has plenty of iconic franchises under their belt. I’m sure fans will be speculating what exactly it could be all week long.
It’s probably no coincidence that the reveal will come just days before Tokyo Game Show begins. About 3 years ago, the studio revealed The King of Fighters XIV prior to Tokyo Game Show. It’s hard not to get excited as Tokyo Game Show gets closer and closer.
On a side note related to SNK, a guest character was teased, in the form of a black silhouette, in the studio’s upcoming crossover fighting game SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy. We’ll have to wait for more details on who that could be but we’ll all surely know about it very soon.
We’ll be reporting on it as soon as information becomes available so be sure to stay tuned to Pokde.net to know what’s happening.
If you want to check out the SNK countdown website, click right here.
Pokdepinion: I can feel the excitement for Tokyo Game Show in the air. I am about pretty sure we are going to see some very interesting stuff.
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Early Indications of Kingdom Hearts 3 Malaysian Pricing As High As RM399

We are getting closer and closer to the release date of the highly anticipated Kingdom Hearts 3. Of course, that is also assuming we won’t be seeing any additional delays.
Now, we have some early indications of what sort of pricing us gamers in Malaysia will be looking at to pick up a copy of the game.

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JT Game Store, an online game store based in Johor, has opened up pre-orders for the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 3 game. There are three prices for the game:

PS4 Japanese Standard Edition (R3): RM289
PS4 English Standard Edition (R3): RM239
PS4 English Deluxe Edition (R3): RM399

The standard editions will come with just the game itself whereas the Deluxe Edition is expected to come with a steelbook case, collectible pin, an artbook, and the game itself.
It’s worth noting that these are simply estimated prices for Kingdom Hearts 3 so the actual price may differ when the game is released or even when the release date is upon us. However, it does give us at least a good indication of what to expect when the game is finally out. One thing’s for sure, the Deluxe Edition isn’t really pricey so collectors may be even more tempted to pick up a copy themselves.
For now, this is only listed on JT Game Store and not in other Malaysian game stores, at least to our knowledge. If you’d like to know more about it or if you’re looking to pre-order the game yourself, click right here.
Kingdom Hearts 3 is currently set to release on 29th January 2018 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Pokdepinion: There’s a good RM50 difference in the Japanese and English versions but if that is true, it’s not really something to worry about unless you specifically want to play the game in Japanese.
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JOI Book SK3000 powered by Snapdragon 850 now available at RM2199

JOI has just announced their latest product, the JOI Book SK3000. Unlike their previous releases which came with Intel processors under the hood, the JOI Book SK3000 is an Always Connected PC powered by Qualcomm. This marks JOI’s first ever laptop running on the Qualcomm Snapdragon Compute Platform.

The JOI Book SK3000 features built-in LTE connectivity, thanks to the Snapdragon 850. This allows the JOI Book SK3000 to be always connected as long by simply inserting a nanoSIM into the laptop. The Snapdragon 850 is essentially an overclocked Snapdragon 845, with its Kryo 385 Gold cluster clocked at up to 2.96GHz. If this sounds familiar, that’s because that is essentially the chipset that’s powering the first ever ROG Phone.

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The chipset is mated to 4GB RAM and 128GB UFS 2.1 storage. A 4500mAh battery keeps the lights on for up to 10 hours when you are away from the plug. While that might seem very much like your average Android smartphone’s specifications, the JOI Book SK3000 runs Windows 10 Pro.
With support for just about any Windows app out there, the JOI Book SK3000 is perfect for those who are always on the go yet cannot settle for an Android-based device. The JOI Book SK3000 is easy to carry around with a small 12.5″ FHD display, while weighing just 1.05kg and also measuring less than 15mm, letting you slip it into any bag and bring it with you everywhere effortlessly.
JOI Book SK3000 Specs

Snapdragon 850, octa-core up to 2.96GHz, 10nm
4GB RAM
128GB UFS 2.1 storage
12.5″ FHD IPS display
4500mAh battery
1.05kg weight
RM2199

The JOI Book SK3000 is now available for RM2199, with an exclusive pre-order bundle that includes a Microsoft 365 Personal (ESD) license, a box of 50pcs 3-ply disposable mask and a JOI backpack. You can pre-order on JOI and GLOO’s official Lazada and Shopee stores, GLOO Official website as well as the wide network of SNS Network Official stores and authorized partners/dealers.
Pokdepinion: I am quite interested to find out how well the Snapdragon 850 chipset will handle today’s Windows apps!
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ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM Review – Gorgeous Inside And Out

Unboxing

First order of business: unboxing the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM. It’s the classic ROG packaging with the red accents below and the regular ROG stuff around the box. ASUS is keen to point out the OLED tech by literally putting “OLED” to the name itself, in case you do miss it. Opening the box and you’re greeted with these items:

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DisplayPort cable

HDMI cable

USB Type-B upstream cable

Power adapter

Power cord

Quick start guide

ROG pouch

Stand lighting cover

VESA mounting kit

Warranty card

Color calibration report (not included in our review unit)
ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM itself, with stand assembly

Do note that our review unit are not fully representative of the items included.
Specifications
ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM

Display Size
26.5″

Panel Type
OLED

Resolution
2560 x 1440 (16:9)

Gamut Coverage
99% DCI-P3
135% sRGB
△E <2

Display Viewing Area (HxV)
590.42 x 333.72 mm

Display Surface
Anti-Glare

Pixel Pitch
0.229mm

Brightness
450cd/m² (typical)
1,000cd/m² (HDR peak)

Contrast Ratio
1,500,000:1

Viewing Angle (CR≧10)
178°(H) / 178°(V)

Response Time
0.03ms

Display Colours
10-bit, 1.07 billion

HDR Support
HDR10

Refresh Rate
240Hz

Low Blue Light
Yes

HDCP Support
HDCP 2.2

Viewing Modes
Scenery, Racing, Cinema, RTS/RPG, G-SYNC Esports, sRGB, User

Adaptive Sync
AMD FreeSync Premium / NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible

I/O
1x DisplayPort 1.4
2x HDMI 2.0
2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (USB-B upstream)
1x 3.5mm headphone jack
1x DC-in

Onboard Speakers
No

Power Consumption
Typical: <38W
Standby: <0.5W
Power Off: <0.3W

Chassis Colours
Black

Stand Articulation
Tilt: +20° ~ -5°
Swivel: +25° ~ -25°
Pivot: 0° ~ 90° Clockwise
Height Adjustment: 0~100mm
Integrated 1/4″ tripod socket

VESA Mounting
100 x 100 mm

Dimensions & Weight
Stand included: 605 x (438~548) x 274 mm, 6.9kg
Monitor only: 605 x 351 x 50 mm, 2.8kg

Perforamance
Brightness Uniformity

As with OLED panels, it’s usually very consistent when it comes to brightness across different parts of the screen (as they are individually lit per pixel), which makes it an advantage against traditional IPS panels that often use edge lit backlight that may introduce some brightness inconsistencies in the corners. As tested, we measured the brightness figures slightly lower than what the spec sheet says (~410cd/m² average compared to 450cm/m²), though in HDR mode it can crank up to 1,000cd/m² (nits) on a small section of the screen, such as displaying sunlight.
In terms of contrast ratio, you know OLEDs – they are self lit, so black are pretty much just pixels turning themselves off, making blacks very deep even when other parts of the display may be searing your eyes with bright objects. This is something that’s especially a weakness for IPS panels, which often relied on FALD (full-array local dimming) or even a miniLED panel to compensate, however that introduces the side effect called “halo effect”, which of course is not present in an OLED panel like this one.
Color Accuracy

Metric
Standard
Standard mode, calibration with DisplayCAL

Whitepoint
6500K
6900K

Average ΔE*00
2.53
0.69

Maximum ΔE*00
6.52
1.88

Here’s a small bummer: at least when it comes to our review unit, the PG27AQDM didn’t come calibrated (ours is an overseas unit), with Delta-E slightly outside of the acceptable limits of <2 on average with a maximum of 6.52, which is of course not ideal if you’re dealing with anything color-sensitive. However, upon color calibration we found that Delta-E is significantly reduced and well within the limits when it comes to average values, and only peaked at just 1.88.
Our unit could be an one-off as ASUS website did say color calibration comes included – when we asked for clarification from ASUS Malaysia, they have confirmed that local units will come with factory calibration (with report included in-box).
Gamut Coverage

Gamut
Standard
Standard mode, calibration with DisplayCAL

sRGB
Coverage
99.5%
99.6%

Volume
146.6%
146.7%

Adobe RGB
Coverage
88.8%
89.4%

Volume
101.0%
101.1%

DCI-P3
Coverage
93.8%
93.8%

Volume
103.9%
103.9%

We tested this on the default mode out-of-the-box, which is Racing (not sure why racing the “standard” mode here, but it’s just names after all). Under this mode the measured color gamut is around 94% DCI-P3, so slightly off the mark from what the box says. Still, based on the figures above it’s safe to say the monitor is capable for professional work to some extent, and media consumption is of course a no-brainer especially with the HDR option.
A quick test run on the “sRGB” mode also sees the display clip the colors within the sRGB range, so colors won’t unexpectedly get overblown as with the way Windows handles color profiles (which frankly speaking isn’t the best).
The Good

The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM stroke a perfect sweet spot when it comes to display sizes and speeds – 1440p resolution, 240Hz. That’s a great baseline for what a high-end GPU can drive these days (at least you won’t be needing RTX 4090, but you might need it to push it all the way to 240Hz), but not too much pixels that a regular high-end graphics card may end up struggling to push the frames quick enough.
On top of that, the OLED panel brings all kinds of advantages a gamer could ever ask for: 0.03ms response time, AMD Freesync Premium / NVIDIA G-SYNC compatible for those who plays competitively – at least you can’t blame your monitor now in case you do miss a shot in Valorant; while 10-bit color, HDR10 and near infinite contrast ratio brings the best out of sightseeing games.

The PG27AQDM also gets a redesign that does away with copper accents and moved to a two-piece design on the monitor that makes it look especially sleek from the side. Previous ROG monitors frankly speaking isn’t of my taste, but I can say the new ones looks drop-dead gorgeous. But hey, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so I wouldn’t judge your choices.

The monitor articulation is excellent, you get height, swivel, tilt and pivot all available, and the stand itself also comes with a quarter-inch tripod socket as well as cable guiding holes integrated for a cleaner look. Speaking of which, there’s the RGB lighting in the stand itself, because why not? Meanwhile, there’s also a separate VESA mounting bracket which can be installed the same way as the stand itself with no tools required (you’ll still need screwdrivers to mount it into the VESA monitor arm, though).

When it comes to OSD controls, it is very pleasing to use. The controls include a center joystick and two paddle-style buttons so you can navigate around the pretty detailed OSD menu with relative ease. I’ve dealt with monitors which comes with controls that are genuinely terrible to use before, but this one is definitely a solid grade A for me.
The Bad
There’s not much bad things to say about the PG27AQDM, however the color calibration does need to come factory calibrated. This is not a cheap monitor, and I expect factory calibration to be the standard for the price it’s asking for (which we’ll discuss later). Though as mentioned, this may just be one-off for our review unit, and your retail unit should come with factory calibration – take ASUS’s word for it.

As far as I/O goes, it’s pretty bog standard: two HDMI ports, a single DisplayPort, headphone jack, and two USB-A ports split off of a single USB-B upstream port from the host machine. USB-C is not present here, but this is a gaming monitor first and foremost so USB-C probably isn’t high in the priority list. Still, could be a nice addition in future models. On that note, the competition has included KVM in similarly-priced monitors, so I’d like to see ROG getting onto that.
Verdict

Simply put – the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM pretty much 1440p perfected (assuming they sorted out the calibration report issue on local retail units). “Perfect” in this context is more so aimed at those who prioritizes gaming first and content creation second, because different kinds of monitor exists for different kind of users, of course. While the price of RM4,898 is definitely making its presence as a high-end monitor, you are getting very little compromise out of this monitor if 1440p is your ideal resolution target for gaming.

Special thanks to ASUS Malaysia for sending the ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM for this review.
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NVIDIA releases a new GeForce GTX 1060 with GDDR5X — GeForce GTX 2060 still some ways away?

AMD literally doesn’t have any new cards on the decks. They are planning a die shrink of the AMD Polaris GPUs to deliver better performance without a newer architecture and call it a day. It seems like NVIDIA is going to respond, but not with their new Turing GPUs. They are going to slap faster RAM on the GeForce GTX 1060 6GB.

The GeForce GTX 1060 6GB has already seen an upgrade from 8 Gbps GDDR5 to 9 Gbps GDDR5. TweakTown spotted a new GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5X, with the memory running at 10 Gbps, increasing the memory bandwidth to 240GB/s. How much of a difference in terms of gaming performance the faster memory will make remains to be seen.

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The card can currently be gotten from NVIDIA’s website, priced at $299 for the Founders Edition. NVIDIA is definitely getting lazy here, but how can we blame them when they have nothing to compete against? The GeForce GTX 1060 6GB has been trading blows with the Radeon RX 480 and RX 580 GPUs, so this bump in memory speed should give the GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDRR5X the edge it needs to compete with the upcoming Radeon RX 590.
When these cards will arrive at our shores are still unknown. The pricing should still be pretty similar, but whether the GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5X will be offered by AIBs is still unknown.
Pokdepinion: Not sure whether the GeForce GTX 1060 is starved on memory bandwidth. But if it is, the faster memory will give it nice gains.
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One of the most talked about next gen gaming features is the Tempest 3D AudioTech. In a related matter, the folks over at Sony Interactive Entertainment have posted a new blog entry, detailing which headsets and games can support PS5 3D audio.
Sony Details PS5 3D Audio Compatibility with Limitations for Speakers

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According to PlayStation’s own Isabelle Tomatis, most headphones will be compatible with the PlayStation 5. You can connect either by plugging it to the DualSense controller via the 3.5mm audio jack or directly to the console via USB. As far as the PS5 3D audio goes, it will not work with built-in TV speakers. However, they are planning to add that capability sometime in the future.
Headphone audio is the current gold standard for 3D Audio on PS5, as Mark Cerny mentioned in his ‘Road to PS5’ talk in March. We’re also in the process of working on virtual surround sound through speakers that are built into TVs. Although TV speaker virtual surround sound won’t be available on launch day for PS5, it’s still a feature we are extremely excited about, and our engineers are hard at work on bringing it to PS5 in the future.
Isabelle Tomatis
For the games with PS5 3D Audio compatibility, the following is the confirmed, but not limited, list of games to support it:

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Astro’s Playroom
Demon’s Souls
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
Resident Evil Village
Horizon Forbidden West
Gran Turismo 7

The PlayStation 5 will be launching on 12th November 2020 in selected countries, and 19th November 2020 for the rest of the world.
Source
Pokdepinion: Well, can’t say I’m surprised by it. Would like to see what a future update would include in this area but we’ll have to wait and see.
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Nintendo Switch Lite Teardown Shows TV Output is Impossible – Joy-Con Drift Still an Issue?

Nintendo Switch Lite Teardown Shows External Display / TV Output is Impossible

The Nintendo Switch Lite is the more affordable variant of Nintendo’s latest game system with a focus on portability. Given that its hardware is similar to the original, many speculated on the possibility of it being capable of outputting the display to a TV or other external displays. Either by minor modifications or a firmware hack of sorts.
Unfortunately, it is simply an impossible task.
According to a Nintendo Switch Lite teardown video by YouTuber Jonathan Downey, the hardware that is needed to output to a TV or external display is absent. It is said to be a semiconductor that’s required to interpret video.

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There’s nothing there to interpret and put out any type of video. So unfortunately for anyone who’s wondering if that would ever be possible if it gets hacked or something down the road, it does not appear to be the case from what I’m seeing.
Aside from that, it appears that the Nintendo Switch Lite is using analog sticks that are identical to the standard Joy-Cons. As you may know, those analog sticks are prone to the infamous drifting issue, which caused a class-action lawsuit to be filed against Nintendo. The annoying part is that on this model, it will be harder to fix as it’s a part of the entire hardware.
It also has a smaller 13.6Wh battery, which is slightly smaller than the 16Wh of the original model. This would suggest like the refreshed version of the original, it achieves improved battery life with the use of a more efficient processor and the use of a smaller display.
Source: VGChronicle
Pokdepinion: If you’re in Malaysia, I really don’t think the Lite is worth it at all given the price. Might as well go for the original one, especially with a newer version with better battery life being out now.
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ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) Review – Small but powerful

The ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) is the latest addition to ASUS’ ZenBook line of laptops and touts a top of the line OLED screen. Is the laptop good? Besides the OLED screen, does the laptop have any other interesting features? Read on to find out.
Unboxing

The ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) comes in a rather plain looking dark grey box with the name ASUS ZenBook plastered on the front. Inside you will find the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) itself wrapped in clear plastic. Underneath the laptop, you can find the power adapter and USB Type-c charger packed in two separate compartments. You will also find a couple of user guides, a Type-C to 3.5mm adapter, and a fabric laptop sleeve nestled in a pocket under the box lid.

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Appearance

The ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) that we have here is the Pine Grey version. It has a dark grey, almost bluish type of colour. On the lid, you will find the ASUS logo with metallic silver lettering that is placed in the middle of ASUS’ now-signature concentric circle design (which I absolutely adore).

Turning over the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) you will see a huge vent running across the bottom of the laptop. You will also find two speakers grilles that run along the bottom half of the laptop’s, well, bottom. There is also another vent that runs right under the hinge of the laptop’s top lid.

Opening the laptop you will find an absolutely gorgeous 13.3-inch OLED display that has very minimal side bezels. The screen has quite a prominent chin though as well as a webcam up top. You can also see that the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) features a full-size chiclet keyboard with a trackpad that can double as a number pad.
ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) Specifications

CPU
Intel Core i7-1165G7, 8C/16T @ 2.80 GHz (up to 4.7GHz boost), 28W TDP, 10nm SuperFIN

RAM
8 GB 4266MHz LPDDR4X (on-board)

GPU
Intel Iris Xe Graphics

Storage
512GB PCIe 3.0 x2 NVMe SSD

Software
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro (balanced mode)
Intel Graphics Command Center
MyASUS
Microsoft Office Home & Student 2019 (license bundled)
McAfee Personal Security

Connectivity
WiFi 6 (802.11ax), up to 2.4Gbps speeds
Bluetooth 5.0
2 x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
1 x standard HDMI 2.0
1 x MicroSD card reader

Display
13.3″ (16:9) OLED, Full HD (1920 x 1080) NanoEdge display, Glare screen, 400nits, IPS-level wide-view tech, 100% DCI-P3, 88% screen-to-body ratio
2.9mm side bezel, 12.9mm bottom bezel

Audio
Harman Kardon-certified Stereo Speakers with ASUS SonicMaster stereo surround-sound
Array microphone with Cortana and Alexa support
AI Noise-Canceling Audio

Power
67Wh 4-cell Li-Po battery
240W power adapter

Dimensions
304 x 203 x 13.9 mm

Weight
1.4kg

Performance
Synthetic

The CrystalDiskMark scores of the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) are first on our performance test. Though not the fastest, the laptop does get a good score, so you can expect speedy boot-ups and loading speeds.

When it comes to Cinebench R20 results, the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) does pretty well, a lot better than I expected it to be. The performance is very comparable with other laptops in this category.

Moving on to the Superposition scores, the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) managed to come away with a pretty impressive score of 1238, especially when considering this laptop does not come equipped with dedicated graphics.

The Time Spy score for the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) is also pretty good especially for a laptop in this particular category.

The PCMark also paints quite a respectable picture here as the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) managed to produce decent scores across the board. The laptop has a score of 4701 for Digital Content Creation, a 7010 for Productivity, a 9602 for Essentials and an overall score of 4885.
Battery Life

The battery life of the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) I was quite eager to test out considering ASUS rates this laptop with a battery life of 12 to 13 hours. Based on the tests made using PCMark’s Modern Office benchmarking tool, the results, while slightly less than advertised, are pretty great and by no means disappointing. The laptop lasted a good 10 hours and 39 minutes even with an OLED that traditionally is more of a power hogger than a normal LCD screen.
User Experience

The ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) is a pretty likeable little laptop. The main draw of this laptop is the 13-inch OLED screen which I have to say is one of the best and most beautiful displays I’ve seen on a laptop. The viewing angles are great and the colours are nice and punchy even without playing around with the display settings. The OLED screen makes looking at pictures or watching videos or movies an absolutely immersive treat for the eyes. Though it would’ve been a lot nicer if the screen had a higher refresh rate though.

Speaking of display settings, the laptop comes with the MyASUS software which you can use to play around with your screen’s colour and saturation. The MyASUS software can be used to not just tweak the laptop’s display but also a host of other features which include the laptop’s power and performance settings, connectivity settings as well as smart input. You can also use the MyASUS software to easily connect the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) to your phone to transfer files, screen mirroring and even answer phone calls.

The keyboard is pretty good but I do find that the keys are a bit on the stiffer side. It’s fine if you use the keyboard sparingly but after long spells of typing on the keyboard, you do get a slight feeling of fatigue. For me, I noticed that I tend to stop and just start wiggling my fingers and cracking my knuckles more often than usual when using this keyboard. The keyboard is also backlit, however, on my review unit the LEDs were faulty as it just stopped working midway through the review process.

The trackpad is okay and while the light-up number pad and the quick calculator features are pretty neat, I do notice that the trackpad is not as responsive as I would have liked it to be. There are times where the cursor just stops responding mid scroll but this only happens sometimes and at random.

I absolutely love the speakers on the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325). The speakers used here are a pair of bottom-firing stereo speakers certified by Harman Kardon. ASUS says that the speakers feature a ‘smart amplifier’ which prevents noise distortion at high volume and I am inclined to agree. I have yet to experience any kind of noise distortion even at high volume when I listen to music or watch Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar. Coupled with the gorgeous OLED screen, the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) is great to use as an entertainment device.
In terms of work, the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) can work through pretty anything you can throw at it. I used the laptop as my primary tool for work and I have to say it was quite a pleasure to use, save for the slight issue with the keyboard mentioned above. Photoshop ran great as do Microsoft Office applications (which comes bundled in with the laptop) which is a testament to the Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor the laptop comes equipped with. The laptop also ran pretty well with gaming albeit with lowered graphics.

Thanks to the equipped Intel Iris Xe graphics, most of the games I tested were capable of running in 1080p and with respectable frame rates. The ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) managed to run GTA V at an average of 40 frames per second with low graphics while Phasmophobia ran at 40 frames per second as well with full graphics setting. Might I say that the OLED screen made the game even more creepy to play with its deeper blacks rendering the surrounding even darker than I’m used to.

I also tried playing Mass Effect Legendary Edition but the game could only play at 800p. On the plus side, Mass Effect 3 pretty much ran at 60 frames per second all the way so that’s something I guess?

As far as connectivity goes, the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) comes with plenty of ports which includes a couple of Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports, a single USB Type-A port, an HDMI port as well as an SD card reader. There’s also speedy WiFi 6 on board as well Bluetooth 5.0. What the laptop does miss and in my opinion sorely miss is a 3.5mm headphone jack. I still can’t figure out why ASUS decided to leave out something like a headphone jack of the laptop.

The laptop does come bundled with a Type-C to 3.5mm adapter which helps somewhat. I did encounter an issue with the adapter though. There have been a few instances where the audio just dies while plugged in which requires me to restart the laptop altogether to rectify the issue. This becomes rather annoying especially when I’m in the middle of a video call or on Discord. I had no such issues when I just the laptop microphone and speakers for calls.

The webcam on the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) comes with an IR scanner for facial recognition built-in which is incredibly useful especially when unlocking the device via Windows Hello. The traditional placement of the webcam at the top of the display also results in some nice-looking images with no awkward angles.
Conclusion

All in all, I think that the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) is a pretty good laptop that’s fit for both work and play. It has a very aesthetically pleasing design, an absolute beauty of an OLED screen, solid build quality, exceptional speaker performance, fantastic battery life, bundled Microsoft Office and while it performs decently when gaming though it is clear this laptop is not made for hardcore gaming.
There are some niggling issues though such as the stiff keyboard keys, inconsistent trackpad sensitivity, lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack and problems with the included Type-C to 3.5mm adapter. At the end of the day, the positives of the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) far outweigh the negatives and would be a very good choice for those looking for a capable work laptop that suits both home and office, especially if you appreciate a good display with vibrant, accurate colours and true, deep blacks. The ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) retails for RM4,999 and can be gotten at the official ASUS Store on Shopee and Lazada.
And with that, I award the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) a solid Bronze Pokdeward.

A big thanks to ASUS Malaysia for providing us with the ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED (UX325) for the use of this review.
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The MSI Liberator is A Gaming Peripheral You Didn’t Know You Need

MSI Liberator

The MSI Liberator is a gaming RGB footpad that is currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter. It has 3 programmable buttons; two on each side and one by pressing the pedal down. The idea here is to “free your hands” but realistically, you would likely use it in tandem with your hands as extra buttons. The footpad itself has an 8° angle for added comfort.
It uses Omron D2F-01F switches, which is said to be rated up to 10 million clicks with a 100ms response time. In comparison, the average gaming mouse switches can last up to 50 million clicks and with noticeably faster response times. To combat the issue of different feet sizes, you have the optional of swappable magnetic keycaps consisting of different sizes.

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Of course, it’s not quite a gaming peripheral if it doesn’t come with RGB, and you can easily enjoy that here. In fact, you can daisy chain up to 4 MSI Liberator footpads together for added function and an eye-catching lightshow, though you might not see it much since they will be under your table.

To ensure that it works flawlessly, you will need to use the dedicated MSI Liberator app, which is claimed to work with any PC game. All you have to do is map the function accordingly with the button you want and you’re good to go. It can even be used for other applications outside of games as well as long as it’s configured properly. Speaking of working flawlessly, you will need a PC that is running at least Windows 7, so any Microsoft OS newer than that should work just fine.
The MSI Liberator kickpad is expected to ship out sometime in December 2022. It can be purchased on Kickstarter with the following prices:
Single Unit

Super Early Bird = $139 (RM611.88)
Early Bird = $149 (RM655.90)
Kickstarter Price = $159 (RM699.92)
Retail Price = $199 (RM876)

Two Units

Super Early Bird = $259 (RM1,140.12)
Early Bird = $269 (RM1,184.14)
Kickstarter Price = $279 (RM1,228.16)

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Pokdepinion: I didn’t know I wanted one until I laid my eyes on them. I foresee making good use of this for abilities, but I also want to know how much more fun it will be to use the pedal to shoot instead of a mouse click.
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Pre-order The New Samsung Galaxy S22 Series From RM99 Per Month With Digi

Digi has just announced that they have begun taking pre-orders for the newly released Samsung Galaxy S22 Series smartphones through their phone ownership programme, Digi PhoneFreedom 365.
Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S22 Series with Digi now

Consumers can pre-order the Galaxy S22 Series through the Digi Online Store starting today until 3rd March. Those who pre-order the new smartphones will receive free goodies depending on which phone they pre-order. Below is a full list of all the freebies customers will be entailed to:

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Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra – Samsung e-voucher worth RM800, Silicone Cover with Strap worth RM169 and Lucky Box (Wide Strap) worth RM79, and LAMY Universal Pen worth RM269.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus or Samsung Galaxy S22 – Samsung e-voucher worth RM800, Silicone Cover with Strap worth RM169 and Lucky Box (Wide Strap) worth RM79 and Camera Filter Mount worth RM169.

Customers can save up to RM1,323 on their device and receive up to 85GB of all-access high-speed Internet for as little as RM99 per month for the Galaxy S22 Series. This allows customers to stay connected to what matters most while enjoying a truly worry-free experience with the latest smartphones. Customers who prefer to purchase the devices in person will be able to do so starting on March 4, 2022, at all Digi Stores.
For more information on the Digi pre-orders, head over here. You can also check out the pre-order details from Samsung themselves right here.
Pokdepinion: I’m very interested in the S22 and I’m thinking of exploring this pre-order option since I’m an existing Digi subscriber.
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Industry Leaker Suggests PS5 Price May Be Revealed Later Today

Around 12.30am PT | 9.30pm CEST
— Roberto Serrano’ (@geronimo_73) July 11, 2020

I’m sure many of you are excited to learn about any new bits and pieces on the upcoming PlayStation 5. Now, we may have an indication as to when we can expect to learn the PS5 price, and it might be sooner than expected.
PS5 Price May Be Revealed Today According to Industry Leaker

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According to renowned industry leaker and Italian business analyst, Roberto Serano, we are expected to learn of the PS5 price and its official launch date on 13th July 2020 at around 9:30PM CEST. That translates to 14th July 2020 at around 3:30AM Malaysia time (GMT+8). This was seen on Twitter when a user asked him as to when Sony would reveal the PS5 price and release date.
For those of you who aren’t aware, Roberto Serrano has a good track record of leaking dates and industry events. Previously, he successfully leaked PlayStation’s PS5 games reveal event in June 2020. Moreover, he also correctly leaked out the date and time for the Xbox Series X game event.
With plenty of online retailers across the globe already putting up pre-orders for the next gen console, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the official announcement happening sooner rather than later. It’s already July 2020 at this point, and we’re not far away from its original Holiday 2020 release window.
If you’re not sure what games to expect on the PS5, click right here to find out.
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Pokdepinion: If it’s true, then I really can’t wait. More so because I would like to know how much I need to save up for it.
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Xiaomi 13 Ultra Arrives In Malaysia, Packs Ever-Advanced Camera Setup

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has announced its latest flagship smartphone in collaboration with Leica, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. Naturally, camera is among the standout feature of this device. Xiaomi says the company took inspiration from Leica’s compact M series cameras with its design.
Under the lenses, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra packs a quad-camera array that prominently features the 1-inch Sony IMX989 50MP sensor, with three IMX858 sensors taking the ultrawide (12mm), telephoto (75mm) and super-telephoto (120mm) duties. The main sensor also comes with a new mechanical dual-aperture system that switches between f/1.9 and f/4.0 – a feature that was first debuted in Samsung Galaxy S9, however it only survived one more succeeding generation before getting scrapped altogether.

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The specs elsewhere is no slouch either: the 6.73-inch WQHD+ display provides up to 2,600 nits of brightness, and comes pre-calibrated with the new CIE 2015 colorimetry to provide consistent color reproduction across various Xiaomi devices. Performance is courtesy of Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, with 12GB of LPDDR5X and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage available on tap (this will be the only configuration available locally).
All of these specs does come at a cost – not just price – but rather weight. It tips the scales at a rather heavy 227 grams, though Xiaomi has given the flagship unibody metal frame to enhance durability, and add a layer of leather texture finish on top similar to Leica’s M series cameras. Pricing is set on RM5,199, with two colors – Black and Olive Green, available for purchase in authorized Xiaomi stores and retailers nationwide.
Pokdepinion: Very cutting edge hardware I’m seeing here, but I hope weight reduction can be introduced at some point. Phones can’t keep getting heavier right?
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Samsung forced iFixit to remove their Samsung Galaxy Fold tear down

Samsung didn’t appreciate iFixit tearing down their yet-to-be-launched Samsung Galaxy Fold. While Samsung didn’t directly order iFixit to remove their tear down, they pressured iFixit’s partner who passed them the Samsung Galaxy Fold which was used in the tear down.

You can read the full blog post from iFixit here. Samsung might have found iFixit’s tear down akin to rubbing salt in their wound, considering that the units shipped out to reviewers are already known to have multiple issues pertaining to the flexible screen.

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Samsung has already delayed the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Fold to try to fix some of the issues. iFixit’s tear down and comments might be inaccurate by the time Samsung fixes the issues and finally releases the Samsung Galaxy Fold to market.

I wonder if Samsung will ever successfully solve the problems with the Samsung Galaxy Fold though, considering they actually spent years refining the Samsung Galaxy Fold’s hinge design. Perhaps this is just an experiment, and one which didn’t turn out too well for Samsung?
Also, it might probably be time to start archiving iFixit teardowns before other manufacturers’ follow Samsung’s precedent. Also, does this mean Samsung may begin requesting members of the media which published unfavorable reviews to pull down their reviews as well?
Pokdepinion: I think Samsung should have invited iFixit’s guys to their office to help them improve their product though.
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ASUS is set to conquer the gaming monitor market in 2017

Worldwide LCD monitor shipments were reportedly stagnating in 2015 and 2016, with around 120 million units shipped in 2015, and looks to remain at the same level in 2016. However the shipments of gaming monitor shipments (144 Hz refresh rate and above), the number of shipments have doubled from 550 000 – 600 000 units in 2015 to more than 1.2 million units in 2016.

Asustek, BenQ and Acer are already competing aggressively and Asustek will become the largest vendor of such products in 2016 with a market share of 35%, followed by BenQ at 22-24% and Acer at 17-19%. While gaming models make up little of the overall volume (1 – 2%), their production value is around 3% due to their high average selling prices. For 2017, the worldwide gaming monitor shipment is expected to double again to 2.5 million units, with up to 3.5 million in 2018.

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Also contributing to the growth is the increasing popularity of curved LCD monitors which has not seen significant shipments in 2016 but are expected to rise drastically in 2017. The rest of the display manufacturers will of course not sit idly as the top players reap the profits of a booming gaming monitor market, and the existing manufacturers are expected to see fierce competition from Samsung, LG, Dell, HP, Lenovo and AOC/Phillips.

With that said, Vincent Chiou, associate president of Asustek Computer’s Monitor Business Unit, is reported to be not concerned with the new competitors as he believes competition will help the market see more development and innovation in the industry. As the demand for gaming and enterprise monitors rise, Chiou expects to see an growth of 5 – 10% in overall monitor shipments in 2017, with Asustek maintaining its position as the largest vendor in gaming monitor market.
Chiou noted that gaming models currently account for 10% of Asustek’s overall monitor shipments and Europe and North America are the main selling markets for gaming monitors with demand from Asia Pacific and China also growing strong. Asustek’s share in Europe’s gaming monitor market is about 40% and 50% in North America.

As for new technology, Asustek is planning to launch a gaming monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate in the near future, featuring Nvidia’s GSync technology. The monitor will also feature Asustek’s ultralow blue light and flickerfree technologies.
Chiou expects gaming monitor shipments to grow over 100% and new features such as larger size, higher resolution, curve panel and increased refresh rate, are all expected to help increase gaming monitor demand in 2017.

Pokdepinion: ASUS monitors are great, with an amazing set of features as well as great design. I also thought that their prices will put them out of the range of many gamers, but apparently it is not so as they have the most market share actually.
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Rainbow Six Siege Reveals New Operator Thunderbird In Second Season of Year 6: North Star

Ubisoft has just revealed new details surrounding their second season of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Year 6: North Star. These include Thunderbird, a new indigenous Operator, coming from the Nakoda nation, a North American First Nation, in addition to an entirely reworked Favela map, and more.
Rainbow Six Siege’s Second Season of Year 6: North Star introduces Thunderbird
Players will meet a brand-new Defender in Rainbow Six Siege Year 6: North Star: Thunderbird. She can set up a Kóna Healing Station, which heals any nearby player, ally or enemy, even if they are downed. Each charge at the Kóna Station is followed by a cooldown period. Thunderbird is a low-armour, high-speed operator with a primary weapon of a SPEAR.308 or SPAS-15 and a secondary weapon of a BEARING 9 or Q-929.

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North Star also includes a redesigned Favela map with spaces, a clearer map description, and improved navigation. These updates will increase readability, ensuring that players on Favela still know where they are and where they are going.
Two new features will be tested on Test Servers: a redesigned armour system and behaviours after death. Players’ armour will be transformed to additional health so that they can see the effect of their armour more clearly. Players will also have new activities available after death, with Attackers being able to monitor their own drones and some Defenders being able to use their gadgets (including Maestro, Echo or Mozzie).

These changes will significantly affect gameplay in Rainbow Six Siege and will need to be reviewed to obtain input from players. They will only be available on the Test Server at North Star’s launch, and will not be available on live servers.
Additional updates coming with North Star include:

Scoreboard 2.0
New corpse icons
Bullet holes fix
Operator balancing (Melusi, Mira, and Maestro tweaks and Gas Propagation rework)

The Test Server for North Star will go live on May 25. Players are invited to submit the issues they encounter on the Test Server on the R6 Fix platform here.
Pokdepinion: I envy those who can play Rainbow Six Siege properly. I really like the game but I absolutely suck at it.
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Overwatch Halloween Terror 2018 Begins Today – New Skins and Heroes for Junkenstein’s Revenge

Overwatch Halloween Terror 2018 Begins Today

It’s the month of October and as you know, it’s a month that will be filled with spookiness with Halloween season here. Blizzard has never been one to miss on these festivities and what a way to enjoy it with the Overwatch Halloween Terror 2018, which is live right now.
It will be running from today until 31st October 2018. Anyone who has missed the Junkenstein’s Revenge game mode will be happy to play it again this season. For those of you who aren’t aware, the four-player cooperative mode is a PvEmode, with players choosing from McCree, Soldier: 76, Hanzo, and Ana to battle against the mad scientist Junkenstein and his host of evil creations.
It’s worth noting that that for Junkenstein’s Revenge: Endless Night mode, there will be two additional playable characters this year, up from the previous year’s 8. The new playable heroes are our lovable Tracer and Brigitte.

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One big reason for you to enjoy the Overwatch Halloween Terror 2018 event is for the cosmetics as items from previous iterations as well as new skins are available to unlock via loot boxes as well as coins (assuming you have enough of it of course). There are plenty of new skins for you to enjoy.
Overwatch is currently available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Blizzard’s Battle.net client.
Pokdepinion: Well, guess it’s time to jump back into the game. Haven’t played it in a while so I’m bound to be extra rusty. Hoping I can still play Hanzo properly.
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The Last of Us Part II Limited Edition DualShock 4 and Wireless Headset Are Coming to Malaysia

The folks over at Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore have officially announced that The Last of Us Part II Limited Edition DualShock 4 controller as well as the Limited Edition Wireless Headset will be coming to Malaysia.
The Last of Us Part II Limited Edition DualShock 4 controller features Ellie’s iconic fern tattoo engraved on the lower right-hand side, the game logo on the touchpad, and a steel black matte finish with white detailing and PlayStation shapes. The wireless headset on the other hand has crimson inner ear cups, Ellie’s fern tattoo, the game logo, and a contrasting steel black matte finish.

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The Last of Us Part II Limited Edition DualShock 4 and Wireless Headset Price and Availability

Both products will be available at the same time as the game’s release date, 19th June 2020. The Last of Us Part II Limited Edition DualShock 4 controller will be retailing for RM279 whereas the wireless headset will be retailing for RM449.

You can purchase all of them, as well as pre-order the game, at Sony Stores and PlayStation Authorized Dealers nationwide. If you’re not sure where those places might be, click right here.
For the prices of all editions of the game as well as pre-order bonuses, click here instead.
Pokdepinion: Quite tempted to get those. I personally like the designs but also, I like the idea of collecting them. Not sure if my wallet will agree with me on this one.
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Genshin Impact Update Roadmap Shows Plan to Reveal All of Teyvat in 4 Years

miHoYo has recently shared a rather extensive Genshin Impact update roadmap, where we learned that they expect to reveal the entirety of Teyvat in 4 years time.
Genshin Impact Update Roadmap: Revealing All of Teyvat in 4 Years

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At GDC 2021, miHoYo CEO Cai Haoyu has a conference called “Genshin Impact: Crafting an Anime Style Open World”, which shared various details about the game. The first half focused on character development, which is very important since their business model relies entirely on character pulls.
The second half detailed how the open world environment is being developed, with mentions of “new content is always in development with many more updates to come”. To shed some light on the matter, it was mentioned that they plan on launching all seven regions of Teyvat within the next four years.
Previously, it was mentioned that miHoYo will be releasing the regions of Teyvat in the Teyvat Story Chapter trailer, and the conference revealed that they will be launching one region per year. This likely points to Sumeru, along with the Dendro element, in 2022, Fontaine in 2023, Natlan in 2024, and Snezhnaya in 2025.
Genshin Impact is currently available for free on the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Android, iOS, and PC. A Nintendo Switch port of the game coming in the near future.
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Pokdepinion: I’m about pretty sure the game will change so much in 4 years that it won’t resemble what we have right now. That is a very exciting thing to look forward to.
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First Livestream for Online JRPG Blue Protocol Confirmed – English Version Coming Up?

The folks over at Bandai Namco have officially announced a livestream for their upcoming online JRPG, Blue Protocol. It will be happening on 13th February 2020 at 8PM Japan time (GMT+9) / 7PM Malaysia time (GMT+8).
They will be livestreaming the game on their YouTube channel, and it will be the first of the Blue Pro Communications stream to be held regularly. We are expected to hear development updates as well as new information on the game. It was previous teased before by the staff but there was no exact date for such a livestream before.
They will be showing live gameplay footage based on the latest build of the game, with feedback from the Closed Alpha test being addressed. If you’re looking to get the game, it’s definitely not one you would want to miss. Previously, the game received a new trailer and a Closed Beta test announcement. Registrations for the closed beta will open today onwards.

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Blue Protocol has been announced for PC in Japan. While an English version hasn’t been announced, Bandai Namco is looking to hire an English localization director, so an announcement may be coming soon.
The livestream page for Blue Protocol can be found by clicking right here.
Pokdepinion: Anything JRPG gets me excited, honestly. Probably the only exception to that rule now is Final Fantasy, which is usually a hit or miss for me after Final Fantasy X.
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Let’s Talk: AMD’s Laptop APU Naming Schemes

Let me get this out of a way: AMD hasn’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to giving its product names. It has happened for many years, but has largely been more ‘sensible’ in the Ryzen era. Then Ryzen 7000 mobile happened – with people arguing that the new naming system is at best, too difficult to grasp; or at worst, intentionally misleading. Whichever answer you get depends on person in whatever corner of the Internet you ask, so let’s talk about it.
AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su revealed the Ryzen 7000 series APUs during CES 2023. Image: AMD (YouTube)
History: It Depends On The Competition
If you take a look at all of the past naming system in AMD’s products, you may have seen a line of CPUs that was particularly interesting when it comes to names. Remember the old Athlon? (Not the new ones that got relegated as entry-level lineup.) The youngins among you may not know, but early 2000s was basically AMD’s finest hour. It is largely speculated by the public at the time that, in order to compete with Intel’s massively popular Pentium lineup of chips, AMD decided to name its CPU against Intel’s clockspeeds with the “PR Rating System”.

(Jump to 3:06 for the video explanation.)

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For example: take Intel Pentium 4 2.0GHz – as it says in the name, this is a chip rated for 2.0GHz. Simple. But we all know by know that clockspeeds aren’t the be-all-and-end-all when it comes to CPU specs, because at that time, AMD’s contemporary Athlon XP series was beating Intel equivalents in performance despite having markedly slower clockspeeds. (The basic explanation is down to Instructions Per Clock, or IPC. AMD had a much better IPC due to its core design as opposed to Intel’s.)
The competitor for that Intel chip is AMD Athlon XP 2000+, but guess what? The specs sheet says the clockspeeds are only 1667MHz (~1.67GHz). During those times, the general public wasn’t very well informed of the concept of IPC, hence to market these objectively more performant CPUs, AMD decided to name it against its Intel equivalents and append a ‘+’ sign to signify the fact that they’re the faster chip.
This is just one example – but if you look at how Ryzen desktop processors was named, similar principles apply. Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7, or even Ryzen 9 – makes it very easy for people to know what they’re pitting its models against. Arguably, even their GPU division does the same (the odd jump from RX 500 series to RX 5000 series was believed to be matching NVIDIA’s 4-digit naming system as theirs had reached its 10th iteration of modern GeForce naming schemes). And for the most part, they kind of worked.
Ryzen 7000 Mobile: AMD’s Rationale
But AMD decided to do away with the fairly ‘straightforward’ naming scheme that they had been using since 2017 which largely mirrors that of Intel’s, since the Ryzen 7000 mobile series. (Desktop SKUs are so far unaffected.) AMD cited a few reasons, but here’s a few important ones (from this blog post here):

Our current naming system for Ryzen Mobile Processors was at an end. It simply could not accommodate the influx of new SOCs in new categories we’re developing.
We wanted the system to be technical and informative, such that an enthusiast could quickly “decode” the number to see what’s inside.
We wanted it to be simple for the average user, where a higher number simply connotes higher CPU performance.

Now, Intel and AMD – they have somewhat different targets when it comes to the laptop market, and so does their marketing strategy. Intel’s naming doesn’t produce a whole lot of definitive information aside from two things: CPU generation (e.g. 13xxx) and suffixed letters as the CPU class (e.g. H, U, P, HK). While AMD had very similar naming beforehand, this time around they chose to laid out all information upfront with what kind of CPU it’s trying to sell.
Take Ryzen 9 7945HX. Now, if you’re coming from the previous generation – this may get you lost for a bit as AMD’s previous mobile flagship is named 6980HX. 80 vs 45, how does that work? Well, it turns out the old naming system is more of putting an arbitrary number in relation to other models. So in theory, the closer to the hypothetical ‘6999’ value, the better the chip is. But that presents a problem – the number itself doesn’t exactly say what it does.
AMD produced a chart to explain what each digit means. Image: AMD
So the 7945HX basically tells you these few things: 7 is what AMD calls ‘portfolio year’, so anything coming out of this year regardless of which design will automatically starts its model number with 7. The second number, 9, more or less follows previous generation’s naming: the higher the number, the better.
Third number is the most important of all – this tells you which Zen architecture it’s used. If you want the latest and greatest, the number would be ‘4’. 3 stands for Zen 3, 2 for Zen 2, and so on. And finally the number ‘5’ is more or less a ‘separator’ to differentiate between two nearly identical parts on the same gen. Finally, the suffixed letters stays as-is: HX for high-power, HS for low-power and U for ultra-low power, and so on.
Opinion: Has It Worked?
Even though in a perfect world, AMD’s naming system would make sense and is even more informative than what the Intel chip says; but in reality, that doesn’t seem to be the case. People complained about its confusing nature due to everything starts with the number ‘7’ – and they’re probably right. Here’s the thing: humans are wired to read the first letter or number in a sentence, name, or a phrase.
When AMD decided to move the most important number to the third (or even fourth) digit, it inherently creates confusion to consumers even though the name is technically more accurate. Think about it:
7735U vs 7730U
or;
6800U vs 5800U
(Note: 7735U and 6800U are technically not the same chip, they’re just highly similar – but for the sake of this comparison, let’s assume they’re the same. Same applies to the other two chips.)
which one is easier to tell apart? Exactly. AMD has seemingly borrowed its naming system from their datacenter EPYC lineup, which has a completely different group of customer base and the tech literacy is literally worlds apart. So while I appreciate AMD’s efforts in making this more clearer, I think a better naming system is still needed to keep it relatively simple for the general public while concise enough for us, the tech nerds.
But hey, at least they’re no monitor manufacturers who loves to mix a bunch of alphabets and numbers in seemingly random order.
Info source: AMD | Videocardz
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