New Dynasty Warriors 9 Trailers Out; Focuses on Warriors from Wei Faction

Looking forward to the open-world Musou game, Dynasty Warriors 9? Well, Koei Tecmo just released a bunch of new trailers focusing mostly on the warriors of the Wei faction.
New Dynasty Warriors 9 Trailers Out

Koei Tecmo has released a new batch of gameplay trailers today for its upcoming open-world Musou game Shin Sangokumusou 8, which will be known as Dynasty Warriors 9 for the English version.

As we have seen in many other trailers so far, the clips focus on a single character, showing their deadly moves. For this round of trailers, the spotlight shines mostly on the Wei Faction with Zhenji, Cao Pi, and Xun Yu, with the addition of Lu Su and Lu Lingqi. If you’re wondering who Lu Lingqi is, that’s the daughter of the beast famous in the Hu Lao Gate stage, Lu Bu.

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For those of you who aren’t aware, Dynasty Warriors 9 will have something that give the series  a breath of fresh air. The open world concept is meant to allow players to travel through China either on foot, horseback, and boat, and go through cities, towns, and the battlefield.

The characters are also expected to have their moveset revised so don’t expect a lot of the characters to play the same way as before. Furthermore, there will be side quests available which is said to make the main quests easier to go through.

Dynasty Warriors 9 will launch in Japan on February 8th 2018, exclusively for the PlayStation 4. The western release will drop just a few days later, on February 13th 2018. For the English version, we’ll also get 2 additional platforms for the game: Xbox One and Windows PC.
Pokdepinion: Honestly, being a huge fan of the Warriors series, I am very excited for Dynasty Warriors 9. The series has felt a bit stale in recent years so I’m hoping this one will help revitalize the series.
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Intel Arc A380 Graphics Card Benchmarks Reveal Disappointing Performance

Intel Arc A380 Graphics Card Benchmarks Reveal

If you’re thinking whether the Intel Arc A380 graphics card might be worth seeking out, then prepared to be disappointed. Benchmarks for it have surfaced online, specifically the GUNNIR A380 Photon graphics cards, which is the only custom graphics card of this specific variant.

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The benchmarks first surfaced courtesy of Shenmedounengce, who tested it with an Intel Core i5-12400, a B660 motherboard, and DDR4 RAM. The comparison was made against the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050, GTX 1650, AMD Radeon RX 6500XT and RX 6400, all of which are considered to be entry-level graphics cards.

In 3DMark Time Spy and Port Royal, the Intel Arc A380 is faster than the AMD Radeon RX 6400 and 6500XT, but it is slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050. It scored twice as high as the AMD Navi 24 in ray tracing, but NVIDIA is 3.7x faster. In gaming (Full HD), it lost to al the cards. The tests consist of League of Legends, PUBG, GTA V, Tomb Raider, Forza Horizon, and Red Dead Redemption 2.
For those of you who aren’t aware, the Intel Arc A380 comes with full ACM-G11 GPU with 8 Xe core, 6GB GDDR6 VRAM across 96-bit bus, 2.45GHz clock speed, and memory configured for 15.5Gbps, though it does make use of Samsung 16Gbps modules.
The Intel Arc A380 has currently been launched exclusively in China, thought it hasn’t officially gone on sale yet. Initial listing shows that it will likely cost more than the suggested retail price of CN¥1030.
Source
Pokdepinion: At this point, you might as well just go for an RTX 3050 or RTX 3050 Ti. Seems like that will be worth more for what you’re paying unless you can afford better.
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Cyberpunk 2077 Gets DLSS 3 With Latest Patch

The modern-day version of “can it run Crysis?” now gets NVIDIA’s frame generation tech for smoother framerates in the latest update.

Today, gamers of Cyberpunk 2077 will receive a new update which adds support to NVIDIA’s DLSS 3, allowing more than double the framerates for RTX 40 series GPUs. NVIDIA claims up to 3.8x performance increase on RTX 4080 over its native performance, with more than 2x across all RTX 40 GPUs in both 4K and QHD resolutions. It is noted that DLSS 3 enables all pre-existing frame-boosting available, including Reflex and DLSS 2 which should help with input latency.

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Cyberpunk 2077’s first-party DLSS 3 benchmark data. Image: NVIDIA
The DLSS 3 in itself also received a new update through drivers which improves the AI on frame generation – it is commonly noted that DLSS 3 may produce unwanted artifacts of pixels in a purely generated frame, and the new updated AI model is set to reduce this artifact with better utilization of game engine data and its UI.

The game developer also teased a new Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode which should include even more ray tracing based features. The update is set to arrive later this year. Watch the preview on the video below:

NVIDIA also notes that Dying Light Stay Human also receives a new patch featuring DLSS 3 today.
Pokdepinion: Annoyingly, DLSS 3 is still only reserved for the most expensive of GPUs today…
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Phil Spencer Committed to Keeping Call of Duty on PlayStation

Despite now owning the rights to the Call of Duty franchise, Xbox boss Phil Spencer is committed to keeping Call of Duty on the PlayStation as well.
Call of Duty to Remain on PlayStation

In an interview on Same Brain Podcast, Xbox boss Phil Spencer talked about keeping Call of Duty on PlayStation platforms instead of having exclusivity on their platforms, similar to Minecraft after acquiring Mojang.

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We are not taking Call of Duty from PlayStation… that’s not our intent. As long as there is a PlayStation out there to ship to, our intent is to continue to ship on PlayStation, similar to what we have done with Minecraft since we have owned that, and we have expanded the places where people can play Minecraft, we haven’t, like, reduced the place. I want to do the same as we think about where Call of Duty can go.
Phil Spencer, Microsoft Gaming CEO
Previously, we reported that Microsoft will continue to make Call of Duty available on PlayStation platforms for several years beyond the initial agreement with Activision. Phil Spencer’s statement during the interview further emphasizes that point and confirms that we will be getting a number of sequels on Sony’s platform still.

It’s worth noting that the Activision Blizzard acquisition by Microsoft hasn’t been finalized yet. This is due to requiring the approval of about 20 regulators from across the world. If everything goes well, we expect it to be official sometime in the first half of next year.
Source
Pokdepinion: Well, looks like there’s less reasons for gamers to panic now since the Xbox camp is being more open to making games available on multiple platforms, including cross-play capabilities.
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HTC Wildfire R70 is an outdated smartphone that was just launched yesterday

I seriously loved HTC phones back then. They came with industry leading features and also had the most premium designs during a time when Android smartphones were usually made of cheap plastics. But that has changed in recent times, and the HTC Wildfire R70 is so disappointing it physically hurts.
For starters, the device packs specifications from 2017. It should be a budget device, but still there has been many smartphones from other brands that come with more recent specifications that’s target the entry-level segment. You get a MediaTek Helio P23 which is now three years old along with a pitiful 2GB RAM and 32GB of storage.

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While that sucks, the camera on the HTC Wildfire R70 does seem pretty interesting. It packs a 16MP sensor 1.4μm pixels, which is much larger than your average 16MP cameras. It’s behind a pretty bright f/1.7 aperture, although the bottleneck will probably be its image processing, which, as you might expect, is severely limited on a Helio P23. There is a 2MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro camera too, so at least the HTC Wildfire R70 is up to date with the trend involving unnecessary macro cameras in smartphones.

The screen is probably going to satisfy in size, measuring in at 6.53″ although the HD+ resolution might not be as pleasing. There’s a 4000 mAh battery, but that’s really small in the entry-level segment. Last but not least, it will launch with Android 9 Pie.
HTC Wildfire R70 Specs

MediaTek Helio P23, octa-core up to 2.0 GHz, 16nm
2GB RAM
32GB storage (expandable)
6.53″ HD+ display
16MP f/1.7 + 2MP depth sensor + 2MP macro camera
8MP f/2.0 selfie camera
4000 mAh battery

The HTC Wildfire R70 will be marketed in India and Thailand by next month, so it might make its way to Malaysia too. Don’t expect it to be cheap though given HTC’s previous trends with pricing their smartphones.
Pokdepinion: I hope the HTC flagship won’t be as disappointing as this…
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New Sony Xperia Compact Leak Is Further Proof That Small Phones Are Coming Back

Seems like compact smartphones are making a comeback nowadays, with the Pixel 4a, iPhone SE 2 and iPhone 12 Mini all sporting smaller sizes than other phones out there. They’re nice to hold, easy to handle and great to use one-handed. Now, the reported leak of a new Sony Xperia Compact further solidifies the fact that there is still a market for small-sized devices.
Sony Xperia Compact: Comeback is real?

We first caught wind of Sony’s reported intentions of bringing the Sony Xperia Compact line back in November last year and the latest rumour seems to corroborate the previous report. Serial gadget leaker @OnLeaks reports that the new Xperia Compact measures at just 140 x 68.9 x 8.9mm and comes equipped with a 5.5-inch display. No info on what sort of panel the phone will come with though.

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According to renders, the Sony Xperia Compact looks to be touting a flat screen surrounded by what seems to be thick bezels and a rather large chin. The renders also show that Sony’s compact smartphone will feature a small waterdrop notch at the top.

In terms of the phone’s camera, the Sony Xperia Compact will come equipped with a dual-camera system with the primary camera being a 13MP lens. Other features found on the device is a side-mounted fingerprint sensor doubling as a power button, a dedicated camera button, a volume rocker as well as the glorious 3.5mmm headphone jack.
The leak does not mention the new Xperia Compact’s release date so we’ll just have to wait on that one. Till then, stay tuned to us at Pokde.net!
Pokdepinion: I honestly miss using compact devices. They’re so easy to use though I have to admit, you do feel its size when you start watching videos and stuff.
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MSI Introduces the Premium HX Series Laptops

MSI recently announced the availability of the latest HX series laptops, built with the newest 12 gen Intel HX series CPUs, up to NVIDIA GeForce RTXTM 3080 Ti Laptop GPU, and MSI-exclusive thermal technologies that improve performance to the max.

MSI Raider GE HX Series
The Raider GE HX series comes in the Titanium Dark Gray and the laser engraving MSI logo on the top cover which the company decided to provide a vivid and elegant vibe on the Raider GE.

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The Raider GE is packed with the most recent HX series, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU, and OverBoost technology, and it can perform up to 250W at full power.
Furthermore, the Raider GE67HX is the world’s first laptop to have a high refresh rate OLED display with a refresh rate of 240Hz and a response time of less than 0.2 ms and also supports the full DCI-P3 colour gamut.
Additionally, the laptop is DisplayHDR 600 True Black certified, which enhances the quality viewing experience for gamers. The device also includes a big 99.9 Whr battery capacity, Killer Wi-Fi 6E, and AI Engine.

MSI Premium HX Series Laptops
The HX Series laptops feature the latest 12th generation Intel HX series CPUs, all with a 250W performance, a unique 240Hz QHD OLED display, and a new design. The company also redesigns the Vector GP and renames the flagship CreatorPro X17.
All of the requested laptop models will come with early-bird deals, and the pre-order date in some regions has already been published.

For more information, feel free to visit MSI’s official website or visit their official social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube.
Pokdepinion: Do keep an eye out for their early bird promotion to whoever is interested in the laptops!
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2 New Guns Added to PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds; Coming to Test Servers Soon

Are you a big fan of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds? If you are, you’re going to be excited to know about the 2 new guns being added to PUBG.

2 New Guns Added to PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

We’re excited to reveal that two new weapons will be available on the test servers this week!
The first new weapon is the DP-28 which can be found all over the island of Erangel. The second one is the care package exclusive AUG A3. pic.twitter.com/HrSniMUjVP
— PLAY BATTLEGROUNDS (@PUBATTLEGROUNDS) November 22, 2017

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Last night, the official Twitter account for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds announced that two new guns (the DP-28 and AUG A3) are coming to the game’s test servers.
According to the developer PUBG Corps, the DP-28 is a light machine gun that holds up to 47 rounds and supports 4x scopes and red dot sights, while the second weapon, the AUG A3, is a bullpup assault rifle that houses 5.56mm rounds and is exclusive to the game’s supply drops.

Originally released on March 23rd of this year as an Early Access title, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is an online battle royale game developed and published by PUBG Corp., which is a subsidiary of Bluehole Studios. If you’re not so familiar with the game, think something like H1Z1: King of the Kill.
The game is anticipated to exit Early Access sometime later this year for PC, while an Xbox One version will be available on December 12 through Microsoft’s Xbox Game Preview program. Despite the developer Bluehole Studios only anticipating the title to ship just 200,000 to 300,000 units, it substantially surpassed those numbers over the course of this year and is on the verge of passing 2 million concurrent players.

For more information on the game, you can check out all future updates about in-game test servers over on Steam and incase you missed it, check out some additional screenshots showing off the game’s fog mechanics.
Source: Twitter

Pokdepinion: More weapons, more chaos, more confusion and most of all, more fun. I’m not complaining, that’s for sure. More things to enjoy in PUBG for now.
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Get the ROG Phone at a massive discount on Lazada this 16th May 2019

The ROG Phone may be outdated by now, but it still offers an impressive suite of features catered to deliver an exceptional gaming experience. It was a pretty pricey phone though, with a starting price of RM3499. Tomorrow you will be able to get the ROG Phone priced from RM2499 on Lazada, with RM1000 slashed right off the original SRP for both variants of the ROG Phone.
Packing an overclocked Snapdragon 845 and 8GB RAM, the ROG Phone’s has more than sufficient grunt for any Android game out there. Then there’s the 90 Hz AMOLED display, AirTriggers and AeroActive cooling system which cements its position as a gaming phone through and through. Then there’s the slew of attachments that you can use with the ROG Phone to further amp up the versatility of the ROG Phone.

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ROG Phone Specs

Specially binned Snapdragon 845, octa-core up to 2.96 GHz, 10nm FinFET
8GB RAM
Up to 512GB UFS 2.1 storage
6.0″ FHD+ AMOLED display, 90 Hz, HDR, 108.6% DCI-P3
12MP f/1.7 + 8MP f/2.0 ultra-wide angle
8MP f/2.0 selfie camera
4000 mAh battery
8GB + 128GB: RM2499
8GB + 512GB: RM2999

The promotion appears to only be valid for one day on Lazada, and the day is 16th May 2019. Would you pick up an ROG Phone now, or would you wait for the ROG Phone 2 which has yet to make the rumor mills?
Pokdepinion: The ROG Phone is worth getting just for the AirTrigger functionality…
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HONOR Band 6 – Attractive and affordable but is it the best?

This time we took the new HONOR Band 6 out for a spin. Featuring a selection of trackers and monitors that measure things namely your heart rate, sleep quality, spO2 levels and even measures your stress levels.
Read on to find out if the HONOR Band 6 is the fitness band for you.
Unboxing

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The HONOR Band 6 comes in a simple white box with a picture of the band emblazoned on the front as well as its highlighted specifications at the back. Inside you will find the band itself, a white magnetic charging cable as well as a user manual.

Appearance

The HONOR Band 6 has a rectangular watch face, which is a common design for fitness bands of this type. On the other hand, its larger display distinguishes it from other fitness bands and reminds me more of a smartwatch rather than a typical fitness band. The 1.47-inch AMOLED display on the HONOR Band 6 is also quite bright and pretty to look at. In addition, there is a plastic button on the band’s exterior body.

An array of sensors, including an optical heart rate monitor, can be found behind the HONOR Band 6. The connectors used for the magnetic charging cable can also be seen at the top of the sensors. The whole watch is made of plastic while the display is made out of glass.

The HONOR Band 6 also comes with a silicone strap that doesn’t look cheap and tacky and features a loop that has a little nub on the inside that latches on to any of the strap holes. This helps prevent the loop from sliding around when on the move. The strap is also removable and can be replaced with any compatible watch strap.
HONOR Band 6 Specifications

Display
1.47″ 194 x 368 AMOLED display with touchscreen support

Water resistance
5ATM water-resistant

Features
2.4Ghz, Bluetooth 5.0, Bluetooth LE, magnetic charging port, touchscreen with side button for navigation

Sensors
6-axis IMU sensor (Accelerometer sensor, Gyroscope sensor), optical heart rate sensor

Battery
180 mAh

Dimensions
18g

User Experience

While the HONOR Band 6 may be used on its own, if you want to take advantage of all of its functions, you’ll need to pair it with the HUAWEI Health app. You can either download the HUAWEI Health app directly from the App Store or Google Play Store or simply scan the QR code supplied in the included user manual.

If you’re wondering whether you will need an HONOR/HUAWEI device, worry not as the app (and the band) will work on any Android/iOS smartphone. You’ll have access to not only fitness features but also customisable watch faces once you’ve downloaded the app. There are numerous styles of watch faces from which to pick. The majority of these custom watch faces are submitted by users, and they range from paid to free.

The HONOR Band 6 is a good performer in terms of features. The heart rate monitor, sleep tracker, and SpO2 metre are all in working order. The heart rate monitor works nicely, and the heart rate readings I obtained are nearly identical to those on my Mi Band 4, so I assume it is accurate. I am personally a fan of the sleep tracker as it provides pretty insightful information about my sleep pattern and provides various tips to improve your sleep quality.

Moving along, the SpO2 monitor and stress monitor function without a hitch, however, I’m not sure how accurate the results are because I don’t have any other equipment with which to compare them. As I’ve said before, I usually take these reading as more of an indicator rather than the real thing.

Notifications from other chat or social media apps can also be displayed on the HONOR Band 6. The HUAWEI Health app allows you to select which apps’ notifications should be displayed on the HONOR Band 6. You may also use the band to control your music and receive notifications either in terms of messages or calls, which you can reject or silence.
The HONOR Band 6’s battery life is also pretty good. While I did not get 14 days of battery life during my testing, the band did manage to last the whole week I was reviewing this with still over 70% battery level. The charging duration isn’t too bad either; it takes a little over an hour to fully charge.
While I enjoyed my time with the HONOR Band 6, it is not perfect. I encountered several issues using the band. While these issues are nowhere near egregious or in other terms “game-breaking” they are still issues that I hope can be addressed or fixed either through software updates or otherwise.

The alerts can be a touch problematic at times, with the same message showing up many times, which can be bothersome. I have also encountered instances where the ‘lift-to-wake” function did not work which led me to use the side button just to see the time. Again, these issues are not that big of a deal but can get pretty annoying.
When compared to other fitness bands, the HONOR Band 6 lacks a few features. The biggest feature missing is built-in GPS, though I can’t blame HONOR for not having it because such a function would have significantly increased the selling price of the HONOR Band 6. Besides, you can always track your location with the HUAWEI Health app and your phone’s GPS. Therefore, those who are looking for a fitness band with GPS built-in for running, cycling etcetera will have to search elsewhere.
the hONOR Band 6 is also pretty light on workout modes. The band only has 10 workout modes: outdoor/indoor running, outdoor/indoor walking, outdoor/indoor cycling, indoor swim, elliptical, rower, and free training. So if you’re looking for something with a robust selection of workout modes then you’re out of luck as this is not the device for you.
Conclusion

The HONOR Band 6 is an impressive fitness band. It has a really appealing overall look and does exactly what it claims to do. Live heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, SpO2 tracking, a variety of varied training or activity modes, and exceptional battery life are all included.
Despite its flaws, I believe the HONOR Band 6 is an excellent choice for individuals looking for a fitness band to wear when exercising or doing other activities. It also works great as a smartwatch. The HONOR Band 6 is available for RM189 via the HONOR Flagship Store on Lazada and Shopee. and is available in three colours: Meteorite Black, Coral Pink and Sandstone Grey.
With that, I believe that the HONOR Band 6 deserves the Silver Pokdeward.

Big thanks to HONOR Malaysia for providing us with the HONOR Band 6 for the purpose of this review.
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New Genshin Impact 1.6 Leak Reveals Boat Travel, Islands, and Beidou’s Fleet

Looking to find more things to do in miHoYo’s hottest MMORPG? In the latest Genshin Impact 1.6 leak, there appears to be some major additions on the way, and it will arriving by “sea”.
Boat Travel to Islands in Genshin Impact 1.6?

Some islands from Inazuma. It is said to be explored with the help of Beidou’s fleet and the introduction of boats. pic.twitter.com/fnxIR89rr7
— Zluet (@zluet) April 25, 2021

In the latest Genshin Impact 1.6 leak, it’s suggested that boat travel will be coming your way with the Inazuma region update. The information stems from the game’s popular Discord server, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, by user Genshin_Tz. After translating it, the leak reads out:

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No, this is not the whole of Inazuma, but a region between Inazuma and Liyue.
Q – The islands seem so small and spaced out. Will there be a boat mechanic, or bigger warships and sails like in Assasin’s Creed?
A – There will be boats.
From what we understand thus far, the Inazuma region story will start out with Beidou helping you enter it in secret. Through this, players will meet Kazuha and be re-introduced to boats as it will be used frequently in the new region. It should work similarly to how you arrive in Pearl Galley in Liyue, but there are no plans to steer the boats like you would in Assassin’s Creed.
It’s a rather interesting addition to Genshin Impact given that boat travel isn’t possible at the moment. The Inazuma region has been leaked rather extensively, with players shown to be able to travel between islands via Beidou’s fleet. Update 1.6 is expected to launch sometime in June 2021 so there’s still quite a bit of time for miHoYo to make changes if they wish to do so.
Genshin Impact is currently available for free on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Android, iOS, and PC. A Nintendo Switch version will be coming sometime soon.
Source
Pokdepinion: For as long as there are more things to do in the game, it will at least give gamers more reason to spend time in the game. Not only that, the variety will definitely help keep gamers hooked for longer as they wouldn’t feel bored of it as fast.
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Apple Developing MicroLED Displays For 2024 Onwards

As the company further centralizes its supply chain, the next component they’re looking to develop in-house is the “holy grail” of displays – MicroLED.
Credit: Apple
Bloomberg’s new report has claimed that, aside from developing Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips in-house, the Cupertino company is looking into developing displays for its own products, in hopes of preventing the display supply to be at the mercy of its current suppliers including Samsung Display and LG Display. Such reports has in fact dated back in 2018 – but the recent info points to “high costs and technical challenges” which slowed Apple’s plans.
Unlike OLED, MicroLED is poised to solve OLED’s biggest problem: burn-in. OLED stands for “organic light-emitting diode”, and as the name implies – the organic part is what’s causing the burn-in due to natural aging and wear of the components. It can also achieve higher brightness levels, which current OLED panel somewhat struggles at compared to traditional LCD panels.

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The report further explains Apple’s plans of MicroLED panels. A future flagship Apple Watch model is likely to be the first candidate given its small display size and the product segmentation (like the Watch Ultra), and the display technology will further expand into other products, such as iPhones and yet-to-be-revealed XR devices down the line. The timeline expects it to ship beginning 2024 or 2025, and the report cited Apple’s will to further control its supply chain as the main reason of this change.
Despite so, Apple will hand out manufacturing of such displays to an ‘unnamed supplier’ to build the panels to the company’s specifications. The company’s facilities, including one in Santa Clara, California and Taiwan each – are only for test manufacturing purposes.
Source: Ars Technica | Bloomberg
Pokdepinion: With Samsung and LG being a stronghold in display technologies, it’s one to watch whether Apple has the technological capabilities to out-develop these two leading display manufacturers.
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EA Is Said To Be Fully Committed to Make More Star Wars Games

Yesterday, we reported about the cancellation of the open world Star Wars game by EA, which you can read about right here.. This sparked a bit of an outroar on the internet with many speculations popping up based on the situation.
EA has since given their statement on the matter. According to what they told Variety:

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There’s been speculation overnight about one of our Star Wars projects. As a natural part of the creative process, the great work by our team in Vancouver continues and will evolve into future Star Wars content and games. We’re fully committed to making more Star Wars games, we’re very excited about Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order from Respawn, and we’ll share more about our new projects when the time is right.
For those of you who aren’t aware, the open world Star Wars game, codename “Orca”, first came from Visceral Games which was shut down by EA. Thus far, EA has only released Star Wars Battlefront as well as the sequel, which led to many believing that they’re not interested in making games with the IP.
Those two titles from DICE have caused controversies themselves, the former with its season pass and the latter with its use of loot boxes and microtransactions. Couple all of this together and you have a checkered history of EA’s handling of the rights. The only other project confirmed to be in development is Jedi: Fallen Order from Titanfall developer Respawn Entertainment.
There has been no official word as to the relationship / dynamics between EA and Disney, the latter owning the Star Wars IP. Until there’s solid evidence, anyone saying anything about it should be treated as purely speculative.
Source: Variety
Pokdepinion: Personally, I’m on the fence with what they have to say. Given their track record, anyone would be skeptical about it.
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Mercedes-Benz And PlayStations Team Up For The New “Dreams & Mercedes-Benz” Experience

Mercedes-Benz has just announced a collaboration with Media Molecule, a PlayStation owned studio. Media Molecule is the developer of the popular game creation tool, Dreams. PlayStation and the creative power of Dreams with its developers and community offered a unique chance to bring the initiative “Let’s imagine futures together” to the attention of a global gaming audience.
Mercedes-Benz and PlayStations brings the “Dreams & Mercedes-Benz” experience

One of the future worlds coming from the workshop in 2019 was brought to digital life through an international collaboration between Media Molecule (UK), Mercedes-Benz, and participating creators from the Dreams community (Canada and US).

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Players can now explore a story-driven Dreams game level with four unique places, breathtaking visuals, and varied gaming aspects in the interactive experience, which is based on a design from AI-Expert Alexandre Cadain. A fantastic approach to lean into an interactive universe that teases a future of limitless possibilities enabled by artificial intelligence and technology.

From July 8, all players will be able to participate in the “Dreams & Mercedes-Benz” experience in Dreams. Mercedes-Benz and Media Molecule are also inviting the Dreams community to take part in a dedicated Dreams Community Game Jam, which will take place from July 13 to July 26 and will allow participants to envision future situations together.
The contributions will demonstrate in an engaging manner what the wishes of the younger generation are, how they envision a bright future, and what needs to be done to make it a reality. Use the hashtag #letsimaginefuturestogether or this link to share your ideas, inventions, and views on social media.
For more information, click the link here.
Pokdepinion: I’ve always wanted to try Dreams on my PS4 because I’ve heard a lot of good things. I’ll probably give it a try later after work.
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20 free rides from today until the 21st of October from Uber!

Legalities aside, Uber and Grab are one of our favorites ways around town. Especially me, because I just don’t have a car, and I am also too lazy to drive even if I have one. And it just gets better when there are vouchers from either one of the two services.
With the voucher code LUCKYNUMBER7 you can get 20 free rides, up to 2 per day, from today until the 21st of October 2016. Uber will be taking RM4 off your ride as long as you take the trip between 7am to 7pm, essentially giving you a free ride over short distances. What are you waiting for? Claim it ASAP!

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Pokdepinion: The war between Uber and Grab will definitely benefit us in the end. However we aren’t sure how will taxi drivers take it. For me, I am going with whichever service that is worth my money.
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What is GIGABYTE’s focus with their laptops in Malaysia?

GIGABYTE laptops were somewhat of a rarity here in Malaysia, until recently. They made a big splash by announcing their entry in the very competitive premium notebook scene here in Malaysia. We got to interview GIGABYTE’s Regional Manager, Gyu Young Hong, who’s in charge of Malaysia and other regions.

GIGABYTE is renowned for their PC components, pumping out top notch motherboards and GPUs. Hong shares that the company harnesses all that technical know-how to make a great notebook for gamers and creators alike.

And that’s the focus for their notebooks. GIGABYTE focuses on two main lineups, their AORUS series for gamers, and the AERO series for creators. Hong places emphasis on the AERO series, given the immense growth in the creator segment, as well as the fact that they offer some impressive solutions in that area such as OLED displays and more.

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Of course, the latest and greatest hardware costs a lot. So we did ask him how they balance product quality and the price, especially in our very price-sensitive market. Hong states that while prices should be reasonable, it should also bring the end user value. Price and value do not mean the same thing, and GIGABYTE’s focus is on the value.
 A $100 more expensive product [price tag] cannot be [an] important [factor] in decision making if you know what I mean, what is more important is how well we can use the product in the next 3 to 5 years without any major problems. This delivers better value.  Gyu Young Hong, GIGABYTE Regional Manager
We also quizzed him about whether GIGABYTE will aim to penetrate the smartphone gaming market. He believes that GIGABYTE will continue to cater to gamers who desire a proper gaming experience with higher FPS and performance than possible on a smartphone. He also considers the smartphone gaming market to be separate from the PC gaming one. For now, the focus for GIGABYTE will be the PC gaming market.
Last but not least, he has this to say to the Malaysian public:
 A big thank you to the Malaysian people for welcoming Gigabyte notebooks to this market and from now on we will deliver a lot of new products based on what you need such as the gaming section or the content creation section. We can meet the things that you need such as 4K OLED monitors, long battery life and 240 Hz panels etc. These kinds of things are what young people and content creators need. We also promise to deliver the durability and quality of the notebooks to the Malaysian people and hope you guys enjoy our brand new notebooks.

Have you checked out our recent review of the GIGABYTE AORUS 5?
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Games Workshop To Release Warhammer Streaming Service Soon

If you’re a big fan of the Warhammer universe, you’ll be glad to know that Games Workshop is set to release a streaming platform specifically made for fans of the franchise.
Warhammer Plus to be launched

Previously the company gave some hints about this earlier in the year and with it being officially announced, it has gathered several fan artists including Richard Boylan and Syama Pedersen, who happen to create his own series on YouTube.
They’ve uploaded a video on YouTube at some of the shows that you can expect from the platform soon, where they’ll release a total of 11 shows which consists of BlackTalon, Iron Within, Altar of Wrath, High Lords, Broken Lance, Hammer and Bolter, Astartes II, Interrogator, The Exodite, Pariah Nexus, and finally Angels of Death.

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As you might have known, Warhammer was first released back in 1982 as a fantasy role-playing game. It was then followed by the iconic Warhammer 40,000 (or 40K), and finally Age of Sigmar back in 2015 which are tabletop games.
Warhammer Plus will be available on Android, iOS, and smart TVs in July 2021. There’s no certainty oh which region will receive it and how much is subscription fee. It should be announced sooner rather than later however, seeing how July isn’t that away from now.
For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Source
Pokdepinion: The folks here at Pokde.net know that I’m a fan of Warhammer 40K. I’m all for it (Warhammer Plus) and Angels of Death looks awesome but… One question that I have to ask is, will the content be enough for them to make a profit? It’s a tough business out there for streaming platforms. Hopefully they’ll exceed expectations.
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6500 sites wiped off the Dark Web by hackers — a pretty ironic turn of events, don’t you think?

So, it seems like a pretty weird event happened last week. The Dark Web is where one would probably be looking for hackers. So we should expect that the security on the Dark Web should be a lot better, right? Probably, but that didn’t stop hackers from wiping away 6500 sites hosted on Daniel’s Hosting.
Daniel’s Hosting is one of the most popular Dark Web hosting services, and all the sites were wiped out from the Dark Web. The attackers allegedly used a PHP zero-day exploit which was leaked. And there were apparently no backups, so all the sites are gone for good. Which is good, I guess?
According to Dark Owl, there was a lot of illegal stuff hosted by Daniel’s Hosting, and the erasure of the 6500 sites could have been for the better. Could it be that the authorities were behind this hit, or could it be just a show of strength for a certain group of hackers?

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What do you think?
Source: Naked Security
Pokdepinion: So, any of your favorite Dark Web sites hit by this attack? Also, is this a web security breach? I have no idea. Or is it… Dark Web security breach?
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Cyberpunk 2077 Will Have Microtransactions Says CD Projekt RED

Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer will have microtransactions

Cyberpunk 2077 developers, CD Projekt RED recently talked about microtransactions in Cyberpunk 2077 during a recent earnings report. In the report, Adam Kicinski, the current president and joint CEO of CD Projekt RED discusses microtransactions in games and how they plan on executing them. He assures that microtransactions won’t appear in Cyberpunk 2077’s single-player campaign and will appear only in multiplayer. He further added that the developers are looking for ways to make sure that players will be happy to spend their money.

“Well, we’re never aggressive towards our fans! We treat them fairly and we’re friendly. So of course not – we won’t be aggressive – but you can expect great things to be bought. The goal is to design monetization in a way that makes people happy to spend money,” said Kicinski.

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He further added, “I’m not trying to be cynical or hide something; it’s about creating a feeling of value. Same as with our single-player games: we want gamers to be happy while spending money on our products. The same is true for microtransactions: you can expect them, of course, and [Cyberpunk 2077] is a great setting for selling things, but it won’t be aggressive; it won’t upset gamers but it’ll make them happy – that’s our goal at least.”
CD Projekt RED further reiterated this with a tweet via Cyberpunk 2077’s Twitter account by saying:

Cyberpunk multiplayer/online, which is a separate project, will have some microtransactions, but we said that a year ago already. Like always, expect us treating your money with respect.
— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) September 7, 2020

Cyberpunk 2077’s multiplayer has yet to be officially announced by CD Projekt RED but sources say that it might see a release date of somewhere in 2022. The game will be treated as a separate release to the main game. As for Cyberpunk 2077, it is still set to be released this coming November which hopefully won’t be hit by any further, unexpected delays.
Source
Pokdepinion: I’m really glad that there won’t be any microtransactions present in the game’s single-player campaign. Also, it doesn’t make sense either to have it in single-player, it’s not like you can flex your paid skins or something as some people would do in multiplayer. I also love how transparent CDPR are about this. Can’t wait for the game to come out!
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Apple is ACTUALLY SLOWING DOWN older iPhones; but it’s all for a good reason… or is it?

Geekbench benchmarks run by a certain John Poole has shown that older smartphones like iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 do get slower over time. The data is represented by a graph that shows that more devices are scoring less than the average scores obtained when the devices were launched. Futuremark has also sent us some of their data, and we do see that iPhones do actually get slower over time.

After some prodding from TechCrunch, Apple responded with a statement that the slowing down is indeed a feature and not a bug. Typical, eh? But no, they didn’t exactly say that. This “feature” is added to extend the usability of the older iPhones. As the lithium-ion batteries age, they will lose their ability to deliver the power needed by the CPU for peak performance. Therefore by lowering the CPU’s performance, they can lower the power demand, and thus prevent older devices from shutting doHmmwn unexpectedly.

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This feature has already been added to the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE last year, and the iPhone 7 has just received this feature with iOS 11.2. So yeah, Apple isn’t trying to ruin your beloved iPhone’s performance just to make you buy a new phone. Just throw in a new battery, and you will be fine. Like this guy on Reddit.
What do you think of this feature? Would you rather have a device that is consistently slow, or one that might suddenly shut down without warning? Let us know in the comments section!
Pokdepinion: I think Apple could have done better. They should at least have a notification that tells you that your device is now incapable of the performance it once was, so users are at least warned. Would fast charging wear out the batteries faster in the latest iPhones?
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It’s been a while since we last heard about Tales of Arise, the latest mothership entry in Bandai Namco’s Tales of JRPG series. Now, we have a brand new trailer to enjoy, along with a teaser for Spring 2021.
Tales of Arise Has New Trailer with Teaser for Spring 2021

At the Tales of Festival 2020, Bandai Namco released a new trailer for Tales of Arise, and it included a teaser which indicates that more will be coming sometime in Spring 2021. This goes in line with producer Yusuke Tomizawa’s statement that there will be more new coming in 2021.

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The new trailer shows the game’s two protagonists, Alphen and Shionne, the former losing his memory and is no longer capable of experiencing pain whereas the latter has a curse that is inflicted to whoever that touches her. It seems like the relationship between the two protagonists seems to be more bounded by some sort of contract as Alphen can’t use his burning sword without Shionne, while she also appears to have some hidden motive. The game’s setting involves two distinct homeworlds, Dahna and Rena, with issues of discrimination between people from the two places.

【#TOF2020 DAY1】
「テイルズ オブ フェスティバル 2021」🎉
2021年11月20日(土)・21日(日)２DAYS！東京ガーデンシアターにて開催決定！
詳細は3/8(月)10:00オープンの公式サイトをチェック！今後の続報をお楽しみに♪#テイルズ #TOF2020info #テイフェス応援 pic.twitter.com/7KiMClvTq2
— 『テイルズ オブ』シリーズ イベント【公式】 (@talesof_evinfo) March 6, 2021

At this point, there is a good chance Tales of Arise will be coming to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X as it wouldn’t make sense to keep it for older generation consoles. With that being said, we have no idea how well it will make use of the stronger hardware, so we expect to learn more about that later on. Apart from that, Tales of Festival 2021 has been announced for 20th and 21st November 2021, which means we can expect even more then.
At the moment, Tales of Arise has only been announced for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. However, the release date has yet to be announced since the game has been indefinitely delayed. We will report more on this as soon as information becomes available so stay tuned.
Source
Pokdepinion: I’ve been waiting for this game for so long. I really need my JRPG fix soon, especially since I’m done with Trails of Cold Steel 4.
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HUAWEI FreeLace Wireless Earphones Available From Tomorrow At RM369

Introduced at the HUAWEI P30 series launch in Paris, the HUAWEI FreeLace is finally coming to Malaysia and will be available starting from tomorrow, 12th of July 2019.
With the new HUAWEI FreeLace, you can easily connect and fast charge it with HUAWEI smartphones. It is made of memory metal that’s wrapped in liquid silicon.
It seems that the company have listened to users’ complaints from previous devices which they’ve addressed with the FreeLace. This includes easier first time Bluetooth pairing, better sound quality, and also improved battery life.

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Pairing with the HUAWEI FreeLace is easier. All you need to do is separate the right earbud from the volume button to reveal its USB Type-C connector, which can then be inserted to any USB Type-C port of any HUAWEI smartphone that runs EMUI 9.1 for a quick and easy Bluetooth pairing (via HiPair).
They have said that with a 5 minute charge, you can get up to four hours of playback time. It supports up to 18 hours of playback or 13 hours of talk time on a single charge.
Inside, they’ve fitted a large dynamic driver unit with a diameter of 9.2mm on each speaker. Coming in with an ultra-thin TPU diaphragm and titanium plating, the drivers deliver a punchy bass and smooth treble.
Interested in getting one? The HUAWEI FreeLace comes in Graphite Black and Amber Sunrise color variants and retails at a price of RM369. You can get it from all HUAWEI Brand Stores and HUAWEI Online Official Store.
Pokdepinion: It looks a lot longer than their previous wireless Bluetooth earphone.. Guess I’ll know if it’s worth it or not when I get to test it.
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FromSoftware has revealed the Elden Ring system requirements for PC, particularly the minimum one, and it’s certainly a step forward. Here’s what we know thus far.
Elden Ring System Requirements for PC Revealed

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The creators of the Dark Souls franchise, FromSoftware, has revealed the Elden Ring system requirements for PC, particularly on the minimum requirements. It marks an interesting change moving forward as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 is listed as a minimum for GPU.
For a better understanding, check out the minimum system requirements right below here:
Minimum Requirements

OS: Win10 or 11 (64-bit)
CPU: Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
RAM: 12 GB RAM
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB or AMD Radeon RX 580 4 GB
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 60 GB

In comparison, some of the recent 3rd person action games still can make use of less powerful Geforce GPUs as the bare minimum to run on PC. For instance, Days Gone and Death Stranding has the GTX 1050 as a minimum whereas Assassin’s Creed Valhalla lists GTX 960 instead.
This is especially interesting as some of the more graphically-intense games do not require such a powerful GPU as a minimum requirement. Could this mean a sudden boost in visual quality for Elden Ring, or could it be that the game might not be particularly optimized for PC gaming?
Perhaps it’s neither of those and FromSoftware simply wanted to ensure a smooth experience for a more consistent combat experience, which is expected to be rather difficult given the developer’s notoriety. For now, just beware that you need a rather decent gaming PC to play the game unless you’re on console.
Elden Ring will be launching on 25th February 2022 for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC.
Source
Pokdepinion: While I’m considered lucky enough to own a powerful machine, this would stop plenty of people from getting the game. It’s not as easy as upgrading your PC now given the global chip supply shortage, so it may spell trouble for the game. With that being said, I still foresee it doing well in the long run.
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Capcom has apparently removed ray tracing from the PC versions of Resident Evil 2 and 3 Remake. The reason for the removal is unknown, causing speculation among players.
Capcom Removes Ray Tracing from Resident Evil 2 and 3 Remake on PC, Reason Unknown

Capcom appears to have removed ray tracing support from the PC versions of Resident Evil 2 and 3 Remake in a recent update, which has caused confusion and frustration among the community. Many Steam users took to the community section to report the issue, while some players speculated that it could be a mistake or an error.

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The Reddit thread on the subject includes screenshots from Resident Evil 2 Remake that showcase the lack of the ray tracing option on PC. Capcom has not released any official statement about the removal of ray tracing or Dolby Atmos headphone support, which some players have also reported missing.
It is unclear why Capcom has removed ray tracing support from its older Resident Evil remakes. Some players speculated that both games may have accidentally switched back to DirectX11, which cannot support features like 3D audio and ray tracing. However, there is no evidence to support this claim yet. Some players also reported that Dolby Atmos headphone support has been removed, but it is possible that it has been replaced by a generic 3D audio setting.

Capcom had released a next-gen update for these Resident Evil games last year, bringing ray tracing and 3D audio features for a better player experience. However, the company has recently announced that it will end support for non-ray traced Resident Evil 2, 3, and 7 starting July 12th of this year. This means that the company will not be able to guarantee compatibility or operation when using these versions of the games.
The removal of ray tracing support from Resident Evil 2 and 3 Remake on PC is a puzzling move by Capcom, especially considering that the company had added the feature last year. Fans of the franchise are waiting for an official statement from Capcom regarding the reason for the removal of this feature.
Source
Pokdepinion: It’s a rather odd move but realistically speaking, it’s not something a lot of people would care about. After all, most gamers would suffer from dramatically low FPS with it enabled anyway, and you’ll get bored of its novelty real fast.
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Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Review — literally lite!

When Xiaomi launched the Mi 11 Lite in Malaysia, quite a number of us were disappointed that it was not the Mi 11 Lite 5G that was available in other regions. Instead, we got a Snapdragon 732G-powered device, rather than the significantly more interesting Snapdragon 780G that was in the Mi 11 Lite 5G. Fast forward a couple of months, we now have the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE. Why NE? Don’t ask me, but this comes with 5G, and is pretty much the same device as the Mi 11 Lite 5G, except for its chipset. With all that said, is it worth getting? That’s what we will try to find out today.
Unboxing

From the outside, the main difference would probably be the fact that the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE no longer bears the “Mi 11” naming. Since Xiaomi’s rebranding exercise, this is the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE. You might also notice the new Xiaomi logo with curved edges. Aside from that, it is virtually identical to the Xiaomi Mi 11’s packaging.

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Inside, we still get a charger, so that’s a bit of relief. As usual with Xiaomi devices, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE comes with a soft TPU case and a minimalist SIM ejector tool. There’s also your usual set of documentation. One thing that’s missing from the packaging of the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is a 3.5mm dongle, which should be available with retail units, as the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE lacks a 3.5mm jack.

The included power adapter supports the 33W fast charging that the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE supports. There are also a few other higher charging rates supported by the power adapter, which means that you can use it for faster-than-10W charging even on older devices. But I think at this point in time, I am just happy to see a charger in the box.
Appearance

Xiaomi went a slightly different direction with the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE. Instead of going with a sexy, curvy back like the Mi 11, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE has a flat matte glass back. The blue hue we have here is dubbed Bubblegum Blue and was featured on the Mi 11 Lite as well. There’s a touch of iridescence, with it taking on yellowish tones when the light hits it just right. It looks good and feels pretty premium in the hand.

There’s no curved glass on the front, but that’s to be expected given the price segment that the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is targeting. Instead of notches, we have a small punch hole in the corner of the display. Xiaomi could probably have moved it even further into the corner, considering that there’s a somewhat substantial bezel around the corners of the device. But even as it is, the punch hole is barely noticeable in normal use.

Over on the bottom, we find the USB-C port, as well as the primary loudspeaker and SIM tray. Nothing too fancy here, but it is pretty evident that the entire frame is made of glossy plastic, which is my least favorite material to have on the sides of my phone. Give me matte plastic any day.

The frame continues into the sides, where we have a small-ish fingerprint scanner-cum-power button. The volume rocker is right above it. I am not sure why Xiaomi really likes to make these protruding fingerprint scanners, as I prefer a more conventional inset one over this. It might just be me though.
As a whole, those of you who has seen the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite will probably find the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE really familiar. It seems like Xiaomi didn’t change anything here, for better or worse.
Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE Specifications

CPU
Snapdragon 778G, 6nm FinFET
1 x Kryo 670 (Cortex-A78) @ 2.4GHz + 3 x Kryo 670 (Cortex-A78) @ 2.2GHz + 4 x Kryo-670 (Cortex-A55) @ 1.9GHz

GPU
Adreno 642L

Memory
6GB LPDDR4X

Storage
128GB UFS 2.2, expandable via microSD

Display
6.55″ FHD+ (2400x 1080) AMOLED display, 90Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch response
Delta E < 1 TrueColor display, HDR10+, 800 nits peak brightness, 10-bit color, DCI-P3 gamut support, 360° ambient light sensor, Corning Gorilla Glass 5

Audio
Dual speakers

Camera
64MP f/1.79 main camera, Samsung GW3 1/1.97″ sensor, 0.7µm pixels
8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle, 119° FoV
5MP f/2.4 telemacro camera, CDAF (3cm~7cm)
AI Camera, Auto HDR, AI SkyScaping, Pro Mode, AI Cinema, Vlog Mode,, Movie Effects
Up to 1080p120 slow-mo, Up to 4K30 video

Selfie camera
20MP f/2.24 selfie camera
1080p60 video recording, Portrait mode, Night mode, Cinematic filters

Connectivity
Hybrid Dual SIM
5G Band n41/77/78/79, n1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n28, n38, n40
LTE Band 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 7/ 8/ 18/ 19/ 20/ 26/ 28
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, WiFi 6
Bluetooth 5.2
NFC
Dual-band GPS

Software
MIUI 12.5 based on Android 11

Battery
4250mAh
33W fast charging, 33W charger in the box

Dimensions
160.53 x 75.73 x 6.81 mm

Weight
158g

Ingress protection
IP53

Performance

The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE didn’t want to run Antutu v9 for some reason, so we revisited Antutu v8. The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is pretty impressive, sitting above even the likes of Snapdragon 855 chipset. It doesn’t quite match the likes of the Dimensity 1100-powered POCO X3 GT though, which is pretty interesting, given that they are both recent premium offerings from their respective makers.

Geekbench sees the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE enjoy a nice lead in terms of single-core performance, presumably due to the optimized performance of the Kryo 670 cores. It slides down a little when it comes to multi-core performance, even slotting in behind the Dimensity 1100. The best comparison would probably be against the Snapdragon 765G devices though, which can be considered the predecessor to the Snapdragon 778G in the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE. The upgrade is pretty substantial, which is nice to see.

3DMark puts the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE at around the Snapdragon 855/860 performance levels. This is a pretty beefy GPU. Interestingly enough, it is quite a bit slower than the Dimensity 1100, but scores a win in the Ice Storm Unlimited (ES 2.0) benchmark. I believe that might be due to the GPU architecture here being older and not as optimized for the newer OpenGL ES 3.0 and ES 3.1 APIs.

The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE spits out stellar performance in the PCMark Work 3.0 benchmark, scoring just a smidge less than the POCO F2 Pro. It got a better score than all the other flagship-class chipsets in this chart, which is a really impressive showing.

Battery life is also surprisingly good on the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE. While I was expecting it to underwhelm with its 4250mAh battery, which is tiny by today’s standards, it actually outlasted many devices with larger batteries. In actual use, I also found it to be pretty good. With the 90Hz refresh rate enabled, I was able to to get more than a day of battery life out of the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE, even as I was heavily using GPS navigation and the camera. Recharging it is a quick affair too, with it going from 17% juice to 66 in 30 minutes, or about 49% charged.
User Experience

The first thing I noticed when setting up the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is the SIM tray offering support for microSD cards. The flagship Mi 11 didn’t support this, so I wasn’t exactly expecting this. Unfortunately for those who want to use the dual-SIM feature, you will have to give up on the storage expansion, as Xiaomi went with a hybrid dual-SIM configuration here.

The next thing that I noticed was just how light this phone is. Tipping the scales at less than 160g, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is a literal featherweight when compared against the other devices I have used. It is also very thin, which makes me think that this is a perfect device for those with smaller hands. One thing I noticed was the plastic lining around the display being a little rough, although that might be due to the fact that this is an early review unit, rather than a retail sample. I have used plenty of Xiaomi devices that didn’t exhibit such an issue, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt here.
Display and Audio

The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE’s 6.55″ 1080p 90Hz AMOLED display puts it well ahead of many of its peers in the mid-range segment, with smooth motion, vibrant colors and deep blacks. All stuff you would expect from a good OLED-based display. The 360° ambient light sensors also help enhance usability when you are transitioning between differently lit environments. And sealing the deal are the narrow bezels all the way around the screen. It’s no curved display, but it definitely helps to nail home the point that this is a rather premium device.
Another premium feature that trickled down is the stereo speakers. The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE doesn’t get true symmetrical stereo speakers unlike the Mi 11, and instead has to settle for a secondary speaker that doubles as the earpiece. You don’t really get any of the low frequencies in the output, and there’s also no sparkle in the sound. Obviously the speakers here don’t yield as great a result as what the Mi 11 can offer, but when you consider that this is a mid-range device, it is… passable. It definitely doesn’t pass muster if you consider the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE as a premium mid-range device though, which it technically is one.
Software

Right out of the box, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE runs MIUI 12.5 based on Android 11, which is the latest Xiaomi has to offer. Some of the minor improvements coming from MIUI 12 include the sounds/noises being more refined. I particularly liked the lock and unlock sounds, which is usually the first thing I disable whenever I start using a device. Aside from that, this is MIUI, so there aren’t that many new surprises in store. Depending on your preference, you can enable an app drawer or use it in the classic MIUI way, where everything is on the home screens.
One thing I noticed is that while the benchmark scores were pretty amazing, the user experience was quite stuttery. Even using MySejahtera, the viewfinder was noticeably sluggish. I guess this might be due to the non-final software on my review sample, and the situation might improve via an update. Another thing I that I want to mention is that the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE has surprisingly lousy haptic feedback, unlike the Mi 11. Or even mid-range devices. That alone shattered the premium impression that the matte glass back gave me, which is a real bummer.
Camera

The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE looks awesome with its camera hump, which is reminiscent of the Mi 11’s. It isn’t as complex as the Mi 11’s three-level camera module, but I still think it looks pretty great. The primary camera is the one in the ring, with the macro camera below it in the black portion of the camera hump. The third camera is the ultra-wide, on the lower level of the camera bump.

The camera UI on the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is pretty familiar, with most of the features being where you would expect them to be. Once again, I would like to take the opportunity to commend Xiaomi for adding focus peaking to the Pro mode, something which is not present on way too many devices.
          Auto, Ultra-wide            Auto, Ultra-wide          Night mode, Ultra-wide              Night mode, Ultra-wide            Auto, Ultra-wide            Auto, Macro              Auto, Macro          Night Mode, Main camera            Auto, Selfie              Auto, Ultra-wide            Auto, Main camera              Auto, Main camera            Auto, Main camera          Auto, Main camera              Auto, Macro            Night mode, Ultra-wide
Results produced by the cameras are pretty decent, with nothing much to shout about. I do appreciate the Night mode on the ultra-wide camera though, with it enabling much better-looking shots in low light. The main camera does a pretty decent job without it, although turning it on does sharpen up some details. The telephoto macro camera is fun, but as with all of Xiaomi’s 5MP telemacro shooters, it needs a pretty well-lit subject to perform well. Selfies are good even in less-than-optimally lit indoors environment. You can check out the full-sized image samples here.
Conclusion
I guess the main selling points are already in its name: it has 5G, and it truly lives up to the Lite in its name by being really lightweight. Unlike most of Xiaomi’s recent mid-range devices, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is really thin and light, making it perfect for daintier hands. If you find the recent crop of smartphones too hefty for you, physically and also in terms of pricing, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE might be worthy of consideration.
Priced at RM1199, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is a pretty decent buy. It is definitely worth mentioning that there are plenty of options at this price range, but for those who want something that’s light and easily usable with just one hand, this is definitely one of the best options out there. When it comes to performance, I found the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE to be “good enough” for my daily usage, with the exception of some stutters here and there.

Overall, Xiaomi delivers yet another decent mid-range device, with a focus on being light and thin to accommodate different target markets, rather than just going all out for performance. I do that will be enough to entice some to pick the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE over other mid-range devices available in the market.
Our thanks to Xiaomi Malaysia for sending us the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE for review.
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10th Gen Intel desktop CPUs based on 14nm Comet Lake — and will require new LGA1200 motherboards

While AMD has pushed the limits when it comes to the AM4 platform’s backward and forward compatibility, Intel… is just being Intel. According to these leaks received by xfastest, the upcoming 10th Gen Intel desktop processors will be based on Comet Lake, which is manufactured on Intel’s mature 14nm process node.
If these slides are legit, we will be looking at 10 cores and 20 threads in Intel’s mainstream platform for the first time. Just like the mobile variant, the 10th Gen Intel desktop Comet Lake CPUs will also come with integrated WiFi 6 support. The maximum TDP has also increased quite substantially, with the enthusiast tier seeing a 125W TDP. Not too surprising though given the increased core count.

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The new motherboards which these Comet Lake-S processors will need are also going to finally sport a new socket, reportedly LGA 1200. Hopefully the new socket will still be compatible with current LGA115x cooler mounts. Of course, with a new generation, there must be a new chipset to support all the features, and this time we will be seeing the Intel 400-series chipset.
The new 10th Gen Intel desktop processors are expected to be launched early next year, so you still have some time to save up.
Pokdepinion: I wonder how many watts would a 10-core guzzle at 5.0 GHz… If it can even clock that high…
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ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 APEX Review – Master Of One

Frankly speaking, the very nature of motherboard itself (with most specs dictated by the chip manufacturer i.e. Intel or AMD) meant that there’s not a whole lot of design variances available for the motherboard makers to play around with. Most motherboards retain similar layouts, with your RAM sitting on the right, VRM heatsinks on the top and left, and primary SSD sitting below the CPU socket. But what does a motherboard entirely dedicated for extreme overclocking applications looks like? That’s where ASUS’s ROG MAXIMUS Z790 APEX comes in.
Unboxing
          Box front            Box rear          Box interior (Top side)
From the get-go: this is a very different box from the outside. Instead of the standard box with red accents (like you see in pretty much every PC peripheral packaging coming from ROG), the Z790 APEX gets an all-black box that presents itself as the “this thing needs no introduction” motherboard – the backside is nothing but regulatory information labeled below. Granted, this is designed for XOC applications, so whoever doing this kind of stuff will already have its capabilities figured out before buying.

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The motherboard itself is visually very different from the Z790 HERO sibling (though mostly similar to Z690 APEX, just in white), with an all-white design and a less mainstream motherboard layout, all optimized for competitive overclocking. That means you only get two DDR5 slots, and onboard SSD slots are limited to PCIe 4.0 x4 (though you can get PCIe 5.0 using a separate add-in card, which we’ll mention below).
          Box interior (Bottom, right side)              DIMM.2 expansion card            PCIe 5.0 SSD add-in card            ROG Overclocking Medal

Down the box you get two add-in cards, both serving the same purpose: the top is the proprietary DIMM.2 expansion card which enables two additional PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 SSD slots on top of the two PCIe 4.0 SSD slots onboard. The bigger card however is the sole slot providing PCIe 5.0 x4 signaling – in total you get five M.2 slots available, 2 onboard, 3 in expansion cards. There’s also the circular shaped “ROG Overclocking medal” (as they call it) that you can place it somewhere to publicize your overclocking records.
Box contents (from packaging interior – bottom, left side)
In the opposite side of the box packaging you get Wi-Fi 6E antenna, thermal pads, M.2 latches and screws like most ASUS motherboards – however the Z790 APEX also includes a small fan and mounting kit dedicated for RAM cooling, for when you need that record memory overclocking attempts.
Appearance
          Motherboard front              Motherboard rear            VRM heatsink            Primary M.2 heatsink
As mentioned, ASUS has given the motherboard all-white treatment this time around, making it a big contrast to the outgoing Z690 APEX’s designs. Most of the visible surfaces are covered in heatsinks – with the VRM heatsink forming a single massive unit with heatpipes crossing through top, left and bottom (with M.2 heatsink sitting on top on the bottom side). On the rear side there’s not much aside from the unique ROG graphics that most come to expect.
          PCIe expansion slots              DIMM.2 slot            Secondary M.2 heatsink            Chipset heatsink
The bottom chunk of metal is a two-piece unit comprising of second M.2 heatsink on the left, and chipset heatsink on the right; the M.2 heatsink in particular comes with a see-through ROG insignia as well as a 3D cutout of the “ROG” typeface visible when viewed diagonally. On the right side of two RAM slots comes a single proprietary DIMM.2 slot that provides additional M.2 SSD expansions. Overclocking-focused motherboards like this one usually do away with extra RAM channels to provide maximum stability and overclocking potential to the remaining channel onboard – hence two less slots here.
          RGB lighting (VRM heatsink)            RGB lighting (Chipset heatsink)
RGB has been applied a bit more liberally than other ROG models – though unlike the Z790 HERO there’s no Polymo Lighting present here, which we think is simply reducing any unneeded CPU overheads and provide as much heatsink surface as possible. There’s also chipset RGB lighting which shines through the translucent ROG insignia. Still, it doesn’t look half bad either.
Motherboard rear I/O
Perhaps this is the part where you may begin to understand that this motherboard is designed for a very specific purpose. In the pursuit for maximum overclocking and minimal overhead for overclocking attempts, there’s a few creature comforts removed entirely – including display outputs (the VRM is entirely dedicated for CPU, too – when there’s usually 1 or 2 stages reserved). Another less common sighting is the return of PS/2 ports. These ports are more often used in extreme overclocking scenarios as to avoid stressing the USB bus to provide extra bit of stability to the CPU itself. Thunderbolt 4 is also absent here, you’ll have to use the front panel header for that.
Specifications
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 APEX

CPU Support
LGA1700 (Intel Core 13th Gen & 12th Gen, Pentium & Celeron w/ compatible socket)

Form Factor
ATX (12 x 9.6 in / 305 x 244mm)

Chipset
Intel Z790

Power & VRM
2x EPS 8-pin
24-stage (Vcore only), Renesas RAA22010540 (105A per powerstage)
MPS MP86992 (AUX, 70A per powerstage)
Renesas RAA229131 PWM controller

Memory
2-slot Max. 96GB DDR5-5600 non-ECC unbuffered
DDR5-8000+ overclocking support

PCIe Expansion Slots
2x PCIe 5.0 x16 (CPU)*
1x PCIe 4.0 x4 (chipset)
1x PCIe 4.0 x1 (chipset)
*fallback to x8/x8 mode if both slots are active

Storage
6x SATA 6Gb/s
5x M.2 slots:
– Onboard M.2_1 (PCIe 4.0 x4 – CPU)
– Onboard M.2_2 (PCIe 4.0 x4 – chipset)
– DIMM.2 proprietary add-in card (PCIe 4.0 x4, two slots)
– PCIe 5.0 SSD add-in card (PCIe 5.0 x4, single slot)

Networking
Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (CNVio2)
Bluetooth v5.3
Intel 2.5GbE I226-V LAN

USB
Rear:
1x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (USB-C)
5x USB 3.2 Gen 2
4x USB 3.2 Gen 1
Front (headers):
1x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 header (USB-C, 60W USB-PD/QC4+)
2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 headers (splitting to 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1)
2x USB 2.0 header (splitting to 4x USB 2.0)

Other I/O
1x Wi-Fi 6E antenna connector module
1x BIOS FlashBack button
1x Clear CMOS button
1x PS/2 keyboard port
1x PS/2 mouse port

Audio
ROG SupremeFX
Realtek ALC4080 codec
Savitech SV3H712 amp
5-channel audio jacks (rear)
1x front panel audio header

Peripheral Headers
Fan and Cooling
1 x 4-pin CPU Fan header
1 x 4-pin CPU OPT Fan header
1 x 4-pin AIO Pump header
3 x 4-pin Chassis Fan headers
2 x 4-pin Full Speed Fan headers
1 x W_PUMP+ header
1 x 2-pin Water In header
1 x 2-pin Water Out header
1 x 3-pin Water Flow header
Miscellaneous
1 x 80 Light Bar jumper
3 x Addressable Gen 2 headers
1 x Aura RGB header
2 x BCLK button
1 x BIOS Switch button
1 x FlexKey button
1 x Front Panel Audio header (AAFP)
1 x LN2 Mode jumper
1 x Osc sense header
1 x Pause switch
12 x ProbeIt Measurement Points
1 x ReTry button
2 x RSVD switches
1 x RSVD header
1 x Safe Boot button
1 x Slow Mode switch
1 x Start button
1 x V_Latch switch
1 x 10-1 pin System Panel header
1 x Thunderbolt (USB4) header
1 x Thermal Sensor header

Accessories
ROG DIMM.2 with Heatsink
1 x ROG DIMM.2 with heatsink
1 x M.2 pad for ROG DIMM.2
2 x M.2 screw package for ROG DIMM.2
PCIe 5.0 M.2 Card with Heatsink
1 x PCIe 5.0 M.2 Card with heatsink
1 x M.2 screw package for ROG PCIe 5.0 M.2 Card
Additional Cooling Kit
1 x Thermal pad for M.2
1 x DDR5 Fan holder
1 x DDR5 Fan
1 x DDR5 Fan screw
Miscellaneous
1 x ASUS Wi-Fi moving antennas
1 x Q-connector
1 x ROG overclocking medal
1 x ROG thank you card
2 x M.2 Q-Latch packages for M.2 backplate
2 x M.2 backplate Rubber Packages
Installation Media
1 x USB drive with utilities and drivers

Test System

CPU
Intel Core i9-13900K

Cooler
ASUS ROG Ryujin II 360 AIO
Cooler Master MasterGel Maker

Motherboard
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 APEX (BIOS ver. 0096)

GPU
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
Cooler Master MWE Gold 1250 V2 Full Modular 1250W

Case
VECTOR Bench Case (Open-air chassis)

OS
Windows 11 Pro 22H2

A Closer Look
VRMs

          SMD capacitors (inside)              SMD capacitors (outside) & Renesas RAA22010540 (CPU, 105A)            MPS MP86992 (AUX, 70A)            Renesas RAA229131 PWM controller
The sharp-eyed among you have probably noticed this VRM array looks a bit unusual. You’d be correct: the traditional cylindrical-shaped electrolyte capacitor is not present on this motherboard. Instead, it’s replaced by the SMD (surface-mounted device) capacitors that sit just outside of the MOSFETs, as well as on the inside of chokes.
As mentioned before, this is a motherboard designed solely for overclocking purposes – that means the VRM is entirely dedicated to the CPU itself, with a 24+0 stage layout leaving nothing for the SoC (onboard graphics), so even if you have an Intel chip that comes with onboard graphics, you simply couldn’t use it here.
Both the PWM controller and MOSFETs are all Renesas chips, specifically, Renesas RAA229131 and Renesas RAA22010540 (which supplies up to 105A per powerstage). While it already comes with a huge heatsink (with the heatpipe attached, something you don’t see all that often), it’s likely that any XOC attempts performed on this motherboard will also take care of heat from VRM and MOSFETs with overclocker’s own cooling methods (such as LN2).
Audio

On the subject of audio, this motherboard went with a more conventional setup which is the same as the STRIX B760-A GAMING motherboard: Realtek ALC4080 codec paired with Savitech SV3H712 amp (located at the left of capacitors). For reference – the more “mainstream” Z790 HERO uses Realtek ALC4082 and ESS ES9218 Quad DAC pairing to power the audio.
Storage & Expansion

As for the expansion options, the most obvious characteristics of this motherboard is the lack of PCIe 5.0 SSD slots. Matter of fact – you only have two M.2 slots to work with, as ASUS has jettisoned the remaining slots to a separate add-in card (or rather, two) which provides three extra slots: one PCIe 5.0 from the dedicated AIC and two PCIe 4.0 slots using the DIMM.2 card.
Should you need to use the PCIe 5.0 SSD add-in card, this will split the signaling on the pair of PCIe 5.0 slots into x8/x8 mode. That effectively leaves half the bandwidth remaining for the GPU, but this won’t be a problem at this time as GPUs are not close to saturating PCIe 5.0 x8 (or effectively, PCIe 4.0 x16) signaling just yet. The remaining two PCIe 4.0 (x4 and x1 slot) are wired to chipset.
I/O
          Intel Z790 Chipset            Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211          Intel I-226V 2.5GbE Controller
Nothing of surprise here: as an Intel motherboard, connectivity options are the same Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (CNVio2 module) and Intel I-226V 2.5GbE controller seen on pretty much all contemporary generation Intel motherboards at this point.
Thermals

A 10-minute run of the Cinebench R23 stress test has only managed to heat the VRM up to 62°C, which is excellent given the sheer power draw of Intel’s Core i9 processors. Granted, we performed this run with MCE off so the CPU sticks to 253W MTP in the entirety of the run (short for the first few seconds where it spikes briefly to 300+W), but there’s definitely enough headroom for more if you can give the CPU itself more cooling.
Other Features
          Probe points & overclocking switches            Boot-related keys          BIOS Switch
If you’re just an average joe – most of these switches are not very relevant for your kind of use case. These are primarily designed for extreme overclockers, with additional fallback switches such as “SLOW_MODE” that forces the CPU to downclock so it can boot under LN2-cooled conditions. Next to the switches and buttons are a column of probe points to provide accurate voltage readings as BIOS may report inaccurate values under extreme overclocking/cooling conditions.
Other switches include SAFE_BOOT switch, as well as BIOS_SWITCH which swaps between two on-chip BIOSes in the event that one has been corrupted should crashes occur. There’s also condensation detection sensors marked as “C_DET_CPU/DRAM/PCIE” to alert overclockers before the short circuit manifests itself.
BIOS & Software

As for the software, it’s not much different than most ROG motherboards aside from the hardware-level feature differences that may add a few extra options here and there. For example, FlexKey can be mapped with a few presets based on overclocking scenarios and whatever is suitable for the overclocker in question.
Conclusion

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. The ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 APEX is not for your average everyday user even if you can easily pay for the sticker price it’s asking for (which we’ll get on in a bit). With available RAM slots cut in half and lack of iGPU circuitry, it has already cut creators out of the picture as far as the target audience is concerned. As for gamers, the lack of iGPU can also be a potential issue should their dGPU failed in any way, which can complicate troubleshooting process.
For overclockers though, the Z790 APEX packs among the most powerful hardware available, which is essential if you’re gunning for world records. From various aspects of the motherboard you can see the design philosophy is to minimize as much processing overhead for the CPU as possible to make sure it can stay just long enough at the extreme overclocks to validate a result.

At RM3,599 – it’s only a hair more expensive than Z790 HERO, but for the most part this is simply apples-to-oranges comparison. As far as Malaysian market is concerned, there doesn’t seem to be competition releasing their XOC-focused equivalents to compete with ASUS’s entry here. So it’s very simple at this point – if you’re just a regular PC gamer looking for a motherboard to use, avoid this. If you are an overclocker instead, perhaps give this motherboard a shot?

Thanks to ASUS Malaysia for sending us the ROG Maximus Z790 APEX for this review.
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What Went Down at Hotshotz Asia 2017? Well, It’s Something

Well, Hotshotz Asia 2017 has come and gone and it was…something alright. Could we expect more gaming events in Malaysia in the near future?
What has been hyped up as of late as of the biggest gaming events in Malaysia, Hotshotz Asia 2017 has finally come and gone over the weekend. Some of you might be around to enjoy the festivities, while the rest might be taking a break for the weekend.
While we were not there on the 1st day of the event as we were at Visual Arts Expo 2017, we were present on the 2nd (final) day on Sunday. So what went down at Hotshotz Asia 2017? Let’s find out.

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What Went Down at Hotshotz Asia 2017?

As I walked into the hall at KDU’s Glenmarie campus where the event is being held, I see a number of PlayStation 4 demo booths setup with a bunch of games setup, with the most noticeable one to me being the recent blockbuster game, Horizon Zero Dawn.

Then I immediately turned into the Digi booth, where the emcee was cheering on a couple of gamers competing to win a prize. I wasn’t exactly sure what game it was, but it was a 2D, pixel-based duel game with 2 players going head-to-head.

Then we headed back to the stage where the emcee brought over MDEC’s Hasnul Hadi Samsuddin to present for the MDEC prize giving ceremony, which was shortly followed by an impromptu giveaway session, and the DotA 2 Hotshotz tournament finals.
No, this wasn’t when the event ended. This was at 3pm, almost 5 hours before the event ended.
At this point, you might be wondering why I sound pretty clueless. That’s because I was clueless. As it turns out, a lot of the things have happened the day before and the crowd was much bigger then. On the day I went, there weren’t really much people and reception is lukewarm…to say the least. You’ll get a clearer idea from the picture above.
That’s me, trying my luck playing Tekken 7.
Feeling confused and not exactly sure what to do aside from walking around, listening to the emcee, and taking random photos, I decided to do what I do best to spend time at the event; play Tekken 7. While you’re here, let me share with you some of the other photos I took at the event.
VR Experience booth from VR Lab
Tashbunny from eGG Network
MDEC’s Vice President of the Creative Content & Technologies Division, Mr. Hasnul Hadi Samsudin

In all honesty, Hotshotz Asia 2017 probably had better reception on the 1st day rather than the 2nd day. It felt a little bit depressing, and my confusion didn’t help either. I was starting to lose a bit of my mind being there that being able to play Tekken 7 not only gave me purpose, it saved my sanity.
Either way, I still do hope there will be more gaming or gaming-related events in the future. I certainly hope there will be no negative impacts towards this type of events moving forward as well. Perhaps it would’ve been better if Hotshotz Asia 2017 ran only for 1 day, and it didn’t clash with Visual Arts Expo 2017. Next stop, PlayStation Experience 2017.
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realme X2 Pro passes through SIRIM — Malaysia launch imminent?

The realme X2 Pro is probably one of the most exciting smartphones in 2019. Priced at less than RM1600, the realme X2 Pro offers specifications well beyond that of devices that cost more than double.

Recently, some hawkeyed netizens has shared that the realme X2 Pro has made it through SIRIM certification. With the code number RXM1931, the realme X2 Pro has officially been certified by SIRIM on 31st October.
realme X2 Pro Specs
Snapdragon 855+, octa-core up to 2.96 GHz, 7nmUp to 12GB LPPDR4x RAMUp to 256GB UFS 3.0 storage6.5″ FHD+ AMOLED display, 1000 nits, 90 Hz refresh rate64MP f/1.8 + 13MP f/2.4 2x telephoto + 8MP f/2.3 ultra-wide + 2MP depth sensor16MP f/2.0 selfie camera4000 mAh battery, 50W Super VOOC, USB-PD, Qualcomm QuickCharge 4.0+6GB+64GB: CNY 2699 (~RM1599)8GB+128GB: CNY 2899 (~RM1717)12GB+256GB: CNY 3299 (~RM1954)
With the realme XT just recently launched here in Malaysia, I believe realme Malaysia won’t be pulling off another launch event for at least another two weeks. Which puts the realme X2 Pro’s launch window sometime in late November or early December, perfect for it to be the ultimate Christmas present you can get a techie, like me.

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Pokdepinion: Yes, please fill my socks with the realme X2 Pro!
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Rockstar Games’ Bully 2 Reportedly Coming in 2020

As I said on GTAForums yesterday (https://t.co/krcij4Ej25), Bully 2 is in development and is supposed to be the next R* game after RDR 2.
— Yan2295 (@Yan2295) April 19, 2017

It appears that reports have started to surface on the long-rumoured Bully 2, the sequel to Rockstar Games’ Bully. It is expected to be released sometime in 2020, and slated for current gen and next gen consoles. This includes the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Scarlett.
It’s said Bully 2 is expected to come sometime in the October – November window. Interestingly, this is the same time that Red Dead Redemption 2 was released last year. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but it could be an interesting time to look out for. After all, the holiday season would just be around the corner by then.
The information comes from a prominent YouTuber who is known for the game Bully, SWEGTA. According to him, he received the top from a Rockstar Games insider. Of course, the person wasn’t named as it could cost the person their job. Rockstar Games would certainly have legal measures prepared to avoid any secrets or projects being leaked out. SWEGTA claims that his source is reliable, and he’s confident with the information.

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It’s worth noting that YouTuber SWEGTA isn’t just some online troll who’s vying for attention. He has built up quite a reputation and he’s been known for Bully-related information in the past. The information would match up with the tweet from @Yan2295 as seen at the top of this post, mentioning that Bully 2 is the next big game after Red Dead Redemption 2.
Apart from that, it’s been said that the game is expected to be officially announced this September 2019. For now, there’s no official word by Rockstar Games so do take this information with a grain of salt. We’ll be digging up more information on the matter so stay tuned to Pokde.net for further updates.
Pokdepinion: It’s about time to get a sequel. I hope it’s a brand new story rather than a continuation from the previous one. It’s been way too long since the last game.
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AMD’s Documents Confirmed Hybrid Phoenix APU Is In The Works

The documents mentioned Performance and Efficiency Core – corroborating with the earlier “Phoenix 2” system seen in the wild.

According to AMD’s Processor Programming Reference (PPR) guide, the documentation has mentioned “Performance Core” and “Efficiency Core” under the CoreType section. The document is intended for developers to design their apps with the goal of utilizing with the hardware as efficiently as possible. The file which noted it’s for “Family 19h Model 70h” points to AMD Zen 4 (Phoenix) line of APUs.

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Previously, a system featuring what looks to be a Phoenix 2 system that featured 2 Performance Cores (standard Zen 4 core) and 4 Efficiency Cores (Zen 4c core) was seen in the wild contributing to scientific research. Given it’s codename, it’s very much destined for laptops – which will be expected to face against Intel’s U-series or P-series models.
AMD’s Zen 4c core has yet to be utilized in the consumer space so far – the only processors with this type of cores are the EPYC “Bergamo” core-focused datacenter CPUs, mainly intended for cloud computing.
Source: Videocardz | @InstLatX64 (Twitter)
Pokdepinion: Looking forward to AMD’s answer to Intel’s hybrid CPUs.
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Intel Arc GPUs Gets FPS Boost on DX9 Titles With Latest Driver Update

Among Intel’s many issues surrounding their Arc GPUs, drivers are especially problematic at launch. As the company plays catch-up to Team Red and Team Green – they have just released a new driver update to improve performance on older titles running on DirectX 9 API.
Source: Intel
In case you didn’t know what is DirectX – it’s an application programming interface (API) for game developers to build their games based on the toolset and standards given by its creator, Microsoft. (It’s also the reason most PC games exclusively runs on Windows.) DirectX 9 in particular can be traced back all the way back in 2002 – two full decades ago.
One of the games that utilize DirectX 9 is CS:GO – Intel, being late into the GPU scene, meant they have to build drivers to accommodate many games from older generations. To that, they have designed a “compatibility layer” which converts DirectX 9 to DirectX 12 – which at least ensures many older games can at least run, albeit at a huge performance penalty.

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Source: Intel
Intel Arc’s latest driver, version 3953, aims to solve this – some DX9 games will be able to render natively, while others that are not yet optimized by Intel will rely on the DX9-DX12 translation layer to at least ensure compatibility. Tested on Arc A770 – The benchmark data presented by the company has shown up to 1.8x improvement over previous driver, version 3490. On the other hand, 1% lows are now improved greatly, achieving up to 2.3x improvement.
This update not only applies to desktop Arc GPUs though, laptops running on Arc Graphics will get similar improvements as well. If you own either of these Arc GPUs – you can download the driver update here.

Source: Videocardz
Pokdepinion: That’s one less problem for Arc at least, with the amount of issues happened on launch…
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