HUAWEI nova 8 Review — The Looker With The Performance?

Previously we looked at the HUAWEI nova 8i  and now we turn our attention from the latest mid-range offering from the company in this HUAWEI nova 8 review. Does it offer anything special? Let’s get started.
Unboxing

The packaging is pretty standard and you can expect to find the following items inside:

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HUAWEI nova 8
Charging brick
Type-C cable
Documentation
Soft case
SIM ejector

Appearance

Looking at the front, it sports a 6.57-inch OLED display which comes with 90Hz refresh rate. We can see here that it also has curvature towards the end which gives it a premium finish. Aside from that, there’s the single punch-hole camera centered at the top of the screen.

On the right side is where you’ll find its volume rockers as well as the power button, which is pretty much the standard stuff. As for the opposite left, it’s completely naked.

Down below. you’ll be able to see its microphone hole, USB-C port, and speaker grille.

Switching to the top, you can see the secondary speaker grille. Just below it is the phone’s NFC point, which is accompanied by the SIM tray.

Flipping the device to the back, you can see a nice iridescent design. There’s the standard nova branding on the bottom part and finally, the camera setup on the top-left corner.
HUAWEI nova 8 Specifications

CPU
Kirin 820E Hexa-core (3 x 2.2GHz Cortex-A76 & 3 x 1.84GHz Cortex-A55) 7nm

GPU
Mali-G57

Memory
8GB

Storage
128GB

Display
6.57-inch OLED FHD+ (1080×2340), 90Hz refresh rate, HDR+

Rear Camera
64MP f/1.9 main camera
8MP f/2.4 ultra-wide
2MP f/2.4 depth sensor
2MP f/2.4 macro
Night Mode, AI, HDR, Portrait mode, Beautify, Pro Mode, Panorama

Selfie camera
32MP f/2.0
Portrait mode, HDR, AI, Night Mode, Panorama

Connectivity
LTE Band 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/18/19/26/28/34/38/39/40/41
Dual SIM
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz & 5GHz)
Bluetooth 5.0
USB Type-C
NFC

Battery
3800mAh
66W HUAWEI SuperCharge

Dimensions
160.12 x 74.1 x 7.64mm

Weight
169g

Ingress protection
N/A

Performance

Comparing with the nova 8i, we can see an improvement on the device with its Kirin 820E chipset, almost doubling the score on Antutu V9 when compared to the former.

While we see that the single-core score is at the level that is expected of it, its multi-core result did reasonably well here compared to other mid-range devices that we’ve recently tested out. It’s shaping up to be a pretty decent device.

The phone impresses again in 3DMark’s tests, where it manages to outscore other devices of its price range. We’ve put two flagships to show how much of a difference there is between a flagship device.

The same can’t be said over at PCMark’s Work 3.0 test however as it is in the lower end of the ranking. Still, not a bad score though.

As you can see here, the nova 8 managed to last 10 hours and 5 minutes in the battery test. While you might think that it’s not a good score, you need to take into account that it has a smaller battery capacity compared to the rest. It is also lower than the nova 8i, likely because of the higher 90Hz refresh rate that it offers.
In terms of everyday usage, I find that the device could last me a day before I need to look for the charger. I think it’s still okay, pointing back to the smaller battery size again here. As for the charger, it doesn’t take long as it comes with a 66W fast charger.
User Experience

Considering how the battery isn’t the biggest around, the device is pretty light on the hands. Adding the curved display to that, it does feel like a premium device. The screen supports a 90Hz refresh rate, which is a standard that I’d want in a phone. Talking about the screen, the OLED panel is vibrant and I did enjoy my media consumption with it.
In terms of audio, the dual speakers works fine as they are loud enough with decent audio quality for me. One thing that I would’ve liked for the phone to offer is a 3.5mm headphone jack however. It’s always good to have options.

The oval camera cutout makes the device look different from others in recent time, which is a good thing. One thing that I didn’t like about the back is its glossy finish. Sure, it looks good on the eyes but if you have sweaty hands like mine, you’ll definitely have fingerprint stains stuck to it. You’d probably be better off putting a case on it.
The UI is the same as the one on the nova 8i, which is EMUI 11 based on Android 11. Though it looks decent and easy to maneuver around, I just find it annoying that there’s bloatware on-the-get-go. It’s definitely not something that you’d want in a device of its price tag.

As for the camera UI, it’s a similar experience where everything’s easy to navigate. If you don’t like the preset modes, you can customize it to your liking, which is a nice touch.
                                                                                bsh
Under good lighting, the cameras performs quite decently. Using the Super Macro mode, it produced mixed results for me. Sometimes, the camera just doesn’t want to focus on where I want it to be.
For its Night mode, as you can see from the samples above, it makes the clouds look more grainy. It isn’t bad, but personally I prefer to snap normally for a more natural look. Another thing to point out in the mode, it takes a few seconds to snap when you’re in the mode so be sure to keep your hands steady for better shots.
Check out the full-sized images by heading to the link right here.
HUAWEI nova 8 Verdict

While I did enjoy using the device, especially for the design and display, I feel that HUAWEI could’ve done better. Though the battery efficiency is actually good, I would’ve loved for it to come with a larger battery capacity to make it more of an attractive offering.
If you don’t mind paying RM1,899 and prefer to get something different, it’s something to consider.
We would like to thank HUAWEI Malaysia for providing the HUAWEI nova 8 that was used in this review.
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Computex 2021: Micron’s new 176-layer NAND and 1α DRAM to appear in next-gen SSD and RAM

Micron announced their latest additions to their portfolio based on their industry-leading 176-layer NAND and 1α DRAM technology. On top of that, they also announced the industry’s first UFS 3.1 for automotive applications, while sharing updates regarding their Technology Enablement Program for DDR5.
Micron 3400 and 2450: 176-layer 3D NAND, PCIe 4.0

Harnessing their latest 176-layer 3D NAND, Micron announced two new PCIe 4.0 SSDs, the Micron 3400 and Micron 2450. The Micron 3400 SSD is targeted towards performance, while the Micron 2450 focuses on value for money. The Micron 2450 is also available in more form factors, ranging from M.2 2230 to M.2 2280, allowing OEMs to cram them into ever more compact machines.

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The Micron 3400 boasts of an in-house PCIe 4.0 controller, while the Micron 2450 touts a third-party controller. Both SSDs are listed on Intel Modern Standby Portal Platform Component List while meeting Intel Project Athena’s (Intel Evo) stringent requirements. They are also validated for AMD’s PCIe Power Speed Policy and Microsoft Windows Modern Standby.
1α-based LPDDR4x and DDR4 in volume production

Micron also announced volume production of 1α-based LPDDR4x, as well as completed validation for the 1α-based DDR4 on datacenter platforms. The 1α node promises 40% higher memory density, and 20% lower power consumption in mobile use cases as compared to last-gen 1z node LPDDR4x. This will really come in handy with all current-gen laptop processors featuring support for LPDDR4x memory. Acer is one of Micron’s partners to integrate the 1α-based LPDDR4x and DDR4 into their designs.
UFS 3.1 to bring faster storage to automotive applications

Cars today pack a lot of smart applications, from infotainment systems to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The higher speeds of UFS 3.1 are designed to handle the need for faster storage solutions, with 50% faster sustained write speeds. Instead of just taking the consumer-grade UFS 3.1 storage that debuted in 2020 flagship smartphones, Micron optimized their 96-layer NAND to withstand the rigors of automotive applications. This includes higher thermal tolerances and endurance, among other things.
Accelerating DDR5 adoption with Technology Enablement Program
Micron also shared some great news regarding the Technology Enablement Program in their keynote. Launched in 2020, Micron has now worked with over 250 design and technical leaders from over 100 industry leaders to speed up market adoption and prepare the ecosystem for DDR5. DDR5 systems are slated to arrive as early as later this year, with broader adoption in 2022.
Pokdepinion: More efficient LPDDR4x in laptops sounds like great news. Can’t wait to see even longer battery life figures!
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GIGABYTE AORUS Liquid Cooler 240 Review — performs as good as it looks

Well, the name is pretty self-explanatory, no? GIGABYTE announced their latest AIO cooler back in September, with one of the main unique features of the cooler being its LCD display on the cooler. Now this isn’t the first cooler with a display, but as far as I know this is the first with a LCD display. Without further ado, let’s check out the GIGABYTE AORUS Liquid Cooler 240.
Unboxing

The packaging of the GIGABYTE AORUS Liquid Cooler 240 is pretty flashy. There is almost no chance you will miss it with a total of four AORUS emblems and bright orange text on the front side of the box. There’s no information whatsoever here.

Over on the back are some specifications and more descriptions of the GIGABYTE AORUS Liquid Cooler 240. Overall, it looks like a pretty standard 240mm AIO, with the exception of the LCD panel housed in the pump module.

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After pulling out everything from the thick foam blocks that keep them secure during shipping, this is what we get with the GIGABYTE AORUS Liquid Cooler 240. Two 120mm fans, the AIO system, an Intel backplate, an AMD mounting system and a bucketload of screws to mount everything.
Appearance

Let’s take a look at the pump module first. At the top here is the LCD screen, which is currently off. The pump cover is made of aluminium, with a nice matte finish to not attract too much attention away from the display that would be the highlight of the GIGABYTE AORUS Liquid Cooler 240. And yes, there is a whole mess of cables snaking out of of the pump, which means you will have to be pretty good at cable management to handle it.

It’s rather tall too, with a slanted cut to add a touch of style to what would otherwise be a weirdly tall cylinder on your CPU socket.

The GIGABYTE AORUS Liquid Cooler 240 comes with pre-applied thermal paste on the copper coldplate, and it’s definitely something you won’t want to scoff at. More on that later. The coldplate here is machined to a smooth finish, although it’s still quite far from a mirror finish.

Meanwhile, the 240mm radiator is rather standard. The fin density is similar to what you get with many other AIOs in the market.

What’s a bit less common is the design of the fans. On the edges here we get some lines which most of us won’t ever see anyways. But the frame of the fans included with the AORUS Liquid Cooler 240 is rather unique as well.

Instead of your regular boxy frame, the frame of the fans here are asymmetrical. If mounted in a “pull” configuration, you would only have two contact points with the radiator, with the other two corners not touching whatever it’s mounted to.

The fan hub is rather large. The steeply angled fan blades bodes well for static pressure too. There are two cables running out of the fans, one for power and another for the addressable RGB lighting.

The LCD here measures 60mm in diameter (~2.36″), which gives you plenty of room for customization. There are a number of different presets, but we will get into that later. Instead of just slapping on a rectangular screen and calling it a day, GIGABYTE actually went with a circular display for the GIGABYTE AORUS Liquid Cooler 240, and it looks fantastic. No LEDs, as all the colors you see on the pump will be thanks to the screen. A really awesome design, I must say.

The fans are all ARGB, and as you can see here, really glows bright. Colors are also very vibrant with the translucent fan blades diffusing the light from the LEDs in the fan hubs. Absolutely beautiful.
Specifications
GIGABYTE AORUS Liquid Cooler 240

CPU socket compatibility
Intel LGA 115X / LGA1366 / LGA2011-3 / LGA2066AMD AM4 / TR4(with mounting bracket included in the CPU package)

Radiator dimensions
272 x 121 x 27 mm

Fan(s)
Size
120 x 120 x 25 mm

Quantity
2 pcs

Speed
250 ~ 2500 rpm (±10%)

Airflow
59.25 CFM (max)

Air pressure
3.51 mmH2O (max)

MTTF
70 000 hours

Noise
39.5 dBA

Pump
Size
80 x 80 x 60 mm

MTTF
N/A

Noise
N/A

Included accessories
AMD mounting bracket, LGA 115X mounting backplate, user manual, lots of screws

Warranty
3 years

GIGABYTE didn’t reveal any information about the pump’s life expectancy or even the RPM and noise, but upon testing we see that it runs up to around 2790 rpm. We also found that our fans ran at up to 2700 rpm, or at least according to AORUS Engine.
Pokde Benchrig
CPUIntel Core i7-5820K @ 4.125 GHzMotherboardASUS X99-DeluxeGPUASUS ROG Strix RX 480 8GB OCMemory4 x 4GB Kingston HyperX Predator 3000 MHz CL15StorageKimtigo 120GB SSDPower SupplyCooler Master V850
Testing Methodology
Our Intel Core i7-5820K CPU will be clocked at 4.125 GHz, with a Vcore of 1.11V set in the BIOS. The thermal paste of choice will be the MasterGel Maker, sponsored by Cooler Master. To test the performance of CPU coolers, we run LinX 0.6.5 for 45 minutes, with a problem size of 23118. The fans (and pumps, if available) will run at maximum speed to gauge maximal performance. Ambient temperatures are fixed to 25°C, in an air-conditioned room. Noise levels are recorded approximately 50cm away from the bench rig.
Installation
Based on the latest Asetek Gen6 liquid cooler design, the mounting mechanism of the GIGABYTE AORUS Liquid Cooler 240 is pretty straight forward. If you are using an Intel CPU, you don’t even need to twist off the pre-installed retention mechanism. If you are using an AMD one, you will have to swap it out for the AMD mounting kit.

Now, we use an ageing LGA2011v3 board for our testing, so mounting liquid coolers are an even easier task. Just screw on the stand-offs and start mounting the cooler. For the lesser LGA115x or LGA1366 boards, you will need to use the included plastic backplate.

The thermal paste here on the AORUS Liquid Cooler 240 offers excellent coverage even for our large-ish Intel Core i7 5820K. As we do our testing with Cooler Master’s MasterGel Maker, we collected some data with the pre-applied thermal paste before cleaning it off and applying our own thermal paste. The difference? Well, we didn’t actually find a single degree of difference, which just means that GIGABYTE used some quality paste here.
Much less fun is the mess of cables, as the pump module connects to the two fans via four cables, to the motherboard via a USB header and draws power via a SATA cable. If that sounds scary, it’s because it actually is.
Performance

The GIGABYTE AORUS Liquid Cooler 240 is the best cooler we have tested. It kept our Core i7 5820K below 72°C, which is the best we have seen thus far. It handily outperformed the other coolers based on the same Asetek Gen6 platform too.

While noise levels of the GIGABYTE AORUS Liquid Cooler 240 are a bit higher than the competition, I would say it makes up for it with the performance offered. 46.2 dBA is rather audible, and I would recommend you to set it below the maximum RPM to enjoy a quieter system.
User Experience

To be able to customize the GIGABYTE AORUS Liquid Cooler 240, you will need to install two apps: RGB Fusion 2.0 and AORUS Engine. The latter is more for customizing the LEDs on the fans as well as to change up the mode of the GIGABYTE AORUS Liquid Cooler 240’s display, but the latter is more performance-oriented, with options to play with the pump and fans’ RPM curve.

With that said, GIGABYTE has oddly decided that AORUS Engine is where they want to put the option to upload custom images or custom text to the GIGABYTE AORUS Liquid Cooler 240. And there’s also no support for GIFs, with a peculiar demand for only BMP images. Oh well. But aside from these minor quirks, this system works rather well.
Conclusion
GIGABYTE asks for RM879 for the GIGABYTE AORUS Liquid Cooler 240 on their official Lazada store, although you can get it for quite a bit less from other resellers. If you are solely looking at performance, you might be able to get a better deal by opting for other coolers, but for customizability, nothing touches this. It’s one of three AIOs with customizable displays that we have tested. It’s the most affordable of the three, and yet performs the best out of them. What more can you ask for?

Our thanks to GIGABYTE for sending us the GIGABYTE AORUS Liquid Cooler 240 for review.
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Exynos 2200 with AMD RDNA2 GPU Benchmarks Allegedly Leaked

samsung SM-S906B
ANGLE (AMD, Vulkan 1.2.174 (Samsung Voyager EVT1 (0x000073A0)), AMD open-source driver-2.0.0) 🤔
Probably Exynos 2200https://t.co/kB1r9XGM2W
— Benchleaks (@BenchLeaks) September 13, 2021

Next year is going to be yet another big year for smartphones. In the case of Samsung, they are preparing the Exynos 2200 with AMD RDNA2 GPU which is expected to power their flagship smartphones. Now, we have alleged benchmarks for the upcoming SoC.
Alleged Exynos 2200 with AMD RDNA2 GPU Benchmarks

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Alleged benchmarks of the Exynos 2200 with AMD RDNA2 GPU has surfaced online. The benchmark app used for this is Geekbench, under the model ID Samsung SM-S906B which has 8 CPU cores running a 4+3+1 configuration. Four of those cores are were shown to be running at 1.73GHz, while three were at 2.5GHz, and the last one at 2.59GHz.
The alleged benchmark scores for it show a single core score of 1,073 while the multi-core socre is 3,389. Unfortunately, no details on the AMD RDNA2 GPU were shown in the result.
For those of you who aren’t aware, the Exynos 2200 SoC will be one of the first mobile chipsets to come with graphics cores powered by AMD RDNA2 GPU technology. Previous reports show a 6-core configuration, but we didn’t get any indication of its power aside from Ice Universe’s claim of it scoring 8,134 points in 3DMark’s Wild Life benchmark.
From what we know thus far, the Exynos 2200 with AMD RDNA2 GPU is expected to be available sometime in early 2022 with its Galaxy devices. This highly likely points towards the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S22, as the new Galaxy S series usually launches around that time. Do take the information with a grain of salt for now. We will report more on this as information becomes available.
Source
Pokdepinion: I’m looking forward to seeing how powerful this can be. The Exynos 2100 already proved itself to be a reliable SoC, which sets a high bar for its successor next year.
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Nintendo Switch Lite Is Now Official At RM828

The folks at Nintendo has officially confirm the release of the more affordable version of their Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, which is set to be released this 20th of September 2019.

The new Nintendo Switch Lite is a lot smaller compared to the original, being at only 5.5-inch and as you’d expect from its name, it is a whole lot cheaper (cheaper by $100 to be precise). There’s some drawbacks to the new handheld console though. Aside from its size, you can’t connect it to your TV and the Joy-Con controllers can’t be taken apart as it is built in.

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The company has said that the battery life of the new Lite version offers a slightly improved performance. This can be understandable thanks to its size where a smaller display would consume lesser power.
Coming in with three color variants; yellow, grey, and turquoise, you can get the new Nintendo Switch Lite at $199.99 (~RM828).
Previously we’ve reported that there will be two new variants for the Switch, a high-end version and a more affordable option. Seeing that the Nintendo Switch Lite fits the category of the latter, we could probably soon see the former soon.
Pokdepinion: Now I’m really contemplating on whether I should save up for this..
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ASUS ROG Maximus XII Formula Review — not for everyone

We have already taken a look at two other Intel Z490 boards in our earlier reviews, and one thing that we noted was that the board prices have gradually increased over the years. The ROG Maximus XII Hero (WiFi) costs more than the ROG Maximus XI Formula did back in the day, so you can safely expect the ROG Maximus XII Formula to cost even more. If you have the moolah for it, the ROG Maximus XII Formula will give you more than you will ever need on a motherboard. Intrigued? Well, here we go.
Unboxing

As typical of all ROG motherboards, the ROG Maximus XII Formula comes in a black box with red accents. The name is printed on in chrome to really make a statement, while some glossy lines are here to break up the monotony of the darkness.

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Over on the back we see the highlighted features of the ROG Maximus XII Formula, of which there is an abundance of. One of the main highlights is of course the CrossChill EK III VRM block and the ROG LiveDash OLED display where the Northbridge was historically located. We will check out more of that later.

And of course, on the inside you get the board along with all the ROG goodies you are used to. There are even sleeved SATA cables to go along with the ROG Maximus XII Formula, which is truly a nice touch. For some reason, ASUS doesn’t bundle a thermistor with their higher end boards though. However I think if you reach the point when you actually need a thermistor to monitor the temperatures, you would already own one.
Appearance

The ROG Maximus XII Formula carries on the ROG Formula’s tradition of having nearly the whole PCB obscured behind plastic elements. And of course, the VRMs are under a waterblock, which might or might not affect cooling when you don’t have a liquid loop hooked up to the ROG Maximus XII Formula.

The waterblock is developed in partnership with EK, and this is just yet another installment in a long line of motherboards with a waterblock over the VRMs, dating as far back as the ROG Maximus V Formula. They promise better cooling of the VRMs that can get pretty toasty under load, but we will get back to that later.

A lot of attention is dedicated to the aesthetic of the board. As you can see, almost the entire area around the PCIe slots is blocked off with the armor that’s made of glossy plastic. But it is pretty much undeniable that it looks absolutely awesome. On the downside, you lose out on two PCIe x1 slots that the more affordable ROG Maximus XII Hero (WiFi) offers, but who uses them anyway?

For the rear I/O, we see ASUS has dropped all USB 2.0 ports in favor of USB 3.0, which is a pretty logical move for a board in 2020. There’s still a PS/2 port, because apparently pro overclockers prefer using PS/2 peripherals, and this being one of the highest-end boards ASUS has to offer, should definitely accommodate that target demographic. There’s also 10 GbE LAN in addition to both 2.5 GbE LAN and 2.4 Gbps WiFi 6 connectivity.

Meanwhile over on the back is a full backplate, which is a nice touch for a premium board like this. In addition to increasing the rigidity of the ROG Maximus XII Formula, the backplate also serves to cool the VRMs, with pads on the other side to wick away heat from the board.

RGB lighting is applied to the area around the on-board power button, I/O shield and also the area near the PCH cover. Unfortunately once you install a GPU, which you will have to, because the ROG Maximus XII Formula doesn’t sport any GPU outputs to use the iGPU, you will totally block off the ROG emblem over the PCH area.

The LiveDash OLED panel is pretty functional. There appears to be no way to change the animation when the system is off, but when your system is up and running, you can do quite a number of interesting stuff with it. The default is to show the CPU temps, but we will check out the other stuff that it can do in just a bit.
Specifications
ASUS ROG Maximus XII Formula

CPU support
Intel LGA 1200
10th Gen Intel Core desktop processors (Comet Lake-S)
Pentium Gold & Celeron processors

Power
1 x 24-pin ATX
1 x 8-pin EATX 12V (ProCool II)
1 x 4-pin EATX 12V
ASUS ASP1405i PWM controller (8 phase config)
16 x Infineon TDA21472 70A power stage for VCore

Chipset
Intel Z490

Memory
4 x DDR4 DIMM, max. 128GB un-buffered memory

Multi-GPU Support
2-way NVIDIA SLI
3-way AMD CrossFireX

Expansion slots
PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 electrically)
PCIe 3.0 x16 (x8 electrically)
PCIe 3.0 x1
PCIe 3.0 x16 (x4 electrically)

Storage
6 x SATA 6 Gb/s, supports RAID 0,1,5,10
1 x M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4/SATA (shared bandwidth with PCIe x1/SATA_2)
1 x M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 (shared bandwidth with last PCIe 3.0 slot)
1 x M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 (disables SATA_5 & SATA_6 when used)

Network
Intel WiFi 6 AX201 (2×2 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.1)
Marvell AQtion AQC107 10 GbE
Intel I225-V 2.5 GbE

USB
Rear I/O:
3 x USB 3.1 (10 Gbps)
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C (10 Gbps)
6 x USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)
On-board headers:
1 x USB 3.1 (10 Gbps)
2 x USB 3.0 (5 Gbps) (2 ports each)
2 x USB 2.0 (2 ports each)

Audio
SupremeFX S1220 CODEC
ESS ES9023P DAC
5 x gold-plated audio jacks (rear)
1 x Optical S/PDIF out
1 x front panel audio connector

Display output
None

Other onboard connectors
1 x CPU fan header
1 x CPU_OPT fan header
1 x AIO_PUMP header
1 x H_AMP fan header (3A)
1 x W_PUMP+ header (3A)
3 x Chassis fan headers
1 x W_IN header
1 x W_OUT header
1 x W_FLOW header
1 x Temperature sensor connector
2 x AURA RGB headers
2 x ARGB Gen 2 headers
1 x Thunderbolt 3 header

Overclocking features
Onboard power button
FlexKey
ReTry button
BIOS Flashback
Clear CMOS button
Q-CODE readout
Q-LED debug LEDs

Included accessories
User’s manual
4 x SATA 6Gb/s cable
2 x SATA 6Gb/s cable (sleeved)
2 x M.2 Screw Packages
1 x Wi-Fi Antenna
1 x Q-connector
1 x ARGB extension cable
1 x RGB extension cable
1 x Driver disk
1 x ROG stickers
1 x ROG thank you card

Form factor
ATX (12″ x 9.6″)

System

CPU
Intel Core i5-10900K, 10C/20T @ up to 5.3 GHz, 14nm

RAM
2 x 8GB TEAMGROUP T-Force Xtreem ARGB DDR4-3600

Motherboard
ASUS ROG Maximus XII Formula (WiFi) (BIOS ver. 0509)

GPU
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER Advanced Edition 8GB GDDR6

Storage
120GB Kingston A400 SSD
960GB Kingston UV500 SSD
1TB Seagate FireCuda SSHD

CPU Cooling
Cooler Master ML240R

Case
Vector Benchcase

PSU
Cooler Master V850 Gold

Monitor
BenQ EL2870U

Taking a Closer Look

With such an extensive cover all over the board, I had to first remove the backplate before the front armor can be removed in its entirety. The good thing is that it all comes off as one piece, with only three cables connecting the armor’s RGB lighting, to the motherboard. As you can see, the waterblock is actually pretty big, and there’s also a third heatsink that’s under the LiveDash OLED to spread out the heat load from the VRMs across a larger area.
The VRMs

Instead of the newer designs that ASUS has implemented on their other boards which offer more surface area for better cooling with air, you get a waterblock.

Under that waterblock lies 16 Infineon TDA21472 power stages, each capable of handling 70A. An ASP1405i PWM controller manages them, and as ASUS is using the Teamed Power Architecture here, it is running in a 8+0 configuration. The iGPU is not powered, so the ROG Maximus XII Formula isn’t suitable for anyone looking to take advantage of Quick Sync to accelerate video encoding.
The Audio

For the audio section, ASUS employed a customized variant of the Realtek ALC1220 codec which they dubbed the SupremeFX S1220. In addition to that, they also used Nichicon capacitors which are widely acclaimed in the audiophile industry for their quality. There’s also a ESS ES9023P DAC to improve the front panel output too, so hopefully you are pairing it with a good case.
Storage

For storage, there are six SATA ports along with three M.2 slots. The ROG Maximus XII Formula only supports one M.2 SATA SSD in the first M.2 slot which supports both SATA and PCIe SSDs, while the other two slots only accommodate PCIe SSDs. Depending on which M.2 slot you use, certain SATA ports and PCIe slots will be disabled, or will limit the bandwidth available to your PCIe SSD, so make sure to read your manual before installing any drives.
Networking

10 GbE LAN by Marvell is a feature offered on the ROG Maximus XII Formula, alongside 2.5 GbE LAN powered by Intel’s I225-V. I don’t think 10 GbE LAN is something gamers can really take advantage of, and neither is a dual-LAN configuration. For the plebs among us out there, there’s WiFi 6 too for up to 2.4 Gbps transfer speeds.
User Experience
Installation
As the ROG Maximus XII Formula is an ATX board, you will not have any issues mounting the board into any ATX case. The huge cutout in the backplate will also accommodate virtually any cooler backplate that exists, avoiding any compatibility issues.

Out of all ASUS’ Z490 boards, the ROG Maximus XII Formula has the easiest installation process for M.2 SSDs. Two SSDs are installed end-to-end, although you will have to take note of the supported drives. These here come with pre-installed thermal pads, so you won’t be running hot on them.

The third M.2 slot is over on the back of the motherboard. If you plan on making full use of the M.2 slots, you will want to fill this up before you build your rig, because there’s literally no way this is accessible once the motherboard is mounted into a case.

And speaking of cases, you would do well to pair this with uber-premium cases, as there are two USB 3.0 headers, allowing for up to four USB 3.0 ports on your front panel. Usually only HEDT boards offer this feature, so it’s nice to see it on the ROG Maximus XII Formula as well. Oh and the first one is a 90° USB 3.0 header, so cable management is going to be pretty convenient if you aren’t going to splurge on a case that can actually take advantage of both USB 3.0 headers.
BIOS
          Ez Mode            Advanced Mode          DIGI+ VRM              V/F Curve            AI Overclocking            RAM Timing              Monitoring          Q-Fan            FlexKey              EZ Flash Utility 3
The BIOS in the ROG Maximus XII Formula is similar to the ROG Maximus XII Hero (WiFi)’s, and anyone who has used an ROG board in recent times will feel right at home in the red, yellow and grey interface. For the beginners there’s the aptly named Ez Mode, while those who want a more hands-on approach, there’s the Advanced Mode. The AI Overclocking mode is also present here to let you know exactly how much voltage you will be pumping into your processor.
Overclocking
You would be wasting a fair bit of the potential of the 10th Gen Intel Core processors if you don’t overclock. That’s one of their main advantages over the competition, and it’s also a relatively straightforward affair here with the sweet BIOS that’s on the ROG Maximus XII Formula.

When you finally hit a snag with your overclocking endeavors, the Q-Code readout will help you identify what went wrong in the POST process. The Q-LED debug LEDs are a bit less functional here, as any pretty build will probably have nice sleeved cables blocking them from your view. But in a test bench, the spacing and also different colored LEDs will help you quickly identify which component went wrong.

And when your efforts goes south, well all you need to do is hit the ReTry button and you will be ready to try again with the previous good BIOS settings. Unfortunately the location of the button means anyone using a vertical GPU will be unable to access this button, and I would have loved it a lot more if it was placed alongside the power buttons.

For such a premium board, the VRMs can run rather warm. HWiNFO recorded 65°C with a Core i9 10900K overclocked to 5.1 GHz @ 1.355V running Realbench for 1 hour, while the more affordable ROG Maximus XII Hero (WiFi) clocked 61°C under the exact same conditions. The difference is probably to be expected though, as the ROG Maximus XII Formula isn’t meant to be used on air, as it is instead designed to be put under water, where it will probably shine. Without water running through the Crosschill EK III waterblock, the limited surface area of the ROG Maximus XII Formula’s VRM heatsink prevents effective heat dissipation.
Software
          Armoury Crate – LiveDash OLED customization            Armoury Crate – LiveDash OLED customization            Armoury Crate – LiveDash OLED customization              Armoury Crate – Aura Sync          Armoury Crate – Drivers            Dual Intelligent Processors 5              Dual Intelligent Processors 5            GameFirst VI          RAMCache III
A most comprehensive set of software comes with the ROG Maximus XII Formula, and most of the tweaks directed towards the aesthetics of the board will be available in Armoury Crate. It’s nice to see that ASUS has integrated the LiveDash OLED customization and Aura Sync into Armoury Crate, instead of requiring separate software to control them back then. There aren’t that many options to customize the LiveDash OLED, but they should suffice for most users.
Conclusion
For RM2529, the ROG Maximus XII Formula definitely sits in the upper echelons when it comes to motherboard pricing. ASUS did equip it with their best, with a beautiful design and also a waterblock baked right into the board. But if you aren’t planning to build a custom watercooling loop, there’s little reason to get this board. The ROG Maximus XII Hero (WiFi) gives you all the same features, and despite a seemingly lesser VRM, runs cooler when used out-of-the-box, without a custom liquid cooling loop.
I do fancy the more extensive RGB lighting, LiveDash OLED display, the more straightforward M.2 SSD slots, the second USB 3.0 header and the USB 3.0 ports on the rear I/O of the ROG Maximus XII Formula that take the place of the USB 2.0 ones on the Maximus XII Hero. However RM440, or 21% extra is pretty hard to justify for me, but maybe you find it worth the extra features. The ROG Maximus XII Hero also has the advantage of being able to take advantage of the integrated graphics. Probably absolutely inconsequential at the price range these boards are in, but troubleshooting can be made a lot easier when you can use the iGPU to rule out a faulty GPU.
Our thanks to ASUS Malaysia for sending us the ROG Maximus XII Formula for review.
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Ubisoft theme park Malaysia open in 2020 — “Taman Tema Ubi Lembut”

Gamers will be excited with this piece of news, apparently Ubisoft just made an unexpected announcement for a next-generation theme park in Malaysia. Expected to be open by 2020, the theme park will be a 10,000-square-meter indoor complex featuring rides, shows and other attractions, all built around Ubisoft’s games and characters.

“Ubisoft’s intention for this park is to immerse people in reactive worlds where they can interact with each other and become the heroes of their own life-sized game,” says Jean de Rivières, senior vice president of Ubisoft Motion Pictures, which is leading the project. Having previously produced an award-winning Rabbids dark ride for the Futuroscope theme park in France, Ubisoft Motion Pictures is creating the new park together with Malaysian theme-park developer RSG. RSG will own and operate the park, while Ubisoft will maintain creative control over the attractions.

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The reason why Malaysia is chosen by Ubisoft is simply because it’s the second-most-visited country in Asia in 2014. For now the park has no official name yet, but suggest one, “Taman Tema Ubi Lembut”.
source : Ubiblog
Pokdepinion : This is a good initiative to change the perception of games among adults in Malaysia, most of them have a stereotypical mindset that games will lead to their children to lean towards the negative side. With this theme park opening, I believe the presence of e-sports in Malaysia will be strengthened.
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Socket AM5 to be compatible with AM4 cooler mounting?

While we already know that the upcoming Intel LGA1700 socket will use new cooler mounting points, it seems that AMD will be continuing their trend of backward compatibility with Socket AM5. While AMD is expected to transition to a LGA design over their current PGA design, you might be able to continue using your current cooler on your new AM5 processor.

This information was revealed from the recent GIGABYTE ransomware attack. The lid contact area of the Socket AM5 processors is 37.5 x 37.5 mm, which is shared with the current AMD AM4 lineup. The Z-height will also have to be maintained, because you won’t have proper contact pressure if the height is changed.

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It looks like AMD will continue using the same hook mounting mechanism as well, which I do hate. However it does maintain compatibility with existing coolers, without the need for new retention kits, for better or worse.

On top of that, it appears that AMD will be bringing out higher TDP models. Instead of topping out at just 105W, AMD might be planning to bring out 120W and 170W TDP models as well. In the leaked documentation, AMD recommends a “mid-sized air cooler” to cool the 120W TDP models, and a 280mm AIO liquid cooler or larger for the 170W TDP processors.
There will also be cooler 45W, 65W, 95W and 105W TDP AM5 processors, so SFF enthusiasts need not worry yet. There will be something for everyone.
Source
Pokdepinion: That means you can save some money if you are upgrading from AM4 to AM5! DDR5 will probably be really expensive though…
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Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – Reaching Excellency

Unboxing the Lenovo Yoga 9i
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – Box

Let’s kick off our Lenovo Yoga 9i review with the unboxing. Inside the box, you will be able to find the following items:
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – Box content

65W power adapter
USB-C cable
Lenovo 3-in-1 USB-C hub
User guide
Safety and warranty guide
The Lenovo Yoga 9i laptop itself

Appearance
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – Lid
The Lenovo Yoga 9i is an ultraportable 2-in-1 productivity laptop. It has a more corporate look given the clean, classier look, although it doesn’t look as bland as the ThinkPad laptops. Looking at the lid, you have the Yoga logo on the top-left corner and the Lenovo logo on the hinge towards the bottom-right corner taking up a smaller space. It has an all-metal build, with our review unit being in silver and the lid has a matte finish rather than a glossy one.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – Open up the lid
Open up the lid and you’ll see the 14-inch Full HD IPS display with slim bezels on 3 sides, with the bottom bezel being the thickest. The top bezel has a slight bump in the center, which is most likely needed to fit the webcam in. You also get a white-backlit chiclet keyboard sans Numpad, a trackpad, fingerprint reader, and some product labels.

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Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – Ports
On the left side, you have a USB-A port, two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. As for the right side, you have the power button which resides in solitude. There’s nothing on the rear except for a good view of the hinge. This may sound like it’s short on ports but Lenovo did include a 3-in-1 USB-C hub which adds a VGA port, an HDMI port, and another USB-A port.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – Bottom
Moving to the bottom of the Lenovo Yoga 9i, you will see more product labels, two long rubberized stands to give the laptop a bit of a lift from the surface, air vent, and two speaker grilles. There are six exposed screws here, but there may be a screw hidden under one of these labels, which may result in warranty being voided if torn.
Overall, the Lenovo Yoga 9i has a has a clean, classy design that fits in more with young working adults, but it’s also suitable for students as well. The build quality is quite solid and since it’s a 2-in-1, you do have a 360° rotatable hinge so you can use it like a tablet if you wish.
Specifications

CPU
Intel Core i7-1185G7 @ 3 GHz (up to 4.8 GHz Boost), 12M, 4C/8T, 10nm SuperFin, 28W TDP

RAM
16GB LPDDR4X 4266MHz

GPU
Intel Iris Xe Graphics

Storage
1TB SSD, M.2 2280, PCIe Gen3x4 NVMe, TLC (WD PC SN730)

Software
Microsoft Windows 10 Home

Connectivity
Wireless Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 2×2 axBluetooth 5.1 Wired 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A2 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort, Power Delivery)

Display
14″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) 60Hz IPS LED-backlit display with narrow bezels, 72% NTSC, multitouch

Audio
Rotating Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos (2 x subwoofers, 2 x tweeters)2 x digital microphones 1 x 3.5mm combo audio jack

Power
65W power adapter 60Whr 4-cell Li-polymer battery

Dimensions
319.4 x 216.4 x 14.6 mm

Weight
1.37 kg

Performance
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – CrystalDiskMark
Starting off with CrystalDiskMark, the storage drive in the Lenovo Yoga 9i performed pretty well. It should be more than enough for most people so you can expect fast boot ups and minimal loading times, if any. For those of you who are wondering, this is the 1TB WD PC SN730 SSD.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – Cinebench R15
On Cinebench R15, the Lenovo Yoga 9i performed decently enough. It’s interesting to see how the performance has barely any difference with the Intel Core i5-1135G7 and scored lower than the Intel Core i7-1165G7.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – Cinebench R20
As for Cinebench R20, the score gets a bit more confusing if you compare it with other devices, but still seems good on its own. We’re certain it has to do with optimizations, possibly with RAM configuration, and tweaks that may be in place to boost its efficiency.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – Unigine SuperPosition
On Unigine SuperPosition’s 4K Optimized benchmark, the score is rather low but this is understandable as this test is GPU-reliant. I’m personally surprised that it passed the 1,000 which means that the Intel Iris Xe graphics definitely gives a noticeable boost in performance compared to the old Intel UHD Graphics. It’s still a far cry compared to a GTX 1650, but it’s still something.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – Time Spy
The same can be observed in 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark, with the Lenovo Yoga 9i, with it getting a low score but not too low either. If you don’t need to do anything graphically-intensive, this shouldn’t be something to worry about. It should still be able to handle light loads decently enough.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – PCMark
In PCMark, you can see that the Lenovo Yoga 9i is a well-rounded laptop here. It’s no surprise that digital content creation is the lowest here as it needs more graphical firepower. It would make for an excellent laptop for light gaming, work, and studies, that’s for sure.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – Battery life
Lastly, we have PCMark’s Modern Office endurance test which tests for battery life for productivity-based tasks. The battery life is pretty good as it lasted 12 hours and 49 minutes (769 minutes) before it died out. It’s certainly doing its role to serve people as part of the Intel Evo platform, which requires at least 9 hours of use time with a Full HD display.
Need a laptop with something unique to offer? Check out our review of the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus by clicking right here.
User Experience
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – Intel EVO
The Lenovo Yoga 9i laptop is a pretty solid 2-in-1 laptop. It’s powered by the Intel Core i7-1185G7 CPU with Intel Iris Xe graphics. As for memory, it has a 16GB LPDDR4X RAM at 4266MHz. For the most part, it runs rather quietly, but it does get a little warm from time to time, which isn’t a surprise given the metal build. Just make sure there’s nothing blocking the bottom air vent. Memory is definitely more than adequate for what it’s intended for.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review
As for the display, the 14-inch display is great. You get good viewing angles, the colours are certainly punchy, and the brightness is definitely within acceptable levels. Given the fact it has touchscreen support and you can rotate it into tablet form, I can’t really ask for more.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – Ports
The Lenovo Yoga 9i does seem a little short on ports as it has a single USB Type-A port, two USB Type-C ports, and a combo audio jack. It’s good that Lenovo includes a 3-in-1 USB-C hub so you also do get a HDMI port, VGA port, and another USB Type-A port. The only hassle here is that you something extra you need to bring along, but it’s a small matter.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – White-backlit keyboard
As for the keyboard, we have a backlit chiclet keyboard with no Numpad. It’s comfortable to use with good tactility, short travel distance and decently-sized keys so it’s easy to press. The metallic feel on touch makes it seem pretty solid as well. The trackpad works fine, but nothing much to say about it. You’re better off using your own mouse.
While the Lenovo Yoga 9i does have a fingerprint reader, I can’t seem to get it to work as much as I would like as it frequently refuses to read it and instead requires me to sign into my Microsoft account. Upon removal, the fingerprint reader works fast and accurately, which is great. I just hope there is a software update to fix this login issue soon.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review – Dolby Atmos
In the sound department, the Lenovo Yoga 9i’s speakers work surprisingly great. It can produce exceptional quality with some detailed sounds that emphasizes more on the mids and highs, but there is certainly a bit of bass going on as well. If this isn’t enough or you would prefer a more private listening experience, you can make use of the combo audio jack. In all honesty, the Dolby Atmos speakers here work great and I’m sure many people will be surprisingly pleased with it.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Verdict
Lenovo Yoga 9i Review
The Lenovo Yoga 9i is an excellent 2-in-1 laptop. You get solid build quality, reliable performance, touchscreen display, versatility, surprisingly good speakers, comfortable keyboard, more than adequate memory capacity, great battery life, USB-C charging, and Thunderbolt 4 in a very lightweight body.
However, it is certainly lacking in ports even when you include the dock, and the laptop itself is a bit too bland for my liking. Would prefer it to have a more fun design so it can appeal to a younger crowd as well and inject some life into a laptop that is clearly suitable for a lot of consumers. It’s a little pricey at RM6,909 but it’s worth every cent. At the end of our Lenovo Yoga 9i review, I award this laptop with our coveted Gold Pokdeward.

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

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ZOTAC Introduces Smallest 1080 Ti – Say hello to the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Mini

ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Mini

Established in 2006, the company got it’s name from the word ‘zone’ and ‘tact’. The guys from ZOTAC, who are known for creating the Original Mini PC and focus on easy and space saving installation, have come up with the world’s smallest GeForce GTX 1080 Ti.

ZOTAC has done what they do best and shrunk the monstrous NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti half its original size, measuring at a mere 8.3 inches in length.

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Although mini in size, it promises not to compromise, performance wise. ZOTAC also says that the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Ti mini utilizes NVIDIA’s Pascal architecture and will fit in 99% of systems on the market right now. Perfect for those who wish to build small form factor PC setups.
The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti mini draws power from its dual 8-pin power connectors. It comes with a custom dual fan cooling system, The IceStorm, offering beast-like force cooling with its wide-stack aluminium fins. The ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Mini is fitted with five 6mm copper heatpipes to accommodate better cooling capacity. Despite its petite size the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Mini boasts a boost clock speed of 1,620Mhz. The card still packs the same 11GB of GDDR5X graphics memory, which is the same as the original and much larger GeForce GTX 1080 Ti.
In addition, it packs with the new FireStorm utility, where you can customize fan control, clock speed adjustments, GPU monitoring functions and much more. With a user-friendly interface, tinkering to optimize and adjust performance comes with a breeze.
Basically, expect the same powerful 1080 Ti desktop performance in a smaller form. Also since the performance of the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Mini is pretty much the same as the original GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Mini, it is 100% VR ready and can handle 4k gaming. The card also supports up to 4 displays.
Scheduled to arrive late June 2017 and retailing at RM3469
Pokdepinion: Definitely a must buy for those space conscious about their PC rigs while having a high performance.
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OPPO Set To Release Their First Noise Cancelling Headphone This October

OPPO Malaysia has revealed that they will soon release their first ever wireless noise cancelling headphones, the OPPO Enco Q1.
Launching together with the upcoming OPPO Reno2, the Enco Q1 will be launching on the 15th of October 2019.

The headphone uses a hybrid active noise cancellation, in which feed-forward and feedback microphones work together with a noise cancelling algorithm to block out surrounding noise.

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Adding to its support for AAC format, there’s also three 3D audio modes as well as an audio tuning that’s developed by a specialized acoustic team.
To charge it, you can utilize its Type-C port and OPPO has claimed that it can play audio for 15 hours with noise cancelling on, or 22 hours with it turned off on a full charge.
At the moment, there’s no confirmation on the price. So we probably need to wait come 15th October for more details on that. Until then, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Pokdepinion: Seeing their history with audio products back then, it should offer good quality. Price wise, well that’s another matter.. Let’s just wait for more dibs on that.
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Sennheiser has opened a flagship store in KLCC; Some great offers going on to celebrate!

This had to happen someday and we have been anticipating this day for a tad too long now, but it finally has now! My visit to Singapore was never complete until I had visited the Sennheiser flagship store in Marina Square. The good news is, now its closer than ever. Sennheiser opened their first ever flagship store in Malaysia and called Suria KLCC as their home. Located at first floor, Lot 134, it was officiated with a grand opening today.

Housing some of the most rare gems in audio including the world’s most expensive Sennheiser HE1 that carries a price tag of €50,000, the flagship store is definitely a must visit for anyone heading there. We got a chance to experience it today and the audio experience was so remarkable, it actually brought tears into my eyes (I’m not exaggerating here. It really did. You should try it yourself).

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70 years in audio excellence is definitely a milestone worth screaming out for. The flagship store is where you get to see their work of art. A highlight would be the Sennheiser MOMENTUM HD 1 Pink Floyd Edition that is retailing at RM2,649. It’s a unique pair of headphones created to commemorate the longstanding partnership between the brand and the artist.
Talk to any DJ and mention “the 25” and they will know it. It’s the code word among DJs that point towards the legendary Sennheiser HD 25 headphones. What’s unique about this headphones is that they have been in the industry for well over 25 years now and is still one of the most preferred headsets among DJs (hence the code word). There’s a special white version, the Sennheiser HD 25 Robin Schulz Edition that retails at RM1,390 and includes the DJ’s engraved autograph on the earcup. You guessed it right, available at the flagship store.

For the sophisticated stylists, there’s another highlight at the flagship store which is a collaboration between Sennheiser and Dior, the Dior Homme x Sennheiser Edition. It’s a partnership that combined the best of French couture and German audio engineering and is only available exclusively at the Sennheiser flagship store. There are four exclusive bundles retailing between RM5,300 – RM46,00 ranging from the reference class Sennheiser HD 800 S headphones matched with the HDVD 800 amplifier, the PXC 550 Wireless audiophile noise-cancelling wireless travel headset, and the superb IE 800 ear-canal headphones that come exclusively in Dior Homme style and finishing, paired with Dior Homme leather backpacks and pouches.
Grand Opening Specials
If you are a Sennheiser aficionado, there’s not a better time to visit the flagship store as Sennheiser is doing some crazy promotion right now.
Store promotions (Valid from 23 – 28 January 2018, while stocks last):

20% OFF Storewide (do you need anything else really?)
Exclusive Audiophile Bundle: Sennheiser HD 800 high end reference headphone + Sennheiser HDVA 600 headphone amplifier at RM6,490 (Normal Price RM13,588) That’s less than half the price!
Purchase with Purchase: Spend RM399 minimum and get the Sennheiser Urbanite/Urbanite XL at RM50 (Normal Price RM1,169). There’s no typo here. I’ve triple checked!
Gift with Purchase:

Free Sennheiser water bottle worth RM45 with every RM199 – RM599 spent
Free Adidas pouch worth RM150 with every RM600 – RM1,299 spent
Free Sennheiser water bottle AND Adidas pouch worth RM195 with every RM1,299 and above spent

There’s also RM20 star buys going on (Limited units, while stocks last):

Tuesday, 23 January 2018
7pm
HD 229 Wired On-Ear Headphone (Normal Price RM 289)

Wednesday, 24 January 2018
1pm
MM 30G Wired In-Ear Headset (Normal Price RM 259)

Thursday, 25 January 2018
1pm
HD 219 Wired On-Ear Headphone (Normal Price RM 219)

Friday, 26 January 2018
7pm
CX 215 Wired Earphone (Normal Price RM 219)

Pokdepinion: Sennheiser? Oh, yes please! I got myself the Sennheiser IE 80 S pair. For the obvious reasons.
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List Of Shows From Disney+ Hotstar New APAC Content Update

Walt Disney Company has recently revealed at an event today of over 20 new APAC content titles including 18 Originals that subscribers can look for from the region for their streaming platform.
Disney+ Hotstar new shows to expect

The new APAC projects include original productions by leading content creators from several markets including Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Greater China, and Australia.

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Subject to local availability, the new APAC content titles will be available on the streaming service over the next year. The new projects unveiled today are part of Disney’s ambition to greenlight over 50 Originals by 2023.
Specifically for Malaysia, subscribers can look forward to a slew of APAC content coming to Disney+ Hotstar over the the next year and here’s the list:

Moving
Snowdrop
Grid
BLACKPINK: The Movie
Rookies
Tokyo MER (Mobile Emergency Room)
BLACK ROCK SHOOTER DAWN FALL
Summer Time Rendering
YOJOHAN TIME MACHINE BLUES
Twisted Wonderland
Susah Sinyal
Bumilangit
Small & Mighty
Delicacies Destiny
Shipwreck Hunters

Aside from that, Disney has recently announced the launch of The Walt Disney Company’s APAC Creative Experience Program which will connect top creators from the region with Disney’s filmmakers and creators. This will provide opportunities for creators from APAC to meet executives and creatives from many of the company’s key brands and studios.
For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Pokdepinion: While I’m glad to see that they’re putting more content on the platform, I can’t really say that I’m particularly interested in one of the shows. Maybe that’s just me..
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AMD FSR 3 May Be Capable Of Generating Up To 4 Frames Per Rendered Frame

AMD’s GPUOpen is where open-source codebase can be found and be inspected to preview what’s upcoming for its GPUs. That includes FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 (FSR 3), which is made open source two months ago. The company has already teased FSR 3 late last year during RX 7000 series launch – though the feature is still under wraps at this time.
@Kepler_L2 has spotted among the code that AMD’s frame generation solution has some interesting differences compared to NVIDIA’s AI-based tech. First off, unlike FSR 2 – the feature is expected to reside within drivers, meaning the feature may only work on Radeon GPUs. The more interesting part is how the feature itself behaves: according to the code, the ‘frameGenRatio’ value (Frame Generation Ratio) can be set up to 4.

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Some interesting implications for this:
– FSR3 being driver-side would not work on NVIDIA GPUs– "FrameGenRatio" implies it can create more than 1 interpolated frame per real frame. https://t.co/WGEXcQlUH6
— Kepler (@Kepler_L2) May 23, 2023

What this means in theory, is that FSR can generate up to 4 interpolated frames that do not require traditional GPU rendering pipeline, and only after that comes a native frame generated directly from the game engine. In theory this can achieve up to 5 times the framerate compared to native (1 native frame + 4 interpolated frames), though given that AMD is said to be less reliant on AI component than NVIDIA’s solution (which relies on Tensor cores), it’s hard to say these interpolated frames would maintain the acceptable visual quality given the sheer amount of pixels generated.
Of course, that doesn’t mean all FSR3 implementations will go ham and generate more frames than it reasonably should – as this is an open source solution, there may be uses elsewhere that may not require the same amount of visual fidelity like games may require. In any case, this value is adjustable, so it’s unlikely that games will go beyond one generated frame per native frame with the potential latency penalties that comes with it.
Source: Wccftech
Pokdepinion: For scientific purposes, I’d like to see someone crank that value to max and just see what happens. A goop of pixels maybe?
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Celcom Offers Unlimited Fibre Internet From RM80 Per Month

Celcom has today announce their latest high speed fibre internet service offering, with both packages coming in with unlimited quota.

In line with the government’s National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan, Celcom has prepared up to 100Mbps of unlimited high speed internet at RM120 per month. There’s also the lower 30Mbps, which is priced at RM80 instead. Both of them come with a free installation service.

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If you’re interested in the plans, you can head on to all Celcom bluecube outlets as well as certified partners.
In addition to the new plans, they’ve also prepared their new wireless broadband service. You can check out the package right below.

As you can see, the plans that’s listed comes with a 24 month contract. You’ll be getting up to 1000GB of Video and Music Walla.
For more details on either plans, you can head to Celcom’s website by clicking on the link here.
Pokdepinion: To be honest, I’m playing slightly higher for 100Mbps compared to their Fibre plan.. Fair price? Let us know in the comments.
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Get these Roborock 11.11 deals to enjoy up to RM6800 in discounts!

Roborock is back with amazing deals this 11.11. With discounts of up to RM6800, you are set to enjoy some amazing deals on their robotic and cordless household vacuum cleaners! They are also launching two new products, the Roborock S7+ and Roborock Dyad later tonight, so make sure to tune in to the Roborock 11.11 Live Show tonight!
Roborock 11.11 Live Show and Amazing Deals!
Tonight’s live show will feature Datuk Wira Lee Chong Wei and Tan Boon Heong along with Gan Mei Yan, as they show viewers how to make the most out of your Roborock devices at home. They will also be sharing more about the features of the Roborock S7+ and Roborock Dyad, which are the latest home cleaning products from the brand.

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The new Roborock S7+ is a new robot vacuum cleaner, while the Roborock Dyad is their latest handheld that will be launched later tonight. The massive RM6800 discount is on the Roborock S7+, while the Roborock Dyad will also enjoy an equally sizeable RM2300 discount. Roborock’s existing lineup will also be getting huge discounts of over RM2000.The amazing deals on Roborock products will also be available starting tonight, so you definitely do not want to miss out on the Roborock 11.11 Live Show happening at 8pm tonight.
Roborock 11.11 Discounts

RRP
Roborock Live Show 10.11 and 11.11 Sale
Discount

Roborock H7
RM3399
RM1388
RM2011

Roborock Dyad
RM3999
RM1699
RM2300

Roborock S6 MaxV
RM3999
RM1999
RM2000

Roborock S7
RM4599
RM2099
RM2500

Roborock S7+
RM9599
RM2799
RM6800

Roborock S7 + H7 Bundle
RM7998
RM3299
RM4699

Pokdepinion: Wow the Roborock S7+ is a whopping RM9599 at SRP? I wonder how good is an almost-RM10K robot vacuum cleaner!
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[E3 2019] Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad is a New Mobile Game For You

There’s been a lot of interesting news from E3 2019 for console gamers and PC gamers alike. However, it seems like we’re missing quite a bit on the mobile games market. Well, Ubisoft has got you covered as during their E3 2019 presentation, they’ve announced Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad, a brand new mobile game which also features the legendary Sam Fisher.
Elite Squad is an upcoming mobile game that is set to feature a variety of well-known characters from various Tom Clancy properties. Representatives from The Division, Rainbow Six Siege, and, of course, Splinter Cell will all be included in the game as playable characters.
This is how Ubisoft describes the game:

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Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad is a fast military role-playing game where players will assemble and upgrade the most iconic Tom Clancy heroes and villains, to lead them in stunning real-time 5V5 shooting battles.
While this is probably not the way in which a lot of fans wanted to see Fisher specifically return, this seems like it could be a fun title on mobile. If you’re looking to get in on the Elite Squad action for yourself, then you can go sign-up to play by clicking right here.
If you want to see more about the game, be sure to check out the trailer at the top of this post.
Pokdepinion: Hey, another mobile game for us to enjoy wherever we are and wherever we go. It does look pretty good so perhaps it’s at least worth a try.
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Google And Nickelback Tells You To Look At Your Photographs

When you think of the song Photograph by Nickelback, you’d be reminded by the countless memes that it has brought to the internet. Well it seems that Chad Kroeger from the band has created a new parody song and it’s created in collaboration with Google. Needless to say, it’s entertaining that they’ve took it in a hilarious angle.
Look at this photograph.. on Google

The singer can be seen making fun of himself in the process of the parody video. This includes singing about how his hair looks like ramen and cutting it off to Chad’s obsession with taking pictures of desserts (haven’t we all been there?).
Photograph by Nickelback is 15 years old and it has still been around (thanks to the memes) since then. It appears that Google looks to take that inspiration and utilize the song’s popularity to show example of what Google Photos’ all about and some of the features that it brings.

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Despite the parody video was created to promote Google Photos, it seems that Nickelback came up with the lyrics for it. At least it shows that the band wasn’t forced to do something that they didn’t want to do.
In case you’ve missed the news, Google Photos’ unlimited storage will come to an end starting next year. Read up on our previous article for more details on that.
Source
Pokdepinion: At one end, I found the song hilarious. On the other hand, I hate the fact that the song is stuck in my head now. Watch at your own risk..
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Shop During Samsung’s ‘Impian Raya Bersama’ Campaign And Get Free Gifts Worth Up To RM4,999

Samsung has just announced their new ‘Impian Raya Bersama’ Campaign that will be happening from 1st April to 5th May. This campaign sees massive savings for those who purchase from a wide selection of Samsung TVs including the newly launched 2022 Neo QLED, Crystal UHD, The Frame, The Serif, The Sero and Soundbar.
Take part in Samsung’s ‘Impian Raya Bersama’ Campaign and get free gifts

That’s not all as users who purchase an 85-inch QN900B Neo QLED 8K Smart TV or 98-inch QN90A Neo QLED Smart TV will receive The Freestyle (worth RM4,999) as a free gift. In addition, users who purchase The Frame and The Serif will also receive a free Frame Bezel and Slimfit Webcam. Check out everything on offer during the ‘Impian Raya Bersama’ Campaign below:

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Purchase the 85-inch QN900B Neo QLED 8K Smart TV (model number QA85QN900BKXXM) at RM49,999 and receive The Freestyle worth RM4,999 for free
Purchase the 98-inch QN90A Neo QLED Smart TV (model number QA98QN90AAKXXM) at RM49,999 and receive The Freestyle worth RM4,999 for free
Purchase the 85-inch The Frame Lifestyle TV (model number QA85LS03BAKXXM) at RM19,299 and receive Frame Bezel worth RM899 for free
Purchase the 65-inch the Serif Lifestyle TV (model number QA65LS01BAKXXM) at RM9,799 and receive Slimfit Webcam worth RM499 for free

Samsung The Freestyle
Samsung is also offering PWP savings worth up to RM1,700 on their Q-series soundbars. Full list below:

Q-Series Soundbar (model number HW-Q990B/XM) (worth RM6,499) can be purchased at PWP price of RM4,799 (save RM1,700)
Q-Series Soundbar (model number HW-Q930B/XM) (worth RM4,999) can be purchased at PWP price of RM3,699 (save RM1,300)
Q-Series Soundbar (model number HW-Q800B/XM) (worth RM3,999) can be purchased at PWP price of RM2,999 (save RM1,000)
Q-Series Soundbar (model number HW-Q700B/XM) (worth RM3,399) can be purchased at PWP price of RM2,699 (save RM700)
Q-Series Soundbar (model number HW-Q600B/XM) (worth RM2,599) can be purchased at PWP price of RM1,899 (save RM700)

For more information on Samsung’s ‘Impian Raya Bersama’ Campaign, head over here.
Pokdepinion: I’d like to participate in this campaign but I don’t have RM50k lying around.
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Samsung Galaxy S20 FE Is Now Official — Priced At RM3,399

We’ve previously posted on the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, where it got listed on Samsung’s website by mistake. Well it seems that today’s Galaxy Unpacked livestream has all confirmed that we will indeed be seeing the smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE launched

From the livestream, they announced that the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE offers the same chipset from the S20 series, which probably means that it will feature the Exynos 990 SoC.

Coming with 6 colors, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE offers a triple camera setup at the back where it sports a 12MP ultra-wide camera, 12MP wide camera, and also a 8MP telephoto lens. As for selfies, it comes with a 32MP shooter at the front.

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Its 6.5-inch Infinity-O Super AMOLED display supports 120Hz refresh rate, so you can ensure an enjoyable viewing experience when watching your contents.
Under the hood, it packs 8GB LPDDR5 RAM that’s paired with 256GB of internal storage, which you can expand up to 1TB through microSD. Not to forget, it comes with a 4500mAh battery, which can act as a wireless charger to charge your other devices (that supports, of course).

Should you be interested in the device, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is priced at RM3,399 and will be available for pre-orders tomorrow, the 24th of September 2020 at 10am until the 8th of October (while stocks last).
Pre-order yours and you will enjoy several freebies including a UV Sterilizer with Wireless Charging worth RM299, One-Time Screen Crack Protection that’s worth RM168 and finally a Clear Standing Cover worth RM119.
You can place your order by heading to the link right here, which will open at the pre-order date.
We’ve previously reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, do check that out right here.
Update: Samsung Galaxy S20 FE will come with Snapdragon 865 to Malaysia
Samsung Malaysia has clarified that the units that we will be getting will pack the Snapdragon 865 chipset instead of the Exynos 990.
Pokdepinion: Hmm slightly higher than the global price that was announced.. but hey, you do get several freebies included.
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iPhone 8’s battery smaller than predecessor; larger camera sensor than iPhone 7

The iPhone 8’s battery figures were never revealed at Apple’s launching of the new iPhone trio, but all it takes is the bunch of brave guys at iFixit to dismantle it to take a peek at the innards. Disappointingly, the battery in the iPhone 8 is actually smaller than the iPhone 7, which itself packs a battery that is much smaller than what most Android devices carry. Coming in at 1821 mAh, do not expect too much of this battery.

The iPhone 8’s battery comes up to 6.96 Wh, which compared to the 7.45 Wh battery in the iPhone 7, is a 7% reduction in capacity. The new A11 Bionic chipset and iOS 11 should offer enough optimizations to work around just 7% less battery capacity, but why can’t we have just 7% more battery life with the same battery? Apple claims a comparable battery life but we do not want comparable, we want improved. To put the 1821 mAh battery into perspective, the ASUS ZenFone 4 Max Pro features 5000 mAh batteries, no sweat.

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On the brighter side (quite literally), you get a bigger camera sensor despite the sensor sporting a 12MP resolution just like its predecessor. This would mean bigger pixels for better dynamic range in shots. Nice to know. The modem is a Qualcomm X16 LTE, but there won’t be Gigabit LTE here because of the iPhone 8 just lacks the antennae necessary for that. Not the first time we have seen this in an Apple smartphone though.
Is a smaller battery a turn off for you, or do you think the wireless charging and fast charging is sufficient to offset the smaller battery?
Source: iFixit
Pokdepinion: Well there are wireless charging powerbanks in the market, so they should be a nice pair for the iPhone 8, right?
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Instagram Follows Suit Amidst Facebook Controversy – Users Will Be Able To Download Data

Instagram will be following Facebook’s footsteps in letting their users have the ability to download their data locally. This isn’t surprising as the application itself is owned by Facebook.
Instagram Lets Users Download Personal Data

While previously, we wrote on Facebook doing the same thing (you can click here to check on that one out), now it seems that Instagram is following suit. This was let out by an Instagram spokesperson, meaning you will soon be able to download a copy of what you’ve shared on the application (that includes photos, videos, and also messages) or simply want to backup your photos before you delete your account.

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With the feature, it certainly will help users should they ever decided to leave Instagram and yet still will be able to keep all those precious memories with them.
Currently, there are no ways for you to save photos on the application. The only solution is for you to either screenshot and crop it or find a third party app that can do the job.
There has been no confirmation on what Instagram will officially let you download though, It’s still unknown whether you’ll be only able to save photos,videos, and messages only or you would have the option to save more than that (followers, following list, stories, and etc). Despite that, the option to save your photos and videos is a highly welcomed addition to say the least.
Source: 9to5mac
Pokdepinion: It doesn’t come to a surprise for me, seeing the controversy surrounding Facebook previously. Well at least they are doing something about it to give a sight of what’s happening to users and their data. What do you think of this step taken by Instagram? Will it change much? As usual, you can drop your opinions and thoughts on the comment section down below.
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Windows 10 update to blame for poor gaming performance

Microsoft’s frequent updates for Windows 10 may be great to add features and improve security, but they are known to just as frequently break things. The most recent ones appear to have affected gaming performance, and gamers with AMD, Intel or NVIDIA hardware are reportedly all seeing the same worsened performance in games.
It appears that cumulative updates KB5001330 for Windows 10 2004 and KB5001337 for Windows 10 1903 and 1909 are all affected, with gamers reporting significantly lower FPS on top of wonky V-sync, while others are encountering stuttering in their games. Some are even experiencing frequent BSODs. NVIDIA also recommends rolling back Windows 10 update KB5000842 if you are facing these problems.

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Redditors are reporting issues in Doom Eternal, Overwatch, COD: Warzone and Assetto Corsa with the latest updates, but as you might expect, the list is non-exhaustive.
If you are experiencing any of the issues in your games, you can perhaps consider deferring your updates for now. But if you have already installed the updates, it isn’t game over for you.
Switching the power plan to “High Performance” or “Ultimate Performance” can allegedly improve the situation. I still would recommend not installing the update if possible, but for those who have already installed it, you might want to try this first to see if your gaming performance improves, before uninstalling the updates as a last resort.
Source
Pokdepinion: I don’t seem to be facing these issues in Apex Legends even though I have the latest KB5001330 update installed… So yay me?
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Sony Malaysia Unveils New HT-S20R 5.1 Soundbar with 400W Power Output

Sony Malaysia has recently unveiled a new addition to their soundbar lineup. It’s known as the Sony HT-S20R and it’s a 5.1 channel soundbar powered with Dolby Digital technology. It’s expected to deliver high quality sound with a 400W power output.
The Sony HT-S20R gives you 5.1 channels of real surround sound so you can experience dynamic, immersive, and cinematic surround sound with its rear speakers, external speakers, and 3 channel soundbar. You can easily pick the most suitable mode for the content you are consuming with a click of a button. Modes range from Auto, Standard, Cinema, Music, Night, and Voice modes. Moreover, you can fine tune the subwoofer to your liking.

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It is also expected to be easy to setup, with Sony claiming you can have it up and running in just mere “seconds”. Simply plug it in, position the external subwoofer, wire up the rear speakers and you’re ready to go. You can connect the soundbar easily via HDMI ARC (audio return channel). For TVs / displays that lacks ARC support, you still have the option of connecting to it via optical or analog input.
You can easily play music on the Sony HT-S20R. You can either choose to connect it to your smartphone wirelessly via Bluetooth, or make use of the USB port and play music from a USB storage device.
Retail price for the Sony HT-S20R hasn’t been revealed yet. However, it will officially be coming to Malaysia sometime this June 2020.
Pokdepinion: I’m very keen on giving this soundbar a try. Looks interesting and if it’s easy to setup, I’m all in.
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AMD Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 3 2200G launched — providing an excellent solution for entry-level gamers!

The Ryzen APUs have made their appearance in the mobile area, with exemplary performance at a low TDP of just 15W. AMD is now set to conquer the desktop space with Ryzen Desktop APUs which come with Radeon RX Vega graphics. These APUs are designed to offer unprecedented value-for-money and performance that is only possible from an APU.
AMD promises gaming performance on par with a Intel Core i5-8400 + NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 with a single Ryzen 5 2400G APU. While the Intel + NVIDIA setup would cost you $288 (~RM1123.49), AMD is charging just $169 (RM759) for similar performance. Processor vs processor, the Ryzen 5 2400G trumps the Intel Core i5 8400 with 156% better graphics performance, 21% higher system performance and overclocking headroom to offer 39% better graphics performance.

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Speaking of overclocking, the CPU, DRAM and GPU settings can be tuned via the AMD Ryzen Master overclocking utility. If you aren’t one to get down and dirty meddling with the settings, AMD SenseMI and Precision Boost 2 will allow your Ryzen Desktop APU to perform at its best. Gamers can also take advantage of the Radeon FreeSync adaptive refresh rate technology for a smooth gaming experience.

The icing on the cake? The Ryzen Desktop APUs with Radeon Vega Graphics are compatible with the current crop of AM4 motherboards. Priced at just RM479 for the Ryzen 3 2200G and RM759 for the Ryzen 5 2400G, the Ryzen Desktop APUs are a steal!
Pokdepinion: Hmm a great alternative to the Intel Core i5 CPUs for gamers.
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Digi Launches Home Fibre In Sabah With Speeds Up To 1Gbps

The folks from Digi have today introduce Digi Home Fibre to the people in Sabah to support the local’s digital growth needs. This is the telco’s first commercial fibre broadband offering following several pilot roll outs earlier this year.
Digi is offering unlimited fibre speeds of up to 1Gbps at prices starting from RM99 per month, with complimentary modem and installation within two days. As part of the launch, they are offering new and existing customers in Sabah to a lifetime rebate of up to RM20 when they pair selected Digi Postpaid plans together with the Digi Home Fibre plans.
Digi Home Fibre starts from RM89 per month for 50Mbps and runs up to RM179 per month for 1Gbps instead of RM199 a month. You can find this promotion available until the 30th of September 2019.

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For more details on the new Digi Home Fibre plans as well as coverage areas, you can head to the link here.
Pokdepinion: Great to see the people in Sabah are getting the needed attention. Now I wonder if Sarawak will get coverage soon as well.
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OPPO Files Patent For A Physical QWERTY Keyboard Smartphone

It appears that the folks at OPPO have filed a patent for a smartphone that’ll be coming with a physical QWERTY keyboard, at least according to reports.
OPPO QWERTY keyboard smartphone patent
It’s been two years since we’ve touched a smartphone with a physical keyboard in the form of the BlackBerry Key 2. Well it seems that OPPO wants to revive the idea with a smartphone of the kind of their own.
OPPO QWERTY keyboard patent
According to the images, they seem to be rather..congested together. Other than that, it seems that the patent showcase that they will opt for a dewdrop notch on the display itself.

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Though it might be interesting for some to see it actually be release to the market, at the end of the day, it is still a patent. There’s no guarantees that it will ever make it out, as is the case for lots of patents out there.
Source
Pokdepinion: To be honest, I hope this doesn’t come to fruition. First flip phones, then physical keyboards. What next in the list of retro comebacks?
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HUAWEI to work with Maxis to bring 5G to Malaysia

Maxis has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with HUAWEI to bring their 5G network to Malaysia. It will see both companies working together on full-fledged 5G trials to bring end-to-end 5G network and services to Malaysia.
Maxis has reportedly been working on bringing Malaysia up to speed with 5G, and this partnership with HUAWEI is just the next step in their quest. Maxis aims to be the first to bring 5G to Malaysia.

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HUAWEI has an extensive suite of 5G products, with the Balong 5000 modems putting 5G in the hands of consumers. With the HUAWEI Mate X arriving later this year and a 5G version of the HUAWEI Mate 20 X expected to come earlier, it seems like we aren’t that far away from enjoying 5G here in Malaysia.
Would you pay for the premium devices to enjoy 5G networks, or are you happy enough with the current 4G coverage?
Pokdepinion: Well, probably we will have to wait and see for the coverage of 5G before we jump right into it. But still, getting a 5G phone now isn’t such a bad idea since we are seeing concrete plans from local telcos like Maxis.
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Microsoft Sunsets Xbox One, No More First-Party Games Developed

With Xbox One now reaching a full decade old, Microsoft has officially called it a day for the aging console. In the interview with Axios, Matt Booty, Microsoft’s head for game studios, has noted that the company is putting all its resources into the current-gen consoles (Xbox Series X|S), and PCs. “We’ve moved on to Gen 9 (Xbox Series consoles),” he said.
Going forward, that means new games coming from Microsoft’s game studios umbrella will be exclusively on Xbox Series consoles and PCs only. So far, Minecraft remains the only actively supported title in the older Xbox console. Still, Booty noted that players can still use Xbox One consoles to access the cloud gaming platform available through Game Pass Ultimate membership, so all is not lost for the console.

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The announcement above only meant Microsoft themselves will cease development of new games on the platform; however, other studios may still opt to develop the game for Xbox One generation if they wish to tap into the existing player base that may not upgrade to the Xbox Series generation, or has yet to jump to PC platforms. (Diablo IV is one such title.)
With new games now increasing utilizing the potential of Xbox Series’s hardware, especially the Velocity Architecture (Xbox’s version of Microsoft DirectStorage), that will effectively render the previous generation consoles obsolete.
Source: PCMag
Pokdepinion: Given the transition to SSD in the recent years, it’s honestly amazing a HDD-powered console can stay on for this long. Now that Xbox One is over with, games should get a whole lot faster in loading times.
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Google Shares on GDC Announcment for Developers – Sneak Peek Into Game Developers Conference

Google has shared some of their plans to empower game developers at GDC so that they can run a successful business. Here’s a sneak peek into their Game Developers Conference announcement.
Google Shares on GDC Announcment for Developers

Mobile gaming has taken the world by storm and its popularity is said to continue to rise thanks to the advent of mobile eSports. Of course, it doesn’t have to be a competitive game as many of us do enjoy the casual time killer on our smartphones. There are tons of apps available for download and there are millions, if not billions, of users out there always looking around for something new.

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By the sheer number of alone, it will be tough to get their apps to reach the right people so how is Google planning to help on that end? Introducing the Universal App Campaigns (UAC). It uses Google’s machine learning technology to find loyal fans across Google.com, Google Play, YouTube, and over 3 million sites and apps in the Google Display Network. To date, Google has delivered over 10 billion app installs for developers through ads.
Over the next few months, Google will out a beta for video ads, a new way to reach players on Google Play with sight, sound and motion. These placements help you showcase your game, winning people over as they tap, swipe and scroll to find their next favorite app.
Find your Next Player with Similar Audiences

With a world of games available on mobile, it can be hard to know which people could fall in love with your game. Google helps by analyzing millions of signal combinations in real-time to help you reach the players you care about, like the ones that are likely to beat level 1 or those that are likely to make an in-app purchase.
But there’s more that can be done. Google is now introducing similar audiences for UAC, to help you find people who share similar interests with your best customers, right when they’re interested in games and apps like yours. Imagine you’re a developer with a popular mobile game, and you’re launching a new title.
With similar audiences, you can share your business data with Google to find more players like those playing your current game. By connecting you with more qualified customers, similar audiences can help unlock new opportunities to grow your business. Similar audiences will be available in beta to select advertisers starting in May.
Make Ad Experiences More Valuable with AdMob

Video ads are more than just a canvas for showcasing your games. They can help turn your apps into a revenue-driving machine. Last year alone, in-app video ad impressions grow 1.8x across Google’s networks. But people will abandon even the best apps if the ad experience doesn’t fit the flow of the game or an ad doesn’t respect the player’s preferences.
Rewarded ads create value for players by offering them incentives like an extra life or a special power-up in the game when they need it most. And because players can choose when to watch, these ads don’t disrupt gameplay. It’s why more than 45% of AdMob’s top 1000 gaming partners (by revenue) use rewarded ads to monetize their apps.
Last year, Google made it easy for you to deliver rewarded video ads lasting 6 to 60 seconds in portrait and landscape modes. Today, they’re sharing two new rewarded ad experiences that will become available to AdMob developers over the next few months: playable ads and multiple-option video ads. With these new formats, you can monetize your games while ensuring your players can interact with ads in a way that doesn’t interrupt their game play.
Earn more from your ad partners with Open Bidding on AdMob
Designed to make earning ad revenue more manageable and less time-consuming, Open Bidding takes monetization to the next level. Now, networks can bid to serve ads in your app simultaneously in a single unified auction.
The result: increased competition that could lead to higher revenue. Also, there’s fewer SDKs to implement, payments get simplified, and you’ll get meaningful insights from integrated reports in a single performance dashboard. Open Bidding is already live with bids from Smaato, Index Exchange and OpenX.
Sissie Hsiao, VP of Product, Mobile App Advertising at Google, said:
We’re looking forward to adding even more networks over the next few months, including AdColony and Vungle. That way you can do both, earn more from your apps, and get time back to make them even better. To learn more about these innovations, please join us at the Game Developer Conference next week. My team and I look forward to sharing more details on the work we’re doing to make it easier for you to become the GOAT of mobile gaming.
Pokdepinion: More ways for app and mobile game developers to not only reach out to their target market, but also improving on how they can earn without compromising on user friendliness. Good move, Google. Hoping to hear more at GDC later.
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LG Releases New NanoCell TVs — Their First 8K TV Lands In Malaysia!

We had the opportunity today to see LG Malaysia’s latest NanoCell TVs, which includes their first ever 8K TV to arrive in the country.
LG NanoCell TV Malaysia launch

Coming with an alpha 9 Gen 3 processor, the LG NanoCell 8K (model NANO95) is 65″ and you can tell by its name that it is an 8K TV. With is processor, it can analyze the on-screen content to deliver the best visuals possible, according to them.

A feature that’s new with the NanoCell 8K is the Home Dashboard. It comes in handy as it can act as a control center for all your IoTs. Even if you have non-LG IoT products, you can still connect them with the TV and control them from there. This includes switching them on/off, as well as setting schedules on when they should be active.

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If you’re aiming for something lower, they also have a 4K version of the NanoCell TV, the NANO81, which comes in a smaller 49″ size. It comes with HDR10 Pro and HLG Pro support to boast.

Another plus for the NanoCell series is that the remote control (LG Magic Remote) can be used for voice control too. There’s plenty of languages available in the settings (in the TV) and you can make it to search things over the web as well as control the TV such as lowering or increasing the volume.
If you’re planning on getting the LG NanoCell TV series, well there’s some great news for you. They are hosting their National Day promo where you can get the NanoCell 8K TV at RM15,999, which saves you RM6,000 off from its retail price of RM21,999. For the 4K variant, you can get it from the price of RM3,199 for the 49″ size instead of its original RM3,499 price tag. The promo is available now and will last until the 4th of October 2020.
Pokdepinion: Experienced them myself and personally, I really like the Home Dashboard feature. Of course, the display looks impressive but I’d have to take time with them and experience them fully to know how they are really like.

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