Hot off their international launch of a new line up of XPS laptops and their Malaysian launch of the Precision and Latitude lines, Dell is adding a new member to the XPS family: the XPS Desktop. The new XPS desktop draws inspiration from the minimalistic designs of its laptop brethren. Keeping it simple, elegant and performance driven. In fact, it’s even slimmed down to keep a sleeker profile. The once 24L body of the XPS Desktop is now only 19L and it doesn’t sacrifice much when it comes to space for internals.
The new XPS Desktop isn’t just elegant, it packs the power when it comes to specifications. It comes supped up with 10th generation Intel Core i processors ranging from the Core i3 to the creator focused Core i9. This is paired with a up to 128GB of RAM and complemented with up to 4TB of storage in various hardware configurations.
Built for Content
Keeping it’s eye on creators and hardware intensive processes, the XPS Desktop will be coming with a slew of options for it’s graphics card ranging from the NVIDIA GT 1030 to the NVIDIA RTX 2070 SUPER and even AMD graphics processors ranging from the AMD Radeon RX 5300 to the powerful Radeon RX 5700 XT. It also has options for a DVD-RW or Blu-ray burner in the optical drive department.
Of course, being a performance focused desktop, the XPS comes with a bevvy of ports on the back. On the front, it comes with 3 USB 3.1 ports, 1 USB Type C, a 3.5mm jack and a SD card slot. It also comes with support for Killer AX1650i WiFi 6 connectivity. Complementing the power packed internals are options for 150W or 500W power supply.
The Dell XPS desktop take a page out of its laptop brethren with voltage regulator cooling to more efficiently cool the processors. In fact, the engineers at Dell have designed the chassis to maximise airflow and cooling when it comes to the hard disks and processors. Accessing the internals shouldn’t be a problem with the toolless system that it adopts.
A Perfect Match with the New Dell S-series Monitors
Together with the new power packed XPS Desktop, Dell also announced three new S Series monitors. The new additions to the affordable S-series monitors bring even more options and larger sizes to the popular series of monitors.
The new additions to the S series monitors come in two different sizes: 27-inch and a larger 32-inches. The 27-inch monitor comes in Full HD and 4K Ultra HD resolutions. These monitors have 99% coverage of the sRGB gamut and are equipped with AMD FreeSync technology. The Dell 32 Curved 4K Monitor (S3221QS) comes with dual 5W speakers built-in.
Dell is bringing the Dell Premium Panel exchange program to the S series monitors during their limited hardware warranty period. The Premium Panel exchange will ensure that you get a consistent experience with the new monitors. Dell will replace defective IPS panels which result inconsistent bright spots. This program is available in the United States for now. No information if the Dell Premium Panel exchange will be coming to other regions.
Pricing & Availability
The Dell XPS Desktop is available immediately in the U.S. and Canada with prices starting at USD$649.99 (MYR2,774.41). It will be available in Malaysia starting the end of July 2020. Prices will start at MYR3,499 for a Core i5 with 8GB of RAM and a GTX1650 Super.
Europe and other regions will have the XPS Desktop within the month as well.
The Dell S-Series monitors will be available worldwide starting on 20 August 2020. Malaysia will be getting the monitors in late August with their prices to be announced at a later date. International pricing is as below:
Dell 32 Curved 4K UHD Monitor (S3221QS) will be priced starting at USD$499.99 (MYR2,131.13).
Dell 27 4K UHD Monitor (S2721QS) will retail with prices starting at USD$449.99 (MYR1,918.02).
Dell 27 Monitor (S2721DS) will retail starting at USD$349.99 (MYR1,491.78).
So the trade ban with HUAWEI has been going on for several months now and nothing seems to be indicating that there would be an overturning of the decision. Every other person outside of the United States of America (U.S.A.) was hoping that the situation will get better and somehow the decision overturned though. Why? HUAWEI devices without Android is like eating Egg Mayo Sandwich without the Eggs. They are still good, just not as good.
It looks like all hopes for HUAWEI to be cleared of that trade ban is further and further away from reality though. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which is U.S.A.’s version of MCMC for Malaysia, or if you are not in any of these countries – they are an independent body that regulates and certifies electronic items that involves communications. So your routers, modems, televisions, and even smartphones have to go through their certifications and ‘okay’ before being sold; they have declared HUAWEI and ZTE to be national security threats for the state. Sounds bad? It is bad.
While there were restrictions to HUAWEI telecommunication gears in the United States, there were no full ban to be set yet at the time. Thanks to the declaration from FCC, HUAWEI and ZTE items can no longer be purchased by all government linked companies or using the Universal Service Funds (USF) subsidy. That also means that we are not going to get Google’s Play Store on the HUAWEI devices anytime soon.
According to the chairman of FFC, Ajit Pai the Bureau has found evidence that both HUAWEI and ZTE having “close ties” to the Chinese Communist Party and the country’s military. But it is not just down to the links between the company and the government that becomes an issue. FCC also cited that the Chinese law dictates that these telecommunication giants that operates in China are obligated to share data and cooperate with China’s various intelligence services whenever the need arises.
If what FCC claims to have found is true, it becomes a huge privacy and data security breach potential. HUAWEI and ZTE have repeatedly denied the claims that they are a threat to the United States’ national security. To be fair, they have denied the existence of a certain backdoor that feeds information from all their telecommunication devices and services to the Chinese government. We do not know how much of the law aspect is true. We are not living in China after all.
Still, the biggest impact is still on HUAWEI’s smartphones. We have always enjoyed their smartphones. They have made great smartphones like the HUAWEI P40 Pro we recently reviewed. Sadly, the lack of Google’s Play Store on their devices crippled the devices so much that we find them an absolute nightmare to deal with on a day to day basis at times.
So far HUAWEI and ZTE has not responded to the claims. We remain hopeful to HUAWEI’s response to the claims. That, and also hoping that HUAWEI finds a way to get the Play Store ecosystem on their devices that are still running Android anyway.
By now you are probably quite familiar with the name ‘VivoBook’. That is mostly thanks to the fact that we have been reviewing the namesake or each iteration of the same notebook for quite sometime now. We hope that you have not grown bored of the same notebook though, because we have not. Also, because there is a new one in the block.
It seems like just yesterday that we were reviewing a new ASUS VivoBook S notebook PC. It seems like yesterday too that we gave quite high praises to ASUS’ value offering of a notebook PC. That said, we have always liked the ASUS VivoBook series. They are relatively inexpensive offering of notebook PCs that are always outperforming our expectations. They are also always very well built, for the kind of material they employ on the VivoBook.
Because of the wholesome package that is the ASUS VivoBook, it has become one of our most recommended notebook PCs so far. While it is a serious contender for ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution, the designers have never taken a too serious approach to the notebook too. That is also why the ASUS VivoBook notebooks have always been lookers.
The new one? Well, for one I think it is no different from the old recipe of making an attractive looking PC with great internals. They approached the VivoBook with the same ‘one-size-fits-all’ philosophy as before. Somehow, they have managed to make it even better in certain aspects. How? Let us delve deeper.
Design
Like before, the ASUS VivoBook is built with a mix of plastic and aluminium. We suspect that the outer shells are mostly aluminium and the keyboard tray is also aluminium. The only part that is not made from the lightweight metal is the bezel surrounding the Full HD display.
Unlike the previous ASUS VivoBook S too, the new 2020 variant seems to be a bit more scratch resistant. This is mostly due to the aluminium construction and what we think is an anodized surface instead of a paint coating. Anodizing has been a common practice in getting colours on metallic surfaces, and they last a whole lot longer.
Anodizing also has another benefit, you can get really interesting colours on the surfaces. Which is what ASUS has gone for with the 2020 variant of the ASUS VivoBook S. The one we have here is green in colour. Specifically, Gaia Green. It is a stunning colour, in our humble opinions.
Personally, I have always liked green, Emerald Green or British Racing Green especially. Those are great colours, and I have always dreamt of a Bentley Continental GT in Emerald Green shade or a 1961 Jaguar E-Type in British Racing Green. We are getting a little side-tracked.
The point is, it is a very pretty Green that we are getting on the ASUS VivoBook S15. Finally, someone bothers to go with another green coloured notebook. This makes Red shades look over-rated and overly loud. There isn’t a big difference in the branding layout otherwise.
Open the ASUS VivoBook S15 up and you will be greeted with a very familiar full keyboard layout with backlighting. Oh, let us not forget the accented enter key with a lime outline and wording. We may not completely understand why that is included in the design, but it does help distinguish the keyboard itself from its competitors. The numpad is largely similar on the side with a nice layout too.
The trackpad is a little larger compared to what we could remember, but that is not a bad thing. Unlike the more popular wide pad designs, the new one looks more traditional and with additional height. That allows your two palms to rest on the palm rests on either side of the trackpad properly without accidentally touching the trackpad for extra inputs or accidental clicks.
There is no more fingerprint sensor on the ASUS VivoBook S15 anymore though. We are testing the Intel Core i5 variant of the ASUS VivoBook S15. Usually you would find the fingerprint sensor on the top right corner of the trackpad. Not this time though. Although you still get the same on/off button nestled at the top right corner of the whole keyboard layout.
There is a shiny chromed out chamfers on the side of the keyboard tray. That somehow adds to the premium look when its new. The shiny chromed ring surrounding the keyboard is what made us think that the whole top is aluminium. Thing is though, they will smudge a little from the oils from your skin. While that may not be too big of a deal if you keep it clean with constant care, it will not be the case for most people. Still, we feel that that is a nice touch. At least you know when you need to give your laptop a quick wipe down.
Hardware
As we have mentioned, this ‘go-anywhere-do-anything’ machine is made mostly of aluminium. Which is always a nice touch, in our opinion. It also helps with the overall feel and rigidity of the device, which is always nice.
There is more that just an aluminium body with nothing to show for it inside though. While it is not very heavy, it is still quite a powerful package. As we have mentioned, this is powered by an Intel Core i5, the one we have. We also have NVIDIA’s GeForce MX250 to work with, which is no slouch if you are not after outright gaming performance.
Specifications
ASUS VivoBook S15 S533
As Tested
Processor (clock)
10th Generation Intel Core i5-10210U (1.6GHz ~ up to 4.2GHz)
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce MX250
Display(s)
15.6-inch LED -backlit IPS Full HD (1920 x 1080) NTSC: 45% NanoEdge
1 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A 2x USB 2.0 1 x Standard HDMI 1.4 1 x Audio combo jack 1x MicroSD card reader Intel Wi-Fi 6 Gig+ (802.11ax) Bluetooth 5.0
Battery
50Wh 3-cell Li-Polymer Fast Charging (60% in 49 minutes)
Operating System
Windows 10 Home
Miscellaneous
Audio certified by Harman Kardon Certification 1.8kg
Features
Do not think for a second that ‘one-size-fits-all’ means that there is nothing that makes this thing special though. There is still a few things that makes this the perfect notebook PC that can do everything you need.
Back to Basics
So instead of the whole ErgoLift technology that ASUS was raving about a year ago, this has a regular hinge that tilts the display as normally as you would expect a normal notebook PC. You still get a similarly styled hinge, it is just that the VivoBook does not stand on the hinge. That also ensures that your keyboard remains at the same height on any surface, at any given time. You are not going to move your display and have your keyboard shift a few mm away from out or what not.
Not to say that the ErgoLift hinge was a bad thing. It really did improve typing positions when you set it on a proper surface to work with. On normal café tables, working on an ErgoLift hinged notebook is a little bit more comfortable than usual. Because your whole set up moves as the display moves though, it is a little inconsistent for my liking.
On the new 2020 line-up of the ASUS VivoBook S, ASUS is saying or listening to the consumers who say; “what was ever wrong with the normal typing position of notebook PCs”? After all, ASUS was one of the only players pushing that that kind of hinge design.
The loss of the supporting body part that extends from the display does create a little bit of an added opportunity in terms of rigidity too. If you turn the laptop around to its bottom, there is an extra rubber nub in the middle of the back part of the notebook PC. While it may not do much, it does add some body rigidity on the ASUS Vivobook S15, especially in the middle of keyboard which is usually where the older ASUS VivoBook S flexes. There is no visible or perceived crease here even when you put a little bigger pressure on the top part of the keyboard. That is really nice.
There is also another plus point with the regular flat-footed approach to the base of the notebook PC. It is much more comfortable using it on your lap. That is exactly the position of this notebook PC as I am typing this review.
The VivoBook S15 (2020) is missing a fingerprint sensor though, which is quite an unpleasant surprise. It was one of the better fingerprint sensors in a position that we thought made a lot of sense. While some may think that having a fingerprint sensor on the trackpad could be a little distracting, we like where it is positioned. It is one of the more intuitive designs and placements we found in the market. We want the fingerprint sensor back – ASUS, take note.
Clickety Clackety
Notebook PCs have improved on their keyboards tremendously over the past few years. The ASUS VivoBook series over the years, in our opinions, has some of the best keyboard feels among ASUS’ other offerings. We feel that they could use a little more travel and softer feedback, but honestly, they are some of the best keyboards we find on an ASUS notebook.
The ASUS VivoBook S15 technically still has the sort of same keyboard as the slightly older VivoBook S of 2019. It feels somewhat similar as well. There seems to be a little more travel this time around, but that could just be me. We still think that it could use with a little more feedback with the keys though, and more travel. But still, travel would be sacrificed in making notebook PCs lighter and thinner.
Still, that comment of ASUS VivoBook series offering the best keyboard experience from ASUS still stands true with the ASUS VivoBook S15. We suspect also that is mostly due to the fact that this product is targeted mostly to students who types long essays. We feel that this could still be perfect for businesspeople too who needs something reliable and affordable to work with.
There is a small complaint on the keyboard though. The backlight still leaks from the sides of the of island keys. That is a very small tolerable issue though. What is slightly a bit more annoying is that the white backlight makes the keys harder to read in bright conditions. Under the light of the display for example, you cannot read the keys. It still helps when you are typing in darker conditions though. This is basically nit-picking already though as that only happens at certain angles.
We find the highlighted ‘enter’ key a little odd as well. We do not really know why it is in a different colour accent compared to all keys. While it helps us find the enter button, it is still rather odd. It could just be a design decision to help you find the enter key in the dark, to differentiate it from the ‘shift’ key maybe.
Harman and Kardon’s Magic Touch
Yes, the previous ASUS VivoBook S was also fitted with audio by Harman Kardon. Yes, the new one is also fitted with audio by Harman Kardon. Is there a difference? Not really. Both sounds great still.
The sound profile, on speakers at least, is similar to the older VivoBook S. With Harman Kardon, audio sounds crisp and clear. Not to forget, it can get quite loud. There is still a lack of bass or low frequency strength from the speakers. Still, that is quite understandable when they have not fitted a subwoofer into the svelte body of the ASUS VivoBook S15. You would need proper headphones for that needed thump from your music.
Still, even if you do not have any good pair of headphones to work with, the audio is plenty usable and enjoyable. That is the case for both movies and music, which is pleasant. Of course, you would want more low frequencies for action movies with plenty of explosions. In terms of music though, if you are not too big into Hip-Hop, you should do more than fine actually. The high frequencies and mid frequencies are great and clear.
Again though, there are still notebook PCs that packs better audio than the ASUS VivoBook S15 (2020). At the same time though audio for notebook PCs have evolved quite a bit and progressed further than anyone would have thought these days. You can hardly fault modern notebook PCs when it comes to audio quality these days – save for weaker low frequencies.
While Harman Kardon is nothing new for the ASUS VivoBook S15, we do think that having that backup from a large audio brand like Harman Kardon is still an exciting feature to have. It means that ASUS can handle what they do best while allowing one of the best in the business to do what they do best.
Plus the Magic of ICESound by ICE Power
Added to the prowess of Harman Kardon’s know how in making great sounding speakers, or tuning them to sound good. But a good speaker is nothing without good software to articulate and equalise sound. Here is where ICE shines.
ICE Power is known to make some professional grade amplifiers and audio equipment. They are one of the world’s best when it comes to studio monitoring and production grade audio solutions. No, that does not mean that ASUS worked with them to fit an amplifier that is made by them within the VivoBook S15. Not quite, those are still a third party developed part and then Harman Kardon would add their clever know how to make the speakers capable.
What ICE Power makes here is quite unique. It is a software based tuning kit that adjusts the frequencies of the media played through the speakers. Yes, in other words, they made a custom equaliser software for ASUS here.
Unlike plenty of other notebook PCs, the equaliser that is given by ICE Power, more known as ICESound that is built into ASUS’ existing Audio Wizard(cheeky) is a lot more comprehensive. You can tune the audio output to however you might like your music to be. You can have different settings for different software too. They are all saved under presets so you can just quickly get a different tuning and EQ in different conditions within a click.
There are preset settings, of course, for those who are not familiar with tuning software or equalisers adjustments. They simply label them as ‘Music’ and ‘Movies’. Both give you different experiences in both instances too.
Even in those settings, you can customise them further if you want your music to sound a certain way, like how professionals work with live audio, you can too with ICE Power, or at least at the default settings, they do the magic work and you just turn it on to work with. I suggest just going with their default setting though.
While to many, this may not sound like a huge difference with no treatments or equalisers; to any trained ear, you can notice differences straight away. Even with Spotify, the sound profile changes dramatically. Vocals sound clearer with that trailing afternote that you always hear when someone talks to you or in live concerts. The instruments sound a little more alive than they really are somehow. All these in just a simple arrangement of different frequencies. It is pleasantly surprising.
Of course, there is still the problem of not enough low-frequency strength from smaller speakers fitted on the ASUS VivoBook S15. Still, for a notebook PC to have audio like this is plenty amazing. If you are a little picky with audio, this could be the notebook that you might want to have.
There is some caveat though. While it does transform your audio experience a little bit, the speakers at times might seem that it hardly copes with the changes in frequencies, especially the higher ones. There are minimal tears in audio if you pay attention. Still, they can be quite negligible in most cases. To be fair, it could be Spotify too.
Performance
Of course, there are some limitations to what the ASUS VivoBook S15 can do. After all, the test device we have here only packs Intel’s Core i5. While it is the 10th Generation processor, it is not the most powerful in its range too. It is made to be power efficient and durable. It is made to be a workhorse instead of a powerful all conquering device with short bursts of power. This is made to last all day and more. This VivoBook S15 is made to stay away from the wall plugs as long as possible.
Still Quite Powerful
That is not to say that the ASUS VivoBook S15 is a weakling though. With the 10th iteration of Intel’s powerpack, it is more powerful than ever. It scrubs through Full HD 1080p videos on Adobe Premier Pro with ease. It renders the video quite fast too. Well, of course, this coming from a modern PC and at 1080p, you can expect as much. The NVIDIA GeForce MX250 does help things trundle along in video editing purposes too, especially when you need to do any extra stabilisation of your footage.
While your gaming rig can render Full HD videos much faster, this is not too far off. We were able to render 2minute Full HD videos in a few minutes. Provided the video does not feature plenty of complex animations, or too many added footages, or generally that much in complexity. It is just a simple cut, join and render from two different Full HD videos.
Where this should shine though is in simple Adobe Illustrator works and even Adobe Photoshop. Thing is, you might be left a little bit wanting from the display a little bit though. You are not getting the most colour accurate display available to you. Still, it is an IPS display; which means you still get best in class viewing angle and colours still look good.
We also appreciate the fact that this comes out-of-the-box with 8GB RAM. We have always said that 8GB should be the minimum RAM size that any notebooks come in. ASUS listened and fitted 8GB into this thing. Of course, you can upgrade it or add another RAM stick on your own if you want to.
Of course, with 512GB of SSD, you are not going to think too much about wanting for more speed out of your storage. 512GB is also plenty to work with when you are just going to work with documents, some light video or image editing, and even looking through endless emails. Trust me, it is enough. If not, you still can add a 2.5-inch HDD if you want to.
Gaming
Obviously the first part of any performance gauge on almost any notebook PC. Well, that is barring the creator grade stuffs. So, gaming.
Before we go on though, we are not going to install or test AAA titles on this notebook PC. Let’s face it, no one will buy this type of PC to run AAA titles in even close to high settings. You might be able to run older AAA titles still though.
We are not very good DOTA 2 players, but we are pretty sure this still can run that. Then again DOTA 2 runs on nearly any machine on the market these days. So DOTA may not be a good marker anymore.
We ran Two Point Hospital and Motorsport Manager on this thing. We relied on Two Point Hospital more than Motorsport Manager to work with though. Motorsport Manager is buggy at best, and does not require super high performance from GPU as well.
In that light, we are delighted to report that this runs Two Point Hospital healthily. As in, we have not complaints on it. We did not fiddle with the settings, for obvious reasons. We are pretty sure we could push the VivoBook S15 to higher settings on Two Point Hospital, but it might make the frames a little choppy, so we did not bother.
No, you will not get anything higher than 60 fps. This display only refreshes at 60hz. Nope, not a competitive esports contender here. Just a regular PC.
Going the Distance – Battery Life
The older VivoBooks have allowed us to work remotely quite efficiently in the past. There is no specific battery life quote from ASUS really for the new ASUS VivoBook S15. The 50Wh battery built into the ASUS VivoBook S15 (2020) though allowed us to stay on the move and work for at least 4 hours. This is considering that we left it at default power mode. You could improve that a little bit by changing your power consumption model like any other Windows notebook.
We got about 6 hours in battery life with no more than 10 tabs open on both Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge, plenty of typing on Microsoft Word (we typed this review entirely on the ASUS VivoBook S15), constantly having audio at various levels of volume with Audio Wizard on full time. Oh yes, we were downloading some things from Steam too. Screen brightness were kept to half though.
Still, we managed to get this review written on the ASUS VivoBook S15 in two full charges. Which is not ideal if we are away from ports for 8 hours or more in a single period. We are not though, so it still works. We are also thinking in terms of the buyers of this notebook PC. It should be more than adequate to work with between charge points if you are a student especially. Unless, of course, your class goes on for more than 5 hours at a time.
Display
We are not going to lie; the display is not the best. This is not some notebook PC that you might want to use to edit photos or images with super accurate colours. Might I suggest you get a secondary monitor that might cost as much?
No, this is not made for super accurate colour reproduction. This is also not made for gaming, so you do not get anything close to 120Hz. It stops at 60Hz, which is quite terrible in today’s gaming standards.
Does it matter though? This is not a PC that is made to be a creator’s tool. It is made to be a reliable workhorse for the likes of students, or some working adults that is looking at a budget. This is made for Word processing, Excel sheet crunching, and PowerPoint creation. This is made to browse through endless research papers and a mindless amount of web pages.
In that sense, the display is great enough for web browsing and reading. It is adequate to work with; you do not need 120Hz or even Pantone validation to process videos or get through an Excel sheet. You only need to protect your eyes. Windows and ASUS has you covered with blue light filter built-in of course.
The ASUS VivoBook S15 S533 (2020) – The Best VivoBook
That should go without saying. Every new device should be the best of its series. But the ASUS VivoBook S15 (2020) managed to do even more than that though. We admit, it lost some great stuff. It lost the highly acclaimed ErgoLift design (somehow, I am personally glad though). Then there is the fact that you do not get the fingerprint sensor with Windows Hello anymore, a mild annoyance. There is also no significant improvements in battery life too.
The ASUS VivoBook S15 (2020) is a mild progression from the older 2019 variant, rather than a revolution. It does everything a little better. Sure, we do not get some things that we have come to expect from the ASUS VivoBook line-up. But a notebook PC at this segment is not made great by those things.
You still get the same sort of great looking design that can stand out anywhere or blend in anywhere. That is up to your colour choices, by the way. It remained at the same great price too at MYR 3,199. That while having slightly better rigidity, which in turn improves durability and overall typing experience (thank you, little nub). The product still feels great but is made better with the slightly more powerful new generation Intel Core i5 processor (the only one we are getting in Malaysia, by the way). Audio by Harman Kardon is still much of the same thing, but the discovery of Audio Wizard by ICE Power made exclusively for ASUS PCs made it slightly better; just the right amount to change the experience.
Everything points to very slight increments in the experience of the ASUS VivoBook S15. All the increments are made at the same price too. Yes, that means that you must give up some good stuff too. But remember, that is not the point. The point of the ASUS VivoBook S15 is to be a great all-rounder. In that, it does well. We would describe it as the perfect all-rounder. It’s 15.6-inch display is large enough, but also light at 1.8kg. It has all the power you need too, and still lasts longer your meetings or classes. Of course, the Harman Kardon and ICE Power combination is a winner in the audio aspect. Music is enjoyable on this, really.
It is like that friend that you hang out with all the time, the one that goes to the ‘mamak’ with you to discuss world issues, and to the bar with you to watch Liverpool winning the 2019/2020 season; the all-around swell and reliable friend. This is that friend. Oh, as a bonus, this ‘friend’ might look better than that friend; whatever you may think, the Gaia Green is gorgeous. Definitely the one I would spend my MYR 3,199 on.
ASUS’s VivoBook has come a long way since it’s first debut. The line up which started out by carving a unique niche for affordable laptops with respectable specifications, has evolved to one of the most personalisable ultrabooks available on the market. The line up has become known for its bold, bright colours, gorgeous finish and rather feature rich package.
The new Vivobook S continues this ethos. It comes in bright, vibrant colours that bring a renewed vigour to the line up with updated specifications and new colours. This year, the VivoBook S line up is bringing a whole new range of colours including the Resolute Red, Gaia Green, Dreamy Silver and India Black. These colours allow users to express themselves from the get go while infusing a pop of colour in any mundane environment.
That said, the VivoBook S has never been just about the looks; it has also been about pushing technology and design. The slim, 1.59cm silhouette of the line up belies its technical prowess. The new VivoBook S line up comes equipped with 10th generation Intel processors which promise faster performance and longer battery life. This paired with the NVIDIA GeForce 250MX and WiFi 6 capabilities allows the VivoBook S series to stride a fine line between performance and portability. This is further bolstered by the 512GB of M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD with 32GB of Intel Optane memory and 8GB of RAM out of the box.
Pricing & Availability
The new ASUS VivoBook S series will be available starting today, 30 June 2020 in retail stores with prices starting at MYR3,199 for the VivoBook S14 and MYR3,699 for the VivoBook S15. Both come with 2 years global warranty from ASUS.
If you are interested in getting one yourself, ASUS is offering an MYR100 discount with the voucher code ASUSVS100 on their official stores on LAZADA and Shopee. The offer is valid on a first come first serve basis on 30th June 2020 from 12pm till 11:59pm.
Intel® Core™ i7-10510U Processor 1.8 GHz (8M Cache, up to 4.9 GHz)
Display
14” LED-backlit Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 Frameless four-sided NanoEdge display with 85% screen-to-body ratio 178° wide-view technology; anti-glare IPS panel display; NTSC: 45%
Intel® Optane™ Memory H10 with Solid State Storage (32 GB Optane™ + 512 GB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD)
Wireless
Intel® WiFi 6 GIG+ (802.11ax) Bluetooth® 5.0
Camera
HD camera
I/O ports
1 x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type A 1 x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C™ 2 x USB 2.0 1 x HDMI 1.4 1 x Audio jack combo 1 x Micro SD card reader
Audio
Array microphone with Cortana voice-recognition support 3.5 mm headphone jack Certified by Harman Kardon
Battery
Fast charging: 60% in 49 minutes 50 Wh 3-cell lithium-polymer battery 65 W power adapter Plug Type: ø4 (mm) (Output: 19 V DC, 3.42 A, 65 W) (Input: 100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal)
Keyboard
Backlit Chiclet Keyboard
Fingerprint Reader
Yes
Colors
Dreamy Silver / Indie Black / Gaia Green / Resolute Red
Dimensions
Height: 1.59 cm (0.62”); Width: 32.49 cm (12.79”); Depth: 21.35 cm (8.40”)
Weight
1.4 kg (3.08 lb)
Retail Price
RM 3,699 (available on 30th June onwards)
Bundle in Box
ASUS Backpack, Limited Edition VivoBook stickers
Warranty
2 years global
[1] Specifications, content and product availability are all subject to change without notice and may differ from country to country. Actual performance may vary depending on applications, usage, environment and other factors. Full specifications are available at http://www.asus.com
ASUS VivoBook S15 (S533F)
CPU
Intel® Core™ i5-10210U Processor 1.6 GHz (6M Cache, up to 4.2 GHz)
Display
15.6″ LED-backlit Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 Frameless three-sided NanoEdge display with 86% screen-to-body ratio 178° wide-view technology; anti-glare IPS panel display; NTSC: 45%
Intel® Optane™ Memory H10 with Solid State Storage (32 GB Optane™ + 512 GB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD)
Wireless
Intel® WiFi 6 GIG+ (802.11ax) Bluetooth® 5.0
Camera
HD camera
I/O ports
1 x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type A 1 x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C™ 2 x USB 2.0 1 x HDMI 1.4 1 x Audio jack combo 1 x Micro SD card reader
Audio
Array microphone with Cortana voice-recognition support 3.5mm headphone jack Harmon Kardon Certified
Battery
Fast charging: 60% in 49 minutes 50 Wh 3-cell lithium-polymer battery 65 W power adapter Plug Type: ø4 (mm) (Output: 19 V DC, 3.42 A, 65 W) (Input: 100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal)
Keyboard
Backlit Chiclet Keyboard
Fingerprint Reader
No
Colors
Dreamy Silver / Indie Black / Gaia Green / Resolute Red
Dimensions
Height: 1.61 cm (0.63”); Width: 35.98 cm (14.17”); Depth: 23.38 cm (9.2”)
ASUS ROG (Republic of Gamers) is one of the world’s foremost brands when it comes gaming. The brand has always been pushing the boundaries when it comes to gaming technologies and even lifestyle. This year, the brand is pushing boundaries even further with collaborations including Malaysian streetwear design house, Stoned & Co.. To add another notch to their belt, ROG is now collaborating with renown DJ and producer, Alan Walker.
Source: Fandom Wiki
Alan Walker is no stranger to the gaming industry. The artist has been featured in multiple games including the critically acclaimed Death Stranding to popular mobile battle royale shooter, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile. His music has made the English born, Norwegian DJ has shot to stardom from his roots as a content creator on YouTube. That said, he isn’t just a DJ, producer and Youtuber, he’s also a gamer. The partnership with ROG marks a bold move by Walker to merge his two passions together.
ASUS ROG, on the other hand, is looking to address the growing diversity of the gaming community which has grown tremendously in recent years. The brand recognises the growing proportion of gamers who have become content creators and vice versa.
To that end, as a kick off to the partnership, ASUS is creating a special edition of it’s recently launched ROG Zephyrus G14. The brand’s new Ryzen 9 powered laptop brings a unique x factor to the table when it comes bridging the world’s of a content creators and gamers. It’s also one of the laptops in its line up that is able to deliver on audio with Dolby Atmos certified sound. The unique AniMe Matrix also brings a unique feel and expression that is quintessential for content creators.
The special ROG x Alan Walker edition of the Zephyrus G14 is just the beginning when it comes to the collaboration. Beginning in August, ROG and Alan Walker will be releasing videos which give audiences an early look at the DJ’s new music. In addition, fans will be able to take a behind the scenes look at his music and get to know the renown DJ even better.
ASUS announced their AMD Ryzen 4000 powered offerings which have already begun hitting the market a while back. Their most interesting offering yet, is making its Malaysian debut today, with the new Republic of Gamers (ROG) Zephyrus G14! The new power house spearheads a new segment which has been uniquely carved out by the ROG engineers.
The new ROG Zephyrus G14 combines portability and power in a form factor that is bound to become a go to for gamers. The compact 14-inch display is complemented by a body which is only 17.9mm thick and weighs 1.6kg. The compact size skirts the lines of being classified as a thin and light device. However, don’t underestimate it’s gaming prowess. As the saying goes, good things come in small packages; and that can’t be truer with the Zephyrus G14.
A 1-2 Punch for Top of the Line Performance
ASUS has opted to pack a punch with the ROG Zephyrus G14 with power packed processors with a proven track record. Running on the latest Ryzen 4000 processors with AMD’s cutting edge Zen 2 architecture, the G14 promises top of the line performance. It comes in variants with the Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 processors. Powered by up to 8 cores capable of processing 16 threads, the G14 is gearing itself to take the title of most powerful gaming laptop.
The processor’s prowess is complemented by NVIDIA’s RTX graphics which brings cutting edge ray tracing capabilities to the forefront. Maxing out at the NVIDIA RTX 2060 Max-Q, the Zephyrus G14 is packing quite the graphical punch. With 6GB of dedicated RAM for the GPU, you’ll be playing a majority of AAA titles on maxed out settings thanks to the 1-2 punch the Ryzen-RTX combination provides. However, if your budget doesn’t allow, the G14 also comes with options with NVIDIA’s GTX1650, GTX 1650 Ti and GTX1660 Ti.
Quick as a Zephyr with all the Flash of Lightning
The display, while smaller than your average gaming laptop, comes with options for a 120Hz refresh rate and even Quad HD resolution. The compact powerhouse comes with a 14-inch, Pantone Validated display. There are options for a 1080p, Full HD IPS display with 120Hz refresh rate or a WQHD IPS display with 60Hz refresh rate. Both options cover 100% of the sRGB gamut and come with adaptive sync and are non-glare panels for a better viewing experience even under harsh lighting.
The display isn’t the only thing that’s quick, the Zephyrus G14 comes with either 512GB or 1TB of storage. Both are PCIe m.2 NVMe SSDs which promise quick read and write speeds for better performance. They support up to 24GB of RAM with 8GB soldered in the laptop and an additional RAM slot for user expandability.
Charging on the Zephyrus G14 is gonna be a breeze with options for performance and portability. ASUS has enabled both proprietary charging and USB C power delivery (PD) charging on the laptop. The little power house supports up to 180W via charging pin and up to 65W by USB C PD. Best part, ASUS is including 2 charged in the box: a compact USB-C charger for portability and the quick charging power brick for performance. It even comes with a fingerprint sensor so you can login quick and easy with Windows Hello.
Of course, the Zephyrus G14 made waves at its initial announcement at CES2020 thanks to the AniMe matrix which comes on the lid of the laptop. Users are able to customise and personalise the laptop further with self made animations.
Pricing and Availability
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 will be available starting 29 June, 2020 with prices starting from RM4,499. Ryzen 9 powered G14s will be coming with an ROG Sleeve, the ROG Impact Mouse in addition to the 65W USB-C PD Adapter. Those powered by the Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 will be coming with the sleeve and adapter.
Official Specifications & Pricing
Series
ROG Zephyrus G14
Model Name
GA401I-VHA231T
GA401I-VHA232T
GA401I-VHE340T
GA401I-VHE341T
GA401I-UHE099T
GA401I-IHE102T
GA401I-IHE103T
GA401I-HHE027T
Design
Eclipse Gray with AniMe Matrix
Moonlight White with AniMe Matrix
Eclipse Gray with AniMe Matrix
Moonlight White with AniMe Matrix
Eclipse Gray with AniMe Matrix
Eclipse Gray with AniMe Matrix
Moonlight White with AniMe Matrix
Eclipse Gray (No AniMe Matrix)
Processor
AMD Ryzen™ 9 4900HS Processor 3.0 GHz (8M Cache, up to 4.4 GHz)
AMD Ryzen™ 7 4800HS Processor 2.9 GHz (8M Cache, up to 4.2 GHz)
AMD Ryzen™ 5 4600HS Processor 3.0 GHz (8M Cache, up to 4.0 GHz)
14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, 120Hz, 100% sRGB, Pantone® Validated, adaptive sync
RAM/Slots
DDR4 3200 8G*1 + 8G (on-board) 1x RAM Slot (used)
DDR4 3200 8G (on-board) 1x RAM Slot (empty)
Storage
PCIE NVME 1TB M.2 SSD
PCIE NVME 512GB M.2 SSD
Wi-Fi/Bluetooth
Intel Wi-Fi 6(Gig+)(802.11ax) 2*2 Bluetooth 5.0
I/O ports
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort™ 1.4 and Power Delivery 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 1 x HDMI 2.0b 1 x 3.5mm headphone and microphone combo jack 1 x Kensington lock
Power
180W power adaptor Support Type-C PD 3.0 up to 65W
150W power adaptor Support Type-C PD 3.0 up to 65W
Battery
76Wh lithium-polymer battery
Keyboard type
White backlit chiclet keyboard, N-Key rollover, Power key with Fingerprint, 1.7mm travel distance
Dimension (WxHxD)
32.4cm x 22.2cm x 2cm
32.4cm x 22.2cm x 1.8cm
Weight
1.70 kg
1.60 kg
Included in the Box
ROG Sleeve + ROG Impact Mouse + 65W PD Adapter
ROG Sleeve + 65W PD adapter
Warranty
2 Years Global Warranty (1st year with Perfect Warranty)
The baby Helios for 2020 was revealed in Next@Acer. The Acer Predator Helios 300 packs plenty of punch still with the 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H processor paired to up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX2070 GPU. You can even get up to 32BG of RAM inside the masculine body of the Helios 300 if you so wish to.
The new Helios 300 brings with it updated specs on the display with up to 240Hz refresh rate. It also brings customisation to your fingertips with the Predator app on your smartphone allowing you to tweak and customise to fit your needs.
Want more videos? Subscribe to our YouTube channel and be up to date with the latest!
Next@Acer brought plenty of things to light. One of them is a cool thin and light, the Acer Swift 5. The new Acer Swift 5 packs Intel’s next gen Core i7-1065G1 that is paired to up to an NVIDIA GeForce MX350 GPU. that also means that you get even more power for your buck. With up to 16GB of RAM too, you would not be left wanting for more speed. Of course, you still get the touch display. This time though, you have the protection of Corning’s Gorilla Glass to protect the beautiful Full HD display.
The thin and light power house is looking at on the go people looking to be productive. With everything from a touchscreen display with quick access with fingerprint unlock with Windows Hello, the Swift 5 is built to help you be productive on the go. What’s even better? You won’t have the literal weight of productivity on your shoulders with the laptop coming in at less than 1kg with it’s respectable specifications.
Want more videos? Subscribe to our YouTube channel and be up to date with the latest!
The Acer Predator Triton 300 for 2020 is the latest in the line of very alluring thin and light gaming machines from Acer’s Predator. The new “game anywhere” mean machine will pack the power of Intel’s 10th Gen Core processors and NVIDIA’s super powerful GeForce RTX2070 GPU (up to). This thing is really made to game on the go. LAN party travel anyone?
The new Triton 300 packs a punch with supped up specifications and is versatile, allowing you to game anywhere. It boasts improved power efficiency and better performance with update specifications and improved cooling. Paired with the Predator center app, you’ll be able to customise and optimise the settings so you can get the best performance out of your Triton 300 at your fingertips.
Want more videos? Subscribe to our YouTube channel and be up to date with the latest!
The Acer Nitro 5 for 2020 is finally revealed on the big stage of Next@Acer! The new Acer Nitro 5 is Acer’s latest budget friendly gaming PC that packs plenty of punch with AMD’s Ryzen 7-4800H CPU and NVIDIA GeForce GTX1650Ti graphics. This time, you get up to 32GB of RAM as well. This thing is one powerhouse on a string.
The Nitro 5 for 2020 is Acer’s answer to the likes of ASUS TUF gaming notebook PCs and even Dell Gaming PCs. It strikes a balance between gaming performance and budget. For not very much money, you are getting the power of one of the highest rated CPUs in the market combined with the power of NVIDIA’s proven GeForce GTX 1650 Ti (up to). If you are looking for value, this is value on a platter.
