Razer’s BlackShark is a popular choice among gamers. While it may not seem like it offers much in music experience, it is specifically made with gaming in mind. That means you get immersive, detailed audio in games. Its attached mic also offers clear communications when you need to talk to your friends or teammates in an intense battle. Now you can do get all of that done without being tethered to your PC.
They call it the BlackShark V2 Pro, and it follows the same recipe that made all the BlackShark that came before this one. Within the similarly designed earcups are the same Razer TriForce Titanium 50mm audio drivers as before. That also means that you are still getting a clear, detailed, immersive audio that fits your gaming needs.
You also get THX Spatial Audio tuning with the large 50mm drivers. That also means that you are getting a virtual surround sound audio with your games too. If it is shooters you are playing, you are going to be able to tell where the enemies are coming from just based on their footsteps.
Source: Razer
You still get the same microphone as the wired BlackShark V2 for clear communications with your teammates, necessary when you are in a competitive environment. For comfort, you still get the same ultra-soft FlowKnit memory foam cushions on the earcups that relieve pressure to your head and offer breathability when things get intense. It is made for eSports after all.
Other than the blacked out three-headed snake insignia that is Razer’s signature logo and blacked out exposed wires connecting the earcups, the other difference between the BlackShark V2 and BlackShark V2 Pro is it lacks wires. It is a strictly wireless headphone; means you will not find a 3.5mm jack or AUX cables in the package. Because it is wireless, it does require a power source; a battery to operate. That means it adds a bit more weight to the hardware than the wired one. It now weighs 320g, nearly 60g more than the wired version.
While you do not have an AUX jack to plug it into, you still have two options to connect your headphones to your devices. You can connect your BlackShark V2 Pro via the Razer 2.4GHz HyperSpeed Wireless dongle that offers minimal latency and the most stable wireless connection available for competitive gaming. You can also connect your Razer BlackShark V2 Pro with your smartphones via Bluetooth 5.2 that also offers low latency and stable connectivity, not as good as the wireless dongle though. The roughly 60g battery inside the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro offers up to 70 hours of battery life, allowing you to game entire sessions without worrying about the headphones dying on you.
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is now available via Razer.com, official RazerStores globally, and authorised resellers. You get to choose between the white or the black colour options. It will set you back US$ 199.99 (MYR 892*), which is quite a lot of money for a headphone, but it is Razer, and it is one of the best gaming headphones you can find in the current market. More on the BlackShark V2 Pro can be found on their website.
*Approximately based on the exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.46 as of 28/04/2023 on xe.com
Handheld gaming is a thing, an inevitable thing. Nintendo has always championed the concept and is a huge pioneer in the handheld gaming industry. The Nintendo Gameboy, for example, is one of the first and one of the most popular gaming handheld devices ever produced. It was iconic too, the namesake stayed on for a couple of generations and made way for a couple of new ideas in the handheld gaming space. It gave birth to the Nintendo Switch, partly.
The Nintendo Switch gave way and inspired many other new gaming devices that flooded the market. All that accumulates to Valve’s very own Steam Deck handheld gaming device. While not the first of its kind to play games on the Steam library while on battery, it is sort of the best solution and culmination of that concept. Then there is this new device, the new ROG Ally.
If you have scoped around the internet; YouTube especially, the ROG Ally should not be foreign to you by now. It is an ASUS manufactured handheld gaming device that mimics the concept of the Steam Deck. Unlike the Steam Deck though, it does not run its own version of Linux. It runs Windows, like a lot of the Chinese made gaming handheld that fancies itself the “Switch” of the PC gaming industry. More Specifically it runs Windows 11, making not just Steam library games available to users. You can theoretically play games from Ubisoft, Amazon Games, Epic Games, or even Origin Games.
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
The internal that keeps you happy gaming as long as the battery allows you is an integrated AMD APU. It is an AMD Ryzen Z1 series processor, not the same one you find on the latest gaming consoles for your couch. The Ryzen Z1 processor you find in the ROG Ally comes with AMD’s latest RDNA 3 architecture making it the most efficient and powerful APU of its kind found in a gaming handheld. You do need to keep it rather cool to get the best out of it though. In the restricted space that is the ROG Ally’s body is their new Zero Gravity thermal solution that keeps the internals happy with two fans pulling temperature away from ultrathin heatsink fines and high-friction heat pipes out the top of the device.
The powerful APU and cooling system projects Windows 11 and all your games on a high-resolution 7-inch display. It offers Full HD 1080p resolution, twice as much as the Steam Deck, and it is possible thanks to the powerful APU. It also offers 120Hz in refresh rate with FreeSync Premium, meaning your AAA games play smoothly and tear-free. If you wish to play in the great outdoors; because your mother has been telling you to play outside, it offers 500 nits in maximum brightness. It is also a touch sensitive display for easy Windows 11 and the Special Edition Armoury Crate navigation.
All of this is packed in a hardware that weighs only 608g. Unlike a Switch, the control panels are not detachable. But that means that the lightweight device is a solid build that you can just chuck in your bag without taking up too much space and adding too much weight in your backpack. The device is also shaped ergonomically for maximum comfort for its users with unique textures to improve grip on the device.
The ROG Ally will be launching globally on the 11th of May 2023. You can be part of that launch too on their event website. For now, that is the only information we have on ASUS’ ROG Ally. More information on the ROG Ally can be found on their website.
Acer announced their Orion X last week alongside a few new gaming laptops. The Orion X is a gaming desktop tower that weighs 9kg though. That also means that unlike a gaming laptop, if you buy a Predator Orion X, you only get the tower without any other peripherals. For you to start gaming with the Orion X, you still need a keyboard, a mouse, and probably speakers or headphones. The most important thing to get with a gaming desktop is a big ol’ gaming monitor, and Acer has announced some of them too.
Acer Nitro XZ452CU V
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
This is a little bit of a curious thing for us. We have always known Acer’s Nitro brand as the sort of entry-level gaming brand for gamers looking for the best value in gaming gear without spending a fortune. They do not need the best of the best, just something they can work with the money they are willing to spend.
This one feel more premium than it should though. It does not offer Full HD resolution. Instead, it offers a rather premium QHD resolution. It is not just QHD 1440p either, it is a 44.5-inch ultrawide 1440p resolution display. You get 5,120 by 1,440 resolution at 32:9 aspect ratio for more real estate on your monitor. That means you get to see more in your game world. You are not getting some cheap display panel that runs slower than snail too. You are getting 165Hz from this monitor with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro for a fast, smooth gameplay that is free of screen tearing. Then there are the colours this thing offers. You get 90% in DCI-P3 of colour gamut coverage, meaning it offers a rather accurate and rich projection in terms of colours. It offers VESA certified DisplayHDR 400 rating meaning it offers up to 400 nits in brightness. That is not exactly bright, but in your gaming den, it still looks good. To keep your eyes from falling off, there is BlueLightShield Pro, Flickerless, Low-Dimming, and ComfyView technologies from Acer. It also has a KVM USB hub with a USB Type-C input for display, data, and even device charging all at the same time. It even has an RJ45 port if you want to hide your network cable.
All of these means you are getting a premium gaming experience. It is an Acer Nitro gaming device; therefore, we are expecting a rather small price tag as well. We think that the Nitro XZ452CU V could be the best valued premium gaming monitor you can buy when it is available. If you are looking for something more premium though, you can get your hands on something else, a Predator.
Predator X34 V
Source: Acer
As its name suggests, it is a smaller display at 34-inch compared to the 44.5-inch from the newly launched Nitro. It is still an ultra-wide panel, but just a little shorter than the Nitro. But it is a much nicer panel you get over the Nitro too.
Instead of a regular IPS, or run-of-the-mill VA panel, you get a brilliant looking OLED panel. The OLED panel offers 3,440 and 1,440 pixels to you at VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 400, thanks to the OLED technology. It also offers 99% coverage in DCI-P3 colour gamut for the most vivid colours and image you can get currently.
It is a Predator gaming monitor; you can expect it to be fast. The 1800R curved panel offers 175Hz in refresh rate and Grey-to-Grey response time is brought down to 0.1ms for the most responsive and smoothest gaming experience you can get from a monitor. It comes with AMD’s FreeSynch Premium and Variable Refresh Rate technology for not only a tear-free gaming experience, but a reduced power consumption to save on your electricity bill (not a lot, but savings are still savings). It also offers Acer’s suite of eye protection technology like BlueLightShield Pro, Flickerless, Low-Dimming, ComfyView, and EyeSafe 2.0.
Price and Availability
The Predator X34 V and Nitro XZ452CU V will both be available in the North American markets in the fourth quarter of 2023. We are expecting that Malaysia would get the new monitors just a little later than the North American markets. The larger Nitro XZ452CU V, to no one’s surprise, will start at US$ 999.99 (MYR 4,438*), cheaper than the Predator X34 V. The Predator X34 V starts at US$ 300 more than the Nitro at US$ 1,299.99 (MYR 5,769*). There are no official prices for Malaysia just yet. More on Acer’s new Nitro XZ452CU V and Predator X34 V can be found on their website.
*approximately based on the exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.44 as of 24/04/2023 on xe.com
They say if you are looking for a desktop PC, you do not buy a pre-built desktop set. While that may generally be true, we think that there are some exceptions. We think Acer’s Predator Orion gaming towers are part of that exception.
Pre-built desktop towers do have their place still in the personal computing market. It is for those who want the convenience of a PC tower without the hassle and knowledge of picking the right parts at the right prices and putting them together yourself. A pre-built gaming PC like the Orion set-up is made for those who just want the best plug-and-play gaming solution so that they can focus on the gaming instead of the whole process of putting a PC together.
Most of the time, when you buy a pre-built gaming tower though, you get a mid-size tower that can take up a little bit of space on your desktop. Not the new Predator Orion X that Acer has just introduced in their next@Acer 2023 though.
The Power of Orion
Source: Acer
Welcome to what is probably the most advanced Predator desktop tower ever made, the Predator Orion X. It is Acer’s most powerful gaming PC to date, and it is not hard to see why. It packs Intel’s very rare and very powerful Intel Core i9-13900KS Special Edition. Alongside the most powerful Intel processor you can buy today is also the most powerful GPU you can find on the market today – the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU. You get up to 32GB in RAM and up to 2TB in storage. Those components are not just what made the Orion X the most advanced and unique Predator desktop to date though. It is the size of the Orion X that makes it the most unique Predator product to date.
It is packed in a rather small case, smaller than the outgoing Orion 3000, half of the Orion 3000 in fact. While small form factor PCs are not something new, how clever the Predator is though, the compact desktop industry could learn a thing or two from the construction of the Predator Orion X. The way Predator constructs the Predator Orion X allows easy access to the components for future upgrades and even cooling avenues for the powerful hardware.
No, the Founder’s Edition NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU will not fit into this little case. Yes, the Founder’s Edition NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the smallest air-cooled RTX 4090 card there is. Who said anything about air cooling the graphics card though?
Advanced Cooling Solution
Source: Acer
The Predator Orion X’s CPU and GPU are both liquid-cooled, a first in the Predator Orion line-up. The custom liquid-cooling solution allows the graphics card package to be a lot more compact than even the Founder’s Edition card for a package as small as the Orion X. It also keeps the CPU running happily to its limits without the worry of restricted airflow in a smaller case.
Predator’s think tanks have designed the chassis to have three distinct “zones” as they put it. They divided the chassis into three different compartments for both easy access and optimum airflow to each powerful component. Zone 1, or the first compartment, at the right side of the chassis is where you find the main motherboard and CPU components. Easy access to the mother board also allows you to conveniently replace or upgrade your SSD. You can also easily swap out your PSU (Power Supply Unit) from Zone 1. Then you have Zone 2, right behind Zone 1 where you can easily access the GPU unit. There are also 2.5-inch SATA SSD trays and slots here for you to add even more storage to the compact PC. Zone 3 sits at the top of the desktop tower. There, you get access to the fan and 240mm radiator for the custom liquid-cooled loop. The pump for this radiator set-up sits on top of the CPU cooling block to keep things even more compact.
Sci-Fi Level Access
Source: Acer
They say that the Predator Orion X is inspired by Sci-fi, more specifically a space capsule. The entire thing, including the liquid cooling system weighs only 9kg. With “sci-fi” in mind, they used plenty of aluminium on the chassis; the top and side panels are made of aluminium. The front has some aluminium that houses some RGB strips to create that signature Predator logo. It is covered by a glass panel just to add to the drama and sci-fi feel and look. To make it even cleverer though, all the essential panels can be disassembled without tools. The latches holding on to the top and side panels are conveniently and cleverly numbered, accessible from the front panel. The only thing holding the latches in place is the glass cover that attaches to the front panel via magnets, so that is tool-less too.
It is not like you are sacrificing much in terms of connectivity with the compact Predator Orion X too. The motherboard packs Killer Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi 6E support so that you can place the Predator Orion X anywhere in your house and game online without the fear of unstable connections. It is also especially useful for LAN parties, if we must point out. There are two USB 3.2 Gen1 USB Type-A and Type-C ports easily accessed at the front panel. The front panel also offers a 3.5mm combo jack in case you want a robust headphone set-up to go with your Orion X. Of course, if you prefer a more wired interface for the internet, theres is the usual RJ45 port at the back alongside three USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, and a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C port.
Price and Availability
The Predator Orion X will be available in the North American markets in September 2023 onward. No colour options to choose from here, just the signature black that any Predator Orion products come with. Prices will start at US$ 2,999 (MYR 13,310*). There are no confirmations on its availability date just yet in Malaysia. For more information on Predator Orion X, you can head over to their website.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1= MYR 4.44 as of 22/04/2023 on xe.com
You want a Predator gaming laptop, but you may not have a budget that could fit a Predator gaming laptop. That may not be the case any longer with Acer’s latest announcement. They announced their latest, value-for-money Predator Helios Neo 16, an accessible Predator gaming laptop that still offers everything that makes a Predator gaming laptop unique, but at a fraction of the usual Predator cost. It is also one of the more unique looking Predator laptops to date.
But if you are looking for unique though, nothing comes close to Acer Predator’s latest Helios 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition, a glasses-free 3D gaming laptop that is sure to turn heads, kind of literally. The new Helios 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition follows up from its predecessor with even more powerful hardware and even cleverer stereoscopic 3D technology and even more certified games than ever before.
Predator Helios Neo 16
The new Predator Helios Neo 16 stands out amongst the current line-up of the Predator Helios line-up with an exclusive shell design. The shell boasts laser-etched encrypted codes on top of the signature abyssal-black anodized aluminium cover. Apparently, there is a hidden message with the etched code, we just do not know what it leads to.
The laser-etched shell houses a 16-inch 16:10 aspect ratio IPS display. The IPS panel offers up to WQXGA resolution at a speedy 165Hz and 3ms response time. The IPS panel offers 100% coverage of the sRGB colour gamut. The display supports NVIDIA’s G-SYNC for tear-free gaming experience as well even in the most intense gaming situations.
To keep games running optimally on the WQXGA resolution at 165Hz, the Predator Helios Neo 16 houses a powerful Intel Core i7-13700HX (up to) and up to NVIDIA’s latest GeForce RTX 4070 laptop GPU with up to 140W MGP. The powerful processors are paired with up to 32GB of dual-channel DDR5 RAM with up to 4800 MHz transfer speeds and up to 2TB of fast SSD storage for a speedy gaming and seamless multitasking experience.
Of course, the powerful internals inside the Helios Neo 16 needs a beefy cooling system. Inside the unique chassis, you can find Predator’s latest redesigned 5th generation Aeroblade 3D with custom-engineered metal fan combined with liquid metal technology for more efficient and effective thermal dissipation.
Predator Helios 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition
To be fair, Acer’s SpatialLabs technology is nothing new. Acer launched the SpatialLabs initiative a few years prior to the last generation of the SpatialLabs equipped Predator Helios gaming laptop. When it was launched it was also aimed at mostly the medical and creative industries.
Predator saw a different use case for it though. The Predator Helios 3D 15 SpatialLabs is the culmination of Acer’s know how in stereoscopic glasses-free 3D technology. The 15.6-inch display works with the 3D SpatialLabs sensors above the display and TrueGame application that offers an even better glasses-free 3D gaming experience that is even better than ever before. The application now supports two 3D gaming modes, 3D+ and 3D Ultra and supports over 70 gaming titles including certain AAA titles with more to come.
To ensure that you can enjoy smooth 3D gaming experience, the Predator Helios 3D 15 SpatialLabs edition is offered with up to Intel’s latest 13th generation Core i9-13900HX processor alongside NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4080 laptop GPU. With up to 32GB of DDR5-5600 MHz onboard memory, 3D gameplay should be smooth and seamless. Of course, those internals are also good productivity and other supported 3D applications.
Price and Availability
The Predator Helios Neo 16 and Predator Helios 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition are both only available in Predator’s signature Abyssal-Black colour option. The two gaming laptops will be available in the North American market from May and June 2023 onwards respectively. The Predator Helios Neo 16 will se you back from US$ 1,199 (MYR 5,319*) while the Predator Helios 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition will start at US$ 3,499 (MYR 15,523*). There are no mentions on their official pricing and availability in Malaysia just yet, but a close source to us tells us that the Predator Helios Neo 16 is coming sooner than you think. More information on the Predator Helios Neo 16 and Predator Helios 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition can be found on their website.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.44 as of 21/04/2023 on xe.com.
Predator just very recently launched their Predator Helios 16 and Helios 18 in Malaysia. These new laptops represent the best of the Helios line-up with their new-school design. They also come with Intel’s latest 13th Generation Core processors to boot and NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs for the best gaming experience you can find on a laptop. But what if the Helios laptops are a just a tad unwieldy, a little out of reach? Then you need the Triton series.
Predator Triton 17 X
You need a workstation, an all-in-one device you can work off from your desk. Most of the time, a desktop replacement at this size would be a little on the unwieldy no thanks to its size and heft. Predator’s Triton 17 X is a little different.
It is still a large 17-inch laptop meant to replace your desktop set-up at home, but it is also thin. It measures in at less than 22mm, thinner than most laptops packing the power that the Triton 17 X packs. The power packed inside the Triton 17 X adds to a lot of the heft though at 3kg. It is still lighter than most desktop replacements you can find in the market.
What kind of power, you ask? The Predator Triton 17 X is Acer Predator’s most powerful gaming laptop to date. On top of Intel’s latest 13th Generation Core i19-13900HX (up to) CPU, the Predator Triton 17 X is the only gaming laptop in Predator’s stables with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4090 (up to) GPU inside the laptop. You pair these to up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM with up to 5600 Hz of transfer speeds. You also get up to 4TB of fast SSD storage with RAID 0 for even faster read and write speeds to keep up with the most demanding games of today.
All of these is projected to a 17-inch mini-LED display that offers WQXGA (up to) resolution with 16:10 aspect ratio. The Mini-LED panel is one of the fastest available of its kind in the market too at 250Hz refresh rate. For enjoyment in both movie watching and gaming, the Mini-LED display is one of the brightest in its class at about 1,000 nits for DisplayHDR 1000 certification. The DisplayHDR 1000 certified display also offers up to 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio for even more details even in a dark image. The panel also offers 100% of DCI-P3 colour gamut for lifelike colour reproduction and immersive experience like no other.
It is not an all-out workstation just meant for large and heavy tasks though. It is also a mobile workhorse designed to ensure that you still can get your work done quickly and conveniently. Thanks to NVIDIA’s Advanced Optimus technology, the Triton 17 X switches between the discrete GeForce RTX GPU and integrated graphics for extended battery life whenever it is necessary. Of course, if you need it, NVIDIA’s G-SYNC ensures that you get a tear-free gaming experience.
The kind of power this beast of a thing requires some very powerful yet clever cooling solutions too. To ensure that the Triton 17 X’s internals can be pushed to its full potential without destroying itself, Predator’s 5th Generation Aeroblade 3D with specially engineered metal fans is beefed up with three fans for up to 10% more airflow than before. The new vapor chamber heat pipe design with liquid metal technology ensures that thermal transfer happens as efficiently and as effectively as possible to keep the CPU and GPU running optimally for a long time.
Covering the powerful internals is a per-key RGB keyboard array with a large glass touchpad and fingerprint reader. There is also a powerful DTS:X Ultra audio system that is more powerful than before.
The combination of Intel’s Killer e3100G+ and Wi-FI 6E AX1690i ethernet and wireless connectivity ensures that lag and disruptions during online gaming sessions a thing of the past. If you are working with multiple set-ups at home, you get two Thunderbolt 4 capable USB Type-C ports that allows you to project to up to two 4K displays or a single 8K display while being charged at 100W. For the content creators, there is also an SD card slot to ensure that you can work on your media files seamlessly.
Predator Triton 14
If the Triton 17 X is a little too hefty still, especially for remote working, then the Triton 14 is for you. The Acer Predator Triton 14, to be fair, is not something too new. It is a follow up to the Predator Triton 300 series. It features the Triton 300 SE’s designs, that clean shiny silver look.
Of course, with a smaller real estate, it comes with certain compromises. You only get Intel’s Core i7-13700H (up to) CPU paired with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070. You also get up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM for good measure. To keep everything nice and cool is Predator’s 5th generation Aeroblade 3D fan technology and Vortex Flow airflow optimization with liquid metal technology. All of this is packed into a package that is only 19.9mm thin.
The Windows 11 OS is projected via an impressive 14-inch Mini LED display that offers up to WQXGA resolution with up to 16:10 aspect ratio to make short work of your productivity needs. The 16:10 aspect ratio also offers a more immersive experience. At 250Hz, up to DisplayHDR 600 brightness, and 100% coverage in DCI-P3 colour gamut, you will not be missing a thing even in intense situations.
Price and Availability
The Acer Predator Triton 17 X will be available in the North American market in May 2023 onward with prices starting at US$ 3,799 (MYR 16,854*). The Acer Predator Triton 14 will also be available in North American markets May 2023 onward with prices starting from US$ 2,399 (MYR 10,643*). There are no mentions on their official availability dates or pricing just yet for Malaysia. We are guessing that they will be available in Malaysia in the coming months though. For more information on the Acer Predator Triton 17 X and Predator Triton 14, you can visit their websites.
*Approximately based on the conversion rate of 1 US$ = MYR 4.44 as of 20/04/2023 on xe.com
If you are looking for a flagship smartphone experience like no other, you are spoiled by choice today. You can choose between offerings from Samsung, OnePlus, OPPO, HONOR, Xiaomi, and even Apple, if you please. The thing is these manufacturers make rather similar smartphones. They always come in the same recipe – metallic frame, glass backing that houses a high-resolution camera, and a glass front that protects a rather large high-resolution display. They also always promised some sort of state-of-the-art cooling solution. If you are looking for something different, the flagship from these manufacturers might not cut it.
For a while now, if you have been looking for a different flavour on your flagship smartphone, you can go the route of gaming smarpthones from the likes of Razer, Blackshark, and most recently, Lenovo. But these manufacturers have sort of phased out too. There are no more Blackshark smartphones for 2023, Razer has not updated their Razer Phone line up, and Lenovo has yet to update their latest handheld gaming creation. The only one we can look to right now is ASUS and their ROG Phone. In that case if you want a unique flagship smartphone for 2023, ASUS’ ROG Phone series is the one for you.
Welcome to the ASUS ROG Phone 7 series, the latest creation from the skunkworks of ASUS. It is the latest and currently the most powerful gaming smartphone you have ever seen. As with any previous ASUS ROG Phone devices, it is one of the most striking looking devices you have laid your eyes on, at least amongst all the flagships you can find in the current market.
Formidable Power
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
It packs an immensely powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform. Alongside the powerful system on a chip (SoC) is a 16GB LPDDR5X RAM (up to) and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. All these are designed so that the top-of-the-line ASUS ROG Phone works through games as fast as the current technology allows. It is made to be the ultimate expression of a gaming handheld that is also a smartphone.
Wrapped around the powerful uniquely tuned internals is something ASUS calls the GameCool 7 thermal control system. That means you get even an even better gaming performance out of the ROG Phone 7 smartphone than any other flagship you can find in the current market. At the same time, the new cooling system keeps the smartphone running at a lower temperature over regular flagship smartphones while keeping power consumption lower than even regular smartphones. They say the new GameCool 7 system offers a new rapid-cycle vapor chamber design that offers 168% heat dissipation efficiency that the ROG Phone that came before.
Better Audio, Better Cooling, Better Controls
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
The result is a quite a beefy shell with a few tricks up its sleeves. Within the beefy device is a new stereo speaker that is said to be 50% more powerful than before. The new speaker system is also tuned by Dirac, an audio specialist. You can also turn it into a 2.1 channel system when you attach the new AeroActive Cooler 7 accessory to the device. If you prefer a more personal experience in a crowd, the Dirac tuned Dirac Virtuo 3.5mm headphone jack offers an unparalleled theatre-like spatial sound experience. If you prefer a more wireless approach, the Snapdragon Sound technology offers super-low-latency high-fidelity Bluetooth audio experience.
The new AeroActive Cooler 7 attachment is one of the things that makes the ROG Phone 7 series even more unique than ever before. It offers a cooling solution that does not just cool the glass surface of the device’s back, the new fan design allows for more effective basic active cooling, but a unique AeroActive Portal air inlet system allows the fan to cycle even more air throughout the device’s internals for even more efficient cooling.
ASUS also kept certain things that kept the ROG Phone unique since its inception. One of them is the Air Trigger ultrasonic buttons at the side of the device that offers even more control avenues and options of the ROG Phone device. It is also what gives users of the ROG Phone even more advantage in an already overpowered gaming device in games. It is not the basic haptic feedback touch buttons that they used to be in the first ASUS ROG Phone though. The latest AirTrigger offers a slew of gesture controls including Dual Action, Press and Lift, and even Gyroscope gaming, just like the Nintendo Switch and even the Steam Deck for fine tuning your aim. Within the ROG Phone 7 series devices are 10 motion controls and X-axis liner motors that offers powerful haptic feedback like no other smartphone can.
The Best Display Ever
All these things great hardware goes into creating the most immersive gaming experience you can have on a smartphone with a large Samsung AMOLED display that offers up to 165Hz in refresh rate. The panel also offers up to 720Hz in sampling rate for the lowest-in-class input latency, useful in gaming. The Pixelworks tuned AMOLED panel also offers ΔE<1 and a maximum of 1,500 nits in brightness for not only stunning, colour accurate visuals indoors, but also outdoors.
For the ASUS ROG Phone 7 Ultimate there is an additional matrix colour display that sits at the back of the device they call the ROG Vision. The feature, first presented in the ROG Phone 6 Ultimate offers users extra information like charging status, incoming calls, X Mode activation, personalized animations, and even more.
Price and Availability
ASUS Malaysia has confirmed that the ASUS ROG Phone 7 series will make its way to Malaysia by the 10th of May 2023. There is no official pricing just yet for Malaysia. In Europe though, prices start at EUR€ 999, which is about MYR 4,849*. It will be available in Phantom Black and Storm White colour options. For more information on the ROG Phone 7 series, you can always visit ASUS’ website.
*Approximately based on the exchange rate of EUR€ 1 = MYR 4.85 on xe.com as of 18/04/2023
Acer’s Predator Helios series of laptops are, in their own rights, some of the most powerful gaming laptops you can buy today. The Helios 300 platform with Intel’s 12th Generation Core processors alongside NVIDIA’s finest in the form of the GeForce RTX 30 series GPUs are some of the most potent combinations for gaming laptops. That was in 2022 though.
It is 2023, Intel and NVIDIA have moved on from their 12th generation and GeForce RTX 30 series components respectively. Intel have launched their even more powerful 13th Generation of mobile computing chips. NVIDIA have also announced their new GPU platform for mobile computers, the GeForce RTX 40 series. The Predator Helios 300 then, is outdated.
No matter though, Acer has just launched their latest Predator flagship laptop in Malaysia. The Helios name stays, but it is a little different. Welcome to the Predator Helios 16 and Helios 18.
Dropping off the 300 or 500 or 700 moniker, in our opinions, is a step toward the right direction in streamlining their products. Instead, the numbers behind now represents the laptop’s screen size. In the case of the Predator Helios 16 and Helios 18 then, you get a 16-inch and 18-inch Helios gaming laptops.
Predator Helios 18
We start with the big one, literally, the Predator Helios 18, the 18-inch full fat variant of the Predator Helios flagship. It is meant to be a desktop replacement though, so you should not stress about bringing it about. Yes, it is heavy at 3.16kg.
With a larger body though, comes more real estate for cooling systems. As with any other Predator product, the Helios 18 packs their 5th Generation 3D Aeroblade aluminium fan that keeps your gaming laptop cool in intense gaming conditions as well as ensuring that dust build up is not a problem. The cooling solution ensures that the 13th generation Intel Core i9 (up to) runs optimally even at high loads. It also keeps the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (up to) Ada Lovelace chips as cool as they can be in this package. Alongside the powerful CPU and GPU, you can opt for up to 32GB in DDR5 memory paired with up to 2TB of speedy storage.
You get a beautiful 18-inch IPS display too to enjoy all kinds of AAA games you might want to play on the Helios 18. It fits in the body of a traditional 17-inch notebook thanks to the clever 16:10 aspect ratio. No, you are not getting a measly Full HD resolution display either. It is now a WQXGA display (2560 x 1600 pixels), which is just a little more than 1440p. The display even boasts a 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 wide colour gamut, meaning you are getting very lifelike colours and graphics offering an immersive experience like no colour. On top of that, you get up to 240Hz to ensure that you can keep up with the best in competitive titles. With up to 500 nits in brightness, you do not even have to dim your room to game.
The keyboard is a step up from before too. You now get mini-LED backlighting that offers more efficient backlight system. It is not the plain ol’ 4-zone RGB backlighting system too. Instead, it is a per-key RGB system that allows you to completely customize your keyboard to your heart’s content.
To control all of this, you have the new PredatorSense 4 control software. The new PredatorSense is designed to be more streamlined and cleverer than ever before. The software also allows you to store multiple profiles for different lighting setups for different games too. Moreover, NVIDIA’s clever Advanced Optimus offers the Predator Helios 18 even longer battery life by switching between integrated graphics and discrete GPU whichever is required at different times.
Predator Helios 16
The Predator Helios 16 may be small, but it is still no slouch compared to the Helios 18. You get to choose and opt for all the hardware the Helios 18 gets. That means you still get the power of the 24-core 13th generation Intel Core i9 (up to). You also get to enjoy the full might of a modern NVIDIA GPU in the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (up to) all in a smaller, more portable body.
You compromise a little on the display though. Instead of 18-inch, you get 16 inches of IPS goodness. It still refreshes at 240hz and boasts WQXGA resolution at 16:10 aspect ratio. All of this just so that it fits in a laptop body that traditionally fits 15-inch displays.
Price and Availability
The new Predator Helios 16 and Helios 18 are both available for pre-order from now to the end of April 2023. The Helios 16 starts at 8,999 while the Helios 18 will set you back from MYR 9,999 onward. If you do pre-order your Predator Helios laptop, you are entitled to a free gift package worth MYR 1,627 in total. That package includes a 175hz refresh rate gaming monitor from Acer’s Nitro stables, the XV272U gaming monitor. For more information on Predator’s latest gaming laptops, you can visit their website.
Technically, this is not the first we heard of Samsung partnering with AMD to bring Radeon graphics into the mobile space. AMD technically licensed their RDNA architecture to Samsung in 2019. That partnership gave birth to something called the Samsung Xclipse, a mobile GPU with AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture built into it. It was the first of the world’s mobile GPU with ray-tracing and variable rate shading capabilities. It was also rumoured to match the performances of modern gaming consoles.
Samsung Xclipse did not see the light of day in our everyday products though. While we expected Samsung to integrate the product in to their Samsung Galaxy S flagship smartphones and Galaxy Tab S tablets, it never really happened. Instead, the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy Tab S line-up today features a third-party Qualcomm Snapdragon system on a chip (SoC). You will not be able to opt for Samsung’s in-house Exynos chips with the flagship devices too globally, because that high-end Exynos chip does not exist as of yet.
That might change in the coming iterations of Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab S device though. As per the title, Samsung has just signed a new licensing agreement with AMD. This agreement is not a renewal, but rather an expansion of the original agreement with AMD. The expansion now allows Samsung to integrate AMD’s Radeon RDNA architecture into an expanded portfolio, that includes more Exynos chips. This is where it could get interesting.
The expansion could allow Samsung to integrate the RDNA 2, or even RDNA 3 technology into their latest Exynos chips. While Samsung has yet to reveal a high-end world beater SoC, they are putting their Exynos chips into mid-range smartphones. You could potentially get a Samsung Galaxy A series smartphone with RDNA 2 or even RDNA 3 built into their Exynos platform. That also means that Samsung could boast console level gaming experience on their more accessible mid-range smartphone series. In that case, their mid-range smartphones could be a lot more appealing than flagship smartphone if all you are looking for in your smartphone is raw processing power.
The expansion could also mean that Samsung has been holding back on high-end Exynos chips because they have been working with AMD behind closed doors to offer that fabled Exynos SoC with RDNA 2 or even RDNA 3 graphics architecture in tow. In which case, they might have bragging rights in introducing the world’s first flagship smartphone that is capable of hardware ray-tracing and variable rate shading. You will also get console level gaming experience out of the device, obviously.
The thing is, we are not expecting to see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series with Samsung’s Exynos with AMD Radeon graphics in tow anytime soon. The soonest we can expect to see the AMD Radeon name gracing a Samsung Galaxy device is probably in 2024, with the Samsung Galaxy S24. Even that is a far-fetched speculation we think and a very early one at that. All we can do currently is wait.
You should be familiar with ASUS’ ROG if you are a gamer. In the recent years, the brand has been paving the way in introducing rather absurd concepts for gamers. They revolutionized gaming laptops with ultra-thin offerings like the Zephyrus line-up. They managed to normalize the use of GPU docks with their thin-and-light ROG Flow series for laptops. Within the ROG Flow product booklet is now also a very curious, and very powerful gaming tablet, the ROG Flow Z13.
The ROG Flow Z13 is really that, a gaming tablet without the restriction of a keyboard. Sure, it comes with a keyboard case that can be connected to the tablet, but it really is just an all in one screen that runs Windows and is capable of slaying in DOTA 2 without much of a fuss if you want it to.
Within the rather restricted and thin body of this tablet, you get Intel’s latest and very powerful Core i9-13900H processor alongside NVIDIA’s modest GeForce RTX 4050 GPU. You have 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM too inside the tablet. To make things trundle along faster and make it more powerful, you can opt to get an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 XG mobile dock to pair along with your GPU at home for the ultimate gaming experience (for mobile PC gaming set-ups anyway).
ASUS ROG is also known to have collaborations with brands from other industries to further innovate their products or to offer matching accessories for their products. They have an IKEA collaboration to produce ROG themed furniture for your all ROG gaming set-up at home. They have collaborated with Alan Walker to produce an Alan Walker special gaming laptop that also doubles as your music mixing station when you go to parties. Of course, the Alan Walker special collaboration also entails some Alan Walker x ROG special apparels.
Their latest collaboration with ACRONYM produces something a little unexpected though. ASUS ROG and ACRONYM have introduced a new gaming tablet based on the ROG Flow Z13. No, it does not only get a fresh coat of paint and design, they have added some high-end power to make this even more ‘ultimate’ than the already extreme gaming table that the regular ROG Flow Z13 is.
ASUS ROG X ACRONYM – ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
They call it the ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02, and it is not just a mouthful, it is a handful too. ACRONYM, to those who are not familiar, is an apparel design studio that produces their own brand of apparels and accessories. They are based in Munich, Germany and specialize in outrageous looking, functional outfits that are made with the highest and innovative materials. You might have seen some Nike shoes and apparels that bears the ACRONYM name brand. You might also have seen a BE@RBRICK custom design by ACRONYM. More prominently, if you are a Kojima Hideo fan, the game Death Stranding is full of ACRONYM’s designed clothing. This is not ACRONYM’s first time collaborating with ASUS ROG too.
Same-Same, but Different
The ACRONYM designed Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 does not look like the gaming tablet that it was based on. There is a good reason for that. The entire backplate has been redesigned and fitted with milled aluminium. It is not just striking looks that ACRONYM and ROG wants to show, the milled aluminium backplate is functional too. There are visible shock pads on all four corners of the tablets and also strategically placed all of the backplate for a maximized grip on any kind of surface you might have it on. They are also there to ensure that there is still a good gap to the surface for maximized airflow with the array of air intake ports milled to the backplate. Of course, to ensure you have the best viewing angle on your tablet, there is the built-in kickstand made with the same milled aluminium material for added rigidity and some shock pads to keep it from moving around the table too much.
The design is not just optimized for protection and cooling though. It is designed with mobility and portable application in mind. Included with the ROG X ACRONYM ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 is a carrying strap that is designed to attach to the attachment points on the tablet’s aluminium shell for and optimized carrying posture for the tablet. The strap mechanism also allows you to work with the tablet while tethered to your body, so that you can work off it at any given time without the delay and hassle of finding a seat, useful in the trains. They quoted a better grip for the ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02, though we do not recommend you holding on to it for too long even with the original ROG Flow Z13. The original ROG Flow Z13 weighs as much as a thin-and-light laptop at 1.18kg, the ACRONYM designed one with all-aluminium chassis weighs even more at 1.32kg.
The Beast Inside
Source: ASUS
It is not just an upgrade you get with the exterior. Thanks to the extra ventilation and more efficient cooling, ROG can fit even more powerful hardware into the chassis. While the original ROG Flow Z13 only gets NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4050, the ACRONYM designed beast of a tablet gets NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4070 treatment. Everything else about the tablet sort of remains the same.
The Windows 11 tablet comes with Intel’s 13th Generation Core i9-13900H 14-core processor that clocks at 2.6GHz and can boost up to 5.4GHz. Alongside the upgraded GPU, you also get more RAM at 32GB over the 16GB of the original ROG Flow Z13. You also get 1TB in SSD storage at that.
Source: ASUS
The powerful internals power an ROG Nebula certified display. It is a 13.4-inch IPS panel offering QHD+ 16:10 aspect ratio in resolution. To get the best in colour reproduction it is a glossy glass panel that protects the IPS panel behind it. The 13.4-inch QHD+ display also offers 165Hz in refresh rate for the best gaming experience you can get on a tablet today. On top of that, you can be sure to enjoy movies with the Dolby Vision HDR support.
For total immersive experience, ASUS fitted a powerful 2 speaker system with Smart Amp technology into the tablet. The speakers are even Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res certified to offer the best-in-class audio experience. In case you need to communicate with your teammates, you have an AI noise-cancelling 3-mic array for a decent make-do team-comms experience with it.
To ensure that your mobile gaming experience is not disrupted, the WiFi 6E dual-band WiFi will ensure the most stable connection with a WiFi 6 capable network. Of course, since it is a tablet, you might be using more wireless accessories with it. Bluetooth 5.2 is sure to reduce latency and offer some stable connection for your accessories.
The battery is the only cause for concern though. There is a 56Wh battery, which is large for a tablet. With the kind of power this beast is packing though, the 56Wh battery might not last you too long. The kind of power you pack also is the reason why you have a 130W USB Type-C charger to g with the ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02. It also comes with a keyboard cover, that adds another 400g to the total set-up on-the-go.
Price and Availability
The ASUS ROG X ACRONYM ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 is now available in Malaysia. It is a limited-edition item though, just 14 units will make it into the country. As of this writing, it seems that ASUS ROG has sold out all 14 units. If you are interested to get your hands on one, you want to prepare MYR 12,999 for one. More on the ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 can be found on their website.
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