The doors to Sanctuary are about to open with the looming launch of Diablo IV. But, a select few will have the privilege to enter before anyone else during the Open Beta which will be happening from March 24 until March 26. Early Access happens the weekend before from March 17 to March 19.
Source: Blizzard
The Early Access and the Open Beta allow players to play through the prologue and first act of the game with a level cap of Level 25. In addition, players who complete the available content before the end of the early access and open beta are able to continue slaying the hordes of hell even after completing the available content. However, they will not be able to progress beyond the level cap. Given the open-world take on the gothic dungeon crawler, this should give players a better feel for what’s coming when the game launches on 6 June.
That said, it should be noted that the experiences during this time will be, as the name suggests, in beta. Players who do take part in the Early Access and Open Beta will be actively involved in the development of the game and will encounter bugs and glitches which will help the team at Blizzard deliver a better end product.
To be part of the early access beta, you will need to redeem your “Beta Early Access” code that you registered for earlier. This can be done at the Diablo IV beta website. If you’ve pre-purchased Diablo IV, you’ll automatically be able to access the early access and open beta. The open beta and early access will be happening across PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. Those using consoles for the beta will be given a redeemable code for a beta copy of the game upon registration and redemption of the “Beta Early Access” code. Keep in mind, each code can only be redeemed for one platform.
Samsung’s TVs and displays are some of the most sought-after displays in the market. Their Odyssey gaming monitors, QLED and QD-OLED TVs are some of the most complete and advanced displays that are currently on the market. However, when it comes to displays, the company is also known for providing industry-leading displays to commercial clients like cinemas.
The company is now bringing its new The Wall All-in-One and Odyssey Ark to Malaysia. The Wall is one of Samsung’s most versatile offerings allowing users to combine 1x1m squares to create a seamless display of any size. With The Wall All-in-One, Samsung is upping the ante and bringing a complete smart TV experience to the lineup.
Source: Samsung
The new All-in-One version comes with a built-in control box and features panels that are a mere 49mm thin. With Samsung’s Black Seal technology, the blacks produced by the panels are purer with enhanced depth and details. This is complemented by the company’s Ultra Chroma technology which uses narrower wavelengths to produce RGB colours that are twice as pure and more accurate compared to conventional LEDs.
The Odyssey Ark is a large, curved gaming monitor which takes immersion to the next level. The 55-inch 100R rotating gaming screen features a refresh rate of 165Hz and a 1ms grey-to-grey (GtG) response time. With an all-new Cockpit mode and Ark Dial controller, the gaming monitor is set to bring console and PC gamers to the next level.
Source; Samsung
It’s not just a display, the Odyssey Ark also comes with four speakers and two central woofers that provide an immersive soundscape with Samsung’s Sound Dome technology. It’s also Dolby Atmos certified.
Pricing & Availability
The Samsung Odyssey Ark and The Wall All-in-One displays are currently available in Malaysia at the Senheng x Samsung Premium Experience Store at the Shoppes at Four Seasons Place in Kuala Lumpur. Prices are as follows:
Mechanical keyboards are the current fad. Everyone wants one, but not every person needs one. They are nice things to have, and the choices are currently endless, especially when you take custom keyboards into account these days.
Custom keyboards are complex though. You need to make endless choices between the huge selection of mechanical switches, to keycaps, to the case, plates, and even the circuit board itself. What if you just want a fuss free experience and get yourself a nice mechanical keyboard that games well and works for your daily use? Why not just get a Razer keyboard? Why not the latest Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro.
The BlackWidow V4 Pro, as its name suggests, is not necessarily a new series of keyboards from Razer. It is an evolution of one of their highest rated gaming peripherals, the quintessential gaming keyboard. The evolution added a new control dial on the top left corner of the keyboard too, which adds an extra layer of control from your keyboard.
The Command Dial
Source: Razer
They call it the Command Dial and they allow you to program it to whatever your heart pleases. They say you can program the dial with up to 100 different functions. Both clockwise and counter-clockwise movements could have different functions too, even if it is a regular volume-up or -down commands. For the creatives, you might find it useful for your creative applications. We can imagine programming the dial to scrub through video footages in Adobe’s Premiere Pro app. There is also backlighting for the dial so you can easily identify it even if you are working under less-than-optimal lighting conditions.
If you are not into customizing your own functions and prefer the simple plug-and-play solution, there are up to eight different default functions for the dial. You get to choose between window zooming to tab switching, giving you more convenience especially for research purposes. You can even toggle between its modes and functions by clicking the Command Dial. Each program has their own backlight colour too for easy identification. Alongside the Command Dial, lined up below, are five programmable macro keys you can program for easy access to differing functions in different applications or games. There are three more macro keys on the edge of the keyboard for even more quick-launch, or quick-access programmed into the keyboard.
Razer Chroma RGB
Source: Razer
Of course, the keyboard is not a Razer product without RGB. Specifically, you get Razer’s very famous Chroma RGB function built into the keyboard. It is a high-end keyboard after all, and that is why each keys get their own addressable RGB diode. There is even a 38-zone underglow RGB that can also be programmed separately. The included magnetic wrist rest extends the underglow RGB too. All the RGB is controlled by Razer’s proprietary Synapse program. If you have other Razer Chroma RGB peripherals, you can easily synchronize the lighting program via Synapse. Razer’s Synapse also works with other select addressable RGB products that are Chroma Connect compatible. You can even synchronize your RGB program to over 200 supported games for that matter.
The Mechanics
Source: Razer
Of course, the BlackWidow V4 Pro comes with mechanical switches. They are not ordinary mechanical switches though. They are Razer’s very own mechanical switches. You can choose between a Razer Green Clicky for a better tactile feel, or Razer’s Yellow Linear for smooth, silent functions. The switches are tested to up to 100-million keystrokes as well, so you know it will last you a while. We think the linear option will be the more popular one with gamers.
The keyboard is operable with USB Type-C connection to your PC. There is also a USB 2.0 passthrough on the keyboard. That also means that you might only need one cable running from your keyboard and mouse set-up to your PC. The keyboard is also made with up to 8000Hz polling rate, meaning it is one of the fastest responding keyboards you can find in the world today, perfect for gaming. All of these is packed into a 5052 aluminium alloy case that is proven to be durable. Within the case are two layers of sound dampening foam for better acoustics. The switches are also factory lubed for optimal acoustics. Of course, the keycaps are durable doubleshot ABS keycaps.
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Price and Availability
The Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro is now available in select markets on Razer.com, RazerStores, and authorized resellers. It is not yet available in Malaysia though; we are expecting it to be available within February or early March 2023. It retails for US$ 229.99 (MYR 1,019*) in markets where it is available. There are no colour options on it, as with most Razer ‘Pro’ products out there. You can find out more about Razer’s BlackWidow V4 Pro from their website.
NVIDIA released their GeForce RTX 4080 and RTX 4070 Ti not too long ago. No luck on NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4060 or RTX 4070 currently. Still, the two desktop class GPUs will be some of the most popular GPUs that NVIDIA will produce at this time. In that sense, you will find plenty of desktops built in 2023 coming with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 4080 over the super high-end RTX 4090.
While it is uncommon, white PC builds can look sleek. We like that great white colour themed builds can look very clean and easily stands out in your room. It also automatically brightens your gaming environment. Pair it to decent RGBs and you have yourself an Instagram worthy build.
The thing is, if you have a white colour themed build, you are hard-pressed to upgrade it. Most modern GPUs do not come in any other colour than black. For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series, you do not have much of an option. You might be pleased to know that MSI is going to solve that upgrade problem for you. They already have the GAMING TRIO WHITE series GPUs. Now, they have even an even more powerful option for you.
Welcome to the GAMING X TRIO WHITE series GPUs from MSI. Ironically, there are currently only two GPUs within the series currently. You have a choice between the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 16GB and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti.
This is not MSI’s first GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs. They have already made the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti GPUs. Unlike some of their other cards though, the two NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs clad in white shrouds and triple fans are pretty standard in terms of specs.
They are still PCIe Gen 4 GPUs, so you want to make sure your motherboard can support it, to get the most out of the GPUs. The 9,728 CUDA cores found on the RTX 4080 variant clocks in at 2,610 MHz while the 7,680 CUDA cores from the RTX 4070 Ti clocks in at 2,760 MHz, both slightly higher than the standard GAMING TRIO WHITE GPUs. As the naming convention suggests, the RTX 3080 comes with 16GB of GDDR6X memory and the RTX 4070 Ti comes with 12GB of GDDR6X memory. They still draw up to 320W and 285W respectively.
The cooler is a large heatsink that is cooled by three TORX Fan 5.0 with rims that allows for more focused air flow for even more effective cooling on the GPU. The nickel-plated copper baseplate sitting right on top of the GPU chiplet is designed for even better heat dissipation and distribution from the GPU to the heatsinks for even more effective cooling. The GPUs even feature Dual BIOS for either a ‘quite’ operation, or extract maximum ‘performance’ from the GPU at the cost of noise. The metal backplate is a snazzy mix of frosty white and silver colour combination that not only reinforces the board, passively cools the back of the board, but also adds some flavour to your all-white build.
There is RGB, yes. They call it the Mystic Light and it sits on the shroud of the GPU. It syncs with your PC and other RGB arrays via Mystic Light Sync and Ambient Link. The GPU even comes with a matching support bracket for the GPUs, since these new GPUs are rather hefty.
Microsoft’s Xbox is not technically officially supported in Malaysia. That also means that it is not technically officially on sale in the region. That does not mean that the Microsoft made console cannot be found in Malaysia. You still can get your hands on one from retailers across the nation. Because it is not officially supported here, you do have to register yourself as an Xbox user from Singapore.
If you do have an Xbox at home, you might be pleased to know that the next update for your gaming console might save you some money from your electricity bill in the coming months. The update is really meant to be Microsoft’s big effort in reducing carbon footprints and emissions across their hardware and even software. It is in-line with their goal of achieving carbon negativity, water positive, and zero-waste company by 2030.
They say that the next update makes the Xbox a little more carbon aware. That means that your console will now only push updates and software updates at optimized times in the day. Optimized as in it only runs at a time when the Xbox can use the least amount of non-renewable energy, or when renewable energy becomes more abundant, whatever that means.
How it does that is quite clever, to be fair. When plugged in and connected to the internet, the Xbox will have access to the regional carbon intensity data. Whether the data includes Malaysia or not has not been revealed. With that data though, the Xbox will schedule its various downloads and updates at specific times where carbon emissions are lowest. Instead of a programmed schedule for your updates (2.00 a.m. – 6.00 a.m. by default), your console only wakes up at specific times where your local energy grid is at its most carbon efficient state and turns back off again after those specified times.
Source: Xbox
The update will also bring a more energy efficient mode to the Xbox when it is not in use. They dub it the energy saving mode. Instead of the Xbox going to sleep, it goes to Shutdown automatically. They say that other than slower booth times, it will not affect performances, gameplay, or its automatic updates. It just sort of turns off the Xbox until you switch it on, or when it wants to update. They say that Shutdown power mode will reduce the console’s power consumption by over 20 folds compared to the regular Sleep option. Reduced power consumption not only means lower carbon emissions, it also means you pay less for your electricity. Sleep is still an optional power mode for your console, you just need to dig deeper into the settings to make it an available power option by default.
Source: Xbox
You still get a lot of control over your Xbox though. If you want your console to just power up and get into your games immediately, you can adjust its ‘Active Hours’. It allows you to still have your console to go into Sleep mode immediately, but only at selected times. Outside of those selected ‘Active Hours’ your Xbox goes into Shutdown mode automatically to draw less than 1W of power.
The carbon awareness update for your Xbox will be available soon. The power saving modes is only available for Xbox Insider members though, oddly enough. Then again, being an Xbox Insider might give you early access to plenty of things too, which could be a big appeal in itself. More information can be found in their news blog.
Dell has been pushing the bar recently with its gaming offerings and concepts. Together with the new update to Concept Nyx, the company also announced new additions to its gaming offerings in its Alienware and Dell G portfolio. While some of them come with design updates, the laptops come with the latest 13th generation Intel or AMD Ryzen Zen 4 processor and also the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX40 series Laptop GPUs or AMD’s Radeon 7000M GPUs.
Alienware m18 & m16 Supped Up and Ready To Go!
The new Alienware line up is spearheaded by a refreshed M series which comes with two new additions: the m18 and m16. Both laptops continue to stay focused on delivering the best gaming performance possible. They also come with the Legend 3.0 design language – a refinement on Legend Design which was announced a few years ago.
The biggest difference between this generation and the last generation M-series is the displays. This generation ditches the 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch displays for slightly larger 16- and 18-inch displays. These displays come with a 16:10 aspect ratio and support resolutions of up to 2560×1600 pixels (QHD+) with 240Hz refresh. If you are looking for higher refresh rates, there is an option for an FHD+ panel with a 480Hz refresh rate.
Of course, Alienware’s M-series continues to support customisation via their website and supports a myriad of options when it comes to internals with up to 64GB of dual channel DDR5 4800 MHz RAM and up to 9TB of internal storage with its Quad Storage configurations. Connectivity-wise they support Killer WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. There is even an option for Cherry MX mechanical keys for the laptops as well. AlienFX also makes a comeback with multiple zones customizable from the updated Alienware Command Center.
When it comes to processors, the M-series maxes out with a 24-core Intel Core i9-13900HX. On the graphics end of things, the NVIDIA RTX 4090 Laptop GPU with 150W TGP is top of the line offering. To support the performance that the internals bring, Dell has equipped the Alienware M series with am updated cooling system. The vapour chamber now covers the CPU and GPU increasing the thermal capacity by 35% and there are now seven heat pipes that help with heat disipation. It comes without saying that they’ve also increased the airflow with quad fans with ultrathin fan blades.
The AMD equipped Alienware M-series will make its debut later in the year.
Alienware x16 & x14 Forge the Way for Portability
The Alienware X-series is also getting a bump when it comes to performance. The X16 and X14 succeed the previous models. However, they continue to inherit the sleek aluminium build that was introduced with the X series. Similar to the M series, the X series is replacing its larger x15 and x17 with the x16 while the x14 retains its compact size.
The new Alienware x16 and x14 come with an updated 16:10 aspect ratio and sport displays with up to 2560×1600 pixel (QHD+) with 165Hz refresh rate on the x14 and 240Hz on the x15. Both boast a 3ms response time. The displays also support 100% of the DCI-P3 gamut and NVIDIA’s Advanced Optimus technology.
When it comes to storage, the X series with up to 4TB of internal storage with up to 32GB of RAM. To keep things slim and portable the internal memory modules of the X series as solderd on to the motherboard. So, you won’t be able to add more later on. That said, it also provides a boost in performance. AlienFX is also avaiable and customisable on the Alienware x14 and x16.
Performance wise, the laptops are avaialble in different configurations. The Alienware x16 caps out with Intel Core i9-13900HK while the x14 caps out with the Intel Core i5-13620H. On the graphics end of things, the x16 maxes out with the NVIDIA RTX 4090 laptop GPU with a max TGP of 175W. The x14, on the other hand, caps out with the RTX 4060 with 85W TGP. Both support charging via USB-C.
Similar to the M series, AMD versions will be announced later in the year.
Revamped Dell G15 & G16 Bring Self Expression Front and Center
The Dell gaming laptop line up is getting a major update with the new G15 & G16. Both will sport the updated design which incorporates a more industrial feel, larger air vents and customizable colourways. The latter is more prominently spotlighted in the G15 models which sport retro ’80s pop aesthetics including a funky purple and blue colourway. The Dell G15 and G16 continue to inherit most of the design queues from last years model including the placement of ports and the signature Dell Gaming hinge.
The Dell G15 and G16 will be comeing with a new cooling system. Both will sport a vapour cooling system inspired by the system we’ve seen in Alienware laptops for better cooling. The system now sports four heat pipers with improved fans with ultrathin blades and an improved heat exchange area. Some of the configurations will come with Element 31 thermal interface and vapour cooling as well. These thermal updates will support the cutting-edge performance of the processors. Both models have configurations capping out with the Intel Core i9-13900HX and support up to the NVIDIA RTX 4070 Laptop GPU.
On the display side of things, the Dell G16 comes with options sporting up to 2560×1600 pixels in resolution (QHD+) and up to 240Hz refresh rate. The G15 on the other hand sports options for FHD displays with 1920×1080 pixels with a maximum of 165Hz refresh rate. That said, the G16 only supports a single zone customization when it comes to AlienFX while the G15 supports up to four zones. Both also support WiFi 6 connectivity.
Similar to its Alienware cousins, AMD versions of the Dell G15 and G16 will be released later this year.
Pricing & Availability
The Alienware models will be available later this winter in North America while the Dell Gaming models will be available later in spring.
Model
Pricing
Availability
Alienware m18
High-end configurations starting at USD$2,899, CAD$3,899 Entry model starting at USD$2,099/CAD$2,849
Winter 2023
Alienware m16
High-end configurations starting at USD$2,599, CAD$3,599 Entry model starting at USD$1,899/CAD$2,599
Winter 2023
Alienware x16
High-end configurations starting at USD$3,099, CAD$4,199 Entry model starting at USD$2,149/CAD$2,899
Razer is no stranger when it comes to audio products. The company has already released a veritable stable of audio products including its popular Kraken and Barracuda series of headphones. It looks like they’re looking to up the ante with the Leviathan V2 Pro and Project Carol.
The Razer Leviathan soundbar lineup is getting a new addition – the Leviathan V2 Pro. The Leviathan V2 Pro brings a whole new meaning to hitting the sweet spot when it comes to audio thanks to cutting-edge technology from Audioscenic. The new soundbar comes with head tracking AI technology that works in tandem with an integrated IR camera that detects the position of the user. Using this technology, the soundbar intelligently creates beams that provide best experience for the user in real-time.
Source: Razer
This adaptive sound beam technology delivers an immersive 3D audio in two modes: THX Spatial Audio Virtual Headset and THX Spatial Audio Virtual Speakers. The THX Spatial Audio Virtual Headset mode delivers pinpoint positional audio that has thus far only been found in headsets. THX Spatial Audio Virtual Speakers mode, on the other hand, provides a immersive, multi-channel audio experience with a wide, room-filling sound stage.
The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro comes complete with a subwoofer to complete the audio experience. The deep, punchy bass complements the crisp treble while support for Razer Chroma RGB perfects the Razer package. Using the Synapse App, you’ll be able to use the 30 lighting zones and 16.8 million colours for an even more immersive experience.
Project Carol – Perfecting the Gaming Chair Formula with Near-Field Surround Sound & Haptics
Together with their soundbar, Razer also announced a new concept design called Project Carol. Project Carol is a head cushion designed to deliver a more immersive 7.1 surround sound seamlessly over Razer’s proprietary 2.4GHz wireless connection technology. This is paired with haptic technology from Interhaptics provides an immersive experience like never before; allowing you to feel the sounds around you.
Source: Razer
Project Carol is designed to fit nearly all gaming chairs available. In fact, Razer says the head cushion supports all major brands. What’s more, Project Carol is designed to work seamlessly with no added software when it comes to audio. However, Razer does indicate that there may be additional software required for the haptic experience. It comes with 8-hours of battery and can be charged with a USB-C cable.
Pricing & Availability
Razer’s Leviathan V2 Pro will be available starting in February 2023 with prices starting at USD$399.99 (MYR1,750.28) or EUR489.99 (MYR2,296.02).
Lenovo had a very interesting CES 2023. Instead of launching a bunch of new hardware and peripherals, they really leaned into what they are really strong at; the introduced a whole slew of new laptops. Then there is Lenovo’s skunkworks, the Legion. They introduces four new products, or eight depending on how you look at it.
Lenovo Legion 7/7i – Lenovo’s Definitive Gaming Laptop Made Even Better with AI
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Welcome to the 2023 Legion Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i. They are practically the same gaming PCs you can take around and slay in the most popular esports titles wherever you are. They feature the same body designs, mostly same internals, and even the same displays. The only differentiator for both the Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i is the processors in both laptops. If you have not known yet, the Legion Pro 7i will pack Intel’s latest 13th Generation Core processors while the Lenovo Legion Pro 7 packs AMD’s very newly launched Ryzen 7000 series mobile CPUs. Both will get a healthy dose of NVIDIA’s latest GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs too.
To get the most out of the most powerful chips from Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA, Lenovo updated the cooling internals. The result is a wider vapor chamber for both the CPU and GPU. To take full advantage of the updated cooling hardware, the CPU re lined with a liquid metal infusion sending even more heat from the CPU to the heat spreader allowing either the AMD or Intel chip to go full blast even at 235W power draw. They call it the ColdFront 5.0 with Hybrid Thermals.
They say that the Lenovo Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i are the most powerful 16-inch gaming laptops that is tuned by artificial intelligence (AI). They are not joking though. Running Intel’s, AMD’s, and NVIDIA’s latest and most powerful chips is not enough for Lenovo, it seems. They added another chip within the rather industrial and familiar body. They added an in-house developed AI chip that powers something called Lenovo AI Engine+. The technology is supposed to push the hardware a little further and increase performances in games making the run faster and smoother.
All of these will be seen on the 16-inch 16:10 Puresight Gaming Display. The panel is a WQXGA (2560 x 1600) resolution display, just a little over 1440p QHD which should make for a rather immersive experience. You get 240Hz refresh rate out of the display as well. Paired with the AI accelerator, games should look and feel great on the Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i.
As with any Lenovo products, the Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i comes packing the most premium hardware and build quality. There is the familiar all-aluminium body construction containing everything including the Lenovo Legion Spectrum per-key RGB underneath a proven TrueStrike keyboard. Within the body is also a 99.99Whr battery that is also quick-charge capable.
Lenovo Legion Pro 5/5i – The Perfect Balance
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Similar to the Lenovo Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i line-up, you are getting similar hardware choices on both the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and Legion Pro 5i variants. You only have to choose between team red and team blue by going either AMD Ryzen 7000 series, or 13th generation Intel Core processors. Completing the gaming laptop an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU (up to).
Like the Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and Legion Pro 5i comes packing the Lenvo Legion ColdFront. 5.0 technology that is sure to keep thermals in check, even in a small laptop body. The laptop variants also pack Lenovo’s latest in-house developed Lenovo LA AI chip that is supposed to cleverly push your Legion laptop further by optimizing heat management between the CPU and GPU at up to 200W TGP.
The 16-inch Lenovo Puresight Gaming Display is also a similar one you would find on the Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i. It is still a 16:10 aspect ratio display that offers WQXGA resolutions at 240Hz. You do not get per-key RGB on the TrueStrike keyboard though. You can choose between a completely white backlighting to keep your laptop looking as clean as soap, or a Spectrum 4-zone RGB to spice your laptop up a little.
Underneath all of that is a smaller 80Whar battery that is also capable of Lenovo’s quick-charge technology. They say that this is the perfect balance between gaming and productivity though with a long-lasting battery life. You get one more colour option too with the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and Legion Pro 5i, the Abyss Blue, over the regular Onyx Grey you can also find on the Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i.
Lenovo Legion Tower 7i – Going Beast Mode
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Gaming laptops do not cut it for you. Your laptop should be more about work than gaming, and you have this bizarre opinion that your laptop should not cost more than MYR 4,000. You have a good reason though, you want more power, you want a desktop gaming rig. You want the Legion Tower 7i. It should be obvious enough to you now that the ultimate Legion gaming tower comes packing Intel’s latest 13th generation Core processor. At the same time, you get to work with NVIDIA’s latest GeForce RTX 40 series GPU for good measure. Paired with up to 64GB of 5600Mhz DDR5 RAM, you are getting the best-in-class gaming performance out of the tower.
Inside the industrial looking case is a larger VRM heatsinks to ensure that your board is always protected from over-heat. There are up to six ARGB fans to keep as much air moving as possible to keep everything inside the tower form getting toasted or throttled. To ensure that the fans are not restricted too, the front panel is designed with airflow in-mind. If you really want to push things to the extreme, Lenovo gives you the option to go with liquid-cooling for up to 260W TDP performances.
You can configure the tower with up to 6TB of SSD storage to store up to 1000 games within the system. To feed all the components with pure power is a challenge that a 1200W PSU can handle with little issues. The large PSU also opens up avenues for future component upgrades without swapping it out.
Lenovo Legion Tower 5/5i – Smaller Package, Big Power
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
If the Legion Tower 7i is a little oversized for your set-up, you want the Legion Tower 5 or Legion Tower 5i. By now you should be familiar with Lenovo’s naming schemes. You get AMD on the Legion Tower 5 while the Legion Tower 5i offers you the Intel path. Of course, on both ends, you get AMD’s latest Ryzen 7000 series CPU and Intel’s 13th generation Core CPU options respectively. You get to choose between team green and team red too with the GPU. You can spec your PC with NVIDIA’s latest GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs or AMD’s latest Radeon RX 7000 series GPUs to go with an all-red outfit on the Legion Tower 5.
For memory, you can fit your PC with fast 32GB 5600Mhz DDR5 RAM paired with up to 2TB (2x 1TB) of SSD storage to store as many games as you can play in a single seating. Keeping everything cool within the all-metal case with airflow optimized front panel are up to five ARGB fans. These are quiet fans too, to keep noise distractions to a minimum. You will want to upgrade this thing eventually. 850W from the PSU should be enough in terms of future-proofing while the toolless side panel ensures that you can easily remove or open it to upgrade your parts effortlessly.
Availability
Like all things in CES 2023, Lenovo has not mentioned the specific availability date for all the Legion PCs they announced. We are expecting them to launch all these Legion hardware sometime between now and the end of the first half of the year 2023. There are also no pricing information for their announced products so far. More information on the latest Legion laptops and PCs can be found on their website.
Together with their refresh of the ROG Strix series, ASUS Republic of Gamers is also bringing even more power to their Zephyrus and Flow lineups. The new additions also come with ROG’s Nebula Displays with Mini LED technology. More importantly, the new additions come with the latest 13th Generation Intel Processors, AMD’s Ryzen Zen 4 processors and NVIDIA’s RTX 40 Laptop GPUs.
ROG Zephyrus Blowing the Wind Out of the Competition
The ROG Zephyrus lineup is getting new additions to the Zephyrus M, Zephrus Duo and Zephyrus G series. All of the lineups have configurations supporting up to Intel’s Core i9-13900H processors, AMD’s Ryzen 9 and NVIDIA’s RTX 4090 GPU. The powerhouses come equipped with a MUX switch for better GPU response times and NVIDIA’s Advanced Optimus tech. Together with this is ROG’s colour-accurate Nebula display with 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut.
Zephyrus M16 – A Flagship Nebula HDR Experience with AniME Matrix
The M16 comes with the latest iteration of ROG’s Signature AniMe matrix LED lighting array. The AniMe matrix continues to offer customisations via ROG’s Armoury Crate application allowing users to have their own brand and favourite characters emblazoned on their laptop. In addition, the M16 also boasts options for the Nebula Display with Mini LED technology and QHD resolution. The new panel gives it 1,024 dimming zones – double last year’s. The 16-inch display also provides a more immersive, yet portable experience with up to 240Hz refresh rate.
Zephyrus G Series – Personalisation and Power
Also making its debut is the ROG Zephyrus G16 which sports Intel’s Core i9-13900H processors and up to NVIDIA’s RTX4070 GPU. The G16 joins its sibling the G14 which boasts AMD’s Ryzen Zen 4 processors and up to NVIDIA’s RTX4090 GPU. Of course, both also come with ROG’s Nebula Displays with up to 240Hz refresh rate. In fact, the G14 introduces the first-ever 14-inch Nebula HDR Display with 600 nits of peak brightness and 504 dimming zones. Of course, the AniMe Matrix also comes with this lineup on specified models.
Zephyrus Duo 16 – Built to Multitask
Rounding up the Zephyrus family is the Zephyrus Duo 16 which brings productivity to a gaming lineup. The laptop comes with a dual display setup with a 16-inch Mini LED panel and a 4K touchscreen. The touchscreen is elevated at an ergonomic angle allowing users to have a dual-screen experience like no other with quick toggles and controls on compatible apps. Sporting an AMD Ryzen 9 Zen 4 processor with 16 cores and the NVIDIA RTX4090 Laptop GPU, the laptop is built to handle multitasking like a beast and maximise both FPS and productivity.
ROG FLOW Series Brings Multimode Compact Performance to Mainstream Gamers
The ROG FLOW devices continue to turn heads as they are supped up for another year in the spotlight. The new ROG FLOW devices not only come with more power, but they also come with meaningful optimisations that take the user experience to the next level.
ROG FLOW X13 & X16 – Small but Mighty Multimode Powerhouses
The ROG FLOW X13 is getting a huge boost in performance with the new AMD Ryzen 9 Zen 4 processor. The ROG FLOW X16, on the other hand, will be sporting configurations with up to Intel Core i9-13900H CPU. Both will support up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. Similar to the Zephyrus lineup, it’s also getting a MUX switch and NVIDIA Advanced Optimus. Sporting up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM and up to 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD storage. The laptop is built to perform even with its small size.
The laptop is also preserving the 15-inch keyboard layout and increases the battery to a 75Wh unit for all-day battery life. It also sports a reimagined hinge which allows for better cooling. It will also sport an FHD IR camera with Windows Hello support and a larger touchpad for easier navigation.
Together with the updated internals, ROG’s XG mobile is also getting an upgrade. The new ROG XG mobile will be sporting an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU with 16GB GDDR6 RAM and a TGP of 150W. It connects via a ROG XG Mobile Interface and USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C combo port. The Unit will also support 2.5 Gbps LAN, three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, one HDMI 2.1 port, one Display Port 1.4, an SD card reader, an RJ-45 Jack and a DC input jack for the integrated 33W power adapter.
ROG FLOW Z13 – The Ultimate Gaming Tablet
ROG’s FLOW Z13 is also getting an upgrade. The new Z13 sports configurations supporting up to an NVIDIA RTX4060 Laptop GPU and up to an Intel Core i9-13900H. It continues to sport a similar design to last year’s Z13 with slight updates to accommodate updated cooling and also the QHD+ Nebula Display which comes with a 165Hz refresh rate. Other than that it’s got up to 16GB of DDR5 RAM, up to 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD storage and a 56Wh battery.
Pricing & Availability
No pricing and availability details have been announced just yet.
Razer has always been known to go a little over the top in conventions like CES. They like to show off their latest innovations, tease new concepts specifically for gaming, and they have always launched some very interesting products. This year is not so different from before, maybe just a tad subdued.
The launched the new Razer Blades for 2023 in CES, rightly so. The announcement of the new Razer Blades could also be a domino effect from the announcement of NVIDIA’s latest GeForce RTX 40 series for mobile platforms and AMD’s latest Ryzen 7000 series for laptops. Oddly enough, you are not going to be seeing AMD’s best on the announced 2023 line-up of Razer Blades.
They launched a 16-incher Razer Blade 16 and a desktop replacing Razer Blade 18 with a behemoth sized 18-inch display. Both come with Intel’s latest 13th generation Core CPUs (up to Core i9 HX). You also get NVIDIA’s latest GeForce RTX 40 series mobile GPUs (up to GeForce RTX 4090) in these laptops with up to 175W TGP. Of course, you get DDR5 5600MHz memory to make these laptops the fastest ever you might see for a while. To ensure you get the best performance to begin with, the new Razer Blades also come with a redesigned vapor chamber cooling technology for even more effecting heat management. In a smaller, tighter space.
Razer Blade 16
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Just as its name suggests, the Razer Blade 16 packs a 16-inch 16:10 display. The panel is Mini-LED technology which means you get colours like you’ve never seen before on a laptop display. Well, you can technically get almost the same experience with OLED, but Mini-LED has its own advantages you might not get on a regular OLED panel. The display is also HDR capable with up to 1000 nits in brightness. The NVIDIA G-Sync capable display also offers up to 100% in DCI-P3 colour gamut to offer one of the richest display experience you can get on a laptop.
You can also opt for up to UHD+ in resolution on the Mini-LED panel. It is not a slow UHD display too, like you might expect on most UHD displays on a laptop. It responds in 3ms, which is mighty fast even in QHD resolution, we are talking double the number of pixels here. You also get up to 120Hz in refresh rate with the 4K display. You can get more speed too at 240Hz if you go FHD+ in resolution. You can choose between the two in one laptop device. They call the UHD+ 120Hz mode the ‘creator mode’ and the FHD+ 240Hz configuration the ‘Gamer Mode’.
They also say that the Razer Blade 16 will be the most powerful 16-inch laptop of its size in terms of graphics power. The use Graphics Power Density (GPD) as a measuring metrics, and this has 1.50 of them. It supposedly offer 35% processing power than any other 16-inch gaming laptop currently.
They did not mention the exact number for the DDR5 RAM they will be fitting the Razer Blade 16 with. We are guessing that they might go with 32GB or possibly 64GB at the top scale of things. They mentioned a speedy 5600MHz transfer speeds though, which is plenty fast in a laptop. They also mentioned that it is upgradeable, so even if you only get 16GB, you can spend a bit more money to bring it up to 32GB or even 64GB, if you have the budget.
Otherwise, you get what you can expect on most laptops from Razer. There is a Full HD webcam for video calls and even streaming purposes if you really need to. They quote up to 9.5 hours in battery life from a single charge. You get an infrared blaster near your webcam too for facial recognition security via Windows Hello, something you rarely find on gaming laptops. Of course, Razer’s Chroma RGB platform is available on the laptop. You can also expect great audio with THX Spatial Audio available on the Razer Blade 16.
Razer Blade 18
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Then there is the gargantuan 18-incher that is the Razer Blade 18. Again, as its name suggests, it is am 18-inch display that you get from the desktop replacement. It is not meant to be used for remote working conditions unless you are talking about setting up a workstation for a week in a hotel room. But it is meant to be a gaming and content creation rig that is meant to keep your desk clean and minimal.
Its large 18-inch 16:10 display boasts QHD+ resolution. While a UHD+ display might serve the entertainment buffs better, the QHD+ resolution is a great compromise between gaming and content creation without too much fuss. You also get 240Hz in refresh rate at 3ms response time, perfect for gamers. At the same time, you get clarity like no other with 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage.
Internally, other than Intel’s and NVIDIA’s latest processors, you can opt for up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM at 5200MHz transfer speeds. Alongside the ample memory is up to 2TB of M.2 NVMe drive for all your games. They say that the two M.2 slots can support up to 8TB in storage.
On top of those you get a 5MP webcam capable of Full HD resolutions on your video calls and even streaming headshots. You can get an infra-red sensor too with the Razer Blade 18 for facial recognition via Windows Hello. Unlike the Blade 16, it comes with six speakers with THX spatial audio so that you can save on buying a sound bar.
Price and Availability
Source: Razer
Razer points at a Q1 2023 availability of the new Razer Blade 16 and Razer Blade 18 in Razer.com. There are no mentions on its specific availability in Malaysia. Razer has not been bringing their Blade laptops to Malaysia in an official manner though. In that case, we can expect that the Razer Blade 16 and Blade 18 will not be coming to Malaysia anytime soon or ever, in an official capacity anyway. This does not mean that you cannot hope that Razer changes their stance though. Prices start at US$ 2,699 (MYR 11,810*) for the Razer Blade 16 and US$ 2,899 (MYR 12,686*) for the Razer Blade 18.
*Approximately based on conversion rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.38 as of 09/01/2023 on xe.com
