Category Archives: Computers

[next@acer] Acer’s Predator Turns It Up with New LED Gaming Projectors & Orion 7000 Desktop

Acer’s Predator Gaming lineup has been one of the popular gaming brands out there. It really comes as no surprise with the company pushing quality products like the Orion 3000 and X34 GS gaming monitor. This time, the company is really upping the ante with new products and refreshes that bring new, more immersive experiences to the table.

Predator LED Gaming Projectors – Bigger, More Immersive Visual Experience

There’s nothing that gives you a more immersive experience that when you’re wrapped by the graphics you interact with. Acer’s Predator line up already has some of the best monitors, but the company is turning things up to 11 with two new Gaming Projectors: the Predator GD711 and the Predator GM712.

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Predator GD711 (Source: Acer)

The two new LED Gaming Projectors are able to project in 4K UHD. Both are capable of resolutions up to 3840×2160 pixels. The projectors are able to produce true 4K resolution thanks to Acer’s decision to incorporate TI XPR technology which allows for true 4K resolution with 8.3 million pixels regardless of the native resolution of the DMD chip. The Predator Gaming Projectors project natively in a 16:9 aspect ratio. That said, they have support for 4:3 resolution as well.

Both the Predator GM712 and the Predator GD711 are equipped with a Quad cored Cortex A53 processor with clock speeds of up to 1.3GHz. This is complemented by a Mali 450MP2 graphics processor with support for OpenGL ES 1.1 and OpenGL 2.01. Both have 2GB RAM and 8GB onboard memory. The projectors also support WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bandsas well as Bluetooth 4.2. They also have a single 10W speaker. They also share the same number of inputs – 2 HDMI 2.0 ports adn 1 USB Type A (2.0). The GM712 has an additional component video input and PC Audio Jack.

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Predator GM712 (Source: Acer)

The Predator GM712 is able to project a 75-inch display at 2 metres throw distance while the GD711 is able to do 74-inches at the same. However, Acer did say that they are capable of throwing images of up to 300-inches. The GM712 is equipped with a Philips 245W lamp with up to 12,000 hours of lamp life while the GD711 has an RGB LED with up to 30,000 hours of lamp life. The former also has up to 3,600 ANSI lumens of brightness while the latter has up to 1,450 ANSI Lumens.

Predator Orion 7000 – Bigger, Better, Sleeker and More Powerful

The Predator Orion line up is being expanded with a new Orion 7000 desktop. The new desktop is a mid sized tower which ditches the familar design of the Orion 3000 and Orion 9000 for a sleeker, more streamlined design. While it retains the hard lines of the Orion series, it adopts a more angular, square design which is a welcomed refresh to the line up.

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Source: Acer

It comes with configurations supporting up to the 12th generation Intel Core processors and either the NVIDIA GeForce RTX3090 or RTX3080 graphics cards. On the RAM side of things, it can have up to 64GB of dual channel DDR5 4000 MHz RAM. For storage, it has 2 M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slots and 2 3.5-inch SATA3 HDD Slots. This gives support for up to a total of 8TB of internal storage. It also supports PCIe Gen 5. It comes with Killer E31000G 2.5G Ethernet and Intel WiFi 6E 2×2.

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The Orion 7000 will be cooled by Predator’s FrostBlade 2.0 fans and a Predator AIO CPU liquid cooler. Acer is also introducing the IceTunnel airflow management system to help keep the Orion 7000 cool. Of course, the Orion 7000 is equipped with all the ARGB you could ever want!

It will be launching with Windows 11 Home.

Pricing & Availability

The Predator GD711 Projector will be available in the Europe, Middle East and Asian (EMEA) regions starting in December 2021 for €1,499 (MYR7,210.32) and in Q1 (January – March) 2022 in China for CN¥ 11,999 (MYR7,761.53).

The Predator GM712 Projector will be available for €1,399 (MYR6,730.09) in the Europe, Middle East and Asian regions starting January 2022. It will be available in China starting in November for CN¥ 10,999 (MYR7,114.69).

The Orion 7000 willl be available starting in Q1 2022 in China and EMEA. North America will see the new desktop starting in Q2 (April – June) 2022. Prices will start at CN¥20,000 (MYR12,934.32) in China and €2,199 (MYR10,574) elsewhere.

BenQ Launches the MOBIUZ Ultrawide – Everything a Gamer Needs in One MYR 4,688 Monitor!

If you have been looking for a gaming monitor or even a secondary monitor for your gaming or work from home set up, BenQ will be one of those names that should come up quite often. This brand is one of the most recognisable names in the display market. They are known not only for their value offerings though. They also make very high-end displays that is regarded to be some of the best for the competitive gaming scene. Their Zowie series monitors have been a staple in Counter Strike: Global Offensive international stages, for example.

But some might say that the Zowie series has been built to cater to a niche market segment. In that sense, the Zowie is too purpose built for some. To be fair, it is marketed as such as well with its various technologies that gives its users an added advantage. What if competitive gaming is not what you are looking for. What if you are a casual gamer that enjoys the occasional competitive online gaming, but also enjoys the vast openness of single-player games like the Tomb Raider series? What if you are willing to trade some refresh rate performance for some added features that would save you the trouble of getting extra gear?

Welcome to the MOBIUZ series from BenQ. The BenQ MOBIUZ is really pretty much something made of dreams. The latest EX3415R especially, packs everything that a gamer wants in their AAA gaming PC.

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Source: BenQ

If you cannot tell by its codename yet, the MOBIUZ EX3415R is a 34-inch display. It is also an ultra-wide monitor with 21:9 aspect ratio. It boasts 3,440 x 1,440 (WQHD) from its ultrawide panel. Of course, ultrawide also means it must be a little curved for your convenience. It has a pretty shallow 1900R curve, but it is enough for a good immersion for yourself.

At the same time, the IPS panel boasts 98% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. This is not just a gaming monitor anymore; it is a content creator’s dream set-up. It boasts HDR10 at 1000:1 contrast ratio and VESA DisplayHDR 400 at up to 400nits standards too, which also means that colour grading videos on the MOBIUZ EX3415R should be a piece of cake.

Of course, colour accuracy in a gaming monitor is really more of a bonus feature than its selling point. For a gaming monitor to be a gaming monitor you really want at least 120Hz in refresh rate. This has 144Hz.

You also want it to be a fast-reacting display for not just the best competitive advantage, but for the best immersion as well. The lower the numbers are here, the better. The BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R boasts 1ms MPRT and 2ms Gray-to-Gray response times. That also means that the display reacts almost instantly to any move you make on your joystick or mouse and keyboard. All of that, on top of a tear-free experience that is the AMD FreeSync technology.

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Source: BenQ

For it to be an all-rounder, it now needs a powerful speaker set-up and be a USB hub. This does both of that too. It has two additional USB 3.0 ports so that you can plug in whatever USB devices to it. It also a BenQ treVolo set-up with dual 2W speakers with an additional 5W subwoofer for the widest possible dynamic range and sound staging from a monitor. In that sense, you do not need a headphone or additional speakers for the monitor.

The BenQ MOBIUZ EX3415R 34-inch ultrawide monitor with HDRi will be available for MYR 4,688. You can get your hands on one from their own official online store, Shopee, and Lazada. The eCommerce site quotes a shipping delay of 2-9 days after you order your unit though, so be patient. For this kind of money, you might be able to get yourself a decent TV. The gaming experience that you get from the MOBIUZ EX3415R is unlike any large 4K TVs though.

Acer’s Swift X is an AMD Powered Content Creator Thin and Light Powerhouse for MYR 4,299 Onward

There is a general problem when you get a thin-and-light PC. There are plenty of compromises with a lot of them. They are also generally expensive.

One of the compromises you must live with when you opt for a thin-and-light notebook PC is the lack of power. You usually can opt for a powerful enough processor that is clocked to reduce its power consumption. You do not get a dedicated GPU with the thin-and-light though.

You also do not get a lot of ports to come with the laptop. Just to keep the device thin, they must sacrifice on the practicality of full-sized I/O ports. The result is an ultra-thin laptop that you can carry around without breaking your back, but for it to be practical, you need to carry a separate dongle.

That is not the case with Acer’s brand-new Swift X though. It is powerful. It is also very practical. At the same time, Acer’s new notebook PC offers the experience of owning a larger formed thin-and-light.

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Source: Acer

The Acer Swift X is powered by AMD’s latest Ryzen 7 5800U (up to) processor. While it is not an H-series processor, the Ryzen 7 5800U is still plenty powerful while remaining energy efficient for long lasting battery life. Alongside the powerful CPU is not a mere Vega integrated GPU though. It is an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti (up to) dedicated discrete GPU.

With up to 16GB of RAM, the Swift X is really a thin-and-light PC made for content creators. But power is just half the story. The Swift X must output some impressive colours too for content creators. Getting the job done is a 14-inch Full HD IPS panel that covers nearly 86% of the Swift X’s body. It boasts 300nits in brightness, which should be bright enough in most situations. The panel also covers 100% of the sRGB colour gamut. At the same time, Acer includes its BlueLightShield technology to protect your eyes in extended usage. There is even a fingerprint sensor for better security when you leave your laptop unattended with Windows Hello.

All of these does not come with too much weight penalty too. It is still a light notebook at 1.39kg. It is still thin too at 1.79cm. While it is not as thin as the regular ultrabooks you find in the market today, the Swift X does have full-sized I/O ports like an HDMI out port and two USB Type-A ports. All of that while keeping a 59W battery that offers up to 17-hours of continuous use time.

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The Acer Swift X will be available to purchase in Malaysia in two variants. It comes in an AMD Ryzen 7 or AMD Ryzen 5 CPU choices. Both variants will come with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3050 Ti still. The AMD Ryzen 5 variant of the Acer Swift X will set you back MYR 4,299 while the more expensive AMD Ryzen 7 variant will set you back MYR 4,999. The Acer Swift X is available from Acer’s authorised resellers, Shopee, Lazada, and Acer’s own online store 15th October 2021 onward. You can pre-order one for yourself starting now though. If you do order your unit between now to 20th of October 2021 on Acer’s Flagship Store on Shopee or Acer’s own eStore, you are entitled to purchase a Logitech MX Anywhere 3 wireless mouse at MYR 199 (about 50% off retail price).

The Mac is On Track for M1X

Apple’s M1 System on A Chip (SoC) that powers their Mac products have been sensational. The Apple M1 chip that was launched late last year was all the rage for 2020 and most of 2021. The Apple M1 chip even found its way to the Apple iPad Pro for 2021. While it was a little undersold with the Apple iPad Pro series, it shows the world how versatile Apple’s M1 chip can be. At the same time, support for the integrated chip has increased over the year. It is now to a point that almost every conceivable app that is available on Apple’s MacOS are M1 optimised.

Apple’s M1 chip is nearly a year old though and that also means that it is time for a change. The new chip will not be called the M2 though. Instead, we will know it as the M1X SoC for the Mac ecosystem.

While rumoured and teased for most of 2021, there is not much that is known about Apple’s upcoming flagship MacBook Pro and its M1X processor. For those that have been waiting to get their hands on Apple’s silicon powering a MacBook though, their prayers might be answered with the new Apple MacBook line-up that is scheduled to appear in this month itself.

Rumours and reports all point to two variants of the Apple M1X chip. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg pointed out that the M1X will feature a 10-core processor within the chip. There is a choice of either 16-cores or 32-cores in the graphics department. There are also reports of higher-end SoCs that are developed for future MacBook series.

There are more rumoured changes to the MacBook Pro that is set to launch this month. Apple is reportedly bringing back full-sized HDMI and SD card slot into the new MacBook Pro line-up which is good news for content creators. The MacBook Pro is also expected to lose the Touch Bar that was introduced in 2016.

There might be other things that will be launched later in the year. We also must remember that Apple’s iPhone 13 launch did not see the launch of the third generation Apple AirPods. There is still plenty of unknown though. For now, we can only guess. Apple’s next launch event is expected to happen this month or early November 2021 at the latest.  

Acer Refreshes the Predator Gaming Line Up in Malaysia

Predator Gaming has become one of the most successful gaming brands since its launch. The lineup has become more refined and purposeful in its approach to gaming and gamers. The company has stuck to differentiating itself by attending to the many, different needs for a gaming setup. From the Orion lineup to the Triton to the Helios – each has its own identity and niche.

With Acer Malaysia’s latest announcement, they are introducing new blood into their offerings that make them even more desirable and appealing. New form factors, better specifications and meaningful upgrades were the names of the game when it came to their announcements.

Predator Triton 500 SE – Stealthily Made for Gaming

The Predator series has always been loud and proud of its intent. However, with the newly released Predator Triton 500 SE, the hard edges and loud design language take a back seat. It trades the loud grills for an optimised cooling system while slimming down into a form factor that is not only portable but also stylish. The loud, angular design language is refined into a sleek slim body that hides its true nature.

First Look at the Predator Triton 500SE | techENT

The slim body comes packed with power with Intel’s 11th Generation Core i processors paired with NVIDIA’s graphics cards. The Triton 500 SE comes with configurations supporting up to the Intel Core i9 and NVIDIA RTX 3080. Paired with Up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of PCIe Gen4 SSD storage. It’s a stealthy performance powerhouse.

It’s also no slouch when it comes to the display. It has a 16:10 WQXGA display. It also has the latest and greatest to keep it running at full power while staying cool with Acer’s VortexFlow cooling system and 5th Generation Aeroblade technology. You can get the full rundown in our coverage of the Triton 500 SE’s announcement from earlier this year.

Predator Helios 500 – A Portable Desktop Replacement

The Predator Helios 500 continues to be one of the most powerful laptops that Acer has in the Predator Gaming lineup. The laptop packs a punch when it comes to specifications and even size. It’s one of the largest laptops in their gaming offerings and one of the most specced up ones.

First Look at the Helios 500

It’s a loud and proud gaming machine with an angular design and loud RGB lighting. The laptop’s RGB lighting is fully customisable with PredatorSense. It comes with Predator PowerGem technology which is paired with Acer’s Vortex Flow to keep the machine running cooly and at max power.

It comes packed with up to the Intel Core i9. This is paired with NVIDIA’s graphics cards with configurations supporting up to an RTX3080. In addition, it comes with up to 64 GB of RAM and a whopping 2TB of total onboard storage. It also supports up to display technology with up to a 4K MiniLED panel with 120Hz. You’ll be able to get all the details from our coverage of its initial announcement.

Together with the Helios 500, the Predator Helios 300 is getting a refresh with configurations supporting up to the Intel Core i9 processor and NVIDIA’s RTX 3070 graphics card. It also comes with options for a 15.6- or 17.3-inch display with up to 165Hz refresh and QHD resolution.

Pricing & Availability

Predator Launch Triton 500 SE

The Predator Triton 500 SE will be available for pre-order starting on October 30, 2021. It comes in two configurations for the Malaysian market: Intel Core i9 with NVIDIA RTX3080 and Intel Core i7 with NVIDIA RTX3070. The former will be priced at MYR12,999 while the latter will cost MYR8,999.

Predator Launch Helios 500

The Helios 500 will be available for pre-order at the same time. It is priced from MYR13,999.

The Predator Helios 300 is available for pre-order from the Acer e-store, Shopee and other retail outlets right now. It will be priced from MYR6,299 for the 15.6-inch variant while the larger 17.3-inch variant will be priced from MYR7,999.

Pre-orders of the Helios 300 will be entitled to free gifts worth more than MYR1000 which include a Predator Gaming Utility Backpack, Predator Galea 350 Headset and limited edition merchandise. The Core i9 version of the Helios 300 will come with an additional Predator Gaming Chair worth MYR1,299. This promotion for the Helios 300 runs from September 30 until October 6, 2021.

Pre-orders of the Triton 500 SE and the Predator Helios 500 made from October 30 until 6 November 2021 will be entitled to every pre-order goodie mentioned above.

HONOR Unveils MagicBook V 14 and MagicBook 16 Series with Windows 11

The last we heard from HONOR, they launched the HONOR 50, their first Android smartphone since they went independent. Because they are no longer associated with HUAWEI the HONOR 50 flagship will ship with Google Play Store on its Android based Magic UI. Of course, they are not going to just stop at making smartphones. They are picking up where they left off when they were still with HUAWEI.

They have a line of notebooks that were affordable and quite desirable. They called them the MagicBook, obviously a reference to their Magic UI for smartphones. Except, the MagicBook devices are not running Android or MagicUI. Instead, the MagicBook series ran Windows 10, and they were quite popular, to say the least.

The last MagicBook is getting dated though carrying an AMD 4000 series processor. If they want to compete, they need to keep their MagicBook updated with the next best thing. They kicked off in a big way though with some of the world’s first Windows 11 notebooks.

HONOR MagicBook V 14

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Source: HONOR

The MagicBook V 14 then is the latest HONOR notebook PC to grace the market and one of the first Microsoft Windows 11 notebooks in the market, and it seems promising. Instead of AMD, the flagship MagicBook V 14 runs Intel’s latest 11th Generation Core i7-11390H (up to) processor. It is an Intel EVO certified platform too, which means you are promised fast boot and long battery life while having enough power to game and edit videos. Of course, your processor is paired with an NVIDIA GeForce MX450 discreet GPU for maximum impact in the video and games department.

The 14.2-inch touch sensitive display boasts 2,520 by 1,680 pixels that covers about 90% of the body. With up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, the MagicBook V 14 is a powerhouse on diet. The 14.5mm thin package weighs in only at 1.48kg. As mentioned, the MagicBook V 14 will come with Microsoft’s latest Windows 11.

HONOR MagicBook 16/16 Pro

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Source: HONOR

The HONOR MagicBook V 14 is a lightweight powerhouse flagship meant to be ultra-portable and ultra-productive for the road-warrior. The HONOR MagicBook 16/16 Pro is a gaming powerhouse for the modern gamer.

With AMD’s latest Ryzen 5000 series processors, the HONOR MagicBook 16 series sets itself up to be one heck of a gaming notebook. With that in mind, HONOR fits the new notebook with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 (up to) and up to 16GB of RAM. With a speedy 512GB of SSD storage, the HONOR MagicBook 16 series will feel like magic running through Windows 11. If course, all that power can also be put to good use in video editing scenarios.

Price and Availability

The HONOR MagicBook V 14 is now available for pre-order in China at a starting price of CN¥ 6,199 (MYR 4,020*). It will be available in Blue Hour, Space Gray, and Mystic Silver colour options. The MagicBook 16 and 16 Pro is also now available for pre-order in China for CN¥ 6,499 (MYR 4,215*) onward. There are no colour options for this one though. There are no confirmed dates on when the new HONOR notebooks will make its step into other markets at this time too. We are keeping a close watch though.

*Approximately based on exchange rate of CN¥ 1 = MYR 6.49 on xe.com as of 28/09/2021

Razer Launches the Kaira X Gaming Headphones for Console Gaming

Console gaming is undoubtedly the most popular form of gaming in the video games industry. To be fair, console gaming has made AAA video games experience a lot more accessible to the masses. At prices below MYR 3,000, you are getting a highly advanced hardware that could play you the most graphically demanding titles at up to 4K and at up to 120fps at that. For a PC to do that, you might want to spend way north MYR 5,000 at this point.

Razer, being the one most recognized gaming peripherals brand in the world cannot call themselves a gaming brand if they do not cover or cater to a large majority of the gaming industry that is the console gaming crowd. Of course, the three-headed snake company makes peripherals specific to the PlayStation and Xbox. You have specific tournament and high-end controllers from Razer. Now, Razer also makes gaming headphones specifically for the latest next-generation gaming consoles.

Welcome to the Razer Kaira X, the essential gaming headphone for both the Xbox and PlayStation platform. As per the naming scheme of the peripherals, the Razer Kaira X is a budget version of the Razer Kaira. That does not mean that it is less featured and less powerful than the Kaira though.

The Razer Kaira X is still a powerful headphone with 50mm TriForce drivers delivering high-power audio directly into your ears. The new TriForce drivers are supposed to deliver improved frequency separation delivering crisp highs, clear mids, and deep bass. For in-game chats, there is the boom-mounted Razer HyperClear Cardioid Microphone that has a specific pick-up pattern to exclude unwanted background noise.

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At the same time, the Kaira X features on-headset controls for quick adjustments on-the-fly. The Flowknit Memory Foam cushions on the earcups and headband are made for ultimate comfort and should keep you going in long gaming sessions. Instead of the Kaira’s wireless nature, the Kaira X features a 3.5mm connection. That also means that it is compatible not only with the PlayStation and Xbox, but your PC as well.

The Kaira X for Xbox and Kaira X for PlayStation is now available in Malaysia. You can get your hands on one via authorised dealers across the country or from Razer.com. The Kaira X is available in classic black and white, Shock Blue, Pulse Red, and Electric Volt colour options. The new headphones for the next-generation consoles retails at MYR 299.90. More information on the Kaira X can be found on their website.

Microsoft Introduces their Largest Surface Pro Yet

Microsoft’s Surface Pro has become somewhat of a signature device for the company. Over the years, it has not only changed the way we look at laptops but also changed the way we interact with our computers. It was one of the first devices to blur the line between laptop and tablet. With the Surface Pro 8, Microsoft is further refining its offering by bringing some of the most requested features to the device.

The Surface Pro 8 has the largest display in the history of the lineup. It is equipped with a 13-inch PixelSense Flow Display – up from the 12.3 of the 7. According to Microsoft, the display is 11% larger, 12.5% brighter and 11% higher resolution than the Pro 7. It also supports Dolby Vision and Adaptive Colour Technology. More importantly, it’s the first Surface Pro to come with a 120Hz refresh rate. That said, the high refresh rate will only kick in when needed. It will work in tandem with Windows 11’s variable refresh rate setting to optimise this.

Design-wise, the Pro 8 takes a lot of its design cues from the Surface Pro X – which isn’t a bad thing. The new Pro is slimmer, more ergonomic thanks to some of the design choices. It also comes with a larger keyboard attachment with dedicated space to stow the Surface Slim Pen 2. Speaking of the Slim Pen 2, the stylus now charges in the base and comes with a new, improved haptic motor that is supposed to mimic the intricacies of writing with a pen or pencil. It comes with improved latency and better precision thanks to a redesign of the tip.

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On the inside, the new Surface Pro 8 comes with the latest generation Intel Core i processors. You will be able to choose between the i7 and i5. These will be paired with up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB on internal storage. When it comes to connectivity, the Pro 8 does away with the ageing USB-A port and opts for two USB-C Thunderbolt ports. This is promising as it indicates that the Surface Pro can support external GPUs and multiple 4K displays. It is also Intel EVO certified.

Pricing & Availability

The Surface Pro 8 is available for pre-order already with units expected to ship starting October 5, 2021. Prices start from USD$1099.99 (MYR4,599.67).

Microsoft Introduces the Surface Laptop Studio with Windows 11 – The Ultimate Windows 11 Content Creator?

The content creator market is a hot one these days. Everyone wants a piece of the action in the content creator space. Of course, it is not like the Microsoft Windows platform was not an appealing platform for content creators in the first place. The Windows PC platform is still one of the most popular platforms in the content creation industry.

That was Windows 10 though. It was a versatile platform that could run anything you ask it to. It could do about anything you want it to with little compatibility issues. Because Windows 11 is pretty much Windows 10 in basic architecture, you should expect pretty much the same compatibility and versatility from Windows 11 devices.

Except, before we even see Windows 11 devices from manufacturers hitting shelves, Microsoft kind of jumped the gun a little and introduced their own Windows 11 devices. We want to say these could be reference devices, but it does not look like Microsoft is interested in creating references devices. Instead, these devices are built to compete and be as premium and powerful as Windows wants them to be for their purposes. The new Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is the very culmination of what Windows envisions a prefect creator class device should be.

First, it is powerful. You get to spec the new Surface Laptop Studio with up to an 11th generation Intel Core i7-11370H. You also get up to 32GB of RAM to work with, which is ample when it comes to video editing, photo editing, and even 3D workloads. On the graphics department, you can opt for a very powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU for an even more seamless workflow. You can store all the works of art in a 2TB SSD (up to).

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Of course, you get the highest standards of Windows 11 experience for creators with the new Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio. The touch screen display does not just tilt open and close like the regular laptop you might be used to. There is a second hinge in the middle part of the display shell that allows the display to swivel a bit more. You can bring the display closer to you, for example, to have better access to the touch sensitive display. You could also use the Surface Slim Pen 2 to draw on it when you need to. Or use it as a tablet completely, when the mood takes you.

The display is not just some random cheap display too. It is a bright 14.4-inch PixelSense Flow Display that refreshes up to 120Hz, in case you are in the mood for gaming. It is a 3:2 aspect ratio displays at 2,400 x 1,600 pixels; odd, but it is a creator first display.  With Dolby Vision as well, you can be proud at whatever film edits you would want to show your clients on the display.

The webcam you get on the Surface Laptop Studio is capable of Full HD resolution for crisp looking video calls. For good measure, the Surface Laptop Studio also comes with Windows Hello face authentication feature on the Surface Laptop. Of course, the Windows 11 device must have far-field mics for voice command and crisp audio for video calls. It also packs four Omnisonic speakers with Dolby Atmos certification. Of course, for smooth, uninterrupted video calls, you have WiFi 6 capabilities on the Surface Laptop Studio.

The new Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio with Windows 11 will be available in select regions 5th of October 2021 onward. Prices start from US$ 1,599.99 (MYR 6,703*) and tops out at US$ 3,099.99 (MYR 12,990*). There are no other colour options other than Platinum on the Magnesium and Aluminium built Windows 11. There are no confirmations on when the Surface Laptop Studio will arrive in Malaysia currently, but we are keeping our ears close to the ground. More information on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio can be found on their website.

*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.19 on xe.com as of 23/09/2021

HP Spectre x360 Gets A Big Refresh

The HP Spectre lineup has been one of the lightest and sleekest laptops available in the market. The lineup’s signature thickness paired with the extended functionality makes it one of the more versatile laptop lineups out there. However, if there was one feature that was lacking – it would be the lack of graphics prowess. Yes – there are options with NVIDIA’s GTX graphics but that’s hardly enough for creators.

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Source: HP

The new HP Spectre x360 16 changes that with the inclusion of NVIDIA’s RTX3050 Laptop GPU. Yes – that’s right, the new laptop comes with an entry-level RTX 30 series GPU. It’s also the largest screen available in the lineup with a whopping 16-inch display. The 16:10 display has options that range all the up to a UHD+ OLED display. It comes certified with VESA True Black HDR and is calibrated for colour accuracy. It’s also near borderless with 91% coverage of the panel.

HP has also enhanced the camera of the Spectre x360 16. You’ll be able to use AI-enabled algorithms to touch up your appearance with Beauty Mode. You can also stay in frame when you need to get up to get the blood flowing again with the Auto Frame feature. The AI also enables a myriad of features that many will find useful; for instance, the device will lock as soon as you walk away and wakes when you return. It will also blur the active screen when someone is looking over your shoulder.

hp spectre x360 windows 11
Source: HP

Along with the graphics prowess, the new HP Spectre x360 16 comes equipped with Intel’s 11th generation Core i7 Processor. It also comes with support for the latest WiFi technology – WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. The best part? It comes with a full complement of ports with everything from microSD to HDMI to USB-C and Thunderbolt. It also has compatibility with the HP Pen.

Pricing & Availability

The HP Spectre x360 16 2 in 1 Laptop will be available starting in October 2021. It will be priced starting at USD$1,639 (MYR6,869.69).