Category Archives: Reviews

Accessories, Editor's Choice, Mobile, Reviews

Sony WF-SP800N In-Depth Review – Actively Active Noise Cancelling

September 29, 2020 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Let us be fair a little bit. The Sony WF-800n is not a completely new product. As in, it is not the first time we see noise cancelling in Sony’s sports focused earphones. It is also not the first Truly Wireless (TWS) sports focused earbuds in the market. It is however, Sony’s latest TWS sports earbuds with their award winning and proven Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) technology.

Sony already had the remarkable WF-SP700n earphones before this. In our tests two years ago, the device performed remarkably well in all kinds of situations. It only had a battery life of 3 hours on a single charge though (just earbuds). While that was enough for a good workout, it was pale in comparison to plenty of the TWS earbuds that was coming out at that time. Still, it had a small packaging that was attractive and easy to work with. It even has its own app, Sony’s Headphones app that we think was great.

The new model, the WF-SP800N is not technically a follow up or a replacement model. It was not meant to be a successor to the WF-SP700n, although the naming moniker. It is also more expensive than the older WF-SP700n at MYR 849. At that price though, it is cheaper than the coveted WF-1000XM3, the true great Noise Cancelling earbuds.

In this case, is this a better buy than Sony’s holy grail in TWS noise cancelling, the WF-1000XM3? Is it a better buy compared to the WF-SP700n at an MYR 100 premium? Most importantly , is it worth your hard earned MYR 849? Let us face it, that is just MYR 151 shy of MYR 1,000 (yes, I can count). In that case, this is still worth a lot of money compared to some of its competition. Let us find out then, if this is worth every penny, or if you should be looking elsewhere.

Design

To begin with, the one we have here is a very neon Orange colour option. It has four colour options including this one – Blue, White, Black, and Orange. That is the same amount of colour options you get with the less expensive and more compact Sony WF-SP700n. You are choosing between different colours though. There are two more colour choices compared to the higher-end WF-1000XM3 too. So that is one point to the Sony WF-SP800N.

We cannot help it; the WF-SP800N’s orange reminds us of traffic cones. It is exactly the same colour, both the case and the headphones compared to a regular traffic cone in Malaysia. That makes it seem like we have pieces of traffic cones in our ears and our bags. There is some good in this though.

Being this bright and neon means that you are sort of visible, albeit a small dot in your ear might not make that much of a difference in visibility. But still, it makes you a little more visible in whatever conditions that Malaysia can throw at you, except for torrential rain that is. You would not want to be caught running in the rain though, why would you run in the rain in the first place?

Still the extra visibility means you are a little safer when you do your runs on the street. You want to be a little more visible since you are going to be using the Noise Cancelling feature to block out the world. We do advise that you turn on the ambient noise feature when you run on a busy route though, just so that you are aware of what is coming at you and your surroundings.

The buds themselves are about the same size as the WF-1000XM3 earphones. To be fair, even the charging case looks nearly as big with the bottom third of the case cut off. The case cap is also a little concaved from the inside to create a sort of dome cocooning the earbuds inside.

The wingtips (they call it the arc supporter) that is additional to the regular silicon eartips makes the SP800N look a little larger than the WF-1000XM3 though. This is a stark difference compared to the WF-SP700n too. The WF-SP800N is way larger and look a little more cumbersome compared to the WF-SP700n. The wingtips do make it more secure to work with than the WF-1000XM3 though.

Like any modern device with a battery, the Sony WF-SP800N charges via a USB Type-C port at the back bottom of the device. Because of its odd shape though, the case only stands on its cap. That exposes the USB Type-C port to the top. We still do not understand this design choice.

As with most modern TWS cases these days, the WF-SP800N’s case cap is magnetic and the buds starts charging the moment you fit the buds back in. That is magnetic too, as with the WF-1000XM3. All you need to do is drop the earbuds into the case and the buds will simply snap in its place to start charging.

On the WF-800N’s left bud, there is a very tiny notch that indicates that the left earbud is the master earbud. It is technical a small instruction or reminder that you are supposed to put in the left side first. The rest of the earbuds’ design language mimics the WF-1000XM3 though, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

The case is made entirely of plastic though. While that makes it light, some might say it feels cheaper and less significant. The matte finish makes it feel a little nicer and softer to the touch, but there is no soft touch or rubbery coating here. You might want to be a little more careful with handling the case too though, or maybe buy a protective case, because the case does tend to scuff a little.

Performance

Of course, an earphone is nothing without its driver and sound quality. Of course, coming from Sony, you expect something special. Sony, after all, is one of the best in the business of audio. The Sony WF-SP800N packs a relatively powerful 6mm Neodymium drivers encased in very Orange (our test unit) IP55 rated package. Mind you, the case is not water resistant rated, so do not put the case in the water with the earphones.

Sound Quality

This section has always been Sony’s party piece. In a sense, Sony is a trusted name in audio, so there is never a doubt that it would sound good. That is if you do not compare it to the WF-1000XM3.

If you compared it to the older Sony WF-SP700n, the WF-SP800N does win out a little bit in the area. It is not night and day with the sound quality between the WF-SP700n and the WF-SP800N though. There is still a difference, comparatively.

On its own, the WF-SP800N TWS earphones is a capable performer. The low frequencies are great, for an earphone with tiny 6mm driver. The bass line is punchy and full. This is mostly thanks to Sony’s acclaimed EXTRA BASS technology.

Because of EXTRA BASS though, the mid-range and high-end frequencies take a little bit of a back seat. It does not mean that the Sony WF-SP800N sounds like a muddled piece of kit though. Contrary to that, while the bass line sounds punchy and powerful, mid and low frequencies are still present and available. The low-frequency is still full of details though, not just a punch for punching sake.

We used Spotify in most of our audio tests. The simple justification of us using Spotify, even if TIDAL can offer Lossless and FLAC quality audio, is that it is the most widely used ‘Premium’ music streaming app in Malaysia. It is also one of the most affordable, so we will stick to Spotify Premium for now.

We listened to music like ‘Lost Without You’ by Freya Ridings, for that full mid-range frequency pull of the vocals. We are happy to report that vocals still sound crisp and meaty in this case. Even ‘La Vie En Rose’ covered by Daniela Andrade sounds great on the WF-SP800N. This is if you are more concerned with vocals than anything. Then there is the concern of a terrible high-frequency with bassy earphones. For that high frequency reach, we tested the WF-SP800N with a symphony of Final Fantasy VII’s Medley done by Video Game Orchestra. In the symphony also we could properly tell the balance of the earphones. Of course, thanks to EXTRA BASS, you would expect all the low frequency instruments to shine. But it does not mean that the Violins and the windpipes do not get their shine, they still really do.

Of course, the sound staging is a little less dynamic than the WF-1000XM3. In this sense, the WF-1000XM3 does win out in a significant margin. It is also not the most accurate earphone to work with, so if you are working with audio plenty and require natural and neutral sounding earphones, this is not for you. Then again, if you do not put them side by side, like us, the WF-SP800N is a formidable earphone on its own.

Compare it to its competition though, and it will blow them away. The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ for example has nothing compared to the Sony. The Sony WF-SP800N sounds clearer with better sound staging compared to the Samsung Galaxy Buds+. There is one thing that the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ do better than the Sony though, and that is a better and cleaner vocals and mid-range frequencies. You notice them too, but overall, the Sony WF-SP800N is still a much better sounding earphone with better overall detail in all frequencies. That superiority in sound quality alone may not be enough to justify its heftier price tag though. Its other features might just make up those few extra hundred difference.

360 Reality Audio

If you have apps that takes advantage of Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, even better. Sony’s new 360 Reality Audio technology technically is Sony’s audio enhancer that completely changes your experience with music. It takes Sony’s object based spatial audio technology and allows artists and musicians to record music in a completely new way. It allows musicians to place different instruments within a spherical sound field. Like the ‘360’ naming moniker then, it gives you a true spatial music experience.

Sadly, 360 Reality Audio is only available on select music streaming platforms though. It is currently only available on Deezer, nugs.net, and TIDAL. To be fair, you can get higher resolution music via those apps compared to Spotify. A little bit of technical talk here, TIDAL HiFi accounts allows users to stream 44.1kHz/16bit files at about 1411kbps. That is in the region of Lossless and FLAC audio file quality. Spotify Premium, on the other hand only streams at 320kbps. That is no where close to CD-quality or Lossless. Of course, there is a cost to all this. TIDAL’s HiFi subscription is worth MYR 29.80 a month while Spotify Premium works out to MYR 14.90 a month.

That extra cost, if you listen to 360 Reality Audio produced music on TIDAL (our app of choice for 360 Reality Audio), the TIDAL HiFi subscription is quite worth it. But we are reviewing the earbuds here, not the app. Of course, with 360 Reality Audio, the Sony WF-SP800N shines. Suddenly your sound stage changes from a two-dimensional experience to an immersive three-dimensional phenomenon. Close your eyes, and you will feel like you are in the concert hall or recording studio itself.

The thing is, you have to be on TIDAL HiFi subscription plan to fully take advantage of Sony’s 360 Reality Audio technology. That, or you have to pay for a Deezer subscription. They do not have as many music in their library as far as we know. There are no plans yet on Spotify’s side to support higher streaming quality or even have 360 Reality Audio support. Also, subscriptions with 360 Reality Audio availability is a little more premium in pricing compared to the usual subscriptions we are used to.

Active Noise Cancelling

This is something that Sony does better than almost everyone else in the field. Sony’s Active Noise Cancelling technology is considered by many to be one of the best, if not the best, in the market. Their highly acclaimed WF-1000XM3 and WH-1000XM4 are the very products that is hailed as the best in-class currently.

That same know how in Active Noise Cancelling they used on the WF-1000XM3 is present on the WF-SP800N. This could be worth that few extra hundred bucks on top of superior audio quality over other earphones made for an active lifestyle. This is also because ANC can make plenty of difference in your music experience.

Again, we do suggest that you keep ambient noise up anywhere from 50% to 100% when you wear this for a run. You can never be too safe, and you do not want to completely isolate yourself from the world in the case that you are sharing paths with the public. If you are in the gym and are trying to block out the world though, this will do it mighty well. Even if it is just to shut out the gym music, this will do that job well enough that you are in your own world completely. You can even swim with it cranked up in your ear. Other than acting as a water seal, it keeps you entertained and pumped up for your training.

Of course, it does not just do well in the active environment. Thanks to ANC and great audio quality, it is a headphone that you can enjoy in normal commuting conditions too. It is still a perfect earphone to own and use in the train, or even in the bus. It does really block out the world and isolate you out a little bit, which is always nice and somewhat relaxing. Of course, podcasts work great too. On that note, do check out our Tech & Tonic Podcast on Spotify, or Google Podcast, or Apple Podcast.

When you get home, and need some alone time away from everyone at home or everything else that is happening around you, the ANC is good enough that you can isolate yourself virtually. Of course, if there are really loud noise like a wall banging from the construction next door, you are going to hear it a little bit. If you get a good seal from the silicon tips though (choose the correct size for your ears), you might not even hear a glass breaking two feet away from you. It is that isolating.

In that case, you might want to think twice about wearing it in the office sometimes. Sure, the noise cancellation also means that you get to focus better on your own tasks and jobs. It allows better concentration and less distractions while not biothering any of your colleagues. As we have found though, it may not be too advisable to turn your back to the world as you might not be too aware of your surroundings. Your colleague might get annoyed too for not being able to get your attention. Although, you might be able to get more work done. That, or you might just start dancing on your own like a crazy person.

Fit and Comfort

The Sony WF-SP800N some similarities to the WF-1000XM3 in terms of earbud design. For one, they do share the same silicon tip fitting. The only difference between the two earphones is the WF-SP800N having an extra wingtip to ensure that the earphones stay in your ears and not fall out in an intense work out.

Fitting and comfort for everyone is a little different though. In that sense, I would not be able to say that I speak for everyone in this matter too. I had to change the silicon tips to the largest available from Sony to get a good seal in my ear. They provided three different sizes within the packaging, which also means that you get to either pick between a large, medium, or a small ear tip. The wingtips come in two sizes, medium, or small. The one attached to the earbuds out-of-the-box is the medium sized one, which is perfect enough for me. If it gets uncomfortable, you might want to switch to the smaller one.

Yes, there is a case for foam eartips for plenty of earphones. The WF-1000XM3 comes with foam eartips in-the-box as well. Foam eartips can be a little more forgiving to your ears and also means a longer period use case will not be uncomfortable or painful. Foam tips are a little more prone to tearing and may not work too well with water though. In that case, silicon is a little more reliable. Still, if you want to get a better seal, you can opt for aftermarket foam tips.

As we said earlier, it is important to find a good fit and seal for your earphones. It helps with the entire aural experience when your ears are properly sealed. It is especially important for noise cancelling earphones. Without a good seal, noise cancellation might not work as well. Therefore, take your time to choose the right eartips sizes for each of your ear.

Once you get a good fit and seal, the earphone can sit in your ears for hours and hours on end. It is made for a good workout, so if you are using the right sized eartips and wingtips, you are going to be mighty fine on long workout sessions. Even if you are just using it to relax and settle down on your commute home, or even reading a good book, you should be fine.

The only issue is that there is a little bit of heft to it. While in most cases you may not notice it that much, if you come from the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Buds or even the Buds live, you are going to feel it on your ears a little more. It is not a major issue though. It is not like the earphones weigh more than 1kg each to weight down your ears. Each earbud weighs only about 10g anyway.

Thanks to the extra wingtips, the Sony WF-SP800N is extra secure. We took it to the gym, we took it swimming, we took it for evening runs, and we did our circuit training with this too. In those sessions which lasts anywhere between 15 minutes to 45 minutes, the Sony WF-SP800N has never needed any readjustments or a refitting. The whole experience was quite uninterrupted and seamless as long as your smartphone is within stable Bluetooth connection range.

Battery Life

The Sony WF-SP800N quotes about 9 hours of continuous music play time with ANC on. The charging case charges the WF-SP800N once over, which gives the earphones a total listening time of 18 hours. On paper, that is not as good as the WF-1000XM3’s total battery life. The SP800N offers a slightly longer battery life on a single charge though over the WF-1000XM3 – nine hours over eight hours.

In real life, we never could leave music playing for nine hours in our ears. We do not have any long flights lined-up for us too. Well, flights are still limited. We will take their words on the battery life, in this case.

Still, we have only charged the Sony WF-800N with the case once in a week. Of course, exercising is not in our daily activity schedule. We not only use the WF-SP800N as our workout companion of course. You can expect this kind of battery life too even if you head to the gym daily.

Whatever it is though, the battery life is perfect for long flights. If you are heading to Europe, you are going to appreciate the nine hours of battery life, especially when you have two seven-hour stints to complete. No travelling at this time though, so short domestic flights will have to do.

Sony Headphones App

We have said before that we always appreciate an accompanying app when it comes to wireless earphones. That said, Sony has always been shipping their audio devices with their accompanying app, the Sony Headphones and Music apps available on iOS and Android for free. We can happily report that the app is nothing short of amazing.

The app is designed to ensure that experiences with all Sony audio products are at least similar or unified. In that sense, even if you have multiple Sony audio products with you, you only need to work with a single app. Well, two in Sony’s case.

The Sony WF-SP800N works nicely with Sony’s Headphones app. Even if you access it through Sony’s Music app, the app will direct you to the Headphones app anyway, do not waste your time downloading the Music app first. The Headphones app is also one of the most comprehensive earphone controller apps we have ever come across so far though.

Samsung’s Wearables app has gone the route of simplification and minimalization in the past few years. You see less and less on the menu and settings screen. Sony has gone a little more of the opposite recently. On the Sony Headphones app, you still have the usual noise cancelling level and ambient noise balance control.

You now also have a separate section and page just for action detections, and location detection. You can tune and location detection. You can tune your WF-SP800N to different locations now too, you can have slightly different settings for when you are at home or even in the office. It can be as simple as tuning your earphones to tune out noise and sound a certain way at home, or in the office. When you are at the gym, it can automatically turn on ambient noise or turn up the low frequencies to get a better kick for your workout sessions.

But there are more than just ambient noise controls. You might have noticed that we said something about low frequency tuning in the previous paragraph. That is because you can really tune the earphones to your liking. There is a general equaliser control for you to work with, and there are even preset settings you can work with too in that.

Within the app is also Sony’s new clever optimisation algorithm to tailor listening experiences for individuals. Each of us has very slightly different ears and therefore experience headphones differently. That is also why high-end earphone makers scan your ears and create a mould for your ears to tailor their earphones for your ears and for your ears only. Sony does that virtually with their clever software by just taking a picture of your ears, with your smartphone’s selfie camera.

If you have Tidal, the app will have an optimisation option for 360 Reality Audio. You do want to optimise it for the sake of your Sony earphones though, not just the WF-SP800N. As we mentioned, it really transforms your audio experience. You can hear the difference if you pay attention.

The WF-SP800N – The Better Sports Earphone

For the longest time, the most proper TWS earphones that could stand up to sweat and pool water is the Sony’s WF-SP700n. Before that, it was the Samsung IconX, which we thought was a very good idea too. The TWS earphones idea was built for that purpose too, technically. It frees you from tangling wires or being tethered to a smartphone when you jog, when you work out.

It became plenty more than that later on though. We have super high-end TWS earphones made by the likes of Sennheiser, Klipsch, and even Shure now. Sony was the first to break out their high-end TWS earbuds with the WF-1000X though. With the introduction of the WF-1000XM3, TWS earphones does not have to be rubbish sounding even with Active Noise Cancelling. With the WF-1000XM3 too, great sounding earphones do not have to last only three hours before needing a quick recharge.

The culmination of that knowledge and Sony’s industry leading water resistance knowledge birthed the WF-SP800N, a follow up from the WF-SP700n. The new TWS earphone is a step up from the older WF-SP700n in every way, including weight and size. We think that the only drawback, compared to the old hardware, is just its heft. But that is justified by a longer battery life on both its case and the earpieces.

It may not sound as good as the WF-1000XM3. If you compare it to something like a Samsung Galaxy Buds+ though, it sounds quite a little bit better. It lasts quite a little bit longer too, in terms of battery life. It also fits better than the Samsung earbuds, and way more secure than the Sony WF-1000XM3 thanks to the extended wings.

It holds an advantage over the WF-1000XM3 though. It is water resistant rated at IP55. That also means you can use it for all your workout sessions. They say you can even swim in it if you want. Of course, you get to do that at your own risk.

At MYR 849, it is not exactly cheap. As we mentioned, it is just MYR 100 shy of the WF-1000XM3. It is difficult to justify that purchase based on sound quality alone. In fact, if that is all you are looking for, the WF-1000XM3 is a better buy. The WF-SP800N is in a completely different class of product though. It is made for the active people. It is made for those who exercises regularly and has a regularly active lifestyle; it is made to take a beating. But because Sony knows their way around an audio device, the WF-SP800N still sounds good enough for you to be enjoying music in any other situations. It is a perfect earphone to have for any situation, an all-rounder.

This is an excellent all-rounder earphone with Sony’s ANC technology. Some considers Sony’s ANC to be the best in the industry too. The MYR 849 premium price is also justified by that. There are no sports earbuds currently that has ANC currently, if you think about it.

So, for MYR 849, you are getting something that is quite out of this world. For MYR 849, you are getting something unique in the market. For MYR 849 too, you are paying for Sony’s quality, knowhow in audio, and excellent ANC technology, in a body that could handle your active lifestyle and stick to your ears even when it gets tough. What more could you want from a sports earphone?

Computers, Editorial, Reviews

Acer Swift 3 (AMD) Review – Productivity & Portability Made Unremarkably Affordable

September 28, 2020 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Thin and light and affordability don’t usually go hand in hand. However, Acer’s Swift 3 has always been one of the best value for money options when you’re looking at getting something affordable, thin and light. However, unlike previous years, the Swift 3 comes with an AMD Ryzen option which promises top notch performance while maintaining a lot of the features of the popular laptop.

We’re going to be asking the hard questions when it comes to the Swift 3 in this review – should you buy it? Is it worth your money? And does the Ryzen variant hold up to the hype AMD has built around their silicon offerings?

Design

Let’s start by taking a look at the overall design of the Swift 3. Overall, the design approach that Acer took to this laptop is more utilitarian compared to the rest of the Swift line up (barring the Swift 1). In fact, you’d be hard-pressed in finding any of the design finesse of the 5 or 7; which is, to be honest, expected at the price point that the Swift 3 sits at.

The laptop is a rectangular slab which tapers gradually from the hinge to the tip. That said, the larger, thicker back of the hinge area allows it a better, more stable footing when it is open. There were rarely times when the display ended up rocking back and forth on a rocky, uneven surface during the review period. The thickness also allows ample space for Acer to equip the Swift 3 with a full array of ports from HDMI to USB Type-C.

While this also means that the laptop lacks in design flair, it makes more utilitarian sense. Its ports are readily accessible while minimising its footprint. However, unlike its siblings, the Swift 3 is a whole lot heftier; coming in at 1.2kg. Yes, I did call 1.2kg hefty. Keep in mind, the rest of the Swift series come in at below 1kg. That said, Acer’s decision to have the Swift 3 in purple a touch of pizzaz that keeps the Swift 3 fresh. It’s also one of those colours that seems to grow on you.

Hardware

The Acer Swift 3 may be a little lacking on the design flair but it’s utilitarian approach to the thin and light has spurred the company to pack a formidable punch when it comes to the hardware. Coming with the Ryzen 5, the laptop is no slouch when it comes to performance. It clocks in a respectable 2.3Ghz with 6 cores for better multicore processing; enabling it to undertake more demanding tasks.

Specifications

Acer Swift 3 \| SF314-42-R43G	As tested
Processor (clock)	AMD Ryzen 5-4500U Hexa-core 2.3 GHz
GPU	AMD Radeon Vega 6 Graphics
Display	14-inch Full HD TFT LCD 1920×1080 pixels
Memory	8GB LPDDR4 SDRAM 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
Networking and Connections	WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax Bluetooth 5.0 HDMI 1 USB 2.0 Type-A 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A 1 USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C 3.5mm headphone jack
Battery	3-cell Lithium Ion 11 Hours battery life (claimed)
Operating System	Windows 10 Home 64-bit
Miscellaneous	Fingerprint Reader Backlit Keyboard Stereo Speakers Microphone DisplayPort over USB-C USB-C charging 5 V; 3 A DC-in port 19 V; 65 W

Features

While the Swift 3 may not be as feature packed as it’s siblings, the laptop comes with features that make sense and fit the utilitarian and functional approach that Acer has taken for it. The laptop comes with a full array of ports including a USB-C, a USB-A with support for USB2.0, a USB-A with support for USB3.1, an HDMI port and even a 3.5mm headphone jack which its competition seems to be missing. The full array of ports should ensure that users are well equipped to handle any connectivity hurdles that may come their way. However, like most laptops nowadays, the Swift 3 is powerless when it comes face to face with a dreaded VGA port; you will be resigned to the dongle life for VGA. In addition, the laptop also doesn’t come with an SD card reader.

Ports aside, the Swift 3 does have many other features. However, it does come with WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. The former allows the laptop to take advantage of the faster 802.11ax WiFi bandwidth which gives it an edge over other laptops in a similar price range. That said, not many networks use WiFi 6 just yet – but getting ready for the future is always a plus now, isn’t it. Bluetooth 5.0 allows you take advantage of wireless earbuds and other peripherals without sacrificing too much battery life.

However, the biggest advantage that the laptop over its competitors is the fact that it’s lightweight. The Swift 3 is definitely a contender for one of the lightest laptops in its price range. Coming in at slightly over 1kg, it will definitely be one of the go-to laptops for people looking for one which they can easily take on the go without worrying about overloading the bag or breaking your back from carrying it around.

Performance

Since the Swift 3 is so utilitarian and focused on keeping you productive, it comes as no surprise that Acer has chosen to offer an Ryzen 5-4500U processor option in the Swift 3. AMD’s new processors have outperformed its competition in benchmarks consistently over the past few years since the release of AMD’s Zen architecture. The same holds true for AMD’s mobile processors which is being used here in the Swift 3. However, benchmarks are only part of the story, we’re focusing on the overall user experience when it comes to using the laptop.

The Swift 3 is definitely a capable power house when it comes to everyday tasks. Word processing, working with PowerPoint and even large excel files are definitely not a problem for the laptop. What did stand out was the laptop’s ability to edit 1080p video in Adobe Premiere with ease. In fact, it could even handle 4K video editing with limited overlays and additions. However, if you’re going to be doing massive video editing this isn’t the laptop for you. The Ryzen 5 is good, but it is let down by the limited RAM and lack of graphics processor in the laptop.

This was made pretty clear when we tried to game on the Swift 3. On older games, it was able to handle settings at medium. It ploughed through Diablo 3 without much noise but when it came to games like Overwatch or even No Straight Roads, the laptop ran a little hot and had quite a lot of stuttering and screen tearing to keep up. It could hardly keep 30fps even with low settings. This isn’t really surprising for us as the gaming capabilities of the laptop are severely limited even though there is the built in Radeon Vega 6 graphics. The laptop also performs well with multimedia. However, the audio experience on the laptop could use some polish as the speakers sound tinny and distorted when the volume is pushed. However, at lower volumes, the audio lacks body and is, to be frank, incredibly soft. You only start hearing it audibly after the indicator passes the 40% mark in Windows.

That said, the laptop isn’t really built for gaming. In fact, it’s built for productivity on the go and the Swift 3 comes with ample battery life. Acer claims 11 hours of battery life on the Swift 3. During our time with the laptop, we easily got about 13 hours of active use time. On standby, the laptop was able to last well over a day. In fact, when we opened it about 8 hours later, the laptop had slightly more than 40% battery remaining. Even editing 1080p video on battery, the Swift 3 lasted about 3-4 hours before it needed to be plugged in.

Display

When it comes to the display of the Swift 3, it has a pretty good one for it’s price point. It comes with a 13.5-inch, 1080p Full HD display which is more than enough for a laptop of its size. The screen is crisp and the colour is relatively accurate. While it doesn’t have a touch display like the Swift 5, the screen fulfils its purpose. It allows you enough display real estate to get things done without straining your eyes too much.

The display is also near bezel-less. There is about 1-3mm of bezel on either side of the display with about 5mm on the top and bottom. The slim bezels allowed for a pretty immersive visual experience. You don’t have much pulling you out of your work or multimedia.

An unremarkably affordable laptop that does only slightly more than the basics

Overall, the Swift 3 is an unremarkable device. It’s not a jack of all trades, but it’s a thin and light laptop for those on a budget. It packs as much performance it for the price point it’s at. That said, it is a device geared for productivity and it does deliver on its promise of keeping you productive on the go. In fact, I would say it excels in it given the extra feats it accomplished. Editing 1080p video on the Swift 5 was also a feat, to see the Swift 3 able to do it without much problem is a definite plus. However, we also have to keep in mind that the Swift 3 is playing in an arena which is quickly getting crowded with similarly spec’d devices. It needs to find a way to stand out from the crowd; and, in all honesty, if it boils down to the brand, Acer is looking at an uphill battle with the Swift 3. That said, the AMD powered Swift 3 holds a peg above the competition with its performance right now – whether this holds true in the near future; we’ll have to see. All-in-all, the Swift 3 delivers on all its promises and excels further than its competition on certain fronts. However, when considering this device, it would be prudent to see if other, more powerful devices with a dedicated graphics card could serve you better. That said, if you’re looking for a slim and light productivity machine for everyday tasks, you don’t have to look further for a package that’s both affordable and give you some really good value for the money you invest in it.

Computers, Editorial, Reviews

Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA (2020) In-Depth Review – Something is Missing

September 14, 2020 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

The daddy of the modern Microsoft Windows based UltraBook that is supposed to compete with the likes of a MacBook Air was the ZenBook, if you can remember it. Asus introduced their first ZenBook line-up in 2012 to be ultra-efficient, ultra-long battery life, ultra-portable notebooks like a Windows PC never was. It brought out a whole slew of things that we thought we will never see from a Windows platform. It kick-started a few races toward the longest possible battery life, the smallest possible package, and even the lightest packages with different display sizes.

It was their most premium consumer product as well at that moment. A Windows notebook PC that would be as expensive as a MacBook was quite unheard of at that time. The ZenBook, in that sense, was a pioneer.

Fast forward to 2020 though and we have a new family of premium UltraBooks from ASUS, and it is the ASUS ZenBook 14 and 13. The numbers are an indication of sizes, technically. So the 14 refers to the 14-inch display while then 13 refers to the 13-inch, quite obvious really.

Like many of the manufacturers, ASUS likes to claim that their stuff, especially the ZenBook, is the thinnest or lightest at something. It is all sort of marketing gibberish to be honest. With the new classic ZenBook though, they claim that they have the thinnest 13-inch and 14-inch notebooks with full I/O ports.

While this is not the thinnest 13-inch or even 14-inch notebooks you can find in the market, there may be some truth to ASUS’ marketing blurb. In short, you cannot find an ultrabook today that has a full USB Type-A and full HDMI port. So, this claim of the thinnest with full I/O ports must be true right? It is true, but is this claim enough to win over your MYR 4,699? Is it enough to keep you away from other lighter, smaller, and more compelling ultrabooks in the market like the Acer Swift 5, for example? We find out.

Design

Like any other review, we start with the design. Yes, it is important, you are going to be looking at your notebook PC almost on a daily basis now that we are working from home on a near permanent basis. Okay, we are lying if we say our team is working from home full time. Most of us are already back in the office. But we have also always championed remote working and we rely on our notebooks plenty.

In that sense, we look at our notebooks on a daily basis no matter where we are. Because of that, we would want our notebooks to look pleasing too for us. Somehow it makes us feel good about what we do on a daily basis.

Back to the ZenBook 14 that we have here (not the 13). It is an MYR 3,999 full aluminium package that is way smaller than almost any 14-inch notebooks that I know of. It is not lighter than most ultrabooks though. It is quite hefty for its size, to be fair. Then again, full aluminium and metal construction does that to your notebook.

The ZenBook 14 still retains that swirling brushed aluminium look that made it so popular when it first launched in 2012. Instead of the swirl starting from the middle though, it is now pushed third away toward the right side, if you are viewing the notebook with the letters facing you. We admit that we said that the brushed aluminium was a timeless look. In this one, we do feel that it is getting a little aged. Even the colour feels quite old school, the Pine Grey colour option is quite a classic colour. We might prefer the Lilac Mist colour variant though, that looked good in photos and renders. Yes, we are men and we are proud of that colour choice.

We are not saying that you would not like the colours. Just because we do not like the colour, does not mean you would not like it too. It is just a matter of personal preference. We would appreciate a slightly different design and look from the ZenBook by now though. A little effort goes a long way, we are looking at you too, Porsche.

The ErgoLift hinge design that was championed again and again by ASUS these two years makes it into the design language of the ASUS ZenBook 14 here. We have mentioned that we are not ultimately fond of the ErgoLift design, but we also recognise the language and its benefits. At the right angles, it does help with typing comfort and fatigue. At some angles, it becomes kind of useless. It does benefit greatly on the cooling side though, we will talk about the ErgoLift more later on.

Hardware

The ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX425JA) you see here is not the lightest ZenBook you can get. That has to go to the 13-inch (UX325JA) variant of the ASUS ZenBook. There is also a variant of the ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX434FLC) where they fit a ScreenPad on the touch sensitive mousepad. Unfortunately, this is not that either.

The mousepad on this ASUS ZenBook 14 has a little trick up its sleeves too, just not in the way you think. It doubles as your numpad as well, which is a nice touch, since you are not getting a full-sized keyboard with numpad on it.

The variant we have for review packs a powerful 10^th Generation Core i7-1065G7 processor clocked at 1.3GHz. While that may not sound like much, it is powerful enough for plenty of work that we are accustomed to. It does bump the price up to MYR 4,699 though if you opt for the Core i7 variant. At MYR 3,999, you get an Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor.

8GB of RAM for this thing is quite ample and you do not really need to add too much more to it. That is also because you cannot really add another RAM stick in there. It is an ultrabook, after all. At the same time, you should not expect to be using the ASUS ZenBook 14 as your main gaming rig or video editing rig; 8GB is enough. It does pack an SSD though, for that extra speed when you need it.

Specifications

Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA (2020)	As Tested
*Processor (clock)*	10th Generation Intel Core i7-1065G7 (six-core@1.30GHz)
*GPU*	Intel Iris Plus
*Display(s)*	14-inch IPS (1920 x 1080) Anti-Glare NanoEdge 400nits
*Memory*	512GB NVME M.2 SSD 8GB DDR4 RAM
Networking and Connections (I/O)	1 x USB Type-A 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C 1 x Standard HDMI 1.4 1 x MicroSD card reader Intel Wi-Fi 6 Gig+ (802.11ax) Bluetooth 5.0
*Battery*	67Wh 4-cell Li-Polymer 65W USB Type-C Charger
*Operating System*	Windows 10 Home (64-bit)
*Miscellaneous*	Harman Kardon Audio 3D IR HD camera with Window Hello

Features

Is it as thin as you think it is? Especially when they claim it to be the slimmest with a Full HDMI and USB port? This would beg another question that you have to ask yourselves. Have you seen the size of a full HDMI port? They are not that thick, but they are not exactly paper thin either.

In that case, it is not as thin as you think it should be. At 14-inch, it is not exactly the lightest notebook around either. But you have to appreciate the premium touch of the completely metal constructed body.

Full I/O Ports and an MicroSD slot

One thing that we hate about the more modern ultrabooks we use for work, especially in our line of work, is the fact that none of them comes with full USB ports anymore. In that sense, having a full-sized USB Type-A port is a breath of fresh air, something we can really appreciate. At the same time, there is only one full-sized USB port, which is occupied by a USB dongle for my wireless mouse most of the time.

Of course, because of that one USB port, you can put in normal sized thumb drives to work with. That also means you, or whoever you work with do not have to spend extra money just to buy a USB Type-C thumb drive or USB Type-C to USB Type-C cables. You do not need to spend on a USB Type-C dongle as well for that matter. Of course, if you already do have a USB Type-C dongle, you can use them still via the two Thunderbolt USB Type-C ports on the other side with the full HDMI port.

Full HDMI is a big welcome with any notebook, not because we thoroughly use them, just because it is nice to be able to go home and plug your TV to your notebook to watch Netflix or just work on a bigger display. In our line of work as well, we do travel to other parts of the world and work out of hotel rooms from time to time. In that case, having a full HDMI port that we can use to plug the provided TV in the room is nice as well.

There is also a MicroSD card reader that proved to be useful from time to time. We heavily rely on MicroSD cards in our work thanks to the compact camera we use. In that case, when we need to quickly transfer data, we simply pull out the MicroSD card from the Sony RX0ii that we heavily rely on for most of our production use case and just transfer out the data from the card to an external HDD we plug into the full-sized UBS port.

We would appreciate if they could fit another full-sized USB Type-A port though. Also, if they could include a 3.5mm audio in/out jack in the next iteration of the ASUS ZenBook 14, that would be great. We found this to be a little bit of an annoying pickle because of the lack of that audio AUX port.

We still do not agree with the decision of phone makers around the world when they decided that the 3.5mm AUX jacks are obsolete. Imagine our dismay then, when we found that we could not use our 3.5mm AUX earphones or headphones with this notebook. In that case, we have to dig up our bags for a USB Type-C earphone, or connect a Bluetooth enabled wireless earphone or headphone. With Bluetooth headphones, you might want to prepare to wrestle with Windows a little bit.

ErgoLift Comfort and Discomfort

The ErgoLift hinge that is championed by ASUS is technically nothing new. They introduced it a few years ago and the design is still stuck until this day. It is not exactly something that should win ASUS any style points though. In that case, while the design does create for some very interesting and seamless look on the outlook part, it serves a more practical purpose than you think.

Of course, every other person that has gone through the marketing blurb from ASUS knows that the ErgoLift hinge is designed for typing comfort. It raises the keyboards a little bit to make it a little more natural for you to type on. The angled keyboard is supposed to relieve some of the pressure on your wrists and ensure that you do not get fatigued while working on the notebook or even Carpal Tunnel syndrome. Trust me, it is not fun.

Thing is, the Ergolift hinge also means that the keyboard tends to sit at different heights in different angles. It is not that big of a deal in most cases, since the changes to the angle is quite minimal. But this also means that your viewing angle changes the way you work with the keyboard, which could very well be in a weird angle after you change your own seating position and then the display angle.

There are two rubberized legs on the ErgoLift hinge’s edge. That is to prevent the ASUS ZenBook 14 bodywork to be touching the surface it sits on and scratch itself to bits. It is also to prevent the notebook from slipping away from you while you type on it or work on it. It is to plant itself on that surface.

However, working with the ZenBook 14 on your thighs could be a small annoyance. That is because the naked parts of the hinge would be resting on your thighs. It might not be an issue if the notebook rests on your pants, but it might be a little annoying if the hinge rests on your bare thighs.

While they have managed to design an edge that is blunt enough that it does not dig into your skin, it is still a little uncomfortable as typing and resting your palms on the notebook means that you are still putting pressure on a smaller contact patch. In that sense, we do not recommend putting it on your lap when you are working, find a proper table. You would be more productive that way too. Of course, if you have no choice but to put your notebook on the lap, you are not going to bleed from the experience.

Blowing Hot Air, At the display

The ErgoLift had posed another problem for ultrabooks though. It has posed a cooling problem for ultrabooks. With the sides plugged up by plugs, the only way heat could travel out of the notebook is through the back. The ErgoLift hinge means that most of the heat is dissipated via fans blowing the display.

The cooling fans draw cool air from the bottom of the device. ErgoLift also means that there is a bigger gap at the bottom allowing for bigger airflow. The exhaust air is blown to the back of the device that is now part of the display, so hot air will travel on the display panel.

Thankfully, there is not that much heat that needs to be transferred out on normal use cases. You do not want to constantly blow hot air into the display else you might risk some damages from the display panel itself that might lead to discoloration or worse still, glue coming apart from the plastic panels, effectively disintegrating your notebook.

Backlit Keyboard for the Dark Times

There is no RGB here, thankfully. It is not a gaming device, after all, so why would you want RGB? But that also means that you can only get white colour backlighting on the ASUS ZenBook 14.

We do have to admit though that the keyboard on the ASUS ZenBook 14 is one of the best you can find on an ultrabook. It has enough travel and feedback for that extra smooth workbench feel. Typing on it is comfortable and typing fatigue is minimized with decently sized keys as well.

We do suspect that the extra thickness they had on the baseplate allows for better keyboard fitting and therefore slightly more key travels. That also means it does not feel like you are typing on a hardboard with ‘touch sensitive’ keys. Instead, you feel like you are typing on a keyboard, a proper keyboard.

We do find that we seldom put the illuminated numpad integrated in the touch sensitive mousepad to good use. It is a neat feature though to integrate a full keyboard into a form factor such as the ASUS ZenBook 14.

In a sense, working on the ASUS ZenBook 14 as a document, or email machine is a pleasure. The keyboard is silent even in the most silent working environment. It is not too mushy or too harsh on your fingers and every stroke of key feels properly solid.

Facial Recognition

Thanks to infrared sensors and webcam, the ASUS ZenBook 14 packs Windows Hello’s facial recognition. That is at the sacrifice of the good ol’ fingerprint sensor though. While it may seem counterintuitive to remove a secondary layer of security, the facial recognition of the ASUS ZenBook 14’s Windows Hello is what you need though. It is fast and accurate to the touch.

We did face some issues with facial recognition in our use, but that is more user error than the fault of the PC. You have to remember to take off your facemask before you start using the notebook. If you are wearing glasses, you should be fine. It is Windows Hello technology, which also means that it is a proven technology.

The lack of a fingerprint sensor is hardly missed though, since you still can use a pin number to secure your ASUS ZenBook 14. That is not to say that we dislike fingerprint sensors, or we do not want one. We do think that we should still have a fingerprint sensor just in case the webcam sensors failed to identify our faces when we need things done quickly.

At the same time, having a facial recognition webcam with Windows Hello also means that you have to keep the webcam free of tapes or webcam covers. Of course, you can leave a webcam cover in it. You Just need to remember to remove it or open it up every time you turn on your notebook.

Harman Kardon Audio

This ASUS ZenBook 14 comes with Harman Kardon tuned audio and speakers. That does not mean that it has all the bells and whistles that comes with certified sound bars. It is close though, without a sub-woofer that is.

Harman Kardon audio capabilities means that music sounds good. When we say good, we mean that its sound stage is nearly full and most frequencies are clear and crisp. Clear and crisp is what we will use to describe the top-end frequencies on the ASUS ZenBook 14. Since there is no sub-woofer elements packed into the compact body that is the ZenBook, low-end frequencies tend to be weaker.

That is not to say that it is a bad audio and music machine though. You still can appreciate good music through the speakers, just not something with a lot of low-end power. That also means EDMs might not cut it. Vocals do sound excellent on the speakers though, better than the ASUS ZenBook from before than does not come with Harman Kardon’s touch.

Performance

Of course, 10^th Gen Core i7 that it packs comes with plenty of expectations from us. It is 2020 and we can expect modern notebook PCs to be powerful enough to work and game lightly at the same time; especially an Intel Core i7. Of course, we cannot have a thin and light that does everything under the sun without any compromises. In that sense, this is an ultrabook with nearly zero compromise.

The Extra and Subtle Workhorse

In any angle, the ASUS ZenBook 14 exudes ‘premium’. At any touch, that is also the word that comes to mind. ‘Boring’, is another, as we have said in the design section.

These are not the only words available for the ASUS ZenBook 14 though. When you talk about taking a workhorse out for a trip out of town, the ultrabook of choice with the best value and performance is the ASUS ZenBook ultrabook. So, there is ‘Reliability’ in their repertoire as well.

The ASUS ZenBook 14’s body may not be the slimmest notebook you can find in the market. It may not be the lightest too in the market. If you are looking for those, you should be looking elsewhere.

A workhorse should have as little compromise as possible for its purposes. An ultrabook today will not pack a full-sized USB port for normal thumb drives and external HDDs. It will not pack a full-sized standard HDMI port for easy presentation modes as well. The ASUS ZenBook 14 is a workhorse that does not compromise on those. Hence, its extra heft.

It is mostly made for document processing, web browsing, and even scrubbing through emails too, which also means that there are some compromises in terms of other performance. In that sense though, the ASUS ZenBook 14 is more than adequate to handle everything and more. We mostly used it to play Music while we are working, reading through emails, typing through long articles and web browsing.

When we say we are listening to music, we did not connect a Bluetooth earphone or connect an earphone at all with the notebook, most of the time anyway. Which also means we are using the built-in speakers most of the time. When we say web browsing too, there are times where there are about 40 tabs open in each of the three Mozilla Firefox web explorer windows we have open on the ASUS ZenBook 14. Oh yes, we even had Microsoft Edge open from time to time to access a completely different thing. With Chrome, the notebook might not fare so well.

In those operations, the ASUS ZenBook 14 performs as silky smooth as you expect it to. Windows load up quite instantly thanks to Intel’s Optane memory included in the notebook. Apps also open at a near instant speed thanks to the 512GB SSD.

Video Editing is Possible

Everything sort of falls apart a little bit in video editing though. Iris Plus does help a little in reducing load and rendering times compared to the older generation Intel Core processors. We were only editing a 15-second timelapse that was supposed to be produced in 4K though. To be fair, we are processing 45-Megapixel photos that was stitched together to be post-processed as an 8K video file first. We were scrubbing through 136 photos in total for the time lapse.

Once stitched though, it took up to 50 minutes for the stitching to be post-processed into a 4K video. Scrubbing through the individual frames also took some time for the ASUS ZenBook 14. We had to wait a second or two to check through each of the 136 frames of the video.

Still, if you work with Full HD videos, you should have not trouble scrubbing through the video with ease on Adobe’s Premiere Pro. You might want to look into other more powerful products for smooth and quick 4K video productions. Still, a 3-minute Full HD render from a Full HD source should be done in about 10-15 minutes.

Gaming

Really? Do you really have to ask about gaming on a notebook designed to accompany you for work purposes? Redundant question that you might already know the answer to.

Gaming performance on the ASUS ZenBook 14 is pretty much as expected. It is not a gaming machine, so it is never going to do well in that regards. It is acceptable with certain games though, if you do not mind letting it run a little hotter than usual that is.

You can still play Football Manager, or Motorsport Manager, or even Cities Skyline on it smoothly with the fans going a little crazier than usual. You could, technically, play DOTA 2 with it too if you are into MOBAs. You might not be as competitive as if you are playing on a proper gaming rig though. That could either be your excuse for underperforming in a ranked match or kicked for being too incompetent, you have been warned. It is smooth enough with DOTA 2 though, so you might still be fine with a little bit of skill. We are never good in DOTA 2 anyway.

Even if you are thinking of playing the latest indie games like No Straight Roads, you would still be fine. The game will still load up smoothly and surely. You might just want to keep in mind to not push the graphics all the way up.

We are not saying that you should be playing games on the device. We are saying that you can if you want to. You might not be able to touch full-fledged AAA titles, but plenty of indie games like This War of Mine or Motorsport Manager never needed ultra-powerful rigs to run properly anyway.

Battery

A heftier body also has some benefit to a notebook’s battery life. You could technically fit a bigger battery pack into the body of the ASUS ZenBook 14 at the cost of more weight on it. In the body of the ZenBook 14 is a 67Wh 4-cell battery that is quoted to be good for 22 hours on a single charge.

To be fair, we have never hit anything that is close to the 22 hours claim in our usage. You do have to keep in mind that battery life is very dependent on use cases though. Battery life is affected by the ambient temperature, operating temperature, amounts of processes within the PC, use cases with the PC, and much more.

In our use case, where we have at least 20 tabs open on a web browser at any time, we got about 18 hours of continuous use before the PC tells us that we need to start charging the notebook. That is also with some music listening included with a mix of work and standby time. At some point too, the ASUS ZenBook 14 did not need a charge for a whole week. Of course, we were not continuously using the notebook.

ASUS Battery management

Technically you can fully charge the 67Wh battery of the ASUS ZenBook 14 within 2 hours with the included 65W charger. They claimed a 49-minute charge time to 60% with an empty tank, with the PC turned off.

We believe them though. We have only charged the ASUS ZenBook 14 while working on it once and while we are editing and rendering the odd video. Most of the time, charging is done while it is turned off, and we never left it charged for more than two hours at a time before we get going again with a fully charged battery.

We left the power management to let the charger to fully charge the batteries though, because we are on the go most of the time. But if you are going to let it sit on your office desk all the time, you can choose to restrict the battery charge to only 60% to prolong the battery shelf life. If not, there is a balanced battery preservation mode too in MyASUS app.

USB Type-C Charger

Having a universal charger is a very sensible thing to do. It also means that ASUS saves a porting hole just for a proprietary charger. Which still begs the question of their exclusion of the 3.5mm jack or another USB Type-A port. They clearly have space for the two mentioned ports.

Modern USB Type-C cables can also support up to 75W in output. That also means that you can even fast charge an ultrabook with a proper USB Type-C cable. But that also means that you can buy a high-output power banks wit proper 65W output too to charge your PC when you have no access to a charging port.

Since modern smartphones and other gadgets are making USB Type-C as a standard port these days too, having a high-output power adapter is also a bonus. You do not need to bring three different adapters and cables anymore to charge your devices when you travel. You only need one of ASUS’ USB Type-C adapter, and you are good to go.

Display – IPS and Iris Plus

The IPS Full HD display is a pleasure to look at though. It may not be the most colour accurate display in the world, it does not need to be. But it is a great looking display with highly saturated and bright colours. It should be good enough for the occasional movies that you might want to enjoy on the ASUS ZenBook 14.

That said also, 60Hz is not encouraging for games either, especially when you consider more competitive games like Valorant, or DOTA 2. It still works with games like This War of Mine and such, but you might even want your No Straight Roads to run at higher frame rates when possible. Iris Plus is plenty more powerful than the UHD graphics GPU that came before, but it is not a discrete GPU like an NIVIDIA GeForce MX250.

Again, the notebook is not designed with gaming in mind though. It is designed with portability, productivity, and practicality in mind. The display is designed for that too, technically with some clever blue light filtering software (Windows standard these days too). At the same time, the modern display panel is highly efficient with a 1-watt power draw rating. It is not exactly bright enough placed under direct sunlight in Malaysia, technically with 400nits. If you sit in a naturally lit café though, 400nits is enough for you to work with.

In this case, for its purpose, the display of the ASUS ZenBook 14 is not the most brilliant or highest resolution you can find. It is quite brilliant on its own though and does hold itself against any other notebooks of its standard. It is a brilliant looking display for a working-class notebook.

The ASUS ZenBook 14 – So Much, yet So Little

The package that you see here will set you back MYR 4,699. That is not exactly a budget notebook price. It is not exactly a premium as a Dell XPS 13 though. For that price you still get a full-aluminium body, a clever touchpad, an innovative hinge, Windows Hello’s brilliant webcam facial recognition, super-long battery life, some clever software, and fully sized I/O ports.

You do not get a lot of things for that kind of money either though. You do not get a proper, physical numpad (although, at this form factor, it is kind of impossible). You do not get a 144Hz display, or anything close to a colour accurate display as well. You are paying for slightly more heft with the ASUS ZenBook 14 and you get no fingerprint sensor with that, or even a 3.5mm AUX jack. You cannot even expect it to come with a discrete GPU too for that money, or even a full-sized SD card slot.

We are annoyed at the fact that they chose to hang us dry when it comes to audio solutions. To be fair, we were really annoyed at the fact that there is no 3.5mm jack on this piece of kit. We found the Grey colour option to be a little boring too, while the Lilac Mist colour to be tantalizing, but not very professional. WE are not saying that it is badly designed, it still looks sharp and very distinctively ASUS.

It was not as light as we thought it should be with the 14-inch trim. On a bright side though, it is lighter than most 14-inch notebooks you can find in the market today. It is also quite a little bit smaller than most 14-inch notebooks today too. Maybe, just not that much thinner in terms of thickness.

That extra girth though gives way to a full HDMI port and USB 3.2 Type-A port, which is always a welcome in ultra-portable machines that we know as our workhorse today. The extra girth also allows for a bigger fan in a sense to cool the PC adequately, and even house a slightly larger battery than you can expect an ultrabook to ever have. That extra sized battery gives you a longer battery life expectancy compare to its competition, and in that terms, more confidence in making it through a day with no battery anxiety. It gives you peace of mind, is what I am saying.

If you want the ASUS ZenBook 14 to be your daily driver for the next five years or so, you will want to invest in the more expensive Intel Core i7 variant. If not, even the Core i5 variant at MYR 3,999 will do you some good for the coming few years. You could even opt for a smaller display and more compact packaging with the 13-inch variant, if you really want. We always appreciate a larger display though, so the 14-inch is the one we will go for.

The ASUS ZenBook 14’s closest competitor technically comes at about the same price. You are getting the exact same display size with very similar packages. The only thing that differs from each product, other than thickness and weight, is their security features and one RAM size difference. The competition packs twice the RAM that the ASUS ZenBook 14 can offer for the same price. The competition lacks Windows Hello’s webcam facial recognition though and does not come with a USB Type-C charger (proprietary charger).

So, which would we buy? It is a difficult choice, to be fair. Considering the convenience of the ASUS ZenBook 14, we are leaning toward the fully sized ports. In truth though, we would be a little more comfortable using the other product because of ZenBook’s lack of weight, and an extra 3.5mm AUX jack. Ports? The competition has all the other ports too. Although we really like the idea of only carry a single charger for all our devices in the bag. Now we are in a pickle.

Android, Editorial, Mobile, News, Reviews

24 Hours with The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra

August 25, 2020 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Buying a new gadget is always special. Somehow it feels like an achievement. I remember the first time I bought my smartphone a Samsung Galaxy S. That was in the turn of the millennium and it felt like a big achievement. It was a great feeling, a special feeling.

Then you unbox the device, a delicate mix of glass, and plastic, and metal these days. It felt like a trophy at that time. Then you have to set it up, which is a pain in the butt.

Setting up your device for the first time is always quite a painful process. It takes out plenty of your time. You have to transfer as much data as possible from one smartphone to the other. In the old days, some of the most important data on your device is your contacts. You can do that with a simple Google sign in now. But the rest of the device, not so easy.

Since I switch to a smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S, I have never turned back to switch to another manufacturer. Since I have switched to the Note series from the Samsung Galaxy Note2, I have never turned back. Now, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra is here, and we have to get our hands on it.

First Set-Up

We did, and then we have to set it up like any other phone. In that regards, I switched out from a Samsung Galaxy Note9 to this Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra. Thank the heavens, we have the Smart Switch app that simplified data transfer from one phone the other, to a certain degree.

The first set-up of the device is quite painless. Since I am coming from another Samsung device, it is a simple turn on the Smart Switch app on the older device and get them to pair. When I switched out my Samsung Galaxy Note5 to a Samsung Galaxy Note9, I had to do the transfer via a wire. Now, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 does it wirelessly with the Samsung Galaxy Note9; neat.

Smart Switch App

The whole process is quite painless if you do it correctly and should be done within an hour depending on your smartphone. We did something wrong and had to reset twice to get the data transferred correctly. It took us about 40 minutes (when we got it right) for all the necessary data to reach the Galaxy Note20 Ultra.

It was worth it though, once done the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 looks exactly like the Note9 in terms interface. You get the same background you’ve set on your older device and even the same lock screen. Of course, you have to set up your fingerprint sensor and facial recognition again.

Things like your Google Account has already been signed into and you can access almost everything else that is singed in with Google account without having to sign in again. Of course, you have to sign into your Samsung account and Microsoft account again. Facebook is mostly already set up too if you transferred your data with Smart Switch app. Other things like Twitter and Instagram requires you to sign in again though.

If you want to, you can even transfer all the older photos that you took with your older device to the Samsung Galaxy Note20. That is what we did, and everything we had from the old Samsung Galaxy Note9 is now in the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra. We only wish that the app also helps us mimic all the app settings and accounts we had. We were quite annoyed to find that certain apps are not signed in and most of our games progress has been reset.

Naked and Vulnerable

The Samsung Galaxy Note20 review unit that we got does not come with a device case to protect it from the world. When we checked with Samsung’s rep, there is a chance that the retail unit might not come with an included case too. In that case, we do suggest that you procure one the moment you get your Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra unit though. You would want to slap a case on its back because of the huge camera bump.

The device is not particularly thick, which makes the camera bump a little bit of an odd stand out. It is half the thickness of the S Pen and definitely thicker than your 50cent coin. You might need to stack two coins and it will just clear the height of the bump.

It is not a small bump either. It has to fit a large 108-Megapixel sensor along with two supporting sensors at that. Just in case you do not remember, the camera sensors are now larger as well. The term ‘stick out like a sore thumb’ plays very well here.

Still, the bronze that was presented on the Samsung Galaxy Note20 is a unique touch to smartphones. While every other manufacturer is doing all they can to get their device’s backs to look like they came out of the North Pole, Samsung goes back to basic with their flagship productivity machine.

The bronze is not even in a glossy shade for style points. They didn’t really bother with creating fancy effects either. It is just a matte finish that even feels nice in your hands. The only thing about it is that it is quite slippery in your hands. That is why we advise you to buy a case too.

We do really like the matte texture to the back of the device though. While it is nothing new, it is quite refreshing at this time and it does look good to a certain degree. Still you might just cover it up with a case anyway.

Battery Concerns

Out-of-the-box, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 comes with about 50% in battery charge when you turn it on. That should be enough for you to do your set ups or the data transfer. Once set up is done, the battery is still good enough to play around with and to do all extra set ups. While that is good news, it might disguise its actual battery life though.

The Samsung Galaxy Note20 houses the biggest battery of all the Note series that came before. The thing is, we do feel like it has about the same battery life as the Samsung Galaxy Note9 though. It is not great, but it is not bad either. If you constantly keep your device on, the battery does dwindle a little bit. We suspect that the battery life is driven down by the 120Hz refresh rate.

Once you start to charge it though, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 will prompt you if you want to fast charge it if fast charging is available. That is quite clever as well. If you tend to leave your device charging overnight, you might want to consider turning that function off. That is also a very clever way to preserve your battery shelf life.

120Hz Goodness

Once you start working with the smartphone, you first notice how smooth everything is. The Samsung Galaxy Note20 turns on 120Hz refresh rate by default but limits your resolution at Full HD. If you want the full quad HD treatment, sorry. Still, 1080p is still plenty good looking on the AMOLED display, so we left it that way.

The smoothness of the interface is uncanny though, everything flows really nicely with each swipe. Even the Samsung Keyboard is made to take on 120Hz, the suggested words just flow along as you type, which was a nice touch.

Of course, the other benefit to the fast display is gaming. Unfortunately, this aspect will have to wait until we properly review the device though. Why? We have not even launched any of the games we have on the device.

S Pen – Mightier than the Pen

Okay, that was an exaggeration. It is technically a digital pen, and we maintain that the stylus experience still cannot beat an actual Pen experience. But this, in our first tests, does feel quite close to an actual pen.

No, not the actual pen on paper experience. Instead, you still know that you are writing on glass, a smooth surface. We can liken it more to using market pen on whiteboards. That said, this S Pen is unlike any other stylus experience we are used to. This is coming from a Samsung Galaxy Note9 user.

It is faster than before, they say at 9ms. That means that response is near instant with the S Pen. Before we can start though, S Pen has some setting up and tutorial to do when we first take it out of its housing at the bottom left this time (used to be bottom right).

The first set up is to teach us how to use the three gesture controls that is available for the S Pen. If you do everything correctly, you will get that done within 30 seconds and you are good to go. You have to set up your apps with gesture controls first though, if you want to use them. We have not.

Then we fired up the S Notes app that is native to Samsung devices. We started writing and comparing to older Samsung Galaxy Note devices like the Note10 and the Note9. We fell a little in love after that. The experience is much changed and different now. While it is only a small difference between in the speed, the difference can be clearly seen. Especially when you are scribbling quickly, the scribbles on the Samsung Galaxy Note20 appears to really follow the pen without any visible breaks. We suspect that the 120Hz play a small role in this.

First Impressions After 24 Hours

This, in our humble opinions, could be Samsung’s most important and significant Samsung Galaxy Note ever. They are realising it into a highly volatile and uncertain market. No, not because Samsung is doing badly or that the smartphone market is doing badly. Those are provided also because of the bigger global concern that is the COVID-19 pandemic at this time.

For most, it is business as usual like Samsung. The Samsung Galaxy Note20 is sort of a new normal too. It is bigger, faster, and cleverer than before. It is a statement to the world that the digital pen is ready to take on paper and pen for speed and practicality. It is a new way to work on things.

It does not have the same camera prowess that is the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra’s 100x zoom. But it is a productivity beast when it comes to things that matter. You can use it as your alternative work device if you really want to. It refined the Samsung design philosophy a little bit with better ergonomics on the sides. The top and bottom are flat now, which does give it a slightly edgier and fresher look.

It is huge, even compared to the previous Samsung Galaxy Note devices. But it is never uncomfortable to hold (save for that big camera bump, we have nothing to complain about). It is even more powerful too, with bigger stamina tank. But it is not obnoxious in looks. It looks understated and we like that.

All in all, the experience is one that we have quite enjoyed. We have not gone into detail on the missing 3.5mm jack just yet. We have not even explored the Super-Fast Charging capabilities on the Note20 Ultra just yet. We also have not started talking about the big cameras yet.

Computers, Editor's Choice, Editorial, Gaming, Reviews

The Acer Predator Helios 300 (2020) In-Depth Review – At MYR 5,199; Value Has a New Name

August 17, 2020 Darwin Sucipto 1 Comment

The Movement Control Order, as we know it in Malaysia, or the sanctioned quarantine at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (it is not over, by the way) really opened our eyes to plenty of things. It revealed the human ability to adapt to any situation and still survive. It also proved that our technology is ready to handle the situation and give us the kind of flexibility we need in that time of need.

But it also opened a whole other can of worms. Once we started working from home, we realised just how easily we can be productive without being in a professional environment. We also realised that the line between work and leisure is blurred to the point that we cannot see it. In that sense, we tend to be workaholics at home. Time for a change of lifestyle then, a new schedule.

You realised something too. You do not have much entertainment at home. You did not buy a TV because you tend to not be home until quite late in the evening. By that time, you just want to relax, wind down, watch a video or two on your smartphone or notebook, and then sleep. A TV is unnecessary at the time.

Other forms of entertainment get neglected too. Your gaming PC at the corner has collected so much dust that it looks like an ancient relic. You stopped playing that much games because you tend to stay out until its dark and you are sleepy. You want to play games, but you just do not have the energy for it in the past. In the current work-from-home situation though, you realise you have plenty more time to play games. But your Gaming PC is now old and slow. Time to buy a new Gaming PC.

You decide that its best to get a Gaming Notebook because it is the most convenient form of gaming PC to date. You can bring it around when you need to move, you can use it for work, you can watch movies on it, you can play music on it, you can have a LAN party at your friend’s place. It is the most versatile entertainment powerhouse in the world of entertainment powerhouses.

Which one do you go for though? What kind of budget do you stick to? There are so many choices out there at this point? What if you do not have more than MYR 6,000 to spend on one? What is the latest one in the market?

One of the latest gaming notebooks to arrive in Malaysia is the Acer Predator Helios 300. We heard somewhere too that the device was actually planned for an earlier release to no avail. That was due to the COVID-19 pandemics and its disruption toward the logistics industry globally. We do not blame them. It is also priced below MYR 6,000 at MYR 5,199, way below. In short, it sounds like one of the best deals to get if you are in the market for a gaming notebook. Is it though? Let us find out.

Design

The Acer Predator Helios 300 for the 2020 has been updated a little bit from before. The Acer Predator Helios 300 2020 gets pretty much the same GPU set up as before, same RAM size as before, and the same cooling internals. That is where the similarities end though.

The Predator Helios 300 is now packing more power with an Intel Core i7-10750H. With that, it also gets a slightly updated look. Gone is the ‘PREDATOR’ word logo on the cover. You get a much cleaner look on the back of the display now, which is the top clam of the notebook. The mascot logo is still there though, giving you some hints of the power contained within the all-aluminium body.

The power lines that frames the logo is still there too. The powerlines are as iconic as ever, in Predator’s signature blue. Sadly, only the logo in the center of the clam lights up with LED. We feel that the power lines deserve their own LED array to let others know that it means business.

The angled edge still stays, a staple now to Acer’s gaming line-up, including their Nitro series. The angles on the display clam is still a little sharp, but that is not a huge issue, considering that you rarely have contact with that part of the notebook.

The sharp edges that lines the palm rest surface though has been chamfered. They are still a little sharp on the ends, but at the same time the chamfered edges does make it a bit more comfortable for your palms and wrists. That chamfered edge is now chromed all the way too though, to add to some flair to how the device looks on your desk.

Open it up, and you will find, greeting you, is an expansive 15.6-inch IPS panel. With bezels remaining as thin as ever, but not too thin that it becomes awkward for Acer to find creative ways to mount their 720p HD webcam. Of course, we are still hoping that manufacturers include their own window or cap for the webcam just for our safety. At this point of time though, webcam spaces are a premium, so we may not see a webcam window anytime soon.

Look down and you find a full-size keyboard with proper physical number pad section. Instead of a single colour backlit keyboard, it is now a 4-zone RGB keyboard you can control with Predator Sense built into the notebook. There is a dedicated Predator Sense key too on the keyboard for you to access it quickly. I would have preferred a separate dedicated button though this arrangement by Acer makes everything look cleaner and more compact.

If you look closely too, you will see a ‘Turbo’ button on the top left corner of the typing surface. The new slits at the forehead of the keyboard are not speakers, by the way. They are extra cooling vents for the powerful 4^th generation 3D Aeroblades. The ‘Turbo’ button is nestled right beside the vents.

This ‘Turbo’ button now lights up when you press it. Instead of just relying on your ears to see if the cooling fans go crazy or not, you can leave your headphones on and check the button instead. Although, the LED is not an expected Predator blue. Instead it is a plain white LED backlight. I would have liked it if it was Predator blue LED backlit. Then again, it could be less visible.

Around the sides, you find all the right interface ports, including a full HDMI out port and a Mini DP port. The charging port though has been moved to the back of the notebook. That also means that there is a big plate now in the middle of the back of the notebook, sacrificing some cooling vent space (hence the extra vents on top of the keyboard). We prefer this set up though, at least the charging cable will not cover anymore ports or vents. The large plate that houses the charging mechanism is quite large and sparse though. We would have liked to see an HDMI port moved there, the Mini DP port should belong there as well, and maybe an extra USB port on the plate.

Other than these things, the changes in design is now more internal. Instead of having an extra HDD slot on top of the 512GB SSD on the device, you now get an extra SSD and HDD slot on top of the 512GB SSD. Because of the new I/O layout too, they have to move the 3D AeroBlade fan a little bit, further apart to the sides. But they have also redesigned the heat pipes and tweaked their routing to make them a bit more efficient and effective, resulting in an improved cooling performance, despite the reduced intake vent surface area.

Hardware

Within the redesigned body, you are getting the same Intel Core i7-10750H as the Acer Nitro 5 we reviewed earlier. You can opt for a cheaper Core i5 edition, but we would suggest that you consider the Acer Nitro 5 then. Still, this one is in a league of its own. It is a Predator, and this one is just MYR 300 more than the top-of-the-line Acer Nitro 5.

For that MYR 300 extra, you are getting a better GPU too. It is just a step up from the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti, but the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is still a much more superior GPU with DLSS 2.0 capabilities and proper ray tracing. In those alone, we do think that the Acer Predator Helios 300 will be a better buy.

If you are in the market for a thin and light though, you might want to look away. It is quite a hefty package, this Helios 300. It weighs 2.5kg and is just about as thick as the Acer Nitro 5 that weighs in at 1.8kg. Remember though that this Helios 300 is mostly constructed with Aluminium.

Specifications

Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-53-77CF	As Tested
*Processor (clock)*	10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H (six-core@2.6GHz)
*GPU*	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
*Display(s)*	15.6-inch IPS LED-backlit (1920 x 1080) ComfyView 144Hz
*Memory*	512GB NVME M.2 SSD 8GB DDR4 RAM
Networking and Connections (I/O)	3 x USB Type-A 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C 1 x Standard HDMI 1.4 1 x Audio combo jack 1 x Network RJ-45 Intel Wi-Fi 6 Gig+ (802.11ax) Bluetooth 5.0
*Battery*	4-cell Li-Polymer
*Operating System*	Windows 10 Home (64-bit)
*Miscellaneous*	DTS:X Ultra Audio

Features

As we have mentioned before, most of the changes are in the internals of the Acer Predator Helios 300. The size has not changed, nor the weight. Plenty of the changes seem quite minor at first, but they do add up to an improved product over its previous one though.

For starters, we like how much cleaner the new Helios 300 for 2020 looks compared to the rest of the previous generation Acer predator notebooks. We can expect this kind of design as well moving forward with other Acer Predator products. The chamfered edges are a big plus in our books because it does help with typing comfort a little, despite the still sharp angle at the ends. But there are more to this notebook than just small improvements.

New Body, New Positions

Like the Acer Nitro 5 that we reviewed earlier last month, the Acer Predator Helios 300’s charging port is now at the back. This, in our opinion, is a big ergonomic improvement. Because of the angled design of the charging cable from Acer (slightly wider power brick for the 2020 version), the cable tends to cover either your I/O ports at the side or the exhaust vents.

You either restrict airflow, or block your ports, which gets very annoying in plenty of cases. Acer will not completely overhaul the cables a well, because a straight plug will disrupt your mouse experience, especially when you game. To right handers, it is a simple solution of moving the charging port to the left side of the device. That is discriminating left-handers though. So, the back is the most sensible choice.

The only complain we have, as mentioned is that the back plate that houses the charging internals is a little on the sparse side. We felt that the Mini DP port and HDMI port should be moved to the back alongside a full-sized USB port or USB Type-C port. Yes, go with what Lenovo has done with their Legion line-up, we like that.

4-Zone RGB Keyboard That is Even Better

Typing essays on the previous Acer Predator Helios 300 was not really a chore to begin with. We find that the keyboard on most gaming notebooks have improved tremendously, especially on Acer Predator notebooks. We feel like they have started understanding that gaming notebooks are still productivity machines when you need them to be. Typing experience is still an important part of a notebook PC.

In that sense, the 2019 version of the Helios 300 is a comfortable typewriter. The key travels cannot be compared to any mechanical keyboards, but they are still easy to work with. They give you enough feedback with some very soft tactile feel. We somehow feel also that the keyboard would be the best that they could have made it.

The 2020 variant though has a better keyboard than before somehow. The keys somehow feel a bit more tactile than we are used to with Acer’s island type individual keys. There is no difference between key travels between the 2019 variant and 2020 variant. The softness and mushiness are much reduced, and the typing experience somehow is made much more comfortable. No, you still cannot compare it to a mechanical keyboard, but it is a good keyboard to work with when you are out and about. Not everyone carries their mechanical keyboards in their bags.

You still get highlighted ‘WASD’, arrow, and Predator Sense keys on the Acer Predator Helios 300. Instead of choosing a single backlight colour though, you can go for multiple colours across four zones on the keyboard this time. You simply fire up Predator Sense to change the settings.

The chamfered edge that lines the bottom of the keyboard plate, is a life saver. At least the edges do not cut into your palms or wrists anymore. We think that rounded off edges or chamfered edges on notebooks should be a thing. It is a small difference that really changes your comfort levels with the device.

Predator Sense + 4^th Gen 3D AeroBlade = Stone Cold

The subtitle might be a little of an exaggeration. But to be fair, the combination of the two really works. Because you do not have the restriction of space like you get in a Triton notebook, the Helios 300 can work with bigger intake and exhaust fans and vents. That allows even more air to pass through your hot internals and keep them properly cool.

If you’ve read our review of the Acer Nitro 5, you would have noticed that we mentioned that Nitro sense is not quite as powerful as Predator Sense. That is because Nitro Sense does not do overclocks, while Predator Sense does.

Strangely you cannot really tweak the overclocking settings on your own, not that this information is anything new. Acer do not really want you to cook your internals just for the sake of proving a point. This is as much about protecting you as it is protecting the PC and themselves.

Predator Sense clocks up your CPU and GPU to speeds that the manufacturers deem safe and plausible enough for their fans to keep them at their optimum temperature. Of course, this is done when you kick ‘Turbo’ mode on. The fans go at its fastest too, to ensure maximum airflow for the Helios 300. Nope, you cannot turn the fan down.

In default mode though, the fan is relatively quiet and peaceful. It is still powerful enough technically to run Horizon Zero Dawn at ‘ultimate’ settings and not go overboard with the noise. It does get hot though after a while and you still might want to kick ‘turbo’ mode on, just to manage its temperature.

In any sense though, we never got the feeling that the Acer Predator Helios 300 is ever going to overheat, especially when you turn on ‘Turbo’ mode when ou need a little bit of horsepower. We turn on ‘Turbo’ mode even when we are editing our videos. We also think that the full aluminium top of the Helios 300 does help a little bit in heat dissipation.

Performance

You can safely expect this generation of Acer Predator Helios 300 to really perform. Will it be that much more powerful? I doubt, but it will still be powerful. It is still one powerful device with a 10^th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H processor that replaces the older 9^th Generation six-core processor. But you still get the same NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 on the graphics end, which is still something of a powerhouse.

Gaming

Of course, we have to talk gaming, this is a gaming notebook after all. We tried games like Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, Horizon Zero Dawn, Assassin’s Creed: Origins, and Two Point Hospital on it. They are not the latest or most demanding games in the market, but Ghost Recon: Breakpoint can be quite taxing on even the most modern of hardware.

The latest, in terms of PC release date, among all the games is Horizon Zero Dawn. It is not the most demanding of games, but we were still excited to play it on the powerful Acer Predator Helios 300. For Horizon Zero Dawn though, you do not necessarily need an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, it could be just slightly overpowered even when you go on ultimate settings. Technically you will do fine even with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti to get the game on ultimate settings.

Of course, for titles like Assassin’s Creed: Origins and Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, hardware will be a little taxed. Still, if we leave the game to decide the best settings for the Helios 300, you are sure to be getting smooth gameplay without too big of an issue. Ghost Recon: Breakpoint can be a little buggy on certain hardware though, so we might have to take that with a pinch of salt. Still, the game clocked at least 40fps in most cases only dropping frames in very few occasions.

Assassin’s Creed Origins is quite an old title to be fair. It is still a beautiful game to work with and requires quite a little bit in rendering power thanks to the vast open world that is ancient Egypt. Still, everything went down smoothly at high settings with fps reaching 120 at some points.

The last title we tested the Helios 300 is Two Point Hospital. That is a game that does not require that much at all to be fair, so you can expect it to run as smoothly as possible with near zero hiccups other than the game’s bugs. You can safely leave the settings at the highest for the game and you will still have no trouble running it even without ‘Turbo’ mode on. Of course, thanks to IPS display and 144Hz, Two Point Hospital looks excellent on the Helios 300.

Bye Bye Wave NX, Hello DTS: X Ultra

The previous generation of Acer’s Predator Helios 300 comes packing Acer’s own Wave NX audio technology. They are not bad, per se. They are just not as polished as we would like them to be.

With Wave NX in the previous generation Acer Predator notebooks, you get Virtual 3D audio if you are using your headphones. Regardless of the headphone make and type, Acer’s Wave NX solution, by default, will adjust the audio according to your head’s placement and movement. This is done via the webcam as well. To create an audio room for you.

While it sounds great in concept, and works nicely to a certain degree, it is inconsistent at times. That feature is removed in favour of conventional speakers. Except, the speakers are not that conventional thanks to DTS: X Ultra tuning.

While audio from notebooks generally lack low-frequency punches, the Acer Predator Helios 300 does have a little bit in thumping. It is not as powerful and defined as what you get if you have proper sub-woofers, but it is enough to enjoy your music with. You do want to have the DTS: X audio software turned on though to make full use of the DTS: X Ultra tuned speakers.

The software allows you to choose between a few audio profiles that is designed for specific uses. If you want to, you can tune the audio on your own too and save is a custom profile. Still, the pre set profiles does a stellar job on their own though. Unless you know what you are doing, best to leave the settings alone.

The speakers are quite loud at full chat, which could be a big distraction to other people in the same room as you are. Thank goodness they still have a 3.5mm jack for you to plug your headphones in for a more personalised listening experience. DTS: X will adjust the audio to that too.

Overall, there is technically not much to shout about in the sound department. Audio is crisp, and you can push it to maximum volume without getting your music to tear at the top. While it could use more low-end grunt, it is still respectable considering that the notebook does not pack a sub-woofer.

Battery

While they did quote that the new 10^th Generation Intel Core processors are more efficient in power consumption, we did not actually notice that much in terms of power efficiency bump. There are no specific mentions on the battery life you can get out of the 4-cell battery within Acer Predator Helios 300 from Acer themselves. We did however get about 4 hours of battery life on average with the Acer Predator Helios 300.

Our average use on battery does not include gaming. We mostly have our browser on, sometimes you get 20 tabs out of Firefox, some email checking via Thunderbird or the browser itself. Spotify is on most of the time while we are on the go, of course with earphones plugged in. We did watch some YouTube videos on battery as well, that could take a little bit of toll on the battery life. Oh, we also tend to turn our display brightness settings all the way up.

Still, we managed nearly six hours of battery use at one time before it goes flat. In that case, we turned on battery saving mode immediately after we unplugged it from the charger. In that use case, we did not have Spotify on, the browser was closed as well, and we were only using Microsoft Word in full time in the lowest possible display brightness that we can work with.

Display – 144Hz IPS Dream Like Before

The display, as mentioned, is still similarly sized. It is also still a 144Hz display like before, not a 240Hz unfortunately. Acer did claim that the 15.6-inch display is an IPS panel. That also means that you are getting vibrant and accurate colours for your viewing pleasure.

Of course, you have to remember that this is a gaming notebook. It will not be the most accurate display that you will find on a notebook. IPS display still offers a great viewing experience though. It is still good enough for you to work with colours in videos and photos though. Of course, if you want something with better colour accuracy, you might need to get a secondary display to attach to your PC.

Still, the colours are still quite vivid for a gaming notebook. That also means that you might be able to really enjoy movies and other forms of media on this gaming rig. Thanks to the DTS: X audio too, you do not need to plug in your headphones to enjoy movies on your own.

While 144Hz may not be the fastest display that you might be able to get on a notebook PC it is fast enough for most to enjoy. In this case you get to load up games at up to 144fps. If you are thinking of titles like GTA V or DOTA 2, you will get about 120 to 144fps easily with the kind of hardware The Helios 300 has.

Of course, if you are into competitive gaming, you might want something even higher than 144Hz. Thing is, you may not really need that kind of speed on your display. Your eyes might not even be able to tell the difference between a display refreshing at 120hz and 240hz. In that sense, 144Hz is more than enough for most of us. If you go for the modern AAA titles, you might not even hit 120Hz.

As we said earlier too, the bezels have not really changed from the 2019 Helios 300 to the 2020 variant. They did not go the route of completely redesigning a gaming notebook from the 2019 to 2020 models. They technically did not have to since the only big difference between the two generations is the processor. Still, we do think that they should stick to a slightly wider top and bottom bezel area just so that you can fit properly sized keyboards and properly placed webcams.

The webcam is still a 720p HD webcam though. Nothing too wrong with that, technically. Plenty of notebooks still work with 720p webcams. But we are in 2020 now, 720p is so last decade. We think that notebooks should move to a Full HD webcam format now.

The Acer Predator Helios 300 – Seriously, Why Not?

For MYR 5,199, we seriously think that this package is quite hard to beat. Its closest competitor, we think, is the ASUS ROG Strix G15. While that particular device comes with a 1TB SSD and 16GB RAM, you are paying a hefty MYR 6,699 for largely the same internals. That is more than MYR 1,000 compared to what you are paying for the Acer Predator Helios 300. If you do opt to get another 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD to match, you are still paying less for the Acer Predator Helios 300.

You may be getting less too, in terms of outrageous looks on your PC. The whole point of the Predator Helios 300 though is to blend in a little bit. It is to make sure that no one takes a second look at you when you sport the notebook in your favourite cafés. Plus, you can have your lightshow with the 4-zone RGB keyboard that you can set different profiles on anyway.

By default, the PC is relatively quiet anyway, that also means you can use it in the library and the person next to you will not complain about excessive wind noise. It can be within your production room not too far away from your recording mic too and you barely notice its there. It is only when you decide to ‘accidentally’ hit ‘Turbo’ that all hell breaks loose.

It is not a flashy hardware and it is not meant to be. In that sense, we love it. We love how it looks, how unassuming it is. We love that some may not be able to tell it apart from other Predator products. We love how Predator has stuck to one design choice and work with that identity. We love that we can change the RGB to a single colour the whole way (I am not that big of a fan on RGB). We love the price, as it is you are not paying an absurd amount of money for a top performer. We love its value, its versatility, and its practicality. We even love how it sounds (audio, not the cooling fans), though most of the time I use headphones with it.

Yes, there are some things we do not like too much about it, but we are nitpicking. We would like it to be a little lighter, for example. We also would like to start seeing notebooks coming with 1080p webcams. Maybe a 240Hz display would be really nice too, but that will push its price point up by a little bit.

Would we recommend this package? We would, very strongly. At MYR 5,199, nothing can come close to this performer. You really do not want to pass this up. You can even get your hands on it without going out of home within their online store. At this time, you really do not want to be leaving your homes too much. In that case; get this gaming notebook, and lock yourselves in for days with nothing but you and your games.

Accessories, Editorial, Reviews, Writer's Choice

Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus In-Depth Review – Hitting All the Right Notes

July 29, 2020 Nur Jeevan 1 Comment

True Wireless Headphones and earphones are all the rage right now especially since a growing number of smartphones are dropping the 3.5mm jack. Samsung’s first attempt, the IconX, was a pretty respectable attempt at offering a wireless earphone, they improved with the Galaxy Buds. What about the Galaxy Buds Plus? There’s a lot to go into but, in a nutshell, it’s got a lot going for it – with some room for improvement.

The Galaxy Buds Plus is Samsung’s third attempt at creating a compelling offering when it comes to true wireless earphones. While I would love to say that a lot has changed – that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, when it comes to the exterior design, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between the IconX, the Galaxy Buds and the Galaxy Buds+.

It has a lot going for it when it comes down to performance and some of its design, but before we get into the nitty gritty, let’s talk about the first thing you’d do when you get the Galaxy Buds+ – pair it. Compatibility with the Buds Plus isn’t much of an issue – the Buds+ is compatible with nearly all devices on the market; all you have to do with smartphones is download the app and pair the earphones with the smartphone. That said, I was also using the Buds+ with my laptop and pairing was pretty simple. All you have to do is open your casing and put one of the ear pieces in and add it like you would any other Bluetooth device. Of course, make sure no other known device is nearby or has its Bluetooth on. With Samsung devices, the Buds plus triggered a pairing notification when you open it nearby.

Design

Even though the look and feel of the Buds plus is reminiscent of its forerunners, Samsung has made a few small refinements which make a significant difference in how the Buds+ feels in the ears and the security it provides. The Buds+ feels lighter and puts less pressure in on the ear. I was able to wear them for extended sessions – in fact I was able to get to about 5 to 6 hours without getting fatigued. They fit pretty snugg and I had no fear of the Galaxy Buds+ falling out of my ears. The wings helped provide extra reassurance. Of course, Samsung’s decision to provide extra wings and tips of different sizes in the box helped – I opted for the largest size available for my ears.

The one thing I love abou the Buds+ this year is the slimmer silhouette of the casing. It fits in my pockets and is pretty compact – so, it doesn’t bulge obscenely when I put it in my jean pocket. However, the trade-off is a smaller battery capacity when it comes to the extra charge. But that didn’t affect my experience to much as you’ll see later in the review. The sleek, glossy finish also makes the true wireless earphones look a whole lot more premium.

Performance

Sound Quality

While the size of the ear pieces seems to have gotten a little smaller, the sound quality definitely has not. The Galaxy Buds plus has pretty decent quality out of the box. The overall sound was warm with clear mids and highs and punchy lows. In fact, I would say the Buds+ has a lot more boom than the Buds. It’s not a bad thing – it helps round out the sound pretty well. That said, unless your listening to things like EDM, Pop or some rock; you may not be looking to get too much bass in your sound.

Thankfully, Samsung’s wearables app comes with an equalizer which you can use to fine tune the sound to your liking. I found myself toning down the bass during my time with the Buds+. That said, Samsung’s adapt sound technology also made the experience better. However, if these options are too basic, the Google Play Store and Samsung’s own Galaxy Store have a wide array of apps you can use to tune the audio to your liking.That said, the overall sound quality of the Buds+ is definitely an improvement. In fact, it could be one of the best within its price range. The AKG tuning really makes a difference. The wholesome sound quality gives you a relatively large sound stage and audio clarity.

The mics on the Buds plus are also pretty impressive. The were able to pick up sound and eliminate ambient noise very effectively. In fact, some dedicated hands-free devices paled in comparison. Even ambient sound on the Buds+ is improved as well. The sound that you get through the earphone is less robotic and tinny. Samsung has made it a lot more natural sounding. That said, you still get bionic hearing with the Buds+. With ambient mode active you’ll be able to hear conversations from pretty far away. My only gripe with the Ambient Sound is that there was no intelligent mode for it – you’re triggering it via the Samsung Wearable app or through touch gestures.

The touch gestures on the Buds plus have gotten very limited, in my honest opinion. When I was reviewing the IconX and the Galaxy Buds, the versatility of the touchpad enhanced the experience of using the Buds. However, with the Galaxy Buds+ you’re relegated to using tap gestures with no options for swipe. The Buds+ only recognises single, double and triple taps which made using them a little less intuitive.

Battery Life

The battery on the Galaxy Buds+ is definitely something to sing about. A whopping 11 hours on a single charge! I only managed to drain the Buds+ completely once during my time with them. Even then, I was literally trying to figure out the actual battery life when I was using them. That said, the Buds+ lasted me about 10 hours on a single charge. This is discounting the recharge capacity of the case. I could have easily gotten more than 20 hours with the extra battery capacity in the casing.

With my regular use, I was only charging the Buds+ and its casing once in 4 to 7 days. Typically, I used one side more than the other as it became my go to “hands-free” headset while driving. I was using it about 2 to 3 hours daily for music while working and also travel in the car. That said, the Buds+’s case is constantly charging the earpieces and we couldn’t verify whether battery life is affected by this over time. In general, constant charging can cause the battery to degrade over time.

That said, the Galaxy Buds+ comes with some pretty potent charging technology which makes charging the buds up simple and convenient. If you’re on an Android device which supports it, you can use the reverse wireless charging from your phone if you really need it or, if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself parking your Galaxy Buds+ on a wireless charger just to keep it topped up. If you need a quicker charging solution, you can use the USB-C charger which came with your smartphone to get the charge you need. Using wireless charging, the Galaxy Buds+ was fully charged within about 2 hours while wired charging was about 45 minutes.

A Budding Plus

The Galaxy Buds Plus is a definitely a step up overall from the competition and even compared to its previous iterations. Samsung has spent some time improving on some of the gripes users have highlighted in the past and improved on the must have features. The AKG audio tuning brings a premium touch to the rather affordable true wireless earbuds giving it warm, well rounded sound enhanced by Samsung’s Adaptive Sound and made even more personal with a robust equalizer that comes in the Samsung Wearables app. While the Buds+ does have all this, it is lacking when it comes to intuitive interaction via the touch pad; something we’re pretty sure that Samsung can fix with a small update. That said, it’s a near complete package with commendable sound.

Computers, Editorial, Reviews

The Acer Nitro 5 (2020) In-Depth Review – Bangin’ for Bucks

July 20, 2020 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Gaming notebooks seems to be the sort of notebook PCs that everyone is going for these days. There is a good reason for that. Gaming notebooks do not look that much more outrageous these days. They look quite good and svelte in most cases today. They look stealthy, and regular with just a little bit of cues of the power that lies inside.

You combine that polished, stealthy look with the amount of power that these things come with these days, and you are looking at a very compelling package. Oh yes, cool too – temperature wise. There is a small problem, however.

Gaming specific products are not cheap. This is because the powerful hardware that is packed into these portable mean machines are not cheap on their own. So, if you are in the market for a new notebook with gaming capabilities with the latest hardware, best be prepared to spend a little bit more money.

Still, you still can go for entry-level gaming PCs today and you are going to be okay mostly even with AAA titles. Entry-level gaming notebook PCs have come a long way. You are not getting sub-par devices with cheap prices and plenty of compromises. Which also means that entry-level gaming PCs are the gaming notebooks to go these days.

One of the ones you want to look at is the Acer Nitro 5 we have here. The Acer Nitro 5 we have here is the top-specced Acer Nitro 5 you can get your hands on. It packs the latest Intel Core i7 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti. It also comes with 8GB of RAM – like finally. It costs MYR 4,899 – more expensive than the entry level Predator Triton 300. Is it worth the asking price then? Let us find out.

Design

The Acer Nitro 5 has never been a bad looking notebook of a thing. While they are not the most svelte looking stuff, they are not bad lookers. The previous Nitro 5 has a faux carbon fibre treatment on the top of the case, which could be a thing for some people. We also understand that it may not be for everyone.

We do quite like the overall design of the Acer Nitro 5 in general though. They retain mostly the same shape since the first generation of the Nitro 5 a few years ago. You get the angular mouth that is reminiscent of Predator’s famous curves these days. You also get plenty of space for cooling purposes while maintaining a Plain Jane look.

The new one still retains the general shape and thickness of the older one. You lose the carbon fibre design from the old one though. Instead, you get some power lines that folds inward on the top of the clam. It mimics the lines that you get from the Helios line-up of the Predator family. They are, after all, cousins. Instead of the carbon fibre look, this retains the cleaner aluminium look mixed with some brushed steel look. Overall a cleaner look on the top.

But there are some extra flares that you get at the exhaust ports to indicate that this is still a serious piece of kit. It is more serious than ever too with the power it contains. There are some warnings of hot surfaces too, which might be quite necessary for any gaming rigs these days. There is no notable reduction in thickness of the hardware though, which may be a good thing. You still get full sets of I/O ports like HMDI and multiple USB Type-A ports with this standard of thickness. Of course, it is sturdier too.

The DC in port though, or the charging port is now moved to the back of the notebook. We especially love this because it frees up plenty of space on the sides. Most importantly it does not interfere your mouse movement which ever side you prefer it to be. It is ambidextrous now, is what we are saying.

That does create a little bit of a problem with the exhaust port though. There are now two smaller ports at the flanks of the backplate covering the charge mechanism. Acer seems to think that they have solved cooling issues with improved heat transfer pipe placements and bigger heatsink plates on top of the GPU and CPU. We shall find out later.

Open it up and what greets you is a 144Hz Full HD display at 15.6-inch. That seems to be a staple size for gaming notebooks these days. Of course, you want that 144Hz too, to take advantage of the Intel Core i7’s power to push fps to higher than 100. We will talk about the display a little more later.

The keyboard is now a 4-zone RGB instead of a single colour backlit keyboard. Again, I am not actually that big into RGB, so I usually set the backlight to a single colour. I chose white. But for you who are fans, you can customise the colours via Nitro Sense software included in the PC. It is even easily accessible via the Nitro Sense dedicated button on the keyboard. No ‘Turbo’ button on this thing like the Predators. Still, largely similar in layout with the previous notebook PCs.

Hardware

The Acer Nitro 5 you see here is the top-of-the-line model (AN515-55-79CU) that sports a 10^th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H high performing CPU. That CPU is backed by an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti GPU and 8GB of RAM. Of course, you can upgrade that to however much you think you need. But let me say that 8GB is quite enough to run most games these days. Of course, a quick upgrade will never hurt. With 512GB of SSD storage, you are looking at MYR 4,899 for this model.

Of course, if you do not think that you need that power, you can opt for an Intel Core i5-10300H variant (AN515-55-52Z1) with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650Ti GPU. You still get the same amount of RAM and SSD storage too. That will set you back MYR 1,100 less than what you are paying for the one we review.

As usual, you only get one extra RAM slot so if you are planning to plug in two 16GB RAM sticks, you would have to pull out the original 8GB RAM. Make sure your RAM is compatible too. Then there is the upgradability on the side of storage. Traditionally you get a single SSD slot and an HDD slot. These days you get SSDs stuck in the notebook. Which means with the traditional set up you only get an HDD expansion slot.

In this though, you get two SSD slots. This is a new standard for notebook PCs too. Which also means that you get an extra SSD slot to upgrade your rig with an SSD and extra HDD for both extra storage and speed.

Specifications

Acer Nitro 5 AN515-55-79CU	As Tested
*Processor (clock)*	10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H (2.6GHz)
*GPU*	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti
*Display(s)*	15.6-inch IPS LED-backlit (1920 x 1080) ComfyView
*Memory*	512GB NVME M.2 SSD 8GB DDR4 RAM
Networking and Connections (I/O)	1 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A 2x USB 2.0 1 x Standard HDMI 1.4 1 x Audio combo jack 1 x Network RJ-45 Intel Wi-Fi 6 Gig+ (802.11ax) Bluetooth 5.0
*Battery*	3,560mAh 4-cell Li-Polymer
*Operating System*	Windows 10 Home
*Miscellaneous*	Audio certified by DTS:X 1.8kg

Features

To be fair, there is not that much that has changed since we saw the slightly older generation of the Acer Nitro 5. The most notable changes are that on paper. It is more powerful with newer generation processors and GPU. But somehow it does carry a slightly higher retail price tag for that. We suspect that the COVID-19 situation might play a small role in its pricing.

That is not to say that this is a gaming notebook PC that does not stand out with its own features. There are somethings that we appreciate in the new Nitro 5. While they are quite minor things that we may have already touched on earlier, they do matter.

Nitro Sense – Not Quite Predator Sense

There was one software that made Predator devices stand out in the last generation. That software is their Predator Sense that allows you to control every part of your rig. You can set the fan to its loudest and fastest settings. This is required mostly when the GPU and CPU is being pushed to their limits in gaming. To get games to play out smoothly and beautifully, these things tend to be pushed to their limits and more.

In the previous generation of the entry-level gaming PC, we did not see much of Nitro Sense. Nitro Sense in the new Nitro 5 takes a larger stage. The dedicated button is easy to reach and recognise. It is placed in the same part of the keyboard as the Predator PCs since 2019. This also means they are using the same sort of keyboard in the Nitro 5, which is also good news.

There is no ‘Turbo’ button that you can expect to find on Predator PCs though. Still, it is not to say that Nitro Sense is useless. It is quite the contrary.

By default, you Acer Nitro 5 is programmed to run as quietly as possible. This would be important in places like meeting rooms maybe. But when you are gaming, you want to unlock the fans a little and from the Nitro Sense app, you can turn on CoolBoost. That function allows the fan to adjust itself according to the GPU and CPU operations and heat dissipation requirements. Of course, when you run the processors harder, the faster the fan spins to dissipate more heat.

Because there is not ‘Turbo’ button, you can only control the ‘boosts’ within Nitro Sense as well. While certain games like Grand Theft Auto V, Two Point Hospital, and Re: Legends may not require plenty of GPU or CPU power, you might need more in games like Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, or Red Dead Redemption 2 to get them to play as smoothly as possible.

Most games though will do well enough with NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1660Ti. Still, it is nice to know you can tap into more power when you want to, especially when you need to render videos and such. Nitro Sense is a big welcome here.

Smooth Operator 4-Zone RGB

I may not be a big fan of RGB. That does not mean that others cannot enjoy RGB. I know plenty of people who loves RGB and cannot get enough of it. For me though, single colour all the way.

For those who enjoy a good RGB, the Acer Nitro 5 now comes with a four-zone RGB backlit keyboard array. I have to say though, it is nice to have the option to show off and turn on your RGB backlight and set the to ‘dynamic’ settings and watch the rainbow colours go. When you do that too, it does not seem like a four-zone RGB.

You cannot map each key to any colours of your choice individually. Not that it mattered that much anyway. But that also means you cannot colour code your WASD keys to their own colours. Still, the WASD keys are made so that the RGB can highlight them a little, which is still something.

Even this is controlled via Acer’s trusty Nitro Sense. This goes back to how useful the Nitro Sense is for Acer’s Nitro 5.

Back-to-Back Power

We had a small issue with the older models of Acer Predator notebook PCs. Their charging port is awkwardly placed in the middle of the right side of the device. This creates a few persistent problems.

If you are placing your power brick out of the way in the back of the notebook PC you are placing the cable in the way of an exhaust port at the side which causes heat to build up a little. Move the cable to push toward the front for better ventilation and you realise the cable covers a USB port and a headphone jack, a USB Type-C port maybe. This is for those L-shaped power cables. If you have it plugged with a regular straight power plug, you are going to be restricting the movement of your Mouse in gaming sessions, not ideal when you are in an online game situation.

So, for the 2020 version of Acer’s Nitro 5, they have moved the power charging port to the back of the device. This is a delight because now the power cables do not have to be in the way. Out-of-the-box though is the L-shaped head which kind of makes sense since Acer do not have to change their whole production supply. While it does create an avenue for bent cables and even blocked exhaust ports, it does tuck the back in a little so that you can push your notebook PC a little further away from you on the desk.

We do find that somehow the back plate that houses the power supply peripherals a little sparse though. Other than they charge port, there is no other useful features at the back of the PC. We would appreciate the HDMI port to be moved to the back. We might also appreciate one Thunderbolt enabled USB Type-C at the back. The LAN port should also be pushed to the back with the HDMI and power ports, in our opinion. Of course, that might happen while sacrificing the convenient I/O on the sides of the device.

Cool Kits

No, not extra accessories. The new Acer Nitro 5 for 2020 comes with a set of newer, more advanced cooling system. Thing is, this is not a large improvement over the previous cooling system. That is also not to say that the cooling system is not great. The cooling system on the Nitro 5 has always been good.

The new Acer Nitro 5 for 2020’s cooling system layout sort of mimics the Predator Helios 300’s cooling layout. With their 3D Aeroblade technology trickled down from the Predator notebooks, the Acer Nitro 5 should not face any issue with cooling really. In our use case, we never had in issue with cooling even when we are playing games like GTA V for an extended period.

While the rear radiators have shrunk in favour of the more ergonomic rear side power input, there are virtually no difference in cooling with the Acer Nitro 5. That is also thanks, mostly, to bigger copper plates, better routing, and wider heat pipes too. Of course, there is the more efficient CPU too.

Performance

With Intel’s 10^th Generation Core i7 and NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1660Ti, this gaming Notebook PC should be able to handle nearly any modern games you can throw at it. You technically can play The Shadow of Tomb Raider in lower settings that you would want to and still get decent FPS performance out of it.

Gaming

If you are thinking of playing DOTA 2 on it, you should not be too hesitant. The 144Hz does help with FPS in MOBA type games. Even competitive first person shooters would benefit from the smooth graphics. Of course, do not expect your new Call of Duty: Warzone or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare games to be as smooth at higher graphics settings.

Still, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint and Assassin’s Creed: Origins play smoothly as long as you leave them on their default settings. In that regards alone, this is a worthy choice to get into most games of today. If you are planning to only play things like Two-Point Hospital, or Motorsport Manager, or even Football Manager, you should have nothing to worry about anyway.

Doing the Work Stuff

We are not talking about doing things like word or powerpoint processing. You do not even need this kind of pulling power if you are just looking to work on those. With this thing, you want to do heavier work – video rendering stuff, photo editing, or even low-level animation work.

Sadly, the Acer Nitro 5 does not have a boost button or even a convenient one-touch max-out function. In this case, the fans and processors will spool up when necessary. At a maximum, it will not even touch the Acer Predator models.

Still, it has a decent video processing capability. You have to expect some lags and stutters while scrubbing through 4K videos. Though it is much improved, you might want to spend on more expensive rigs for 4K video processing. This is not to say you cannot, it still works, but you might want something faster.

For Full HD 1080p vidoes though, the process is buttery smooth. Of course, this is also a contribution of the speedy SSD speeds too. You can easily drag your cursor around to any point of the video and start playing it at the program monitor. We use Adobe Premiere Pro, by the way.

To render a 5-minute Full HD 1080p videos, it does not take that long actually. It takes probably about 15 minutes at the maximum. This is also considering that we were scaling down from 4K resolution, which is extra workload for the PC. We unfortunately do not produce enough 4K resolution contents to test out the Acer Nitro 5.

Sound By DTS

Acer Harmony was great, it was not the best though. Sometimes, it is best to leave some things done by experts. That is why The Acer Nitro 5 now comes with some support by DTS with DTS: X. This is probably one the notebook’s biggest improvements.

DTS: X was seen on a few devices before. In effect, DTS makes things sound better. Then again, that is their business.

The Acer Nitro 5’s speakers are not the loudest in the world. They still pack quite a punch though, and they are louder than before. Despite the louder speakers, you are not getting much of difference in terms of sounds profile. Until you open the DTS app that is.

With the DTS app, sound profile changes a little bit. The trebles are more distinctive, the bass more pronounced. That changes a whole lot of experience when it comes to music. When you hear the vocals, then you can start appreciating the new DTS: X speakers. Vocals are still as crisp as before, if not crisper. It does not overpower the other range of frequencies though, rather the DTS app cleverly balances everything out. Everything completements each other, is the best way we can describe it.

The DTS app has several preset settings within the app though. You can go on the default dynamic profile for the app to cleverly detect your medium and adjust itself properly. Either that or you go into specific preset profiles like music or gaming to get the best tuning for each activity.

We appreciate good audio and the Nitro 5 was able to deliver on the speakers. The same can be said when you plug in your headphones too. With DTS:X, you are getting a completely different experience when it comes to headphones too. The only sad part? It does not come with 3D audio or spatial audio like the Acer Predator notebooks. I guess there are still some things that the Acer Nitro 5 cannot do.

Battery

The battery life of any gaming PC is quite appalling. Because of the amount of power you get in a gaming PC, you usually cannot expect more than two hours away from the charger before it needs another charge. The situation has improved though, and the Acer Nitro 5 for 2020 is a testament to that.

The Acer Nitro 5 for 2020 boasts about 8 hours in battery life. In our tests, we never really gotten close to that number. We can safely say that your gaming notebook can go past 4 hours now on battery.

At least for the Acer Nitro 5, we could get battery life at a maximum of 6 hours with balanced settings. We had Spotify on with earphones plugged in, we use Firefox as our internet browser, and we had about 20 tabs open at the same time. Most of the time though we got about 4 hours of battery life. We did try to game on it without plugging it into a power socket and still got an hour of battery life on it though. That was quite impressive for us. Of course, on battery, your gaming is a little compromised because the hardware within the Nitro 5 tends to turn itself down in favour of preserving its battery life.

Display

You are really not getting a bad deal with the new Acer Nitro 5. The one we have here sports a 3ms 144Hz refresh rate display. I cannot tell whether the display panel is a TN panel or IPS, but the colours look good still.

Still, this is a gaming display, which means colours are not its main priority. While the colours still look better than most notebook PCs you can find these days, you are not getting the most colour accurate display in town. Still, that is not what the Acer Nitro 5 is about though.

This is about speed, and competitiveness. The Acer Nitro 5’s 144Hz display helps with MOBA games and FPS games in a competitive environment. Motion blur is less of a thing with 144Hz at least. This also means you get a better competitive advantage when it comes to games like Counter Strike. You see better. In competitive games too, every millisecond count towards getting the first hit or getting hit first. That 3ms response time is crucial for your kills.

We are not competitive gamers though, so that matters less to us. We still appreciate a fast display though. Games generally look better with 144Hz. We could see that in effect with games like GTA V. While 3ms response time does not do much too, we do appreciate having a fast responding display, a near instant display, more like.

That said, it is not a brand-new display unit. It is technically the same display panel that you get in previous generation Acer Predator notebooks like the Triton 300. Which also means you get about the same performance from the display as the older Predator notebook. It may not be a bad thing though.

We still really like that notebook PCs come with minimal bezels. The bezel size has not increased on the Acer Nitro 5 compared to the old one, which is a good thing. It has not shrunk either though. That is not necessarily a bad thing. We still like webcams to be where they are supposed to be, above the display.

The Acer Nitro 5 – Best Value Got Better

Entry-level gaming notebooks are never that great in the earlier days of mainstream gaming notebooks. The thing is, entry level gaming notebooks have come a long way in 2020. With more powerful processors on offer, they can really replace all the gaming needs you have. Of course, if you want the best of the best performance in class, you are still better off with a desktop PC.

There is an appeal to gaming notebook PCs though. They are plenty more portable, and more convenient. You do not need to be sitting where your PC is to start gaming with notebook PCs. You just need to sit anywhere you like, and turn it on, and start playing at any time; your gaming comes with you.

Entry level gaming notebook PCs are exactly just that, but at a much more accessible price point. Thing is, the Acer Nitro 5 gaming notebook that we have is not exactly budget friendly at MYR 4,899. There is a cheaper variant with an Intel Core i5 and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, which is quite a bit less.

At MYR 4,899 though you are not getting something compromised, you are getting something that will work. The Acer Nitro 5 at this spec easily handles plenty of AAA titles, albeit not at the highest settings. You get 144Hz display too, so games with less graphical requirements will perform and look beautiful on the display.

Prices for notebook PCs are not very encouraging at this point due to the whole global pandemic situations though. While the Acer Nitro 5 is a great notebook PC to have, it may not be the best time to get a new gaming notebook PC. Sill, we do think that the MYR 4,899 asking price for the Acer Nitro 5 with Intel’s 10^th Generation Core i7 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is worth it. Considering an equivalent Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i will cost nearly MYR 1,000 more than the Acer Nitro 5, yes the Acer Nitro 5 is the entry-level gaming notebook PC for you.

Computers, Editor's Choice, Editorial, Reviews

Acer Swift 5 (2019) Review: Slim, Light and Powerful

July 16, 2020 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Thin and light is the new normal. We’re seeing more and more laptops try to set themselves apart from the crowd with more powerful insides and features that, at times, don’t really make sense. Then we have one of Acer’s golden boys – the Swift 5 which has refined Acer’s approach to the Swift series and hit a goldilocks intermediate that makes it a serious contender. In fact, it could be one of the best laptops that Acer has made to date under it’s Acer brand. I know – high praise for an introduction – but you’ll see why when we dive into the review.

Design

The Swift 5 is unremarkable when it comes to its overall design; it doesn’t turn into a tablet, it doesn’t have a stylus nor does it have any obvious design queues that make you go “WOW!”. But, that’s what makes the Swift 5 all the more appealing. Its unassuming design is one of the laptop’s strong points. The simplistic approach Acer has used in designing the thin and light laptop allowed the company to focus on what matters – the touch and feel of the laptop.

That said, you can’t say the Swift 5 isn’t a looker. The design has clean lines and doesn’t carry any of those jarring, flashy lines that can be such an eyesore. The sleek, clean approach that Acer has taken allows the laptop to feel and look more premium. We had the Charcoal Blue version in the office for review and it was a real beaut! The deep blue colour gives it a slightly mysterious allure while the gold accent on the hinge looks and feels like it’s a treasured book in a library. In fact, the gold accent actually looks like a book spine. It makes the Swift 5 feel like a really important book that you tuck away so no one can destroy it.

Opening the laptop, it feels like the display melds into the body thanks to the minimal bezel. The backlit keyboard actually looked really good on the deep blue of the laptop. The back light made the keys have a white accent when they were on and it made the laptop feel a little bit more special. The elegant contrast of the colours on the Charcoal blue felt like the final finesse of a painting. It complemented the muted gold of the keyboard and the hinge quite elegantly. I would go so far as to say, Acer should have called this Royal Blue instead.

Hardware

The elegantly unremarkable outsides hides power packed insides – especially by thin and light standards. On the version we had to review, the Swift 5 was packing an Intel Core i7 with Intel IRIS Plus graphics and it had 16GB of RAM to boot. On paper you’d be scratching your head wondering how these specifications justify the title in anyway, but I’ll dive into that in the performance section of the review.

The display on the Swift 5 is a crisp Full HD 1080p IPS panel which is more than sufficient for the 14-inch screen size. Acer did really well holding back on putting a 4K UHD panel in the Swift 5. Any more pixels and you’d be dealing the atrocity of Window’s scaling to make it useable. The touch screen is also a very welcomed touch.

Acer also made the Swift 5 feel a lot more premium with magnesium-aluminium and magnesium-lithium alloys. These materials give the laptop a sturdiness that not many of its direct competitors have. In fact, it was a smart choice cause the alloy actually helps with dissipating heat to keep the laptop performing really well.

Specifications

Acer Swift 5 \| SF514-54T-70AA	As tested
Processor (clock)	Intel® Core i7-1065G7 Quad-core 1.3 GHz
GPU	Intel IRIS Plus
Display	14-inch Full HD IPS Touch Screen 1920×1080 pixels
Memory	16GB LPDDR4X SDRAM 512GB SSD
Networking and Connections	WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax Bluetooth 5.0 HDMI 1 USB 2.0 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A 1 USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C
Battery	4-cell Lithium Ion 12 Hours battery life
Operating System	Windows 10 Home 64-bit
Miscellaneous	Fingerprint Reader Backlit Keyboard Stereo Speakers Microphone DisplayPort over USB-C Thunderbolt 3 USB charging 5 V; 3 A DC-in port 9 or 12 or 20 V; 45 W

Features

As I mentioned in the beginning, thin and light laptops have always been hit an miss when it comes to features. However, Acer has taken a very minimalist approach even with features for the Swift 5. They’ve taken some laser sharp focus on a few features that improve the overall user experience of the laptop and worked on perfecting it. While that means that the laptop isn’t very feature rich – it also means that the features that do come for the ride are there cause they have a major impact overall.

Quick Unlock with Windows Hello

The first feature that made a pretty big difference is the inclusion of a fingerprint reader which works with Windows Hello. The fingerprint reader actually comes in handy particularly when you want to use your laptop in public without typing in your password or if you simply need it to unlock quick. It’s simple swipe of the finger on the sensor and you’re golden.

Throughout the review period, there weren’t many instances when the fingerprint unlock actually failed. If any it was a Windows 10 failure due to some update or it just not detecting the sensor after an update. Thankfully, when this happened, there were options to unlock using the account password or a PIN which was set during Windows’ setup.

Ports, ports and more ports

You’d think me crazy to say that this was one of the BIGGEST assets when it came to features on the Swift 5. But I’m not exaggerating. In a day and age where we have super thin and light laptops, we’ve also lost the convenience of having ports which are even more important – particularly if you’re running between client meetings and dealing with USB drives all day. Instead, we’ve been relegated to being content with having to buy an additional dongle for the connectivity features we need to be productive.

If you’re like me, the lack of a HDMI port would be a deal breaker. If you don’t have an HDMI, it’s very likely you’ll be relegated to the bottom of the consideration pile and guess what? The Swift 5 comes with an HDMI port! It’s something you don’t expect when you’re dealing with a laptop of its build. While wireless projecting and online storage are modern conveniences, there is a comfort in knowing you’re not being held captive by the cloud and have the freedom to connect and project even without WiFi. In addition, it also meant that a larger screen was always an option which is very important for people who are dealing with design and also if you’re like me and have 2 screens to keep up with the number of windows you have while working.

The array of ports supported by the Swift 5 makes is more versatile and better equipped to handle the many different technological environments a working professional is thrust into. You’ll never know when you enter a client’s office and their projector isn’t ready for wireless connection. That said, even with the Thunderbolt support and even the HDMI, you’re left depending on a converter if you encounter the dreaded VGA port – but that’s cause it’s an ancient spirit of evil. Aside from this, the USB-C, USB-A and HDMI ports allow you excellent versatility with the laptop.

Performance

The Swift 5 was a pleasant surprise when it came to performance. It was able to handle a lot of what we threw at it. In fact, it was, at one point, editing 4K UHD videos with overlays on Adobe Premiere Pro without much problem – albeit, it was definitely a little bit on the slower end. However, unless you’re looking for an editing rig on the go, the Swift 5 handles pretty much everything you’d want it to as a laptop on-the-go from emails to processing large excel sheets.

The Intel Core i7 processor in the Swift 5 we reviewed was pretty capable. It could handle running large excel sheets with complicated equations. It was even able to handle simple photo editing and video rendering on the go. Of course, with size, cooling was a big consideration when dealing with large data sets. However, thanks to the design of the laptop and the many vents, it was able to cool itself pretty well. That said, if it overheats, you’d be stuck waiting for it to cool to a usable temperature. But this didn’t happen during our review.

Working on the go is one thing that is really a compromise between size, comfort and power. The Swift 5 was striding the compromise pretty well with its keyboard. Its design allows you type comfortably for long periods of time even if the laptop is literally on your lap in a train. The keys had enough travel to ensure that you are not fatigued and enough feedback to make sure you know you clicked something. It is a fine line that Acer has stridden commendably with this laptop.

Connectivity on the Swift 5 is also commendable. It supports up to WiFi 6 and while WiFi 6 networks are pretty rare, it was really stable when it was able to connect to it. On regular WiFi a/b/g/n/ac networks the connection was pretty stable and didn’t have random disconnects. Even when I was jumping networks the downtime was barely noticeable.

IRIS Plus Indeed

The IRIS Plus integrated graphics of the Intel Core i7 was definitely a boon to the laptop’s performance. Unlike it’s Intel UHD Graphics brethren, it was able to handle a lot more without struggling. I was able to play games such as Cuphead and even a little bit of LA Noire on the laptop without it dying or the graphics being unbearable.

However, the best demonstration of the IRIS Plus graphics definitely came when I decided to edit a 4K UHD video on the laptop. It was able to handle it surprisingly well. In fact, I was expecting the laptop to overheat when I was editing and more so when I was exporting the video. While it did take a while for overlays and complex transitions to render, it was able to do it nonetheless.

Great Quality Sound even without Dolby certification

The sound experience isn’t something many people would be considering when they look at laptops like this one. However, it was something that needed highlighting when it came to the Swift 5. The laptop was able to produce pretty good sound with its stereo speakers. It was pretty surprising to have warm, full sound coming from the laptop when we’re used to thin and lights without Dolby certification sounding tinny with scratchy highs and hollow lows. While it’s not audiophile quality, Acer did a good job ensuring that the sound is a little better than pleasant to the ears with the Swift 5.

Enough Battery to Run A Marathon

Battery life is quickly becoming a pretty important criteria for any laptop and while, to be honest, it really depends on your usage – it doesn’t make it any less important. On average, the Swift 5 lasted about 8 to 10 hours on a single charge. When we really put the laptop through its paces with the 4K video editing it still lasted about 6 hours. With lower workloads like emails, surfing and word processing, we easily got about 10-12 hours as Acer claimed.

However, the best part of the Swift 5 is the laptop’s support of charging via USB-C. This was one feature I was using quite often with a power bank with USB-C power delivery. If your power bank can charge a Nintendo Switch, you can charge the Swift 5. The laptop will charge with anything above 15W. I was using one with 45W power delivery this could result in the laptop getting a little warm at the USB C port but it did give me about 45 minutes of extra power.

Display

Acer showed some restraint in not kitting the Swift 5 with a 4K UHD screen and to be honest, it’s one of the best decisions they’ve made when it comes to the laptop – aside from kitting it out with a good assortment of ports. The 14-inch, Full HD 1080p IPS display is crisp, sharp and has decent colour reproduction. This made it easy to work with design and colour sensitive workloads when on-the-go.

The fact that it covers over 86% of the laptop’s body is another feat. The slim bezels allow you to focus on the screen. It really makes you feel immersed in what your doing in the screen be it work, a Netflix or even a YouTube Video.

So touchy, So nice

The touch capabilities of the screen are a welcomed addition to the already impressive laptop. While you would think that a touch screen on a laptop that doesn’t have a tablet mode is a bit of waste, it really isn’t. To be very honest, I was in that club until I started using the Swift 5. I found myself relying on the touch screen for things like scrolling and scribing. The touchscreen actually allowed me to be more productive and even made things easier by reducing my reliance on the touchpad.

That said, given the size of the screen I found myself increasing the scaling of Windows to the screen to help with the touch feature. If you’re running on the native 100%, you’ll be clicking and selecting too many icons at one go. For me, it was at 125% that I was most comfortable using the touch screen.

The Perfect, Well Thought Out Package for the Modern Worker

The Swift 5 successfully combines the needs of an on-the-go worker with a well thought out package. Acer’s willingness to meet their customers needs while maintaining a relatively affordable price point makes the laptop very appealing. The fact that it brings together a set of features that makes life easier for their consumers with hardware that is both premium and affordable makes it one of the better options in the market.

When it comes to the bottom line, we have to admit, the Swift 5 is one of the most complete packages when it comes to laptops for people on-the-go. That’s why we’re giving Acer’s Swift 5 the recognition as an Editor’s Choice when it comes to laptops.

Android, Editorial, Mobile, Reviews, Video

[Video] Samsung Galaxy A71 Review

Video July 14, 2020 Jonathan Tay Leave a comment

Samsung A series has gotten awesome over the years. The latest and greatest Galaxy A71 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 processor. The processor is paired with a minimum of 6GB RAM or 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. A new and improved quad system main camera consisting of a 64MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 5MP macro camera and a 5MP depth sensor. For the selfie camera, it gets a 32 MP wide camera. Packing a relatively large-sized 4,500mAh battery that could last you the entire day.

Priced at MYR 1,799 in Malaysia and USD$429.99 in the US. Is the Samsung Galaxy A71 the daily all rounder? Is this the ultimate daily driver for the average joe?

Looking for more details? You can head on over to our in depth review.

Remember to like and subscribe! hit the notification button, even so that you get notified of the latest videos from us!

Music from:
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Track: Stable — KV [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/Lj9pMPUF5JY
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/stable
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Accessories, Camera, Consumer Electronics, Reviews

Mio MiVue 792 In-Depth Review – Dash Cam Plus

July 13, 2020 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Somebody once told me that a car is technically a weapon. When you think about it, that person makes plenty of sense. It is a giant metal box that weighs more than a tonne. It also travels at speed. Tell me that does not sound like a description of a sort of ballistic weaponry? The moral of the lesson is that we have to be alert and very careful on the road. Other cars can be super hazardous too.

While we try to be as careful as possible when we drive, accidents do tend to happen from time to time. It is quite inevitable really in Malaysia where 93% of the 31 million residents of Malaysia owns a car. That puts the car ownership number in Malaysia somewhere in the 29 million region.

What happens when you get into an accident though? You start playing the blame game. You think it is their fault, and they think it is your fault. There is only one way to settle this. Bring the case to the police station with evidence. What is the evidence? Footage from your ever so popular dash cam.

Every modern car comes with it now. Some even comes pre-installed when you buy the car brand new. What about older cars then. For example; what of an old Toyota Camry from the 2002 era then? You have to buy a separate one.

The question becomes, what do you buy? There is so many options now in the segment. There are even brands like HP in the dash cam segment.

We have a Mio MiVue 792 here. It is an MYR 799 option in the market. Considering that the cheapest dash cam in the market can go for as little as MYR 27.80 on Lazada, the Mio MiVue looks like an overpriced piece of toy.

Thing is, the Mio MiVue is 792 is plenty more than just a toy though. It is a piece of gear with features you might not find in any dash cam. It is also a tool to modernise your car a little bit.

The question remains though, is the Mio Mivue 792 worth the MYR 799 asking price? Or should you just skip it and look at the other options in the market? We find out.

Design

To be fair, this is one of the more bulky dash cameras I have seen in the market. It does mean that you get a significantly large display to monitor your dash cam though. You get a 2.7-inch display to pair to your CMOS sensor that records at 1080p Full HD at a maximum of 60fps.

While it is bulky, it is not to say that it is ugly though. Well, it may look a little out of place if you place it in a car as old as me. Still, it is not technically something you might look at on a daily basis.

When you first open the box up and take out the camera though. It feels premium. The plastic materials on it feels solid and durable. It looked like it could stand a car crash or two. There are plenty of vents everywhere presumably for heat dissipation and what not. Of yes, there is a mic installed on this thing too, so it technically records your conversations.

Its bulk, while gives you a sort of feeling that it is a solid piece of hardware, does have its own drawbacks though. One of its biggest drawbacks is its placement in your vehicle. By design, the dash camera is meant to be hung down from your windshield. Personally I mounted it as high as possible to avoid it coming into my field of view.

The bulk makes it a challenge to put it in places you would normally see a dash camera though. You can hide it behind your rear-view mirror to keep it as obscure as possible but then you would not be able to monitor its recording or its settings menu screen. You cannot navigate it with the buttons on the side because you effectively cannot see it.

While it is designed to be a one-time plug-and-play solution to a certain extent. there are more you can do with the Mio MiVue 792 dash camera. There is plenty within the menu that you can customize. There are more reasons to the bulk of the dash camera too, this thing is packed with features.

Features

We mentioned earlier that this thing packs more than just a camera. They somehow made this a very clever dash camera instead of a plain ol’ one you would be used to. It even has GPS for crying out loud. Sounds like an overkill? Maybe an overkill. We do appreciate some of its features though.

GPS Guardian Angel

Yes, this thing is loaded with a Global Positioning System (GPS) transmitter in its small body. Well, since GPS antennas can be fitted into a smartphone these days, that should not come as a surprise. Thing is, this is not some kind of navigation device though. You do not have a built in map that you can see within the device. The question now is; what is the GPS functionality for then?

Firstly, GPS can do plenty of things in your smartphone. At the most basic, it does not just track your whereabouts. Rather, it tracks your movement. That is one thing that the Mio MiVue 792 does in your car. It detects and tells you your car’s GPS speed; technically more accurate than your speedometer in front of you too.

In some sense, that can be quite a vital information when you present the evidence of an accident in court. It tells you whether or not you have broken any speed limit while a traffic accident is taking place. It also helps in determining whether or not you are traveling at a reasonable speed within the area and context of the location if there are no applied speed limit on that particular road. More information is always better technically.

Beyond that, the built-in GPS also feeds to a built-in map that tells you if there are speed cameras, or traffic light cameras, or anything other traffic cameras on the road. We were quite blown away by that initially. After a while it got very annoying; more on that later though.

Lane Departure and Collision Warning

We would say that if you are driving a car without a lane departure warning system or brake warning system but you want those features, this is some thing you might consider getting. The device itself has those functions pretty much built into the camera. All you have to do is dig into its menu and turn them on.

The whole idea of a lane departure warning is that your vehicle systems, or in this case; the dash camera detects your vehicle veering off your current lane. The device then will alert you when such things happen. This is kind of a warning system to keep you alerted on the road.

While you get that with plenty of modern cars today, you will not get the function with cars older than five years. The car we tested it in was more than 10 years old; perfect. We set it up and went for it.

Setting up the camera is a simple affair really. Just get the sticker off the foot, and stick that to the window at your desired placement, stick your dash camera in, and you are good to go. Of course, at installation the camera would guide you a little bit on how to properly set your camera up; where to point it to and what not.

The lane departure warning system is a great addition to the vehicle for a while. A little while later it got really annoying. Because it is basically just makes noise when you are veering off your lane, even if it is just a little bit. The system makes a noise too every time you cross into another lane, which is every single time you want to make a lane switch. You cannot even control how aggressive or passive you want the system to be. It is just ‘on’ or ‘off’. We turned the function off after 2 days of it making a noise every single time we wanted to change lanes.

Then there is the collision warning system. The collision warning system is also a great new addition to an old vehicle. Unlike the lane departure warning, you can set its aggressiveness. We set it to be really aggressive at first, meaning at any sign that we are a little below two car lengths, the device makes the same warning noise. At its least aggressive level, it tells us that we are too close within one car length distance. You can set it to activate only beyond a certain speed too.

We got a little annoyed after that too because it activates when we are in traffic. Every single time a car pulls in front of us, the Mio MiVue 792 makes noise. Quite understandable though because the MiVue 792 does not feed directly into the vehicle’s systems.

Wireless Monitoring and Video Extraction

The Mio App could not be easier to use. It is also the most convenient way for you to extract your videos out of the MiVue 792. All you need to do is to ensure that the MiVue 792’s WiFi function is turned on to connect to your smartphone. Of course, you need the app that is available for free on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Once in the app, the app will prompt you to connect to the camera via WiFi. Once connected, you can access the camera’s view live on your smartphone or transfer files. To transfer files though, you need to stop the recording on the camera. In that case, we also suggest that you stop the car before downloading any footage from the MiVue 792.

To make things quicker for users, the Mio MiCue 792 actually records videos in 3-minute sections. You can easily scroll through and pick out the incidents quicker that way instead of downloading a whole 30-minute drive sessions. That is not even considering the scrubbing of the video.

We found the app to be really useful when it comes to transferring videos without any other tools. Thing is, we are a little disappointed to find that you cannot change any of the settings of the MiVue 792 from the app itself. While that is not too big of an issue, it can be quite annoying for us when we want to change certain settings. We have to reach out, and go into the settings of the camera from the camera itself. You risk changing the camera angles that you have perfected in the initial set up.

Still, you do not need to use a notebook PC or a card reader to operate this device. That is a big plus in our books. It is so much more convenient and faster too with a smartphone that you already carry with you anyway.

Emergency Video Recording

There is an extra default function of this dashboard camera as well. We were not fast enough to capture its operations, but it exists. While it does record videos normally, there is a special section of folder than the camera uses in its memory card. That is the emergency recording folder. It records a video up to three minutes when it is subjected to a certain amount of vibrations or experiences a major change in G-Force (when you jam your brakes).

In that special folder, you can find whatever video that is recorded during an emergency. That would serve as an evidence to whatever that has made your day worse. While it may not sound like much, it makes these footages much easier to access when you are trying to find footages that could help you.

If your camera could stay powered on when your vehicle turns off too, it could detect movements outside the car and also start emergency recording. This is now turning your car into a scared, paranoid animal that takes an interest in everything that happens around it. It is not a bad thing though, you might need the footage to either save yourselves, or help a stranger in identifying suspect in a theft case. That, or just watch dogs and cats passing by.

Full HD 1080p Evidence

The most important part of a dashboard camera is allowing you to have an evidence of any occurrence around and in front of your car. You want it to be your evidence when a traffic collision happens. It could determine whether or not you are at fault.

Thing is, traffic collisions are not as simple as that. It is nearly never a black and white situation. It could be the driver in front not paying attention, braking too hard which gives you no time to respond. It could also be you not paying too much attention to the car in front of you. It could be a brake check from the driver in front. It could also be you tailgating. Okay, fine these can be quite clear cut sometimes.

There are times though where there is really no telling who is at fault without seeing the full footage. It could be a head on collision on an intersection with no clear lines indicating which way the traffic goes. It could be as simple as looking at what the road conditions are like. In that case, you do need a clear video that can pick out details. You need the resolution. You need Full HD videos.

In that regards, this MiVue does that 1080p video rather well. No, it is not made for action movies, not even for home made videos. We discourage you from sharing your Genting road exploits via the MiVue. Although, they can look rather good.

While there are plenty of dash camera that does Full HD 1080p videos, extracting the videos from this MiVue is simple. You do not even need to pull out the MicroSD card to get the videos out of the device like most dashboard cameras. You just need your smartphone and you are quite set.

The Full HD 1080p video on this is quite standard though. There is not much to shout about. There is not enhancements for its colours, so footage does tend to look a little dull. But that is not the point. The point is in its details. In that regards, the MiVue’s 1080p videos are full of it. The only sensible step up for dash cameras now is 4K videos; maybe when it becomes cheaper.

Worth Every Penny? Or Can You Do with Something Cheaper?

This dash camera costs MYR 790. That is not cheap in today’s standard for dash camera. Especially in the age where you can get everything online from China. You can even get one for less than MYR 150 and it works.

The thing is though, while they are usable. The cheaper options does just that. It just works, and nothing else.

The MiVue does not just work. It adds some new functions to older cars. It adds some smart features to your older car like lane departure warning and collision warning. You still cannot expect your car to brake itself and tell you whether or not there is an object in your blind spot though. But you are not adding extra sensors and computer to your car, you have to remember that.

What you are adding with the MiVue is not just an insurance, really. You are adding a safety feature, which is what every dashboard camera should strive to be. Instead of recording collisions and unwanted events, it should try to give you every bit of help to avoid it. It should warn you when you get too close to the limit, it should tell you when there is danger ahead.

There are still limitations what the camera can do though. You cannot expect it to recognise an animal on the road. You cannot expect it to even detect people on the road, that is still your responsibility. The algorithm embedded inside this little thing could have been cleverer, but that would mean they would need to bulk things up a little and complicates things.

So, is this worth the high asking price? In our humble opinions, it could be. If all the features packed into the MiVue are what you are looking for, then there is no other way to go with it.

If not though, more modern cars are mostly offered with dashboard camera these days. Most modern cars can also be equipped with lane departure warning, collision warning, and even more sensors than you can imagine. In that case, why do you need another dash cam that would annoy you whenever you pull a stop behind a car at the traffic lights, or when you want to change lanes?

Design

Performance

Sound Quality

360 Reality Audio

Active Noise Cancelling

Fit and Comfort

Battery Life

Sony Headphones App

The WF-SP800N – The Better Sports Earphone

Design

Hardware

Specifications

Features

Performance

Display

An unremarkably affordable laptop that does only slightly more than the basics

Design

Hardware

Specifications

Features

Full I/O Ports and an MicroSD slot

ErgoLift Comfort and Discomfort

Blowing Hot Air, At the display

Backlit Keyboard for the Dark Times

Facial Recognition

Harman Kardon Audio

Performance

The Extra and Subtle Workhorse

Video Editing is Possible

Gaming

Battery

ASUS Battery management

USB Type-C Charger

Display – IPS and Iris Plus

The ASUS ZenBook 14 – So Much, yet So Little

First Set-Up

Smart Switch App

Naked and Vulnerable

Battery Concerns

120Hz Goodness

S Pen – Mightier than the Pen

First Impressions After 24 Hours

Design

Hardware

Specifications

Features

New Body, New Positions

4-Zone RGB Keyboard That is Even Better

Predator Sense + 4th Gen 3D AeroBlade = Stone Cold

Performance

Gaming

Bye Bye Wave NX, Hello DTS: X Ultra

Battery

Display – 144Hz IPS Dream Like Before

The Acer Predator Helios 300 – Seriously, Why Not?

Design

Performance

Sound Quality

Battery Life

A Budding Plus

Design

Hardware

Specifications

Features

Nitro Sense – Not Quite Predator Sense

Smooth Operator 4-Zone RGB

Back-to-Back Power

Cool Kits

Performance

Gaming

Doing the Work Stuff

Sound By DTS

Battery

Display

The Acer Nitro 5 – Best Value Got Better

Design

Hardware

Specifications

Features

Quick Unlock with Windows Hello

Predator Sense + 4^th Gen 3D AeroBlade = Stone Cold