ASUS Malaysia has unleashed the upgraded 16-inch ASUS Vivobook 16 (M1605), powered by the latest AMDRyzen 7000 series processors. This laptop is engineered to provide an enhanced visual and performance experience, empowering you to accomplish more.
The key highlight is its impressive 16-inch 16:10 NanoEdge display, boasting an larger screen-to-body ratio of up to 86.5%. This means you get more screen real estate within the same laptop footprint as conventional 15.6-inch models. To enhance your viewing comfort during extended usage, the Vivobook 16 comes certified with TÜV Rheinland’s low blue-light and flicker-free technology.
Under the hood, you’ll find the AMD Ryzen 7 7000-Series processors, 16 GB RAM, and a speedy 512 GB SSD, ensuring seamless performance for your tasks. The Vivobook 16 incorporates a dual-vented cooling system with an IceBlade fan, ensuring quiet and efficient cooling. The substantial 42Wh battery offers extended usage, and you can enjoy ultrafast connectivity thanks to WiFi 6E.
This laptop features a slim and lightweight design complemented by a metal-like finish. Its 180° lay-flat hinge facilitates collaboration, and it also comes with a full range of ports including USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, USB 2.0, HDMI 1.4, and an audio combo jack.
The Vivobook 16 incorporates a physical webcam shield for the HD webcam for better security and privacy. It also features a full-size ASUS ErgoSense keyboard and a generously sized touchpad. ASUS Antimicrobial Guard Plus protection is applied to frequently touched areas like the palm rest, keyboard, and trackpad, reducing the transmission of harmful viruses and bacteria.
Environmentally conscious consumers will appreciate that this Vivobook is now crafted using 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics and comes in 100% recyclable packaging. Its energy efficiency surpasses the ENERGY STAR® standard, and it’s built to endure, adhering to the strict MIL-STD-810H US military-grade standard.
Pricing & Availability
The ASUS Vivobook 16 (M1605) is available in two variants with prices starting from MYR2,599 for the model with Ryzen 5 7530U with 8GB of RAM. While the version with the Ryzen 7 7730U and 16GB of RAM will be priced at MYR2,999.
Both variants come in Indie Black and Cool Silver and are available through authorized ASUS resellers and the official ASUS e-store.
Update 8:45pm – The ROG Ally First sales have sold out in record time!
Handheld gaming is going more mainstream than ever with the ASUS’s Republic of Gamers (ROG) throwing their hat in the ring. The recently announced ROG Ally is making its debut in countries across the world. The latest country to get the handheld gaming device? Malaysia of course!
The handheld runs on AMD’s Z1 Extreme processor. It runs on the latest Zen4 architecture and promises enough power to run most games and power efficiency for a respectable gaming session. The Malaysian version of the ROG Ally will come with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal SSD storage.
It comes with a 7-inch, IPS-level display with an FHD resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. It has a 120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits brightness.
The ROG Ally will officially be priced at MYR3,299. At the time of writing, ASUS has only announced a single variant of the ROG Ally for the Malaysian market. It will be available in retail on July 1, 2023, at the ROG Roadshow happening in Plaza Low Yat and at ROG Ally authorized dealers nationwide.
Together with the gaming handheld, ASUS is offering a slew of accessories including the ROG Ally Travel Case priced at MYR199 and the ROG Gaming Charger Dock which comes with HDMI 2.0 support at MYR299.
Of course, being an ROG device, the Ally is also compatible with ROG’s XG Mobile platform which provides even more power for the device when you hook it up. They give access to top-of-the-line GPUs for mobile devices which include the ROG Flow Z13 laptops. There are currently three versions available in Malaysia, the XG MOBILE RTX4090 which retails for MYR 999, the XG MOBILE RTX3080 which retails for MYR7999 and the XG MOBILE RX 6850M XT which retails at MYR6999.
The first sales which are happening now will be bundled with the ROG CETRA True Wireless earbuds, the ROG Ally Travel Case, the ROG Gaming Charger Dock, a screen protector and 9-month access to XBOX PC GamePass. The bundle is worth MYR1,299.
AMD’s Ryzen 7000 processors are perhaps one of the most anticipated updates to the company’s lineup of processors since the first announcement of the Zen architecture. The new processors come with the new Zen 4 microarchitecture. The new microarchitecture promises better, more efficient performance and also allow for higher clock speeds.
With Ryzen 7000 and Zen 4, AMD is finally retiring the AM4 Socket and fully adopting DDR5. As such, manufacturers like ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI and ASROCK are also releasing updated, beefed up motherboards for the new series. The Ryzen 7000 processors are also bringing a big jump in performance and introducing AMD’s new EXPO technology. AMD EXPO (Extended Profiles for Overclocking) makes overclocking for the best performance a simple task with preset and optimised profiles for any game. Of course, this requires you to use compatible memory which is listed on the AMD EXPO website.
In addition, the new processors come with integrated RDNA2 cores which will give it a slight boost in graphical performance. It goes without saying that the integrated graphics cores are no replacement for dedicated GPUs. That said, with higher clocks and claimed improvements in performance, the new Ryzen 7000 series CPUs are going to cost a pretty penny.
AMD has launched four versions of their Zen 4 processors: the Ryzen 9 7950X, the Ryzen 9 7900X, the Ryzen 7 7700X and the Ryzen 7600X. These processors come with a different number of cores, processing threads, cache, clock speeds and TDPs that are catered to different levels of performance. All four are available in the market starting on September 27, 2022 with prices starting at MYR1,399.
Here’s a rundown of the pricing and details of each processor and their official prices in MYR and USD.
HP is updating their gaming lineup with the latest and greatest from AMD and Intel in a totally new, larger form factor. The new laptops announced are equipped with larger displays, higher refresh rates and more features to the company’s robust gaming offerings. Expanding both the OMEN by HP and Victus gaming lineups with more robust laptops and better build quality, HP is looking to bring something for every gamer.
Together with the new editions to their gaming lineup, HP Malaysia is also bringing back their HP Gaming Truck which will be making its way around Malaysia starting with the Klang Valley.
HP OMEN 16 – Supped up to Win
The new OMEN 16 expands the offerings under the OMEN by HP gaming brand with a more robust laptop with a larger 16-inch display. The OMEN 16 ushers in a new generation of OMEN by HP Gaming laptops which look to up the ante when it comes to gaming performance.
The OMEN Gaming Laptop 16 comes with an improved Tempest cooling system that brings physical changes that impact performance. The updated Tempest Cooling System comes with an added fifth heat pipe and an additional fourth outflow vent. The former allows for better heat dissipation from the processor and GPU while the latter allows the air to be channelled out of the chassis keeping temperatures lower. HP claims that these improvements have resulted in a 3% reduction in temperature at the GPU hinge and a 14% reduction in temperature on the bottom of the SSD. Aside from the increased cooling, the new Tempest system is also 5% quieter than the last generation.
In addition to the physical heating system, HP has also spent some time looking at the internals of the OMEN 16. The new generation of OMEN 16 Gaming Laptops come with 12th Generation Intel processors ranging from the Core i5 to the Core i9 internationally. In Malaysia, this caps off at the Core i7. There are also configurations supporting the AMD Ryzen 6000 SoCs. Like the Intel versions, this caps out at the Ryzen 9. These processors are complemented with at least 16GB of RAM and 1TB of internal storage.
The HP OMEN 16 comes with a 16.1-inch, QHD IPS display with a refresh rate of 165Hz. It also has a 3ms response time. The display supports 100% of the sRGB gamut with a 300-nits brightness and a micro-edge design. The laptops have configurations supporting up to the NVIDIA GeForce 3070 Ti GPU. HP isn’t skimping on ports either, the OMEN 16 comes with a full array of ports including an RJ45 ethernet port, ThunderBolt 4 and USB-A ports.
HP Victus 16 – Affordable Powerhouse
The Victus inherits most of the ethos and DNA of the OMEN 16. However, it does it affordably; packing all the essentials. When it comes to processors, the HP Victus 16 comes with configurations supporting the 12th Generation Intel Core i7 and the AMD Ryzen 6000 series. This is paired with at least 8GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage.
On the display front, the 16.1-inch IPS display has a 1080p FHD resolution with a 144Hz refresh rate and 250 nits brightness. The display comes with the same micro-edge design and covers 45% of the NTSC gamut. The HP Victus 16 has configurations with up to the NVIDIA RTX3050 Ti or the AMD Radeon 6500M.
Pricing & Availability
The HP OMEN 16 and Victus 16 are already available from HP via their official store or retail partners and online stores.
The OMEN 16 is priced from MYR7,599 for the AMD version and MYR7,799 for the Intel version.
The Victus 16 is priced from MYR4,299 for the AMD version and MYR3,749 for the Intel version.
Alienware should not be a name that is unfamiliar to gamers. They are, technically, the biggest name in gaming PC before gaming PCs become mainstream. They are still one of the most recognizable names in the industry. Today, they are known to make some of the most desirable gaming PCs in the market currently. They are also known to make some of the most extreme gaming PCs in the modern gaming era. It is no wonder then that they released the new Alienware m17 R5, one of the most powerful AMD Advantage gaming laptops you can find in the market today.
AMD Advantage
Before we go one, let us recap what AMD Advantage means. The first requirement for a gaming laptop to be recognized as an AMD Advantage gaming laptop is obviously being equipped with AMD’s latest Ryzen 5000 series CPU paired with their latest Radeon RX 6000 series GPU. There are few more things in the checklist too.
The laptop must pack AMD’s FreeSync Premium technology as standard for a tear free experience on a display with at least 144Hz refresh rate and capable of more than 300 nits in brightness and less than 3ms of response rate. Of course, with both AMD’s CPU and GPU working together, AMD’s SmartShift and Smart Access Memory must come as standard too on the gaming PC. To ensure that speed is not an issue, DDR5 memory and Gen4 M.2 SSDs come as standard on AMD Advantage laptops.
Its body must be thin and light enough that you can lug it around without breaking your back. The built-in fans within the svelte body also has to be powerful enough to keep everything at a controlled temperature even in heavy loads. In short, an AMD Advantage laptop cannot be thermal throttling from poor thermals.
Alienware m17 R5 – The Ultimate AMD Advantage Gamer
Source: Alienware
Source: Alienware
Source: Alienware
Source: Alienware
Source: Alienware
Source: Alienware
Source: Alienware
Source: Alienware
Source: Alienware
Welcome to the Alienware m17 R5, currently the most powerful AMD Advantage gaming laptop with a 17-inch display in existence. It packs AMD’s most powerful Ryzen 6900 CPU for mobile platforms. Alongside the powerful CPU is also an AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT GPU for maximum impact.
You can also spec it up with up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM with up to 4TB in SSD storage. Yes, they are Gen4 PCIe NVMe units for 5GB/s read speeds. To top it all off, Alienware has fitted the new m17 R5 with the fastest laptop display you can get your hands-on in the market today. You can choose between a fast 480Hz refresh rate Full HD panel and a high-resolution 4K panel at 120Hz refresh rate. The display panel is also a Dolby Vision certified panel for the best-in-class HDR gaming experience on the large display.
Of course, with AMD Advantage certification you get all of AMD’s most premium features for the ultimate gaming experience. You get AMD’s SmartShift Max to ensure that the Alienware m17 R5 extracts the maximum battery life by cleverly switching between the Radeon GPU and integrated APU for different requirements. AMD’s SmartAccess Graphics allows the PC to cleverly optimise frame rates, reduce latency, and optimise battery life by enabling either the discrete GPU or APU to render and present your games while AMD FreeSync works. AMD’s Smart Access Memory, which should be a familiar thing by now, allows your Ryzen processors to harness the full potential of the Radeon GPUs. Of course, AMD’s FreeSync Premium keeps your games tear free and smooth on your display. To keep everything fresh and cool, Alienware fitted the 17-incher with Cryo-tech cooling technology with an enlarged vapor chamber for the GPU.
Price and Availability
There are currently no confirmations on when the device will arrive in Malaysia yet. Obviously, there are no word on pricing as well currently. For more information on the new Alienware m17 R5, you can head over to their website.
A laptop has become one of the pieces of technology that we can’t do without. Most of the time, we’re stuck between choosing something that is chunky and powerful or sleek and light. However, in recent years, we’ve been seeing laptops become slimmer and more portable across the board. What we expect from laptops has also changed over the years; we expect to get more done with them without sacrificing much.
One of the largest shifts in recent years has been the focus on better colour reproduction and laptops that are geared for creative work. That’s precisely what the Vivobook Pro 15 OLED is looking to address. It’s a laptop that is packed with creator centric internals. However, we’re still a little sceptical if it truly can keep the promise of being a power laptop built for the “prosumer” at its price point. In fact, that’s the main question we want to answer in our in-depth review of the ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED.
Design
The Vivobook Pro 15 OLED is, as they put it – “same, same but different”. When it comes to the design, ASUS hasn’t decided to revolutionise the lineup with the design. Instead, they have chosen to focus on keeping the Vivobook’s design utilitarian but still sleek and sophisticated. They did this by prioritising the build quality and strength.
While the laptop is built primarily of plastic, ASUS has found a way to reinforce it to make it feel sturdy and well built. There is hardly any flex when opening the laptop and the display doesn’t sway when typing. The hinge of the Pro 15 OLED is firm and has just enough given that it isn’t a chore to open the laptop.
The overall design of the laptop is simplistic and minimal. Its simplistic design isn’t a bad thing – in fact, it’s one of the better designs out there. The top lid is emblazoned with a raised emblem in the middle left. This is possibly the only issue with the overall design. It is not only prone to getting scuffed and scratched but also tends to scratch and scuff things that it’s packed with.
Aside from that, Asus also made the choice to shave a little bit of the sides near the hinges making them less angled. This also gives the laptop less of a rectangular shape. Instead, it’s a trapezoid – but only very slightly. However, these design accents also lend to the uniqueness of the laptop. Overall, Asus made design choices that lent themselves to making the Vivobook feel more premium, sturdy and well-built.
Hardware
The Vivobook Pro 15 OLED isn’t like other Vivobooks; It’s packed to the brim with hardware that gives even ASUS’s Zenbook series a run for its money. In all honesty, there’s enough power here to give some ROG gaming laptops. ASUS had made the Pro 15 OLED a powerhouse – fit for creators looking for an affordable option for a portable workhorse.
Specifications
ASUS VIVOBOOK PRO 15 OLED | M3500QC
As tested
Processor (clock)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX (3.30 GHz) 8 core with Turbo Boost (up to 4.60 GHz) 16 MB cache
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6 VRAM
Display
15.6 Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:10 aspect ratio 60Hz refresh rate 400 nits brightness 600 nits peak brightness 100% DCI-P3 NanoEdge display 84% Screen to Body ratio
1 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C 1 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A 2 USB 2.0 Type-A 1 HDMI 1.4 1 MicroSD card reader 1 Audio Combo Jack
Battery
63Wh 3-cell lithium-polymer battery “All Day” battery life
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64-bit
Miscellaneous
HD camera Backlit Keyboard Stereo Speakers (Harman/Kardon Certified) Microphone Integrated Fingerprint Scanner
Features
While it may seem like the Vivobook pro skimps on features, it really doesn’t. It takes a similar approach to features as it does design. Every feature including the design of the keyboard is thought out and utilitarian in its implementation. In fact, simplicity and utilitarianism seem to be the theme of the Vivobook Pro 15 OLED. Everything is in its place for a reason.
Built for Working On-the-Go
The Vivobook Pro 15 OLED comes with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from any laptop. However – somehow – they seem to make more sense. Its focus on being utilitarian seems to create a form of tunnel vision which makes the features more apparent.
The power button comes with an integrated fingerprint scanner. While it’s not anything revolutionary, the inclusion of it allows you to sign in with Windows Hello seamlessly by simply touching the power button. Its response time is pretty fast. In fact, most of the time during our review, it would scan and power on at the same time – booting immediately into Windows 11. The quick response time makes working on the go easy as you don’t have to type in your password at all.
It also comes with an HD webcam. Yes, your run-of-the-mill webcam – but it has a privacy shield integrated. The addition of the privacy shield is a welcomed one. The fact that it’s not a software mediated one is a big plus point. The physical shutter simply blocks the camera making sure that it is unable to record. That said, with the addition of the shutter, the lack of physical muting felt like an oversight. But it didn’t take away from the experience and security that is provided.
The slim and light profile of the Vivobook Pro 15 OLED is another “feature” that makes it perfect for working on the go. ASUS has managed to fit functionality and connectivity into a relatively slim body which is perfect for working on the go. This is, of course, complemented by the AI noise-cancelling technology we saw with the Zenbook 14. The technology allows you to make video calls from cafes without much hassle even in loud environments. It will automatically detect the speaker’s voice and suppress background noise.
Full Keyboard, Numpad and Large Touchpad
Of course, being a creator and productivity-focused laptop, it comes as no surprise that the Vivobook Pro 15 OLED comes with a full keyboard with Numpad. While it may seem like a trivial feature, the full keyboard brings added convenience when it comes to dealing with excel sheets and even when it comes to creating apps and keyboard shortcuts. The keys are also pretty comfortable to type on. The individual keys are tactile and give enough feedback and travel; while they aren’t at the level of a mechanical keyboard, long writing sessions – like writing this review – are not an issue.
In addition to the full keyboard and Numpad, the laptop also comes with a large touchpad. Navigating with the touchpad is a little more intuitive with the larger space. It also helps Windows 11’s gestures feel more natural and less cumbersome to use. It also allows some flexibility with the way you work within your apps as it has more than enough space to move about.
Extended Connectivity
The VivoBook Pro 15 OLED comes with all the connectivity ports you need to work on the go. It comes with 2 USB 2.0 Type-A ports and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port. These ports allow for high-speed transfer of files to hard disks and even for you to plug in accessories like a wired mouse to help you work. If you work with microSD cards a lot, the dedicated slot will allow you access to your files without needing a dongle. It also has a dedicated 3.5mm jack for both mic and headphones. The USB-C slot provides even more extendibility with high-speed data transfers and also support USB-C dongles which can provide RJ45 and additional HDMI outputs. The only output lacking is a physical RJ45 port which is easily remedied with a USB hub.
When it comes to WiFi connectivity the VivoBook Pro 15 OLED comes with support for the WiFi 6 (AX) – the latest standard available commercially. This allows for faster, more stable WiFi connections and even higher data transfer speeds – if the network you’re on supports it. That said, even if the network doesn’t support WiFi 6, the laptop does have backward compatibility with WiFi 5. Bluetooth 5.0 is also an option on the Vivobook. Naturally, this means that you’ll be able to use everything from audio accessories to keyboards and mouses which support the protocol.
Multitasking became easier with Link to MyASUS
One of the things I didn’t expect to fall in love with is the MyASUS app. The app isn’t something new – in fact, many other manufacturers have similar applications – but ASUS has made the app something you will use more often and it makes a meaningful impact on workflow. Link to MyASUS allows you to use your tablet or smartphone as an additional extended screen. I found myself doing this on multiple occasions when I was working on the go. Using the extended display function allows you to multitask a little better. Being a writer and video content creator, I regularly had my script and/or references on my extended display to allow me full use of the 15.6-inch display.
In addition to this, the app also allows you to make calls using the laptop. While we didn’t see ourselves using this very often, it made sense to use it when we needed to make an important call or had to answer an incoming call. The added convenience is definitely a boon.
Performance
You can’t lie when it comes to the performance you’ll be getting from the VivoBook Pro 15 OLED. It’s one of the best at the price point. In fact, we’d be comfortable saying that it excels ahead of a lot of its competition thanks to the AMD Ryzen 9 5900-HX processor it runs on. The octa-core processor allows the laptop to breeze through heavier workloads without a hitch. It’s also more power-efficient thanks to the Zen 3 microarchitecture and integrated Radeon graphics. With boost clocks of up to 4.6GHz, the laptop is able to do a lot more work without breaking a sweat.
Paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX3050, the combination is like a 1-2 punch when it comes to productivity. It’s able to handle heavy graphics loads with ease. During our review period, we were able to process 4K video with ease on Adobe Premiere Pro. Even with multiple sources and overlays, the laptop had little difficulty handling the workload.
The VivoBook Pro 15 OLED is also NVIDIA RTX Studio certified. This means that it meets NVIDIA’s requirements when it comes to being optimized for content creation. In fact, the first thing you will realise is that the drivers on the laptop default to the NVIDIA Studio drivers which provide even more reliable performance and stability.
However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t game on the laptop. You can ABSOLUTELY game with the laptop. It’s able to keep up with some of the more graphically demanding games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and also Horizon Zero Dawn. This is not surprising given the combination of its processor and GPU. The RTX3050’s ray tracing capabilities also enhance the visual experience for gaming. We would go so far as to say, the combination blows some of the gaming laptops with the same specs out of the water – especially given the price point.
Display
ASUS is going all-in when it comes to adopting OLED in its laptops and the Vivobook Pro 15 OLED isn’t getting left behind. The laptop comes with a 15.6-inch OLED panel. The display covers 84% of the surface it’s on thanks to the slim bezels that surround it. It’s got a 16:9 aspect ratio and an FHD resolution. While it may not be a 2K or 4K display, it is more than enough when it comes to the laptop. In fact, it is one of those concessions I didn’t mind making with the VivoBook Pro 15 OLED to get better battery life.
However, the OLED panel shines when it comes to colour accuracy and reproduction – two of the most important aspects of any display when it comes to content creation and editing. The display covers 1000% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and is Pantone validated for accuracy. This is one of those features you must experience to enjoy. The deep blacks and vibrant colours are a great boon to have when it comes to dealing with colour accuracy. It also makes gaming on the laptop a more immersive experience. You’re instantly drawn into the action and graphics of the scenery with the display. Even watching movies or series on the laptop is the more enjoyable cause of it. The brightness and contrast also make working on the display easier.
However, if there was just one complaint – it would be that the screen can get a little TOO bright. Throughout our review period, the brightness was set at about 30% to prevent blasting our irises to kingdom come with brightness.
A Laptop that focuses on functionality with a minimalist aesthetic built for Creators that need to work on-the-go
The ASUS VivoBook Pro 15 OLED is one of the most well thought out laptops we’ve had the pleasure of reviewing in a while. Its features are thoughtfully geared for budding content creators looking for a portable workhorse with a colour accurate display. It gives creator’s a complete package with features that allow us to work more efficiently on the go. Everything from colour accuracy to battery life and a large mousepad makes working on the ASUS VivoBook Pro 15 OLED the perfect balance between performance, portability and affordability. It’s a laptop that will cater to the needs of a creator at any level but even more so when it comes to those just starting out.
It’s no surprise, if you’ve read this far, that we’re awarding the VivoBook Pro 15 OLED the techENT Editor’s Choice. ASUS has taken the time imbuing the laptop with a feature set that allows it to shine as a creator’s machine in every respect – from performance to the colour accurate display. This is bolstered by a price point that blows a lot of its competition out of the water.
A few months ago, Lisa Su took the stage to introduce a few new things for AMD. They launched their new line-up of GPUs, the Radeon RX GPUs that is set to rival the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series cards. In that announcement, they have also introduced a new standard for gaming laptops. Where Intel has their Intel EVO platform for their thin-and-light notebooks, AMD has the AMD Advantage.
If you have not known what AMD Advantage is just yet, let us quickly get you acquainted with AMD’s ‘Gold Standard’ in gaming laptops. The AMD Advantage standard is simply AMD’s own standards in gaming laptops. It simply means that the gaming laptop you are going to buy is powered by AMD’s latest Ryzen 5000 series CPU that is also paired with an AMD Radeon RX series GPUs.
‘AMD Advantage’ does have a nice ring to it. There is a problem however, not every manufacturer was ready to jump on board. Plenty of them have stuck to the model of a high-performing AMD processor that is paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series GPU. Until now that is with MSI.
MSI has just launched their new Delta 15, Alpha 15, and Bravo 15 line-up of gaming laptops. You might have guessed it; these are AMD Advantage certified gaming laptops. Yes, they are all AMD.
MSI Delta 15
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
The Delta 15 is the newest addition to MSI’s family of high-performance gaming laptops. It will also be MSI’s highest end AMD Advantage gaming laptops available at this point. You can spec it with up to an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU. Graphics is handled by AMD’s own Radeon RX 6700M, as promised by the AMD Advantage moniker. The 15-inch display pushes Full HD resolution to your eyes at 240Hz refresh rate. This also means that the AMD powered Delta 15 will be the most powerful AMD Advantage 15-inch gaming laptop there is currently.
MSI Alpha 15
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Below the high-end Delta series comes the Alpha 15. Instead of AMD’s all-powerful Ryzen 9 or 7 series CPUs though, the Alpha 15 comes with a humble and powerful AMD Ryzen 5 5600H CPU. While it may not sound like much, the AMD Ryzen 5 still packs a lot of punch. That is especially when it is paired to the AMD Radeon RX 6600M GPU handling graphics out of the 15.6-inch Full HD display that refreshes at 144Hz.
MSI Bravo 15
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
For the mode budget conscious, you can get your hands on the MSI Bravo 15 series. It is no slouch though. You still can get the power of AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800H CPU. You are not getting the Radeon RX 6000M series graphics prowess though. Instead, graphics is handled by a humble AMD Radeon 5500M GPU instead. You still get Full HD out of the 15.6-inch display as well.
Price and Availability
The new AMD Advantage gaming laptops are already available in Malaysia. You can get your hands on one from their website. The all-new MSI Delta 15 starts at MYR 7,899, the updated Alpha 15 starts at MYR 5,299, while the Bravo 15 starts at MYR 3,949.
The Acer Swift X is an MYR 4,999 thin-and-light laptop that packs a lot of power. It gets a gaming and creator grade AMD Ryzen 7 5800U CPU. On top of that, and 16GB of RAM, is a very potent NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti to boot. All of that seems like a recipe for something special.
We find that the AMD powered Swift notebook PC to be an intriguing one. Acer sells this laptop as the ideal content creation laptop for those are starting up in content creation but needs something easily portable as well.
It is sort of a spiritual successor to the Acer Swift 3X that was launched also a few months ago. The Acer Swift X shares the same build platform as the Acer Swift 3X though, which also means that it shares the same design quirks we pointed out in the Acer Swift 3X. It is a more powerful platform comparatively though.
Is this Swift X with AMD’s powerful Ryzen 7 5800U worth MYR 4,999? With the same quirks, would it be a worthy laptop of the Swift name? Should you get it as a content creator? We find out in our review of the Acer Swift X.
There is a general problem when you get a thin-and-light PC. There are plenty of compromises with a lot of them. They are also generally expensive.
One of the compromises you must live with when you opt for a thin-and-light notebook PC is the lack of power. You usually can opt for a powerful enough processor that is clocked to reduce its power consumption. You do not get a dedicated GPU with the thin-and-light though.
You also do not get a lot of ports to come with the laptop. Just to keep the device thin, they must sacrifice on the practicality of full-sized I/O ports. The result is an ultra-thin laptop that you can carry around without breaking your back, but for it to be practical, you need to carry a separate dongle.
That is not the case with Acer’s brand-new Swift X though. It is powerful. It is also very practical. At the same time, Acer’s new notebook PC offers the experience of owning a larger formed thin-and-light.
Source: Acer
The Acer Swift X is powered by AMD’s latest Ryzen 7 5800U (up to) processor. While it is not an H-series processor, the Ryzen 7 5800U is still plenty powerful while remaining energy efficient for long lasting battery life. Alongside the powerful CPU is not a mere Vega integrated GPU though. It is an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti (up to) dedicated discrete GPU.
With up to 16GB of RAM, the Swift X is really a thin-and-light PC made for content creators. But power is just half the story. The Swift X must output some impressive colours too for content creators. Getting the job done is a 14-inch Full HD IPS panel that covers nearly 86% of the Swift X’s body. It boasts 300nits in brightness, which should be bright enough in most situations. The panel also covers 100% of the sRGB colour gamut. At the same time, Acer includes its BlueLightShield technology to protect your eyes in extended usage. There is even a fingerprint sensor for better security when you leave your laptop unattended with Windows Hello.
All of these does not come with too much weight penalty too. It is still a light notebook at 1.39kg. It is still thin too at 1.79cm. While it is not as thin as the regular ultrabooks you find in the market today, the Swift X does have full-sized I/O ports like an HDMI out port and two USB Type-A ports. All of that while keeping a 59W battery that offers up to 17-hours of continuous use time.
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
The Acer Swift X will be available to purchase in Malaysia in two variants. It comes in an AMD Ryzen 7 or AMD Ryzen 5 CPU choices. Both variants will come with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3050 Ti still. The AMD Ryzen 5 variant of the Acer Swift X will set you back MYR 4,299 while the more expensive AMD Ryzen 7 variant will set you back MYR 4,999. The Acer Swift X is available from Acer’s authorised resellers, Shopee, Lazada, and Acer’s own online store 15th October 2021 onward. You can pre-order one for yourself starting now though. If you do order your unit between now to 20th of October 2021 on Acer’s Flagship Store on Shopee or Acer’s own eStore, you are entitled to purchase a Logitech MX Anywhere 3 wireless mouse at MYR 199 (about 50% off retail price).
AMD has been on a roll with a multitude of releases and powerful innovations that are changing the landscape of the semiconductor industry. AMD is a company that has made its bets 5 years ago in high-performance computing and is now starting to see them come to fruition. With the announcement of their RDNA 2 platform and Zen architecture, they are delivering more performance to consumers for less power. These innovations continue to create waves in the industry with the company seeing its technologies adopted in gaming consoles to cars.
AMD’s recent announcements have proven that the company is making strides; not only in the consumer and gaming space but also in high-performance computing. The company has even announced their take on graphic supersampling with the FidelityFX Super Resolution. So, what’s next for AMD?
We’re sitting down with Paige Shi, Consumer Lead for Asia Pacific over at AMD to find out what’s happening at AMD and how the company is adapting to the new normal, how it has affected consumer behaviour and also what we can expect from the company in the future!
