Research has evolved over the years. More and more, we are dealing with theoretical models and simulations that vastly change our understanding of the world around us. In fact, these models have spurred some of the innovations and breakthroughs that have been and continue to change the face of many industries. However, one of the biggest challenges in achieving these breakthroughs is access to high-performance computing. With limited stipends and funds, researchers have found themselves unable to afford dedicated high-performance computing machines. AMD has been addressing that with their High Performance Compute Fund.
Source: AMD
What initially started as a means to drive timely breakthroughs in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is now being expanded to more applications. Keeping with the social impact factor of research, the HPC Fund is being expanded to include more fields in medical research and social good. The expansion will, hopefully, drive more breakthroughs in various fields for the betterment of the global society.
In addition to the expansion of its scope, AMD’s recent acquisition of Xilinx is also expanding the technology offered in the program. In addition to access to AMD’s EPYC Processors and Instinct Accelerators, researchers will now be able to make use of the Xilinx Heterogeneous Accelerated Compute Clusters (HACC). This gives them access to Xilinx ALveo accelerators and Xilinx Versal ACAPs. The newly integrated technologies expand the potential applications and decrease the time needed to run complex models.
As of May 2022, AMD has contributed over 20 petaflops of computing capacity through the High Performance Compute Fund. That’s over USD$31 million in monetary value. Researchers in over 28 institutions in eight countries have benefitted from the HPC Fund. Access has been extended to nearly 6,000 researchers resulting in 55 published research papers covering key issues including the disparities in COVID-19 Vaccination rates by race and ethnicity and improvements in the classification of breast cancer imagery using deep vision techniques.
This includes the National University of Singapore (NUS) where AMD has donated AMD EPYC processors and AMD Radeon Instinct Accelerators to the School of Computing. According to Eric Han, a fourth year PhD student at NUS Computing, “We are studying highly complex Machine Learning techniques that require us to run multiple compute and memory-intensive experiments. The AMD cluster has a high core count with large RAM, allowing us to run multiple experiments across the cluster.”
AMD is granting cloud-based access to universities and research institutions around the world with support from leading system partners Supermicro and WEKA.io. Applications are now being accepted. Research institutions and universities can apply for the new round of computing power grants by submitting their application on their official HPC Fund Website.
AMD has just released their latest software. The current AMD Sofware: Adrenalin Edition 22.7.1, as they know it, packs AMD’s latest latest drivers for their Ryzen CPUs and Radeon GPUs. AMD’s Adrenalin software is also the nerve center for everything that is AMD on your PC.
The latest edition of the Adrenalin comes with a new feature that makes your Radeon GPU more than just a graphics processor. It turns it into a rather clever machine learning accelerator that helps with a rather specific function. It helps with voice recognition-ish.
Before we go into that though, the Adrenalin software also brought a few updates to AMD’s suite of GPUs. For starters, AMD’s RX 6400, RX 6500 XT, RX 6800 XT and RX 6950 XT GPUs have received a performance boost for 4K Fabulous settings in Minecraft. AMD is claiming up to 92% in performance improvements for the game. AMD has also extended support for their Super Resolution technology to RX 5000 and RX 6000 discrete GPUs for notebooks. Radeon Boost support has also been extended to games like Elden Ring, VALORANT, and Resident Evil Village.
On top of all these performance boosts for various GPUs, AMD has also added a new feature called AMD Noise Suppression. If you are familiar with NVIDIA’s RTX Voice, this is something similar. It also utilises AMD’s Radeon GPUs for machine learning applications specifically in voice processing and noise suppression. Yes, it is what it sounds like, a noise suppression engine.
It is supposed to work with any PC that has an AMD Radeon RX 6000 series GPU or Ryzen 5000 series CPU with integrated GPU. It is also supposed to work with any mic you have installed on your mic. What it does is allow its users to channel clearer and cleaner voice over team chats or even in meetings. It uses its own unique algorithms to achieve this effect, they did not specify what their implementation methods are though.
AMD’s latest Software: Adrenalin Edition 22.7.1 is now available for download from AMD’s website. You can also read all about the new software via their release notes here. Of course, if you want to take advantage of AMD’s latest software and features, you do want to ensure that you have AMD’s latest and greatest.
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.
The GPU market today looks like a completely different one compared to the one we saw in the past two years. Stocks are normalising and gone are the ridiculous prices. To be fair, prices are still quite high for existing stocks, and the entire market is still in its recovery mode. We may have also suggested that it is a good time to build a new gaming PC, since prices are steadily on the fall and items are readily available.
It is a good time for chip makers to launch new products too, to recapture the market and to start normalising the prices of their items that are floating in the market now, albeit a little odd. It is a good time then for AMD to launch additions to their Radeon RX 6000 series. They launched the new Radeon RX 6650 XT, RX 6750 XT, and RX 6950 XT. Guess which one we are interested in.
The Radeon RX 6650 XT and RX 6750 XT
They are still RDNA 2 GPUs, hence the RX 6000 series naming scheme. On paper, they are also just slight improvements to the RX 6600 XT and RX 6700 XT cards. As AMD puts it, they are more “enhancements” than anything else. You are supposed to get better Full HD 1080p (RX 6650 XT) and QHD 1440p (RX 6750 XT) performances out of both cards. Like their biggest brother, the RX 6950 XT, the new GPUS are also enhanced with the same sized but faster memory module than before. The speed boost could be quite significant in gaming performance though.
The Radeon RX 6950 XT
You guessed right; we are more interested in AMD’s most premium offering in the GPU market. The Radeon RX 6950 XT will set you back US$ 1,099, which is about the retail price of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, so you can sort of see where this is going now. The Radeon RX 6950 XT is a curious GPU though.
Despite its naming, AMD did not bother adding more compute cores to the Radeon RX 6950 XT GPU. It remains at 80 compute units, the same as the outgoing RX 6900 XT. There is no additional VRAM on the GPU either at 16GB. Despite those, the GPU demands a little bit more power at a typical 335W. In some early tests, the GPU can pull more than 400W at any given time. That could be result of a higher clock speed of 2,100 MHz (boost up to 2,310 MHz) on the compute units and a higher RAM speed at 18GBps.
You still get RDNA 2, AMD’s Infinity Cache technology, and Smart Access Memory from the GPU. Those has not changed much. You also get AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.0 support with the new GPU too. In supporting games, upscaling should look even better than before. DirectX 12 Ultimate is also supported, but unfortunately ray tracing performance will still pale in comparison to the NVIDIA GPUs with their dedicated ray tracing cores.
All of these should mean that you get quite a bit in boost in gaming performance. In some earlyu tests, performance numbers shows that the Radeon RX 6750 XT blew away its competition. Of course, you want to take those results with a pinch of salt. At the same time, you are also getting a boost in overall productivity performance if you are working with Adobe Creative Suite and other 3D software.
Price and Availability
The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT, RX 6750 XT, and RX 6950 XT is now available globally. Board partners are also expected to announce the availability of their cards soon. The GPUs are priced at US$ 399 (MYR 1,749)*, US$ 549 (MYR 2,407*), and US$ 1,099 (MYR 4,818*) respectively. MSI Malaysia has announced their AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT, RX 6750 XT, and RX 6950 XT cards in Malaysia with no specific mentions of date and pricing as of now. More information on AMD’s new Radeon RX 6000 series cards can be found on their website.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.38 as of 11/05/2022 on xe.com
Last year, if our friends asked us about building a PC or a gaming rig for themselves, we would have said that it is not a good time. We would have also told them to maybe get a gaming laptop instead, especially with prices of parts soaring out of control,
Fast forward to 2022 though and the PC component market has shown signs of recovery. Prices of GPUs and CPUs have dropped by 20-25%. While components are still sold above recommended retail prices, situations are not as bad as before and stocks are slowly becoming more available.
Source: ASUS
In terms of current component prices, it is a better time now to build your own PC. In the current market climate, there has never been a better time to build a PC because new components are launching left and right. It is an especially good time to build budget gaming rigs thanks to ASUS releasing the latest AMD Radeon GPU.
It is called the AMD Radeon RX 6400, and just as its numbers suggest, it is an entry-level GPU. It is still a modern AMD GPU though, and they say that it will do 1080p gaming rather well. We trust them on this and recommend that you stick to a 1080p gaming build on this.
It is meant for a budget rig, so you cannot expect miracles out of it. Still, you get 4GB of GDDR6 memory out of the card. You also get HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, which should allow you to have two monitors working simultaneously. It is also a PCIe 4.0 card, which also means that it should perform better than some of the AMD Radeon RX 5000 series GPUs.
Source: ASUSSource: ASUSSource: ASUSSource: ASUSSource: ASUS
Of course, the GPU comes with AMD’s latest RDNA 2 architecture on the 2039 MHz clocked chip. The GPU can be boosted up to 2321 MHz when you need maximum power for your games. When the GPU consumes little to no power, its fans turn off for silent operation. The Radeon RX 6400 also comes with support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, AMD Fidelity FX technology, AMD Radeon Super Resolution, and AMD’s Smart Access Memory technology for even better gaming experiences.
ASUS’ AMD Radeon RX 6400 comes in two flavours – ASUS Dual Radeon RX 6400 and ASUS Phoenix Radeon RX 6400. The Dual variant comes with two fans for maximum cooling performance while the Phoenix comes with a single fan design. Currently only the ASUS Dual Radeon RX 6400 will be available in Malaysia for MYR 960. There are no confirmations on when the more affordable single-fan Phoenix Radeon RX 6400 will be available in Malaysia. More information on the AMD Radeon RX 6400 can be found on AMD’s website.
Samsung’s much anticipated Exynos 2200 with AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture incorporated in its GPU is finally official. The partnership was initially announced back in 2019 and has been one of the most anticipated developments in mobile silicon. The new system on a chip (SoC) will be making its official, commercial debut with the release of Samsung’s next flagship smartphone – the Galaxy S22 series.
Source: Samsung
Better Security & 5G Connnectivity
The new Exynos 2200 will be one of the first commercially available processors to use the new ARMv9 standard bringing new advancements that provide better overall security. The SoC is made using 4nm technology with a more power-efficient architecture. It consists of one ARM Cortex X2 flagship core with 3 high-performance Cortex 710 big-cores and 4 power-efficient Coretex 510 small-cores. The octa-core SoC comes with a more powerful neural processing unit (NPU) which has double the performance of the previous generation thanks to the increased number of parallel computations that can be done. The more powerful NPU translates to better AI performance with increased precision thanks to the employment of FP16 (16bit floating point) in combination with the power-efficient INT8 and INT16.
It’s a fully capable 5G equipped processor. The Exynos 2200 supports both sub6 and mmWave spectra thanks to the incorporation of a 3GPP Release 16 5G modem. Samsung is also boasting higher connectivity speeds of up to 10Gbps with its incorporation of E-UTRAN New Radio Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).
On the imaging side of things, the new Exynos 2200 will come with an image signal processor (ISP) which is able to support up to 200-megapixel resolution. It also has support for up to 108-megapixel sensors and combinations of 64+36-megapixel sensors at 30fps and up to 8K or 4K HDR video.
XClipse – Enabling Next Generation Content with Ray Tracing with AMD RDNA 2 Technology
The crowning glory of the Exynos 2200 comes in the form of its new XClipse hybrid graphics processor. The new GPU is using AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture to unlock graphics that have been, until now, reserved for consoles and PCs. Using the RDNA2 architecture, the new SoC is unlocking both Ray Tracing (RT) and variable rate shading (VRS). What’s more, these technologies will be able to run natively on the hardware rather than remotely through the cloud.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeAxDgfat0M
Ray Tracing technology will allow mobile gaming to level up significantly. The technology will allow game developers to mimic the behaviour of light more realistically in games. Details such as the colour, angle and characteristics of light rays as they interact, bounce and refract off surfaces can be simulated more accurately with RT. To ensure that performance isn’t sacrificed when deploying RT, developers can also take advantage of VRS which allows them to prioritise rendering to items that will affect the overall gaming experience. Items in the background can be deprioritised with lower frame rates to allow better processing and resource management. This would translate into better performing graphics particularly when it comes to gaming.
The Exynos 2200 is entering mass production as of this announcement. It’s poised to make its official debut together with Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy flagship – the Galaxy S22 series.
Acer has been busy creating new experiences for gamers and also catering to every niche they can think of. When it comes to their gaming offerings they have two distinct lineups – the Predator lineup which has different models and the Nitro lineup which consists of one laptop with two variants. Over the past years, their gaming offerings have become fine-tuned and refined so you can see a distinct difference between them. This year is no different with the Nitro getting an updated design and the Predator Triton 500 blurring the lines between gamer and professional. In addition to these design updates, the gaming lineup is being supercharged with the latest and greatest from Intel, AMD and NVIDIA.
Predator Triton 500 SE
The biggest update comes in the new “special edition” Predator Triton 500. The laptop sheds the design queues we’re used to seeing in the Helios lineup and adopts a more subdued aesthetic that allows it to marry both the professional and gamer in its users. The hard angles and throughways of the classic predator designs are replaced by a sleek and thin exterior that belies its insides. If you looked from afar, you wouldn’t think that this was a gaming laptop.
When we say belies its gaming prowess, we mean it. The Triton 500 SE comes with specifications of up to a 12th generation Intel Core i9 processor. Yep – that’s right, a Core i9. This is paired with the NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU and up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 2TB of PCIe Gen4 storage. It also comes with Acer’s newest and best when it comes to cooling. It’s equipped with a triple-fan system with two 5th Generation AeroBlade 3D fans that have 89 metal blades each to maximise airflow and cooling. It also has a 99.8Wh battery which promises better battery life even on the highest specifications.
It comes with a large 16-inch WQXGA display with a 2560×1600 pixel resolution, 240Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time. The 16:10 aspect ratio gives even more visual real estate and NVIDIA’s G-SYNC technology allows for smoother gameplay while the 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut provides some colour accuracy.
The Triton 500 SE comes with a full range of ports including two Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports, an HDMI 2.1 port and even an SD card reader. It also has an Intel Killer E3100G 2.5G Ethernet controller and WiFi 6E support for seamless online play.
Acer Nitro 5
Together with the Predator Triton 500 SE, the Acer Nitro 5 also got a significant facelift. It’s now edgier. The once cumbersome top of the Nitro is now sleek and accented by angled reflective lines that give it that gamer’s aesthetic without being too overt and loud. It still retains the bottom half of the older design but replaces its red accents with a black and silver colourway which gives it a rather “grown-up” aesthetic.
On the inside, the Nitro 5 comes with configurations supporting either the 12-generation Intel Core i processors or the recently announced AMD Ryzen 6000 series APUs. The former comes with configurations supporting up to a Core i7. These processors are complemented with configurations with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX3070 Ti Laptop GPU. When it comes to RAM, the Intel configuration supports up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM while the AMD one supports up to 32GB of DD5 RAM. It also comes with up to 2TB of SSD memory.
The Nitro 5 comes with either an FHD display with a 144Hz refresh rate or a QHD display with a 165Hz refresh rate. Both options are able to advantage of AMD FreeSync technology for smoother gameplay. When it comes to connectivity, the laptop comes with support for WiFi 6 and comes with an Intel Killer WiFi 6 AX1650i card and Killer Ethernet E2600. It also has a full range of ports including an HDMI 2.1 port and Thunderbolt 4.
Predator Helios 300
Joining its siblings, the Helios 300 is also getting a bump to the latest 12th Generation Intel Core i processors with configurations supporting up to a Core i7. This is complemented with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU and up to 32GB of DDR5 memory and up to 2TB of SSD storage.
Display-wise it comes with options for a QHD IPS display with a 165 Hz refresh rate or an FHD display with either a 144 Hz or a 165 Hz refresh rate. The latter options are available on the 17.3-inch model of the Helio 300. Aside from this, it comes with similar specifications as the Nitro 5 apart from its per-key RGB and support for Killer DoubleShot Pro (E2600+1675i) and WiFi 6E connectivity.
Pricing & Availability
The laptops will start making their way to market starting in February 2022. Details in the table below
Laptop
Availability
Pricing
Predator Triton 500 SE
North America – March 2022 EMEA – February 2022 China – February 2022
North America – USD$2299.99 EMEA – EUR3499 China – RMB24999
Acer Nitro 5 (Intel) – 15-inch
North America – March 2022 EMEA – February 2022 China – February 2022
North America – USD$1049.99 EMEA – EUR1549 China – RMB9499
Acer Nitro 5 (Intel) – 17-inch
North America – March 2022 EMEA – February 2022 China – February 2022
North America – USD$1099.99 EMEA – EUR1649 China – RMB9499
Acer Nitro 5 (AMD) – 15-inch
North America – April 2022 EMEA – April 2022 China – March 2022
North America – USD$1099.99 EMEA – EUR1599 China – RMB8999
Acer Nitro 5 (AMD) – 17-inch
North America – May 2022 EMEA – April 2022 China – March 2022
North America – USD$1149.99 EMEA – EUR1649 China – RMB8999
Predator Helios 300 – 15-inch
North America – May 2022 EMEA – February 2022 China – February 2022
North America – USD$1649.99 EMEA – EUR2299 China – RMB11999
Predator Helios 300 – 17-inch
North America – March 2022 EMEA – February 2022 China – February 2022
North America – USD$1749.99 EMEA – EUR2399 China – RMB11999
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
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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
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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
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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.
