Tag Archives: CES 2023

Computers, Gaming, News

[CES 2023] New Alienware Hardware & Dell Gaming Laptops Break Covers

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Dell has been pushing the bar recently with its gaming offerings and concepts. Together with the new update to Concept Nyx, the company also announced new additions to its gaming offerings in its Alienware and Dell G portfolio. While some of them come with design updates, the laptops come with the latest 13th generation Intel or AMD Ryzen Zen 4 processor and also the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX40 series Laptop GPUs or AMD’s Radeon 7000M GPUs.

Alienware m18 & m16 Supped Up and Ready To Go!

The new Alienware line up is spearheaded by a refreshed M series which comes with two new additions: the m18 and m16. Both laptops continue to stay focused on delivering the best gaming performance possible. They also come with the Legend 3.0 design language – a refinement on Legend Design which was announced a few years ago.

Alienware M series CES 2023

The biggest difference between this generation and the last generation M-series is the displays. This generation ditches the 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch displays for slightly larger 16- and 18-inch displays. These displays come with a 16:10 aspect ratio and support resolutions of up to 2560×1600 pixels (QHD+) with 240Hz refresh. If you are looking for higher refresh rates, there is an option for an FHD+ panel with a 480Hz refresh rate.

Of course, Alienware’s M-series continues to support customisation via their website and supports a myriad of options when it comes to internals with up to 64GB of dual channel DDR5 4800 MHz RAM and up to 9TB of internal storage with its Quad Storage configurations. Connectivity-wise they support Killer WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. There is even an option for Cherry MX mechanical keys for the laptops as well. AlienFX also makes a comeback with multiple zones customizable from the updated Alienware Command Center.

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When it comes to processors, the M-series maxes out with a 24-core Intel Core i9-13900HX. On the graphics end of things, the NVIDIA RTX 4090 Laptop GPU with 150W TGP is top of the line offering. To support the performance that the internals bring, Dell has equipped the Alienware M series with am updated cooling system. The vapour chamber now covers the CPU and GPU increasing the thermal capacity by 35% and there are now seven heat pipes that help with heat disipation. It comes without saying that they’ve also increased the airflow with quad fans with ultrathin fan blades.

The AMD equipped Alienware M-series will make its debut later in the year.

Alienware x16 & x14 Forge the Way for Portability

The Alienware X-series is also getting a bump when it comes to performance. The X16 and X14 succeed the previous models. However, they continue to inherit the sleek aluminium build that was introduced with the X series. Similar to the M series, the X series is replacing its larger x15 and x17 with the x16 while the x14 retains its compact size.

Alienware X series CES 2023

The new Alienware x16 and x14 come with an updated 16:10 aspect ratio and sport displays with up to 2560×1600 pixel (QHD+) with 165Hz refresh rate on the x14 and 240Hz on the x15. Both boast a 3ms response time. The displays also support 100% of the DCI-P3 gamut and NVIDIA’s Advanced Optimus technology.

When it comes to storage, the X series with up to 4TB of internal storage with up to 32GB of RAM. To keep things slim and portable the internal memory modules of the X series as solderd on to the motherboard. So, you won’t be able to add more later on. That said, it also provides a boost in performance. AlienFX is also avaiable and customisable on the Alienware x14 and x16.

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Performance wise, the laptops are avaialble in different configurations. The Alienware x16 caps out with Intel Core i9-13900HK while the x14 caps out with the Intel Core i5-13620H. On the graphics end of things, the x16 maxes out with the NVIDIA RTX 4090 laptop GPU with a max TGP of 175W. The x14, on the other hand, caps out with the RTX 4060 with 85W TGP. Both support charging via USB-C.

Similar to the M series, AMD versions will be announced later in the year.

Revamped Dell G15 & G16 Bring Self Expression Front and Center

The Dell gaming laptop line up is getting a major update with the new G15 & G16. Both will sport the updated design which incorporates a more industrial feel, larger air vents and customizable colourways. The latter is more prominently spotlighted in the G15 models which sport retro ’80s pop aesthetics including a funky purple and blue colourway. The Dell G15 and G16 continue to inherit most of the design queues from last years model including the placement of ports and the signature Dell Gaming hinge.

Dell G Series Gaming CES 2023

The Dell G15 and G16 will be comeing with a new cooling system. Both will sport a vapour cooling system inspired by the system we’ve seen in Alienware laptops for better cooling. The system now sports four heat pipers with improved fans with ultrathin blades and an improved heat exchange area. Some of the configurations will come with Element 31 thermal interface and vapour cooling as well. These thermal updates will support the cutting-edge performance of the processors. Both models have configurations capping out with the Intel Core i9-13900HX and support up to the NVIDIA RTX 4070 Laptop GPU.

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On the display side of things, the Dell G16 comes with options sporting up to 2560×1600 pixels in resolution (QHD+) and up to 240Hz refresh rate. The G15 on the other hand sports options for FHD displays with 1920×1080 pixels with a maximum of 165Hz refresh rate. That said, the G16 only supports a single zone customization when it comes to AlienFX while the G15 supports up to four zones. Both also support WiFi 6 connectivity.

Similar to its Alienware cousins, AMD versions of the Dell G15 and G16 will be released later this year.

Pricing & Availability

The Alienware models will be available later this winter in North America while the Dell Gaming models will be available later in spring.

ModelPricingAvailability
Alienware m18High-end configurations starting at USD$2,899, CAD$3,899
Entry model starting at USD$2,099/CAD$2,849		Winter 2023
Alienware m16High-end configurations starting at USD$2,599, CAD$3,599
Entry model starting at USD$1,899/CAD$2,599		Winter 2023
Alienware x16High-end configurations starting at USD$3,099, CAD$4,199
Entry model starting at USD$2,149/CAD$2,899		Winter 2023
Alienware x14Starting at USD$1,799/CAD$2,449Winter 2023
Dell G15Starting at USD$849/CAD$1,149Spring 2023
Dell G16Starting at USD$1,499/CAD$1,999Spring 2023
Computers, Lifestyle, News

[CES 2023] LG Introduces More gram for the Masses

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LG introduced their gram a few years ago. They were introduced to the world as the world’s lightest and probably thinnest laptops you can find. The LG gram laptops are no slouches though, they were premium powerhouses that are made to be worked on from anywhere at any time.

LG announced and introduced a bunch of things in CES 2023. They announced new TVs and sound bars for 2023 with updated WebOS and hardware for better pictures and sounds. They also introduced a few new home appliances with smart home capabilities. But these are not the only things they launched in CES 2023.

Welcome to the new LG gram line-up. LG gram is currently the only laptop line-up from LG other than their UltraGear laptops launched last year. Again, LG’s gram is built for a different specific purpose.

LG gram Ultraslim

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Source: LG

The new LG gram Ultraslim is the new thinnest laptop from LG’s stables. At 10.99mm, the LG gram is not going to break records as the thinnest laptop in the world. It is still thinner than most laptops too. It also only weighs just below 1kg at just 998g. It is built tough too with MIL-810H standards.

That does not mean that LG skimmed on performance though. The LG gram will still be packing Intel’s latest 13th generation Core processor. Of course, there is not much in terms of space so there is no discreet GPU here. You get Intel’s Xe graphics though, a proven platform even when you need to it for content creation purposes.

The Ultraslim 15Z90RT also packs a stunning 15.6-inch OLED display with a coating that minimizes glare and reflections. You get Full HD in resolution and up to 400nits in brightness that might come in handy when you are working in a well-lit environment. You can choose to fit your LG gram Ultraslim with up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB in SSD storage. LG did not quote any battery life numbers but they did reveal that there is a 60Wh battery packed within the svelte body.

LG gram Style

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Source: LG

They did not just launch the thinnest LG gram just yet. They also launched a line-up of laptops that are geared for those who wants something with a unique twist. It comes in two sizes too (16-inch and 14-inch), so there is an ideal size for everyone.

The LG gram Style in both sizes will come packing 16:10 OLED displays with up to WQXGA+ resolution (3,200 x 2,000) for the best working experience you can get in a thin-and-light laptop. You also get up to 120Hz in refresh rate for the best viewing experience you can get in a modern laptop of its class.

Of course, the Windows 11 you see on the brilliant display is powered by Intel’s 13th generation Core processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics. Alongside the processor is up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM for maximum speed and optimized productivity no matter what you need the laptop to do. The 16-inch variant comes with 80Wh battery pack while the 14-inch comes with 72Wh battery that offers long-lasting battery life for remote working situations. All of these is packed into a body built at MIL-810H standards and weighs only 1,230g (999g for 14-inch).

The All-New LG gram

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Source: LG

They also introduced 17-inch, 16-inch, 15-inch, and 14-inch laptops embracing the regular gram branding. These ones comes with discrete GPUS (17-inch and 16-inch). You can opt for an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 entry level laptop GPU which should allow you to enjoy most esports titles today. Of course, you also get Intel’s 13th generation Core processors.

The displays are not OLED panels, but they will still offer top-notch colour and image experience with IPS panels projecting up to WQXGA resolutions at 16:10 aspect ratio. The IPS panel also offers variable refresh rate at up to 144Hz to extend battery life and to optimize viewing experience for users. For entertainment purposes, the speakers are Dolby Atmos certified for some immersive experience for your movies and music. You also get to enjoy your movies and music for up to 20 hours at a time with up to 90Wh on tap on your laptop.

Availability

LG did not mention when the LG gram line-ups will be available just yet. There are no mentions on its price as well currently. We are guessing that the new LG gram laptops will be available sometime between next month and July 2023. All LG’s latest gram line-up comes with Full HD webcam with IR blaster for Window Hello facial recognition function. The LG gram 2-in-1 line-up will also come with updated internals for 2023.

Camera, Lifestyle, News

[CES 2023] Meet the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra Which Promises DSLR-like Quality Imaging

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It’s become a norm to want a webcam that can do more than just video conferencing. Razer started its journey in the webcam with the original Kiyo and Kiyo X webcams. However, with their releases, they’ve realised that current users, and in particular, streamers have unique requirements for their cameras. With that in mind, they ventured to bring DSLR-like quality to their already powerful webcam series with the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra.

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Source: Razer

The Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra comes equipped with the large 1/1.2-inch Sony STARVIS 2 sensor. The sensor is able to capture even more light and detail with its large 2.9 μm pixel size. It also comes with a large f/1.7 aperture lens which allows four times more light into the sensor for crisper details even in low light conditions. There’s even a manual shutter to physically block the sensor.

The Kiyo Pro Ultra comes with a processor that powers its high-resolution capture. The processor converts raw 4K 30fps or 1080p 60fps footage into 4K 24fps, 1440p 30fps or 1080p 60fps directly into your stream. The AI-powered face-tracking autofocus also allows you to focus on creating content while the camera keeps your shots on point and in focus. It also gives artfully blurred bokeh while keeping key details in focus and crisp.

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The webcam is also able to dynamically adjust and refine lighting for better picture quality. The Kiyo Pro UItra also corrects over or under-exposed areas. It also supports HDR at 30fps bringing better detail and more vivid colours when streaming. Razer’s Synapse app provides users even more control of the webcam with the ability to fine-tune and tweak settings like ISO, shutter speed, pan, tilt and more. The webcam is also simple to use with its plug-and-play capabilities needing only a USB 3.0 connection.

Pricing & Availability

The Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra will be available starting on January 5, 2023. It will retail for USD$299.99 (MYR1,312.05) or EUR 299.99 (MYR1,408.69).

Gaming, Lifestyle, News

[CES 2023] Razer Looks to Revolutionise Audio Experiences with the Leviathan V2 Pro & Project Carol

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Razer is no stranger when it comes to audio products. The company has already released a veritable stable of audio products including its popular Kraken and Barracuda series of headphones. It looks like they’re looking to up the ante with the Leviathan V2 Pro and Project Carol.

Razer Leviathan V2 Pro – Immersive AI-powered Beam Forming Sound Experience

The Razer Leviathan soundbar lineup is getting a new addition – the Leviathan V2 Pro. The Leviathan V2 Pro brings a whole new meaning to hitting the sweet spot when it comes to audio thanks to cutting-edge technology from Audioscenic. The new soundbar comes with head tracking AI technology that works in tandem with an integrated IR camera that detects the position of the user. Using this technology, the soundbar intelligently creates beams that provide best experience for the user in real-time.

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Source: Razer

This adaptive sound beam technology delivers an immersive 3D audio in two modes: THX Spatial Audio Virtual Headset and THX Spatial Audio Virtual Speakers. The THX Spatial Audio Virtual Headset mode delivers pinpoint positional audio that has thus far only been found in headsets. THX Spatial Audio Virtual Speakers mode, on the other hand, provides a immersive, multi-channel audio experience with a wide, room-filling sound stage.

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The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro comes complete with a subwoofer to complete the audio experience. The deep, punchy bass complements the crisp treble while support for Razer Chroma RGB perfects the Razer package. Using the Synapse App, you’ll be able to use the 30 lighting zones and 16.8 million colours for an even more immersive experience.

Project Carol – Perfecting the Gaming Chair Formula with Near-Field Surround Sound & Haptics

Together with their soundbar, Razer also announced a new concept design called Project Carol. Project Carol is a head cushion designed to deliver a more immersive 7.1 surround sound seamlessly over Razer’s proprietary 2.4GHz wireless connection technology. This is paired with haptic technology from Interhaptics provides an immersive experience like never before; allowing you to feel the sounds around you.

Project Carol
Source: Razer

Project Carol is designed to fit nearly all gaming chairs available. In fact, Razer says the head cushion supports all major brands. What’s more, Project Carol is designed to work seamlessly with no added software when it comes to audio. However, Razer does indicate that there may be additional software required for the haptic experience. It comes with 8-hours of battery and can be charged with a USB-C cable.

Pricing & Availability

Razer’s Leviathan V2 Pro will be available starting in February 2023 with prices starting at USD$399.99 (MYR1,750.28) or EUR489.99 (MYR2,296.02).

Computers, Gaming, News

[CES 2023] ASUS Republic of Gamers Brings Top of the Line Performance to Zephyrus & Flow Line ups

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Together with their refresh of the ROG Strix series, ASUS Republic of Gamers is also bringing even more power to their Zephyrus and Flow lineups. The new additions also come with ROG’s Nebula Displays with Mini LED technology. More importantly, the new additions come with the latest 13th Generation Intel Processors, AMD’s Ryzen Zen 4 processors and NVIDIA’s RTX 40 Laptop GPUs.

ROG Zephyrus Blowing the Wind Out of the Competition

Zephyrus Family lineup Photo

The ROG Zephyrus lineup is getting new additions to the Zephyrus M, Zephrus Duo and Zephyrus G series. All of the lineups have configurations supporting up to Intel’s Core i9-13900H processors, AMD’s Ryzen 9 and NVIDIA’s RTX 4090 GPU. The powerhouses come equipped with a MUX switch for better GPU response times and NVIDIA’s Advanced Optimus tech. Together with this is ROG’s colour-accurate Nebula display with 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut.

Zephyrus M16 – A Flagship Nebula HDR Experience with AniME Matrix

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The M16 comes with the latest iteration of ROG’s Signature AniMe matrix LED lighting array. The AniMe matrix continues to offer customisations via ROG’s Armoury Crate application allowing users to have their own brand and favourite characters emblazoned on their laptop. In addition, the M16 also boasts options for the Nebula Display with Mini LED technology and QHD resolution. The new panel gives it 1,024 dimming zones – double last year’s. The 16-inch display also provides a more immersive, yet portable experience with up to 240Hz refresh rate.

Zephyrus G Series – Personalisation and Power

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Also making its debut is the ROG Zephyrus G16 which sports Intel’s Core i9-13900H processors and up to NVIDIA’s RTX4070 GPU. The G16 joins its sibling the G14 which boasts AMD’s Ryzen Zen 4 processors and up to NVIDIA’s RTX4090 GPU. Of course, both also come with ROG’s Nebula Displays with up to 240Hz refresh rate. In fact, the G14 introduces the first-ever 14-inch Nebula HDR Display with 600 nits of peak brightness and 504 dimming zones. Of course, the AniMe Matrix also comes with this lineup on specified models.

Zephyrus Duo 16 – Built to Multitask

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Rounding up the Zephyrus family is the Zephyrus Duo 16 which brings productivity to a gaming lineup. The laptop comes with a dual display setup with a 16-inch Mini LED panel and a 4K touchscreen. The touchscreen is elevated at an ergonomic angle allowing users to have a dual-screen experience like no other with quick toggles and controls on compatible apps. Sporting an AMD Ryzen 9 Zen 4 processor with 16 cores and the NVIDIA RTX4090 Laptop GPU, the laptop is built to handle multitasking like a beast and maximise both FPS and productivity.

ROG FLOW Series Brings Multimode Compact Performance to Mainstream Gamers

The ROG FLOW devices continue to turn heads as they are supped up for another year in the spotlight. The new ROG FLOW devices not only come with more power, but they also come with meaningful optimisations that take the user experience to the next level.

ROG FLOW X13 & X16 – Small but Mighty Multimode Powerhouses

The ROG FLOW X13 is getting a huge boost in performance with the new AMD Ryzen 9 Zen 4 processor. The ROG FLOW X16, on the other hand, will be sporting configurations with up to Intel Core i9-13900H CPU. Both will support up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. Similar to the Zephyrus lineup, it’s also getting a MUX switch and NVIDIA Advanced Optimus. Sporting up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM and up to 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD storage. The laptop is built to perform even with its small size.

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The laptop is also preserving the 15-inch keyboard layout and increases the battery to a 75Wh unit for all-day battery life. It also sports a reimagined hinge which allows for better cooling. It will also sport an FHD IR camera with Windows Hello support and a larger touchpad for easier navigation.

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Together with the updated internals, ROG’s XG mobile is also getting an upgrade. The new ROG XG mobile will be sporting an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU with 16GB GDDR6 RAM and a TGP of 150W. It connects via a ROG XG Mobile Interface and USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C combo port. The Unit will also support 2.5 Gbps LAN, three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, one HDMI 2.1 port, one Display Port 1.4, an SD card reader, an RJ-45 Jack and a DC input jack for the integrated 33W power adapter.

ROG FLOW Z13 – The Ultimate Gaming Tablet

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ROG’s FLOW Z13 is also getting an upgrade. The new Z13 sports configurations supporting up to an NVIDIA RTX4060 Laptop GPU and up to an Intel Core i9-13900H. It continues to sport a similar design to last year’s Z13 with slight updates to accommodate updated cooling and also the QHD+ Nebula Display which comes with a 165Hz refresh rate. Other than that it’s got up to 16GB of DDR5 RAM, up to 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD storage and a 56Wh battery.

Pricing & Availability

No pricing and availability details have been announced just yet.

Computers, Mobile, News

[CES 2023] AMD Brings the Ryzen 7000 Series Mobile! 

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AMD’s CES keynote was quite a big one. No, they did not make p15 product announcements. More like they launched just one line-up of small chips to go into small and portable products, and one huge chip meant to go into huge servers you never want to see the inside of the next 10 years. They launched the AMD Ryzen 7000 series for mobile computing devices. Yes, they did launch new Epyc server class processors, but we think that it is worth a story of its own. 

Welcome to the latest AMD mobile processor experience. This time AMD launched a few series of Ryzen 7000 processors. You have the AMD Ryzen 7045HX, Ryzen 7040HS, Ryzen 7035, and Ryzen 7030 series processors. There are also AMD Ryzen PRO 7030 series processors designed for the corporate world too. 

The AMD Ryzen 7030 Series 

Meant to find their way to the budget options, the AMD Ryzen 7030 series processors are really meant to be entry-level powerhouses. You get to opt for up to the AMD Ryzen 7 7730U with up to eight cores and 16 threads. All eight cores are finished with AMD’s 7nm Zen 3 architecture. The Zen 3 architecture may be a previous generation technology, but it is still a highly popular architecture that has proven itself over time. 

With constrained budget, most entry-level laptops will not feature their own discrete GPU. That is why the AMD Ryzen 7030 packs its own Radeon graphics that will prove to be useful in both gaming and productivity situations. Then there are the AMD Ryzen PRO 7030 series. 

The PRO processors have always been made for corporate laptops. They are more like the older Ryzen PRO 5000 series processor than the newer generation Zen 4 processors. Like the regular AMD Ryzen 7030, they pack 7nm Zen 3 architecture instead of the new Zen 4. While they will perform the same as the regular Ryzen 7030, their added security layer buikt into the chip itself should set itself apart from other AMD Ryzen 7000 series mobile processors.  

The AMD Ryzen 7035 Series 

Coming up the ladder is AMD’s 6nm processors with up to eight cores and 16 threads on the Ryzen 7035HS. It is the Zen 3+ technology that took the Zen 3 architecture and improved its power efficiency and general processing speed despite similar general architectures. It is designed for productivity machines that are meant to go everywhere. The first of many will be HP’s Dragonfly PRO coming soon. While not at the lowest end of AMD’s latest processors for the mobile computer, the AMD Ryzen 7035 series still aims to impress at a great value. 

The AMD Ryzen 7040HS Series 

Coming to the more performance focused space is the AMD Ryzen 7040HS processors starting from the Ryzen 5 7640HS processor with six cores and 12 threads. You can opt for a higher end Ryzen 9 7940HS processor with eight cores and 16 threads too.  

The Ryzen 7040HS series comes with AMD’s latest Zen 4 architecture for best-in-class performance in modern thin-and-light laptops. The Zen 4 processor also comes built-in with RDNA 3 Radeon graphics too so that you can game even without a discrete GPU.  

The AMD Ryzen 7045HX Series 

If you want the best of the best, you want AMD’s latest Ryzen 7045HX series processors. Of course, it comes with AMD’s latest 5nm Zen 4 technology. The range-topping AMD Ryzen 9 7945Hz also comes with up 16 cores alongside 32 threads. They clock up to to 5.4GHz on boost and this class of mobile processors will be the closest thing to desktop computing experience you can get on laptops. That said, this could also be the most powerful laptop processors you can find when you get your hands on one.  

Because you are going to want to carry your powerhouse of a laptop, the processor must be power efficient too. The most powerful processors in the range consumes up to 75W. In that case, you might see some laptops with AMD’s Ryzen 7045HX processors that can be charged with 100W USB type-C chargers. Of course, you will not be able to use the laptop with its discrete GPU, if it comes with one.  

Availability 

AMD’s latest Ryzen 7000 series processors for mobile devices will be coming through 2023 from AMD’s manufacturing partners like Lenovo, HP, ASUS, and maybe even Razer. Alongside the new mobile processors, AMD also launched the new AMD Ryzen 9 7800X3D, Ryzen 9 7900X3D, and AMD Ryzen 7950X3D processors as a sort of 3D V-Cache technology upgrade to AMD’s existing line up of desktop processors. You can find more information on AMD’s latest Ryzen processors on their website.  

Computers, Gaming, News

[CES 2023] Dell’s Concept Nyx Gains the “One Controller to Rule Them All”

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Dell took the stage last year with their eye-catching Concept Nyx. The concept device took a jab at gaming on the edge. With Concept Nyx, Dell was looking at creating a new gaming and living room experience with edge connectivity. Edge connectivity or connectivity at the edge of the network is something we’ll be hearing more and more about with 5G becoming more mainstream.

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Source: Dell Technologies

With Concept Nyx, Dell Technologies is looking to enable remote gaming with WiFi and 5G connectivity. They’re looking to accomplish this with a device or box that provides remote access to gaming libraries like Steam and more. This device can be placed in spaces like the living room and can support more than one instance. So, you’ll be able to play HALO while your sister plays Valorant at the same time on the same screen. It can even support multiple instances of the same game allowing you to play together.

The One Controller To Rule Them All

This year, Dell Technologies is taking Concept Nyx a little further. They’ve introduced the Concept Nyx Game Controller – the “One Controller to Rule Them All”. So, what makes this controller so different? The first thing that sets it apart is an integrated fingerprint sensor which will allow a myriad of personalization. The integrated fingerprint sensor could unlock personal settings or launch the last game that you played with a single touch.

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Source: Dell Technologies

Dell is also experimenting with haptics in the controller. The controller is looking to incorporate variable resistance into their thumb sticks. The variable resistance can be set to either player preference or adapt to game specific settings. Imagine playing God of War and feeling the tug when you pull down barriers or slam enemies into the ground. The X-triggers could also incorporate the same.

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In addition, the Concept Nyx Controller comes with shift buttons for additional options on front buttons and innovative scroll wheels which could be used to quickly scroll through your game weapons. There’s also an intelligent touchpad for instant access to customisable controls. It also comes with a fully customisable intelligent on-screen controls and overlays which will make sure you don’t get them buttons mixed up.

Taking Concept Nyx to the Next Level

While the big advancement this year is the Concept Nyx Controller, Dell isn’t just pushing hardware. Devs working on Concept Nyx have expanded what was shown last year with a better, more simplified dashboard. In addition to this, Concept Nyx is also being expanded to multitask more efficiently like connecting to multiple headsets; each with a unique audio stream. This also includes better splitscreen experiences. AI is also looking to make its mark on Concept Nyx with Dell experimenting with AI for things like dynamic listening to allow players to know when they’re being called.

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Source: Dell Technologies

While there’s no commercially available product just yet, Concept Nyx is quickly being moulded by gaming. That said, you may see some of Nyx’s features make its way to products in Dell’s portfolio.

Computers, Gaming, News

[CES 2023] ASUS ROG Brings Even More Power to its Desktop Lineup

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ASUS has made a name for itself when it comes to desktop components. It should come as no surprise that the company also has a lineup of pre-built desktops. This year, the desktop lineup is more focused and streamlined. There are three new entries into their offerings this year with each one taking laser focus on a feature to champion.

ROG G22CH – Redefining “Small but Mighty”

When it comes to desktops, it’s generally been a battle between space and performance. However, with the ROG G22CH, ASUS is proving that both aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. The small 10L chassis small form factor PC packs a punch with the latest generation 13th Generation Intel Core processors with configuration supporting the Core i9-13900K. Together with this, the G22CH comes with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUS with up to 32GB of DDR5 4800MHz RAM and up to 2TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage.

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Together with the power-packed internals, the G22CH is designed with a focus on airflow. The new pre-built desktop system supports both AIO liquid coolers and traditional air cooling for the CPU. It even features an internal power supply in its minute chassis. It’s also easy to upgrade and access with its toolless design.

ROG Strix G16CH – Made to Game

The ROG Strix G16CH is a mid-tower gaming desktop built for multitaskers. The system supports configurations that cap out with the Intel Core i7-13700KF and the NVIDIA RTX 4080 GPU. On the memory side of things, the setup supports up to 3TB of storage and a whopping 128GB of DDR4 RAM.

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However, it’s not just about the insides, the Strix G16CH comes with some of the best ventilation-focused designs. The front panel and top exhaust allow for plenty of airflow. It’s also built to accommodate a high-performance 240mm liquid cooler for the CPU. It’s also built with all the signature ROG design cues including the ROG Slash aesthetic, an integrated headset holder and a reinforced double D ring strap.

ROG Strix G13CH – Air Flow for Maximum Cooling and Performance

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The Strix G13CH follows suit with ASUS’s focus on better cooling and airflow with a redesign which marries both ROG’s signature style and improved airflow. It comes with configurations which support up to the Intel Core i&-13700 and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series GPU. Complementing this is up to 64GB of RAM and up to 2TB of storage.

Pricing and Availability

No pricing or availability has been announced just yet.

Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

[CES 2023] Samsung’s SmartThings Station is the Smart Home Hub for Everything and Everyone

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Samsung’s CES 2023 keynote and unveiling is nothing extraordinary or surprising. They have been teasing a bunch of IoT smart home integration and hardware all month long from the end of 2022. Of could there are the new TVs they launched with Micro LED technology for even better images on your Samsung TVs than ever before. Where LG tries to expand on their OLED line-up, Samsung is pushing on the display panel technology itself. Still, all of this is sitting in the product line-up within the Smart Things ecosystem. In the middle of all that new connected technology is Samsung’s brand-new Smart Things Station.

Samsung’s CEO teased IoT focus for CES 2023 before the convention even begun. If we are being honest, we expected new TVs, new home appliances, and even a new SmartThings interface for your TV and your smartphones. We also expected Samsung to announce updates for all their connected appliances and devices with Matter support alongside newly launched products. What we were not prepared to see was the new SmartThings Station.

It is not the sheer size of it that shocked us. It is not even a technological marvel or breakthrough. It looks just like any other wireless switch you can find in your home. In fact, if you mount it to the wall, you can easily mistake it as one of your light switches. It is not meant to be mounted on your wall though. Rather, it is meant to sit on your end tables, coffee tables, or even your home office table.

An All-in-One Wireless Charger

SmartThingsStation PR dl2
Source: Samsung

It is technically meant to double as a wireless charger, and it looks the part. It is a tad thicker than the run of the mill wireless chargers you might find today, but it is does more than charge your smartphone, at least if you have a compatible device (Galaxy devices only for now). It is meant to turn your smartphone into your SmartThings hub.

The SmartThings Station is not just meant to be a one-stop-shop control and connected hub for all your smart home things. Apart from seamlessly integrating all of your smart home in a single interface, it is also meant to seamlessly fit into your home and your lifestyle. In that case, as soon as your Samsung Galaxy device gets in touch with the puck, the connection prompt and process gets started automatically. That promises simple few minutes to set up as soon as you bring your new wireless charging puck home.

While Samsung did not mention Matter support in their own new release, the SmartThings Station supports Matter. That means that the Samsung SmartThings Station is not just meant for SmartThings enabled items. You can technically connect any sort of smart thermostat, lighting, power outlets, and even appliances as long as they are Matter enabled. In that case, you can buy that new ‘made for Apple Home’ or ‘supports Google Assistant’ appliances with little to no concerns of spending more money for compatibility and interoperability purposes.

SmartThingsStation PR dl1
Source: Samsung

You can also trigger your ‘routines’ via the SmartThings Station too. Of course, you want to edit your Routines on your SmartThings app before the hub can activate any of your routines. The Station can store up to three routines with three separate interactions with the puck.

If you misplaced your smartphone in your home, for example, a double press of the button on the puck can trigger SmartThings Find. Your smartphone will start ringing, even if it is in silent mode, so that you do not have to spend hours turning your house upside down to find your smartphone. At the same time, all registered Galaxy devices can be kept track via SmartThings so that you know where your things are within your home at all times, or even when a member of your household gets in and out of your home.

Availability

For now Samsung only mentions a U.S. availability in February 2023. Smart home adoption in Malaysia is admittedly at its infancy, which also means that your might not see Samsung’s SmartThings Station in Malaysia anytime soon. There are no mentions on its official pricing just yet too. You can choose between Black and White when it is available. We also expect Samsung Bespoke to get their hands on it and then you can have your Station in any colour you can imagine.

Computers, Gaming, Mobile, News

[CES 2023] NVIDIA Brings RTX 40 Mobile – RTX 40 Series Studio Laptops, Here We Go!

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NVIDIA’s RTX 40 series GPUs are finally making their way to the mobile computing space, just as Intel’s 13th generation CPUs are also making their way to the mobile computing space. Alongside the new hardware, Ada Lovelace on mobile also comes with a slew of updates that was also brought along from the RTX 40 series for the desktop market. Alongside NVIDIA introducing the laptop market to Ada Lovelace, they also launched their new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti.

Unsurprisingly, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series for laptops focus more on the content creation aspect more than anything. To be fair, while gaming performance on a laptop has never been better with the RTX 40 series, content creators are the ones who will get the biggest bump in benefits with Ada Lovelace this time around. That said, there are still some interesting developments from NVIDIA for games with the new Max-Q Ada Lovelace architecture.

Thanks to some clever implementation for the Studio platform, NVIDIA brings RTX Remix made mostly for gamers. The technology allows more creative gamers to quickly create mods for older titles with full ray tracing technology to modernize those games. You even get enhanced details ad materials with DLSS3 and NVIDIA Reflex. All of these and you never needed to learn to code or knowledge to work in the 3D design space in the first place. NVIDIA is also bringing official RTX support to Portal Prelude, a Portal mod.

Back to the more content creator aspect of things. NVIDIA is introducing a new Studio driver to update their new and existing GPUs too. With The new Studio platform comes an improved NVIDIA Omniverse, a connected world where 3D artists can collaborate in real-time with the power of NVIDIA’s RTX engines. The have expanded the Omniverse with better support for Blender, a rather popular 3D rendering tool. Users can also experiment with regenerative 3D tools alongside Universal Scene Description assets added into Omniverse to create even more life like 3D scenes than ever before.

If you are more of a videographer, or a streamer, the new NVIDIA Studio suite offers improved NVIDIA Broadcast and Canvas apps. Broadcast new features a new eye-tracking and replacement tool that cleverly and naturally makes it look like you are actually looking into your webcam instead of your screen in both video conferences and game streams. Canvas allows you to work with 360-degree images that can be used as environment maps in 3D apps like Blender. On top of all of these, Ada Lovelace also comes with AV1 support which should allow for a more efficient video workflow in compatible apps.

If you are not into any of that, there are still some benefits to using NVIDIA’s RTX 40 and RTX 30 series GPUs. They are bringing their upscaling technology to the masses with RTX Video Super Resolution. The feature uses AI to improve videos from any sources, including your browser. The algorithm removes compression artifacts and upscales video resolutions to improve its sharpness and even overall detail so that you watch online contents at your display’s native resolution even if the YouTube video only offers up to 480p in resolution. The feature will only be available for Chrome and Edge browsers in February 2023, for now.

The other added benefit of Ada Lovelace is its power efficiency. That also means that gaming and studio class laptops can be made thinner with smaller and more power efficient fans. On top of enhanced battery life as well, the power bricks can be made smaller than ever.

Availability

NVIDIA has teased the first few laptops that will get their RTX 40 series treatment. They named the Razer Blade, MSI’s Stealth series, and ASUS’s Zenbook Pro series laptops for now. For now, NVIDIA has teased the availability of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 and GeForce RTX 4090 series for mobile computing, but we are convinced you will see the likes of the GeForce RTX 4080, and GeForce RTX 4060 series Max-Q GPUs when laptop manufacturers release more details about their next-generation content creator and gaming laptops soon. More about Ada Lovelace architecture can be found on their website.