Comet Lake, or Intel’s 10th Generation of Core processors is upon us. It only makes sense that we start seeing the notebook PC versions of these very potent processors. For MSI, it is the 6 series that breaks daylight with their brand-new power units.
MSI GE66 Raider
Source: MSI
The first of the gaming notebook PCs that broke daylight is the GE66 Raider. To begin with, there is a new chassis that contains the dragon like performance hardware inside. You get a new RGB lighting at the mouth edge of the bottom half clam. It is like a ‘go faster’ stripe on a car, it makes it ‘go faster’.
Only, unlike a ‘go faster’ stripe, the 15-inch MSI GE66 raider packs a faster, more powerful 10th Generation Core i9 Processor and an even more powerful GPU in the form of an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER. Take this with a pinch of salt though – there are not confirmed spec sheet for Malaysia just yet. At this point, we only know that it is coming and what it looks like.
MSI GS66 Stealth
Thin and light is what everyone in the industry is gunning for theses days. That is the aim of the MSI GS66 Stealth. The older generation GS65 that this replaces has some golf accents that divides two worlds. Some thinks that it is a tad too tacky, some thinks it looks good.
Source: MSI
I, for one, prefer the brand new GS66 Stealth Core Black that makes it look like an actual stealth bomber in a way. It looks like any other notebook PC that means business in the business world. They remind me of the ruggedness that is associated with the indestructible Lenovo ThinkPads if I am so bold to say.
The new GS66 Stealth packs a cooling technology like no other. It has something they call MSI Cooler Boost Trinity+. The system is a combination of an optimised airflow system and a 0.1mm thin blades for maximum airflow out of a body no thicker than 2cm. That is the total thickness of the 15-inch MSI GS66 Stealth by the way.
Now you start wondering how this petite notebook PC packs Intel’s 10th Generation Core i9-10980HK power unit and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (Max-Q). All that power is supported by two 16GB (up to) onboard RAM, making an effective 32GB of RAM size. With up to 2TB of SSD space – you can easily separate work and play with no fuss of running out of space. All this power translates to the beauty on the 15.6-inch Full HD 300Hz nearly 100%sRGB display.
ROG or Republic of Gamers has become one of the most popular gaming brands in the world. It has become ASUS’ most valuable brand when it comes to performance laptops and PCs geared for gamers. This year, ASUS breathes new life into its gaming laptop line up with new form factors, better specifications and an all new cooling system.
The new ROG line up will be powered by the latest and greatest 10th generation Intel Core processors paired with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX SUPER. It will feature the one of the industry’s first displays with 300Hz refresh rate and speedy performance thanks to DDR4 RAM. It will also feature ASUS’s new Liquid Metal cooling solution which is touted to reduce temperature by 10°C to 20°C.
ROG Zephyrus Duo 15
Spearheading the new line up is the ROG Zephyrus Duo 15. The new addition to the Zephyrus line up comes with a form factor that ASUS enthusiasts will be pretty familiar with. Adopting the second screen experience pioneered by the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo, the Zephyrus Duo 15 comes with the new ROG ScreenPad Plus.
The new ROG ScreenPad Plus makes the ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 a device made for streamers and multitaskers. The new second screen isn’t just there to look at, users will be able to multitask better thanks to the touch screen. However, this 14.1-inch, 4K UHD screen plays second fiddle to the 15.6-inch PANTONE validated display which comes with a refresh rate of up to 300MHz.
The new Zephyrus flagship will be powered by the all new, 10th Generation Intel Comet Lake Core i7 or Core i9 processors. This will be paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX SUPER graphics processor and 16GB of DDR4 RAM.
ROG Zephyrus S Series
Following close behind is the Zephyrus S series which consists of the S17 and S15. The Zepyrus S series comes with a svelte 18.9mm chassis that houses power packed specifications. Both the S17 and S15 come support NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX SUPER graphics cards and Intel’s latest 10 generation processors.
The Zephyrus S series also comes with a display with a refresh rate of up to 300Hz refresh rate. This display is also PANTONE validated for colour accuracy on the S17. The S17 also comes with a full desktop-style keyboard with per-key RGB LED backlight and a NumPad. The extra room also allowed ASUS to include an integrated volume roller. It also comes with the ASUS’s AAS cooling technology which opens a large intake vent on the bottom end when the lid is opened.
The S15 comes with a smaller screen and a reinforced palm rest area. The extra strength provided by the honeycomb structure makes the palm rest flex resistant. The soft touch finish adds a smooth, fingerprint resistant layer.
ROG Zephyrus M15
M is for the masses. The Zephyrus M comes not only with an affordable price but also a range of configurations for any gamer. Starting with the 10th generation Intel Core i7, the Zephyrus M is slated to be the most affordable one of the range. It comes with display options ranging from a Full HD IPS panel with 144Hz to a 4K UHD panel. Customizability doesn’t end there; the Zephyrus M comes with a range of GPUs starting with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti to the RTX 2070.
While affordability is one of the hallmarks of the Zephyrus M, it doesn’t compromise when it comes to quality. The laptop’s slim chassis is made of structurally reinforced magnesium alloy. When it comes to sound, the M comes with an ESS Sabre DAC for crisp audio. It has two easily accessible M.2 slots and supports dual display outputs and Thunderbolt 3.
ROG Strix SCAR Series
Staying faithful to its e-sports roots, the refreshed Strix SCAR series comes with all the bells and whistles that you’d expect. From looks to its it specifications, the Strix SCAR 15 and 17 are made for gamers. It doesn’t shy away from showing its gaming inclination with customizable RGB LED lighting effects. This is, of course, complemented by an illuminated RGB ROG Logo on the lid.
The Strix SCAR series pushes its boundaries with up to an Intel Core i9 processor paired with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER on the Strix SCAR 15 or the RTX 2080 SUPER on the Strix SCAR 17.
ROG Strix G Series
Rounding up the new series of laptops is the ROG Strix G series. ASUS refreshes both the Strix G15 an G17 with better specifications and a new Electro Punk version. This new version comes on top of the Glacier Blue and Original Black versions og the Strix G.
Both models of the Strix G series come with the 10th generation Intel cores and the NVIDIA RTX SUPER Graphics. The G series tops out at the Intel Core i7 and the RTX 2070 SUPER. It also comes with display panels with 144 Hz and 240 Hz refresh rates.
Pricing and Availability
ASUS has not announced any pricing or availability at the time of the announcement. However, stay tuned and we’ll be updating you as we get the information.
The ROG Zephyrus has become ASUS’s go to series when it comes to pushing the boundaries of gaming laptops. Having first pushed the boundaries of portability and svelte design about 2 years ago, the line up is now looking to push boundaries when it comes to functionality. However, it still maintains
The new ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 adopts a form factor ASUS fans will be familiar with. We first saw this form factor when ASUS launched its ZenBook Pro Duo. That said, ASUS has optimised and enhanced the dual screen form factor for the power user and gamer. The new ROG ScreenPad Plus tilts up at a 13° angle when the lid is opened. This serves a two-fold purpose of making the the Zephyrus Duo 15 more ergonomic to use as well as allowing more airflow through the larger opening on both the top and bottom of the laptop thanks to ASUS’s Active Aerodynamic System (AAS).
The AAS system opens a 7 to 10mm vents that extend across the bottom of the laptop. This allows increased airflow to cool the processors and components. This is better fortified by the larger 28.5mm air intake across the top surface of the laptop’s base. This lies hidden behind the ROG ScreenPad Plus. This AAS Plus allows an additional 30% of airflow better cooling the components. This also helps keep the laptop even more silent at only 43dB even in performance mode.
The ROG ScreenPad Plus is a 14.1-inch 4K, UHD screen which spans the top half of the base of the laptop. The touchscreen display allows users to use multiwindows and even monitor things such as chat or even the OBS console while livestreaming. Of course, if you’re using things like Adobe Premiere Pro on the Zephyrus DUO 15, the ScreenPad Plus will be able to show you your timelines.
Users have the choice of speed or resolution when it comes tho the main display of the ROG Zephyrus Duo 15. The main display is either a 300 Hz Full HD IPS LCD display with 3ms response times or a 4K UHD display with a 60 Hz refresh rate. The 15.6-inch display panels are PANTONE validated and have support for NVIDIA G-SYNC. The 4K UHD display covers 100% of the Adobe gamut while the FHD IPS covers 100% of the sRGB gamut.
On the insides, the new Zephyrus Duo 15 comes with either the 10th Generation Intel Core i9-10980HK or i7-10875H processors. This is paired with either a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER or RTX 2080 SUPER graphics cards. This comes with a built-in 16GB of DDR4 RAM with an extra SODIMM RAM slot.
Pricing & Availability
ASUS hasn’t announced any pricing or availability as of yet. However, we’ll keep you updated as soon as we get word.
Official Specifications
Processor
Intel® 10th Gen Comet Lake i9-10980HK Intel® 10th Gen Comet Lake i7-10875H
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C™, DisplayPort 1.4, TBT, PD input 20 V/3A；output 5 V/3A 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (right) 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (Bottom) 1 x HDMI (HDMI 2.0b support) 2 x audio jack: mic-in & headphone, plus mic-in 1 x RJ45 LAN
Battery
90 Wh
Power Supply
240 W power adaptor Supports USB-C™ Power Delivery 3.0 up to 65 W
The ROG Strix SCAR series has been engineered from the ground up as a gaming laptop meant for professional gamers. It has always been about getting the most performance to get the edge over your competition. This time is no different. ASUS is supercharging the ROG Strix SCAR series with a larger, more powerful version of the popular, eSports centric gaming laptop.
The new ROG Strix SCAR 17 brings a larger 17.3-inch Full HD display with up to 3ms response time and 300 Hz refresh rate. The larger screen gives players a better, more immersive experience as they work on taking down the competition. The high refresh rate will enable them to have split second response to score that much needed win.
Of course, the SCAR 17 is no slouch when it comes to the processing power of the laptop. Powered by up to an Intel Core i9-10980HK paired with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER, the laptop should be able to handle any game or video processing that users throw at it. It also comes with up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM with 2 M.2 slots for terabytes of memory.
Coming along for the ride is a new, optimised cooling system and also the ROG Keystone II. Developed in collaboration with BMW Designworks, the system allows deep personalisation and also encryption. Users are able to use it as an encryption key for a hidden drive or for launching apps of their choice.
Pricing & Availability
No word on pricing or availability from ASUS just yet. However, stay tuned and we’ll update you when we do.
Official Specifications
Processor
Up to Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK
Operating system
Windows 10 Pro
Graphics
Up to NVIDIA ® GeForce RTX™ 2080 SUPER
Display
Up to 17.3″ FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS FHD 300Hz (3ms)
Memory & storage
Up to 32 GB DDR4 3200 MHz SDRAM 2 x M.2 NVMe® PCIe® 3.0 x4 up to 1 TB SSD with RAID 0 support Up to 3 SSDs
Connectivity
2×2 Intel® WiFi 6 (Gig+) (802.11ax) RangeBoost support Bluetooth® 5.1
Audio
2 x 4.2-watt speakers Smart amplifier
Keyboard
Backlit chiclet keyboard Aura Sync Per-key RGB
Interfaces
Left side I/O 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 1 x Audio combo jack: Mic-in and Headphone out Rear side I/O 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 1 X USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C™ (supports DisplayPort, no PD charging) 1 x LAN RJ45 jack 1 x HDMI (supports HDMI 2.0b), supports HDCP SPEC 2.2
Software
Armoury Crate GameFirst V Sonic Studio GameVisual Aura Creator
Thin. Light. Long lasting. Those are the words that come to mind when one thinks about the MacBook Air. The laptop was one of the first that arguably changed the face and form factor of modern laptops. Come the new decade, Apple is announcing a long awaited refresh to the popular MacBook Air.
The 2020 edition of the MacBook Air will be equipped with the latest quad-core processors from Intel. However, the 10th Generation Intel Core i7 which sports this configuration will only be available on the highest end MacBook Air. Two other options will be made available, one equipped with a dual core Intel Core i3 and another with the quad core Intel Core i5. Apple claims that the new MacBook Air has double the CPU performance and 80% more graphics performance with the new Intel IRIS Plus Graphics.
One of the pain points of the previous MacBook air was the keyboard which came with Apple’s butterfly switches. That being the case, Apple has turned back to the tried and true scissor switches. Their new Magic Keyboard comes with 1mm of travel for a more comfortable typing experience. The company has made the arrow keys easier to find with their “inverted T” design.
The MacBook Air comes with a 13.3-inch Retina display with over 4 million pixels. The Retina dispaly is an IPS Display with a QHD+ resolution of 2560×1600 pixels. This gives it a pixel density of 227 pixels per inch (ppi). It has a 16:10 aspect ratio and supports True Tone technology for better colour accuracy.
Storage and memory wise, the new MacBook air is equipped with at least 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM which can be upped to 16GB. At the minimum, it comes with 256GB of onboard PCIe SSD memory. This too is upgradable to a maximum of 2TB SSD. Speaking of the storage, Apple’s T2 Security Chip is also on the new MacBook Air. It will scan the software loaded during boot to ensure that nothing has been tampered and also provides on the fly data encryption. However, to simplify the user experience, TouchID has also been incorporated so users can stay secure while keeping things convenient.
The MacBook Air 2020 is also the first of its series to support up to 6K output for external displays. It also has a 3 mic array for clear voice performance over FaceTime and is equipped with the large, Force Touch trackpad. I will also come with Thunderbolt 3 ports for data, charging and video output.
Pricing & Availability
The new laptop is available for order on Apple’s website starting today. It will be available in Space Gray, Gold and Silver. Prices start from USD$999 or, if you are buying under their education programme, it will be USD$899.
In Malaysia, the Core i3 and Core i5 versions have been listed on the Apple online store. However, they are not available for order just yet. The i3 version of the MacBook Air is listed at MYR4,399 while the i5 version is listed at MYR5,599.
Lenovo has always been about giving customers the best value. Giving customers a wide variety of options to choose from to fulfill their needs. This time around, Lenovo has given the ThinkPad Laptops new upgrades to give you better productivity.
The updated ThinkPad features a new modern standby mode where the laptops operates like a smartphone. In standby mode, the system goes into low power and remains connected at all times to keep the laptop in sync with whatever that is going on in the background. This makes it really convenient if you have to work away from your laptop and coming back to it at a later time.
Source: Lenovo
To further complement the innovation of productivity, users can quickly resume where they left off by using a Wake on Voice command. Instead of using precious time to physically wake up the laptop. You can now just use your voice to wake up the laptop while you work on something else. There is also now a unified communications function keys to enable users to instantaneously answer or decline calls.
The next upgrade is WiFi 6 connectivity. Even though WiFi 6 is not readily available yet, but this is a good future proofing measure done by Lenovo to keep in times of what’s to come in the near future. WiFi 6 not only gives better connectivity speed but also has better security. Do keep in mind that this is a two-way hardware upgrade, so you will need to have a WiFi router that also supports WiFi 6 connectivity to optimise its performance.
There will also be a more premium UHD, OLED, and Dolby Vision options to deliver the best visuals. Not to miss out, the audio department gets Dolby Audio Speakers treatment on the ThinkPad T and X series. The ThinkPad L series will only feature an enhanced audio experience from Dolby Audio.
Source: Lenovo
Lenovo has not forgotten about security upgrades as well, so you can enjoy all the conveniences without having to worry about any security breaches. With Lenovo’s own security solution, ThinkShield. The laptop would come with an optional PrivacyGuard ePrivacy display and PrivacyAlert on models that have an IR camera. This PrivacyGuard ePrivacy display with PrivacyAlert helps protect users from prying eyes of over the shoulder glances. So that anything on your screen is for your eyes only.
All these goodies can be found with a new processor from both the blue and the red team. In the blue team, we have the latest 10th Generation Intel Core vPro processor and in the red team, we will find the AMD Ryzen PRO 4000 Mobile processor. All of these options will be available in the ThinkPad T Series and the smaller more portable X Series. Specifically the T14, T14s, T15, X13, and X13 Yoga.
The L Series did not get the same display upgrades as the T and X Series. The L Series has gotten a redesign instead. It is now thinner and lighter across the board! It also comes with Windows 10 Pro and a conveniently placed fingerprint sensor for security and convenience.
The new upgrades will be available from Q2 2020 with an expected pricing from USD 647 all the way to USD 1,099. If you would like more details, do refer to the list below.
The 2020 HUAWEI MateBook D Series was launched back in November 2019 and in the UK earlier this month. However, the series made its global debut last night.
Let’s not waste time and get down to business then, shall we? The D Series laptop is made for the mass market giving you optimal performance and excellent battery life for a daily all rounder. There is the smaller 14 inch, MateBook D14 and a bigger 15.6 inch MateBook D15. Both laptops have thin bezels that are only 4.8mm and 5.3mm respectively. This would give the laptops a screen to body ratio of 84% and 87% respectively.
The displays are not touch displays unlike the MateBook X Pro which was also launched at the same time. Both D series screens have a 16:9 IPS display and both laptops comes with a hinge angle of up to 178° where you can lay the laptop almost flat.
Now to the workhorse that makes it all happen. The MateBook D will be running on either AMD or Intel’s chipsets. Giving you the your preferred option for the best value for money. For Intel’s chipset both D14 and D15 will only come with the 10th Generation Intel Core i5 processor. This processor will be paired with NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphics card that has 2GB of GDDR5 VRAM to give you all the power to process what you need.
If you are on the red team instead, there are more goodies for you to choose from. Powered by AMD Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 processor for you to choose from. Coming with AMD Radeon Vega Graphics you will be able to game and work on heavy tasks with ease.
To power this baby up, the D Series uses a multi-purpose 62W Type C charger for the D14 and a 65W Type C charger for the D15. All of the D series laptops feature an overheat protection that will automatically stop charging the laptop once the temperature crosses a threshold to avoid any damages to the laptop.
Last but not least the pricing and the specifications. For Intel’s line up on the D14, we have an Intel Core i5, paired with 8GB of RAM, 512GB SSD of storage and NVIDIA MX250 graphics card which cost €949 (MYR4,357). On AMD’s line up we have either a Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 to choose from with 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD for storage. The AMD variations will be going to go for €699 (MYR3,209) for the Ryzen 5 and €799 (MYR3,668) for the Ryzen 7.
As for the bigger D15, it also runs on the same Intel Core i5, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD and 1TB HDD storage and a NVIDIA MX250 graphics card. Weirdly enough the D15 will be priced the same as the D14 at €949 (MYR4,357). The D15 for AMD on the other hand will cost €649 (MYR2,980) which will be coming with Ryzen 5, with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. The higher Ryzen 7 will come with also 8GB of RAM but a bigger 512GB SSD going for €799 (MYR3,668).
After a long hiatus HUAWEI has launched their flagship laptop, the Matebook X Pro. The Matebook X Pro is a 13.9-inch laptop with thin bezels that gives the laptop an amazing 91% screen to body coverage. The HUAWEI MateBook X Pro pushes 3,000 x 2,000 pixels creating a display with a pixel density of 260ppi. thanks to the super slim bezel you get a true border-less experience.
Processing power of the new Matebook X Pro is courtesy of Intel’s 10th gen Core i7-10510U. There is also a cheaper variant with Intel’s Core i5-10210U. Even the Core i5 version should give you a smooth and snappy experience on The HUAWEI Matebook X Pro.
To complement the power and take full advantage of multitasking, the laptop comes with 16GB of RAM across all variants. 16GB of RAM is copious for you and your laptop to work with. Ample RAM also gives you the ability to run multiple tasks at once without slowing down. The MateBook X Pro also comes with a minimum of 512GB and the top variant comes with a whopping 1TB storage. That also means you may not need to worry about storage needs for a while.
The MateBook X Pro comes with NVIDIA GeForce MX250 with 2GB of GDDR5 to give you a smooth experience in all tasks at hand from video editing to gaming. That is good news for most power users. That is especially if you need to use your notebook PC as a remote video editing rig. You might not want to put Adobe’s After Effects through it though. Then again, After Effects is too heavy to run on plenty of PCs.
The new MateBook X Pro is designed with a metal unibody with a diamond cut edge giving it a sleeker and thinner look. Well, it is only 14.6mm thick. Anyway, the body comes finished with a premium sandblasted finish that feels smooth to the touch and it has three different colours to choose from. They come in Space Grey, Emerald Green and Mystic Silver.
Such Slim, Very Thin, Many Power, Wow. In that small package, HUAWEI still managed to fit a 56Wh battery that could last up to 12 hours of video playback. All these watts, and you still gotta charge them. The MateBook X Pro has a 65W Type-C portable adapter which can be used with a wide variety of charging outputs.
The time has come, for the pricing and its variations. There will be three variants, all of which comes with touch screens. The first two variants will be running on Intel’s 10th Generation Core i5 with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. That is where the similarities end, the only difference is that one comes with a MX250 graphics card and the other does not. The last and final variant gets the same 16GB RAM and MX250 graphics card but it comes with a more powerful Intel Core i7 processor and a bigger storage at 1TB. The prices for all three variants of the laptop are as follow, EU€ 1,499, EU€ 1,699, EU€ 1,999 which translates to about MYR 6,820 , MYR 7,730 and MYR 9,095.
The Acer Swift 5 has just landed in the Malaysian market. The new entry in the Swift series of laptops refines the Swift 5 of last year with sleeker design, slimmer visage and more focus on productivity on-the-go. It’s also got your back, literally, weighing in at only 0.99kg.
The new Acer Swift 5 comes with specifications starting with a 10th generation Intel Core i5 paired with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage (PCIe SSD). A step up gets you a discreet graphics card with the NVIDIA MX250; and at the top of the line is a 10th generation Intel Core i7 with the latest Intel IRIS Plus Graphics.
The Acer Swift 5 comes with a 14-inch Full HD 1080p IPS display. The display is also touch enabled and has a 170° viewing angle. The Acer Swift 5 has a sleek silhouette with a thinness of only 14.95mm. It is also Windows Hello enabled with a fingerprint sensor. The hinge of the Swift 5 is highlighted in gold and has a little more than 150° of motion. Acer claims it has 12.5 hours of battery life, enough to last you a full working day.
The laptop comes with 2 regular USB ports, one of which is USB 3.1; 1 USB C port with USB 3.1; a 3.5mm audio jack and an HDMI port. It charges via a proprietary charging port. However, you will also able to charge the laptop through the USB-C port.
Pricing & Availability
The Swift 5 is already in the market for MYR3,699 for the Core i5 version, MYR3,999 for the Core i5 with NVIDIA MX250 and MYR4,699 for the Core i7 with Intel IRIS Plus Graphics.
