Tag Archives: NVIDIA Studio

Computers, News

Dell’s XPS Line-Up Refreshed with Focus on AI

Leave a comment

Dell’s XPS lineup has been at the forefront of the company’s portfolio for the better part of two decades. The line has always been about pushing boundaries when it comes to performance, work and design. This year is no different, the XPS lineup continues its legacy as one of the best laptops that Dell has to offer.

XPS Expanded and Better than Ever

The new Dell XPS line is expanded. Where we had the XPS and XPS 15, there are now 3 entries: the XPS 13, XPS 14 and the XPS 16. Each laptop takes Dell’s thin and light flagship and caters it to different needs. However, they do share a similar design – one that Dell debuted with the XPS 13 Plus. The sleek design consists of tone-on-tone colours and CNC-machined aluminium. The biggest change is the inclusion of touch-enabled function buttons which line the top of the haptic trackpad. These buttons seamlessly switch between media and function keys when needed. The keyboard on the laptops is also larger with larger keycaps for a more coherent and comfortable typing experience.

Dell XPS CES 2024 4
Source: Dell Technologies

The XPS lineup continues to feature the InfinityEdge panels with options for OLED touch, variable refresh rate and high resolution. This year brings improvements to the audio experience with a new quad speaker design that supports Dolby Atmos, and 3D stereo surround from MaxxAudio Pro by Waves. The XPS lineup will also feature a 1080p FHD webcam.

New Intel Processors with a Focus on Bringing AI Mainstream

The New XPS lineup will be coming fully equipped with the latest Intel Core Ultra processors. These processors features an additional NPU (neural processing unit) that Dell is leveraging to bring impactful AI-powered features to its XPS line up. That isn’t the only thing that’s changing with the NPU; these laptops will be able to leverage the NPU to speed up features that rely on AI. This also frees up CPU and GPU resources which can be better mobilised to undertake non-AI focused tasks.

Dell XPS CES 2024 2
Source: Dell Technologies
Dell XPS CES 2024 3
Source: Dell Technologies

In addition, the XPS line up will be coming with configurations supporting the Intel Core Ultra 7 on the Dell XPS 13 and XPS 14. While the XPS 16 supports configurations with up to the Intel Core Ultra 9. These configurations are supplemented with up to 64GB of RAM across the board and up to 4TB of PCIe 4 SSD memory. This combination alone should give you enough performance on the go for most tasks.

The XPS 14 and XPS 16, however, come with NVIDIA’s RTX Studio certification. The XPS 14 comes with a configuration supporting the NVIDIA RTX 4050. On the other hand, the XPS 16 continues to be the powerhouse of the line up with configurations supporting the RTX 4060 and RTX 4080 as well as the RTX 4050. These laptops come with support for NVIDIA’s Studio drivers out of the box and are primed for content creation on the go. They can even handle 3D rendering when you’re out and about.

Specc’d to Kill

The XPS series continues its legacy of being a top performer with more than just processors though. The line up comes with a bevvy of displays including high resolution touch displays. The XPS 13 caps out at a 3K OLED touch display while the XPS 14 pushes the boundaries a little bit more with a 3.2K OLED touch display. The XPS 16, on the other hand, caps out at a 4K OLED touch display.

Dell XPS CES 2024
Source: Dell Technologies

Of course, connectivity on the go is important for the XPS line up. Dell has decided to leverage WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 on the XPS 13 and XPS 16 while the XPS 14 has WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

Pricing & Availability

The XPS lineup will be available starting in Q1 2024. Malaysia, in particular, will see the laptops in stores starting end of February 2024.

ModelBase SpecificationsPricing (US)Pricing (MY)
Dell XPS 13Intel Ultra 5 / 16GB / 512GB / 13.4” FHD+ / Intel RPL-P P28 UMA (Iris Xe) UMAUSD$1,299RM5,499
Dell XPS 14Intel Ultra 7 / 16GB / 512GB / 14.5” FHD+ / No GraphicsUSD$1,699RM8,499
Dell XPS 16Intel Ultra 7 / 16GB / 512GB / 16.3” FHD+ / No GraphicsUSD$1,899RM8,999
Computers, News

ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 OLED (UX6404) Available in Malaysia for MYR10,999

Leave a comment

ASUS has taken the wraps off its latest gem, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 OLED (UX6404). This sleek and compact 14.5-inch laptop marks the zenith of the creator-friendly Zenbook Pro series, catering to the needs of users who demand sophistication, portability, and robust performance for their creative endeavours and productivity tasks.

Zenbook 14 Pro OLED UX6404 02

The ZenBook Pro 14 OLED comes with a 16:10 3K 120Hz OLED NanoEdge display, complete with Dolby Vision and HDR technology, which delivers an unparalleled visual experience. It’s PANTONE® Validated for colour accuracy and encompasses a cinematic 100% DCI-P3 gamut.

Under the hood, the Zenbook Pro 14 OLED is powered by the latest 13th Generation Intel® Core™ i9 H-series processor, coupled with studio-grade NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 4070 graphics, a hefty 32 GB of high-speed DDR5 RAM, and a copious 1TB SSD.

  • Zenbook 14 Pro OLED UX6404 15
  • Zenbook 14 Pro OLED UX6404 17
  • Zenbook 14 Pro OLED UX6404 14
  • Zenbook 14 Pro OLED UX6404 18
  • Zenbook 14 Pro OLED UX6404 12
  • Zenbook 14 Pro OLED UX6404 05
  • Zenbook 14 Pro OLED UX6404 08
  • Zenbook 14 Pro OLED UX6404 13
  • Zenbook 14 Pro OLED UX6404 04
  • Zenbook 14 Pro OLED UX6404 19
  • Zenbook 14 Pro OLED UX6404 09
  • Zenbook 14 Pro OLED UX6404 10
  • Zenbook 14 Pro OLED UX6404 16
  • Zenbook 14 Pro OLED UX6404 03

The ASUS DialPad which was once only available with the ProArt Line makes its ZenBook debut on the ZenBook 14 Pro OLED allowing more intuitive control within creative apps. The laptop boasts a full set of I/O ports, including Thunderbolt 4™ USB-C®, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C®, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, HDMI® 2.1, and an audio combo jack. Moreover, the laptop provides a top-tier audio experience, thanks to the Harman Kardon-certified Dolby Atmos® speaker system and ASUS AI noise-cancelling audio technology, ensuring crystal-clear conference calls.

Furthermore, the laptop supports the optional ASUS Pen 2.0, an MPP 2.0 stylus with 4096 pressure levels and interchangeable tips, offering an unparalleled drawing and writing experience.

To keep these powerful components cool, ASUS has implemented the highly efficient ASUS IceCool Pro cooling system, featuring a dual-fan design and four external exhaust vents. Additionally, the laptop features WiFi 6E enhanced with ASUS WiFi Master Premium technology, ensuring rock-solid WiFi connections.

Zenbook 14 Pro OLED UX6404 01

The ASUS ErgoSense keyboard, boasting a full-size 19.05 mm key pitch, 1.4 mm key travel, and 0.1 mm keycap relief, ensures a comfortable typing experience. Additionally, an anti-fingerprint and hydrophobic coating makes the ASUS ErgoSense touchpad easy to clean.

Pricing & Availability

The ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 OLED (UX6404V) is set to make its debut in Malaysia, starting on September 19, 2023, with a price tag of RM10,999.

It will be available through all authorized ASUS dealers and the official ASUS e-store.

Computers, News

Acer’s Powerhouse Thin & Light – the Swift X 14 – is Now Available in Malaysia with Prices starting at MYR5,999

Leave a comment

Acer’s Swift lineup has carved out a niche for itself thanks to its long legacy of literally being some of the thinnest and lightest laptops available on the market. However, that changed with the introduction of their Swift X laptop. The new generation of Acer Swift laptops was now supercharged as creator powerhouses with top-of-the-line discreet GPUs and cutting-edge displays. The new legacy continues with the Swift X 14 which comes with NVIDIA’s latest RTX 4050 laptop GPU.

  • Acer Swift X 14 01 Thumbnail
  • Acer Swift X 14 02 Thumbnail

The Swift X 14 was announced earlier this year at Acer’s next@acer event alongside CES 2023. The laptop continues to build on the Swift lineup’s heritage of strong, durable builds and portability. The new Swift X 14 comes in at only 1.55kgs with a 17.8mm thickness but comes packed with up to a 13th Generation Intel Core i7 H series processor and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 GPU. The combo unlocks numerous possibilities for creators with support for Ray Tracing and even high-performance 3D rendering. Oh, did we mention…? It’s also a certified NVIDIA Studio device. This allows you access to NVIDIA’s most optimised Studio drivers which are specially tuned for graphical and video work with programs like Blender and the Adobe Creative Suite.

It’s not only got the power, but the Swift X 14 also comes with a redesigned chassis that holds a 29% larger battery, a 14-inch 2.8K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 500 and 100% DCI-P3 coverage and a totally redesigned thermal setup. The redesigned thermals improve heat dissipation by 7.16%.

Aside from that, Acer’s Swift X 14 comes with support for up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD memory and a complete array of ports including a HDMI port and numerous USB ports and a microSD Card reader. Also part of the package is a 1080p FHD webcam with Acer PurifiedVoice and PurifiedView technology with AI noise reduction.

Pricing & Availability

The Acer Swift X 14 is currently available in stores and on the Acer e-store. Prices for the laptop start at MYR5,999.

Press Release Swift X 14 Banner

Official Specifications

image
Computers, Gaming, Lifestyle, News

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 and RTX 4060 Ti is Finally Here – Better Late Than Never!

Leave a comment

NVIDIA launched their Ada Lovelave architecture technology last year with the rather humungous NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 flagship class GPUs. That brought high-end 4K and 8K gaming to the hands of consumers who could afford them. For the ones that could not, they had to be content with the existing NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series set-up. They had to settle for an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 or RTX 3070, since the RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 were still sold at incredibly high prices at the time. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti came rather late to the Ada Lovelace party, but it was still a welcome addition to the RTX 40 series line-up since that means that Ada Lovelace is becoming a little more accessible to normal people. The RTX 4070 Ti is still, by no means, a cheap or affordable GPU to start with though, for those looking to game on a budget, they still must go for NVIDIA’s outdated GeForce RTX 3060. Not anymore.

NVIDIA has just announced that the NVIDIDA GeForce RTX 4060 family is finally seeing the light. This includes the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti variant of the GPU. Alongside the announcement of the latest entry-level RTX 40 series GPU, NVIDIA announces that over 300 games now support DLSS 3 upscaling technology for better gaming performance at higher graphics quality.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060

The regular NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 comes with 3,072 CUDA cores that clocks in at 2.46 GHz, which is curiously less cores than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 that came before it. The GPU is clocked higher than before though, and with Ada Lovelace architecture, should prove to be an improvement over the RTX 3060. Obviously, the GeForce RTX 4060 also comes with NVIDIA’s 3rd generation Ray Tracing cores that also supports DLSS 3.0 and 4th Generation Tensor cores that should prove to perform better than the older 60 class GPU.

The result is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 performing about 1.7x better than the RTX 3060 on average. While you only get the choice of an 8GB GDDR6 memory option, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 should be a better all-around performer for Full HD 1080p gaming natively. Of course, if you want even better performance and higher frame rates, you can upscale your games with DLSS 3.0.

You still can output the GPU to an 8K display at up to 60Hz with either HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 2.0 on the Founder’s Edition GPUs. Whether or not we will see a combination of HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.0 on partner boards is a guess. Still, it can power up to 4 monitors simultaneously if you need that kind of set-up. It is a 60 class GPU, and it is not meant for higher power consumptions, and therefore it only draws up to 115W in TGP.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

For those who are looking to spend a little more on their GPU, but not RTX 4070 high, the RTX 4060 Ti should fit the bill nicely. It is technically more powerful than the RTX 4060. It also a large improvement over the GPU it replaces.

Again, Ada Lovelace architecture means that the new GeForce RTX 4060 Ti does not have to have larger amounts of CUDA cores within the GPU. It only has 4,352 CUDA cores over the 4,864 of the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. There is the 3rd Generation Ray Tracing cores and 4th Generation Tensor Cores too with AV1 support that is making the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti perform about 1.7x better than the old GPU it replaces. Like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, the RTX 4060 Ti is designed to crush games even better at Full HD resolutions.

You can also drive up to 4 displays with the 4 output ports from the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti reference GPU. One of them would have to be plugged into the HDMI port, but it is HDMI 2.1 so you still can get 8K 60Hz output out from the GPU. Thanks to lower core counts, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is more efficient than ever with up to 165W TGP over the older 200W even with 16GB of GDDR6 memory on board.

Price and Availability

There is no mention on whether NVIDIA will offer the GeForce RTX 4060 and RTX 4060 Ti with GDDR6X memory or not. With GDDR6X being available for the older GeForce RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 Ti, we can assume that NVIDIA will be planning to bring the new 40 series entry-level GPUS with GDDR6X memory. For now, no other manufacturing partners have showcased their own version of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 and RTX 4060 Ti GPUs. If you plan to get NVIDIA’s Founder’s Edition GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, prices start at US$ 299 (MYR 1,359*), which is not entirely unreasonable. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti starts at US$ 399 (MYR 1,813*) for the 8GB edition and the 16GB edition will set you back MYR US$ 499 (MYR 2,267*). More information on the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPUs can be found on their website.

*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.54 as of 22/05/2023 on xe.com

Computers, Gaming, Mobile, News

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

Leave a comment

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.