Update 8:45pm – The ROG Ally First sales have sold out in record time!
Handheld gaming is going more mainstream than ever with the ASUS’s Republic of Gamers (ROG) throwing their hat in the ring. The recently announced ROG Ally is making its debut in countries across the world. The latest country to get the handheld gaming device? Malaysia of course!
The handheld runs on AMD’s Z1 Extreme processor. It runs on the latest Zen4 architecture and promises enough power to run most games and power efficiency for a respectable gaming session. The Malaysian version of the ROG Ally will come with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal SSD storage.
It comes with a 7-inch, IPS-level display with an FHD resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. It has a 120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits brightness.
The ROG Ally will officially be priced at MYR3,299. At the time of writing, ASUS has only announced a single variant of the ROG Ally for the Malaysian market. It will be available in retail on July 1, 2023, at the ROG Roadshow happening in Plaza Low Yat and at ROG Ally authorized dealers nationwide.
Together with the gaming handheld, ASUS is offering a slew of accessories including the ROG Ally Travel Case priced at MYR199 and the ROG Gaming Charger Dock which comes with HDMI 2.0 support at MYR299.
Of course, being an ROG device, the Ally is also compatible with ROG’s XG Mobile platform which provides even more power for the device when you hook it up. They give access to top-of-the-line GPUs for mobile devices which include the ROG Flow Z13 laptops. There are currently three versions available in Malaysia, the XG MOBILE RTX4090 which retails for MYR 999, the XG MOBILE RTX3080 which retails for MYR7999 and the XG MOBILE RX 6850M XT which retails at MYR6999.
The first sales which are happening now will be bundled with the ROG CETRA True Wireless earbuds, the ROG Ally Travel Case, the ROG Gaming Charger Dock, a screen protector and 9-month access to XBOX PC GamePass. The bundle is worth MYR1,299.
ASUS launched their flagship smartphone, the ROG Phone 7 last month in April 2023. As promised, ASUS has brought the new flagship gaming smartphone into Malaysia. They are also available for purchase now as we speak; if you are interested, you can check out their roadshow happening now to the end of this weekend (14th of May 2023) at Pavilion Bukit Jalil.
To recap, the ROG Phone 7 comes in two variants, the regular vanilla ROG Phone 7, and one ROG Phone 7 Ultimate flavour. The vanilla ROG Phone 7 is still a powerful device packing Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform. You still get up to opt for up to 16GB in LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB in storage space if you do not mind spending a little bit more money.
Whichever ROG Phone 7 series device you pick, it comes with a large 6.78-inch AMOLED display that offers Full HD+ resolution at 165Hz refresh rate and up to 720Hz in sampling rate for a smooth and near instant input feel. The AMOLED display also offers the best-in-class viewing experience with up to 1,500 nits in brightness and ΔE<1 colour accuracy. For the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, you get an extra matrix display shooting visuals out of the back of the device (ROG Vision).
The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate also has a trick up its sleeve over the regular ROG Phone 7. You not only get the latest AeroActive Cooler active cooling solution and attachment for your ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, but the cooler also activates a flap they call the AeroActive Portal that will increase an airflow channel to allow for better cooling. The result is up to 20% thermal efficiency from the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate. That, alongside the Boron Nitride thermal compound, bigger vapor chamber,a graphite sheets on the CPU means that the CPU can be pushed to its limits for longer periods of time without compromising gaming performance.
Other updates on the series include better audio tuned by Dirac Virtuo, X Sense software, better AirTrigger, and new gesture controls including Gyroscope aiming. Within the new ROG Phone 7 devices are 10 motion controls with an X-axis liner motor for powerful and immersive haptic feedback like the one you get on your console controller. You can even adjust the haptic feedback for better response, or just all-around better feel for your controls.
Price and Availability
As mentioned, the ROG Phone 7 series is now available in Malaysia. You can get your vanilla variant of the ROG Phone 7 in either white or black colour options. The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate will be available 15th of May 2023 onward in Malaysia. There is no colour option for this one, unfortunately, just white. The white does bring the ROG Vision out a little bit more though. The ROG Phone 7 will start at MYR 3,599 (12GB + 256GB) while the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate starts at MYR 4,999 and comes with the AeroActive Cooler 7 out-of-the-box. More information on the ROG Phone 7 series can be found on their website.
Handheld gaming is a thing, an inevitable thing. Nintendo has always championed the concept and is a huge pioneer in the handheld gaming industry. The Nintendo Gameboy, for example, is one of the first and one of the most popular gaming handheld devices ever produced. It was iconic too, the namesake stayed on for a couple of generations and made way for a couple of new ideas in the handheld gaming space. It gave birth to the Nintendo Switch, partly.
The Nintendo Switch gave way and inspired many other new gaming devices that flooded the market. All that accumulates to Valve’s very own Steam Deck handheld gaming device. While not the first of its kind to play games on the Steam library while on battery, it is sort of the best solution and culmination of that concept. Then there is this new device, the new ROG Ally.
If you have scoped around the internet; YouTube especially, the ROG Ally should not be foreign to you by now. It is an ASUS manufactured handheld gaming device that mimics the concept of the Steam Deck. Unlike the Steam Deck though, it does not run its own version of Linux. It runs Windows, like a lot of the Chinese made gaming handheld that fancies itself the “Switch” of the PC gaming industry. More Specifically it runs Windows 11, making not just Steam library games available to users. You can theoretically play games from Ubisoft, Amazon Games, Epic Games, or even Origin Games.
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
The internal that keeps you happy gaming as long as the battery allows you is an integrated AMD APU. It is an AMD Ryzen Z1 series processor, not the same one you find on the latest gaming consoles for your couch. The Ryzen Z1 processor you find in the ROG Ally comes with AMD’s latest RDNA 3 architecture making it the most efficient and powerful APU of its kind found in a gaming handheld. You do need to keep it rather cool to get the best out of it though. In the restricted space that is the ROG Ally’s body is their new Zero Gravity thermal solution that keeps the internals happy with two fans pulling temperature away from ultrathin heatsink fines and high-friction heat pipes out the top of the device.
The powerful APU and cooling system projects Windows 11 and all your games on a high-resolution 7-inch display. It offers Full HD 1080p resolution, twice as much as the Steam Deck, and it is possible thanks to the powerful APU. It also offers 120Hz in refresh rate with FreeSync Premium, meaning your AAA games play smoothly and tear-free. If you wish to play in the great outdoors; because your mother has been telling you to play outside, it offers 500 nits in maximum brightness. It is also a touch sensitive display for easy Windows 11 and the Special Edition Armoury Crate navigation.
All of this is packed in a hardware that weighs only 608g. Unlike a Switch, the control panels are not detachable. But that means that the lightweight device is a solid build that you can just chuck in your bag without taking up too much space and adding too much weight in your backpack. The device is also shaped ergonomically for maximum comfort for its users with unique textures to improve grip on the device.
The ROG Ally will be launching globally on the 11th of May 2023. You can be part of that launch too on their event website. For now, that is the only information we have on ASUS’ ROG Ally. More information on the ROG Ally can be found on their website.
If you are looking for a flagship smartphone experience like no other, you are spoiled by choice today. You can choose between offerings from Samsung, OnePlus, OPPO, HONOR, Xiaomi, and even Apple, if you please. The thing is these manufacturers make rather similar smartphones. They always come in the same recipe – metallic frame, glass backing that houses a high-resolution camera, and a glass front that protects a rather large high-resolution display. They also always promised some sort of state-of-the-art cooling solution. If you are looking for something different, the flagship from these manufacturers might not cut it.
For a while now, if you have been looking for a different flavour on your flagship smartphone, you can go the route of gaming smarpthones from the likes of Razer, Blackshark, and most recently, Lenovo. But these manufacturers have sort of phased out too. There are no more Blackshark smartphones for 2023, Razer has not updated their Razer Phone line up, and Lenovo has yet to update their latest handheld gaming creation. The only one we can look to right now is ASUS and their ROG Phone. In that case if you want a unique flagship smartphone for 2023, ASUS’ ROG Phone series is the one for you.
Welcome to the ASUS ROG Phone 7 series, the latest creation from the skunkworks of ASUS. It is the latest and currently the most powerful gaming smartphone you have ever seen. As with any previous ASUS ROG Phone devices, it is one of the most striking looking devices you have laid your eyes on, at least amongst all the flagships you can find in the current market.
Formidable Power
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
It packs an immensely powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform. Alongside the powerful system on a chip (SoC) is a 16GB LPDDR5X RAM (up to) and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. All these are designed so that the top-of-the-line ASUS ROG Phone works through games as fast as the current technology allows. It is made to be the ultimate expression of a gaming handheld that is also a smartphone.
Wrapped around the powerful uniquely tuned internals is something ASUS calls the GameCool 7 thermal control system. That means you get even an even better gaming performance out of the ROG Phone 7 smartphone than any other flagship you can find in the current market. At the same time, the new cooling system keeps the smartphone running at a lower temperature over regular flagship smartphones while keeping power consumption lower than even regular smartphones. They say the new GameCool 7 system offers a new rapid-cycle vapor chamber design that offers 168% heat dissipation efficiency that the ROG Phone that came before.
Better Audio, Better Cooling, Better Controls
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
The result is a quite a beefy shell with a few tricks up its sleeves. Within the beefy device is a new stereo speaker that is said to be 50% more powerful than before. The new speaker system is also tuned by Dirac, an audio specialist. You can also turn it into a 2.1 channel system when you attach the new AeroActive Cooler 7 accessory to the device. If you prefer a more personal experience in a crowd, the Dirac tuned Dirac Virtuo 3.5mm headphone jack offers an unparalleled theatre-like spatial sound experience. If you prefer a more wireless approach, the Snapdragon Sound technology offers super-low-latency high-fidelity Bluetooth audio experience.
The new AeroActive Cooler 7 attachment is one of the things that makes the ROG Phone 7 series even more unique than ever before. It offers a cooling solution that does not just cool the glass surface of the device’s back, the new fan design allows for more effective basic active cooling, but a unique AeroActive Portal air inlet system allows the fan to cycle even more air throughout the device’s internals for even more efficient cooling.
ASUS also kept certain things that kept the ROG Phone unique since its inception. One of them is the Air Trigger ultrasonic buttons at the side of the device that offers even more control avenues and options of the ROG Phone device. It is also what gives users of the ROG Phone even more advantage in an already overpowered gaming device in games. It is not the basic haptic feedback touch buttons that they used to be in the first ASUS ROG Phone though. The latest AirTrigger offers a slew of gesture controls including Dual Action, Press and Lift, and even Gyroscope gaming, just like the Nintendo Switch and even the Steam Deck for fine tuning your aim. Within the ROG Phone 7 series devices are 10 motion controls and X-axis liner motors that offers powerful haptic feedback like no other smartphone can.
The Best Display Ever
All these things great hardware goes into creating the most immersive gaming experience you can have on a smartphone with a large Samsung AMOLED display that offers up to 165Hz in refresh rate. The panel also offers up to 720Hz in sampling rate for the lowest-in-class input latency, useful in gaming. The Pixelworks tuned AMOLED panel also offers ΔE<1 and a maximum of 1,500 nits in brightness for not only stunning, colour accurate visuals indoors, but also outdoors.
For the ASUS ROG Phone 7 Ultimate there is an additional matrix colour display that sits at the back of the device they call the ROG Vision. The feature, first presented in the ROG Phone 6 Ultimate offers users extra information like charging status, incoming calls, X Mode activation, personalized animations, and even more.
Price and Availability
ASUS Malaysia has confirmed that the ASUS ROG Phone 7 series will make its way to Malaysia by the 10th of May 2023. There is no official pricing just yet for Malaysia. In Europe though, prices start at EUR€ 999, which is about MYR 4,849*. It will be available in Phantom Black and Storm White colour options. For more information on the ROG Phone 7 series, you can always visit ASUS’ website.
*Approximately based on the exchange rate of EUR€ 1 = MYR 4.85 on xe.com as of 18/04/2023
You should be familiar with ASUS’ ROG if you are a gamer. In the recent years, the brand has been paving the way in introducing rather absurd concepts for gamers. They revolutionized gaming laptops with ultra-thin offerings like the Zephyrus line-up. They managed to normalize the use of GPU docks with their thin-and-light ROG Flow series for laptops. Within the ROG Flow product booklet is now also a very curious, and very powerful gaming tablet, the ROG Flow Z13.
The ROG Flow Z13 is really that, a gaming tablet without the restriction of a keyboard. Sure, it comes with a keyboard case that can be connected to the tablet, but it really is just an all in one screen that runs Windows and is capable of slaying in DOTA 2 without much of a fuss if you want it to.
Within the rather restricted and thin body of this tablet, you get Intel’s latest and very powerful Core i9-13900H processor alongside NVIDIA’s modest GeForce RTX 4050 GPU. You have 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM too inside the tablet. To make things trundle along faster and make it more powerful, you can opt to get an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 XG mobile dock to pair along with your GPU at home for the ultimate gaming experience (for mobile PC gaming set-ups anyway).
ASUS ROG is also known to have collaborations with brands from other industries to further innovate their products or to offer matching accessories for their products. They have an IKEA collaboration to produce ROG themed furniture for your all ROG gaming set-up at home. They have collaborated with Alan Walker to produce an Alan Walker special gaming laptop that also doubles as your music mixing station when you go to parties. Of course, the Alan Walker special collaboration also entails some Alan Walker x ROG special apparels.
Their latest collaboration with ACRONYM produces something a little unexpected though. ASUS ROG and ACRONYM have introduced a new gaming tablet based on the ROG Flow Z13. No, it does not only get a fresh coat of paint and design, they have added some high-end power to make this even more ‘ultimate’ than the already extreme gaming table that the regular ROG Flow Z13 is.
ASUS ROG X ACRONYM – ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
They call it the ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02, and it is not just a mouthful, it is a handful too. ACRONYM, to those who are not familiar, is an apparel design studio that produces their own brand of apparels and accessories. They are based in Munich, Germany and specialize in outrageous looking, functional outfits that are made with the highest and innovative materials. You might have seen some Nike shoes and apparels that bears the ACRONYM name brand. You might also have seen a BE@RBRICK custom design by ACRONYM. More prominently, if you are a Kojima Hideo fan, the game Death Stranding is full of ACRONYM’s designed clothing. This is not ACRONYM’s first time collaborating with ASUS ROG too.
Same-Same, but Different
The ACRONYM designed Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 does not look like the gaming tablet that it was based on. There is a good reason for that. The entire backplate has been redesigned and fitted with milled aluminium. It is not just striking looks that ACRONYM and ROG wants to show, the milled aluminium backplate is functional too. There are visible shock pads on all four corners of the tablets and also strategically placed all of the backplate for a maximized grip on any kind of surface you might have it on. They are also there to ensure that there is still a good gap to the surface for maximized airflow with the array of air intake ports milled to the backplate. Of course, to ensure you have the best viewing angle on your tablet, there is the built-in kickstand made with the same milled aluminium material for added rigidity and some shock pads to keep it from moving around the table too much.
The design is not just optimized for protection and cooling though. It is designed with mobility and portable application in mind. Included with the ROG X ACRONYM ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 is a carrying strap that is designed to attach to the attachment points on the tablet’s aluminium shell for and optimized carrying posture for the tablet. The strap mechanism also allows you to work with the tablet while tethered to your body, so that you can work off it at any given time without the delay and hassle of finding a seat, useful in the trains. They quoted a better grip for the ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02, though we do not recommend you holding on to it for too long even with the original ROG Flow Z13. The original ROG Flow Z13 weighs as much as a thin-and-light laptop at 1.18kg, the ACRONYM designed one with all-aluminium chassis weighs even more at 1.32kg.
The Beast Inside
Source: ASUS
It is not just an upgrade you get with the exterior. Thanks to the extra ventilation and more efficient cooling, ROG can fit even more powerful hardware into the chassis. While the original ROG Flow Z13 only gets NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4050, the ACRONYM designed beast of a tablet gets NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4070 treatment. Everything else about the tablet sort of remains the same.
The Windows 11 tablet comes with Intel’s 13th Generation Core i9-13900H 14-core processor that clocks at 2.6GHz and can boost up to 5.4GHz. Alongside the upgraded GPU, you also get more RAM at 32GB over the 16GB of the original ROG Flow Z13. You also get 1TB in SSD storage at that.
Source: ASUS
The powerful internals power an ROG Nebula certified display. It is a 13.4-inch IPS panel offering QHD+ 16:10 aspect ratio in resolution. To get the best in colour reproduction it is a glossy glass panel that protects the IPS panel behind it. The 13.4-inch QHD+ display also offers 165Hz in refresh rate for the best gaming experience you can get on a tablet today. On top of that, you can be sure to enjoy movies with the Dolby Vision HDR support.
For total immersive experience, ASUS fitted a powerful 2 speaker system with Smart Amp technology into the tablet. The speakers are even Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res certified to offer the best-in-class audio experience. In case you need to communicate with your teammates, you have an AI noise-cancelling 3-mic array for a decent make-do team-comms experience with it.
To ensure that your mobile gaming experience is not disrupted, the WiFi 6E dual-band WiFi will ensure the most stable connection with a WiFi 6 capable network. Of course, since it is a tablet, you might be using more wireless accessories with it. Bluetooth 5.2 is sure to reduce latency and offer some stable connection for your accessories.
The battery is the only cause for concern though. There is a 56Wh battery, which is large for a tablet. With the kind of power this beast is packing though, the 56Wh battery might not last you too long. The kind of power you pack also is the reason why you have a 130W USB Type-C charger to g with the ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02. It also comes with a keyboard cover, that adds another 400g to the total set-up on-the-go.
Price and Availability
The ASUS ROG X ACRONYM ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 is now available in Malaysia. It is a limited-edition item though, just 14 units will make it into the country. As of this writing, it seems that ASUS ROG has sold out all 14 units. If you are interested to get your hands on one, you want to prepare MYR 12,999 for one. More on the ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 can be found on their website.
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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
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.
ASUS’s Republic of Gamers has been creating astonishing offerings over the past few years with a more streamlined, power-packed line up of gaming laptops for every gamer. This year at CES, the company is putting their best foot forward with new form factors and a refreshed design for their most popular Strix SCAR and Strix G line ups.
The new Strix SCAR line up features an updated design which features a new armour cap which looks to be replacing the keystone we’ve seen in previous versions. The armour cap also comes in multiple designs at launch. ASUS has updated the Strix SCAR design with a more subtle design language with the ports on either side. They’ve also increased the number of vents on the SCAR for better cooling.
The new Strix G Line up comes with same subtlety in design but also comes with more apparent Aura Sync lighting. It also shares the same design cues with the Strix SCAR including the new armour cap. Both laptop lineups come with ASUS NumberPad which turns the TouchPad into a fully functional NumPad when needed.
When it comes to specifications, the ROG Strix G and Strix SCAR laptops come with configurations supporting Intel’s latest 13th Generation Core processors capping out at the Core i9-13980HX. Both also come with configurations supporting the latest from NVIDIA – the RTX 40 series laptop GPUs. The ROG Strix SCAR line up has configurations supporting up to the NVIDIA RTX 4090 Laptop GPU while the ROG Strix G supports up to the RTX 4080 Laptop GPU.
When it comes to displays the ROG Strix series is gunning for firsts with both of the lineups supporting ASUS’s Nebula HDR displays. Both the Strix SCAR and Strix G series comes in two flavours – 16-inch (Strix SCAR 16; Strix G16) and 18-inch (Strix SCAR16; Strix G18). The SCAR 16 comes with options for QHD IPS panels with up to 240Hz refresh rate. The only difference between the two QHD IPS panels are colour accuracy and Pantone Validation. The larger SCAR 18 comes with an additional option for a 165Hz FHD panel which covers 100% of the sRGB gamut. The Strix G16 and G18 come with options for a 240Hz, Pantone Validated Colour accurate QHD IPS panel or an FHD panel with 165Hz refresh rate.
When it comes to memory, the Strix G comes with options with up to 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD memory with up to 32GB DDR5 RAM while the STRIX SCAR lineup comes with up to a max of 4TB (2 x 2TB) memory with up to 64GB DDR5 RAM.
Both lineups also come with option which support AMD’s latest Ryzen processors. The Strix SCAR 17 and the Strix G17 both support up to the Ryzen 9 Zen 4 processor. Together with this, the laptops also sport a smaller 17-inch display. The SCAR 17 comes with a QHD IPS panel with support for Dolby Vision HDR and 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut. The Strix G17 comes with an additional option for a FHD display with 144Hz Value IPS display.
The ROG Phone 6 was announced earlier this year with impressive specifications and a sharp focus on gamers. It seems like that’s not enough for ASUS as they’ve just announced another version of the ROG Phone 6 – the ROG Phone 6D. It’s not just the Mediatek Dimensity 9000+ that’s changed on the phone either, ASUS is taking major design risks with the 6D.
Built for Power on the MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ Chipset
The biggest change coming to the ROG Phone 6D series is the processor. The D in the name comes from MediaTek’s Dimensity 9000+ processor which brings a boost in performance. The new flagship chipset from MediaTek brings high clock speeds of up to 3.2GHz complete with 5G connectivity. The processor is complemented with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage for the ultimate gaming experience.
The Mediatek-powered ROG Phone 6D series comes with a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 165Hz refresh rate. The display has an FHD+ resolution of 1080×2448 pixels and also comes with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection. Of course, the ROG Phone 6D series continues to come with the AirTriggers for quick, customisable gaming buttons. In addition, it also comes with high colour accuracy with a ΔE value that’s below 1. It also supports HDR playback.
On the camera front, the ROG Phone6D comes with a triple camera setup with a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 sensor which is complemented by a 13-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 5-megapixel macro sensor. On the front is a 12-megapixel selfie camera.
The biggest change comes in the form of a brand new approach to cooling on the ROG Phone 6D Ultimate. The new 6D ultimate comes with a unique vent that allows the AeroActive cooler access to a heat sync. The direct access allows the cooler to directly cool the processor and circulate air within the phone resulting in 30% better cooling and more power from the processor.
Holy Special Editions… It’s Batman!
In addition to the regular ROG Phone 6D series which consists of the regular 6D and the 6D Ultimate, the lineup is also getting a special DC collaboration. The collaboration sees the Caped Crusader take over the regular ROG Phone 6D with a special wallpaper and the Bat Symbol replacing the ROG emblem on the dot-matrix display on the back.
The special Batman edition also comes in a special box which is emblazoned with the Bat symbol and also a special Bat symbol SIM ejector tool. The box has design accents that bring the City of Gotham to life complete with a fully functional Bat Signal to call Batman when you need him.
Pricing & Availability
The ROG Phone 6D series will be available starting on 9 November 2022. The ROG Phone 6D (12GB +256GB) will be priced at MYR3,499 while the ROG Phone 6D Ultimate (16GB + 512GB) will be priced at MYR4,999. Both will be available in Space Gray.
The Batman edition of the ROG Phone 6 with 12GB RAM and 256GB of onboard storage will be on sale for MYR4,799.
AMD recently launched their new Zen 4 architecture platform in their Ryzen 7000 series CPUs. Yes, in case you have not known yet, the AMD Ryzen 5000 series is now outdated and is replaced with AMD’s brand-new Ryzen 7000 processors. Yes, benchmark numbers produced by AMD also shows rather promising figures too, they suggest performance numbers well beyond what their Ryzen 5000 Zen 3 processors can manage. They are promising larger performances even compared to their competitors too.
While the past few years of AMD’s Ryzen goodness have been backward compatible with their AM4 socket, the new Ryzen 7000 with Zen 4 kicks things off for a new generation of socket made for the future, the AM5 socket platform. Gone are the flimsy pins on the chip itself and in comes push pins on the board instead, for a less nerve-wrecking installation process.
While AMD can go on and on with how powerful and different their new processors are, their Ryzen 7000 chips are glorified paperweights if they cannot get on a proper motherboard. This is where ASUS comes sweeping in with brand new motherboards to support the new AM5 platform and take advantage of Zen 4 with the B650 chipset motherboards.
You want to keep in mind that the AMD B650 boards are not the top-of-the-line computing platforms you can get for AMD’s latest and greatest. For the most current ultimate AMD experience, you want to go for the X670 boards. The B650 then is a sort of budgeted performance boards for those looking to build a powerful system that does not break the bank.
For the Hardcore Gamers – The ROG Strix Series
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Everybody wants an ROG. That is also because they are known to make some of the best gaming gears and hardware in the market. For the AMD Ryzen 7000 they have the ROG Strix B650-E, B650-F, B650-I, and B650-A Gaming WiFi motherboards.
All of them comes with PCIe 5.0 drives of course. Only the ROG Strix B650-A does not carry any PCIe 5.0 x16 slots for peripherals. It is also the only one in the ROG Strix line-up that does not pack an I/O Shield. Then again, only the latest GPUs from NVIDIA are PCIe 5.0 peripherals. All of them support DDR5 memory though. True to their names too, they are all WiFi equipped boards.
The top-of-the-line ROG Strix B650-A comes with 16+2 teamed power stages with 8+8 ProCool power connectors for even more flexible overclocking on AMD’s Ryzen 7000 processors. It also features a tonne of heatsinks to cool two M.2 slots and its VRM. There are two additional M.2 slots too, on top of the two that are wrapped under heatsinks. To make installation much more convenient, the M.2 drives do not have to be screwed in; they are latched by ASUS’ clever Q-Latch system. There is also a USB FlashBack feature that allows the BIOS to be flashed even without a processor or GPU installed on the system. All you need is a USB drive and power supply. Its audio is also greatly improved with USB-based ALC4080 audio codec alongside a new Savitech SV3H712 amp for better experience when you work with audiophile gears.
For the Budget Gamers – The TUF Series
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
If you still want something tailored for gaming, but do not want to spend on an ROG, there is the TUF gaming series of motherboards. The B650 motherboards from TUF line-up offers all everything you need to fully take advantage of Ryzen’s 7000 series of processors Zen 4 architecture. You can choose between ATX or micro-ATX options for builds designed for smaller footprints.
Just because they are value offers for gamers, does not mean that they pack any less performance and features than their ROG cousins. You still get support for DDR5, PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot, and onboard USB 3.2 2×2 Type-C ports for all sorts of stuff. Of course, all TUF boards also come with 2.5GBps ethernet ports for high-bandwidth internet connections and WiFi 6 in case you prefer things to be wireless.
For the Creators – The ProArt Series
Source: ASUS
The gaming market is not the only hotbed for high-performing computing solutions. The content creator market is still heating up and their appetite for high-performance machines has increased in recent years. They also need high-performing machines that are quiet and svelte when they need to be.
While contents take time to produce, speed in workflow is key in their projects. That is why having a PCIe 5.0 support on their M.2 slot is important. Plenty of content creator programs are memory hungry too, which also means that high-speed memory is important, you get that from new DDR5 RAM support. While the ProArt series only has PCIe 4.0 x16 slots as standard, it also means that users can fit up to two GPUs to handle all their content creation workflow needs in an x8/x8 confguration.
Of course, connectivity could be key in a shared worlkflow. You get 10GBps ethernet port as standard on your boards. At the same time, you can work without a dedicated GPU if you choose with a built-in DisplayPort 1.4 output on the board itself. On top of that, you get the versatility of a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port support.
For the Value Hunters – The Prime Series
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
If you are just looking for something that does not break the bank but still take advantage of AMD’s latest and greatest, then look no further than the ASUS Prime series motherboards. It gives you the flexibility of using all sorts of budget cases and compat builds with ATX and micro-ATX solutions. It is the perfect daily driver, in ASUS’ books.
The ASUS prime B650 boards offer up to 2.5GBps networking port, PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot, and DDR5 support across their boards, The boards also packs BIOS FlashBack feature that allows you to reset your BIOS and even update it with nothing more than a USB stick and working power supply. You do not get PCIe 5.0 x16 slots just yet, but you really are not missing out on much at this point of time.
Pricing and Availability
There are no mentions yet on their official pricing currently. There is also no promised availability date for the boards at this time, but we are expecting them to be available pretty soon. For more information on the ASUS B650 motherboards made for AMD Ryzen 7000 Zen 4 processors, you can head over to their website.
Before we go ahead with the report, we must give you a little bit of a disclaimer. Not all the new headsets that ASUS ROG just introduced are built with dual-mode connectivity. Among the four options, you only have two headphones that gives you two connectivity options.
We are talking about wireless headphones here, the trend of the decade. Ever since audio solution providers started working with speakers that can be connected to devices via Bluetooth, the demand for wireless audio gear has skyrocketed. The number of products that cater to variety of wireless audio needs have also has exponentially multiplied over the years.
If you were to go out today and said you wanted a Bluetooth enabled headphone, you will be pressed for choices. There are too many out there to count from the budget options to the premium options. If you want the best of the best though, you had to have something like a Sony in mind. However, the current best-of-the-best from Sony is not really made for gaming.
In that case, you do want to turn to the gaming brands. You want to turn to the likes of ASUS’s ROG for example, the gaming skunkworks of the Taiwanese computing giant. They already make brilliant smartphones, the ROG Phone 6 is currently one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful smartphone in the world at launch. If they can do that, what about gaming headsets?
ROG Cetra True Wireless Pro & True Wireless
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
We start with the most unique one in their range of new audio solutions, the Cetra True Wireless Pro. Yes, this one is the one where you get dual-mode connectivity built into the device. It is also a True Wireless (TWS) earphone, the little in-ear ones, not over-ear headphones; that is why it is such a big deal.
At its most basic form, the Cetra True Wireless Pro works as a Bluetooth headset. To ensure that users get the best audio experience, there is a built in Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound chip that lowers latency. The chip also allows for a high-quality 24-bit, 96 kHz streams to get through via Bluetooth. If you put the earphones into gaming mode, the ultralow-latency hits 45ms to ensure that you get near instant feedback from your games. The chip also facilitates the multiple ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) modes that you can choose from with the headset.
Rather than being a pure True Wireless headset, you can use it via a USB Type-C connection as well. To eliminate latency, wired headsets are always preferred. With smartphones today though, 3.5mm AUX tips are no longer a good option. So, you go with USB Type-C, which also allows ROG to pack more features into the headphone via the cable.
Within the cable is a hi-f- grade ESS 9280 DAC. That also means that the bundled cable is good for lossless audio with rather rich detailing and even spatial sound. It can process up to 130dB signal-to-noise ratio to ensure that you are not only getting the most accurate sound representation of any media you are listening to, but it also allows you to really pinpoint where sounds are coming from in your games.
The Cetra True Wireless Pro’s mics can filter over 500 million types of background noise. Its integrated AI Noise-Cancelling Microphone reduces up to 95% of noise while still allowing you to have clear communication with your teammates. Additionally, there are microphones inside your ears on the headset too to make for better ANC experience.
Source: ASUS
With the ROG Cetra True Wireless, you get everything that the Cetra Wireless Pro gets, except for the USB Type-C cable and the dual-mode connectivity function. It is still a rather compelling option for mobile gamers though. You get to push it to low-latency mode too with Gaming mode. It still features Hybrid ANC technology to ensure that you are not distracted by what is happening outside your game time.
ROG Delta S Wireless
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
If you prefer something that is more wholesome, something you want to use at home, something that covers your entire ears for a more comfortable fit and better seal, you go for an over-ear headset. What if you hate cable managing? What if your PC is placed in an odd location and plugging your cables in and out of the thing is a hassle? What is your console is far away from you? You get an ROG Delta S Wireless gaming headset.
The ROG Delta S Wireless is also a dual-mode headset. Instead of giving you the option to either having a wireless or wired connection though, it is dual-mode wireless connection. It offers the low latency, near instant, highly stable 2.4GHz wireless connection. At the same time, it offers the convenience of Bluetooth connection for you to work with for smartphones, if you wish to.
The idea of using 2.4GHz connection for your audio gear with a dongle is not only for the PC gamers, but also for the console gamers. Since it is made to handle up to 25m in distance, there should be little worry about where you place the connected PC or console within your house.
Source: ASUS
It is a gaming headset, so there is naturally a built-in mic for team communications. It is not like any other mic that might feel like an afterthought in gaming headphones though. There are AI Beamforming mics that is hidden on the headphone that targets a good portion of area in front of the user’s mouth to pick up the user’s voice. The AI Noise Cancellation algorithm also ensures that the mics only pick up your voice and nothing of much else for clear team communications.
The Delta S Wireless packs a rather large driver too. At 50mm, it is larger than most regular over-ear headphones you can find in the market. There are 60mm drivers too, in the market to be fair. The ASUS Essence drivers, at 50mm, should be enough to deliver highly detailed and punchy low-frequency sounds though. They say also that the drivers should be able to facilitate highly detailed audios for all sorts of use case too with a 12o tit on the drivers in an airtight chamber. At the same time, there is ROG’s Hyper-Grounding technology to ensure that there is as little electromagnetic interference as possible on the audio signals to ensure that noise is minimized.
ROG Delta S Core
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Again, if you prefer something more regular, more grounded, more basic solution with the least latency, wired connections are the way to go. In that case, the ROG Delta S Core is the one for you. The Delta S Core offers a universal 3.5mm AUX tip that is compatible with PCs, major gaming consoles like the PlayStation, the Nintendo Switch, and even the Xbox.
It still features the same 50mm drivers you find in its wireless sibling. Because there is no battery to weigh it down, it weighs only 270g. The ergonomic D-shaped earcups that is designed to closely match the shape of regular ears also ensures that you can game for extended hours without feeling fatigued.
The wired connection also allows for the headphone to pack virtual 7.1 channel surround sound with Windows Sonic. With virtual surround sound too, you can accurately place your enemies or teammates within your game just via audio signals. At the same time, the built-in microphone that are Discord and TeamSpeak certified ensures that you always have a clear line of communications with your teammates.
Price and Availability
The ROG Cetra True Wireless Pro is not available now. Currently, there are no confirmations on when it will be available in Malaysia. There is no information on its official pricing for the region yet too. Its regular counterpart, the Cetra True Wireless headset will be available in Malaysia soon for MYR 515. The two Delta S series headphones that are just announced will also be making it to Malaysia soon. The ROG Delta S Wireless headphone with dual-mode wireless connectivity will be available for MYR 899. The ROG Delta S Core will be available for MYR 388. More information on ROG’s latest gaming headsets can be found on their website.
