Category Archives: Computer Hardware + Systems Articles!
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This is where you will find our articles on computer hardware like CPUs, graphics cards and monitors, to computer systems like laptops and gaming desktops!
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Kingston just announced that their eMMC memory has been selected to be used in the NXP iMX 8M Plus reference board!
NXP iMX 8M Plus To Use Kingston eMMC Memory!
On 8 April 2021, Kingston Technology announced that their eMMC embedded memory will be featured in NXP iMX 8M Plus evaluation kits.
Although Kingston did not reveal which eMMC part was selected, the picture they released appears to show the EMMC08G-MB29, which boasts these key features :
8 GB capacity
3D TLC in pMLC NAND memory
eMMC 5.1 standard
11.5 x 13 x 0.8 mm package size
They will be used as storage in the NXP iMX 8M Plus reference boards, which will be used for development and engineering verification.
NXP iMX 8M Plus : What Is It?
The NXP iMX 8M Plus is an application processor – a System-On-a-Chip (SoC) designed for infrastructure solutions like smart home, intelligent city and industrial IoT devices.
two or four ARM Cortex-A53 processors (up to 1.8 GHz)
a neural processing unit (NPU) operating at up to 2.3 TOPS
ARM Cortex-M7 controller (up to 800 MHz)
32-bit DDR4 and LPDDR4 interface (up to 4.0 GT/s)
dual image signal processors (ISP) : up to 12 MP, up to 375 MPixels per second
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A scammer just cheated a scalper out of FIVE GeForce RTX 30 series cards in a COD deal!
Find out how he got cheated in a Cash-On-Delivery exchange, and learn from his mistake!
Scammer vs Scalper : Five RTX 30 Series Cards Gone!
Scalpers have been taking advantage of the graphics card shortage, and massive increase in GPU mining, to make a killing on every graphics card they lay their hands on.
But the high prices and massive profits associated with graphics cards have also attracted scammers, who prowl online marketplaces looking for their greedy marks…
One scalper today shared how he was cheated of five NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards. What was even more shocking – he got scammed in a Cash On Delivery deal!
What Did The Scalper Lose?
The scalper lost five GIGABYTE graphics cards :
RTX 3070 AORUS Master (S/N : 210841066018)
RTX 3070 AORUS Master (S/N : lost)
RTX 3070 Gaming OC (S/N : 210841068841)
RTX 3070 Gaming OC : (S/N 210341039296)
RTX 3060 Gaming OC : (S/N 210441056468)
How Much Did The Scalper Lose?
We have no idea how much the deal was supposed to be, but he was quoting freaking high prices of :
RM4,699 (~US$1,135) for ASUS ROG Strix RTX 3060
RM5,500 (~US$1,329) for ASUS RTX 3060 Ti TUF Gaming
As you can tell, that is something like 2.5X more than what the cards really cost.
Based on that, we guesstimate that the entire deal was probably “worth” RM 34,000 (~US$8,200) to the scalper.
How Did The Scammer Fool The Scalper?
Here’s the interesting part – how the scammer fooled the scalper in a Cash On Delivery (COD) deal.
The scalper is not very clear about certain aspects, but from what we can gather with some investigations of our own…
The scammer arranged to meet the scalper in a shopping centre, probably to gain his trust.
He made an Instant Transfer, which failed. He probably set the transaction limit low.
He blamed the bank transfer transaction limit, and said he would ask his wife (???) to change the limit.
He then offered to transfer the money via a CIMB IBG GIRO transfer.
The scammer likely initiated a Scheduled Transaction (which can be cancelled), and showed the scalper the online transaction receipt.
By giving the scalper only a glance at the transaction receipt, or covering up the scheduled part of the receipt, he conveys the impression he had already transferred the money.
To his credit, the scalper checked his own bank account and saw that the money was not deposited.
The scammer then called the bank in front of the scalper, who confirmed that a GIRO transfer cannot be cancelled.
The scammer sent the scalper a picture of his identity card and bank transaction receipt (probably through WhatsApp), to seal the deal.
Once he walked away with the five graphics cards, the scammer quickly deleted the picture of his identity card and the bank transaction receipt, and cancelled the scheduled transaction.
So that was how the scalper went from potentially making a killing on his five GeForce graphics cards, to getting slaughtered by a scammer in a Cash On Delivery deal!
The scalper wondered if there was “Black Magic” involved. The truth is – the scammer used his greed to stop him from just walking away with his cards.
What Do We Know About The Scammer?
The scalper provided these details about the scammer who cheated him of his five graphics cards :
Surname : Ng
Race : Chinese
Identifying Features : Scar below right eye, tattoo on back of neck
Identity Card Number (partial) : 800831
State of Origin : Johor
Mobile Number : 013-277-6995
Vehicle Type : Honda HRV (Charcoal colour)
Vehicle Number Plate : 3553 or 5335
We have to point out that we cannot vouch for the authenticity of the scalper’s claims, or the details he shared.
Chinese Guy , Have Scar below right eye , tattoo behind neck
Beware of this person phone number 013-277-6995 Surname NG
IC No 800831, ic from Johor, Driving Honda HRV Charcoal Colour car plate could be (3553 or 5335) security doesn’t allow to take the file , too blur , i can only remember that, This person contacted me at Carousell ,mainly fishing graphic card seller in Carousell, couldn’t speak english , starting he will text in malay , He is scamming a lot of Graphic Card , Im a seller , i met him and COD at Cheras Connaught Avenue and Eko Cheras, his tactic is he will make instant transfer first , then failed, then he say he will ask his wife to change the limit , and then he will transfer you CIMB IBG GIRO transfer, and cancel it (after you leave) , i did check my bank account , money is not in, after that just in front of you he call the bank , the bank said once GIRO transfer has been made it cannot be cancel , he will ask u to snap his car plate no , but later give more excuse say that his wife drove away the car, but he came alone, im not sure is there any Black Magic ,he will keep on mentioned about his Wife he will send you the receipt and ic , he was nervous too , after he send me his ic , his uc image face was totally covered , after sending u the receipt he will quickly leave within a sec but he will delete the IC and Receipt , after the next sec you leave , so u are not able to trace him. mainly talking about mining have few farm in Seremban, and how do police trace using a thermal gun, evolving from using old bitcoin mine machine to graphic card, want to get 60 pieces, as a victim , i know that this is very stupid but I hope that no one will be the next victim after me.
5 pieces of graphic card has been scammed
rtx 3070 aorus master SN210841066018
RTX 3070 AORUS MASTER SERIES NUMBER LOST
RTX 3070 GAMING OC SN210841068841
RTX 3070 GAMING OC SN210341039296
RTX 3060 GAMING OC SN210441056468
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NVIDIA Reflex is being integrated into games, reducing system latency for GeForce graphics cards.
Find out what NVIDIA Reflex is all about, and how to use it to reduce system latency in supported games!
NVIDIA Reflex : What Is It?
NVIDIA describes Reflex as “a revolutionary suite of GPU, G-SYNC display and software technologies” that measure and reduce system latency.
System latency is basically the click-to-display latency – the delay between a key press or a mouse click to the actual action appearing on the display.
It is important for competitive e-sports gamers, because high system latency can impact their performance :
Delayed responsiveness : When you move your mouse, but your aim on the screen lags.
Delayed shots : When you shoot, the shot and weapon recoil lags.
Delayed enemy positions : peeker’s advantage is impacted by system latency
NVIDIA Reflex : How Does It Reduce System Latency?
A careful reading will reveal that the key to this technology is the NVIDIA Reflex SDK – a new set of APIs for game developers.
The NVIDIA Reflex Latency Analyzer, which is being integrated into the new 360 Hz G-SYNC Esports monitors, is only eye-candy, and not necessary for Reflex Low Latency Mode to work.
Once integrated into a game, the Reflex Low Latency Mode adjusts the game engine work to complete “just in time” for rendering. This eliminates the GPU render queue, and reduces CPU back pressure.
Like NVIDIA Ultra Low Latency (NULL) mode, Reflex prevents the CPU from processing faster than the GPU, eliminating extra frames from being queued up for rendering, which would normally increase render latency.
The difference really is this – by integrating with the game, the NVIDIA graphics driver can control the amount of back pressure the CPU receives from the render queue and other later stages of the pipeline.
This makes NVIDIA Reflex superior to NULL, but only with games that integrate the SDK.
NVIDIA Reflex : How Much System Latency Does It Reduce?
This NVIDIA chart shows the amount of system latency that Reflex shaves off in the first four games to support it.
The biggest improvement was seen with Destiny 2 and Fornite – system latency was down by about ⅓.
System latency was down by 22% in Apex Legends, and 18% in Valorant.
NVIDIA Reflex : Requirements
Reflex is only supported by NVIDIA GeForce GTX 900 series graphics cards onwards, using the GeForce Game Ready 457.09 driver or newer.
NVIDIA Reflex : Automatic, With Max Performance Option
There is really nothing much to set for NVIDIA Reflex. Games that support it will enable it by default, if it detects the presence of a compatible NVIDIA graphics card.
The latest GeForce Experience also comes with an automatic performance tuning option, that will turn on low latency options for supported games.
It is recommended that you enable NULL by selecting the Ultra option. Reflex Low Latency mode will automatically take priority over NULL in games that support it.
There is, however, a “hack” of sorts for those who want to squeeze every last microsecond of latency out of the pipeline.
The NVIDIA Control Panel has a Power Management Mode option that defaults to Adaptive, allowing the GPU to clock down and save power when the load isn’t high.
You can set this to Prefer Maximum Performance, to override the power saving feature. This forces the GPU to always run at the higher clocks, reducing latency in CPU-bound instances at the expense of higher power consumption.
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NVIDIA finally released Resizable BAR support, and it is currently limited to RTX 30 series graphics cards only.
Here is what you need to know about Resizable BAR, and how to get your FREE performance boost!
NVIDIA Resizable BAR : What Is It?
Resizable BAR is an optional PCI Express feature, that can deliver a small but free boost in performance for the graphics card.
CPUs are traditionally limited to a 256 MB I/O memory address region for the GPU frame buffer. This of it as an “data dump” for stuff like textures, shaders and geometry.
Since this “data dump” is limited to 256 MB, the CPU can only send texture, shader and geometry data as and when the GPU requires them.
This introduces some latency – delay from when the GPU requires the data, and the CPU send them.
Turning on Resizable BAR or Smart Access Memory greatly expands the size of that data dump, letting the CPU directly access the GPU’s entire frame buffer memory.
Instead of transferring data when requested by the GPU, the CPU processes and stores the data directly in the graphics memory.
Graphics assets can be transferred to graphics memory in full, instead of in pieces. In addition, multiple transfers can occur simultaneously, instead of being queued up.
Do note that Resizable BAR will not increase memory bandwidth.
What it does is let the CPU directly access the entire GPU frame buffer memory, instead of using the usual 256 MB “dump”. That reduces latency because the graphics assets are now accessible by the GPU at all times.
NVIDIA Resizable BAR : Delayed From February 2021!
AMD was first out the door with Resizable BAR in November 2020, launching it as Smart Access Memory.
It gave their Radeon RX 6800 XT graphics card a free performance boost of up to 16% in some games, but no effect in other games.
On 12 January 2021, NVIDIA announced that they will be able to introduce Resizable BAR support in GeForce drivers from Late February 2021 onwards.
They finally released Resizable Bar support on 30 March 2021, through GeForce Game Ready Driver 465.89.
It will be limited to their GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards and laptops, but will work with both Intel and AMD CPUs.
However, it’s not as simple as just installing GeForce Game Ready Driver 465.89.
The newly announced GeForce RTX 3060 will ship with support for Resizable BAR. However, older GeForce RTX 30 series cards will need to have their VBIOS updated from March 2021 onwards.
The motherboard must also be updated with Resizable BAR support. According to Intel, this will be limited to 11th Gen platforms, and select 10th Gen platforms.
So ironically, Resizable BAR will first work on GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards paired with AMD Ryzen 5000 processors and AMD 500-series motherboards!
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You may not know this, but HUAWEI just launched the MateStation S, which is just great for the new WFH normal!
Find out what the HUAWEI MateStation S offers, and why it is perfect for WFH!
HUAWEI MateStation S : Why It’s Perfect For WFH!
The HUAWEI MateStation S is their first-ever desktop PC, and is designed for the new WFH (Work From Home) normal.
What do we mean by that? Desktop computers are known for offering excellent performance, but are usually bulky, expensive and lack wireless connectivity.
The HUAWEI MateStation S changes that by offering desktop performance in a small package, with wireless connectivity and smart sharing capabilities.
In other words, you don’t have to worry about wires, space or battery life. Just plunk it anywhere at home, and you can start working!
Meanwhile, the HUAWEI AX3 Dual Core router with Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi Mesh capability is also coming soon, at just RM 199!
Super Compact!
The HUAWEI MateStation S is super compact. At 9 cm wide and 29 cm tall, with a cubic volume of just 8.6 litres, it is just a third of a standard PC case!
With a stylish star trail design, you can place it on your desk, under it, or even on a nearby bookshelf!
6-Core Powerful Performance!
The HUAWEI MateStation S is powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G, a 7 nm processor with 6 cores for excellent multi-tasking performance.
It also comes with integrated 7-core Radeon Graphics, dual-channel memory, and a PCIe x4 NVMe SSD, which delivers ultra-quick start up and response times thanks to its 32 Gbps throughput.
Users have the option to add extra SSD / HDD and even RAM, if they wish to upgrade it after purchase. It comes with two M.2 2280 slots.
23.8-inch FullView Monitor!
It comes with a 23.8-inch FullView monitor, with ultra thin bezels that delivers a 90% screen-to-body ratio.
To ensure eye comfort during long hours of use, the monitor is flicker-free and TÜV Rheinland-certified for low blue light emissions.
Ultra-Quiet Cooling System
To ensure minimal noise impact on your home environment, the MateStation S comes with an ultra-quiet cooling system.
The fan features vertical blades, and works in tandem with a “high-density bionic heat sink” to deliver superior cooling performance at low noise levels.
The fan usually has a noise level of only 22 dB. Even at full throttle, it maxes out at 28 dB, so it won’t disturb anyone sleeping nearby.
Integrated Wireless Connectivity!
Unlike many desktops, the HUAWEI MateStation S offers the wireless connectivity of a laptop.
It comes with WiFi-AC – 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band with 2×2 MIMO – and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity built-in.
So you can easily connect to the Internet and other devices, without worrying about cables!
But in case you need LAN connectivity, it also comes with an RJ45 Ethernet port!
Smart Connectivity!
The HUAWEI MateStation S supports improved HUAWEI Share capability, allowing you to easily share files, images and even text between two devices using drag-and-drop or a simple tap.
You can also connect your smartphone and open three mobile app windows on the large display at once. This allows you to handle multiple tasks on one display, improving your productivity.
For instance, you can attend a video call on one mobile app screen, and take notes on a second screen, while chatting with colleagues on a third screen.
Loads Of Ports!
The HUAWEI MateStation S offers loads of ports – something laptops lack, and many users desperately need.
In The Front
3.5 mm audio jack
USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type A) port
USB 2.0 (Type C) port
We should point out that this USB Type C port in the front supports 18 watt fast charging for your smartphone, so you can plug it in to charge while using the MateStation S!
In The Back
Audio input port
Audio output port
Microphone input port
HDMI port
VGA port
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type A) ports
2 x USB 2.0 (Type A) ports
RJ45 Ethernet port
Serial port
The HDMI port connects to any monitor or TV, while the VGA and serial ports offer backward compatibility with many commercial and industrial devices, like projectors and bar code scanners.
Smart Keyboard!
The HUAWEI MateStation S comes with a HUAWEI Wired Keyboard with a built-in fingerprint sensor.
This makes it the world’s first desktop to feature a fingerprint power on and unlock capability! A single touch is all it needs to power on and log-in.
This is a full-sized keyboard with a numeric keypad, and a scissor key mechanism that offers 2.5 mm key travel.
Each key measures 16.05 x 6.05 mm, offering a comfortable touch type experience with tactile feedback.
HUAWEI MateStation S : Price + Availability
The HUAWEI MateStation S is available for sale with immediate effect at these launch prices :
Desktop + Keyboard : RM 2,488
Desktop + Monitor + Keyboard : RM 2,999
Every purchase of the full bundle (including monitor) will receive FREE GIFTS worth up to RM 855* upon purchase.
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The new mobile processors also uses a single, monolithic die, which eliminates the I/O latency between dies.
Placeholder : AMD Ryzen PRO 5000 tech briefing video coming soon!
In addition to its improved performance, the AMD Ryzen PRO 5000 mobile processors also come with these AMD PRO technologies :
AMD PRO security provides a multi-layered approach to security features by embedding defenses at every level, from silicon through operating system.
– AMD Memory Guard, automatically enabled on Microsoft Secured-Core PCs, helps enable data and identity protection, while
– AMD Shadow Stack helps provide hardware enabled protection against malware attacks.
AMD PRO manageability enables a full manageability feature set for simplified deployment, imaging and management that is compatible with modern IT infrastructures.
AMD Ryzen PRO processors offer full support for Microsoft Endpoint Manager to deliver a flexible and integrated cloud management solution.
AMD PRO business ready technologies bring enterprise-grade computing solutions designed for quality and reliability, in addition to platform longevity.
AMD Ryzen PRO processors feature 18-months of planned software stability and 24-months of planned availability.
AMD Ryzen PRO 5000 : Models + Specifications
AMD announced three Ryzen PRO 5000 models to replace the three Ryzen PRO 4000 models from last year.
Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U : 8C/16T | 15W | 1.9 to 4.4 GHz | 20 MB cache
Ryzen 5 PRO 5650U : 6C/12T | 15W | 2.3 to 4.2 GHz | 19 MB cache
Ryzen 3 PRO 5450U : 4C/8T | 15W | 2.6 to 4.0 GHz | 10 MB cache
For easier comparison, here is a table comparing their key specifications :
Specifications
Ryzen 7
PRO
5850U
Ryzen 5
PRO
5650U
Ryzen 3
PRO
5450U
Process
7 nm
Cores / Threads
8 / 16
6 / 12
4 / 8
Base Clock
1.9 GHz
2.3 GHz
2.6 GHz
Boost Clock
4.4 GHz
4.2 GHz
4.0 GHz
L2 Cache
4 MB
3 MB
2 MB
L3 Cache
16 MB
8 MB
TDP
15 W
AMD Ryzen PRO 5000 : Availability
According to AMD, enterprise customers will be able to purchase the new Ryzen PRO 5000 laptops from top PC vendors like HP and Lenovo starting in Q2, 2021.
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HP just launched their first virtual showroom in six countries across Southeast Asia, including Malaysia!
HP Launches Virtual Showroom In Southeast Asia!
On 9 March 2021, HP officially launched their HP virtual showroom in six countries across Southeast Asia, including Malaysia!
HP created their virtual showroom in collaboration with Intel and Lazada, touring their latest PC and print innovations to customers in the comfort of their homes.
The HP virtual showroom offers HP virtual showroom, each with a 360-degree view of multimedia content, including animation and videos. This lets customers get as close to real life as possible.
The experience begins with a wide-frame scene of a lifestyle apartment building set in the city as lights from the windows illuminate the night. You can explore this virtual world whenever you want, and wherever you are.
HP Virtual Showroom Highlights
Here is a section of highlights in the new HP virtual showroom :
For Gamers
OMEN 30L Desktop PC with a powerful processor and graphics, and a large front fan to keep it cool
HP X24c Gaming Monitor, with ultra-wide viewing angles, and smooth, a 144Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync technology
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The Dell XPS 13 (9300) features the first-ever InfinityEdge display with Gorilla Glass 6 protection.
Find out why we think it’s an incredible ultra-light laptop worthy of our Reviewer’s Choice Award!
Dell XPS 13 (9300) : Featuring The InfinityEdge Display
The Dell XPS 13 (9300) continues the evolution of the XPS 13 line, with an ultra-light chassis built from machined aluminium and woven glass fibre, with Gorilla Glass 6 protection.
With the first-ever InfinityEdge display, the XPS 13 (9300) offers a 13.4-inch display in an 11-inch form factor, that fits neatly on an airplane’s seat tray.
Dell XPS 13 (9300) : Colour Options
Our unit comes in the Frost White colour with an Arctic White woven glass fibre palm rest.
Dell also offers the Platinum Silver colour option, with a Black carbon fiber palm rest.
Dell XPS 13 (9300) : Specifications + Options
Specifications
XPS 13 9300
Display Size
13.4-inch
Display Options
4K touch screen (3840 x 2400)
Full HD touch screen (1920 x 1200)
Full HD non-touch (1920 x 1200)
Display Features
WLED backlight
60 Hz refresh rate
500 nits max. brightness
35 ms response time
1200:1 contrast ratio
Realtek ALC3281-CG audio chip
2 x 2.5 watt speakers
Dual microphone array
3.5 mm audio jack
Wireless
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2×2)
Bluetooth 5.1
External Ports
2 x Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type C) ports
– with Power Delivery and DisplayPort
1 x 3.5 mm audio port
1 x microSD card slot
Camera
HD webcam
Fingerprint Sensor
Yes, capacitive 500 dpi sensor
Keyboard
Backlit keyboard
19.05 x 18.05 mm key pitch
Touchpad
1300 x 722 pixel resolution
Battery
4-cell 52 Whr lithium-ion battery
Charger
45 watt USB Type C charger
Dimensions
296 mm wide
199 mm deep
14.8 mm thick
Weight
1.27 kg (touch screen)
1.20 kg (non-touch)
Unboxing The Dell XPS 13 (9300) Laptop
The Dell XPS 13 (9300) comes in a premium white cardboard box. Once you fully unbox it, you will find these items :
Dell XPS 13 (9300) laptop
Dell USB Type C to USB Type A dongle
45 watt charger with integrated USB Type C cable
Power cord with localised plug
XPS 13 9300 Quick Start Guide + Safety and Regulatory Information
Dell XPS 13 (9300) : Hands-On Experience!
This Dell XPS 13 (9300) is an eminently thin and light laptop. It offers a 13.4-inch display in an 11-inch form factor that weighs only 1.27 kg, and is less than 15 mm thick.
It easily fits into the smallest laptop bag, and even a large handbag. And when you can fly again, you will love how it fits onto the airplane’s seat tray!
Once you try it out, you will find it hard to go back to regular laptops – you will find them heavy and unwieldy!
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Dell XPS 13 (9300) : A Closer Look!
13.4-inch Display In 11-Inch Form Factor
This Dell XPS 13 (9300) model comes with a 4K UHD+ touch display, with a resolution of 3840 x 2400 pixel, a colour gamut of 90% DCI-P3 and DisplayHDR 400 certification.
The incredibly high resolution and wide colour gamut allow your high resolution photos and HDR content to really pop.
Dell also offers a Full HD+ display, with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels and 100% sRGB colour gamut; in both touch and non-touch options.
All three display options are 25% brighter at 500 nits, and are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 6 against scratches and impact.
Cameras + Security
The thin bezel at the top conceals two cameras – a regular 720p webcam, and an infra-red camera for facial recognition.
So you can either unlock the XPS 13 using the IR camera and Windows Hello, or the fingerprint sensor, which integrated into the power button.
While its 720p webcam may be rather low in resolution, it uses a new 4-element lens for sharper image quality. It also supports temporal noise reduction to improve video quality in low-light conditions.
We hope that Dell would look at upgrading it to a 1080p camera, with a physical or electronics privacy shutter.
Performance
Our Dell XPS 13 (9300) is powered by the Intel Core i7-1065G7 – a 4-core, 8-thread processor with 8 MB of cache and built-in Iris Plus Graphics.
You can opt for a Core i5-1035G1 or the Core i3-1005G1, both of which come with integrated UHD Graphics.
A redesigned cooler keeps things cool, using a single heat pipe and evaporator design with dual condensers and GORE thermal insulation. The hot air is exhausted through the hinge at the back.
It can get a little toasty from the hot exhaust when you use it on your lap, especially if you’re doing compute-intensive tasks like rendering videos.
It also comes with 16 GB of dual-channel LPDDR4X memory running at 3733 MHz. The memory is soldered onto the motherboard and cannot be upgraded.
Our unit came with a 1 TB SK hynix PC611 PCIe NVMe SSD, but you can opt for a smaller 512 GB SSD, or a larger 2 TB SSD.
Ports
Due to its ultra-slim profile – 14.8 mm at its thickest point, the XPS 13 has very limited ports.
On the left side, you will find a microSD card reader; as well as a single Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type C) port, which supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort output
On the right side, you will find a 3.5 mm microphone and headphone combo port, with a second Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type C) port, which also supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort output.
You can plug the USB Type C charging cable into either Thunderbolt 3 port. But unless you are using it on-the-go, you really only have one free port to use.
The good news is Dell actually bundles the XPS 13 (9300) with a free USB Type C to USB Type A dongle, so you can use your USB Type A drives and devices (including cables) with it.
Keyboard + Touchpad
The Dell XPS (9300) comes an edge-to-edge keyboard, and a 17% larger touchpad for maximum working comfort. The keyboard is backlit, and comes with larger key caps!
It definitely offers a far superior typing experience to the horrible butterfly switch keyboard used in Apple MacBook Pro laptops.
[twenty20 img1=”43631″ img2=”43632″ offset=”0.5″]
Connectivity
Our XPS 13 (9300) comes with the Killer AX1650 module, which offers Wi-Fi 6 connectivity with 2×2 antennas, and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity.
It is much too thin to support a LAN port, but you can add LAN connectivity using a USB-C dongle.
The two long stripes on both sides of the XPS 13 are not cooling vents, but ports for its 2.5 watt stereo speakers, which are tuned with Waves MaxxAudio Pro.
Its 3.5 mm microphone / headphone combo jack is also optimised with the 360-degree Waves NX 3D virtual surround sound with head tracking.
Finally, its dual microphone array is powered by Waves MaxxVoice Pro, which supports VOIP and is Cortana Farfield-capable.
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Dell XPS 13 (9300) : Performance
Our Dell XPS 13 (9300) is powered by the 15-watt Intel Core i7-1065G7 (Ice Lake) with 4 cores and 8 threads, and Iris Plus Graphics with 64 Execution Units.
It comes with 8 MB of cache, and has a 1.3 GHz base frequency that ramps up to 3.5 GHz during intensive tasks.
Our review sample came with 16 GB LPDDR4X-3733 dual-channel memory, and a 1 TB SK hynix PC611 PCIe NVMe SSD.
Work Performance : PCMark 10
The Intel Core i7-1065G7 is a 25 watt processor that can be configured to run at a lower TDP of 15 watt – to improve battery life and reduce thermal output.
At the full 25 watt TDP, it should deliver PCMark 10 scores in excess of 4700. It is obvious now that Dell configured it for the cooler 15 watt TDP. This is why benchmarks are important.
The integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics sounds powerful on paper – with 64 Execution Units – but it is only about as fast as the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 / GeForce 940MX.
So this is most definitely NOT a gaming laptop, although you should have no problem playing older games and games that are not 3D graphics-intensive like DOTA 2.
Battery Life : YouTube + Modern Office
The Dell XPS 13 (9300) comes with a 4-cell smart lithium-ion battery that is rated for 52 Whr.
Dell claims a battery life of up to 18 hours and 49 minutes with the Full HD+ display, and up to 12 hours and 13 minutes with the 4K UHD+ display.
In our general use, we have no problem working a full day on it without recharging, which makes it really convenient when travelling.
That said, we locked the brightness at 50% – higher than the average of 40% – to see how it performs in these worst-case scenarios :
YouTube Streaming
The Dell XPS 13 (9300) lasted 8 hours 15 minutes streaming YouTube videos in theatre mode using WiFi, before its battery dropped to 10%.
PCMark 10 : Modern Office
The Dell XPS 13 (9300) lasted 6 hours 36 minutes before it powered off while running the Modern Office benchmark.
Battery : Recharging Speed
Its 65 watt fast charger took about 52.5 minutes to hit the mid-point (55%), but 2 hours 23.5 minutes to fully recharge its battery from 10%.
Here are the times it takes to recharge from 10% :
15% – 5 minutes 57 seconds
20% – 11 minutes 53 seconds
25% – 17 minutes 45 seconds
30% – 23 minutes 22 seconds
35% – 29 minutes 25 seconds
40% – 35 minutes 8 seconds
45% – 41 minutes 22 seconds
50% – 46 minutes 56 seconds
55% – 52 minutes 39 seconds
60% – 58 minutes 27 seconds
65% – 64 minutes 13 seconds
70% – 70 minutes 15 seconds
75% – 76 minutes
80% – 81 minutes 58 seconds
85% – 89 minutes 41 seconds
90% – 100 minutes 50 seconds
95% – 118 minutes 45 seconds
100% – 143 minutes 20 seconds
This gives it a battery life : recharging time ratio of 3.45 : 1 for video streaming, and 2.76 : 1 for office work.
As a rule of thumb, you will need to recharge its battery about 22 minutes for every hour of battery life.
Dell XPS 13 (9300) : Verdict + Award
The Dell XPS 13 (9300) is a really great ultra-light laptop for people who are always on-the-go.
It packs serious processing power, memory and a huge SSD with the latest wireless connectivity built-in, in a very thin and light package.
It is less than 15 mm at its thickest point, and weighs less than 1.3 kg. But this is something you have to hold in your hand to actually get a feel of how much engineering went into the XPS 13.
Even the latest 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro, powered by the new Apple M1 SoC, is larger, thicker at 15.6 mm and weighs more at 1.4 kg!
The extremely thin profile offers some challenges to first time users – limited physical ports. Yet the XPS 13 (9300) managed to squeeze in an extra microSD card reader over the new 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1).
Even so, you will have to live with just two USB Type C ports – one of which is not available when you recharge its battery. Fortunately, the XPS 13 (9300) comes with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 wireless connectivity.
Thankfully, Dell threw in a free USB-C to USB-A dongle, so at least you have ready access to your USB Type A drives and devices out-of-the-box.
Security-conscious users will love the fingerprint sensor and IR camera, which allows for easy and secure logins. However, the webcam lacks a physical shutter, and the lid clearance is too tight to safely use a third-party shutter.
As far as battery life is concerned, the XPS 13 (9300) will last more than full day’s work without recharging. After a while, you will get used to leaving the office without the charger!
All-in-all, the Dell XPS 13 (9300) is an engineering marvel that must be experienced to truly understand. If you want the very best Windows 10 ultra-light laptop money can buy, this should be right at the top of the list.
That is why we wholeheartedly award it our Reviewer’s Choice Award!
Acknowledgement
We would like to thank Dell for sending us this review unit, and making us part of the #DellInsideCircle
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Cryptocurrency miners have turned the gaming world upside down, buying up graphics cards and even gaming laptops in bulk. As long as it has a GPU, they are snatching it up!
But their demand for more computing power does not seem to be sated, and it appears that they may have turned their attention to PS4 consoles!
Take a look at this viral photo of a very ghetto-looking mining rig made up of sixteen PS4 Slim consoles.
How Much Money Can This PS4 Mining Rig Make?
We have no idea if it’s actually running, or just a work in progress though, because we never heard of anyone actually mining cryptocurrency on the PS4.
The PS4 and PS4 Slim use a custom AMD Radeon 7970M GPU, with 18 compute units and 8 GB of GDDR5 memory with 176 GB/s of memory bandwidth.
It is roughly 20% slower than the AMD Radeon 7970M mobile GPU, but cryptomining is less about processing power, and memory bandwidth.
So let’s just call PS4 Slim equivalent to the Radeon 7970M for mining purposes, which delivers a hash rate of about 8.35 H/s.
Each PS4 console would be fast enough to generate 0.00013896 BTC worth US$7.62 per month.
And that 16-console PS4 mining rig above would generate about 0.00222336 BTC worth US$121.92 per month.
Even if they are stealing electricity, that’s really not a lot of profit, to be honest…
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Find out what AMD Smart Access Memory is all about, and how to turn it on for a FREE BOOST in performance!
Smart Access Memory : PCIe Resizable BAR for AMD!
Smart Access Memory is AMD’s marketing term for their implementation of the PCI Express Resizable BAR (Base Address Registers) capability.
What does that mean exactly?
CPUs are traditionally limited to a 256 MB I/O memory address region for the GPU frame buffer. This of it as an “data dump” for stuff like textures, shaders and geometry.
Since this “data dump” is limited to 256 MB, the CPU can only send texture, shader and geometry data as and when the GPU requires them.
This introduces some latency – delay from when the GPU requires the data, and the CPU send them.
Turning on Resizable BAR or Smart Access Memory greatly expands the size of that data dump, letting the CPU directly access the GPU’s entire frame buffer memory.
Instead of transferring data when requested by the GPU, the CPU processes and stores the data directly in the graphics memory.
Graphics assets can be transferred to graphics memory in full, instead of in pieces. In addition, multiple transfers can occur simultaneously, instead of being queued up.
While this AMD graphic above suggests that Smart Access Memory will widen the memory path (and thus memory bandwidth) between the CPU and GPU, that is not true.
Smart Access Memory / Resizable BAR will not increase memory bandwidth.
What it does is let the CPU directly access the entire GPU frame buffer memory, instead of using the usual 256 MB “dump”. That reduces latency because the graphics assets are now accessible by the GPU at all times.
AMD Smart Access Memory : Performance Gains
According to AMD, enabling Smart Access Memory will give you a small but free boost of 5% to 11% in gaming performance.
You can expect up to 16% better performance in some games, but no effect in certain games. But overall, you get a free boost in performance. There is simply no reason not to enable Smart Access Memory.
1080p Resolution (1920 x 1080)
1440p Resolution (2560 x 1440)
2160p Resolution (3840 x 2160)
AMD Smart Access Memory : Requirements
Since Smart Access Memory is just an AMD implementation of PCI Express Resizable BAR. Therefore, it can be be implemented for all PCI Express 3.0 and PCI Express 4.0 graphics cards and motherboards.
If you have all of those supported components above, and updated your motherboard BIOS, you need to manually enable Smart Access Memory.
Now, the method will vary from motherboard to motherboard, and it probably won’t even be called Smart Access Memory.
Instead, look for variations of Above 4G Decoding, or Resizing BAR, or Resizable BAR, or Re-Size BAR Support.
AMD Generic Method
AMD has provided these generic steps to enable Smart Access Memory :
Enter the System BIOS by press <DEL> or <F12> during the system startup.
Navigate to the Advanced Settings or Advanced menu.
Enable “Above 4G Decoding” and “Re-Size BAR Support“.
Save the changes and restart the computer.
Step-by-Step Method For ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero
In our guide, we are using the ASUS CROSSHAIR VIII Hero (AMD X570) motherboard, as an example :
First you will need to turn off CSM (Compatibility Support Module), or make sure it’s disabled.Go to the Boot menu and look for a CSM / Compatibility Support Module option.
Set CSM (Compatibility Support Module) to Disabled.
Go to the Advanced menu and look for the PCI Subsystem. In other motherboards, look for PCIe / PCI Express configuration options.
Enable Above 4G Decoding.
This will give you access to the Re-Size BAR Support option. Set it to Auto.
Now go to the Exit menu, and select Save Changes & Reset.
It will ask you to confirm the changes. Just verify both, and click OK.
CSM is disabled by default for the ASUS, ASRock and MSI motherboards. However, it is enabled by default in the GIGABYTE AORUS X570 Master.
If you installed Windows without first turning CSM off, it will be configured as non-UEFI. It will NOT boot if you enable Resizable BAR Support (Smart Access Memory).
You will need to reinstall Windows with CSM support disabled.
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Smart Access Memory : How Does It Boost Ryzen 3000 Performance?
Smart Access Memory is AMD’s marketing term for their implementation of the PCI Express Resizable BAR (Base Address Registers) capability.
What does that mean exactly?
CPUs are traditionally limited to a 256 MB I/O memory address region for the GPU frame buffer. This of it as an “data dump” for stuff like textures, shaders and geometry.
Since this “data dump” is limited to 256 MB, the CPU can only send texture, shader and geometry data as and when the GPU requires them.
This introduces some latency – delay from when the GPU requires the data, and the CPU send them.
Turning on Resizable BAR or Smart Access Memory greatly expands the size of that data dump, letting the CPU directly access the GPU’s entire frame buffer memory.
Instead of transferring data when requested by the GPU, the CPU processes and stores the data directly in the graphics memory.
Graphics assets can be transferred to graphics memory in full, instead of in pieces. In addition, multiple transfers can occur simultaneously, instead of being queued up.
While this AMD graphic above suggests that Smart Access Memory will widen the memory path (and thus memory bandwidth) between the CPU and GPU, that is not true.
Smart Access Memory / Resizable BAR will not increase memory bandwidth.
What it does is let the CPU directly access the entire GPU frame buffer memory, instead of using the usual 256 MB “dump”. That reduces latency because the graphics assets are now accessible by the GPU at all times.
Smart Access Memory For Ryzen 3000 : Requirements
This is what you currently require to enable AMD Smart Access Memory for Ryzen 3000 desktop processors :
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The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is here, and it only costs $479… if you can find one!
Here is what you need to know about the new 1440p gaming card from AMD!
AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT : Official Launch Briefing!
AMD is targeting the Radeon RX 6700 XT at 1440p gamers, with its 40 enhanced Compute Units and 12 GB GDDR6 memory.
Let’s start with the official launch briefing by Scott Herkelman, Corporate Vice President & General Manager at the AMD Graphics Business Unit.
AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT : Key Features
The AMD Radeon RX 6000 series graphics cards are built on the new RDNA 2 architecture, which features an enhanced Compute Unit, a new visual pipeline with Ray Accelerators, and the new AMD Infinity Cache.
The Ryzen 5000 processor is given greater access to its GDDR6 graphics memory, providing up to 13% better performance when combined with the new Rage Mode one-click overclocking setting.
They will support the next-generation games with greater realism through DirectX Raytracing (DXR) and Variable Rate Shading.
New Ray Accelerator
Every RDNA 2 computer unit has a new fixed-function Ray Accelerator engine to deliver real-time lighting, shadow and refection realism through DirectX Raytracing (DXR).
It can be paired with AMD FidelityFX to enable hybrid rendering, offering a combination of rasterised and ray-traced effects for a blend of better image quality and higher performance.
Variable Rate Shading (VRS)
Variable Rate Shading dynamically reduces the shading rate for areas of the frame that do not require a high level of visual quality, improving performance at little to no perceptible loss in image quality.
Microsoft DirectStorage Support
They will support the future DirectStorage API for faster load times, and high-quality textures.
AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT : Specifications
The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT headlines the Radeon RX 6000 series :
Here is a table comparing their key specifications :
Specifications
RX
6900 XT
RX
6800 XT
RX
6800
RX 6700
XT
Transistors
26.8 billion
NA
Fab Process
7 nm
TGP
300 W
250 W
230 W
Compute Units
80
72
60
40
Ray Accelerators
80
72
60
40
Stream Processors
5120
4608
3840
2560
Game Clock
2015 MHz
2015 MHz
1815 MHz
2424 MHz
Boost Clock
2250 MHz
2250 MHz
2105 MHz
2581 MHz
TFLOPS
23.04
20.74
16.17
13.21
TMUs
320
288
240
192
Max. Texture Rate
720 GT/s
648 GT/s
505 GT/s
495 GT/s
ROPs
128
96
64
Max. Pixel Rate
288 GP/s
202 GP/s
165 GP/s
Infinity Cache
128 MB
Graphics
Memory
16 GB GDDR6
12 GB GDDR6
Bus Width
256-bit
192-bit
Bandwidth
512 GB/s
384 GB/s
PCIe Interface
PCIe 4.0 x16
PCIe Power
2 x 8-pin
AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT : Performance
AMD shared these performance charts to demonstrate its gaming performance at the 1440p resolution, beating the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti.
AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT : Price + Availability
At launch, the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT has a SEP (Suggested E-tail Price) of US$479, which is approximately £343 / A$614 / S$638 / RM1,940.
The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT will be available from AMD board partners like ASRock, ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI, PowerColor, Sapphire and XFX starting 18 March 2021.
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Lenovo just introduced four 2021 YOGA laptop models – Yoga 6 AMD, Yoga Slim 9i, Yoga 9i and Yoga Slim 7i Carbon.
Confused? Hear from Lenovo themselves, and we will give you a quick run down of all four models!
2021 Lenovo YOGA Laptop Models Revealed!
The Yoga is Lenovo’s top-of-the-line consumer sub-brand, and is designed to offer refined craftsmanship and stunning design, for “consumers with sophisticated taste”.
Lenovo Yoga 6 AMD
The 2021 Lenovo Yoga 6 AMD is their first-generation consumer convertible laptop, that uses a hybrid design of metal and soft-touch materials wrapped in blue fabric.
This 13.3-inch, 2-in-1 convertible laptop features an AMD Ryzen 4000 series mobile processor with optional AMD Radeon graphics, with up to 16 GB of DDR4 memory an 1 TB of SSD storage.
It comes with a Full HD touch screen display, with narrow bezels and a backlit keyboard. It also comes with front facing stereo speakers that support Dolby Atmos.
Weighing only 1.32 kg, the Yoga 6 AMD offers up to 18 hours of battery life with a 60 Whr battery.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i
The 2021 Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i offers an exquisite Shadow Black genuine leather cover bonded to an aluminium chassis for a better feel and greater durability.
Built around the 11th Gen Intel Core processors, with Intel Xe Graphics, this 14-inch laptop is just 13.9 mm thick, and weighs just 1.29 kg.
Lenovo also offers a more powerful 15-inch option, powered by the 10th Gen Intel Core i9 HK-series mobile processor, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti with Max-Q Design graphics.
Both models offer up to 16 GB of LPDDR4X memory and up to 2 TB of PCIe SSD storage, with three USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Lenovo Yoga 9i
The 2021 Lenovo Yoga 9i offers an exquisite Shadow Black genuine leather cover bonded to an aluminium chassis, as well as an all-metal Mica option.
They both come with an edge-to-edge Glass Palm Rest with an encased Smart Sensor Touchpad with haptic feedback.
Built around the 11th Gen Intel Core processors, with Intel Xe Graphics, this 14-inch convertible laptop features thermal venting holes under the keyboard to lower its temperature by two degrees Celsius compared to the previous generation.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon is an ultra-light 13.3-inch laptop, with a 16:10 display and a thickness of just 14.25 mm and a weight of just 966 grams.
This is an Intel Evo-certified laptop, with a stunning Moon White finish, and a chassis made from carbon fibre with an anti-fingerprint finish.
2021 Lenovo YOGA Models : Price + Availability
All four 2021 Lenovo Yoga laptop models are available for purchase, with immediate effect, at these starting prices :
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HP just unveiled their 2021 OMEN 15 gaming laptop, codenamed Valkyrie – powered by both AMD and NVIDIA!
2021 HP OMEN 15 (Valkyrie) Gaming Laptop
Codenamed Valkyrie, the 2021 HP OMEN 15 gaming laptop is a 15.6-inch laptop built with serious gaming in mind, with a sleek and modern minimalistic design!
15.6-inch IPS Display
The 2021 HP OMEN 15 comes with a large 15.6-inch IPS display, with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
You can opt for a 144 Hz refresh rate, as well as a premium 144 Hz display with 300 nits brightness and 72% NTSC colour gamut.
Gaming Performance
The 2021 HP OMEN 15 is powered by the latest AMD Ryzen 5000 series processor, and paired with up to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics!
It is kept cool by the OMEN Tempest Cooling Technology, with 3-sided venting and 5-way airflow, to ensure maximum performance even during prolonged gaming sessions!
Memory + Storage
The 2021 HP OMEN 15 comes with up to 16 GB of DDR4-3200 memory, in dual-channel mode for maximum performance.
You can equip it with up to a 1 TB PCIe NVMe TLC SSD, or up to two 256 GB SSDs in RAID 0 mode for super-fast transfers.
Connectivity
The 2021 HP OMEN 15 comes with Gigabit LAN wired connectivity built in, and offers either Intel Wi-Fi 6 or Realtek Wi-Fi 5 wireless connectivity.
Audio
You do not have to rely on headphones for maximum gaming enjoyment. The new OMEN 15 comes with Bang & Olufsen speakers and support for DTS:X Ultra!
Gaming Keyboard
The 2021 HP OMEN 15 comes with an island-style backlit keyboard with integrated numeric keypad.
You have the option of simple dragon red backlighting, or RGB backlighting with 4 independent zones.
2021 HP OMEN 15 (Valkyrie) : Specifications + Options
The 2021 HP OMEN 15 gaming laptop comes with these specifications and configuration options :
Up to 1 TB PCIe NVMe TLC SSD
Up to 2 x 256 GB PCIe NVMe TLC SSDs
Card Reader
SD card reader
Audio
Bang & Olfusen dual speakers
DTS:X Ultra support
Networking
Gigabit LAN
Wireless Options
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5.0
Realtek Wi-Fi 5 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5.0
I/O Ports
1 x USB 3.0 Type C with DisplayPort 1.4
1 x USB 3.0 Type A with Sleep + Charge
2 x USB 3.0 Type A
1 x RJ45 LAN port
1 x headphone / mic combo port
1 x Mini DisplayPort
1 x HDMI 2.0a
Camera
HD camera with dual-array digital mic
IR thermal sensor
Keyboard Options
1-zone dragon red backlit keyboard
4-zone RGB backlit keyboard
Touchpad
HP Imagepad Touchpad
Battery Options
6-cell Li-Po, 70.9 Wh
3-cell Li-Po, 52.5 Wh
Charger
150 / 200 watt charger
Dimensions
357.96 mm wide
239.7 mm deep
22.5 mm thick
Weight
2.37 kg
2021 HP OMEN 15 : Price + Availability
The new HP OMEN 15 gaming laptop has a starting price of RM 3,899 (about US$965 / £684 / A$1,220 / S$1,272).
It comes with 2-years of Accidental Protection Damage warranty, and is available from the HP Online Store in Malaysia right now.
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HP just revealed the 2021 HP OMEN 25L gaming desktop, powered by AMD and NVIDIA! Here are the details…
2021 HP OMEN 25L Gaming Desktop Revealed!
The 2021 HP OMEN 25L gaming desktop packages the latest AMD Ryzen processors and NVIDIA GeForce graphics in a slim, minimalistic design that will fit right into any modern home.
On top of using branded gaming components, it is also designed to be easily upgradable, and software-customisable via the OMEN Command Center.
Performance
The 2021 HP OMEN 25L gaming desktop is built around the 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen 9 or Ryzen 7 processor, paired with up to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti graphics card.
All that is kept cool by Cooler Master cooling solutions – you can opt for a 92 mm round air cooler, or a 120 mm liquid cooled radiator.
It also features redesigned elevating 15 mm legs, and a new raised graphics slot, to improve system air intake.
Memory + Storage
HP offers up to 32 GB (64 GB in some countries) of Intel XMP-certified HyperX DDR4 memory, with and without RGB lighting.
You can equip it with up to a 2 TB WD Black PCIe TLC SSD, with up to two additional 2 TB hard disk drives for maximum storage capacity.
Connectivity
The HP OMEN 25L comes with both Gigabit LAN wired connectivity, as well as WiFi-6 wireless connectivity through its built-in AX 2×2 card.
DTS Headphone: X Technology
The HP OMEN 25L supports DTS Headphone: X technology, which gives you spatially-accurate 3D sound through any headphones or earbuds.
Micro-ATX Upgradability
The galvanised steel chassis is designed to offer easy tool-less access, and easy cable management. It also lets you easily upgrade the OMEN 25L with aftermarket parts.
2021 HP OMEN 25L : Specifications + Configuration Options
The 2021 HP OMEN 25L gaming desktop comes with these configuration options :
Specifications
HP OMEN 25L
Colour
Shadow Black
Design Options
Glass Side Cover (optional dust filter)
Metal Side Cover (optional dust filter)
OS Options
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
FreeDOS 3.0
CPU Options
AMD Ryzen 9 3900
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
Chipset
AMD B450
RAM Options
Up to 32 GB HyperX DDR4 RGB
Lighting
Up to 32 GB HyperX DDR4
GPU Options
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER
Storage Options
Up to 2 TB WD Black PCIe SSD
Up to 2 x 2 TB 7200 RPM HDD
Audio
DTS Headphone:X support
Networking
AX WiFi-6 and Bluetooth 5.1 combo
Gigabit LAN Ethernet
Top I/O Ports
2 x USB 3.0 Type A
1 x audio combo jack
Rear I/O Ports
1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C
1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type A
2 x USB 3.0 Type A
3 x audio ports
1 x RJ45 LAN port
Power Supply
500 Watt ATX power supply
Security
Kensington Security Lock Slot
Dimensions
165.1 mm wide
394.5 mm deep
433.1 mm tall
Weight
11.5 kg
2021 HP OMEN 25L : Price + Availability
The new HP OMEN 25L desktop has a starting price of RM 6,899 (about US$1,707 / £1,205 / A$2,154 / S$2,252).
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Maxis just announced a new WiFi 6 router that will be made available FREE to all new and existing Maxis Fibre Broadband customers! Here are the details…
Maxis Fibre Broadband : Get WiFi 6 Router For FREE!
Maxis just announced the availability of a new WiFi 6 router which promises to deliver faster wireless connectivity with greater range, better signal and the capacity to support more devices.
WiFi 6, also known as Wi-Fi 6 or IEEE 802.11ax or WiFi-AX, is the next-generation Wi-Fi standard, which can deliver up to 1.2 Gb/s of wireless bandwidth.
In addition to higher bandwidth, Wi-Fi 6 boasts reduced interference, increased network efficiency, reduced latency, as well as expanded capacity to support more Wi-Fi devices concurrently.
The new Maxis WiFi 6 router also comes with built-in EasyMesh technology, allowing you to easily expand the WiFi coverage by adding more EasyMesh units.
Maxis WiFi 6 Router : FREE For All New + Existing Customers!
Starting 18 February 2021, Maxis will make this new WiFi 6 router available for FREE to all new customers who sign up for Maxis Fibre plans of 100 Mbps or faster.
Existing Maxis Fibre customers will be contacted in phases for the free router upgrade exercise, with free installation by their Maxperts team.
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Take a look at why this cybercafe converted their GeForce RTX 3080 gaming PCs into cryptomining rigs!
Cybercafe Converts RTX 3080 PCs Into Cryptomining Rigs!
The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the cybercafe industry, with many closing down and selling their gaming PCs and accessories.
However, this Vietnamese cybercafe did something different – they began converting their GeForce RTX 3080 gaming PCs into cryptomining rigs!
The Star Gaming cybercafe in Ho Chi Minh City showed how they were transforming their business due to the COVID-19 pandemic, converting their gaming PCs into cryptomining rigs.
Instead of hosting gamers, the cybercafe is now hosting a slew of new cryptomining rigs.
It is possible that they are also building completely new cryptomining rigs. In this picture, you can see that each rig holds at least eight GeForce RTX 3080 graphics cards.
How Much Money Can Each RTX 3080 Cryptomining Rig Make?
Just how much money can this cybercafe make from their RTX 3080 cryptomining rig?
Officially, GeForce RTX 3080 cards start at $699, but due to the shortage of cards, they are now selling for about $1,199 each.
So eight of them would cost approximately $9,592. Let’s call it a flat $10,000 for the whole 8-card rig, plus power supply.
The average commercial electricity rate in Vietnam is VND 2,666 per kWh (about US$0.12 per kWh). So electricity should cost about $225 per month. Let’s make that $300 per month (+33%) to account for cooling costs.
As of 21 February 2021, each GeForce RTX 3080 has a hash rate of 86.5 MH/s using the Ethash (Phoenix) algorithm, which should generate approximately 0.18100503 ETH worth US$361 every month.
So each 8-card rig should generate a net profit of US$61 per month or US$732 per year. That doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a pretty decent ROI of 7.3% per annum.
It would certainly be much better than operating a cybercafe with little to no customers due to lockdown / biosecurity measures.
In fact, their costs would be very much lower if they are converting their existing RTX 3080 gaming PCs into mining rigs, with significantly higher ROI.
This is, arguably, a better solution for cybercafes to ride out the COVID-19 pandemic, than to give up and sell out.
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The Dell G5 15 5500 comes in a no-frills brown cardboard box. Inside, all you will find are these items :
Dell G5 15 5500 laptop
240 watt charger + cable
Dell G5 Quick User Guide
Safety and Regulatory Information
Dell G5 15 5500 : Hands-On Experience!
The Dell G5 15 5500 is designed to offer RTX gaming, at an affordable price point. So the first thing you will notice its thick plastic chassis and heft.
This is no thin and light laptop, not at 31 mm thick and a weight of 2.65 kg… and that’s not even counting the large and heavy 240 watt charger!
Performance
Our review model was powered by the Intel Core i7-10750H, a 6-core, 12-thread processor with a clock speed that goes up to 5 GHz.
It’s paired with 16 GB of DDR4 memory, and the the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory. More than powerful enough to handle any game you throw at it.
144 Hz Display
The Dell G5 15 5500 comes with a 15.6-inch TN display with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and a 144 Hz refresh rate.
Thankfully, it’s paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics, which should have no problem driving the high refresh rate for most games.
Storage
The Dell G5 15 5500 is spacious enough to support both a M.2 socket (for a PCIe SSD), as well as a 2.5-inch drive bay (for a hard disk drive).
Our review sample came with the 512 GB PCIe M.2 SSD from SK hynix. Dell also offers a 512 GB Intel Optane storage option in some countries.
This is more than enough storage for a gaming laptop, but if you need more, there is a 1 TB SSD option, as well as a 2 TB hard disk drive option.
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Dell G5 15 5500 : A Closer Look!
Available Ports
One advantage of not going thin and light is the additional ports. On the left side, you will find these ports (from left to right) :
its barrel power port,
a Mini DisplayPort 1.4b port,
a HDMI 2.0 port,
a USB 3.2 Gen 1 PowerShare port,
an RJ45 LAN port, and
a Thunderbolt 3 (USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C) port.
On the right side, you will find the following (from left to right) :
an SD card reader, which supports SD, SDHX and SDXC cards,
a 3.5 mm earphone + microphone jack,
two USB 2.0 Type A ports, and
a wedge-shaped security lock slot
Keyboard + Touchpad
Thanks to its larger form factor, Dell could fit a full keyboard with a numeric keypad, and a horizontal key pitch of 18.7 mm.
The keyboard is backlit in blue by default, with WASD key highlights. But it can be programmed to support any RGB combination, in up to 4 zones.
It has a pretty small touchpad – just 105 x 65 mm, and it’s offset to the left, which makes it a little awkward to use, unless you are left-handed.
But this isn’t a big problem. This is a gaming laptop, and you will definitely be using a mouse.
[twenty20 img1=”39502″ img2=”39503″ offset=”0.5″]
RGB Lighting
Complementing the RGB keyboard lighting is an RGB LED light strip along the front edge. This is arguably the Dell team’s only concession towards pointless gaming bling.
Some gamers will argue that it will give a more immersive gaming feel. Whatever rocks your boat, my friend.
Fingerprint Sensor
Dell offers an optional fingerprint sensor integrated directly into the power button, right above the keyboard. There is no IR camera option for face recognition.
We highly recommend adding this feature, as it allows for convenient logging in and greater security especially in public – there’s no need to type in your password.
Webcam + Microphones
The Dell G5 15 5500 comes with a basic webcam, capable of recording 720p video. As well as two microphones – one on each side of the webcam.
This is hardly the ideal setup for video streaming, but it is perfectly adequate for gamers who just need to use it for video chats.
Note that it doesn’t come with a privacy cover, only a status light to let you know when the webcam is activated.
Speakers
The Dell G5 15 5500 comes with two side-firing speakers with a 2 watt output.
Powered by the Realtek ALC3254 with an integrated amplifier, they are loud and offer pretty decent sound quality.
Killer Connectivity
Our premium model comes with a Killer E2500 Gigabit LAN connectivity. Otherwise, you will receive Realtek Gigabit LAN, which isn’t bad at all.
Wireless connectivity is provided through Killer 1650i, which offers Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) connectivity on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, as well as Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.
The basic models though come with Qualcomm DW 1820, which offers Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) connectivity on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, as well as Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity.
Dell G5 15 5500 : Surface Temperatures
An important criteria that many potential buyers forget to check for in a gaming laptop is “how hot does it get?”
What’s the use of buying a powerful gaming laptop if it literally burns your hands while you game?
Take a look at the surface temperatures of the Dell G5 15 5500, with an ambient temperature of 29.8°C.
As you can see, the G5 15 5500 can get pretty toasty, with the temperature of the keyboard reaching a peak of just under 52°C.
On the underside, it peached a peak of 54.3°C in the middle. It is definitely not advisable to game with it on your lap!
We highly recommend you pair the Dell G5 15 5500 with a good laptop cooler, or play in an air-conditioned room. That will greatly reduce its contact temperature, and allow for hours of comfortable gaming.
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This is high-powered 45 watt processor with 6 cores and 12 threads, and a 2.6 GHz clock speed that ramps up to 5 GHz during intensive tasks.
The processor has Intel UHD Graphics built-in, but switches to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory) for gaming and more strenuous graphics work.
Our review sample came with 16 GB of DDR4-2933 memory, and a 512 GB SK hynix PCIe SSD. Keeping all that powered is a large 68 Whr lithium-ion battery.
That means it will not only easily handle games at the display’s native 1080p resolution, it can deliver higher frame rates to take advantage of the higher Hz refresh rates it supports.
Gaming Performance : 3DMark Time Spy Extreme
We also ran a Time Spy Extreme test for those who are thinking of hooking up this laptop to an external display.
Performing between the desktop Radeon RX 5500 XT, and the desktop GeForce RTX 2060, it can handle 1440p gaming, but at roughly half the frame rate.
Gaming Performance : Strange Brigade @ 1080p
Strange Brigade is a third-person shooter game released in August 2018. We tested it at 1080p using the Vulkan API at Ultra High settings.
As you can see, the Dell G5 15 5500 has no problem exceeding 144 fps at times, with an average frame rate of 101 fps.
Gaming Performance : The Division 2 @ 1080p
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is a newer third-person shooter game released in March 2019, with much higher graphics requirements.
Even at the Extreme graphics settings, Dell G5 15 5500 was able to deliver an average frame rate of 59 fps.
We locked the display’s brightness at 50%, and ran PCMark 10’s Modern Office and Gaming tests until it powered off.
The Dell G5 15 5500 lasted about 5.5 hours running Modern Office applications, but only about 77 minutes while gaming.
You can only game on-the-go for a short time. Realistically, it should be plugged in when you game.
Battery : Recharging Speed
Dell quotes a 4 hour recharging time using the massive 240 watt charger, when the laptop is completely powered off.
We are glad to report that its real-world recharging speed is much, MUCH faster. To test it in a real world setting, we started charging at 10% with the display brightness set to 50% :
25% : 21.5 minutes
33% : 26.5 minutes
40% : 35 minutes
50% : 46 minutes
60% : 57.5 minutes
75% : 75 minutes
90% : 91.5 minutes
100% : 148 minutes
It charges really fast to about 90%, taking only just over 1.5 hours. However, the last 10% took much longer – an addition 56.5 minutes!
This gives it a battery life : recharging time ratio of 2.3:1 for office work. As a rule of thumb, you will need to recharge its battery about 26.5 minutes for every hour of battery life.
Dell G5 15 5500 : Verdict + Award
The Dell G5 15 5500 does a good job of focusing on what’s important for gamers, wasting little on pointless aesthetic bling.
Its powerful 45-watt Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics will have no problem driving its Full HD display beyond 60 Hz, no matter what game you play.
It also comes with fast networking capabilities – Killer E2500 offering Gigabit LAN, and Killer AX1650i offering Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.
And we love its large number of ports – three USB Type A ports, one USB Type C port, as well as an SD card reader and both HDMI and miniDP ports.
[twenty20 img1=”39514″ img2=”39515″ offset=”0.5″]
Powering all that is a large 68 Wh battery, but here’s a reality check – you can’t really game on-the-go for more than an hour or so. All that performance comes at a price – battery life.
Realistically, the Dell G5 15 5500 should be plugged into a wall socket whenever you game.
It is also a chunky and heavy laptop, no thanks to its large battery and the much higher cooling requirements for its powerful components.
But if all you want is an affordable gaming laptop that offers powerful gaming performance and a 144 Hz display, it’s hard to beat what Dell G5 15 5500 offers.
And here is what Dell offers over other gaming laptop brands – 2 years of premium on-site service!
Whatever happens to your G5 15 5500, just call Dell Support and they will either remotely solve the problem or send a technician to wherever you are to fix it.
That’s why we have no qualms awarding it our Reviewer’s Choice Award!
Dell G5 15 5500 : Where To Buy?
The Dell G5 15 5500 is available in the Interstellar Dark Cover colour, with a starting price of RM 4,499 (about US$1,083 / £847 / A$1,486 / S$1,482).
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Exclusive on Tech ARP – the first look at the 2021 MacBook Pro ports, including a brand new MagSafe 3 port and an SD card slot!
Here is the first ever look at the MagSafe 3 connector, the SD card slot, and other ports that will ship with the 2021 MacBook Pro!
First Look : 2021 MacBook Pro MagSafe 3 + SD Card Slot!
Apple fans who miss the MagSafe port and the SD card reader in their MacBook laptops will have something to cheer for this year!
Apple will not only introduce a new MagSafe 3 connector in the upcoming 2021 MacBook Pro, they will also bring back the SD card slot!
New Apple MagSafe 3 Connector!
The new MagSafe 3 connector is bidirectional and has 5 pins, and will lock and detach magnetically like the previous two generations.
The MagSafe 3 connector is not compatible with older MacBook computers, and has a pill-shaped design with a thinner profile.
The MagSafe 3 port is located on the left side of the 2021 MBP, next to two Thunderbolt 3 (USB4) ports, and a 3.5 mm audio jack.
Ports on the left side of the 2021 Apple MBP | Copyright : Tech ARP (www.techarp.com)
Return Of The SD Card Reader!
We are also glad to report that Apple will (finally) bring back the SD card reader that many photographers LOVED, and bemoaned when Phil Schiller killed it in 2016.
Now that Schiller is out of Apple, it looks like it’s been resurrected for the 2021 MacBook Pro. Utility finally trumped cumbersome!
The SD card reader is located on the right side, together with a third Thunderbolt 3 (USB4) port and a HDMI 2.0 port.
Ports on the right side of the 2021 Apple MBP | Copyright : Tech ARP (www.techarp.com)
2021 Apple MacBook Pro : What Else Is New?
So what else is new in the 2021 MacBook Pro, other than MagSafe 3 and the resurrected SD card reader?
14-inch + 16-inch Models
There will be two 2021 MacBook Pro models – with 14-inch and 16-inch displays.
Apple M1X SoC
There will no longer be Intel CPU options, only the Apple M1X SoC.
Nothing much is known about the Apple M1X, other than it is a more powerful version of the M1 that has stunned many with its performance.
But rumours have it that it will have 12 processor cores, split into two performance clusters :
P Cluster (Performance) : 8 x Firestorm (?) cores
E Cluster (Efficient) : 4 x Icestorm (?) cores
It will have a more powerful GPU than Apple M1‘s 8-core GPU.
Memory
The Apple M1X will use the same unified memory design as the M1, built directly onto the package for near-instantaneous access.
However, it will offer larger memory options – 24 GB and 32 GB are possible – in addition to 16 GB currently available with the M1.
External Display Support
A big limitation of the Apple M1 is its support for just one external display of up to 6K resolution at 60 Hz.
The 2021 MacBook Pro will support at least two external displays, if not more, via its Thunderbolt 3 and HDMI ports.
OLED Touch Bar Gone!
Good riddance to the pointless OLED Touch Bar. That’s gone for the 2021 MacBook Pro models.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
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Don’t be outraged about the ZOTAC GeForce RTX 3070 cryptomining rig.
The truth is they are just being honest about who their biggest clients really are.
Why Gamers Are Outraged By ZOTAC RTX 3070 Mining Rig?
It’s no secret that graphics card brands LOVE cryptominers who are buying up their cards by the pallets.
ZOTAC probably wanted to send them some love when they tweeted this picture of a cryptomining rig built using eight ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 White graphics cards.
What they probably should not have done was to use the #PcGaming #Gaming #Gamers #PcMasterRace hashtags, because really… what does cryptomining have to do with the PC?
Gamers have very little love for cryptominers, who are at least partly to blame for the shortage and high prices of graphics cards.
The ZOTAC tweet naturally triggered their outrage, because it was actual proof that ZOTAC would love to sell even more of their limited supply of graphics cards to cryptominers.
But the truth is – ZOTAC was finally being honest about who their biggest clients really were. Not gamers, for sure!
After all, which gamer will ever buy EIGHT ZOTAC GeForce RTX 3070 graphics cards?
Why ZOTAC Loves Cryptominers Buying Their RTX 3070 Cards
Let’s be frank – cryptominers are far more willing to pay top dollar for graphics cards, than gamers.
Thanks to high cryptocurrency prices, they can still make a ton of money even if they pay insane prices for these graphics cards.
And they don’t just buy one card for their gaming pleasure. They buy these cards by the dozens and hundreds! And why not?
The profitability of cryptomining has gone up so much that Chinese cryptominers have resorted to buying up hundreds of GeForce RTX 3060 gaming laptops instead!
This Chinese mining farm is being built using 900 GeForce RTX 3060 gaming laptops, and have the potential to generate over US$2.3 million in profit every year!
So, don’t be so mad at ZOTAC. At least they had the guts to admit their preference for cryptominers.
The other brands are the same. They just don’t have the guts to admit it, for fear of losing support from their fans.
The secret to having your cake, and eating it too? Keep quiet about cryptomining, and promote fanboyism to keep the hoi polloi loyal to the brand.
It’s all about the money, guys…
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The Dell XPS 13 (9300) features their first-ever InfinityEdge display, with Gorilla Glass 6 protection!
Here is our hands-on preview of this magnificent ultra-light XPS 13 laptop!
Dell XPS 13 (9300) : Featuring The InfinityEdge Display
The Dell XPS 13 (9300) continues the evolution of the XPS 13 line, with an ultra-light chassis built from machined aluminium and woven glass fibre, with Gorilla Glass 6 protection.
With the first-ever InfinityEdge display, the XPS 13 (9300) offers a 13.4-inch display in an 11-inch form factor, that fits neatly on an airplane’s seat tray.
Unboxing The Dell XPS 13 (9300) Laptop
The Dell XPS 13 (9300) comes in a premium white cardboard box. Once you fully unbox it, you will find these items :
Dell XPS 13 (9300) laptop
Dell USB Type C to USB Type A dongle
45 watt charger with integrated USB Type C cable
Power cord with localised plug
XPS 13 9300 Quick Start Guide + Safety and Regulatory Information
Dell XPS 13 (9300) : Hands-On Preview
This Dell XPS 13 (9300) is an eminently thin and light laptop. It offers a 13.4-inch display in an 11-inch form factor that weighs only 1.27 kg, and is less than 15 mm thick.
It easily fits into the smallest laptop bag, and even a large handbag. And when you can fly again, you will love how it fits onto the airplane’s seat tray!
13.4-inch Display In 11-Inch Form Factor
This Dell XPS 13 (9300) model comes with a 4K UHD+ touch display, with a resolution 3840 x 2400 pixels, colour gamut of 90% DCI-P3 and DisplayHDR 400 certification.
Dell also offers a Full HD+ display, with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels and 100% sRGB colour gamut; in both touch and non-touch options.
All three display options are 25% brighter at 500 nits, and are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 6 against scratches and impact.
Cameras + Security
The thin bezel at the top conceals two cameras – a regular 720p webcam, and an infra-red camera for facial recognition.
So you can either unlock the XPS 13 using the IR camera and Windows Hello, or the fingerprint sensor, which integrated into the power button.
While its 720p webcam may be rather low in resolution, it uses a new 4-element lens for sharper image quality. It also supports temporal noise reduction to improve video quality in low-light conditions.
Performance
Our Dell XPS 13 (9300) is powered by the Intel Core i7-1065G7 – a 4-core, 8-thread processor with 8 MB of cache and built-in Iris Plus Graphics.
You can opt for a Core i5-1035G1 or the Core i3-1005G1, both of which come with integrated UHD Graphics.
A redesigned cooler keeps things cool, using a single heat pipe and evaporator design with dual condensers and GORE thermal insulation. The hot air is exhausted through the hinge at the back.
It also comes with 16 GB of dual-channel LPDDR4X memory running at 3733 MHz. The memory is soldered onto the motherboard and cannot be upgraded.
Our unit came with a 1 TB PCIe NVMe SSD, but you can opt for a smaller 512 GB SSD, or a larger 2 TB SSD.
Ports
Due to its ultra-slim profile – 14.8 mm at its thickest point, the XPS 13 has very limited ports.
On the left side, you will find a microSD card reader; as well as a single Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type C) port, which supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort output
On the right side, you will find a 3.5 mm microphone and headphone combo port, with a second Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type C) port, which also supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort output.
You can plug the USB Type C charging cable into either Thunderbolt 3 port. But unless you are using it on-the-go, you really only have one free port to use.
The good news is Dell actually bundles the XPS 13 (9300) with a free USB Type C to USB Type A dongle, so you can use your USB Type A drives and devices (including cables) with it.
Keyboard + Touchpad
The Dell XPS (9300) comes an edge-to-edge keyboard, and a 17% larger touchpad for maximum working comfort. The keyboard is backlit, and comes with larger key caps!
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Connectivity
Our XPS 13 (9300) comes with the Killer AX1650 module, which offers Wi-Fi 6 connectivity with 2×2 antennas, and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity.
It is much too thin to support a LAN port, but you can add LAN connectivity using a USB-C dongle.
The two long stripes on both sides of the XPS 13 are not cooling vents, but ports for its 2.5 watt stereo speakers, which are tuned with Waves MaxxAudio Pro.
Its 3.5 mm microphone / headphone combo jack is also optimised with the 360-degree Waves NX 3D virtual surround sound with head tracking.
Finally, its dual microphone array is powered by Waves MaxxVoice Pro, which supports VOIP and is Cortana Farfield-capable.
Battery + Charging
The Dell XPS 13 (9300) comes with a 4-cell smart lithium-ion battery that is rated for 52 Whr.
Dell claims a battery life of up to 18 hours and 49 minutes with the Full HD+ display, and up to 12 hours and 13 minutes with the 4K UHD+ display.
Dell XPS 13 (9300) : Colour Options
Our unit comes in the Frost White colour with an Arctic White woven glass fibre palm rest.
Dell also offers the Platinum Silver colour option, with a Black carbon fiber palm rest.
Dell XPS 13 (9300) : Specifications + Options
Specifications
XPS 13 9300
Display Size
13.4-inch
Display Options
4K touch screen (3840 x 2400)
Full HD touch screen (1920 x 1200)
Full HD non-touch (1920 x 1200)
Display Features
WLED backlight
60 Hz refresh rate
500 nits max. brightness
35 ms response time
1200:1 contrast ratio
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Take a look at this crypto-mining farm that could make $3.5 million a year using just 900 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 gaming laptops!
Hundreds Of RTX Laptops Used In Crypto Mining Farms!
Not only gamers are affected by the limited supply of graphics cards in the market. So are cryptominers!
Chinese cryptominers now have to resort to buying up whatever GeForce RTX gaming laptops they can find, literally hundreds of them!
Instead of ASIC miners or GPU mining rigs, they are now powering their cryptomining operations with RTX gaming laptops!
We earlier highlighted the new trend of using RTX gaming laptops to mine cryptocurrency. It looks as this is more extensive that we first thought.
A Weibo blogger called 神鱼BTCer just shared even more pictures of RTX laptop-based mining operations, big and small.
Many appear to be pretty ghetto, placing the laptops in a kind of “tent mode” for better cooling, wherever there’s space – on tables, chairs or the floor.
But he also showed a seriously big crypto-mining farm being built using these GeForce RTX 30-series gaming laptops.
He even shared a short clip (part of the video we posted above), showing the cryptocurrency mining farm partially operational, with more being set-up.
There are 10 laptops per shelf, with each shelving unit capable of accommodating 60 laptops.
While not particularly large, this cryptocurrency mining farm has at least 15 visible shelving units, so that’s a total of 900 RTX gaming laptops when it’s fully operational.
Currently, it’s only partially complete, with about 200 or so laptops running, with many boxes of laptops left to open and setup.
How Much Money Can This RTX Laptop Mining Farm Make?
We had earlier shared about how a Bilibili content creator used an RTX 3060 laptop to mine 0.00053009 ETH while she sipped her coffee at Starbucks for 2 hours.
Based on her experience, we can guesstimate that the average GeForce RTX 3060 laptop will be able to produce :
0.000265045 ETH per hour
0.00636108 ETH per day
0.1908324 ETH per month (30 days)
2.3217942 ETH per year
Chinese electricity costs about RMB 0.545 (US$0.084) per kWh. Assuming each laptop uses about 250 watts of power (including whatever external fans they may be using), that works out to about RMB 1,200 or US$186 per year.
As of 11 February 2021, Ethereum is priced at US$1740. So here’s roughly how much this cryptocurrency mining farm would make, at that price :
100 laptops : $385,392 per year
200 laptops : $770,784 per year
300 laptops : $1,156,177 per year
400 laptops : $1,541,569 per year
500 laptops : $1,926,961 per year
600 laptops : $2,312,353 per year
700 laptops : $2,697,745 per year
800 laptops : $3,083,138 per year
900 laptops : $3,468,530 per year
So there you have it – this small cryptocurrency mining operation can potentially make almost US$ 3.5 million in a single year.
But what’s the ROI, you say?
The Chinese OEM, Hasee, offers a GeForce RTX 3060 gaming laptop with a starting price of just RMB 6,499 (approximately RM4,089 / US$1,005 / £732 / A$1,309 / S$1,340).
And the video shows that this mining operation is using the same, or similar, Hasee RTX gaming laptops.
Let’s say they paid a 20% scalper’s premium, and purchased all 900 Hasee RTX 3060 laptops for a cool US$1,085,400.
Let’s further round that up to US$1.1 million for miscellaneous costs – shelving units, lights, fans, etc. including US$500 per month for rental.
Based on those assumptions, their net profit for the 900-laptop mining farm would be US$2,368,530 per year, at current prices.
After recovering the cost of the entire mining farm ($1.1 million) in just over 3 months, everything else they make after that is pure profit (after deducting rental and electricity costs), unless they are stealing the electricity!
With such great ROI, you can count on cryptocurrency miners to buy up ALL the GeForce RTX 30 series laptops they can get their hands on!
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The Pahang police and TNB SEAL team just busted and seized an illegal cryptomining operation, and arrested a suspect there!
Illegal Bitcoin Cryptomining Operation Seized!
On 9 February 2021, the Pahang police D7 JSJ team and the TNB SEAL team (seriously, that’s what they call themselves) busted and seized an illegal Bitcoin cryptomining operation.
The Bitcoin cryptomining operation occupied two shoplots in a three storey building at Batu 3, Jalan Gambang in Kuantan, Pahang.
The police also arrested a suspect who was found at the cryptomining operation.
According to the Pahang Deputy Chief of Police Dato’ Mohd Yusri bin Hj. Hassan Basri, the suspect had illegally tapped into the electricity at both premises, and will be investigated under :
Section 379 of the Penal Code for stealing electricity
Section 427 of the Penal Code for committing treason
We should point out that cryptomining is not illegal in Malaysia, whether it’s for Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency.
What’s illegal is the theft of electricity to run such cryptomining operations for maximum profit.
That’s why the TNB SEAL team was involved, and not just the police.
More Pictures From The Illegal Cryptomining Operation Raid
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BTCer claims they are all “home-based”, but we have no idea whether they are his, or from different cryptocurrency mining operations.
But in a response to a question, he said that the best way to keep them cool is by putting them in a sort of “tent mode”.
This picture shows four stacks of GeForce RTX 3060 laptops made by Chinese OEM Hasee, powered on (you can see the green light).
Hasee offers a GeForce RTX 3060 gaming laptop that has a starting price of just RMB 6,499 (approximately RM4,089 / US$1,005 / £732 / A$1,309 / S$1,340).
These twenty Hasee GeForce RTX 30 series gaming laptops would cost just over US$20,000.
This seems like a waste of power – leaving their displays turned on. But leaving the display up would definitely improve cooling.
How Much Money Can RTX 3060 Laptop Mining Rigs Make?
A Bilibili content creator Fish Pond f2pool demonstrated how fast someone with a GeForce RTX 3060 laptop can “mine” cryptocurrency.
She plugged in her GeForce RTX 3060 laptop into a power socket at Starbucks, and mined 0.00053009 ETH over 2 hours while she sipped her coffee.
On 5 February 2021, Ethereum closed at US$1,680.497, so she mined enough during her coffee break to make US$0.89 or RMB 5.76.
Not quite enough to pay for her coffee (about RMB 28), but at least the electricity is FREE!
Based on her experience, we can guesstimate that the average GeForce RTX 3060 laptop will be able to produce :
0.000265045 ETH per hour
0.00636108 ETH per day
0.1908324 ETH per month (30 days)
2.3217942 ETH per year
So that mining rig with 20 Hasee laptops you saw up there could make, at current prices, about :
$8.908 per hour
$213.80 per day
$6,413.87 per month (30 days)
$78,035 per year
Chinese electricity costs about RMB 0.545 (US$0.084) per kWh.
Assuming each laptop uses about 250 watts of power (including whatever external fans he may have), that works out to about US$3,679.20 per year.
So his net profit for the 20-laptop mining rig would be US$74,356 per year, at current prices.
That’s an incredible ROI of 30.8% per month, which means he will recover the cost of the entire rig ($20,100) in just under 3.5 months!
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The mega crypto-mining rig, built using 78 GeForce RTX 3080 graphics cards, has powered up!
Check it out, and find out why crypto-miners are buying graphics cards by the pallets!
78-Card GeForce RTX 3080 Mining Rig Almost Operational!
You may have seen Simon Byrne’s crypto-mining rig, that uses 78 GeForce RTX 3080 graphics cards arranged in an array of 13 x 6 cards.
That 78-card RTX 3080 mining rig, which he calls Bertha 2, is almost operational. And he’s keeping it cool with 120 fans, with RGB, of course! It is said – RGB makes thing go faster? 😉
In this picture, you can see most of the GeForce RTX 3080 graphics cards powered up. When fully operational, it should deliver 6.5 gigahashes per second!
In case you are wondering what Berta – his first-generation mining rig – looks like, here is a photo he shared :
He created Bertha 1 using 130 Zotac GeForce RTX 1080 Ti graphics cards, in January 2018 – 3 years ago!
How Much Money Can This RTX 3080 Crypto Mining Rig Make?
Just how much money can Simon make from this crypto-mining rig?
Officially, RTX 3080 cards start at $699, but due to the shortage of cards, they are now selling for about $1,199 each.
So the cards in this rig alone would cost approximately $93,522. Let’s call it a flat $100,000 for the whole rig, plus power supplies.
The average commercial electricity rate in Las Vegas (where he’s based) is 8.43 cents per kWh. So electricity should cost about $1444 per month. Let’s make that $2166 per month (+50%) to account for cooling costs.
Each GeForce RTX 3080 has a hash rate of 83.57 MH/s using the Ethash (Phoenix) algorithm, which should generate approximately 0.22236870 ETH worth US$165 every month.
So the total rig of 78 cards should generate 17.3447586 ETH worth $12,840 per month. Deducting electricity costs, that’s a net profit of $10,674 per month or $128,088 per year!
That’s an incredible ROI of 10.7% per month, which means he recovers the cost of the entire rig in just under 9.5 months.
No wonder crypto miners are buying up graphics cards by the pallets… at the expense of PC gamers all around the world!
Simon assured gamers that he doesn’t buy his cards from the regular retail supply chain. However, the large-scale purchase of graphics cards for crypto-mining is a major cause of graphics card shortage across the world.
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Take a look at this crypto-mining rig that uses just a dozen GeForce RTX 3090 graphics cards to generate over a gigahash per second!
Find out how much he stands to make from this mining rig!
12-Card GeForce RTX 3090 Gigahash Mining Rig!
It seems easy for crypto-miners to get hold of the GeForce RTX 3090 graphics card in bulk.
A crypto-miner is building a compact mining rig that uses just a dozen GeForce RTX 3090 graphics cards to generate over a gigahash per second!
Guntis Vitolins, who recently lost 500 graphics cards in a fire, is using a dozen INNO3D GeForce RTX 3090 graphics cards, powered by four EVGA SuperNOVA G3 1000 watt power supplies.
How Much Money Can This RTX 3090 Crypto Mining Rig Make?
Just how much money can Guntis make from this crypto-mining rig?
Officially, RTX 3090 cards start at US$1,499, but due to the shortage of cards, they are now selling for about US$2,450 each. The EVGA SuperNOVA G3 1000 PSU each cost US$309.
So the twelve cards would cost approximately US$29,400, while the four EVGA PSUs would cost US$1,236. Let’s call it a flat US$31,000 for the whole rig.
The average commercial electricity rate in Ireland (where he’s based) is about €0.2413 per kWh. So electricity should cost about €800 or US$965 per month. Let’s make that US$1450 per month (+50%) to account for cooling costs.
Each GeForce RTX 3090 has a hash rate of 104.48 MH/s using the Ethash (Phoenix) algorithm, which should generate approximately 0.23401064 ETH worth US$312.53 every month.
So the total rig of 12 cards should generate 2.80812768 ETH worth US$3,750 per month. Deducting electricity costs, that’s a net profit of $2,300 per month or $27,600 per year!
That’s a high ROI of 7.4% per month, which means he recovers the cost of the entire rig in about 13.5 months.
This is about 31% lower ROI than the 78-card mining rig that uses the much cheaper GeForce RTX 3080, which pays for itself in just 9.5 months!
No wonder crypto miners are buying up graphics cards by the pallets… at the expense of PC gamers all around the world!
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If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
At CES 2021, NVIDIA announced the coming availability of Ampere-based GeForce RTX 30 series gaming laptops!
Starting 26 January 2021, NVIDIA partner brands like MSI will begin shipping RTX 3080 and RTX 3070 gaming laptops, followed by RTX 3060 gaming laptops from 2 February 2021 onwards.
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series mobile GPUs are built on the NVIDIA Ampere architecture, giving them 2nd Gen Ray Tracing cores and 3rd Gen Tensor Cores.
New Streaming Multiprocessors : Delivering 2X the FP32 performance of NVIDIA Turing, and 30 Shader-TFLOPS of processing power
2nd Gen RT Cores : Delivering 2X the performance of NVIDIA Turing, plus concurrent ray tracing and compute, with 58 RT-TFLOPS of processing power.
3rd Gen Tensor Cores : Up to 2X the performance of NVIDIA Turing, with 238 Tensor-TFLOPS of processing power.
NVIDIA RTX IO : Enables rapid GPU-based loading and game asset decompression, accelerating I/O performance by up to 100X. When used in conjunction with Microsoft DirectStorage API, it offloads the work to the RTX GPU, improving frame rates and enabling near-instantaneous game loading.
GDDR6X Memory : Delivers close to 1 TB/s of memory bandwidth, improving gaming performance.
Custom Samsung 8N Process Technology : Delivers higher transistor density and greater efficiency.
HDMI 2.1 : Delivers single-cable connection to 8K HDR TVs and monitors for ultra-high resolution gaming.
AV1 Decode : First discrete GPUs to support hardware decoding of the new AV1 codec, allowing for up to 8K HDR videos at 50% less bandwidth.
MSI GS66 Stealth GeForce RTX 30 Gaming Laptops
MSI is introducing two GS66 Stealth gaming laptops :
a premium model powered by the Core i9-10980HK processor with GeForce RTX 3080 graphics, and
a more affordable model powered by Core i7-10870H processor with GeForce RTX 3070 graphics.
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Take a look at this mining rig with SIX GeForce RTX 3080 graphics cards, in the trunk of a BMW i8 hybrid sports car!
GeForce RTX 3080 Mining Rig Inside A BMW i8 Hybrid!
Simon Byrne is at it again – trolling gamers with his GeForce RTX 3080 mining rigs!
This time, he created a mining rig with six GeForce RTX 3080 graphics cards, right in the trunk of a BMW i8 hybrid sports car.
The only practical use for the trunk of an i8 is to home a 6 x RTX 3080 mining rig.
*no gamers were harmed in the making of this photo.
BMW i8 RTX 3080 Mining Rig : Trolling Gamers
As impressive as it looks, this really isn’t a practical mining operation. He probably created it just to troll gamers who are finding it hard to get decently-priced graphics cards.
World’s Most Expensive Mining Case
The BMW i8 has a starting MSRP of US$147,500 in Nevada. That would make it the world’s most expensive mining case.
Power Consumption
The six GeForce RTX 3080 graphics cards alone would consume 2 kilowatts of power at full power, with the entire mining rig using some 2.5 kW of power.
We can only see a single EVGA SuperNOVA 1600 T2 PSU, so he’s either underclocking the cards, or there is another PSU out-of-sight.
The BMW i8 has a 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery, with a usable capacity of 8.7 kWh. That’s only enough to run the mining rig for 4-5 hours.
BMW i8 battery pack
Thermal Output
Of course, you can plug in the i8 or keep its engine running, but the mining rig still generates a tremendous amount of heat.
Even in a cold environment (it’s about 5°C in Nevada in January), the BMW i8’s rear hatch must be kept open to avoid the cards from overheating.
Invitation To Smash & Grab!
And that’s just inviting theft or a hold-up. Especially when these GeForce RTX 3080 cards command premium prices all over the world!
This is definitely an impressive showcase, but Simon is no doubt making the bulk of his cryptocurrency using serious rigs like this 78-card mining rig we showed earlier.
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To celebrate 2021, Kingston just launched the Limited Edition Mini Cow USB flash drive! Take a look at this cutesy USB drive!
2021 Kingston Limited Edition Mini Cow USB Drive!
The 2021 Kingston Limited Edition Mini Cow USB drive is one of the 12 collectible designs from their New Year USB Flash Drive – Mini Collection.
For over a decade now, Kingston has introduce a specially-designed USB drive, inspired by the animals of the Chinese zodiac.
This year’s flash drive features an adorable cow figurine that’s encased in a unique milk bottle package. Definitely something unique!
The Mini Cow USB drive itself features a cute, ovular-shaped design that “embodies joy, fullness and prosperity”. It even comes with a keychain ring that turns it into a personal lucky charm!
This particular bovine lucky charm has a storage capacity of 64 GB, and USB 3.2 Gen 1 performance. That’s basically good old USB 3.0 – with a maximum speed of 5 Gbps.
2021 Kingston Limited Edition Mini Cow : Key Specifications
Here are its key specifications :
Storage Capacity : 64 GB
Speed : USB 3.0 (USB 3.2 Gen 1)
Dimensions : 43.16 x 28.96 x 27.31 mm
Warranty : 5-year warranty with free technical support
Compatibility : Windows 7 (SP1) onwards, macOS 10.10.x onwards, Linux 2.6.x onwards, Chrome OS
2021 Kingston Limited Edition Mini Cow : Price + Availability
The 2021 Kingston Limited Edition Mini Cow USB drive is available starting 21 January 2021, with a recommended retail price of RM 89, which is about US$22 / £16 / A$28 / S$29.
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