The US government has quietly revoked some export licences from Intel and Qualcomm, cutting off more chip supplies to Huawei!
US quietly revokes Intel + Qualcomm export licences to Huawei!
A week after Huawei unveiled its MateBook X Pro laptop, which is powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, the US government quietly revoked some export licences from Intel and Qualcomm, cutting off more chip supplies to Huawei!
It does not appear that Intel has violated any sanctions by supplying its latest Core processors to Huawei for its laptop. After all, Intel received a licence to export laptop CPUs to Huawei in 2020. Qualcomm also received a licence in 2020, to sell older 4G chips to Huawei.
However, American politicians who are critical of China have said that any authorisation by the Commerce Department “would be unacceptable and a failure to enforce export controls against a blacklisted champion of the Chinese Communist Party.”
That could explain the quiet revocation of existing export licences on Tuesday, 7 May 2024, not only affecting Intel and Qualcomm, but also other unnamed companies as well.
The US Department of Commerce confirmed that it revoked some export licences, but did not specify which licences were cancelled, and which companies were affected. However, Intel and Qualcomm have confirmed that some (but not all) of their licences were revoked.
While AMD has not been mentioned, it seems likely that Intel’s rival could also be affected.
Revoked Intel + Qualcomm Export Licences Will Hurt Huawei
The export licences being revoked appear to target processors and System-on-a-Chip (SoCs) used in laptops and smartphones, although it is still unknown which exact chips are affected.
The loss of high-performance computer chips will be particularly hurt Huawei, as it has no viable alternative, especially if AMD had its export licences revoked as well.
Huawei was able to circumvent US sanctions by developing last year’s HiSilicon Kirin 9000S mobile SoC for its Mate 60 series of smartphones, and fabricating it using SMIC’s 7nm process technology. But it won’t be able to do this for its laptops, which are based on the x86 architecture.
That said, it seems likely that the US government is only interested in curtailing the export of high-performance processors to Huawei. If Intel and Qualcomm are still allowed to sell less powerful chips to Huawei, it may not be quite the death knell for the embattled Chinese company. But it will certainly hurt its competitiveness.
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Is the US stealing advanced TSMC chip technologies from Taiwan, in the biggest international heist ever?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : US Is Stealing TSMC Chip Technologies From Taiwan!
This message has gone viral on WhatsApp and social media, claiming that two US professors have declared that the US is stealing Taiwan’s most advanced TSMC chip technologies!
It’s very long, so please feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
Professor Ling-Chi Wang of UC Berkeley: I think the only way to describe what is happening to TSMC 台積电 in Hsinchu, Taiwan is to call it the biggest international heist, in broad daylight, of Taiwan’s biggest and most valuable manufacturing facility and intellectual property theft, estimated to be worth 4% of Taiwan’s GNP, considered by the people of Taiwan to be their 护国神山, ever undertaken in human history by the U.S. government.
The people of Taiwan are stunned by the magnitude and speed of the heist and the massive airlifting of the manufacturing facility, its most advance know-hows, and top scientists and engineers and their families to Phoenix, Arizona, commencing in December. The U.S. is paying billions to relocate and transport the company to the U.S.
The scale of intellectual robbery is unmatched by other large-scale international robberies I know of. The U.S. justified the robbery by declaring it a matter of “national security” of the U.S., based on the assumption that China will sooner or later seize Taiwan, thus depriving the U.S. and the world of its indispensable products.
What is even more stunning and insulting to the people of Taiwan is the conspicuous absence of any meaningful protest by the Taiwan government of Tsai Ing-wen. In fact, the government is aid and abetting the robbery.
Professor John V Walsh, MD, in San Francisco: First the US frightens them with threats of war and turning Taiwan into a porcupine bristling with American weapons. No one wants to live in Ukraine 2.0.
Then the US offers an “escape hatch” to Arizona where these Taiwanese may find the US anti-China rhetoric a bit much to stomach – and no distinctions made between Taiwanese and Chinese by street toughs.
Truth : US Is NOT Stealing TSMC Chip Technologies From Taiwan!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and shared by pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : No Evidence Professor Ling-Chin Wang Wrote It
First, let’s establish some basic facts about Professor Ling-Chi Wang. He is an ethnologist (not technologist), which means he studies and teaches about cultures and societies, not chips or technology.
He is also a Professor Emeritus of Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies at UC Berkeley, which means he is retired.
There is no evidence that Professor Ling Chin-Wang wrote any part of the viral message. He is not on Facebook, and he has not posted anything on his official LinkedIn page either.
The earliest and most complete example of this viral message appears to be written by a Chinese writer called Yu Ligong, who posted it on Facebook on 24 November 2022.
Fact #2 : No Evidence Professor John V. Walsh Wrote It
John V. Walsh was a professor of physiology and neuroscience at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. He has since retired.
He writes on issues of peace and healthcare, but there is no evidence he actually wrote that small section about turning Taiwan into a porcupine of American weapons, or Ukraine 2.0.
Again, the earliest example appears to be the Facebook post by the Chinese writer, Yu Ligong.
Fact #3 : TSMC Is Not Shifting Their Existing Fabs To US
The viral post falsely claims that the US government paid billions to relocate TSMC to the United States, airlifting its manufacturing facility to Arizona.
That’s not true – TSMC will still remain in Taiwan, where most of its fabs are located. The new Arizona fab will merely be another one of its many fabs. That’s why it’s known as Fab 21.
It is also impossible to “airlift” a semiconductor fabrication plant. Have you seen how massive it is?
Fact #4 : TSMC Owns Arizona Fab 21
The viral post falsely claims that the US government is robbing Taiwan of its prized intellectual property – TSMC’s most advanced chip technologies.
That’s patently false, because TSMC isn’t building a semiconductor plant for the US government. TSMC is building a new fab in Arizona, which it will fully own.
The TSMC Arizona plant, when fully completed, will be one of the most advanced semiconductor fabs in the world, producing both 3-nanometer and 5-nanometer chips.
Regardless of where it builds its wafer fabs, TSMC continues to own its intellectual property, except possibly in China.
This was pointed out by Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger in his June 2022 op-ed arguing for more subsidies for American chipmakers.
… foreign chipmakers vying for U.S. subsidies will keep their valuable intellectual property on their own shores, ensuring that the most lucrative and cutting-edge manufacturing stays there and requiring the U.S. to make the difficult choice between forgoing the advanced chips necessary for critical national security applications or relying on insecure, foreign supply chains for them.
Unlike China, the United States does not demand technology transfers to gain access to its massive market. So no, the US does not gain TSMC’s intellectual properties just because it subsidises Fab 21 in Arizona.
It may be different in China, where the CCP government is notorious for insisting on technology transfers.
Fact #6 : TSMC Arizona Is Second US Fab
TSMC Arizona isn’t even the first semiconductor plant the Taiwanese company built in the United States.
Back in 1995, TSMC started work on a $1.2 billion semiconductor plant called Fab 11 at Camas, Washington, which produces 8-inch wafers.
Fact #7 : TSMC Has Two Fabs In China!
If the writer believes that building a fab overseas means that the foreign country owns TSMC’s intellectual property, then it would mean that China “stole” TSMC’s intellectual property as well.
That’s because TSMC has not one, but TWO wafer fabs in China!
Fab 10 in Shanghai, which produces 200 mm wafers
Fab 16 in Nanjing, which produces 300 mm wafers
In April 2021, TSMC announced that it would expand capacity at their Nanjing fab, which it would also upgrade to produce smaller 16 nm chips.
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Artificial intelligence chip developer, Habana Labs, just laid off over 10% of its workforce, just as Intel plans to layoff up to 20% of its employees.
Intel’s Habana Labs Cuts Over 10% Of Workforce!
Intel acquired artificial intelligence chip developer Habana Labs in 2019 for $2 billion. The acquisition allowed Habana Labs to rapidly increase its workforce from 180 people to over 900.
That breakneck expansion has not only come to a shuddering halt, it is being reversed – Habana Labs is laying off 100 of their employees. According to an Intel statement:
Habana Labs assesses and updates its technical and business focus from time to time in order to adapt to the current business reality and to continue and improve its competitiveness.
As part of these processes, it makes adjustments to its workforce and the balance between different disciplines from time to time. This is a normal process which occurs constantly and allows Habana to continue and develop attractive and competitive products and solutions.
Habana Labs was founded by David Dahan and Ran Halutz in San Jose in 2016, for the purpose of developing processors optimised for Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications.
Both Dahan and Halutz were former executives of PrimeSense Limited, which was acquired by Apple for $360 million in 2013. Its first investor and chairman was Israeli tech entrepreneur Avigdor Willenz.
Habana Labs Cuts Employees Before Major Intel Layoffs
Habana Labs functions as an independent unit within Intel, which is why it announced its layoffs before Intel announced its own major layoffs later this month.
According to Bloomberg News, Intel is planning major layoffs of its staff, “as early as this month” – around the same time its third quarter earnings report is announced on October 27.
This reduction in headcount will be substantial, affecting Intel sales and marketing team the hardest – around 20% of their members are expected to receive pink slips.
This decision comes after two years of booming sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, and just as Intel is set to receive billions in funding from the US government under the CHIPS Act.
Gartner recently announced that worldwide PC shipments only totalled 68 million units in the third quarter of 2022 – a 19.5% drop from a year ago. This was the steepest market decline it recorded since it started tracking the market in the mid-1990s.
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Intel is planning major layoffs of its staff, due to declining demand for its chips, even as it is set to receive billions in funding from the CHIPS Act!
Intel Planning Major Layoffs, Amid Market Downturn!
According to Bloomberg News, Intel is planning major layoffs of its staff, “as early as this month” – around the same time its third quarter earnings report is announced on October 27.
This reduction in headcount will be substantial, affecting Intel sales and marketing team the hardest – around 20% of their members are expected to receive pink slips.
This decision comes after two years of booming sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, and just as Intel is set to receive billions in funding from the US government under the CHIPS Act.
Gartner recently announced that worldwide PC shipments only totalled 68 million units in the third quarter of 2022 – a 19.5% drop from a year ago. This was the steepest market decline it recorded since it started tracking the market in the mid-1990s.
On October 11, 2022, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger announced a new path for growth during this economic downturn – the creation of an internal foundry model for external customers, and Intel product lines.
Intel will also create an IDM 2.0 Acceleration Officer under the leadership of Stuart Pann. IDM is short for Integrated Device Manufacturing.
IDM 2.0 is Intel’s plans to become a major provider of semiconductor foundry capacity in the US and Europe to serve customers globally.
Intel Not Alone In Layoffs During This Market Downturn
Intel wouldn’t be alone in cutting jobs. Meta and Microsoft had already announced layoffs. Meta quietly laid off about 12,000 “underperforming” Facebook employees recently, while Microsoft announced in July 2022 that it laid off almost 1,800 employees.
Even Sundar Pichai – the CEO of mighty Alphabet hinted at the possibility of layoffs, saying he wanted to make Google 20% more efficient and that could include cutting its headcount.
Many other corporations have also been laying off employees amidst the global economic slowdown and high inflation that is fuelling recession fears – Tencent, Alibaba, Tesla, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, etc.
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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.
The US aims to block the construction of new advanced chip fabs in China and countries of concern like Russia.
Here is what you need to know…
US To Fund Building Of Advanced Chip Fabs!
The US Congress just passed the historic CHIPS and Science Act (HR 4346) – a massive $280 billion bill designed to bolster innovation and tech hubs in the United States.
The legislation passed with a Senate vote of 64-33, and a House vote of 243-187, approving :
$76 billion of funding to revive and boost chip production in the United States
$81 billion for the National Science Foundation over 5 years, for research, equipment and STEM education
Almost $10 billion for the National Institute of Standards and Technology
TSMC, Intel and Samsung are expected to benefit from the billions of dollars of funding, which would subsidise their construction of new advanced chip fabs in the United States.
There is however a big caveat in the legislation that the White House is expected to sign – any company that receives funding will be barred from building new advanced chip fabs in China and other countries of concern, like Russia.
The CHIPS and Sciences Act specifically bars companies that receive federal funding from “materially expanding” production of chips more advanced than 28 nanometres (28 nm) in countries of concern like China and Russia, for 10 years.
28 nm chips are not state-of-art, with production first starting more than 10 years ago – in 2011. However, they are still used in many applications, and China is free to keep producing these chips.
This move though will essentially limit development of advanced chips in China, by blocking foreign chipmakers from investing in more advanced fabs.
Intel had earlier lobbied hard against this move. In late 2021, Intel wanted to expand production in China but was pressured to sell its Dalian wafer plant to South Korea’s SK Hynix. Intel now only has chip packaging and testing facilities in China.
But that changed, and now Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger is a big proponent of the bill, even suggesting that it might forego building its Ohio mega fab and shift it to Europe if the legislation did not pass.
Currently, the only semiconductor companies investing in fabs in China are Samsung and TSMC. So if they choose to accept US funding, both companies will have to stop building fabs that can produce chips that are more advanced than 28 nm.
Of the potential recipients of US funding, TSMC is the only company making relatively advanced chips in China. Its Nanjing fabs currently make 28 nm and more advanced 16 nm chips.
Unless TSMC spurns US funding, it won’t be able to invest in more advanced fabs in China. This will force China to rely on its own SMIC to develop more advanced chipmaking technologies.
US Quietly Expands Chip Equipment Ban To Fabs In China
In addition to the looming CHIPS Act, the US government also expanded its ban on the sale of machines for fabricating advanced chips.
The US government had earlier banned the sale of tools that allow China to manufacture chips at 10 nm or smaller. That ban was just extended to include tools that would allow the manufacture of chips 14 nm or smaller.
American equipment makers like LAM Research and KLA Corp. have received letters about this expanded ban, which appears to be limited to logic chips (like computer processors), but not memory chips.
According to the US Commerce Department, the move was meant to impair China’s ability to manufacture advanced chips :
The Biden Administration is focused on impairing PRC efforts to manufacture advanced semiconductors to address significant national security risks to the United States.
However, this move appears to be merely officiating what is already being practiced – the US Commerce Department had already declined many licences to sell 14nm fab equipment.
The Biden Administration is also pushing the Netherlands and Japan to ban ASML Holdings NV and Nikon Corp from selling advanced chip making equipment to China.
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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.
Is Malaysia preparing to break Western sanctions, and supply Russia with electronics and semiconductors?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Malaysia Preparing To Supply Russia With Semiconductors!
People are sharing a GizChina article that claims that Malaysia is preparing to supply Russia with electronics and semiconductors against Western sanctions!
Here is what the article says… It’s long so please feel free to skip to the next section for the facts…
It looks like Malaysia is prepping to supply electronics and semiconductors to Russia amid the country’s invasion of Ukraine. This piece of information has been confirmed by the Malaysian Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Bala Chandran Tharman.
He announced that the Southeast Asian country will consider any requests from Russia for providing electronics, as well as semiconductors. Notably, this comes at a time when Western countries are sparing no effort to single out Russia after its gratuitous attack on Ukraine.
Aside from this, Multiple Asian tech giants have been imposing sanctions in a bid to isolate Russia. Following in the footsteps of Huawei, Chinese company BOE recently clarified it does not have a production line in Russia. However, there are still some countries that aren’t willing to wreak havoc on their relationship with Russia.
Now, Malaysia said it will not shy away from supplying electronics and semiconductors to Russia if it needs them. To recall, Bala Chandran even confirmed that Malaysian financial institutions will join the Russian financial messaging system, provided they meet specific criteria.
Tharman told Sputnik (via The Edge Market) that all partner countries that are doing business with Russia are now looking into opportunities to take the business forward. Now, Bala Chandran said Malaysia will investigate Russia’s request for semiconductors and electronics.
Aside from this, he pointed out that the Malaysian economy is market-driven. So, the country will unhesitatingly take any request for products from Russia into consideration. However, Bala Chandran clarified that he isn’t aware of any ongoing conversations at the government level.
Last month, Taiwan said that Malaysia can play a vital role in ending the global shortage of auto semiconductors, and specifically ease the challenge related to auto semiconductors packaging. Notably, the ambassador said he is glad people consider Malaysia as a potential high-tech equipment supplier to Russia.
Furthermore, he even hinted at a potential business-to-business association with the Russian Federation. Malaysia is a major exporter of semiconductors, offering a volume of $8.7 billion every year.
Moreover, Malaysia’s electronics sector incorporates more than 6 percent of the country’s GDP. Since Malaysia is a trade state, the ambassador claims that the country’s business sector will acknowledge products’ demand and supply in the global market.
The country will actively respond to the requirement of electronic gadgets, respond, and semiconductors in the global market. To recall, both Malaysia and Vietnam do not support sanctions on Russia. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Western countries imposed harsh sanctions on Moscow.
Truth : Malaysia NOT Preparing To Supply Russia With Semiconductors!
The truth is – GizChina made up this story, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Mahathir Is No Longer Prime Minister Of Malaysia
GizChina does not seem to be aware that Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has not been the Prime Minister of Malaysia since he stepped down on 24 February 2020.
They hilariously used the photo of Dr. Mahathir with Russian President Vladimir Putin that was taken at the 33rd ASEAN Summit in Singapore, in 2018.
Mahathir wasn’t even mentioned in their article. They could have used a photo of the Malaysian Ambassador to Russia, Bala Chandran Tharman…
Please don’t tell them they thought that this was a picture of the Malaysian Ambassador to Russia with Putin…
Fact #2 : GizChina Offered No Evidence
GizChina offered ZERO evidence that Malaysia is preparing to go against Western sanctions, and supply Russia with semiconductors.
The writer, Vinay Patel, claimed that “this piece of information has been confirmed by the Malaysian ambassador to the Russian Federation, Bala Chandran Tharman“.
However, he offered no evidence to back up that claim. There was no link to any statement, or a quote of Bala Chandran confirming that Malaysia would be supplying Russia with semiconductors.
Fact #3 : Bala Chandran Did Not Say Malaysia Will Supply Russia With Semiconductors
Despite other sources claiming that Bala Chandran made that claim to RIA Novosti and Sputnik News, I could find no reference in their official websites.
The only legitimate news source I could find was a Bernama report on 23 April 2022, which stated :
In another development, Bala Chandran believes Malaysia would consider an opportunity to sell semiconductors and electronics to Russia.
“The Malaysian industry is market-oriented and I am absolutely sure that any request from the Russian party concerning such products will be considered,” the ambassador said.
He stressed that he was not aware of any current talks on the issues between the two countries.
Bala Chandran, as far as I can tell, never said that Malaysia would go against Western sanctions, and actually supply Russia with semiconductors.
He only said that “Malaysia would consider” the “opportunity to sell semiconductors and electronics to Russia“.
This is no different from a lady telling you that “she would consider” going out on a date with you. That could possibly happen, but it does NOT mean she actually agreed to go out on a date with you.
Fact #4 : Malaysia Is A Democracy With A Market Economy
Bala Chandran also pointed out that the Malaysian market is “market-oriented“. Malaysia has a market economy, and is not controlled by the government.
Malaysia is also a democratic country, not an autocratic / authoritarian state like China, where the government has massive power to control private / public enterprises.
In short, the Malaysian government cannot and does not dictate who Malaysian companies should sell to. Even if Malaysia wanted to sell semiconductors to Russia, it cannot simply order companies to do so.
Bala Chandran also clarified, he isn’t aware of any ongoing conversations at the government level. In other words, the Malaysian government itself has made no effort to sell or market semiconductors to Russia.
Fact #5 : Malaysia Does Not Own Semiconductor Companies
Malaysia has a number of homegrown semiconductor companies that provide critical support to multinational corporations like Intel, AMD, Agilent, Renata, Osram, Infineon and Broadcom.
However, they are private and public-listed companies and not owned by the Malaysian government, or beholden to it. Practically all of them have ties to Western companies that have to comply with Western sanctions against Russia.
Therefore, the Malaysian government cannot dictate who these companies should supply their products and services to. It can only say that “any request from the Russian party concerning such products will be considered“, and nothing more.
Fact #6 : Even Chinese Companies Are Avoiding Russia
Despite China coming out against economic sanctions imposed on Russia, Chinese companies are studiously avoiding breaking Western sanctions.
Even Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, explicitly said that “China is not a party to the crisis, nor does it want the sanctions to affect China.”
Companies placed under US sanctions, for example, will have all of their US assets and banned from trading with US companies.
If China does not dare to break Western sanctions against Russia, do you really expect Malaysia to break them? Do you expect private and public-listed companies to break Western sanctions?
As a warning shot, Singapore electronics wholesaler Alexsong Pte Ltd. was placed under US sanctions for facilitating “transactions that helped Russia evade sanctions“.
The truth is, for most companies, the Russian market is much too small to risk losing access to Western markets, capital and technologies.
Variants of this FAKE NEWS are now being shared in pro-Russia and pro-China websites.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out!
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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.
Intel joined over 600 other companies in condemning and leaving Russia over its invasion of Ukraine!
Here is what you need to know…
Intel Condemned Russia Over Invasion Of Ukraine!
A week after Russia invaded Ukraine, Intel issued a press release condemning the invasion, and announcing a stop to all shipments to both Russia and Belarus.
While Belarus did not directly participate in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it continues to be a willing partner in the invasion, allowing Russian troops, tanks and aircraft to attack Ukraine from their territory.
This announcement on 3 March 2022 effectively cut off supply of Intel chips to both countries.
Intel condemns the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and we have suspended all shipments to customers in both Russia and Belarus. Our thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted by this war, including the people of Ukraine and the surrounding countries and all those around the world with family, friends and loved ones in the region.
We are working to support all of our employees through this difficult situation, especially those with close ties to this region. We have launched an employee donation and matching campaign through the Intel Foundation that has already raised over $1.2 million for relief efforts, and we are proud of the work our teams in surrounding areas including Poland, Germany and Romania are doing to aid refugees. We will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine and the global community in calling for an immediate end to this war and a swift return to peace.
Intel Leaves Russia Over Invasion Of Ukraine!
After Russia’s initial attempt to seize Kyiv and topple the Ukrainian government failed spectacularly, Russian forces began a wholesale bombardment of Ukrainian cities.
Even worse, it was recently discovered that Russian forces raped and massacred Ukrainian civilians in the town of Bucha.
All those atrocities may have made it untenable for companies like Intel to even maintain a local presence while waiting out the war.
On 5 April 2022, Intel announced that they immediately suspended all business operations in Russia.
It is unknown what will happen to their 1,200 employees in Russia, but Intel says that it is now working to support those employees.
Intel continues to join the global community in condemning Russia’s war against Ukraine and calling for a swift return to peace. Effective immediately, we have suspended all business operations in Russia. This follows our earlier decision to suspend all shipments to customers in Russia and Belarus.
Our thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted by this war, particularly the people of Ukraine and the surrounding countries and all those around the world with family, friends and loved ones in the region.
We are working to support all of our employees through this difficult situation, including our 1,200 employees in Russia. We have also implemented business continuity measures to minimize disruption to our global operations.
Intel joins over 600 companies that have withdrawn from Russia, according to the Yale School of Management.
They include major brands like 3M, Adidas, Amazon, Cisco, Ikea, LVMH, Mastercard, McDonald’s, VMware, Visa, Western Union.
Notably, Chinese companies like Alibaba, Didi, HUAWEI, Tencent and Xiaomi continue to operate in Russia.
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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.
ASUS Z690 Hero owners are FUMING because their motherboards are MELTING, SMOKING and CATCHING ON FIRE!
Take a look at the SHOCKING REASON why these premium motherboards are literally melting down…
ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero : Potential Fire Hazard?!
ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero owners are complaining on social media, and in the ASUS Support Forum, that their premium motherboards are literally burning up!
In fact, one user, TheMaxXHD, had two of his ASUS Z690 Hero motherboards die in just 3 days, with one actually catching on fire!
Late at night I am merely surfing the web and all of a sudden it hard shuts off again, and this time when I look over there I see a component on the motherboard literally on fire.
Other users reported hearing loud pops, and either smelling or seeing smoke wafting from their ASUS Z690 Hero motherboards, before shutting down.
Even users who were lucky not to experience a fire or melting components, reported that their ASUS Z690 Hero motherboards were unstable, rebooting on and off.
The motherboard’s Q Code display would also show Error Code 53, which refers to a memory error. However, replacing or swapping the memory modules will not solve the problem.
Why ASUS Z690 Hero Motherboards Are Melting / Catching On Fire!
Users who reported problems with their ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboards, have noted that they were melting / smoking / catching on fire in roughly the same area – between the last DIMM slot and the Q Code display.
In that location, you can see two MOSFETs (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors), but they are apparently not the cause.
According to a YouTuber called Buildzoid, the capacitor next to those two MOSFETs are the likely cause of the melting / smoking / catching on fire.
He pointed out that the etched text on the capacitor is upside down, which suggests that they were incorrectly installed in reverse!
In this comparison, the reversed capacitor is seen in the picture on the left, with the positive terminal on the left, instead of to the right, as seen on the picture on the right.
When such a capacitor is installed in reverse polarity, it will not only fail to work, it will actually act as a short circuit.
This quickly creates hydrogen gas (which is flammable!), and eventually destroys the capacity and could even start a fire.
There is no doubt that installing capacitors in reverse polarity is a dangerous mistake.
ASUS Confirms Reversed Capacitor On Z690 Hero Motherboards!
ASUS confirmed Buildzoid’s assessment, stating that they have “preliminarily identified a potential reversed memory capacitor issue in the production process“.
They also confirmed that the reversed capacitor issue affects units manufactured in 2021, with the part number 90MB18E0-MVAAY0 and serial numbers starting with MA, MB, or MC.
They did not, however, reveal how this dangerous mistake happened, or why their quality control (QC) measures failed to pick up the mistake.
To identify whether your ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard is affected by this reversed memory capacitor mistake, you can check the part and serial numbers in the product packaging label.
ASUS also created a serial number tool, for you to check if your motherboard is affected.
ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero : Is There A Recall?
Unfortunately, there is no general recall of the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero.
While ASUS admitted that there is a reversed memory capacitor issue, they did not recall the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboards.
They only stated that they are going to continue their “thorough inspection” with their suppliers and customers, and “will be working with relevant government agencies on a replacement program“.
It is unknown why ASUS would need to work with government agencies on a replacement program, but for now – there is no recall program.
Neither did ASUS get back to the user whose Z690 Hero motherboard caught on fire after 2 weeks :
I have heard nothing from them. I sent them via reddit dm my second board’s serial number that I had returned to my local microcenter, which was the board that actually caught on fire, so they have a paper trail to follow and maybe retrieve that board from the store, and I explained the issue.
My only hope is they are actually looking into this, because it is a serious concern. However, I have heard nothing, so I don’t know.
One can only hope, but if they just sit there doing nothing, its a pretty big shame, as Asus support is one of the supposed big reasons why people buy Asus
ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero : What Should You Do?
It is unfortunate that ASUS did not recall all affected ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboards. The memory capacitor installed in reverse polarity poses a real danger, and is a fire hazard.
Therefore, it would be advisable to avoid buying the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero until this issue is resolved satisfactorily.
If you are using a Z690 Hero motherboard that is affected by this issue, you should IMMEDIATELY STOP USING IT, and reach out to ASUS.
Until ASUS agrees to fix the affected motherboards, the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero should only be used by “Those Who Dare” to risk damage, or worse, from the reversed memory capacitor…
If possible, return the motherboard for a full refund, or exchange it for alternative motherboards like the GIGABYTE AORUS Z690 Master (US | UK | AU | SG | MY), like TheMaxXHD whose Z690 Hero caught fire :
I have since swapped out the board for a Gigabyte Aorus Z690 Master and has been going just fine for almost a full week. Nothing else was changed other than the motherboard, indicating to me, this is a motherboard issue.
All in all, it appears like some boards have components in flames, some merely just become bricked with code 53. In any case, I would advise avoiding until and if Asus responds.
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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.
Intel just announced that they are going to build a new $7 billion chip packaging and testing facility in Penang, Malaysia!
Intel To Build New $7 Billion Chip Plant In Malaysia!
On 16 December 2021, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger officially announced a $7 billion (RM30 billion) investment to build a new chip packaging and testing facility in Penang, Malaysia.
The new Intel facility will add advanced chip packaging capabilities, as well as expand their existing assembly test manufacturing and die preparation capability in Malaysia.
This investment continues Intel’s 49-year old presence in Penang, and is expected to create over 4,000 Intel jobs, as well as 5,000 construction jobs for Malaysians.
The new facility will not address the current semiconductor shortage though, as it will only begin production in 2024.
Intel has two new plants in Arizona, United States, that will also become fully-operational in 2024; with further plans to invest up to €80 billion (US$90.5 billion) to build new chip plants in Europe.
Intel’s New $7 Billion Chip Plant In Malaysia : Diversity Is Key!
The new Penang plant appears to be part of Gelsinger’s plans to diversify chip production globally to avoid any production shock from geopolitical troubles (think Taiwan vs China), or natural disasters from earthquakes and climate change.
Gelsinger had earlier warned, “Taiwan is not a stable place. Beijing sent 27 warplanes to Taiwan’s air defence identification zone last week. Does that make you feel more comfortable or less?”
That drew the ire of TSMC Chairman and CEO, Morris Chang, who remarked that Gelsinger does not have “enough time” to take Intel back to the top (of the semiconductor industry).
While Intel did have an earlier retirement age limit of 65 (Gelsinger turns 61 in March 2022), that was since been extended to 75.
So Intel under Gelsinger may have a chance to wrest back significant market share from TSMC, before he retires.
Please Support My Work!
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.
macOS Monterey continues to be plagued by an insidious memory leak problem that Apple does not seem able to fix.
So here are a few workarounds that you can try!
macOS Monterey Memory Leak : What’s Going On?
Ever since it was released on 25 October 2021, macOS Monterey has been plaguing users with an insidious memory leak problem.
And even as Christmas approaches, Apple is still unable to fix the problem. Here is what we know so far…
It Gobbles Up Insane Amounts Of Memory
The memory leak quietly eats up insane amounts of memory, creeping up on users without warning.
A single affected app like Firefox can gobble up almost 80 GB of memory. Even a critical macOS process like WindowServer can end up using 24 GB of memory, while the Mail app can use more than 100 GB of memory!
Unless you have been keeping an eye on memory usage, you will only realise this is happening when you get the warning that “Your system has run out of application memory” with a request to Force Quit apps you are not using.
It Appears To Be An OS Issue
This Monterey memory leak affects many different apps with no obvious culprit in sight :
Internet browsers like Firefox and Safari
Apps like Tweetbot and Final Cut Pro
macOS features like Control Center, Mail and Finder
macOS processes like WindowsServer
That strongly suggests that it is an operating system issue, and not a bug in any particular app.
It Affects Intel + Apple Silicon Models
This Monterey memory leak problem is not platform-specific, and affects both Intel and Apple Silicon models.
So you are not going to be able to “escape” this memory leak problem by upgrading to the new M1 Pro / Max-powered MacBook Pro laptops.
macOS Monterey Memory Leak : Possible Solutions
Unfortunately, Apple still does not seem to be able to plug this insidious macOS Monterey memory leak. So here are some solutions that may work for you…
Revert To Standard Mouse Pointer
One of the new features macOS Monterey is the ability to change the mouse pointer’s size, as well as its outline and fill colours.
However, the developers at Mozilla discovered that using a non-standard mouse pointer in macOS Monterey causes a large memory leak!
This memory leak is not limited to Firefox, but occurs anytime the non-standard mouse pointer changes its look, like when you mouse over a button or a text field.
To fix this, you will need to revert to a standard mouse pointer, and here’s how to do that :
Step 1 : Go to Settings and select Accessibility.
Step 2 : Tap on the Display option, and select the Pointer tab.
Step 3 : Move the Pointer size all the way to the left (Normal).
Step 4 : Click on the Reset button to the right of Pointer outline colour and Pointer fill colour.
Step 5 : Restart your Mac, and fingers crossed – this fixes your Monterey memory leak problem!
Relaunch Finder
If you notice Finder using a prodigious amount of memory, that memory leak happens when you use the Find (⌘ F) feature in to search for files.
The easiest way to prevent this memory leak is to avoid using Finder’s Find feature. Try using the Search option on the upper right corner.
But once you get a Finder memory leak, you must relaunch it to release the leaked memory…
Option A : While in the Finder window, click on the Apple menu. Then press and hold the Shift key and click on Force Quit Finder.
Option B : Click on the Apple menu. Click Force Quit (Command + Option + Escape). Then select Finder and click on Relaunch.
Limit Use Of Control Center
Some users have reported that the Control Center can use upwards of 20GB of RAM, but most users fortunately do not encounter such terrible waste of memory.
This memory leak is easily reproducible – every time you use a control, it uses a little more RAM but does not release it.
Unfortunately, there is no way to release the leaked memory short of restarting the computer. So the best way to avoid this memory leak is to limit the use of Control Center.
Restart Apps Whenever Memory Use Is Too Much
Well, this seems obvious, but I have to throw it in anyway.
If any app, whether it’s Safari or Final Cut Pro starts using way too much memory, just close and reopen it. That should quickly recover the leaked memory.
Of course, this is only a stopgap solution until Apple releases a fix for this truly pesky memory problem in macOS Monterey…
Please Support My Work!
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.
Known for its sturdy yet lightweight body, HUAWEI MateBook D14 comes in a sleek and stylish design with a 14-inch FullView Display that boasts screen-to-body ratio of 84%.
The HUAWEI MateBook D14 has a large 56Wh battery that can serve you to last throughout the day, and a built-in fingerprint sensor that lets you quickly and securely log in.
Its support for HUAWEI’s Multi-Screen Collaboration feature lets you interact seamlessly between between your laptop and smartphone. It also allows you to take control of your smartphone using your laptop, allowing for greater productivity!
12.12 Offer :RM1,199 (RRP : RM1,399) with FREE Smart Magnetic Keyboard worth RM399
The HUAWEI MatePad is a great option for those who are looking for a tablet at an affordable price. It even comes with a keyboard case that protects it when closed, and turns it into a laptop when open!
It is designed to offer studio-quality audio with its quad-speaker, Histen 6.1 3D stereo and quad-channel Harmon Kardon sound system. And it supports HUAWEI’s Multi-Screen Collaboration feature which lets you transfer, drag and drop files between devices, as well as screen sharing between tablet, smartphone and laptop!
The tablet comes with 64 GB of storage, which can be extended to 512GB storage through an optional microSD card. It also supports 4G LTE connectivity – all you need to do is insert a SIM card!
12.12 Offer :RM1,999with FREE M-Pencil and Smart Magnetic Keyboard worth RM998
Running on HarmonyOS 2, the MatePad 11 is the first HUAWEI tablet to feature a 10.95-inch FullView display with a 120 Hz refresh rate for a silky-smooth visual experience, and a DCI-P3 colour gamut for real-to-life colours!
The MatePad 11 comes with the 2nd Generation M-Pencil stylus, which boasts an almost imperceptible lag as low as 2 ms. It has 4,096 pressure levels and tilt sensitivity, giving you a natural writing and drawing experience.
The MatePad 11 is also a multimedia powerhouse, with quad-channel large amplitude quad-speaker system, tuned by Harman Kardon.
It is further enhanced with Histen 7.0 for greater bass and a new sound field enhancement algorithm, giving you that immersive cinema-like audio experience when you watch movies!
The HUAWEI MatePad T10 comes with an anti-glare screen that is TÜV Rheinland certified Eye Comfort. By reducing the amount of blue light significantly without affecting the screen colour tone with its true tone technology, it ensures that you have greater viewing pleasure while preventing eye strain.
Whether it’s for work, watching movies or social media, this is a highly-affordable tablet that offers better eye comfort for everyday use!
The HUAWEI WATCH GT2e lets you work out anywhere you want, inside and outside the gym with a tracker that supports precise positioning systems and delivers professional sports guidance.
It lets you easily monitor your heart rate with its accurate TruSeen 3.5 and a calorie counter that displays the amount you have burnt after each session.
The HUAWEI WATCH Fit offers you a total of 96 Effective Workout Modes to start your personal fitness training immediately.
It also delivers precise and real-time workout metrics for 11 professional sport modes, inclusive of running, swimming, and cycling. And it comes along with 85 more custom workout modes for a diverse fitness routine throughout the month.
Tthe HUAWEI FreeBuds 4i are active noise cancelling TWS earbuds, that lets you hear only what you want, while its dual-mic system comes with a slit-duct design that works to effectively reduce outdoor wind noise.
It also boasts an exclusive beamforming technology that uses AI noise reduction technology to pick up your voice with extra accuracy, maintaining its quality regardless of the environment you are in.
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.
Acer just launched the Aspire Vero – a new green laptop for environmentally-conscious consumers and companies!
Take a look at the 2021 Acer Aspire Vero, and find out how it differs from other laptops!
2021 Acer Aspire Vero : Green Laptop With 30% PCR Chassis
The 2021 Acer Aspire Vero is a new laptop, designed to meet the discerning requirements of environmentally-conscious consumers and companies.
Its chassis is made from 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic, while its keycaps contain 50% PCR plastic. This allows the Aspire Vero to save about 21% in CO2 emissions.
The Acer Aspire Vero is also designed to eliminate electronic waste by making it easy to disassemble, repair or upgrade – a far cry from some other brands.
https://youtu.be/U_6t8_JyIUQ
The 2021 Acer Aspire Vero also ships in a box made from 80-85% recycled paper pulp, and it swaps plastic bags for paper sleeves instead.
The single piece of plastic in the box – a thin protective sheet between the keyboard and screen – is made from 100% industrial recycled plastic.
All graphics on the box are also printed with soy ink, and Acer did away with any printing on the laptop chassis. On top of that, users can convert the 100% recyclable packaging into a DIY laptop stand!
The laptop comes with a 99% recyclable 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display, and is powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i7 or Core i5 processor with Intel Iris Xe Graphics.
For greater energy efficiency and longer battery life, you can switch on the Eco+ mode in the Acer VeroSense software.
It features the latest connectivity capabilities – Wi-Fi 6 with Bluetooth 5.1, and even an RJ-45 ethernet port, as well as two USB Type A ports, a USB Type C port, a HDMI port and a 3.5 mm audio jack.
The 2021 Acer Aspire Vero runs on Windows 11, and comes pre-installed with Microsoft Office Home & Student 2021
2021 Acer Aspire Vero : Specifications
Acer is offering two variants of the Aspire Vero laptop in 2021. For your convenience, I prepared this table comparing their key specifications :
Specifications
Acer Aspire Vero
(Core i5)
Acer Aspire Vero
(Core i7)
Model
AV15-51-522W
AV15-51-75SA
Display
15.6-inch IPS display
Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080)
OS
Microsoft Windows 11 Home
Processor
Intel Core i5-1155G7
Intel Core i7-1195G7
Memory
8 GB LPDDR4X
16 GB LPDDR4X
Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Storage
512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD
Networking
Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX201
Bluetooth 5.1 RJ-45 Ethernet Port
Connectivity
1 x HDMI 2.0 port with HDCP
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A (with power-off USB charging)
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1
Type C
1 x 3.5 mm audio jack
Webcam
Acer HD webcam (1280 x 720)
Battery Life
Up to 7 hours
Dimensions
363.4 mm wide
238.5 mm deep
17.9 mm thick
Weight
1.8 kg
Price
RM3,399
RM4,299
2021 Acer Aspire Vero : Price + Availability
The 2021 Acer Aspire Vero is available for purchase with immediate effect, with these official launch prices :
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.
Acer just unveiled the 2021 Predator Orion 7000 – an upgradeable liquid-cooled gaming PC!
Here is our first look at the 2021 Acer Predator Orion 7000 gaming PC!
2021 Acer Predator Orion 7000 : First Look!
Acer just introduced their new 2021 Predator Orion 7000 gaming PC (P07-640) at their 2021 “Made for Humanity” Global Press Conference.
Here is our first look at this awesome-looking liquid-cooled gaming PC!
2021 Acer Predator Orion 7000 : Key Features
Here is a quick overview of its key features :
Performance
The 2021 Predator Orion 7000 is powered by the latest 12th Gen Intel Core processors, paired with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 graphics card, and up to 64 GB DDR5-4000 RAM!
This makes it one of the most powerful gaming PC in the market today! And it is upgradeable, so you can upgrade to the next best thing that comes along!
Cooling
An AIO CPU liquid cooler, with three Predator FrostBlade 2.0 fans and advanced airflow management keep system components cool, even in the most demanding gaming conditions.
The improved FrostBlade fans’ thin and curved blades are designed to smoothly increase airflow without creating turbulence, while their wear resistant and fully-sealed rifle bearings ensure that they will keep spinning for many years to come.
Design
The 2021 Predator Orion 7000 comes with an EMI-compliant chassis with transparent, tempered glass side panels.
The design showcases two massive 140 mm (5.5-inch) Predator FrostBlade 2.0 fans in the front, and a 120 mm (4.7-inch) Predator FrostBlade 2.0 fan at the back, which can be lit and configured with a dazzling array of ARGB colours.
Accenting the bold lighting and design are an illuminated teal blue Predator logo on the front panel, with an easily-accessible teal prism-refraction power button.
Storage
The rig comes with ample storage bays, with these storage options :
1 x 2.5-inch USB 3.2 Gen2 Type C hot swap drive bay
2 x M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD bay (up to 1 TB each)
2 x 3.5-inch SATA 3 hard disk drives (up to 3 TB each)
Connectivity
The 2021 Predator Orion 7000 also comes with lots of wireless and wired connectivity features built-in :
Intel Killer 2.5G LAN port
Intel Wi-Fi 6E (AX211) with 2×2 MU-MIMO technology
In the front of the chassis, it offers these easy-to-reach ports :
3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A ports
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type C port
2 x audio jacks
At the back of the chassis, you will find these additional ports :
3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A ports
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C port
2 x USB 2.0 ports
3 x audio jacks
Please Support My Work!
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.
Acer just introduced the 2021 Predator Triton and Predator Helios line of gaming laptops!
Take a look at these brand new gaming laptops and find out what they offer!
2021 Predator Triton + Helios Gaming Laptops Are Here!
On 30 September 2021, Acer unveiled the 2021 Predator Triton and Predator Helios line of gaming laptops!
These newly-refreshed gaming laptops now offer a new level of gaming performance, with even better displays!
Let’s start with their official launch briefing video…
2021 Predator Triton 500 SE
The 2021 Predator Triton 500 SE (Special Edition) is a discreetly-designed gaming laptop that look like professional business laptops, but will blast the competition out of the water in any game!
The new Predator Triton 500 SE is incredibly powerful, pairing an 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9 processor with the NVIDIA® GeForce™ RTX 3080 GPU, with up to 32 GB of fast DDR4 memory.
Its 16-inch IPS display offers a large work space with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. No one would possibly guess that this large, high-resolution display is also fantastic for gaming, especially when it supports a 165 Hz refresh rate!
To ensure that it stays cool, even under the most strenuous work or gaming conditions, the Predator Triton 500 SE employs the Acer Vortex Flow cooling design, which features :
a triple-fan cooling system
5th Generation AeroBlade™ 3D fans
five dedicated heat pipes
strategically-placed intake and exhaust vents
Best of all – it offers up to 12-hours of battery life, in a 19.9 mm thin all-metal chassis that weighs only 2.4 kg! This lets you use the Predator Triton 500 SE for a full day of work or game on-the-go!
Why waste money on two separate laptops – one for work, one for play, when you can use the Predator Triton 500 SE for both? That’s why I’m especially excited about the 2021 Predator Triton 500 SE.
Acer is offering two models, priced at RM12,999 and RM8,999 respectively, with a 2 year on-site warranty with protection against accidental damage and theft!
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i
Bluetooth 5.1
Killer Ethernet E3100G
Ports
2 x USB Type C ports with one port supporting
– USB 3.2 Gen 2
– DisplayPort over USB-C
– Thunderbolt 4
– USB charging
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports
– one port supports power-off USB charging
1 x HDMI 2.1 port with HDCP
1 x 3.5 mm audio jack
Card Reader
SD Card Reader
Audio
DTS X : Ultra
Supports Windows Spatial Sound
Webcam
720p HD webcam
Dimensions
358.5 mm wide
262.4 mm deep
19.9 mm thick
Weight
2.4 kg
Price
RM12,999
~ US$3,110
~ £2,306
~ A$4,294
~ S$4,221
RM8,999
~ US$2,153
~ £1,596
~ A$2,972
~ S$2,922
2021 Predator Helios 500
For those who want the ultimate desktop-like gaming performance in a laptop, the 2021 Predator Helios 500 is the answer.
The top-of-the-line model pairs up to 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11980HK processor, with an NVIDIA® GeForce™ RTX 3080 GPU with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, together with up to 64 GB of RAM and up to 2 TB of fast SSD storage!
The Intel® Core™ i9 model comes with a magnificent 17.3-inch Mini LED display, with 4K resolution and support for full-array local dimming!
The Intel® Core™ i7 model, on the other hand, comes with a super-fast Full HD display with a 360 Hz refresh rate and a 3 ms response time.
The 2021 Predator Helios 500 is kept cool by Predator PowerGem – a custom metal-alloy polymer on the CPU, as well as Acer Vortex Flow technology with two 5th Generation AeroBlade™ 3D fans.
The RGB-lit keys can also be further customised by the discerning gamer, who can swap them for Acer Racing or MagForce keys (featuring MagTek mechanical switches).
If you really want the best gaming laptop money can buy, definitely look at the Predator Helios 500.
Acer is offering two models priced at RM19,999 and RM13,999 respectively, with a 2 year on-site warranty with protection against accidental damage and theft!
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i
Bluetooth 5.1
Killer Ethernet E3100G
Ports
2 x USB Type C ports with one port supporting
– USB 3.2 Gen 2
– DisplayPort over USB-C
– Thunderbolt 4
– USB charging
3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports
– one port supports power-off USB charging
1 x HDMI 2.1 port with HDCP
1 x mini DP 1.4 port
1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack
1 x 3.5 mm microphone jack
Card Reader
SD Card Reader
Audio
DTS X : Ultra
Supports Windows Spatial Sound
Webcam
720p HD webcam
Dimensions
400.0 mm wide
319.2 mm deep
35.3 mm thick
Weight
3.9 kg
Price
RM19,999
~ US$4,785
~ £3,552
~ A$6,614
~ S$6,494
RM13,999
~ US$3,349
~ £2,486
~ A$4,630
~ S$4,546
2021 Acer Predator Helios 300 (17.3-inch)
Those on a tighter budget but still want a large gaming laptop, should consider the 2021 Acer Predator Helios 300 (17.3-inch).
Now refreshed with the 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H processor and up to the NVIDIA® GeForce™ RTX 3070 GPU, it comes with two excellent 17.3-inch display options :
a 2560 x 1440 display with a 165 Hz refresh rate, and 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, or
a 1920 x 1080 display with a 360 Hz refresh rate, and 100% sRGB colour gamut
It comes with 16GB of RAM, which can be expanded to 32GB, and up to 1TB of fast SSD storage, which can be expanded with another SSD and even a HDD!
To ensure it stays cool even in the most demanding gaming session, it features dual AeroBlade™ 3D fans, which can be monitored and controlled by the PredatorSense app.
The 17.3-inch Predator Helios 300 is definitely a great option for those who are looking for a good gaming laptop with a large display at an affordable price point.
Acer is offering two models priced at RM8,999 and RM7,999 respectively, with a 2 year on-site warranty with protection against accidental damage and theft!
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i
Bluetooth 5.1
Killer Ethernet E2600
Ports
1 x USB Type C port supporting
– USB 3.2 Gen 2
– DisplayPort over USB-C
– Thunderbolt 4
– USB charging
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port supporting power-off USB charging
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
1 x HDMI 2.1 port with HDCP
1 x mini-DP 1.4 port
1 x 3.5 mm audio jack
Card Reader
None
Audio
DTS X : Ultra
Supports Windows Spatial Sound
Webcam
720p HD webcam
Dimensions
398.0 mm wide
375.3 mm deep
26.55 mm thick
Weight
2.9 kg
Price
RM8,999
~ US$2,153
~ £1,596
~ A$2,972
~ S$2,922
RM7,999
~ US$1,913
~ £1,418
~ A$2,463
~ S$2,599
2021 Acer Predator Helios 300 (15.6-inch)
The smaller 2021 Acer Predator Helios 300 offers great gaming performance in a compact, portable laptop for gaming on-the-go.
Now refreshed with the 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9 or Core i7 and up to the NVIDIA® GeForce™ RTX 3070 GPU, it comes with two excellent 15.6-inch display options :
a 2560 x 1440 display with a 165 Hz refresh rate, and 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, or
a 1920 x 1080 display with a 360 Hz refresh rate, and 100% sRGB colour gamut
It comes with up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of fast SSD storage, which can be expanded with another SSD and even a HDD!
To ensure it stays cool even in the most demanding gaming session, it features dual AeroBlade™ 3D fans, which can be monitored and controlled by the PredatorSense app.
The 15.6-inch Predator Helios 300 is an affordable option for those who are looking for great gaming performance in a more portable form factor for on-the-go gaming.
Acer is offering three models priced at RM9,999, RM7,699 and RM6,299, with a 2 year on-site warranty with protection against accidental damage and theft!
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i
Bluetooth 5.1
Killer Ethernet E2600
Ports
1 x USB Type C port supporting
– USB 3.2 Gen 2
– DisplayPort over USB-C
– Thunderbolt 4
– USB charging
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port supporting power-off USB charging
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
1 x HDMI 2.1 port with HDCP
1 x mini-DP 1.4 port1 x 3.5 mm audio jack
Card Reader
None
Audio
DTS X : Ultra
Supports Windows Spatial Sound
Webcam
720p HD webcam
Dimensions
363.0 mm wide
255.0 mm deep
22.9 mm thick
Weight
2.3 kg
Price
RM9,999
~ US$2,392
~ £1,774
~ A$3,306
~ S$3,249
RM7,699
~ US$1,842
~ £1,366
~ A$2,546
~ S$2,502
RM6,299
~ US$1,507
~ £1,117
~ A$2,083
~ S$2,047
2021 Predator Gaming Laptop Deals!
Acer is offering several deals for the 2021 Predator gaming laptops :
Now until 6 October 2021 : Any purchase of the new Predator Helios 300 will be entitled to free gifts worth more than RM1,000 including Predator Gaming Utility Backpack, Predator Galea 350 Headset and limited edition merchandise.
Now until 6 October 2021 : Any purchase of the Core i9 variant of Predator Helios 300 (PH315-54-9763) will receive an additional Predator Gaming Chair worth RM1,299 for FREE!
From 30 October until 6 November 2021 : Any purchase of Predator Triton 500 SE / Predator Helios 500 will be entitled to free gifts worth more than RM2,000 including Predator Gaming Chair, Predator Gaming Utility Backpack, Predator Galea 350 Headset.
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
HUAWEI just introduced the MatePad 11 tablet and the MateBook D15 laptop, each offering new capabilities.
Take a look at these new HUAWEI devices!
HUAWEI MatePad 11 + MateBook D15 : A Quick Primer!
HUAWEI just introduced the MatePad 11 tablet and the MateBook D15 laptop, each offering new capabilities.
HUAWEI MatePad 11
Running on HarmonyOS 2, the MatePad 11 is the first HUAWEI tablet to feature a 10.95-inch FullView display with a 120 Hz refresh rate for a silky-smooth visual experience, and a DCI-P3 colour gamut for real-to-life colours!
Its display is also TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light-certified, and TÜV Rheinland Flicker-Free certified, guaranteeing you hours of comfortable viewing without eye fatigue.
The MatePad 11 comes with the 2nd Generation M-Pencil stylus, which boasts an almost imperceptible lag as low as 2 ms. It has 4,096 pressure levels and tilt sensitivity, giving you a natural writing and drawing experience.
The 2nd Generation M-Pencil also supports Double Tap to Switch tools, for convenient writing and drawing. If you make a mistake, just double tap the M-Pencil to instantly switch it to the eraser mode!
It also supports HUAWEI FreeScript that quickly converts your handwriting into beautiful text, as well as Instant Shape and Instant Table, to help you easily draw perfect shapes and tablets!
The MatePad 11 is also a multimedia powerhouse, with quad-channel large amplitude quad-speaker system, tuned by Harman Kardon.
It is further enhanced with Histen 7.0 for greater bass and a new sound field enhancement algorithm, giving you that immersive cinema-like audio experience when you watch movies!
The MatePad 11 tablet also comes with 4 microphones, to pick up your voice while eliminating background noise using its built-in noise reduction and echo cancellation technologies.
You also do not need to worry about its battery life – the HUAWEI MatePad 11 offers up to 12 hours of work productivity time or 1080p video playback on a single charge.
HUAWEI MateBook D15
The HUAWEI MateBook D15 is now powered by either the 10th or 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, in a superbly thin and light aluminium alloy chassis – just 16.9 mm thin and weighing only 1.56 kg.
It comes with a FullView Display, offering 87% screen-to-body ratio, thanks to its 5.3 mm narrow bezels at the top and sides.
The large 15.6-inch display has a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and an anti-glare IPS panel that is TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light and Flicker-Free certified.
Despite its slim design, the MateBook 15 offers an impressive array of ports :
1 x USB-C port
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port
2 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x HDMI port
1 x 3.5 mm audio port
HUAWEI MatePad 11 + MateBook D15 : Price + Deal!
HUAWEI is offering their new tablets and laptops at these launch prices :
Acer just introduced the 2021 Spin 3 and Spin 5 convertible laptop models, with the latest Intel processors!
Take a look at both new Spin 3 and Spin 5 laptops, and find out what they offer!
2021 Acer Spin 3 + Spin 5 : What You Need To Know!
The 2020 Red Dot Design Award-winning Acer Spin 5 was just refreshed, and so is its sibling – the Acer Spin 3.
Convertible Design
They are both convertible laptops, with 360-degree hinges that lets them transform into different form factors to suit your requirements.
You can take notes in the tablet mode, watch movies in the tent mode, or use the clamshell mode for a more ergonomic typing experience!
Performance
Both models offer the latest 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with Intel Iris Xe Graphics, and come with up to 16 GB of LPDDR4X memory and 512 GB of fast PCIe NVMe SSD storage!
The 2021 Acer Spin 5 models, in particular, come with the latest PCIe Gen 4 SSD, which offers double the transfer speed of PCIe Gen 3 SSDs.
Both models are Intel Evo platform-certified, which means they have designed to deliver better CPU, GPU and Wi-Fi performance, instant wake-up, and longer battery life!
This gives you a desktop-like computing performance, in a slim and light convertible form factor.
High Resolution Touch Display
The 2021 Acer Spin 5 offers a 13.5-inch QHD IPS display, with an impressive 80% screen-to-body ratio, with multi-touch and AES pen support.
The 2021 Acer Spin 3, on the other hand, comes with a 13.3-inch WQXGA IPS display, also with multi-touch and AES pen support.
Both displays support 100% sRGB colour gamut, and DC dimming, which allows for no-flicker image quality in low light conditions!
Acer Active Stylus
Both 2021 Acer Spin laptops come with the Acer Active Stylus in a built-in dock, that gives it a 90 minute battery life with just 15 seconds of charging!
With two configurable buttons, this active stylus supports 4,096 pressure levels, and offers a pen-to-paper like writing experience!
Antimicrobial Coating!
The 2021 Acer Spin 5 laptop is coated with a BPR and EPA-compliant silver-ion coating on the keyboard, fingerprint reader and palm rest, with its touchpad and display are protected by Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass.
Both the antibacterial coating and the antimicrobial glass inhibit and reduce bacterial growth on all surfaces that we may touch.
This is an important feature, because the Acer Spin 5 laptop will actually reduce the amount of bacteria we come into contact!
Embedded Fingerprint Reader
A fingerprint reader is embedded directly into the touchpad, giving you an easy and secure way to verify your identity using Windows Hello, without typing in a password.
This is very useful when you are using the laptop in public, where typing out a password is not recommended.
High-Speed Connectivity
Both 2021 Spin 5 and Spin 3 laptops come with Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 built-in, for the fastest possible WiFi connectivity with lower latency.
On top of that, it all comes with dual Type-C with Thunderbolt 4 ports. These are ultra-fast ports that offer data and video transfers of up to 40 Gb/s – four times faster than USB 3.2!
Both these Thunderbolt 4 ports also allow you to output up to two 4K external displays for even greater productivity.
Light + Tough
The 2021 Spin laptops are built with an aluminium chassis, offering a slimmer profile and lighter weight.
The Spin 5 is only 14.9 mm thin, and weighs only 1.2 kg, while the Spin 3 is just 15.9 mm thin, and weighs only 1.4 kg.
Not only will they fit comfortably into any tote or laptop bag, you will have no problem carrying them in your hands for hours on end.
Ultra-Long Battery Life
Both 2021 Spin 5 and Spin 3 laptops have a long 15-hour battery life, based on the MobileMark 2014 test.
They also support fast charging technology, to keep you going wherever you are. A quick 30 minute charge will give you 4 hours of use!
2021 Acer Spin 3 : Specifications
Specifications
Acer Spin 3
(Core i7)
Acer Spin 3
(Core i5)
Model
SP313-51N-714D
SP313-51N-56CM
Display
13.3-inch IPS
touch display
2560 x 1600 pixels
Supports multi-touch and AES pen
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
Processor
Intel Core i7-1165G7
Intel Core i5-1135G7
Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Memory
16 GB LPDDR4X
8 GB LPDDR4X
Storage
512 GB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD
Wireless
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX 1650i
Bluetooth 5.1
Ports
1 x HDMI 2.0 port with HDCP support
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port (Type A)
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port (Type C)
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port (Type A)
1 x microSD card reader
1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack
Camera
Acer HD webcam (720p)
Stylus
Acer Active Stylus Pen
– 4096 pressure levels
– 2 configurable buttons
– up to 100 minutes battery life
Battery Life
Up to 15 hours
Warranty
2-year local warranty +
1st year international travellers warranty
Dimensions
302 mm wide
222.5 mm deep
15.9 mm thick
Weight
1.4 kg
2021 Acer Spin 5 : Specifications
Specifications
Acer Spin 5
(Core i7)
Acer Spin 5
(Core i5)
Model
SP513-55N-74VY
SP513-55N-53Q7
Display
13.5-inch IPS
touch display
2256 x 1504 pixels
Supports multi-touch and AES pen
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
Processor
Intel Core i7-1165G7
Intel Core i5-1135G7
Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Memory
16 GB LPDDR4X
8 GB LPDDR4X
Storage
512 GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Wireless
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX 1650i
Bluetooth 5.1
Ports
1 x HDMI 2.0 port with HDCP support
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port (Type A)
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port (Type C)
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port (Type A)
1 x microSD card reader
1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack
Camera
Acer HD webcam (720p)
Stylus
Acer Active Stylus Pen
– 4096 pressure levels
– 2 configurable buttons
– up to 100 minutes battery life
Battery Life
Up to 15 hours
Warranty
2-year local warranty +
1st year international travellers warranty
Dimensions
300 mm wide
235 mm deep
14.9 mm thick
Weight
1.2 kg
2021 Acer Spin 3 + Spin 5 : Price + Availability
Both the 2021 Acer Spin 3 and Spin 5 convertible laptops are available with immediate effect at these price points :
Acer just unveiled the Aspire Vero – their first sustainability-focused laptop based on their Earthion platform!
Find out what the Acer Aspire Vero offers, and what the Earthion platform is all about!
Acer Aspire Vero : The First Earthion Laptop!
The Acer Aspire Vero is the first sustainability-focused laptop based on their new Earthion platform.
That Acer Earthion platform is part of their pledge to achieve 100% renewable energy use by the year 2035, which they undertook when they joined the RE100 initiative.
The RE100 initiative is a global corporate renewable energy intuitive that is committed to achieve 100% renewable energy use. The Acer Group has already achieve 44% renewable energy use by 2020.
As the first product from the Acer Earthion platform, the Acer Aspire Vero reimagines what the computer manufacturing process of the future will look like.
Sustainability-Focused Design
Post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic is used throughout its chassis and keyboard caps. And the Aspire Vero ships in a box made from 80-85% recycled paper pulp, and plastic bagging is replaced by paper sleeves. Even the laptop bag is made with 100% industrial recycled plastic!
The emphasis on sustainability is carried over in the design language too. All graphics on the shipping box are printed with soy ink, and the notebook itself has no paint on its chassis, reducing its impact on the environment. The laptop is also held together by easily-accessible, standardised screws for easier disassembly.
11th Gen Intel Core Performance
The Acer Aspire Vero is powered by the latest 11th Gen Intel Core processor with Iris Xe graphics, with up to 1 TB of M.2 SSD storage.
It boasts Intel Wi-Fi 6 wireless connectivity, a USB Type C port, two USB 3.2 ports and a HDMI 2.0 port for video out.
Acer Aspire Vero (Earthion) : Specifications
Here are the specifications of the Aspire Vero – Acer’s first Earthion laptop :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
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.
HONOR just launched two new MagicBook X 15 laptop models. Let’s take a closer look and see what they really offer!
HONOR MagicBook X 15 : What You Need To Know!
Together with the HONOR 50 and HONOR 50 Pro smartphones, HONOR also launched two new MagicBook X 15 laptop models.
These basic laptops are part of the HUAWEI 1+8+N strategy, back when HONOR was a HUAWEI subsidiary.
And these two models appear to be a legacy of their HUAWEI heritage. We will show you why we say that…
Legacy Of HUAWEI Ban Persists
Despite being new models, the HONOR MagicBook X 15 are still powered by the 10th Gen Intel Core processors from 2019.
This appears to be a legacy of their HUAWEI heritage – HUAWEI was banned from purchasing new processors from Intel since September 2020.
They had already stocked up many processors in advanced of the ban, but can no longer purchase newer Intel processors.
The new HONOR, which was sold to Shenzhen Zhixin New Information Technology, is no longer affected by this ban. But it looks like they were not able to source for the latest Intel processors in time.
Performance
There are two HONOR MagicBook X 15 models, based on their processor and storage configurations :
10th Gen Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB storage
10th Gen Intel Core i3, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage
HONOR claims that they come with a Supersized Shark Fin 2.0 Fan with up to 38% higher air intake, for better cooling performance.
They use DDR4 memory and come with a PCIe NVMe SSD, but that’s standard for laptops these days.
Display
The HONOR MagicBook X 15 comes with a large 15.6-inch display, with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
Thanks to its narrow 5.3 mm bezels on the left and right side, this display offers a 87% screen-to-body ratio.
Battery Life
The 2021 MagicBook X 15 models come with a 42 Wh battery, which HONOR says will deliver just over 7.5 hours of 1080p video playback or just over 7 hours of web browsing.
They will come with a new compact 65 watt fast charger that weighs just 200 grams. It can recharge the battery to 53% in just 30 minutes.
Other Features
Despite its low cost, it boasts an aluminium alloy body, which allows for a thinner profile and a lighter weight at just 1.56 kg.
It also comes with a fingerprint sensor built into the power button, that lets you quickly log into Windows.
Finally, it supports Multi-Screen Collaboration – another legacy of its HUAWEI heritage.
HONOR MagicBook X 15 : Price + Deal
The HONOR MagicBook X 15 is available in Malaysia starting 19 June 2021, at these price points :
AMD unveiled a WHOLE SLEW of new products and technologies at Computex 2021!
Here is a recap of everything AMD announced at Computex 2021!
AMD @ Computex 2021 : Everything They Announced!
On 1 June 2021, AMD kicked off their virtual Computex 2021 press conference, announcing a whole slew of new products and technologies!
Let’s take a look at what AMD announced at Computex 2021!
3rd Gen EPYC Beats Intel Xeon Scalable!
AMD President and CEO Dr. Lisa Su showed how the dual-socket 3rd Gen EPYC 7763 system beat the dual-socket Intel Xeon Platinum 8380 system by 50%!
2P Intel Xeon Platinum 8380 delivered 201,334 Java operations per second
2P AMD EPYC 7763 delivered 301,297 Java operations per second
This is because the EPYC 7763 has far more cores than the Xeon Platinum 8380 – 64 cores versus just 40 cores!
AMD RDNA 2 Coming To Automotive + Mobile!
AMD is working to bring the RDNA 2 gaming architecture to industry leaders in the automotive and mobile segments :
Tesla Model S + Model X
The new infotainment systems in the Tesla Model S and Model X are powered by an AMD Ryzen Embedded APU, with an AMD RDNA 2-based GPU capable of AAA gaming!
Samsung Exynos
The next-generation Samsung Exynos SoC will feature custom AMD RDNA 2-based graphics IP, that will introduce raytracing and variable rate shading capabilities to flagship mobile devices!
AMD Ryzen 5000G Desktop APUs
Dr. Lisa Su also announced that they are introducing two AMD Ryzen 5000G series desktop APUs, that will be available to the DIY market starting 5 August 2021.
AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G has an 8-core, 16-thread processor, with a base clock of 3.8 GHz and a boost clock of 4.6 GHz.
It has 4 GB of L2 cache, and 16 GB of L3 cache; and 8-core integrated Radeon graphics clocked at 2.0 GHz.
This 65 watt desktop APU will have a launch price of US$359.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G has an 6-core, 12-thread processor, with a base clock of 3.9 GHz and a boost clock of 4.4 GHz.
It has 3 GB of L2 cache, and 16 GB of L3 cache; and 7-core integrated Radeon graphics clocked at 1.9 GHz.
This 65 watt desktop APU will have a launch price of US$259.
AMD Ryzen PRO 5000 Series Desktop CPUs
While not mentioned in the main Computex 2021 press conference, AMD also launched the Ryzen PRO 5000 series desktop processors based on the Zen 3 core!
You can get the full details in this official AMD deep dive into the Ryzen PRO 5000 series desktop processors!
AMD Radeon RX 6000M Series Mobile Graphics
Scott Herkelman, Vice President & General Manager of AMD Graphics Business Unit, officially announced the introduction of the Radeon RX 6000M series mobile graphics for laptop gaming.
AMD Radeon RX 6800M
Their flagship model has a 2.3 GHz game clock and 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, and is designed to deliver 120 fps gaming at 1440p.
AMD says that it will offer significantly better performance than the competition :
40% to 70% better gaming performance than the GeForce RTX 2070 at 1440p Max Settings.
14% to 40% better gaming performance than the GeForce RTX 3080 while gaming on battery.
AMD Radeon RX 6700M
This model has a 2.3 GHz game clock and 10 GB of GDDR6 memory, and is designed to deliver 100 fps gaming at 1440p.
AMD Radeon RX 6600M
This model has a 2.177 GHz game clock and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, and is designed to deliver 100 fps gaming at 1080p.
AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR)
FidelityFX Super Resolution, or FSR for short, is AMD’s spatial upscaling technology that is designed to boost frame rates, while delivering a high-quality gaming experience.
Think of it as AMD’s version of NVIDIA’s DLSS. But while DLSS is proprietary, FidelityFX Super Resolution is open-source, and will be supported on both AMD processors and GPUs as well as NVIDIA GPUs!
More than 10 game developers plan to integrate FSR into their top titles and gamer engines in 2021.
AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) will be available starting 22 June 2021.
AMD Advantage Gaming Laptops
Think of AMD Advantage as a marketing programme, based around a “design framework” of premium gaming features.
Amplified Performance : AMD Ryzen processor + AMD Radeon RX 6800M graphics + AMD Radeon Software for gaming at 100 fps at 1080p
Built To Game : NVMe SSD, less than 40°C WASD keyboard temperatures when gaming, >10 hours binge watching on battery
AMD 3D Chiplet Technology
AMD continues to build on their packaging technologies with their new 3D Chiplet technology, developed in collaboration with TSMC.
It enhances their existing chipset architecture with 3D stacking using a hybrid bond approach that provides over 200X the interconnect density of 2D chipsets and more than 15X the density of existing 3D packaging solutions.
This new 3D chiplet technology also consumes less energy than current 3D solutions, and is the most flexible active-on-active silicon stacking technology.
In Computex 2021, Dr. Lisa Su showed off the 3D vertical SRAM cache bonded to an AMD Ryzen 5000 Series processor prototype.
AMD is on-track to begin production on high-end computing products with 3D chiplets by the end of 2021.
Help Support My Work!
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Name : Adrian Wong
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Made with bioplastics from trees, the Dell Latitude 5520 is not only more powerful, it promises a longer battery life and other improvements.
Join us for a close look at the new 2021 Dell Latitude 5520 business laptop!
Dell Latitude 5520 : 15.6-inch Business Laptop
The Dell Latitude 5520 is a 15.6-inch business laptop powered by the latest 11th Gen Intel Core processor, with a longer battery life.
The first Dell laptop to be made with bioplastics from trees, it offers environmentally-conscious businesses a way to minimise their ecological footprint.
Dell Latitude 5520 : Specifications + Options
The Dell Latitude 5520 can be configured to suit your requirements.
Here are the options available in Malaysia. You may get different options in other countries.
Specifications
2021 Dell Latitude 5520
Display Size
15.6-inch
Display Options
Full HD IPS (1920 x 1200, 250 nits)
HD TN (1366 x 768, 220 nits)
Realtek Waves MaxxAudio Pro audio
2 x 2 watt speakers
Dual array microphones
3.5 mm audio jack
Wireless
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (2×2)
Bluetooth 5.1
External Ports
2 x Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type C) ports
– with Power Delivery and DisplayPort
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port with PowerShare
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port
1 x HDMI 2.0 port
1 x 3.5 mm audio port
1 x RJ-45 Ethernet port
1 x microSD card slot
1 x (optional) micro SIM tray
1 x (optional) smart card reader
Camera
720p webcam only
720p webcam + IR camera
1080p webcam + IR camera
If you like this review, please support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Dell Latitude 5520 : A Closer Look!
15.6-inch IPS Display
The Dell Latitude 5520 comes with a large 15.6-inch IPS display, with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It does not have touch capability, which is not needed by most business users.
It has a maximum brightness of 250 nits, which is good enough for indoor use. However, you may have issues using it outdoors in bright sunlight.
For companies on a budget, Dell also offers a HD display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, and a lower brightness of 220 nits.
Built-In Privacy Shutter
Our review unit came with a high-resolution 1080p webcam, with an IR emitter and camera for Windows Hello facial authentication.
Dell also offers a cheaper 720p webcam, with and without the IR camera.
Both options come with a built-in privacy shutter – a critical feature for security-conscious business users.
Performance
Our Dell Latitude 5520 is powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor – a 4-core, 8-thread processor with 12 MB of cache and Iris Xe graphics.
You can also opt for the Core i5-1145G7 or the Core i5-1135G7 – both 4-core, 8-thread processors with Iris Xe graphics.
The processor and its integrated graphics are kept cool by the Dual Opposite Outlet fans, with side venting for improved airflow and cooling performance.
Our unit came with 16 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory running at 3200 MHz, and a 512 GB Western Digital SN730 NVMe PCIe SSD.
Ports
Despite its large 15.6-inch form factor, the Latitude 5520 is slim at just under 20 mm.
Even so, its slightly thicker chassis lets Dell fit in more ports than slimmer designs like the XPS 13.
On the left side, you will find two Thunderbolt 4 (USB 3.2 Gen 2) Type C ports, both of which support PowerDelivery and DisplayPort output.
The Latitude 5520 is charged using a USB Type C cable, so it must be plugged into one of these two USB Type C ports.
There is a large row of cooling vents, and a slot for the optional Smart Card reader.
On the right side, you will find a microSD card reader, a 3.5 mm microphone and headphone combo port, with two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A ports.
And next to them are a full-sized HDMI 2.0 port, an RJ-45 LAN port, and a wedge security lock.
Keyboard + Touchpad
The Dell Latitude 5520 has a full-sized backlit keyboard, with a numeric keypad.
Business users will love the numeric keypad, but it may need some getting used to for those who are migrating from “regular laptops”.
The touchpad is reasonably sized, but offset to the left – something you may need to get used to.
Connectivity
Our Dell Latitude 5520 comes with the Intel AX201 module, which offers Wi-Fi 6 connectivity with 2×2 antennas and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity.
On top of that, it comes with an RJ-45 LAN port built-in, giving you access to the best and fastest possible network connectivity.
Audio
The Dell Latitude 5520 features two front-firing speakers with 2 watts power output, powered by Realtek Waves MaxxAudio Pro.
It also comes with a 3.5 mm microphone / headphone combo jack, and dual microphone array.
If you like this review, please support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Dell Latitude 5520 : Performance
Our Dell Latitude 5520 is powered by the 28 watt Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor, with 4 cores and 8 threads, and Iris Xe Graphics with 96 Execution Units.
This processor has 12 MB of L3 cache, a 3.0 GHz base frequency that ramps up to 4.8 GHz during intensive tasks.
Our review sample came with 16 GB of DDR4-3200 memory – in dual memory channels, of course, and a 512 GB Western Digital SN730 SSD.
Work Performance : PCMark 10
The Intel Core i7-1185G7 is a 28 watt processor that can be configured to run at a lower TDP of 12 watt – to improve battery life and reduce thermal output.
Dell left it at the full 28 watt TDP for maximum performance, so it delivered PCMark 10 scores in excess of 4800.
The Dell Latitude 5520 is not meant to be a gaming system, but it has surprisingly decent gaming chops.
The Intel Core i7-1185G7 comes with integrated Iris Xe Graphics, with 96 execution units and maximum clock speed of 1.35 GHz.
That gave it a 3DMark Time Spy score just shy of 1190. That makes it about as fast as the NVIDIA GeForce MX350, and a little faster than the Radeon RX Vega 5 integrated graphics used in Ryzen 4000 Mobile processors.
Battery Life : YouTube + Modern Office
Our Dell Latitude 5520 came with a 4-cell lithium-ion battery, that has a rated capacity of 63 Whr.
To test its battery life, 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 Latitude 5520 lasted 8 hours 18 minutes streaming YouTube videos in the theatre mode using Wi-Fi, before its battery dropped to 10%.
PCMark 10 : Modern Office
The Dell Latitude 5520 lasted a phenomenal 11 hours before it powered off while running the Modern Office benchmark!
Battery Recharging Speed
Its 45 watt compact fast charger supports ExpressCharge Boost, which lets it deliver up to 35% charge in about 20 minutes, or up to 80% charge in an hour.
In our test, its fast charger took 29 minutes to charge from 10% to 35%, and took about 82 minutes to hit 80%. For a full charge to 100%, it took 142 minutes.
Here are our recorded recharging time from 10% :
16% – 6 minutes 36 seconds
22% – 13 minutes 38 seconds
25% – 17 minutes 25 seconds
31% – 23 minutes 53 seconds
35% – 29 minutes 15 seconds
40% – 35 minutes 12 seconds
45% – 41 minutes 19 seconds
51% – 48 minutes 18 seconds
60% – 59 minutes 34 seconds
66% – 65 minutes 22 seconds
71% – 71 minutes 19 seconds
76% – 77 minutes 19 seconds
81% – 83 minutes 14 seconds
90% – 95 minutes 16 seconds
95% – 107 minutes 18 seconds
100% – 142 minutes 10 seconds
This gives it a battery life : recharging time ratio of 3.5 : 1 for video streaming, and 4.7 : 1 for office work.
As a general rule of thumb, you will need to recharge its battery about 17 minutes for every hour of battery life.
Dell Latitude 5520 : Verdict
The Dell Latitude 5520 is not a sleek ultralight laptop like the XPS 13, it is a large, powerful business laptop.
Its large 15.6-inch display makes it a great desktop replacement, and yet is surprisingly thin and light – it is less than 2 cm thick, and weighs only 1.6 kg.
We strongly recommend the Full HD IPS panel, over the low-resolution HD TN panel option, which would look blurry / blocky on such a large display.
Built around the latest 11th Gen Intel Core processor, with integrated Iris Xe Graphics, it offers more than enough processing power for business users for many years to come.
Business users will appreciate the availability of at least two USB-C and two USB-A ports, as well as an actual RJ-45 LAN port and a HDMI 2.0 port too!
If you input a lot of numbers, you will also appreciate the keyboard which comes with a numeric keypad, which is not available in most consumer laptops.
On top of that, the Latitude 5520 comes with a built-in physical shutter for the webcam – a must-have for security conscious users!
If you are a road warrior, we definitely recommend getting the 4-cell battery for extended battery life, which should last you about 11 hours!
All-in-all, this is a solid, no-nonsense business laptop that lets you get work done as quickly and efficiently as possible, no matter whether you are working from home, or on the road.
Finally, we should mention Dell’s truly excellent onsite warranty. With the Latitude 5520, you get 3 years of ProSupport and Next Business Day Onsite Service!
For people who count on their laptops to make a living, NBD onsite service is a MUST!
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 newly-refreshed 2021 HUAWEI MateBook X Pro has these key specifications
Specifications
HUAWEI MateBook X Pro
Display
13.9-inch FullView Display
– 3000 x 2000pixels, 260 ppi
– 450 nits max. brightness
– 91% screen-to-body-ratio
– 100% sRGB colour gamut
– 1500:1 contrast ratio
– 10-point touchscreen
OS
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
Processor
Intel Core i5-1135G7
Memory
16 GB LPDDR4x
Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Storage
512 GB PCIe SSD
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6, 2×2 MIMO
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.1
Fingerprint Sensor
Yes, integrated into Power button
Ports
2 x USB Type C
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A
1 x 3.5 mm audio port
Webcam
720p recessed camera
Speakers
2 x 2 watt speaker
Battery
56 Whr
Power Adaptor
65 W USB-C power adaptor
Dimensions
304.0 mm wide
217.0 mm deep
14.6 mm thick
Weight
1.33 kg
2021 HUAWEI MateBook X Pro : Key Features
Let’s take a look at its key features…
13.9-inch FullView Display
The 2021 HUAWEI MateBook X Pro comes with a 13.9-inch FullView Display, with a 3K resolution of 3000 x 2000 pixels.
This is a premium 10-point touch display, with a maximum brightness of 450 nits; and a decent colour gamut of 100% sRGB.
It also has vey narrow bezels which give it a 91% screen-to-body ratio – hence the name, FullView Display.
Performance
It is powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor with integrated Intel Xe Graphics.
It comes with 16 GB of LPDDR4x memory, and a fast PCIe NVMe SSD with 512 GB of storage.
Battery + Charging
All that is powered by a large 56 Whr battery, which is paired with a compact 65 watt USB Type C fast charger.
This charger can be used to charge other USB Type C devices, and supports HUAWEI SuperCharge for certain HUAWEI smartphones.
Connectivity + Ports
The 2021 HUAWEI MateBook X Pro has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity built-in, but comes with the same ports as the 2020 version.
On the left side, you will find two USB Type C ports, with a 3.5 mm audio port. The USB C ports can output to external 4K displays at up to 60 Hz.
On the right side, you will find single USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A port. This is basically a USB 3.0 port.
Keyboard + Touchpad
The 2021 MateBook X Pro comes with a full-sized, ten-keyless keyboard, and a large touchpad.
Pop-Up Camera
Like the 2020 MateBook X Pro we reviewed, the 2021 MateBook 14 comes with a pop-up camera, hidden under a special camera key on the keyboard.
It pops up when you press on it, and pressing it again hides it. This is a great security measure because the camera is physically blocked until you actually need to use it – no hacker will be able to surreptitiously use it to take your photos or videos!
There is only one problem with such a design – it takes photos and videos at an unflattering upward angle. You will also always appear to look upwards on video conferences, and videos that you record.
HUAWEI Share Multi-Screen Collaboration
The 2021 MateBook X Pro supports HUAWEI Share for multi-screen collaboration.
It basically lets you connect your smartphone, and use it directly on the MateBook D 15!
You can control the apps and files on your phone directly on the laptop, even drag and drop files!
The only downside? It is limited to HUAWEI and HONOR smartphones with NFC.
HUAWEI MeeTime
The 2021 MateBook X Pro also supports HUAWEI MeeTime, which is their version of Apple FaceTime – a free, proprietary video call service.
It offers some advantages over its competitors – FaceTime, WhatsApp, etc. but can only be used by HUAWEI devices.
The 2021 HUAWEI MateBook 14 comes in the Emerald Green colour, with an official launch price of RM 6,899 (about US$1,679 / £1,209 / A$2,171 / S$2,228).
The first 1,500 customers to pre-order one from 20 to 23 April 2021, will receive free gifts worth RM 800 :
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The newly-refreshed 2021 HUAWEI MateBook 14 has these key specifications
Specifications
HUAWEI MateBook 14
Display
14-inch FullView Display
– 2160 x 1440 pixels, 185 ppi
– 300 nits max. brightness
– 90% screen-to-body-ratio
– 100% sRGB colour gamut
– 1500:1 contrast ratio
OS
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
Processor
Intel Core i5-1135G7
Memory
16 GB DDR4-3200
Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Storage
512 GB PCIe SSD
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6, 2×2 MIMO
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.1
Fingerprint Sensor
Yes, integrated into Power button
Ports
1 x USB Type C
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A
1 x HDMI 1.4b
1 x 3.5 mm audio port
Webcam
720p recessed camera
Speakers
2 x 2 watt speaker
Battery
56 Whr
Power Adaptor
65 W USB-C power adaptor
Dimensions
307.5 mm wide
223.8 mm deep
15.9 mm thick
Weight
1.49 kg
2021 HUAWEI MateBook 14 : Key Features
Let’s take a look at its key features…
14-inch FullView Display
The 2021 HUAWEI MateBook 14 comes with a 14-inch FullView Display, with a 2K resolution of 2160 x 1440 pixels.
This is not a particularly bright display, with a maximum brightness of 300 nits; but it has a decent colour gamut of 100% sRGB.
It also has vey narrow bezels which give it a 90% screen-to-body ratio – hence the name, FullView Display.
Performance
It is powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor with integrated Intel Xe Graphics.
It comes with 16 GB of DDR4-3200 memory, and a fast PCIe NVMe SSD with 512 GB of storage.
Battery + Charging
All that is powered by a large 56 Whr battery, that HUAWEI claims will last 11 hours of non-stop 1080p video playback.
It is paired with a compact 65 watt USB Type C fast charger, that can be used to charge other USB Type C devices, and supports HUAWEI SuperCharge for certain HUAWEI smartphones.
Connectivity + Ports
The 2021 HUAWEI MateBook 14 has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity built-in.
On the left side, you will find a single USB Type C port, with a 3.5 mm audio port and a HDMI 1.4b port.
The HDMI 1.4b port can handle up to 4K displays, but only at up to 24 fps. To display at 4K @ 50 fps / 60 fps, you need HDMI 2.0.
On the right side, you will find two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A ports. These are basically USB 3.0 ports.
Keyboard + Touchpad
The 2021 MateBook 14 comes with a full-sized, ten-keyless keyboard, and a large touchpad.
Pop-Up Camera
Like the MateBook X Pro we reviewed, the 2021 MateBook 14 comes with a pop-up camera, hidden under a special camera key on the keyboard.
It pops up when you press on it, and pressing it again hides it. This is a great security measure because the camera is physically blocked until you actually need to use it – no hacker will be able to surreptitiously use it to take your photos or videos!
There is only one problem with such a design – it takes photos and videos at an unflattering upward angle. You will also always appear to look upwards on video conferences, and videos that you record.
HUAWEI Share Multi-Screen Collaboration
The 2021 MateBook 14 supports HUAWEI Share for multi-screen collaboration.
It basically lets you connect your smartphone, and use it directly on the MateBook D 15!
You can control the apps and files on your phone directly on the laptop, even drag and drop files!
The only downside? It is limited to HUAWEI and HONOR smartphones with NFC.
HUAWEI MeeTime
The 2021 MateBook 14 also supports HUAWEI MeeTime, which is their version of Apple FaceTime – a free, proprietary video call service.
It offers some advantages over its competitors – FaceTime, WhatsApp, etc. but can only be used by HUAWEI devices.
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In their 2021 refresh, HUAWEI is offering the MateBook D 15 in two variants – the 11th Gen Edition, and the 10th Gen Edition.
As you can pretty much surmise, they are basically the same laptop, just powered by either the 11th Gen Core i5 processor, or the older 10th Gen Core i5 processor.
To make it easier for you to compare them, we created this table comparing their key specifications :
Specifications
HUAWEI MateBook D15
11th Gen Edition
10th Gen Edition
Display
15.6-inch FullView Display
– 1920 x 1080 pixels, 141 ppi
– 250 nits max. brightness
– 87% screen-to-body-ratio
– 45% NTSC colour gamut
– 800:1 contrast ratio
OS
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
Processor
Intel Core i5-1135G7
Intel Core i5-10210U
Memory
8 GB / 16 GB DDR4
8 GB DDR4
Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce MX250
Intel UHD Graphics
Storage
512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6, 2×2 MIMO
Wi-Fi 5, 2×2 MIMO
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.1
Bluetooth 5.0
Fingerprint Sensor
Yes, integrated into Power button
Ports
1 x USB Type C
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A
2 x USB 2.0 Type A
1 x HDMI 1.4b
1 x 3.5 mm audio port
Webcam
720p recessed camera
Speakers
2 x 2 watt speaker
Battery
42 Whr
Power Adaptor
65 W USB-C power adaptor
Dimensions
357.8 mm wide
229.9 mm deep
16.9 mm thick
Weight
1.56 kg
2021 HUAWEI MateBook D 15 Laptops : Key Features
Let’s take a look at their key features…
15.6-inch FullView Display
The 2021 HUAWEI MateBook D 15 comes with a large 15.6-inch FullView Display, with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
This is not a particularly bright display, with a maximum brightness of just 250 nits; and it only has a colour gamut of 45% NTSC.
But it is large, with narrow bezels that give it an 87% screen-to-body ratio – hence the name, FullView Display.
Performance
HUAWEI offers two variants, with different CPU + GPU options :
11th Gen Edition : Intel Core i5-1135G7 with Intel Xe Graphics
10th Gen Edition : Intel Core i5-10210U with NVIDIA GeForce MX250
They both come with fast DDR4 memory, and a fast PCIe NVMe SSD with 512 GB of storage.
Battery + Charging
All that is powered by a decent 42 Whr battery, paired with a compact 65 watt USB Type C fast charger.
The charger can be used to charge other USB Type C devices, and supports HUAWEI SuperCharge for certain HUAWEI smartphones.
Connectivity
The 11th Gen Edition supports faster Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, while the 10th Gen Edition supports Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.
Ports
On the left side, you will find a single USB Type C port, with a USB 3.2 Gen1 Type A port and a HDMI 1.4b port.
In case you are wondering, the HDMI 1.4b port can handle up to 4K displays, but only at up to 24 fps. To display at 4K @ 50 fps / 60 fps, you need HDMI 2.0.
On the right side, you will find a 3.5 mm audio port, as well as two USB 2.0 Type A ports.
We have to wonder though – why stick with super-old USB 2.0, instead of the much faster USB 3.0 ports?
Keyboard + Touchpad
The 2021 MateBook D 15 comes with a full-sized, ten-keyless keyboard, and a large touchpad.
Pop-Up Camera
Like the MateBook X Pro we reviewed, the 2021 MateBook D 15 comes with a pop-up camera, hidden under a special camera key on the keyboard.
It pops up when you press on it, and pressing it again hides it. This is a great security measure because the camera is physically blocked until you actually need to use it – no hacker will be able to surreptitiously use it to take your photos or videos!
There is only one problem with such a design – it takes photos and videos at an unflattering upward angle. You will also always appear to look upwards on video conferences, and videos that you record.
HUAWEI Share Multi-Screen Collaboration
The 2021 MateBook D 15 supports HUAWEI Share for multi-screen collaboration.
It basically lets you connect your smartphone, and use it directly on the MateBook D 15!
You can control the apps and files on your phone directly on the laptop, even drag and drop files!
The only downside? It is limited to HUAWEI and HONOR smartphones with NFC.
HUAWEI MeeTime
The 2021 MateBook D 15 also supports HUAWEI MeeTime, which is their version of Apple FaceTime – a free, proprietary video call service.
It offers some advantages over its competitors – FaceTime, WhatsApp, etc. but can only be used by HUAWEI devices.
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!
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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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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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.
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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.
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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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NVIDIA just announced that they will introduce Resizable BAR support at the end of February 2021!
Find out what Resizable BAR is all about, and why it matters!
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. The CPU can only transfer data like textures, shaders and geometry to the GPU through that small 256 MB “window”.
Turning on Resizable BAR expands that small access window, letting the CPU directly access the GPU’s entire frame buffer memory.
Those graphics assets can thus be sent in full, instead of in pieces. In addition, multiple transfers can occur simultaneously, instead of being queued up.
NVIDIA To Introduce Resizable BAR In 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.
It will be limited to their GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards and laptops, but will work with both Intel and AMD CPUs.
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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Acer just announced Enduro – their new range of rugged MIL-810G computing devices! Check them out!
Acer Enduro N3 Rugged Laptop
With MIL-STD-810G and IP53 certifications, the Acer Enduro N3 is a 14-inch rugged laptop that is just under 25 mm thick, and weighs less than 2 kg.
It features Corning Gorilla Glass protection for the display, and reinforced corners for the chassis, and water-resistant Aquafan that repels water.
It also has drainage holes for the keyboard and seals for the I/O ports to protect the Acer Enduro N3 against exposure to water.
Built around the 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, it comes with 8 GB of onboard memory, 256 GB PCIe NVMe SSD storage, and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 protection.
The Acer Enduro N3 has a rated battery life of 13 hours, which allows it to be a true off-site device.
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Acer just released new and updated Swift, Aspire and TravelMate laptops, just in time for Christmas 2020!
Take a look at the new slew of Acer Swift, Aspire and TravelMate laptops that you can buy now!
Acer Swift 3 : New December 2020 Model!
The Acer Swift 3 is a 14-inch laptop designed for the young, and comes in three colour options – Blue, Pink and Silver.
It has a 14-inch slim bezel IPS LED display with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, in a chassis that is just under 16 mm thick, and weighs just 1.2 kg.
Built around the new 11th Gen Intel Core processor, and Intel Iris Xe Graphics, it comes with up to 16 GB of onboard LPDDR4X memory, and 512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD storage.
The new December 2020 Acer Swift 3 model has a rated battery life of 11 hours, and supports fast charging to give you 4 hours of video playback with a 30-minute charge.
In addition, the December 2020 model of Acer Swift 3 comes pre-installed with Microsoft Office Home & Student 2019.
Acer Swift 3X : New December 2020 Model!
The Acer Swift 3X is a 14-inch laptop designed for both games and creative apps, with its new Iris Xe Max discrete graphics.
It has a 14-inch slim bezel IPS LED display with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, in a chassis that is just under 18 mm thick, and weighs just 1.37 kg.
Built around the new 11th Gen Intel Core processor, and Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics, it comes with up to 16 GB of onboard LPDDR4X memory, and 512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD storage.
The new December 2020 Acer Swift 3 model has a rated battery life of 17 hours, and supports fast charging to give you 4 hours of video playback with a 30-minute charge.
In addition, the Acer Swift 3X comes pre-installed with Microsoft Office Home & Student 2019.
Acer Swift 5 : New December 2020 Model!
The Acer Swift 5 is a 14-inch ultra-light Intel Evo-certified laptop, that is just under 15 mm thick, and weighs only 1.05 kg!
It has a 14-inch IPS LED touch display with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and 100% sRGB colour gamut. This touch display is protected by Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass.
Built around the new 11th Gen Intel Core processor, and Intel Iris Xe Graphics, it comes with up to 16 GB of onboard LPDDR4X memory, and 512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD storage.
The new December 2020 Acer Swift 5 model has a rated battery life of 15 hours, and supports fast charging to give you 4 hours of video playback with a 30-minute charge.
In addition, the December 2020 model of Acer Swift 5 comes pre-installed with Microsoft Office Home & Student 2019.
Acer Aspire 5 : New December 2020 Model!
The December 2020 Acer Aspire 5 comes in 14-inch or 15.6-inch display options, with an all-metal chassis.
The 14-inch Aspire 5 is 15.6 mm thick, and weighs 1.45 kg; while the 15.6-inch Aspire 5 is 17.9 mm thick and weighs just 1.65 kg.
Built around the new 11th Gen Intel Core processor, and Intel Iris Xe Graphics, they both with up to 16 GB of onboard LPDDR4X memory (upgradable to 20 GB), and 512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD storage.
Acer also offers an NVIDIA GeForce MX350 discrete graphics option for both models.
Both 14-inch and 15-inch models have a rated battery life of 13 hours, and supports fast charging to give you 4 hours of video playback with a 30-minute charge.
In addition, they both come pre-installed with Microsoft Office Home & Student 2019.
Acer TravelMate P2 : New December 2020 Model!
The Acer TravelMate P2 is a rugged laptop designed for business executives, with handy business features and advanced connectivity options.
Built to comply with MIL-STD-810G standards, the Travelmate P2 has a spill-resistant keyboard, and shock-absorbent corners to survive bumps and drops.
It also comes with Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 protection, a fingerprint reader and Windows Hello for secure authentication, to safeguard sensitive data while working away from the office.
Built around the new 11th Gen Intel Core processor, and Intel Iris Xe Graphics, it comes with up to 32 GB of onboard LPDDR4X memory, and 512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD storage or a 1 TB hard disk drive.
The new December 2020 Acer TravelMate P2 model has a rated battery life of 13 hours, and supports fast charging to give you 4 hours of video playback with a 30-minute charge.
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