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windwithme COMPUTEX 2025 AI NEXT New Product

windwithme — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 00:15:36 +0800

Get a quick glimpse of the latest drops from multiple brands on our YouTube Shorts!
Head over to our playlist section for an easy way to catch up on all the newest arrivals in one go.
[YOUTUBE]0FfgNLSuIiY[/YOUTUBE]

My first visit to COMPUTEX dates back to 2004—hard to believe it’s been 22 years since then.
Over the years, the tech industry has seen its ups and downs, from quieter periods to the explosive growth of the gaming era, and now the resurgence brought on by AI.
Through it all, COMPUTEX has stood as a witness to the ongoing evolution of technology and innovation.

Ever since NVIDIA sparked the AI trend during COMPUTEX 2023, the buzz around AI has remained strong.
Over the past two years, most brands have been working hard to align their new hardware and software with AI capabilities.
This year’s COMPUTEX 2025 carries the theme "AI NEXT", continuing the momentum from last year.
Once again, tech giants NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel are taking the stage in Taipei, with global media coverage driving excitement to new heights.

Even before the official opening of the show, many brands had already held their own product launch events.
In addition, there are numerous keynotes and technical forums happening throughout COMPUTEX.
Due to overlapping schedules, I was only able to attend a few of them.
One of the first highlights was Intel’s announcement of two new ARC Pro GPUs designed for workstations.
The ARC PRO B50 comes with 16GB of memory and is priced at $299 USD.
The higher-end ARC PRO B60 features 24GB of memory, and based on partner estimates, is expected to be priced between $500 and $1,000 USD.

On-site, Intel showcased a performance comparison between the ARC Pro B50 GPU and the NVIDIA RTX A1000.
Also on display was a sample of Panther Lake, which is currently expected to launch in early 2026. It may first debut in the laptop market.

At the Intel booth, several zones were dedicated to showcasing AI applications. One notable demo featured a 200HX series laptop running an interactive AI Game Play Coach developed by GGQ.
This tool provides real-time suggestions on gameplay strategy and player performance, offering helpful guidance during in-game scenarios.

A sofa design demo showcased how Adobe Substance 3D Sampler can convert real-world object images into realistic 3D PBR materials.
This approach significantly reduces the time and effort required compared to traditional material creation workflows.

The Face of Innovation AI photo booth allowed visitors to experiment with various appearance transformations and background styles.
After customizing their look, users could print their final image on the spot.
This year, software integration with AI is more widespread than ever, offering practical benefits for users with specific creative or functional needs.

This year, COMPUTEX attracted over 1,400 exhibitors for the first time.
With so many brands and new products showcased across the Nangang Exhibition Center, both visiting time and article length were limited.
Below, I’m sharing highlights from a few brands that personally caught my interest or took extra time to introduce their latest offerings during my visit.

First up is GIGABYTE & AORUS. Under the theme “LEADING EDGE”, GIGABYTE showcased a range of new AI solutions for gaming and content creation, aiming to accelerate AI adoption through upgraded hardware and software.
[YOUTUBE]ed4hhN5GdI4[/YOUTUBE]

On the motherboard wall, the STEALTH ICE series motherboards feature a sleek white design and rear-connector layouts, reducing cable clutter for cleaner builds.

The new Z890 AORUS TACHYON ICE C2 supports CAMM2 memory.

The AORUS RTX 5090 STEALTH ICE graphics card also uses a rear-connector design.

The external GPU , the AORUS RTX 5090 AI BOX, boasts over 3000 AI TOPS of computing power.
Compared to the previous generation 4090 GAMING BOX, it delivers a significant boost in both gaming and AI application performance.

ViewSonic VX2758A-2K-PRO-3 Gaming Monitor Unboxing

windwithme — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 17:19:56 +0800

In this video I share gameplay footage from several games:
[YOUTUBE]MXgqzvfucdg[/YOUTUBE]

Along with the rapid growth and development of the gaming industry, monitors designed especially for gaming have become more and more prominent in the market in recent years, and many brands have launched their own lines of gaming monitors to meet this growing demand.
This article looks at ViewSonic's VX2758A-2K-PRO-3, a gaming monitor that boasts a 240Hz refresh rate combined with a 1ms MPRT (Motion Picture Response Time).

Overview of the contents:
The VX2758A-2K-PRO-3 unit itself, power cable, stand and base, HDMI cable, and DisplayPort cable. It comes with a full 3-year warranty, and one year of warranty against dead pixels.

Appearance after installing the stand and base:
Including the base, the overall dimensions are 61.4 x 36.6 x 4.7 cm, with a total weight of approximately 4.9 kg. The monitor boasts a 27-inch SuperClear IPS anti-glare panel with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 2K Quad HD resolution.
The 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms MPRT make it especially suitable for the rapid pace of gaming environments.

The IPS panel supports the HDR10 standard, with a brightness of 300cd/m², a 178-degree viewing angle, and 1.07 billion colors (10-bit: 8-bit + FRC). The static contrast ratio is 1000:1, and the dynamic contrast ratio is 8M:1. The surface has a 3H hard coating. The color gamut covers 92% of NTSC and 130% of sRGB, while Eye ProTech technology reduces blue light and ensures flicker-free performance. AMD FreeSync Premium technology synchronizes the monitor's refresh rate with the graphics card's output.

Full view of the rear:
The outer casing features a matte finish at the top and bottom, with a brushed metal texture at the centre. The button visible at the bottom quickly releases the monitor from its stand.

The ViewSonic logo appears in silver at the top. Long slots for ventilation appear to the left and right. At the centre are 100 x 100 mm holes for VESA-supported wall mountings.

The power button, which doubles up as an OSD joystick control, appears at the lower-left of the back. From left to right, the I/O configuration includes 2 HDMI 2.1 ports, DisplayPort 1.4, and a 3.5mm audio output.
HDMI ports are relatively common, and having two of them here makes it easy and convenient to switch between multiple devices such as desktop computers, laptops, and gaming consoles.

The power input appears at the lower right, and above that is a slot for a Kensington lock. Underneath is a long slot for ventilation.
The power consumption specs are 28W as standard, up to a maximum of 30W; and 24W and 19W when in power-saving mode and Eco Mode respectively.

The base is flat and level, making it convenient to place items on top of it, and quite stable overall.
The logo features three Gouldian finches and makes a colorful impression.

The stand can be tilted downwards by up to 5°. A power indicator light appears at the lower-right edge of the frame. The screen itself has a frameless design along the top, left, and right sides, giving it an enlarged appearance.

ViewSonic VG2757V-2K Display Inbuilt Webcam

windwithme — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 23:14:21 +0800

The extent and range of angles to which the stand and webcam can be adjusted are clearly shown in this video, along with a demonstration of the speaker audio:
[YOUTUBE]kXrZYpnetn8[/YOUTUBE]

As technology advances and develops, the different varieties of communication software now available are growing more and more diverse. What's more, the shift towards working from home and attending classes remotely in the wake of the pandemic has made electronics with videoconferencing capabilities ever more crucial, and desktop monitors with built-in cameras are well-placed to meet this growing demand.
ViewSonic have been in the monitor market for a long time, with products broadly divided into value, office, gaming, and creative ranges. The VG2757V-2K is one of their latest offerings: a high-end monitor designed specifically for work and office environments.

Let's start by looking at the VG2757V-2K's display. The screen is frameless on the left, right, and topmost sides, giving it a straightforward and enlarged appearance.
The 27-inch IPS panel has an anti-glare 3H hard coating and 2560x1440 resolution, commonly known as 2K or Quad HD, and a viewing angle of up to 178 degrees.

It has a 100Hz refresh rate, 8-bit color, 5ms response time, and 350cd/m² brightness, and comes equipped with Eye ProTech+ anti-blue light and flicker-free technology, which effectively reduces eye strain during extended periods of use.
It has a static contrast ratio of 1,300:1 (with a dynamic contrast ratio of 80M:1), and 100% sRGB color coverage (108% size/100% coverage).

Beneath the panel are two 5W speakers. On the right are touch buttons for operating the OSD, which are something of a rarity in monitor designs today.

The webcam boasts a 5-megapixel lens that pops up when pressed and can be hidden away for privacy when not in use.
The white areas to the left and right of the lens are LED fill lights that illuminate the face and can be adjusted for color temperature and brightness. The lens supports Windows Hello and is Zoom-certified.

The camera lens can be tilted up to 5 degrees up or down: in this picture it's tilting 5 degrees upwards. It's not a huge adjustment, but it does make a noticeable difference in practice.

Accessories include a 3-pin power plug, USB Type-C to Type-C cable, USB Type-A to Type-C cable, DisplayPort or HDMI cable (depending on region), and a quick start manual.
The monitor comes with five years' full warranty and a one-year dead pixel guarantee within the Taiwan region.

The box is made of recyclable cardboard, emphasizing environmental friendliness and reducing plastic waste, while the monochromatic print minimizes pollution from dyes. Set-up and installation is easy thanks to the internal design of the box, which allows the stand to be assembled without the need for tools.

The ViewSonic logo appears on the back of the VG2757V-2K, while the words VG COLLECTION appear on the top and lower right of the stand.

When the stand is not attached, 100 x 100mm holes can be used for convenient VESA wall mountings.

ViewSonic VP16-OLED Unboxing

windwithme — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 06:13:42 +0800

This video offers an in-depth look at different viewing angles and usage demonstrations, and we put a lot of effort into creating it.
Please support us by subscribing and watching here:
[YOUTUBE]dhW4SOK3gV8[/YOUTUBE]
As technology continues to advance, portable devices are becoming more diverse.
What used to be stationary computer monitors are now available in portable versions from various brands, meeting the modern demands for mobility.
With extensive experience in the computer monitor market, ViewSonic caters to diverse user needs with series designed for office use, gaming, and professional creativity.
They offer multiple options for portable monitors and have also been introducing new products in the projector market in recent years.
This article focuses on the VP16-OLED model.
Renowned within the professional creative sphere for its quality, the VP series features ColorPro OLED technology, ensuring users enjoy a high-quality color experience.

The VP16-OLED monitor features a narrow bezel design on three sides and uses an OLED panel.
It has a 15.6-inch visible area, a hard, glare coating, and a resolution of 1920 x 1080.
The OLED panel employs self-emissive technology, providing exceptional black levels and color accuracy, making blacks darker and deeper.
It supports 1.07 billion colors with a 10-bit (8-bit + FRC) color depth, delivering the precise picture quality that creators expect.

The panel specifications include a 100,000:1 contrast ratio, a 1ms response time, a 400 cd/m², brightness, and a 170-degree viewing angle.
Additionally, it features blue light reduction and flicker-free technology.
The monitor also covers 100% of the DCI-P3 and sRGB color gamuts, and is Pantone Validated with a Delta E < 2, ensuring high color accuracy.
In recent years, most flagship TVs and computer monitors, typically positioned in the high-end market, have been equipped with OLED panels.

The accessories include a quick start guide, a magnetic multifunctional hood, a 15-60W adjustable power adapter, a Type-C to Type-C cable, a Type-C to Type-A cable, and a Micro HDMI to HDMI cable.
Every ColorPro monitor is pre-calibrated for color accuracy before leaving the factory, with reports provided for DCI-P3, sRGB, and Rec.709.
Users can download these calibration reports online, ensuring precise color accuracy right out of the box.

The VP16-OLED has a net weight of 0.98 kg. When tested with the stand, it weighs approximately 961 grams.
The dimensions of the monitor without the stand are 359 x 227 x 6 mm.
When the stand is extended, the dimensions and adjustable range are approximately 359 x 227-314 x 19 mm.

The back casing and the sides of the stand feature ColorPro nameplates to enhance recognition and add prestige.
The warranty includes five years of free labor and parts, as well as complimentary pick-up and delivery service throughout Taiwan.
During this period, customers are eligible for a replacement service with the same model or an equivalent one.
If the monitor needs repair within the warranty period, a loaner of the same model or specifications will be provided.
Additionally, there is a one-year warranty against bright pixel defects.

The control panel at the bottom of the stand has four buttons for OSD (On-Screen Display) settings.
Next to the control panel is the power switch.

The right side I/O connections include two USB 3.2 Type C ports (supporting data transfer, DisplayPort video input, and 40W power delivery), a 3.5mm audio output, and a Micro HDMI 1.4 input.
The left side is equipped with 1-watt speaker openings on both ends.

The stand features an integrated bracket design with three tilt options, enabling easy angle and height adjustments for more versatile screen positioning.
The stand is constructed with a dual-hinge bracket.
The first tilt option is a standing support that meets ergonomic standards, allowing the screen to tilt forward/backward up to -60º / 20º.

The second tilt option allows the stand to be adjusted into a triangular foldable bracket.

windwithme COMPUTEX 2024 Connecting AI new product

windwithme — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 21:59:37 +0800

The exhibition videos and article photos each have many different scenes and take a lot of time to produce. Please support by subscribing.
[YOUTUBE]JuLu6e2B10Q[/YOUTUBE]
I remember that the first time I visited the COMPUTEX venue was in 2004. In the blink of an eye, it has been more than 20 years.
During this period, there have been tremendous changes in technology related to the computer industry.
COMPUTEX Taipei has witnessed the evolution of new products over these years.
Last year, NVIDIA sparked an AI craze at COMPUTEX, leading to an even greater surge in AI topics this year.
Many brands have tried their best to connect their new products with AI.
In addition, this year's keynote speeches include three major technology giants, NVIDIA, AMD, and INTEL, who have come to Taiwan one after another, and their lineup and content are richer and more exciting than before.
This year, due to a busier schedule post-COMPUTEX, this article is shared later than usual. It includes more photos to enrich the content.

Due to time constraints this year, I only attended the Intel KEYNOTE, personally hosted by CEO Pat Gelsinger.
The keynote centered around "Bringing AI Everywhere," with a notable increase in visibility for AI-related server products at this year's exhibition.
The event emphasized Intel XEON's market advantages.

The speech also displayed AI PCs equipped with Intel platforms from major cooperative brands this year.

Then we went to Intel Booth, where the main new chips were on display, and the new AI PC laptops were used in many aspects.
The DELL XPS series is still a laptop that I really admire.

GIGABYTE AORUS 15

Intel exhibited six next-generation motherboards from its cooperative brands.
Although the chipset code was not marked, quite a few news online revealed that the model number is Z890...XD

Since there are many brands and new products in the Nangang Exhibition Hall, the visiting time and sharing space are limited.
The following sharing is for those who are personally interested or have introduced their new products during the visit.
First up is GIGABYTE & AORUS.
A variety of Intel's next-generation motherboards are on display, all with M.2 and PCIe EZ-Latch Plus quick-detach designs, and the magnetic antenna holes have been changed to more convenient plug-in types to simplify the installation process.
The center of the display card above is RTX 4070Ti SUPER AI TOP 16G.
Several products in the photo have the signatures of technology giants.

Next generation Z series AORUS MASTER and AORUS ELITE WIFI7.

The AI TOP area displays the TRX50 AI TOP motherboard, which uses four RTX 4070Ti SUPER AI TOP 16G and is paired with the AI TOP Utility interface on the left to provide a friendly and convenient usage mode.

A variety of QD-OLED gaming screens are also on display, including AORUS CO49DQ, MO34WQC2, and AORUS FO32U2P.
The photo shows MO34WQC2 curved screen, 240Hz update rate, 0.03ms response time.

windwithme Computex 2023 New stuff and Show Girls

windwithme — Sat, 10 Jun 2023 23:12:37 +0800

Computex 2023 video, please support by subscribing to windwithme：
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAAgbOQXd7E

GIAGABYTE & AORUS
AORUS 16(2023)

Z790 AORUS XTREME X

Z790 AORUS MASTER X

MSI
Raider GE78 HX 13VH Intel Core i9-13950HX & NVIDIA RTX 4090 Laptop

Alpha 17 C7V AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX & NVIDIA RTX 4070 Laptop

Stealth 14 Studio A13V i7-13700H & RTX 4070

MSI new Z790 WiFi 7
ACE MAX. CARBON MAX. EDGE MAX

ViewSonic ColorPro VP2776 Unboxing

windwithme — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 01:04:22 +0800

ViewSonic ColorPro VP2776 unboxing video, please support by subscribing to windwithme
[YOUTUBE]https://youtu.be/ry3PK66bOn0[/YOUTUBE]

Years ago, a friend lent me his Spyder color calibrator. After a long time using it for color correction, I came to realize that a great deal of mid- to high-end monitors and notebooks have color deviations, regardless of panel quality or price point. Soon after that, I bought a Spyder for my own monitor color needs. As I remember, only EIZO were advertising monitors with factory-calibrated color accuracy back then, but they were more expensive for the same size.

In recent years, the electronics market has seen premium notebooks aimed at creatives and advertising Pantone Validated calibration out of the factory, and there are high-end desktop monitors with factory-certified color calibration for consumers with strict color requirements, too.

ViewSonic are veterans in the monitor market, having released products in value, office, e-sports, and creative ranges. An older generation of gamers might remember their VP Series, but perhaps only for the distinctive company logo featuring three Gouldian finches. The focus of this article is their leading ColorPro VP2776 professional monitor.

The VP2776 screen is frameless on three sides, giving it a straightforward appearance and enlarging its appearance, while the panel uses LG’s Nano IPS technology. IPS monitors are pricier and less common in the current market, and Nano IPS panels come embedded with an extra layer of backlighting nanoparticles for a wider and brighter color gamut.

The 27-inch screen has an anti-glare 3H hard coating and 2560x1440 resolution, commonly known as 2K or Quad HD. With a 165Hz refresh rate, it’s G-Sync Compatible and possesses VESA-certified HDR 400, a DCI-P3 95% color gamut, and 400cd/m² luminance. Equipped with flicker-free and anti-blue light technology, it effectively reduces eyestrain during extended periods of use.
There is a groove along the edges for attaching a magnetic hood.

Accessories include a 3-pin power plug (IEC C13/CEE22), DisplayPort cable (v1.4), USB Type-C cable, USB A/B cable (v3.2), and a quick start manual. Two more accessories included with the VP2776 are rather more special, and this is the first time I’ve seen them included with a high-end professional monitor: a ColorPro color calibrator, and a portable magnetic hood with what can be said to be a professional design.
Every calibration report for the VP series details the panel’s DCI-P3, sRGB, REC709, and Uniformity values. Users can input their product serial number on the official ViewSonic website to download a bespoke color calibration report.

The ColorPro calibrator comes with a protective cover and appears to have a single lens. Having used a Spyder for more than ten years, I have to say the ColorPro has a genuinely attractive appearance, and unlike other high-end calibrators, software supporting the ColorPro Wheel can immediately make use of its click and spin functionality.

Looking at the rear of the VP2776, the ViewSonic logo appears at the top, with an illuminating light beneath. The center bracket can be removed to reveal 100 x 100mm holes, convenient for VESA-supported wall mountings. Two 3W loudspeaker holes are located at the bottom left and right. There’s a Kensington lock at the bottom right, and cooling vents are found along the top, left, and right edges.

At the lower left of the rear are a blue-lit power button and a joystick for the OSD.

The ports on the back of the unit include, from left to right: power source, 2x HDMI v2.0, Display Port v1.4, USB Type-C, a 3.5mm audio jack, USB Type-B, USB Type-C (5V/3A), 2x USB Type A, and a Micro USB. USB Type-C can be used to mirror/extend the displays connected, transfer data, and charge devices. Whereas when using HDMI or DisplayPort to transfer audiovisuals, USB Type-B can be connected for data transfer.

Personally, I think the design and functionality of a stand and base are very important for creative professionals. As is commonly seen with top-tier monitors, the VP2776’s stand is multifunctional, with a wide scope for making adjustments.
There are five markings on the center of the stand for making graduated adjustments, and holes underneath for neatly managing and arranging cables.

The stand is approximately 130mm tall. It swivels across roughly 120°, pivots 90° clockwise and counterclockwise, and has angles of elevation and depression of 21° and -3°, respectively.

AORUS 5 Gaming Laptop Unboxing

windwithme — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 23:05:02 +0800

AORUS 5 video: [YOUTUBE]https://youtu.be/7yb892POOb4[/YOUTUBE]
For the past two years, major laptop brands have invested significant resources in developing their gaming product lines,
The majority of mid to high-end laptops are gaming products, with the rest used for content creation.
As GIGABYTE’s gaming brand, AORUS accounts for most of GIGABYTES laptops.
Today, we’re going to be talking about one of the more affordable models in the AORUS series, a 15.6 inches gaming laptop – The AORUS 5,
with the SB standing for its NVIDIA GTX 1660Ti graphics card.

AORUS 5 positioned in the market as an affordable gaming laptop with a mid-range discrete graphics card.
It comes with Intel i7-10750H CPU and GPU choice between GTX 1650Ti, 1660Ti and RTX 2060 graphics.
There is also the 17-inch AORUS 7, with the main difference between the two being the size of the screen since their ID designs are similar.
Take a first look at A side. In the center is the AORUS’s eagle logo, with the entire surface using black, smooth plastic material.
Unlike the 9th generation models, the new AORUS 5, AORUS 7 have aesthetic lines on their sides, giving a simplified appearance.

The dimensions of the AORUS 5 is 361(W)x258(D)x27.9(H)mm,
Measuring weight at 2108g, it is slightly lighter than the 2.2kg stated on official website.
The thin bezel design makes the screen area a size smaller than the standard 15-inch laptop, but slightly bigger than 14-inch laptops.
The smooth chassis makes fingerprints or smudges more obvious, while the absence of RGB or Logo light is a matter of personal preference.

After opening the AORUS 5, we can see the design of B side and C side:
The hinge for the screen placed on both sides, providing high durability when opening the laptop and a maximum angle of approx. 130 degrees.
Although the 10th generation AORUS 5 uses plastic materials as well, the durability of its chassis was been enhanced compared to the 9th generation AORUS 5.

On B side, the screen comes with a 5mm ultra-thin bezel design, with a screen-to-body ratio of 81.3%,
Possessing specifications such as FHD resolution with IPS-level panel, a high refresh rate of 144Hz, 5ms, plus 72% NTSC wide color gamut;
It’s performance is superb for an entry-level or mid-range gaming laptop.
The HD webcam placed in a conventional position on top, with built-in face tracking functions.
The webcam is smooth and on par with those found in high-end gaming models.

As for C side, the full-sized 15-inch model’s keyboard comes with a numpad on the right for more convenience,
With a key travel of 2.0mm, and keystroke feedback better than keyboards of other laptops at this price range, although it is still on the soft side.
The keys come with a all-zone 15 color RGB backlit, with the touchpad having separate left and right keys for better precision,
The touchpad area supports Windows® Precision Touchpad technology and offers multiple touch gesture functions.

I/O ports on the left side of the AORUS 5:
From left to right - Kensington lock / stylized vent / USB 3.2 Gen1 / USB 2.0 / microphone jack / audio combo jack.

I/O ports on the right side of the AORUS 5:
From left to right - USB 3.2 Gen2 / MINI DP 1.2 / SD card reader / stylized cooling vents.
I/O port on both sides uses adopt anti-glare carbon fiber design, effectively raising quality,
windwithme believe that if the smooth area on A side also uses this carbon design, the laptop will looks more attractive.

I/O ports on the back side:
Stylized vents on both the left and the right, with USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (Support Display 1.4) / HDMI 2.0 / RJ45 internet port / DC in, with Intel Wireless-AX200NGW chip for network connection.
Supports the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology comes with up to 2.4Gbps and the latest Bluetooth 5.0 technology.

Here’s a list of accessories included with the laptop:
From left to right - 180W adapter, simplified manual, warranty card, SSD screws and a thermal pad,
On the bottom, we have a li polymer battery (48.96Wh) and a power cord; one plus point is the small and portable adapter.
Many years ago, laptop manufactures shifted to built-in batteries to make them thinner or more integrated, so it has been a few years I did not see a laptop with detachable batteries…
Built-in batteries might be difficult for users to change batteries themselves and would require a higher fees if to the manufacturer for battery replacements.
Detachable batteries allow your laptop used without the batter fitted in, thereby extending battery life.
In addition, users can choose to purchase spare batteries when hanging out.

The Brand New GIGABYTE AORUS 15G Review

windwithme — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 23:44:12 +0800

In recent 2 years, GIGABYTE more focused on the high-end laptop market.
They got two product lines, AORUS for Pro Gaming series, and AERO series is designed for the creators.
And AORUS series is separated by 15-inch and 17-inch produts.
This article will reveal the latest AORUS 15G KB which has been redesigned the appearance, make it more fit to the gaming style.

AORUS 15G product intro video：https://youtu.be/FSDOswL1VN8
The biggest features on AORUS 15G and 17G are the brand new appearance designed for pro gaming.
The color of A cover made of matted Iron gray metal, and the surface is less obvious fingerprints design.
In the past, I have used many black ones, metal matte or hairline surface laptop, the fingerprint is more obvious.
The chassis made by aluminum CNC cutting process, which enhances the solid build quality.
Dimension of laptop is 356(W) x 250(D) x 25(H)mm (14.0 x 9.84 x 0.98 inch), weight 2.2g (4.85 lb), measured is 2275g (5.01lb)

The Eagle shape of logo will light up slightly white when boot up. It is decent and not too flashing.
In many high-end laptops, there is an extension part in the rear side of the laptop, but AORUS 15G does not have that extra size.
It can effectively shrink the size of chassis, which makes AORUS 15G very different from other brands.
Both sides of C cover simulated the supercar side skirt, that gives AORUS 15G with very special unibody like appearance.

The B cover is very similar to the GIGABYTE creator laptop of AERO series.
The three-way 3mm ultra-thin bezel design is the thinnest bezel in the high-end level model.
There is full range of anti-impact stripe rubber protection, to avoid panel damage by C side when cover is closed.

AORUS 15G equipped with a 15.6-inch IGZO anti-glare panel on this model.
With FHD resolution, 4ms response time, 240Hz high refresh rate, the AORUS 15G guaranteed that games can get an immersive gameplay experience.
Over 72%NTSC wide color gamut, and every panel is calibrated and passed the X-rite Pantone certified before ship out.
Delta E <1 is very close to original color display, achieve the most accurate color presents even in the games.

C cover keyboards and touchpad is black color, rest of the chassis parts is Iron-Gray.
The unibody designed touchpad is highly accurate with fine smooth operation.
Moreover, it supports Windows Precision Touchpad tech, offering multi-touch operate works.
The touchpad offered a fingerprint sensor on the upper left,
and the concave design at below makes the panel easier to be lifted and it’s also a cooling hole design.

The HD webcam and microphone on the top of C side.
The face might not be taken too close to the chin or nose cam with the webcam because the surface is angled upward.
To enhance the personal privacy safety, AORUS 15G equipped a cover on the webcam, which is very rare design on laptops.
The Keyboard backlit support AORUS RGB Fusion 2.0, which can customized the color and Marco function in every single key.

The world’s first laptop equipped with OMRON mechanical switches is the AORUS 17 in end of last year.
The exclusive design also equipped on the slimmer AORUS 15G, the thickness of chassis has reduced from 38mm drop to 25mm.
The Omron switches are made in Japan, featured ultra-durable 15M of keystroke lifespan, and the optimum key travel 2.5mm.
The 1.6mm trigger point is much better than other high-end laptops were using a classic membrane keyboard.
GIGABYTE AORUS claim that the typing feeling is similar to the Cherry Blue Switch,
compared to my personal Brown Switch keyboard; there is not any big difference.
Make a mechanical keyboard fit in a 25mm (0.98inch) chassis is a very awesome design in the mid-high-end level laptop.

The left side I/O ports, from left to right：
2 X USB 3.2 Gen1 (Type-A) / Thunderbolt 3 (Type-C) /
UHS-II SD Card Reader / DC-in Jack / Shaped Vents.
Build-in high-speed card reader, up to 312 MB/s
The rear side of hinge with the c side decorated with special racing design, which enriches the design detail of appearance.

The left side I/O ports, from left to right：
Shaped Vents. / HDMI 2.0 / mini DP 1.4 / USB 3.2 Gen1 (Type-A) /
3.5 Audio combo jack / RJ-45(Killer Ethernet E2600).
This is my first time saw the hinge and near area that designed as special racing style in my many reviews of high-end level laptops.
The design lines of the detail on AORUS 15G is even richer than DELL Alienware.

GIGABYTE AERO 17 HDR Creator Laptop Unboxing

windwithme — Tue, 05 May 2020 23:48:42 +0800

In recent 2 years, GIGABYTE laptops mainly focused on two product lines.
AORUS launched earlier and is more famous as a series based on gaming design.
AREO is a thinner series designed for the needs of creators; these two series got their strong points.
AERO chassis design is closer to high-quality Ultrabook, equipped with high-end hardware SPECs.
The character of this article is the latest AERO 17 HDR, Let’s watch the guide video and get the information guide first.
[Youtube]dVIC-iR44zc[/Youtube]

This new AERO 17 HDR XB equipped with Intel Core i7-10875H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super.
The outer box used the special English lettering of AERO with black and orange colors.

The full chassis body with CNC cutting technology, the A side also all be made with aluminum.
The central and upper area are matted design with anti-fingerprint treatment.
To make the A side more varied, the bottom area was V-shaped unfolding line design with brushing surface treatment.
17.3” dimension is 396(W) x 270(D) x 21.4(H) mm, weight from 2.5kg.
Actual weight is 2661g, AERO 17 HDR performs pretty well on high-end laptop ID design and balanced of weight ratio.

Open the AERO 17 HDR, the B side and C side placement overview.
The display hinge located at both sides of the chassis body, the maximum open angle of the display is around 120 degree.
The assembling quality is very solid. The A side could slowly close automatically when the open angle of the display is under 30 degree.

B side is the 17.3” AUO anti-glared display, 4K UHD IPS panel.
The three edges of the AERO 17 HDR display with 3mm ultrathin bezel, which is the thinnest bezel design on the overall notebook models.
There is a full range 3 side of frame rubber around to avoid causing damage when the screen closed to touch the C side.

B side screen-to-body ratio is up to 89% and matches the VESA Display HDR 400 standard.
It supports 100% Adobe RGB color gamut that brings more than 25% more details than sRGB colors of detail.
Each laptop display passed the color calibration of X-Rite Pantone from factory side.
Delta E <1 is very close to original color display, and achieve the most accurate color presents.

Except for the keyboard area, the C side are made by matte black aluminum material same as A side design.
The island-style keyboard with RGB Fusion 2.0 technology, and specialized in more fabulous full-color backlight.
GIGABYTE and Sunrex who is the world's largest keyboard supplier collaborated to make the keystroke feedback more solid
In terms of membrane keyboard, this is really good keystroke feedback by my personal experience.

There are HD webcam and microphone on the top of C side.
The face should not be taken too close to the chin with webcam because the surface is angled upward.
It supported face tracing technology, the smoothness was outstanding but the resolution still could be better.
It is a rarely design of webcam cover in other laptops, which can enhance the privacy for users.
The round power button just below the webcam, and the linear holes on both left and right side of the button are airflow vents for cooling.

The bottom of the C side is the touchpad, which offered accurate operation, and equipped with the fingerprint sensor on the upper left.
The left and right sides are stickers of hardware or feature lists, and one more sticker that emphasized this laptop was Made in Taiwan at the bottom-left corner.
The large and thicker sticker on the right which emphasized the hardware features of AERO 17 HDR, it easier to tear and no glue reside.

The right side of I/O port.
From left side, USB 3.2 Gen1 / Thunderbolt 3 (Type-C) / MINI DP 1.4 / HDMI 2.0/ power input/ vent.
Composed with Killer Ethernet E2600 LAN chip and Killer wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 chip.
The AX1650 supports the latest 802.11AX, which is the WIFI 6 technology that allows a 2.4 Gbps transmission speed.

The left side of I/O port
From left side, vent. / RJ45 internet port / SD Card Reader (UHS-II) / USB 3.2 Gen 1
Earphone jack / microphone jack / USB 3.2 Gen 1
The UHS-II can be seen as a luxury high-speed SD Card Reader for laptops, which can run up to 300 MB/s.

AORUS 7 Mid-Range Gaming Laptop Review

windwithme — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 00:41:08 +0800

Recent 2 years GIGABYTE goes forward and aggressive to Mid-High level laptop market.
The part of their Gaming is dominated by the AORUS series, and the part of Creator is dominated by the AERO series.
And the AORUS series recently launched the brand new flagship product–AORUS 17 got the highest exposure.
This time we got the entry models of the AORUS high-level gaming laptop series, named as AORUS 5, AORUS 7 with 15” and 17” design.

The character of this article is the AORUS 7 with a bigger 17” display.
Dimension is 399(W) x 282(D) x29.2(H)mm, weight about 2.5kg.
Actual weight is 2543g, and the detailed model name is AORUS 7 SA.
The thin bezel design makes the appearance smaller than the regular 17” laptop, and slightly larger than the regular 15” one.

The AORUS eagle image Logo in the center of A cover, and the sharp lines on the both sides design increase the speedy style.
This one is positioning in the regular laptops market, so it’s a pity that none of these 3 areas equipped some light bar design.
It is smoother when you touch the A side with fingerprint, it will be better if there are some pattern or more colorful light bar.
However, the special design on both side of back vents behind the A side is a plus to the appearance.

Open the AORUS 7, the B side and C side placement design.
The hinge located at both sides of the chassis body, the maximum open angle of the display is around 130 degree.
The assembling quality is solid. Although the case was made by plastic, you won’t feel much unstable while opening the display.

Thin bezel design is the most common feature in the gaming laptops market on 2019, was implemented at the B side.
Three edges of the AORUS 7 display possess 6mm thin bezel.
The webcam placed above the display, it will be more convenient for users.
The 17.3’’ LG IPS 4ms anti-glared display owned FHD resolution and 144Hz refresh rate.
Face tracing technology was used in the HD webcam, the smoothness and resolution were both outstanding.

Overview of the C side, there is full-sized keyboard with numpad, and the key travel is 2.0mm.
The keystroke feedback is better than the laptops’ keyboard at this price range, but the feedback is still slightly soft overall.
It equipped single-zone 15 colors RGB backlit keyboard, and separated the left and the right key of the touchpad to make more accuracy.
The touchpad area supports Windows® Precision Touchpad technology and have a few touch gestures.

The left side of I/O port
From left side, vent / USB 3.1 Gen1 / USB 2.0 / microphone jack / Earphone jack.

The right side of I/O port
From left side, USB 3.1 Gen2 / MINI DP 1.2 / SD Card reader / vent.

The back side of I/O port
The both right and left side are vents, and USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C / HDMI 2.0
RJ45 are in the middle of back side. Killer Wireless-AC 1550 LAN chip of RJ45 port.

Here are the accessories be included packaging.
From left, Li Polymer Battery(48.96Wh), warranty card, SD slot protection card, manual, power code and 180W adapter, and the big plus is the small and portable adapter.
In addition, the design of detachable battery has not been seen for several years. Laptops are designed to have a built-in battery for thinness or integration.
There are some troubles for replacement and extra expensive cost at built-in battery for most consumers.
Furthermore, the detachable battery can also provide two for self-use and easy to take it out for gaming or working.

AORUS 17 Ultimate Gaming Laptop

windwithme — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 14:32:13 +0800

Recent 2 years GIGABYTE launched many Mid-High level laptop, want to gain more market share.
Now the hottest series are Gaming and Creator market
The AERO series for Creator market, designed with 15” and 17”, with many HW combination models.
AORUS is for Gaming series, mainly with 15” and 17” design.
This time we got GIGABYTE AORUS 17, the brand new design with highest SPECs.

Many brand like DELL, ASUS, MSI, they all separate Gaming notebook with 2 categories.
One is slim type with mid-high level Hardware, another is larger muscle notebook with highest Hardware SPECs.
AOTUS 17 is the 2nd type muscle book, but with thin bezel and slimmer chassis.
It’s kind of combination of both advantage of slim and strong power.
A side metallic chassis, with AORUS eagle Logo and dual lines to create speedy style.
The backside extend part is small, center stripe and both side airflow exhaust comes with LED light bars.

Dimension of this 17” NB is 396(W)x 293(D)x 38(H)mm, weight about 3.75kg
Actual weight is 3780g, compare its solid chassis and top level hardware, the size, thickness and weight all smaller than the previous review of Dell Alienware Area-51m.

B side and C side chassis design
AORUS 17 comes with 3 version of WA, XA and YA, YA is the top level.
It depends on CPU, Display and GPU combinations difference.
This article is TA version, comes with Intel Core i9-9980HK and GeForce RTX 2080

The C side 17.3” display, YA version with AUO FHD display.
Refresh rate is 240Hz, 3ms response time, match the top gaming display format.
Each notebook display passed the color calibration of X-Rite™ Pantone from factory.
Delta E <1 is very close to original color display, it helps a lot for many user environment.
3mm ultrathin bezel design, very rare design even on other ultrathin notebooks.
The HD resolution on the bottom side, the dark noise is higher, but still very smooth.

C side material is most important for user, because it will touch by fingers and palm rest.
The touchpad is very sensitive with high level NB quality, left & right holes for speakers.
Left down side showed “Made in Taiwan”, right down side is feature label.

AORUS eagle image power bottom, showed white light when boot up.
Back left and right side of vents design with style shape, comes with straight line colorful light for gaming style.
In front of C side with 2 zones light control, support RGB Fusion 2.0
Keyboard is the most special design, high light as world’s 1st OMRON switch slim mechanical keyboard.
Key Switch cap is round design, to make the LED light more balance, the light is more beautiful.

The key press up to 15Millions times lifecycle, 2.5mm slim key distance.
The 1.6mm trigger point is better than other top-level laptops of membrane keyboard.
Compared with Cherry keyboard switch still have some difference on feedback and click sound, that depends on personal preference.
According to my 10 years experience of Cherry switch keyboards, use OMRON switch keyboard shall not have big difference.
This design make the 17” muscle design of top level gaming notebook could be slimmer.

The right side
From left side, USB3.1 Gen1(Type-C) / UHS-II SD Card Reader
2x USB3.1 G1(Type-A)/ chassis vents.

The left side
From left, vents, / DP 1.4 & USB3.1 (Type-C)
Thunderbolt3(Type-C) / USB3.1 Gen1(Type-A)
Microphone jack / Headphone jack (Support Hi-Res Audio and SPDIF)

GIGABYTE AERO 15 OLED (9980HK/RTX 2080)

windwithme — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 21:33:55 +0800

There are 2 of GIGABYTE laptop brands, AORUS and AERO. AORUS, the premium gaming brand, is focusing on “gaming enthusiasts”;on the other hand, the AERO series laptops are targeting at content creators.
AERO 15, launched last year 2018, was the first laptop targeting at creatives which has high performance as well as ultra-thin screen bezel.
In 2018, the biggest laptop trend is thin bezel, and this year, 2019, the biggest highlight has to be the OLED display which is launched by only 3 brands by now.
In this article we will take a look at one of these 3, AERO 15 OLED, the latest model from GIGABYE AERO series.

First thing we saw was the packaging. With the new “AERO” logo, black and orange color combination, the packaging looks very stylish.
The AERO 15 OLED comes in 2 different colors, black and silver. The one we got is a black one.

This chassis is made of aluminum with a technique called CNC. Most part of it is matte, and there’s a V-shaped decoration with a satin finish below which makes the whole design doesn’t seem too boring.
The AERO logo on the cover will light up when the laptop is on.
The dimension of 15.6” model: 356(W) x 250(D) x 20(H) mm, and the weight is around 2229g.
Considering its solid build quality, the AERO 15 OLED did very well on keeping a portable form factor.

AERO 15 OLED B and C side design. The 2 hinges are on the left and the right.
The biggest opening angle is around 130 degree.
The hinge and overall build quality feels very solid.
The cover will close automatically when the opening angle is less than 30 degree.

B side (display) is one of AERO 15 OLED’s most attractive features.
This 3-side ultra-thin bezel design is the only design currently available that is closest to bezel-less.
There’s a rubber bumper attached to the bezel that protects the display from rubbing against keyboard.
The Samsung AMOLED panel AERO adapted is the high-end spec available now.
AERO 15 OLED is certified with VESA Display HDR 400 True Black as well as Xrite Pantone color calibration certification.
Each and every AERO gets Xrite Pantone color calibration before it leaves the factory to provide you the most accurate colors of Delta E<1.
This display also has TÜV Rheinland Eye Comfort Certification.
All these functions are added to AERO in order to offer best visual performance no matter colors or details.

Dell, Razer and AERO are the first 3 brands that launched OLED laptops. Since these laptops are very new, customers may concern about the burn-in issue.
The AERO 15 OLED applies a special cover on the back of the panel to decrease the using temperature so as to lower the chance of burn-in.
From this we can tell GIGABYTE is a brand that very much focuses on details.
As for the finish, a glossy display may cause noticeable reflections but is able to produce more intense and saturated colors; on the other hand, a matte finish may look plain but certainly not going to reflect.
GIGABYTE goes for the glossy one in order to show the nice details of AMOLED.

Besides the keyboard, on the C side the AERO uses the same matte black aluminum as the cover.
The island style keyboard supports GIGABYTE RGB Fusion 2.0 and per-key RGB backlight.
This keyboard is collaboration GIGABYTE and world’s largest keyboard provider Sunrex.
Considering it’s a membrane keyboard, It acrually offers a nice tactile feedback.
Comparing to GIGABYTE’s other laptop – AORUS 15, this keyboard feels better, almost like the one on Alienware’s high end gaming models.

The webcam is beneath the display, shooting from a lower angle but not too much focusing on your chin…
The camera works smoothly but the resolution could be improved. GIGABYTE designs a cover for it which is rare on laptops and is able to help keep the user’s privacy.
Further beneath the camera is the power button, on its left and right sit the thermal vents.

Below the keyboard is the touchpad which works accurately.
On the upper-left there’s a fingerprint sensor.
There are also stickers for features and hardware specs here.
The one on the left says this laptop is made in Taiwan and the one on the right is about AERO 15 OLED’s features. These stickers are thick and easy to remove.

I/O ports on the left.
From the left: Thermal vent/ HDMI 2.0/ DP1.4 & USB3.1 Gen1/ Audio combo jack/ RJ45 Ethernet port (which supported by Killer Ethernet E2600 and Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650.
The AX1650 supports the latest 802.11AX, Wi-Fi 6, that can achieve up to 2.4Gbps.

AORUS 15 Review

windwithme — Wed, 03 Jul 2019 12:29:52 +0800

Recent years many laptop brands came out more and more gaming notebook in the red sea market,
The GIGABYTE gaming laptops is rare to see in the market before.
But these 2 years they start to have more products for gaming style design
With the positive market competitions, the gaming laptops become much better on design and price range.

GIGABYTE got its own gaming brand AORUS with gaming laptops,
AORUS series is simple, only got AORUS 15, AORUS 5,7 series in 2019
This simple way might make lower awareness in the market.

Let?s get back to the AORUS 15; A cover used metallic design,
Black matted coating with high quality. Looks might be a bit of finger print on it.
Most of the current matted metal coating notebook chassis had this status.
AORUS designed their Eagle shape logo with lines on both side to create speedy style.
The Logo and lines will have white lighting when notebook boot up, it will be more fancy if comes with RGB lights.

I tested around 2225g, it?s a bit lighter than their formal data.
A side and back side heat exhaust sink holes, looks similar as HP Pavilion Gaming 15.
Many high level gaming notebook had this kind of design, but AORUS 15 is most outstanding as my user experience.

Open the AORUS 15, B and C side design
The hinge design closer to the middle on both left and right side, the biggest open angle around 130 degree,
because the chassis assembling quality is solid, so it didn?t easily shake when open up the screen.

B side designed with thin bezel frame that thin gaming notebook often used since 2018
The AORUS 15 with 6mm thin bezel on 3 sides.
Webcam still on the top side, is more convenient and outstanding.
15.6? matted display with IPS panel, with Full HD resolution and 144Hz refresh rate.
HD Webcam, work with face tracing function, it?s smooth but image quality could be improved.

C side use matted aluminum metallic chassis besides of keyboard. This part is same as A side.
Designed with membrane full color backlit keyboard, support RGB Fusion technology.
Although the thin membrane keyboard is easy to be soft, but this one is good on feedback.
There are branding stickers aside the touchpad, if the sticker is too big will impact the beauty of the ID design, recommend to make it smaller and simplified, or put it under D side is also a way.

Touchpad used larger surface design, looks wider on left and right side.
This makes more convenient using experience, the pointing is very accurate when moving.
In my personal experience, high accuracy touchpad appeared on higher price products mostly.
The power button with white light when boot up, the left and right side aside the corner have LED project lights for gaming ambience.

On top of C side is power button, it?s same icon as A side image.
Align the button it designed with cooling holes with special shapes to give it streamline style.
On the upper right side of keyboard key with fan icon, used Fn+Fan key to adjust fan speed.

Left side IO
From left, heat exhaust / RJ-45 LAN port / USB3.1 (Super Charge) / Micro SD reader
Storage light / Power light. The heat exhaust hole design is really good looking and quality.

Right side IO
From left, headset port / 2x USB 3.1 / heat exhaust
The USB 3.1 all Gen1 Type-A format
This machine of cooling system used dual 7cm high speed fan, 6 heatpipes, 9 in & out airflow exhausts, it should have very good present on cooling power.
The analysis is coming soon.

windwithme Computex 2019 New stuff and Show Girls

windwithme — Sun, 02 Jun 2019 00:39:42 +0800

This year some famous IT companies did early launch event before the show, that made the Computex more different than before.
For sure the new products need to be attractive, that will be better to the pre-show launch event.
Attractive enough to catch international buyers, media and consumers’ attention. One of the most typical launch is AMD announced Ryzen 3000 series and Navi GPU.
Back to the Computex show, many brands still focus on Gaming products. Used RGB scenario lights to build up many types of computers and gaming gears.

First look on Notebook market, after Gaming with RGB lighting, this year most popular design is thin bezel,
DELL from US also make Alienware M series for slimmer design. According to the display size named m15 and m17, with brand new ID design.
I’m working on the Alienware Area 51M tests, the highest level thick one.

The XPS 13 series for many years, many brands still copy its thin design style.
The new version of XPS 14 put Webcam on top of the screen, it’s more convenience.

GIGABYTE notebook used AORUS for gaming, also launched New AERO series.
AERO series designed for creators, AERO 15 silver white looks more elegant.

Display came with X-Rite Pantone color calibration, they made calibration for every model in the factory. SAMSUNG AMOLED and Precise Color is their unique feature.

AERO 17
Display SPEC and Hardware combinations did not show in the VIP room.

AORUS 17
Higher level for Gaming segment, the ID design also very special.

New AERO 15/17 series comes with Core i9 and RTX graphics.
New AORUS 17 will build up with RTX 2080 high performance version.

MSI
GE65 Raider with SHARP IGZO 240Hz display

GT76 Titan with i9 9900K and Overclocked Full Cores at 5GHz.
CINEBENCH R15 CPU => 2155 cb

MSI PS42 14” Thin & Light Laptop Review

windwithme — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 20:16:26 +0800

In recent years, MSI has established a strong reputation for its industry-leading gaming notebooks and also offers a robust Workstation series for professionals.
With the recent exhibiting of the PS42 at Computex 2018 in Taipei, MSI now sets its sights on providing premium laptops for those who prioritize portability without a sacrifice in performance.
At just over a kilogram with a chic metal chassis as well as a gorgeous narrow bezel design, let’s delve into a closer look at the PS42.

The PS42 belongs to the Prestige series and is a newly-designed model.
The silver hair-brushed metallic chassis is not only classy but also less susceptible to fingerprints.
Its dimensions are 322 x 222 x 15.9 mm at a weight of only 1.19 kg with a discrete graphics card (MX150).
The electronic scale weighs the PS42 to be 1203 grams, though this is likely due to systematic error.
While this is very light for a 14-inch notebook, there are other models that are even lighter.
However, the PS42’s metallic chassis is strong enough that, when pressed, does not give; the PS42 achieves a balance in weight and durability.

An MSI Dragon Shield Logo on the A-side painted in an understated silver.
Exhausts are towards the rear on both the left and right sides of the chassis; the PS42 contains 2 fans and 3 heat pipes.
The rotating shafts are on the left and right edges of the A side, allowing a large opening angle.

The B-side is mainly black while the C-side is silver like the A- and B-sides.
The webcam is below the B-side screen, similar to the design on the DELL XPS 13.
The webcam’s angle isn’t optimal, though at 30fps@720p, its video isn’t choppy.

The upper, left and right sides feature the narrow-bezel design at only 5.7mm.
The 14 –inch, IPS-level matte screen sports a resolution of 1920 x 1080; the screen ratio is approximately 80%

The C-side is predominantly dedicated to the keyboard. Each key has a white backlight which can be turned on or off.

The power button is centered above the keyboard while the small holes arranged horizontally are designed for the cooling system.
The keyboard feedback is slightly soft but it is above-average in terms of thin laptops.

The touchpad has excellent sensitivity.
The scissor-switch design requires a harder press for precise response.
The black rectangle to the upper-left of the touchpad is for fingerprint identification, a function that is only available on higher-end business laptops.
With Windows Hello, unlocking your laptop is highly convenient.

I/O ports on the right.
Left to right: Kensington lock / SD card reader / USB3.1 Gen1 Type-C / 2 X USB3.1 Gen1 Type-A.

I/O ports on the left.
Left to right: power input / HDMI / USB3.1 Gen1 Type-C / Audio Combo.
Three indicators: power, battery, and Wi-Fi.

MSI GS65 Gaming NB Review

windwithme — Sun, 15 Jul 2018 23:53:42 +0800

More and more mobile devices become narrow bezel or frameless design to get higher competitive capability.
As the Ultrabook or mobile phone in recent years, becomes slimmer and lighter is the most important trend.
Thought about the design on Gaming Notebooks, since the design needs more high performance hardware and cooling solution,
if the technology, ID and material is keep improving, maybe the frame and size could become thinner and lighter year by year.
Evantually there are 3 of 15.6” thin bezel and ultra slim gaming notebooks came out in the market, this time it’s MSI GS65, the company did work hard on the gaming market.

The full name is GS65 Stealth Thin 8RF, it comes with 3 versions by different hardware combinations.
Evolved from last version of slim notebook GS63, the GS65 designed with narrow bezel and brand new ID design.
By the way, the previous generation GS63 with GTX1050 graphics was high C/P ratio, really worth of the price with great value!

GS65 with metallic A cover and matted touched design.
Printed with golden MSI Dragon logo, the frame also uses shinning gold lines to make it looks higher quality and special.
The dimension is 357.7x247.7x17.9mm, the weight is 1.88kg

B side attached the AUO 15.6” IPS level panel, with FHD resolution, 144Hz refresh rate and 7ms response time.
The bezel only got 4.9mm slim, display ratio is 82%, camera on the top side is better place than some others at bottom side.
WebCam is 720P 30fps, the mic on both side support stereo sound recording.
The video image will have more noise if it’s darker environment, but the image quality and detail is better than GS63.

C side is keyboard side, besides of that it’s all matted metallic material, this is same design as A cover side.
Keyboard kept the design with Steelseries slim Per-Key RGB keyboard, but no numeric keys.
Around the slim type membrane keyboard notebooks, Alienware still better than GS65 of the feedback type feeling.

Power button on the top center position, use brushed treatment with golden edge frame line to make it higher quality.
A small light on the right side, white light means it’s using UMA, orange light means it’s using GTX graphics.
There were align with holes for airflow across the power button, that makes cool air into the fan to enhance the cooling system performance.
The MSI logo on the bottom of panel is not obvious, it will be more shinning if comes with golden material.

The IO port on left side
Kensington lock \ airflow exhaust \ RJ45 LAN port \ 2x Type-A USB3.1 port
The 3.5mm golden jack for HiFi headset and Mic audio jack.
The headset output design with ESS SABRE HiFi DAC.
The hinge frame and airflow exhaust hole design with golden material inside, it makes the appearance looks higher level.

The right side IO design
Start from left, Type-A USB3.1 \ Type-C Thunderbolt 3 with USB3.1 Gen 2 & DP \ Mini DisplayPort \ HDMI 2.0\ AC input \ black-golden airflow exhaust

There were three 15.6” narrow bezel gaming notebooks in the market, GIGABYTE Aero 15X about 2kgs, 18.9mm height,
RAZER BLADE 15 about 2.07~2.15kgs, 17.3mm height, the thinnest but also the heaviest one.
MSI GS65 formal shows 1.88kg, tested model is 1862g is the lightest one, 17.9mm height in the middle.
But most of the ultra-slim notebooks came with softer chassis, so the weight depends on the design,
the stronger chassis might enlarge the size. But it’s not always like this rule.

The GS65 display could open to 180 degree to become flat; it helps on office meeting or group discussion to share the screen.
If this panel could design with touch feature, that will be great.

Deep Look into New MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider

windwithme — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 12:29:31 +0800

Over the recent years, MSI has been focusing on the high level and mid-range gaming marketing with 3 main series:
The finest is the GT series that pursues maximum performance;
the 2nd is the GS series with its slim & light but good performance;
the 3rd is the GE series in the middle ground, lighter than GT but faster than GS.
Recently the GE series just received a makeover, with improvements in aesthetics, design, and quality.
This article will focus on testing and analyzing the latest 15.6” of MSI GE63VR.

Starting from the A-side top cover, the design still iconic MSI with the brushed aluminum surface and a MSI dragon shield logo,
that illuminates when powered on, all quality adding to its looking and feeling.
The GE63VR now comes in both GTX 1060 GPU (7RE) and the top-notch GTX 1070 (7RF), both with the dimension of 383 x 260 x 27.5 mm.
The weight may vary a little depending on the configuration: official spec of the 7RF is 2.39 kg.
The actual measurement says 2395g, which has almost same.

Straight ridges and red line are presented on both sides of the center section to perform a sense of speed.
MSI often adopts the design of a sports car hood on the cover to match their brand image.
Personally, I think it’d look even better if the two red stripes can light up during boot up.

The backpack that came with the GE36VR excels in both quality and protection.
The new dragon shield logo has also been redesigned to remove the “GAMING SERIES” wording for simplicity.
The backpack fits up to 17” notebooks, which some may consider a bit too big but others may think bigger space is as a plus.
The adapter next to the GE63VR 7RF comes at a max 230W to power the high end GTX 1070 version.

The B-side surrounds the 15.6” matte display.
The webcam on the top features 720p 30fps capability, with a small hole for the microphone on its either side.
The high-end TN display features FHD resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 3ms response time, and 94% NTSC color coverage.

C-side overview
It’s paired with a SteelSeries RGB gaming keyboard, featuring per-key RGB lighting.
The feedback may not be like a mechanical keyboard, but is exceptional for membrane keyboards.
I personally also like the dedicated left and right button of the track pad, as this offers better accuracy when pressed down.
The outer is decorated with red line, like the GS63VR, to enhance its visibility and aesthetics.
The slim buttons on the right represents power button, SteelSeries keyboard lighting, and fan speed adjustment.

Right IO
Starting from the left is the SD card reader (XC/HC), USB3.0 X2, ventilation.
I’ve noticed the red lighting from the USB port during the initial boot up, which also adds visibility during installation.

Left IO
Starting from the left is Kensington lock, ventilation, RJ45 Ethernet port, HDMI, mini DisplayPort, USB3.0, Type-C USB3.1.
Gold-plated 3.5mm audio jacks are for Hi-Fi headphone and microphones. The headphone-out supports ESS SABRE HIFI technology.

The rear has also been decorated with the red line to further enhance aesthetics and the speed theme.
Ventilation can also be seen on either side for the latest MSI exclusive Cooler Boost 5 cooling technology.

Under the D-side
The center dragon totem not only adds to the look-and-feel, but also features massive ventilation grills.
The lighting at the bottom suggests power, battery, and hard drive status.
The speaker is in collaboration with the well-known Danish audio company: Dynaudio.
The sound chamber is 5x the size than previous GE design, as shown in the bottom left/right of the picture,
which made us really look forward to the audio quality and volume.

MSI GS63VR 7RG Stealth Pro Intro

windwithme — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 17:49:56 +0800

Starting from 2011, MSI had been serious about the gaming market and studied the field for years.
As long as it’s been through, as much as it can get for the brand awareness and richness in product lines.
GT series is mainly for high-end extreme performance position while GE series is taking the mainstream line.
The one which personally appreciated is the GS series, packed with high performance hardware but made with slim-shape looking.

This time we would like to share the review for new coming MSI GS63VR 7RG Stealth Pro.
The dimension is 380x249x17.7mm, weight is around 1.89kgw.
By packing the latest Max-Q Nvidia GPU, thickness of GS63VR’s is below 18mm to fit the regulation.
It’s hard to believe it belongs to high performance position by its slim shape in 15.6 inch laptops.

Let’s take a look at the A cover, it’s made by brush metal and aligned with dual muscle lines like the racing car’s hood to enforce its speedy scene.
Still remembering the sharing of GS70 in 2004, the design only appeared to flat one.
In addition, I am highly appreciated this colorful picture with shinning sunshine on the GS63VR.

Let’s check the dragon logo plate on the A side, it’s been made by Corning 8H glass and modified little bit by removing the black “Gaming G Series” wording.
It glows during the booting and seems more elegant than previous design.

Then we check the B side which is surrounding the LCD.
Above the screen area will find the 720P 30fps webcam, with dual digital microphone aside.
This matte 15.6 LCD panel here is featuring 120Hz/3ms with 94% NTSC color gamut.

Black brush metal is surrounding the keyboard area, we can say the design idea of C side is same as A side.
The Steelseries RGB gaming keyboard, as usual, have been adopted to MSI high-end laptops with Silver-Lining Print.
When there is request to change the color scenario, you have to use the Steelseries Engine software to handle it.
The tactile has been evolved and feels better than previous generation.
The left-right click on touch pad have been form as one piece, surrounded the red diamond cut design to show its elegancy.
Right hand side of the touch pad would be the feature stickers to show those main features and technology of GS63VR.

Front of the C side set 7 red indicating lights,
starting from the left which are “Sleep”, ”Storage access”, “Numpad”, “Caps lock”, “Blue tooth”, “Wi-Fi”, and “Battery”.
A slightly change of the power button,
which had been moved to the edge of C side since last year, it will be initiated by pressing deeply more than one second to prevent the booting of accidentally touch.

One of the advantages of GS63VR is the 180 degree of the flip angle.
The tiny holes on the upper area of C side are designed for air flow, not the space for speaker sound.
And there is LED indicator in the middle to show the figure of power button, looks special while booting and experiencing it.

Right hand side of the machine can see the IO area,
from the left hand side which are power button \ USB2.0 \ Thunderbolt 3(usb3.1) \ HDMI \ mini DisplayPort \ power connector.

IO on the left hand side of the machine,
starting from the left which are Kensington lock \ RJ45 connector \ SD card reader (XC/HC) \ USB 3.0 x3
Gold plated audio hole for 3.5mm Hi-Fi headset and microphone, especially the headset supports ESS SABRE HIFI technology.

MSI GT62VR High-End gaming notebook review

windwithme — Mon, 26 Dec 2016 14:36:35 +0800

This year in the IT world, the most popular trend and the most sought after topic would be the VR application, the so called “age of VR.”
Its impact on the PC industry extends all across the gaming world and not just gaming desktop PC and gaming notebook; even its multimedia capability will be influential in future.
However, the requirement for the hardware is still considerably high; for PC it will need at least a GTX970, or a GTX980M for the notebook, specifications usually carried in higher end PC.

Our test subject for today is MSI’s GT62VR 6RD DOMINATOR.
MSI has been working diligently in the gaming market, especially with its notebook products often refreshes faster than its competitors.
With NVIDIA’s recent launch for the GTX10 series GPU, MSI also launched numerous models that are VR Ready compatible.
After opening the box, we saw the nicely enclosed notebook pack along with a vacuum compressed MSI backpack

This backpack made with softer fabric was designed for GT62VR, excelling in comfort but a bit bulky;
even after putting a 15.6inch notebook inside, there is still a substantial space to put more items in.
Personally I think the backpack looks stylish and yields impeccable comfort after wearing it for some time.

GT62VR Accessories
Driver CD, quick manual guide, product pamphlet, warranty card, SteelSeries RIVAL 50 mouse, DELTA 230W power adaptor, and power cable.
Even with NVIDIA’s new power efficient GPU, it still needs quite a bit of power, hence having a bigger adaptor is inevitable

GT62VR is 390 x 266 x 39.8mm in dimensions, weighing at around 2.94kg, which is still quite hefty for a 15.6inch notebook;
but it is to be expected from a high performance notebook equipping better components, large heat-sink and fans, speakers, and additional DRAM slots for expansions. Similarly to high end models like Dell Alienware 15, close in dimensions, but GT62VR is still a bit lighter.

A side is built with the usual black metallic strips, creating that engine-cap-like design.
What’s different from the previous GT62 are the two red strips on each side to accentuate speed,
it even lights up as you turn on the machine, greatly increases its already futuristic appeal

B side is the 15.6 inch frosted IPS panel, with 1920 x 1080 FHD resolutions.
The bezel itself is frosted and with a touch of sparkle to elevate the texture and quality.
On top is the 1080P, 30Fps WebCam, and two dual-digital microphones on the sides

C side mostly consists of black metallic strips, much like A side.
You could see SteelSeries gaming keyboard which is usually used on MSI’s high end models. With silver lining printing keyboards,
RGB is highly customizable in terms of colors and lighting patterns. Furthermore,
the keypads are soft to touch; but compared to WS72, the latter has more feedback.
The left and right buttons below the touchpad are isolated but responsive, and are less likely to mistakenly touch them

There are 4 stretched buttons on the top right corner; starting from the right is the power button that emits a white glow when turned on;
then the SteelSeries keyboard color switch that enables customized RGB options;
next button works much like a sharing/streaming button that allow users to stream real time during gameplay;
and the last button is the turbo fan boost, maximizing Cooler Boost 4’s heat dissipating technology

5 indicator lights at the front of C side
Starting from left is hard-drive processing, Wi-Fi, battery/charging, Caps ON/OFF, and NumPad ON/OFF
The panel can be opened to 180 degree, also one of GT series’ unique features