Computers

ASUS PA34V is a curved monitor for professionals

Also works for gaming

Published

April 8, 2019

While bigger computer monitors are obviously for a more immersive experience while watching or playing games, professionals who spend hours working on their desktops will also benefit from this.

For one, a bigger display literally translates to a larger screen real estate and more space to work in. Plus, if it has special features specifically tailored to certain needs, then it makes your workflow all the more efficient.

Enter the ASUS PA34V — a 34-inch, curved display designed with professionals in mind.

The PA34V has a 1900R curve for better immersion and less eye strain over time

Its 21:9 aspect ratio works well for multitasking between websites and other productivity apps

With a screen resolution of 3440 x 1440, this IPS display shows detailed images

The rear has physical buttons for tweaking the monitor’s settings

It comes with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, two HDMI 2.0, and one DisplayPort 1.2

The company’s signature concentric circle design also makes its appearance here

Tried hooking it up to my 55-inch TV; it was over the top but looked pretty nice

Having a curved design with a pixel-packed IPS display is great, but those alone don’t make this a professional’s tool; it’s the fact that ASUS calibrates each PA34VC before it ships out. This way, customers are guaranteed that the monitor they get reproduces color accurately and consistently out of the box.

Speaking of calibration, if you still require a certain look, you may choose to adjust the color profiles yourself. ASUS has ProArt Calibration technology that gives you an easy-to-use look-up table (LUT) for color correction and the ability to switch between saved profiles.

Apart from using this display for CAD projects or video editing, it also has features that work well for gaming. After all, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, right?

The PA34V has refresh rates that can go up to 100Hz. It’s not the highest out there but that’s almost twice the standard and makes gameplay more fluid as compared to conventional monitors. Adding to that, it boasts this feature called Adaptive V-Sync that avoids screen tearing or those unsightly breaking of images while playing or watching.

Another feature I enjoyed while gaming is the capability for HDR. This allows for realistic images especially when playing titles like Far Cry: New Dawn. Lastly, it supports Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture to show multiple images from different sources if, for example, you need to compare colors between two inputs while you edit.

If you do a lot of 3D drafts, video editing, or even gaming, the PA34V will complement your workflow and make things enjoyable for you. It’s a bit of an investment at PhP 75,220 (US$ 1,440), but for a pre-calibrated monitor that’s versatile enough for both work and play, I’d say it’s not that bad of an asking price. It’ll be available by June in the Philippines.

Accessories

Acer PA100 portable SSD brings fast, flexible storage on the go

Up to 2TB

Published

September 4, 2026

GadgetMatch

Acer is expanding its storage lineup with the PA100 Portable SSD. It’s a compact external drive designed for users who need faster storage across multiple devices.

The PA100 uses USB 3.2 Gen 1 connectivity. It reaches sequential read speeds of up to 560MB/s and write speeds of up to 430MB/s. This makes it suited for everyday tasks such as transferring large files, backing up content, managing documents, and moving media between devices.

Up to 2TB of portable storage

The PA100 comes in three capacities: 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB. This gives users options depending on whether they need extra space for documents and schoolwork or larger collections of photos, videos, and project files.

Acer also designed the drive with mobility in mind. The PA100 has a slim 9mm profile and a lightweight build, while its reinforced construction is designed to withstand everyday travel and handling.

The drive comes with a 2-in-1 USB-C to USB-C and USB-A cable. This allows it to connect to compatible PCs, tablets, smartphones, and other devices without requiring a separate adapter. It also supports major operating systems and USB-C mobile platforms.

Designed for everyday use

Power efficiency is another focus. Acer says the PA100 uses less than 3W during operation, while idle power consumption can drop to as low as 0.62W.

The drive also features an optimized thermal design to help maintain stable performance during extended transfers and daily workloads.

The Acer PA100 Portable SSD is backed by a three-year limited warranty. Pricing and availability may vary by market.

Computers

New Mac mini starts at a whopping $899, only 256GB of storage

It comes with the M6 or the M5 Pro.

Published

August 26, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Almost two decades ago, Apple was infamous for being an anti-gamer brand. Though the company’s devices touted superior protection against viruses, they couldn’t play video games, alienating a significant chunk of the population and forcing them onto PCs. For a while now, the Mac has changed the status quo, bringing in more powerful hardware that can play games. Today, Apple is championing that cause further through the newly launched Mac mini.

Compared to the chunkier Macs, the Mac mini has a lithe 5” x 5” profile, emphasizing the “mini” in its name. Despite the size, the new mini will tout two flavors of Apple silicon: the M6 and the M5 Pro.

The M6 variant delivers with up to two times faster gaming performance with ray tracing when running Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, compared to the previous M4 version. Meanwhile, the M5 Pro version touts up to 4.5 times faster rendering performance with ray tracing in Blender, compared to the M2 Pro. It will come with macOS 27 Golden Gate out of the box.

You won’t have to worry about connectivity, either. The Mac mini comes with compatibility for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and 2.5Gb Ethernet (going up to 10Gb in upgraded versions). It will also have two USB-C ports, three Thunderbolt 5 ports (but only Thunderbolt 4 for the M6 version), and HDMI port, an Ethernet port, and a headphone jack.

Unfortunately, price seems to be another thing that it’s getting from PCs. The new Mac mini has an increased starting price. Specifically, the M6 version starts at US$ 899 (with only 256GB of storage), and the M5 Pro version starts at US$ 1,699 (for 512GB of storage). Preorders are open now, but they ship out on September 22.

Computers

ASUS unveils TUF Gaming T700, T700 Mini

Built for extreme operational demands

Published

August 21, 2026

GadgetMatch

ASUS has announced the arrival of its latest TUF Gaming desktop lineup models: the TUF Gaming T700 and TUF Gaming T700 Mini.

These new offerings bring heavy-duty performance and military-grade durability to gamers, engineered to endure extreme operational demands while delivering rock-solid stability.

The new ASUS TUF Gaming T700, in particular, is engineered to take on modern AAA titles with its uncompromising performance.

It has an aggressive mecha-inspired MIL-STD chassis, including a transparent side panel to put powerful components on display. Vibrant orange ambient lighting also adds a bold finishing touch.

Inside is an AMD Ryzen 7 8700F processor and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti GPU for high-frame rate gaming.

The T700 also features a robust thermal solution equipped with quad 65 CFM fans and a 240mm liquid cooler.

Meanwhile, the TUF Gaming T700 Mini is tailored for competitive gamers while maintaining a compact, battle-tested chassis.

It has an Intel Core Ultra 5 225F desktop processor, paired with with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics.

This combination provides seamless multitasking, crisp visuals, and reliable frame rates across today’s popular titles.

The internal hardware is cooled by a custom thermal matrix featuring dedicated copper heat pipes and a heavy-duty 90mm cooling fan.

True to the TUF Gaming legacy, the T700 Mini is likewise MIL-STD tested to endure extreme operational demands.