Laptops

ASUSPRO B9440UA Review: Business-minded laptop

Published

July 21, 2017

Marvin Velasco

Don’t let its confusing — and we mean confusing — name turn you off. The ASUSPRO B9440UA means serious business.

As part of ASUS’ more professional segment, this rugged-looking laptop comes with Military-grade durability and a magnesium alloy construction which the company claims is the lightest in its class.

Coupled with stylishly slim bezels around the 14-inch display and a well thought-out hinge design, we’re looking at a recipe for success. So, the question is: Could this be your GadgetMatch?

Let’s start with a full view of the laptop

Total weight is only 1.05kg

Look at how thin the bezels are!

The top and side borders measure only 5.4mm

Its hinge lifts the laptop up when the lid is opened

This gives the keyboard a more comfortable angle to type on

Sadly, there are only two USB-C ports

You can charge the laptop using the left port

This is how far the lid can open up

Useful for writing in all sorts of sitting positions

The keyboard has a nice, tough feel to it with good spacing in between

Comes with spill resistance and backlighting

Heat stays away from your lap with these well-placed vents

Fans can get a little loud under heavy load, though

Both stereo speakers can be found underneath

They provide a surprisingly loud kick!

Placement for the fingerprint sensor is great; not so much for the power button

Expect accidental shutdowns when aiming for the delete button

Trackpad lacks precision and often caused missed clicks

There were times it wouldn’t even respond to my fingers or gestures

Does it perform well?

Behind the rugged exterior is a smoother user experience than you’d expect. With an Intel Core i7-7600U processor, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of SSD storage, you shouldn’t hope for anything less.

Minus the lag I experienced while using the inaccurate trackpad, I was never bothered by poor performance or slowdowns when running Chrome and Photoshop at the same time. Adding more applications like Spotify and file transferring didn’t affect the fluidity, either.

Considering its integrated graphics chip, I didn’t bother playing games, but it can surely handle light games and mainstream titles at lowered settings on its native Full HD 1080p resolution.

I also appreciate how cool the unit runs and the way it shoots hot air upwards, away from my face or lap. Combined with the ergonomic keyboard, I barely felt tired after long sessions with this laptop.

Can it last a whole day?

This comes down to each person’s unique usage patterns, but my experience wasn’t so great.

Even with brightness set to 50 percent and charging the notebook to full before leaving the house, I couldn’t get the battery to last more than five hours of continuous usage.

Blame it on the power-hungry Core i7 processor or the slimmed down battery capacity, but the fact remains you can still get a lot of work done during the time this machine is on.

There’s something missing…

If you’ve noticed something lacking, you have sharp eyes. If not, know this: There’s no front-facing camera on this thing.

At first, I figured this was a compromise that needed to be made to cater to business-minded individuals, but then I realized that these people need webcams for conference video calls, as well. Now that’s a strange omission!

And while it isn’t a total exclusion, having only two USB-C ports hurts the productivity of this notebook. ASUS bundles a dongle that provides an extra full-sized USB port and HDMI, but that still doesn’t give you a card reader or DisplayPort.

But don’t worry, there’s a 3.5mm audio port on the left for your headphones.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

On one hand, the B9440UA excels at its specialties, which are the solid build quality and buttery smooth performance; on the other hand, excluding the webcam and limiting the number of ports are potential turnoffs.

For the starting price of US$ 1,000, I would’ve liked to see a touchscreen built in, as well. With the laptop laid down flat on the table, presenting with touch gestures would be a lot more seamless — and give you an alternative to the finicky trackpad.

When it comes down to it, the B9440UA is all business. Pay the premium, and you get a machine built to last. Our particular high-end variant retails for PhP 89,995 in the Philippines.

SEE ALSO: ASUS ROG Zephyrus Review: So thin, so powerful
[irp posts=”16053″ name=”ASUS ROG Zephyrus Review: So thin, so powerful”]

Gaming

ROG launches upgraded 13th Gen gaming laptops: Price, availability

Better design, displays, cooling

Published

March 28, 2023

GadgetMatch

ROG has released its upgraded line of gaming laptops which now all have 13th Gen Intel Core processors and a slew of significant updates on their graphics, chassis, cooling design, and displays.

These are the Zephyrus M16, Strix series, and TUF Gaming F15 laptops, available via ASUS and ROG concept stores nationwide. Purchases made will also have corresponding freebies, such as backpacks, gaming mice, and adapters.

Zephyrus M16

Redesigned for a more refined feel and performance, the Zephyrus M16 has a new chassis design that allows for more efficient cooling when paired with ROG’s Tri-Fan Technology.

The laptop sports up to an Intel Core i9-13900H processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU.

It has a 16-inch Nebula HDR display capable of QHD resolution at up to 240Hz, along with a Mini LED backlight. The Zephyrus M16 is only the second laptop ever to have ROG’s iconic AniMe Matrix Display.

Price

16GB (*2)+ 1TB – PhP 169,999
16GB (*2) + 2TB – PhP 249,999
32GB (*2) + 2TB – PhP 339,999
Strix series

Meanwhile, the Strix and SCAR lineups has been powered by the latest chips from Intel and NVIDIA, with up to an Intel Core i9-13980HX CPU and a GeForce RTX 4090 GPU.

Along with its MUX Switch and NVIDIA Advanced Optimus, the Strix SCAR 18 ensures optimal frame rates when plugged in.

The Strix G16 and Strix G18 are likewise powered by the same processors, with up to GeForce RTX 4070 graphics. They, too, support MUX Switch and Advanced Optimus, while Dynamic Boost gives them extra power.

When it comes to displays, all support Dolby Vision. The 18-inch SCAR has up to a WQXGA 240Hz display while the G16 and G18 have WUXGA 165Hz screens.

Price

Strix SCAR 18 (16GB*2 + 1TB) – PhP 294,995
Strix G18 (8GB*2 + 1TB) – PhP 149,995
Strix G16 (8GB*2 + 1TB; RTX 4060 6GB) – PhP 109,995
Strix G16 (8GB*2 + 1TB; RTX 4060 8GB) – PhP 119,995

TUF Gaming F15

Lastly, the 2023 iteration of the TUF Gaming F15 laptop has up to a 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700H processor, along with the latest GeForce RTX 40 series GPUS which support G-SYNC and Dynamic Boost.

Like the Strix series, a new feature for the TUF Gaming F15 are the MUX Switch and Advanced Optimus for reduced latency and next-level performance.

When it comes to its cooling system, the device is equipped with a pair of 84-blade Arc Flow Fans which offer 13% more airflow than its predecessor and is quieter than the previous design.

Price

TUF Gaming F15 (8GB + 512GB) – PhP 89,995

Computers

Free Steam code awaits MSI RTX 40 series purchases

Review and get free codes too

Published

March 20, 2023

GadgetMatch

MSI recently unveiled its latest set of laptops that are up the date with the latest 13th Gen Intel Core HX processors and RTX 40 series graphics.

These include the following models:

Stealth 16
Katana 15
Cyborg 15
Raider GE78 HX
Titan GT77 HX

Such Intel Core HX processors with 24 cores deliver up to 5.6GHz of processing speed, a big jump which shall be felt by users when it comes to gaming performance, creative applications, and programs requiring the heavy workload.

In the graphics department, the NVIDIA RTX 40 series cards are more efficient and feature Ada Lovelace architecture to take gaming to the next level.

Early bird, review bonuses

To spice things up, MSI is offering US$ 50 Steam wallet codes for customers who will pre-order any of the participating 2023 MSI RTX 40 series models until April 30.

Likewise, customers who post a review of any of the eligible models will also receive a free US$ 50 Steam wallet code as part of the Shout Out for MSI program.

Redemption will be until May 14. To check the full mechanics, click here.

Laptops

Logitech products now available in Watsons stores

Not a drill!

Published

March 20, 2023

GadgetMatch

Looking for cosmetics brands inside a Watsons store? Nowadays, the chances are you’d come across some Logitech products too.

Logitech, a brand known for its tech devices such as headphones, keyboards, and mice, has partnered with Watsons — yes, the popular beauty and health retailer.

The interesting development means all 28 Watsons locations in Singapore, as well as the shop’s online store, will have Logitech’s various products on display and ready to be purchased.

According to Logitech’s Bernard Chow, the Head of Cluster for Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, the move tries to cement the brand’s identity as not only a “tech” brand but also a “lifestyle” brand.

Among the products to be sold in Watsons stores are the following:

K380 multi-device Bluetooth keyboard: SG$ 59
Pebble wireless mouse M350: SG$ 45
Lift vertical ergonomic mouse: SG$ 119
POP wireless mouse: SG$ 54
BRIO 500: SG$ 199
Zone Vibe 100 wireless over-the-ear headphones: SG$ 159

On the part of the Watsons, making tech devices available on its stores’ shelves also allows the brand to expand outside of beauty and health products, integrating such products to cater to an even broader customer demographics.