Computers

Water-cooled ROG GX800 is ASUS’ latest mobile gaming behemoth

Published

May 31, 2016

Marvin Velasco

Just as you thought water-cooling in a gaming notebook was overkill with last year’s ROG GX700, ASUS has upped the ante once again with its successor, the ROG GX800. Built with the same monstrous cooling system, the latest gaming laptop is now equipped with Intel’s most powerful Core i7 mobile processor and a pair of graphics cards that work together.

ASUS hasn’t specified which NVIDIA cards are being offered, but it’s safe to assume they’ll come from the recently launched GeForce GTX 1080 series. With the ability to overclock the notebook’s components using the bundled water-cooling unit, this would make the GX800 the most powerful gaming notebook on the market by several miles.

ASUS’ GX800 has two graphics cards inside and one clever way to cool them off.

The Taipei-based company already claims the GX800’s dual-GPU setup is 236 percent more powerful than a single GTX 980 graphics card. We’ll have to see how real-world tests hold up to the benchmarks, but it’ll most likely blow away whatever you’re playing on right now.

What makes the ASUS notebook extra tempting – and a lot more expensive – is the inclusion of a full-fledged mechanical keyboard complete with colorful LED lighting. It’s quite a rare feature to have in any kind of laptop, and will provide much more responsive inputs while gaming, bringing the experience closer to an actual PC gaming setup.

Oh, and it comes with two 330W adapters, meaning it’ll draw more power than most desktop computers. Don’t think for a second that such a setup would consume only as much juice as your everyday notebook.

The ROG G31 resembles the insides of an alien mothership.

Speaking of dual graphics card setups, ASUS also unveiled its latest gaming desktop PC, the ROG G31 Edition 10.

Like the GX800, the tenth-anniversary edition G31 follows up on last year’s similarly compact ROG G20 gaming PC by adding another graphics card to the setup. You now get the newest Intel Core i7 processor and two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics cards in a space-efficient 20-liter case.

You’ll have to hook up the G31 to a separate keyboard, mouse, and monitor like any other desktop computer, but once everything is in place, you’ll be treated to competitively smooth gaming in resolutions up to 4K.

Full specifications and pricing are still out of reach for both gaming devices. If they’re anything like their predecessors, expect the ROG GX800 to go beyond P250,000 and the G31 Edition 10 to cost way more than the G20’s average price of P65,000.

[irp posts=”10865" name=”The ROG GX800 sets new bar for gaming laptops”]

Related Topics:ASUS PC gaming ROG G31 ROG GX800

Computers

Apple iMac now with new Core i9 processor, gets 2x performance boost

With improved graphics, too!

Published

March 20, 2019

Daniel Morial

Apple iMac | Image credit: Apple

After the new iPads, Apple is now shifting the focus to desktops. The Cupertino company has blessed its iMac lineup with new processors and graphics for improved performance. For the first time, it now has the option for ninth-generation Intel processors and new Radeon Pro Vega graphics.

Physically, the 2019 iMac remains the same. It’s an all-in-one computer encased in aluminum and glass enclosure with two display sizes: 21.5- and 27-inch. Complete with a matching keyboard and mouse, the new iMac still delivers an uncluttered desktop experience.

For the new iMac, it’s what inside that counts. The 21.5-inch iMac now features Intel’s eight-generation six-core processors, while the bigger 27-inch iMac can offer up to an eight-core Intel Core i9 processor which promises 2.4 times faster performance.

Apple iMac 21-inch (left) and 27-inch (right)

Graphics-wise, this year’s iMac is a powerful desktop machine. Both the 21.5- and 27-inch iMac feature new Radeon Pro Vega graphics. The new graphics of the updated iMac will be able to deliver up to 80 percent better graphics performance, according to Apple.

The new iMacs will come equipped with high-quality 4K and 5K Retina Displays featuring 500 nits of brightness and P3 wide color gamut. Of course, the latest macOS Mojave comes pre-installed on all of the new models.

All of these new specs don’t come cheap, though. The new 21.5-inch iMac with Retina 4K display starts at US$ 1,299 in the US or SG$ 1,899 in Singapore. Meanwhile, the new 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display starts at US$ 1,799 or SG$ 2,599.

Both are available to order starting today from Apple’s website and the Apple Store app. Physical Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Resellers will have them on display next week.

CES 2019

LG’s UltraWide and UltraGear monitors are coming to CES 2019

Meant for productivity and gaming

Published

December 20, 2018

Marvin Velasco

LG UltraWide

CES 2019 is almost here, and when it begins, we’ll have new monitors from LG to enjoy.

The first one is the 49-inch UltraWide monitor (model name 49WL95), which has a long 32:9 aspect ratio. That’s like have two standard 16:9 screens combined!

It has a 5120 x 1440 resolution that spans the immersive curved IPS panel. With its 99 percent sRGB colors space and support for HDR10, it’s ideal for both work and play. There’s even a USB-C port that can charge a connected laptop or smartphone with 85W of power.

LG UltraGear

Next is the 38-inch UltraGear (38GL950G), a more manageable 21:9 monitor that’s geared towards gaming. It’s backed by NVIDIA’s G-Sync technology for smoother gameplay on the 144Hz refresh rate, as well as its 3840 x 1600 resolution and curved Nano IPS panel.

To give it a more gamer feel, Sphere Lighting is available to light up the back of the monitor with six color settings for you to choose from. This complements the 98 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut in front.

No pricing or availability details have been provided by LG, but both monitors will be shown at CES 2019, happening from January 8 to 11.

Computers

ASUSPRO D340MC is designed with budget-conscious workers in mind

Prioritizes security and endurance

Published

December 8, 2018

Marvin Velasco

ASUSPRO is known for producing reliable laptops, but did you business-grade desktop computers are part of its portfolio, too?

The D340MC is an example of this, and it delivers on several fronts. It may seem like a standard boxy PC at first, but most of the features are on the inside.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; this is how it looks:

It definitely has a strong presence on any desk

Check out that port selection and DVD drive

The keyboard and mouse are part of the package

There’s lots of ventilation for cooling

Here’s a closer look at its ports

It’s easy to upgrade as needed

This is certainly a no-frills, get-the-job-done type of PC. Fortunately, it comes with good specs to show off: an Intel Core i7-8700 processor, up to 32GB of memory, 1TB of HDD storage, and a simple GeForce GT 720 graphics card to get you going.

But should really interest you are the reliability and endurance. The company claims the unit goes through rigorous quality tests in diverse environments, uses solid capacitors to lengthen lifespan, and produces little noise thanks to the thermal design.

The ASUSPRO D340MC starts at around US$ 600, but with its upgradability, it’s easy to give it more power when needed.