[Review] AMD Ryzen 5

After the success of tremendous Price value of AMD's Ryzen 7 ,AMD has launched its neww Ryzen 5.The very first model of Ryzen 5 is the 1600X having 6 cores, 12-thread CPU. AMD have sicced on Intel's i5 range. It's a chip aimed to take head to head with Intel’s mid-range dominance with serious multi-threading performance and a  price tag .AMD haven’t let up this year - the Ryzen processor releases have come thick and fast since the initial Ryzen 7 1800X launched.

The Ryzen 5 1600 is Based on the AMD Zen architecture, which can be comparable with Intel in terms of IPC, the Ryzen 5 1600 has six cores which is more than lots of the games can be use. Ryzen 5 CPUs offer gamers better performance to the users in terms of money the have paid. than the eight core Ryzen 7 models. With six cores and 12 threads the 1600 is approx 75% better at multi-threaded tasks than Intel's quad core i5 processors– Same priced i5-7600K, the 1600 however, has 25% lower single and 33% lower quad core performance. The 1600 has stock base/boost clock speeds of 3.2/3.6 GHz and with price of $219 includes a cooler. Assuming a modest overclock of 10% brings the 1600 within striking range of the 1600X which is the Ryzen 5. The 1600X  stock base/boost clocks of 3.6/4.0 GHz but costs $30 more than the 1600 and ships without a air cooler included in the packaging. The Ryzen 5 1600 is the best value for money six core CPU we have seen to date.

Ryzen 5 versus Ryzen 7 & Intel-

By using Cinebench R15 to measure single and multi-threaded performance it gives extremely impressive figures from the Ryzen CPUs. The 1600X lays waste to the 7600K’s multi-threaded score, almost doubling it. Therefore for single-threaded workloads, the higher memory clock speed of the Core i5 results in the 1600X being 11% slower here.

The 7-Zip benchmark depicts almost same margins to what we just saw in Cinebench R15, though this is a widely used application and the gains here can actually be enjoyed by the average user. There are two tests here: one measures the performance when compressing files to an archive and another measures performance when extracting an archive.

The 1600X took 241 seconds to complete the workload, which was 31% faster than the Core i5-7600K, while the 1500X managed to match the 7600K and overtake the 7500 by 22% which are excellent application result for Ryzen 5.

Overclocking-

When it came to overclocking, 1600X was stable for 4.1GHz while the 1500X hit 3.95GHz. Testing with Premiere Pro the 1600X boost its performance by 9% once overclocked, making it slightly faster than the intel's Core i7-7700K and not much slower than the Ryzen 1800X.

Performance Analysis-

For $170, the quad-core 1400 may very well be the next logical choice behind the 1600, though it's not the next Ryzen chip in line by price. The quad-core 1500X is currently set at $190, but if that seems attractive then you should just probably talk yourself into the six-core 1600 for another $30, especially if it's for gaming.

Conclusion-

The main benefit of the 1500X over the 1400 is that it offers double the Level 3 cache, which makes little difference in gameplay performance. This is particularly true given that budget shoppers will likely pair the 1400 with a mid-range graphics card, rather than high-end graphics card. the Ryzen CPU has the advantage of overclocking support and can push all cores to around 3.7GHz, possibly even 3.8GHz, even with its little 65 watt Wraith Stealth cooler.

By comparison, building an Intel machine on the same budget would net you a $190 Core i5-7400 or $170 Core i3-7350K, with the i5 being the more cost-effective option of the two, performing as fast or faster than the overclocked 4.8GHz 7350K.

[Review] AMD Ryzen 7

AMD launched its Ryzen 7 processor. Ryzen is the AMD's first processor to give simultaneous multi-threading (SMT), which is much more like Intel's HyperThreading Technology, in which software see each physical core as two logical cores to better utilize its hardware Resources. The Ryzen 7 series 8-core chips hence feature 16 threads, which is provides high performance to the system.

AMD launched the Ryzen 1st Gen processor. which includes three fastest models, which are comprises of 8-core parts slotted above Intel's socket LGA1151 lineup, with the range-topping Ryzen 7-1800X at $499, the next-best Ryzen 7-1700X at $399, and the most affordable Ryzen 7-1700 at $329, on par with Intel's Core i7-7700K. These processors are taking head to head with Intel's larger Core i7 LGA2011v3 lineup, with up to 8 CPU cores and 16 MB of shared L3 caches; while their uncore-components are closer to Intel's LGA1151 lineup - with dual-channel DDR4 integrated memory controllers and 28-lane PCI-Express gen 3.0

AMD versus Intel-

It can be seen that there is a big difference between both intel and AMD processor's Prices with respect to the cores per threads. As compared to the 1800X with i7-6900k the price difference is very big with higher TDP of 6900k.

Benchmarks-

Arithmetic CPU Test of 1800X-

Overclocking-


All Ryzen 7 processor cores are stable to get results at 4.0 GHz and the memory at 2667 MHz. Since overclocking will vary per motherboard and per processor we will show more overclock results in the standalone X370 motherboard reviews,

Conclusion-

Intel isn’t worry with Ryzen, it’s the fact that Intel has been charging a lot, maybe for now, Intel has become increasingly aggressive as hey, their desktop processors sell anyway. This results in a generic dislike towards Intel from a lot of people.Overall the Ryzen 7 1700X, the per core performance most is good enough for what it needs to be, especially in this pricing.we will give AMD the benefit of the doubt here, the platform and everything is new, it might even be Windows 10 related. The processor certainly is fast enough compared to the Intel 59xx / 69xx Processors. With eight cores expecting this processor to be a power hog, but AMD's focused on making smaller fab processes with, in the end, more energy efficient products. Overall though this is impressive to see. When we game we hover at ~250 Watts, but obviously that factor is dependent on the type of graphics card you use of course. So yeah, these are really good values with a many core product.
The step upwards to Ryzen 7 for the folks that actually need and waited for a well deserved upgrade, the guys that have been waiting for a price/perf competitive 8-core processor series and the intent to give AMD some well-deserved support after a couple of gruesome years. In the weeks and months to come AMD will release 6-core and, later on, 4-core Ryzen processors as well.

[Review] GTX 1060 Has Arrived

Two months after its debut, Nvidia’s Pascal architecture is slowly filling out the company’s desktop graphics card portfolio from top to bottom. First came the GeForce GTX 1080, serving up 30%+ more performance than a GeForce GTX 980 Ti for less money. Now we’re getting a third Pascal-based board in the GeForce GTX 1060. Announced earlier this month, we already know that Nvidia’s partners will have versions starting at $250. The Founders Edition implementation will sell for $300 on nvidia.com.

Specs

The GeForce GTX 1060 is built on the same Pascal microarchitecture and 16nm FinFET production process as the GTX 1080 and 1070 before it, but it’s not based on the same GP104 GPUs as its older siblings. Instead, it uses Nvidia’s new GP106 GPU, which is tuned for power efficiency.

Houses GP106 GPU

GeForce GTX 1060 is based on a brand new GPU called GP106 that exposes many of the same features as GP104, but in a more mainstream package. Don’t let that term dissuade you, though. The 1060 may be a mere 120W card, but Nvidia says it’s good for GeForce GTX 980-class frame rates. Two years ago, that level of performance sold for $550. Nvidia builds its flagship GeForce GTX 1080 using a complete GP104 processor with four Graphics Processing Clusters enabled. This yields a card with 2560 CUDA cores and 160 texture units. The GTX 1070 centers on the same GPU with three of its GPCs turned on, adding up to 1920 cores and 120 texture units.

No SLI!

Notice the lack of an SLI connector up top? Nvidia recommends a GeForce GTX 1070 or 1080 to gamers looking for more performance than a 1060 delivers (of course), and does not support SLI on the 1060. Generationally, this is the highest-end board we can recall without the technology. Sure, the GeForce GTX 750 Ti didn't have it, but the 760 did. So too did the GeForce GTX 950. Officially, Nvidia internalizes the decision. There aren't many gamers who pair up mainstream GPUs, and the company doesn't want to spread resources thin, so it's focusing on optimizing SLI on faster Pascal-based cards. Beyond that explanation, though, game development is going a different direction with post-processing and compute-oriented effects that aren't friendly to alternate-frame rendering. And with DirectX 12, more control is shifted to ISVs eager to get their content out as quickly as possible. That means much of the work Nvidia pours into its drivers is circumvented.

Benchmarks

Here is a benchmark score of 1060 done by Gamespot:

For my test bench, I’m using the same system that I used to review Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1080 and 1070 GPUs. It’s a rig with an Intel Core i7-5930K Haswell-E CPU clocked at 3.9GHz, coupled with 16GB of DDR4 RAM clocked at 2133MHz running in quad-channel mode. Since Nvidia claims the GTX 1060 is as fast as the GeForce GTX 980 and 15 percent faster than AMD’s Radeon RX 480, I’ll be reviewing it against those two cards. I’ll also be comparing it against the GTX 1060’s more expensive siblings, the GTX 1080 and 1070, to see how it stacks up to the rest of Nvidia’s Pascal family.

Conclusion

While Nvidia is marketing the GeForce GTX 1060 as a capable graphics card to run 1080p games maxed out, it can also handle many 1440p games well. According to my numbers, the $300 graphics card runs 1.6 percent faster than the GTX 980--which is a card that you’ll still find online for roughly $100 more. While it isn’t always faster than the GTX 980, my tests do validate Nvidia’s assertions that the two cards are generally comparable.


Author : Saatvik Awasthi

Mi Band 2 : Is it the true Successor of the Budget King Fitness Tracker ?

Hello Mi Fans !

The New Xiaomi Mi Band 2 was released in early June, it is the third fitness tracker from Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi. For this new generation, this fitness tracker introduces an LED touch screen module to display the necessary informations. A very aggressively priced product compared to its competitors, have we finally found the ideal fitness tracker? Find out in this in this Xiaomi Mi Band 2 review.

Design and build quality               

Like its competitors, the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 offers a compact and minimalist design. It consists of two parts, one being the strap and the other a small sensor of about 3-4 cm, which is housed in the strap. The strap is made of a silicon-type of material, but has a softer texture than other bands of its kind. The strap latches close quite smoothly, without risk of falling off your wrist.

Unlike some models of FitBit, the sensor slides into the bracelet more simply. So there’s no need to force it in. There are also no problems in removing it for charging with the supplied cable.

At the rear of the sensor is the heart rate monitor, as we also saw in the Mi Band Pulse. The two pin connectors are used to charge the Mi Band 2 via a USB port.

On the wrist, the Mi Band 2 is a discreet and comfortable device to carry. It’s less bulky than some of its competitors and I personally find it more elegant than the FitBit Flex, which costs about the same.

The Mi Band 2 is also waterproof up to one meter and dust resistant, thanks to its IP67 certification. However, it’s not somehow not recommended to wear during swimming sessions.

Display               

The main difference between the Mi Band 2 and previous generations (Mi Band and Mi Band Pulse) is that it has a display on the activity sensor. While the Mi Band simply displayed information on its aluminum surface using three LED lights, the Mi Band 2 has an OLED touch screen of 0.42 inchs (about 1 cm). Contrary to what some may think, the screen is not curved, but rather flat.

You can view various types of information on this screen,such as time; number of steps; distance traveled; calories burned; cardiac activity; sleep monitoring; incoming calls and notifications; remaining battery.In everyday life, the screen is good and brightness is more than enough. Even in bright sunlight, I didn’t find any serious issues while seeing the screen.

Some of it's Specialities

The Mi Band 2 offers the classic features of a fitness tracker. Besides the traditional pedometer, the bracelet can monitor your sleep to help you relax. It can also wake you up gently at the time you want with a gentle vibration.

Like the Mi Band Pulse, the Mi Band 2 has a heart rate sensor, but it’s not always consistent. The readings are not always reliable, even though the pulse readings are collected so close to the sensor. If you are looking for a highly accurate pulse reading, I’d suggest considering fitness trackers with more advanced heart rate monitors.

Finally, it’s important to note the unlocking feature for smartphones running Android 5.0 Lollipop with a Xiaomi smartphone. With this combination, you do not need to use a PIN code to unlock the device when you wear the Mi Band 2.

Software

               
The Mi Band 2 works with iOS (iPhone 5 and later) and Android (from android 4.4 and above) using Bluetooth 4.0, requires the Mi Fit app to function. Pairing between the band and the smartphone is quite simple. However, you should create a Mi account beforehand and fill in details about your weight, height and other details. Moreover, the Mi Band is compatible with Google Fit and Apple Health applications.

Once all the parameters are set, the Mi Band 2 tracks your steps, heart rate activity, monitors your sleep and displays your calories burned. The Mi Fit app is easy to use and tracks your progress effectively. However, it’s unfortunate that no sport activity can be monitored – just the basics.The app sorts the information according to whether it’s day or night and constantly provides real-time data. The synchronization between the band and the app is done without problems, accurately recording your data.

Battery         

      
The Mi Band 2 has a reliable 70 mAh battery with a Xiaomi-claimed standby time of 20 days, which is slightly less than that of the first generations of the Mi Band, with around 30 days of standby time. However, in practice, it’s enough. After 10 days of testing (and with the battery initially charged to only 80 percent), and with notifications for calls, the battery level was down to 18 percent. This is respectable performance, with 20 days of battery life perfectly conceivable.

As for charging, it’s rather slow since it takes a good three hours via a computer. But, in general, the battery charges relatively quickly in the Mi Band 2.
                     

Final verdict

Like the first generation, the Mi Band 2 is a compelling offering from Xiaomi. Positioned in a highly competitive market comprising both high-end trackers of up to $150, along with the more affordable devices down to to $50 – the Mi Band 2 is a great choice.

While the sensor is not the best on the market, this connected tracker costs less than $30 yet offers more or less the same functionality and the same performance as more expensive fitness trackers.

Its design, performance and long battery should be enough to convince even the most reluctant to opt for the Mi Band 2. While the Mi Fit app is still imperfect and the heart rate sensor acts up sometimes, most of the functionality you’d expect from a fitness tracker is available right here.

Author : Anushk Keshri Rastogi

Source 1

[REVIEW] One Plus 3 : The best in Line

Making a splash in the increasingly-homogenized smartphone industry often involves breaking away from the norm, and upstart OnePlus did just this back in 2014 with the launch of their first smartphone, the OnePlus One. Fast forward a year and the OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X somewhat failed to excite consumers as much as the first two handsets did – mainly due to some very questionable product-related questions – so the company has been forced to revisit the drawing board somewhat with the OnePlus 3. Is the third time really the charm for OnePlus, and can the OnePlus 3 prove itself to its biggest critics? Or is it more of the same with the OnePlus 3 ticking some boxes but failing to tick others? Let’s find out in this, our in-depth OnePlus 3 review.  

Quick Specs: 

5.5" 1080p AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC, 6GB RAM, 64GB storage, 16MP rear camera with OIS and PDAF, 8MP front camera, Android Marshmallow v6.0.1-based Oxygen OS, Front fingerprint sensor, 3000mAh battery with Quick Charge (Dash Charge), Metal Unibody design, Dual SIM 4G, Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection, NFC-enabled, USB Type C, weighs 158g, measure 7.35mm in thickness, Notification LED.

The third coming of the flagship killer is upon us, and the OnePlus 3 has a lot going for it. While the OnePlus One set a solid benchmark in terms of what we can expect from a flagship killer, the OnePlus 2 was a rather incremental upgrade that rolled in all the essential updates in terms of hardware and software without taking any big risks. With the OnePlus 3, the company has managed to preserve the essence of a OnePlus smartphone, while taking a different approach on the design front. The biggest change, however, is the fact that OnePlus is doing away with the invite system. You will be able to buy the OnePlus 3 directly via Amazon India, the exclusive online retailer for OnePlus 3 in India (for now). So, has OnePlus done enough to stand tall and win the flagship skirmish? Read our in-depth review of the OnePlus 3 below to get all the answers!

Build and Design:

Metal all way, the OnePlus 3 has gone all metal, and reeks of the quality and class that one expects from a flagship smartphone. At 158g, the OnePlus 3 is slimmer and lighter than ever before, with an Aluminium alloy-based unibody build that gently curves towards the edges for a comfortable grip. The design elements do remind us of HTC's previous generation flagship smartphones, but it doesn’t take anything away from the fact that the OnePlus 3 is an extremely good-looking smartphone. The front is flanked by edge-to-edge glass with the fingerprint sensor at the bottom center, which boasts of ceramic finish. The display, however, isn’t seamlessly fused along the curve and into the body, with its edge being slightly protruded, which sort of shaves away the benefits of a 2.5D curved screen that is used on the device. Moving on to the bezels, the OnePlus 3 has minimal side bezels and that certainly adds to the aesthetics of the device. Overall, the design of the OnePlus 3 is tasteful, classy and very premium. But, it isn’t groundbreaking or unique, and it won’t attract second looks or beg for your attention. If ever that happens, it would be high on your list of must-haves.

Display:

AMOLED displays are great when it comes to power efficiency, black levels and contrast. But, they aren't the most accurate displays in the business, and are often plagued with oversaturation and colour cast issues. Thankfully, the 1080p, 5.5-inch AMOLED display on the OnePlus 3 is not your typical AMOLED. In many ways, the Optic AMOLED display (as OnePlus calls it) is closer to an IPS display rather than an AMOLED display. As a result, you get fairly balanced colours, minimal oversaturation (yeah, it's still an AMOLED) and exceptional viewing angles. All this, with the added advantage of power efficiency and superior contrast levels makes it a smart choice for a flagship smartphone that runs on a modest, 3000mAh battery pack (more on that later). The display is quite bright and offers good visibility under bright daylight conditions, although it isn't as good in terms of outdoor visibility as the Apple iPhone 6s, which leads the segment. The display on the OnePlus 3 is slightly on the warmer side, and that's where the 'Color Balance' slider in display settings comes good, allowing you to tweak the overall colour tones to your preference. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4, and comes pre-installed with a high quality screen protector to protect it from scratches.

Performance:

In many ways, the core processing engine of the OnePlus 3 is what Android enthusiasts dream of: Performance on tap, with copious amounts of RAM and a slick stock Android UI with no sign of bloatware. Running on a full-blown Snapdragon 820 SoC, the OnePlus 3 literally flies through any task you throw at it. Those six gigabytes of DDR4 RAM on the device ensures you never really worry about memory utilisation. And, it gives you enough bragging rights to look down upon an iPhone 6s user, who has to manage his life with just two gigabytes of RAM. On a serious note, 6GB of RAM at this point is an overkill; it is nice to have as a specification, but not something that you can put to use right away. It's almost like an expensive insurance policy that just covers you from illnesses that aren't yet known to impact humans. But hey, it's comprehensive! 

Coming back to performance, the benchmarks below are very much indicative of the real world performance that the OnePlus 3 is capable of. The 1080p screen chosen for the OnePlus 3 over a pixel-dense 2K display goes a long way in providing that additional headroom for the SoC to flex its muscles, when you put the pedal to the metal. Speaking of SoCs, unlike the previous generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC that gave us enough opportunities to narrate those eventful heating and throttling incidences, the Snapdragon 820 offers everything that a flagship Android smartphone could possibly ask for. It is fast, efficient, consistent and cool. On the OnePlus 3, it is no different, and the device only gets noticeably warmer under heavy loads, and when the surrounding temperature nears the 40-degree Celsius mark. Having said that, in a bid to dissipate heat rapidly, the all-metal body on the OnePlus 3 does get warm fairly quickly. The OnePlus 3 cleared our favourite torture test for flagship smartphones with surprising ease - 40 minutes of heavy gaming followed by a 10-minute 4K video clip capture didn't set the alarm bells ringing for the OnePlus 3.

Battery Life:
The 3000mAh battery inside the OnePlus 3 is the least in terms of capacity of all the three OnePlus flaship devices till date. And, no amount of wizardry can possibly make the OnePlus 3 shine in the battery life department. On regular to moderate usage, the OnePlus 3 will last you a day. Heavy users will have to resort to a quick midday charge to keep things going. What really saves the day for the OnePlus 3 is its super fast, efficient charging powers. OnePlus 3 uses ''Dash" charging technology that claims to fill up 60 percent of its 3000mAh battery in just 30 minutes. And, the claim is spot on (almost). We were able to go from 1 percent to 60 percent in 30.23 minutes. The Dash charger, however, is proprietary, and the OnePlus 3 won't exhibit such break-neck charging speeds with regular fast chargers. All said, the OnePlus 3 is an average performer on the battery life front, with the uber fast Dash charging technique helping the OnePlus 3 in recovering some ground.

Camera:

The OnePlus 3 uses a 16MP Sony IMX298 sensor with phase detecttion AF and OIS (optical image stabilization). The camera puts up an impressive show during the day time, capturing plenty of details with accurate focus. It is incredibly responsive as well, as long as there is enough light for the sensor to lock focus. With the f/2.0 aperture-based lens, the imaging system on the OnePlus 3 doesn't knock on the doors of the best flagship smartphone cameras from the likes of Samsung and LG, especially when it comes to low-light shooting. The OnePlus 3 tries to offset the slight weakness in the hardware department with clever software optimisation and algorithm tweaks. And, for the most part, it does pay off handsomely. The 'HD' mode, for instance, is a handy mode that enhances the level of detail and sharpness on images, and we found ourselves using the HD mode regularly to avoid the slightly soft images that the camera produces on default settings. The Manual mode is another great option to get your hands dirty, with the ISO, shutter speed and exposure levels at your disposal, and you can practically work around some of the weaknesses of the camera by using the Manual mode. One word of advice: Whatever you do, do not set the shutter speed below 1/50 second, when in hand-held mode. Choose to do otherwise, and you will end up with a blurry shot. In a bid to avoid excessive noise, the camera tends to use slower shutter speeds to keep the ISO levels low. The built-in OIS somehow doesn't seem to make a huge difference in allowing shutter speeds to stay at an optimum level. Coming back to the Auto mode, the OnePlus 3 uses noise management (read: reduction) to make photos appear more pleasant on the screen, and that is where the 'HD' mode that we mentioned earlier comes to rescue, by lowering the noise reduction algorithm and preserving more detail.

Front Camera: 
Review under process, unsurprisingly we ignored testing the selfie camera. Apologies for the clear oversight on our part, we understand the importance of the front camera. We also clearly need a reviewer with narcissist tendencies.

Verdict:
The OnePlus 3 truly delivers a flagship Android smartphone experience at an extremely competitive price point. While it does have a few shortcomings in comparison to flagship smartphones priced twice or even higher, the OnePlus 3 gives you enough reasons to ignore its weaknesses and take advantage of the fact that it scores high on important aspects like performance, design and user interface. 

Author : Saatvik Awasthi

[REVIEW] ASUS ROG G752VY: The RockSolid Beast !

Gaming laptops come in all shapes and sizes these days. The ASUS ROG G752VY for example, looks like an absolute beast. In terms of both performance and design, the G752VY really brings its A-game. The laptop has an Armor Titanium and Plasma Copper colour scheme and a 17.3” display. Despite cutting an imposing figure, the G752VY is also a rather impractical choice if you’re one of those people who expect portability from a laptop, given that it weighs over 4kg.


Product Summary:

Asus ROG G752VY is a stylish and powerful gaming laptop that comes with a revolutionary design finished in a new Armor Titanium and Plasma Copper color scheme. It runs Windows 10 Home OS and is powered by latest 6th generation Intel Core i7 6820HK processor having a clock speed of 2.7 GHz coupled with 16GB DDR4 RAM at the speed of 2133 Mhz that is expandable upto 64GB. All the above features ensure that you breeze through all your tasks throughout the day. It is equipped with Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M dedicated GPU which delivers great gaming performance. Ample storage is available with 1 TB 7200rpm SATA hard drive and 512 GB SSD. It comes with a 17.3 inch Full HD Auto IPS LED Backlit Anti Glare Display with 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution, so the picture quality is crisp and detailed.

Asus ROG G752VY sports a HD webcam with dual digital microphone, 2 in 1 memory card reader and Blu ray DVD combo drive. A Touchpad with Multi-touch Gestures Support and Backlit anti-ghosting keyboard are available as input devices. Anti-ghosting keys ensure your commands are instantaneously and correctly interpreted, even if you hit up to 30 keys simultaneously. The connectivity options available are WiFi, Bluetooth v4.1, Four USB 3.0 slots, 1 x COMBO audio jack, 1 x USB 3.1 Type C Port, 1 x HDMI Port, 1 x Mini Display Port and 1 x Thunderbolt  Port.

Asus ROG G752VY is backed up by a powerful 8 cell 6000 mAh lithium ion battery and incorporates 2 speakers, Built in subwoofer and ASUS SonicMaster Technology that gives you immersive gaming audio. The device features the ROG-exclusive 3D mobile Vapor Chamber that together with the copper heat pipe creates an effective and efficient cooling system that helps improve GPU performance by up to 6 percent for smooth and stable gaming. It has a unique thermal design that directs dust into a dust-release tunnel to keep it away from internal components thereby prolonging component lifespan and enhancing overall stability of the laptop.

Verdict:

Thanks to it’s processor and graphics card, this beast is likely to last you around 3 years without any issue. Though if you do shell out more and get a desktop you’re likely to get better longevity due to better upgrade options. While the ROG G752VY is a breathtaking powerhouse, it would make for an practical choice for most average gamers. For the select few for whom it would make sense, it’s the perfect choice because this is a pretty good machine.

Author : Saatvik Awasthi

[REVIEW] Mi Bluetooth Speaker : The Wonderful little box

Bluetooth speakers of today are not just speakers that can pair with your smartphone wirelessly. A number of speakers we come across today are multifunctional devices, some of which come along with capabilities such as FM Radio, power bank and handsfree, along with being waterproof, dustproof, and the likes. In such times, seeing the sheer simplicity of the Mi Bluetooth Speaker really hits you.

The Mi Bluetooth Speaker’s straight lines in design, reasonably light weight, slim profile and the overall finesse of build gives the promise of being the ideal, inexpensive Bluetooth speaker to complement your weekend drive by the countryside. But does it? We find everything out after one week of listening to it. Here’s the detailed review of the Mi Bluetooth Speaker.

Build and Design

Over time, I’ve come to appreciate the sense of smoothness and simplicity that Xiaomi imparts to its products, and the Mi Bluetooth Speakers continue on Xiaomi’s usual design statement. The Gold shade (which actually would fall somewhere between Sand and Olive on the colour palate) has a muted shimmer on it, and the metal build feels confident. Plastic strips on either sides house the controls and ports for this speaker, while the front grille is built to please in terms of aesthetics. The bottom side of the speaker has two rubber strips with ridges to keep it in place on desks, and that’s it in terms of design

Overall, you get the sense that Xiaomi has kept every necessary element on the speaker, while leaving out any extravagance. This has led to a unique, simplified design statement about the Mi Bluetooth Speaker that I’m quite fond of. In terms of build quality, the metal used on the speaker is firm and smoothly done, not leaving any aberrations in terms of its finish. For the smooth metal finish, you do compromise on grip, something that the Logitech X50 excelled in. The plastic on either end of the speaker are sturdy, and do not feel flimsy.

The buttons, however, do not respond too well. The power/play button has poor feedback, and often gets dented upon pressing. While the volume buttons and the pairing/battery button fare much better, they are not the best around. The buttons reside to the right, while the microUSB and aux ports are placed to the left. The overall arrangement is neat and ergonomic, and completely uncluttered

The Mi Bluetooth Speaker gets everything right in terms of build, design and ergonomics, apart from button feedback and lack of grip. While the lack of grip can still be dealt with, seeing that Xiaomi intends you to place the speaker upright on desks or surfaces for most of the time. The speaker has a neat, affable signature that will keep it comfortable on suave, corporate desks. Neat job, Xiaomi.

Audio Performance

For the price, the Mi Bluetooth Speaker performs decently well. It is amply loud, and has a sense of warmth to its tone. The audio is reasonably well-balanced, although the mids are a little muddled. This leads to slightly unclear vocals in typically ‘heavy’ tracks, like Dream Theater’s Misunderstood. If you are a metal head, this may pose a problem. Alongside, the bass slightly overpowers the intricate riffs, and there is a slight amount of distortion on tracks at the highest volume level.

The Mi Bluetooth Speaker performs best when you play cleaner tracks, like the tracks from Cake’s Fashion Nugget album. The warmth adds to softening the highs, making tracks pleasant to listen to. The slightly heavy bass gives more definition to tracks here, and this leads to compactness in audio delivery that is really enjoyable. For the most part, at 80% volume, the Mi Bluetooth Speaker performs at its best. Switch to John Coltrane, and the audio sounds really good here. Even in Hip Hop and Funk, the audio delivery is quite pleasing for a speaker of this budget. However, the slight heaviness in bass frequencies will make you miss out on much of Flea’s bass intricacies. It preserves the overall sound, but do not expect it to give you all of what tracks hold.

The resultant of prominent highs and loud lows is slightly marred mids, but this does not really destroy the sound. In fact, for the most part, if you’re listening to Pop (The Corrs, for instance) or Post-Rock (Tool), you’ll be quite pleased with what you hear. Additionally, the loudness is ample and makes up for the limited soundstage that it offers. The audio delivery of the Mi Bluetooth Speaker is somewhat unidirectional and compact, not allowing a flourish of the audio setup. While many will enjoy the compactness of the audio, the lack of soundstage is particularly evident if you tune in to Hans Zimmer. The warmth and loudness do make up slightly for the restricted soundstaging, but it is noticeable, nonetheless. Having a metal body, the Mi Bluetooth Speaker vibrates to the beat of most tracks, which is a slightly jarring factor here. It affects the overall experience of listening by a slight margin.

The built-in speakerphone on the Mi Bluetooth Speaker means that you can receive calls and talk on the speaker without having to use your phone. Connectivity is provided by Bluetooth v4.0, and there is no actual drop in connection or call retention with the phone. Voice quality is firm and decent, and the loudness adds to its efficiency. Voice reception is reasonably decent, although I had to yell a little to make sure I’m heard on the other end, from a distance of about eight to 10 feet from the speaker.

Connectivity and Charging

Connectivity is smooth, swift and stable - you will not end up with sudden, unexpected drops in Bluetooth connectivity. If you do not play content on the speaker for about 10 minutes, it automatically disconnects from the phone to save on battery. In empty space, the Mi Bluetooth Speaker can remain connected to the source device till nearly 40 feet, while too many doors and chairs cut it down to about 30 feet, which is good enough. For the most part, if you’re hosting a house party and decide to play music on this from your phone, you will not need to worry about having to remain confined within your room to ensure continuous playback

The Mi Bluetooth Speaker charges from 0% to 100% in a little less than two hours, which seems somewhat slow. It lasts for around four hours and 30 minutes at the maximum, which is nearly as much as the Logitech X50. While this seems quite low, this is about as much as speakers in this price bracket last for.

Bottomline

The Mi Bluetooth Speaker looks suave, delivers clear, decent audio and has no connectivity issues, making for a very likeable, affordable wireless speaker that does not look out of place on suave, ebony work desks. Overall, at this price, the Mi Bluetooth Speaker makes for a very decent buy if you are looking for enjoyable music experience within your room. It will never hurt to spend more on audio, but the Mi Bluetooth Speaker is money well spent. Take our word for it.

Author : Anushk Keshri Rastogi

Source: Click Here

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