Today, we’re diving into the MSI Crosshair A16 HX, a laptop that MSI positions as a high-caliber mid-range gaming machine.

With its impressive specifications, including the Ryzen 9 7945 HX Processor and the GeForce RTX 5070, we’ll explore its capabilities, performance benchmarks, and overall value for gamers and power users alike. Let’s see if this Crosshair A16 HX hits the mark as your next gaming companion.

Unveiling the Power: Specifications That Impress

The MSI Crosshair A16 HX truly boasts some wild specifications for what’s classified as a high-caliber mid- range laptop. At its heart lies the formidable AMD Ryzen 9 7945 HX Processor. This CPU is a beast, featuring 16 cores and 32 threads, capable of reaching a maximum clock speed of 5.4GHz, with a default TDP of 55W. Even today, this processor remains one of the most powerful mid-range CPUs, surprisingly competitive with newer chips like the AMD Ryzen™ 9 8940HX and even the Ryzen 9 9955HX. While not primarily focused on AI, its Zen4 architecture provides exceptional overclocking capabilities and sheer brute computing power.

Complementing the powerful CPU is an absolute powerhouse of a GPU: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 with 8GB of VRAM. Our viewers are likely already familiar with the 50 series’ AI capabilities, but for those who aren’t, NVIDIA has designed these generations of cards to be more dependent on AI rendering. This makes us particularly eager to see its benchmarking results with technologies like DLSS and Frame Generation. NVIDIA

has also recently introduced a new game and graphics-related feature that could significantly enhance the gaming experience.

Other notable specifications include 2x 8GB sticks of DDR5 SODIMM RAM, clocked at a speedy 5600MHz. This RAM is easily replaceable and upgradeable, allowing users to expand up to a massive 96GB if needed. For storage, the laptop comes with a starting amount of 1TB, utilizing Gen4 speeds. Crucially, it also features an additional Gen5 compatible slot, ensuring the laptop is fully ready for any reasonable upgrades the user might throw at it.

Software Enhancements: MSI AI Robot and User Experience

On the software side of things, the MSI Crosshair A16 HX incorporates classic MSI features, with the MSI AI Robot taking the user experience to another level. This innovative feature allows users to simply speak to their laptop and let AI handle the rest. The AI Robot intelligently understands your needs, whether you’re

gearing up for AAA gaming with optimised performance or seeking quieter fan operation for a more subdued experience. The AI assistant translates your natural language commands into smart system adjustments, making the laptop incredibly intuitive and responsive to your preferences. This level of AI integration streamlines the user experience, allowing for seamless transitions between different usage scenarios without manual tweaking of settings. It’s a testament to MSI’s commitment to leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance productivity and gaming performance.

Performance Benchmarks: Pushing the Limits

To truly understand the capabilities of the MSI Crosshair A16 HX, we put it through a series of rigorous benchmarks. The combination of the Ryzen 9 7945 HX and the RTX 5070 promises exceptional performance, especially in gaming and demanding applications.

Gaming Performance

We also tested the laptop with several popular games to provide real-world performance insights:

These gaming benchmarks highlight the laptop’s ability to deliver a premium gaming experience, making it a strong contender for serious gamers.

Display and Design: Immersive Visuals and Robust Build

The visual experience on the MSI Crosshair A16 HX is nothing short of immersive. While the specific panel details weren’t explicitly mentioned in the script, the overall gaming performance suggests a high-refresh- rate display capable of rendering vibrant colors and sharp details, crucial for both gaming and content consumption.

In terms of design, the Crosshair A16 HX maintains a robust and functional aesthetic. It’s built to withstand the rigors of intense gaming sessions and daily use. The keyboard likely features a comfortable layout with responsive keys, essential for competitive gaming and efficient typing.

Cooling System and Battery Life: Sustained Performance

For a high-performance gaming laptop, an effective cooling system is paramount to maintain optimal performance during extended gaming sessions and heavy workloads. The MSI Crosshair series is known for its robust Cooler Boost 5 thermal designs, often featuring 5 heat pipes and 2 fans to dissipate heat efficiently via 4 exhausts.

Battery life is another critical aspect for a portable gaming machine. Although gaming laptops typically prioritise performance over battery longevity, advancements in power efficiency for both CPUs and GPUs, coupled with MSI’s optimisation, likely provide a respectable 4-cell 90Wh battery for general productivity tasks and light usage on the go.

Summary and Conclusion: A Formidable Gaming Machine

The MSI Crosshair A16 HX Ryzen 9 GeForce RTX 5070 stands out as a truly formidable mid-range gaming laptop. Its combination of a powerful AMD Ryzen 9 7945 HX processor, a capable NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, and ample upgradeability makes it a compelling choice for gamers and power users seeking high performance without breaking the bank. The inclusion of MSI AI Robot further enhances the user experience, offering intelligent system adjustments based on natural language commands.

Overall Rating

Based on our review, here’s an overall rating for the MSI Crosshair A16 HX:

MSI Crosshair A16 HX Overall Rating

Overall Score: 91/100

Final Thoughts

The MSI Crosshair A16 HX is a testament to MSI’s ability to pack high-end performance into a mid-range package. Its raw computing power, excellent graphics capabilities, and smart AI features make it a versatile machine for both intense gaming and demanding productivity tasks. If you’re in the market for a gaming laptop that offers a fantastic balance of power, features, and future-proofing, the Crosshair A16 HX should definitely be on your radar.

Product Review Video

Please check the video below or subscribe our official Youtube channel for further video updates:

Learn more about the MSI Crosshair A16 HX

The Perfect Fusion of Power and Aesthetics: Introducing the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090

ASUS never fails to impress, and this time, they’ve outdone themselves with the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 Eva-02 Edition. It’s an absolute beast of a graphics card, meticulously engineered to deliver mind-blowing performance and jaw-dropping visuals. The latest NVIDIA Ampere architecture, combined with ASUS’s top-tier engineering, means you’ll experience next-gen gaming like never before.

But it’s not just about raw power; ASUS knows how to make a statement. This graphics card is more than just a tool for gaming – it’s an expression of your love for the iconic anime series Evangelion. The Eva-02 themed design captures the essence of the mecha’s aesthetics, making it a true collectible for any anime fan.

A Stunning Tribute to Evangelion: The Eva-02 Edition

If you’re an anime fan (and let’s face it, who isn’t?), you’ll immediately recognise the Eva-02’s theme colors, which are beautifully integrated on to this graphics card. ASUS has truly gone the extra mile to capture the spirit of Evangelion, ensuring that every inch of the GPU exudes the same formidable aura as the Eva-02.

lmagine showing off your gaming setup with this stunning tribute to one of the most beloved anime series of all time. You’ll undoubtedly be the envy of all your friends and fellow otakus. But it’s not about looks: the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 Eva-02 Edition is engineered to offer blistering frame rates and unrivaled graphics fidelity, so you’ll dominate in every game you play.

In the next sections, we’ll delve deeper into the technical specifications and performance capabilities of this powerful GPU. Plus, we’ll reveal how ASUS has incorporated subtle nods to Evangelion throughout the design. So, buckle up and get ready to embark on an exhilarating journey into the world of high performance gaming and anime fandom with the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 Eva-02 Edition!

Unleashing Unparalleled Power: The Technology Behind

The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 Eva-02 Edition is an engineering marvel that’s been fine-tuned to perfection. Powered by NVIDIA’s groundbreaking Ampere architecture, this GPU takes gaming and graphics rendering to uncharted territories. With 24GB of ultra-fast GDDR6X memory, you’ll experience lightning-fast load times, smooth gameplay, and incredible visual fidelity.

The GPU boasts a whopping 10752 CUDA cores, making it a true powerhouse for rendering complex scenes, handling AI-driven tasks, and tackling the most demanding workloads. NVIDIA’s DLSS 3.0 technology adds another layer of brilliance, allowing you to enjoy smoother gameplay at higher resolutions while keeping performance at its peak.

Specifications:

• GPU Model: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
• Architecture: Ampere
• CUDA Cores: 10752
• Memory: 24GB GDDR6X
• Memory Bus: 384-bit
• Memory Speed: 19 Gbps
• Boost Clock: Up to 2100 MHz
• TDP (Total Graphics Power): 450W
• Ray Tracing Cores: 84
• Tensor Cores: 336
• DLSS: 3.0
• Ports: 3 x DisplayPort 1.4a, 2 x HDMI 2.1
• HDCP Support: Yes
• DirectX Support: DirectX 12 Ultimate
• OpenGL Support: 4.6
• VR Ready: Yes
• Dimensions: 320 x 140 x 60 mm

The ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 Eva-02 Edition is designed to deliver an unprecedented level of gaming performance. With a boost clock that can reach up to 2100 MHz, you’ll have a massive amount of processing power at your disposal, ensuring that you can tackle the most demanding titles at the highest settings without breaking a sweat.

The GPU is equipped with an advanced cooling system, featuring ASUS’s renowned axial-tech fans that offer superior airflow and enhanced heat dissipation. Thanks to the MaxContact technology and multiple heat pipes, you can rest assured that the GPU will stay cool even during the most intense gaming sessions.

The futuristic aesthetics of the Eva-02 edition further enhance the overall experience. A dazzling LED-lit ROG logo, intricately designed accents, and striking colors all contribute to making this graphics card a visual masterpiece. It’s not just about performance; it’s a work of art for your gaming setup.

In the next section, we’ll explore how ASUS has carefully woven the spirit of Evangelion into the design of this powerful GPU, making it a must-have collector’s item for both gaming enthusiasts and anime fans alike. Stay tuned to discover the subtle nods and Easter eggs that pay homage to the iconic mecha anime!

A Nod to the Anime Universe: Evangelion-inspired Design Details

ASUS knows that true anime fans appreciate the little things, and they’ve made sure to sprinkle the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 Eva-02 Edition with delightful Easter eggs that pay tribute to the iconic Evangelion series.

The custom-designed shroud of the graphics card features the striking crimson with green/white colors that are synonymous with Eva-02. This bold color scheme, coupled with the sleek lines and futuristic patterns, instantly transports you into the realm of NERV and their epic battles against the mysterious Angels.

But ASUS’s dedication to Evangelion goes beyond just color. Look closely, and you’ll notice subtle engravings on the GPU, carefully hidden amidst the design. Iconic symbols and references to the Evangelion lore adorn the card, making it a true collector’s item for die-hard fans.

To add even more flair to your setup, ASUS has equipped the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 Eva-02 Edition with customizable RGB lighting. Decked out with Aura Sync technology, you can sync the card’s RGB lighting with your other compatible components to create a synchronis

ed light show that pulsates to the beat of your favorite anime soundtracks. It’s the perfect way to immerse yourself fully in the world of Evangelion while dominating your gaming sessions.

Exclusivity and Availability

As much as we’d all love to get our hands on the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 Eva-02 Edition, it’s essential to keep in mind that this exclusive GPU is a limited-edition release. ASUS has put great care into crafting every detail of this collector’s item, and as a result, quantities are understandably limited.

When it comes to availability, the demand for such a stunning collaboration between ASUS and Evangelion is bound to be high. To ensure you don’t miss out on the chance to own this epic piece of hardware, keep a close eye on ASUS’s official website and authorised retailers. Sign up for notifications and be ready to secure your own ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 Eva-02 Edition as soon as it hits the market.

In conclusion, the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 Eva-02 Edition is an absolute marvel that effortlessly merges the worlds of cutting-edge gaming technology and beloved anime. With unparalleled performance, exquisite design details, and a nod to the iconic Evangelion series, this graphics card is more than just hardware; it’s a passion-infused work of art that speaks directly to the hearts of anime and gaming enthusiasts alike.

So, gear up for a truly immersive experience, and don’t miss the opportunity to claim your own piece of anime history with the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 Eva-02 Edition! May your gaming adventures be as epic as the battles fought by the Eva pilots!

The ROG Scabbard II Gaming Mouse Pad EVA Edition is a large locking edge slim mouse pad, a limited edition from the ASUS ROG series in 2022 in collaboration with EVANGELION. The product features a water, oil and dust resistant nano-coated material that combines NERV and EVA inspirational design elements, fully demonstrating the ROG faith and making it the perfect combatant for the ROG Keris Wireless EVA Limited Edition mouse. Let’s find out.

The ROG Falchion wireless keyboard we got this time is an extremely simplified style product, with a compact style of 68 keys, light and easy to carry, 65% key arrangement compared to 60% arrangement style to increase the most important directional keys and Page up/down and other practical keys, the full keyboard is made of PBT material, support translucent RGB AURA SYNC, keycaps are PBT The keyboard supports N-key rollover and the biggest highlight is the touch volume bar on the left side, which can be edited separately for other functions to aid gaming.

So, let’s dig into the detail!

Package Appearance

Package Front

Package Back

Internal Package

The accessories are included a package content card, manual, sticker, a Type-C-A adapter and a Type-A-C cable

Product Analysis

Keyboard Main body looking. Also comes with a polycarbonate protection case

The polycarbonate cover front and back looking
An adhesive pad with the ROG logo on the inside

Staggered brushed design on the bottom with ROG eye logo

When the case pad is underneath, there are openings on the side at the volume slider

The bottom support foot is a single segment design

On the top side are the on/off switch, Type-C connector and 2.4G wireless receiver storage slot, the slot has the Magnetically-attached design to avoid the loss

The wireless receiver

Quad-sides view of the keyboard

Take off a keycap, we can find the actual Cherry MX RGB Red switch

The net weight of the keyboard is 525g

The full weight of the keyboard and back cover is 677g

The keyboard is connected by both wired (Type-c) and 2.4G wireless but unfortunately does not support Bluetooth for easy multi-platform adaptation. The volume slider on the left side is responsive and can also be set to match different sliders for different applications.

RGB Backlight effects

Software Usability

ASUS peripherals are integrated into the Armoury Crate, allowing you to change AURA SYNC, lighting effects, and keyboard-related settings via Armoury Crate

The Keys settings in Armoury Crate

The Touch panel settings, this slider bar supports four different actions, swipe up, swipe down, top tap and bottom tap, which can be tied to each of the four functions

The Power settings allow the user to adjust the on/off and sleep time of the light effects, as well as an instant battery level display

The usage experience

Let’s start with the key experience, Cherry’s MX Red has been around for a long time, and as a gaming keyboard, the lack of a paragraph feel to the strikes does feel like something is missing, but the silence does solve a pain point for many users, and the quick rebound, as well as the easy trigger, is really an easy way to increase hand speed. Secondly, from a gamer’s point of view, the 68-key configuration does meet most of the usage scenarios, but unfortunately, it is extremely unfriendly to users who use function keys in the office area, and symbols and functions that require 2-3 layers of key combinations to press out must take a long time to get used to, which is why keyboards like the HHKB are simply not suitable for the average user. Plus, Falchion’s keycaps are slightly higher than Cherry’s, making the overall keyboard taller, it is best used with a handrest, whereas the Asus does not come with it and users need to purchase one separately. Once again, as a portable gaming keyboard, it’s a real shame that there’s no Bluetooth, although the 2.4G wireless is effective in reducing latency, the good thing is that the hibernation wake up time is very quick. As for battery life, ASUS officially says it can last up to 450 hours with the lights off, but unfortunately, the 4000mAh battery really won’t last that long, after close to 2 months or so of testing we found that the real usage time is around 320 hours without RGB, turned RGB on and adjusted to a moderate brightness (50%), it will support about 1 week around of moderate use. When testing the key conflict, we found that the Falchion did not achieve N-key rollover, and under the game ‘DJMAX Respect V’, any combination of 7 keys could not be pressed at the same time, this means that the keyboard is very unfriendly to multi-key music games

Disassembling analysis

This time, we disassembled the Falchion keyboard. Compared to other brands, the Falchion does not have many locking screws, which makes it relatively easy to teardown, and we also found very interesting things, which will be explained below.

All parts after disassembly

The main control board front and back

The Touch panel part is a touch-sensitive strip that often used on monitors for menu adjustment

The STM32L412 from STMicroelectronics is used as the main control chip

The wireless chip is one of the interesting things we found, the CC2640R2F from Texas Instruments. This chip is actually a Bluetooth wireless MCU and supports Low Energy BT version 5.1. But for some reason, Asus has not enabled all the features of this chip

Very sexy white PCB

The second very interesting point is the lithium-ion battery used in this keyboard, model C11P1707, 4000mAh, which is actually used for Asus  ZenFone Max M1, and this battery has not been modified at all for any connection, directly using the original BTB interface, we tested replacing a battery of the same model, the keyboard can light up and successfully identify the power in Armoury Crate. In other words, if the battery decays after more than 1 year of use, it is possible to solve the problem of lack of battery life by replacing it with customers themself. In theory, a C11P1706 battery with the same interface but a higher capacity of 5000mAh may also be directly replaced, but unfortunately, we did not have this battery and were unable to test

SUMMARY

Overall, this keyboard stands out in its category and is very well positioned in the market. In this current climate, more users prefer a lightweight and portable keyboard design language, and ASUS’ move into the 65% size at this time is indeed a major trend, after all, the bar for custom keyboards is now getting lower and lower, and pricing at around AU$239 is not stable in the Australian market, but this wireless keyboard competing with the Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini does have some price advantages. In terms of portability, the use of a 4000mAh battery and the support of fast charging does greatly extend the usage time, which really dispels the blind distrust of many users towards wireless keyboards and breaks the spell of “not only office peripherals deserve to have long battery life”.

EPIC PC RATE SCORE : 96/100

EPIC REWARD: EPIC RECOMMENDED, DESIGN AWARD

ASUS ROG FALCHION OFFICIAL WEBSITE: HERE

So, let’s dig into the detail!

The Package Appearance

Package Front

Package Back

Package Sides

The internal packaging
The black and red colour scheme is still covered in Mayan patterns, complemented by the ROG logo that can be seen everywhere

The design of the opposite door is still the flagship, with the product placed in the middle

The space in the middle of the headset body is made with a monument-like design, on which players are welcomed into the elite community, full of ceremony

The contents of the accessories – includes 2 x D-shape lightweight earmuffs, a 3.5mm detachable microphone, a Type-c extension cable, an instruction manual and a warranty card

The main body of ROG Theta 7.1
The overall design combines the previous flagship ROG Centurion and ROG Delta

Front of the headset with microphone

Two sides of the headset with microphone

The headset weighs 604g, about twice as much as the Delta and 1/3 as much as the Centurion

The Left and right symmetrical design

5-levels Headband expansion arm

The rotating structure of the headset and its extension length

The extra-soft headband inside is a padded foam mesh fabric similar to the ROG Hybrid ear cups, which breaths well

The famous ROG logo on the headband

The headset is complemented by a cooling grid on both sides

At the bottom of the right side of the headset, there is a slider for switching between PC and phone and a 2-in-1 microphone volume potentiometer

On the bottom left side of the headset, there is a separate microphone jack

The D-shape earmuffs have a ROG logo integrated

The ROG logo with RGB translucency design

Software Analysis

Asus has integrated their peripheral controls into the ROG Armoury II software, if users are using an Asus motherboard, they can also use the Armoury Crate directly to control.

The main page of the control panel
Users can utilise this software to adjust almost all functions including Sampling options, EQ adjustment, bass boost, sound selection, virtual surround, channel selection and microphone AI noise reduction options

The RGB settings of the headset can also be adjusted under the Lightning tab

The AURA Sync settings

Disassembling Analysis

The greatest selling point of these headphones is the true 7.1 + separate DAC design. To see what’s inside, we decided to take it apart

The headphone unit part has to be disassembled from the inside of the rotating structure

Snap-in construction of the headset section, locked by a Phillips screw

The headband part

The extra pair of lightweight D-shape earmuffs

The body of the headphones, with the 8 units clearly visible. These are 40mm front units, 30mm centre units, 30mm left and right units and 30mm rear surround units. As all units are independently driven, the subwoofer section could be simulated by an algorithm, meaning that it is also sounded by these units

Remove the headset casing to reveal the motherboard components. The headset is a semi-modular design with relatively neat internal routing

Disassembly of the right half part includes rotating structure, motherboard and housing

Disassembly of the left half part

The motherboard model name and version number

The AURA 82UA0 RGB controller chip

Potentiometers and diverter switches side

The SupremeFX CODECs S1220 conroller chip, Realtek ALC4042H QFN Audio CODEC IC and Wolfson WM8960G stereo audio codec driver chip

ESS Sabre 9601K amps

The Hearing Analysis

Test premise: EPIC PC does not compare the listening experience of PC peripheral headphones with Hi-Fi/Hi-End or Monitor-grade headphones. All comparative terms used in the test are comparisons between PC peripherals.

Compatability
This headset has excellent support and compatibility with the new generation of gaming consoles and mobile devices due to its Type-c interface.

On the Android platform, we tested with the ROG Phone 3. Because they are Asus’ own products, Theta 7.1 can be directly recognised by the ROG Phone 3 and automatically optimised to the game. Although PUBG Mobile does not support a 7.1 soundtrack, in-game footsteps are slightly amplified, making it easy to determine the location of enemies, and the reverberation of gunfire is great in terms of distance and proximity. And in ‘Genshin Impact’, players can enjoy the game’s high-quality music, vocals and effects. Theta 7.1 performs impeccably in both ‘Deemo’ and ‘Cytus II’, as well as ‘Lanota’.

The apple platform lives up to its nobility. To hear quality music on the iPhone with Theta 7.1, we not only need an expensive Hub with a Lightning connector that comes with a chip and has Apple certification, but we also need to purchase Apple’s hi-res lossless music service. With all these front-end items taken care of, we finally got a taste of the quality of these headphones on the iPhone, which actually doesn’t sound much different from the Android platform. Incidentally, the iPad Pro, which comes with a Type-c port, is also directly compatible with this headphone.

Listening experience
The audition tracks include popular male/female voices, rock music, small compilation strings, and large-scale symphonies. All Hi-Res quality 88200Hz 24bit, around 4kbps. This headphone is very well tuned to music, the high frequencies are not sharp and harsh but slightly softer, the sense of transparency is perfect, no EQ adjustment, the mid-range is rich and the resolution is very strong; the low frequencies are simulated but surprisingly thick and layered, good sinking, and no sense of passage and fading. Without EQ on, the vocals are relatively forward and the nasal resonance is very well reproduced; for pop songs, the vocals are slightly overshadowed by the instruments and seem underpowered; in classical music, the beautiful vocal performance in opera is outstanding, especially in the baritone, tenor and florid soprano, and in Mozart’s “der höllerache”(from “die zauberflöte” K. 620 II), Diana Damrau’s florid part brought me goosebumps, very stunning!

On Desktop/Laptop during gaming
To know that the ROG Centurion is already outstanding. Keep in mind that the ROG Centurion was already very good, while the Theta 7.1 upgraded the rear and side speakers to 30mm, but neutered the original 40mm subwoofer and changed it to a virtual approach, making the bass, while present, underpowered by its shorter duration. In the FPS genre, the headset reinforces the weighting of footsteps and players can reinforce their judgement with the ability to adjust the position of the surround points in the software, while the AI noise-cancelled microphone does filter out the noise of keyboard taps to ensure efficient communication between players. This is equally suitable for RTS and MOBA games. In theory, larger units can improve the quality of fine sound, but in games, it actually has very little impact, as the sound is calculated by simulation and is a collaboration between several units, the difference is actually minimal when distributed evenly. To sum up, if you already have a true 7.1 headset like the ROG Centurion or Razer Tiamat, the relative improvement of the Theta 7.1 is considerably limited.

Overall

Overall, Theta 7.1 doesn’t bring a quantum leap in the gaming experience because its predecessor, the ROG Delta, was already quite good and because most current competitive games don’t support 7.1 surround sound. Since Virtual 7.1 was already at the top of its game a few years ago, the upgrade to Theta 7.1’s DAC is only icing on the cake. The relatively heavy weight also reduces the player’s immersion, increases fatigue, and puts pressure on the cervical spine. It also means that Theta 7.1 will not be chosen by true gaming players at all.

When it comes to the price, the AU$549 “price tag” will dissuade the majority of consumers, and perhaps the quality of this extreme material build-up will be perfectly unleashed in a AAA gaming masterpiece. Even though Theta 7.1 has great compatibility and can be used across multiple platforms, it is still a wired product. As the quality of this headset is already top of the line in the PC peripheral world, with luxurious materials, multiple device support, a high price tag and ROG’s faith added, limiting the users to high-end gamers with deep wallets. Asus has rarely innovated in terms of peripherals anymore, will such a ROG series continue to capture the hearts of all gamers or will it gradually fall by the wayside with the brand premium? It’s up to the gamer to choose in the future.

EPIC PC RATE SCORE: 92/100

EPIC REWARD: EPIC DESIGN AWARD, EXTREME POWER AWARD

 
 
 

ASUS ROG THETA 7.1 OFFICIAL WEBSITE: HERE

This time, the Keris mouse focuses on a lightweight design, with no external holes but honeycomb support inside to reduce the weight, and a sensor fitted with a maximum of 16,000 dpi and a 1000Hz polling rate. It also inherits the same interchangeable Micro switch design(push-fit switch sockets) as the Gladius II series, and the interchangeable magnetic side buttons allow for more personalisation of the mouse. The mouse comes with RGB lighting effects and supports Asus AURA Sync. The included cable uses a Type-C connector and the Asus’ own ultra-soft ‘Paracord'(similar to Razer’s SpeedFlex cable).

So, let’s dig into the detail!

Package Appearance
The outside packaging
New mouse features are printed on the back of the packaging

The inside packaging

The mouse, connection cable and the replacement side buttons

Instructions menu, ROG stickers, replacement feet pads and Omron switches

Product Analysis
In terms of size, this mouse is a medium-small, mid-rear bulge setting and is only suitable for right-handed grips, which will take some time to get used to in larger hands

In terms of materials, the mouse has a zoned setting, with a matte finish on the PBT polymer buttons and left/right side grips and a smooth surface on the rest of the mouse

The scroll wheel is made of translucent plastic and the RGB light effect can be projected directly through the wheel

The ROG logo on the back has the same effect and brightness is guaranteed

The mouse feet pads have a novel design, with a triangular design spread over the four corners, the reflective prism is in the middle, the DPI toggle button on the upper left and the pairing button is next to it; the switch on the right is responsible for switching between wireless and Bluetooth modes, at the bottom is the USB receiver storage slot, a very thoughtful design

The front looking – Cable connection with Type-C connector

The back looking

The side-looking
The included side keys have a black translucent design and are magnetically replaceable. But the keys feel very loose in the hand

The interchangeable side keys are available in two colours: grey and pink

The weight of the mouse is 115g with cable, the weight of the mouse itself is only 81g

Software Analysis
The ROG products are now managed by Armoury Crate
Button settings

Performance settings
Users can change the 4 DPIs up to 16000, Polling rate, Button response time and turn Angle snapping on/off

Lightning settings
The mouse supports ASUS AURA SYNC and the brightness can be adjusted here

Calibration settings
This setting allows users to calibrate the lift gap between mouse and mousepad

Power settings
This allows users to monitor the battery level and set up the power saving profile

Firmware update
this allows users to keep the latest firmware of this mouse

Performance Test
The Teflon footpad provides an ultra-smooth feeling, but they are not as comfortable to use as the larger ones, and had it not been for the included set of replacements, we would have thought for a moment that this was the result of Asus saving cost.

We have tested the mouse on the most popular mouse pads: Fine coated pad, aluminium, soft silicone pad, fine fabric cloths thin/thick pad and coarse fabric cloths thin pad.

The tests are based on the mouse’s start, Smoothness, Brake, and Transparency.

Fine coated pad
Start: Medium level on both Static friction and dynamic friction
Smoothness: Very smooth
Brake: Very easy to brake and good positioning accuracy
Transparency: Very good contact, no heightened sense of passage that results in misalignment on the Z-axis

Aluminium pad
Start: Very low level on both Static friction and dynamic friction
Smoothness: Extremely smooth, but the maintenance is relatively difficult. The Teflon feet skates will be frayed quickly by the aluminium surface
Brake: Very easy to brake and good positioning accuracy
Transparency: Very good contact, no heightened sense of passage that results in misalignment on the Z-axis

Soft silicone pad
Start: This textured pad makes the higher static and dynamic friction feeling
Smoothness: Very smooth
Brake: Very easy to brake and good positioning accuracy
Transparency: a relatively thin thickness of the cushion, the material is quite solid and the permeability is good

Fine fabric cloths thin pad
Start: Low static friction and very high dynamic friction
Smoothness: Extremely smooth
Brake: Very easy to brake and good positioning accuracy
Transparency: A thin pad with soft material and good permeability

Fine fabric cloths thick pad
Start: Very low level on both Static friction and dynamic friction
Smoothness: Very smooth
Brake: Easy to brake, positioning is accurate after calibration, the resistance is light. Muscle memory is easier to form and more friendly for novices
Transparency: A thick pad with soft material and good permeability

Coarse fabric cloths thin pad
Start: Very low level on both Static friction and dynamic friction
Smoothness: Extremely smooth
Brake: Easy to brake and relatively accurate positioning
Transparency: A thin pad with soft material and good permeability

This mouse is powered by the PAW3335 optical engine, still one of the mainstream solutions in wireless gaming mouse today, and it also has the ability to compete with Logitech’s HERO 12K. Some may question why the PAW3399 was not used, after all, Logitech’s HERO and Razer’s FOCUS+ series use the PAW3399 as a custom engine with 20,000 ultra-high DPI which is not that particularly practical.

Disassembling Analysis
The backplate is locked with only two screws to reduce weight, under the round rubber plugs on each side

The inside looking of this mouse

The mouse bottom case & inside after decomposition

The main left/right button switch board

Microswitch
The two main buttons are using the ROG Micro Switch which has a 70 million click lifespan with a gold-coated mechanical structure, this micro switch comes in a cool red translucent case with the ROG logo on it. The sound is crisp and clean with a clear sense of passage and great feedback from the switch bounce.

The interchangeable design

The complimentary interchangeable microswitch from Omron

The mainboard with side button micro switches
The 2 blue-dots microswitches used by the side buttons are from Kailh, the model is ‘CMI126603D09’ with 30 million click lifespan and 60 ± 15 gf operation force

The roller encoder comes from Kailh’s 12mm series (CEN981212R01), 10-25 gf.cm, 800,000 lifecycles

The roller

The sensor is PAW3335 from PixArt, which has 16000 cpi, 400 IPS and 40 G acceleration speed

The ultra-low-power microcontroller chip STM32L412 from STI

The CC2640 SimpleLink Bluetooth Wireless MCU from Texas Instruments

Usability Analysis
To test the line correction, frame loss, and smoothness, we are using the mouse test from Areson

This mouse without line correction function enabled

This mouse with line correction function enabled

The Frame loss control and the smoothness control are also quite good

Enotus Mouse Test

Finally, we are using the powerful MouseTester v1.5
By using its powerful plot function, we are tested several mouse performances

xCounts vs Time
While the average line is smoother, which means it’s more linear on the mouse track movement; while the points of the counts are much closer to the line, which means the jitter of the engine is lower. As the graph shows, the result of this performance is acceptable in different CPIs

1600 cpi is under a normal use level, jitter is not large and relatively stable

800 cpi, jitter is low

800 cpi, jitter is low

1600 cpi, jitter is a little bit unstable

3200 cpi, jitter is average

6400 cpi, jitter is under control

12800 cpi, jitter is surprisingly under control

16000 cpi, jitter is still under control

X vs Y
This function is to detect mouse frame loss, As the graph shows, the result of this performance is good

xyVelocity vs Time
The unit of velocity is m/s. This test is mainly to look at the acceleration of the mouse. As the graph shows, the point of ROG Aeris is better for curve fitting, which means the jumped-like rapid acceleration rarely appears, The line of fit is coherent and also has a dense distribution

If there is a good device that allows the mouse to move at a constant speed, in this case, the speed line is straight, if the engine has acceleration, it will fluctuate, so this is the most ideal test method. The result of this performance is quite good

Summary
As a mid-sized wireless gaming mouse, the Keris Wireless is more suitable for FPS design type games. The lightweight design and excellent hardware quality bring players a very smooth and comfortable experience, and the interchangeable micro-action design can meet the different needs of users. The Bluetooth and wireless connections are responsive and stable, and the battery life, while slightly lower than the official claims, is still reasonable.

Pricing is a little on the expensive side for a mid-sized mouse at AU$139 – after all, the Glorious Model O Wireless is only AU$129 in Australia at 69g – and gamers may prefer to spend a little more on a larger, two-handed mouse like the Logitech G Pro wireless or Razer Viper Ultimate.

In terms of overall quality, the Keris wireless has improved the internal structure of the buttons to avoid the springing sound caused by reverse vibration, removed the non-slip rubber pads like the Gladius II which were very prone to ageing and breaking on the left and right sides, and replaced them with a frosted PBT design to reduce the likelihood of oiling. These details really bring this mouse to the next level of quality.

For a more detailed hands-on experience with this mouse, check out our review video below

EPIC PC RATE SCORE: 91.5/100

EPIC REWARD: EPIC DESIGN AWARD

ASUS ROG AERIS WIRELESS GAMING MOUSE OFFICIAL WEBSITE: HERE

Product Specification

MSI GS76 STEALTH 11UE Tech Specs from Official Website
HERE

Product Unboxing

Package Appearance
The insider package is the general GS series black box with thick form protection

The AC adapter is 20V 11.5A, a total of 230W and manufactured by Delta

The weight of the AC adapter and power cable is around 755g

The pure black internal box

The main body is warped by a double-layered suit which has an anti-static layer and a black fabric layer

Product Analysis

The main look of GS76 STEALTH

The thin-bezel design

The Steelseries Keyboard with per-key backlight

The Dynaudio audio system

The laptop front side – Smooth design without any indicator

The laptop rear side – Semi-symmetrical design with MSI logo and a large opening area

The laptop right side – 1 x battery charging indicator, 1 x Type-C(USB3.2 Gen.2 w/DP), 1 x SDXC Card Reader, 1 x Thunderbolt™ 4, 1 x (8K @60Hz / 4K @ 120Hz) HDMI 2.1

The laptop left side – Power jack, 1 x 2.5Gb LAN, 2 x Type-A(USB3.2 Gen2), 1 x Mic/Headphone combo jack

The laptop weight: 2.33KG, around 3.1KG total with AC adapter and power cable

Screen Calibration
MSI GS76 STEALTH 11UE is using a 17″ FHD Sharp LQ173M1JW05(SHP14EC) IPS-level panel

Calibration result: Average △E≈0.10, Maximum △E≈1.57
After calibration, we have a 108.0% of sRGB, 74.4% of Adobe RGB and 76.5% of DCI P3 coverage

Calibration Curves

Gamut

Tone Response Curves

Software & Hardware Introduction

The new looking MSI Center laptop management software
Monitor section

Features section – User Scneario selection

Features section – General Settings

Support section – Live Update

Support section – System Info

Support section – Backup

Feature sets page

Settings page

My Device page

HWINFO System detail – Intel 11th gen i7-11800H 8-cores 16 threads with Nvidia RTX3060 Mobile Graphics card

HWINFO WIFI & LAN detail
WIFI Card – Killer Wifi6E AX1675x(Intel AX210NGW) with Bluetooth v5.2
LAN Card – Killer E3100G 2.5Gb(Intel i225-V)

HWINFO SSD detail – Kingston OM8PCP3512F-AI1 512G PCIe Gen3

HWINFO Smart battery detail

CPU-Z snapshots

GPU-Z

GPU-Z PWR (70W around)

Run-time Benchmark Test

Unfortunately, we cannot change the power plan to the ‘Ultimate Power Performance’ in Win10. All test are based on the ‘performance mode’ in the settings of MSI Center.

Cinebench R15 Single core & Multi core

Cinebench R20 Single core & Multi core

Cinebench R23 Single core & Multi core

PCMark10 – | 6,065

3DMARK – Time Spy | 6,938

3DMARK – Time Spy Extreme | 3,273

3DMARK – Port Royal | 3,644

3DMARK – Fire Strike | 14,481

3DMARK – Fire Strike Extreme | 8,359

3DMARK – Fire Strike Ultra | 4,500

3DMARK – DirectX Raytracing feature test | 18.35 Average FPS

3DMARK – Mesh Shader feature test | OFF: 62.26 FPS, ON: 242.3 FPS

3DMARK – VRS: Tier 1 | OFF: 414.47 FPS, ON: 602.59 FPS

3DMARK – DLSS 2 v1.3 | OFF: 27.28 FPS, ON: 44.54 FPS

FURMARK FHD ｜ 78 Average FPS

CPU-Z Benchmark | Single-Thread: 566.6, Multi-Threads: 4514.7

BLENDER Benchmarks

7ZIP 128MB Dictionary Size

VRAY Benchmark

X264 Benchmark

TxBENCH

Thermal Tests

We are pressure testing this laptop by using AIDA64 and FURMARK.

With Auto FAN profile and non-OC settings:
Test room temperature: 18℃±2℃
CPU Idle temperature: 43℃±2℃
GPU idle temperature: 42℃±2℃

Under AIDA64 Single FPU pressure test, this Intel i7-11800H is partial throttling down @ 2.51GHz
The CPU package temperature is around 90℃±6℃

Under AIDA64 Single CPU pressure test, the Intel i7-11800H is partial throttling down @ 3.70GHz
The CPU package temperature is around 88℃±7℃

Under AIDA64 CPU + Memory & FURMARK GPU pressure test, the Intel i7-11800H is partial throttling down @ 2.58GHz
The GPU clock is average @ 947.9Mhz
The CPU package temperature is around 94℃±4℃
The GPU temperature is around 74.6℃

Overclock test
Test room temperature: 21℃±2℃
CPU Idle temperature: 37℃±2℃
GPU idle temperature: 36℃±2℃

With Cooler Boost FAN profile and Full OC settings:

Under AIDA64 Single FPU pressure test, this Intel i7-11800H is partial throttling down @ 2.83GHz
The CPU package temperature is around 79℃±17℃

Under AIDA64 Single CPU pressure test, the Intel i7-11800H is partial throttling down @ 4.06GHz
The CPU package temperature is around 88℃±7℃

Under AIDA64 CPU + Memory & FURMARK GPU pressure test, the Intel i7-11800H is partial throttling down @ 3.45GHz
The GPU clock is average @ 1038.4Mhz
The CPU package temperature is around 90℃±7℃
The GPU temperature is around 60.6℃

3DMARK Time Spy OC | 8,176 +15.1%

3DMARK Time Spy Extreme OC | 3,928 +16.7%

3DMARK Fire Strike OC | DID NOT PASS THE TEST

3DMARK Fire Strike Extreme OC | 9,600 +12.9%

3DMARK Fire Strike Ultra OC | 5,179 +13.1%

3DMARK Port Royal OC | DID NOT PASS THE TEST

3DMARK DirectX Raytracing OC | 21.14 Average FPS +13.2%

3DMARK Mesh Shader OC | 265.94 +8.9%

3DMARK VRS Tier 1 OC | 682.61 FPS +11.7%

3DMARK DLSS 2 v1.3 | DID NOT PASS THE TEST

The thermal snapshots under the MAX pressure test(AIDA64 + FURMARK)
Front – A panel | Left vent temperature is around 70.4℃ | Right vent temperature is around 58.3℃

Front – Top of the C panel | It’s around 56.8℃ in the middle of the vents and 40℃ on the average of the keyboard

Bottom – D panel | It’s around 64℃ crossing the CPU and GPU between the two exhausting fans

Sides – Left vent temperature | It’s around 50.9℃ at the Left vent and the hottest spot is 70℃

Sides – Right vent temperature | It’s around 45.6℃ at the Left vent and the hottest spot is 63.1℃

AC adapter – It’s around 45.4℃ average on the surface and the hottest spot is 49℃

Under Idle mode, the noise level is around 37.7dBA

Under normal fan mode under pressure, the noise level is around 51.4dBA

Under Cooler Boost mode, the noise level is around 61.7dBA

We only got the Engineering Sample this time, so the cooling solution may not be the final solution, but it still holds up well to the latest 11th gen i7-11800H, especially when the fan is running at full speed, and the overclock can actually reach an average of 12% performance increase. After all, this 45W TDP, 8-core, 16-thread CPU is far more powerful than the i7-1185G7. Unfortunately, a few of the 3DMARK tests did not pass because the card was overclocked and needed to be turned off to run properly, so we did not test the gaming performance in detail. Also, the fan is as noisy as ever with Cooler Boost on.

SUMMARY

The design is the same as before but with a few modifications, the sturdiness is guaranteed and at the same time it is as thin and light as possible. And for a 17″ laptop, the weight is close to that of the Razer Blade 15, proving that MSI has compressed the weight to the extreme. And the A-panel with the Dragon Shield design remains and has not been replaced with The MSI text logo is also a testament to the pedigree of its gaming series.

Instead of a 2K resolution screen, the GS76 STEALTH 11UE uses a 240Hz high refresh rate gaming screen with over 100% of the sRGB colour gamut (the official description is ‘close to 100%’) seems modest), with a much-higher 300Hz upgraded version available. The full-size per-key RGB Steelseries keyboard will satisfy most people’s pain points, while the full-size SD card reader is a favourite among office users. 16G of 3200Hz DDR4 and a 1TB NVMe SSD are enough for everyday applications and entertainment, and MSI hasn’t forgotten about those gamers and corporate users who need high-speed and stable Internet. The 2.5Gb LAN port is perfectly suited for these activities. Meanwhile, the Thunderbolt 4 interface, Type-C connector with DP protocol and the deployment of HDMI 2.1 allow the machine to be connected to three monitors with up to 8K resolution for Matrix Display.

Performance-wise, the new standard voltage laptop CPU does bring more performance, even MSI’s proprietary cooling is not able to fully suppress this CPU, but the reduced voltage overclocking through MSI’s own control does have a good effect. As we didn’t take any screenshots of the game scores, the overall frame rate is much better than the previous model STEALTH 15M, especially for very CPU-intensive games, such as GTAV, Total War series, etc.

Thermal dissipation is, as expected, MSI’s best item. But without being able to take it apart, according to MSI’s official figures, the cooling system used on the GS76 is a triple-fan, 6 heat pipes ‘Cooler Boost Trinity+’.

Price-wise, the pre-order price is roughly AU$3,499 and the GE76 Raider 10UE, also powered by the RTX3060 Mobile, is priced at AU$3,099, so users can take a little reference. Of course, we can’t rule out some price adjustments, but everything will be based on the retail version once it is listed.

MSI GS76 STEALTH 11UE OFFICIAL WEBSITE: HERE

Seeing this reminds us of the world’s first keyboard with a linear optical axis – the BENQ Zowie CELERITAS II, using a switch from Flaretech™, a switch we covered in our previous Huntsman review, which allows the full range of 0° to 90°, depending on how deep you press the switch. It’s the same as the trigger button on a gamepad.

And this new ‘analog optical’ technology from Razer features a light intensity design with adjustable trigger depth: 1.5mm to 3.6mm any way you like.

This switch also allows you to employ WASD to simulate the joystick on the handle, truly ‘press as deep as you can and go as far as you can’

The ‘DUAL-STEP ACTUATION’ allows you to instantly multi-task each button, e.g. tap and press to the bottom for different actions, allowing for more consistent moves in FPS or MOBA games and eliminating the need for complex operations with multiple buttons, which can be very effective in improving a player’s EAPM (Effective Actions Per Minute).

The Synapse software allows you to customise the trigger feel to best suit your needs. Different profiles can be activated to enable different trigger depths to be used in different games.

So, let’s dig into the detail!

Package Appearance

Package Front

Package Back

Package Side

Upon opening the package, we find the manuals, stickers and keyboard main body

Product Analysis

Keyboard Main body looking. Topcase is made of aluminium

The Razer magnetic plush leatherette wrist rest – RGB included

6 non-slip foot pads under the hand rest

The new hand rest is more flexible and made of smoother material than the Razer Blackwidow Elite hand rest

The dual USB connectors are coloured green

The type-c header comes with a Type C-A adapter

Take off a keycap, we can find the actual Razer Analog optical switch

This keyboard has three different height adjustment levels:

Level 1 – Normal height

Level 2 – Higher height

Level 3 – Highest height

There is a USB Type-A port on the left side of the keyboard, making it easy for players to access their devices and use a USB stick or joystick is still relatively convenient. Unfortunately, this generation is not equipped with a cable management slot, the cable outlet is fixed on the upper left side because there are two cables so there is no way to manage the cable freely, both cables are made of braided material, resistant to pulling and soft enough, the length is around two meters, which is perfectly sufficient for players to use for cabling.

Keyboard status indicators

The media control keys and the volume knob

This time Razer has used double-shot PBT keycaps to prevent oiling, adding a thicker surface and a frosted feel to the keys to give them more texture and reduce wear and tear, but also increases the thickness of the keycaps, which slightly affects light transmission

The satellite keycap uses the contact clip type inside the top case

Backlight effects

Software Usability

We can find the Huntsman v2 analog keyboard under Razer Synapse 3

The main keyboard controller interface
We can switch the mode between ‘Standard’ and ‘Hypershift’
‘Gaming mode’ can be turned on and off to enable the no-disturb mode

The ‘Quick remapping’ function is to simulate the controller joystick by using ‘WASD’ keys

We can change the Chroma effect for this keyboard and setup the per-key RGB

The customised profile can be saved as a different name and transferred to the keyboard

Macro setting

Usage Experience

The switch feels strange on this keyboard, the pressure count doesn’t give us the impression that it’s only 40g. although we can change the trigger distance in the software, the first part of the trigger stroke is still heavy, very much in the style of a Cherry white shaft, but after the trigger and all the way to the bottom of the press, the feel is even heavier. The good thing is that this very flexible linear switch allows for very good control of the downward pressure, which is good for controlling the paddle press in SIM type games. In <Forza: Horizon 4>, the throttle control was very smooth and could be controlled more precisely by lowering the trigger and increasing the length of the linear control; in <Lock On: Flaming Cliffs 2>, the mapping of the Throttle Lever and rudder paddle was done well and tested to be very useful. It doesn’t have the feel and force feedback of a physical controller, but it still controls the force perfectly. It has to be said that this keyboard is instead amazing in drop-based music games. In <DJMAX: Respect V>, where you couldn’t Full combo some ‘Maximum’ or ‘Super Core’ difficulty songs with the Razer yellow switch before, after switching to this keyboard, BOOM! ALL FULL COMBO! The accuracy has also improved.

4Key mode: THE ONE(SC)

6Key mode: ANIMA(Maximum)

6Key mode: BLACK MIND(Maximum)

6Key mode: AXION(SC)

6Key mode: AXION(Maximum)

Of course, the feel is a matter of opinion, because there is no such thing as “perfect compatibility” in the world. When it comes to the typing aspect, this keyboard is one of the two extremes. Some people who write very long texts daily prefer an extremely short trigger stroke and enjoy the feeling of their fingers “floating” across the keyboard, while some programmers who code 24 hours a day prefer a more flexible keyboard with a slightly longer stroke. The Razer Huntsman V2 Analog is closer to the latter, and the adjustable trigger length accommodates those who prefer shorter triggers, so it satisfies a lot of people’s pain points!

SUMMARY

In 2018, we did a review of Razer’s first Huntsman keyboard with an Optical switch, where we said ‘The Razer Opto-Mechanical™ switch did not meet our expectations’, and also did a comparison of several Optical switches, including of course the big name ‘Flaretech’. But today, we can say that Razer’s Analog switch has done a better job than the Flaretech switch, with a pleasing design of two-stage triggering and analogue joystick functionality that is refreshing to gamers, and many difficult gameplay techniques can be easily achieved with this keyboard. Overall, this sincere keyboard not only brings a lot of novelty to the user but also a hefty price tag? AU$380 is officially priced at a significant premium to even Corsair’s flagship keyboard, the K95 Platinum, but instead of dwelling on the price, the new features bring an experience that no other brand can bring anytime soon. At a time when money is hard to come by for a graphics card, how about a peripheral upgrade?

EPIC PC RATE SCORE : 95.5/100

EPIC REWARD: EPIC RECOMMENDED, DESIGN AWARD, EPIC EXTREME POWER

RAZER HUNTSMAN OFFICIAL WEBSITE: HERE

The new 30 Series laptop graphics cards abandon the naming convention of the previous generation, dropping the Max-Q or Max-P logos and unifying them as Laptop versions. New features are integrated into the ‘3rd Gen Max-Q Technology’. The test product we got comes with Nvidia’s latest RTX3060 laptop version with up to 6GB of GDDR6 VRAM, and the new technologies that come with the new generation of graphics cards are as follows:

The new Resizable Bar
According to Nvidia, it is a standardised PCIe interface technology that can be found on many of the latest CPU and motherboard platforms. As you navigate the world of a game, GP video memory (VRAM) is constantly transferring the textures, shaders and geometry of the world with many small CPU to GPU transfers. As modern gaming resources become increasingly large, this can lead to a large number of transfers. With the help of Resizable BAR, the system can thus request resources on-demand and holistically transfer them, so that the CPU can efficiently access the entire frame cache. Also, if there are multiple requests, the transfers can be performed simultaneously rather than sequentially. This technique can improve the performance of some games by up to 10%.

The new Dynamic Boost 2.0
This is a dynamic power balancing technology driven by AI. Unlike desktops, gaming laptops usually use a power adapter of around 120W-280W for portability, and this includes powering other components such as the display, SSD etc, so there is a total cap on the amount of power allocated to the CPU and GPU. When an application or a game is very GPU-intensive, the power consumption is called from the CPU to prioritise the supply to the GPU so that it can work at maximum performance. The new Dynamic Boost 2.0 adds a way to shift power consumption from the GPU to the CPU and even to the graphics memory, which is available on MSI GE76 with Nvidia’s RTX3060 laptop version, where the Intel Core i7-11375H is designed for 35W TDP up and the RTX3060 laptop version is 70W maximum, which means that with Dynamic Boost 2.0 technology, it is more flexible in its power deployment, and when the user needs a higher graphics resources, this technology will dynamically increase the power consumption of the graphics card to meet the demand.

The new DLSS AI Acceleration & Ray Tracing
Nvidia introduced DLSS, a technology that improves images through artificial intelligence learning. This algorithm is usually based on some kind of logical computational model, and the finer the results needed the more arithmetic power is naturally required, thus consuming more GPU resources. DLSS, on the other hand, generates images through a dedicated Tensor Core’s deep learning method that does not take up screen processing resources and supports real-time processing of deep learning models. And on laptops equipped with the Nvidia RTX30 series laptop version, it brings up to a 2x performance increase at the same power consumption and support for VR. Besides, the new version of DLSS offers dynamic resolution support. If the game’s rendering engine supports the dynamic resolution, DLSS can be used to perform the advanced operations required to display the resolution, with the input buffer changing size from frame to frame while the output size remains the same. Also, the new Ampere architecture brings a new generation of Ray Tracing combined with DLSS technology that allows games and applications to achieve ideal results while optimising resource usage and getting the most out of every watt of power consumed.

So let’s dig into the details.

Product Specification

MSI Stealth 15M A11UEK Tech Specs from Official Website
HERE

Product Unboxing

Package Appearance
The outer packaging is the MSI classic black background with their logo

Opening the package we can see the laptop is wrapped with a thick foam protection

the main body is warped by a double-layered suit which has an anti-static layer and a black fabric layer

Opening the package we can see the power cable, AC adapter and a plastic bag with the user manual and warranty card, etc

The AC adapter has an output of 20V 7.5A, a total of 150W, and manufactured by Delta

The weight of the AC adapter is 0.475KG plus the power cable

Product Analysis

The main look of STEALTH 15M

The thin-bezel design

The Keyboard with single-zone anti-Ghost RGB keys

The Keyboard backlight

The benefits badge

The 11th Gen Intel and Nvidia RTX Logo badges

The 720p camera on the top of the B cover is next to the built-in directional noise reduction microphone

The laptop front side – Smooth design without any indicator

The laptop rear side – Symmetrical design with a medium-sized opening area

The laptop left side – Power jack, Micro SD card reader, 1 x Type-A 3.2 Gen2, 1 x Audio Combo port, Battery/charge indicator

The laptop right side – 1 x Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 with DP, 1 x Type-C Thunderbolt™ 4, 1 x Type-A 3.2 Gen2, 1 x HDMI(4K 60Hz)

The opening angle of this laptop is 180 degrees

The laptop weight: 1.743KG, around 2.22KG total with AC adapter and power cable

Screen Calibration
MSI STEALTH 15M is using a high refresh rate FHD 144Hz IPS-Level panel, manufactured by LG Philips, model: LP156WFG-SPB3(LGD0625)

Calibration result: Average △E≈0.10, Maximum △E≈2.11, RMS 0.29
After calibration, we have a 97.1% of sRGB, 66.9% of Adobe RGB, and 68.8% of DCI P3 coverage

Calibration Curves

Gamut

Tone Response Curves

Hardware Introduction

HWiNFO64 System detail – Intel 11th gen i7-11375H with Nvidia RTX3060 Laptop version

HWiNFO64 System detail – Intel 11th gen i7-11375H with Intel Iris Xe

HwINFO Network detail
WIFI Card – Intel Wifi6 AX201 with Bluetooth v5.1

CPU-Z CPU snapshots

CPU-Z RAM snapshots

HwINFO Memory detail

GPU-Z Intel Iris Xe Snapshot

GPU-Z Nvidia RTX3060 Laptop Snapshot

HwINFO SSD Detail
1TB Kingston PCIe Gen3 SSD

HwINFO Battery Detail

Run-time Benchmark Test

Before the benchmark, we have changed the power plan to the ‘Ultimate Power Performance’ in Win10. All tests are based on the ‘Extreme performance’ mode in the settings of MSI Dragon Centre

Cinebench R15 Single & Multicore

Cinebench R20 Single & Multicore

Cinebench R23 Single & Multicore

PCMark10 | 5,464

3DMARK – Port Royal | 3,710

3DMARK – Time Spy | 6,066

3DMARK – Time Spy Extreme | 2,869

3DMARK – Fire Strike | 14,492

3DMARK – Fire Strike Extreme | 7,590

3DMARK – Fire Strike Ultra | 3,994

3DMARK – DirectX Raytracing feature test | 16.43 Average FPS

3DMARK – Mesh Shader feature test | OFF: 55.67 FPS, ON: 199.75 FPS

3DMARK – VRS: Tier 1 | OFF: 336.94 FPS, ON: 487.21 FPS

3DMARK – DLSS v1.3 | OFF: 28.02 FPS, ON: 46.70 FPS

AIDA64 CACHE

AIDA64 GPGPU

FURMARK FHD ｜ 72 Average FPSw

CPU-Z Benchmark | Single-Thread: 620.6, Multi-Threads: 2930.4

BLENDER Benchmark

7ZIP 128MB Dictionary Size

VRAY Benchmark

X264 Benchmark

TxBENCH SSD Benchmark

Gaming Benchmarks
Final Fantasy XV | High-Quality @ FHD | 5,648

GTAV | Very High @ FHD | 4xMSAA + TXAA | 96 FPS Average

The Witcher 3 | Ultra @ FHD | 69 FPS Average

CS:GO | Ultra @ FHD | 160 FPS Average

Cyberpunk 2077 FHD Settings

Cyberpunk 2077 FHD + Without Ray Tracing High/Ultra Performance | 32-35 FPS Average

Cyberpunk 2077 FHD + Ray Tracing Ultra Performance | 36 FPS Average

Cyberpunk 2077 FHD + Ray Tracing Ultra + DLSS Performance | 42 FPS Average

Thermal Tests

We are pressure testing this laptop by using AIDA64 and FURMARK.

Test room temperature: 21℃±2℃
CPU Idle temperature: 47℃±2℃
GPU idle temperature: 46℃±2℃

When we disassembled the laptop, we noticed that the thermal paste was a bit insufficient, so we cleaned it up and replaced it with a better one. Then, the standby temperature becomes this:
CPU Idle temperature: 38℃±2℃
GPU idle temperature: 38℃±2℃

With Auto FAN profile and non-OC settings:
Under AIDA64 Single FPU pressure test, this Intel i7-10750H is partial throttling down @ 3.50GHz
The CPU package temperature is around 87℃±13℃

Under AIDA64 Single CPU pressure test, the Intel i7-10750H is running normally @ 4.29GHz
The CPU package temperature is around 79℃±9℃

Under AIDA64 CPU + Memory & FURMARKwwwww GPU pressure test, the Intel i7-10750H is partial throttling down @ 3.75GHz
The GPU clock is average @ 740Mhz
The CPU package temperature is around 87℃±13℃
The GPU temperature is around 75.3℃

Overclock test
Test room temperature: 21℃±2℃
CPU Idle temperature: 42℃±2℃
GPU idle temperature: 42℃±2℃

With Cooler Boost FAN profile and Full OC settings:

Under AIDA64 Single FPU pressure test, this Intel i7-10750H is partial throttling down @ 3.49GHz
The CPU package temperature is around 89℃±7℃

Under AIDA64 Single CPU pressure test, the Intel i7-10750H is running normally @ 4.29GHz
The CPU package temperature is around 66℃±5℃

Under AIDA64 CPU + Memory & FURMARK GPU pressure test, the Intel i7-10750H is running normally @ 3.87GHz
The CPU package temperature is around 74℃±10℃
The GPU temperature is around 62.9℃

3DMARK Time Spy OC | 6,616 +8.3%

3DMARK Time Spy Extreme OC | 3,188 +10%

3DMARK Fire Strike OC | 15,390 +5.8%

3DMARK Fire Strike Extreme OC | 8,194 +7.4%

3DMARK Fire Strike Ultra OC | 4,396 +9.1%

3DMARK Port Royal OC | 4,035 +8.1%

3DMARK DirectX Raytracing OC | 18.43 Average FPS +10.9%

3DMARK Mesh Shader OC | 210.64 +5.2%

3DMARK VRS Tier 1 OC | 513.63 FPS +5.1%

3DMARK DLSS v1 | 51.65 FPS +9.6%

The thermal snapshots under the MAX pressure test(AIDA64 + FURMARK)
Front – Top of the C panel | It’s around 61.8℃ in the middle of the vents and 45℃ on the average of the keyboard

Bottom – D panel | It’s around 65℃ crossing the CPU and GPU between the two exhausting fans

Rear – A panel | Left and Right vent temperature | It’s around 65℃ on both sides of the vents

Sides – Right vent temperature | It’s around 60℃ on the right sides of the vents

AC adapter – It’s around 51.8℃ average on the surface and the hottest spot is 58.5℃

Under Idle mode, the noise level is around 38.2dBA

Under normal fan mode under pressure, the noise level is around 52.9dBA

Under Cooler Boost mode, the noise level is around 61.4dBA

Disassembling analysis

The back panel with its large number of cooling holes is easy to take out, just remove all the screws on the back

The D-Panel

The main inside look
The thin and light design of the motherboard is covered with a full sheet of insulating stickers to prevent the metal back cover from being deformed by pressure and thus causing a short circuit, a clever design but one that makes upgrading and replacing accessories more difficult. Firstly, the sticker is very sticky and leaves adhesive marks on the motherboard, and secondly, the sticker is very fragile, especially on the WIFI antenna, where the irregular and thin corners are easily broken during removal

The C-Panel inside looking

The 2 x 2W Speakers left and right

The Touchpad inside looking, the controller is using 3338OC-3100 from ELAN

Battery, 4600mAh manufactured by Simplo, 3-cell 52.4Wh

The powerful 6 heat-Pipes Cooler Boost 5 heatsink
The exhausting fans are BS5405HS-U4W(DC 5V 1A) and BS5405HS-U4X(DC 5V 1A) manufactured by A-POWER

The Motherboard front and back main looking

The M.2 SSD & Mini PCIe Slots

The Intel i7-11375H CPU with PCH

The Nvidia GPU chip, GN20-E3-A1 which is the Nvidia RTX 3070 Laptop with 6GB GDDR6, based on GA104 die

The Intel JHL8040R Thunderbolt™ 4 I/O Controller chip

The STM32F072 Mainstream Arm Cortex-M0 USB line MCU from STMicroelectronics

The Intersil 95861IRTZ Single Rail 5-phase PWM Controller

The ENE KB9548GF Keyboard controller IC

The ALC233 Audio chip from Realtek

The RTS5260 card reader controller chip from Realtek

The 75DP159 HDMI IC Control Chips by Fortune Cats

The TUSB46 USB Type-C DisplayPort ALT Mode 10-Gbps Linear Redriver Crosspoint Switch by Texas Instruments

The EC chip MX25L25673GM2I-08G, 256Mb FLASH NOR chip from Macronix

SSD: 1TB Kingston OM8PCP31024F NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen3 x 4)

Samsung DDR4 3200 2 x 8GB: M471A1G44AB0 – CWE

WIFI & Bluetooth card: Intel AX201NGW, Wifi6 2.4G/5G, 160MHz channels, Bluetooth v5.1

SUMMARY

Overall, the MSI Stealth 15M is very small and compact, with a thickness of 15.95mm and a weight of only 1.75kg, which is comparable to traditional high-end thin and light laptops, so it is easy to carry around in a backpack. Of course, to reduce the size of the body, the screen must adopt a narrow bezel design. Unfortunately, it is not very sturdy and flexes significantly when pressed, which is why the motherboard is covered with a large area of insulating tape. The top half of the body bends very easily with a little pressure.

In terms of cooling, the large cooling vents at the bottom, as the brand’s high-end thin and light gaming laptop, Cooler Boost 5 cooling technology must be standard, providing 2 fans + 6 heat pipes, cooling performance far more than the average thin and light laptop, bringing powerful performance release for the hardware.

In terms of expandability, the MSI Stealth 15M doesn’t disappoint either, with a micro SD card reader and full-size HDMI video output to meet office needs and a new Type-c Thunderbolt™ 4 interface that not only supports 40Gbps high-speed transfer bandwidth, 8K monitor video output, external discrete graphics docking station, and 100W PD charging but also backwards compatibility with older versions of USB devices.

In terms of gaming performance, MSI Stealth 15M can not only play popular gaming MMOs like League of Legends and CS:GO without any stress, but can also meet medium to high special effects to run smoothly against 3A titles like Tomb Raider, GTAV and Cyberpunk 2077, truly achieving the perfect balance of portability and high performance, an experience that traditional This experience is something that traditional thin and light laptops and ordinary gaming laptops cannot achieve. Pricing is not bad at AU$2,799.

EPIC PC RATE SCORE: 87.5/100

EPIC REWARD: DESIGN AWARD

MSI STEALTH 15M A11UEK OFFICIAL WEBSITE: HERE

So let’s dig into the details.

Product Specification

Masterfan MF120 HALO Tech Specs from Official Website
HERE

Masterfan MF120 PRISMATIC Tech Specs from Official Website
HERE

Product Unboxing

Package Appearance
The outer package

The HALO has a classic Coolermaster design with protective feet on all four corners and lateral support, a 4-pin PWM + 3-pin ARGB connector and accessories including a protective case for the RGB cable, instructions and screws. We have to say that the RGB cable case is very user friendly and you will never have to worry about loose connections when installing the fan

Product Analysis

MF120 HALO

9 half-transparent blades without Diversion grooves but with a trim design

Colour Aesthetics

The RGB effects from Coolermaster official website

The RGB effects we tested

The overall RGB effect is good, the fan blades are translucent, with good light conduction and no lack of colour in the middle of the fan blades when rotating at high speed. the LED bulbs are hidden inside and not exposed, given the whole effect a good evenness of light, the gradation is also not abrupt. The light conduction of the inner and outer rings is quite even, with a thin layer ring effect.

Air Flow Benchmark

We will use the EPIC PC FT-MKI Fan tester to do the benchmark, it includes an STW 4-channel Main PWM Fan controller with temperature sensors and the Professional PM6252B Anemometer for CFM test

Test room temperature : 30℃±2℃
Test room base noise level : 38.3 dBA
Test Fan Model : Masterfan MF120 HALO
Test Fan Speed RPM : 1800 RPM

Under the Flow test, the Coolermaster Masterfan MF120 HALO has 81.28 CFM under 1800 RPM

Test Fan Flow CFM : 81.28 CFM
Test Fan Pressure : 0.038m3/s
Max Fan noise level(Inside tunnel) : 63 dBA

The test results show that the CFM value is much higher than the official claim of 47.2 CFM, this is more than we expected and although the noise generated inside the simulator is a little high, the controller can adjust the fan speed to a suitable range to reduce the noise effectively.

MF120 PRISMATIC

The MF120 Prismatic has used Radiant Crystalline Light in its design, which was first used on Gskill’s Trident Z Royal memory, and this new and innovative light design immediately caught the eye of gamers. SilverStone also uses the same design on its IceGem all-in-one water coolers

Product Analysis

7 half-transparent blades without Diversion grooves but with a trim design

The Crystalline Light has a front and back design, avoiding the awkward situation of having a single RGB bezel that can only be seen when mounted on the air inlet side

Colour Aesthetics

The RGB effects from Coolermaster official website

The RGB effects we tested

The overall RGB effect is stunning, the fan blades are translucent with good light conductivity, there is a slight lack of colour in the middle of the fan blades when rotating at high speed, which should be related to the small number of fan blades, the LED bulbs are hidden inside and not exposed, giving a good uniformity to the whole effect and the gradient is not abrupt. The light conductivity of the inner and outer rings is quite even, with the effect of a thin layer of rings.

Air Flow Benchmark

We will use the EPIC PC FT-MKI Fan tester to do the benchmark, it includes a STW 4-channel Main PWM Fan controller with temperature sensors and the Professional PM6252B Anemometer for CFM test

Test room temperature : 30℃±2℃
Test room base noise level : 37.1 dBA
Test Fan Model : Masterfan MF120 Prismatic
Test Fan Speed RPM : 2100 RPM

Under the Flow test, the Coolermaster Masterfan MF120 HALO has 81.28 CFM under 1800 RPM

Test Fan Flow CFM : 94.68 CFM
Test Fan Pressure : 0.044 m3/s
Max Fan noise level(Inside tunnel) : 65 dBA

The test results show that the CFM value is much higher than the official claim of 55 CFM, this is more than we expected and although the noise generated inside the simulator is a little high, the controller can adjust the fan speed to a suitable range to reduce the noise effectively.

SUMMARY

These two Coolermaster fans in this test performed very well, with airflow and air pressure higher than the nominal values. As case fans go, this score is already comparable to some radiator fans.

As far as price is concerned, the Halo is only AU$29 for a single package and AU$85 for a 3-pack and includes the ARGB controller, which is a great value. The Prismatic, which is even better looking and more efficient, costs AU$39 for a single pack and AU$119 for a 3-pack, while the Corsair QL120, which sells for AU$49 for a single and AU$129 for a 3-pack, only has an official maximum of 1500RPM and 41.8CFM.

EPIC PC RATE SCORE FOR HALO: 86.5/100

EPIC PC RATE SCORE FOR PRISMATIC: 88.5/100

EPIC REWARD: EPIC RECOMMENDED, BEST VALUE