How to Buy a Good Gaming Laptop

December 10, 2016

The world of gaming and eSports has exploded over the last few years and it has become a massive industry that attracts fans from all works of life. While consoles such as the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 make up a good chunk of the gaming industry, the so called “Glorious PC Master Race“ still reigns supreme.

The ability to change your performance settings and the ability to upgrade your hardware gives PC gaming the edge over its console brethren. Gaming desktop computers can be built up to be extremely powerful, but they lack portability and always require for them to be plugged into a socket.

This is where the gaming laptop comes into play, ranging from entry level budget friendly laptops, to powerhouse solutions for the demanding hardcore gamer with deeper pockets.

Before we look at the different categories, here are a couple things to avoid when looking at a gaming laptop.

Things to Avoid

Here are a few things to avoid when choosing a gaming laptop

Buying more power than you need

If you are only planning to play Candy Crush, old titles such as Age of Empires II, or browser based games, then don’t waste your money. A basic laptop with either Intel’s or AMD’s integrated graphics will be more than sufficient for those games.

While touchscreen displays are a great feature for some laptops, they are usually a draw back when it comes to gaming laptops. With most gaming laptops sporting lower figures in the battery life department, a touchscreen will further drain your battery life.

Gaming laptops with a single SSD drive under 512GB will fill up extremely quickly. Games have increased in size over the years and Battlefield 1 already takes up a massive 40GB without any DLCs, so smaller drives are not optimal for people with larger game collections.

Only going for the latest gaming laptops

New is usually always better, or is it? There are some gaming laptops that sport fourth and fifth generation Intel processors that offer far more processing power than some of the lower end sixth generation i5 and i7 processors.

Some great deals can be found on these slightly older laptops. The same can be said for graphics cards. Second generation GeForce GTX 980M laptops for example are only around 25% slower than most GTX 1080M based laptops, but are often for sale at half the price.

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This article was first published as How to Choose a Good Gaming Laptop on NaijaTechGuide.

HP Omen 15.3 inch and 17.3 inch Gaming Laptops announced

Emmanuel

May 26, 2016

Two HP Omen series laptops have been announced by HP, as refreshment of the premium series of gaming laptops.

The brand name Omen is HP’s umbrella for all of its hardcore game-centric devices and is recognized for its quality. The series was first introduced in 2014 when HP launched the 15.6-inch Omen laptop targeted for the gamers.

HP Omen 15.3 and 17.3 features

Both laptops arguably sport the same specs, save for their screen sizes. The smaller one measures 15.3 inches diagonally while the bigger one measures 17.3 inches in the same manner.

The two gaming laptops offer Full HD and 4K IPS display options along with NVIDIA GTX graphics up to 965M. Users can also have up to 6th Generation Intel Core i7 quad-core processors to power the device. They run on the latest Windows 10 Operating System.

The HP Omen laptops also come with up to 16GB of memory and up to 512GB PCIe SSD or up to 2TB for single storage options. Users can also order for a variant offering dual storage options with up to 4TB HDD and 128GB SSHD9.

As per camera abilities, prospective users of the laptops can have a wide Vision HD Camera with an option for an Intel RealSense Camera for 3D experiences. This allows users to gesture control apps and interact with the PC when gaming.

They feature the popular Bang & Olufsen and HP Audio Boost technology which offers added depth on their speakers. They also support fast charge and HP says some models can offer up to 10 hours life on a single charge of their 62 watt battery.

The two new laptops sport the HP-owned VooDooPC branding, and they also come with a ‘Dragon Red’ backlit keyboards. They sport a dual fan design to maintain performance.

HP said the Omen Laptops will be available on HP.com and Best Buy on July 10. The smaller model is priced at $899.99, while the larger pinches the pocket by $979.99.

Ultra-slim LG Gram 14 Win 10 laptop launched

Emmanuel

May 25, 2016

South Korean multinational electronic firm, LG, has announced the arrival of the LG Gram 14, an ultra-slim laptop that ticks all the necessary boxes when it comes to handling and portability, in India.

The laptop is super slim, being 13.4mm (0.53 inches) thick, and weighs just 980 gram. And even though it has a large 14-inch Fulll HD screen, it is barely larger than a conventional 13-inch laptop.

LG Gram 14 – Pricing and Availability

The LG Gram 14 is priced depending on its storage/memory options. There’s a 128GB/4GB (Black) version which sells for Rs. 79,990, and a 265GB/8GB (Gold) variant which is priced at Rs. 94,990.

LG said the LG Gram 14 will be available in all LG brand stores and IT multi-brand outlets. Paytm however says it will exclusively sell the 8GB of RAM variant initially for Rs. 84,499 with a cashback offer.

LG Gram 14 Features

The LG Gram 14 sports a Carbon Magnesium and Magnesium Alloy body which gives it a sturdy build and an attractive design. It runs Windows 10 out-of-the-box and features a 14-inch full HD (1920x1080p) display with very thin bezel on both sides.

Powered by a 2.3GHz Intel Core i5 6200U processor with Intel HD Graphics 520, the LG Gram 14 comes in two storage/memory options as mentioned earlier- 128GB/4GB and 265GB/8GB.

The laptop has an HD webcam on board and sports a 34.61Whr battery, which LG says can work for 7.5 hours on a single charge. The Gram 14 also sports an inbuilt microphone and stereo speakers. For connectivity, it has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and has one port for Ethernet, two for USB 3.0, one for USB 2.0, and an HDMI slot as well.

Commenting on the launch, Sanjeev Mittal, PGMH, IT Products, LG India, said LG is always aiming to produce innovative devices.

“At LG, we have always strived hard to bring innovative products for our consumers. The LG Gram PC is the newest addition to our monitor and PC portfolio and we’re thrilled about it as it brings breathtaking aesthetics and unparalleled user experience to the consumers,” Sanjeev said.

Xiaomi Mi Box 4K Android TV box announced

Jia Khan

May 19, 2016

Xiaomi has announced that the company will introduce the Mi Box 4K Android TV box very soon. The company also stated that it is working in collaboration with the American multinational Google to bring the Mi Box 4K Android TV to the US market.

The Mi Box 4K by Xiaomi features a square layout. This square design of Mi Box has been admired universally and Xiaomi has been praised for the fine finish of the Android TV box.

What does Xiaomi Mi Box 4K offer?

The Android TV box comes with an Android 6.0 platform and will play content in 4K screen resolution at 60fps. In addition, the Bluetooth voice remote that comes with Mi box aids the users to search through the content library of Google Play.

The Android TV box by the Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer is fueled by a Quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor coupled with 2GB DDR3 RAM and also 8GB eMMC storage.

As far as the external storage of Mi Box 4K is concerned, the device sports a USB port. HDM1 2.0a and HDR10 are also supported by the Xiaomi M.i Box 4K Android TV. The sound output is a blend of DTS surrounds sound and Dolby Digital Plus.

According to Hugo Barra, the vice president of the Xiaomi Global:

“This is a significant milestone for Xiaomi and I am really excited to be working closely with Google to bring such a great product to our fans in the US. I believe US consumers will truly enjoy the Android TV experience on Mi Box, which brings stunning 4K HDR video and a wide variety of content to your living room.”

The company has not released any information regarding the price and availability of the forthcoming Mi Box 4K yet. The latest Android TV box will first be available for purchase in the US market and will hit the other market later.

Android N Developer Preview 3 released

Jia Khan

May 19, 2016

Google has released the third developer preview for Android N. The search engine giant also revealed some of the latest features of the upcoming version of the Android OS during the I/O conference 2016. The release of Android N was announced as Google’s keynote at the conference.

The company released the developer preview 1 for Android N two months ago. The unexpected launch of the developer’s version of Android N was immediately followed by new updates released a few weeks ago.

Android N developer preview 3 is currently available for Nexus 6, Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus 6P and some other compatible devices such as Sony Xperia Z3.

Google announced that this latest edition of the mobile operating system is the most secure version so far. The developer preview 3 is quite close to being transformed into the first official beta version.

As per Engadget report, the handsets running Android N developer preview 3 could automatically download the image file in the background. In addition, the new developer preview will also install the update once the device is rebooted by the user.

For small updates, the OS will alert the user to an upcoming update. The users will be informed about the major updates under the suggestions category in the settings option. This will give more control to the users, allowing them to start update installation instantly or delay install until later.

VR mode is another new addition to the developer preview 3. VR mode allows the developers to enhance the quality of VR experiences of their applications. However, the VR mode is only accessible for Nexus P.

Android N Stands for?

Additional updates include improved performance for effects as well as graphics and smaller battery. 72 latest emojis are also included in the package.

The company has yet not decided on the final name for Android N and has sought help from the public to name the latest version of the Android OS.

Google Android Instant Apps announced

Emmanuel

May 19, 2016

Google has stated that it will soon launch a new feature on Android OS called Android Instant Apps.

Basically, the new feature lets users access apps from search engines, social media, messaging, and other deep links without the need to stop and first install the app. The announcement was made during a keynote address at the Google I/O 2016, a conference for software developers and programmers.

“Today we’re sharing a preview of a new project that we think will change how people experience Android apps. We call it Android Instant Apps, and it evolves Android apps to be able to run instantly, without requiring installation,” Google Product Manager, Suresh Ganapathy said.

Google stressed that it created the feature to ensure that people seamlessly have access to a wider range of apps.

To make sure majority of Android users get access to the feature, Google said it has made it compatible with Android Jelly Bean OS and later. This way the Android Instant Apps will reach over a billion users, Ganapathy said.

Ganapathy, in a blog post, explains that developers don’t have to build a new and separate app for Google’s Instant Apps feature. According to him, the feature is an extension of Google’s App Streaming service.

“It’s the same Android APIs, the same project, the same source code. You’ll simply update your existing Android app to take advantage of Instant Apps functionality,” he elaborated.

Google also added that the Instant App feature requires partner apps to be built with modules to function. This means users will access only the necessary modules when they tap on an app feature, and they won’t have to download the entire app.

Google also said it is working with a small set of developers for the Instant Apps, and they will gradually expand the access soon. These partners developers include BuzzFeed, B&H Photo, Medium, Hotel Tonight, Zumper and Disney.

The Android Instant Apps will be available later this year.

HP Jet Fusion 3D printers could revolutionize 3D printing

Jia Khan

May 18, 2016

HP is all set to jazz-up 3D printing with its much-awaited 3D printers. The American multinational unveiled the latest HP Jet Fusion 3D printers that are up to ten times faster than the existing 3D printers in the market and come at half the price.

Named HP Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solution, the mechanism is quite revolutionary as opposed to the existing 3D printing technologies in the market that only produce lumps of softened plastic.

However, HP Jet Fusion 3D Printers produce nearly finished parts, ready to be incorporated into the prototypes or commercial products. These 3D printers are even capable of producing quite complex and intricate little ornaments.

HP Jet Fusion 3D Printers are speedy as well as accurate. Just like the precision of an inkjet printer, HP Jet Fusion 3D Printers put out a very small quantity of thermoplastic.

This implies more control on the design of the 3D printed product. By employing thousands of nozzles in every round, the printers can blend distinctive colors and even combine different materials in a single go.

HP Jet Fusion 3D Printers- Speedier and Controlled Design

A tray of print that presently takes twenty to forty hours of production, could now be printed in mere four to five hours at a much lower price.

The most affordable 3D printer from the HP Jet Fusion 3D Printers would be the HP Jet Fusion 3D 3200 Printer, designed for scaled-down prototyping.

Those looking for better performance should go for HP Jet Fusion 3D 4200, which is ranked for dual purposes, including prototyping as well as transitory manufacturing. Both of the devices features a suite of guiding software along with HP Jet Fusion 3D Processing Station accompanied with Fast Cooling technology.

These high-end specs and features indicate that HP Jet Fusion 3D Printers could revolutionize the current 3D printing mechanism. HP Jet Fusion 3D 4200 is said to come with the price tag of $130,000, while HP Jet Fusion 3D 3200 will be priced at $155,000.

Both HP printers will go on sale next year.

HP EliteBook 1030 launches with Fanless, all-metal design

Emmanuel

May 17, 2016

Hewlett Packard has launched the HP Elitebook 1030, a new premium looking business-class notebook that comes with a 13.3 inch edge-to-edge display.

The laptop sits comfortably between the Elitebook 1020 and 1040, which are both members of HP’s premium business-class portfolio.

HP EliteBook 1030 specs and features

The new EliteBook 1030 has in two models- one features a non-touch full-HD display while the other packs a Quad-HD display with touch. There’s an additional Corning Gorilla Glass cover on the screen to offer more protection.

The HP EliteBook 1030 is really slick. It is just 15.7 mm thin and weighs only 1.16kg. It also features a “diamond-cut” all metal fanless design. In addition, the HP EliteBook 1030 has a back-lit keyboard which is spill-resistant. HP also added that the laptop can offer up to 13 hours of battery life on a single charge.

The device has some added features including HP Sure Start with Dynamic Protection which is for data protection. According to HP, the EliteBook 1030 features the “industry’s first self-healing PC BIOS with runtime monitoring.”

Users will have the option to pick from a variety of sixth generation Intel Core M Processor when purchasing the notebook.

It will however have 512GB of SSD storage and will pack up to 16GB of RAM. Added to the mix are a USB Type-C port, two Micro-USB 3.0 ports, Wi-Di, Miracast, WLAN 802.11ac, and Bluetooth 4.2. Bang & Olufsen power the speakers on the EliteBook 1030.

Furthermore, the laptop comes with a fingerprint reader, runs Windows 10 out of the box, and is designed to pass MIL-STD tests for shock, vibrations and extreme temperatures.

Pricing and availability

The HP EliteBook 1030 has been listed on the firm’s official website with a price tag starting from $1,249 (that’s roughly 250,000 naira). The new laptop will release in May, but HP hasn’t set a firm date.

Samsung announces Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016)

Jia Khan

May 16, 2016

Just as anticipated, Samsung has launched its Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016). The latest addition to the Galaxy tablet family is a new, low-ish cost tablet with a massive battery.

The latest slate has been unveiled in Germany and other European states. The tablet is also currently listed on the Netherlands website of the company. Previously, the South Korean tech giant had also introduced a 7-inches TFT display Galaxy Tab A (2016) back in March.

Specifications

In terms of specifications, Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016) by Samsung comes with a 10.1-inch WUXGA TFT display featuring a 1920×1200p screen resolution. An inspection of the innards of the slate reveal that the tablet will be fueled by an octa-core Exynos SoC working at 1.6GHz. will run on Android Marshmallow 6.0 topped with Samsung’s skin on top.

Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016) will run on Android Marshmallow 6.0 with Samsung’s skin atop it.

On the storage front, Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016) sports 2GB of RAM along with 16GB built-in storage on board that can easily be extended up to 200GB via microSD card.

For the camera, the device packs in an 8MP autofocus and LED flash supported back camera as well as a 2MP front-facing snapper to click selfies.

The device will be released in two variants including the LTE and WIFI models with a price tag of EUR 349 and EUR 289 respectively. Both the variants will feature similar specs except for the fact that the LTE version will come with SIM card and will also sport 4G LTE.

The device will be backed by a massive 7300mAh battery. The connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.2, WIFI 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS, Micro USB connectivity and Glonass.

Samsung has yet to reveal its plans for the launch of Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016) in other markets outside Europe.

BMW’s i3 electric car is getting a bigger battery, 114-mile range

Jia Khan

May 2, 2016

BMW i3 is expected to get a bigger battery along with an upgraded mile range. When it was originally launched, the i3 came with a 22KWh battery which had the capacity to power around 80 miles of driving. The latest battery is rated at 33KWh and the German company has claimed that the bigger battery will improve the range of i3 to 114 miles.

Additionally, the BMW buyers who order the REx model of the vehicle encompassing two cylinders, 650cc engine will receive an enhanced model. The improved version of the car will feature an upgraded gas tank capacity, increased from 1.9 gallons to 2.4 gallons.

Notably, the range for the REX vehicles was recorded 150 miles, which apparently implies that the total range for the latest vehicle should be around 200 miles. However, the German car manufacturer is yet to reveal the figures.

The latest version of the car will also packs in faster battery charging. Earlier, the 22KWh battery module required 3.5 hours of charging time employing the Level 2, 240 volt charger. The latest battery requires 4.5 hours with 50% upgraded capacity.

By using the DC fast charger, the new i3 is capable of charging up to 80% in a mere 40 minutes. The recorded time is just a few minutes more than the 24 minutes required by the recent model of the vehicle. However, it is still an enhancement in charging speed per KWh.

The company has not specified its plans for the launch of the new i3 with the latest battery module in the United States. Ironically, even with all these improvements and upgrades, BMW i3 will face aggressive competition from the soon to be launched Tesla Model 3 as well as Chevy Bolt.

A more pressing question, at this stage, is regarding the purported i8 bump, as the BMW enthusiasts anxiously await the German manufacturer to officially announce the latest addition to the i8 lineup.

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