October Gadget Reviews Roundup 2014

And just like that we’re done with the month of October and along with it are awesome gadgets we’ve fully reviewed like the ASUS Transformer Book T100T, Acer Liquid E700, LG G Watch, and a number DIY PC components if you’re building a rig. So if you’re still working on your Holiday shopping or wish list, then take a look at our Gadget Reviews Roundup for October 2014.

Full Review:

AMD A10-7850K Review

By and large the AMD A10-7850K was able to deliver a pretty decent performance both in CPU-related tasks and in gaming, but it’s on the latter where AMD’s current flagship APU really shines thanks to the hardware/software tweaks, particularly HSA, that the chipmaker has implemented on their processor.

ASUS Strix GeForce GTX 750 Ti OC Edition

With everything taken into consideration, we can definitely say that the ASUS Strix GTX 750 Ti 2GD5 OC is a decent option for users who are in the market for a good mid-range video card that can spit out 30fps even on high settings.

BlackBerry Z3

The BlackBerry Z3 is a very capable device with a nice build, good performance, intuitive OS, great battery life, and an affordable price tag. However, it is still going to have a hard time positioning itself in a market that is dominated by affordable Android and Windows Phone devices.

Acer Liquid E700

Dual-SIM handsets are slowly becoming a standard for the masses, but rarely do we see phones released in the country that take on three sim cards in a single phone. At Php10,990USD 187INR 15,876EUR 178CNY 1,364, a sophisticated design combined with great hardware, a huge battery, and a stunning display –not to mention the support for three sim cards — can definitely make this phone stand out to power users in the corporate sector, as these people are mostly the ones who hold up to three phones to be able to accommodate clients each day.

ASUS Transformer Book T100T

We concluded in our review of the T100 that it is a game changer. With the T100T, ASUS takes it up a notch by putting in more muscle under the hood and improving its aesthetics. Some things remain unchanged though like the cramped trackpad and the lack of keyboard backlight but for a productivity device starting at under Php25K, the ASUS Transformer Book T100T is still one of the best hybrid netbooks you can buy.

ASUS RoG Swift PG278Q Gaming Monitor

The Swift PG278Q hits all the right notes when it comes down to the things that really matters for immersive gaming experience. It’s got a crisp 27-inch display with a WQHD native resolution (a combination you don’t typically see, but works really great), thin bezels and fast refresh rate and response time that tops at 144Hz and 1ms respectively.

Philips NX5 Mini System

The Philips NX5 is perfect for small to medium get-togethers and the likes. Its mesmerizing light show partnered with the ability to play with your music will surely make your house parties a hit. Basically, it’s one entertaining tower of speakers. Sound quality is great – bass is powerful while mids and highs are crisp and soulful, but don’t mistake this as a DJ’s equipment since this is far from what a professional one would use for gigs.

LG G Watch

A smartwatch is still a mere accessory for our smartphone. If you don’t have one, you’re not left behind. But if you do, you’re a member of early adopters experiencing the next big thing in mobile accessory. The LG G Watch is a viable candidate to give you a feel of that constantly-connected lifestyle in today’s fast-paced world. It may not turn heads for design, but it will definitely have the attention of curious consumers.

Intel Core i7-4790 (Haswell Refresh)

The Intel Core i7-4790 is the best locked processor that the chipmaker currently has to offer. The increase in core and turbo frequencies may seem nominal on paper, but should be a welcome addition nonetheless considering that it’s priced the same ($312PHP 18,310INR 26,442EUR 297CNY 2,271 Boxed / $303PHP 17,782INR 25,679EUR 289CNY 2,205 Tray) as the processor it replaced. It’s also loaded with all the latest and greatest optimizations, tweaks and technologies from Intel which should come in handy for added boost in performance and stability.

Nokia Lumia 530 Dual SIM

The Lumia 530 is not here to wow consumers with its specs but it’s here to give interested buyers a chance to get a very capable smartphone with a good build and Windows Phone 8.1 OS without breaking the bank. Yes, it is still worth considering in a market that is dominated by affordable Androids, however, its biggest challenge are other WP 8.1-powered smartphones that offer better specs for almost the same price.

G.Skill RipjawsX F3-17000CL9D-8GBXM

Other than the possible clearance issue due to its 40mm-tall heat spreader, we didn’t have any other gripe about the G.Skill Ripjaws X memory modules. It’s got a well-built design, it offers decent performance out of the box, and one can easily bump up the speeds a bit should they feel the need to do so.

Quick Review:

RedFox WizPad Lite

After the cumbersome encounter with the internal memory, the RedFox WizPad Lite is still an okay portable Windows 8.1 PC for Php9,990USD 170INR 14,432EUR 162CNY 1,240. One must just know how to allocate their memory usage properly and buy a microSD card.

JBL Synchros E30

For the price of Php3,690USD 63INR 5,331EUR 60CNY 458, I think the JBL Synchros E30 is worth a look at because it’s compact, stylish and bassy (it’s also available in different colors). However, if you need highs & comfort, you may have to look somewhere else, but for the most part, the JBL Synchros E30 will do.

Popcorn Hour A-410

Overall, we had fun using the Popcorn Hour as our media buddy for a few days. It was convenient to use, has an array of connectivity options, and produces eye-candy images. Our gripe, only, is that it comes at Php13,500USD 230INR 19,502EUR 219CNY 1,675 which is pretty steep for many people. It throws in a free Wi-Fi dongle worth Php1,500USD 26INR 2,167EUR 24CNY 186 but it could still be considered as an investment for casual users. If you’re an avid collector of multimedia files and have some budget to spare, the Popcorn Hour A-410 is a good buy.