The world of PC building is one where aesthetics meet functionality, and the DarkFlash DY470 ATX PC case stands out as a shining example of this balance. Offering a combination of sleek design, spacious interiors, and efficient cooling capabilities, the DarkFlash DY470 is a compelling choice for both novice builders and seasoned enthusiasts.

Design
DarkFlash has established itself as a reliable brand in the PC hardware market, known for its innovative designs and quality products. The DY470 model is a testament to their commitment to providing top-tier PC cases that cater to the needs of modern builders. This case is designed to offer a panoramic view of your components while ensuring excellent airflow and cooling efficiency.

Upon unboxing the DarkFlash DY470, one is immediately struck by its modern and stylish design. The case is packaged securely, with high-density foam protecting its delicate tempered glass panels. The package includes all necessary screws and stand-offs, a microfiber cloth for cleaning the glass, and zip ties for cable management.

While the package itself did not include a manual, a quick scan of the QR code on the tempered glass downloads a digital manual. The case’s design is dominated by its panoramic tempered glass panels on three sides, providing an unobstructed view of the interior. This design not only enhances the visual appeal but also allows builders to showcase their components and RGB lighting setups.

Technical Specifications
The DarkFlash DY470 PC case supports ATX, MicroATX, and Mini-ITX motherboards, and is designed as a panoramic tower made of steel (0.7 mm SPCC) and tempered glass. It provides ample clearance for components, with space for a 175 mm CPU cooler, a 410 mm horizontal GPU (or 390 mm vertical), and a 200 mm PSU.

The case includes 2x 2.5 in PCIe expansion drive bays and supports dual 360 mm radiators or up to ten 120 mm fans for efficient cooling. Its I/O ports feature 2x USB 3.2 Gen1, 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C, and separate headphone and microphone jacks. The case’s dimensions are 497 mm in length, 298 mm in width, 473 mm in height, and it weighs 9.97 kg.

Build Quality
The DY470 features a minimalist yet striking external design. The tempered glass panels are complemented by a sturdy steel frame, ensuring durability and stability. The front panel is sleek, with a subtle DarkFlash logo at the bottom. The bottom area houses the I/O ports, including a Type-C port for fast data transfer, audio jacks, dual USB Type-A ports, and power/reset buttons.

The rear panel is functional, with perforations for side-mounted fans, PSU, and hard drive bays. The overall build quality is impressive, with no flex or weak points in the frame, giving it a robust feel.

Internal Design and Layout
The internal layout of the DY470 is designed for optimal airflow and ease of installation. The back-connect motherboard layout ensures that cables are neatly managed, with plenty of room for routing and hiding them. The case supports flexible GPU mounting with both horizontal and vertical PCIe slots, allowing builders to choose their preferred GPU orientation.

The spacious interior can accommodate high-end components, including large GPUs and tall CPU coolers. The case also offers multiple mounting options for radiators and fans, supporting dual 360 mm radiators or up to ten 120 mm fans, making it ideal for custom water cooling setups.

Cooling and Airflow
One of the standout features of the DarkFlash DY470 is its cooling capability. As mentioned earlier, the case supports extensive fan and radiator configurations, ensuring that your components remain cool even under heavy loads. The perforated rear panel and the top and bottom vents provide ample airflow, while the detachable dust cover beneath the motherboard tray helps keep the interior clean.

The case’s design ensures that there are no airflow obstructions, with strategically placed vents and fan mounts. This thoughtful design will translate to excellent thermal performance, keeping temperatures low and ensuring system stability.

Installation Process
Building a PC in the DarkFlash DY470 is a straightforward and enjoyable process. The spacious interior and well-placed cable management features make installation a breeze. The case includes several features to assist with the build process, such as removable drive trays, tool-less drive installation, and ample cable routing holes.

The case also comes with stand-off thumb screws and an internal speaker, adding convenience during the build. Whether you are a first-time builder or a seasoned pro, the DY470 offers a user-friendly experience that simplifies the assembly process.

Verdict
The DarkFlash DY470 ATX PC case is a remarkable blend of aesthetics, functionality, and performance. Its panoramic design, combined with excellent cooling capabilities and ease of installation, makes it a top choice for PC builders of all levels. Whether you’re looking to create a high-performance gaming rig or a visually stunning showpiece, the DY470 will deliver on all fronts.

Price: AED 699

The ASUS ProArt P16 H7606 is a high-performance laptop tailored specifically for content creators. It promises to deliver exceptional performance, stunning visuals, and robust features to cater to the demanding needs of professionals in fields such as video editing, graphic design, and photography. Here then is a preview of this exciting new creator tool!

Design and Build Quality
The ProArt P16 offers a professional and sleek aesthetic. Its aluminium chassis feels premium and sturdy, capable of withstanding the rigours of daily use. The design is minimalist yet elegant, with clean lines and a subtle ProArt logo. The laptop’s footprint is relatively compact for a 16-inch model, making it portable enough for on-the-go professionals.

The ProArt P16 boasts a premium CNC-machined aluminium unibody that aligns perfectly with the ProArt series’ commitment to sleek, sophisticated design. This construction enhances the laptop’s aesthetic appeal and contributes to its structural rigidity. The ProArt P16 is available in a beautiful Nano Black finish.

The Nano Black finish has been elevated through active silane resin and fluorine-modified groups. This innovative treatment imparts hydrophobic properties to the coating, making it highly resistant to smudges and fingerprints. As a result, the laptop maintains a pristine appearance.

The keyboard is a standout feature, offering a comfortable typing experience with well-spaced keys and satisfying key travel. The touchpad is spacious and responsive, supporting multi-touch gestures for efficient navigation. Additionally, the inclusion of a physical dial pad adds a layer of precision for creative tasks.

Display
The ProArt P16’s 16-inch 4K ASUS Lumina OLED display delivers exceptional visual quality. It surpasses traditional OLED panels with VESA DisplayHDR True Black certification, ensuring deeper blacks and higher contrast. The display boasts a wide 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, accurate colour reproduction (Delta E<1), and PANTONE Validation. For creators demanding precision, this is a dream come true.

For extra protection, the display is shielded by Corning Gorilla Glass NBT, offering superior scratch resistance and enhanced visual clarity. ASUS OLED Care technology, including a built-in screensaver, safeguards against burn-in. Additionally, the display is TÜV Rheinland certified for low blue light emission, reducing eye strain.

With features such as ASUS Splendid, OLED Power Saving, and ASUS Tru2Life, the ProArt P16 offers customisable colour profiles, energy efficiency, and enhanced video quality, respectively. Experience blazing-fast response times of 0.2ms and immerse yourself in visuals with up to 500 nits peak brightness and an infinite contrast ratio. ASUS backs this exceptional display with a free OLED screen exchange for any burn-in issues during the warranty period.

Specifications
The ProArt P16 packs a powerful punch with its latest-generation AMD Ryzen AI processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card. The combination of these components delivers exceptional performance for demanding tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, and photo manipulation.

The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor delivers exceptional performance with 12 cores, 24 threads, and a boost clock of up to 5.1 GHz. Its efficient cooling system manages up to 75W TDP in Manual mode and 70W in Performance mode. Compared to its predecessor, the Ryzen 8040 series, this processor offers a substantial performance leap, boasting over 14% improvement in single-core tasks and a remarkable 19% increase in multi-core workloads.

Offering 50 NPU AI TOPS, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 excels in AI applications while optimising power consumption. Compared to the previous generation, it reduces web browsing power consumption by up to 48% and idle battery consumption by up to 56%, extending battery life by 13%. This translates to unprecedented efficiency and longer runtime, empowering users to achieve new heights in AI productivity and creativity.

The laptop comes equipped with ample RAM and high-speed SSD storage, ensuring smooth multitasking and fast load times. The display is a standout feature, boasting stunning colours, deep blacks, and excellent contrast ratios. It’s calibrated for colour accuracy, making it ideal for professionals who rely on precise colour representation.

The ProArt P16 is an AI-powered laptop featuring NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU. This GPU delivers exceptional rendering, high resolution, and low latency. With advanced RT and Tensor Cores, it enables real-time ray tracing, DLSS, and AI acceleration for stunning visuals and enhanced performance.

Other specifications include up to 64GB of fast LPDDR5X RAM, and up to 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD storage which can be further expanded to up to 4TB. The ProArt P16 also features advanced cooling with tri-fans, liquid metal thermal compounds, and dust filters. It offers multiple fan modes for optimal performance and quiet operation. Efficient heat dissipation ensures consistent performance, even under heavy workloads.

Ports and Connectivity
Connectivity is a crucial aspect for creators, and the ProArt P16 doesn’t disappoint. It offers a generous selection of ports, including one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support display/power delivery, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, one USB 4.0 Gen 3 Type-C support display/power delivery, one HDMI 2.1 FRL, one 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, one DC-in, and one SD Express 7.0 card reader. Wireless connectivity is handled by Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, ensuring stable and fast connections for online collaboration and file sharing.

Features
ASUS has included a range of features to enhance the creative workflow. The ProArt Creator Hub provides a centralised platform for managing colour profiles, system performance, and other settings. The laptop also benefits from AI-powered features that can accelerate tasks such as video editing and image enhancement.

ASUS offers StoryCube, which is your digital asset management solution, powered by AI. With this, you can easily centralise your photos and videos from any device – phone, camera, or cloud – ensuring no precious moment slips away. With ASUS MuseTree, inspiration is just a thought away. Input keywords and watch AI-generated ideas flow. The intuitive Idea Canvas, equipped with pencils, erasers, geometry tools, and AI import, transforms your sketches into stunning designs. Streamline your creative process and bring your vision to life.

Microsoft Copilot has been designed to simplify your Windows experience. From effortlessly locating files to managing your computer with ease, Copilot streamlines your daily tasks. It allows you to quickly find any document or folder with Copilot’s efficient search, get reliable information and guidance on any topic, and easily adjust settings and manage applications with voice commands.

Copilot’s power is further amplified through plugins, granting you seamless access to your favourite apps. Whether you need productivity tools, creative software, or communication platforms, Copilot integrates effortlessly. The ProArt P16’s dedicated Copilot key provides instant access to Windows 11’s AI-powered features, enhancing your productivity with a single touch.

Performance
The ProArt P16 delivers impressive performance across the board. Video editing and rendering tasks are handled with ease, thanks to the powerful processor and dedicated graphics card. The laptop also excels in multitasking, allowing you to run multiple demanding applications simultaneously without experiencing significant slowdowns. The cooling system effectively manages temperatures, preventing thermal throttling and ensuring sustained performance during intensive workloads.

Battery Life
While the ProArt P16 is primarily designed as a desktop replacement, it offers decent battery life for moderate workloads. Users can expect almost a working day’s worth of unplugged productivity before needing to recharge. However, demanding tasks such as video editing or gaming will undoubtedly drain the battery faster.

Verdict
The ASUS ProArt P16 H7606 is a compelling choice for content creators seeking a powerful and versatile laptop. Its combination of impressive performance, stunning display, and robust features makes it a capable tool for tackling demanding creative projects. While the battery life might not be its strongest point, it’s a minor drawback considering the laptop’s overall strengths. If you’re a professional who demands top-tier performance and colour accuracy, the ProArt P16 is worth considering.

Price: AED 11,999

Buy Now: https://amzn.to/3Ayn97z

Photography by Ranbir Sen

Quick on the heels of Intel announcing their latest 12th Gen Alder Lake chips, ASUS has announced its new ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi Motherboard. Intel’s 12th Gen desktop processors usher in a new era of the company’s chips, lead by the flagship Core i9-12900K CPU, which Intel claims is the world’s best gaming processor.

Alder Lake will need a motherboard built on Intel’s newly announced Z690 chipset, which adds more modern conveniences such as Wi-Fi 6E support and faster USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 data transfer. Intel is using a new LGA 1700 socket here, so you may even need a new cooler or slightly updated standoffs from the manufacturer.

Intel is also heavily pushing Windows 11 as a key part of its Alder Lake lineup, noting that it’s worked with Microsoft to optimize its Intel Thread Director software to better manage tasks across threads when using the new OS.

ASUS sent us the new ASUS ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi Motherboard for a test drive and in this article, we will be previewing the motherboard. The ASUS Z690 platform, which covers ROG Maximus to the ROG Strix, TUF Gaming, ProArt, and Prime motherboards, are built to support the new 12th Gen Intel Core processors that feature up to 16 cores and 24 threads.

The ASUS Z690 motherboard series delivers standard-defining performance for Intel processors with power delivery and a wide range of cooling options. Featuring DDR5 memory modules and extensive support for PCIe 5.0 devices, the series supports the latest 12th Gen Intel Core processors. ASUS’ Z690 motherboards also include an exclusive new overclocking technology called ASUS Enhanced Memory Profile (AEMP), offering blistering-fast DDR5 performance in just a few clicks.

ASUS has also included something with Z690 motherboards, which will make your life easier when it comes to removing the graphics card from the motherboard. The company calls it the PCIe Slot Q-Release. This feature allows users to easily remove a graphics card installed in the primary PCIe 5.0 slot on a Z690-based motherboard.

According to the documentation provided by ASUS, it “unlocks the first PCIe slot’s security latch with one tap, greatly simplifying the process of detaching a PCIe card.” While you won’t be switching out graphics cards on a daily basis, it is still good to know that ASUS has put some thought into this, especially for reviewers like us, who are constantly swapping out graphics cards to run benchmarks.

In terms of processor support, this motherboard supports Intel Socket LGA1700 for 12th Gen Intel Core, Pentium Gold, and Celeron Processors. It also supports Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 and Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0. You also get four DIMM slots that can support a maximum of 128GB of DDR5 memory at 6400(OC), 6200(OC), 6000(OC), 5800(OC), 5600(OC), 5400(OC), 5200(OC), 5000(OC), and 4800 Non-ECC, un-buffered memory.

When it comes to ports, you get one DisplayPort 1.4 and one HDMI 2.1. You also get a total of 12 USB ports on the rear, which include one USB 3.2 Type-C Gen 2×2 port, two USB 3.2 Type-A Gen 2 ports, one USB 3.2 Type-C Gen 2 port, four USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, and four USB 2.0 Type-A ports. On the front, you get one USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C connector, one USB 3.2 Gen 1, and two USB 2.0 headers that support an additional four USB 2.0 ports.

ASUS Z690 motherboards are also equipped with up to two PCIe 5.0 slots ideal for video cards. Select models even feature an onboard PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot or a bundled ROG Hyper M.2 card. The ASUS ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi Motherboard, for instance, comes with a bundled ROG Hyper M.2 card.

You also get three M.2 slots onboard, which includes one M.2 2242-22110 (PCIe5.0 x4), one M.2 2242-22110 (PCIe4.0 x4), and one M.2 2242-2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4 and SATA). You also get two M.2 slots on the bundled ROG Hyper M.2 Card, which includes two M.2 2242-22110 (PCIe4.0 x4).

There’s also a specially illuminated acrylic display on the I/O cover that gives the illusion that the circuit board is visible beneath an RGB ROG logo. Each motherboard within the ASUS Z690 series features built-in Windows 11 support, with mounting holes that are compatible with CPU coolers designed for either LGA 1200 or the new LGA 1700 socket.

If you are one of those who would like to venture into endless customisation and aesthetics, the Z690 series brings all-new visuals such as the AniMe Matrix display that features mini programmable RGB LEDs to show off personal style with custom lighting designs, unique animations, and live audio visualizations, as well as striking designs that evoke sci-fi worlds from cyberpunk to aerospace exploration.

– Photography by Ranbir Sen