Tech

Dolby Atmos has been a household name in India for years. If you’ve recently bought a smartphone, laptop, or smart TV, it probably comes with Dolby Atmos support. The best part is that we can now experience Dolby Vision and Atmos in live sports events like the recently concluded Champions Trophy, which India lifted in 2025, and Wimbledon – transforming how fans experience live events at home. Of course, you still need a Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos-enabled device to enhance your viewing experience. At the same time, you can find over 1,000 Dolby Atmos screens and plenty of content to consume online. Dolby is already working on its next big frontier and has collaborated with Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad to bring up India’s first Dolby-certified facility for cinema and home. The collaboration not only opens up new horizons for studios but also prioritises the needs of filmmakers.

Ashim Mathur, Vice President – Marketing for APAC at Dolby Laboratories, while discussing Dolby Vision, stated that the company is already working on an outreach programme that will help spread the word. Speaking on the collaboration with Annapurna Studios, Mathur added that facilities like this will help bring filmmakers’ vision to life, and the right cinemas will help users consume such content the way it is intended.

Dolby Vision post-production facility: Technical details, mixing rundown

Talking about technical aspects, particularly Dolby Vision and HLG, a Dolby engineer explained that Dolby Vision uses PQ, short for Perceptual Quantizer, for HDR, offering a dynamic range 40x brighter and 10x darker than the standard dynamic range. Hybrid log gamma technology, or long for HLG, developed by DVC and NHK, is suitable for broadcast and OTT platforms, but it has a lower contrast ratio when compared to PQ.

Dolby Atmos mixing unit at Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad

The engineer also talked about the importance of colour correction software like Baselight and DaVinci Resolve. And the role of transfer functions in camera technology, and the benefits of Dolby Atmos for immersive audio experiences in cinemas.

Discussing peak brightness in Dolby Vision cinema projection, the Dolby engineer noted that it’s 108 nits at 12 bits in cinemas and 1000 nits for Smart TVs at home. The engineer explained the concept of Atmos mixing and emphasised the importance of stage (bed) speakers and the object (atmos elements). The object element allows sound to move freely within the room, enhancing the audience’s experience. The entire setup comprises 128 channels of audio, with the first four channels dedicated to the bed and the remaining channels allocated to objects. The engineer clarified that the main elements of the film, such as heavy music and dynamic sounds, are typically placed in the bed channel.

Dolby Vision projection system by Christie Digital

When asked about the difference in approach taken for theatre and OTT, the engineer explained that the mixing room is set up for theatre, while an OTT room is used for different monitoring and loudness levels. He added that each OTT platform has its norms, and the mix is adjusted accordingly to meet those requirements. However, it is important to maintain a comfortable balance that works well for both theatre and OTT releases.

The engineer added that even the blacks are always dynamically controlled by Dolby Vision, whether it is for a Dolby cinema projector. He stressed the consistency of quality across different screen sizes and the advantages of Dolby Atmos for Dolby Cinema, emphasizing the studio-grade audio quality and its transferability to exhibitions.

Much like the Dolby Atmos adoption, which steadily picked up pace, we expect the Dolby Vision to become the next big thing for filmmakers and will see more pickup in some time. Mathur said that Annapurna Studios will be a marquee example for other production houses and may follow suit.

(From left to right): Nagarjuna, actor and co-owner of Annapurna Studios, and Ashim Mathur, Vice-President Marketing for APAC, Dolby

Annapurna Studio: The legacy studio

Annapurna Studio in Hyderabad completed the 50-year milestone in 2025 and was established by veteran actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR) in 1975; it was named after ANR’s wife, Annapurna. The studio, initially with non-air-conditioned sound stages, has grown to 12 fully equipped air-conditioned stages, serving over 5,000 films and producing more than 60. It introduced new technologies, like Dolby Cinema, which required significant investments, especially during COVID-19.

Annapurna Studio also expanded into virtual production technology during COVID-19 and was inspired by the success of series like “The Mandalorian” on Disney+. It now offers comprehensive post-production services, handling projects from editing to visual effects, aiming to be a one-stop shop for filmmakers.

Annapurna Studios has handled mixing for popular movies like Pushpa and Pushpa 2. Gadgets 360 was among the select media that experienced the state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos mix rooms. The facility features a cutting-edge Dolby Vision projection system developed by Christie Digital Systems, a long-standing partner of Dolby.

A shooting space at Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad

Dolby and Annapurna Studios collab is just the first in many

Nagarjuna Akkineni, actor and co-owner of Annapurna Studios, discussed the investments into developing a one-stop solution for filmmakers. He touched upon the importance of expanding the studio space and the potential for new stories to be told in darker settings with advanced technology like Dolby Vision. Nagarjuna stressed the benefits of technologies like Vision, which will help filmmakers bring new storytelling techniques alongside infrastructure improvements in theatres and the impact on production quality. He also talked about the passion and dedication of filmmakers to adopt advanced technology.

As an example of how extensive work goes around movie launches, Nagarjuna discussed the considerable time spent mastering trailers, which play a crucial role in movie launches.

Nagarjuna also talked about the passion and approach some filmmakers take to perfect their projects. “I believe Mr S. S. Rajamouli is the one person who really pushed the limits at that point for the RRR movie. He went through so many iterations and corrections for RRR and was also learning on the go, but that’s what passionate filmmakers think that this can be done and achieved.”

Talking about the studio’s early days, he recounted the challenges faced during the construction of Annapurna Studios, including an encounter with a snake.

Mathur talked about the potential for more Dolby Vision screens in India. “We believe that this facility, which is now operational and with more content being added, will serve as a valuable reference point for exhibitors who are also deciding whether to make the shift,” Mathur added.

Dolby has vast plans, and we can expect to hear more from them this year, including some new collaborations for Dolby Vision.

The Poco M7 Pro was launched in India in December as a mid-range budget offering and we got to try it out recently. It’s astonishing how much value modern smartphones offer at accessible price points, especially under Rs. 15,000, which is the cost of the base variant of this new Poco model. For that money, you get a large AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 5,110mAh battery, a capable mid-range chipset, and a dual rear camera setup with a 50-megapixel primary sensor.

Poco is highly competitive in the budget and mid-range segment while launching standout higher mid-range phones like the Poco X7 Pro. On paper, the M7 Pro also seems to be an excellent value for money, but how does it hold up in real-world usage? Read on to find out.

You get a 45W charger in the box alongside a case and the usual paperwork

The base variant is priced at Rs. 14,999 and has 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Meanwhile, the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage option will set you back by Rs. 16,999.

Poco M7 Pro Design

Poco M7 Pro has three colour options – Lavender Frost, Lunar Dust, and Olive Twilight. We received the Lunar Dust variant (8GB RAM + 256GB storage) for review, which will surely catch your eye. The phone features a dual-tone design on the rear panel with a moon dust/sandwave pattern covering one-half of the back. The other half has a matte finish. The combination is unique and, paired with the square camera module, gives the phone a premium look and feel.

The phone gets a dual-speaker setup

There’s Poco branding on the camera module and a 5G logo at the bottom. The camera module doesn’t stick out too much and has curved edges, which is nice. The rear panel and the frame, which also has a matte finish, are all plastic.

It has an IP64 rating

The phone weighs 190 grams, is decently light, and is only 7.99mm thick. It also gets an IP64 rating, which is an improvement over the M6 Pro’s IP52. The volume rocker and power button are placed on the right side. You get a USB Type-C port, microphone, loudspeaker, and the SIM tray slot at the bottom. The top of the phone features a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microphone, another speaker, and an IR blaster.

The phone features a 3.5mm headphone jack as well as an IR blaster

Moving over to the front, there’s a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with thin bezels on the sides and a slightly thicker bezel on the bottom. Poco claims the phone offers a 92 percent screen-to-body ratio.

The bezels on the display are minimal

The display offers 2,100 nits of peak brightness, 120Hz refresh rate, and full-HD+ resolution. Poco has used Gorilla Glass 5 for protection.

Poco M7 Pro Performance

Poco M7 Pro’s display is good for viewing content and playing games. You get three colour profiles to choose from and support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+. The phone also lets you switch between 60Hz or 120Hz refresh rate or stick to the default adaptive mode. The 2,100 nits of peak brightness translates to excellent indoor brightness, ensuring that you can read the screen even under direct sunlight.

The display offers 2,100nits of peak brightness

The phone runs Android 14 with Xiaomi’s HyperOS skin on top, and there’s a boatload of pre-installed apps and bloatware. Most of these apps can be uninstalled. Poco promises 2 years of OS updates, which means that the phone will not get any OS updates post-Android 16. Luckily, the phone is said to get four years of security updates. UI animations, scrolling, and software navigation were smooth throughout the review. I never faced any major lag when it came to regular usage.

You get Android 14-based HyperOS out of the box

In terms of performance, the phone performed quite well in daily usage. The Poco M7 Pro is equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 7025 Ultra chipset, paired with up to 8GB RAM and 256GB UFS 2.2 storage. This isn’t a particularly strong chipset, but it does just fine with all kinds of day-to-day tasks and even gaming. I ran some benchmarks on the phone, and you can see the results below.

The phone also did well when it came to gaming. I ran BGMI and Asphalt 9 on the phone, and both ran fine without any issues in the medium settings. The touch response was also fine, and there was nothing to complain about.

You get a dual speaker setup on the M7 Pro, and the sound quality is decent. The phone gets loud, and there’s no crackling at high volumes, but it does lack punchiness. The call quality was good, and I did not face any random call drops. The microphone and earpiece output were also sound.

The phone features a 20-megapixel selfie camera placed inside a hole-punch cutout

Moving on to the cameras, Poco has included a 50-megapixel Sony LYT-600 sensor at the back with OIS and an f/1.7 aperture. There’s a secondary 2-megapixel depth sensor and a 20-megapixel selfie camera up front. The photo quality of the primary rear camera is quite good in daylight conditions. There’s good detail, natural colours, dynamic range, and white balance. It performed decently well in low-light conditions and managed to preserve some details but with higher noise.

Top to bottom: Samples from Main rear camera (2), 2x zoom (2) [Tap to expand]

The 2x zoom and portrait shots were decent, with mostly accurate skin tones and edge detection. Selfies were good, with plenty of details and natural skin tones, but only in daylight conditions. Low light performance is not bad and usable when there’s enough light.

Lowlight samples: Top (primary camera), bottom (2x zoom) [Tap to expand]

As for the video, the phone offers 1080p 30fps support from the main rear as well as the front camera. Video performance from the rear camera is decent, with good details and colours. However, stabilisation isn’t great when there’s heavy movement or fast panning. The front camera also does an okay job in daylight conditions.

Selfies come out well in daylight conditions

Now, let’s talk about battery life and charging. The Poco M7 Pro packs a 5,100mAh battery, which supports 45W fast charging. You also get the charger in the box. In our HD video loop test, the phone managed to last for about 18 hours. Meanwhile, a full charge took about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Poco M7 Pro Verdict

The Poco M7 Pro, for the money, is good value. It offers several upgrades over its predecessor and is a capable performer. The large AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, good primary rear camera, and decent performance make it a top contender among other phones in the segment. The software and lowlight camera performance are probably the most annoying things about the phone. Otherwise, this is a solid budget mid-range smartphone.

As for alternatives, you could go for the Motorola G64 (Review), which offers slightly better performance and better software. There’s also the iQOO Z9x (Review), which offers better performance or the Redmi Note 14 5G, which offers mostly similar specifications with a 108-megapixel main rear camera and an ultrawide sensor. However, the latter is also slightly more expensive.

The 18th edition of the most popular cricket tournament is finally here! Yes, we are talking about the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The season, spanning from March 22 to May 25, 2025, promises breathtaking matches as we have 10 teams vying to be this year’s champions. The 18th edition of the tournament will include two groups, including Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Punjab Kings (PBKS), and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Group A. Group B includes Mumbai Indians (MI), Gujarat Titans (GT), Delhi Capitals (DC), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). So, if you are wondering where you can watch all the cricketing action online for free, then you have come to the right place. In this article, we will discuss IPL 2025 live streaming details, how to watch it for free in India, the full schedule, and more. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

IPL 2025: Today Match Details

Here’s the detail of the opening match of the ICC Champion Trophy 2025:

RR Squad: Sanju Samson, Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kunal Rathore, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Nitish Rana, Yudhvir Singh, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kwena Maphaka, Ashok Sharma, Sandeep Sharma

CSK Squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad, M.S. Dhoni, Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Shaik Rasheed, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth, Rachin Ravindra, Ravichandran Ashwin, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Anshul Kamboj, Deepak Hooda, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Matheesha Pathirana.

How to Watch IPL 2025 RR vs CSK Live Stream on Mobile and Smart TV in India?

Jiostar is the official streaming partner for the IPL 2025. This simply means that users can watch all IPL matches on the JioHotstar application or website. Interestingly, the company has confirmed that users can watch the matches in nine different languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Haryanvi, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. The live streaming on JioHotstar will be complemented by four multi-cam feeds.

However, it is important to note that the company does not offer free live streaming of the matches. This is why one needs to buy a subscription in order to watch the IPL 2025 livestream. These are as follows:

• JioHotstar Mobile: The plan comes with a price tag of Rs. 149 for three months or Rs. 499 for one year. Users will get 720p video quality streaming, though you can watch it on one mobile device at a time.
• JioHotstar Super: The membership costs Rs. 299 for three months or Rs. 899 per year. Users will get a Full HD 1080p quality streaming experience. One can watch the content on both mobile and other platforms on two devices at a time.
• JioHotstar Premium: Lastly, the Premium subscription plan comes with a price tag of Rs. 299 per month, Rs. 499 for three months, or Rs. 1,499 for one year. The plan offers 4K 2160p video quality. Moreover, one can watch the content on four devices at a time.

How to Watch RR vs CSK IPL 2025 Live Streaming for Free?

Although JioHotstar does not currently offer free live streaming on its platform, there are prepaid plans from different operators that offer complimentary subscriptions to the OTT platform. Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea offer a range of prepaid plans with up to 90 days of access to the JioHotstar Mobile plan. You can recharge these plans and watch all the IPL matches at no additional cost, without paying for a JioHotstar subscription. Check out the plans here:

Reliance Jio

• Rs 949: The plan offers 84 days of validity, offers 2GB of data per day, unlimited voice calls, unlimited 5G data for eligible customers, 100 SMS/day, and JioHotstar Mobile subscription for 84 days.
• Rs 100: You get 90 days of validity and 5GB of data, along with a JioHotstar subscription (Mobile/TV) for 90 days.
• Rs 195: The data voucher offers 90 days of validity and provides 15GB of data along with a JioHotstar Mobile subscription for 90 days.

Airtel

• Rs 100: The plan comes with 30 days of validity, offers 5GB data, and 30 days of JioHotstar subscription.
• Rs 195: You get 15GB of data, 90 days validity, and three months of JioHotstar subscription.
• Rs 301: This recharge voucher offers 28 days of validity, 1GB/day data, JioHotstar subscription for three months.
• Rs 398: Airtel offers 28 days of validity, 2GB/day data, unlimited 5G data, JioHotstar subscription for 28 days, with this plan.
• Rs 549: The prepaid plan offers 28 days of validity, 2.5GB data per day, unlimited 5G data, and three months of JioHotstar subscription.
• Rs 1,029: The operator offer 84 days validity, 2GB data per day, unlimited 5G data, and three months of JioHotstar subscription.
• Rs 3,999: The prepaid plan offers 365 days of validity, 2.5GB data per day, unlimited 5G data, and one year of JioHotstar subscription.

Vodafone Idea

• Rs 101: The data recharge plan offers 30 days of validity, 5GB data, and three months of JioHotstar subscription.
• Rs 151: This voucher provides 4GB of data, 30 days of validity, and three months of JioHotstar subscription.
• Rs 239: You get 28 days of validity, 2GB data, and 1 month of JioHotstar subscription.
• Rs 169: Vi’s data voucher offers 30 days of validity, 8GB data, and three months of JioHotstar subscription.
• Rs 469: This plan gets you 28 days of validity, 2.5GB/day data, JioHotstar subscription for three months.
• Rs 994: You get 84 days of validity, 2GB/day data, JioHotstar subscription for three months.
• Rs 3,699: The prepaid plan offers 365 days of validity, 2GB data per day, and one year of JioHotstar subscription.

Where to Watch RR vs CSK IPL 2025 Live Telecast on TV?

In India, users can watch all IPL 2025 matches on Star Sports Network. The platform has already confirmed that the live broadcast of the matches will take place in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada languages. Check out the list of channels that will showcase all the IPL 2025 matches along with their channel number for different DTH operators:

IPL 2025: List of Stadium and Venue

The venues for the IPL 2025 2025 are as follows:

1. Eden Gardens, Kolkata
2. Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
3. MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
4. ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
5. Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
6. Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
7. Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
8. Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
9. M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
10. Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Cricket Stadium, Chandigarh
11. Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
12. Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
13. Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala

IPL 2025 Full Schedule

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What time will IPL 2025 matches begin?

IPL 2025 matches during the week will start at 7.30 pm IST. On the weekend, the matches will begin at 3:30 PM IST and 7:30 PM IST, respectively.

How can I watch IPL 2025 matches online in India?

You can watch all the matches on the JioHotstar application or website.

Which teams are competing in the IPL 2025?

There are 10 IPL teams competing for the title. The list is as follows:

1. Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
2. Mumbai Indians (MI)
3. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
4. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
5. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
6. Rajasthan Royals (RR)
7. Delhi Capitals (DC)
8. Punjab Kings (PBKS)
9. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
10. Gujarat Titans (GT)

Asus Gaming V16 is part of a new lineup from the Taiwanese manufacturer made for those who want a decent gaming laptop on a budget. The Gaming V16 features a slim and understated design. The laptop weighs under 2kg, making it portable enough to take around in your backpack. It is equipped with the latest Intel Core CPU and a discrete Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU that is powerful enough to run most games.

The laptop has a starting price of Rs. 82,990 for the base variant, which gets the Intel Core 5 210H CPU. Meanwhile, the Intel Core 7 240H processor variant is priced at Rs. 92,990. Both variants get 16GB RAM, 512GB storage, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 laptop GPU with 6GB video RAM. Is the Asus Gaming V16 a good option for budget gamers? Read on to find out.

Asus Gaming V16 Design: Simple

• Dimensions – 35.70 x 25.07 x 1.80 ~ 2.20 cm
• Weight – 1.95kg
• Colours – Black

Asus has kept the design of the Gaming V16 very simple. There aren’t any RGB lights or fancy logos suggesting that it’s a gaming laptop. The lid has a matte finish, is prone to fingerprints, and features an Asus logo.

The bottom houses dual speakers

Owing to the plastic build, you’ll find that the lid and the bottom cover flex a bit, but everything is assured to be durable. According to Asus, the laptop even meets the MIL-STD 810H military standards and has passed several tests. The hinge also feels like it won’t give up on you and lets you open the lid with one hand.

There’s a single USB Type-A 3.2 port on the right side

You’ll find a textured finish on the sides and bottom of the laptop, which keeps the fingerprints away. The bottom also houses the dual speakers, large rubber feet, and cutouts for the fan.

The left houses most of the ports

As for connectivity, the Gaming V16 offers an HDMI 2.1 port, a USB Type-A 3.2 port, a USB Type-C 3.2, and a 3.5mm audio jack on the left side, along with a proprietary power connector. The right side of the laptop features another USB Type-A 3.2 port.

The laptop features large exhaust ports at the back

The laptop doesn’t get a LAN port, which is something gamers may find discouraging.

Asus Gaming V16 Display: Good enough

• Size and type – 16-inch FHD+ IPS panel
• Refresh rate – 144Hz
• Brightness – 300 nits

The 16-inch IPS display on the laptop offers a 16:10 aspect ratio with a 1920 x 1200p resolution. The display has an anti-glare coating and a screen-to-body ratio of 89 percent. It also offers a 144Hz refresh rate, which is excellent when gaming. The 16:10 aspect ratio is also good when working or browsing the web.

The display gets an anti-glare coating

Brightness is alright indoors, but I’d recommend not using the laptop outdoors as the 300 nits is barely enough. The display also features muted colours, and while that’s okay for watching content and playing games, it’s not great for video or photo editing. You can improve colour reproduction slightly by choosing a different profile, which is available in the MyAsus software.

Asus Gaming V16 Keyboard, Touchpad, speakers, and webcam

• Keyboard – Full-size keyboard with Numpad, Single colour backlight
• Touchpad – Large size, multi-touch with smart gesture support
• Speakers – Dual drivers with Dirac tuning
• Webcam – 1080p FHD with privacy shutter

Asus equips the Gaming V16 with a full-sized keyboard, complete with a numeric keypad and a full-function row. The keyboard features what Asus calls a “Turbo Blue” backlight, which is both adjustable and sufficiently bright for nighttime use. While I personally liked the blue backlighting, it may not appeal to everyone. Asus should’ve at least offered the ability to change colours since most competitors do.

The laptop gets a full-size keyboard with numpad

Additionally, the arrow keys and W, A, S, and D keys have translucent caps, allowing more of the blue light to shine through. The keyboard is nice to type on, has good spacing, and offers 1.7mm of travel.

The large touchpad supports Smart Gestures

It’s uncommon to see a large touchpad on a gaming laptop, but I’m glad that Asus offers one with the Gaming V16. The large ErgoSense touchpad supports multi-touch gestures but also offers Smart gestures that let you adjust brightness, volume, and more. While it doesn’t have a glass coating, the surface is smooth and also features a hydrophobic coating. The clicks are fine, and so is the feedback.

The downward-firing speakers lack bass

You get dual downward-firing speakers on the laptop, and they’re decent. The speakers don’t get very loud, and there’s very little to almost no bass. However, the sound is clear and doesn’t crack even at full volume. When gaming or watching movies, it’s better to use headphones.

The laptop offers a privacy shutter for the webcam

The webcam on the laptop is also nothing to brag about. It’s the usual 1080p camera found in most Windows laptops and does the job. The image is grainy in most lighting conditions. Asus offers a physical privacy shutter, which is nice.

Asus Gaming V16 Software: Basic

• OS – Windows 11 Home
• Additional software – MyAsus, ScreenXpert 3.0

The laptop runs Windows 11 Home and has some Asus tools, such as MyAsus and ScreenXpert 3.0. A Copilot key is available on the keyboard, which you can use to access the AI chatbot.

You get access to Microsoft’s Copilot chatbot on the laptop

The MyAsus app lets you customise the laptop to your liking. You can check for hardware problems, troubleshoot, check battery health, change performance/fan profiles, and adjust the display colour. Unfortunately, there are no AI tools such as Microsoft Studio Effects.

Asus Gaming V16 Performance: Mid-range

• CPU – Up to Intel Core 7 240H
• RAM – 16GB DDR5
• Storage – 512 GB PCIe 4.0 SSD storage
• GPU – Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 6GB VRAM (70W TDP)

Coming to the performance, the Gaming V16 unit we got for review was equipped with the Intel Core 5 210H processor. There’s also a variant with the Intel Core 7 240H chipset. However, the RAM and storage are capped at 16GB of DDR5 and 512GB PCIe 4.0. They’re both expandable, though and while 16GB RAM is good enough to run most tasks, it’s best to upgrade the storage as 512GB will run out in no time if you like to install and play a lot of games.

The GeForce RTX 4050 GPU has a max TDP of 70W

The laptop performs well without much lag when used regularly. However, I did notice some hiccups when running benchmark tools. Talking about benchmarks, I ran a couple of them and below are the results.

The Asus Gaming V16 performed quite well in the benchmarks, especially when it comes to GPU scores. The GeForce RTX 4050 GPU on the laptop is topped at 70W TDP, which is not the most amount of power, which shows in demanding games. I played the new Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on the laptop, and even with DLSS enabled and graphics set to low/medium, the game only delivered about 30 to 40 fps. However, less demanding titles such as Forza Horizon 4 did perform better on the laptop, delivering over 70 fps.

In terms of heat management, the laptop did a decent job. The dual fans helped to keep most of the heat away from me, but the top part of the keyboard did get hot when playing games and running benchmarks.

Asus Gaming V16 Battery: Impressive

• Capacity – 63Wh
• Charger – 150W AC adapter

While the performance didn’t impress, the battery life did. The Intel Core 5 210H chipset is an efficient one, and coupled with the 63Wh battery, you can expect the laptop to last anywhere between 6 to 7 hours and even longer if you just use it for web browsing. That’s not something you’d expect from a gaming laptop.

The laptop comes with a 150W charger

Asus bundles a chunky 150W charger with the laptop that can fully charge the laptop in under 2 hours. You can also charge the laptop using the USB Type-C port, but it’s not as fast.

Asus Gaming V16 Verdict

The Asus Gaming V16 is a good buy for those venturing into the world of gaming, but not if you’re a seasoned gamer. If you’re on a budget and don’t do a lot of gaming, this might be a good option. It’s got a portable design with a decent build, a 16-inch high refresh rate display, a good keyboard, and excellent battery life. And, for those short gaming sessions between study or work, you’ve got the GeForce RTX 4050 GPU. At a starting price of Rs. 82,990, the Gaming V16 should certainly be on your list of budget gaming laptops.