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Review Philips External SSD: Super Compact SSD For All Your Files

Nowadays, almost everyone needs digital storage space. We do banking online, photos are usually all digital and almost all companies have now switched from physical letters to digital documents. Most people also do work with the help of computers. In addition, everyone walks with a smartphone in their pocket. Today’s technology makes our lives a lot easier, but it is important to protect your digital data and store it in a safe place. This is where the Philips External SSD comes into the picture.

Most people know Philips for their high-quality household appliances and smart Hue lighting. However, the manufacturer also makes storage devices. One of the latest products is the Philips Portable SSD. This is a compact SSD with 250GB, 500GB or 1TB of storage space.

Losing your digital data can have very unpleasant consequences. For example, it is annoying when you lose your holiday photos and it is even more serious when you lose your administration or work-related documents. To avoid such problems, it is important to make backups. This can be done online in the cloud, which we definitely recommend, but also offline on an SSD so that you can access your data even without an internet connection. An offline backup also has other advantages compared to online backups. For example, online services are extra sensitive to hacker attacks or there is a chance that your password will be leaked. You do not have this problem with a physical SSD that you have in your safe at home.

The Philips Portable SSD is one of the smallest and lightest SSDs you can buy. The SSD is 10cm long, 2.95cm wide and only 0.9cm thick. The device also weighs only 25 grams. In the photo above you see a comparison with two other popular SSDs from SanDisk and Samsung. The Philips External SSD is clearly the smallest of the three and is more reminiscent of a large USB stick than an external hard drive. Thanks to the elongated thin design, the SSD fits very easily in your laptop bag or pocket. The aluminum frame also gives the SSD a nice luxurious look.

The Philips Portable SSD comes with a USB-A to USB-C cable. This cable is ideal for connecting the SSD to your computer. However, if you also have a USB-C to USB-C cable, you can also connect the SSD to your smartphone or tablet. Your Android device simply sees the SSD as external storage space and you can copy data from your smartphone directly to the SSD. So you don’t have to install any software for this. In short, the Philips Portable SSD is very easy to use and it doesn’t matter whether you use Windows, Mac or Android.

Copying files has a maximum read speed of 540MB/s. This is very fast and good enough to watch 4K UHD videos directly from the SSD. However, it is less fast than the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD, which has a maximum read speed of 1050MB/s. However, for the regular user, 540MB/s is more than sufficient. The read and write speed also depends on the USB connection on your device. Devices with an older USB port will not reach these speeds. Therefore, in practice, speeds will differ per device.

Conclusion
The Philips Portable SSD is a very compact SSD that you can easily take with you to work or on holiday. The aluminum casing is sturdy and light and thanks to the read speed of 540MB/s you can watch 4K content directly from the SSD. The SSD is available with up to 1TB of storage space, which is enough for more than 40 HD movies and more than 100 thousand photos. The Philips Portable SSD with 1TB storage space is currently available at Bol.com for 124.99 euros. External SSDs with 1TB of storage space usually cost just over 100 euros, so this is a reasonable price. However, the Philips Portable SSD is also available with 500GB and 250GB of storage space.

– super compact and lightweight
– maximum read speed of 540MB/s
– the thin design allows you to store the SSD anywhere

– housing less robust than the competing SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD


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MSI MAG Infinite S3 13th Gen Review – Powerful and compact PC


MSI not only makes gaming laptops, but also pre-built PCs for a long time. The latest PC is equipped with new hardware. Is it an ideal PC for gamers? You can now read that in our MSI MAG Infinite S3 13th Gen review.

Although there are many different guides available online, building a PC yourself is a nerve-wracking task for many people. Even though it has become a lot safer and simpler over the years, you can seriously damage some parts. For example, if you bend one of the processors, you are far from home.

Fortunately, pre-built PCs have also improved greatly in recent years. Parts fit together much better. There are hardly any PCs anymore with a powerful video card and an extremely slow processor or vice versa. The premium you pay for having the PC assembled is also a lot lower compared to a few years ago.

This way you don’t have to struggle with all the parts and guides yourself. Plug in a power cable, connect the PC to a monitor and you can play games. It doesn’t get much more than this.

Hardware in balance

The fact that pre-builts nowadays have found a good balance when it comes to hardware is immediately clear with the MSI MAG Infinite S3. The version we received has an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 inside, combined with an Intel Core i7-13700F and 16GB of DDR5 RAM. No part causes any problems and the hardware can easily last for several years.

For example, the RTX 4070 can use DLSS 3. This means that you can not only benefit from the benefits of DLSS, the technology that allows you to adjust the resolution using AI, but also Frame Generation. This ensures that not only pixels are generated by AI, but complete frames. AI is sometimes questioned, but Nvidia knows how to use the technology very well.

Frame Generation has a huge impact on games that support it. In Cyberpunk 2077, for example, the frame rate went from 131 frames per second to 185 at 1440p and High Settings. Exploring a world like Night City in this way is very impressive, especially because of all the splendor on the high settings. After such an experience you will never want to go back to ‘only’ 60 frames per second on a console. More and more games are also being added that use DLSS 3, allowing Nvidia’s 4000 series to last even longer than usual.

Without Frame Generation support, you can already enjoy a strong performance on the MSI MAG Infinite S3. Below you can find the performance of the PC, where we have set the games to 1440p, High Settings and (where possible) DLSS Quality.

Game Min. FPS Avg. FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 91 185
Baldur’s Gate 3 79 108
DOOM Eternal 183 230
Horizon Zero Dawn 91 175
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart 199 229
Remnant II 98 132
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands (no DLSS) 114 125

Can you upgrade the PC?

If there are parts that need to be replaced in the future, you do not have to immediately buy a completely new PC. Just like in a self-built PC, you can replace all parts.

The layout this time is also a lot more common than with other pre-built PCs from MSI. The cabinet looks sleek and modern from the side, including a piece of . Through the window you can admire the hardware in the cabinet with your own eyes. Only the front has a clear futuristic look that may not appeal to everyone.

The ‘conventional’ layout gives you enough space to replace the various parts, even though the complete cabinet is quite compact. You can easily place the PC on a desk or decide to place it underneath if you want to save space.

Adjust to your own taste

A gaming PC is of course not complete without RGB lighting and the MSI MAG Infinite S3 is therefore equipped with various LED lamps. However, MSI has held back this time. There is an RGB strip only on the front; the CPU cooler lights up when the PC is on. You can then use the MSI Center software to set which color or color combinations the LED lamps display. Of course, you can also turn it off completely.

The software also gives you other options. For example, you can set when they turn on and how hard they have to do their work, without having to delve into the BIOS yourself. There are also options to record gameplay footage, automatically adjust game settings and change color profiles.

Fair price

As mentioned earlier, the prices of pre-built PCs have become a lot better compared to self-built PCs. This is partly due to the rising price of individual parts, but also because manufacturers no longer attach a huge price tag to building PCs. You will of course save some time and hassle if you don’t have to assemble a PC yourself, but there is a limit to what that service is worth.

The MSI MAG Infinite S3 clearly follows the trend. For the option with the hardware we received, you have to pay 1,999 euros. That is of course not cheap, but if you find and assemble all the parts yourself, you will quickly spend somewhere between 1800 and 1900 euros.

The price of the PC is also very attractive compared to the competition. For pre-built PCs with similar specifications from other brands, you will spend 150 to 200 euros more in web shops.

MSI MAG Infinite S3 Review – Attractive total package

Gamers who want to enter the world of PC gaming for the first time or people who are looking for an upgrade for their current PC have come to the right place with the MSI MAG Infinite S3 13th Gen. You can get started right away when you start the PC and games run like a charm thanks to the powerful and well-balanced hardware.

The computer is also well future-proof, with support for DLSS 3 and a cabinet in which you can easily replace all hardware. The futuristic front may not be to everyone’s taste, but with these specifications and price – especially compared to the competition – the MSI MAG Infinite S3 is a very good deal.

  • Order the MSI MAG Infinite S3 here now!

9

The plus and minus points

  • Hardware well balanced
  • Enjoy gaming with DLSS 3
  • Future-proof
  • Good value for money

  • Front will not be to everyone’s taste

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Deal : Medion Akoya P63025 in the test: Fast, quiet, economical and compact


Chic, small, nimble and everything on board: There was little to complain about when testing the compact Medion Akoya P63025 desktop PC.

In 2011, the world’s largest computer manufacturer Lenovo took over a majority stake in the Essen-based company Medion. However, Medion continues to work almost independently and regularly brings new notebooks and desktop PCs onto the market. This also applies to the recently introduced Akoya P63025 – a compact computer that doesn’t have to hide under the desk. The test of the Medion Akoya P63025 shows what the small desktop PC can do – and what it can’t.

Akoya P63025 in the test: With hot-swap frame

The Medion Akoya P63025 is housed in a simple housing with a slightly structured surface. At the top of the front of the case there are two USB sockets and ports for one Headset. Underneath, the Medion has a hot-swap frame in which there is a 2.5 inch SSD or have a hard drive retrofitted.

Core i5-12400, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD

Anyone who opens the left side wall can take a look at the (tidy) interior:

  • Processor: The heart of the Medion Akoya P63025 is the mid-range processor Core i5-12400 from Intel Alder Lake Series.
  • Random access memory: The Core i5 stores calculated data in a large RAM of 16 gigabytes.
  • SSD: Windows 11, users save programs and data on one M.2 SSD with an effective 932 gigabytes of memory.

Fast work pace

The Medion Akoya P63025 performed impressively in the speed measurements: it was visibly underchallenged with office programs such as Word, Excel or PowerPoint, and with tasks on the Internet anyway. Computers need a lot of steam for complex photo and video editing, but the Medion also did that at a decent pace. In particular, programs that can distribute calculations across many processor cores benefit from the Intel CPU with its six computing units – including software such as Photoshop or Premiere.

Test table Medion Akoya P63025

Test table Medion Akoya P63025

Test results

processor

 Intel Core i5-12400

graphics chip

Intel UHD Graphics 730

random access memory

 16GB (2x8GB)

SSD

 932GB Western Digital

hard disk

 unavailable

Speed ​​with Office

high (58.6%)

Pace with photo and
Video editing

high (28.3%)

Game speed with 1920×1080 pixels

very jerky (10 frames per second)

Game speed with 3840×2160 pixels

 not playable

SSD speed

 slow (34.3%)

USB speed
(Read Write)

 764 / 503 MB/sec.

Noises in office applications

 very quiet (0.2 sone)

Noise level under full load

 quiet (1.2 sone)

Power consumption in office applications

 32 watts

Power consumption under full load

 109 watts

Mixed electricity consumption per year (electricity costs)

 101 KW/h (33 €)

power adapter

 Medion Power Block 250 (250 watts)

connections

 1x microphone, 1x headphones, 2x audio input, 1x audio output, 1x HDMI, 1x DP (can be used at the same time), 1x network (1 Gbit), 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 4x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 2x USB 2.0

Radio connections

 WLAN-ax (Wifi 6; 2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 5.1

Upgrade options:
Expansion cards /
Random access memory /
mass storage /
DVD-BD drives
1x PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, 1x PCIe 3.0 x1 slot
–
1x NVMe, 1x 2.5″/3.5″ combination slot
–

Keyboard/
Mouse

 Pressure point spongy /
somewhat light, well suited for office tasks

Quiet and economical

Also good: The average energy requirement was at a very low level: on average, the Medion didn’t even consume 32 watts! The noise level wasn’t high either, the Medion remained nice and quiet – even under full load during strenuous image and video editing (maximum 1.2 sone).

Decent upgrade options

The Medion does not have a memory card reader, its upgrade options are not outstanding, but quite decent (picture above):

  • CPU and RAM: The Core i5 processor (1) RAM available to the side (16 gigabytes (2)) can be expanded to 32 gigabytes.
  • SSD: The existing SSD storage (932 gigabytes (3)) users can add a second M.2 SSD and a hard drive if necessary 2.5 inch SSD expand.
  • Graphic card: A separate graphics card could be installed in the Medion (4)but only models with a maximum of one Nvidia GTX 1650-Chip (from 170 euros). For more powerful models, the power of the power supply (250 watts) is sufficient (5)) not.

WLAN-ax on board, card reader missing

The Aldi PC connects to the network either via cable or wirelessly via fast WLAN-ax. It has Bluetooth on board for wireless synchronization with tablets and smartwatches. It’s a shame: the Medion Akoya P63025 doesn’t have a memory card reader.

Medion Akoya P63025 in the test: conclusion

The Medion Akoya P63025 can be retrofitted with 2.5-inch SSDs or hard drives using the hot-swap frame on the front – if the rather large SSD storage of just under 1 terabyte is not enough. And the Medion in the MD34330 equipment variant tested here also did well in the test: it worked really quickly, wasn’t annoying with loud fan noises and didn’t put an unnecessary strain on the electricity bill. Great: It’s not a roll-container-sized example, but rather barely larger than a shoebox.