Kenny's top computing deals from Comex 2024

Don't head down to Comex before you read this.
#comex2024 #computing #networking #wifi7

By Kenny Yeo - 31 Aug 2024

Note: This feature was first published on 29 August 2024.

Comex is back and it’s taking place right now at the Suntec Convention Centre, level 3 and 4. If you are looking for a laptop, router, or just additional storage for your systems or devices, this is the place to be and this is the article you want to read. There’s lots to see and loads of deals if you look hard enough. To save you the trouble and hassle, I was there the moment the show was opened to help you scour the best deals. Here’s what I found.

Don't forget to catch all of our Comex 2024 coverage at the Tech Show Portal where you'll also find full brochure listings, reviews, guides, and more.

Remember, Comex 2024 takes place this weekend from 29 to 1 September, at Suntec Convention Centre. Level 3 opens at 11am, while Level 4 opens at 12pm. Both levels close at 9pm.

Acer Swift X 14 OLED

Those looking for a compact and powerful ultraportable laptop should definitely check out the Acer Swift X 14 OLED. This has a 14-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2880 x 1800 pixels and a high 120Hz refresh rate. It’s powered by a Core Ultra 7 155H processor and has 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. It has Killer Wi-Fi 6E and USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports. It’s going for S$2,199 (U.P. S$2,699) and will come with a free carrying case.

You can find it at the Challenger booth (307) on Level 3 and the Best Denki booth (8105) on Level 4.

Apple MacBook Air 15

The MacBook Air is the best MacBook for most people. And if you need something with a larger display, there’s a 15-inch MacBook Air now. The base model version which comes with an M3 chip that has 8 CPU cores and 10 GPU cores with 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD is going for S$1,805 (U.P. S$1,899).

Read our review of the 15-inch MacBook Air.

You can find it at the Challenger booth (318) on Level 3.

ASUS ZenBook Duo UX8406

If you need lots of display real estate on the go, there’s no better notebook than the ASUS Zenbook Duo. As its name suggests, it has two 14-inch OLED displays, each supporting a resolution of 2880 x 1800 pixels. The best thing about this notebook is that it comes with a detachable wireless keyboard, and when the keyboard is attached, it looks just like a regular notebook. Furthermore, it weighs just 1.35kg. So, it’s really just as portable as a regular 13 or 14-inch notebook. It is powered by the Intel Core 9 Ultra 185 processor and has 16GB of memory and a 1TB PCIe SSD. It’s going for S$2,699 (U.P. S$2,999) and comes with a free sleeve case and stylus.

You can find it at the Challenger booth (307) on Level 3.

Read our review of the ASUS Zenbook Duo UX8406 here and see why it's our Innovation Award Winner at Tech Awards 2024.

ASUS ROG Rapture GT-BE98

The ASUS ROG Rapture GT-BE98 is a quad-band Wi-Fi 7 router that's capable of delivering up to 25,000Mbps of bandwidth. To ensure users can take advantage of all that speed, it has a single 10Gbps WAN port and two 10Gbps LAN ports. It’s the router you want if you have compatible Wi-Fi 7 devices that can take advantage of all that performance. It's priced at S$1,099 and will come with a free Cat 7 cable and free ASUS Vivowatch 5 Aero. Customers who spend above S$50 (on both ASUS and ROG products) will also be entitled to a free spin and win at a gacha machine.

Learn more about the ROG Rapture GT-BE98 here.

You can find it at the Challenger booth (307) on Level 3.

Crucial T500

Readers looking for a high-performance PCIe 4.0 SSD should definitely check out the Crucial T500. This SSD delivers read and write speeds of up to 7,400MB/s and 7,000MB/s respectively. You can get it with or without a heatshield. The 2TB non-heatshield version is S$230, while the heatshield version is a tad more at S$244. In our opinion, do opt for the heatshield version if your motherboard has no passive cooling options for this high-speed SSD.

You can find it at the CR Group booth (8118) on Level 4.

HP Pavilion 16

If you are looking for a laptop with a big display, check out the HP Pavilion 16. It has a large 16-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. It’s powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 8540U and has 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. Its integrated graphics is the Radeon 740M. It’s going for S$999 (U.P. S$1,312).

You can find it at the Challenger booth (307) on Level 3 and the Atrix booth (8111) on Level 4.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i

One of the more affordable Core Ultra laptops I saw at the show was the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i. This is a slim ultraportable laptop that weighs just 1.3kg. It has a Core Ultra 5 125H processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. My only gripe with this system is that its 14-inch display has a resolution of just 1920 x 1200 pixels. If it’s any consolation, the display uses an OLED panel. It’s going for just S$1,399.

You can find it at the Challenger booth (305) at level 3 and the Best Denki and Atrix booth (8108, 8111) at Level 4.

LG gram 14

If portability is your utmost priority, then check out the LG gram 14. This laptop weighs just 1.12kg and features a 14-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. It’s powered by the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H processor and comes with 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD. This version is going for S$1,899. You can also get it with a more powerful Core Ultra 7 155H processor for S$2,199.

If you're wondering why the high cost compared to the Lenovo model highlighter earlier that seems to have similar specs, you're paying for LG gram's ultra-lightweight and sturdy build, plus it's been put through MIL-STD-810 testing to give you added assurance of its ruggedness. The proof of the pudding is just to pick up this laptop and you'll immediately realise the difference in weight over most other laptops in the market.

Read our review of the LG gram 14 here.

You can find it at the Challenger booth (305) at level 3.

Kloxia SSDs

Those looking for affordable SSDs should pop over and visit Kloxia. The Kloxia Exceria is a mainstream SSD that delivers read and write speeds of up to 1,700MB/s and 1,600MB/s respectively. A 250GB version is going for just S$39 (U.P. S$65). The faster Kloxia Exercia Pro delivers read and write speeds of up to 7,300MB/s and 6,400MB/s respectively. The 1TB version is S$130 (U.P. S$245).

You can find it the 12Buy.sg booth (8524) on Level 4.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3

The Surface Laptop Go 3 is Microsoft’s standard laptop offering and it’s available at a slight discount. However, the specs are pretty middling. The base model that comes with a Core i5-1255U processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD is going for S$1,079, which is about S$130 off. The model we recommend is the one with 16GB of memory, and that’s going for S$1349, which is around S$160 off. Every purchase comes with a travel adapter and tote bag, and you can also purchase Office 365 software at special purchase-with-purchase prices.

You can find it at the Best Denki booth (8105) on Level 4.

Orbi 970 Series Quad-band Wi-Fi 7 mesh

The Orbi 970 series is one of the most high-end mesh networking systems money can buy. This is a quad-band system that has a total bandwidth of 27,000Mbps. To ensure customers can fully maximise all of its performance, it has 10Gbps WAN and LAN ports. Netgear claims a two-pack can provide 6,600 sq. ft. of coverage, while a three-pack extends that to 10,000 sq. ft. A two-pack is $2,799, while a three-pack is S$3,799. Every purchase will come with a free Sonos Ray soundbar while stocks last.

Find out more about this high-end solution from our earlier reporting.

You can find it at the Best Denki booth (8801) on Level 4.

TP-Link Archer BE550

One of the more affordable Wi-Fi 7 routers at the show is TP-Link’s Archer BE550. This is a tri-band router capable of delivering speeds of up to 9,214Mbps. TP-Link also claims it supports up to 200 devices and can offer up to 8,000 sq. ft. of coverage. To ensure customers can maximise its performance, it has a single 2.5Gbps WAN port and four 2.5Gbps LAN ports. It’s going for S$389 (U.P. S$609).

You can find it at the Challenger booth (307) at Level 3.

WD My Passport SSD

If you searching for speedy external storage, check out WD's My Passport SSD. It supports the USB 3.2 Gen 2 standard and can deliver read and write speeds of up to 1,050MB/s and 1,000MB/s respectively. They are available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB versions and are priced at S$159 (U.P S$199), S$239 (U.P S$339), and S$459 (U.P S$649) respectively.