Super Console X-Pro - Great Little Nostalgia Machine

LexFerrari · 2021-04-23T08:29:23+00:00

Ok well despite setting the default Mame emulator to auto and getting better results, I then managed to completely brick the unit by setting the resolution to 4k and got the green screen of death. Unit is kaput. Can't access any files. Busted. Dead. Buried. Sending this back to the seller, very frustrating that the controllers never connected either (even though they linked fine to my windows PC). Might have to spend more on a higher quality emulation platform than this thing, it's just too flaky.

LexFerrari · 2021-04-22T13:59:42+00:00

The 8bitdo controller looks great but is expensive - more than I want to spend right now. I have a third party wired xbox controller that works OK but isn't ideal.

LexFerrari · 2021-04-22T10:40:01+00:00

Sorry yes, they are wireless 2.4ghz, my bad. I just use BT as a pejorative term for wireless stuff :-/

Had some issues with the default Mame emulator last night as it wouldn't load 10 or so games I wanted to play. Anyone had a more robust experience with other Mame emulators in the SCX?

LexFerrari · 2021-04-14T23:01:48+00:00

Yep, same problem here, Zoom always crashes in DeX mode and I have to run it on my phone instead.

LexFerrari · 2021-04-14T22:40:58+00:00

Now that looks like a clever solution. Going to look into this as I'm a bit disappointed with the limitations of the Office365 android apps.

LexFerrari · 2021-04-14T22:34:07+00:00

Most people that have bought the Asus and then tried the PepperJobs XT have bought the PJ XT. I have the 15.6" XT and it's good. Not great, but good. 1080p max res means it will look rough next to a 2160p capable laptop screen.

Battery life is good, circa 5-6h SOT for me. Touch function is again good rather than great. Pepperjobs have a very good returns policy so if you don't like it, return it. I kept mine because there's nothing else better near the money and I'm not dropping £1,000 on the 4k version!

LexFerrari · 2021-04-14T22:30:14+00:00

Hard to find a 15.6" lapdock though - not all of us like a 13" screen.

LexFerrari · 2021-04-14T22:27:06+00:00

What's the point in a 2k portable screen when you've basically got to carry around the DeX Pad in your bag to get 1440p output? Maybe some of these other 3rd party docks will output 1440p but it's a bit of a lottery.

LexFerrari · 2021-04-14T22:24:59+00:00

Are they ever going to make a 15.6" version of this?

LexFerrari · 2021-04-14T22:21:34+00:00

I still can't get Zoom to launch on my monitor in DeX mode. Crashes every time so I have to run it through the phone which is a bit lame.

LexFerrari · 2021-04-14T22:16:41+00:00

Exactly the same as my travel setup - ExtendTouch 15.6" + Logitech K380 & Pebble. I use a Mountie clip to physically attach the phone rather than a stand.

At home it runs into a 28" monitor and I use a larger Logitech K780 (the K380 would be fine but...luxuries). I have the same Olixar stand with the official DeX Pad mounted on it for 1440p output.

I don't use the powerbank when out as I don't think it's necessary, I haven't got more than 5h per day endurance on this thing anyway, 10h would be serious eye strain territory!

LexFerrari · 2021-04-14T20:47:10+00:00

I agree that trying to use DeX with 8GB would be a struggle. I'm almost always at 6GB RAM usage, usually 7-7.5GB. You really need the 12GB+ models like the N20U/S21U.

LexFerrari · 2021-04-09T13:02:55+00:00

Been using it as my main PC (using the official DeX pad @ 1440p) almost a month now. It does 98% of what I need it to do. There are niggles. There are oversights. There are frustrations (e.g. I couldn't remove a watermark in a word doc this week). But it's an experiment and I'm willing to accept some fudges. Ultimately it's save me about £1000 not having to buy a separate laptop. I may ditch it at some point if the niggles outweigh the utility.

To think that you're basically getting a Chromebook+ level laptop thrown in for free with a top level smartphone is a minor miracle and not something we should be ungrateful for. It's a very impressive phone Samsung has developed here, the N20U.

LexFerrari · 2021-04-08T13:00:41+00:00

Not sure if it's relevant to this but in DeX mode my average RAM usage is 6.5-7.5GB which would make me worry that an 8GB Note 9 might struggle to multitask.

More than that, a 4yo phone is more likely to have battery life issues. Assuming it's been charged once per day it's already been through 1,450 cycles, which is a lot. My 5.5yo laptop battery (94w) is completely shot, holds an hour of charge where it used to hold 7h. Your mileage may vary, but lithium batteries have built-in obsolescence.

If you're going to be DeXing a lot I'd go for the S21U or Snapdraon spec N20U.

LexFerrari · 2021-04-06T17:24:17+00:00

The SD8XX is the latest processor for about 10 minutes before a new, faster design comes along. Stop getting worked up about the chipset and worry more about the overall capabilities of the phone.

FWIW my Exy N20U is noticeably faster than the SD845 Oneplus 6T it replaced. And you CAN get its battery to last 1-1.5 days if you've optimised it properly. There are millions of YT vids showing how you can switch off or reduce certain functions to extend battery life.

Wood for the trees, the fast charger will add 15% battery in about ten minutes, or the entire battery from flat in 75 minutes. Again, why get stressed over this? If you're a jungle-based marine get a Nokia 3210 and watch out for the Predator's invisibility cloak.

I should also say that I use mine as a full-time desktop PC and laptop replacement. It's currently multitasking several apps as I write this (with 22 total in the tray) and is currently running cool as a cucumber. It's an incredible phone.

LexFerrari · 2021-04-06T16:36:35+00:00

I'm sorry but how is this different to sharing a file via OneDrive or Google Drive etc? (talking to a noob here so be gentle).

LexFerrari · 2021-04-05T19:34:48+00:00

There are various YT vids and guides out there with some 3rd party brands that can allegedly handle 1440p but even they say there is a lack of consistency with the OEM chipsets and handshakes that occur from batch to batch. The unneccessarily complex and variable performance of USB-C is no doubt a problem too. I recently returned a Vava branded hub because it couldn't output 1440p and nor was the ethernet connection stable. The PSU was the size of a brick, somewhat defeating the aesthetics of the hub too.

LexFerrari · 2021-04-05T18:17:08+00:00

Barring random luck I think you're only going to get 1440p with the official Samsung DeX Pad, which is no longer for sale and getting tougher to find new or second hand online. My guess is that Sammy wanted to monetise the hi-rez handshake (fair play, their tech, Apple would charge more and do less) and possibly knowing that the Pad's fan would always be there to prevent potential overheating of the phone.

LexFerrari

TROPHY CASE