Blog – Page 172 – Appliances catalogue

20 Feb

Meg Squats – Fitness Journey & Achievements

February 20, 2021
Posted by Samson

Meg Gallagher, better known as "Meg Squats," is a power lifter and social media star. In her college days, she was like any of us. She loved to party, drink alcohol, and eat delicious but unhealthy food. So what has changed? How did she go from being a normal student to being a social media sensation?

That's exactly what we're going to discuss in this article! We are going to tell you the story of how Meg Gallagher became Meg Squats. We will dive deep into those cases where she realized her potential and thus became the ideal and inspiration of thousands of girls.

But first, let's examine some of the Meg Squats facts listed below:

● Full name: Meg Gallagher
● Year of birth: August 13, 1989
● Place of birth: California, USA
● Weight: 61.2-65.8 kg
● Height: 160 cm

Early years:

As a kid, Meg Squats was an athletic kid. She took part in numerous sports competitions, particularly in basketball and cross country.

College days:

However, her lifestyle and love of physical activity were affected when she started partying (which inevitably means eating junk food and drinking alcohol). This continued throughout her student life, with Meg showing absolutely no interest in fitness. As a result, her physical strength deteriorated.

The first step towards your fitness journey:

After graduating from college, Meg found her body had been out of shape for so long, filled with junk and unhealthy food.
Her love of fitness began when she signed up for a half marathon with her mother. She started training for the marathon and her childhood love for fitness and exercise returned to her.

CrossFit:

She took her next step in fitness when she made the New Years decision to try CrossFit. When she signed up for Crossfit, she was thrilled to find so much change in her body. And even the instructor and her friends saw their true abilities.

Powerlifting:

Another avenue for potential success opened up for her when she entered her first powerlifting competition, which was encouraged by her friends. At the age of 27, she took part in the Open New York State Show (2016). He performed excellently as it was her very first powerlifting competition. She managed to record the 1975 deadlift.

This win gave her the confidence and motivation she needed to pursue a fitness career. As a result, she became a fitness trainer while watching powerlifting competitions with the same zeal.

Social media sensation:

With her goal of doing fitness coaching and inspiring every girl to get a barbell, she made her social media profiles. On these profiles, she shared pictures and videos of her training routines.

Given her amazing workouts and body, it didn't take her much time to make a name for herself in the fitness community, and therefore worldwide. Today almost every fitness lover knows her name, and many girls and women aspire to become like them. She currently inspires everyone to lead a healthy lifestyle through their social media accounts and YouTube account.

Successes:

She competed in 63kg USAPL and achieved:

● Open the New York State Raw Deadlift – 175 kg
● Open Washington DC Raw Squat – 125kg
● Open Washington DC Raw Deadlift – 172.5 kg
● Open Washington DC Raw Total – 385 kg
● Open Washington DC Raw Push – 240 kg
● Top 10 at the USAPL Nationals 2015

20 Feb

Blog

Wyze Robot Vacuum Review: Efficiency Without the Pricey Cost

February 20, 2021
Posted by Samson

Wyze Robot Vacuum

"The Wyze Robot Vacuum offers efficient cleaning at an affordable price."

Efficient cleaning
Smart mapping and navigation
Easy to set up and use
Can set up virtual walls

There is no intelligent integration of assistants
Often catches cables

Wyze is known for affordable products that meet the same quality standards as much more expensive options. The company's security cameras compete against bigger names without breaking the bank, and the new Wyze Robot Vacuum is no exception. The Wyze Robot Vacuum may not have as many features as the iRobot Roomba i3 +, but it does offer efficient cleaning at an affordable price.

The Wyze Robot Vacuum is just the latest in a number of new additions to the robot vacuum market. The space has become increasingly competitive, especially in the lower section. Companies like iRobot and Roborock dominate the high-end market, but the mid and budget markets are flooded with third party companies and cheaper options from big companies. Even so, Wyze has a reputation for quality at a low price, and that reputation (combined with the functionality of this vacuum) sets it apart in a sea of different vacuum cleaners.

Set up

For just $ 250, it packs a lot of features into the box. It comes with two spare brushes, the charging stand, an instruction manual and a quick start guide. Setup is just as easy. Just plug in the charging stand and leave at least 1.5 feet on either side of the vacuum and at least 4.5 feet in front of it. There is also a brush cleaner and small knife in the top cover of the vacuum cleaner itself that is used to cut the string around the main brush.

It needs to be charged for about two hours before running. Once it is fully charged, download the app and follow the on-screen instructions. From this point on, it should take less than five minutes for the vacuum to operate. The included quick start guide describes these steps in an incredibly easy to understand way. Once it is set up, you can start cleaning your floor.

A good choice for a first robotic vacuum

The Wyze Robot Vacuum is a bit barebones in terms of features, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Wyze robot vacuum cleaner is straightforward and simple to operate, making it an excellent choice for the first robot vacuum cleaner.

There are three separate cleaning modes, which are defined by the suction level: Quiet, Standard and Strong. Calm is self-explanatory; It's quieter than any other mode, but it also has the lowest suction power. This mode is ideal for hardwood or linoleum surfaces, but doesn't work as well on carpets. Standard is louder than Quiet mode but has more suction power, while Strong is the loudest of the three. Strong is also the most efficient and results in the deepest and most thorough cleaning of all modes. It took longer than the other modes, but the difference was visible – the carpet looked and felt cleaner.

Few robotic vacuums at this price point have lidar capabilities.

Cleaning is only done via the app. You can schedule them to be cleaned up automatically or instruct them to start a run manually. Voice control is not yet available for the Wyze Robot Vacuum. Alexa compatibility is expected to be available in the first half of 2021, however, along with other features like spot cleaning.

There are some drawbacks, however. While the vacuum did a great job of the actual cleaning, it picked up and carried cables that were inferior to any other vacuum I've ever worked with. This is not an isolated incident, but the Wyze Robot Vacuum captured everything it came across. I had to stop it and salvage four different cables – three power cables and one ethernet cable – before it ended a run. It also ran into the leg of the couch and got stuck due to interference with the lidar signal, the laser signal used to map the area.

Smart navigation and mapping

The Wyze Robot Vacuum navigates through a room using lidar technology and creates an intelligent map in the process. You can view this map on your phone to know exactly where the vacuum is at any given moment. You can also use it to create virtual walls or divide the map into different zones. This is important as few robotic vacuums offer lidar at this price.

At the bottom right of the card there is a small icon in the form of a box. If you tap on it, you can edit the map. You can create a virtual wall to close off certain areas. For example, if you want the Wyze Robot Vacuum to clean your bedroom but not the attached bathroom, create a virtual wall on the bathroom door. You can also divide the map into different rooms, even within the same room. An example of this would be a large living room that is divided into a den and a dining area. You can turn the den into one room, the dining area into a second.

Once the rooms are divided up, you can tap on any of them to tell the Wyze to only clean that particular room. If there are multiple rooms on the card, you can choose as many as you want to clean at once. If you don't select a room and just tap Clean, the entire room will be vacuumed.

A notable feature of the Wyze is the accuracy of its navigation. If it is picked up and moved, it learns its new location and its repositioning within the smart map in just a few seconds. It also stops just before most obstacles. During a test run, the vacuum was once applied directly to the side wall of a PC that was on the floor. The vacuum stopped within an eighth of an inch of the disk, turned, and continued on its way. It used its lidar reading instead of the shock sensor, although it does use the shock sensors when navigating along walls. It can also vacuum close to the edge of a staircase without falling over. Sensors at the bottom of the vacuum guarantee that it does not move over the edge.

Use and accessory tracking

In addition to the settings, the settings menu of the Wyze Robot Vacuum offers a wealth of valuable information. In this menu you can set up specific cleaning schedules, change the suction power and turn notifications on and off. You can also access clean records to measure when the last run was, how long it took, and how much space was covered. The map editor can also be accessed from this menu.

The standout option, however, is the Accessories menu. This lists the main brush, edge brush, and HEPA filter, and the time remaining for each of these parts before they need to be replaced. If you replace it, you can update the time by tapping the accessory and selecting "I replaced it". You also have the option to purchase another part. The main brush is designed for 300 operating hours, the edge brush for 200 operating hours and the HEPA filter for 150 operating hours.

In addition to the basic Wyze Robot Vacuum settings, you can set up rules that allow interaction with other Wyze devices, shortcuts that perform actions on the home screen, and schedules that set controls at certain times of the day.

Our opinion

Wyze Robot Vacuum Wyze / Youtube

The Wyze Robot Vacuum is by no means a bad investment. While it lacks some of the bells and whistles other robotic vacuums have, it does a good job of cleaning a room, provided you have the right vacuum level selected – a few runs over carpet in quiet mode left dirt on the floor. The mapping and navigation is on par with much more expensive models, however, and once more features are added that allow it to interact with intelligent assistants and perform spot cleaning, it will be quite a competitor.

Is there a better alternative?

At $ 250, there are few robotic vacuums that can match. If you put in just $ 50 more you could get one iRobot Roomba e5, a robotic vacuum cleaner that is great for picking up pet hair and has all of the advanced features of iRobot.

In the premium range, the iRobot Roomba s9 Plus offers enormous cleaning functions and a range of functions that you will not find anywhere else. That comes with a premium price of around $ 1,100, of course. There's no doubt that iRobot is the king of the hill, but you don't have to sell an arm or leg to pick up a robotic vacuum that does excellent cleaning.

If even $ 250 is too much, there are budget options like the Eufy Robovac 11S, which costs $ 30 less at $ 220. It lacks the efficiency of better vacuums, but it cleans your floor so you don't have to.

How long it will take?

The Wyze Robot Vacuum is designed for a long service life and depends solely on the estimated service life of the accessories. However, the vacuum can operate anywhere from 32 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (although lower or higher temperatures in a house create a number of other problems). With proper care and maintenance, the Wyze Robot Vacuum will last for years to come. There is a one year limited warranty that protects it from defects.

Should I buy it?

Short answer: yes, if you are looking for a budget friendly robotic vacuum cleaner. At this price, only a few robotic vacuums have lidar functions. Although the Wyze Robot Vacuum does not yet offer voice control or spot cleaning, these functions are in preparation. It cleans your floor quickly and efficiently and will only get better over time.

Editor's recommendations

19 Feb

Blog

Quadriceps Muscles: Structure, Functions, Exercises

February 19, 2021
Posted by Samson

We tend to use our hamstrings for everything: sitting, standing, walking, jogging, running, etc. However, somehow we don't even know the name of the muscles we use every day. The muscles in our thighs are collectively known as the quadriceps muscles, which are commonly known as quads. These quadriceps femoral muscles are the largest, strongest, and meatiest muscles in our body. They are located in the front and sides of the thigh bone (femur). They form vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius and rectus femoris.

Very little attention is paid to these quadriceps muscles relative to the tremendous amount of work they do. Hence, in this article we will learn the structure of the quadriceps muscles, their functions, the need to strengthen them, the pain people experience due to these muscles, and ways to strengthen them.

Structure of the quadriceps muscles:

The quadriceps are made up of the following four muscles:

Vastus lateralis:

It is the largest muscle among all quadriceps muscles.
It is located on the lateral side of the femur, the outer part of the thigh.
It connects the femur with the patella (kneecap).

Vastus Medialis:

It is located in the inner (medial) part of the thigh.
It's a teardrop-shaped muscle.
It also connects the femur to the patella.

Vastus Intermedius:

Is the deepest of the quadriceps muscles.
It is located between the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis muscles.
It is impossible to see this muscle without dissecting the rectus femoris.

Rectus Femoris:

It connects the hip bones to the kneecap.
It covers most of the other quadriceps muscles.
It is located in the middle of the thigh and above the vastus intermedius.

Functions of the quadriceps muscles:

These muscles help a person with everyday tasks that humans take for granted, such as sitting, standing, climbing stairs, squatting, running, jogging, cycling, etc.
They also help with stretching the lower leg from the knee.
The rectus femoris muscle helps flex the hip when it is attached to the ilium.
The vastus medialis stabilizes the kneecap.

Need to strengthen the quadriceps muscles:

As we have seen, these muscles enable us to perform many basic activities in a person's life. However, these muscles are prone to tearing, injury, strain, or even fracture. This can make our daily activities seem problematic. Some common injuries that affect a person's quads include:

cramps
Tendinitis
Muscle strain or pull
Meralgia Paresthetica
Dislocation of the kneecap
Iliotibial band friction syndrome
Patellofemoral Stress Syndrome

Therefore, the muscles need to be strengthened so that we can work without pain.

Best Exercises To Strengthen The Quadriceps Muscles:

Squats:

Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-length. Keep your hands in front of you, straight out or on your hips or by your sides.
Push your hips back to look like you are sitting in a chair with your spine upright and your chest up.
You should feel a stretch in your thighs, stop when your thighs are parallel to the floor, and stay there for 2-3 seconds.
Return to your starting position and release the stretch.

Side lunge (side lunge):

Stand straight with your legs; When you are apart, your hands should be folded towards each other.
Shift all of your weight onto your right leg as you flex it. Your left leg should stretch subwords.
You should feel a stretch in your inner thigh.
Stay there for 2 seconds and then return to your starting position.
Repeat with the other leg.

Reverse lunges:

Stand in your side profile and fold your hands together.
Take a big step back with your right leg and try to touch the floor with your right knee.
Stay there for 5 seconds and return to the starting position.
Repeat with the other leg.

Single leg raises:

Lie on your back with your legs straight in front of you and your hands by your side.
Keeping the other leg straight, lift your right leg up, making a 45-degree angle with the floor.
Your raised leg should be straight at the knee as well.
Keep your leg lifted for 10 seconds and return to your starting position.
Repeat with the other leg.

Crouch jump:

Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-length apart and your hands clasped in front of you.
Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Stay there for 2 seconds and then jump up with your feet.
Gently borrow back with a small bend in your legs.

Wall slides:

Stand up straight and press your back against the wall with your shoulder-length feet.
Gradually bend your knees to form a 45-degree angle.
Stay there for 15 seconds and then return to your starting position.

Now, you have a whole list of quad workouts that can help you strengthen your quadriceps muscles and relieve your pain. However, you need to keep in mind that regularity and discipline are important in exercising these quadriceps muscles.

Although you won't see results in two days or a week, you will see results in a month. Also, try to do each of these exercises regularly for 5 minutes. However, at the same time, remember to be gentle with your body so that you do not experience pain while exercising these quadriceps muscles.

19 Feb

Blog

The Role of Micronutrients in Body Recomposition

February 19, 2021
Posted by Samson

When it comes to talking about food and diet in fitness circles, one of the terms you keep hearing about is macronutrients. The less discussed counterpart, micronutrients, is the topic for today.

Micronutrients are often ignored in the fitness industry, but they are essential for optimal body function and the achievement of your fitness goals – namely the purpose of body composition.

So if you want to improve your game, expand your knowledge, and improve your health, you need to start with micronutrients.

The difference between macro and micronutrients

Starting with the basics, the difference between macro and micronutrients is in the name – large and small nutrients. This does not refer to their physical size, but to the amount required in a healthy diet to perform bodily functions.

Macronutrients include the three staple foods that make up the majority of your calories::

protein
carbohydrates
fat

Within the three macronutrients, you have micronutrients.

Micronutrients refer to the vitamins and minerals that are consumed in smaller amounts and are mostly found in the larger macronutrient group.

For example, avocados are also a fat within the macronutrient group and contain the following micronutrients:

However, some micronutrients are not found in macronutrients.

For example, vitamin D is produced directly from sunlight. When the UVB rays hit the cholesterol in the skin cells, vitamin D synthesis takes place.

In general, however, micronutrients are mainly contained in the three main macronutrients in food.

Essential vitamins

Daily body functions require a number of different vitamins, each with a unique role and function.

There are 13 essential vitamins, which means they are essential for your body to work optimally. Without them, adverse side effects can occur, ranging from dry hair, acne, increased fat storage, and less favorable side effects.

Vitamins are divided into two main categories::

Fat soluble
Water soluble

There are four fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K.

When consumed with fat, they are easily absorbed as they are stored in adipose tissue.

Water-soluble vitamins are the remaining nine vitamins that are not stored in the body. This underscores the need for a healthy, vitamin-rich diet for maximum function and performance.

Some of the functions of vitamins include:

The role of minerals

Minerals also help your body function.

Some examples of minerals are calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Minerals play an essential role in bone health, growth, the regulation of body fluids, heart health, the transmission of nerve impulses and are precursors to many hormones.

As shown in a 2014 study, for example, the mineral iodine is found in the thyroid hormone, which plays a role in metabolism.

Eat the rainbow

As mentioned briefly, we mainly find micronutrients in carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

Any whole food that is not processed is likely to contain several different vitamins and minerals. Often times, these micronutrients cause the food to have a specific color known as phytonutrients.

Phytonutrients are found in plant-based foods and correlate with certain vitamins and minerals. That is why it is often recommended to eat the rainbow, with each color offering a unique density of vitamins and minerals.

Here are some example sources of micronutrients::

calcium:: Milk, yogurt, spinach, kale, sardines
Vitamin B12: beef, chicken, fish, cheese, eggs
Potassium: bananas, spinach, potatoes
Vitamin C: oranges, lemons, strawberries, broccoli
Vitamin E: vegetable oils such as sunflower, nuts, seeds, spinach, broccoli
Vitamin K: kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, fish, beef

As you can see, whole foods and plant-based foods are high in micronutrients. If you're wondering if you're lacking micronutrients, your best bet is to use a whole plant-based diet that includes foods of different colors that have been the least processed.

This is paramount when your body composition goal is.

Lose body fat and gain muscle mass

Body recomposition is a term used in the fitness industry to describe the process of losing body fat and building muscle mass.

The way you do this is over::

Increase your energy consumption
Effective and efficient training
Implement progressive overload to strategically increase your strength, build muscle, and ultimately increase your metabolism.
At the same time, the calories must be closely monitored. Eating around maintenance is most often recommended in order to lose excess body fat.

How is this related to micronutrients? It all depends on the magic word: optimization.

Optimize body recomposition

If you want your body to work as efficiently as possible, you need to provide it with the appropriate tools. As much as coaches would like to believe that it is as simple as calorie intake versus calorie expenditure, there is so much more to it.

For example, 100 calories of ice cream is not the same as 100 calories of kale.

Within a calorie you have various macro and micronutrient offerings. If you lack vitamins, you will not optimize your fat loss or muscle gain. You could prevent yourself from making progress.

For example, vitamin D deficiency is linked to fat storage.

A study looking at low vitamin D levels in a group of women found that those with the lowest levels gained weight throughout the study even though they did not change their diet.

Another example of this are B vitamins, which are essential for metabolic function.

If you are missing or not getting enough of any of the B vitamins, your body is in fat storage mode.

This is because the main function of B vitamins is to metabolize macronutrients. When you don't have enough blood in your blood, you save the calories instead of burning them. One study found that vitamin B supplementation could reduce body weight by increasing metabolism.

When there is a lack of nutrients while building muscle, similar problems arise.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that fights free radical damage and helps flush out metabolic wastes.

During exercise, you create oxidative stress. When you don't have enough circulating vitamin E, you will experience increased delayed muscle soreness (DOMS), poor recovery, and stunted muscle protein synthesis. Not ideal.

A study published in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine found that vitamin E supplementation improved recovery by reducing markers of muscle damage.

If you're busy counting your macros without thinking too much about your mics, you need to re-prioritize.

Without micronutrients, your body will not function optimally, you will have adverse side effects, and your fitness goals will continue to move out of reach.

If you follow a diet high in whole plant foods of various colors, you can meet most of your micronutrient needs.

18 Feb

Blog

MSI GS66 Stealth (2021) Review: 1440p Performance, Tested

February 18, 2021
Posted by Samson

msi gs66 stealth 1440p review 09

MSI GS66 Stealth (2021) Review: Peak 1440p Gaming

"The MSI GS66 Stealth brings faster, sharper 1440p gaming to laptops."

Incredible gaming performance
1440p 240Hz gaming is an achievement
Solid design and build quality
Good choice of ports
Solid battery life

Runs hot
Dull keyboard and touchpad

Switching from 1080p to 1440p is not an easy task. Playing games at higher resolutions without sacrificing frame rates requires a massive increase in graphical performance. This is exactly what the new mobile Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU is designed for.

The MSI GS66 Stealth is one of the first gaming laptops to support not only these new graphics, but also a 1440p 240Hz display. Lightning fast updates and high resolutions? Sign me up.

This is a sneak peek as the updated GS66 Stealth has not yet been launched in North America. But even without a confirmed price, my time with the updated GS66 Stealth got me excited for the potential of 1440p gaming laptops.

display

Internally, the display is the biggest change to the MSI GS66 Stealth this year. There is now the option for an IPS screen with a resolution of 2560 x 1440, measured diagonally at 15.6 inches. While 1440p screens are still a rarity on laptops, this is even more true of gaming laptops. The main reason, of course, is that the older GPUs were never capable of moving as many pixels around at frame rates fast enough to please gamers. A refresh rate above 60 Hz would never have made sense.

The MSI GS66 Stealth handles 1440p excellently in most games. 240 Hz is a bit over the top, but much more versatile than the 300 Hz 1080p models.

Since this is a new panel, I also wanted to test the image quality and make sure MSI wasn't cutting corners. There have been some surprises to say the least.

The color saturation is the real shock. With 100% sRGB and 98% AdobeRGB, this panel is significantly more colorful than your average 1080p gaming screen. Without the poor color accuracy, this would be a good photo and video editing machine. However, with a Delta E of 6.67, it is better calibrated for bold and bright colors in games than for precise color corrections.

I wish it was a little brighter which would help with the contrast as well. With 291 nits of brightness and a contrast ratio of 870: 1, it is a bit behind competitors like the Razer Blade.

Game performance

A faster screen is great, but without components to use it, it's useless. The GS66 Stealth has the Intel Core i7-10875H processor and the Nvidia RTX 3080 as well as 32 GB RAM and a 512 GB SSD. How does this deal with the promise of 1440p games? Let's just say there wasn't a title in our series of test games that I preferred to play in 1080p.

I saw some great results testing the game in the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark. The system achieved 9,907 points, which is a solid 18% ahead of the previous year's model with the RTX 2080 Super. This goes far beyond a normal increase in performance compared to the previous year. It was also only 8% behind the desktop version of the RTX 2070 Super that I tested in 2020. This is because the mobile RTX 3080 is technically the same GPU as the desktop RTX 3070.

At 1440p, it even beats the desktop RTX 2070 Super in some games.

I tested the game Battlefield V Next up, the GS66 Stealth impressed again, especially at higher resolutions. In this game, last year's model has already surpassed the Razer Blade. Now an average of 94 frames per second (fps) is displayed with 1440p Ultra settings or 126 fps with Medium. At 1440p, it even outperforms the desktop RTX 2070 Super – and keep in mind that this is a 215-watt desktop graphics card that costs $ 500 alone. This comparison did not apply to all games, especially CPU-bound games like Civilization VI. But Battlefield V was a notable high point for the GS66 Stealth.

The advantage in Fortnite wasn't that big, at least not compared to the desktop RTX 2070 Super. But take that comparison out of the equation for a moment and enjoy the glory of 1440p games at well over 60 fps. The MSI GS66 Stealth achieved an average of 81 fps in Epic settings and 115 fps in high with 100% 3D rendering. If you lower the resolution to 1080p, you get an additional 30 to 60 fps. Regardless, you never have to settle for less than 60 fps.

That was true of all of the games I tested, with the exception of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. With the in-game benchmark, Valhalla reached a top speed of 55 fps in Epic 1440p. The gameplay still looked smooth, but it barely fell below the 60 fps threshold. But in a game more known for immersive worlds and storytelling, I still preferred to prefer the sharper experience of playing in 1440p.

During long gaming sessions, surface temperatures remain manageable, resulting in a more comfortable gaming experience than on laptops like the Razer Blade. In contrast to this laptop, the MSI GS66 Stealth keeps the palm rests and keyboard cool even under less load. On the other hand, like the Zephyrus G14, the MSI GS66 Stealth always runs with a slight hum.

Ray tracing performance

Much has been said about the ray tracing capabilities of this new RTX 3080 graphic, but the performance loss is still too high in the two games I tried. Fortnite has a number of robust ray tracing features, including global lighting and shadows, each with different levels of detail. Unfortunately, despite the low setting, the game struggled to get smooth frame rates.

Heavy ray tracing effects aren't ready for prime time on gaming laptops just yet.

Of course, I also tried ray tracing along with DLSS, Nvidia's upscaling feature, to improve frame rates. DLSS helps a lot, even though I couldn't achieve the average frame rate over 60 fps even in performance mode. That was tested at 1080p Epic settings. In 1440p the situation is even worse.

I also wanted to try some ray tracing that was a little more subtle. Battlefield V was one of the first games to announce support for ray tracing and DLSS, and the effect isn't nearly as pronounced as it is in Fortnite. The MSI GS66 Stealth did a bit better here, but reaching 60 fps at 1080p Ultra was still unattainable without resorting to lower graphics settings. Story-driven or exploration games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Minecraft are slightly better suited for this performance compromise, but even there, strong ray-traced effects on gaming laptops aren't ready for prime time.

Creative achievement

The MSI GS66 Stealth uses a thoroughly boring, but satisfactory 10th generation Intel processor. The Core i7-10870H has eight cores and 16 threads with a boost clock rate of 5.0 GHz. Of course, the chip usually runs closer to its base clock of 2.2 GHz, except for burst workloads. As a gaming processor, it's more than capable and happy to leave the heavy lifting to Nvidia. However, this is a slightly slower processor than the Core i7-10875H used in the previous GS66 Stealth I tested in 2020.

Despite the high clock rates, the system doesn't look good in single-core benchmarks. In Cinebench R23, almost all 25-watt Tiger Lake processors beat the GS66 Stealth and show how inefficient the old 14 nm processors from Intel are in comparison. This discrepancy was even shown in PCMark 10's Essentials test, which rates simple tasks such as surfing the Internet, video conferencing and word processing. Even these smaller and more efficient laptops – like the Razer Book 13 or the HP Specter x360 14 – outperform it.

The GS66 Stealth makes up for it in multi-core tests, scoring 6,133 in Cinebench R23 and 6,140 in Geekbench 5. You can thank the eight cores for that. The additional cores also mean this laptop does well on multithreaded tasks like content creation. The CPU-only video encoding performance in Handbrake is good, but does not get any advantage over previous iterations of the laptop. Laptops like the Dell XPS 17 or Ryzen-based system are even faster in this test.

If you really want to edit or stream video on the MSI GS66 Stealth, the performance of the RTX 3080 can save the day. The 7,949 points are a great score on the PCMark 10 Creation test, a big step up from what was possible with older gaming laptops.

Like many of its competitors, the GS66 Stealth is running hot.

Like many of its competitors, the GS66 Stealth is running hot. It's not uncommon for 97 degrees Celsius to be reached on cranking, resulting in an inevitable thermal throttling. If you want to avoid this problem, consider opting for a bulkier chassis with better airflow.

Fortunately, this isn't a huge problem in most games as the processor shares more of the available power with the GPU.

design

The MSI GS66 Stealth was an early adopter of the thin-and-light gaming laptop trend. When the design first hit the market, the 4.6 pound weight and 0.71 inch thickness were revolutionary. In 2021, it's a little more common. The Razer Blade is a bit lighter, as is the Asus ROG Zephyrus G15. There are now new ultra-thin gaming laptops such as the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 or the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE, which are the maximum for the RTX 3060.

The look of the laptop itself doesn't attract too much attention. It's a black aluminum plate with very few flourishes. Even the dragon logo on the lid is only visible when light is reflected from it.

However, MSI has cut a few more vents in the case than in the Razer Blade. There are some on either side of the laptop as well as on the top. That makes for a slightly less elegant appearance, although it certainly helps to keep temperatures lower.

The touchpad and keyboard are some of my least favorite aspects of the laptop. In an attempt to maximize the size of the touchpad, MSI made it significantly wider than normal. I would normally welcome this attempt. But, like in the past, it is unsettling when most of your palms are resting on the touchpad. I have encountered the problem of accidental touchpad clicks more than once.

The keyboard has some usability problems for me too. The layout is abnormal and changes the default positioning of the Fn, Ctrl, Atl, and Windows keys. Fiddling with the keyboard is never fun, and I've done that quite a bit here.

The buttons themselves are fine, but the action is a bit sloppy. The keystrokes lack the precise speed that many modern keyboards have assumed, although this style is still common on gaming laptops.

As for the ports, the MSI GS66 Stealth throws in the sink. These include HDMI 2.0, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (Thunderbolt 4), USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 and three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports. The Thunderbolt 4 port can be used for both display input and charging. However, while you're playing, you'll want to take advantage of the full power of the old-school keg plug. The laptop even manages to push in an RJ45 Ethernet socket.

Unfortunately, the bandwidth of HDMI 2.0 is limited to 144 Hz at 1440p. So if you are planning on docking with a gaming monitor, this is something to consider. Currently there are very few monitors and laptops that support HDMI 2.1, which increases this bandwidth significantly.

Battery life

I never go into a gaming laptop review with high expectations for battery life. However, the MSI GS66 Stealth always had the best battery life of any gaming laptop I have ever tested. The introduction of a higher resolution screen made me fear that he might lose that crown.

Instead, the opposite happened. This year's model improved battery life in both tests, despite having the same 99 watt hour battery. With local video playback, the system lasted just under eight hours, which is almost an hour and a half longer than the previous model. That also beats the Razer Blade by half an hour.

For a more realistic workflow, I used a macro to automate light web browsing. In this test, the GS66 Stealth stayed alive for seven hours and 12 minutes, once again overtaking both last year's model and the Razer Blade. That easily makes it the 15-inch gaming laptop with the best battery life.

Laptops without powerful discrete graphics cards naturally have a much better battery life. However, I'm encouraged these high refresh rate 1440p screens don't take an even bigger toll.

Our opinion

There is no doubt that 1440p is the future of laptop gaming. More than ray tracing, higher fidelity makes every game you play look sharper, smoother, and more immersive. The MSI GS66 Stealth is finally a gaming laptop that can run at 1440p at reasonable frame rates. It might not be my favorite gaming laptop design, but the combination of a super fast, high resolution screen and great gaming performance makes it one of the best gaming laptops you can buy.

The price remains the last important piece of information in evaluating this laptop. I will update this review once pricing is confirmed.

Are there alternatives?

Few gaming laptops have announced 1440p models, and only the Razer Blade 15 matches the MSI in refresh rate. The right configuration of the Razer Blade costs $ 2,900. So, you can expect the MSI model to be just a few hundred dollars below if it follows historical pricing patterns.

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 combines its 1440p screen with a Ryzen processor and its refresh rate is limited to 165 Hz. Based on the games I tested, 165Hz is very fast when playing in 1440p. This means 1080p gaming is a little more limited, but it's likely fast enough for everyone but the most serious competitive gamers. At $ 2,500, the Zephyrus G15 may be a bit cheaper than the MSI GS66 Stealth.

How long it will take?

As with most laptops, you can expect the MSI GS66 Stealth to last four to five years. The high-end graphics card and the higher-resolution screen are future-proof, as are the Thunderbolt 4 ports. The lack of HDMI 2.1 is the only flaw in this regard.

Should you buy it?

Yes. As one of the few laptops with a 1440p screen and a refresh rate of 240 Hz, it offers one of the best gaming experiences you can get with a laptop.

Editor's recommendations

18 Feb

Blog

The Role of Micronutrients in Body Recomposition

February 18, 2021
Posted by Samson

When it comes to talking about food and diet in fitness circles, one of the terms you keep hearing about is macronutrients. The less discussed counterpart, micronutrients, is the topic for today.

Micronutrients are often ignored in the fitness industry, but they are essential for optimal body function and the achievement of your fitness goals – namely the purpose of body composition.

So if you want to improve your game, expand your knowledge, and improve your health, you need to start with micronutrients.

The difference between macro and micronutrients

Starting with the basics, the difference between macro and micronutrients is in the name – large and small nutrients. This does not refer to their physical size, but to the amount required in a healthy diet to perform bodily functions.

Macronutrients include the three staple foods that make up the majority of your calories::

protein
carbohydrates
fat

Within the three macronutrients, you have micronutrients.

Micronutrients refer to the vitamins and minerals that are consumed in smaller amounts and are mostly found in the larger macronutrient group.

For example, avocados are also a fat within the macronutrient group and contain the following micronutrients:

However, some micronutrients are not found in macronutrients.

For example, vitamin D is produced directly from sunlight. When the UVB rays hit the cholesterol in the skin cells, vitamin D synthesis takes place.

In general, however, micronutrients are mainly contained in the three main macronutrients in food.

Essential vitamins

Daily body functions require a number of different vitamins, each with a unique role and function.

There are 13 essential vitamins, which means they are essential for your body to work optimally. Without them, adverse side effects can occur, ranging from dry hair, acne, increased fat storage, and less favorable side effects.

Vitamins are divided into two main categories::

Fat soluble
Water soluble

There are four fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K.

When consumed with fat, they are easily absorbed as they are stored in adipose tissue.

Water-soluble vitamins are the remaining nine vitamins that are not stored in the body. This underscores the need for a healthy, vitamin-rich diet for maximum function and performance.

Some of the functions of vitamins include:

The role of minerals

Minerals also help your body function.

Some examples of minerals are calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Minerals play an essential role in bone health, growth, the regulation of body fluids, heart health, the transmission of nerve impulses and are precursors to many hormones.

As shown in a 2014 study, for example, the mineral iodine is found in the thyroid hormone, which plays a role in metabolism.

Eat the rainbow

As mentioned briefly, we mainly find micronutrients in carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

Any whole food that is not processed is likely to contain several different vitamins and minerals. Often times, these micronutrients cause the food to have a specific color known as phytonutrients.

Phytonutrients are found in plant-based foods and correlate with certain vitamins and minerals. That is why it is often recommended to eat the rainbow, with each color offering a unique density of vitamins and minerals.

Here are some example sources of micronutrients::

calcium:: Milk, yogurt, spinach, kale, sardines
Vitamin B12:: Beef, chicken, fish, cheese, eggs
potassium:: Bananas, spinach, potatoes
Vitamin C: oranges, lemons, strawberries, broccoli
Vitamin E: vegetable oils such as sunflower, nuts, seeds, spinach, broccoli
Vitamin K: kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, fish, beef

As you can see, whole foods and plant-based foods are high in micronutrients. If you're wondering if you're lacking micronutrients, your best bet is to use a whole plant-based diet that includes foods of different colors processed the least.

This is paramount when your body composition goal is.

Lose body fat and gain muscle mass

Body recomposition is a term used in the fitness industry to describe the process of losing body fat and building muscle mass.

The way you do this is over::

Increase your energy consumption
Effective and efficient training
Implement progressive overload to strategically increase your strength, build muscle, and ultimately increase your metabolism.
At the same time, the calories must be closely monitored. Eating around maintenance is most often recommended in order to lose excess body fat.