Category: Laptop

The AMD Ryzen 5000 series of mobile processors is coming. Another Asus-related leak, also unearthed by momomo_us and sourced from the German retailer Expert.de, has revealed three new laptops sporting two different Lucienne APUs: The AMD Ryzen 7 5700U and the Ryzen 5 5500U. Although these two parts are from the incoming Ryzen 5000 mobile family, they are based on Zen 2 architecture, thus differentiating from the Zen 3 Cezanne chips such as the Ryzen 7 5800U.

The Asus S533UA-BQ048T comes with the Ryzen 7 5700U chip and has 16 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD in its 15.6-inch form. According to the tech specs listed in the retailer post, the Ryzen 7 5700U has 8 cores (16 threads), 4 MB cache, and it clocks from 1.8 GHz to 4.25 GHz. It’s possible the data here has been printed incorrectly though, as different leaks have stated a boost clock of 4.3 GHz and L3 cache of 8 MB.

The Asus S732UA-AU059T laptop also features the same Lucienne Zen 2 processor and will offer buyers a 17.3-inch Full HD screen, 16 GB RAM, and a 512 GB SSD. Like the above laptop, the S732UA supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 connections. It also relies on the integrated graphics unit of the Ryzen 7 5700U for displaying images.

Lastly, there is the Asus TM420UA-EC004T on show here, which seems to be a 2-in-1 model in the VivoBook Flip 14 line. This device sports the slightly less-powerful Ryzen 5 5500U APU, which is detailed in the retailer listing as having 6 cores (12 threads), 3 MB cache, and 2.1-3.95 GHz clocks. This also deviates from previous leaks, which suggest a 4.0 GHz boost and L3 cache of 8 MB for this SKU.

Unfortunately, no prices or availability dates are listed with these Ryzen 5000 laptops from Asus, but they are clearly targeted at thin and light laptop purchasers who need high performance on-the-go. The TDP range for these two Lucienne processors is 10 W to 25 W.

HP has launched a new range of Intel Tiger Lake-powered notebooks tailor-made for 24×7 connectivity. The HP EliteBook 830 G8 and EliteBook 840 G8 feature a host of connectivity features including 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6 and 5G, allowing users to stay connected to the internet at all times. HP will divulge more information about the EliteBook 830 G8 and EliteBook 840 G8’s price later this month, as the notebooks are expected to go on sale towards the end of December 2020.

The HP EliteBook 830 G8 and EliteBook 840 G8 come with 11th-generations Intel Tiger Lake CPUs. Both Core i5 and Core i7 variants will be available for purchase, and the top-of-the-line SKU will likely run the Core i7-1165G7 processor. It can be paired with up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM clocked at 3,200MHz and 2TB of solid-state storage via an NVMe SSD. Both RAM slots are user upgradable. Graphics processing is taken care of by an Intel Xe GPU, which has been a standard on most Tiger Lake-powered notebooks without a dedicated graphics card.

The only discernable difference between the HP EliteBook 830 G8 and EliteBook 840 G8 is the screen size. The former comes with a 13.1-inch FHD IPS LCD panel, while the latter has a larger 14-inch screen with the same spec. For an extra price, you can add a layer of what HP calls Sure View Reflect privacy screen, which should help keep the contents of your screen away from prying eyes.

Input options on the HP EliteBook 830 G8 and EliteBook 840 G8 include two Thunderbolt 4.0 ports, one of which can output video, two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, one HDMI 2.0 port, one combo audio jack and a nano-SIM card slot. Its 3-cell 53Wh battery supports fast charging at up to 65W via the included charger or any USB PD-complaint device. The included 720p webcam can be paired with optional IR camera for Windows Hello functionality.

Earlier this year, the names of two new ThinkPad X1 models were leaked: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano and ThinkPad X1 Titanium. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano is already available in the USA – the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium meanwhile is nowhere to be found. The last time we heard about it were a few leaked promo videos on Youtube.

2020 is drawing to a close and by this point, we expected to see the ThinkPad X1 Titanium in early 2021, maybe with an announcement at the virtual CES. However, there are new signs that at least the public announcement might still come in this year.

Lenovo has recently updated its Accessories and Options Compatibility Matrix (OCM). The newest version (as of December 6 2020) includes the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga Gen 1. Alongside the full-name of the product, the OCM also reveals the model-numbers: 20QA and 20QB. Also, it appears the X1 Titanium Yoga will rely on M.2 2242 SSDs for internal storage, exactly like the ThinkPad X1 Nano.

With the model appearing in the OCM, this might be a hint that an announcement is imminent. At the same time, there is news from China: The Chinese tech-site ITHome reports that Lenovo’s Think division will hold a special event next week, officially launching the ThinkPad X1 Nano in China – and unveiling the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga at the same time. This should be regarded as a rumor at this point, but we might see more of the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga very soon.

Based on prior leaks, we already know that the X1 Titanium Yoga will be a convertible ThinkPad with Intel’s Tiger Lake platform inside. It will be the thinnest ThinkPad laptop yet, with a body completely made out of metal. Judging from the pictures, it looks like the screen will have a 3:2 aspect ratio, though this is not confirmed yet.

LG will present its new Gram laptops in South Korea on December 16, the company has confirmed. The event will commence at 18:00 KST (UTC +9), according to a post on the dedicated LG Gram website. LG is yet to announce anything globally, which suggests that the December 16 event will be limited to South Korea. Nevertheless, LG will probably release its new Gram laptops outside its home market, so the launch event will be relevant to international audiences.

Based on recent findings, LG plans to upgrade its Gram series to Intel’s new Tiger Lake architecture. The timing of LG’s event hints that it will continue to use U-series processors in its laptops, rather than the upcoming Tiger Lake-H series. Currently, LG sells 14-inch, 15.6-inch and 17-inch versions of the Gram, but the company may have added a new model into the mix for its latest refresh.

The FCC and KCC have confirmed that the new 14-inch and 17-inch models will be called 14Z90P and 17Z90P, respectively. LG has recently certified a 15Z95N in South Korea and with the FCC, so a new 15.6-inch model appears to be also on the way. Additionally, LG has registered the model number 16Z90P, which implies that the company plans to release a 16-inch version of the Gram, too. There are hardly any 16:9 and 16-inch displays, so a 16-inch Gram will probably have a 16:10 aspect ratio, like the current 17-inch model.

In short, it seems that LG will release 14, 15.6, 16 and 17-inch versions of the Gram this month. However, the Z95N model number of the 15.6-inch SKU insinuates that it will differ from the 14, 16 and 17-inch variants somehow.

We have already reviewed the MacBook Air 2020 with Apple’s own M1 processor, ans especially the removal of the annoying chassis fan is a step in the right direction. The entry-level MacBook Pro 13 with 2x Thunderbolt ports also got the M1 update, but it keeps the active cooling solution. The Pro is also equipped with the Touch Bar and a slightly bigger 58.2 Wh battery. We have initial test results, but we are a bit surprised by the performance figures.

CPU and GPU Performance

It is obviously no secret that Apple uses identical M1 chips with 8 CPU and 8 GPU cores for the MacBook Pro 13 as well as the MacBook Air. However, there is no difference between the two models in the initial benchmarks. We expected more headroom for the processor due to the fan, but the active cooling unit only seems to be ensuring the consistency of the performance (which it does). This means most users will never notice a difference between the two MacBooks.

Battery Runtime

Compared to the MacBook Air (49.9 Wh), the MacBook Pro 13 has a slightly bigger 58.8 Wh battery pack, so the battery runtime is also a bit longer. We recorded more than 20 hours in our Wi-Fi web browsing test at 150 nits, which is great. Similar to the MacBook Air, we see a roughly 50 % shorter result when we repeat the test at the maximum brightness setting (which is also higher than MBA at >500 nits). This result once again confirms that the display is the biggest consumer in these kinds of scenarios.

The battery runtime seems to the be the only real advantage of the new MacBook Pro 13 over the MacBook Air so far. The performance is pretty much identical, only sustained workloads will benefit from the active cooling in the Pro. However, the performance drop is not that severe on the passively cooled MacBook Air, so we really don’t think this will be a deciding factor for the target audience. We are still running our tests and the full review of the MacBook Pro 13 will clarify whether the MacBook Pro 13 with the M1 CPU is a good upgrade or if you should just get the less expensive MacBook Air.

The small form-factor laptops that double as consoles are getting quite popular in China these days. GPD may have been first to market, but the competition is heating up as new players like One-Netbook or AYA keep one-upping each other with more sophisticated models. Speaking of One-Netbook, the company just announced an upgraded Gx1 Pro model powered by Tiger Lake CPUs. We have been hearing rumors about the Tiger Lake models, but now we have the final specs confirmed by One-Netbook itself. It certainly is not the first ever model featuring the new Tiger Lake processors, as GPD already announced its Tiger Lake Win 3 console earlier this year. Still, the new Gx1 Pro stands out with its own suite of advantages.

First off, the Gx1 Pro is the first among the Chinese models to feature a 7-inch 1920×1200 IPS screen, which also supports 10-point multi-touch input. One-Netbook now offers a Tiger Lake i7-1160G7 upgrade over the previous Amber Lake i5-10210Y processors, so it also benefits from the integrated Xe GPU with 96 execution units. The updated version also comes with 16 GB of LPDDR4x-4266 RAM and at least 512 GB of NVMe SSD storage.

Port selection includes 2x Thunderbolt 4 connectors, plus a USB-A 3.0, a micro HDMI video output and a headphone jack. Other features include two detachable game controllers, microSD card reader, WiFi 6 + Bluetooth 5.1 a SIM slot and a 12,000 mAh battery. Design-wise, the upgraded model is identical to the previous iteration that reminds of a miniaturized Alienware Area 51m, except now it comes with an additional all-black color option. With a total weight of 623 g (including controllers) this model is slightly lighter than the competition.

Although pricing has not yet been revealed, we can expect the upgraded model to cost more than the Amber Lake models, so north of $840.

After a few similar ATX cases (at least from a visual perspective), Sharkoon returns with a new case, but this time we are talking about one that focuses on both looks and quietness. According to the official product page, “The TG5 RGB Silent PCGH Edition doesn’t only know how to show off with appearances, but it also makes an impression due to its pleasant quietness.”

The Sharkoon TG5 RGB Silent PCGH Edition comes as the result of a collaboration with PC Games Hardware and has its highlights include three 120-millimeter RGB LED fans on the front and one on the back. The side and front are covered with glass panels, but on the other hand, there are damping mats on the side and top panels. To complete the list of specs and features aimed at quietness, Sharkoon included 800 RPM fans.

This case is spacious enough for most users and can accommodate CPU coolers up to 16.7 centimeters and graphics cards up to 40 centimeters. Obviously, the front or top panels can be used to install radiators for liquid cooling solutions, and the mainboard tray, power supply tunnel, and the HDD/SSD cage provide plenty of space for users who are not happy with just one or two SSDs/HDDs.

Due to the use of custom fans and noise damping mats, the Sharkoon TG5 RGB Silent PCGH Edition is more expensive than its regular siblings. The manufacturer’s suggested price sits at 89.90 Euros (roughly US$108).

The Lenovo ThinkPad E15 is a cheap office notebook with a 15.6-inch display. For less than 1000 Euros (~ $1191), buyers get a rigid chassis, modern communications modules, and very good input devices. In addition to the Intel model, Lenovo also offers an AMD model. It is known as the E15 Gen.2 and has a new, more compact design.

The AMD Ryzen 7 processor offers a lot more CPU and GPU performance than the Intel alternative. Lenovo configured the fan to run at the lowest speed possible, which is why the surface temperatures hit more than 60 °C (140 °F). When compared to the AMD variant, the Intel version offers slightly better battery life.

The fact that the E15 is a low-end device is most apparent when it comes to the screen and the selection of ports. The E15 features an outdated USB 2.0 port and its screen is quite dim (250 cd/m²). Moreover, the colour reproduction leaves a lot to be desired. These problems are present in both Intel and AMD models.

Those who are looking for a cheap and reliable office notebook should get the ThinkPad E15 Gen.2 with an AMD processor. It offers more performance and is cheaper. 

With the Erazer Beast X10, Medion has a compact 17.3-inch gaming laptop in its range that is based on a barebone from Tongfang (GM7MPHP). The laptop isn’t immediately recognizable as a high-performance gaming powerhouse thanks to its discreetly designed, fancy, slim, matte black all-metal case.

The Beast X10 brings all the latest games onto the screen with ease. The combination of a Core i7-10750H hexa-core processor, a GeForce RTX 2070 Super graphics core, and 32 GB of memory (dual-channel mode, max. 64 GB) makes this possible. Thanks to the 1 TB NVMe SSD, you shouldn’t run out of storage space that quickly. However, should this be the case, the laptop offers space for a second NVMe SSD.

The matte 17.3-inch display (Full HD, IPS, 144 Hz) scores points with stable viewing angles, decent brightness, good contrast, fast response times, and great color reproduction. Furthermore, battery life is good too. One battery charge is enough for practical runtimes of about 7 to 8 hours.

In the period from August 28, 2020 to February 28, 2021, the game Marvel’s Avengers will be included with the purchase of the Beast X10 as a free download. However, not from Medion but from Intel. The corresponding promotion code (“while stocks last”) will be sent by e-mail and must be redeemed with Intel by March 31, 2021. Medion has informed us that the procedure for claiming the code is explained in detail in the e-mail. The offer is not limited to Medion, as other laptop manufacturers are also participating in this Intel promotion.

More information and many benchmark results are available in our review of the Medion Erazer Beast X10 (MD61804).

We have already taken a look at the graphics performance of the two different iGPUs (7 vs. 8 cores), and now we have first results for the battery runtime. The battery capacity is unchanged at 49.9 Wh, but the new M1 chip is supposed to be much more efficient. Apple’s official specs sheet lists 15 hours for web browsing, which is much more compared to the 10 hours of the old model.

Wi-Fi battery runtime

Our Wi-Fi test at Notebookcheck is performed at an adjusted brightness of 150 nits. Therefore, it is very important to deactivate the automatic brightness control of the MacBook Air. To get to the 150 nits, we had to reduce the brightness by 7 steps, and then use the fine control (via Option + Shift) to reduce the brightness by two more steps.

The old MacBook Air 2020 with the Intel CPUs managed a runtime of 10:17 or 11 hours, respectively, depending on the processor (Core i5 or Core i3). The new MacBook Air with the M1 chip on the other hand lasts 16 hours, which is an improvement between 45-55 %.

The Wi-Fi runtime at the maximum display brightness, which is once again around 400 nits, is considerably lower. Our test unit only lasted for about 8.5 hours. This is still better compared to the previous Intel MBA, but the gap is much smaller.

Charging Performance

Apple continues shipping the MacBook Air with the compact 30W power adapter. We have also tested the charging performance with the more power 96W unit from the current MacBook Pro 16. The initial charging performance was increased from 31 to around 43 Watts for the first 45 minutes before it dropped. Overall, the charging time was reduced by 17 minutes to 2:23 hours. In addition to the shorter charging time, the more powerful PSU also gives more headroom when you use the device during the charging process. In this case, the charging time with the included 30W adapter would be much higher. The MacBook Pro 13 with the M1 chip is still shipped with the more powerful 61W power adapter.

A look at the efficiency of the power adapters only reveals minor differences in a range between 0.05-0.1W. The maximum performance does not seem to be limited by the power adapter, either, because we see a peak power consumption of 31W for the new MacBook Air, which levels off at 22-25 after a short time. This behavior is identical for both power adapters.