Category: Laptop

Bootcamp has already revealed that Apple has a new 16-ich MacBook Pro planned, although probably not one with its M1 chipset. The upcoming laptop may have an exciting piece of hardware inside, nonetheless. According to @TheGalox_, AMD has partnered with Apple to deliver mobile RDNA 2 GPUs, and ones that currently have no desktop counterparts.

Apparently, Apple will offer the next 16-inch MacBook Pro with the Radeon RX 6700 and RX 6700 XT, which AMD is rumoured to be building on its Navi 22 GPUs. There have been rumours about the desktop variants of these cards, but @TheGalox_ has offered no details on the specifications of the mobile versions.

It is common for Apple to source exclusive chips from its partners, whether that be AMD or Intel. The current 16-inch MacBook Pro is the only laptop with the Radeon Pro 5600M, for example, so this may also be the case with the Radeon RX 6700 and RX 6700 XT.

It is unclear when Apple plans to release the next 16-inch MacBook Pro, but there had been talk that it would be before the end of the year. Multiple outlets claim that AMD will unveil the desktop versions of the RX 6700 and RX 6700 XT in January though, so it may be until next year before we see the arrival of a new 16-inch MacBook Pro. 

The ThinkPad X1 Fold is finally here and in the hands of reviewers. Sadly, it is not all rosy for Lenovo’s first foldable. The ThinkPad X1 Fold starts at US$2,499, although that only gets you 256 GB of storage and no accessories. Lenovo charges US$2,749 for the detachable keyboard and pen, and another US$50 if you want a Windows 10 Pro licence. Prices rise to US$3,099 though if you want 1 TB of storage, instead of 256 GB.

For that money, you could pick up practically any high-end laptop or 2-in-1, although they lack the foldable display that the ThinkPad X1 Fold has. However, MKBHD inadvertently summed up the limitations of the new form factor, in our opinion, despite ringing its praises. In short, the foldable screen appears to offer no added functionality than one could already get with a Surface Pro. MKHBD highlights the tablet mode of the ThinkPad X1 Fold, before explaining that the detachable keyboard offers a better typing experience than the onscreen keyboard does. 

PC Watch has demonstrated the drawbacks of Intel’s Lakefield processor, too. The Core m3-8100Y in the Surface Go 2 outperforms the ThinkPad X1 Fold and its Core i5-L16G7 in multiple benchmarks, for example, while also lasting longer in PCMark 10 battery life tests. The Core m3-8100Y should offer about 91% of the Core i5-L16G7 according to our database, but Lenovo may have tuned its performance based on the form factor of the ThinkPad X1 Fold, somewhat.

Ultimately, the ThinkPad X1 Fold disappoints on price, performance and does not offer more versatility than something like a Surface Pro. Nonetheless, we hold out hope for the likes of Lenovo delivering more useful second and third-generation foldable laptops, as Samsung has with its foldable smartphones.

The Beelink GTI, is a rather unusual mini-PC in some sense. The machine measures a typical 168 x 120 x 39 mm and includes multiple ports, such as six USB Type-A ports and dual LAN connections. However, it also has an Intel Core i5-8260U processor and a fingerprint scanner that Beelink has included on the top of the device.

The Core i5-8260U is a quad-core processor from Intel’s Kaby Lake-Refresh family. Unsurprisingly, the Core i5-8260U shares many similarities with the Core i5-8250U. The Core i5-8260U has a 300 MHz higher boost clock speed at 3.9 GHz though and supports 64 GB of RAM instead of the maximum of 32 GB that the Core i5-8250U can handle.

The Beelink Mini does not have a dedicated graphics card, meaning that it relies on the built-in Intel UHD Graphics 620, instead. This iGPU has a 300 MHz base clock and can reach 1.1 GHz. The Intel UHD Graphics 620 shares its TDP with the CPU, for reference.

Beelink offers the GTI with 8 GB or 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB or 512 GB of storage. The latter is a replaceable M.2 PCIe SSD, though. There is also a secondary M.2 slot for adding a SATA drive. Sadly, it seems that Beelink has soldered the GTI’s RAM to its motherboard, rather than equipping it with SO-DIMM RAM.

The Beelink GTI comes with Windows 10 pre-installed and starts at US$539.99 on Geekbuying. The 16 GB of RAM edition will set you back US$619.99, though.

When Lenovo announced the new 13 inch 16:10 flagship ThinkPad X1 Nano in late September 2020, a few things were left in the dark. For example, the exact release date. In the press-release, Lenovo did not give us a release date beyond the 4th quarter 2020, which by now would mean December. Depending on the locale, even an early 2021 looks increasingly likely. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 1 is not listed in Lenovo’s PSREF database yet, which is an indicator that availability is more than a few weeks away.

Availability was not the only question we had about the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano 2021. For example: Which CPUs are used in the ThinkPad laptop? The spec-sheet only mentions “Intel 11th Gen Core i CPUs”, meaning Tiger Lake. Reminder: There are actually two kinds of Tiger Lake U processors, UP3 and UP4. The UP3 CPUs have a TDP of 12 to 28 W, while the UP4 processors can consume 7 to 15 W.

Another interesting area for us was the key travel of the vaunted ThinkPad keyboard. Lenovo ThinkPad laptops originally had a key travel of 2.5 mm. Over the last decade, Lenovo has reduced it to 1.8 mm on most models. The current Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, bigger brother of the X1 Nano, goes a stop further down to 1.5 mm. But the X1 Nano is even thinner and much lighter and the competing Dell XPS 13 9310 only offers 1 mm of key travel.

We have reached out to Lenovo about both topics and got a clear answer: As for the processor, the X1 Nano features the lower-powered UP4 Tiger Lake variant, with the Intel Core i7-1180G7 as the fastest chip. It can reach the maximum TPD of 15 W. This is an interesting choice and the X1 Nano is seemingly one of the first laptops with these processors. Also, it might provide a differentiation compared with the upcoming Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2021 if that uses UP3 Tiger Lake.

The key travel of the 95 % keyboard is meanwhile also reduced to 1.35 mm – the lowest amount for any Lenovo ThinkPad laptop yet, though of course still more than what Dell’s XPS 13 offers.

MINISFORUM has unveiled another mini-PC, following on from the announcement of the EliteMini Box X400 earlier this month. MINISFORUM has called its new machine the EliteMini UM700, and it is already available to order for US$539 directly from the manufacturer.

The entry-level model comes with 8 GB of SO-DIMM RAM and 128 GB of M.2 2280 storage. However, prices rise to US$669 for 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. All models come with the AMD Ryzen 7 3750H though, like the X35G that MINISFORUM announced earlier this year.

The Ryzen 7 3750H offers four Zen+ cores and can boost up to 4.0 GHz on a 35 W TDP. The 12 nm APU also includes AMD’s Radeon RX Vega 10 GPU, which has 10 Compute Units (CUs) and can boost to 1.3 GHz.

The EliteMini UM700 has three video outputs too, along with four USB Type-A ports and dual Gigabit Ethernet connections. Alternatively, you could use the built-in Intel WiFi6 AX200 module, which also offers Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity. Additionally, there is a 3.5 mm combined headphone and microphone jack on the front of the device.

MINISFORUM aims to begin shipping the EliteMini UM700 next month. All orders will come with Windows 10 Pro pre-installed. The machine itself measures 128 x 127 x 46 mm and weighs about 0.5 kg.

A new Google-branded Chromebook has appeared on the Google Play Console, which should signify its impending release. Google has not released a Chromebook since the Pixelbook Go, although the company continues to sell the Pixel Slate in some markets. Google opted for Intel at the hear of both of those machines, but it has gone with AMD for this new model.

According to the listing, Google plans to release the device with an AMD Ryzen 3 3250C, a dual-core processor with four threads and a peak clock speed of 3.5 GHz. The Ryzen 3 3250C also features a Radeon RX Vega 3 iGPU. The Google Play Console listing also confirms that the machine has 4 GB of RAM, and a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel display with a pixel density of 160 PPI. Sadly, the screen will have a 16:9 aspect ratio, and a diagonal size of 13.7-inches.

The listing states that Google has codenamed the Zork, which last reared its head in April. The Google Zork has been benchmarked on Geekbench over one hundred times since then, including with processors like the Ryzen 7 3700C, the Athlon Gold 3150C and the Athlon Silver 3050C. There is also a reference to an AMD 3015Ce version of the Google Zork, along with models that have 8 GB and 16 GB of RAM. Google may not release all these models, but we would expect the company to offer the device with 4 GB, 8 GB and 16 GB of RAM as it currently does with the Pixelbook Go.

Originally announced in October, the Acer Book RS 2-in-1 laptop is now shipping in the United States in Core i5-1135G7 and Core i7-1165G7 configurations. The model is notable for being one of Acer’s first Intel Evo certified laptops meaning it will guarantee a laundry list of modern features like Wi-Fi 6, 11th gen CPU, Thunderbolt 4, extra speedy wake/resume times, and more.

As its name might suggest, the Acer Book RS Porsche Design is a high-end laptop designed for professionals and business users in much the same way as an HP EliteBook, Dell XPS, Asus ExpertBook, or Lenovo ThinkPad. The sleek gray design and colors are reminiscent of an Apple MacBook Pro or HP Envy 15 albeit with the added benefit of 360-degree hinges.

Though the Core i5 base option starts at $1400 USD, the $2000 Core i7 option is unique in that it’s one of the few convertibles this year to come equipped with both a Core i7-1165G7 CPU and discrete GeForce MX350 GPU. The Nvidia GPU renders the integrated Iris Xe almost obsolete in many cases and so many other OEMs have chosen not to include it since the Iris Xe alone is usually satisfactory. 

Though we’ve checked out a bunch of portable monitors in the past, the XtendTouch Pro XT1610UO from Pepper Jobs is one of the first with an AMOLED panel. AMOLED technology offers significant advantages over standard IPS including much faster response times, higher contrast ratios, and deeper colors that digital artists can appreciate. The manufacturer has sent us a pre-production sample for our initial thoughts and impressions on the monitor. 

Most portable monitors are notable for being fragile like the Lepow or Auzai ME16Z01. To our surprise, however, the XtendTouch Pro manages to be both rigid and light at just 850 g without its faux leather cover (or 1.35 kg with the cover on). The glass front contributes to the inflexibility of the unit for a high quality feel even if the back is matte plastic.

Port options are decent as the monitor integrates mini-HDMI and multiple USB-C ports. Nonetheless, some other portable monitors like the C-Force CF011C are able to integrate full-size USB-A and HDMI ports which are arguably more user-friendly. Most users will have to rely on mini-HDMI or USB-C adapters for the XtendTouch Pro.

The OSD is one of the best we’ve seen on any portable monitor. It’s easy to navigate, the texts and controls are large, and there are plenty of customizable options. The button along the left edge to initiate the OSD, however, could have been larger and less spongy.

Display quality is a mixed bag. On paper, AMOLED displays can offer very accurate colors and deep black levels, but the main problem on the XtendTouch Pro is that its AMOLED panel has not been properly calibrated at factory. In other words, users will likely have to calibrate their displays themselves to get the most out of the portable monitor since colors and RGB balance are not great out of the box. This may change when the XtendTouch Pro is ready for mass production, but we can only share our experiences with the unit we have here.

Our X-Rite colorimeter reveals an overly warm color temperature and an average grayscale deltaE value of 4.1 as shown by our screenshots below. Calibrating the panel ourselves fixes these issues by flattening the RGB balance curve, bringing gamma closer to the sRGB ideal of 2.2, increasing the color temperature, and reducing deltaE grayscale to as low as 1.1. Unfortunately, contrast ratio is unusually low at just ~350:1 which is not normal for an AMOLED panel. We tried switching to different preset color profiles including sRGB, AdobeRGB and DCI-P3, but contrast ratio would not improve.

The brightness setting does not appear to be working as intended on our pre-production unit. At 0 percent and 100 percent, brightness is just 216 and 389 nits, respectively. Keep in mind that the manufacturer is advertising a maximum brightness of 650 nits which we are unable to reproduce. We used the included USB-C cable and docking station to power our monitor prior to running these tests.

Response times and gamut seem to be on the money as advertised by the manufacturer. Our own readings reveal black-white and gray-gray response times of under 2 ms each to be faster than any IPS solution. Users can expect full AdobeRGB and DCI-P3 coverage which most other portable displays cannot offer. Refresh rate, however, is limited to 60 Hz whereas IPS panels designed for gaming can go upwards of 144 Hz or more.

A major downside to the XtendTouch Pro is that its docking station is very heavy at 667 g. Though well-made, the dock is not as travel-friendly as most other AC adapters for smartphones or Ultrabooks. The last thing we need is more AC adapters for different devices when on-the-go.

We tried connecting our Huawei Mate 10 Pro smartphone to the monitor, but we couldn’t get a picture at all even after connecting a second USB-C cable for additional power. In comparison, our smartphone worked without any issues on the C-Force CF011C.

The XtendTouch Pro XT1610UO looks promising even if our engineering sample still has a few kinks to iron out. Its $700 USD retail price is quite hefty when you consider that most larger professional desktop monitors also cost at least that much. Thankfully, the manufacturer is already aware of the panel issues even prior to our testing which gives hope of a better visual experience when the monitor launches. We know AMOLED is capable of so much more than what we’ve seen here.

Microsoft has made its firmware and driver update schedule for Surface devices public. It shows how long each individual product still has in terms of official support. Some, such as the RT ot Pro 2, have already seen this end-of-service date come and go.

Others are yet to see the next upcoming date for their obsolescence. This is November 13, 2021, on which the Surface Pro 3 to Pro 5/2017 will cease to receive updates. This means that the 3 will get a total of 7 years of support. This is slightly confusing, as its immediate successor, the 4, also ends its life cycle on the same date, as does the first-gen Surface Book.

Howver, most devices on the list get a more constant 4 years of updates. They include the Surface Pro 6 and 7; the Go 1 and 2; the Laptops 2 to 3 and the Pro X. Microsoft has stated that it has posted this information in response to feedback from customers who want to plan upgrades for their devices in accordance with the new list.

Like in the last years, Lenovo is updating certain budget models ahead of other ThinkPads. E14 and E15 Gen 2 with Intel Tiger Lake were already updated a few weeks ago. They are followed up now by the most compact ThinkPad of the budget enterprise series: Without a real announcement, the new Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 2 and ThinkPad L13 Yoga Gen 2 enter the market.

With this update, Lenovo finally ditches the Intel Comet Lake platform for the 10 nm CPUs of the Tiger Lake series. Alongside the new CPUs come the Intel Xe GPUs and Thunderbolt 4.

This makes ThinkPad L13 Gen 2 and L13 Yoga Gen 2 the first models of the L series with Thunderbolt. Different from their predecessors, these new models will be compatible with eGPUs. Also, the supported resolution for external monitors is higher as well.

Apart from the platform update, there are no new features. The Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 2 and Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga Gen 2 use the same chassis as the first gen ThinkPad L13 and the ThinkPad L13 Yoga. This is nothing out of the ordinary, as Lenovo often uses designs for at least two generations. The 2019 models L390 and L390 Yoga still used a different chassis, which lacked features like the mechanical dockingport or the Smartcard reader.

Since ThinkPad L13 Gen 2 and ThinkPad L13 Yoga Gen 2 are already listed in Lenovo’s PSREF database, it probably will not take long until they are available.