Laptop

Nex Computer has returned with its latest laptop shell, the NexDock 360. The machine features a 13.3-inch touchscreen in a 2-in-1 convertible form factor, along with a 44 Wh battery, a large trackpad and inputs to connect a smartphone or a Raspberry Pi.

Intel showed off a preview of the Rocket Lake-S Core i9-11900K and compared its gaming performance against a PC powered by the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X. The performance improvements seem within the margin of error for now. Intel also briefly mentioned about 11th gen Tiger Lake-H 45 W and Alder Lake processors coming later this year.

Lenovo has launched two new docking stations at CES 2021. One connects to a notebook via a USB Type-C cable, while the other requires a Thunderbolt 4.0 port. Both docks can power 4K displays and charge peripherals at up to 100W. Their pricing and availability will be revealed at a later date.

Update | Lenovo does not just updates their high-end ThinkPads of the X1 series: The new ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is the biggest redesigns of the series since 2017. Together with the convertible sister ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6, the new X1 Carbon uses screens in the 16:10 aspect-ratio for the first time. And that is not the only change.

In the year 2021, Lenovo expands its high-end series ThinkPad X1 with another model. The new Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is thinner than all other ThinkPads and at the same time the first 3:2 ThinkPad. It also is one of the few laptops to utilize Titanium metal as a chassis material.

After a long drought in terms of Windows tablets, Lenovo introduces a new competitor to the Microsoft Surface Pro for business customers. The new Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable contains the newest Tiger Lake CPUs and has a Thunderbolt 4 port.

At CES 2021, Intel has unveiled the Tiger Lake-H 35 W processors for ultraportable gaming laptops. With the introduction of these processors, Intel is not only offering further market segmentation among gaming laptops but also is looking to take on AMD's Renoir Ryzen 7 4800HS and the Ryzen 9 4900H in single-core performance. The new Tiger Lake-H35 processors led by the Core i7-11375H Special Edition can boost up to 5 GHz and also offer resizable BAR support with NVIDIA's upcoming Ampere mobile GPUs.

With Nvidia poised to unveil the next generation of mobile GeForce GPUs for laptops this week, now is the time to get a GeForce 20 laptop for cheap. Manufacturers like Lenovo are already trying to clear stop of its last generation gaming laptops at deep discounts.

Asus uses the most current technology in the ZenBook 14: A Tiger Lake processor, GeForce MX450 graphics core, 16 GB of working memory (quad-channel mode), and Thunderbolt 4. A 63-Wh battery ensures a good battery life.

NVIDIA will definitely be unveiling GeForce RTX 30 series GPUs for laptops tomorrow, based on the company's latest teaser. Up to seven Ampere-based GPUs are expected to arrive, from the GeForce RTX 3050 to the GeForce RTX 3080. There will be Max-Q variants of all but the GeForce RTX 3050, too.

While you can certainly use it for games, that isn't really what the Xe Max was designed for. Its performance-per-dollar will be highest for workloads like HandBrake or Adobe Lightroom rather than pure gaming.

At CES 2021, HP has announced the Envy 14 aimed at mobile content creators. The Envy 14 offers a combination of the Core i5-1135G7 and NVIDIA GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q and comes with a 14-inch IPS touch display that is color-calibrated out of the box.

HP asserts that its new Elite-series earbuds are an enterprise-grade way of introducing wireless audio into your professional online conferencing set-up. They are rated for both passive and active noise cancellation (PNC and ANC), streamlined device-switching and fast case charging via USB type C.

HP has announced two new Intel Tiger Lake-powered convertibles; the HP EliteBook x360 1030 G8 and HP EliteBook x360 1040 G8. Both notebooks can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM, 2TB of solid-state storage, 4K screens, and a 78Wh battery. HP will tell us more about their prices as its January 2021 approaches.

HP has launched a new 2-in-1 notebook called the HP Elite Folio. Some of its key specifications include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx chipset, 13.5-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1280) IPS LCD panel, up to 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and 5G. It will be up for sale starting February 2021.

HP has announced a new variant of the EliteBook 840 G8, the EliteBook 840 Aero G8. The 840 Aero G8 essentially sports the same specifications as the 840 G8 but weighs half a pound less making it the world's lightest 14-inch business laptop, according to HP.

The new HP 280 mouse comes with a battery life of up to 18 months, 90% less noise on the left and right buttons, as well as a reliable connection via the included 2.4 GHz wireless dongle. Only available in black, this accessory is designed to work with both Windows 7 or later and Mac OS 10.1 or higher.

HP announced two new bag options for conservation-minded commuters. The HP Renew Travel Backpack and Renew Travel Bag are made from 72% and 97% recycled material, respectively.

Videocardz now asserts that the first of a new series of Asus TUF machines called the Dash F15 will launch soon. This may be backed up with an image of this laptop from the SafetyKorea regulator. It is said to have a choice of Core i5 or i7 Tiger Lake-H 35 platforms, paired with either RTX 3060 or 3070 graphics.

Lenovo has announced an OLED variant of the Yoga Slim 7i Pro that was originally introduced last year. The Yoga Slim 7i Pro's OLED display comes in a 16:10 aspect ratio and offers a 90 Hz refresh rate with 100% DCI-P3 coverage and Dolby Vision HDR support. Powering the Evo-certified Yoga Slim 7i Pro is an Intel Tiger Lake processor and NVIDIA GeForce MX450 graphics.

Lenovo has made an ambitious leap into the business end of AR glasses with the new ThinkReality A3s. Their lenses are 1080p displays for their potential mixed-reality (MR) or heads-up display content. They also have dual RGB cameras to orient this view, and come in smartphone- or laptop-tethered USB type C variants.

LG has seen revenues and operating profits in the last quarter of 2020 (4Q2020) higher than for any preceding final quarter in the OEM's history. Similarly, it has broken its operating-profit record for the whole of 2020. It made a total of ~US$57.9 billion in 2020, which kept its revenues above the $55 billion mark for four years running.

Altex, a retailer from Romania, recently listed an ASUS TUF Gaming A17 laptop model configured with the GeForce RTX 3070, alongside the Ryzen 7 5800H, for less than US$1700.

The new 15.6-inch XPG Xenia Xe ultrabooks can be powered by either an i7-1165G7 coupled with 16 GB of LPDDR4x-4266 RAM or an i5-1135G7 coupled with 8 GB of RAM. There is no dGPU option and the prices seem a bit spicy, but at least ADATA is including a touchscreen and 2x Thunderbolt 4 connectors.

Dell is running a slew of winter discounts on its official deals page. One of the more enticing deals in the list currently is that of the XPS 13 7390 2-in-1, which is now available at a neat US$559 discount. This gets you a machine powered by the Core i7-1065G7, UHD+ display, 16 GB RAM, and a 512 GB SSD.

An AMD Ryzen 7 5800U has been delivering some curious results thanks to recently leaked CPU-Z and Cinebench benchmarks. Single-core and single-thread scores were incredible, to the point that the laptop Ryzen 7 5800U could even outscore a desktop Intel Core i9-10900K. However, there seemed to be an issue with the Cezanne APU’s multi-core performances.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has announced a raft of Honorees and Best Of winners for its CES 2021 Innovation awards. The first category includes 8 smartphones, of which the LG Wing is a slightly obvious choice. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 5000 series has picked up one of the main prizes.

Lenovo and NEC have teamed up to introduce new Tiger Lake devices in the Lavie range. The Lavie Mini is an 8-inch handheld gaming PC that comes with optional gaming controller and gaming dock accessories. The Lavie Pro Mobile is a 13.3-inch ultrabook that combines form and functionality without much compromise on the connectivity front.

LG has delivered a few Gram-related surprises ahead of CES 2021. Not only will the company unveil new 14, 16 and 17-inch laptops next week, but it will unveil convertible 14 and 16-inch models. LG's new Gram lineup will all feature 16:10 displays and Intel Tiger Lake-U processors.

Eve has two products in the pipeline this year, four years on from the ill-fated release of the original Eve V. However, there are still concerns about missing refunds for orders placed over three years ago. At least US$225,000 is allegedly owed.

MSI will be announcing new products on January 13, but it briefly listed new versions of the GF65 Thin on its website. The 15.6-inch gaming laptop will be available with at least the GeForce RTX 3060 Max-Q, along with up to an Intel Core i7-10750H processor. It seems that no AMD options will be available, though.

Lenovo has brought 5G connectivity to the IdeaPad series with the IdeaPad 5G. The IdeaPad 5G, which is also available in a 4G variant, is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Compute Platform promising always-on connectivity and up to 20 hours battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 5G also comes with Alexa Show Mode for hands-free, full screen interaction via voice commands.

While the Intel and AMD models share many of the same features, Lenovo uses the thermal headroom in the 16-inch IdeaPad 5 Pro to pair next-generation Ryzen and RTX chips. Users can switch between 60 Hz or higher 90 Hz (14-inch) and 120 Hz (16-inch) refresh rates on these 16:10 (2560 x 1600) displays.

The high-end aluminum convertible Chromebook will launch before the end of the quarter for $549 USD in both Gray and Red color options. Samsung has yet to outsource its QLED panels to other OEMs.

An AMD Ryzen 9 5900H APU has been tested on various synthetic benchmarks as part of a Mechrevo gaming laptop that also comes with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 GPU. The results for the Zen 3 Ryzen 9 5900H chip in Cinebench showed welcome generational performance improvements over fellow 8-core chips Ryzen 9 4900HS and Intel Core i7-10875H.

A couple of Asus ROG Strix laptops have been spotted being tested on Geekbench and both featured potent Ryzen 5000/GeForce RTX 30 series combinations. A Ryzen 7 5800H was paired off with a GeForce RTX 3070 while an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX teamed up with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 mobile GPU. The OpenCL scores in both tests were outstanding.

The Aorus 15P WB brings all modern computer games smoothly onto the screen (Full HD, IPS, 144 Hz). In addition, there's an NVMe SSD, 16 GB of RAM (dual-channel mode), and very good battery life.

Lenovo has improved the CPU performance of the current ThinkPad X1 Extreme, but the Intel CPU is still inferior to AMD's current processors. The X1 Extreme Gen3 is a very good multimedia laptop and we especially like the excellent keyboard, but there is still room for improvements for upcoming iterations.

The RTX 3080 Max-P would only be a few percent faster than the RTX 3060 Ti desktop GPU, since it appears to be limited to 115 W TGP by default. On the other hand, the 80 W RTX 3080 Max-Q would be as fast as the GTX 1080 Ti desktop model, and 74% slower than the RTX 3080 desktop GPU.

These budget models feature the unannounced i7-11370H and i7-11300H Intel CPUs that should be unveiled at CES next week. Configurations seem solid for what looks like $700-800 laptops, except maybe the GTX 1650 GPUs could have been replaced with the RTX 2060.

If a laptop is giving you the option between a Core i7-1165G7 or Core i7-1185G7, then you may as well save some money and go with the Core i7-1165G7. Spending more on the Core i7-1185G7 will give only marginal performance benefits and sometimes even none at all depending on the system.

DG2 refers to second-gen discrete graphics solutions from Intel, said to launch in the first half of 2021 (1H2021) at the earliest. It is rumored to have an increased execution unit (EU) count compared to its Xe Max predecessor. According to code allegedly found in a new driver from the OEM, this may indeed be the case.

Dell's new business mid-rangers have a brand new design as well as Intel Tiger Lake. There are many changes happening for the new Dell Latitude 5320, Latitude 5420 and Latitude 5520. One is especially interesting: Dell is getting rid of its equivalent to the ThinkPad TrackPoint.