Laptop

On the back of a sighting of the Ryzen 5 4600HS comes an appearance of the Ryzen 9 4900HS. Again, the Renoir processor has appeared in an ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, paired with a QHD display, a 1 TB SSD, 32 GB of DDR4-3200 RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q GPU.

A GitHub page for the Intel Media Driver for Video Acceleration API (VAAPI) has surfaced detailing the multimedia capabilities of Intel iGPUs including the Xe DG1 in Tiger Lake. From the video encode-decode support matrix, we get to see that Xe DG1 will support native 12-bit HEVC encode-decode along with decode support for 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 chroma sub-sampling, and VP9 12-bit and 12-bit 4:4:4 decode.

It may be two years old, but the 13.3-inch Dell laptop still offers a very wide range of features for its size including Thunderbolt 3, IR camera, WWAN, Smart Card reader, and even three-years of on-site warranty service at no extra charge.

Qualcomm announced that 17 mobile operators around the world will be supporting upcoming 5G Always On, Always Connected PCs powered by the Snapdragon Compute Platform that are expected to be available later this year. Apart from this, the company also announced that operators in 115 countries are investing in 5G infrastructure.

Huawei unveiled its vision for a complete, connected ecosystem of devices at its latest product launch. This involves the new AX3 series of routers, which is powered by this OEM's Gigahome SoCs for Wi-Fi 6 support (and more besides). The company also unveiled second-gen "Pro" 5G consumer premises equipment (CPE).

Apple plans to replace all Intel CPUs from its laptops and desktops with ARM-based processors produced in-house. Performance is already there if we compare the A13 Bionic SoC with Intel's ULV CPUs, but Apple is waiting for the jump to 5 nm in order to keep Macbook power requirements as low as possible.

The latest 3DMark and Geekbench results suggest the new RTX Super laptop GPUs are around 15% faster than the non-Super models. Spec-wise, the Super models will include 14 Gbps GDDR6 VRAM chips and retain the same TDP values. We also know that Ampere GPUs are right around the corner, so is it really worth getting these GPUs now?

Honor has brought the MagicBook 14 to global audiences, having announced the 14-inch laptop in Russia earlier this year. The Ryzen 5 3500U-powered machine features 8 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of storage. The company claims that the MagicBook 14's 56 Wh battery will last a full day' use between charges, too.

The MagicBook 15 is not a MagicBook Pro by another name. Instead, it is a slightly larger version of the MagicBook 14, but one that Honor has decided to equip with a smaller battery. The MagicBook 15 shares all other hardware with its smaller sibling though, including a Ryzen 5 3500U processor.

Eve has given some details on the development of its next device, a 2-in-1 successor to the V. The Eve community will have a large amount of say in the direction the next device takes. Eve CEO Konstantinos Karatsevidis also explained the changes in Eve's business model to prevent order fulfillment issues with the company's next device.

In the year 2020, Lenovo is changing the naming of its mainstream ThinkPad laptop series. The three new T series ThinkPads that follow the new system are called ThinkPad T14, ThinkPad T14s and ThinkPad T15. All of them feature Intel Comet Lake CPUs and ThinkPad T14 & T14s will also be available with AMD Ryzen Pro 4000.

Lenovo redesigns its affordable enterprise series, the ThinkPad L series. The new 2020 models ThinkPad L14 and ThinkPad L15 are therefore completely revamped compared to their predecessors. They also are the first affordable enterprise models from Lenovo with the Ryzen Pro 4000 CPUs.

The 15.6-inch laptop houses a Core i9-9980HK CPU, GeForce RTX 2070 GPU, and up to 64 GB of RAM with 16 TB of SSD storage across two M.2 2280 slots and a 2.5-inch SATA III bay.

The XMG Pro 15 from Schenker Technologies presents itself as a compact gaming notebook with plenty of performance. We were rather disappointed by the fan behavior, though.

Dell has some enticing offers in its laptop deals section at the moment, with two of the highlights coming from the famed XPS range. For those looking for something like a media powerhouse, then the Dell XPS 15 with Intel’s Core i9-9980HK and Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1650 could be a good choice. The XPS 13 with an Intel Core i3-8145U processor is especially tempting at US$649.99.

Time-of-flight (or TOF) sensors became a hallmark of flagship phones as of 2018. They may enhance 3D perception in these devices for photography or even biometrics purposes. However, they are also now projected to become important in other forms of consumer electronics, autonomous cars and robotics. This may drive their market's value up to US$6.9 billion in 5 years.

MSI tries to strike a balance between a lot of mobility and high performance, with which content creators' attention in particular should be drawn to the Prestige 14. Unfortunately, there's no escaping the fact that compromises also have to be made.

In our review, the Acer ConceptD 5 shows some interesting qualities. But at important points, Acer ruins things with cost cuts. The Acer laptop just does not make sense to us, a clear target market is missing.

More and more Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 owners have been reporting cracks appearing on the screens of their devices. It appears the issue is affecting mostly the non-alcantara models, with some users putting the problem down to a possible design flaw. Microsoft is currently “evaluating the situation” of what could be causing the cracks in the latest Surface Laptop.

Do you really need a 100 percent AdobeRGB 4K UHD AMOLED touchscreen on a 13.3-inch laptop? Probably not, but for this low of a price, you may as well consider it anyway. It's rare for an OLED laptop like this to retail for about the same price as an IPS counterpart.

A Github listing of Realtek UAD drivers seems to indicate that the Lenovo ThinkPad X13, ThinkPad T14, and ThinkPad T14S would be getting AMD options. Although no details about the specific processor SKUs are mentioned, it is very well possible that ThinkPads powered by the Ryzen 4000 APUs are not too far away from launch.

BenQ has designed the ScreenBar Lite for people that do not like relying on their laptop backlights. The lamp is rather pricey at US$99.00 though, so is it worth it? Read on in this hands-on review to find out why we keep returning it, despite its cost.

Numerous chipset foundries, TSMC included, use equipment from US-based firms to make their products. Now, the same nation's current administration may be able to leverage this fact in order to stop the supply of silicon to Huawei. This, apparently, is a new tactic to lock the OEM out of the US market.

Lenovo's top-end 14-inch Yoga C940 configuration is now cheaper than ever without needing to settle for low RAM or storage capacity commonly found on most other laptop deals.

We were quite surprised during the temperature measurements with the new Lenovo ThinkPad E15, because one area at the bottom of the case heats up to almost 70 °C (158 °F) under load and during gaming. The cooling solution seems to be overwhelmed by the dedicated graphics card.

Reading comments on forums and elsewhere, one aspect of the new Samsung Galaxy Book S that appears to be giving some potential buyers pause is Samsung’s less than detailed description of the display panel it has incorporated into the device. We’ve done a little digging and believe its TFT LCD panel has been supplied to Samsung by BOE and utilizes and uses Advanced Fringe Field Switching (AFFS) technology, derived from IPS technology, to deliver wide viewing angles and a wide color gamut.

Newegg is clearing stock of its latest AMD Ryzen laptops even though they are barely a year old. For a mid-range 15.6-inch laptop, the discounted Asus VivoBook 15 strikes a pretty good balance between performance, price, and size.

Acer's Swift 3 SF313 has been visually and technically upgraded, and it scored very well with its Ice Lake CPU and its bright 3:2 display. Nevertheless, the SoC's overall performance did not meet our expectations.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has never been shy about bigging up the company he is in charge of, but his latest claim will certainly raise some eyebrows among console fans. The executive reckons that gaming laptops fitted with Nvidia RTX GPUs will defeat the AMD-based PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in the upcoming next-gen console clash.

It says something when even Huawei can create a better Windows laptop than Microsoft can. The Apple-like approach of the Surface Laptop series has forgone almost everything that makes Windows laptops great in the first place.

House of Marley has released its second-gen TWS earbuds, called the Redemption ANCs. Unlike their predecessors, they resemble Apple AirPods, albeit ones finished in sustainable bamboo. They also have a 4-mic system for voice calls, an IPX4 rating and a case with a USB type C port.

The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 suffers from an identity crisis. Is it an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650-powered multimedia laptop, or one that is held back by the lesser GTX 1650 Max-Q variant? Well, it seems that Lenovo does not know, either. Most signs point to the laptop having a Max-Q GPU, but it is not that straightforward.

If you want to get the absolute best laptop configurations, try out the new Eurocom Sky X9C with 4K 17.3-inch display, desktop-grade I9-9900K CPU, up to 128 GB DDR4-2666 DRAM, dual RTX 2080 GPU and up to 28 TB of SSD storage via 3x M.2-2282 slots + 2X 2.5-inch bays.

The ViewSonic M1 Mini LED Pocket Projector has won one of the IF Design Awards for 2020. It has been conferred due to its innovative and functional stand, which also doubles as a lens-protector when not in use. It also packs a battery rated for up to 2.4 hours of cable-free use and a speaker from JBL.

A Swiss e-retailer listed pricing and release dates for Ryzen 5 4600H and Ryzen 7 4800H-equipped Asus TUF Gaming laptops. The midrange models range from US$1114 to US$1622 and may launch on April 3rd, taking the fight to the i5-9300H and i7-9750H.

Strengths of the Extensa 15 include the Core i5 processor, NVMe SSD, low noise levels and moderate heat development. The installed display represents the biggest weakness of the system. The preinstalled Windows 10 Pro OS is partially responsible for the price.

Time and again, laptop manufacturers equip their devices with up-to-date CPUs without adapting the system to the requirements of the new hardware. Asus also makes this mistake with the ZenBook 14, which raises the question of whether you should chose a slightly weaker CPU for less money.

The second generation of the X1 Extreme introduces new CPUs, a new GPU and a wider choice of displays. However, the X1 Extreme Gen 2 performs worse than its predecessor in some areas, especially in terms of its processor. We would recommend giving the 4K panel a miss too as it decimates battery life.

Nearly eight months on since launch, many AMD Navi GPU owners are complaining about random black screens and other driver inconsistencies even with the latest Radeon Adrenalin drivers. This puts prospective GPU owners in a conundrum as while AMD offers better value for money hardware, NVIDIA's drivers seem to be comparatively more stable.

The sub-$1000 ceiling seems to be a sweet spot for Ice Lake laptops. The Surface Laptop 3 joins the HP Spectre 13, Lenovo Yoga C940, and Razer Blade Stealth as some of the least expensive laptops you can find with Intel's latest 10 nm 10th gen Core i5 to Core i7 CPUs.