Laptop

Gigabyte Aero 15-X9 vs. Aero 15-Y9: you may want to reconsider the RTX 2080 Max-Q SKU

The Aero 15-Y9 is over $1000 more expensive than the Aero 15-X9 and yet both configurations perform about the same in all of our tests. Is there really a reason to get the pricier version? Based on our numbers, the less expensive Aero 15-X9 is the better option by a very wide margin.

Allen Ngo, 25 Mar 2019 22:18

Apple unveiled its own streaming competitor at its latest event. (Source: Apple)

The new Apple TV services are here

The Cupertino giant has unveiled the next generation of its TV arm. However, it is not a device; rather, it is a software- and content-based upgrade. The new Apple TV app allows users to cherry-pick channels or streaming providers at need. They could also add Apple TV Plus: the company's new panel of original shows available via subscription.

Deirdre O Donnell, 25 Mar 2019 20:22

The Gen11 graphics may surface along with next-gen Intel CPUs soon. (Source: Liliputing)

Intel Gen11 GPU variants detailed in new Graphics Command Center analysis

The blog TechPowerUp claims to have accessed the new Intel Graphics Command Center's INF file. It apparently lists the various sub-types of the new, particularly powerful Gen11 integrated GPUs. They may also pertain to Ice Lake and Lakefield CPUs.

Deirdre O Donnell, 25 Mar 2019 15:08

Max-Q GPUs use less power and create less heat. (Source: Nvidia)

Nvidia might release a Max-Q version of the mobile GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU

Alleged laptop data has been leaked that mentions an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with Max-Q design. Although a mobile version of the Turing-based graphics card has been expected for some time now, a Max-Q variant is a new development. Max-Q technology aims to improve energy efficiency but at the cost of performance.

Daniel R Deakin, 25 Mar 2019 10:51

The Google Stadia Wi-Fi controller is an essential accessory if you play over a Chromecast. (Source: Google)

Google has revealed Stadia’s internet speed requirements

Google’s Stadia cloud-powered streaming gaming service looks to be a technological marvel. However, in order to deliver its full potential gamers will need a robust internet connection.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 25 Mar 2019 10:42

Asus could be preparing a juicy Ryzen/Nvidia combo for upcoming laptops. (Source: Asus)

Leak suggests Asus has laptops coming with Zen+ Ryzen Picasso APUs combined with Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti and RTX 2060 Turing GPUs

Leaked information about some potential upcoming laptops from Asus suggests that the Taiwanese manufacturer is preparing to reveal devices that feature both Picasso and Turing technology. Three different models are mentioned that combine two different AMD Ryzen APUs with seemingly three Nvidia GeForce GPUs. Asus has already released gaming laptops with the new Picasso chips but not with an Nvidia GPU.

Daniel R Deakin, 25 Mar 2019 08:57

Xiaomi is prepping an update to its 12.5-inch Mi Notebook Air. (Source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air sequel teased for March 26

Xiaomi’s official Chinese Weibo account has issued a teaser indicating that it is prepping an update to its 12.5-inch Mi Notebook Air. The teaser shows a scale with the current weight of the device at 1.07 kg hinting at either a refresh or that the company is targeting a sub 1 kg weight target.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 24 Mar 2019 10:23

We review the Walmart Overpowered 17 with RTX 2070 and it's actually decent (Image source: Walmart)

We review the Walmart Overpowered 17 with RTX 2070 graphics and it's actually decent

The chassis has plenty of enthusiast features including per-key RGB lighting and a 1080p144 IPS display, but it comes at the cost of chassis rigidity in some spots and a poor trackpad. While not a bad alternative to more popular gaming laptops, we recommend a warranty extension just to be on the safe side.

Allen Ngo, 24 Mar 2019 02:43

It's possible to save nearly US$500 on the Dell XPS 15 with a Core i9-8950HK. (Source: Dell)

Deal | Save nearly US$300 on a Dell XPS 15 with i7-8750H and GTX 1050 Ti; almost US$500 off for i9 touch variant

Dell is having its semi-annual electronics sale at the moment, and there are massive savings on offer throughout the company’s extensive range of products. One of the most attractive deals is for a Dell XPS 15 laptop sporting an 8th-Gen Intel Core processor and a GPU from Nvidia’s Pascal-based GeForce 10 series, which can be purchased for US$1,410.99.

Daniel R Deakin, 23 Mar 2019 07:23

Razer did well for itself last year. (Source: The Drum)

Razer made nearly US$80 million in gross profit last year: new report

Razer has released its financial report for 2018. It shows that the gaming company's revenues are now stands at US$274.2 million. The firm made $79.5 million in terms of gross profit last year, and also cut its losses by 4.3% compared to 2017.

Deirdre O Donnell, 22 Mar 2019 15:17

The new Oculus Rift S is an iterative improvement over the original. (Source: Oculus)

Oculus and HP reveal new VR headsets

Oculus and HP have unveiled their latest VR headsets during GDC week in San Francisco. The new headsets are a step up their previous efforts and feature improved optics, comfort and overall performance.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 22 Mar 2019 04:17

Deal | Dell G5 5590 with RTX 2060 graphics is only $1180 right now

This is the cheapest we've seen a brand new GeForce RTX laptop go for. It may be a budget-class Dell gaming laptop, but it should easily perform as well as any GTX 1070 Max-Q system.

Allen Ngo, 22 Mar 2019 01:07

The MSI GL63 8SD powered by the NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti appears online. (Source: Hanoicomputer.vn)

A GTX 1660 Ti-powered MSI GL63 8SD gaming laptop gets listed on Vietnamese retail sites

Following the recent leak of a Dell G5 15 laptop featuring the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, a few Vietnamese PC retail sites have started listing the MSI GL63 8SD gaming laptop powered by the new Turing GPU indicating that an official launch of the new card is imminent. Apart from the availability of the GTX 1660 Ti option, the rest of the specs of the MSI GL63 are the same as what we've seen during its announcement at CES 2019.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 21 Mar 2019 18:16

The new iGPU from Intel improves vastly on UHD 620 graphics.

Ashes of the Singularity scores for Intel Gen11 GPU are allegedly leaked on Twitter

The Gen 11 GPU is Intel's upcoming integrated graphics solution for next-gen CPUs, as announced at GDC this year. It is associated with a possible 1 teraflop of single-precision performance. According to the leaker Tum Apisak, its first known benchmark shows double the score compared to the UHD 620.

Deirdre O Donnell, 21 Mar 2019 17:56

The sideways positioning of the touchscreen allows content creators to optimize their workflow. (Source: IF World Design Guide)

Compal shows innovative convertible laptop design

The new hinge system for convertible laptops was presented by Compal at this year's IF World Design Guide competition and it could soon be implemented in HP and Dell models. Thanks to a special locking mechanism, the touchscreen can be placed to the right of the keyboard, improving workflow for content creators that need access to keyboard shortcuts.

Bogdan Solca, 21 Mar 2019 16:17

Intel confirms Gen 9 Core H series for Q2 2019, but details remain elusive

Intel confirms Gen 9 Core H series for Q2 2019, but remains mum on details

The Coffee Lake-H successor is mere months away and Intel is still being quiet on SKUs and specifications. For what it's worth, we at least know that Wi-Fi 6 and Optane H10 memory will be supported on the upcoming gaming laptops.

Allen Ngo, 21 Mar 2019 04:00

Lenovo ThinkPad T490s using the same motherboard as smaller X390 may explain feature loss

As the release of Lenovo's newest business laptops of the well known ThinkPad brand comes closer, we discovered an interesting fact in the support documentation of the ThinkPad T490s and the smaller ThinkPad X390: Both use the same mainboard design.

Benjamin Herzig, 20 Mar 2019 19:29

Look familiar? These are the new Apple AirPods. (Source: Apple)

Apple releases AirPods 2 with new wireless charging case option

Apple's latest press release has unveiled the AirPods 2. These new earbuds integrate handsfree Siri activation, faster switching between different devices and wireless charging. However, their design is largely unchanged compared to their preceding generation.

Deirdre O Donnell, 20 Mar 2019 17:31

The Blue Yeti is apparently the best USB mic. (Source: Amazon)

The best USB microphone is made by Blue: new analysis

In a world where everyone seems to be a streamer or caster or some kind, a USB microphone may be a viable purchase. They combine the possible advantage of improved audio with a power source that is already built into your machine. A recent "data-driven" review puts the Blue Yeti at the top of a new list of the best of these devices.

Deirdre O Donnell, 20 Mar 2019 13:54

The Alienware Alpha R2 PC/console hybrid could be fitted with a GPU from Nvidia or AMD. (Source: Dell)

Dell's Frank Azor says no to Alienware gaming phones and more consoles

During a visit to India where he has been discussing newly launched Dell and Alienware laptops for the Indian market, Dell executive Frank Azor had time to make a few interesting comments about what direction Alienware won’t be taking in the near future. It seems an Alienware gaming phone certainly isn’t in the picture.

Daniel R Deakin, 20 Mar 2019 10:31

Dell's G7 15 gaming laptop has a 15.6-inch FHD (1920x1080) IPS 144 Hz display. (Source: Dell India)

Dell launches G7 15, Alienware m15, and Alienware Area-51m gaming laptops in India

Dell has announced that the G7 15 gaming laptop, the Alienware m15 notebook, and the powerful Alienware Area-51m computer are now available to customers in India. The devices can currently be ordered from the website for Dell India, and they will be made available in retail outlets such as Reliance Digital and Croma from April 1.

Daniel R Deakin, 20 Mar 2019 09:40

The Alienware Area-51m laptop can utilize desktop processors. (Source: Dell)

Alienware Area-51m with GeForce RTX 2080 and i7-9700K achieves amazing score in 3DMark Fire Strike

An Alienware Area-51m laptop with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 GPU and an Intel Core i7-9700K processor has recorded a very impressive score of 25,039 in 3DMark’s Fire Strike 1.1 test. According to the chart details for the run, this puts this particular system ahead of 98% of all other results. The Graphics score was 30,306.

Daniel R Deakin, 20 Mar 2019 05:59

Alienware Area-51m review coming soon; ask your questions here (Image source: Dell)

Alienware Area-51m review in progress; ask your questions here

Can a laptop equipped with the Core i9-9900K CPU and GeForce RTX 2080 GPU match or exceed the performance of a desktop PC with the same core specifications? If you have any other pressing concerns before investing in the pricey purchase, just let us know below.

Allen Ngo, 20 Mar 2019 04:41

In addition to the growing game library that already has more than 500 titles, GeForce Now will allow users to bring their own games from platforms like Steam. (Source: Nvidia)

Nvidia's GeForce Now cloud gaming platform is ready for launch

Nvidia's own game streaming service is currently featuring more than 500 game titles, and users will be able to bring more games from platforms like Steam. Backed by new RTX blade servers with scalable RTX 2080 performance and blazing fast connections all across the world via the GeForce Now Alliance, Nvidia is aiming to provide the smoothest gaming experience for more than a billion systems that do not integrate gaming GPUs.

Bogdan Solca, 19 Mar 2019 21:27

Vectordash aims to bring smooth gameplay for systems that do not integrate a gaming GPU by tapping the power of unused cryptomining GPU rigs. (Source: ebay)

Vectordash looking to provide cloud gaming infrastructure through cryptomining GPUs

The game streaming infrastructure envisioned by Vectordash puts GPU-based cryptomining rigs to good use in order to bring a smooth gaming experience for computers that do not integrate dedicated gaming GPUs. The service will first be available only on the West Coast, but there are plans to expand support for the East Coast.

Bogdan Solca, 19 Mar 2019 20:37

Upcoming HP ProBook 445R G6 and 455R G6 will carry AMD Ryzen Zen+ processors

The ProBook 445 and 455 are barely three months old and they will soon be updated with faster models come this summer. Much like the upcoming Lenovo IdeaPad C340 series, the newer SKUs will have second generation AMD Zen APUs for potentially cheaper starting prices than the usual Intel U-class options.

Allen Ngo, 19 Mar 2019 16:00

2019 HP Envy 13, Envy 15, and Envy 17 coming with AMOLED and GeForce MX250 options (Source: HP)

2019 HP Envy 13, Envy 15, and Envy 17 coming with AMOLED, Optane, and GeForce MX250 options

HP will be bringing some of its previously exclusive Spectre features to its mid-range Envy lineup this year. The 15.6-inch Envy 15 in particular will get an AMOLED option while all models will have a physical camera kill switch to electronically disable the webcam.

Allen Ngo, 19 Mar 2019 16:00

Ray tracing is coming to the masses thanks to DXR. (Source: Nvidia)

Nvidia to bring DirectX ray tracing to the GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB and other Pascal cards in April

Nvidia has announced that a number of Pascal-based graphics cards will soon be enabled to utilize DirectX ray tracing (DXR). GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB cards and higher will receive a Game Ready Driver update, which is currently expected in April, to allow their users to enjoy limited ray tracing technology in certain games.

Daniel R Deakin, 19 Mar 2019 03:44

Alienware Area 51m coud get the UHD option by the end of September, confirms Frank Azor

Alienware Area-51m laptops should get the UHD option in six to eight months

Currently available only with a Full HD display option, the Alienware Area-51m gaming laptop will get UHD as an option in six to eight months, according to Frank Azor. He also said that the arrival of this option "wasn't supposed to take this long" so the machine was not designed for DIY display upgrades.

Codrut Nistor, 18 Mar 2019 19:55

Redesigned 2019 HP Pavilion x360 series with GeForce MX250 graphics launching this April

The 2019 Pavilion x360 15 in particular will be nearly 14 percent thinner (.94-inch to .81-inch) and 15 percent lighter (5.1 lbs to 4.3 lbs) than the 2017 Pavilion x360 15. A fingerprint reader, which has become standard on costlier models, will now be an option for the Pavilion laptops.

Allen Ngo, 16 Mar 2019 20:48

The battery recall program initiated by HP in 2018 was recently expanded with 78,500 batteries. (Source: CPSC)

HP is expanding its 2018 battery recall program

Due to new customer complaints, HP is expanding its battery recall program with a 78,500 battery batch, and the affected models now include 2018 models such as ProBook 400 G4 and Pavilion x360 (11-inch), ZBook Studio G4, ProBook 430/440/450/455/470 G5, Envy 15 and Mobile Thin Client mt21/22/31.

Bogdan Solca, 15 Mar 2019 18:02

MSI GE75 Raider vs. Asus Strix Scar II GL704GW: Asus has the CPU performance advantage

These two 17.3-inch MSI and Asus gaming laptops are in direct competition with each other with the same Core i7-8750H CPU, same RTX 2070 GPU, and even the same retail price of $2200 USD. We go over the pros and cons of each model to see which one is right for you.

Allen Ngo, 15 Mar 2019 08:17

The Comet Lake CPUs are expected to arrive in mid-2019 as a minor 14 nm refresh for last year's Coffee Lake models. (Source: CTiems)

Driver leak reveals Intel Comet Lake CPUs with up to 10 cores

Intel's latest updates for the Linux DRM kernel driver and coreboot reveal the upcoming Comet Lake CPUs that appear to be a 14 nm refresh of last year's Coffee Lake models. There will be ULV, mobile and desktop variants with up to 10 cores that are expected to be launched in mid-2019, before the anticipated 10 nm Ice Lake family.

Bogdan Solca, 14 Mar 2019 19:43

Dell XPS 13 4K options have shorter battery life by several hours

Power-hungry display — Dell XPS 13 4K UHD configurations have shorter battery life by several hours

If you're in the market for a new XPS 13 Ultrabook, you may want to consider the less expensive 1080p options for their significantly longer runtimes. We are able to measure a difference of 4 to 5 hours when running the same WiFi test on both the FHD and 4K UHD SKUs.

Allen Ngo, 14 Mar 2019 17:29

Elkhart Lake will be part of the Ice Lake processor family. (Source: El Chapuzas Informático)

Intel's Elkhart Lake SoC will feature a Gen11 iGPU

Leaked driver support information has given away some details about the little-known Intel Elkhart Lake SoC. According to the development work, the system-on-a-chip will come with the support of Intel’s Gen11 integrated GPU. The Gen11 has already appeared in some benchmarks, which apparently show it closing the gap between iGPUs and (entry-level) discrete GPUs.

Daniel R Deakin, 14 Mar 2019 10:17

Upcoming TravelMate X514-51 will be Acer's thinnest professional laptop yet (Source: Acer)

Acer TravelMate X514-51 launching this June to replace the TravelMate X3410

The new 14-inch business laptop will have the distinction of weighing less than 1 kg while still offering Gorilla Glass touchscreen, 15 W ULV Intel CPU options, and a magnesium-lithium magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis that promises improved rigidity.

Allen Ngo, 13 Mar 2019 23:12