Thunderbolt

Lenovo has updated the second generation ThinkPad P15 with new Tiger Lake processors from Intel along with Thunderbolt 4, but the highlight of the mobile workstation is the new professional RTX A3000 GPU from Nvidia, which provides a huge performance boost.

The new Oryx Pro laptops are powered by the Intel Core i7-11800H processor that can be coupled with up to 64 GB of DDR4-3200 RAM and up to 4 TB of PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD storage. On the graphics side, we find the RTX 3070 and 3080 Max-Q dGPU options and there is a MUX switch to unleash the full potential in games and demanding applications. It also comes with a Thunderbolt 4 connector, but the prices are quite steep.

OWC has announced a new kind of USB dock, rated to split 1 Thunderbolt feed between 2 monitors of (technically) up to 8K in resolution. It does so via the newer DisplayPort 1.4 standard, and is also rated to support HDR with compatible displays. OWC asserts that this new accessory can thus boost productivity, gaming or learning for a variety of users.

The schematics posted a few days ago teased the modular port design, and the new renders now reveal that the Pocket 3 is actually a 2-in-1 laptop that includes a stylus. GPD's tweets are also suggesting that the Pocket 3 will come with Intel and AMD processor options.

Brydge is a well-known name in third-party keyboard docks for high-end tablets. As such, one of its latest products is for the freshly-launched Surface Pro 8. Alternatively, the new Stone Pro TB4 is compatible with it and any other device with at least 1 Thunderbolt 4 port.

The base version of the Mac Mini with the M1 chip is available for a maximum of 800 Euros (~$938), making it considerably cheaper than comparable iMacs or MacBooks. Nevertheless, performance is on par with the MacBook Pro.

Gigabyte has announced the U4 ultrabook featuring the latest Core i7-1195G7 processor. The Gigabyte U4 weighs just 990 g and is only 16.4 mm thick. Gigabyte offers decent upgradability options including two M.2 NVMe slots along with a good port selection, but the battery capacity seems to have suffered a compromise.

Instead of just equipping the GE 76 Raider 11UH with a new CPU, MSI has also introduced small innovations that aren't immediately noticeable.

The unannounced Galaxy Book appears to integrate an early sample of the Alder Lake-P that only runs at 2.25 GHz. There is no dGPU, but the processor does integrate an improved Iris Xe LP graphics accelerator, plus the system is equipped with 16 GB of what looks to be LPDDR5X RAM.

In addition to Thunderbolt 4 ports, the Fujitsu LifeBook U7311 also has a VGA port. However, the wide selection of ports is not the only thing that makes the Fujitsu laptop worthwhile.

Dell's 13-inch laptop comes as a powerhouse in a mini format: The laptop runs with a 35-Watt Tiger Lake-H SoC in addition to a 25-Watt GeForce MX450. Is this a 1.3-kilogram (3 lb) workstation?

Asus has made the VivoBook Pro 14, Pro 14X, 15, and Pro 16X official in the European market. The new laptops have options on OLED screens and either Intel Tiger Lake or Ryzen 5000 processors. This, of course, also means Thunderbolt 4 in some SKUs, in a series offering up to RTX 3050 Ti cards in terms of graphics.

The technical specs of the current SureView panel sound great: 1,000 nits of brightness, a matte surface, and viewing angles are narrowed at the press of a button. But the impact on image quality shouldn't be underestimated, though; the EliteBook 830 G8 would make a better overall package with a different display.

Lenovo's slim all-rounder offers a well-rounded feature set: A Core i5 processor, the GeForce MX450 GPU, 16 GB of RAM (dual-channel mode), and an NVMe SSD. This is complemented by good battery life, and a 16-inch display (2560x1600, IPS, 120 Hz) in the 16:10 format.

ZOTAC has upgraded some of its ZBOX C series mini-PCs to Intel's latest laptop processors. The ZBOX C nano will be available with up to a Core i7-1165G7, a 28 W processor cooled by a fanless chassis. Core i3 and Core i5 alternatives will also be on offer.

The EliteBook 850 G8 is the latest business laptop from HP. It features a 1000-nit screen, 5G modem, smart card reader and an NFC chip. The HP laptop looks and feels very premium.

We just reviewed the brand-new Dell XPS 15 9510 with Intel's Tiger Lake-H processor. The performance is not bad, but AMDs current Ryzen CPUs are just more efficient and would leave more headroom for more powerful GPUs.

Realme has confirmed that it will launch its first-ever ultrabook in a few days from today (August 15, 2021). This PC - to be called the Book Slim in some markets - is now also said to come with some additional features and accessories that might bring it up to the level of some rival OEMs such as Xiaomi and Huawei.

Panasonic has launched a new version of its rugged Toughbook 55 laptop with updated specs and I/O. They include 11th-gen Intel CPUs - which also of course makes one of its ports Thunderbolt 4. However, the PC is still fully compatible with the user-swappable xPAK modules that can customize a unit to a customer's specific professional or public service needs.

With the Aero 15 OLED XD, Gigabyte introduces a solid laptop with an excellent display that is intended for both creators and gamers.

The latest iteration of the Xenia 15 gaming laptop is powered by the i7-11800H processor coupled with 32 GB of DDR4-3200 RAM, a new 1 TB XPG Gen 4 SSD and either an RTX 3070 or 3060 dGPU from Nvidia. It comes with advanced features like Thunderbolt 4 connectors and a 15.6-inch 165 Hz QHD screen. On the other hand, the new XPG DDR5 modules that can be overclocked to 12600 MT/s now feature as much as 64 GB per single module.

The new Prestige 14 Evo looks just like the old Prestige 14 Evo. However, an Intel Core i7-1195G7 inside shows what we can expect from Intel's Tiger Lake improvements.

An Intel executive has reportedly uploaded a photo of a slide pointing to very interesting developments in data transfers over USB type-C by accident. The material allegedly points to speeds of up to 80 gigabits per second (Gb/s), which will, furthermore, be supported by physical-layer technology.

Though they may look very similar, the Summit E14 is actually the newer model with much faster performance and a brighter 600-nit 4K display. Users can distinguish the Summit from the Prestige by the gold-trimmed clickpad and MSI logo on Summit models.

The Modern 14 scores with a Core i7-1165G7 processor, GeForce MX450 graphics core, and 16 GB of working memory. However, the latter can only operate in single-channel mode. In addition, the laptop heats up a lot under load and produces a lot of noise.

Tired of having manufacturers decide for you what ports you want or don't want? The Framework Laptop lets you choose exactly what you want and how many you want at up to four individual ports.

The second generation of the compact ThinkPad X13 G2 gets new processors, 16:10 displays, and 5G as an optional extra. The business laptop convinces with good connectivity, but long-term ThinkPad users will have to make compromises when it comes to the keyboard.

16:10 screens offer more screenspace without significantly increasing the footprints of laptops.

This year, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 2 stands almost alone among the ThinkPads of the higher price segment. However, its distinguishing characteristic, the 16:9 format, is by no means positive. It is time for Lenovo to change the format.