Thunderbolt

The TUF Gaming F17 that we reviewed inherits the 17.3-inch chassis of the TUF A17, but it houses an RTX 3060 instead of a GTX 1660 Ti. In addition, it's equipped with a Core i9 from the Tiger Lake series. The display deserves some criticism. Despite cool features like Adaptive Sync and 144 Hz, it otherwise scores average rates at best. Price is still a big question.

Gigabyte updates the Aorus 17G with the latest technology: A Tiger Lake processor, an Ampere GPU, PCI Express 4.0, and Thunderbolt 4. The laptop's highlight is still the compelling mechanical keyboard.

The MSI Modern 15 remains a high-performance office laptop with its updated hardware as well. However, there are still minor points of criticism.

The new Executive model from Slimbook weighs 2.2 lbs (1 kg) and packs premium features like a 16:10 screen with 3K resolution and 90 Hz refresh rate plus an Intel Tiger Lake-U i7-1165G7 processor. It also includes a Thunderbolt 4 connector and users can add up to 64 GB of DDR4-3200 and up to 4 TB of NVMe SSD storage.

Lenovo has constructed its ThinkPad X1 Extreme new. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 is supposed to take on the Dell XPS series. It changes to the 16:10 aspect ratio, but with a different screen size compared to the Dell competitors. Lenovo also upgrades the GPUs to up to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Max-Q.

Thin and less features - many modern laptops have to make compromises in the hunt for every millimeter. The Schenker Vision 14 now shows that there is another way. In addition to plenty of ports, you also get replaceable RAM modules and two M.2 slots in a 1 kg magnesium chassis.

Gigabyte improves system performance in particular with the hardware configuration of the Aorus 15P YD. Compared with last year's model, there are new advantages as well as disadvantages.

Schenker has announced the release of the XMG Core 15 and 17 (M21) laptops. They may be refreshed versions of their early-2021 (or E21) counterparts; however, this involves an upgrade to 11th-gen Intel silicon, and, thus, Thunderbolt 4/USB4. The rest of their specs remain unchanged, their RTX 3060 graphics included.

The laptops come equipped with the newest Intel 11th Core-H CPUs with optional integrated Cherry mechanical keys for the larger 17.3-inch model. Dell says these are some of the thinnest GeForce RTX laptops in the market, if not *the* thinnest.

For the first time since its original release in 2018, Lenovo is not merely updating the ThinkPad P1. The new version of the premium mobile workstation, the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 4, is a complete redesign. A large 16 inch 16:10 screen, vapor chamber cooling, top-firing speakers, 5G, a 1080p webcam and Tiger Lake H as well as up to the Nvidia RTX A5000 - Lenovo has packed the ThinkPad P1 G4 with new features.

The Lenovo ThinkPad Thunderbolt 4 Workstation Dock is now official. It comes with a wide selection of ports, including HDMI 2.1, DP 1.4, USB Type-C and more. Users can buy the dock for US$419 in Q4 2021.

The trend for laptop displays is currently moving towards a longer 16:10 aspect ratio. The result is smaller bezels below and above the screen, more space for documents - and much better usability in tablet mode. This is shown by the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga Gen 2, for example.

The current silicon crisis is often perceived as bad news for CPU and GPU supplies worldwide. However, a new report highlights the point that its ramifications might be more widespread than that. It indicates that disrupted sales of a controller chip necessary for working USB 4/Thunderbolt 4 might lead to a lack of PCs with 11th-gen Intel processors next, or to OEMs resorting to releasing the same machines without this spec.

The revamped W-series now includes the WS76/66 and WE76 high-end models with up to an i9-11980HK CPU, up to 64 GB of DDR4-3200 RAM and a choice between the RTX A5000 or A3000 professional GPUs plus screens up to 4K. These models also include PCIe 4.0 support and a Thunderbolt 4 connector, while the WF76/66 models do not, and also support only up to an i7-11800H CPU with RTX A2000 or T1200 and 1080p screens.

The featherweight LG Gram 16 scores points with a Tiger Lake processor, Thunderbolt 4/USB 4, room for two NVMe SSDs, and a 16-inch display in the 16:10 format. This is complemented by excellent battery life.

The second generation of the ThinkPad P14s is equipped with Tiger Lake CPUs and an Nvidia Quadro T500. In this case, the latter is also what will persuade users to opt for the new model.

The HP Spectre x360 14 is a 2-in-1 device which features a Tiger Lake CPU, two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a 13.5-inch OLED touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio. The touchscreen can recognise inputs from the included HP Tilt Pen and fingers.

This new NUC goes into beast mode with an 8-liter enclosure that can fit full-size GPUs plus a PSU. It also supports 45 W Intel Tiger Lake-H CPUs including the HK overclockable models, but apparently only supports air coolers, so it might get some TGP restrictions. Nevertheless, it also comes with a NUC 11 Extreme Compute Unit that includes features such as PCIe 4.0, Optane Memory, 2x Thunderbolt 4.0 connectors and even a 10 Gb NIC.

The X1 Extreme is among the few Lenovo ThinkPads that have not been updated yet this year. The upcoming Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 seems to be a huge redesign, as a leaked video shows wide speaker grills and a taller screen.

When a manufacturer already uses one of the most powerful graphics cards in its laptops, a new CPU also needs to ensure a higher performance.

Acer's top-of-the-line Predator Helios 500 gaming notebook has received a significant upgrade. It now ships with an Intel Core i9-11980HK processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card with 16GB VRAM, and a 17.2-inch 4K 120Hz mini-LED screen. It will be available for purchase sometime in Q3 2021, starting at EUR 2,499 (US$3,042).

How did two laptops with very different names end up looking exactly the same? MSI plans to eventually merge the Modern and Prestige series under one newer Summit name to avoid consumer confusion.

The new 14-inch Linux-based business laptop from Tuxedo weighs around 2.2 lbs and is fairly thin. CPU options include the i5-1135G7 and i7-1165G7 Tiger Lake-U CPUs with Iris Xe iGPUs, which can be coupled with up to 64 GB of DDR4 RAM and up to 4 TB of PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD storage. This model is among the first to offer a 3K display with LTPS LCD technology that is usually seen on smartphones.

Available in a single 12 GB/512 GB memory/SSD storage configuration, the Intel Core i5-1135G7-driven MINISFORUM TL50 mini PC that features Thunderbolt 4 connectivity can be acquired for a price of US$699. The first 50 orders will get a generous discount of US$100 and shipments will begin in July.

The Intel-based Neo M21 models might slightly lag behind those equipped with the Ryzen 7 5800H as far as CPU performance is concerned, but the addition of PCIe 4.0 and Thunderbolt 4 could be decisive for many users. Otherwise, the Neo 15 / 17 models powered by the i7-11800H seem to be mostly identical to the E21 AMD systems released earlier this year.

Highlights for the 2021 Dell XPS 17 9710 models include the new Tiger Lake-H mobile CPUs up to an i9-11980HK, up to 64 GB of DDR4-3200 RAM, up to 4 TB PCIe 4 x4 NVMe SSD storage, Nvidia RTX 3050 / 3060 mobile GPUs, 4x Thunderbolt connectors, and 4K HDR touchscreens with 16:10 aspect ratio.

Lenovo has launched two new variants of its Legion 5i gaming laptops. One comes with a 17.3-inch 144Hz FHD screen, while the other packs a 15.6-inch 165Hz QHD panel. Other Lenovo Legion 5i specs include an Intel Core i7-11800H processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card, and more.

Until 2018, Lenovo did not change a lot when it comes to the typing feel of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. Since Lenovo has reduced the travel with the X1 Carbon Gen 7, it seems like Pandora's box has been opened. With the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9, there are big changes yet again.