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Snapdragon 8cx PCs may get improved code soon. (Source: Qualcomm)

Microsoft makes more progress with 64-bit Windows on ARM

Windows 10 on ARM is slowly winning more uptake from OEMs and users alike as time goes on. However, it still has its limitations, not the least of which is the restriction to 32-bit code. However, a new reported breakthrough may bring an upgrade to x64 closer than ever.

Deirdre O Donnell, 18 May 2020 23:32

The entry-level Apple MacBook Air is the better choice for many users

Apple's 2020 MacBook Air is the first Air with optional quad-core processors, which should increase the performance significantly, at least in theory. However, the entry-level SKU with the Core i3 CPU for $999 is often the better choice for everyday tasks.

Andreas Osthoff, 17 May 2020 21:47

The unspecified Tiger Lake U chip clocks at 2.8 GHz (Image source: Intel)

2.8 GHz Tiger Lake U chip with 4 Willow Cove cores and 8 threads spotted: leaves 8-core 16-thread 4.2 GHz Ryzen 7 4800U unfazed

A benchmark listing spotted by tipster @_rogame indicates that premium Tiger Lake U chips will run as high as 2.8 GHz. Whether that's enough to bridge the gap with the eight-core sixteen-thread Ryzen 7 4800U, though, remains to be seen.

Arjun Krishna Lal, 17 May 2020 10:11

The new UGREEN 65W charger. (Source: UGREEN)

UGREEN launches a new, compact, multi-USB 65W GaN charger via Indiegogo

UGREEN's latest power brick has 4 ports: 3 USB type Cs and 1 USB type A; therefore, it may suit the need of many users with multiple devices that can charge at up to 65 watts (W). The OEM also claims that it will be smaller than its 61W Apple counterpart. However, only the end of its new crowdfunding campaign may supply the proof of that.

Deirdre O'Donnell, 15 May 2020 18:23

Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 and MateBook 13 2020 now available for pre-order with Comet Lake-U CPUs

Huawei's Macbook alternatives are back with upgraded Comet Lake-H CPUs up to a Core i7-10510U, up to 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB or 1 TB NVMe SSD storage and excellent 3:2 displays. Unfortunately, Huawei chose not to upgrade the GeForce MX250 dGPUs.

Bogdan Solca, 15 May 2020 16:38

Dell XPS 13 9300 FHD version is brighter than the 4K UHD version and other interesting differences

There are some advantages and disadvantages to each option with some being obvious and others not so obvious. We go over each one here to help potential buyers make their decision.

Allen Ngo, 15 May 2020 06:56

ThinkPad P14s & P15s: Lenovo upgrades Ultrabook workstations with hexa core i7-10810U

In the shadows of the ThinkPad T series and the ThinkPad X1 Extreme, Lenovo sells the ThinkPad P43s and ThinkPad P53s workstations with more power efficient CPUs. Lenovo is updating this series now with Comet-Lake and the new naming-scheme – accordingly, the new models are named Lenovo ThinkPad P14s and ThinkPad P15s.

Benjamin Herzig, 14 May 2020 21:04

Intel 10th gen vPro processors are now available across mobile, desktop, and workstation. (Image Source: Intel)

Intel announces new 10th gen Comet Lake vPro processors with enhanced Hardware Shield features and...overclocking support?

Intel has announced the vPro variants of Comet Lake processors across mobile, desktop, and workstation. The new vPro processors offer enhanced Hardware Shield security features, a modern lifecycle management, and will even be available in Project Athena-based designs. The intriguing aspect, however, is the inclusion of K-series unlocked processors that are capable of overclocking, whose exact purpose in a business environment seems unclear at the moment.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 14 May 2020 10:05

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 should offer up to 14 hours of battery life. (Image source: Lenovo)

Upcoming Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 with AMD Ryzen 7 4800U returns to Fire Strike and cranks out an even better Physics Score that finishes off the Intel Core i7-10750H

The AMD Ryzen 7 4800U mobile APU has appeared on 3DMark’s Fire Strike benchmark once again, seemingly as the key component of the upcoming Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 laptop. The Ryzen 4000 chip amassed a huge 19,204 points in the Physics Score, putting it way beyond the Comet Lake Intel Core i7-10750H rival.

Daniel R Deakin, 10 May 2020 12:05

The current Xiaomi RedmiBook 13 laptop offers narrow bezels and a low weight. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi will soon be launching new Ryzen 4000 laptops with the RedmiBook 13, RedmiBook 14S, and RedmiBook 16

A tipster has reported that Xiaomi will be launching three new RedmiBook laptops featuring Ryzen 4000 APUs at some point later this month. The RedmiBook 13, RedmiBook 14S, and RedmiBook 16 will come with Ryzen 5 processors, with speculation settling on the probable selection of the AMD Ryzen 5 4500U as the APU of choice.

Daniel R Deakin, 09 May 2020 12:17

Huawei launched Ryzen 3000-powered Honor MagicBook Pro laptops in 2019. (Image source: TradingShenzhen)

AMD Ryzen 7 4800H in a Huawei laptop: Ryzen 4000 Honor MagicBook Pro could be in the works

It seems Huawei could be planning on refreshing its laptops with Ryzen 4000 mobile APUs. The impressive AMD Ryzen 7 4800H has been specifically mentioned in connection with the Chinese OEM, which is known for offering decent AMD-powered devices with its Honor MagicBook line. An Honor MagicBook Pro powered by the Ryzen 7 4800H would be an attractive prospect.

Daniel R Deakin, 09 May 2020 11:17

The ZenBook 14 inexplicably pairs a powerful Vega 7 iGPU with the MX350 (Image source: ASUS)

Opinion | The NVIDIA GeForce MX350 barely beats the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U's Vega 7 iGPU: Why are some OEMs using it anyway?

A new ASUS ZenBook 14 model sports the Ryzen 7 4700U APU, together with an Nvidia GeForce MX350 discrete graphics card. However, considering the narrow performance difference between the MX350 and the 4700U's iGPU, why does ASUS bother with a discrete GPU?

Arjun Krishna Lal, 08 May 2020 09:25

Lenovo ThinkPad 2020 Roadmap Leak: Affordable workstation P15v/T15p; X12, X1 Nano & X1 Titanium later this year with Intel Tiger Lake

Update | Lenovo ThinkPad 2020 Roadmap Leak: Affordable workstation P15v/T15p; X12, X1 Nano & X1 Titanium in Q4 2020 with Tiger Lake

A roadmap detailing Lenovo's plans for 2020 and its ThinkPad line has leaked. Most models included in the roadmap have already been announced, but there are a few interesting details: Tiger Lake, Intel's third 10 nm CPU platform, will make it to ThinkPads around the end of 2020. And Lenovo is planning a new affordable workstation model called the ThinkPad T15p / ThinkPad P15v.

Benjamin Herzig, 06 May 2020 16:21

Razer Blade 15 with 10th gen Core i7-108750H is now available and it'll set you back $2600 USD (Image source: Razer)

Razer Blade 15 with 10th gen Core i7-10875H is now available and it'll set you back $2600 USD

With the Intel 10th gen models on the way, now would be a great time to consider the Intel 9th gen models instead. Razer is cutting prices on last year's models if the marginally improved CPU and GPU upgrades don't interest you.

Allen Ngo, 05 May 2020 01:59

The Asus ZenBook Duo ScreenPad is incredibly useful, but keep in mind these limitations

The Asus ZenBook Duo ScreenPad is incredibly useful, but watch out for these limitations

Two screens are better than one... in most cases, at least. Here are our biggest gripes about the dual-screen ZenBook Duo UX481 and what we would like to see improved on the next generation model.

Allen Ngo, 05 May 2020 00:07

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 was expected to be released in April. (Image source: Lenovo)

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 laptop with AMD Ryzen 7 4800U to finally go on sale on May 16

The sale date for the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 ultrabook featuring an AMD Ryzen 7 4800U APU has been announced. Apparently, public sales will begin on May 16 with a pre-sale starting on May 11. The AMD-based Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 was originally expected to be released in April but was delayed, possibly due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Daniel R Deakin, 04 May 2020 11:08

The AMD-based Lenovo Yoga Slim with Ryzen 7 4800U APU should be available soon. (Image source: Lenovo)

AMD Ryzen 7 4800U in Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 arms itself with a Fire Strike Physics Score that shoots down the Intel Core i7-1065G7 and targets the Core i7-10750H

An AMD Ryzen 7 4800U inside a Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 device has managed a remarkable Physics Score in 3DMark’s Fire Strike test. The Renoir APU notched up 17,578 points, which puts it far out of reach of the similarly energy efficient Ice Lake Core i7-1065G7 and within shouting distance of the more power-hungry Comet Lake Intel Core i7-10750H.

Daniel R Deakin, 03 May 2020 14:21

The Schenker VIA 14 competes well with ThinkPads, EliteBooks & Latitudes thanks to its big battery

The brand Schenker is well known for its Schenker XMG laptops. Office and business laptops are not necessarily associated with it, which Schenker wants to change with the VIA 14 – a pretty successful endeavor.

Benjamin Herzig, 02 May 2020 22:23

The Core i5-L16G7 could power ultra-low power Windows tablets. (Image Source: Intel)

Intel Lakefield Core i5-L16G7 shows up on Geekbench, Tremont cores seem to hold back multi-core performance

Geekbench 5 results of the Intel Lakefield Core i5-L16G7 5-core 5-thread processor have surfaced indicating good benefits in single-core over a Core i5-L15G7. However, the score also indicates that the small Tremont cores may hinder overall multi-core performance.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 28 Apr 2020 10:28

Asus ProArt StudioBook 15 H500 and StudioBook 17 H700 ditch Quadro RTX graphics for the GeForce RTX 2060 (Image source: Amazon)

New Asus ProArt StudioBook 15 H500 and StudioBook 17 H700 to ditch Quadro RTX graphics for the GeForce RTX 2060

The simple swap in graphics has resulted in half the starting the price. If you want a professional laptop without the professional GPU, then the 15.6-inch Asus StudioBook 15 H500 or 17.3-inch H700 can serve as an alternative to the Razer Blade Studio or MSI Prestige.

Allen Ngo, 27 Apr 2020 23:02

Asus VivoBook S14 S433 and S15 S533 now shipping with Core i5 Comet Lake-U for $700 USD

The systems come standard with Wi-Fi 6, 1080p display, USB Type-C, 512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD, 8 GB of RAM, and an 85 to 86 percent screen-to-body ratio.

Allen Ngo, 27 Apr 2020 19:25

The HyperDrive Gen2 options with an iPhone 11 Pro Max for scale. (Source: HYPER)

The HyperDrive Gen2 has now achieved over 1000% of its Indiegogo goal

HYPER's 2nd-generation USB type C hub for laptops such as MacBooks has been launched via crowd-funding platforms. The resulting Indiegogo campaign has now attracted over US$1 million in backing, whereas the company had originally looked for about a tenth of that. This version of the HyperDrive has 3 SKUs with up to 18 ports each.

Deirdre O Donnell, 24 Apr 2020 22:32

Despite all the security features and military-grade durability, the updated Portégé X models remain slim and light. (Image Source: Dynabook)

Dynabook updates Portégé X business laptop lineup with Intel's 10th gen CPUs

The latest Portégé X slim and light business laptops come with a host of improved security features along with upgrades like the Intel gen 10 Comet Lake-H CPUs, Wi-Fi 6 support, Sharp IGZO displays, Thunderbolt 3 connectivity and military-grade durability.

Bogdan Solca, 22 Apr 2020 14:06

Razer doubling down on Core i7-1065G7 Ice Lake even though the Core i7-10710U would have made more sense

The 2020 Blade Stealth will be coming with Ice Lake yet again which shouldn't offer much of a CPU performance boost year-over-year. Its new 120 Hz display option will definitely be the more exciting upgrade.

Allen Ngo, 21 Apr 2020 18:00

The new Aukey Omnia 100W. (Source: Aukey)

Aukey releases its latest 100W USB type C charger

Aukey has announced that its new 100 watt (W) charger with a USB type C port is now available to pre-order. This Omnia 100W is based on gallium nitride (GaN) technology, which leaves it with a depth of 32 millimeters. This, according to the OEM at least, makes it more portable than a comparable MacBook Pro power-brick.

Deirdre O Donnell, 21 Apr 2020 18:00

Razer Blade Stealth 2020: First 13.3 inch laptop with 120 Hz screen

Razer further upgrades its gaming Ultrabook. The 2020 version of the Razer Blade Stealth is based on the same design as the 2019 model, but it gets a stronger GPU as well as a faster FHD screen panel.

Benjamin Herzig, 21 Apr 2020 17:00

The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus. (Source: Lenovo)

The dual-screen Lenovo ThinkBook Plus will be released soon

Lenovo's innovative ThinkBook Plus is now up for pre-order on JD.com, prior to general sales starting from April 24, 2020. To recap, this 13.3-inch notebook has a 10.8-inch e-ink display on its lid. The user can thus write or doodle on the device without opening it with its included Precision Pen.

Deirdre O Donnell, 18 Apr 2020 20:55

HP compares its latest Envy 15 to the MacBook Pro 16 and it conveniently leaves out some important differences (Image source: HP)

HP compares its latest 2020 Envy 15 to the MacBook Pro 16 and it conveniently leaves out some important differences

Can the upcoming Envy 15 persuade MacBook Pro users to hop the fence? HP certainly thinks so, but Apple users still have some key advantages on their side that most Windows laptops have yet to match.

Allen Ngo, 16 Apr 2020 14:00

2020 HP Envy 13 and Envy x360 13 get completely new looks with Intel Ice Lake and AMD Ryzen 4700U options

Now may be a good time to replace that old HP Pavilion of yours. These new Envy models offer Spectre-like looks and physical features for hundred less. If you don't need Thunderbolt 3 or 4K UHD touchscreens, then the refreshed Envy series may be worth considering.

Allen Ngo, 16 Apr 2020 14:00

New HP Envy x360 15 with AMD Ryzen 7 will undercut the Intel Core i7 SKU by about $150 USD

The Renoir-powered Envy x360 15 will start at $700 USD compared to $850 USD for the 10th gen Intel Ice Lake option. If the trend continues, then it will become easier to recommend the AMD option especially since the 7 nm Ryzen 4000U series has been so promising thus far.

Allen Ngo, 16 Apr 2020 14:00

Dell XPS 13 9300 now available with 32 GB of RAM, but it'll cost you quite a bit

If you've been twiddling your thumbs waiting for Dell to offer a 32 GB version of its latest XPS 13, then now's the time to jump in. Expect to put down $1800 or more if you're one of the few Ultrabook users who need more than the usual 16 GB.

Allen Ngo, 15 Apr 2020 18:20

It has not been a great 2020 for PCs thus far. (Source: NBC)

PC shipments dropped by 12% in the first quarter of 2020: Gartner

The latest market research from the Gartner group indicates that the market for PCs has experienced its "sharpest decline" since 2013. However, it seems this year-on-year drop in shipments, which applies to the first 3 months of this year (1Q2020), is related more to the Covid-19 pandemic rather than to demand for this category.

Deirdre O Donnell, 14 Apr 2020 16:38

MacBook Air 2020: Why does Apple sabotage the Air?

The new Apple MacBook Air 2020 was supposed to deal with two major issues of the popular subnotebook by implementing a new keyboard and the choice of more powerful quad-core processors. But the performance and the cooling system is still a major problem, but it looks like Apple does not want to change that.

Andreas Osthoff, 12 Apr 2020 19:25

The Flujo Signature Pro. (Source: Indiegogo)

Flujo claims to combine a multi-port notebook dock with an M.2 SSD enclosure in the Signature Pro

The advent of USB type C-only ultrabooks have led to a slew of portable solutions that purport to offer all other I/O required, many of which debut via crowdfunding campaigns. The Signature Pro from Flujo Technologies is no different in this regard - except that it also incorporates a slot for an NVMe SSD.

Deirdre O Donnell, 08 Apr 2020 22:05

Asus ExpertBook B9450 with Core i7, 16 GB RAM, and 1 TB PCIe SSD now shipping for $1800 USD

The consumer-business hybrid series from Asus will compete directly with the Lenovo ThinkBook lineup designed for smaller businesses and workers on-the-go.

Allen Ngo, 06 Apr 2020 21:10

HP Envy 17m launching today with Core i7 Ice Lake, 12 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, and GeForce MX330 graphics for $1250 USD (Source: HP)

2020 HP Envy 17m finally drops the DVD drive, includes Core i7 Ice Lake, 12 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, and GeForce MX330 graphics for $1250 USD

The system integrates more multimedia and auxiliary functions on the keyboard including mic, camera shutter, HP Command Center and both Alexa and Cortana voice services.

Allen Ngo, 03 Apr 2020 19:52

VPN use was found to increase in March 2020. (Source: Flickr)

Global VPN use spiked during March 2020, study finds

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are popular tools among those who want to safeguard their internet usage and the data involved. The sudden and widespread need to work from home has given them a new dimension of necessity, however. Now, their uptake in the US and Canada has reportedly increased 35% in March 2020.

Deirdre O Donnell, 02 Apr 2020 22:14

Huawei has released its earnings report for 2019. (Source: Huawei)

Huawei reports that it made US$123 billion in 2019

Huawei has released its financial performance report for 2019, which outlines its takings worldwide from all its business, consumer electronics included. They show that overall revenues have increased year-on-year (YoY). However, the growth of its profits did not match those of previous years.

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 Apr 2020 16:56

PSA: Update your Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon BIOS or recharging can take almost 6 full hours

PSA: Update your Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon BIOS or be prepared to wait 6 hours for a full charge

The latest BIOS and Thunderbolt firmware update as of March 2 fixes the battery recharge rate of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. If purchasing a unit from a reseller, the system may be outdated and in need of a manual update.

Allen Ngo, 31 Mar 2020 23:29

Ultrabook

Microsoft makes more progress with 64-bit Windows on ARM

85% Dynabook Portege X30L-G Laptop Review: A New Lightweight Benchmark

The entry-level Apple MacBook Air is the better choice for many users

2.8 GHz Tiger Lake U chip with 4 Willow Cove cores and 8 threads spotted: leaves 8-core 16-thread 4.2 GHz Ryzen 7 4800U unfazed

87% Honor Magicbook 14 Laptop Review: A better version of the MateBook D 14?

85% LG Gram 14Z90N Laptop Review: Lightweight at the Cost of Performance

UGREEN launches a new, compact, multi-USB 65W GaN charger via Indiegogo

Huawei MateBook X Pro 2020 and MateBook 13 2020 now available for pre-order with Comet Lake-U CPUs

Dell XPS 13 9300 FHD version is brighter than the 4K UHD version and other interesting differences

ThinkPad P14s & P15s: Lenovo upgrades Ultrabook workstations with hexa core i7-10810U

Intel announces new 10th gen Comet Lake vPro processors with enhanced Hardware Shield features and...overclocking support?

88% Dell XPS 13 9300 4K UHD Laptop Review: 16:10 is the New 16:9

Upcoming Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 with AMD Ryzen 7 4800U returns to Fire Strike and cranks out an even better Physics Score that finishes off the Intel Core i7-10750H

Xiaomi will soon be launching new Ryzen 4000 laptops with the RedmiBook 13, RedmiBook 14S, and RedmiBook 16

AMD Ryzen 7 4800H in a Huawei laptop: Ryzen 4000 Honor MagicBook Pro could be in the works

Opinion | The NVIDIA GeForce MX350 barely beats the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U's Vega 7 iGPU: Why are some OEMs using it anyway?

Update | Lenovo ThinkPad 2020 Roadmap Leak: Affordable workstation P15v/T15p; X12, X1 Nano & X1 Titanium in Q4 2020 with Tiger Lake

Razer Blade 15 with 10th gen Core i7-10875H is now available and it'll set you back $2600 USD

The Asus ZenBook Duo ScreenPad is incredibly useful, but watch out for these limitations

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 laptop with AMD Ryzen 7 4800U to finally go on sale on May 16

AMD Ryzen 7 4800U in Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 arms itself with a Fire Strike Physics Score that shoots down the Intel Core i7-1065G7 and targets the Core i7-10750H

The Schenker VIA 14 competes well with ThinkPads, EliteBooks & Latitudes thanks to its big battery

86% Schenker VIA 14 laptop review: Lightweight materials combined with a big battery

Intel Lakefield Core i5-L16G7 shows up on Geekbench, Tremont cores seem to hold back multi-core performance

New Asus ProArt StudioBook 15 H500 and StudioBook 17 H700 to ditch Quadro RTX graphics for the GeForce RTX 2060

Asus VivoBook S14 S433 and S15 S533 now shipping with Core i5 Comet Lake-U for $700 USD

The HyperDrive Gen2 has now achieved over 1000% of its Indiegogo goal

Dynabook updates Portégé X business laptop lineup with Intel's 10th gen CPUs

Razer doubling down on Core i7-1065G7 Ice Lake even though the Core i7-10710U would have made more sense

Aukey releases its latest 100W USB type C charger

Razer Blade Stealth 2020: First 13.3 inch laptop with 120 Hz screen

The dual-screen Lenovo ThinkBook Plus will be released soon

HP compares its latest 2020 Envy 15 to the MacBook Pro 16 and it conveniently leaves out some important differences

2020 HP Envy 13 and Envy x360 13 get completely new looks with Intel Ice Lake and AMD Ryzen 4700U options

New HP Envy x360 15 with AMD Ryzen 7 will undercut the Intel Core i7 SKU by about $150 USD

Dell XPS 13 9300 now available with 32 GB of RAM, but it'll cost you quite a bit

PC shipments dropped by 12% in the first quarter of 2020: Gartner

MacBook Air 2020: Why does Apple sabotage the Air?

88% Apple MacBook Air 2020 Core i5 Review – The best MacBook you can get? – No

Flujo claims to combine a multi-port notebook dock with an M.2 SSD enclosure in the Signature Pro

Gaming on a Chromebook - is it possible?

Asus ExpertBook B9450 with Core i7, 16 GB RAM, and 1 TB PCIe SSD now shipping for $1800 USD

90% HP Elite Dragonfly Business-Convertible Review: Lighter than 1 kg only with the smaller battery

81% LG Gram 14T90N Convertible Review: A CPU Downgrade

2020 HP Envy 17m finally drops the DVD drive, includes Core i7 Ice Lake, 12 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, and GeForce MX330 graphics for $1250 USD

Global VPN use spiked during March 2020, study finds

Huawei reports that it made US$123 billion in 2019

The new 2020 MacBook Air Core i5 has arrived: Faster CPU, but still way too loud

PSA: Update your Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon BIOS or be prepared to wait 6 hours for a full charge

Apple MacBook Air 2020: Retina Display still uses PWM

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