Thunderbolt

Initially supposed to hit the market in mid-2020, the DisplayPort 2.0 monitors got delayed by the global pandemic and are now expected to become available in the second half of 2021. DP 2.0 is clearly superior to HDMI 2.0, as it offers an 80 Gbps bandwidth that can support 4K resolutions @240 Hz with uncompressed HDR color depth or 16K @60Hz with DSC.

The ThinkBook 14s Yoga doesn't attract attention by setting performance records but rather with its good ergonomics. The Lenovo engineers have focused on low emissions, good stamina and a decent keyboard. The touchscreen display can be used both with your fingers and with the included Smart Pen.

XMG has announced that the 2021 iterations of its PRO and NEO 15/17 laptops will have new, slim cases in addition to new specs. The NEO 15 and 17 also boasts fresh Ryzen 9 5900HX or 7 5800H AMD platforms, while the PROs stick with a Core i7 processor so as to be among the first on the market to combine RTX 3000 graphics with Thunderbolt 3.

The new ChromeBook CX9 and Flip CX5 models from Asus powered by the latest Intel Tiger Lake-U CPUs show that the Chrome OS laptops can easily match the performance of the traditionally more powerful Windows-based systems. The new premium-grade CX9 business laptop comes with enhanced security features and two Thunderbolt 4 connectors, while the Flip CX5 focuses on an expanded cloud-connected gaming experience.

In the past, bright displays and ThinkPads did not come hand in hand. Now, finally, another model cracks the 600-nit mark. The panel in the P15s, which is the brightest in the ThinkPad series, is also used in other workstation-grade ThinkPads.

The 2021 Blade 15 and Blade Pro series will carry on the same chassis designs as previous generations. Instead, the biggest gen-to-gen changes will be the new high refresh rate display options and mobile Ampere GPUs.

The refreshed models still feature the Comet Lake-H CPUs, as they are limited to Thunderbolt 3 connectors. However, Gigabyte is now offering upgraded professionally calibrated displays, as well as the newly released RTX 3000 mobile GPUs, plus redesigned thermal management. The new AERO laptops are also among the first to feature HDMI 2.1 connectors.

Lenovo has launched two new docking stations at CES 2021. One connects to a notebook via a USB Type-C cable, while the other requires a Thunderbolt 4.0 port. Both docks can power 4K displays and charge peripherals at up to 100W. Their pricing and availability will be revealed at a later date.

Update | Lenovo does not just updates their high-end ThinkPads of the X1 series: The new ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is the biggest redesigns of the series since 2017. Together with the convertible sister ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6, the new X1 Carbon uses screens in the 16:10 aspect-ratio for the first time. And that is not the only change.

In the year 2021, Lenovo expands its high-end series ThinkPad X1 with another model. The new Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is thinner than all other ThinkPads and at the same time the first 3:2 ThinkPad. It also is one of the few laptops to utilize Titanium metal as a chassis material.

After a long drought in terms of Windows tablets, Lenovo introduces a new competitor to the Microsoft Surface Pro for business customers. The new Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable contains the newest Tiger Lake CPUs and has a Thunderbolt 4 port.

At CES 2021, Intel has unveiled the Tiger Lake-H 35 W processors for ultraportable gaming laptops. With the introduction of these processors, Intel is not only offering further market segmentation among gaming laptops but also is looking to take on AMD's Renoir Ryzen 7 4800HS and the Ryzen 9 4900H in single-core performance. The new Tiger Lake-H35 processors led by the Core i7-11375H Special Edition can boost up to 5 GHz and also offer resizable BAR support with NVIDIA's upcoming Ampere mobile GPUs.

Asus uses the most current technology in the ZenBook 14: A Tiger Lake processor, GeForce MX450 graphics core, 16 GB of working memory (quad-channel mode), and Thunderbolt 4. A 63-Wh battery ensures a good battery life.

The new 15.6-inch XPG Xenia Xe ultrabooks can be powered by either an i7-1165G7 coupled with 16 GB of LPDDR4x-4266 RAM or an i5-1135G7 coupled with 8 GB of RAM. There is no dGPU option and the prices seem a bit spicy, but at least ADATA is including a touchscreen and 2x Thunderbolt 4 connectors.

Lenovo has improved the CPU performance of the current ThinkPad X1 Extreme, but the Intel CPU is still inferior to AMD's current processors. The X1 Extreme Gen3 is a very good multimedia laptop and we especially like the excellent keyboard, but there is still room for improvements for upcoming iterations.

Dell's new business mid-rangers have a brand new design as well as Intel Tiger Lake. There are many changes happening for the new Dell Latitude 5320, Latitude 5420 and Latitude 5520. One is especially interesting: Dell is getting rid of its equivalent to the ThinkPad TrackPoint.

The VivoBook scores points with a Tiger Lake processor, 16 GB of RAM (dual-channel mode), a GeForce MX350 graphics core, and a Thunderbolt 4 port. This is complemented by good battery life. The display is not convincing, though.

The Intel version of the IdeaPad Slim 7 may not be as fast as the AMD version, but it makes up for this with Thunderbolt 3 support should users want to connect GPU docking stations. Users on the lookout for an upper mid-range Ultrabook will find a lot to like about this Lenovo.

The smart-looking Samsung Galaxy Book Flex2 5G has appeared in a couple of official videos from the South Korean OEM, including an unboxing video. The Galaxy Book Flex2 5G is the new name for the Galaxy Book Flex 5G, which was actually launched in September. The convertible features an Intel Core i5-1130G7, i5-1135G7, or i7-1165G7 chip.

The Apple MacBook Pro 13 is much more powerful and manages longer battery runtimes thanks to the new M1 processor. However, there are not many reasons why you should not just get the more affordable MacBook Air.

There are plenty of discounts for the Apple MacBook Air 2020 before Christmas. However, a closer look usually reveals that it is a discontinued model with an old Intel processor. We think you should avoid these SKUs, even though you can save some money.

LG is slated to launch its next-gen Gram laptop series in South Korea on December 16, 2020. A leak allegedly originating from the same country purports to spill details on the 16-inch SKU from this series. It points to an 11th-gen core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, 65W charging and a price that might come as a surprise considering these specs.

The ThinkPad X1 Nano is a recently-released Lenovo laptop with a 16:10 aspect-ratio display and a weight of under 1 kilogram (kg). It has just been spotted on a German e-tail website in various configurations. They start at prices approximately translating to US$2300 on their new platform.

The Schenker Compact 17 offers powerful hardware, 32 GB of memory (dual-channel mode), a 4K display, and a 1 TB NVMe SSD. In addition, there's an extensive range of connections and the possibility to install up to three storage devices.

The Vision 15 from Schenker Technologies is the first laptop based on Intel's new NUC M15 reference notebook design. In addition to the excellent implementation of the Tiger Lake i7 CPU, the 15.6-inch multimedia laptop also offers a high-quality unibody case, Thunderbolt 4, a 1080p touchscreen as well as long battery runtimes.

Earlier, Eve Devices had hinted that its next product event would be for its long-hyped second-gen convertible PC, the V 2020. Now, the OEM has confirmed that this is the case. It has also teased the device with some specs and pre-order details.

Two months after announcement, the compact 16:10 ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 1 is finally orderable in the USA. As usual with Lenovo ThinkPads, pricing is higher than originally announced, as the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano is not discounted yet.

The compact Erazer Beast X10 brings all the latest computer games smoothly onto the 17.3-inch matte screen (Full HD, IPS, 144 Hz). The gaming laptop also scores points with 32 GB of RAM (dual-channel mode), room for two NVMe SSDs, and good battery life.