With its 500-series chipsets, Intel has finally broken tradition and enabled memory overclocking on a non-Z chipset. For this generation, motherboards that leverage the H570 or B560 chipset will allow consumers to use memory that’s faster than the official supported specification for Rocket Lake-S.
Intel’s latest move may look insignificant for AMD owners, as AMD was always more accomodating with memory overclocking on its budget chipsets, such as the A-or B-series. Before the 500-series chipsets came along, Intel owners only had access to memory overclocking on the flagship Z-series chipset. It took Intel long enough, but it’s nice to finally see the chipmaker opening the door for the pocket-friendly chipsets.
For Comet Lake-S, Intel utilized a two-level scheme for memory support. The Core i9 and Core i7 SKUs natively support DDR4-2933, while the Core i5 and below tiers are limited to DDR4-2666. Therefore, H470 and B460 chipsets were restricted to DDR4-2933 support.
Intel 500-Series Chipsets (Image credit: Intel)
ASRock’s Z590 Taichi product page (via momomo_us) suggests that Intel is employing a similar tactic with Rocket Lake-S. The description for memory support reads “11th Gen Intel Core™ (i9/i7/i5) support DDR4 up to 3200; Core (i3), Pentium and Celeron support DDR4 up to 2666.”
An early rumor suggested that the 11th Generation branding housed both Rocket Lake-S and Comet Lake Refresh chips. ASRock’s lettering supports this theory. The Core i9 to Core i5 models are Rocket Lake-S chips that support DDR4-3200, and the remnants are Comet Lake Refresh chips that do DDR4-2666, the same as the existing generation.
The H570 and B560 chipsets now support memory overclocking (memory above DDR4-3200), but you still need to pair the respective motherboard with a Core i5 and above processor. Core i3 and below still stick to DDR4-2666. It’s not the full mile, but it’s something nonetheless. In the past, pairing a Core i9 chip on an H-or B-series chipset meant you were locked out from using faster memory.
Intel will outsource part of its CPU production. TSMC will be producing Core i3 processors in Taiwan in the second half of the year. Next year CPUs from the middle and upper price segment will be added. This is practically a taboo breaking with the world market leader, who has always attached importance to at least always building his better CPUs himself.
But Intel is under pressure. The core business with the x 86 – processors suffers from persistent manufacturing problems and product delays. Since December, a major investor has been pushing Intel to outsource its CPU production. Intel CEO Bob Swan had to resign on Wednesday, with Pat Gelsinger taking over from him. On the same day, the market research company TrendForce revealed Intel’s outsourcing plans.
First in 5 nanometers, then even 3 TSMC will be (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) manufacture the Core i3 CPUs in the latest 5 nanometer technology. CPUs in the middle and upper price segment are expected to be added in the second half of next year. These should then even be produced using 3-nanometer technology. The smaller the structures, the more chips can be built from a silicon wafer. At the same time, smaller transistors require less power, which means that less heat has to be cooled down.
However, it is unclear how much production capacity the Taiwanese have for Intel. According to a report, Apple has grabbed TSMC’s entire 3nm capacity. TSMC produces chips for Apple’s iPhones, iPads and Mac computers. Apple is switching from Intel to ARM processors in its Macs; these chips, known as M1, are manufactured by TSMC in 5 nm technology. In addition, AMD uses TSMCs services for Ryzen processors and Radeon graphics chips.
Consequence of own manufacturing problems Intel lets so far 15 to 20 percent of its chips have been manufactured externally, as the market research company TrendForce reports . The Taiwanese contract manufacturers TSMC and UMC take over a large part of this chip production, but so far these are not CPUs. Most of the latter come from Intel’s own chip factories.
But these lag behind in terms of manufacturing technology. The market leader only had to introduce chip production in the 7 nm process from the middle 2022 to the end at the earliest last year 2022 or move the beginning 2023. In addition, there is Intel’s 10 – nm fiasco, which still does not allow high quantities. Therefore, the company still has to fall back on 14 – nm production for the next generation of its desktop CPUs (“Rocket Lake-S”).
Intel has launched the mini-PC generation parallel to the consumer electronics fair CES NUC 11 announced. For the first time, the models are based on 10 – nanometers -Processors in-house after the NUC – 10 -PCs exclusively with the 11 nm CPUs Comet Lake-U (Core i – 3200 U) published.
Dozens of different NUC are shared within three sub-categories – 11 – PCs on:
NUC 11 Performance (Panther Canyon): Mini PCs with Tiger Lake CPUs including an integrated Xe GPU for end customers NUC 11 Pro (Tiger Canyon): Mini PCs with Tiger Lake CPUs including integrated Xe GPU and vPro remote maintenance options for business customers NUC 11 Enthusiast ( Phantom Canyon): Slightly larger PCs with Tiger Lake CPUs and additional GeForce GPU for gamers Core i7 – 1165 G7 in top models Panther Canyon is the cheapest series in the typical palm-sized housing. Two and four cores are used in the form of the Core i3 – 1115 G4, Core i5 – 1115 G7 and Core i7 – 1165 G7. Also included are two SO-DIMMs for up to 56 GByte DDR4- 3200 – SDRAM, two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports – Intel does without Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 -, three times USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 GBit / s) Type A, Wi-Fi 6, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 instead of DP 1.2 as before.
Intel continues to offer options with 38 and 51 mm high housings – in the latter, in addition to an M.2 SSD, a 2.5-inch data carrier also fits. The third variant is new with 56 mm high housing, which comes with a wireless -Charger comes under the lid. For example, users can charge a smartphone by placing it on it.
The flat 38 – mm-NUCs can be identified by a K in the model number, for example NUC 11 PAKi7, the 51 – mm versions on an H (NUC 11 PAHi7) and the 56 – mm newbies in one Q (NUC 11 PAQi7). The Pro-NUCs Tiger Canyon can be configured with additional connections, and Thunderbolt 4 is included.
NUC 11 Performance with three housing heights .
(Image: Intel)
Gaming-NUC with Nvidia-GPU Phantom Canyon (NUC 11 Enthusiast) represents a spiritual successor to Hades Canyon: Both mini-PCs come in a wider case with an illuminated skull and are suitable for Full -HD gaming. At that time, Intel installed the Kaby Lake-G processor with a semi-custom Radeon graphics chip from AMD. Today Nvidia’s mid-range GPU GeForce RTX 2060 with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory is used – probably in good shape a firmly soldered chip like in notebooks. The GPU is getting on in years, but is still well suited for Full HD gaming. Intel always installs the four-core Core i7 in the NUC 11 Enthusiast – 1165 G7.
The NUC 10 enthusiast is something wider (or higher positioned) than the other models, but houses Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2060.
(Image: Intel)
According to the website specializing in mini PCs Liliputing should deliver the NUC – 11 – PCs in March 2021 start.
Intel confirmed plans to outsource production of some of its graphics processors to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. about half a year ago and then outlined plans to produce some of its ‘Atom and Xeon system-on-chips’ at TSMC. The company also recently reiterated intentions to more actively use third-party manufacturing and based on a report from TrendForce, Intel’s outsourcing plans now include production of its Core processors at TSMC.
The world’s largest supplier of microprocessors intends to produce some of its Core i3 processors at TSMC using the latter’s N5 (5 nm) fabrication process starting from the second half of 2021, reports TrendForce, a technology consulting firm from Taiwan. At present, it is unclear which microarchitecture the new CPUs will use and whether they will rely on any known CPU design, but by 2H 2021 Intel will have at least three competitive up-to-date microarchitectures in its possession, including Willow Cove, Golden Cove, and Cypress Cove.
Analysts from TrendForce also claim that Intel will outsource production of undisclosed mid-range and high-end CPUs to TSMC in the second half of 2022. The processors will reportedly be made using TSMC’s N3 (3 nm) fabrication process. It should be noted that in the second half of 2022 TSMC plans to offer both N4 (which is IP-compatible with N5) and N3 process technologies with the latter being primarily aimed at TSMC’s alpha customer, Apple.
The information about Intel outsourcing its Core i3 and other CPUs to TSMC is unofficial, Intel has never confirmed, so take it with a grain of salt. It does make sense for Intel to outsource some of its entry-level and, perhaps, mid-range processors to a third party to free up its own manufacturing capacity for higher-end CPUs. In particular, it will be especially beneficial for Intel to produce more advanced Xeon Scalable ‘Ice Lake’, Core i5/i7 ‘Tiger Lake-H’, and Core i5/i7 ‘Alder Lake’ processors using its 10 nm process technologies at its own fabs while outsourcing production of cheaper products to others.
Intel has officially confirmed plans to use TSMC’s capacities to make compute layer of its Xe-HPC codenamed Ponte Vecchio GPU as well as its Xe-HPG gaming GPUs. For competitive reasons, the company did not disclose which node it intends to use for the said graphics processors. Some believe that Intel will use TSMC’s N6 fabrication process, but there are reports that the company will use a custom version of TSMC’s N7 for its gaming GPUs.
At its CES 2021 keynote, AMD has announced its new Ryzen 5000 mobile CPUs. Most (but not all) of them are based on the company’s 7nm “Zen 3” architecture. AMD CEO Lisa Su called the series “the most powerful PC processors ever built.”
As with the previous generation, the 5000 line has two categories for two very different audiences. There’s the H-series — which you’ll find in laptops intended for gaming and content creation — and the U-series, meant for ultraportable notebooks. (Three of the U-series chips are based on the older Zen 2 architecture, which is a bit annoying.)
Within those categories are the Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7, and Ryzen 9 tiers (loose counterparts to Intel’s Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9, respectively). The H-series keeps the H and HS suffixes from the 4000 series, in addition to a new HX designation.
Headlining the U-series is the eight-core, 16-thread Ryzen 7 5800U, with 1.9GHz clock speeds that can boost up to 4.4 GHz. AMD claims that this chip delivers “the fastest productivity in ultrathin notebooks.” Per the company’s benchmarks, the chip outperforms Intel’s Core i7-1165G7 by a factor of 1.23 on PCMark 10 and beats it on a subtest involving a number of office apps including Excel and Edge (though the two chips tie on PowerPoint, and Intel wins very narrowly on Word).
The company also claims the 5800U can deliver up to 17.5 hours of general-usage battery life and 21 hours of movie playback. That would be quite a lot of juice, even for AMD, but we’ll have more accurate estimates once we’ve tried the systems out.
On the H-series side, the big player is the Ryzen 9 5980HS, also with eight cores and 16 threads, but with 3.0Ghz clock speeds boosting up to 4.8GHz. AMD says these are “the fastest mobile processors you can get.” The 5980HS is multiple steps above the Ryzen 9 4900HS, the monstrous chip that powers Asus’ 2020 Zephyrus G14.
AMD claims that the Ryzen 9 5980HS beats out Intel’s Core i9-10980HK on Cinebench R20 in both single-thread performance (601 to Intel’s 514) and multi-thread performance (4349 to the i9’s 3892). It also beats the newer Core i7-1185G7 in both cases.
New to the H-series are the HX chips, which AMD says are meant for “serious gaming.” AMD claims that its Ryzen 9 5900HX, at 45W+ TDP, will power “2021’s best gaming notebooks.”
Per the company’s benchmarks, the chip beats the Core i9-10980HK on Cinebench R20 (single-thread) by 14 percent, 37 percent on Passmark P10 (measuring overall CPU performance), and 21 percent on 3DMark Fire Strike Physics (which measures graphics performance).
Su expects over 150 Ryzen 5000 laptops to launch this year — she expects the first to hit shelves in February.
The big question will be how these processors compare to Intel’s new Tiger Lake H systems — the company announced those chips yesterday at its CES 2021 keynote. All three of those chips (including two Core i7s and one Core i5) max out at 35W and have just four cores and eight threads — half the count of Ryzen’s top offerings. However, Intel says there’s an eight-core processor with speeds up to 5GHz coming “later this quarter.” That’s likely what AMD has to watch out for.
Microsoft’s got a refreshed Surface Pro 7 Plus coming soon to enterprise and education customers. It looks exactly like the Surface Pro 7, down to the dimensions, display panel, and placement of the ports, but with some notable changes on the spec sheet.
The display is the same 12.3-inch PixelSense display and you still get the single USB-C port + USB-A port + 3.5mm headphone jack, and Surface Connect port. The battery life is now rated for 15 hours of mixed use (the Surface Pro 7 was rated at 10.5 hours) thanks to a larger 50.4Wh battery (versus the 7 Pro’s 46.5 Wh one) and the improved efficiency of the new Intel Core processors.
Intel’s 11th Generation processers power the Surface 7 Pro Plus. The Core i3 (1115G4) model starts at $899 and comes with 8GB RAM + 128GB SSD while the Core i5 (1135G7) model is the only one that comes with an LTE-enabled option. This model runs $1149 and is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X20 LTE modem – so no 5G. Finally, a maxed out Core i7 (1165G7) model with 32GB RAM + 1TB SSD will run $2799.
Wi-Fi models will offer support for a microSDXC card while the LTE model simply replaces the expansion slot in favor of a nanoSIM card slot.
As per The Verge, Microsoft’s hardware team totally flipped the internals of the Surface Pro 7 in order to make the SSD component removable. At the same time, the TDM (Thermal Design Model) was updated, which allowed for a slightly larger battery to fit in the same amount of space. Microsoft’s decision to refresh the hardware rather than replace the Pro 7 with a “Surface Pro 8” was more for businesses to keep its form factor consistent.
That reminds us. As of right now, Microsoft is only going to offer the Surface 7 Pro Plus to enterprise and education customers. There was no word on whether it would ever be available directly to consumers, but the Windows 10 tablet/PC will arrive on January 15 in the US for eligible customers. It will eventually arrive to customers in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, and throughout most of Europe.
Already in the run-up to the CES 2021 indicated that there would be numerous innovations in the mobile area. Now Intel has announced the Tiger Lake H processors, which should cover a new ultra-mobile performance range. Tiger Lake-H is the well-known Tiger Lake design with four cores, but with significantly more leeway in the power limit than has been the case with the ultra-mobile Tiger Lake variants so far. Intel calls the processors a special edition. In the form of the Core i7 – 1165 G7 we have already looked at one of these.
Tiger Lake-H should be characterized by a maximum clock rate of 5 GHz. The fastest Core i7 so far – 1185 G7 comes to 4.8 GHz. Thanks to the use of the Willow Cove architecture, the Tiger Lake processors are said to offer quite a remarkable single-threaded performance. It is not surprising that the ST-CPU performance also increases by 9% compared to the previous Tiger Lake processors – the higher clock rate in comparison makes this possible.
The Xe-LP -Graphics unit is identical to the previous Tiger Lake processors. So we see 96 Execution Units (EUs) with a cycle of up to 1, 35 GHz. The connection of the main memory is also identical. The corresponding controller supports DDR4 – 2485 and LPDDR4X – 4266. An integrated Thunderbolt 4 controller and Wi-Fi 6 / 6E are also offered. The four available PCI Express 4.0 lanes can be used to connect an SSD in the best possible way. It is not known whether a dedicated GPU will also be connected via it.
The Tiger-Lake-H -Processors with the new mobile graphics cards of the GeForce RTX – 30 – Generation from NVIDIA, which will be introduced tomorrow. In this context, Intel also mentions support for Resizeable BAR. Intel and NVIDIA have now also implemented the technology that AMD (as Smart Memory Access) transferred to gamer practice.
The technical data of the Tiger Lake H models are as follows from:
Comparison of the models
Model
Cores / Threads
Clock cTDP Up
Clock cTDP Down
1C-Turbo
2C-Turbo
4C-Turbo
TDP
Core i7 – 11375 H
4/8
3.3 GHz
3.0 GHz
5.0 GHz
4.8 GHz
4.3 GHz
28 – 35 W
Core i7 -11370H
4/8
3.3 GHz
3.0 GHz
4.8 GHz
4.8 GHz
4.3 GHz
28 – 35 W
Core i5 – 11300H
4/8
3.1 GHz
2.6 GHz
4.4 GHz
4.4 GHz
4.0 GHz
28 – 35 W
As part of the existing Tiger Lake product range, the new models are as follows:
Comparison of the models
Model
Cores / Threads
Base cycle
Single-Core-Turbo
Cache
ES
TDP
Core i7 – 1185 G7
4/8
3.0 GHz
4.8 GHz
12 MB
96
12 – 28 W
Core i7 – 1165 G7
4/8
2.8 GHz
4.7 GHz
12 MB
96
12 – 28 W
Core i7 – 11375H
4/8
3.0 GHz
5.0 GHz
12 MB
96
28 – 35 W
Core i7 – 11370H
4/8
3.0 GHz
4.8 GHz
12 MB
96
28 – 35 W
Core i5 – 1135 G7
4/8
2.4 GHz
4.2 GHz
8 MB
80
12 – 28 W
Core i5 – 11300 H.
4/8
2.6 GHz
4.4 GHz
8 MB
80
28 – 35 W
Core i3 – 1125 G4
4/8
2.0 GHz
3.7 GHz
8 MB
48
12 – 28 W
Core i3 – 1115 G4
2/4
3.0 GHz
4.1 GHz
6 MB
48
12 – 28 W
Core i7 – 1160 G7
4/8
1 , 2 GHz
4.4 GHz
12 MB
96
7 – 15 W
Core i5 – 1130 G7
4/8
1.1 GHz
4.0 GHz
8 MB
80
7 – 15 W
Core i3 – 1120 G4
4/8
1.1 GHz
3.5 GHz
8 MB
48
7 – 15 W
Core i3 – 1110 G4
2/4
1.8 GHz
3.9 GHz
6 MB
48
7 – 15 W
Manufacturers such as Acer, ASU S, MSI, Sony, Dell, HP and Lenovo will bring corresponding notebooks onto the market or have already announced them – even without explicit mention of Tiger Lake-H. The notebooks should be in the first half of the year 2021 come on the market.
Of course, Intel also delivers some benchmarks. Compared to the Comet Lake H predecessors, the new processors have an advantage, especially in terms of consumption, because instead of up to 45 W with 35 W get along. In terms of single-threaded performance, Intel sees itself as having a clear advantage over the competition.
With regard to the range of functions, it should be noted that the Tiger Lake H processors do not support any overclocking (and therefore no Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU) either.
AMD will, however, present the successor based on the Zen 3 architecture tomorrow and this lead should be a little smaller again.
Tiger Lake-H with eight cores and 20 x PCIe 4.0 later
Without an exact date, Intel has also announced further Tiger Lake H models. These are the models with up to eight cores and 16 Threads that are supposed to reach 5 GHz on multiple cores. Another factor of this Mo dent should be the 16 PCI Express 4.0 lanes, while the previous Tiger Lake processors only have four Offer.
Intel announced four new 11th-Gen Tiger Lake H-Series processors at CES 2021, but they aren’t the eight-core 45W models we expected. Instead, Intel has developed quad-core Tiger Lake ‘H35’ chips with a 35W TDP and defined a new laptop segment, dubbed “ultraportables,” to house them. These chips will serve as the alternative to AMD’s potent Ryzen Mobile processors, which have steadily gained ground over the last year.
Up to 40 new designs with the H35 chips will come to market this year, with several being launched today at CES. Intel also announced that it has collaborated with Nvidia to add support for Resizable BAR, a feature that boosts GPU performance, to the new ultraportable laptops.
For now, Intel’s new flagship Tiger Lake chip comes as the four-core eight-thread Core i7-11375H Special Edition that can boost up to 5.0 GHz on a single core and up to 4.3 GHz on all cores. Intel says its long-awaited eight-core 45W H-series chips are still in development, with headline specs including a 5.0 GHz boost on multiple cores, but the company’s first eight-core 10nm processors won’t come to market until later this quarter.
Intel Tiger Lake UP3 Processors
PROCESSOR
CORES/THREADS
GRAPHICS (EUs)
OPERATING RANGE (W)
BASE CLOCK (GHZ)
SINGLE CORE TURBO FREQ (GHZ)
MAXIMUM ALL CORE FREQ (GHZ)
Cache (MB)
GRAPHICS MAX FREQ (GHZ)
MEMORY
Core i7-11375H Special Edition
4C / 8T
96
28 – 35W
3.3 (35W) / 3.0 (28W)
5.0 (with TB3)
4.3
12
1.35
DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4266
Core i7-11370H
4C / 8T
96
28 – 35W
3.3 (35W) / 3.0 (28W)
4.8
4.3
12
1.35
DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4266
Core i5-11300H
4C / 8T
80
28 – 35W
3.1 (35W) / 2.6 (28W)
4.4
4.0
12
1.3
DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4266
Core i7-1185G7 (UP3)
4C / 8T
96
12 – 28W
3.0
4.8
4.3
12
1.35
DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4266
Core i7-1165G7 (UP3)
4C / 8T
96
12 – 28W
2.8
4.7
4.1
12
1.30
DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4266
Core i5-1135G7 (UP3)
4C / 8T
80
12 – 28W
2.4
4.2
3.8
8
1.30
DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4266
Core i3-1115G4 (UP3)
2C / 4T
48
12 – 28W
3.0
4.1
4.1
6
1.25
DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-3733
The three new Tiger Lake H35 processors feature the 10nm SuperFin process and Tiger Lake architecture, so the H35 feature set is mostly the same as the 28W (UP3) processors already on the market. However, while the UP3 models have a configurable TDP that spans from 12 to 28W, the new models can operate at either 28W or 35W. Naturally, the higher-TDP rating allows Intel to dial up the clock speeds to extract a bit more performance from the chips.
The Core i7-11375H H35 Special Edition leads the new lineup with up to a 5.0 GHz boost frequency on a single core. Notably, this is a Turbo Boost Max feature, meaning the 5.0 GHz boost will apply to one physical core only. The chip can also reach up to 4.8 GHz on two cores, and 4.3 GHz on all four cores. As you would expect, boost frequency and duration will depend upon each laptop’s thermal capabilities.
Intel’s Core i7-11370H and i5-11300H slot in beneath the flagship, both with four cores and eight threads. The primary difference between these two chips boils down to clock speeds and cache capacity. Naturally, the i5 model has lower clocks, but it also comes with only 8MB of cache compared to the 12MB found on the two Core i7 models.
The chips feature the Xe LP graphics architecture found in the current Tiger Lake models, with similar peak clock frequencies as the existing quad-core models. Both Core i7 models come equipped with 96 EUs, just like the flagship 28W model, while the Core i5 variant comes with 80 EUs.
Intel is adopting the same Resizable BAR technology, a standard capability of the PCIe interface, that AMD adopted with its Ryzen 5000 CPUs and Radeon 6000 series GPUs (dubbed Smart Access Memory). Nvidia also recently joined the Resizable BAR party, announcing that it will support the feature shortly after AMD, and has worked with Intel to enable that same feature with its next-gen GPUs that will power the H35 and future Tiger Lake platforms. This feature promises to boost gaming performance, and it appears that Intel will be the first to bring the tech to the laptop market.
We’re curious to see how this plays out for the quad-core Tiger Lake chips, which apparently only have an x4 PCIe link for dedicated graphics cards or SSDs. Will resizable BAR help more with a narrower link width, or will it make less of a difference? This is something we’ll test once we have hardware in hand.
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(Image credit: Intel)
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(Image credit: Intel)
Intel provided a few benchmarks for the new chips, but as with all vendor-provided benchmarks, take them with a grain of salt. Here we see that Intel compared the existing quad-core i7-1165G7 to the new i7-11375H chip to derive the performance claims in the second slide in the album. That slide says the processor offers 9% more performance than the 1165G7, but Intel tested the latter at 15W. The 1165G7 has a configurable TDP that allows it to run at 28W, which the company tells us shrinks the lead for the new H35 chip to 4%.
Intel also based these performance projections on an integer workload, which it says is more representative of consumer workloads than the floating-point test that tends to be more demanding (particularly in terms of thermals and peak clock speeds). Intel says it will share the floating point benchmarks, which we’ll add when we receive them. Intel also isn’t sharing gaming performance projections yet, citing an NDA for Nvidia’s next-gen mobile GPUs.
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(Image credit: Intel)
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(Image credit: Intel)
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(Image credit: Intel)
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(Image credit: Intel)
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(Image credit: Intel)
The destination for the chips? A newly-defined ultraportable segment that consists of thin-and-light laptops designed for enthusiast-level gameplay. These laptops will come in 14″ and 15″ form factors with a maximum thickness of 18mm. Intel has set a 1080p gaming performance goal for the new designs — they should achieve 70 fps (or higher) at high fidelity settings. Intel says that its partners have 40 new designs based on the chips coming to market in the first half of 2021, including designs launched at CES by Acer, Asus, MSI, and Vaio. Intel hasn’t released any firm battery life projections compared to the existing Tiger Lake chips, but given the higher TDP range, we don’t expect an improvement.
New platforms based on these chips will arrive to market over the coming months, with more than 40 devices planned. In the meantime, we await the full-fledged 45W eight-core Tiger Lake processors that are still under development. Intel did provide a demo showing a future eight-core Tiger Lake chip running a 4K gaming session with ‘desktop caliber’ gaming performance at its event, so the company is apparently bullish on the performance front. That will be a needed addition to fend off AMD’s Ryzen Mobile processors.
In the interim, Intel’s Comet Lake 10th Gen processors will still soldier on as the eight-core vanguard of Intel’s laptop fleet, with the recently-added 45W Comet Lake Core i7-10870H and Core i5-10500H serving as the eight-core mainstays while Intel awaits its 45W Tiger Lake models.
With the new evolution of the Surface family Pro Microsoft switches to Intel Core Tiger Lake processors, leaving the external structure and functionality unchanged; Surface Pro 7+ is intended only for companies and the educational world
by Paolo Corsini published 11 January 2021 , at 21: 55 in the Portable channel Microsoft Surface Intel Core Tiger Lake LTE
Microsoft today announced a new evolution of the Surface Pro range , the 2-in-1 of the Surface range that expands with the series Surface Pro 7 + . No numerical indication 8, therefore, for the new Surface Pro that Microsoft chooses to allocate solely to its business customers and to the educational world .
Nothing changes in the external structure compared to Surface 7, with the iconic rear kickstand and the touch screen from 12, 3 inches diagonal; The communication ports are also unchanged, USB Type-A and USB Type-C, always with MicroSD memory card reader (only for the standard version, the LTE version integrates the SIM card reader). Under the body we find instead various innovations starting from the 11th generation Intel Core processor of the Tiger Lake family , with Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 versions, plus system memory up to 32 GB and storage via SSD up to 1TB of capacity.
The battery has been slightly increased in terms of capacity, brought to 50 Wh , allowing also thanks to the innovations of Intel Tiger Lake processor to reach a autonomy up to 15 hours . A peculiarity of Surface Pro 7+, borrowed from the Surface Laptop 3 range, is that of being able to access the SSD so as to replace or expand it: a very useful option for the needs of business users but also appreciated by consumers.
Surface Pro 7+ is offered by Microsoft with a price list starting from 899 dollars , excluding taxes, for the WiFi version; the one with LTE connectivity starts from 1. 149 dollars always excluding taxes. Surface Pro 7+ can be ordered in some of the world markets including Italy: in this case prices will start from 1. 049 € for the basic and 1 model. 399 € for LTE .
On the occasion of the consumer electronics fair CES 1824, Microsoft has a new edition of the 12, 3-inch Surface Pro 7 tablets presented. The Surface Pro 7+ differs only marginally from its predecessor by name, but comes with some useful improvements in the equipment in the previous aluminum case.
The heart of the Surface Pro 7+ is Intel’s current processor series Tiger Lake-U instead of Ice Lake-U – from the dual core Core i3 – 1115 G4 via the four-core Core i5 – 1135 G7 up to the Core i7- 1165 G7 with more cache and higher clock frequency. Together with a larger battery, Microsoft wants to significantly improve the battery life: We are talking about up to 15 Hours for “typical use” instead of previously 10,5 hours. Thanks to Fast Charge, the battery can be charged to percent in less than an hour
Removable SSD The built-in SSD module is no longer firmly soldered, but as a tiny M.2 card (M 2230, maximum 30 mm long), so can be exchanged if necessary. So far, this only worked with the Surface Laptop 3 and the Surface Pro X. Buyers also have the option of having an LTE module installed for cellular communications. That last happened with the 5 generation and the Surface Pro X.
For the SSD in the Surface Pro 7 + it is a 30 mm short M.2 card, that can be exchanged.
(Image: Microsoft)
Anyone who uses the tablet for video conferences or talks can look forward to an improved camera and new microphones. For the 10, 3 inch “PixelSense” touchscreen display with 2736 × 1824 Pixels in the high 3: 2 aspect ratio, everything remains the same, as does the manageable connections, including two USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit / s). The weight is just under 800 grams without a dockable keyboard.
Officially for business customers Microsoft officially sells the Surface Pro 7+ exclusively to corporate customers. Experience has shown that German retailers also sell the business models to private buyers – including the previous 7 series models, which can be found in the price comparison.
The prices of the Surface Pro 7+ range from 1030 Euro with Core i3 – 1115 G4, 8 GByte LPDDR4X-RAM, 128 – GByte SSD and Windows 10 Pro to 3150 Euro for the Core i7 – 1165 G7, 32 GByte RAM and one 1 TByte large SSD. The cheapest LTE version appears with Core i5 – 1135 G7, 8 GByte RAM and 128 – GByte SSD for 1330 Euro. Delivery is to begin in mid-January 2021.
Microsoft has unveiled the Surface Pro 7 Plus, an upgraded version of the Surface Pro 7 intended for business customers (and perhaps education). The tablet has been upgraded to 11th Gen Intel Core processors, has a larger battery and, perhaps most surprisingly, a removable SSD. The design is otherwise largely the same on the outside.
It will start at $899 with an Intel Core i3-1115G4 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD for $899.99. If you want LTE, the entry option is with a Core i5-1135G7, 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD. Bumping up to a Core i5, 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD brings you to $1,649.99, while the top-end version with a Core i7-1165G7, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD is $2.799.99. Of course, the Type Cover is sold separately no matter which option you pick. It will begin shipping by the end of the week.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
The SSD, however, is removable, like it is on the Surface Pro X and Surface Laptop 3, which should be a boon for IT departments looking to replace drives for repairs or simply to add more storage for users that need it (the Surface 7 Pro Plus is using an m.2 2230 SSD, which is slowly becoming more popular).
But much of it is the same, including the 12.3-inch, 2736 x 1824 display (and the thick bezels around it) as well as the port selection. On the Wi-Fi model, there is still a microSD card beneath the kickstand, though on LTE versions that is replaced with a nano SIM slot.
One difference is in weight, however, as Microsoft claims it’s 23% lighter than the previous generation of machines.
The battery appears to be larger, with Microsoft rating it at 15 hours on Wi-Fi or 13.5 hours on LTE, up from 10.5 hours on Wi-Fi on the regular Surface Pro 7.
It’s unclear if the Surface 7 Pro Plus will become available for non-business or education users, as LTE and 11th Gen will likely tempt some people
This is a announcement from Microsoft, which doesn’t announce its own hardware around the CES 2021 timeframe. Additionally, Microsoft announced that its 85-inch Surface Hub 2S will begin shipping out in select markets later this month.
Microsoft is updating its Surface Pro line today with a refreshed Surface Pro 7 Plus model that is only available to businesses and schools. While the design and screen on the outside remain the same as the Surface Pro 7, Microsoft has overhauled the internals of the device to make way for Intel’s latest 11th Gen processors, a bigger battery, removable SSD, and LTE connectivity.
This marks the return of LTE to the main Surface Pro line for the first time since 2015, but unfortunately there’s no 5G connectivity as Microsoft is using Qualcomm’s older Snapdragon X20 LTE modem inside the Surface Pro 7 Plus.
The Surface Pro 7 Plus has no external design changes.Image: Microsoft
A variety of models will be available, starting with the Intel Core i3 (1115G4) and ending with the Intel Core i7 (1165G7). Only the Intel Core i5 (1135G7) model will have optional LTE starting at $1,149, and the base Core i3 model ships with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for $899. The top Core i7 option ($2,799) can also be configured up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage.
Microsoft is now promising up to 15 hours of battery life on the Surface Pro 7 Plus, up from the 10.5 hours the company claims on the original Surface Pro 7. A small part of this battery life improvement will be thanks to the Intel 11th Gen chips, but it’s mostly down to a move from a battery capacity of 46.5Wh to 50.4Wh.
The Surface Pro 7 Plus also ships with the same 12.3-inch (2736 x 1824) PixelSense display found on the original Surface Pro 7, with a single USB-C port, a USB-A port, 3.5mm headphone jack, and the Surface Connect port. The Wi-Fi-only models will include a MicroSDXC card reader, while the LTE models will replace this with a nano SIM. This does mean that the Surface Pro 7 Plus still doesn’t have Thunderbolt connectivity.
The removable SSD on the Surface Pro 7 Plus.Image: Microsoft
The Surface Pro 7 Plus has some bigger than normal internal changes overall, too. “We changed the inside quite substantially,” explains Robin Seiler, corporate vice president of program management for devices at Microsoft, in an interview with The Verge. “It actually required us to flip the internals in order for us to put the SSD here, so when we did that we also updated the TDM (Thermal Design Model) to create more space for a larger battery size.”
The removable SSD works just like it does on the Surface Pro X or Surface Laptop 3, allowing businesses to swap drives out for reparability.
So why no major redesign with thinner display bezels? Microsoft says it’s mostly for consistency because businesses want to standardize on Surface Pro configurations and form factors. “When you look at the Surface Pro X, which has the thinner bezels, there are pretty substantial changes in terms of port locations which is driven by those bezels,” says Seiler. “Thinning the bezels does require significant change in terms of form factor and compatibility with previous [models].”
The Surface Pro 7 Plus starts at $899.Image: Microsoft
This focus on businesses and LTE connectivity, at a time when home internet connections might not hold up to working from home demands, also explains why Microsoft didn’t opt for the Surface Pro 8 moniker and make this device available to consumers. “This is simply an extension of a commercially-focused line,” explains Seiler. “It was important for us to signal that this is an extension of Pro 7, for all of the customers who have standardized on that.”
Still, it’s disappointing that a refreshed model with Intel’s latest processors and LTE connectivity won’t be available directly to consumers. Microsoft won’t say if that will change any time soon, but it does feel like the company is trying to draw a line between the Surface Pro as business-focused and the Surface Go and Surface Pro X for consumers.
Microsoft is planning to start shipping the Surface Pro 7 Plus to customers on January 15th in the US, and it will also be available in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and a large number of European countries.
Commercial laptops aren’t always known for their looks, with brands like Lenovo’s Thinkpad line prizing boxy, plain designs that emphasizing power over style. But in late 2019, HP released the HP Elite Dragonfly, a slick business convertible that we dubbed the “Anti-Thinkpad” thanks to its ability to deliver performance while still keeping an attractive exterior.
HP Elite Dragonfly Gen 2
HP Elite Dragonfly Max
HP Elite Folio
CPU
Up to 11th Gen Core i7 U-Series w/vPro
Up to 11th Gen Core i7 U-Series w/VPro
Qualcomm 8cx Gen 2 AC 3.15GHz
Memory
Up to 32GB LPDDR4
Up to 32GB LPDDR4
Up to 16GB LPDDR4x
Storage
Up to 2TB M.2 SSD
Up to 2TB M.2 SSD
Up to 512GB M.2 SSD
Display
Up to 13.3 inch 3840 x 2160 touchscreen
13.3 inch 1920 x 1080 HP Sure View IPS touchscreen
13.5 inch 1920 x 1080 3:2 touchscreen
Connectivity
Intel Wi-Fi 6, Optional 5G Modem
Intel WI-Fi 6, Optional 5G Modem
Intel Wi-Fi 6, Optional 5G Modem
Release Date
January 2021
January 2021
February 2021
Price
TBA
TBA
TBA
Now, the Dragonfly brand is back with the HP Elite Dragonfly Gen 2 and the HP Elite Dragonfly Max, both of which have 11th Generation U-series processors. They’re also joined by a new HP Elite Folio, a lighter Qualcomm-based convertible.
(Image credit: HP)
The HP Elite Dragonfly Gen 2 maintains the same look as its Intel 8th Generation processor, but upgrades to Intel 11th generation U-series CPUs, with options ranging from Core i3 to Core i7. HP hasn’t released pricing info quite yet, but it’s set to hit stores this month. Aside from the processor update, the Gen 2 also comes with display options up to 3840 x 2160 4K with HDR400. That’s a higher max resolution than was available on the Gen 1, though that laptop’s FHD low power and FHD HP Sure View Reflect screens also return here. All screen options are touch-compatible, though you’ll have to buy a stylus separately if you prefer not to use your finger.
Like the Gen 1, the Gen 2 is thin and light, starting at 2.2 pounds and 11.9 x 7.8 x 0.6 inches. New here is an optional 5G modem, though that doesn’t seem to have added to the weight. You’ll also get up to 32GB of LPDDR4 RAM (soldered) and up to 2TB of storage. The laptop’s HP Quiet Keyboard has 1.3mm of key travel, and its included webcam has IR capability for Windows Hello.
(Image credit: HP)
The Dragonfly Gen 2 also has Bang & Olufsen audio, plus three microphones and plenty of software-powered noise reduction and audio boost features. HP has yet to make any battery life claims, but the Gen 2 does have fast charging that touts to be able to restore up to 50% of its power in 30 minutes.
The HP Elite Dragonfly Max, meanwhile, offers many of the same features as the Gen 2, but with a greater focus on audio and visual fidelity. It’s powered by either an Intel 11th gen U-series i5 or i7 processor, has just one display option that uses an FHD HP Sure View IPS touch screen, comes with either 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR4 RAM (soldered), and can accommodate storage up to 2TB.
(Image credit: HP)
The Max’s keyboard and chassis are the same as the Gen 2, as its battery and optional 5G modem. The Max is a little heavier than the Gen 2, however, starting at 2.5 pounds. That probably has to do with its special input devices.
The HP Elite Dragonfly Max comes with 4 microphones (with AI audio optimization), plus a 5 MP + IR camera and what HP is calling an “eye ease display,” meaning it filters out blue light. HP has yet to give too much detail into how the Max stands out from the Gen 2, but we’re guessing that these advertised extras mean it was built with video calling in mind. Like the HP Elite Dragonfly Gen 2, it’s also set to come out this month, though pricing info isn’t available yet.
If you want a similar HP convertible experience but don’t need to be operating strictly at the high end, the HP Elite Folio 13.5 inch is also getting a refresh later this February, though pricing details aren’t available yet.
(Image credit: HP)
Like the HP Elite Dragonfly series, the Elite Folio can transform to operate either as a laptop or a tablet, but also has the unique ability to pull the screen forward to rest at an angle just between the touchpad and keyboard. It’s also fan-less, but in exchange for these features, you’ll be operating on mobile hardware.
The Elite Folio runs off a Qualcomm 8xc Gen 2 AC 3.15GHz processor with up to 16GB of LPDDR4x soldered memory. It has SSD storage up to 512GB, and in its most obvious improvement over a mobile device, has a 13.5 inch 1920 x 1080 touchscreen. It is 11.8 x 9 x 0.6 inches large and starts at 2.85 pounds, and like the Dragonfly options listed here, can come with an optional 5G modem.
The Elite Folio also has an integrated storage and charging cradle designed for the HP Elite Slim Active Pen, though HP has yet to say whether the pen comes with the system.
The rumor mill had already suggested in December that there will be a new Galaxy Chromebook. Now Samsung has officially presented the Galaxy Chromebook 2. It is particularly noticeable because it will be the first Chromebook with a QLED display.
With the first Galaxy Chromebook, Samsung had drawn on the full potential, especially with the display, and installed a 4K AMOLED display . With this display, the price was also driven up, in Germany the Galaxy Chromebook was not even offered. With the Galaxy Chromebook 2, Samsung puts a lot of emphasis on the QLED display, but it is actually a clear step backwards, especially in terms of resolution. Because the 4K display of the predecessor has to give way to a full HD touchscreen with 13, 3 inch diagonal. That should at least have a positive effect on price and power consumption.
According to Samsung, the 2-in-1 model should actually become more affordable, but at the same time continue to impress as a premium Chromebook. An Intel Core i3 – 10110 U and an Intel Celeron 5205 U should be available as CPU. There are also options for working memory and mass storage: between 4 and 8 GB LPDDR3-RAM and between 64 and 128 GB of memory. A memory expansion using a microSD card is possible. The Galaxy Chromebook 2 has a backlit keyboard and a 720 p-webcam. Its stereo speakers should be able to play relatively loud thanks to each 5 W power and Smart AMP technology. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 are supported as well as operation with a USI stylus (optional). The battery of Samsung’s new Chromebook has a capacity of 45, 5 Wh.Samsung gives dimensions of 304, 9 x 203, 2 x 13, 9 mm and a weight of 1, 23 kg.
It is still unclear whether and when the Galaxy Chromebook 2 will be available in this country. The US price should be between 549 and 699 US dollars, depending on the equipment.
Microsoft Store has announced the start of the winter sales which, until Sunday 17 January, will allow you to purchase Surface products (but not only) with discounts up to 27%. Here are the discounted models and the price reductions.
by Editorial team published 08 January 2021 , at 13: 46 in the Laptops channel Microsoft Surface
Also on the Microsoft Store the winter sales and will last until 17 January to the delight of those who want to buy a family device at a discounted price Surface . The US company cuts the prices of multiple products, starting with 2 in 1 Surface Pro 7 for sale starting from from 749 ??, with discounts until 22% . The model in Platinum color with Core i3, 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB passes from 919 to 749 euro, a decrease of 170 EUR. Reduction of the same amount for the version with Core i5 CPU, 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of memory, which goes from 1069 to 899 EUR.
Drop of 300 EUR for the Core i5 model with larger storage, which goes from 1399 to 1099 euro. Finally, Microsoft cut of 390 euro the price of the model with Core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB SSD, which drops so from 2549 to 2159 EUR. If you don’t like the Platinum color, you can opt for black, but right now the only discounted model is the one with Core i5, 8 GB of RAM and SSD from 256 GB, available in 1099 EUR. Those who need a Type Cover with keyboard can buy the Surface 7 Pro in two packages a 830, 99 ?? or 1255,90 ?? depending on the hardware equipment (Core i5, 8 GB of RAM and SSD from 128 or 256 GB).
The Redmond company has also cut the price list of the Surface Pro X , the his 2 in 1 based on the Microsoft SQ (ARM) processor made in collaboration with Qualcomm and equipped with LTE connectivity. More precisely, the company has reduced the price of models with SoC SQ1, so it is the first generation of the Pro X. At the moment the discounts concern the black color of the 2 in 1 with a price drop of 270 euro for the version with 8 GB and 128 GB of storage, which goes from 1169 to 899 EUR. The version with SSD from 256 GB instead passes from 1499 to 1099 EUR (-400 euro) and finally the model with 16 GB of memory and 512 GB goes from 1999 to 1188 euro, a reduction of 811 EUR.
If you are looking for a more conventional product instead here is the Surface Book 3 , discounted both in the version from 13, 5 inches than in the one from 15 inches with discounts up to 530 ?? depending on the hardware equipment. It starts from 1745 euro for the model with Core i5 and Iris Plus graphics, 8 GB of memory and 256 GB of storage.
Furthermore, for creatives , professionals and design lovers , you can take advantage of a discount up to 20% on Surface Studio 2 , the all-in-one with Brilliant PixelSense display from 28 “. Finally, students, teachers and parents are eligible for one discount dedicated until 10% on new Surface Laptops Go, Surface Headphones 2 and Surface Earbuds (you have to click on “Check your eligibility”).
to the world Xbox , the new ones wireless controller for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S available in the colors Carbon Black, Robot White and Blue Shock are discounted by 15% until the 10 January. You can also buy the first 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for only 1 ?? instead of 38, 97 ?? , to access the benefits of Xbox Live Gold, beyond 100 high quality titles for consoles, PCs and Android devices, as well as the EA Play subscription.
A this link you can discover all the offers on the Surface line and learn more about all the facets of the offer: Microsoft ensures fast delivery, 60 days of free returns without shipping costs and 90 days of free support on the entire Surface range.
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