Sourced from Twitter; The day has finally come where higher core count six-core and eight-core CPUs are ready to overtake aging dual-core and quad-core solutions in market share. Thanks to Steam’s hardware survey, we are able to get precise details on how popular both AMD and Intel’s hexacore and octa-core processors have become over the past several years.
This huge uptick in six and eight-core popularity is in part thanks to AMD’s strategy of bringing as many cores as possible to both desktop and mobile platforms over the past few years with the Zen architecture, with Intel following suit.
(Image credit: Twitter)
As of this moment, Steam’s chart reveals that quad cores are still in the lead, by roughly 10%. However, since the end of 2017, the popularity of six-core processors has been growing consistently, by a whopping 10% of market share per year. Easily surpassing dual-core popularity in mid-2019.
It makes a lot of sense. Over the past few years in the desktop market; AMD and Intel’s six-core processors have become some of the best CPUs on the market, with excellent price-to-performance ratios and excellent gaming performance.
In fact, the gaming performance of modern six-core chips like AMD’s Ryzen 5 5600X and Intel’s Core i5-10600K is so good that each chip is just a couple of percentage points lower than both Intel and AMD’s flagship 10 core and 16 core parts.
Plus, the recent rise of mobile hexa-core CPUs from both AMD and Intel have boosted 6-core adoption rates significantly, as laptops have a much larger market share overall compared to desktops.
At this rate, hexa-core and quad-core processors should attain equal market share by the end of this year, with hexa-core CPUs continuing to gain popularity well into 2022.
8 Core Popularity
Regarding the market performance of octo-core CPUs, the popularity is definitely lower than six-core parts. However, they are still on a consistent uptrend that is very aggressive.
As of right now, 8-core chips are neck and neck with dual-core CPUs in popularity, and should surpass dual-core market share very soon. However, octo-core chips are still well away from competing against quad-core CPUs, which still maintain the lead in market share.
The popularity of 8-core chips skyrocketed in late 2018, which coincides with Coffee
Lake Refresh, which is where we saw Intel’s first-ever mainstream 8 core CPU arrive on the scene, the Core i9-9900K.
Plus, at this time AMD was also releasing a new eight-core chip, the Ryzen 7 2700X. This was built on the new (at the time) Zen+ architecture.
In 2018, the mobile market also saw a major change as well, with Intel pushing out mobile 8 core chips for the first time in history. With AMD following suit less than a year later.
From late 2018 to 2020, octo-core chips gained about 5-6% of market share in Steam’s hardware survey. But during 2020-2021, that changed from 5-6% to almost 15%.
Be aware that these results are for all types of CPUs, including both desktop and mobile chips. While us DIY PC builders like to think we own the show, in terms of market share, we really don’t. In fact, it’s a small margin at best.
In fact, about 46% of the total market share belongs to desktops, and this includes both OEM and DIY markets. Around 50% of traffic belongs to laptops.
Are We Headed Towards A Six-Core vs. Eight-Core Popularity Contest?
Overall, it’s good to see quad cores and dual cores dying out, as their capabilities have become less and less useful in a world pushing towards more and more multi-threaded workloads.
Now, it remains to be seen whether six-core market share and eight-core market share will start competing against each other. Not to mention additional competitors like 10, 12, and 16 core processors, which will undoubtedly gain mainstream popularity at some point in the future.
(Pocket-lint) – The 13-inch Intel MacBook Pro was upgraded with the latest specs in early 2020 to bring it in line with 2019’s MacBook Pro 16-inch.
However, there’s also a version – released in November 2020 – with Apple’s own M1 processor. However, we’re only looking at Intel machines in this guide. If you want to think about an Apple Silicon Mac instead, check out our bigger MacBook guide.
All these Macs run Apple’s latest version of its Mac operating system – macOS 11 Big Sur.
So which is the model for you – the larger 16-incher or the more manageable 13-inch? Let’s find out!
Intel MacBook Pro 16-inch vs MacBook Pro 13-inch: Design and build
All models have Touch Bar and Touch ID
New style keyboard – dubbed the Magic Keyboard
Both sizes of MacBook Pro are available in silver and space grey and have the Touch Bar and Touch ID for fingerprint. Every MacBook Pro now has a Touch Bar.
The 13-inch models measure 304.1 x 212.4 x 15.6mm and weighs 1.4kg. That means it’s slightly thicker and heavier than the older model which was 14.9mm thick/1.37kg.
The larger 16-inch models all measure 358 x 246 x 16.2mm and weigh 2kg. Despite the larger screen size, the new 16-incher is only marginally bigger than the 15-inch it replaced.
The keyboard has been completely redesigned on both models after mass criticism of Apple’s previous Butterfly design (that was present on now end-of-life 15-inch models and pre-2020 13-inch MacBook Pros). That older keyboard design remains the subject of an ongoing recall program.
The Magic Keyboard is designed to be much more durable and with better travel for more comfortable typing. The physical Escape key has also returned.
You’ll get two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports on the two lower end 13-inch models, and four on the top-end pair of models. Yep, there are four standard models of the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
The 16-inch models all have four. Every MacBook Pro retains its 3.5mm headphone jack and there’s the Force Touch trackpad, too.
Intel MacBook Pro 16-inch vs MacBook Pro 13-inch: Display
New MacBooks offer True Tone display
13-inch size and resolutions remain the same
The 16-inch model has a resolution of 3,072 x 1,920 pixels (226ppi), with almost six million pixels on board. The 13-inch model has a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels (227ppi), the same as older 13-inch MacBook Pros.
All MacBook Pro displays boast True Tone, 500 nits of brightness and a wide P3 colour gamut. True Tone is a tech that was first introduced on the iPad Pro, adjusting the screen to match the colour temperature of the lighting in the room.
What is Apple’s True Tone display?
Intel MacBook Pro 16-inch vs MacBook Pro 13-inch: Processor, graphics and storage
8th and 9th generation Intel Core processors for 16-inch
10th generation Intel Core processors for 13-inch
Radeon Pro graphics for 15-inch
15-inch gets 6-core i9 option
The 16-inch MacBook Pro has 8th generation Intel Core processors and adds some 9th generation options. Everything on the bigger model has either 6 or 8 cores. It has the ‘basic’ option of a 2.6Ghz Intel Core i7 with six cores, but there are two Core i9 processors you can get in the range, too, clocked at 2.3Ghz or 2.4Ghz with Turbo Boost speeds of 4.5 or 5Ghz respectively.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro boasts a quad-core Core i5 processor as standard – a 10th generation chip clocked at 2.0 or 2.3Ghz. You can also configure up to 10th generation Core i7 at 2.3GHz with maximum Turbo Boost speed of 4.1Ghz.
The MacBook Pro 16-inch uses AMD Radeon graphics with the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M or 5500M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory and automatic graphics switching between that and the integrated Intel graphics.
Unfortunately, there’s no discrete graphics option on the 13-inch, but Intel’s Iris Plus graphics chips are no slouch and are way better than the integrated graphics of yesteryear. They aren’t a patch on the 16-inch, however.
The 16-inch model can be topped up to 64GB of memory, while the 13-inch can have up to 32GB. 8GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3 memory is standard on the 13-inch and 16GB of 2666MHz DDR4 memory is standard on the 16-inch.
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The storage tops out at a whopping 8TB on the 16-inch and 4TB on the 13-inch but starting at 512GB. Adding more internal storage at the time of purchase ups the cost significantly.
The MacBook Pro lineup all has Apple’s own T2 chip. This is a chip dedicated to security that handles Touch ID and some other capabilities such as powering Siri.
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Conclusions
The 16-inch MacBook Pro is a real step up in terms of the power and options it offers, but you have to really need the larger screen, dedicated graphics and sheer power to justify the expense. It’s a machine for people who edit video, photos, chop between projects and need a do-anything machine with the power to match.
The 13-inch model is still our pick for most users but with the MacBook Air now much more powerful, it’s always worth seeing if that’s actually the 13-inch laptop that you need.
Remember that Apple is transitioning all its laptops over to Apple Silicon, so Intel versions won’t be available too much longer.
The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 is a ThinkPad through and through. It’s got the keyboard nub, the discrete mouse buttons, and the all-black chassis with scattered dots of red. (If you’ve seen its predecessor, the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2, you’ll know what you’re getting — the models are identical, with different chips.)
But this ThinkPad has a unique feature you don’t see every day: an OLED screen. That, combined with its discrete GPU, puts the X1 Extreme Gen 3 out of the business laptop space that ThinkPads traditionally dominate and into the crowded market for ultraportable content-creation machines. Among those competitors, the X1 Extreme has some significant drawbacks that keep it from reaching the top of the pack. But it still includes the features that have made ThinkPads so dominant across the board, and that means there’s certainly an audience for it.
Like other ThinkPads, the X1 Extreme is customizable for a variety of price points. All configurations have an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q. The base model is $2,734 (currently discounted to a much more reasonable $1,640) and includes a Core i5-10400H, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, a 1920 x 1080 non-touch display, and a standard 720p HD webcam. Among prebuilt models, you can go all the way up to a system with a Core i9-10885H, 64GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, a 3840 x 2160 OLED touchscreen, and an IR camera, all for — wait for it — $4,959 (currently listed at $2,974.40). My test configuration is in the middle; it includes a Core i7-10850H, 1TB of storage, 32GB of RAM, and the OLED touchscreen. It has an MSRP of $4,111 but is currently listed at $2,466. You can tweak most of the specs to your liking, though some are dependent on others; for example, all models that don’t have the base display come with the IR camera.
This model has two absolutely standout features. The first is the keyboard. ThinkPads usually have great keyboards, and this one is no exception. It’s one of my favorite keyboards that I’ve tried on a workstation laptop this year, with the possible exception of the Dell XPS 15. The keys have a comfortable texture and a heck of a lot of travel, without being too loud. The typing experience feels closer to that of a mechanical keyboard than to that of flatter laptop keys. I actually found myself eschewing my personal laptop during my testing period in favor of the ThinkPad because of how much I love typing on it.
There’s a row of useful hotkeys on the top of the deck. New to the X1 Extreme are three buttons tailored to remote work: F9 brings up the notification center, F10 answers calls, and F11 ends calls. There are also keys to cut the volume and microphone, toggle airplane mode, and adjust volume and brightness.
Ports include two USB 3.2 Gen 1, two Thunderbolt 3, one HDMI 2.0, one SD slot, one combo audio jack, and an optional Nano-SIM card slot.
One quick thing about the keyboard: the Fn and Ctrl keys are swapped from the locations where you’ll find them on most keyboards. This is how ThinkPad keyboards have been laid out since forever, and you can remap the keys through the BIOS or with Lenovo’s utility app if you prefer. But if you’re not a regular ThinkPad user, or you’ll be swapping between this machine and a personal laptop, it’s worth noting that it’ll take time to adjust (or you’ll be using mislabeled keys). I’ve been using the X1 Extreme for almost a week, and I’m still accidentally hitting Fn all the time.
The second standout feature is the 15.6-inch 4K OLED panel. It covers 100 percent of the sRGB spectrum, 100 percent of Adobe RGB, and 100 percent of P3. (Basically, it maxed out our colorimeter.) The panel is sharp and vibrant with great contrast. You can watch streaming content that supports HDR and swap between various color profiles with Lenovo’s Display Optimizer.
Build quality is another strength. Like most of its ThinkPad siblings, the X1 Extreme feels quite durable. There’s no flex in the keyboard or lid, and Lenovo says it’s been tested against “12 military-grade certification methods and over 20 procedures” for resistance to vibrations, shocks, extreme temperatures, humidity, and the like. The laptop achieves this without sacrificing much portability. It’s on the thick side at 0.74 inches — but at four pounds, it’s lighter than many competitors including the Dell XPS 15 and the MacBook Pro 16.
Lenovo says the multi-layered carbon fiber top cover “provides durability and weight advantages.”
The chassis has a black finish with a nice texture. The ThinkPad logo on the right palm rest and the X1 logo on the top cover add splashes of red. The lid has a unique carbon-fiber weave pattern, which looks and feels similar to the carbon-fiber palm rests on the Dell XPS 15. (This is only available on UHD models). Lenovo says this material is lighter and more durable than aluminum and other common chassis materials. It’s also likely part of the reason for the X1 Extreme’s lofty price tag.
There are dual far-field microphones that work alongside Cortana.
One note on the build: the lid and chassis aren’t the worst fingerprint magnets I’ve ever seen, but they do pick them up. After a few days of use, the keyboard deck was pretty smudgy.
Finally, the X1 Extreme comes with some helpful features for remote meetings. You can optimize the dual microphones for various settings (including voice recognition, solo calls, and conference calls) in Lenovo’s Vantage software. They didn’t have any trouble picking up my voice. And the stereo speakers are fine, delivering distortion-free audio with percussion and bass that are audible but not exceptional. You can create custom equalizer profiles in the preloaded Dolby Access software, and you can also toggle presets for scenarios like voice, music, movies, and games.
The infrared webcam was also a pleasant surprise — while a bit grainy, it was fairly color-accurate and delivered a decent picture in low-light environments. There’s a physical privacy shutter that’s easy to click back and forth. You can sign into the X1 Extreme with Windows Hello facial recognition, as well as a match-on-sensor fingerprint reader on the side of the keyboard deck, which was quick to set up and didn’t usually have trouble recognizing me.
All of this stuff is similar to the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 — there’s not much noticeable change. The Gen 3’s upgrades are on the inside. It has a six-core 10th Gen Intel processor and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, where its predecessor had a 9th Gen Intel processor and a GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q.
The Core i7-10850H isn’t the most monstrous processor around, especially compared to AMD’s recent H-series chips. But it does bring the business-specific benefits of Intel’s vPro platform, and it did a fine job with my piles of spreadsheets, emails, Slacking, and other general office work.
Similarly, the GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q is a midrange graphics card — it’s not what you’d want to use for serious gaming or high-throughput professional video editing. But for amateur creators and other artists, it can certainly lend a hand.
My test model scored a 386 on PugetBench for Premiere Pro, which tests its proficiency in real-world Premiere Pro tasks. That’s not a shameful score among top competitors, but it’s not great either. The system comes in under scores we’ve seen from the Dell XPS 15 with the same GPU, and the six-core MacBook Pro, which has AMD Radeon Pro 5300M. And, of course, it loses out to creator machines with more powerful Nvidia chips, such as the lower-priced Gigabyte Aero 15 with an RTX 3060.
If you’re going to be doing intense content work, prepare to hear the fans. Even when I was just bouncing around in Chrome, they were audible quite often. On the plus side, they did their job: the laptop’s bottom, keyboard, touchpad, palm rests, and hinge all remained cold.
Lenovo says the ThinkPad can charge up to 80 percent in 60 minutes with its “Rapid Charge” feature.
Another compromise you’re making here is battery life. I only averaged four hours and 59 minutes on our battery test, which involved using the ThinkPad for continuous office multitasking on the Battery Saver profile, with the screen around 200 nits of brightness. I ran a trial without using Chrome to see if that would make a difference; it didn’t. And this result actually seems to be a bit on the high side — Tom’s Hardware got an even pithier two hours and 19 minutes on a synthetic streaming benchmark.
It’s not unexpected that a machine with a 4K screen and a discrete GPU wouldn’t last all day. But I got more juice out of the Gigabyte Aero 15, which has both an OLED display and a heftier graphics card. And if you don’t need the high-resolution screen (which many people won’t), the Dell XPS 15 (which still has an exceptional display) lasted an hour longer with my workflow, while my colleague Dieter Bohn got up to eight hours out of the MacBook Pro. Folks who are interested in the X1 Extreme who would prefer not to have it plugged in all the time should consider an FHD (1080p) model.
It’s a ThinkPad through and through.
Ultimately, the decision between the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 and other 15-inch thin-and-light workstations really boils down to: do you want a ThinkPad?
This is to say that the X1 Extreme shares many of the strengths and weaknesses of Windows machines like the XPS 15. Both have dazzling displays, decent chips, sturdy build, boisterous fans, and mediocre battery life. Both have best-in-class keyboards and touchpads, with average webcams and speakers.
But a ThinkPad and an XPS are still very different machines — and if you’ve used any member of either lineup before, you probably know which one you prefer. They have different looks and different feels. The ThinkPad is slightly lighter and slightly thicker, with more ports and larger bezels. The XPS is a bit more powerful, but the ThinkPad has extra business features.
The XPS, due to its lower price, is a more accessible model for most consumers. And the X1 Extreme’s weaker chips and poor battery life, in particular, are tough pills to swallow at such a high price. But there’s still a market for the X1 Extreme — and if you’re willing to sacrifice a bit of power, a bit of money, and a bit of battery life for the unique advantages of a ThinkPad, you probably fall into it.
Intel’s new W-1300 series of Xeon processors briefly emerged in a compatibility list showing all CPUs supported in Intel’s latest LGA1200 socket. However, a few hours later they were taken down. This could mean that these new Xeon processors will support the same socket as Intel’s consumer-grade Rocket Lake products.
Because these chips are compatible with the LGA 1200 socket, they should be nearly identical to Intel’s upcoming Core i5, i7, and i9 Rocket Lake parts, but have a few alterations that include and support for vPro technologies and ECC memory.
Intel has been doing this for years with its lower-end Xeon processors, re-purposing lower-end Core i5, i7, and i9 parts and turning them into Xeon chips. The strategy makes a lot of sense, as not all servers and workstations require HEDT levels of processing power and connectivity.
However, since the Skylake generation, Intel has severely limited its entry-level Xeons’ motherboard compatibility and requires them to run in a workstation/server “designed” chipset. So yes, while these chips have the same socket compatibility as Intel’s consumer desktop chips, Intel’s W-1300 Xeons will not work in a standard H-, B-, or Z-series motherboard.
(Image credit: ASRock)
The W-1300 CPUs, which appeared on an ASRock list, were the W-1390, W-1390T, W-1350P, W-1350, and W-1370.
The main differences we can find between each Xeon chip are its TDP and with some, its amount of L3 cache. For instance, chips like the W-1350, W-1390, and W1-1370 have an average TDP of 80W. The 1390T, has the lowest TDP at just 35W, and the W-1350P has the highest TDP of 125W.
Additionally, the W-1350 & W-1350P are equipped with less L3 cache, coming in at 12MB instead of 16MB. Presumably, this reduction in L3 cache is due to a lower core count compared to its other siblings.
Unfortunately, that’s all we know (if it’s even accurate), for now. We still don’t know what prices will be, what core counts these chips will have, and what boost frequencies these chips will be equipped with. (But expect a maximum of 8 cores for W1300 chips due to the Rocket Lake architecture.)
Hopefully, we should have more information on Intel’s new W-1300 chips right around or after the official Rocket Lake launch.
ASRock has just spilled the beans on Intel’s new W-1300 series of Xeon processors in a compatibility list showing all CPUs supported in Intel’s latest LGA1200 socket. This means that these new Xeon processors will support the same socket as Intel’s consumer-grade Rocket Lake products.
Because these chips are compatible with the LGA 1200 socket, they should be nearly identical to Intel’s upcoming Core i5, i7, and i9 Rocket Lake parts, but have a few alterations that include and support for vPro technologies and ECC memory.
Intel has been doing this for years with its lower-end Xeon processors, re-purposing lower-end Core i5, i7, and i9 parts and turning them into Xeon chips. The strategy makes a lot of sense, as not all servers and workstations require HEDT levels of processing power and connectivity.
However, since the Skylake generation, Intel has severely limited its entry-level Xeons’ motherboard compatibility and requires them to run in a workstation/server “designed” chipset. So yes, while these chips have the same socket compatibility as Intel’s consumer desktop chips, Intel’s W-1300 Xeons will not work in a standard H-, B-, or Z-series motherboard.
(Image credit: ASRock)
Currently, the only W-1300 CPUs ASRock has listed so far are the W-1390, W-1390T, W-1350P, W-1350, and W-1370.
The main differences we can find between each Xeon chip are its TDP and with some, its amount of L3 cache. For instance, chips like the W-1350, W-1390, and W1-1370 have an average TDP of 80W. The 1390T, has the lowest TDP at just 35W, and the W-1350P has the highest TDP of 125W.
Additionally, the W-1350 & W-1350P are equipped with less L3 cache, coming in at 12MB instead of 16MB. Presumably, this reduction in L3 cache is due to a lower core count compared to its other siblings.
Unfortunately, that’s all we know, for now, we still don’t know what prices will be at, what core counts these chips will have, and what boost frequencies these chips will be equipped with. (But expect a maximum of 8 cores for W1300 chips due to the Rocket Lake architecture.)
Hopefully, we should have more information on Intel’s new W-1300 chips right around or after the official Rocket Lake launch.
Two Twitter leakers — @9550pro and @OneRaichu — have published a slide that purportedly covers the specifications for Intel’s upcoming Tiger Lake-H family of processors for notebooks (which was then re-published by VideoCardz). The lineup seems to be rather small as it contains three eight-core models and two six-core SKUs, and the frequency range of the new CPUs is rather moderate.
As expected, the Core i9-11980HK will be the flagship processor in the family with an unlocked multiplier. The CPU features eight cores clocked at 2.60 GHz by default (at a 45W TDP), but that frequency can be increased to 3.30 GHz when the TDP is configured at 65 W. The chip is equipped with a massive 24 MB LLC and an Intel UHD Graphics based on the Xe architecture, and a dual-channel DDR4 memory controller that is certified to work with DDR4-3200 modules. Apart from a 65 W configurable TDP, the Core i9-11980HK also features Intel’s Turbo Boost Max 3.0 technology (ITBM3.0) that can increase clocks of up to two cores to 5.0 GHz. Meanwhile, its maximum eight-core turbo frequency is 4.50 GHz.
(Image credit: VideoCardz, @9550pro, @OneRaichu)
The Core i9-11900H sits slightly below the Core i9-11980HK. This part has a base clock of 2.50 GHz (at 45W), a 4.40 GHz eight-core turbo, and a 4.90 GHz ITBM 3.0 frequency. The CPU is also equipped with a large 24 MB cache and an integrated UHD Graphics core.
The Core i7-11800H is the third eight-core model. This chip has a default clock of 2.40 GHz (at 45W) and an eight-core turbo of 4.20 GHz, but doesn’t support Turbo Boost Max 3.0 technology.
The remaining CPUs in the Tiger Lake-H family — the Core i5-11260H and the Core i5-11400H — feature six cores clocked at 2.60 GHz – 2.70 GHz by default that can boost to 4.0 GHz – 4.10 GHz when possible. The six-core chips are also certified to work with DDR4-2933 memory.
At this point, we cannot confirm whether the slide is legitimate and up to date. Frequencies of the Core i5-11400H, Core i7-11800H, and Core i9-11900H processors at 35W corroborate with the information published earlier, so the slide is likely legitimate. Meanwhile, Intel will not confirm any details about its Tiger Lake-H CPUs before their official launch in the second quarter.
Intel’s next generation NUC is coming soon and recent leaks have given us a good look at its planned specifications. The Intel NUC 11 Extreme Compute Element is a small, graphics card-sized PC designed for very compact cases. Despite its size, it looks like Intel won’t be cutting down on anything, offering up to a Core i9-11980HK CPU and 64GB of RAM.
Just like the previous NUC 9 Extreme, the slide leaked on Chiphell shows that the NUC 11 Extreme, codenamed “Driver Bay”, will have three CPU tiers to choose from. Options include Tiger Lake-H45 Core i9, Core i7, and Core i5 processors. These processors will be paired with up to 64GB of DDR4-3200 SODIMMs in a dual-channel configuration.
Image via Chiphell.
The slide further details the NUC 11 Extreme specifications, which include 3x M.2 slots for PCIe 4.0/3.0 storage and support for Intel Optane Memory M10, H10 and Optane SSDs. For display connectivity, there’s an HDMI 2.0b connector and 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports, supporting up to 3x 4K displays with the Intel iGPU. The mini-PC will also feature 6x USB-A 3.1 connectors, Intel 2.5G and/or 10G network interfaces, Bluetooth 5, and Wi-Fi 6.
Comparing both the NUC 9 Extreme and the NUC 11 Extreme, both units seem to be similarly sized with some aesthetic differences. The single 8-pin power connector is at the same position as its predecessor, on the top right corner. The cooling solution has been modified with a slightly bigger fan and located closer to the centre. The cover has also been changed, replacing the old Intel logo with Intel’s skull.
We recently spent some time modding the Intel NUC 9 Extreme, so if you are interested in mini-PCs, be sure to check out our series on that, HERE.
KitGuru says: The NUC 11 Extreme is shaping up to be very powerful, especially for its size. Have any of you used an Intel NUC before? What do you think of the upcoming NUC 11 Extreme?
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Home/Component/CPU/MSI announces new Aegis, Codex, Trident and Infinite gaming PCs with Intel 11th Gen CPUs
Matthew Wilson 1 day ago CPU, Featured Tech News, Gaming PC
Earlier this week, Intel officially announced its “Rocket Lake-S” 11th Gen Core desktop processors. MSI is getting involved with the launch early, updating its gaming desktop systems with Intel’s latest hardware.
This week, MSI announced that its Aegis, Codex, Trident and Infinite series of gaming desktop PCs will ship with Intel 11th Gen Core CPUs. These gaming PCs also include RTX 30 graphics cards.
Some MSI systems will come with ‘up to an Intel Core i9-11900K’, while others offer up to Core i7 or Core i5 options. In the case of the MSI MEG Trident X 11th, Aegis RS 11th and the Infinite RS 11th PCs, you can go up to an Intel Core i9-11900K.
The MSI MPG Trident AS 11th system tops out at an Intel Core i7-11700F, while the MSI Codex R 11th and Aegis R 11th PCs come with ‘up to’ an Intel Core i7-11700. Finally the Aegis SE 11th will ship with up to an Intel Core i5-11400F.
If you are after an 11th Gen Core i9 system, then pricing starts at $1,999. MSI’s Core i7 supported systems start at $1,349.
KitGuru Says: Are any of you thinking about upgrading to one of Intel’s new Rocket Lake-S CPUs? Are you looking to buy a pre-build or are you planning on building yourself?
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Any business laptop that comes out these days is entering a tough field full of very established players. The world is already stuffed full of ThinkPads and Latitudes, which have strong followings, cover price ranges across the board, and are highly attuned to what workers need.
So my question with lesser-known business laptops is usually: Where does this fit? What customer is it catering to who might be underserved by a ThinkPad?
With its TravelMate line (specifically the TravelMate P6), Acer seems to be going for two potential openings. The first is that the TravelMate is, as the name implies, specifically intended for frequent business travelers. It’s light, portable, and sturdy, at the expense of some other traits. And the second is its price. Starting at $1,199.99, the TravelMate line is targeting a more price-conscious demographic than many business laptops that would be considered “premium” are. I think the TravelMate succeeds in filling these two niches in particular. But it has some other drawbacks that make it tough to recommend for a general audience.
The aspect of the TravelMate that should be a big help to mobile business users is the port selection. Despite being quite thin, the laptop is able to fit a USB Type-C (supporting USB 3.1 Gen 2, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3, and USB charging), two USB 3.1 Type-A Gen 1 (one with power-off USB charging), one HDMI 2.0, one microSD reader, one combination audio jack, one Ethernet port (with a trap-door hinge), one DC-In jack for Acer’s adapter, one lock slot, and an optional SmartCard reader. The fewer dongles and docks you have to travel with, the better.
Portability is another priority here and is another one of the TravelMate’s highlight features. At just 2.57 pounds and 0.65 inches thick, the TravelMate should be a breeze to carry around in a backpack or briefcase. Acer says it’s put the product through a slew of durability tests for weight and pressure, drops, shocks, vibrations, and other hiccups you may encounter during the day.
Another area that’s likely important to some mobile professionals is videoconferencing capability. I found that to be a mixed bag here. The TravelMate’s four-microphone array had no trouble catching my voice, in both voice recognition and Zoom meeting use cases. Acer says they can pick up voices from up to 6.5 feet away. The webcam also produces a fine picture (though this unit doesn’t support Windows Hello for easy logins) and has a physical privacy shutter. The speakers are not great, though — music was tinny with thin percussion and nonexistent bass.
Acer promises that the TravelMate can survive “the bumps from airport security, accidental drops, and other mishaps.”
The TravelMate also includes some business-specific features including a TPM 2.0 chip and Acer’s ProShield security software.
In other, less business-y areas, though, the TravelMate has a few shortcomings. Shoppers looking for anything more than portability out of the chassis may be disappointed. While most of the TravelMate is made of magnesium-aluminum alloy, it has a bit of a plasticky feel — and while the keyboard is sturdy, there’s considerable flex in the screen. And then there’s the aesthetic: the P6 is far from the prettiest computer you can buy for $1,199.99. It’s almost entirely black, with very few accents (and the ones it has are a drab gray color). And the bezels around the 16:9 screen are quite chunky by modern standards. Plus, the 16:9 aspect ratio is falling out of fashion for a reason — it’s cramped for multitasking, especially on a 13- or 14-inch screen — and the panel maxed out at 274 nits in my testing, which is a bit too dim for outdoor use.
The color is called “mild black.”
The TravelMate looks and feels like it was made a bit better than budget fare. But it also looks and feels closer to an Aspire 5 than it does to a top ThinkPad. For context, you can get an Aspire 5 with identical specs to this TravelMate model for just over $700. Another comparison: the Swift 5, a gorgeous consumer laptop that’s even lighter than the TravelMate, can be purchased with comparable specs for just $999.99. This is all to emphasize that you’re sacrificing a bit of build quality (as well as some extra money) for the TravelMate’s weight and business-specific offerings.
The touchpad is also not my favorite. For one, I had some palm-rejection issues. Those didn’t interfere with my work per se, but it was still unnerving to see my cursor jumping around the screen while I was typing. In addition, the touchpad on my unit had a bit of give before the actuation point, meaning one click required me to make (and hear) what felt like two clicks. And its off-center placement meant that I was constantly right-clicking when I meant to left-click, and I had to consciously reach over to the left side in order to click with my right hand. Finally, the click itself is shallow and far from the most comfortable.
I also didn’t love the power button. It contains a fingerprint sensor, which worked quite well. But the button itself is stiff and very shallow. I know this sounds like a small nitpick, but it was really irksome and made turning the TravelMate on in the morning more of a hassle than it could’ve been.
Some TravelMate models support facial recognition, but my model did not.
The TravelMate model that I received to review is sold out everywhere I’ve looked as of this writing. The closest model to it is listed at $1,199.99 (though it’s cheaper through some retailers) and comes with a Core i5-10310U, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. My unit is the same, but it has a Core i5-10210U. Those processors don’t have a significant performance difference, so my testing here should give you a good idea of what to expect from that model. You can also buy a model with a Core i7-10610U, 16GB of memory, and a 512GB SSD for $1,399.99. Both configurations run Windows 10 Pro and include a 1920 x 1080 non-touch display.
For my office workload of emails, spreadsheets, Zoom calls, etc., the TravelMate did just fine. I sometimes heard the fans spinning at times when my load wasn’t super heavy, but the noise wasn’t loud enough to be a problem. Note that this processor has Intel’s UHD graphics, rather than its upgraded Iris Xe graphics, which means the system wouldn’t be a good choice for gaming, video software, or other graphics work.
But there’s one area where the TravelMate really impressed, and it’s one that’s quite useful for travelers: battery life. Running through my daily workload at 200 nits of brightness, my system averaged nine hours and 15 minutes of continuous use. That’s almost twice what the budget Aspire 5 got with my same workload. It also beats the Swift 5 and the pricier ThinkPad X1 Nano. If your workload is similar to (or lighter than) mine, you should be able to bring this device around an airport or conference for a full work day without being attached to a wall.
The notebook can charge up to 50 percent in less than 45 minutes.
One performance complaint, though: this thing comes with bloatware. My unit was pre-installed with all kinds of junk, including games (Amazon was pinned to the taskbar) and other software like Dropbox. Most annoyingly, it came with Norton, which bugged me with annoying pop-ups all the time and also seemed to impact battery life: the TravelMate consistently lasted around an hour longer after I uninstalled the program. It doesn’t take too long to uninstall everything, but I’m still morally put off by the idea of so much cheap crapware being loaded onto a laptop that costs over $1,000. And it’s especially troubling to see on a business laptop, because it can expose users to cybersecurity risk.
The TravelMate line is filling a pretty specific niche, and it fills it just fine. If you’re a frequent business traveler who needs a light device with plentiful ports and all-day battery life, you’re shopping in the $1,199 price range, and you’re willing to overlook a mediocre touchpad, dim 16:9 display, and other hiccups, then the P6 will be a better choice for you than something like a pricier and heavier Dell Latitude or the shorter-lived and port-starved ThinkPad X1 Nano.
That said, the P6 has enough drawbacks that I think the bulk of customers would be better served by other laptops. Those who like the Acer brand may like some of Acer’s other offerings — especially those who don’t need the business-specific security features. The Swift 5 is lighter, nicer-looking, and more affordable than the TravelMate, with a better touchpad, screen, and processor. And budget shoppers can find much of what the TravelMate offers in any number of cheaper laptops. The Aspire 5 and the Swift 3 don’t have the TravelMate’s battery or port selection, but they do improve upon its touchpad, audio (in the Aspire’s case), and looks (in the Swift’s case). And, of course, there’s a litany of other laptops in this price range — from HP’s Spectre x360 to Dell’s XPS 13 — that are excellent in almost every way and also offer 3:2 screens.
Ultimately, the TravelMate isn’t a bad laptop — but if it’s the best laptop for you, you probably know who you are.
NUC 11 Extreme Compute Element (Image credit: Chiphell)
The Intel NUC 11 Extreme Compute Element (codename Driver Bay) might be right around the corner. A user from the Chiphell forums has shared a screenshot of the alleged specifications for the device, which appears to leverage Intel’s forthcoming 11th Generation Tiger Lake-H 45W chips.
If the information is legit, the NUC 11 Extreme Compute Element will be available with three processor options that may come in the shape of the Core i9-11980HK, Core i7-11800H or Core i5-11400H. The Core i9 and Core i7 Tiger Lake-H 45W chips will arrive with eight Willow Cove cores, while the Core i5 will stick to six cores. All three have Hyper-Threading technology, of course.
The NUC 11 Extreme Compute Element can be outfitted with up to 64GB of DDR4-3200 dual-channel memory. It also comes equipped with three PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots with support for M.2 drives up to 80mm in length. One of the M.2 slots communicates directly with the Tiger Lake-H processor, while the remaining two are attached to the PCH itself. There is support for RAID 0 and RAID 1 arrays. The unit is compatible with Intel’s Optane Memory as well.
NUC 11 Extreme Compute Element (Image credit: Chiphell)
If the Tiger Lake-H chip isn’t paired with a discrete graphics option, then the Xe LP graphics engine will do all the heavy lifting. The NUC 11 Extreme Compute Element provides one HDMI 2.0b port and two Thunderbolt 4 ports so you can connect up to three 4K monitors to the device.
Depending on the SKU, the NUC 11 Extreme Compute Element may sport 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet and/or 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports. It also offers Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 connectivity.
The NUC 11 Extreme Compute Element may be a tiny device, but it supplies plenty of USB ports. There are a total of six USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports as well as two USB 3.1 headers and two USB 2.0 headers. Its audio capabilities include 7.1 multichannel audio that’s made possible through the HDMI or DisplayPort signals.
Since the NUC 11 Extreme Compute Element is based on Tiger Lake-H 45W processors, it’s reasonable to expect the device to hit the market once Intel officially launches the aforementioned chips. Tiger Lake-H 45W laptops are expected to land in the second quarter of this year so the NUC 11 Extreme Compute Element shouldn’t be far behind.
Intel’s new Rocket Lake processors are its big answer to AMD’s Ryzen 5000 chips, and on the face of it, this is going to be a very interesting face-off once the embargo is lifted on reviews. That’s because, rather than follow the trend of more cores and a denser architecture, Intel has actually reduced the number of cores.
Intel claims that this change will lead to a 19% improvement in instruction per cycle (IPC) throughput and can lead to max speeds of 5.3GHz.
Alongside improved performance (at least in applications that aren’t heavily threaded), Rocket Lake will also include PCIe 4.0 interface adoption, AVX-512 support and a claimed 50% increase in Xe-powered integrated graphics performance.
For more in-depth coverage, check out our Intel Rocket Lake CPU news article from our CPU expert Paul Alcorn.
If you’re convinced, though, we’ve set up this page to collect all the different places where you can buy or pre-order a Rocket Lake CPU.
Intel Core i5-11600K: Where to Buy
(Image credit: Future)
US Intel Core i5-11600K retailers at a glance: Amazon | Best Buy | Micro Center | Newegg
Pricing across pre-order pages has been pretty inconsistent, which follows reports that some MSRPs are being jacked up for Intel’s 11th Gen CPUs. The best price comes from Best Buy, which is offering the i5-11600K for $269.99, whereas the most expensive is Micro Center at $319.
Intel Core i7-11700K: Where to Buy
(Image credit: Future)
US Intel Core i7-11700K retailers at a glance: Amazon | Best Buy | Micro Center | Newegg
When it comes to the 11th Gen i7 CPU, Newegg has the best price at $399 ($30 off), but once again there is a wide swath of pricing. The most expensive is Micro Center at $519, with Amazon and Best Buy in the middle at $418 and $419 respectively.
Also, if you don’t necessarily need an unlocked processor, you can get the standard 11700K from Newegg for $32 less.
Intel Core i9-11900K: Where to Buy
(Image credit: Future)
US Intel Core i9-11900K retailers at a glance: Amazon | Best Buy | Newegg
The 11th Gen i9 is where pre-ordering starts to get a little tricky, as it hasn’t actually started yet! The product pages are live, so keep checking back as you may get lucky.
As far as pricing goes, Amazon’s cost is not available yet, but the cheapest is Best Buy at $549. Newegg offers the CPU at a far pricier $613.
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If you’ve used a ThinkPad before, you probably know 90 percent of what to expect from the ThinkPad X1 Nano. All of the staples are here. It’s got the black carbon fiber chassis, the discrete buttons on top of the touchpad, the mechanical privacy shutter, the ThinkPad logo on the palm rest, and (of course) the red pointer nub in the middle of the keyboard.
But one thing is unique about the X1 Nano: it’s the lightest ThinkPad Lenovo has ever made. Starting at just 1.99 pounds, the Nano isn’t technically the lightest laptop on the market. But it’s still one of the best combinations of portability, build quality, and performance that you can buy.
Lenovo has made a few other useful tweaks as well, though they’re not tweaks you’ll necessarily notice when you’re looking at the machine. There’s not much to overthink here: it’s a smaller, lighter ThinkPad. Lenovo didn’t reinvent the wheel, but the updates it made succeed in keeping the Nano current among its rapidly innovating peers.
The keyboard is “nearly full-sized.”
Here’s what’s new with the Nano, in addition to its lightweight build. It has a 16:10 screen, a feature that a number of this year’s ThinkPads are adopting for the first time. It has a new 11th Gen Intel processor, and it’s certified through Intel’s Evo program (which is the chipmaker’s way of verifying that a laptop includes its latest features like Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 6, instant wake, and fast charging). And there are a few enhanced security features, including a match-on-chip fingerprint reader and a dTPM 2.0 chip, which will mostly be notable for business users.
What looms over that verdict, of course, is the Nano’s price. Technically, it starts at $2,499 and maxes out at $3,719. The good news is that Lenovo’s products are very often heavily discounted, and the current sale prices at the time of publish range from $1,149 to $2,231.
The Nano is highly customizable. It comes with a Core i5-1130G7, a Core i5-1140G7, a Core i7-1160G7, or a Core i7-1180G7, all of which support Intel’s vPro. You can also select 8GB or 16GB of RAM, 256GB through 1TB of SSD storage, and a touchscreen or non-touch screen (both with 2160 x 1350 resolution). There’s even a Linux option. My review model (which runs Windows 10 Pro) is in the middle, with a quad-core Core i7-1160G7, 16GB of memory, 512GB of storage, and the non-touch display. Folks interested in the touchscreen should note that those models are heavier (2.14 pounds) and a bit thicker as well.
You’re paying a premium for the Nano’s weight and the extra business features. A comparable Dell XPS 13 to my test model, for example, is $1,599.99 and 2.64 pounds (over half a pound heavier than this unit).
That said, the Nano’s weight is astounding. I feel like I’m carrying nothing while I’m holding it, even one-handed. I’d easily haul it in my purse or throw it into my backpack and forget that it’s there. For a few comparisons: it’s half a pound lighter than the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9. It’s close to a pound lighter than the ThinkPad X13, as well as the latest MacBook Air. These are already laptops known for their portability, and the Nano is noticeably slimmer.
The laptop achieves this without sacrificing durability, which is often a concern with ultra-light devices. The chassis feels sturdy — there’s just a tiny bit of flex in the keyboard and screen, and I’d be very comfortable jerking it around in a briefcase. Lenovo says the Nano has been “tested against 12 military-grade certification methods,” so there’s also that.
I’m also very happy with the 16:10 display, which is about the same height as a typical 14-inch 16:9 screen. In addition to the extra vertical space it provides, it’s sharper than a 1080p display, and it delivers a nice picture.
There’s also a Dolby Atmos speaker system, which includes two upward-firing and two downward-firing woofers. The laptop comes preloaded with Dolby Access, which is one of my favorite audio apps. You can swap between presets for Movies, Music, and other scenarios (as well as custom profiles), and the settings make an audible difference. You can also personalize the four-microphone array for different uses, including conference calls and voice recognition.
My one quip with the chassis is the keyboard. It’s a fine keyboard, and the little red nub is there if you want to use it. But the Fn and Ctrl keys are swapped from the locations where you’ll find them on other laptop keyboards — every time I meant to hit Ctrl, I hit Fn. After a week of use, I have not yet adjusted to this.
Now, I want to be very clear: I know this is the way ThinkPad keyboards have been laid out since the dawn of time. I also know you can swap the two keys in BIOS. Still, if you’re not currently a ThinkPad user, you should note that you’ll either need some time to get used to this keyboard layout or you’ll be using mislabeled keys.
The port selection is also limited, though that’s not unique among thin devices. You get two USB-C ports and an audio jack, and they’re all on the left side.
Performance-wise, the X1 Nano did an excellent job. It’s not what you’d want to buy for demanding tasks like heavy gaming or video editing, but it kept up with my gaggles of Chrome tabs, spreadsheets, and streaming apps without a stutter. I never heard any noise out of the machine or felt noticeable heat, even when I was running fairly taxing loads.
“Anti-fry circuitry” ensures that USB-C chargers send the correct voltage.
As mentioned earlier, the Nano has a number of new security features that are coming to 2021 ThinkPads across the line. The one I found most useful was the presence-sensing tool, which automatically locks the device when you’re not in front of it and unlocks it when you’re back. ThinkPads aren’t the only business laptops to adopt this technology, but it is convenient and worked well in my testing. You can also turn it off if it creeps you out. Elsewhere, there’s a match-on-sensor fingerprint sensor next to the touchpad (the qualifier means that fingerprint enrollment, pattern storage, and biometric matching all happens directly within the sensor). The sensor also uses AI to distinguish between real and fake fingers, in case that was a concern of yours.
The one feature that isn’t quite stellar here is the battery life. I averaged 6 hours and 38 minutes between charges with my daily workflow (around a dozen Chrome tabs with office stuff like emailing, Slack, Google Docs and Sheets, occasional Spotify and YouTube streaming, with brightness around 200 nits). That’s fine, and not unexpected since the Nano only has a 48Whr battery, but I often see over seven hours out of machines at this price. It means that if your workload is similar to mine, you may not make it through a full workday on a charge. The 65W charger took 43 minutes to juice the device up to 60 percent.
In the ThinkPad X1 Nano, Lenovo is playing to its strengths. You’re getting a comfortable keyboard and touchpad, a red nub, and a capable processor in a sturdy system that’s built to last. The Nano brings a new factor to the table — a chassis that’s (just) under two pounds. The target audience here is clear: business users who like the traditional ThinkPad look and feel and are willing to pay more for an ultralight machine.
The main compromises you’re making are the battery life and port selection. Neither of these is an absolute disaster for the Nano, but they mean that a chunk of users may find competing business laptops more practical. There are a number of ultraportable business laptops with superb battery life, more useful ports, and comparable weight (such as Asus’ ExpertBook B9450 and HP’s Elite Dragonfly). That said, for users who are attached to the ThinkPad brand and want the lightest of the light, the X1 Nano will deliver.
The ever-insightful benchmark database detective @TUM_APISAK has just shared Geekbench 5 results for a Samsung laptop powered by unreleased hardware from both Intel and Nvidia. The mysterious laptop in question is called the 760XDA, and it comes equipped with a Core i5-11400H processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 mobile GPU.
This is the first we’ve heard of a Core i5-11400H, and Geekbench 5 lists the chips as a 6-core 12 thread part, leading us to believe the 11400H should be the Tiger Lake-H successor to the previous-gen Core i5-10400H.
The 11400H scored 1387 points in the single-threaded Geekbench 5 test and 4934 points in the multi-threaded test, making it 15% faster than its predecessor in the single-threaded test and 20% faster in the multi-threaded benchmark.
The Nvidia RTX 3050 is even more interesting, though. We’ve heard rumors of an RTX 3050 for months now, but this Geekbench 5 result is as close as we’ve come to seeing potential specifications for the unreleased silicon.
Geekbench 5 says the RTX 3050 comes equipped with 16 Compute Units (CUs), a 1.06GHz maximum boost frequency, and 4GB of VRAM. If we factor in that Nvidia uses 128 CUDA cores per SM on the Ampere architecture, that means the RTX 3050 should come with 2048 CUDA cores in total.
Compared to RTX 3060 mobile, the RTX 3050 mobile has less than half the CUDA core count of its bigger counterpart. That means we can expect 50% less performance than an RTX 3060.
This new entry-level GPU features “RTX” branding from Nvidia, so we can fully expect this 3050 to feature both ray-tracing cores, and tensor cores for DLSS support. If accurate, this would be Nvidia’s first entry-level GPU to feature both technologies. Hopefully, the GPU will have enough horsepower to give gamers an incentive to use Nvidia’s RTX features without suffering a severe frame rate penalty.
If this laptop is more than just a prototype, we should see Nvidia’s RTX 3050 and Intel’s new Tiger Lake-H CPUs on the market soon.
(Pocket-lint) – The MacBook Air receives an annual upgrade, with the 2020 model doubling the base storage and introducing a newer keyboard mechanism compared to the 2019 model. But is anything else different? Here’s a quick-glance comparison between 2020 and 2019 MacBook Air models.
If you’re otherwise interested in the newer M1 MacBook then check out our M1-powered MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air feature instead. We also have a breakdown of all Mac options in our Which MacBook is best for you? feature.
squirrel_widget_161334
Design & Display
Both models: 13.3-inch ‘Retina display’ (2560 x 1600 resolution)
2020 model: 40g heavier than 2019 version, at 1.29kgs
Both models: Gold, Silver, Space Grey finish options
Both models: 15.6mm thickness, same design
Both models: 1x 3.5mm headphone jack
Both models: 2x Thunderbolt 3 ports
At a glance both 2020 and 2019 MacBook Air models look identical. The same scale, same colour options, same screen – it’s all the same. Indeed, even the 2021 models are identical in appearance.
There’s some subtle differences though. The 2020 model is 40g heavier, plus can support an external monitor to 6K (6016 x 3384) rather than the 5K support from the 2019 model.
In terms of ports, the 2020 Air sticks to its guns: that means the usual two Thunderbolt 3 ports, no additions this time around. The headphone jack is still in place, too.
That also means no improvement to the FaceTime camera: it’s still only 720p capable. Oh how we wish Apple would update this dated feature for a Full HD one!
Keyboard & Trackpad
2020 model: Magic Keyboard with redesigned scissor mechanism
This is where the biggest change can be seen. The 2020 Air utilises a Magic Keyboard, the same kind you’ll find in the 16-inch MacBook from the tail-end of 2019. That’s also now the standard in the 2021 M1 MacBooks, too, if you’re looking for a newer model.
Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1 processor) review: The start of something new
It’s an important change, as the redesigned scissor mechanism here we found far superior than the butterfly mechanism of the earlier Air keyboards, which should mean less phantom typing. That said, we thought the 2019 Air’s keyboard was much improved over the 2018 model.
Elsewhere both 2019 and 2020 models have the same large trackpad design with Force Touch dual-layer control, plus Touch ID fingerprint login. There’s still no Face ID facial recognition login however – it seems Apple is holding its laptops away from such a sign-in system for now.
The 2020 Air also ramps up the base specification a little, by doubling the storage from 128GB to 256GB. It’s also possible to upgrade to 2TB, rather than 1.5TB, if you want to spend the extra cash.
On the processor front, these models are pre-M1, so that’s not an option. But the standard Intel Core i5 processor of the 2019 Air became an Intel Core i3 – which also brought with it a £100/$100/€100 saving, meaning the 2020 MacBook Air wasn’t quite as expensive, despite having more storage on board.
Battery life is one area that we’re unsure how these models will compare: the 2020 Air should last longer thanks to newer and more efficient processor hardware, unless, of course, you pick the more powerful processor upgrade. Some suggest that the newer model will deliver a slight downturn in battery performance though. But, really, if you want longevity then go for a 2021 M1 model – as it’ll last yonks longer.
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Conclusion
2020 MacBook Air: From £999/$999/€999
2019 MacBook Air: From £1,099/$1,099/€1,099
The 2020 Air didn’t bring with it an ultimate redesign, nor more ports to bolster the experience. What it savvily did, however, was bring all the goodness of before, plus more storage, and a better keyboard, but for less cash. That was a sensible move, as a stepping-stone year before the M1 MacBook models started to roll out.
Intel’s upcoming Rocket Lake CPUs are almost upon us, and yet again we have more leaked benchmarks pertaining to the Core i9-11900K, Core i7-11700K, and Core i5-11400. Tweeted by legendary benchmark database detective APISAK, we have CPU-Z benchmark results for these three chips, with the Core i9 and Core i7 pumping out some amazing single-threaded scores.
While these results are highly favorable to Intel, keep in mind that CPU-Z is just like most benchmarks and can be favor one CPU architecture over another, so be careful in trusting these results. We also aren’t sure if these tests were run at standard stock settings. In either case, the results paint a promising picture for Rocket Lake’s single-threaded performance.
CPU-Z Benchmark Results
CPUs:
CPU-Z Single Threaded Test
CPU-Z Multi-Threaded Test
Core i9-11900K
716
6539
Core i7-11700K
719
N/A
Core i5-11400
544
4012
Ryzen 9 5950X
658
12366
Ryzen 9 5900X
633
8841
Ryzen 7 5800X
650
6593
Ryzen 5 5600X
643
4814
Intel’s Core i9 and Core i7 Rocket Lake chips dominate in the single-threaded CPU-Z test — both chips sit comfortably above the 700 mark. Compared to AMD’s best offering, the 5950X, the Rocket Lake chips are roughly 7% faster.
Of course, Rocket Lake’s IPC gains won’t make up for reduced core counts, so it’s no surprise that the Ryzen 9 5950X and 5900X win in the multi-threading department.
But, if we limit our comparisons to just the eight-core parts, the Ryzen 5 5800X makes up a lot of ground against the 11900K, and is just 0.8% quicker. This is within the margin of error, so we can safely say both chips are equal in this test. Unfortunately, the 11700K has no multi-threaded score, so that chip is out of the picture for now.
We don’t know why the 5800X makes up all its performance losses from the single-threaded test in the multi-threaded test, but it could be due to reduced turbo frequencies on the Core i9 part, as well as architectural differences between the two chips.
Intel’s upcoming mid-range SKU, the Core i5-11400, is the weakest of the bunch being 18% slower than the 5600X (in the single and multi-threaded tests). However, like the previous 400- series Core i5s, we can expect the 11400 to have reduced clock speeds to help drive costs down.
We’ll have to wait for a Core i5-11600K result to have a fair comparison against AMD’s Ryzen 5 5600X.
If the CPU-Z benchmarks are to be trusted, Intel’s Core i9-11900K and i7-11700K could make our list of best CPUs and climb the ranks in our CPU Benchmark hierarchy for single-threaded workloads.
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