Core i7 - Page 4 of 32

(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung is taking another swing making the

best ultrabooks

with two new Windows laptops: the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro and Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360. Both the clamshell and the convertible options were announced at today’s Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event. They are available for pre-order now and will hit retail stores on May 14.

Both the Book Pro and Book Pro 360 will come in 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch versions, all of which will rely on intel’s Core i5 or Core i7 “Tiger Lake” processors and Iris Xe integrated graphics, and they will carry

Intel Evo

branding.

	Samsung Galaxy Book Pro	Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360
CPU	Up to 11th Gen Intel Core i7	Up to 11th Gen Intel Core i7
Graphics	Intel Iris Xe (Integrated)	Intel Iris Xe (Integrated)
RAM	Up to 16GB LPDDR4x	Up to 16GB LPDDR4x
Storage	Up to 512GB NVMe SSD	Up to 1TB NVMe SSD on 15.6-inch inch, Up to 512GB on 13.3-inch
Display	13.3 or 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080, AMOLED	13.3 or 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080, Super AMOLED touch
Networking	LTE (only in some countries, not the US, 13-inch), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1	5G (optional, 13-inch), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1
Battery	63 Wh (13-inch) / 68 Wh (15-inch)	63 Wh (13-inch) / 68 Wh (15-inch)
Starting Price	13.3-inch: $999, 15.6-inch: $1,099	13.3-inch: $1,199, 15.6-inch: $1,299

There are a number of other similarities between both laptops across the sizes. The whole line is using 1920 x 1080 AMOLED displays (though the Galaxy Book Pro 360’s Super AMOLED also incorporates touch), and they’re made of what Samsung calls 6000-series aluminum. Samsung is also bringing a “secret screen” technology to the laptops, which hampers viewing angles from sides when you are working on private documents. HP has included similar functionality in many of its business laptops for a few years under the name SureView.

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(Image credit: Samsung)

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(Image credit: Samsung)

The biggest differences between the two models are the networking options and ports. The Galaxy Book Pro will offer Wi-Fi 6E and, in the 13.3-inch option, LTE in some territories. But the Galaxy Book Pro 360’s 13.3-inch configuration will have optional 5G. The Book Pro has Thunderbolt 4, USB Type-C, USB Type-A 3.2, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microSD card slot and a SIM card slot, while the Book PRo 360 ditches the USB 3.2 in favor of another Type-C port. Both use 65W gallium nitride (GaN) chargers for fast charging. The 15.6-inch Galaxy Book Pro 360 has the largest storage option at 1TB.

There are also differences in color. The Book Pro uses matte colors called mystic blue and mystic silver while the Book Pro 360 opts for a more metallic mystic navy and mystic bronze.

(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung is touting how thin the laptops are. The Book Pro is 11.2 mm thin on the 13-incher and 11.7 mm on the 15.6-incher, while the Galaxy Book Pro 360 is slightly thicker at 11.5 mm and 11.9 mm, respectively. The smallest of the line, the Galaxy Book Pro 13, will weigh just 1.92 pounds.

The hardware also includes a redesigned keyboard, with scissor switches and rubber domes with 1 millimeter of travel which Samsung says is nearly silent.

Samsung is also emphasizing the two laptops for their spot in the Galaxy-branded ecosystem. That includes using Samsung Notes and PENUP to sync notes across devices, using Smart Switch to transfer files (a first on Samsung’s PCs) and Quick Share. A Galaxy Tab S7 can be used as a second monitor, and a Link to Windows feature will let you use up to five mobile apps on your laptop.

For those of us working from home, there’s a Studio Mode for improved video calling and intelligent noise cancelling to get rid of ambient sounds. Some of this is already built into other apps, but for those not familiar, these may be a nice touch.

The company is also bringing Samsung Care+ to PCs for the first time, allowing for up to two years of customer service and what it says are discounted repairs.

The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro will start at $999 for the 13-inch version and $1,099 for the 15.6 option. The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 will start at $1,199 and $1,299 in the same screen sizes, but with touch support and an S Pen.

Home / Component / APU / AMD 4700S appears to be the Xbox Series X|S CPU but for PC

João Silva
2 hours ago
APU, Featured Tech News

An unknown AMD processor has appeared online, known as the ‘4700S’. The specifications of this processor don’t line up with any of AMD’s announced CPUs or APUs, but based on some of the details, this could be a reused Xbox Series X|S APU with the graphics cores disabled.

As per the retailer (via @9550pro), the AMD 4700S APU is being sold inside a mini-ITX system. Like the Xbox Series X|S APU, this one is based on the 7nm process node and features 8x Zen 2 cores and 16x threads. The naming lacks the “Ryzen” of other AMD APUs and is apparently based on the ‘Cardinal’ platform.

The boost clock is set at 4.0GHz, which is slightly above the Xbox Series X|S consoles. This might be due to the iGPU being disabled, allowing for more power to be delivered to the CPU, therefore allowing higher clock speeds.

Another similarity with the Xbox Series consoles is the 16GB of GDDR6 memory and the lack of DIMM slots. The reseller even added marketing material featuring the Xbox Series X|S APU, implying that this APU is also used on the consoles. Although we can’t confirm it, it’s possible that these APUs have not passed the tests to be equipped on Xbox Series consoles, so AMD resells them with the iGPU disabled.

The reseller also included some benchmark results, showing the AMD 4700S APU is slower than both the Core i7-9700 processor and the Ryzen 7 4750G Pro, but faster than the Core i7-9750H laptop processor.

KitGuru says: If AMD were to sell the Xbox Series console processor as its own product for the DIY PC market, would you buy one?

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Matthew Wilson
8 hours ago
Featured Announcement, Memory

Earlier this month, HyperX and MSI were able to set a new DDR4 memory overclocking world record, reaching speeds of 7156MHz. Now, just a few weeks later, this record has been broken, with MSI and HyperX hitting 7.2GHz speeds.

HyperX is of course the gaming division of Kingston (soon to be acquired by HP) and has served the memory market for decades now. This particular record-breaking overclock was achieved by the MSI OC team in Taiwan, using an 8GB HyperX 4600MHz Predator memory stick, an MSI MEG Z590 UNIFY-X motherboard and an 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11900KF running at 3.5GHz.

The hardware setup is similar to what was used to set the 7156MHz record a few weeks ago, but the motherboard has been swapped out for a different one. This paved the way for the MSI OC team to reach 7200MHz this time around.

As you would expect, HyperX is very pleased with the result, with the company’s DRAM business manager, Kristy Ernt, saying: “HyperX is thrilled to be part of this breakthrough in DDR4 overclocking history, with HyperX Predator memory used to set two world records within the past month. Our HyperX engineers continue to focus on improving high-speed yields to get faster products in the hands of our customers and push previously unattainable performance records.”

While you are unlikely to achieve an overclock this high at home using standard cooling methods, HyperX does sell a number of validated high-speed memory kits. The HyperX Predator DDR4 kit used here is available in speeds up to 4800MHz with latencies between CL12 and CL19. Single-dimm kits can be found in capacities of up to 32GB, if you get a kit with multiple dimms, you could install as much as 256GB of memory on a system.

KitGuru Says: HyperX is leading the overclocking race at this point and with DDR5 on the way, we have to wonder if this record will be broken again before we shift away from DDR4.

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Matthew Wilson
1 day ago
Featured Tech News, General Tech

MSI has been dabbling in the world of all-in-one PCs for a while now and this week, we’re getting some brand new models. Today, MSI announced the Modern AM241 and Modern AM271 series of all-in-one PCs, featuring Intel 11th Gen processors.

The new Modern 24 and 27 series PCs are designed with efficiency and productivity in mind, while also looking rather elegant. Each system comes with an OPS display for wide viewing angles and better colours. Under the hood, you’ll find an Intel 11th Gen Core series processor, with MSI offering up to an Intel Core i7-1165G7, but Core i3 and Core i5 configurations are also available.

In the table below, you can see the full specification list for the MSI Modern AM241 and AM271 PCs:

Specification	Modern AM241 Modern AM241T	Modern AM241P Modern AM241TP	Modern AM271	Modern AM271P
CPU	Up to Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7
OS	Windows 10 Home – MSI recommends Windows 10 Pro for business
CHIPSET	Intel® SoC
STORAGE	1x 2.5” SATAIII / 7200rpm with MSI Storage Rapid Upgrade Design 1x M.2 SSD (NVMe PCIe / SATA Auto Switch)
MEMORY	DDR4 SO-DIMM x slots 2 / up to 64GB
GRAPHICS	Intel® UHD Graphics (Pentium & Core i3) / Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics (Core i5 above)
PANEL RESOLUTION	23.8″ IPS Grade Panel LED Backlight (1920*1080 FHD) with MSI Anti-Flicker technology	23.8″ IPS Grade Panel LED Backlight (1920*1080 FHD) with MSI Anti-Flicker technology	27″ IPS Grade Panel LED Backlight (1920*1080 FHD) with MSI Anti-Flicker technology	27″ IPS Grade Panel LED Backlight (1920*1080 FHD) with MSI Anti-Flicker technology
TOUCH PANEL	Non-Touch for Modern AM241 / In-cell 10-Point Touch for ModernAM241T	Non-Touch for Modern AM241P / In-cell 10-Point Touch for ModernAM241TP	Non-Touch	Non-Touch
ADJUSTABLE STAND	-5° ~ 15° (Tilt)	-4° ~ 20° (Tilt) ; 0 ~ 130mm (Height)	-5° ~ 15° (Tilt)	-4° ~ 20° (Tilt) ; 0 ~ 130mm (Height)
OPTICAL DRIVE	N/A
AUDIO	2 x 2.5W Speakers
LAN	1 x RJ45 (10/100/1000)
WIRELESS LAN	Intel 9462 AC / AX201 AX (either one)
BLUETOOTH	5.1
USB 3.2 PORT	4 (2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A)
USB 2.0 PORT	3
HDMI IN	1
HDMI OUT	1
AUDIO	1x Mic-in/Headphone-out Combo
5-WAY NAVIGATOR	1
KEYBOARD / MOUSE	Optional
AC ADAPTER	90W / 120W (Core i3 above)
AIO WALL MOUNT KIT III	Support Standard VESA Mount (75x75mm)
DIMENSION (WXDXH)	541.40 x 175.09 x 406.86 mm (21.31 x 6.89 x 16.02 inch)	541.40 x 194.68 x 534.92 mm (21.31 x 7.66 x 21.06 inch)	611.75 x 169.96 x 436.06 mm (24.08 x 6.69 x 17.17 inch)	611.75 x 169.96 x 553.52 mm (24.08 x 6.69 x 21.79 inch)
NET WEIGHT	4.65 kg (10.25 lbs)	6.16 kg (13.58 lbs)	5.82 kg (12.83 lbs)	7.42 kg (16.36 lbs)
GROSS WEIGHT	7.35 kg (16.20 lbs)	8.45 kg (18.63 lbs)	8.60 kg (18.96 lbs)	10.00 kg (22.05 lbs)

With more people working from home and relying on virtual meetings, MSI has bumped up the specs of the webcam, delivering 1080p quality. The option to remove the webcam is also there for those concerned about privacy.

Using MSI Instant Display Technology, the Modern AM series can also be used as a standalone monitor for a second system, meaning you don’t have to boot up the PC hidden behind the display. These all-in-one systems also support using a second monitor through an additional HDMI output. Standard VESA mounts are supported for those who prefer having a monitor arm – MSI even has a ready to go solution for that with the VESA Arm MT81.

We’re still waiting on pricing and availability information, but we’ll update if/when we hear more. Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Do any of you use an all-in-one PC for work at all? What do you think of the new MSI Modern series systems?

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If I asked most people to name a laptop with a detachable keyboard, they’d probably say “Surface Pro.” But there is a number of Windows alternatives out there, for business users and consumers alike. Dell’s newly announced Latitude 7320 Detachable looks to be vying for the top spot in the enterprise market.

Like Dell’s previous Latitude detachable models, the Latitude 7320 Detachable is a powerful Windows tablet with a kickstand and detachable keyboard deck aimed at mobile business users. The 7320’s most significant update is that it includes Intel’s newest 11th Gen processors, up to a Core i7.

The new model also has a 3:2, 1920 x 1280 touch display with support for its own stylus (the 7320 Detachable Active Pen). Dell says this is “the world’s fastest charging stylus pen available on a commercial detachable tablet.” The company claims it will charge up to 100 percent in just 30 seconds and will last for 90 minutes of continuous use on one charge.

Like other modern Latitudes, the 7320 Detachable supports the AI-powered Dell Optimizer software, which improves the device’s performance and battery life over time based on your behavior. Dell claims it’s “the world’s most intelligent business PC.”

The device supports Intel’s vPro platform and can come with Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise as well as Windows 10 Home.

The Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable is available for purchase now. Models start at $1,549.

AMD 4700S System
(Image credit: Tmall.com)

If you haven’t gotten your hands on an Xbox Series X, you may be able to pick up one very soon, but without the RDNA 2 graphics, of course. The recently uncovered AMD 4700S Desktop Kit (via momomo_us) has found its way into a mini-ITX gaming PC at Tmall in China.

When the AMD 4700S emerged last week, the obscure processor raised a lot of questions. For one, the chip doesn’t carry the Ryzen branding, suggesting that it might be a custom processor that AMD developed for one of its clients. Stranger still, the processor is available for purchase as part of the AMD 4700S Desktop Kit.

Starting with what we know so far, the AMD 4700S is an octa-core Zen 2 processor with simultaneous multithreading (SMT). The Tmall merchant listed the AMD 4700S with 12MB of L3 cache, although we saw the chip with 8MB in a previous Geekbench 5 submission. The processor runs with a 3.6 GHz base clock and a 4 GHz boost clock. While we saw the AMD 4700S with 16GB of memory, we were uncertain of its nature. However, we suspected that the AMD 4700S is a variant of the processor that powers Microsoft’s latest Xbox Series X gaming console. The new mini-ITX listing appears to confirm our suspicions.

Apparently, the AMD 4700S is outfitted with 16GB of GDDR6 memory, which is the same amount of memory in the Xbox Series X. It appears that AMD is salvaging defective dies that don’t meet the requirements for the Xbox Series X and reselling them as the AMD 4700S.

Logically, AMD can’t just sell the same processor that it produces for Microsoft (for obvious reasons). Therefore, the AMD 4700S could be a result of a defective die with a faulty iGPU, similar to Intel’s graphics-less F-series chips. On the other hand, AMD could simply have disabled the iGPU inside the AMD 4700S, which is a shame given how generous GDDR6 memory is with bandwidth.

The only image of the mini-ITX system’s interior revealed a motherboard that looks like the same size as the Xbox Series X. There are no memory slots, and we can see some of the GDDR6 chips that surround the processor. Naturally, AMD reworked the motherboard for PC usage, as we can see by the addition of capacitors, passive heatsink, power connectors, and connectivity ports. Since the AMD 4700S lacks an iGPU, AMD added a PCIe 3.0 x16 expansion slot for a discrete graphics card.

AMD 4700S Benchmarks

Processor	Cinebench R20 Single-Core	Cinebench R20 Multi-Core	Cinebench R15 Single-Core	Cinebench R15 Multi-Core
Ryzen 7 4750G	411	4,785	199	2,085
AMD 4700S	486	3,965	160	1,612
Core i7-9700	508	3,643	200	1,469

Thanks to the listing, we can also get an idea of just how the processor inside the Xbox Series X performs compared to today’s desktop processors. However, it’s important to highlight that the AMD 4700S may not be the exact processor used in Microsoft’s latest console. The Series X uses a chip that runs at 3.8 GHz and 3.6 GHz when simultaneous multithreading is active. The AMD 4700S, on the other hand, clocks in a 3.6 GHz with a 4 GHz boost clock. On paper, the AMD 4700S should have faster compute cores since it doesn’t have an iGPU that eats into its power budget, so the heightened clock speeds make sense.

In general, the AMD 4700S lags behind the Ryzen 7 4750G (Renoir) and Core i7-9700 (Coffee Lake) in single-core workloads. The AMD 4700S did outperform the Core i7-9700 in multi-core workloads. However, it still placed behind the Ryzen 7 4750G.

It’s remains to be seen whether AMD is selling the AMD 4700S to retail customers or just OEMs. Thus far, we’ve seen the AMD 4700S Desktop Kit retailing for €263.71 (~$317.38) in at Tulostintavaratalo, a retailer in Finland. The Chinese mini-ITX gaming system is listed for 4,599 yuan or $709.12, but the price factors in the Radeon RX 550, 5TB SSD, CPU cooler, power supply and case.

(Image credit: Intel)

Intel’s latest low-power eight-core Core i9-11900T and Core i7-11700T ‘Rocket Lake’ desktop processors with a 35W TDP for LGA1200 motherboards are already available in Europe and Japan. But there’s no sign of them in the U.S. yet.

Most performance enthusiasts are eager to get Intel’s unlocked K-series processors with a 95W – 125W TDP that can boost their clocks sky-high and support all the latest technologies. But there are also enthusiasts who prefer small form-factor low-power builds, but would still like to have CPUs with eight or ten cores and all the latest technologies. Intel typically addresses these users with its T-series processors featuring a 35W TDP, but sometimes these chips are hard to get.

Intel formally introduced its low-power eight-core Core i9-11900T and Core i7-11700T ‘Rocket Lake’ CPUs with a 35W TDP along with their high-performance i9-11900K and i7-11700K brethren on March 30, 2021. But unlike the ‘unlocked and unleashed’ K-series processors, the new T-series products were not immediately available at launch. Fortunately, the situation is starting to change.

Akiba PC Hotline and Hermitage Akihabara report that the new 35W Core i9-11900T and Core i7-11700T CPUs in bulk and boxed versions are readily available in at least four stores in Tokyo, Japan. The higher-end i9-11900T model is sold for ¥60,478 – ¥62,700 with VAT, whereas the i7-11700T SKU is priced at ¥45,078 – ¥47,300 including tax.

Geizhals.EU, a price search engine in Europe, finds that Intel’s Core i9-11900T is available in dozens of stores in Austria, Germany, and Poland starting at €455 with VAT ($462 without taxes). Meanwhile, there are no offers for the cheaper Core i7-11700T at this point.

But at the moment, the new Rocket Lake-T CPUs are not currently available in the U.S. at Amazon and Newegg. In fact, the stores are not even taking pre-orders on these parts. The situation has already prompted enthusiasts of low-power SFF builds to start a thread at Reddit to monitor their availability.

(Image credit: Intel)

Intel’s latest Core i9-11900T and Core i7-11700T processors indeed look quite attractive. The CPUs feature eight cores with Hyper-Threading, 16MB of cache, a modern Xe-based integrated GPU and support up to 128GB of memory. Intel’s i9-11900T and i7-11700T CPUs feature relatively low base frequencies of 2.00 GHz and 1.50 GHz (respectively), but rather high all-core boost clocks of 3.60 GHz and 3.70 GHz (respectively). When installed into compatible motherboards, they can hit high frequencies and pretty much guarantee great system responsiveness and decent performance in mainstream applications (assuming adequate cooling). So while these are definitely niche chips, it’s not surprising that demand for these CPUs is fairly high.

Our Verdict

The ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is just half-inch thick computer that lags behind similarly priced competitors on productivity, but is supremely classy and convenient.

For

+ Extremely thin
+ Looks and feels classy
+ Great webcam

Against

– Priced for business, so more expensive
– Haptic touchpad can feel unresponsive

When it comes to portability, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga ($1,684.99 to start) is all business. It’s an enterprise notebook that puts thinness above all else, including power.

This is a smaller than half-inch convertible that still manages to stay within spitting distance of other similar competitors on productivity while being even smaller than some detachables (with their keyboards attached, to be fair). Combine that with Lenovo’s excellent keyboard and a classy design that’s easy to feel proud of, and it’s clear how the Titanium Yoga could become a respectable daily driver for casual users or certain trendy businesses that don’t require heavy computing from their employees.

But for the price of the unit we reviewed, which had an Intel Core i5-1130G7, you could easily get a speedier competitor equipped with a Core i7 but without the business trappings of ThinkPad. You’ll have to choose if power or portability is more important for your money, as well as whether you need enterprise features like extra durability and security.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga Specifications

CPU	Intel Core i5-1130G7
Graphics	Intel Iris Xe Integrated Graphics
Memory	16GB LPDDR4x-4266
Storage	512MB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
Display	13.5 inch, 2256 x 1504, IPS, Touchscreen
Networking	Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 11ax, Bluetooth 5.1
Ports	2x Thunderbolt 4, 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack
Camera	720p
Battery	44.5 Wh
Power Adapter	65W
Operating System	Windows 10 Pro
Dimensions(WxDxH)	11.71 x 9.16 x 0.45 inches (297.5 x 232.7 x 11.5 mm)
Weight	2.54 pounds (1.15 kg)
Price (as configured)	$1,684.99

Design of Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga

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From its silver color to its textured faux leather lid to its titanium, carbon and magnesium chassis, the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga exudes class. Like a geeky version of a Rolex, this computer is clearly aiming to be a statement piece as much as a genuinely useful device, and for the most part, it succeeds.

That faux leather lid feels soft to the touch, and its texture almost gives the convertible a subdued glittery appearance. The lid’s detailing also makes the ThinkPad feel somewhat like a fancy moleskin journal, both to the eye and to the touch.

Decoration is otherwise minimal, with light ThinkPad branding on the lid and keyboard deck’s outer corners standing out the most. This serves to accentuate the case’s sturdy and solid build quality, which emphasizes the Titanium Yoga’s premium status.

The Titanium Yoga is also thinner than other Intel 11th generation convertibles we’ve tested, coming in at under half an inch of thickness. At 11.71 x 9.16 x 0.45 inches, it’s smaller than the HP Spectre x360 14 (11.75 x 8.67 x 0.67 inches) and the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 9310 (11.69 x 8.15 x 0.56 inches). It’s even smaller than the recent ThinkPad X12 Detachable with its keyboard attached, which sits at 11.15 x 8.01 x 0.57 inches.

This small form factor extends to weight as well. The Titanium Yoga is 2.54 pounds, whereas the Spectre x360 14 is 2.95 pounds, the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is 2.9 pounds and the X12 Detachable is 2.4 pounds.

The small form factor approach doesn’t come without sacrifices, though. The Titanium Yoga is woefully low on ports, with the left side housing two Thunderbolt 4 connections and the right side simply giving you a single 3.5 mm combination microphone/headphone jack. The device doesn’t come with any dongles, so you’re either going to need to buy them separately or pick your accessories carefully.

The Titanium Yoga also comes with a Lenovo Pen, which magnetically attaches to the right side of the display. This is a secure fit, though it might take you a while to figure out that it can actually attach to the device if you don’t read the manual.

Finally, the Titanium Yoga has MIL-SPEC certification, meaning it can take a tumble or five. This isn’t always found on non-business laptops, giving the ThinkPad an edge up when it comes to durability.

Productivity Performance of Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga

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Despite its stylish exterior, our review configuration of the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga packs lackluster performance compared to similarly-priced 11th generation Intel convertibles. The Intel Core i5-1130G7 processor is the same one you’ll find in the tablet based ThinkPad X12 Detachable, and it’s outclassed by the Intel Core i7-1165G7 that powers both the HP Spectre x360 14 and the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1. Our configuration also only came with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.

It’s not too uncommon to see ThinkPads costing more, however, due to their business classification. And, you can configure the ThinkPad X1 Titanium with a Core i7, if you’re willing to pay a bit more.

On Geekbench 5, a synthetic benchmark for testing PC performance, the Titanium Yoga fell behind each of its competitors. It scored 1,328 on single-core tasks and 4,747 on multi-core tasks. That’s only slightly less performance than you’ll get from the ThinkPad X12 Detachable (1,334 single-core/4,778 multi-core), but other convertibles provide more serious competition with the higher-end chips. The HP Spectre x360 14 hit scores of 1,462 on single-core/4,904 on multi-core, while the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 9310 hit 1,532 on single-core/4,778 on multi-core.

The Titanium Yoga was largely on par with competition when we tested its file transfer speeds, where we tracked how quickly it transferred 25GB of data across its SSD. Here, it hit speeds of 409.26 MBps, which is slightly above the XPS 13 2-in-1’s 405.55 MBps and the X12 Detachable’s 408.39 MBps on the same test. The HP Spectre x360 14 was an outlier here, transferring its files at a speed of 533.61 MBps.

On our Handbrake benchmark, in which we use the free program to track how long it takes a computer to transcode a video file down from 4K to 1080p, once again saw the Titanium Yoga fall towards the bottom of the pack. It finished the task in 20:57, which was faster than the X12 Detachable’s 24:12 but slower than other convertibles. The Spectre x360 14 finished its transcode in 18:05, while the XPS 13 2-in-1 did so in 15:52.

We also ran the Titanium Yoga through Cinebench R23 for 20 runs in a row to simulate an extended intensive work session. Its average score was 3,397, while its CPU ran at an average clock speed of 2.1 GHz. During this time, the CPU hit an average 64.75 degrees Celsius (148.55 degrees Fahrenheit).

Display on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Like plenty of other recent ultraportables, the Titanium Yoga has a 3:2 aspect ratio screen, which means an image with more vertical headroom. This means more letterboxing on 16:9 content, but it also means you’re expanding your vertical resolution to display more, which is particularly useful for reading webpage content. The Titanium Yoga’s IPS touchscreen in particular has a 2,256 x 1,504 resolution image. That’s more detail than you’ll get on the more common 1920 x 1280 resolution found in the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 9310 and the ThinkPad X12 Detachable, but less detail than the HP Spectre x360 14’s 3000 x 2000 resolution.

When I watched the trailer for Nobody on the Titanium Yoga, I was impressed by how deep the blacks were, but not by much else. The screen was bright enough that I didn’t have to strain to view it, and while colors were accurate, they were not vivid. Viewing angles were also restrictive in a well-lit room, and I had to sit almost directly in front of the laptop to have a workable image. Turning off my lights solved this problem, but that’s not an applicable solution all of the time. I also noticed a mild glare on the screen even when holding it away from heavy light, but it was easy enough to ignore.

Of course, the Titanium Yoga’s aspect ratio is meant more for surfing the web or working on documents than watching a movie. In that respect, the Titanium Yoga exceeded, especially in tablet mode. Reading on it feels almost like browsing through a well put-together coffee table book.

Our testing found that, when it comes to color, the Titanium Yoga is roughly on par with competition. It covers 71.1% of the DCI-P3 color spectrum, which is about the same as the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1’s 70% DCI-P3 rating and the ThinkPad X12 Detachable’s 74.9% rating. The HP Spectre x360 14 stands as an outlier, hitting a vibrant 139.7% DCI-P3 rating.

The Titanium Yoga had a higher average brightness than most competitors in our testing. It registered at an average 425 nits, with only the XPS 13 2-in-1’s 488 nits beating it. The X12 Detachable had 376.2 average nits of brightness, where the HP Spectre x360 14 was the dimmest at 339 nits.

Keyboard, Touchpad and Stylus on the LenovoThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga doesn’t make any changes to the classic ThinkPad keyboard design, which makes it a great typer, but its unconfigurable haptic touchpad leaves it feeling unresponsive elsewhere.

The ThinkPad style keyboard is an old favorite among techies, and it works well on the Titanium Yoga. This keyboard has concave keycaps to help you easily touch-type without having to look at its buttons, which feel like they have reasonable travel distance for such a thin machine. I regularly hit between 80 – 85 words per minute on this keyboard, which is between five to ten points higher than I usually score.

The trackpoint nub is also back here, and you can press on it like an analog stick to move your mouse cursor. It’s kind of an old-fashioned solution, but it works well and is decent if you don’t like taking your fingers off home row. I even found myself using it a few times, despite generally preferring touchpads, since I found the Titanium Yoga’s touchpad lacking.

While my finger smoothly glides around the Titanium Yoga’s touchpad and multi-touch gestures are easy to perform thanks to its precision drivers, the touchpad uses haptic feedback and has no travel when you press it in. We’ve seen this option before on MacBooks and certain other PCs, but it’s unconfigurable here, and the amount of force I needed to actuate the touchpad feels awkward to me. Sometimes presses register, and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes I right click when I mean to left click, and vice versa.

There are physical left, right and even middle click buttons above the touchpad, though those exist more for trackpoint users and are inconvenient to reach for when using the touchpad. Additionally, the 3.5 x 2.5 inch touchpad dimensions leave it feeling a little small, and it wasn’t uncommon for my finger to bump up against its sides.

The Titanium Yoga also comes with a Lenovo Pen, which tracks writing well and has three programmable buttons. One of those buttons is where you’d normally place an eraser, but unfortunately isn’t touch sensitive. Palm rejection is impressive here, as I could fully place my palm on the display while writing or drawing with the pen without having the ThinkPad pick it up. The only time palm rejection failed was when I tried to use Windows’ built-in feature that translates handwriting to text when you click on a text box with your stylus. In these situations, my cursor bounced all over the place.

Audio on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga

Audio on the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is loud and accurate, if not what I’d use to DJ my first post-lockdown party. The convertible has two top-firing speakers, one on each side of its keyboard, which I tested by listening to Leave the Door Open by Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak and Silk Sonic.

This song’s full of drum beats and smooth vocal performances all over the pitch spectrum, but despite that, nothing sounded inaccurate, tinny or dropped on the Titanium Yoga. It could have sounded richer or fuller, but for such a thin device, not losing the bass tracks is enough for me.

As for volume, I could understand the song’s lyrics across most of my 2-bedroom apartment, though they did become muffled at the very edges of my space. When just sitting by myself in front of the Titanium Yoga, I tended to keep the volume at around 60%.

Upgradeability of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga

The ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is easy to open, though there’s not much point to doing so. All you have to do is loosen, but not remove, the six Phillips head screws on the convertible’s underside and gently lift off the case. Inside, you’ll see the battery as well as the networking chip. The M.2 SSD is hidden under a black flap, though it’s in an uncommon size (it looks like a 2242 form factor to us, though we don’t have official word on that) and there’s no slot for a second SSD.

You may be able to change out your SSD in the future, but for the other components, consider that you won’t be able to replace them.

Battery Life of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga hit just under 10 hours of battery life in our testing, which while not the absolute minimum for an ultraportable, does put it behind most of its similarly powered competition.

Specifically, the Titanium Yoga had 9:58 of life on our battery benchmark, which continuously streams video, browses the web and runs OpenGL tests at 150 nits of brightness. That’s about an hour less life than we got on both the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 9310, which hit 10:52, and the ThinkPad X12 Detachable, which hit 11:05.

Heat on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga

For such a thin device, the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga impresses on cooling. After 15 minutes of streaming video, the device’s touchpad only registered 73.4 degrees Fahrenheit (23 degrees Celsius), while the center of its keyboard in between the G and H keys only hit 81.5 degrees Fahrenheit (27.5 degrees Celsius). Its underside was just slightly hotter at 84.6 degrees Fahrenheit (29.22 degrees Celsius).

The only part of this laptop that even came close to pushing any boundaries was the keyboard deck, right above the f5 key. This hit 93.6 degrees Fahrenheit (34.22 degrees Celsius), which typically isn’t too concerning, but could get warm to the touch after a few seconds here.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga Webcam

The ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga comes with a single front-facing 720p webcam that’s usually color accurate and tends to avoid artifacting, but doesn’t always hold up to dark or overly lit rooms.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

During late afternoon in my office, the Titanium Yoga’s camera captured my face with no visible grain and no major alterations to my natural skin tone. All aspects of the photo are properly in focus, as well.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

In my much dimmer hallway, shots lost focus and fidelity and heavy grain started to appear. Colors still appear accurate, however.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Colors started to take a hit when I stood in front of my office’s window. Here, my face appears much paler than in real life. You also can’t see much of the scenery outside my window, though artifacting seems to be at a minimum.

Overall, that’s pretty impressive performance for a laptop webcam — no 720p webcam is going to perform perfectly under dim conditions or heavy light. And of course, the typical ThinkPad physical camera shutter is also here on the Titanium Yoga.

Software and Warranty on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga

The ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is mostly free of bloat, excluding typical Windows pre-installs like Skype and the Microsoft Solitaire Collection. Otherwise, the Titanium Yoga’s built-in software suite largely focuses on genuine utility.

Most of the Titanium Yoga’s functions are inside Lenovo Commercial Vantage, which is where you’ll update your BIOS and drivers, check your warranty, view your storage and RAM usage, find documentation and check Wi-Fi security.

There’s also Lenovo Pen Settings for programming various aspects of your Lenovo Pen, as well as Dolby Access, which lets you choose between equalizer and postprocessing presets for your display and audio settings.

The one program that does feel excessive here is Glance by Mirametrix, which you can turn on to try to get your computer to move windows to where your eyes are looking or go to sleep if someone looks over your shoulder.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga Configurations

Our configuration of the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga came with an Intel Core i5-1130G7 CPU (with integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics), 16GB of LPDDR4x-4266 RAM, a 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD and a 13.5 inch 2256 x 1504 IPS touchscreen. All of this currently costs $1,685 on Lenovo’s website.

That $1,685 is also the current starting price for this unit, though other configurations can reach up to $2,429. For these other configurations, your display will stay the same, but you’ll be able to select CPUs up to the Intel Core i7-1180G7 with vPro and RAM capacities ranging from 8GB to 16GB. Storage options range from 256GB to 1TB.

All configurations also come with the Lenovo pen.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga Bottom Line

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium’s focus on size and aesthetics makes this device especially appealing to casual users, but puts it behind other, similarly-priced convertibles when it comes to productivity.

In our performance tests, our Core i5-powered X1 Titanium Yoga fell behind some non-business competitors that have Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPUS and sell for similar prices (you can also get the Titanium Yoga with Core i7 for more money). These rivals also had thicker chassis, which allowed for longer battery life.

But that thickness does count harm portability, and the Titanium Yoga has the advantage of being a business-class device while those rivals are not. That means it comes with added durability, like MIL-SPEC certification, plus extra security and manageability features like vPro.

It also comes with an included stylus. While the HP Spectre x360 14 also has an included pen, the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 does not. You also get Lenovo’s excellent keyboard with the Titanium Yoga, plus a fashionable design and a moleskin-like finish.

Those features make the Titanium Yoga a great casual usage device, though thanks to its aesthetics, it will look equally at home in the boardroom, the classroom or the living room.

(Pocket-lint) – Apple has revealed its new iMac – available in a single 24-inch size, it brings Apple’s own M1 processors to the iMac lineup as well as a new, thin-bezel design and seven colour finishes.

Here we’re pitching it alongside the 2020 27-inch model featuring Intel processors. We’re expecting this version to be replaced by a new-style, Apple M1-powered model in due course, perhaps with a 32-inch size – certainly, it’s set to be bigger than the 27-inch size we believe. That model will probably have an upgraded Apple Silicon processor, maybe the M2.

The old 2019 21.5-inch iMac model seems to still be available, but we suspect Apple will just be selling off old stock.

squirrel_widget_4537609

Design

2020 iMac: Familiar aluminium design with a black display surround
2021 iMac: New thinner design, seven different colour finishes

The iMac 2021 takes the iMac design up a level. It’s still very recognisable as an iMac and has the same ‘strip’ under the display, but is significantly thinner, without the bulge around the stand. There are also much thinner bezels with a white surround instead of black.

Crucially the 2021 iMac is now available in seven different colour finishes, however, not all are available to all buyers. There are two different models with very small differences. Primarily this is in the graphics, which we’ll come onto shortly, and two additional USB-C ports on the higher-end model. But whereas the ‘two ports’ model is available in four finishes, the more expensive ‘four ports’ model is available in all seven.

The 2019/2020 iMac retains the familiar aluminium design with a black display surround.

Apple

Displays

2020 iMac: 5K 27-inch display
2021 iMac: 24-inch 4.5K display

The older 2020 iMac features a 5K 27-inch display which has been in use for several years – as we’ve said above we expect it to be replaced by a larger model at some point soon, perhaps 32-inches. The new 2021 iMac introduces a 24-inch 4.5K display with smaller bezels than the 27-inch.

The 2019 21.5-inch iMac still appears to be available, though expect it to go end-of-life soon.

Apple

Processor and graphics

2020 iMac: Various Core i5/i7 options topped out by 3.6Ghz 10-core Core i9-10900K, AMD Radeon Pro graphics
2021 iMac: 8-core Apple M1 processor with 7 or 8 core graphics

The 2020 iMac is available with Intel’s 10th Generation Core i processors (Comet Lake) in 6- and 8-core variants of the Core i5 and i7. You can also upgrade to the range-topping 3.6Ghz 10-core Core i9-10900K that’ll Turbo Boost to 5GHz. We had this in our review model and as you’d expect, it absolutely flies.

For the 2021 iMac, both two-port and four-port models have an 8-core Apple M1 processor under the hood. The graphics are where things differ slightly, with 7 or 8 core graphics respectively. The graphics options on the 2020 Intel iMac are varied, with several AMD Radeon Pro options, maxxing out at the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT with 16GB of GDDR6 memory.

Storage and peripherals

2020 iMac: dual USB-C/Thunderbolt 3, four USB-A ports and an SD card slot
2021 iMac: Dual Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, extra pair of USB-C ports on four-port model
All iMacs come with a Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse, 2021 iMac available with Touch ID version of Magic Keyboard

The two-port 2021 iMac gives you dual Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, while the four-port version gives you two additional USB-C ports.

There are stacks of storage options on the 2020 Intel iMacs and you can specify up to a huge 8TB of storage, On the 2021 M1 iMacs though, things are a little more limited – we know the M1 chip is currently limited to 2TB of storage, and you can specify this on the four-port version. On the two-port version you can only get up to 1TB of storage.

The 2020 Intel iMac has two dual USB-C/Thunderbolt 3, four USB-A ports and an SD card slot. So the USB-A and SD slots are gone on the 2021 version. The headphone jack moves from the rear on the 2020 model to the side on the 2021 iMac and the Ethernet port moves to the power brick (yes really), as part of the magnetically attached power cable.

All iMacs come with a Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse, but the high-end four-port 2021 iMac has a special Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. You can also upgrade the standard Magic Keyboard on the two-port version to the Touch ID model.

squirrel_widget_32084713

Verdict

The 2021 24-inch iMac is a clear step forward, but while it clearly supercedes the 2019 21.5-inch iMac, it’s not a complete replacement for the 2020 27-inch model. That’s because of the storage, processor and graphics options available on that model – and the power of the high end Core i7 and Core i9 options.

We expect there to be a new larger iMac this year to replace the 27-inch model as well, probably with a new M2 processor.

Writing by Dan Grabham.

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On paper, the Surface Laptop 4 is a Surface Laptop 3 with better chips.

In look and feel, very little has changed from the last generation. Sure, there are differences here and there: the Laptop 4 is ever-so-slightly thinner, and there’s a new “Ice Blue” color option. But you get the same 3:2 touchscreen, the same port selection, and the same design.

The big changes are on the inside. You can configure both the 13.5-inch and 15-inch Surface Laptop models with either Intel’s 11th-Gen processors or AMD’s Ryzen 4000 processors. Microsoft promised that these improvements would deliver significantly better performance and battery life than the previous Surface generation.

So this review will largely focus on the new system’s performance. But my priority wasn’t to compare the 15-inch Surface Laptop 4 that we received to its predecessor. For one, the Laptop 3 set a low performance bar — it had mediocre battery life, and couldn’t even play a 4K 60FPS video without stuttering, so even a competent budget laptop would blow that out of the water. But more importantly, there’s another company out there that recently made a huge chip upgrade to its flagship models, which has left most other 2020 chip upgrades in the dust: Apple, with its Arm-based M1. So my big question when looking at AMD’s new Ryzen 7 Surface Edition (also known as the AMD Ryzen 7 4980U Microsoft Surface Edition because of course it is) is: Does it beat Apple’s M1?

The answer is no. For the most part, it’s still not quite as good. But that may not matter to Surface Laptop 4 buyers — at least, not yet.

First, a quick tour of the Ryzen 7 Surface Edition. This chip isn’t AMD’s top gun; it’s part of the Ryzen 4000 generation, and the Ryzen 5000 mobile series has been out for a few months now. It’s a bit disappointing to see that the Surface is still using the older Ryzen chips, since much of the new generation is based on a new architecture (Zen 3, to the 4000 series’s Zen 2) that has delivered performance gains.

Of course, that doesn’t make the Ryzen 7 4980U a bad chip. Ryzen 4000 chips outperform Intel’s 10th Gen Comet Lake processors across the board. The 4980U in particular has eight cores, and AMD’s excellent Radeon integrated graphics. Note that the M1 also has eight cores, but those cores aren’t created equal. An easy way to think of it is that AMD’s chip has eight all-around-pretty-good cores, while Apple’s chip has four high-performance cores and four weaker cores. You’ll see that difference reflected in our benchmark results later on.

In addition to that processor, the 15-inch Surface Laptop 4 I reviewed comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It costs $1,699. The most comparable M1 MacBook Pro is also $1,699. If you’re not looking to spend that much, you can get the 15-inch Laptop 4 for as low as $1,299 for 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which puts it neck-in-neck with the entry-level MacBook Pro, but with a bigger screen. The 13.5-inch Laptop 4 is priced more closely to the fanless MacBook Air, starting at $999 for a Ryzen 5 4680U, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Then, there are the Intel models. You can get a 13.5-inch system with a Core i5 starting at $1,299 (also with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage), and a 15-inch system with a Core i7 starting at $1,799 (16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage). It’s all quite confusing, so I recommend visiting Microsoft’s site for yourself to mix and match.

The 13.5-inch model comes in Platinum, Ice Blue Alcantara, Matte Black, and Sandstone. The 15-incher comes in Platinum and Matte Black.

To see how our test system stacks up, I ran various synthetic benchmarks as well as a 5-minute, 33-second 4K video export in Premiere Pro. See the results below:

Surface Laptop 4 15-inch benchmarks

Benchmark	Score
Benchmark	Score
Cinebench R23 Multi	8144
Cinebench R23 Single	1242
Cinebench R23 Multi looped for 30 minutes	8077
Geekbench 5 CPU Multi	7028
Geekbench 5 CPU Single	1163
Geekbench 5 OpenCL / Compute	14393
PugetBench for Premiere Pro	176

Right off the bat, this system is a huge improvement over the Surface Laptop 3. It took 16 minutes and 33 seconds on the video export, where its predecessor took over three hours. (16:33 is a slower time than we’ve seen from many Intel models, but that’s expected since AMD chips don’t support Intel’s Quick Sync.) The Laptop 4 also beats multi-core synthetic results we’ve seen from Intel’s top Tiger Lake chips in the MSI Prestige 14 Evo and the Vaio Z, as well as the 16-inch Intel-based MacBook Pro,

Intel models max out at a quad-core Core i7-1185G7.

But the more interesting comparison is to the M1 machines. The Surface Laptop 4 solidly beats both the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air on Cinebench R23 Multi, and that task alone — it lost to both machines on every other test we ran, including all three Geekbench tests, the Puget for Premiere Pro benchmark, and the Premiere Pro export. That may seem confusing but (again) it makes sense when you think about the architecture of both chips — the Ryzen chip does better on the task where it can show off all eight of its powerful cores. That indicates that you’ll do well with the Surface Book if you’re running heavy multicore workloads, where you’re more suited to the M1 if you’re primarily doing pretty much anything else.

Of course, that’s far from the whole story. The reality is that most people who want a 15-inch screen probably don’t care if there’s a better-performing 13-inch machine floating around. And the MacBook that’s comparable in size — the MacBook Pro 16 — is significantly more expensive than the Surface Laptop 4, and comes with older Intel chips. So why am I comparing this device to M1 systems, you may ask? Really, I’m benching this laptop against an imaginary 16-inch M1 MacBook Pro, which (rumor has it) will launch sometime in the third quarter of this year. Given the results I’m seeing here, the release of a machine like that would make the Surface Laptop 4 a tougher purchase to justify.

That said, there are two big advantages the Ryzen-powered Surface Laptop 4 could very well have over a 16-inch M1 MacBook. The first is battery life. I got an average of 10 hours and 52 minutes using this device as my primary driver, which is some of the best battery life I’ve ever seen from a 15-inch laptop, and one of the best results I’ve seen from a laptop this year. That beats both of the M1 MacBooks, and destroys the 16-inch Intel MacBook as well. If there’s an area where Microsoft really makes its case, it’s here.

The Laptop 4 also knocks cooling out of the park. The Laptop 4’s fans did a really excellent job cooling the system. Throughout my fairly standard load of office multitasking (including around a dozen Chrome tabs, Spotify streaming, and the like), the chassis remained downright cold. During the more intense tests I ran, the CPU remained steadily in the mid-70s (Celsius) with occasional spikes up to the mid-80s — jumps up to 90 were rare. I was able to run our 4K video export several times in a row without any negative impact on results, and I didn’t see a huge dip in Cinebench results over a 30-minute loop either.

The screen maxed out at 370 nits — a bit dim for outdoor use, as you can see here.

If you’re a fan of the 15-inch Surface Laptop’s design, you’ll be happy to know it hasn’t changed much. One of the big advantages of this device is how thin and light it is, at just 0.58 inches thick and 3.4 pounds. For context, it’s almost a pound lighter than the 16-inch MacBook Pro, and over half a pound lighter than the lightest Dell XPS 15. It’s actually only a bit heavier than the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

With that said, those who aren’t diehard Surface fans may find the Laptop 4’s design a tad dated. In particular, the bezels around the 3:2 screen are quite chunky. That makes sense on a convertible device like the Surface Book 3 or the Surface Pro 7, which you need to be able to hold as a tablet, but doesn’t fit as well on a clamshell. If you put the Laptop 4 next to any member of the XPS line, you’ll see how much sleeker and more modern the latter looks. That doesn’t mean the Laptop 4 is ugly; it’s just falling further behind other Windows laptops each year.

The port selection is also the same, which is good news and bad news. The Laptop 4 retains a USB-A port, which I stubbornly believe is still a necessity for modern laptops (looking at you, Apple and Dell). But there is just one, and neither the Intel or AMD model supports Thunderbolt on their lone USB-C ports, which is disappointing on a laptop at this price. The Surface Laptop could certainly do with more port options, even if it’s competitive with what Apple and Dell are offering in terms of numbers. (In addition to the USB-A and USB-C, you get a headphone jack and Microsoft’s proprietary charging port.)

The Windows Hello webcam is fine, delivering a serviceable picture, and the dual far-field microphones had no trouble picking up my voice. The speakers, which now support Dolby Atmos 9, sound quite clear, with good volume and bass and percussion that are audible (though not booming). Despite having Atmos speakers, our Laptop 4 unit didn’t come preloaded with Dolby Atmos software or anything similar to tune the audio.

All 15-inch models have an aluminum body.

My least favorite part of this laptop is the keyboard. It’s just a bit flat and mushy for my taste. I respect that some people prefer wider, flatter keycaps, of course. But I would take an XPS 15, MacBook, or Surface Book keyboard over this one — it’s just not quite as snappy or satisfying.

Overall, it’s tough to identify a true competitor to the 15-inch Surface Laptop 4. Put it next to a Windows workstation like the $1,200 entry-level Dell XPS 15 and the Surface wins on power, battery life, and weight. It’s a good purchase for someone who wants an excellent combination of efficiency and multicore performance in a 15-inch chassis, but doesn’t need the grunt of a discrete GPU.

The keyboard is backlit and has 1.3 mm of travel.

But that window of opportunity may be closing, because there’s very likely a larger M1 MacBook Pro on the way. I think there’s a good argument that people in the group described above (who don’t need a device right this second) should sit back and wait to see what Apple does in the next few months before committing to Microsoft’s machine, provided they don’t have a hard preference for operating systems.

On the other hand, even if the larger MacBook Pro is spectacular, there are some advantages the Laptop 4 will certainly retain (it runs Windows, and it’s built like a Surface Laptop) and some it will probably retain (it’ll likely be lighter than the MacBook Pro 16). And, of course, plenty of people need a laptop right now. In today’s market, among today’s 15-inch laptops, the Surface Laptop 4 is a pretty damn good buy. Microsoft didn’t change much about the outside — but on the inside, it really pulled through.

Photography by Monica Chin for The Verge

Our Verdict

With a Ryzen 9 5900X and an RTX 3080, both liquid-cooled for quiet operation in a compact case, Corsair’s One a200 is easy to recommend–if you can afford it and find it in stock. Just know that your upgrade options are more limited than larger gaming rigs.

For

+ Top-end performance
+ Space-saving, quiet shell
+ Liquid-cooled GPU and CPU

Against

– Expensive
– Limited upgrade options

For a whole host of reasons, AMD’s

Ryzen 9 5900X

and Nvidia’s

RTX 3080

have been two of the hardest-to-find PC components since late last year. But Corsair has combined them both in a handy, compact, liquid-cooled bundle it calls the Corsair One a200.

The company’s vertically-oriented One desktop

debuted in 2018

and has since been regularly updated to accommodate current high-end components. This time around, the options include either AMD or Intel’s latest processors (the latter called the One i200), and Nvidia’s penultimate consumer GPU, the RTX 3080.

Not much has changed in terms of the system’s design, other than the addition of a USB Type-C port up front (where an HDMI port was on previous models). But with liquid cooling handling thermals for both the CPU and graphics in a still-impressively compact package, there’s really little reason to change what was already one of the

best gaming PCs

for those who want something small.

The only real concern is pricing. At $3,799 as tested (including 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and a 2TB HDD), you’re definitely paying a premium for the compact design and slick, quiet cooling. But with the scarcity of these core components and the RTX 3080 regularly

selling for well over $2,000 on its own on eBay

, it’s tough to discern what constitutes ‘value’ in the gaming desktop world at the moment. You may be able to find a system with similar components for less, but it won’t likely be this small or slick.

Design of the Corsair One a200

Just like the

One i160

model we looked at in 2019, the Corsair One a200 is a quite compact (14.96 x 7.87 x 6.93 inches) tower of matte-black metal with RGB LED lines running down its front. To get some sense of how small this system is compared to more traditional gaming rigs, we called

Alienware’s Aurora R11

“fairly compact” when we reviewed it, and it’s 18.9 x 17 x 8.8 inches, taking up more than twice the desk space of Corsair’s One a200.

The 750-watt SFX power supply in the a200 is mounted at the bottom, pulling in air that’s expelled at the top with the help of a fan. And the heat from the CPU and GPU will mostly be expelled out either side, as both are liquid cooled, with radiators mounted against the side panels.

The primary external difference with the updated a200 over previous models is the replacement of an HDMI port that used to live up front next to the headphone/mic combo jack and pair of USB-A ports. It’s been replaced with a USB-C port. That makes for three front-facing USB ports, a surprising amount of front-panel connectivity for a system so compact. But there are only six more USB ports around back (more on that shortly).

Overall, while the design of the One a200 is pretty familiar at this point, it still looks and feels great, with all the external panels made out of metal. Just note that the matte finish does easily pick up finger smudges.

Specifications

Processor	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Motherboard	ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming-ITX/ax
Memory	32GB (2x16GB) Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200
Graphics	Liquid-cooled NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB GDDR6X)
Storage	1TB M.2 NVMe; 2TB 2.5″ SATA HDD
Networking	802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6), 2.5 Gb Ethernet
Ports	Front: 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Type-A, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-C ; Combination Mic/Headphone Jack; Rear: 4x USB USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Type-A, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-A, Type-C), Ethernet, HD Audio, 3x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI
Video Output	(3) DisplayPort 1.4a (1) HDMI 2.1
Power Supply	750W Corsair SFX 80 Plus Platinum
Case	Corsair One Aluminum/Steel
Operating System	Windows 10 Home 64-Bit
Dimensions	14.96 x 7.87 x 6.937 inches (380 x 200 x 176 mm)
Price As Configured	$3,799

Ports and Upgradability of the Corsair One a200

Since the Corsair One a200 is built around a compact Mini-ITX motherboard (specifically the ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming-ITX/ax), you won’t quite get the same amount of ports that you would expect with a larger desktop. Since we already covered the three USB ports and audio jack up front, let’s take a look at the back.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Here you’ll find four USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Type-A ports, plus two USB 3.2 Gen 2 (one Type-A and one Type-C). Also here is a 2.5 Gb Ethernet jack, three analog audio connections and connectors for the small antennae. The ASrock board also includes a pair of video connectors, but since you’ll want to use the ports on RTX 3080 instead, Corsair has blocked them off behind the I/O plate so most people wouldn’t even know they’re there.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The video connections from the RTX 3080 graphics card live next to the Corsair SF750 power supply, and come in the form of three DisplayPort 1.4a ports and a single HDMI 2.1 connector.

As for internal upgradability, you can get at most of the parts if you’re comfortable dismantling expensive PC hardware. But you can’t add any RAM or storage without swapping out what’s already there (or at least without removing the whole motherboard, more on that soon). That said, the 32GB of Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200 RAM, 1TB PCIe 4.0 Force MP600 SSD and 2TB Seagate 2.5-inch hard drive that’s already here are a potent cadre of components. If you need more RAM and storage (as well as more CPU cores), there’s a $4,199 configuration we’ll detail later.

To get inside the Corsair One a200, you don’t need any tools, but you’ll want to be a bit careful. Press a button at the rear top of the case (you have to press it quite hard) and the top, which also houses a fan, will pop up. But before you go yanking it away in haste, note that it’s attached via a fan cable that you can disconnect after first fishing the plug out from a hole inside the case.

To access the rest of the system you’ll have to remove two screws from each side. But again, don’t be careless, as radiators are attached to both side panels via short tubes, so the sides are a bit like upside-down gull-wing doors. You can’t really remove them without disconnecting the cooling plates from the CPU and GPU.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

It’s fairly easy to remove the RAM, although the 32GB of Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200 occupies both of the slots. The 2TB Seagate 2.5-inch hard drive is also accessible from the left side, wedged under the PCIe riser cable that’s routed to the GPU on the other side.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

At least the 1TB Force MP600 SSD on this model is mounted on the front of the motherboard under a heatsink, rather than behind the board on the i160 version we looked at a couple years ago.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

You can open the right panel as well, though there’s not much to do here as the space is taken up by the GPU, a large radiator and a pair of fans mounted on the heatsink to move the RTX 3080’s heat through the radiator and out the vents on the side.

As with previous models, you should be able to replace the RTX 3080 with an air-cooled graphics card at some point, provided it has axial rather than blower-style cooling, and that it fits within the physical constraints of the chassis. But given that the RTX 3080 is the

best graphics card

you can buy, you may be ready for a whole new system by the time you start thinking about swapping out the graphics card here.

Aside from wishing there were more USB ports on the motherboard, I have no real complaints about the hardware here. If I were spending this much, I’d prefer a 2TB SSD, but at least the 1TB model Corsair has included is a PCIe 4.0 drive for the best speed possible. Technically the ASRock motherboard here has a second PCIe 3.0 M.2 slot, where you could install a second SSD. But it’s housed on the back of the motherboard, which would mean fairly major disassembly in cramped quarters, and remember that you’d have to disconnect the pump/cooling plate from the CPU before even attempting to do that.

Gaming Performance on the Corsair One a200

With AMD’s 12-core Ryzen 9 5900X and Nvidia’s RTX 3080 running the gaming show inside Corsair’s One a200 — and both of them liquid-cooled — we expected Corsair’s compact power tower to spit out impressive frame rates.

We pitted the a200 against

MSI’s Aegis RS 11th

, which also has an RX 3080 but an 8-core Intel Rocket Lake Core i7-11700K, and a couple other recent gaming rigs we’ve tested.

Alienware’s Aurora Ryzen Edition R10

sports a stepped down Ryzen 7 5800X and a

Radeon RX 6800XT

. And

HP’s Omen 30L

, which we looked at near the end of 2020, was outfitted with a last-generation Intel Core i9-10900K and an RTX 3080 to call its own.

While the Corsair One a200 didn’t walk away from the impressive competition, it was almost always in the lead in our gaming tests. And that’s all the more impressive given most of the systems it competes with are much larger.

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On the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark (highest settings), the game ran at 147 fps at 1080p on the One a200, and 57 fps at 4K. The former ties it with the Aegis for first place here, and the latter beats both the Aegis and the Omen 30L, just slightly, giving Corsair’s system an uncontested win.

In Grand Theft Auto V (very high settings), the Corsair system basically repeated its previous performance, tying the MSI machine at 1080p and pulling one frame ahead of both the Omen and the MSI at 4K.

On the Far Cry New Dawn benchmark, the MSI Aegis pulled ahead at 1080p by 11 fps, but the One a200 still managed to tie the MSI and HP systems at 4K.

After trailing a bit in Far Cry at 1080p, the One a200 pulled ahead in Red Dead Redemption 2 (medium settings) at the same resolution, with its score of 117 fps beating everything else. And at 4K, the Corsair system’s 51 fps was again one frame ahead of both the MSI and Alienware systems.

Last up in Borderlands 3 (badass settings), the Corsair system stayed true to its impressive form. Its score of 137 fps at 1080 was a frame ahead of the MSI (and ahead of everything else). And at 4K, its score of 59 fps was only tied by the HP Omen.

Aside from the One a200’s gaming performance being impressive for its size, this is also one of the quietest high-end gaming rigs I’ve tested in a long time. Lots of heat shot out of the top of the tower while I played the Ancient Gods expansion of Doom Eternal, but fan noise was a constant low-end whirr. The large fan at the top does its job without doing much to make itself known, and the radiators on either side help move heat out of the case without adding to the impressively quiet noise floor.

We also subjected the Corsair One a200 to our Metro Exodus stress test gauntlet, in which we run the benchmark at the Extreme preset 15 times to simulate roughly half an hour of gaming. The Corsair tower ran the game at an average of 71.13 fps, with very little variation. The system started out the test at 71.37 fps on the first run, and dipped just to 71.05 fps on the final run. That’s a change of just a third of a frame per second throughout our stress test. It’s clear both in terms of consistent performance and low noise levels that the One a200’s cooling system is excelling at its job.

During the Metro Exodus runs, the CPU ran at an average clock speed of 4.2 GHz and an average temperature of 74.9 degrees Celsius (166.8 degrees Fahrenheit). The GPU’s average clock speed was 1.81 GHz, with an average temperature of 68.7 degrees Celsius (155.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

Productivity Performance

While the Ryzen 9 5900X isn’t quite as potentially speedy on paper as the top-end 5950X (thanks to a slightly lower top boost clock and four fewer cores), it’s still a very powerful 12-core CPU. And paired with Nvidia’s RTX 3080, along with 32GB of RAM and a fast PCIe 4.0 SSD, the Corsair One a200 is just as potent in productivity and workstation tasks as it is playing games.

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On Geekbench 5, an overall performance benchmark, the Corsair system was just behind the leading systems in the single-core tests, with its score of 1,652. But on the multi-core test, it’s 11,968 was well ahead of everything else.

The Corsair PCIe Gen 4 SSD in the a200 blew past competing systems, transferring our 25GB of files at a rate of 1.27 GBps, with only the HP Omen’s WD SSD also managing to get close to the 1GBps mark.

And on our Handbrake video editing test, the Corsair One a200 transcoded a 4K video to 1080p in an impressive 4 minutes and 44 seconds, while all the other systems took well more than 5 minutes to complete the same task. Video editors in particular will be able to make good use of this system’s 12 cores and 24 threads of CPU might.

Software and Warranty for the Corsair One a200

The Corsair One a200 ships with a two-year warranty (plus lifetime customer support) and very little pre-installed software. Aside from Windows 10 Home, you get the company’s iCue software, which can be used to control both the lights as well as the system fans. The company even seems to have avoided the usual bloat of streaming apps and casual games like Candy Crush, which ship with almost all Windows machines these days.

Configuration Options for the Corsair One a200

If you’re after the AMD-powered Corsair a200 specifically, you have two configuration options. There’s the model we tested (Corsair One a200 CS-90200212), with a 12-core Ryzen 9 5900X, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, 2TB hard drive, and an RTX 3080 for $3,799. Or you can pay $400 more ($4,199) to step up to the 16-core Ryzen 5950X and double the RAM and SSD to 64GB and 2TB respectively (Corsair One Pro a200 CS-9040010). The latter configuration is overkill for gaming, but the extra storage, RAM and four more CPU cores are well worth the extra money if you can actually make use of them.

For those who aren’t wedded to AMD, there’s also the Intel-based Corsair One i200, which now includes 11th Gen “Rocket Lake” CPU options, with up to a Core i9-11900K and an RTX 3080, albeit running on a last-gen Z490 platform. It starts a little lower at $3,599. But that model is currently out of stock with any current-generation Intel and Nvidia components, leaving exact pricing up in the air as of publicatioon.

We tried to do some comparison pricing, and were able to find a similarly equipped HP Omen 30L, as HP often sells gaming rigs on the more-affordable side of the spectrum. But when we wrote this, all Omen 30L systems with current-generation graphics cards were sold out on HP’s site. We were able to

find an Omen 30L on Amazon

with an RTX 3080 and an Intel Core i9-10850K, along with similar RAM and storage as our Corsair a200, for $3,459. That’s about $340 less than the a200, but the Omen 30L is also much larger than the a200 and has a now last-generation CPU with fewer cores, plus a slower SSD.

Bottom Line

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

With one of

the best CPUs

and graphics cards, both liquid cooled and quiet, in an attractive, compact package, Corsair’s One a200 offers a whole lot to like. The $3,799 asking price is certainly daunting, but in these times when that graphics card alone is selling on eBay regularly for more than $2,000, the Ryzen 9 5900X often sells for close to $800, and even most desktops with current-gen graphics cards are mostly sold out, it’s tough to which high-end gaming rig is more or less of a bargain than something else.

If you spend some time looking you can probably find a system with similar specs as the Corsair One a200 for a bit less. But unless and until the ongoing mining craze subsides, that system probably won’t cost substantially less than Corsair’s pricing. And with its impressively compact shell, quiet operation, and top-end performance in both gaming and productivity, the a200 is easy to recommend for those who can afford it. Just know that upgrading will be a bit more difficult and limiting than with a larger desktop, and if you need lots of USB ports, you may want to invest in a hub.

Home / Tech News / Annual Awards / Vote in the KitGuru Reader Survey and win a Zotac ZBox Magnus One w/ RTX 3070

Andrzej
7 hours ago
Annual Awards, Featured Announcement, Tech News

Once a year, we ask you, our readers, to tell us what’s hot and what’s not in our unique KitGuru Reader Survey. This year, Zotac has offered up a stunning prize for one lucky participant to win: a very special ‘barebones’ PC that comes complete with an Intel Core i7-10700 processor and an Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card – which is about as rare as it gets these days. This PC is worth £1,300 and one lucky winner will be gaming on it before the end of May!

For your chance to win this amazing prize, we encourage you to spend 5 minutes sharing your thoughts about PC hardware in our reader survey. You’ll have the chance to enter your details for the prize draw at the end, but you don’t have to.

KitGuru works hard to deliver the content you love – and this survey helps us understand what you really want to read more about. Remember: You can answer as many or as few questions as you like – so feel free to skip any bits that are not relevant for you.

You can do the survey on a smartphone – but it is much quicker/easier on a PC/laptop!

To enter, just click here or on the image of the ZOTAC ZBOX MAGNUS ONE… and remember, this comes with an RTX 3070!

KitGuru says: We really appreciate you taking the time to complete this survey. You can answer as few or as many questions as you like. We will stop counting on 2nd of May and announce the winner within 14 days. Don’t worry, your contact info won’t be stored longer than necessary for us to pick a winner. You can enter from anywhere. Good luck!

Become a Patron!

João Silva
1 day ago
Featured Announcement, Graphics

ASRock has released its flagship Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card – the Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Formula, complete with a 21-phase power design for enhanced overclocking potential.

Based on the RDNA2 architecture, the ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Formula features a Navi 21 GPU with 80 CUs and 16GB of GDDR6 memory across a 256-bit memory bus. The 21-phase power design pushes the GPU even further, delivering more power to the GPU and paving the way for higher overclocks.

The ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Formula uses a triple-fan configuration with Striped Axial fans to cool the 3-slot extended heatsink. On light loads, the fans do not spin to reduce noise. The backplate protects the PCB and enhances the card’s cooling capabilities with small hexagonal holes that allow air to be pushed through it.

The base clock is set at 2125MHz, but depending on the active BIOS, boost and game clocks vary. There are two BIOS versions to choose from: P BIOS, with a game clock of 2295MHz and a boost clock of 2475MHz, and Q BIOS, which has a game clock of 2165MHz and a boost clock of 2365MHz.

The all-metal shroud features a green band around it and ASRock Polychrome RGB that users can synchronise with other compatible products. Available video interfaces include an HDMI 2.1 port and 3x DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC. The card is powered by 3x 8-pin power connectors.

KitGuru says: Are you still looking for a Radeon RX 6900 XT card for your system? What do you think of the ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Formula graphics card?

Become a Patron!

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft’s and Xbox are giving away a gaming PC to celebrate the Microsoft Flight Simulator’s France and Benelux update, and it sure fits the game’s aesthetic. The build looks like a jet engine, or at least part of one.

Putting out of mind the idea of just two-thirds of a jet engine working, you can find more details about the giveaway on the @XboxFR Twitter account (first spotted by our friends at PC Gamer).

Envie de voyager ? ✈️On te fait gagner un PC unique Microsoft Flight Simulator conçu pour le vol à l’occasion de la nouvelle mise à jour France/Benelux ! 🛫Pour participer :➡️ RT + Follow @XboxFR ➡️ Commente avec #MicrosoftFlightSimulator pic.twitter.com/aeDk4nnOWHApril 13, 2021

The PC includes an Intel Core i7-11700K, Gigabyte Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 (no mention of which specific model, though) and a Z590 Aorus Elite AX motherboard. That sounds like a fairly powerful rig, though it may not actually max out the game. Our testing has shown the game stressing top-end parts, especially at higher settings and resolutions.

One other thing to note is that from the images, the build appears to be massive. That motherboard is full-ATX, but it appears that the build is the size of a standard mid-tower, with most of the jet engine look simply being decorative. It would be cool if that front jet engine fan provided some serious airflow, but that would be a bit much–and probably dangerous.

It is unclear if the contest is limited to users in France. To take part, you need to retweet the tweet, follow the @Xbox FR account and comment with the hashtag #MicrosoftFlightSimulator. Microsoft also hasn’t said how long the giveaway will last.

While this desktop may not play the game at its highest settings, it will likely look at home in diehard fans’ setups, which often include a realistic flight stick/HOTAS setup, pedals and multiple monitors to recreate flying as realistically as possible.

This follows a series of other fun designs Microsoft has promoted in contests recently, including a refrigerator that looks like an Xbox Series X (and the mini fridges it will soon make).

The Microsoft Flight Simulator France and Benelux update is available now.

(Image credit: Newegg)

Update: The Shuffle has ended. Did you get selected? If so, let us know in the comments, you lucky dog!Original Story:

The Newegg Shuffle continues, with another chance to potentially buy one of the best graphics cards — or one of the best CPUs. Today’s Shuffle has several options for GeForce RTX 3070 and GeForce RTX 3060 graphics cards, one Radeon RX 6700 XT and mobo bundle, along with AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800X and Intel’s Core i7-10700. and bundles on tap. The graphics cards rank in the upper segment of our GPU benchmarks hierarchy, and prices are at least a bit lower than what we’ve seen in our eBay GPU pricing index.

For those unfamiliar with the process, Newegg Shuffle uses a lottery format. You select the component(s) you’d like to potentially buy. Then there’s a drawing later today, and the ‘winners’ get notified by email with the chance to purchase the part (only one) within a several hour period. Based on our experience, you won’t get selected most of the time. But hey, it’s free to try.

Today’s options and prices consist of the following:

Asus ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3070 White for $840
Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 for $770
Asus GeForce RTX 3060 Ultimate KO for $520
Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 for $510
Gigabyte Aorus RX 6700 XT Elite with X570 Aorus Elite WiFi for $1,010
Gigabyte RTX 3060 Eagle with B550 Aorus Elite for $615
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X for $429
Intel Core i7-10700 for $255

All of the graphics card prices are roughly 50-60% higher than the official launch MSRPs from AMD and Nvidia, though these are third-party custom cards that may come with extra features. The RTX 3070 cards are perhaps the best of the bunch, with performance rivaling the previous generation RTX 2080 Ti for a lower price. And if you like RGB and bling, the ROG Strix card certainly has you covered.

The two CPUs are perhaps a bit less exciting, except they’re both selling for less than MSRP. AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800X isn’t quite as difficult to find in stock as the more sought after Ryzen 9 5900X and 5950X, but it’s still a good choice, particularly with a price that’s $20 below AMD’s official MSRP. Intel’s previous generation Core i7-10700 on the other hand is merely a decent CPU but without any overclocking support — basically the Comet Lake equivalent of the Core i9-9900 — but it’s also a viable pick at just $255.

With component shortages plaguing the PC industry, not to mention the smartphone and automotive industries, the latest word is that prices aren’t likely to return to ‘normal’ throughout 2021. If you can keep chugging along with whatever your PC currently has, that’s the best option, as otherwise prices are painful for all of the Nvidia Ampere and AMD RDNA2 GPUs.

~~The current~~ ~~Newegg shuffle~~ ~~ends in just over an hour. Good luck!~~

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Against

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Specifications

Ports and Upgradability of the Corsair One a200

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Software and Warranty for the Corsair One a200

Configuration Options for the Corsair One a200

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