Thread: Anandtech News

Always one of the biggest set of announcements for CES is from Lenovo, with updates to a lot of their lineup being announced every January, as well as some very interesting new products being shown off most years. As we head into CES week, Lenovo is teasing us with some updates to their IdeaPad lineup, including a new 5G model. As tends to be the case, we don’t always have the full spec sheets for these announcements yet, but let’s dig in and see what Lenovo is planning for the start of 2021.
IdeaPad 5G

5G is still a buzzword, but it is nice to see the technology coming to laptops as well. Lenovo’s new IdeaPad 5G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx processor, and is coupled to the X55 modem to provide sub-6 GHz 5G capabilities for speedier networking in supported locations. Interestingly, the new laptop offers the fastest cellular connectivity, but only has Wi-Fi 5 support when you do connect to an access point. The 14-inch laptop offers a 1920x1080 16:9 display which can hit 300 nits in the sRGB gamut. RAM is up to 8 GB of LPDDR4X, and storage offerings will be up to 512 GB of PCIe SSD.

The IdeaPad, thanks to the 8cx platform, is able to go fanless, which is one of the benefits of the low-powered Arm platform. Another benefit is battery life, with Lenovo claiming up to 20 hours of video playback from just 51 Wh capacity is a strong showing, and the USB-C charging offers Rapid Charge Express. Lenovo hasn’t fixed a price yet, other than to say it will vary by market, and that it will not be released in North America at this time.
IdeaPad 5 Pro and 5i Pro

Back in the x86 world, Lenovo is releasing two new IdeaPad models powered by AMD Ryzen in the 5 Pro, and 11th Gen Intel Core in the 5i Pro. These new laptops have moved to a 16:10 aspect ratio, and will be available in both a 14-inch and 16-inch model. We have seen a lot of laptops make the jump to taller displays in the last year or two, and it is very nice to see Lenovo offer several models with the 16:10 ratio.
Lenovo is utilizing the IR sensor for time-of-flight, instead of just for Windows Hello login, which is a nice touch. The laptop will sense when you get up and walk away, and automatically pause video, as an example. Lenovo is also adding Amazon Alexa Show Mode, which lets you use your PC as an Alexa device when you want to.
The displays are not only 16:10 aspect, but the 14-inch model offers a 90 Hz refresh rate and 400 nits of brightness. The 16-inch offers 120 Hz and 350 nits, which is nice to see in a non-gaming laptop. Both the Intel and AMD models will also offer an NVIDIA MX450 graphics card as a bump over integrated graphics.

The 14-inch model will offer a 56.5 Wh battery, while the larger 16-inch model jumps to a very impressive 75 Wh unit, and all of them feature Rapid Charge Express for quicker charging over USB-C.
On the Intel model, Tiger Lake is paired with up to 16 GB of DDR4 RAM and up to 1 TB of PCIe storage, and the 16-inch model features a Thunderbolt 4 port. Those opting for the next-generation AMD Ryzen H model lose access to the Thunderbolt 4, but the 16-inch IdeaPad 5 Pro can be outfitted with 32 GB of DDR4, rather than the 16 GB max in the smaller model.

Lenovo has also added a larger trackpad, and updated the keyboard with new keys and backlighting.
These devices, other than the 16-inch AMD powered model, will not initially be in the US market, but availability for all models will be in March, with prices as follows:

• IdeaPad 5 Pro 16” AMD laptop starts at $1149.99 and is to be available starting May 2021.
• IdeaPad 5 Pro 14” AMD laptop (not in the U.S.) available in EMEA March 2021, starts at €799.00
• IdeaPad 5i Pro 16” Intel laptop (not in the U.S.) available in EMEA March 2021, starts at €899
• IdeaPad 5i Pro 14” Intel laptop (not in the U.S.) available in EMEA March 2021 starts at €699

Source: Lenovo

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Throughout the majority of 2020, we saw an escalating war between AMD and Intel battling for supremacy in the desktop CPU market, which is an obvious win for the consumers. One of the side battles thus appeared in the motherboard market, with the Z490 chipset paving the way for Intel's 14 nm Comet Lake processors. One such model is the GIGABYTE Z490 Aorus Master, which is poisitioned in the mid-range segment's upper end with a premium feature set. Some of the most notable features include 2.5 GbE and Wi-Fi 6 networking, triple PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slots, and plenty of rear panel connectivity.


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Gaming monitors have tended to prefer lower resolutions and higher refresh rates, but catering to the wide variety of users in the market, Acer has also been developing monitors for gamers who want higher resolutions with those same high refresh rates. Set to be released under their Nitro and Predator families, for CES 2021 the company is promoting a mix of new and previously-announced (i.e. delayed) monitors, which will provide both high resolutions and the faster refresh rates that make gaming monitors so smooth. Plus, the pricing looks solid.
Acer Nitro XV282K KV – UHD and FreeSync with HDMI 2.1

First unveiled back in September in China, Acer is bringing its first HDMI 2.1 monitor, the Acer Nitro XV282K KV, over to North America. Although a handful of a name, it is clearly targeted at the latest generation of consoles, specifically the Xbox Series X, as this UHD display features both VESA Variable Refresh (FreeSync) and HDMI 2.1, making it a perfect choice for those looking to pair the console with a high-refresh rate UHD display.

The 28-inch panel offers 3840x2160 resolution, and up to 144 Hz refresh rate with AMD FreeSync support. Acer claims 1 ms response time as well. This IPS display also offers 90% of the P3 color gamut, and Acer claims 100,000,000:1 contrast. The display is rated for HDR 400, and it comes with an included HDMI 2.1 cable for easy connection.
The Acer Nitro XV282K KV will be available in the US in May, starting at $899.99 USD.
Acer Predator XB273U NX – QHD and G-SYNC

Second up is a totally new monitor from Acer, the 27-inch Acer Predator XB273U NX. The 2560x1440 display features Acer's Agile-Splendor IPS panel, and can achieve an impressive 275 Hz refresh when overclocked.
It also supports HDR, and up to 95% of the P3 gamut. Acer claims 0.5 ms response time in gray to gray transitions, and coupled with the high refresh rate, should make for a very smooth experience. This display offers NVIDIA G-SYNC variable refresh rate. It also features the new NVIDIA Reflex Latency Analyzer, which measures the time between a mouse click and the pixel actually changing, and is a feature aimed at the pro-gamer crowd for gameplay analysis.
The Acer Predator XB273U NX will be available in May starting at $1099.99 USD.
Acer Predator XB323QK NV – UHD and G-SYNC

Finally, Acer is also offering an update on their 31.5-inch behemoth G-Sync monitor, the Acer Predator XB323QK NV. This monitor was first announced back in June of 2020 with a September ship date, but it has since been pushed out to May of this year.
Aimed at the high-end of the market, the Acer Predator XB323QK NV offers a high-refresh UHD display with 3840x2160 resolution and a 144 Hz refresh rate. Sporting DisplayHDR 400 certification, the monitor can produce 90% of the P3 gamut.
Like the other monitors being promoted today, the Acer Predator XB323QK NV will also available in May. Pricing will start at $1199.99 USD.
Source: Acer

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This year at CES, Thermaltake is unveiling three new air coolers, the Toughair 110, 310, and 510. Each model is aimed at a different CPU segment and looks to offer an affordable and supports most of the popular desktop chipsets, including Intel's LGA1150 and AMD's AM4 socket.
The Thermaltake Toughair series includes three different models, each with different levels of cooling capability. The smallest of the trio is the Toughair 110, which includes a horizontal low-profile single fan design for chassis with space restrictions and is capable of cooling CPUs with a TDP of up to 140 W.

The Thermaltake Toughair 110 Low Profile CPU Cooler

Moving up the series, the Toughair 310 and 510 share the same vertical fin stack array, with the 310 coming with one 120 mm PWM fan capable of variable speeds from 500 to 2000 RPM, while the 510 is supplied with two. The stack itself uses four 6 mm copper heat pipes with direct contact for more optimized heat dissipation and is compatible with Intel's latest LGA1200 and 115x, with support for AMD's AM4, AM3, and AM2 chipsets. The Toughair 310 can support CPUs up to 170 W, while the 510 with two 120 mm fans can support up to 180 W.

Toughair 310

The Thermaltake Toughair 110, 310, and 510 come with a 2-year manufacturer's warranty and are set to cost $35, $40, and $50, respectively.

Toughair 510

Gallery: CES 2021: Thermaltake Launches TOUGHAIR CPU Cooler


Interested in more of the latest industry news? Check out our CES 2021 trade show landing page!

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It's not April Fools Day, but ADATA XPG has lifted the lid on one of its latest gaming products for CES 2021. XPG Gaming Gum is designed to give gamers a boost with chewable caffeine. XPG first teased this on its official Twitter page back in March 2020.
The new XPG MANA Gaming gum includes caffeine and a vitamin called Lutein, which is reportedly beneficial for eye health. It remains to be seen if chewing gaming gum can be a proper substitute for proper eye health, with plenty of options available on the market, including eyewear with blue light filters. It is recommended that gamers and those who regularly use a PC often take breaks, as prolonged exposure to screens can cause dryness of the retina.

With a lot of emphasis on energy products in the gaming market reliant on caffeine, it is recommended that users moderate the use of stimulants. The XPG Gaming Gum we are told has a minty fresh flavor. XPG isn't the first to unveil gaming gum, with Razer announcing its Respawn range of gaming consumables last year. Perhaps Duke Nukem might be the ideal customer as he tends to run out of gum a lot.
There's currently no word on pricing or availability.
Interested in more of the latest industry news? Check out our CES 2021 trade show landing page!

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Thermaltake has announced a new compact chassis based on its monolithic sized Tower 900 chassis. The new Tower 100 includes support for mini-ITX form factor motherboards, with ample cooling capabilities and support for larger graphics cards such as the NVIDIA RTX 3080.
The Thermaltake Tower 100 includes filtered ventilation from top to bottom, with 4 mm thick temperated glass side panels which amalgamated the need for style and performance. It includes an angled top-mounted I/O panel which includes support for USB 3.2 G2 Type-C, with dual USB 3.0 Type-A and front panel audio inputs.

According to Thermaltake, these chassis are designed for optimal airflow, and include two 120 mm 1000 RPM cooling fans, with one preinstalled in the top, and another in the bottom. It has support for additional fans including one 120/140 mm in the top, one 120/140 mm in above the PSU cover, and one 120/140 mm in the rear. Users can also install a 120 mm AIO CPU cooler in the top, with maximum clearance for a CPU cooler standing at 190 mm. It also includes capabilities to install graphics cards with a maximum length of up to 330 mm, which is fine for cards such as the NVIDIA RTX 3080, but a little short for the top-spec RTX 3090.
The Thermaltake Tower 100 will be available in two colors, black, and a subtle Snow Edition. Thermaltake states that the Tower 100 mini-ITX chassis will include a 3-year limited warranty, with a release in the US and Canada expected in late January.
Gallery: Thermaltake Tower 100 Snow Edition Gallery


Gallery: Thermaltake Tower 100 Black Edition Gallery


Interested in more of the latest industry news? Check out our CES 2021 trade show landing page!

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Today at CES, HP is announcing some updates to their Elite Dragonfly series, which are targeted at business users who need portability. Improving on the original Whiskey Lake based model is the new convertible HP Elite Dragonfly G2, powered by the latest Intel Tiger Lake platform with vPro, and the HP Elite Dragonfly MAX, built to be the ultimate for collaboration and conferencing.

HP Elite Dragonfly
	G2	MAX
CPU	Intel 11th Gen Tiger Lake Core i3/i5/i7 (i3 only on G2) Optional vPro
GPU	Intel 11th Gen UHD or Iris Xe depending on CPU
RAM	Up to 32 GB LPDDR4
Storage	Up to 2 TB M.2 PCIe
Networking	Wi-Fi 6 Optional LTE Intel XMM 7360 Optional 5G Qualcomm Snapdragon X55
I/O	1 x USB 3.1 2 x Thunderbolt 3 1 x HDMI 1.4b 1 x Nano SIM
Display	13.3-inch IPS 400 nits Low Power Optional 1920x1080 1000 nits HP Sure View Reflect Optional 3840x2160 550 nits HDR 400 Corning Gorilla Glass 5	13.3-inch 1920x1080 IPS 1000 nits HP Sure View Reflect Anti-Sparkle Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Audio and Video	HP Bang & Olufsen Speakers 1.2 MP Webcam with IR 2 user facing mics 1 world facing mic	HP Bang & Olufsen Speakers 5 MP Webcam with IR 2 user facing mics 2 world facing mics
Battery	56 Wh - battery life estimate not yet provided
Dimensions	304 x 198 x 16.1 mm 11.98 x 7.78 x 0.63 inches
Weight	Starting at 998 grams 2.2 lbs	Starting at 1.13 kg 2.49 lbs
Pricing and Availability	Available January 2021 / Pricing TBD

HP Elite Dragonfly G2

Improving on the original in almost every way, yet without drastically changing the form factor, the new G2 version of the Elite Dragonfly maintains its ultraportable status with a starting weight up 989 grams. The CNC Magnesium comes in Dragonfly Blue, and moves from Intel’s 8th gen Core to the latest 11th gen Tiger Lake platform, bringing about significantly more performance, and much improved graphics. With LPDDR4 support, the new G2 model can also be outfitted with up to 32 GB up RAM, which as is likely expected on such a thin and light machine, is soldered down. Storage is M.2, up to 2 TB.
HP has stuck with the traditional 13.3-inch 16:9 aspect ratio for the displays, with both 1920x1080 and 3840x2160 offerings, with 400 or 1000 nits brightness on the lower resolution panels, and 550 nits along with HDR 400 certification on the UHD display.

The previous model was rated at 24 hours of battery life, and although HP has not yet rated this model, Tiger Lake has shown itself to be very efficient at idle, so expect another excellent result here.
Despite the 16.1 mm thickness, HP has still managed to fit in a keyboard with 1.3 mm of travel, which is also spill resistant, and of course backlit. Audio is powered by Bang & Olufsen, and HP has included three microphones, with two facing the user and a third facing out for noise cancellation. There’s a 720p webcam, with IR capabilities as well.

The new Dragonfly series also features cellular connectivity options, with LTE from an Intel XMM 7360 modem, or 5G with the Qualcomm X55 modem. There is a single USB 3.1 port, as well as two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and as a business device, there is also an HDMI 1.4 output for connecting to a projector.
Pricing has not been finalized yet, but the new Elite Dragonfly G2 will be available this month.
HP Elite Dragonfly MAX

Although in the same chassis as the G2, the Dragonfly MAX is targeted towards people who do a lot of video conferencing and collaboration. Powered by the same Intel Tiger Lake platform, the MAX model sticks with the 13.3-inch Sure Video Reflect IPS panel with 1000 nits of brightness and 1920x1080 resolution.
The MAX differs in that it includes a 5 MP webcam with IR, and adds a fourth microphone for even better noise cancellation. It also comes in both the same Dragonfly Blue as the G2, but also a Sparkling Black option.

The HP Elite Dragonfly MAX will be available this month as well, with pricing TBD.
Source: HP

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One of the best value laptops in HP’s lineup is their ENVY series. Featuring premium materials, the ENVY lineup brings a lot of the best of HP, without the higher price tag of some of their higher end lineups such as the Spectre series. For 2021, HP has refreshed the ENVY 14 with the latest internals, but also added a 16:10 display.

HP ENVY Laptop
	ENVY 14
CPU	Core i5-1135G7 Quad-Core Up to 4.2 GHz
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q 4GB GDDR6
Display	14-inch 1920x1200 IPS 16:10 Aspect Ratio 400 Nits 100% sRGB
RAM	16 GB DDR4-3200 (not accessible)
Storage	256 GB M.2 PCIe
Networking	Intel AX201 W-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.0
I/O	1 x Thunderbolt 4 2 x USB Type-A 5 Gbps 1 x Headset jack 1 x HDMI 2.0 Micro SD Reader
Dimensions	313 x 224 x 18 mm 12.33 x 8.82 x 0.71 inches
Weight	1.60 kg / 3.53 lbs
Price	$999 USD
Availability	January 2021

HP ENVY 14

Powered by the latest Intel Tiger Lake platform in the Core i5-1135 G7, the new 14-inch ENVY gets off on the right foot, but the new laptop also features the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q graphics card, meaning this portable laptop has some very powerful graphics available in a non-gaming laptop. The laptop offers 16 GB of DDR4-3200, and a 256 GB M.2 SSD.
The biggest change for this year though is the introduction of a taller 16:10 display, similar to what we’ve seen in several laptops over the last few months. The 1920x1200 resolution IPS panel offers 400 nits of brightness, and covers 100% of the sRGB color gamut. It also includes touch, and the bezels offer an 87% screen to body ratio.
The laptop features a sandblasted anodized aluminium finish, meaning it should not be as big of a fingerprint magnet as some of the glossier finishes.

The ENVY 14 offers lots of connectivity, with one Thunderbolt 4 port, as well as two USB Type-A ports for legacy devices. There is an HDMI 2.0 output, as well as a Micro SD card reader.
Intel’s Wi-Fi 6 AX201 network adapter powers the wireless, and brings with it Bluetooth 5.0.

The ENVY 14 offers an above average battery capacity, coming in at 63 Wh, so battery life should be quite good. It also features a 135-Watt AC adapter.
The new ENVY 14 will be available in January on HP.com starting at $999.
Source: HP

Gallery: CES 2021: HP ENVY 14 Refreshed





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Western Digital markets portable SSDs under different brands, catering to different market segments. The flagships in each brand make use of of very similar platforms - a M.2 NVMe SSD behind an appropriate bridge chip. The industrial design varies from brand to brand to appeal better to the target market. The WD My Passport and SanDisk Extreme Portable SSDs are USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) SSDs using an ASMedia ASM2362 bridge chip and a WD SN550E PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD. The WD_BLACK P50 and SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSDs are USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20Gbps) SSDs using an ASMedia 2364 bridge chip with a SN750E and a SN730E PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD respectively.

Under the WD branding, the My Passport SSD with its hardware encryption capabilities targets the average consumer who wants to back up work files, user-generated multimedia, and personal files securely. The SanDisk Extreme and Extreme PRO targets professional users creating content on-the-go outside a standard office environment with its IP55 rating and two different speed levels - 1GBps-class for the Extreme and 2GBps-class for the Extreme PRO. The WD_BLACK P50 is meant for gamers who need fast and high capacity storage for their games and do not mind paying a premium for a stylish device fulfilling those requirements.
Currently, all four families mentioned above top out at 2TB. Today, Western Digital is announcing 4TB versions in all four, with market availability slated before the end of February. Internally, the four portable SSDs are all moving to a double-sided SN750-class NVMe drive. This means the same BiCS4 3D TLC NAND flash along with an in-house SSD controller. 256-bit hardware AES support is built-in, and enabled on all but the WD_BLACK P50 drive.

In terms of pricing, the 4TB versions of the 10Gbps-class SanDisk Extreme and WD My Passport SSD are coming out with a MSRP of $700 and $680, while the 20Gbps-class SanDisk Extreme PRO and WD_BLACK P50 for the same capacity are priced at $750. The premium is not only for the bridge chip with better performance, but the premium industrial design with liberal aluminum usage also. Interestingly, the 4TB internal drive is priced at $800 on WD's site.
The physical dimensions of all the 4TB versions are similar to the lower-capacity ones in each family except for the WD My Passport SSD. The move to a double-sided NVMe drive forces the 4TB version of the My Passport SSD to become 0.8mm thicker (9mm to 9.8mm). The drive's sleek nature was noted in our review of the 1TB version, and this thickness increase is a small price to pay for the increased capacity.

At price points of $680 - $750, it is evident that these are premium portable SSDs. 4TB of high-performance flash storage in a compact bus-powered enclosure was pretty much unimaginable even 5 years ago, and as the technology makes its way into the market, the premium is only expected. Professionals may not balk at such price points, as they realize the benefits of such drives for their use-cases and be willing to treat them as business expenses. To note, these are not the first such 4TB drives in the market - In fact, Sabrent's Rocket XTRM-Q is available in capacities up to 8TB, and works with optimal performance in both Thunderbolt 3 (22Gbps) and USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) modes. The 4TB XTRM-Q is priced at $700, and the new 4TB portable SSDs from Western Digital straddle that price point. However, Western Digital's value proposition is in the use of mature and proven 3D TLC flash in the drive (compared to the QLC NAND used in the Rocket XTRM-Q). The Sabrent offering does have Thunderbolt 3 performance up its sleeve. But, this 3D TLC offering at very similar price points should help push the pricing of high-capacity QLC-based drives further down. And, that is definitely good news for consumers.
Interested in more of the latest industry news? Check out our CES 2021 trade show landing page!

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At this year’s virtual CES 2021, Ambarella is launching its new flagship vision SoC – the CV5. Dubbed as a 8K AI vision processor, the new SoC addresses Ambarella’s more traditional core market which includes sports cameras, drones, and the increasing important automotive business of the company. If you’ve had a GoPro or a DJI drone in the past decade, the changes are high these devices were powered by an Ambarella SoC – although many of these companies nowadays also rely on in-house silicon.
The new CV5 is a major leap for the company as it represents the most powerful iteration of the company’s in-house ISP, featuring capabilities such as 8K60 video recording or four independent 4K video streams, includes new powerful AI capabilities, new CPU cores, and promises very low power consumption through it’s new 5nm manufacturing node.



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