TrendForce has predicted a noticeable recovery in the global notebook market for 2Q23. Shipments are projected to hit 40.45 million units—a QoQ increase of 15.7%. This marks a pivotal turnaround after six consecutive quarters of decline. However, despite this growth, shipments are still down by 11.6% YoY. TrendForce expects this upward trend to persist into the third quarter, estimating global notebook shipments to reach 43.08 million units, albeit at a decelerated growth rate of 6.5%.

Notebook brands were primarily focused on reducing excess terminal inventory in 1Q23, which led to slower procurement and subsequently impacted ODM sell-in sales. However, as Q2 unfolds and inventory levels of finished products and components start to stabilize, supply chain pressures should ease, triggering a wave of restocking demand. This trend is expected to extend into Q3—a season typically characterized by robust sales due to back-to-school demand and shopping promotions, further stimulating inventory demand and fostering further growth in global notebook shipments.

The Framework Laptop 16 is extremely rigid and durable, while also being surprisingly light and thin through use of a combination of magnesium alloy and machined aluminium parts for the enclosure. The laptop is under 18 mm thick, which is unusually slim for a 16" high-performance, upgradeable system. If you choose to add discrete graphics using a Graphics Module, the back section of the laptop extends to just under 21 mm thick, enabling much higher thermal capacity for the GPU. This is a substantially more mechanically complex product than the Framework Laptop 13, with a larger screen size, higher performance parameters, and two new module systems with the Input Modules and Expansion Bay. With all of that, we've still achieved a clean, minimal industrial design, with no externally visible fasteners.

We've done this through careful design work, architecting the system to be made of two core mechanical parts: a molded magnesium alloy Bottom Cover and a CNC aluminium Top Cover. Both of these are items we make in collaboration with one of the most advanced enclosure manufacturers in the world, Catcher Technology. We fabricate the parts at Catcher's massive, highly-automated facility in Tainan, Taiwan, where there are vast fields of molding and milling machines.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the next step in device customization - Razer Skins. Offered in a range of designs and precision cuts for a factory-like fit, Razer Skins are easy to apply and safe to remove, making them the ultimate way for users to personalize and accessorize their devices. "Unleashing personal style and increasing the device's defense - that's the game-changing combination that Razer Skins bring to the table," said Travis Furst, Head of Laptop Division at Razer. " We're enabling gamers to put a unique stamp on their tech tools, all while giving their high-value gear the protection it deserves."

Made with premium 3M vinyl materials, Razer Skins protect against scuffs and scratches and can withstand rigorous temperatures. Thorough testing ensures each skin offers a seamless fit and finish to maintain full device functionality. Designed and manufactured by Razer in the USA, Razer Skins feature a toolless design that can be applied effortlessly without a heat gun or blow dryer and are easily removed, leaving no residue or damage to the device surface. Razer Skins are currently available for an extensive range of Razer-made devices, including the Blade gaming laptops, Razer Edge, and the Razer Kishi line. Compatibility extends to popular devices such as the Valve Steam Deck, Sony PlayStation 5, Microsoft Xbox Series X|S consoles, and select Apple MacBooks. Nintendo Switch owners will soon have the opportunity to customize their consoles with Razer Skins, with more devices joining the lineup in the future.

We've made some serious claims around Framework Laptop 13 battery life improvements with the new 13th Gen Intel Core version, and now it's time to put the product to the test! We've hosted a YouTube livestream to test the battery life of the Framework Laptop 13 (13th Gen Intel Core) vs the Framework Laptop 13 (12th Gen Intel Core). The livestream started at 6 am PT yesterday (June 14) and ran until the batteries died. Both systems were set up to be a typical Performance configuration, and both were running a 1080p video in a loop in Windows 11. Full system specs are listed below, and in the YouTube description.

The two key factors to the improved battery life with the latest Framework Laptops are the new 61 Wh Battery included on i7 configurations, offering 11% greater capacity, and the designed-in efficiency improvements that 13th Gen Intel Core processors deliver.

Framework has been going in-depth with the hyping up of its latest "Laptop 16" model - the modular hardware specialist has issued a new blog post this week that focuses on a "brand new custom high-efficiency 180 W USB-C power adapter," co-developed with Chicony. This unit is touted as a significant upgrade over the existing 60 W model that is bundled with their Laptop 13 system - Nirav Patel, Framework's CEO and co-founder explains: "The (180 W) adapter body is just 116.6 x 58.2 x 27 mm, and the enclosure is made of 30% post-consumer-recycled plastic. That's exactly the thickness and depth and twice the length of our 60 W power adapter, while outputting 3x higher wattage. Pretty incredible! Our PFC plus asymmetrical half-bridge flyback architecture uses ON Semi NCP1622 and JoulWatt JW1556 controllers along with latest generation GaN switching parts from both GaN Systems and Navitas, peaking at an amazing 93% efficiency."

The Framework Laptop 16 has some hidden potential according to Patel - he reveals that this flagship model is now future-proofed with support for 240 W power adapters: "We needed to solve for the tricky task of creating an adapter small and portable enough to be a great fit for the Framework Laptop 16 in an integrated graphics configuration while also outputting enough power to handle the Graphics Module with a discrete GPU. 180 W covers the majority of use cases while still being extremely compact. If you have a Graphics Module installed, set your OS to maximum performance mode, and run a sustained heavy load, it is possible to draw from the battery while plugged in. If that doesn't sound like a good tradeoff to you, the Framework Laptop 16 supports 240 W USB PD 3.1 power adapters too, so you can configure your DIY Edition without a power adapter and bring your own 240 W one instead."

Intel is in the process of discontinuing its eleventh generation Tiger Lake-U CPU lineup according to the company's own Product Change Notification (PCN) system. Team Blue's database points to the final batch of (x86 Willow Cove architecture) processors getting shipped out on December 29, with an October 2023 cutoff point for last orders. These 11th Gen Core units (with Iris Xe iGPUs) have been part of laptops, mobile devices and small-form-factor (SFF) systems since launching in 2020. Intel started the end-of-life (EOL) for more powerful variants (some Tiger Lake-H models and the entire Tiger Lake-B range) back in April of this year.

Tiger Lake was an early example of a 10 nm++ SuperFin product, with improved production yields leading to the creation of high performance gaming laptop CPUs (the aforementioned H and B models), alongside the basic low power U-series. Intel has also added Tiger Lake-H35 models to the discontinuance list (totaling 42 models), and a trio of 500-series chipsets that were designed to accommodate their embedded 11th generation processor family: RM590E, HM570E and QM580E. Plenty of Tiger Lake-based stock still exists on the market, but Intel will be very keen to clear that excess - in favor of making way for its 12th and 13th generation product ranges.

Apple today introduced the 15-inch MacBook Air, the world's best 15-inch laptop. With an expansive 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display, the incredible performance of M2, up to 18 hours of battery life, and a silent, fanless design, the new MacBook Air brings power and portability - all in the world's thinnest 15-inch laptop. With an all-new six-speaker sound system, the 15-inch MacBook Air delivers immersive Spatial Audio, along with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, MagSafe charging, and the power and ease of macOS Ventura for an unrivaled experience. Customers can order starting today, with availability beginning Tuesday, June 13. The 13-inch MacBook Air with M2 gets a new starting price of $1,099 - $100 less than before - to deliver even more value and choice to everyone, from upgraders to first-time Mac customers.

"We're thrilled to introduce the first 15-inch MacBook Air. With its incredible performance and striking design, the new MacBook Air is the world's best 15-inch laptop. And it's only possible with Apple silicon," said John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. "From its expansive Liquid Retina display and remarkably thin and fanless design, to extraordinary battery life and an immersive six-speaker sound system, the new MacBook Air has it all."

Schenker XMG also unveiled the new PRO 16 Studio workstation laptop at the Computex 2023 event, which will be equipped with an Intel Core i9-13900H CPU and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070. In addition, the company is announcing the new WORK Base series and Vision-series laptops that are available under the Schenker brand, introducing new form-factors and bringing several other updates.

The new XMG Pro 16 Studio promises to be quite a versatile workstation laptop aimed at content creators, using a 16:10 aspect ratio screen, and packing some serious power with Intel's Core i9-13900H CPU and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, as well as two DDR5 slots with DDR5-5200 support, and Thunderbolt 4. The XMG Pro 16 Studio also comes with NVIDIA Studio certification. Schenker also showed the efficient vapor chamber cooling that will be used in the XMG Pro 16 Studio. It also brings several upgrades compared to the current XMG Focus 16 laptop, which it can be compared to, at least performance-wise, including an additional USB-C power delivery, a Windows Hello camera, 2.5 Gbit LAN, longer battery life, and a slimmer aluminium body. Schenker notes that the XMG PRO 16 Studio should be available in Europe in late July or early August.

On May 30th, MSI held the launch event, MSIology: Luxury Gaming Experience, in which MSI announced its limited edition co-branded laptop, The Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport, with Mercedes-AMG. MSI and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport's collaboration brings forth the Stealth 16 laptop, combining luxury and high-performance. Its Selenite Gray color design, exclusive AMG Rhombuses pattern, and magnesium-aluminium alloy chassis evoke an enigmatic image, saluting resilient Mercedes-AMG GT2 on the racetrack. Motorsport enthusiasts will be excited to see the Mercedes-AMG Motorsport logos on the top cover, bottom bezel, and back cover, adding to their thrill.

The interior performance matches the remarkable qualities found in the exterior design. Powered by an Intel Core i9 processor and NVIDIA RTX 40 graphics, the Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport delivers immersive gameplay. With a 4K 16:10 OLED display, and the advanced MSI exclusive Cooler Boost 5 system with dual fans and five heat pipes, it guarantees a flawless visual experience. The package includes specially designed accessories, showcasing the collaboration between these prestigious brands.

Colorful Technology Company Limited, a professional manufacturer of graphics cards, motherboards, all-in-one gaming and multimedia solutions, and high-performance storage, announces the global launch of the EVOL X15 AT gaming laptop equipped with the 13th generation Intel Core processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050/RTX 4060 graphics. The EVOL X15 AT sports a 15.6" QHD (2560x1440) 165 Hz display with NVIDIA G-SYNC support for stutter-free and tear-free gaming experience. Aside from Pine Blue and Mist Grey, the new EVOL X15 AT gaming laptop comes in the new Purple Grape color.

Having equipped with the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series laptop GPU, the COLORFUL EVOL X15 AT gaming laptop takes advantage of NVIDIA DLSS 3 and NVIDIA Reflex. The EVOL X15 AT with the GeForce RTX 4060 8 GB laptop GPU comes with a max TPD of up to 140 W delivering better graphics performance. The COLORFUL EVOL X15 AT features a Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) that provides high-speed connection of up to 40 Gbps. The laptop comes with 16 GB of DDR5 memory, upgradeable to 64 GB, and 512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD with an empty M.2 slot that can accommodate M.2 PCIe Gen 3 SSDs.

An Ebay merchant has made a very bold and brave maneuver within the last day or two - notorious hardware tipster harukaze5719 pointed out the seller's listing of an unreleased Intel 14th generation processor earlier today. The OneClickWarehouse store (established back in 2005) operates out of Ogden, Utah and seems to be a reasonably legit outfit thanks to an overall 99.6% positive feedback rating, despite their selling of apparently pre-release semiconductor tech. The item in question is titled "Meteor Lake P 6C+8A+GT2 X7 4CAB4V B A Mobility CPU14th Gen," with two examples being available for sale (at the time of writing) at $999 a pop.

This Meteor Lake CPU appears to be a mobile (MTL-P) variant, the "P" designation apparently points to utilization in ultra-thin and lightweight laptops. The Ebay-sourced info indicates a presence of six performance cores and eight efficiency cores which aligns with previously leaked details about the upcoming SKU lineup. Two low-powered E-cores sit within its SoC tile (aka chiplet), resulting in a total of 16 cores (22-threads). Several hardware news outlets in attendance at Computex 2023 have reported on an Intel demonstration unit - this laptop sports a Meteor Lake P-series processor with a similar core configuration to the ones listed for sale by OneClickWarehouse.

Acer today announced the refreshed Acer Swift Edge 16 (SFE16-43) laptop, designed for dynamic professionals requiring high computing capability, productivity, and portability from their hardware. The lightweight laptop is powered by AMD Ryzen 7040 Series processors and up to AMD Radeon 780M graphics for next-gen performance and visuals, and features AMD Ryzen AI on select models with select processors, enabling the device to keep up with today's AI demands and more.

The Swift Edge 16 showcases a stunning 16-inch 3.2K OLED display with an upgraded refresh rate of 120 Hz and support for 100% DCI-P3 color gamut to provide true-to-life colors and images. The Windows 11 laptop also boasts compatibility with up to Wi-Fi 7, Microsoft Pluton, and a range of smart features so users can stay connected to fast wireless connections and have private data secured.

As COMPUTEX once again opens its door, MSI, the world leader in gaming, content creation, business & productivity, and AIoT solutions, is all geared up to dominate the show floor with a full slate of new lineup and its Best Choice Award honorees. "We are thrilled to be back at COMPUTEX," said Sam Chern, MSI Vice President of Marketing. "We expect to see users' tech experiences reinvented and MSI is at the forefront. Our COMPUTEX 2023 lineup showcases the ultimate fusion of breakthrough technology and everlasting aesthetics that surpasses all limits and indulges global users with the best possible experience like never before."

This year, MSI themes its booth around The Leap to Singularity, envisioning a future in which the technological singularity brings forth superintelligence to improve human lives. Among the highlights on display will be the Raider GE78 HX Smart Touchpad, Stealth 16 and Creator Z17 laptops powered by up to 13th Gen Intel Core i9 processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics, making them powerhouses for gamers and creators alike.

MSI, a world leader in gaming and content creation hardware, is proud to announce its latest achievements at COMPUTEX 2023. As a proud CES 2023 Innovation Award winner, the MSI MEG Z790 GODLIKE motherboard once again charmed the jury and took home the prestigious COMPUTEX 2023 Best Choice Golden Award. Another winner is the MSI Creator Z17 HX Studio laptop that secured the Best Choice Category Award.

The awards announcement was made in advance of COMPUTEX 2023, one of the world's largest computer and technology events, taking place from May 30 to June 2, 2023. The Best Choice Award is an official COMPUTEX award that offers invaluable guidance to procurement professionals. The award recognizes exceptional products and technologies across various categories, carefully assessed by a panel of esteemed industry experts. Nominees are scrutinized based on innovation, functionality, and market potential, making the Best Choice Award a coveted recognition of excellence in the ICT industry.

Today, after nearly three years of development, Sightful unveiled Spacetop : the World's First Augmented Reality (AR) Laptop. Created by a team of more than 60 spatial computing experts, including veterans from Apple, Microsoft, and Magic Leap, Spacetop represents the next generation in personal computing and the first application of Augmented Reality that seamlessly fits into users' daily lives. With customized hardware and a proprietary spatial environment, Spacetop leverages AR to remove the physical constraints of standard laptops. The result is a first-of-its-kind product that allows users to carry with them a massive, private, virtual workspace designed and customized by the user to be their most creative self, no matter where they are—all in a familiar laptop form factor.

"Two worlds sit at a crossroads: Laptops are the centerpiece of our daily working lives, but the technology has not evolved with the modern, work from anywhere, privacy matters, 'road warrior' mentality. Meanwhile, Augmented Reality is full of potential and promise, but is yet to find its daily use case," said Tamir Berliner, CEO and co-founder of Sightful. "We are at the perfect moment for a significant paradigm shift in a device we all know and love, and Spacetop Early Access is the first step in that journey."

The ASUS ROG Ally handheld games console emerged last month and it was revealed to pack some impressive "custom" AMD hardware - the two companies have boasted that the collaboration has resulted in two special SoCs - the Ryzen Z1 and Ryzen Z1 Extreme. Silicon enthusiasts were quick to point out that the Z1 series sported similar specifications to mobile/ultra-portable chipsets in AMD's 7040U family - in particular the Ryzen 7 7840U looks almost identical to its gaming equivalent (Ryzen Z1 Extreme). Andrew E. Freedman at Tom's Hardware was curious and motivated enough to request clarification (about this situation) from AMD. Team Red were happy to respond and acknowledged the apparent similarities between the gaming and laptop chipset ranges, but also stated that Z1 APUs have been tweaked by company engineers to a certain degree.

Matthew Hurwitz, a client PR manager at AMD, provided a response to the Tom's Hardware-issued query: "The Ryzen Z1 series are purpose-built with handheld gaming in mind. To accomplish this, AMD engineers had to validate entirely new power ranges and optimize the voltage curves specifically for this use case - this optimization and validation work should not be trivialized. So while the technology building blocks (like 'Zen 4' and RDNA 3) are similar between the 7040 and Z1 series, the resulting models have very distinct characteristics customized for their use cases. In addition, the AMD Ryzen AI engine is not available on AMD Ryzen Z1 series processors." Hurwitz also confirmed that AMD's XDNA AI engine is merely disabled (so not removed at hardware level) on the two Z1 APUs - this feature is only enabled on the range-topping Ryzen 7 7840U model and mid-range Ryzen 5 7640U. So yes, there are small differences but AMD and ASUS have probably saved some money on development costs by creating and adopting the "slightly adjusted" Z1 SoC series.

Update May 6th: Tom's Hardware has amended their article (as of May 5, 5:03 p.m. ET) - another source within AMD has informed them about the Z1 and Z1 Extreme APUs having configurable TDPs of 9 W to 30 W. The original story - and AMD's website - claimed a range of 15-30 W.

When we announced the Framework Laptop 13 (AMD Ryzen 7040 Series) last month at the Framework Next Level Event, we were only able to share a very limited set of information on what is powering it. With the processors now officially unveiled by AMD, we're able to share much more detail. We're using Ryzen 5 7640U and Ryzen 7 7840U processors, both of which offer incredible CPU and GPU performance. These are both pre-orderable today, with batches shipping as early as Q3 this year.

The Ryzen 5 7640U processor has 6 CPU cores clocked at a base frequency of 3.5 GHz and up to a max boost of 4.9 GHz, while the Ryzen 7 7840U has an amazing 8 cores and 16 processing threads clocked at a base of 3.3 GHz and up to 5.1 GHz max boost. These are all Zen 4 cores, which feature AMD's fastest processor technology ever. These chips are fabricated on TSMC's 4 nm process node, meaning that even with such high performance, they are also extremely efficient. We've designed the thermal system to be able to handle the processors at up to 28 W continuous load if you need to do some heavy crunching too.

Today the Kubuntu Focus team announces their latest Linux laptop: The Focus Ir14 developed in partnership with Carbon Systems of Santa Rosa, CA. This laptop is an affordable, enterprise-ready system designed to exude quality everywhere the customer looks and touches. This is the fourth Focus model featuring Kubuntu LTS and the KDE Plasma interface.

This 3-pound laptop has a 14-inch, 450-nit, narrow-bezel 1920×1200 display with 100% sRGB color reproduction. It also features a centered precision touchpad, all-alloy construction, 6 hours of battery life, and can charge from a USB-C display cable. Systems are built to order and can be customized with up to 64 GB of 3200 MHz dual-channel RAM, 4 TB of storage in a dual-disk setup, and optional no-cost full-disk encryption. Prices start at $895.

LG Electronics USA launched the latest addition to its new 2023 LG gram laptop lineup - the LG gram SuperSlim. Designed with ultra-portability in mind, LG's gram SuperSlim laptops measure at just .43-inches thick, making it the thinnest LG gram ever. Exclusively available now at LG.com, customers who purchase an LG gram SuperSlim laptop through May 14 will receive a free LG gram +view portable monitor ($349.99 ARV). The LG gram SuperSlim will also be available at LG-authorized retailers by mid-May.

The LG gram SuperSlim is equipped with Intel's Evo 13th Gen Processor and Intel Iris Xe graphics as well as a brilliant 15.6-inch anti-glare OLED display with a 100 percent DCI-P33 color gamut and VESA DisplayHDR True Black, delivering exceptional image resolution with true-to-life detail and stunning, deep black levels.

Acer today announced the latest offerings in its eco-friendly Vero range of products, including the Acer Aspire Vero 15 (AV15-53P) laptop and the Acer Vero PL3510ATV laser projector, both of which are designed to equip businesses and consumers with high-performing, power-saving technology while providing more options to reduce their carbon footprint.

The Aspire Vero 15 laptop is powered by 13th Gen Intel Core processors with Intel Iris Xe graphics, engineered to let the Intel Evo laptop do even more at once. The multi-awarded Aspire Vero line reduces CO2 emissions through the use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics in its chassis without sacrificing durability. It also features a 15-inch FHD IPS display, Acer VeroSense for battery management, and a 1440p QHD webcam that comes with Acer PurifiedView and Acer PurifiedVoice collaboration technology. Acer also launched the Acer Vero PL3510ATV projector, built with a Full HD resolution, 4,800 ANSI lumens diode, and a 30,000-hour lamp life for long-lasting brightness. The laser projector's power-saving design also saves up to 48% more energy compared with lamp-based projectors, ultimately reducing its total cost of ownership and carbon footprint through an extended product lifespan. In line with Acer's Earthion platform, the latest Vero products integrate PCR plastic on their chassis and utilize recyclable packaging.

Acer today announced new TravelMate business laptops, all powered by 13th Gen Intel Core vPro processors, and feature 16:10 premium OLED displays, 65 Wh fast charging long battery life, and secured log-in with fingerprint reader or IR camera, coming together to achieve the performance and mobility requirements of today's hybrid workforce.

Acer TravelMate P6 14
The latest TravelMate P6 14 is the ultimate premium business laptop for mobile professionals and executives. Professionals can experience elevated viewing experiences on a large screen surface with a 2.8K OLED (2880x1800) display panel, a 16:10 aspect ratio, and support for 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space. Powered by Intel vPro, and an Intel Evo design, the high-end business laptop is packed with power as it comes with 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processors, 32 GB LPDDR5 memory and a 65 Wh[1] fast-charging battery. Online business meetings and video calls are further enhanced with the laptop's FHD IR webcam, AI-powered noise-reduction technology through Acer PurifiedVoice, and upward-facing speakers with DTS Audio. A PrivacyPanel feature helps obscure viewing angles beyond 90° to defend against prying eyes. The TravelMate P6 14 laptop also features 2x2 Wi-Fi 6E and 5G connectivity for faster and stronger wireless internet connection needed by mobile professionals.

MSI, a leading brand in gaming laptops and creator laptops, is proud to announce that it has won 10 Red Dot Awards for its outstanding laptops in 2023. This achievement reflects MSI's commitment to delivering luxury, innovative, high-performance products that meet the needs of consumers. The Red Dot Award is one of the most prestigious design awards in the world, recognizing excellence in product design, communication design, and design concepts. The award ceremony will take place on July 1, 2023, at the Aalto Theatre in Essen, Germany.

Samsung Electronics has announced that its sub-division, Samsung Display, is planning to invest $3.1 billion until 2026 in Asan, South Korea to manufacture advanced organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panels. The country's ministry stated that Samsung's next generation of OLED display panels will be integrated into tablets and laptops. There are already rumors swirling that Apple has contracted with Samsung Display to produce parts for a refresh of the MacBook Pro range that is set to debut at some point before 2026.

Industry insiders are claiming that the substantial investment into the company's Asan, South Chungcheong factory will help fulfil orders placed by Apple for iPad and MacBook OLED displays - the North American company has not officially confirmed an adoption of that type of screen technology for these product ranges. Samsung is likely trying to secure a long term relationship with the Silicon Valley behemoth, and at the same time outmaneuver its competitors in South Korea as well as those in neighboring nations. It has been reported that domestic rival LG is currently unable to take on new orders, as its display factories are functioning at maximum production capacities.

ASUS ROG has started selling its RTX 4090 XG Mobile external graphics card in China and Japan this week. Japanese customers are being charged a cool $3000 for the pint-sized powerhouse external GPU, and Chinese buyers are getting a slightly better deal at $2700. It should be noted that this eGPU is the (GN21-X11) mobile variant of the GeForce RTX 4090, and not the full fat desktop version. The newly updated XG Mobile enclosure can only be connected to an ASUS Flow laptop, which limits the scope of compatibility to an already very expensive range of devices. The proprietary connection standard will keep customers in the ASUS ROG mobile hardware ecosystem - but their higher end laptop models can be configured with the very capable GeForce RTX 4070 mobile GPU, so the RTX 4090 XG Mobile seems to appeal to a very small buying niche.

The XG Mobile interface uses the PCIE Gen 3 x8 standard of connection, and the GPU has access to a dedicated 63 GB/s of bandwidth. This beats the Thunderbolt 4 standard of 40 Gb/s, by a 57% margin. The enclosure acts as a docking station - its features include an up to 2.5 Gbit Ethernet, a single HDMI 2.1 port, one DisplayPort 1.4 with G-Sync support and three USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (3x Type-A + 1x Type-C). ASUS ROG has engineered the docking station/enclosure to be as compact as possible (21.7 cm x 16.5 cm x 3.26 cm), when compared to competing products from other manufacturers. The whole package weighs in at 1.3 kg, which will ensure decent portability for gamers on the move.

Benchmark results for Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 SoC appeared on Geekbench Browser early yesterday morning, under the designation Snapdragon 8cx Next Gen. This chipset is tipped to be a successor to the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, which was launched at the end of 2021 as the world's first 5 nm Arm-based SoC for Windows laptops. A tipster on Twitter has highlighted the very underwhelming results posted by the next gen chipset, and these figures would indicate that an engineering sample was the test subject, not final silicon. The 8-core Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 is shown to outperform its supposed successor, and the clock frequencies for the latter appear to be lower than anticipated.

The Geekbench 5 database entry for Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 also reveals details about its specifications - a 12-core configuration that is split into eight performance cores and four power-efficiency ones. The base core frequency is listed as being 2.38 GHz, and the benchmark was completed under a Balanced Power plan in Windows 11 Home Insider Preview. 16 GB of RAM was used in the test kit, although earlier leaks have indicated that the chipset can support up to a maximum of 64 GB LPDDR5 RAM.