Maxsun has shared full specifications for the SK-PTLNAS and SK-WCLAIO, two NAS-focused MoDT (Mobile on Desktop) motherboards built around Intel's Panther Lake and Wildcat Lake chips. Both were first shown at Computex 2026 and are expected to launch this month, though pricing is still unknown. The SK-PTLNAS now tops out at the Core Ultra 9 386H, a 16-core chip with four Xe3 GPU cores, a 25 W base power and up to 80 W of turbo power. The Computex listing mentioned options up to the Core Ultra X9 388H, which no longer seems to be on the table. It supports up to 128 GB of DDR5-7200 memory across two SO-DIMM slots, with five M.2 slots and three Mini SAS ports for storage. The board also gets a PCIe 5.0 x8 slot, 10GbE, 2.5GbE and two 1GbE ports, plus two Thunderbolt 4 ports. Maxsun lists Windows 11 and Ubuntu support.

The SK-WCLAIO measures just 90 x 165 mm, a big change from the mATX design shown in June. It runs the six-core Core 7 350 (2P + 4LPE) with two Xe3 cores, a single DDR5-6400 SO-DIMM slot for up to 48 GB, 1 TB of onboard UFS 3.1 storage and four M.2 slots. Wildcat Lake has very few PCIe lanes, so those drives probably won't each get full x4 bandwidth. Maxsun rates the system at 45 W when active and 16 W with drives on standby, which should suit an always-on home NAS. The power input is a bit unclear for now, since the listing mentions both a 12 V DC jack and USB-C PD.

Ugreen, a leading global consumer technology company, is due to showcase the Ugreen NASync DXP6800 Ultra and DXP8800 Ultra at IFA 2026. Designed as powerful local data centers for small studios and growing businesses, the new systems extend Ugreen's NAS portfolio beyond storage and backup to support high-speed collaboration, centralized data management, and local business applications.

To meet the growing storage, computing, and collaboration needs of creative studios and expanding businesses, Ugreen developed the DXP Ultra Series as the highest-performance tier in its NASync portfolio. Bringing high-capacity storage, high-speed connectivity, centralized data management, and expandable computing power into one local platform, the series helps teams manage large media workflows, protect critical business data, and run lightweight business applications on infrastructure they control.

We're on the ground at IFA in Berlin this week, and one of the more interesting machines we walked past on the show floor was the Acer Swift Blade 14. It's a new sub-brand under Acer's Swift lineup, and the first thing you notice picking it up is just how little of it there is to hold. Acer built the Swift Blade 14 to weigh just 799 grams (1.76 pounds), making it one of the lightest 14-inch Windows laptops we've come across. The chassis pairs carbon fiber on the top and bottom covers with a magnesium-aluminum alloy keyboard deck, keeping the weight down without the machine feeling flimsy in hand. It measures 12.9mm thin on the base configuration and 13.5mm on OLED models. That's not quite as thin as a 13-inch MacBook Air, but it is significantly lighter.

Inside, the laptop runs on Intel's Wildcat Lake platform, scaling up to a Core 7 350 CPU alongside 12GB of onboard LPDDR5-6400 memory and up to 1TB of PCIe Gen 4 NVMe storage. The display comes in three tiers, topping out at a 3K OLED WQXGA+ panel running at 90Hz with 400 nits and full DCI-P3 coverage, packed into a 90% screen-to-body ratio with 4.3mm bezels. A 50Wh battery, three USB Type-C ports, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3 round out the spec sheet. Of course, thermal performance will be a concern in a chassis this thin, so we'll have to wait for independent testing to comment on that. Acer confirmed the Swift Blade 14 launches across EMEA in December, though pricing hasn't been announced yet.

ASUS today announced the new ASUS ExpertBook B3 G2, a configurable laptop designed for business, available in 14-inch (B3406CMA) and 16-inch (B3606CMA) models and featuring a durable, lightweight design starting from just 1.45 kg that offers a 180° lay-flat hinge, AI capabilities. enterprise-grade security, and seamless collaboration.

Powered by up to the latest Intel Core 7 Series 3 processors with integrated GPU and NPU acceleration, ASUS ExpertBook B3 G2's advanced AI features—including Microsoft Copilot, and AI noise-canceling technology—enhance business productivity. The lightweight, easy-maintenance design offers extensive I/O options and support for high-speed WiFi 6E connectivity. Security is strengthened by ASUS ExpertGuardian, delivering NIST SP 800-193 compliance, dual ROM recovery, and TPM 2.0 protection for robust data resilience.

Intel has officially unveiled its "Wildcat Lake" Core 300 series of processors for the entry-level PC segment. These CPUs are designed for value-oriented buyers looking for good CPU performance and basic GPU output in small form-factor commercial and edge AI PCs. Officially rated at 40 TOPS, these processors are capable of Copilot+ AI PC certification, meaning Intel has managed to provide basic local AI processing functionality to entry-level buyers. As part of the Core 300 series non-Ultra family, Intel's main selling point is all-day battery life in laptops with local AI processing. There are three segments, each featuring a hybrid core configuration, pairing two "Cougar Cove" P-cores with four LPE "Darkmont" cores.

The actual SoC package integrates two dies. The first and most important one, built on the 18A internal Intel node, features a 6-core CPU configuration, NPU 5 with 40 TOPS of INT8 data, Xe display and media engine, and a GPU that includes up to two Xe3 cores. This die also contains the memory controller and cache pool, supporting LPDDR5X memory running at 7,467 MT/s or up to 6,400 MT/s for DDR5. The memory-side cache includes 4 MB to help tasks "buffer" into this cache before and after accessing memory. Intel dedicates the second die to I/O handling, as the platform supports 6 PCIe Gen 4 lanes, two Thunderbolt 4 connections, two USB 3.2 connectors, and up to eight USB 2.0 connectors. For Wi-Fi, there is the Wi-Fi 7 standard, and Intel also includes Bluetooth 6.0.

Intel is preparing to launch a new line of Socket LGA1700 processors based on the "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon, the same exact chip powering the 14th Gen Core desktop processor series. The move is seen as Intel capitalizing on DDR5 memory shortage, by releasing processors that support both DDR5 and older DDR4 memory standards, and getting motherboard vendors to launch a new crop of LGA1700 motherboards with both DDR4 and DDR5 memory slots, giving gamers better choice of memory upgrades.

Nomenclature is a big area of speculation. One theory holds Intel could use Core Series 2 processor model numbering, but without the "Ultra" brand extension due to the lack of an integrated NPU. Further, the company might limit itself to the "5" and "7" extensions, skipping "9." The top Core 7 2xx SKU could max out the "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon, with an 8P+16E core configuration, that's eight "Raptor Cove" P-cores, each with 2 MB of L2 cache, and four "Gracemont" E-core clusters, each with 4 MB of L2 cache; all sharing 36 MB of L3 cache. The chip has a DDR4 and DDR5 memory interface, and puts out 20 PCIe lanes, 16 of which are Gen 5, and four of which Gen 4. Having received praise from the media for the aggressive pricing of its Core Ultra 7 270K Plus processor, Intel might attempt to repeat this feat with a similar, aggressively-priced product based on "Raptor Lake Refresh," maxing out all its on-die hardware, but at an attractive price-point, with DDR4 support to boot.

Intel's "Wildcat Lake" processors, part of the Core 300 series non-Ultra family, have been leaked by a reputable source Jaykihn0 on X, revealing the entire lineup across various configurations and SKUs. The lineup includes six SKUs across the Core 3, Core 5, and Core 7 tiers, all designed to operate within a 15 to 35 W TDP range. Each model features a hybrid core configuration, pairing two "Cougar Cove" P-cores with four low-power efficiency cores, completely omitting the traditional "Darkmont" E-cores. Boost clocks range from 4.3 GHz on the entry-level Core 3 304 up to 4.8 GHz on the Core 7 360. All six SKUs share 6 MB of L3 cache, a single NPU tile, and integrated Xe3 graphics. The leak suggests that Intel is bringing architecture closely related to the Core Ultra 300 "Panther Lake" mobile platform into the embedded and industrial space, or perhaps into low-cost laptop configurations that don't require the power of "Panther Lake," appealing to buyers seeking budget-friendly options.

The 2P+0E+4LPE core layout is a deliberate trade-off, prioritizing efficiency over raw multithreaded performance, which suits the thermal constraints common in edge and IoT deployments. NPU performance figures range between 15 and 17 TOPS across the lineup. While this won't power the largest LLMs, it may be more than sufficient for on-device inference in industrial or automation settings. The Core 3 304 deserves special mention: it reduces to a single P-core and one Xe graphics unit, creating a clear cost-optimized option at the bottom of the lineup. SIPP certification, important for buyers needing stable, long-lifecycle platform support, is available on the Core 7 360 and Core 5 330 but not consistently across the lineup. Notably, there is no vPro support on any SKU, clearly distinguishing "Wildcat Lake" from Intel's enterprise mobile portfolio.

Acer America today debuted the premium Acer Chromebook Plus Enterprise 714 laptop line designed for businesses and organizations that need the latest technology to work in the cloud more efficiently and securely. In addition, the new Acer Chromebook Plus Enterprise 514 is now shipping in North America.

The new Chromebook Plus Enterprise models come with the business capabilities of ChromeOS unlocked, ensuring best-in-class security, simple management, flexible access, and enhanced administrative support. ChromeOS has built-in Google AI features that help employees do their best work, whether it's creating compelling content, leading meetings, and more. In addition, the new Chromebooks feature a Quick Insert key that encourages creativity and efficiency by providing one-touch access to tools, menus, and other applications.

Today marks the debut of the brand-new ASUS V16 (V3607), an entry-level 16-inch gaming laptop that broadens the appeal of the innovative ASUS laptop portfolio. Featuring futuristic uber-cool design details and unparalleled performance from its up to Intel Core 7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptop GPU, ASUS V16 is built to win—or create—in distinctive style.

Its fast 16-inch 16:10 144 Hz FHD IPS display, with an impressive 89% screen-to-body ratio, ensures fluid gaming visuals, while Dirac audio technology and ASUS Audio Booster provide powerful and immersive sound. Offering an outstanding user experience, the laptop also includes a large touchpad and a comfortable ASUS ErgoSense keyboard, along with AI noise-cancelation technology and 3DNR for enhanced video conferencing.

The latest update to CPU-Z, the popular system information and diagnostic tool, has rolled out comprehensive support for upcoming processor architectures from both AMD and Intel, along with new memory standards. Among the notable additions is support for AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which builds upon AMD's successful 3D V-Cache technology and is scheduled to launch tomorrow. The update also covers Intel's "Arrow Lake" processors, including both HX and H series variants. The Arrow Lake lineup integration spans multiple performance tiers, from the flagship Core Ultra 9 285HX down to the mainstream Core Ultra 5 series. The H-series mobile processors, including the Core Ultra 9 285H and various Ultra 7 and Ultra 5 models, are also fully supported.

Additionally, CPU-Z now recognizes Intel's complete Raptor Lake refresh, covering an extensive range of processors across different power segments. This includes the Core 7 series (160HL through 150U), Core 5 series (130HL through 120U), and Core 3 series (100HL through 100U), catering to various computing needs from high-performance to energy-efficient applications. The update extends beyond processors to support CUDIMM ((Clocked Unbuffered DIMM) DDR5 memory. CUDIMMs represent a modified DDR5 memory featuring an integrated Client Clock Driver (CKD) that generates its clock signal to minimize noise and jitter at speeds of 6400 MT/s and above, ensuring better stability and data integrity than traditional DDR5 modules.

DOWNLOAD CPU-Z 2.12 here.

In a surprising development, Intel plans to extend the longevity of its Socket LGA1700 platform even as the newer LGA1851 platform led by the Core Ultra 200 "Arrow Lake" remains on track for a late-Q3/early-Q4 2024 debut. This, according to a sensational leak by Jaykihn. It plans to do this with a brand-new silicon for LGA1700, codenamed "Bartlett." This should particularly interest gamers for what's on offer. Imagine the "Raptor Lake-S" die, but with four additional P-cores replacing the four E-core clusters, making a 12-core pure P-core processor—that's "Bartlett." At this point we're not sure which P-core is in use—whether it's the current "Raptor Cove," or whether an attempt will be made by Intel to backport a variant of "Lion Cove" to LGA1700.

This wouldn't be the first pure P-core client processor from Intel after its pivot to heterogeneous multicore—the "Alder Lake" H0 die has six "Golden Cove" P-cores, and lacks any E-core clusters. Intel is planning to give launch an entire new "generation" of processor SKUs for LGA1700 which use the newer client processor nomenclature by Intel, which is Core 200-series, but without the "Ultra" brand extension. There will be SKUs in the Core 3, Core 5, Core 7, and Core 9 brand extensions. Some of these will be Hybrid, and based on the rehashed "Raptor Lake-S" 8P+16E silicon, and some "Alder Lake-S" 8P+8E; but "Bartlett" will be distinctly branded within the series, probably using a letter next to the numerical portion of the processor model number. There will not be any Core 3 series chips based on "Bartlett," but Core 5, Core 7, and Core 9.

ASUS today announced ExpertBook B3 Flip (B3402FVA), a refreshed model of the powerful and versatile convertible laptop designed for both hybrid working and learning, empowering maximum flexibility anytime, anywhere - and now with the added power of Copilot, just a button press away. ExpertBook B3 Flip is built to embrace the future of both work and education. It's the perfect colleague for business users and pros, and an ideal ally for educators and students alike. With its versatile and tough design, studying or working everywhere is no longer a dream.

B3 Flip is equipped with a 360° any-position hinge for total display flexibility, a world-facing camera for a new perspective, and a fast-charging garaged stylus for simple, intuitive input. It includes several convenient health protection features, including ASUS Antibacterial Guard and a TÜV Rheinland-certified display for everyday eye care. The WiFi 6E technology is further enhanced by ASUS WiFi Master technology for faster, more stable connections; and it's also supplemented by an optional fast 4G LTE nano-SIM for fast and portable connectivity. Two-way AI-powered noise-cancelation technology and noise-reducing cameras ensure excellent remote learning and conferencing experiences.

Today marks the debut of five updated models in the popular ASUS Vivobook Classic series of everyday laptops, led by the ASUS Vivobook 14 X1404 and X1405, ASUS Vivobook 15 X1504, ASUS Vivobook 16 X1605 and ASUS Vivobook 17 X1704.

Smooth performance is delivered by up to the latest Intel Core 7 processors (Series 1) with 16 GB RAM and up to a 1 TB SSD. Quiet and efficient cooling is provided by the dual-vented cooling system with an IceBlade fan and up to two heat pipes. The long-lasting up to 50 Wh battery gives users more freedom, and there's up to WiFi 6 for ultrafast connectivity. Other helpful design features include the latest ASUS AI noise-canceling audio technology for crystal-clear communications, and there are bundled productivity-enhancing ASUS apps including GlideX, MyASUS and ScreenXpert.

Today, at CES 2024, Lenovo showcased its latest repertoire of new consumer devices: A selection of Yoga AI laptops that supercharge the creative process, a tablet that invites users to play and learn, IdeaPad laptops designed for the everyday user, and peripherals for the modern world. "Modern consumers need solutions that adapt to their evolving needs, and our latest selection of portable devices addresses those needs with thoughtful technologies, including AI," said Jun Ouyang, Lenovo's Vice President and General Manager of the Consumer Business Segment, Intelligent Devices Group. "Our vision of delivering 'AI for all' places the individual user at the center, while emphasizing privacy and security."

Seeing is Believing - The Power and Flexibility of AI
Ushering in a new era, Lenovo's newest lineup of Microsoft Windows 11 Lenovo Yoga laptops come with Lenovo Yoga Creator Zone, an exclusive new software for creators, artists, and anybody looking to harness the power of generative AI in a simple and private way with security in mind. As an imagination sparkplug, Lenovo Yoga Creator Zone offers image generation, which transforms text-based descriptions or even sketches into stunning visuals without complex prompts, codes, or setups. Users simply type whatever they want to see, and the system instantly creates a visual representation.

With the reality of high performance Arm processors from Apple and Qualcomm threatening Intel's market share in the client computing space, Intel is working on learner more PCB-efficient client SoCs that can take the fight to them, while holding onto the foundations of x86. The first such form-factor of processors are dubbed -MX. These are essentially -U segment processors with memory on package, to minimize PCB footprint. Intel has fully integrated the PCH into the processor chip with "Meteor Lake," with PCH functions scattered across the SoC and I/O tiles of the processor. An SoC package with dimensions similar to those of -UP4 packages meant for ultrabooks, can now cram main memory, so the PCBs of next-generation notebooks can be further compacted.

Intel had recently shown Meteor Lake-MX packages to the press as a packaging technology demonstration in its Arizona facility. It's unclear whether this could release as actual products, but in a leaked company presentation, confirmed that its first commercial outing will be with Lunar Lake-MX. The current "Alder Lake-UP4" package measures 19 mm x 28.5 mm, and is a classic multi-chip module that combines a monolithic "Alder Lake" SoC die with a PCH die. The "Meteor Lake-UP4" package measures 19 mm x 23 mm, and is a chiplet-based processor, with a Foveros base tile that holds the Compute (CPU cores), Graphics (iGPU), SoC and I/O (platform core-logic) tiles. The "Lunar Lake-MX" package is slightly larger than its -UP4 predecessors, measuring 27 mm x 27.5 mm, but completely frees up space on the PCB for memory.

Intel today announced its first major branding change for its client-segment Core desktop and mobile processor family in over 15 years (since the introduction of the very first Core "Nehalem"). "Core" still remains Intel's main client-segment processor brand, but the way the company draws its processor model numbers, is being significantly changed. The company is also introducing the Core Ultra brand of premium processors. The new nomenclature also sees Intel discontinue the use of "generations" within the SKU name.

The current Intel naming scheme sees the company mention processor generation before the main brand Core. For example, the 13th Gen Core is Intel's current line of client-segment products. Right next to Core, Intel places the brand extension "i" followed by the product tiering number 3, 5, 7, or 9. The product model number follows, and even this model number tends to begin with the processor generation. For example, the "i9-13900" already conveys that it is a processor from Intel's 13th Gen Core family. This is where Intel is making its two main changes.