Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today unveiled the Razer Blade 18 (2024) - the pinnacle of high-performance gaming laptops. Building on the success of the award-winning Blade 16 and Blade 14 unveiled at CES 2024, the Blade 18 sets a new benchmark for gaming and creative work with its unrivaled desktop-grade performance, housed within a sleek anodized aluminium unibody form factor.

"The Blade 18 embodies Razer's relentless drive to push the boundaries of what a gaming laptop can be, with a host of world's first innovations," says Travis Furst, Head of Notebook & Accessories Division at Razer. "We are excited to deliver the Blade 18 as it ushers in a new era of Razer products equipped with Thunderbolt 5, including upcoming cutting-edge Thunderbolt accessories. With these innovations, the Blade 18 blurs the line between desktop performance and mobile convenience, ensuring our users are equipped with nothing but the absolute best to dominate in gaming and creativity."

The highly anticipated AORUS 16X, a brand-new 16-inch AI gaming laptop unveiled by the world's leading computer brand, GIGABYTE, is now available. Powered by the latest Intel Core 14th gen HX processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series laptop GPU, AORUS 16X sets a new standard for performance. Equipped with GIGABYTE AI Nexus technology, it optimizes power management and gaming performance while enhancing generative AI applications. Boasting patented innovations like the 4-sided Super-slim Bezel design and supporting Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, it creates a cinematic audiovisual experience unparalleled in its class. It holds the TÜV Rheinland Eye Comfort Certification and Pantone Validated color accuracy certification, which provide high comfort and confidence for extended use.

The AORUS 16X is powered by the latest Intel Core i9 processor 14900HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 dedicated graphics card. With a maximum graphic power of up to 140 W, it provides unmatched performance for gaming and creative tasks. The inclusion of NVIDIA Advanced Optimus technology (DDS) ensures seamless switching between integrated and dedicated graphics for optimal performance. Additionally, the WINDFORCE Infinity Cooling technology features the Icy Touch design and 0dB Cooling, enabling efficient heat dissipat ion during heavy loads, or maintaining a noise-free environment during low loads.

ASUS China has distributed Tianxuan 5 Pro laptop review samples to media outlets in the region—a video evaluation was uploaded to Bilibili yesterday, as discovered and shared by 9550pro. The reviewer, "Wheat Milk Mitsu," put his sampled laptop's AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX processor through the proverbial wringer—with benchmarking exercises conducted in Cinebench R23, PCMark 10, Counter Strike 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Metro Exodus and more. The Ryzen 9 7940HX "Dragon Range" APU was last spotted in the specification sheets for ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2024) laptop models—the mobile processor is essentially an underclocked offshoot of Team Red's Ryzen 9 7945HX. AMD's Ryzen 8040 "Hawk Point" series has received most of the attention in Western markets—we only see occasional coverage of older Zen 4 "Dragon Range" parts.

AMD's slightly weaker Ryzen 9 7940HX processor is no slouch when compared to its higher clock sibling, despite a lower base clock (2.4 GHz) and Turbo (5.2 GHz)—the Tianxuan (China's equivalent to TUF Gaming) branded laptop was outfitted with a GeForce RTX 4070 mobile GPU and 16 GB of DDR5 5600 RAM. Synthetic benchmark results in Cinebench R23 indicate a marginal 3.7% difference, and multi-core figures show an even smaller difference; 1%. The two Dragon Range APUs exhibited largely the same performance in gaming scenarios, although the 7945HX pulls ahead in Counter-Strike 2 frame rate stakes—328 vs. 265 at 1440p, and 378 vs. 308 at 1080p. AMD's convoluted naming schemes make it difficult to keep track of its many mobile offerings—a 7840HX SKU could join the Dragon Range family in Q1 2024. A few Western media outlets believe that a smattering of these parts are destined for global markets, but Team Red's Marketing HQ has not bothered to announce them in any official capacity. Strange times.

Technical specifications for ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2024) laptops have appeared online, and sleuths were intrigued by the inclusion of a new entry in AMD's "Dragon Range" mobile processor series. The autumn 2023 rumor mill had a number of lower positioned Ryzen 7045 models lined up in Team Red's future release schedule. Chinese hardware channel—Golden Pig Upgrade—named the Ryzen 9 7940HX processor as a leaked prime candidate within this batch of unreleased SKUS; their prediction has emerged as accurate—thanks to 2024 TUF Gaming portable PCs appearing with this choice of Dragon Range chip.

Team Red's Ryzen 9 7940HX retains the usual characteristics of Dragon Range—Zen 4 architecture, 16 cores + 32 threads, and 64 MB of L3 cache—but arrives with a 200 MHz lower turbo clock speed (max. 5.2 GHz) when compared to the slightly more potent Ryzen 9 7945HX (max. 5.4 GHz). The ASUS TUF Gaming laptop specification sheets do not provide any information about the 7940HX's base clock. Various media outlets believe that a Ryzen 9 7840HX (12-core) processor could arrive alongside the 16-core model, but have expressed confusion over AMD's nomenclature for Dragon Range product launches in Q1 2024. Team Red's system (see below) suggests that "8940HX and 8840HX" would be more appropriate monikers—perhaps various delays have resulted in certain 2023 products being pushed into the new year.

Acer today announced the Acer Nitro 17 (AN17-72) gaming laptop, unlocking improved performance, immersive experiences, plus essential features for playing and multi-tasking on the go. The device is powered by the latest Intel Core 14th gen processors, featuring Intel's Performance Hybrid Architecture with improved power and core frequencies to manage workloads efficiently. At the same time, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs with DLSS 3.5 technology. NVIDIA RTX Laptop GPUs are packed with specialized AI Tensor Cores enabling unmatched AI performance in creative apps, ultra-efficient productivity, blistering fast gaming, and more. Built with Microsoft Copilot and the next wave of computing, the Nitro laptop provides access to Copilot in Windows via a dedicated Copilot key, making it even easier to harness the power of AI to assist with productivity and creativity tasks.

Users can feast their eyes on immersive visuals and pristine colors on the device's 17-inch QHD display with a fast 165 Hz[1] refresh rate and support for the NVIDIA Advanced Optimus feature. The Nitro 17 is further supported by an advanced cooling system, AI-assisted communication features, and NitroSense software for full device control. To top it all off, the Windows 11 gaming laptop is shipped with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, providing access to a library of hundreds of high-quality games to be explored with friends on PC, console, or cloud.

GIGABYTE Technology, a leading global brand in the computer industry, debuts AORUS and GIGABYTE Gaming AI gaming laptops at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the United States, marking its entry into the new battleground of AI PCs. Today, the company launches the latest AI gaming laptops: G6X, G6, and G5, featuring up to the 13th gen. Intel Core HX series processors and NVIDIA RTX 40 Laptop GPUs. All three models the highest configuration come equipped with a Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, delivering robust AI generative content computing power.

The G6X, featuring the Intel Core i7-13650HX processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, excels at running diverse gaming titles and professional applications for creative content creation. It offers a quicker computing experience for AI generative content creation, enabling real-time and seamless realization of creative content. The laptops integrate with Microsoft's AI assistant, Copilot, assisting users in easier task creation and completion, thereby reducing daily workload and unlocking limitless productivity. In terms of audio, the entire series incorporates Dolby Atmos technology, delivering an unprecedented sense of depth, clarity, and detailed soundscapes. This not only enables gamers to accurately locate sounds and make precise strikes but also provides an unparalleled immersive experience.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the 2024 Strix family of laptops, including the Strix SCAR 18, the first 18-inch ROG laptop equipped with the mini LED ROG Nebula HDR Display. As the vanguard of gaming laptops, all 2024 Strix machines feature the latest flagship Intel Core i9 processor 14900HX, with the Strix SCAR 16 and SCAR 18 sporting up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU with 175 W max TGP. Paired with a complete suite of the latest intelligent cooling improvements, including Tri-Fan technology and Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal on both the CPU and GPU, the 2024 Strix family of laptops has arrived to dominate the competition.

Brilliant detail
This year marks the introduction of the first ROG 18-inch display powered by Mini LED technology. HDR content and games have arrived on the big screen with the arrival of the 2024 Strix SCAR 18, with its Nebula HDR Display boasting over 2000 discrete dimming zones and 1100 nits of peak brightness. On an 18-inch panel, this dimming zone density coupled with the ROG Nebula HDR Engine minimizes blooming and haloing even in challenging scenes, giving the Strix SCAR 18 incredibly vivid HDR performance.

Intel's upcoming Meteor Lake processor family will see the light of the day in mobile version only, with a big re-brand of the Intel Core i naming structure. Slated for a December 14th launch, we are eager to see the official performance figures. However, we are in for a treat today as we have some early performance figures thanks to Geekbench. According to the GB5 run found by BenchLeaks, Intel's Core Ultra 9 185H CPU has appeared to show its configuration, early performance, and boost frequency that is reaching beyond the 5.0 GHz mark.

As the GB5 run suggests, Core Ultra 9 185H is a 16-core CPU with 22 threads, running at 2.5 GHz base frequency. There are six P-cores, eight E-cores, and two SoC-cores on the package of this SKU. During boost, the CPU can reach up to 5.1 GHz and was paired with 64 GB of DDR5 memory. Interestingly, the CPU scored 1849 points in single-threaded tests and 9832 points in multi-threaded tests, which currently doesn't beat top-end Intel mobile HX SKU like i9-13980HX. However, we estimate this was an early engineering sample, and the final product will be more performant.

During its "Xiamen HighFun" event in China, Minisforum announced the latest addition to its compact series of gaming PCs, this time with no official name. The 6-liter system, code-named "Project RPFXI" for Intel and "Project DRFXI" for AMD, will support up to 100 W TDP and utilize the most powerful Ryzen CPU, the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D. This hybrid mobile/desktop processor combines the desktop-level performance of 16 Zen 4 cores with 144 MB of 3D V-cache, all within a 55 W power limit. Minisforum confirmed the 7945HX3D would be available in the AMD platform version, positioned as a premium model compared to the existing 7945HX system.

Interestingly, the GPU support is literally external, as the potential GPU needs to be attached to the outside part of the case, which is then secured using screws. The case could accommodate the fastest GPUs like NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 with a powerful enough power supply. The 6-liter mini PC is expected to launch in late 2023, either in 24-core Intel (HX line) configuration, of 16-core AMD configuration.

Intel recently updated its website to highlight interposers used for testing upcoming chips before their actual product integration. A specific webpage now showcases components used by various tools, notably the "Gen5 VR," which stands for CPU Voltage Regulator in this context. The highlight of the update reveals at least four yet-to-be-announced products: Battlemage (BMG), Arrow Lake (ARL), and Lunar Lake (LNL), slated for launch in 2024. Particularly interesting are the two Battlemage interposers: BGA2362-BMG-X2 and BGA2727-BMG-X3. This hints that a Battlemage GPU could have more pins than Intel's current top-tier GPU from the Alchemist series, known as DG2, which features 2660 pins (BGA2660-DG2-512EU).

This unveiling could indicate Intel's plans to introduce two GPUs in its new series or potentially two different package sizes. Manufacturers often use consistent package sizes for multiple GPUs, granting flexibility to interchange processors with similar specifications and presenting a feasible production strategy. Another notable mention is the Arrow Lake-HX, intended for premium desktop/laptop hybrids.. While there was some buzz about the ARL-HX series before, this update provides clear confirmation from Intel. Lastly, the reveal includes an interposer for the Lunar Lake-M series (LNL-M), which is expected to be Intel's most energy-efficient line. Drawing parallels from the Alder Lake series, such chips were designed for tablets with power consumption between 5 to 7 watts.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the new ROG Strix SCAR 17 X3D, the perfect fusion of cutting-edge silicon and ROG engineering. Featuring the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D mobile processor equipped with AMD 3D V-Cache technology for the very first time, the Strix SCAR 17 X3D takes performance to a whole new level. By doubling the L3 cache of the mighty Ryzen 9 7945HX processor, the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D gives users a boost in games that are hungry for this onboard ultrafast memory. Paired with a 240 Hz QHD display, Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal on the GPU, and a vapor chamber, the Strix SCAR 17 X3D is ready to dominate the leaderboards.

Making great processors even better
While the original 2023 ROG Strix SCAR 17 came equipped with AMD Ryzen 7000 Series processors, the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D is truly in a league of its own. It leverages the power of AMD 3D V-Cache technology, a stacking of extra ultra-high-speed L3 cache vertically on top of one of the two core compute dies (CCD). This extra cache enables the eight cores to perform certain calculations quickly and efficiently, notably in gaming. For situations where increasing CPU frequency simply doesn't show significant performance gains, 3D V-Cache technology holds the potential to unlock extra compute power.

Tipsters have noticed that ASUS is preparing a new high-end laptop with an unannounced AMD processor—the upcoming ROG Strix SCAR 17-inch model (G733PYV-LL046W,) will apparently sport a Ryzen 9 7945HX3D APU (with 128 MB of L3 cache). The inclusion of "X3D" in the processor's name has generated a lot of interest, given that Team Red's 3D V-Cache technology has existed mainly within mainstream desktop-oriented Ryzen 7000 and 5000 processor lineups. This leaked dual-CCD APU is probably being lined up to take on upper-echelon Intel Raptor Lake-HX processors, as well as refreshed variants.

The leak indicates that this APU will likely sit at the top of the Zen 4-based Dragon Range-H lineup—being a 5.4 GHz max. boost clock, 16-core/32-thread CPU, with a configurable TDP (between 55 W and 75 W) and Radeon 610M iGPU. The host ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17 laptop is no slouch thanks to some very generous hardware specifications, including a mobile NVIDIA RTX 4090 GPU, 32 GB of DDR5 memory, 2 TB SSD, and a 17.3" 240 Hz IPS display. Listed at 5599 AUD (~$3800) on Computer Alliance, or £3904.79 (~$5000) chez Lamba-Tek, you would expect the best possible performance for those prices. The two online retailers have not confirmed any concrete release dates for the high-end ASUS laptop.

ThundeRobot, a major player in China's laptop market, is set to release a new PC console, the MIX, which shares striking similarities with Alienware's bygone Steam Machine. The console, equipped with Intel's 13th Gen Core CPU and Nvidia's RTX 4060 GPU, is set to debut on July 21st, predominantly targeting the Chinese market. Though not as familiar a brand outside Asia, ThundeRobot enjoys a significant market share in the region as the third-largest supplier of consumer notebooks and gaming peripherals. Its product catalog rivals brands like Asus and Razer, with offerings spanning custom-branded gaming notebooks to gaming monitors, keyboards, mice, and controllers.

The upcoming MIX console boasts a compact size, nearly 60% smaller than an Xbox Series S, at only 1.7 liters. Despite the uncertainty around whether the console's RTX 4060 GPU is a mobile or desktop variant, ThundeRobot brags that it would feature one or more of Intel's new 13th Gen Raptor Lake HX-series mobile CPUs. The console's matte black finish and triangular front-right indentation echo the design of Alienware's Steam Machine, suggesting that ThundeRobot may have drawn some inspiration from the Alienware console PC. Priced at around 6000 Yuan, approximately $830, the compact yet potent MIX console is expected to launch soon in China, with no current plans for release in the United States.

The Intel Design tools webpage has this week once again provided an early preview of upcoming processors - following on from an LGA1851-MTL-S CPU interposer appearing on the site late last month - indicating that a Meteor Lake-S desktop CPU range was due at some point later in 2023. Intel's latest webpage entry features the "BGA2114-ARL-HX Interposer for the Gen 5 VR Test Tool" with an SKU code that reads: "Q6B2114ARLHX."

The BGA 2114 design points to a mobile processor platform, and industry analysts are fairly certain that Intel is preparing next generation high-end laptop CPUs in the form of its rumored Arrow Lake-HX lineup. This range is set to succeed the 13th generation Core-HX Raptor Lake family of mobile processors. The new BGA package looks to be slightly larger than the closest predecessor, possibly accommodating Intel's new "disaggregated" tile-based (tile is their term for chiplet) internal layout.