Intel has posted two product change notifications regarding the Gemini Lake Refresh, which is now reaching the end of its life. Launched in 2019 as a refresh to the original Gemini Lake, these low-end products had a longer lifespan than the original Gemini Lake (2017-2020). Most commonly found on low-end PCs, AIOs, and Mini PCs, these Gemini Lake Refresh CPUs were based on the 14 nm Goldmont Plus microarchitecture. Coming with up to four cores without HyperThreading, these CPUs were ideal for lower-power applications as their TDP was rated between 6-10 Watts.

Intel has separated the product change into two categories, with the first consisting of Celeron N4120, Celeron 4020, and Pentium Silver N5030, while the other features Celeron J4025, Pentium Silver J5040, Celeron N4020C, and Celeron J4125. Intel will ship the first group of CPUs by May 24, 2024, and the second by February 23, 2024. The last round of orders will go out by November 24, 2023, and August 25, 2023, respectively.

The upcoming Intel Core i3-N300 is an upcoming entry-level mobile processor that only has "Gracemont" E-cores, no P-cores, and yet somehow isn't branded under Atom or Pentium Silver. This isn't just because Intel retired the entry-level brands in favor of a generic "Intel Inside" brand to be used on entry-level notebooks; but very likely because of the way these chips are architected.

The i3-N300 and i3-N305 were spotted in separate Geekbench submissions discovered by Benchleaks. The chip is identified as having 8 cores and 8 logical processors (threads), but its cache is identified as being 4x 64 KB L1I, with 4x 32 KB L1D, 1x 2 MB L2, and 1x 6 MB L3. It's possible that the chip's design is very similar to a conventional "Alder Lake" processor—with a centralized L3 cache and client interconnect fabric, an uncore, and an iGPU; but with no P-cores, just the two "Gracemont" E-core clusters, each with 2 MB of L2 cache shared among 4 cores.

Akasa today introduced the Newton CAC fanless case for the entry-level Intel Atlas Canyon NUC boards. These NUCs are based around the Pentium Silver 6000-series and Celeron 4500-series "Jasper Lake" SoCs featuring up to 4 "Tremont" E-cores. The Akasa case offers full fanless cooling for the SoC, letting you use it as a digital-signage or AIoT box. The case has cutouts for nearly all of the Atlas Canyon's connectors, except the 9-pin external header for an additional front-panel. The case is made of anodized-aluminium with a ridged surface for heat-dissipation. The front- and rear-panels feature a brushed-aluminium finish with diamond-cut edges. It measures 178 mm x 117 mm x 44 mm. The company didn't reveal pricing.

ASUS today announced ASUS Chromebook CX1, an all-new lightweight and sustainable laptop with trendy aesthetics, and designed to empower modern on-the-go lifestyles. With up to a bright, clear FHD 14-inch display, ASUS Chromebook CX1 is powered by up to a quad-core Intel Pentium Silver processor. It's also engineered with WiFi 6 (802.11ax) and a long-lasting battery that delivers up to 12 hours of productivity on a single charge, handing users the freedom to breeze through everyday tasks. A 180° hinge allows it to be fully opened and laid completely flat on a desk or table, making it easy to share ideas, visuals, samples and designs when working with friends, colleagues or clients.

With smooth performance, robust security and convenient features, ASUS Chromebook CX1 is perfect for empowering seamless entertainment and productivity for everyone—and primed for the post-pandemic world of hybrid work and learning. ASUS Chromebook CX1 embodies pure style with a distinctively trendy look and feel. The lightweight, 1.47 kg design also embraces sustainability, incorporating recycled materials to make it more environmentally friendly. The 180° hinge allows the device to be laid completely flat on a desk, table or lap, making it easy to collaborate and share content with nearby friends or colleagues.

The next-generation of UP Board, a credit card-sized SBC (single board computer) was unveiled, revealing a mighty SoC at the helm, the Intel Pentium Silver, Celeron, or Atom "Apollo Lake." The UP 4000 is suitable for most embedded system projects in which you require the x86-64 machine architecture. Competing SBCs tend to be based on Arm or RISC-V architectures. The 85 mm x 56 mm board puts out an Ethernet interface, three 5 Gbps USB 3.0 ports, a type-C USB 3.0 port, and an HDMI display output, besides GPIO. The SoC is hardwired to 8 GB of single-channel DDR4 memory, 64 GB of eMMC storage, Available now for pre-order, the UP Board starts at $116.

Acer today announced that it will begin carrying PCs which run on Windows 11 SE, starting with the Acer TravelMate B3 and Acer TravelMate Spin B3 laptops. The portable 11.6-inch laptops were built to survive the school-day, boasting military-grade durability certifications and a 10-hour battery life, and now come pre-installed with Windows 11 SE or Windows 11 Pro Education. Additionally, the devices' chassis have been constructed with over 14% post-consumer recycled plastic.

Acer has been working closely with Microsoft in order to provide devices for pilot programs that bring Windows 11 SE to schools around the world. It is one of the first brands to carry devices featuring the new operating system.

Mini-PC pioneer Shuttle is currently marketing two space-saving Mini-PCs in a 1.3-litre format which are also very much at home away from the usual office environment. The DL20N and DL20N6 models are fanless Barebones from the "XPC slim" family in two different performance classes. The XPC slim DL20N version operates with an Intel Celeron N4505 dual-core processor. By contrast, Shuttle's DL20N6 features an Intel Pentium Silver N6005 processor with four CPU cores. The appropriate model can be chosen to suit the requirements of the project.

"Shuttle Barebones with this design, such as the predecessor DL10J, are, to our own surprise, being used in places that we would not necessarily have expected," explains Tom Seiffert, Head of Marketing & PR at Shuttle Computer Handels GmbH. "Their flexibility and reliability makes them ideal for kiosk, control and digital signage applications."

Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), the global leading motherboard, mini PC, notebook, mobile device, and smart solution provider, is proud to announce our participation at GITEX Global 2021 at the Dubai International Trade Centre HALL 4, C21, from October 17 to 21. ECS will be showcasing the brand-new LIVA mini PC series, AIO PCs, and motherboards for various vertical markets as well as for commercial applications.

The ECS LIVA Mini PCs provide various product categories with flexible functions to fulfill various smart solutions. The Mini PC Family - including the pocket-sized Q series, multi-functional Z series, industrial-grade M series, and ultra-powerful One series - is ideal for wide ranging applications. These applications include smart retail, transportation, digital signage for hotels and hospital, smart conferencing for business, intelligent edge computing for AI solutions, and home computing for long-distance working and for education.

GIGABYTE Technology, an industry leader in high-performance servers and workstations, today announced a newly designed ultra-compact, low power PC for the BRIX lineup, which adopts the latest 10 nm Intel Pentium Silver & Celeron Processor. Coupling that with support for 2933 MHz memory results in a 60% overall performance boost compared to the previous generation. Adopting a compact size, the new BRIX delivers powerful computing that fits perfectly in any IoT employment, whether for office use, education use, home use, digital signage, medical care, or KIOSK. It is also worth mentioning that the new BRIX provides powerful storage flexibility with dual storage (M.2 2280 + 2.5' SSD/HDD) and output flexibility with dual 4K/60P outputs for diverse applications, proving that only GIGABYTE BRIX can break the boundaries and offer unlimited possibilities.

BRIX uses the newest Intel Pentium Silver & Celeron Processor that offer amazing video conferencing abilities, faster wireless connectivity, improved overall application and graphics performance, and long battery life. BRIX with an Intel new 10 nm generation processor delivers unmatched balance of performance, experience and value for education and entry level computing. The platform includes ultra-fast Wi-Fi, 4K media support, next-gen Intel UHD Graphics, and improvements in security at a price point for users who want rich experiences at a great value.

Intel is giving finishing touches to the NUC 11 Essential, its next-generation entry-level NUC desktops powered by Pentium Silver and Celeron SoCs based on the 10 nm "Jasper Lake" silicon. Among the SoC options are the Pentium Silver J6005, packing a 4-core/4-thread CPU based on the "Tremont" microarchitecture, a Gen11 iGPU with 32 execution units, and a dual-channel DDR4 memory interface. The Celeron J5105 is the next best option, with slightly lower clock speeds, and the Celeron J4505, a 2-core/2-thread part.

The NUC 11 Essential comes with two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots supporting up to 16 GB of dual-channel DDR4-2933 memory. The Gen11 iGPU is leveraged to put out an HDMI 2.0b port, and a DisplayPort 1.4, both of which support 4K displays up to 60 Hz. Connectivity includes 802.11ax + Bluetooth 4.2 with audio offload; 1 GbE wired LAN, four 5 Gbps USB 3.1 type-A ports, and two USB 2.0 ports.A 65-Watt power brick is included. It measures 135 mm x 115 mm x 36 mm.

Google and the broader Chrome ecosystem continue to deliver innovative, cloud-first PC experiences with Chromebooks powered by Intel—from use in classrooms to go-anywhere connectivity for work and gaming.

"This past year has reminded us that the PC is an integral part of our lives," said Chris Walker, Intel corporate vice president and general manager of Mobile Client Platforms. "Intel and Google share a vision for delivering the computing experiences that matter most to people. Together, we have enabled the incredible growth and evolution of the Chrome ecosystem over the last decade to reach amazing levels of capability and performance. We're excited to build on this collaboration as we continue to drive innovation forward." Since the first device was introduced in 2011, an entire ecosystem has evolved and more than 100 million Chromebooks have made their way into the world for students and educators, general consumers and businesses. Over those 10 years, Intel has worked closely with Google and original equipment manufacturers (OEM) to enable more than 100 Intel-based Chromebook designs and drive new areas of innovation.

Acer today announced the new TravelMate Spin B3 (TMB311R-32) convertible laptop with military-grade durability, a device specially designed for classrooms. The touchscreen device features a Full HD webcam and blazing-fast Intel Wi-Fi 6, providing students with everything they need to succeed in interactive or virtual classrooms that make heavy use of media-based teaching materials.

Ultimately, the Acer TravelMate Spin B3 is a reliable device that strives to provide protection against common accidents, allowing parents and teachers to focus on what matters most: learning.

Hey, we're live from Intel's Event at CES. We expect to hear about Rocket Lake, and possibly get a glimpse into the future beyond that.

Intel is giving finishing touches to six new Pentium Silver and Celeron "Jasper Lake" entry-level processors. Built on the 10 nm silicon fabrication process, these processors leverage the "Tremont" CPU cores, or the "small" x86-64 cores Intel is deploying on its "Lakefield" Core Hybrid processors. The chips also feature a low-power trim of the company's Gen11 iGPU (same graphics architecture found in "Ice Lake-U" and "Lakefield" processors). The desktop SKUs consist of three parts with TDP rated at 10 W, while the three other mobile SKUs offer 6 W TDP.

The desktop lineup is led by the Pentium Silver J6005, a 4-core/4-thread part with 2.00 GHz clock speeds, up to 3.00 GHz "maximum quad-core burst speed," and 4 MB L2 cache. The Celeron J5105 is next in line, with 2.00 GHz clocks, 2.80 GHz burst speeds, a slightly slower iGPU, and 4 MB L2 cache. At the bottom end of the desktop lineup is the Celeron J4505, a 2-core/2-thread part clocked at 2.00 GHz with 2.90 GHz burst, and 4 MB L2 cache. The mobile lineup is led by the Pentium Silver N6000, a 4-core/4-thread part with 1.10 GHz clocks, 3.10 GHz burst speeds, and 4 MB L2 cache. The Celeron N5100 is right behind, clocked at 1.10 GHz and 2.80 GHz clocks. At the bottom of the stack is the Celeron N4500, a 2-core/2-thread part with 1.10 GHz base and 2.80 GHz burst.An Intel video presentation on the "Tremont" CPU core architecture follows.

A performance review of the Intel Core i5-L16G7 "Lakefield" Hybrid processor (powering a Samsung Galaxy S notebook) was recently published by Golem.de, which provides an in-depth look at Intel's ambitious new processor design that sets in motion the two new philosophies Intel will build its future processors on - packaging modularity provided by innovative new chip packaging technologies such as Foveros; and Hybrid processing, where there are two sets of CPU cores with vastly different microarchitectures and significantly different performance/Watt curves that let the processor respond to different kinds of workloads while keeping power-draw low. This concept was commercially proliferated first by Arm, with its big.LITTLE topology that took to the market around 2013. The "Lakefield" i5-L16G7 combines a high-performance "Sunny Cove" CPU core with four smaller "Tremont" cores, and Gen11 iGPU.

The Golem.de report reveals that Windows 10 thread scheduler is aware of the hybrid multi-core topology of "Lakefield," and that it is able to classify workloads at a very advanced level so the right kind of core is in use at any given time. The "Sunny Cove" core is called upon when interactive vast serial processing loads are in demand. This could even be something like launching applications, new tabs in a multi-process web-browser, or less-parallelized media encoding. The four "Tremont" cores keep the machine "cruising," handling much of the operational workload of an application, and is also better tuned to cope with highly parallelized workloads. This is similar to a hybrid automobile, where the combustion engine provides tractive effort from 0 kph, while the electric motor sustains a cruising speed.

One of the first performance benchmarks of Intel's upcoming low-power processor codenamed "Elkhart Lake," surfaced on the Futuremark database, courtesy of TUM_APISAK. The chip scores 571 points, with a graphics score of 590 and physics score of 3801. The graphics score of the Gen11-based iGPU is behind the Intel UHD 630 gen 9.5 iGPU found in heavier desktop processors since "Kaby Lake," but we predict it's being dragged behind by the CPU (3801 points physics vs. roughly 17000 points of a 6-core "Coffee Lake" processor. The chip goes on to score 170 points in Time Spy, with 148 points graphics- and 1131 points physics-scores. Perhaps Cloud Gate would've been a more apt test.

The "Elkhart Lake" silicon is built on Intel's 10 nm silicon fabrication process, and will power the next generation of Pentium Silver and Celeron processors. The chip features up to 4 CPU cores based on the "Tremont" low-power architecture, and an iGPU based on the newer Gen11 architecture. It features a single-channel memory controller that supports DDR4 and LPDDR4/x memory types. The chip in these 3DMark tests is a 4-core variant, likely a Pentium Silver engineering sample, with its CPU clocked at 1.90 GHz, and is paired with LPDDR4x memory. The chip comes in 5 W, 9 W, and 12 W TDP variants.

Intel is preparing to debut its next generation Pentium Silver and Celeron "Gemini Lake Refresh" low-power processors in November 2019. The latest company roadmap slide detailing low-power SoC rollout, sourced by FanlessTech, pinned their launch sometime between week 45-47 (November). These are two key variants of this silicon, J and N. The J variant targets low-power desktops and AIOs, while the N variant targets notebooks, tablets, and other portables.

"Gemini Lake Refresh" SoCs are built on Intel's latest 14 nm node, and pack up to four "Goldmont Plus" CPU cores, and the same Intel UHD graphics, but offer significantly higher clock-speeds on both the CPU cores and the iGPU. Leading the pack is the Pentium Silver J5040, clocked at 2.00 GHz with up to 3.20 GHz boost. This chip succeeds the J5005, which ticks at 1.50 GHz with 2.80 GHz boost. The table below details the other J and N series models with the clock-speeds and core-counts.

Intel's next-generation Pentium Silver "Snow Ridge" SoC, featuring "Tremont" CPU cores, could see the debut of an L3 cache to the segment. Intel CPU cores in this segment, such as the "Goldmont Plus," only feature shared L2 caches across 4-core modules. The introduction of L3 cache was indicated by a new performance counter "MEM_LOAD_UOPS_RETIRED_L3_HIT," with a description clearly mentioning a "level 3 cache." The introduction of L3 cache as the SoC's LLC (last level cache) could mean Intel is trying to improve inter-component communication by introducting the L3 cache as "town-square" for the various components of the SoC, such as the CPU cores, the iGPU, and the integrated chipset. The company could deploy a ring-bus interconnect that has ring-stops at the various components, and slices of this L3 cache. Intel is building the "Snow Ridge" silicon on its swanky new 10 nm silicon fabrication process, and the chip could see a 2020 debut targeting network infrastructure devices.

The latest version of Intel Graphics drivers which introduce the company's latest UWP-based Graphics Command Center app, hide another secret in their INF. The file has pointers to dozens of variants and implementations of the company's next-generation Gen11 integrated graphics architecture, which we detailed in a recent article. Intel will implement Gen11 on two key processor microarchitectures, "Ice Lake" and "Lakefield," although later down the line, the graphics technology could trickle down to low-power Pentium Silver and Celeron SoC lines, too, with chips based on the "Elkhart Lake" silicon.

There are 13 variants of Gen11 on "Ice Lake," carved using execution unit (EU) count, and LP (low-power) aggressive power management. The mainstream desktop processors based on "Ice Lake," which are least restrained in power-management, get the most powerful variants of Gen11 under the Iris Plus brand. Iris Plus Graphics 950 is the most powerful implementation, with all 64 EUs enabled, and the highest GPU clock speeds. This variant could feature on Core i7 and Core i9 brands derived from "Ice Lake." Next up, is the Iris Plus Graphics 940, with the same EU count, but likely lower clock speeds, which could feature across the vast lineup of Core i5 SKUs. The Iris Plus 930 comes in two trims based on EU count, of 64 and 48, and could likely be spread across the Core i3 lineup. Lastly, there's the Iris Plus 920 with 32 EUs, which could be found in Pentium Gold SKUs. There are various SKUs branded "UHD Graphics Gen11 LP," with EU counts ranging from 32 to 64.

Intel is facing a manufacturing crisis, in which demand has far outstripped supply, and the company is firing up all its silicon fabrication facilities to manufacture 14 nm products, mainly processors under the Core and Xeon brands. We've been hearing reports since early-September of Intel seeking out third-party foundries such as TSMC to manufacture its chipsets. We now get confirmation that TSMC will also manufacture entry-level Intel processors under brands such as Atom, Celeron, and Pentium Silver SoCs, leaving the company's socketed processors to Intel's fabs. DigiTimes does not name the third-party foundry as TSMC, but mentions that the only company that meets Intel's requirements at the moment is TSMC.

TechPowerUp and Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) bring you an opportunity to grab an ECS LIVA Z2 mini PC. The LIVA Z2 can be a great addition to your living room as an HTPC, as its HDMI 2.0-equipped graphics solution is capable of 4K UHD video playback, complete with 10 bpc HEVC hardware-accelerated decoding. We reviewed it recently. Its 802.11ac WLAN serves up sufficient bandwidth for 4K @60 fps video streaming, while Bluetooth 4.1 enables wireless keyboards, mice, and headphones to work in tandem. Its Intel Pentium Silver SoC also makes it sufficiently fast for basic productivity, and its VESA wall-mount lets you mount it behind your monitor and save space on your desk. Here's your chance to get one - simply fill up a form to help us get back to you, if you're the randomly selected winner, at the end of the giveaway on 13th September. Good Luck!

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Expectations of a budget Microsoft Surface tablet that would bring the company's reach to mainstream pricing ranges have been doing the rounds for years now. The company, however, has preferred to build on its product design chops on a higher margin market, going after Apple's usual product language. It now seems those days are over, as rumors and leaks have somewhat coalesced into an actual, impending product launch - if insiders are correct, this product should materialize this Friday, July 13th.

The new Surface tablet will launch starting from $399 under Microsoft's Education program, but configuration options should bring options up to the $829 mark. The screen is expected to be a 10" affair, with an 1800x1200 resolution. CPU options should start with Intel's "Gemini Lake" Pentium Silver N5000, a quad-core SoC with a 1.1 GHz base clock and up to 2.7 GHz boost. The more expensive versions will likely feature the Intel Pentium Gold 4410Y and the Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y, both based on the "Kaby Lake" architecture. Base configurations should carry 4 GB of DDR4 memory (configurable up to 8 GB), and 64 GB of storage (up to 256 GB), on a 562 g body and USB Type-C. A special-purpose Type cover and mouse will be made available as well.

The Core 2 Quad Q6600 quad-core processor is close to many a PC enthusiast's heart. It was the most popular quad-core processor by Intel in the pre-Nehalem LGA775 era, and continues to be found to this date on builds such as home-servers. Over a decade later, Intel's low-power Pentium Silver J5005 quad-core processor, which enthusiasts won't consider for anything, appears to have caught up with the Q6600. A CPU Passmark submission by a Redditor compares the J5005 with the Q6600, in which the latter is finally beaten. The J5005 scored 2,987 marks, compared to the Q6600's 2,959 marks. It's interesting to note here, that the J5005 is clocked at just 1.50 GHz, compared to the 2.40 GHz of the Q6600. Its TDP is rated at just 10W, compared to 95-105W of the Q6600.

MSI introduced the Cubi N 8 GL line of compact mini-PCs powered by Intel "Gemini Lake" Celeron and Pentium Silver SoCs. These include variants with Celeron J4005 and Pentium Silver J5005. Despite "Gemini Lake" chips featuring dual-channel memory support, the Cubi N 8 GL only features one DDR4 SO-DIMM slot, which supports up to 8 GB of DDR4-2400 memory. Storage options include either an M.2-2280 slot with both SATA 6 Gbps and PCIe 2.0 x2 wiring, or a 2.5-inch drive bay with SATA 6 Gbps. An interesting inclusion here is the Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 9461 WLAN card, which gives you 802.11ac (up to 433 Mbps), but Bluetooth 5.0. Other connectivity includes four USB 3.0 ports, HDMI 2.0 and D-Sub display outputs, and gigabit Ethernet. The company didn't reveal pricing.

GIGABYTE today rolled out a variant of its Brix S mini-PC barebone powered by Pentium Silver J5005 SoC (model: GB-BLPD-5005). This chip packs a quad-core "Goldmont Plus" CPU, and faster UHD Graphics 605 iGPU than the one which Celeron J4005 comes with. You add your own DDR4 SO-DIMM memory (up to 8 GB of dual-channel memory over two slots); and storage. Storage options include an M.2-2280 slot with PCIe gen 2.0 x2 wiring, and a 2.5-inch drive bay with SATA 6 Gbps interface (up to 9.5 mm-thick drives supported).

An included Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168 card sitting in its own M.2 slot (other than the vacant M.2-2280 slot) provides dual-band 802.11 ac and Bluetooth 4.2. Wired networking is care of a Realtek RTL8111HS controller, putting out a GbE interface. The Realtek ALC255 HD audio codec puts out stereo audio with around 89 dBA SNR. USB connectivity includes four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two up front, including a type-C port). Display outputs include one each of mini-DisplayPort 1.2a and HDMI 2.0a. Measuring 46.8 mm x 112.6 mm x 119.4 mm (HxWxD), it supports VESA mounting. The company didn't reveal pricing.