XPG, a fast growing provider of systems, components, and peripherals for Gamers, E-sports Pros, and Tech Enthusiasts,is pleased to announce a new Intel collaboration for a 15.6"performance EVO certified ultrabook with thin and light form factor, the XPG XENIA Xe.

With a sleek and modem design, XPG XENIA Xe is built with a premium CNC anodized aluminium chassis with an overall thickness of only 14.9 mm (0.58 in) and weight of 1.65 kg (3.6 lbs). The ultrabook sports an Intel 11th Gen Core i5-1135G7 or i7-1165G7 processor, Intel Iris Xe graphics, a low power, high brightness 1080P Full HD IPS 15.6" display with capacitive touch, as well as XPG's very own PCIe Gen 4 high speed M.2 solid state drive (SSD).

The 11th Gen Intel Core S-series desktop processors (code-named "Rocket Lake-S") launched worldwide today, led by the flagship Intel Core i9-11900K. Reaching speeds of up to 5.3 GHz with Intel Thermal Velocity Boost, the Intel Core i9-11900K delivers even more performance to gamers and PC enthusiasts.

Engineered on the new Cypress Cove architecture, 11th Gen Intel Core S-series desktop processors are designed to transform hardware and software efficiency and increase raw gaming performance. The new architecture brings up to 19% gen-over-gen instructions per cycle (IPC) improvement for the highest frequency cores and adds Intel UHD graphics featuring the Intel Xe graphics architecture for rich media and intelligent graphics capabilities. That matters because games and most applications continue to depend on high-frequency cores to drive high frame rates and low latency. Designed to Game: With its new 11th Gen desktop processors, Intel continues to push desktop gaming performance to the limits and deliver the most amazing immersive experiences for players everywhere.Read the TechPowerUp Reviews of the Core i9-11900K and Core i5-11600K.

Intel Graphics tweeted a marketing splash screen of its upcoming Xe HPG gaming discrete graphics architecture. There's not much to the video, except announcing the Xe HPG logo. It starts off with a depiction of the Xe LP architecture, on which the company's Gen12 iGPUs and Iris Xe MAX entry-level discrete GPUs are based; and swells into a larger silicon that grows in all directions. The animation could be a hint that Xe HPG chips will be an order of magnitude faster than the Iris Xe MAX, target serious gaming, and take the fight to both NVIDIA and AMD.

Intel is designing the Xe HPG graphics architecture for third-party silicon fabrication nodes, such as TSMC and Samsung, and could leverage a sub-10 nm node to significantly scale up from the Xe LP. A recent report pointed to the likelihood of 512 execution units on a certain Xe HPG variant (4,096 unified shaders) and contemporary GDDR6 memory, while Intel has the necessary IP to pull off DirectX 12 Ultimate logo readiness, including raytracing. Intel is likely eyeing a slice of the e-sports hardware segment, although a high-end GPU cannot be completely ruled out. Watch the video from the source link below.

The 11th Gen Intel Core S-series desktop processors (code-named "Rocket Lake-S") launched worldwide today, led by the flagship Intel Core i9-11900K. Reaching speeds of up to 5.30 GHz with Intel Thermal Velocity Boost, the Intel Core i9-11900K delivers even more performance to gamers and PC enthusiasts.

Engineered on the new Cypress Cove architecture, 11th Gen Intel Core S-series desktop processors are designed to transform hardware and software efficiency and increase raw gaming performance​. The new architecture brings up to 19% gen-over-gen instructions per cycle (IPC) improvement for the highest frequency cores and adds Intel UHD graphics featuring the Intel Xe graphics architecture for rich media and intelligent graphics capabilities. That matters because games and most applications continue to depend on high-frequency cores to drive high frame rates and low latency.

Intel is expected to unveil its 11th generation Core "Tiger Lake-H" performance-segment mobile processor, and the highly anticipated 11th Gen Core "Rocket Lake-S" desktop processor family on March 18, 2021. The two will be launched on the sidelines of the 2021 GDC (Game Developers Conference), an online event. The agenda page of GDC mentions both "Tiger Lake-H" and "Rocket Lake." The "Tiger Lake-H" family of processors begin with quad-core SKUs based on the 4-core "Tiger Lake" silicon, extending to 6-core and 8-core ones based on a newer 8-core silicon. Both dies are built on the 10 nm SuperFin node, and combine Intel's highest-IPC "Willow Cove" CPU cores with a Gen 12 Xe iGPU.

The 11th Gen Core "Rocket Lake-S" has been unveiled back at the 2021 International CES (online event) in January, and is heading toward a mid/late-March launch. The chips pack up to eight "Cypress Cove" CPU cores, which are a back-port of Intel's 10 nm CPU core architectures to the 14 nm node, bringing the first IPC increase on the client desktop platform from Intel since 2015. At GDC, we expect Intel to detail individual SKUs within the 11th Gen Core processor family, giving us a broader idea of what chips will launch this month. The GDC backdrop also foreshadows the marketing strategy for Intel with both these platforms—gaming. The company will take advantage of the IPC uplift to present its processors as being better for gaming, and sufficiently fast in most client-relevant tasks. The GDC backdrop could also let Intel show off the ISV relations it's built with game developers, detailing how certain popular game engines are optimized for Intel.

Durabook, the global rugged mobile solutions brand owned by Twinhead International Corporation, announced today that it is taking rugged computing performance to new heights with its all-new S14I 14-inch semi-rugged laptop. The S14I laptop pushes the boundaries of semi-rugged design and innovation to deliver ultimate mobile computing experiences. The new generation S14I will be available in April and includes the following upgrades: the new Intel Tiger Lake 11th generation processors, the latest NVMe PCIe SSD solution and the Intel Iris Xe MAX graphics or the option of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 discrete graphics.

"Our refreshed S14I laptop takes semi-rugged devices to a whole new level," stated Tom Wang, Durabook Americas president. "This advanced version further enhances the unit's perfect combination of military-grade durability, certified with IP53 and 4-foot drop, field-worker functionality, computer performance, and long battery life of 12 hours. It is the perfect mobile device for today's demanding and diverse working environments with its DynaVue sunlight-readable technology. There is no wonder why the Durabook S14I is the most rugged laptop in its class."

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.

Cincoze, a professional manufacturer of embedded systems, has announced its new flagship GPU edge computing system, the GP-3000. Its crowning feature is an exclusive GPU Expansion Box that provides expansion for up to two high-end GPU graphics cards and creating a high-performance industrial-grade GPU computer. Brandon Chien, General Manager of Cincoze, stated that "We already know AI will drive innovation and expansion for industrial applications. The GP-3000 is Cincoze's answer for intensive image processing and complex calculations, such as deep machine learning, autonomous driving, automated visual inspection, and mobile monitoring. As our latest flagship model, the GP-3000 multiplies edge computing efficiency, amplifies productivity and reliability, and accelerates AIoT automation."

The GP-3000's extreme computing power starts with an 8th or 9th generation Intel Xeon or Core i3/i5/i7 (Coffee Lake and Coffee Lake-R) CPU, Intel C246 chipset, and supports two sets of DDR4-2666 ECC/non-ECC SO-DIMM up to 64 GB and can support up to two 250 W high-end GPU graphics cards. With a total system power consumption of 720 W, it's easy to meet and exceed high-efficiency application requirements. A precision heat dissipation and cooling design quickly wick away heat, keeping the focus squarely on the breathtaking performance of the GP-3000.

LG Electronics USA announced pricing and availability of the full line of 2021 LG gram laptops at LG-authorized dealers nationwide. Led by the CES 2021 Innovation Award-winning 17-inch LG gram 17, the 2021 line features stylish new designs and productivity-boosting 16:10 aspect ratio screens ideal for both productivity and entertainment.

The diverse lineup includes five exciting new models: LG gram 17 (model 17Z90P), LG gram 16 (model 16Z90P), LG gram 14 (model 14Z90P), LG gram 2-in-1 16 (model 16T90P) and LG gram 2-in-1 14 (model 14T90P) all with 16:10 aspect ratio screens designed around maximizing work efficiency. Offering more screen real estate than the 16:9 displays found on most laptops, the latest LG grams are able to show more information at any one time. The keyboard and touchpad have also been enlarged for extended comfort and efficiency without compromising the portability of these compact devices. The 2021 LG gram lineup also features an expanded range of color options including white, black, silver and green outer shells.

Here are some of the first pictures of the Intel Xe DG1 SDV, taken apart to reveal its rather desolate PCB. The Xe DG1 SDV isn't commercially available, but rather distributed by Intel to ISVs, so they can begin optimizing or developing for the Gen12 Xe graphics architecture. The board features a GPU ASIC that's nearly identical to the Iris Xe MAX mobile discrete GPUs, and four LPDDR4 memory chips making up 8 GB of video memory.

The Xe DG1 GPU is based on the Xe LP graphics architecture, and the silicon is built on the 10 nm SuperFin silicon fabrication node. The chip features 96 execution units (768 unified shaders); and apparently makes do with the 75 W power supplied by the PCI-Express slot. A frugal 2-phase VRM powers the GPU. The GPU uses conventional 4-pin PWM to control the fan, which ventilates a simple aluminium mono-block heatsink. Three DisplayPorts and one HDMI 2.1 make up the output configuration. While you won't be able to buy a Xe DG1 SDV in the market (unless an ISV decides to break their NDA and put one up on eBay), Intel has allowed a small number of board partners to develop custom-design cards. ASUS is ready with one. Igor's Lab has more pictures, a list of benchmark fails, and other interesting commentary in the source link below.

Intel has partnered with ASUS and Colorful to design and launch Intel Iris Xe discrete desktop graphics cards. The two new DG1 boards are targeted towards mainstream users and small to medium-size businesses. The cards will only be available to system integrators who will offer Iris Xe discrete graphics as part of pre-built systems.

These new desktop cards follow the launch of Intel Iris Xe MAX for notebooks, including many of the same features and specifications. The cards feature 80 execution units and 4 GB of LPDDR4X video memory which is 16 execution units less than the notebook version however we are unsure of what clock speed they will be running at. The desktop cards also feature the same three display outputs, hardware video decode and encode acceleration, including AV1 decode support, VESA Adaptive Sync, and Display HDR support along with artificial intelligence capabilities.

Update Jan 28th: Colorful has recently published an official statement clarifying that they will not be releasing an Intel Iris Xe Desktop Graphics Card, this means that Intel's other launch partner is currently unknown.

Intel SVP for architecture, graphics, and software, Raja Koduri, tweeted the first picture of the Xe HPC scalar compute processor multi-chip module, with its large IHS off. It reveals two large main logic dies built on the 7 nm silicon fabrication process from a third-party foundry. The Xe HPC processor will be targeted at supercomputing and AI-ML applications, so the main logic dies are expected to be large arrays of execution units, spread across what appear to be eight clusters, surrounded by ancillary components such as memory controllers and interconnect PHYs.

There appear to be two kinds of on-package memory on the Xe HPC. The first kind is HBM stacks (from either the HBM2E or HBM3 generation), serving as the main high-speed memory; while the other is a mystery for now. This could either be another class of DRAM, serving a serial processing component on the main logic die; or a non-volatile memory, such as 3D XPoint or NAND flash (likely the former), providing fast persistent storage close to the main logic dies. There appear to be four HBM-class stacks per logic die (so 4096-bit per die and 8192-bit per package), and one die of this secondary memory per logic die.

Intel has just launched its Rocket Lake-S desktop lineup of processors during this year's CES 2021 virtual event. However, the company is under constant pressure from the competition and it seems like it will not stop with that launch for this year. Today, thanks to the popular leaker @momomo_us on Twitter, we have the first SiSoftware entries made from the anonymous Alder Lake-S system. Dubbed a heterogeneous architecture, Alder Lake is supposed to be Intel's first desktop attempt at making big.LITTLE style of processors for general consumers. It is supposed to feature Intel 10 nm Golden Cove CPU "big" cores & Gracemont "small" CPU cores.

The SiSoftware database entry showcases a prototype system that has 16 cores and 32 threads running at the base frequency of 1.8 GHz and a boost speed of 4 GHz. There is 12.5 MB of L2 cache (split into 10 pairs of 1.25 MB) and 30 MB of level-three (L3) cache present on the processor. There is also an Alder Lake-S mobile graphics controller that runs at 1.5 GHz. Intel Xe gen 12.2 graphics is responsible for the video output. When it comes to memory, Alder Lake-S is finally bringing the newest DDR5 standard with a new motherboard chipset and socket called LGA 1700.

Intel has today quietly launched its newest generation of Next Unit of Computing (NUC) devices with some nice upgrades over the prior generation. Codenamed the "Phantom Canyon", the latest NUC generation brings a major improvement for the "enthusiast" crowd, meant mostly at gamers who would like to use a small form-factor machine and have decent framerates. This is where the Enthusiast NUC 11 comes in. With its 28 Watt Intel Core i7-1165G7 Tiger Lake CPU, which features four cores and eight threads clocked at the maximum of 4.70 GHz, this Enthusiast NUC 11 mini-PC is rocking the latest technologies inside it.

To pair with the CPU, Intel has decided to put a discrete GPU, besides the Integrated Xe model, to power the frames needed. The dGPU in question is NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 2060 model with 6 GB of GDDR6 VRAM, based on the last generation "Turing" architecture. For I/O, Intel has equipped these machines with quite a lot of ports. There is Intel AX201 Wi-Fi 6 plus Bluetooth 5 module, a quad-mic array with beam-forming, far-field capabilities, and support for Alexa. There is a 2.5 Gb Ethernet port, along with two Thunderbolt 4.0 ports for internet connectivity and other purposes (TB ports support fast charging). When it comes to display output, the Enthusiast NUC 11 has HDMI 2.0b and a mini DisplayPort 1.4 port. You can run four monitors in total when using the Thunderbolt ports. On the front side, there is also an SD card reader, and the PC has six USB 3.1 Gen2 ports in total. You can find out more about the Enthusiast NUC 11 mini-PCs here.

Intel is betting big on an 8-core processor to revive its gaming performance leadership, and that chip is the 11th Generation Core "Rocket Lake-S," coming this March. In its 2021 International CES online event, Intel disclosed more details about "Rocket Lake-S," including the first true-color die-shot. PC enthusiast @Locuza_ on Twitter annotated the die for your viewing pressure. For starters, nearly half the die-area of the "Rocket Lake-S" is taken up by the uncore and iGPU, with the rest going to the eight "Cypress Cove" CPU cores.

The "Cypress Cove" CPU core is reportedly a back-port of "Willow Cove" to the 14 nm silicon fabrication node, although there are some changes, beginning with its cache hierarchy. A "Cypress Cove" core is configured with the same L1I and L1D cache sizes as "Willow Cove," but differ with L2 and L3 cache sizes. Each "Cypress Cove" core is endowed with 512 KB of dedicated L2 cache (which is a 100% increase from the 256 KB on "Skylake" cores); but this pales in comparison to the 1.25 MB L2 caches of "Willow Cove" cores on the "Tiger Lake-U" silicon. Also, the L3 cache for the 8-core "Rocket Lake-S" die is 16 MB, spread across eight 2 MB slices; while the 4-core "Tiger Lake-U" features 12 MB of L3, spread across four 3 MB slices. Each core can address the whole L3 cache, across all slices.

Intel at its recent 2021 International CES call confirmed the existence of an 8-core version of its 11th Gen Core "Tiger Lake" processor, and held the chip for the camera. The visibly bigger chip will be slated in Intel's H-segment (35 W to 45 W TDP), meaning it will only power gaming notebooks and mobile workstations; while the mainstream mobility segment will still be in the hands of its 4-core "Tiger Lake-H35" silicon. The 8-core "Tiger Lake-H" processor will also receive reasonably high clock-speeds, boosting up to 5.00 GHz.

Assuming the cache hierarchy and uncore/iGPU setup is unchanged between the 8-core and 4-core dies, we're looking at 24 MB of shared L3 cache, and 1.25 MB of dedicated L2 cache per core. These alone take up a big slice of the die-area. Add to this, the uncore features a PCI-Express Gen 4 root-complex and memory controllers that support dual-channel DDR4 and LPDDR4x memory types. The iGPU is expected to be based on the same Gen12 Xe-LP architecture as the 4-core die; although its execution unit count remains to be seen. In all likelihood, the 8-core "Tiger Lake-H" silicon is based on the same 10 nm SuperFin node.

Intel at a January 11, 2021 online media event (which we live-blogged here) revealed more information about its 11th Generation Core "Rocket Lake-S" desktop processor family. These chips succeed the 10th Gen Core "Comet Lake-S," and are built on the same Socket LGA1200 package, retaining backwards compatibility with Intel 400-series chipset motherboards with firmware updates; and native support with the upcoming Intel 500-series chipset motherboards. Intel in its media event confirmed that the top Core i9-11900K is an 8-core/16-thread processor, which will deliver the highest PC gaming performance possible when it comes out.

In its media event, Intel revealed a side-by-side comparison of the i9-11900K with a machine powered by the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12-core processor, where it's shown offering a mostly mid-single-digit-percentage performance lead over the AMD chip. In the "Metro Exodus" benchmark prominently highlighted in the Intel event, the i9-11900K is shown offering an average frame-rate of 156.54 FPS compared to 147.43 FPS of the 5900X (a 6.17% gain). VideoCardz tweeted a leaked Intel presentation slide with many more game test results where Intel compared the two chips. Intel's play with marketing "Rocket Lake-S" to gamers and PC enthusiasts will hence ride on the back of gaming performance leadership, and future-proofing against the new wave of productivity apps that leverage AI deep-learning, as "Rocket Lake-S" features DLBoost VNNI extensions that accelerate deep-learning neural-net building, training, and AI inference performance.

In a world where computing is pervasive and intelligence is distributed across every surface - from the cloud to the network to the intelligent edge - Intel today at CES 2021 highlighted how it is driving technology leadership to define the future of computing for people, business and society. To help people navigate through this extraordinary time, Intel introduced new processors for business, education, mobile and gaming computing platforms - all designed to offer the premium PC experiences people deserve, with the most choices and no limits.

"Only Intel has the breadth of products spanning multiple architectures; the large, open ecosystem; sheer scale of manufacturing footprint; and deep technical expertise customers need to unlock opportunities in this era of distributed intelligence," said Intel Executive Vice President Gregory Bryant. "With an intense focus on execution for our core products and across our broader portfolio, we're introducing a series of leadership products at CES with more following throughout the year."

LG Electronics (LG) is bringing to the first all virtual CES 2021 its eagerly awaited lineup of new gram laptops. Ultra-light, ultra-portable and boasting exceptional performance and long battery life, the new models continue the brand's legacy of go anywhere computing convenience. Stylish new designs and productivity-boosting 16:10 aspect ratio screens add even more value to the company's versatile solutions.

The diverse lineup includes five exciting new models that are designed to maximize work efficiency: LG gram 17 (model 17Z90P), LG gram 16 (model 16Z90P), LG gram 14 (model 14Z90P), LG gram 2-in-1 16 (model 16T90P) and LG gram 2-in-1 14 (model 14T90P). Offering more screen real estate than the 16:9 displays found on most laptops, the latest LG grams are able to show more information at any one time. The keyboard and touchpad have also been enlarged for comfort and efficiency without compromising the portability of these compact devices.

ADATA XPG, a fast-growing provider of systems, components, and peripherals for Gamers, E-sports Pros, and Tech Enthusiasts, is bringing a slew of new gaming lifestyle products to the all-digital CES 2021. Under the theme of "The Future of Gaming," XPG will be out in force "digitally" to show off its latest and greatest must-haves for 2021, including a new gaming lifestyle ultrabook, next-gen DDR5 DRAM module, training software, gaming chewing gum, and more.

Following the heels of the XPG XENIA gaming notebook, XPG and Intel are moving their collaboration to the next level with the unveiling of the XPG XENIA Xe gaming lifestyle ultrabook. The XENIA Xe is geared towards users seeking an all-round ultrabook that is easy to carry around but also powerful enough to keep up with their modern lifestyle needs, including gaming, light content creation, and productivity. The XENIA Xe is a 15.6" EVO Ready gaming lifestyle ultrabook that sports a sleek and contemporary design that features a premium and elegant CNC anodized aluminium chassis. It has a svelte profile of 11 mm (0.4 in) at its thinnest, weighs in at 1.65 kg (3.6lbs), and offers up to 16 hours of battery life for excellent usability on the go. It comes equipped with an Intel 11th Gen Core i5-1135G7 or i7-1165G7 processor, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 15.6" 1080P Full HD IPS touch display with an 87% screen-body ratio, as well! as XPG's very own 1 TB PCIe Gen4 M.2 SSD. With plenty of expandability options, the possibilities for the XENIA Xe are nearly endless.

Intel's return to discrete gaming GPUs may have had a modest beginning with the Iris Xe MAX, but the company is looking to take a real stab at the gaming market. Driver code from the latest 100.9126 graphics driver, and OEM data-sheets pieced together by VideoCardz, reveal that its next attempt will be substantially bigger. Called "DG2," and based on the Xe-HPG graphics architecture, a derivative of Xe targeting gaming graphics, the new GPU allegedly features 512 Xe execution units. To put this number into perspective, the Iris Xe MAX features 96, as does the Iris Xe iGPU found in Intel's "Tiger Lake" mobile processors. The upcoming 11th Gen Core "Rocket Lake-S" is rumored to have a Xe-based iGPU with 48. Subject to comparable clock speeds, this alone amounts to a roughly 5x compute power uplift over DG1, 10x over the "Rocket Lake-S" iGPU. 512 EUs convert to 4,096 programmable shaders.

A leaked OEM data-sheet referencing the DG2 also mentions a rather contemporary video memory setup, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. While the Iris Xe MAX is built on Intel's homebrew 10 nm SuperFin node, Intel announced that its Xe-HPG chips will use third-party foundries. With these specs, Intel potentially has a GPU to target competitive e-sports gaming (where the money is). Sponsorship of major e-sports clans could help with the popularity of Intel Graphics. With enough beans on the pole, Intel could finally invest in scaling up the architecture to even higher client graphics market segments. As for availability, VideoCardz predicts a launch roughly coinciding with that of Intel's "Tiger Lake-H" mobile processor series, possibly slated for mid-2021.

Intel's 11th Gen Core "Rocket Lake-S" desktop processors could feature similar TDP values to their 10th Gen "Comet Lake-S" predecessors, according to Momomo_us. Intel is preparing to give the Unlocked "K" and "KF" SKUs a TDP rating of 125 W, while the locked non-K models feature 65 W rating. The lineup is led by the 8-core/16-thread Core i9-11900K, followed by the locked i9-11900 and iGPU-devoid i9-11900F; the slightly slower 8-core/16-thread Core i7-11700K, followed by the i7-11700KF, i7-11700, and i7-11700F; and the 6-core/12-thread i5-10600K and its derivatives.

The 11th Gen Core desktop processor series arrives in Q1 2021, and is based on the 14 nm "Rocket Lake-S" silicon, and built into the Socket LGA1200 package, with backwards compatibility with Intel's 400-series chipset motherboards, and native support for the Intel 500-series. The "Rocket Lake-S" die is rumored to feature up to 8 "Cypress Cove" CPU cores, a dual-channel DDR4 memory controller, a 24-lane PCI-Express 4.0 root complex, and an updated Gen12 iGPU based on the Xe LP graphics architecture. The "Cypress Cove" CPU cores are reportedly 14 nm back-ports of the "Willow Cove" cores, and feature a double-digit percent IPC increase over the "Skylake" cores.

Today, at Intel's Memory and Storage 2020 event, the company highlighted six new memory and storage products to help customers meet the challenges of digital transformation. Key to advancing innovation across memory and storage, Intel announced two new additions to its Intel Optane Solid State Drive (SSD) Series: the Intel Optane SSD P5800X, the world's fastest data center SSD, and the Intel Optane Memory H20 for client, which features performance and mainstream productivity for gaming and content creation. Optane helps meet the needs of modern computing by bringing the memory closer to the CPU. The company also revealed its intent to deliver its 3rd generation of Intel Optane persistent memory (code-named "Crow Pass") for cloud and enterprise customers.

"Today is a key moment for our memory and storage journey. With the release of these new Optane products, we continue our innovation, strengthen our memory and storage portfolio, and enable our customers to better navigate the complexity of digital transformation. Optane products and technologies are becoming a mainstream element of business compute. And as a part of Intel, these leadership products are advancing our long-term growth priorities, including AI, 5G networking and the intelligent, autonomous edge." -Alper Ilkbahar, Intel vice president in the Data Platforms Group and general manager of the Intel Optane Group.

Intel's upcoming 11th Generation Core i9-11900K processor boosts up to 5.30 GHz, according to rumored specs of various 11th Gen Core "Rocket Lake-S" desktop processors, sourced by Harukaze5719. According to this specs-sheet, both the Core i9-11900K and the Core i7-11700K (i7-10700K successor) are 8-core/16-thread parts, and clock-speeds appear to be the only apparent product segmentation between the two. The i9-11900K has a maximum single-core boost frequency of 5.30 GHz, and 4.80 GHz all-core boost. The i7-11700K, on the other hand, has an all-core boost of 4.60 GHz, and 5.00 GHz single-core boost. This time around, even the Core i7 part gets Thermal Velocity Boost.

11th Gen Core i5 continues to be 6-core/12-thread, with Intel allegedly readying an unlocked Core i5-11600K, and a locked i5-11400. Both parts lack TVB. The i5-11600K ticks up to 4.90 GHz single-core, and 4.70 GHz all-core; while the i5-11400 does 4.20 GHz single-core, and 4.40 GHz all-core. The secret-sauce with "Rocket Lake-S" is the introduction of the new "Cypress Cove" CPU cores, which Intel claims offer a double-digit percent IPC gain over the current-gen "Comet Lake," an improved dual-channel DDR4 memory controller with native support for DDR4-3200, a PCI-Express Gen 4 root-complex, and a Gen12 Xe-LP iGPU. The "Cypress Cove" CPU cores also feature VNNI and DLBoost, which accelerate AI DNN; as well as limited AVX-512 instructions. The 11th Gen core processors will also introduce a CPU-attached M.2 NVMe slot, similar to AMD Ryzen. Intel is expected to launch its first "Rocket Lake-S" processors before Q2-2021.

ASUS today announced ExpertBook B9, the next generation of the 2020 Red Dot Design Award-winning mobile powerhouse, which is proudly the world's lightest 14-inch business laptop. The latest ExpertBook B9 models inherit all the strong features of the previous generation. It's engineered with the latest cutting-edge up to 11th Gen Intel Core processors with built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics for serious performance and visual excellence, Thunderbolt 4 for flexible connections at warp speed, AdaptiveLock proximity sensor for ultrafast logins and security, and AI noise-cancelation technology for undisturbed video calls - perfect for the remote working patterns imposed by the current pandemic environment.

Despite these vast improvements in performance and functionality, ExpertBook B9 retains its prestigious record as being the world's lightest 14" business laptop - weighing a mere 2.2 lb. It also offers close to a full day battery life for on the go use. ASUS has also strived to make ExpertBook B9 an environmentally-conscious choice. It is both Energy Star 7.1-certified and rated by EPEAT Gold, offering an assurance of energy efficiency that reduces operating costs over the long term. Even the packaging is environmentally conscious and useful, with the accessory box transforming into a laptop stand for instant elevation with an ecological nod.