While the ASUS ROG NUC was certainly the star of the show at CES 2024, ASUS is clearly serious about getting behind NUC design that it acquired from Intel since it had a few standard NUC designs, including NUC 14 Pro and NUC 14 Pro+. Both are equipped with Intel's 14th Gen CPUs and use a more familiar NUC chassis design in low-profile and taller option that has an internal expansion tray for storage options.

The NUC 14 Pro is based on a standard 4x4 NUC form-factor with low-profile or 14 mm taller option that has a storage expansion tray. It will be limited to Intel Core Ultra 7 CPUs, but still supports up to 96 GB of DDR5 RAM and has two M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 slots (one 2.5-inch SATA SSD support in taller chassis), Intel WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 and 2.5 Gb Ethernet. It comes with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two HDMI 2.1 outputs, and a couple of USB ports, including 10 Gbps ones. The NUC 14 Pro+ is quite similar but can be equipped with up to Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU. ASUS actually went for a slightly different design with a whole new 5x4 NUC anodized aluminium chassis, mostly to give it a premium look but also give that Core Ultra 9 CPU a bit more room to breathe.

At CES 2024, Razer has updated its Blade laptop family spanning across various sizes, and even got a chance to present a "world's first" feature in a gaming product. The star of the Razer booth is the company's flagship Blade 16 laptop, which now supports 240 Hz refresh rate in its 16-inch OLED display format. Being the first to get there, Razer offers a high refresh rate at 2560 x 1600 QHD+ resolution. In addition to 0.2 ms response time and DCI-P3 100% color gamut, the display had VESA ClearMR 11000 and DisplayHDR True Black 500 certifications. At the center of the laptop is the 14th Gen Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, paired with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU with 175 Watt TGP. Pricing starts at $2999 for lower-end configurations and is available now.

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.

MSI made a really bold move building a handheld game console around an Intel Core Ultra processor, when traditional logic would've pushed them to the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme. The Claw is powered by a Core Ultra 7 155H processor with some tight power management by MSI. The 155H comes with a maxed out Arc Xe-LPG integrated graphics, with 8 Xe cores, worth 128 EU (1,024 unified shaders). In comparison, the Ryzen Z1 Extreme has a maxed out Radeon 780M with 12 CU worth 768 stream processors. Specs are just half the story, the design win the Arc Graphics gets from MSI as the primary GPU, over the Radeon 780M that comes from company that's been designing GPUs for close to 3 decades, is the main story here.

The MSI Claw is about the same size as an ASUS ROG Ally (powered by the Ryzen Z1), with a 16:9 1080p, 120 Hz touchscreen in the middle, flanked by two halves of the main controller. The MSI Center M is the main user interface, which runs on top of Windows 11. This has a game launcher, a platform aggregator (though not with a storefront), and will probably get some gamer social media features down the line. There are two variants of the Claw, the $749 main variant powered by the Core Ultra 7 155U, and a cheaper $699 variant that rocks a Core Ultra 5 135H (with 4P+8E CPU). Both come with a 53 Wh battery that's larger than the 40 Wh on the ROG Ally. The demo piece is the $749 model powered by the 155H, and was shown running "Assassin's Creed: Mirage" with XeSS enabled. Gameplay was butter smooth, and with reasonably good settings. The Claw is a much needed vote of confidence for the Arc Graphics team, more than anything.

EK, the global leader in premium PC water cooling, is proud to unveil something extraordinary for enthusiasts and builders alike. With an unyielding pursuit of excellence in liquid cooling aesthetics, EK once again sets new standards in design with its latest Quantum line product - the EK-Quantum Velocity² Edge D-RGB - 1700 Black and Silver Special Editions.

These Special Edition water blocks are a bold declaration of EK's commitment to aesthetic excellence. At the forefront of this design revolution is the top cover, featuring a striking assembly of irregular tetrahedrons that transform each water block into a piece of modern art. These tetrahedrons create a captivating interplay of light and shadow, adding a dynamic and sophisticated visual appeal to the water blocks. Designed specifically for the Intel socket LGA 1700-based platform, they fit Intel's 12th, 13th, and 14th generation Core CPUs. The cold plate, precisely machined of the highest-grade 99.99% pure electrolytic copper, ensures unparalleled heat transfer.

Schenker, one of Europe's leading PC OEM and systems integrators, updated its XMG line of premium mobiile workstations, with the XMG Neo 16 and XMG Neo 17, powered by 14th Gen Intel Core HX "Raptor Lake Refresh" mobile processors, which released on January 8. Both are power-packed beasts that offer maxed out gaming with ray tracing at their respective display resolutions. Both feature the top-of-the-line Core i9-14900HX 8P+16E processor, along with dual-channel DDR5 SO-DIMM memory. The machine supports user-configured processor undervolting, and Intel XMP 3.0 overclocked memory support. Out of the box, the i9-14900HX is configured for over 100 W base power, although the maximum turbo power can go over 150 W as per Intel specifications. Graphics sub-system is led by an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU with 16 GB 256-bit memory, and 175 W power tuning.

XMG's innovative OASIS air+liquid cooling solution tackles heat from the beastly i9-14900HX and RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. Connectivity includes a 100 W PD USB-C port. The notebook has an elaborate aluminium channel heatsink with multiple flat heatpipes, but there's also a liquid coolant channel with exterior fittings. The XMG OASIS accessory (purchased separately), can be quick connected to this, which contains a liquid cooling loop with a pump, reservoir, radiator, and probably something to deal with the residual air in the loop. You can opt for a CHERRY-sourced RGB-illuminated mechanical keyboard. The XMG 16 packs mostly the same hardware, except GPU choices offered between an RTX 4080 Laptop GPU and the top RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. It comes with a gorgeous 500 nits 16:10 display.

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.

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 is here, introducing powerful new features that boost Wi-Fi performance and improve connectivity across a variety of environments. Cutting-edge capabilities in Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 enable innovations that rely on high throughput, deterministic latency, and greater reliability for critical traffic. New use cases - including multi-user AR/VR/XR, immersive 3-D training, electronic gaming, hybrid work, industrial IoT, and automotive - will advance as a result of the latest Wi-Fi generation. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 represents the culmination of extensive collaboration and innovation within Wi-Fi Alliance, facilitating worldwide product interoperability and a robust, sophisticated device ecosystem.

Wi-Fi 7 will see rapid adoption across a broad ecosystem with more than 233 million devices expected to enter the market in 2024, growing to 2.1 billion devices by 2028. Smartphones, PCs, tablets, and access points (APs) will be the earliest adopters of Wi-Fi 7, and customer premises equipment (CPE) and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) equipment will continue to gain early market traction. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 pushes the boundaries of today's wireless connectivity, and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED helps ensure advanced features are deployed in a consistent way to deliver high-quality user experiences.

Lenovo's new gaming ecosystem debuted at CES 2024, with Microsoft Windows 11-based PCs, peripherals, software, and services that deliver on power, thermals, graphics, AI-powered advantages, and the freedom to build the ultimate system to game. The new PC portfolio includes the following new 9th generation Lenovo Legion 16-inch gaming laptops and towers:

• The Lenovo Legion 7i (16", 9), Lenovo Legion 5i (16", 9), and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 (16", 9) are for gamers who need a laptop that can handle their favorite games as well as their STEM apps.
• The Lenovo Legion 9i (16", 9) is for those who will settle for nothing less than the best in their gaming and content creation pursuits.
• The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (16", 9) and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (16", 9) are for gamers who need the ultimate in FPS, style, and screen.
• Legion Tower 7i and Legion Tower 5i are for those who need the extra horsepower of a top-tier gaming tower PC.
  Also new this year are the Lenovo LOQ 15IRX9, Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9I, Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9, and Lenovo LOQ 15AHP9 laptops and Lenovo LOQ Tower 17IRR9 for gamers beginning their journey up the leaderboards. New accessories, such as the Lenovo Legion M410 Wireless RGB Gaming Mouse and Legion K510 Pro Mini Keyboard, along with a new Lenovo AvatarMaster PC software app round out the upgraded ecosystem.

At the core of this new gaming lineup is the family of Lenovo's proprietary hardware AI chips—called LA AI chips-and the advantages they bring to both Lenovo Legion and Lenovo LOQ gaming laptops. First introduced last CES, this year's LA AI chips are mightier than ever, enabling Lenovo Legion and Lenovo LOQ laptops to achieve even higher FPS, increased power efficiency, and more. And with a selection of gaming laptops, towers, monitors, accessories and even the handheld Lenovo Legion Go announced last IFA, the new Lenovo gaming ecosystem lets gamers choose the exact setup they need to achieve gaming greatness and reach their "impossible".

Acer unleashes a series of powerhouse gaming laptops, headlined by the refreshed models of the Predator Helios 18 and Predator Helios 16. Acer also announced the new Predator Helios Neo 18 gaming laptop and major updates to the Predator Helios Neo 16, all outfitted with the latest Intel Core 14th gen processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptop GPUs with DLSS 3.5 technology and NVIDIA Advanced Optimus. NVIDIA RTX Laptop GPUs are packed with specialized AI Tensor Cores enabling unmatched AI performance and accelerations in creative apps, ultra-efficient productivity, blistering fast gaming, and more. The Predator laptops feature Microsoft's Copilot in Windows 11 and a dedicated Copilot key for quick access to AI-powered task assistance. They also come with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, giving gamers access to hundreds of high-quality PC games.

Gamers seeking a competitive edge will be thrilled with the Predator Helios 18 and Predator Helios 16 laptops as they come with options for captivating Mini LED panels, MagKey 3.0 swappable mechanical switch for shorter key travel and response time, and lightning-fast network speeds with Wi-Fi 7 compatibility.

During its "Transcendence Virtual Launch Live Event at CES 2024, ASUS has finally revealed a bit more details about its new ASUS Republic of Gamers NUC, codenamed Scorpion Canyon. The ROG NUC will be powered by up to Intel's Core Ultra 9 CPU and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, all packed in a 2.5-liter chassis.

The flagship CPU choice is the Intel Meteor Lake-H Core Ultra 9 185H CPU, a 16-core/22-thread CPU (6 P-cores, 8 E-cores, and 2 low-power P-cores) which has a 115 W maximum Turbo TDP and Boosts up to 5.1 GHz. The ASUS ROG NUC can also be equipped with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. The less expensive SKU pairs up the Core Ultra 7 155H with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU. The rest of the specifications include two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots with support for 32 GB of memory, three M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 x4 slots, Intel Killer WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, 2.5G Intel LAN, single Thunderbolt 4 port and plenty of other USB ports, HDMI and DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, and choice between Windows 11 Home 64-bit, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, or no OS.

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 Zephyrus G14 and Zephyrus G16, the latest in an illustrious lineup of supremely powerful thin-and-light gaming laptops. These machines feature a new CNC-machined aluminium chassis, a customizable Slash Lighting array, and a brand-new Platinum White colorway, while cutting-edge AI accelerated silicon from Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA stand ready to push gamers and creators to new heights of performance. Both the Zephyrus G14 and G16 come equipped with the ROG Nebula Display, stunningly color-accurate OLED panels that are also G-SYNC capable for incredible gaming experiences. Ultra-efficient cooling technology, including tri-fan technology, liquid metal, and vapor chambers on select models enable the Zephyrus G14 and G16 to breathe easily despite their ultra-portable designs.

Brand-new chassis design
The 2024 Zephyrus G14 and Zephyrus G16 have been completely redesigned inside and out. Both machines boast all-new and all-aluminium CNC-machined chassis for the perfect mix of weight reduction, structural rigidity, and increased chassis space. This allows for an edge-to-edge keyboard design, as well as the inclusion of larger and louder speakers with superior bass response down to 100 Hz. The speakers are 25% larger than the previous generation, with a 47% volume increase for more immersive audio experiences than ever before. The Zephyrus G14 and G16 also come with larger individual keycaps and a larger touchpad, for superior typing, precision scrolling, and fluid gaming. Both the 2024 Zephyrus G14 and Zephyrus G16 ship with three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, providing access to a library of hundreds of great games.

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 is reportedly bringing Application Optimization (APO) to its 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" and 13th Gen Core "Raptor Lake" processors after all, PC Gamer reports. APO is currently restricted to 14th Gen Core i9 and Core i7 "Raptor Lake Refresh" processors, and the upcoming 14th Gen HX Core i9 and Core i7 mobile processors based on this silicon. An extension of the Dynamic Tuning Technology (DTT), APO is an application-specific scheduler optimization that makes hardware resources of Intel's Hybrid processors "correctly" available to the application. This requires Intel to study the application itself, and validate its optimization on a per-processor model basis (which is Intel's explanation as to why it isn't available across all its Hybrid processors). On optimized games—of which there are currently 7—APO is found to offer frame rate uplifts ranging between 10% to 16%. At this point we don't know exactly which other 12th and 13th Gen processors Intel plans to extend APO to, but it's likely only to the Unlocked K or KF SKUs, as PC Gamer notes.

GIGABYTE has unveiled its new AORUS 17X and AORUS 16X 2024 laptops at CES 2024, showing off the new WINDFORCE Infinity cooling system and giving them a refresh with Intel 14th Gen CPUs and NVIDIA RTX 40 series GPUs. Both models come with up to Intel Core i9-14900HX 24-core CPU, GIGABYTE's AI Nexus technology, and the new WINDFORCE Infinity cooling system, which has all new fans, 0 db cooling, and 3D VortX technology, which uses four air outlets and two inlets combined with five sets of heatpipes.

The larger AORUS 17X laptop can be equipped with up to 17.3-inch QHD 240 Hz display, and in addition to the Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU, it can be also equipped with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. The smaller AORUS 16X laptop gets up to 16-inch WQXGA 165 Hz display with slim bezels, but sticks with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. Both also support Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, Copilot hotkey button, and a hefty 99Wh maximum battery capacity.

The mid range of Intel's 14th Gen Core desktop processor series finally sees some excitement. Announced on January 8, from the pile of 65 W 14th Gen Core processor models, the one chip that caught our eye was the Core i5-14600 (non-K). This isn't just a speed bump over the previous generation Core i5-13600, but comes with a cache upgrade. The i5-14600 6P+8E processor is based on the largest "Raptor Lake Refresh" die, just like the i5-14600K/KF.

What this means, is that each of its six P-cores now has 2 MB of L2 cache, compared to 1.25 MB of it on the i5-13600. What's more, each of its two E-core clusters that house its eight E-cores, gets a 4 MB L2 cache, compared to the 2 MB per cluster on the i5-13600. The six P-cores and two E-core clusters share a 24 MB L3 cache—no changes here, but there are clock speed uplifts. The P-cores boost up to 5.20 GHz, while the E-cores go up to 3.90 GHz. In comparison, the i5-13600 with a 5.00 GHz maximum P-core boost, and 3.70 GHz maximum E-core boost. Interestingly, the maximum turbo power value is unchanged between the i5-14600 and i5-13600, at 154 W. Intel is pricing the Core i5-14600 at $255. There is no Core i5-14600F SKU, which lacks integrated graphics, letting you save a further $20. The other 14th Gen Core i5 processors, namely the i5-14500, i5-14400, and i5-14400F, continue to be based on the older C0 silicon, with 1.25 MB L2 cache per P-core, and 2 MB of L2 cache per E-core cluster.

With the zeitgeist of AI technology taking the world by storm, MSI, a world-leading premium laptop brand, has taken it in stride through its professionalism over luxurious aesthetics, extreme performance and innovative technology. Announcing the world's first gaming handheld powered by Intel Core Ultra Processor - the Claw. Equipped with ARC graphics featuring up to 8 Xe cores and advanced XeSS technology, the Claw ensures smooth gameplay across various AAA titles. Its robust HyperFlow cooling system and a large 53Wh battery, coupled with Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, make it an exceptional handheld gaming device for gamers.

"In our commitment to enhancing the gaming experience for our users, we aim to address market pain points and dedicate efforts to the handheld space," said Eric Kuo, the Executive Vice President& NB BU GM of MSI. "We have fine-tuned specific designs tailored exclusively for gamers, debuting our very first handheld, Claw, which redefines the standards in the handheld market."

Intel today concluded its client-segment processor launch series with the introduction of the new 14th Gen Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" desktop processor family with 65 W (non-K) models. These would fill the gaps between the various unlocked "K" 125 W SKUs Intel launched in October 2023. All processor models in the series come with base power values of 65 W, with maximum turbo power ranging between 110 W for the Core i3 4P+0E processors, to roughly 154 W for the Core i5 6P+8E processors, to 220 W for the Core i7 8P+12E processors, and as high as 225 W for the top Core i9 8P+16E models.

The Core i9-14900 and i9-14900F offer a maximum P-core boost frequency in line with their K and KF counterparts, of 6.00 GHz, although their base frequency is lowered in line with their reduced base power. The Core i7-14700 and i7-14700F tick at speeds of up to 5.60 GHz. The Core i9 and Core i7 series processor models make use of the "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon that has 2 MB of L2 cache per P-core, 4 MB of L2 cache per E-core cluster, and up to 36 MB of L3 cache; while the 65 W Core i5 series is based on the smaller silicon that has 1.25 MB of L2 cache per P-core, 2 MB of L2 cache per E-core cluster, and up to 30 MB of L3 cache.

Intel's current generation mobile processor product stack is vast, to say the least. In Q4-2023, the company launched its Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" mobile processors spanning the U-segment (7 W to 28 W), and H-segment (35 W to 45 W). Today, the company capped the upper end of the stack with the 14th Gen Core HX-series mobile processors based on "Raptor Lake Refresh," which dial up core counts to 8P+16E. And now, the company is adding more choice to the U-segment with the Core Processor Series 1, based on a lower core-count variant of the "Raptor Lake Refresh" architecture.

The Core Processor Series 1 follows the same nomenclature as the Core Ultra, where the "Ultra" denotes the latest "Meteor Lake" architecture. Processor model numbering and case badges are similar between Core Processor Series 1 and Core Ultra, except the lack of the "Ultra" brand extension. These chips are built on the monolithic "Raptor Lake Refresh" dies on the Intel 7 foundry node, and lack innovations such as the Low-power Island cores, 3D Performance Hybrid architecture, the all important AI Boost and on-silicon NPU; as well as that 2x faster Arc Xe-LPG integrated graphics, but use existing combinations of "Raptor Cove" and "Gracemont" CPU cores, along with older Xe-LP graphics with up to 96 EU; and a mostly similar I/O.

Intel today announced the release of its 14th Gen Core HX series "Raptor Lake Refresh" mobile processors. Processor models from this series are supposed to cap off the upper end of Intel's mobile processor portfolio. Although Intel released the Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" mobile processors late last year, those chips cover the U-segment, and H-segment (ultraportable, thin-and-light, and mainstream); with the fastest model being the Core Ultra 165H, which caps out at 6P+8E+2LP. The HX segment, which started out as enthusiast-class, broadened in scope over the years to cover the bulky gaming notebooks and portable workstations. These chips typically have a power rating of 55 W. All chips have maximum turbo power rating of 157 W. Intel is tapping into its "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon to carve out these processors. This is a monolithic chip built on the Intel 7 process, and its package is a multi-chip module with an on-package PCH.

The lineup begins with the Core i9-14900HX, which maxes out the "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon, with an 8P+16E core-count, with 2 MB of L2 cache per P-core, 4 MB of L2 cache per E-core cluster, and a shared 36 MB L3 cache. The processor's full I/O is wired out, including support for dual-channel DDR5 (SO-DIMMs only), a PCI-Express 5.0 x16 connection for discrete GPUs, a PCI-Express 4.0 x4 connection for a CPU-attached M.2 NVMe SSD, and DMI 4.0 x8 link between the processor die and the PCH die. This PCH puts out up to 16 PCIe Gen 4 lanes, besides up to 12 Gen 3 lanes, which notebook designers can combine with discrete Thunderbolt 4 controllers, and the likes. You can expect Wi-Fi 7 to be prevalent in this crop of premium gaming notebooks. The i9-14900HX features a P-core maximum boost frequency of 5.80 GHz, and an E-core boost frequency of 4.10 GHz.

GIGABYTE Technology, a global leader in computer hardware, embraces the era of AI PCs by launching the world first AI-powered gaming laptop, AORUS 15 and AORUS 17, featuring Intel Core Ultra series processors and NVIDIA RTX 40 series laptop GPUs. Inviting gamers to be pioneers in experiencing AI applications from edge to cloud. The first-generation Intel Core Ultra processors come equipped with a dedicated AI Neural Processing Unit (NPU), specifically designed to accelerate AI applications. This not only reduces CPU loads and enhances energy efficiency but also significantly boosts processing speeds for generative AI software. Additionally, both models are paired with the full-powered NVIDIA RTX 40 series laptop graphic. This ensures a quicker computing experience for generative AI content creation, accelerating rendering times and providing smooth realizations, thereby supporting demanding professional applications.

⁠GIGABYTE is dedicated to creating a win-win experience for mobile gamers. When operating on battery power, users can benefit from the robust energy efficiency and convenience of Intel NPU. When plugged in, the NVIDIA RTX 40 series laptop GPU accelerates a variety of AAA gaming titles and professional applications, providing an all-day, intelligent entertainment and lifestyle experience. Last but not least, GIGABYTE's new AI Nexus control software and the built-in Microsoft AI assistant, Copilot, optimizes the user experience in terms of energy consumption and performance at the software level. This software assists in content drafting, report analysis, and creation of stunning presentations, as well as in image or video editing. Furthermore, the laptops incorporate Dolby Vision technology and Dolby Atmos for a truly cord-free, on-the-go premium performance, AI productivity, and immersive gaming experience!

NVIDIA Studio is debuting at CES powerful new software and hardware upgrades to elevate content creation. It brings the release of powerful NVIDIA Studio laptops and desktops from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, MSI and Samsung, as well as the launch of the new GeForce RTX 40 SUPER Series GPUs—including the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER and GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER—to supercharge creating, gaming and AI tasks.

Generative AI by iStock from Getty Images is a new generative AI tool trained by NVIDIA Picasso that uses licensed artwork and the NVIDIA Edify architecture model to ensure that generated assets are commercially safe. RTX Video HDR coming Jan. 24 transforms standard dynamic range video playing in internet browsers into stunning high dynamic range (HDR). By pairing it with RTX Video Super Resolution, NVIDIA RTX and GeForce RTX GPU owners can achieve dramatic video quality improvements on their HDR10 displays.

According to the latest round of tests by Phoronix, we are seeing proof of substantial performance gains Intel's 5th Gen Xeon Emerald Rapids server CPUs deliver when employing AVX-512 vector instructions. Enabling AVX-512 doubled throughput on average across a range of workloads, with specific AI tasks accelerating over 10x versus having it disabled. Running on the top-end 64-core Platinum 8592+ SKU, benchmarks saw minimal frequency differences between AVX-512 on and off states. However, the specialized 512-bit vector processing unlocked dramatic speedups, exemplified in the OpenVINO AI framework. Specifically, weld porosity detection, which has real-world applications, showed the biggest speedups. Power draw also increased moderately - the expected tradeoff for such an unconstrained performance upside.

With robust optimizations, the vector engine potential has now been fully demonstrated. Workloads spanning AI, visualization, simulation, and analytics could multiply speed by upgrading to Emerald Rapids. Of course, developer implementation work remains non-trivial. But for the data center applications that can take advantage, AVX-512 enables Intel to partially close raw throughput gaps versus AMD's core count leadership. Whether those targeted acceleration gains offset EPYC's wider general-purpose value depends on customer workloads. But with tests proving dramatic upside, Intel is betting big on vector acceleration as its ace card. AMD also supports the AVX-512 instruction set. Below, you can find the geometric mean of all test results, and check the review with benchmarks here.

Acer expanded its Swift family of thin and light laptops with new Intel Core Ultra processors featuring Intel's first neural processing unit (NPU) and integrated AI acceleration capabilities. Now even more performance-minded, capable, and intuitive for content creation, schoolwork, productivity, and play, the new Swift laptops' powerful processing and AI-supported features further the laptop's usability.

"After unveiling our first Intel Core Ultra laptops last month, we're debuting even more products in our Swift line to help a wider range of customers take advantage of premium laptop experiences and AI-supported technology for more exciting and effective PC use," said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, IT Products Business, Acer. "Plus, these laptops feature impressive updates that help customers do more - and do them even better."