Category: Laptop

Best Dell Monitor 2020

To decide which of the best Dell monitors to add to your PC or laptop, we focused our choices on the displays that our readers should reasonably expect to pay for an accessory. Dell technically sells $4000+ “monitors” that are larger than your TV and beneath those a variety of giant curved models and other premium devices that only a handful of professionals will need for color accuracy. What truly matters is that Dell sells several reasonably priced monitors that will appeal to any student, artist, or gamer in need of more desktop space, such as the excellent 27″ P2720DC USB-C Monitor.

Best Overall: Dell 27″ USB-C Monitor (P2720DC)

With its QHD resolution, the P2720DC strikes the right balance between gaming-centric or budget 1080p monitors that just don’t look amazing and the more expensive 4K monitors that cost as much as a laptop themselves. At 2560×1440 resolution with a high PPI density and 350 nits of brightness, you get a level of aesthetic quality that will fit the vast majority of shoppers’ needs without breaking the bank.

The Dell 27-inch Monitor supports the option to create custom desktop personalizations that squeeze as many applications as possible into each window partition. But you can also simply plug in your laptop via USB-C and not bother with any configuration, and leave your laptop charging via the monitor’s 65W power supply without needing to rely on your power brick.

The monitor itself is fairly compact in-depth, so you should have no trouble fitting it on your desk. And it can also swivel, pivot, and tilt in various directions for the perfect viewing angle, though the IPS panel design lets you see the screen clearly even at a 178-degree angle — potentially useful in a workplace setting. It has the same 5ms response time, and 60Hz refresh rate as the other non-gaming Dell monitors, which won’t win any gaming prizes but is good enough for non-competitive fun.

Pros:

  • Good price for QHD resolution
  • Plug-and-play
  • Laptop charges and connects to display via one cord
  • Flexible monitor screen movement
  • Easy Arrange saved window configurations
  • Same gaming, contrast, brightness specs as more expensive models

Cons:

  • Somewhat limited color range

Best Bargain-Priced Monitor: Dell 24″ Monitor (P2419H)

Monitor shopping for most shoppers is about compromise. Anything past certain spec benchmarks — 1080p resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, a certain level of brightness — is going to cost more than many customers are willing to pay. Because of this, these customers should choose a monitor like the Dell P2419H, which will extend your screen space for a low price even if it doesn’t offer flashy improvements like 4K.

Compared to other 1080p monitors, the P2419H stands out thanks to its adjustable stand. You can slightly raise or lower the monitor, tilt the screen upwards, swivel it left or right without moving the base, and even pivot it a full 90 degrees to make it 24″ tall, should that prove useful for whatever reason. In its normal state, you’ll find the narrow bezel along the top and sides, maximizing screen space.

Otherwise, its specs are fairly standard but have no weak points. We like that it has an IPS panel, which means you get a clear view of the screen at nearly any angle. A 1000:1 contrast ratio with 250 nits is a fairly regular baseline for value monitors that will look normal but lack the vibrancy and brightness of a more expensive unit. Its response time varies from 8 to 5ms, which, combined with a 60Hz refresh rate, proves this isn’t built for gaming but will work well in normal contexts.

If you do pick this model, try investing in a monitor light bar and help its brightness climb to more visually pleasing levels.

Pros:

  • Highly adjustable stand
  • Ultra-thin bezel
  • 8 various ports
  • Affordably priced
  • IPS panel

Cons:

  • Average brightness and contrast
  • Only 1080p

Best 4K Monitor for Creative Work: Dell UltraSharp 27″ 4K USB-C Monitor (U2720Q)

Buying a 4K monitor with a reliable color gamut is necessary for many industries; artists, photographers, engineers, web designers, and other jobs require you to know exactly what color is on the screen, so you’re certain what your audience will see on their own PC monitors. The 27-inch U2720Q may be the best Dell monitor for that role, as well as the best in its size category.

Featuring 3840 x 2160 resolution, 350 nits, a 1300/1 contrast ratio, and an IPS panel attached to a swivel-ready base, the Dell U2720Q display gives you a higher ppi (163), better streaming quality, and a more pronounced difference between lights and darks than any of the other monitors on this list by far. Out of the box, the colors are factory calibrated at 99% sRGB for a nearly full array of colors. Still, you can then adjust the settings to support 95% DCI-P3 for an even wider range, up to 1.07 billion colors in total displayed in all their 4K glory.

Another important perk of the Dell U2720Q is its USB-C DisplayPort, which can emit up to 90W of power to your laptop while also hosting the laptop through the same port. And, if the monitor turns out to have a defective pixel within the first three years of owning it, you can get it replaced for free. In fact, the main deficit of this model is true of any 4K monitor: it will seldom go past 60Hz because refreshing all the extra 4K pixels quickly is a fool’s errand.

Pros:

  • 4K display
  • 1300:1 contrast ratio
  • 95% DCI-P3 with built-in calibration
  • Most powerful 27″ DisplayPort wattage
  • Robust warranty
  • Good price for 4K device

Cons:

  • No variable refresh rate, FreeSync, etc.

Best Gaming Monitor: Alienware 25 Gaming Monitor (AW2521HF)

Want to feel like an eSports gamer? The Alienware 25 has some of the best specs for gaming that we’ve ever seen: a 240Hz refresh rate for ultrasmooth visuals, true 1ms response time for minimal lag, and new IPS tech that supports side viewing angles for fast-moving content. Add in AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G-SYNC for synced graphics with the monitor, and you’ll have an excellent overall gaming experience.

Of course, for the sake of hitting 240Hz, the display is only 1080p; it has a narrower color gamut than most other Dell monitors (16.78 million vs 1.06 billion). Outside of fast-paced gaming, regular content like 4K video streaming or video editing software won’t look as good as it would on another monitor. But if you can accept that, it’s a fair sacrifice to make for great gaming performance.

For the sake of optimized performance, Alienware provided a display menu that lets you change the monitor settings based on the genre of the game you’re playing. Design-wise, it has special cooling vents, so hardcore graphics don’t overheat the monitor, and the VESA-compatible mount lets you tilt, swivel and pivot your Alienware monitor (though not quite as much as the Dell P2419H. The AW2521HF has all the ports you’d ever need as well: USB upstream, two USB-C ports, two USB 3.0 ports (one with power charging), two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, and one Audio Line-Out.

Pros:

  • 240Hz
  • 1ms response time
  • FreeSync and G-SYNC
  • 400 nits
  • Affordable price
  • Display can be tilted

Cons:

  • Poor color gamut
  • Only 1080p

Best Ultrawide Monitor: Dell UltraSharp 38 Curved Monitor (U3818DW)

If you can afford it and have room on your desk, this monstrously large monitor offers all the desktop real estate you could ever need. The appeal of an expensive product like this is for consumers that would normally buy two monitors and are sick of passing content from one to the other with a real-world gap between them. With a 21:9 aspect ratio and 3840 x 1600 resolution, you can fit multiple rectangular windows on your desktop at once, which coders and creative types will find particularly useful.

The UltraSharp 38 won’t fit on every desk: including the stand; it’s 8.9 inches deep, so you’ll need to measure your desk and ensure you have room for your keyboard or laptop in front. But if you can make things work, it is a beautiful monitor that curves to keep your content pointed at you even on the sides. Along with the high resolution, it supports 99% of the sRGB color gamut (about 1.07 billion colors) and 350 nits, which should help for color accuracy when working on creative projects — though the 1000:1 contrast ratio is only average.

With its USB-C power port, it can keep your laptop charged without the need of a docking station. And unlike many displays, it has strong 9W speakers that produce a decently loud and rich sound despite the lack of a subwoofer. Just don’t rely on the UltraSharp 38 for gaming specs like a fast refresh rate or FreeSync.

Pros:

  • 38 inches wide
  • 21:9 aspect ratio
  • Stand has VESA support built-in
  • Over a billion colors supported
  • Good brightness

Cons:

  • Hard to fit on many desks
  • Average Hz, contrast ratio
  • Expensive

Bottom line

Choosing the best Dell monitor for you will truly come down to the type of device you plan on connecting to it. For instance, we included a couple of Dell monitors in our best external monitors for Chromebooks piece, but not the 4K, gaming, or photo editing models, as those features are less useful for a Chromebook.

Depending on the quality of your PC or laptop, you may want a display with a higher resolution or frame rate threshold than the average. In general, however, we feel that the 27″ P2720DC USB-C Monitor is a solid baseline outside of any spec exceptions. Many Dell monitors charge your devices via USB-C, have a VESA-compatible base that can be reconfigured to make room, and have a wide range of ports. But this model gives you these options at a much lower price, at the 27″ size that most consumers prefer to smaller or ultrawide monitors.

New MacBooks with ARM chips could debut in just weeks

New MacBooks powered by Apple’s ARM-based chips look set to debut sometime next month. 

At least, that’s according to reliable leaker Jon Prosser who says another Apple event will take place on November 17 where the company plans to launch new Macs with Apple silicon. 

To confirm, there IS a November ARM Mac event.I’m hearing November 17th. 🗓October 16, 2020

Prosser says the event will likely be announced a week in advance, or on November 10. 

We’ve been eagerly awaiting the launch of Apple’s first MacBooks with ARM-based processors. The company first revealed its plans to switch from Intel to ARM at WWDC in June, promising to launch the first Mac with Apple silicon before the end of this year. 

Delays caused by the coronavirus put that timeline in doubt, but it now appears Apple is on track to reveal a new MacBook this year. As for what MacBook to expect, some assume a new 12-inch model is coming while other prominent leakers say the MacBook Pro will be the first outfitted with Apple silicon. Leaks claim Apple has several variants of its custom chip, including one with eight cores and another with 12 cores. 

If Apple launches a new MacBook in November, it would be at the third major Apple event of the season. The company debuted the new iPad, iPad Air and Apple Watch in mid-September before all four variants of the iPhone 12 were showcased a few weeks later.

Apple Documents Confirm Two Mysterious New MacBooks

Now that the dust has settled over Apple’s predictable iPhone 12 launch event, our attention can turn to something genuinely revolutionary to come out of Cupertino… next month’s launch of the new macOS on ARM MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops. They’re definitely coming, as Apple’s latest documentary filings confirm.

As reported by Consomac, the details and model numbers come from certification provided to the Eurasian Economic Commission. 

Two details are worth nothing. The first is that many of the listings are for existing Mac machines. Given the upcoming release of macOS 11 Big Sur and the fact that Apple will ship the new Macs with the updated operating system these certifications for those older macs with the new code.

Three Mac model numbers (A2147, A2158, and A2182) have been previously listed in June this year. These could be different configurations of existing models, perhaps adding in more powerful graphics cards.

Which means the five new model numbers are likely Apple’s new Macs (model numbers A2348, A2438, A2439, A2337, and A2338). Three of these look to be deskbound Macs, and two look to be MacBooks. Given certification on EEC tends to happen close to the launch date (on the order of weeks), that ties in with the discussions around a mid-November product launch for Apple’s new MacBooks.

These will be no ordinary MacBooks. They will be the first ARM-powered Macs to go on sale, meeting Tim Cook’s proclamation at WWDC 2020 that hardware with Apple silicon inside would be available to buy before the end of the year.

Hand-picked developers already have access to ARM hardware through the Developer Transition Kit. This is a modified Mac Mini using the A12X ARM chip designed for the iPad family. Distributed to allow developers to work on macOS apps under ARM, this should ensure that many key titles will be able to run natively on ARM when the laptops are released.

For everything else, the assumption is that Apple’s Rosetta 2 will emulate the x86 Intel platform sufficiently well to allow older apps to run… although at this stage there are no confirmed details on what the emulation will support.

ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQX: 32-Inch 4K IPS Panel with 144 Hz Refresh Rate, G-SYNC, DisplayHDR 1400, and More

Chinese web store Taobao (via TFT Central) has listed one of ASUS’s most highly anticipated monitors, the ROG Swift PG32UQX. While a few of its core features were laid out by the company back in January (CES), Taobao’s listing reveals the display’s complete specifications, which look spectacular.

The ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQX is a 32-inch monitor that leverages a 4K (3840 x 2160p) IPS panel with full-array local dimming Mini LED backlight (1,152 zones). Supporting refresh rates of up to 144 Hz, the display boasts NVIDIA’s highest tier of G-SYNC certification – G-SYNC ULTIMATE – to ensure smooth, tear-free gameplay. It also happens to be ASUS’s first gaming monitor to meet the DisplayHDR 1400 standard, which implies 95 percent DCI-P3 coverage and a peak luminance of 1400 cd/m2 (4x that of typical displays, according to VESA).

Some of the finer specifications include a 10-bit color depth, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 178/178 viewing angles, and 4 ms G2G response time. The monitor also features Ultra Low Motion Blur (ULMB) technology for decreasing ghosting effects.

As for ports, the ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQX comes equipped with both HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4. This means that the monitor should be able to display 4K at 144 Hz and 10-bit color without any sort of compression (e.g., chroma sub-sampling, DSC). There’s also two USB 3.0 ports.

One of the reasons why 32-inch monitors with 4K, high-refresh panels are so anticipated is because this is the size where scaling is no longer necessary. As ASUS pointed out in its original post, 4K at 27 inches seems impractically tiny, but native UHD seems just right on a 32-inch display.

“Many users take advantage of 4K displays’ high pixel density by scaling up the Windows desktop for smoother text rendering, but for those who want to use all of the real estate available from a 4K resolution, the 32” diagonal expanse of the PG32UQX offers a pixel density better suited to running the Windows desktop without scaling,” the company wrote.

Taobao has the ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQX listed for ¥42,999 ($6,400), but we’re assuming that’s a placeholder. It’s also shipping in China in January, which suggests a possible Q1 2021 release stateside.

LENOVO UNVEILS AMD RYZEN THINKPAD C13 YOGA CHROMEBOOK

As AMD vowed, another Ryzen-powered Chromebook is now officially headed to market. Today, Lenovo has announced the ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook Enterprise. As the name implies, the latest addition to the ThinkPad line will be geared towards the business sector with an emphasis on security and versatility for the employee on the go. Like the recently announced HP Pro C645 Chromebook, the new 13.3″ ThinkPad will be powered by AMD’s “C-series” Ryzen processors up to the quite powerful Ryzen 3700C.

Lenovo did not list exactly which processors it will be offering in the new ThinkPad but presumably, it will include a lesser Athlon chip in addition to the more-powerful Ryzen. What’s more important and more interesting is the wide array of features to be had on the new Chromebook. For starters, the ThinkPad C13 features the familiar “pointing stick” found in the center of the keyboard. The iconic red “nub” is a quick-access tool that allows you to use your cursor without moving focus to your trackpad. Oddly enough, this feature just popped up in the Canary channel of Chrome OS just a few weeks ago. I’m very surprised to see a device with this hardware this soon. Anyway, let’s take a closer look at the new ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook.

Lenovo is offering the best of what’s around when it comes to available features on the ThinkPad. Users can opt for a fingerprint sensor that is wisely placed directly to the right of the trackpad. I prefer this placement over other devices that have opted for a sensor above the backspace key but that’s just me. There is also an option for a garaged stylus for users that are frequent note-takers or perhaps into graphic design. Lenovo didn’t specify whether or not the optional stylus is USI-compatible. However, it is our understanding that moving forward, stylus-compatible Chromebooks will support using a USI pen.

The 13.3″ convertible Chromebook will feature an FHD IPS display or touch panel. I’m not sure if that means there will be a clamshell model but I can’t imagine Lenovo producing a Yoga 2-in-1 that doesn’t have a touchscreen. Another interesting tidbit is that the announcement stated that “special customers” could request an optional 4K OLED display. Obviously, that ill cost extra and you’ll probably lose some battery life. Still, 4K is really nice. For security, Lenovo has added the optional fingerprint sensor as well as a privacy shade on the webcam. This Chromebook also features a second world-facing camera for “on-the-go” snapshots. Here’s a closer look at what the C13 Yoga Chromebook brings to the table.

Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook Enterprise

• Up to AMD Ryzen™ 7 3700C Series mobile processors

• Chrome OS (with Chrome Enterprise Upgrade)

• 13.3-inch FHD IPS or touch displays with narrow bezels2

• Less than 1.5kg (3.3 pounds) and 15.5mm thin

• Webcam with privacy shutter and optional touch fingerprint reader

• Optional world-facing camera for easy on-the-go snapshots

• Optional garaged pen

• 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C and 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports with an HDMI 2.0 port

• Wi-Fi 6 Wireless LAN and Bluetooth 5.0

Lenovo lists the Enterprise upgrade as part of the specs so we aren’t sure if you’ll see this device available to the general public anytime soon. For enterprise customers, Lenovo says that the ThinkPad will be available “shortly” which I would guess means in the next couple of weeks. The starting price will be $579 which is very reasonable for a versatile Chromebook but you can rest assured that the tricked out 3700C with all the fixin’s will likely be at or above the $1,000 mark. Regardless, this Chromebook will give HP a run for its money. We’ll get one in ASAP and let you know how the new AMD processor performs.

ASUS ROG Strix XG438Q 43in 120Hz Gaming Monitor Review

The XG438Q is based around a VA panel, with the usual characteristics of this technology. It has very high 4,000:1 contrast, and quite high 450cd/m2 brightness. On the downside, the pixel response is 4ms gray-to-gray, which is par for the course for VA. Brightness and contrast are sufficient to enable HDR-10 support, with the ability to display 90 per cent DCI-P3 gamut to go with it.

Since this is such a big screen, it’s not packed with the adjustment. You can tilt forwards and backwards, but otherwise the position is fixed on the stand, with no swivel or height raising. There are three HDMI 2.0 inputs and a single DisplayPort 1.4, so you can plug in multiple games consoles, media streamers and your PC all at the same time. There’s a USB 3.0 hub, but only with two downstream connections.

However, a screen this size, with this resolution and feature set, doesn’t come cheap. Priced over £1,000, the XG438Q is a premium screen for a premium gaming experience. Let’s find out if it delivers.

Specification:

Screen size: 43-inch, 16:9 aspect

Native resolution: 3,840 x 2,160

Curvature: None

Refresh rate: 120Hz, AMD FreeSync 2

Panel type: VA

Contrast ratio: 4,000:1 (typical)

Brightness: 450cd/m2

Response time: 4ms Gray-to-Gray

Display inputs: 3 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4

USB hub: Yes, 2 x USB 3.0

Tilt: 5 degrees forward, 10 degrees backward

Raise: No

Swivel: No

Portrait: No

Other: Audio output, audio input, 10W stereo speakers

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 5 review: Minor improvements, but it’s still among the best

One of my favorite laptops to review every year is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga. I’ve actually written five reviews of six units, and there have only been four previous generations. Some of my favorites were the second-gen model with its OLED display, and the third-gen model with Dolby Vision; it was also the last to offer the Lift and Lock keyboard.

I didn’t push too hard for this year’s model, the Gen 5, because not much has changed. Lenovo refreshed the Gen 4 with Intel Comet Lake processors last summer, so the biggest change with Gen 5 is the availability of Comet Lake vPro processors. Also, reviewers didn’t get to check out the Comet Lake Gen 4 models, since those were announced just a few days after the Whiskey Lake models were sent to us.

While not much has changed, that’s pretty much OK. This is still one of the best convertibles on the market, a premium machine that you can always count on. It has one of the best keyboards, a beautiful screen, and a solid aluminum build.

Specs

CPU10th Generation Intel Core i7-10610U Processor with vPro (1.80 GHz, up to 4.90 GHz with Turbo Boost, 4 Cores, 8 Threads, 8 MB Cache)
GPUUHD Graphics
Display14″ 4K UHD (3840×2160) IPS, touchscreen with Dolby Vision HDR 400, AR/AS, 500 nits
Body323x218x15.2mm (12×8.5×0.59″), 1.35kg (2.99lbs)
Ports(2) Thunderbolt 3 (Power Delivery, DisplayPort)
(2) USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (one always-on)
(1) HDMI 1.4
(1) Network extension for Ethernet/side mechanical docking
(1) 3.5mm headphone / mic combo
RAM16GB LPDDR3
Storage512GB PCIe SSD
Battery Up to 19.3 hours* (MM14) Up to 13 hours (MM18) 51Wh battery includes Rapid Charge support (requires 65W adapter)
Audio Dolby Atmos Speaker System 4 x 360-degree far-field microphones
Camera HD 720p with ThinkShutter privacy cover Hybrid Infrared (IR) & HD 720p with ThinkShutter
Keyboard Full sized, spill resistant Backlit with white LED lighting
ConnectivityIntel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 802.11AX (2 x 2) & Bluetooth 5.0 with vPro
ColorIron Gray
MaterialAluminum
OSWindows 10 Pro
Price$2,106.60

Note that the regular price is $3,511, but ThinkPads are never regular price. They’re always discounted in some way or another, and the unit that Lenovo sent me is $2,106.60 as configured.

Day one

Design

As far as design goes, the chassis hasn’t changed since last year at all. In fact, last year debuted the first aluminum model, marking a major change in direction. It’s clear that Lenovo takes very few risks with its ThinkPads at all, usually sticking to black colors and steering clear of metal chasses. This one is Iron Gray though, and it looks quite nice.

Exactly one thing changed about the design. For the second year in a row, there’s new branding. The Gen 4 debuted a new black ThinkPad logo and a new X1 logo. Now, those two are being combined into a ThinkPad X1 logo that sits in the corner. It’s literally the only way you can tell the Gen 5 from the Gen 4.

Lenovo does a great job with its aluminum business PCs, as they look clean and sophisticated, while remaining stylish. I noticed this when it debuted ThinkBook, its sort of anti-ThinkPad where it can try new things.

Another thing that hasn’t changed is the selection of ports. There are two Thunderbolt 3 ports, either of which can be used to charge, power dual 4K displays, and so on. And yes, these are full Thunderbolt 3 ports, as many devices only use the base spec, which supports one 4K monitor.

Next to one of the USB Type-C ports is an Ethernet connector, which is really meant to be used with Lenovo’s mechanical docks. Also on the left side is an HDMI 1.4 port, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The ports seem dated though, with an HDMI standard that doesn’t support proper 4K (at 60Hz) and a USB port that supports 5Gbps, something that I’m getting tired of seeing in premium PCs. I assume that this will change next year, and that it wasn’t done this year because this is mostly a spec bump.

On the right side, there’s another USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, along with a power button. And of course, there’s a pen garage, a staple of the product that’s been there since the beginning.

The pen garage is my favorite feature of the ThinkPad X1 Yoga that Lenovo hasn’t killed yet. If we were talking about features of all time, we’d be talking about the QHD OLED display that disappeared in Gen 3 and the Lift and Lock keyboard that disappeared in Gen 4, but I digress. A built in pen means that it’s not getting in the way like it would if it was magnetically attached to the side, it’s always charged, and it’s always with you when you need it.

Display and audio

As always, this PC comes with a 14-inch display, and there are several configurations, none of which are QHD OLED. The newest is a Full HD panel with Privacy Guard, Lenovo’s privacy screen that keeps people from looking over your shoulder. It’s not on the config that the company sent me; in fact, Lenovo has never offered me a Privacy Guard display on a review unit, so I really can’t vouch for it. HP has sent me several of its variants of Sure View display, and that’s quite good, but there’s a lot that goes into a good privacy display.

The other three options are FHD at 400 nits, QHD at 300 nits, and UHD at 500 nits with Dolby Vision HDR support. The one that Lenovo sent me is the UHD model. It always asks which one I prefer, and the answer doesn’t change. I like pretty displays. Lenovo actually usually ends up sending me an FHD model as well, just for the better battery life, but I don’t expect that that’s coming this year, being such a minor refresh.

If you’ve been following along so far, then you know the bezels haven’t changed at all, given that the footprint and display are the same size. The top bezel packs a webcam, an IR camera, and a ThinkShutter privacy guard, so you don’t have to worry about putting tape over it.

Right above the keyboard are two up-firing speakers that are part of the Dolby Atmos audio system, which is frankly excellent. There are also two woofers on the bottom of the device, for great all-around sound. It’s crystal clear and it gets loud too. I always like to think of just how bad the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 2 – the first X1 Yoga that I reviewed and possibly my favorite all-time PC – was in terms of audio and how far it’s come.

Keyboard and trackpad

One day I’m just going to accept that the Lift and Lock keyboard is gone. That day is not today. If you’re unfamiliar, Lift and Lock was a frankly brilliant innovation of Lenovo’s that made the keys retract into the keyboard when you folded the display back and used it as a tablet. It made it super comfortable to use. But obviously, there was a lot of mechanics that went into that, and that takes up space. When Lenovo shrunk the footprint with last year’s model, it was time for my favorite feature of any convertible laptop ever to go away.

Now that I’ve got that over with, this is one of the best keyboards around. ThinkPads keyboards are the Cadillacs of keyboards; that’s pretty well-known. They’re accurate, they’re comfortable, and you can count on them.

Obviously, they also include the TrackPoint, a relic from an age when trackpads on Windows PCs were terrible. Some people still love the TrackPoint though, and it’s a trademark of ThinkPads. Yes, all ThinkPads have one of these little red nubs. I’ve tried to get used to it, but frankly, it’s easy enough to ignore. If you really can’t stand it, I’d urge you to check out Lenovo’s ThinkBook lineup, which sheds a lot of these legacy parts.

The truth is that we don’t need TrackPoints anymore because we have good trackpads now. Yes, I’m talking about Microsoft Precision trackpads. I do love the physical buttons though, and you can bet that if the TrackPoint went away, the buttons would too.

You’ll also notice that it’s got a fingerprint sensor to the right of the trackpad. Just like the convertible form factor itself and the Lift and Lock keyboard, Lenovo was the first with a fingerprint sensor. ThinkPads have been using fingerprint sensors long before Windows Hello was a thing.

Performance and battery life

The model that Lenovo sent me for review includes an Intel Core i7-10610U, a quad-core CPU with eight threads and a 15W TDP. It’s the vPro variant of the Core i7-10510U. Interestingly, this is the highest-end CPU that’s available on Lenovo’s website right now, so you can’t get the hexa-core Core i7-10710U or the vPro Core i7-10810U.

Performance is fine, and it’s better than previous generations, obviously. Comet Lake is the only version of Intel’s 10th-gen processors that comes with a vPro variant, so the 10nm Ice Lake is out of the question. One thing about Ice Lake, however, is that it has Iris Plus Graphics, so the CPU power is here with Comet Lake, but the graphics power really isn’t. You can use it for some light Photoshop or something, but I wouldn’t go too much further. This is a productivity machine.

For battery life, I got about five hours doing regular with with the battery slider at one notch above battery saver and brightness at 50%. To be clear, this would probably double if you got the FHD model, and that’s why FHD models exist. They have a quarter of the pixels and can save a lot of power. QHD is a nice balance between the resolution of UHD and the power efficiency of FHD, but ever since Lenovo introduced UHD, it really hasn’t been using premium QHD panels.

For benchmarks, I used PCMark 8 and PCMark 10.


ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 5
Core i7-10610U		ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 4
Core i7-8565U		Dell XPS 13
Core i7-10710U		ThinkPad T14s
AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U		Dell XPS 13 2-in-1
Core i7-1065G7
PCMark 8: Home3,0332,9283,5014,2983,899
PCMark 8: Creative3,5383,3833,9664,5684,253
PCMark 8: Work3,0883,1013,3423,8573,797
PCMark 104,0053,8894,3144,9634,402

As you can see, the hexa-core Comet Lake Core i7 and the Ice Lake Core i7 both outperform the Core i7-10610U. And of course, AMD Ryzen 4000 blows away anything that Intel has in the 10th generation.

Conclusion

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga is a winner for the same reason that it’s always been a winner. It’s a well-built machine that passes a dozen MIL-STD-810G tests, and it’s reliable. It has one of the best keyboards around, excellent Dolby Atmos speakers, and a pretty display.

It’s not a winner for any new reasons because very little has changed. The bezels aren’t any smaller than they were last year, it’s still 2.99 pounds, and so on. And of course, I’m mad that there’s no QHD OLED option and no Lift and Lock keyboard.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing that the design hasn’t changed, and that the bezels haven’t shrunk at all. This is a business PC, and for businesses, everything about the ThinkPad X1 Yoga is more practical than anything else. It’s the best at what it does, which is providing a premium, reliable computing experience.

Lenovo Announces The ThinkPad X1 Nano: Intel Evo And 2K Display

The fall rush of laptop announcements is upon us, thanks to Intel announcing their latest 11th generation Core processor, codenamed Tiger Lake, and packaged as part of the Intel Evo program. Today Lenovo is announcing the new ThinkPad X1 Nano, featuring Intel’s Evo platform, as well as a few tweaks to the traditional ThinkPad design.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano
ComponentX1 Nano
CPUUp to 11th Gen Intel Core i7
MemoryUp to 16 GB LPDDR4x
Display13-inch 2160×1350 Dolby Vision
100% sRGB 450-nit
With or without Touch
StorageUp to 1 TB PCIe NVMe
WirelessIntel AX201 Wi-Fi 6
LTE 5G CAT20
LTE 4G CAT9
Bluetooth 5.0
I/OThunderbolt 4 x 2
Headset 3.5mm
WebcamIR with Human Presence
Battery48 Wh
Up to 65-Watt Type-C Adapter
Dimensions292.8 x 207.7 x 13.87 mm
11.5 x 8.15 x 0.55 inches
WeightStarting at 962 grams / 2.12 lbs
Starting Price (USD)$1,399
AvailabilityQ4 2020

Powering the new ThinkPad X1 Nano will be Intel’s newest 10 nm design, Tiger Lake, with up to a Core i7 processor. That also means it will feature the full 96 Execution Unit Intel Iris Xe graphics, and up to 16 GB of LPDDR4x memory. The X1 Nano will offer up to 1 TB of PCIe storage, and the 48 Wh battery is rated up to 17.3 hours.

Lenovo has finally made the jump back to 16:10 displays, with the X1 Nano featuring a 13-inch panel with a somewhat odd, but effective, 2160×1350 display. This “2K” display is a nice step up over a more traditional 1920×1200, coming in at 195 pixels-per-inch. It may seem like a small jump over the 170 pixels-per-inch of the 1920×1200, but will allow 200% scaling to work perfectly. It also won’t impact the battery life as dramatically as a “4K” panel would, so it seems like a nice balance. As seems to be the norm with Lenovo displays of late, this 100% sRGB panel features Dolby Vision, and can be had with or without touch.

The new laptop is also light. The ThinkPad X1 Nano weighs in at just 2.12 lbs. The device measures in at 11.5 x 8.15 x 0.55 inches, so it is not the thinnest, nor the lightest, but it is close.

There is plenty of connectivity as well, with Lenovo outfitting the X1 Nano with two Thunderbolt 4 ports. Not only does Thunderbolt 4 offer more performance, security, and features compared to Thunderbolt 3, it also provides full access to data, power, and video guaranteed in every port, unlike USB which has a long list of optional features.

Lenovo is implementing Intel’s Wi-Fi 6 solution, which is of course part of the Intel Evo platform, but they are enhancing that with LTE 5G CAT20 for those that need network on the go.

As a proper ThinkPad, the X1 Nano also takes security seriously, with a dTPM 2.0 chip, IR camera and Match on Chip fingerprint reader for Windows Hello logins, and a ThinkShutter camera cover.

The new X1 Nano will be available in Q4 2020, starting at $1399.

Dell announces new XPS 13 and XPS 13 2-in-1 with Tiger Lake processors

Dell has announced new refreshes to its XPS 13 and XPS 13 2-in-1. Both are powered by Intel’s 11th Gen Tiger Lake processors and will be available in the US and Canada on September 30th (and more countries in the coming weeks). The XPS 13 starts at $999; the 2-in-1 starts at $1,249. The new XPS was first teased onstage at Intel’s Tiger Lake launch earlier this month.

The upgrades mostly look like spec bumps. In addition to the new processors, both models have received a memory update: they’re now running LPDDR4x at 4,267MHz, rather than 3,733MHz. Like many other Tiger Lake flagships, they’ll also support Thunderbolt 4 and Intel’s Xe integrated graphics.

The 2-in-1 has also gotten a similar redesign to one that the early-2020 XPS received. What you’re most likely to notice is the new screen-to-body ratio. Dell says the convertible display is 7 percent larger than those of previous generations — you can tell that the bezels, particularly those on the top and bottom, have gotten smaller.

There are also new colors for the 2-in-1, which previously came in “platinum silver” and “arctic white.” Dell is describing the new options as “platinum silver with black carbon fiber composite palm rest” or “frost with arctic white woven glass fiber palm rests.”

Dell also announced a “developer edition” of the XPS 13. It’s a Linux-based device and the first laptop to come preloaded with Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. Dell is also offering a free Ubuntu 20.04 LTS download to anyone who owns an XPS 13 and wants to switch their system over, regardless of whether they have a developer edition.

Dell says the entire XPS 2020 line will arrive in “sustainably sourced” packaging that includes recycled, ocean-bound plastics.

Dell XPS 17 (9700) review: The 17-inch laptop is back, and it’s spectacular

Dell’s XPS lineup has been among the best for years, and the company has gradually refined whatever pain points it did have, such as when it used to put the webcam below the screen. But this year, the lineup underwent a major redesign, with Dell chopping down the bezels even more, something that I wouldn’t have guessed was possible.

The firm has long touted how small the footprint is on its laptops, always saying that the XPS 15 fits in the footprint of a 13-inch laptop, and that the XPS 13 fits into the footprint of an 11-inch laptop. With the XPS 15 fitting into an even smaller footprint this year, there was room for something bigger.

Dell announced the new XPS 17 in May, and it’s the first new XPS 17 in around a decade. If you read my review of the latest XPS 15, then there are pretty much two things to know. The screen is bigger, and it’s more powerful with Nvidia RTX graphics. In fact, it’s the first XPS laptop ever with RTX graphics.

Obviously, these specs are for the unit that Dell sent me. The base model starts at $1,399.99, although that one has integrated graphics, a Core i5-10300H, an FHD screen, and 8GB RAM.

Design

While the XPS 17 was introduced alongside the XPS 15 redesign in May, this design was actually first shown in January at CES with the XPS 13. This design consists of a 16:10 display, narrow bezels on all four sides, and no USB Type-C ports. Indeed, if you put the XPS 13, 15, and 17 next to each other, they look nearly identical except for being different sizes.

The Dell XPS 17 is indeed the 17-inch laptop that can fit into the footprint of a 15-inch laptop. The most important thing that that means to me is that it can fit into a regular-sized bag. That’s not always the case with 17-inch laptops; in fact, it’s pretty rare. It’s a bit heavy at five and a half pounds, but that’s the kind of laptop that this is. It’s got a lot of power under the hood, and it also fits into a small footprint. That combination makes the XPS 17 unique.

The top-down view is the one thing that looks the same. The chassis is made out of aluminum, and the laptop comes in a silver color with a chrome-colored Dell logo stamped in the lid.

The sides are silver-colored as well. This was a big change with the redesign since the sides have more traditionally been black. I think this gives it a much cleaner look. But as I mentioned, there are no USB Type-C ports, even on the 17-incher.

Instead, there are four Thunderbolt 3 ports, two of which are on each side. The bad news is that they’re not full Thunderbolt 3 ports, so if you’re like me and you work from a Thunderbolt 3 dock that has two 4K monitors attached to it, you won’t be able to use the full resolution. My workaround was to disconnect one of the monitors from the dock and connect it directly to the laptop. Still, it’s disappointing, considering how premium and powerful this PC is.

The cool thing about having two Thunderbolt 3 ports on each side is that you can charge the PC from either side. I know that this sounds like a small thing, but it’s really nice, and it’s a rarity in laptops.

Also on the right side, you’ll find an SD card reader and a 3.5mm audio jack. I’m kind of surprised that the SD card reader is there with everything else being cut, but I guess it’s nice that it’s there.

Display and audio

The screen on the Dell XPS 17 is a flat 17 inches, compared to 17.3 inches on a traditional 17-inch laptop. The reason for that is because this has a 16:10 display, and to be clear, being that it’s measured diagonally, this display is larger than a 17.3-inch 16:9 screen. It comes in your choice of 3840×2400 or 1920×1200 resolutions. Dell sent me the former, and it is absolutely beautiful.

It comes in at 500-nit brightness, so it works great in bright sunlight, and indoors, I only found myself using it at about 25% brightness. It also has 100% Adobe RGB, 94% DCI-P3, and a 1600:1 contrast ratio.

The colors are also nearly perfect, and that actually goes for whatever angle you’re viewing the display from. Dell promises a 178-degree viewing angle, and it delivers. You can look at this thing from any angle and not see any visible distortions.

Plus, it’s big. I’m not always a fan when companies make taller screens like this because it means that it’s also narrower. But at 17 inches, there’s plenty of screen real estate for everything.

The company also has something called Dell Cinema, which includes CinemaColor, CinemaSound, and CinemaStream. CinemaColor includes HDR technologies and more, and there’s actually an included app that lets you apply different display settings such as movie, evening, sports, and animation.

The bezels are small, but that doesn’t mean Dell removed the webcam, or moved it. It’s shrunken down to fit into that tiny top bezel, and there’s an IR camera for facial recognition as well. You’re not making any sacrifices in that department like you would have been in the old days.

CinemaSound has to do with the Waves MaxxAudio Pro speakers. There’s an app for that too, but this one is called MaxxAudio Pro instead of CinemaSound. The XPS 17 has large speakers on either side of the keyboard, and they sound fantastic. The dead giveaway is that it has both woofers and tweeters, a rarity on laptops.

Indeed, this has four speakers, two of which are 2.5W and two of which are 1.5W. Obviously, they’re used for different frequencies. If you’re looking for sound quality and volume in a laptop, you definitely came to the right place.

Keyboard and trackpad

The keyboard found in the XPS 17 is the same as can be found in its other clamshell laptops. Dell does have a technology called MagLev that it uses in the XPS 13 2-in-1 and XPS 15 2-in-1, but perhaps surprisingly, the technology didn’t make it into the smaller, redesigned clamshells.

Dell didn’t add a numpad, which is a decision that I’m happy with. I’m not a fan of the numpad, and it’s not even easy to ignore because it moves the regular keyboard to the left, leaving it off-centered. I’ll take the quad-speaker setup instead.

Key depth is 1.3mm, which is pretty standard for a consumer laptop these days. It’s quite comfortable to type on, and it’s definitely one of the better keyboards in a consumer laptop. If we were talking about commercial laptops, that might be another story, but we’re not talking about commercial laptops. I find that I make very few mistakes with this keyboard, something that I do appreciate after using some keyboards that I’ve had some issues with.

There’s a power button in the keyboard, which doubles as a fingerprint sensor. Unfortunately, you do have to scan your fingerprint after the PC boots up, as opposed to how everyone else with a fingerprint sensor in the power button does it, scanning your finger before it boots up.

Dell considers this to be a security issue, assuming that you might walk away from your PC between when you press the button and when it boots up and someone might sit in front of it. I have a bit more faith in the user than Dell does, and I think you’d get to know your PC and whether or not you’re safe to grab a cup of coffee while it’s booting up.

My favorite feature of the XPS 15 is on the XPS 17, which is that the Precision trackpad is massive. Huge trackpads are something that Apple introduced on its MacBook Pro PCs a while back, and I’ve been waiting for a Windows OEM to follow suit. If the real estate on the keyboard deck is there, I say use it. The large, clickable trackpad feels great, and it makes drag-and-drop operations a breeze.

Performance and battery life

Both performance and battery life are excellent on the XPS 17. This thing is great for anything. I used it for things from gaming with Forza Horizon 4 and Halo: Reach to 4K video editing to general work. Sure, there was the occasional bump in the road, particularly when it came to gaming, but it absolutely handled anything that I threw at it.

After all, this thing has top-end hardware for its class. It has an Intel Core i7-10875H processor, which has eight cores, 16 threads, and a 45W TDP. It’s the better Core i7 from the H-series, the other one being the hexa-core Core i7-10750H. It’s only bested by the Core i9-10885H, which is available in the XPS 17.

For graphics, it comes with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q with 6GB GDDR6. With RTX graphics, it supports things like real-time ray tracing and deep learning super sampling (DLSS). RTX graphics was how I knew it would support some solid gaming. You can get it with integrated graphics if you don’t want the power at all, or you can get it with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti.

Keep in mind that this is a creator laptop, not a gaming laptop. It uses a 130W charger, while most gaming laptops are closer to the 230W range, and it doesn’t have the thermals for it. This is primarily a work machine, but I’m here to let you know that it does have the power to play as well.

Even more impressive is battery life. I often say that you have to choose between power and battery life, and with the UHD+ display, you can bet that this uses a lot of power. I used it with the power slider one notch above the battery saver, and with the screen at around 25% brightness. I can tell you that you can easily get six hours out of this, and in many cases, you can take it further than that. With general work, I was able to get up to eight hours.

Of course, the touchscreen model comes with a 97Whr battery. In other words, this has one of the biggest batteries that you’ll find in any laptop (much larger and you can’t take it on a plane). The non-touch model comes with a 56Whr battery.

For benchmarks, I used PCMark 8, PCMark 10, 3DMark, VRMark, Geekbench, and Cinebench.

If you’re not the type to go through benchmark scores, all you need to know is that this is a powerful machine.

Conclusion

My biggest complaint about the Dell XPS 17 is that it doesn’t have full Thunderbolt 3 ports, which would have been able to handle two 4K displays on a single port. If that bothers you too, just wait for the next one. Intel’s next generation of CPUs is going to support Thunderbolt 4, which is really just the full Thunderbolt 3 that I’m describing. My other gripe is that there’s no cellular model. I realize that it’s something of a rare feature on more powerful laptops, probably because it uses battery, but I don’t care. It’s 2020 and I should be able to work from anywhere.

Let’s be clear that this is an absolutely incredible laptop that’s nearly perfect. It’s an absolute pleasure to use, no matter what you’re using it for. If you’re playing games, it can do that. If you’re streaming movies, it’s got a killer HDR display and stunning speakers. If you want to edit video, it’s got the power for that as well.

All of it comes in a beautiful chassis and yes, a small footprint. The fact that this thing has a 17-inch display and can fit in a regular bag is a feat of engineering. Honestly, the Dell XPS 17 is in a class all its own, and I can’t think of anything like it. If you’re looking for a laptop that can do everything, this is it.