Category: Laptop

HP Envy 15 First Impressions

As you may recall, I recently reviewed the HP Envy x360 13 and loved it: This AMD Ryzen 4000-series convertible is one of the best portable PCs I’ve ever used, a near-perfect combination of performance, longevity, versatility, affordability, and quality. Part of the appeal of that machine is related to wear it sits in HP’s product lineup: The firm doesn’t put it this way, but the Envy family sits at what I call the sweet spot, bringing the best of HP’s premium—and more expensive—EliteBook and Spectre products to more affordable price points and thus to more people.

On that note, the HP Envy 15 isn’t a larger version of the Envy x360 13, not exactly. It’s not a convertible PC, for starters, it’s a more traditional laptop. But as an Envy, the Envy 15 exhibits many of the same qualities as the smaller Envy x360 13—specifically, the performance, longevity, affordability, and quality I noted above—but turns things up a notch. Where the Envy x360 is ideal for productivity scenarios, the Envy 15 appears to be an ideal solution for creative scenarios. This PC is for power users.

It starts on the inside with gaming-class components like 10th-generation Intel Core H-series processors—6-core Core i7 and 8-core Core i9 parts, depending on model—and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics, 32 GB of RAM, and 2 TB of PCIe-based SSD storage.

It extends from there to the display, a massive 15.6-inch panel that is available in Full HD (1920 x 1080) and 4K/UHD OLED (3840 x 2160) options, each of which is touch- and pen-capable, and the latter of which provides HP color calibration, 100 percent DCI-P3 wide color gamut support for accurate and consistent color reproduction, and VESA Display HDR True Black capabilities.

And then it inhabits all that I love about Envy, from the minimalist design—in this case, in a standard gray aluminum form factor—with subtle touches throughout. As a non-gaming PC (that can be used for gaming), the Envy 15 lacks a numeric keypad, which I very much prefer, providing instead the same basic layout—and typing experience—found on the Envy x360 13, but floating in a larger keyboard deck with large stereo speakers on either design.

This minimalist design can’t help but evoke the Apple MacBook Pro 16, which looks similar but costs many, many hundreds of dollars more and lacks many of the niceties one gets with the HP.

For example, instead of four Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports as on the Apple, the Envy provides 2 full-sized USB-A ports, 2 Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports, HDMI for video out, and a microSD card reader. Overall, you can connect up to three external displays to this PC if required.

And there are more subtle advantages like the physical webcam shutter, microphone mute switch, Windows Hello facial recognition (in addition to the fingerprint reader), and its superior display, processor options, and graphics.

Connectivity is modern, with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5, plus HP’s Network Booster for customizing network prioritization.

The HP Envy 15 is, of course, large and heavy compared to most traditional laptops, but it’s not bad for a 15-inch unit: It weighs about 4.6 pounds and is about .73 inches thick as its tallest point. There’s some serious thermal management going on inside the enclosure, and while I have heard a bit of fan noise during installs and the like, it’s been mostly quiet so far.

Battery life is allegedly amazing: HP rates the Full HD version at an incredible 18+ hours of battery life; I’ll test that, of course, but I’m reviewing the 4K/UHD version and the longevity will take a hit; HP says I can expect to see somewhere between 8 and 11 hours in video playback. But HP also outfits the Envy 15 with fast-charging capabilities, so you can get a 50 percent charge in 45 minutes. The power supply is enormous and has a barrel plug connector.

HP also outfits the Envy 15 with a wide range of software—too wide, one might argue—and some looks interesting. In addition to the Network Booster I mention above, there’s a Performance Control app for optimizing performance between default, performance, cool, and quiet modes; a Display Control for different color spaces, and even an AirDrop-like solution called HP QuickDrop that works with both Android and iOS.

So let’s get to the price. How much would you expect to pay for a potential MacBook Pro 16 killer?

Well, the HP Envy 15 starts at just $1150. For that cost, you’ll get a Core i7-1075H processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti graphics, 16 GB of RAM, 256 GB SSD, and a Full HD display. Not too shabby, right? But you can upgrade to a model with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q graphics and a 512 GB SSD for a total cost of $1400. Or to my review unit—NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q graphics, 4K/UHD OLED, and 512GB SSD + 32GB Intel Optane—for $1499. A top-shelf model with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q graphics, 4K/UHD OLED, 32 GB of RAM, and 1 TB of SSD will set you back $1899. As a reminder, the MacBook Pro 16 starts at $2399.

Folks, this one looks impressive. So impressive that I’m considering doing a longer-term review in the form of a “Living with” series of articles. More soon.

ASUS Introduces The World’s First HDMI 2.1 Certified Gaming Monitor

ASUS’s Gaming Brand, Republic of Gamers, announces that it will be releasing the world’s first HDMI 2.1 certified gaming monitor offering a screen size of up to 43 inches. This HDMI 2.1 certification has passed all compatibility and validation tests, which was conducted by Allion Labs, Inc.

ASUS Introduces the World’s First HDMI 2.1 Certified which features a 4K resolution and a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz

The new ROG monitor will be compatible with next-generation consoles with the HDMI 2.1 certification. The HDMI 2.1 port gives a full bandwidth of up to 48 Gbps to support 4K UHD, or 3,840 x 2,160 resolution. The display also offers a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz.

Allion Labs, Inc is an international company which has specialized in product testing. The Vice President of Logo & HW Validation Consulting at Allion Labs, Brian Shih, said, “ROG is the first partner to provide an HDMI 2.1 gaming monitor for certification. As a leading test lab in the world, it’s our mission to assure products or services before they are launched. We are thrilled to be part of the success of ROG and this groundbreaking gaming monitor.”

Allion Labs has subjected this monitor to a large number of different tests, including FRL Electrical, FRL Pixel Decoding, and FRL Protocol tests. All of these tests are labeled as Fixed Rate Link (FRL) tests, and ensure that this monitor will be completely compatible with upcoming HDMI 2.1 devices.

This monitor comes just before the release of the Xbox Series X and the Play Station 5, which are set to release later this year. ROG is planned to release three different models, having a variety of different screen sizes ranging from 27, 32, and even a 43-inch model. The variety of sizes means that if a gaming setup needs a smaller monitor but wants a high-end resolution and refresh rate, then they can purchase one of the smaller size monitors.

Sadly, at the time of writing, ASUS has yet to release any information regarding what these monitors will cost or when they will be available for purchase. ASUS has also not released any more technical specifications, like the type of panel and the video input ports.

Razer’s Sleek Blade 15 Gaming Laptop Hits $1,100

With Intel Comet Lake-based laptops out for a while now, gaming laptop mainstays with older processors are getting hefty price cuts. Take 2019’s standard version of the Razer Blade 15, which is now selling for $1,099.99. That’s $500 off its typical $1,599 price point.

This version of the Razer Blade 15 packs a last-gen Intel Core i7-9750H, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, 16GB of RAM and a 15.6-inch, 1080p display running at a 144 Hz refresh rate. While not on par with the current best gaming laptops, these specs should net some pretty stellar performance for this price point. The catch is the small 256GB SSD, though Razer’s laptop SSDs tend to be easy enough to upgrade.

When we reviewed the Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model, we praised its slick design and per-key RGB, which are also present here. Razer is known for branding, which lets it charge a premium, but if you’re willing to go last gen, this deal is a great way to circumvent that extra cost.

Dell finally addresses XPS 17 9700 and Precision 5750 charging woes, but the solution isn’t as simple as you may think

A few weeks ago, we started receiving multiple messages from XPS 17 owners about charging issues with their expensive new purchases. Though we were a bit skeptical at first, we were able to reproduce and confirm the problem on our own unit quite easily. Fast-forward to today and Dell now has a solution to the problem alongside an official statement below:

“Dell has identified an issue on a limited quantity of XPS 17 9700 laptops and Precision 5750 mobile workstations where users may notice their battery depleting at a higher than expected rate under sustained heavy workloads and while connected to AC power. Dell has rectified the behavior, and current orders for the products are unaffected. Dell will contact customers with potentially affected systems for resolution. Customers may also contact Dell Technical Support for assistance.”

The Good News

In a worse-case scenario alternative reality, Dell would have turned a blind eye to the problem before silently fixing it on the next generation model which some other OEMs might do. This is fortunately not the case as the manufacturer will now be actively reaching out to existing XPS 17 and Precision 5750 owners to work out a potential solution. You’re probably fine if you own an XPS 17 without the GeForce GPU, but those with the discrete GPU may want to kick start the process by contacting Dell technical Support first and initiating the conversation.

If you plan on ordering an XPS 17 or Precision 5750 starting today, then you won’t be having any of these problems at all.

The Bad News

Early adopters who were crossing their fingers for a simple software fix may be out of luck as Dell has yet to confirm what the fix will be. It’s looking likely that there will be no magical driver or file that Dell will provide for existing owners to download or else they would have done so already. A quick update would have been much easier than telling owners to call customer support. The resolution between Dell and affected customers may be on a case-by-case basis as a result and we will update this page should that change.

See our original page on the charging problem here to learn more about the issue in detail while our full review on the XPS 17 9700 can be found here. The XPS 17 is Dell’s most ambitious XPS laptop yet and so it’s perhaps unsurprising that the first ones out of the gate were facing some setbacks.

Surface Pro X begins testing new July firmware update for Insiders

Surface Pro X owners can snag a firmware update for their 2-in-1 device if it’s on an Insider build of Windows 10. We saw the update on a device in the Beta ring, but there’s a chance that the update is avaialble on other Insider rings as well.

We can confirm that the update, dated July 24th, updates the UEFI from 3.510.140.0 to the newer 3.517.140.0.

The firmware update doesn’t have a changelog at this point, but that’s normal for firmware updates for devices on Insider builds. A full changelog should become available once the firmware update becomes generally avaialble. While not set in stone, updates like this generally roll out a few weeks after they hit the Beta Insider ring.

Firmware updates don’t usually include new features, so it’s likely just a stability and performance update, though there’s a chance that it’s related to the new AI feature for eye contact during video calls.

A Photographer’s Review: The Dell XPS 15 Laptop

I’ve lived with the Dell XPS 15 laptop as my main computer for all my photo and video editing for the past year. Should you buy it for your photo editing? Here’s my full review of what it’s like as a creative content maker, warts and all.

As a creative professional that’s always on the go, I wanted to invest in a decent laptop in order to edit my content from wherever I am, whether taking shelter in the car from a snowstorm that blows over Iceland, in a coffee shop in downtown London, or simply sitting at home on the couch. I also wanted the biggest bang for my buck, so that’s why last year, I settled on the Dell XPS 15 9570 laptop.

Why didn’t I just go for a MacBook Pro? Well, mostly because I wanted to get the highest spec laptop for the least amount of money. And before you ask, it doesn’t really have anything to do with the operating system, because I know both intimately and am happy using them interchangeably. So, let’s start my review by looking at the specs I went with, and then I’ll detail how I feel about it now that I’ve lived with it as my main computer over the past year.

Full Specification

CPU: 8th Generation Intel Core i9-8950HK Processor (12 MB Cache, up to 4.8 GHz, 6 cores)

RAM: 32 GB 2x16GB DDR4-2666MHz

Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti with 4 GB GDDR5

Storage: 1 TB M.2 2280 PCIe Solid State Drive

Screen: 15.6″ 4K Ultra HD (3,840 x 2,160) InfinityEdge Anti-Reflective Touch IPS 100% AdobeRGB 400 Nits display

Operating System: Windows 10 Pro, 64-bit

It’s Still Fast

After a few tweaks in Lightroom this past month, the laptop is still running faster than ever. Thanks to the powerful Intel i9 CPU and the speedy SSD, image buffering and recall are quick. It doesn’t slow down when editing big video projects in Adobe Premiere Pro, either. I run CCleaner every now and again to do a bit of cleanup here and there, tidying the registry as I install and uninstall software, but once you’ve swapped from an old HDD to an SSD, you’ll know that this doesn’t make a huge difference anyway.

Trackpad Repairs Were Needed

I had an issue with my trackpad, in which the cursor kept skipping and jumping all over the page. Occasionally, the cursor would grab onto something and drag it across the screen, which is a real pain in the neck. Luckily it was under warranty, and I had a Dell-approved service repair center fix it for me. There’s a small rubber notch that sits under the trackpad, and if installed incorrectly, the pad clicks and feels odd to the touch. But it took the engineers three separate visits before it was working properly again.

In the end, the service operator had to replace the whole trackpad and the keyboard as well. I was not impressed. I requested an extension of my warranty (which was due to end in just a couple of weeks’ time at that point), but Dell didn’t want to do that. It screamed “planned obsolescence” to me, something that I abhor, but has been okay in the few months since.

It’s Easy to Repair and Upgrade

After the service operator took it apart in my home right in front of me, (this was pre-COVID), I was impressed with how easy every component was to access. A few screws and a couple of clip-on cables looms and most things popped out of the case quite easily. It’s definitely something I’d be happy doing if parts needed repairing or upgrading in the future; there’s plenty of space inside, so it makes things easy to fiddle with. I can’t say the same for MacBook Pros I’ve repaired in the past; they’re a lot trickier in my experience.

Great Battery Life

The battery life in the Dell XPS 15 is great. Even with the larger 15.6″ 4K touchscreen, the battery (6-Cell 97 WHr integrated) lasts several hours happily when out on location editing. When I know I’ll be out shooting and editing all day, or running through airports, I’ll also take my Dell Power Companion (18,000 mAh)-PW7015L, which provides another big charge to see me through another few hours of editing.

The Fans Can Get Loud

If you want to edit big batches of files in peace, then get some music on the go or wear headphones. The Dell XPS 15 isn’t actually all that loud when compared with a new version of the MacBook Pro, but you can certainly tell it has fans when things get going. That’s actually pretty good, because you want a cool laptop so components don’t fry, but pair that with the placement of the vents (on the bottom, towards the back), and you can easily burn your legs if you don’t use a tray when not at a desk. 

Biometric Login Drivers Fail

I’ve repeatedly reinstalled the biometric fingerprint drivers on this laptop, and the issue persists, even after BIOS, OS, and other drivers were updated. I’m not sure why this is, and to be honest, it ruins the otherwise speedy boot time when it goes wrong. That said, there are two other options for signing in, including a PIN and password. But this is more of a Windows 10 feature than a Dell thing. The fingerprint reader feels sturdy though and also doubles as the power button. 

Phenomenal Screen

To be fair, I have the highest spec XPS 15 you can get with the 4K Ultra HQ screen. The full-screen spec is 15.6″ 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) InfinityEdge Anti-Reflective Touch IPS 100% AdobeRGB 400-Nits display, and I can tell you from using it the past year that the touchscreen still works great, and it makes editing images accurately a doddle. It’s the best editing screen I’ve ever used, and I’m so glad it’s in something portable. It’s definitely the best laptop screen I’ve ever seen.

The touchscreen isn’t just a gimmick either. It’s gotten me out of tight spaces when the trackpad wasn’t working and makes certain operations much quicker, as I don’t have to search for the cursor and waggle my finger around on the trackpad or an external mouse.

Should You Buy It?

If you’re happy working on Windows 10 and aren’t bothered with the label on the front, then yes. It outperforms the MacBook Pro at the same price range, and it’s easier to upgrade or repair when needed. It looks great with its metal exterior, has a brilliant screen (we’re photographers/videographers after all), and does it all in a small, neat package.

Also, it plays games well too if you’re into that kinda thing. I’ve got Forza Horizon 4 up on high settings quite comfortably. I would probably say it’s worth dropping to the i7 version if you want to save a boatload of cash or if it’s not your main computer, as you likely won’t need the extra power or a touchscreen. 

CHUWI COREBOOK PRO PERFORMANCE TESTED, GREAT FOR PRODUCTIVITY WHILE STAYING COMPACT

The recently launched Chuwi CoreBook Pro is a 13 inch full-screen laptop which specializes itself in mobile productivity. A great timing as due to the pandemic many of us have been forced to work from home and transform our personal space in a productive place. The laptop also packs some very interesting features such as the light and thin body for a 13 inch laptop, a 3:2 aspect ratio and much more.

CHUWI COREBOOK PRO PERFORMANCE TESTED, GREAT FOR PRODUCTIVITY WHILE STAYING COMPACT

But what about performance? Well, coming with an Intel Core i3 processor, Iris 550 graphics card, 8GB of RAM and 256GB high-speed SSD storage, the laptop is able to go through most tasks without issues. Today the brand decided to prove that with some additional testing.

Before we get into then numbers though, let’s quickly recap the main specs on the CoreBook Pro:

Intel Core i3-6157U processor

Iris Graphics 550 core graphics card

8GB DDR4 dual-channel memory

256GB high-speed SSD storage

Intel WireLess-AC 7265 wireless module

Full-featured USB Type-C

Support M.2 PCIE SSD expansion

CHUWI COREBOOK PRO RUNNING POINTS TEST

The laptop was tested with several mainstream benchmark software such as CPU-Z, Geekbench 4, Cinebench for CoreBook Pro. The running points can be a reference, though they don’t represent the final experience.

First of all, we have CPU-Z to see the details of the i3 processor clocked at 2.4GHz and dual-core four threads. Its final result is Single Thread：240.0；Multi Thread：671.5.

Then the laptop went through the benchmark software GeekBench 4 which can test the overall performance of the processor. And its final result is Single Core：3009；Multi Core：6240；OpenCL：47790.

The result of the Cinebench R15 is CPU：237cb；OpenGL：56.64fps. You can find that due to the excellent performance of the built-in Iris 550 graphics card, the performance of OpenGL is relatively good. There’s also a better experience when hard decoding 4K video or editing and rendering materials.

Next, AS SSD Benchmark was used for the last test. The SSD is one of the hardware parts that most affects daily use. When you open or use some software, both read and write data depend on SSD speeds. The write and read speed of SSD is many times better compared to the traditional HDD. In the case of CoreBook Pro, the reading speed is 518.75 MB/s and 458.88 MB/s for the writing speed. Such read and write speeds are very fast and will bring a great user experience most daily applications.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

In conclusion, the performance of CoreBook Pro is pretty good. There is no problem in dealing with many scenarios such as office use and entertainment. Even running design software or light video editing should be quite smooth.

POWERFUL PERFORMANCE FOR PRODUCTIVITY

As a productivity laptop, Chuwi CoreBook Pro has many advantages such as the 3:2 aspect ratio for comfortable reading and typing experience. It’s also lightweight, thus very portable and it has a full-size keyboard for a better work flow.

Besides, as we just saw in the performance tests above, the laptop brings more than enough power for productivity purposes.

Apple Confirms Stunning New MacBook Pro Details

As Apple focuses on its environmental impact and reducing the company’s carbon footprint, the MacBook Pro will lead the charge as part of a stunning commitment from Tim Cook and his team.

Today’s news from Apple confirms that it is working with aluminium suppliers on carbon-free processing. As an intermediate step, the 16-inch MacBook Pro will be the first hardware to use a low-carbon aluminium and forge a new and more environmentally friendly laptop. 

July 22 update: Aluminium International Today’s Nadine Bloxsome not only talks about the new process, but also notes the investment that Apple is making into the process alongside a number of commercial partners and government departments:

“As part of Apple’s commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our products through innovation, Alcoa helped accelerate the development of this technology. And Apple has partnered with both aluminium companies, and the governments of Canada and Quebec, to collectively invest a combined $144 million in future research and development.”

Apple is bringing its size to bear on this issue, with BBC News noting that suppliers must commit to being 100 percent renewable on their Apple production lines within ten years. 

The move comes as part of Apple’s goal to becoming 100 percent carbon neutral across the entire company. From the press release:

“Apple today unveiled its plan to become carbon neutral across its entire business, manufacturing supply chain, and product life cycle by 2030. The company is already carbon neutral today for its global corporate operations, and this new commitment means that by 2030, every Apple device sold will have net zero climate impact.”

As part of takling emissions during the production process, Apple is working with its suppliers on a carbon-free smelting process, and the first beneficiary of this technology will be the 16-inch MacBook Pro:

“Apple is supporting the development of the first-ever direct carbon-free aluminium smelting process through investments and collaboration with two of its aluminum suppliers. Today the company is announcing that the first batch of this low carbon aluminum is currently being used in production intended for use with the 16-inch MacBook Pro.”

For the moment, this MacBook Pro will be unique, but it will be joined in time by the rest of the MacBook range, then the Mac family, before the new aluminium will be found in every Apple product. It’s not an immediate switch over and it may not have a public cut-of date of ‘before and after’, so there’s no way or a consumer to specify that it wants the newer materials. Instead they need to be content with the knowledge of Apple’s march forward.

What they can choose is whether to pick up the 16-inch MacBook Pro now, or later. The current 16-inch MacBook Pro is the last new MacBook to not offer one of Intel’s tenth-generation CPUs – both the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro were refreshed to Intel’s current tech in the first half of this year. An update to the 16-inch machine from its current ninth-generation chipset is surely on the horizon.

Perhaps Tim Cook is holding back on that powerful update to showcase at the same time as the first ARM-powered MacBook Pro goes on sale to consumers during Q4 2020. What better way to reassure the geekerati that Apple, although it is pushing forward with the transition to ARM, will not be leaving behind the massive Intel user base.

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s with AMD Ryzen 4000 now fully customizable

When announced in February, Lenovo said that the AMD variants of the ThinkPad T14 and ThinkPad T14s were gonna be available in June. June came and went, with the two T series ThinkPad laptops nowhere to be seen. But the delay was not huge, as the new ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 and ThinkPad T14s Gen 1 with AMD Ryzen 4000 are now available to order on Lenovo’s website.

The T series is Lenovo mainstream business laptop line, with the ThinkPad T14 as the direct replacement of the ThinkPad T495. The ThinkPad T14s on the other hand is the follow up to the ThinkPad T495s. Like their Intel counterparts, they keep the same design as their predecessors, but with new processors inside. This update is much more significant on the AMD side, as the AMD T14s and AMD T14 are the first T series ThinkPad laptops ever to feature octa core CPUs.

On the US site, the less expensive ThinkPad T14 is already fully configurable. For the thinner T14s, four preconfigured models are being offered. This limits the RAM to 16 GB (only available on the most expensive model). Also, the T14s can only the ordered with a lackluster 250 cd/m² panel as of now. At least, users get the choice between the AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 4650U and the AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U in both cases.

Right now, the Lenovo T14 starts at $1,319 and the Lenovo T14s has a base price of $1,789. Typically, Lenovo ThinkPads become much cheaper after a few weeks, as Lenovo begins to apply discounts. Especially in the case of the ThinkPad T14s, waiting for the configurator to become available may be a good idea.

Update: Shortly after we published our article, Lenovo added the “Build your own” option to the ThinkPad T14s. This also meant a slight decrease in the starting price, as the lowest-end Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 1 with AMD CPUs currently costs $1,529. With the customization, Lenovo made all screen options available for the T14s. Also, there is now a 32 GB RAM option, though this is only available together with the AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 4750U.

Lenovo improves ThinkPads running Linux but issues with problem machines remain

Last month, when Lenovo announced it was going to certify its ThinkPad lineup for use with Linux operating systems, my mind turned to one device, the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2.

At the end of last year, I chronicled my issues with the device, and while it was fair criticism at the time that my use of Fedora might not have been the best, with news that Lenovo was going to offer to preload Ubuntu, Red Hat, and Fedora distributions, that choice was more relevant than I could have imagined at the time.

Since its announcement, a surprising number of firmware updates have appeared for the X1 Extreme.

It went unmentioned last year, but the Synaptics fingerprint reader on the laptop was completely useless until around two weeks ago. That brand of reader had long been a pain point when combined with Linux, so it is nice to see some support finally land.

As usual with new Linux compatibility, there are a couple of caveats. You can log in with your fingerprint, but GNOME 3 will not unlock its keyring until you type in a password, so it is best to type in a password when you log in, and use the fingerprint to unlock the lock screen thereafter. On the other end, once a fingerprint is registered, sudo will demand a fingerprint instead of a password. It’s really hard to have your cake and eat it too when it comes to desktop Linux.

But the biggest pain point with the X1 Extreme by far was the hybrid graphics setup, which at the time appeared to be a choice between using only the Nvidia GPU or the Intel integrated graphics.

After scouring the web on and off for almost six months, I am pleased to report that a solution was found — the xorg.conf lines are more or less what’s in the documentation but I needed a BusID line for both the Nvidia and Intel device blocks.

I’ve been using it like this for a couple of months. The display will sometimes freeze for a few microseconds however, and every time, it feels like the X server has crashed until the cursor thankfully shifts when it catches up. So even when it does work, it is not the best experience on offer.

If not for the issues with having to connect external displays I discussed last year, one would be better off using either the discrete or integrated GPU full-time, rather than messing with Nvidia Prime output and X server configurations.

It will be very intriguing how a certified ThinkPad laptop with hybrid graphics performs when Lenovo begins to release them, but properly setting up the X server configuration would have saved many hours of searching for solutions and trial and error testing.

This leaves just one gaping issue with the device. An entirely known quantity but it still needs to be addressed: Battery life.

Part of the problem is that due to running hybrid graphics, and having no way in Nvidia’s control panel or the BIOS to switch off the discrete GPU entirely, it is always sucking down an amount of power, even if tiny.

Head over to the Lenovo site and it will claim that this device provides up to 14 hours. That’s at least double, if not triple, what you will get in the real world.

I once saw the power remaining widget say 16 hours in the first minute after I charged it to 100% and removed the power cord — and I suspect a Lenovo engineer once did too, screenshotted it like I did, and wrote it onto a spec sheet. A minute later though, the fleeting fantasy was over and the laptop reported that less than 6 hours battery remained.

After months of usage, any time the laptop says over 4 hours of battery remains is a good time. Lurk in the Lenovo forums and you will see that regardless of whether it is Linux or Windows, this sort of number is par for the course.

However, there were a number of things I did to get that number as high as I could.

The big one is to install powertop to monitor power usage and get an idea of what is going on. One thing I would recommend is to enable the powertop service to automatically set a number of options to maximise power use.

One thing powertop showed was nine watts was headed to the virbr0 networking device. This virtual device provides connectivity to hypervisors, something I don’t run with any frequency on here, so I switched it off. For similar reasoning, the ethernet port was disabled in the BIOS. Powertop also confirmed that Wi-Fi was sucking down a bunch of power and turning it off does make a genuine difference.

All up, if you disable all networking, put the screen down as low as you can possibly read it without giving yourself instant eye strain, and cross your fingers and toes, you might be able to eek out five and a half hours of battery life. This still means, should conferences ever return, you’ll be heading to a power socket at lunchtime.

In the past hour, I’ve seen over 20% of the battery dissipate, and that is more or less the standard discharge rate now. At least it is now under 30% per hour.

I point all this out because I am a person who doesn’t mind donning the gumboots and tinkering away in the Linux plumbing. After six months of this, I feel I have taken it to a point where there is little potential performance left to squeeze out of the laptop.

Lenovo needs to ensure it is able to provide a proper, workable, and optimised Linux setup on day one. Not months later when users scour forum posts looking for an issue that closely resembles the one they are having at the present time.

Doing it for the Intel-only machine, like the regular X1 Carbon, should be a cinch, but since the company said it was going to certify its entire ThinkPad range, it will have to deal with problem children like the X1 Extreme sooner or later.