Samsung on Tuesday reiterated that its partnership with AMD will indeed produce a next-generation Exynos chip with an AMD GPU. Speaking during the Exynos 2100 event, Dr. Inyup Kang, VP and GM of the System LSI division at Samsung, confirmed the ambitious plans for the future.
Samsung and AMD originally announced a partnership back in August of 2019, promising to bring AMD Radeon graphics technology to a future Exynos SoC. When the news was originally announced, there was speculation we’d see the partnership come to fruition around 2022, and Dr. Kang’s comments appear to corroborate those reports.
Samsung is reportedly designing its own GPUs, but development has apparently been too slow for Samsung’s liking, hence the partnership with AMD. At the time of the original report, it was speculated that AMD licensed its IP to Samsung while the two would collaborate on the design of the mobile GPU. Samsung has yet to reveal final details about the future Exynos processor with an AMD GPU.
When the partnership came about, Samsung lauded AMD as a leader in the industry, especially “in the GPU area.”
“We think that with this partnership, we will be able to leverage the GPU competitiveness of AMD to enhance the performance of not only our mobile SoCs, but also in other applications,” a Samsung spokesperson said.
If Samsung keeps to its timetable, we could get details for the Exynos chip with an AMD GPU later this year. That could then be followed by a flagship release, which could potentially be the Samsung Galaxy S22 series.
The partnership between the two companies should be mutually beneficial. AMD will gain a new source of revenue in the mobile market, while Samsung will have access to the technology that will take its mobile chips to the next level. While the partnership hasn’t yet produced anything of note, it could be a very different story come this time next year.
Ahead of the announcement of the Galaxy S21 series in two days, Samsung has detailed the chipset that will power the international variants. Samsung today announced the Exynos 2100, its latest flagship-tier SoC fabricated on a 5nm process node, in a bid to compete with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888.
The new Exynos 2100 — unlike previous designs — does not feature Samsung’s custom CPU microarchitecture, making it the second chipset in Samsung’s Exynos to do so following the Exynos 1080. Samsung abandoned its efforts to design its own custom ARM-based performance cores following years of falling behind its competitors, though they’ve hatched a plan to design a custom GPU with AMD’s Radeon graphics IP. While the Exynos 2100 doesn’t feature an AMD GPU, it does bring much-needed GPU performance uplifts compared to the previous Exynos 990. And like the Snapdragon 888, the Exynos 2100 features ARM’s Cortex-X1 and Cortex-A78 performance CPUs. Based on what we’re seeing in terms of specifications, it looks like Galaxy S21 owners in Europe won’t be envious of Galaxy S21 owners in the U.S.
Exynos 990
Exynos 2100
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
CPU
2x Exynos M5 @ 2.73GHz
2x ARM Cortex A76 @ 2.50GHz
4x ARM Cortex A55 @ 2.00GHz
1x ARM Cortex X1 @ 2.9GHz
3x ARM Cortex A78 @ 2.8GHz
4x ARM Cortex A55 @ 2.2GHz
1x ARM Cortex X1 @ 2.84GHz
3x ARM Cortex A78 @ 2.4GHz
4x ARM Cortex A55 @ 1.8GHz
GPU
ARM Mali-G77MP11
ARM Mali-G78MP14
Adreno 660
Display
Maximum On-Device Display Support: UHD @ 60Hz, QHD+ @ 120Hz
Maximum On-Device Display Support: UHD @ 120Hz, QHD+ @ 144Hz
Maximum On-Device Display Support: UHD @ 60Hz, QHD+ @ 144Hz
AI
Dual NPU + DSP
15 TOPS
Triple NPU + DSP
26 TOPS
Hexagon 780 with Fused AI Accelerator architecture
6th generation AI Engine
26 TOPS
Memory
LPDDR5 @ 2750MHz
LPDDR5 @ ?MHz
LPDDR5 @ 3200MHz
ISP
Single camera: Up to 108MP
Dual camera: Up to 24.8+24.8MP with ZSL
Single camera: Up to 200MP
Dual camera: Up to 32+32MP with ZSL
Single camera: Up to 200MP
Dual camera: Up to 64+25MP with ZSL
Modem
Exynos 4G LTE and 5G multimode external modem
Downlink: 7.35Gbps (5G NR mmW)/5.1Gbps (5G NR sub-6)
Exynos 4G LTE and 5G multimode integrated modem
Downlink: 7.35Gbps (5G NR mmW)/5.1Gbps (5G NR sub-6)
Uplink: 3.67Gbps (5G NR mmW)/1.92Gbps (5G NR sub-6)
Snapdragon X60 4G LTE and 5G multimode integrated modem
Downlink: 7.5Gbps (5G NR mmW)
Uplink: 3Gbps (5G NR mmW)
Video
Decoding/Encoding
Up to 8K@30fps
HEVC (H.265), H.264, VP9
Decoding
Up to 8K@60fps
HEVC (H.265), H.264, VP9, AV1
Encoding
Up to 8K@30fps
HEVC (H.265), H.264, VP9
Decoding
Up to 8K@60fps
HEVC (H.265), H.264, VP9
Encoding
Up to 8K@30fps
HEVC (H.265), H.264, VP9
Manufacturing Process
7nm (TSMC’s N7)
5nm (Samsung’s 5LPE)
5nm (Samsung’s 5LPE)
During their presentation, Samsung boasted its new Exynos 2100 offers 30% total better CPU performance than the Exynos 990 (an aggregate of 19% YoY single-core and 33% YoY multi-core improvements). Compared to the Snapdragon 888, the Exynos 2100 may boast even better CPU performance given that the Exynos has higher core frequencies while having the same configuration.
In terms of graphics performance, Samsung says the Exynos 2100 offers over 40% better performance compared to the Exynos 990. The company also talked about improvements to sustained GPU performance with the introduction of AMIGO, which stands for Advanced Multi-IP Governor. GPU performance has been one area where the Exynos has lagged significantly behind Snapdragon, so it should be interesting to see how the international Galaxy S21 performs in games like Genshin Impact.
Samsung says the Exynos 2100 has a 3 core NPU, and with the combined improvements in CPU, GPU, DSP, and NPU, the SoC achieves 26 TOPS performance. That matches the figure achieved by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 and is a significant jump from the 15 TOPS achieved by the Exynos 990.
Qualcomm made a big deal about the Snapdragon 888’s triple ISP, which allows the SoC to process 3 signal streams simultaneously. The Exynos 2100 can handle 4 simultaneous streams, according to Samsung, and up to 6 image sensors can be connected. Samsung boasted that its ISP can handle 200MP image sensors, though there aren’t any sensors on the market that can capture 200MP images (at least not yet).
Interestingly, the Exynos 2100 supports AV1 decoding, making it the second mobile SoC after the MediaTek Dimensity 1000 to do so. AV1 adoption is progressing slower than we had hoped, but once Qualcomm adopts it, we’ll hopefully see more streaming services encode their content in it.
Lastly, the Exynos 2100 features Samsung’s latest 5nm integrated modem. The modem doesn’t seem improved compared to the one paired with the Exynos 990, but integrating it into the SoC should result in better power efficiency.
With the Galaxy S21 set to launch in just 2 days, we’ll soon have our chance to benchmark Samsung’s new Exynos chip. We’re hoping it’ll be competitive with — if not better than — Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 so European Galaxy S21 owners won’t feel shafted by their inability to purchase the Snapdragon model.
Adobe Flash diehards – this is it: the last, final, beyond-the-penultimate end. From today, Tuesday 12th January 2021, Adobe Flash is no more. Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but this time, that doesn’t just mean blocked by browsers, or unsupported. It simply will not work, bringing to an end two decades of rich content, and more than a few security patches.
A notice on the Adobe website states unequivocally:
“Since Adobe will no longer be supporting Flash Player after 31 December 2020 and Adobe will block Flash content from running in Flash Player beginning 12 January 2021, Adobe strongly recommends all users immediately uninstall Flash Player to help protect their systems.
Some users may continue to see reminders from Adobe to uninstall Flash Player from their system. “
This is the final act in a death-by-a-thousand-cuts for Adobe Flash, which has been blocked from running in most web browsers for several years, with Google banning it from being served up in advertising on its ad platforms, and developers moving on to newer, lightweight and more secure alternatives such as HTML5.
In the previous few years, the Adobe Flash runtime had become increasingly prone to the discovery of security problems, sometimes being subjected to more than 100 patches in a single month. The combination of the weight of these patches and the launch of more advanced alternatives made Flash, which had revolutionised content at the start of the millennium, seem bloated and sluggish. However, because of its widespread use in the industry, Adobe announced that today would be its End-of-Life day, all the way back in July 2017, to give plenty of notice to users such as the BBC, which had built its original iPlayer technology around it, before migrating to HTML5.
The advice is simple. There is no reason to have the Adobe Flash runtime or Player on your device. Adobe threw a switch today, triggering a payload that has been built into the source code of the runtime for months. If you still have it installed on your machine, it’s time to let go. Uninstall, move on, and remember the good times.
If you have any further questions, there’s an FAQ on the Adobe website.
The Razer Blade lineup is one of the go-to lineups for content creating professionals, thanks to its surprising combination of sleek and understated aesthetics and a lot of raw power under the hood. With NVIDIA announcing the laptop versions of their GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs at CES 2021, laptop makers are out with new lineups and refreshes to longer-standing lineups with the new laptop GPUs. If you’re looking for a new laptop with these new GPUs, Razer warrants your attention as it has announced the new Razer Blade 15 2021 and Razer Blade Pro 17 2021.
1x USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3, supports 20V USB Type-C chargers with USB Power Delivery 3.0
1x USB Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2, supports 20V USB Type-C chargers with USB Power Delivery 3.0
3x USB A USB 3.1 Gen 1
1x HDMI 2.1
1x SD Card Reader, UHS-III
1x 3.5mm headphone jack
1x Kensington Security Slot
Connectivity
Intel Wireless-AX201
Bluetooth 5.1
Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210
Bluetooth 5.2
OS
Windows 10 Home
Windows 10 Home
Other Features
Single-zone RGB powered by Razer Chroma anti-ghosting backlit keyboard
Precision Glass Touchpad
1MP/720p HD webcam
Stereo Speakers
Built-in array microphone
THX Spatial Audio
7.1 Codec Support via HDMI
Razer Synapse 3 enabled with programmable keyboard
Intel Platform Trust Technology security embedded
Per-key RGB powered by Razer Chroma N-key rollover backlit keyboard
Precision Glass Touchpad
1MP/720p HD webcam, Windows Hello IR
Stereo Speakers
Built-in array microphone
THX Spatial Audio
7.1 Codec Support via HDMI
Razer Synapse 3 enabled with programmable keyboard
Intel Platform Trust Technology security embedded
The highlight of this refresh of the much loved Razer Blade 15 is the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series Laptop GPUs. And because these are much powerful GPUs, you also get a few display upgrades and options for higher refresh rates and higher resolutions.
The Razer Blade 15 will come in two models: Base Model and Advanced Model, which then offer further options in display and some other specifications. The 4K UHD displays are meant to be perfect for creative professionals, while the base FHD displays with very high refresh rate should work out for the gaming-enthusiast; while the middle 2K option gives you a good middle point between resolution and refresh rate.
Pricing and Availability
The new Razer Blade 15 (2021) starts at $1699.99/€1799.99 and will be available for pre-order exclusively at Razer.com and Razer Store locations on January 12 and for purchase from select retailers starting January 26. As for color variants, so far, there is only one Black color variant with a backlit green logo and green accents on the USB ports.
Razer Blade Pro 17: Specifications
Specifications
Razer Blade Pro 17 (2021) – FHD
Razer Blade Pro 17 (2021) – QHD
Razer Blade Pro 17 (2021) – UHD
Dimensions & Weight
19.9 x 395 x 260 mm
2.75kg
Display
17.3″ IPS-grade FHD display
360Hz refresh rate
100% sRGB coverage
3ms response rate
Up to 300nits typical brightness
17.3″ IPS-grade QHD display
165Hz refresh rate
100% sRGB coverage
Up to 300nits typical brightness
17.3″ IPS-grade 4K display
120Hz refresh rate
100% Adobe RGB coverage
Up to 400nits typical brightness
Processor
10th Gen Intel i7-10875H processor
2.3GHz base / 5.1GHz Turbo Boost
16MB Cache
GPU
Options:
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
Options:
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
16GB DDR6 VRAM
RAM & Storage
Options:
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060/3070 Laptop GPU models:
16GB Dual-Channel DDR4 @ 2933MHz (Upgradeable to 64GB) + 512GB PCIe NVMe (upgradeable to 2TB) SSD + Open M.2 Slot
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU model:
32GB Dual-Channel DDR4 @ 2933MHz (Upgradeable to 64GB) + 1TB PCIe NVMe (upgradeable to 2TB) SSD + Open M.2 Slot
16GB Dual-Channel DDR4 @ 2933MHz (Upgradeable to 64GB) + 512GB PCIe NVMe (upgradeable to 2TB) SSD + Open M.2 Slot
32GB Dual-Channel DDR4 @ 2933MHz (Upgradeable to 64GB) + 1TB PCIe NVMe (upgradeable to 2TB) SSD + Open M.2 Slot
Battery & Charging
70.5Wh lithium-ion polymer battery
Non-removable
230W Power Adapter
I/O
1x USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3
1x USB Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 + Thunderbolt 3
3x USB A USB 3.2 Gen 2
1x HDMI 2.1
1x SD Card Reader, UHS-III
1x 3.5mm headphone jack
1x RJ45 2.5Gb Ethernet
Connectivity
Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210
Bluetooth 5.2
OS
Windows 10 Home
Other Features
Per-key RGB powered by Razer Chroma anti-ghosting backlit keyboard
Precision Glass Touchpad
1MP/720p HD webcam, Windows Hello IR
Stereo Speakers
Built-in array microphone
THX Spatial Audio
Pricing
3060: $2,399.99
3070: $2,699.99
3080: $3,199.99
3060: $2,299.99
3070: $2,599.99
3080: $3,599.99
Much like the Razer Blade 15 (2021), the Razer Blade Pro 17 (2021) has a fair few options extending across display resolution, refresh rate, and GPU selection. Essentially, your choice needs to boil down to Full HD at 360Hz, Quad HD at 165Hz, or Ultra HD at 120Hz, and then you can further choose from the available GPU options.
Pricing and Availability
The new Razer Blade Pro 17 starts at $2299.99/€2399.99€ MSRP and will be available for pre-order exclusively at Razer.com and Razer Store locations on January 12 and for purchase from select retailers in Q1 2021.
Dell has announced upgrades for its popular Alienware m15 and m17 R4 gaming notebooks, right after NVIDIA announced its new RTX 30 series laptop GPUs. Alongside that, the company has also announced the Alienware Aurora AMD Ryzen Edition R10 powered by AMD’s latest Ryzen 5000 Series desktop processors alongside the AMD Radeon RX 6800XT series graphics or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs.
Alienware m17 R4 and Alienware m15 R4: Specifications
Specification
Alienware m17 R4
Alienware m15 R4
Dimensions & Weight
399.8 x 294.26 x 16.9~22 mm
Starting at 2.5 kg
360.3 x 276.32 x 18.39~20.5 mm
Starting at 2.11 kg
Display
Options:
17.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
144Hz refresh rate, 7ms response time
300-nits brightness
72% NTSC color gamut
NVIDIA-GSYNC
17.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
360Hz refresh rate, 5ms response time
300 nits brightness
100% sRGB color gamut
NVIDIA-GSYNC
17.3-inch UHD (3840 x 2160)
60Hz refresh rate, 25ms response time
500 nits brightness
100% Adobe sRGB color gamut
Tobii Eyetracking technology
Options:
15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
300Hz refresh rate, 3ms response time
300 nits brightness
100% sRGB color gamut
15.6-inch UHD (3840 x 2160) OLED
60Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time
400 nits brightness
HDR500 “True Black” compliance
100% DCI-P3 color gamut
Tobii Eyetracking technology
Processor
Options:
Intel Core i7-10870H
Intel Core i9-10980HK
Options:
Intel Core i7-10870H
Intel Core i9-10980HK
GPU
NVIDIA RTX 30 series for laptops
NVIDIA RTX 30 series for laptops
RAM & Storage
Up 32GB DDR4 2933MHz
Up to 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD
Up 32GB DDR4 2933MHz
Up to 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD
Battery & Charger
86Whr
240W adapter (standard)
330W adapter
86Whr
240W adapter
I/O
Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type-C with USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps, 40Gbps Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort 1.2)
USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 with PowerShare technology
2x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1
Alienware Graphics Amplifier port
Mini-Display Port 1.4
HDMI 2.1
RJ-45 Killer Ethernet
Audio Out 1/8″ ports
microSD 5.1, UHS-II HD312 card reader
Wedge-shaped lock slot
Power/DC-in
Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type-C with USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps, 40Gbps Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort 1.2)
USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 with PowerShare technology
2x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1
Alienware Graphics Amplifier port
Mini-Display Port 1.4
HDMI 2.1
RJ-45 Killer Ethernet
Audio Out 1/8″ ports
microSD 5.1, UHS-II HD312 card reader
Wedge-shaped lock slot
Power/DC-in
Connectivity
Killer Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.1
Killer Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.1
OS
Options:
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Home
Options:
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Home
Other Features
Alienware mSeries per-key AlienFX RGB keyboard
Alienware Command Center
2-Way (Woofer/Tweeter) Stereo Speaker Design
Alienware mSeries per-key AlienFX RGB keyboard
Alienware Command Center
2-Way (Woofer/Tweeter) Stereo Speaker Design
The notebooks will be offered with up to up to 4TB of storage, and faster memory speeds up to 2933MHz. The new Alienware notebooks also get super-fast display options including 300Hz on the new m15 and 360Hz on the m17. Both the new gaming notebooks come with a familiar design as to what we saw last year and will be available in Lunar Light and Dark Side of the Moon colors, with a new matte finish front panel. Customers will be able to buy either of the two notebooks powered by the 10th-Gen Intel Core i7-10870H or the Core i9-10980HK octa-core processors, both of which are capable of going up to 5GHz.
550 Watt Power Supply with Smart Cooling CPU Heatsink
550 Watt Power Supply with High Performance CPU Liquid Cooling
1000 Watt Power Supply with Smart Cooling CPU Heatsink
1000 Watt Power Supply with High Performance CPU Liquid Cooling
I/O
USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C w/Powershare technology (up to 15W)
USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C w/Powershare technology
USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
5x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A w/Powershare technology
6x USB 2.0
Headphone/Line Out
Microphone/Line In
SPDIF Digital Output (TOSLINK)
SPDIF Digital Output (Coax)
RJ-45 Killer E2600 Gigabit Ethernet
Microphone In
Line In
Line Out
Center/Subwoofer Output
Rear Surround Output
Side Surround Output
Connectivity
Options:
Qualcomm Wi-Fi 5 with Bluetooth
5.0
Killer Wi-Fi 6 with Bluetooth 5.1
OS
Options:
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Home
Other Features
Alienware Command Center including AlienFX lighting
For the ones who want an AMD gaming desktop setup at home, Dell is finally offering its Aurora gaming tower with AMD’s powerful CPUs. The new Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R10 features the latest Ryzen 5000 series desktop processors with up to 16-core and an option of the latest AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT series graphics or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs. The desktop is also future-proof thanks to its tool-less upgradeable chassis. Speaking of which, Dell will be offering support of up to 128GB Dual Channel HyperX FURY DDR4 RAM which is twice the memory of previous generations.
Considering the older Aurora models, we are a tad bit concerned about the cooling inside the chassis, as it has a tiny footprint. Dell says that that the new Aurora Ryzen R10 can handle it and stay cool with an innovative airflow design and vapor chamber technology. This one will also be available Lunar Light and Dark Side of the Moon color options.
Pricing and Availability
Pricing and availability of the new Alienware hardware from Dell is as below:
Lenovo has unveiled its new Legion series of gaming notebooks at CES 2021. The company has announced four new Lenovo Legion models, all of which are powered by the new AMD Ryzen 5000 mobile CPUs. Alongside the new gaming notebooks, the company has also announced the IdeaPad Gaming 3 laptop, two new gaming headsets, and a new wireless charging station for your headsets, mouse, and smartphones.
The 2021 Legion gaming notebook series from Lenovo includes the Legion 7, Legion 5 Pro, Lenovo Legion Slim 7, and the Lenovo Legion 5. All four notebooks will come with Legion Coldfront 3.0 which is said to deliver 18% improved performance to tackle heat and noise compared to previous-generation models. These notebooks also come with Lenovo’s Vantage software to fine-tune your hardware including one-click overclocking while the Lenovo Q-Control makes a comeback allowing users to quickly switch between fan and performance profiles by just hitting Fn + Q keys. As mentioned above, Lenovo will be loading these notebooks with the newly announced AMD Ryzen 5000 mobile chipsets which means excellent performance as well as NVIDIA’s new GeForce RTX 30 series mobile graphics cards, which means improved Ray Tracing and DLSS features.
Lenovo Legion 2021: Specifications
Specification
Lenovo Legion 7
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro
Lenovo Legion 5 17
Lenovo Legion 5 15
Dimensions & Weight
356 x 261.04 x 20.1~23.5mm
Starting at 2.5kg
356 x 264.2 x 21.7~26.85mm
Starting at 2.45kg
398.6 x 290 x 24.3~26.2mm
Starting at 2.98 kg
363.06 x 259.61 x 23.57~26.1mm
Starting at 2.4kg
Display
16-inch QHD (2560 x 1600) IPS
165Hz refresh rate
3ms response time
16:10 aspect ratio
100% sRGB
500-nits
VESA DisplayHDR 400 Certified
Dolby Vision
NVIDIA G-SYNC
16-inch QHD (2560 x 1600) IPS
165Hz refresh rate
3ms response time
16:10 aspect ratio
100% sRGB
500-nits
VESA DisplayHDR 400 Certified
Dolby Vision
NVIDIA G-SYNC
17.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS
144Hz / 60Hz refresh rate
72% NTSC
300-nits
Dolby Vision
15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS
165Hz/120Hz/60Hz
<3 ms Response Time
300nits
Dolby Vision
Processor
AMD Ryzen 7 5000 series
AMD Ryzen 7 5000 series
AMD Ryzen 7 5000 series
AMD Ryzen 7 5000 series
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 mobile
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 mobile
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 mobile
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 mobile
RAM & Storage
32GB DDR4 3200MHz
Up to 2TB M.2 PCIe SSD
16GB DDR4 3200MHz
Up to 2TB M.2 PCIe SSD
16GB DDR4 3200MHz
Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD
32GB DDR4 3200MHz
Up to 2TB M.2 PCIe SSD
Battery & Charger
Up to 8 Hours
Rapid Charge Boost
300W Slim Adapter
Up to 8 Hours
Rapid Charge Boost
230W Slim Adapter
Up to 8 Hours
Rapid Charge Boost
230W Slim Adapter
Up to 8 Hours
7.1 Hours (60 WHr)
Rapid Charge Pro
Starting at 170W Slim Adapter
I/O
USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2,
DisplayPort 1.4)
USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2,
DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery)
USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2)
USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1)
E-Shutter Button
3 x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 (1 x Always-On 5V)
HDMI 2.1
RJ45 Ethernet
DC-In
3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack
USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2,
DisplayPort 1.4)
USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2,
DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery)
E-Shutter Button
3 x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 (1 x Always-On 5V)
HDMI 2.1
RJ45 Ethernet
DC-In
3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack
USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2,
DisplayPort 1.4)
USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2,
DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery)
E-Shutter Button
3 x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 (1 x Always-On 5V)
HDMI 2.1
Card Reader
RJ45 Ethernet
DC-In
3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack
USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2,
DisplayPort 1.4)
USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2,
DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery)
E-Shutter Button
3 x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 (1 x Always-On 5V)
HDMI 2.1
RJ45 Ethernet
DC-In
3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack
Connectivity
Killer Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.1
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.1
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.1
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.1
OS
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Home
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Home
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Home
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Home
Other Features
Corsair iCUE RGB lighting
2x 2W Harman Speaker
Lenovo Vantage
Pantone X-Rite Color Management System
Nahimic Audio for Gamers
Tobii Horizon
Option of White, Blue, or 4-zone RGB backlight for the keyboard
2x 2W Harman Speaker
Lenovo Vantage
2 x 2W Harman Kardon Speaker
Nahimic Audio for Gamers
White backlit keyboard
2x 2W Harman Speaker
Lenovo Vantage
2 x 2W Harman Kardon Speaker
Nahimic Audio for Gamers
Option of White, Blue, or 4-zone RGB backlight for the keyboard
2x 2W Harman Speaker
Lenovo Vantage
2 x 2W Harman Kardon Speaker
Nahimic Audio for Gamers
Lenovo Legion 7
Just like the new consumer range of IdeaPad notebooks, Lenovo is bringing a 16:10 ratio display to the Legion 7. It comes with a 16-inch QHD display (2560 x 1600) IPS display with 100% sRGB color gamut, optional VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification, up to 500 nits of brightness, and a 165Hz refresh rate. There is also support for Dolby Vision, NVIDIA G-SYNC plus low blue light and flicker-free Eye Care technology. The notebook also gets certification for being a High Gaming Performance Display with low blue light by TÜV Rheinland. Other notable features include RGB lighting all across that is handled by Corsair’s iCUE software as well as an E-Shutter webcam kill switch.
Lenovo Legion Slim 7
The new Legion Slim 7 is an upgrade to last year’s model and continues the legacy of being one of the lightest RTX gaming laptops with a 15.6-inch screen. Lenovo says that it has managed to make it thinner than before to become the thinnest and lightest gaming laptop in Lenovo Legion history weighing just under 2kgs. This notebook comes with a 15.6-inch IPS display, Dolby Vision and it can be configured with up 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate and 100% Adobe RGB, or a 165Hz FHD (1920 x 1080) resolution option with 100% sRGB gamut. The notebook also comes with a white backlit keyboard or if RGB is your game you can also go for the optional iCUE RGB variant. The notebook also comes with a fingerprint reader embedded in the power button and a 720p webcam with a sliding privacy shutter.
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro
The power-packed Legion 5 Pro is one of the larger and chunkier options from Lenovo and this one comes in a special Stingray White color option which looks really slick. It also comes with a large Legion logo on the lid which is, of course, backed up by RGB lighting. The notebook features a larger thermal intake and quad ventilation system. This notebook comes with a 16-inch QHD (2560 x 1600) IPS display with a 165Hz refresh rate, up to 3ms response time, 100% sRGB color gamut, and 500-nits brightness. The display on the Legion 5 Pro also comes with Dolby Vision and NVIDIA G-SYNC.
Lenovo Legion 5
The new Legion 5 is the most affordable option from Lenovo and comes in two sizes- 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch. The larger option comes with an FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS display having a 144Hz refresh rate. The smaller 15.6-inch option also comes with an FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS display but offers a higher 165Hz refresh rate and 100% sRGB color gamut. The 15-inch is obviously going to be the more attractive model so Lenovo is offering it in Phantom Blue color with optional 4-Zone RGB lighting, or the new Stingray White with blue backlighting.
There is also the more affordable IdeaPad Gaming 3 notebook which will also be powered by the next-gen AMD Ryzen mobile CPUs and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 mobile GPUs. Additionally, Lenovo has also announced the Legion S600 Gaming Station, Legion H600 Wireless Gaming Headset, and Legion H200 Gaming Headset. The S600 Gaming Station is an always-on charging station that can be used to charge the new Lenovo Legion H600 Wireless Gaming Headset by just hanging it on the stand while a Qi-enabled base lets you charge smartphones and compatible wireless mice.
Lenovo’s slew of announcements continues with the all-new ThinkBook series for 2021. Targeting business-oriented users looking for a premium metal finish, unlike the rigid plastic on the ThinkPad series, the new ThinkBook 2021 series includes four new models: the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i, ThinkBook 13x i, ThinkBook 14p, and ThinkBook 16p. The former two are powered by Intel’s new 11th-Gen Intel processor while the other two come with AMD’s Ryzen chipsets.
Lenovo ThinkBook 2021: Specifications
Specification
ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i
ThinkBook 13x i
ThinkBook 14p
ThinkBook 16p
Dimensions & Weight
298 x 209 x 13.9mm
1.3kg
298 x 209 x 12.9mm
1.2kg
312 x 216 x 16.9mm
1.4kg
354.6 x 252 x 19.9mm
2kg
Display
12-inch WQXGA (2560 × 1600) e-Ink monochromatic touch display on the lid
13.3-inch WQXGA (2560 × 1600) touchscreen IPS
400 nits
Dolby Vision
TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certified
13.3-inch WQXGA (2560 × 1600)
IPS touchscreen
400 nits
Low Blue Light
Dolby Vision
14-inch 2.2K IPS
300-nits
100% sRGB color gamut
14-inch 2.8K
400 nits
100% DCI-P3 color gamut
TÜV Rheinland Eyesafe Display
Certification
VESA DisplayHDR
16-inch 2.5K IPS
400nits
100% sRGB color gamut
TÜV Rheinland Eyesafe Display
X-Rite Pantone color calibration
Processor
Up to 11th generation Intel Core i7 processors
Up to 11th generation Intel Core i7 processors
AMD Ryzen mobile processors
AMD Ryzen mobile
processors
GPU
Intel UHD graphics
Integrated Intel UHD graphics
AMD Radeon graphics
NVIDIA GeForce RTX
discrete mobile graphics
RAM & Storage
16GB LPDDR4x
Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe Gen4 SSD
8GB/16GB LPDDR4X
Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe Gen4 SSD
Up to 32GB DDR4
Up to 1TB PCIe SSD
Up to 32GB DDR4
Up to 1TB PCIe SSD
Battery & Charger
53Whr battery
Up to 15 hours
Up to 24 hours with E-ink only
65W Slim USB Type-C adapter
65W Wall Mount USB Type-C adapter
53Whr battery
Up to 15 hours
65W Slim USB Type-C adapter
65W Wall Mount USB Type-C adapter (supports RapidCharge)
51Whr battery
Slim 95W charger with Rapid Charge Pro
70Whr battery
Slim, 230W
with Rapid Charge Pro
I/O
2x Thunderbolt 4
3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack
2x Thunderbolt 4
3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack
2 x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2
HDMI 2.0
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1
3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack
MicroSD card reader
2 x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1
3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack
SD card reader (full size)
1 x DC-in
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.1
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.0
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5
OS
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Pro
Other Features
Default discrete TPM 2.0
Default Smart Power On
(Touch fingerprint reader
integrated with power button)
ThinkShutter
2 x 2W Harman Kardon Speaker
Dolby Atmos
Backlit keyboard
Default discrete TPM 2.0
Default Smart Power On
(Touch fingerprint reader
integrated with power button)
ThinkShutter
2 x 2W Harman Kardon Speaker
Dolby Atmos
Backlit keyboard
fTPM (dTPM reserved)
ThinkShutter Camera Cover
Smart Power Button
with Fingerprint Reader
Windows Hello (IR camera)
SecureBIO (MS Level 2 security)
2 x 2W speakers
OLED with ARAF
(anti-reflection
and anti-fingerprint) glass
fTPM (dTPM reserved)
ThinkShutter Camera Cover
Smart Power Button
with Fingerprint Reader
Windows Hello (IR camera)
SecureBIO (MS Level 2 security)
Backlit keyboard
2 x 2W speakers
ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i
Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i
The new ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i is an update to the original from last year and features the same e-Ink display on the outer lid, only bigger in size. According to the company, it now has increased from a 48% screen-to-body ratio to 68%, with a 12-inch size and an increased resolution of 2560×1600 which is the same as the inner primary display. The outer display also offers a better refresh rate, and the e-Ink User Interface (UI) has been redesigned to be more intuitive along with options to run apps without having to open the lid. The notebook measures 13.9mm in terms of thickness and weighs 1.3kg. Like most of Lenovo’s new IdeaPad range, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i comes with a 16:10 ratio IPS touch display with a 90% screen to body ratio, 400 nits brightness, Dolby Vision, and TÜV Rheinland certification for blue light protection. The laptop also stores a stylus pen and you also get Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 6 on this machine. Expect the new ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 to hit markets in the first quarter of 2021 at a starting price of $1549.
Next, we have the ThinkBook 13x i which is said to offer similar features as the ThinkPad Gen 2 i, except the secondary e-Ink display. Claimed to be one of the slimmest 13-inch business laptops, this one is 12.9mm thin and weighs about 1.2kg. This notebook also comes powered by the new 11th-Gen Intel vPro processor options and is Intel Evo certified for a premium experience. The notebook also comes with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and Thunderbolt 4 ports. The ThinkBook 13x i will be available for $1199 starting Q1 2021.
ThinkBook 14p and 16p
Lenovo ThinkBook 14p
If you are looking for powerful hardware, then Lenovo has the new ThinkBook 14p and ThinkBook 16p powered by the new AMD Ryzen 5000 mobile chips. Both share a similar design and styling with the ThinkPad 14p being a slim 14-inch laptop weighing 1.4kg. It also can be configured with a premium 2.8K OLED display with VESA DisplayHDR True Black standard. ThinkBook 16p comes with a 16-inch 2.5K 2560 x 1600 IPS display that is pre-calibrated and X-Rite Pantone certified. While the ThinkPad 14p comes with a combination of AMD Ryzen CPU and AMD Radeon graphics, the ThinkPad 16p can be configured with NVIDIA’s RTX mobile GPUs. Both the ThinkBook 14p and ThinkBook 16p will be available from Q1 2021 starting at $849 and $1299 respectively.
