Articles about Intel

Minisforum is a well-known manufacturer of miniature computers. The company has many models with differing specifications and features. Quite frankly, it can be hard for consumers to choose, as there are so many options!

Today, Minisforum unveils yet another tiny PC, and it is one of the company's most impressive offerings. Called "NUCG5," this little Windows 11 desktop is powered by a 12th generation Intel Core i5 processor and comes with either 16GB or 32GB of RAM. While the specs are quite nice, there are three things that really make this model stand out -- the beautiful carbon fiber chassis, external Wi-Fi antennas, and two ThunderBolt 4 ports.

Continue reading →

The Thanksgiving holiday is today, and I am thankful for many things this year, such as my health, family, and friends. As a self-proclaimed tech nerd, however, I would be remiss not to mention something technology-related I am thankful for. While there are many devices that bring me joy, one of my favorite things is the mini PC. For whatever reason, I just love seeing a lot of computing power crammed into a small chassis. It feels magical.

Speaking of mini PCs, today, MINISFORUM unveils its latest. Called "NAD9," this diminutive Windows 11 Pro computer is powered by an impressive 12th-gen Intel Core i9-12900H processor and can be ordered with up to 32GB of RAM (it supports up to 64GB). For storage, you can opt for either a 512GB or 1TB SSD. You can also order a barebones kit that comes without RAM, storage, or an operating system.

Continue reading →

If you want a thin and light Linux laptop, there are plenty of options on the market these days, including the excellent HP Dev One. A svelte laptop is ideal for those that travel often and highly value having something lightweight.

Some consumers, however, don't care about the heft of a Linux laptop at all. These performance-junkies want hardcore specifications... weight be damned! For these folks, the System76 Oryx Pro has long been an excellent option. This hefty portable workstation is a great choice for both gamers and enthusiasts.

Continue reading →

In the coming weeks, Microsoft is expected to share details of a new Surface Laptop Go. However, it seems we may already know much of what to expect, after a listing for the yet-to-be-announced Surface Laptop Go 2 popped up on a Korean website.

While news of the upcoming device will interest those in the market for an updated model, the listing shows that there may not be a great deal to get excited about besides an upgraded processor.

Continue reading →

Can you buy a Windows laptop and replace Microsoft's operating system with a Linux distribution? Sure, but you shouldn't have to. Look, folks, in 2022 you should be supporting the open source community by purchasing computers with Linux pre-installed. Even if it costs you a few bucks more, it will be worth it for the community overall.

Today, the latest Linux laptop is released, and it looks like a beast. You see, the 4th generation Kubuntu Focus M2 Linux laptop is powered by a bleeding-edge 12th gen Intel Core i7 processor. The company claims this chip will increase performance by 20 percent compared to the 3rd generation of the notebook. And yes, it comes with the latest-and-greatest Kubuntu 22.04 LTS pre-loaded.

Continue reading →

Dynabook unveiled the Portégé X40-K earlier today, and the laptop is quite impressive. Powered by 12th Gen Intel Core processors (i5 or i7), the notebook can be configured with either Windows 10 or the superior Windows 11. The 53 Wh battery should provide all-day usage, and the 14-inch display will be offered as either a touch or non-touch screen.

If you like the color blue as I do, you will absolutely adore the Portégé X40-K chassis, which is made of a beautiful blue aluminum. The svelte laptop is loaded with useful ports too, such as two USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), two USB-A, Ethernet, and HDMI. It can even be had with an optional Smart Card reader -- an essential slot for many, including those in the military. And yes, you get both a fingerprint reader and IR Webcam for Windows Hello unlocking.

Continue reading →

Windows laptops aren't particularly fascinating these days -- it can be hard to get excited about them. With that said, Dynabook has a new notebook that should truly get your motor running. Called "Portégé X40L-K," this 14-inch laptop has a dark-blue magnesium chassis, and it is merely 15.9mm thin while weighing just 2.3 pounds.

The Dynabook Portégé X40L-K comes with Windows 11, but Windows 10 remains an option too. It is powered by either a 12th Gen Intel Core or Core vPro processor, and can be configured with up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to a 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD for storage. The 14-inch 1920x1200 display should pair quad nicely with the Dolby Atmos-compatible quad-speaker system for enjoying media.

Continue reading →

There is good news for Windows 10 and Windows 11 users who have noticed high resource usage by Desktop Windows Manager.

Intel has released updated graphics driver which addresses an issue that caused DMW.exe to use more CPU time and RAM than it should. The update means that Intel's DCH drivers have now reached version 30.0.101.1191.

Continue reading →

When somebody mentions LG, you immediately think of PC gaming, right? Yeah, neither do I. To be honest, despite offering general-use laptops, I most associate the company with appliances and televisions. Apparently, the company wants to expand beyond thin and light "regular" laptops to hardcore gaming notebooks with its all new UltraGear brand. While the name "UltraGear" sounds a bit generic and uninspired, I suppose it does get the point across.

The first UltraGear gaming laptop will be model 17G90Q. This portable beast features a 17.3-inch display with an insane 300Hz refresh. It is powered by a cutting-edge 11th Gen Intel Tiger Lake H processor and hardcore NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Max-Q GPU. It even has premium features like Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 6E, and an RGB backlit gaming keyboard.

Continue reading →

Everybody wants a giant and powerful desktop computer, but most consumers don't actually need a hardcore PC. Heck, nowadays, many consumers don't have enough space in their homes to accommodate a full-sized tower. If you find your home is too cramped, a laptop may be a wise choice. If you insist on a desktop, however, a mini computer, such as an Intel NUC can be a very good choice too.

MINISFORUM is another company producing mini desktop computers, and today, it announces quite the beauty. Called "EliteMini TH50," this diminutive Windows 11-ready desktop is powered by a very modern quad-core (8 thread) 11th generation Intel Core i5 processor (i5-11320H). My biggest complaint about MINISFORUM computers is they can be a bit loud. Thankfully, the company says this model will be much quieter.

Continue reading →

When you are a computer-builder, there are peaks and valleys when it comes to excitement about PC components. What do I mean by this? Well, sometimes you are building machines with cutting edge parts as an early adopter, while other times you are using ho-hum components that have been around a while. For instance, we have been using DDR4 memory for about seven years now... yawn!

Thankfully, the age of DDR5 is finally here. After dealing with DDR4 for so many years now, we will soon see PCs with DDR5 memory inside. One of the companies leading this industry shift is Kingston, and today that company unveils its FURY Beast DDR5 RAM. This memory is designed for use in computers powered by Intel's cutting-edge 12th generation Core processors and Z690 chipset. They should be easy to configure or overclock thanks to Intel XMP 3.0 support.

Continue reading →

Windows 11 is officially here, but not all new Windows computers will ship with that version of Microsoft's desktop operating system. Understandably, for a little while at least, some machines will still come with Windows 10... they will have the ability to upgrade to Windows 11, however.

Today, ADATA unveils such a laptop under its XPG gaming brand. Called "XENIA 15 KC," it comes with Windows 10 Home, but you can absolutely install Windows 11 when you want to. This gaming notebook is downright drool-worthy. It is powered by a very modern 8-core Intel Core i7 11800H CPU and super-powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 GPU. The other components are impressive as well, including 32GB of DDR4-3200MHz RAM, a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, RGB optical mechanical keyboard, and a 15.6-inch display with 165Hz refresh. It's a beast!

Continue reading →

Thunderbolt docks and docking stations are rather common, but believe it or not, Thunderbolt hubs are still quite rare. Quite frankly, other than the excellent offering from OWC that we previously reviewed, there really are no other such hubs on the market.

Well, folks, today this changes as Plugable launches its own such hub for both Windows and Mac. Called "TBT4-HUB3C," the company seems quite proud that it uses the Intel Goshen Ridge chipset, and rightfully so. You see, this chipset makes the hub compatible with both Thunderbolt 4 and USB4. This makes the hub very versatile. In addition to the TBT4-HUB3C, the company is releasing a new high-end Thunderbolt 4/USB4 cable in two lengths -- 1 meter (TBT4-40G1M) and 2 meters (TBT4-40G2M).

Continue reading →

With the launch of Windows 11 coming later this year, and with large numbers of people already using the beta build, hardware manufacturers are gradually starting to release updated drivers for the latest version of Microsoft's operating system.

Intel has already released Windows-11 compatible graphic drivers -- as has its rival NVIDIA – and now the company has updated its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth software. With the latest updates, Intel PROSet/Wireless Software and Intel Wireless Bluetooth both offer support for Windows 11 and address issues in Windows 10.

Continue reading →

It is far from uncommon for software companies to be a little vague when it comes to releases dates. By keeping their cards close to their chest, any delays in launches can be overlooked on the basis that if no release date has been announced, it can't be missed.

And so with Windows 11. When Microsoft announced the upcoming operating system we were simply told that it would be ready in time for the holiday season. However, there have been hints, rumors and suggestions that Windows 11 will launch in October, and this has been further hinted at by documentation from Intel.

Continue reading →