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.

Nikon Confirms: Z6 II and Z7 II are Coming on October 14th

Nikon has officially confirmed the existence of the long-rumored full-frame mirrorless Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II in a countdown page on its website. Other than the correct names and the release time (October 14th at 12:00am ET), Nikon didn’t share much; but we actually know quite a bit about what Nikon is about to release.

The first rumors of a Nikon “Z6s and Z7s” popped up back in July, and since then the folks at Nikon Rumors have been hard at work digging up specs. According to their latest report, these will be “incremental updates” with the same image sensors, same overall body shape, and the same resolution EVFs as the current Nikon Z6 and Nikon Z7. However, Nikon has addressed some of the most pressing complaints about the current models.

The Z6 II and Z7 II will have:

Dual Card Slots (one CFexpress and one SD)

Improved AF for face, eye and animal detection

Dual EXPEED processors

A faster max frame rate

A larger buffer

4K/60p video capability

The ability to take a proper battery grip with buttons for vertical shooting

Nikon Rumors also claims that the Nikon Z6 II will be “the last Nikon camera with a 24MP sensor,” meaning that Nikon is finally planning to move away from the Sony-made sensor that’s almost certainly the one also used in the Sony a7 III, the Sony a7C, and the Panasonic S1. No word on what the next generation sensor might be.

If previous experience is anything to go by, we expect Nokishita to get its hands on some leaked product photos and confirm these specs before the announcement comes along. However, if you want to preserve some of the mystery, just check back with PetaPixel in 14 days, 14 hours, and 43 minutes (give or take).

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.

Google Pixel 5 is reportedly made of aluminum as green color named

Google’s upcoming flagship phone has been thoroughly shown off in official renders, while the specifications have been fully detailed. One of the last unknowns is the material, and the latest leak says that the Pixel 5 is made of aluminum.

In leaking the specs sheet and some official renders, WinFuture’s Roland Quandt last week noted how the Pixel 5’s “housing” is made of 100% recycled aluminum. Some assumed that was just in reference to the frame of the phone, which would be similar to the Pixel 3 and Pixel 4, and that there would be a glass rear. However, that speculation was not definitive. 

Today, Quandt tweeted that the entire rear is made of that aluminum, which makes sense given how the leaked Pixel 5 images do not show a seam between the frame and back cover. Rather it is a continuous surface/shell, exactly like the Pixel 4a.

This does pose the question of how wireless charging — which does not work through metal — works on the Pixel 5, but there is presumably a cutout to allow for the transmission of energy.

Meanwhile, we also learn today that the green Pixel 5 is “Sorta Sage.” “Sage” is a very accurate descriptor for that shade of green, while “sorta” was previously used to name the gray “Sorta Smokey” Pixel 4 fabric case. The other color isn’t named, but “Just Black” would make sense since the phone is fully enveloped in that color.

A close-up image provided by Quandt shows how there are tiny black speckles embedded in the sage, which would be why the “sorta” qualifier is needed. Meanwhile, the camera bump has a cutout for the microphone in the top-right corner.

With these two pieces of information out there, what’s really left to know about the Pixel 5 is (US) pricing and retail availability.

The new Motorola Razr is what the first one should have been

Motorola became one of the first device makers to sell a foldable phone when it launched the Razr in early 2020. It’s already time for the sequel with better specs, design, and features. It’s also a little cheaper, and it won’t be exclusive to Verizon. Even without the device in-hand, it sounds much more appealing than the first-gen. Although, it’s still a $1,399.99 phone with mid-range specs and unproven display technology.

MOTO RAZR (2ND GEN)

SoCSnapdragon 765G
RAM8GB
Storage256GB, no card slot
Display6.7-inch 876 x 2142 internal folding OLED, 2.7-inch 792 x 600 external OLED
Battery2,800 mAh
Camera48MP, f/1.7 aperture, 1.6μm pixel size, OIS — 20MP selfie camera
Headphone jackNope
SoftwareAndroid 10
Measurements72.6 x 169.2 x 7.9mm (unfolded) — 72.6 x 91.7 x 16mm (folded)
Price$1,399.99

The latest Razr has a 6.2-inch (876 x 2142) foldable OLED inside with Motorola’s fancy hinge that minimizes the appearance of the crease. The company says the hinge should last 200,000 folds or more, which is the equivalent of dozens of flips per day for five years. The back panel is Gorilla Glass 5, as is the external display. The internal one, however, is plastic—there’s no ultra-thin glass layer a la Samsung.

The device also looks better this time around. The chin is much less chunky, and the phone is sleeker overall with that curved glass back. The fingerprint sensor has moved from the chin to the back of the phone, too. On the front, there’s a 2.7-inch (792 x 600) external display. Motorola worked to improve this so-called “quick view” experience here. It has the full Peek Display functionality like other Moto phones, so you can manage notifications without opening the flip. You can even open apps and type message replies on the quick view display. Not all apps will play nice with a 2.7-inch screen, though.

The last Razr was a Verizon exclusive, and it only had 4G. With the 765G, the new Razr has sub-6 5G support, and it’s fully unlocked. That means you’ll be able to head over to Moto’s site (or other retailers like Amazon) and buy it for use on almost any carrier—it’ll have 5G support for AT&T and T-Mobile out of the box, but you’ll have to wait for Verizon’s low-band rollout before the Razr will get 5G there. It’ll be fine on 4G in the meantime… maybe even a bit better.

Motorola doesn’t have a specific launch date in mind, but the new Razr should be available this fall in gold, black, and silver. In addition to the unlocked phone, AT&T and T-Mobile will sell their own versions. Motorola promises two major OS updates, so it should get Android 11 in the near future, followed by Android 12 next year. Security patches will be every other month for two years.

GELID Slim Silence AM4: Low Profile Cooling

GELID Solutions latest offering is a low profile cooler for AMD AM4 socket based machines. If space is at a premium in your HTPC or embedded build then SLIM SILENCE AM4 may just offer the correct ratio of cooling versus size.

Measuring just 1.1 inches (28mm, 1U) tall, the SLIM SILENCE AM4 is compatible with AMD Ryzen 3 / 5 / 7 CPUs with a TDP up to 85W. It comes with a double heatpipe in the base of the heatsink optimized to provide efficient cooling considering its diminutive size. Inside the heatsink is the embedded 65mm fan, controlled using GELID PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) which controls the speed of the fan based on the temperature, running as quiet as possible but accelerating to higher speeds when needed for heavier loads.

With a $22 price tag and five years warranty this looks to be a considered choice of cooler for your HTPC setup.

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X “Vermeer” 12 Core & 24 Thread Zen 3 CPU Allegedly Up To 5 GHz With 150W TDP

Alleged specifications of AMD’s Ryzen 9 5900X “Vermeer” Desktop CPU have leaked out by Tech Tuber, PC WELT. According to the information, AMD seems to be going all out with its next-generation Zen 3 powered Ryzen lineup by offering the fastest clock speeds on a higher core count chip.

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X Zen 3 “Vermeer” CPU Alleged Specifications Leak Out – 12 Cores, 24 Threads, 5 GHz Boost Clock & 150W TDP

The source reports that AMD’s Ryzen 9 5900X is going to be the fastest chip offering for some time and it will feature a maximum of 12 cores and 24 threads. We know this from previous rumors too that AMD is preparing at least two Zen 3 “Vermeer” SKUs for the AM4 platform which would include the Ryzen 9 5900X 12 core and Ryzen 7 5800X 8 core processors.

As for the alleged specifications, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is said to feature an IPC improvement of up to 20%. One of the main areas of improvement where AMD has put lots of effort into tuning on Zen 3 is the clock frequencies. As such, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is said to reach boost clocks of up to 5 GHz. That’s a +300 MHz improvement over the Ryzen 9 3900XT and a +400 MHz improvement over the Ryzen 9 3900X in terms of boost clocks. The boost clock is for a single-core with all-core boost frequencies still being under the 5 GHz barrier but we can expect some decent clocks out of the chip.

The details also highlight that the Ryzen 9 5900X will ship with a TDP of up to 150W which is 45W higher than the Ryzen 9 3900X (105W TDP). While this is just a rumor, it seems like AMD will be trying to access extra performance by increasing the TDP of their chips and unlike Intel, their chips do sit close to the suggested TDPs while Intel’s TDPs are defined at the base frequency (PL1) with actual TDP numbers being much higher, either close or above the 200W limit. The 7nm+ process node will also help AMD keep and excel its power/performance efficiency advantage over Intel by miles.

We have already seen engineering samples running at 4.9 GHz boost clocks so 5.0 GHz won’t be that hard with the increased TDP limits. Once again, this is all a rumor so far but the Zen 3 unveil is coming next week so we will definitely be getting more information soon.

The AMD Zen 3 architecture is said to be the greatest CPU design since the original Zen. It is a chip that has been completely revamped from the group up and focuses on three key features of which include significant IPC gains, faster clocks, and higher efficiency.

AMD has so far confirmed themselves that Zen 3 brings a brand new CPU architecture, which helps deliver significant IPC gains, faster clocks, and even higher core counts than before. Some rumors have even pointed to a 17% increase in IPC and a 50% increase in Zen 3’s floating-point operations along with a major cache redesign.

We also got to see a major change to the cache design in an EPYC presentation, which showed that Zen 3 would be offering a unified cache design which should essentially double the cache that each Zen 3 core could have access compared to Zen 2.

The CPUs are also expected to get up to 200-300 MHz clock boost, which should bring Zen 3 based Ryzen processors close to the 10th Generation Intel Core offerings. That, along with the massive IPC increase and general changes to the architecture, would result in much faster performance than existing Ryzen 3000 processors, which already made a huge jump over Ryzen 2000 and Ryzen 1000 processors while being an evolutionary product rather than revolutionary, as AMD unveiled very recently.

The key thing to consider is that we will get to see the return of the chiplet architecture and AMD will retain support on the existing AM4 socket. The AM4 socket was to last until 2020 so it is likely that the Zen 3 based Ryzen 4000 CPUs would be the last family to utilize the socket before AMD goes to AM5 which would be designed around the future technologies such as DDR5 and USB 4.0. AMD’s X670 chipset was also hinted as to arrive by the end of this year and will feature enhanced PCIe Gen 4.0 support and increased I/O in the form of more M.2, SATA, and USB 3.2 ports.

It was recently confirmed by AMD that Ryzen 4000 Desktop CPUs will only be supported by 400 & 500-series chipsets while 300-series support would be left out.

AMD had also recently confirmed that Zen 3 based Ryzen 4000 desktop processors would mark the continuation of its high-performance journey. The Zen 3 architecture would be first available on the consumer desktop platform with the launch of the Vermeer family of CPUs that will replace the 3rd Gen Ryzen 3000 Matisse family of CPUs.

As of now, the competitive advantage that AMD has with its Zen 2 based Ryzen 3000 is just way too big compared to whatever Intel has in their sleeves for this year, and Zen 3 based Ryzen 4000 CPUs are going to push that envelope even further. Expect AMD to unveil its next-generation Ryzen CPUs and the underlying Zen 3 core architecture on 8th October.

ASRock Industrial 4X4 BOX-V1000M Ryzen Mini-PC Review: Finding Zen In The Small Things

Hardware Setup and Platform Analysis

The internal components of the 4X4 BOX-V1000M are packed densely together. The front panel’s two USB 2.0 ports are enabled by a daughterboard connecting to the motherboard’s USB 2.0 headers. The mounting for this daughterboard, and the SATA port / cable location make the installation of the DDR4 SODIMMs a challenging process. In fact, based on my experience, it is better to completely take out the daughterboard prior to the SODIMM installation process. Installing a 2.5″ drive is fortunately not as painful, as it is similar to the installation process in the tall NUCs from Intel, and the SATA cable is already in place inside the chassis.

The rest of the internal components are the usual suspects in a NUC targeting industrial applications – a Realtek ALC233 audio codec, an Exar SP339E serial port transceiver, and a couple of Raltek RTL8111G gigabit Ethernet controllers on one side, and a 60mm fan on top of a copper heat sink on the other side.

Once the build components were in place, it was a fairly uneventful process to complete the OS installation. The UEFI BIOS of the 4X4 BOX-V1000M is quite basic – consumers used to ASRock’s fancy GUI and plethora of value additions are bound to be disappointed with the spartan AMI BIOS interface in this ASRock Industrial system. The gallery below shows the various available BIOS options.

The block diagram of the Ryzen Embedded V-Series SoC is presented below.

The V1605B specifically provides:

2x 10GbE

1x USB 2.0

1x USB 3.1 Gen1

4x USB 3.1 Gen2

2x SATA III

The 4X4 BOX-V1000M does not use the 10GbE interfaces. It also uses the single USB 2.0 port of the SoC to drive a header on the board that enables a daughterboard downstream to provide 2x USB 2.0 ports in the front panel. The USB 3.2 Gen 1 port and one of the USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports of the SoC are left unused. Networking support is provided using PCIe lanes.

The AIDA64 system report for our 4X4 BOX-V1000M configuration provides a breakdown of the usage of the PCIe lanes and adds additional context to the above block diagram:

PCIe 3.0 x4 and a SATA port multiplexed behind the M.2 2242/2260 slot

PCIe 3.0 x1 for the Intel Wireless-AC AC3168 WLAN card

PCIe 3.0 x1 for the Realtek RTL8111G #1

PCIe 3.0 x1 for the Realtek RTL8111G #2

The absence of a discrete PCH means that there is no ‘DMI bottleneck’ at play in the SoC. Another interesting aspect is the support for four simultaneous 4Kp60 display outputs from the V1605B. The 4X4 BOX-V1000 only supports three, though, with two DP 1.2a ports and a HDMI 2.0a port.

In the remainder of this review, we will first look at various UL benchmarks, followed by miscellaneous workloads. A detailed look at the HTPC credentials of the system is followed by testing of the power consumption and thermal solution. In our recent system reviews, we have usually started off with BAPCo’s SYSmark 2018 – unfortunately, we ran into some showstopper issues with the 4X4 BOX-V1000M review configuration, as the benchmark program consistently errored out (mostly during the Photoshop CC workload component). We had seen similar problems in previous AMD-based PCs that ended up getting resolved with driver updates, but we had no such luck with this system. Incidentally, with the same GPU drivers, we were able to get the workload processed correctly on an ECS LIVA A320 sporting an AMD Athlon 3000G processor. Debugging the issue on the 4X4 BOX-V1000M beyond a few attempts was beyond the scope of this review. Hence, we decided to drop the attempt to publish SYSmark 2018 numbers for the 4×4 BOX-V1000M. 

Don’t install this Windows 10 update Microsoft just pushed out

The latest Windows 10 update has rolled out a selection of old and defunct drivers that could affect the functionality of certain hardware, users are reporting.

As an example, some users have been served a driver update listed as “INTEL – System”, which is backdated to 1968 despite having been delivered via a Windows 10 2004 update this month.

The offending driver updates – found under the Optional Updates settings panel – are said to have been pushed to certain devices that are not registered with Microsoft’s Windows Insider Program.

In some instances, users have also found that the outdated driver updates mysteriously reappear in the updates queue, even after successful installation.

Roll back your Windows 10 driver updates

The role of drivers (also called device drivers or hardware drivers) is to allow hardware to communicate effectively with the operating system – in this case, Windows 10.

Installing an outdated or default driver (as opposed to the latest custom driver provided by the manufacturer) can affect the ability of the hardware to function as it should and could even serve to disable the kit entirely.

Driver updates found under Optional Updates in Windows 10 are usually the last port of call for system administrators struggling to fix an issue with a specific piece of hardware. In other words, there’s no need to install these driver updates if the associated hardware is fully functional.

“If you have a specific problem, one of these drivers might help. Otherwise, automatic updates will keep your drivers up to date,” reads the settings page.

If you have already installed the optional driver updates issued by Microsoft, your drivers will have been relegated to an old or default version – but there are a couple of solutions.

One option is to seek out the most up-to-date drivers on the device manufacturer’s websites and manually install the latest versions available

Alternatively, users with administrative privileges could locate the relevant device in Device Manager, navigate to the Properties menu, switch to the Driver tab and click Roll Back Driver. This will revert to the previous device driver, in place prior to the update.

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.