Qualcomm announced the development of Oryon - next-generation Arm processors for Windows laptops

Arm processor and Windows computers have been available for years, but the tandem is still not as popular as the combination of this OS with x86 architecture.
Nevertheless, Qualcomm is releasing more and more efficient chipsets for laptops - during the 2022 Snapdragon Summit, it was announced that it was developing new CPUs for Windows laptops.
The developer also promoted the idea that the future of Windows PCs is closely linked to Arm solutions and additional modules for processing AI algorithms.Image source: QualcommThe x86 architecture relies on two main components for computing - the CPU and GPU, so when working intensively with artificial intelligence algorithms, both types of gas pedals experience significant loads, consuming a lot of power in the process.
On the other hand, Snapdragon chipsets use the Hexagon digital signal processor (DSP), which performs AI-related tasks.
As a result, the resources of the core processors are freed up for other purposes.Image source: QualcommThe Snapdragon Summit was supported by Qualcomm's partners - Microsoft, Adobe, and Citi.
Microsoft noted that the SQ3 chipset is used in the new Surface Pro 9 5G with numerous features involving AI - from the ability to blur the background during video interviews to the camera's ability to maintain contact with the user's eyes regardless of what position the user is in relative to the lens.Adobe has previously added Snapdragon-based AI support for its Sensei machine learning tool that enhances the performance of Photoshop, Lightroom and Premiere Pro.
The company says Snapdragon's AI engines will help improve even more Creative Cloud applications in 2023.
Citi isn't using anything yet, but reportedly plans to move 70% of its staff to mobile computers based on Qualcomm products - like the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s.Most of today's Snapdragon chipsets now use CPU cores produced under the Qualcomm-owned Kryo brand.
At first, the company used the architecture of its own development, but later switched to off-the-shelf solutions of the Arm Cortex family.
Now Qualcomm has announced that in the future it will introduce notebook CPUs of the new family Oryon.Image source: QualcommThe new platform will reportedly be the first to emerge from Qualcomm's acquisition of NUVIA - it is possible that this is the basis for the next generation computer platform, the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4.
In addition, it is known that Oryon will use a custom architecture based on the Arm command set, but is not among the latter's off-the-shelf solutions.
The company has promised to start shipping the product to the market starting in 2023.

The share of laptops on Arm-processors will grow in the market by 10 times from 2020 to 2023 - Intel loses positions

Processors on Arm architecture are trying more and more actively to advance in the market of laptops.
According to experts at DigiTimes, by 2023 their share will be 13.9%.
Although at first glance it seems not very much in relation to the total mass, compared to 2020, the share will increase by 10 times - in that year such models on the market was only 1.4%.
In this case, Intel is actively losing ground in the mobile PC market.Image source: AppleAccording to Tom's Hardware, the DigiTimes report also reflects another trend - it seems that the dominance of Intel solutions in the notebook market is gradually coming to an end.
At the same time the whole segment is suffering from the current difficult macroeconomic situation and the decline in sales after the pandemic weakened.DigiTimes notes that the notebook market as a whole in 2022, there is a decline of 22.8 percent year-on-year - a total of about 190 million devices will be delivered.
However, experts predict a relative stabilization of demand in 2023 - sales should be about 200 million laptops.
Changes in sales will presumably fluctuate by up to 10%.An important role in the promotion of Arm-architecture in the market of laptops was played by Apple, which began in 2020 to promote MacBook on its own Arm-chipset.
For its part, Qualcomm is improving its solutions for Windows.
In addition, sales of Chromebooks on Arm have also recently received a certain impetus, but to a lesser extent than other platforms.Meanwhile, Intel is losing its leadership in the laptop segment due to a number of problems.
In addition to Arm processors that have challenged the hegemony of the x86 architecture, AMD is gaining ground.
Ryzen models have proven to be competitive in the notebook market, so they are increasingly trusted by manufacturers and customers.
According to DigiTimes, while Intel's share of the notebook market in 2016 was 82.2% (AMD accounted for 17.8% in the same year), in Q2 2022 Intel had only 63.5% of the market, while AMD strengthened its position to 36.4%.It is assumed that from 2024 will come other important changes - Qualcomm intends to introduce computer chipsets based on Nuvia developments, which will give new impetus to the Arm-architecture promotion.

Infinix INBOOK X2 (XL21) laptop review: when cheap is not bad

The emergence of new players in mobile computing is an uncommon phenomenon these days.
As a rule, companies, which have a hand in smartphones and tablets, decide to try their forces as laptop producers, and sometimes they achieve major success.
Hong Kong-based Infinix is known for mobile gadgets, but its lineup also includes smart TVs and, more recently, laptops.
Last year Infinix introduced its first series of mobile PCs, the INBOOK X1 Pro, and now it has added a more affordable, or should I say \"extremely affordable\", model X2 to its catalog.
This is the first Infinix laptop available on the Russian market, the X1 model has not reached us.
⇡#Technical specifications, pricesInfinix INBOOK X2 obviously does not pretend to high performance, because it is based on 10th generation Intel Core platform, while the vast majority of Intel laptops now use chips of 11th generation, and some have already moved to the 12th.
Infinih offers three configurations of the central processor: quad Core i5 and Core i7 or dual core Core i3.
The last option should certainly be considered only if the laptop will serve as a typewriter, and no more, and as the OS is better to install Linux instead of the more demanding to resources Windows.Discrete GPU in INBOOK X2 no, and the power integrated into the Intel Ice Lake chips enough only for the most sparing games and simple projects in the working applications.
The amount of RAM is 8 or only 4 GB.
The latter is already a rarity these days, but opens up an additional opportunity to save money if the computer requires an absolute minimum of performance.
According to the description on the manufacturer's website there is a variant with 16 GB of RAM, but it will not be available in Russia.
ManufacturerInfinixModelINBOOK X2 (XL21)Display14'', 1920 × 1080, IPSCPUIntel Core i3-1005G1 (2/4 cores/threads, 1.2-3.4 GHz);Intel Core i5-1035G1 (4/8 cores/threads, 1.0-3.6 GHz); Intel Core i7-1065G7 (4/8 cores/threads, 1.3-3.9GHz)RAMLPDDR4 SDRAM, 3200MT/s, 4/8/16GB (two channels)GPUIntel UHD Graphics (system memory);Intel Iris Plus Graphics (system memory)StorageFORSEE SSD (PCIe 3.
0 x4) 256/512GBExternal I/O connectors1 × USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C;1 × USB 2.0 Type-C;2 × USB 3.0 Type-A;1 × HDMI;1 × microSD;1 × TRS 3.5mmNetworkIEEE 802.11ac;Bluetooth 5.
1 Battery capacity, W⋅h50Mass, kg1.24Dimensions (L × W × H), mm323.3 × 211.1 × 14.8Retail price (Russia), rubles From 42,990 (36,990) - Core i3-1005G1, 4 GB RAM, SSD 256 GB from 54,990 (49,990) - Core i5-1035G1, 8 GB RAM, SSD 512 GB from 62,990 (59,990) - Core i7-1065G7, 8 GB RAM, SSD 512 GBINBOOK X2 - very cheap indeed.
The junior configuration, which incidentally contains a 256 GB SSD, has a recommended price of 42,990 rubles, and in the initial period after the release there is a discount and the price is reduced to 36,900 rubles.
For a more powerful version with Core i7 CPU, 8 GB RAM and 512 GB of storage at the start of sales will be asked 59,990, and later - 62,990 rubles.
In the context of such prices, the specifications of INBOOK X2 look decent, especially in the basic configuration, whose rivals are computers based on stripped-down Pentium, Celeron and Athlon chips.⇡#Appearance and ergonomicsAt first sight of INBOOK X2, it is clear what priorities the founders of the laptop had: they had to make a compact machine with a presentable appearance while fitting into an extremely limited budget.
What can I say, this device does not look like it is worth 37,000 roubles.
The notebook is very thin (14.8 mm), lightweight (1.24 kg) and assembled in a bright aluminum case (there are blue and gray variants) or without coloring.
There is a brushed texture area on the screen cover.
The only plastic element is the rim of the screen.
The screen, which is natural in this price range, is neither laminated nor touch screen, covered with a matte anti-glare film.
But it would be nice to loosen the hinges, to lift the lid with one hand - at least in our case, so to open the laptop did not work, although the manufacturer has provided a video that doing it is possible.
Maybe we were unlucky with our copy.
The keyboard INBOOK X2, on the contrary, was let down by the insufficient rigidity of the base: the case strongly bends when you press it and drums while typing.
What a pity, because there are no complaints about the mechanics of the keys: they have a rather long stroke, clear moment of action and quick return to the neutral position.
The keyboard layout is typical for 14 inch ultrabooks: there is no number pad, \"~\" key is narrower than other character keys, but there is enough space for Delete, Home, End, PgUp and PgDn columns.The keyboard backlight is two-stage, turned on by pressing F3 through the function key, there is also a backlight for webcams.

Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 (20YM000BRU) laptop review: from office to studio

Lenovo's ThinkBook series of laptops is primarily associated with versatile machines without claims to high performance and a wealth of features.
But the new ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 is not only and not so much for office workers as for creators of digital content.
This is evidenced by the powerful hardware and the large, 16-inch screen.
Recently, many manufacturers have started using panels of this size instead of the usual 15.6 inches, and the ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 illustrates another positive shift: from a 16:9 aspect ratio to the more comfortable and space-efficient 16:10.However, these superficial characteristics alone are not enough to guarantee the ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 an unqualified success.
Let's look at what Lenovo engineers have managed to do perfectly and what still needs to be worked on in the inevitable Gen 3 version.
⇡#Technical specifications, pricesThe ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 comes in a configuration with a six-core Ryzen 5 5600H CPU or one of the eight-core models - Ryzen 7 5800H or Ryzen 9 5900HX, which differ from each other in the clock frequencies of the x86 cores and integrated video core.
All listed processors, according to the specifications, develop power up to 54W, but, as the tests will show, Lenovo has given the CPU additional acceleration through a small overclocking.In addition to the powerful CPU ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 has a discrete video core GeForce RTX 3060 with 6GB of video memory.
The power consumption of RTX 3060 can vary from 60W to 115W.
But since the ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 is quite compact and slim, the TBP of the video adapter is fixed at 80 W.Otherwise, the ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 does not allow for much variability in the components.
Judging by the description of the machine on the manufacturer's website and the configurations available at retail, the amount of RAM is 16 or 32 GB, and the SSD is 512 GB or 1 TB.Although some laptops with 15-16 inch screen size can boast the maximum capacity that airlines allow for carry-on baggage (99 W⋅h), Lenovo limited itself to a more compact battery of 71 W⋅h.
ManufacturerLenovoModelThinkBook 16p Gen 2Display16'', 2560 × 1600, IPSCPUAMD Ryzen 9 5900HX (8/16 cores/threads, 3.3-4.6GHz); AMD Ryzen 7 5800H (8/16 cores/threads, 3.2-4.4GHz); AMD Ryzen 5 5600H (6/12 cores/threads, 3.3-4.2GHz)RAMDDR4 SDRAM, 3200 MT/s, up to 32GB (2 channels)GPUNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (6GB)HDDWD PC SN730 (PCIe 3.
0 x4), up to 1024 GBExternal I/O connectors2 × USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C; 2 × USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A; 1 × SD; 1 × TRS 3.5mmNetworkIEEE 802.11ax; Bluetooth 5.0Battery capacity, W⋅h71Mass, kg1.99Dimensions (L × W × H), mm354.6 × 252 × 19.5Retail price (in Russia at the moment of writing), rubles From 155,490 (AMD Ryzen 5 5600H, 16 GB RAM, SSD 512 GB) - market.yandex.ru; from 241,160 (AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, 32 GB RAM, SSD 1024 GB) - market.yandex.ruAppearance and ergonomicsThe whole ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 case, except the bezel, is made of aluminum panels, quite thick.
This does not affect the weight of the device (about 2 kg), but contributes to the increased rigidity of the material under the keyboard and screen cover, although the display itself is not laminated (and not sensitive to touch).
The ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 has an easy single-handed opening and a flip-up lid that can be opened up to 180°.
The 16\" dot matrix is becoming increasingly popular, but the thin bezels on the sides don't make it look as though it's as big as typical 15.6\" devices.
In addition, the screen has a 16:10 aspect ratio instead of the prevailing 16:9, so the horizontal indentation from the edges of the cover is also obtained less than usual.
The coating of the screen is matte.
Laptop manufacturers have long ago learned how to assemble screens in thin frames, but the task of placing the webcam still does not have a perfect solution.
HUAWEI and HONOR hide it in the keyboard, Apple had to cut out a piece of the screen, well, Lenovo settled the lens in a small ledge of the screen cover.
The webcam has a sliding shutter and an optional biometric user authentication function.A characteristic design feature of Lenovo gaming laptops, which is borrowed by ThinkBook 16p Gen 2, is that the axis of their screen hinges is shifted forward.
Thus, part of the bottom half of the chassis always remains in view.
At the top there are LED indicators that indicate the positions of the three connectors - power and two USB Type-A ports.
But the symbols light up only when the laptop is plugged into the socket, so you still have to look for the input for the power cable by touch.
The ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 has an excellent keyboard.
It has a number block and the character keys, except for the long-suffering \"~\", have