Toshiba PA5026U-1BRS Battery |
Posted: February 4, 2015 |
Laptop battery life and graphics will get a serious boost with Intel’s new Core processors, which will reach PCs this month after a lengthy delay. The fifth-generation Core processors, code-named Broadwell U, are destined for Windows laptops, Chromebooks, desktops and mini-PCs. Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Asus and Acer are among those using the new chips in systems. Laptops should see an immediate boost in performance and battery life with the new chips, based on Intel’s latest circuit design, Broadwell. Some laptops will deliver more than 10 hours of battery life, with Lenovo’s ThinkPad X250 deliver up to 20 hours with two integrated batteries.
About 600 million PCs are four years old or more and due to be replaced, according to Intel estimates. The new chips could spark PC upgrades and bring new methods of touch, visual and voice interaction, said Karen Regis, director at Intel’s PC Client group. Intel is working with Microsoft to tune Broadwell chips for Windows 10, Regis said. The OS is expected to spur PC shipments later this year, especially after sales sputtered following the lukewarm response to Windows 8. For buyers looking to upgrade laptops, the wait for Broadwell-based Core chips has been long. Production issues led to delays, which upset PC makers’ plans to upgrade laptops and desktops. Intel has been eerily quiet about the chips, virtually sweeping them under the carpet at its recent Intel Developer Forum in September. But the power efficiency and graphics in Broadwell U are an improvement over the previous Core processors, code-named Haswell. The new chips are made using Intel’s latest 14-nanometer manufacturing process, which brings performance and power benefits. The new chips have 35 percent more transistors than Haswell, which allows Intel to pack in more capabilities. Battery life will go up by about an hour or more when watching high-definition movies or browsing the Web. 3D graphics will be roughly 22 percent faster, while video conversion rates will be 50 percent faster. Performance of productivity applications like Microsoft Word will go up by only about 4 percent compared to Haswell chips, though—underwhelming compared to improvements made by previous generations of Intel chips. Laptops will also be thinner and lighter with the new chips. A typical Broadwell Core chip is 37 percent smaller than a comparable Haswell predecessor. Beyond Broadwell, more exciting chips are in store for Intel. In the second half this year, laptops will be available with chips based on Intel’s new Skylake architecture, which could support wireless charging, data transfers and displays. That could reduce the need for power bricks, and also data transfer and display ports in laptops. This might also create a dilemma as users may opt to skip Broadwell and wait for Skylake to upgrade laptops.
Intel is initially shipping dual-core Core i3, i5 and i7 Broadwell chips for laptops, desktops and mini-PCs. In all, Intel is launching 14 chips, including 10 that draw 15 watts of power and four that draw 28 watts of power. The more power-hungry chips usually deliver better performance. The chips operate at clock speeds between 1.6GHz to 3.2GHz and are priced between US$275 and $426. The fifth-generation Core i processors are different from the Core M tablet chips, which are also based on the Broadwell microarchitecture. The Core M chips draw between 4.5 watt and 10 watts of power. Intel is packing new graphics cores in the chips, which will support decoding of 4K videos based on the VP9 and H.265 HEVC formats. A few chips will have the premium Iris Pro graphics core, which has an assortment of Intel’s latest graphics features. Other chips will have the low-end HD5500 core, which isn’t as powerful as Iris Pro, but draws less power. Later in the year, Intel will release its highest performing Core chips, called Broadwell-H, which will have quad-core CPUs and Iris Pro graphics. Intel this month will also hold a series of events to talk about vPro, which is a hardware and software package that will allow laptops and desktops to be managed and secured remotely. It’s easier than you might think to give your laptop’s battery a longer life. Although I can’t help you transform older batteries that have already been through the mill, I can say that you will be able to stockpile power by performing a few simple housekeeping tasks on your laptop. It’s important to look after your laptop battery. Even though the latest Lithium Ion batteries can be recharged and discharged at will, we still find it’s worth putting them through a full charge cycle regularly. Should your battery be completely shot, it’s worth looking around for a replacement. Ebay is a good place to look, but make sure you get a new battery – you don’t want somebody else’s cast-offs. The tips here are mainly for Windows 7, but you can perform similar measures if you’re using an older version of Windows, too.
How to save battery power The amount of life left in your battery is shown by the icon in your Windows 7 notifications area, or your system tray if you’re using an older version of Windows. By clicking on the icon you can see the exact length of time your battery has left as well as your current power plan – I’ll be looking at that next. Heads up, urban mobile workers: If you already spend too many brain cycles hunting for available power outlets at coffee shops and dealing with near-dead devices on long road trips, then AMPL Lab’s latest creation is totally your bag. The AMPL SmartBackpack is a backpack with a mobile power station stashed inside. Charge your devices large and small—phones, cameras, even your laptop—while you haul them on your back. And while you’re walking around, you can monitor and adjust the charging activity via an app on your phone without having to open the pack. Beginning today, AMPL will start a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. Customers will be able to pre-order the bag for $225, with a planned commercial release later in 2015. So, this is not just another battery bag for storing and charging smart devices. It is itself quite smart. Sensors inside and outside of the SmartBackpack monitor environmental conditions like temperature and push those stats (along with battery level) to an touch-capable OLED screen on the top of the pack, as well the AMPL mobile app for your smartphone. With the app, you can not only monitor conditions, but also check the charging status of your individual devices and prioritize the power allocation to each device depending on its level of importance (the batteries use Qnovo’s adaptive charging tech). Of course, if you’re charging your phone while you walk around, you can keep it plugged in and secure in a holster on the left shoulder strap. ampl-battery-inline
Internal storage niceties include a hanging tablet sleeve and an adjustable laptop compartment that can be accessed from the top or from the side. The laptop pouch also unzips and lays flat per TSA requirements. Sounds like one heavy backpack, right? The answer is yes, it’s going be heavier than your standard cloth or canvas backpack. However, AMPL has taked the weight of the components into consideration and adjusted the exterior material to lighten the load significantly. The exterior fabric will also be treated with a hydrophobic, water-resistant coating. Beating last year's Blade is a tall order, but Razer hopes throwing a fancy new 14-inch, 3,200 x 1,800 touch display into its 2015 gaming laptop will help it do just that. The outfit's using an Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO, for short) panel, and all those pixels are powered by NVIDIA's GeForce 970M GPU that runs on Maxwell architecture. In terms of memory, there's 16GB of RAM (double that of last year) in addition to a maximum 512GB of solid-state storage. All that to say, much like our laptop buyer's guide choice from last year, games will almost assuredly look gorgeous and perform incredibly well here. While we decried the 2014 unit's battery life, it looks like Razer might've found a way to address that: the new Blade automatically swaps between the aforementioned GPU and Intel integrated graphics, using NVIDIA's Optimus technology. Until we get one for review, though, it's anyone's guess howhe 70Wh Li-ion polymer battery will fare in real-world use. You can order one right now either factory-direct or from the Microsoft Store. Or, should you want to give yourself a little something post Valentine's Day, you can pick one up at select Microsoft Stores on February 16th. How much will one set you back? Well, starting price is $2,199. Of course, if dinner, chocolates, roses and a pair of tickets for 50 Shades of Grey left you a little cash-strapped, you can always opt for the 1080p model. A bit of screen resolution isn't all it sheds: It loses some weight and $200 off its sharper sibling's base price, too.
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