Category: Computing

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The iGyaan Beast PC Build: Components Used, Step By Step Guide

Since the popularity of gaming setups shot up over the past few years, we at iGyaan had an idea of putting together one of the most powerful gaming PCs ever assembled in the country. We researched the best components available in the market and top-of-the-line peripherals to go along with them. When we were done with the components, we decided to start working on building the Beast Gaming PC itself.

The Build has been divided into two sections: The components and the assembly. Check out the video for the PC parts below:

Given below is a detailed list of components that we used in our PC build.

Cabinet: Thermaltake Tower 900

The Thermaltake Tower 900 was a great choice for the build as it has a vertically mounted design, which can easily accommodate two cooling pumps. It is adorned on three sides with Tempered glass, so we can clearly showcase all the components on the build from multiple angles. Plus, the tower has a lot of expansion space, so if we decide to add more components in the future, it won’t be a hassle at all. It has an adequate amount of airflow and cable routing space for management. On top of everything, the white colour looks absolutely gorgeous and goes well with our black and white build theme.

Click here to buy the Thermaltake Tower 900

Processor: Intel Core i9 9980XE

We chose the Intel core i9 9980XE for our build simply because of the sheer magnitude of specifications it offers. The CPU has a total of 18 cores and 36 threads. Out-of-the-box, it operates at a base frequency of 3.0 GHz, but it can be overclocked to 4.50 GHz using Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0. The processor is compatible with a maximum memory size of 128 GB, which is what we intended to work with.

However, the main reason why we went for the 9980XE was the availability of 44 PCI Express lanes. Even though 44 lanes are still not sufficient for our build (since 32 lanes will be occupied by the dual GPU setup itself), the processor fit our build portfolio quite well. Because we didn’t intend to build the machine solely for gaming, the 9980XE will serve our 8K editing and rendering needs in the future as well.

Click here to buy the Intel Core i9 9980XE

Motherboard: Gigabyte X299 Designare Ex

The X299 was perfect for our build considering the fact that we will eventually convert this build into a Hackintosh setup. The Motherboard features a total of 5 PCIe slots which would accommodate our two Graphics Cards and our RAID arrays. Moreover, it also has 3 M.2 slots to house the extra memory chips that are not being included in our RAID setup. The heat shields were also a nice addition. The motherboard is solidly built and the white accents on the board complement our setup to the maximum. Also, the X299 supports RGB Fusion 2.0 which will help us to seamlessly synchronize our RGB strips and fans using the application.

Click here to buy the Gigabyte X299 Designare EX

Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32GB (16GB x 2)

As we mentioned before, we had support for 128 gigs of RAM in our setup, so that’s what we did. We went for the Vengeance Pro 32GB modules, which had 2 sticks of 16GB RAM each. The memory modules are themselves quite aesthetically pleasing, with a white casing and RGB support. They have DDR4 memory and a clock speed of 3200 MHz per stick. The RGB lighting of the modules can be regulated with the help of Corsair’s iCUE application.

Click here to buy the Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32GB (16 x 2)

Storage: Samsung 970 EVO NVMe M.2 2280 (1TB)

Expansion Cards: ASUS Hyper M.2 X16

Since we were planning to put together a RAID array setup for our build, we got 10 sticks of the 1TB Samsung 970 EVO SSDs. RAID storage uses multiple disks in order to provide fault tolerance and improves the overall performance of the system. Eight of our 10 sticks were included in our two ASUS Hyper M.2 x16 cards (four SSDs per card) whereas the rest of the two 970 EVOs were used independently in the setup.

The ASUS Hyper M.2 x16 cards support 4 NVMe M.2 (2242/2260/2280/22110) SSDs each. They are specially designed for Intel VROC and AMD Ryzen Threadripper NVMe RAID setups. Moreover, it has an additional cooling fan inside the bay to ensure that the storage sticks don’t overheat.

Click here to buy the Samsung 970 EVO NVMe SSD (1TB)

Click here to buy the ASUS Hyper M.2 x16 expansion card

Power Supply Unit: Corsair AX1600i

Owing to the sheer number and wattage of components being used in our build, we went for the Corsair AX1600i, which is titanium plus rated modular power supply unit. Its transistors are made out of Gallium Nitride instead of silicon, which ensures a lower resistance and faster switching. The fan speed of the PSU can be regulated with the help of the Corsair Link desktop application (users will have to connect the PSU to the system via a USB cable). Plus, the AX1600i claims to be one of the most silent PSUs in the market as of now. For the sake of our Black and White PC build, we decided to go for custom white Corsair cable sleeves.

Click here to buy the Corsair AX1600i PSU

Click here to buy the Corsair Premium PSU cable kit

Graphics Card(s): Zotac NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti AMP edition (x2)

Bridge: EVGA RTX NV Link

In order to make our beast build resilient for times to come, we decided to go for two of the absolute flagship GFX cards from NVIDIA, the 2080 Ti. Each video card has 11 GB of GDDR6 memory and 14Gbps memory speed. Since we render 8K Red Camera footage for our videos, a dual 2080 Ti setup will provide the VRAM memory required to render the aforementioned videos in real time. Moreover, playing the most demanding games on the planet would be a breeze with the dual card setup. Both the 2080 Ti cards are linked with the EVGA NV Link bridge.

Click here to buy the Zotac NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti AMP Edition Graphics Card

Click here to buy the EVGA RTX NV Link Bridge

Cooling: Thermaltake Pacific M360 Plus Cooling Kit

Cooling: Antec C400 Glacial CPU Cooler

We wouldn’t want our beast build to overheat at any point in time, so we chose to hard-tube the entire system. The kit we used was the Thermaltake Pacific M360 Plus Cooling Kit. It includes a water block, the D5 pump, 3x120mm fans, 360mm radiator, clear coolant and 8 C-Pro compression fittings along with 2 adapter fittings and 4 PETG hard tubes. We are also using the Thermaltake Pacific 12mm bending kit for hard tubing. However, we came upon a decision to not install the hard tubing until all the components are completely installed, so to suffice until then, we chose the Antec C400 Glacial CPU cooler. It has a PWM silent fan and pure copper heat pipes.

Click here to buy the Thermaltake Pacific M360 D5 cooling Kit

Click here to buy the Thermaltake Bending Kit

Click here to buy the Antec C400 Glacial CPU cooler

Monitor: Samsung QLED 48.9 inch Ultra-Wide Curved

As mentioned previously, the build will be used to edit and render high-resolution videos as well as to play graphics intensive games. To fulfil both the purposes, we chose the Samsung 48.9 inch Ultra-wide curved monitor which has a response time of 1ms and a refresh rate of 144 Hz. With a resolution of 3840 x 1080 px, the display features AMD’s FreeSync technology.

Click here to buy the Samsung 48.9 inch Ultra-Wide Curved Monitor

Keyboard: Razer Black Widow X

In terms of peripherals, the Razer Black Widow X really stood out as a build-compliant keyboard. Firstly, it is white so it complements the setup really nicely, and secondly, it features Razer’s top-of-the-line tactile Green mechanical switches. The keyboard has programmable keys and N-Key rollover to prevent any ghosting instances. Plus, it boasts of really solid build quality.

Click here to buy the Razer BlackWidow X (Mercury) Mechanical Keyboard

Mouse: Razer Lancehead

We chose the White Razer Lancehead as it has an ambidextrous design, along with rubber grips on either side. It has a 5G optical 16,000 dpi sensor and is claimed to be optimized for 50 million clicks. Users can customize various sensitivity profiles in the Razer Synapse application. Using Razer Chroma, a multitude of colour schemes can be synchronized between both the mouse and the Keyboard.

Click here to buy the Razer Lancehead (Mercury) Tournament Edition Mouse

Headphones: Steelseries Arctis 7 2019 Edition

The Steelseries Arctis 7 is one of the most comfortable and good-sounding pair of headphones in the market. The two sweetest perks were the facts that they are wireless as well as white in colour. They connect via a 2.4GHz receiver so that latency loss is eliminated. The headphones are quite comfortable and have a battery life of almost 24 hours (as claimed by Steelseries after the latest firmware update).

Click here to buy the Steelseries Arctis 7 Pro 2019 Edition Wireless Headphones

Proceed to the next page to see a detailed step-by-step guide of how we built the iGyaan Beast PC build.

May 20, 2019
Xiaomi Will Soon Launch An Ultrabook Laptop Called The RedmiBook 14
Xiaomi has never confined itself in terms of the number of products it offers. It has an ever-expanding portfolio of products ranging from consumer electronics to clothing to even electric scooters. A fresh report claims that the company will soon launch an ultraportable laptop which will carry the RedmiBook 14 moniker. To further strengthen the claims, the specification sheet of the laptop has also been leaked.

RedmiBook 14 Features and Design

Mi Notebook Air

Even though the source lacks real-life images of the RedmiBook 14, it reports the upcoming device will have a silver metal body that measures 309.6 mm x 210.9 mm x 14.8 mm and weighs 1.3 Kg. As the name suggests, it will sport a 14-inch display that has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 px. Under the hood, it will pack an 8th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU which has dual cores and four threads.

The RedmiBook 14 will run on the Windows 10 64 bit operating system. In terms of memory and storage, it will be available in two storage variants which are as follows:
- 4 GB DDR4 RAM + 128 GB SSD
- 8 GB DDR4 RAM + 256 GB SSD
The upcoming device also has a MicroSDHC card reader which can either be used for increasing the inbuilt storage or transferring data. For easy operability, it will have a full size island-style backlit keyboard with numeric keypad. An island style keyboard has isolated keys that decreases the chances of mistyping. Like most modern smartphones, it will also have a fingerprint sensor for securely unlocking the device.

RedmiBook 14 Price And Launch

Mi Notebook Air

Also Read: OnePlus 7 Pro: Unboxing and Hands On

Xiaomi is yet to reveal the official launch date of the RedmiBook 14. However, the source claims it will be released in the month of July later this year. The precise price of the ultraportable laptop will be revealed at the time of the official launch. Though coming from the house of Redmi it will be priced aggressively.
May 18, 2019
AMD Ryzen 3000 With 16 Cores, Support For DDR4-5000 RAM To Launch Next Month

American semiconductor giant AMD is expected to launch the new generation of its Ryzen desktop processors; at the Computex show scheduled in a few weeks. The event is one of the largest computer and technology trade shows in the world. While details about the next generation of Ryzen CPU were shrouded in mystery, fresh reports citing information about the processors have been shared on microblogging website Twitter.

AMD Ryzen 3000

The AMD Ryzen 3000 as mentioned above, will represent the next generation of CPUs for desktops. In a tweet, a tipster revealed the processors will have up to 16 cores and will have a base clock speed of 3.3GHz. In terms of overclocking, it can be clocked up to a maximum speed of 4.2Ghz according to the leak but considering the past few iterations; AMD might provide the option of taking it even further. Furthermore, the leak reveals the chipset was tested on a motherboard based on the soon to be released MSI X570 platform controller. MSI has been teasing the support for the new Ryzen processors in its motherboard for a while now.

Also read: Live Images Of The Realme X Spotted Ahead Of May 15 Launch

Another leak, shared by the author of the DRAM Calculator for Ryzen processors on Twitter; showcases another important detail about the Ryzen 3000 CPU. According to him, the upcoming chipset will support a whopping 5000 MHz DDR4 Memory Speeds. All the known details so far about the Ryzen 3000 hint that it will be manufactured using a 7nm process; and will be based on the company’s latest Zen2 architecture. It is a refresh of the Zen+ and Zen architecture that AMD had been using for a while. All the aforementioned changes to the Ryzen lineup insinuates it will be a worthwhile upgrade over its predecessor; and may lead to AMD gaining an advantage over its rival Intel for a while.

May 13, 2019
AMD 7nm Navi Graphics Cards Will Release In Q3 Of 2019

American Multinational Semiconductor Company, AMD has confirmed that the highly anticipated Navi Graphics Cards will make their way into the market in the third quarter of 2019. Along with upcoming GPUs, the company is also reported to unveil the first Zen 2 architecture based CPUs. The aforementioned information was revealed following AMD’s latest financial figures which were leaked previously.

The Navi GPU chip will be manufactured using 7nm fabrication technology. AMD will initially release mid-range models for the same, which are speculated to be the Navi 10 GPUs. Further iterations, including the more powerful Navi 20 graphics cards will be launched later in the year 2020, reports state. The Navi 20 series graphics cards will go up against NVIDIA’s more powerful GPUs, such as the RTX 2080 and RTX 2070.

AMD’s Upcoming Big Revelations

The company has also hinted towards some big chunks of information regarding the upcoming GPUs that will be revealed at the Computex Keynote in May 2019. However, since rumours are stating that the 7nm Graphics Cards will be launched on 7/7, or the 7th Of July, AMD might just limit the information reveal to a tease regarding the GPUs. This falls in line with their recent announcement of the Navi Cards release in the third quarter.

Also Read: Sonic The Hedgehog Trailer Released, Sonic’s Appearance Leaves Fans Disappointed

As mentioned previously, AMD will also unveil its first Zen 2-based 7nm processor in the same quarter, which is codenamed “Rome”. They will comprise of second-gen EPYC chips, which will be targeted towards heavyweight data handling and server management. AMD’s move towards 7nm based components can be a power-move for the company. Since NVIDIA released the budget-friendly yet powerful GTX 1660 Ti GPU, AMD’s new Navi 10 cards will have to gain ground here in order to go up against the former graphics card.

May 1, 2019
Lenovo Launches Ideapad S540 With NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Graphics

Lenovo first showcased its Ideapad S540 notebook with GeForce MX250 graphics at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2019), and the company has now launched the same laptop with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics. The laptop is aimed towards entry-level gamers and content creators who don’t want to shell out a lot of money for a powerful laptop. Gamers can play their favourite games in Full HD resolution on the Ideapad S540.

Lenovo Ideapad S540 Specifications And Features

The laptop features a 15.6 inch Full HD IPS display with 300 nits of brightness. It runs on the 8th Gen Intel Core i7 (i7-8565U) processor, which is bundled with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB PCIe SSD for storage. As mentioned previously, the Ideapad S540 features NVIDIA’s latest mobile graphics chip, the GTX 1650. It is based on the Turing architecture, which provides higher performance than its predecessors while consuming lesser power.

As per reports, the performance levels of the GTX 1650 are almost 70 percent better than the GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card. The 4GB GDDR5 GPU chip features a total of 896 CUDA cores with a base clock speed of 1485 MHz and a turbo boost up to 1665 MHz. It does not require it’s separate power source, instead, it consumes power from the 75W power input from the PCIe bus. The company claims that the laptop provides a power backup of up to 12 hours. The Lenovo Ideapad S540 weighs at 1.8 kilograms.

Expected Price And Availability

Also Read: AMD Marks 50th Anniversary With Limited Gold Edition CPUs And GPUs

As of now, the product listing can be seen on Lenovo’s UK website sans any price for the same. However, given the inclusion of the GeForce GTX 1650 graphics, the laptop is expected to retail for somewhere around the price point of INR 60,000. Further details regarding the availability are expected to be revealed soon by the company.

April 30, 2019
Huawei Kirin 985 SoC To Debut In The Second Half Of 2019

Huawei, the second largest smartphone OEM in the world, announced the Kirin 980 mobile processor for use in its flagship smartphones last year. It was the successor to the Kirin 970 and was manufactured on a new, 7nm fabrication process which boasts of increased performance and efficiency. The SoC has since made its way in a number of devices including the Mate 20 Pro and the latest P30 Pro launched last month. According to a fresh report by a Chinese news source, Huawei is working on a successor to the Kirin 980 which will be called the Kirin 985 and will be announced in the third quarter of this year.

Kirin 985 SoC

Kirin 980

According to reports, the upcoming Kirin 985 SoC will not be a significant upgrade over the last generation like its predecessor. It will, however, focus on refining the overall experience and improving the performance and battery life of smartphones featuring it. Like the Kirin 980, it will be featured in Huawei’s and Honor’s flagship smartphones and will be manufactured on a 7nm fabrication process. It will be manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Noteworthy, TSMC also produces mobile chipsets for use in Apple’s iPhones and iPads.

P30 Pro

The upcoming Kirin 985 SoC will reportedly be manufactured using the FlipChip Package on Package (FC- PoP) method. This method of mobile chipset production allows the vertical stacking of transistors, which will increase its density. Because of the change in the manufacturing process, the performance is touted to increase by up to 20 percent.

Also read: Pixel 3a, 3a XL Get Bluetooth Certification Ahead Of Official Launch

It is also reported the new mobile processor from Huawei will have a 5G modem inbuilt, which insinuates all future smartphones featuring the chipset will have support for 5G networks. The company will start the mass production of the Kirin 980 in the third quarter of this year. The chipset is expected to first feature in the next device in the Huawei Mate series, presumably called the Mate 30.

April 30, 2019
Intel’s Leaked Roadmap Reveals No Signs Of A 10nm CPU Till 2022

More and more companies are adopting the 10nm fabrication process for their processors, but Intel does not seem to be affected in the least, as a leaked roadmap for the company’s future CPUs reveals that Intel will not be releasing any 10nm based processors anytime soon. 10nm processors offer considerable improvements over current generation 14nm fabricated processors. For starters, 10nm CPUs have closely placed transistors, implying that signals travel at a higher speed between various components of the chipset. Moreover, since the transistors are closely placed, power consumption is noticeably reduced. It seems, however, that Intel has some plans of its own.

Intel Coffee Lake CPUs

First leaked on April 24 by a Dutch website, the roadmap highlights Intel’s key plans over the next two years. As per the roadmap, the company will launch a whole new refreshed lineup of Coffee Lake CPUs in the latter half of 2019. Intel will then follow up the Coffee Lake processors with the Comet Lake series of processors in the early half of the year 2020. Since Intel often labels its desktop processors as the “S-series”, it’s clearly visible in the roadmap that Intel will keep working on 14-nm S-series processors until 2022.

Intel Tiger Lake CPUs

Another highlighting fact is that the company has marked its upcoming 10nm “Tiger Lake” processors as TBD, or To Be Decided. Tiger Lake architecture-based CPUs will be released as the “U-series”, and they will be specifically targeted towards mobile devices such as laptops. Planned for release somewhere in the second quarter of the year 2021, the TBD label on the aforementioned CPUs may mean that the company might have different plans for them.

Also Read: Samsung Patents A Distinctive Smartphone With Display On Front And Back

Furthermore, as mentioned previously, Intel will release the Comet Lake desktop CPU range based on the 14nm process in the second quarter of the year 2020. The processors will feature a 10-core architecture. Also, in the year 2021, Intel will provide an overhaul to the Comet Lake lineup, which will then be called the “Rocket Lake” series. It may be possible that Intel is actually developing a 10nm desktop CPU that may be announced in the near future. Even if the roadmap shows otherwise, fans should take this news with a grain of salt, as the company hasn’t provided a statement regarding the same yet.

April 29, 2019
Intel Announces New Laptop Processors, Capable Of Hitting 5GHz Clock Speeds

Intel’s mobile processors are widely regarded as some of the best processors in terms of power consumption and clock speeds. On April 23, Intel Announced its latest lineup of mobile CPUs with a host of new features, including the support of 5GHz clock frequency. Previously, such a clock speed was unattainable in mobile devices, such as laptops.

Intel Gen-H Series Features and Specifications

Intel’s new Gen H-series claim to provide faster operating speeds and improved connectivity support than its predecessors. Compared to the 15W power draw of the previous processors, the Gen H-series processors have a wattage label of 45W. Moreover, the processor lineup is unlocked, implying that the CPUs can be overclocked to even higher speeds. The primary target of the Intel Gen-H processor chips would be gamers and content creators.

The new CPUs from Intel are fabricated using a 14nm process, and the top variant in the lineup, which is the Core i9-9980HK features 8 cores and 16 threads. The processor has 16MB of cache memory and has support for Wi-Fi 6 networking. Intel claims that the new processors can top speeds of 2.4 Gbps. Additionally, the new lineup provides 54% faster 4K video editing and 56% improved gameplay performance, the company says. To top it all off, Intel has announced that the new series of processors will be incorporated in newer ASUS, Dell, HP, Razer, MSI and Lenovo laptops with immediate effect.

Also Read: OnePlus Announces The Launch Date Of The Upcoming OnePlus 7 And 7 Pro

Alongside, Intel also brought its new 9th Gen chips to light, which are specifically designed for desktops. The 9th series expansion covers over 25 Intel CPU variants, which includes the latest Celeron and Pentium Gold models. Moreover, the company is also expected to release a new processor lineup based on a smaller fabrication process in 2019, which will probably include 10nm chips.

April 24, 2019
Qualcomm Snapdragon 735 Leaks Before Official Announcement

Earlier this month Qualcomm launched three smartphone chipsets which include the Snapdragon 665, the Snapdragon 730 and the Snapdragon 730G. Another chipset from the company, the Snapdragon 735 has surfaced before its official announcement.

Snapdragon 735 Innards

According to the source, the Snapdragon 735 SoC is manufactured using 7 nm fabrication process which makes it highly power efficient. The chipset consists of Octa-Core Kryo CPU and the Adreno 620 GPU. Out of its eight cores, one core is clocked at 2.9 GHz, another core is clocked at 2.4 GHz while the remaining 6 cores are clocked at a frequency of 1.8 GHz. This combination of cores clocked at different frequency provides for an optimised power and performance output.

The Adreno 620 GPU is clocked at 750 MHz which is able to support QHD display panels which have a refresh rate of up to 60 FPS. In terms of storage, the chipset support UFS 2.1 Gear 3, eMMC 5.1 and USB 3.1 Type C. According to the listing, the Snapdragon 735 can support up to 16 GB of LPDDR4X RAM. Noteworthy, it consists of the NPU220 (Neural Processing Unit) which is clocked at a speed of 1 GHz. The NPU in the chipset will be used to execute AI tasks on the smartphone it is featured on. More details about the Snapdragon 735 are expected to follow soon as the company rolls information about it.

Also Read: LG Patents A Smartphone With Triple Selfie Cameras

Even though the official announcement date of the chipset is currently unknown, Qualcomm is expected to launch it soon.

April 20, 2019

ADATA Unveils XPG SPECTRIX D60G DDR4 RGB Memory Module

ADATA is one of the world’s most popular storage manufacturers, which is known for its wide range of memory modules, including DRAMs, SB Flash drives and HDDs. The Taiwanese company launched the XPG SPECTRIX D60G DDR4 memory on April 17, 2019, and the module features a unique lighting design, which gives it the highest RGB surface area of any RAM module, the company claims.

Features And Specifications

The XPG D60G RAM has a frequency range from 3000-4133 MHz. Available in three different variants, the memory module supports Intel XMP 2.0 profile manager, so that users can overclock the memory through the PC’s operating system instead of the BIOS. The company claims that the D60G is built with the best-in-class material to extend the lifespan of the memory module. Furthermore, the RAM module is housed in a metal heat sink for improved signal quality and stability.

The highlight of the XPG Spectrix DDR4 RAM module is the full-RGB design of the same. The memory module features full exposed RGB light strips in order to cover a wide area. In order to boost the aesthetics of the system, the RAM module also sports a multi-coloured flow effect. As per XPG, the D60G covers a total area of 9,497mm²which equates to over 60 percent of the module’s surface area. In terms of the casing, the RAM has a multifaceted surface which gives an elegant look.Â

Also Read: Facebook Admits To Have “Unintentionally Uploaded” 1.5 Million Email Addresses Without Consent

The RGB lighting of the RAM module can be programmed so as to maintain synchronization between different components of the system. Using the XPG RGB Sync desktop application, users can develop new RGB patterns and control the “breathe” speed of the RAM. In case users are running a preinstalled RGB light control application from a separate motherboard manufacturer, they can integrate the same with the RAM module. The XPG Spectrix D60G RAM is available in two module variants, 8GB and 16GB (8×2). Additional information regarding the RAM module is listed below:

Model Name	Speed	Size	Latency	Voltage	Heat Sink Color
DDR4-3000	PC4-24000	16GB x 2	CL16-18-18	1.35V	Tungsten Grey
DDR4-3200	PC4-25600	16GB x 2	CL16-18-18	1.35V	Tungsten Grey
DDR4-3600	PC4-28800	16GB x 2	CL17-18-18	1.4V	Tungsten Grey

April 18, 2019

Microsoft Launches Surface Hub 2S With 50 Inch Display

Microsoft is mostly known for its software products which mainly include Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office suite. However, in the last few years, it has launched a variety of innovative hardware products under the Surface lineup which includes laptops, tablets, headphones, AIO (All In One) computers. One distinctive product from the lineup was the Surface Hub which is a collaborative computing device for modern offices. In simple words, it is a large screen device running Windows OS which intends to improve productivity in a workspace. In an event held on the 17th of April, Microsoft launched its successor which carries the Surface Hub 2s moniker. The newly launched device is a significant upgrade over its predecessor, both in terms of design and specifications.

Microsoft Surface Hub 2s Design And Features

In terms of design, the Microsoft Surface Hub 2s is reminiscent of a large screen TV mounted on a steel tubing frame with castor wheels. It measures 1097 x 741 x 76 mm and tips the scale at 28 kg. The device features a 50 inch 4K IPS LCD display that has a 3:2 aspect ratio and an anti-glare coating. In contrast, the original Surface Hub had a 55-inch display with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The newly launched device is kitted with an 8th Generation Intel Core i5 Quad Core processor. In terms of memory and storage, it has 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of SSD.

The Microsoft Surface Hub 2s ships with the Surface Hub 2 Pen which can be used as a stylus to write on the display and control several functions of the device. It also has a detachable Hub 2 camera which apparently can be used for video conferencing in a workspace. Input-Output ports on the device include USB A port, Mini Display Out, RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI Out and 4 x USB C ports. In terms of connectivity, it supports Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 4.1 and maracas display technology.

Also Read: Facebook Admits To Have “Unintentionally Uploaded” 1.5 Million Email Addresses Without Consent

The Microsoft Surface Hub 2s smart whiteboard is priced at US $ 8,999 (Rs 6,26,000) and it will start shipping in the month of June this year.

April 18, 2019
AMD Announces The Ryzen R1000 Embedded Processor

AMD has expanded its lineup of embedded processors with the launch of the Ryzen R1000. It is the newest chipset by the company after the Ryzen V1000 embedded processor which was launched a while ago. The latest generation of the SoC offers dual-core, quad-threaded performance, as well as the ability to run in a fanless setup. It features low power solutions for 4K displays and offers leading-edge security features.

AMD Ryzen R1000

The latest AMD R1000 embedded processor features the Ball Grid Array (BGA) packaging. This provides more interconnected pins that can be put into a dual in line or flat package. The BGA mounted SoC suggests it won’t be able to install in a conventional desktop PC’s motherboard. Ryzen R1000 features Zen+ CPU cores which are paired with the company’s Vega 3 graphics engine. Notably, the upcoming gaming console, Atari VCS has been announced to be one of the first devices to feature the Ryzen R1000 processor.

Atari VCS Gaming Console

The new Ryzen R1000 embedded chipset is based on the 14nm fabrication process and features dual cores. While it is slightly less powerful than their predecessors, the new processors are capable of outputting 4K video to three displays simultaneously. The processor operates at a power input of 15W TDP (Thermal Design Power), but users will be able to tune it anywhere between 12W to 25W. If kept on lowest settings, the chipset doesn’t require much cooling, so a fan is not required. Having a fanless design is essential for a thin and lightweight product, which will be the characteristics of the products Ryzen R1000 is developed for.

Availability

Also read: Samsung Galaxy A70 With A Massive Display Launched In India

The new Ryzen R1000 embedded processor will be available starting Q2 to various OEMs worldwide. Interestingly, the SoC is already supported by numerous companies. Furthermore, the Atari VCS is a highly awaited gaming console and as mentioned above, will feature the processor.

April 17, 2019
Huawei Launches The MateBook E 2019 With Snapdragon 850 SoC

Huawei has expanded its MateBook lineup of computing devices by launching the new MateBook E 2019. It is a 2-in-1 notebook which is capable of detaching itself from the keyboard to exist as a tablet device. The company promises constant, uninterrupted connectivity on the go thanks to its mobile chipset.

Huawei MateBook E

The Huawei MateBook E 2019 features a similar design to the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 launched last year. It features a 12 inch IPS display with a resolution of 2160 x 1440 px. The aspect ratio of the display is 3:2 with a viewing angle of 160 degrees. The keyboard that ships with the device is detachable, but unfortunately isn’t backlit. In terms of Operating System, the company ships the MateBook E 2019 with the latest Windows 10 Home Basic.

The MateBook E 2019 runs on the 10nm Snapdragon 850 SoC. The chipset consists of an Octa-core CPU and uses the Adreno 630 GPU for graphics. It is the Snapdragon 845 processor which was seen in most flagship smartphones last year which is optimised for PCs. Using a mobile SoC allows for an always-connected interface for which the notebook has LTE support. In terms of optics, the MateBook E 2019 has a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing camera for video calls. For memory and storage, the computing device is available in 8GB of RAM and option of either 256GB or 512GB of UFS storage.

The MateBook E 2019 is powered by a 36.5 Wh battery which the company claims can last up to 10 hours on video playback. Other features of the notebook include a side mounted fingerprint scanner, support for Huawei’s M-Pen input and dual speakers with Dolby Atmos support. It will be available in two colours, namely Titanium Ash and Charm Sea Blue.

Pricing and Availability

Also read: NVIDIA Rolls Out Driver With Ray Tracing Support For GTX Graphics Cards

The Huawei MateBook E 2019 has been priced at CNY 3,999 (Rs. 41,200) for the version with 256GB storage. The variant with 512GB storage will cost CNY 4,999 (Rs. 51,500). While it is available to purchase in China starting today, the company hasn’t announced its global availability as of now.

April 12, 2019
NVIDIA Rolls Out Driver With Ray Tracing Support For GTX Graphics Cards

NVIDIA unveiled its RTX series of graphics cards in the month of September, 2018, which featured Ray Tracing – a feature that boosts the realism of shadows, lighting and other visual effects in real time. While the resource-consuming feature was an RTX series exclusive at launch, NVIDIA has now released a new driver for GTX Graphics Cards. The driver provides Ray Tracing effects to be activated for respective cards, enabling GTX 10 and 16 series users to experience real-time ray tracing for select games on their setups.

Which Games Support Ray Tracing In GTX Cards?

GTX series users can test out the feature in only select games for now, which include Battlefield 5, Metro: Exodus and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. As per NVIDIA, if the users don’t want to download the complete game for any reasons, they can download free tech demos for the same games from NVIDIA’s Official Website. Gamers can test out reflective models and effects in Battlefield 5, while Metro Fans can experiment with Global Illumination in the recently released Metro: Exodus.

But there is a catch to all of this. GTX series users cannot actually experience the same functionality as present in the RTX series graphics cards. For starters, GTX series GPUs will run the Ray-tracing-based games at significantly lower and choppier frame rates. This is because the company is just using the GTX graphics cards to depict how Ray Tracing will work for each individual frame, not the complete game.

How Does Ray Tracing Perform In GTX Series Cards?

As per reports, GTX 1080 Ti (the most powerful GPU in the 10-series) renders “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” at a mere 30fps with Ray Tracing turned on in addition to the highest settings. All this was tested with the Core i9 CPU, and what’s more interesting is the fact that NVIDIA’s recently released GTX 1660 Ti came closer to GTX 1080 in terms of gaming performance with Ray Tracing turned on. While the GTX 10-series is built on the Pascal architecture, GTX 16-series incorporates the Turing architecture.

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This bold step by NVIDIA might relate to two possibilities for the company. One, to demonstrate the viability of Ray Tracing technology in future games so as to boost the popularity of the RTX 20-series GPUs. Or maybe, the company wants to include full RT support in future 10-series Graphics cards, if the company is planning to ever release one.

April 12, 2019
Acer Announces ConceptD Lineup Of Desktops And Laptops For Creators

On April 11 2019, Acer unveiled its new lineup of desktops and laptops, which is directed towards content creators. Labelled as the ConceptD, the machines claim to lay their entire focus on performance, silence, design and precision. Furthermore, the ConceptD desktops and laptops are as aesthetically pleasing as the performance they claim to provide. Notably, at the same event, Acer also launched its powerful Predator Helios 700 gaming laptop with Core i9-9980HK processor.

Acer ConceptD 9 Laptops

For portability, Acer announced the ConceptD 9 laptop. The laptop features a 17.3-inch 4K UHD screen on top of a chassis with an Ezel Aero Hinge, which enables users to draw the screen closer to themselves if they are working directly on the display. Previously, a similar hinge design was spotted in Acer’s Aspire R13. Acer claims that the ConceptD 9 is one of the quietest creator-edition laptops ever, with the fans clocking their noise at just under 40 decibels.

The display of the laptop has one of the best Delta-E colour accuracy ratings (under 1). Furthermore, the screen is Pantone Validated, which will ensure that creators will have a wide variety of hues to choose from. The ConceptD 9 laptops are customizable, with up to 9th-generation Intel Core i9 processors and NVIDIA mobile RTX 2080 graphics. The keyboard also features Amber-lit keys that the company claims are easy on the eyes.

The company also launched two slightly toned down variants of the ConceptD 9 laptop, which are the ConceptD 7 and ConceptD 5. While the ConceptD 7 features a Core i7 processor with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 graphics, the ConceptD 5 packs an 8th Gen Core i7 processor bundled with Radeon RX Vega M GL Graphics.

Acer ConceptD 900 And ConceptD 500 Desktops

For those who can compromise on portability, the company announced the ConceptD 900 Desktop build, alongside the new CP7271K Monitor. The desktop features Dual Intel Xeon Gold 6148 processors combined with the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000 GPU chip. The Intel Xeon CPU has a total of 40 cores, which, frankly, makes for a very powerful setup. The system can be upgraded with up to 192GB of ECC RAM and 60 Terabytes of storage. Moreover, the prebuilt machine has a minimalistic and elegant design, which contributes a lot to aesthetics.

For those who want to settle for lower specifications, Acer also announced the ConceptD 500 desktop. It packs a 9th Generation Intel Core i9 CPU, with Ray-Tracing enabled NVIDIA Quadro RTX4000 graphics. Just like ConceptD laptops, the machine has a very low fan noise (under 40 dB). An attractive wooden panel present at the top of the cabinet gives it a very picturesque look.

As mentioned before, two new monitors were also brought to light by the Taiwanese technology company, which are the ConceptD CM7 and the CP7. The CM7 has a huge screen size of 34 inches, whereas the CP7’s screen measures at 27 inches. The ConceptD CM7 is directed towards users who work in print design and manufacturing, while on the other hand, the CP7 is meant for users who work with digital content. Both CP7 and CM7 support 4K resolution, with the smaller CM7 featuring a 144Hz refresh rate.

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Acer hasn’t made an official statement regarding the pricing and availability of the ConceptD series, but considering that the machines are not your average-powered systems, a high price point can be expected when it officially makes its way to the market, expectedly in the latter half of 2019.

April 12, 2019