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AMD adds muscle to ultraportable laptops.
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AMD adds muscle to ultraportable laptops.
I cannot believe that in 2021 these companies insist on god damn awful 720p webcams...
You really want to see your boss crystal clear in 4K in the morning?Quote:
Originally Posted by 3dcandy
Then there's the problem that there are sometimes three or four Teams meetings going on in the house, which is a *lot* of camera footage being streamed about.
Honestly I'm fine with 720p. If I want more, I'll use a proper camera with a proper lens.
Edit: Having seem the image, 720p shouldn't look as bad as that though.
Hahahaha the edit... which is why I said god damn awful. I have *no issue* with 720p but that quality 720p is direQuote:
Originally Posted by DanceswithUnix
That picture just seemed odd though. Looking elsewhere, the camera looked about as good/bad as I would expect for use in a call.Quote:
Originally Posted by 3dcandy
https://www.ultrabookreview.com/wp-c...2/camera-2.jpg
(from https://www.ultrabookreview.com/4502...-um325-review/)
As per recent GTC keynote, you don't need much information content in the webcam image these days, just give it a hint and let ML fill in the details (or whatever you want instead).
Try looking for decent Zen2 based ultraportable laptops and business laptops - its an exercise in frustration. There is far more choice with Intel based laptops,especially if you want a decent screen and want to actually buy a laptop. Its even worse with Zen3 based laptops as Hexus indicates:
Its just more or less another paper launch with AMD. Its really annoying when you know people who need a laptop,and "in theory" there is an AMD model which is available,yet no retailer actually has stock of it in many countries. Its not just a UK problem. Even major companies like Dell only a very limited range of higher end AMD based laptops,and the ones they sell are all Zen2 based. Yet something like an XPS13 or their business range are almost all Intel based.Quote:
Price remains a thorny issue, particularly for Asus review samples that are usually not easy to buy in the UK. We're informed this particular specification will retail for around £1,200, yet finding one in stock, at any price, will prove tricky.
All their Ryzen 5000 based laptops are the Zen2 based ones. The HP Envy X360 is still stuck on a Zen2 based CPUs,and even that is swamped by the number of Intel based configurations you can get. Even many of the HP Ryzen 5000 based laptops in the US are rebranded Zen2 CPUs. AMD really needs to do something on their laptop side with supply,because its criminal Intel with a worse SOC,seems to be getting more premium design wins and seems to be easier to purchase. Those 4C CPUs should be in budget laptops,not premium ones! :(
Edit!!
The APUs were launched in January:
https://www.anandtech.com/show/16405...-for-notebooks
So its almost May now.
Having just helped my son choose a laptop for university (he ended up with an Envy X360) I thought there was a pretty wide choice tbh. Compared with trying to buy a business laptop 3 years ago, I ended up spending a fortune on an Intel based Dell that always felt like an overpriced horrible compromise and I have been avoiding using the thing for the last 3 years. I had loads of models to choose from, and nothing I actually wanted. Nothing at the time in the ultraportable range would have been usable for engineering. I wish the 4700U chips had been around back then, I could have had a way more usable machine for half the money.Quote:
Originally Posted by CAT-THE-FIFTH
I find it odd that AMD have put Zen2 cores into some 5000 series chips, but from how happy the owners of 4000 series machines have been I can't see anyone being disappointed. Not like if they got one of the 3000 series where all the designs seemed to be a bit off.
I literally told some mates to wait for the Zen3 based laptops,and its nearly May. Many have given up,and guess what? Many of the laptops they were looking at didn't have Zen2 versions,an example being the Asus Zenbook 13 which a mate wants. Despite all these reviews they are nowhere to be seen. Most of them want sub 14" thin and light laptops.Quote:
Originally Posted by DanceswithUnix
I also had a look and the choices were very poor especially if you want a choice of brands. The HP X360 is literally one of the few sub 14" AMD Ultrabooks which can be bought which is OK. Why did you think I mentioned it and you chose it?
You only have to look at the more premium ultrabooks,and find most of the AMD ones have issues like single channel RAM,or worse screens than the Intel ones. That is IF there is an AMD equivalent.Then when you go and look at retailers,many of the larger ones stock significantly less AMD models,and many of those AMD ones might only have 8GB RAM,or smaller SSDs,etc. Since most of these kind of laptops have soldered RAM,it stood out how much easier it was to get an Intel ultrabook with 16GB RAM than an AMD one! ;)
If you don't believe me just look at Ebuyer as an example:
https://www.ebuyer.com/store/Compute...9%7C13+to+13.9
Only 2 AMD laptops listed in the sub 14" category with 16GB of RAM.
Look at Laptopshop:
https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/nav/...ht?sortOrder=2
Of 63 thin and light laptops available,only 8 are AMD. Then look at sub 14" laptops. Only 3 laptops are AMD powered. Having said that I managed to finally find one(yes one) Zen3 powered sub 14" laptop which you can get. But look at the amount which have the latest Intel 10NM CPUs - a relative avalanche and moreover many also can be had cheaper.
Currys PC World is no different:
https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/comput...-criteria.html
38 sub 14" Ultrabooks with 16GB RAM. Only one AMD laptop(X360) with 16GB RAM.
Even John Lewis appears to have less AMD laptops than a few years ago. Even they only stock the Intel equivalent of the X360. Look at Dell:
https://www.dell.com/en-uk/work/shop...601,16856,6094
https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/lapt...094,6077,16854
Only one AMD model at under 14" with 16GB of RAM(Inspiron 14 with a Zen2 CPU),after searching both business and home sections. The other AMD ones only have 8GB of RAM which is soldered into place.
Look on the Lenovo website,again more of the same nonsense. The Thinkpad X13 for example:
https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/laptops...compareSection
The 2 in 1 version is Intel only. Now try to configure the AMD one - it only is available with one CPU and only 8GB of soldered RAM which can't be upgraded. I don't think its a Brexit related issue either,as the Intel laptops seem just more plentiful and with more available configurations.
The problem is also the fact when you start looking at lots of retailers in general,the AMD choices are much thinner on the ground. I remember one mate could get money off(and had vouchers) for some well known retailers. Looked at what AMD models were available,and they were swamped by the amount of Intel ones. Most of the AMD ones ended up costing much more once you specced 16GB RAM,etc but the choice was rubbish. You couldn't get the HP X360 at them either! ;)
They will end up with an Intel based laptop.
Then a mate who actually wants the Asus ZenBook 13 - there was no Zen2 based version. Hence they waited to see if there was an AMD one. Its taken until May for Asus to paper launch an AMD version. Now they can't wait for whenever this one will appear,which is why I quoted what Hexus said.
Their old laptop really needed replacing 3 months ago - they will probably get the Intel one. The worst thing is also the Intel one as its been out longer will also have dropped a lot in streetprice.
This is why Intel has increased marketshare in laptops,despite having worse CPUs for laptops. It's also why you still have so many higher end ultrabooks still having anaemic 4C CPUs.
Plus the issue is if you have no clue about 4C or 8C or brands,and want a nice thin and light laptop,its just far easier to find an Intel equivalent. Its utterly swamped by Intel systems....still! :(
Supply issues aside, I'm now looking to replace my Macbook Air. Whatever I get may get Linux put on, but this kind of thing is actually a contender. I spent ~£1K on my last high end laptop and it's still going 10 years on. Indeed, the high end laptop before that was still in use for some time after its expiration date. I keep them for some time. The only major thing about this is the screen - I really would like and OLED screen but screen burn is a real issue I've seen for myself. The idea of forking out for a quality screen only for it to effectively lose quality over time is quite furstrating and I won't trust any claims until the proof is out there.... which means 3-5 years of real world consumer experience with no evidence of problems.
As for the other niggles, I'm VERY frustrated that AMD have decided to package Zen 2 parts in 5xxx chips. I thought the whole point of them skipping from 3 to 5 on the desktop series was to avoid problems with the 4xxx laptop series causing confusion and bring everything together. Everyone would know that any 5 series CPU was going to be Zen 3 on laptop or desktop. If they go down this road, you end up with Intel / Nvidia levels of confusion which makes you feel it must just be obfuscation. It really winds me up and makes it very hard to simplify stuff down for recommendations to people.
I wonder if AMD are doing this with the best of intentions to keep supply as high as possible, but still.
Well I managed to find one Zen3 based ultrabook you can actually buy. When I was looking through some retailers,doing research for my previous post,it seems to have popped up. It wasn't there last week! Only 3 months after the Zen3 APU paper launch:
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/asu...low-x13-review
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-R....519584.0.html
It's £1500 on Laptopshop with a Ryzen 9 5900HS and a GTX1650 Max Q. However,it is more of a gaming laptop,so I am uncertain if its built as well as a proper ultrabook(reinforced housings,etc). Its also more on the chunky side for a 13.3" laptop,and weighs 1.4KG and has a 480G power adaptor. I don't see any milspec ratings for the screen housing(these are WRT to impact and weight ratings for the lid).
One of the things I really like to check on a laptop is pushing through the back of the lid into the screen and looking for distortion. Having a flexible lid that transfers energy through to the panel is barking mad to me and I simply won't buy a laptop that does that if I've any intentions of it being portable. My Macbook air is one of the few laptops I've found that fulfil my needs with that property.Quote:
Originally Posted by CAT-THE-FIFTH
I do the same - the main reason is I don't want to have to "mummy" the laptop if I am going anywhere. So for example,just chuck a thin neoprene sleeve on it,and it goes in a normal rucksack. If I have to buy a laptop bag for it,it defeats the whole objective of a travel laptop. More importantly all these laptop cases/rucksacks weigh more,so if you have a hand luggage allowance,it means you can carry less with you! ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by philehidiot
What I found is the laptops which have certain milspec ratings,and especially those which rate weight ratings for the lids,will have very little flex in the back of the lid. Generally speaking, what I do look out for is also whether the back of the lid is made from magnesium alloy,or some form of carbon reinforced plastic. I have a secondhand Dell business laptop,which is made mostly of plastic. However,the plastic is carbon fibre reinforced,so the lid is very rigid. I went on some international flights a while back,plonked it in an el-cheapo Amazon basics laptop sleeve,and it went right into my hand luggage with all my other crap,and it was fine.
Aye, that's my view. My Macbook has survived things it really shouldn't. Including being thrown about 10ft accross and about 10ft down landing on carpet, but more miraculously it survived being loaded into a badly fitted motorcycle top box twice a week and subjected to 45 mins hard riding down poor country roads on a big single. In all weathers, so freezing weather, fog, intense direct heat in a black plastic box, the lot. The thing that almost killed it was Apple's arrogance, but that's a rant for another time. It gets used as a coaster, dinner tray and otherwise abused. I may have used it as a hammer.Quote:
Originally Posted by CAT-THE-FIFTH
How this thing still works is frankly a miracle. It was cracking password hashes a few weeks ago and got soooo hot.
Honestly, when I'm done with it, I might do an autopsy to see how bad it is inside. Or perhaps just put a bullet right through the Apple logo.
Yep, a good 720p is fine. Keep in mind most people still have very low single Mbps upload speeds if they're on the Openreach infrastructure.Quote:
Originally Posted by DanceswithUnixYou really want to see your boss crystal clear in 4K in the morning?Quote:
Originally Posted by 3dcandy
Then there's the problem that there are sometimes three or four Teams meetings going on in the house, which is a *lot* of camera footage being streamed about.
Honestly I'm fine with 720p. If I want more, I'll use a proper camera with a proper lens.
Edit: Having seem the image, 720p shouldn't look as bad as that though.
Indeed but have you seen some examples of this one....Quote:
Originally Posted by gagaga
I mean I know 720p is low res but some of those examples are dire