Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 delivers broader CPU choice

[HEXUS]

Both 13.5- and 15-inch models will be configurable with AMD or Intel processors.

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[philehidiot]

One thing I have learnt the hard way is that a well optimised last-gen component can be worth more than a rushed current gen there to appease marketers. I'd applaud doing it right rather than bowing to the marketing department.

[[GSV]Trig]

Also, bear in mind that the iGPU on the AMD stuff will be better than the Intel HD stuff..

[Kanoe]

Still feels like a missed opportunity as we know how much extra performance the 5000 series parts brought to the table.

[[GSV]Trig]

5000 would have been nice but we also know how long it takes Microsoft to test and validate these things, so 4000 series is about as good as we can expect, especially given the shortages..

[bae85]

I have a Ryzen 4800H, it's a beast and can do anything I can throw at it, the difference between the generations would be negligible. Very clever from AMD to rebadge some older stock and use it up too.

[deksman2]

One thing I have learnt the hard way is that a well optimised last-gen component can be worth more than a rushed current gen there to appease marketers. I'd applaud doing it right rather than bowing to the marketing department.

Honestly, laptop manufacturers need to spend more time optimizing hw for a given chassis so it can run at maximum at all times without throttling at relatively low temperatures (talking maybe 65-75 degrees Celsius tops) when both CPU and GPU are stressed at the same time.

Plus, software devs need to spend more time on optimizing programs for AMD hw.

[excalibur1814]

As above, we NEED to stop buying machines that run stupidly hot. Please, just stop it! They can make them cooler. So what if it's 3 extra mm thicker?!? Nearly every damn review of a gaming machine states the same thing.

[cheesemp]

As above, we NEED to stop buying machines that run stupidly hot. Please, just stop it! They can make them cooler. So what if it's 3 extra mm thicker?!? Nearly every damn review of a gaming machine states the same thing.

The problem is this is what office users want - something portable - never mind it run 25% slower. You don't notice that in Excel or Zoom!

It reminds me of my old AMD laptop - Its got a A8-5550. Its still fast enough but it has always runs like a space heater and Lenovo allow no options to boost the fan speed manually. I found disabling boost on the CPU had a tiny affect on speed but halved the running temps! A better cooler above the minimum effort it currently has and it would be a lot more usable and that's from 6 years ago.

[philehidiot]

Honestly, laptop manufacturers need to spend more time optimizing hw for a given chassis so it can run at maximum at all times without throttling at relatively low temperatures (talking maybe 65-75 degrees Celsius tops) when both CPU and GPU are stressed at the same time.

Remembering that this isn't a gaming laptop and is intended to be used for officey type tasks.

But, iks that possible?? Maximum all the time without throttling and without the temperatures exceeding 75C??

If you run it at maximum, you need to dump the heat somewhere, so in order to achieve that, you're going to need to do what they did with my old desktop P4 laptop. About six fans, massive chunks of copper and effectively a desktop replacement system. That is not doable in the Surface as the design and use is based around it being portable. Running without throttling entails more heat. That's the law. The only way around that is to move massive amounts of air over huge heat sinks.

So you can't have massive fans or chunks of copper to remove that heat. So how'd you do it? Use the chassis as a sink? Well then it'll get hot. Really hot. Regulation breaching hot. But it may be able to get away without throttling at the risk of skin blistering and / or reducing the lifespan of other components.

If you want to keep it small, able to use it on your lap without burning skin, you have to throttle the CPU when it gets too hot.

What you're asking for is engineering without compromises. If that were possible, you'd not need engineers as their job is to minimise the compromises that exist due to the underlying physics of operation.

If it's a gaming laptop, then yes you can do these things. I had one where they did keep it running reasonably cool, little throttling and so on. But it was huge and spit out masses of hot air from all around it. The heat has to go somewhere and this thing was genuinely unpleasant to use.