Frist 10 cores desktop cpu

You'd be forgiven for not noticing, but this time last year Intel debuted its 5th-generation Core architecture codenamed Broadwell. On the desktop, Broadwell kept the LGA1150 socket used by Haswell before it, with only two processors ever released: the Core i7-5775C and Core i5-5675C, with no Core i3 or any other models.

Broadwell was essentially a die shrink to 14nm from the 22nm process Haswell used. The most notable upgrade was made to the iGPU which we now know as Iris Pro Graphics 6200. Armed with 48 execution units, it trounced anything we had seen from Intel before, though the main reason for this was a new and unique 128MB eDRAM, otherwise known as the 128MB L4 cache.

Upon release, the Core i7-5775C cost about 10% more than the Haswell 4790K, offering no noticeable performance gains when paired with a discrete graphics card. Plagued by limited availability and weak overclocking headroom, Broadwell was quickly overshadowed by Skylake.

Just two short months later, the Skylake-based Core i7-6700K arrived on the scene and while it hardly showed earth-shattering performance over the then two-year-old Haswell processors, it provided many more options than Broadwell and thus largely shut the book on that series.

The desktop CPU market is quite strange at the moment and with things seemingly at a standstill for the past two to four years, we are well overdue for some excitement. Intel’s releases have been so underwhelming that they are still selling Haswell processors alongside Broadwell and Skylake.

Perhaps the most enticing processors to arrive in the past few years for the performance crowd were those of the Haswell-E range. The Core i7-5820K has been a popular choice among enthusiasts: at $390 it isn't much more expensive than flagship Skylake and Broadwell CPUs while boasting additional cores, cache, and potential performance. Furthermore, at the head of the Haswell-E family we find the 8-core 5960X, a $1,050 part aimed at power users.

Two years later, it may be time to say farewell. Intel has officially unveiled Broadwell-E, which consists of four processors covering 6, 8 and 10-core configurations. These chips differ quite a bit in terms of specifications and pricing, all the more reason to explore them in better detail.

Meet Broadwell-E: Hide Your Credit Card

We put the following table together in an effort to make it easier for you to compare the Broadwell-E processors alongside previous high-end Intel desktop processors:

	i7-6950X	i5-6900K	i7-6850K	i7-6800K	i7-5960X	i7-5930K	i7-5820K
Base Clock	3.0GHz	3.2GHz	3.6GHz	3.4GHz	3.0GHz	3.5GHz	3.3GHz
Max Turbo	4.0GHz	4.0GHz	4.0GHz	3.8GHz	3.5GHz	3.7GHz	3.6GHz
Cores	10	8	6	6	8	6	6
Threads	20	16	12	12	16	12	12
TDP	140W	140W	140W	140W	140W	140W	140W
PCIe Lanes	40	40	40	28	40	40	28
Memory	DDR4-2400	DDR4-2400	DDR4-2400	DDR4-2400	DDR4-2133	DDR4-2133	DDR4-2133
L3 Cache	25MB	20MB	15MB	15MB	20MB	15MB	15MB
Architecture	Broadwell-E	Broadwell-E	Broadwell-E	Broadwell-E	Haswell-E	Haswell-E	Haswell-E
Socket	LGA2011-3	LGA2011-3	LGA2011-3	LGA2011-3	LGA2011-3	LGA2011-3	LGA2011-3
Price	$1723	$1089	$617	$434	$999	$583	$389

The base model Core i7-6800K is a 6-core processor supporting 12-threads with a stock speed that's set at a reasonably high 3.4GHz and can stretch as far as 3.8GHz depending on the workload. Priced at $434, the 6800K costs 12% more than the 5820K and on paper offers no real advantage, so that's a low blow for enthusiasts.

There is a second 6-core part called the 6850K which also features 6-core/12-threads, though it's clocked 200MHz higher. The key difference being the PCI Express lanes, which have been increased from 28 to 40. This is then a 5930K equivalent, except instead of setting you back $580, you'll pay a starting price of around $617

Moving up we find the 6900K priced at an incredible $1,089, which is more than you can expect to pay for the 5960X and for seemingly few advantages. The 6900K is clocked slightly higher out of the box, supports higher clocked DDR4 memory and offers the obvious advantages that come with a die-shrink, but otherwise there isn't much more to talk about here.

If you thought those first three premiums were rich, then you won't like what we have in store next. For reasons unknown, the 6950X has a $1,723 MSRP -- yep, you read that right. That means the 10-core model costs almost 60% more than the 8-core version yet you're only getting a 25% increase in core count.

This is an absurd price to pay and is only further stressed by Intel's own Xeon range. The company's server grade Broadwell-EP range launched in April, and with it came a number of 10-core processors. One of them, the Xeon E5-2640 v4, is priced at $939and while it isn't unlocked, it can still operate as high as 3.4GHz. This Xeon E5 chip can also be paired with a second one -- much like what we did with the E5-2670 on the cheap recently. This means it would be possible to build a 20-core/40-thread system for roughly the same price as the 6950X.

Not only that, but resident CPU/GPU expert Graham Singer (aka "dividebyzero") was quick to point out that roughly the same money could buy the Xeon E5-2680 v4, a 14-core/28-threaded processor operating at 2.4GHz to 3.3GHz that brings extras such as ECC support for example. Again, with the right motherboard it would also be possible to add a second processor down the track for 28-cores/56-threads. The only downside is the locked frequency and the more limited DDR4 memory support, which sees the official spec call for 2133 memory

All Broadwell-E processors officially support up to DDR4-2400 memory in a quad-channel configuration. This is a 13% boost over the Haswell-E processors' DDR4-2133 spec. That said, I haven't had any trouble running my 5960X with DDR4-2666 memory, so I'm not sure how much more headroom there will be with Broadwell-E.

The only other spec shared by all the processors is their thermal design power of 140w, the same rating given to the 5960X.

Test System Setup

Intel Sandy Bridge-EP System Specs Intel Xeon E5-2670 (2.6GHz - 3.3GHz) Intel Xeon E5-2670 (2.6GHz - 3.3GHz) Asrock Rack EP2C602 G.Skill 64GB DDR3-1866 RAM GeForce GTX 1080 Samsung SSD 850 Pro 2TB Corsair RM Series RM100x 1000w Windows 10 Pro 64-bit	AMD Vishera System Specs AMD FX-8350 (4.2GHz - 4.40GHz) Asrock Fatal1ty 990FX Professional G.Skill 8GB DDR3-2400 RAM GeForce GTX 1080 Samsung SSD 850 Pro 2TB Corsair RM Series RM100x 1000w Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
Intel Haswell System Specs Intel Core i5-4670K (3.4GHz - 3.8GHz) Asrock Z97 Extreme6 G.Skill 8GB DDR3-2400 RAM GeForce GTX 1080 Samsung SSD 850 Pro 2TB Corsair RM Series RM100x 1000w Windows 10 Pro 64-bit	Intel LGA2011 System Specs Intel Core i7-6950X (3.0GHz) Intel Core i7-5960X (3.0GHz) Asrock Fatal1ty X99M Killer G.Skill 16GB DDR4-2666 RAM GeForce GTX 1080 Samsung SSD 850 Pro 2TB Corsair RM Series RM100x 1000w Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
Intel Skylake System Specs Intel Core i7-6700K (4.0GHz - 4.2GHz) Asrock Z170 Gaming K6+ G.Skill 16GB DDR4-2666 RAM GeForce GTX 1080 Samsung SSD 850 Pro 2TB Corsair RM Series RM100x 1000w Windows 10 Pro 64-bit

Phantom 4 review

HE GOOD The DJI Phantom 4 is a very polished drone compared to its competition, and for those who've flown a quad before, you'll have no trouble getting started with this one. The new Sport mode lets you get to your location faster or just have some fun. Its Obstacle Sensing System can help avoid head-on collisions as well as track subjects. Slow-motion video is a nice addition to an already excellent camera.

THE BAD The Obstacle Sensing System only sees things in front of the drone. You still need a tablet or phone ready to go along with the controller and drone battery. Extra batteries are expensive. Landing gear and camera are fixed to the body, so you can't collapse it entirely for travel and if you break or want to upgrade the camera, that's not an option.

THE BOTTOM LINE Yep, it's not cheap, but DJI has made one of the smartest drones available with the Phantom 4

Polished is the word that comes to mind. Other drones I've flown aren't necessarily more difficult to get started with and pilot, but DJI makes doing these things painless and uncomplicated. (Though, if you've never flown one before, you'll want to at least read the quick-start guide or, god forbid, the full user manual). This, along with the Phantom 4's new Obstacle Sensing System (OSS) and streamlined design, are why it's quickly been tagged as being great for beginners. At least, beginners with deep pockets: The Phantom 4 sells for $1,399 in the US, AU$2,399 in Australia and £1,229 in the UK
The Phantom 4 might truly be the drone anyone can fly and it is certainly worth the money if you've got it. Still, for however polished the experience is, it might be too much of a good thing for absolute beginners


Crashproof? Yeah, not so much

If you've read anything about the Phantom 4, you know it's the first consumer model you can buy with an advanced obstacle-avoidance system that DJI calls OSS. The stout quadcopter has a set of optical sensors in front -- eyes that will help it navigate around or over obstacles within 0.7 to 15 meters (2.3 to 49 feet) of it or it will simply stop and hover until you pilot it away. (It also enables a couple new flight modes, which I'll get to in a bit.)

For the most part it works really well and it will likely prevent many accidental collisions. Yes, you can test it by flying it directly at things like fences or buildings orcars or yourself, and it will stop on its own. But what I worry about most when flying are trees

Clip a tree at 100 feet in the air and it can either start an uncontrollable fall to the ground or, perhaps worse, get stuck like some cruel Christmas tree ornament you can see but never touch. Having the ability to avoid trees is especially important when using the return-to-home feature that summons the drone back to you


The Phantom 4 fared better than I expected. I tested just as the Northeast was headed into spring, so I was flying around a lot of trees that were bare from winter. It had no trouble stopping itself before flying into a line of pine trees on an autonomous flight back to me. When navigating around sparse branches stripped clean of leaves, it didn't immediately recognize them as an obstacle. Had the branches been thick with leaves, it might have stopped in its tracks as it had when I flew near trees in full bloom. Or, maybe it was operator error.

You see, I was coming at the tree from an angle that could've been outside of the OSS's visual range. It senses what's in front of the Phantom, not above, to the sides or behind it. So while the system can stop a head-on collision, you'll have no problems crashing it from other directions. My point is, the OSS is great to have, but for new pilots it could create a false sense of security.

Sport mode is fun, but dangerous for newbies

All it takes is a flip of a switch on the controller and you'll be able to fly at speeds up to 45 mph (72 kph) using the Phantom 4's Sport mode. It's not just faster going forward and back, but it can ascend at 6 meters (20 feet) per second and descend at 4 meters (13 feet) per second. This is a really nice addition because it lets you get to a location that much faster to get the shot you want. It gives you a bit of a racing drone experience, too, and with an HDMI module for the controller you can connect FPV (first-person view) goggles to immerse yourself in the experience

A little movement on the stick literally goes a long way, though. And the OSS doesn't work in Sport mode so if you're flying head-on into something, don't expect these sensors to save you. Plus, when it is travelling at top speed, it takes much more time for it to stop. The DJI Go app warns you of this the first time you enter the mode, but never again. Regardless, it's not a mode I would suggest for first-time pilots

Alright, you probably get the idea by now: the Obstacle Sensing System can potentially keep you out of trouble, but it's no excuse to fly recklessly or not learn how to properly pilot the drone. Now, on to the good stuff

Pokemon go review

 Pokemon Go, described in simple terms, is a clever concept: Walk to real-life locations called PokeStopsmarked on a map on your phone to get items and collect the Pokemon that pop up along the way to gain XP. Use those Pokemon to take over real-world objectives called Gyms from other players. It has all the basics covered to make it a functional mobile treasure-hunting app, though technically its performance (and that of its servers) is often very poor on iOS and Android. But the main appeal of the free-to-play Pokemon Go is how being out in the real world, finding tons of other people who see the same augmented reality you do, brings the sort of intangible dream of Pokemon to life.

It has to be experienced to really make sense; without that social aspect it's really just an extremely light RPG level-grinder. Pokemon Go’s success or failure hinges on that experience, and right now it’s stuck somewhere in between, simultaneously fun and unique but also inconsistent and incomplete. (It is, after all, listed as version 0.29 despite being released onto the App Store and Google Play without caveats.) It’s not mechanically interesting, but it is socially very interesting thanks to a few smart design decisions. You wouldn’t jump off a bridge because everybody’s doing it, but that is a great reason to play Pokemon Go.

Welcome to the World of Pokemon

At least in the short term, Pokemon Go is a proven phenomenon with millions of players. I was at a party in the San Francisco Bay Area over the weekend where at least two dozen adults were out on the front lawn, calling out the names of Pokemon as they appeared on our phones. We ran inside when someone claimed a Bulbasaur was in the fridge; we ran back outside for Ponyta. We walked a block or two to challenge a nearby Gym only to have it taken over right from under us by someone we didn't know and couldn't see, and we all had the app crash on us a few too many times during our hour out and about. It was silly and frustrating and fun all at once.

The San Francisco area is admittedly really well-suited to Pokemon Go’s setup — your mileage may vary if you’re out in a remote area with few points of public interest around. Here, it feels like there’s no shortage of PokeStops to visit, and on multiple occasions I arrived at a PokeStop or Gym only to find that a group of other people playing Pokemon Go was already there. I also learned a lot about my neighborhood and the landmarks I walk by every day just by taking meandering walks to PokeStops, which was one of the best things about the times I played Pokemon Go by myself. In this environment, at least, Pokemon Go’s design — the RPG-lite level system combined with the collection aspect and the nostalgia only a hugely popular, decades-long franchise can bring — all build to the kind of experience that developer Niantic wanted, the kind the trailer seems to evoke.

i was drawn to Pokemon Go for that real-life Pokemon Trainer dream, but even when that aspect of it underwhelmed me with its simplicity and bugginess, I keep playing because having to go outside puts me in front of new places surrounded by other people doing exactly what I’m doing. All of my friends are playing, random passers-by are playing; it feels like all of the world is playing.

When It’s Not Very Effective

But this is a precarious house of cards built on top of a wobbly foundation of nostalgia. For the most part, Pokemon Go’s design as a paper-thin RPG is super accessible, but it’s completely unremarkable. You as a trainer have a level, and your captured Pokemon have “combat points” tied to your level, but none of that relationship is explained very well and thus feels confusing. It turns out that your level impacts the combat point ceiling of Pokemon you acquire, which is essentially how catching Pokemon in the regular games works… but just not as polished or intuitive, even to long-time Pokemon players. Fortunately (in a way) combat lacks the depth of traditional Pokemon games, so it barely matters.

Battles for control of Gym locations are nothing more than simple, real-time tapping-based combat, and it’s virtually unaffected by anything other than combat point value. Even Pokemon’s rock-paper-scissors type matchups hardly matter, either — if you have the higher-powered monster, you’re all but guaranteed to win. It’s boring by itself and, like the combat points system, isn’t explained well. (There’s dodging, but it doesn’t seem to do much to turn the tide of a fight.) It’s not that the only acceptable form of combat is turn-based and tactical, but the system in its place here is simply a dull chore after just a few fights.

On top of that, the app itself is stuttery, crashy, and performs inconsistently. There are updates that help with this, and it’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s often frustrating. I’ve lost semi-rare Pokemon to random crashes that struck during crucial moments (though sometimes those seemingly escaped Pokemon show up as caught once I reload after the crash).

Pokemon Go’s biggest weaknesses are more a matter of the features it doesn’t yet have than the ones it does, though. There’s no trading, no player-versus-player battles (you only fight automated Pokemon left to defend Gyms), no friends list, no leaderboards, and no in-app social capability of any kind, other than how we’re all prompted to group into one of three competing teams. Some of these features are in the works, but right now, the most interesting thing about Pokemon Go is not its gameplay but how its design encourages personal connections with other real-world players by physically bringing us together as we all chase common goals. Collecting is fun for a while, but without more things to do with those Pokemon or my Trainer profile, it feels a little empty at times

The Power That’s Inside

Battling against that emptiness are a few key things that keep Pokemon Go together. In order to power up or evolve a Pokemon you’ve captured, you have to catch duplicates of its species — sometimes many, many duplicates. Transferring the weaker ones out of your bank of available Pokemon earns you “candies” for that species to fuel power-ups. It seriously takes the sting out of finding yet another Zubat, something that the main Pokemon games never quite solve. In Pokemon Go, I want to catch that hundredth Zubat so I can farm it for power-up potential

There’s also an area-of-effect item that all players can use for a limited time: lures. One person can place a lure at any PokeStop, which increases the number of Pokemon that will show up. The cool thing about them is that they lure people in addition to Pokemon — I pulled over while driving because my friend said there were lures nearby, and we ran into the people who had placed them. Wanting to catch Pokemon means more lures, which keeps the community alive. It’s one of the smartest design choices in Pokemon Go.

That drive and incentive to catch ‘em all keeps me walking and venturing out of my way (I walked all the way around a hospital yesterday) to catch even more Pokemon. I mostly want stronger Pokemon to take over Gyms for my team, even though combat is boring. There’s just something satisfying about holding an objective that every other person playing can see, and the draw of taking territory for my team kept me coming back when the battle had long since worn out its welcome. It also helps that taking over a Gym nets you in-game currency, and I’ve found that spending real money on microtransactions isn’t strictly necessary. I haven’t bought any of the in-game money since I can find items and earn coins from playing as normal, and I haven’t felt pressured to do so in order to keep playing at the aggressive pace I’ve been going at.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet

The ThinkPad X1 Tablet is the most versatile Windows 2-in-1 yet, thanks to a unique modular design that lets you attach not only the included keyboard but also projector and 3D camera modules. The 12-inch business-friendly slate also boasts a vivid 2160 x 1440 display, a durable chassis and comfortable active pen. The ThinkPad X1 Tablet ($1,029 to start, $1649 as tested) is a strong performer and extremely portable, but you'll need to spring for the high-capacity battery if you want long endurance

Design Other than its modularity, the ThinkPad X1 tablet doesn't do much to further detachable 2-in-1 designs. It's a black rectangle with a fairly thick bezel surrounding a 12-inch screen. A single-touch fingerprint reader is located on the right side of the screen for extra security

You'll find a ThinkPad logo on the back top left corner, right next to the rear camera. A small switch releases a kickstand that you can pull out and adjust to your liking. The hinge feels secure but didn't always stay flush with the back of the tablet. I found that if I gripped the tablet too hard, it started to bend a bit at the sides, but in using it as a laptop and holding the tablet in just one hand, the magnesium body felt solid

 

The hinge folds out differently from other tablets: the Surface Pro 4's stand, for example, pulls away from the bottom of the tablet, but the X1's pulls away from the center and folds down towards your desk or lap, with a long piece jutting out behind it. This makes the X1's stand very rigid, but also stable no matter where you use it

 

The bottom of the X1 tablet features magnetic pins for accessories, such as the included ThinkPad Thin keyboard and a set of modular add-ons. The keyboard snaps on easily and folds up to cover the screen when you're not using the computer, but does not fold around the back when you're in tablet mode. The 1.7-pound X1 tablet is 11.5 x 8.2 x 0.33 inches (with the keyboard on, it's 2.3 pounds, and adding the Productivity Modules makes it 2.9 pounds), making it easy to fit in a bag or carry around. Microsoft's Surface Pro 4 is a similar size at 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.43 inches and 2.4 pounds with keyboard. The XPS 12 is the heaviest of the bunch at 2.8 pounds and measures 11.5 x 7.8 x 0.63-0.99, while the HP Spectre X2 is the largest at 11.8 x 8.2 x 0.52 inches with its keyboard and 2.68 pounds (1.87 pounds without).. Modules Lenovo will be offering a series of modules that add functionality to the ThinkPad X1 tablet: the Productivity Module, a RealSense 3D Camera and a projector. The first two will cost $150, while the latter will sell for $280

 

 

The Productivity Module brings an additional USB 3.0 port, HDMI output and OneLink+ for docking (the module also serves as an extended battery). The projector will allow X1 owners to make presentations or watch videos on walls or screens without a separate device, while the RealSense camera will allow artists and designers to scan real-life objects and people in full 3D

 

Placing modules involves flipping a switch to remove the bottom casing from the tablet (which you set aside), aligning the new module with the bottom and fastening them with switches on the module itself. When I went to use the keyboard with the Productivity Module, I had to remove a protective strip from the front that protects the magnet. It was another piece I had to cast aside in what felt like an Erector set of extra parts. Security and Durability Lenovo claims that the X1 Tablet is MIL-STD 810G tested for humidity, extreme temperatures and vibrations

 

Additionally, the slate boasts a handful of security features, including an intuitive touch-to-activate fingerprint reader (like those on the iPhone), vPro technology for multi-factor authentication and biometric data and TPM for data security. Keyboard, Touchpad and TrackPoint The ThinkPad Thin keyboard looks like Lenovo standard business keyboards, which are historically very good. The keys have the excellent ThinkPad layout and smile shaped curves, and they make a pleasant, audible click. However, with just 1.25 millimeters of travel, the keys felt a bit flat and hollow

 

On the 10fastfingers.com typing test, I managed to type 101 words per minute (the low end of my average range of 100 - 110 wpm), with a 3 percent error rate (just a slight bump from my usual 1 to 2 percent). I like the Surface Pro 4's keyboard a lot better -- it has deeper travel (1.4mm) and feels sturdier when you type on it.

The clickable, 3.5 x 2.0-inch touchpad provides plenty of room to navigate and perform gestures like pinch-to-zoom. Power users who never want to take their hands off the keyboard will be happy to find Lenovo's TrackPoint nub between the G, H and B keys, along with separate click buttons, including one for scrolling. 

Display

The 2160 x 1440, 12-inch display on the X1 Tablet is sharp, vivid and accurate. The only issue I have with the screen is that it is very glossy, which makes it reflective. I often saw my own reflection while I worked, especially if I was looking at a dark web page or video. But as I watched the latest trailer for X-Men: Apocalypse, the feathers in Angel's wings and the scars on Nightcrawler's face stood out. Cyclops' bright-red optic blasts and Storm's white-hot lightning really popped.

The X1 Tablet's screen is plenty bright at 335 nits, outshining the HP Spectre X2 (322 nits) and ultraportable category average of 305 nits. However, the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (382 nits) and Dell XPS 12 (413 nits) are brighter.

 

Both content watchers and creators will love this colorful display. It covers 104 percent of the sRGB gamut, which is fantastic. Only the Dell XPS 12 did better (114 percent), but the Surface Pro 4 came close (100 percent). HP's Spectre X2 (72 percent) wasn't even close. Viewing angles on the X1 Tablet are excellent and didn't wash out until I was nearly 90 degrees to the side. 

Not only is the screen colorful and vivid, but it's also incredibly color accurate with a Delta-E error rating of 0.4 (the closer to zero, the better). That's the same score as the Surface Pro 4, which has one of our favorite detachable 2-in-1 screens. The HP Spectre X2 registered a good score of 0.7, but the XPS 12 delivered a meh 4.4

 

Stylus The stylus on the X1 Tablet, which Lenovo calls the Active Pen, is more ergonomically friendly than the one on the ThinkPad X1 Yoga. In fact, it's more of a full-sized pen than a stylus. It has two programmable buttons that you can customize using the Wacom Pen app to click or open programs like OneNote and features 2,048 levels of sensitivity

 

 

Unlike Microsoft's more innovative stylus for the Surface Pro 4, the Active Pen lacks an eraser. In fact, trying to use the end of this the X1 Tablet's stylus continues to write on the screen. The pen worked well with Lenovo's WRITEit app, one of my favorite vendor additions to Windows 10. I loved having the ability to mark up articles and highlight them using the pen or jot down ideas in OneNote. I could also fill in text fields via the pen in both the operating system (like Cortana's "Ask me anything" bar and various search boxes) and web browsers like Microsoft Edge. I could also write my searches in Google, though text recognition was only so-so, and I sometimes found myself pulling up the on-screen keyboard in lieu of writing. Unlike the X1 Yoga's stylus, which charges when plugged into the laptop, the Active Pen requires a AAAA battery and hangs from the notebook by a loop. You can check how much of a charge your stylus has with the aptly named ThinkPad Pen Low Battery Notifier app. Ports The X1 doesn't have a ton of ports, but it offers the ones that matter most for getting work done. The left side features a Kensington lock slot, volume rocker and headphone jack

 

The right is where you'll find the USB Type-C port (which the device uses for charging), USB 3.0 port and Mini DisplayPort. A nano SIM slot and microSD card slot are located behind the kickstand

 

Cameras

I snapped a few selfies with the 2-megapixel, 1080p  webcam on the front of the X1, which turned out sharp but dark. I could make out fine details, like my individual hairs (they often look like blobs on other webcams), but the lighting behind me was overexposed. My skin appeared slightly orange and the white wall behind me came out yellow, because it seems like the camera has a warm tint

The 8-MP, 3200 x 1800 rear camera took photos without blur, but they still looked overly warm. I went to the roof of our office and took some pictures of the neighboring buildings and found I could make out individual bricks and architectural flourishes in them. Some colors were off, though; the gray building in front of us had a slight yellow tint to it, and a red building showed up lighter than it did to my eye

Audio Unlike the Microsoft Surface Pro 4's front-facing speakers, the ThinkPad X1 Tablet's are mounted along the sides. They don't get incredibly loud, though; I could hear street noise over them when sitting in a conference room, but they produced clear highs and mids. I listened to Sia's "Cheap Thrills" and was pleased with the clear vocals and instrumental backing, though the bass was pretty weak

The Settings app has a spot to turn off the Dolby Audio and switch between Movie, Music, Gaming and Voice modes. In my experience, though, the default settings provided the best experience.

Performance

With its 1.2-GHz Intel Core m7-6Y7 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD, the X1 can handle any of your work-related tasks, from researching on the web to writing reports or filling out spreadsheets. I opened 10 tabs in Google Chrome (one of which was streaming a 1080p episode of The Daily Show) while writing in OpenOffice Writer before I noticed a pause between tabs switching.

On Geekbench 3, which evaluates overall system performance, the ThinkPad X1 earned a very good score of 6,497. That soundly beats both the HP Spectre X2 with the same CPU and RAM (5,814) and the Core m5-powered  XPS 12 (4,875). However, the Microsoft Surface Pro 4's sixth-generation Core i5 processor sent the competition packing, achieving 6,811.

The X1's SSD is no slouch -- it copied 4.97GB of mixed media files in 33 seconds, a rate of 152.37 MBps, faster than the category average of 147.21 MBps. That's neck and neck with the HP Spectre x2 (148 MBps), but the Surface Pro 4 blew the field away at 318.1 MBps. The Dell XPS 12 faltered with a speed of 82.09 MBps,

MORE: Best 2-in-1s (Laptop/Tablet Hybrids)

On our OpenOffice spreadsheet macro test, the ThinkPad X1 Tablet paired 20,000 names and addresses in 4 minutes and 31 seconds. The Surface Pro 4 was a tad faster at 4:11, while the XPS 12 (5:14) and Spectre X2 (5:34) fell behind.

With Intel's integrated 515 graphics on board, the X1 Tablet scored 61,799 on the 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited benchmark. The Surface Pro 4 fell just shy at 60,424, while the Spectre X2 notched 52,450. The XPS 12 hit 46,364, just under the category average.

The X1 Tablet won't handle any heavy gaming, but you should be able to play low-end games like World of Warcraft without a problem, as well as casual fare like Candy Crush.

Battery Life

If you want the ThinkPad X1 Tablet to last most of the day without charging, you should pick up the extended battery option. The standard battery lasted just 5 hours and 32 minutes on the Laptop Mag Battery Test, which involves continuous web browsing over Wi-Fi at 100 nits of brightness. When we added the $150 Productivity Module with the extended battery, we saw a much stronger time of  9:14.

With the extra battery, the X1 tablet outlasts all of its foes and surpasses the ultraportable category average of 8:13. Without the module in place, the HP Spectre X2 took the lead at 6:31 with the Surface Pro 4 close behind (6:04) and the Dell XPS 12 (5:17) bringing up the rear.

Heat

When we streamed 15 minutes of video from Hulu on  the X1 Tablet, it got a tad warm. The middle of the screen reached 95 degrees Fahrenheit, matching our comfort threshold. We never found it too hot to use, however even, after the middle of the back panel reached 98 degrees.

Software and Warranty

The build of Windows 10 on the X1 includes a variety of extra software that ranges from bloatware to helpful utilities.

Lenovo's Settings tool mostly doubles up on Windows 10's own settings, albeit in a more user-friendly manner, while Companion lets you check on the health of your device. Lenovo ID, makes you an account for Lenovo's web site, forums and apps.

There's only two pieces of bloatware pre-installed: Flipboard and the ever-present Candy Crush: Soda Saga.

Like other ThinkPads, the X1 Tablet comes standard with a one year limited "depot" warranty, where the company pays for return shipping on defective products. You also have the option to pay extra for an extended warranty or for accidental damage protection. See how Lenovo fared on our Tech Support Showdown and in our Best and Worst Brand ratings

 

Configurations

Our $1,649 review unit of the ThinkPad X1 Tablet came stocked with an 1.2-GHz Intel Core M7-6Y75 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD.

There's a $1,349 version with an Intel Core m5-6Y57 processor that is otherwise identical to the version I tested. The $1,029 base model has an Intel Core m3-6Y30 processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD.

The Productivity Module  and the 3D Imaging Module will cost $149 each, while the Presenter Module with built-in projector will be pricier at $279.

Representatives for Lenovo noted that there is a possibility (though no guarantee) that the prices of these modules  could be lower through deals on their web site or through other retailers.

Bottom Line

Overall, the ThinkPad X1 is one of the best business 2-in-1s yet. Unlike the Surface Pro 4, the Lenovo comes with a keyboard. Plus, the Lenovo's display is one of the best on the market and its performance (at least with Core m7) stacks up well against the competition.

The modules are a cool idea, and adding the $150 backup battery provides a huge advantage over the X1's competitors. Swapping the modules is a bit of a pain, though -- a tablet shouldn't have this many removable parts.

The Surface Pro 4 is a slightly better deal and offers a better (optional) keyboard, but it doesn't offer an extended battery. If you want a 2-in-1 with business level security, mil-spec durability and expandability, the ThinkPad X1 tablet is for you

Lenovo thinkpad x1 carbon

Lenovo has never stinted on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, its flagship thin-and-light business laptop. This year the company has expanded the X1 range, which now includes the modular ThinkPad X1 Tablet and the convertible ThinkPad X1 Yoga with OLED display. The ThinkPad Carbon X1 has also had an upgrade, the fourth-generation version being "the world's lightest 14-inch business ultrabook," according to its maker.
ThinkPad laptops have a certain 'design icon' status about them. The matt-black chassis, silver 'ThinkPad' on the lid with the red-LED 'i' dot that pulses when the notebook is sleeping are simple, useful and distinctive visual elements.

 

 

All these elements are present in the 4th-generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon, which has a starting weight of 1.21kg. Rather than the weight, it's the extreme slimness of this laptop that I noticed first and found most appealing. Measuring 1.64cm along the back edge and tapering towards the front, and with a footprint of 33.3cm by 22.9cm, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is no problem to stow in a backpack.
The chassis is made from carbon fibre, so you can probably get away with carrying this laptop without a protective sleeve. That said, the lid and base are relatively easy to prize apart, so beware of detritus in your bag that might squeeze its way between screen and keyboard -- a stray paperclip, for example, can do significant damage

Open the lid and more distinctive ThinkPad features are revealed. The red trackpoint is accompanied by three buttons that sit above the touchpad, the central button offering a scroll function. The buttons on the touchpad itself are embedded. I found two-finger zooming on the touchpad a little jerky for some reason, but everything else involving pointing devices was smooth and responsive.
The keys are large, and there's plenty of travel -- some people might even feel they rise and fall a little too much. They're well spaced, and also backlit -- two levels of brightness are controlled by the Fn key-spacebar combination. My review unit had a fingerprint reader on the wrist rest, although it's not present on every model.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is one of those old-fashioned laptops whose screen doesn't rotate fully. You can push it back 180 degrees to rest flat on a table, but that's as far as it will go. If you want a ThinkPad X1 with full 360-degree rotation, you'll need the Yoga version. Nor is the 2016 X1 Carbon's screen touch sensitive -- last year Lenovo released two touchscreen models, one of which we reviewed. Again, look to the X1 Yoga if you want a touchscreen (and pen support).
There are two options for the 14-inch screen. On the two less expensive models you get a 1,920-by-1,080-pixel (157ppi) IPS screen, while the two higher-end models, which include my top-of-the-range review unit, have a 2,560-by-1,440-pixel (210ppi) IPS screen. The matte finish makes this a great screen to work with, although I found

horizontal viewing angles a little lacking unless the display was set to maximum brightness.

Working with the screen at maximum brightness will, of course, put greater strain on the
battery, so you'll need to think about the trade-off here. Lenovo says the 4-cell battery will give
you up to 11 hours of life, but anecdotal evidence suggests this is rather hopeful

On one occasion, after three hours of relatively low-level use but with the screen at maximum brightness for about half the time, the battery was down to 69 percent and the ThinkPad's own battery gauge suggested there was just 3 hours 30 minutes of life remaining.

Lenovo's Power Manager app includes a slider which you can use to move between higher performance and longer battery life. For me, anything over half way towards the maximum battery life side reduced screen brightness to an unworkable level.
There are currently four off-the-page 4th-generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon configurations on Lenovo's UK website. As already noted, our review unit was the top-of-the range model:

• Intel Core i5-6200U up to 2.80GHz, Windows 10 Home 64, 14.0 1920 x 1080, Intel HD Graphics 520, 8GB RAM, 192GB SSD (£1,159.99 inc. VAT)
• Intel Core i5-6200U up to 2.80GHz, Windows 10 Home 64, 14.0 2560 x 1440, Intel HD Graphics 520, 8GB RAM, 192GB SSD (£1,389.99 inc. VAT)
• Intel Core i7-6500U up to 3.10GHz, Windows 10 Pro 64, 14.0 2560 x 1440, Intel HD Graphics 520, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, integrated mobile broadband available as an upgrade (£1,419.99 inc. VAT)
• Intel Core i7-6600U up to 3.40GHz, Windows 10 Pro 64, 14.0 2560 x 1440, Intel HD Graphics 520, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, integrated mobile broadband (£1,769.99 inc. VAT)

You can fiddle with the base configurations. For example my review sample arrived with Windows 7 Pro installed, which is available through downgrade rights. You can also boost SSD storage up to 512GB, with both SATA and faster PCIe NVMe options on offer.
There's a 720p webcam above the screen, flanked by dual array microphones. My review unit had a MicroSIM card slot under a cover on the back edge, which also protects a MicroSD card slot.

There are now three USB 3.0 ports on the X1 Carbon, along with HDMI, audio, Mini-DisplayPort, power and OneLink connectors. Image: Lenovo

Lenovo has been slightly more generous with ports on this year's ThinkPad X1 Carbon than with its 2015 predecessor. There are three USB 3.0 ports rather than two as before, plus a full-size HDMI port, a Mini-DisplayPort and a 3.5mm headset jack.
A Lenovo OneLink+ connector allows you to attach the provided RJ-45 Ethernet adapter. If you need more ports, you can also use this connector to attach a OneLink+ Dock, which will cost you an extra £154.80 (inc. VAT). The ThinkPad X1 Carbon also supports WiGig and Lenovo offers a WiGig Dock, allowing for wireless access to dual HD displays, mouse and keyboard, USB storage and Ethernet. This sounds convenient, but comes at a price: £261.60 (inc. VAT).

Conclusion

If you're looking for big changes in the 4th-generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon, you'll be disappointed: it's much more about updating the 2015 model than breaking new ground. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but there is one area where Lenovo should be striving for better performance: battery life.
Still, this is another impressive ThinkPad X1 Carbon from Lenovo, albeit one that's distinctly evolutionary. We're keen to explore whether the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, with its OLED touchscreen and pen support, moves Lenovo's premium business ultrabook line up a notch.

 

Celluon Epic projection keyboard
Today more and more people use smartphones and tablets as their main computing devices. But these devices typically don't have physical keyboards, and that leaves the door open for innovation and creative alternatives. Take, for example, the Celluon Epic projection keyboard. Read on, as Gizmag goes hands-on with a device that will turn any flat surface into a full QWERTY keyboard.

 

 

The first thing to know about the Celluon Epic is that, yes, it does work. Prop the tiny (70 x 35 x 20 mm) gizmo on a desk or other flat and opaque surface, near your PC or mobile device. Pair it via Bluetooth with your computer, and you can start typing. Tap your fingers on the projected red laser keys, and the letters pop up on your screen. It can even serve as a mouse or touchpad for your Windows PC or Mac.
If you've never seen a projection keyboard before, it makes for quite the "whoa" moment. Sometimes you have to shake your head and marvel at what technology is capable of, and using your kitchen countertop as an iPad keyboard is one of those times.
Of course, like any magic trick, there's actually something very specific happening behind the scenes that creates the illusion. Here we're looking at infrared light that's emitted from the lower end of the Epic. When your finger (or any other object) passes through a key's projected area, the sensor detects the infrared light reflecting off of it, and computes it as a keystroke.


The device itself is tightly constructed, with a compact, attractive design. It doesn't look remotely cheap. It's small enough to drop in a pocket, and can easily sit next to the device you're typing on without drawing attention to itself.
The Epic is compatible with all the major mobile and desktop operating systems, including iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac OS X. Windows Phone isn't yet supported.

Typing with Celluon Epic

So, with the Celluon Epic, we have something that is sure to grab any gadget- or technology-lover's attention. But is it something you'll actually want to use on a regular basis? Is this worth considering instead of a physical keyboard?
Unfortunately, unless you have a lot of patience, I'd say probably not. The Epic is about as accurate as you'd expect it to be, considering the technology behind it, but it's a far cry from using a physical keyboard. In fact, it's even a far cry from an iOS or Android multitouch software keyboard.
The image above is the result of my attempt to type out Mary Had a Little Lamb without looking at the screen. Spaces often ended up as n's, other letters were mistyped, and it ended up a jumbled mess. When typing while looking at the screen, I eventually typed what I was trying to say, but spent about three times as long correcting mistakes as I did typing.
To Celluon's credit, the company recommends beginning by typing with a hunt-and-peck style, and gradually building up to standard two-handed typing after you're comfortable with that.
But there's one problem with that. Why? Why should customers have to go through a grueling learning process to use a new product? Why should we trust that it will yield rewards and become more comfortable in time? Why not just buy a much cheaper Bluetooth keyboard and call it a day?
There's a fine line with innovation. On one hand, there's the jaw-dropping, "holy crap" factor that comes from new technology you've never seen before. Epic has that. But a truly innovative product also needs to solve a problem, make things easier, or do something better than products before it did. This is where Epic is sorely lacking. It doesn't solve any problem, it actually makes typing harder, and it doesn't do anything better than physical or even on-screen keyboards do.

Who is it for

Here at Gizmag, we keep a close eye on exciting and interesting new technologies and technology products. So we do have a certain appreciation for products like the Epic that swing for the fence and try to do something new and exciting. But apart from gadget lovers who want a cool party trick, the US$170 (discounted for $150 on Amazon) Celluon laser keyboard probably isn't worth it. Perhaps future versions will offer infrared typing that works to perfection, and provides a legitimate alternative to the keyboards you already have. But in its current form, it's hard to recommend.Who is it for