Month: October 2021

Razer releases cheaper wireless version of one of its best gaming mice

Razer’s DeathAdder V2 X HyperSpeed has lower specs—but also a lower price.

Razer DeathAdder V2 X HyperSpeed on mouse pad

Enlarge / Razer DeathAdder V2 X HyperSpeed. (credit: Razer)

At its RazerCon show last week, PC hardware company Razer announced its new Kraken gaming headsets, finally put a price tag on its RGB face mask, and released other products, like new gaming chairs. Just five days later, Razer has quietly launched another product, the Razer DeathAdder V2 X HyperSpeed. It's a wireless version of one of the most well-known gaming mice, and it comes with a lower price tag.

The DeathAdder mice have earned a positive reputation for their simple, comfortable design. With an MSRP starting at $30, the lineup is more accessible than a lot of Razer's other offerings. The company says it has sold over 10 million DeathAdders, making the model the company's "best-selling mouse."

Read 6 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Android 12L will bring better support for foldables and large-screen devices

Android 12 only began rolling out to Pixel phones last week, but Google is already preparing the next update – a version that’s optimized for foldables and large-screen devices. And you won’t have to wait until Android 13 is available next fall to get it. That’s because the next update will be called Android 12L, […]

The post Android 12L will bring better support for foldables and large-screen devices appeared first on Liliputing.

Android 12 only began rolling out to Pixel phones last week, but Google is already preparing the next update – a version that’s optimized for foldables and large-screen devices. And you won’t have to wait until Android 13 is available next fall to get it.

That’s because the next update will be called Android 12L, and it’s expected to hit the streets in early 2022. A developer preview is already available today, and users who may not have a compatible device can download an Android 12L emulator.

On large screens, Android 12L can display:

  • Taskbar-like navigation dock centered at the bottom of the screen
  • 2-column layout for supported apps
  • Pull down the navigation drawer and Quick Settings will be displayed on the left, and notifications on the right

The taskbar is particularly helpful for multitasking, as it allows you to open apps in split-screen mode.

Just drag the app icon you want from the taskbar into the main display and it will open in split-screen mode. Drag a second app and choose whether it should be on the left or right, and you can position two apps side-by-side.

For foldable devices, Android 12L should be able to automatically detect when you’re switching between phone and tablet-sized views, and adjust the user interface accordingly. But Android 12L could also be helpful for large-screen devices like Android tablets, which have been available for well over a decade at this point, but which have received little love from Google’s Android development team.

The post Android 12L will bring better support for foldables and large-screen devices appeared first on Liliputing.

Android 12 is so last week: Meet Android 12L, now in developer preview

Android 12L brings tablet-focused features, like a dock and dual-pane interfaces.

Tablets have a dual-pane notification panel in Android 12L: The left side is quick settings, the right side is a list of notifications.

Enlarge / Tablets have a dual-pane notification panel in Android 12L: The left side is quick settings, the right side is a list of notifications. (credit: Google)

Have you heard about the new version of Android? No, not Android 12—that launched an entire week ago! It's time to talk about the new new version of Android: "Android 12L."

Remember all those talks we had about a mid-cycle, tablet-focused release of Android that the community had unofficially dubbed "Android 12.1"? That release is officially "Android 12L," and it's out now as a developer preview.

Google started its surprise announcement with some big-screen stats:

Read 13 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Intel launches 12th-gen Alder Lake chips for desktops (up to 16-cores, 24-threads)

Intel’s first 12th-gen processors based on Alder Lake architecture are available starting today and, as expected, the biggest difference between the new chips and most of Intel’s previous-gen processors is the ability to combine two different types of CPU cores to provide a mix of high-performance and energy-efficient cores. For example, the new top-of-the-line Intel […]

The post Intel launches 12th-gen Alder Lake chips for desktops (up to 16-cores, 24-threads) appeared first on Liliputing.

Intel’s first 12th-gen processors based on Alder Lake architecture are available starting today and, as expected, the biggest difference between the new chips and most of Intel’s previous-gen processors is the ability to combine two different types of CPU cores to provide a mix of high-performance and energy-efficient cores.

For example, the new top-of-the-line Intel Core i9-12900K processor is a 16-core, 24-thread chip that has 8 Performance (P) cores with support for hyperthreading and 8 Efficient (E) cores that handle basic duties when you don’t need the extra processing power. The efficient cores don’t support hyperthreading, which is why you get the odd thread-counts.

Thanks to heterogenous computing, a feature we’ve seen used in ARM-based smartphone chips for years, Intel’s new chips can use some or all cores at once.

Intel says it plans to launch 60 different processors as part of the 12th-gen Intel Core lineup, with chips ranging from mobile processors for thin and light laptops to higher-power chips for desktop computers… and that’s where the company is starting this time around.

According to Intel, there are 28 different chips currently shipping to OEM processors, but today only the first 6 Alder Lake desktop processors are available.

All of these chips are unlocked (overclockable) processors with a base TDP of 125 watts, although they can also consume more power when running at “turbo” speeds. The new chips also all support up to 128GB of DDR4-3200 or DDR5-4800 dual-channel memory, and 20 PCIe Lanes (up to 16 PCIe 5.0 and 4 PCIe 4.0).

But K-series chips feature Intel UHD 770 integrated graphics, while the KF-series models are designed for systems with discrete graphics (or, I suppose, applications where a GPU may not be needed), and don’t have any integrated graphics at all.

Here’s a run-down of Intel’s Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9 Alder Lake desktop chips:

Chip Cores (P + E) Threads L3 Cache Total L3 cache Turbo Max Freq P-core base / turbo freq E-core base / turbo freq GPU Max Turbo Power
i9-12900K 16 (8P + 8E) 24 30MB 14MB Up to 5.2 GHz 3.2 GHz / 5.1 GHz 2.4 GHz / 3.9 GHz UHD 770 241 W
i9-12900KF 16 (8P + 8E) 24 30MB 14MB Up to 5.2 GHz 3.2 GHz / 5.1 GHz 2.4 GHz / 3.9 GHz N/A 241 W
i7-12700K 12 (8P + 4E) 20 25MB 12MB Up to 5 GHz 3.6 GHz / 4.9 GHz 2.7 GHz / 3.8 GHz UHD 770 190 W
i7-12700KF 12 (8P + 4E) 20 25MB 12MB Up to 5 GHz 3.6 GHz / 4.9 GHz 2.7 GHz / 3.8 GHz N/A 190 W
i5-12600K 10 (6P + 4E) 16 20MB 9.5MB N/A 3.7 GHz / 4.9 GHz 2.8 GHz / 3.6 GHz UHD 770 150 W
i5-12600KF 10 (6P + 4E) 16 20MB 9.5MB N/A 3.7 GHz / 4.9 GHz 2.8 GHz / 3.6 GHz N/A 150 W

While the move to a new heterogenous architecture that pairs Performance and Efficient CPU cores on the same chip is one of the most noteworthy changes in the new processors, Intel is also promising significant performance gains over 11th-gen chips.

For example, the company says the new Core i9-12900K is about 19% faster than a Core i9-11900K when it comes to single-core performance, offers an 84% improvement in frame rates while gaming and streaming simultaneously, and brings a 50% improvement in Blender graphics rendering, while consuming less power.

Folks in the market for a new desktop should be able to pick up one with a 12th-gen Intel Core processor soon, but if you’re looking to build your own PC or upgrade an older one, note that the chips listed above are designed for a new LGA1700 socket, which means you’ll need to buy a new motherboard to go with the new chips.

The post Intel launches 12th-gen Alder Lake chips for desktops (up to 16-cores, 24-threads) appeared first on Liliputing.

Dell’s XPS Desktop gets a new look and liquid cooling

New PCs support the most powerful parts from Intel, Nvidia, and AMD.

Not to scale: Old Dell XPS Desktop (left) with new XPS Desktop (right).

Enlarge / Not to scale: Old Dell XPS Desktop (left) with new XPS Desktop (right). (credit: Dell)

Dell's XPS Desktop is ditching the cheese-grater look in favor of something sweeter. The tower PCs announced today are 42 percent larger and have a new thermal design that flattens the previous version's bumpy, weave-like ventilation grille into a square-filled design reminiscent of waffles. The beefier chassis—which measures 27 L, compared to its predecessor's 19 L—makes way for Intel's latest 12th-Gen Alder Lake CPUs and Nvidia's and AMD's most powerful graphics cards.

The top-line CPU option is the powerful Intel Core i9-12900K—and when we say powerful, we mean it. The chip is a 125 W, overclockable, 16-core, 24-thread CPU with 30MB of cache and a 3.2 GHz clock speed that can boost to 5.2 GHz. The prior XPS Desktop came with up to an i9-11900K, which is also 125 W but with half the cores, threads, and cache and higher clock speeds (3.5 / 5.3 GHz).

Options for graphics go up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 or an AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT. You can add up to an incredible 128GB of DDR5-3600 RAM (across four 32GB sticks), twice the memory offered by the last-gen XPS Desktop. The PC packs up to 4TB of storage, courtesy of a 2TB SSD and 2TB HDD. Fuel for all that computing horsepower comes from a 750 W power supply.

Read 6 remaining paragraphs | Comments