CES 2022: Big Announcements In The PC World!

The biggest tech event of the year is back! Even with some hiccups along the way, major announcements by chip makers are still on track for CES2022. Here’s what you can expect for the coming year.

Intel

We start off with Intel, coming in full force with 12th-Gen Intel Core processors for both desktop and mobile, with a key focus on the latter.

The all-new 12th-Gen Intel Core Mobile Processor Family will be spearheaded by the 45-watt H-Series, followed by the 28 watt P-Series and the much lower-powered 15-watt and 9-watt U-Series.

Right at the very top is the Intel Core i9-12900HK which Intel claims to be the most powerful mobile processor ever. Going by the benchmarks they showed, it is quite the performance uplift across the board against the competition!

In total, there will be 8 brand-new SKUs for the H-Series, featuring up to 14 cores, clocking up to 5GHz and up to 40% higher performance compared to the last-gen.

For gamers and content creators on the go, you can now enjoy the best that Intel has to offer with their new hybrid architecture with 12th-Gen across different brands and partners such as HP, Gigabyte, Dell, Acer, Asus, Razer and more.

In addition, the high-performance H-Series will be included in the upcoming 3rd specification of Intel Evo so you can expect not just more performance, but more features as well.

Nvidia

Going hand in hand with Intel would be Nvidia, where they announced their 4th-generation Max-Q technology which will feature CPU Optimiser, Rapid Core Scaling and Battery Boost 2.0.

With CPU Optimiser, it introduces a new low-level framework that can improve the efficiency of the CPU and thus push more power to the GPU for even better performance while still maintaining CPU performance.

Rapid Core Scaling allows better distribution of power among cores on the GPU, allowing much higher frequencies on active cores for better performance. And Battery Boost 2.0 is a further enhancement on the technology, with up to 70% more battery life under load compared to the previous generation.

Of course, it goes without saying that Nvidia is also bringing the 3070 Ti and 3080 Ti to the laptop segment, enabling even more performance for us consumers!

But let’s not forget the desktop.

The new RTX 3050 will be able to bring better performance in its class than ever before thanks to the Ampere Architecture. According to Nvidia, it’ll be able to power the latest games at well over 60 frames per second, way surpassing the popular previous generation 50-series GPUs.

But thanks to Ampere, the RTX 3050 will be equipped with 2nd-gen RT cores for Ray-Tracing and 3rd-gen Tensor Cores for DLSS and AI, enabling the RTX 3050 to still achieve over 60 frames per second even with RTX and DLSS turned on. Great gaming performance for the masses. The new RTX 3050 will start at US249 and be available starting from 27th January.

But that’s not all.

Nvidia also announced their latest flagship, the RTX 3090 Ti. With 40 shader teraflops, 78 RT teraflops, 320 Tensor teraflops, and 24GB of G6X memory. It certainly makes a statement and is shaping up to be quite the beast. If only we could obtain one. Fingers crossed.

AMD

Going up against Team Blue would be Team Red.

AMD is launching their all-new Ryzen 6000 Series Mobile, featuring Zen 3 Plus cores, with RDNA 2 Graphics Architecture on an all-new platform utilising TSMC 6nm technology.

At the forefront is the Ryzen 9 6980HX which features eight cores and 16 threads with a boost frequency of up to 5GHz. On the other hand, you can also expect ample performance in a slim form factor with the Ryzen 7 6800U which features the same amount of cores and threads, but at a much lower wattage.

Across the board, the new 6000 series will also support DDR5 memory, PCIe 4.0, USB 4 as well as Wi-Fi 6E.

On the graphics side of things, AMD is adding onto their portfolio of RX 6000M series with new offerings ranging from the RX 6300M to the RX 6850M XT, and an all-new S Series which comprises of the RX 6600S, 6700S and 6800S.

But of course, the desktop isn’t neglected and AMD is going head-on against the RTX 3050 with their new RX 6500 XT with really similar performance levels. The new RX 6500 XT will start at US$199 and be available from 19th January.

Razer

To tie everything together, are all the various brands with their latest products!

Razer is back for more with a new refresh to their ever-popular Blade laptops. The Blade 14, Blade 15 and Blade 17 still feature that iconic chassis and design language, but will now be packing the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series GPUS, up to the RTX 3080 Ti, alongside support for DDR5 memory.

Unique to the Blade 14 is the choice to go AMD for the CPU, and the new refresh will be offering the latest Ryzen 9 6900HX which features 8 cores and 16 threads with a boost frequency of up to 4.9GHz along with 20MB of L3 cache. In addition, it’ll feature a MUX Switch, allowing you to use the discrete GPU to drive games on the internal display, allowing for even more performance.

The Blade 15 and Blade 17 on the other hand will feature the latest 12th-Gen Intel Core H-Series processors, up to an Intel Core i9-12900H, which will bring Intel’s Hybrid Architecture to the Blades.

Asus ROG

Asus ROG starts the year with yet even more laptops!

The Strix G15 and G17 will feature up to a Ryzen 9 6900HX and RTX 3080 Ti with a full 150-watt TGP and will include a MUX Switch. Goes without saying that it’ll also support DDR5 memory, a couple of high refresh rate display options and a new liquid metal cooling solution.

A step above those two will be the Strix Scar 15 and Scar 17 which will feature up to an Intel Core i9-12900H paired with that same RTX 3080 Ti with a full 150-watt TGP. Similarly, it’ll also feature a MUX Switch, DDR5 memory support and different display options.

Replacing the flagship of old is the new Zephyrus Duo 16. Featuring the highest-end Ryzen 9 6980HX and RTX 3080 Ti, it’ll certainly perform and with the new ROG Nebula HDR display, it’ll cover not just gamers but content creators as well, with 100% DCI-P3 colour coverage and up to 1100 nits brightness with 100,000:1 contrast ratio and much more.

But perhaps the most popular of the bunch is the Zephyrus G14, which receives yet another upgrade! Featuring a dual AMD combo with up to the latest Ryzen 9 and Radeon RX 6800 S, it’ll pack a punch way above its weight class. And if you’re a fan of the unique AniMe Matrix LED, that gets an upgrade as well, allowing for more intricate images and patterns.

If you’re on a budget, however, the TUF series will be more appealing. The TUF Gaming F15 and F17, alongside the Dash F15 will feature the latest 12th-Gen Intel Core processors and a combination of various RTX 30 series graphics while the TUF Gaming A15 and A17 will feature an AMD offering, up to a Ryzen 7 6800H.

Last but not least, the most unique perhaps would be the Flow Z13, a 2-in-1 laptop with a detachable keyboard. Replacing the X13, the Z13 is very similar to the previous X13 but will now pack up to an Intel Core i9-12900H and NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti with a MUX Switch no less. And if you need more power, it can support the XG Mobile which can house up to an RTX 3080.

Alienware

Last but not least, we have Alienware and at CES 2020, they are launching the all-new Alienware X14.

The X14 will be the smallest Alienware yet, featuring a 14-inch display, but will still rock up to a Core i7-12900H, RTX 3060 and support for DDR5 memory up to 5,200MHz. But of course, if 14-inch isn’t your fancy, the X15 and the X17 will receive their generational refresh as well.