AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT Graphics Cards for 1080p Gaming Launched in India

AMD announced the impending launch of a Radeon RX 5500 GPU series in early October, and now the Radeon RX 5500 XT has now been launched. With this new GPU, AMD is targeting gamers who want high performance at 1920x1080 without spending too much. According to AMD, gamers who play at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 represent over 90 percent of the market, and the company is targeting these two groups with the new Radeon RX 5500 and the previously launched Radeon RX 5700 series respectively. There has not been any mention of other GPU models within the Radeon RX 5500 family, at least not yet, although the Radeon RX 5500 XT will be available in versions with either 4GB or 8GB of VRAM.

In India, AMD has announced indicative starting prices of Rs. 12,990 and Rs. 14,990 (both excluding taxes) for the 4GB and 8GB versions of the Radeon RX 5500 XT. Graphics cards in both configurations should be available from Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, ASRock, Sapphire, XFX, and PowerColor in various parts of the world starting today. Asus has announced that its customised Asus Dual Evo 5500 XT (8GB) model will be available priced starting at Rs. 17,500 in India, while a Strix series model (also 8GB) will cost Rs. 19,500 and go on sale a week from today.

AMD will not be creating a reference cooler, and so all graphics cards will be custom-designed versions. The company has shown off images of cards from all its AIB partners, and they appear to vary in size, but all feature either two or three fans. Partners will be free to modify clock speeds and power characteristics.

The Radeon RX 5500 XT GPU is built around the same RDNA architecture, 7nm manufacturing process, and PCIe 4.0 infrastructure as the higher-end Radeon RX 5700 series. The GPU features 1,408 stream processors clustered into 22 compute units. The reference boost clock is 1845MHz, while AMD's "game clock", or the speed that gamers should expect to see consistently, is 1717MHz. AMD has used 14GBps GDDR6 memory on a 128-but bus. The reference total board power requirement is 130W

Intel 'Ponte Vecchio' Xe Graphics Architecture, 'Sapphire Rapids' Xeon CPUs, OneAPI Toolkit to Power Aurora Supercomputer

Intel has disclosed an early overview of plans for the upcoming Aurora supercomputer, which it is building in conjunction with Cray for the Argonne National Laboratory, run by the United Sates Department of Energy. It is due to be delivered in 2021. The key components of the Aurora supercomputer will be 'Ponte Vecchio' GPUs based on Intel's Xe graphics architecture, and Xeon Scalable CPUs from the 'Sapphire Rapids' generation. This is the first time that Ponte Vecchio has been disclosed publicly. To tie everything together, Intel will be offering its new OneAPI software toolkit, which is said to allow developers to easily work with multiple CPU, GPU, and accelerator architectures.

Starting with Ponte Vecchio, Intel has been publicising its upcoming integrated and discrete Xe graphics processors for some time now, and is definitely planning to target gamers and PC enthusiasts. However, the bigger picture is that Xe will be an overarching framework that can be customised for different products. Intel has now confirmed that its Xe architecture strategy will address segments right from ultra-mobile graphics to gaming, and workstation graphics, as well as high-performance exascale-level AI and deep learning applications.

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X With 32 Cores Announced

AMD has announced two new high-end Ryzen Threadripper processors with up to 32 cores, as well as a new entry-level Athlon processor with integrated Radeon Vega 3 graphics. The company has also disclosed the official date of sale for its delayed 16-core Ryzen 9 3950X desktop CPU. The new Athlon APU model will go on sale from November 19, priced at $49 (approximately Rs. 3,470 before taxes) while the high-end processors will all be available starting from November 25. The 32-core Ryzen Threadripper 3970X will cost $1,999 (approximately Rs. 1,41,565) and the 24-core Ryzen Threadripper 3960X will cost $1,399 (approximately Rs. 99,073). AMD has also introduced the new sTRX4 socket which its third-gen Ryzen Threadripper CPUs will use. Motherboard manufacturers are expected to announce compatible new motherboards soon.

The third-generation Threadripper CPUs are based on AMD's Zen 2 architecture and manufactured using a 7nm process. They are expected to compete with Intel's recently announced 'Cascade Lake-X' lineup of X-series processors. Base clock speeds for the Threadripper 3970X and 3960X are 3.7GHz and 3.8GHz respectively, with a common boost speed of 4.5GHz. Both models feature multi-threading for up to 64 and 48 threads respectively. Both also feature 128MB of L3 cache and 280W TDP figures. They use the same modular 'chiplet' design as AMD's current-gen Epyc server CPUs. RAM support officially goes up to 256GB of quad-channel DDR4-3200. 

DELL OPTIPLEX 7070 ULTRA MODULAR, ZERO-FOOTPRINT PC

Dell OptiPlex 7070 Ultra Modular, Zero-Footprint PC Launched in India

Dell Technologies on Friday unveiled its OptiPlex 7070 Ultra - a flexible, modular and zero-footprint PC which targets the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) and Information Technology Enabled Service (ITES) sectors.The PC has been launched at a starting price of Rs. 47,999 + GST (inclusive of keyboard and mouse). The company is, however, selling compatible display options separately

According to the company, the devices will get manufactured in India at its factory in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.The Dell OptiPlex 7070 Ultra places the desktop PC into a monitor stand that reduces footprint. It allows for maximum use of desk space, improves productivity, and reduces IT investment.The OptiPlex 7070 Ultra can support up to three daisy-chained USB-C displays at once, thus, transmitting power, data, video and audio using 'DisplayPort' and giving users the ability to immerse themselves in their work for increased productivity.

GOOGLE PIXEL BUDS, PIXELBOOK GO, NEST WIFI, NEST MINI LAUNCHED AT MADE BY GOOGLE EVENT

Google Pixel Buds, Pixelbook Go, Nest Wifi, Nest Mini Launched at Made By Google Event

 

The biggest buzzword during Google's Made By Google event was ‘ambient computing'. Google used it the most when it unveiled the new Pixel Buds, which are now truly wireless headphones. The previous generation of this product was a neckband-style pair of headphones. The new Pixel Buds will be launching in 2020, at $179 (roughly Rs. 12,750).

The Pixel Buds are a pair of in-ear headphones, which look a bit like Samsung Galaxy Buds. Google claimed that these will feature noise isolation, and will last for five hours on a single charge (up to 24 hours via the charging case). You can access Google Assistant via the Pixel Buds, which are sweat and water resistant.

ASUS ZENBOOK PRO DUO UX581, ZENBOOK DUO UX481 LAUNCHED

Asus ZenBook Pro Duo UX581, ZenBook Duo UX481 Launched in India Starting Rs. 89,990

Asus on Thursday unveiled its dual-screen laptop series in India which comprises the ZenBook Pro Duo (UX581) and the ZenBook Duo (UX481) at a starting price Rs. 2,09,990 and Rs. 89,990, respectively. The company refreshed its ZenBook lineup with Intel 10th Gen Core processors - the ZenBook 13 (UX334), ZenBook 14 (UX434), and ZenBook 15 (UX534), for Rs. 84,990, Rs. 84,990 and Rs. 1,24,990, respectively. Asus also launched the VivoBook S431 for Rs. 54,990 and VivoBook S532 for Rs. 69,990.

With the ZenBook Pro Duo and ZenBook Duo, the company says it has paved way to a new form factor for laptops and come equipped with both a keyboard and a secondary touchscreen for input. 

The ZenBook Pro Duo (up to Intel Core i9-9980HK processor, GeForce RTX 2060) features a full-width 4K Asus ScreenPad Plus that works seamlessly with the main 4K UHD OLED display, while ZenBook Duo (up to Intel Core i7-10510U processor, GeForce MX250) features a full-length 1920p AsusScreenPad Plus that works with the main 1080p FHD LCD display. The ZenBook Pro Duo offers a 4K UHD NanoEdge OLED HDR display with a four-sided frameless design and ultra-slim bezels. The OLED touchscreen has a cinema-grade 100 percent DCI-P3 colour gamut and 100,000:1 contrast ratio. The screen-to-body ratio is 89 percent.

Sony A9 II Flagship Mirrorless Camera With Gigabit Ethernet, Improved Weather Sealing and Ergonomics Launched

Sony A9 II Flagship Mirrorless Camera 

 

         It's been two years since Sony launched its flagship A9 full-frame mirrorless camera, which was already a beast of a performer. Now, the company has quietly introduced a follow-up to that model, unsurprisingly called the A9 II. The new version doesn't add anything major over its predecessor but it does get some notable improvements in terms of ergonomics, stabilisation, and a faster wired and wireless connectivity. All of this is aimed at improving and speeding up the workflow of professional photographers. The new camera will be available in November for $4,500 (roughly Rs. 3,19,600).

             The storage and wireless connectivity also have big upgrades on the Sony A9 II. The USB Type-C port supports USB 3.2 Gen1 data transfer speeds and both SD card slots now support the faster UHS-II speeds. In order to ease up professional workflows, the A9 II includes a Gigabit Ethernet terminal, 5GHz Wi-Fi 802.11ac, and File Transfer over SSL or TLS encryption (FTPS) for added security. There's also a new Voice Memo function, where photographers can attach spoken information for a particular photo. This seems like a very useful addition as it will let photographers relay additional context about the photo to editors, for how it should be edited or where it has to be used.

Most of the other features on the Sony A9 II remain the same as the older model. The camera can shoot up to 20fps using the electronic shutter with no blackouts; 693 on-sensor phase detection autofocus points; 4K video recording up to 30fps; 3-inch touchscreen display and a 3.76M-dot resolution electronic viewfinder

HP ProBook 445 G6 Business Laptop With AMD Ryzen CPUs, 180-degree Hinge Launched in India

HP ProBook 445 G6 Business Laptop With AMD Ryzen CPUs, 180-degree Hinge Launched in India

Popular laptop manufacturer, HP, has added a new model to its commercial laptop lineup in India. Called the ProBook 445 G6, the laptop features a choice of AMD Ryzen quad-core CPUs, a promise of long battery life, and HP's Endpoint Security Stack for physical, identity and data theft prevention. The laptop is now available in India, starting at Rs. 67,260.

The ProBook 445 G6 is designed to be slim and light, measuring about 18mm in thickness and with a starting weight of 1.6kg. It's powered by AMD's Ryzen 2000 series CPUs and currently, you can choose from a Ryzen 3 2200U, Ryzen 5 2500U or a Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U APU. The rest of the specifications are highly customisable. You can have up to 16GB of DDR4 RAM; a M.2 SSD up to 512GB and up to a 1TB mechanical hard drive; a 14-inch display up to full-HD resolution and up to Windows 10 Pro for software. Physical ports includes three USB Type-A ports, a USB Type-C port, HDMI 1.4b, LAN, a headphone and microphone combo, and a SD card reader. There's an option for a fingerprint sensor too.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super, GeForce RTX 2070 Super, GeForce RTX 2060 Super GPUs Launched

Nvidia has taken the wraps off its         heavily rumoured GeForce RTX Super series, launching three new models that it          says deliver much more performance than the existing GeForce RTX 20 series. The new Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super, GeForce RTX 2070 Super, and GeForce RTX 2060 Super GPUs will be available around the world including in India from June 9 onwards. They are all based on the same Turing architecture as their predecessors, but feature bigger GPUs with more execution units to increase performance. While the prices of these GPUs are the same as or slightly higher than those of the models they supersede, India prices are actually lower in some cases.

The new GeForce RTX 2080 Super is the top model, but is still positioned below the existing GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, which will continue to live on at its current price. The price for the GeForce RTX 2080 Super in India is Rs. 61,400 ($699 in the USA), compared to Rs. 69,900 launch price for the GeForce RTX 2080. According to Nvidia, this GPU delivers as much performance as the workstation-grade Nvidia Titan Xp. Graphics cards based on this GPU, including Nvidia's Founders Edition card, will be available for sale starting July 23.

Asus VivoBook 14 X412, VivoBook 15 X512 With Up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7 Processors Launched in India



Asus on Tuesday refreshed its VivoBook series with two new models -- a 14-inch VivoBook X412 and a 15.6-inch VivoBook X512 -- in India. Both Asus VivoBook 14 X412 and VivoBook 15 X512 feature frameless four-sided NanoEdge displays and will be available at starting prices of Rs. 33,990 and Rs. 34,990, respectively. The laptops are powered by up to 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor with Nvidia GeForce MX250 discrete graphics that would support smooth multitasking.

WWDC 2019: Apple Turns iPad Into a Second Mac Display With Sidecar on macOS Catalina

At its WWDC 2019 keynote, Apple announced a new extended desktop feature called Sidecar for the new macOS Catalina — named after a southern California island — allowing users to use their iPad as a second display, or as an input device in creative apps such as Adobe Illustrator. The former use case is straightforward, letting you extend or mirror your main display, as per your requirements. With the latter, you can now use the Apple Pencil to interact with Mac apps, provided your iPad supports it. Better yet, Sidecar will work wired or wireless (10-metre range), which gives you more freedom to use it how you please. At WWDC 2019, Apple also unveiled changes to iOS, tvOS, and watchOS, apart from announcing iPadOS.

Naturally, you'll be able to use all iPad gestures to interact with Mac apps, including the new ones — three-finger cut, copy, paste, and undo — announced at the developer-oriented WWDC 2019 keynote on Monday. Sidecar will also offer a sidebar on your iPad for commonly used controls, be it modifier keys for shortcuts, or buttons to hide the menu bar, dock, and keyboard. Additionally, Touch Bar controls will appear at the bottom of the iPad screen when using Sidecar, even if your Mac doesn't have a Touch Bar.

Dell Latitude 7400 2-in-1 Laptop Launched in India for Enterprise Customers

Dell Latitude 7400 2-in-1 laptop has been launched in the Indian market. Targeted at enterprise users, the new laptop is claimed to be “smallest 14-inch 2-in-1” and has been built from ground up. The Dell laptop comes with features like ExpressSign-in, ExpressConnect, and ExpressCharge. The Dell Latitude 7400 2-in-1 price in India will start at Rs. 1,35,000 (excluding taxes). There is no word on the exact availability of the laptop. To recall, the Dell Latitude 7400 2-in-1 was originally unveiled at CES earlier this year.

Featuring a 2-in-1 form factor, the Dell Latitude 7400 2-in-1 can be used in a number of modes, including the regular laptop mode, tent mode, and tablet mode. The laptop sports Titan Gray finish, with a machined aluminium body, a hairline brushed design, and diamond-cut edges.

Dell says the new laptop uses the world's first PC proximity sensor, enabled by Intel's Context Sensing Technology. This sensor allows the Dell Latitude 7400 2-in-1 laptop to detect user's presence and automatically wake up, letting the user to log in to the system using Windows Hello face recognition, without having to do anything. Dell calls the feature ExpressSign-in. The same sensor also detects when user is stepping away and the laptop locks itself to ensure security.

Mac Book Pro 15-Inch Touch Bar 2019's New Butterfly Keyboard Detailed in iFixit Tear down

 Apple recently refreshed its Mac Book Pro Touch Bar variants with faster Intel Core processors and an updated version of its “butterfly" keyboard. Apple told select media outlets that the notorious "butterfly" mechanism that has been a problem for a large number of Mac Book users has been tweaked specifically in the 2019 Mac Book Pro models to ensure long-term reliability. Now, iFixit has done a tear down to really see how much has changed inside the new 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar model. It especially details all the changes that come with the new butterfly keyboard, and all the new materials that have been integrated.

The iFixit tear down reveals that the Apple has changed the transparent switch cover material inside each key, and it is now clearer and smooth to the touch. This is also referred to as the plastic membrane. The 2018 switch cover is semi-opaque, somewhat tacky, and feels like silicone. iFixit did some research and says that the 2019 switch cover is made from a material called polyamide (commonly known as Nylon), while the 2018 model is either poly(acetylene) with aromatic urethane side groups, or a type of TPU. iFixit does not detail on how this updated material fixes issues with the butterfly keyboard of last year.

The metal dome switch that forces a key press may also have changed, and its reported to be made of stainless steel with a thin polymer coating at the bottom. The difference in surface finish from the 2018 version to the 2019 indicates Apple may be using a revised heat treatment, or alloy, or possibly both. The company has also changed the spring itself, which is what iFixit editor-in-chief Kyle Wiens suspects is the part responsible for the double keypress issue.

MSI GT76 Titan With Desktop Grade Intel Core i9 CPU, GE65 Raider and P65 Creator Laptops Launched

Ahead of Computex 2019, MSI has added a new member to its GT Titan series of gaming laptops – the MSI GT76 Titan. The new gaming powerhouse from MSI is powered by a desktop-grade 9th Gen Intel Core i9 processor, paired with Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 graphics might. The MSI GT76 Titan is an upgrade over the MSI GT75 Titan and comes with an improved thermal management system to keep the machine cool. The company has unveiled the MSI GE65 Raider gaming laptop too, which also draws power from the 9th Gen Intel Core i9 processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX series graphics. Additionally, MSI has updated the P65 Creator laptop with Intel's top-of-the-line CPU. For now, no pricing details have been revealed.

Starting with the MSI GT76 Titan, it sits at the top of MSI's gaming laptop lineup with a desktop-grade 9th Gen octa-core Intel Core i9 CPU, and is one of the only few laptops out there to pack such a powerful processor in a laptop's chassis. However, MSI has not revealed the SKU of the processor that will power the new gaming behemoth. The graphics on the MSI GT76 Titan are driven by the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 GPU, however details on RAM and storage capacity are yet to be revealed.

Build 2019: Windows 10 Set to Get 'Full' Linux Kernel, Microsoft Announces

Expanding its openness towards the open-source community and attracting non-Windows developers, Microsoft has announced that it is set to bring a custom-built Linux kernel within Windows 10. The new change is planned to take place this summer and will be limited to Windows Insiders builds at the initial stage. This marks the first time that the Linux kernel will be included as a component in Windows. At the ongoing Build 2019 developer conference in Seattle, the Redmond company is showcasing the second-generation Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) that will debut next month. The in-house Linux kernel will empower WSL 2 to include features such as Docker container support and enable cgroups.

Microsoft through a blog post has announced that the anticipated full Linux kernel would be available generally as an installation package through the Windows Store, though it could be sideloaded via a custom distribution package. The kernel will be based on Linux version 4.19, which is the latest long-term stable (LTS) build of the open-source platform.

Lenovo Ideapad S540 With Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Graphics Goes Official

Lenovo updated its Ideapad S540 laptop at CES 2019, and now it has discreetly made official a new GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card option to the mix. At CES, the laptop was introduced with an optional Nvidia GeForce MX250 graphics card. Nvidia recently unveiled the most affordable member of its Turing family of GPUs, and it has now been integrated into the Lenovo Ideapad S540 as well. The new GeForce GTX 1650 is aimed at entry-level gamers who still want to play modern games at full-HD. Performance is claimed to be up to twice as good as that of the four-year-old GeForce GTX 950 and up to 70 percent better than that of the currently popular GeForce GTX 1050.

The Lenovo UK site has already listed the Lenovo S540 with newly unveiled Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card fitted inside. This variant features a 15.6-inch full-HD display, up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U processor, up to 12GB RAM, and up to 512GB PCIe SSD for storage. This variant is said to offer dual-action fans, an integrated graphics option from Intel as well, and claims to offer up to 12 hours of battery life. Lenovo lists that the new laptop variant will weigh starting at 1.8kg.

HyperX Fury RGB LED SSD 

Most PC cabinets don't put 2.5-inch SSDs on display — they're usually enclosed in metal cages or screwed onto the back of the motherboard baseplate where their wires won't get in the way of a nice view. Still, there are people who will buy an RGB LED SSD just for the novelty value, no matter what its performance is like. We're hoping that the HyperX Fury RGB SSD from Kingston that we're reviewing today isn't just about looks, but also delivers on performance.

HyperX Fury RGB specifications and features

Coming to the primary purpose of this SSD, you have a choice of 240GB, 480GB, and 960GB models. Kingston has used 3D TLC NAND flash, which is now the norm. The controller is the widely used though somewhat dated Marvell 88SS1074. The sequential read speed is rated at up to 550MBps which is near the limit of what the SATA standard itself can handle, but the rated sequential write speed is lower than expected at up to 480MBps. Kingston has not specified whether these figures apply to all capacity versions or whether they are the best case values for the product family as a whole.

Endurance in terms of total bytes written (TBW) is 120TB for the 240GB model; 240TB for the 480GB model; and 480TB for the 960GB model. These values are the amounts of data you should be able to write to your drive before it shows any sign of failure. The warranty period is three years, whereas other manufacturers typically offer five-year warranties.

Kingston says the HyperX Fury RGB's power consumption is just 0.2W at idle, and 2.5W at most in use. It isn't clear whether these figures account for the RGB LEDs, because they're in line with most normal SATA SSDs.

RIP, Google Plus

Google begins shutting down its failed Google+ social network

The day has officially come for Google to subtract Google Plus.

The move has been a long time coming. Last year, the search giant said it would shut down Google Plus after it found and fixed a security flaw that may've exposed the personal data of 500,000 users. On Tuesday, Google began shutting down pageson the platform.

Leave it to people to use other social media platforms -- namely, Twitter -- to share their reactions. 

"So long, @GooglePlus. We barely used ye," tweeted Killed by Google, which tracks the company's discontinued products. 

 Launched in 2011, Google+ was expected to be the company's answer to Facebook with a number of similar features. However, it didn't gain much traction over the years.

Google has officially started the process of shutting down and deleting all consumer accounts on its Google+ social network platform, bringing an end to the company’s attempt to directly compete with the likes of Facebook and Twitter. “The shutdown is underway as of this morning,” a Google spokesperson confirmed to The Verge by email on Tuesday.

Google+ is being phased out due to “low usage” and because it turned into something of a security liability for Google; the company has disclosed two significant data leaks that could have exposed information for tens of millions of Google+ users to outside developers. The first vulnerability, which was kept secret for months, prompted Google to decide it was time to close Google+ for good, and the second led to the company accelerating those shutdown plans by four months, meaning the service will meet its end in April instead of August.

In both cases, Google said there’s been no evidence that developers were aware of these bugs or took advantage of them. Access to Google+ APIs has already been cut off per Google’s timeline for the shutdown.

Google has acknowledged that Google+ failed to meet the company’s expectations for user growth and mainstream pickup. “While our engineering teams have put a lot of effort and dedication into building Google+ over the years, it has not achieved broad consumer or developer adoption, and has seen limited user interaction with apps,” Google’s Ben Smith wrote in October. He then revealed a pretty damning stat for where the service stands today: “90 percent of Google+ user sessions are less than five seconds.”

But even if it never rose to anything that had a chance of challenging Facebook, the platform has been home to a small-but-loyal community of users through the years. I really like this piece by CNBC’s Jillian D’Onfro as a reflection on what stood out about Google+: people took to it for its topic-focused discussions, which helped conversations feel more substantial and constructive than the squabbling that is so often found on the public square that is Facebook or even Reddit. Google+ let you organize people into circles, which the company hoped would feel more true to the way we share things in day-to-day life.

Windows 7 Users Now Being Warned of the Impending End of Security Updates

Microsoft has been pushing legacy Windows users to upgrade to Windows 10 through a number of incentives, including free upgrades. But for a number of reasons, there are still many PC users who are not making the jump. The number is big enough for Microsoft to push a patch on Windows 7 warning users of the January 14, 2020 deadline for rolling out software fixes and security patches on the now 10-year-old operating system.

Windows 7 is present on nearly as many desktops as Windows 10, which makes it understandably essential for Microsoft that these users have a smooth path forward. We had earlier reported that the nagging notification to upgrade to Windows 10 would start soon for Windows 7 users, and surely enough, the notifications have commenced with the new patch.

Though the notification presents a deadline of January 14, 2020, enterprise users have the option to pay for security updates till 2023. For others, a lack of security updates could put their essential data and private information at risk. This makes upgrading to Windows 10 essential especially if the PC is being used for business, educational or even record-keeping purposes.

Microsoft had earlier incentivised upgrading to Windows 10 by making it free, which was an option available all the way till December 2017.

iMac Lineup Refresh Brings 9th-Gen Intel Chips, Radeon Pro Vega Graphics

Apple on Tuesday updated its iMac lineup, bringing 9th generation octa-core Intel processors into the fray and also introducing Radeon Pro Vega graphics on iMac computers for the first time. The non-Retina display 21.5-inch model continues to be available. Apple has revealed the India prices of the updated 21.5-inch iMac with Retina 4K display and the 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display, as well as their availability.

With the refresh, Apple says the 21.5-inch iMac with Retina 4K display and new Intel hexa-core processor will offer up to 60 percent faster performance. The 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display with its new Intel hexa-core and octa-core processors will offer up to 2.4 times faster performance.

As for the addition of the Radeon Pro Vega graphics, Apple says users can expect up to 80 percent faster graphics performance on the 21.5-inch iMac and 50 percent faster graphics performance on the 27-inch iMac. The launch of the refreshed iMac lineup comes a day after Apple introduced its new iPad Air and iPad mini lineup on Monday.

Happy Holi..

Microsoft Surface Book 2 With Quad-Core Intel CPU Listed Online, Hints at Mid-Cycle Refresh of 13-inch Model

Microsoft's Surface Book 2 convertible is reportedly in line to get a processor upgrade, as numerous sellers have already listed a refreshed version of the laptop. Specifically, the base model of the Surface Book 2's 13-inch variant will soon get a quad-core CPU, replacing the dual-core seventh gen Intel CPU, which was present in the version launched back in 2017. The processor upgrade appears to be a mid-cycle refresh for the smaller Surface Book 2 model. However, Microsoft is yet to officially announce the upgraded variant or reveal when it will become available.

To recall, the base variant of the Surface Book 2 was launched packing the seventh gen Intel Core i5-7300U processor. This particular processor has two cores and has a peak clock speed of 3.5GHz. Now, some sellers in Germany and US have listed a new variant of the 13-inch Surface Book 2 powered by the Intel Core i5-8350U processor. This Intel offering has double the number of cores at 4 and also has a slightly higher turbo frequency of 3.60GHz. Additionally, the Core i5-8350U has 6MB of smart cache while the Core i5-7300U has 3MB of smart cache memory.