Out of the darkness shines a sparkly new Surface, at least potentially. Microsoft and NVIDIA hinted at a massive hardware announcement that promises to usher in "a new era of PC."
Just over a week after a massively disappointing Surface launch, it appears Microsoft has an ace up its sleeve.
Microsoft and NVIDIA's teases, plus some leaked information, strongly suggest that the N1X chip will be at the center of Computex and Microsoft Build. If rumors prove accurate, that chip will be a "20‑core Arm + RTX GPU monster."
The possibility of a new NVIDIA chip and a new Surface device took over our front page to end the week, but they're far from the only big news. A genuinely helpful Windows 11 update started rolling out recently and Intel has a new chip of its own.
Biggest Windows 11 News
I've been a vocal critic of Microsoft's handling of the Surface brand, arguing that Microsoft is rebuilding Windows and XBOX while Surface collects dust. I still think Surface has been stagnant for too long, but an N1X-powered device would go a long way.
Surface played a big part in pushing ARM64 computing forward by swapping all consumer models to Snapdragon X processors. Having PCs with an N1X chip could do a similar thing for NVIDIA's offering.
Over time, ARM-based chips could power gaming laptops, gaming handhelds, and other devices. Having NVIDIA and Microsoft lockstep would be a massive win for Windows 11 and Surface.
Shopping with Sean
I wish I had a new laptop powered by an N1X to recommend, but it seems we will have to wait a bit for that to happen. In the meantime, I recommend a laptop powered by a different ARM64 processor, the Lenovo Slim 7x. It has excellent battery life, a sleek design, and is powered by the Snapdragon X2 Elite.
The Snapdragon X2 Elite SoC pushes the Yoga Slim 7x (Gen 11) into "easy recommendation" territory for those who don't plan to game or handle particularly heavy specialized workloads. Long battery life and stellar performance are standout perks.
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