Originally planned as an in-person event, CES 2022 had to shift gears at the last moment to adjust to the fast-changing Omicron situation. With a lot of big names such as Meta, Google, and Amazon pulling out, the majority of the reveals this year were digital and based on outlined specs. Taking that into account, Intel and AMD announced their latest processors, offering more raw power and flexibility to the latest laptop manufacturers. Here are the most exciting ones.
ASUS Rog Zephyrus Duo 16
The Zephyrus Duo 16 opens new room for multitasking with its secondary touchscreen display that rests above the keyboard. This is ideal for streamers, where they can play the game on the primary screen while having OBS and chat open right below. Thanks to the distinct touchscreen feature, one would not have to worry about accidentally clicking out of their screen either.
The Zephyrus Duo 16 features a dual-screen setup that allows for multitasking. (Image credit: ASUS)
This time, the company has introduced a four-directional hinge that rises and slides back to offer an almost bezel-less experience between the two screens. Under the hood, the laptop features a Ryzen 9 6980HX CPU, an RTX 3080Ti, and upgraded liquid metal cooling, taking temperatures down by 15 degrees, in comparison to standard thermal pastes.
Razer Blade series
By now, everyone knows what to expect from Razer – an ultra-thin, steely look that emulates a David Fincher film, and packs top of the line hardware. The Razer Blade 14 is powered by the next-generation AMD Ryzen 6000 chip, which can handle most resource-heavy programs and AAA games while being incredibly battery efficient.
Razer Blade 14, powered by the next-generation AMD Ryzen 6000 chip. (Image credit: Razer)
The Blade 15 and 17 add a few extra inches of screen real estate and are geared with 12th Gen Intel Core CPU, offering up to 14 cores. All three models are equipped with NVIDIA’s RTX 30 series graphics cards and 16GBs of DDR5 RAM. The memory is overclocked to 4800Mhz, making it nearly 50 percent faster than previous models. A 1080p camera is included as well, with the later models’ displays featuring a 144Hz refresh rate.
Dell XPS 13 Plus
The XPS 13 Plus is a premium variant that falls into the minimalistic and stylish look. You get a similar edge-to-edge display and a sleek keyboard, though the physical function keys are now replaced with a touch-controlled strip. There is no trackpad either and relies on a seamless strip of glass touchpad that provides haptic feedback to touch.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus removes the trackpad and replaces it with a glass touchpad, providing haptic feedback. (Image credit: Dell)
Sporting a 13.4-inch display, it follows the same Infinity Edge design as before, with the most premium variant being an OLED display with 4K UHD resolution. Processor options range from 12th Gen Intel Core i5 to i7, and the company also claims that the laptop is made using hydro-power renewable energy sources, making it 100 percent recyclable.
Alienware m17
Sporting a 17-inch display and an AMD to AMD pairing, Alienware’s m17 is aimed at those who value extreme gaming performance. The new AMD Ryzen 9 chipset is able to take advantage of its new battery-saving architecture, allowing for more playtime even at increased loads.
Alienware’s m17 offers the ultimate gaming performance with its new Ryzen 9 processor and Radeon RX 6850XT graphics card. (Image credit: Alienware)
The FreeSync technology improves the monitor performance with respect to the Radeon RX 6850XT graphics card, resulting in fast response times. Just like its other laptops, you can expect Alienware’s Cryo-Tech cooling with its iconic honeycomb exhaust that is placed a bit outwards, away from the screen. One can also opt for a CheryMX mechanical keyboard option for those tactile clicky sounds.
Lenovo ThinkPad Z series
The new Z series ThinkPads are light, slim, and eco-friendly – offering a grey or black chassis, made of recycled aluminium and another one with black “vegan leather” on the lid. The Z13 and Z16 feature larger 16:10 OLED displays and is powered by the latest Ryzen Pro processors.
A variant of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z series also features what the company calls “vegan leather” on the lid. (Image credit: Lenovo)
Lenovo has also gotten rid of ThinkPad’s discrete trackpad clickers and reversed the Control and Function keys to appeal to new users. It has also introduced a new double-tap function on the red Trackpoint that launches a menu for quick access to the prominent 1080p webcam and microphone settings.
ASUS Rog Flow Z13
Serving as a sibling to last year’s Flow X13, this detachable is more of a tablet than a computer but still packs high-end hardware. Under its ultra-thin chassis, you get an Intel Core i9-12900H and an RTX 3050Ti laptop GPU, offering plenty of gaming horsepower.
The ROG Flow Z13 gaming tablets feature top of the line hardware and come with Corning Gorilla glass protection. (Image credit: ASUS)
Overheating is not much of an issue here, since all the components are packed inside the screen. So, when you attach a keyboard and use it as a laptop, it is able to pull in cold air from the back. The Flow Z13 can be operated with touch, a mouse, or a controller for when you are gaming. It comes in two 16:10 display options as well – a 4K 60Hz and a full-HD 120Hz, both featuring AdaptiveSync for fast response.
