CES 2020: Clevo & XMG Prepare Notebooks w/ 12-Core AMD Ryzen 9 3000 CPUs
by Anton Shilov on January 14, 2020 2:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Notebooks
- AMD
- Clevo
- Laptops
- Trade Shows
- Ryzen
- Ryzen 3000
- CES 2020
- XMG
AMD attracted a lot of attention at CES 2020 with its launch of the Ryzen 4000-series Mobile APUs with up to eight cores in a 15W TDP form factor. The processors enable AMD to compete for all segments of the notebooks market, from ultra-portables to high-end gaming machines for the first time in years. But when it comes to gaming, there are people who always want more and for them Clevo and its partner XMG are preparing a desktop replacement laptop with an AMD Ryzen 3000-series processor featuring up to 12 cores.
Clevo is a leading producer of higher-end notebook platforms which are used by some well-known PC suppliers, such as Eurocom. For obvious reasons, virtually all gaming platforms by Clevo released in the recent years relied on Intel’s processors for high-end laptops or even desktops (albeit with TDP-down feature). By contrast, AMD's Ryzen 3000-series desktop processors have something that Intel cannot offer just yet, up to x86 12 cores, which is why Clevo has developed its NH57ADS notebook platform powered by desktop processors, according to Jarrod’s Tech.
XMG, a supplier of gaming laptops from Germany, will be one of Clevo’s first customers to use the NH57ADS platform for its codenamed XMG Apex 15 gaming laptop aimed at those who want a no-compromise performance in a clamshell form-factor. The notebook is based on up to AMD’s 12-core Ryzen 9 3900-series processor with an up to 65 W TDP that is paired with NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX/RTX graphics with a TDP of up to 115 W. Note that XMG here is using AMD's special option to lower the TDP of its desktop CPUs down a class, to help reduce thermals at the expense of performance. To cool down the CPU and the GPU, Clevo uses a rather formidable cooling system with two blowers and six heat pipes. XMG reportedly plans to offer its own settings for the cooler and a BIOS that supports overclocking.
Since the NH57ADS platform and the codenamed XMG Apex 15 machine are designed to replace desktops, they feature a modular design and therefore can be upgraded, assuming that AMD will offer more high-end processors in its AM4 form-factor with a 65 W TDP and there will be an appropriate BIOS update for the NH57ADS. The system itself can be equipped with up to 64 GB of DDR4 memory, two M.2-2280 SSDs (one PCIe, one SATA), and a 2.5-inch storage device. As for connectivity, everything is pretty regular: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, GbE, USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, a microSD, and audio connectors.
The 15.6-inch Clevo NH57ADS is 3.25 cm thick and weighs 2.7 kilograms, which is not too heavy, but not too portable either. Maxed out configurations of the machine will also come with a 230 W external power supply, which will further increase weight.
Clevo does not pre-announce products for its clients, so it is hard to say which suppliers will eventually offer the NH57ADS platform and when. Evidently, notebooks like the XMG Apex 15 are going to be expensive, which is natural for DTRs.
For the sake of truth, it is necessary to note that Clevo’s NH57ADS is not the first DTR notebook to feature a desktop AMD Ryzen processor. ASUS introduced its ROG Strix GL702ZC with an eight-core AMD Ryzen 7 1700 back in late 2017, but that was a 17.3-inch machine.
Related Reading:
- AMD Ryzen 4000 Mobile APUs: 7nm, 8-core on both 15W and 45W, Coming Q1
- CES 2020: Dell’s G5 15 SE Gaming Laptop Gets 8-Core Ryzen 4000 & Radeon RX 5600M dGPU
- ASUS Launches ROG Strix GL702ZC: 17.3-inch, Eight-Core AMD Ryzen 7, Radeon RX580
- AMD’s 64-Core Threadripper 3990X, only $3990! Coming February 7th
- AMD at CES 2020: Q&A with Dr. Lisa Su
- An Interview with AMD’s CTO Mark Papermaster: ‘There’s More Room At The Top
Source: Jarrod’s Tech/YouTube
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edzieba - Thursday, January 16, 2020 - link
"You don't need to upgrade drivers if everything's working"Only if the system is airgapped (and with all interface ports glued shut). Drivers can contain vulnerability like any other piece of software, and not keeping them updates is just as bad as not keeping the OS or your browser updated.
anactoraaron - Tuesday, January 14, 2020 - link
I'm very interested in seeing what the price of this notebook will be. There's a few things that make me believe it will be affordably priced. A USB 2.0 port, no TB, zone rgb (not individual key rgb), no fingerprint scanner, and 1 sata m.2. There was a bit of info on the YT comments from the reseller XMG. The base config will have the R5 3600. Obviously no switchable graphics for the R9 3900. Chipset is B450. There will be full bios options (at least through XMG).Since this machine will be awful on battery life as it is I would love to see the inclusion of the Samsung OLED that is in my current Clevo pb51rc. If the chassis is similar I would also expect excellent cooling, as the pb51rc was the notebook I tried that could keep the temps of the i7 9750h in check. It can boost up to 90w and with a notebook stand and new thermal paste only reach low 80s when fully loaded at max boost (pl1). Throttling to pl2 @ 55w moves temps down to the low 60s. This thing may actually run reasonably cool at the full 65w!
Now if there is going to be the full bios there was also discussion about ECO mode and 3950x support... but I didn't see any official response regarding this.
If this will support the 3950x and have the OLED this will be a day 1 purchase and I will sell the pb51rc I currently have. Just have to find the patience to wait until resellers get stock and the price becomes known.
Ej24 - Tuesday, January 14, 2020 - link
If only they ditched the 2.5in drive. Cheap bulk m.2 Sata storage is a thing these days. That 2.5in drive bay could have been battery. I realize it's not meant to be a super portable system but still it'd be amazing if it had like a 80-90Wh battery. You'd last more than 90 seconds away from the wall.Kjella - Tuesday, January 14, 2020 - link
65W CPU + 115W GPU / 90 Wh battery = 30 minutes. It's not really usable, what's there is enough that you can watch a movie, browse the web or work on a presentation on the way to your next location but a machine like this lives 95-99% of its life running off AC. It's just one easy unit you can fold up and go rather than a box plus a screen w/stand plus a keyboard which is kinda unwieldy even for a backpack. I had something like this once, the battery was broken - it literally lasted less than 90 seconds from the wall - but I still used it for two years without any reason to ask IT for a replacement. Pack up at one client, take it to next client site and plug it in. Same with gaming on the go, you'll probably want to sit down at a desk and at that desk there'll be power. It's the battery that's a waste of space...Tunnah - Wednesday, January 15, 2020 - link
That's under load though. My 3700x idles most the time, so does my 1080Ti. If you're just on desktop browsing, I'd be surprised if it ever goes over 15w + 30wPeachNCream - Tuesday, January 14, 2020 - link
That is some serious cooling. It would be nice to get that amount of cooling capacity on more conventional laptops so the fans would hardly need to run and a 15W CPU with iGPU would stay nice and cool.Retycint - Wednesday, January 15, 2020 - link
You could always just limit the power on a regular 45W to 15W via throttlestop or something, and then you have a nice and cool machine with fans barely needing to turn on. Like, the 45W and 15W processors are almost identical anyway, save for slightly better binning (power-wise) on the 15W parts I suppose.Santoval - Wednesday, January 15, 2020 - link
That's a really big ass cooling design, with a LOT of copper. Since the total TDP of this "laptop" will be in the ~200W range I suppose its blowers could double as hair or hand dryers. I also expect a "DO NOT PLACE ON YOUR LAP (particularly if you are a man)" warning stamped somewhere on it along with, perhaps, an "Avoid using or use in downclock mode when ambient temperature is above 35°C / 95°F" one.wolfesteinabhi - Friday, January 17, 2020 - link
i would have expected a 3950X inside a DTR compared to 3900X ..since 3950X is a bit more efficient and is thermally similar or even a bit cooler at times.