A new era in Windows computing is here, built around Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC initiative and a few new chipsets. While the most hype is around artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and performance thanks to faster Neural Processing Units (NPUs), the biggest changes today are in performance and battery life. And that’s a good thing for Windows, because the platform has been struggling against Apple’s Silicon MacBooks that have very good performance and much better efficiency.
The new chipsets include Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X, AMD’s Ryzen AI 300, and Intel’s Lunar Lake. Each chipset has an NPU that exceeds Microsoft’s 40 tera operations per second (TOPS) requirement, but while AMD focuses on performance, both Qualcomm and Intel are focused on efficiency. So, how does each chipset rank?
It’s still early, and so our review database isn’t fully fleshed out. That’s particularly true with Lunar Lake, as we’ve only reviewed two machines so far and Intel hasn’t rolled out the entire lineup. I’m going to focus on CPU performance here because none of the integrated GPUs in these chipsets are meaningful upgrades over their predecessors. That is, maybe they’re faster, but they’re not as fast as even entry-level discrete GPUs like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050.
None of them make for good gaming or creator laptops unless they feature discrete graphics. I’m also not going to talk about AI performance with the faster NPUs because, frankly, the benchmarks just aren’t there yet. And, discrete GPUs will be the performance champs regardless, with NPUs offering more efficient on-device AI rather than superfast AI performance.
Right now, AMD is in the lead among the chipsets we’ve reviewed. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 chipset is very fast at CPU-intensive tasks, particularly in its multi-core performance. The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite comes in a close second. Intel’s Core Ultra 7 285V comes in last place, but notably, it’s essentially a low-power version of the Lunar Lake lineup and, as we’ll see, it’s a lot stronger in efficiency than sheer performance.
Specifications are important here. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 chipset has 12 cores and 24 threads, running at up to 5.1GHz. It’s a 28-watt chip that’s configurable between 15 watts and 54W, making it the most power-hungry of the new chipsets. Its 12 cores are apportioned between four full-size Zen 5 cores and eight Zen 5c cores that are more compact, but just as fast. So, it doesn’t have low-power cores. There are other versions of the chipset, but we’ve only reviewed the HX 370. The other major variant is the Ryzen AI 9 365 with 10 cores and 20 threads running at up to 5GHz.
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The Qualcomm Snapdragon X has several versions that we’ve tested, including variations of the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus chipsets. The graphic below provides information on the full lineup. Qualcomm doesn’t publish the thermal design power (TDP), but from various sources, it varies from 23 watts for the Snapdragon X Plus to 45 watts nominal (up to 80 watts) for the Snapdragon X Elite. The efficiency with these chips is apparently highly variable based on how demanding the task is in a way that Lunar Lake and Apple’s M3 chipsets are not.
Qualcomm
Intel Lunar Lake also has several iterations, With the Core Ultra 5 and 7 Series 2 versions running at a base TDP of 17 watts and the Core Ultra 9 Series 2 at a base TDP of 30 watts. Each chipset is configurable between 17W and 37W. Lunar Lake is the most direct replacement for Intel’s U-series Meteor Lake chipsets that runs at 15 watts. As you can see below, the 8-core (four Performance and four Low Power Efficient), 8-thread chipsets aren’t as fast as Intel’s Meteor Lake H-series chips that run aground 28W. Intel’s mobile Arrow Lake chipsets will take over there with, presumably, higher performance. And as we’ll see below, Lunar Lake does succeed in being more efficient.
Intel
It’s important to mention Apple’s M3 chipset as well, given that it’s the performance-efficiency leader that these Windows chipsets — at least Intel’s and Qualcomm’s — are aimed at defeating. For our purposes, we’re mostly talking about the base M3, which comes in both 8-core CPU/8-core GPU and 8-core/10-core GPU versions. Apple doesn’t publish much detailed information on things like TDP and clock speeds, but suffice it to say that the M3 offers a very solid combination of performance and efficiency. I’m only including those chipsets aimed at thin-and-light laptops, which excludes Apple’s M3 Pro and Max and Intel’s faster Meteor Lake chipsets.
From the laptops we’ve tested so far, the clear performance leaders are the AMD and Qualcomm chipsets. Intel’s Lunar Lake is a step up from Meteor Lake U-series, but it’s not impressive among today’s leaders. Apple’s M3 chipset is quick enough and it leads in single-core performance. The M4 will be faster yet.
As mentioned above, efficiency is the name of the game, at least for Qualcomm and Intel. That’s where Apple Silicon has led the way, and where Windows laptops have lagged the most. Looking at early results, it looks like Intel’s Lunar Lake might indeed win out against Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X, but not quite against Apple’s M3. And the M4 is likely to be even more efficient.
Looking at this data, we see that the Asus Zenbook S 14 with the Intel Core Ultra 7 is the best overall performer in terms of battery life. I’ve been in touch with Asus and it’s possible that my ExpertBook P5 review unit had a problem that showed up in its web-browsing battery life. I’ll reserve judgment and update this information when I have a chance to test a new unit. I’ll also update this information as we add new machines to our database, and it’s important to note that these results don’t adjust for differences in display technology.
Web browsing
Video
Cinebench R24
Asus Zenbook S 14 (Core Ultra 7 258V)
16 hours, 47 minutes
18 hours, 35 minutes
3 hours, 33 minutes
Asus ExpertBook P5 (Core Ultra 7 258V)
8 hours, 54 minutes
16 hours, 29 minutes
2 hours, 15 minutes
HP Omnibook X (Snapdragon X Elite)
13 hours, 37 minutes
22 hours, 4 minutes
1 hour, 52 minutes
Asus Vivobook S 15 (Snapdragon X Plus)
13 hours, 10 minutes
16 hours, 19 minutes
N/A
Asus ProArt PX13 (Ryzen AI 9 HX 370)
8 hours, 7 minutes
11 hours, 12 minutes
1 hour, 12 minutes
HP Spectre x360 14 (Core Ultra 7 155H)
8 hours, 6 minutes
13 hours, 3 minutes
N/A
Asus Zenbook S 14 (Core Ultra 7 155U)
8 hours, 45 minutes
12 hours, 25 minute
N/A
Apple MacBook Air (Apple M3)
19 hours, 38 minutes
19 hours, 39 minutes
3 hours, 27 minutes
But going by the Zenbook S 14, which uses an OLED display, we see consistently excellent battery life not only in the least demanding video-looping test, as with Qualcomm, but also when running more intensive tasks like web browsing (still not very demanding) and churning through the Cinebench R24 multi-core benchmark. The AMD chipset isn’t meant to break any ground in efficiency, and so it’s in last place. And Intel’s Meteor Lake chipsets have performed similarly.
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That leaves the Apple M3 chipset in first place, although not by as significant a margin, and Qualcomm showing that it’s most efficient when its CPU isn’t being pushed very hard. Apple’s lead will likely increase when the M4 MacBook Air is introduced, but Lunar Lake is by far the strongest chipset yet for Windows laptops.
This isn’t the entire story, not by a long shot. We’ll need to continue gathering data as we review more laptops with each chipset and more chipsets, like Intel’s Arrow Lake mobile and Apple’s M4, roll out. For now, Windows laptops have never been better, and Intel is mostly leading that charge when it comes to the important element of battery life.
Yesterday, Apple released macOS Sequoia 15.0.1, iPadOS 18.0.1, and watchOS 11.0.1. All these software updates bring some key bug fixes for Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch, respectively. Let’s discuss all of those in detail.
Apple rolls out macOS Sequoia 15.0.1 and iPadOS 18.0.1 with multiple bug fixes
To catch you up, Apple initially released macOS Sequoia 15 on September 16. However, many Mac users worldwide reported that the initial update was messing up with the Messages app. Many users found that the Messages app unexpectedly quit when replying to messages with a shared Apple Watch face. Besides, some complained that the macOS Sequoia 15 update also affected third-party security software.
Now, Apple has addressed all those issues with the latest macOS Sequoia 15.0.1 update. The company says that the latest macOS update “provides important bug fixes for your Mac.” The latest update carries build number 24A348 and you can install it by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
Besides macOS Sequoia 15.0.1, Apple has also released iPadOS 18.0.1 for the iPad. Notably, the latest update also brings back the iPadOS 18 to the M4 iPad Pro models. Earlier, Apple pulled the iPadOS 18 update from the M4 iPad Pro model as it bricked some of the devices. If you missed out on updating your iPad Pro earlier, you can do so now by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
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Currently, the iPadOS 18.0.1 is available for all the iPad models that can run iPadOS 18. The latest iPadOS 18.0.1 update fixes the bug that caused the Messages app to unexpectedly quit when replying to a message with a shared Apple Watch face in it. In addition, this update also fixes performance on some iPad models which were earlier affected due to an issue with memory allocation.
watchOS 11.0.1 is also here to fix issues related to battery life, touch screen, and more
Alongside macOS Sequoia 15.0.1 and iPadOS 18.0.1, Apple has also rolled out watchOS 11.0.1 for Apple Watch users. The latest update comes with build number 22R361 and fixes issues related to the Music app, Messages app, touch screen, battery life, and more.
For example, the watchOS 11.0.1 fixes issues like random rebooting of Apple Watch, battery drain problems, and touchscreen issues on some specified models. In addition, the latest update also patches a bug that caused the Music app to unexpectedly quit when loading media. Besides, the new update also fixes the infamous Messages app bug.
You can update the Apple Watch from its settings or using the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. The update will start when the Apple Watch is charged at least 50% or it is placed on the charger. Besides all the above updates, the Cupertino tech giant is also rolling out iOS 18.0.1 and visionOS 2.0.1 to fix some known issues on iPhones and Apple Vision Pro.
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Meta just announced several updates coming to Facebook during the company’s IRL event in Austin. It’s testing an Explore tab and adding a new video tab.
Let’s start with the Explore tab. If you’ve ever perused Instagram, you likely know how exactly this will work. This tab will house “a variety of content tailored to your interests.”
Meta says that the algorithm has been designed to serve up “content that doesn’t just entertain, but helps you dive deeper into your interests.” Here’s hoping I get nothing but content about wild traversal strategies in . In any event, the new Explore tab is still in the testing phase so it could be a bit before a wide rollout.
The video tab is also getting a major update to accommodate Reels. All of the video content on Facebook will now be housed behind this tab. The content will stream on a full-screen video player that lets users “seamlessly watch the best short-form, long-form and live videos in a single experience.”
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The updated video tab starts rolling out to users in the “coming weeks.” This is definitely an attempt by Meta to capture , as the announcement was accompanied by statistics indicating that young adults on Facebook spend around 60 percent of their time watching videos and Reels.
I got news for you, Meta. My dad, who is not a young adult, also spends all of his time on Facebook watching videos and Reels. So we’ll all benefit from this expanded video tab.
Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
Your Strands expert
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Your Strands expert
Marc McLaren
NYT Strands today (game #218) – hint #1 – today’s theme
What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands?
• Today’s NYT Strands theme is… Most excellent
NYT Strands today (game #218) – hint #2 – clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
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SALE
STALE
BLAND
SHOT
SCOT
SLEW
NYT Strands today (game #218) – hint #3 – spangram
What is a hint for today’s spangram?
• Good words
NYT Strands today (game #218) – hint #4 – spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today’s spangram touches?
First: left, 5th row
Last: right, 7th row
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #218) – the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today’s Strands, game #218, are…
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CHOICE
GROOVY
SWELL
DANDY
BOSS
RIGHTEOUS
HYPE
SPANGRAM: THATSCOOL
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
Who knew there were so many words that essentially mean THAT’S COOL? I guess I did, because I found them all – though I’ll admit that I’ve never used the terms HYPE, RIGHTEOUS, SWELL, GROOVY, CHOICE, BOSS or DANDY myself to describe something that’s good. Always just cool.
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Anyway, this is a pretty easy Strands puzzle, beyond RIGHTEOUS being annoyingly difficult to spell (that might just be me).
Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Sunday 6 October, game #217)
BACON
CHICKEN
TOMATO
VINAIGRETTE
GREENS
EGGS
SPANGRAM: COBBSALAD
What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT’s new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It’s now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT’s games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I’ve got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you’re struggling to beat it each day.
SpaceX and NASA have called off Thursday’s planned launch of the Europa Clipper mission due to Hurricane Milton, which is heading east toward Florida, home of the Kennedy Space Center.
“Once the storm passes, recovery teams will assess the safety of the spaceport and the launch processing facilities for damage before personnel return to work,” NASA said in a post on social media on Sunday, adding in another message: “Teams have secured the spacecraft in SpaceX’s hangar at NASA Kennedy.”
— NASA Europa Clipper (@EuropaClipper) October 6, 2024
The spaceflight company has a launch window with daily opportunities until October 30, though hopefully the rocket will be able to get away next weekend or early next week rather than toward the end of the month.
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The Europa Clipper mission will head toward Jupiter to study the icy world of the Europa moon after arriving there in 2030. Scientists hope that data gathered during the mission will help determine whether its subsurface ocean could support some form of life.
A triple-booster Falcon Heavy rocket, on only its 11th flight, will launch the mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Multiple cameras on the ground and on the rocket itself will offer dramatic views of the Falcon Heavy’s ascent. The Falcon Heavy uses three Falcon 9 rockets whose total of 27 Merlin engines generate more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, equal to around eighteen 747 aircraft. The Heavy is one of the world’s most powerful operational rockets and can lift nearly 64 metric tons (141,000 pounds) to orbit.
SpaceX is also developing an even more powerful rocket, the Starship, which is capable of a colossal 17 million pounds of thrust at launch. SpaceX is currently awaiting for permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to carry out the fifth test flight of the rocket, with late November currently looking like a possibility for launch.
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