Hi! Welcome back, I'm Donkey! If we want to say that the hottest topic in the laptop industry in 2024, there is no doubt that it is AI PC . Since Intel released the Intel Core Ultra processor with the theme of AI Everywhere at the end of last year , the two keywords of AI laptop and AI PC are really Everywhere. You can see it, so if you don’t pay much attention to technology, you must have a question! What exactly is an AI laptop? What's the difference? Today we are going to solve this problem! The reason why Intel and various laptop manufacturers are talking about AI this year is because the consumer-grade laptop processors on the market have successively added independent NPU hardware. This also makes the term NPU visible everywhere , no matter in various manufacturers. The official website of laptops is still Intel's own product page. In addition to CPUs and GPUs that you can see in the past, NPUs can now be seen everywhere . Yes, this year everyone is talking about AI. Laptops can be divided into two aspects. On the one hand, there are many AI Services are entering the market , such as Microsoft's Copilot, Adobe's Firefly, Sensei or Stable Diffusion , and even offline language models, etc. are becoming more and more complete. Services driven by AI themes are developing rapidly . Another important reason is that now pen The computer is also equipped with NPU hardware specially designed for AI computing. Taking the Intel Core Ultra series notebooks as an example, now you can see an additional Intel AI Boost by opening the work administrator , which is hidden inside the Intel Core Ultra notebooks. So let’s bring back today’s topic : What’s the difference between AI laptops? What improvements have been made in the Intel Core Ultra generation and what are the actual differences from previous generations of Intel Core notebook processors? Today we will explain it clearly in one go! To explain clearly about AI laptops, you must prepare an AI laptop, right? Special thanks to Intel for cooperating with this project and the support provider for borrowing the Lenovo laptops that many viewers have knocked on the table in the hope that we can also unbox more. What we have in hand is this year’s latest 16-inch Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i Gen9. This is a laptop equipped with this year’s mainstream choice for thin and light notebooks, Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 155H. The memory is paired with LPDDR5X 7467MHz and a total of 32GB of RAM. A 16-inch thin and light notebook with a metal body and 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD storage space. But if you want to explain clearly what an AI notebook is, you must first explain clearly what has changed in the Intel Core Ultra series this time. The first Intel Core Ultra processor The Compute Tile is built using a brand-new process and uses Intel's latest Intel 4 process. We will talk about it in detail later. The second Intel Core Ultra processor has fully improved the Intel Arc internal display , which is suitable for thin and light laptops. It is said that the stronger internal display will be very impressive , which means that thin and light laptops without independent graphics can now output videos faster, edit pictures, and make pictures more smoothly . Even this new internal display can play mainstream games smoothly . Finally, This is the focus of today, that is, this time it is specially designed for AI. The newly added NPU with Intel Core Ultra processor. To make it clear , you must take the machine apart and take a look at it. What is on the screen now is Intel Core Ultra 7 processing. processor 155H. For me, the first important point is the manufacturing process. From the screen, you can see that this Intel Core Ultra 7 processor has four shallow partitions , and these four small blocks are really created separately and finally revealed. It is packaged together in 3D. Each piece has its own focus. This is very important. Let’s take a closer look. First of all, the piece in the lower right corner of the screen is called the Compute Tile . It is also the main computing block of this CPU. If you have an impression of these generations, Intel CPUs often mention P-core and E-core, which are performance cores and efficiency cores. These cores are located in the Compute Tile. Because they are the most important computing blocks, they are built using the latest Intel 4 process. Currently, they are the highest It can achieve a configuration of 6 P-cores and 8 E-cores. There are also two LP E-Cores , such as the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 155H or the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 165H or the one we have. It is the highest-end Intel Core Ultra 9 processor in the Intel Core Ultra series. The 185H uses a 6P+8E core architecture. From the specification sheet, we can also see that the main differences between the three processors are in frequency and wattage settings . We will also measure the actual performance of this CPU performance in a moment . Let’s first read the highlights. Then the small bar above is the I/O Tile , and the large block on the left is the key point. This piece is called SoC Tile. In SoC Tile contains three very important points. The first one is that Intel has added micro-architecture low-power consumption LP E-core into SoC Tile. You can understand that the power-saving version of E-core in power saving is helpful for laptops. Achieve lower power consumption in standby mode. Secondly, this time, Wi-Fi memory control, media engine, image output, etc. are all integrated into the SoC. The last and most important thing is the SoC Tile, which currently also includes the NPU nerves mentioned above. What's the difference between computing units ? Let's also test several software that can directly use the performance of NPU. First of all, online meetings have become more and more common in the past. If you want to achieve the function of background blur, GPU computing will be used. It is a simpler and more effective method. However, when background blur is turned on, models using independent graphics cards also require at least 20-30W of power consumption to achieve background blur . Now with the addition of NPU, video background blur is built into Windows. The test CPU only needs about 5-10W. It can handle this kind of real-time computing that requires high speed but low demand. This is the strength of NPU . Or it is the real-time video preview that video creators often encounter and needs to render quickly. In the past, a small piece of content could only be revealed. Through CPU transcoding or GPU hardware acceleration , as long as the software supports it, for example, the editing software Filmora can already perform calculations directly through the NPU in the Beta version. So the concept of doing the right thing for the right person will probably continue with the future. The software supports more and more complete NPUs, and the power-saving and high-efficiency features can be further exploited. However, if you are doing AIGC calculation work such as Stable Diffusion, it is easiest and most effective to accelerate it through the built-in iGPU or independent graphics. plan At present, Intel has OpenVINO that can be applied to Stable Diffusion. In addition, Intel has previously demonstrated the use of GPU with NPU acceleration in Stable diffusion. In addition to being responsible for power-saving AI scenarios, NPU can also help the GPU perform high-intensity calculations. Regarding the GPU , we have to mention the last highlight of the Intel Core Ultra series , which is the large piece of Intel on the leftmost side of the core called Graphic Tile. This time, Intel’s internal display uses a Tile that is more advanced than both I/O and SoC Tile. After all, the GPU is built with the advanced N5 process. The more advanced process can also be more efficient while saving more power. The reason why I would say this is the highlight of the Intel Core Ultra generation is because this year Intel’s internal display is also impressive. The upgrade from the Iris Xe internal display that has been used for several generations has been directly changed to Intel Arc internal display. Yes, Intel Arc is Intel's independent graphics series internal display. Since it dares to be called Intel Arc directly, the performance must be good. Let's test it. Let ’s test it. The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i in our hands is equipped with Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 155H. The built-in Intel Arc has 8 Xe Cores. According to the actual test , it scored 3726 points in 3DMark Time Spy compared to the previous generation. The internal display of 96EU 's Iris Jiahua is very worried about whether Intel has optimized it. For example, we actually measured that in the mainstream software LOL League of Legends 1080p low image quality, the IdeaPad Pro 5i can achieve an average performance of 236.3 FPS. Now I use a thin and light laptop to play LOL occasionally. Is it true? It is stable and not a big problem , but it depends on the driver in some 3A games . For example, Cyberpunk 2077 can achieve an average running performance of about 51 FPS under FHD low image quality and turn on the XeSS performance gear , but it is still far from fully releasing Intel. The potential of Arc still has some way to go , but for example, in Tomb Raider: Shadow, the performance is relatively normal at 1080p low quality, and the performance can be stabilized at an average of 66 FPS or above. Then Death Stranding was tested at 1080p low quality. Achieving an average performance of over 68 FPS . So , although there is still room for Intel Arc drivers , don’t forget that this is a notebook for clerical purposes, so the internal graphics performance is actually more of a bonus. I don’t have it myself. I thought that one day I would be able to test games on the internal display. Another highlight of the Intel Arc internal display is the performance bonus of the Intel processor on creative software. We have also tested it here under Premiere Pro 2024. The actual output is for general YouTube 4K The 10-minute 4K 60FPS test project designed for video editing needs only took 9 minutes and 30 seconds (slip of the tongue) with the new Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 155H. This performance is already 32 times faster than the previous generation H45 processor Intel Core i7-13700H. % And if compared with the 11th generation i7-1165G7, which also uses Iris Xe internal display, it saves nearly 40% of the time. It can be seen that from the Intel Core 11th generation to the 13th generation, it is 9% faster. The addition of Intel Arc internal graphics directly saves more than 30% of the output time. Therefore, for scenarios that support GPU acceleration, the improvement of this generation of Intel Arc internal graphics is really quite large . I believe everyone should have understood it by now . Now that we’ve learned all the key points you should know about the Intel Core Ultra generation, since we also borrowed the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i, of course we can’t let you go home empty-handed . Let’s quickly help you test the key performance! The design ID of this year's Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is still similar to that of Lenovo in recent years, which prefers simple metal business sense. I believe it is a design style that everyone is familiar with. The Intel Evo Edition logo on the lower left corner of this machine means that it has been certified. The Intel Evo Edition notebook has an HDMI 2.1 jack on the left side of the I/O. According to actual tests, it can only output 4K 60Hz images at the highest, so it is an 18Gbps version. Then there are two USB C jacks. The C hole on the left side is The specifications of USB 3.2 Gen 1 support up to 100W PD charging and DP image output . The right one is the Thunderbolt 4 connector. It also supports 100W PD and image output. There are two USB A holes on the right side. The A hole on the far right can If you set it to be always on , you can charge your phone when the screen is off. Then there is a 3.5mm audio jack and a full-size card reader that is very practical for creators. I give this a good review. Bonnie 's actual test single unit is about 1.9 kg . The weight is not too light, it has reached the level of all-in-one laptops, but it is also related to the large amount of metal used in the body . After adding the original 100W PD charger, the weight is about 2.3 kg. If you are concerned about the weight, prepare an extra small size. The 100W PD charger will be a lighter choice . On the hinge, this one will tilt slightly when it is opened and closed with one hand, but it can be flattened to nearly 170 degrees. After opening it, we can see it at the first glance when we see the B side. It has a very high screen-to-body ratio and uses a comfortable four-narrow bezel design. The top lens supports Windows Hello facial recognition , and Lenovo has also added a smart lock function to this set of lenses. For example, if you suddenly want to leave in the middle of working at the company When you go to the bathroom, just turn on the automatic lock screen option in Lenovo Vantage , which is Lenovo's control center. When you leave, the system will automatically lock the screen. Firstly, it can reduce power consumption. Secondly, it means that you are not afraid of malicious people looking at your computer. And when you come back, the system will automatically recognize that you are back and then automatically recognize and unlock it to return to work. There is also a very convenient function called smart playback control. For example, when you are watching a drama, you can just walk away and the system will automatically pause. And when you come back It will also automatically continue playing , but currently it can only be used with designated players, which are the four listed on the screen. In addition, I highly recommend that you turn on the smart gesture option. When you are watching a video, you can slide the touchpad twice. Turn aside to adjust the volume and screen brightness. In addition , there is an ultra-high resolution option in Vantage, which is the function of automatically increasing the video resolution. In fact, the functions of Lenovo Vantage are really quite complete, including adjusting the setting performance profile of the Fn button. Fast charging, battery protection, BIOS driver updates, etc. can all be found here. In addition, I recommend that you open the Vantage battery gadget so that you can quickly adjust performance settings directly on the desktop and directly see the estimated battery life if you don't want to. It doesn’t matter. In fact, you can also adjust the performance profile by pressing Fn+Q. In addition, since this is an Intel Evo Edition laptop, you can try the Intel Unison App launched by Intel. The first time I played it was probably from the end of 2022. To put it simply, Intel Unison is an App that can connect mobile phones and Windows computers . It is common to both Android and iPhone. I will also demonstrate the link here. It is very simple. I will not waste time. After you complete the connection, you can use Intel Unison is an App that connects to mobile phones. The first one is that you can directly transfer files between the mobile phone and the computer. The speed is quite fast. The second one is that you can directly access all the photos on the mobile phone and it is very convenient. You just need to press and hold Drag the photos you want onto your computer and you ’ll see them right away. It’s super fast . It’s very useful . Of course, you can also directly see the App on your phone through Intel Unison , receive notifications, answer incoming calls on your phone , or send text messages, etc. Those who are keen will notice that it is actually similar to Microsoft's Phone Link in function. However, the advantage of Intel Unison is that some functions will not be locked because the mobile phone manufacturer does not have Phone Link . Unison can also connect to tablets , but currently it is not possible to directly use Unison. Just open the App on the phone. I have a Samsung phone and use Phone Link. Other Android phones are directly Unison. On the screen, Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is equipped with a 16-inch matte screen with 2.5K IPS technology and has a high screen refresh rate of 120Hz. 16:10 It is really practical for document and creative needs. At the same time, this screen also has Eyesafe 2.0 eye protection certification. In terms of display effect, Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i does not have built-in display mode or color gamut adjustment function , so it can only be tested. The native performance of this panel has been measured by our Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i. It can reach 93.6 sRGB, 69.1 Adobe RGB and 69% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage. That is, the conventional sRGB display CCT falls at 6567K. The average Delta E of the measured sRGB color is 3.07. We would hope that this data is < 2. This screen has not been specially calibrated . In terms of brightness performance, we also measured that the maximum brightness can reach about 444 nits at 100% of the display area indoors. Then we see that the C-side arrangement is still the familiar Lenovo The right side retains everyone's favorite physical number keys and arrow keys. Although they are not full size, they have a slightly enlarged design. The area of the touchpad is also smooth enough. The keyboard also has a full-area white backlight , but the key travel is a bit small in my opinion. Finally , we will take you to take a closer look at the internal materials and performance tests. First, open the D cover. This time Bonnie is testing the version of Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i using Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 155H. You can see it at first glance. The size of these two fans is not small. When paired with LPDDR5X 32GB, both are on board. The RAM storage space is a 512GB m.2 2242 specification WD SN740 PCIe 4.0 SSD . After our actual test, the sequential read and write speed can reach 5089MB/s and It has a performance of 3978MB/s and battery life. It is equipped with an 84Wh battery. There is an expansion slot on the right side of the battery that can support m.2 2280. In terms of heat dissipation, Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i uses a design with two sets of fans and dual heat pipes. We have also tested it. In 3Dmark Time Spy, it can reach 99.6% stability. The average CPU temperature is about 60 degrees, which is not very hot. The actual measured temperature of the body is the highest at the air outlet , but it is only about 34.2 degrees. The key area does not exceed 30 degrees and is not hot. There is no problem with the control. We also measured that the fan running at full speed in the extreme performance mode is about 46.5db. The overall noise control is also at a reasonable level. In the battery life part, Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i uses an 84Wh battery in the PCMark 10 modern office battery life test. The final score of 12 hours and 1 minute is really good in terms of battery life. I am more conservative when doing high-intensity paperwork and choose the power saving mode in Vantage, which can achieve a performance of more than 7-8 hours , so if I am outside A small-sized 65W or PD charger is sufficient for use with a document . In the charging test, Bonny used the original 100W charger and turned on the fast charging mode. According to the actual test, it can be fully charged to 50% in half an hour . A full charge of 84% took 1 hour and 26 minutes . In the external amplifier test, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a built-in speaker that supports Dolby Atmos. The maximum volume we measured was about 84.4dB. The actual sound performance is as follows. Bonnie also provided a real-time test For reference, the show has come to an end . Today’s focus is to explain clearly what AI PC is. In one sentence, AI software is developing rapidly. More AI-driven services have entered everyone’s lives and are already available to many of us. What I feel is that Adobe’s Firefly is much better and easier to use than it was at the beginning , or Intel’s OpenVINO , or Microsoft’s built-in Copilot service , or Lenovo’s built-in smart sensing function. These are actually all It is an element of AI PC . On the other hand, from a hardware perspective, all processors have begun to work on NPU. It is gradually becoming possible to build the infrastructure for AI offline computing. As the ecosystem slowly grows, the energy-saving and high-efficiency characteristics of NPU will be further amplified. However, in fact, it is not just NPU, but also the improvement of GPU performance will also help accelerate AI. Services such as the Stable Diffusion mentioned earlier are currently not very efficient through pure NPU. Using iGPU or independent graphics are more efficient solutions. In short, this episode is still as easy as possible in a way that all friends can understand. I tried my best to explain it clearly. If you still have any questions or things that Bonnie didn’t mention, please leave a message below to discuss!
