On May 7, Apple announced the new 2020 revision of the 13 inch Macbook pro. This laptop features all of the Keyboard changes which occurred to the 16 inch Macbook pro in 2019. This means Apple switched from the butterfly keys to their new Magic Keyboard and added a physical escape key among other things.
This revision has two versions, the lower end 8th generation version at $1299 and the higher end 10th generation version and $1899. The lower end version features 8GB of LPDDR3 ram and 256GB Storage while the higher end version features 16GB of much faster LPDDR4X ram and 512GB storage. However, the difference in ram, storage and cpu is not the only thing. The higher end version features intel’s new G7 graphics, meaning that it is significantly faster than the low end version. This version also has support for Apple’s Pro display XDR. In addition to that, the higher end version has better cooling, leading to lower fan noise and better speakers with the addition of a subwoofer.
On May 14, Nvidia had their 2020 GTC keynote, with all the videos posted on their channel on YouTube. This announcement confirms the Ampere GPU architecture and showcases their new Servers. While this announcement does not benefit the consumers, it does showcase the power of their new Ampere architecture and what is to come later this year.
Just a few days ago, Intel lifted their embargo on their 10th generation Desktop processors. Based on initial benchmarks, it seems like the highest end cpu, the 10 core i9 10900k, beats AMD marginally at gaming and single core workloads. However, in multicore workloads, AMD is still in the lead. In addition to that, it seems the new Intel CPU requires an incredible amount of power, drawing upwards of 125 watts. This seems to be a major downside with Intel continuing to use their 14nm fabrication process versus AMD’s 7nm process.
This month is filled with new tech announcements and it is very exciting, however, for the computer gamers, it is rumored that Nvidia and AMD will be announcing their new consumer GPU lineups with AMD also announcing their 4th generation Ryzen processors in September.
The Roar 