As soon as the Spring Festival of 2024 passed, major manufacturers immediately kicked into high gear, with a flurry of releases ranging from smartphones to laptops. The upcoming period promises to be filled with a plethora of reviews.
Of course, us tech media folks are as busy as ever, traveling for events and unboxing products left and right. And this time around, one of the first devices I got my hands on post-Spring Festival 2024 happens to be among the earliest to undergo evaluation.
This computer is also a well-known old friend — the Lenovo Xiaoxin, equipped with the latest generation AMD processor in the 2024 model.
For such a battle-tested ultrabook in the 5000 RMB price range, maintaining its competitive edge in 2024 is quite a challenge.
However, after using it for a while, I think Lenovo Xiaoxin's answer is quite simple. Let me give you a quick summary:
Building on the existing strengths of ultrabooks, Xiaoxin now comes with AI enhancement, a high-quality 2.8K screen, an 84Wh large battery for extended battery life, and other features, once again solidifying its position in this price range for ultrabooks.
In the traditional evaluation process, I should probably show everyone what the new XiaoXin looks like with its fresh logo. But seriously, why are we still sticking to traditional evaluations in this day and age?
So, this time around, I'm going to dive straight into its performance.
The 24th edition of XiaoXin is powered by the latest AMD Ryzen 7 8845H processor. Not only does it retain the highly praised integrated graphics Radeon 780M, but it also comes with an additional independent NPU, which stands for Neural Processing Unit, adding AI computing power – something that's all the rage nowadays.
But a lot of people are probably tired of hearing abbreviations like AI, AIPC, and NPU by now, without seeing many real-world examples.
I used to think the same way at first, so this time, I really hoped Xiaoxin could do something good and show everyone what NPU computing power looks like in practice.
And guess what? I actually found something.
After a friendly chat with my friends at Lenovo, they sent me a software installation package called "GamePP," which stands for "Game Plus Plus."
The game booster, JiaJia, can be likened to a domestic data monitoring software with a plethora of features. It's like it's got all the essential functions sewn up.
From frame rates, temperature, memory usage, disk usage, in-game monitoring, to performance statistics, you name it, JiaJia's got it covered.
Wow, so it's like a deluxe version of Afterburner, huh?
And within JiaJia, there's this feature called "Power Moments," which uses AI to intelligently capture exciting moments and even generates clips with just one click.
And this feature utilizes the NPU (Neural Processing Unit) portion of AMD processors, so it won't affect GPU performance.
Feel free to game on, leave the task of capturing those epic moments to AI.
Currently, this feature is compatible with three games: "Endless Eternity," "Fearless Covenant," and "The Finals." Just enable the AMD processor exclusive NPU mode in the settings, and you're good to go.
Half a year ago, if I told you guys about AI-powered PCs, you'd probably think it was too far-fetched, and honestly, so would I.
But just like how without 4G back then, we wouldn't have things like ride-hailing, food delivery, or live streaming today.
And if we look again in another six months, "automatically recording gaming highlights" might just be a mundane feature on laptops.
This is just a small feature of Lenovo Xiaoxin that brings AI to life. With ongoing adaptation and optimization by manufacturers, AI can handle even more tasks, which makes me excited about the future of laptops.
Of course, for AI to record highlights, the prerequisite is good enough performance, and that brings us to the highly acclaimed AMD Radeon 780M integrated graphics.
Though it's integrated graphics, based on tests conducted by our editorial team and various tech bloggers, it's more than capable of handling various online and large-scale games.
Nowadays, gaming on ultrabooks is entirely feasible and even somewhat effortless.
For instance, in performance tests of "Cyberpunk 2077," the latest Lenovo Ideapad, running at 1080P with all settings at minimum and utilizing FSR 2.1 for super performance, achieved an average frame rate of over 60 frames per second.
In the recently popular game "Monster Paru" from some time ago, even at low graphics settings, the average frame rate can reach 70.
During my leisure time, I enjoy playing "Warframe" on low graphics settings with a resolution of 1200P, easily achieving frame rates of 160 FPS and above.
Sure, we ran Cinebench R23 as usual. Single-core score came in at 1803, while the multi-core score reached 16614. It's the standard outcome we expected.
In the Time Spy test of 3DMark, the GPU in the Xiaoxin laptop scored over 2800 points, comfortably surpassing the score of the 1050Ti graphics card.
Ah, those six letters, I'm tired of saying them.
And if that's not enough for you, the memory frequency of the Little New will be OTA upgraded to a whopping 7500MHz.
For example, the Little New I have here just updated with the test BIOS is running smoothly at 7500.
After discussing the performance improvements, let's now shift gears and talk about the aesthetics of the new product.
This time, the new product comes in two color options: gray and blue. Both have a sleek and minimalist design. The one I have in hand is the gray version, which is versatile and suitable for people of all ages and genders.
The two corners of the chassis feature the iconic Lenovo logo and the Lenovo Xiaoxin 10th Anniversary exclusive icon, which are passed down from generation to generation. Visually, this design indeed makes it easier for people to recognize that this is a new model of laptop.
The lateral design features an edged-cutting approach, rendering the overall body sleek and neat.
Another aspect that I personally really appreciate is the rich variety of ports on the Xiaoxin. They didn't compromise on ports just because it's an ultrabook.
With two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, an SD card reader, and a highly advanced 3.5mm headphone jack, this is already quite luxurious for an ultrabook.
The keyboard and touchpad maintain Lenovo's classic style, providing a familiar user experience. However, there's a new addition on the keyboard – a dedicated key for Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant. This marks the first time in nearly 30 years that a key has been added to Windows computers.
Once you tap on this thing, you can quickly access Windows AI services, effectively integrating an AI assistant with your PC.
Also worth mentioning is the OLED screen, dubbed as the "SSR Super Good Screen."
The 2.8K resolution is pretty much standard for ultrabooks nowadays, but the Xiaoxin also boasts a 120Hz refresh rate, along with a whopping 100% DCI-P3 color gamut and peak brightness of around 600 nits.
For users with creative needs, this screen provides an exceptional experience.
But what I love most is that it supports Windows HDR, thanks to its peak brightness of 600 nits.
You can immediately notice the difference with this thing, whether you're binge-watching shows, streaming movies, or gaming; HDR just elevates the visual experience with a single click.
For instance, when I fire up Netflix, that plain old "HD" badge magically transforms into the prestigious "HDR", coupled with Dolby Atmos, and I'm all set to immerse myself in those flashy movies.
On the top of the screen, there's a 1080P high-definition smart camera, but what really caught my attention wasn't the camera itself, but rather this physical switch.
If you're concerned about privacy leaks, just cover the camera with this switch, simple yet very effective.
As for the traditional features like the built-in fan control and Lenovo PC Manager on the Xiaoxin, I won't dwell on them too much. It's got everything you'd expect.
Plus, with the 84Wh large battery and the original white 100W gallium nitride charger, it further enhances both battery life and charging experience.
So basically, looking at it this way, everyone will notice that the key focus of this upgrade for Xiao Xin is to strike a balance between stability and progress.
"Stability" refers to sticking to its established positioning, retaining the existing features and characteristics without making unnecessary changes.
"Progress" means ensuring that the functionality remains competitive. For instance, high-resolution screens are now standard across all lightweight models, and Xiao Xin has also included a wide range of versatile ports, enhancing its expandability significantly.
Even the AI, which is at the forefront now, is being mastered by Xiaoxin, fully leveraging the performance of AMD processors' NPU section, and exploring the potential of AI to come up with new gameplay.
That's why they say Lenovo really understands computers. Xiaoxin's configuration, price, and positioning are all extremely precise. If you're a student, a creative user, or someone who demands both portability and performance within a budget of around five to six thousand CNY, then it's really hard to overlook Xiaoxin as the choice.
Oh, so Shin's new setup has 32GB RAM + 1TB storage. That should definitely cover the needs for most work and study tasks.
Man, my desktop from three years ago had only 16GB. Now laptops come with 32GB straight out of the box. Times sure have changed.
