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The HP brand may be a household name, but anyone deep enough into PC hardware to read enthusiast publications probably doesn’t associate the company with the memory market. Most of us associate HP name with expensive ink cartridges and an ever-rotating array of notebooks. While the greatest benefit of being associated with a well-known 81-year-old company might be the ability to draw in neophytes, those researching and buying enthusiast tech like high-end desktop memory often pay little attention to marketing. So, what is the tech?

Available at data rates ranging from DDR4-2666 to DDR4-3600, each HP V6 memory kit includes one or two DIMMs, a product ID insert with installation guide and RMA contacts, and a lengthy multi-language regulatory compliance sheet. Heat spreader color is said to identify each kit, with red for DDR4-2666 and blue for DDR4-3000. But HP confuses the issue by cloaking both its DDR4-3200 and DDR4-3600 in black.

A look at the back of the package indicates that these modules can be found on the main webpage of HP Development Inc., but that it’s also manufactured and distributed under license. Sure enough, our search of the HP website yielded no information about this memory.

HP business partner Multipointe Channel Solutions (MCS) has been marketing HP-branded SSD’s for a while now, but doesn’t talk about its own history on its own website. Any customer assurance should come from the fact that the company is still in operation, rather than its ties to the HP name.

As MCS only offers 8GB modules, its P/N 7TE41AA#ABC DDR4-3200 dual-channel kit has a total of 16GB. XMP timings of 16-18-18-38 at 1.35V boost the kit past its basic DDR4-2666 configuration, but that relies on users to own an XMP-compatible motherboard to set XMP mode. This of course is how the entire performance memory market works, but it’s still something that uninformed buyers might not know.

One thing that stands out about HP memory in general is its 5-year warranty, which is substantially less than the lifetime warranties of others (though the meaning of “lifetime” can sometimes be sketchy). This gives rise to questions, like “how long will I use this kit, anyway?” Five years is likely enough coverage for many, especially given we’ve seen that most defective memory dies in less than five years and would thus be covered.

Comparison Hardware

Comparison kits for our testing rounds include our latest 2x 8GB review samples from Geil, OLOy, and Team Group, the later clocked at a higher DDR4-3600 XMP, tested on AMD’s Ryzen 7 3700X and MSI’s memory-mastering MEG X570 Ace, using Toshiba’s OCZ RD400 SSD and Gigabyte’s GeForce RTX 2070 Gaming OC 8G to reduce bottlenecks.

Overclocking and Latency Tuning

The HP V6 DDR4-3200 is the first 2x 8GB kit we’ve seen in a while that wouldn’t reach DDR4-3600, which means it won’t be represented at several of our alternative performance settings. We were however able to reduce its DDR4-3200 timings to 14-16-16-32 at 1T.

Lowest Stable Timings at 1.35V (Max) on MEG X570 ACE (BIOS 1.20)

Unfortunately, the rest of the kits reached at least DDR4-3600, and one even went to DDR4-4266. The fastest kit was also rated at a higher DDR4-3600 XMP.

Benchmark Results and Final Analysis

The HP V6 DDR4-3200 kit’s XMP bandwidth and latency are close to average in SiSoftware Sandra.

XMP gaming performance also looks good, and it even retained that performance for the most part at our lower frequency and latency settings.

The HP V6 DDR4-3200 also looks decidedly average in our timed tests, where less time means more performance. So, it should be a good deal if it’s priced well.

About that key pricing issue though: We weren’t able to find P/N 7TE41AA#ABC for sale anywhere, and instead had to price it as two P/N 7EH67AA#ABC single modules. To compete, a pair of these would need to be priced around 25% lower than two single modules.

At its current price of about $53 per 8GB stick, this kit just isn’t competitive. That of course doesn’t mean it’s a bad product, just that there are plenty of better options available from companies more well-known in the memory market. Pricing could of course also change substantially, which could make this memory more competitive. But until it does, most consumers in the know should look to the plethora of competitors.

Microsoft has updated the new Cortana app for Windows 10 Insiders, taking the app to version 2.2003.27748.0.

The main improvement is greater support for languages other than English, with support for 12 languages: Italian, German, UK English, Japanese, Spanish from Spain and Spanish from Mexico.

The app otherwise remains quite limited and neutered, with support for only:

Lists and reminders

Simplified app launch

Email support

Calendar assistance

The update should roll out automatically to Windows 10 Insiders in the Fast Ring.

Starting today, customers who purchase a Mac Pro can choose to add a Radeon Pro W5700X graphics card with 16GB of GDDR6 memory to their machines when using Apple’s build-to-order feature, a new option that was just added.

When the ‌Mac Pro‌ was released, Apple said that the W5700X graphics card option would be coming in the near future, but it has taken a few months for it to show up.

Selecting the Radeon Pro W5700X adds an additional $600 to the price of the ‌Mac Pro‌, with Apple also offering an option to add two Radeon Pro W5700X graphics cards for a total of $1,600. It’s also available as a standalone purchase for $1,000.

These graphic card options are in addition to the default Radeon Pro 580X and Radeon Pro Vega II and Duo options that were already available.

Chuwi revealed the AeroBox last month, but a representative from the company recently confessed to TechRadar Pro that the mini-PC bears an identical motherboard to the Xbox One S.

AMD makes a lot of custom-tailored CPUs for its partners, some of which don’t have official model names. Such is the case with Microsoft’s Xbox One gaming consoles, which pack AMD processors. All eyes are currently on the upcoming Xbox Series X on the way, but Chuwi’s latest mini-PC could be using the same AMD chip as the Xbox One S.

As a quick recap, the Xbox One S features a custom octa-core processor that’s comprised of two Jaguar Compute Units (CUs) that each sport up to four CPU cores. The chip checks in at 1.75 GHz. On the graphics side, the APU has 768 shaders running at 914 MHz to deliver 1,404 GFLOPS of peak single-precision (FP32) performance.

Chuwi sells the AeroBox workstation with an AMD A9-9820 that seemingly tops out at 2.35 GHz. The AeroBox likely has more thermal headroom as opposed to the Xbox One, which would allow the APU can operate at higher clock speeds. However, Chuwi pairs the A9-9820 with a Radeon R7 350 discrete graphics card, suggesting that the manufacturer could be using salvaged chips that don’t meet the requirements for the Xbox One S. The Radeon R7 350 brings 512 shaders running up to 935 MHz, which peak to 957.4 GFLOPS of FP32 performance. 

Thanks to the higher-clocked processor, the AeroBox might offer more raw processing power, which comes in handy for office and productivity usage, than the gaming console. But the workstation’s graphics performance won’t be anywhere close to that of the Xbox One S. The math shows that that Xbox One S should deliver up to 46.6% higher FP32 performance than the AeroBox.

The AeroBox will only be available in Japan at launch. Chuwi still hasn’t put a price on the mini-PC yet.

TechRadar has discovered that Apple has filed a new document with the FCC on Wednesday that could very well be the next Powerbeats Pro 2 coming later this year.

The description for FCC ID BCGA2453 describes ‘totally wireless high-performance earphones’ and corresponds to Apple’s model numbers A2453 and A2454, which could be two new versions of the Powerbeats Pro. 

Unfortunately, Apple has requested that the FCC withhold external photographs, internal photographs, test setup photographs and the user manual until October 12, 2020 (potentially the day Apple has chosen to hold its annual iPhone unveiling event) so it will be awhile before we can confirm our suspicions.

Without photos or documentation there’s not a whole lot of information available inside the brief other than the wireless frequency the earphones will operate on (2.402-2.48 GHz) and some really technical information about the kind of wireless transmitter it will have inside. 

That said, in previous FCC filings, the Apple AirPods were model number A1722 as described in an FCC filing in 2016 and the new Beats Powerbeats were model number A2015 as described in FCC ID BCGA2015 – so the A2453 model name fits within the previously established naming scheme Apple’s cooked up.

Powerbeats Pro 2? What’s the deal?

Beyond this filing we really don’t have any idea what Apple is cooking up – so take everything that follows as pure conjecture.

Certainly some of the things Apple could add to the Powerbeats Pro would be noise cancellation – a feature taken directly from the Apple AirPods Pro – and an IP68 water-resistance rating like the iPhone 11 Pro. The latter would be a bit tricky – most earphones really stick to an IPX4 rating – but some sports enthusiasts buds like the Jaybird Tarah Pro go up to IPX7.

How much of that Apple will decide to implement remains to be seen, but both upgrades would be a substantial improvement on the Powerbeats Pro that are currently on store shelves now.

Today is Patch Tuesday, the second Tuesday of the month, and it means that all supported versions of Windows are getting updates. For Windows 10, that still means all versions except for 1511, although other versions are restricted to certain devices or SKUs.

As usual, Windows 10 versions 1909 and 1903 get the same update. KB4549951 brings the build number to 18363.778 and 18362.778, respectively. You can manually download it here, and these are the highlights:

Updates to improve security when using Microsoft Office products.

Updates to improve security when Windows performs basic operations.

Updates for storing and managing files.

Here’s the full list of fixes:

Addresses an issue that prevents certain apps from installing if they are published using a Group Policy Object.

Security updates to the Microsoft Scripting Engine, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Windows Cloud Infrastructure, Windows Virtualization, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Kernel, Windows Media, Windows Shell, Windows Management, Windows Fundamentals, Windows Virtualization, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows Update Stack, and the Microsoft JET Database Engine.

Those still on Windows 10 version 1809 will get KB4549949, bringing the build number to 17763.1158. You can manually download it here, and it has the same highlights and fixes. There is one known issue to be aware of though.

Windows 10 version 1803 is only supported for Enterprise and Education SKUs, but those users will get KB4550922, bringing the build number to 17134.1425. You can manually download it here, it has the same highlights as the above updates, but a shorter list of fixes.

Security updates to the Microsoft Scripting Engine, Windows Kernel, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Media, Windows Shell, Windows Management, Windows Cloud Infrastructure, Windows Fundamentals, Windows Core Networking, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows Update Stack, and the Microsoft JET Database Engine.

Windows 10 version 1709 is also only supported for Enterprise and Education SKUs, and those users will get KB4550927, bringing the build number to 16299.1806. You can manually download it here, and it has the exact same changelog as the update for version 1803.

Windows 10 version 1703 is only supported for the original Surface Hub, but it still gets KB4550939, bringing the build number to 15063.2346. You can manually download it here, and these are the highlights:

Updates to improve security when Windows performs basic operations.

Updates to improve security when using Microsoft Office products.

Here’s the full list of fixes:

Addresses an issue that causes a memory leak in the LsaIso.exe process when the server is under a heavy authentication load and Credential Guard is enabled.

Addresses an issue with running klist.exe that causes lsass.exe to stop working and generates an access violation error (0xC0000005).

Addresses an issue with merging Windows Defender Application Control policies that sometimes generates a duplicate rule ID error and causes the Merge-CIPolicy PowerShell command to fail.

Security updates to the Microsoft Scripting Engine, Windows Kernel, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Media, Windows Management, Windows Fundamentals, Windows Core Networking, Windows Update Stack, and the Microsoft JET Database Engine.

It also has the same known issue as the update for version 1803.

Windows 10 version 1607 is only supported for LTSC customers and Windows Server 2016 customers, and those users will get KB4550929, bringing the build number to 14393.3630. You can manually download it here, and these are the highlights:

Updates to improve security when Windows performs basic operations.

Updates to improve security when using Microsoft Office products.

Here’s the list of fixes:

Security updates to the Microsoft Scripting Engine, Windows Kernel, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Media, Windows Cloud Infrastructure, Windows Fundamentals, Windows Core Networking, Windows Update Stack, and the Microsoft JET Database Engine.

Finally, Windows 10 version 1507 is only supported for LTSC customers, and those users will get KB4550930, bringing the build number to 10240.18545. You can manually download it here, and it contains the same highlights and fixes as the update for version 1607, but the same known issue as the update for version 1803.

As usual, these are mandatory updates, meaning that you can either manually install them, get them through Windows Update, or they’ll be installed automatically.

Xiaomi’s Mi Box S is a nifty gadget that can instantly upgrade your dumb TV into a smart TV. This bargain Android TV box from the Chinese electronics brand is capable of playing 4K HDR content at up to 60fps while also doubling as a Chromecast receiver. The device is now a more appealing prospect thanks to the stable Android 9 Pie update which is now rolling out in batches.

The first public beta of Android Pie for the Mi Box S arrived in November 2019, which also brought in official compatibility for Amazon Prime Video. Xiaomi pushed a few more beta builds afterward and later decided to mark the third beta (build 2231) as the stable Android 9 Pie update during January 2020. However, the company had to halt the update rollout due to various bugs reported by the users.

Xiaomi resumed beta testing earlier this month after a brief pause. Three consecutive beta builds later, the OEM is now confident enough to re-release the stable Android Pie update in the form of build 2604. Coming in at nearly 625MB, the long-awaited OTA update should be available to non-beta participants as well. The cumulative changelog is as follows:

Chromecast not working

Some apps playback freeze

Special H264 decode error

BT audio is not sync with video

HDMI compatibility

Pop sound when STB in standby mode

Gboard not working when connecting an external keyboard

Fix for CEC not working (from build 2603)

System is not stable after back from standby mode (from build 2596)

Support more Wi-Fi channel in special area (from build 2596)

Xiaomi has yet to publish the updated kernel source code corresponding to this update in their GitHub repository. In case you need to revert back to Android Oreo (or unbrick your unit), there is a guide available on our forums. For your information, the firmware package for the Mi Box S (code-name: oneday) is not compatible with the original Mi Box, also known as the Mi Box 3 (code-name: once), which is still running Android Oreo.

Computer manufacturing giant Dell released on Friday a new security tool that detects attacks attempting to modify a computer’s BIOS component.

Named the Dell SafeBIOS Events & Indicators of Attack, the tool works by detecting changes to a Dell computer’s BIOS configuration and raising an alert in companies’ management consoles.

The tool’s purpose is to give system administrators the ability to isolate workstations that may have been compromised, to be set aside for remediation.

The tool is not meant to replace the full capabilities of an endpoint security system (antivirus). Instead, the tool is intended to provide protection against a series of attacks (BIOS attacks) that most antivirus products are not engineered to handle or detect.

“Detection at this level allows organizations to respond to advanced threats quickly and successfully, interrupting the attack chain before it’s able to do more damage,” the company said on Friday.

Dell said the tool will be provided for free to all its enterprise customers. The tool has already been made available for download as part of the Dell Trusted Device solution.

The Dell SafeBIOS Events & Indicators of Attack tool is just the latest Dell security offering the company has made available to its customers in recent weeks. Since the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Dell has offered existing customers flexible endpoint security solutions to help them:

Better secure today’s new working model as quickly as possible with VMware Carbon Black who has eliminated endpoint limits until June 20, 2020.

Pressure test remote work deploymentswith Secureworks’ accelerated vulnerability assessments, and get faster deployment and flexible payment options for Secureworks’ managed detection and response and incident response solutions.

Securely deploy work-from-home deviceswith Dell Technologies who is offering temporary licenses for Dell Encryption until May 15, 2020.

Apparently, having six different variants of the GeForce GT 710 simply isn’t enough for Asus. As spotted by Japanese publication Hermitage Akihabara, Asus has quietly added a new seventh variant to the mix.

The new Asus GeForce GT 710, which goes under the GT710-4H-SL-2GD5 part number, features a friendly, single-slot design with a passive cooling solution and dimensions of 6.57 x 4.13 x 0.74 inches (16.7 x 10.5 x 1.9cm). The GeForce GT 710 doesn’t even require a PCIe 3.0 slot; it’s perfectly happy on a PCIe 2.0 x1 interface, presenting the opportunity to use the graphics card on older motherboards that lack a PCIe 3.0 slot.

Asus’ latest Kepler-powered graphics card is based on the GK208 silicon that comes sporting 192 CUDA cores that clock up to 954 MHz. There’s also 2GB of GDDR5 memory running at 5,012 MHz across a 64-bit memory bus. The GeForce GT 710 isn’t the type of graphics card that you would use to game on. Instead, it’s an affordable option for users that are looking for a upgrade above integrated graphics or want to use multiple monitors simultaneously.

The design of the display outputs is what separates this specific GeForce GT 710 from Asus’ previous models. The GT710-4H-SL-2GD5 comes with four HDMI ports so it can accommodate up to four 4K monitors. 

Originally, Kepler didn’t natively support the HDMI 2.0 standard, which is required to push 4K at 60 Hz over an HDMI port. Through a technique called chroma subsampling, Nvidia was able to let the Kepler-based graphics card output an image at the aforementioned resolution and refresh rate. There are still some caveats though.

The GT710-4H-SL-2GD5 can only do 60 Hz if paired with a single monitor. When two or more monitors are used at the same time, the refresh rate drops down to 30 Hz.

Although not many are left, the GeForce GT 710, which came out in January 2016, is still in circulation. Online retailers typically sell the graphics cards for $50-$100, depending on the brand. 

A 2-in-1 laptop offers the best of both worlds: a good laptop experience for longer working and gaming sessions where a decent keyboard is required, and a tablet, making it great for media viewing, scrolling through social media feeds and touch-screen gaming.

But the best 2-in-1 laptops aren’t quite the same as the best laptops or the best tablets. They’re something in between and finding one that has the best bits of both device types isn’t easy. There are some great devices out there, though.

Whether you need high performance, long battery life, a great display or a combination of everything, here are five of the best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy.

Surface Go

Size: 10-inches

Resolution: 1,800 x 1,200

Battery life: Up to nine hours

The Surface Go is the baby of Microsoft’s Surface line, which means it has the weakest hardware, but also by far the most affordable price. At around $400 for the base version, it comes with a decent Intel Pentium Gold CPU, up to 8GB of RAM, and options for storage that stretch up to 128GB of high-speed SSD space. It’s not breaking records, but it’s an impressively capable little device.

This isn’t going to be a great piece of kit to edit video on and it’s certainly not something you would use for high-end gaming, but it’s a tablet with a full-fat Windows 10 experience (though it ships in S mode, you can change it) offering the full suite of Windows applications and services. You’ll want to pay the $130 extra for the excellent Type Cover keyboard attachment to give you full laptop-like functionality, but that still keeps the price well below that of the Surface Go’s contemporaries.

With optional LTE connectivity, a USB-C port and a detailed display with a great contrast ratio, the Surface Go is a fantastic little 2-in-1 that can works well as both a laptop and a tablet at a very affordable price.

Dell XPS 15 2-in-1

Size: 15-inches

Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080

Battery life: Up to 16 hours

Dell’s iconic XPS laptops are stellar almost across the board, but the Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 is easily one of the best convertible laptops in the world. It doesn’t have the latest hardware like some of its smaller siblings, but it has a unique hardware profile which makes it a fantastic option for anyone who wants to work and play on a solid 2-in-1 design.

Packing an eighth-generation Intel Kaby Lake G CPU under the hood, this 2-in-1 combines Intel processing power with AMD graphics for a uniquely versatile machine. That makes it decent at playing entry-level indie titles and older AAA games, as well as being fantastically nippy for web browsing and managing your photo libraries. Combined with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 256GB of super-fast NVMe storage, this 2-in-1 has one of the most capable hardware lineups in this list.

The 1080p screen might be a deal-breaker for some, but you can upgrade it to a 4K panel if you don’t mind sacrificing the excellent battery life, which in ideal circumstances can last well beyond a single workday.

The only real downside with it is the weight. At just over 4.3 pounds, it’s not svelte and you can feel that in tablet mode, but if you need a 2-in-1 that is mostly a laptop and sometimes a tablet, then this 2-in-1 could be for you.

Surface Pro 7

Size: 12-inches

Resolution: 2,736 x 1,824

Battery life: Up to 10.5 hours

The flagship of Microsoft’s Surface line at the start of 2020, the Surface Pro 7 evolved what was already a classic design into something a little more modern and a little more capable. It’s not the most futuristic-looking devices, with somewhat chunky bezels, but that does make it easier to grip in tablet mode, and the overall design of the Pro 7 is excellent, in both build quality and component choice.

Under the hood, you’ll find up to a quad-core 10th-generation Core i7 Intel Ice Lake processor, with 11th-generation Iris Plus graphics. That’s not only a capable, efficient processor but impressively capable GPU too, making this a device that you can work and play on with ease. Esports titles and older AAA games will play just fine on this device, and thanks to its highly pixel-dense display, you can expect your games and work to look fantastic too.

This generation finally added a USB-C port, so alongside more typical USB-A and headphone ports, you’ll find plenty of accessories that you can add to this without needing to break out an adapter.

As with the Surface Go, you’ll want to buy the Type Cover to give this convertible laptop full laptop-functionality, but by making it an extra the Surface Pro stays extremely light when in tablet mode, as just 1.7 pounds.

HP Spectre X360 13

Size: 13-inches

Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080

Battery life: Up to 22 hours

If you want a striking design for your convertible laptop, then the HP Spectre X360 13 is it. Combining angular lines, with a unique color profile and fantastic built quality, this is a 2-in-1 that makes a statement. It stands out from the crowd of black and silver laptops with its subtle gold accents and has powerful, capable hardware under the hood too.

The latest configuration sports a 10th-generation Intel Ice Lake CPU (up to Core i7) with the option of two or four cores, and Intel Iris Pro graphics, making this a professional looking 2-in-1 that is more than capable of doing some Esports gaming in the off-hours. With up to 16GB of memory and up to 2TB of super-fast NMVe storage, the Spectre X360 absolutely zips along, whether in tablet or laptop mode.

At 1080p, the stock screen isn’t the most detailed, but there is the option of a 4K AMOLED panel which looks fantastic but does eat into battery life, so you’ll need to weigh up that consideration against your budget when it comes to configuring your particular model.

Battery life is excellent whatever hardware you pick though, and you’ll have no trouble making it through a full workday with this laptop. It does get a little toasty, so you may want to consider a laptop cooling pad when using it over extended periods or for intense tasks, but it’s an excellent 2-in-1, no matter what you want to use it for.

Surface Book 2

Size: 13.5 or 15-inches

Resolution: 3,000 x 2,000

Battery life: Up to 17 hours

The original battery life king of 2-in-1s, the Surface Book 2 is a little older than some of the other top 2-in-1s, but it hasn’t fallen far behind and still offers a compelling mix of hardware performance, portability and detail to make it one of the most exciting convertible laptops you can buy today.

Inside it packs an Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU from the seventh and eighth generation and up to 16GB of memory. That’s combined with an optional Nvidia graphics card — either the GTX 1050 or 1060 depending on the physical size you opt for. That makes this 2-in-1 more than capable of handling even midrange games with ease at great frame rates.

This is a stealth gaming 2-in-1 in all but name.

The display is one of the best out there, with a high resolution in the productive and versatile 3:2 aspect ratio — great for browsing websites in both laptop and tablet mode.

But one of the most exciting features of the Surface Book 2 is that its display is entirely detachable. That does mean you sacrifice GPU power and some battery life in tablet mode, but it drops the weight from 3-4 pounds to well under two pounds when in tablet mode. That makes it possible to turn this otherwise powerful and sturdy laptop into a lightweight and portable tablet in seconds.