1. Introduction: Thunderbolt’s newly released 14-inch ultra-thin laptop features a high-pressure i9 + A370M discrete graphics dual “I” combination
When it comes to Thunderbolt, everyone is familiar with its high-performance gaming laptops. Now, Thunderbolt has entered the ultra-thin laptop market, creating a new T-BOOK series product line with a different feel.
In June, the T-BOOK 16 debuted, bringing the high-pressure Core i9 into the ultra-thin laptop market for the first time, and it sold out immediately.
Recently, Thunderbolt has released the brand new T-BOOK 14, also focusing on lightweight high performance. The 14-inch mini body not only houses the gaming laptop Core i9-12900H but also features the Intel Iris A370M discrete graphics card, forming a dual “I” combination.
Now, this special ultra-thin laptop has arrived at our Quick Technology review room. Let’s take a look.
The main highlights of the Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14 include:
1. Processor
The Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14 is the first to integrate the H45 series high-pressure Core i9-12900H into a 14-inch body.
As a representative of high-performance 12th generation mobile processors, it features the 12th generation Core high-performance hybrid architecture, hardware thread scheduler, support for DDR5 memory, and a series of other characteristics, which are also adopted by many high-end gaming laptops, but this is the first time it has been used in such a compact ultra-thin laptop.
The specifications of the i9-12900H include 6 P-cores + 8 E-cores, with a maximum turbo frequency of 5.0GHz for P-cores and 3.8GHz for E-cores. All P-cores and E-cores share a 24MB L3 cache, with a basic power consumption of 45W, achieving strong performance while maintaining low power consumption.
2. Graphics Card
On the graphics card front, the Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14 is one of the first 14-inch laptops in China to feature the Intel Iris A370M discrete graphics card.
The Iris A370M is based on the Intel ACM-G11 GPU core, featuring 8 Xe cores, 8 ray tracing units, a 64-bit wide 4GB GDDR6 memory, a core frequency of 1550MHz, a memory frequency of 14Gbps, and a bandwidth of 112GB/s, with a power range of 35-50W.
The A370M is equipped with mainstream hardware video encoding and decoding capabilities, which is very practical for users with video editing needs. It is also the first discrete graphics card to feature AV1 hardware encoding, which can achieve a smaller file size compared to the commonly used H.264 encoding, representing a new trend for the future.
3. Screen and Dimensions
Thunderbolt has also partnered with BOE to develop FLIT light screen technology, reducing the overall weight and thickness of the screen, achieving a borderless effect. With a minimalist lightweight appearance, the thickness is controlled at 17.8mm, and the weight is only 1.45kg.
This screen also boasts high quality, with a resolution of 2560×1600, a 16:10 aspect ratio, a 90Hz refresh rate, and a 100% sRGB color gamut.
Next, let’s take a look at the performance of this ultra-thin laptop.
2. Appearance: Full Metal Body is Exquisite with 95% Screen-to-Body Ratio
Upon receiving the Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14, the full metal body gives a very exquisite feel. The magnesium-aluminum alloy shell adopts a matte frosted process, and the surface has also undergone anodizing treatment, giving it a high-quality texture.
The thickness is also well controlled, as thin as 17.8mm, allowing it to be lifted with one hand.
Even though it uses a metal panel, the Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14 still manages to keep the weight at 1.45kg, comparable to ultra-thin laptops without discrete graphics.
The 14-inch screen on the B-side is particularly eye-catching. Thunderbolt has collaborated with BOE to innovate the borderless technology from mobile phones for laptops.
The Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14 features a 14-inch ultra-clear FLIT light screen with a resolution of 2560×1600, an aspect ratio of 16:10, a refresh rate of 90Hz, a 100% sRGB color gamut, a contrast ratio of 1500:1, and a brightness of 300 nits, certified by TÜV Rheinland for low blue light, supporting DC dimming.
A 2.5K resolution is naturally more detailed than 1080P, meeting the needs of content creators and designers for screen color reproduction, allowing for more precise cropping, post-processing, and color grading on an ultra-thin laptop.
With a 90Hz high refresh rate, compared to the mainstream ultra-thin laptops with 60Hz, users will experience smoother visuals when browsing the web or gaming, with more responsive operations.
This ultra-clear FLIT light screen features a micro-border design on both sides, making the bezels appear very narrow, achieving a 95% screen-to-body ratio.
This is because the screen has eliminated CG (Continuous Grain Silicon) and OCA (Optical Adhesive), reducing the screen’s weight by about 100g and the overall thickness by 0.7mm, with side bezels as narrow as 1.2mm.
The keyboard and touchpad on the C-side are relatively traditional, with a three-level adjustable keyboard backlight.
The power button with a ring light in the upper right corner makes the Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14 look very dynamic, and this power button also integrates fingerprint unlocking, adding security to the device.
In terms of interfaces, the Thunderbolt T-BOOK is equipped with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A 3.2 ports, and a combined 3.5mm headphone jack, which is very comprehensive and can meet users’ various expansion needs in daily use.
The integrated D-side features a large area of cooling grilles, and there are speaker openings on the left and right sides of the bottom, corresponding to built-in 2×2W high-fidelity surround speakers, supporting Nahimic audio effects.
The package includes a manual, charging cable, and power adapter.
The power adapter has a maximum output power of 100W and supports multi-protocol handshake, allowing it to charge mobile phones as well.
Opening the D-side, due to its 14-inch size, the overall design is still quite compact. The cooling specifications use two 142-blade ultra-thin fans, allowing for independent cooling of the CPU and GPU, with dual heat pipes measuring 6mm and 8mm.
The M.2 antennas and a 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD are located beneath the left and right fans respectively.
The 65Whr battery at the bottom occupies nearly half of the internal space, with 2×2W high-fidelity stereo speakers supporting Nahimic audio on either side of the battery.
In terms of expandability, due to space constraints, the memory is soldered, so only the SSD can be freely replaced.
3. CPU Performance: i9-12900H Performance Release is Excellent, Single Thread Leads Previous Generation by 24.4%
——Hardware Dog
Hardware Dog is a professional hardware detection and benchmarking tool produced by Driver Home, ideal for mainstream PC gamers. It relies on the self-developed algorithm of Quick Technology and authoritative testing modules such as 3DMark to quickly, accurately, and comprehensively detect the overall configuration of a PC, performing individual and comprehensive tests on the CPU processor, GPU graphics card, memory, and hard drive to assess overall performance, and through global performance rankings, one can easily know the performance level of their device.
Hardware Dog gave a total score of 355245, surpassing 92% of laptop users nationwide.
Among them, the score for the i9-12900H was 171108, the A370M graphics card score was 68185, the memory score was 67692, and the hard drive score was 48260.
Hardware Dog’s evaluation is that the CPU is the strongest presence among laptops, and the graphics card can also handle less demanding games.
——CPU-Z
In the CPU-Z score test, the i9-12900H scored 796.6 in single-thread performance and 6212 in multi-thread performance.
——CINEBENCH
In the CineBench R15 test, the i9-12900H achieved a single-thread score of 278 and a multi-thread score of 2287.
In the CineBench R20 test, the single-thread score was 735, and the multi-core score was 5570.
In the CineBench R23 test, the single-thread score was 1911, and the multi-core score was 14525.
——Chess
In the chess test under 16 threads, the i9-12900H achieved a relative performance multiple of 59.29, with 28461 moves per second.
From the summary comparison, compared to the previous generation i9-11900H with a maximum power consumption of 90W, the i9-12900H with a maximum power consumption of 45W leads in single-thread performance by 24.4% and in multi-thread performance by 7.7%.
Compared to the Ryzen 9 6900HS with an 80W power consumption, the i9-12900 leads in single-thread performance by 19.2% and in multi-thread performance by 2.6%.
The performance of the i9-12900H remains outstanding, and even in the limited space of an ultra-thin laptop, it performs exceptionally well, especially in single-thread performance. However, the multi-thread results are more conservative, as the power consumption is limited to 45W, preventing the i9-12900H from fully unleashing its performance; otherwise, the results would be even more impressive.
4. Graphics Testing and Gaming: The Iris A370M Can Run AAA Games at Medium Settings
The Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14 supports three modes (Quiet Mode / Balanced Mode / Performance Mode), and users can easily switch between them using the Fn+2 shortcut.
The following tests were conducted in Performance Mode.
——Benchmark Tests
In the 3DMark Time Spy (2K rendering resolution) test, a total score of 3749 was achieved, with the A370M graphics score at 3353 and the CPU score at 11341.
In the 3DMark Fire Strike (1080 rendering resolution) test, a total score of 8006 was achieved, with the A370M graphics card score at 8500 and the physics score at 23343.
——Gaming Tests
Due to screen ratio issues, we changed the resolution to 1920×1200 for the following gaming tests.
1. Borderlands 3
In Borderlands 3 at medium settings, the average frame rate was 46.38 FPS.
2. Tomb Raider: Shadow
In Tomb Raider: Shadow at medium settings, the average frame rate was 36 FPS.
3. Horizon: Zero Dawn
In Horizon: Zero Dawn at default initial quality (medium settings), the average frame rate was 40 FPS.
4. CS:GO
In CS:GO, with the settings adjusted to medium, the average frame rate was 88.34 FPS.
5. Overwatch
In Overwatch at medium settings, the frame rate peaked at 100 FPS in less crowded scenes, stabilizing at around 80-85 FPS in busier battles.
From the gaming performance above, it can be seen that the Intel Iris A370M’s performance is close to that of the GTX 1650 Max-Q, and it is positioned as an entry-level discrete graphics card. It can run major FPS online games and AAA single-player games without issues at 1080P.
If users want better frame rate performance, they can consider lowering the graphics quality for a smoother gaming experience.
5. Productivity Performance: Office Efficiency Close to Full-Strength Desktop, AV1 Transcoding Volume 35% Smaller than H265
——CrossMark
We used the CrossMark benchmark test to evaluate the Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14’s performance in productivity, creativity, and responsiveness.
The total score was 1937, with a productivity score of 1916, creativity score of 148, and responsiveness score of 1969, demonstrating very balanced performance.
——PCMark Applications
The office performance test of PCMark is based on the Microsoft Office suite, running Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Edge during the process. The test items are subdivided into opening and closing program speed, file export and import, formula calculations, etc., allowing for accurate measurement of the processor’s actual performance under modern office conditions.
The i7-12900H scored a total of 12970 in the PCMark 10 application, with scores of 9204 for Word, 19305 for Excel, 11702 for PPT, and 13612 for Edge browser.
——UL Procyon
For graphics processing, we used UL Procyon, an automated testing program specifically for measuring document office, video, and image editing productivity software.
We used the image editing benchmark test, which utilizes Adobe’s Photoshop and Lightroom Classic for scoring, covering aspects such as image import/export, filter processing, layer merging, and batch processing to provide a final score.
The Core i7-12900 achieved a total score of 7177, with an image editing score of 7394 and a batch processing score of 6968.
Comparing the scores of PCMark and UL Procyon, there is little difference compared to high-end ultra-thin laptops with discrete graphics that I have tested previously, with no performance bottleneck issues.
——AV1 Transcoding Experience
In this project, we used DaVinci Resolve to transcode an 8K HDR video of 1 minute and 31 seconds to 1080P resolution, with a fixed bitrate of 80Mbps.
Selecting H.265 encoding (on the right), the exported file size was 865MB; choosing AV1 encoding (on the left), the exported file size was 556MB.
AV1 shows a clear advantage in file size, being about 35% smaller than H.265.
Comparing the videos encoded with AV1 and H.265, there is virtually no noticeable difference to the naked eye. Upon close examination, AV1 may show slight color deviations in specific areas, but they are very minute and imperceptible in dynamic video contexts.
Some streaming platforms are now adopting AV1 video encoding. Using the A370M graphics card that supports AV1 video encoding for hardware decoding allows users to achieve H.265 equivalent video quality with significantly less bandwidth.
6. Screen and Others: Screen Tested at 99% sRGB Color Gamut
——Screen
The Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14 features a 14-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 2560×1600. We used a color calibration instrument to test the quality of this screen.
The Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14’s screen supports 99% sRGB color gamut, 76% Adobe RGB color gamut, and 78% P3 color gamut, which is of excellent quality.
The maximum brightness is 340 nits, and the contrast ratio reaches 1540:1, which is typical for IPS screens. The white point remains stable across various brightness levels, providing a more comfortable and consistent user experience.
In terms of color accuracy, the highest value is 4.63, the lowest is 0.35, and the average is 1.23.
As long as the Delta-E value of the screen is between 3 and 6, ordinary eyes can hardly perceive any significant color differences. This screen has a Delta-E value of only 1.23, ensuring accurate color representation.
——Hard Drive
The Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14 is equipped with a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, which uses QLC memory chips.
In the CrystalDiskMark test, the sequential read and write speeds were 3616MB/s and 2060MB/s, respectively, with 4K random read and write speeds of 44MB/s and 272MB/s.
——Memory
The Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14 is equipped with 32GB LPDDR5-4800 memory, with a timing of 52-44-44-104 CR1.
In the AIDA64 memory cache test, the measured read, write, and copy bandwidths were 68254MB/s, 58876MB/s, and 70309MB/s, with a latency of 96.7ns.
7. Stress Testing and Battery Life: Overall Performance Release at 72W, Providing 7 Hours of Battery Life
——Stress Testing
1. CPU Stress Test
In this round of stress testing, we used AIDA64 for FPU stress testing to check the release level of the i9-12900H.
After 10 minutes of stress testing, the i9-12900H showed a power consumption of around 45W, a temperature of 84°C, a P-core frequency of 2.8GHz, and an E-core frequency of 2.3GHz.
2. GPU Stress Test
We used FurMark to stress test the Intel Iris A370M, with the stress test set to 1920×1080, and anti-aliasing turned off.
After 10 minutes, the graphics card power consumption showed 35W, with an average frequency of 1750MHz, peaking at 2050MHz, and a temperature of 64°C.
However, the software has compatibility issues with recognizing Intel graphics power consumption, and the official statement indicates that the actual power release is around 42W.
To verify this issue, we brought in a power meter.
In idle state, the power meter detected the total power consumption of the laptop to be around 10-12W, including the CPU, display, memory, and hard drive, with the CPU software detection showing about 2-3W.
After 10 minutes of GPU stress testing, the power meter showed the total power consumption was just over 61W, with the CPU power consumption at 6-8W.
Thus, calculating the GPU stress test power consumption should be around 41-45W, which aligns with the official promotion.
3. Dual Stress Test
In this round, we used FurMark + AIDA64 to stress test the i9-12900H + A370M simultaneously.
After continuing the stress test for 10 minutes, the CPU stabilized at 30W, with a temperature of 80°C. At this point, the GPU’s power consumption was 35W (actual 42W), with a temperature of 75°C, and the average frequency was 1650MHz, peaking at 2050MHz.
The combined power consumption of the CPU at 30W + GPU at 42W totals 72W, demonstrating that the Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14’s dual fan and dual heat pipe cooling specifications can effectively prevent the i9-12900H + A370M from overheating during daily use, avoiding thermal throttling that impacts hardware longevity and performance.
——Battery Life Testing
The Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14 features a 65Wh lithium polymer battery, which is quite significant considering its 14-inch size.
Switching the power mode to “Best Efficiency,” using the Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, and setting the screen brightness to 50%, the battery lasted 7 hours and 5 minutes from 100% to 2%.
8. Conclusion: A Highly Competitive Ultra-Thin Laptop that Vindicates Intel Graphics
Overall, the Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14 is a distinctive ultra-thin laptop.
1. High-Pressure i9 in a 14-Inch Ultra-Thin Laptop, Unleashing Power Without Limit
Considering the size of the Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14 ultra-thin laptop, the i9-12900H can only perform at 45W. However, even so, it is still the most powerful mobile processor on the market. Compared to the 80W Ryzen 9 6900HS used in gaming laptops, it does not fall behind, leading in single-thread performance by 19.2% and multi-thread performance by 2.6%.
If the processor’s power limit were lifted, I believe the performance difference would widen even further.
2. Intel Graphics Fully Released, AAA Games Are No Problem
The Intel Iris A370M, as an entry-level graphics card, still maintains a performance release of around 42W in the ultra-thin laptop. It can run AAA single-player games smoothly at a resolution of 1920×1200 and medium settings, with no pressure handling online games.
Of course, gaming is not the primary task of ultra-thin laptops. The performance of the Iris A370M is completely sufficient for tasks such as photo and video editing, and office work and entertainment are naturally not an issue.
It’s worth noting that the Intel Iris A370M is a newly launched product. I believe that as driver optimizations are completed, the potential of this graphics card will be further explored, leading to even better performance in gaming and productivity.
3. Ultra-Thin Laptop with Strong Cooling, Temperature Control is Excellent
As an ultra-thin laptop, the Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14 features a gaming-grade high-pressure processor and an A370M discrete graphics card, which raises concerns about thermal management.
However, testing shows that even after 10 minutes of dual stress testing, the CPU temperature stabilizes at 80°C, and the GPU at 75°C. Such temperature control is exceptional for an ultra-thin laptop.
Thunderbolt has packed dual fans and dual heat pipes into a 1.45kg chassis. Although it may not match the cooling of gaming laptops, it can maintain a stable 72W power consumption, avoiding excessive temperatures that could affect hardware lifespan and performance.
In addition to the above highlights, the Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14 also features a rare 32GB memory + 1TB SSD combination in ultra-thin laptops, with two Thunderbolt and two USB-A 3.2 ports for expansion. Adding HDMI would make it even more perfect.
With an ultra-narrow bezel high-quality ultra-clear FLIT light screen, this ultra-thin laptop remains highly competitive with a price of 7499 yuan.
If you are tired of the heaviness of gaming laptops, the weaknesses of ultra-thin laptops, and the bulkiness of large laptops, and want a lightweight appearance, compact size, high-quality screen, and strong performance all in one, the Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14 is definitely worth considering.
This Thunderbolt T-BOOK 14 ultra-thin laptop is available for a promotional price of only 7499 yuan from August 17-19. Interested users can keep an eye on it.