Intel is behind some of the thinnest gaming laptops ever at CES 2021

person using a gaming laptop
(Image credit: Marti Bug Catcher / Shutterstock)

Back at IFA 2019, we were blown away by the Razer Blade 13, as it was able to shove a dedicated graphics card into a 13-inch Ultrabook chassis, making for a super-portable gaming laptop. However, at CES 2021, Intel has taken that idea and went even further. 

This year, Intel is launching its 11th generation Tiger Lake-H35 processors. These will be three high-performance processors Intel is launching to power gaming laptops that are thinner and lighter than ever before. The focus here is on the ability to get some high-end gaming done, in a chassis that you can easily travel with. 

These new processors will be available with up to 4 cores and 8 threads, and will boost up to 5GHz on a single core. Intel claims that this will be able to deliver up to 15% faster single-threaded performance over a 10th-generation H-series Core i7 processor. 

The ability to pack this much performance into laptops that are, as Intel cites, around 18mm (0.7 inches) thin, should be a massive improvement for anyone that wants to work or play games on the go. 

Intel didn't give an exact Tiger Lake H35 release date, or even spell out the full lineup of its new processor. However, we're sure more information will be coming out very soon – just don't expect these new thin-and-light gaming laptops to come cheap. 

Here are the Tiger Lake H35 processors: 

  • Intel Core i7-11375H: 4 cores, 8 threads | 5GHz max Turbo | 35W max TDP
  • Intel Core i7-11370H: 4 cores, 8 threads | 4.8GHz max Turbo | 35W max TDP
  • Intel Core i5-11300H: 4 cores, 8 threads | 4.4GHz max Turbo | 35W max TDP

Thick gaming laptops are getting some love too

Of course, more traditional gaming laptops aren't going anywhere any time soon, and Intel has fresh silicon for those, too. 

Starting January 2021, two new Intel Comet Lake-H processors will be available: the Intel Core i5-10500H and Core i7-10870H. These are minor updates that will bring boost clocks up to 5.3GHz in more than 40 new gaming laptops. But the real refresh is the 11th-gen Tiger Lake-H processors coming a little later in 2021. 

Intel hasn't announced the full lineup of processors, but it did talk a little about the upcoming Intel Core i7-11375H. Intel claims that this CPU is faster than the previous Intel Core i9-10980HK in single-threaded workloads, and further claims that it's the fastest processor in single-threaded performance ever. Again, these are Intel's performance claims, so take them with a grain of salt. We'll test gaming laptops with Intel Tiger Lake-H processors as soon as we get a chance to review one. 

These Tiger Lake gaming laptop processors will also support PCIe 4.0, which means that the best gaming laptops can finally take advantage of the fastest SSDs on the market.

Now we just have to wait for Intel to release more information. Hopefully we see some fresh gaming laptops soon. 

TOPICS
Jackie Thomas

Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN. Previously, she was TechRadar's US computing editor. She is fat, queer and extremely online. Computers are the devil, but she just happens to be a satanist. If you need to know anything about computing components, PC gaming or the best laptop on the market, don't be afraid to drop her a line on Twitter or through email.

Latest in Gaming Laptops
Nvidia geforce 4070
Don’t panic, gaming laptop buyers – Nvidia assures us that mobile RTX 5000 graphics cards won’t have the chip-level fault that hit desktop GPUs
Image of Asus TUF A16 deal
RTX 4070 gaming laptop clearance deals are heating up: get $500 off this Asus A16 at Amazon
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop in eclipse gray on magenta background with price cut sign
An RTX 4090, OLED display, and $500 off: Best Buy's clearance deal on the Asus Zephyrus G16 is tempting
Image of Alienware X16 R2 gaming laptop deal
Handheld gaming PCs will always be my favorite, but I can't ignore these Presidents' Day offers on Dell's Alienware X16 R2 gaming laptop
Asus Zephyrus G16 on blue background with big savings text overlay
RTX 4060, 4070, and 4080 gaming laptops are all tumbling in price for Presidents' Day
Acer Nitro V16
Rumor suggests Nvidia’s planned launch timeframe for laptops with RTX 5000 GPUs got pushed back - what does this mean for PC gamers?
Latest in News
MacBook Air mute key
The new M4 MacBook Air finally fixes an Apple keyboard annoyance that's been around for decades
A collage of Ellie and Joel in The Last of Us season 2
The Last of Us season 2's new trailer teases a huge showdown between Bella Ramsey's Ellie and Pedro Pascal's Joel, but the big moment I'm waiting for is still being held back
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max REVIEW
New iPhone 17 Air leak may have revealed some key specs – and how it compares to the iPhone 17 Pro Max
Gaming with AI
I asked Gemini to play a text-based adventure game with me and the AI whisked me away to a word-based fantasy
Apple iPhone 16 Review
Three iPhone 17 model dummy units appear in a hands-on video leak
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on display the January 22, 2025 Galaxy Unpacked event.
New Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge may have revealed some key details – including its price