Acer, one of the most prominent names in the laptop industry, has unveiled the world's first liquid-cooled 2-in-1 laptop.
Named Switch Alpha 12, the Windows 10-powered 2-in-1 notebook utilizes Acer's LiquidLoop cooling technology in its fanless design.
In a press release, Acer claims that the Switch Alpha 12 is the first fanless 2-in-1 notebook powered by 6th generation Intel Core processors in the market, with the device capable of delivering exceptional performance and a battery life of eight hours.
"This new Switch Alpha line takes the best aspects of our award-winning Switch 2-in-1 product line and adds new features such as a fanless design, an ultra-thin attachable keyboard and the latest in mobile computing performance," said Jerry Hou, the general manager for Commercial & Detachable Notebooks division of Acer's IT Products Business.
The 2-in-1 notebook packs an impressive set of features, including support for Intel's Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 processors. The device has a 12-inch 2,160 x 1,440 display; ports for HDMI, USB Type-C, USB 3.0, USB A and DisplayPort connections; 8 GB of RAM; and up to 512 GB of storage.
The efficiency of the device, along with its cooling capabilities, however, is the main selling point of the Switch Alpha 12. Its fanless design and the LiquidLoop technology allows the heat being generated by the device to power its cooling system, keeping the notebook's temperature down. Without a fan within, the Switch Alpha 12 is able to operate silently.
News website Laptop was able to try out the Switch Alpha 12, and the display and snappy keyboard of the device stood out. The keyboard, which was said to have a similar feel to that of the Surface Pro 4, connects to the slate through a powerful magnet. The Switch Alpha 12 also supports Acer's Active Pen stylus, and has a kickstand incorporated in its design.
Liquid cooling technology has been used in high-end desktop PCs for years, but this is the first time that such a system is being used in a laptop. For those interested in the device, it will be launched in North America in June with a starting price of $599.
Another laptop that Acer recently unveiled is the $299 Acer Chromebook, which addresses two issues that Chromebook users are complaining about, namely processing power and battery life.
