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• Eurocom Raptor X17 laptop is built for AI, cybersecurity, and high-end simulations.
• A 17.3-inch monster with advanced cooling features
• And with 128GB RAM, even heavy workloads run smoothly

Eurocom, known for its powerful but expensive laptops, such as the Sky X4C, has released the Raptor X17, a mobile workstation which supports up to 24TB of NVMe SSD storage across three M.2 slots, including two PCIe 4.0 x4 and one PCIe 5.0 drive.

On the Raptor X17's configuration page, Eurocom says its new laptop is designed for professionals handling intensive workloads such as AI tools training, cybersecurity, and large-scale simulations.

At its heart is Intel’s Core i9-14900HX, a 24-core, 32-thread processor built for exceptional computational power, as the Intel HM770 PCIe 4.0 architecture enables high-speed data processing.

Eurocom Raptor X17 gets a power-packed upgrade

The Raptor X17 features Nvidia’s RTX 4090 mobile GPU with 9,728 CUDA cores and 304 Tensor AI cores. While the absence of an RTX 5090M may be disappointing, the RTX 4090M remains one of the most powerful mobile graphics cards available.

Users can configure storage with RAID 0, 1, or 5, optimizing for speed, redundancy, or a balance of both. The laptop also supports up to 128GB of DDR5 RAM, with speeds up to 5600MHz, ensuring smooth performance for memory-intensive applications.

Eurocom offers two display options: a 17.3-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) panel with a 240Hz refresh rate or a UHD (3840 x 2160) option with a 144Hz refresh rate.

The chassis is made from an aluminum-magnesium alloy, but this does not reduce its weight, as it comes in at 3.29 kg and 24.9 mm thick. While on the heavier side, it serves those who prioritize ruggedness and power.

For connectivity, this business laptop includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, USB-C 3.2, three USB-A ports, HDMI 2.0, and dual Mini DisplayPort 1.4. It also features a built-in 2.5GbE Ethernet port with support for an additional LAN connection via Thunderbolt 4.

To sustain peak performance under heavy workloads, Eurocom has integrated an advanced cooling system to prevent thermal throttling. The laptop ships with a 780W AC adapter.

With a starting price of $12,000, the Eurocom Raptor X17 makes the MacBook Pro M4 Max, Apple’s most expensive laptop, seem reasonably priced by comparison. However, this mobile workstation is a premium option for users who need extreme performance and configurability.

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• The drone system is priced at 16,000 yuan – or around $2,195
• Unfortunately, it is only available in mainland China for now
• Dubbed Ling Yuan, it will be available on numerous BYD models

BYD has recently announced a new partnership with China’s top drone-maker DJI, stating that it has created an innovative launch pad that can be built into a number of its electric vehicles, allowing for drone take-offs and landing directly from the vehicle.

The Ling Yuan system, as it is known, consists of a bespoke ‘hangar’ system that is housed on the roof, which folds open to reveal a built-in DJI drone, as well as an automated system that both charges and swaps out depleted battery packs.

According to CNEV Post, the unit also has on-board positioning module, which we assume allows for greater accuracy when landing back in the hangar, as well as a bespoke Ling Yuan app that allows for quick movie edits on the go.

Apparently, the system supports ‘dynamic take-offs and landings”, with the drone able to be deployed and called home while the vehicle is traveling at 25km/h (or around 15mph). The drone can then follow the vehicle at speeds up to 54km/h (33mph) to snare dynamic footage.

A video posted by Shanghai Eye on YouTube (see above) shows the drone in action, with the driver of BYD’s electric SUV simply tapping a button on the infotainment system, whereby the Ling Yuan drone hangar opens on the roof and what appears to be a DJI Air 3 shoots into the sky.

The idea is that adventurous BYD owners can capture their various road trips and automotive escapades via the drone, whether that’s action-packed video clips or drone-based group shots with epic vistas in the background.

Analysis: BYD knows what gets tech-heads excited

(Image credit: BYD)

BYD is slowly making science-fiction a reality, whether that’s through its jumping Yangwang U9 supercar, which can leap over potholes, or its recently announced Blade Runner-inspired drone system that can automatically launch from the roof of an SUV.

It's all good fun, but there’s zero word on the legality or related safety implications of launching a drone from a moving vehicle, or the potential issues with multiple drones being launched at once to work out the cause of a traffic jam up ahead, for example.

It’s also not clear whether the Ling Yuang drone system has to be ordered at the point of purchase as an optional extra, or whether customers can retrofit it to existing BYD vehicles.

Either way, it’s a slightly madcap look at the future and proof that China is constantly innovating when it comes to ensuring the next generation of electric vehicles fit into increasingly tech-heavy lifestyles.

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• Scientists have developed a new AI tool to accelerate scientific discoveries
• LLM4SD explains the reasoning behind its predictions, for transparency
• Instead of replacing standard machine learning models, LLM4SD improves them

An Australian research team led by Monash University has come up with a generative AI tool designed to speed up scientific discoveries. Called LLM4SD (Large Language Model 4 Scientific Discovery), the open source tool retrieves information, analyzes the data, and then generates hypotheses from it.

While LLMs are used in natural sciences, their role in scientific discovery remains largely unexplored, and unlike many validation tools, LLM4SD explains its reasoning, making its predictions more transparent (and hopefully cutting down on hallucinations).

PhD candidate Yizhen Zheng from Monash University’s Department of Data Science and AI explains, “Just like ChatGPT writes essays or solves math problems, our LLM4SD tool reads decades of scientific literature and analyses lab data to predict how molecules behave - answering questions like, ‘Can this drug cross the brain’s protective barrier?’ or ‘Will this compound dissolve in water?’”

Simulating scientists

LLM4SD was tested over 58 research tasks across physiology, physical chemistry, biophysics, and quantum mechanics, and outperformed leading scientific models, improving accuracy by up to 48% in predicting quantum properties crucial for materials design. Zheng said, “Apart from outperforming current validation tools that operate like a ‘black box,’ this system can explain its analysis process, predictions and results using simple rules, which can help scientists trust and act on its insights.”

PhD candidate Jiaxin Ju from Griffith University said, “Rather than replacing traditional machine learning models, LLM4SD enhances them by synthesizing knowledge and generating interpretable explanations”.

The team views the tool as essentially “simulating scientists”. Professor Geoff Webb from Monash University stressed the importance of AI’s role in research. “We are already fully immersed in the age of generative AI and we need to start harnessing this as much as possible to advance science, while ensuring we are developing it ethically,” he said.

The research, published in Nature Machine Intelligence and available to view on the arXiv pre-print server, was a collaboration between Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Griffith University.

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