Intel and BOE want your next laptop screen to drop to 1Hz – and save a ton of battery

[Alfonso Maruccia]

Something to look forward to: Intel and BOE have an ambitious plan to deliver significantly better power efficiency for laptop users – not just by optimizing the CPU, but by teaching the display itself to sip power. The two companies have now shared more details about the initiative, which is nearly ready for market debut a year after it was first announced.

Intel has partnered with BOE Group to develop some new, promising technology advancements for portable PCs. The collaboration is finally bearing fruit, as the companies announced that their "AI-based" solution will debut in laptops built on the Intel platform in 2026.

According to Todd Lewell, VP and general manager of Intel's PC ecosystem, the two companies have been working on energy-saving technologies for nearly a decade. Their primary goal has been to "significantly" extend the battery life of Intel-powered laptops, allowing users to enjoy their devices longer, whether for work or leisure.

About a year ago, Intel unveiled a major innovation for laptop power efficiency designed to slash power consumption by up to 65% by reducing the display refresh rate to 1Hz. This extreme refresh rate "trick" isn't exactly groundbreaking, as modern smartphones like Apple's iPhone 17 already use similar adaptive refresh-rate systems, but the innovation marks a notable step toward energy-efficient PC displays.

Now, Intel and BOE – one of the world's largest manufacturers of LCD, OLED, and flexible displays – have announced two additional power-saving technologies. The first, called Multi-Frequency Display, is designed to intelligently detect and coordinate with both the operating system and Intel's integrated graphics hardware to optimize energy use.

The second, SmartPower HDR, targets the high power demands of displays running in high dynamic range (HDR) mode. HDR has become an increasingly popular feature in modern laptops and desktops, but its constantly shifting brightness levels often lead to unpredictable spikes in energy consumption.

SmartPower HDR dynamically adjusts display voltage based on the brightness required for the content being shown. According to Intel and BOE, this can "significantly" reduce power draw during darker scenes while still delivering "superior" visuals in high-brightness moments.

BOE is expected to become a key supplier of OLED panels featuring SmartPower HDR. The company will collaborate with Intel and OEM partners to integrate the new technologies into laptops launching in 2026. Hopefully, BOE will eventually bring these power-efficiency innovations to non-Intel laptops as well.

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Intel and BOE want your next laptop screen to drop to 1Hz – and save a ton of battery

 

[ScottSoapbox]

Wait, laptops don’t already do this?

Smart phones have been doing it for 5 years in shipping products. So at least 7 years considering preproduction development.

 

[JMGuy]

Wait, laptops don’t already do this?

Smart phones have been doing it for 5 years in shipping products. So at least 7 years considering preproduction development.

Makes sense, though, I think.

Laptops are old tech compared to smartphones. For years, the industry’s focus has been laser-tight on the new—shrinking components, optimizing for minimal power use, and redefining what “mobile” means. Traditional tech like laptops tends to get the “if it ain’t broke” treatment. There was also a long stretch where companies were trying to replace laptops altogether. But their usefulness has stuck around.

So now, as those newer innovations have standardized, firms start looking backward to apply those advances older platforms that still persist.

 

[NumberNine]

A more accurate headline would be that Intel wants you to buy a laptop with a 1hz screen. They gain nothing if you "upgrade" your current laptop with a 1hz screen so I'm going to assume that's what Intel wants (what they really really want).

 

[guillejp]

Fantastic, and finally!

 

[MasterAce]

My linux does this with vrr display, even on a desktop machine. There is a known weakness on vrr displays, where the power circuitry can not keep up with sudden fps changes and the backlight dims. Linux (KDE) keeps bouncing between 48 and 120hz and the backlight strobing is super annoying

 

[disinfect8280]

My linux does this with vrr display, even on a desktop machine. There is a known weakness on vrr displays, where the power circuitry can not keep up with sudden fps changes and the backlight dims. Linux (KDE) keeps bouncing between 48 and 120hz and the backlight strobing is super annoying

Mine has never done that. Although I've never played something that fluctuated that dramatically. I usually cap FPS if the game runs lower on average. On Linux used VRR with Gnome and now Hyprland. (never noticed it years ago with Windows either). Is it a hardware or software issue?

 

[MasterAce]

Mine has never done that. Although I've never played something that fluctuated that dramatically. I usually cap FPS if the game runs lower on average. On Linux used VRR with Gnome and now Hyprland. (never noticed it years ago with Windows either). Is it a hardware or software issue?

I’ve got KDE bazzite. I can see from the display info bar that idle desktop runs at 48hz and as soon as something moves it jumps to 120hz.

Its a hardware issue that is actually evaluated by techspot as well in their reviews

 

[toooooot]

It would be nice if this technology came in a shape of software update. A lot of people with older Intel CPU would be happy to have it.

 

[ScottSoapbox]

Makes sense, though, I think.

Laptops are old tech compared to smartphones. For years, the industry’s focus has been laser-tight on the new—shrinking components, optimizing for minimal power use, and redefining what “mobile” means. Traditional tech like laptops tends to get the “if it ain’t broke” treatment. There was also a long stretch where companies were trying to replace laptops altogether. But their usefulness has stuck around.

So now, as those newer innovations have standardized, firms start looking backward to apply those advances older platforms that still persist.

It still surprises me that no laptops have done this yet.

At the point you are switching to ARM CPUs but you haven't optimized the screen yet is just bad engineering and business strategy.

 

[disinfect8280]

I’ve got KDE bazzite. I can see from the display info bar that idle desktop runs at 48hz and as soon as something moves it jumps to 120hz.

Its a hardware issue that is actually evaluated by techspot as well in their reviews

Does it have a setting to use VRR on full screen only? I know that's what Gnome does by default and Hyprland gives you the option in config files. I haven't had any issues doing that. I don't see why you would need VRR in normal desktop use.

 

[MasterAce]

Does it have a setting to use VRR on full screen only? I know that's what Gnome does by default and Hyprland gives you the option in config files. I haven't had any issues doing that. I don't see why you would need VRR in normal desktop use.

Yeah at least on the UI side there seems to be only option for on/off. I figured its a laptop thing for power saving. Secondly there some connection training bug on AMD drivers thats makes the screen blink black and that seems to go away with vrr on. I spent some time researching it but had to move on…