Here Come the First PCs with Microsoft’s Pluton Security Chip
- Paul Thurrott
- Jan 04, 2022
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Over one year after Microsoft first announced its Pluton security chip, we’re finally seeing the first PCs that will deliver it to customers.
“[Over] a year ago Microsoft introduced the Pluton security processor design to the world, with support from key silicon partners AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm,” a Microsoft representative told me today. “The Pluton design constructed security into the CPU to bring increased protections against rising cybersecurity threats such as ransomware, phishing attacks and more.”
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Today, we learned about the very first PCs that will ship with this chipset, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Z16. These PCs are powered by AMD’s new Ryzen 6000 Series mobile processors, which feature integrated Microsoft Pluton security chips. As Lenovo notes, the Microsoft Pluton security processor is designed and updated by Microsoft via Windows Update, and it hardens new Windows 11 PCs with protection for user identity, data, and applications.
The new Z-series ThinkPads have other notable features, too, of course. They can be configured with AMD Radeon RX 6500M discrete graphics, feature 16:10 displays with ultra-narrow bezels, and utilize a Full HD webcam and dual-array microphones for improved meeting performance. They come wrapped in recycled black vegan leather and aluminum, and arrive in recyclable bamboo and sugarcane packaging.
The ThinkPad Z13 will be available from May 2022 and will start at $1549, while the ThinkPad Z16 will be available from May 2022 and will start at $2099.