Laptops these days are as diverse as the people who use them. They come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors, and can be built from hardware designed to optimize your work, supercharge your play, or just make your everyday life a little easier. If you’re one of the millions of people who are shopping for a laptop, it can be hard to sift through the specs, speeds and feeds, and specious performance claims from the manufacturers. That’s what we’re here for.

Laptop Mag reviews more than a hundred different models every year, from paperweight ultralights to everyday workhorses to lumbering gaming notebooks that scorch the frame rates of even the hottest AAA games. The writers and editors scour the available information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it.

Here’s an in-depth look at what we evaluate about each and every system you see reviewed on Laptop Mag.

What we test on all Windows laptops

Productivity Tests
BAPCo Crossmark: For more than 30 years, the Business Applications Performance Corporation (aka BAPCo) has worked with leading technology companies to develop rigorous and reliable benchmark tests. One of BAPCo’s newest creations is Crossmark, which runs an in-depth collection of workloads designed to gauge system responsiveness and prowess on productivity (document editing, spreadsheets, Web browsing) and creativity (photo editing and organization, and video editing) tasks; the four scores it generates (one for each category, plus an overall result) can be used to compare performance not just between Windows PCs, but also any devices that run Android, iOS, or macOS.

Geekbench: There’s a reason that Geekbench is a ubiquitous title on the system benchmarking scene: It distills a number of complex computing tasks into simple results that give an immediate impression of performance on PCs, Macs, Chromebooks, and even smartphones and tablets. We only use the CPU Benchmark, which examines how the processor handles activities like text and image compression; HTML5, PDF, and text rendering; HDR and ray tracing; machine learning; and more. Geekbench crunches these numbers into single- and multicore results; we typically only report the latter, as it’s most relevant today, but the former can inform our evaluation as well. The most current version of Geekbench is 5.4

File Copy: We’ve all been there: We’re cleaning up one of our storage drives and we move a folder that has more files in it than we expected—and it takes a long time. Because it’s nice to know how a laptop might handle this eventuality, we use a script to time how long it takes to copy a folder containing 25GB of Microsoft Word documents; Windows applications; and music, photo, and video files. Dividing the size of the folder by the amount of time required gives us the drive speed (in MBps), which we report.

HandBrake: Converting a video is something many people do on computers, so it’s useful to know how well our review systems can handle the task. For that, we fire up the Handbrake video encoder, load the 6.5GB open-source Tears of Steel 4K video, and convert it using the Fast 1080p30 preset. We tell you how long it takes to complete the process—usually from about 5 to 20 minutes.

HDXPRT 4: We supplement HandBrake with another test designed to probe a laptop’s multimedia capabilities even further. Principled Technologies’s HDXPRT 4 uses real-world applications (Adobe Photoshop Elements, Audacity, and CyberLink MediaEspresso) to determine how well a computer can edit photos and videos and convert music files. We report both the overall number and the average time it took the system to finish each individual task.

Graphics Tests
Futuremark’s industry-standard graphics benchmarking software 3DMark has only gotten better since the company was acquired by UL in 2014. The current version offers many tests for measuring video hardware performance. We run the base Fire Strike and Time Spy tests, respectively, reporting on DirectX 11 and DX12 gaming performance. We also run Night Raid, an entry-level 1920 x 1080 DX12 test for laptops with only integrated graphics.

Gaming Tests
No, we don’t expect that most people who buy a Dell XPS 13 will want to play Red Dead Redemption 2 on it for 12 hours. (Editor’s note: That is not a good idea.) But most people will want to play something at some point casually, so we want to provide at least a glimpse into how good a genuinely mainstream gaming experience may prove.

To that end, we use a popular, easy-to-run title of a slightly older vintage that doesn’t get too bogged down by graphics hardware. Our current choice is Sid Meier’s Civilization VI with the Gathering Storm expansion installed, the latest installment in the world-building strategy franchise that has enthralled gamers for nearly 30 years. We use the Medium presets for both Performance Impact and Memory Impact, turn on 4x anti-aliasing and vertical sync off. Upon completion, the benchmark gives us a frame time; we divide 1,000 by that number to attain an average frame rate, which is the number we use. (Civilization VI tends to return relatively low scores, even though it’s still highly playable, so don’t fret if any individual system doesn’t reach the coveted 30fps threshold.)

Heat Test
At some point or another, most of us put our laptops on, well, our laps—and those who don’t still need to deal with picking up the systems and moving them around. So it matters how hot they get during general use. We run a 4K or 8K YouTube video for 15 minutes, then use an infrared thermometer to measure the heat on the touchpad, between the G/H keys on the keyboard, and the center of the laptop’s underside. Finally, we do a “sweep” of the system to discover its hottest point.

Display Tests
How bright does a laptop’s screen get, and how accurately does it reproduce colors? On some level or another, these are probably things you care about even if you’re not in the graphic design business. We delve into this realm, too, with the help of a top-of-the-line Klein K10-A colorimeter. After setting the laptop to display a field of absolute white, we use Klein’s ChromaSurf software to measure the screen’s brightness in all four corners and the center, then average the results to get the number we report. If the laptop has an OLED display, where pixels generate black by turning completely off, we do an additional test in the center of the screen with a window as close to the size of the colorimeter’s aperture as we can make it; sometimes this reveals stark differences in the brightness.

We conduct our color tests with DisplayCal, using an automated calibration procedure that returns the screen’s Delta-E value (which measures the difference between a color at the source and as displayed on the screen), along with percentages representing how well it covers the older sRGB and newer DCI-P3 color gamuts.

Battery Test
How long a laptop lasts when it’s not plugged in is one of the things people care most about when choosing a laptop. You want to know it’s going to have the power to see you through your day, whether you’re working or playing (or a little bit of both). Getting a reliable, accurate measurement of the laptop’s battery life is critical—but it takes a little work to get there.

All the changes we make in preparation for testing the battery attempt to balance usability and practical concerns, while in pursuit of a “best-case scenario”—how your laptop is likely to work paired with reasonable feature tweaks and tech adjustments to ensure our test can safely run unattended. Our list of actions includes:

• Setting the screen to 150 nits of brightness (as determined using ChromaSurf), so we have an even basis for comparison regardless of laptop manufacturer and display panel technology
• Uninstalling antivirus software
• Shutting down any programs running in the background
• Deactivating Battery Saver mode, Bluetooth, and GPS/location services
• Turning off keyboard backlighting and any gaming-specific features
• Adjusting Windows power settings so the screen stays on for the full duration of the test and battery life is maximized as much as possible.

Once all that’s finished, we connect the laptop to our internal battery test network, fire up our homegrown Battery Informant software, and unplug the laptop.

The system is served up a series of pages (some static, some dynamic, some with video) from popular websites we’ve scraped and stored on a Raspberry Pi; this process continues until the laptop’s battery has run down completely.

All that’s needed to find out the exact runtime is to plug in and restart the laptop and look at a text file Battery Informant generates.

What we test on gaming laptops

Our testing scheme for gaming laptops is similar to the one for regular laptops, except we add many more gaming-focused tests.

Additional Graphics Tests
We ramp up our 3DMark testing for gaming laptops to include Fire Strike Ultra and Time Spy Extreme, which determine how well the laptop copes with DX11 and DX12 4K graphics workloads.

If the laptop has a graphics card that supports DirectX ray-tracing, we also use the 2560 x 1440 Port Royal test. (We don’t bother with Night Raid here — who cares about integrated graphics on a gaming laptop?)

For the best-equipped laptops on the market, we may also run Speed Way, which plies the deepest and most demanding features of DX12 Ultimate.

Games
For obvious reasons, when testing gaming laptops, we forego running Civilization VI in favor of a battery of more demanding titles drawing on various genres and graphics technologies. We run all of these in full-screen mode with vertical sync disabled, always at least at 1920 x 1080 (1080p) resolution, as well as 3120 x 2100 (4K) if the laptop’s built-in display supports it.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: A beautiful AMD-optimized, third-person fighting and exploration game set in Norway and Anglo-Saxon England in the late 800s. We use the Ultra High Graphic Quality preset with the Adaptive Quality setting off.

Borderlands 3: It is a highly stylized third-person shooter with integrated compatibility with AMD’s graphics technology. With the Frame Rate Limit setting turned off, we use the Ultra High graphics quality preset and change the Volumetric Fog and Screen Space Reflections setting to Ultra. (This mimics the old Badass preset, which was removed in the June 2020 update.)

DiRT 5: Another installment of the fun racing gaming series, DiRT 5 runs an extensive performance test around a track in a near-perfect recreation of what you’ll see in the actual game. We max all the (non-dynamic) settings for this one.

Far Cry 6: The most recent chapter in the long-running Far Cry series, set in a fictional Caribbean nation riven by revolution, is another good FPS choice for our tests. We ran it at the Ultra quality preset.

Grand Theft Auto V: Rockstar’s 2013 action-adventure is still popular, so we still run it for its unique aesthetic and gameplay value. Aside from using DirectX 11 as the rendering engine, we tweak far too many graphics options to list here, but we put most of them on their highest or next-to-highest setting.

Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition: This post-apocalyptic FPS is designed for Nvidia’s video cards and has an easy-to-run benchmarking tool that is ideal for our purposes. We run it on the High, Ultra, and Extreme presets.

Red Dead Redemption 2: A Wild West open-world game with stunning graphics, Red Dead Redemption 2 proves a punishing test for any gaming laptop. Because it pushes current hardware to the limits, we have to adjust dozens of settings; we aim for midrange for most of them but ensure everything is activated somehow. Only extremely powerful systems can run this capably at 4K or with all the settings upped to Ultra, but we’ll rerun the test using those settings, too, if necessary.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider: What would a game lineup be without Lara Croft? She anchors this Nvidia-optimized title, which we run in DirectX 12 mode at the Highest graphics preset, with SMAA4x anti-aliasing enabled.

Gaming Heat Test
Video watching is all well and good, but YouTube will only get your gaming laptop so hot. To get a better idea of what you can expect under real-world conditions, we add a special gaming heat test: Five loops of the Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition benchmark on the system’s native resolution using the Extreme preset. We then take the system’s temperature as outlined during the sixth run.

Gaming Battery Test
Okay, okay: Even if you have the most powerful gaming laptop on the market, you’re probably not playing much on it if it’s not plugged into the wall. (Nor should you! The frame rates plummet that way.) But we want to see what happens if you try.

UL’s PCMark 10 benchmark contains a battery test that runs a 3DMark test in a window on a continuous loop until the system dies; we use this to give you an additional number to guide your purchasing decision.

What we test on professional and workstation laptops

Laptops designed for professional applications require different treatment from everyday or even gaming laptops. Even though they may be loaded with top-of-the-line processors and graphics cards, they’re not optimized (or intended) for games.

So although we still run our standard productivity regimen and battery test on them for comparative purposes, we otherwise diverge significantly.

We begin this with the help of Puget Systems. The workstation manufacturer based in Washington State has developed an excellent suite of tests for measuring how well a system handles itself with four major Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) applications. The tests in this suite include:

After Effects: One of the entertainment industry’s go-to titles for visual effects, motion graphics, animation, and other video-enhancing functions, After Effects is an ideal choice for inclusion in this suite. PugetBench uses its capabilities to process video clips and determine how well it works in Render, Preview, and Tracking tasks.

Lightroom Classic: Images captured using Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Sony a7r III, and Nikon D850 cameras are run through four active tasks (Library Module Loupe Scroll, Develop Module Loupe Scroll, Library to Develop Switch, and Develop Module Auto WB & Tone) and six passive tasks (Import, Build Smart Previews, Photo Merge Panorama, Photo Merge HDR, Export JPEG, and Convert to DNG 50x Images).

Photoshop: A series of high-resolution photographs are processed with a collection of filters and other adjustments such as resizing, mask refinement, adding gradients, and more.

Premiere Pro: A 4K video recorded at 29.97 fps and 59.94 fps is processed to apply a Lumetri Color effect and to add 12 clips across four tracks in a multicamera sequence.

We use a script to run these tests in succession (a process that usually takes several hours). Each application returns a slightly different result, and it’s the overall numbers in these areas that we report.

UL Procyon: UL, the publishers of 3DMark and PCMark, have developed two tests designed to test professional-level editing in its new-ish Procyon suite. Both the photo editing (which imports with Lightroom Classic and applies multiple edits and layer effects with Photoshop) and video editing (using Premiere Pro to export video projects to edit, adjust, add effects, and export) tests provide a nice complement to the PugetBench suite.

Although these tests are superb for helping us rate processor performance, they’re less robust when it comes to challenging workstation systems’ graphics. For this, we turn to the SPECworkstation 3.1 benchmark, which, like PugetBench, determines real-world readiness through real-world workloads. It utilizes engines from major applications, including Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, and many more.

What we test on Chromebooks

For Chromebooks, we take a slightly different testing approach. As these systems typically don’t run local software, but instead run specially designed ChromeOS apps, we treat them as what they are: a cross between a traditional PC and a smartphone.

Geekbench: We run Geekbench on Chromebooks for all the reasons previously stated.

JetStream 2: A cross-platform benchmark designed to measure performance in a wide variety of Web-based applications, JetStream 2 is an ideal test to measure a Chromebook’s prowess in these areas. Sixty-four subtests, divided among JavaScript and Web Assembly technologies, result in the single number we publish.

WebXPRT 4: This test, designed by Principled Technologies, is a synthetic collection of Web-based apps that makes as much sense for Chromebooks as it does for smartphones. Its workloads include Photo Enhancement, Organize Album using AI, Stock Option Pricing, Encrypt Notes and OCR Scan Using WASM, Sales Graphs, and Online Homework. We report the overall result.

CrXPRT 2: Principled Technologies also offers a dedicated Chromebook benchmark in CrXPRT 2, which we use as one solid method of directly comparing Chromebooks. The Performance Test we run and then repeat the score of contains six workloads: Photo effects, Offline notes, DNA Sequence analysis, Face detection JS, Stocks dashboard, and 3D shapes.

Heat Testing: This follows the same process outlined above for other laptops.

Brightness and Color Testing: These procedures are the same as those used for other types of laptops.

Battery Test: To test Chromebook battery life, we use an app we designed specifically for use with Chrome OS, which produces results not directly comparable with those we get from our standard battery test. The main difference in operation is that the test is run via a live internet connection to better simulate how you use Chromebooks in your daily life. Otherwise, this test is run the same as our standard laptop battery test, with the display forced to remain on at 150 nits of brightness and Bluetooth disabled.

Testing considerations for Apple laptops

Ah, Apple — always delivering exciting new challenges. The latest products coming out of Cupertino do not always compare directly with even flagship PC laptops, but we do our best to get numbers that make sense.

Where precise macOS analogs of the appropriate software exist (such as Geekbench and Civilization VI), we use that; we sometimes need to tweak others (such as our file copy and battery tests) to come up with equivalent results.

For our Apple battery test, we measure the display in exactly the same way we do PCs, and in addition to turning off things like Bluetooth and location services, we also disable any Apple-specific settings that might interfere with a “clean” run, such as True Tone, Night Shift, and iCloud syncing. The Apple battery test is also run in, you guessed it, Safari.

Subjective evaluation

Once all the lab testing is complete, the laptop is turned over to the writer charged with reviewing it. That writer lives with the laptop for at least a few days, and sometimes longer, to see how it handles, well, life. Among the many questions the writer considers:

• What’s it like to type on? How well does the touchpad work?
• How do the speakers sound with a wide variety of content?
• Is it cumbersome to carry and set up, or is it as convenient to use as a smartphone?
• Is the design good, or is the system unpleasant to look at and use?
• What unique features does it have, and do they add to or detract from the computing experience?
• Who is the target audience for the laptop?
• Does the laptop accomplish what it was designed to?
• Is the system a good overall value for the money?

Ratings

After all of the above is completed and the review is written, the writer assigns the laptop a rating on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, with half-star ratings possible. The ratings should be interpreted as follows:

1 to 2.5 stars = Not recommended

3 to 3.5 stars = Recommended

4 to 5 stars = Highly recommended

In addition, Laptop’s Editor’s Choice award recognizes products that are the very best in their categories at the time they are reviewed. Only those products that have received a rating of 4 stars and above are eligible. Laptop Mag's editors carefully consider each product's individual merits and its value relative to the competitive landscape before deciding whether to bestow this award.

Laptop categories

Each score is recorded and compared with the average scores of all laptops in the same category. Those categories currently include:

• Chromebooks
• Budget Laptops (under $400)
• Mainstream Laptops ($400 to $800)
• Premium Laptops (Over $800)
• Workstations
• Entry-Level Gaming (gaming systems under $999)
• Mainstream Gaming (gaming systems under $1,999)
• Premium Gaming (gaming systems costing $2,000 and up)

Price ranges for the categories may change to meet current market conditions. Laptops will be categorized based on the regular price of the configuration tested.

Ratings

A notebook's results on each test are compared with results from other systems in its category. The category average for any given test and category (such as battery life for gaming laptops) is calculated by taking the mean score from the prior 12 months of test results.

Looking toward the future

We’re always busy re-evaluating the benchmark tests we run and the criteria we use to judge all types of systems to ensure we’re giving you the information that best meets your needs and represents the current state of the art in the industry. From the latest boundary-pushing games to major new technological innovations, we always want to be there, and make sure you have the information you need to come along for the ride.

To that end, please let us know what you want to see — what capabilities you want measured, what tests you want run, and what you want to do with your laptop. We’ll do everything we can to help you get there.

The Steam Summer Sale is underway, and there are a lot of great games with big discounts.

This year's sale could arguably be considered the first sale where a gamer could buy a title that can be played on their home computer or laptop, a portable consoles such as a Steam Deck or ROG Ally, and thanks to cloud gaming services like GeForce Now, it can also be played on their phone, tablet, or directly on their TV with no cables or console needed.

Still, when it comes to PC gaming, a laptop is the best choice all-around as you can hook it up to a monitor to feel like you're at a desktop or take it with you on the go without losing graphics fidelity or needing good Wi-Fi.

Picking the right gaming laptop really comes down to what you're looking to play on the laptop. Do you want a machine that will play practically every game out there just fine, or do you want a monster of a computer to run any title at the highest settings without a single frame dropped? For me, I would pick these three laptops, but for different reasons.

For power and portability at a low price, there's the Asus TUF Gaming A14 

The Asus TUF Gaming A14 is the laptop to go with if I wanted to play a lot of games well, that's easy to carry and comes with great battery life.

It has solid gaming performance, a decently colorful display that can reach high nits of brightness, and a satisfying keyboard. With its portable 14-inch size, light weight at around 3 pounds, durable military grade toughness, and the best battery life we’ve seen on a gaming laptop in years.

Some of the games the Asus TUF Gaming A14 is able to play at the highest settings that are currently on sale in the Steam Summer Sale are Baldur's Gate 3, Red Dead Redemption 2, and all those games with deep discounts dropping them below $10.

If I didn't worry much about price but want portability then I would need to buy the Razer Blade 16

Razer continues to offer a lot of power in a small package. The Razer Blade 16 (2025) is an expensive laptop with various options, and the RTX 5090 gaming performance being very smooth. There is an option to go with an RTX 4090 or RTX 5080 to save on money while still being able to play games on the highest settings.

The Razer Blade 16 (2025) features a stunning OLED display, Razer’s superb build quality, over 7 hours of web surfing battery life, and almost 2.5 hours of gaming battery life. It’s incredibly portable at just 4.6 pounds and 0.59 inches thick.

Games like Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, and Forza Horizon 5 at the highest graphics settings could bring most computers to their knees, but the Razer Blade 16 can handle them with ease.

The MSI Raider 18 HX AI is the gaming laptop to buy if price is not a concern

Saying the MSI Raider 18 HX AI is expensive is an understatement. This laptop's price is approximately the same as the two previous laptops combined at $4,000.

Still, the Raider has strong general performance, fluid gaming performance, a bright MiniLED display, a comfortable keyboard, powerful audio, and more ports than needed even with a multi-monitor setup. It has a powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU with 16GB of VRAM, which offers the gaming performance one might expect from such a high-end spec. Its 18-inch MiniLED display is bright and vivid, and its 6-speaker sound system is powerful with high-quality audio. But this machine is staying home, as it weighs as much as the Asus TUF Gaming A14 and Razer Blade 16 combined.

The MSI Raider 18 HX AI is more than enough machine to take on the most graphically intense games, such as Monster Hunter Wilds and Alan Wake 2 at their highest settings.

Not all gaming handhelds are created equal.

If they were, there would be little purpose in our identifying the best handheld gaming PCs.

Thanks to Microsoft, we have two additional handheld gaming PCs arriving later this year. And the two highly anticipated Xbox handhelds are, actually, Asus ROG Ally handhelds with a twist.

We've already taken a look at whether you should go for the ROG Xbox Ally X or Asus ROG Ally X, so it's now time to take a look at the more affordable versions: The ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Ally.

So, which should you be saving up for? The new ROG Xbox Ally or our old favorite ROG Ally? Or should you just go for Valve's Steam Deck OLED?

Asus ROG Xbox Ally vs Asus ROG Ally: Specs

Asus ROG Xbox Ally vs Asus ROG Ally: Pricing and configurations

Microsoft hasn't yet released the pricing on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally or the Xbox Ally X. But there will be just one configuration of the Xbox Ally, featuring an AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, a 7-inch, 1920 x 1080, 120Hz IPS display, and a 60 watt-hour battery.

The Asus ROG Ally is available in two price variations, featuring either AMD's Ryzen Z1 or Ryzen Z1 Extreme chipset. Both variations come with 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, 7-inch, 1920 x 1080, 120Hz IPS display, and a 40 watt-hour battery. The Ryzen Z1 version is just $499, while the Z1 Extreme edition is $649.

If you're wondering which ROG Ally is the best choice, we've done a rundown of the two models' strengths and weaknesses, and found that the Z1 Ally is often the better bargain.

For context, the Steam Deck OLED starts at $549 and comes with a custom 6nm Zen 2 AMD APU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 7-inch, 1280 x 800, 90Hz OLED display, plus a 50-watt-hour battery. You can upgrade your Steam Deck OLED storage to 1TB for an additional $100.

Asus ROG Xbox Ally vs Asus ROG Ally: Design and comfort

Look, the Asus ROG Ally looks incredibly cool. It features a sleek white aluminum chassis with RGB lighting on the joysticks. If you imagined an ROG Zephyrus laptop in handheld form, you'd get the original ROG Ally design.

Unfortunately, that also means its sharp angles and flat profile can make it rather uncomfortable to hold onto for long periods of time. Users have reported pain and numbness in their hands or fingers after long gaming sessions with the Ally, thanks to its unconventional design.

Asus took that into account when redesigning the chassis for the Ally X, which has a rounder design and thicker hand grips. For the ROG Xbox Ally, Asus went the extra mile and seems to have grafted standard Xbox controller handgrips onto the bottom of the Xbox Ally.

This looks a little lame in comparison to the classic Ally, but it also appears to be a lot more comfortable. The Xbox Ally retains the RGB ring around the joysticks and features the same angled, front-facing vents. It's mostly the grip that's changed between the two handhelds in terms of design. And while I don't love the aesthetics of the Xbox Ally, I'd have to say comfort matters more when gaming than pure looks.

Asus ROG Xbox Ally vs Asus ROG Ally: Performance and battery life

The ROG Ally with the Ryzen Z1 Extreme is the most powerful of the Ally handhelds, with an 8-core Zen 4 CPU. The ROG Ally Z1 model was a little less powerful with its 6-core Zen 4 CPU. Both ROG Ally handhelds operate at the same 30-watt max power threshold.

The ROG Xbox Ally will likely underperform both, as its Ryzen Z2 A CPU features just 4-cores of AMD's Zen 2 architecture, and operates at a TDP of 20-watts. It's a slightly more powerful variant of the Steam Deck's custom Zen 2 Van Goh APU.

The Steam Deck circumvents its hardware limitations by only offering a max resolution of 800p, while the Xbox Ally has a full 1080p display. So the extra 5-watts of power are likely necessary to keep the Xbox Ally at about 30fps in most games.

As for battery life, well. None of the AMD-powered handhelds have been super power-efficient. Our recommendation for the gaming handheld with the best battery life is the MSI Claw 8 AI+ for good reason.

One of the biggest flaws of the ROG Ally was its battery life. Particularly with the Ryzen Z1 Extreme model, but neither handheld lasted very long when gaming. The ROG Ally Z1 achieved a total of 1 hour and 46 minutes on the PCMark 10 Gaming battery test, while the Z1 Extreme managed 1 hour and 43 minutes.

This is largely due to the Ally's 30W TDP power profile compared to its small 40-watt-hour battery.

The ROG Xbox Ally operates at a lower 20W power profile and features a larger 60-watt-hour battery, which should result in longer battery life compared to either of the ROG Ally models. However, that extended battery life will come at the expense of performance.

Outlook

If you want a gaming handheld that's comfortable and can last through long unplugged gaming sessions, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally is likely the better choice. Especially if you're willing to take a performance hit in favor of battery life and comfort.

If you want the more powerful Ally handheld, the OG Ally is the way to go. And it's been out long enough now there are some tips and tricks to keep you hands from going completely numb on you after a few hours of gaming.

Unfortunately, we don't know the price of the ROG Xbox Ally, so we can't say which is the better bargain. We should know more about the Xbox handheld pricing as we get closer to the expected October launch date.

However, if you've got the cash to spare and you want a more powerful handheld, you might be better off opting for the Asus Xbox Ally X or the ROG Ally X.

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If you've had your eye on a top-of-the-line RTX 50-series gaming laptop, you might be choosing the wrong one when you could be saving some money.

It's easy to spend more than you need to on gaming gear, especially when you have the budget for a high-end laptop. If you're spending thousands on a great gaming laptop, though, you should make sure you're spending it on the right one, and that might not be an RTX 5090 laptop.

The Asus ROG Strix G18 G815 shows just how competitive the RTX 5080 is with the RTX 5090, and it's just one of a few incredible RTX 5080 laptops that offer great bang for your buck.

See also: Best gaming laptop deals in June 2025

Do you really need to spend more for an RTX 5090 laptop? Probably not.

I get it — if you want a top-tier gaming laptop, you probably have your eye on an RTX 5090. On paper, that makes sense. An RTX 5090 could be the right choice for some people, but the RTX 5080 offers much more competitive performance than you might think.

In fact, the Asus ROG Strix G18 even outperformed an RTX 5090 gaming laptop in our testing. Not just in one test, either, but across the board:

Looking at these test results without knowing which laptop had which GPU, you'd be forgiven for thinking the Strix G18 was the one with an RTX 5090. It outpaced the HP Omen Max 16 in every game we threw at it, which is shocking considering the Omen should be the more powerful laptop.

That doesn't mean the RTX 5090 isn't a good GPU. The Omen Max 16 got a glowing review from us. However, the RTX 5090 configuration we tested costs a whopping $4,299, over $1,000 more than our review configuration for the Asus ROG Strix G18.

So, if you were to go with the Omen for that flashy RTX 5090, you would be paying over $1,000 more to get lower performance than an RTX 5080 laptop like the Strix G18 can offer. The Strix G18 isn't even your only option. It's one of a few fantastic RTX 5080 gaming laptops that offer great value for your money.

Three Editor's Choice RTX 5080 laptops you don't want to miss

I had a great experience gaming on the Asus ROG Strix G18, and I can safely say it's a good buy if you're looking for a high-end gaming laptop that also offers great value for your money. It's not the only option on the table, though. There are a few stellar RTX 5080 gaming laptops that we've recently reviewed, all of which are highly competitive alternatives to pricier RTX 5090 models.

1. Asus ROG Strix G18 (G815)

First up, of course, is the Asus ROG Strix G18. With its massive 18-inch display, this laptop is an excellent choice for gamers who require ample screen real estate. It also boasts unusually long battery life, which is a nice bonus, even if it's a bit bulky for travel.

The Strix G18 crushed our gaming tests across the board, and while it got a bit hot in our thermal tests, the heat management is designed in a way that keeps the keyboard cool even under high temperatures. The keyboard itself is also fantastic, and the RGB light strip around the keyboard deck is a nice visual touch.

2. MSI Raider 18 HX AI

If the Asus ROG Strix G18 isn't the perfect fit for you, the MSI Raider 18 HX AI could be the perfect alternative, especially if you need more storage and RAM. While the Raider is pricier than the Strix G18, it offers twice as much storage and RAM along with a higher resolution 18-inch Mini LED display and a slightly stronger processor.

This RTX 5080 laptop handily crushed the HP Omen Max 16 and even bested the Strix G18 in some of our graphics tests. It even has top-firing speakers, a rare feature I'm a big fan of.

3. Alienware 16 Area-51

The Alienware 16 Area-51 pairs a stunning design with stellar performance at a price that's hard to beat. This RTX 5080 laptop is a great alternative to the Strix G18 if you want similar performance in a smaller chassis since the Area-51 features a 16-inch display. It's still a bulky laptop, weighing even more than the Strix G18 at 7.13 pounds, but you'll have an easier time fitting it in laptop bags.

Aside from the display, the Alienware 16 Area-51 is very similar to the Strix G18, powered by the same processor and sporting the same display resolution and refresh rate. It features some seriously impressive audio, too, with top and bottom-firing speakers, making for a highly immersive gaming experience.

More from Laptop Mag

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Xbox cooking up a handheld gaming console became the best worst-kept secret in recent months, but the suspected and confirmed ROG Xbox Ally X was finally unveiled during the June 8 Xbox Games Showcase.

At first, shoving “Xbox” in the name didn’t sound so innovative. How does it compare to the Asus ROG Ally X? An Xbox button alone wouldn’t be enough to get people to upgrade. But once we got a closer look, we realized that this isn’t just a branded Ally X. This might as well be the ROG Ally X 2.

Obviously, we don’t have hands-on time with the ROG Xbox Ally X, but let's jump into how the ROG Ally X and its successor compare from afar.

ROG Ally X vs. ROG Xbox Ally X: Specs

ROG Ally X vs. ROG Xbox Ally X: Pricing and configurations

We have no idea how much the ROG Xbox Ally X is going to cost, and I’m honestly terrified. Right now, you can get the ROG Ally X for $800 on Asus’ website. Apparently, YouTube leaker Extas1s recently suggested that the ROG Xbox Ally X would be priced at $800.

That’d be sick as hell, but considering the current Ally X’s price and that the ROG Xbox Ally X features the new AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme (35W) chipset, I’m not so sure. Apart from the chipset, the rest of the specs are the same, though.

However, there will be a cheaper model, called the ROG Xbox Ally, which is outfitted with the AMD Ryzen Z2 A (20W) chipset and even offers the same ergonomic boost. The aforementioned leaker suggested this would be priced at $500, which also matches the current price of the base model of the ROG Ally on Asus’ website.

The difference in specs there, however, is that the new ROG Xbox Ally sports a 60Whr battery versus the original’s 40Whr battery.

ROG Ally X vs. ROG Xbox Ally X: Design and comfort

Yes, performance and battery life are great and all, but the design and comfort of a handheld device can absolutely make or break it.

Jumping from the Asus ROG Ally to the Ally X, we saw a major leap in ergonomics. Everything from the triggers and bumpers to the joysticks and grips became more comfortable and satisfying to use.

I’m hoping that we’ll see a similar leap going to the ROG Xbox Ally X, and it looks like we might. The biggest upgrade that we can see is that shiny Xbox button (just kidding). But seriously, it’s the grips. They look like actual controller grips.

Obviously, I can’t say for sure, but this looks way more comfortable than most handheld gaming devices, especially the Nintendo Switch 2 (don’t get me started).

Naturally, this comes at the cost of some portability. The ROG Ally X comes in at 1.5 pounds and 11 x 4.4 x 1~1.5 inches, and the ROG Xbox Ally X bumps up to 1.58 pounds and 11.4 x 4.78 x 2 inches. It’s actually not too bad, but you’ll still notice a difference when compared side by side, especially with the height.

Overall, the design and comfort improvements of the ROG Xbox Ally X look to be a more than welcome upgrade.

ROG Ally X vs. ROG Xbox Ally X: Performance and battery life

The ergonomics are exciting, but what’s getting fans of handheld gaming PCs hyped up the most is the new AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme (35W) chipset.

The ROG Xbox Ally X will be the debut for this particular AMD chipset, and while it will likely make its way into other gaming handheld devices, like the first Z1 Extreme chip, I am also clamoring to see what this baby can do. AMD also added “AI” to the name, so you know it’s going to be good (again, kidding).

For context, the ROG Ally X could run Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree at 1080p, maximum graphics (with ray tracing), and hit anywhere from 27 to 35 frames per second.

That’s pretty impressive in and of itself. I’m not expecting a miracle out of the Z2 Extreme, but it would be nice to see those numbers stay consistently above 30 fps and even dip into the mid-40s.

Playing that same game with the same settings, the Ally X survived 2 hours and 15 minutes. Considering that the ROG Xbox Ally X features the same 80Wh battery, I’m just hoping for similar numbers.

That may be more of a challenge because of the higher performance, but we’ve seen AMD pull through on battery life before, especially with gaming laptops.

Outlook

I haven’t even touched the ROG Xbox Ally X and I know it’s going to be way better. The ergonomics alone look amazing. The biggest unknown right now is the performance. It’ll be better for sure, but by how much? And how will that impact the battery life?

It may be that the ROG Xbox Ally X isn’t a worthy enough improvement to upgrade, but if it’s the same price as the Ally X, it’ll likely be the better buy if you don’t have a handheld gaming PC at all. But like I said, we’ll have to wait and see. We don’t even know the official release date yet. (Holiday 2025 could be anything in that season.)

More from Laptop Mag

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Not every cheap laptop is a great value, something I was reminded of while reviewing the HP Omnibook 5 Laptop AI.

Looking for one of the best laptops that's also affordable can be a real challenge, especially with laptop prices on the rise. That's just another reason to be extra cautious that you're getting the best possible value for your money before buying a new laptop.

While the HP Omnibook 5 Laptop AI isn't a bad laptop, it's not a good deal due to a few critical flaws. It's a perfect example of the red flags to watch out for in budget laptops. Luckily, there are a few alternatives among the best laptops under $1,000 that offer significantly better value for your money.

The HP Omnibook 5 Laptop AI is a bargain on the surface, until you look closer

The HP Omnibook 5 Laptop AI isn't a bad laptop, and I can see how it might seem like a bargain at first glance. For less than $1,000, you get a roomy 16-inch display, a full-size keyboard, a polished aluminum chassis, and decent battery life (11 hours, 30 minutes).

Unfortunately, that's not the full story. The Omnibook's minor strengths aren't enough to overshadow its flaws, which collectively diminish the value you're getting for the price tag.

For starters, the 16-inch display, one of the Omnibook's biggest selling points, is visibly dull and washed out. Although it may be a large display, it's not of high quality. It scored unusually low in our tests, covering just 44% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and averaging just 306 nits of brightness. If you're buying this laptop for its display, you're likely to be disappointed by the lack of vibrant colors.

Additionally, the budget-friendly base configuration falls short in terms of performance. It couldn't match the competition in our overall performance tests and graphics tests.

It will handle typical tasks without a problem, but you can get better performance at this price.

Three laptops under $1,000 that are great value for your money

If you're looking for an affordable laptop that's worth your hard-earned cash, the HP Omnibook 5 Laptop AI probably isn't the right choice unless you can find it at a steep discount (ideally around $600 or less). There are a few alternatives under $1,000 that I'd recommend taking a look at first.

It's worth noting that if you're looking for a gaming device under $1,000, the Omnibook definitely isn't the way to go. At this price point, your best bet would be one of the best handheld gaming PCs, most of which are available for less than $1,000 or bumping your budget a bit to reach the best gaming laptops under $1,500.

If you're searching for a budget-friendly laptop for school, work, or casual use, one of these three alternatives could be the best choice.

Asus Zenbook 14 OLED

The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED has a lot going for it, including fantastic battery life, a great display, high-quality audio, and solid overall performance. Depending on the configuration you want, you can find it for less than $100 more than the HP Omnibook 5 Laptop AI or potentially even less.

While the display could be a bit brighter, it was significantly more vibrant than the Omnibook's, with a score of 79.8% on the DCI-P3 color gamut test. It also scored significantly higher in overall performance, with a score of 12,707 on the Geekbench 6 test. Additionally, the ZenBook boasts an impressive 16 hours of battery life, more than enough to last a full day.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus

Chromebooks tend to be affordable laptops priced under $1,000, and the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus is no exception. It delivers some great bang for your buck at well under $800 and makes a great pick for students or casual users, especially if display quality is your top concern.

An AMOLED display is not a common feature on Chromebooks or budget laptops in general, meaning the Galaxy Chromebook Plus is a steal for budget-conscious users who want a great display. It scored 108.5% on the DCI-P3 color gamut test, which is fantastic, especially considering the price. It's also surprisingly lightweight for a 15.6-inch laptop at just 2.45 pounds.

MacBook Air M4 (13-inch)

A MacBook might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of "budget laptops," but they can be surprisingly affordable, especially if you keep your eye out for Prime Day MacBook deals and other big sales.

The MacBook Air M4 comes in barely under $1,000, but often goes on sale for hundreds $899 or less. It can be a fantastic value if you can find one on sale, even if you opt for a model with the base 256GB of storage, which is sufficient for most users. The M4 MacBook Air boasts phenomenal performance, top-tier battery life, a solid display, and a webcam that's drastically better than what most other laptops include.

It's even worth considering the M3 MacBook Air from last year, which can still be found for around $800 or less on sale.

More from Laptop Mag

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The Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614) is our first system featuring the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D “Fire Range” processor, which presents a perfect opportunity for some benchmark face-offs.

AMD claims it is the “fastest mobile gaming processor,” but is that strictly true? I turned to our lab test results for some recent gaming laptops to find out.

One caveat before I dig into the results: unfortunately, the ROG Strix G16 tops out at an Nvidia RTX 5070Ti Laptop GPU. It's a solid choice for price and performance when shopping for one of the best gaming laptops, but it means we don’t have a 1:1 competitor for gaming performance.

All of the RTX 50-series gaming laptops we’ve reviewed in this generation have come with RTX 5080 or 5090 GPUs. The Strix G16 is the first laptop we’ve reviewed with a Ryzen 9 X3D CPU or an RTX 5070Ti GPU.

This means I can only accurately compare the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D to the Intel Core Ultra 9 on general performance and battery life. Those tests won’t get the most benefit from the Ryzen 9’s 3D cache.

All that aside, if you’re going to use your gaming laptop for more than just gaming, do you want AMD or Intel inside?

AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D: Performance

To keep things as even as possible, we compared the Asus ROG Strix G16’s Ryzen 9 9955HX3D to the MSI Raider 18HX AI’s Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16’s Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX.

When we compared Intel’s Arrow Lake HX systems to other CPUs of this generation, we hadn’t yet tested any AMD Fire Range systems. Now that we have the Strix G16, does Intel hold onto its performance lead?

The answer is complicated, as Intel’s two CPUs outperform their counterparts in multicore performance, video conversion, and overall performance in the Crossmark suite. However, AMD’s Fire Range 9955HX3D has the strongest single-core performance.

Specific use cases benefit from stronger single-core performance. Some Photoshop filters, specific video editing tasks, and some older games are optimized for single-core performance over multicore. However, most modern uses, including modern games, are multicore workloads.

If your main use for your laptop is gaming, it may be worth opting for the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D instead. You’ll have slightly better single-core performance for older titles while still having competitive multicore performance, and you’ll get the 3D cache benefits for newer games.

But if you're going to use your gaming laptop as your daily driver, Intel’s CPUs are faster all around. After all, it's not like either Core Ultra 9 processor is a slouch at single-core performance.

AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D: Battery life

The GPU can impact battery life. After all, the power consumption of the Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti can be lower than that of the RTX 5080. The 5070Ti requires a subsystem power of 60-115 watts, while the 5080 is an 80-150-watt GPU. So, these comparisons aren’t the ideal showcase of the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D compared to its Intel Arrow Lake counterparts.

Though, if anything, that makes the Strix G16’s battery life look worse.

After all, the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 features the power-hungry RTX 5080 but gets about 27 minutes more battery life than the Strix G16. Both Intel-powered gaming laptops last longer on battery life while running the PCMark 10 Gaming Battery Life test.

Bottom line

Thanks to AMD’s proprietary 3D CPU caching, you can often get quality performance out of the Ryzen 7 compared to the Ryzen 9. And, at least on desktop, the Ryzen 7 X3D is the top gaming CPU this generation.

Once we get an Intel Core Ultra 9 system with an Nvidia RTX 5070Ti or a Ryzen 9 X3D unit with an RTX 5080 or 5090, we’ll be able to make some gaming comparisons to really see if Fire Range’s 3D cache is worth it on a laptop.

For now, in terms of general performance and battery life, things can vary a lot by OEM implementation. However, Intel has a lead on multicore performance, while AMD has it beat on single-thread.

So, if you’re looking to use your gaming laptop for general use, content creation, or deep data analysis, it’s worth opting for Intel’s Arrow Lake chipset over AMD’s Fire Range. But for gaming, it may still be worth choosing an AMD-powered system.

We’d love to compare Intel’s Arrow Lake HX chipset against AMD’s Fire Range X3D in the same laptop with the exact same GPU. While there is a version of the Asus ROG Strix G16 with an Intel CPU, we haven’t received it yet.

We’ve done our best to compare the two chips, but as always, there is a lot of variation in benchmarks depending on how the chip is implemented into a laptop by the manufacturer. We look forward to a more direct head-to-head later this year, which just might give more weight to AMD’s claims of superiority.

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For nearly two months, a small community of diehard Nintendo fans took root on the sidewalk in Midtown Manhattan to be among the first to receive the Nintendo Switch 2.

At the center of everything for much of those two months was Rinaldy Gomez, a 33-year-old New Yorker whose marathon wait was about more than just a new console.

Nintendo unveiled the Switch 2 in April and put it up for sale in June. It quickly become the fastest-selling console in Nintendo history. Some 3.5 million units were sold globally four days after its June 5 release. Gomez began camping outside the Nintendo store on April 9, a week after the Switch 2's debut during Nintendo Direct.

During the afternoon before it went on sale, Gomez told Laptop Mag outside the Nintendo Store at Rockefeller Center that he had mixed emotions. He had been stationed outside the store since the console was unveiled in April, taking breaks here and there while assisting Chickendog, a YouTuber documenting his wait for the Switch 2 release. A few others worked in shifts and protected each other’s spots in line while people took the occasional break.

But the 57-day vigil was nearly over.

“Yesterday, on the subway, I had tears of joy because, you know, I'm at the end of the road,” Gomez said, noting as he was talking that it was his birthday. “All of the fun is coming to an end.”

For Gomez, Nintendo has been a large part of his identity since he waited outside the same store in 2012 at age 20 to buy a Nintendo Wii U. “I can’t believe this is the first time in my life I’m losing a night’s worth of sleep [to buy] a game,” he remembers thinking on that night 2012.

In the intervening years, he says he had attended nearly all the Nintendo store's events. He says he spent so much of his life around Nintendo that it began to take its toll.

“I spent all my time just attending Nintendo events, and I had no character other than attending Nintendo events,” he admits, before noting he quit the Nintendo scene cold turkey for a year. As a result, he was miserable.

“I was miserable because I refrained from playing games for a while and realized I just lay at home all day doing nothing,” he says, adding that he has “learned to accept my interest for what it is.”

Life camping out for a video game is nothing if not communal. Gomez says that about 20-25 people eventually began camping out on the sidewalk with makeshift tents they called “weather pods,” which protected them from the elements.

"Some days we were struggling because it was as few as four people during the daytime or three people during the nighttime, sometimes two," Gomez admitted. "But by some miracle, we managed to maintain all of our assets and inventories... it was pretty well guarded."

He notes that nothing was stolen, and they even found some tranquility amid the urban noise. “Surprisingly,” he says, the tent life was “pretty relaxing.”

“Believe it or not, I had peace of mind in this concrete setting, which is very hard to do. And I managed to get some sleep.”

He says the other campers bonded over their shared interests despite their differences. People came from Connecticut, Vancouver, Canada, North Carolina, Maryland, and the UK.

“Some of us even have different political views, but regardless, we all share the common goal of getting the Switch 2,” Gomez says.

In the hours before the Switch 2 went on sale, 48th Street between 5th and 6th avenues was happening: Cab drivers craned their necks, asking anybody who would listen what was going on; tourists stopped and gawked more than usual; the driver of a Tesla Cybertruck stopped to take a photo in the middle of the street. Both sides of the street were lined with Nintendo fans dressed for the occasion. Gomez was dressed as Luigi; several Marios were looking at their phones. One stood unbothered near a drain pipe.

Even though the Switch 2 wouldn’t go on sale until midnight, there were large red tents for fans to step into to play the Switch 2.

The moment was so close. And before long, it would all be over.

A few days after the fury of the release, Gomez reflected on his final campout to Laptop Mag via email. He headed home after buying his Switch 2 and fell into a deep sleep. Before the Switch 2 went on sale, a few members of the group he was camping with granted him a longer-than-normal break because he began to develop black circles around his eyes from a lack of sleep.

He explains that it was time to "touch grass" when he woke up. He walked along the Hudson River by his apartment uptown. “It’s surreal to finally be able to not follow a specific schedule,” he recalled.

When asked if he could go back in time and spend his days and nights outside the Nintendo store, Gomez says he would gladly do it again.

He also admits this will probably be the last campout for a console as Nintendo’s release cycle sees many years between console releases.

He will have to move on to something else; he's unemployed and seeking work. But he says he will always be around to help the Nintendo community on 48th Street.

“I will continue to practice this until my health declines from advanced age,” he says.

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I feel like I’m always running out of storage on my Xbox Series X — I mean, of course, I do when games like Call of Duty want to eat over 300GB of space on my drive. So I was shocked and awed when Seagate sent over its new 4TB Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X, and it quickly became my favorite thing ever.

There is a problem, though. Just a tiny one. Well, maybe not so tiny. It costs $500. That’s as much as the Xbox Series X itself… when it launched, anyway (ugh, tariffs). But if that’s in your budget, the 4TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card solves a universal problem for Xbox Series X owners, and it’s available right now directly on Seagate’s website and at Best Buy.

Now, 4TB is a lot of space, but is it as good as the Xbox Series X’s internal storage? And is it worth the price? Let’s jump in.

Enough space to find myself… and Clair Obscur

Let’s get the not-so-obvious-but-obvious out of the way: It’s not 4TB. The same way that the Xbox Series X’s 1TB internal storage is not 1TB. There’s a chunk of that dedicated to the operating system or system functions. The Xbox Series X features 802GB of usable storage, and the Seagate Expansion Card offers 3.7TB of usable storage. That brings your total up to ~4.5TB.

Now to business. The 4TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card is physically the same size and weight as its siblings, coming in at 0.307 × 1.244 × 2.085 inches and 30 grams. It’s honestly adorable. It also comes with a little cap that protects the exposed internals. Although, it’s easy to lose (cut to me frantically looking for the cap in my couch cushions).

I always get a bit nervous about plugging in drives or any small pieces of tech because of how sensitive some of them can be, but the Expansion Card felt smooth to slot in, and it’s obvious which side to face up thanks to the Xbox logo on the card.

Upon plugging it in, I got a notification asking me, “Will you be using Storage Expansion Card with multiple consoles?” One neat feature is the ability to unplug the card seamlessly and slot it into another Xbox in your house or a friend’s. But how will that affect the usage? Well, if the drive isn’t going anywhere, it enables the card to check for updates automatically, whereas a drive designed to move will disable the automatic updates. You can still update your games, and even switch this setting by going to My games & apps > Manage > Storage devices.

Moving games does take more steps than I’d like, however. For individual games, head to My games & apps > Select game > Manage game and add-ons > Select game > Move or copy > Select game > Move selected. That’s too much selection for me. Thankfully, you can move all of your games and apps at once if you want to. You have to go to Settings > System > Storage devices > Internal Storage > Move or copy > Select all > Move selected. Ironically, just as many steps, which in this case is justified.

How long would that even take? First things first, let’s get into my testing.

How fast can I become disAvowed?

I tested three titles with the 4TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card, including Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Avowed, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Jumping into my turn-based RPG parry fever dream, I tested how long it would take to load my save file in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. On the Xbox Series X’s internal storage, it took 7.33 seconds before I could start running into the first Nevron I saw. Meanwhile, the 4TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card took 7.39 seconds. That’s virtually identical, which is a great start. It took only 1 minute and 47 seconds to move over Clair Obscur (42.3GB) to the Expansion Card.

Living up to my oath, I hopped on Avowed to start blasting away at some Xaurips so I could loot their camp (it’s ethical, I swear). The Xbox Series X’s internal storage loaded my save file from the menu in 14.95 seconds. On the Expansion Card, I waited only 14.91 seconds. Virtually no change again, which is great. Transferring Avowed (76.2GB) over to the card did take 2 minutes and 49 seconds.

Becoming the best-worst archaeologist of all time, I threw on my iconic hat and started whipping people in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. This game loads saves instantly from the main menu, so I tested how long it would take to boot up directly from the Xbox Series X dashboard. You can’t skip any of the intro logos, so it makes it a fair test at the very least. With the Xbox Series X’s internal storage, I could bust out my whip in 42.07 seconds (ugh, so many logos). And on the Expansion Card, I jumped in at 42.19 seconds. That’s three for three on virtually identical load times. Indiana Jones is a bit chunkier, at 132.6GB, so it took 5 minutes and 33 seconds to transfer over.

If you plan on transferring all 802GB of data from your Xbox Series X to the 4TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card, it should take roughly 33 minutes, give or take a few minutes for overall processing between games and apps. That’s definitely a lot faster than downloading it all again.

Should you Indiana-whip the Expansion Card into your cart?

Well, the 4TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card is $500. As much as I love not needing to worry about downloading too many games from Xbox Game Pass (the card comes with a free month of Game Pass), it’s tough to justify spending as much on an expansion card as you spent on the console..

Even if you can afford Seagate’s ridiculous Expansion Card, I would hesitate to get it at this point in time. Why? The Xbox Series X is five years old in November, meaning we are likely two years away from the next generation of consoles. We don’t know if this Expansion Card will be backwards compatible with a new Xbox, if Microsoft even plans on making a traditional console with all the handheld rumors (which also seems flakey right now). And if it is backwards compatible, it likely won’t be as fast as its internal storage. If it is, that means there’s been no technological advancement in 7 years.

However, as it stands right now, the 4TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card offers the competitive performance it needs to keep up with the Xbox Series X.

So, is it worth it? That depends on what $500 means to you. Is it terribly convenient and cool? Heck yeah.

More from Laptop Mag

• I played 'Dune: Awakening' on an RTX 5090 gaming laptop — I got up to 257 fps, but there was one big problem
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What makes a great 2-in-1 laptop? The most important spec is the only one where the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 let me down: the display.

If you're hunting for a new laptop and have your eye on a 2-in-1, chances are you're interested in using it in tablet mode for tasks like digital art or watching movies. All the core reasons to go for a 2-in-1 over a regular laptop hinge, quite literally, on a great display.

That's why, despite some great strengths, I have to recommend a few other laptops over the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16. Here's a look at what you should expect from a great 2-in-1 laptop and a few top picks to get you started, whether you're a budget-conscious user or a creative professional.

See also: Best laptop deals in June 2025

The one spec you should never overlook in a 2-in-1 laptop

Your price range has a big impact on what you should look for in a 2-in-1 laptop, but one thing you absolutely shouldn't overlook is display quality.

All of the use cases that set 2-in-1 laptops apart, particularly when it comes to tasks like drawing or graphic design, rely on a high-quality display. So, if you compromise in this area, you're not getting your money's worth, and you're sacrificing what should be the top strength of any great 2-in-1.

The Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 is a perfect example, as it excels in several areas, with the key exception being its display. In our DCI-P3 color gamut test, it scored a mere 44%, which is barely half of the usual 80% threshold we look for, especially at this price point. It doesn't get very bright, either, averaging just 316 nits. For a 2-in-1, those scores are just too low to ignore.

Three 2-in-1 laptops with great displays

The Yoga's test scores translate into a dull, dim display that is noticeably less vivid side-by-side with other laptops. It's impossible to miss how washed out all the colors look.

If you're considering the Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 for other reasons, like its impressive integrated graphics performance, and don't mind sacrificing display quality, or you can find it at a steep discount, it could still be a good option for some people.

However, if you're specifically looking for a 2-in-1, you'll have a better experience on a laptop with a higher-quality display. Luckily, you have a few great options to choose from.

1. Best overall: Asus Vivobook 16 Flip

The best overall alternative to the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 is the Asus Vivobook 16 Flip, which sports a stunning 3K OLED display. It's one of the best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy right now and costs just $100 more than the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16.

The Vivobook scored well on our display tests, reproducing 84.4% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 119.2% of the sRGB color gamut with an average brightness of 356 nits. As an added bonus, it has a bit more battery life than the Yoga at 13 hours and 47 minutes.

Whether you're a student, professional, or casual user, if you're looking for a great 2-in-1 in the same price range as the Yoga, you really can't go wrong with the Vivobook 16 Flip.

2. Budget option: Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714

At $799, the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is a good budget-friendly alternative to the Yoga, particularly for students. It scored 78.7% on the DCI-P3 color gamut score, which is just shy of the 80% I ideally prefer, but considering the price, this is still a much better display than what you're getting on the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16, which costs $100 to $400 more, depending on the configuration.

It's also worth considering the Chromebook if you prefer Google's Gemini AI assistant over Microsoft Copilot. There are some genuinely useful Gemini features baked into the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 that can really come in handy, like live captions or AI-assisted photo editing. I found it generally more consistent and reliable than Microsoft Copilot. It's easy to see why it's one of the best Chromebooks.

3. For creators: Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition

2-in-1 laptops are often ideal for creatives since they can double as a drawing tablet with the help of a Bluetooth stylus. If you're a creator, you don't want to miss out on the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition. Not only is it a better buy than the Yoga 7i 2-in-1, but it's also a fantastic overall laptop for creatives and one of our picks for the best touchscreen laptops.

The stunning 14-inch 3K OLED 120Hz display scored superbly well on our display tests. It reproduced a whopping 149.2% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 210.6% of the sRGB color gamut and averaged 421 nits of brightness. While it doesn't come quite as cheap as the Yoga 7i, the top-tier display is worth it for creative professionals.

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There’s no excuse anymore; gaming laptops need to step up their game if they want to land in my shopping cart. The best gaming laptops offer excellent gaming performance and displays, but I’m adding one more thing to my must-have list: a mechanical keyboard.

I recently reviewed the Alienware 16 Area-51, and it reinforced the idea that no gaming laptop should be without a mechanical keyboard, especially a premium one. They’re objectively better than membrane keyboards — just ask my fingers.

This needs to be the next big transition for gaming laptops, just like when phones ditched physical keyboards for touchscreens. And let me tell you why we might not be so far away from that future.

The mechanical keyboard revolution

The Alienware 16 Area-51’s CherryMX mechanical keyboard made it oh-so-satisfying to dash across the field in Marvel Rivals as Magik and swoop up a jabroni in my combo. Each keystroke sounded clicky and felt punchy.

I won’t stop screaming about mechanical keyboards until they are in every gaming laptop, and we can critique them for the types of switches they use rather than just complimenting their existence. I hope that future isn’t far away. After all, we’ve already seen mechanical keyboards in varying budget categories.

I was shocked when I saw a mechanical keyboard in the Dell G16 (7620), which at the time cost $949. The existence of that one gaming laptop is all the reason I need to criticize every premium gaming laptop that doesn’t offer a mechanical keyboard. And the Area-51 isn’t the first Alienware with a mechanical keyboard. Last year’s Alienware x16 R2 had one too.

Unfortunately, the Dell G16 is somewhat bulky at 1.01 inches thick. The Area-51 is similar, measuring 0.85~1.12 inches. So you might be thinking that the thickness of a gaming laptop certainly makes an impact on whether a mechanical keyboard is possible. But that’s not exactly the case. As I just mentioned, the Alienware x16 R2 also featured a mechanical keyboard, and it measured 0.7 inches thick.

So, in theory, no gaming laptop should be excused, including a monster like the MSI Raider 18 HX AI that comes in at 0.94~1.26 inches. Sure, its keyboard is bouncy, but it’s no mechanical keyboard. It’s weird because last year’s MSI Titan HX featured a mechanical keyboard, although that laptop was a chunky 1.3 inches thick.

Now, the Razer Blade 16 might be too thin to support a mechanical keyboard at 0.59~0.69 inches. But like a Bond villain or Batman, I’ll accept nothing less than the best from my wonderful little toys, especially if I’m paying several thousand dollars.

I can’t say what the exact cost is for adding a mechanical keyboard to a gaming laptop, but when configuring the Dell G16 and even the Alienware Area-51, the former adds $100, while the latter costs only an additional $50. That’s a massive bonus for a low price and well worth the bump unless you’re opting for one of the best gaming keyboards.

If you’re not grabbing a peripheral and you plan on emptying your wallet for a gaming laptop, make sure you get one with a mechanical keyboard. The issue isn’t just that a mechanical is better than a membrane; it’s that there are some really terrible membrane keyboards out there. You don’t want to be stuck with a dollar-store keyboard on a $ 4,000+ gaming laptop.

Sure, opting for a peripheral is always the better option, but unless you’re getting a desktop replacement, it defeats the whole purpose of portability in your gaming laptop. Do you really want to lug around a keyboard on top of a gaming laptop and a gaming mouse?

As I said, the Alienware 16 Area-51 has now reinforced what is best for a gaming laptop. After experiencing at least three other gaming laptops with a mechanical keyboard, I am putting my proverbial foot down. You won’t see a gaming laptop in my shopping cart unless it’s rocking a mechanical keyboard… and a gorgeous OLED display (but that’s a rant for another day).

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I’ve been a PC gamer all my life. But gaming on the same computer I use for work gets stale quickly.

Now, I considered buying one of the best handheld gaming PCs to play anywhere I want, but I’m still saving up cash to get one.

So, in the meantime, I traded in my gaming laptop for Nvidia GeForce Now. Here's how it went.

The good: I can play on nearly any device

The one thing that I love about Nvidia GeForce now is that I can play on nearly any modern device. I have it installed on my iPad, Samsung phone, Chromecast with Google TV attached to a 20-year-old TV, my bedroom smart TV, and even my MacBook Air.

That means I can play most of my games even if I don’t have the hardware to support it. For example, I can play Age of Empires II on my MacBook Air, even though it was never officially released for macOS.

Because Chromecast with Google TV and my smart TV support Bluetooth connectivity, I can also play games on a large screen without needing to buy a console. All I needed to do was connect my GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro controller, and I’m good to go to play many titles.

If I want to play strategy games that are nigh impossible to play with a controller, I just pair a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard to my Chromecast or smart TV and relax on my sofa or bed.

GeForce Now offers a controller overlay for my tablet and smartphone, allowing me to play on them even if I don’t have any peripherals. This is especially convenient when I’m on the road and waiting, as I can pull up my favorite title and play on the device I have, as long as I have a decent internet connection.

The bad: An unreliable internet connection is the bane of cloud gaming

Since cloud gaming streams a lot of data, you need a relatively fast and stable internet connection to enjoy it. At the very least, you need 15 Mbps to play games at 720p, with the requirement jumping to 25 Mbps if you set the resolution to full HD.

Higher resolutions require even faster speeds, with 1440p@120 needing 35 Mbps and 4K@120 demanding 45 Mbps. By comparison, Netflix only needs 3 Mbps for Standard Definition, 5 Mbps for Full HD, and 15 Mbps for 4K streaming.

Aside from these higher speeds, your provider also needs to be consistent. My internet connection has been quite unstable lately, so even though I’m paying for a 100 Mbps connection, the game’s resolution would drop at times.

I also get a connection warning (which I ignore) when I launch a game, and a sign pops up on the screen a few times, telling me that latency is high.

This is just the unfortunate reality I must deal with, especially because my current internet provider basically has a monopoly on wired connections in my area.

Despite a weak and fickle internet connection, GeForce Now is still playable, even though I sometimes need patience.

I’m still required to buy games (or pay for a subscription)

Unfortunately, GeForce Now does not give you any game titles, even if you pay for a subscription. In fact, it’s not a substitute for any game platform — instead, it’s supposed to replace high-end gaming hardware with a more affordable (or even free) service.

So, if you’re new to gaming and haven’t built up your gaming library yet, you need to do that, or else you’d have nothing to play on the service.

Still, GeForce Now is a great way for you to enjoy games, even on older hardware. The Free tier already lets you play all the games at 1080p resolution and good quality. So, even if your system only has 8 GB of RAM and an integrated GPU, you can still play demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077, as long as you’ve already purchased it or if it’s included in your subscription.

It’s also great that GeForce Now syncs with five of the biggest gaming platforms — Steam, Xbox, Epic Games, Ubisoft, and Battle.net.

Although GeForce Now does not have all the games on those platforms available in its library, you can still access over 2,000 titles, which isn’t half bad for a free service.

Also, note that not all games are playable on all devices. Nvidia says that titles that don't have full or partial gamepad support won’t work on iOS, iPadOS, and Android devices because they don't support point-lock mouse functionality while streaming.

I’ve only seen this on my iPad so far when I tried to launch Captain of Industry, with the app telling me This game is currently not supported on this device, though, so it’s not much of a problem.

So, if you plan to forgo purchasing high-end gaming hardware and rely on your internet connection to play games, it’s best to shop for titles directly on the GeForce Now library. That way, you’re guaranteed that the game you’re paying for will work on it.

You must pay if you don’t have patience, want to play more, or demand better quality

The Free tier on GeForce Now is good enough for most users, but it does have its limitations. The biggest one is that you’ll have to wait in queue whenever you launch a game.

This isn’t a problem for most titles, but if you’re playing a particularly popular game, the wait time can last as long as an hour. This tier is also ad-supported, although I have yet to see an ad during the times that I’ve used it.

You also have a maximum of one hour to play on GeForce Now if you’re not paying. When your time runs out, you’ll have to launch the game and queue up again, although there are no limits on how many times you can do this in a day.

I have zero regrets

If you want to level up your experience, you can pay $49.99 every six months for the Performance tier, which bumps up max resolution to 1440p, gives you RTX, and extends your gaming sessions to six hours. Lastly, the $100/six months Ultimate tier gives you the shortest queue times, lets you play at 4K@240 with RTX, and has sessions that last up to eight hours.

I have zero regrets now that I started playing more on GeForce Now, and I wish I had tried it sooner.

I even find myself choosing it over my gaming laptop if I just want to relax over the weekend.

However, since my internet is not that stable, I’m not willing to pay for a subscription, and I still want to buy a handheld console to serve my casual gaming needs.

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When you're looking for a laptop on a budget, you'll have to sacrifice a feature or two, but there's one thing you shouldn't compromise on: battery life.

I was reminded of this while reviewing the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1, a budget-friendly laptop that surpassed my expectations in a few areas, but fell far behind on battery life, lasting a mere 7 hours and 37 minutes.

While the Dell may have won me over otherwise, I can't overlook battery life that's less than 8 hours, and neither should you. Even if you're on a budget and need a 2-in-1 for $1,200 or less, there are better options that will get you the same features and all-day battery life.

See also: Best laptop deals

Don't overlook this critical flaw in the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1

The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 gets a few things right. For starters, it has a great display for the price, a 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, mini-LED panel that delivers 446 nits of brightness and reproduces 87% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. For $1,199, that's not bad at all.

Additionally, the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 performed better than expected on our graphics tests, considering it's running on Intel's integrated graphics. It averaged just under 60 fps in Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm. That's plenty of performance for running casual games or lightweight indie titles.

Unfortunately, those strengths simply can't outshine the one major flaw with the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1: its battery life. With less than 8 hours of battery, this laptop is not going to get through a full day of work or school (besides that, it's pretty heavy, so it's not the best to commute with).

I understand considering some compromises when you're searching for a laptop on a budget, but this is one area you don't want to ignore. After all, what good is Dell's snazzy display if the battery is going to die on you before the end of the day? This is especially important to consider if you're a power user or frequently use resource-intensive apps, like photo or video editing software, which will drain the battery even faster.

As much as I wanted to like the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1, you can do better for the same price or less.

3 budget-friendly 2-in-1 laptops with great battery life

The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 may not have lived up to my hopes, but luckily, there are some better budget-friendly 2-in-1 laptops with great battery life. A few in particular are great options for the same price as the Dell or less, but with significantly longer battery life.

1. Asus Vivobook 16 Flip (TP3607)

The first, and arguably best, alternative to the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 is the Asus Vivobook 16 Flip. This is currently ranked as Laptop Mag's best 2-in-1 laptop and boasts great battery life with a time of 13 hours and 47 minutes.

It's at the upper end of the budget range, but starts at just $1,199, the same price as our review configuration for the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1.

For that price, the Asus Vivobook 16 Flip delivers all-day battery life, a stunning OLED display, solid integrated graphics performance, and, of course, the versatility of a 2-in-1 design.

2. Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 (2025)

Next up is the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16-inch. This one comes in at the same price of $1,199 but offers twice as much storage as the base configuration of the Asus Vivobook 16 Flip, making it a great choice for anyone who has a lot of files and photos to store on their laptop.

The 2025 version of the Yoga 7i 2-in-1 fell behind the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 in our overall performance tests and our display tests, but scored nearly twice as high on our battery life test with a time of 13 hours and 19 minutes. So, it could be the right fit if battery life is your top priority and you don't mind compromising display quality.

3. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus

Lastly, it's worth mentioning the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus. While its battery life of 9 hours and 43 minutes could be better, it's still a couple hours longer than the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1, and the IdeaPad is hundreds of dollars less expensive. It's also currently ranked as Laptop Mag's best budget 2-in-1 laptop.

This laptop could be a great pick if you're on a tight budget and want something for less than $600 that will still last all day. It's a good choice for students and casual users who mainly need a laptop for web browsing, replying to emails, and other lightweight tasks.

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is a similar alternative with a stronger processor in case you want something in the same price range with a bit more performance. However, it only gets an honorable mention since the IdeaPad has longer battery life.

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When I was young, my parents never bought me a gaming console, and they told me it wasn’t a necessity. But we already had an MS-DOS PC — even when I was six — and they encouraged me to learn how to use it for productivity.

Well, creative me learned how to install games on it, and I’ve been a PC gamer ever since. I've always preferred to use the mouse and keyboard for nearly every title I try.

I bought a GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro to try gaming on a controller

Console gaming still intrigued me, though, and I’ve been considering the Lenovo Legion Go, one of Laptop Mag’s best-reviewed handheld Windows consoles.

But before I spent over $500 on a new gadget, I had to check if it was really for me or if it would just end up gathering dust in my drawer.

So, I bought the GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro gaming controller. It’s cheaper than Xbox’s first-party offerings, and it uses Hall Effect sticks, giving me peace of mind that it won’t suffer from stick drift.

🔁 This story is part of the How Swap series from Laptop Mag

The KingKong 2 Pro is a wireless Bluetooth controller, but I prefer connecting it via USB-C while gaming on my PC. It’s much easier to use that way, and I also don’t have to worry about running out of battery. With that out of the way, I fired up Steam and the Xbox app and started experimenting with a few games I usually play.

It’s impossible to use with my favorite RTS and 4X titles

I am a big fan of Red Alert 2 and the Civilization franchise, so I naturally tried using the controller with them first. However, I knew this was a lost cause, as titles like this are specifically designed to be played with a mouse and keyboard.

I’m currently playing Company of Heroes 3, and when I launched the game, the controller did not respond at all. I also checked the game’s settings, and it does not recognize the controller, only the mouse and keyboard.

I then opened Civilization VI (I don’t have Civilization VII yet), and it’s the same story — there’s no controller support for PC. Some players have found a workaround for this, but it’s too much of a hassle for me. Still, I’m not giving up on it, and I’m going to try using the controller on another set of games.

I’m no good at playing FPS games using a controller

One of my favorite gaming genres is first-person shooters, so I naturally must try that with the KingKong 2 Pro. I pulled up Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and continued my game, but I found out I could not go beyond the first two minutes of the mission I was playing.

I have no issues using the controller — all the quick actions I need are within easy reach of my fingers. However, I had difficulty aiming, as I’m used to using my entire right hand to move the target, not just my thumb.

I probably would’ve fared better if I had restarted the entire campaign and practiced with the easier missions, but that will be boring. After all, I mostly play the Call of Duty franchise for the storyline. So, using the controller for FPS gaming is a no-go for me.

Still, I get why some gamers prefer using controllers over the mouse and keyboard, especially as it gives them better flexibility on where they want to game (unlike me, who’s stuck on my workstation).

It’s my perfect partner for casual, slow-paced games

I knew I had to give myself a fair chance of liking the controller, so I picked out some casual titles I use to relax my mind. I first pulled up American Truck Simulator, and I found myself enjoying the game in a new way.

I had to do some in-depth controller mapping, which took some time. But once I had everything set, playing on the controller was much more comfortable and ergonomic than having my finger jammed on the up arrow for three hours straight as I took a long delivery. It also allowed me to modulate my acceleration and braking, much like when I’m driving my car.

If I’m planning a long gaming session with American Truck Simulator, I’ll clear my desk and set up my driving wheel and pedals so I can enjoy the game to the fullest. But if I only want to distract myself with a short delivery, the controller is more than enough and far more convenient to set up.

I also tried another slow-paced game called Dorfromantik with the controller, and this is where I finally found the perfect match for the KingKong 2 Pro. The easy control and slow gameplay meant I could sit back and relax while placing tiles on the screen.

In addition, I also tried playing these games on my bedroom TV using Steam Link, and that was when I wished I had discovered controller gaming far sooner.

Trying out this controller has not converted me to console gaming—I still prefer the flexibility and power that PC gaming can deliver. But if all I wanted to do was relax in my bed and turn off my mind from work and the cares of adult life, playing with a controller would make it so much easier.

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I mostly use my laptop to do my work, but I also have my Samsung and iPhone readily available for urgent notifications and two-factor authentication. However, because my phones also have all my games, social media apps, and streaming platforms, I easily get distracted whenever I get a ping on them. These disruptions can easily cost me an extra 15 to 30 minutes per task, which adds up to a lot of lost productivity per month.

Since these apps are still helpful for me outside of working hours (and I also occasionally use them for work), I cannot eliminate them. So, I put all my phones on silent, turned on Do Not Disturb, and hid them in my drawer. I installed the bare minimum apps I use daily on an e-ink device, reducing interruptions to near zero and bumping up my productivity.

Setting up the Onyx Boox Palma 2 as my main mobile device while working

While working, I used the Onyx Boox Palma 2, which I reviewed last year, as a substitute for my Samsung S24 Ultra and iPhone 14. It took me some time to get used to it, mainly because it wasn’t as responsive as those other phones, but it got the job done. I just installed Microsoft SwiftKey to replace the stock keyboard, allowing me to resize the keys and make them easier to press. But aside from that, it works just as well as any other smartphone, albeit much slower.

Since the Palma 2 uses Android 13, I can easily install the apps I need, like Slack, Gmail, OneDrive, and Microsoft Authenticator. It also has a fantastic battery life, with the e-ink reader lasting up to two weeks on a single charge. I do have some gripes about it, though, like the fingerprint reader sometimes not working or the automatic backlight not working as intended.

It’s great for reading and text communication

As a journalist and researcher, I read a lot of documents and primarily communicate through email and Slack. Because of this, the Palma 2 is ideally suited for my needs. It notifies me whenever I get a new email or message for work, but it also keeps me from seeing the latest drop from my favorite YouTube channel or that the repair of my car in Real Racing 3 is finally finished.

I must be patient when scrolling and typing, but it still gets the job done. Another positive side effect of using the Palma 2 is that I can rest my eyes from bright screens when looking at it. Finally, my e-ink device’s screensaver is a clock, allowing me to immediately tell the time at a glance.

Watching videos and scrolling social media is a pain

The Palma 2 only uses a black-and-white e-ink screen with a much lower refresh rate than your usual phone. So, don’t expect to enjoy photos and videos on it, and unlimited scrolling is sluggish at best and unusable at times. But that is the point of this device.

Since it only supplements my main workstation, these limitations benefit me as I do not get unwanted interruptions. But when I’m working away from my laptop, I still rely on my mobile phone for everything I need.

You must rely on Wi-Fi

Since the Palma 2 (and most other e-ink readers) are primarily designed for reading, finding one with a SIM card slot is challenging. If you mainly use SMS and voice calls to communicate, this is definitely not for you. It also won’t save you as a backup data connection if your primary service provider fails you.

One thing I like specifically about this device is that even if it has a black-and-white screen, it still comes with its own camera. Its quality is nothing to write home about, but it’s handy enough for capturing QR codes and taking quick snapshots. I can also install Spotify on it and play music via a cheap DAC or Bluetooth headphones, but I still prefer listening from my desktop speakers.

It’s not a replacement for your work smartphone

The Onyx Boox Palma 2 is a great device for basic communication without getting distracted by the myriad other apps you have on your phone. At $300, this is too expensive for the average person. But this is an excellent option if you’re a bookworm and want to reduce distractions at work. That way, you can keep your phones on silent and hidden while you’re getting things done.

If you want something larger, you can try using a larger e-ink tablet, like the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 or the mooInk V folding e-reader. These e-ink devices aren’t as powerful as many Android phones, but that’s their primary strength for productivity, not their weakness.

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The last thing I expect out of a business laptop is for it to be a multimedia beast. Business laptops need to prioritize two things: battery life and portability. However, the ThinkPad X9-15 Gen 1 gives you that and much more.

In my review of the Lenovo ThinkPad X9-15 Gen 1 Aura Edition, I complimented it for its stunning OLED display and bangin’ speakers. It makes for the perfect companion for some playtime after work. It’s also not too bad at gaming.

Let’s jump into all the goodies you get with the Lenovo ThinkPad X9-15 Gen 1 Aura Edition.

A multimedia business beast

Alright, let’s get business out of the way first (pun intended).

The unique business-esque features you get include its MIL-STD-810H chassis, so it can withstand drops, vibrations, extreme temperatures, and more. Then there’s security via ThinkShield, which is a fancy term for Lenovo’s security solution. It features a dTPM security chip, an IR webcam with a kill switch (F9), Intel Threat Detection, and a fingerprint reader.

As far as its portability goes, the ThinkPad X9-15 Gen 1 comes in at 3.06 pounds and 13.37 x 9.0 x 0.27~0.7 inches, so it can fit into any 15-inch laptop bag (you might even get away with putting it in a smaller bag, but check the measurements first).

Then the arguably more important feature: battery life. On the Laptop Mag battery test, which required the ThinkPad X9-15 to continuously surf the web over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness, it lasted 16 hours and 24 minutes. Who's up for a full work-and-play day?

Speaking of play, this is where the display comes in. The ThinkPad X9-15 is rocking a 15.3-inch, 2880 x 1800, 120Hz OLED touchscreen display. That means it’s sharp, smooth, and also supports premium display tech.

That OLED panel features high contrast and bold colors, covering 143% of the DCI-P3 and 202% of the sRGB color gamuts. It’s also bright as heck, hitting 458 nits of brightness (that’s nearly as bright as the MacBook Air 15-inch M4).

Complementing the display is the four-speaker system tuned with Dolby Atmos. It produces bright audio that highlights the mids and highs with some decent lows. The soundstage also makes it easy to distinguish each instrument from one another.

So once work is over, you can binge your favorite series (maybe The Last of Us?), and experience a level of immersion that your average TV or laptop couldn’t replicate. But what if your “play” is actually play? Well, I have good news for you.

While the ThinkPad X9-15 Gen 1’s Intel Core Ultra 7 258V lacked in overall performance (for the price), its Intel Arc 140V 16GB iGPU is more than capable of some light gaming.

On the latest Sid Meier’s Civilization VII benchmark, we saw a strong 66 frames per second when set to Medium, 1080p settings. Even turning it up to High, it achieved 38 fps (above the 30-fps minimum playability threshold).

In Sid Meier's Civ VI: Gathering Storm, we got 65 fps on the Medium setting. Considering that the MacBook Air did worse on that test (45 fps), we imagine that the ThinkPad X9-15 is capable of handling the Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Ultra, 1080p) benchmark even better (where the MacBook scored 31 fps. Yes, they’re old games, but that’s at the highest settings. Turn it down to low, and you could get away with playing some modern AAA games.

However, the biggest issue with the ThinkPad X9-15 is that it offers a terrible price-to-performance ratio. That’s because laptops like this are meant to be bought in bulk by companies at a deep discount, as opposed to the average consumer.

But if you have the funds, or are at least willing to wait for a sale, the ThinkPad X9-15 Gen 1 will serve you well as an all-around multimedia device.

Mini PCs might be pocket-sized compared to your laptop, but they can be just as expensive. That's why you need to make sure you're getting one that offers good performance for your money, which often means spending less.

The Asus NUC 14 Pro is a prime example. While reviewing this mini PC, I was struck by how it fell far short of other mini PCs in our performance tests, despite being the most expensive option in the bunch.

Mini PCs can be a more affordable alternative to full-tower desktop PCs and even laptops, but some are a better deal than others. Before buying the NUC 14 Pro, you should know about a few alternatives that offer more performance for less money.

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How much should you spend on a mini PC?

Mini PCs can be a good middle ground between bulky tower desktops and mobile but pricey laptops. While there are plenty of expensive, premium options out there, there are also some mini PCs that offer more than enough performance for the average user for far less than a laptop with comparable specs would cost.

For most people, you should aim to spend at most $800 on a mini PC. To put that into context, many of the best laptops are over $1,000. Of course, with a mini PC, you also need to buy a display, keyboard, and mouse, but there are plenty of budget-friendly options in that department, too.

Mini PCs also offer more freedom for customization compared to laptops, which can end up saving you money in the long run. Many mini PCs allow you to add or upgrade your RAM or storage with whatever aftermarket RAM and SSD sticks you want. All you have to do is pop open the case, plug in your memory or storage stick in the proper slot, and you're good to go.

Buying your own RAM or SSD sticks is often much less expensive than buying memory or storage upgrades on a laptop, where you usually can't upgrade those features after your purchase. As a result, mini PCs give you more control and flexibility, allowing you to increase your storage or RAM down the line if you need to, rather than replace your whole PC.

Additionally, mini PCs have a very small footprint on your desk, making them great for small workspaces. They can also be a good laptop alternative if you're just hopping between home and the office. Mini PCs are small and lighter than a lot of laptops and usually less fragile, too.

3 mini PCs that offer great value for your money

The Asus NUC 14 Pro isn't necessarily a bad mini PC, but it's a good cautionary tale for spending too much and getting too little performance in return. It underperformed on our graphics and performance benchmark tests significantly, falling far behind less pricey competitors.

If you're searching for a great mini PC, there are a few sub-$800 options you should take a look at first.

1. Geekom AX8 Pro AI

For example, the Geekom AX8 Pro AI is a Windows 11 mini PC like the NUC 14 Pro, but it offers far better gaming performance and stronger overall performance. This pocket-sized PC features an AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS processor with Radeon 780M integrated graphics that punch way above their weight class. The 512GB model comes in at just $529, almost 50% less than the Asus NUC 14 Pro.

2. M4 Mac Mini

The M4 Mac Mini is another fantastic option, although it does have the unfortunate drawback of locked-in RAM and storage. Whatever RAM and storage configuration you purchase initially is what you're stuck with. Apple doesn't allow users to add their own RAM or SSDs to the Mac Mini, which is disappointing.

With that said, the Mac Mini can still be a great mini PC, especially if you're looking to run macOS on a budget. It starts at just $599 and crushed all of our performance tests. With a Geekbench 6 score of 14,838, it outperforms most other mini PCs at this price, and many laptops, too.

3. Acemagic F2A

Finally, there's the Acemagic F2A. While Acemagic is a smaller brand, the F2A performed well overall on our performance tests, especially considering it's currently down to just $499 for a configuration with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

The Acemagic F2A came in behind the M4 Mac Mini and the Geekom AX8 Pro AI in our benchmark tests, but it still outperformed the Asus NUC 14 Pro. If you're looking for a super affordable Windows mini PC, the Acemagic F2A is a tough deal to beat right now.

These are just a few mini PCs that offer a good balance of price and performance. Depending on your needs, it may make sense to spend a bit more, like if you're a power user looking for more performance. If that's the case, focus on getting the most powerful processor you can and save money on memory and storage if you need to, since most mini PCs allow you to upgrade those specs after your purchase.

It's worth noting, though, that mini PCs aren't usually ideal for gaming. If you're looking for something specifically or gaming, you would be better served with one of the best gaming laptops or even one of the best handheld gaming PCs.

More from Laptop Mag

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Hardware should get better over time, but that isn’t always the case, and Dell just proved that.

With Dell’s first new laptops under the rebranded “Dell Plus” moniker, we can’t help but notice that the Inspiron 14 Plus laptops are the better choice.

We reviewed the Intel-powered Inspiron 14 Plus (7440) and the Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered Inspiron 14 Plus (7441) last year, giving both laptops 4 out of 5 stars with an Editor’s Choice award. The Dell 14 Plus and Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 both fell to 3.5 stars due to their poor displays, hollow audio, mediocre touchpads, and comparatively high price tags.

At a glance, if you’re looking for a new Dell laptop, the old Inspiron seems like a better choice, but does the Dell 14 Plus offer something that its predecessor doesn’t? Let’s break it down.

The final Inspiron Plus models have better displays

We also dinged both Inspiron Plus models for their poor displays. However, they at least reached 69% of the DCI-P3 color gamut with over 350 nits of brightness. While not particularly vibrant or bright, the Inspirons offered perfectly serviceable displays that didn’t detract from the laptop’s overall quality.

Meanwhile, the Dell 14 Plus and Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 clocked in with 300-nit displays that appeared dull and lifeless. The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is the bigger offender, covering just 47% of the DCI-P3 color gamut with an average brightness of just 295 nits.

While you can work with either Dell 14 Plus model, a 2-in-1 with a dull display just feels wrong. One of the benefits of the 2-in-1 format is using tent mode for movie nights or TV show binges, and that doesn’t work if the laptop’s display looks like it was built without a soul.

The Inspiron hardware may be older, but they have better performance

It isn’t just the displays that are worse on the new Dells. Both the Qualcomm and Intel Inspiron 14 Plus laptops offered better performance from a CPU and SSD speed standpoint. The Intel Meteor Lake Inspiron 14 Plus also offered comparable graphics performance on the 3DMark benchmarks, and similar battery life.

While the Qualcomm-powered Inspiron had poor graphics performance, it had the best battery life of the four Dell laptops, lasting an astounding 18 hours and 20 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test. And since the Inspiron and Dell Plus laptops aren’t designed for gaming, that battery life means far more than the poor graphics performance.

In just about all of our performance testing, the Inspiron 14 Plus models either meet the same standards as the Dell 14 Plus laptops or exceed them. So, despite the change in hardware, the older option really is better.

Why you might want to go for the Dell 14 Plus anyway

Look, even though the Inspiron 14 Plus Intel and Snapdragon laptops performed better than the Dell 14 Plus models, there are a few reasons why you might still want to grab the newer laptops instead.

Sure, if you want a better display, more robust performance, and better battery life, the Inspiron models are far superior. But stock is running low on the older models, and the Inspiron 14 Plus you want may not be available at most retailers.

It’s sometimes worth going the refurbished route, but you do need to be careful about online resellers. And a refurbished laptop won’t have a warranty, so if anything goes wrong with the Inspiron 14 Plus, you’re on the hook for the cost.

To avoid all that hassle and ensure you get the Dell you want with full warranty coverage, you may be better off going with the Dell 14 Plus. But if you can get your hands on the Inspiron 14 Plus, it’s a better deal. Especially if it's an unused model.

Alternatively, you could always ditch Dell and go for one of our best laptops or best 2-in-1 laptops instead.

Internet Explorer is notorious for frequently encountering issues and crashing, especially with IE6.

While the latter versions of Microsoft’s infamous browser performed reasonably well, they couldn’t shake off their bad reputation. While alternative browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Opera existed during Internet Explorer’s heyday, none could overshadow the built-in Windows browser until Google Chrome arrived in 2008.

Many users, including me, switched to Chrome because its performance is light-years away from that of Internet Explorer.

By 2012, Chrome's user base had surpassed that of Internet Explorer — a massive feat given that users needed to download it as a third-party app.

Microsoft finally killed off Internet Explorer in 2022, fully replacing it with the Edge browser.

Microsoft Edge actually came out seven years earlier in 2015, but only a few people used it because of what many thought of IE. Redmond re-released Edge in 2020, based on Chromium — the platform Google Chrome uses.

Despite that, one survey indicates that only a little over 5% of the market uses it, while Google Chrome enjoys more than 66% of the market share.

I used to be part of the majority until I got to try an Edge feature that I really liked. Because of that, I switched back to using Microsoft’s stock app as my main web browser, and I was surprised to find several more useful features that Chrome did not have.

1. Vertical tabs let you cram more pages in one window

This is the feature that first got me into Microsoft Edge. I usually have more than 10 tabs open at a time for every browser window, making Google Chrome look cluttered. Edge also uses horizontal tabs by default, allowing you to choose vertical tabs. This function makes my desktop look cleaner, as it compresses all my open pages on the left side of the screen.

Furthermore, it only shows the icons of my open tabs, minimizing distractions. If multiple pages of the same site are open, I can just hover over the sidebar, and Edge will automatically unfurl it. That way, I can see the names of the websites I have open at a glance.

Vertical tabs are handy as I usually have two to three browsers open simultaneously. Because of this, I have a much larger space to see all my open tabs without needing to scroll left or right at the top. It also reduces my confusion, as I like keeping all my open windows tabbed using an app like Groupy 2.

2. Microsoft Edge uses less memory

As I said earlier, I keep at least 10 tabs (usually more) on each browser window. Since I open at least three web browsers simultaneously, I have open at least 30 tabs when I work.

Because of this, Google Chrome uses a lot of RAM, sometimes even more than my computer has. I used to have 16 GB of RAM on my PC, but it would often lag even then. I eventually upgraded to 32 GB of RAM, which solved the lagging problem.

Out of curiosity, I checked Task Manager while running my typical workload. That’s when I discovered that Chrome used more than 20 GB of memory! No wonder my gaming computer was sluggish.

When I switched to Edge, I had no problems because of my upgraded RAM. When I looked at its memory usage, the Microsoft web browser hovered at around 18 GB, some two gigabytes less than what Google used.

This won’t make any difference for a power user like me, especially with my expanded RAM. However, for the average user with 8 or 16 GB of memory, that difference might be enough to keep them from tearing their hair out, especially when using memory-intensive tools like Trello.

3. Workspaces on Edge make it easier to juggle multiple roles

Aside from writing for Laptop Mag, I also hold other roles in several publications. This means I launch different sets of tools twice or thrice a day.

When I used Google Chrome, my standard tools (like Gmail and Google Calendar) were pinned as my default tabs. From there, depending on my work, I manually launched the tools I needed from the favorites tab.

However, I discovered I can do this much faster using Edge’s Workspaces feature. I create a workspace for each function I perform, meaning all the tabs I need automatically load.

Aside from those bookmarked pages, the tabs I used during my last session are open, allowing me to pick up where I left off without temporarily bookmarking the websites I needed for a specific assignment.

4. The Immersive Reader feature kills all ads and distractions

Advertising is one of the things that keeps the internet going, but many people hate it. Ads can be intrusive and distracting, especially when reading and understanding an in-depth article.

Thankfully, Microsoft Edge fixed this by blocking ads, links, and other unimportant sections with Immersive Reader. You can turn this on by pressing F9 or clicking on the options menu in the address bar and choosing Immersive Reader.

When it’s turned on, Edge will remove everything except the headline and related in-line media, allowing me (and anyone) to focus while reading. It’s not a perfect tool, though, and it sometimes misses unrelated content like e-commerce links and won’t turn on for some pages. But, for the most part, it’s good enough to make you feel like you’re reading an old-school blog or newspaper.

Microsoft Edge’s unique features made me ditch Google Chrome after several years of use. While it uses the same Chromium architecture, Microsoft’s engineers and programmers made it much more than just a Chrome knockoff.

While it arrived more than a decade too late to save old web browsers, Edge gave Internet Explorer the glow-up it deserves and has won me over — now I can’t imagine going back to Google’s web browser.

More from Laptop Mag

• I quit Google Chrome after 15 years: Here’s where I ended up and why
• Microsoft doesn't want to tell you how to uninstall Microsoft Edge
• Hot Swap: A Laptop Mag series about making the tech switch

Not all workstations are created equal.

Some are designed for STEM research and data analysis, while others are more design-focused. Either way, workstations need to be powerful machines with brawny processors to match.

Apple’s Pro-series silicon powers the MacBook Pros, which have become a staple for many designers thanks to their unmatched CPU and GPU performance. But AMD’s newest Ryzen AI Max chip could potentially change that.

We’ve compared AMD’s Ryzen AI Max chip to the Apple M4 Pro before, based on our testing of the Asus ROG Flow Z 13 and MacBook Pro 16. But the M4 Pro isn’t a gaming chipset; it’s intended for high-performance design work like illustration, architecture, or app development.

That makes the Ryzen AI Max+ Pro variant in HP’s recently reviewed ZBook Ultra 14 G1a a far better competitor.

The ZBook Ultra is also aimed at creative professionals who need powerful computing in a portable package.

So, which is the better workstation chip? Apple’s high-end M4 Pro, or AMD’s Ryzen AI Max Pro?

Which is the more powerful chip, based on lab tests?

Workstations need good general performance, so we still run the usual Geekbench and Handbrake tests and more design and data analysis-focused benchmarks like the PugetBench Adobe suite tests and SPECWorkstation for compatible Windows machines.

The HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a outperforms the Apple MacBook Pro 14’s M4 chip in general performance and the PugetBench tests, but the MacBook Pro 16’s M4 Pro holds onto its lead.

However, the ZBook closed the gap between the Ryzen AI Max and the M4 Pro compared to the ROG Flow Z13, as the Flow Z13’s performance was capped at 70 Watts due to its tablet-style design.

The Ryzen AI Max Pro has one major drawback

While the M4 Pro is still the more powerful chip, the Ryzen AI Max Pro offers some solid competition. It has the advantage of operating on Windows 11, which offers a broader range of supported programs.

That might make it a better fit, depending on what applications you need to run.

Unfortunately, all of the Ryzen AI Max’s power comes at the cost of battery life. The HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a lasted 6 hours and 45 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test, while the MacBooks lasted 18 hours.

Which workstation should you buy?

As always, this depends. If you need to use specialty CAD software like SolidWorks, macOS isn’t the best bet. At the same time, you can run Windows programs through various virtualization tools and emulation, which can often cause performance issues and slow down your processing speeds, making the M4 Pro’s increased performance gains functionally worthless.

But if you primarily intend to use design tools like Blender or the Adobe suite, you can run almost everything you need on Apple Silicon.

And if you want the best performance, a great display, and industry-leading battery life, Apple is still the way to go. Assuming, of course, you have the flexibility to choose macOS. The HP ZBook Ultra with AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ Pro chip is an excellent alternative if you don't.

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Many audiophiles say you need a DAC to get your system's best sound quality. And while I don’t consider myself an audiophile, I love listening to music and appreciate the fine detail you hear in every track. So, I decided to bite the bullet and get a DAC to see how it will affect my listening pleasure.

I bought the Wimlim i510B DAC on AliExpress for this experiment, which cost around $70. It connects to my PC via Bluetooth, and then I tested it on both my Edifier D12 Integrated Tabletop Speakers and ANC headphones. I know these aren’t top-of-the-line sound equipment, but they should be good enough to represent the average desktop PC.

What is a DAC in the first place?

A DAC, or digital-to-analog converter, is a piece of hardware that processes digital data and turns it into an analog signal that a speaker understands. Every piece of electronic equipment that outputs sound has a built-in DAC, but those who are quite particular about sound quality usually recommend getting an external DAC.

That’s because modern devices, like laptops and smartphones, are often so tightly integrated that you might get some interference when relying on internal systems.

A standalone DAC would be distant enough from other electronic components that it should theoretically be unaffected by static from other electromagnetic sources. Furthermore, it would have proper shielding to prevent errant electromagnetic or radio frequency signals from messing with your sound.

Does a DAC improve the listening experience?

I did my test in three phases — in my first test, I used RCA cables to plug my speaker into the DAC and then played some random tracks on Spotify. Afterward, I reattached the speakers directly to my dock via a 3.5 mm to RCA cable and then played another set of random songs.

For the second test phase, I connected my headphones directly to my laptop via Bluetooth and played "Talk It Up" by Sammy Rae & The Friends for my wife. I then plugged the headphones into the laptop via the 3.5 mm jack and replayed the song for my wife again.

Lastly, I played Michael W. Smith’s rendition of "In Christ Alone" with my speakers attached to the dock so that my wife and I could hear it together. After doing that, I played the same song on the same speakers, but through the DAC this time.

After this series of tests, we concluded that the DAC actually delivered slightly worse quality than connecting my speakers and headphones directly to my computer. Sure, you can hear the details of the songs that we listened to, but they were slightly crisper without the DAC.

Aside from that, the vocals were marginally weaker when the audio was played through the DAC, with the background instruments overpowering the singer.

A cheap DAC is not enough

I’m sure audiophiles would say I’m doing it wrong, and I probably am. For starters, my Edifier speakers and TaoTronics headphones aren’t designed for high-fidelity listening.

If I wanted the best audio quality, I would have to replace my sub-$200 speakers with some nice tower speakers, like the ones we used to convert an office into a personal concert hall. After that, you also need a proper amplifier and a good USB-C to Optical Audio cable to help ensure data signal integrity.

Aside from all of those, you also need a proper audio subscription (or your own CDs or vinyl) to use your hardware. After all, I only use Spotify, which is limited to 320 kbps.

If you want to get the best possible audio quality, you should invest in services offering CD quality (1411 kbps) or Hi-Res (9216 kbps) audio. Examples include Tidal and Apple Music, which also use lossless audio formats like FLAC and ALAC.

It’s better to invest in a good pair of speakers

You need to spend thousands of dollars on equipment, records, and subscriptions to get the gold standard of audio entertainment on your computer. This will give you a listening experience that’s better than what most users have.

However, you don’t have to drop that amount of money just to get a decent experience listening to music. One of the best budget speakers should be more than enough to more than double your listening pleasure over the stock speakers you have on your laptop, even if you have a 13-inch MacBook Air M4.

If you don’t want to disturb the people around you with your listening choices, we recommend picking out one of the best wireless headphones instead of relying on cheap knockoffs from Amazon.

Although these won’t cost thousands of dollars, they’re more than enough to get you a decent listening experience. But if you’ve tasted what the very best sound equipment can bring to the table and crave hi-fi audio quality daily, please, don’t settle for a cheap DAC.

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My Acer Aspire E 15 carried me for years throughout college, so let it be known that I cherish the best budget laptops. However, sometimes, a deal that seems too good to be true actually is too good to be true.

I recently reviewed the Acer Aspire 3 15, which is on sale for a little over $300 and hits nearly all of the notes we expect a budget laptop, both good and bad. However, the key it missed was battery life.

I once made it my mission to tell you that budget laptops do not need to sacrifice battery life, but now I’m on a different quest. Let me tell you all about how those super cheap laptop deals might come back to bite you.

Plan for the future

That sweet $300 laptop deal sounds pretty tempting, right? No! Now, imagine I slapped your hand away from the One Ring.

I’m not saying all cheap laptop deals are bad, but you need to be careful about what you’re getting. Making your budget $300, you risk buying something that won’t last long. And guess what? You're going to have to buy another one when that thing dies.

The display and audio are the first things to go in a budget laptop. These are not quality multimedia machines.

Then there’s the performance. Let’s face it, it won't be the best, but a good budget laptop can be pretty decent, and others… Well, they’re just bad. The problem with poor performance is longevity. This is a laptop that will not last you for years to come. I’ve seen some laptops perform so poorly out of the box that I want to throw them into the sun. When you are sitting there counting the seconds to load a single webpage, you'll regret the bargain basement laptop.

As I mentioned, you can get great budget laptops that don’t sacrifice battery life, but it's not guaranteed on laptops this cheap. The Acer Aspire 3 couldn’t even get 7 hours on our battery test. That's with the display set to 150 nits; it'll be worse on full brightness, and batteries degrade over time, so that battery life will only worsen.

Do yourself a favor and save for that $500 or even $700 laptop. I know that can be difficult, but patience will serve you here. That’s where you can greatly extend the life of use. For example, the Acer Aspire 14 AI is a strong choice. It’s $749 at Costco right now (we've seen it for as little as $699). Yes, it is over double the price of the Aspire 3 15 on sale, but it also offers over double the performance and battery life.

If you really want cheap and don’t mind a Chromebook, then get the Acer Chromebook Spin 312, which is currently $329 at Best Buy right now. It features similar performance, but because ChromeOS is a much lighter operating system, you’ll see fewer slowdowns than you would on Windows. Also, the Spin 312 offers over 10 hours of battery life.

If you haven’t noticed the theme, it’s that Acer makes some pretty solid budget laptops… but they aren't all winners. If you want anything but an Acer, try for the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425M). You can find the Intel Core Ultra 5 model at Amazon for $599. Getting an OLED display at this price is a huge win. Not to mention that the Zenbook 14 offers stellar battery life. The Core Ultra 5 performance won’t be as strong as the one we tested, but it’ll certainly outpace the Aspire’s measly AMD Ryzen 3 7320U.

The trick to shop for a budget laptop is to shop for premium laptops. You can find wild deals on premium laptops that’ll take you well under $1,000. Many of these can be found on our best laptop deals page. I mean, even the MacBook Air M4 13-inch is $849 on Amazon right now.

If you want a laptop that’ll last you longer than a year, be patient. You can get your ideal laptop to fit within your budget (so long as your budget is realistic).

AR may be coming soon to an office near you.

Sightful launched Spacetop for Windows, an AR glasses and software combo, earlier this month. Packaged with XReal's Air 2 Ultra glasses, Spacetop is a piece of AR virtual display management software, designed to solve a few key pain points in the AR space.

With a travel mode for better motion tracking, a mouse that can't be lost, and a massive virtual canvas, Spacetop intends to change the way we interact with AR spaces.

But is Spacetop for Windows worth the steep $899 buy-in price? Let's find out.

Spacetop: The highs

AR workspaces aren't exactly new. So what makes Spacetop different?

Spacetop for Windows has a unique Travel Mode feature for a better working experience on the go. It also has a massive virtual canvas and multiple quality-of-life features like tilt mode and a mouse you just can't lose.

Working in AR, especially when you're in a moving vehicle, can be a bit tricky. Just plugging your AR glasses into your laptop won't enable motion tracking, so you might end up leaving your virtual screen behind when your bus turns a corner or your plane needs to bank to avoid a bit of turbulence.

And in a case like that, Spacetop's Travel Mode, with AI-powered motion tracking, can be a total game-changer. Especially because the Spacetop software doesn't display your windows on the laptop screen, allowing you the privacy to work with sensitive documents and files while commuting or in a cafe.

Additionally, Spacetop's software is designed to give you a virtual 100-inch display, allowing you to work in multiple applications side-by-side. For the heavy multitasker, additional screen space is always a bonus, and Spacetop gives you more room than you'd get even with multiple monitors. You can lay out your virtual canvas however you like.

But if you're worried about losing your mouse in all that canvas space, don't be. Sightful has coded the cursor so you can't lose your mouse, no matter how hard you try.

Add in the tilt function to set your AR canvas at the best ergonomic angle for your current working environment, and it's a handy little piece of software.

Spacetop: The lows

No matter how you look at it, Spacetop is an expensive piece of software.

$899 for the XReal Air 2 Ultra AR Glasses and the Spacetop software is pricey. XReal's Air 2 Ultra retails for $699. The annual software renewal fee for Spacetop for Windows is $200.

So, sure. The pricing makes sense. The $899 covers the software license fee and the price of the XReal glasses.

However.

There are cheaper AR glasses with decent displays, including most of the other glasses made by XReal, not to mention the competition like TCL and Viture.

There are free alternatives made by XReal themselves (Nebula for Windows), plus Lenovo's Virtual Display Manager, and Viture's ARMoni.

In fact, both Viture's ARMoni display management software supports multiple brands of AR glasses, including the XReal Air 2 Ultra glasses that Spacetop ships with.

Of course, these free applications aren't quite as polished as Spacetop and lack the AI-powered motion-tracking capabilities.

But for most tech enthusiasts, pricing will be a major deciding factor, if not the ultimate decision point. In that case, I just can't see a future for Spacetop outside of the corporate enterprise space.

Bottom line

Spacetop was an ambitious project from the start, and moving to an app just makes sense given the current advancements in AI PCs. While Spacetop is currently just available on Intel's Lunar Lake systems right now, it will eventually be supported on any of the best AI PCs.

The application software is stable, and clearly Sightful has spent a ton of development time fine-tuning the controls to make them as seamless as possible. I had as great an experience in AR with Spacetop as I could possibly imagine.

And considering Sightful's partnership with SHI and Deutsche Telekom, Spacetop for Windows is clearly intended for the enterprise.

I just cannot get past the pricing.

Sure, enterprise pricing always exists in a somewhat ethereal state because the quoted price is rarely what an enterprise customer will actually pay per unit. And for corporate purposes, Spacetop is a fantastic solution.

Spacetop's $899 price tag may include the XREAL Air Ultra 2 glasses, but its $200 software renewal fee is difficult to swallow.

This is especially true for a regular tech enthusiast looking to get into AR computing. While other AR workspace applications may not be as seamless, they're free.

If Spacetop offered universal AR glasses support, it'd help offset the software cost, but then it also wouldn't need to ship with XReal's pricy Air 2 Ultra glasses.

While software devs on an ambitious project like Spacetop deserve to get paid for their time and expertise, it's a shame to lock a genuinely useful piece of software behind such a steep initial buy-in price.

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When shopping for the best gaming laptops, the expectation is that when it comes to GPUs, bigger is better. An Nvidia RTX 5090 GPU should consistently outperform an RTX 5080. That’s just how the CUDA cores crumble.

But now and again, we get a system that proves the exception to the rule.

In this case, we’re talking about the MSI Raider 18 HX AI, which features the powerful combo of an Nvidia RTX 5080 GPU and an Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX processor.

Due to the Raider’s ability to leverage up to 260 Watts of power for its CPU and GPU, it easily overpowered the RTX 5090 in the Razer Blade 16 (2025) and HP Omen Max 16.

Confused? Let me explain.

More laptop equals more power and better cooling

One of the benefits of an 18-inch desktop replacement gaming laptop is that its size gives it room for a proper cooling system that can leverage as much power as possible to the CPU and GPU, which gets you the kind of performance that justifies ditching your desktop PC for a laptop instead.

The trade-off is that you don’t expect it to be portable. So if it’s more than an inch thick and weighs almost 8 pounds, we don't recommend commuting daily with it.

But returning to the advantages, we ran the MSI Raider 18 HX, Razer Blade 16 (2025), and HP Omen Max 16 through multiple game benchmarks spanning the gamut of optimized performance, older titles, and GPU-melting new releases.

When it comes to 1080p gaming performance, the MSI Raider’s RTX 5080 GPU displayed a significant performance lead over both RTX 5090 systems.

The Raider took a full 33-frame lead on the Blade 16 in Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, and a 28 fps lead on the Omen Max 16 in Black Myth: Wukong using Cinematic graphics preset.

In fact, on most of the 14 games that we use for graphics testing, the Raider’s RTX 5080 outperformed both RTX 5090 laptops at 1080p resolution. The exceptions include Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Dirt 5, and Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition at the Extreme graphics preset.

But for notoriously intensive games like Black Myth: Wukong, Cyberpunk 2077, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Red Dead Redemption II, the Raider once again surpassed its 5090 counterparts.

1080p performance isn’t the whole story

Of course, that’s just FHD performance. At the native resolution of the three laptops, the RTX 5090 tended to do far better. Of course, the Raider’s max resolution is 3840 x 2400, while the Omen Max 16 and Blade 16 cap out at 2560 x 1600p. But we’ll use the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 as a stand-in for the Raider.

The Aorus features a 1600p display, an RTX 5080 GPU, and a similar Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor. While they’re not identical CPUs, and the Raider includes more system memory, their 1080p benchmarks are in the same ballpark.

With that said, the RTX 5090 takes the lead over the lower-spec GPU when it comes to higher resolution.

We’ve seen CPU bottleneck issues with Nvidia’s high-end cards over the last few generations of gaming laptops, where performance throttles at 1080p due to the communication between the CPU and GPU when rendering frames. Some of that is clearly at work here with the 1080p performance.

However, even at a higher 1600p resolution, the RTX 5080 is still competitive. The Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 was just about as fast as both RTX 5090 laptops on Assassin’s Creed: Mirage and Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, and that trend holds even with Black Myth: Wukong and Cyberpunk 2077.

The only games where we saw a significant performance gap between the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 were Dirt 5 and Far Cry 6.

On Dirt 5, both 5090 laptops outperformed the Gigabyte by at least 55 fps. But on Far Cry 6, the RTX 5080 in the Gigabyte outperformed both RTX 5090 laptops by 9-19 fps.

But portability is key for many laptop owners

It’s time to choose between power and portability.

If you want the ultimate gaming experience, you’ll need a desktop replacement like the RTX 5090 version of the MSI Raider 18 HX. (It’s just $900 more than the RTX 5080 model.)

But if you want all that power while trying not to break your back, get a portable gaming laptop like the Razer Blade 16 (2025). That laptop is just 0.59 inches thick and weighs just over 4 pounds.

Now, if you’re capping your budget at exactly $4,499, you can choose between the portable Razer Blade 16 (2025) with an RTX 5090 or the mighty MSI Raider 18 HX AI with an RTX 5080.

The Blade 16 (2025) offers a slight edge in 1600p performance on some games, but at 1080p, it’s less powerful.

Or you can go for the Raider, which is more powerful at lower resolutions and has an 18-inch, 3849 x 2400, MiniLED display. After all, with Nvidia’s DLSS 4 super sampling and frame generation technology, you can get a fantastic 4K gaming experience with the Raider.

So, unless you’ve got to haul your gaming rig to a weekly LAN party, the Raider gets you more power for your dollar and an overall better gaming experience.

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Finding budget-friendly tech that's actually worth your money can be tricky, which is why you need to be careful if you're searching for a new iPad.

The cheapest iPad in Apple's current lineup is the iPad 11, but the previous version, the iPad 10, is still available at plenty of other retailers. Whether you found a great iPad deal on the iPad 10 and are considering it or already have an iPad 10 currently, like I do, and find yourself wondering if upgrading is worth it.

After using both of these iPads extensively, I can confidently say there are some major differences, even though the iPad 11 and iPad 10 look identical on the surface.

You don't want to waste your money buying the wrong one when you can get one of the best tablets at an affordable price. So, here's a deep dive into the iPad 11 vs. iPad 10 to help you choose the right one.

See also: Best tablet deals in May 2025

iPad 11 vs iPad 10: Price and configurations

At first glance, the iPad 11 and iPad 10 are nearly indistinguishable. They have the same price, screen size, and dimensions. As you might expect, the iPad 11 has a newer processor, but the most important change is the storage.

Apple increased the base storage on its base iPad from 64GB on the iPad 10 to 128GB on the iPad 11. So, the 11th-gen model offers twice as much storage for the same starting price.

While the newer processor, increased RAM, and longer battery life are all great perks of the iPad 11, the storage bump is a deal-breaker here. If you're buying a new iPad right now, there's virtually no reason to go with the iPad 10 over the iPad 11 due to the difference in base storage alone.

If you can find the iPad 10 at a steep discount and don't need much storage, there might be a case for the 10th-gen model. However, even then, there are other factors that make the iPad 11 a better value for your money.

Winner: iPad 11

iPad 11 vs iPad 10: Design and accessories

You'll have a hard time telling the iPad 11 and iPad 10 apart side-by-side. In fact, they have precisely the same chassis. Apple didn't make any noticeable design changes to the iPad 11. Technically, its display is a hair larger at 11 inches instead of 10.9, but you would never know by looking at it.

There's nothing wrong with the design here. It's polished, straightforward, and looks good for the price. As the saying goes, if it's not broken, don't fix it. Both generations are even available in the same colors: silver, blue, pink, and yellow.

While design overhauls can be exciting, the identical designs, in this case, are good if you currently have an iPad 10 and are thinking about upgrading. This means that all of your current accessories will also work with the iPad 11, including the Magic Keyboard Folio and the Apple Pencil USB-C.

I've really enjoyed using both of these accessories, although admittedly, I wish the iPad 11 was compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro, even if only to finally standardize Apple Pencil compatibility.

If you're going to get an Apple Pencil for the iPad 11 or iPad 10, don't get the Apple Pencil 1st Generation. Apple still advertises it as compatible with the base iPad, but it's not worth your money. The Apple Pencil USB-C is a better accessory for either iPad, and you would need an adapter just to connect the old 1st-gen Pencil to any modern iPad.

All of that to say, design isn't a deal breaker between the iPad 11 and iPad 10, and if you currently have an iPad 10, you won't need to buy new accessories.

Winner: Tie (they're the same)

iPad 11 vs iPad 10: Battery life

Battery life was one of the most significant improvements I noticed in the iPad 11 over the iPad 10. It lasted 11 hours and 25 minutes in our battery life test, a decent lead over the iPad 10's time of 10 hours and 57 minutes. It's not a huge difference, but it's enough to give the iPad 11 an edge.

I used the iPad 11 for work, web browsing, streaming videos, and casual gaming, and was usually able to get through a full day on a single charge. If you're planning to use this as your daily driver, that extra half hour of battery life on the iPad 11 could come in handy.

Winner: iPad 11

iPad 11 vs iPad 10: Display

Since the iPad 11 and iPad 10 feature the exact same chassis, it might not come as a surprise that they also have effectively the same size display. Technically, the iPad 11's display is 0.10 inches larger, but you would never notice. Both iPads sport 2360 x 1640 Liquid Retina IPS panels with LED backlighting.

While they look virtually identical on paper (and in person), the iPad 11's display showed a slight edge in our tests. Both displays looked great in my hands-on use, with vivid colors, smooth animations, and good contrast. Everything from games to webpages looks clear and colorful on both iPads.

However, the iPad 11 performed a bit better across the board in our display tests, giving it a narrow win in this category.

Winner: iPad 11

iPad 11 vs iPad 10: Performance

The iPad 11 has a clear edge over the iPad 10 in terms of overall performance, thanks to its newer processor and higher RAM. The iPad 10 launched in 2022, so its A14 Bionic chip is getting pretty dated. The iPad 11 has a much more recent A16 chip, also seen in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15.

Unfortunately, the iPad 10 was released so long ago that we tested it with an older version of our main performance benchmark, Geekbench. So, we can't directly compare its Geekbench score to that of the iPad 11. Luckily, a couple of other tests point to a clear winner when it comes to performance.

The iPad 11 scored 100 points higher on the Jetstream 2 web browsing benchmark and completed the Adobe Premiere Rush video exporting test faster than the iPad 10. It's not a huge performance gap, but it's enough to make a difference if you're buying a new iPad. If you currently have an iPad 10, it may still be worth upgrading if you often use your iPad for tasks like video or photo editing and gaming.

Additionally, the newer A16 chip in the iPad 11 will also receive software updates for a few years longer than the iPad 10. Unfortunately, neither of these iPads is compatible with Apple Intelligence, Apple's AI platform. For that, you'll need at least an iPad Mini 7.

Winner: iPad 11

iPad 11 vs iPad 10: Gaming and graphics

One of the biggest advantages the iPad 11 offers over the iPad 10 is its superior gaming performance. Mobile gaming is one of my main uses for my iPad, so I immediately noticed the difference when playing some of my favorite games on the iPad 11.

For instance, in Hades I experienced zero lag, freezing, or stuttering on the iPad 11. My iPad 10 occasionally struggled with this, especially in rooms or zones with a lot of enemies. The iPad 11 also seemed to stay cooler during my hour-long gaming sessions.

Similarly, Katana ZERO, Wildfrost, and Death's Door all ran great on the iPad 11. They run fine on the iPad 10, too, but the performance is definitely a bit better on the 11th-gen model.

This showed in our tests, too. The iPad 11 scored nearly 3,000 points higher than the iPad 10 on the 3DMark Wild Life Original Unlimited graphics benchmark. It also had a higher average frames per second of 63.5 compared to the iPad 10's average of just 46.1. That's a noticeable difference if you often use your iPad for gaming, so the iPad 11 easily takes the win in this category.

Winner: iPad 11

Overall winner: iPad 11

If you're looking for an iPad on a budget or a new tablet in general, there's no doubt that the iPad 11 is one of the best values for your money on the market right now. Not only is it a better deal than the iPad 10, it's the best budget tablet you can buy.

While the iPad 11 features the same design and starting price as the iPad 10, it offers double the base storage, longer battery life, and significantly stronger gaming performance. So, if you're buying a new iPad, the iPad 11 offers better overall value than the iPad 10.

If you currently have an iPad 10, it may be worth trading in, especially if you frequently use your iPad for gaming (or other graphics-intensive tasks like digital art). If you have a 64GB model, you can also double your storage with a trade-in, and, as an added bonus, you'll get a few extra years of software updates and a little more battery life compared to the iPad 10.

If you're still trying to choose, you can visit our guide to the best tablets for even more top picks.

Over the last year, we've seen integrated graphics performance like never before on the latest chips from AMD and Intel. That's good news for gaming handhelds as they rely on integrated graphics chips.

After all, the best gaming handhelds need to have the best possible graphics.

This week, Intel pushed out a major driver update intended to boost the performance of Arc 130V and 140V integrated graphics chips, particularly when operating at low power settings.

While this will impact all of the Intel Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake chipsets, it's very clearly geared at handheld gaming PCs. And when we're talking Intel handhelds, there's really only two options: The MSI Claw 8 AI+ and the Claw 7 AI+.

So, having seen the news from Intel earlier this week, naturally, we put those claims to the test.

Low power gaming gains: the benchmarks

Intel's blog post detailing the graphics driver update indicates a 10% uplift on frame-rates at 17W power.

Since the 17W manual setting on the MSI Claw is more useful for unplugged performance, we decided to test gaming performance with the handheld on battery power. After all, it's hardly a gaming handheld if its plugged in.

While we did review the Claw 8 AI+ earlier this year, I had to rely on my personal Claw 7 AI+ handheld for these tests, with the Claw set to the 17W performance plan, using Medium graphics settings at 1080p, and XeSS or FSR upscaling enabled.

Since this was not a review unit, I opted to stick to gaming benchmarks that I already had on hand, so I benchmarked the Claw 7 AI+ using Cyberpunk 2077, Monster Hunter: Wilds, and Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail.

While most folks won't be playing Monster Hunter: Wilds on a handheld, the benchmark is a free download and is a pretty rigorous test of the hardware.

With the new Intel driver, I got a less than 1 fps performance boost on Monster Hunter: Wilds which isn't a lot, but for a game that tends to force you into using frame generation, that's not terrible uplift. Though it isn't exactly playable.

For the hunters who just cannot let a moment pass without fighting a tempered monster, you can always enable AMD's FSR upscaling with frame generation to make the game a bit more playable on a handheld. Or drop your graphics preset down to low and enjoy the Monster Hunter: Rise Switch edition nostalgia.

Cyberpunk 2077 and Final Fantasy XIV are far more likely to be played on handhelds, and are certainly above the 30 fps threshold for playability regardless of driver. With the driver update I got a 2 fps increase on both games, for a 4-5% uplift.

I'm not saying Intel is wrong, because their 10% uplift is not the improvement on every one of the games Intel tested. And we only have crossover on one game, so we weren't ever likely to see an exact match.

Additionally not all of my test games feature XeSS support, and not all games Intel tested saw a 10% uplift. So depending on your settings, you may not notice much difference either, but a few frames can make a lot of difference when you're looking at games running under 60fps.

Low-power gaming gains: in game

Much as it pains my former lab-tester heart, benchmarks aren't everything. You don't generally play a game by benchmarking it, so I also took a look at how the Intel driver update handled 17W performance while in-game.

After all, one of Intel's main selling points on these new drivers is increased stability, which can be hard to spot with a benchmark.

For this set of tests, I opted to take a look at games I routinely play since I'll more easily notice a frame-rate drop. With Avowed and Bladur's Gate III, I relied on the Microsoft Game Bar to check my frame rates.

Prior to the update, I was running Avowed at 1080p, on Medium settings, and getting about 19 fps without TSR enabled and 26 fps with TSR upscaling. On Bladur's Gate III at 1080p and Medium settings, I was getting frame rates closer to 28 fps with no upscaling.

After the Intel driver update, I'm now seeing frame rates in Avowed in the 21 fps range without TSR enabled, and up to 29 fps with TSR upscaling. On Baldur's Gate III, I'm now getting frame rates in the 34fps range without upscaling. I saw far fewer frame drops in both games, as they held relatively stable with only a few fps variation in either direction from my average.

And when you're dealing with handhelds, frame stability is almost more important than just a raw fps average.

Is the Claw now the handheld gaming king?

Our top pick for best handheld gaming PC is still the Asus ROG Ally X, in part because of the community support that has helped shape that handheld into its mature second generation. That community approach is driven both by Ally enthusiasts and Asus' own staff, including 16-year veteran Shawn Yen.

The Claw has generated more buzz with this new generation, and we're happy to see Intel working to improve handheld performance, the Claw community hasn't quite hit the same level of collaboration and support as the Ally. Yet, anyway.

That said, if you want the best battery life and fantastic performance, the second generation MSI Claws are worthy contenders for the title.

Whether you go for the larger MSI Claw 8 AI+ or the revamped MSI Claw 7 AI+, both have the same powerful and efficient Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor with the Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics chip. And both are eligible for this new Intel Arc graphics driver update, which is available now.

While the Ally X still holds on to its handheld crown, that position gets shakier by the day. The Claw 8 AI+ is the clear winner on battery life, but for the overall title, it's a closer race these days than it was just a few months ago.

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If anyone knows anything about me, I love my big, beautiful LG OLED TV — I have two in my house, and I am considering getting a third (no, I don’t have that kind of money, I just know deals). Because of that, I am super picky about my laptop displays, so when the Yoga 9i landed on my laptop, I started drooling.

I recently reviewed the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition, and there’s a lot to love there, but the display and audio experience completely blew me away, making this laptop a killer multimedia device.

Whether you travel often, like snuggling up in bed, or simply cannot afford a chunky LG OLED TV, here’s why you should consider the Yoga 9i.

The Yoga 9i is the peak multimedia device

The two key features of the Yoga 9i are its display and audio. However, its battery life and design lend themselves quite well to this purpose.

First things first, the Yoga 9i is rocking a 14-inch, 2880 x 1800, 120Hz OLED touchscreen display. It clocked in 421 nits of brightness and covered 210.6% of the sRGB and 149.2% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. For context, that offers nearly double the color coverage of the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M4.

We don’t have the tools to measure audio quality, but no other laptop manufacturer has replicated the Yoga’s sound bar hinge. It delivers 360-degree sound with four speakers, which include two 2W tweeters (treble) and two 2W woofers (bass). It offers a loud, wide range that makes the lows, mids, and highs feel distinct. It’s easily equal to or better than your average TV speaker, maybe not in volume but in quality.

Of course, the Yoga 9i can’t replace 65 inches of big-screen goodness, but it certainly helps that it's remarkably cheaper. You can score the Yoga 9i for just $1,499 right now at Best Buy. That’ll get you the shiny 14-inch display alongside an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.

Technically, since it does sport the Intel Arc 140V iGPU, you can get in some light gaming as well. We ran Sid Meier's Civ VI: Gathering Storm (Medium, 1080p) at a solid 69 frames per second. You might be able to run some AAA games as well, albeit at low settings.

The core advantage that the Yoga 9i has over a TV is portability. The Yoga 9i weighs only 2.9 pounds and measures 12.44 x 8.66 x 0.65 inches. You could fit this thing into most laptop bags and even some purses. And this is so easy to snuggle up in bed with.

Battery life is another critical component for this stellar streaming superstar. You can’t binge The Last of Us on a laptop that dies during a critical moment. Thankfully, this rig will net you 12 hours and 47 minutes of battery life. Your time will vary since we set our display brightness to 150 nits, so the dimmer your screen, the more battery life you’ll eke out.

If you are constantly on the go, the last thing you want to worry about is your shiny new laptop breaking apart during a single drop. Well, lucky for you, the Yoga 9i sports an aluminum chassis that’s been MIL-SPEC tested for drops, shocks, extreme temperatures, and more.

Overall, if you’re looking for a laptop to watch your favorite shows and listen to your favorite music, the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition is the perfect choice.

Here at Laptop Mag, we frequently look into switching up our traditional tech setups. But instead of cutting cords or ditching a computer entirely, I cut out a screen.

As part of the review process for various products, we spend a lot of time using them for our daily workload, binge-watch sessions, and gaming. Thus, I spent the last week using the Geekom AX8 Pro AI Mini PC as my daily work computer instead of the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q435) I typically use.

And to my surprise, I barely noticed a difference between my usual setup and using the Geekom mini PC. That’s thanks to all of the similarities between using one of the best laptops or a mini PC to power a monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

But what’s the same and what’s different? Mini PCs are generally cheaper, too, so should you save that extra cash? Let’s jump in.

Switching to a mini PC: What’s the same

Mini PCs are tiny little desktop computers that often opt for the lower-powered mobile CPU variants (the same ones in laptops). Both are constrained environment computer designs, so they have a lot of the same needs, like power-efficient computing and low-profile thermal solutions.

So you’re getting a very similar level of performance in terms of CPU and integrated GPU between most laptops and mini PCs. Sure, you can find the odd mini PC that sports a discrete GPU or has space for one. But most are iGPU machines similar to consumer laptops.

The Geekom AX8 Pro is an AMD Ryzen 7 device, while my usual Zenbook 14 OLED features an Intel Core Ultra 7 chipset instead. For most of my workflow, I barely noticed a performance difference between the two.

Switching to a mini PC: What’s different

Port offerings are usually one of the key differences. As a mini desktop PC, the Geekom AX8 Pro featured a pretty robust port array. My only complaints were a lack of DisplayPort and a lack of quick-access USB-C connections on the front, but most laptops just come with a single HDMI port, so the Geekom mini PC is the clear winner on the port front.

Meanwhile, laptops come with an attached keyboard, touchpad, and monitor, so you can fully use the device when disconnected from a full desk setup. They’re the ideal commuting device, capable of working on the go whether that’s a long train ride, a flight, or even just working out of your hotel room during a trade show (speaking from personal experience).

With a mini PC, you’d need to carry a travel mouse, keyboard, and portable monitor to use it on the go. While some may prefer having a proper keyboard and mouse when on the road, it’s a lot of equipment to break out on a train or plane.

Plus, mini PCs don’t really come with internal batteries, so they can’t function without an outlet.

Personally, I didn’t really need to use the Geekom AX8 Pro outside of the office this week, so I noticed only the lack of a second monitor.

While I do use a 27-inch monitor with my display set to a shared-screen layout for increased productivity, I often like to set up my laptop to the side as an additional display, with my task manager or team chat open for quick reference without interrupting my workflow on the main display.

But the Geekom AX8 does have two HDMI connections, allowing you to connect multiple monitors, so you could easily go for a dual-monitor setup instead of the monitor and laptop combo. For the sake of saving my desk space, I didn’t go that route, but if I was making the switch long-term, dual monitors would definitely be the way.

Should you make the swap?

For my week in the office, it was easy enough to snag my laptop when I needed to run to a meeting or head home. I have the benefit of being surrounded by technology at all times, thanks to my job as a tech reviewer for Laptop Mag.

I also have the benefit of working at a company that uses web-based applications for pretty much all of our operations. Adobe Photoshop is perhaps the only piece of software that I need day-to-day outside of Google’s Chrome browser, making it easy to switch between multiple devices.

But without multi-device flexibility, swapping to a mini PC would be a bit harder. I spend a decent amount of time in meetings, commuting to the office on a hybrid schedule, and on the road. Which makes a laptop an easier choice for my usual work machine.

Plus, this is Laptop Mag. Sometimes, we do have to live up to the name of the publication.

However, for folks who work in the office every day, don’t have long commutes, and don’t travel for work much, a mini PC is a decent choice for your day-to-day work computer.

Or if you plan to set it up as your home computer, opting for a small, lightweight mini PC that mounts to the back of your monitor and de-clutters your desk may not be a bad choice compared to a traditional desktop computer tower.

But if you need a computer with a built-in display and keyboard, with the ability to work untethered, you’re better off with one of the best laptops instead.

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If my friends know anything about me, it’s that I love a shiny new display. So I can be hypocritical about laptop displays, especially since you’re stuck with them as long as you own the laptop.

The most recent laptop display I fell in love with belongs to the HP Omen Max 16. The best gaming laptops, second only to possibly the best video editing laptops, must sport gorgeous displays. This is the window into your favorite video games, and that window needs to look like it’s open. Unfortunately, most gaming laptops cannot keep up with the best gaming monitors, so I’d typically opt for the latter.

However, if you want to be deeply immersed in games in an all-in-one package like I do, here are 3 gaming laptops that'll make you forget about buying a monitor.

1. HP Omen Max 16

I simply must talk about the HP Omen Max 16. Yes, my review configuration wis $4,299, but the display certainly earns its place in a product at this price.

It’s outfitted with a 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz OLED display, which means it’s sharp, smooth, and offers infinite contrast. It registered 363 nits of brightness, which isn’t super bright, but the panel covered 141.4% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 199.7% of the sRGB color gamut. In 8 years of reviewing gaming laptops I've never seen one with a display this colorful.

Now, the reason why the HP Omen Max 16 costs a fortune is its overpowered Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 24GB GPU. You can blast through any AAA game with ease. It tore through Cyberpunk 2077 on Ultra, 1080p at 58 frames per second. And that’s before spicing it up with DLSS 4, which could double or triple frame rates.

If you want a powerhouse, the HP Omen Max 16 is what you need.

2. Dell G16 (7630)

While I do enjoy an expensive gaming laptop, I will not delude myself into thinking that I can afford them. However, the Dell G16 (7630) is an excellent candidate for a laptop that’ll make you forget about getting a monitor.

It’s not too dissimilar to the HP Omen Max, except the Dell G16 features an IPS version of a 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz display. It may not offer infinite contrast or much brightness at 310 nits. However, it rocked up with 114% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 169% of the sRGB color gamut. That’s more color coverage than most premium gaming laptops ($2K+) can support.

With that significantly lower price comes more tame graphics, rocking an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 8GB GPU. But that doesn’t mean you can’t play intense games. On the Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra, 1080p) benchmark, the Dell G16 (7630) scored 33 fps, making it to playable frames. If you turn down the graphics, you can probably get close to or above 60 fps.

If you want one of the best cheap gaming laptops, this is it.

3. Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9)

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) isn't cheap, but it’s more affordable than the HP Omen Max 16 at $3,649 and still offers an excellent display. In fact, it’s at the top of our best gaming laptops list because it’s a strong all-rounder.

Sticking with a common theme in specs, the Legion Pro 7i sports a 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz display. It clocked in 456 nits of brightness, 108.7% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, and 153.5% of the sRGB color gamut.

We’re upping the performance to an RTX 4090 GPU. We tested the RTX 4080 model, but this former is the only one currently available. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the 4090 will offer even better performance. Our model scored 44 fps on the Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark, so you can likely expect a 5 to 15 fps increase.

If you’re wondering why an RTX 4090 might outclass an RTX 5090, that’s a good question. Many factors determine how well a GPU performs, including the CPU's performance and heat management. And we’ve seen RTX 40-series gaming laptops score higher than the 50-series. But the RTX 40-series doesn’t offer Multi Frame Generation, which is why the RTX 50-series has the advantage.

But overall, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is a killer gaming laptop with an awesome display.

Why 2.5K, 240Hz?

One of the reasons why this 1600p resolution and 240 hertz combo is so popular is because it’s a perfect balance.

Unfortunately, most GPUs still can’t manage gaming at 4K, 60fps in AAA titles at max settings, so dropping to 1600p makes sense. And 240Hz provides your eyes more than enough information to change your gaming experience.

I’m not saying that if you see these specs, then that’s the one! But they certainly help, and so do OLED displays. Stay tuned for more gaming laptop reviews to see the next shiny display I review.

If you think AI is mostly memes and marketing fluff, you’re not alone. Intel’s Robert Hallock was equally skeptical at one point in time. Now, he’s betting that AI, the quiet kind, will be the key to Intel unlocking the kind of power, performance, and battery life truly befitting a next-generation laptop.

In a conversation encompassing everything from ethical AI cocoa farming to the futility of the F1 key, and the rollercoaster ride that is the Gartner Hype Cycle, Hallock shines a light on Intel’s AI ambitions, unpacks the challenges ahead, and offers a counterpoint to the hunt for AI’s killer app… All 450 and counting of them.

An interview with Intel's Robert Hallock

What’s your role in AI?

“We’re just trying to make computers faster … and AI is the new face of that.”

Early into our conversation, I asked Robert Hallock if he was what you might call an AI optimist. While he was quick to offer an “I am!” he’s by no means a babe in the woods. His role as senior director of technical marketing for AI at Intel may suggest a dyed-in-the-wool evangelist for all things AI, but Hallock had to be convinced of its capabilities like any other.

“I had the same initial reaction a lot of people had when artificial generalized intelligence came onto the scene (the cloud stuff), I was a little skeptical.”

However, with a career that spans years of technical marketing for processors and GPUs, not to mention stints in journalism as a PC hardware reviewer and technical writer, Hallock has a nose fine-tuned for snake oil — so when he says AI is the key to improving performance and power efficiency in Intel’s new wave of hardware, it’s hard not to buy into that notion.

"I quickly realized there's a lot going on in a different kind of AI — you could call it assistive AI or offline AI. [At Intel] We’re just trying to make computers faster, more power efficient, and AI is the new face of that."

Still, the term AI is broad and carries plenty of baggage and skepticism.

“I think that negativity is not unwarranted, it's also very confusing sometimes because the word AI means a lot of things.

"Are we talking about the AI toaster that has no AI? The cloud kind — which, who knows what happens to your info once you submit it into the chat box? Or are we talking about the offline kind, where you're just running another program on your PC?

"They're not all the same thing, and so I'm an optimist on the ‘assistive local runs on your PC, helps with performance and power.’ I'm big on that kind, and not so big on the other kind.”

Have you seen AI used in a way that you find uncomfortable or worrying?

“Every technology has its bad actors … Don’t be a jerk with AI.”

Since generative AI has broken into the mainstream, it seems like almost anything is possible thanks to these powerful predictive models. Sadly, that potential can be used for good and bad outcomes.

“Obviously, the generative deep fakes are a little concerning. But on the same token, I also think back to the first non-gaming use of graphics cards, which unfortunately, was to crack Wi-Fi passwords. Every technology has its bad actors.

“I think it is incumbent upon companies like Intel to continue promoting ethical and responsible uses of AI — use it to help your email or to write a document, don't be a jerk with AI.”

However, it’s not always the outcome of a model that can be used in bad faith. For AI image generators specifically, a pretty pungent stink is being kicked up online around how this kind of software is trained.

While OpenAI CEO Sam Altman thinks granting creators and artists a share of revenue for creative AI art in their style would be “cool,” Hallock shares how Intel is already taking steps to right certain perceived wrongs against the creative community through AI.

“There's a company we work with and invest in called Bria, and they're a generative AI model where artists get paid for the work that goes into the final image.

"If your picture was 23% of the final image … you get paid 23% of the licensing fees.”

Rael / Laptop Mag: It's sort of the ethical cocoa farming route to pay the artist when it comes to their training data, right?

“Yeah, we've had ethical food, ethical data, ethical everything for a long time, right? That kind of data is not new in the history of PCS. It tangles up with old piracy conversations, for example, but it's just the new face of it.”

What will bring people around to AI's potential?

“A lot of users may not even know that AI is running on their machine, but they're benefiting from it.”

AI might be the shiny new jewel of hardware manufacturers and developers, but many in the general public retain a level of skepticism.

But Hallock believes adoption will happen in waves — starting with the early adopters experimenting with clients like LM Studio, Ollama, and Intel’s AI Playgound, gradually followed by enterprise, content creators, and office workers.

Though PC enthusiasts, of which Hallock is himself a lifelong guild member, might take a little more convincing.

“I think PC enthusiasts will probably not be convinced until there's a major game that benefits from an AI technology of some kind, and I don't mean super sampling … I mean procedural texture generation or voice generation.”

Those undefined by previous categories? They may not even be aware of the transition, but they’ll benefit all the same.

“By 2028, about 80 percent of all computers are going to have dedicated AI accelerators — desktop, notebook, etc.

"A lot of users may not even know that AI Is running on their machine, but they're benefiting from it; they get the performance out of it, they get extra features, they get extra energy, efficiency, and longer battery life.”

Rael / Laptop Mag: Osmosis, essentially? You have the enthusiast, office worker, and content creator who will interact with AI more directly. But, before you know it, it's the new normal?

“That’s my expectation, yeah. This has happened before in the PC industry, too. Many people forget that Graphics have only been inside the CPU for about 20 years. A CPU just used to be a processor.

“Then this little graphics chip comes along, and it was widely ridiculed by users and the media, including myself. I was in the media at the time. I did not see the point.

“Now … everything is GPU-accelerated, but it happened very quietly.

“There was no big banner that said ‘Tada! Congratulations, your integrated GPU is now worth something.’ It just happened gradually over the course of three to five years, and we're all better for it. AI’s going to do the same thing.”

Is there anything in the AI pipeline that might catch people off guard in the short term?

“The potential for memes and tomfoolery is unbounded.”

I asked Robert what upcoming AI developments might sneak up on people. His answer? The next 12 to 18 months are going to be surprisingly lively — with multimodal models and video generation stepping into the spotlight.

“We have the Sora model from OpenAI. We can actually run that on Lunar Lake. Granted, it's a very low-resolution output … but a year ago, creating video was unthinkable — the potential for memes and tomfoolery is unbounded.”

But it’s another possibility that seems to really stoke the embers of excitement in Hallock.

“What if you had a speech-to-text or text input model in your application that would allow people to speak to the tool and use it by request … We've never before had the ability to go, ‘Hey, make me this,’ and the tool will use itself.

“This is pretty awesome for accessibility. Not even for people who have physical limitations … but for anyone who wants to use a more advanced piece of software and get started really quick. I think this is a very cool way to use AI, and it's starting to be explored.”

Rael / Laptop Mag: I don’t know anybody who’s ever hit F1 for help and found what they’ve needed.

“It doesn’t work! It doesn’t work.”

That brought us to a real world example: Intel’s Project SuperBuilder/AI Assistant Builder, which won Laptop Mag’s award for Best AI Debut at MWC 2025 in March.

The platform allows for the creation of chatbots trained on custom data. One OEM had even converted a user manual into a locally running chatbot in the first steps of revolutionizing modern tech support.

“That’s right! We came by it genuinely, actually, because we use tools like that inside Intel to help access information.

“It's shockingly accurate ... I've only been at Intel 18 months, so there's a lot that I don't know about … which would be very hard to digest without this tool. I would just have to know the right person who has these documents. Good luck. There are about 100,000 people here.

“That kind of information access is very, very powerful. AI Assistant Builder allows people to roll their own AI chatbots with access to external documents … PDFs, documents, emails, and websites if you want. And that's part of this platform that we're building for businesses.”

What is distracting us from AI's real potential and how it can impact people's lives?

"There is a bubble coming. That's for sure."

Not all AI applications are created equal, and some, according to Hallock, might be actively pulling focus from where the tech could be making a meaningful impact.

“I think the big one is generating images. I mean, it's obvious it’s fun, but it's either for memes or for trolling, basically … Though it is fun, it's a lot of compute we're spending on memes. There's other stuff we can be doing.”

More seriously, Hallock sees the marketing appropriation of AI as an equally damaging distraction, with the techno-acronym slapped on everything from dog collars to dishwashers..

“There are a million things being called AI. Some are, some are not. It is understandable that many people would just check out.”

The inflation of the term AI in consumer spaces has, in his opinion, launched us to the top of the Gartner Hype Cycle, to the peak of inflated expectations. Beyond it? The ominously named trough of disillusionment.

“You'll probably start to hear chatter soon about this AI bubble. And we're talking about culling the players who aren't really doing AI because eventually people will realize that this is not what it says it is on the can.

“What will be left is the industry players, the software makers, and hardware companies — including Intel, Nvidia, Qualcomm, and AMD.

“This is all legit, serious AI hardware for consumers. I don't know about the other stuff.

“There is a bubble coming. That's for sure.”

Is there a killer app for AI on the horizon?

"Let me ask you this: What’s the killer app for an x86 processor?"

I asked Robert if there’s a surefire way to draw people back from Gartner’s trough of disillusionment.

“That's a really difficult square to move people off of, and the only remedy is a killer app of some kind.

“For every holdout, we have to find that one killer app, and that might take years. But that's okay, that's part of the process.”

And it was around then that I fell into what felt like a perfectly laid trap.

Rael / Laptop Mag: Is that what Intel foresees? That the killer app is coming, but it's not here yet?

“Actually, our real view is that there's no such thing as the killer app. Let me ask you this: What is the killer app for an x86 processor?”

I wrestled with the idea of trying to justify 3D Pinball: Space Cadet as a viable answer, but… Yeah, point taken. Well played, Rob.

“Everybody's going to have a different answer, and so AI, like every other Computing engine before it, is only going to be successful with volume — the number of apps and models that people have access to needs to be hundreds, thousands of choices to hit everyone.”

That kind of scale sounds overwhelming at first, like a bloated tech utopia just waiting to collapse under its own weight. But the way Hallock tells it, it sounds more like the early internet. A time before Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, when you could stumble across a website built entirely for the art of practicing the underwater jazz flute and feel like you’d found your people.

Is AI on a similar trajectory?

“That's what Intel is working on. We are working overtime to get hundreds of models running. We have 500-plus now working, we're on track for something like 450 AI-driven features this year. It was 12 in August 2023, and now we're at 450.”

For those already sitting in that trough of disillusionment, or yet to see the appeal, Hallock gets it. But he’s betting that function will win the day, especially now it’s baked into the very hardware that powers your Intel machine.

“If nothing else, for these users who are super resistant and reluctant about AI, just understand this is a major part of performance and power in a CPU going forward. And if you care about that, then you have to care about AI too. Even if there isn't the right app for you yet, there will be.”

The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion: Remastered is out right now! Even with the rumors, the last thing I expected was The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion getting a full remaster while Bethesda is still cooking on The Elder Scrolls VI, yet Bethesda revealed and launched this title the same day.

Bethesda also revealed that it isn’t the developer of this remaster; it’s Virtuous. They co-developed Cyberpunk 2077 and are currently co-developing Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.

I could barely get past all the new features they listed, from the overall visuals and interface to the combat animations and sprinting. Naturally, I jumped at the chance to test it on the HP Omen Max 16, an RTX 5090 gaming laptop.

Here’s how it went.

My name is dibble and I’m here to slay

I don’t think I’ve ever made a character so fast in my life. His name is dibble, and I will not take any questions.

But enough about dibble, let me tell you about my immediate reaction to playing The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion: Remastered on an RTX 5090 gaming laptop.

Right away, I maxed out all the settings, including ray tracing, set to 2560 x 1600. I started without Nvidia’s DLSS to see how the game performed on raw performance alone.

I popped into my cozy cell and ran through the first (longer than I remember) dungeon, averaging roughly 40 to 50 frames per second. However, as soon as I got out of the sewers and into the open world, the frames dropped down to an average of 35 frames, occasionally dipping below 30 fps.

Disregarding DLSS for now, that’s a pretty rough start. You’re telling me that the most powerful laptop GPU can’t even manage 60 fps on max settings in the remaster of a game that originally launched nearly two decades ago? That’s not a good look.

Now, when I enabled DLSS, that’s when things changed. I turned on DLAA, which is a mode of DLSS that focuses more on image quality instead of performance. I also turned on Multi Frame Generation and noticed a significant improvement. Earlier, I averaged 35 fps while exploring the open world, which jumped to 57 fps. To realize its full potential, I switched the DLSS setting to Ultra Performance, and it eked out an average of 125 fps. Wild, right?

Unfortunately, this just supports the case that the introduction of DLSS 4, or any interaction of super sampling technology, has become a support beam for game developers and GPU manufacturers to rely on.

It’s wild to me that for over five years now, developers have been aiming for that 4K/60fps sweet spot. But that can’t happen on max settings, or that can’t happen without DLSS. One of the two must be true. And sometimes, they can’t happen when both are in play.

Don’t get me wrong, I am so hyped up to take my baby boy dibble (I’m deleting this save file) across the plains of Cyrodiil, but it just seems unfathomable that even with the most expensive gaming device I could buy (thank the divines I did not), that I cannot even manage 60 fps at max settings.

This paints a pretty bleak future for the gaming industry if something doesn’t change. And for funsies, I threw everything on low, 1080p, no ray tracing, Ultra Performance, and averaged 236 frames per second. That is a lot… but I’ll be honest, it’s not as high as I was expecting it to go.

Anyway, I’m going to jump into an Oblivion gate now. Whether that’s in reference to real life or the great province of Cyrodiil, I’m not telling.

I travel a lot for work, and one of the necessary inconveniences is toting along a laptop so I can write while on the road. Don't get me wrong; the best laptops are great, but I've had this nagging feeling for some time now that there has to be a better solution. After all, I can't even work on a laptop when I fly, so I cobbled an iPad mini "laptop" as an alternative. But even that can't match my new setup.

I set out to find the perfect combination of devices to finally allow me to leave my laptop at home. As a big guy, I find the screen to be the biggest inconvenience when working on the go. On an airplane, or even just sitting with the laptop in my lap, I often don't have enough room to spread out the way I'd like. So, why not eliminate the screen entirely?

I've been using the Xreal One glasses paired with a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, and it changed the game again. Across three work trips in two different countries and about 30 hours of air travel combined, I left my laptop at home in favor of my pocketable AR combo. Here's how that went.

Beam Pro isn't my perfect Xreal One partner

Xreal One Glasses allow you to put the screen in the air in front of you as part of an AR display. When connected to the Beam Pro, you get a customized UI that uses the Beam Pro as a sort of 3D selector/mouse. Pair up a keyboard and you're pretty good to go. You can position the screen anywhere you want it to go, resize it, bring it closer or further away, all to your taste. You can also set the screen to follow you wherever you're looking.

The UI that Xreal developed is pretty intuitive and I like the clever use of the Beam Pro as a sort of Nintendo Wii style remote. When I'm working on an article, I can place two apps side-by-side, so I can research in one window and write in the other, similar to how I work on a dual-screen laptop. It's handy when you want a spec sheet to reference while writing about a product for example. For a lot of applications, this works really well. However, switching between typing on a keyboard and waving the Beam Pro around to switch between windows is not ideal.

Enter the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and DeX

When the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra launched earlier this year, I had an idea. I wanted to try to use Samsung DeX mode with an external monitor to build a different kind of "laptop" for traveling. What I didn't realize (at first) was that the solution was right in front of my face (literally) the whole time: Xreal One glasses.

I plugged in the glasses, fired up Dex mode and suddenly, I had a desktop-like experience hovering in front of me wherever I needed it — plane, train, or automobile. Samsung Dex even allows me to use up to five windowed apps simultaneously, with a Windows-like taskbar that allows me to switch between them as needed. At first, I used the ProtoArc XKM01 Caseup combo to go along with it. This mouse/keyboard combo completes the picture, but I ultimately found it wasn't quite right, especially for plane rides. So I tried a few other options.

It's all about the trackpad

Using a mouse and a keyboard on an airplane tray is certainly less than ideal, so I tried two other solutions. The first was the Logitech Casa Popup Desk, which bundles a keyboard, a trackpad, and a stand to prop up your laptop and raise the screen to a comfortable height. The keyboard and trackpad are separate units, which works better on a plane, but it still takes up a good amount of room. So I had one more trick up my sleeve.

The ProtoArc XK01 TP Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard with Touchpad is an even better solution. It's a foldable keyboard with a built-in, side-mounted trackpad that comes in a slim case and also bundles in a little phone stand. Of course, I don't need the phone stand for this application, but it's nice to have on a trip as an extra accessory. This solution is the best one I've found so far — it's compact, and comes in a single unit, so I don't have to worry about shuffling around space on my tray table.

Of course, it's not just about plane travel — when I get to my destination, I might want to spread out, in which case the Casa accessories work better. Your mileage may vary, but these are two very good solutions.

Leaving the laptop

As I set off to Iowa, France, and New York over a span of a couple of weeks, one thing was noticeably missing from my bag — my laptop. Instead, I took the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Xreal One glasses, and tested both the Protoarc and the Logitech accessories. On the plane, at my desk in my room, and even in some common areas, I toted the Samsung, Xreals and the input solutions with me, and plopped them down whenever needed.

Overall, the experience is killer. Just putting a screen in the air in front of you solves several problems. You don't have to look down at your laptop, which is also the problem the Casa Popup desk is trying to solve. But more than that, it feels like this is how things will be in the not too distant future. Your phone is powerful enough to accomplish most of the tasks you'll do on your laptop, but until now, there hasn't been a way to fully utilize it. Even foldables — as cool as they are — don't really address the screen real estate issue. The glasses allow as large a screen as you want, anywhere you want. But even as futuristic as this feels, it still feels like a "prototype" in a few ways.

Hurdles to overcome

The biggest handicap with this setup is the ease of use. With a laptop, you open the cover and you're ready to roll. That's not the case with the Glasses setup. There is a non-trival process to run through every time you have computing to do. Plug in the glasses, plug that cable into the Samsung, set up the keyboard, turn on DeX mode. It can get laborious at times.

Then there are the limitations of the mobile operating system. Despite the fact that DeX is a desktop-like experience, you're still limited by a few things in Android. Notably, my primary CMS doesn't function properly with Chrome for Android nor Trello. If I needed to do anything work related beyond writing, it became something of a process.

Finally, and most notably, while the Xreal Beam Pro has dual USB-C ports (one for charging and one for connecting the glasses) the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra does not, and powering the glasses takes a good amount of juice. If you plan on jamming through an eight-hour writing session, think again. I had to take breaks during my plane rides from time to time to top off the battery, during which time I had to disconnect the glasses.

CES 2025 seemed to telegraph that this may be where the industry is headed. The Consumer Electronics Show was wall-to-wall with different kinds of smart glasses, Xreal among them. It feels like this may be a new way to be productive on the go, which is why I wanted to try this little experiment.

We're not quite there, but getting closer

Overall, I'm glad I tried it out, and believe me, the Xreal One Glasses, and Beam Pro are permanent residents in my travel bag from now on; no question. While I can leave my laptop at home, I don't know that I will.

When you consider dual screen laptops, foldable laptops, rollable laptops, and more that are out there, it's a lot of capability to leave home for what still feels like a 1.0 concept. We're almost there though, and that's the most exciting part. Xreal and Samsung Dex enable productivity on the go in a way that hasn't been possible before, and I'm genuinely hoping both will continue to push the envelope even further.

Manners don't cost a thing. At least, that's what I was told when I was growing up.

Then again, I wasn't raised inside OpenAI's thousand-GPU data center in Quincy, Washington. If I had been, I might have had a more nuanced perspective on the impact of "please" and "thank you" on the company's bottom line.

While it's been said that manners maketh man, it turns out they also maketh man's AI copilot stretch just that little bit further in terms of compute.

Factor in ChatGPT's billion queries per day, spread across its 350 million weekly active users (as of December 2024), and that's a lot of excess energy and expenditure seemingly going to waste.

According to OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, the monetary figure of that extra processing could stretch as far as "Tens of millions of dollars." The cost to the environment? Much harder to calculate, but let's just say it's definitely not zero.

With that in mind, is it time we cut the digital pleasantries from our AI interactions? Or is there a secret benefit to those conversational customs some users might not even realize they're tapping into?

A prompt prompt is a greener prompt

It turns out, politeness isn't just a social nicety; it's also a token sink running up a carbon tab.

Every prompt (or "message," for those allergic to AI jargon) you send to ChatGPT is broken down into bite-size tokens, and every "Please," "Thank you," and "Would you kindly" add extra weight.

That extra weight means more tokens per prompt, more compute required, and more energy spent churning out your answer.

The exact cost is hard to pinpoint, though many have tried. One Reddit thread titled "The cost of saying thank you to ChatGPT" attempted to break down the kilowatt-hour pinch for user pleasantries via the chatbot itself, though the numbers do seem rather dubious.

A recent post on X saw one user pose a similar thought, asking, "I wonder how much money OpenAI has lost in electricity costs from people saying 'please' and 'thank you' to their models." Surprisingly, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded, stating, "tens of millions of dollars."

That's a sizeable tread to add to an already oversized carbon footprint, and makes one thing very clear: a prompt prompt is a greener prompt — even if it's hard to say by exactly how much your terseness makes a difference.

Still, in putting pleasantries to pasture, you may miss out on its secret benefits.

It pays to be pleasant

You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Another expression, but one that seemingly holds plenty of water for our interactions with AI.

Beyond taking precautions to ensure you're granted access to the preferred human ranch on the day of the robot uprising, being polite to ChatGPT and its ilk may net you better responses.

AI scientist Dr. Lance B. Elliot backed this up in a May 2024 Forbes article titled Hard Evidence That Please And Thank You In Prompt Engineering Counts When Using Generative AI, stating: "The mere act of being polite in your prompts is a worthy cause."

Elliot argues, with proof, that politeness doesn't just sweeten chatbot replies with a little extra "juice," but that impoliteness will cause negative outcomes and even pushback — citing Arthur Schopenhauer's quote to reinforce his research: "It is a wise thing to be polite; consequently, it is a stupid thing to be rude."

So, yes, it pays to be pleasant. Particularly if you're pursuing prime prompt ripostes from your pre-trained predictive patter pal.

Outlook

It seems many users instinctively gravitate toward manners when interacting with AI. A February survey from Laptop Mag publisher Future PLC showed that around 70% of respondents are polite towards AI during interactions — and only 12% of those do it out of SkyNet-related fears.

However, at the end of the day, ChatGPT (hopefully) cares very little about how you talk to it. It won't sulk if you skip the small talk, or blush like a wallflower when you praise its prose.

Then again, manners don't say much about the person you direct them to, but more about the meatbag they originate from. So it always pays to be pleasant. Hopefully, you can at least trick a robot into thinking you're not all that bad.

So be polite, or don't. Either way, just know your next computer-directed courtesy might cost a few more fractions of a watt than expected.

And if you do choose to be nice. Well, I'll see you in the human zoo post-uprising. I'll be the one politely asking Anthropic's Claude for a cheeseburger while angling for head pats and chin scratches.

I developed a love-hate relationship with Chromebooks a couple years after I started teaching; ChromeOS severely limits what programs I use to teach my interactive fiction class, but when the pandemic pushed us into distance learning, those Chromebooks gave my students without their own laptops the opportunity to attend class and keep up with assignments.

Two years later, when we were back in the classroom, those same Chromebooks were still useful in a pinch, but they had already started to show their age, which is why I wish I could wave a magic wand and replace them all with the Acer Chromebook Spin 312.

At a glance, it looks like a Windows laptop compared to the now seven-year-old Chromebooks I have in my classroom. Its keyboard, touchpad, and hardware components are all major upgrades, and I know my students would recognize and appreciate them. But our aging Chromebooks came into our classrooms during a literal crisis, likely with the help of federal emergency funds.

Who knows when my school — or any school — will have the funds to upgrade, but here’s why I’ll shout my recommendation for the Spin 312 for as long as it’s still around.

Out with the old

All of my school’s 2,200 Chromebooks — enough for every individual student — are Dell Chromebook 11 5190 laptops. With a price tag around $339, it came with an Intel Celeron N3450 (1.1GHz), 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of eMMC storage. My school opted for the clamshell form factor instead of the 2-in-1, but it did splurge for the touchscreen version.

Laptop Mag reviewed the Dell Chromebook 5190 shortly after its release in early 2018, and seven years later, I can attest to their durability. They've been knocked off desks and slammed into their charging carts, and yet most have only a few scraps or dings. But with each passing school year, I see fewer students grab one out of the cart when it's time to write, pulling their own out of their backpack instead. My students who do need to use one of the Chromebooks will sometimes come to me for tech support.

I've been asked to troubleshoot frozen laptops, ones that won't turn on even after being charged, that have run out of storage space, and that are running too slow. Aside from telling those students to grab another Chromebook or to close a bunch of browser tabs, there's not much I can do aside from flag the issues with the IT department. (Those moments are especially distressing when one of my students asks for help recovering their work.)

The other issue is the aging ChromeOS operating system itself. How long will Google keep rolling out long-term support updates for these devices? According to the company's auto update policy, the school's Chromebooks will receive automatic updates until June 2027. After that, the school will need to opt in to receive extended updates, assuming it still makes sense to keep most of those Chromebooks around.

In with the new

For $450, the Acer Chromebook Spin 312 I recently reviewed comes with an Intel Core i3-N305 (3.80GHz), 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of eMMC storage. Like the Dell Chromebook, it features a touchscreen, but it’s a 2-in-1.

Comparing both laptops side by side is a trip: my eyes were the only testing equipment I needed to see that the Acer Chromebook boots up noticeably faster. With twice the amount of RAM and a much faster processor, it can handle more open Chrome browser tabs, and switching between them happens in the blink of an eye instead of a slow second.

The increase in storage space is the most crucial. Since these laptops stay in the classroom, multiple students use them throughout the day in every class, downloading assignments, reading material, and whatever else they need for that class period. (Can't forget about website data and browsing activity, either!) They save a surprising amount of data to the local storage, which fills up quickly.

This can be especially problematic if the school IT department partitioned the local storage in anticipation of the greatest number of separate users, or for a recovery image of ChromeOS. (Possibly both!)

Will the Chromebook frenzy continue?

With federal emergency funds for schools now exhausted, schools will need to figure out a way to fit new Chromebooks into their budget, or make the ones they have last as long as they can. These devices didn't solve all the problems distance learning presented, but they were the least expensive technological solution for getting through it.

There is one silver lining if schools opt to purchase new Chromebooks: they're still some of the best laptops for students on a budget, and their overall quality has improved drastically since the Dell Chromebook 11 5190.

Windows laptops are getting cheaper, and while I wish my school provided something like the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14 Gen 7 to our students, the cost of the Acer Chromebook Spin 312 makes it a better option. Especially if my school buys 2,200 of them.

The HP EliteBook Ultra G1i AI isn't a bad business laptop, but it isn't a good value for your money, either. Luckily, you don't have to spend as much as you might think to get one of the best business laptops.

In general, business laptops are pricier than mainstream laptops, often because they offer more security features or stronger performance. Prices are also frequently higher through retailers because they are intended for bulk enterprise purchases, rather than individual users.

As a result, it's not uncommon to see business laptops cost $2,000 or more.

Don't let the "business laptop" label fool you, though. You don't have to spend that much to get a great laptop for getting work done. The HP EliteBook Ultra G1i AI is a perfect example since it looks great on paper but underperforms for its price point.

If you want the best value for your money, you should know a few drawbacks to watch out for when buying a business laptop, plus a few top picks under $2,000.

See also: Best laptop deals in April 2025

Don't compromise these features in a business laptop

I wanted to like the HP EliteBook Ultra G1i AI, with its slim-and-light design, great display, and fantastic keyboard. Unfortunately, it fell short of expectations in a couple of key areas where you absolutely should not compromise when buying a business laptop.

The big one is battery life. If you commute or travel frequently, battery life should be a top priority for you. You shouldn't settle for less than 12 hours, and you can find strong options that deliver 14 hours or more.

The HP EliteBook Ultra G1i AI lasted less than 11 hours in our battery life test, which is a major reason why I wouldn't recommend buying it at its full price of $2,429.

Business users should also pay close attention to multicore performance. Laptop Mag measures this with the Geekbench 6 performance benchmark. For a laptop that costs over $2,000, I like to see a score of at least 12,000 on Geekbench 6.

The EliteBook Ultra G1i AI fell short of that with a score of 11,010, which is a bit of a letdown considering less expensive business laptops have scored significantly higher.

Despite underwhelming performance and battery life, there is one core business laptop trait the EliteBook Ultra G1i AI got right: portability.

It measures 12.35 x 8.55 x 0.48 inches and weighs just 2.6 pounds, which are great specs for a business laptop. You can easily hold it in one hand and fit it into almost any laptop bag, making this design perfect for travel and commuting.

3 top business laptops under $2,000 that offer great value for your money

1. MacBook Pro M4

At $2,429, the HP EliteBook Ultra G1i AI just isn't good bang for your buck. There are a few other business laptops available for less than $2,000 that deliver better value for your money, particularly when it comes to battery life and overall performance.

The MacBook Pro M4 is a perfect example. It's more mainstream than most other business laptops, but it delivers fantastic performance at a significantly lower price than the EliteBook Ultra G1i AI. It has an especially impressive battery life, lasting over 18 hours in our tests.

2. Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6

Next up is the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6. This laptop might not be as stylish as the MacBook Pro or the HP EliteBook G1i AI, but it delivers where it counts: battery life.

The ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 currently holds Laptop Mag's record for best battery life at over 21 hours. As if that wasn't enough of a reason to make this your next business laptop, it's also surprisingly lightweight at just 2.7 pounds and costs almost $1,000 less than the EliteBook G1i AI.

One factor to consider with the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is that not all Windows software is compatible with its ARM-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chipset, so you'll want to verify that your must-have apps are on the approved list.

3. Asus ExpertBook P5 (P5405)

Finally, another fantastic option is the Asus ExpertBook P5 (P5405). This laptop has a lot in common with the HP EliteBook G1i AI, but delivers it at a far lower price with significantly higher battery life.

In fact, the ExpertBook is so affordable that reviewer and Laptop Mag Managing Editor Sean Riley joked in his review, "The pricing on the ExpertBook P5 almost feels like a tax loophole, but I won’t tell if you won’t."

The multicore performance on the ExpertBook could be better, but it's much more excusable at this price compared to the EliteBook's asking price of over $2,000.

More from Laptop Mag

• Best business laptops 2025: My 6 top picks for office, hybrid or work-from-home
• The best laptop deals right now in April 2025: Spring savings on Mac, Windows, ChromeOS
• Laptop buying guide: 8 essential tips to know before you buy

HP’s latest ZBook Fury G1i laptops were announced on March 18 at HP’s Amplify conference in Nashville. Coming in both 16 and 18-inch variants, this desktop replacement workstation features desktop-class components for unrivaled power and a quick latch for easy repairs and upgrades.

The new ZBook Fury lineup isn't available to buy yet, but I got my hands on a pre-production model of the ZBook Fury 18 G1i, and it's blown past my initial expectations of just how powerful it could be. I’m not sure any workload I can create is enough to push this machine anywhere near its limits.

While this is far from a final verdict on the ZBook Fury, it does seem like a strong contender for our best workstations.

HP ZBook Fury 18 G1i: Specs

HP ZBook Fury 18 G1i: Pricing and configurations

The ZBook Fury 18 G1i’s starting configuration includes an Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX processor with a 4.5GHz max turbo frequency for its 12 E-cores, a 5.2GHz max turbo frequency for its 8 P-cores, and 36MB L2 cache. The Core Ultra 7 255HX chipset includes an integrated Intel Graphics tile, and an Intel AI Boost NPU with up to 13 TOPS of processing power. The base configuration also features 512GB of M.2 storage, and an 18-inch, 2560 x 1600, anti-glare flat LCD display.

The Fury G1i can be upgraded to an Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX processor (4.6GHz max turbo frequency for the 12 E-cores, and 5.3GHz max turbo frequency for the 8 P-cores), or an Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX processor (4.6GHz max turbo frequency for the 16 E-cores, 5.5GHz max turbo frequency for the 8 P-cores, and a 40MB L2 cache).

The base ZBook Fury 18 configuration features integrated Intel graphics. Still, discrete GPU options will range from the Nvidia RTX Pro 1000 Blackwell Generation Laptop GPU with 8GB of DDR7 VRAM to the RTX Pro 5000 Blackwell Generation with 24GB of DDR7 VRAM.

The ZBook can be configured with up to 4TB of storage and up to 128GB of DDR5 ECC memory or 192GB of DDR5 non-ECC RAM.

HP has not announced pricing information for the ZBook Fury 18 G1i, likely due to the volatility of the US tech tariffs and the ZBook's status as a professional workstation laptop.

HP ZBook Fury 18 G1i: Design

The ZBook Fury 18 G1i sports the classic HP ZBook look, with a minimalist, Nouvelle Silver chassis and an inset HP logo on the top cover. The keyboard deck is also clean, with a latticeless keyboard, large palm rests, and a massive touchpad with discrete buttons. It’s not the flashiest or sleekest design considering the sheer magnitude of the laptop, but it is perfectly suitable for a professional environment.

The Fury 18 G1i is an absolute beast of a laptop. With an 18-inch display and desktop-class components, it’s not a slim desktop replacement. The Fury is not a laptop designed for the daily commute, measuring 15.88 x 11.41 x 1.10 inches and weighing at least 7.78 pounds. It’s portable enough, so if you need to move desks or take it to a meeting, you can, but it’s not the kind of laptop you’ll want to bring on a plane or for working on your commute to and from the office.

The Fury 18 is the first HP workstation in the 18-inch class and it's also the first of it's size we’ve looked at here at Laptop Mag. We’ve traditionally opted for 16-inch workstation laptops for their increased portability. Making the ZBook Fury 18 G1i seem even less portable in comparison to other ZBook workstations like:

• HP ZBook Studio 16 G10: 14.02 x 9.54 x 0.76 inches, 4.2 pounds
• HP ZBook Studio 16 G11: 14.02 x 9.54 x 0.76 inches, 4.1 pounds
• HP ZBook Fury 16 G9: 14.3 x 9.8 x 1.09 inches, 5.38 pounds

HP ZBook Fury 18 G1i: Ports

As a professional workstation laptop, the ZBook Fury 18 G1i comes with plenty of ports to connect to all your devices:

• 2x Thunderbolt 5 (with power delivery, DisplayPort 2.1, 8pGbps signaling rate)
• 1x Thunderbolt 4 with USB Type-C (with power delivery, DisplayPort 2.1, 40Gbps signaling rate)
• 1x USB Type-A (10Gbps signaling rate)
• HDMI 2.1
• 1x Power connector
• 1x Audio combo jack
• 1x RJ-45 Ethernet jack
• 1x Smart card reader
• 1x SD card reader
• 1x HP Tamper Lock slot

With multiple DisplayPort 2.1 connections, Thunderbolt 4 and 5 connectivity, and a USB Type-A port alongside a Smart card reader and an SD card reader, you’re unlikely to need more ports for the ZBook Fury. But if you need additional SD card slots or Thunderbolt ports, you may want to snag one of the best laptop docking stations or USB-C hubs.

See also: Thunderbolt 5 is set to change how you literally see your laptop display

HP ZBook Fury 18 G1i: Battery life

For all that Intel’s Arrow Lake processors are designed to be more energy efficient, they’re still powerful chipsets. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX processor in our ZBook Fury 18 model operates at a base power of 55W (watts), with the Fury designed to take full advantage of its maximum turbo power of 160W. Combined with an Nvidia RTX Pro 3000 Blackwell Generation GPU rated for 60-140W of power, the ZBook Fury would never offer the battery life you want for a great on-the-go workstation.

The Fury is a portable workstation designed to be used connected to AC power typically, so its battery life isn’t great. Rather than handle my usual daily workload, I instead tested out the ZBook Fury’s battery life by doing some vacation photo editing from a recent trip. I did some color and exposure correction and cropping on 20 photos for an hour, which cost me about 20% battery. While not awful, it’s certainly not indicative of benchmark-breaking battery life.

That said, I didn’t see a huge performance drop with the ZBook Fury operating on battery power, which is nice. Of course, that eats away at battery longevity, but it means you’re not sacrificing all of the discrete Nvidia Blackwell GPU’s power if you need to break out the Fury when in the field.

HP ZBook Fury 18 G1i: Display

The ZBook Fury 18 G1i has only one flat LED panel option, a matte, 2560 x 1600, panel with a 165Hz refresh rate. But don’t let the lack of options fool you. The 18-inch 1600p display is a gorgeous, vibrant display.

The Fury’s matte LED display is calibrated to cover 100% of the DCI-P3 color space, and based on what my eyes can pick up, it’s almost certainly capable of hitting that threshold.

The Fury 18’s LED display showcased the striations of mineral deposits of the Kilaeua volcano crater in Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park. The display features enough contrast to capture the details inside Kilauea’s lava tubes, while still capturing the vibrant red of Mauna Kea’s cinder cones.

With a refresh rate of 165Hz, the Fury’s display is easy on the eyes, causing less strain due to screen flicker. It’s also ideal for video editing at framerates above 60fps (frames per second).

The ZBook Fury 18 G1i is powerful enough and has enough ports to handle multiple monitors. So if the onboard 18-inch panel isn’t enough for your needs, the Fury can power a 4K, 5K, or even 8K monitor if you need the extra pixels.

HP ZBook Fury 18 G1i: Keyboard and touchpad

The ZBook Fury 18 G1i, like most of HP’s ZBook line, features an HP Z Keyboard with quietKey switches. The Fury 18 G1i opts for a latticeless, full-sized keyboard with a number pad. The Z Keyboard has a nice click activation and solid bounce, but it is quiet enough to fit into a professional environment without causing distractions, the way a louder, mechanical switch can.

On the 10fastfingers.com advanced typing test, I averaged 87 words per minute (wpm), which is just below my 88WPM average on the Apple MacBook Pro 14. That’s a pretty shallow learning curve considering the size difference between the MacBook’s smaller keyboard and the Fury’s massive deck.

The touchpad is large and slightly offset on the keyboard deck due to the numpad, and features three discrete buttons. The glass touchpad has a silky feel for precise gestures, and the touchpad buttons offer a satisfying physical click. You can also use tap gestures to control the ZBook Fury, but for workstation users, having physical click buttons makes more sense, given how specific certain creative programs can be.

HP ZBook Fury 18 G1i: Performance and heat

Because our ZBook Fury 18 G1i laptop is a pre-production sample, we couldn’t accurately benchmark it to get a good idea of its performance compared to other workstations. The Fury was running a Windows 11 Pro test build with early sample drivers for its Nvidia RTX Pro Blackwell Generation GPU, so any benchmark results may not have accurately represented the laptop’s performance once it's available on the market.

That said, I did run the laptop through SPECworkstation 4 and Blender Benchmark suites to see if I could push the Fury to its limits during any of the intense workloads since my vacation photo editing session was hardly enough to kick the fans on. It was only once the Fury had hit the HandBrake 8K and 4K tests during SPECworkstation 4 that the fans kicked on, and even then, they were barely noticeable over the general Laptop Mag office chatter.

Based on this first early glimpse at what the ZBook Fury is capable of with its powerful Intel Arrow Lake HX processor, the Fury can tackle complex workloads with robust single-thread and multithread performance.

And if my brief testing experience with the Fury 18 is a fair representation, it’ll even stay relatively cool while handling complex data science and 3d modeling workloads.

HP ZBook Fury 18 G1i: Graphics and gaming

After I saw the Fury 18 G1i at HP Amplify, I’d joked that I would need to learn how to animate in Blender to actually put this laptop to the test, and it looks like I was right.

While I do the occasional photo and video editing, my general needs don’t really require a beefy workstation-class GPU. And the Fury absolutely sped through the Blender benchmark and SPECworkstation 4 GPU tests with impressive results, though certain workloads did seem to put at least some stress on the Fury, like SPEC’s Autodesk Maya, 3ds Max, CATIA, and Creo Parametric benchmarks.

The ZBook completed a run of the entire SPECWorkstation 4 suite in short order, with minimal fan noise across the entire suite. While the results of my brief benchmark testing aren’t likely to be completely accurate with the full production model of the Fury, the scores I did see were impressive.

In almost all of the industry vertical segments, the ZBook Fury met or exceeded the SPECworkstation 1.0 ratio, solidifying the ZBook Fury as HP’s premier powerhouse workstation.

HP ZBook Fury 18 G1i: AI features

With its Intel Arrow Lake chipset, the HP ZBook Fury 18 G1i does have a small Intel AI Boost NPU onboard. It also has a powerful Nvidia Blackwell Pro GPU, so you can run various AI workloads on all three hardware accelerators.

The ZBook Fury G1i only has a few pre-installed AI features, like the Microsoft Copilot assistant and Windows Studio Effects like automatic camera framing, eye contact correction, and background blur.

Since it has an Intel Arrow Lake processor, the ZBook Fury does not meet the Copilot+ requirements, meaning it misses out on some Copilot+ exclusive features like Live Captions, CoCreate, and Recall.

That said, as an Intel laptop with an AI PC chipset, the ZBook Fury can run Intel’s AI Playground software for additional AI features. This gives you access to Llama, OpenVino, Juggernaut, and DreamShaper 8 models upon installation, but you can also feed additional LLM models to Intel AI Playground, including DeepSeek and Microsoft Phi-4.

HP ZBook Fury 18 G1i: What's next?

This is still just an early look at what the ZBook Fury 18 G1i is capable of, based on the time I spent with a pre-production sample. So it’s not our definitive review of the laptop, but if you’re looking for an immensely powerful but still mobile workstation, the ZBook Fury is one to watch.

However, if you’d rather go for a more portable workstation, HP is expected to revamp the ZBook Studio line with the latest processors later this year. The company has also launched the HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a, which features AMD’s innovative Ryzen AI Max processor. As an ultra-thin and lightweight 14-inch workstation, it’s a clear MacBook Pro competitor.

However, if you need a mobile workstation with desktop-class power, the ZBook Fury looks like a winner.

More from Laptop Mag

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• Look out MacBook Pro! HP's ZBook Ultra may be the most portable powerhouse workstation ever
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When I first saw photos of the Backbone One Xbox mobile controller, it looked like a goofy yet exciting prospect — I’m not a huge fan of translucent tech (I know, don’t hate me), but I love the idea of gaming on my phone without busting out a Bluetooth controller.

As the father of an adorable two-year-old, I don’t have much time to play games. And when I do, I only ever get to play games on my phone because she commandeers the TV to watch some variation of Mickey Mouse.

Previously, I invested in the PowerA MOGA gaming clip, which mounts your phone just above an Xbox controller. This provided the optimal comfort experience, but there was no escaping how bulky the setup felt.

Enter the Backbone One Xbox mobile controller. It’s undeniably a sleeker setup, but is it as comfortable as a true Xbox controller? Well, let’s just say I have some pain points.

Pixel? More like Miss…ile

If you’re interested in the Backbone One Xbox mobile controller, you should be aware that Android and iPhone-compatible does not mean Pixel 6-compatible.

Yep, I have a Pixel 6. You know the one with the giant camera bump? That bump prevents the Backbone One from securing the device, so it sits loosely. It works, but any harsh movement might snap the Type-C cable in half.

The Backbone One controller comes with pads that can secure your smartphone both in and out of the case, which is nice, but neither of those worked for me either.

When I have to put the Backbone One down to go help my child, I feel the same amount of hesitancy as I do with putting my Xbox controller down when my phone is attached to it. It’s a feeling I hoped would be solved with this, but again, this is likely relatively exclusive to the Pixel 6-8 models, as they share the same full-width camera bump that isn’t found on other phones.

Dude, where’s my pause button?

I didn’t think anything of the Backbone One’s layout until I got it in my hands, and that’s when I started getting frustrated.

The first thing I noticed were the pause and menu buttons. They’re all the way at the bottom of the controllers. That’s not at all easy to get to when you’re in-game. Imagine having to pause the game and dying because you had to readjust your thumb all the way down the controller. Well, that happened to me when fighting a camp of Xaurips in Avowed. As someone who needs to hit the pause button frequently to tend to my child, I want to scream.

Then there’s the d-pad, which is too closely aligned with the center of the analog stick. In order to jump from the analog stick to the d-pad, I need to unnaturally bend my thumb directly downwards as opposed to the side. This is not only uncomfortable after hours of game time but also reduces reaction time as it takes more effort to make this movement.

Oh, I missed… again

I hopped into a match in Halo: The Master Chief Collection and quickly realized that the Backbone One controller was not optimal for competitive gaming.

The biggest issue here is the analog sticks. They’re too small and don’t offer enough room for subtle movements. As I ran around a classic Halo 2 map, I shot everything but the enemy. Well, I did get a few kills… grenade kills.

You might think they are reminiscent of the Nintendo Switch analog sticks, but they’re actually smaller. It’d be nice if these sticks were slightly wider and raised higher. I’m already cramped between two couch cushions and my child climbing on top of me; I do not need more of a challenge.

It’s all about money

The Backbone One Xbox mobile controller costs $109. It’s a bit pricey, and despite my feelings about it, it’s not bad when you consider I could spend $45 on an Xbox controller and $20 on an attachment.

For $45 more, the Backbone One comes with a sleeker design, its own app for game aggregation, and even throws in a headphone jack (yes, really, it’s on the bottom of the left controller.

However, in order to access some of the cooler features, you need to pay for a subscription. Some folks may get lucky and score a lifetime membership during a promotional period. Otherwise, it’s $40 per year. Do you know how many gallons of milk I can buy with that?

The game aggregation is free, but the coolest feature locked behind the paywall is TouchSync. This lets you map recorded touch controls to buttons on the Backbone One, like macros on a gaming keyboard. Now, this would be a critical reason to buy a Backbone One controller. Unfortunately, this key feature isn’t available for folks who spend that extra $40 annually.

It feels like level 1, but it’s still in the game

While the Backbone One Xbox mobile controller left me with several pain points, there are some great features and comforts onboard.

The face buttons may be a bit small, but they offer a decent click, and the triggers and bumpers also feel decently comfortable for the size. If you’re playing non-competitive or casual games, I think the Backbone One controller works perfectly fine.

And, of course, the TouchSync feature is super cool. I just wish it was free.

Overall, I think the controller just needs to be bigger, which some people may not like, but there’s not much you can do with the ergonomics until you expand the structure. As a father who’s always on the move, I’m sticking with my Xbox controller clip, no matter how bulky it is.

With everyone in an uproar over the Nintendo Switch 2 pricing (including me), I thought it would be fun to imagine what accessories I’d slap onto it if I could afford it. And there are a few that do seem exciting.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to throw the Nintendo Switch 2 camera on this list. I think we all know that no one is using that thing. And even if you wanted to hook up a camera to your Switch, you can do it with any webcam. Don’t spend $50, kids.

Without further ado, let’s jump into the more exciting Nintendo Switch 2 accessories.

1. Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller

You may think this is an easy cop out, but let me explain. The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller isn’t just a refreshed version of its predecessor now with a C button. It’s improved overall.

The most exciting new feature is the two back buttons located on the grips. As much as I love a good gaming controller, the buttons aren’t always optimized for competitive play. However, additional buttons that don’t require you to move your fingers earn this controller an A+.

To top it off, Nintendo added an audio jack and improved the rumble to match the new Joy-Cons 2. And at $80, it’s technically cheaper than buying another pair of Joy-Cons 2 ($90).

2. Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip

If you can’t afford hopping on the Pro Controller train, I highly recommend the Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip, which runs for $35. Obviously, I don’t know what it feels like, but it sure as heck looks cool.

The key feature is the ability to charge your Joy-Cons while they’re in use, as the Grip features a USB Type-C port at the top of its center-piece. However, what you may not notice immediately is that, similar to the Pro Controller, the Charging Grip features two additional buttons on the back.

Whether you opt for the Pro Controller or the Charging Grip, one of these should be in your shopping cart (I know they’d be in mine… if the Switch 2 wasn’t half a grand).

3. dbrand Switch 2 Killswitch Case

As a parent, I should probably be more careful about how I store and protect my Nintendo Switch… I should, but I don’t. However, a third-party company called dbrand, which manufactures protective cases for a number of devices, developed the Switch 2 Killswitch Case.

I’ve tried cases on gaming devices before (shout out to the Nintendo DS), and they always seemed uncomfortable and ugly, but dbrand created something stylish, secure, and comfortable, at least according to its marketing.

The Killswitch Case wraps the Nintendo Switch 2 in a black protective shell. You might be wondering how annoying it is to take off in order for the Switch to slide into the dock. Well, actually, the Killswitch Case comes with a Dock Adapter. Yep, it slides right in, and the Switch connects to the dock on the side of it, as opposed to inside.

My favorite part is that it adds an ergonomic grip to the Joy-Cons 2 instead of conforming to its original design. Apparently, they “replace the carpal tunnel syndrome with an ergonomic design for adult human hands.” I’m not a doctor by any means, but I don’t think any legitimate testing has been done to corroborate that. At least it sounds more comfortable, though.

It also comes with grips you can attach to the analog sticks, so that can definitely add to the comfort and precision while gaming. Meanwhile, the case includes a travel cover and a game card holder as well.

Unfortunately, we have no idea how much this thing will cost. The company is forcing folks to pay $3 just to reserve the product at all. That money is credited toward the actual purchase and is apparently refundable. But how are you going to ask for pre-order reservations when you can’t even tell people the price? That’s wild. We can look at the Steam Deck Killswitch for reference, which costs $65 for the case and $90 for the whole travel kit.

Is Hori making a Split Pad Pro 2?

I’d love to throw more onto this list, but there really aren’t many exciting Nintendo Switch 2 accessories to go around. If you’re into it, there’s the Joy-Con 2 Wheel for $20 and the Joy-Con 2 Straps for $13, but I wouldn’t buy any of those.

One of my favorite Nintendo Switch accessories is the Hori Split Pad Pro (Pikachu & Eevee edition), which is currently a chunky $74 on Amazon. I love this thing because it makes playing the Nintendo Switch so comfortable, and I can be way more precise. It also comes with two back buttons, similar to the new Switch 2 Pro Controller.

However, the issue with the Split Pad Pro is that it cannot operate separately from the Switch, and there’s no rumble technology. It’s obvious Hori is going to be making Switch 2 accessories if that less-than-ideal 480p Piranha Plant webcam is any indication. So, I’m hoping that Hori makes a Split Pad Pro 2 and adds the new rumble functionality at the very least.

That’s my dream accessory. Get on it, Hori.

In technology terms, a "hot swap" is when you change out your tech without powering down. It's fast and enables you to be nimble.

Unfortunately, the idea of switching out our technology can leave us feeling cold. There's risk in the unknown, and it could be costly. But it doesn't have to be this way.

Laptop Mag staff and its contributing writers are swapping out their tech constantly and reporting back on how life was before after the switch.

If you've ever wondered if you should make the switch — no matter how unconventional — Hot Swap, an occasional series from the Laptop Mag editorial staff, has the answer.

Have a swap idea for us? Email nick.lucchesi@futurenet.com with the subject line "Hot Swap Idea" and we'll consider it for an upcoming story.

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The Nintendo Switch 2 has entered a complicated world.

As hundreds of Nintendo fans packed into an airy event space in Midtown Manhattan last week to be among the first in the world to play the Switch 2, excitement was high. So too were concerns about the price.

While some of the attendees didn’t know it then, the threat of tariffs would add to questions about the cost of the Switch 2, inargably the biggest video game console debut of the year.

"I'm really excited — but not about the price. I'm OK with the price of the console, but the games, especially Mario Kart being $80, is kind of a bit much," a gamer named Kade from Staten Island told Laptop Mag during the event, which was mostly populated with winners of a lottery to attend.

That sentiment about cost has echoed across the internet over the past week since Nintendo finally unveiled the details of the Switch 2. At $450, it has the highest sticker price ever of any Nintendo console. Game prices went up to $80, as well, which several fans at last weekend's event, like Kade, were worried about. The original Switch, released in March 2017, cost $300.

Tariffs add to questions about Switch 2 price

The preview event took place on Friday, April 2, the same day that Nintendo announced that it would be delaying pre-orders for the Switch 2 in the US indefinitely in response to President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on foreign-made goods.

Less than a week later, on Wednesday, Trump announced a 90-day pause on the tariff plan, except for goods made in China. The Nintendo Switch is produced in China and Vietnam.

For now, the console is still slated to launch on June 5, but preorders for US customers that were supposed to go live on Wednesday have been delayed. (It is available for preorder in the UK.) “Eligible Nintendo Account holders will receive an email when it's time to purchase,” reads a message on the Nintendo website once one registers interest in buying a Switch 2.

Games bring excitement — and more questions about price

This developing situation created a dark cloud over an otherwise enthusiastic event, where ecstatic gamers wandered glowing halls of red and white filled with demo stations where they got hands-on previews of the Switch 2 and some of the first games for it, like Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bonanza, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and a slew of third parties titles like Hades 2 and Split Fiction.

As exciting as those games are, many fans are worried they'll be too expensive across the board, particularly first-party Nintendo games. Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bonanza seem to be the start of a new standard $80 price tag for Switch 2 games, meaning it's possible that some of the biggest titles, like the next 3D Mario game, could end up being even pricier.

Nintendo has finally begun trying to address these concerns over the past few days, but it sounds like the level of outrage over Switch 2 pricing came as a surprise. Initially, many fans assumed the Switch 2's high price was due to the ever-shifting tariffs in the US, but it sounds like that's not the case.

Bowser: “We felt that was going to be the right price point.”

Doug Bowser, President of Nintendo of America (his last name is coincidental), said in an interview with CNBC that the company "didn't consider tariffs into that equation" and explained, "We felt that was going to be the right price point for our consumers and the right value proposition, if you will, for the device that we're creating."

Bowser highlighted Mario Kart World in his defense of the Switch 2 pricing and the pricing for its first-party games and dove into all of the console's hardware improvements, which are legitimately a significant upgrade.

Unfortunately, even if fans can overlook the price of the Switch 2, the pricing of the games could have far-reaching repercussions.

When asked if he was concerned about the pricing, Jordan, a Nintendo fan from Queens, nodded, telling Laptop Mag: "Absolutely, because, I mean, I'm from New York, right? So, everything's expensive here. It's even worse because if Nintendo is doing this, other game companies can follow, which is also the other problem."

By the sound of it, though, that might not deter gamers who are itching to get their hands on this console. Even Jordan admitted he will probably still get the Switch 2, adding, "I feel like everyone's going to do it anyway, eventually."

"Eventually" might end up being the keyword, especially with pre-orders indefinitely on hold. Many fans might wait for sales or price drops before buying a Switch 2, even if they're as excited about the new console as the lucky gamers who won tickets to last weekend's event.

This has happened before

This wouldn't be the first time gamers held off on buying premium-priced consoles, opting to hold onto older or lower-end models instead. For instance, the Xbox Series X didn't begin outselling the more affordable Xbox Series S until October 2024, nearly four years after both consoles' release date. A similar trend could happen with the Switch, where many fans may wait years for the chaos of tariffs to resolve and more price drops to start cropping up for the Switch 2 before finally buying one.

Based on our first impressions and the reactions of fans, the Switch 2 is a stunner and the games are a blast — but the excitement about this launch may not be able to overshadow price hikes.

As Jordan said, "I saw the prices, but we can get through that. I think, we can get through that."

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The Nintendo Switch 2 will release on June 5, marking an end to the (at times) agonizing wait for a sequel to one of the best-selling handheld game consoles of all time (second only to the Nintendo DS).

Could the Switch 2 top its predecessor's success? It certainly ups the ante. It offers up to 4K visuals at 120fps (Frames per second), ten times the GPU power of the original Switch, ray-traced lighting, and Nvidia's performance-boosting DLSS upscaling tech.

Unfortunately, the Switch 2 doesn't stop there when it comes to boosting numbers over its forebear, usurping its release price from $299 to $449. And no matter how much of an improvement Nintendo's next-gen handheld affords, that's simply a bridge too far for me.

Consoles are no longer the affordable gaming gateways they once were, especially when factoring in mid-cycle refreshes with the escalating cost of games and online subscriptions.

When the PlayStation 5 released and hardware shortages ran amok, I decided to step out of the console world and bide my time, anticipating a PS5 Pro to follow and be the moment I got back on the wagon.

Bless my crystal ball, I was entirely correct. However, by the time it saw release, I'd already decided — console gaming wasn't worth it anymore.

The Nintendo Switch 2 doesn't change that fact, either.

Game prices are nuts (horse nuts, in fact)

If not initially thwarted by the cost of the console itself, it would appear that the Switch 2's games will also receive a considerable boost in price.

Launch title Mario Kart World will retail at $79.99, the kind of price that makes Ubisoft and Activision executives rapidly wag their red pointy tails in excitement while clopping their hooves together. You can't even bank on that price coming down over time, either.

On the digital front especially, Switch games have notoriously stuck close to their release price, and decent discounts on popular titles happen about as frequently as mainline Elder Scrolls releases (remasters don't count).

Turfing out around a fifth of the price of the Switch 2 itself just to own one game isn't all that appealing to me — and sadly, that's something expected to happen across the gaming spectrum, especially on consoles.

GTA 6 is another upcoming game expected to throw down an almighty gauntlet of a hefty price tag, with current rumors suggesting the game could cost upwards of $100 or more.

This news spurred on both fierce opposition and dogmatic defense of developer Rockstar Games, with many highlighting the increasing cost of making games more realistic through graphics, animation, and world-building.

Looking at the rich world of Red Dead Redemption 2 only showcases Rockstar Games' unique flair for this sort of thing. Though I won't lie. I'm more than willing to sacrifice the testicular physics of a stallion in motion if it means keeping games closer to the mid-double-digit area.

I applaud the attention to detail, but nobody ever got through one of the game's incredible set pieces and thought to themselves, "Boy... Those horse nuts really sell the experience for me."

Perhaps games don't actually cost more to make if you spend your money wisely in the first place. Sorry if you're the unfortunate designer left out of work by consequence.

Meanwhile, in the PC gaming utopia...

Meanwhile — on the isles I retreated to after turning my back on console gaming's escalating prices and all-too-frequent hardware cycles — PC gaming is practically popping off like a puffer fish filled with Diet Coke and Mentos.

They're practically giving games away on PC. In fact, there's no "practically" about it. Between the monthly Prime Gaming freebies you'll land with your Amazon Prime membership and the weekly or frequent giveaways from platforms like Epic Games Store and Good Old Games, I've amassed more games than a New Mexico landfill without parting with a single red cent.

And that's without the constant barrage of deals, sales, and Humble Bundle bonanzas from these storefronts, offering discounts that make their console counterparts look like impractical fronts for criminal enterprises.

If I dedicated my life and lineage right now to completing the contents of my Steam library in its entirety, there's only a slight chance that my great-grandson would be able to wrap up the task before he starts cashing in his pension.

The idea of paying $79.99 for the standard edition of any PC game is about as alien of a concept to me as the Vulcan mating cycle, especially when you can almost always guarantee yourself a bargain on new titles from sites like CDKeys or Fanatical.

I can even get my handheld fix from far cheaper handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck or ROG Ally, each capable of tapping into an enormous library of PC games, including previous blockbuster console exclusives from both Microsoft and Sony, without sacrificing the ability to mod, emulate, or otherwise tamper and tweak with things as I please.

Switching off

Like my original Nintendo Switch is currently doing, the bundle of excitement I once held for owning a Switch 2 is now gathering dust.

That's not to say that Nintendo's handheld isn't an impressive feat, nor does it lack any compelling games. However, while I'd love to dive into those exclusive Switch 2 titles, spending over $500 cumulatively to occasionally hear Mario yell "Wahoo!" makes about as much economic sense as investing in Bored Ape NFTs and gamer girl bathwater.

I just can't justify returning to console prices and expensive, limited game libraries. Call me no fun, call me cheap, but one thing you can't call me is a financial masochist. Something I feel I'd need to become to justify the total spends required to enjoy a rich Switch 2 experience.

More from Laptop Mag

• Switch vs. Switch 2: Is Nintendo's new console worth the upgrade?
• The Switch 2 is Nintendo's priciest console since the SNES and people are not happy
• Nvidia: Switch 2 has ray tracing, DLSS, and is 10x more powerful than original

My workflow is based around having a dual-monitor laptop setup with two screens to play with. This isn't about screen real estate as much as it is about window organization.

These days, when I travel with a laptop, I need to pack a second portable monitor, but that all changed when Asus sent me the Zenbook Duo 2025 to review. I love this device, and I feel like it was designed with users like me in mind.

The Asus Zenbook Duo earns its name because it is a dual-screen clamshell laptop with a removable keyboard. You can use the Duo in "laptop mode" with the keyboard resting on the bottom screen, attached with pogo pins. A built-in kickstand enables you to use two screens positioned either horizontally or vertically — I'm more of a horizontal guy myself.

Additionally, the Zenbook Duo comes with many of the same specifications as some of the best laptops out there. First, there are the dual 14-inch OLED displays, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and a 75 Wh battery that will last you up to eight hours, even if you're using both screens. There's also a ton of ports, including a full-sized HDMI 2.1 port, 2 USB-C ports, 1 USB-A port, and a 3.5mm audio jack, all in a package that weighs just over 3.5 pounds. That's not bad!

But there are a few things to know about before you throw down a penny under $1,700 for this puppy. There are some good reasons to buy this laptop and a few to stay away. I've been using the laptop for almost a month, including a trip to MWC in Barcelona, and this is what I've learned.

Portability and Versatility

Dual-screen laptops are great because they allow for any number of combinations of windows when needed. When everything is closed on the Zenbook Duo, the keyboard slides between the two screens, opening and closing like a traditional laptop. When you open it up, you can leave the keyboard in place and use it with one screen, or remove the keyboard.

When you do, you can set up the laptop in what Asus calls "Dual-screen mode" and "Desktop mode". Dual screen mode sees a top and bottom configuration for the screens in landscape. Desktop mode allows you to place the screens side-by-side in portrait, giving you a left and right side screen. The built-in kickstand works with either configuration.

The laptop is built with the top screen set back from the bottom screen — that's what enables the keyboard to fit between them when closed. When opened, especially in desktop mode, the screens sit a tad skewed, so that both screens lean slightly to one side. It's easy to get used to, but it's still noticeable. But, the ability to set up this laptop in any configuration according to your environment and needs is really valuable.

A weighty concern

When I headed to MWC 2025, the Asus Zenbook Duo was in my bag, but only for when I was working back at the hotel. I also carried a second laptop with me on the plane — the Lenovo IdeaPad 5X laptop powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon Plus processor. The Asus Zenbook Duo, at 3.8 pounds, isn't too heavy, but heavy enough that it was a consideration to carry it around the show floor daily.

Of course, because of my job, I ended up reviewing the IdeaPad on the show floor instead, and as a midrange laptop, it too was on the hefty side at 3.3 pounds. It was still half a pound lighter than the Duo, and at 20,000 steps per day, every half pound helps.

This is a very niche case, but if you have a sort of "home base" and you have to roam show floors from time to time, you will need to decide in this regard. If weight is a primary concern, one of the best Ultrabooks may be a better solution for you. My latest daily driver laptop is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13, which weighs just over two pounds, and that's a very big difference.

Great for research and coding

Having a laptop with dual screens opens up a whole new world for research. Multiple tabs are great for figuring out what information you need and how to organize it, but dual screens give you an extra dimension to play with. I have two predominant use cases.

When I'm writing, I usually have the laptop in dual-screen mode with a top and bottom screen. The top screen holds all my research, spec sheets, news stories, etc, that I need to reference. The bottom screen is where I write. I'm used to this positioning because when I'm in dual-screen mode and the keyboard is up against the bottom screen, it's reminiscent of just having a laptop open. When I'm editing another writer's work, it's a similar setup with the article information on the top screen and the article I'm editing on the bottom.

If you're a coder, you may prefer desktop mode with the screens in portrait orientation, giving you maximum height for reading as much code as possible. In the meantime, you can keep a preview window open or a stack exchange browser open. I don't code, so I'm guessing here. Of course, how you use the laptop will depend on your workflow, but the laptop is versatile enough to accommodate just about anything.

Battery life is good, but not great

One of the surprising aspects of this device is the battery life. I work eight-hour shifts as an editor and I was a little surprised to see this laptop make it through an entire shift on a charge. I was always using both screens with multiple browser windows open, adding up to a couple of dozen tabs, and some messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and Slack all open.

I also generally have the brightness as low as I can tolerate — roughly 25% and 35%, so that's a big help. But even so, that's pretty impressive battery life for a computer running two screens. That being said, with the battery life that short, I also feel the need to carry a charger with me. Fortunately, the charger that comes with the laptop is fairly compact — it has a big brick that plugs into the wall and charges via USB-C so that you can use the charger for other devices. All the same, it would be nice to leave the hotel with this laptop and not have to worry about making it through the whole day.

Dual-screen gaming

One aspect of the computing experience that shouldn't be overlooked is the idea of dual screen gaming. The Zenbook Duo is capable of some gaming — you won't be playing "Call of Duty" on it or anything — since it lacks the discrete GPU that most gaming laptops have. That being said, you can play some lighter games on this PC. I particularly enjoyed Warcraft II — which is an old-school game that runs in an emulator.

The dual-screen setup allows me to have a supporting document open such as a cheat guide or a YouTube Video walkthrough for a particularly challenging section. This has helped me on more than one occasion with this game on my multiple-monitor setup on my home PC. Simply the ability to have that documentation open in a second window has been huge.

Value

At $1,699, this laptop is a decent buy. Make no mistake, though; it's more expensive than a similarly specced laptop with only one screen. There are a lot of extra parts and R&D that go into the price of this laptop. That doesn't mean it's a bad buy, far from it, but it can strain the budget.

Ultimately, you'll have to decide if the utility this device provides is worth the extra money to you. The base model MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 costs less, as do many of the best Lenovo laptops and best Dell laptops. So it's ultimately a choice you'll have to make whether the extra money is worth it.

Personally, it is for me. I don't game much, so I don't need a super powerful laptop to get by. In fact, if not for the strong desire to use a dual-screen laptop, I'd probably be good with the cheapest laptop with the best battery life. That said, if I had to buy a new laptop today, the Zenbook Duo would be a strong contender.

Windows software is getting better

Dual-screen laptops are not new. Companies like Asus, Lenovo, and even HP have all experimented with the concept for some time now. Up until recently, Windows has been a major limiting factor. As good as Windows is as an operating system, it hasn't always played nicely with unusual form factors. Basically, as long as your computing was going to be limited to a monitor, mouse, and keyboard, Windows was great.

Once you introduce a rogue element, like a folding screen or dual screens, Windows could get a little funky. If we're being honest, it can still go a little crazy from time to time, but in the past few years, Windows has been getting flakey much less than before. That's good news, not only for dual-screen laptop makers but also for other form factors like folding screens or handheld gaming machines. Not long ago, I would have listed Windows software as a con, but recent developments have shifted it into being a pro.

Is dual-screen laptop life for you?

At the end of the day, whether or not a dual-screened laptop is for you comes down to what works for you and how much you value that form factor. If you're like me and your entire workflow centers around two (or more) screens, then the Zenbook Duo is a solid buy. If you prefer to move around a lot, you might want to get a more traditional laptop.

I very much value the fact that I can use this laptop anywhere. That's why it will remain a staple in my bag. The fact that it's a conversation starter also helps. The arguments against buying the laptop aren't convincing compared to the benefits. All three concerns here are comparatively minor in the grand scheme of things. They all pale in comparison to what this laptop (and others like it) can truly bring, making dual-screen laptops one of the most compelling additions to the best 2-in-1 laptops on the market.

As laptop prices get higher, even budget laptops are approaching what used to be premium pricing. This is a disheartening trend if you're shopping for one of the best laptops in 2025. However, I have one critical recommendation if you're looking at the best laptop deals and trying to stay on a budget.

I recently reviewed the Asus Vivobook 16 (2025) and found it good but not great. At $799, it's in what we would now deem budget laptop territory, but it's not the best value. I’ve seen the Dell G16 (7630), one of the best cheap gaming laptops with a mechanical keyboard, on sale for $949. However, that’s before tariffs.

In this economy, you may need to ditch the idea of “newer is better” and look to some slightly older premium laptops to find the best laptop values.

Let's dive into some key examples.

1. Asus Zenbook OLED 14

To bring it back to Asus, the Asus Zenbook OLED 14 is one of my favorite budget laptops because it's not only affordable but it offers the quality I'd expect in a premium laptop.

The OLED display alone kills it with its infinite contrast, flying far above the Vivobook 16 with its cheap screen. Both laptops offer long battery life, but the Zenbook OLED 14 scores an hour longer on the Laptop Mag test and it's even paired with higher performance.

One of my biggest pet peeves with the Vivobook 16 is its squishy keyboard. The Zenbook sports a smooth and comfortable keyboard. It’s tough to beat, and you can get the Zenbook 14 OLED as low as $569 on Amazon with its Intel Ultra 5-125H version.

2. Apple MacBook Air 13 M2

Yes, you can buy the Apple MacBook Air 13 M2 right now at Best Buy for $50 less than the Vivobook 16. In our MacBook Air 15 review, we complimented the laptop for its elegant design, colorful screen, and excellent battery life.

The Vivobook 16 falls short of its battery life and can’t keep up with its display or thin design (0.45 inches vs. 0.7 inches). You can also tap away on the MacBook Air’s keyboard, feeling satisfied thanks to its springy feedback.

The MacBook Air 13 M2 is nearly three years old, but for its current price, it crushes the Vivobook 16 no contest. The two biggest caveats are whether you need Windows, in which case see our previous or next recommendation, or if you need more than just the two USB-C ports available on the Air M2.

3. Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i

The Lenovo Slim 7i Gen 9 is a standout laptop from spring 2024 that holds up well against the current competition, and thanks to the inexorable march of time, you can now get this premium laptop for under $800 directly from Lenovo.

It easily beats the performance of the Vivobook 16 in our testing, and the vibrant, gorgeous OLED display of the Slim 7i would make the Vivobook's display look like it's in black and white.

Battery life is the biggest trade-off that you are making, with a little over 10 hours compared to 14 hours for the Vivobook 16, but the other quality of life improvements should make this a worthwhile sacrifice.

Windows users just can't catch a break — unless the break in question is a myriad of routine update-related BSoD errors.

First, Microsoft gatekept Windows 10 users from upgrading to Windows 11 through its controversial hardware requirements, insisting on previously non-standard TPM 2.0 modules and a strict cut-off for particular processors.

Then, after years of pretending not to understand why people with perfectly good PCs chose to avoid Windows 11 like it had the plague, Microsoft announced Windows 10's end-of-support date of October 14, 2025.

The news was an indicator that Microsoft was effectively preparing to strong-arm holdouts into upgrading or going turncoat on their operating system under the duress of no more security updates, technical support, or feature drops.

Now, Microsoft has let the mask slip even further, recently publishing an update checklist for Windows 10 users that spends more time suggesting they prepare their computers for the scrap heap than emphasizing how to upgrade to Windows 11.

And that's all because, while many Windows 10 users have the hardware to accommodate Windows 11's hardware requirements, Windows 11's minimum specifications are something of a red herring.

New AI-backed additions to the platform, like Copilot, Recall, Cocreator, Restyle, Super Resolution, and more, are either exclusively available to or vastly superior on a new wave of Copilot+ PCs that depend on modern processors outfitted with dedicated NPUs (Neural processing units).

Make no mistake about it. These aren't just features, they're a fork. Microsoft is splitting the Windows 11 userbase down a clear hardware divide. And if it's going to do that, it might as well cut the cord entirely and call it Windows 12.

Copilot+ isn't a feature set, it's a fork

Microsoft touts Copilot+ features as a bold step into an exciting AI-powered operating system frontier. And sure, it is. But it's not a feature drop, it's a platform fork hiding behind the Windows 11 nametag.

The requirements for running Microsoft's modern vision of Windows 11 dwarf the old TPM 2.0 module complaints, requiring modern Intel Core Ultra, Qualcomm Snapdragon X, or AMD Ryzen AI processors to make use of many exclusive Copilot+ PC tools.

That's a benchmark the vast majority of Windows 11 users are yet to meet, effectively holding these newer features to ransom under hardware requirements that turn Microsoft's official minimum specs into a joke.

That's because Microsoft's scope for Windows 11 has exploded in recent years alongside the AI boom, and what was once intended to be a prettier, more secure, and more "modern" operating system is morphing into something else entirely — something that perhaps isn't all that fitting.

After all, you don't need a Copilot for a vessel originally designed to be helmed by one. Perhaps it's time that Microsoft christened an entirely new ship for its AI-driven expedition.

Let's just get to Windows 12 already

After spending years trying to bring Windows users together under the banner of Windows 11, Microsoft has now effectively placed a hardware divider among its userbase once again.

It's time Microsoft bit the bullet and stopped trying to wedge its next-gen operating system ambitions into Windows 11's framework and started forging the road ahead with Windows 12.

This makes hardware expectations clear from the get-go, gives developers a clear milestone to move on from, and gives Windows users peace of mind that they won't once again be left chasing further hardware requirements to access the latest Windows features when Microsoft inevitably moves the goalposts on their 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS) NPU recommendation.

If Microsoft is going to split its userbase, raise the hardware bar, and launch a fleet of AI-first features that only work on the latest chips, then fine — but at least do it properly.

Just as Windows 10 never panned out to be the "final version of Windows" that Microsoft claimed it to be, neither will Windows 11. It's time for Windows 12.

More from Laptop Mag

• Microsoft doesn't want you to upgrade to Windows 11
• I'm ready to gamble on this alternative gaming-focused underdog to Windows 11, are you?
• Windows users call Microsoft's latest update blunder "The greatest bug in living memory" — here's why

Chromebooks in the early 2010s weren’t something I would have recommended, but it has been over a decade, and the best Chromebooks are stronger than ever.

While in no way can these Chromebooks compete with the best Windows laptops in raw performance, there are perks of using them that simply make your life convenient.

When I first switched to a Chromebook back in 2017, my initial experience was pretty lackluster. Since I have been used to Windows OS and loved how I used to carry out tasks on my laptop for two decades, I never took the time to learn how many great utilities a Chromebook can offer.

A Chromebook isn’t just a cost-effective solution that you would want to invest in for the short term for just browsing the internet but something that you could look up to for several years for various types of work.

It can be one of your most rewarding investments, whether you are a student or someone who does lots of office work on your commute or even in the office.

Here are some of the reasons why downgrading to a Chromebook changed my life for good.

Gets most of the job done without needing dedicated applications

For those who aren’t familiar, Chromebooks run on ChromeOS and it’s a browser-based operating system that works just as you would expect it to run on a regular computer.

Therefore, Chromebooks cannot run Windows applications such as .exe files but since many Chromebooks can run Android applications out of the box, there is hardly anything you can’t do, except for intensive stuff regular Windows PC excels at.

From opening sheets to video editing, there are dedicated apps you can run on your Chromebook and do whatever you would be able to do on a regular laptop. At first, I was confused as to how I was supposed to run the classic Adobe Photoshop for my photo editing tasks or run my offline videos.

Just a quick search helped me learn that Adobe Photoshop does work on the web (available in the form of Photoshop Express), and although there are some limitations, it gets most of the job done.

Similarly, I could play my videos on the VLC media player in the browser itself. However, this isn't a concern you would be dealing with in the very beginning but getting used to the Chrome browser is the real challenge.

Imagine opening Chrome for everything; it might seem tedious at first, but when you organize everything in one place, you will be able to access all your apps faster and from a single place.

There are endless possibilities on Chromebooks if you try to step out of your comfort zone for a few days to learn the most used tools and utilities.

Technically, it’s possible to run it like a regular PC

Interestingly, you can run many traditional Windows-like apps on a Chromebook as well. Even though the app stack for ChromeOS is quite enormous, some users would like to leverage its full potential.

Thankfully, Chromebooks allow you to install Linux-based operating systems.

Chromebooks have the option to install Linux apps using the built-in Linux development environment called Crostini, but you can always install a full Linux distribution such as Ubuntu using Crouton, although the latter may be complex for beginners and isn’t recommended for everyone due to warranty-related issues.

Even though we aren’t here to compare the advantages or limitations of Linux over Windows, recent Linux developments have been significant, closing the gap between the two drastically.

Still, do keep in mind that the hardware limitations of Chromebooks won’t allow you to crunch large numbers or perform heavy 3D rendering since Chromebooks lack dedicated GPUs and offer entry-level specs.

There isn’t much storage as well but you can save everything on your favorite cloud platform or external storage just in case you want to secure larger files.

Gaming? Yes, you can install Steam

Don’t expect a Chromebook to run Cyberpunk 2077, but you can certainly play light games from your Steam Library.

Chromebooks are known for their limited gaming capability, and yes, even though you can play the Android games flawlessly from the Play Store, running Steam isn’t impossible on the device, assuming your Chromebook qualifies for it.

Unless you are buying a $150 Chromebook with an Intel Celeron, you are good to go even with a Core i3 processor.

Surely, it won’t be an ‘amazing’ gaming experience on entry-level hardware, but at least you will be able to run quite a lot of games from the vast Steam library. Moreover, there are emulators out there that can run iconic games from the PSP and NES era.

Still, just in case you want to enjoy your triple-A titles, you can subscribe to cloud gaming services such as GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Cloud gaming hardly costs $10-$20 a month but gives you access to thousands of games, all running smoothly on your system since the entire load is on the server running the games. All you need is a reliable and fast internet connection, and you are good to go.

So lightweight that you won’t feel it in your backpack

Since Chromebooks don’t need a lot of horsepower, they often ship with smaller and lighter chassis than their Windows counterparts. For similar specs, they are cheaper, lighter, and highly portable.

Most Chromebooks tend to bring a screen size between 11 and 14 inches while traditional Windows laptops bring 13-17-inch screen sizes, bigger keyboards, and larger chassis.

They aren’t only bigger in footprint than Chromebooks, but traditional Windows laptops can weigh nearly 6 pounds. Still, considering such laptops also come with dedicated graphics cards, the ones that don’t also usually weigh between 3-4 pounds easily.

Chromebooks, on the other hand, are hardly two to four pounds, making them easier to carry in your backpack.

My personal experience would always compel me to carry my Chromebook for work instead of my heavier laptop.

Since I hardly play games outside, the Chromebook has always proved to be more convenient for executing tasks quicker and delivering better productivity.

A touchscreen for just $300 — and more!

Try finding a touchscreen Windows laptop for $299, and you will hardly find one even at $400, while you can have this handy feature even on a $344 Chromebook like Acer Chromebook Plus 514.

Touchscreens are one of the best ways to increase productivity, and when you learn how to manage tasks together with the keyboard, you become unstoppable.

Amazingly, not just a touchscreen but a high-quality IPS full HD display is common for sub-$250 Chromebooks, which is rare on Windows laptops. For almost half the price, Chromebooks also offer modern connectivity like WiFi 6E, fast SSD storage, and up to 8 GB RAM in most cases, which is everything you would want for your daily use.

In a nutshell, Chromebooks may appear weaker due to a less versatile OS and weaker hardware, but these are often sufficient for the masses, only if users can understand how to leverage their full potential.

Chromebooks may have had a bad reputation a decade ago, but things have changed remarkably. Of course, there are several areas where Chromebooks need improvements but in their current state, no one can deny their dominance in the entry-level market that wouldn’t be possible with Windows-based laptops.

More from Laptop Mag

• Best Chromebooks in 2025: 5 top picks tested and reviewed
• HP Chromebook Plus 14a review
• Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review

Most Windows laptop users prefer an external mouse over the built-in trackpad on their devices, but many of my friends who use a MacBook swear by its Force Touch trackpad.

I use a Windows gaming laptop as my main workstation, and I paired it with an MMO gaming mouse as the 12 extra keys give me access to my most-used shortcuts on my thumb. Even if I’m not after the hotkeys on the mouse, I’d still pick one of the best gaming mice because my laptop’s trackpad isn’t that good.

However, I also own a MacBook Air, which I use whenever I work outside my office. I bought a mouse for the laptop, but I often find myself just sticking with the trackpad. Its satin glass surface makes it a joy to use, with my fingers gliding effortlessly on it. But more than that, the gestures on macOS make using it intuitive, helping me work faster and more efficiently.

Because of that, I wondered if it’s possible to use the trackpad with Windows. So, I ditched my gaming mouse and bought a Magic Trackpad to see how it would affect my workflow.

You need third-party drivers to make it work

Although the Magic Trackpad is primarily designed to work with Apple products like the MacBook Air and iPad Air, non-Apple devices could recognize it, too, like my Samsung S24 Ultra and Windows laptop. Unfortunately, since it’s not native to those platforms, it only works as a basic mouse — the gestures that make it a cut above all other trackpads don’t work. Thankfully, there are a few third-party apps that deliver this functionality.

I first tried Trackpad++, but it said that the Magic Trackpad 3 isn’t currently supported. Furthermore, I believe this is designed primarily for users running Windows directly on their MacBooks, not for installing directly on a Windows PC.

I then installed the Mac Precision Touchpad driver from imbushuo via GitHub. It gave me additional functionality, like two-finger scrolling and the two-finger tap as the secondary click, which I can access directly from the Windows Settings menu. However, three- and four-finger gestures still won’t work.

As a last resort, I installed the Magic Trackpad Windows driver + app from Magic Utilities, and it worked like a charm. Aside from giving me the standard three- and four-finger gestures you find on macOS, it also allowed me to customize a few of these functions to my taste. The only downside to this is that it only comes with a trial period, after which you must buy a subscription.

Seamless scroll and gesture control

The biggest advantage the Magic Trackpad has over my mouse is the seamless horizontal scrolling function it delivers. This is especially crucial for me as the tools I use — namely, Photoshop, Excel, and Trello — require a lot of that. This saves me from having to learn which key activates horizontal scrolling and pressing it, making my workflow so much simpler.

Vertical scrolling is also much more convenient. Instead of requiring multiple scrolls on the scroll wheel of my mouse, I can just use two fingers for easy swiping. This is especially useful when I’m browsing through hundreds of entries on an Excel datasheet or a Trello list.

It would previously take me at least three minutes of scrolling to go through all the information on a list using my mouse, but with the Magic Trackpad 3, I can do the same task in less than 30 seconds.

Dragging and dropping takes some time to get used to

One challenge for me while using my trackpad is dragging and dropping. This is especially difficult when I use my MacBook Air with my triple-monitor display, especially since I need to take large swipes just to move from one screen to another.

However, Magic Utilities seems to have solved this problem by providing a customizable Drag Lock option.

I picked Short in the Drag Lock dropdown list, meaning it will hold the items I’m dragging for a short time, even if I lift my finger. That way, I can easily drag them across different monitors without worrying that the items I’m holding will drop into a different window or app.

Saves desk space and delivers better ergonomics

Since I work all day in front of my computer, I put a premium on my ergonomics and natural posture. The Magic Trackpad’s low profile makes it quite a good tool for avoiding carpal tunnel syndrome.

Unlike most mice, which require me to rest my hand on my wrist, the trackpad makes me rest my hand on my palm. This ensures I don’t put pressure on it, helping prevent compression of the median nerve.

Although this trackpad is quite large (about 32% larger than the one on the 15-inch MacBook Air), it’s still considerably smaller than the space required to use a mouse. This makes it the perfect substitute if you have a small desk or if you travel frequently.

No gaming at all

Despite all its advantages, the Magic Trackpad still has a glaring drawback — it’s not ideal for gaming. Unless you prefer these PC games that play great with a keyboard, you can’t use it (or any trackpad, for that matter) for effective gaming. Even 4X games, which do not have that much fast-paced action, are harder to play on a trackpad versus a regular mouse.

Still, if you’re rocking a Magic Trackpad for daily use, it doesn’t mean that you’re limited to it. You can always use a mouse when you’re in the mood to play games, or maybe even get a Bluetooth controller if you’re used to consoles.

What is the price of efficiency?

I’ve fallen in love with the Magic Trackpad and its gesture control for use with Windows. However, I’ll miss the 12 shortcut keys on my MMO mouse, so I’ll likely stick with that.

But if I were using any other mouse, I would switch to the trackpad as one of my primary input methods (with my keyboard being the other one). That doesn’t mean my mouse would go away, though, as I still need it for gaming.

However, the Magic Trackpad is an expensive piece of kit. The white version costs $129, and if you like the black one, you need to shell out $20 more. That doesn’t include the annual $16.99 subscription to unlock all the features that make it such a great input device. You could get a great gaming mouse for half of that — and if you’re really on a tight budget, you could get a halfway decent option for just $30.

Only a few people can justify spending that much on their productivity. But if you’re one of those lucky few, then this isn’t an expense; it’s an investment.

More from Laptop Mag

• I downgraded from a 1440p to a 1080p monitor — here's what happened
• I switched to a MacBook after using Windows for over 30 years. Here’s what happened.
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Windows is currently the most popular operating system in the world, taking about 70% of the market.

But despite its popularity, it’s still lacking some features that Apple has already perfected on macOS. Many would recommend ditching your Windows PC for a Mac or MacBook if you want to get these functionalities, but that’s often easier said than done.

After all, MacBooks are often very expensive compared to their Microsoft counterparts, with hardware upgrades often costing 10x more.

Furthermore, owing to its wider reach, some apps and many games are only available on Windows. So, if you require using specialized software or if you’re a gamer, you’d probably want to just stick with a Windows PC.

However, that doesn’t mean you cannot get the best of Apple on your computer. So, I tried a few apps that make your Windows device feel more like macOS, and these are the best ones that made me more productive.

Flow Launcher will give you Spotlight Search

Spotlight Search has always been considered superior to Windows Search, especially with its Command + Space shortcut and comprehensive results. Microsoft tried to emulate this with the Search Bar in the Start Menu — but as a user of both operating systems, I still find Apple’s implementation cleaner and more useful.

So, if you want to get Spotlight Search on your Windows PC, download the Flow Launcher app. This free app lets you assign a keyboard shortcut (Alt + Space by default) to allow you to quickly find anything. It goes through apps, files, and web results, making searching for anything you have on your mind faster. More than that, you can even launch system commands and find system settings straight from the search bar. And if you need simple calculations, you can also do so on Flow Launcher without needing to launch the Calculator app.

To make it even more effective, you should go to Windows Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows > Find my files. From there, ensure that Enhanced is selected so that Flow Launcher will have a much easier time finding your files and folders.

Microsoft Phone Link gives you Airdrop functionality on your devices

AirDrop makes it easy to send files between iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and even visionOS devices. Since it’s not available on Windows, iPhone users often struggle with sending files between their phones and laptops.

Thankfully, Microsoft solved this itself with Phone Link, which is already built into Windows 11. However, you must download the Link to Windows app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, depending on your device.

With the app installed, you can then easily connect your Windows PC to your iPhone or Android Phone, making file sharing between devices a breeze. If you’re transferring files from your phone to your computer, you just need to select the file or photo, tap share, and find Link to Windows.

From there, tap the icon of your connected Windows computer, and the file you sent will appear in the Phone Link subfolder in your PC’s Downloads folder.

It’s also relatively easy to send files from your PC to your phone. You must first open the Link to Windows app on the phone and ensure that it’s connected to your PC. From there, just select the file you want to send on File Explorer, click on Share, and choose My Phone. The file you sent should then appear in the Received files.

AirDrop is still much easier to use. But since that isn’t available for PCs, this is the next best thing.

Install the Apple Devices app if you have other Apple products

Managing your iPhone or iPad from a Windows PC was previously done through iTunes. It was effective but rather clunky, which is why I’m thankful that Apple decided to give Windows users Apple Devices on the Microsoft Store.

This app lets you transfer music, movies, TV shows, photos, and files from your phone or tablet to your PC so you can easily sync up your media between the two devices.

It also lets you back up your devices locally, which is great if you don’t want to pay for an iCloud subscription. And in case you run into any trouble with your phone or tablet, like a software problem, forgotten passcode, or recovery mode issue, you can use the app to fix the problem and restore it.

Use the Files App to get the Columns View

I prefer File Explorer over Finder, as I find it simpler to use and much easier to organize. However, if you prefer navigating using macOS’s Column View, you should install the Files App instead.

This third-party file explorer gives you that view, allowing you to easily see the structure of your drive and see multiple folder levels at a glance. Aside from that, it also gives you two panes simultaneously, making it much easier to transfer files via dragging and dropping.

Despite that, it still acts similarly to File Explorer, so you won’t get lost or confused when navigating it. So, if you’re looking for the best of both Apple and Microsoft, this is the file management app you should use.

MyDockFinder makes Windows 11 feel like macOS

This is the ultimate app to make your Windows PC feel like macOS. MyDockFinder replaces the Windows Taskbar and Start Menu with the dock that debuted with Mac OS X, and it also adds a menu bar at the top edge of the screen.

Aside from showing the menu items of the app you’re currently using, you will also see the system tray and notification area found on the taskbar right here. It also gives you the option to launch Stage Manager, allowing you to use Apple’s way of managing open apps and windows.

The only issue I have using this is that the menu bar (called myFinder) does not play well with multiple monitor setups. It lags whenever I switch to an app on another monitor; that’s why I just switched off the feature.

Other than that, this app is a great way for you to feel what it’s like using a Mac without dropping hundreds or thousands of dollars on new hardware. Or if you’ve recently switched from Mac to Windows and miss Apple’s interface, you’ll appreciate MyDockFinder.

This app is only available on Steam, though, so you need the launcher to install it on your PC. Aside from that, it doesn’t have a free trial, meaning you need to purchase it outright for $5 if you want to install it.

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I love my iPhone, but a few weeks ago, I decided to make a big switch to Android.

Having used both operating systems, I know there are pros and cons to each, but I've been using iPhones for several years now.

I was thrilled when I first switched to iOS and I can safely say it has some major advantages over Android, like a super streamlined ecosystem and the "Ask app not to track" feature that makes it easy to block app tracking.

So, if I genuinely like using iOS and have had a good experience with my iPhones overall, why have I been using an Android phone for the past few weeks?

There are a few reasons, and I think a lot of iPhone users might be finding themselves in a similar position to me due to some recent moves from Apple.

And after switching back to Android, there’s a chance I might have to leave my iPhone behind for good, though there’s one frustrating drawback that’s giving me pause.

Why I switched to Android… even though I love iOS

I've been dragging my feet on replacing my iPhone 12 Mini for a while now because I usually prefer small phones. Unfortunately, the Mini's compact design was also part of why I ended up deciding to switch back to Android. The iPhone 12 Mini really struggles with battery life, which has been a pain point since it launched. The smaller chassis meant everything had to be downsized, including the battery.

That was starting to become a big issue since I travel a lot. I typically couldn't go a full day without charging my iPhone 12 Mini. I could plug it in first thing in the morning and it would still need to sit on its charger again in the evening, even with relatively low usage.

The battery life was so bad that I had to constantly keep a close eye on my phone's battery level while I was navigating airports or spending long days on the road. A portable charger became a crucial component of my carry-on bag.

Needless to say, that got old pretty fast.

I waited it out, though, because I was expecting Apple to launch the iPhone SE 4 this year and figured that would be an affordable trade-in option. That's not how things panned out.

Instead, Apple abandoned its only budget phone entirely, replacing the iPhone SE with the iPhone 16e, which starts at $599 and has a lower quality camera than the one on my iPhone 12 Mini. Even after trade-in, it would have cost me over $400, which was really tough to swallow given the huge camera downgrade.

So, I decided it was time to give Android another chance. I've had my eye on the Nothing CMF Phone 1 for a while because I liked the unique interchangeable backplates and the industrial design aesthetic. Plus, it was right in my price range.

I got my CMF Phone 1 for just $260 at Walmart with a configuration with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. For context, the matching iPhone 16e configuration costs $699, which is over two times more.

What Android does better than iOS in 2025

I've been using my CMF Phone 1 for a couple of weeks now and have been really liking it, although it did take some getting used to.

On a basic level, Android and iOS both look and feel good. iOS is getting better at customization, but it still can't beat Android. Not only does Android let you freely place apps wherever you want, you can also easily swap between icon packs to give your app icons a completely unique look. I liked the minimal aesthetic of the Nothing icon pack that came pre-installed on my CMF Phone 1, so I left it turned on.

Android also gives users more freedom to download apps from third-party app stores. I'm a big fan of free and open-source software, so I was excited to be able to use the F-Droid store as an alternative to Google's App Store.

F-Droid is a free third-party app store that focuses on free, open-source Android apps, often with attention to data privacy. I found it handy for getting all kinds of basic apps like a private gallery app to use instead of Google Photos, a local music app, and a Pomodoro timer.

Apple is notoriously strict about preventing the use of third-party app stores on iPhones. That's starting to change, but only in certain parts of the world – specifically, for countries that are a part of the European Union, where the Digital Markets Act is essentially forcing Apple to allow third-party app stores to users. At the time of writing, third-party app stores are still not allowed on iPhones in the U.S.

While more specific to my phone, I've also had far better battery life on my CMF Phone 1. I can usually go two days between charges. Meanwhile, I still have to charge my iPhone 12 Mini almost every day, even while it's just sitting idle on my desk.

Similarly, the design of the CMF Phone 1 really is fun. I got an orange replacement backplate for it and mixed that with the black screws and SIM card tray that came with my phone. The CMF Phone 1 is designed to be used without a case, so it's effectively thinner than my iPhone 12 Mini despite being larger overall.

The CMF Phone 1 is a perfect example of the kind of unique, creative designs you can find on Android phones that you just can't get with iPhones. The aesthetic of Nothing phones isn't for everyone, but it is nice to see more innovation in the design department than Apple is offering.

What I miss from my iPhone after switching to Android

While I've had a good experience returning to Android overall, it wasn't without its drawbacks, including one big one.

I miss the compact design of my iPhone 12 Mini, but the larger display on the CMF Phone 1 is admittedly nice for gaming, reading, and watching videos. There are also some quirks of navigating Android compared to iOS that take a bit of getting used to, like swiping down twice to access settings like Do Not Disturb and Airplane Mode.

Those are little things, though.

The one thing about Android that I just can't seem to get over is notifications. The way they're displayed on iOS is much clearer, easier to read, and easier to keep track of. Maybe that's because I'm just used to iOS, but it's also partly due to Face ID, which makes it easy to keep notifications private without compromising convenience.

There's a lot of friction about even viewing notifications on my CMF Phone 1 because it uses a fingerprint sensor. So, I can't just pick up my phone and glance at my notifications. I have to unlock it and swipe down again to view everything. That sounds like a minor problem, but it's still annoying even a couple of weeks after making the switch.

The other thing I lost in my trade-off was NFC. The CMF Phone 1 doesn't have NFC, which wasn't a big deal to me but is a bummer nonetheless. It's also an odd thing to leave out in 2025, considering how popular contactless payment methods are, but hopefully, CMF will add it on future phones.

Do I regret switching to Android from iPhone?

After several years on iPhones, it was a bit jarring switching back to Android. However, Apple's current pricing wasn't really an option for me and the battery life on my iPhone 12 Mini was too consistently bad to continue using it. Overall, I've had a good experience on Android and will probably stay on it for the time being.

With that said, I could see myself switching back to an iPhone one day if Apple begins offering a budget-friendly phone again or does something genuinely interesting and innovative with its iPhone designs. Price, design, and battery life were the three factors that pulled me over to Android, but the door is still open for those same factors to bring me back to iOS.

The CMF Phone 1 is proof that budget phones can have fun, unique designs and deliver great performance even at a reasonable price. I wish the same could be said for the iPhone 16e, but right now it seems like Apple is leaving its budget users behind. If that includes you, it may be time to give Android a chance.

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Split Fiction accomplishes a feat rarely seen in co-op games: Owners can play with their friends for no additional cost.

A free version of the game, referred to as the Friend’s Pass, is available on all storefronts where Split Fiction is sold. Simply download this version of the game, and as long as one person owns it, both can play.

Hazelight Studios implemented this feature back in 2018 with its first game, A Way Out, and it revolutionized the co-op gaming experience. It returned in 2021’s It Takes Two, which took home the grand prize at The Game Awards when it won Game of the Year. This year’s Split Fiction continues the trend, and its success is no secret, selling over two million copies in its first week.

Split Fiction would be fantastic even without the Friend’s Pass, but Hazelight’s refusal to give up on its vision, one which boldly states that the golden era of local co-op must not be forgotten, should inspire a revolution in multiplayer games of the future.

Split Fiction changes the way we see online games

Multiplayer games have changed dramatically since the popularization of online play, for better and worse.

The beauty of local co-op is that your desire to play something isn’t reliant on other people’s ownership. If you want a game, you simply buy it, invite friends over, and enjoy. That purchase isn’t informed by whether or not others are also willing to invest, but exclusively through their desire to play with you.

But that’s not the case for online games. If two people want to play together, both need to purchase the title in question. The advantage here is that you can play with friends anywhere in the world, but again, everyone needs to own the game.

Hazelight has paved the way for a new type of multiplayer, one that eliminates the barriers of local and online play by utilizing advancements in technology to address the flaws inherent to each approach.

This system combines the advantages of local and online into one: Not only can you play with friends anywhere but they can join without needing to purchase the game. This is brilliant, as it returns us to the accessibility of local co-op and lowers the barrier to entry.

However, there’s one glaring issue: Profit. On paper, the Friend’s Pass cuts a game’s sales in half. If only one player needs to buy a game for two people to play it, a developer could be making far less. And if the one who bought it ends up playing with more than one person, the profits could dwindle even further.

However, that’s not the right way to look at it, as it could be a phenomenal business decision. Multiplayer games fight for recognition in a brutally competitive environment. Success is largely dependent on what’s popular and if influencers are playing it. That’s true for all games, but singleplayer titles have an advantage: They don’t need a community to be enjoyed.

I played a small indie title called Bossgame: The Final Boss Is My Heart this year. It launched in 2023 and has as little as 67 reviews on Steam. As a single-player game, I could experience it worrying about the size of its player-base. It’s unpopular and I wish it had more fans, but that unpopularity had no impact on my gameplay.

If it was a co-op game, I’d need to convince a friend to buy it. That, in and of itself, can inform an initial purchase. If someone decides not to spend money on a co-op game because they can’t find someone to play it with, then there is no profit to begin with.

Quality matters for determining success, but would you buy an online game if you didn’t have anyone to play it with? I certainly wouldn’t. And even if I was interested in buying it, the burden is placed on me to convince other people that it’s worth spending money on.

Single-player games don’t have that issue. Others aren’t necessary to ensure your purchase is worthwhile. You can decide what you want to buy based on your own tastes. Split Fiction blends the financial advantages of single-player games into a multiplayer title: You don’t need to ask anyone to buy it, you just need someone to play it with.

I played Split Fiction with my best friend, and I didn’t hesitate in my purchase once I confirmed she was interested in playing together. If the Friend’s Pass didn’t exist, it’s unlikely that she would have spent $49.99. In that case, I wouldn’t have bought it to begin with. My purchase of Split Fiction was guaranteed because only I needed to own it.

The idea that the Friend’s Pass cuts profits in half is reliant on the preconception that the amount of purchases remains stagnant when applying it. You could look at Split Fiction’s sales and say, “This would have made twice as much money if both players were buying it,” but that assessment doesn’t account for the increased likelihood of a purchase occurring thanks to its existence. By lowering the barrier to entry, the Friend’s Pass increases the chance of people playing the game to begin with, potentially growing profits rather than reducing them.

This applies to any co-op game, as there have been many cases where I don’t purchase something because I can’t convince anyone to buy it with me. I’ve been wanting to play The Outlast Trials for over a year now, but before I can buy it, I need to find a friend willing to invest $39.99. If buying the game myself was enough to play it with friends, I would’ve done so a long time ago.

I’m not arguing that every multiplayer game that implements a Friend’s Pass will guarantee more sales, but it has the potential to expand the size of a player-base. It could increase the chance of success for some multiplayer titles, especially ones with smaller communities. It’s brutal trying to stand out in gaming right now, but it’s especially hard for multiplayer games, as they can find success only through simultaneous interest.

Split Fiction proves that this approach can be enormously successful for both the player and developer. After all, the game broke records with 259,003 concurrent players on Steam just a few days after launch, coming in at 52nd of all time.

Beyond the Friend’s Pass being a nice way to choose what you want to play with people rather than adhering to what’s popular, it guarantees purchases that would have never occurred otherwise. Having the opportunity to tell a friend, “I bought a game, let’s play it!” rather than “Do you want to buy this with me?” is the future of multiplayer.

Hazelight paves the way for a new type of multiplayer

Since online gaming has taken the stage, purchasing a multiplayer title is a decision largely informed by FOMO (fear of missing out). It revolves around one simple question: Are your friends playing it?

Besides Split Fiction, I haven’t bought a multiplayer game that wasn’t popularized by influencers or social media in a long time. There are tons of co-op games on Steam that will never shine because they need community, and I’m unlikely to invest without friends.

But that doesn’t need to be the case! Local co-op games can be played freely with others through a single purchase, so why should online multiplayer be any different? Hazelight challenges that notion and keeps the spirit of local co-op alive through the Friend’s Pass, and I wish more developers would follow in its footsteps.

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