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Best laptops 2025: Premium, budget, gaming, 2-in-1s, and more‎

Let’s face it. Buying a laptop is far from a straightforward process, especially with so many options out there and so many components to consider. If you identify as a hardcore gamer, for example, you’ll need a powerhouse of a machine with discrete graphics. For just checking e-mail or browsing the web, you’d probably do fine with a no-frills Chromebook. Whatever it is you’re looking for, we’ve got something for every type of laptop user. We also have hands-on experience with every machine you see below. Why you should trust us: It’s in our name. PCWorld prides itself on laptop experience and expertise. We’ve been covering PCs since 1983, and we now review more than 70 laptops every year. All of the picks below have been personally tested and vetted by our experts, who’ve applied not only performance benchmarks but rigorous usability standards. We’re also committed to reviewing PC laptops at every price point to help you find a machine that matches your budget. PROMOTIONSquarespace: Create professional websites with ease Squarespace makes it easier than ever to create an attractive and functional website for your own business. With tools for web design, e-commerce, customer billing and more. Save 10% with our exclusive code PCWORLD10 Get started with our 10% off deal Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (2024) – Best overall Pros Strong performance Exceptional battery life Wonderful typing experience Cons CPU throttles under heavy loads No user upgrades Price When Reviewed: 1000 Euro Best Prices Today: Retailer Price €0.01 View Deal 998,99 € View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket €0.01 at idealo998,99 € at Dell Why we like the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is one of the most well-rounded laptops money can buy. It offers strong performance, exceptional battery life, and a vibrant display. The best part is that it costs about $1,000, which is a reasonable price point considering the price to performance ratio. In fact, it performed exceptionally in PCMark 10’s benchmark, according to our review. With a PCMark 10 score of 7,061, it beat out the Acer Swift Go 14, which has similar specs to the Dell, and the more expensive Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. The Inspiron 14 Plus also lasted an impressive 17 hours on a single charge, which is definitely more than a full workday or school day. You don’t have to worry about finding a wall outlet to charge up. Who should buy the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus Anyone looking for a really good, well-rounded laptop. In addition to the impressive performance and battery life, it also has a lovely 14-inch 1400p display. According to our review, “the display is exceedingly well suited to office work and static imagery.” It has a peak brightness level of a stunning 418 nits as well as an anti-glare coating, which means you can use this laptop in different lighting environments. It may not have the prettiest design we’ve ever seen, but its hardware capabilities and astoundingly long battery life make up for the blah aesthetics. Read our full Dell Inspiron 14 Plus review Asus Zenbook 14 OLED – Best overall runner-up Pros Robust build quality Attractive OLED touchscreen Good CPU and integrated GPU performance Outstanding battery life Cons Blah design Keyboard isn’t memorable Mediocre connectivity options Price When Reviewed: 1199 Euro Best Prices Today: Retailer Price 1.249,00 € View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 1.249,00 € at coolblue Why we like the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED wowed us with its zippy CPU performance, phenomenal battery life, and attractive OLED touchscreen display. According to our review, “movies and games look realistic and vibrant” on the 1200p OLED touchscreen, although it can be difficult to use in bright environments due to the reflective surface. It also lasted 16 hours on a single charge, which is wild! That result trumps otherwise excellent competitors like the Lenovo Slim 7 14 Gen 9 and the HP Pavilion Plus Laptop 14. Who should buy the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Anyone looking for a powerful, affordable laptop with an OLED display! It’s so much more than its OLED screen, though. The build quality is quite good and day-to-day performance is zippy. Plus, you won’t have to go looking for an outlet often thanks to the long battery life. Connectivity options are a bit limited, but that’s not unusual for a laptop in this price range. Overall, it’s a great Windows machine that hits all the right marks. Alternative option: If you’re looking for an even more affordable option, you should check out the HP Pavilion Laptop 16 ($769.99). It boasts a large 16-inch display with a taller 16:10 aspect ratio, which is perfect for scrolling through long web pages and documents. The keyboard is also spacious and easy to use, and it lasted over 18 hours on a single charge. If you’re in the market for an even longer-lasting laptop, then we’d recommend looking into the Asus Vivobook S 14 ($1,199). Not only does it come with the latest Lunar Lake CPU, but it also died at the 21 hour mark on a single charge, which is absolutely bananas. Read our full Asus Zenbook 14 OLED review Acer Aspire Go 15 – Best budget laptop Pros Affordable Decent battery life Good display visibility Cons Big and bulky Cheap build Limited performance Price When Reviewed: 499 Euro Best Prices Today: Retailer Price 499,00 € View Deal 549,00 € View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 499,00 € at JB-Computer549,00 € at OTTO Why we like the Acer Aspire Go 15 The Acer Aspire Go 15 offers decent performance and battery life for the price ($299). The Intel Core i3-N305 CPU is power efficient and more than capable of handling daily tasks like general browsing, checking e-mail, and so on. It also ran for almost 12 hours on a single charge, which is nothing to sneeze at. The port selection is quite good as well. You’re getting USB-A ports on either side, a 3.5mm headphone jack and Kensington lock slot on the right, and one USB-C port and one HDMI port on the left. Who should buy the Acer Aspire Go 15 Anyone looking for an inexpensive laptop with reliable day-to-day performance and good battery life. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles you’d see on more high-end machines, but it’s both serviceable and affordable, making it a clear value. The CPU is power efficient and the battery should last you throughout the day. Plus, the 15.6-inch 1080p display is easy to see “despite its low brightness,” according to our review. It’s a solid machine, especially for those on a tight budget. Read our full Acer Aspire Go 15 review Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 – Best battery life Pros Remarkable battery life A great array of ports Sturdy, lightweight design High-visibility display Cons Variable performance trails competitors A bit pricier than the competition Price When Reviewed: 1849 Euro Best Prices Today: Retailer Price €0.01 View Deal €1707 View Deal €1849 View Deal €1849 View Deal €1737.3 View Deal 1.591,93 € View Deal 1.720,34 € View Deal 1.720,34 € View Deal 1.742,00 € View Deal 1.776,81 € View Deal Lenovo 1.849,00 € View Deal 1.849,00 € View Deal 1.861,21 € View Deal 2 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket €0.01 at idealo€1707 at Computeruniverse€1849 at Alternate1.776,81 € at amazon.de View more prices from amazon.denotebooksbilliger.deJACOBtease-Shop Close × Best Prices Today: Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 – Best battery life Retailer Price €0.01 View Deal €1707 View Deal €1849 View Deal €1849 View Deal €1737.3 View Deal 1.591,93 € View Deal 1.720,34 € View Deal 1.720,34 € View Deal 1.742,00 € View Deal 1.776,81 € View Deal Lenovo 1.849,00 € View Deal 1.849,00 € View Deal 1.861,21 € View Deal 2 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Why we like the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 floored us with its battery life. This machine ran for almost 24 hours on a single charge, which is impressive given the smaller 58 watt-hour battery inside. This result likely stems from the lower resolution (1920×1200) display and the more power-efficient Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100 processor. This laptop also weighs just under 3 pounds, so it’s a great option for those who travel often. Who should buy the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 Anyone looking for a long-lasting laptop. It’ll last you 20+ hours on a single charge and it’s a relatively lightweight laptop that’s capable of handling light to moderate workloads. Although the display isn’t the sharpest we’ve ever seen, it still has plenty of visibility in most conditions. The port selection is also decent for a thin laptop. You’re getting two USB-A, two USB 4, one Kensington Nano lock slot, one HDMI 2.1, and a headphone/mic combo jack. Alternative option: If you’re looking for a long-lasting 2-in-1, the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 ($1,699) is definitely worth checking out. Not only did it last an eye-popping 23 and a half hours on a single charge, but it also has a beautiful AMOLED display and a solid chassis. Read our full Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 review Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus – Best Chromebook Pros Snappy day-to-day performance Versatile 2-in-1 design Good typing experience Cons Stylus not included Heavier than expected Price When Reviewed: 649 Euro Best Prices Today: Retailer Price €0.01 View Deal €617 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket €0.01 at idealo€617 at Computeruniverse Why we like the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus From the convertible design to the beautiful touchscreen, the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus has a lot to offer, especially for under $500. The 2-in-1 design allows you to swing the screen around and use the laptop like a tablet, upping the versatility factor. You can also expect snappy day-to-day performance as well as lightning fast boot-up times. Who should buy the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus If you’re looking to pick up a premium Chromebook for work or personal use, then the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is a fine choice. While the $499 price tag is very much in the high end when it comes to Chromebooks, we feel the overall fit, finish, and firepower make it worth the extra cash. Alternative option: If you’re looking for a cheaper Chromebook with a bigger screen, the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE ($699.99) is a great option. The display measures 16 inches and it has a 2560×1600 resolution as well as a 120Hz refresh rate. According to our review, the “120Hz display is excellent and gives the laptop an edge if you’d plan to play games on a cloud gaming service that supports high refresh rates like Nvidia’s GeForce Now.” The only downside is that it’s a bit expensive for a Chromebook. Read our full Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review MacBook Air (M3) – Best MacBook Pros Excellent battery life Great combination of price, features, and performance 256GB SSD is now two NAND chips, maintaining performance Cons Expensive memory upgrades Dual external display support requires closed lid Price When Reviewed: 2049 Euro Best Prices Today: Retailer Price €0.01 View Deal €1599 View Deal €1669 View Deal €1699 View Deal €1709.6 View Deal 1.579,00 € View Deal 1.579,00 € View Deal 1.599,00 € View Deal 1.599,00 € View Deal 1.600,51 € View Deal 1.679,00 € View Deal 1.679,00 € View Deal 1.713,04 € View Deal 1.779,65 € View Deal 1.798,46 € View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket €0.01 at idealo€1599 at notebooksbilliger.de€1669 at Alternate1.579,00 € at amazon.de View more prices from amazon.deComputeruniverseJACOBcoolblue Close × Best Prices Today: MacBook Air (M3) – Best MacBook Retailer Price €0.01 View Deal €1599 View Deal €1669 View Deal €1699 View Deal €1709.6 View Deal 1.579,00 € View Deal 1.579,00 € View Deal 1.599,00 € View Deal 1.599,00 € View Deal 1.600,51 € View Deal 1.679,00 € View Deal 1.679,00 € View Deal 1.713,04 € View Deal 1.779,65 € View Deal 1.798,46 € View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Why we like the MacBook Air (M3) The MacBook Air (M3) has a lot to offer for the $1,299 price. In fact, it received high marks across the board thanks to the 8-core CPU (M3) and the 10-core GPU. It’s capable of chewing through office work as well as casual use tasks. While performance is comparable to the MacBook Pro (M3), there is one difference: the fans or lack thereof. The MacBook Air doesn’t have any fans, which results in quieter operation before heavy-duty tasks will likely put more pressure on the chip. That said, battery life is the real star of the show here. The MacBook Air (M3) breathed its last breath at the 19 hour mark, which is perfect for those with busy schedules. Who should buy the MacBook Air (M3) Anyone who prefers MacOS over competing operating systems. Battery life is outstanding and the laptop itself is both slim and light, weighing in at just over three pounds. The 15-inch Liquid Retina (LED) screen might be considered a step-down from the MacBook Pro’s Liquid Retina XDR (mini-LED) display, but that doesn’t mean it’s a poor screen. It still looks fantastic for day-to-day use. The $1,299 price tag is also reasonable for the performance and features you’re getting. Read our full MacBook Air (M3) review Alienware m16 R2 – Best gaming laptop Pros Solid gaming performance Rugged build quality Good battery life Cons Display is dimmer than we like Price When Reviewed: 1899 Euro Best Prices Today: Retailer Price €0.01 View Deal 1.899,00 € View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket €0.01 at idealo1.899,00 € at Dell Why we like the Alienware m16 R2 The Alienware m16 R2 delivers strong graphics performance and good battery life. This specific model comes loaded with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, which is nothing to sneeze at. It lasted a respectable 11 hours and fifteen minutes on a single charge and it averaged 144 frames-per-second when running the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark. According to our review, it’s only “four frames-per-second slower than the Razer Blade 16,” which has an RTX 4090 GPU and a price tag of over $3,000. Who should buy the Alienware m16 R2 Anyone looking for a great gaming laptop. You’re getting strong graphics performance as well as long battery life, which is unusual for a gaming laptop, as most tend to die around the six hour mark. The 16-inch IPS display also has a resolution of 2560×1600 and a refresh rate of 240Hz, so gameplay should be nice and smooth. The picture quality is good, but it’s not an OLED panel. While it may not be the brightest or most color rich display we’ve ever seen, it’s perfectly fine for gaming. Besides, you can always plug into an external monitor if need be. Alternative option: If you’re looking for a more lightweight option, you should definitely check out the $1,599 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14. It weighs just 3.31 pounds, which means you can easily take it anywhere with you. That said, it didn’t make the cut because of ho-hum battery life. Plus, the Alienware m16 R2’s RTX 4070 GPU is more powerful than the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14’s RTX 4060 GPU. Alternatively, if you’re looking for even more firepower, the ROG Zephyrus G16 is a killer OLED-equipped laptop with RTX 4070, 4080, and 4090 options available. Acer Nitro V 16 – Best budget gaming laptop Pros Solid performance Competitive price Dedicated button for quick performance mode switching Fast 165Hz display with good colors Cons Fully plastic build Mushy keyboard Weak battery life Price When Reviewed: 1199 Euro Best Prices Today: Retailer Price 1.020,49 € View Deal 1.299,00 € View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 1.020,49 € at tease-Shop1.299,00 € at Acer Why we like the Acer Nitro V 16 The Acer Nitro V 16 pairs a fast IPS display and RTX 4060 graphics in a package that costs just under a grand, making it the perfect option for the budget-conscious gamer. The GPU is “capable of running any modern game,” according to our review. In fact, while running the built-in Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark, the Nitro managed a respectable 136 frames-per-second on average. This result almost matches some gaming laptops with RTX 4070 graphics–impressive! The 16-inch 1920×1200 display isn’t the sharpest, but it’s a step up from the traditional 1080p fare, and the 165Hz refresh rate means you can expect smooth gameplay. Who should buy the Acer Nitro V 16 Anyone who’s looking to save some cash on a reliable gaming laptop. The display is a fine choice for action-packed games because it’s big and fast, and the RTX 4060 GPU is capable of running most games on the Medium or High graphics preset. Battery life, as you might’ve guessed, is subpar (about four hours on a single charge) and the gamer aesthetic is a touch flashy, but if you can live with those trade-offs, then the Acer Nitro V 16 is a fantastic value pick. Alternative option: The Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition ($1,099.99), which was our previous Best Budget Gaming Laptop pick until the Acer Nitro V 16 usurped it, is still a good option to consider. For about a grand, you’re getting reliable graphics performance, a spacious keyboard, and long battery life. If you’re looking for a more subtle-looking gaming laptop, the HP Victus 15 ($1,099.99) might be of interest to you. You’re getting a 144Hz high refresh rate display, a design that doesn’t scream gaming PC, and a 144Hz refresh rate display. Read our full Acer Nitro V 16 review Asus ProArt P16 – Best content creation laptop Pros Big touchpad with virtual scroll wheel Gorgeous 4K OLED display More connectivity than the competition Good battery life Cons Chassis is light, but doesn’t look remarkable CPU performance falls behind the best Can get hot under load Price When Reviewed: 2499 Euro Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Asus 2.599,00 € View Deal 2.851,27 € View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 2.599,00 € at Asus2.851,27 € at amazon.de Why we like the Asus ProArt P16 The Asus ProArt P16 is a fantastic pick for creative professionals and prosumers. You’re getting a diverse selection of connectivity options, a stunning 4K OLED display, and great battery life. The 3840×2400 resolution (4K!) display measures 16 inches and features a taller 16:10 aspect ratio. This is a phenomenal display for photo or video editing, as it “boasts an incredible color gamut and deep contrast,” according to our review. The ProArt 16 also lasted over nine hours on a single charge and one of the USB-C ports supports USB 4.0 with data rates up to 40Gbps. Who should buy the Asus ProArt P16 Anyone that likes making content. The Asus Pro Art P16 is the kind of laptop that really pays attention to the finer details. It exhibits the perfect balance of weight, connectivity, and battery life. Although it can get hot under heavier workloads and the aesthetics aren’t much to write home about (it’s just a black slab), it’s still a really good choice for creative folks. The 4K screen is to die for and, despite the powerful internals inside the machine, it somehow manages to weigh only 4.08 pounds. Read our full Asus ProArt P16 review Asus Zenbook S 14 – Best ultraportable Pros Transcendent battery life A purposeful use of space Lovely, surprisingly large OLED screen Great audio Cons Keyboard needs more key travel Performance needs improvement, especially on battery Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Asus $1499.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $1499.99 at Asus Why we like the Asus Zenbook S 14 The Asus Zenbook S 14 features a featherlight form factor, incredible battery life, and a beautiful OLED display. It weighs just 2.65 pounds, which is lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Air, and it’s structurally sound as well. According to our review, there was a “minimal amount of flex when pressing hard upon the center of the keyboard and the display doesn’t demonstrate meaningful wobble.” It has somewhat of a ceramic feel to it and the etched silvery lines on the lid give it a unique look. The 73 watt-hour battery lasted 21 hours on a single charge, which is impressive given how light and compact this laptop is. You don’t ever have to go outlet hunting. The 14-inch 1800p OLED touch display is also lovely, as it’s able to produce richer blacks. The 120Hz refresh rate makes for a smoother inking and mousing experience as well. Who should buy the Asus Zenbook S 14 Anyone who’s looking for a lightweight laptop that just keeps going and going. In addition to the spectacular battery life and the stunning OLED display, the audio is surprisingly good. This is surprising, as laptop speakers tend to be downward-firing, thus muffling the audio. The Zenbook S 14’s audio is boosted by four integrated Harmon Kardon speakers and further enhanced by Dolby Atmos audio. It’s a good laptop to watch movies on, that’s for sure. Read our full Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406SA) review HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 – Best 2-in-1 Pros OLED touchscreen looks great Nice solid build Long battery life Cons Few ports in odd spots Expensive  Price When Reviewed: 1899 Euro Best Prices Today: Retailer Price 1.699,00 € View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 1.699,00 € at notebooksbilliger Why we like the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 As far as 2-in-1 laptops go, the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 is the complete package. Not only is it well built, but it also boasts epic battery life as well as a comfortable typing experience. It’s not a metal unibody machine, but it feels nice and the 360-degree hinge has the “right amount of stiffness,” according to our review. As for longevity, this laptop lasted 17 and a half hours on a single charge, which is nothing to sneeze at. That’s more than a full school day right there. Who should buy the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 Anyone who’s looking for a long-lasting, well-built 2-in-1 laptop. In addition to the convertible form factor and long battery life, the keyboard offers a comfortable typing experience. The key travel is quite good and the reviewer appreciated the bold lettering on the individual keys. The 14-inch 2880×1800 OLED touch display is another big win for this laptop. It’s bright enough for indoor use (500 nits!) and the black levels are “oh-so inky,” which makes watching movies an absolute joy. Alternative option: If you’re looking for a more affordable option, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 ($849.99) is worth checking out. It features good wired and wireless connectivity as well as a beautiful OLED display and a robust build. Framework Laptop 13 – Best upgradable option Pros Customizable, repairable, and upgradable Choose your own ports Detailed repair documentation Reasonable Core Ultra performance with solid build quality A physical mic shutoff switch Cons On the expensive side for the specs Not the best battery life, especially compared to Snapdragon laptops Price When Reviewed: 1249 Euro Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Framework 1.249,00 € View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 1.249,00 € at Framework Why we like the Framework Laptop 13 The Framework Laptop 13 is unique because you can repair, upgrade, or customize any part of it. The hardware is marked with QR codes, which leads you to the individual part on Framework’s website. You can also mix and match the ports–they’re little rectangular blocks (similar to Lego pieces) that snap into the laptop. The whole idea behind this laptop is fun, but practical. You can extend the life of your laptop with something like this. Who should buy the Framework Laptop 13 Anyone that likes to get in there and tinker away. In addition to the upgradability aspect, it’s also pretty light at 2.87 pounds and it churns out respectable CPU performance. It’s not the fastest laptop we’ve ever tested, but office work and day-to-day tasks should be no problem. That said, it’s a little expensive for the hardware, so it may not be the best option for the budget-conscious. Read our full Framework Laptop 13 review Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Gen 9 – Best audio Pros Amazing speakers Included accessories Great display Cons Short on ports Cramped keyboard Price When Reviewed: 1561,47 Euro Best Prices Today: Retailer Price €0.01 View Deal €1749 View Deal Lenovo 1.679,01 € View Deal 1.867,35 € View Deal 2.076,72 € View Deal 2.076,72 € View Deal €2078.64 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket €0.01 at idealo€1749 at Computeruniverse1.679,01 € at Lenovo View more prices from tease-ShopAmazon Marketplace CEAmazon Marketplace PC NotebookJACOB Close × Best Prices Today: Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Gen 9 – Best audio Retailer Price €0.01 View Deal €1749 View Deal Lenovo 1.679,01 € View Deal 1.867,35 € View Deal 2.076,72 € View Deal 2.076,72 € View Deal €2078.64 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Why we like the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Gen 9 The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Gen 9 is a fantastic 2-in-1 laptop with fantastic audio. Generally speaking, most laptop speakers suck. They’re usually poorly placed, so you lose a lot of bass and treble, but that’s not the case with the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Gen 9. The sound bar in the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Gen 9 lives in the hinge, so it’s not firing down into whatever surface you’ve got the laptop on. The sound is “impressively loud,” according to our review, and you can even hear the bass and treble at louder volumes. That’s why this laptop is perfect for listening to music or watching movies. Who should buy the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Gen 9 Audiophiles and movie buffs! The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Gen 9 is a great laptop for consuming media. The sound is great, but so is the OLED touch display, which boasts a 2880×1800 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Black colors are “inky and dark, which makes movies look all the better,” according to our review. Alternate option: The Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 ($949.99) is another good option to consider. In addition to the loud speakers, the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 also has a good selection of ports as well as a satisfactory keyboard. Read our full Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Gen 9 review Recent laptop reviews Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition: The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition has elegance and feels great to use. But Lenovo should have stepped up its game, as the system lags behind in performance and battery next to a bunch of cheaper competitors, and Lenovo’s not the only brand making great-feeling systems. Lenovo LOQ 15: The Lenovo LOQ15 has better build quality than the average gaming laptop in this price range, but its performance is still on the low side. Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 (Qualcomm version): This budget business laptop delivers mind-blowing battery life and snappy desktop application performance. But the display isn’t great, and this is the lowest-performance Snapdragon X Plus SKU available. Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7: The bargain-priced Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 has enough oomph to knock out spreadsheets and video meetings, but it may not hold up to the rigors of travel. Asus Vivobook S 14: The Asus Vivobook S 14 combines Intel’s latest Lunar Lake CPU with lots of RAM and storage at a very reasonable price. It’s a nice machine, but Lunar Lake’s multithreaded performance will be a problem for some workloads — and this laptop’s design won’t draw any eyes. How we test laptops The PCWorld team puts each and every Windows laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others we’ve tested. Chromebooks, on the other hand, go through a series of web-based tests. It wouldn’t be fair or possible to run the same kinds of tests on a Chromebook, as they’re Chrome OS-based machines. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of each test and the reasons why we run them. For a much deeper look at our review methodology, check out how PCWorld tests laptops. Windows laptops PCMark 10: PCMark 10 is how we determine how well the laptop handles lighter tasks like web browsing, word processing, spreadsheets, and so on. HandBrake: HandBrake is more intensive than PCMark 10. It measures how long a laptop’s CPU takes to encode a beefy 30GB file. Cinebench: Cinebench is a brief stress test of the CPU cores. It does this by rendering a 2D scene over a short period. 3DMark: 3DMark checks if 3D performance remains consistent over time by running graphic-intensive clips. Video rundown test: To gauge battery life, we loop a 4K video using Windows 10’s Movies & TV app until the laptop dies. Chromebooks CrXPRT 2: The CrXPRT 2 benchmark tests a Chromebook’s battery life. Speedometer 2.0: This test determines a Chromebook’s web browser performance. It simulates this by adding, completing, and removing a to-do list. Basemark Web 3.0: This benchmark gauges how well a Chromebook can handle web-based applications. Kraken 1.1: Kraken 1.1 is a JavaScript performance benchmark. Jetstream 2: Jetstream 2 is a combination of WebAssembly and JavaScript benchmarks. This is a way to gauge how well a Chromebook runs advanced workloads. FAQ 1. What form factor is best for a laptop? The first question you should ask yourself is what kind of laptop you’re looking for. There are traditional clamshells, 2-in-1’s, Chromebooks, and much more. The displays on convertible laptops (aka 2-in-1’s), for example, can swing around 360 degrees. This allows you to use the laptop like a tablet. They can also be propped up like a tent for viewing movies or participating in video calls. Chromebooks, on the other hand, exclusively run Google’s web-focused Chrome OS and are generally used for everyday tasks. All you need is a Gmail account and boom, you’re in. There are pros and cons to each of them. Chromebooks are affordable and generally have good battery life whereas convertibles are normally lightweight and portable. 2. How much processing power do I need in a laptop? If it’s CPU power you’re looking for, look for processors with higher numerical names. A Core i7 is more suited to gaming and more intense work than everyday tasks. Intel processors are available in Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9. The higher the number, the more powerful the CPU. If you don’t need a ton of power, Intel Core i5 processors are your best bet, as they offer good performance at a decent price. Basic office and web work get along just fine on a Core i3. As for AMD options, the Ryzen 3 is good for basic productivity and web browsing, while Ryzen 5 chips rival Intel’s Core i5 as solid all-arounders. If you need more power, the Ryzen 7 chip is well suited for content creation like video editing. Finally, if you’re dealing with 4K video, spring for a Ryzen 9. 3. Discrete graphics vs. integrated graphics? You’ll want a discrete graphics card for hardcore gaming or editing videos. It’s separate from the processor, so you can expect higher performance out of it. Integrated graphics, on the other hand, are attached to the CPU and use less power as a result. This is perfectly fine for everyday tasks, especially if you’re not doing anything that’s graphics-intensive. 4. How much memory do I need in a laptop? 8GB of RAM is zippy enough for general use. If you’ve got a gaming laptop, 16GB of RAM is the way to go, with 32GB being a future-proof configuration. Content creators will want as much as possible. 5. Do I need a big display on a laptop? If you’re a video editor or someone who does a lot of multimedia work, you’ll want a display that’s anywhere from 15- to 17-inches. The sweet spot is anywhere from 13- to 14-inches, though. The bigger the display, the heavier your laptop is going to be. A 13- or 14-inch display is the best in terms of portability and value. 6. How long should my laptop last on a single charge? If you plan on taking your laptop anywhere with you, aim for something that can last 10 to 12 hours on a single charge. That’s more than a full workday, so it should theoretically get you through long flights or a day of classes. Obviously, more is always better. Just know that the bigger the battery, the heavier the laptop. Read our round-up of the best laptop chargers. 7. How much does a good laptop cost? Many good laptops cost around $500 to $750, but the price really depends on your budget. If you’re strapped for cash (been there, trust me), go for a Chromebook or an entry-level business laptop. You can find solid options for under $500. Spending $750 to $1,000 can get you better displays, additional performance, more storage, and nicer designs. If you splurge for a laptop that costs over $1,000, you’re usually paying up for premium build quality, great extras, and top-shelf performance. Gaming laptops are different. You can sometimes find gaming laptops with entry-level discrete graphics on sale for around $850, but you’ll usually need to spend at least $1,000 for a system with decent 1080p gaming chops. You can pay more — often much more — for better graphics firepower and nicer displays, but the costs can rise rapidly depending on your hardware of choice. Some fully loaded gaming laptops can go for multiple thousands of dollars but you’re getting the equivalent of a desktop replacement in return. Spending $1,200 to $2,000 usually gets you a very good gaming laptop. 8. Are connectivity options important on a laptop? A wide array of ports is always a plus in my book, as it eliminates the need for an adapter. I’d recommend a laptop that has both USB-C and USB-A. An HDMI port is good, too. This is especially useful when you want to hook up to an external monitor.

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MiniTool ShadowMaker Pro 4.6 review: Fast image backup with remote control‎

At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Imaging of drives and partitions One-way file sync Remote backup of other computers running ShadowMaker Disaster recovery media Free version available Cons Some odd operational omissions HiDPI scaling fills most of the screen Our Verdict ShadowMaker is a supreme bargain, while the Pro version adds a lot of features that power users need. Good stuff, though we ran into some issues with sync function. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: MiniTool ShadowMaker 4.6 Retailer Price MiniTool $36 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket My last look at MiniTool ShadowMaker was several years ago at version 3.6. It was more than competent at the time, and it remains so during my latest tire-kicking efforts. The interface has been updated to appear a bit more fetching, though there are still some foibles. That said, how many imaging programs offer a generously featured free version? What are MiniTool ShadowMaker Pro 4.6’s features? First and foremost, ShadowMaker is an imaging program. That is, it creates sector-by-sector copies of entire hard drives, or individual partitions stored in a single large file. That generally only includes sectors with data on them, but you can also copy the “blank” sectors if needs be. If you’re going to indulge in any recovery operations on drive in question or the image of it, that would indicate a “needs be” situation. Data may remain in sectors that are marked unused. Further reading: See our roundup of the best Windows backup software to learn about competing hardware. ShadowMaker Pro 4.6 offers full, incremental, and differential imaging. Either data sectors only, or all sectors. Beyond imaging, there’s a sync function that may be used to back up individual files and folders. I say back up because the “sync” function is one-way, i.e. it copies files to the destination but not from the destination back to the original folder. There is no option for two-way or mirroring (i.e., delete files from the destination that have been deleted from the source) that I could find. ShadowMaker will also clone disks, create an OS startup menu, as well as mount and unmount its images as virtual drives. A PXE network service is also provided that you can instruct other PCs to boot from so they’re on the same network as your host computer. That, dear user, is a very professional feature. ShadowMaker is able to interface with other computers running ShadowMaker on the same network. Select the Remote Control option from the Tools page, then type in the remote computer’s URL (e.g., 192.168.1.119). The program will reboot, and you’ll see all the storage devices, jobs, and logs from the remote machine. I most decidedly liked the way ShadowMaker automatically displays the drive with the most space as the first choice for the destination. It’s a little confusing at first, as there are no other real indications or notifications that this is what you’re doing. But once you see what’s going on, it’s cool, and extremely handy if you’re managing backups on several computers in the house. Simply restart the program to return to managing the host computer. You can see many of ShadowMaker Pr 4.6’s imaging options here. ShadowMaker delivers all the usual backup options such as compression, password encryption (128-bit), email notification, filters, shut down on completion, verification, and scheduling as granular as hourly. It will also fire off a backup at log-on or log-off if you so desire, and supports bare metal (divergent hardware) restore. ShadowMaker Pro 4.6’s Tools page, including the remote control and boot menu options. I like the look of ShadowMaker 4.6; however, I do have a couple of nits with the interface. There didn’t see to be a way to create a new folder at the destination. ShadowMaker creates its own folder to store your backup, which is something that will save new users from putting a bunch of junk where they might not want it, but I’d rather create my own. Also, I could find no way to refresh the file and folder list, so when I did create my own new folders using Windows Explorer, I had to reboot ShadowMaker before they would appear. An exceedingly mild complaint is ShadowMaker’s High DPI scaling. Without it, the program was rendered too tiny, but with it on, the interface took up most of my 2160p display as you see in the lead photo. A middle ground might be nice. Enough nit-picking. Generally speaking, the interface is easy and intuitive. I most decidedly liked the way ShadowMaker automatically displays the drive with the most space as the first choice for the destination. ShadowMaker also offers a Windows PE-based recovery disc that includes all the features of the main program, as shown below. The boot screen and the backup page from the ShadowMaker recovery disc. How much does MiniTool ShadowMaker 4.6 cost? Good news here. A free version of ShadowMaker is available that handles most of the chores (imaging, sync, restore, etc.) that the average user really needs. Beyond that, a perpetual license for the Professional version reviewed here is $80 and you can rent it for $36 yearly, or $10 a month. If you should opt for the yearly (the monthly is rather a bad deal), you’ll still be able to restore with the recovery disc at the very least. Also available is a $129 business version that supports server usage. 10 seats for this version will set you back $399. The differences between the versions can be viewed in their totality here. The features you might miss most with the free version are: system disk cloning (non-system disks are supported), full/differential backups (incremental is supported), backup using the recovery media, backup on events, and of course — remote control. At least those are the ones I’d miss. How did ShadowMaker 4.6 perform? ShadowMaker took 33 minutes to image 626GB, faster than our number-one ranked imaging program R-Drive Image 7.2 by a goodly margin, if not as fast as Easeus ToDo Backup. All imaging tasks to all locations and media went off without a hitch at approximately the same speed. Sync was fine for the most part, but quit during a copy of a folder on my desktop. This log entry is informative about what happened, but not why. Alas, the log didn’t provide sufficient information, saying which file caused the sync to quit, but not why. When I removed the offending folder (it continued to hang on other files in the folder), the sync could complete. Removing the offending folder allowed the job to complete. Note that I’d far prefer that the process skip the offending files rather than stop completely. I might be able to live without that folder and would like the rest of them to be backed up. As imaging is the program’s primary appeal and it was perfect at that, I didn’t knock off half a star for this little sync faux pas, but I certainly considered it. Should you buy ShadowMaker Pro 4.6? Given that it’s more expensive than the uber-reliable R-Drive Image, the pay/pro version of ShadowMaker is a bit hard to recommend for a single PC. However, the network support is unique in the category and makes the program a good choice for home networks. The free version? Have at it, folks.

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Turn any USB-C port into HDMI with this cheap $12 adapter‎

If you want an easy way to connect your laptop, phone, or tablet to your TV or an external monitor, this Anker USB-C-to-HDMI adapter is a great solution, especially now that it’s only $12 on Amazon. That’s a lovely 33 percent discount off its $18 MSRP. So, for example, if you have an iPad Pro and you want to watch videos on the big screen, this adapter lets you connect to your TV via HDMI cable. Or if you have a MacBook Air and want to play Jackbox games with your family, you can play on the TV with this adapter. It’s especially useful for ultra-thin laptops, which tend to lack ports, especially the bigger ones like full-sized HDMI. With an adapter like this, you can hook up an external monitor or even a projector for presentations. When you need HDMI, it’s there for you. And because it’s so small, it won’t even take up a ton of space. You can take it with you on vacation, for instance, or just stash it in your backpack in case you ever need it. With USB-C so ubiquitous these days, it’s always good to have an adapter like this on hand. You never know when you might need an HDMI connection, and it’s a steal for just $12 right now. Turn any USB-C port into HDMI for just $12Buy now at Amazon

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Don’t be fooled by Fujitsu’s newest superlight Intel laptop‎

Following CES 2025, the newest and arguably coolest thin-and-light laptop on the block is the Asus Zenbook A14. That one doesn’t appear to be in anyone’s hands yet, but it already has a new challenger. The Fujitsu FMV Note U is an incredible 1.87 pounds (848 grams) and, perhaps even more impressively, it’s running an Intel CPU. Asus and other laptop makers have been leaning on Qualcomm’s Arm-based Snapdragon X architecture to get laptops lighter as of late. But Fujitsu is sticking to Intel with a Core Ultra 7 258V in the base model. That stunning sub-two-pound weight class is well below the Zenbook A14, though I have to point out that its battery life estimate is a bit of a cheat. Fujitsu The FMVWorld website (machine translated, via Tom’s Hardware) claims “36 hours of battery life” from 64 watt-hours, but that’s while using “long-term drive” mode. Elsewhere it says that the 36-hour figure is at idle (i.e., not doing anything). It quotes 15.5 hours of video playback, which is much more in line with the latest Lunar Lake laptops, and about half of the battery life of the Zenbook Z14 on the same test. Looks like Snapdragon laptops are still king for battery life, as long as you aren’t hitting them with anything too intense. Other highlights of the FMV Note U include a 14-inch 1920×1200 screen, 32GB of RAM, 256GB to 2TB of storage, and a backlit keyboard. You get a surprising amount of ports on this 17.3mm (0.68 inches) laptop: two USB-C, two USB-A, full HDMI, microSD, and Ethernet. Fujitsu ensures that you can charge up the battery (slowly) with anything that can output 7.5 watts (i.e. most decent mobile batteries). Fujitsu It’s an interesting offering to be sure, especially if you’re willing to make some sacrifices to get an incredibly light laptop that still uses x64 hardware. For comparison, the 13-inch iPad Pro is only 1.28 pounds (582 grams) — just half a pound lighter with a lot less complexity in terms of hardware and components. FMV.com is giving the price as 214,000 yen for the base model, shipping in a week or so. That’s approximately $1,370 USD (or €1,315) right now, but getting hold of specialty Fujitsu models outside of Japan can sometimes be tricky. There’s no word on an international release yet.

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Soon, Microsoft accounts will automatically keep you logged in every time‎

Up until now, whenever you signed into your Microsoft account, you’ve been asked whether you want to remain signed in. This is typical for most sites and services, where you need to manually tick a checkbox to express that you want to stay logged in the next time you visit. Starting next month, Microsoft is doing away with that. Going forward, users who sign into a Microsoft account will automatically remain signed in until they manually sign out. The Verge reports that this change is especially relevant for anyone who uses public computers, such as in a library or a computer lab. Once this change takes effect, you’ll need to remember to log out every time you use a shared device. Alternatively, if you’re logging into your Microsoft account in a browser, you can use private browsing mode. In the event that you forget to log out of your Microsoft account, you still have some recourse: log into your Microsoft account elsewhere, visit your security dashboard page, then scroll down and click Sign out everywhere. You’ll be signed out of your account on all devices (but it won’t sign you out of Xbox). Further reading: Microsoft accounts now support passkeys

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Heads up! Fake VPN apps are infecting devices with dangerous malware‎

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are growing in popularity among home users for true data privacy, secure internet activity, the ability to circumvent regional content blocks, and more. If you don’t have a VPN yet, consider hopping aboard with one of our reputable picks. Unfortunately, scammers and hackers know that people are flocking to VPNs, and they want to exploit that trend as much as possible. For example, it was recently discovered that some VPNs aren’t as secure as expected due to certain security vulnerabilities. And not long ago, Google itself warned in a blog post that fake VPNs are being used to spread a malware called “PLAYFULGHOST.” Once this malware lands on your device, it can take control of the system, steal personal data, and cause major damage. How does PLAYFULGHOST spread? According to Google’s Managed Defense team, attackers have been distributing fake VPN apps infected with malware, hoping to be downloaded by unsuspecting users. Distribution of these fake VPN apps occurs through two main methods: Phishing: Users receive deceptive emails, text messages, and social media messages that contain malware attachments or links to download malware. In this case, users are urged to download and install a fake VPN app, which then installs the malware. Scammers love to phish, so it’s important to know how to recognize different phishing scams. Search engine poisoning: When Google’s search results are “poisoned,” malicious sites can masquerade as legitimate sites. You might search for a free VPN and click on a top link for a reputable brand, except it’s a fake. You’re actually taken to an imposter website and you end up downloading a fake VPN app loaded with malware. How dangerous is PLAYFULGHOST? PLAYFULGHOST is considered highly dangerous. It infects devices immediately and allows attackers to access files, passwords, and other sensitive data. It also enables remote control, granting hackers the ability to perform actions like running software (including other malware, like “Boostwave” or “Terminator”). According to the blog post, PLAYFULGHOST is difficult to get rid of once it’s been introduced. It’s persistent against various cleaning measures, so the best protection is to prevent it in the first place, preferably with the protection of reliable antivirus software. Be vigilant when downloading apps If you’re considering using a VPN service, that’s great! But be careful. Do your research, pick a reputable service, and triple-check before downloading and installing anything. If you ever get unsolicited emails with attachments or links, ignore them and toss them in the trash right away. Only download software from official sites and use independent tests, like our comparison of best VPNs, to determine which services are most trustworthy. Further reading: VPN terms and features everyone should know

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Today’s best laptop deals: Save big on work, school, home use, and gaming‎

If you’re looking to score a fast laptop at a killer price, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’re on the hunt for a blazing fast gaming rig, an affordable laptop under $500, or an everyday Chromebook, we’ve assembled a list of the best laptop deals available right now, using our finely honed editorial judgment (and thousands of hours of testing experience) to only recommend truly compelling deals on worthwhile notebooks. We’ve separated the recommendations below by best laptop deals under $500, best home use laptop deals, best gaming laptop deals, and best premium laptop deals, to make it easier to find a notebook that fits your budget and needs. For more options, check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available right now. Best laptop deals under $500 Lenovo Our top pick: Lenovo Flex 3 Chromebook, $109.99 ($369.01 off at Best Buy) Sometimes all you need is an affordable laptop for browsing social media and composing e-mail exchanges. If you’re in the market for such a laptop, the Lenovo Flex 3 Chromebook is worth considering. It’s powered by a Pentium Silver N6000 processor, suitable for web browsing and streaming Disney+, but not much else. It’s not the fastest processor we’ve ever seen here at PCWorld, but you’ve also got to temper your expectations, as this laptop is specifically designed with basic tasks in mind. However, according to Best Buy reviews, the 1080p touchscreen display is pretty crisp, making this machine an excellent value. View Deal More laptop deals under $500 Asus FHD Laptop, Intel Celeron N4500 processor/14-inch 1080p display/4GB RAM/64GB eMMC, $119.99 ($60 off at Best Buy) Acer Go 15, Intel N100 processor/15.6-inch 1080p display/4GB RAM/128GB flash storage, $229.99 ($20 off at Acer) Lenovo Ideapad 1, AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor/15.6-inch 1080p display/8GB RAM/256GB SSD, $330.99 ($249 off at Best Buy) Dell Inspiron 15, Intel Core i5-1235U processor/15.6-inch 1080p display/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $429.99 ($200 off at Best Buy) Acer Aspire 5, Intel Core i5-12450H processor/15.6-inch 1080p display/12GB RAM/512GB SSD, $449.99 ($100 off at Newegg) Best mid-range laptop deals Asus Our top pick: Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, $699.99 ($350 off at Best Buy) The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED has a lot to offer the everyday person. Driven by an Intel Core Ultra Series 1 155H processor, it should be fast enough to handle spreadsheet work, browsing social media, and so on. You can expect a good looking picture with the 14-inch 1920×1200 OLED (touch) display, as OLEDs produce richer colors and deeper blacks. The connectivity is diverse, too–you’re getting one HDMI 2.1 port, two USB-C ports, and one USB-A 3.2 port. View Deal More mid-range laptop deals: Dell Inspiron 14, Snapdragon X Plus processor/14-inch 1200p display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $599.99 ($200 off at Best Buy) HP Envy 2-in-1, Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 1 155U processor/16-inch 1200p touch display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $699.99 ($400 off at Best Buy) HP Dragonfly G4, Intel Core i7-1355U processor/13.5-inch 1280p touch display/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $789.99 ($709.01 off at Adorama) Dell Inspiron 16, Intel Core 7 processor 150U/16-inch 1200p display/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $799.99 ($250 off at Dell) Best gaming laptop deals Acer Our top pick: Acer Nitro V, $1,099.99 ($200 off at Newegg) The Acer Nitro V offers powerful hardware for a decent price. It comes loaded with an Intel Core i9-13900H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU as well as 16GB of memory and 512GB of PCIe SSD storage. Given the hardware, you shouldn’t have any problem zipping through most games on Medium or High graphics. The 15.6-inch LED-backlit IPS display also has a resolution of 1920×1080 and a refresh rate of 144Hz, which should give you a smoother experience in games. View Deal More gaming laptop deals: HP Victus, RTX 2050 graphics/15.6-inch 1080p display/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $569 ($130.99 off at Amazon) MSI Cyborg Gaming Laptop, RTX 4050 graphics/15.6-inch 1080p display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $789.99 ($210 off at Newegg) Gigabyte Aorus 15, RTX 4050 graphics/15.6-inch 1080p display/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $849 ($250 off at Amazon) Asus ROG Strix, RTX 4050 graphics/16-inch 1200p display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $899.99 ($400 off at Newegg) Alienware M16 R2, RTX 4060 graphics/16-inch 1600p display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,299.99 ($300 off at Dell) Best premium laptop deals Asus Our top pick: Asus Vivobook 16X, $999.99 ($300 off at B&H) The Asus Vivobook 16X is a great laptop for creative work, as it boasts powerful internal components and a spacious display. Inside you’ll find an Intel Core i9-13900H CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. The display also measures 16 inches with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a resolution of 1920×1200. Overall, this is an excellent buy, especially for laptop with discrete graphics. View Deal More premium laptop deals: Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1, Intel Core Ultra 7 155U processor/14-inch 1200p display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $919.99 ($285 off at Lenovo) Microsoft Surface, Snapdragon X Elite processor/13.8-inch 1536p touch display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,038.99 ($361 off at Amazon) Microsoft Surface Pro 11, Snapdragon X Plus processor/13-inch 1920p touch display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,039.99 ($150 off at Amazon) Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11, Intel Core i7-1355U processor/14-inch 1080p display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,169 ($230.99 off at Amazon) Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 5, AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor/14-inch 1200p IPS display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,349 ($120 off at Adorama) FAQ 1. How much RAM will I need in my laptop? You’ll want at least 8GB, though 16GB is preferable, especially if you play games. Don’t buy laptops with under 4GB of RAM or 128GB of SSD storage—though on a Chromebook or a budget Windows machine, this configuration is acceptable. Check out our article on how much RAM does a laptop need for more in-depth info. 2. What’s the difference between a Chromebook and a Windows laptop? The one big difference between a Chromebook and a Windows laptop is the operating system. Chromebooks run ChromeOS and Windows run, well, Microsoft Windows. Chromebooks make good everyday machines because they’re designed for browsing the web, checking e-mail, and so on. They use less resources and are generally more affordable than the Windows variety. They also don’t need antivirus protection. A Windows laptop is a lot more versatile in what it can do, and not just in terms of running local programs. You can really pump a Windows laptop up with a ton of RAM, storage, and so on. 3. When should I look for a laptop deal? You’ll likely find the best laptop deals during Prime Day (mid-July), Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), and back-to-school season (June-August). Sure, you’ll find good laptop deals throughout the year, but if you really want to save big, we’d recommend scoping out your favorite online retailers during those times. 4. Which retailers offer the best deals? You can find all kinds of deals across a wide range of online retailers such as Newegg, Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon, and so on. However, we’d recommend checking out deals from laptop manufacturers like Lenovo, HP, and Dell. You’ll usually find many different configurations on sale and the discounts can be pretty darn steep. For more options, check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available right now.

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I switched to Vivaldi, but sometimes a bigger browser is better‎

Here’s something no one ever thinks about when choosing their favorite software… just how easy is it to set up on another PC? You’ve probably never thought about it, but there’s a reason that both Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are the world’s most popular Windows PC browsers. Chrome owns about 58 percent of the North American browser market, and there’s a reason for it. After you sign up on one PC, reproducing your passwords, favorites, and more on subsequent PCs is as easy as logging in. But on competing browsers? Not so much. That hit home recently when I was trying to sync an instance of Vivaldi, one of my favorite “alt browsers,” with another machine. One of my laptops, a Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, suffered some sort of issue with its Thunderbolt controller. I couldn’t connect to a Thunderbolt docking station, and the laptop wouldn’t really charge reliably, either. This all took place during mid-December, where I was trying to relax for the holidays while packing for CES and wrestling with the loss of a colleague, Gordon Ung. I just didn’t really want to deal with troubleshooting, you know? So, I decided to simply pack another laptop. I have nothing against Chrome (unlike my colleague, Michael Crider); I’ve simply stopped using it. But Chrome, like Edge, is just so damn convenient to use. Enter a username and password, double-check it against a two-factor authentication method, and you’re up and running in seconds. Vivaldi offers something similar, with a key exception: feeds. Vivaldi’s Feeds are one of its most useful features.Vivaldi Technically, both Edge and Chrome allow for following a website’s content via an RSS feed. With Chrome, there are either extensions that allow you to do that or you can basically “follow” a website. Within Edge, there’s supposedly a way to essentially turn its Collections feature into an RSS reader, too. With Vivaldi, however, there’s a dedicated Feeds reader. I don’t have to hack or configure anything, it basically just works. I use Feeds to track competing news stories in real time. It’s far more useful than something like Google News, which collects news into categories a day or so later. The problem? I hadn’t logged into Vivaldi for ages. At the time, Vivaldi was suffering through a prolonged sync outage, which meant that I had to wait until it worked itself out. After entering a new password, I entered a decryption password to decode the synced, encrypted information. But after that, my Feeds were empty and they stayed that way. What went wrong? Vivaldi syncs passwords, bookmarks, and the like, but Feeds doesn’t do that. Instead, Vivaldi asks you to export the feeds into an OPML file, copy the file over to the new PC, and then import it. In the end, it wasn’t that big of a deal. But when cloud synchronization has implicitly “taught” you that everything will be handled behind the scenes, any change of pace is a little jarring. It does go to show, though, that that not all cloud services are created equal and that there are differences between a large, well-funded browser and a smaller, niche offering. I’m still sticking with Vivaldi, but I wish that I hadn’t wasted days waiting for the cloud sync to handle the heavy lifting, when a few clicks of a mouse could have accomplished the same thing.

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8 must-have healthy habits if you work on a PC all day‎

If you’re reading this, you’re likely one of the billions of people who work on computers all day long. Whether that’s from home or in a corporate office, the result is the same: too many hours spent each day sitting at a desk and staring at a computer screen. This can have adverse effects on your physical and mental wellbeing. Fortunately, there are some simple, healthy habits you can adopt to stay relatively healthy — and you really should adopt them sooner than later, before you’re in agony and trying to rewind time. Invest in the right setup from the start The first thing to get right is your setup, otherwise you’ll be fighting a losing battle from the start. Your setup includes everything you use while working on a PC: desk, chair, monitor, keyboard, and mouse. If you’re working in a corporate office, your options are likely limited as you’ll be stuck with the equipment provided by your company. But even then, you can always make some adjustments that improve your setup and make it better-suited to your individual needs. Tim van der Kuip / Unsplash You should make sure that your monitor is positioned correctly with the top of the screen level with your eyes. You should also invest in an ergonomic mouse that minimizes wrist stress, and you should make sure your desk, chair, keyboard, and mouse are positioned to maintain good posture throughout the day. In a nutshell, your feet should be flat on the ground, your head directly over your hips, your knees and elbows bent at 90 degrees, with your elbows touching the sides of your rib cage. If you work from home and need to kit out your own office, be sure to invest in the best equipment you can afford. Don’t cheap out on your office chair. (It’s true, those pro-tier office chairs are worth it.) It’s essential that every part of your chair is adjustable to fit your body frame and posture, especially the lumbar support for your spine. The importance of ergonomics in preventing pain and physical disorders can’t be overstated. For in-depth guidelines, check out New Hampshire’s Workplace Ergonomics Reference Guide (PDF). Maintain a proper posture Even with the right workstation setup, you still have to consciously maintain good posture at all times. The more you slack, the more you train your body into accepting bad habits. As someone who has worked from home for almost 20 years, believe me when I say this is crucial. There are plenty of times throughout the day when you probably feel like slouching your shoulders, reclining back in your chair, or even putting your feet up on your desk. But you must resist the urge! All of that will build up and lead to bad posture, even injury. Sitting like this will wreak havoc on your back, shoulders, and neck over time.Studio Republic / Unsplash The best way to maintain good posture at all times is to establish an ergonomic setup (see the previous tip) that organically encourages you to sit properly. Sitting in your chair should automatically put you in a good posture with your spine supported, your arms bent at the elbows, and the top of your monitor positioned at eye level. If your back hurts and you find yourself always slouching and leaning and sitting in bad posture no matter what you do, consider switching to a standing desk. It’s an investment, but it’s one of the best things you can do to curb back pain as a desk worker. Keep your workspace uncluttered The old adage “tidy home, tidy mind” suggests that living in a clean and well-organized environment is beneficial to mental health — and the same applies to keeping your workspace clean and tidy. Robert Bye / Unsplash According to Harvard Business Review, research suggests that maintaining a clean, tidy, and well-organized workspace can help you both physically (fewer germs and dust means you’re less likely to get sick from your work environment) and mentally (organized workspaces have been shown to reduce stress and increase productivity). Stay hydrated at all times Staying hydrated is important no matter what you’re doing, but it’s especially key when you’re trying to focus. When working at a desk all day, it’s easy to forget the need to replenish fluids. Staying hydrated generally means drinking water, but can also include tea and coffee as long as you don’t overdo the caffeine intake. Sarah Dorweiler / Unsplash Again, while proper hydration is non-negotiable no matter what you’re doing, it’s especially crucial for concentration. As numerous studies have shown, even mild dehydration can make you groggy, irritable, unfocused, unproductive, and lead to physical ailments. Take regular breaks throughout the day Taking regular breaks feels counterintuitive, but your body needs them. While you might be inclined to power through the day to get done as much as you can, you’d likely get more done with a few strategic breaks sprinkled in throughout the day. There’s conflicting advice when it comes to how many breaks you should take and how often you should take them, but don’t take that to mean nobody knows what they’re talking about. All the experts agree on this: a sedentary lifestyle shortens life and decreases quality of life. Computer workers are quite literally sitting themselves to death. Vitaly Gariev / Unsplash I do two specific things to protect myself while working on my PC: First, I schedule two extended breaks that split my day up into three blocks. Both breaks are spent away from my desk, and if possible, I try to take them outside to ensure I get some fresh air into my lungs. Second, as soon as I feel any kind of strain on my body, I stand up and move around for a minute or so. This doesn’t have to be anything too strenuous. Just the act of standing up and walking around can limber up your muscles/joints and get your blood circulating. Stretch and exercise regularly During your regular breaks, you shouldn’t be zoning out and doing nothing. Sure, grab a glass of water and hit the bathroom if you need to, but most breaks should involve stretching and exercise of some kind. Do exercises that work your abs, upper back, glutes, and hamstrings to encourage good posture and prevent muscular imbalances. Take a short walk and get those legs moving. Stretch out your hips, legs, shoulders, chest, and neck before they get too stiff. Exercises and stretches go a long way to helping you maintain fitness and flexibility. Studio Romantic / Shutterstock There’s a host of good advice online about specific stretches to do while working at your desk and how to avoid work-related injuries. But you should also supplement them with real exercise, either before or after work. That could mean going to the gym, or you could focus on bodyweight exercises from the comfort of your home. You might even try an exercise bike desk that also charges your devices. Follow the 20-20-20 rule for your eyes Here’s one aspect of health that many white collar workers often overlook, especially when you’re younger (e.g., in your 20s). You need to protect your eyes and minimize computer vision syndrome (also known as digital eye strain). G-Stock Studio / Shutterstock The 20-20-20 rule works by forcing you to relax your eyes. Your computer screen is only two or three feet from you, and it can strain your eyes to focus at that distance for extended periods. By focusing on something 20 feet away, your eye muscles can relax — and doing this regularly can help prevent tiredness, blurry vision, and headaches/migraines. It’s worth doing whether you have perfect vision or wear vision correction. Be aware of lighting and brightness levels Good lighting is a necessary element of any good workspace. This applies to both environmental lighting and the light being emitted by that screen you’re staring at for hours and hours every day. For environmental lighting, try to maximize natural light (i.e., sunlight) and supplement it with lamps if needed. Avoid going too bright or too dark, as both extremes will force your eyes to work harder. Try to position your light sources off to the side, not behind your monitor (so you aren’t staring into more light) and not behind you (so it doesn’t cast a glare on your screen that could strain your eyes). Zhyar Ibrahim / Unsplash As for your monitor brightness, there are two factors to consider: first, try to match its brightness to ambient brightness (i.e., not too dim and not too bright), and second, make sure it’s comfortable to your eyes. The best brightness for you will depend on your circumstances, and it might even change depending on the time of day. If your operating system has adaptive brightness or if your monitor has auto-brightness, consider using those features — but it’s possible they may not work well for you. If your eyes are still suffering and uncomfortable, switch to manual control and adjust your lighting as needed. Further reading: Tech gadgets that’ll supercharge your home office

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PCWorld

Windows 10 will hit end of life in 2025. Here’s what to expect‎

Microsoft is keen to push 2025 as “the year of the Windows 11 PC refresh.” Yes, this is the year everyone should replace their old Windows 10 PCs with shiny-and-modern Windows 11 PCs. get windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro Price When Reviewed: 69,99 Euro Best Prices Today: 49,99 € at PC-WELT Software-Shop – Windows 11 Home | 69,99 € at PC-WELT Software-Shop – Windows 11 Pro Microsoft is taking a carrot-and-stick approach here. The carrot is all those fancy new PCs with extra-long battery life and AI features. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? But Microsoft is also deploying a stick: updates for Windows 10 PCs are coming to an end this year. As 2025 swings into gear, let’s take a step back and review exactly what’s going to happen to your Windows 10 PC. There’s a lot coming, but it may not be as apocalyptic as you might think. Microsoft ramps up the upgrade alerts If you use Windows 10, there’s a good chance you’ve already seen prompts telling you about how exciting Windows 11 is. If you haven’t yet, expect to see more in the year to come. Yes, Microsoft has already experimented with full-screen upgrade prompts. If your Windows 10 PC’s hardware is eligible for the upgrade to Windows 11, you’ll see a message encouraging you to install the free update. That message will appear on the Windows Update screen in Windows 10’s Settings app, too. Chris Hoffman / IDG But even if your PC can’t upgrade to Windows 11, you’ll still see pop-ups encouraging you to buy a new PC. I’d expect them to get more and more insistent as the October 14, 2025 deadline approaches, but you’ll be able to hide them and continue using your PC as usual. It’s worth noting that some Windows 10 PCs can technically upgrade to Windows 11 using a Microsoft-provided-but-not-officially-supported trick. But Microsoft warns that these PCs may not work properly with Windows 11 in the future, so it may not be the best solution. Free security updates end in October The big deadline is October 14, 2025. On that day, Microsoft’s support for Windows 10 officially ends and the company will stop providing free security updates to Windows 10 PCs. After mid-October, using a Windows 10 PC will be kind of like using a Windows 7 PC today. Sure, your PC will still work and you’ll be able to keep doing what you normally do, but it will grow increasingly vulnerable as more security vulnerabilities are found but not fixed. Chris Hoffman / IDG As the days go on and fewer people use it, application developers will also stop supporting Windows 10. App devs can support older versions of Windows for as long as they like, but eventually it won’t be worth the effort anymore and they’ll stop. For example, Valve stopped supporting Steam on Windows 7 as of January 1, 2024. You’ll have to pay for security updates There’s both good news and bad news about the October 14, 2025 security update deadline mentioned above. The good news is that you can continue getting security updates for your Windows 10 PC for another year up to October 2026. The bad news is that you have to pay for the privilege. Microsoft will charge $30 per device for one year of extended security updates (ESU). Microsoft traditionally offers extended updates to businesses and organizations and not to individuals, so that’s a big change this time around. However, individuals only get so much. While businesses can pay for up to three extra years of security updates, individuals can only pay for one year. (Who knows if Microsoft will further extend that next year.) Chris Hoffman / IDG That said, businesses will have to pay more and more every year. The price will be $61 for the first year, doubling to $122 for the second year, then doubling again to $244 for the third year. It’s designed to apply pressure and push businesses to upgrade to Windows 11 sooner than later. (Thankfully, Microsoft offers a much-discounted deal to schools: $1 for the first year, $2 for the second, and $4 for the third.) It’s not a long-term solution, but it’s a way for Microsoft to express that they don’t want to leave Windows 10 users high and dry while also nudging users to upgrade. Why pay that much for extended security when you can put that money towards a new PC? Windows 10 will still keep working Everything we’ve discussed so far has been about security updates for Windows 10. It’s important to be clear that your Windows 10 PC will continue to work even after October 14, 2025. You’ll be able to boot it up, use it, run all your apps, etc. Windows might nag you about no longer getting security updates and being less secure, but that’s all. I don’t recommend this, though. Whether we’re talking about a Windows 10 PC, an Android phone, or any other tech device, I recommend using stuff that’s still getting security updates. The internet is dangerous enough even without using vulnerable devices. tanuha2001 / Shutterstock Many applications will likely keep getting security updates for a few extra years, too. While Microsoft has signaled that it won’t be supporting Microsoft 365 apps on Windows 10 after October 14, 2025, not every company is so eager to axe support for Windows 10 users. For example, Google hasn’t announced an end-of-support date for Google Chrome on Windows 10. In fact, Google supported Chrome on Windows 7 until January 2023, when Microsoft’s three-year extended support period for businesses was up. But Windows 10 is still too popular! That’s all, folks! Windows 10 has reached the end of the line and it’s about to be phased out. Everyone who hasn’t bought a Windows 11 PC is surely about to buy one now. All done! Right? No! Things aren’t quite so easy. If you think Windows 10 is awfully popular to be facing the executioner’s axe, you’re right. In December 2024, StatCounter’s market share statistics show Windows 10 was on about 63 percent of all PCs worldwide while Windows 11 sat at 34 percent. Less than a year from Windows 10’s end of life, it’s still running twice as many PCs as Windows 11. How can Windows 10 be about to die? Compare it to where Windows 7 was at the same point in its own official life cycle. Support for Windows 7 ended in January 2020. A year prior, in January 2019, 53 percent of PCs worldwide ran Windows 10 while 35 percent ran Windows 7. A lot remained on Windows 7, but the newer version of Windows was already significantly ahead. Microsoft wants you to buy a new Copilot+ PC and stop thinking about Windows 10.Microsoft As we head into 2025, Windows 11 is still far behind Windows 10 as far as worldwide adoption. For an operating system that’s supposedly about to be shown the door, it appears to be in a very strong position. There’s never been anything like this before. Microsoft is making a good show of putting Windows 10 out to pasture, but I wouldn’t be totally shocked if things changed in some small way. For example, perhaps Microsoft will offer more than one year of extended updates to consumers if Windows 10 continues to be so widely used? We’re in totally uncharted territory. Microsoft clearly hopes adoption of Windows 11 will accelerate this year, and that explains the company’s initiatives like “the year of the Windows 11 PC refresh.” Will a big PC hardware push — complete with lots of talk about Copilot+ PCs and AI features — be enough to help Microsoft move on from Windows 10 in 2025? That remains to be seen. And even if Microsoft remains adamant about pushing users off Windows 10, you still have other options if you don’t want to dump your PC. You may want to consider installing a Windows-like version of Linux or perhaps even turn your old laptop into a Chromebook.

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