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Whether you’re looking for a productivity desktop, a gaming PC powerhouse, or a stylish all-in-one Windows machine, we’ve got you covered. The team at PCWorld sort through all of the daily computer sales and put together a curated list of the best deals available. But not all deals are really deals, so we only choose those offered by reputable companies and that include great hardware to ensure you get the best value for your money. We’ve also included some helpful answers to common questions about buying a computer at the bottom of this article. If you’re considering a laptop instead, be sure to check out our best laptop deals, updated daily. Note: Tech deals come and go quickly, so it’s possible some of these computer discounts will have expired before this article’s next update. Best gaming desktop computer deals Alienware Aurora R15, Ryzen 9/RTX 4070/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/1TB HDD, $1,449.99 (37% off on Dell) Alienware Aurora R16, Core i7/RTX 4070/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,599.99 (20% off on Dell) Legion Tower 7i, Core i9/RTX 4080 Super/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $2,318.39 (26% off on Lenovo) CLX SET Gaming Desktop, Ryzen 7/RTX 4080 Super/32GB RAM/2TB SSD/6TB HDD, $3,099.99 (21% off on BestBuy) Omen 40L, Core i5/RTX 4060/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $829.99 (44% off on HP) Yeyian Yumi, Core i5/RTX 4060/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $799.99 (33% off on Newegg) ABS Cyclone Aqua, Core i5/RTX 4060 Ti/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $949.99 (13% off on Newegg) My top picks: Dell is offering two great deals on Alienware gaming desktops this week. The first is an Aurora R15 for $850 off and the second is the updated Aurora R16 model for $400 off both on Dell’s website. Each has their advantages, but if I had to choose I’d go with the Aurora R16. Not only does it provide double the RAM, but you’ll get better performance with the latest-gen Core i7-14700F than you will with the Ryzen 9 7900—it’s a bit pricier as a result, but worth the extra cost if you can swing it. If you’re in the market for a top of the line gaming rig then the CLX SET Gaming Desktop on sale for $800 off on BestBuy is the deal to get. It comes loaded with a powerhouse Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU, an RTX 4080 Super GPU, and a massive 8TB of onboard storage. With so much storage and firepower, it could easily double as a great content creation machine as well. Best mainstream desktop computer deals IdeaCentre Mini, Core i5/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $474.99 (26% off on Lenovo) Lenovo IdeaCentre 5i, Core i5/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $449.99 (36% off on BestBuy) Apple Mac Mini, M2/8GB RAM/256GB SSD, $499.00 (17% off on Amazon) My top picks: Those looking for a mini-PC are in luck as the excellent IdeaCentre Mini is on sale for $175 off on Lenovo. It is one of the best small form-factor PCs on the market and this version not only gives you a respectable Core i5-13500H CPU, but also plenty of onboard storage—double what you usually get with a mini-PC. If you’re more of a Mac fan, then there is a rare deal on an M2 Mac Mini for $100 off on Amazon. The M2 is still a solid CPU and considering, if rumors are true, the M4 Mac Mini isn’t set to be released until later this year, it’s the perfect time to buy the older version at a discount—you’ll still get a great mini desktop without the exorbitant price of a new-gen Apple product. Best all-in-one computer deals All-in-one desktop computers combine a PC’s hardware with a modern display to make a desktop computer that has both form and function. Since everything is built together, you can save precious desktop space with an all-in-one. They make capable work computers and they can also be excellent home computers with the wide range of features appealing to the whole family. Lenovo IdeaCentre AiO 5i, Core i7/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/24-inch 1080p touch display, $854.99 (24% off on Lenovo) HP Envy AiO 34, Core i7/RTX 3060/16GB RAM/1TB SSD/34-inch 5K display, $1,949.99 (17% off on HP) Lenovo IdeaCentre AiO 3, Ryzen 5/8GB RAM/512GB SSD/ 27-inch 1080p display, $639.99 (24% off on BestBuy) Acer Aspire C27, Core i5/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/27-inch 1080p display, $699.99 (22% off on Amazon) My top picks: Lenovo’s AiO 5i model on sale for $275 off Lenovo is a great all-in-one model with solid specs. Not only do you get good performance components and a crisp 1080p touch display, but you’ll get the reliability that comes with all Lenovo products. Alternatively, you could go big with the HP Envy AiO 34 deal for $400 off on HP. The flagship all-in-one from HP is an absolute beauty with tons of screen real-estate thanks to its 34-inch 5K display. Plus, it even comes with an RTX 3060 discrete graphics card—a rarity in an all-in-one computer. Computer deals FAQ 1. What are good websites to find computer deals? There are a ton of sites that sell computers, and scouring through all of them would take you a lot of time—that’s why we do it for you here and highlight the best deals we find. However, to save you some time and frustration, you need to be smart about where you look at any given time of the year. If you’re looking for a new computer during the holidays or around popular sale periods such as Black Friday or back-to-school, then you are likely to find great deals directly through first party vendor websites. These include the retail storefronts of popular computer manufacturers such as HP, Dell, and Lenovo. However, if you are looking in between sales periods, it’s generally a good idea to search through large third-party retailers such as Amazon, Adorama, Walmart, BestBuy, and Newegg. Oftentimes these websites will offer limited Deals of the Day type sales in hopes of getting rid of excess stock. On the upside, you can score still-decent PCs at a steep discount. 2. When’s the best time to shop for a PC computer? Typically you’ll want to time your PC computer shopping around a prominent sales period. The biggest sales periods are Black Friday/Cyber Monday in late November and Amazon Prime Day in early-to-mid July. The best sales often occur leading up to and during these two events and they are great times to snag a new PC computer for cheap. Other holiday shopping periods such as the New Year sales in January, President’s Day sales in April, and the back-to-school sales event in August are also good times to find discounts on computers. 3. What type of desktop should I get? You’ll see a ton of options when searching for a desktop computer, but they all mainly fit into four main categories: productivity tower PCs, gaming PCs, mini PCS, and all-in-ones (AiO). Which you should end up buying is entirely dependent upon what your needs are and what you want to do with your computer. If you are looking for something that will work in a home office or family room, then a productivity PC or AiO with a solid CPU and lots of RAM and storage is probably the way to go. If gaming is your main concern, a gaming PC can offer a lot more bang for your buck than a laptop and you should focus on getting the best GPU possible. Or if you just want something that can fit anywhere and provide basic computing then a mini PC is a good bet. 4. What CPU and GPU should I get? When looking at your new computer’s CPU, get at least an Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5, both of which will provide plenty of processing power for everyday computing tasks. If you don’t intend to do any PC gaming, then feel free to save some money by going with integrated graphics. However, if you are looking to get your game on, we recommend at least an Nvidia GeForce 3060 or AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, as these are the least expensive discrete graphics cards that can handle ray tracing well. If you aren’t interested in those cutting-edge lighting effects, however, the RTX 3050 and Radeon RX 6600 also provide good 1080p gaming performance at even lower prices. 5. How much memory and storage does my PC need? As for RAM, we think its best to shoot for 16GB at the minimum for productivity and gaming, but for family computers and internet browsing, 8GB should suffice. Storage size is dependent upon your personal needs, but it is generally a good idea to opt for an SSD over an standard HDD as they are much faster and don’t significantly affect the price of a desktop. Before deciding, it’s best to consider what your intended use of the computer will be. Are you just doing work or web browsing? Then something like 512GB will be plenty. If you want to load up a lot of large files such as games or content creation projects, then you’ll need at least 1 or 2TB or storage. However, just remember that even if your computer doesn’t have enough storage built-in you can always upgrade your SSD or go with an external drive to increase your available storage options. 6. Is it a good idea to buy a refurbished computer? Refurbished computers are used machines that have been repaired, upgraded, and cleaned for the purpose of reselling. They’re usually open-box returns, overstock, or models with minor cosmetic damage (scratches, scuffs, etc). Refurbished computers can be a bargain hunter’s dream as they’re likely still in good (or great) condition and you can save a lot of money. That being said, refurbished computers can have their downsides as well. In addition to cosmetic blemishes, some of the internal components might be a little older or outdated and they might not be in peak condition due to previous usage. If you do consider buying a refurbished computer I recommend looking at eBay as they offer a one-year warranty. You can also check out manufacturer’s retail storefronts like Dell’s Outlet Store and Apple’s Refurbished Store—just be sure to look at the terms of warranty offered before purchasing. Desktop PCs, Gaming Desktop PCs

No matter how much of my stuff I transition to cloud storage, every once in a while I still need to use ye olde sneakernet. And this deal is probably the best I’ve ever seen in terms of bang for your buck. Today Amazon has a SanDisk 512GB flash drive, using a crazy-fast USB 3.2 connection, for just $32.99. That’s almost two-thirds off the original $90 MSRP, and $13 cheaper than the same drive at Best Buy. 512GB is a huge amount of storage for removable media, but you can find it cheaper elsewhere. What makes this deal so appealing to me is the speed. When inserted into a compatible USB 3.2 port, this thing can read at up to 130 megabytes per second. That’ll let you copy, say, your entire 122-gigabyte Baldur’s Gate III installation off the drive in about sixteen minutes. It’s more than three times faster than a USB 3.0 flash drive (which is also much larger) going for around the same price. Throw in the teeny-tiny size, and it’s a fantastic deal — seriously, make use of that lanyard loop or you might just lose this thing in your bag. Also note that while the read speeds are great, the write speeds are considerably slower, around 44 megabytes per second according to the user reviews. If you need something faster and more capacious, you might want to step up to a dedicated portable SSD like the Samsung T7 Shield, which is still on sale. And if you need storage for mobile devices and cameras, this speedy 512GB MicroSD card is a steal at $30. Get a 512GB SanDisk flash drive for $32.99 Editor’s note: This deal first published on May 2 but was updated to include a link to a great SD card sale, too Computer Storage Devices

Picking up a brand new laptop can be a stressful experience. How much storage will I need? Which GPU is the best for my budget? The sight of the alphabet soup model numbers are enough to set your heart racing. If you’re not sure where to begin, don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’re looking for a lightning fast gaming laptop or a lightweight 2-in-1 for office work, we’ve got something for everyone. 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. Looking for sweet discounts? Check out our regularly updated roundup of the best laptop deals available right now. Updated May 8, 2024: We added the Lenovo Yoga 7i underneath our top 2-in-1 pick because it’s a good option for those who prefer fit and longevity over raw performance. We’ve also updated our list of recent laptop reviews. The best laptops at a glance Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (2024) (Best overall), $849.99 at Dell Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Best overall runner-up), $999.99 at Asus Acer Aspire 3 (Best budget laptop), $329.99 at Acer Alienware m16 R2 (Best gaming laptop), $1,849.99 at Dell MacBook Air M3 (Best Mac) $1,594 at Amazon Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus (Best Chromebook) $499 at Best Buy Alienware m16 R2 (Best gaming laptop) $1,849.99 at Dell Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra (Best content creation laptop) $2,094.99 at Samsung Acer TravelMate P6 (Best ultraportable) $1,157.09 at Amazon Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (Best 2-in-1) $1,199.99 at Amazon The best laptops we’ve tested 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: $999 Best Prices Today: $999.99 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. Alternative option: If you’re looking to save about $200, you should definitely consider picking up the Acer Swift Go 14. It offers zippy day-to-day performance, long battery life, and a good typing experience. 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: $849.99 Best Prices Today: $849.99 at Walmart$999.99 at Asus$1199 at Amazon 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 absolutely wild! That result really trumps otherwise excellent competitors like the Lenovo Slim 7 14 Gen 9 and the HP Pavilion Plus Laptop 14. As for performance, the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED absolutely crushed the PCMark 10 benchmark with an impressive score of 6,772. That means it’s very fast and responsive during real-world tasks like web browsing, video conferencing, and so on. 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. Read our full Asus Zenbook 14 OLED review Acer Aspire 3 – Best budget laptop Pros Reliable performance 1080p display HD webcam Solid build Cons Speakers sound tinny when playing music A little heavy Price When Reviewed: $329.99 Best Prices Today: $299.99 at Amazon$329.99 at Acer Online Store$384.99 at Walmart Why we like the Acer Aspire 3 The Acer Aspire 3 laptop offers both reliable performance and a rugged build at an imminently affordable price. It’s fast enough for everyday tasks like checking e-mail, watching Netflix, and browsing the web. You’re also getting a full-sized keyboard as well as a 1080p screen. The Aspire 3 also blew the competition out of the water with a Cinebench R15 score of 1,925, beating out the Acer Aspire Vero 14, which has similar hardware. Cinebench is designed to run all of the cores of a laptop’s CPU and determine how well a laptop handles processor-intensive multi-threaded workloads. Who should buy the Acer Aspire 3 Anyone who’s on a restricted budget! To get more specific, we feel as though the Acer Aspire 3 is a good option for students and remote workers. It’s inexpensive and the HD webcam produces “clean, crisp video” according to our review, which means you’ll always look your best in videoconferencing calls. It also delivers strong performance for the price. Alternative option: If you absolutely cannot spend $330 for the Acer Aspire 3, then you should check out the Acer Aspire Go 15–it’s about $30 cheaper and has better battery life (12 hours!). Read our full Acer Aspire 3 review Dell Inspiron Plus 16 7630 – Best midrange laptop Pros All-day battery life Good graphics performance Reasonable price Cons Light on ports Gets warm under heavy workloads Price When Reviewed: $1,249.99 Best Prices Today: $1199.97 at Amazon$1249.99 at Dell Why we like this Dell Inspiron Plus 16 The Dell Inspiron 16 7630 packs a lot of power for the price thanks to the Intel Core i7-13700H CPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. This machine can handle both day-to-day activity as well as some gaming. The RTX 4060 GPU actually turned in a respectable 3DMark Time Spy result of 8,754. It’s not the most cutting-edge graphics performance we’ve ever seen, but you should be able to play most games on the Medium or High graphics setting. The 1600p display also has a taller 16:10 aspect ratio screen, which is ideal for office work, and the battery lasted over 11 hours on a single charge. Who should buy the Dell Inspiron Plus 16 The Dell Inspiron Plus 16 7630 is great for professionals, students, or anyone who’s looking for a powerful yet affordable machine. The battery will last you a full work day and then some, and it can pull double duty playing games. Dell laptops often go on sale, so you may be able to score this machine at a steep discount. Read our full Dell Inspiron Plus 16 7630 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: $1699 Best Prices Today: $1,594 at Amazon$1599 at B&H$1699 at Adorama 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 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: $499 Best Prices Today: $329 at Best Buy 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. Read our full Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus 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: $1,849.99 Best Prices Today: $1849.99 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. Read our full Alienware m16 R2 review Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition – Best budget gaming laptop Pros Impressive all-day battery life Gorgeous 16:10 display Rugged chassis Cons Keys feel a bit soft 720p webcam leaves little to be desired Price When Reviewed: $1,099.99 Best Prices Today: $949.99 at Best Buy$955 at Amazon Why we like the Asus TUF Gaming A16 The Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition is something of a unicorn and I mean that in the best way possible. This specific machine exhibits strong graphics performance as well as long battery life. Long battery life? A gaming laptop? How preposterous. Well, not anymore! The Asus TUF managed an incredible 11 and a half hours on a single charge. Also, thanks to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, the laptop achieved 123 frames-per-second in the Rise of the Tomb Raider benchmark. That’s impressive, especially for a sub-$1,000 gaming machine. Who should buy the Asus TUF Gaming A16 The Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition is a good option for those on a tight budget. For under a grand, you’re getting reliable graphics performance, a spacious keyboard, and long battery life. It also works as a good general purpose machine. With a Cinebench R20 score of 589, it should have “no trouble running lightweight apps and programs,” according to our review. Alternative option: The $1,000 Lenovo LOQ 15 stands as another solid budget option. It’s more than capable of 1080p gaming and the design is very sci-fi inspired. It didn’t nab the top pick because of the poor battery life (not unusual for a gaming laptop) and limited ports, but if you’re looking for more raw GPU horsepower, its RTX 4060 is a step above the RTX 4050 included in the Asus TUF. Read our full Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition review Acer Chromebook 516 GE – Best gaming Chromebook Pros Rigid build Fantastic CPU performance Plenty of wired and wireless connectivity High resolution 1600p display Cons Disappointing speakers and microphone Display falls behind in contrast, color vibrancy Mediocre keyboard and touchpad Price When Reviewed: $649.99 Best Prices Today: $649 at Best Buy Why we like the Acer Chromebook 516 GE The Acer Chromebook 516 GE wins a lot of brownie points because it’s a reliable performer thanks to the Intel Core i5-1240P CPU and the 16-inch 1600p display’s fast 120Hz refresh rate. Compared to some Windows laptops, it’s reasonably priced as well. Not only does it fly through everyday tasks with ease, but it’s also a great machine for cloud gaming. As long as you’ve got a stable Internet connection and currently belong to a streaming service (Nvidia GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, etc), you’ll blitz right through most triple-A games. In fact, according to our review, “gameplay felt perfectly smooth” and “Nvidia’s GeForce Now diagnostics panel flagged no problems.” Who should buy the Acer Chromebook 516 GE Anyone that wants to give cloud gaming a whirl or just a dependable machine for day-to-day use–the Acer Chromebook 516 GE can pull double duty in that regard. In addition to the smooth cloud gaming performance, it also features a wide array of connectivity options: two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, one HDMI, one Ethernet (wired connectivity is especially useful for cloud gaming), and one 3.5mm combo audio. Other goodies include a 1080p webcam, a 65 watt-hour battery, and a rugged design. Read our full Acer Chromebook 516 GE review Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra – Best content creation laptop Pros Phenomenal battery life Solid GPU performance Gorgeous OLED screen Good audio Cons Not a great keyboard Chargers keep getting bigger Price When Reviewed: $2999.99 Best Prices Today: $2399.99 at Samsung$2499.99 at Best Buy Why we like the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra is the perfect laptop for content creation. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU will give you the extra boost you’ll need for intensive video or photo editing tasks and the 16-inch 1800p OLED touch display is sharp enough to get those little details just right. Plus, it comes with 1TB of SSD storage (you’ll need a good amount of space for your images and videos) and a microSD for easy offloading of photos. Battery life is top-notch, too. It lasted a total of 18 hours on a single charge, which is downright impressive. That said, if you’re editing a lot of photos with the brightness turned all the way up, you may see a shorter result. Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra is a great laptop for content creators because of the powerful hardware (discrete graphics are a must!) and stunning OLED screen. It also has a diverse array of ports such as Thunderbolt 4, USB Type-A, HDMI 2.1, microSD, and headphone/mic. Although its OLED screen is high-resolution, it’s not 4K, so consider the similarly spec’d Dell XPS 17 below if editing 4K video is crucial to your workflow. Other cool features include a 1080p webcam, a fingerprint reader, and a lovely Moonstone Gray color scheme. Alternative option: The Dell XPS 17 9730, with its powerful internal components and massive 17-inch 4K display, is still a good option for content creators. While we like the thin chassis and long battery life, it doesn’t have an OLED screen, which offers better color accuracy. Read our full Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra review Acer TravelMate P6 – Best ultraportable Pros Long battery life Light and portable A good price for a business laptop Cons Keyboard is a tad mushy No NPU for future Windows AI features Consumer laptops deliver similar specs for a lower price Best Prices Today: $1158.99 at CDW$1168.63 at Amazon$1199.99 at Acer Why we like the Acer TravelMate P6 The Acer TravelMate P6 is featherlight at just 2.65 pounds. The chassis is made of magnesium-alloy, which is a very light yet durable material. According to our review, “the ports are reinforced with additional metal brackets to hold up wear and tear.” In other words, this machine is built to last. It also has fantastic battery life, which is what you want in an ultraportable laptop. The 65 watt-hour battery lasted nearly 13 hours on a single charge–more than a full workday! This laptop offers reliable performance, too. The Acer TravelMate P6 turned in a respectable Cinebench R20 score of 3,065, which isn’t far behind the more powerful HP Pavilion Plus. Who should buy the Acer TravelMate P6 Anyone looking for an affordable, lightweight ultraportable. In addition to the lightweight form factor, it also comes with a 1080p webcam with a physical privacy shutter and a 14-inch 1200p display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. The taller screen makes it easier to scroll through documents or webpages, and the 1080p webcam will make you look good on videoconferencing calls. The keyboard provides a nice typing experience, too. It even boasts white backlighting, which is perfect for typing in low light environments. Alternative option: If you’re interested in picking up a more high-end ultraportable, you should consider picking up the HP Dragonfly G4. It weighs same as the Acer TravelMate P6, but has much better battery life–it managed 17.5 hours on a single charge! The only downside is that it costs just over $3,000 thanks to its more potent components and support for mobile LTE connections. Read our full Acer TravelMate P6 review Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED – Best 2-in-1 Pros Long battery life Connectivity includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports Fast performance Cons Function keys are small The display is a little dim Price When Reviewed: 1199.99 Best Prices Today: $999.99 at Asus$1,199.99 at Amazon$1199.99 at Best Buy Why we like the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED When it comes to 2-in-1 laptops, the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED just gets it right at the start. It has a gorgeous OLED display, a zippy Intel Core i7-1360P CPU, and a versatile convertible design. You can flip the screen around 360 degrees and use it like a tablet or prop the device up like a tent if you so wish. Colors on the 1800p OLED display are also “remarkably bright and saturated,” according to our review. The battery died at the 12 hour mark, dominating laptops with similar hardware like the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i and the Acer Aspire Vero 14. Who should buy the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED The Asus Zenbook 14 Flip is a good option for business professionals because of its convertible, lightweight design and stunning OLED display. You can take this machine with you anywhere and you don’t have to worry about finding an outlet to charge up. How can you go wrong with that? Alternative option: If you’re looking to save some cash, the $899 Lenovo Yoga 7i is a good option, especially if you prefer longevity over raw performance. In terms of performance, it’s middle of the pack. That said, it lasted a whopping 13 hours on a single charge, and it’s beautifully designed hardware. Read our full Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED review Recent laptop reviews Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 14: The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 14 is a lightweight, elegant all-rounder for business professionals. Acer Predator Helios Neo 18: Want a lot of performance for $1,500? Acer’s gigantic Helios Neo 18 is a good bet. Lenovo Yoga 7i: The Lenovo Yoga 7i (16IML9) is a competent and well-built at a palatable price. It’s not the best value for a standard laptop, but it’s flexibility may make up for its shortcoming for some users. Acer Swift Go 14: The Acer Swift Go 14 is a reliable travel workhorse through and through. 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 basically 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 of time. 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’s 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 gets 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 uses 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, and content creators will want even more. 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 really 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 work day, 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 for when you want to hook up to an external monitor. Laptops

Let me tell you a quick story. I like Johnston & Murphy shoes. I’ve been trying to get this pair for weeks, but since it seems a lot of other people like it too, it’s been out of stock in my very common shoe size. So I did a Google search to see if I could find other stores that had it in stock. And wouldn’t you know it, there was another Johnston & Murphy site, almost the same one with “USA” added to the URL. It looks similar to the other site, but it had every single size of that shoe in stock, ready to buy. And it was half off the original price, what a deal! It must be an overstock outlet for the brand. So I put the shoe in my cart, and prepared to check out. But for some reason, PayPal was the only payment option. No big deal, I often use PayPal and it has a purchase security program. So I went through the PayPal interface…and the very last step in the process, the one that would confirm the order, said “Agree and Subscribe” instead of “Purchase.” It also asked me to pay someone who isn’t Johnston & Murphy, but “Association Islamique Fulado.” That name didn’t return any useful Google results — Its address is somewhere in Luxembourg, assuming it’s the same person or organization. Not pictured: a shoe sale.  Not pictured: a shoe sale.  Michael Crider/Foundry Not pictured: a shoe sale.  Michael Crider/Foundry Michael Crider/Foundry I’ve seen that button before. It’s used when you want to make a recurring payment to a charity or a creator, a la Patreon. Why would I need to “subscribe” for a one-time payment option? To be honest my red flags were raised from the start when I saw the URL, but at that point I went into Arkham Asylum detective mode. Step one was to check out that fishy URL with a Whois lookup. The main Johnston & Murphy domain has been registered for almost thirty years, and though it’s gone through a private registrar, that registrar is based in Florida in the US. If a judge in the US were to issue a subpoena to Johnston & Murphy, they’d have someone to track down. I tried the same lookup with the “USA” alternative site, the one that had the shoe in stock and was ready to sell it to me via a PayPal subscription. This one was registered in January of this year, to a Chinese company, with a Gmail address for the private registrar. Now, since I’m posting this story publicly, I’m not going to flat-out accuse this site of being a scam. But I can’t think of any legitimate reason that a Johnston & Murphy domain for an American company would be using a registrar in China. And I can’t imagine why the PayPal system would only let me “subscribe” to pay for it, especially when the verified site only lets you pay with a credit card. I decided to wait for those shoes. I will say that fake retail storefronts are incredibly common, even showing up highly in Google searches like the one that I did. I’ve seen a lot of similar — and similarly suspicious — sites selling hugely discounted kayaks in Google shopping results. They were likewise new stores, with designs that aped or just outright stole the layout of other stores, and with prices and availability that seemed too good to be true. A recent report from German firm Security Research Labs (spotted by BleepingComputer) found a ring of fake retail sites operating tens of thousands of domains. The “BogusBazaar” ring took in 850,000 orders, mostly from the United States and Germany with the rest of the “sales” going to Canada and Western Europe. Shops are quickly set up and copied with automated WordPress tools, including e-commerce plugins for accepting info from PayPal, Stripe, and other methods. What’s the point? They don’t simply charge the money and try to get away with it — which is often harder than it seems, now that banks, credit card companies, and other payment processors are on high alert for fraud. Instead they’re collecting personal information, especially addresses and credit card numbers. Put all that info together, and it’s a valuable start to an attempted identity theft. SRLabs says that the BogusBazaar system operates with a small team of developers, who then sell their services to other fraudsters in a “franchise” system, mostly out of China. They look for recently-abandoned domain names that have decent search results in order to pull in traffic. It’s a method that’s “low-key” and “highly scalable,” bringing in stable income via information theft. When one ring of stores gets discovered and wiped from the search engines, they’ll just copy and paste with a new set, rinsing and repeating their techniques to gather more data. Remember, in online shopping as in life: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Security Software and Services

Historically, you’ve had two options to expand the port capabilities of your laptop: an inexpensive USB-C dongle or a more powerful, pricey Thunderbolt docking station. A third option is quietly emerging, trying to split the difference. A DisplayLink docking station (sometimes called a USB-C dock) uses data compression to offer the capabilities of a Thunderbolt dock over a standard USB-C or Thunderbolt cable. Why buy one? DisplayLink docking stations works great for normal day-to-day productivity, and in my experience the docks are cheaper and more stable than older Thunderbolt 3 desktop docks. They’re an upgrade over our picks for the best USB-C hubs dongles, and cheaper than the best Thunderbolt docking stations for your laptop. They can even support more displays than a native Thunderbolt dock. They’re just not suited for gaming. If you need a fuller explanation of how DisplayLink works and what it offers, you’ll find that directly under our two recommended DisplayLink docks, below. You’ll also find a FAQ with answers to questions you might have. I base my recommendations on hands-on testing of the DisplayLink docking stations. Why you should trust me: I’ve worked as a technology journalist for about 30 years, and at PCWorld for the last decade. I’ve tested dozens of USB-C hubs, Thunderbolt docks, and DisplayLink docking stations. I use a docking station in my daily work, connected to multiple 4K displays, and I typically review a handful of new products each month. Updated May 2, 2024 with a more complete explanation of Display Stream Compression (DSC) in the FAQ below. Look for the DisplayLink logo to identify it as a DisplayLink dock. Look for the DisplayLink logo to identify it as a DisplayLink dock.Mark Hachman / IDG Look for the DisplayLink logo to identify it as a DisplayLink dock.Mark Hachman / IDG Mark Hachman / IDG The best DisplayLink docking stations Though I’ve tested a number of DisplayLink docking stations for laptops, I have two recommended docks. They’re the same picks that appear on PCWorld’s list of the best Thunderbolt desktop docks for your laptop. Ugreen 9-in-1 USB-C (Revodok) Docking Station CM615 – Best USB-C DisplayLink dock Pros Terrific price and value Excellent stability Great display port flexibility Support for two 4K60 displays Cons Have to provide your own power supply Can warm to somewhat alarming temperatures A lack of naming consistency Price When Reviewed: $199.99 Best Prices Today: $139.99 at Ugreen$199.99 at Amazon Why I liked the Ugreen 9-in-1 USB-C (Revodok) Docking Station CM615 Like some of the premium Thunderbolt docks, Ugreen’s DisplayLink dock provides options to use either HDMI or DisplayPort to connect a display, allowing you to use your existing display cables and save some money. Like most DisplayLink docks, this dock was unusually stable, with no flickering between displays — one of the reasons I like DisplayLink docks. Some other Thunderbolt docks offer the same flexibility to shift between monitors, but not many. Ugreen’s dock does so affordably. Who should buy the Ugreen 9-in-1 USB-C (Revodok) Docking Station CM615 If you’re not worried about hunting down the proper software driver (because Ugreen, bless them, does not make it apparent that it needs one) than I would recommend that you buy this dock. It offers many of the features of more expensive Thunderbolt docks at an affordable price. Read our full Ugreen 9-in-1 USB-C (Revodok) Docking Station CM615 review Sonnet Echo 13 Triple 4K Display Dock – Best USB-C DisplayLink dock runner-up Pros Support for three 4K60 displays Solid value 20W of charging power for smartphones, 100W for laptop Exemplary documentation Cons Direct display connection disconnected once Poor, glitchy intermittent audio Price When Reviewed: 239.99 Best Prices Today: $199.99 at Amazon$199.99 at B&H$239.99 at Sonnet Why I liked the Sonnet Echo 13 Triple 4K Display Dock Sonnet’s Echo 13 Triple 4K Display Dock follows the intriguing path other DisplayLink docks have blazed: The dock’s built-in compression means you can connect to three 4K displays, without penalty. And yes, it works as advertised, though with one issue that holds it back: spotty audio that really needs to be fixed. (If you use your laptop’s headphone jack, there’s no issue.) There was a tiny bit of instability, but performance was excellent. And with 20W of charging power for your phone and 100W for your laptop, you’ll be able to power a wider range of notebook options. Who should buy the Sonnet Echo 13 Triple 4K Display Dock The price differential between the Sonnet and Ugreen docks should help answer that question: The Sonnet buyer is willing to pay a little more for what is really a well-made and well-documented dock, with clear instructions. Really, without the price differential and the audio issues, this would be the top dock in the category. Read our full Sonnet Echo 13 Triple 4K Display Dock review DisplayLink USB-C docks: How DisplayLink works USB-C hubs, Thunderbolt desktop docks, and now DisplayLink docking stations have emerged because of two factors: the growing ubiquity of do-anything USB-C ports, and the realization by laptop makers that they can use these ports to eliminate all the dedicated HDMI, microUSB, SD card slots, and USB-A ports that can clutter up their notebook PCs. DisplayLink docks provide some of the native functions of a Thunderbolt dock, namely the ability to drive multiple high-resolution displays. Because of the inherent bandwidth limitations, DisplayLink docking stations offer a good choice for office workers, who can use those extra displays for static applications like email, chat, spreadsheets, or office work. A USB-C port typically provides 10Gbps of bandwidth. Thunderbolt 3/4, which runs over the same physical USB-C port, supplies 40Gbps. In the real world, that typically means that a USB-C dongle can connect to a single 4K display (at 30Hz) while Thunderbolt can connect to two 4K displays, at 60Hz. DisplayLink can you give the advantages of a 40Gbps Thunderbolt connection via just a 10Gbps USB-C interface. How? Data compression. A DisplayLink dock can either use a “traditional” 10Gbps USB-C connection, or take advantage of the extra bandwidth provided by an existing Thunderbolt 3 or 4 port. Either way, it uses data compression to squeeze more data throughput over the port. We use data compression every day, in photos and streamed video from YouTube and Netflix, and never notice. It’s the same here; your Windows desktop and applications will look the same. Two similar products with different characteristics: a Lention USB-C hub (left), which has been previously featured among PCWorld’s recommended USB-C hubs, and the HP Thunderbolt G4 Dock, part of PCWorld’s recommended best Thunderbolt docks. DisplayLink is a technology owned by Synaptics, meaning it’s a proprietary standard. Each DisplayLink dock has a special DisplayLink chip built inside of it. (DisplayLink docks rarely, if ever, publish which Synaptics chip they use, so a DisplayLink dock’s capabilities may vary by product.) DisplayLink USB-C docks: Pros and cons DisplayLink’s data compression means there are two negatives to the technology, which we’ll get out of the way. While USB-C and Thunderbolt work out of the box, DisplayLink requires a software driver. Without it, it will function as a generic USB-C dock. I’ve never seen any DisplayLink docks use their own unique drivers (though they may). In any case, you can use Synaptics’ official DisplayLink drivers. Most dock makers publish this information right up front, but not all do. (Be sure to reboot after installing it.) DisplayLink works perfectly well for email, Word, Excel, and anything static, like a web page. But it does have limitations: 10Gbps is a nice chunk of bandwidth. But pushing a ton of data across it will cause images to stutter and hitch. In practice, this means that PC gaming on a DisplayLink dock is iffy: A slow-paced game like Baldur’s Gate 3 should be fine, but a frantic shooter like Battlefield or Helldivers 2 probably won’t give you a good experience at all. Playing 4K video from Netflix or YouTube? It shouldn’t be a problem. Playing 4K video while copying files from a hard drive and downloading a file? Everything will work, albeit slowly. The big advantage for me is that DisplayLink tends to be really stable. Older Thunderbolt 3 hardware can be a little glitchy when connecting to multiple displays. In my experience, DisplayLink docks aren’t. That matters to some people. DisplayLink (often with a DisplayLink 4K logo on it) can also connect to multiple displays, even more than Thunderbolt. I don’t have room to neatly show off a photo of three or even four displays, but trust me — I’ve tried it on multiple occasions, and it works. The hitch is that your laptop has to be capable of rendering on four displays, and you’ll typically need to close your laptop to do so. That may mean adjusting the Windows Control Panel to tell your laptop to leave it up and running. This is only necessary if you are running four 4K displays with a DisplayLink dock. This is only necessary if you are running four 4K displays with a DisplayLink dock. Mark Hachman / IDG This is only necessary if you are running four 4K displays with a DisplayLink dock. Mark Hachman / IDG Mark Hachman / IDG Can I get a bit nerdy for a second? When you use a DisplayLink dock to connect to more than two displays, there’s even more magic going on behind the scenes. Take a DisplayLink dock like the Plugable UD-6950PDZ, which supports three 4K displays at 60Hz. It uses Synaptics’ most advanced chip, the DL-6950. But the DL-6950 only supports a pair of displays. To enable a third external display, the dock is using DisplayLink for two displays, and your laptop’s own “normal” DisplayPort connection (called DisplayPort Alt Mode) to drive the third. That brings up the final point that I always have to make: Recent hardware is best. A standard DisplayLink docks works best on, say, a 10th- or 11th-gen Core processor or a complementary AMD Ryzen laptop. With anything more advanced — 12th-, 13th-, and 14th-gen — you should have a pretty ideal experience. Unlike other Thunderbolt docks we’ve tested, Plugable’s UD-ULTC4K highlights not only which port is which but which I/O protocol each port is associated with. Note the “Alt Mode” label on the bottom ports. Unlike other Thunderbolt docks we’ve tested, Plugable’s UD-ULTC4K highlights not only which port is which but which I/O protocol each port is associated with. Note the “Alt Mode” label on the bottom ports.Mark Hachman / IDG Unlike other Thunderbolt docks we’ve tested, Plugable’s UD-ULTC4K highlights not only which port is which but which I/O protocol each port is associated with. Note the “Alt Mode” label on the bottom ports.Mark Hachman / IDG Mark Hachman / IDG How I test DisplayLink docking stations I use the same methodology to test DisplayLink docks as I do to test Thunderbolt docking stations. Here’s a synopsis. First, I take the dock from its packaging and evaluate its construction. I measure the cord length and check the dock’s physical dimensions with a ruler. I’ll then read the manual: Does the dock need any drivers? (Yes it will.) Are there links? What does the manual say about the dock’s capabilities, in terms of power and speed? Next, I take a USB key or two and connect them to the available USB ports to determine if they have enough space to allow several to be connected at the same time. I then examine the display ports, find the appropriate cables, and then connect the dock to the laptop. I use a series of laptops with various generations of AMD and Intel hardware, and check to see if the experience is the same on each one. If it isn’t, I make notes. I then measure the power output of the ports, using a USB multimeter, a smartphone, and a laptop to measure how much power the dock delivers to a laptop. Finally, I check to see how well the dock performs under load. I use a specific test laptop for this purpose for repeatable results. I stream a 4K60 YouTube video using the Ethernet port on the dock (if it has one) and note any dropped frames. I usually check with a pre-recorded 4K60 video running from an SSD. I then run PCMark 10’s SSD storage benchmark off of a test SSD, connected to the dock. I measure the score, then measure the score again while streaming a video. I then copy a large, multigigabyte folder of various files from my laptop across the bus and measure the time it takes to do so. I repeat the test while streaming video. Finally, I check the operation and performance of any SD card slots the dock has and listen to audio through the audio jack, to make sure it works. FAQ 1. Should you buy a DisplayLink USB-C dock? Not all DisplayLink docks are created equal, which is why we test them. But for office workers on Windows, absolutely. For gamers, give it a pass. DisplayLink docking station offers a chance to expand your PC’s I/O capabilities, even with hardware that doesn’t support Thunderbolt. If you aren’t comfortable with this, feel free to return to the relative safety of a either a generic USB-C dongle or a powerful Thunderbolt dock: Both offer simplicity and a known experience. 2. How do I know if my dock is a DisplayLink dock? It should prominently feature a DisplayLink logo, which we include a photo of earlier in the story. Not always, though. Shopping for a DisplayLink dock can be a bit confusing, too, since the term “DisplayLink dock” isn’t really in vogue. Instead, vendors will sometimes use “USB-C dock” instead. Just read the documentation closely and look for the label. 3. How much should a DisplayLink docking station cost? DisplayLink was a much cheaper alternative to Thunderbolt docks during the height of the work-from-home years. Then, a Thunderbolt dock would cost about $300, and a DisplayLink dock about $150 to $200 or so. Prices for both have come down some, with DisplayLink docks starting for as low as $125. 4. How many devices can a DisplayLink dock support? You’ll usually see close to as many ports on a DisplayLink dock as you will on a Thunderbolt dock, and maybe more. In general, DisplayLink is just fine for connecting multiple devices simultaneously. It’s when they’re all in use, transferring data, that the bus may get clogged and transfer rates may slow down. 5. What’s better, a DisplayLink dock or a Thunderbolt dock? For now, there’s a case to be made that a DisplayLink dock is a better value: They’re generally cheaper, more stable, and offer the potential for more displays. But if you’re a gamer, the answer is not the same. Gamers should buy a Thunderbolt dock instead. The game changes, though, when Thunderbolt 5 debuts later in 2024. Then, Thunderbolt 5 bandwidth will shoot up to 80Gbps in both directions, allowing those docks to connect to four 4K displays at 144Hz refresh rates and offer improved charging. 6. Can a DisplayLink dock charge your laptop and your smartphone? If the DisplayLink docking station ships with its own external power brick, it should be able to, yes. Most DisplayLink docks supply the same amount of power as a Thunderbolt dock (a maximum of 90 to 95W to your laptop, and hopefully enough power to fast-charge a smartphone.) 7. Is a DisplayLink docking station plug and play? Not really. You’ll need a driver from Synaptics or the dock maker to enable the dock’s full functionality. 8. What’s DSC and HBR3? I’ve heard that those are a competitor to DisplayLink. Display Stream Compression with High Bandwidth Rate 3 (DSC with HBR3) is a more open version of DisplayLink. It doesn’t require a software driver, but you won’t see this technology advertised at all. However, you will find it in products like the Kensington SD5800T, which uses Thunderbolt 4 and DSC to enable four external 4K displays. Basically, the same rules apply. If you own a recent, modern laptop, you may have one with DSC inside: It’s found within laptops with an Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics chip, or as part of Intel’s “Tiger Lake” platform, aka the 11th-gen Core chips. But this is absolutely not a feature that laptop makers advertise, either. 9. Are DisplayLink and DisplayPort the same thing? No, they’re not, though the names are confusingly similar. DisplayPort is a physical display connector as well as a display protocol. Your laptop can route DisplayPort display protocols over Thunderbolt without ever using the connector itself. DisplayPort can also be routed over a USB-C connection encoded with DisplayLink, too. 10. Is a DisplayLink dock good for gaming? Not especially. It’s best for productivity, which uses a number of windows with static applications. Any time you push gobs and gobs of data over the DisplayLink bus, as you would with gaming, you risk the connection being saturated and your game reduced to a stuttery mess. You may be able to “game” with a slow-paced game or one that doesn’t use a lot of fast-paced motion or detailed graphics, but it’s risky. Buy a Thunderbolt dock instead. Computer Accessories, Docks and Hubs, Laptop Accessories

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 judgement to only recommend truly compelling deals on worthwhile notebooks. For more notebook options, check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available right now. We’ve got can’t-miss picks for every use case and budget, putting our thousands of hours of hands-on testing to work for you. Best laptop deals (at a glance) Lenovo IdeaPad 1, $229.99 ($190 off at Microcenter) Asus Vivobook 14, $249.99 ($180 off at Best Buy) Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, $299 ($230 off at B&H) HP Envy x360, $569.99 ($379.01 off at Adorama) Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8, $749 ($560 off at B&H) HP Dragonfly Pro, $799 ($600 off at B&H) Dell XPS 13, $799 ($300 off at Dell) Acer Swift Go 14, $799.99 ($200 off at Amazon) Dell Inspiron 16, $819.99 ($540 off at Dell) XPG Xenia, $999 ($700.99 off at Walmart) Lenovo Flex 7, $1,039.99 ($220 off at Adorama) Lenovo Legion Pro 5i, $1,179 ($620 off at B&H) Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1, $1,199.99 ($450 off at Best Buy) Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4, $1,229 ($650 off at Adorama) HP Omen Laptop, $1,249.99 ($450 off at HP) Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon $1,391.42 ($1,007.58 off at Lenovo) Best laptops deals under $500 Lenovo Lenovo Lenovo Lenovo IdeaPad 1: $249.99 ($170 off at Microcenter) The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 has an AMD Ryzen 5 5599Y processor inside of it, which is capable of handling day-to-day tasks like browsing the web and checking e-mail. The 14-inch 1080p display is perfect for everyday use and the connectivity options include one USB 2.0 Type-A, one USB 3.2 Type-C, one USB 3.2 Type-A, one HDMI, and one audio. The port selection is surprisingly diverse for such an inexpensive machine, so you don’t have to carry around an adapter. The 720p webcam isn’t great, but you can always plug into an external webcam if you want to look better on Zoom calls. View Deal Asus Asus Asus Asus Vivobook 14: $249.99 ($180 off at Best Buy) The Asus Vivobook is an inexpensive Windows laptop with a 1080p display. The laptop’s Intel i3-1215U CPU is a few generations behind at this point, but it’s still powerful enough to handle everyday tasks like checking e-mail and watching Netflix. It also comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage. The 14-inch 1080p display has a brightness level of 250 nits, which isn’t super bright, but it’s perfectly fine for web surfing and office work. In fact, with dimmer displays, you’ll likely get better battery life out of the machine, as the display can be a major power suck. This is a great machine for anyone that’s on a tight budget. View Deal Lenovo Lenovo Lenovo Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3: $299 ($230 off at B&H) The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is another good option for everyday work, school, or home use because of its Intel Core i3-1315U processor and robust connectivity options. You should be able to zip right through office tasks or binge your favorite show on Netflix, and the large 15.6-inch 1080p matte display is sharp enough for those types of tasks. The port selection includes one USB-C 3.0, two USB-A 3.0, one HDMI, and one audio–effectively eliminating the need for an adapter. Similar to other laptops in this price range, it has a 720p webcam, which isn’t the best, but it’s a reasonable sacrifice in the budget laptop realm. View Deal Best laptops deals under $1,000 HP HP HP HP Envy x360: $569.99 ($379.01 off at Adorama) The HP Envy x360 is powerful, lightweight, and versatile. The 2-in-1 form factor means you can fold the screen back and use the laptop like a tablet, and it comes equipped with a good amount of RAM (16GB) and storage (512GB SSD). The 1080p display is quite large at 15.6-inches and it’s a touchscreen, which is perfect for habitual notetakers and doodlers. The keyboard is also full-sized and has backlighting–useful for when you’re using the laptop in low light environments. View Deal Lenovo Lenovo Lenovo Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8: $749 ($560 off at B&H) The Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 is a good entry-level machine for the budget-minded gamer. Thanks to the Intel Core i7-13700H CPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, a powerful combination, it should have no problem flying through the latest triple-A titles. The 1080p display is also quite roomy at 15.6-inches and it has a refresh rate of 144Hz, so visuals should be free of any screen tearing, making for a more enjoyable gaming experience. This laptop also comes with a 1080p webcam, dual 85-blade fans, and Super Rapid Charge technology (in other words, this laptop will reach a charge of 30 percent in just 10 minutes, according to Lenovo). View Deal HP HP HP HP Dragonfly Pro: $799 ($600 off at B&H) The HP Dragonfly Pro is a lightweight laptop with a lovely 1200p touchscreen display. It weighs just 3.1 pounds, which is hardly a back breaker–great news if you’re a frequent traveler. It’s also powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 7736U CPU and AMD Radeon 680M graphics, so you shouldn’t experience any slowdowns with office work or daily tasks. The 14-inch 1200p touchscreen display has an aspect ratio of 16:10 and a maximum brightness of 400 nits. The taller aspect ratio is nice because it makes scrolling through documents and webpages a lot easier. Connectivity options also include two USB-C and one USB-C 3.1. Overall, this is a solid laptop, especially for $600 off. View Deal Dell Dell Dell Dell XPS 13: $799 ($300 off at Dell) The Dell XPS 13 is a good laptop for office work, school work, everyday activities, and so on. It’s rocking an Intel Core i7-1250U CPU, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage–that’s more than enough power for watching movies, writing papers, surfing the web, and more. The 13.4-inch display has a resolution of 1920×1200, a refresh rate of 60Hz, and a maximum brightness of 500 nits. That means the display is capable of producing a vibrant, sharp-looking picture. Additional bits include an aluminum chassis, a 51 watt-hour battery, and a chic Sky colorway. View Deal Acer Acer Acer Acer Swift Go 14: $799 ($200 off at Amazon) The Acer Swift Go 14 is one of the most well-rounded laptops you can buy. We awarded it 4 out of 5 stars in our review, praising how well-rounded it is. It features plenty of connectivity options, a wonderful typing experience, a zippy processor, and much more. The model that’s on sale today has less storage than the one we reviewed, but other than that they’re nearly identical. According to our review, it outperforms other laptops with the same processor, so you should be able to blitz through office work, coursework, everyday tasks, and so on. The 14-inch display also has a resolution of 1920X1200 and is touch-enabled. It’s fine for casual use, but black colors look washed out. View Deal Dell Dell Dell Dell Inspiron 16: $859.99 ($500 off at Dell) The Dell Inspiron 16 is a great laptop for day-to-day use as well as some light gaming. In addition to the powerful Intel Core i7-1360P CPU and 1TB of SSD storage, this machine also has an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 GPU, which should be powerful enough to run most games at 1080p resolution. The 1600p display is a spacious 16-inches with a refresh rate of 60Hz and a maximum brightness of 300 nits. Have we seen brighter screens? Sure. That said, it’s bright enough for daily use as well as some casual gaming. Other cool features include a 1080p webcam, up to 13 hours of battery life (according to Dell), and a fingerprint reader. View Deal XPG XPG XPG XPS Xenia 15G: $999 ($700.99 off at Walmart) If you’re looking for a powerful gaming laptop, the XPG Xenia will certainly fit the bill. You don’t see many gaming laptops with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU go on sale for under $1,000 often, so this is a true deal. Between the Intel Core i7-13700H CPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, you should be able to play triple-A titles on the High or Ultra graphics detail. This machine even comes with 1TB of SSD storage, which is good news if you’ve got a massive backlog of games. The 15.6-inch 1080p display should also provide fluid gameplay thanks to the 144Hz refresh rate. If you can afford it, this would be a better long-term gaming option than the $800 models listed above thanks to the RTX 4060’s much faster performance. View Deal Best laptops deals under $1,500 Lenovo Lenovo Lenovo Lenovo Flex 7: $1,039.99 ($220 off at Adorama) The Lenovo Flex 7 is a great laptop for those who want an affordable 2-in-1. You’re getting a lightweight design as well as a decent amount of power for just over $1,000. It has an Intel Core i7-1355U CPU, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. Zipping through spreadsheet work, everyday tasks, and so on should be no problem for this machine. In addition to the 2-in-1 form factor, in which the screen swings back 360 degrees, it also weighs just 3.53 pounds. That means you can easily slip it in a backpack or messenger back and take it with you anywhere. View Deal Lenovo Lenovo Lenovo Lenovo Legion Pro 5i: $1,179 ($620 off at B&H) The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i is a good option for those who play more intensive titles. We say this because of the display’s ridiculously high 240Hz refresh rate. Gameplay should be as smooth as your mother’s freshly churned butter. There’s a lot of power behind that display, too. You’re getting an Intel Core i7-13700HX CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, 32GB of RAM (that’s a lot!), and 1TB of SSD storage. Other goodies include an Ethernet port, an RGB backlit keyboard, and a 1080p webcam. View Deal Lenovo Lenovo Lenovo Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1: $1,199.99 ($450 off at Best Buy) The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 is a powerful, versatile machine with a stunning 4K display. What more could you ask for? Underneath the hood, you’ll find an Intel Core i7-1360P CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage–so it should have no issues zipping through day-to-day tasks, spreadsheet work, and so on. The 14-inch touch display, which has a resolution of 3840×2400 (4K!), is a real stunner, too. This is the kind of display that’s meant for watching movies, graphically-intensive work, and so on. It also comes with a stylus, which is great because you don’t have to pay extra for a standalone accessory. View Deal Lenovo Lenovo Lenovo Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4: $1,229 ($650 off at Adorama) The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 is a powerful machine with a 1200p display, an array of versatile ports, and 512GB of SSD storage. It’s also lightweight at just under three pounds, making it the perfect travel companion. Driven by an Intel Core i7-1365U CPU, it should be able to handle both day-to-day tasks as well as heavier loads. Connectivity options include one Ethernet, one HDMI 2.1, one headphone/microphone combo jack, one USB 3.2 Gen 1, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Always On), and two Thunderbolt 4. That means you don’t have to worry about carrying an adapter around with you. View Deal HP HP HP HP Omen Laptop: $1,249.99 ($450 off at HP) The HP Omen is a great laptop for gamers. Not only does it have a big screen with a fast refresh rate, but it also boasts RTX 4060 graphics as well as RGB backlit keyboard with anti-ghosting technology, allowing you to press down multiple keys at once. Crack this baby open and you’ll find an Intel Core i7-13700HX CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. That means this machine is capable of chewing right through those graphically demanding titles. The 1080p display, which measures a massive 17.3-inches, has a refresh rate of 144Hz and a response time of 7ms, so images should look fluid and realistic. View Deal Lenovo Lenovo Lenovo Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon: $1,391.42 ($1,007.58 off at Lenovo) The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a competent business laptop with a lot of great features. First, let’s talk hardware. This machine weighs well under three pounds and yet it manages to squeeze in an Intel Core i5-1335U, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. It has a decent amount of power, especially for such a lightweight laptop. You should be able to zip through office work, everyday activities, and more. The 14-inch 1200p display has a maximum brightness of 400 nits and a refresh rate of 60Hz, which should be clear enough for productivity tasks. Plus, you’re getting a 1080p webcam, a backlight keyboard, a fingerprint reader, and ThinkPad’s famously comfortable keyboard with the red nub in the middle. View Deal 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 (November 29th), 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. Laptops

I still remember a time when you couldn’t fit a big JPEG file on a 1.44MB floppy disk, so I’m occasionally flabbergasted that 512 gigabytes of storage or more can fit on something the size of the nail on my pinky finger. But indeed, this is the future, and such a MicroSD card exists. Today you can pick up a speedy one from Amazon for just $29.99, ten bucks off the standard price. This PNY “Premiere-X” card is Class 10, U3, and V30. And if you’re not a professional photographer or an obsessive follower of flash memory standards, that means that it’s rated for up to 30 megabytes per second of write speed. That should be fast enough for the most intense DSLR or mirrorless camera and/or 4K video duties. PNY claims this one in particular can actually go faster than the minimum rating, 100 MB/s read and 90 MB/s write. The card works great in mobile devices like phones, dashcams, and the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. It could also help boost your laptop storage in a pinch. And in case you’re wondering, yes it comes with a full-sized SD card adapter, just in case your laptop doesn’t come with a tiny MicroSD card reader. The discount doesn’t have an end date on Amazon, so there’s no telling how long it will stick around. Get a PNY 512GB MicroSD card for $29.99 on Amazon Storage

At a glanceExpert's Rating ProsDriver aids and parking modeHandsome designEasy phone connectivityGood 1440p front capturesCons1080p Rear captures lack detailLots of wires with non-standard connectorsOur VerdictThe Thinkware Q200 is a good front/rear dash cam combo, but at the price we’d like to see great, not just good captures. Price When Reviewed$200 for two channels Best Prices Today: Thinkware Q200 dash cam Retailer Price Thinkware $199.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Thinkware has brought a number of innovations to the dash cam market, such as driver aids and phone connectivity. The Q200 reviewed here, features those handy extras, but it’s a bit pricey for external GPS and the cam’s capture quality, which is good, but not the best we’ve seen. Further reading: See our roundup of the best dash cams to learn about competing products. What are the Thinkware Q200’s features? The Thinkware Q200 is a $200 two-channel, front/rear dash cam combo that carries on with the company’s phone-centric tradition. In other words, settings are done via an app on your phone. This makes for a cleaner appearance (minimal buttons), but also means you need your phone handy. The front camera is 1440p (Omnivision OS04C20), while the rear is 1080p (HK Optical HK-8308J-009-1-M12-PT). Both have a 125 degree field of view. The front camera is rectangular, measuring approximately 3.9-inches long by 0.9-inched thick by 1.3-inches tall, and styled in dark silver and black. The front of the is home to the short lens neck, while the rear is occupied by the record on/off and Wi-Fi buttons as well as their status lights. The Q200’s front, rear, and GPS modules. The Q200’s front, rear, and GPS modules. The Q200’s front, rear, and GPS modules. The right side of the unit offers only venting, while the left has the jacks for the rear camera and GPS. The power jack is on top of the unit to which attaches a proprietary 3.5mm TS (Tip/Sleeve) cable with a captive auxiliary power adapter. Generally speaking, we prefer Type-C to Type-A cables with a separate auxiliary adapter, ideally featuring two ports so you can power or charge another device simultaneously. The rear camera rotates vertically, 360 degrees, and connects to the front camera via a 20-foot cable featuring TRRS (Tip/Ring/Ring/Sleeve) 3.5mm plugs. This cable is thinner and more pliable than most, which is nice for maneuvering. Both the front and rear cameras use semi-permanent adhesive mounts, and the front slides off for safekeeping. The rear camera is not made to be removable, however — inadvertently tugging too hard had it popping out. I wouldn’t recommend doing this on a regular basis, as the retaining grooves will likely bust or wear out eventually. But in a pinch…. I mentioned the GPS jack. While the Q200 features GPS, it’s implemented by way of a rather large external unit (shown in the picture above) that must also be affixed to the windshield. Along with the rear camera, this makes for quite a nest of wires, not to mention adding to any blind spot the dash cam creates. To limit this blind spot, take a read through our dash cam installation guide. Thinkware was one of the first companies to provide bad-driver aids such as collision warnings, lane departure, traffic camera alerts (safety cameras, my patootie!), etc. These are of course, present in the Q200 and you can hear various beeps and alerts if you enable the functions. While I turn off the bad-driver aids, I do like the traffic and speed camera alerts. Don’t ask. Alas, unlike some of Thinkware’s products, the Q200 doesn’t respond to voice commands. Why, I can’t say, but with no display, they would be very handy. The Thinkware app provides access to settings and a live view. The Thinkware app provides access to settings and a live view. The Thinkware app provides access to settings and a live view. Of course, there’s the phone app, Dash Cam Link (see above). Thinkware saves you the hassle of entering a Wi-Fi password by connecting via Bluetooth, then switching to Wi-Fi when you want to use the live view mode. Live view requires more bandwidth than Bluetooth provides, hence the Wi-Fi. The app also allows you to easily adjust the time, date, and time zone as well as other settings. For some reason, it rates only 1.7 stars out of 5 on the Google Play Store, but that must reflect past issues or some anomalies that I didn’t experience. It was easy to use and worked perfectly in my testing. Note that you must hit the “Dash Cam Registration” button to connect to the camera. Perhaps not the most intuitive initial instruction ever, but 1.7 stars? If you experience any issues, let me know. How are the Thinkware Q200’s captures? The Q200’s captures overall are average, with the best being the daylight front captures — par for the course. The rear captures were adequate, but somewhat lacking in detail during the day, and even weaker at night. The Q200’s front captures are good, but detail in the distance is a bit fuzzy for 1440p. The Q200’s front captures are good, but detail in the distance is a bit fuzzy for 1440p. The Q200’s front captures are good, but detail in the distance is a bit fuzzy for 1440p. The low-light capture below isn’t full night; however, it is considerably darker than it appears in the image. Ambient light in the immediate area is essentially the same. Detail is good, and headlight flare is handled well by the Q200. Though this capture wasn’t in the dead of night, it was darker than it appears. This is after turning on Super Night Vision, which was not enabled by default. Though this capture wasn’t in the dead of night, it was darker than it appears. This is after turning on Super Night Vision, which was not enabled by default. Though this capture wasn’t in the dead of night, it was darker than it appears. This is after turning on Super Night Vision, which was not enabled by default. The rear captures sport rich colors, but detail isn’t particularly obvious as you can see from the license plate in the image below. There’s also a fair amount of fish-eye. Not bad, but not great. This rear 1080p capture shows good color, but detail is lacking and there’s a fair amount of fisheye. This rear 1080p capture shows good color, but detail is lacking and there’s a fair amount of fisheye. This rear 1080p capture shows good color, but detail is lacking and there’s a fair amount of fisheye. Again, at night (late evening really), the issue with the rear captures is detail. You’ll get the big picture on events, but likely not the license plate number. Lack of detail is more of an issue with the rear low-light captures. Lack of detail is more of an issue with the rear low-light captures. Lack of detail is more of an issue with the rear low-light captures. In total, the Thinkware Q200’s front captures are more than workable, while the rear camera’s will suffice, but could use improvement. I do wonder if some of the detail is being lost in compression. By default, the Q200’s 1440p generates only 127MB per minute, and the 1080p 70MB per minute. Most cameras will generate around 150MB per minute for 1440p. A quick note on capture quality — it’s the result of a combination of resolution, optics, and processing. If any one of these is weak, quality suffers. By way of comparison, the 2160p from the recently reviewed Rove R2-4K was significantly worse than the Q200’s 1440p, while the 1440p from the upcoming Viofo VS1 Tiny 2K was quite a bit more detailed. The upshot? Don’t buy on specs (especially resolution) alone; read the reviews and comments. The Q200 employs a super capacitor to power the camera when the power is cut off. This allows the Q200 to save any recordings in progress, but it doesn’t run the camera long enough to capture any more action. Should you buy the Thinkware Q200? Though a bit pricey, the Thinkware Q200 is a good dash cam combo. For those who need or want them, the red light and speed camera alerts are the stand-out selling point. That said, we’d like to see internal rather than external GPS, and as there’s no display, voice control should also be included. Put it on the list, but shop around. Dash Cams

MacBook buyers still fuming from Apple’s decision to sell expensive laptops with just 8GB of RAM wish they had what Lenovo’s new ThinkPad P1 has: The ability to offer fast and power efficient RAM that you can upgrade. Upgradeable RAM in PC laptops isn’t a new thing of course, but Lenovo’s new ThinkPad P1 (announced on April 23) appears to be the first to use Micron’s LPCAMM2. LPCAMM2 is built to solve the problem that’s vexed laptops for years now: RAM power consumption. Laptops using DDR5 SO-DIMM RAM modules typically consume a lot of space and power. LPDDR5X RAM or low-power DDR5 can save significant active and standby power and offer even better performance but its performance and power requirements require it to be soldered directly to the laptop’s motherboard as close to the CPU as possible. After JEDEC, the organization that manages memory standards, adopted Dell’s Compression Attached Memory Module as CAMM2 last year, an offshoot of it was also developed as LPCAMM2 as well. ThinkPad P1 with LPCAMM2 RAM ThinkPad P1 with LPCAMM2 RAM Lenovo ThinkPad P1 with LPCAMM2 RAM Lenovo Lenovo Micron says LPCAMM2 will hit 7467MT/s speeds, which provides about 34 percent greater bandwidth than a DDR5 module at 5600MT/s. LPCAMM2 significantly shrinks the amount of space used on the motherboard by up to 64 percent compared to a typical stacked SO-DIMM configuration. More importantly for those interested in improved standby time and battery while used is the power savings. Micron says standby–when the lid closed–can reach 80 percent with active power usage reduction by up to 43 percent to 58 percent. That’s compared to a 64-bit DDR5 SO-DIMM. Today’s Intel and AMD CPUs support up to 128-bit for memory so a single LPCAMM2. Further reading: The best laptops we’ve tested Screencap from iFixit YouTube Video Screencap from iFixit YouTube Video iFixit Screencap from iFixit YouTube Video iFixit iFixit Apple users, of course, will point out that M3 Max in the highest-end MacBook Pro features an impressive 512-bit wide memory bus with the LPDDR5X chips mounted directly in the CPU package. To do that with LPCAMM2 would require four modules, much more space, and is likely impossible in a thin laptop. Our dig at Apple, however, is the basic M3 features a 128-bit memory bus which would pair nicely with LPCAMM2. Rather than lock its customers into a miserly 8GB of RAM, adopting this standard could allow MacBook Air or smaller MacBook Pro users to upgrade to, say, one of Micron’s new 32GB LPCAMM2 or a 64GB LPCAMM2 modules which I’m sure every low-RAM MacBook customer would appreciate. Right? Right?! LPCAMM2 itself has been on a slow burn news cycle for months now. Samsung initially announced it was making LPCAMM modules months before the standard was even released. SK Hynix is also aboard the LPCAMM2 train but Micron gets to toot its horn to be the first out the gate to actually show off working modules in a soon-to-ship laptop. Repairability-rights advocate iFixit actually got to take apart the Lenovo P1 with the Micron module in a video which you can eyeball here. It’s actually quite different from Dell’s initial CAMM proposal that we got to finger more than a year and half ago. Dell basically did the homework on CAMM to replace the antiquated 20-year-old SO-DIMM concept and then handed it over to JEDEC to ratify as an industry standard. Dell actually hoped CAMM would support both DDR5 and LPDDR5 but it’s not clear if that vision made it out of the committee. CAMM turned into CAMM2 as the formal standard and adopted two mounting standards–a stacked design using two single-channel CAMM2 modules, or a single-module design mounting a dual-channel CAMM2 module. From examining JEDEC’s technical documents, the dual-channel features 128-bit using four 32-bit subchannels and looks to possibly be mechanically compatible with LPDDR5X–but it’s not quite clear to us yet. We can say JEDEC’s technical documents indicate CAMM2 modules using a square shape while the LPCAMM2 modules use the smaller notched module you see above. The future is here! The important part of the Micron and Lenovo news is we’re finally on the way to replacing SO-DIMMs — and we’re also likely to see a nice improvement in power conservation in laptops that typically don’t receive it. For example, the ThinkPad P1 is a workstation laptop and usually would be paired with bulkier and more power hungry conventional SO-DIMMs. With Micron’s LPCAMM2, the P1 should provide you with much better standby time and do so without using soldered down, and non-upgradeable RAM which should be celebrated by all. Laptops

At a glanceExpert's Rating ProsHigh gaming performanceSuperb OLED screenPowerful soundConsCooling is a little noisyMediocre webcamExpensiveOur VerdictThe Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is a solidly built laptop that offers blazing fast gaming performance, a stunning OLED display, and a comfortable keyboard. While it’s on the more expensive end, we feel it’s worth every penny. Best Prices Today: Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 Oled GU605M Retailer Price $1999.99 View Deal EXcaliberPC $1999.99 View Deal $2199.99 View Deal $2324.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket About two months ago, we tested the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, a compact 14-inch laptop that packs a serious punch in the performance department, making it a suitable machine for either gaming or content creation. It wasn’t cheap, but it was very good. Now it’s time to check out its big sibling, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16. The concept is the same, but in a larger format. It’s a solidly built laptop that offers blazing fast gaming performance and a premium OLED display behind a glossy glass surface. You also get a sober, low-profile keyboard that’s comfortable to type on for hours at a time and a touchpad designed for creative work with a large surface area, fine precision, and multi-touch gestures. While it’s on the more expensive end, we feel it’s well worth the cost. Looking for more options? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best gaming laptops available right now. Asus ROG Zephyrus G16: Performance, keyboard If you like the look of a traditional gaming laptop, you’re in luck. You’re getting RGB backlighting in the keyboard as well as a diode strip in the screen that, although it only glows white, can be set to cycle light shows or sync with the computer’s audio. You’re getting really good gaming features from both hardware and software. Performance is quite good thanks to the efficient cooling system inside the big chassis. The cooling pumps more air and is a bit noisy as a result, but it delivers high and stable frame rates even in demanding games. You can also get the ROG Zephyrus G16 with either 4080 or 4090 graphics, if you really want to break all the graphics barriers, run dual monitors, or plug in a 4k monitor. But 4070 is good enough for this monitor and for someone like me, who isn’t a notorious fps maxer. Hitting 60 fps in most games is good enough. In Armoury Crate you get a lot of extra control over everything from performance to diode effects and screen. In Armoury Crate you get a lot of extra control over everything from performance to diode effects and screen.Mattias Inghe In Armoury Crate you get a lot of extra control over everything from performance to diode effects and screen.Mattias Inghe Mattias Inghe Asus ROG Zephyrus G16: Display The ROG Zephyrus G16 has a fast, colorful 16-inch OLED display. It doesn’t have a touchscreen (not unusual for gaming laptops) and the 2560×1600 resolution is more than enough. It does have a whopping 240Hz frame rate, a lightning fast response time, and support for Nvidia G-Sync for optimized fluidity in games. It is, after all, a Republic Of Gamers computer and it definitely lives up to that name. The screen is also great for productivity and creative work, with a wide panel color gamut and preset color profiles for SRGB, DCI-P3, and display P3. It’s certified for Vesa Display HDR 500 True Black as well, which means you can rely on great dynamics with lots of nuance in light and dark areas. This is great if you’re editing video or photos, for example, and a Delta E value for color accuracy of less than one means you can trust the tones in images. As an entertainment machine, the Asus ROG will deliver thanks to the display’s good HDR capabilities. But if you’re going to stream a film or just surf a little between sessions, you may want to set the computer to “Silent” mode, which reduces the worst fan cooling speeds. You do this either in the Armoury Crate control program or with the hotkey on the keyboard. The underside is fully perforated for efficient airflow. The underside is fully perforated for efficient airflow.Mattias Inghe The underside is fully perforated for efficient airflow.Mattias Inghe Mattias Inghe Asus ROG Zephyrus G16: Audio, webcam The speakers produce rich sounds with the Dolby Audio support and high volume. There’s a surprising amount of bass, but there’s a lack of intensity in the treble, so it may not be suitable for all types of media. Large upward-facing speaker grilles on either side of the keyboard mean Asus has opted out of a numeric keypad, which didn’t fit. On the sides is a respectable set of external ports, two USB-C, one of which is Thunderbolt 4 with support for most things, and the other is USB 3 with DisplayPort support. You also get two fast USB-A, an HDMI port, and an analogue headset port. Here you’ll also find an SD card reader. The 1080p webcam feels surprisingly cheap in an otherwise top-tier computer. It produces a low-contrast image with a 30Hz lag. It’s fine for a video meeting, but not for professional streaming. At least you’ll get support for AI-powered Windows Studio effects for automatic framing, background blurring, and eye contact correction. You’re also getting good microphones, for which you can set up audio pickup and noise reduction in detail in the Armoury Crate feature. Proprietary port for the included power adapter. It can also feed a USB-C port (the one on the other side) with up to 100 W. But that’s not enough to both charge the battery and play games. Proprietary port for the included power adapter. It can also feed a USB-C port (the one on the other side) with up to 100 W. But that’s not enough to both charge the battery and play games.Mattias Inghe Proprietary port for the included power adapter. It can also feed a USB-C port (the one on the other side) with up to 100 W. But that’s not enough to both charge the battery and play games.Mattias Inghe Mattias Inghe Asus ROG Zephyrus G16: Specifications Product name: ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605MI-QR044WTested: April 2024
Manufacturer: Asus
Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, 6 P-core up to 5.1 GHz, 8 E-core up to 3.8 GHz, 2 LPE-core up to 2.5 GHz
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, 8GB
Memory: 32GB lpddr5x
Storage: 1TB SSD, SD slot
Displays: 16-inch glossy OLED, 2560×1600 pixels, 240 Hz
Webcam: 1080p with IR
Connections: Thunderbolt 4, USB-C 3 gen 2 with DisplayPort, 2 pcs USB-A 3 gen 2, HDMI 2.1, headset
Wireless: Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3
Operating system: Windows 11 Home
Other: RGB keyboard, G-sync support
Noise level: 0-41 dBa
Battery: 90 Wh, 1 hr 20 min (high load, full brightness) to 7 hr 10 min (low load, low brightness)
Size: 35.4 x 24.6 x 1.75 cm
Weight: 4.29 pounds
Price: Asus ROG Zephyrus G16: Rating
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16: Performance Cinebench 2024, multi-core CPU: 1,080 points
Cinebench 2024, single-core CPU: 114 points
Cinebench 2024, GPU: 11,513 points
Cinebench R23, multi-core CPU: 19,661 points
Cinebench R23, single-core CPU: 2,008 points
Geekbench 6, multi-core CPU: 14,429 points
Geekbench 6, single-core CPU: 2,576 points
Geekbench 6, GPU: 114,126 points
3DMark Fire Strike (DirectX 11): 25,890 points
3DMark Time Spy (DirectX 12): 12,002 points
3dmark Port Royal (Ray Tracing): 7,261 points
Disk, read: up to 4,977.02 MB/s
Disk, write: up to 3,493.27 MB/s This review was translated from Swedish to English and originally appeared on pcforalla.se. Gaming Laptops, Laptops

Intel has denied a report saying that it’s asking its motherboard partners to implement lower, “baseline” power profiles to solve instability issues and potentially Nerf performance in its 13th- and 14th-gen Core processors.. Instead, it’s the opposite: “Intel is not recommending motherboard manufacturers to use ‘baseline’ power delivery settings on boards capable of higher values,” an Intel spokesman said in an email. Many reports have bubbled up that Intel’s 13th- and 14th-generation Core chips have suffered from instability, with users experiencing crashes and Blue Screens of Death (BSODs) when playing games. Intel hasn’t said how many processors have been affected or under what conditions the instability may occur, although a leaked memo appears to blame motherboard manufacturers and their choice of turning off of safety features. That same memo indicates Intel plans a more consumer-focused statement in May. PCWorld asked for an explanation of what was going on in response to reports that Intel was supposedly going to enforce more stringent restrictions on turbo (PL2) clock speeds, which would effectively rob them of performance. Motherboard makers were reportedly being told that Intel would enforce “baseline” settings. As PC Gamer noted, Asus was one of the motherboard manufacturers to release an updated BIOS with an “Intel Baseline Profile” — but discovered that the power limits that Asus was enforcing went way over those stock or “baseline” speeds. Adding to the confusion and hand-wringing was Gigabyte’s implementation of a baseline profile that differed from others that drastically lowered the performance of the CPUs by as much as 30 percent and also appeared to use excessive voltage as well. Gigabyte had touted the new Intel baseline profile in a press release–but has appeared to have pulled it now. Intel is refusing to set “baseline” profiles It’s unclear whether Intel’s statement is designed to indirectly address how Asus implemented the “baseline” profile, or if they simply don’t apply to Intel’s Core i9-13900K/KF and Core i9-14900K/KF processors instead. But Intel said a “baseline” profile doesn’t apply to its fastest chips. “Several motherboard manufacturers have released BIOS profiles labeled ‘Intel Baseline Profile’,” Intel said in a statement. “However, these BIOS profiles are not the same as the ‘Intel Default Settings’ recommendations that Intel has recently shared with its partners regarding the instability issues reported on 13th and 14th gen K SKU processors. “These ‘Intel Baseline Profile’ BIOS settings appear to be based on power delivery guidance previously provided by Intel to manufacturers describing the various power delivery options for 13th and 14th Generation K SKU processors based on motherboard capabilities,” Intel added. “Intel is not recommending motherboard manufacturers to use ‘baseline’ power delivery settings on boards capable of higher values.” Put another way, Intel said that “baseline” power delivery profiles aren’t recommended for its 13th- and 14th-gen K-series processors. Intel is restricting PL2 values on the Core i9-13900K/KF and the Core i9-14900K/KF to 253W on both the “Performance” and “Extreme” profiles, Intel said. On the Core i9-13900KS and Core i9-14900KS, PL2 levels are set at 253W for the “Performance” and 320W for the “Extreme” Profile. Intel is also placing limits on ICCMAX power, “never” exceeding 400A at most. “Intel’s recommended ‘Intel Default Settings’ are a combination of thermal and power delivery features along with a selection of possible power delivery profiles based on motherboard capabilities,” Intel goes on. “Intel recommends customers to implement the highest power delivery profile compatible with each individual motherboard design as noted in the table below.” IDG via Intel IDG via Intel IDG via Intel Intel doesn’t seem to be specifying which implementations must use the Performance profile, and which use the Extreme profile. But it at least is an indication that Intel is working toward a solution. Falcon Northwest has also published a workaround, which it characterized as a “work in progress.” We’ve asked Intel if they understand the scope of the problem, and how (or if) RMA or warranty returns will be affected, and whether the company has seen instability on the Performance and Extreme settings. We’ll update this story if and when we learn more. CPUs and Processors

Common problem. We’ve all been there. You’re working from home (again), you make a big pot of coffee, you pour a cup, and 90 minutes later you’re still stuck in that Zoom meeting—and your coffee is cold. You, friend, might need a temperature-controlled smart mug. The 10-ounce Smart Mug 2 from Ember is now selling on Amazon for only $99, a 24 percent discount. We haven’t seen a cheaper price on Amazon since December 2023, when it was $85. Me, personally, I have a bit of history with so-called “smart mugs.” In 2014, I mercilessly mocked a smart mug prototype from Vessyl because it promised to do too much, like magically counting the calories of whatever it contained. But these Ember mugs have the right idea. They have just one job: to keep your beverage warm. Your coffee and tea will thank you for respecting their intended temperatures. Ember says the Mug 2 will keep your drink hot for up to 90 minutes on a full charge, or you can leave it on its coaster for full-day performance. You use an app (of course) to choose your preferred temperature between 120 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Or you can eschew the app for 135 degrees out the box. More than 17,000 Amazon users give the Ember mug a 4.4 rating, with one even promising, “Welcome to the next level of life.” OK… sure? Hey, man, I just want warm coffee. And this looks like the answer. get the smart mug 2 for just $99 Smart Appliances

It’s been a year or two since Midjourney absolutely overturned what we thought of conventional AI art. And now Microsoft Copilot is taking one of its ideas and making it its own. Microsoft said Wednesday that it’s adding a rewrite feature to its Copilot prompts. You’ll also be able to write shareable prompts that you can provide other members of your team, and a new Catch Up feature will recommend next steps to jumpstart your day. Copilot’s rewrite feature could be a powerful addition. Most people don’t actually know how to write a good prompt. Brevity is not the answer; in fact, it can be the antithesis of getting things done, because it allows an LLM or AI chatbot some leeway in what it does. That’s not always what you want. Midjourney, a pioneer in AI art, recognized this early on. You could ask it to “draw a bee circling a flower.” Instead of taking the command literally, Midjourney silently added related words to your own prompt, like “epic, narrow focus, spring meadow, golden hour” or something like that. The result tended to add drama, providing a greater degree of satisfaction to the final result. The idea was smart enough to be copied by other AI art generators, including my favorite local AI art tool, Fooocus. Microsoft is stealing the autocomplete feature for Bing and applying it to Copilot. Microsoft is stealing the autocomplete feature for Bing and applying it to Copilot.Microsoft Microsoft is stealing the autocomplete feature for Bing and applying it to Copilot.Microsoft Microsoft Copilot apparently will do the same thing, though it’s not clear how far it will go. The problem with LLMs is that a good prompt can include several components, as this excellent TrustInsights.ai paper points out: It defines a role for the LLM (sales expert), tells it the goal (plan a sales strategy for a product), gives it context, and then tells the LLM what to do and how to do it. That can take many, many sentences, especially as more LLMs accept longer prompt lengths that can go on for pages. “With its new rewrite feature, Copilot turns a basic prompt into a rich one with the click of a button, turning everyone into a prompt engineer,” Microsoft said in a blog post. Microsoft will also steal a page from Bing, too, adding an autocomplete function for prompts. Once you have a prompt that produces good results, you’ll be able to share it with your team in the Copilot Lab, Microsoft added. Before and after using the “rewrite” feature in Microsoft Copilot to improve your prompt. Catch Up, the final new feature Microsoft announced, is designed to produce “responsive recommendations,” Microsoft said. It’s not clear how that will work, exactly, but Microsoft provided an example: “You have a meeting with the sales VP on Thursday. Let’s get you prepared — click here to get detailed notes.” Presumably, those recommendations will be based upon whatever information Copilot knows about you, your contacts, your to-dos, and more. You’ll be able to share Copilot prompts with coworkers, too. You’ll be able to share Copilot prompts with coworkers, too.Microsoft You’ll be able to share Copilot prompts with coworkers, too.Microsoft Microsoft All of these features will arrive in the “coming months,” Microsoft said. Additional reporting by Sharon Machlis, director of editorial analytics at Foundry. Professional Software, Windows

Microsoft’s latest trends index shows, unsurprisingly, that workers are capitalizing on the AI craze. But Microsoft’s report also says that they’re doing so reluctantly, and not saving an enormous amount of time in the process. Microsoft released its 2024 Work Trends Index on Tuesday, reporting what workers outside the company are telling them about how they work. Obviously, the key topic was AI, the foundation of Microsoft Copilot and Copilot-powered applications like Microsoft 365. Microsoft said that its data was acquired by surveys with 31,000 people across 31 countries, alongside “labor and hiring trends” from LinkedIn and “Microsoft 365 productivity signals.” But the data wasn’t all positive. While employers are seeking employees with AI skills, those workers aren’t being offered training to use them. Instead, they’re learning those skills on their own. Here are the most (un)surprising bits of data from Microsoft’s 2024 Work Index. Workers aren’t dumb… AI, obviously, is hot. Sixty-six percent of leaders say that they won’t hire someone without AI skills, Microsoft found. So Microsoft said that it also found that the number of workers who added AI skills like ChatGPT and Copilot to their list of LinkedIn skills increased at a whopping 142 times compared to the previous survey, with “content writers” (gulp), designers, and marketers using AI the most. Looks like AI-generated content will continue to be on the rise. Looks like AI-generated content will continue to be on the rise.Microsoft Looks like AI-generated content will continue to be on the rise.Microsoft Microsoft …but they are nervous Abot half (52 percent) of those who use AI are reluctant to admit that they’ve used it for important tasks. And slightly more (53 percent) say that if they do use it on work tasks it makes them look replaceable. Only (?) 45 percent of workers say that they’re worried that AI is going to take their jobs, however. …And overworked About 78 percent of users are bringing their own AI tools to work, a trend Microsoft calls BYOAI. But less than half of those employers are providing AI tools for their employees, and just 39 percent of those surveyed say that they’ve received training for those tools, too. About 46 percent of those surveyed said that they felt “burnt out” by work, with 68 percent saying that they “struggle” with the pace and volume of work. The vast majority (85 percent) of email is read in less than 15 seconds, and users read four emails for every one that they send. So is AI the answer? Sort of About 75 percent of “knowledge workers” use AI at work, Microsoft says. AI can be used for all sorts of things: to supply ideas, write emails, help with coding, and more. More and more, AI developers are pitching it as a way to avoid the drudgery of work. But are people actually using AI, and for what? It sounds like the answer to that is a resounding “maybe.” Power users apparently like AI, but is the time savings paying off? Power users apparently like AI, but is the time savings paying off?Microsoft Power users apparently like AI, but is the time savings paying off?Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft broke out its survey responses into groups ranging from AI “skeptics” to “power users.” Skeptics barely touch AI, and it saves them just a few minutes per day. But power users say that it saves them about 30 minutes per day, specifically to catch up on missed meetings (56 percent), to design visual content (49 percent), to interact with customers (49 percent), and to brainstorm or problem-solve (37 percent). But 46 percent of those who had used AI at work had done so for less than six months. Microsoft even commissioned a study looking at how 3,000 people used Copilot at work, and whether it made a difference. The results were somewhat inconclusive: Employees read 11 percent fewer emails, but spent the same time (or even more) in meetings. Copilot users even spent 10 percent more time editing documents in Microsoft Office, which Microsoft took as an indication that people were spending more minutes in analysis and content creation. So is AI making a difference? It’s not clear. “As AI becomes ubiquitous in the workplace, employees and businesses alike are under extreme pressure,” said Jared Spataro, the former Microsoft Office chief who is now corporate vice president of AI at Work. “The pace and intensity of work, which accelerated during the pandemic, has not eased, so employees are bringing their own AI to work.” That sounds like employees are seeking any lifeline to ease their burden, and AI just happens to be the most convenient. Professional Software, Windows

Antivirus is just one part of keeping your PC secure. What about backups, password storage, and software updates? Do you use a VPN? Are you monitoring the dark web for your personal data? That’s where security suites come in — they bundle all the tools you might need into a convenient package. Everything is available in one place for a single payment, no juggling eight different applications with different subscription fees. There are all kinds of features you’ll find in premium security suites. We’ll use Norton 360 Deluxe as an example here, as it’s our top antivirus security suite pick here at PCWorld. But all popular security suites from Avast One and AVG Internet Security to Avira Prime and McAfee Total Protection offer a variety of similar features. Dark web monitoring Security suites frequently include dark web monitoring for details like your e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and credit cards. The dark web is a place where people can better hide their identity and be anonymous. It may involve using software like the Tor web browser and anonymous .onion sites, for example. Given the vastly improved anonymity, there’s a seedy underbelly of criminal dark web sites where databases full of e-mail addresses and passwords, payment details, and other private information are sold. The dark web scan feature will let you know if your information appears in one of these breaches. You’ll be able to see what appears in various leaks. Chris Hoffman/IDG Chris Hoffman/IDG Chris Hoffman/IDG Norton 360, like many other security suites, offers dark web scanning for your e-mail addresses as well as any phone numbers and credit card numbers you may want to provide. You’ll get reports about the contents of each breach the scan finds. You can get this kind of monitoring in a lot of places. For example, Google’s Google One subscription offers dark web monitoring, too. A built-in VPN service Premium online security suites usually include built-in VPN services. While our top-rated VPN services aren’t the ones built into online security applications, VPNs built into security apps work fine. A VPN is a nice to have security feature and having it built into your security app means you don’t have to juggle a pile of different system tray icons. Everything is in one place. Chris Hoffman/IDG Chris Hoffman/IDG Chris Hoffman/IDG The VPN built into Norton 360, for example, can be configured to automatically start and protect your connection whenever you connect to a public Wi-Fi network. You can turn it on and off whenever you want — on any connection — and choose what region it connects to. It supports optional features like split tunneling (only sending traffic from some apps through the VPN) and a kill switch (automatically cutting off all network access when the VPN connection goes down to protect your privacy). Dedicated VPN apps may be shinier and have more bells and whistles, but you may not need them. A capable VPN is a great additional value in a security application. You won’t have to pay for a VPN subscription separately and you won’t have to deal with the drawbacks of a free VPN like a limited monthly data allowance. A password manager Everyone should use a high-quality password manager. After all, you need to use strong, unique passwords for all your accounts and unless you have a photographic memory, there’s no way to remember them all. Online security suites have bundled password managers. For example, you get Norton Password Manager with Norton 360. Like with other password managers, you can generate and autofill passwords and access them on any browser you use — with Android and iPhone apps, too. Chris Hoffman/IDG Chris Hoffman/IDG Chris Hoffman/IDG If you’re seeking out the absolute best password manager, you may want to look for a dedicated one (check out PCWorld’s top password manager picks). But Norton’s password manager is perfectly capable. In fact, there are a wide variety of solid password managers these days. We even think using Google Chrome’s built-in password manager is fine. An online security suite that bundles a solid password manager means you don’t have to pay for anything extra. Cloud backups Online security suites also often bundle some cloud backup capabilities. Norton 360 Deluxe gives you 50GB of online storage so you can back up your personal files. These built-in cloud backup tools are nice to have in a pinch. If you need to back up a lot of files, you may want a dedicated cloud backup service. Chris Hoffman/IDG Chris Hoffman/IDG Chris Hoffman/IDG Likewise, it’s worth noting that if you pay for a Microsoft 365 subscription, you get 1TB of cloud storage with OneDrive and OneDrive can sync folders like your PC’s Documents folder to the cloud. Still, you only get 5GB of OneDrive storage with Windows unless you pay. That 50GB of cloud backup storage in Norton, for example, will be more than enough for many people, no extra payments required. Software updaters Windows application updates are messy. Unlike on an Android phone or iPhone, apps have to update themselves on a PC. You can easily end up with outdated applications installed and they might have security flaws. Chris Hoffman/IDG Chris Hoffman/IDG Chris Hoffman/IDG That’s why security suites often include software updaters: They’ll scan your computer for installed software, let you know which ones have updates, and tell you how important they are for your security. They may even be able to auto-update these programs for you. You can get features like this with other free apps, but they may be rather technical. I’m a big fan of the free WingetUI tool for updating apps, for example, but it doesn’t have the most user-friendly interface. Software updaters in security suites will have an easier-to-understand interface and be easy to find. Online privacy scans Data broker websites collect all sorts of public records on you and make them available to people who want to pay up. You can remove your data from these websites, but it’s a time-consuming task. Some security suites have features that will scan for your personal information on these data broker sites and perhaps let you remove it. Norton 360, for example, has a privacy monitor feature that will scan data broker sites for your personal data and let you know where it’s found. Chris Hoffman/IDG Chris Hoffman/IDG Chris Hoffman/IDG You can then contact these sites on your own to get them to remove your data. Unfortunately, Norton charges you extra for the Privacy Monitor Assistant if you want Norton to do the legwork of removing the data on your behalf. Still, it’s good that Norton and other security suites are letting people know about this privacy concern — data broker sites are big business, but they aren’t often talked about. A security-focused web browser (and extensions) Security suites are increasingly bundling their own unique web browsers with their security suites. For example, Norton 360 offers Norton Private Browser. These are totally optional — you can keep using Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or whatever other browser you might prefer instead. These browsers will feel familiar to use. They tend to be based on the same open-source technology that underlies Google Chrome. They also bundle extra features: Norton’s browser has Norton’s password manager built-in, naturally. Chris Hoffman/IDG Chris Hoffman/IDG Chris Hoffman/IDG Security suites also tend to offer browser extensions that warn you about dangerous websites in your browser of choice. For example, Norton has the Norton Safe Web extension for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. It’s the kind of thing that’s built into Norton’s own browser. In my opinion, a dedicated web browser isn’t a critical feature — modern web browsers are pretty secure and you probably already have a web browser you use and trust. You can also install your security suite’s browser extension in whatever browser you currently use. But security-focused browsers are clearly in high demand and they’re fine if you want to use them. They’re just customized versions of Google Chrome, after all. Parental controls You’ll often find parental control features built into security suites, too. For example, Norton 360 has Norton Family built in. You can monitor what children are doing on the web, set screen time limits, and access other similar features. With the associated mobile apps, you can also keep track of a child’s location (or at least the location of their phone!). Chris Hoffman/IDG Chris Hoffman/IDG Chris Hoffman/IDG Available parental control features will vary depending on the application you choose. It’s worth doing some research to see whether the parental controls in a security suite fit your needs, or whether you may want a different tool with different features. But once again, it’s nice to have this thrown in: You get a useful package of software that you’d often have to pay for bundled with all the other tools in your security suite of choice. Is a paid security suite worth it? Security suites offer a lot of features. Many of them, like password managers, VPNs, and online backup, often require separate subscription fees if you go for dedicated apps. That’s a big difference between paid premium security suites and free antivirus programs: Security suites go beyond antivirus. Free antivirus programs often stick to the basics — just antivirus software and you’ll have to look elsewhere for any extras. Free antivirus software does the job, but paid security suites often have some nice-to-have extras. Which you prefer is up to you. Maybe you want to seek out the best password manager, top-tier VPN, and and assemble your own security suite from parts. Go right ahead! But it’s easy to see the value of a security suite in providing everything in a convenient bundle. There’s a lot of value in simplifying things and saving time. Having all those tools in one dashboard is a much cleaner experience that will be much easier for many people to understand. Why get eight different pieces of software when you can install one to do the same job? Antivirus, Security Software and Services

Social media is an important element of any marketer’s playbook, but it can also be a time-consuming one. With UNUM, it can be a lot easier. This all-in-one social media tool gives you intuitive features to create and edit posts, schedule posts, track insights, and much more. Right now, a lifetime Pro subscription is on sale for a major discount. UNUM has been named an Apple App of the Day winner for good reason. It has more than 20 million users worldwide who use UNUM to post to every channel efficiently. UNUM makes it easy to drive traffic to your sites and pages with a customized BioBar, provides AI tools to create content and streamline your workflows, and provides detailed analytics to better understand what is and what isn’t working. It even comes with more than 500 overlays, filters, and more photo and video tools to elevate your creative process. Amplify your social media without breaking the bank. Right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to UNUM Pro for just $49.99 (reg. $719).   UNUM Pro: Lifetime Subscription – $49.99 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Accessories

Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a vulnerability that could have huge consequences for VPNs and their users.  The team at Leviathan Security revealed their findings in a blog post on their website and dubbed the exploit TunnelVision. They say that it can allow attackers to bypass VPN protections and expose user traffic — essentially rendering a VPN useless. VPNs are one of the most popular and widely used security tools on the market. They play a critical role in securing the traffic and data of users. In recent years, VPN providers have become household names thanks to their promises of online privacy and anonymity. A survey done by NordVPN found that nearly 33 percent, or one in three, Americans regularly use a VPN. With that many users just in the U.S. alone, there is major cause for concern if this TunnelVision exploit is being used. And that’s entirely possible since, according to the security team, it’s been around since as early as 2002. As described in the blog post, if an attacker has administrative control over the local network that a potential victim is trying to connect to, they can manipulate the DHCP server that allocates IP addresses.  A setting known as option 121 then allows the DHCP server to override default routing rules that send VPN traffic through a local IP address, usually triggering an encrypted tunnel. If this happens, the attacker can allow all or just some of the data traveling across the DHCP server to be routed through the unencrypted tunnel instead. This traffic would then be viewable by the attacker. In either case, the VPN application will continue to report that everything is normal and that all data is being sent through the protected connection. Researchers admitted that there is no clear fix for the issue. Simply removing support for DHCP in theory could fix the vulnerability, but they admitted it’s not a viable option “because this could break internet connectivity in some legitimate cases.” As of right now, the only operating system that is immune from this hack is the Android OS as it doesn’t use option 121. For all other OSes, there are no definite fixes. While ExpressVPN has already stated that it’s confident its Network Lock kill-switch feature still protects users, those using other VPNs are left questioning how safe their VPN connection really is.  In the meantime, the best thing users can do is to make sure that they only connect to trustworthy networks and limit their usage of that local coffee shop Wi-Fi until a fix is implemented. VPN

Your Mac puts so much power at your fingertips, but there’s so much more to tap into. With MacPilot, you can access more than 1,200 features on your Mac without any command line tools or complicated file operations. Just install MacPilot and your Mac will be open to a whole new world. Right now, you can get it for $70 off. MacPilot unlocks more than 1,200 features to optimize your Mac and streamline your experience. You can do things like display hidden files in Finder, add spacers and stacks to the Dock, run maintenance tools, toggle animations, and much more through an intuitive interface that puts you in the driver’s seat. Find out why MacPilot has earned 4/5 stars on MacUpdate. From 5/6 through 11:59 pm PT on 5/12, you can get a lifetime license to MacPilot for just $29.97 (reg. $99).   MacPilot Lifetime License – $29.97 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Accessories

The best Windows Hello webcams add something your PC may lack: a quick, secure way to log in to your PC using just your face. Why buy a Windows Hello webcam? Most laptops now include a webcam of some form or another, some with Windows Hello built in. Desktops don’t, however. If you share an apartment with someone else (or just want to avoid typing in your password), Microsoft’s biometric Windows Hello system uses a depth camera plus facial-recognition technology to log you in to Windows 10 or Windows 11 in a split second. And there’s more: passkeys are hot, and they use Windows Hello as well. Below, I’ve listed several Windows Hello webcams that I recommend. I start with 4K Windows Hello webcams first, if only because I really think that your appearance makes a difference in a video call. But the budget (and clearly the most popular) picks all use 1080p resolution instead. Want more information? I’ve included a buying guide and a FAQ after the best Windows Hello webcam picks. You can also review PCWorld’s 1080p and 4K webcam buyer’s guide for recommendations on webcams without Windows Hello support. Why you should trust me: I’ve been a technology reporter and writer for 30 years, with 10 years covering consumer technology for PCWorld alone. I’ve written about Windows Hello and supported webcams since Windows Hello launched in 2015, and have authored a separate roundup of recommendations for the best webcams based upon hands-on testing. I’ve taken this knowledge and applied it to the best picks for Windows Hello webcams, below. Updated May 2, 2024: Updated to add more detail about passkeys and why they matter in the FAQ at the bottom of this article. If you haven’t tried Windows Hello, you should. Your PC will recognize you, just like a person. If you haven’t tried Windows Hello, you should. Your PC will recognize you, just like a person. If you haven’t tried Windows Hello, you should. Your PC will recognize you, just like a person. Logitech Brio 4K Ultra HD Webcam – Best Windows Hello webcam overall Pros 4K resolution Autofocus capabilities Adjustable field of view Cons High MSRP, but can be found for less — especially right now Price When Reviewed: $199.99 Best Prices Today: $124.99 at Amazon$199.99 at Adorama$199.99 at B&H Why I like the Logitech Brio 4K Ultra HD Webcam Logitech has a well-founded reputation for quality, and if you don’t believe our review below, then listen to 17,000 Amazon customers who have awarded it nearly five out of five stars. Interestingly, Logitech focuses on the webcam aspect first — the camera captures great images and great audio…and then offers Windows Hello capabilities on top of that. The autofocusing Logitech Brio 4K supports various resolutions and frame rates, including 4K Ultra HD at 30fps, 1080p at 30- or 60fps, and 720p (HD) at 30- or 60fps. According to our review, Logitech’s RightLight 3 technology snaps photos and video in a range of lighting conditions. It can adjust the field of view from between 90 degrees to 78 degrees or 65 degrees. You will need to download the Logitech app for fine-grained control options, however. Who should buy the Logitech Brio 4K Ultra HD Webcam Anyone who doesn’t like entering a password or PIN but wants to look great. This webcam does it all, and it even has a three-year limited hardware warranty to back it up. This is a product you should be happy with. Read our full Logitech Brio 4K Ultra HD Webcam review Dell UltraSharp 4K Webcam (WB7022) – Best 4K Windows Hello webcam Pros 4K resolution Autofocus AI framing Cons You'll have to supply your own mic Price When Reviewed: $199.99 Best Prices Today: $189.99 at Dell Home$199.99 at Dell Why I like the Dell UltraSharp 4K Webcam (WB7022) Dell’s UltraSharp WB7022 webcam is similar to the Logitech Brio 4K, our best pick, but goes a bit further in terms of image quality and especially framing. Dell was one of the first out of the gate to use advanced features like automatic panning and zooming to keep you in frame if you shift in your seat. Likewise, this autofocus camera provides digital zoom and automatic HDR, cropping in and out from 90 to 78 degrees and even down to 65 degrees. The result is a webcam that is really designed make you look your best, more so than the other webcams listed in this roundup. Dell applies HDR, temporal, and spatial noise reduction to help you look your best. There’s no mic, unfortunately, so you’ll have to use your laptop mic for that. There’s also a magnetic shutter which attaches to the front of the webcam. Who should buy the Dell UltraSharp 4K Webcam (WB7022) In some ways, this is a step down from the Logitech Brio 4K, in that it lacks a mic. But you’ll look better, too. If you want to look your very best and get Windows Hello capability, this should be the webcam for you. NexiGo HelloCam Pro – Best budget Windows Hello webcam Pros Solid value for the price 1080p Autofocus, 60fps Cons Utility software needs to be installed Price When Reviewed: $79.99 Best Prices Today: $79.99 at NexiGo$89.99 at Amazon Why I like the NexiGo HelloCam Pro There’s a tremendous value here: Most 1080p webcams cost about $50 to $70 or so, and this webcam adds Windows Hello capability on top of that. Otherwise, the NexiGo HelloCam Pro is a good 1080p/30fps autofocus webcam, whose other signature feature is an iris-like physical webcam shutter. (Our previous pick, the slightly cheaper $69 NexiGo HelloCam, lacked autofocus.) Once the webcam is in use, the iris opens; if turned off or disconnected, the shutter closes. The images this webcam produces are good, and the noise-cancelling mics are too. Again, the value here is that this a good all-around webcam, at a terrific price. Who should buy the NexiGo HelloCam Pro Budget buyers and mainstream users looking to improve upon their laptop’s 720p webcam, and who also want the added security of Windows Hello biometric security. If price matters, you can’t beat this webcam. Lenovo 510 FHD Webcam – Best budget Windows Hello webcam runner-up Pros Very inexpensive Privacy shutter, though a manual one 1080p, fixed-focus Cons Wide-angle lens might be too much for some Price When Reviewed: 69.99 Best Prices Today: $44.79 at Walmart$59.99 at Amazon$59.99 at Lenovo Why I like the Lenovo 510 FHD Webcam Lenovo’s 510 FHD (1080p) webcam balances a known name with a fairly reasonable price and some decent features. It’s the “true” budget pick compared to the NexiCam HelloCam Pro, which at press time was $20 more. Here, you’ll need to slide the privacy shutter closed yourself, and you won’t find conveniences like automatic zooming and framing. The field of view is also 95 degrees, which is a bit more than we’d like. The pair of dual noise-cancelling mics seem to work well, however. Who should buy the Lenovo 510 FHD Webcam Treat this as a basic Windows Hello webcam, though from a reputable name. (It has a one-year warranty from Lenovo.) If you just want Windows Hello capability, this is the cheapest way to do it. Honestly, if you already have a webcam you’re happy with, you can still buy the Lenovo 510, use it to log in, but use another webcam for Teams and Zoom calls. It sounds silly, but the price makes this a practical option. What to look for in a Windows Hello webcam Windows Hello dates back to 2015, and the introduction of Windows 10 running on Microsoft’s Surface hardware. It replaces the need to type your password to log in every time you sit down at your desk, providing a speedy yet secure compromise to secure your PC. Typically, Windows Hello is associated with depth-camera technology, which recognizes the various contours of your face, identifying you and only you. (A normal webcam doesn’t understand that it’s looking at a 3D image.) The image is then compared with a reference image which is stored during setup. The process itself is fast: It takes just a second or two for a Windows Hello webcam to recognize you, verify your identity to the PC it’s connected to via a USB cable, and log you in. Windows Hello can also read your fingerprint with a separate Windows Hello fingerprint reader, but these webcams are all you need. 1080p The resolution of the webcam matters. Most laptops still ship with 720p webcams, and a higher-resolution webcam will make you look better than your colleagues. Fixed-focus versus autofocus A worthwhile but not critical feature, autofocus will keep you in focus if you move back and forth, walk around the room, or so on. Fixed-focus webcams usually work just fine for normal use. Auto-exposure Most webcams will adjust their exposure for the available lighting, but superior webcams will do so in a way that makes you look well-lit and not a webcam zombie. Noise cancellation Running a fan in the background? Are the neighbors mowing their lawn or blowing their leaves away? A good noise-cancelling webcam with a mic will filter out these background noises. FAQ 1. What do I need to use a Windows Hello webcam? The webcam, a USB cable to connect it to your PC, and a desktop or laptop with Windows 10 or Windows 11 are all you need. We’ve never seen a webcam that uses a proprietary USB cable, but you can always spend a few dollars and buy a longer one if for some reason if it’s too short. You may need to download proprietary software from the webcam to enable more advanced features. Basic Windows Hello functionality should be plug and play, however. 2. How do I set up a Windows Hello webcam? After buying a webcam, make sure you have a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC. Connect the webcam to the PC via the USB cable and that should be all you need for basic webcam functionality. (Some webcams require you to install their utility software for Windows Hello to function, however.) In the Windows 10 or Windows 11 Settings menu, search for “Set up face sign-in.” Then click the “Facial recognition (Windows Hello)” menu. You’ll first need to add a PIN code as a backup — don’t pick something too obvious. Setting up Windows Hello simply requires your PC to “look” at you for several moments, recording your face. From then on, just be sure that your PC is using your webcam (though it should by default). Windows Hello setup requires simply looking at the screen while the webcam looks at you and records your image. 3. Is a Windows Hello webcam secure? In general, yes. You shouldn’t have to worry about a rebellious teen holding up a photo they snapped of your face and logging in. Just be sure to secure your PC by logging out or setting a timeout function if you get up from your PC and walk away. You can also manually lock your PC by using the Win+L shortcut. 4. What happens if my Windows Hello webcam doesn’t recognize me? That can happen, over time. A beard (or lack of one), new glasses, a big hat, or something else that obscures your face can interfere with Windows Hello. You can always go to (on Windows 11) Settings> Accounts > Sign-in options and “improve recognition” — the phrase Windows uses for updating what you look like to your PC. Remember to back up Windows Hello with a PIN, like you use at your bank. (Just don’t use an obvious PIN like “1234”, as that could be an easy way to break into your PC.) 5. How do passkeys work with Windows Hello? Passkeys debuted in the fall of 2023 with Windows 11 22H2. Think of passkeys as a simple way to eliminate passwords on websites that support them. Technically, a passkey can use a password, PIN, or biometric identification to prove your identity to the website. In reality, though, who isn’t going to use Windows Hello? Here’s how to use passkeys. A website or service will need to support them, but more do. Passkeys finally work with all Microsoft consumer accounts, too. Instead of trying to remember a PIN or a password, all you’ll need to do is look into the Windows Hello camera when asked. If for some reason the authentication fails, you’ll be asked for your Windows Hello PIN (assuming you set one up) as a backup. Webcams