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of its predecessor. The X Pro can be configured to your budget. The base model starts with...

make plenty of cheap Windows laptops that can be great for those who primarily use a computer to check email, shop online and occasionally video chat with friends and family. They can also be great for kids who have no business touching their parents pricey daily driver. Weve tested a number of budget-friendly Windows notebooks these are our favorites below, and we outline some buying advice for anyone looking for a cheap Windows laptop that balances capability with affordability. What about Chromebooks and tablets? You may be inclined to recommend a Chromebook or a tablet to anyone considering a budget Windows laptop. Those instincts arent wrong, but Chromebooks and tablets arent the best buy for everyone. Tablets have the most portability, but they will only work for the most mobile-competent users like kids who have been grabbing smartphones out of their parents hands since theyve been dexterous enough to do so. Tablets can also be just as expensive as some of the cheapest Windows laptops, and thats without a mouse or keyboard. Chromebooks are a good alternative for those that basically live in a browser, the trade-off being you must give up the traditional desktop. And Chrome OS is a more limited operating system than Windows when it comes to the programs you can install and run. What Windows laptops do well Wachiwit via Getty Images What can you realistically accomplish on a cheap Windows laptop? Quite a bit, especially if youre doing one thing (or a limited number of things) at a time. Theyre great for web browsing, checking email, video streaming . All of those things can be done on Chromebooks as well, but Windows laptops have a big advantage in Microsoft Office. While yes, there is a browser based version, the native, desktop apps are considered a must have for many and will run smoothly on even the most bare-bones budget laptop. The only caveat is that you may run into some slowdown on low-powered devices if youre multitasking or working with large data sets in Excel or a lot of photos and graphics in Powerpoint. When it comes to specs, a bright spot for Windows laptops is storage. Even the most affordable devices tend to have at least 128GB SSDs. That will come in handy if you prefer to keep your most important files saved locally on your laptop. In contrast, cheaper Chromebooks often have less storage because theyre built on the assumption that youll save all of your documents in the cloud. Not only is that less convenient when you need to work offline, but it also limits the size of programs and files that you can download. So, Chromebooks aren't the best for hoarding Netflix shows before a long trip or for use as a gaming laptop. Windows also has thousands of apps that you can download from its app store. Chromebooks have some Chrome apps, numerous browser extensions and the ability to download Android apps, but quality control is inconsistent. Android apps, in particular, often havent been optimized for Chrome OS, which makes for a wonky user experience. Windows may not have as many apps as Android, but at least the experience is fairly standard across the board. Windows also gives you the ability to download and use programs from other sources, like direct from the developer. You can run things like Adobe Creative Suite, certain VPNs and programs like GIMP, Audacity and ClipMate on a Windows device, which just isnt possible on Chrome OS. Chromebooks limit you to the apps and programs in The Play Store and the Chrome Extensions store, reducing any others to unusable, space-sucking icons in your Downloads folder. What to look for in a budget-friendly Windows laptop While you can do a lot even when spending little on a Windows laptop, you must set your expectations accordingly. The biggest downside when purchasing a budget laptop (of any kind, really) is limited power. Many Windows laptops under $500 run on Intel Celeron or Pentium processors, but you can find some with Core i3/i5 and AMD Ryzen 3/5 CPUs at the higher end of the price spectrum. Specs to look for in a sub-$500 Windows laptop Intel Core i or AMD Ryzen 3 processors At least 8GB of RAM An SSD with at least 128GB of space 1080p display Mostly metal designs We recommend getting the most powerful CPU you can afford because it will dictate how fast the computer will feel overall. RAM is also important because, the more you have, the easier it will be for the laptop to manage things like a dozen browser tabs while you edit a Word document and stream music in the background. However, with sub-$500 laptops, youre better off getting the best CPU you can afford rather than a laptop with a ton of RAM because the CPU will have enough power to handle most tasks that cheap Windows laptops are designed for (If youre editing RAW images or 4K video, youll want to invest in more RAM and a laptop well above $500). When it comes to storage, consider how much you want to save locally. If you primarily work in Google Docs or save most things in the cloud, you may not need a machine with a ton of onboard storage. Just remember that your digital space will also be taken up by apps, so it may be worth getting a little extra storage than you think you need if you know youll be downloading big programs. A final side note: SSDs are ubiquitous at this point, not to mention faster efficient than HDDs, so we recommend getting a laptop with that type of storage. You also dont have to settle for an entirely plastic notebook either. There are options in the sub-$500 price range that are made, at least in part, with metals like aluminum. Those will not only be more attractive but also more durable. As for screens, theres a healthy mix of HD and FHD options in this price range and we recommend springing for a notebook with a 1080p display if you can. Touchscreens arent as common in the under-$500 space as standard panels, but youll only really miss one if you get a 2-in-1 laptop . See Also: Best Laptops for 2023 Best Gaming Laptops Best 2-in-1 Laptops for 2023 Best Chromebooks Best Laptops for College Students A final note before we get to our picks: The best cheap laptop models change all the time. Unlike more expensive, flagship machines, these notebooks can be updated a couple times each year. That can make it hard to track down a specific model at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart or any other retailer. Also, weve seen prices vary widely depending on the configuration and retailer youre looking at. Weve listed some of our current favorite models below, but if you cant find any of them available near you, just keep in mind our list of specs to look for in a cheap laptop theyll guide you to the best machines available at the moment. This article originally appeared on Engadget at ...

performance. Though ASUS made a few trade-offs when compared to its predecessor, with a starting price of $1,600, the new ROG Zephyrus G14 is not only a better value than almost all of its 14-inch rivals, its also simply one of the best pound-for-pound gaming laptops around. Design Compared to previous models that were awash in RGB or had dot-matrix displays built into their lids, this years G14 is an exercise in restraint. Its almost like the line has grown out of its awkward teenage phase and become a stylish but still fun-loving adult. The lid is accented by a simple diagonal slash with white (not RGB) LEDs embedded down the middle. Meanwhile, on the inside, theres a sturdy deck with a large touchpad and surprisingly powerful speakers. The one thing I miss is per-key RGB lighting instead of ASUS single-zone approach. After all, this is a gaming laptop and if youre going to offer multiple colors, itd be nice to have full customizability. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget That said, the G14s redesign isnt just about style, its functional too. The switch to a unibody aluminum frame has strengthened the whole machine. Theres barely a hint of flex even on typically weaker parts like the lattice between keys. But more importantly, ASUS also reduced the laptop's weight to just 3.3 pounds, which is noticeably lighter than rival notebooks with similar metal builds like the Razer Blade 14 (3.95 pounds). Plus, even with the smaller size, the G14 features a healthy selection of ports including a full-size HDMI 2.1 jack, two USB-C (one of which supports Thunderbolt 4), two USB-A and a microSD card reader. Display Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Another glowing component of the G14 is its OLED screen. In addition to producing vibrant colors, it has a sharp 2,880 x 1,800 resolution along with a 120Hz refresh rate and a color gamut that covers 100 percent of the DCI-P3 spectrum. Recently, Ive been watching Three Body Problem and Ive been absolutely loving the OLED panels excellent contrast and deep blacks. Furthermore, because ASUS includes a handful of color-calibrated settings for sRGB, D65 P3, DCI-P3 (but not Adobe RGB), the G14 is a very capable photo- and video-editing machine. The one small issue is that because 2,880 x 1,800 is a somewhat uncommon resolution, you may not be able to play all of your games at their native resolution, which is an issue I encountered when playing Returnal. Performance A big change for the 2024 ROG G14 is that GPU options now top out with an NVIDIA RTX 4070 instead of a 4080 like on the previous model. That may be a bummer for some, but as I prefer laptops that are easier to carry around, Im OK with trading out a little top-end oomph for enhanced portability. And with all models featuring an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS chip along with at least 16GB of RAM (or 32GB like on my review unit) and 1TB of storage, you wont be lacking in speed. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget On Geekbench 6, the G14 matched the performance we saw from a larger XPS 16 with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H chip. In games, it hit 90 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 on ultra settings, which is just shy of a much more expensive Razer Blade 14 (101 fps). That said, there are some important details you should know. Unlike previous models, the latest G14s memory is soldered to the motherboard, so theres no way to add extra RAM later. Additionally, while both ASUS and Razers 14-inch systems appear to have the same RTX 4070 GPU, the G14s is capped at 90 watts versus 140 watts for the Blade, which explains the small gap in gaming performance. Its also worth noting that heat can be an issue in certain situations. In normal use, its not a big deal as the fans rarely need to spin up when browsing the web or watching movies. But under load, because the G14s vents are on the bottom of the notebook, your lap can get toasty fast. Thankfully, this wont be a major problem if youre gaming, since youll probably want to be at a desk or table to put an external mouse on anyway. Battery life Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget While the G14 doesnt last quite as long as a traditional ultrabook, it still carries enough juice to last nearly an entire workday. On PCMark 10s Modern Office rundown test, it lasted 7 hours and 29 minutes which is slightly better than the Razer Blade 14s time of 6:46. And, new for 2024, ASUS has added its proprietary Slim Power Jack, which sort of looks like a USB-C port if you squint (but it isnt). However, if you want to really travel light, the G14 supports charging via USB-C so you can leave the adapter at home. The one caveat is that USB-PD on this maxes out at 100 watts (versus 180 watts when using the included brick), so the battery may still discharge while gaming or performing other intensive tasks. Wrap-up Even though we already loved its predecessors, the 2024 ROG Zephyrus G14 has managed to take another big leap. Its got an exquisitely crafted chassis along with a vibrant new display and boomier speakers all while shedding nearly half a pound in weight. On the inside, you still get up to an RTX 4070 GPU. Sure, its a touch slower than a similarly equipped Blade 14, but considering our review unit costs $2,000 compared to $2,700 for the closest equivalently specced Razer, Im happy to trade a tiny bit of performance to get a much more affordable machine. And thats before you factor in a starting price of just $1,450 for one with an RTX 4060. My biggest gripe is that ASUS Amoury Crate app still feels clunky, thanks to settings that are hard to find or toggles that dont work like youd expect. But make no mistake, the G14 is a great laptop for both gamers and content creators who want good performance in a portable package. So while I appreciate what the Blade 14 and other high-end notebooks can do, ASUS latest creation is the one Id buy. This article originally appeared on Engadget at ...at-161524669.html?src=rss

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tasks on 13th and 14th generation core processors for desktop PCs, and is analyzing them with major affiliates," says an Intel spokesperson in a statement to ZDNet Korea. The crashes vary in severity depending on the game, with some titles producing an "out of memory" error, others simply exiting out to the desktop, and some locking up a machine entirely. Most of the games affected seem to be based on the Unreal Engine, which could point to a stability issue that Intel needs to address. The only workarounds that seem to improve stability involve manually downclocking or undervolting Intel's processors. Epic Games has suggested changing the SVID behavior to Intel Fail Safe in the BIOS settings of Asus, Gigabyte, or MSI motherboards. Custom PC builders Power GPU recommend reducing the performance core ratio limit, which seems to help with stability in certain games. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

might be causing video game crashes, especially with Unreal Engine titles ?? Windows Central

than a full specs-to-cost breakdown (Acer says they arent yet finalized), making it impossible to gauge their overall value. You can expect that info closer to their respective launches in May and June. Acer The Acer Predator Helios Neo 14, one of the two all-new models, is the first sub-16-inch variant in the high-performance line. (At $1,800 and up, its also the most expensive of the new batch.) That price gets you up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 185H (with dedicated AI acceleration) paired with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. The lower-cost models will downgrade those to Intel Core Ultra 7 155H or Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and RTX 4060 or 4050 graphics. The top-of-the-line variant has a 14.5-inch WQXGA (3072x1920) display with a 165Hz refresh rate, 100 percent coverage of the sRGB color spectrum and NVIDIA G-Sync support. Its cheaper variants will drop the resolution to 2560 x 1600 or 1920 x 1200 with a 120Hz refresh rate. The Windows 11 laptop has a 76Wh battery and offers up to 32GB of LPDDR5X SDRAM and 1TB of storage. It weighs 4.19 lbs, has a built-in 1080p webcam, and supports Intel Killer Wireless Wi-Fi 6E. It includes a USB-C/ThunderBolt 4 port with a microSD reader. On the cooling front, it uses a 5th Gen AeroBlade 3D fan and Vortex Flow tech. The Predator Helios Neo 14 arrives in North America in May, starting at $1,800. Acer The Nitro 14 is the first 14-inch variant in the companys midrange Nitro line. It should offer solid performance with up to AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS processor and RTX 4060 graphics. Cheaper variants drop that down to a Ryzen 5 8645HS processor and RTX 4050 or 3050 graphics. Its maxed-out model gives you a 14.5-inch 2560 x 1500 display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 9ms response time and sRGB 100 percent gamut support. The entry-level model drops that down to 1080p at 120Hz. The laptop has USB 4 and USB 3.2 Type C ports, a pair of USB-A ports (including one with offline charging support), HDMI 2.1 and a microSD slot. The Acer Nitro 14 arrives in North America in May. It starts at $1,300. Acer The companys updated Nitro 16 is launching in separate Intel and AMD variants with different model numbers (AN16-73 for Intel and AN16-43 for AMD). The former has up to an Intel Core i7-14700HX processor, while the AMD version has up to a Ryzen 9 8945HS (the same as the maxed-out Nitro 14). Otherwise, the two models are only separated by extremely minor weight differences (5.37 lbs for the AMD, 5.4 lbs for Intel) and Wi-Fi (Intels branded Killer Wireless Wi-Fi 6E vs. a nondescript Wi-Fi 6E for AMD). As for the many specs the Intel and AMD variants of the Nitro 16 share, they both have Nvidia graphics, maxing out at RTX 4060 with 8GB of dedicated GDDR6 RAM. Cheaper models swap that for either an RTX 4050 or 3050. Their screens have up to 2560 x 1600 resolution with 500 nits brightness, 165Hz refresh rates and a 3ms response time. The laptops each offer up to 32GB of DDR5 SDRAM and 2TB storage. They have 76Wh batteries with measly 720p webcams. Both versions of the Nitro 16 will launch in North America in May. They start at $1,400. If youre considering the new models, you can expect a more detailed configuration-pricing breakdown at or around launch time, so stay tuned. This article originally appeared on Engadget at ...-models-160047740.html?src=rss

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needs. That was my takeaway two years ago when I tested HP's 16-inch Spectre x360 , and now the company has returned with a smaller model, the Spectre x360 14 . It features Intel's latest CPUs with AI-accelerating NPUs (neural processing units), faster Intel Arc graphics and a beautiful 2.8K OLED display. And best of all, it's still usable as a tablet, unlike its larger sibling. Even if you never plan to twist its screen around, though, the HP Spectre x360 14 is still an attractive premium laptop. For some, it may also serve as a more traditional alternative to Dell's new XPS 14, which has an invisible trackpad and a capacitive function row. While that computer looks great, getting used to its less conventional features takes some time. The Spectre x360 14, on the other hand, is both attractive and familiar to anyone who's ever used a laptop. (Its rotating screen takes just 10 seconds to figure out for the first time, while Dell's invisible trackpad still tripped me up hours after I started testing it.) Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget Design and hardware That familiarity could also be seen as a shortcoming of HP's. The Spectre x360 14 has everything you expect to see in a premium laptop today: A sleek metal case, a gorgeous screen with ultra-thin bezels and a luxuriously large trackpad with haptic feedback. But really, it doesn't look that much different from the 13-inch Spectre x360 I reviewed in 2019 . It would be nice to see HP take a few major design leaps, but on the other hand, I can't blame the company for sticking with a winning design. With the Spectre x360 14, HP focused on minor updates. It has a wide 14-inch screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio, compared to the previous model's 13.5-inch display that was a squarish 3:2. Its trackpad offers configurable haptic feedback and is 19 percent larger than before, so much so that it completely dominates the palm area. HP stuck with its wonderfully responsive keyboard, but its key caps are 12 percent larger, making them easier to hit. And to simplify functionality a bit, HP unified the power button and fingerprint sensor (the laptop also supports Windows Hello facial biometrics). The port situation hasn't changed. There are two USB-C connections along the right rear (including one on its unique chopped corner), as well as a drop-down USB Type-A port on the left and a headphone jack on the corner. As usual, it would have been nice to see some sort of card reader built in, especially for a machine aimed at creative professionals. Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget The Spectre x360 14 may look very similar to its siblings, but HP says it's been tweaked significantly under the hood. It now supports 28-watt Intel Core Ultra CPUs, instead of the previous 14-watt options, and offers 10 percent more airflow than before. The company also managed to engineer those improvements without increasing the machine's 17 millimeter height. At 3.2 pounds, it's a bit more portable than the 3.5-pound MacBook Pro 14-inch. The Spectre's 9-megapixel webcam is also a major upgrade from the previous 5MP option. The new sensor offers hardware-enabled low light adjustment thanks to quad-binning, the process of taking data from four pixels and combining them into one. That allows cameras with smaller pixels to let in more light, resulting in a brighter overall picture. During Google Meet and Zoom calls, the webcam delivered a sharp picture with bright and bold colors. It looked almost like a mirrorless camera once I enabled Windows Studio Effects background blur, though the picture occasionally looked overexposed in direct sunlight. Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget Video chats also sounded great through the laptop's quad-speaker array, which consists of two upward firing tweeters along the keyboard and two woofers along the front. There's not much low-end (especially compared to Apple's MacBook Pro speakers), but voices and music sound surprisingly clear. The speakers can also get pretty loud without distortion, which is impressive for such a thin system. While the laptop has an NPU-equipped processor, which powers features in Paint, ClipChamp and Windows Studio Effects, the Spectre x360 14 isn't technically an "AI PC" under Intel and Microsoft's definition. The reason? It doesn't have a dedicated button for Windows Copilot. Personally, though, I haven't found that key to be very useful on the XPS 14 and 16. Triggering Copilot from the taskbar or Windows sidebar isn't very difficult, and it's certainly not onerous enough to warrant giving up a spot on the keyboard. Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget In use The HP Spectre x360 14 I reviewed performed similarly to other machines we've tested with Intel's Core Ultra 7 155H chip. Its fast and relatively efficient, especially compared to systems from two years ago. My review unit, which came with 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD, was 30 percent faster in the PCMark 10 benchmark compared to the Spectre x360 16 from 2022 (6,493 points, up from 4,785 points). This years Spectre also scored 78 percent higher in the Cinebench R23 multi-core benchmark, a testament to the improvements Intel has made since its 11th-gen CPUs. Geekbench 6 CPU PCMark 10 Cinebench R23 3DMark Wildlife Extreme HP Spectre x360 14 (Intel Core Ultra 7, 2023) 2,273/11,735 6,493 1,651/8,481 5,952 ASUS ZenBook 14 OLED (Intel Core Ultra 7, 2023) 2,240/10,298 6,170 1,599/7,569 4,827 Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (Apple M3, 2023) 3142/11,902 N/A 1,932/10,159 8,139 HP Spectre x360 16 (Intel i7-11390H, 2022) N/A 4,785 1,515/3,722 N/A The most noticeable upgrade for the Spectre x360 isn't AI smarts; it's Intel's Arc graphics, which are dramatically faster than Intel's older integrated graphics. In 3DMark's TimeSpy Extreme benchmark, it almost kept up with NVIDIA's RTX 3050 in the x360 16 (1,435 points compared to 1,730). That's impressive for a machine that's far slimmer and lighter. Sure, it's no gaming rig, but I was still able to play Halo Infinite in 1080p at around 30 fps. I'm sure it would handle smaller indie titles just fine. Thanks to the wealth of RAM and Intel's Core Ultra chip, my review model tackled everything I threw at it without any noticeable slowdown. During a typical workday, I juggle dozens of browser tabs, photo editing apps, YouTube streams, video chats, Slack and Evernote. The Spectre x360's OLED display also made everything look fantastic, even if I was just staring at words on a news site. It supports a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz, so scrolling through documents and sites was very smooth. Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget When I first tested a Spectre x360 five years ago, I immediately fell in love with its keyboard. Typing felt incredibly satisfying, thanks to a healthy amount of key travel and feedback. It was one of those rare designs that almost felt like it was begging me to use it, like a finely tuned piano that's simply urging you to play. Thankfully, HP didn't mess with any of that keyboard magic: The large new key caps are even more comfortable to use, and the actual typing experience is as great as ever. I have a few complaints about the Spectre x360's new trackpad though. It's smooth and accurate for swiping, and its haptic feedback is indiscernible from a trackpad that physically depresses. But HP's palm rejection software feels sloppy occasionally, while typing up a storm, my hand would hit the trackpad and push the cursor to select another window. It happened often enough that it became a creativity flow killer. I'm hoping this is something HP can sort out with a software update eventually. As a convertible notebook, the Spectre x360 14 is far more useful than the 16-inch model. A gentle push on the screen is all it takes to flip it around the keyboard it becomes a tablet when its fully turned around, or you can stop that process halfway and flip the Spectre around for its tent mode. The 14-inch x360 is better at being a slate, simply because it's lighter and easier to hold with one hand (though you'll probably want to prop it on your lap for longer sessions). Rotating the screen was also less cumbersome, since the display was far less wide. I used the tent formation to watch YouTube videos in bed, while on the couch I occasionally folded the keyboard behind the Spectre, so I could use it like a large touchscreen with a stand. I appreciate the versatility of 2-in-1 convertibles more than the flexible OLED screens we're seeing on new machines. It's cheaper to implement, and for my purposes, convertibles are simply more pragmatic. The Spectre x360's major flaw is battery life: It lasted five hours and ten minutes in the PCMark 10 Modern Office test, whereas the ZenBook 14 OLED pushed through for 12 hours and 43 minutes. There's a cost for keeping its frame so thin, after all. During real-world testing, it would typically need to charge around six hours into my workday. Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget Pricing and the competition The Spectre x360 14 is a decent deal for a high-end convertible, starting at $1,450 with an intel Core Ultra 5 125H, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. At the time of writing, that configuration has been discounted by $300, which is an even better value. (Credit to HP for not offering a meager 8GB RAM option, which would only lead to headaches for most users.) For $1,900, you can bump up to a Core Ultra 7 155H chip, 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD. Your options are somewhat limited if you're looking for other upper-tier convertible laptops. Dell's XPS 13 2-in-1 is still running older 12th-gen Intel chips, and you'll have to look to the middle-range Inspiron and Latitude lines for more modern options. Were also still waiting to see Lenovos Yoga lineup get upgraded to newer Intel chips. And we havent tested Samsungs Galaxy Book4 360, but it doesnt have the style of HPs design. Microsoft's Surface Laptop Studio 2 is also technically a convertible (its screen pulls forward, instead of flipping around), but it starts at $1,900. For that price, you're better off going for the x360 14's beefier hardware, instead of the Surface's unique screen. Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget Wrap-up It's unclear how much life is left in the convertible PC format, but I wouldn't be surprised if HP ends up being one of the last companies still giving it a shot. The Spectre x360 14 is one of the best laptops you can buy today the fact that it can also be flipped around in multiple orientations is just icing on the cake. This article originally appeared on Engadget at ...5823.html?src=rss

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laptops are lasting longer than ever before, so your new machine should serve you well for years to come. That is, as long as you pick one from a reliable company and with the right specs. To help you find the best buy as you shop, we put together this collection of things to look out for as well as a list of the best laptops for college. What to expect Apple has completed its transition to its own Silicon, so youll no longer have the option of Intel-powered Macs. Nor should you want to, really, since the M-series MacBooks have proven to be reliable, speedy and long-lasting. And with each new generation of chip, older models get cheaper while still offering excellent performance. This means youll have more options to consider without having to stretch your budget. Meanwhile, new PCs keep getting announced, with the latest models typically powered by 13th-gen Intel processors or the latest AMD Ryzen chips. Though the shift to ARM-based systems has been successful for Apple, the PC industry is still struggling to keep up, and Windows on ARM is basically dead in the water. Dont waste your time or money on an ARM-based PC; theyre hard to find nowadays anyway. Speaking of, laptops with top-of-the-line specs can cost you around $1,800 to $2,000 these days. For most college students, though, a midrange machine to use primarily for writing papers and web browsing might be enough. Depending on your field of study, you could get by with an Intel Core i3 processor or equivalent, with at least 6GB of RAM. If you need to run specialized software for design or programming, consider upgrading to a beefier system with more processing power and memory. On the other hand, if you do most of your coursework online or in a browser, getting a Chromebook could save you a lot of money. Youll also want to pay attention to a devices weight, especially if you plan on lugging your laptop to classes in person. There are a lot of premium ultraportables in the 13-inch category, with chips like Intels Core i3 or i5, that cost around $1,000. If these light laptops are too expensive, youll still have respectable options in the $600 to $800 price range , but they might be heavier and use older, slower processors. Ive included our recommendations for the best budget laptops in this college-centric guide but we also have more affordable top picks that you can check out as well. See Also: Best Laptops for 2024 Best Gaming Laptops Best 2-in-1 Laptops for 2024 Best Chromebooks Best Cheap Windows Laptops for 2024 With some laptop makers deciding to get rid of headphone jacks, its important to check specs lists when youre shopping for newer machines. If you dont have wireless headphones or use equipment that plugs into the 3.5mm jack, youll want to steer clear of devices like Dells XPS 13 Plus. Finally, while most laptops offer WiFi 6 or 6E and Bluetooth 5.0 or later, you may not have one of the compatible routers or other devices that would enable those faster connections yet. Chances are, your campus WiFi might still be stuck on an older setup, too, so its not crucial that you get a system with the latest standards yet. Of course, it doesnt hurt to get a laptop thats future-proof, but just know that of all the things to look out for, WiFi 6E shouldnt be a dealbreaker in your decision-making process. The best laptops for college students This article originally appeared on Engadget at ...

an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics, 16GB of 5600MHz DDR5 RAM and 512GB of NVMe SSD storage, while the advanced config bumps that up to an Core Ultra 9 185H, RTX 4070, and 32GB / 1TB of RAM and storage respectively. Since you can easily find Asus?????? popular Zephyrus G14 and G16... Continue reading???

keep in mind when shopping for a new Chromebook. Ive been testing and reviewing Chromebooks for years and know what you should be looking for, and what you can expect out of these laptops in 2024. Editors note (3/22/24): Were constantly testing and evaluating new Chromebooks for this guide, and there are two models on our radar for inclusion that were eager to test. Both Acer and ASUS offer 15-inch Chromebook Plus models for $399, and we think one (or both) could be good options for someone who wants a bigger screen for less cash. What is Chrome OS, and why would I use it over Windows? This is probably the number one question about Chromebooks. There are plenty of inexpensive Windows laptops on the market, so why bother with Chrome's operating system? Glad you asked. For me, the simple and clean nature of Chrome OS is a big selling point. Chrome OS is based on Googles Chrome browser, which means most of the programs you can run are web based. Theres no bloatware or unwanted apps to uninstall like you often get on Windows laptops, it boots up in seconds, and you can completely reset to factory settings almost as quickly. Of course, simplicity will also be a major drawback for some users. Not being able to install native software can be a dealbreaker if youre a video editor or software developer. But there are also plenty of people who do the majority of their work in a web browser. Google and its software partners are getting better every year at supporting more advanced features. For example, Google added video editing tools to the Google Photos app on Chromebooks it wont replace Adobe Premiere, but it should be handy for a lot of people. Similarly, Google and Adobe announced Photoshop on the web last year, something that should bring much of the power of Adobes desktop apps to Chromebooks. Google has also added support for Android apps on Chromebooks, which greatly expands the amount of software available. The quality varies widely, but it means you can do more with a Chromebook beyond just web-based apps. For example, you can install the Netflix app and save videos for offline watching. Other Android apps like Microsoft Office and Adobe Lightroom are surprisingly capable as well. Between Android apps and a general improvement in web apps, Chromebooks are more than just portals to a browser. What do Chromebooks do well? Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Put simply, web browsing and really anything web based. Online shopping, streaming music and video and using various social media sites are among the most common daily tasks people do on Chromebooks. As you might expect, they also work well with Google services like Photos, Docs, Gmail, Drive, Keep and so on. Yes, any computer that can run Chrome can do that too, but the lightweight nature of Google Chrome OS makes it a responsive and stable platform. As I mentioned before, Chrome OS can run Android apps, so if youre an Android user youll find some nice ties between the platforms. You can get most of the same apps that are on your phone on a Chromebook and keep info in sync between them. You can also use some Android phones as a security key for your Chromebook or instantly tether your laptop to use mobile data. Google continues to tout security as a major differentiator for Chromebooks, and its definitely a factor worth considering. Auto-updates are the first lines of defense. Chrome OS updates download quickly in the background and a fast reboot is all it takes to install the latest version. Google says that each webpage and app on a Chromebook runs in its own sandbox as well, so any security threats are contained to that individual app. Finally, Chrome OS has a self-check called Verified Boot that runs every time a device starts up. Beyond all this, the simple fact that you generally cant install traditional apps on a Chromebook means there are fewer ways for bad actors to access the system. As for when to avoid Chromebooks, the answer is simple: If you rely heavily on a specific native application for Windows or a Mac, chances are you wont find the exact same option on a ChromeOS device. Thats most true in fields like photo and video editing, but it can also be the case in law or finance. Plenty of businesses run on Googles G suite software, but more still have specific requirements that a Chromebook might not match. If youre an iPhone user, youll also miss out on the way the iPhone easily integrates with an iPad or Mac. For me, the big downside is not being able to access iMessage on a Chromebook. Finally, gaming Chromebooks are not ubiquitous, although theyre becoming a slightly more reasonable option with the rise of cloud gaming. In late 2022, Google and some hardware partners announced a push to make Chromebooks with cloud gaming in mind. From a hardware perspective, that means laptops with bigger screens that have higher refresh rates as well as optimizing those laptops to work with services like NVIDIA GeForce Now, Xbox Game Pass and Amazon Luna. Youll obviously need an internet connection to use these services, but the good news is that playing modern games on a Chromebook isnt impossible. You can install Android games from the Google Play Store, but thats not what most people are thinking of when they want to game on a laptop. Theres another potential change on the horizon, as Valve and Google are working to bring the massive Steam catalog to Chromebooks. Right now, Steam is only available as an early alpha on a handful of devices with higher specs, but it works a lot better than I expected. Youre still not going to run the most demanding games on basic laptops, but the Steam catalog is so vast that there are plenty of titles that worked on the Chromebook I tested it with. If youre interested in giving it a shot, you can find the full list of supported Chromebooks and details on how to try Steam here . What are the most important specs for a Chromebook? Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Chrome OS is lightweight and usually runs well on fairly modest hardware, so the most important thing to look for might not be processor power or storage space. But Google made it easier to get consistent specs and performance late last year when it introduced the Chromebook Plus initiative. Any device with a Chromebook Plus designation meets some minimum requirements, which happen to be very similar to what Id recommend most people get if theyre looking for a laptop they can use every day. Chromebook Plus models have at least a 12th-gen Intel Core i3 processor, or an AMD Ryzen 3 7000 series processor, both of which should be more than enough for most people. These laptops also have a minimum of 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which should do the trick unless youre really pushing your Chromebook. All Chromebook Plus models have to have a 1080p webcam, which is nice in these days of constant video calling, and they also all have to have at least a 1080p IPS screen. Of course, you can get higher specs or better screens if you desire, but Ive found that basically everything included in the Chromebook Plus target specs makes for a very good experience. Google has an Auto Update policy for Chromebooks, and while thats not exactly a spec, its worth checking before you buy. Last year, Google announced that Chromebooks would get software updates and support for an impressive 10 years after their release date. This support page lists the Auto Update expiration date for virtually every Chromebook ever, but a good rule of thumb is to buy the newest machine you can to maximize your support. How much should I spend? Chromebooks started out notoriously cheap, with list prices often coming in under $300. But as theyve gone more mainstream, theyve transitioned from being essentially modern netbooks to the kind of laptop youll want to use all day. As such, prices have increased: At this point, you should expect to spend at least $400 if you want a solid daily driver. There are still many budget options out there that may be suitable as secondary devices, but Chromebooks that can be all-day, every-day laptops will cost more. But, notably, even the best Chromebooks usually cost less than the best Windows or regular laptops out there. There are plenty of premium Chromebooks that approach or even exceed $1,000, but I dont recommend spending that much. Generally, thatll get you a better design with more premium materials, as well as more powerful internals and extra storage space. Of course, you also sometimes pay for the brand name. But, the specs I outlined earlier are usually enough. See Also: Best Laptops for 2024 Best Gaming Laptops Best 2-in-1 Laptops for 2024 Best Cheap Windows Laptops Best Laptops for College Students This article originally appeared on Engadget at ...

attached to their names, so you'll only be able to buy them from the Microsoft's website or commercial resellers. If you're a bit baffled by this, you're not alone. It almost seems like Microsoft is gearing up to leave the consumer PC market, but a spokesperson tells us that's not the case. "We absolutely remain committed to consumer devices," they said in a statement. "Building great devices that people love to use aligns closely with our company mission to empower individuals as well as organizations. We are excited to be bringing devices to market that deliver great AI experiences to our customers. This commercial announcement is only the first part of this effort." Microsoft It sounds like new consumer hardware is on the way eventually, but keeping two long-awaited devices out of retailers doesn't inspire confidence. Alongside the Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Laptop Go 3 last year, Microsoft also quietly revealed the Surface Go 4 for business , aiming that budget tablet towards enterprise and education customers. That wasn't exactly a death sentence for that machine, but it did kill much of the buzz we typically see when new Surface hardware arrives. So what does all of this mean for the Surface Pro 10 for business and the Surface Laptop 6 for business ? For diehard fans of Microsoft's PCs, they offer some notable upgrades alongside those new Intel Core Ultra chips, but they'll be a bit harder to buy than before. The average consumer likely won't even realize they exist, especially since older Surface hardware will still be at Best Buy and other retailers. Let's dive into what's new: The Surface Pro 10 comes with the Core Ultra 5 135U or Ultra 7 165U CPU, and it can be equipped with up to 64GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. While its tablet case is the same as before, Microsoft also shoved in a new 1,440p webcam with an incredibly wide 114-degree field of view. Microsoft calls this an AI enhanced camera, but that just means it can tap into Windows Studio effects using the Core Ultra's NPU for AI workloads. The Surface Pro 10's 1,440p webcam. Microsoft The Surface Laptop 6, once again, comes in 13.5-inch and 15-inch models and can be equipped with the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and Ultra 7 165H CPUs. Those chips are far more powerful than the U-variant options in the Surface Pro 6, so they're better options for more demanding tasks. (The 14-inch Surface Laptop Studio 2 remains the most powerful Microsoft laptop, but its not an AI PC since its 13th-gen Intel CPU doesn't have an NPU.) The Laptop 6 can also be configured with up to 64GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. It offers more graphics options than its tablet sibling: The 8GB RAM model has plain Intel graphics, but if you go for more memory you'll get Intel's more powerful Arc graphics. Oddly, the Surface Laptop 6 doesn't share the Pro 10's sharp new camera, it's stuck with a 1080p HD option instead. If, for some reason, you need to use smart cards regularly, you can also configure the Laptop 6 with a built-in smart card reader. (But still no SD card slot? Come on, Microsoft.) Microsoft Both the Surface Pro 10 and Laptop 6 also come with a new Copilot key, which we've also seen on Dell's new XPS laptops and a few other AI PCs. I haven't found the key particularly useful on other systems, but at this point Microsoft is so committed to putting its Copilot AI everywhere that it would be embarrassing not to have it on new Surface machines. Microsoft claims the Surface Pro 10 is 53 percent faster than the Pro 9 in the 3DMark TimeSpy benchmark, while the Surface Laptop 6 is twice as fast as the previous model. (That's mostly due to Intel's beefier Arc graphics.) These aren't machines you'd want to rush out to buy if you have a Pro 9 or Laptop 5, but thanks to the AI-powered Intel CPU and refined webcam, the Surface Pro 10 could be a compelling leap forward if you have an older Surface tablet. While it's unclear if focusing on business users will actually pay off for Microsoft, the Surface Laptop 6 and Pro 10 are a sign that the company is still trying to make a mark in the PC market. If anything, though, we're more intrigued by what Microsoft has cooking next for consumers. By shoving its aging tablet and laptop design towards corporate users, the company may have room to innovate a bit more. Perhaps we'll actually see a Surface foldable PC this year? The Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 for Business are available for pre-order today starting at $1,200 each. They'll begin shipping out to customers on April 9th. Catch up on all the news from the Microsoft Surface and AI event right here ! This article originally appeared on Engadget at ...them-in-stores-160022629.html?src=rss

only to reverse course and ditch them completely a couple of years ago . Meanwhile, Lenovo has an entire family of devices dating back to the original Yoga Book and culminating most recently in the Yoga Book 9i , with the latter coming extremely close to turning the promise of dual-screen laptops into an actual appealing choice. But now after several generations of its own devices, ASUS has put everything together with the Zenbook Duo. Its a super sleek machine with two screens thats barely larger than a similarly sized clamshell. Theres also a detachable keyboard and a built-in kickstand for maximum adaptability. And starting at $1,500, the Zenbook Duo doesnt command a massive premium for something with a ton of extra utility. So while its been quite a journey to get here, ASUS has finally made a dual-screen laptop that proves once and for all that two screens really are better than one. Design One of the most impressive things about the Zenbook Duo is that it doesnt look like some kind of Frankendeivce. Its just a regular-looking 14-inch laptop. Even after you open it, things still look normal with a physical keyboard and touchpad, not to mention a healthy selection of ports around the outside (two Thunderbolt 4, one USB 3.2 Type-A and a full-size HDMI 2.1 jack). A small part of me wishes ASUS had found room for some kind of SD card reader, but I understand if there just wasnt space. Its only after you remove the keyboard that things get interesting because as soon as you do, the Duos second display springs to life. From here, you have a ton of options. Tapping three fingers on the lower panel summons a floating touchpad. Alternatively, eight fingers makes a virtual keyboard appear, which you can follow with a swipe up to reveal a traditional keyboard/trackpad combo. But the cool thing is that because these are all virtual stand-ins, it's easy to swap in a new layout (like for other languages), move the touchpad off to the side or call up a numpad if you need to do some data entry. Theres just so much more flexibility when half of a laptops interior isnt taken up by a rigid set of physical keys. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget But things keep getting better, because on the bottom of the Duo is a flap that folds out into a kickstand. This allows you to prop the system up and use both screens as proper displays, sort of like a portable dual-monitor setup but all in a single self-contained system. And because the detachable keyboard connects wirelessly over Bluetooth, you can place it in front (or wherever you want) just like a desktop. The one small drawback to this design is that if you rotate the Duos displays into portrait orientation side by side, the design of the kickstand means theres no way to adjust how far it tilts. This heavily favors the stacked setup with one display above, which is fine because I think that arrangement is more useful in most situations. Another pleasant surprise is that for a device with two screens, the Zenbook Duo isnt much bigger or heavier than a typical clamshell. It weighs 3.6 pounds and measures 0.78 inches thick versus the 2.82 pounds and 0.59 inches for a standard Zenbook 14 OLED. And when compared to something like a Dell XPS 14 (3.7 pounds and 0.71 inches thick), both systems are practically the same size. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget My one gripe is that ASUS dark gray paint job color doesnt help the Duo stand out. Its almost like someone who wears subdued colors to avoid drawing attention. But this design is fantastic and I wish ASUS would give this laptop (and the engineers who designed it) the flowers it deserves. Displays and software The centerpiece of the Duo is its pair of 14-inch displays, which are an absolute delight. Not only do the matching OLED panels offer strong brightness (around 500 nits), they also pump out rich and accurate colors (100 percent of DCI-P3). But the real magic is when you use both panels together. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Moving apps from one display to another is as simple as dragging and dropping or using the handy menus that appear at the top of the display. In addition, theres a floating button in the bottom left for ASUS ScreenXpert software, which provides shortcuts for adjusting brightness (separately or as a pair), disabling specific panels or pulling up handy widgets for things like a control panel, a handwriting recognition tool, news and weather . If the goal was to get as much value out of the Duos two displays, I think ASUS software does a pretty good job. The downside to all this is that despite ASUS best efforts, Windows 11 and many apps still arent fully optimized for systems like this. For example, when I played a round of Teamfight Tactics and wanted to pull up some game stats on the lower display, I ran into an issue where the virtual touchpad stopped working. It was only after I set the game to borderless window mode, closed the game and relaunched everything that it started working again. Granted, situations like this were rare, but its important to remember that when youre using a cutting-edge device, there may be some bugs or awkward interactions. Performance Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget The Zenbook Duo comes with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB NVMe SSD. While you can upgrade it with double the memory and a faster Ultra 9 chip, I found the base configuration to be plenty fast. On tests like Geekbench 6 and PCMark 10, the Zenbook Duo turned in results that were identical to those from similarly equipped clamshells, including ASUS own Zenbook 14 OLED . This is great because it means theres not a ton of overhead due to the addition of a second screen and even when setup in desktop mode, dragging apps from one display to another felt snappy and responsive. The obvious drawback is that unlike some 14-inch systems such as the XPS 14, theres no room for a discrete GPU, which makes the Zenbook Duo better suited to general productivity than more demanding tasks like video editing. Battery life You might think a system with two screens would be a battery hog, but the Zenbook Duo fared better than expected. With just one screen on, it lasted 13 hours and 12 minutes on our video rundown test, which is pretty much equivalent to (actually a touch longer than) the Zenbook 14 OLED (12:43). And with both screens going, the Duos time only dropped to 10:17, which is still more than enough to survive an entire workday. Wrap-up Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget OK, so the Zenbook Duo delivers on the promises of dual-screen laptops. But one question I get a lot is who are devices like this actually for? The most obvious application is for people who carry a portable monitor around while traveling. But more generally, this thing is aimed at anyone who appreciates multiple monitors and wants a system that can recreate that experience in a more travel-friendly way, which is something the Zenbook Duo does with aplomb. The best part though is that it doesnt make major sacrifices to do so, because thanks to its detachable keyboard, it can function just like any other clamshell when space is tight (like on an airplane). When you have room to spread out, it transforms into a portable workstation with plenty of screen space for a project up top and bonus real estate for Slack, email, video calls or anything else you might need down below. It's got ample ports so you dont need to carry a dongle around and thanks to its gorgeous OLED screens, your work (or play) always looks great. The Zenbook Duo can do everything a traditional laptop can . Yes, the software experience could be a bit more polished, though thats not entirely on ASUS. We still need a new version of Windows to provide better OS support for dual-screen machines. But considering all the struggles and multiple generations it took to get here, the Zenbook Duo is a marvelous torchbearer for a new class of portable PCs. This article originally appeared on Engadget at ...ing-130016756.html?src=rss

private event taking place on May 20, the day before Build starts. Details are scant, but Microsoft says CEO Satya Nadella will dig into its "AI vision across hardware and software." There won't be a livestream of the briefing, but reporters who attend in person will learn the news first and get hands-on demos. Microsoft having an "AI vision" that spans across hardware and software lines up with recent reports that the company is gearing up to release its first "AI PCs." This week's event is expected to include at least the business and commercial-focused versions of the OLED Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6. The consumer variants of the systems may not arrive until later this spring , though those are expected to have significant processor upgrades that will deliver huge performance and efficiency gains," according to Windows Central . They're slated to have Intel Core Ultra or Snapdragon X Elite chips with next-gen neural processing units. These chips are said to be capable of supporting more advanced AI features that Microsoft plans to bring to Windows later this year, such as on-device Copilot and a tool called AI Explorer. The latter has been described as a searchable timeline of all of your activity on a device. This article originally appeared on Engadget at ...src=rss

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cache memory between the various cores. Intel says this will allow for powerful performance in gaming and content creation workloads. The chip also makes use of Intels Thermal Velocity Boost tool, which is a feature in 11th Gen and later Intel Core chips that ups the clock frequency by 100 MHz when the temperature is below a threshold of 70 degrees C, or 158 degrees F. In other words, make sure your cooling system is on point. As for metrics, the company promises that gamers will experience up to 15 percent better performance and that content creators should enjoy a 73 percent performance uptick when engaging in compute-intensive workflows. The i9-14900KS is compatible with Z790 and Z690 motherboards, but Intel recommends the latest BIOS to ensure the best results. The Core i9-14900KS is available right now and starts at $700. Its available at traditional retailers as a boxed product and will be integrated into systems from original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners in the near future. Intel continues to focus on raw speed, rather than AI, which has been noticeable throughout this years product announcements . This article originally appeared on Engadget at ...-speed-record-193839340.html?src=rss