Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations

The Dell Pro Rugged 12 (pictured) has a 12-inch FHD+ touchscreen with 1200 nits of brightness. (Image source: Dell)

Dell launches Pro Rugged 10 and 12 tablets with dual hot-swappable batteries, Intel Core Ultra chips, and removable SSDs

Dell has launched its new Pro Rugged 10 and 12 tablets. They are both Copilot+ PCs with Intel Core Ultra chips, IP66 durability, dual hot-swappable batteries, and modular repairable designs.

Anubhav Sharma, 07 Oct 2025 21:53

GIMP 3.0.6 screenshot. (Image source: GIMP/Notebookcheck)

GIMP 3.0.6: Free image editor update paves the way to making ditching Adobe even easier

GIMP, the free, open-source alternative to Adobe Photoshop, has officially released its latest update, version 3.0.6, and despite being an iterative update mostly focussed on bug fixes ahead of 3.2, there are still a number of interesting changes and improvements.

Julian van der Merwe, 07 Oct 2025 18:32

The HP EliteBook 8 G1a 14 (image source: Benjamin Herzig/Notebookcheck)

Why you should sometimes choose older AMD CPUs: Besides Copilot+, Krackan Point offers little

HP sells its EliteBook 8 G1a 14 with both the AMD Ryzen 200 and the AMD Ryzen AI 300 CPUs. Which one should you choose? For many users, the older Zen 4 CPUs arguably make more sense, considering they are cheaper.

Benjamin Herzig, 07 Oct 2025 15:13

The new beta builds introduce more local account restrictions. Pictured: a Windows 11 laptop. (Image source: Microsoft)

Microsoft doubles down on local account restrictions in Windows 11 setup

In the latest preview builds of Windows 11, Microsoft has made it harder to create a local account than before. The company has blocked most of the known workarounds, and the initial setup now requires an internet connection.

Abid Ahsan Shanto, 07 Oct 2025 08:29

Deal | Epic Games Store starts new game giveaways to kick off October 2025

The Epic Games Store has started a new set of game giveaways for Windows gamers. Available to claim from today, Nightingale is joined by $100 worth of in-game items for Firestone Online Idle RPG.

Alex Alderson, 02 Oct 2025 13:42

The Corsair Void V2 Max Wireless series of gaming headsets provide gamers with simultaneous 2.4 Ghz and Bluetooth connections with Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio. (Image source: Corsair)

Corsair unveils Void v2 Max Wireless and Void v2 Max Wireless for Xbox gaming headsets for computers, consoles, and phones

The Corsair Void v2 Max Wireless headsets, designed for computer, console, and mobile gamers, deliver Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio via simultaneous 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth connections, featuring AI-powered background noise reduction and up to 130 hours of battery life per charge.

David Chien, 02 Oct 2025 08:13

Microsoft executive boasts PS5 games on new Xbox handheld, but defends existing consoles

Xbox leadership is increasingly emphasizing how the ROG Xbox Ally supports many PS5 games. In a Tokyo Game Show interview, Sarah Bond referred to Spider-Man titles as popular cross-platform games. She also reaffirmed Microsoft’s commitment to the Xbox Series X|S, but skeptics remain unconvinced.

Adam Corsetti, 02 Oct 2025 04:28

Overwhelmingly Positive: Epic Games Store PC game freebie leaks ahead of schedule with excellent reviews

A well-known Redditor has got their hands on the content of a future Epic Games Store game giveaway before its official announcement. Averaging 89/100 on Metacritic and a similar score on OpenCritic, the 2D platformer achieves an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam, too.

Alex Alderson, 01 Oct 2025 18:13

The insides of the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 8 (image source: Lenovo Support YouTube channel).

Giving people what they asked for: YouTube video shows off user replaceable USB-C port on Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 8

USB-C ports breaking has been a huge issue for many laptop users in the past years. After all, USB-C handles charging, so a broken USB-C can render a laptop unusable. With the new ThinkPad P1 Gen 8, Lenovo has introduced a solution to this issue: A user replaceable USB-C port. A new YouTube video demonstrates how easy it is to replace it.

Benjamin Herzig, 01 Oct 2025 16:13

Asus TUF Gaming A16 (image source: Notebookcheck)

Asus TUF Gaming A16 is unbalanced in terms of performance and features

A very fast RTX 5070 Laptop with Advanced Optimus and G-Sync, but also a Zen 4 processor and neither USB 4, nor Wi-Fi 7 - the new Asus TUF Gaming A16 makes some compromises despite the high price tag. Is it really worth €2,200?

Andreas Osthoff, 30 Sep 2025 16:34

Windows 10 support ends on October 14, 2025 (Image source: AI generated)

Windows 10 EOL: Panasonic warns UK firms of rising security risks

Microsoft will officially end support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. With the UK excluded from Microsoft’s free Extended Security Updates (ESU), new research from Panasonic Toughbook highlights widespread concerns among UK businesses about ransomware, compliance, and rising security costs. Industry experts warn that delaying migration to Windows 11 could leave organisations dangerously exposed.

Jonathan Bester, 29 Sep 2025 20:40

Notebookcheck query in Windows 11 Search Box. (Image source: Notebookcheck)

You may soon be able to Google search in Chrome straight from Windows 11's search box

A new build of Edge has suggested that Microsoft could allow default search engine and default browser to be used in the Windows Search box. This functionality is already available in the EEA but may reach other users as well.

Vineet Washington, 29 Sep 2025 20:20

PCs and laptops powered by Snapdragon X2 Elite processors will be available next year (image source: Qualcomm)

Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme benchmarks showcase promising CPU performance increase over Snapdragon X Elite

Qualcomm has revealed some benchmarks for the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme X2E-96-100. It can match Apple's M4 series in CPU performance but falls off when it comes to GPU performance.

Anil Ganti, 29 Sep 2025 15:43

Asus equips the new TUF Gaming A16 with an improved 165 Hz display and replaceable RAM

Asus equips its new mainstream gamer TUF Gaming A16 with replaceable RAM as well as a much better 165 Hz display and therefore fixes two big issues we had with the previous model. The performance of the RTX 5070 Laptop is often sufficient for the native WQHD resolution.

Andreas Osthoff, 28 Sep 2025 19:10

Asus plans to offer the ROG Raikiri II wireless controller in a single colour option. (Image source: Asus)

Asus ROG Raikiri II wireless controller rears its head before release in new pricing leak

The Asus ROG Raikiri II is a high-end wireless controller that follows both the ROG Raikiri and the ROG Raikiri Pro. Surprisingly, a new leak indicates that the ROG Raikiri II could cost even more than the ROG Raikiri Pro despite missing the latter's most eye-catching feature.

Alex Alderson, 27 Sep 2025 14:16

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Fox Hunt multiplayer mode launch date confirmed - October 30 (Image source: Konami)

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Fox Hunt mode coming next month

Unleashed at the end of August, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, although a remake of the 2004-dated Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, turns out to be a very successful game already. A single-player title for now, it will get the multiplayer Fox Hunt mode in late October.

Codrut Nistor, 25 Sep 2025 19:27

Deal | Epic Games Store: New free game giveaways now available for Windows gamers but only for a limited time

The Epic Games Store is finishing up September 2025 with another two giveaways for Windows gamers. Both highly rated on Steam, this week's free games are worth over $30 when redeemed together. Eastern Exorcist, Jorel's Brother and The Most Important Game of the Galaxy will be available to claim globally too.

Alex Alderson, 25 Sep 2025 14:03

GPD Win 5 handheld running Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike from the Capcom Anniversary Collection. (Image source: The Phawx via YouTube)

Upcoming $2,200 handheld powered by AMD Strix Halo delivers 86 FPS in Returnal at 1080p using just 42 W

YouTuber The Phawx recently put the GPD Win 5, powered by AMD’s Ryzen AI Max series, through its paces and found it delivering console-level performance in a handheld form factor with impressive ergonomics. In their early impressions video, they explore everything the GPD Win 5 brings to the table.

Anmol Dubey, 22 Sep 2025 20:41

The Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 AMD (image source: Benjamin Herzig)

Finally with AMD Zen 4 processors, but still one gen behind: Lenovo's ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 AMD better than ever

When it comes to Lenovo's ThinkPad laptop series, the ThinkPad E series is the entry-level. While the E series is affordable, customers buying the AMD version also had to live with outdated CPUs. This is still the case with the new ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 AMD, but this model is still much improved.

Benjamin Herzig, 22 Sep 2025 20:28

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 official trailer and multiplayer details now live (Image source: Call of Duty)

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 trailer goes live, 18 multiplayer maps confirmed

About four months after the first official teaser, Activision is back with a multiplayer-focused trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Alongside it, an in-depth blog post covers the maps, modes, perks, weapons, and other details of the upcoming game. Three of the 18 confirmed maps are remastered Black Ops 2 areas.

Codrut Nistor, 22 Sep 2025 19:49

Is the Windows Live wallpaper feature back? (Image source: microsoft.com - edited)

The video wallpapers feature is returning in Windows 11

Wallpaper engine and similar apps won't be needed soon, as Microsoft has decided to reintroduce the ability to use video as the desktop background in Windows 11. The feature was abandoned long ago and was last available in Windows Vista.

Anton Avdyushkin, 22 Sep 2025 16:12

Opera 122.0.5643.51 Video Skip feature further improves (Image source: Blog | Opera News)

Opera now sports a redesigned History, new Themes, and lets users manually skip any video ad

At the end of last week, Opera One 122.0.5643.51 arrived with several changes in addition to the usual minor tweaks and fixes. Although the two new visual themes may not appeal to everyone, the redesigned History and the ability to manually skip video ads are features that most users should find valuable.

Codrut Nistor, 22 Sep 2025 12:35

Magix releases Vegas Pro 23 video editing software with GPU-accelerated Vegas Core Engine. (Image source: Magix)

Magix unveils Vegas Pro 23 with GPU-accelerated video editing

Magix has launched Vegas Pro 23, a Windows video editor that introduces GPU-acceleration to speed color grading, enable real-time previews, and power smoother playback, with support for ARM-based Snapdragon X systems. The update also adds a more flexible interface with track-level effects, native gameplay capture and expanded audio tools.

David Chien, 20 Sep 2025 00:28

Valve will discontinue Steam client updates on 32-bit systems in 2026. Users urged to upgrade to 64-bit systems. (Image source: Valve, edited)

Valve's Steam to drop support for Windows 10 (32-bit)

Valve confirms its gaming platform will stop updating on 32-bit Windows 10 starting January 1, 2026, marking the end of Steam support for legacy systems.

Santiago Nino, 19 Sep 2025 21:18

AMD or Intel, which is better for this affordable office laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 comparison

AMD or Intel: Lenovo sells its affordable Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 with in two different flavors. We tested both, and we definitely have a favorite.

Benjamin Herzig, 19 Sep 2025 17:56

Vivaldi 7.6 brings an editable tab bar and more to desktop users

In its quest for delivering the ultimate customization capabilities, Vivaldi 7.6 for desktop arrives with a fully customizable tab bar alongside the Tab Button. Additionally, this update sports cleaner context menus, address field keyword search, ad blocker upgrades, faster switching to hibernated tabs, and more.

Codrut Nistor, 19 Sep 2025 13:42

Deal | Epic Games Store kicks off penultimate free game giveaway of September 2025

The Epic Games Store is now giving away a new batch of games. Available for a short time, this week's deal centres around Project Winter with Samorost 2 reportedly set to follow.

Alex Alderson, 18 Sep 2025 14:16

Epic Games Store: Leaker reveals new free game giveaway ahead of schedule to end September 2025

A font for all things Epic Games has revealed the storefront's plans ahead of time again. This time, they have focused on what games the storefront will be giving away to end September 2025.

Alex Alderson, 18 Sep 2025 12:33

The LattePanda Iota can be passively or actively cooled delivering between 6 and 15 Watts of power to an Intel N150 (Image Source: LattePanda)

LattePanda SBC packs four x86 cores, M.2 and PCIe FPC into a Raspberry Pi form factor

LattePanda is synonymous with bringing x86 CPUs to compact and hacker friendly designs. The latest Iota single board computer packs a broad range of features and IO into a footprint similar to a Raspberry Pi.

David Devey, 18 Sep 2025 10:19

Asus ROG Ally with Xbox full-screen experience (Image source: Asus, Microsoft Xbox Gaming with edits)

Xbox full screen mode on original Asus ROG Ally boosts gaming handheld performance, but with caveats

Even before the Asus ROG Xbox Ally release date, gamers are testing the new Xbox full-screen experience. In one benchmark, ROG Ally performance sees noteworthy improvements in this mode. Still, similar results are possible on other Windows 11 handhelds after disabling background apps.

Adam Corsetti, 18 Sep 2025 01:00

Anime artists can draw on the Wacom One 14 pen display with any PC or Mac. (Image source: Wacom)

Wacom One 14: A 14-inch 1080p pen display for PCs and Macs

The Wacom One 14 offers artists using PCs, Macs, and ChromeOS systems a portable 14-inch 1080p pen display, powered via a single USB-C (DP Alt) or Thunderbolt 3+ port. Its battery-free EMR pen technology ensures uninterrupted drawing sessions.

David Chien, 17 Sep 2025 05:11

Lenovo Q&A confirms no official Legion Go 2 SteamOS, Ryzen Z2E performance bumps — shipping delay questions dodged

What appears to be a Lenovo technical team just held an online question and answer session about the Legion Go 2 gaming handheld, and despite the hype surrounding the device, fans were left wanting, due to the lack of clarity about a shipping date and confirmation that SteamOS is not officially supported by the Legion Go 2. On the bright side, the team confirmed that Ryzen Z2 Extreme performance will improve.

Julian van der Merwe, 16 Sep 2025 05:15

The Emeet Pixy dual-camera 4K webcam automatically tracks Nintendo Switch 2 gamers as they move about the room. (Image source: Emeet)

Emeet offers Pixy dual-camera 4K webcam with AI subject tracking for Switch 2 gamers and social media creators

Emeet has introduced the Pixy dual-camera 4K webcam for Nintendo Switch 2 gamers and social media influencers who want to always stay in the frame. The webcam features AI subject tracking, 3-mic background noise reduction, and gesture controls.

David Chien, 16 Sep 2025 02:31

Redragon MPC745 Mini PC on a futuristic background

Redragon announces affordable mini PC with Ryzen 7 8845HS and USB 4.0

Redragon, the company most popular for its mechanical gaming keyboards and peripherals, has entered the mini PC market with the launch of the MPC745 — a rather competitively priced mini desktop powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS and Radeon 780M.

Julian van der Merwe, 15 Sep 2025 04:59

Campus DIY laptop with mechanical keyboard and customisable dials

Modder builds Framework Laptop with mechanical keyboard, and it's an all-aluminium hunk straight out of the '90s

An enterprising modder has built himself a rather impressive DIY Framework Laptop with an integrated mechanical keyboard with the coveted HHKB layout. The mod makes the repairable thin-and-light laptop significantly thicker, but that extra space also adds room for sleek integrated volume, screen brightness, and keyboard backlight dials.

Julian van der Merwe, 13 Sep 2025 07:10

4K and up to 1,600 nits. | Asus ProArt P16 Preview - Now with RTX 5090 Laptop and Lumina Pro OLED

The Asus ProArt P16 finally gets high-end GPU options all the way up to the GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop as well as a new 4K tandem OLED option with 120 Hz, which improves the brightness significantly. We already had the chance to take a look at the new version of the creator laptop.

Andreas Osthoff, 12 Sep 2025 10:05

The Lenovo ThinkPad T1g Gen 8 (image source: Lenovo)

A new premium laptop that the manufacturer does not want to talk about: Lenovo quietly releases powerful RTX ThinkPad

Why bring a premium laptop to the market without marketing? This is the curious case of the Lenovo ThinkPad T1g Gen 8, a brand-new ThinkPad laptop that has appeared without any formal announcement by Lenovo. A look at the specs quickly reveals the secrets of this elusive new model.

Benjamin Herzig, 12 Sep 2025 01:09

Deal | Epic Games Store: Three highly rated games are now free to claim

Last week's Epic Games Store giveaway proved to be a bit of a bust with only one puzzle game discounted. This week though, the storefront is offering three games including one that was only released last year. Ghostunner 2, Monument Valley 2 and The Battle of Polytopia will be free to claim until next Thursday.

Alex Alderson, 11 Sep 2025 13:10

Version 5.0 of GameHub also introduces performance boosts. Pictured: Hollow Knight: Silksong running on an Android phone. (Image source: GameSir and Steam - edited)

GameSir's Windows game emulator for Android updated with Hollow Knight: Silksong optimizations

GameSir has launched a new update for its Windows game emulator for Android, GameHub. Version 5.0 has optimizations for Hollow Knight: Silksong, offers full Steam support, and delivers emulation performance boosts.

Abid Ahsan Shanto, 10 Sep 2025 16:59

Citron 0.7 has AMD FSR 2 implementation. Pictured: tablet running a Nintendo Switch game. (Image source: GameSir and r/zelda)

Citron gets full rewrite, promises better Nintendo Switch emulation on Android and PC

The Nintendo Switch emulator Citron has received a long-overdue update. This release is said to be a "complete ground-up rewrite," and the devs are promising significant improvements and better emulation performance.

Abid Ahsan Shanto, 09 Sep 2025 17:43

Deal | BioShock-inspired Steam open world game set in surreal utopia with retro-futurist visuals drops to record-low price

Atomic Heart has reached an all-time low price on Steam, thanks to a 70% discount. The shooter puts you at the heart of an alternate utopian timeline thrown off its course by a calamity and an underlying conspiracy. Atomic Heart has over 11,000 reviews on Steam, with an 80% positive overall review rating.

Julian van der Merwe, 09 Sep 2025 01:18

Windows-inspired Debian-based Kamuriki Linux 4.00 launches (Image source: Kamuriki Linux)

Windows-like Kamuriki Linux 4.00 now available

Debian-based Kamuriki Linux 4.00 is now available with a Windows classic-like interface and the Wine compatibility layer under the hood. The distro comes loaded with multiple useful tools for daily use and, despite only having a Japanese language website, features support for English and other languages as well.

Codrut Nistor, 08 Sep 2025 15:31

31.03	Prise en main du Nothing Phone (4a) : toujours original, toujours séduisant
31.03	Test Labo du Xiaomi 15T : un formidable milieu de gamme
31.03	Test Labo du OPPO A6 Pro 5G : un smartphone à prix doux qui rame un peu
31.03	Test Labo du OPPO Reno12 FS : un milieu de gamme bien dans ses baskets
31.03	Test Labo du SAMSUNG Galaxy S26 Ultra : réussite totale pour le nouveau haut de gamme
31.03	Test Labo du OPPO Reno14 5G : il a tout pour plaire (mais n’est pas donné)
31.03	Test Labo du XIAOMI Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G : un milieu de gamme solide
31.03	Test Labo du OPPO Find X9 : un haut de gamme assumé
31.03	Обзор делового ноутбука Huawei MateBook GT 14 на базе Intel Core Ultra 7 первого поколения
31.03	Обзор ноутбука Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1: универсальность без иллюзий