Laptop

Eye-catcher. Lenovo's new 13.3-inch subnotebook attracts attention not only with technical highlights such as a current Intel Skylake processor, but also with its red casing. Our test reveals whether the IdeaPad 500S is a practical everyday companion beyond that.

On the way to perfection? Lenovo's T460s is proof that even an excellent notebook like the T450s can be improved. No device from the T4x0s series was ever so light and at the same time so powerful – but users will have to waive expandability and maintainability in return.

Small typewriter. Lenovo's new 12.5-inch ThinkPad X260 mobilizes the office and convinces in many regards. Still, it cannot manage to secure the top spot for business subnotebooks, despite the good concept.

Pushing its luck? Lenovo has presented us a 14-inch lightweight laptop, that aims to be an ultra-mobile high-end device with a ULV Core i7 and GeForce 940M. On the whole, the plan proves to be successful - however, the display does not meet this claim at all.

Slim and classy. The Zenbook's special feature is its high-resolution QHD+ panel (3200x1800 pixels). It provides a razor-sharp image, but its contrast is weak. Everything is in line beyond that: Fast SSD, long battery life, decent keyboard. However, the buyer will have to accept occasional CPU whining.

Looking for more performance? After one-year of abstinence, Lenovo once again offers a powerful device without ULV hardware within its premium lineup. Thanks to fast processors and optional discreet GPU, the T460p is supposed to fill the gap between normal T-series and mobile workstations, but the cooling in particular is a minor issue.

We had the chance to test the new GeForce 940MX inside a pre-sample of the MSI CX72 notebook. We use the following article to compare it with the old GeForce 940M, show numerous benchmarks and check what games can be smoothly played with the DDR3 version of the 940MX.

Top Dog performance. We check out DogHouse Systems performance gaming notebook in the highly competitive 17-inch DTR space. This Clevo-based system brings everything we've come to expect from the barebones manufacturer.

Average Joe? The Toshiba Satellite C55-C is an entry-level notebook designed for word processing and multimedia tasks. The spec sheet lacks any real highlights - but maybe there are hidden surprises we have yet to discover?

Don't expect too much! Lenovo's Yoga 500 is another 2-in-1 convertible with a 14-inch screen on the market. It is supposed to continue the success of the Yoga series from last year. The Lenovo Yoga 500 is equipped with a Skylake Intel Core i5, and there are also configurations with a GeForce 920M GPU.

There is strength in tranquility. The Zenbook UX303 series has been available since 2014 and Asus now ships the devices with Skylake processors from Intel. Our review unit with an i7 CPU can score with quiet operation and low temperatures, but can the performance convince as well?

Stone Age with modern technology. While the fourth iteration was placed in an imaginary region somewhere close to the Himalayas, “Far Cry Primal” jumps back more than 10000 years. We checked the hardware requirements for surviving in the wilderness.

Disappointing. It has been a while since we have had a laptop based on a dual graphics solution by AMD. However, Lenovo seemingly does everything to let the IdeaPad look as bad as possible in our tests.

Solid office notebook. The F516 Flex from Schenker Technologies is a configurable office notebook. Besides a 15.6-inch IPS display, it uses desktop processors, which can be easily replaced if necessary.

Hot laptop. Gigabyte refreshes its thin 17.3-inch gaming notebook and equips it with a modern Skylake CPU. The cooling does, however, have problems with the fast components and the processor in particular warms up quite a bit.

Faster, higher, stronger? Lenovo's new ThinkPad T560 convinces with a wide viewing angle IPS display and promises more performance and longer battery runtimes thanks to the Skylake platform. However, the other changes of the 15-inch device are very subtle – is it still enough for the victory in its class?

4K UHD update. The recently released Spectre x360 15 is available in FHD and UHD display options. Are those smaller pixels really worth the extra cost? We compare the two models to see what drawbacks and benefits one may have over the other.

No frills. Visually, the G50 doesn't stray from the typical look we've come to expect from Lenovo. The internal components are solid and while the notebook isn't what we'd call a highlight, it's a very decent package overall.

Long lasting. A Skylake processor implies higher performance in the Zenbook UX305 without negative impact on the battery runtimes. The fast SSD, Full HD display and good keyboard remain unchanged.

Extra sharp. Razer has honed its ultra-thin design philosophy even further to provide the sleekest 12.5-inch Ultrabook yet for just under $1000 USD. It's a genuinely compact notebook from a gaming-centric company that even non-gamers will want to consider purchasing.

Well-equipped. Toshiba’s multimedia all-rounder Satellite L50-C-275 is priced at just under 750 Euros (~$826). Considering its good features and properties (including a Full HD IPS display, a fast SSD, good battery runtimes and GeForce graphics), the price is fair.

Skylake upgrade. The Zenbook still manages decent battery runtimes even with Skylake innards. However, that involves making compromises compared with the Broadwell models. The poor screen will not win any awards.

Well-rounded. With the XMG A516, Schenker Technologies extends their gaming portfolio with a compact 15-inch notebook. The 2016 edition of the GeForce GTX 965M GPU promises enough performance for current titles at Full-HD resolution. Our review examines the other aspects of the new notebook as well.

Maxed out. Our latest XPS 13 is equipped to the brim with a 3200x1800 resolution touchscreen, Core i7-6560U CPU, Iris Graphics 540, and a 512 GB NVMe SSD. Is this higher cost SKU worth the extra horsepower?

DDR3 or GDDR5? Nvidia's GTX 950M is available in two different memory configurations. We compare the performance of the DDR3 and GDDR5 version.

Marathon runner. There are many powerful gaming notebooks, but only a few provide long battery runtimes. The third revision of the Alienware 17 turns out to be surprisingly enduring.

Enduring. There are no obvious performance gains in Gigabyte's gaming laptop when compared with the predecessor. However, the new Skylake processor leads to a considerably better battery life. Furthermore, a fast NVMe SSD is also on board.

Long-lasting. The Aspire is a compact, 13.3-inch subnotebook. The laptop's distinguishing features are its low price of approximately 350 Euros (~$388) and its long battery life. However, the laptop's fan can get annoying.

All-rounder. Toshiba combines a Skylake processor with a GeForce GTX 950M graphics core and completes the bundle with a Full HD IPS display and the multimedia all-rounder for home use is ready. However, the computer has some weaknesses despite a price of just fewer than 1000 Euros (~$1113).

Gaming with Skylake. MSI has updated its GS60 by equipping it with a new Skylake processor. But this is not the only new feature of the new model. However, the drawbacks of the old model are still issues in the current gaming companion.

15-inch convertible done right. Smaller convertibles like the Yoga 900 tend to work very well due to the lighter and more portable form factor. Scaling up to a 15-inch screen size has proven difficult, but HP is the first to hit it out of the park.

Too thin? The mobile workstation WS60 from MSI offers very powerful components in a slim chassis, but the mobility suffers from poor battery runtimes. Are there more compromises you have to make for the compact design?