Laptop

The Surface Pro is Microsoft's flagship convertible, and the ninth generation now offers Wi-Fi 6E and a leap in performance thanks to the Alder Lake CPU, but other features such as the optional LTE modem or the audio jack have been omitted. This doesn't make the device any better.

It's tough to keep track of all the gaming laptops coming out this February with GeForce 40 graphics and Intel 13th gen CPUs. At least one manufacturer has made a handy table detailing all of their upcoming models and even their TGP and MUX options.

Lenovo has announced a refresh of the Yoga 13w Gen 2, a 13.3-inch convertible laptop that will be soon available with AMD Ryzen 7000 APUs. The Yoga 13w Gen 2 also has a 51 Wh battery, plenty of ports and a 16:10 aspect ratio, among other features.

Dell has discounted the high-end Alienware m17 R5 gaming laptop by 34%. One can buy it for as low as US$1,676.65 thanks to a discount and two stackable coupons.

Amazon US has discounted the LG Gram 17 (2022), a machine that is also known as Gram 17Z90Q. Typically, LG charges US$1,799.99 for the 17-inch and Intel Alder Lake-powered laptop, but Amazon US has dropped its price by 26%, a saving that takes over US$450 off its list price.

With the Core i5-12500H CPU and a GeForce RTX 3060 laptop GPU, all current titles can be displayed smoothly on the matte FHD display (300 Hz). The GPU and CPU are accompanied by a fast PCIe-4 SSD (1 TB), 16 GB of RAM, and a Thunderbolt 4 port. A copy of the Windows operating system is not included.

One of the fastest Dell G15 configurations on the market has gone on sale with a noteworthy discount thanks to two stackable coupon codes that bring the price of this RTX 3070 Ti gaming laptop down to US$1,367.

Samsung is finally moving its laptop series onto 16:10 displays. According to Samsung Display, some Galaxy Book3 series machines will offer the world's first OCTA panel for laptops, which will combine an AMOLED touchscreen display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a 3K native resolution.

Also available with a 12th gen Intel Core i7-1255U processor inside, the 14-inch Dell Inspiron 14 5420 gets a generous 21% discount on Amazon for the model that uses the less powerful Intel Core i5-1235U chip. Thanks to this deal, the US$799.99 list price is now down to a more affordable US$629.98.

The RZ09-03148E02-R3U1 Razer Blade Pro 17 model arrived in 2019 with Intel Core i7-9750H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q inside. Although quite outdated from a gaming perspective, it can still act as a capable desktop replacement and the ongoing 25% Amazon discount makes it an interesting choice.

With more "affordable" configurations that start just north of US$4,000, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 upgraded by GreatPriceTech tops at no less than US$8,568. For this price, Amazon customers can get the 64 GB/2 X 8 TB version of this laptop with AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, as well as a mouse and a pad.

The Lenovo Slim 7i 16IAH7 is currently going for 31% off on B&H Photo. Initially retailing at US$1,299, the Slim 7i 16IAH7 on offer is a capable machine with an expansive 16-inch multi-touch panel, a speedy 12th gen Core i7-12700H, and a dedicated Intel Arc A370M GPU.

Bringing together the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS processor and NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3060, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G15, model GA503QMBS94Q, also sports 16 GB memory and 1 TB internal storage. The Amazon list price of US$1,987.99 is now down by 35%, so those interested can get this gaming laptop for US$1,289.99.

A new leak has highlighted details about what Qualcomm’s first true answer could be to the Apple M1 and Apple M2 series. Equipped with 12 CPU cores and the GPU from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 4 should be significantly more powerful than the current crop of SoCs offered in Windows On-ARM laptops.

Apple launched the new MacBook Pro line-up with M2 Pro and M2 Max, but we only got a short introduction video instead of a launch event. In addition to new processors, you get Wi-Fi 6E, TB4 and HDMI 2.1, but also higher prices in many regions around the world. Is it worth upgrading or should you just get the previous model at a discount?

Lenovo introduces numerous ThinkPad laptops into the market every year that each cover different market segments. It is not easy to select one model from this wide selection that is "the best," but we still think that for most users, this is the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G3 AMD.

A new leak says the Galaxy Book3 Ultra will feature up to an Intel Core i9-13900H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, 32 GB RAM and a 16-inch 3K AMOLED panel.

On sale at US$3,199.99 for a limited time on MSI's website (down from US$3,499.99), the MSI Stealth GS77 gaming laptop with Intel Core i9-12900H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is available on Amazon with a 24% discount. While the final price is the same, Amazon's list price of US$4,199.00 is much higher.

It is possible that Nvidia may have discontinued making GeForce MX discrete GPUs for laptops. With integrated GPUs such as the AMD Radeon 680M and entry-level Arc discrete GPUs like the A350M and A370M now capable of media acceleration and 1080p gaming at low to medium settings, the GeForce MX lineup seems no longer relevant.

Acer now has the Predator Helios 300 PH317-55-59J9 on sale for 28% off. The config on offer rocks a Core i5-11400H, an RTX 3060 laptop GPU, 16 GB of RAM, and 1 TB SSD. Both the RAM and the storage are user-replaceable as the Predator Helios 300 has two SO-DIMM and two M.2 slots. There is also a slot for a 2.5-inch SATA SSD for which Acer provides the required hardware in the box.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 laptop GPU has been compared against the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, highlighting the difference between the two graphics cards. While the GeForce RTX 4090 offers a health performance uplift in most cases, DLSS 3 technology also does plenty of heavy lifting to help NVIDIA's latest flagship laptop GPU.

Unveiled in 2020 as the first gaming laptop to feature a 300 Hz refresh rate option on a 17.3-inch display, the Razer Blade Pro 17 with Intel Core i7-10875H and GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q is no longer a high-end gaming laptop. However, it remains a worthy desktop replacement thanks to the ongoing US$1,000 discount for the two display options available.

Unveiled earlier this month at CES 2023, the latest Asus TUF Gaming A17 gaming laptops are not available for purchase yet. However, last year's model with AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, and 16/512 GB is now 20% off on Amazon. Thus, it can be acquired for US$1,115 (down from US$1,399.99).

The new AirJet chips integrate technology that is used to cool aircraft jet engines. Even though it is only 2.8 mm thick, one AirJet chip can be 10 times more efficient compared to conventional fan-based laptop cooling systems. Furthermore, these cooling chips are essentially silent at 21 dBA and also allow for a dustproof design.

The first generation of Lenovo's ultra-sleek and portable ThinkPad X1 Nano has become quite affordable as a reputable retailer now offers a well-equipped configuration of the 13-inch business laptop with a considerable discount on eBay.

Shown at CES 2023 with new AMD Zen 4 processors up to the Ryzen 9 and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics, the updated Asus TUF Gaming A15 is still not available for purchase. However, last year's model with AMD Ryzen 7 6800H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 is now 21% off, so its price tag currently reads US$1,099.

Compared to the combinations of Intel CPU and Nvidia graphics, gaming laptops with a CPU and a GPU both from AMD are in the minority. If all pure AMD machines have major driver problems similar to the current Alienware m17 R5, then this is unlikely to change. It's a shame really, because the potential remains untapped.

JEDEC is looking to replace the venerable SO-DIMM standard with a new form-factor called CAMM that allows better scalability of up to 128 GB per module and increased data transfer speeds beyond DDR5-6400. Furthermore, CAMM would allow for thinner and lighter laptop chassis, as well as user-replaceable LPDDR modules.

MSI's high-end Titan GT77HX packing the RTX 4090 and the Raider GE78HX with RTX 4090 or RTX 4080 are expected to ship on February 8. The Pulse and Katana models with RTX 4070 and RTX 4060 / RTX 4050, respectively will ship on February 22. Reports suggest that pre-orders should start February 1.

Samsung has announced pricing and availability for the Galaxy Book2 Go series. Offered as the Galaxy Book2 Go and the Galaxy Book2 Go 5G, the laptop series comes with a 14-inch IPS display, a Snapdragon 7c Plus Gen 3 chipset and a 42.3 Wh battery, among other features. The Galaxy Book2 Go series starts at £449 and will be available later this month.

The Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 specifications have been leaked, as have the screen sizes for the numerous laptops that will be joining the Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 at the ironically packed Unpacked event. The Galaxy Book3, Galaxy Book3 Pro, Galaxy Book3 360, and Galaxy Book3 Ultra are all expected to make an appearance.

The EliteBook scores with a powerful, energy-efficient Rembrandt APU, USB 4, LTE modem and very good battery runtimes. HP uses a very bright 13.3-inch screen in a work-friendly 16:10 format (1,920 x 1,200) with an optional privacy filter.

System76 teased a new version of its Pangolin laptop. The new Pangolin will come with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, Radeon 680M graphics, a 144 Hz FHD screen, and quite a bit of connectivity.

The Pulse GL76 excels in the big three: CPU, GPU, and display all for a reasonable price. A lot of extras features are missing, but they're not deal breakers for most gamers on a budget.

The powerful RTX 3070 Ti configuration of the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro comes with a decent 165Hz QHD display and a quick AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU, which arguably makes this 16-inch gaming laptop a good purchase at US$1,439.

Apple's M2 MacBook Air is a solid choice for a portable, all-around laptop. Currently, Best Buy is selling both the 256 GB and 512 GB models for $200 off, a savings of 17% and 13%, respectively.

Lunar Lake is being developed in close collaboration with OS makers and laptop OEMs to power thin and light devices featuring all-day battery life and uncompromised 15 W TDP performance.

Amazon has reduced a popular ASUS TUF Gaming F15 configuration, taking the machine below US$1,000. The TUF Gaming F15 combines a Core i7-11800H with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, plus a 90 Wh battery and a 15.6-inch display.

Amazon has knocked almost a quarter off a recent VivoBook Pro 16X OLED model. Offered with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H for US$1,099.99, the laptop also has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, a high-resolution OLED display and a 96 Wh battery, among other features.

Acer has started selling updated versions of the Aspire 3. Now available with Intel Alder Lake-N processors, the Aspire 3 comes in 14-inch and 15.6-inch variants, both with LPDDR5 RAM and 3-cell Li-Polymer batteries. The new Aspire 3 series starts at US$479.99, or US$499.99 for the 15.6-inch version.

Microsoft has confirmed the ultimate end of Windows 7 support by finally pulling the last vestige of updates available to the OS. The Redmond giant has also now announced that its 8.1 successor is also now at the end of its life, although it will not be extended the same prolonged security-update palliative care of the preceding version.