Reviews

Nvidia GPU meets AMD CPU. HP's products like to visually distinguish themselves from the masses. With the Victus 16, the manufacturer presents an elegant gaming laptop in the 16-inch format that includes some powerful components.

The SSD apex predator. This $349 USD PCIe4 x4 NVMe SSD is compatible with the Playstation 5 and it's also slightly cheaper than competing drives from Samsung or Seagate. For very small file sizes, however, performance can be a bit slower than expected.

120 fps gaming... Or close to this, at least. With a 120 Hz refresh rate, a "gaming SoC", IP rating, and a 5,000 mAh battery including fast 50-watt TurboPower charging, the Moto G60s appears to be an interesting budget mid-range phone on paper. Read on to find out how the Moto smartphone performs in the test and whether it's worth a buy.

Warning - free-running RTX 3080! In some gaming laptops, the RTX 3080 has a TGP of 120 W, in others up to 165 W, which leads to strong performance differences of laptops with the same GPU. With the NEO 17, Schenker puts the reins in the user's hands; the TGP performance of the GPU can be easily set via the Control Center. So, is the NEO 17 the new performance high-flyer?

Generational refresh. After only a year with the older Alienware m17 R2, R3, and R4 design, Dell is ready to hit the reset button with the Alienware x17 R1. Does the full-on makeover address all the issues we had with the previous generation model?

Checks almost all the right boxes. Dell's latest Inspiron convertible offers an experience that's close to the XPS 2-in-1 or Latitude 2-in-1 while costing hundreds of dollars less. There are some catches, of course, but they don't detract all that much from the core experience.

Works well. Samsung also provides the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G, the slimmer folding phone, with the improved mechanism of the Z Fold3. But not only the folding technology has improved, the hardware is also state of the art. Our review reveals what the complete package can do.

Long time no see. It has been quiet for a long time in Lenovo's Yoga Tab series with its iconic battery cylinder and built-in kick-stand, but now it is back. Will the Yoga Tab 13 be able to reignite the old flame of attraction to Lenovo's multimedia tablets with Android?

Now with Tiger Lake and Thunderbolt 4. Fujitsu now equips its light business convertible with the latest Tiger Lake processors and Thunderbolt 4, but retains the familiar case and 16:9 screen. Despite the updated hardware, the Lifebook U9311X now feels a bit dusty.

In an infinite loop. Deathloop is not only an original and well-designed game, it is also a visually striking one. The story does not disappoint either. We benchmarked Deathloop on desktop PCs and notebooks. Our findings: It needs a lot of VRAM.

Virtuous out of need. The Huawei MatePad 11 is a very capable mid-range tablet that supports pen input. Furthermore, the slate can be paired with a keyboard. The MatePad 11 comes with Harmony OS and without Google Services. In day-to-day use, this proved to be less limiting than we expected.

Two years in and still going strong. Razer's latest 17.3-inch gaming laptop gets a swift name change alongside several internal updates. If you're still holding onto a GTX gaming laptop, then it's now looking like a good time to upgrade.

ROG Fan Phone. The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is the spearhead of the series and the only model that can draw on 18 GB of working memory. The monochrome Vision display on the back is supposed to exude a classy flair, and the sensor keys on the back expand the gaming controls.

Not only advantages. Razer offers its compact Blade Stealth 13 with an OLED screen in addition to the familiar IPS display. This offers advantages like the extremely fast response times and the great picture, but there are also disadvantages like the PWM flickering as well as the significantly shortened battery life.

The iPhone 13 series has just launched as the second generation of Apple flagship mobile devices with MagSafe charging. Therefore, prospective customers might be looking for new charging accessories compatible with this function. RAVPOWER makes a power bank is one released with claims of wireless-charging at faster rates than normal.

For more enthusiasm. The ROG Phone 5 is currently the best gaming smartphone. Asus offers an additional Vision screen, more storage, and a larger scope of delivery with the Pro version. Our review clarifies for whom the upgrade is worthwhile.

The Xgimi Elfin miniature projector is a compact but feature-rich projector. With an 800 ANSI lumen LED and loud Harman/Kardon speakers, the Elfin makes a great living room projector. The lack of a battery is a noticeable downside.

First AMD ThinkPad with a UHD display. Until now, the 4K UHD displays had a glossy surface in the 14-inch ThinkPads, and the AMD Ryzen models of the ThinkPad T14 and its siblings were not offered with 4K displays at all. This changes now with the Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 2 AMD with a Ryzen 5000 and a UHD monitor that has a matte surface to boot.

Uneven package. The Inspiron 15 5518 offers a Core i5-11300H processor, a GeForce-MX450 GPU and 8 GB of working memory. The latter works in single-channel mode. Positive: The notebook delivers very good battery runtimes and offers space for two NVMe SSDs.

Slim at all costs? The MSI GS76 Stealth is one of the slimmest gaming laptops on the market. Despite the thin build, MSI packs a GeForce RTX 3080 under the hood of the 11UH-074 premium model that we tested. Find out here whether this strategy was successful.

All-weather foldable. With the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, Samsung has presented the third generation of its folding smartphone along with many detailed improvements. The foldable leaves a mature impression now, it looks more stable, and it has also become more affordable.

Core i3 for 500 Euros. With the F15 Pro, the Chinese manufacturer Teclast offers a 15-inch laptop with an aluminum case and Core i3 processor from Intel. There are also enough ports and an IPS display. What else can you expect for around 500 Euros (~$588)?

Looks good, but cheap parts. The CoreBook X Pro is the least expensive 15.6-inch laptop you can find with a 120 Hz panel. The catch, however, is you'll have to deal with substantial cut corners to major aspects of the system.

Normal or suitcase. The Master Edition of the realme GT is cheaper, offers different features and a travel case design on request. We will find out in the test whether this makes it even more dangerous for the competition or whether it loses its advantages.

Large mini PC. Users who already prefer their own peripherals will find a relatively inexpensive and also powerful mini PC with an M1 processor in the Apple Mac Mini. We took a look at the performance of the entry-level model with 8 GB of RAM in our review.

You get what you pay for. The low asking price for a bright 10.1-inch 1080p tablet running on the latest Android sounds like a steal until you discover that its performance is less-than-stellar even during the most simplest of tasks.

Limited performance. Despite being equipped with top hardware, this is what the MSI Katana GF66 delivers. After several benchmarks in our test, the question presents itself whether MSI cut corners in the wrong places. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 and the Intel Core i7-11800H are unable to make use of their full performance potential.

Many steps forward, a few steps back. Acer upgraded the TravelMate P6 lineup to offer 16:10 displays, Intel Evo-based Tiger Lake underpinnings, enhanced security, and more. We have a pre-production model of the TravelMate P614P-52 with us and have put it through its paces to see how exactly Acer plans to take on competing business laptops in 2021.

Multimedia, workstation, or perhaps gaming? Lenovo itself advertises the 16-inch ThinkBook as a "powerful creativity tool" and a "business laptop"; after all, the origins of the ThinkBook series lie in the office segment. However, with an RTX 3060 and a powerful Ryzen processor, the series also penetrates the gaming segment. Is the device a versatile hidden gem for gamers and creators alike?

Great alternative to MSI, Asus or Razer. Super-thin gaming laptops are sexy and all, but they typically come with lower-power GPUs in the 100 W range. The Maingear Vector Pro bucks the trend by stuffing a 165 W GPU into a chassis the size of a Razer Blade Pro, but can it actually perform?

Expensive. The 2-in-1 Chromebook from Asus has a good hardware configuration, a backlit keyboard, and a USB-C port with Power Delivery. The IPS touchscreen display can be used both with fingers as well as with a separately purchasable stylus.

Is the KUU cool? There are a lot of Windows 10 tablets to choose from beyond the Microsoft ones. The KUU LeBook is perhaps the closest in terms of visual design and performance while costing potentially hundreds of dollars less, but it misses the mark in a few areas.

Powerful components. MSI has equipped the GE76 Raider with a new CPU and Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3080, which is currently the most powerful graphics card for laptops. Our review will reveal what the new features are. Update: Better multi-core performance in the production model.

The Flash Pro series of powerbanks has become another success story for its maker, Chargeasap. The OEM claims that it can handle normal charging for anything up to a MacBook on the go in the absence of a wall charger. Can its Pro variant uphold these claims in real life?

165 Hz and RTX 3060 with 130 Watts. The Lenovo Legion 5 15 is an affordable gaming laptop, which does not offer gimmicks like comprehensive illumination, but it focuses on the core components. In addition to the GeForce RTX 3060 and a modern AMD Ryzen 5000 processor you also get a fast 165 Hz display.

Budget laptops are getting better. On paper, everything about the Gateway is lucrative from its affordable price point, Tiger Lake Core i5 CPU, 16 GB RAM, 1080p IPS display, and 512 GB SSD. Dig a little deeper, however, and some of the drawbacks cut a bit too deep.

Flexible office worker. With the Gram 17 17Z90P, LG delivers a performance update for the super light laptop series. In addition to bringing the hardware to the current state, some things also have changed in the design compared to the predecessor. The new version with sharper edges brings a lot of performance.

The Elecrow CrowPi 2 is a Raspberry Pi-powered laptop geared toward teaching electronics and basic computer science. The CrowPi 2 is wrapped in an innocuous laptop shell and includes more than enough gadgets and projects to keep students busy.

The small cooling system is overextended. Dell's 13-inch Inspiron 13 5310 combines everything your heart desires: A powerful Intel-H processor with 35 watts, a dedicated graphics card, a matte sRGB display in the Full HD resolution, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports, in addition to a large 54-Wh battery. What could possibly go wrong with this?

14-inch mainstreamer without highlights. The slim 14s is a bread & butter model from the manufacturer. It can be equipped with hardware from cheap to expensive. We take a look at a 2021 model with the popular Ryzen 5000 chip. Do we find the strengths of the current AMD generation confirmed here as well? Partly yes, partly no.

Ryzen and 16:10 for the masses. The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 16ACH might be the result of a combination of the trends towards 16:10 displays and AMD processors. The multimedia laptop stands out with its large, high-resolution 120 Hz LCD in a less wide format and with its fast Ryzen 5000H CPUs.

Square or round? We recently tested the round realme Watch S Pro and the angular realme Watch 2 Pro almost simultaneously. The prices of the almost identically named Pro smartwatches are quite far apart. This comparison specifically addresses the differences.

350 percent faster graphics performance. The 2021 Toughbook FZ-55 MK2 is an excellent example of how far Intel has come since its Whiskey Lake-U days on the original 2019 Toughbook FZ-55 MK1. If you want to maximize performance without necessarily drawing more power, then the FZ-55 Mark 2 is a no-brainer.

With a replaceable battery. The Gigabyte G5 KC is available starting at around 1,000 Euros (~$1,184), and it aims to win gamers' hearts over with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 and very good upgradeability. Our review will reveal how well this works.

... and good maintenance options. The Fujitsu LifeBook U7311 offers a unique selection of ports and good maintenance options. The LifeBook is intended for business users and is now available with Tiger Lake CPUs.

NUC alternative? MSI Cubi 5 10M is a compact office PC without many frills. Together with the Cubi 5 10M, we also took a closer look at the MSI Modern MD271 monitor and the MSI Modern LED Lux Lightbar.

Leaves a good impression. With the Nokia XR20, the Finns intend to launch a rugged phone that is both sturdy and good-looking. Moreover, the company wants to offer a lot of performance while still keeping the phone affordable. Has Nokia taken on too much?

For gaming, Intel is faster where it matters. The Win Max sounds great on paper and its portable form factor is attractive for handheld gaming, but there are enough drawbacks for us to hit the brakes on putting down $1000 USD for this Windows 10 UMPC.

RAVPOWER has extended its range of high-wattage chargers with a new 120 watt (W) variant. This upgraded spec entails the potential of powering pretty much anything with a USB type-C port, some laptops included, through 2 of its 4 ports. Can its rated specs work out in real life?

OLED and Core i9 performance. Quality-of-life changes like OLED, RGB keyboard backlight, and the merging of GeForce and Quadro options make the latest ZBook a more versatile solution for professional workstation environments and content creators alike.

Plenty of battery. Wiko's latest trick is called Power U30 and is characterized by a powerful 6,000 mAhbattery and a large display. The smartphone is supposed to change hands for well under 200 Euros (~$236). Find out how it performs in this review.

The Elecrow CrowPi is an all-in-one electronics education kit complete with a Raspberry Pi (3B+ or 4B) and enough buttons, sensors, buzzers, and LCDs to get any student started with electronics and programming.

Now also with 5G. HP's EliteBook 830 compact subnotebook gets a new Tiger Lake processor in its 8th generation, but it sticks with the familiar 16:9 displays. The 1,000-nits SureView monitor protects users from prying eyes, but it continues to have an impact on image quality.

5G is foolish. If this is what you think sometimes and are looking for a mid-range smartphone without support for the newest mobile communication standard, Samsung has an offer for you: The Galaxy A22 4G is more compact than its 5G version, but also slower at a similar price. So is the 4G smartphone only something for 5G fiends?

Almost a Mi 11. The Redmi K40 Pro+ comes to Europe under the name Mi 11i, and it plays in the big leagues in terms of performance. Just like the flagships of the Mi 11 series, the Mi 11i also features the high-end Snapdragon 888 SoC. Only the price takes a different direction. The Mi 11i starts at a price of 100 Euros (~$117) less than the very similarly equipped Xiaomi Mi 11, and the trend is sharply downwards.

Selfie queen. The Vivo V21 5G focuses on the cameras. The highlight is supposed to be the 44 MP front-facing camera, which is equipped with an OIS and dual LEDs. However, a promising 64 MP lens is also the centerpiece on the back. We took a closer look.

More than just 5G. Contrary to what the name suggests, the Oppo A74 5G is more than just a simple 5G upgrade of the LTE model with the same name. Among other things, the cameras and the display have been optimized. We will find out whether everything has changed for the better in our review.

High-end MX450. Lenovo's 16-inch all-rounder delivers more than enough computing power for office and Internet applications. It also brings all modern computer games smoothly onto the 16:10 screen - at least in HD resolution. The Tiger Lake processor and GeForce MX450 GPU make this possible.

One model, two different thicknesses. The G713 series consists of at least 16 different configurations of various AMD CPUs, GeForce GPUs, battery sizes, and even thicknesses. There are good options to be found in there, but ours is perhaps not the best.

Well-rounded. The Ryzen 7 APU and the GeForce RTX 3070 laptop GPU bring all the latest games smoothly onto the matte QHD display. Because of the low TGP, the GPU performs below its capabilities. The laptop offers space for three storage drives.

17 inches with the MX450. With its 17-inch display, the HP Envy 17 is well-suited for the consumption of media contents, as well as for simple games and office tasks. An Intel Core i5-1135G7 and Nvidia's GeForce MX450 are supposed to deliver sufficient performance for this. Our review shows how well this works out.

Saved on the display. The Samsung Galaxy Book Go is a very affordable notebook that is suitable for everyday office tasks and web surfing. With the ARM processor, the laptop offers a very good battery life, but also limitations. We will clarify what these are in our test report.

The return of the killer. The OnePlus Nord 2 5G also aims to embody the manufacturer's original aspirations: A budget smartphone that can keep up with much more expensive premium devices. This worked out quite well for the predecessor, but will the second attempt be convincing as well?

The Sporty. With over 90 sports modes and a VO2max test, the realme Watch 2 Pro seems to serve athletes better than the round, and in several points better equipped realme Watch S Pro smartwatch. However, the realme's training log is poor.

Not quite the ace of spades. The AceBook 1 will attract a lot of eyes with its sub $400 USD price point, but it comes with a bunch of caveats buyers should be aware of. This passively-cooled Celeron laptop can only get you so far before things slow to a crawl.

Rockspace might not be a big name yet, but the AC2100 wireless router feels like a mature product and it delivers a lot for its price. At less than US$80, this piece of hardware sports beamforming MU-MIMO technology, four antennas, wireless speeds of up to 1733 Mbps, as well as excellent management software.

Rarity value. Samsung's Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is an exotic: one of the rare 8-inch tablets, available starting at 169 Euros (~$199) and also with LTE for an additional 30 Euros (~$35). The Android-11 tablet is equipped with an eight-core SoC from MediaTek, 32 GB of storage, speakers with Dolby Atmos and a family-friendly Kids Mode. Our test shows what the small Samsung can do.

Idea(l)Pad? The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 offers a powerful CPU/GPU combo and a large battery for less than 1,000 Euros (~$1,174), but it also surprises in the test with a few points of criticism compared to its 14-inch sister model. Our review reveals the exact strengths and weaknesses of the 15.6-inch laptop.

The sporty one. Meanwhile, more wearables measure the oxygen saturation in the blood than leave the display permanently on. The Oppo subsidiary's realme Watch S Pro is also the only smartwatch with an always-on display so far. Our review explains what else it can do and what it has over its predecessor.

Slowed down. Acer only grants the installed GeForce RTX 3080 laptop GPU a relatively low TGP. As a result, the frame rates are clearly below average. A firmware update provides some improvement.

Raytracing for the middle class. Ray tracing was reserved for expensive high-end graphics cards in the past. With the GeForce RTX 3050 (Ti), Nvidia now brings the exciting technology to the mid-range range. We test the GPU with the Acer Nitro 5 AN517-53-54DQ.

Office Tiny! If you think that Intel has small office PCs in its portfolio with its NUC series, you should take a closer look at the mini PCs from Newsmay Technology. The AC6-M model offers a full-fledged office PC in a miniature format with a footprint of only 63 x 63 millimeters and a height of 58 millimeters.

Silver star. The EliteBook 850 G8 is the latest business laptop from HP. It features a SureView screen, metal housing, and a lot of useful features for business users. Read our review to find out whether the 15-inch laptop is worth its price.

Without any digital audio gimmicks involved, the EPOS H3 is a straightforward yet versatile acoustic gaming headset that looks and feels great. Compatible with any device that features a 3.5 mm audio jack, this headset is one of the most interesting sub-US$120 offerings around. Today, we are taking a closer look at its strengths and weaknesses.

Heavyweight. The Zenfone 8 Flip comes with powerful hardware and a well-equipped camera. The fact that the latter can be flipped to the front is also a special highlight. We will find out what Asus' smartphone does in everyday use in our review.

The Ark Reactor of Legion. If you open the Legion 5 Pro gaming laptop, you will find a hidden message that indicates that Lenovo probably had the goal of creating a technological marvel here. However, despite the Ryzen 7 and RTX 3070, the designers didn't quite succeed in giving justice to the example from the comics.

Powerful. Lenovo's mobile computer scores points with a powerful Ryzen 9 5900HX APU, 16 GB of RAM, and a bright, high-contrast 14-inch display (2880x1800 pixels, 90 Hz, IPS) in the 16:10 format. This is accompanied by good battery life and low noise and heat development.

Immersive spatial audio is a hot trend in gaming. Embody takes a unique approach to this feature with its new Immerse HIVE audio software. Relying on AI-driven maps of the user's ear, HIVE creates a sound profile tuned to an individual's head-related transfer function, or HRTF.

The 5G sibling. The Galaxy A22 is available either with 4G or 5G. Although the 5G model doesn't offer an OLED display, it does provide fast Internet, a versatile camera system, and good performance rates. We take a closer look at Samsung's mid-range phone in our review.

A lot of performance and very good keyboard. Lenovo updates the third generation of its 15-inch ThinkPad E15 with powerful Ryzen 5000 CPUs as well as better displays. The very good keyboard is unchanged, so the E15 G3 is a real price-performance recommendation.

GeForce RTX 3050 debut. The Inspiron 16 introduces some notable firsts for the series including a 3K 16-inch display, GeForce RTX 3050 graphics, and a new metal chassis design. Most of it is impressive, but the Nvidia GPU in particular falls a bit short.

Windows on ARM. The HP EliteBook Folio 13.5 has a high-quality build and is versatile to use. With Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2, it's also one of the few devices that run Windows as an ARM version. Our review will clarify what that means in everyday use.

Premium laptop still has some software issues. Dell updates its XPS 15 and equips the new 9510 model with Tiger Lake-H processors from Intel as well as new RTX 3050 GPUs from Nvidia. There is also a new option for a 3.5K OLED touchscreen. Is it the best multimedia notebook you can get?

Incredibly lightweight. The 2021 Pavilion 13 is a huge leap over previous generations in almost every aspect. If you're looking to maximize performance, display quality, and portability without emptying your bank account, then the new Pavilion is looking like a top contender.

Solid. Ryzen 7 APU and GeForce RTX-3070 laptop GPU bring all current computer games smoothly to the Nitro 5's screen. However, the GPU falls short of its capabilities - Acer only grants it a relatively low TGP.

64 (sixty-four!) cores. With the current ThinkStation P620, Lenovo offers a solid platform for compact high-end workstations. We took a closer look at the 13,000-Euro (~$15,292) device in our test; it consists of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3995WX and the brand-new AMD Radeon Pro W6800.

Power banks are handy accessories for phones, peripherals or possibly tablets, which may be why OEMs like RAVPOWER now also aims them at laptop users. This new device purports to contain the tech necessary to power an ultrabook at up to 90 watts (W) via USB type-C. Can it live up to these lofty claims?

Not only the price is hot. The RedMagic 6R is nominally a powerful gaming smartphone with Snapdragon 888, 144 Hz AMOLED display and shoulder buttons. High-end equipment rounds off the total package for less than 500 Euros (~$588). Sounds like a bargain, but it is not only the cooling that causes problems in the test.

Vodafone only. Once again. Even though the Fossil Gen 5 LTE is only comparable with Vodafone (or Verizon branded smartphones in the US), we were very curious: The LTE version, which is almost identical to the regular Gen 5, is the first smartwatch of this brand for us. Our test therefore also includes basic functions such as GPS accuracy and heart rate measurements.

Although it is ROCCAT's first keyboard to use optical switches, the Vulcan TKL Pro feels like a product that has been around for ages. Both the hardware and software are excellent, although not perfect yet. The only thing that some people will enjoy at first sight is probably the price.

What's the catch? Aside from the predictable Intel Tiger Lake update, the EliteBook 840 G8 has surpassed our expectations when it comes to keeping fan noise to a minimum. Its quiet demeanor doesn't come free, however.

Hybrid work companion. The Poly Sync 20+ aims to alleviate issues with the hybrid work culture of today, at least with respect to audio. Sporting a steerable microphone array coupled with a 40 mm loudspeaker and dual passive radiators for bass reflex, the Poly Sync 20+ promises to be an improvement over conventional laptop and smartphone audio subsystems. We take a look if that's indeed the case.

Huge amount of ports. With the latest model, the Aero 15 OLED XD, Gigabyte equips the laptop with Tiger Lake, Thunderbolt 4, and HDMI 2.1, bringing almost all components up to date. An iGPU and a 105-watt laptop GeForce RTX 3070 work together as the graphics solution.

Exciting turf wars, simple graphics. Three years after the release of Monster Hunter World, the fans of the series get a new PC release. There are many differences in terms of technology and visuals. We conducted a performance analysis of the new title.

Modular tablet with three expansion bays. Panasonic's expansive Toughbook lineup is getting better and better with each iteration especially in terms of display quality. The older Comet Lake-U CPU, however, holds it back a bit.

One of the fastest Intel subnotebooks. The MSI Prestige Evo was already able to achieve a good evaluation in our tests. With a new processor, this is now supposed to be even better. We evaluate in our test whether this is really the case.

Downgrade too massive? With the Galaxy Tab S7 FE, Samsung combines the features of the premium tablets Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7 Plus. However, the Korean manufacturer noticeably cuts down on the cheapest Galaxy tablet, so the spirit of the new "Fan Edition" series is somewhat missed.

Budget laptop with potential. The Lenovo ThinkPad L series represents the entry level among the B2B models; the ThinkPad L14 Gen 2 is one of the cheapest ThinkPad laptops with a 14-inch display. Nevertheless, it convinces with its strong performance and upgradeability. However, compromises have to be made in terms of battery life and multimedia.

Mobile powerhouse. HP equips the eighth generation of its business convertible with fast Ryzen 5000 CPUs from AMD, which offer significantly more performance than the Intel competition. However, the problem is still the extremely reflective touchscreen, which can also make life difficult indoors.