Windows

Stuck in a rut. The Venue 11 Pro was conceived as a tablet for use in the business environment. Dell outfitted the device with a Full HD IPS display and made it easy to access the tablet's inner workings. A quick SSD and a Core i5 processor do the device credit on paper too. But all told, can the tablet win us over?

15-inch reference? The XMG P505 from Schenker Technologies is supposed to close the gap between big 17-inch systems (Asus G751, MSI GT72) and ultra-thin compact gamers like the Gigabyte P34G v2. We have already reviewed the configuration with the GTX 970M, now we have a closer look at the GTX 980M.

Upgrade or downgrade? HP's new G2-version of their 17-inch business and multimedia hybrid features updated hardware components. The new model comes with an i5-4210U CPU instead of the i5-4200M and a Radeon R5 M255 replaces the Radeon HD 8750M graphics card. The display panel differs as well. How the changes impact performance, battery life, and picture quality is the subject of our review.

Ride Across the USA. After Assassin's Creed Unity and Far Cry 4, Ubisoft is now launching its third large project at the end of 2014. The Crew appeals to freedom junkies and multiplayer enthusiasts alike with its free world concept. Can the game engine meet the expectations of its fans?

Problem? No Problem! A laptop has to be robust, secure, and always ready in industrial environments. Dell now presents its Latitude 14 Rugged 5454 in the Dell-Latitude-Rugged-Extreme lineup. It lacks the "Extreme" in its name, which leads to a drastically reduced price.

Full HD Premium. Acer attracts a lot of office users with its conservative, yet solid and powerful notebooks. Usually, the price-performance ratio is just right, but for this to be true for our test model, which uses the Intel Core i3-4005U and a Full HD display, the price would have to drop quite a lot.

All-rounder with gaming capabilities. Acer's new 17.3-inch notebook is designed for private as well as business users. A powerful Core i5 in combination with a fast GPU and good battery runtimes should be appealing for both customer groups.

Success. Intel's Bay Trail platform and Windows with Bing enable manufacturers to build cheaper and cheaper notebooks and tablets. Dell took advantage of these developments and just released an 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet with a bright, high-contrast IPS display -- for just 160 to 180 Euros (~$199 to ~$224).

Yoga-like entertainer. Lenovo’s Edge 15 notebook is a Best Buy exclusive with a sleek and sturdy aluminum build and some transformative properties that almost resemble the Yoga line of machines. It’s an interesting combination of features, but is it a practical addition to the lineup?

Maximum Flexibility. That's how Toshiba introduces a number of new convertibles on their German website. The series is supposed to merge the most important features of both notebooks and tablets into a single unit. If Toshiba succeeded we are going to determine during our review of the first model in the series, which retails for 400 Euro.

Little companion. Netbooks still have a purpose. A small, light, and portable Windows device does not have to be expensive. But what can the buyer expect for a price below 250 Euros (~$310)?

Performance alternative. HP reworked its workstation series and now offers some new features. We decided to equip the HP ZBook 15 G2 with the AMD FirePro M5100 and the high-resolution QHD+ display. We tested how well the two components suit the established working device.

GTX 980M SLI. The highly configurable Eurocom X7 returns as the X8 and instantly comes out on top on our usual benchmarks yet again. We take a closer look at this ultimate gaming machine from the Canadian reseller of the most powerful barebones available.

Business style. The business laptops of Dell's Latitude lineup are actually made for entrepreneurs. However, the slim Dell Latitude E5550 and its plastic casing also fit medium budgets. Our report clarifies whether the E5550 is just another office machine, or if it might just add a touch of elegance to the desk.

Yoga goes Windows. We're about to take a look at the Windows version of the ergonomic acrobat that is the Yoga 2. We've got a lot of questions: Did Lenovo equip this tablet with the same great IPS panel? How's the battery life compared to the Android model's? Are there any hardware updates? Read our review to find out what we discovered.

Well-equipped. Pony up 500 Euros (~$613) for this 15.6-inch device and you'll get an all-rounder capable of running some current video games. Thanks to its 1 TB hard drive, the storage space won't run out anytime soon.

Netbook, redefined. Asus sells a handy subnotebook based on Windows 8.1 Bing priced at 219 Euros (~$269). Just how much netbook can customers expect at this low price? Asus speaks of elegance, premium-feel, performance, 12 hours of browsing, and vivid colors. A one-year license for Office 365 is also included.

Surprise from the second row. Asus wants to attack the established business competition with its new 12.5-inch subnotebook. The AsusPro BU201LA can not only impress with its great Full HD display, but also with an excellent keyboard and a solid build quality – and all that for a surprisingly low price. What is the catch?

Iris on-board. Long battery life, matte FHD screen, fast SSD and a decent keyboard make the Aspire V3-371-38ZG a good laptop. Does this model have any weaknesses?

Fan-less. HP's 15.6-inch convertible wants to score with an energy-efficient processor from Intel's new Broadwell lineup, which enables a fan-less design in the Envy. A Full HD, IPS screen and good battery life are also part of the bundle.

Third Installment. The second game focused on action and provided gamers immense enjoyment. Now BioWare is making the move to reconsolidate its Dragon Age fans. Our article will focus on the performance of the Frostbite 3 Engine. Will every gamer be able to joy the world of Inquisition?

Netbook alternative? HP includes a dockable keyboard for its Pavilion so that it can be used for more than just a media and browsing station. An economic quad-core processor provides the necessary computing power, and the battery life is also decent. HP demands about 250 Euros (~$309) for the device.

Netbook, redefined. Asus sells a handy subnotebook with Windows 8.1 Bing for 219 Euros (~$272). So how much netbook do customers get for so little money? Asus refers to elegance, premium experience, performance, 12 hours of web surfing, and vibrant colors. In addition, a one-year license for Office 365 is included. Is this all too good to be true?

Expand your Horizon. The 19.5-inch Horizon 2s is Lenovo's follow-up to the 21.5-inch Horizon 2e "2-in-1 tabletop PC". The new model comes with a smaller fold-out kickstand and is much slimmer and lighter than its larger sibling. How the new AIO compares is the subject of our review.

Call to Freedom. The Ubisoft recipe has changed little for the long-awaited sequel, Far Cry 4, as the game is composed primarily of action, exploration and foraging. We tested the performance of the Kyrat special edition on various laptops and have summarized our findings in this review.

Red temptation. The Pavilion 13 would like to spare buyers the necessity of choosing between tablet and notebook experience by combining both worlds. It is driven by an AMD APU. In addition, it delivers good battery life and plenty of storage space.

Decent computer, good price. HP demands 369 Euros (~$458) for its 355 G2. The buyer gets an office laptop with two operating systems (Windows 7 Pro (64-bit), Windows 8 Pro (64-bit)), a quad-core processor, and a dedicated Radeon graphics core for the money. Can buying a laptop for this price be a mistake?

Performance goes up, energy consumption goes down? After a several-month delay, Intel has finally released the fifth incarnation of their "Core" architecture, codenamed Broadwell. It's even coming on the market this year -- at least in a few machines. Initially, the new, extremely low-energy Core M series will only be used in the improved 14 nm manufacturing process. Is it a dream come true? Can we now expect to see high-performance, passively cooled Windows tablets?

Symbiosis. A powerful notebook does not have to be bulky and loud if it can also be dignified, subtle and quiet. Why pretentious and not understated? Asus thinks it knows what wealthy customers want and creates an Ultrabook that combines performance and elegance in a simple yet sophisticated chassis. Can this symbiosis really set new records in every category, just as Asus promises?

Time is money. Dell's new Latitude E5450 that is designed to make work efficient and be performance-enhancing has now been introduced to the business world. Will the professional domain benefit from its mobility, security, and power?

Classy low-cost gadget. HP14’s exterior gives a premium-line impression. However, the price of just 350 Euros (~$435) suggests that the performance reserves will not be able to meet any special requirements. Is it a good compromise or are the looks deceiving?

Alluring. Asus aims at tech enthusiasts with its new 15-inch Zenbook generation. The flat aluminum unibody houses a standard-voltage i7 processor paired with an upper middle-class Nvidia graphics card. The highlight of this model seems to be the 4K panel. It offers high resolutions, great colors, high contrast and wide viewing angles. Is this the winner?

Cutting corners. A new day, a new notebook with Bing Windows. This low-price model has no fan and offers good battery life. On the inside, not surprisingly, the laptop has an Intel Bay Trail CPU.

You've got the power. We provide some more benchmarks and comparison numbers for our second look at the MSI GT72 with GTX 980M graphics. In short: This is performance that rivals a system with GTX 780M SLI graphics.

Agonizing. Lenovo will not win any awards with the abysmal performance of the new AMD E-6010 dual-core and the integrated R2 graphics. But then, its price is cheap. To what extent the office snail exhausted the tester's patience, and whether multimedia and gaming is even remotely possible is revealed in our report.

A netbook with Bing. The S20-30 was designed to be a little, mobile machine for writing and surfing. For around 250 Euros (~$309), you'll get a quiet netbook with a matte screen and Windows 8.1. The battery life is good, too.

Fun or an imposition? Assassin's Creed Unity is yet another entry in the never-ending list of unfinished games. High demands on the hardware combined with technical bugs are a constant source of aggravation. We'll try to determine just how powerful a notebook has to be to handle this game.

Slim and powerful. The current trend towards slim notebook cases also continues with MSI's current workstation lineup. A decent performance combined with a mobile and light case results in an interesting combination that should not be interesting for just professional users. We checked if and for whom the package works.