Windows

The golden mean? The HP EliteBook 840 G1 wants to beat the business rivals from Lenovo and Dell. Thanks to an extensive diet, the 14-inch device is thinner than ever, but you do not have to waive a fast Core i7 processor, sufficient memory and comprehensive features.

The unequal duel. Nvidia offers two different versions of its latest high-end GPU GeForce GTX 860M. Besides a version based on the Maxwell architecture, there is also a GPU from the old Kepler generation. We compared the performance of the two DirectX 11 chips and found a winner.

Pocket Windows II. Acer launched an 8-inch Windows tablet based on the Clovertrail platform just a little under a year ago. Now its successor is beginning to take shape with the Bay Trail SoC. Does it add power to the pocket?

AMD business. HP asks for about 750 Euros (~$1030) for their ProBook 655 business notebook. For that price, the buyer gets an office device with an AMD APU, a matte display and a quick hard drive. Additionally, the computer is pre-equipped for the installation of an LTE modem and offers easy access to its inner workings for maintenance. But does the notebook do well in practice? Read our review to find out.

Participant. HP jumps on the bandwagon of handy Windows convertibles and builds one at an affordable price for the average consumer. Does the glossy design of the current Pavilions meet our taste? Do the wider diagonal, the second battery and the Bay Trail Pentium justify the rather high price?

Gamer's choice? Schenker beefs up its ultrabook with a GT 745M, SSD plus HDD, decent upgradability, matte Full HD screen and an aluminum, rather than plastic, lid. Is it the ideal contraption for the performance geek?

Bread-and-Butter. A decent-looking 15.6-inch touchscreen notebook with basic hardware and good battery life courtesy of a frugal quad-core SoC - this is how one could sum up the Aspire E1-510P-2671. How the notebook fares as a daily companion is the subject of our review.

17.3-inch netbook. Packard Bell equips the EasyNote with a energy-saving APU that was originally intended for use in mobile and thin subnotebooks/ultrabooks. Theoretically, the customer should receive a 17.3-inch office notebook that works as quiet as a whisper and needs very little energy. But is that really the case? Read our review to find out.

Appearances are deceiving. You could think that the M504 is just an usual office notebook when you look at the case. But you couldn't be more wrong: Underneath the IPS display are many powerful components. Main attraction is Nvidia's price-performance miracle GeForce GTX 850M.

A cheap premium laptop? Asus adds a cheap 13-inch Ultrabook to their collection. The laptop contains a Haswell processor and its case has stayed similar to that of the predecessor. It includes a touchscreen as well. How good an Ultrabook can we get for such a low price?

Old-school ThinkPad? Performance, security and office qualities are very important aspects of the new Lenovo ThinkPad T540p. Our review shows what the top version with a quad-core CPU, 250 GB SSD and integrated UMTS module for around 1,800 Euros (~$2482) is capable of.

Austerity package. Samsung introduces its new and affordable ATIV Book 8 featuring the latest Haswell CPU and an Nvidia graphics card. Instead of a glossy touchscreen, Samsung now relies on a matte and bright display. Are those the only differences? We took a closer look.

Potent rivals. The next round in the fight between the two graphic cards manufacturers, Nvidia and AMD, has begun. After the GeForce GTX 880M showed its capabilities, we now look at the also very powerful GTX 870M in this article. Can the high-end model excel the Radeon R9 M290X?

Race for the summit. Although Nvidia's new premium model is still based on the Kepler architecture, no other laptop GPU currently comes close to the GeForce GTX 880M. The "green giant" demands a corresponding price for the high-end chip. After Alienware, MSI, and Asus, Schenker Technologies is one of the first companies to offer the luxury model. Clear the stage for the XMG P704...

Workhorse. Lenovo updated its devices with the latest hardware but did not change the concept of the cheap Edge series. The company offers many different models and our review will reveal whether the surcharge for the top model is justified.

Old chassis, new technologies. Buyers looking for a speedy gaming laptop that does not excessively burden their wallet might find something at Schenker Technologies. The base configuration of the XMG A504 with a GeForce GTX 860M "only" costs 949 Euros (~$1305). We sent a somewhat lusher version through our benchmark tests to answer pressing performance questions.

Luxury for the executive level. Ultrabooks are normally designed for home users – but that's not always the case. Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon, for example, targets affluent business customers who are willing to spend almost 2000 Euro (~$2800) for the top-of-the-line version. If this amount is money well spent is the subject of our review.

Minimal. With the HP 255, HP focuses on private and professional users looking for the cheapest possible work tool. A price of significantly below 400 Euros (~$549) is definitely "cheap." Our review reveals whether the notebook is also convincing.

Slim, fast, perfect? HP slimmed down its 14-inch mobile workstation this year and focused on frugal components. We tested if the device can meet the high performance requirements of the customers.

Towering heights. Someone who offers a 2000 Euro (~$2749) ultrabook is aiming at especially demanding customers. Thus, we ask ourselves why a TN screen is installed in an otherwise very elegant device with some notable cutbacks. Will the review sample nevertheless manage to stand up against the competitor's flagships, and to score in the targeted business range?

Something new? The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S is an old acquaintance. It is now available with current Haswell processors. So, it is time to quickly check what changed.

Improved. Lenovo redesigns its entry-level ThinkPad and equips the business notebook with a new case as well as a processor from Intel's current Haswell generation. Despite the price well below 1,000 Euros (~$1383), the device is supposed to keep up the ThinkPad impression and also meet the related requirements. Our review shows if it was a success.

Small and powerful. Small and/or thin gaming notebooks have become increasingly popular amongst notebook users. Besides the Alienware 14, Razer Blade 14, MSI GE40 and Gigabyte P34G, the Schenker XMG P304 targets the same customers. A strong argument for the 13-inch device is Nvidia's brand-new GeForce GTX 860M.

Predictably great. Dell’s 2014 refresh of its critically-acclaimed XPS 13 brings with it a conservative selection of evolutionary enhancements, not least of which is the option of an included touchscreen. But can it still stand with the latest and greatest ultraportables?

Repeater. With the Radeon R9 M290X, AMD competes with old technology. Learn in our review whether the deluxe model can keep up with high-end products from Nvidia. Is AMD still competitive or have they already been pushed aside?

Stagnation. While Nvidia at least manages a small performance leap with its GeForce GTX 880M, AMD is going around in circles with its Radeon R9 M290X. However, this does not stop many laptop companies from selling the "new" GPU. The Guru Earth V sports two AMD chips that operate in Crossfire mode. Is the existence of this GPU array justified?

Small laptop big in business. The HP EliteBook 820 G1 wants to reel in well-heeled business customers with high portability and business qualities. A Core i7 processor, SSD and mobile wireless modem drive up the price of the 12-inch laptop to far beyond 1500 Euros (~$2090) - too steep or is what it has to offer appropriate? Test Update: 07/2014: Optional HD IPS screen and Intel i7 4510U CPU.

ThinkPad Differently. The avalanche of new Windows 8.1 tablets continues, offering plenty of choices for those so inclined. Lenovo’s professional ThinkPad 8 bumps the resolution to near-Retina-grade levels and boasts a powerful configuration for a tablet. But can it find a spot in the corporate workplace?

Inexpensive all-around laptop. With the Pavilion 15-n213eg, HP offers a gaming capable 15.6-inch notebook. The buyer will not only get powerful hardware, but also a big storage capacity and 8 GB of RAM for 600 Euros (~$832). Our review will reveal whether the notebook can deliver in practice what it promises in theory.

Courage to change. The bulky EliteBooks from the past are gone – HP's business-series now primarily uses thin cases and efficient ULV hardware. We review the entry-level configuration of the new EliteBook 850 G1 for around 1,000 Euros (~$1387).