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The Nokia 7.2 features a 20 MP selfie camera. (Source: Nokia)

Same old: The Nokia 7.2 flounders in DxOMark's selfie test

Nokia has developed something of a reputation for middling camera performance. The new Nokia 7.2 doesn't stray too far from the norm, either, as DxOMark's review puts its selfie camera performance on par with two-year-old flagship...

Ricci Rox, 06 Dec 2019 11:46

Want to add RAM on the MSI GE63? Be prepared to break a 'Factory Seal' sticker

Opinion | MSI should really remove the 'Factory Seal' sticker from some of its laptops

MSI G series laptops are generally easy to service and yet most of them have Factory Seal stickers on the bottom to discourage end-user upgrades. We think putting the sticker directly on parts of the motherboard instead would be a...

Allen Ngo, 06 Dec 2019 00:32

The MacBook Pro 16: A triumphant return for Apple? (Image source: Notebookcheck)

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch: A refined MacBook Pro 15 with some small but essential changes

Apple returns with a new MacBook Pro that addresses many of the concerns that we had about the fourth-generation models. While the MacBook Pro 16 may look an awful lot like its 15-inch predecessor, Apple has made several tweaks th...

Alex Alderson, 05 Dec 2019 15:14

MSI should really remove the 'Factory Seal' sticker from some of its laptops

MSI G series laptops are generally easy to service and yet most of them have Factory Seal stickers on the bottom to discourage end-user upgrades. We think putting the sticker directly on parts of the motherboard instead would be a...

Allen Ngo, 05 Dec 2019 07:18

Where are all these Walmart laptops coming from? Tongfang is the source

You can shop smarter by knowing where resellers like Walmart are getting their laptops. ODMs often sell the same white label laptop to multiple resellers who will then reskin and rebrand the laptop as their own. By shopping around...

Allen Ngo, 03 Dec 2019 06:34

The KFA2 GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER: Worthy of your time and money. (Image source: Notebookcheck)

KFA2 GeForce GTX 1660 Super: A midrange GPU that punches above its weight

If you have set yourself a limit of around €250 (~US$275) for a new desktop GPU this Christmas, then you will run into the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER sooner or later. The GTX 1660 SUPER improves upon the regular GTX 1660 in sev...

Alex Alderson, 03 Dec 2019 01:39

The Mi Note 10 features ridiculously good camera hardware. (Source: Mi)

DxOMark picks its best smartphone cameras of 2019 sorted by categories, and the Mi Note 10 Pro dominates

DxOMark has shared its thoughts on what it considers to be the best smartphone cameras of 2019, grouped into specific sub-categories. There are a few iffy choices, but one major takeaway from the list is just how impressive the Xi...

Ricci Rox, 02 Dec 2019 10:19

The Samsung Galaxy A30s, a good smartphone but one that is out of its depth. (Image source: Samsung)

Samsung Galaxy A30s: A playful but inferior smartphone

The Galaxy A30s impressed in many areas during our recent review of Samsung's latest entry-level handset. However, while the A30s is well-built and looks the part, it cannot match its competitors on performance and battery life.

Alex Alderson, 30 Nov 2019 19:11

Intel Core i9-9900KS for laptops runs slower than the Core i9-9900K

CineBench R20 results are about 10 percent slower than the Core i9-9900K despite costing $100 more. While our Eurocom Clevo sample shows good performance, the processor is ultimately held back by its high running temperatures of ~...

Allen Ngo, 29 Nov 2019 16:00

XMG Neo 17: Slim-bezel laptop with mechanical keyboard

Schenker XMG Neo 17: Moderate system noise while gaming

The XMG Neo 17 from Schenker Technologies is a 17-inch gaming notebook that can be configured individually and has an enticing mechanical keyboard.

Florian Glaser, 29 Nov 2019 15:33

The Galaxy M30s, a battery monster that comes in three colours. (Image source: Samsung)

Samsung Galaxy M30s: An affordable handset with unrivalled battery life

The Samsung Galaxy M30s is a triumphant midrange smartphone. The phablet not only has a large, bright and colour accurate AMOLED panel but also class-leading battery, among other positives. If you need a smartphone to last over a ...

Alex Alderson, 28 Nov 2019 18:09

Two screens but no Galaxy Fold mishaps in sight. (Image source: LG)

LG G8X ThinQ: A foldable that won't break the bank

The LG G8X ThinQ could be a dream come true for some people. The handset comes with a second screen, following on from the V50 Dual Screen accessory that LG launched at the start of this year. The G8X ThinQ is more than just anoth...

Alex Alderson, 27 Nov 2019 19:46

Strangely, the MSI WE75 has no Quadro RTX 4000 or 5000 options (Image source: MSI)

Strangely, the MSI WE75 has no Quadro RTX 4000 or RTX 5000 options

Why is it that the GE75 can be configured with up the GeForce RTX 2080 while the WE75 is limited to the Quadro RTX 3000? MSI may be pushing ultra enthusiasts into purchasing the higher-end WT75 instead where users can find the RTX...

Allen Ngo, 27 Nov 2019 06:44

Google Pixel 4: bells and whistles instead of battery power

Google's Pixel 4 exhibited various flaws in our test while at the same time neglecting important smartphone core competences. What good is innovation if the phone cannot even last until the end of the day?

Daniel Schmidt, 26 Nov 2019 21:42

Walmart Motile laptop with Ryzen 5 3500U, 256 GB SSD, and 1080p display is only $380 right now

Deal | Walmart Motile M142 laptop with Ryzen 5 3500U, 256 GB SSD, and 1080p display is only $380 right now

Meanwhile, the lesser-equipped Motile M141 with the Ryzen 3 3300U is only $280. These are some of the better laptop deals you can find if you can accept the weak hinges.

Allen Ngo, 23 Nov 2019 00:31

The Redmi Note 8 Pro is a great mid-range phone, but not a gaming smartphone. Test device courtesy of Trading Shenzhen

The Redmi Note 8 Pro is not a good choice for smartphone gamers

In our review of the Note 8 Pro, the mid-range phone achieves convincing results in many areas, although despite or perhaps due to the MediaTek Helio G90T, it is not a gaming smartphone.

Marcus Herbrich, 22 Nov 2019 20:47

The PNY GeForce GTX 1660 XLR8 Gaming OC: A compact GPU with 1080p capabilities. (Image source: Notebookcheck)

PNY GeForce GTX 1660 XLR8 Gaming OC: A compact GPU for small form factor PCs with caveats

Are you looking for your next graphics card for your small form factor PC? Well, the PNY GeForce GTX 1660 XLR8 Gaming OC could be the card for you. Setting aside its long-winded name, the XLR8 Gaming OC offers 1080p triple-A gamin...

Alex Alderson, 21 Nov 2019 13:58

Moto G8 Plus: Cheaper mid-ranger with rotated camera

We already liked the predecessor of the Motorola Moto G8 Plus due to its good camera performance. With the successor, the camera concept has been revised, but this hasn't only led to improvements. This is a summary of our test res...

Florian Schmitt, 21 Nov 2019 01:47

Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019: insider’s tip for noise-resistant gamers

If you happen to be looking for a simple gaming notebook with great price-performance ratio you may want to take a closer look at the 2019 iteration of Xiaomi’s Mi Gaming Laptop. For less than $1,500 you get a 15-inch gaming lapto...

Florian Glaser, 19 Nov 2019 03:22

Our first Core i5-1035G4 benchmarks are in and results are almost as good as the Ryzen 7 3700U (Image source: Intel)

Surface Pro 7 Core i5-1035G4 performance can throttle by as much as 27 percent to be slower than the Core i7-8565U

CPU performance can be all over the place on the Surface Pro 7 Core i5. When at its best, multi-thread performance will be most similar to the Ryzen 5 3580U on the 15-inch Surface Laptop 3. But if at its worst, performance can be ...

Allen Ngo, 18 Nov 2019 05:59

The Sony Xperia 5: Good for those who do are not keen photographers. (Image source: Sony)

Sony Xperia 5: Impressive hardware combined with underwhelming cameras

Sony remains an active player in the camera sensor market, which makes the cameras that it has included in the Xperia 5 even more disappointing. Sony's latest flagship handset is not all bad by any means, but it is hard to see pas...

Alex Alderson, 17 Nov 2019 20:08

Razer Blade Stealth: 4K UHD LCD is the worse choice for this Razer laptop

The Razer Blade Stealth has a premium, compact design and excellent GPU performance. On the other hand, the CPU performance and especially the optional 4K screen disappoint in our review.

Benjamin Herzig, 17 Nov 2019 16:46

Ice Lake issues: Microsoft is aware that the Surface Pro 7 is currently stuck on broken graphics drivers

Ice Lake issues: Microsoft is aware that the Surface Pro 7 is currently stuck on months-old broken graphics drivers

All those Iris Plus-related bug fixes Intel have been releasing over the past three months have yet to arrive on the Surface Pro 7 despite the fact that this is supposed to be Microsoft's latest flagship Windows tablet. Though we ...

Allen Ngo, 17 Nov 2019 04:07

Chuwi UBook Pro Surface clone has a brighter display than any Surface Pro (Image source: Chuwi)

Chuwi UBook Pro Surface Pro clone has a brighter display than the actual Surface Pro

At a measured brightness of 868 nits on the center of the screen, the UBook Pro is nearly 90 percent brighter than even the Surface Pro 6. It's not everyday that a cheaper Chinese clone offers something better than the "proper" au...

Allen Ngo, 15 Nov 2019 23:25

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 is a steal at €150 (~US$165). (Image source: Notebookcheck)

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8: It does not always have to be an OLED panel

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 impressed us during our tests, not least because of its bright display. While the Redmi Note 8 does not have an OLED display, the IPS panel with which Xiaomi has equipped it is bright and contrast-rich. The...

Alex Alderson, 15 Nov 2019 23:19

Lenovo's ThinkPad P53 offers incredible GPU horsepower

Lenovo now offers better GPU options and for the first time, an OLED display in its 15-inch workstation. Nvidia's Quadro RTX 5000 offers a level of performance that is usually exclusive to 17-inch models.

Andreas Osthoff, 15 Nov 2019 08:06

MSI Prestige 15 Core i7 is really fast, but expect high temperatures (Image source: MSI)

MSI Prestige 15 Core i7 is really fast, but expect high Core temperatures

As the first 15.6-inch MSI laptop with an Intel Core i7-10710U CPU, the Prestige 15 has some big shoes to fill. Performance and clock rate sustainability are good at the cost of high core temperatures stabilizing at ~95 C when und...

Allen Ngo, 15 Nov 2019 02:04

The Acer TravelMate X514-51-511Q: Lightweight, compact and powerful. (Image source: Acer)

Acer TravelMate X514: A small office laptop that weighs less than a kilogram

Carrying around a hefty laptop can prove tiresome if you are often on the move. However, many lightweight laptops are underpowered and struggle in office tasks, which is where the Acer TravelMate X514 steps in. Acer has designed t...

Alex Alderson, 14 Nov 2019 19:44

Nice to look at but hard to use: The Porsche Design Ultra One

Porsche Design: Ultra One can't justify its price

The concept of expensive laptops with little performance is not new, but buyers have mostly received high-quality components and a special design in return so far. Although the latter is in Porsche Design's name, the manufacturer ...

Mike Wobker, 14 Nov 2019 04:07

The Honor 9X sports a modern design, but it is overpriced. (Image source: Honor)

Honor 9X: The days of Honor's midrange smartphones being good value for money are over

Until now, value for money has been one of the main reasons to buy an Honor smartphone, even at launch. The latest generation changes that, and not for the better. While the Honor 9X is a good device, it pales in comparison with o...

Alex Alderson, 13 Nov 2019 22:50

Acer ConceptD 7: Premium multimedia laptop with throttling issues in review

With the ConceptD series, Acer has launched a completely new product lineup. The premium white multimedia system tries to appeal to creators of digital multimedia content. However, as our review shows, it comes with a few drawback...

Christian Hintze, 13 Nov 2019 09:45

Acer Swift 7 SF714-52T Review: Slim and light subnotebook for a thick wallet

The practical use of the Acer Swift 7 SF714-52T turns out to be limited

The slim and light Acer Swift 7 SF714-52T scores with an IPS touchscreen display, 16 GB of working memory (dual-channel mode) and silent operation. This is accompanied by a good battery life and two Thunderbolt-3 ports. For the wh...

Sascha Mölck, 11 Nov 2019 20:27

Dynabook Portégé X30-F in review: Light, slim, enduring

Dynabook is mainly doing a model update with the Portégé X30-F

The slim and light Portégé X30-F scores points with long battery life, a bright, contrast-rich display and two Thunderbolt 3 ports. Our configuration variant lacks an LTE modem.

Sascha Mölck, 11 Nov 2019 07:15

Do not upgrade to the HP Envy 17 for its Comet Lake-U CPU. (Image source: HP)

HP Envy 17: Comet Lake performs no better than Whiskey Lake does

We often complain about smaller laptops failing to keep their processors cool enough to maintain peak clock speeds, so a 17-inch laptop should have a large enough footprint to do so, right? Well, the HP Envy 17-ce1002ng may be a 1...

Alex Alderson, 10 Nov 2019 15:08

Lenovo's ThinkPad P53s combines a workstation with a low price

You don't always have to pay 2,000 Euros (~$2,213) or more for laptops with a graphics card specialized in applications. With the ThinkPad P53s and Nvidia's Quadro P520 GPU, Lenovo shows that it can be cheaper.

Mike Wobker, 09 Nov 2019 23:44

The Acer Aspire 5 and AMD Ryzen 5 3500U: It could have been so good. (Image source: Acer)

Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R07: An affordable 3rd generation Ryzen laptop with throttling problems

The Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R057 is an affordable AMD Ryzen laptop, which should offer great value for money on paper. However, the performance of its AMD Ryzen 5 3500U leaves a lot to be desired.

Alex Alderson, 09 Nov 2019 18:07

Dynabook Portégé A30-E in review: Great display, unstable case

A lot of light but also shadow: The Dynabook Portégé A30-E

Dynabook's 13.3-inch business laptop pleases with a bright, contrast-rich IPS display, an NVMe SSD and long battery life.

Sascha Mölck, 08 Nov 2019 18:35

This year's Acer Predator Helios 300 sports more than just refreshed internals. (Image source: Notebookcheck)

Acer Predator Helios 300: A midrange gaming laptop with awful battery life and disappointing speakers

Acer considers the Acer Predator Helios 300 one of its entry-level gaming laptops, except that it starts at US$1,199.99. While its Intel Core i7-9750H processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU can handle triple-A 1080p gaming, ...

Alex Alderson, 08 Nov 2019 17:59

Dynabook Tecra X50: Killer style, weak battery

Our recent review of the Tecra X50 from Dynabook showed the sleek business Ultrabook to be quite the looker with little substance. Disappointing performance topped off with poor battery life leaves the Dynabook Tecra X50 wanting. ...

Sam Medley, 08 Nov 2019 00:00

The Apple Watch Series 5 has everything but the kitchen sink, and battery life. (Image source: Apple)

Apple Watch Series 5: The best smartwatch around? Only if you do not value battery life

Apple continues to dominate the smartwatch market, but is its latest iteration the best device of its kind? Part fashion accessory, part lifestyle smartwatch, but not a professional fitness tracker. We expected better battery life...

Alex Alderson, 07 Nov 2019 23:42

AirPods Pro: Professional-grade wireless earbuds? (Image source: Apple)

Apple AirPods Pro: A US$250 charlatan?

Apple heralds its latest AirPods as a "Pro" product that offers amazing audio quality and immersive Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), but do they live up to the hype? Our time with them would suggest otherwise, although they will l...

Alex Alderson, 07 Nov 2019 12:46

Acer Swift 3 SF314-41: A stylish and slim subnotebook that deserves a better display. (Image source: Acer)

Acer Swift 3 SF314-41: Acer's latest 14-inch laptop deserves a better display

Acer's stylish 14-inch subnotebook has a slim metal chassis, a Ryzen 5 APU and dual-channel RAM, which should all combine to deliver a decent device. The Swift 3 SF314-41 has an NVMe SSD and great battery life too, but two areas h...

Alex Alderson, 07 Nov 2019 11:41

Emergency off: The OnePlus 7T Pro overheats during our test

While we were impressed with the OnePlus 7T Pro in our extensive review, the heat development under strong load and the resulting app crashes are an issue.

Florian Schmitt, 06 Nov 2019 19:13

Motorola Moto E6 Plus: A poor performer that stutters in everyday tasks

The Moto E6 Plus is a relatively compact and affordable smartphone that should have a lot going for it. However, its dismal MediaTek Helio P22 SoC makes general tasks like switching between apps and scrolling through webpages a ch...

Alex Alderson, 03 Nov 2019 20:10

Comeback: AMD reaches NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q levels of performance with the Radeon RX 5500M

We were able to run numerous gaming benchmarks on the AMD Radeon RX 5500M as part of our exclusive hands-on with the MSI Alpha 15, an outline of which we shall provide in this review snippet. In short, the new Navi 14 chip comes c...

Alex Alderson, 03 Nov 2019 11:07

Our first hexa-core Core i7-10710U benchmarks are in and they handily outperform both the AMD Ryzen 7 3750H and Core i7-8565U - in most cases

Does a hexa-core U-series processor under a 15 W power envelope make sense? As anticipated, Turbo Boost performance is excellent during the first few minutes before clock rates inevitably fall over time. The dip in performance com...

Allen Ngo, 01 Nov 2019 04:10

The Lenovo ThinkPad L590 is a Whiskey Lake upgrade of the L580. (Image source: Notebookcheck)

Lenovo ThinkPad L590: A budget business laptop that falls short of expectations

The Lenovo ThinkPad L590 is a solid business laptop at just under $1,000, but it is not without its problems. The 15.6-inch laptop appears to offer plenty on paper, with Lenovo including a quad-core Core i5 Whiskey Lake CPU, 16 GB...

Alex Alderson, 30 Oct 2019 22:19

Review Snippet

Same old: The Nokia 7.2 flounders in DxOMark's selfie test

Opinion | MSI should really remove the 'Factory Seal' sticker from some of its laptops

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch: A refined MacBook Pro 15 with some small but essential changes

MSI should really remove the 'Factory Seal' sticker from some of its laptops

Where are all these Walmart laptops coming from? Tongfang is the source

KFA2 GeForce GTX 1660 Super: A midrange GPU that punches above its weight

DxOMark picks its best smartphone cameras of 2019 sorted by categories, and the Mi Note 10 Pro dominates

Samsung Galaxy A30s: A playful but inferior smartphone

Intel Core i9-9900KS for laptops runs slower than the Core i9-9900K

Schenker XMG Neo 17: Moderate system noise while gaming

Samsung Galaxy M30s: An affordable handset with unrivalled battery life

LG G8X ThinQ: A foldable that won't break the bank

Strangely, the MSI WE75 has no Quadro RTX 4000 or RTX 5000 options

Google Pixel 4: bells and whistles instead of battery power

Redmi Note 8 Smartphone Camera Review: With the Pro, the Note 8 finds its master ...

Just Arrived: Apple MacBook Pro 16 with Core i9 & Radeon Pro 5500M

Deal | Walmart Motile M142 laptop with Ryzen 5 3500U, 256 GB SSD, and 1080p display is only $380 right now

The Redmi Note 8 Pro is not a good choice for smartphone gamers

PNY GeForce GTX 1660 XLR8 Gaming OC: A compact GPU for small form factor PCs with caveats

Moto G8 Plus: Cheaper mid-ranger with rotated camera

Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 2019: insider’s tip for noise-resistant gamers

Surface Pro 7 Core i5-1035G4 performance can throttle by as much as 27 percent to be slower than the Core i7-8565U

Sony Xperia 5: Impressive hardware combined with underwhelming cameras

Razer Blade Stealth: 4K UHD LCD is the worse choice for this Razer laptop

Ice Lake issues: Microsoft is aware that the Surface Pro 7 is currently stuck on months-old broken graphics drivers

Chuwi UBook Pro Surface Pro clone has a brighter display than the actual Surface Pro

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8: It does not always have to be an OLED panel

Lenovo's ThinkPad P53 offers incredible GPU horsepower

MSI Prestige 15 Core i7 is really fast, but expect high Core temperatures

Acer TravelMate X514: A small office laptop that weighs less than a kilogram

Porsche Design: Ultra One can't justify its price

Honor 9X: The days of Honor's midrange smartphones being good value for money are over

Acer ConceptD 7: Premium multimedia laptop with throttling issues in review

The practical use of the Acer Swift 7 SF714-52T turns out to be limited

Dynabook is mainly doing a model update with the Portégé X30-F

HP Envy 17: Comet Lake performs no better than Whiskey Lake does

Lenovo's ThinkPad P53s combines a workstation with a low price

Acer Aspire 5 A515-43-R07: An affordable 3rd generation Ryzen laptop with throttling problems

A lot of light but also shadow: The Dynabook Portégé A30-E

Acer Predator Helios 300: A midrange gaming laptop with awful battery life and disappointing speakers

Dynabook Tecra X50: Killer style, weak battery

Apple Watch Series 5: The best smartwatch around? Only if you do not value battery life

Apple AirPods Pro: A US$250 charlatan?

Acer Swift 3 SF314-41: Acer's latest 14-inch laptop deserves a better display

Emergency off: The OnePlus 7T Pro overheats during our test

ThinkPad X1 Extreme 2019: 4K panel costs almost 50% battery life

Motorola Moto E6 Plus: A poor performer that stutters in everyday tasks

Comeback: AMD reaches NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q levels of performance with the Radeon RX 5500M

Our first hexa-core Core i7-10710U benchmarks are in and they handily outperform both the AMD Ryzen 7 3750H and Core i7-8565U - in most cases

Lenovo ThinkPad L590: A budget business laptop that falls short of expectations

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