Ultrabook

Chromebooks, which run on Google's ChromeOS, have quickly become one of the major drivers of mobile computing as they provide an easy way to access the web without worrying a lot about deployment, administration and configuration. Although ChromeOS is an almost online-exclusive OS, Chromebooks can still be adapted to handle most workflows. In this article, we explore what a Chromebook can do and help you decide if you should be hopping on the Google bandwagon.

We've been paying extra attention to CPU throttling lately, but what exactly do you need that CPU power for? We run an ultrabook with 15 W CPU and desktop replacement with 45 W CPU through everyday tasks while measuring CPU utilization to determine whether you really need a full-fat 45 W CPU in your notebook.

The new Intel 8th generation processors have started showing up in notebooks, and it has piqued our interest to see how well they fare in comparison to their contemporaries from the previous generation. With Kaby Lake-R, Intel has upped the number of cores to 4 while retaining the same TDP values — albeit at reduced base clocks. Where does this place the new chips with respect to the existing 15W and 45W variants? Should you be considering laptops based on the 8th generation Kaby Lake-R processors? We give the early verdict.

Make sure your new laptop isn't a lemon with our comprehensive checklist to avoiding defects.