Gaming

A breath of fresh air. About a year and half ago, we tested the XMG A516 - a powerful high-end notebook from Schenker Technologies that was quite compact for gaming devices in those days, with a height of 2.9 cm (~1.14 in) and a weight of 2.5 kg (~5.5 lb). Now its successor, the XMG A517, shows what it can do in our detailed review.

An update, anyone? It has taken some time, but now HP has treated its 15-inch model of the Omen series to a performance upgrade. A Kaby Lake CPU and Pascal-generation Nvidia graphics card have put fresh wind in its sails - but has it been worth the wait?

The best GTX 1060 laptop.. almost. "Thin-and-light" without the "light". The SC15 is hefty but not bulky and fast but not noisy. It's close to being everything we're looking for in a premium gaming laptop under $2000 USD.

Wasted opportunities. This year’s Omen 17 update brings us a Pascal GPU, 16 GB of RAM, and a powerful Kaby Lake CPU. Our review is going to reveal whether or not we can recommend the Omen 17 despite some drawbacks.

Upper mid-range Pascal GPU. Nvidia's Pascal generation brought many changes to the GPU segment last year. We now have an upper mid-range model with a specifically developed cooling unit from KFA². Our test sample is also equipped with 6 GB GDDR5 VRAM. Continue reading to find out how effective the cooling unit is and whether it is worth buying this graphics card.

Power play. HP is pushing the limits on how powerful a Pavilion system can be without calling it a gaming notebook. The Pavilion 15 Power is the best and potentially most expensive in the series yet.

Difficult heritage. The new Nitro has to connect to the success of its Skylake predecessor. Although it has more gaming power for this, it is not enough for a Very Good rating. Where is the shortcoming? Update 06-29-2017: 4K display

Nothing new. MSI has given its entry-level 17-inch GL72 a hardware update. The new service package is enough to enjoy Full HD resolution adapted to the current gaming world. However, the device cannot offer any other improvements or innovations.

Balanced gaming. The MX5 R3 is one of the very few gaming notebooks with both FHD/UHD display options and a SIM slot for WWAN connectivity.

A study in what is possible. With the 18-inch GT83VR 7RF, the gaming expert MSI shows what is currently technically possible (in terms of performance) in the notebook segment. Intel's most powerful mobile Kaby Lake processor is accompanied by two Pascal GPUs. However, the price is as extreme as the speed: over 5000 Euros (~$5600) makes the GT83VR 7RF an expensive toy for enthusiasts.

Convertible Powerhouse. The Lenovo Yoga line has long been the leader in the 2-in-1 notebook market. With the redesigned Yoga 720, the Chinese manufacturer looks to expand that dominance. Can the 15-inch model be flexible enough for consumers, or will it snap under pressure?

Tiny Pascal spin-off! With the launch of last year´s new Pascal generation, Nvidia stirred up the high-end segment of graphics cards and bit by bit added mid-range and now entry-level products. The Nvidia GeForce GT 1030 by Zotac offers a low-profile PCB and 2 GB of GDDR5 memory. The question this review is about to answer: Is this GPU branded for use in a living-room PC or can it be actually suitable for gaming?

Slender gamer. Acer's mobile 17.3-inch gaming notebook is capable of running all current games smoothly. The system is well-equipped and offers a decent selection of ports. Particularly interesting are the notebook's 4k display and its eye-tracking system.

Iterative improvement. The GS73VR walks a delicate line between power and portability by packing NVIDIA's Pascal GPUs into a thin chassis late last summer. Now that a Kaby Lake option is available, are Intel's 7th generation chips worth the cost to upgrade the recent redesign of MSI's 17.3-inch thin-and-light?

Hail to the emperor. Eight years after the last version, the real-time strategy game Dawn of War is back. Our benchmark test explores the technology behind the game, and how smoothly it performs on various desktop and notebook GPUs.

Into the mud. Codemaster's Dirt-series is the go-to company of rally sports for those of us who like to dig deep into the mud and dirt of rally racing. We have benchmarked the latest 2017 version of the game to present to you the various notebook- and desktop-class GPU results.