The computing world is splintering into two. At IFA 2026, the world of laptops continued its trajectory from Computex towards a logical conclusion: a world where personal computing aims at the low end to combat the MacBook Neo and pick up customers during a RAM shortage, but otherwise focuses on high-end systems that promise to be agentic machines for the next chapter of the AI boom.

There are machines that are below $800 with 8GB of RAM, and there are machines that are multiple thousands of dollars with anywhere from 128GB to 192GB of memory. Want something in between? Good luck.

The MacBook Neo's long shadow

When Apple announced the MacBook Neo in March, other laptop OEMs jumped to compete. Devices like the Dell XPS 13 and Chuwi UniBook came quickly (with varying degrees of success), packing Intel's budget-focused Wildcat Lake processors. But it took until IFA for those companies to finally reveal something truly designed to take on the MacBook Neo. The Lenovo IdeaPad Vibe laptops come in seven colors, up from the Neo's four, ranging from "lowkey gray" to "spicy gold," with optional color keyboards and two screen sizes. Unlike other Neo competitors, Lenovo is opting for a mix of Qualcomm Snapdragon X and AMD Ryzen AI 400 chips rather than flocking to Intel.

Dell's new 14S also has four colors, including a surprisingly bold "velvet green." But its biggest iteration is that it also adds ports. While the XPS 13 had just two USB-C ports, the 14S also has HDMI and a headphone jack. Acer also debuted a 16-inch version of its Swift Air (also in three colors). These laptops were widely considered some of the best from the show. Colors have been a rarity in the Windows PC market, and now that these companies are chasing Apple, they're back.

On the bright side, this means that the spur of affordable, more premium laptops wasn't just a blip following the MacBook Neo. It's still going six months later, and given that Apple is rumored to be releasing a follow-up next year, nicer, colorful laptops may be a permanent fixture of the market.

Agentic AI computers: Laptops or furniture?

The other computers at IFA were all largely focused on running agentic AI. There are finally systems getting ready to ship with AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495, with up to 192GB of unified memory. Those include the Lenovo ThinkCentre X along with options from smaller names like Minisforum and GMKtec. The companies that are listing prices have them as high as $7,000. (When Strix Halo launched, entry-level configurations could be found under $2,000 with 64GB of memory, so these high-end systems with more memory aren't a shock given rising prices.)

Those were on display while Nvidia continued to hype its RTX Spark N1X platform, which will launch in October in two configurations. Two new devices, one from Acer and one from Lenovo, debuted at IFA, though we're still waiting on pricing for every RTX Spark device we've seen so far.

AMD's systems were portrayed as workstations in most cases, while others, like an AI NAS from Minisforum, gave us a look into what having some sort of AI furniture — dedicated AI hardware with access to your files that's not connected to a screen — could look like. Nvidia's laptops, all running Windows, are a mix of workstation, gaming PC, and agentic AI PC, though those demos were behind handlers, and we weren't able to try them ourselves.

All of these systems were shown running some sort of AI agent. Nvidia's bounced between Hermes and OpenClaw, while the many vendors showing AMD systems often had their own software, typically with the word "Claw" in there somewhere, running a variety of models locally.

These are all a swing away from what the industry called an "AI PC" just a few years ago. Now, with way more memory and far more compute (and less talk about NPUs), Nvidia, AMD, and the companies making the hardware are betting that you or your company are ready to set up agents and have them run workflows, and that you'll pay a pretty penny to do so.

Two extremes, but what about the rest of us?

There are clearly two visions of computing now: one with the power for local AI models to run tasks on your device (though how easy those will be to set up is an open question), and another where you do basic tasks on cheap computers. What about the rest of us? The people who are happy to spend $800 - $1,500 on a laptop or mini PC to get a bit of extra RAM and storage, the most premium build quality, higher-resolution displays, better speakers, and, of course, a bit more performance? Other than Dell recently adding Intel's Core Ultra Series 3 processors to the XPS 13 (which itself isn't the most premium), it's been quiet on that front.

Perhaps we have to wait for Intel to drop Nova Lake mobile, or for AMD to move forward with Medusa Point, to see these types of systems. Word on those has been quiet, but maybe next year, at CES, we'll see a return of the performance laptop. (Apple is likely to bring its M6 to the MacBook Air, but the company doesn't really do trade shows.) Or maybe memory prices mean something has to give ... and the laptop for everyone else is what is giving. But without new silicon aimed at that market, it seems that the Windows world is happy to be split into two extremes.

Want a powerful new OLED gaming laptop with a $1,000 discount on top? This HyperX Omen Max 16 gaming laptop from HP is down to $3,699.99 right now and features, among other top specs, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 mobile GPU. You'll struggle to find a better spec'd laptop at this price point, and it's much cheaper than buying or building a top spec desktop gaming PC, too.

● Check out this deal at HP

The mobile version of the RTX 5090 isn't quite as beefy as its desktop counterpart, but it's still the best GPU for a laptop that you can buy. Specs wise, it has 10,496 CUDA cores as its disposal, with 24GB of GDDR7 VRAM, operating on a 256-bit memory bus. A peak 175W TDP is much less than the desktop's 575W rating, but laptops are designed to be portable.

What's interesting is the pricing here. This laptop costs $3,699.99, and that's for an entire working system. If you wanted to buy the desktop version of the RTX 5090 alone from a retailer that has it in stock, it'd set you back at least $5,899. You could argue that they're totally different beasts, but PC gaming is getting really expensive. Buying a new desktop PC will set cost you thousands of dollars more than it would have last year. A top-spec laptop this like HyperX Omen Max 16 is the better of the two options from a financial point of view right now, especially as it'll still be able to handle modern games with the best settings for years to come.

As for this laptop, our HyperX Omen Max 16 review made clear that its original launch pricing didn't quite work, with better performance from rival laptops. The $1,000 drop makes it a much more attractive system, with a gorgeous build quality that's "solid as a rock." It's built with aluminum, with no flashy styling gimmicks, just a matte black finish and RGB lighting for the keyboard. It's weighty, too, measuring 14.04 x 10.59 x 1.03 inches and weighing 6.56 pounds.

This HyperX laptop has a 16-inch OLED display, will give you perfect blacks and infinite contrast compared to a cheaper LCD, with an ultra-fast 240Hz refresh rate for smooth, blur-free motion. The top resolution on this laptop's display is 2,500 x 1,600, and coupled with the RTX 5090, you won't struggle to hit the highest frame rates with Ultra graphics presets applied at 1600p, with the option to hook up to an external display using the supplied HDMI port if you prefer.

Games, movies and more are going to look incredible on this OLED panel, as it'll produce rich colors with plenty of depth, with 500-nit rated brightness, along with a max 1,100 for HDR content, to keep things vivid on-screen. Our review found it performed extremely well against the competition, with 131.2 percent of the DCI-P3 color space and 185.2 percent of sRGB. It also beat the MSI Raider 16 Max HX for panel brightness in our tests, with 464.6 nits vs 455.6.

The RTX 5090 is the centerpiece of this laptop, but you're also the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus as your CPU. It ships with 24 cores, eight of which are performance cores, which are good for gaming, along with 16 efficient cores for multi-threaded work. You're getting 32GB of DDR5-6400 RAM included, so no need to worry about the RAMpocalypse with this rig, along with a 2TB SSD offering Gen 5 speeds.

Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 support ensures the fastest wireless connectivity, and you've got plenty of I/O too, including 2.5Gb Ethernet, the already-mentioned HDMI, a headphone jack, and two Type-C ports.

The $3,699.99 sale price for this HyperX Omen Max 16 OLED gaming laptop makes it a much more appealing option for buyers. In a market where an equivalent high spec desktop PC can set you back over $6,000, this price for a high spec laptop with an RTX 5090 is a good one in the current market. Grab it while you can, because HP aren't likely to keep it this cheap for long.

A cracking deal at Walmart could set you up with a brand new gaming laptop, capable of hitting high frame rates at 1080p. This MSI Cyborg 15 gaming laptop is down to $1,049 right now, a saving of $250, and it makes it one of the best value machines you can buy for gaming right now, especially considering the specs.

● Check out this deal at Walmart

This laptop was $100 cheaper last month, but given the AI-fueled boom in PC hardware prices, that's a modest increase for a laptop that is still good value at this price. You're getting a 15.6-inch 1080p display with this MSI laptop, featuring a decent 144Hz refresh rate.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, meanwhile, is the best component in this rig. You're ditching integrated graphics for a current-gen Nvidia Blackwell GPU with 8GB VRAM and 3,328 CUDA cores. With Nvidia DLSS support enabling multi-frame generation for the most intensive games, you're going to easily hit high frame rates in games on this 1080p display.

The CPU, meanwhile, is an eight-core Intel Core 5 210H CPU, featuring four performance and four efficient cores apiece. You're also getting 16GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, which is a plus, as you're not settling for slower DDR4 speeds. A small compromise, given the price, is the 512GB SSD, which is still Gen 4, so it won't be particularly slow.

The MSI Cyborg 15 has a clear aesthetic for gamers, with a slate gray chassis, combined with a symmetrical pattern on the keyboard and transparent plastic cutouts. The keyboard has four RGB zones, which you can configure, with the chassis also including a fingerprint reader and webcam privacy shutter. There's also a decently large 55.2 Wh battery for those on-the-go gaming sessions.

As for connectivity, you're getting Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support for wireless networking, while a Gigabit Ethernet port is included if you want to max out your connection. You've got USB-A and USB-C ports, along with an HDMI 2.1 port to hook up your laptop to a separate monitor.

The $1,049 sale price for this MSI Cyborg 15 makes it one of the best value laptops on the market right now for 1080p gaming. You're not settling for outdated components, with the RTX 5060 setting you up for gaming for several years to come. If you want a budget-friendly rig before the holiday season, this is the deal you'll want to take advantage of.

Modular laptop manufacturer Framework has just announced that it's dropping some of its memory pricing for its new Framework Laptop 13 Pro after previously doubling it back in July, including retroactively for orders that have already shipped. Posting on social media and in an update on its blog, the company says that it's been able to source new inventory at a reduced cost.

"We have a positive update today on LPCAMM2 pricing! We were able to source a limited quantity at lower cost, and are retroactively reducing prices for orders that shipped at higher price, as well as offering the lower price to orders through Batch 10" according to the company's recent X post. A further update, posted on the company's blog, goes on to explain that Framework's Supply Chain team "has been working continuously to source additional inventory at better prices."

The lower prices are due to a "limited quantity" of Micron 32GB and 64GB LPCAMM2 memory modules that the company has secured at "lower cost," and that as the company is "committed to passing on savings whenever we can," it is passing the price reductions back to customers. LPCAMM2 memory is available for the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 version of the Framework laptop. Other models, like those shipping with AMD Ryzen AI 300 CPUs, are using SO-DIMMs instead.

The price reductions are being applied to "both already shipped and a subset of pending pre-orders," according to chief executive Nirav Patel. This improves the situation for consumers compared to the last price update on July 22, which saw Framework almost double its prices for 32GB and 64GB LPCAMM2 memory in the Laptop 13 Pro. While these new prices are "still above our original pre-order launch baseline, they are lower than the last cost update that drove our current pricing for new pre-orders," according to the company.

This pricing isn't expected to last for long, however. As Framework notes, only a limited quantity of new modules has been acquired at lower cost. Framework explains on X that these are being made available "first-come, first-serve to customers through Batch 10". If the company is able to source more, then it'll "open it to later batches and then to new pre-orders."

Framework is automatically refunding the difference if your order has already shipped and you paid the higher price. Pending pre-orders through to Batch 10 have also been adjusted to reflect the better pricing. If you're waiting on a pre-order and want to update the RAM capacity you've ordered to take advantage of the lower prices, that option is now available via the order summary page, with instructions in Framework's Help Center if you run into trouble.

Those with a DIY Edition Framework 13 Pro that has already shipped and who want to switch to the 32GB or 64GB LPCAMM2 modules at the lower price can also fill out this contact form to organize a swap.

In today’s AI-dominated tech space, gamers have been bombarded with rising prices for storage, memory, and even GPUs. So gamers are increasingly looking for value when purchasing a new system. To that end, HP is attempting to deliver solid gaming performance at an accessible price with the HyperX Omen 15. It’s worth noting that the Omen now takes the place of the Victus 15 in HP’s mainstream gaming laptop range, with the Omen Max occupying the top spot.

The Omen 15 has a strong foundation with a Core Ultra 9 processor, 32GB of RAM, a 15.3-inch 1800p OLED display, and a sleek design. HP delivers all this for just over $2,000, and it has strong gaming performance, but there are compromises in chassis construction and features you’d expect at this price point.

Design of the HyperX Omen 15

The Omen 15 shares its design language with the slightly larger Omen Max 16 that I previously reviewed. It’s an unassuming design, finished in Shadow Black, with just a hint of shimmering flakes if you look closely under light. There aren’t any garish design flourishes or additional RGB effects (other than the keyboard).

Like the Omen Max 16, the Omen 15 identifies itself with an “O15” script on the right side of the deck. Given that the Omen 15 is less than half the price of its larger sibling, you only get an aluminum lid. Everything else, including the upper and lower chassis, is constructed of a much cheaper (and more pliable) plastic.

The desk easily deforms when pressing on it, and the whole laptop flexes with minimal effort, twisting it from corner to corner. The overall feel of the laptop doesn’t quite seem up to par with what I’d expect from a gaming laptop priced over $2,000.

There’s also another interesting omission when looking around the chassis. Despite its price tag, there are no Thunderbolt ports. And you only get one USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port on the back, beside an HDMI 2.1 port. There’s a GbE Ethernet port and a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port on the right side of the chassis, while a proprietary barrel-style power port, another USB-A port, and a 3.5 mm combo audio jack are on the left.

Our Omen 15 review unit measures 13.5 x 9.96 x 0.93 inches and weighs 4.89 pounds. For comparison, the Gigabyte Aero X16 is 14 x 9.9 x 0.78 inches and 4.2 pounds, while the Framework Laptop 16 measures 14.03 x 11.43 x 0.82 inches and 5.29 pounds. Finally, the Predator Triton 14 AI is 12.68 x 8.84 x 0.71 inches and 3.5 pounds (due to its smaller 14.5-inch display).

HyperX Omen 15 Specifications

Gaming and Graphics on the HyperX Omen 15

Our Omen 15 review unit came configured with an Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor, 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory, and a GeForce RTX 5070 GPU (85W TGP).

As for the assembled competitors, we have the Aero X16 (Ryzen AI 7 350, 32GB, RTX 5070 85W), Predator Triton 14 AI (Core Ultra 9 288V, RTX 5070 110W), and Framework Laptop 16 (Ryzen AI 7 350, RTX 5070 100W).

I’ve been playing a lot of Battlefield 6 recently, and I tend to run at native resolution in Overkill detail mode, with DLSS Quality and frame generation enabled. However, I dialed it back to High detail mode instead of Overkill to accommodate just 8GB of memory on the RTX 5070. Using these settings, I was able to average between 70 and 85 frames per second.

We start off our gaming benchmarks with Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest settings), where the Omen 15 started off on the right foot with 126 FPS at 1080p resolution and 60 FPS at 1800p. The Framework Laptop 16 eked out 6 additional FPS at 1080p and another 17 at its native resolution. However, we still consider it a good showing, given that the RTX 5070 in the Omen 15 operates at a 85W TGP (versus 100W for the Framework) and at a higher native resolution (1800p versus 1600p).

Cyberpunk 2077 (Ray Tracing Ultra settings) again saw the Omen 15 in second place to the Laptop 16. This time, it hit 35 FPS at 1080p resolution compared to 38 FPS for the Laptop 16. Performance at 1800p was in the single digits for the Omen 15, while the Laptop 16 managed 18 FPS. Both are slideshow-worthy numbers that are nothing to brag about.

Far Cry 6 (Ultra settings) was a high point for the Omen 15, which bested all competitors with 107 FPS at 1080p resolution. Cranking the dial to 1800p, that figure dropped to 69 FPS, compared to 70 FPS for the Aero X16 running at 1600p. The Laptop 16 forged ahead with 83 FPS at 1600p.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium settings) was something of a sore spot for the Omen 15 (59 FPS at 1080p), which fell well below the Aero X16 (78 FPS) and the Laptop 16 (91 FPS). Boosting the resolution to 1800p also saw the Omen 15 in third place, with 35 FPS, well off the pace set by the Laptop 16 (57 FPS).

Forza Horizon 6 (Ultra settings) is a more recent benchmark in our testing suite, and so far, the Omen 15 is the only entry in this class of gaming laptops. With that said, the Omen 15 achieved 80 FPS at 1080p and 51 FPS at 1800p.

On our Metro Exodus stress test, the Omen 15 review unit averaged 141.62 FPS at 1080p across 15 loops using the RTX preset. The CPU performance cores averaged 3.52 GHz, the efficiency cores averaged 2.82 GHz, and the low-power efficiency cores ran at 1.9 GHz. The RTX 5070 GPU averaged 2.0 GHz.

Productivity Performance on the HyperX Omen 15

With a Core Ultra 9 386H processor, 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD onboard, we expected solid performance from the Omen 15. Those expectations were met in terms of CPU performance, while storage performance lagged a bit behind the competition.

The Omen 15 performed well in Geekbench 6, hitting 2,857 in the single-core benchmark, keeping it right in the mix with the other competitors. However, it sprinted out ahead of the pack in multi-core, delivering 15,916 compared to 14,074 on the second-place Aero X16.

The Omen 15 was at the back of the pack on our file transfer test, coming in at 999 MBps from the Samsung MZVMX1T0HCLD-00BH1 SSD versus an average of around just under 1,500 MBps for the other three competitors.

Moving on to our HandBrake test, where we transcode a 4K video file to 1080p, the Omen 15 took the top spot, finishing the task in 3 minutes and 39 seconds. That was about 15 seconds faster than the second-place Aero X16.

Display on the HyperX Omen 15

Our review unit came equipped with a 15.3-inch 2880 x 1800 OLED display. Interestingly, the refresh rate is limited to just 120 Hz, compared to the faster 144 Hz to 165 Hz that we see in competitors like the Aero X16 and Laptop 16.

The Omen 15’s OLED panel performed roughly on par with the rest of the laptops in this segment, as it covered 132.3 percent of the DCI-P3 color space and 186.8 percent of sRGB. It even managed to take the top spot in the brightness category, hitting 460.2 nits compared to 444 nits for the Laptop 16.

I love OLED panels, and the 1800p unit on the Omen 15 just proves that that love shows no sign of abating. Colors looked rich, blacks were jet black, and brightness levels in my home office setting (with an abundance of overhead lighting) were more than adequate.

I played quite a bit of Forza Horizon 6 using the Omen 15, and marveled at the bright, colorful, and reflective car bodies as I competed in various events.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the HyperX Omen 15

There have been noticeable improvements made to the Omen 15’s keyboard, at least compared to the previous Victus 15. The biggest change is the move from half-height arrow keys to full-size. The tiny, half-height function keys have also been enlarged.

HP also boasts of an 8K polling rate for the Omen 15’s keyboard (equating to a response time of 0.125 ms). I wouldn’t consider myself to be a highly competitive gamer, so any upgrades in this area are lost on me. The keyboard also features 4-zone RGB backlighting.

Using the Keyhero.com typing test, I averaged around 87 words per minute with 95% accuracy, which is on par with my typical typing speed. I found the keyboard comfortable for typing and gaming.

There’s nothing particularly noteworthy about the touchpad, which features a top-hinged design. Its surface allowed my finger to glide smoothly, although it is a bit loud and clanky when clicked.

Audio on the HyperX Omen 15

The Omen 15 features stereo speakers supporting DTS:X Ultra and HyperX Audio Control. I was pleasantly surprised by the sound emanating from the speaker, which was rich in volume and clarity. While lacking any real semblance of bass, the underlying output was clean.

I took the opportunity to fire up “Mujahadin and Opium,” which is a horn- and string-filled track by John Barry from The Living Daylights soundtrack. There is just something very chilling about the interplay of the strings and horns; the former of which starts the track, while the latter beautifully fills in classic James Bond tradition.

The speakers also did well to mimic engine sounds as I went corner carving in Forza Horizon 6, be it a high-strung flat-6 or a burbling V8.

Upgradeability of the HyperX Omen 15

Flipping the Omen 15 over to reveal its bottom panel, you’ll find five screws holding it in place. Three of the screws are exposed, while the two corner screws at the back are hidden beneath tiny rubber plugs. I needed to use a safety pin to pry them out, which was annoying.

With the panel removed, you’ll find easy access to the battery, both M.2 SSD bays, the Wi-Fi card, and the two SO-DIMM slots (which are covered by a flexible I/O shield).

Battery Life on the HyperX Omen 15

The Omen 15 is powered by a 70 WHr battery, and it performed well against its peers. Our battery test leverages web browsing, video streaming over Wi-Fi, and OpenGL testing with the screen brightness set at 150 nits.

The HyperX laptop endured for 8 hours and 30 minutes, which was 10 minutes longer than the Laptop 16 and 14 minutes longer than the Predator Triton 14 AI. However, it was no match for the Aero X16, which lasted 9 hours and 13 minutes.

Heat on the HyperX Omen 15

During the Metro Exodus stress test, we measured the Omen 15's keyboard at 95.4 degrees Fahrenheit (F) between the G and H keys, while the touchpad was 85.1 F.

The hottest part of the laptop was near the bottom-rear of the chassis, measuring 110 F.

While running the Metro Exodus stress test, the CPU measured 63.4 degrees Celsius (C). Meanwhile, the RTX 5070 came in at 63.2 C.

Webcam on the HyperX Omen 15

The Omen 15 uses a standard 1080p webcam with IR capabilities, meaning it can be used with Windows Hello biometric authentication in Windows 11.

The camera is fine, and by no means a standout in any particular area. It covers the basics, offering decent color reproduction, and did a passable job of picking out my facial hair. However, I did notice a fair amount of noise in the image. However, if you mainly use the camera to hop on a few Zoom calls here and there, it’s more than adequate.

HyperX Omen 15 Software and Warranty

HP has no qualms about loading up its systems with a copious amount of apps, as you'll find a variety of software including HP, HP Documentation, HP PC Hardware Diagnostics, HP Smart, HP Privacy Settings, and HP TV+ (and that's not even all of them).

However, the HP utility that you'll probably interact with the most is the Omen Gaming Hub. Here you'll find controls for tweaking nearly every aspect of the system, from power modes to RGB lighting for the keyboard.

The Omen 15 comes with a one-year manufacturer warranty.

HyperX Omen 15 Configurations

Our Omen 15 review unit came configured with an Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor, 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory, a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, and a 2880 x 1800 OLED 120 Hz display. It’s listed on HP’s website with an MSRP of $2,799, but is currently available for $2,099 with a 25% off coupon.

There are various configurations available with slightly different specs, but the 15-ga0762nr SKU features a Core i7-14650HX processor, 16GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, an RTX 5060 GPU, and a 2560 x 1600 OLED with a 180 Hz refresh rate. This system is priced at $1,999, or just a $100 discount compared to our review unit’s sale price. However, the price disparity makes more sense when you consider our review unit’s MSRP.

Bottom Line

On the one hand, the HyperX Omen 15 has solid gaming performance across the board, and its CPU performance in productivity tasks is top-of-the-class. In addition, the 15.3-inch OLED display looks great and offers an expansive 2880 x 1800 resolution.

On the other hand, the chassis is constructed of cheap and flexy plastic, while SSD performance lags behind its competitors. In addition, the display is limited to a 120 Hz refresh rate, and you don’t get any Thunderbolt ports (if that’s something that’s important to you at this price point).

Where things get even more complicated is with pricing. Our review unit carries an MSRP of $2,799, but HP is currently selling it for $2,099 after discounts. At MSRP, our review unit is an absolute non-starter, while the sale price makes it a much more palatable option. But even at its sale price, we feel that the Gigabyte Aero X16 makes a far more compelling buy at just $1,799.

Lenovo is providing a full spec list for the Yoga Pro 9n, the Nvidia RTX Spark-powered laptop it announced at Computex, and has a second Spark system ahead of IFA: the Yoga 9n 2-in-1, a 16-inch convertible.

Both systems are listed as using Grace CPUs with up to 20 Cores and Blackwell RTX graphics with up to 6,144 cores, suggesting there will be multiple RTX Spark chips to choose from for both systems. While the 2-in-1 will top out at 64GB of unified memory, the clamshell Yoga Pro will go up to 128GB. It's also notable that the 2-in-1 will use seemingly lower-end QLC storage, while that's not mentioned in the Pro specs. We also know that the 15-inch Pro will have up to 80W TDP, one of the first official TDPs we've heard for an RTX Spark system (we don't yet know that information for the 2-in-1).

Both are also pushing 9.2-megapixel cameras that connect directly to the processor, as well as the latest Wi-FI standards. The Yoga Pro 9n has a 15.3-inch, 2560 x 1600 OLED screen that sports variable refresh from 48 - 165 Hz, while the 2-in-1 has a larger 16-inch OLED screen at 2880 x 1800 and 30 - 120 Hz.

Both systems are all-black machines, with metal designs and a mix of reflective and matte materials, which we've seen in the Yoga line before, albeit usually in a dark blue color. The 2-in-1 brings back a soundbar in the hinge, which the company stopped using years ago, but allows for clear sound in any position.

Lenovo is pushing the clamshell Yoga Pro as an AI machine, using the Nvidia chip with its CUDA software to allow "increasingly sophisticated AI models to run locally on the device." Windows 11 is supposed to gain features to run more agentic AI, including OpenClaw and Hermes, using Nvidia's own openShell and Windows own security layer.

The system is also being advertised as capable of gaming, development work, video editing (the haptic touchpad features pen support for precise input), and rendering. Despite using Lenovo's premium consumer brand, the Yoga Pro 9n is arguably a workstation.

The Yoga 9n 2-in-1 is being pushed more heavily as a creativity device, with its touch-friendly design and the Yoga Pen Gen 2, though the company is touting AI models here, too. Specifically, Lenovo's blog posts calls out AI tools in ComfyUI and Adobe Premiere Pro, as well as local models like LTX (a model based on video rendering in physical space) and FLUX, a text-to-image model.

Lenovo is keeping the price and release date under wraps. The price, the company's press release says, will come at launch, but when that is isn't detailed. Previously, Nvidia announced that RTX Spark would release this fall.

The arrival of the MacBook Neo seems to have reminded other PC makers that people like color (and relative affordability), and the IdeaPad Vibe line appears to be Lenovo’s answer to both. Starting at $699 when they arrive later this year and offered in 14- or 15-inch screen sizes, the laptops will feature seven color options and either an all-metal chassis or a metal lid and keyboard deck, with a plastic bottom. In a twist, the company will also offer swappable keycaps (pretty uncommon in the laptop space) that can either match your laptop’s color or veer away from it for some striking contrast.

Lenovo says the laptops will start at 1.3kg (2.87 pounds), offer up to 24GB or 32GB of RAM (more with the AMD-based models, where you can also opt for a larger 65 WHr battery), and feature either 120 Hz IPS or OLED screens. Oddly, the OLED options will only be offered in the most subdued hues – lowkey gray and moody blue.

Internally, the Vibes feature two M.2 SSD slots and will be offered with either Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X or AMD’s Ryzen AI 400, and a 50 WHr battery as standard. Lenovo easily beats the MacBook Neo and Dell’s XPS 13 on ports, offering two USB Type-A and two Type-C ports (though they are all capped at 5 GB/s), along with HDMI, a headphone jack, and a microSD card slot.

Of course, given that both the AMD and Qualcomm chips feature prominent NPUs, Lenovo is also pushing its cross-platform Qira AI (also offered in Motorola phones), which the company says “features Workato-powered connections such as email, calendar, and collaboration services, helping users find relevant information and move from intent to action through natural-language requests with less app switching.”

Lenovo notes that Qira will only be offered “on select configurations,” and RAM is listed across the lineup simply as “up to 24GB.” Given the high price of memory these days, the $699 starting configs will almost certainly ship with just 8GB of RAM. So don’t expect the lower-end configurations to be particularly friendly when it comes to local AI tasks.

Lenovo says the AMD-based IdeaPad Vibe laptops will arrive first, starting in October, while Snapdragon models will land in November. And the company promises Intel options as well, arriving at an as-yet undisclosed date.

If you like the colors offered on the Vibe line, but don’t need portability, Lenovo will also be offering its IdeaCentre AIO i with Intel Core Series 3 CPUs and a 27-inch screen in similar colors. It will ship with a matching keyboard and mouse, starting at $939 in November.

Lenovo has a history of bringing concept laptops to the IFA trade show in Berlin, and this year’s pair are all about improving productivity and portability. They also feel closer to something you might actually buy than some concepts we’ve seen in the past.

First up, Project AeroBlade is a 14-inch laptop where, as the company’s press release puts it, “every component is re-engineered around mobility.” For starters, the laptop foregoes fans in favor of Frore Systems’ AirJet solid-state cooling tech, which uses piezoelectric membranes that vibrate ultrasonically, beyond the range of human hearing. There are four AirJet Mini modules here, which is three more than the single AirJet Mini we saw in Intel’s Wildcat Lake reference design back at Computex earlier this year. That should mean much better sustained performance than we’ve seen from passively cooled PCs in the past.

Frore System’s latest AirJet Mini modules are rated to dissipate 7.5 watts of heat, giving the AeroBlade laptop 30 watts of active heat dissipation. This pairs well with the 17-30W-TDP Intel Lunar Lake silicon Lenovo is using in this concept. The more recent Wildcat Lake chips are rated from 15-35W, so should also fare reasonably well with a similar solid-state cooling setup.

Project AeroBlade also uses a tiny motherboard, which, along with a magnesium-aluminum frame, results in a laptop that is just 0.39 inches (10 mm) thick and weighs less than 1.83 pounds (830 grams). The slimness means you’ll have to live on USB-C /Thunderbolt 4 ports alone, but the laptop includes three of them, along with an OLED screen and Wi-Fi 7.

The company is using Intel’s Lunar Lake here, but of course, if the concepts behind this design eventually become a laptop you can buy, it will ship with a more modern CPU. I’d love to see what kind of performance and battery life Wildcat or Panther Lake could deliver in this svelte laptop form factor.

The company is using Intel’s Lunar Lake here, but of course, if the concepts behind this design eventually become a laptop you can buy, it will ship with a more modern CPU. I’d love to see what kind of performance and battery life Wildcat or Panther Lake could deliver in this svelte laptop form factor.

A 17-inch screen in a 14-inch laptop

Project Swan sees Lenovo return to its rollable-screen ambitions, this time with a concept that at once feels more modest, mainstream, and achievable than previous attempts. Housed in a mostly standard-looking 14-inch ThinkBook chassis, the screen expands at the press of a button into a 17-inch, 16:9 display with a 2850 x 1672 resolution. That’s not quite 16:9, but there’s likely some small amount of the rollable OLED display that remains off the visible screen in this concept design.

As you would expect, this isn’t the thinnest or lightest 14-inch laptop, weighing in at 3.53 pounds (1.6kg) and measuring 0.7 inches (17.9 mm) thick. The extra bulk lives in the lid, which needs to house the rollable display mechanism, as well as bezels that expand out the sides. As is usually the case with these devices, the motor mechanism is louder than would likely be acceptable in a finished product, but at least it worked flawlessly during several open and close cycles – which is not always the case with concepts like this.

Hopefully Lenovo can shrink the required screen hardware slightly if a version of this design gets incorporated into a laptop you can actually buy. Because while I don’t love the extra bulk, the idea of a compact 14-inch laptop that can give me a 17-inch screen on the go is very appealing.

Nvidia is finally getting more specific about the launch of the RTX Spark. The chip, which it is now officially calling the "N1X," will launch in laptops in October and come in two configurations.

The more powerful option will mix a 20-core Grace CPU with a 6,144-core Blackwell GPU, and come with between 24 and 128GB of unified memory. The other variation uses an 18-core CPU and a cut-down 5,120-core Blackwell GPU with between 24 and 32GB of unified memory. That version will only be in laptops.

There's a lot that Nvidia hasn't specified outside of core counts and memory support, but with the chip launching next month, we're sure to find out more, either through Nvidia or OEMs, soon enough.

Nvidia made the announcement ahead of IFA in Berlin, where Lenovo and Acer announced new systems with Nvidia's new chips. Lenovo debuted the Yoga 9n 2-in-1 laptop, while Acer is debuting the SFF RTX Spark, a mini desktop. As of this writing, neither has pricing.

Further systems will come from Asus, Dell, MSI, HP, and Microsoft, the latter of which debuted the flagship Surface Laptop Ultra at Computex this year. These systems are being pushed as laptops and mini PCs meant primarily for agentic AI, though Nvidia has also demonstrated its gaming prowess in demos. We'll need to get our hands on these to test both scenarios. The company is also promising "all-day battery life," another claim we'll need to test.

The use of the N1X name has occurred in leaks, but this is the first time Nvidia has used it publicly. This suggests a separate, lower-end N1 chip may exist and be released down the line.

It's unclear exactly which devices will launch in October and which might come out later in the year. It's likely that that information will come soon, now that Nvidia has chosen a month. We'll also have to see if Microsoft's Agent Framework, which lets agents run in the background under control of the operating system, is ready in Windows by then.

Nvidia's unified memory approach is similar to the one popularized by Apple in its M-series chips, including the recently announced M6 and M5 Ultra, which also uses an Arm instruction set. On the x86 side, AMD's Strix Halo (and upcoming Gorgon Halo) also use unified memory.

The launch of these chips will also break Qualcomm's exclusivity on Windows on Arm, bringing a major new silicon vendor into the ecosystem, and possibly more partnerships from application developers eager to use Nvidia's tools.

AMD's Gorgon Halo is breaking cover at IFA. Ahead of the show, Lenovo revealed the ThinkCentre X Ultra with up to an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495 processor, with an integrated AMD Radeon 8065S GPU, and 128GB of RAM.

The system is set to release in November 2026 with an "expected" starting price of $3,669, which is surely not for the top-end model.

The system is fairly compact at 7.2 x 7.2 x 2 inches, about two inches longer than a Mac Mini on either side. The front of the system features two 10GBps USB-C ports and a headphone jack. The back boasts DisplayPort 2.1 and HDMI 2.1, two 10GBps USB Type-A ports, a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB 40GBps, rare on AMD platforms), a 10Gb Ethernet jack, and a punch-out port to add additional output. Lighting on the system that you can see through the front air intakes shows the system status at a glance.

Lenovo is offering both Linux and Windows options. The system will come with AMD Ryzen AI Developer Center, which includes preconfigured AI models and tools, as well as example workflows to use. Up to four ThinkCentre X Ultras can be used in a cluster to run larger models, more agents, extra requests, or longer context windows.

Lenovo and AMD are set to have some competition in the mini PC space this year, as Nvidia is launching systems with its RTX Spark from OEM companies sometime this fall.

Many a 20th-century PC enthusiast’s first taste of computing came through the purchase of a Packard Bell pre-built, for rosy-tinted-spectacles good or scarred-for-life bad. It was a huge player in the mid-90s, with over 45% retail market share in the U.S. at its peak. Now Packard Bell is back, under the wing of Acer at IFA 2026, with the Taiwanese PC maker’s unveiling of the Dot family, including a laptop, headphones, input peripherals, and more. However, Packard Bell products will be European market exclusives for now, reports ComputerBase (machine translation).

The Dot series of products, including the headlining DotBook 14, are aimed at the cheap and cheerful end of the market, and it looks like they intend to cut through with quirky and vibrant designs. “Who needs a Formula 1 car for shopping?” asks Acer / Packard Bell on the official product page.

Looking more closely at this laptop’s hardware, it is a 14.5-inch model powered by a last-gen Intel Twin Lake chip.

The Intel Twin Lake processor seems decent, with eight cores (all E-Cores) and running up to 3.9 GHz. The relatively poor touted 7-hour battery life is partly due to a smallish battery.

Design rather than tech specs will likely be an aspect of the DotBook that catches the eyes of laptop buyers. Acer shows off a bright orange clamshell design. The curious orange-among-the-white keys are the Escape, Enter, P, and B keys – does it make some sense now?

The price of the new Packard Bell DotBook 14 looks a little high considering the specs. We’ve seen sources suggesting a €499 price tag, which is roughly $580. But remember European prices include applicable sales tax so the price you see is what you pay. We note that cheap, performant, new Wildcat Lake laptops such as the Chuwi UniBook we reviewed are already around to spoil the DotBook party. Chuwi’s laptop costs $449 and ran for over 14 hours of battery life in our tests. Maybe our nostalgic U.S. readers should not be upset the DotBook is Europe-only.

Other Packard Bell Dot products showcased at IFA include colorful keyboards and mice. There are also some Dot headphones, speakers, a feature phone, a ring light, a food steamer, and even a turntable, for some reason. Mr. Leon Packard and Mr. Herb Bell could never have foreseen such gadgets when the corporation was originally founded nearly 100 years ago.

Names like Sugon or Hygon may not appear on lists of the best CPUs since they often fly under the radar. However, that does not mean they are not making substantial strides in China. According to the latest ITHome report, Sugon has recently teased an upcoming mobile workstation (MWS) designed to push the boundaries of AI performance. The next-generation device boasts a powerful domestic 64-thread processor paired with 16GB of VRAM, a combination that delivers up to 50 tokens per second on local 35B MoE AI models.

Sugon’s device is closer to a traditional laptop form factor rather than those pseudo-portable workstations we have seen over the years that look more like a desktop stuffed inside a suitcase. The mobile workstation is 0.665 inches (16.9 mm) thick, so it is right in line with the thin and lightweight premium laptop category, only slightly thicker than ultrabooks.

Sugon, a prominent Chinese supercomputer manufacturer, does not actually produce processors. Last year, Sugon attempted to merge with Hygon, which originated from a joint venture between AMD and Chinese partners, in hopes of creating a domestic server superpower to rival global giants such as HPE and Dell, but the deal did not go through. Nonetheless, the failed merger did not alter the already close relationship between Sugon and Hygon, with the former already being the latter's largest shareholder.

Sugon did not officially disclose which processor will power the mobile workstation. However, the manufacturer will likely source it from its long-time partner, Hygon. Sadly, knowing the chip has 64 threads does not give us a complete picture of which processor model is inside Sugon's device. For several years, Hygon has offered processors with designs up to 32 cores and 64 threads. Four generations of Hygon chips, spanning from the C86-1G to the C86-4G series, leveraged licensed Zen IP from AMD.

Alternatively, Sugon’s mobile workstation may tap Hygon's latest C86-5G chips. These processors are particularly interesting because Hygon claims they utilize a “new self-developed microarchitecture,” signaling the departure from AMD's Zen microarchitecture. The new C86-5G series, which supports AVX-512, features a four-way simultaneous multithreading (SMT4) configuration, or in other words, four threads per core. If Sugon’s mobile workstation is indeed equipped with one of these chips, it would likely be a 16-core, 64-thread configuration that could provide decent processing power for AI.

The small teaser specifically highlights the inclusion of 16GB of VRAM. The small detail clearly indicates the mobile workstation will come equipped with a discrete graphics card instead of integrated graphics. According to the vendor, the combination of the 64-thread processor and the mysterious 16GB discrete graphics card will deliver AI inference performance that is between 3X and 5X faster than mainstream products currently available on the market.

The performance figures being thrown around are up to 50 tokens per second when running a massive 35-billion-parameter Mixture of Experts (MoE) model locally. By comparison, standard cloud APIs typically offer throughput ranging from 30 to 80 tokens per second. If Sugon can deliver on its promise, its mobile workstation could be a true game-changer for AI workloads.

Sugon has not revealed the availability or pricing for the forthcoming mobile workstation. Given the current pricing for memory and storage products, we expect the mobile workstation to cost a small fortune.

Following Acer's release of the budget-oriented Acer Swift Air 14, the company is now releasing more thin systems based on Intel's Wildcat Lake chips to build out its mid-level offerings. Ahead of IFA, Acer debuted the Swift Blade 14, weighing in at just 799 grams (1.76 pounds), as well as a 16-inch Swift Air.

Swift Blade is a new sub-brand for the Swift line. To achieve featherweight status, the chassis is a mix of aluminum-magnesium alloy and carbon fiber. The laptop is 0.51 inches at its thinnest, so you likely won't notice it in a backpack. The system will come in two colors: marshmallow white and marshmallow blue.

The Blade 14 uses Intel's Wildcat Lake chips, ranging from the Core 3 304 all the way up to the Core 7 350, along with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM. Its ports include three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C ports (one of which is solely for data transfer) and a headphone jack.

The Acer Swift Air 16 is largely a bigger version of the Swift Air 14 it announced at Computex, though you'll also get an OLED display and quad-speaker audio. This system will come in three colors: elemental blue, sage green, and sandstone gold, though in the US, the 14-inch version only ended up shipping in sage. It has many of the benefits the 14-inch version, including an aluminum build, Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a 100W power adapter.

Both systems will come with a variety of OLED and IPS LCD screen options.

Both the Swift Blade 14 and Swift Air 16 are set to launch in North America in the first quarter of 2027, but they'll ship in December in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Dell has been spending its year taking on the MacBook Neo and settling in as a staunch advocate of the mid-range laptop. The Dell XPS 13 debuted at $699 to take on Apple's budget device with a higher end screen and lighter chassis, but ahead of IFA, Dell has a new strategy: colors.

The company announced the new Dell 14S (model DS14270), which, like the XPS 13, it's aiming at students and young adults and professionals looking for an "accessible" price tag. The system comes in four color options: linen (a light gold), dusty rose (a subtle pink), washed denim (a light sky blue), and velvet green (a barely teal shade).

"Color is not simply a finishing touch on the Dell 14S," Dell head of product Matt McGowan said in a press briefing ahead of the announcement. "It is the design story." The system is made of aluminum and starts at 2.65 pounds (1.15 kg). It measures 0.48 inches (12.21) mm at the thinnest point and 0.58 inches (13.5 mm) at the thickest.

Dell claims the 14S is the first laptop with a 750 ED PNCM battery (an optional upgrade), with a cell that stays cool and discharges more slowly. McGowan promised 21 hours of Netflix streaming.

The 14S has more ports than the XPS 13, including two 10Gbps USB-C ports, an HDMI output, and a headphone jack. The XPS 13 only features a pair of USB-C ports. But where the XPS 13 has Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 for wireless connectivity, the 14S relies on older Wi-Fi 6 and 6E standards, as well as older variants of Bluetooth 5.

The base 1920 x 1200 display is lower-resolution than the Dell XPS 13 (and lacks touch), but the high-end 2880 x 1800 version surpasses the XPS, further entangling the commonalities between the budget systems.

The Dell 14S will launch later this fall, with Dell promising pricing will be announced closer to availability. McGowan said to expect the 14S to be "priced complimentary to the XPS 13."

Alienware’s 16X Aurora (starts at $1,979.99) isn’t just another spec-sheet powerhouse – it’s a statement in restraint. Alienware has shifted toward performance-first minimalism with a cleaner, RGB-free chassis, but it doesn’t compromise on the specs: a 16-inch OLED display running at a blistering 240 Hz, Intel’s Core Ultra HX-series CPU, and Nvidia’s latest RTX 50-series graphics. While its bulk and limited battery life prevents it from being a great travel companion, the Aurora’s overall competence make it worth your attention.

Design of the Alienware 16X Aurora

The Aurora is a discreet gaming laptop. Aside from its nearly inch-thick profile, it does little to distinguish itself. Alienware’s “interstellar indigo” chassis is plain, and the iconic Alien head on the lid is hard to see against it. Unlike many previous-generation Alienware laptops, this one has no external lighting.

Alienware’s build quality is substantial, with aluminum top and bottom panels. A magnesium internal frame keeps the laptop rigid, though the lid can still be opened one-handed. Rounded edges on the bottom of the chassis make the Aurora comfortable to transport, though at 5.66 pounds, it’s a handful. Acer’s Nitro V 16S AI (4.55 pounds) and Gigabyte’s Aero X16 (4.2 pounds) are much lighter.

Alienware’s port selection spreads across the left and rear edges: Thunderbolt 4, USB-C (10 Gbps), two USB-A (5 Gbps), HDMI 2.1, Ethernet, and an audio jack. Having some connections on the back, particularly the barrel-style power connector, preserves mouse space. Internally, the Aurora includes Wi-Fi 7 courtesy of a MediaTek MT7925 card.

Alienware 16X Aurora Specifications

Gaming and Graphics on the Alienware 16X Aurora

We tested the 16X Aurora in its entry-level configuration, featuring a Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus processor, a GeForce RTX 5060 GPU, and 16GB of dual-channel DDR5-5600 RAM.

I saw between 60 and 70 frames per second (fps) playing 007 First Light at 2560 x 1600 with medium settings and DLSS (but not frame generation). The game ran smoothly and didn’t stutter.

For performance comparisons, the Aurora faced the Acer Nitro V 16S AI (Ryzen 7 260, RTX 5060 85 W, $1,299.99 when tested), the Asus TUF Gaming F16 (Core i7-14650HX, RTX 5050 115 W, $1,199.99), and the Gigabyte Aero X16 (Ryzen AI 7 350, RTX 5070 85 W, $1,899.99).

Our comparisons will focus on the 1920 x 1080 resolution. We also included results at each laptop's native resolution: 2560 x 1600 for our Aurora as well as the Gigabyte Aero X16, and 1920 x 1200 for the Acer Nitro and Asus TUF units.

The Aurora 16X is competitive but doesn't stand out in this group. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Far Cry 6, and Borderlands 3, it performed 20 to 25% better than the RTX 5060-powered Acer and RTX 5050-powered Asus, but those two surprisingly did better in Cyberpunk 2077 and matched the Aurora in Red Dead Redemption 2.

The Aurora produced varied results against the RTX 5070-powered Gigabyte; While the Aurora took a sizable lead in Far Cry 6 and matched it in Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Borderlands 3, it fell behind in Cyberpunk 2077 and Borderlands 3.

At its 2560 x 1600 native resolution, the Aurora took a drastic performance hit of around 50% from 1080p – from 111 to 64 fps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, 101 to 72 fps in Far Cry 6, 99 to 64 fps in Borderlands 3, 28 to 15 fps in Cyberpunk 2077, and 69 to 45 fps in Red Dead Redemption 2 – but, excepting Cyberpunk 2077, its performance remained playable.

To stress-test gaming laptops, we run 15 loops of the Metro Exodus benchmark at RTX settings, simulating about half an hour of gaming. The Aurora averaged 76 fps across all runs with no more than a fraction of one frame between runs. During the test, the Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus ran at 3.1 GHz on its P-cores and 2.5 GHz on its E-cores while the RTX 5060 ran at 2.48 GHz.

Productivity Performance on the Alienware 16X Aurora

Our Aurora 16X arrives with a Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD.

Powered by the Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus, the Aurora predictably outclassed these competitors, which all use previous-generation processors and/or lower-tier chips. In Geekbench 6, it took the top single-core (3,065) and multi-core (17,753) scores, distantly trailed by the Core i7-14650HX-powered Asus (2,710 and 15,013) and Ryzen AI 7 350-powered Gigabyte (2,916 and 14,074). It also clinched the leading time of 2 minutes and 25 seconds in our 4K-to-1080p Handbrake transcoding test, easily outdoing the Asus (3:33), Gigabyte (3:54), and Acer (4:32).

The Aurora also took top honors in our 25GB file transfer test, averaging 2,358.23 MBps. Acer’s Nitro V 16S AI (1,838.88 MBps), the next fastest unit, wasn’t even close.

Display on the Alienware 16X Aurora

All Aurora configurations include the same 16-inch OLED panel with a 2560 x 1600 resolution, 240 Hz refresh rate, and Nvidia G-Sync support. It’s the laptop’s standout feature, pairing the inky contrast expected from OLED with vivid color and unusually strong brightness for this panel type.

In 007 First Light, OLED added a level of depth that a lesser display wouldn’t match, giving shadow-heavy night scenes a richer, moodier look while keeping Malta’s sunlit desert environments bright and crisp. The panel’s sharpness and color also stood out while watching Avengers: Endgame, where fine details such as the nano-texture pattern on Iron Man’s suit were easy to pick out. There’s little to criticize here: the Aurora’s display is excellent.

Our lab results back that up. The Aurora peaked at 381.4 nits, which is bright for OLED and nearly tied the IPS-equipped Acer Nitro V 16S AI at 391.8 nits while nudging past the Gigabyte Aero X16’s 368.6 nits. Color coverage was also impressive, reaching 138% of DCI-P3 and topping both the Asus TUF Gaming F16 at 122.2% and the Gigabyte at 110.8%.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Alienware 16X Aurora

I nearly matched my personal best typing speed on the 16X Aurora, hitting 123 words per minute with 99% accuracy in the MonkeyType typing test. The keys have enough travel and a precise feel, but the overall typing experience is competent rather than memorable. The RGB backlighting only has one zone, and while Alienware Command Center offers effects such as breathing, morph, pulse, spectrum, and rainbow wave, the excitement is undermined by the lighting being too dim to stand out in a well-lit room.

The touchpad is similarly ordinary. It’s average-sized, with a smooth tracking surface and predictable top-hinged mechanical clicks, though those clicks are louder than I prefer.

Audio on the Alienware 16X Aurora

The Aurora’s speakers are serviceable but unremarkable. Their placement on the sides of the palm rest creates a decent stereo effect, and output is clean enough, with no obvious tinniness and adequate volume for personal listening. In Phil Collins’ “Don’t Lose My Number,” however, drum hits lacked low-end impact, even though vocals came through clearly and instrument separation was strong.

Movies and games fare better with the Dolby app’s Movie and Gaming modes since they boost the sense of surround sound and help the sound feel fuller, but the weak bass still holds back the overall experience.

Upgradeability of the Alienware 16X Aurora

The Aurora is about as upgradeable as laptops get. Opening it up is mostly straightforward - undo the Philips-head screws in the bottom cover, then use a plastic pry tool to pop the clips around the edges. Not all the screws are the same size, and the rear corners are captive and don’t come out.

Upgrades include two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots under the square black shield between the cooling fans, two M.2 2280 drive slots, an M.2 2230 wireless card, and the 96 Whr battery.

Battery Life on the Alienware 16X Aurora

Our battery testing consists of web browsing, running OpenGL tests, and streaming videos with the screen at 150 nits while connected to Wi-Fi. The Aurora’s time of 7 hours and 58 minutes is middling, outlasting only the Asus (6:57). The Gigabyte (9:13) and the Acer (10:17) both lasted several hours longer.

Heat on the Alienware 16X Aurora

During our 15-loop Metro Exodus stress test, surface temperatures on the Aurora were 101 degrees Fahrenheit (F) between the G and H keys, 83 F on the touchpad, and 101 F on the underside around the exhaust vents.

Internally, the Core Ultra 7 270HX plus averaged 67 Celsius (C) while the RTX 5060 ran at 73 C.

Webcam on the Alienware 16X Aurora

Alienware’s 1080p webcam shows slight grain and the image looks slightly over-sharpened, but the picture is well-exposed, colorful, and doesn’t blow out highlights. It’s missing a privacy shutter, but that’s not unusual for a gaming laptop. It does, however, include an IR sensor for facial recognition logins via Windows Hello.

Software and Warranty on the Alienware 16X Aurora

The Aurora’s main app is Alienware Command Center, which brings system monitoring, power profiles, keyboard lighting, and game library management into one place. Its power presets cover battery, quiet, balanced, and performance modes, while AlienFX handles the single-zone RGB keyboard effects. The app also links out to Dolby for audio tuning. Dell SupportAssist is also included for support access and system updates.

The laptop is backed by a one-year warranty.

Alienware 16X Aurora Configurations

We tested the 16X Aurora in a mildly upgraded configuration, which pairs a Core Ultra 7 270HX processor with an RTX 5060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. It retails for $2,279.99 from Dell, though I saw it as low as $1,679.99 during our review period. The base model drops to a 512GB SSD and retails for $1,529.99.

Available upgrades include a Core Ultra 9 290HX CPU and RTX 5070 or RTX 5070 Ti graphics. Adding both the Ultra 9 and the 5070 Ti pushes the price to $3,029.99. The memory tops out at 64GB (two 32GB modules) and storage drives are available up to 4TB (two 2TB drives in RAID 0).

Standard features across all models include the 16-inch 2560 x 1600 OLED display, 96 Whr battery, single-zone keyboard backlighting, and Wi-Fi 7.

Dell’s pricing seems to align with the market – I found various other gaming laptops featuring a Core HX-class CPU, a premium screen, and an RTX 5060 or RTX 5070 for within about $100 of what the Aurora commanded.

Bottom Line

The Alienware 16X Aurora is a highly competent gaming laptop with a clear highlight: its superb 16-inch OLED display. It pairs solid gaming performance with reassuring build quality, practical connectivity, and strong upgradeability, while avoiding any major pitfalls. Portability is the main tradeoff, as its weight, size, and middling battery life make it feel more like a desktop replacement than an everyday carry than something like the Razer Blade 16. But if you want a sturdy, capable 16-inch gaming system with a gorgeous screen and few real compromises, the Aurora is easy to recommend.

A great deal on an OLED gaming laptop could be yours, if you're quick. This Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI machine has dropped to just $1,899.99 right now, giving you a machine capable of X, thanks to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti included within. Powerful GPU aside, this 16-inch laptop also ships with 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD, with this deal saving you $300 on its usual price thanks to Best Buy's Labor Day sale.

● Check out this deal at Best Buy

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI features an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti laptop GPU with 12GB of fast GDDR7 VRAM, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD. This is a high-end spec sheet built with gaming in mind. The 16-inch display is one of the big MVP's here, though, with an insanely fast 240Hz refresh rate on a gorgeous-looking OLED panel that'll make games look stunningly vibrant.

You simply won't find a better alternative for gaming on a laptop than an OLED panel like this one, either. OLED's are fast, with near-instantaneous response times and infinite contrast ratios that give a depth and clarity to the colors on your screen that a traditional LCD can't really match.

For gaming, the mobile version of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is still powerful, even if it doesn't quite match the desktop version. It still has 12GB of VRAM, however, which will mean you can easily hit high frame rates at the OLED display's native 2,560 x 1,600 resolution, along with a pared-down count of 5,888 CUDA cores. You'll be able to manage high and ultra graphics presets in the most intensive games, with Nvidia DLSS support helping in a crunch, thanks to multi-frame generation.

32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD means you're not compromising on storage or memory with this Acer gaming laptop, despite the AI price boom affecting the entire market this year. Both are more than enough to handle the demands of modern gaming, along with any productivity work you might need to complete. You're also getting the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, which has 24 cores, eight of which are the best-for-gaming performance cores.

You're getting a mix of plastic and metal with this laptop's chassis, all-black with RGB lighting, with customizable zones all over. You've got longevity with this build, too, with two DDR5 RAM slots that support up to 64GB, along with two M.2 slots. It's thin and lightweight, weighing just 5lbs with a thickness of just 19mm. You get a good amount of ports, too, including USB-C, and USB-A, along with Ethernet and HDMI. Wireless connectivity is included with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4, with a 76Wh battery that Acer claims will last almost all day long.

The $1,899.99 sale price for this 16-inch Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI gaming laptop is a seriously good one in the current market. Less than $2,000 for an OLED gaming laptop, especially with these specs, is a deal that you'll struggle to match elsewhere. This Best Buy Labor Day sale discount is set to run out by September 7, but with a deal this good, expect it to sell out before then.

Asus has been putting liquid metal on mobile dies used in its laptops for a few years at this point. Liquid metal as a TIM has its place, but it's a highly inconsistent solution to a problem that can be solved by other materials. Such was the case with u/nicknickmeetnick, whose Zephyrus M16 gaming laptop was overheating and restarting on its own. Turns out, the instability came from an issue born from the factory — the liquid metal applied on the CPU had slowly eaten away at the heatsink and almost reached the silicon itself.

The post above explains the ordeal in detail and how the user ultimately fixed their problems. The laptop in question is a Zephyrus M16 model from 2022 with an Intel Core i9-12900H processor that was bought just over three years ago. During this period, the laptop was mostly used for lightweight tasks instead of gaming or anything that'd stress it. However, as of late, Nick started to run into various issues where his laptop would overheat and thermal throttle to the point of hard-crashing. Before it'd crash, performance in games would already be degraded.

Nick felt his machine was getting warmer than usual, so he ordered some PTM7950 phase change material to repaste the aging hardware. He was ready to use GD900 thermal paste, but upon opening the laptop, he discovered something shocking. The liquid metal on the CPU was so poorly applied that the overheating processor made some of the liquid metal burn onto the heatsink. Underneath, there's only a thin lid that protects the silicon, and Asus applies liquid metal on top of that as well. The metal here had also spilled out of its dedicated cavity.

We don't need to tell you why that would be a devastating and instantaneous catastrophe. Liquid metal is electrically conductive, which means if it comes into contact with surrounding componentry, it can create microbridges that will short anything in the way. Asus, however, seems to be mixing some abrasive chemicals into the liquid metal to make it more adhesive, such that it sticks to the die better. Unfortunately, these chemicals eat away at the metal over time and cause corrosion.

That's ostensibly what wore out the heatsink and almost the lid underneath as well. Had the user waited for just a while longer, the liquid metal could've seeped onto the die itself. Thankfully, the rogue TIM was removed just in time, but even that process was quite interesting. The OP explained how he used dried cotton to manipulate the existing liquid metal into sanding away the corrosion before taking everything out. For that, he used lots of isopropyl alcohol with cotton sticks to form the liquid metal into a blob that was easy to pluck away with painter's tape.

Once the CPU was nice and clean (well, as clean as possible), OP re-applied GD900 thermal paste and closed everything back up. Right away, the temperatures improved tenfold, and the laptop ran much cooler. Remember, the PTM7950 hasn't even arrived yet, so it will only get better from here. The random reboots stopped, and the only game Nick plays with his kids is now running three times as smoothly. Removing the liquid metal tripled his FPS and restored the Zephyrus M16 to its full glory.

He advised others to do the same. In fact, he suggests banning liquid metal entirely from electronics. It shouldn't be used in laptops to begin with since they're portable devices that move a lot, but even discrete GPUs that sit still for years face problems. This wasn't an isolated case either. A simple Google search returned a dozen different posts on Reddit about liquid metal woes on Asus laptops, which just goes to show that automated, assembly-line liquid metal application is still not perfect.

An enterprising founder and indie hacker has successfully pre-sold enough advertisement sticker space on his dream MacBook’s lid to raise 111% of the laptop’s retail price. Vincent, AKA @VynseDev on Twitter/X, has so far raised $3,274 across a total of 10 sticker positions. With over 12 days of the auction remaining, it isn’t beyond the realm of possibility that the cheeky Bordeaux-based chancer could raise enough for several laptops.

Vincent admits that his Brand My Mac project isn’t an original idea. In a follow-up Tweet, the founder tips his hat to prior projects like Outbid by Jonathan Wilke and BrandMyTesla from Im Bulent. We also recall money-spinning digital online experiments in a similar vein, like the Million Dollar Homepage, and perhaps even the whole NFT industry.

However, the fact that these projects get column inches in media coverage shows that the auctioned advertising space isn’t just seen on Vincent’s new MacBook “both online and IRL.” Advertisers also might get their logos seen in articles like this, as well as in subsequent coverage that comes at the end of the auction.

While logos in the video are obviously placeholders, as Vincent also mentions on social media, the Brand My Mac website shows the current 10 leading bidders’ logos and positions in a rendered Apple laptop. Also on the dedicated auction website, you can see the current winning bid for each spot. Note that some spots command far higher premiums than others, and on either side of the immutable Apple logo there are a pair of half-sized slots.

The prime advertising real estate area of a laptop lid seems to be at the top-middle position, above the Apple logo. Currently, the leader here is RISTI with its bid of $761. For the fee, and by our understanding of the FAQ, Vincent will print and apply a “die-cut vinyl sticker of your logo” in the position you secure. A link on the Brand My Mac website is also thrown in. If you are interested in bidding, you must at least beat the current bid by €10 ($11.65).

With this latest ‘Brand My’ project going viral and already a surefire success, there are some copycat endeavors popping up. Actually, Vincent sees copycats as an opportunity so has decided to create a waitlist for followers to highlight any machine, at any price. Then Vincent’s backend build will have you covered: “the sticker spots, the auction, and everything else is handled for you,” says the enterprising founder and indie hacker.

Finding a good budget laptop under $500 has always been challenging, and rising component costs have pushed even the most basic models over that mark. Chuwi’s UniBook, for $449, looks tempting on paper, pairing Intel's latest entry-level Core processor with a thin metal chassis, a backlit keyboard, and more ports than many of the best laptops. But as with most bargain notebooks, the question is whether spending more is worthwhile, and our overall experience is that the extra you’d spend for the Dell XPS 13 or MacBook Neo gets you a markedly better laptop experience.

Design of the Chuwi UniBook

The UniBook looks more expensive than its $449 price tag suggests. Its aluminum alloy lid and bottom cover give it clean, modern look, while the slim profile helps it blend in with far more expensive ultraportables. It feels solid, with little evidence of flex.

Its compact 0.65-inch profile and 2.64-pound weight make it easy to slip into a bag, and its understated design would look at home in almost any environment. Both the MacBook Neo and the Dell XPS 13 are thinner, and the latter considerably lighter (2.2 pounds), but both are more expensive.

Port selection is the biggest surprise. While many thin-and-light laptops reduce connectivity, Chuwi went the opposite direction, with two USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 ports (both supporting power delivery and DisplayPort), three USB-A ports (two 3.2 Gen 1 and one 2.0), HDMI 1.4b, Gigabit Ethernet, an audio jack, and even a micoSD card slot. Compare this to the USB-C-only selection on the MacBook Neo (which also features a headphone jack) and XPS 13.

Internally, the UniBook’s Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 standards aren’t the newest, but are perfectly adequate for this laptop’s intended use.

Chuwi UniBook Specifications

Productivity Performance on the Chuwi UniBook

We evaluated the Chuwi UniBook with an Intel Core 3 304 processor, Intel Graphics, 8GB of LPDDR5-6400 memory, and a 256GB PCIe 3.0 SSD.

Our comparison lineup consists of the Apple MacBook Neo and Dell XPS 13. Both laptops start at $699.99 before education discounts, and pack more powerful hardware. The UniBook’s Core 3 304 processor, featuring one performance core and a 4.3 GHz boost, is at a disadvantage next to the Dell’s Core 5 320 processor, which offers two performance cores and a 4.6 GHz boost. Meanwhile, the MacBook Neo uses a smartphone-grade but very capable A18 Pro chip.

The UniBook trailed the XPS 13 and MacBook Neo across the board. Some of this was expected – for instance, its Geekbench multi-core score of 5,889 points was well south of the XPS 13’s 7,952 and the MacBook Neo’s 8,920, a product of its weaker CPU. This followed into its last-place Handbrake showing.

However, its 294 MBps average speed in our 25GB file transfer test was particularly low even for a budget laptop, with less than half the throughput of the MacBook Neo and not even one quarter of the XPS 13’s. You could tell on paper this would happen, givenit's using the older PCIe 3.0 technology.

In daily use, the slow storage drive and single performance core didn’t hamper basic usage. The laptop booted without delay and webpages loaded quickly. With just 8GB of RAM (which can’t be upgraded), multitasking will be limited, but this laptop isn’t aimed at power users.

We normally run 10 loops of Cinebench 2024 or 2026 to stress-test productivity laptops, but both refused to run the UniBook – 2024 cited a GPU memory allocation issue and 2026 crashed at startup. The system’s 8GB of RAM may have been the culprit. As an alternative, we reran our Handbrake video transcoding test. During the test, the Core 3 304 operated at average frequencies of 3.46 GHz on its P-core and 3.1 GHz on its E-cores.

Display on the Chuwi UniBook

The UniBook’s 14-inch, 1920 x 1200 display is serviceable, but it’s also one of the clearest reminders that this is a budget laptop. Though its IPS technology provides wide viewing angles and it benefits from a practical anti-glare surface, dull colors and lack of contrast produce a washed-out picture. Brightness is adequate for indoor use only. In Captain America: Civil War, scenes that should have looked bright and punchy instead appeared subdued, with colors that felt muted rather than lively. For instance, the red on Captain America’s shield skewed more towards orange than red.

The UniBook’s panel covered just 62% of the sRGB color gamut and less than half of DCI-P3, putting it well behind the MacBook Neo and Dell XPS 13. Brightness was also modest at 298.8 nits, more than enough for typical indoor work but not ideal near bright windows or outdoors. For writing, browsing, and streaming casual video, the display is acceptable; for anything else, it is a compromise.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the Chuwi UniBook

The UniBook's keyboard is one of its highlights. Chuwi includes white backlighting, a welcome addition that's often omitted on budget laptops. (Notably, it’s missing from the MacBook Neo.) The keys are comfortably sized and spaced, making it easy to settle into a comfortable typing rhythm. I reached 120 words per minute with perfect accuracy on Monkeytype during my initial run – it felt predictable and responsive, though some keys exhibited occasional rattling that detracted from an otherwise positive typing experience.

The touchpad is compact but responsive and accurate. Its main drawback is the loud mechanical click mechanism, which is noisier than I expected and can become noticeable in quiet environments. Everyone within earshot will know you’re clicking. Otherwise, using the touchpad is comfortable and predictable.

Audio on the Chuwi UniBook

Audio performance is one of the UniBook’s weaker areas. While usable for voice calls, with sufficient volume and clarity, they struggle with entertainment. The sound is thin and lacks bass response, leaving music sounding flat and lacking impact. Listening to Phil Collins’ “Don’t Lose My Number”, for example, I heard almost no bass and the vocals lacked depth. The laptop doesn’t include an audio tuning app with equalizers.

Speaker positioning is also a problem. Because the speakers fire downward from the underside of the chassis near the palm rests, they only perform well when the laptop is on a hard surface. The sound is noticeably muffled if the laptop is in your lap or on a couch or bed.

Upgradeability of the Chuwi UniBook

The Chuwi UniBook offers reasonable upgradeability: the M.2 2280 SSD, M.2 2230 wireless card, and battery can all be changed out by removing the bottom panel. Removing the panel is straightforward, though two different sizes of Philips-head screws are used. The clips on the back edge can then be popped using a plastic pry tool, followed by the sides.

Battery Life on the Chuwi UniBook

Our battery testing consists of web browsing, running OpenGL tests, and streaming videos with the screen at 150 nits while connected to Wi-Fi. The UniBook’s time of 14 hours and 14 minutes is an excellent result for a budget laptop. It practically tied the XPS 13 (14:28) and nosed past the MacBook Neo (13:28).

Heat on the Chuwi UniBook

We normally measure peak laptop surface temperatures while running 10 loops of Cinebench, but that benchmark wouldn’t run on the UniBook. We substituted it with our Handbrake video transcoding test, which fully stressed the CPU for about 12 minutes. The UniBook’s surfaces didn’t stray far from room temperature – we recorded 80 degrees Fahrenheit on the touchpad, 88 F between the keyboard G and H keys, and 92 F on the bottom near the exhaust vents.

Internally, the Core 3 304 ran at an average temperature of 73 degrees Celsius. The exhaust fan was audible but restrained.

Webcam on the Chuwi UniBook

Chuwi’s webcam isn’t great – with just a 720p sensor, images have a soft focus and lack detail. I couldn’t read my wristwatch when I held it more than two feet away. On the bright side, it does offer a privacy shutter, which sometimes even pricier laptops leave out.

Software and Warranty on the Chuwi UniBook

Beyond the usual apps included with Windows 11 Home, Chuwi preloads no other software onto the UniBook.

The laptop is backed by a one-year warranty. Sending the laptop for warranty repairs could prove costly as it will need to be shipped to Hong Kong or Germany at the owners’ expense. (See Chuwi’s warranty policy.)

Chuwi UniBook Configurations

We reviewed the Chuwi UniBook featuring a Core 3 304 processor, Intel Graphics, 8GB of LPDDR5 memory, a 256GB SSD, and a 14-inch IPS 1080p display. It was listed at $449 on Chuwi’s online store at the time of this review, discounted from its $569 MSRP.A second configuration with an Intel Core 5 315, 12GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and a 1080p display that the company claims will cover 100% of the sRGB gamut was listed late in our testing process. As of this writing, the company told us this system is in production but doesn't have a price or release date.

Bottom Line

For buyers seeking a basic ultraportable, the Chuwi UniBook gets a few of the fundamentals right. Solid port selection and respectable battery life stand out in a price bracket where there are typically many compromises. Unfortunately, the compromises stack too quickly: performance that trails far behind machines like the Dell XPS 13 and MacBook Neo, a below-average display, weak speakers and webcam, and the ongoing risk of costly out‑of‑warranty repairs. So while its savings look good on paper, the many downsides and possibility of expensive service make it worthwhile to stretch your budget for a MacBook Neo or XPS 13, both of which are safer long-term investments.

A gaming laptop with an original design and a big discount could be yours. There's a huge $900 saving on this Asus ROG Flow Z13 right now, bringing the price down to $2,099.99. This rig is fit for serious gaming, but it can transform into an easy-to-use touch-screen tablet, too.

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The Asus ROG Flow Z13 comes with a 13.4-inch IPS display, offering an 180Hz refresh rate and a max resolution of 2,560 x 1,600. The display is also a touchscreen and comes with Gorilla Glass protection to help avoid damage. The laptop's design means you can switch from an ordinary laptop to a tablet orientation using the built-in kickstand.

The specs in this portable rig are pretty formidable. You're getting a 16-core AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor with integrated Radeon 8060S graphics, along with 64GB of LPDDR5X unified memory running at 8,000 MT/s and a 1TB SSD for storage. This Strix Halo CPU is a good option for gaming at 1080p, but you might need to compromise on your graphics presets to reach 1440p to keep those frame rates high.

The build quality of this Asus ROG Flow Z13 is high, too. It's constructed from a CNC-cut aluminum block for a completely solid structure, and features a lightweight stainless steel vapor chamber to efficiently dissipate heat while giving the laptop extra physical strength. Liquid metal thermal cooling helps to keep the CPU nice and cool under heavy loads while also keeping it as quiet as possible, even during heavy gaming or while using AI apps.

This 2-in-1 convertible laptop is a great option for those who are always on the go. The $2,099.99 sale price for this Asus ROG Flow Z13 laptop is a decent one in the current market, especially with RAM costs skyrocketing. Pick it up while the current discount lasts.