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Alienware m18 R2 review: A premium, beastly laptop for no-compromises gaming
Last year's Alienware m18 was already good, but the m18 R2 and its 14th-gen HX processor and RTX 4090 graphics is excellent.
Dell announced a new lineup of gaming laptops earlier this year at CES 2024, including the Alienware m18 R2. It's a gaming powerhouse with an 18-inch display that succeeds the original Alienware m18 R1. Unlike its smaller counterpart, the m16 R2, Dell didn't redesign the Alienware m18 R2 this year. Instead, the m18 R2 got a spec bump. The laptop still features Nvidia GeForce RTX 40-series graphics, but now includes the Intel 14th-generation HX processor platform. While not as flashy of an upgrade, this makes the m18 R2 — which was already an excellent performer — even better. It'll easily replace the outgoing Alienware m18 R1 as our favorite 18-inch laptop for gaming.
Lenovo Yoga 7 (2024, 14-inch) 2-in-1 review: The convertible laptop most people should buy
Lenovo's new Yoga 7 is a convertible laptop when you need it, and a great traditional laptop when you don't.
At its core, the Lenovo Yoga lineup is made up of convertibles that can serve as your tablet, laptop, and everything in between. If you don't need a convertible, you can turn to other Lenovo product lines. However, after using the company's new Yoga 7 2-in-1 laptop for over a week, I'm not sure why you would. Using the Lenovo Yoga 7 as a traditional laptop reveals few, if any, downsides that come from the convertible form factor. It works just like the normal laptop you're used to, and it only happens to have a 360-degree hinge that can morph the Yoga 7 into a tablet or stand. Plus, you get all this for under $1,000, and that's important to remember.
Lenovo LOQ 15 (15IAX9I) review: It feels like a $750 gaming laptop, but performs better
Lenovo's LOQ 15IAX9I is a $750 gaming laptop that exceeds expectations in some areas, and disappoints in others. Overall, it's a solid value pick.
Announced at CES 2024 earlier this year, Lenovo is set to shake up its lineup of budget gaming laptops next month by releasing the LOQ 15. The idea is simple: if you're on a budget and want to get into PC gaming, Lenovo wants to give you an unparalleled value proposition with the LOQ 15. It's a 15-inch gaming laptop that doesn't have the most premium design, the fastest processor or GPU, or the best-looking display. However, Lenovo has managed to make the LOQ 15 priced at just $750, and that's less than most non-gaming laptops. At that price point, if the LOQ 15 can even play games competently at decent settings and frame rates, it'll be a serious competitor for the best cheap gaming laptop title.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) review: Major redesign makes this laptop great for more than just gaming
The new ROG Zephyrus G16 is a premium laptop with mature design, appealing to anyone who wants to work and game on the same device.
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 saw a significant refresh for 2024, morphing it into a high-end, multipurpose laptop that leans toward a portable, mature design. While it's not going to offer the absolute most performance from its hardware due to size constraints, it's still going to do a great job of keeping up with professional work and gaming alike. At a time when many people are looking for one laptop to do it all, Asus has filled the demand with this redesigned PC.
HP Omen Transcend 14 (2024) review: Thin, sleek gaming laptop made for a mobile lifestyle
The new Omen Transcend 14 joins its 16-inch sibling as a more mobile gaming PC with 2.8K OLED display.
HP's Omen Transcend brand is a step up from the standard Omen gaming lineup. I reviewed the Omen Transcend 16 with 13th Gen Intel Core processor (CPU) in 2023, noting its awesome mini-LED display and robust performance as high notes. HP introduced the smaller Omen Transcend 14 at CES 2024, and it's the most compact and lightweight gaming laptop that the company has to offer.
Asus Zenbook Duo (2024) review: Proving that dual-screen laptops aren’t a gimmick
The Zenbook Duo is a far better laptop than I was expecting, and it shows that dual-screen laptops are here to stay.
I'm leaning back in my chair. A keyboard and touchpad, familiar beneath my fingers, are in my lap, but the rest of the laptop is sitting propped up on the sill of my office window.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2024) review: Big on both performance and price
A powerful machine that looks unique with its semi-transparent design.
Asus' ROG laptops have been some of our most recommended gaming laptops for quite some time and now, its 2024 lineup is looking more promising than ever. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 is one of the latest models to have landed on the Republic of Gamers land, and it's a fairly beefy laptop that ranks among the best machines with 14th Gen Intel processors and RTX 40-series laptop GPUs. I've been testing it for a couple of weeks, and I must say that it's just as powerful as I hoped it would be.
Alienware m16 R2 review: A seismic shift in direction
Don't let the name fool you. Dell's new Alienware m16 R2 is a big upgrade over R1, featuring a significant redesign — but there's still work to do.
For Dell, a second-generation revision of a product like the Alienware m16 would just be a spec bump highlighted by a new chipset. This year, the "spec bump" aspect of the Alienware m16 R2 is significant, because this great laptop is now powered by Intel's new Core Ultra 7 and Core Ultra 9 processors. But the changes between the Alienware m16 R1 and the Alienware m16 R2 go far beyond the laptops' internal components. Alienware completely redesigned the Alienware m16 R2, and changed the laptop's target audience along with it. By downsizing the laptop's overall footprint by 15% and ditching the thermal shelf, Dell now sees Alienware m16 R2 as a hybrid laptop that can be used for gaming and productivity.
Lenovo Slim 7i 14 (2024) review: A Yoga laptop for those who don’t need a convertible
The new 14-inch Slim 7i for 2024 is packed with some impressive high-end features, yet it starts at just more than $1,000.
Lenovo's Slim and Yoga branding is a tad confusing, with the latter term still being used across convertible and non-convertible laptops outside the US market. However, for the US market, Lenovo has clearly separated the convertible Yoga and non-convertible Slim lineups. You'll still see a lot of similarities between brands, but the Slim 7i 14 for 2024 is made for those who don't need a design that can convert into tent, stand, and tablet modes.
BenQ LaptopBar review: Great lighting you can take anywhere
You've heard of monitor light bars, right? Now you can bring one with you for your laptop.
Desk lamps are on the way out, and monitor light bars are on the way in. They provide full-coverage lighting for your desk without taking up any extra space on your desktop. By mounting to your monitor, these light bars stay out of your way and can connect to your monitor's USB ports for a seamless experience. BenQ makes some of the best light bars out there, and the company had the idea of making one specifically for laptops. It might seem like a strange idea, but BenQ's LaptopBar is a simplistic, feature-rich, and portable way to add light to your mobile workstation. It's easy to recommend for people who need good lighting to be productive — as long as you can stomach the $140 price tag.
Peak Design Everyday Backpack 20L review: Build the exact bag you want with superior customization
Peak Design's Everyday Backpack has been one of the best tech bags out there for a while, but how does it stack up to competition?
Peak Design's Everyday Backpack V2 20L is a storied backpack that has been loved by camera and tech professionals for years. So, is it worth the hype? For the right person, it is. I've been using the Everyday Backpack on-and-off for a few weeks now, especially in situations where I need something more than a midsize messenger or a lightweight backpack. The Everyday Backpack's calling card is its modularity, since the bulk of the bag's 20L capacity can be split up with FlexFold dividers. However, while the FlexFold dividers offer a lot of customization, they can also be somewhat limiting.
HP Spectre x360 16 (2024) review: Major changes pay off for HP's premium convertible
A 9MP webcam, improved keyboard, new speaker setup, and massive haptic touchpad are just some of the standout features.
HP is currently leading the way when it comes to the best consumer PCs, with the Spectre x360 14 (2024) topping the list of our favorite laptops. The 14-inch convertible is a fine piece of hardware, but as usual, HP offers a larger sibling with extra screen real estate, optional discrete graphics card (GPU), and some other high-end perks.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 review: A fancy meal reheated (again) for 2023
The Surface Laptop Go is back for a third generation, and it's still the 12-inch laptop to beat despite a lack of innovation.
I've reviewed Surface products before, but never any from the Laptop Go series. The Surface Laptop Go 3 is the first to land in my hands, but it's immediately recognizable as a Surface product. This goes well beyond the Microsoft logo on the lid. Surface products share the same DNA, and the Laptop Go 3 is no different, even if it's considered a budget device. It's a compact clamshell laptop with a high-end design, nimble performance, and an outstanding keyboard, and it's intended for students and young professionals who want a laptop that looks like it costs a lot more than its listed price.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12) review: More power and improved features in a smaller body
Lenovo continues to find ways to improve on a what is already the best business laptop on the market.
Lenovo's ThinkPad stable is crowned by its X1 series, which includes the X1 Carbon, X1 2-in-1, and X1 Fold. The X1 Carbon is the real workhorse of the three, appealing to professionals who have some extra money to spend on a feature-laden and portable laptop. In my ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 11) review, I noted that "after using the [laptop] steadily for about a week, I found it hard to discover any faults." That statement largely holds true here. Lenovo is still finding ways to improve the laptop in meaningful ways.
Dell XPS 16 (2024) review: The MacBook Pro of Windows
The Dell XPS 16 is like nothing you've seen before.
You'll rarely see companies get experimental with their flagship laptops, particularly their larger models. But Dell did exactly that when it revealed the new XPS 13, XPS 14, and XPS 16 at CES. They all adopt the design from the XPS 13 Plus, completely abandoning the traditional form factor we're all familiar with.
Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 review: The ThinkPad of the future is still held back by AMD
It's still my favorite ThinkPad
Lenovo's ThinkPad Z13 is my favorite of the company's business laptops. The second-generation model is very similar to the first, with only a new finish and Ryzen 7040 processors as its key upgrades.
Incase Transfer Sleeve review: There's more than meets the eye with this 13-inch laptop sleeve
The Incase Transfer Sleeve looks like a typical laptop sleeve at first glance, but it can double as a shoulder bag.
Laptop sleeves are a convenient way to give your computer an extra bit of protection before leaving the house. However, if you travel with a laptop often, you'll know there's a weird middle ground where neither a sleeve nor a bag will suffice. A sleeve is the right form factor, but you'd have to carry it the whole time you're out. On the other hand, a messenger bag or even a good laptop backpack feels like too much when all you need is a laptop.
StarTech Laptop Backpack review: A purpose-built bag for IT professionals
If you work with technology day in and day out, you'll find that the StarTech Laptop Backpack is designed in a way that will make your life easier.
Surprisingly, it can be difficult to find a great backpack for carrying technology, like computers and other accessories. There are plenty of bags made for holding things like cameras and production equipment, but it took me a while to find a good backpack that can store tons of tech and tools. If you're someone that works in technology, IT, or computer repair, you might have experienced this as well. For people working in those careers, the StarTech 15.6-inch Laptop Backpack has all the right storage needed to carry devices, tools, accessories, and more.
Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) review: It still feels like the future
Dell's new XPS 13 Plus is an incremental upgrade to an already modern take on a laptop
Dell's XPS laptops are some of the best on the market. In fact, we've got two of them on our best laptops list at the time of writing this. One of those is this very Dell XPS 13 Plus.
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 (Gen 2) review: Futuristic ThinkPad falls behind in some notable areas
The ThinkPad Z16 (Gen 2) primarily received a performance upgrade; is it enough to keep it relevant in 2024?
Lenovo gave its ThinkPad line a bit of a shakeup at CES 2022, unveiling Z13 and Z16 models with a more modern design than some of the longer-running stables. I tested the original 16-inch model and was mostly on board with the new look, and Lenovo has now sent me a second-gen refresh to test. The design and features haven't really changed compared to the first generation, with Lenovo focusing mainly on a bump to performance.