As a mechanical keyboard enthusiast, I can often tear apart keyboards to replace the switches and keycaps or install modifications. Despite customization being a core part of the growing mechanical keyboard community, brands don’t always make it easy to modify or customize their keyboards. 

Drop is embracing customization with the CSTM80, a mechanical keyboard designed to be taken apart and customized. The design is so user-friendly that even mechanical keyboard newbies will find it easy to pop open the CSTM80 and try some beginner mods. 

It’s an approach that seems uniquely aware of what mechanical keyboard fans are looking for today. Mechanical keyboards are no longer just for typing – they’re a hobby and an art, a way to express yourself through artistic keycaps and the perfect sound profile. 

Drop may be the first brand to pin down this trend since it was founded in 2012 to help keyboard enthusiasts find unique product "drops" more easily. In 2023, it was acquired by Corsair, known for its PC gaming gear, but it continues to focus on the enthusiast mechanical keyboard community. 

The Drop CSTM80 aims to make custom mechanical keyboards accessible through a unique modular design — maybe the one thing the mechanical keyboard world needed most.

But, is it too good to be true? I set out to put the CSTM80 to the test through gaming, typing, and hours of customization.

Drop CSTM80: Price and configurations

The Drop CSTM80 costs $149 and comes in two starting configurations: one with tactile Gateron Brown Pro 3.0 switches and one with linear Gateron Milky Yellow KS3 switches. Both versions include the same matte black keycaps and top case. There is also a smaller version of the CSTM80, the CSTM65, which features the same configurations but costs $129. Both versions are wired-only, but you can freely disconnect or replace the included braided USB Type-C cable. 

In addition to the starting configurations, Drop offers a wide array of modular accessories for the CSTM80, including top cases, base weights, and switch plates. These accessories cost between $25 to $149 and come in a variety of colors and materials. 

Our review unit is the CSTM80 with Gateron Milky Yellow KS3 switches. 

Drop CSTM80: Design

By far the CSTM80's most unique feature is its modular design. Rather than a solid aluminum case or a single slab of plastic, the case has three layers you can easily take apart and swap out: a top case, a structural top case, and a structural bottom case. 

The structural top and bottom pieces are screwed together and keep the keyboard in one piece. The top case is mainly decorative. It snaps onto the structural top case with some hidden magnets that are surprisingly strong, shrouding the structural cases so the exterior of the keyboard looks sleek and polished. You can swap out the top case without any tools or disassembly, making it easy to transform the look of your keyboard in seconds with a different colored top case or even an aluminum one. 

At the time of writing, Drop offers several modular top cases for the CSTM80, including a handful of solid color cases, two aluminum cases, a pricey carbon fiber case, and a few cases with artistic designs. The basic solid-color top cases cost $25, less than a typical set of high-quality keycaps. The carbon fiber top case is the most expensive accessory for the CSTM80, priced at $149. I wish the starter top case plastic was a bit thicker, but it looks good and seems relatively sturdy. 

The top case isn’t the only component you can swap out. You can also replace or remove the base weight on the bottom of the case. This allows you to adjust the weight of the CSTM80 and add a bit of extra detail to the bottom of the case. The base weight in the starter configuration is plain silver, but Drop also offers base weights made of carbon fiber, brass, and three different colors of stainless steel (my personal favorite is the chroma mirror PVD stainless steel). 

The switch plate inside the CSTM80 is also replaceable. Drop offers several switch plates made of different materials, including FR4, POM, aluminum, carbon fiber, and brass. The switch plate included with the starter configuration is plain black polycarbonate. 

It’s also easy to customize the CSTM80’s switches and internal components. I’ve reviewed and tested keyboards I fought to pop open and customize. Some weren’t even hot-swappable (the ability to freely remove and replace the key switches on a mechanical keyboard). The CSTM 80 is the polar opposite of that. 

I did a few of my favorite mods on the CSTM80 and found the process quick and easy. The decorative top case slips right off, exposing the structural top case beneath, which has easy-to-access screws you remove to separate it from the bottom case. 

From there, you can simply remove the switches and swap out or tweak whatever you like. I removed the screw-in stabilizers for the larger keys to add the “band aid mod” and applied a tape mod underneath the PCB. I also swapped out the included polycarbonate switch plate for a carbon fiber one for added stability. The Gateron Yellow switches were a little tight in the polycarbonate switch plate, but the disassembly and reassembly process was smooth overall. 

The Drop CSTM80’s design is straightforward and user-friendly. It welcomes customization and DIY enthusiasts, whether you’re new to mechanical keyboards or a long-time fan. Drop knew its audience when it created the CSTM80. 

Drop CSTM80: Switches and keycaps

The Drop CSTM80 includes either Gateron Brown Pro 3.0 or Gateron Milky Yellow KS3 switches out of the box with a set of matte black ABS switches with side-printed shine-through lettering. 

Our review configuration includes the Gateron Milky Yellow KS3 switches, which are a top choice for fans of linear switches. They have a moderate 50-gram actuation force, 4.0mm of total key travel, and come pre-lubricated. They’re smooth, reliable, and a fantastic all-around switch for typing and gaming. 

The CSTM80 is fully hot-swappable and supports three and five-pin switches. So, you can swap out the included Gateron switches if they’re not to your liking or you want to try something new. While the CSTM80 isn’t the best-sounding keyboard I’ve ever tested, the Gateron Milky Yellow switches are tough to go wrong with. They have a smooth, “creamy” sound that isn’t overly loud or metallic. 

The Drop CSTM80’s main weakness is its sub-par stabilizers, particularly in the spacebar. I’ve tested far worse stabilizers, but I was hoping for something better considering the CSTM80’s price. 

The smaller keys, like backspace and shift, sound fine, but the space bar has a somewhat hollow, slightly rattly sound out of the box. A Band-Aid mod and some lubricant helped smooth out the rattling, but the space bar still sounds somewhat hollow and metallic. 

Of course, tuning stabilizers in a custom keyboard can be tricky, and it’s easy enough to swap out the included stabilizers for another set, which only costs about $20 to $30. So, the underwhelming stabilizer sound quality isn’t a critical failure for the CSTM80. 

It’s also important to note that the switch plate can affect how the CSTM80 sounds. I noticed a difference when I swapped the included polycarbonate plate for a carbon fiber one in my CSTM80. 

The carbon fiber plate is stiffer and a bit thicker, which helps solidify the keyboard's sound and feel. The only downside is that its stiffness diminishes the cushioning effect of the CSTM80’s gasket-mounted design. Of course, a few other switch plates are available from Drop if you prefer a different sound or feel for your CSTM80. 

The included ABS keycaps have a semi-smooth texture, although they’re not glossy. I would have preferred something with a slightly rougher texture since the ABS can get a “greasy” look if you have sweaty hands. However, these keycaps get the job done and use a clear, minimalistic font for the side-printed lettering. 

The matte black is also easy to match with the other decorative top cases. When I was customizing my CSTM80, though, I wanted something a bit more colorful, so I swapped out the keycaps. 

Changing your keycaps is super easy, especially since the CSTM80 uses standard key spacing, which means it’s compatible with any standard Cherry-style keycaps set. Drop offers a range of complete keycap sets and artisan keycaps if you want to pick up a second set with the CSTM80. (I added Higround Seafoam OEM-profile keycaps to my CSTM80.)

Drop CSTM80: Performance

I used the Drop CSTM80 as my primary keyboard for over a week, so I got a good idea of how it performs in gaming and typing. Mechanical keyboard performance can depend heavily on the switches in your keyboard, but layout and connectivity also come into play. The Drop CSTM80 performed great across the board. 

I highly recommend the configuration with the Gateron Milky Yellow switches. They are comfortable for long typing sessions but also responsive enough for gaming. I played a few games with the CSTM80, including Immortals: Fenyx Rising, Once Human, and Roboquest. I never found my fingers or wrists cramping up while gaming on the CSTM80. It could even keep up with rapid keystrokes in Roboquest without missing a beat. 

The typing experience on the CSTM80 is superb. It broke my mechanical keyboard typing speed record and nearly matched my laptop keyboard record. On the Monkeytype typing test, I scored 105 words per minute with 98 percent accuracy with the CSTM80, the best score I’ve achieved on any mechanical keyboard I’ve tested. That’s also just shy of my overall record of 105 wpm with 100 percent accuracy, achieved on the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x’s laptop keyboard.  

Drop CSTM80: Software

The Drop CSTM80’s software could use improvement. You customize the lighting using keyboard shortcuts. It’s a quick way to get the job done, but doesn’t offer per-key control. Re-assigning keys or creating macros requires Drop’s configuration software, which can be difficult to navigate. 

After downloading it, you need to flash the firmware on the CSTM80. The app provides instructions for this process, so it’s not overly complicated, but it is a bit inconvenient. You also have to choose which version of the CSTM80’s firmware you want to use. The default one is the best for most people, but VIA is also an option for anyone who likes to use the open-source VIA configuration tool. 

After flashing the firmware on the CSTM80, you can “unlock” it in the app to change key binding and create layers and macros. This process is pretty straightforward, particularly for anyone used to making custom macros for their keyboard. However, the interface may be a bit confusing for people who are new to keyboard customization. 

Luckily, you can completely ignore the software if you don’t want to use it and simply use the CSTM80 configured as-is out of the box. My only configuration change was setting the F10, F11, and F12 keys as volume controls. 

Bottom line

The Drop CSTM80 is a mechanical keyboard designed for people who love mechanical keyboards. The unique modular design makes it easy to customize the CSTM80, whether you’re a beginner or a long-time fan of hobbyist keyboards. The CSTM80 is also a high-performing, high-quality keyboard in its own right, even if you never dip into its DIY opportunities. 

I recommend the CSTM80 (or its little sibling, the CSTM65) for anyone looking for a mechanical keyboard they can personalize, from the keycaps and case to the stabilizers and switch plate. The CSTM80 offers one of the easiest modding experiences on any keyboard I’ve tested. I wish the stock stabilizers sounded better, but they’re quick and easy to replace if they’re not to your liking. 

The CSTM80 matches creative design with stellar performance in both typing and gaming for a well-rounded mechanical keyboard that’s welcoming to beginners and veteran DIYers alike. If you’d like to compare it to the competition, you can visit our guide to the best mechanical keyboards to see some alternatives. 

More from Laptop Mag

• Best types of mechanical keyboard switches for gaming, typing and more
• Keycap types: How to choose the perfect keycaps for gaming, typing, and more
• Custom mechanical keyboards vs. pre-built: Should you buy or build your keyboard?

Thankfully, there’s a host of software to help you get the most out of its sizable panel, and Boox’s inclusion of a reliable stylus allows you to take notes, sketch ideas, and annotate books, notes, and documents like a champ.

But at tablet size and tablet pricing, is the Note Air 3 capable of delivering a tablet-like experience in e-ink form? Let’s find out.

Onyx Boox Note Air 3: Price and availability

The Onyx Boox Note Air 3 is available for $399 from Amazon and the Onyx Boox website, and online at various retailers.

A color version of this e-reader tablet is also available for $499 from Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.

Price-wise, perhaps the closest product to measure up against is the $419 Kindle Scribe (64GB), with a similarly sized 10.2-inch Paperwhite display. Both feature a stylus, lengthy battery life, and the ability to jot down notes and mark up text and documents. However, only Boox’s option has out-of-the-box access to the apps and services available in the Google Play store. 

Onyx Boox Note Air 3: Design and display

Standing out from a crowd of plastic-framed e-ink readers, Onyx Boox has outfitted the Note Air 3 with a stunning aluminum-magnesium alloy chassis that screams premium quality — even if it does carry a noticeable burden of weight (430 grams).

The Note Air 3’s sizable tablet design (8.9 x 7.6 x 0.22 inches) features a 10.3-inch (1872 x 1404) e-ink Carta panel — an electronic paper technology that attempts to make reading from this display as comfortable as reading from a regular page. In that regard it does quite well, offering a solid balance of lightness and contrast between page and character.

In fact, due to the nature of e-ink, you can set the brightness to zero and enjoy the panel in ambient light no differently than you would an actual book. Unlike other panels, the matte e-ink display doesn’t require a backlight or power to retain its paper-like, off-white backdrop.

Each pixel within the frame is actually a microcapsule that houses positively charged black particles and negatively charged white particles within a clear fluid. This allows the Air 3 to switch the order of each “pixel” by sending the appropriate charge only once, flipping which particles appear on top.

Not only is this great for reducing the draw on a device’s battery, but it practically eliminates any risk of screen burn-in, resulting in a tablet that will last and serve you longer.

The Air 3’s panel is protected by a layer of Onyx Glass, which protects the display from scratches or damage. However, there’s no IP rating, meaning Onyx Boox doesn’t certify how well it holds up against water or particulate intrusions.

However, visually the Onyx Glass is a nice element that gives the e-reader a much more modern look, while also aiding with clarity and glare thanks to a special top coating that helps retain its matte finish.

Surrounding the Air 3’s display are some fairly chunky bezels that give you plenty of space to hold the tablet without accidentally registering an input. The left-hand side of the tablet features a much wider expanse for gripping the e-reader one-handed (though, thanks to the auto-rotating display, you can turn the device and use it just as well with your right hand). Its slate grey backing contrasts wonderfully with the bold orange used for the Boox branding and other slight accents around the chassis.

Along the top of the tablet (while in portrait standing) is where you’ll find the power button, which doubles as a fingerprint scanner. On the device’s left-hand side, which also doubles as the device’s base when in landscape orientation, is where you’ll find the remainder of the frame’s features — including a set of stereo speakers, a microphone, a microSD card slot for expanding on the Air 3’s 64GB of internal storage, and a USB Type-C port for data transfer and charging.

The Onyx Boox Note Air 3 also comes packaged with a magnetic protective case that acts as both a folio for further screen protection and as a stand for both portrait and landscape orientations.

While it offers little in the way of shock protection, it does give some extra peace of mind when it comes to the Air 3’s lack of an IP rating, offering a snug cover for the exposed USB port and speaker grille while its magnetic latch also offers further hold on the magnetic stylus that comes in the box.

Onyx Boox Note Air 3: Stylus

The Onyx Boox Note Air 3 features a multitouch capacitive layer (the sensor that allows touch and finger gestures) and a Wacom sensor which lets you interact with the device using the packaged Onyx Boox stylus.

While it’s no Apple Pencil or Adonit Note+ 2, the Air 3’s stylus is comfortable to hold and can be magnetically snapped to the side of the tablet at any time to avoid misplacing it. It doesn’t require charging and is always ready and available to help with sketching or rapid note-taking thanks to its ability to register 4096 degrees of pressure, which is handy while drawing to make more defined natural lines. 

However, while this mode is meant to be far more accurate than relying on your digits for doodling, the Wacom layer is below both the capacitive touch layer and the e-ink panel. This distance is minute in terms of engineering the Note Air 3’s super slender frame but often results in slight offsets between where the nib of the stylus appears to be pointing and where it registers. 

Still, any stylus beats no stylus at all, and Note Air 3’s pen is a welcome addition that feels great to use thanks to that paper-like surface. Personally, I don’t often have the urge to tear myself away from a good read and start busting out my own rendition of the Vitruvian Man in the margins. However, the Air 3 is great for students needing to annotate a required read, or for meeting attendees who want to add context to minutes or memos.

Onyx Boox Note Air 3: Software

The Note Air 3 runs on a modified version of Android 12 (originally released in October 2021) and offers Google Play store access, giving you access to a range of different apps right out of the box. However, expect compatibility issues with some apps due to the e-ink display and the limitations of its Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G processor.

Don’t expect to be relishing in noir-esque versions of your favorite Netflix shows either. The Air 3’s display doesn’t play well with video or any medium requiring a spritely refresh rate (which means gaming is a no-go too). While you’ll have the vast expanse of the Google Play store at your fingertips, you’ll be somewhat restricted when it comes to what works fluently.

Stick with eBook libraries, storefronts, and productivity apps for the best results, but if you already have your own digital library of Alexandria you’ll be able to instantly make use of them as long as they’re among the following supported file formats. 

The Air 3 also has a built-in media player that allows you to listen to MP3 and WAV files. While listening to music wasn’t the best audio experience I’ve had with a tablet, the Air 3’s speakers are more than satisfactory at presenting a good audiobook or podcast — though they could be a tad louder.

Onyx Boox’s NeoReader is a solid app that allows you to read eBooks with ease. You can customize the experience through font size, navigation options, and even OCR (Optical Character Recognition) for interpreting scanned images. There’s also an impressive text-to-speech option available from within the app, though its flat delivery seems dated when compared to many of today’s AI-generated options.

Creating an Onyx account grants you 10GB of cloud storage, which, for an e-reader is akin to inheriting a bottomless storage bag for all your reading needs. It also allows you to use BOOXDrop online to transfer files from your PC or laptop directly to the Air 3 without physically connecting the two. 

Onyx Boox Note Air 3: Battery life

Housing a 3,700 mAh battery and making use of its e-ink Carta panel, the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 can stretch its battery life to great effect. Boox claims that its tablet-sized e-reader can last up to four weeks in standby mode.

During my own testing, I still had around 20% of its battery left after nearly using it for a few hours each night and occasionally jotting things down during the day.

It’s a very dependable nightstand companion for those who enjoy mellowing out to a great story at the end of the day — and its MOON Light 2 tech reduces blue light and avoids any interruption to your circadian rhythm.

Onyx Boox Note Air 3: Performance

Performance is probably the one major downside of the Air 3. While it works well enough most of the time, there are spells where the tablet’s OS can hang briefly, or inputs cease to function momentarily. It’s not a constant stream of performance hiccups, but it exists just enough that you’re never too far removed from an issue to forget it's there.

However, from a personal level, the tablet’s e-ink display responsiveness frustrates me the most. It’s a limitation of the technology, and e-ink displays suffer in this area across the board, but its sluggish, ghosting, and altogether drowsy visuals do nothing for me.

While the Air 3 includes a browser, I found that some of the sites I routinely visit appear broken or fail to load correctly. Scrolling up and down web pages is a torment in and of itself, with the dot matrix-like renditions of images leaving trails behind that leave you nostalgic for the Windows Solitaire win animation.

Beyond its display, the Note Air 3 is just a little too big for the job. It feels very niche to need an e-reader of this size, even if it can do several of the tasks you’d expect from a larger tablet. It’s cumbersome to carry around, and its size isn’t offset, as other more traditional tablets might be, by the expanded number of tasks it may accomplish.

Bluetooth connectivity even allows you to connect a wireless keyboard for easier note-taking or writing, though you can connect plug-and-play devices directly to the USB Type-C port if you prefer. However, while in landscape orientation, that port is blocked off — forcing you to rely on Bluetooth and even forego charging at the same time. With its tablet sizing, this seems like a clear oversight. 

Bottom line

All in all, my time with the Onyx Boox Note Air 3 was pleasant enough, though I don’t know if it’s a device I’d consider a daily driver of any sort. It’s pretty large for what I would use an e-reader for (reading), and otherwise delivers a downgraded tablet experience.

While Boox’s Air 3 has hard-to-beat battery life, I tend to only use it at home due to its size. However, those who want a less distracting tablet experience in the workplace or at school will gain maximum benefit from this device, as it’ll flawlessly make it through the day with juice to spare (and then some).

Personally, my wants tend more towards something like the Onyx Boox Palma — a smaller, reader-focused version of Boox’s devices. 

I fell in love with the Asus ROG Ally when I first tested it last year. The power of a gaming PC in the palm of your hand still blows my mind.

But now that the novelty has worn off, Asus can’t rest on its laurels and expect to be taken seriously without good reason, especially when so many companies are entering the Windows gaming handheld market.

That’s exactly why the Asus ROG Ally X exists. The company has refined its predecessor’s flaws in small yet vital ways without drastically raising the price point. Keep reading to see why the Asus ROG Ally X is my new favorite Windows gaming handheld.

Asus ROG Ally X: Specs

Asus ROG Ally X: Price and configuration

The Asus ROG Ally X we reviewed is available for $799 at Best Buy. It’s built with an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, 24GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. It has a 7-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

It’s similar to the original Asus ROG Ally, except it bumps the RAM up to 24GB and the storage up to 1TB of SSD. It’s also been redesigned with additional ports. Otherwise, its display and processor are identical to the $649 original.

Asus ROG Ally X: Design

Small changes in design are expected during a mid-cycle refresh, but I was a bit shocked when I pulled the Ally X out of its box.

Its new black color scheme is the apparent change here, but beyond that, the Ally X is an ergonomic masterpiece from front to back. Its bumpers and triggers boast a newfound springiness, the joysticks feature additional tension, the grips are thicker and easier to hold, and the back buttons are closer to the center, allowing the user to grip the handheld without accidentally pressing them. After playing with the Ally X, returning to the original Ally is a massive difference — and if it wasn’t obvious, I prefer the Ally X.

However, there’s one minor flaw with the Ally X’s redesign: The D-Pad is incredibly close to the screen. While it may not seem like this matters on paper, I have accidentally tapped the display multiple times while pressing down on the right side of the D-Pad. This has caused issues while gaming or using the digital keyboard to type something.

Weighing 1.5 pounds and measuring 11 x 4.4 x 1~1.5 inches, the only thing that the Ally X sacrifices is that it is a tad bulkier and heavier than the original Asus ROG Ally (1.3 pounds, 11 x 4.4 x 0.8 inches). Yet even then, Competitors like the MSI Claw (1.5 pounds, 11.6 x 4.6 x 0.9 inches) and Lenovo Legion Go (1.9 pounds, 8.3 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches) are either in this range or larger, so it’s not a big deal.

Asus ROG Ally X: Security

The Ally X hasn’t made any changes in security, but it still features the same fingerprint reader on the power button. It is compatible with Windows Hello, and the Ally X will ask the user if they’d like to set it up when they open the device for the first time. I highly recommend it, as it’s far more convenient than using a password or PIN. The Ally X’s only change is that the power button is marginally embedded into the device’s top rim, whereas it’s level with it on the Ally.

Asus ROG Ally X: Ports

Asus has not gone cheap in the port department when it comes to the Ally X. At the top are two USB Type-C ports, one of which is Thunderbolt 4, alongside a microSD slot and an audio jack. The original Ally featured a ROG XG Mobile Interface and USB Type-C combo port, replaced by the extra addition of a Thunderbolt 4.

The inclusion of Thunderbolt 4 is massive. It allows you to connect the best docking stations to your Ally, which can provide a whole new selection of ports. You can even plug an HDMI into the device if you want to connect your Ally to a TV.

Asus ROG Ally X: Display

If you’ve used the Asus ROG Ally’s display, there’s a little new information here. Asus has lowered the minimum nits to make it dimmer, which is perfect for gaming in the dark. Beyond that, it features the same 7-inch, 1920 x 1080 panel at 120Hz rated at 500 nits of brightness.

I launched Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and was satisfied with how Ally X’s panel represented the dark purple glow stretched across the sky. The roaring fire of my character’s torch and the rustling of vibrant foliage boasted a solid fullness of color. The screen can also get pretty darn bright; I kept it at around 70% brightness while playing Elden Ring in my office, so it’s more than enough to handle the outdoors should you need it.

The Ally X achieved an 80 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is precisely what the company advertises. This is below the 82 percent gaming laptop average, but it surpasses the MSI Claw (73%). However, the Lenovo Legion Go (108%) took no prisoners, solidifying a clear winner for those who prefer a more vibrant panel.

It did great on our brightness tests, hitting a peak of 523 nits on average, which is miles better than the 366-nit category average. This is necessary for a device you’re meant to bring on the go, as lacking brightness will make it impossible to use outdoors. It’s also brighter than the MSI Claw (429 nits) and Lenovo Legion Go (476 nits).

Asus ROG Ally X: Audio

The Ally X’s speaker system has been updated, boasting a louder, richer sound quality. And after testing across games and music, it’s loud and clear, although it can get a bit scratchy when many sounds are present at once.

I listened to Franz Ferdinand’s post-punk jam “This Fffire,” which was impactful without sacrificing clarity. The chaotic percussion and guitar strumming balance well against the melody and vocals, and as the track reaches its explosive climax, it boasts a compelling punchiness. It’s far from perfect, though, as when the music gets especially loud, it can become staticy.

I rode throughout the Scorched Ruins in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and was serenaded by the peaceful ambiance and atmospheric music. I found a group of shadow enemies to battle, leaped off my steed, and slashed through them, the sharp sound of the blade coming across crisp and clear through the device.

Asus ROG Ally X: Gaming and graphics

If you were hoping the Asus ROG Ally X would improve its gaming performance, you’ll be a tad disappointed. It features the identical AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme as its predecessor.

However, the RAM bump from 16GB to 24GB is a welcome addition and enhances stability. It can also improve performance in small ways, as the original Ally allocates 4GB of RAM towards its integrated graphics, but the default for the Ally X is 8GB.

I put the Ally X through a difficult test by playing Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree at maximum graphics with ray tracing turned all the way up. At 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution, it managed anywhere from 27 to 35 frames per second while battling enemies and riding through the Scorched Ruins area. 

I experienced one stutter while playing, but it remained mostly smooth until I hit a massive dip in framerate, where I hovered around 20 fps, and it stayed that way for the remainder of my playtime. The base Ally didn’t even start high, immediately hovering at around 15 to 20 fps at these settings.

I then launched Helldivers 2 on Low graphics settings at 1080p resolution and managed a solid 35 frames per second while walking around the starting ship. I landed on Estanu and hovered around 44 frames per second while exploring the snowy wasteland. It stayed around 42 fps on the base Ally, which isn’t a massive difference. The MSI Claw would occasionally stutter and hovered around 30 to 40 fps, yielding unreliable consistency.

Finally, I jumped into Doom Eternal and ran around Cultist Base, and as I ripped and tore through a horde of demons, both the Ally and Ally X maintained around 60 to 70 frames per second on high graphics at 1080p while the Claw hovered around 40 to 50 fps.

During the Shadow of the Tomb Raider test at 1080p on maximum graphics settings, The Ally X hit an average of 22 frames per second. The MSI Claw could not run the test successfully, whereas the Lenovo Legion Go (20 fps) was in the same range.

In short, the performance improvements that result from the Ally X’s 24GB of RAM won’t be major, but they’re still nice to have. This is a big part of why we believe the Ally X is reserved for dedicated gaming enthusiasts, as you can get similar performance in the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme model for a couple of hundred dollars cheaper.

Asus ROG Ally X: Performance

There’s not much new to say about performance when it comes to the Ally X, as it’s powered by the same AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor as its predecessor. But, the jump to 1TB of SSD storage has brought a huge boost in SSD speeds, and the upgrade to 24GB of RAM helps with performance and stability in the long run.

On the Geekbench 6.2 overall performance test, the Ally X’s multi-core score of 11,255 is pretty great. This puts it ahead of the category average of 10,621, while the MSI Claw (10,209), Lenovo Legion Go (9,627), and Asus ROG Ally (11,041) are all a bit behind.

When converting a 4K video into 1080p using the HandBrake app, the Ally accomplished the task in 6 minutes and 45 seconds, which is slower than the category average of 4 minutes and 17 seconds. The MSI Claw (6:22) and Asus ROG Ally (4:56) handled it quicker, while the Lenovo Legion Go (9:24) was an absolute slowpoke.

The Ally X duplicated 25GB of multimedia files in 20 seconds at a transfer rate of 1,346 megabytes per second, a bit slower than the 1,579MBps category average. However, this is still a massive improvement over the original Asus ROG Ally (1TB SSD, 769MBps) and crushes the MSI Claw (1TB SSD, 920MBps). However, the Lenovo Legion Go (1TB SSD, 1,432MBps) lands in first place.

Asus ROG Ally X: Battery life

We don’t have lab tests for the Ally X’s battery life yet, but we will update this review when they are available. In the meantime, I ran my own tests.

I played Elden Ring at 1080p with graphics set to maximum, ray tracing turned all the way up, brightness at full, and operating mode on Turbo. I kept it going until it ran out of juice, and the Ally X lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes with its 80Wh battery. I put the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme through the same test under identical conditions, and with its 40Wh battery, it lasted 1 hour and 1 minute.

Based on this test, the Ally X lasted more than twice as long as the original model, which is fantastic and indicates how much better the X is in longevity.

Asus ROG Ally X: Software and warranty

While the Ally X is installed with Windows 11, any gaming handheld needs solid built-in software. Using these devices like a computer won’t always be convenient, and applications like Armoury Crate help a lot with that. There’s a dedicated button on the device that instantly opens the application, allowing the user to modify system settings, remap the gamepad as they please, and access their game library.

A quick menu button also accesses important settings like swapping between Desktop, Gamepad, or Auto control modes, showing the desktop, or swapping operating modes. Beyond that, the Ally X is automatically configured with many important shortcuts you can use through the back pedals. While they may take a while to memorize, they make using the device far more convenient.

The launch of Ally X also brings a new version of Armoury Crate, providing an updated user interface with additional functionality. Rather than having every app haphazardly scattered across a single library screen, there are now three available tabs.

The basic All Games collection is at the center, listing every video game you have downloaded. To the right is the Game Platforms tab, which keeps track of applications like Xbox, Steam, EA App, Ubisoft Connect, and more. At the right is the Favorites tab, a curated section for what you want to access quickly.

The base Asus ROG Ally will also receive this update.

The Ally X comes with a two-year warranty for parts and labor. You can see how Asus did in our Tech Support Showdown special report.  

Asus ROG Ally X: Heat

I was pretty impressed with the Ally X’s ability to remain cool while I jumped between Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Helldivers 2, and Doom Eternal.

To test if the Ally X had truly enhanced its cooling solution, I played Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree on both. The Ally was a little warmer, probably thanks to the Ally X’s improved ventilation due to an upgrade from 47-blade to 77-blade fans.

Bottom line

The Asus ROG Ally X is a mid-cycle refresh that maintains the original’s processor and display, yet its vital improvements are majorly successful.

With 24GB of RAM, an 80Wh battery, 1TB of SSD storage, and ergonomic enhancements that bring new levels of comfort, we’d recommend the Ally X to anyone who has yet to invest in a handheld gaming console. If you already own an Asus ROG Ally with a Z1 Extreme Processor, it’s not worth spending $799 for something with the same chip and panel unless you’re a huge enthusiast for this type of hardware.

If this is your first device and you’re willing to invest $799, the Asus ROG Ally X is the best Windows gaming handheld available.

The Book 4 Ultra packs the highest-end Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU into a relatively thin and light chassis to push pixels around at 120Hz on one of Samsung’s typically mesmerizing AMOLED panels. Samsung is clearly targeting the ever-popular content creator market with this laptop, but its combination of features lends it to programming, casual gamers, students, or even business users.

So, what’s the catch? Those premium features are reflected in the price, starting at $2,399 and topping out at $2,999 for my review configuration. However, I do have some good news on that front in our price and configurations section below, so don’t dismiss it just yet because of the cost.

The Galaxy Book 4 Ultra delivers an excellent overall experience. The ever-improving Samsung ecosystem makes a compelling case for the Galaxy Book over some of our other favorite premium laptops, particularly for users with a Samsung phone or tablet. 

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra: Specs

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra: Price and configurations

I reviewed the top configuration of the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra, which has an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 8GB GPU, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 16-inch AMOLED, 2,880 x 1,800, 120Hz touch display. This configuration costs $2,999, which is sure to cause sticker shock for some, but outside of a workstation or high-end gaming laptop, these are top-tier specs, so the price comes with the territory.

There’s only one other model available, which, for $2,399, includes an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 6GB GPU, and 16GB of RAM. The 1TB of storage and 16-inch AMOLED display remain the same.

If this sounds too expensive, the good news is that deep discounts abound for this laptop. At the time of this review’s publication, you can get the high-end model for $2,349 or the base model for $1,899 directly from Samsung, which makes a world of difference.

If you want this level of performance for less, consider our best gaming laptops under $1,500, but be prepared to make some tradeoffs, particularly on the display and overall build quality.

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra: Design

The Galaxy Book 4 Ultra is a study in minimalism, with the glinting prismatic Samsung logo on the lid as the only attention-grabbing element on display. The “Moonstone Gray,” as Samsung calls this color, looks like the dark gray that’s dominated many cars and laptops for the last decade, crowd-pleasingly inoffensive.

While it’s thin for a 16-inch laptop, Samsung uses visual trickery to make the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra appear even thinner. Viewed directly from the side, you see that it has a relatively uniform thickness from front to back, but Samsung tapers the edge of the laptop, giving it a wedge appearance from a slightly higher angle. This also keeps the vents on the side out of sight, so you get the improved thermal performance without a gaming laptop or workstation look.

Opening the lid, you are greeted by the same grey on the deck, broken up by the black chiclet-style full keyboard. The touchpad is massive, taking up roughly 40% of the bottom of the laptop, and it’s slightly left of center to align properly below the spacebar.

At 4.1 pounds and 14 x 9.86 x 0.65 inches, the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra is thinner and lighter than most of its 16-inch competition. The HP Spectre x360 16 (2024) (4.3 pounds, 14.1 x 9.7 x 0.8 inches) comes the closest, but the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i (4.7 pounds, 14.3 x 10 x 0.7 inches) and the MacBook Pro 16-inch (4.8 pounds, 14 x 9.7 x 0.65 inches) are both over half a pound heavier than the Galaxy Book.

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra: Ports

The Galaxy Book 4 Ultra nearly covers all the bases with its collection of ports.

On the left, there’s an HDMI 2.1 port and two Thunderbolt 4 ports. On the right side are the combo headphone and mic jack, a USB 3.2 Type-A port, and a microSD card slot.

My only complaint is the microSD card reader. A full-size SD card reader is far more useful to this laptop's target audience, and there’s certainly room in the chassis, but it’s not a deal-breaker.

If you need a full-size SD card reader or any other port not offered by the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra, see our best USB Type-C hubs or best laptop docking stations.

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra: Display

Opening the lid, you are greeted by the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra’s 120Hz 3K (2,880 x 1,800) AMOLED touchscreen. It’s a mouthful to say, but the panel produces an eyeful of gorgeously sharp and vibrant imagery.

While the laptop is suitable for a variety of users, content creators are high on Samsung's priority list, and it’s an outstanding display for that purpose. It delivers vibrant colors without trending into oversaturation and gives you a bright enough image for most environments.

I watched the latest trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine, and the AMOLED panel put on a real show. This display's deep blacks and contrast-heavy HDR capabilities were tailor-made for the heavily stylized look of this movie. The two titular characters striding across a street in their signature red and yellow pop off the display. This doesn’t necessarily show up in the lab tests, but for a cinematic experience on a laptop, the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra stacks up well against anything else on the market. 

This carries through to gaming; I spent some time playing Hades, and the vivid colors and sharp lines of the animated 3D chaos looked gorgeous, while the 120Hz panel kept the action smooth. It motivated me to dip into more favorites from my Steam library to give them a second life on a far superior display to the old monitor I was playing on a few years ago.

Turning to our lab testing, our colorimeter measured the Book 4 Ultra at 81.8% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which precisely matches the MacBook Pro 16. The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i tops them both by covering 105.7%. The premium laptop average currently sits at 87.5%. 

At 384 nits of brightness, the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra is good enough for anything but direct sunlight, though it falls below the current premium laptop average of 467 nits. This is the price you pay for the deep HDR capabilities of an AMOLED, which suppresses the high-end brightness. By comparison, the mini-LED display in the MacBook Pro 16 at 560 nits is one of the brightest we’ve tested, while the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i comes in just behind the Book 4 Ultra at 373 nits.

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra: Keyboard, touchpad, and touchscreen

When I first typed on the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra keyboard, the resonant pounding of the keys startled me, but I quickly adjusted and found it extremely fast and comfortable.

The Galaxy Book 4 Ultra keyboard has minimal key travel at 1mm. Many prefer a 1.3mm to 1.5mm range for an easy and decisive keystroke. While I generally fall into that camp, this keyboard somehow manages to do more with less for me.

On the 10fastfingers.com typing test, I typed 91 words per minute with 99% accuracy, which beats my average of 86 words per minute. Accuracy is often one of the concerns with a shallower keyboard; I just didn’t experience that with the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra. Samsung did an excellent job with key spacing, and the keyboard's clickiness could also play a role, providing audible feedback so you don’t question whether it registered.

I owned handheld PCs that were smaller than the touchpad on the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra. At 4.4 x 6.1 inches, you have all the real estate you could want below the keyboard to navigate and gesture around Windows 11. Taps and swipes registered immediately, and its smooth surface didn’t ever catch my finger. When typing, my hands fit conveniently on either side of the touchpad, and palm rejection successfully prevented any random touches from registering while typing. 

The Galaxy Book 4 Ultra's multi-touch touchscreen also performed well, quickly registering taps and swipes. I did not regularly use this feature, as I prefer to use the touchpad or a mouse to navigate a traditional clamshell laptop, but for those who like having the option, the touchscreen won’t fail you.

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra: Audio

The Galaxy Book 4 Ultra boasts a quad-speaker system, which sounds better on paper than in person. The speakers are bottom-firing, or if you are being charitable, side-firing, located below the deck but not literally on the portion of the laptop that would rest on your desk or lap.

Volume isn’t the issue; I could turn it up loud enough to fill my roughly 16’ x 22’ living room, but there’s no depth or bass. 

I listened to “Too Sweet” by Hozier for an audio test. The opening bass line and vocals sounded crisp and clear, but it all fell apart as additional instrumentation and backup vocals came in. There’s no soundstage, so everything collapses in a muddled mess. 

You'll be fine with the built-in speakers for gaming or watching videos. For anything more sonically complicated, invest in a pair of wireless headphones.

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra: Performance

The Galaxy Book 4 Ultra's Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor impressed me with solid productivity and overall performance. I ran the laptop through a typical array of daily tasks, including running a dozen Google Chrome tabs in three separate windows. Five tabs ran YouTube videos at 1080p, and YouTube Music filled my office with my favorite soundtracks in another tab. The other tabs were a mix of Google Docs, Google Sheets, research for this review, and various rabbit holes I plunged down over the day. It glided through every task with ease.

On the Geekbench 6 overall performance test, the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra scored 13,061 in multi-core, easily defeating the premium laptop average of 8,763. It also outpaced its Windows rival, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i (12,141, Intel Core Ultra 9 185H). That unstoppable juggernaut, the MacBook Pro 16 (21,182, M3 Max), kept the Book 4 Ultra from a clean sweep. If you want raw CPU performance, there’s nothing to defeat the MacBook Pro M3 Max, but that configuration rings up for $3,999 and is rarely discounted by more than $200-$300, so you are paying a premium for it.

Our Handbrake test offers a more real-world look at performance, converting a 4k video to 1080p. The Galaxy Book 4 Ultra finished in 4 minutes and 52 seconds. That’s considerably faster than the premium laptop average (7:21). Still, it is up against stiff competition in the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i (3:53) and the MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max (2:36). It’s a strong result for the Galaxy Book, which will handle video editing tasks well, but if you’re a professional editor and seconds count, it falls below the top options.

Samsung’s 1TB SSD similarly performed well, transferring a 25GB file at a rate of 1,883.6 MBps, easily outpacing the premium laptop average (1,416.5 MBps). However, the Yoga Pro 9i (2,100 MBps) once again proved too much for it. Unfortunately, we can’t compare the MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max, as macOS doesn’t support our drive speed test.

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra: Graphics

The Galaxy Book 4 Ultra isn’t a gaming laptop, but it can do a reasonable impression of one. Its RTX 4070 GPU with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM allows it to play most AAA titles; just don’t plan on maxing out the settings. You’ll also appreciate that RTX 4070 when it comes to video editing and other GPU-intensive tasks, which includes many AI apps, so it’s not wasted on you even if you aren’t a gamer or only occasionally dip a toe in the gaming world.

On the 3DMark FireStrike synthetic graphics benchmark, the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra scored 17,255, nearly doubling the average premium laptop (9,218), but the Yoga Pro 9i (19,016) once again came out on top. The 3DMark FireStrike benchmark isn’t available for the MacBook Pro 16.

Looking at actual gaming performance, the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra hit 79 frames per second (fps) on the Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm benchmark (Medium, 1080p). That beat the premium laptop average (50 fps) and the MacBook Pro 16 (56 fps), but the Lenovo Yoga 9i Pro (128 fps) set a blistering pace that none of the others could match. 

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra: Battery life

The Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra doesn’t sound like it has the recipe for excellent battery life with a 3K display, a discrete GPU, a high-performance CPU, and a relatively thin and light design, but prepare to be amazed. 

On the Laptop Mag battery test, the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra stayed powered up for 13 hours and 15 minutes. That easily beats the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i (9:51) and the premium laptop average (11:13). Only the otherworldly Apple MacBook Pro 16 (18:05) defeats it.

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra: Webcam

The Galaxy Book 4 Ultra features a 1080p FHD webcam, and it’s…fine. Even in my office, where I can dial the lighting in pretty effectively, there’s a fair amount of grain in the image, and it’s just not sharp. 

I will give Samsung credit for color accuracy. My green shirt and the orange side of my copy of The Complete Calvin and Hobbes were both spot on.

If you are doing a lot of virtual meetings or streaming, I’d still recommend checking out our best webcams, as the results will be much better. If you own a Samsung Galaxy phone, you can use the Camera Sharing function to use your phone as your webcam with your Galaxy Book 4 Ultra. You just navigate to Settings, then Connected devices, and finally, Camera Sharing to toggle the feature on.

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra: Heat

It’s less of a shock after seeing its marathon battery life, but the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra keeps its cool despite its high-performance specs. The hottest temperature we recorded after 15 minutes of video playback was 92.3 degrees Fahrenheit on the bottom of the laptop, below our 95-degree threshold for comfort. The keyboard was a comfortable 88.3 degrees, while the touchpad was an almost cool 77.2 degrees.

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra: Software and warranty

The Galaxy Book 4 Ultra comes with Windows 11 Home and an abundance of Samsung apps. While some will undoubtedly categorize those apps as bloatware, Samsung does helpfully group them under the Galaxy Book Experience so you can peruse the full list and determine what you’ll use.

It includes 16 apps, some of which are very basic, like the Samsung Account app or Live Wallpaper. Others depend on your being in the Samsung ecosystem with a Samsung smartphone or tablet, like Second Screen, Phone Link, or Samsung Flow. I’d encourage you to at least try the apps before deleting them, particularly if you have any other Samsung devices.

The Galaxy Book 4 Ultra has a one-year limited warranty. See how Samsung performed in our annual Tech Support Showdown ranking.

Bottom line

The Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra is in a challenging market segment but rises to that challenge. It offers an impressive balance of performance and efficiency in a relatively light chassis with a gorgeous 16-inch 120Hz OLED display. This compelling combination makes it a strong contender for a wide variety of use cases, as long as the price isn’t a showstopper.

The biggest challenger on the Windows side is the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i, which is the stronger option if you are a content creator. The battery life is the most significant tradeoff there at nearly three and a half hours less. Overall, it offers superior performance in the areas that count for video editing and photo editing. However, for programmers and more general users like students or business users, that extra battery life will likely swing you back in favor of the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra.

The MacBook Pro 16, either M3 Pro or M3 Max, wins in most categories against the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra. When making this decision, consider whether you prefer Windows or macOS and whether you are in the Samsung or Apple ecosystem with your other devices. Budget will also be a factor; the MacBook Pro 16 is more expensive and rarely discounted by more than $200.

If you choose the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra, just make sure you aren’t paying full price. Great deals are always available, and at those discounted prices, the laptop becomes a solid value.

For $1,299, this new XPS 13, packed with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 processor, offers incredible performance and stellar battery life packed into a comically light chassis. Its 13.4-inch display is bright and it supports a respectable webcam.

However, that thin-and-light chassis forces compromises you’ll be sure to notice. The most visible issues are the scant number of ports and a cramped keyboard. And unfortunately, while the display is bright, there’s not a lot of color. Finally, the Qualcomm Adreno graphics significantly fell behind the competition in our testing.

Despite those shortcomings, the CPU innovation and long-lasting battery tip the scales heavily in the XPS 13’s favor. Is it enough to place the XPS 13 among the best laptops and laptops with best battery life? Let’s dive in.

Dell XPS 13 9345: Specs

Dell XPS 13 9345: Price and configurations

I reviewed the base model of the shiny new Dell XPS 13, which is outfitted with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 13.4-inch, 1920 x 1200, 120Hz display.

And if you want to bump up the specs, you can upgrade to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for $1,599, or 64GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD for $2,199. Add $300 to any configuration for either a 2560 x 1600, 500-nit display or an OLED, 2880 x 1800, 60Hz, 400-nit display.

Want something even cheaper? Check out our best laptops under $1,000.

Dell XPS 13 9345: Design

I knew the day would come when a laptop so light and thin would come across my desk and I’d finally recognize I’m in the future of tech. The Dell XPS 13 is the next step I was looking for. Staring at its graphite anodized metal lid is like gazing into the ethereal plane. Then there are the curves and angles, which look like the finished product of a marble sculptor.

Like popping the hood of the Batmobile, the interior of the XPS 13 came to life with a pristine glow. The function row is absent, and the keys are flat with the deck as if the board in keyboard was removed entirely. Touchpad? Nothing but a flat deck. And Dell holds to its InfinityEdge display, carving out incredibly thin bezels.

At 2.6 pounds and 11.62 x 7.84 x 0.6 inches, the Dell XPS 13 is one of the lightest laptops I’ve ever tested. It’s even lighter than the MacBook Air 13-inch M3 (2.7 pounds, 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches), Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Q425M (3 pounds, 12.3 x 8.67 x 0.59 inches), HP Spectre x360 14 2024 (3.2 pounds, 12.4 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches).

Dell XPS 13 9345: Ports

Oof. The Dell XPS 13 features only two ports.

There’s one USB Type-C port on either side of the Dell XPS 13.

You’re going to need more. Check out our best USB Type-C hubs and best laptop docking stations pages.

Dell XPS 13 9345: Display

I love a shiny display, and the Dell XPS’s 13.4-inch, 1920 x 1200, 120Hz panel certainly succeeds in that. However, it’s not at all colorful.

I watched the Borderlands trailer, and the entire horizon beyond the crew was washed out due to the terrible contrast. Deep orange-colored canyons were reduced to a pale yellow devoid of life. It’s still sharp enough to capture the strands of hair on Cate Blanchett’s head. The high refresh rate provides a nice desktop experience, but since you won’t be playing many games on this machine, you’re not getting a whole lot out of it.

According to our colorimeter, the Dell XPS 13 covered 66.9% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is practically 20% lower than the average premium laptop (86.8%). It’s also duller than the MacBook Air (77.8%), Zenbook 14 (79.8%), and Spectre x360 (85.8%).

However, at 456 nits, the XPS 13 is plenty bright, hovering around the average premium laptop (467 nits). It’s only slightly dimmer than the MacBook Air (476 nits), but still outpaces the Zenbook 14 (339 nits) and Spectre x360 (366 nits) by a wide margin.

Dell XPS 13 9345: Keyboard and touchpad

I love how it looks, but I don’t like how it feels. The big problem with shrinking the standard laptop is that the keyboard experience gets tighter. Typing on the XPS 13 was difficult. The keys aren’t clicky, but they’re not bad. The challenge comes in the size and compactness of keys.

I typed 76 words per minute on the 10fastfingers.com typing test, which is a bit below my usual 81 wpm average. Between the smaller backspace button and the small layout, it’s tough to get used to. 

There’s a subtle distinction between the touchpad and the deck, even though it is flat, but it still feels like I’m dragging my finger across the deck. The haptic feedback is solid. However, I wish the function row also featured haptics. It’s so unsatisfying to feel nothing when you click a button.

Dell XPS 13 9345: Audio

Sharp and hollow, the Dell XPS 13’s side-firing speakers are not something I’d want to listen to all day.

In Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” I noticed sharp highs in the percussion absent of bass to round it out. The vocals were clear and the speakers kept up with Roan’s range. However, the background synths collided with the percussion. The latter took over whereas the former was indistinguishable.

Dell does not ship the XPS 13 with audio software.

Dell XPS 13 9345: Performance

Packed with a shiny new Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 processor and 16GB of RAM, the Dell XPS 13 had some noticeable lag when I first booted it up. I couldn’t open the search or task bar, which was especially frustrating with the touchpad set to Single-tap. But after that it worked as expected. It went through a couple dozen Google Chrome tabs and a handful of YouTube videos while Spotify played in the background.

On the Geekbench 6.3 overall performance test, the Dell XPS 13 scored 14,635, crushing the average premium laptop (8,927). It overwhelmed the MacBook Air’s M3 (12,087), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H in the Zenbook 14 (12,707) and Spectre x360 (12,358).

The XPS 13 transcoded a 4K video to 1080p in 4 minutes and 41 seconds on our HandBrake benchmark. That sped past the average premium laptop (7:21), MacBook Air (6:32), Zenbook 14 (6:36), and Spectre x360 (7:30).

Dell’s 512GB SSD produced a transfer rate of 1,342 megabytes per second, which is around the category average (1,416 MBps). Slightly faster than the Zenbook 14(1,236 MBps) and slightly slower than the Spectre x360 (1,363 MBps). Ready for some wild stats? The MacBook Air scored 3,030/3,058 MBps on the BlackMagic Read/Write test, but the XPS 13 scored 3,129/3,782 MBps. 

The XPS 13 is faster than a MacBook in more ways than one.

Dell XPS 13 9345: AI performance and features

The age of Copilot+ PCs is first introduced by chipsets like the Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100. The CPU is the marquee reason to consider the Dell XPS 13. It’s the second-highest performing CPU platform in the Snapdragon X Elite series (second only to the X1E-84-100), which launched in mid-June 2024. 

The Snapdragon X Elite chipset is credited with the incredible battery life you’ll read about below. Technically, the Snapdragon X Elite is a collection of chips, which include the Qualcomm Oryon CPU and Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (neural processing unit). Both of which are responsible for balancing its processing speeds and power plans. Qualcomm claims it is much faster than the Intel x86 CPU competition. And faster processes consume less power, which expands battery life.

We’ve put the Dell XPS 13 and others through rigorous testing to judge their AI capabilities (see how we test AI PCs). As we learn more about what these AI PCs can do, our methods will adapt as necessary. But let’s see how the XPS 13 did.

On the Geekbench ML 0.6 AI performance test, the XPS 13 hit an ONNX/CPU score of 2,953. That outmatches the Spectre x360 (2,876) and just misses the Zenbook 14 (2,971). It’s likely that Qualcomm’s CPU isn’t optimized for Geekbench ML 0.6. This doesn’t test the NPU, which is where Qualcomm outshines the competition.

Copilot+ PCs support new software and features. If you haven’t heard, the biggest and most controversial feature is Recall. Imagine your browser history — now imagine that for your PC. Scroll through your history and you can see what you were doing hours ago. This information is intended to be stored locally and shouldn’t touch the cloud. You have the option to adjust the type of information stored. Right now, Recall is limited to Windows Insiders and disabled by default.

Windows Studio Effects and Live Captions are some of our favorite Copilot+ PC features. Of course, there’s AI-art generated programs as well, which drown in its own controversy.

Dell XPS 13 9345: Graphics

While the new Snapdragon X Elite is the star of the show, its Qualcomm Adreno graphics chip is the black sheep. 

On the 3DMark Fire Strike synthetic graphics benchmark, the XPS 13 scored 5,635, which is measly compared with the average premium laptop (9,218). Intel Arc Graphics in the Zenbook 14 and Spectre x360 hit 8,064 and 6,986, respectively.

On the Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm benchmark (Medium, 1080p), the XPS 13 averaged 23 frames per second. That doesn't hit the minimum 30 fps for playability, whereas the MacBook Air (41 fps), Zenbook 14 (31 fps), and Spectre x360 (36 fps) met and exceeded that threshold.

While it’s not a gaming laptop, Qualcomm made a few claims about gaming on it, so naturally, I tried gaming on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition... I wanted to cry.

Dell XPS 13 9345: Battery life

The heartiest punch that the XPS 13 comes in with is its battery life.

On the Laptop Mag battery test, the XPS 13 averaged 19 hours and 1 minute (20:51 after we installed BIOS 1.7.0 update). That crushes the MacBook Air (15:13), Zenbook 14 (15:52), Spectre x360 (11:01), and the average premium laptop (11:13).

For additional context, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max, 2023) was previously our longest lasting laptop, coming in at 18:05. Dell just dethroned the king.

Dell XPS 13 9345: Webcam

For laptop webcams, the bar isn’t even on the basement floor — it’s in the Mariana Trench. However, the XPS 13’s 1080p webcam manages to break the surface.

In a rare occurrence, the window behind me isn’t completely blown out. There’s a large portion of it that’s still white, but the contrast manages to detail some of the blinds. I can even see my ceiling! It reproduced the green in my shirt alongside the faint patterns that even I have a hard time seeing. There’s some loss of detail when zooming in, but from afar, it captures the strands of hair in my beard. While you can certainly do better with the best webcams, it’s unnecessary.

Dell XPS 13 9345: Heat

Even with a little bit of work, the XPS 13 can get hot in the wrong places.

After streaming a 15-minute video, the XPS 13 came in at 94 degrees Fahrenheit on its underside, which is just below our 95-degree comfort threshold. The center of the keyboard and touchpad hit 96 and 89 degrees, respectively. Sounds good so far. But we found that it’s hottest on the top underside of the laptop, right near the hinge. It reached 120 degrees. I wouldn’t put this in your lap (yes, I understand the irony).

Dell XPS 13 9345: Software and warranty

All the important stuff is in the My Dell app and the Dell SupportAssist. The former lets you adjust the power, display, and audio system settings. The latter offers warranty information, troubleshooting, and PC optimization tools. There’s also Copilot and the other AI features, which we discussed above.

The XPS 13 9345 comes with a one-year limited warranty. See how Dell performed on our Tech Support Showdown ranking.

Bottom line

The Dell XPS 13 is someone’s perfect laptop. I love the design, the battery life, and the performance. But the display and keyboard are tough for me to get over. Sure, my eyes could adjust to the low-color, but my hands won’t get used to cramping up from using that keyboard.

If you’re looking for a light laptop that’s still within that 13-inch range, check out the MacBook Air 13-inch. It’s everything you need except wider and deeper, offering you more space to type.

But overall, if you’re comfortable with a tighter space and a duller display, the Dell XPS 13 provides a long list of positives to consider.

The HP Envy x360 2-in-1 is a sleek mainstream laptop sporting a fairly standard metallic gray design. It feels good to type on and features speakers that are hard not to like. However, the Envy leaves something to be desired when it comes to performance. If you’re in the market for a compact mainstream laptop, you should know a few things before shelling out over $1,000 on the HP Envy x360 2-in-1. 

After using the Envy for a week, I got a pretty thorough idea of where it shines and where it struggles. Here’s an in-depth look at my experience testing the HP Envy x360 2-in-1 and the eye-opening results of our benchmark tests. 

HP Envy x360 2-in-1: Specs (as reviewed)

HP Envy x360 2-in-1: Price and configurations

The HP Envy x360 2-in-1 is available in several customizable configurations starting at $949. HP offers Intel and AMD CPUs, including the Intel Core Ultra 5 125U, Intel Core Ultra 7 155U, AMD Ryzen 5 8640HS, and AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS. The two base CPUs are the Intel Core Ultra 5 125U and the AMD Ryzen 5 8640HS. The other CPU options cost extra ($120 for the Intel Core Ultra 7 155U and $150 for the AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS). 

You can also customize the display, RAM, and storage in the HP Envy. The base configuration with either base CPU includes 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. You can bump your specs up to 32GB of RAM or 2TB of storage, but it will cost extra. 

As for the display, the Envy comes with a 1920x1200 IPS display with a maximum of 300 nits of brightness. You can upgrade to a slightly brighter 1920x1200 IPS panel for $100 extra or a 2880x1800 OLED panel for $150 extra. Our review unit includes the OLED display. 

HP Envy x360 2-in-1: Design

The HP Envy x360 2-in-1 features a simple, straightforward design. It’s wrapped in an aluminum chassis made with 50% recycled metal and comes in two colors: Glacier Silver or Meteor Silver (light and dark silver). Our review unit is in the Meteor Silver colorway, a dark metallic gray with a gray plastic keyboard deck. 

The keyboard has a full set of function keys pre-assigned to various media tasks like screen brightness or volume. There’s also a dedicated Copilot key in the bottom right corner. 

The one quirk of this keyboard deck is the power button placement. It’s shaped exactly like a function row key and placed between the screenshot key and delete key rather than isolated in the corner of the keyboard deck. It’s not necessarily a bad spot for the power button, though. Just be careful you don’t accidentally hit it when reaching for the delete key. 

The Envy has an 89% screen-to-body ratio with thicker bezels on the top and bottom edges of the display than on the sides (the bezels are not the same width all the way around). Along the display’s top edge, there’s a physical, built-in privacy shutter for the webcam.

HP Envy x360 2-in-1: Ports

The HP Envy x360 2-in-1 has a fairly standard selection of ports. On the right edge, there is one USB Type-A port and a headphone jack. On the left side, you’ll find a second USB Type-A port, an HDMI port, and two USB Type-C ports (one is for charging). 

There were plenty of ports for the accessories I used while testing the HP Envy. If you need more ports, though, you can add one of the best USB Type-C hubs to your desk setup. Alternatively, if you frequently connect your laptop to an external monitor, a docking station might be a more robust alternative to a USB hub. 

HP Envy x360 2-in-1: Display

The HP Envy’s display is one of its strong points, but you’ll have to pay a premium to upgrade to the best display configuration. Our review unit includes a 2K 2880x1800 OLED touch display, which costs an additional $150. The standard display in the base configuration is a 1920x1200 IPS display. 

The main differences between these two configurations are max brightness and pixel density. The IPS panel has a lower max brightness of 300 nits (compared to 500 nits on the OLED panel), and since it has a lower resolution, it has a lower pixel density. That means the OLED display looks sharper despite having the same screen size. 

The OLED panel performed well in our display tests. It covered 136% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, averaged 368 nits of brightness in SDR, and maxed out at 572 nits of brightness in HDR. It outscored the HP Spectre x360 14 and Lenovo Slim 7i Gen 9 on the color gamut test but fell behind both on average brightness and came in just 13 points shy of the Lenovo Slim 7i on max brightness. 

HP Envy x360 2-in-1: Keyboard and touchpad

During my testing, I found the HP Envy’s keyboard comfortable and satisfying to type on. It features a fairly standard design with dark gray keycaps and white lettering. There’s a thin function row along the top edge, with each function key pre-assigned to a media function, such as screen brightness or volume. The keyboard also features white backlighting, which you can adjust or toggle off with the F4 key. 

On the Monkeytype typing test, I scored 101 words per minute with 99 percent accuracy on the HP Envy, which is well above my laptop average of 90 wpm with 97 percent accuracy. 

The touchpad is also solid. It measures 3.3 x 5.1 inches and has a smooth, nearly matte texture. I found it comfortable and responsive during my testing. Clicking on it offers some tactile feedback, but it isn’t loud. 

HP Envy x360 2-in-1: Audio

The speakers on the HP Envy x360 2-in-1 are reasonably good. They’re not quite as loud as some other laptops I’ve tested, but they’re still more than loud enough for just about anything you’d want to listen to, such as games, music, and movies. The sound quality is also solid, with a decent balance between bass, mids, and highs. 

Khalid’s “Saturday Nights” sounded clear and smooth, with a pretty balanced sound profile that wasn’t too heavy or weak on the bass. “Free If We Want It” by Nothing But Thieves sounded especially good, coming through the HP Envy’s speakers with a well-rounded tone and excellent detail throughout, particularly with lead singer Conor Mason’s vocals.

HP Envy x360 2-in-1: Gaming and graphics

The HP Envy x360 2-in-1 isn’t a gaming laptop, and it shows. It can manage low-spec games but struggles to surpass 25 frames per second on anything more. You can still achieve a playable experience with low graphics settings in indies and older games, but medium and high graphics are not feasible with the HP Envy’s integrated GPU. 

Of course, most mainstream laptops don’t have a discrete GPU (a dedicated GPU separate from the CPU). However, the HP Envy fell behind in our graphics tests even compared to other mainstream laptops. 

The HP Envy scored 4616 on the 3DMark FireStrike test and averaged only 25 fps in Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm. In comparison, the HP Spectre x360 14 scored 36 fps, and the Lenovo Slim 7i Gen 9 averaged an admirable 41 fps in Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, and the Slim 7i scored a whopping 8455 on the 3DMark FireStrike test, nearly double the HP Envy’s score.  

I also noticed the HP Envy’s lackluster gaming performance in my hands-on testing. I played Horizon: Zero Dawn and Death’s Door on the Envy. Horizon: Zero Dawn is several years old but still quite resource-intensive. I was able to run it on the Envy and managed a fairly playable experience on low graphics settings, but I noticed quite a few dropped frames and only averaged 22 frames per second. 

Death’s Door is a lightweight indie title but can be fast-paced and features saturated, colorful graphics. The graphics on the HP Envy’s OLED display looked fairly good, but it struggled to keep up once I started moving around. The default graphics settings were 2880x1800 and 60 fps, but I was definitely not getting 60 fps. 

I had to lower the frame rate setting to 30 fps to get a playable experience. However, it was better overall when I dropped the resolution down a level, too (which somewhat defeats the purpose of having a high-resolution OLED display).  

HP Envy x360 2-in-1: Performance

The HP Envy x360 2-in-1 struggled to keep up with comparable laptops in our overall performance benchmarks. It scored 2,305 on the Geekbench 6 single-core test, trailing the HP Spectre x360 14 by 50 points and falling behind the Lenovo Slim 7i by over 100 points. The HP Envy didn’t fare much better on the Geekbench 6 multi-core test, scoring 8,697. That’s over 3,000 points below the HP Spectre x360 14 and Lenovo Slim 7i and below our premium laptop average of 9,763. 

In the HandBrake video transcoding test, the HP Envy took 11 minutes to convert a 4K video into 1080p, over double the time the Lenovo Slim 7i took to complete the same test. Considering that time, it’s not surprising the HP Envy also scored a lower file transfer speed of 901 MBps, far slower than the Lenovo Slim 7i’s score of 1,534 MBps and even the HP Spectre’s speed of 1,362 MBps. 

These scores show that the HP Envy x360 2-in-1 has generally slower performance across the board than similarly priced mainstream laptops. The HandBrake and file transfer tests hint at slow SSD read/write speeds, which impact things like downloading files or loading games. 

The low Geekbench scores are concerning since they indicate the level of performance you can expect in everything from gaming to web browsing. The HP Envy and Lenovo Slim 7i both have Intel Core Ultra 7 processors, which makes the gap between their scores a bit baffling. However, it may have something to do with the different variants of the Core Ultra 7 chip. 

The HP Envy is equipped with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155U, while the Lenovo Slim 7i has the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H. That letter at the end makes a big difference. The Core Ultra 7 155H has 16 cores (including six performance cores) and 22 threads. In comparison, the Core Ultra 7 155U only has 12 core (including two performance cores) and 14 threads. 

Those specs make a significant difference in performance, as the benchmark results show. So, while the HP Envy has an Intel Core Ultra CPU, HP opted for the lower-power variant of the Core Ultra 7, which is disappointing at this price point. 

HP Envy x360 2-in-1: Battery life

The HP Envy x360 2-in-1 again fell short of our mainstream laptop average on our battery life test. It lasted 9 hours and 49 minutes, 14 minutes below our premium laptop average (10:03). That’s also 14 minutes behind the Lenovo Slim 7i Gen 9, which exactly matched the category average but over two hours behind the HP Spectre’s time (11:01). 

The HP Envy’s battery life could be enough to get you through an 8-hour workday, but you will likely need to charge at some point unless you are only doing low-power tasks. 

HP Envy x360 2-in-1: Webcam

The HP Envy’s webcam is good enough for Zoom calls and video meetings. It’s an HP Wide Vision 5MP IR camera with a built-in privacy shutter, a feature I always like to see. 

The webcam also supports the HP Enhanced Lighting app and Windows Studio Effects. HP Enhanced Lighting effectively creates a digital ring light using your screen, which you can adjust to improve your lighting. Windows Studio Effects uses AI for video effects like background blur and automatic framing. 

The webcam quality looked fairly good in my test video. The image is a bit soft but isn’t outright grainy. The built-in mic also picked up my voice well (and did a decent job of cutting out the background noise from my air conditioner). 

HP Envy x360 2-in-1: Heat

In our temperature tests, the HP Envy x360 2-in-1 averaged about 94 degrees, which is just below our 95-degree comfort threshold. The hottest temperature we recorded exceeded that, though, at 96 degrees in the upper left area of the keyboard deck around the R key. 

The Envy stayed relatively cool during my testing, but I noticed it heating up while it was charging, downloading something, or running a game. Charging it and gaming simultaneously sent the temperature skyrocketing, as expected. When charging, it mainly heats up along the left edge of the keyboard deck (where the USB Type-C charging port is). The touchpad generally stayed nice and cool, averaging about 74 degrees.

HP Envy x360 2-in-1: Software and warranty

The HP Envy x360 2-in-1 includes a 1-year limited warranty for hardware support. If you want a longer or more comprehensive warranty for your device, HP offers optional protection plans you can select when configuring the HP Envy. 

The Envy comes with Windows 11 Home by default, although you can upgrade to Windows 11 Pro for an additional $70. It includes the standard array of Windows such as Microsoft Edge, the Xbox app, and free versions of the Microsoft Office suite. The Envy also has the myHP app pre-installed, where you can find your warranty info and troubleshooting resources. 

Bottom line

The HP Envy x360 2-in-1 sports a sleek design, solid speakers, and a vibrant OLED display, but the hardware powering all that falls short in key performance benchmarks. Especially considering the $1380 price tag on the Envy, other laptops in this price range can offer stronger performance, leaving the Envy overshadowed. 

The HP Envy’s status as a 2-in-1 laptop helps it stand out but it still falls short of premium 2-in-1s like the HP Spectre x360 14. Considering the significant difference in performance, if you’re in the market for a 2-in-1 Windows laptop, it may be worth paying more for the HP Spectre. For even more recommendations, you can also visit our guide to the best 2-in-1 laptops. 

The HP Envy x360 2-in-1 could be a good deal if it came at a lower price. It might be a good fit if you are only interested in the lowest spec versions or find it on sale. However, the full price for an OLED display, plenty of storage, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 155U processor simply doesn’t deliver as much power and performance as competitors in this price bracket.

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• HP Spectre x360 16 (2024) review: A premium 2-in-1 laptop that does it all

This 16-inch laptop is somehow streamlined and chunky at the same time. It boasts a 14th-generation Intel Core i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4080 laptop GPU to give you a desktop replacement laptop that can be more easily moved than the 18-inch gaming behemoths.

With powerful performance, smooth graphics, a stunning display, and loud speakers, the Legion Pro 7i has plenty to recommend. Unfortunately, it also struggles a bit with worse battery life than last year’s Legion Pro 7i and is just a bit heavier.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Specs)

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9): Price and configurations

There are a few configuration options for the Legion Pro 7i, though the base model gives you a decent amount of power. For $3,155, you get an Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. 

You can upgrade to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 for an additional $695, while an upgrade to 32GB of RAM costs $90 more. You can also add 1TB of SSD storage for $195, while the switchable keycap kit will set you back just $20 more.

Our review unit came with the 32GB memory upgrade, with an Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and 1TB of onboard storage for $3,228.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9): Design

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has been a rather chunky laptop for a few generations now. However, the premium soft-touch plastic on the chassis elevates the Legion to something almost worthy of the “Pro” name. The lid is prone to picking up fingerprints and smudges, which is perhaps my biggest issue with the overall design.

While I personally prefer a gaming laptop that’s a bit more portable, the 16-inch form factor does edge into Desktop Replacement territory, so I can forgive the Legion Pro 7 for being a bit less portable.

Overall, the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) design is nearly identical to the design of the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 8), especially in the aesthetics. The real changes lie in the weight and dimensions.

The Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) measures 14.3 x 10.32 x 1.01 inches and weighs 5.76 pounds, which is a smidge heavier than its predecessor, the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 8) from last year, which measures 14.3 x 10.3 x 1 inches and weighs 5.4 pounds. The Legion Pro 7i (Gen 8) we reviewed has an RTX 4070 GPU, which could account for the lighter weight.

I also compared the new Legion Pro 7i to the Alienware X16 R2 and the MSI Vector 16 HX A14VHG. The Alienware laptop is the thinner and heavier of the three, measuring 14.4 x 11.4 x 0.7 inches and weighing 5.9 pounds. Meanwhile, the MSI is the thickest and lightest of the group, measuring 14.05 x 11.18 x 1.12 inches and weighing just 5.1 pounds.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9): Ports

If you’re the type of gamer who loves to accessorize, the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) has you covered. The chunky chassis is covered in ports on the left, right, and rear sides.

On the left side, the Legion has one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port with DisplayPort 1.4 and 140W power delivery support and a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port. On the right side, the Legion Pro 7i has one USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, an electronic e-shutter switch, and a 3.5mm audio combo jack.

Finally, on the rear side of the laptop, the Legion sports a power input, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port with DisplayPort 1.4 and 140W power delivery support, two more USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, and an Ethernet RJ45 port.

Even if you’re running a multi-monitor configuration, it's unlikely you’ll need additional connections with the Legion Pro 7i.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9): Display

Gaming laptops need to have solid performance power and solid graphics, but even the best-specced gaming laptop can suffer from a poor display. Thankfully, the 16-inch WQXGA IPS panel on the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) is stunningly vivid and features HDR400 support for an even better gaming experience.

To test the display, I booted up the final trailer for Alien: Romulus, which includes several exterior space scenes, dimly lit interior shots inside the space craft, and quick cuts between scenes. The Legion Pro 7i did a fantastic job maintaining the eerie and beautiful atmosphere of the Alien: Romulus trailer, especially in the dark interior close-up shots.

Lenovo claims the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) can cover 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, with a 500 nit max brightness, and supports HDR 400. That’s not too far off what we found in our lab. While we don’t always run our gaming laptops through our HDR test suite, the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) maintained an HDR brightness max of 473 across all three test patterns: 10%, 40%, and 100%.

Regarding display panel brightness, the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) maintained an average max brightness of 456 nits though that is a bit below Lenovo’s 500 nit claim. The Legion Pro 7i (Gen 8) was a bit brighter, averaging 488 nits, while the MSI Vector 16 HX was the brightest at 495 nits. The Alienware X16 R2 was the dimmest of the four laptops, averaging just 334 nits.

The Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) took the lead in vibrancy, covering 108.7% of the DCI-P3 color gamut with a Delta-E accuracy of 0.24. The MSI Vector 16 HX came in just below the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9), with 108.2% DCI-P3 gamut coverage and an accuracy of 0.25. The Alienware X16 and Legion Pro 7i (Gen 8) fell well behind, covering just 78.9% and 78.1% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, respectively.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9): Keyboard and touchpad

The Legion Pro 7i's widely spaced keys are ideal for gaming and making sure you’re primed to hit ‘F’ in the chat should the need arise. The key actuation is crisp, with a nice tactile spring. The Legion Pro 7i features per-key RGB lighting on the keyboard, with Legion Spectrum RGB software support to customize your lighting configuration. The keyboard also boasts 100% anti-ghosting and 1.5mm key travel.

On the 10FastFingers advanced typing test, I averaged 87 words per minute (WPM), just slightly below my 88 WPM average on my MacBook Pro 14. So, you shouldn’t notice much of a hit to your typing experience.

The touchpad is decently well-sized, measuring 4.7 x 2.9 inches. The touchpad isn’t the most massive out there, but it fits well on the Legion Pro 7i’s chassis and gives you more than enough room for some fine maneuvering without the need for a mouse.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9): Audio

While gaming laptops don’t need great audio, the Legion Pro 7i has some incredibly loud speakers onboard. The Harman® Super Linear Speaker System features two woofers and two tweeters, supported by a smart amp, and produces powerful, dynamic sound.

Listening to JPop girl group Atarashii Gakko!’s “Giri Giri,” I was impressed to hear that the sound quality remained crisp and clear even at max volume.

This carried over to the gaming side, where even at 40% volume, the Legion’s audio could easily outpower the fan noise.

Of course, if you want immersive surround sound, you’ll always be better served with one of the best computer speakers, but they aren’t a must with the Legion Pro 7i.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9): Graphics and gaming performance

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is a gamer’s gaming laptop. It’s a large and in-charge desktop replacement laptop with the specs to prove it. With an Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, and 32GB of memory, the Legion will not struggle with many games.

I started a new save on Dragon’s Dogma II to see how well the Legion Pro 7i handled the dark underground cells of the prologue level, and I was not disappointed. Between the vivid HDR display and the RTX 4080 GPU, the Legion Pro 7i easily handled the cells' deep shadows and bright torchlight. I also spent a lot of time playing through the Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail expansion on the Legion Pro 7i, and the graphic updates looked beyond impressive. Between the vivid colors and crisp details, Final Fantasy XIV hasn’t ever looked better.

When it comes to benchmarks, the Legion Pro 7i held its own with aplomb. The Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) was well within the range of expectations on the 3DMark benchmark suite, with an average score of 9,353 on Fire Strike Extreme Direct X 11 benchmark. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 8), its Intel Core i9-13900H processor, and RTX 4070 GPU averaged a score of 6,406 comparatively.

The Alienware X16 and its Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and RTX 4080 GPU averaged a score of 10,783 on Fire Strike Extreme. Meanwhile, the MSI Vector 16 and its Intel Core i9-14900HX processor and RTX 4080 GPU averaged a score of 10,244 on Fire Strike Extreme. Except for the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 8), all three laptops performed within the average range of expectation given their i9/Core Ultra 9 and RTX 4080 configurations.

We saw a similar performance spread on the Port Royal raytracing benchmark. The Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) maintained an average of 9,493, while the Alienware X16 had the highest score on this benchmark, with an average of 11,614. The MSI Vector 16 had the second-highest score, at 10,110, while the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 8) had the lowest performance, with an average of 6,531.

For a more real-world gaming benchmark, we ran all four laptops through the Far Cry 6 benchmark on Ultra High settings at 1080p resolution. The Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) had an average of 105 frames-per-second (FPS), which was second only to the MSI Vector 16’s 111 FPS average. The Alienware X16 (88 FPS) and Legion Pro 7i Gen 8 (97 FPS) didn’t manage to crack the 100 FPS mark.

Lastly, on the Red Dead Redemption II benchmark on Medium settings at 1080p, the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) maintained an average of 96.3 FPS, second only to the MSI Vector 16’s 104 FPS average. The Alienware X16 managed an average of 89.7 FPS, while the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 8) averaged just 69 FPS on this benchmark.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9): Performance

With an Intel Core i9-14900HX processor under the hood, there wasn’t a part of my average workday the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) couldn’t handle. No number of Chrome tabs slowed the laptop down, and even adding Adobe Photoshop to the mix didn’t cause a stutter.

On the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark, the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) maintained a single-core average of 2,958 and a multicore average of 17,329. This was just behind the MSI Vector 16 and its Intel Core i9-14900HX, which held a single-core average of 3,009 and a multicore average of 18,055. 

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 8) and its Intel Core i9-13900H averaged a single-core score of 2,855 and a multicore score of 14,740. Meanwhile, the Alienware X16 R2 and its Intel Core Ultra 9 185 H came in the bottom of the group for both single-core and multicore scores with averages of 2,452 and 13,874, respectively.

On our Handbrake 1.6 video encoding test, which tasks laptops with transcoding the 4K version of ‘Tears of Steel’ into a 1080p 30 FPS format, the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) was one of the fastest laptops with an encoding time of 3:11. The MSI Vector 16 was the quickest with a time of 2:37. Meanwhile the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 8) and Alienware X16 lagged behind at 3:31 and 3:57 respectively.

Finally, on our file transfer test, which times how long a laptop takes to copy a 25GB multimedia folder, the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) had one of the highest transfer rates, taking just 13.3 seconds to copy the folder for a transfer rate of 2,025 MBps. The Legion Pro 7i (Gen 8) was the fastest of the bunch, with a time of 12,7 seconds and a transfer rate of 2,115 MBps. The Alienware X16 was third with a time of 15.1 and a transfer rate of 1,776 MBps, while the MSI Vector 16 was the slowest with a time of 19.8 seconds and a transfer rate of 1,353 MBps.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9): Battery life

Regarding desktop replacement gaming laptops, battery life doesn’t weigh quite as much as it would on more portable machines. But a 16-inch laptop is still somewhat easy to transport. Battery life is, unfortunately, one of the biggest weaknesses of the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9).

I attempted to take the Legion Pro 7i on a quick business trip to LA and was very quickly reminded that large gaming machines do not fly well when the laptop barely fit into my bag and ran out of battery in just a few hours. The fact that I lost about 9% of a charge by booting up the laptop, connecting to wifi, and logging into my work email really hammered home the idea that this is not a computer designed for life away from outlets. Our lab testing easily backed up this fact.

On the Laptop Mag battery test, we set the laptop to 150 nits of brightness and set it to surf the web through a series of static, dynamic, and video pages until it dies. The Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) lasted only 4 hours and 29 minutes on that battery test which is over an hour less than the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 8), which lasted 5:46. Both the Alienware X16 (6:31) and MSI Vector 16 (6:32) put both Legion laptops to shame though none of these laptops are winning any awards for battery life any time soon.

Things did not get better with the PCMark 10 Gaming battery test, where the Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) lasted just 51 minutes at 150 nits of brightness. The Legion Pro 7i (Gen 8) lasted just a bit longer at 1:07, as did the Alienware X16, which managed to eke out a 1:19 battery life. The MSI Vector 16 HX was the longest-lived of the bunch, with a 1:38 time on the PCMark 10 Gaming battery test.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9): Webcam

The webcam is a bit grainy, as it is only a 1080p camera, but the color accuracy was solid, with no color bleed from the exposed brick wall that served as my webcam background.

Of course, if you plan to use the Legion Pro 7i to run a stream or for frequent video calls, I recommend getting one of the best webcams to get a less splotchy feed.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9): Heat

Gaming laptops often put off a lot of heat, especially while gaming. At Laptop Mag, we test gaming laptops’ cooling systems by looping the Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition benchmark 5 times on the Extreme preset, then measuring the temperature of the touchpad and G/H keys and finding the hottest surface.

The Legion Pro 7i stayed relatively cool near the touchpad, measuring just 79.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The G/H keys, on the other hand, were quite a bit hotter at 104 degrees which is well above the Laptop Mag comfort threshold of 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The hottest point on the Legion Pro 7i measured at 107 degrees along the middle center underside of the laptop. So definitely don’t game with the Legion Pro 7i on your lap.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9): Software and warranty

The Legion Pro 7i comes with Windows 11 Home pre-installed, which includes a trial version of Microsoft Office, and Lenovo has also added a few other applications like Lenovo Vantage, Legion Zone, Super Resolution, Tobii Horizon, the X-Rite Color Management Tool, and a trial of McAfee LiveSafe anti-virus software.

The Legion Pro 7i comes with a one-year warranty of Legion Ultimate Support. To see how Lenovo’s customer service performed in our annual ranking, check out our Tech Support Showdown list.

Bottom line

Assuming you don’t plan to use the Legion Pro 7i as your travel laptop, there really isn’t much reason not to buy it. It isn’t the priciest gaming laptop out there, and you get quite the bang for your buck with an i9-14900H and RTX 4080 combo. Plus, it has some serious audio power and a fantastic display.

If you need to take the Legion Pro 7i out and about, it only weighs 5.76 pounds. Sure, it may not fit in every laptop bag, but unlike its 18-inch counterparts, it should fit in most of them.

Enter the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16, a gaming laptop featuring a gorgeous OLED panel and a beloved mid-range RTX 4070 graphics card. Confusingly, it’s weighed down by a hefty price tag for seemingly no good reason. We wouldn’t call the ROG Zephyrus G16 a “bad” laptop, but its competitors seem to offer superior performance for less.

While it does benefit from a wonderfully portable design, that feature loses impact because its performance is so underwhelming. However, the ROG Zephyrus G16 might appeal to specific gamers interested in on-the-go gaming, so keep reading to see if it’s right for you.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024): Specs

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024): Price and configuration

We tested the base model of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16, built with an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage, and a 16-inch, 2,560 x 1,600-pixel OLED display at a 240Hz refresh rate. It’s available for $1,999 at Best Buy.

Two other ROG Zephyrus G16 models are also available:  One features an RTX 4080 and upgrades to 32GB of RAM for $2,699, while the other has an RTX 4090, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of SSD storage for $3,299.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024): Design

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I pulled the ROG Zephyrus G16 out of its box. I first thought, “Is this really a gaming laptop?”

It’s unbelievably thin, resulting in a sleekness that befits its surprisingly light chassis. Thanks to its lack of a thermal shelf and minimalist design, it could easily pass off as a traditional productivity laptop.

The lid also looks fantastic, with the reflective, diagonal line traveling across giving it an alluring high-tech look, especially when its notches light up.

It’s far from perfect, though. Lifting the lid reveals an awkward-looking deck with a small and slightly cramped keyboard, alongside a wobbly lid that is a result of weak hinges. Even though the laptop is built with an aluminum alloy, the deck is malleable when pressure is placed against it.

The ROG Zephyrus G16 weighs four pounds and measures 14 x 9.7 x 0.6 inches, which is incredibly light and thin for a 16-inch gaming laptop. Competitors like the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (5.4 pounds, 14.3 x 10.3 x 0.9-1.1 inches) and Lenovo Legion 7i (5.1 pounds, 14.1 x 10.3 x 0.7 inches), which are also 16-inch laptops, are far bulkier. Even a 14-inch laptop like the Razer Blade 14 (4.1 pounds, 12.2 x 9 x 0.7 inches) gets outmatched in thinness and weight.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024): Ports

All good things require sacrifices, and in the case of the ROG Zephyrus G16, it doesn’t have the most extensive port selection. This is mainly because modern gaming laptops feature additional ports at the back where the thermal shelf is, but since this is a light laptop without a thermal shelf, it’s light on ports.

It features a Thunderbolt 4 port, HDMI 2.1 port, USB 3.2 Type-A, audio jack, and power slot on the left side. On its right side, there's a microSD slot, another USB 3.2 Type-A, and a USB 3.2 Type-C with DisplayPort 1.4.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024): Display

Built with a 16-inch, 2,560 x 1,600-pixel display at a 240Hz refresh rate, the ROG Zephyrus G16 will impress with its inky color depth.

I watched the trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine and was blown away by the OLED panel’s color without becoming oversaturated. In the opening shot, Deadpool celebrates his birthday party, and the warm glow of each lamp and light gives it a coziness that looked great on the Zephyrus G16. The benefit of OLED is especially apparent when looking at Deadpool’s costume, as the dark spots on his shoulders appear inky.

I launched Elden Ring: Shadows of the Erdtree and could not believe my eyes as I stood within a plain overlooking a towering giant with a barbed cage for a head lit aflame, alongside a gigantic withering tree with golden dew seeping down its bark. The power of OLED cannot be underestimated, as it looked phenomenally vivid and made every dark corner of the sky look infinitely deep.

The ROG Zephyrus G16 performed average on our color tests, reproducing 78 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut. This is a little under the 82 percent gaming laptop average, although it’s not significantly worse. It’s also in a similar range with the Legion Pro 5i (78 percent), Legion 7i (82 percent), and Razer Blade 14 (79 percent).

It performed decently on our brightness tests, hitting a peak of 388 nits on average, a little higher than the 366-nit gaming laptop average. This puts it ahead of the Legion Pro 5i (346), but the Legion 7i (479) and Razer Blade 14 (447) took no prisoners.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024): Audio

We tested the ROG Zephyrus G16’s top-firing speakers in a few different scenarios and found it’s more than capable while gaming and watching films, but music left a lot to be desired.

I listened to Ariana Grande's pop hit “Positions” and wasn’t particularly impressed by the speaker system’s clarity, but it gets pretty loud. The sharpness of the percussion drowned out the strings, resulting in a lack of balance in the song. While it’s not necessarily flat, it all came out muddy and disorderly.

I watched the trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine, and to my surprise, the speakers clearly represented the trailer's loud and punchy moments. Every sword slice and loud thud from Deadpool’s extravagant battles against waves of baddies sounded loud and clear. The epic soundtrack's bass maintained its weight through the speakers, making it a pretty solid choice for watching films.

I played Elden Ring: Shadows of the Erdtree and was impressed by the ROG Zephyrus G16’s speakers. The low hum of its atmospheric soundtrack, accompanying the slashes of my sword and stomping of my steed’s hooves, was resounding and balanced.

The only real audio problem comes from the sound of  the laptop’s fans, which get rather noisy and can drown out the speakers.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024): Keyboard and trackpad

It’d be an understatement to say that the ROG Zephyrus G16’s keyboard took time to get used to, as the keys don’t fully stretch across the deck. A massive space on the left and right is dedicated to the speaker system, which slightly squishes the keyboard in the center. The arrow keys feel like an afterthought, each half the size of a normal key.

My first attempt on the 10fastfingers typing test yielded 88 words per minute with a 94% accuracy. I couldn’t adapt to its design for a while, as the default placement of my palms on a laptop’s deck is optimal for when the keyboard stretches across it in its entirety. In this case, I kept pressing the wrong key and made several errors.

But I pushed on, and I got used to the keyboard after multiple attempts. I retook the test and managed 116 words per minute with a 98% accuracy. This is pretty close to what I can do on the best gaming laptop keyboards, but even though I can manage a decent score with conscious effort, it’s not exceptionally comfortable and still feels cramped.

The 5.9 by 3.9-inch trackpad is undeniably huge, taking up all the vertical space between the keyboard and the bottom of the deck. It’s surprisingly silky and smooth to control, allowing me to easily move files between folders and click and drag without much friction. However, a good chunk of its top isn’t clickable, a major pet peeve with trackpads.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024): Gaming and graphics

Built with an RTX 4070 graphics card with 8GB of VRAM, the ROG Zephyrus G16 boasts a great mid-range GPU yet fails to match up against competitors with similar hardware.

I launched Elden Ring: Shadows of the Erdtree with graphic settings and ray tracing set to maximum. While running around the opening area, I managed around 40 frames per second with occasional drops and stutters down to 30 fps. Those drops intensified during combat, where it would sometimes go below 30 fps, which isn’t an ideal way to play the game.

We played Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p on the highest graphics settings, achieving an average of 94 frames per second. Not only is this worse than the mainstream gaming laptop average of 103 fps, but the Legion Pro 5i (RTX 4070, 109 fps), Legion 7i (RTX 4070, 162 fps), and Razer Blade 14 (RTX 4070, 121 fps) all put on a better showing.

The ROG Zephyrus G16 continued to lag behind when we played Grand Theft Auto V at 1080p on the highest graphics settings. It achieved an average of 89 frames per second, which is worse than the category average of 90 fps, the Legion Pro 5i (98 fps), Legion 7i (96 fps), and Razer Blade 14 (103 fps).

During the Cyberpunk 2077 test at 1080p on maximum graphics settings, it pulled off an underwhelming average of 30 frames per second. It couldn’t even stand against the category average of 37 fps, let alone the Legion Pro 5i (37 fps), Legion 7i (35 fps), and Razer Blade 14 (42 fps).

Our final test, in which we played Red Dead Redemption 2 at 1080p on medium graphics settings, solidified the ROG Zephyrus G16’s underwhelming gaming performance. With an average of 60 frames per second, it fails to stand up against the category average of 64 fps, the Legion Pro 5i (71 fps), Legion 7i (68 fps), and Razer Blade 14 (73 fps).

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024): Performance

The ROG Zephyrus G16 is built with an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor, 1TB of SSD storage, and 16GB of RAM. Its processor is powerful, but when other gaming laptops offer the more powerful 14th Gen i9 processor for a lower cost, it falls short of competitors.

On the Geekbench 6 overall performance test, the ROG Zephyrus G16’s multi-core score of 13,299 is undeniably great and a bit ahead of the 10,595 category average. However, it doesn’t stand a chance against The Legion Pro 5i (Intel Core i9-14900HX, 17,585) and Legion 7i (Intel Core i9-14900HX, 17,261), while the Razer Blade 14 (AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS, 13,781) was only a bit ahead.

While converting a 4K video into 1080p using the HandBrake app, the ROG Zephyrus G16 accomplished the task in 4 minutes and 6 seconds, which is a little faster than the 4-minute and 16-second category average. The Legion Pro 5i (3:06) and Legion 7i (3:08) unsurprisingly did way better with its Intel 14th Generation i9 power, while Razer Blade 14’s (4:01) AMD processor was pretty close to the Zephyrus G16.

The ROG Zephyrus G16 duplicated 25GB of multimedia files in 19 seconds at a transfer rate of 1,396 megabytes per second, a bit slower than the 1,590MBps category average. The Legion Pro 5i (1TB SSD, 1,933MBps), Legion 7i (1TB SSD, 1,705Mbps), and Razer Blade 14 (1TB SSD 1,952 Mbps) all boast faster SSDs.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024): Battery life

We never expect a gaming laptop to have impressive longevity, but there’s still a shred of hope that the next product we test will surprise us. Unfortunately, the Zephyrus G16 is not such a product. On the Laptop Mag battery life test, which involves continuous web browsing over wifi at 150 nits, the ROG Zephyrus G16 lasted 4 hours and 46 minutes.

This is pretty much on par with the category average of 4 hours and 52 minutes, so it’s not necessarily awful, especially when compared to competitors like the Legion Pro 5i (3:43) and Legion 7i (3:01). Even then, we still would’ve liked to see it hit at least six hours like the Razer Blade 14 (6:26) did.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024): Webcam

Built with a 1080p camera that won’t inspire much excitement, the ROG Zephyrus G16 follows the gaming laptop tradition of having a less-than-good webcam. I took a photo in my office, and the details on my face were fuzzy and unpleasant. The light from my lamp turned the ceiling into an overexposed mess. The pink of my wall was faded in its hue, which is true for the photo as a whole.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024): Heat

Gaming laptops can experience volcanic heat when running high-demanding titles, and the ROG Zephyrus G16 gets exceptionally hot during its peaks. However, it did fine on our non-gaming tests, maintaining a cool 78 degrees Fahrenheit at the touchpad, 90 degrees at the center of the keyboard, and 80 degrees at the underside.

But its heat reaches new levels when playing Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition, with the touchpad remaining cool at 78 degrees, the center of the keyboard hitting 103 degrees, the underside reaching 120 degrees, and the hottest point below a vent on the underside hitting 141 degrees. We set a 95-degree comfort threshold, and it would be an understatement to say this exceeded it.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024): Software and warranty

While the ROG Zephyrus G16 is installed with Windows 11, it benefits from Asus’ incredible built-in software. In particular, Armoury Crate is an absolute gem that lets users view their system diagnostics, modify many settings and presets, change keyboard lighting, organize a game library, and even change display settings.

The ROG Zephyrus G16 comes with a one-year limited warranty. Our Tech Support Showdown special report shows how Asus performed.

Bottom line

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is a good gaming laptop that is held back by a price that is just not competitive enough. I can easily point to a better product with greater performance metrics in its processor and graphics card for a few hundred dollars less.

This doesn’t mean we wouldn’t recommend the Zephyrus G16, as those who want a colorful OLED panel and a gloriously thin gaming laptop will be pretty satisfied with what Asus offers here.

But if you want to pay less for better power, we recommend the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i. Otherwise, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is good if you’re willing to pay extra, and it’s especially worth it for players who need a lightweight gaming laptop to take on the go.

All the Gigabyte G6 KF managed to offer at its quadruple-digit price is a bright display, and my use of the word bright is generous. Let’s start with the mediocre performance of the Intel Core i7-13620H CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. Move on to the awkward keyboard design and hollow speakers. Then on to the poor battery life. Now round that out with a 16-inch display that leans closer to black and white than it does any color.

Do yourself a favor and look at our best cheap gaming laptops page. You’ll notice that it’s not a long list. And that’s because gaming laptops like the Gigabyte G6 KF (2024) are too quick to disappoint.

Gigabyte G6 KF (2024): Specs

Gigabyte G6 KF (2024): Price and configurations

Awkward: The Gigabyte G6 KF (2024) I reviewed is currently out of stock. This unit comes with an Intel Core i7-13620H processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 8GB GPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 16-inch, 1920 x 1200, 165Hz display. However, the model that is available comes with a 1TB SSD, which runs for $1,019.

The base model costs $949 and drops you to an RTX 4050. It's not worth it. Spend the extra $70 to bump that GPU. Meanwhile, the top-tier model costs $1,279 and gets you 32GB of RAM. It's less worth it.

It’s tough to find cheaper gaming laptops, but if you want a more premium machine, check out the best gaming laptops.

Gigabyte G6 KF (2024): Design

It's simple—like a prop on a film set. The Gigabyte G6 KF’s lid is black and contains only a white Gigabyte logo and a glossy black stamp that says “Gaming.” I sigh.

The interior is more of the same. Black deck. Black and white keys on a keyboard lowered into the deck. There’s even another “Gaming” decal, this time painted on the touchpad. Thin bezels on the side paired with a thick chin. There’s nothing remarkable happening with this design. It’s not ugly. It’s just boring.

At 5.1 pounds and 14.15 x 10.38 x 1.02 inches, the Gigabyte G6 KF is the lightest of its competitors. Weighing down those scales are the Gigabyte G6X 9KG 2024 (5.7 pounds, 14.2 x 10.2 x 1.1 inches), Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (5.7 pounds, 14.09 x 10.97 x 1.02 inches), and Acer Nitro 17 (6.8 pounds, 14.1 x 11 x 1 inches).

Gigabyte G6 KF (2024): Ports

One thing, or many things, that the Gigabyte G6 KF has going for it is ports.

The left side has room for two USB Type-A ports, a headphone jack, and a microphone jack, while the right side has one USB Type-C port, an Ethernet port, and a microSD card slot.

Turn it around, and you’ll find the power jack, one USB Type-C port, an HDMI port, and the elusive Mini DisplayPort on the backside.

Need more ports? Check out our best USB Type-C hubs and best laptop docking stations pages.

Gigabyte G6 KF (2024): Display

I would argue that the display is the most important part of a gaming laptop. Unfortunately, it's also often the first thing that budget gaming laptops sacrifice to cut costs. With that in mind, I've given the Gigabyte G6 KF a lot of leeway, but its 16-inch, 1920 x 1200, 165Hz display still underwhelms, even at the low standard for budget gaming laptops.

Running around the jungle in Far Cry 6, the greenery might as well have been an image spat out by a budget printer with the Save Ink setting turned on. I raided a base in the dead of night, and I could spot the enemy shadows despite the low lighting, which was nice. And on lower settings, the 165Hz helped smooth things out.

In the Borderlands movie trailer, however, the display was too dim to capture the details in a dimly lit vault. Cate Blanchett’s vibrant red hair looked muted. The baseline, 1200p, was still sharp and detailed the strands of hair on Kevin Hart’s beard. 

According to our colorimeter, the Gigabyte G6 KF covered a paltry 46.7% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is dull even for the average entry-level gaming laptop (71%). It's also closer to grayscale than the G6X 9KG (47.3%), Helios Neo 16 (92%), and Nitro 17 (84.3%).

However, at 310 nits of brightness, the Gigabyte G6 KF manages okay for the price. But that's still dimmer than the category average (331 nits), G6X 9KG (325 nits), Helios Neo 16 (370 nits), and Acer Nitro 17 (348 nits).

Gigabyte G6 KF (2024): Keyboard and touchpad

With a deep 2.0 millimeters of key travel, tapping away on the Gigabyte G6 KF’s keyboard felt good. But it wasn’t comfortable. The keyboard is wide, nearly hitting the edges of the laptop. Now pair that with the touchpad scooching over too far left. Then throw in those sharp corners on the deck. A design for a poor and painful experience.

I still banged out 87 words per minute on the 10fastfingers.com typing test, above my usual 81-wpm average. But that was at the expense of my wrist being stabbed by the corner of the laptop. Unless you’re resting your palms on the touchpad, there isn’t much you can do. Additionally, similar to its sibling, the Gigabyte G6X 9KG 2024, the deck flexes hard when I type.

Speaking of touchpads, the wide 3.7 x 6.1 inches is welcome if misplaced. It offers a decent click, but since it’s plastic, there’s a bit of resistance.

Gigabyte G6 KF (2024): Audio

Despite getting help from DTS:X Ultra, the Gigabyte G6 KF’s bottom-firing speakers sounded like they needed to filter through a tin can before getting to my ears.

I talked to Philly in Far Cry 6. This was a face-to-face conversation, but it sounded like the dialogue was coming in over a radio. My gunshots and grenades were muted, and the sound that did come through was hollow. The audio was so muddled that even the sound of my car hitting the road was indistinguishable from the rain.

I listened to Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” and wanted to cry. It was a beautiful song reduced to noise. The opening percussion was unweighted, and while the following vocals were clear, the high notes were uncomfortably sharp. The background synths muddled in with the rest of the instruments, barely audible. 

Yeah, there’s the DTS:X Ultra app, but that ain’t doing you any favors.

Gigabyte G6 KF (2024): Gaming and graphics

Rocking an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU with 8GB of VRAM, the Gigabyte G6 KF was my support as I ziplined across a compound in Far Cry 6 and lit up my enemies at 77 frames per second on Ultra, 1200p settings.

On the Borderlands 3 benchmark (Badass, 1080p), the Gigabyte G6 KF scored 65 fps (62 fps at 1200p). It took quite the fall against the G6X 9KG (81 fps), Helios Neo 16 (84 fps), and Nitro 17 (84 fps), which all support the same RTX 4060 GPU.

The Gigabyte G6 KF hit 27 fps (23 fps natively) on the Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark (Ultra, 1080p), which is tough because it doesn’t meet the 30-fps minimum for playability. The G6X 9KG (32 fps), Helios Neo 16 (32 fps), and Nitro 17 (30 fps) all performed at a playable standard.

On the Assassin’s Creed Mirage benchmark (Ultra, 1080p), the Gigabyte G6 KF managed 78 fps (76 fps natively). Again, that’s the lowest score compared with the G6X 9KG (92 fps), Helios Neo 16 (88 fps), and Nitro 17 (94 fps).

Riding that horse in Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium, 1080p) didn’t change the narrative much. The Gigabyte G6 KF averaged 55 fps (51 fps natively), which is still in a different tens digit when pit against the G6X 9KG (63 fps), Helios Neo 16 (65 fps), and Nitro 17 (64 fps).

Gigabyte G6 KF (2024): Performance

That was a brutal show in gaming. Does overall performance change? It’s outfitted with the Intel Core i7-13620H processor and 16GB of RAM. For context, that’s last year’s processor. Yeah, it still did the basics, managing a couple dozen Google Chrome tabs and a handful of YouTube videos while Spotify ran in the background.

On the Geekbench 6.3 overall performance test, the Gigabyte G6 KF scored 11,455. The G6X 9KG’s Core i7-13650HX (14,287), the Helios Neo 16’s Core i9-14900HX (16,730), and Acer Nitro 17’s Ryzen 7 8845HS (12,358) all performed significantly better.

On our HandBrake benchmark, the Gigabyte G6 KF transcoded a 4K video to 1080p in 6 minutes and 7 seconds. That’s quite a bit slower than the G6X 9KG (4:35), Helios Neo 16 (3:10), and Nitro 17 (4:18).

Gigabyte’s 512GB SSD clocks in at a transfer rate of 1,160 megabytes per second. That’s not nearly as fast as it needed to be, with the G6X 9KG (1,408 MBps), Helios Neo 16 (2,121 MBps), and Nitro 17 (1,845 MBps) going several hundred megabytes faster.

Gigabyte G6 KF (2024): Battery life

I feel like each section in this review gets worse, but battery life in gaming laptops is already up in the air. The Gigabyte G6 KF still falls, though.

On the Laptop Mag battery test, the Gigabyte G6 KF lasted 3 hours and 28 minutes, which is over 3 hours shorter than the average entry-level gaming laptop (5:56). The G6X 9KG (3:44), Helios Neo 16 (4:09), and Nitro 17 (7:23) all lasted longer.

Gigabyte G6 KF (2024): Webcam

At least I usually anticipate a poor webcam, but this 720p shooter on the Gigabyte G6 KF still hurts.

Truly, every inch of this image is grainy. Like I’m in a film from the ‘70s. My blue shirt turned black. The window behind me turned white. And my scruffy beard looked so dark that it actually seemed filled in (okay, maybe I think this part of it). Forget about this webcam (and this laptop); check out the best webcams.

Gigabyte G6 KF (2024): Heat

Despite little effort, the Gigabyte G6 KF gets warm under the hood.

After gaming for 15 minutes, the center of the underside and touchpad climbed to 93 degrees and 78.5 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively, which are below our 95-degree comfort threshold. However, the center of the keyboard hit 105 degrees, and the hottest point on the underside hit 113 degrees, located near the small plastic riser at the vents in the middle.

Gigabyte G6 KF (2024): Software and warranty

There’s the Gigabyte Control Center, which you can use to adjust the CPU, GPU, and fan performance; monitor the internal usage and temperatures; and adjust keyboard lighting, macros, and charging. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find. It’s just called Control Center, and it doesn’t show up in Windows apps. But you can access it by pressing Fn + /, which is meant to adjust the keyboard lighting but technically opens the app.

The Gigabyte G6 KF comes with a one-year limited warranty.

Bottom line

You might argue that this gaming laptop is a couple of hundred dollars less than the competition we put it against. That doesn’t give it any right to be as bad as it is. If the Gigabyte G6 KF wants to act like a busted-up piece of junk found in a used car lot, then it needs to come at half the price.

There’s always a better alternative out there. You can pick up the Acer Nitro 17 from Micro Center for $899. The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is a bit steep in comparison, at $1,499 from Best Buy.

Worst case scenario, keep saving to get a gaming laptop worth your money. Keep an eye on our best gaming laptops deals page as well. Don’t reduce yourself to the Gigabyte G6 KF.

There’s plenty of AR glasses competition from brands like Rokid, XREAL, and RayNeo. However, VITURE’s combination of quality hardware and easy-to-use software has typically seen the brand labeled as the most well-rounded offering on the market — although that does come hand-in-hand with being one of the more expensive options available. Do the company's latest Pro XR smart glasses continue to impress? Let’s find out.

VITURE Pro XR Glasses: Design

While smart glasses can come in a range of designs, with the Solos AirGo 3 particularly excelling when it comes to frame diversity, most AR/XR smart glasses attempt to style themselves on the classic Wayfarer style — though this look is only authentically available with the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses.

However, VITURE has captured the essence of Ray-Ban’s iconic frames pretty well while making obvious adjustments to house the tech within. These glasses very much feel like they might be the Wayfarers of tomorrow. Chunkier temples feature open-ear stereo speakers and an action button and volume rocker on the underside of the left arm.

A similar increase in bulk is found across the top of the frames, which is needed to make room for each eye’s bottom-firing micro-OLED display projections – and sadly maintains the quirky “lifting off the face” look that many AR glasses suffer from. These projections land on secondary, prism-like lenses found behind the main electrochromic film lenses, which can be activated with a single press of the action button to block out up to 99.5% of external light and enhance immersion while in use.

The prism-like secondary lenses may take some getting used to at first, and while there’s a clear visual definition between the two, it can be jarring. Eventually, your eyes tune out their presence — though their surface is much more reflective than the main lenses. This can manifest some distracting mirroring in brighter environments while the glasses aren’t in use or the display is anchored to the corner of your sight.

Two myopia adjustment dials, also present on the chunkier front frames, aid those with nearsightedness. These dials allow you to fine-tune the focus for each eye (0.0D to -5.0D) and ensure you’re getting the most crisp results possible from the virtual displays.

Finally, these lightweight (77 grams) frames feature a proprietary magnetic pin connection at the end of the right temple tip, which allows hassle-free connection to the glasses’ USB Type-C data cable, which connects to your device of choice.

VITURE Pro XR Glasses: Setup

Using the glasses themselves is simple. Connecting the aforementioned USB Type-C cable to the right temple tip and any compatible device (Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, featuring a USB-C DisplayPort/DP Alt Mode-supporting port) instantly activates screen mirroring as the glasses’ micro-OLED projectors kick in.

You don’t need to worry about drivers or software with this use case. The VITURE Pro XR smart glasses essentially act as a plug-and-play monitor. However, this will only result in a static virtual display with little to no customization available for positioning the screen or engaging in 3DoF (Three Degrees of Freedom), AR-like interactions.

If you want to use VITURE Pro XR glasses with home or handheld consoles like the PS5, Nintendo Switch, Asus ROG Ally, or Steam Deck, you’ll need to invest in the VITURE Pro Mobile Dock ($129). This accessory unlocks 3D content support and acts as a docking station (that allows two VITURE smart glasses to be connected simultaneously and HDMI connections) and a portable power bank with a 13,000 mAh battery. 

VITURE Pro XR Glasses: Software

To use those more advanced visual features, you’ll need to download and install the SpaceWalker app. SpaceWalker is available for iOS/iPadOS, Android, and now Windows, giving users a spatial sandbox that includes a web browser and media player. While that doesn’t sound like much, it is enough to be able to make use of web versions of apps like YouTube, Netflix, and Prime Video.

The benefit of doing this through SpaceWalker is that VITURE’s app also allows for 3DoF tracking, allowing you to turn away from your virtual screen or more comfortably view content. SpaceWalker also allows media or web pages to be clipped to the corners of your view and scaled in size to suit your needs.

This can let you prepare and cook a meal while following along with a video tutorial that doesn’t impede your full vision, or catch up on some YouTube videos while getting around town without worrying about bowling over the locals because your entire field of vision was being taken up with “Memes for the Boys part 62.”

SpaceWalker for macOS is a whole other ballgame. Here, you’ll be able to engage in a much truer spatial computing experience. Connecting the VITURE smart glasses to a MacBook running SpaceWalker unlocks a multitude of virtual display options, including stunning ultrawide 21:9 floating displays and the ability to shrink and grow the scale of displays with ease.

The Windows version of SpaceWalker has only recently been released and can be a little buggy at times. However, it’s safe to expect that VITURE will bring the app up to speed in the coming months.

There’s no current rival to VITURE’s offerings on the software front, at least not from smart glasses manufacturers themselves (though there are some excellent pieces of third-party software available online). While XREAL has the most similar offering in terms of design, style, picture, and audio, VITURE is one of the only AR smart glasses companies to deliver such compelling, widely-supported, easy-to-use, and impactful software.

VITURE Pro XR Glasses: Display

AR glasses like VITURE’s use an interesting projection method to present virtual screens before your eyes. Rather than the image appearing directly on the lens, two Sony micro-OLED panels beam an image into a secondary lens that redirects each image toward your eyes.

The result is quite impressive, to say the least. With a bright, 135-inch virtual panel before you at all times. There’s a full-HD (1920 x 1080) per-eye resolution to enjoy with refresh rates of up to 120Hz — which is especially excellent for speedy, responsive gaming through the glasses.

One downside to the AR glasses form factor is that your FoV (Field of View) is more restricted than when using a VR/AR headset like the Meta Quest 3. The Pro XR glasses have a narrower 46-degree FoV, resulting in a more tightly packed area from which you can view the projected image. In contrast, the Quest 3’s pancake lenses offer a much larger 110-degree FoV, offering over twice the screen space with which to enjoy content.

Pictures are bright and crisp, and whether I was watching movies or playing games, I never felt the glasses lacking in visual quality or performance. Better still, watching 3D content on the glasses is absolutely stunning and simple to perform. Simply holding down the action button on the left temple switches to SBS (Side-by-Side) vision, allowing the full 3D experience in games and media.

The VITURE Pro XR smart glasses are excellent for gaming. They deliver speedy refresh rates and capture the striking and varied colors of CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077. The enormous virtual display pulls you further into titles, and your immersion is peaked when you enable the electrochromic lenses that block out the surrounding light almost entirely. 

VITURE Pro XR Glasses: Audio

The VITURE Pro XR’s audio's open-ear design lets you enjoy media or games without shutting off the rest of the world. The Harmon-tuned audio is definitely rich in quality, and the audio bleed is very well-contained.

Setting the glasses down while playing a range of music videos and movies at peak volume, I lost track of much of the audio at only a few feet in distance. This makes them ideal for commutes or on-the-go watching, as you won’t be annoying those around you by unwantedly blaring the contents of your watchlist in their general direction.

However, that’s likely because the VITURE Pro XR’s speakers are relatively quiet compared to others. The XREAL Air 2 glasses are also open-ear in design but offer much more of a kick, making them better suited for noisier or less isolated environments. This does, however, negatively impact the frames when it comes to audio bleed.

All in all, the Pro XR’s speakers strike a fair balance and are more than enjoyable while at home or in less bustling locations. For those who want to dial things up to 11, there’s always the option to switch over to a pair of Bluetooth earbuds or headphones.

VITURE Pro XR Glasses: Price and availability

The VITURE Pro XR smart glasses are available for $549, though currently discounted to $459 for early adopters.

At face value, that’s a sizeable sum for a pair of high-tech shades, though it’s not an uncommon price for smart glasses of its ilk. The $399 XREAL Air 2 AR glasses offer similar features, but options like the VITURE Pro XR’s electrochromic film lenses are reserved for the more expensive $449 Air 2 Pro model.

However, XREAL’s offerings lack the myopia adjustment dials of VITURE’s glasses, leaving some glasses wearers needing to rely on potentially expensive lens inserts to see the virtual displays clearly.

Of course, at that price, it’s worth considering the expanded functions and capabilities of VR/AR headsets like the $499 Meta Quest 3. That being said, the improvements to the overall AR experience from the Quest 3 will come at the cost of a bulkier, heavier, and less welcoming form factor. 

Bottom line

VITURE’s AR smart glasses offering is a well-rounded assortment of accessories and software that pushes the AR/XR experience that frames like this can deliver. There’s truly no smoother or fleshed-out experience as the one offered here — at least for now.

My only major gripe is that the complete experience is costly. VITURE’s frames alone have an intimidating price tag to some, so having to invest even more to get the most from your handheld or home console may be asking too much of general consumers.

However, as a plug-and-play pair of AR smart glasses, the core product is still considerably impressive, thanks to the awesome SpaceWalker software available across mobile and desktop platforms.

Yes, the AR experience is a little more expansive and impressive through the lenses of a VR/AR headset. However, they're far less accommodating when it comes to comfort or wearing while out and about. As such, unless you're looking to take advantage of VR/AR gaming, forget spatial computing. Pick up a pair of VITURE's Pro XR glasses and give facial computing a try instead.

More from Laptop Mag

• What are smart glasses? Yesteryear’s ‘next big thing’ is finally finding an audience
• I used AR Glasses to replace my monitors — here’s what happened
• XREAL Air 2 AR glasses review — An augmented reality check