Sometimes, you're simply better off being a young and wild bohemian lothario, loitering in seedy bars and waking up with more than one woman in your bed. Bridgerton season 4 puts an abrupt stop to Benedict's (Luke Thompson) foolhardy days, and there's a part of me that wonders if things are best left the way they are.
Our first four episodes of the new season have a real 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' energy to them, and not just because Netflix has annoyingly decided to split season 4 in half. While Benedict and new character Sophie (Yerin Ha) charmingly embark on a touch-and-go romance, everything else around them feels like more of the same.
Depending on how much you love Bridgerton, this is either a blessing or a curse. The fact that season 4 sticks so rigidly to its tried and tested format means that we're not really being offered anything new – if you've seen any of the past three seasons, you've seen this one.
Not only that, but Benedict and Sophie's courtship is a blatant rip-off of Cinderella (or perhaps more accurately, the 2004 movie A Cinderella Story). The creative move to a generic fairy tale feels like a low blow for a show that was once at the pioneering forefront of modern period dramas.
But don't worry too much, we're not being completely cheated out of seductive drama. As our four episodes progress, the chemistry between our love interests is undeniable, even if Benedict frequently acts like a total man-child. However, I don't think Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) should have named him as the catch of the season, because that title clearly goes to Violet (Ruth Gemmell).
Benedict is not the beating heart of Bridgerton season 4, and he's messing things up with Sophie already
I don't need to explain too much story here if you know your Disney princesses. Violet is absolutely sick of the fact that Benedict makes no effort to find a wife, and she's determined to make him her project for the social season.
Across the way, maid Sophie works for fellow new arrival Lady Araminta Gun (Katie Leung), who immediately inserts herself into the story as a scheming new villain. Araminta functions as our wicked stepmother, stewing furiously when Sophie sneaks off to the first masquerade ball of the season. She steals Benedict's heart while she's there, prompting a town-wide search for the mysterious masked woman without a glove.
Despite it being completely obvious to anyone with eyes that Sophie was that girl, the initial search to bring Benedict and Sophie together is painfully laborious. It's a narrative we've seen in play thousands of times, and nothing about this version is remarkable or authentic. However, the payoff is worth it once they admit their feelings to one another.
Benedict and Sophie are from two completely different worlds, but when they're away from society, they've got all-timer potential. They truly bring out the best in each other, but the second someone else catches wind, the cracks start to show. It's astonishing how Benedict can bring himself up and let himself down in the same breath, and if I were Sophie, I'd be steering well clear of him.
But if all our girls chose to stay single, we wouldn't have a show, would we? Eloise (Claudia Jessie) has siloed herself to the metaphorical shelf, and I wish she could peacefully live the single girl life she's so desperately to cling onto. Francesca (Hannah Dodd) is sexually unfulfilled, while Lady Agatha (Adjoa Andoh) is embroiled in a seemingly pointless feud with Queen Charlotte.
Woe is to be a woman in Bridgerton, if you ask me... except for my new hero, Violet.
Violet is the real star of Bridgerton season 4 – season 5 better treat her amazingly well
I'm rooting for you, girl. (Image credit: Netflix)
All too often, the older woman is overlooked when it comes to being romantically viable. I'm not talking about the Samantha Jones,Sex and the Citytype of older woman, but the quietly doting mother who's been pigeonholed into her identity by her circumstances, not who she is. Lady Violet Bridgerton falls into the latter category, but season 4 is her chance to shine.
Even before Bridgerton started, Violet was a woman on the sidelines. A loyal widow to the husband she lost some years before, her life has been her children, even when it comes to her social standing. She throws lavish parties purely in the hope that she can marry her kids off, never stopping to exist as an individual.
But along comes Lord Anderson (Daniel Francis), intent on getting into Violet's heart and knickers. He's ever the gentleman, taking things as slowly as Violet needs while she comes to the gradual realization that life is indeed for living. Their hidden romance isn't the butt of an elaborate joke but a prize to be sought after, growing in importance as the episodes continue.
We can talk about Benedict, Sophie, or any other youngster until the cows come home, but that is where the real magic is happening. Dynamics that incorporate the effortless representation that you didn't know you needed is what creator Shonda Rhimes does so well. This is women writing for women, in a space where women feel seen, safe, and satisfied all in one. That, my friends, is priceless, no matter how mundane the big picture has become.
It's Violet alone who has me hooked for Bridgerton season 5, which has already been confirmed. I hope Netflix treats her the way that she should be treated, let alone Lord Anderson.
As for Sophie, she's still got the threat of Benedict's lewd behavior and Araminta's devious plans hanging over her head... but surely a girl will catch a break sooner or later, right?
Compared to the Area-51 line of gaming laptops from Alienware, the 16X Aurora is more about simple on-the-go power than benchmark-breaking performance. Starting at $899 (£1,449, AU $2,549), the Alienware 16X Aurora serves as one of the best gaming laptops you can buy under $1K, thanks to its Intel Core 7, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, and 16GB DDR5 RAM. It’s enough to play any big AAA title at 1080p with respectable frame rates, do some light creative content curation, and perform general computing tasks.
Despite all of that, it remains just as portable as a MacBook Air or Razer Blade 16 while maintaining solid performance power alongside the cool design Alienware has spent the past several decades being known for.
The look of the 16X Aurora features anodized aluminum on the top and bottom panels beyond the magnesium alloy interior frame, which balances a nice weight of around 5.66 pounds (2.57 kg) with less than an inch in height when closed. A beautiful deep blue colorway and smooth curvatures around the edges remain in line with Alienware’s design philosophy. Adding a nice amount of ports (no SD Card slot, unfortunately) makes this gaming laptop something that both PC gamers and creators can appreciate.
(Image credit: Future)
This is why the mid-tier configuration (which is the model Alienware sent to me for review) of the 16X Aurora provides great 1440p performance and portability that allows the laptop, alongside its pretty chunky power adapter brick, to sit in a standard-sized laptop backpack. What we have is an Intel Core Ultra 9, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 laptop GPU, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and 1TB SSD storage.
That’s enough for modern games like Doom: The Dark Ages and Assassin’s Creed: Shadows to be played at nice frame rates and max settings if used in conjunction with Nvidia’s DLSS upscaling technology. Configuration options don’t get higher than a 5070, as the highest $2,699 price point just increases RAM and SSD storage size. At that price, users are better off getting a gaming laptop with less RAM and SSD storage and going for a higher GPU like a 5070 Ti or 5080.
While the speakers may be below average in sound quality, the other highlight of the 16X Aurora is the beautiful 2560 x 1600 display that also manages to pump out a 240Hz refresh rate. This is definitely perfect for competitive gamers who want to play Call of Duty: Warzone and Fortnite with the comforts of playing on a gaming desktop. Beyond that, image quality is awesome as well, even if only SDR is available.
One of the biggest things where the 16X Aurora does disappoint is battery life, which is, on average, around four hours. If that wasn’t a big enough issue, charging is relatively slow as well.
Users who don’t mind having to constantly have their battery charger on them at all times are still going to have much to love about the 16X Aurora. Not only does it travel incredibly well space-wise, but it also has enough performance power to play today’s most popular games at good frame rates.
Alienware 16X Aurora: Price and availability
How much does it cost? It starts at $899.99 (around £1,449 / AU$2,549)
When is it available? Now
Where can you get it? From Dell’s online store or other digital retailers
Interested readers can purchase the Alienware 16X Aurora now through Dell’s online store or other digital retailers, including Amazon. The starting price of $899 (£1,449, AU$2,549) provides some solid 1080p performance through the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, 16GB, and 1TB SSD storage, and there are customization options that almost provide parity among the various territories.
The only outlier is the lack of a mid-range review configuration for Australia, requiring 2TB SSD storage when matched with an Intel Core Ultra 9, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, and 32GB DDR5 at AU$3,899. In the US and UK, the configuration I reviewed comes with a 1TB SSD for $1,999.99 (£1,799).
At the highest $2,699 (£2,399, AU$3,899) configuration, you still get the Intel Core Ultra 9 and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 alongside 64GB DDR5 RAM and 4TB SSD storage. One thing that’s constant across all options is the 16-inch 2560 x 1600 display pumping out a 240Hz refresh rate alongside the 1080p webcam.
(Image credit: Future)
There is value to be had at the lower $899 price point. This places it in direct competition with budget gaming laptops like the Acer Nitro V 15, shaving less than half an inch off the display real estate but providing some outstanding battery life with comparable performance power.
Going into the mid-to-high range options is where the higher prices kick in. However, when you begin looking to spend that kind of money, there are other interesting options. At the highest range of premium laptops, the Razer Blade 16 is what we consider the best overall gaming laptop. Not only does it have the portability and gorgeous display, but can be pushed to 4K-level performance, and also offers better speakers.
Value: 2.5 / 5
Alienware 16X Aurora: Specs
The Alienware 16X Aurora is available in several configurations, some of which you can find below:
Alienware 16X Aurora (Review)
Alienware 16X Aurora (Cheapest)
Alienware 16X Aurora (Highest)
Price:
$1,999.99
$899.99
$2,699.99
CPU:
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
Intel Core 7 Processor
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
Graphics:
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070
RAM:
32GB DDR5
16GB DDR5
64GB DDR5
Screen:
16-inch 2560 x 1600 display with 240Hz refresh rate
16-inch 2560 x 1600 display with 240Hz refresh rate
16-inch 2560 x 1600 display with 240Hz refresh rate
Storage:
1TB SSD
1TB SSD
4TB SSD
Ports:
2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) ports, 2x Type-C, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x universal audio jack (RCA, 3.5 mm), 1x RJ45 Ethernet port, 1X power-adapter port
2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) ports, 2x Type-C, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x universal audio jack (RCA, 3.5 mm), 1x RJ45 Ethernet port, 1X power-adapter port
2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) ports, 2x Type-C, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x universal audio jack (RCA, 3.5 mm), 1x RJ45 Ethernet port, 1X power-adapter port
Wireless:
MediaTek Wi-Fi 7 MT7925, 2x2, 802.11be, MU-MIMO, Bluetooth wireless card
MediaTek Wi-Fi 7 MT7925, 2x2, 802.11be, MU-MIMO, Bluetooth wireless card
MediaTek Wi-Fi 7 MT7925, 2x2, 802.11be, MU-MIMO, Bluetooth wireless card
Camera:
1080p at 30 fps, FHD RGB-IR HDR camera, Dual-array microphones
1080p at 30 fps, FHD RGB-IR HDR camera, Dual-array microphones
1080p at 30 fps, FHD RGB-IR HDR camera, Dual-array microphones
Weight:
5.66 pounds (2.57 kg)
5.66 pounds (2.57 kg)
5.66 pounds (2.57 kg)
Dimensions:
0.92 in × 10.45 in × 14.05 in (23.40 mm × 265.43 mm × 356.98 mm)
0.92 in × 10.45 in × 14.05 in (23.40 mm × 265.43 mm × 356.98 mm)
0.92 in × 10.45 in × 14.05 in (23.40 mm × 265.43 mm × 356.98 mm)
Alienware 16X Aurora: Design
Weighs 5.66 pounds and less than an inch thick in height when closed
Plenty of ports, yet lacks an SD Card slot
No biometric security or camera shutter
The Alienware 16X Aurora's design is certainly unique, offering stylish vibes that you're not going to get anywhere else when it comes to gaming laptops in its class.
The deep blue (or 'Interstellar Indigo') color really does blend well with the sleek angles, giving the Alienware 16X Aurora' a unique spaceship aesthetic. The Alienware logo is on the top panel, which is made up of anodized aluminum, as is the bottom of the laptop.
Unlike the Area 51, don’t expect elaborate RGB lighting on anything outside of the single-zone keyboard when opened. Thankfully, there are enough configuration options for color and effects through Alienware’s Command Center app. The interior frame is made up of magnesium alloy, which helps in terms of keeping the 16X Aurora lightweight 5.66 pounds (2.57 kg). When closed, the gaming laptop is less than an inch high at 0.92 inches.
(Image credit: Future)
On the left-hand side is an Ethernet jack, single USB-A, 3.5 headset jack and a status-indicating LED. That’s matched on the rear with another USB-A, two USB-Cs, and single HDMI port. As mentioned earlier, the lack of an SD Card slot is disappointing, considering the bigger Area 51 laptop has one.
When open, the 16X Aurora features that lovely 16-inch 2560 x 1600 display with a 1080p web camera at the top. It’s a shame that there aren’t any biometric security features in terms of the camera, and the lack of a fingerprint scanner.
Meanwhile, while using the keyboard and touchpad below the speakers feels nice, it would have been good to see it come with mechanical switches like its bigger Area-51 sibling.
Design: 4 / 5
Alienware 16X Aurora: Performance
Can handle resource-heavy AAA games at 1080p and 1440p
Several performance settings through Alienware Command Center
Lovely-looking 16-inch 2560 x 1600 display with 240Hz refresh rate
One of the first games that I tested to push 2560x 1600 performance on the Alienware 16X Aurora was Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. An audio/visual masterpiece, it’s a fantastic way to see what a laptop or desktop can do in terms of image quality and frame rate. The 16X Aurora managed to hit an average of 30fps with max settings and around 50fps thanks to Nvidia’s DLSS upscaling technology.
This was nearly constant with other single-player games as well. I got similar results with Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Black Myth: Wukong on Ultra High settings at around 27fps. Meanwhile, 2025 awards darling Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 worked well on the 16X Aurora, reaching an average of 60fps as well. Finally, Doom: The Dark Ages, provided around 46fps.
(Image credit: Future)
When it came to multiplayer and competitive games, the Alienware 16X Aurora also provided some solid numbers. Marvel Rivals on ultra settings at native resolution provided an average of 44.7fps. Playing a couple hours of Roblox, every game room performed over 200fps as well. Playing Forza Horizon 5 lent an average frame rate between 60 and 110fps. Even fighters like Street Fighter 6 ran well at max settings with 60fps. As mentioned previously, DLSS, alongside other tech like Frame Generation, can help improve frame rate performance depending on the supported game.
Alienware 16X Aurora Benchmarks
Here's how the Alienware 16X Aurora performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
Add Alienware Command Center’s ability into the mix, and general 1440p performance is great when placed in Overdrive mode. At this point, the 16X Aurora’s fans whirr into action while making use of the gaming laptop’s Cryo-Chamber cooling system. One thing that’s for certain is that it doesn’t get loud when performing general gaming tasks, but can turn into a jet engine when pushing specs.
The 16X Aurora can handle modern games at native resolution with strong visual fidelity and competitive performance. Most importantly, games look fantastic on the lovely display. Though it lacks HDR capabilities, image quality and color accuracy is great overall. Playing games with exceptional art design like Dispatch and Lumines Arise are a treat with this display. 100% DCI-P3 and ComfortView Plus makes this great for content creators who use Adobe Suite software, including Photoshop and Premiere Pro. On the other hand, the pure gaming performance of this display is above average as well thanks to its 240Hz refresh rates and G-Sync capabilities.
(Image credit: Future)
However, it's too bad that the stereo speakers that come inside the 16X Aurora let the laptop down. These speakers feature Dolby Atmos, but often sound hollow while lacking audio nuance. If the cooling fans are engaged at max, hearing anything is incredibly difficult. Listening to music or gaming isn’t a great experience, but audio during video conferences is fairly standard. In adequate lighting conditions alongside a quiet room, using Zoom and Google Meet sessions isn’t that bad. Just don’t expect any webcam software enhancements or the likes here, though the 1080p webcam works well enough.
Taken as a whole, the 16X Aurora delivers a well-rounded experience in terms of game performance and visual quality. Though the audio doesn’t match everything else, that’s what good gaming headsets are for.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
Alienware 16X Aurora: Battery life
Battery life is around four and a half hours
Charging takes around two hours
Requires a large power brick adaptor
Gaming laptops aren’t known for their long battery lives, and the Alienware 16X Aurora serves well as an example of this. The six-cell 96Wh Lithium-Ion battery on average lasts just a few hours when the laptop is being used for general computing tasks.
During our Web Surfing (Battery Informant) test, we were only able to get 4 hours and 23 minutes of usage before the laptop ran out of juice. During everyday testing, I was able to get around half of that; meaning users are going to have to carry the large adapter with them at all times.
Don’t expect any quick charging out of the 16X Aurora either, as it’ll take around two hours for this to charge to full. Through the USB-C with DisplayPort, users can also charge a power adapter of adequate power; however, GPU performance will be limited.
Battery Life: 2.5 / 5
Should you buy the Alienware 16X Aurora?
Alienware 16X Aurora? Scorecard
Value
The lower spec $899 configuration puts it at the top of most laptops within that range, but the higher $1,999 price tag for more powerful configurations are expensive purchases.
4/ 5
Design
That classic Alienware styling is always a winner, in addition to its portability in size and weight. Despite some great port variety, the lack of an SD Card slot and biometric security in some form is an issue.
4 / 5
Performance
At 1080p and 1440p resolutions, this gaming laptop can handle the best in visually arousing AAA games and high frame rate competitive titles.
4.5 / 5
Battery Life
Less than four and a half hours of battery life is good enough for a bi-coastal trip. Anyone needing more is going to need that large power brick with them.
2.5 / 5
Total
Though battery life, speakers and price are concerns, the Alienware 16X Aurora provides good portability with its slim and light design, great performance and a lovely 16-inch display.
4 / 5
Buy the Alienware 16X Aurora if...
You want solid 1080p or 1440p performance Anyone wanting excellent 1440p performance will appreciate the Intel Core Ultra 9, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 and 32GB DDR5 for many big AAA titles.
You need a lovely display and high frame rates The 16-inch 2560 x 1600 display is great for playing games and watching or creating content, while also providing a high 240Hz refresh rate.
You want a portable laptop Weighing less than six pounds while almost an inch thick when closed makes this a great portable gaming laptop. Add those Alienware-specific design elements alongside a slew of ports, and this is one of the coolest-looking laptops in its class.
Don't buy it if...
You need long battery life Expect around four hours of battery life for general usage. Attempting to play resource-intensive games means significantly less time between charges.
You want better speaker quality The Dolby-certified speakers lack high volume levels, and are fairly hollow in audio quality.
You want something affordable The 1080p lower-end Nvidia RTX 5060 configuration at $899 is a great price but our $1999 review configuration with the 5070 and Intel Core Ultra 9 is definitely pricey.
Also consider
If my Alienware 16X Aurora review has you considering other options, here is another laptop to consider:
Razer Blade 16 Anyone looking for style, portability, and serious power may want to look into the Razer Blade 16 if their pocket is deep enough.
General computing tasks include Google Docs and Tidal
Games played include Clair Obscure: Expedition 33, Forza Horizon 5, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Dispatch, Roblox, Neon Inferno, Lumines Arise and Street Fighter 6
During my week with the Alienware 16X Aurora, I split my time between general computing tasks and gaming. Most of my everyday usage of the gaming laptop started with software like Google Chrome and music streaming service Tidal. Google Chrome allowed me to see how the laptop handled day-to-day tasks, alongside how many tabs could be open at once. Tidal was more of a test of speaker quality through a hi-fi audio music streaming service.
When it came to games, I used Clair Obscure: Expedition 33, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, and Forza Horizon 5 to test more resource-intensive games. Lower resource-intensive games were used to push frame rates and display refresh rates, and these included Street Fighter 6 and Roblox. Games that I used to showcase color vividness in the display included Dispatch, Neon Inferno and Lumines Arise.
The Carbon 2 Combo follows hot on the heels of the Centauri Carbon launched last year, and is aimed as a family friendly multicolour filament machine. While we expected the multicolour filament system for the Carbon, this is still in development and is expected later in the year.
The Centauri Carbon 2 Combo is not only a worthy addition to the original Centauri but also offers a slightly different take on the multifilament design, although it doesn’t stray too far away, offering four-filament printing at an extremely budget-friendly price.
When the Centauri Carbon launched, it stood alone as a machine that was exceptionally cheap for what was on offer, and while the Centauri Carbon 2 Combo is still an engineering machine that comes in at a relatively low price, it now has competition from most of the other main manufacturers, so it doesn’t stand out to the same degree.
That said, the Carbon 2 Combo is a solid machine with its sturdy build, and unusually for a multifilament machine at this price, an almost completely enclosed design, although the filaments are still left exposed on the outside of the machine before being passed through the Elegoo CANVAS system into the single nozzle head inside.
Having tested the original Carbon and been impressed, this new iteration is certainly exciting, even more so when the quality of the machine is revealed as it’s removed from the box.
Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo: Price and availability
Once again, the Centauri Carbon 2 Combo is a solid and slightly weighty machine considering its small size, coming in at 19.69 x 18.90 x 29.25 inches and weighing 42.66 lb.
While the machine itself does look and feel quite small, once you've put the Perspex top in place to make it completely enclosed and popped the four reels onto the side of the machine, it does start to add to the size and bulk of the unit. But it’s still far smaller than many of the larger fully enclosed systems that I’ve reviewed in the last year.
Again, the styling is nicely product-designed with the main framework of the machine being made out of metal, which gives it that sturdiness and weight, essential for COREXY. Likewise, the four filament reel holders on the side slot on brackets are secured through bolting onto the body, and again, they hold firm and tight and have an exceptionally high-quality feel.
The one oddity is the box that sits on top of the machine. It's very much like the protective covers that you use on resin printers and simply slots over the top of the feeder tubes from the CANVAS unit that's bolted to the top right of the machine.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Compared with the advanced multifilament boxes with filament drying, this all seems just a little bit more basic, but then again, this is a cheaper multifilament machine than some others, and when you compare it against the likes of the newly released Anycubic Kobra X, it does feel like a level up.
That, and the fact that alongside the use of metal for the main frame, it features a glass door and otherwise very clean industrial styling with very Elegoo futuristic graphics, that do give it an enthusiast rather than professional look.
One of the major features that stands out is the new integrated CANVAS system, which needs to be installed when the machine arrives. Essentially, there’s a single bracket that screws into the top of the machine, and the CANVAS is then mounted onto the bracket. Once it’s attached and that Perspex top is put in place, it all feels nice and secure, if not as product-designed as the rest of the machine.
When it comes to control, Elegoo has really worked at slicing software, and it's pretty much in line with the rest of the industry when it comes to functionality and ease of use. But what really stands out is the front-mounted touchscreen, which again is nice and large, clear and easy to navigate. And with RFID filament reels, it’s extremely easy to use, recognising the filaments that you’ve installed, so you don’t need to go in and manually program them.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Design: 4 / 5
Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2: Features
Specs
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Print Technology: Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) Build Area: 256 × 256 × 256 mm Nozzle Diameter: 0.4 mm (included) Maximum Nozzle Temperature: 350 °C Maximum Heated Bed Temperature: 110 °C Print Speed: Up to 500 mm/s Dimensions: 398× 404× 490mm Filament: PLA,PETG,PLA-CF,ABA, ASA,PC,PA,PET Weight: 17.65 kg Minimum Layer Resolution: 0.08mm Maximum Layer Resolution: 0.48mm Bed: Heated bed Print Surface: Flexible build plate (removable and bendable) Software: ElegooSlicer (recommended) Input File Formats: STL, OBJ, 3MF, STEP Output File Format: G-code Connectivity: USB Drive, Wi-Fi Input Power: AC 100–240V, 50/60Hz Rated Power: 1100W @ 220V / 350W @ 110V Ambient Operating Temperature: 5°C to 40°C
One of the big new features of the Centauri Carbon 2 is, of course, the fact that you can now do multicolour 3D printing. It does this by means of the CANVAS system, which is bolted to the side of the machine with four filaments mounted on the side feeding through into a single nozzle printhead. It looks a little bit different from most other multicoloured systems on the market, but functions much the same.
Like the original Centauri Carbon, this machine is once again aimed at beginners, hobbyists and anyone who's looking for a relatively small, multifilament-ready machine that can handle engineering materials but is slightly limited for space, and, of course, budget.
What surprised us about the original Centauri was that its price did not reflect its quality. It was an absolutely superb machine for not a great deal of money, and once again, the quality of the Centauri Carbon 2 is of exceptionally high quality. Even against other relatively budget multifilament machines, it is in a class of quality of its own.
The biggest innovation of this new machine is the new CANVAS system. This is essentially a box that sits on top of the machine and feeds the filaments mounted on the side of the machine into the Tool head inside. In order to make the machine fully enclosed, or at least the print area, that Perspex box sits on top, essentially making it almost airtight, giving a far more controlled printing environment than that of the open-style printers that are much more common at this end of the market.
One of the aspects that I like about this machine is the design of the CANVAS system. From the outset it’s just easy to use and as soon as you place the filament into the feeder tube, it’s grabbed and pulled through the system. It doesn’t involve you having to manually feed filament through. Once it’s in, you know it's inserted properly, and the machine essentially handles the rest of the process for you.
Another feature now becoming more common across all 3D printers is the RFID-based filament detection. If you're using the Elegoo RFID filament reels, you can essentially just tap these onto the machine over the RFID reader, and the filament will be recognised before it's used in the system. This means you can't accidentally use ABS to print with a PLA profile.
As with many other manufacturers, Elegoo has its 3D print community platform, which enables the easy sharing of 3D print models and the Elegoo community. This also means that you can instantly download files from the NexaPrint platform directly to the printer without needing to do your own modelling or download from other systems, which just helps to streamline the process for those just getting into 3D printing.
Once again, the machine uses the CoreXY mechanism, which makes it incredibly fast compared with the old Cartesian-style machines. And whilst it still makes a noise when printing, it is relatively low, which makes it a good option if you are using this in the home or in a small office.
As we saw in the Centauri Carbon and in most 3D printers these days, there is a 5-inch touchscreen with an intuitive interface that makes it easy to navigate both the prints and the printer settings.
When it comes to nozzle temperature, the machine is capable of going up to 350°C. This is enough for most engineering materials and elevates this above most other entry-level machines. The enclosed print environment also helps with more complex materials such as ABS and nylon, which require a more stable printing environment to avoid warping and other print defects.
As we’ve now seen across the board from other 3D print manufacturers, there are all of the new features that come with these CoreXY machines that we’ve come to expect, including fast printing, smart auto-levelling, temperature control and, most importantly, consistency across the prints regardless of the material used.
Features: 4.5 / 5
Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2: Performance
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
I started off with the Centauri Carbon 2 by just running through a series of pre-installed models and was impressed instantly with the quality of model it was capable of producing. Checking out the layer quality of the single filament prints showed just how high-quality a printer this is, which is even more impressive considering the price.
Having run through the single filament prints in a relatively short time, I moved on to the multifilament print. Here, they’ve only included a couple to get started with, one of which is the Elegoo logo on a small badge. Again, this printed in a relatively quick time and, like when used for just a single filament print, the machine started its purging process out of the back, with a small pile of filament building up as each colour was swapped through the CANVAS system to create the print.
While the conditions at the moment are exceptionally cold, around 0°C outside and around 19°C in the workshop, that temperature unfortunately does drop, and the humidity is slightly higher due to the time of year, with the constant rain in the UK. This has meant that, through the test, initially I had the reels mounted on the outside of the machine in the workshop, and some very fine filament hair was appearing on the multicoloured print.
I then moved the machine into the office and replaced the filament, at which point the filament hair disappeared, and the print was clean. This is worth considering, as unlike some of the more expensive multifilament printers that keep the filament in a dry box so it stays in top condition, here, while the machine itself is fully enclosed, the filaments are left exposed on the outside. So, if you are in a workshop or studio where temperatures and humidity can drop and build, this is something to be aware of.
Another point to note is that the filament holders on the side hold card reels well and securely, although with some plastic reels, I had a couple of occasions where the Elegoo PLA reel slipped off the holder. I ended up putting a small rubber sticker onto one of the sides of the holder, which just helped to grip the reel's inner a little more robustly.
As the prints came off the print bed, the printer didn’t fail to impress. The multifilament printing quality is exceptionally good, with clean lines, and when I did a print with white and purple, there was very little contamination between those two filaments, which is an issue that I’m increasingly seeing with some of the cheaper multifilament 3D printers.
When it came to some of the more standard 3D printing traits, the quality of the print was exceptionally good, with the dimensional accuracy being well handled, no doubt helped by that enclosed print environment. While there are some small issues, especially with dimensional accuracy, the overall quality is more than enough for most home and small business users, even if you want to make functional parts.
While standard single and multiple printing is all very well and good, this is the Centauri Carbon 2, so it’s designed to work with engineering materials, not just standard PLA. Taking a look at some common filaments, I was pleased to see the Centauri Carbon 2 was once again able to print with these materials as easily as standard ones, and they seemed to feed through the CANVAS system far more reliably than I’ve found with some of the other multifilament options available. Print quality once again was exceptionally good, and dimensional accuracy really stood out, which is impressive considering the price of this machine.
If you are a small business looking to make functional parts on a budget, then the Centauri Carbon 2 really does live up to expectations.
The one issue here is that, while you can print with these advanced materials, compared with the likes of the H2D and some of the other larger machines, your print area is rather limited, but will still give you good flexibility over what it is that you're printing.
For some more advanced users, this is quite a locked-down system, with very little flexibility, especially through the Elegoo slicer, to really dive deep into the machine settings. It’s good to see that there is live printing and remote monitoring through the software, meaning that for small businesses, this is a really good and affordable option.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
While standard single and multiple printing is all very well and good, this is the Centauri Carbon 2, so it’s designed to work with engineering materials, not just standard PLA. Taking a look at some common filaments, I was pleased to see the Centauri Carbon 2 was once again able to print with these materials as easily as standard ones, and they seemed to feed through the CANVAS system far more reliably than I’ve found with some of the other multifilament options available. Print quality once again was exceptionally good, and dimensional accuracy really stood out, which is impressive considering the price of this machine.
If you are a small business looking to make functional parts on a budget, then the Centauri Carbon 2 really does live up to expectations.
The one issue here is that, while you can print with these advanced materials, compared with the likes of the H2D and some of the other larger machines, your print area is rather limited, but will still give you good flexibility over what it is that you're printing.
For some more advanced users, this is quite a locked-down system, with very little flexibility, especially through the Elegoo slicer, to really dive deep into the machine settings. It’s good to see that there is live printing and remote monitoring through the software, meaning that for small businesses, this is a really good and affordable option.
X Error Average = 0.042 Y Error Average = 0.068 X&Y Error Average = 0.055
Fine Flow Control - score of 5 Fine Negative Features - score of 5 Overhangs - score of 4 Bridging - score of 5 XY resonance - score of 2.5 Z-axis alignment - score of 2.5
Adding up the totals gives a final score of 29 out of 30.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2: Final verdict
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Elegoo needed to produce a near-perfect machine with the Centauri Carbon 2, as the original had really surprised the market when it arrived due to its quality and price. While there was some upset when it was announced that there would be no multifilament upgrade for the Centauri Carbon, Elegoo have gone some way to address this with a decent upgrade offer for Centauri owners to the Centauri Carbon 2.
While that still hurts a bit, because you are having to buy an all-new machine, the cost of this new model is only a little more than some other manufacturers charge for the multifilament dry boxes and there is a loyalty program from Elegoo which if you are a Centuri Carbon owner is well worth checking out.
When it comes to print quality, the detail and accuracy of the prints really do stand out, and while there are some imperfections, once again considering the level of this printer, especially when you compare it with printers of the same price from other manufacturers, this is exceptional value. Not only does it stand alongside some of the market leaders, but because it's able to handle engineering materials and has that fully enclosed environment, it is still one of the best-value 3D printers on the market.
Now Elegoo have two phenomenal 3D printers: the Centauri, which really takes the market for single filament engineering printing on a budget, and now the Centauri Carbon 2 offering multifilament printing at the same quality with a similarly sized machine. You have two affordable options for home and business that really don’t fail to impress in almost every way.
Should I buy the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2?
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
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(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
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(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Value:
Once again, Elegoo has created an exceptional value machine—this time in multifilament printing.
5
Design:
Solid, robust and nicely designed, although the Perspex top does look a little peculiar
4
Features:
For a machine of this price, it’s packed with features and offers far more than the competition.
4.5
Performance:
Decent performance all round—just make sure you keep the filament in excellent condition.
4
Total:
An exceptionally low-cost printer to enable you to print usable multicoloured parts on a budget.
4.5
Buy it if…
You have the Centauri Carbon If you bought the original and you're not thrilled that the filament upgrade was not available, then the Centauri Carbon 2 is an equally impressive printer with multifilament added.
You're printing engineering materials It was only a couple of years ago that you'd have to pay well over £1000 for any machine that could print engineering materials. Now, with the Centauri Carbon 2, you have a very affordable option.
Don’t buy it if…
You only print single filaments While multifilament printing is the direction most are heading, many people still stick to single filament most of the time. If that’s the case, then the Centauri is still a superb option.
You want a modular printer This is very much an out-of-the-box and use machine. So if you want something more modular, this might not be the best option for you—it’s best used as is.
For more top-performing models, see my guide to the best 3D printers I've tested and reviewed
The Grado Signature S750 headphones are the latest addition to the audiophile brand's Signature series alongside the HP 100 SE and the S950s, both of which are considerably more expensive. They feature a newly designed S2 driver and the new Grado B Cushion, which reduces the distance between the driver and your ear canal and which also spreads pressure more evenly across the surface of your ear.
These headphones sound sensational at sensible volumes with well-produced music, and they're particularly great with close-miked vocals and rapping. The sound stage they produce is extraordinary, with superb precision and detail.
Easy entrant for our best wired headphones guide, then? Yes, although there are a few points to note: they are quite bright, and can get harsh with poorly produced or highly compressed music. They may also be a little bass-light for some tastes.
(Image credit: Carrie Marshall / Future)
Grado Signature S750 review: price and release date
Released October 2025
Priced $1,695 / £1,695 (about AU$3,400)
The Grado S750 headphones were launched in October 2025 and went on sale the following month with a recommended price of $1,695 / £1,695 (about AU$3,400).
This is hardly wallet-friendly territory, is it? At this price, their closest competitors might be the slightly cheaper Shanling HW600 (which might suit those with larger heads). However, this money is far from as expensive as wired over-ear headphones can get – just look to Final, with the $3,499 / £2,999 / AU$5,899 planar magnetic Final D7000…
The new B Cushion brings you very close to the driver for a more immersive experience (Image credit: Carrie Marshall / Future)
Grado Signature S750 review: specs
Transducer type
Dynamic
Drivers
50mm dynamic
Operating principle
Open-back
Headphone connection
4pin Mini XLR
Frequency response
6kHz - 46kHz
Nominal impedance
38 ohms
Extras
Source connection 6.3mm; Signature Gold 12-conductor detachable cable, new B Cushion earpads supplied
Grado Signature S750 review: design
Lighter weight than the HP100 SE
New Signature Gold braided cable
Extra padding on the headband
You'd never mistake these headphones for any other manufacturer's: the S750 have the Grado family looks. But these headphones are over 10% lighter than the HP100 SE, although at 460g they're still quite hefty.
As we've come to expect from Grado the S750 come with a 6-foot cable with a 6.35mm single-ended plug, connected to the headphones with twin 4-pin balanced XLR. This cable is a new design called Signature Gold, with a braided design that Grado says is softer, more durable and lighter than before. It's still quite hefty, though, and I was conscious of its weight when I was listening at my desk rather than lounging in an armchair.
The S750 have a very similar headband to their siblings, but the headband is 50% more padded than earlier models and is very comfortable during long listens. The assembly makes use of aluminium alloy gimbals, stainless steel height rods and reinforced aluminium junction blocks, and it has rotation limited to 105 degrees to reduce wear for long-term durability.
Design score: 5/5
The headband is more padded than previous models, making it perfectly comfortable for long listens (Image credit: Carrie Marshall / Future)
Grado Signature S750 review: features
New 50mm carbon fiber and paper composite driver
New B cushion to reduce distance from driver to ear
Easy to drive
The Grado S750 feature a new 50mm S2 driver that uses a carbon fibre and paper composite diaphragm and a lightweight copper-aluminium voice coil. The impedance is 38 ohms and sensitivity is 115 dB, so these are relatively easy headphones to drive. But if you like to listen loud you'll get best results from an amp with reasonable headroom.
In addition to the new driver the other big change here is the new Grado B Cushion, which is designed to shorten the distance between the driver and your ear and which features a smaller interior opening. There are eight slits to improve airflow and open up the sound stage, and the flat surface is designed to distribute pressure more evenly across your ear.
Whether you'll like that very much depends on whether you're a fan of the on-ear fit; as someone who prefers larger ear cups that envelop my ears the B Cushion felt as if it didn't really fit properly. That combined with the 460g weight meant that I couldn't wear the S750s to listen as I worked at my desk: as a varifocals wearer using a tall and wide display I move my head a lot, and the S750s wouldn't stay put. The S750s are compatible with Grado's G, F and L cushions if, like me, you'd prefer a different fit.
Features score: 4/5
We love Grado's design ethos, which reminds us of steampunk (Image credit: Carrie Marshall / Future)
Grado Signature S750 review: sound quality
Exceptionally wide soundstage
A little bass-light
Superb on layered, well-produced music
You know those "I've never heard that before!" moments? The Grados deliver that again and again across a wide range of genres, eras and artists.
Grado describes the sound of the S750s as a "natural musical presentation" and I think that's a good description: there's no attempt to inject false excitement by boosting the low end.
That, and the nature of open-back headphones, means the sound is relatively bass-light – although the low 6Hz frequency floor means you get some nice sub-sonics you can feel, such as fingers hitting an acoustic guitar or damping a bass string. If you're a big fan of pumping EDM or stadium-sized kick drums you might prefer a different set of Grados, though; the bass is clear and well separated but it isn't trying to get a party started.
On tracks such as All Saints' Pure Shores or Christine and The Queens' Tilted, both of which have very strong, deep bass in the verses, the Grados spotlight the vocals and the interesting things going on around them rather than letting the bass overpower them. The spoken section in the latter song is a particular delight, as is the expansive, airy chorus of Kygo and Selena Gomez's It Ain't Me. The high frequencies are bright and airy and the overall spaciousness is well suited to atmospheric, layered widescreen songs such as Radiohead's Burn The Witch, Reckoner and There There, as well as to live and acoustic music.
Open-back headphones are known for their spacious sound, and that's particularly true here: the soundstage that the S750s delivers is wonderfully lifelike with precise positioning, great dynamics and particularly vivid voices on tracks such as Little Simz' Point and Kill, which features intertwined raps, glorious backing vocals and smile-inducing brass that the S750s were absolutely made for. If you're a fan of close-miked singers or rappers, or of breathy woodwinds and bowed cellos, the Grados will give your goosebumps goosebumps.
One of my favourite songs to test headphones with is U2's Vertigo, and it's enormous fun on these headphones: the song's spaced-out mix is even more thrilling on the Grados, with The Edge's crunching guitar and luminous delay sounding like his amp is in the room right next to you.
It's on less bombastic music such as Taylor Swift's Last Great American Dynasty where I really got the grins, though: the Grados do a spectacular job of revealing its subtle musical layers, as they do with the electric piano and atmospherics of The 1975's Somebody Else, the birdsong and burbling synths of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Welcome to the Pleasuredome and the piano stabs, slap bass and strings of The Blue Nile's majestic Tinseltown in the Rain.
While the S750s are great with well-produced music at sensible volume, if your tastes are more punk rock or you just like to listen really loud you're going to want to roll off some of the high frequencies: their brightness can be harsh, especially at higher volume levels where instruments such as the ride cymbal in the intro to Radiohead's Reckoner become wince-inducing.
Sound quality score: 5/5
Grado Signature S750 review: value
There's no doubt that these are very expensive headphones: you could buy five pairs of Sennheiser HD 660S2s, nine pairs of Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pros or seventeen pairs of Grado SR80x headphones for the same money.
But they're handmade, beautifully built and considerably cheaper than their Signature range siblings or four-figure planar magnetic rivals such as the Final D7000. They’re made for a very specific and demanding kind of listener who's happy to pay for a premium product. And they do sound sensational.
Value score: 4/5
Grado Signature S750: Should you buy them?
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Features
Everything's here, but for me, the fit could be better
4 / 5
Sound quality
Expansive, detailed and delicious, albeit occasionally a tad bright
5 / 5
Design
Lighter than you'd imagine and beautifully padded
5 / 5
Value
They're not cheap – but they do sound sensational
4 / 5
Buy them if...
You want to spend less on a Signature These are the entry-level model in Grado's very premium Signature series, and they're considerably more affordable than their siblings.
You like it close The positioning and clarity of instruments and voices is exceptional, with close-miked voices so near to your ears they're almost indecent.View Deal
You like it lush If we were to use one word to describe the sound, it would be "luxurious". View Deal
Don't buy them if...
You're on a budget Our current pick of the best headphones, the Sennheiser HD-660S2, are a quarter of the price. There are very many high quality open-back headphones that don't cost anywhere near as much as these premium headphones do.View Deal
You want to commute The relatively hefty weight and on-ear design means these headphones were rather precarious when we moved around. And the sound leakage will make your fellow passengers livid.View Deal
You only listen to Hüsker Dü These headphones are best suited to well-produced music: think Stevie Wonder, not Steve Albini.View Deal
Source connection 6.3mm; Signature Gold 12-conductor 6ft detachable cable; new B Cushion ear pads supplied
Carry case, soft pouch for cables, 3.5mm TRS to dual 3.5mm TS cable, 3.5mm TRS to USB-C adapter w/ integrated DAC, 3.5mm TRS to 6.35mm TRS adapter
Very few (no case)
Grado's SR80x are a fraction of the cost of the Signature range, but they're still very special. In our Grado SR80x review, we said that they are the best affordable on-ears we've ever tested.
The Meze Audio 105 Silva are our current pick of the best wired headphones for audiophiles. They have a silky low end and excellent mid-range performance. The soundstage isn't as wide as some rivals but the Silva are very precise and involving.
How I tested the Grado S750
Tested for 4 weeks
Used for music listening and audio mixing and mastering
Tested with digital music library and lossless streaming via an SSL audio interface; with vinyl records via an Onkyo amplifier; and with CDs directly into a Marantz CD6007 CD player
I’ve been a recording musician since the 1990s and I’ve been writing about speakers, headphones and other hi-fi since the 2000s. I wanted to experience the Grados both as listening headphones and as working studio headphones. For that latter task, I used the S750s while mixing and mastering songs in Logic Pro, listening via a 32-bit/192kHz SSL 2 audio interface.
I used the same interface to play lots of recorded music, listening to largely uncompressed recordings as well as streaming. I streamed in Apple Lossless where available.
For vinyl playback I connected the Grados to my Onkyo A-910 stereo amplifier. For CDs I listened to my Marantz CD6007 CD player through the same headphone output, and also directly from the CD player's own output.
The Acer Aspire 16 AI is a large laptop promising powerful AI features in an elegant body. It certainly looks the part, thanks to the premium materials and finish, as well as the impressively thin chassis. It’s also surprisingly light for a laptop of this size, which further improves its portability.
However, the price paid for this litheness is the somewhat flimsy build quality, falling below the standards of the best laptop constructions. There’s a fair amount of flex to the chassis, while the lid hinge doesn’t offer the greatest stability – although it at least managed to stay planted while I typed.
There are a good number of ports on the Aspire 16 AI, including two USB-C and two USB-A ports. However, the former are located closest to you, a choice I usually lament since it means your power adapter has to cross over with any cable you have plugged in to the USB-A port. It’s also a shame that the card reader is only fit for microSDs.
For day-to-day use, the Aspire 16 AI is very capable. It can handle light productivity and 4K streaming without missing a beat. However, the included AI features are disappointing: they’re either too basic in their functionality or fail to work altogether.
Gaming also proved to be a lackluster experience. Its shared memory GPU can just about handle AAA titles on the lowest settings, and even then you won’t exactly be treated to the smoothest frame rates.
(Image credit: Future)
Under these kinds of intensive workloads, the Aspire 16 AI can generate a fair amount of heat, but thankfully it’s concentrated underneath, towards the back. Coupled with the hushed fans, the Aspire 16 AI remains comfortable to use in such scenarios.
The display in my review unit, with its OLED technology and 2048 x 1280 resolution, provided a crystal-clear image, rendering colors vividly and delivering high brightness levels. This latter aspect is especially useful for combating reflections, which can be quite prominent.
Thanks to the spacing and satisfying feel of its keys, the keyboard on the Aspire 16 AI is easy to use. However, the number pad keys are too small for my liking, and I wished there was a right Control key, as I find this useful for productivity purposes.
The touchpad is smooth and large, which helps with navigation, but it can get in the way when typing. Also, the one in my review unit felt loose and rattled when clicking, making it awkward to use and suggests signs of poor quality control.
Battery life is somewhat disappointing, and isn’t a patch on that of the smaller 14 AI. In fact, many of its key rivals can outlast it. I only managed to get roughly nine hours from it when playing a movie on a continuous loop.
On the face of it, the Aspire 16 AI might look like good value, but it doesn’t deliver enough to justify its cost. Its slender form and mostly great display aren’t enough to make up for its drawbacks, while other laptops at this price point offer more complete packages.
Acer Aspire 16 AI review: Price & Availability
$649.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,499
Available now in various configurations
Better value rivals exist
The Aspire 16 AI starts from $649.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,499 and is available now. It can be configured with various processors, including Intel and Qualcomm (ARM) chips, with a couple of storage and RAM options to choose from.
Unfortunately, there are better value laptops out there with more power and performance, better suited to heavier workloads. The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) is one such example. Starting prices aren’t as low, but they’re similar to the higher spec models of the Aspire 16 AI. They also have excellent build quality, making them a better value proposition all things considered.
If you want to stick with Windows, the Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition is another alternative. Again, it’s similarly priced to the higher-spec variants of the Aspire 16 AI, but offers much better gaming performance, chiefly thanks to its AMD Radeon RX 7600S GPU. It’s no surprise we think it’s one of the best cheap gaming laptops around right now.
Value: 3 / 5
Acer Aspire 16 AI review: Specs
Acer Aspire 16 AI Specs
Acer Aspire 16 AI Base Config
Acer Aspire 16 AI Review Config
Price
$649.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,499
£949 (about $1,280, AU$1,960)
CPU
Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (8 cores), 3GHz
AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, 2.0GHz (8 cores)
GPU
Qualcomm Adreno GPU (shared memory)
AMD Radeon 860M (shared memory)
RAM
16GB LPDDR5X
16GB LPDDR5X
Storage
512GB PCI Express NVMe 4.0 (M.2)
1TB PCI Express NVMe 4.0 (M.2)
Display
16-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) 16:10 ComfyView (Matte) 120Hz, IPS
Thanks to its minimal design, the Aspire 16 AI has sleek looks. The low-shine metallic lid also adds to its elegance, befitting its premium price tag.
It’s pleasingly light and slender, too, making it more portable than you might expect for a 16-inch laptop. The bezel for the display is minuscule as well, which helps to maximize its full potential.
There’s a satisfying click when you close the lid on the Aspire 16 AI, something I haven’t encountered on any other laptop before. The hinge also allows for the screen to recline all the back by 180 degrees, something I’m always happy to see.
However, lid stability isn’t the best, as it’s prone to wobbling, although, thankfully, it remains stable while typing on the keyboard. The overall construction of the Aspire 16 AI isn’t especially impressive, either, with the chassis having a fair amount of flex.
(Image credit: Future)
Worse still, the touchpad in my review unit had a horrible rattle, as if some part was loose at the bottom section. It’s possible this issue is confined to my review unit alone – perhaps it had been passed around several journalists before it got to me – but the issue still doesn’t speak highly of its build quality or Acer's quality control.
There’s a varied selection of ports on the Aspire 16 AI, spread evenly across both sides. On the left are two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, and an HDMI port. However, I found it inconvenient that the USB-C ports are placed nearest to you, since one has to be used for the power adapter; I much prefer the thick cable for this to trail from the back of the laptop, rather than from the middle, as it does with the Aspire 16 AI.
On the right you’ll find another USB-A port, followed by a combo audio jack and a microSD card reader. It’s a shame the latter can’t accommodate standard SD card sizes, but this is a small grievance.
Design: 3.5/ 5
Acer Aspire 16 AI review: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
Good productivity and streaming performance
Poor for gaming
Useless AI features
The Aspire 16 AI offers great general performance. It takes light productivity in its stride, from word processing to spreadsheet creation, and multiple browser tabs didn’t cause a problem for me, thanks to the 16GB of RAM in my review unit. Streaming 4K content is well within its grasp, too. I experienced little buffering or slow down, providing a seamless viewing experience in the main.
However, despite what Acer claims, the gaming performance of the Aspire 16 AI is quite poor. With its shared memory, the AMD Radeon GPU didn’t handle AAA titles very well. When I played Cyberpunk 2077 with the default Ray Tracing: Low preset and resolution scaling set to Performance mode, I was getting 20fps on average – not what you’d call playable.
The best I could achieve with the game was about 38fps, but that was at the lowest possible graphics preset and the resolution dropped to 1080p. This at least made it playable, but if you’re expecting to get even moderately close to the performance of the best gaming laptops, you’ll be sorely disappointed.
During my playtime, the Aspire 16 AI generated a fair amount of heat. Fortunately, this was heavily concentrated underneath and at the back, thus steering clear of any parts you might actually touch. Fan noise is also pleasantly subdued.
As when I tested the 14 AI, the AI features the Aspire 16 AI sports are disappointing. The centerpiece appears to be Acer LiveSense, a photo editing and webcam suite with very basic functionality, not to mention a poor UI and frequent glitches.
For more AI features, you’ll have to download Acer Intelligence Space, the brand’s hub. Contrary to when I tested the 14 AI, I managed to install it successfully. However, it didn’t get off to an auspicious start, as a dialog box warned me that I had insufficient memory resources, explaining that it needed 6.5GB free and a total of at least 16GB to execute smoothly.
(Image credit: Future)
I proceeded anyway and was greeted with a clear user interface that revealed the various AI apps I could install. However, a large portion of them seem to be incompatible with the Aspire 16 AI, and those that are were once more very limited in their functionality.
On a more positive note, the 2K OLED display in my review unit was as clear and as vibrant as you might expect. The very shiny coating can cause prominent reflections, but these can be mitigated by the screen’s brightness values (especially if you disable the ‘change brightness based on content’ setting).
The keyboard feels premium, too, thanks to the subtle texture and tight fit of the keys themselves. They’re also light, tactile, and reasonably spaced, although perhaps not to the extent of other laptop keyboards. I didn’t find this aspect to be a problem when typing, but I did while gaming, as it made adopting the WASD more uncomfortable for me.
At least the number pad doesn’t eat into the layout space. However, contrary to many full-sized laptop keyboards I’ve experienced, it’s the number pad itself that feels cramped, with its keys being too narrow to be used easily. Another small but notable gripe I have with the keyboard is the absence of a right Control key, which can be frustrating when performing productivity tasks.
The touchpad performs well enough, with its large and smooth surface making for easy navigation. However, thanks to the aforementioned rattle in its bottom portion, clicks felt unpleasant. It can also get in the way while typing: on occasion, the palm of my thumbs would activate the cursor, although thankfully not clicks or taps.
Performance: 3.5 / 5
Acer Aspire 16 AI review: Battery Life
(Image credit: Future)
Average battery life
14 AI battery life much better
Other rivals are better, too
The battery life of the Aspire 16 AI isn’t particularly impressive. It lasted just over nine hours in our movie playback test, which is a middling result. This is a far cry from the time achieved by the 14 AI, which lasted over twice as long, making the Aspire 16 AI even more disappointing by comparison.
What’s more, plenty of its rivals can beat this score, including the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch, which managed over 17 hours, and the Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition, which lasted 11 hours.
Battery Life: 3.5 / 5
Should I buy the Acer Aspire 16 AI?
Acer Aspire 16 AI Scorecard
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
Starting prices are low, but climb up the specs and the value starts to diminish.
3 / 5
Design
Build quality isn’t the best, but it’s impressively thin and light. It looks good, too.
3.5 / 5
Performance
Everyday tasks are dispatched without a hitch, but it can’t cope well with heavier demands, such as gaming. The display is very good, though.
3.5 / 5
Battery Life
Only average, and the smaller 14 AI absolutely obliterates it on this front.
3 / 5
Total
The Aspire 16 AI is a capable workhorse, but its poor GPU, underwhelming AI features, and suspect build quality result in a middling machine.
3 / 5
Buy the Acer Aspire 16 AI if...
You want a large and bright display The 16-inch OLED on my model looked great, its powerful backlight can overcome its reflective nature.
You want something portable Despite its large size, the Aspire 16 AI is impressively light and thin, making it easy to carry around.
Don't buy it if...
You’ll be running graphics-intensive apps The Aspire 16 AI could barely handle AAA gaming at modest settings, saddled as it is with a shared memory GPU.
You want a super-sturdy machine There’s plenty of flex in the body, and the seemingly broken touchpad on my particular unit was disconcerting.
Acer Aspire 16 AI review: Also Consider
Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition If you’re after more graphical power but don’t want to spend more for it, the TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition might be the solution. It comes equipped with an AMD Radeon RX 7600S GPU, which is capable of handling AAA titles smoothly, although you may have to forgo Ray Tracing. Read our full Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition review.
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) Unusually for an Apple product, this MacBook Air is actually a great budget pick if you’re after a powerful machine, being among the best laptops for video editing for this reason. Its sumptuous design and display are additional feathers in its creative cap. Read our full Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) review.
How I tested the Acer Aspire 16 AI
Tested for several days
Used for various tasks
Plentiful laptop reviewing experience
I tested the Aspire 16 AI for several days, during which time I used it for various tasks, from productivity and browsing to streaming and gaming.
I also ran our series of benchmark tests to assess its all-round performance more concretely, and played a movie on a continuous loop while unplugged to see how long its battery lasted.
I have been using laptops for decades, and have reviewed a large and varied selection of them too, ranging in their form factors, price points, and intended purposes.
Rather than a review, this is a ‘hands-on’ in which I’ve explored what the Asus Ascent GX10 offers, providing information that might be critical to those considering purchasing one.
The first important piece of information about this hardware is that this isn’t a PC, or rather, it's not an Intel, AMD or X86-compliant platform that can run Windows.
It’s built around ARM technology, much like modern phones and tablets, although its ARM technology has been scaled up to work with massively powerful Nvidia Blackwell technology that is capable of 1 petaFLOP of AI performance using FP4.
This has all been shoehorned into a gorgeously engineered 150mm-square, 51mm-high form factor that resembles an oversized NUC.
The system can be used directly by attaching a mouse, keyboard, and screen, but it’s also intended to be used in a headless mode from another system, which might explain why it comes with relatively modest onboard storage.
What this system doesn’t allow for is much expansion, at least internally. The inclusion of a special networking connection, the Nvidia ConnectX-7 port, does allow another Ascent GX10 node to be stacked on top, doubling the amount of processing power and the price.
The platform that runs the integrated AI software stack is Ubuntu Linux, so familiarity with that might be useful for those wanting to work directly on it.
As anyone working in AI can already attest, nothing to do with this type of development is cheap, and the Asus Ascent GX10 is more than $3000 for a single node.
But given the expertise needed to use this hardware and the associated developer costs, this AI-focused hardware might be the least expensive part of any project. And, with memory costs rising dramatically, a system with 128GB of LPDDR5X onboard it might be significantly more expensive by the end of 2026 than it is at the start of it.
Asus Ascent GX10: Price and availability
How much does it cost? From $3090, £2800
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? From online retailers.
The ASUS Ascent GX10 isn’t available directly from Asus, but it's easy to find at many online retailers, including Amazon.
For US readers, the price on Amazon.com is $3099.99 for the 1TB storage SKU (GX10-GG0015BN), and $4,149.99 for the 4TB storage model (GX10-GG0016BN).
Given that a 4TB Gen 5 SSD is about $500, that is a remarkable price hike for the extra storage capacity.
For UK readers, on Amazon.co.uk the 1TB model price is £3769, but I found it via online retailer SCAN for a more palatable £2799.98. SCAN also carries a 2TB option for $3199.99 and the 4TB model for £3638.99.
The important details of this platform are that the hardware inside the GX10 isn’t exclusive to Asus, as Nvidia GPUs are (in theory) available across a number of brands, and Nvidia has its own model.
The Nvidia DGX Spark Personal AI Supercomputer, as the originator modestly calls it, costs £3699.98 in the UK, for a system with 128GB of RAM and 4TB of storage.
Acer offers the Veriton AI GN100, which bears an uncanny visual resemblance to the Asus but comes with 4TB of storage, like the Nvidia option. This is £3999.99 direct from Acer in the UK, but only $2999.99 from Acer in the US.
Another choice is the Gigabyte AI TOP ATOM Desktop Supercomputer, a 4TB storage model that sells for £3479.99 from SCAN in the UK, and can be found on Amazon.com for $3999.
Overall, the prices of all these products are roughly in the same ballpark, but the Asus in its 1TB configuration is one of the cheaper choices, especially for those in Europe.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Asus Ascent GX10: Specs
Item
Spec
CPU:
ARM v9.2-A CPU (GB10) (20 ARM cores, 10 Cortex-X925, 10 Corex-A725)
GPU:
NVIDIA Blackwell GPU (GB10, integrated)
RAM:
128 GB LPDDR5x, unified system memory
Storage:
1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD storage
Expansion:
N/A
Ports:
3x USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C, 20Gbps, alternate mode (DisplayPort 2.1) 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C,with PD in(180W EPR PD3.1 SPEC) 1x HDMI 2.1 1x NVIDIA ConnectX-7 SmartNIC
Networking:
10GbE LAN, AW-EM637 Wi-Fi 7 (Gig+) , Bluetooth 5.4
OS:
Nvidia DGX OS (Ubuntu Linux)
PSU:
48V 5A 240W
Dimensions:
150 x 150 x 51 mm (5.91 x 5.91 x 2.01 inch)
Weight:
1.48kg
Asus Ascent GX10: Design
Uber NUC
Connect-7 scalability
Limited internal access
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
While the GX10 looks like an oversized NUC mini PC, at 1.48kg it's heavier than any I’ve previously encountered. And that doesn’t include the substantial 240W PSU.
The front is an elegant grill with only the power button for company, and all the ports are on the rear. These include four USB-C ports, one of which is required for the PSU to connect, a single 10GbE LAN port and a single HDMI 2.1 video out.
You can connect more than one monitor by using the USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports in DP Alt mode, if you have the adapters to convert those into DisplayPort.
What seems mildly odd is that Asus went with three USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, a standard that was an effective dead end in USB development, and not USB4. And, there are no Type-A USB ports at all, forcing the buyer to use an adapter or hub to attach a mouse and keyboard to this system.
As mice and keyboards are still mostly USB-A, that’s slightly irritating.
But what makes this system truly interesting is the inclusion of a ConnectX-7 Smart NIC alongside the more conventional 10GbE Ethernet port.
The best the 10GbE LAN port can offer is a data transfer of around 840MB/s, which is technically slower than the USB ports, even if it's quick by networking technology.
The ConnectX-7 port is a technology developed by Mellanox Technologies Ltd, an Israeli-American multinational supplier of computer networking products based on InfiniBand and Ethernet technology that was acquired by Nvidia in 2019.
In this context, ConnectX-7 provides a means to link a second GX10 directly over a 200 Gbit/s (25 GB/s) InfiniBand network, enabling performance scaling across the two systems.
There are certainly parallels with this type of technology to the time when Nvidia enabled two GPUs to work in unison using a dedicated interconnect, but the ConnectX-7 interface is a much more sophisticated option where both processing and memory can be used in collective exercise, enabling the handling of large-scale models with over 400 billion parameters. That's double the 200 billion that a single unit can cope with.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Mellanox does make ConnectX switches, but I’m not sure if it is possible to connect more than two GX10 via one of those. Being realistic, each system is still only capable of 200 Gbit/s communication, so adding additional nodes beyond two might offer diminishing returns. But this technology is utilised in switched fabrics for enterprise data centres and high-performance computing, and in these scenarios, the Mellanox Quantum family of InfiniBand switches supports up to 40 ports running at HDR 200 Gbit/s.
It may be that products like the GX10 will be the vanguard for the wider use and application of ConnectX technology, and a blueprint for easily expandable clusters.
However, the last aspect I looked at on the GX10 was a disappointment, and it was the only nod to upgradability that this system has, beyond adding a second machine.
On the underside of the GX10 is a small panel that can be removed to provide access to the one M.2 NVMe drive that this system supports.
In our review, the hardware was occupied by a single 2242 M.2 PCIe 4.0 1TB drive, although you can also get this system with 4TB. The fact that there wasn’t room for a 2280 drive is a shock, because that effectively limits the maximum internal storage to 4TB.
But conversely, the only other of these types of systems I’ve seen, the Acer GN100 AI Mini Workstation, has no access to the internal storage at all. So perhaps Asus Ascent GX10 owners should be thankful for small mercies.
Asus Ascent GX10: Features
ARM 20-core CPU
Grace Blackwell GB10
AI platforms compared
The Nvidia GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip represents a significant leap in AI hardware, emerging from a collaborative effort between Nvidia and ARM. Its origins lie in the growing demand for specialised computing platforms capable of supporting the rapid development and deployment of artificial intelligence models. Unlike traditional x86-based systems, the GB10 is built around ARM v9.2-A architecture, featuring a combination of 20 ARM cores—specifically, 10 Cortex-X925 and 10 Cortex-A725 cores. This design choice reflects a broader industry trend towards ARM-based solutions, which offer improved efficiency and scalability for AI workloads.
The GB10’s capabilities are nothing short of remarkable. It integrates a powerful Nvidia Blackwell GPU paired with the ARM CPU, delivering up to a petaFLOP of AI performance using FP4 precision. This level of computational power is particularly suited to the training and inference of large language models (LLMs) and diffusion models, which underpin much of today’s generative AI. The system is further enhanced by 128GB of unified LPDDR5x memory, ensuring that even the most demanding AI tasks can be handled efficiently.
The GB10’s operating environment is based on Ubuntu Linux, specifically tailored with NVIDIA’s DGX OS, making it an ideal platform for developers familiar with open-source AI tools and workflows.
There is an exceptionally fine irony to this OS choice, since Nvidia’s hardly been a friend to Linux over the past three decades, and has actively obstructed its attempts to compete more widely with Microsoft Windows. If anyone doubts my opinion on the relationship between Linux and Nvidia, then search for “Linus Torvalds” and “Nvidia”. Recently, Linus has warmed to the company, but much less to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. And, he’s not a fan of the AI industry, which he described as "90% marketing and 10% reality".
Looking to the future, the evolution of the GB10 and similar superchips will likely be shaped by the ongoing arms race in AI hardware. As models grow ever larger and more complex, the need for even greater memory bandwidth, faster interconnects, and more efficient processing architectures will drive innovation. The modularity offered by technologies like ConnectX-7 hints at a future where AI systems can be scaled seamlessly by linking multiple nodes, enabling the handling of models with hundreds of billions of parameters.
In terms of raw AI performance, the GB10 delivers up to 1 petaFLOP at FP4 precision, which is heavily optimised for quantised AI workloads. While this is less than the multi-petaFLOP performance of NVIDIA’s flagship data centre chips (such as the Blackwell B200 or GB200), the GB10’s power efficiency is a standout. It operates at around 140W TDP, far lower than the 250W or more seen in GPUs like the RTX 5070, yet offers vastly more memory (128GB vs 12GB on the 5070). This makes the GB10 especially suitable for developers and researchers who need to work with large models locally, without the need for a full server rack.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
While there are some other players hidden in the shadows, mostly Chinese, the key AI players are Nvidia, AMD, Google and Apple.
NVIDIA has the Blackwell B200/GB200 products for datacenter flagships, offering up to 20 petaFLOPS of sparse FP4 compute and massive HBM3e memory bandwidth. These are massively expensive enterprise products, and the GB10, by contrast, is a scaled-down, more accessible version for desktop and edge use, trading some peak performance for efficiency and compactness.
AMD's line of AI accelerators is the Instinct MI300/MI350, these are competitive in terms of raw compute and memory bandwidth, with the MI350X offering up to 288GB HBM3e and strong FP4/FP6 performance. But these don’t offer the same level of flexibility as the GB10, even if they’re better suited to interference tasks. And, the same can be said for Google TPU v6/v7, a technology that is highly efficient for large-scale inference and is optimised for Google’s own cloud and AI services.
Whereas Apple M3/M4/M5 and Edge AI Chips are optimised for on-device AI in consumer products, with impressive efficiency and integrated neural engines. However, these chips are not designed for large-scale model training or inference, and their memory and compute capabilities are far below what the GB10 offers for professional AI development.
The NVIDIA GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip stands out as a bridge between consumer AI hardware and data centre accelerators. It offers a unique blend of high memory capacity, power efficiency, and local accessibility, making it ideal for developers and researchers who need serious AI capability without the scale or cost of a full server. While it cannot match the absolute peak performance of the largest data centre chips, its unified memory, advanced interconnects, and software support make it a compelling choice for cutting-edge AI work at the desktop.
However, that statement does assume that current AI is a path work taking.
Asus Ascent GX10: AI Reality Check
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Looking at the specifications of the Asus Ascent GX10, it's easy to be impressed by how much computing power Asus, with the help of Nvidia, has managed to squeeze into a tiny computer, and its ability to scale.
However, there are three practical little pigs living in this AI straw house, and in this story, I’m the wolf.
Those researching AI might think I’m referring to the three AI issues that confront all public implementations. Those being algorithmic bias, lack of transparency (aka explainability), and the significant ethical/societal risks associated with the spread of misinformation. But I’m not, because these are potentially fixable to a degree.
Instead, I’m talking about the three unfixable issues with current models
Almost every AI platform is based on a concept called the Deep Neural Net, and under that are two approaches that are generally classified as LLM (Large Language Models) and Diffusion models, which are the ones that can generate images and video.
What both these sides of the Deep Neural Net coin show is a pattern-matching approach to problems, like the computer is playing a complex version of the children’s card game Snap. The results are coloured by the scale of the data and how quickly the routines and hardware platforms find the patterns.
Before IBM made computers, they sold card files, with the concept that it was quicker to navigate the cards to the information you wanted.
It’s a generalisation, but these models are purely more sophisticated versions of that, because if the pattern they’re looking for doesn’t exist in the data, then the routine can’t inspirationally create it.
To make the results seem less random, model designers have tried to specialise their AI constructs to focus on narrower criteria, but the Nirvana of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) is that the AI should be generally applicable to almost any problem.
How this issue manifests in AI responses is that when confronted with a pattern that the routine can’t match accurately, it just offers up the partial matches it found that may or may not be related at all.
These ‘hallucinations’, as they’re often called, are a choice the model makers have between the AI admitting it has no idea what the answer is, and delivering a response that’s got a remarkably low possibility of being correct. Given that AI companies don’t like the idea of their models admitting they haven’t a clue what the answer is, hallucinations are deemed preferable.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Perhaps some of the problem here is not AI, but that users aren’t trained to check what the AI is producing, which isn’t entirely spurious.
The next issue is the classic ‘prompt injection’ issue, where you ask a question, and then, often based on the response, you realise you asked the wrong one, and then proceed in an entirely different direction. The AI doesn’t recognise this pivot and tries to apply its previous pattern constructions to the new problem, and becomes entirely confused.
And the final piglet, where current AI entirely falls down, might be classed as original thinking, where what the user wants is a new approach to a problem that hasn’t been documented before. What has defined humans as being especially impressive thinkers is their ability to abstract, and that is something that current AI doesn’t do, even modestly.
While prompt injection can probably be solved, the other two issues regarding generalisation and abstraction are unlikely to be fixed by the Deep Neural Net, these need a radically new approach, and ironically, not one that AI is likely to come up with.
Some of you reading this will be wondering why I’ve inserted this information into this product reveal, but the whole purpose of the Asus Ascent GX10 is to facilitate the design and testing of LLMs and Diffusion models, and at this time, these have significant limitations.
But critically, the development of the whole Deep Neural Net direction doesn’t appear to have resolution to some of the more problematic issues, which suggests it might ultimately be a dead end.
It might turn out to be useful for lots of problems, but it's not the AI we’re looking for, and the likelihood of it evolving into that true artificial intelligence is extremely low.
This is especially relevant to the Asus Ascent GX10, since it doesn’t have a practical purpose beyond the creation of models, as it’s not a PC.
These aren’t all the issues associated with AI, but they’re some of the ones that might directly impact those buying the GX10, at some point or another.
Asus Ascent GX10: Early verdict
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
It’s exciting to see Asus make something this radical, showing that it truly believes in a post-Windows, post-PC future where hardware is purely specified for a specific task, and in the case of the Asus Ascent GX10, that’s AI model development.
I’ve already covered the caveats regarding that subject, so for the purpose of this conclusion, let's pretend that AI is the solid bet that some think, and not an underachieving dead end that others believe.
For corporations, the cost of this hardware won’t be an issue for their IT people to experience building AI models and evaluating their worth.
The beauty of a system like the GX10 is that it’s a finite cost, unlike buying access to an AI server centre cluster, which will be an ongoing cost, and likely to become more expensive if demand is high. While the data centre still might be needed for the biggest projects, or for deployment, the GX10 does provide a first rung for any proof of concept.
However, if the AI path is not the one that is ultimately taken, this machine becomes mostly a beautifully engineered paperweight.
For more compact computing, see our guide to the best mini PCs you can buy
I was unsure about action soulslike Code Vein 2 during my first six hours of play. The game promises a large open world to explore, but it’s hesitant to hand over the reins while your total playtime is still in the single digits.
Review information
Platform reviewed: PS5 Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC Release date: January 29, 2026
That’s not to say it’s a slow starter, though. Code Vein 2 does a great job of steadily introducing you to its new and overhauled gameplay systems in those opening hours. And overall, this is a much more confident game than its 2019 prequel.
The original Code Vein, which I’m nonetheless a fan of, was painfully linear (outside of one comically labyrinthine level about halfway through) by soulslike standards, had fairly one-note characters, and a difficulty that was more rollercoaster than curve.
Code Vein 2 comes seven years later and is a vast improvement on almost all fronts. It presents a world, story, and characters I couldn’t help but fall in love with. The open world, once it does truly open up, is wonderful to explore; packed with things to find and secrets to uncover without feeling overwhelming. I adore the new Blood Code system, too, which makes it incredibly easy and riskless to try out new weapons, abilities, and builds.
If you generally enjoy soulslikes, including Lies of Por the Nioh series - or if you were a fan of the original Code Vein - then Code Vein 2 gets an easy recommendation from me. Some of the original game’s problems do persist here, though. Namely, a lack of enemy and boss variety, some rather samey dungeon design, and a bit of a difficulty trench that makes much of the mid-game pretty breezy.
However, these issues pale in comparison to my main bugbear with Code Vein 2. Its performance on console needs some serious work, with the game often struggling to meet even 30 frames per second (fps) in the larger outdoor environments. There’s also little difference between the two console performance options; neither offers a particularly stable play experience.
If Bandai Namco is able to rectify this through post-game support, however (and there will likely be a good amount of it with an expansion set to release this year), then Code Vein 2 has a chance of becoming one of the best soulslike games of recent years. After all, the ingredients are already here.
The end of the world as we know it
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
If you’re new to the series, fear not. Code Vein 2’s story is, by and large, a separate entity from that of the first game. While some terminology and lore tidbits do cross over, the original is certainly not required reading in order to enjoy this sequel.
Best bit
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
I love what the team has done with the Blood Code system in Code Vein 2. Effectively, templates for your desired build make experimenting with a bunch of different weapon types, skills, and boosters a delightfully simple process; no need for tedious stat reallocations here. Though I will say, an option to save loadouts would’ve been nice.
It does begin in a similar manner, though. The player character, having recently died, is resurrected as a revenant hunter. From your base of operations, MagMell, you’re tasked with slaying five heroes of old in order to prevent an imminent calamity.
It’s not as simple as just rocking up to their door and demanding a fight, though. You’ll first need to procure a key - a resonant object that played an important part in any given hero’s life - to release them from dormancy. To do so, you’ll travel back in time to the hero’s eras not only to explore their regions on the world map, but also to get to know them intimately and help them solve the crises of their time.
It’s a brilliant narrative hook. The heroes are all incredibly likable characters. Befriending and forming bonds with them in the past, only to have to put them down in their boss forms in the present, always left me feeling a little saddened. It was enough of a hook to get me to keep playing, especially as side quests involving the heroes can help them come to terms with past regrets and put a more positive spin on their fates in the future.
Full kit
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
Code Vein 2 puts player expression at the forefront. Like the first game, you’ll start with a fantastic, in-depth character creator, and it’s even better in the sequel. You can customize your character to a pretty granular degree, from clothing and accessories to hair highlights and even how light bounces off their eyes.
I’m not ashamed to admit I spent a whole hour making my hunter, and to some, that’s probably no time at all, given the options on offer. You can fully change your appearance at MagMell at any time, too, if you ever want to make adjustments both small and large.
There’s a healthy amount of weapon types, too, from massive axes and hammers to hit-and-run mid-range options like bayonets and rune blades. In addition to standard weapons, there are plenty of armaments to supplement your build, also. Formae, for example, come in offensive and defensive varieties. There aren’t a terrible amount of these in the game, but they do offer you options for ranged attacks, shields, evasion, and more.
Then there’s the Jails, supplementary weapons that you’ll use to drain essence from enemies to restore the Ichor you need to spend on skills. You can assign four skills to a weapon, and they come in the form of offensive maneuvers or support spells. Learning how and when to use skills in battle is essential in Code Vein 2, and using them in tandem with your regular attacks and your Jail offers a pretty satisfying combat loop.
Code of conduct
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
The Blood Code system returns in Code Vein 2, and they’ve been significantly overhauled here.
Put simply, a Blood Code is essentially a template for your desired build. Individual Blood Codes have their own spread of stats baked in (you can level up your character, but like in the first game, this is a general increase to health, attack power, and the like). This lets you best take advantage of different types of weapons and playstyle-altering boosters.
It’s a novel idea, and one I think works well here. Blood Codes mean that you don’t have to lock yourself into any one type of playstyle, like you might have to in the likes of Elden Ringor Lies of P, before having access to stat reallocation in those games.
Not liking the heavy strength-based playstyle? Swap out your Blood Code for something Dexterity or spell-focused. In terms of builds, you’re really only limited by weapon upgrade materials, which are plentiful out on the world map and can be found easily via exploration. You’re also actively incentivized to try out several Blood Codes, as maxing out familiarity with them will reward you with unique and powerful boosters, which are similar to Elden Ring’s talismans (or Dark Souls’ rings).
Blood Codes also feature the 'Burden' system. Weapons and other equipment will contribute to this burden, and your Blood Code's stats are effectively the amount of 'weight' that can be applied to them. If you're under the stat burden, you'll gain various benefits, while going over will incur penalties. Overburdened Vitality, for example, will lower your dodge efficiency under a certain health threshold.
With friends like these
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
Rounding out combat in Code Vein 2 are your partners, with whom you can explore the open world. You can choose which partner to take with you at any Mistle (that’s Code Vein’s version of checkpoints/bonfires), and they offer varying stats and perks based on their own playstyles and personality.
Partners are a fantastic system, too, and offer something of a stealth difficulty option, of sorts. Your partner can fight alongside you, for one, handy when you need a distraction when facing multiple enemies. Alternatively, you can ‘assimilate’ your partner, absorbing them into your Jail, giving you noticeable stat boosts and increased power. This is incredibly useful during boss fights, especially if you’re confident going one-on-one with Code Vein 2’s most challenging foes.
Speaking of challenge, one complaint I have is that, like the first game, difficulty is a bit all over the place. I greatly struggled in the first 10 or so hours of play. Enemies have incredibly high poise, rarely staggering from even heavier-hitting attacks. Most can hit like a truck, too, leading to some growing pains as you’re finding your feet in the early game.
However, once you’ve got some solid upgrades behind you - be that a powerful new weapon or Blood Code - things start to become significantly easier. The first major boss was quite the gatekeeper for me, and certainly the one I struggled most with in the entire playthrough.
After this, while the game wasn’t necessarily any easier on paper, I’d earned enough upgrades through thorough exploration that few areas, enemies, and even bosses gave me any trouble whatsoever. In fact, it wasn’t until the last couple of late-game dungeons that difficulty shot right back up, honestly feeling a little over-tuned.
Code Vein 2 has a bit of a difficulty trough, then. The game is bookended on either side by significant challenges, but you’ll likely breeze through a good three-quarters of the game’s overall content. Enemy and boss variety is pretty lacking, too, meaning you’ll quickly learn the ins and outs of most enemy types before the halfway mark. That’s definitely a shame, especially as the world presented in Code Vein 2 is otherwise incredibly creative, with some truly astounding boss designs.
The frontier wasn't built in a day
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
Overall, I love Code Vein 2, but there was one major aspect of the game that often prevented me from enjoying it fully. Performance on console (at least on PS5, where I reviewed the game) is frankly abysmal.
While interior locations run well enough, often maintaining the 60fps target, things plummet in the larger outdoor environments. There is a ton of environmental clutter, from rubble and foliage to abundant particle effects, which certainly doesn’t help. But even the act of swinging the camera around can cause the frame rate to chug uncomfortably. It can be a nightmare against bosses, too, with some of the flashier attacks resulting in a notable decrease in overall performance.
In short, it’s a mess. It’s something that I hope Bandai Namco can address post-launch, as Code Vein 2 is an otherwise brilliant game, unfortunately hampered all too often by poor performance.
Should I play Code Vein 2?
Play it if...
You saw the first game’s potential If you liked the original Code Vein, then I simply can’t recommend the sequel enough. Code Vein 2 refines many systems found in that first game, and (performance hitches aside) offers a successful shift to an open-world format.
You struggle with character builds The Blood Code system in Code Vein 2 is excellent. It lets players instantaneously change playstyles with no penalty whatsoever. This is a game that strongly encourages experimentation and never punishes you for playing around with certain stats.
You love character creation I have a real soft spot for character creators in games, and Code Vein 2 offers one of the best I’ve seen in years. Clothing, markings, hair length, highlights, accessories (and even granular placement of said accessories), and so much more mean you could potentially spend hours crafting your perfect hunter.
Don't play it if...
You were expecting a massive challenge There’s some friction in the early and late game, but by and large, Code Vein 2 isn’t particularly challenging. I managed to beat most bosses in a handful of attempts at most. New Game Plus does exist for those seeking greater challenges on repeat playthroughs, but I think the game could do with more challenging options in general. Maybe post-release?
Performance is paramount to you At launch, Code Vein 2 is poorly optimized, at least for console players. Poor framerates and soupy visuals often brought on by overworked dynamic resolution, lead to a pretty uncomfortable and unenjoyable experience at times.
Accessibility
There aren’t many dedicated accessibility options in Code Vein 2 at launch. The game does feature fully remappable controls, though, and decent subtitles support that lets you adjust size, background opacity, and speaker identity.
How I reviewed Code Vein 2
My playthrough of Code Vein 2 lasted around 42 hours. This was near enough a 100% completion run, tackling all main and side quest content. In that time, I fully upgraded several weapons, Blood Codes, and Jails, and was able to craft some seriously powerful builds.
The Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC | C is the latest, and widest, lens to join Sigma’s comprehensive list of primes with a fast f/1.4 maximum aperture, complimenting the 16mm, 23mm, 30mm and 56mm f/1.4 primes in its Contemporary range.
All five f/1.4 primes are specifically designed for mirrorless APS-C cameras, and as such are small and portable. The Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC | C is available for Sony E and Fujifilm X, but also for Canon RF, with the brand now opening up to third-party lenses with autofocus on its APS-C cameras.
With a weight of just 225g and measuring 69.4mm long, the Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC | C lens is beautifully sleek, and works brilliantly with small APS-C mirrorless camera bodies (Image credit: Future / Dan Mold)
Speaking of mount options, on Sony E and Fujifilm X bodies with a 1.5x sensor crop the 12mm lens behaves more like an 18mm focal length (full-frame equivalent), whereas on Canon APS-C mirrorless cameras with a 1.6x crop factor it will feel a little more zoomed in, and behave more like a 19mm focal length.
So if you own one of these APS-C mirrorless camera bodies should you run out to buy the Sigma 12mm prime? Well, it's not the widest prime on the market – that title goes to the Sony 11mm f/1.8. However, if you don't mind it being a little more zoomed in at 12mm, and prefer the brighter f/1.4 maximum aperture, then it's an absolute no-brainer.
If your budget can't quite stretch to the Sigma 12mm, or you shoot on Sony mirrorless, then you'll want to see what other options are available for you below.
Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC | C: Price and availability
Priced at $579 / £519 / AU$1,000
Lens hood included
Announced August 2025
Sigma announced the 12mm f/1.4 DC | C on August 19 2025, and it started shipping later in September.
It's available for Sony E, Fujifilm X, Canon RF mounts and costs $579 / £519 / AU$1,000. To put that into context, its rivals are the Sony E 11mm f/1.8, which costs $699 / £477 / AU$799, the Viltrox AF 13mm f/1.4 STM, which costs $429 / £440 / AU$624, and the Samyang AF 12mm f/2, which retails for $499 / £348 / AU$598.
While it can’t match the Sony’s wide focal length, it does offer a great balance of a still very wide 12mm focal length and that super-wide f/1.4 aperture, all wrapped up in a very small and portable package.
It's a little more expensive than the Viltrox and Samyang offerings, so those on tighter budgets may prefer to save money and miss out on the better features found in the Sigma 12mm. Sony users will be faced with a tougher choice, as they'll have to also weigh up the Sony E 11mm f/1.8, which has a wider focal length at the cost of a slower maximum aperture.
For me, the Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC | C lens would have been even better value for money if it had included an iris ring lock and MF/AF switch on the barrel, though I think for most people these will be minor gripes in an otherwise stellar lens that combines brilliant portability with great image quality and a super-fast and wide aperture and focal length.
Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC | C: specs
Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC specs
Type:
Wide-angle prime
Mount:
Sony E, Fujifilm X, Canon RF
Sensor:
APS-C
Focal length:
12mm (18mm effective on Fujifilm & Sony, 19.2mm on Canon RF)
Max aperture:
f/1.4
Minimum focus:
0.17m
Filter size:
62mm
Dimensions:
68 x 69.4mm
Weight:
7.9oz / 225g
Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC | C: Design
Some level of weather-sealing that's usually reserved for more premium Art lenses
Very lightweight at 7.9oz / 225g
Sony and Fujifilm versions have an iris ring, while Canon version has a Control Ring
The Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC | C is perfectly small and portable, with super-sleek dimensions of 68 x 68.4mm and a weight of just 225g, which makes it well matched with the smaller APS-C bodies it’s designed to be used with. You can also use it on a full-frame camera, but you’ll need to use the camera's APS-C crop mode to accommodate the smaller imaging circle this lens produces.
With not a lot of lens barrel to play with, the exterior design has been kept simple, with just an electronic fly-by-wire focus ring and also an iris ring to control the aperture – the latter is a ‘Control’ ring on Canon RF cameras, which can be assigned to a range of functions, including, but not limited to, aperture.
There are, however, no switches on the barrel itself, which means you’ll need to dive into the menus to switch between AF and MF. There’s also no switch to lock the iris ring in its ‘A’ mode to prevent it from slipping, and the iris ring is also clicked, with no way to switch it over to a de-clicked mode – two features which I’ve become accustomed to after using Sigma Art lenses such as the 135mm and 17-40mm. While not a dealbreaker by any means, these would have been welcome inclusions here.
The Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC | C features an iris control ring, though this is replaced by a Control Ring on the Canon edition (Image credit: Future / Dan Mold)
Inside, the lens is constructed from 14 elements in 12 groups, and includes three aspherical elements, plus two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements.
It has a rounded 9-bladed aperture design which can be opened as wide as f/1.4 or closed to f/16. The minimum focus distance is also just 17.2cm, so close-up shots with blurry backgrounds are very possible (see my test shots in the Performance section).
On the front of the lens is a filter thread which takes 62mm screw-in filters. A LH652-01 petal lens hood is included, which is equally as petite as the lens itself, and helps to block out stray light rays to reduce flare.
A weather seal around the lens mount indicates some level of protection from the elements, though it's not as comprehensive as found on Sigma's Art line of lenses (Image credit: Future / Dan Mold)
The front element also has a water- and oil-repellent coating that compliments the dust and splashproof design of the lens. Sigma’s more budget-friendly line of Contemporary lenses don’t usually get the weather-sealed treatment, but this 12mm is somewhat protected, as it has a rubber gasket around the rear lens mount.
The lens is as fast as or faster than its main competition, including the Sony E 11mm f/1.8, Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 and Samyang 12mm f/2, though it’s not quite as wide-angle as the Sony model. It’s also the most expensive of the pack – more than twice the price of the Samyang. It’s similar in size and weight to the Samyang and Sony, though the Viltrox model is notably larger and heavier. However, if the speed of the faster aperture or shallow depth of field are your priority and money is no object then the Sigma is definitely one to consider.
Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC | C: Performance
Very small and portable
Bright f/1.4 maximum aperture makes it a beast for low-light shots
Sharp details and smooth bokeh
No switches on lens barrel, making it a little difficult to switch settings
I was able to test the Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC on both an APS-C Sony A6700 and full-frame Sony A7R IV in crop mode, both of which delivered images around 26MP.
Autofocus was fast and reliable – it took a brief moment to lock on but was overall impressively fast and quiet. Sigma claims the stepping motor delivers ‘minimal’ focus breathing, and in my testing I would have to agree. The autofocus was also accurate when locking on to subjects with low contrast, and it kept up well with the Sony A6700’s subject-detection and tracking, too.
It would have been nice if the lens featured optical image stabilization; however this wasn’t too much of an issue, considering most modern mirrorless cameras have sensor-based IBIS and you also have that super-wide f/1.4 maximum aperture, so you rarely capture shaky shots or footage. Many low-light shots. such as traffic trails or astrophotography. also require a tripod, so the lack of optical image stabilization for these types of shots isn't an issue.
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The bright f/1.4 maximum aperture makes it possible to throw the background into a beautiful blur, but its wide 12mm focal length means you need to get up close to your subject to do so (Image credit: Dan Mold)
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Image quality was overall impressive, with decent center sharpness from the get-go, though that super-wide f/1.4 aperture did contribute to a little softness around the edges and corners, but these areas became sharp very quickly by f/2.8. The corners were also quite dark in the raw and JPEG files, though again this was remedied by f/2.8, and this vignetting is easily fixed in post-production.
The in-camera lens correction profiles did a good job at creating sharp and mostly distortion-free photos. There was also impressively virtually no chromatic aberration, and the lens handled flare when shooting towards the sun very well.
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As is to be expected from a lens with such an extreme wide-angle focal length, Sigma’s 12mm does show some signs of barrel distortion around the edges, but this is by no means fisheye, and is overall it's very well handled. Straight lines of buildings do tend to bow a little when shot from up close, so if buildings and architecture is the top of your mind you’ll almost certainly be better off with a tilt-shift lens. Aiming the lens up at buildings exaggerates the barrel distortion the most.
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However, for an everyday walkabout lens for city shots it’s a great choice. While perhaps not the best option for exterior architecture, it would be a fantastic lens for interiors, where the wide focal length will help you squeeze more of small spaces into the frame, and its bright f/1.4 aperture will help you get good results even in dark interior spaces.
Should you buy the Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC | C?
Buy it if...
You own a Sony E, Fujifilm X or Canon RF APS-C body
The Sigma 12mm f/1.4 is small, and pairs perfectly with smaller APS-C bodies
You need a fast wide-angle prime
This Sigma lens is the fastest wide-angle prime for APS-C bodies on the market, with an f/1.4 maximum aperture
You want to blur backgrounds
With its f/1.4 maximum aperture you can get up close and personal to your subjects, and throw backgrounds into a blur with a shallow depth of field easily
Don't buy it if...
You need the versatility of a zoom
If you don't want to be stuck at just one focal length you'll likely be better off with a zoom lens that gives you more options, though this will likely have a slower max aperture
You're on a budget
The Sigma 12mm f/1.4 is the most expensive of its rivals, which include the Sony E 11mm f/1.8, Viltrox AF 13mm f/1.4 STM and Samyang AF 12mm f/2, and while it can’t match the Sony’s wide focal length it does offer a great balance of a still very wide 12mm focal length, and that super-wide f/1.4 aperture
You like to change settings quickly
With no physical switches for AF/MF on the lens barrel it can be a slow process to change settings in the camera menu. There's also no lock on the iris ring, which means it can frustratingly be knocked out of position easily.View Deal
How I tested the Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC | C
I used the lens extensively for a month, shooting around busy cities in both during the day and at night
I paired it with the Sony a6700 APS-C body as well as a Sony a7R IV full-frame body in crop mode
I took wide-angle shots of cities, sunsets, low-light scenes, starscapes, and more
I got hold of the Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC | C and Sony A7R IV and A6700 bodies for a month to give the lens a thorough testing over an extended period.
Due to its small size and portability the lens quickly became my go-to option when I needed to bring a camera with me for days out around cities such as London, where I shot everything from landscapes to cityscapes, sunsets, astro and still life.
I took a range of pictures with in-camera lens corrections enabled, and also turned off to see the comparison. I shot in raw and JPEG formats, and shot at all of the various apertures to gauge how things like corner sharpness and vignetting changed throughout the aperture range.
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Triband, Mesh Networking, DECT ULE, Zigbee Integration, Media Server RAM: 128GB Ports: USB-A 3.1, Gigabit LAN, 1x 2.5Gbps LAN/WAN Size: Approx. 268mm x 165mm x 48mm Weight: 1100g Operating System: FRITZ! OS Accessories: Power adapter, DSL & fibre cables, SFP modules, LAN cable, quick-start guide Data transfer rate: 18520 Mbps LAN Port Bandwidth: 1000 Mbps
AVM is known for doing things a little bit differently with networking features to make their routers stand out from the crowd, and sure enough, the Fritz!Box 5690 Pro is no different. The 5690 Pro has been designed for home and small business use, and what makes this particular model stand out from the competition is just how future-proof it is, being fully compatible with the latest technologies such as fibre and Wi-Fi 7 as well as backward compatible with what has come before.
As such, it takes the leap to Wi-Fi 7, meaning that if you have the latest devices, iPhone 16, Vivo X200 you can ensure that you get the fastest possible internet speeds. It also features two internal routers, one that enables DSL and the other fibre connections, meaning that if you've just swapped to fibre, or you know that you're going to in the near future, you can upgrade to this router knowing that it will be suitable for use later on.
Compared with many home routers, there are a few more options for connectivity on the back. Alongside the fibre and DSL to connect you to the outer world, there's compatibility for a telephone and some smart home devices built-in, so connecting an internal phone network for a small business or connecting to your smart devices in your home is made much easier with the use of this router.
Getting started with the router wasn’t as straightforward as many others that I've tested, and there are plenty of options through the setup process. Essentially, you need to know a bit more than the standard user about what type of internet connection you have, fibre, DSL, or other, and through the setup process, you're asked for speeds and other specifications that need to be answered accurately in order to make the most of what this box has to offer.
Whilst I didn't have the optional smart home additions such as the Fritz!Fon and Fritz! Smart, it's great to see that AVM has not just thought about this as a router that’s going to draw in the internet into your house or small business, but also as the expandable heart of a larger networking ecosystem.
Right from the start of this test, whilst the design, graphics and look of the Fritz!Box 5690 Pro do make it look extremely user-friendly and for the mass market, which in many ways it is, if you really want to make the most of what’s on offer here, especially those smart home features and the more advanced fibre connection, then you are going to need a higher level of network understanding.
Once you do get everything set and configured, the signal strength and speed are exceptionally good. However, used as just a straightforward router, this is on the expensive side - given that cost, it's unlikely to make it into our best Wi-Fi router round-up. But if you consider it as just the start of your home or business networking hub, especially with mesh, smart home options and an easy way to set up an internal telephone system, then it suddenly becomes very good value, which is matched by excellent performance.
Fritz!Box 5690 Pro: Price and availability
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
How much does it cost? £453
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? You can get it Amazon
At present, the AVM Fritz!Box 5690 Pro is available in Europe from the official website here. It's also available from online retailers like Amazon.co.uk here, where it's priced at £453.
Value: 4 / 5
Fritz!Box 5690 Pro: Design
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Stylish design
Wi-Fi 7
DSL and Fibre support
The styling of the 5690 Pro is quite different from most other wireless home or small business routers. It's relatively large with two prominent WLAN and Connect buttons on the red detailing around the right-hand side of the unit, and four very clearly laid-out LED indicators showing connection and status.
Around the back, everything is clearly laid out, with options for both DSL and fibre connectivity. Most of us are still on DSL, which is pretty straightforward to set up, but the great point here is that it's ready for fibre as well, and in the box you're provided with a fibre-optic cable ready to get going. You just need to check that you have an ONT (Optical Network Terminal) that supports the fibre-optic cable connection. That means that it doesn’t just offer the usual network socket, but also features an optical option.
One of the first things that highlights that this is completely different from anything else is the fact that it comes with two SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) modules, essentially a plug-in adapter, which slot into the back of the unit depending on the type of fibre connection you're using. There's one module for AON up to one gigabit and another for GPON up to 2.5Gbps. This is the first of what could be a few stumbling blocks where you have to pick the correct one for your connection. If you’re on DSL then you don’t have to worry.
Once the SFP is installed, you can then connect your DSL, any analogue phones that you have, your WAN/LAN, and up to four gigabit LAN connections directly to computers. There's also a USB 3.1 port if you need to connect a USB stick or a hard drive.
The ports at the back are quite recessed, which helps protect them from getting knocked, offering a good amount of protection compared with most routers that simply have the cables sticking out. When it comes to power, the router comes with its own power lead straight into the AC mains.
One of the other features that I liked from the outset was the WLAN button on the red detailing. This enables you to quickly turn the WLAN on and off without logging in to a web interface. A quick press will switch off the internet if you want to disable it overnight.
The second button is the Connect button, and this uses WPS pairing, ready for mesh setup. A quick push starts WPS pairing, and a longer press (up to 6 seconds) initiates the mesh connection mode.
Finally, there are four LEDs along the front. The first is Info, this is a custom status LED you can set up through the Fritz!OS, so if you do have a system that you would like a visual confirmation for, then you can assign it to this LED. Then you have Fon, which is for the phone connection, either analogue or VOIP, and will only activate if there's a phone plugged in.
The next LED is WLAN, and if this is solid, it shows that the WLAN is connected and working. Likewise, the Power/Internet LED indicates that you're connected and powered on. Otherwise, the design remains simple, with most advanced features accessible through the browser interface.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Design: 4 / 5
Fritz!Box 5690 Pro: Features
One of the big features here is that it has a built-in fibre through the SFP module as well as a DSL modem, so there's no additional hardware needed. You can just take it out of the box and get started. When it comes to fibre, those two SFP modules included, one for 1Gbps and the other 2.5Gbps dependent on your connection.
Next up on the ports is the DSL and telephone port, alongside a 2.5Gbps WAN/LAN port. There are also four gigabit LAN ports for connecting computers and a USB 3.1 port.
The telephone port supports a telephone/DECT telephone system that enables cordless telephony, where this 5690 Pro box acts as a DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) base station. So if you're running a small business and need to set up an internal phone network, then this is a great option. Whilst the price for a standard router might seem expensive, when you start to factor in all these additional features, it becomes very good value.
It's worth pointing out that whilst there are plenty of features here, it will only support one internet connection at a time. This should be fine for most homes and small businesses, but if you're operating a more complex network with a dual connection, then you'll need to upgrade to a more enterprise-level router or just have two.
The Fritz!Box supports Wi-Fi 7, which enables it to simultaneously use three frequencies, 2.4GHz, 5GHz and the new 6GHz band. This multi-link operation (MLO) enables it to use multiple frequency bands for greater stability and compatibility with devices.
This box theoretically enables speeds of about 18,500Mbps, using the fastest 6GHz band at 11,530Mbps, the 5GHz band at up to 5,760Mbps, and the 2.4GHz band at 1,200Mbps. It’s just worth pointing out here that only the 5GHz and 6GHz bands will support full Wi-Fi 7 wireless connectivity.
Alongside the router, there are also a wide variety of smart home accessories, including the Repeater 6000. So if you live in a larger house or have a larger office where the Wi-Fi signal starts to get weak, then attaching one of these at a midway point will help boost the signal throughout in a mesh-style system.
Likewise, there’s also a telephone system with DECT that enables up to six cordless handsets to be connected, and Zigbee smart home control is also built into this router. Again, all of these features are great to see in a router of this type, but accessing them does take some technical know-how.
Alongside the hardware, you also have the Fritz!OS, and this enables you to manage router passwords, settings and access. You can also set up features such as advanced parental controls and guest Wi-Fi options, which is great if you're running a small business or have guests in your house and don't want them on the main network. It also enables you to set up a media server that will provide NAS-like functions using USB storage or a dedicated NAS.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Features: 4.5 / 5
Fritz!Box 5690 Pro: Performance
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Getting started with the Fritz!Box 5690 Pro was relatively straightforward, with the unit being removed from the box, plugged in and then the DSL cable connected. Unfortunately, while I have fibre running to the house, my box does not enable me to connect directly through the fibre optic cable into a router. This means that whilst I can test the Wi-Fi 7 capabilities, when it comes to checking the speeds, I will be limited by that DSL connection.
One of the first things that was apparent compared with the router and mesh system that is presently installed in both the house and my office was that the single router unit had a far greater range. I was able to pass through several walls and a distance of over 8 metres without attaching a repeater.
During the test period, the router was left in place for over four weeks, supplying the household with its main internet connection, used for network storage, general household internet use and TV, and during that time the connection proved exceptionally reliable, with the ability to log on through the https://fritz.box URL to access the router options and settings.
One thing that became apparent during the initial process, and again when further devices were connected, was that, unlike some of the out-of-the-box router options available, the 5690 Pro does require a bit more technical knowledge to get set up and running. That knowledge will only become more necessary when switching over to a true fibre connection, with not only the need to connect up the fibre-optic cable, which is straightforward, but also to know the exact details of your connection type.
For the most part, the speed of the connection was exceptionally good. It's just a shame that the network port for LAN is limited to 2.5Gbps, not 10Gbps, which I would’ve expected with a router this fast. However, with a two NAS attached, the transfer rates to and from that box were excellent and on par with my existing system. Using my MacBook Pro M1 Max, I did notice that compared to the Eero router, there was very little speed difference. However, when I switched over to the ASUS ExpertBook equipped with Wi-Fi 7, I saw a significant uptick in speed.
What I also really liked was that, unlike my standard routers that offer only one or one network ports on the back, here I had four additional gigabit LAN ports, meaning that I could keep two NAS units and a network adapter attached at all times to the router, just making access between all network-connected devices that much easier.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
Fritz!Box 5690 Pro: Final verdict
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
During the test, it became very obvious that when it comes to the Fritz!Box 5690 Pro, you should really think of this as the heart of your networking ecosystem, and one that’s future-proof, ready for fibre if you haven't already made the move from DSL.
It packs a lot into one small box with its dual modem and two connection types. Once it's set up and installed, you can use it for standard internet, phone calls, and also for operating all your smart home gadgets, of which Fritz! offers a good selection. If you already have smart home gadgets, however, then you do need to check compatibility. While it fully supports DECT ULE and some Zigbee 3.0 protocols, it’s not fully compatible with all devices, although there’s usually a workaround if you have the technical knowledge.
Those additions to the Fritz! Box ecosystem comes at an extra cost, but if you're setting up a small business and looking for a complete solution, then this is a solid option. Likewise, if you're setting up a smart home and have a bit of technical knowledge, again, this is a good choice, which actually balances out the price when you consider everything that's included.
If you're just looking for a straightforward Wi-Fi 7 router, then this might be a bit more advanced than you need, but it’s great to see that level of flexibility. The fact that it has additional gigabit LAN ports on the back does make it extremely useful and one step up from your average router, even at a base level, and for the last month I haven’t had to uplug units in order to make room for review gear.
By the end of the test, I was impressed with the quality of the wireless connection, even through my DSL connection, the performance over Wi-Fi 7 was a noticeable step up from the Wi-Fi 6 system I currently have installed. But what stood out more was that I could plug my NAS straight in, along with other network-connected devices, and there was the option to add in a telephone system as well. That means I could have a phone in the office, studio and workshop, keeping my work number separate from my personal mobile.
If you run a small business or work from home and have plenty of devices connected to the internet, then this is a solid option. You might need some technical knowledge for the more advanced features, but as a straight out-of-the-box option, it isn’t too difficult to work out, and will provide you not only with reliable internet, but a future-proof design and feature set that should last for years.
Should I buy a Fritz!Box 5690 Pro?
Value
Initially looks expensive, until you make use of the full range of features
4 / 5
Design
Very neat and unique in design and style,though a little plasticky in build quality
4 / 5
Features
One of the most feature-packed routers on the market—supports a huge variety of devices
5 / 5
Performance
Excellent compatibility across the board, full performance potential only just touched on
4.5 / 5
Overall
Flexible router that enables far more than just connecting you to the internet
4.5 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Buy it if...
You want to centralize smart home control A router that not only provides internet, but also manages Wi-Fi, broadband, telephony and Zigbee home tech, without additional devices.
You want the faster speeds of Wi-Fi 7 If you’ve just moved into a new home or office and need a new router, whether you have fibre installed or not, this router offers future flexibility and compatibility.
Don't buy it if...
You need multi-gig LAN Though fast, the LAN speed is limited to just 2.5Gbps, too slow for really fast NAS transfers.
You want a simple set-up While the basic features aren’t too difficult to set up, if you want more advanced control over your smart home, phones and your internet, some technical knowledge is required.
If you’re short on space, but still want to experience the wonders of Dolby Atmos, then the Klipsch Flexus Core 100 could be the soundbar for you. This 2.1-channel model aims to supply “immersive, spatial sound” in a single, compact bar, using virtualized Atmos.
Let’s start with a bit of a reality check. The Klipsch Flexus Core 100 has some key limitations that hold it back from delivering the expansive, three-dimensional sound that larger models offer. It uses a fairly basic 2.1 channel configuration, with four main drivers – two front-firing 2.25-inch speakers, and two built-in four-inch subwoofers.
Unlike most of the best soundbars for Dolby Atmos, the Flexus Core 100 doesn’t have up-firing drivers, which are required for ‘true’ Atmos. There’s also no center channel on offer, and as a fairly narrow bar, this thing’s not going to plate up the width you’d expect from a full-length model.
(Image credit: Future)
With all of that said, the Klipsch Flexus Core 100 is a pretty good-sounding model. When watching a 4K UHD Blu-ray of Top Gun: Maverick, I was impressed by accurate dialogue in the opening scene – which sounded well-defined, and maintained the echoey effect you’d expect in a wide open space.
On top of that, Maverick showcased the low-end talents of the Flexus Core 100. The rumble of jet engines was more impactful than a lot of bars in this size category – and other parts of the frequency range didn’t sound obscured as Tom Cruise’s character prepared for take off.
I will say, though, that when the jet flew up and overhead, the verticality of the move was very limited. And more generally, this soundbar struggles to conjure up a sense of height – it's understandable with its technical limitations, but it’s going to be an issue for those wanting great Dolby Atmos in a small package.
In spite of its unremarkable height effects, the Flexus Core 100 still provides a decent amount of width for such a narrow model. In The Mask, the soundbar commendably replicated the cartoonish spin of the titular character across the screen. As he smashed through a glass window, the combination of a low-end thump with a high-pitched shattering also came through with clarity and impact, capturing the surprising nature of the move brilliantly.
One small issue I picked up on was during a scene where two B-rate mobsters are playing air hockey in the backdrop. Here, the left and right channel separation seemed overzealous and choppy – likely a result of there being no center channel, as this isn't something I experienced on a 5.1 bar like the Marshall Heston 60.
(Image credit: Future)
As well as movies, I tried listening to some music over Bluetooth using Tidal. And like a lot of small soundbars, the Flexus Core 100 isn’t particularly talented in this department.
In Black Eye by Allie X, I was satisfied with the depth of the bass, although it wasn’t particularly agile. Meanwhile, vocals were clear enough, but not separated all too much from other sounds in the mid-range. Percussion wasn’t the most precise either, and it lacked a sense of space. Overall, I got a relatively clean listen, but one that lacked nuance or detail.
With Atmos music, it was a similar story. Dream of Arrakis by Hans Zimmer offers solid low-end punch, but the attack of percussion was fairly blunt, and vocal elements weren’t all too clear in the mix. The expansiveness of this master was also pared back quite a bit compared to what I’ve heard on more premium compact bars, like the Sonos Beam Gen 2.
Something else I realized when playing tunes, was that the soundbar didn’t automatically switch to Music mode – something I’ve become relatively accustomed to from most modern soundbars. You have to select the appropriate mode with the included remote or the Klipsch Connect Plus app.
Still, the two modes are decently differentiated, and if you want to make additional changes, you can make use of an equalizer in the companion app. And EQ options aren’t bad at all – you can manually adjust bass, mids, or treble, or switch between presets, including: Flat, Vocal, Bass, Treble, and Rock.
(Image credit: Future)
More generally, I was a big fan of the Klipsch Connect Plus app. It’s brilliantly responsive, well laid-out, and pretty feature-rich. On the main screen, you can change source, activate a genuinely great multi-level voice enhancement setting, activate night mode, and more. An additional settings menu also opens up channel level adjustment, surround and subwoofer pairing, and display brightness adaption.
The only thing I was really missing on the app was some kind of room calibration tool to optimize the Flexus Core 100 to my listening space – something you’ll find on soundbars like Sonos Beam 2nd Gen and Marshall Heston 120.
I touched on the Flexus Core 100’s display a moment ago, and I have to give Klipsch some kudos here – it looks absolutely fantastic. Rather than relying on a basic lighting system, there’s a large display with full letters and numbers to let you know which mode you’re using, source you’re connected to, and volume level you’re at. This is incredibly clear, and makes for a much smoother user-experience.
On top of a neat display and seamless in-app experience, setting the Flexus Core 100 up really couldn’t have been easier. You’ve just got to connect it to a power source, and hook it up to your TV over HDMI eARC or digital optical – easy as pie. You can also build your system out at your own pace by connecting a compatible wireless sub, or a wired one via the soundbar’s ‘sub out’ port. You can also purchase Flexus Surround speakers for a more three-dimensional listening experience.
In terms of functionality, the only major miss in my view is the omission of Wi-Fi streaming. Personally, this is an absolute must for me. I love being able to use Spotify or Tidal Connect to enjoy my music in higher quality than Bluetooth streaming allows. Some may also lament the lack of DTS support, which is less common than Dolby Atmos for streaming, but is often used on Blu-rays.
We’ve spoken a lot about the technology involved so far, but how does the Flexus Core 100 fare in the looks department? In my opinion, this soundbar is a little on the average side. The large logo on the right side isn’t the most attractive, and the fabric speaker grille doesn’t quite give off a premium impression. Still, the model is well-made, and I’ve already raved about its excellent display.
One thing I’ve not mentioned yet is the Flexus Core 100’s price-tag. And this is pretty competitive, all things considered. It comes in at $349 / £299 / AU$645, which is less than a 2.0 channel rival like the Denon Home Sound Bar 550 and considerably less than compact Atmos titans like the Sonos Beam Gen 2 and Bose Smart Soundbar.
In the end, then, the Klipsch Flexus Core 100 is a solid soundbar overall. It won’t deliver the most amazing Dolby Atmos, it’s not the best-looking model I’ve seen, and I’m also still sad about the omission of Wi-Fi streaming.
But its great bass levels, clear dialogue, impressive companion app support, and ease of use are all highly commendable. If you’ve got the cash, I’d suggest going with either Sonos or Marshall’s compact soundbars, but if you’re on a tighter budget, this model is well-worth considering.
(Image credit: Future)
Klipsch Flexus Core 100 review: price and release date
$349 / £299 / AU$645
Launched in April 2024
The Klipsch Flexus Core 100 was released in April 2024, and is part of a product line that also features the Flexus Core 200 and the exceptional Klipsch Flexus Core 300.
It has a list price of $349 / £299 / AU$645, making it the cheapest product in that lineup, and very competitively priced against other compact Dolby Atmos models like the Sonos Beam Gen 2, for instance.
Klipsch Flexus Core 100 review: specs
Dimensions
28 x 3 x 5 inches / 711.2 x 76.2 x 127mm
Speaker channels
2.1
Connections
HDMI eARC, digital optical, sub out, Bluetooth 5.0
Dolby Atmos / DTS:X
Yes / No
Sub included
No
Rear speakers included
No
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the Klipsch Flexus Core 100?
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Features
Great companion app, but no DTS and no Wi-Fi streaming.
3.5/5
Performance
Strong bass response, clear dialogue, decently expansive – but music and height effects are unremarkable.
4/5
Design
Not the most beautiful, but the display and build quality impressed me.
4/5
Setup & usability
Lacks room correction, but very easy to connect and control.
4/5
Value
Pretty competitively priced against rivals, but doesn’t have quite as much quality.
4/5
Buy it if...
You’re looking for some low-end power One of the best things about the Flexus Core 100 is its impressive bass performance. Explosions and low-end heavy scores will sound so much better than they would with plain TV audio, and your viewing experiences will improve substantially.
You’re short on space If you’ve not got a ton of space or your TV unit is on the smaller side, the Flexus Core 100 is a very nice pick indeed. It's far narrower than a model like the Sonos Arc Ultra, making it ideal for anyone who needs something smaller.
Don't buy it if...
You want awesome Dolby Atmos performance Although the Flexus Core 100 creates a decent sense of width, its height effects aren’t convincing at all. If you want the best Atmos possible from a small soundbar, the Marshall Heston 60 – which I’ve discussed below – is your best bet.
You need Wi-Fi streaming The lack of Wi-Fi streaming on the Flexus Core 100 is a real shame, and is something that’s pretty easy to come across on competitors. You can still stream music via Bluetooth, but the quality isn’t going to be as good.
Klipsch Flexus Core 100 review: also consider
Klipsch Flexus Core 100
Marshall Heston 60
Sonos Beam Gen 2
Price
$349 / £299 / AU$645
$699.99 / £499.99 / AU$999
$449 / £449 / $699
Dimensions
28 x 3 x 5 inches / 711.2 x 76.2 x 127mm
28.7 x 4.9 x 2.7 inches / 730 x 124 x 68mm
25.6 x 2.7 x 3.9 inches / 651 x 68 x 100mm
Speaker channels
2.1
5.1
5.0
Connections
HDMI eARC, digital optical, sub out, Bluetooth 5.0
Marshall Heston 60 There aren’t many small Dolby Atmos soundbars that can outclass the Marshall Heston 60. It provides surprisingly expansive sound with surprisingly good Atmos for such a compact model. It’s also incredibly attractive with a mouth-watering amp-inspired design, and the inclusion of Wi-Fi streaming as well as DTS:X support is much appreciated. It’s very expensive, and its bug-prone companion app needs some work, but overall, it’s an awesome option. Read our full Marshall Heston 60 review.
Sonos Beam Gen 2 As I discussed in my Sonos Beam Gen 2 vs Marshall Heston 60 showdown, the former is still the compact Atmos bar to beat. Its exceptional dialogue clarity, powerful bass, and now-modest price just give it that edge. As a 5.0 channel bar, the Beam Gen 2 sounds more expansive than the Flexus Core 100, although it does skip on Bluetooth connectivity and a sub out port. It does deliver Wi-Fi streaming, though, and its modern design is among my favorites. Read our full Sonos Beam Gen 2 review.
How I tested the Klipsch Flexus Core 100
(Image credit: Future)
Tested with movies and music across multiple hours
Used in our TV testing space at Future Labs
Mainly played 4K Blu-rays for movies and streamed via Tidal for music
When testing the Klipsch Flexus Core 100, I had the soundbar connected up to the phenomenal LG G5 OLED TV via its HDMI eARC port.
I spent the majority of my time with the soundbar watching 4K UHD Blu-rays – predominantly viewing them via the Panasonic DP-UB820. However, I also watched some shows on Netflix, and streamed music through Tidal using the Dolby Atmos and stereo formats.
On top of this, I made sure to exhaust all of the Flexus Core 100’s features, and cycled through all of the settings in the Klipsch Connect Plus app, including the various sound modes and EQ calibrations.
More generally, I’m an experienced tech reviewer with a particular focus on audio-visual gear, and have tested a wide range of soundbars. During almost two years at TechRadar, I’ve covered everything from budget models like the Sony HT-SF150 through to premium Dolby Atmos soundbar systems, such as the JBL Bar 1300MK2.
