Although we’re technically in the PCIe 5.0 era of storage, it’s really been a golden age for PCIe 4.0 SSDs thanks to a plethora of choices, such as the Orico O7000, which is positioned as a drive with high-end performance for a midrange price.
This PCIe 4.0 SSD ranges from 512GB to 4TB, and for this review we’re taking the 1TB model for a spin. Rated for 7000MB/s in reads and 6500MB/s in writes, the O7000 isn’t quite at the top-end of PCIe 4.0 storage (which would be the Samsung 990 Pro), but it’s close.
What makes this drive particularly interesting is its current $69 price (about £55/AU$100), which is relatively low nowadays for a drive of this caliber.
Compared to top-end PCIe 4.0 SSDs like the FireCuda 530R from Seagate and the MP600 Pro NH from Corsair, the O7000 is just a shade slower for the most part, and often ties the two drives.
However, when writing lots of data to the O7000 (like if you’re moving all your game installations to it), its performance easily bogs down and becomes extremely slow.
The O7000 1TB also has a weakness in that other brands offer the same SSD hardware under different names, and these drives can sometimes be cheaper, but sales pricing is always a fickle thing.
For now, though, the O7000 is the cheapest option for this hardware, and its performance makes it one of the best values in PCIe 4.0 storage.
Orico O7000: Price & availability
(Image credit: Future / Matthew Connatser)
How much does it cost? From $69 (about £55/AU$100)
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, with UK and Australia availability pending
The O7000 is currently available on Amazon and Newegg, though at the time of writing, Amazon only offers the 1TB model, while Newegg also has the 2TB and 4TB variants in stock. The 1TB model costs $59, the 2TB $93, and the 4TB $196. The 2TB is currently the best deal on a dollar per GB basis, but since SSD prices can easily go up or down, it’s unclear how long this will be true for.
At $59 for the 1TB model, it’s significantly cheaper than other flagship PCIe 4.0 drives like Seagate’s FireCuda 530R and Corsair’s MP600 Pro NH, which cost $94 and $84 respectively for the 1TB version. It’s also much cheaper than older PCIe 5.0 SSDs, such as the $169 FireCuda 540 1TB.
Orico O7000: Specs
Orico O7000: Performance
(Image credit: Future / Matthew Connatser)
Overall, the O7000 shows good, but not perfect, performance. The 530R and MP600 Pro NH were faster for the most part, but in nearly every single test the O7000 nipped on their heels. There were even a few instances where the O7000 tied or beat the Seagate and Corsair drives.
A particularly bright spot for the O7000 is its thermal performance and efficiency. It only maxed out at 50 degrees Celsius, far lower than the three other SSDs we tested. That makes the O7000 a decent candidate for laptops and handheld PCs, which often lack good SSD cooling.
Of course, more heat occurs because of higher power consumption, so the O7000 is a low-power drive too, another reason to choose it for a battery-powered device.
The FireCuda 540 was of course in its own league, but it costs about twice as much and benefits from active cooling, something the O7000 definitely doesn’t need.
However, the O7000’s biggest weakness is in sustained writes. All SSDs suffer from lowered writing performance the less free space they have, but the O7000 can see its performance drop to as low as 150MB/s. However, it’s rare to come across this situation in the real world since it requires tens or hundreds of gigabytes of large files being moved to an SSD.
Orico O7000: Verdict
(Image credit: Future / Matthew Connatser)
While the O7000 1TB isn’t perfect, its overall performance is very close to what you get with the FireCuda 530R 2TB and MP600 Pro NH 2TB. With a substantially lower price tag of $69, that makes the O7000 a better deal for the most part. If you’re looking for a new boot drive on a budget or if you just want some fast, secondary storage, the O7000 is a sensible choice.
However, the SSD that the O7000 1TB is based on is also made by other brands, including TeamGroup with its MP44. There’s really no reason to buy the more expensive drive since they’re essentially identical, but that works in Orico’s favor right now since the O7000 is cheaper.
The O7000 2TB is an especially good deal right now, going for just $93, which isn’t much more than lots of 1TB drives. Spending the extra $34 to get double the storage and the same performance makes the O7000 2TB especially appealing versus the 1TB model, though we don’t know how long this will hold since SSD prices can change quite frequently (and have done so as this review was in progress).
Should you buy the Orico O7000
Buy the Orico O7000 if...
You need fast storage on a budget The O7000 has nearly top-end performance for a PCIe 4.0 SSD, and should work fine for just about anyone.
You want a cool and efficient SSD The O7000 consumes very little power, which means longer battery life on mobile devices and low temperatures even without a heatsink.
Don't buy it if...
You need top-end performance period The O7000 isn’t quite as fast as other PCIe 4.0 SSDs and stumbles in sustained writing.
You can find another SSD with the same hardware for less There are a few SSDs out there that use the same components, such as TeamGroup’s MP44 and Lexar’s NM790. They’re essentially identical, so if they’re cheaper, just get one of those instead.
How I tested the Orico O7000
Although Intel’s new Core Ultra 200 Series has technically replaced last-gen 14th Gen CPUs, I’m using my LGA 1700 test bench for SSD testing, rather than an LGA 1851 test bench.
This is because SSDs run on Arrow Lake CPUs actually perform significantly worse than on 14th Gen CPUs. We’re not entirely sure why this is the case, but in order to show our SSDs’ best possible performance, we have to use Intel’s last-gen CPUs.
The LGA 1700 test bench is equipped with the Core i9-14900K, ASRock’s Z790 Taichi Lite motherboard, 32GB of DDR5 clocked to 5600MHz, and Corsair’s H170i iCUE LINK liquid cooler with a 420mm radiator. We also tested the Firecuda 530R, Firecuda 540, and MP600 Pro NH for comparison.
Compared to it’s bigger 7i sibling, the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i is a smaller budget pre-build that starts at $1,149. This gaming desktop is well suited for anyone looking for a rig that handles 1080p gaming without much noise and is big enough to upgrade later on.
The base configuration features an Intel Core i5, Nvidia RTX 4060, 16GB DDR5 RAM and 1TB SSD. Gamers who want to play newer AAA titles at mid-to-high settings in 1080p like Black Myth: Wukong or aspiring competitive gamers in need of high frame rates for games like Valorant should definitely keep this in mind. Everything from CPU to GPU alongside storage or RAM can be configured to more powerful components - for an extra cost of course - to suit your needs.
Outside of performance specs, the Legion Tower 5i has some extras that help it stand out amongst the fierce competition. Cooling is handled by several 150w fans alongside a VRM heatsink which keeps the desktop from overheating. Like the 7i, the rig stays quiet even during the most demanding tasks.
The front panel Lenovo logo and fans feature ARGB lighting which grants users control of each LED individually. This adds a bit of flair to the desktop but not as much as the i7 which featured lighting on the GPU and CPU. Finally, the Legion Tower 5i features Nahimic 3D audio for virtual surround sound.
Everything including performance, lighting and Nahimic are controlled through Lenovo’s Vantage application that comes packed in. For added measure, there’s also a keyboard and mouse included in the box.
The Legion 5i’s design does carry over certain problems of the bigger 7i. Though the mesh bezel at the front of the desktop allows proper airflow, maintenance is going to be a bit of a pain as there’s no dust filtration capabilities available.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of ports available sans a single USB-C which users may find issue with. In an age where USB-C is the current standard for many mobile devices, mouses, keyboards and headsets, this means users may need to stock up on adaptors or get a hub.
If those issues don’t matter more than the gaming experience, the Legion Tower 5i should be kept in consideration. It’s 1080p performance is respectable, well ventilated design that’s peaceful sounding and upgradability that potential buyers will appreciate.
Lenovo Legion Tower 5i: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
How much does it cost? Starts at $1,149/ £1,080 / AU $1,799
When is it available? Now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
The Lenovo Legion Tower 5i is available now in U.S., UK, and Australia territories starting at $1,149 / £1,080 / AU $1,799. Potential buyers can purchase the pre-build gaming desktop through Lenovo’s online store or various other retailers depending on the territory.
In the U.S., there are five configurations available that range between the previously mentioned starting price and $2,399. That higher-priced tier will get you an Intel Core i7 14700F, Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti Super, 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD in storage.
For those living in the UK, there’s only one buildable option that ranges between £1,080 and £2,187. At the lower end, users will get an Core i7 14700F, Nvidia RTX 4060, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD in storage. The higher £2,187 configuration grants an Intel i9, Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti Super, 64GB RAM and 2TB SSD.
Four customizable configurations for Australia range between AU $1,799 and AU $5,359. At the lower end, potential buyers can get an Intel i5, Nvidia RTX 4060, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. An Intel i7, Nvidia RTX 4070 Super, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD alongside an extra 2TB HDD in storage is available at the highest configuration tier.
Value: 4 / 5
Lenovo Legion Tower 5i : Specs
Lenovo Legion Tower 5i : Design
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Roomy enough for future upgrades
Has ARGB lighting
Dust maintenance will be a problem
The mesh front grill featuring the Legion logo with ARGB lighting sets a nice impression of something that could fit in an office space as well as a gaming set-up. The all-black colorway blends really well with the lighting as the mesh design also manages to lend a level of aggression.
As mentioned previously, only the fans and Legion logo are lit unlike the 7i which has CPU and GPU lighting too. Though the mesh on the front looks terrific, it does come at the cost of function in terms of maintenance. It might be a bit difficult to clean every nook and cranny as dust accumulates over time. Thankfully, the case is big enough for upgrades over time in the CPU, GPU and storage area as well.
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There are loads of ports available on the Legion Tower 5i, including 8 USB-A ports of various power delivery capabilities alongside standard audio and ethernet ports. Those are split between the top panel and the rear with two USB-A ports alongside singular jacks for headset and microphone. It’s a shame that there’s only one singular USB-C, which at this point and time is a bit strange. There are plenty of accessories like controllers, VR headsets, mouses, keyboards and headsets that use USB-C alongside most modern mobile devices.
For potential buyers who have devices that require USB-C, some adapters or hubs are going to be required. One thing for sure is that the included keyboard and mouse within the package isn’t going to make serious gamers happy as they lack the function of even the most budget gaming centered input devices. However, those who are new into PC gaming might find some usage at the start before moving on.
Design: 3.5 / 5
Lenovo Legion Tower 5i : Performance
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
1080p performance is fantastic
Isn’t loud even when pushed
One of the first games I played on the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i was Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2. Though the lower 8GB of VRAM on the RTX 4060 prevented the ability to play the game at max settings, it looked great at mid-to-low settings and provided consistent 60 frames per second at 1080p resolution. This was consistent with other games played with high visual fidelity on the gaming desktop.
Cyberpunk 2077 at Ultra settings gave us 82 fps and dropped to the mid-60s when using mid ray tracing settings. Playing the ultra resource intensive Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 provided around 30 fps on mid to low settings too.
Lenovo Legion Tower 5i: Benchmarks
Here's how the Lenovo Legion 5i performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Speed Way: 2578; Fire Strike: 21744; Time Spy: 10060
There are a few ways to get more performance out of the Legion 5i as well. The first is through Nvidia’s DLSS upscaling technology which uses artificial intelligence to bump up resolutions. This is a great way to get 1440p resolution without the worry of frame rate drops. The other way is through the Lenovo Vantage application which allows for some overclocking for CPU and GPU performance.
On the esports side of things, playing games at recommended settings at 1080p provided great results as well. For example, playing Valorant on those settings pushed us into the 200+ frame rate range. I saw similar results for other titles including Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone. Games that are somewhat in the middle between visual fidelity and competitive performance like Forza Motorsport were able to run on recommended settings at 60 fps.
When it comes to general computing tasks, the Legion Tower 5i is speedy where it counts from using Google Chrome to music streaming services like Tidal. Creatives will be happy to know that Adobe Suite software like Photoshop and Premiere Pro works great for media that stays within the 1080p range. When it comes to Premiere Pro, trying to edit complex 4K video may lead to some issues in regards to sluggish prformance.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Should I buy the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i?
Buy it if…
You need some solid 1080p performance
Native 1080p performance is pretty good on the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i from esports titles like Valorant to big-budget AAA titles like Black Myth: Wukong.
You want a quiet gaming rig
Lenovo put a nice focus on cooling technology for a gaming desktop that doesn’t get loud when under pressure.
You require an affordable price point
$1,149 is great for budget gamers looking for 1080p performance and the ability to upgrade in the future.
Don’t buy it if…
You want better maintenance opportunities
The Lenovo Legion Tower 5i case doesn’t have removable panes to prevent the build-up of dust, which will make maintenance in the future a pain.
You need more than one USB-C
USB-C is a standard at this point for many mobile devices and accessories. This means that users are probably going to have to invest in a hub or adaptor.
Also Consider
If our Lenovo Legion Tower 5i review has you considering other options, here are two gaming desktops to consider...
HP Victus 15L
The HP Victus 15L is a bit cheaper than the 8th-gen Lenovo Legion Tower 5i and provides comparable performance power.
Games played include Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2, Black Myth: Wukong and Forza Motorsport (2023)
General computing tasks including Google Chrome and Adobe Creative Suite
I spent over a week using the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i, putting it to the test across various tasks. During work hours, I managed everyday computing using Google Chrome, running multiple tabs for apps like Asana, Google Docs, and Hootsuite. For content creation, I leaned on Adobe Premiere and Photoshop to design graphics and produce short-form social media videos.
To evaluate its high frame rate capabilities, I played fast-paced games like Valorant and Fortnite. Pushing the system further, I tested graphically demanding titles like Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and Black Myth: Wukong. Additionally, I also ran Forza Motorsport (2023) and Starfield to assess how the Legion Tower 5i handles diverse gaming experiences and visual performance.
I’ve spent the past several years covering monitors alongside other PC components for TechRadar. Outside of gaming, I’ve been proficient in Adobe Suite for over a decade as well.
Razer’s latest addition to its Basilisk range of gaming mice is the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K, but compared to the (now discontinued) Basilisk V3 Pro, you might think that Razer has simply added a new higher-DPI sensor, stuck “35K” on the name, and called it a day. Yet in actuality, there’s much more to its new mouse than that.
Sure, the sensor is part of it – Razer has increased the DPI from 30,000 to 35,000 – and if you’re an esports pro, you might be enticed by that. But there are changes for everyday gamers too, from longer battery life to a “Smart-Reel mode” that changes how the scroll wheel works on the fly.
Aside from the new additions, this is just an excellent mouse, plain and simple. Its clicks are quiet and satisfying, it skims smoothly across your mouse mat, and its HyperSpeed wireless 2.4GHz receiver provides reliable connectivity. These features might not grab the headlines, but they’re just as important as those that do. Combined, these features all make this a really solid gaming mouse.
Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K: Price & availability
How much does it cost? $159.99 / £159.99 / $279.95 AUD
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available globally
Razer doesn’t price the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K cheap – at $159.99 / £159.99 / $279.95 AUD, it’s a serious investment. There’s an awful lot of excellent tech included, so you do get what you pay for, but you’ll need to think about whether it’s right for you before pulling the trigger.
Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K: Design
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(Image credit: Alex Blake / Future)
The Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K is one of Razer’s chunkier gaming mice, and much of this is due to its sculpted, ergonomic form factor. There’s a concave cutout for your thumb that’s covered in textured dimples for extra grip, while the mouse has an asymmetrical profile when viewed from the front, with the left-click button rising higher than its right-click sibling. Put together, it’s a very comfortable design.
At the same time, that extra bulk means it’s quite a heavy mouse. Weighing in at 115g, there are many lighter gaming mice out there. If you play fast-paced games where rapidly moving your pointer around the screen is a key element, the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K might not be quite right for you. Part of that is compensated for by the 35,000 DPI sensor (more on that later), but it doesn’t make the weight irrelevant.
Razer’s mouse comes with 11 programmable buttons, including right click (you can’t change left click), a scroll wheel that can be pushed in, moved up and down, and tilted left and right, two customizable buttons behind the scroll wheel, and three thumb buttons on the left-hand side (including one that’s set to lower the mouse sensitivity when held, which is useful for precise aiming during gameplay). Getting your thumb to that last one is a bit of a stretch, but otherwise all the buttons are easily reachable.
(Image credit: Alex Blake / Future)
The scroll wheel is worth diving into a little more. It can be set to either ratchet or spin freely when you move it – or it can do both thanks to Razer’s Smart-Reel feature, ratcheting when moved normally and spinning when you flick it quickly. While this is potentially very useful, the wheel makes a loud, disconcerting slicing sound every time it switches modes. Nothing is actually breaking, but it’s a bit distracting. Still, when set to ratchet, the wheel is firm without being too rigid, making it ideal for use in fast-paced gameplay.
This wouldn’t be a Razer product if you couldn’t set all kinds of intricate RGB effects, and the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K impresses here. While the scroll wheel and Razer logo on the back of the mouse can light up, the real head-turner is the underside lighting, which gives a pleasant, subtle effect in use. Unfortunately, you won’t see much of it, as most of the RGB is covered by your hand (plus you’ll mainly be staring at your screen anyway). It can also speed up the mouse’s battery drain – I turned it off in the end.
Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K: Performance
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The mouse’s new optical sensor ramps all the way up to 35,000 DPI, which is frankly far more than I need (and it probably is for you too). Still, Razer boasts that it offers “best-in-class tracking performance on a wider variety of surfaces,” and I found it to be very accurate in use for both everyday work and gaming.
I connected the mouse to my PC using Razer’s HyperSpeed wireless 2.4GHz receiver, which was solid and reliable. If you have a compatible Razer keyboard, you can use a single HyperSpeed dongle for both your peripherals. The Basilisk V3 Pro 35K also offers wired and Bluetooth connectivity.
Paired with Synapse, there are a lot more controls for adjusting the mouse to your liking; you can customize the DPI down to the single-digit level, should you so desire. Not only can you set the scroll wheel’s spin mode (ratchet, free spin or Smart-Reel), but you can also tell Synapse how fast you need to spin the wheel before free spin mode kicks in.
(Image credit: Alex Blake / Future)
There’s also Razer’s smart tracking feature, which enables the mouse to set a consistent lift-off distance across different surfaces, and set separate lift-off and landing distances, too. As well as that, you’ll find a DPI sensitivity matcher that ports your DPI settings from other mice, scroll acceleration configuration, and more. In other words, you get a lot of control over the way your mouse works.
One of the other changes that came with the 35K model of the Basilisk V3 Pro is improved battery life. Razer says you’ll get up to 140 hours of juice out of it, and this seems about right. My review unit arrived with about 80% battery life, and I probably tested it for close to 100 hours in total. By the end, it was down to 15%. That was with RGB turned off and while using the HyperSpeed wireless 2.4GHz receiver, so your mileage may vary if you do things differently.
Should you buy the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K?
(Image credit: Alex Blake / Future)
Buy the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K if…
You want an ergonomic mouse
Razer has done a great job of sculpting the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K to neatly fit your hand, while (almost) all the buttons are easily reachable.View Deal
You value customization
With the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K, you can tweak everything from the DPI and RGB lightshow to the way the scroll wheel works. You can even import sensitivity settings from other mice using the Synapse app.View Deal
You need lots of programmable buttons
The Basilisk V3 Pro 35K may not have a grid of side buttons like Razer’s Naga mouse, but it has a surprising number of programmable buttons that you can set up how you like.View Deal
Don’t buy it if…
You’re left-handed
While the Basilisk V3 Pro 35K is well-designed for right-handers, there’s no left-handed option.View Deal
You don’t want something heavy
This is not a lightweight mouse, and while it’s not so heavy that it’s going to strain your arm, no one would describe it as featherweight.View Deal
Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K: Also consider
Logitech G502 X Plus
Another highly sculpted ergonomic mouse, the Logitech G502 Plus redesigns a gaming classic in a brilliantly considered way. Read our full Logitech G502 Plus reviewView Deal
Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro
The Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro is one of the best gaming mice you can buy. It offers impeccable performance and excellent ergonomics in a lightweight form factor. Read our full Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro reviewView Deal
How I tested the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K
I spent a week using the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K, including both gaming and work tasks. I also tried its Synapse companion app to see how easy it is to customize the mouse, set macros, change settings, and more.
The Xencelabs Pen Display 16 is a drawing tablet the brand describes as ‘the first 4K 16-inch OLED’ on the market. It’s a very comprehensive package, offering two styluses, a stylus case and a carry case, but this is expanded upon in the Pen Display 16 Bundle I was sent for review, which also included a USB-C hub, the Mobile Easel Stand and the Quick Keys shortcut accessory.
Thanks to its smaller 16-inch size and 4K resolution, it has an impressive 275ppi pixel density, while its High Color Gamut Coverage (covering 1.07 billion colors, 98% Adobe RGB, 98% P3-D65 and 99% sRGB) means it offers vibrant, true-to-life hues. The rest of its design is pleasingly minimal. It needs scant cables for a beginner’s setup – although you’ll need to use a lot more if you want max brightness and video output, while the discrete, wireless Quick Keys accessory handles shortcuts.
In terms of performance, it’s exceedingly responsive and can rival many of the best drawing tablets. There’s minimal parallax or jitter while using either of its pens and with 8,192 pressure levels, I found each stroke felt realistic and in line with how hard I was pressing. It was also easy to adapt things to my workflow – I was able to tweak pressure curves in the Xencelabs driver and assign my most used functions like undo, zoom and scroll to clicks of the pen buttons or the buttons and dial of the quick keys.
Given its price – $999 / £969 (around AU$1597) for the Essentials edition or $1,299 / £1,199 (around AU$2,080) for the Bundle edition featured here – it’s really hard to quibble with the quality or breadth of what the Pen Display 16 offers. If you’re a professional artist or have loads of money to burn, you might want to go with a behemoth like the Wacom Cintiq Pro 27. But for most people, this is the perfect combo of price and high-end results.
Xencelabs Pen Display 16 review: price and availability
Announced: May 8, 2024
Retails for $999 / £969
Bundle reviewed here retails for $1,299 / £1,199
First announced on May 8, 2024, the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 went on sale later that month and is available for purchase now. It currently retails for $999 / £969 (around AU$1597), which is a competitive price, especially considering the closest equivalent from Wacom, the Wacom Cintiq Pro 16, retails for a much spendier $1,599.95 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,399.
However, it’s worth noting this isn’t the only option: the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 Bundle we received for review here actually retails for $1,299 / £1,199 (around AU$2,080). While that’s a bit of a markup, I’d argue you get a huge amount of value in return for the extra spend: it comes with a USB hub and all the cabling to allow you to hook it up using HDMI, Display Port and mains power. It also provides power adaptors for international plug sockets, the Mobile Easel stand and the customizable Quick Keys accessory, which adds programmable buttons and a dial to your setup. In my book, that’s well worth spending the additional cash.
(Image credit: Future)
Xencelabs Pen Display 16 review: specs
(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)
Xencelabs Pen Display 16 review: design
16-inch 4K display with high 275ppi pixel density
Simple to use and setup for beginners
Can get very cable heavy with more professional setups
Xencelabs describes the Pen Display 16’s screen as the ‘industry’s first’ 16-inch 4K OLED. Not only is it 10-bit and capable of delivering 1.07 billion colors, which means it should give vibrant color reproduction, but its contrast ratio of 100,000:1 should enable it to offer really inky blacks and decent highlights. While 16 inches isn’t the largest drawing tablet Xencelabs has produced – that accolade goes to the Xencelabs Pen Display 24 – it is worth bearing in mind the two devices’ identical resolution means you’re getting a much higher pixel density here: 275ppi vs 183ppi.
According to Xencelabs specs, the screen is also etched to provide a ‘traditional pen-and-paper-like drawing experience’. If I’m being completely honest, although I tried using both the standard and felt nibs supplied, I can’t say this offered quite as much bite as I was expecting. The nibs don’t slip as readily as they would across a glossy display but I wouldn’t describe it as being that much like drawing on paper, especially not compared to using some e-paper displays. On the flip side, the nibs don’t catch as they do on some other drawing tablets, so subtle is definitely better here.
While the Pen Display 16 is absolutely light enough to use freehand, the bundle we received for review also comes with Xencelabs Mobile Easel stand for those times you want to mount it on your desk. At first, I was a bit underwhelmed by its construction. It features two kickstands that allow you to set it at two different drawing angles but often when I did, it would collapse if I pressed too hard or moved my hand too rapidly. Turned out I was having a bit of a middle-aged moment though: I eventually realized that I needed to push harder to click the stand into position and, once you do, it’s solid as a rock. D’oh.
And whatever angle you’re using this drawing tablet at, it’s a pretty comfortable experience. Rather than putting aesthetics ahead of usability and giving the Pen Display 16 tiny, tablet-like bezels, Xencelabs has sensibly given it a nice, chunky 1.57 inch / 4cm border, which makes it easy to rest your wrists on while sketching. Aside from this though, there’s very little to distract from your artwork on the screen – the Pen Display 16 is gorgeously minimal, with the only other embellishments being its sole USB-C port, power button, and the optional pen clips you can affix to it.
This simplicity also extends to its cabling – at least up until a point. Aspiring artists will likely appreciate how simple it is to hook up to your hardware – at its most minimal, you can simply connect it to your laptop or desktop via USB-C, plug in the dongle for its Quick Keys accessory and you’re good to go. Unfortunately, if you want the highest brightness output and to be able to record or output your video directly to an external display, things quickly get more complicated: once you’ve added the required USB hub, power cable, and HDMI or Display Port cable, your desk will look like a spilled spaghetti cable-nara. But I’d argue that won’t be unfamiliar for anyone wanting a truly pro-level setup.
A real strength of the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 Bundle we reviewed is that absolutely everything you’ll need is provided for you. Unlike some tech brands that have ruthlessly cut back on all the accessories they provide – **cough** Apple **cough** – this bundle means you don’t need to purchase a single additional product. Whether it’s the full gamut of USB cables, international power adapters, the dedicated stylus box for the two types of pen provided, spare nibs, dongles, and the Mobile Easel, you really have everything you’ll need here. It even comes with a carrying case that fits all of these accessories inside while being comfortable to carry. It’s a level of thoughtfulness that’s all too often overlooked when buying modern gadgets.
Design score: 5 / 5
(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)
Xencelabs Pen Display 16 review: performance
Gorgeous color reproduction
Very precise with no noticeable parallax or jitter
First of all, the screen looks gorgeous, with the 4K resolution and impressive pixel density meaning your drawings look impressively crisp. Additionally, the color reproduction makes artwork look lush and vibrant – moving an Illustrator file I was working on between the drawing tablet and my 2017 MacBook Pro’s native screen, I noticed how much more brilliant they were on the former, with the OLED display and that insane color gamut really giving the red and amber hues extra warmth.
When it comes to brightness, it can sometimes look a little on the dull side, particularly in a well-lit room. But given its OLED panel and matt effect screen, I wouldn’t say this was an enormous surprise – it’s just the price you pay for such gorgeous color reproduction and deep blacks and I found it scarcely noticeable when I was working in the evenings under marginally softer light. In some circumstances, you can improve the brightness from 170 nits to 300 nits to by hooking the tablet up to mains power and the included USB hub; however, I found this didn’t make much difference for my setup, as the MacBook Pro’s USB-C port clearly outputs enough juice on its own.
To test out the Xencelabs Pen Display 16’s drawing performance, I tried a few line tests using different brushes, before progressing to doing some detailed line drawings of my own. Generally speaking, I found it to be swift and precise: there was almost zero parallax using either stylus and I found it very easy to sketch accurately even when attempting fine detail. And when sketching at speeds, there was very little jitter or imprecision: motion was smooth and fluid. There was occasionally a little bit of lag where the tool fell behind the nib but this could well have been down more to my laptop’s age than the Pen Display 16’s performance.
As I’ve mentioned above, the Pen Display 16 hardly has any buttons on the device itself; instead, it deputizes its Quick Keys accessory to handle additional functionality on its behalf. This is a supremely flexible tool: it offers eight programmable buttons that you can assign using the Xencelabs driver to a variety of functions, everything from different types of mouse click and modifier keys like command or option, to display, navigation and even OS-level options. You can create 5 different profiles of presets, making it easy to switch between different setups at the press of a button. Its wheel also has four fully customizable settings: I set one to scroll and one to rotate, which made it really to control my canvas and get the angle right for specific strokes.
And this isn’t the only customizable thing. Using the Xencelabs drivers, you can tweak a wide range of settings for the pens – not only can you adjust pressure sensitivity but you can also adjust the pressure curves to ensure it responds exactly the way you’d draw naturally. You can also set the shortcut buttons on each stylus: being able to quickly access undo, right clicks, and a range of other features without taking my hands off the pen was a huge time saver.
Performance score: 5 / 5
(Image credit: Future)
Xencelabs Pen Display 16 review: stylus
Two pens, each with customizable buttons
Ergonomic, comfortable design
8K pressure sensitivity with programmable curves
The pens that come with the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 are both well-designed, comfortable to hold, and offer flexible functionality. First, the fact that there are two options meant I was able to switch things up based on the kind of work I was doing: the slimmer, two-button Thin Pen felt super comfortable and ergonomic for light sketching, while the sturdier 3-Button Pen was better suited for longer sessions where I’d benefit from extra shortcuts.
Both pens are well-designed and feel comfortable in the hand – their rubber grip makes it easy to keep precise control over them without having to apply loads of pressure. My one criticism is that it is quite easy to sometimes accidentally press the buttons when you’re holding the pens. However, as a result of the functionality I had them set to, I rarely found this to cause major problems and, eventually, I formed the muscle memory to grip the pens in an orientation that kept my fingers off the buttons.
The Pen Display 16’s pens handle pressure very well indeed. They’re capable of 8,192 pressure levels, which is plenty for professional artwork – while you’ll find some devices on the market that offer 16K, this is likely far more granular control than your hand will ever be able to reproduce. This was borne out during my testing: while sketching the barbs of a feather, I found the stylus responded accurately with each stroke, enabling me to reproduce realistic pencil strokes. And it was trivial to add realistic watercolor pigments over the top, as the blending brush responded very precisely to the force of my hand.
Stylus Score: 4.5 / 5
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)
Should I buy the Xencelabs Pen Display 16?
Buy it if…
You want a fantastic drawing experience The Xencelabs Pen Display 16 is unerringly precise, ergonomic to use and offers plenty of customizability to allow you to tailor your drawing experience to your preferences. It also offers great visual fidelity, with its crisp 4K detail and vibrant colors showing off your artwork in fantastic detail.
You want an all-in-one package for not much money The Xencelabs Pen Display 16 Bundle I reviewed offers an absurd number of accessories, while still coming in cheaper than some direct rivals. From cabling and the Quick Keys remote to the Mobile Easel and carry case, it packs everything you could possibly need into a single package.
Don’t buy it if…
You need a larger drawing area While 16 inches is a decent drawing space, you know what’s better? 24 inches. If you’re going to be doing particularly large artwork and designs, that extra screen estate will give you that little bit more room without having to zoom or scroll.
You’d prefer a standalone solution While this is a fantastic drawing solution, it is dependent on you having a laptop or desktop that’s up to snuff and means you’ll have to cart additional hardware around with you. If that’s not your bag, a traditional tablet or a standalone drawing tablet like the XPPen Magic Drawing Pad might suit you better.
Xencelabs Pen Display 16 review: also consider
Xencelabs Pen Display 24 The bigger sibling of the Pen Display 16, the Xencelabs Pen Display 24 is pricier but offers even more screen estate for you to sketch out larger designs and artwork. Otherwise, it offers all the same strengths and benefits as the model on review here – so it’s not surprising it currently sits as our pick for the best drawing tablet available. Read our full Xencelabs Pen Display 24 review.
iPad Pro 13-inch (2024) If you don’t want to have to drag an extra laptop around, this is the tablet for you. Heck, with its M4 chip, there’s a good chance it’s more powerful than your laptop. It’s also absurdly responsive, thanks to that 120Hz display, and the new Apple Pencil, with its hover, squeeze and barrel roll features, unlocks even more ways to control your stylus. Read our full iPad Pro 13-inch (2024) review.
(Image credit: Future)
Xencelabs Pen Display 16 review: how I tested
I used it for a week
Created a range of artwork using Photoshop and Illustrator
Performed line tests and utilized a range of brushes
During the week I spent testing the Xencelabs Pen Display 16, I performed a range of tests, from simple to complex. First off I carried out multiple line tests with different brushes to check for issues like parallax and jitter, as well as to test how the pens responded to pressure.
I then embarked on creating several artworks in both Photoshop and Illustrator to test out both the performance of the stylus and the screen in a variety of real-world situations. I created a simple line sketch with multiple watercolor effects over the top, created a multi-layered illustration using vector shapes and retouched a portrait in Photoshop.
In terms of experience, not only have I been testing gadgets for many years, but I’ve spent several decades using tools like Photoshop and Illustrator to create art, as well as sketching and painting in real media.
As a professional device I can see the appeal of the Vive Focus Vision. The simultaneously standalone and high-end PCVR headset offers a versatility its rivals don’t – which will be well suited to the diverse needs of a work environment. Plus its easy-to-clean material, intuitive controls, and eye-tracking for automatic lens adjustments will benefit a use case in which different people (of different VR experience levels) will be jumping in and out of the headset’s experiences – and who may not have their own dedicated machine.
However, I’m not reviewing this headset as a professional device.
Instead, I’m tasked with looking at whether it stands up as a consumer headset, and whether it does enough to justify its $999 / £999 price tag and convince people to buy it over the Meta Quest 3 (or Quest 3S, or a non-Meta alternative). TL;DR, I don’t think Vive makes a compelling enough case.
The two main options for VR headsets are PCVR headsets (those which connect to a PC and serve as effectively a wearable display, as the processing is done by a computer) or standalone headsets (which are all-in-one units with displays and their own processing power). Most standalone headsets can also be used for PCVR, but with typically less impressive displays they aren't as good for this purpose as proper PCVR headsets.
With its effective 5K display resolution and DisplayPort compatibly via the Wired Streaming Kit (which facilitates improved data transfer rates for higher image quality) the Vive Focus Vision attempts to market itself as a full-on hybrid of the two VR headset types. Unfortuantely, it also has several flaws that are impossible to ignore, and which mean it's neither an excellent standalone or PCVR headset, or even an excellent hybrid.
I’ll get into the problems in more detail in this review, but briefly, the headset isn’t the comfiest, boasts outdated specs which feels a little odd for a 2024 flagship, and (most importantly) doesn’t have a software catalogue that comes close to rivalling that of the Meta Quest. And fundamentally, what’s the point in paying more for a headset that (for consumers) does less than a cheaper alternative?
I was supremely excited to try the Vive Focus Vision because of the jack-of-all trades approach it promised, but unfortunately it has simply proven itself a master of none.
HTC Vive Focus Vision review: Price and availability
Headset costs $999 / £999
Available since October 2024
Look out for deals which including the excellent Streaming Kit for free
The HTC Vive Focus Vision launched on 18 October 2024 and is available to buy now. You can pick up the Vive Focus Vision headset on its own for $999 / £999, with the Wired Streaming Kit coming in at an additional $149 / £159.
The headset comes with a battery, straps, controllers, 30W power adapter and charging cable and a lens-cleaning cloth as standard, while the Streaming Kit adds a DisplayPort-compatible cable and converter.
That Streaming Kit is a massive benefit for PCVR, so unless you need the headset immediately or don't mind paying extra, I’d recommend waiting for a deal which bundles the two together for no extra cost. We’ve seen this deal before, so it’s likely to return; stay patient and keep an eye out for it if you want to save a not-insignificant amount.
Value score: 3/5
HTC Vive Focus Vision review: Specs
HTC Vive Focus Vision review: Design
Rechargeable battery is a nice touch
Heavier than Quest 3
Not comfortable for long sessions
Out of the gate the Vive Focus Vision makes some excellent design choices. The adjustable plastic strap ensures the headset maintains a stable position on your head, its removable battery allows you to easily swap in a new one if you want to extend your play sessions without waiting for a recharge, and the padding is an easy-to-clean PU leather material which makes this device perfect for sharing with friends or family – or working out in VR.
Beyond this, the Vive Focus Vision boasts a decidedly standard design, rather than following the more interesting headset/glasses transforming setup of the Vive XR Elite. This in and of itself is nothing to complain about, but despite chasing a more typical build, the Vive Focus Vision makes a few disappointing mistakes.
(Image credit: Future)
At 785g the headset is heavier than the Quest 3 (515g), but lighter than PCVR headsets such as the Valve Index (810g) and Pimax Crystal Light (815g). That extra weight vs the Quest is noticeable, and while the issue could have been mitigated with a well-balanced weight distribution and sufficiently padded cushions, the Focus Vision ultimately doesn’t do a good enough job in these regards.
While it does well with the former by moving the battery to the back of the strap, so it serves as a counterbalance to the display unit sitting on your face, the padding isn’t sufficient. The pad on the back of the head strap feels paper-thin – providing effectively zero cushioning from the solid battery housed inside – and it simply isn’t comfy for extended periods of time (I’m talking 15 minutes or more).
The other issue is the fresnel lens choice. Fresnel lenses are bulkier than their increasingly popular pancake lens rivals, leading to a thicker front box on your face. What's more, fresnel lenses cause visual distortion at the fringes of the lens. This means you need to physically turn to see virtual objects at your periphery, rather than simply moving your eyes like you would in real life, which can be immersion-breaking.
(Image credit: Future)
I’m also not a fan of the controllers. While they’re fundamentally very similar to those on basically all other modern VR handsets (with regards to the button placements) they felt unnecessarily chunky and the long handle always felt kinda clunky next to the streamlined Meta Quest 3 or Pico 4S controllers.
Design score: 3/5
HTC Vive Focus Vision review: Performance
Last gen chipset is disappointing
DisplayPort is a major upgrade...
...but comes at an added cost
For PCVR, the Vive Focus Vision’s DisplayPort compatibility via its Streaming kit was something I was excited to experience. This more direct connection with your PC’s graphics card allows for higher frame rates and resolutions, because you’re not as restricted as you might be via a typical HDMI- or USB-C-to-USB-C connection.
It was also very simple to set up by simply following the Vive Hub app’s instructions – so don’t be put off by the various connector cables in the box, it will all make perfect sense when you do it.
The end result is a PCVR experience that takes full-advantage of the roughly 5K combined resolution of the 2,448 x 2,448 pixel-per-eye displays. It's noticeably better overall than any other standalone headsets I’ve relied on previously, including the Meta Quest 3 – which not only lacks DisplayPort compatibility, but which only boasts two 2064 x 2208 pixel-per-eye displays. The only downside of this tool is it is an added expense at $149 / £159, which is a significant additional cost on an already pricey headset. Although as I say above, you can sometimes find it bundled with the headset for free.
It’s worth noting, too, that the PCVR experience will be determined by your PC’s specs. With aged hardware, the DisplayPort upgrade won’t seem as significant as it will for someone running an Nvidia RTX 40-series GPU.
Unfortunately I don't have as many positives to levy at the headset’s standalone performance. That’s because the Vive Focus Vision relies on the now years-old Snapdragon XR 2 Gen 1 chipset – the previous model of the chipset found in the Meta Quest 3, Quest 3S, and Pico 4 Ultra, to name a few.
The wired streaming kit (Image credit: Future)
Seeing this in the specs sheet was a massive surprise, so much so that when I first wrote about the Focus Vision I unconsiously added a “Gen 2” at the end because I was so used to only seeing the most recent model in new headsets.
This is a major disappointment, as it means the standalone apps don’t look as visually impressive as they would on rival VR headsets – which is a shame, because while even the XR 2 Gen 2 wouldn’t be able to take full advantage of the Focus Vision’s screens, it would at least do a better job than its Gen 1 sibling.
While I understand the Vive Focus Vision does boast some other enhancements – more on that in a second – it's borderline inexcusable for a 2024 standalone headset with a price of $999 / £999 to not have the most recent XR2 chipset.
At least the Vive Focus Vision boasts a few neat extras, including eye-tracking – which facilitates automatic IPD adjustments, and eye-tracking support in compatible games – and full-color mixed reality.
On that topic, the mixed reality is in a word: fine. It’s neither noticeably worse nor better than what’s offered by a Meta Quest 3 or Quest 3S, which is to say it’s definitely not life-like, but it's believable enough when you’re distracted by engaging with virtual objects.
Lastly, I’ll add here that the Vive Focus Vision is compatible with optional additional facial and external trackers for full-body rigging to bring a virtual avatar’s face and body to life. I haven’t tested this feature, but it is an option you’ll be able to take advantage of in apps like VRChat if you want to.
Performance score: 3/5
HTC Vive Focus Vision review: Software
Full access to Vive and Steam VR software on PC
Standalone software library is disappointing
Clean operating system
For PCVR the Vive Focus Vision should be able to facilitate the vast majority of experiences given its feature set, with the deciding factor being your PC’s specs – though this is true of most PC-compatible VR headsets.
Where this VR headset shows its weaknesses is when it comes to standalone software. The titles it offers are fine – you’ll find a few delightful options across the full range of VR game and app genres – but it simply doesn’t compete with the biggest name in the space: Meta’s Horizon OS.
Toy Trains VR was fun, but it's not an exclusive (Image credit: Something Random)
The Vive system, unfortunately, doesn’t have meaningful rivals to titles such as Batman: Arkham Shadow, Asgard’s Wrath 2, and so many more other found in Meta's store. Many of these are either only available on Quest headsets, or are on a few other VR devices but skip Vive’s.
This is a problem for every non-Meta headset, admittedly, but it immediately relegates devices such as the Vive Focus Vision to at best second-place – because it’s impossible to recommend a headset when you know a different VR device can offer a wider range of better experiences.
In the Focus Vision's case, it's in an even worse place – because even if it did have some solid Meta alternatives, the weaker specs would make it an inferior option for people after standalone XR excellence. Some modern titles might even be completely incompatible.
At least the Vive headset’s operating system is generally clean and as intuitive to navigate as other VR headsets I’ve tried.
Software score: 3/5
Should you buy the HTC Vive Focus Vision?
Buy it if
You want a hybrid The Vive Focus Vision’s strength is as a headset for both PCVR or standalone VR experiences, rather than being a master of either.
You want to share the headset Eye-tracking makes it easy to adjust the IPD settings, and the easy-to-clean materials make wiping this headset down a breeze – so it’s perfect as a headset that’s shared between people.
Don’t buy it if
You’re not getting the Streaming Kit The DisplayPort connection compatibility afforded by the Wired Streaming Kit is easily the Vive Focus Vision’s best PCVR feature.
You want the best standalone headset With outdated specs and a lackluster library of software, this isn’t the headset to buy if you want a premium standalone VR experience.
How I tested the Vive Focus Vision
I tested the Vive Focus Vision for a couple of weeks, using it to play a handful of standalone and PCVR apps across various play sessions. I also made sure to boot it up alongside my Meta Quest 3 (which I use frequently), so I could easily swap between the headsets to compare their abilities.
For my PCVR gameplay, I used a PC equipped with an Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti 16GB.
Picking up the LarkBox S, you can instantly tell that it’s a little different from your standard entry-level mini PC. Firstly, the build quality of this small machine is extremely high, with a mix of plastic and metal used for the outer casing, which instantly positions it at a much higher price level than it actually is.
Looking over the casing, everything is nicely finished, with four rubber feet on the base, a good selection of ports on the front and back, and plenty of ventilation for the i3 processor. As a mini PC, its looks and specifications mark it out as a perfect option for most offices or day-to-day home use. Even on a generous day, this won't be the best mini PC for heavier workloads. With its basic entry-level Intel i3 processor, it has enough power to handle all Microsoft Office apps as well as a little bit of multimedia production, as long as you don’t push it too hard.
In use, the LarkBox S proves to be decent enough at running all office applications. Excel loads quickly, and handling large but not overly complex documents is not an issue. Likewise, opening Edge and browsing, with a bit of streaming highlights how well it can handle 4K video streaming without issue. Additionally, connectivity through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is fast enough to keep up with demands.
Surprisingly, for this level of machine, even loading up DaVinci Resolve and working with some standard H.265 footage from a Sony Alpha 7 Mark IV was manageable for basic edits. However, output render times were quite significant for a 10–15 minute edit. Then as effects or more complex edits are applied, the machine begins to struggle.
Returning to the design, there are a few interesting highlights, such as the discreet graphic design on the top case and the LED light array that surrounds the front ports. These features are more common with gaming mini PCs than office PCs but are a nice touch and add a sense of fun.
Overall, as an office machine or one to use for day-to-day admin tasks at home, the LarkBox S is an extremely good option. The build quality is well above that of most entry-level PCs, and the choice of the internal hardware is pretty decent for non-intensive applications.
Chuwi LarkBox S: Price and availability
How much does it cost? From £250 / $250
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Directly from Chuwi.com or Amazon.com
While the LarkBox S is directly aimed at the entry-level market, it isn’t the cheapest option available. This is reflected in the quality of the build as well as the higher-end components used. It retails for around $250 / £250 and is available directly through the CHUWI website or major online retailers such as Amazon.
Value: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Chuwi LarkBox S: Specs
CPU: Intel Core i3-1220P (10 Cores, 12 Threads, 12 MB cache, up to 4.4 GHz)
Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics
RAM: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz (Dual-channel SO-DIMM Slots, Expandable up to 64GB)
Storage: 512GB PCIe 3.0 SSD (1× M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 SSD Slot, Expandable up to 1TB)
Rear Ports: 2× USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A Ports, 2× USB 2.0 Type-A Ports, 1× HDMI 2.0 Port, 1× HDMI 1.4 Port, 1× 1000Mbps LAN Jack, 1× DC-In Jack
Front Ports: 1× Full-featured Type-C Port, 1× USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C Port, 1× 3.5mm Audio Jack
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1
Audio: 3.5mm Audio Jack
Camera: Not specified
Size: 118 × 118 × 41.3 mm
OS installed: Windows 11 Home
Accessories: 1× LarkBox S Mini PC, 1× VESA Mount, 6× Screws, 1× Power Adapter, 1× User Manual, 1× Warranty Card, 1× Inspection Report
Chuwi LarkBox S: Design
The LarkBox S is an entry-level mini PC, and its design style is both minimalistic and compact. Compared with other mini PCs, it is just a touch smaller at 118 × 118 × 41.3mm and weighs only 478 g. While most entry-level mini PCs are quite lightweight and plasticky, there’s absolutely nothing plastic-feeling about the LarkBox S.
The outer casing is made of a robust mixture of plastic and metal, giving it the durability to withstand the occasional knock during transport.
The satin effect finish is another really nice touch, reinforcing a slightly premium feel for what is essentially a relatively inexpensive machine. Similarly, the quality of the inlay around the ports, both front and back, shows that the machining and moulding are about as good as it gets for mini PCs.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
While the design is stylish and understated, it’s interesting to note the inclusion of subtle inlay graphics on the top of the casing. These add a touch of design flair, visible only when the light catches them. Additionally, there’s an LED array on the front that changes colour as it operates. This is reminiscent of many gaming PCs but is more of a fun, decorative touch on what is otherwise aimed at office use which is a bit odd.
The general layout of the machine is well thought-out. On the front, there's a 3.5 mm audio jack, two USB Type-C ports, two USB Type-A ports, and the power button. Both sides feature plenty of venting, as does the back, which houses the AC input, two HDMI ports, a LAN port, and two additional USB Type-A ports.
One of the standout features of this mini PC is the ability to upgrade both the RAM and SSD. For RAM, it uses DDR4 dual-channel SO-DIMM slots, supporting up to two 32 GB sticks, and it comes with 16 GB as standard. Storage-wise, as an entry-level machine, the hard drive is relatively modest at 512 GB. This is a PCIe 3.0 SSD, but if 512 GB feels too small, it can be upgraded with an M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 SSD of up to 1 TB, so still not huge.
Design: 4.5 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Chuwi LarkBox S: Features
Starting with the size, this small machine measures 118 x 118 x 41.3 mm, making it one of the smaller mini PCs out there, although it’s relatively heavy at 478 g, which just reinforces the fact that it is made of high-quality materials.
When it comes to the internal hardware, there's an Intel Core i3-1220P with 10 cores, 12 threads, 12 MB of cache, and up to 4.4 GHz. This is supported by standard Intel UHD graphics and 16 GB of DDR4 3200 MHz RAM. The motherboard is dual-channel, so if you want to upgrade that RAM, then you can install two 32 GB sticks as mentioned before, taking you up to 64 GB, which will be useful if you are thinking about doing any multimedia editing. When it comes to storage, this is limited to a 512 GB PCIe 3.0 SSD, and again there's only a single slot for this on the motherboard. You can install an M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 SSD, and that's expandable up to 1TB.
As an entry-level machine, it comes with Windows 11 Home installed, which will give you all of the normal functions and features. It also supports Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1, so it is not the latest technology, but it still offers good, solid performance. There is also an Ethernet option if you are using a wired network that supports up to 1000 Mbps.
When it comes to ports, you have one full-feature Type-C port, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, one HDMI 2.0 port, one HDMI 1.4 port, one 1000 Mbps LAN port, one 3.5 mm audio jack, and the DC-in.
Even as an entry level machine you can connect up to three displays through the two HDMI ports alongside one of the USB Type-C ports, which is the fully featured port. From the USB Type-C, you can run one 4K resolution monitor at up to 144 Hz. Through the HDMI 2.0 port, you can run one 4K monitor at up to 60 Hz, and through the HDMI 1.4 port, you can run a monitor at 4K up to 30 Hz.
As one final point on the feature set, as is now standard with most mini PCs, the computer also comes with VESA support, so if you do want to mount it on a wall or behind your monitor, then that is perfectly possible.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Features: 4 / 5
Chuwi LarkBox S: Performance
The design of the LarkBox S makes it extremely quick and easy to get started, with the ports on the back being easily accessible for plugging in the HDMI and the two USB Type-As to connect monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Pressing the power button boots up into Windows 11 Home, and you can run through the usual setup process, which takes about 5 to 10 minutes.
While the processor and GPU are relatively low-powered, they are more than sufficient to handle Windows 11 Home, providing a smooth experience from the outset, even when connected to a 4K monitor. Once Windows has finished the set-up, you can proceed to install the applications you need. For us, this included benchmarking software, a few games, Microsoft Office, and multimedia tools such as DaVinci Resolve for video editing and Adobe Photoshop for photography.
Starting with general admin use of the machine, it quickly becomes apparent that it has been finely tuned for day-to-day office use. The LarkBox S handles Microsoft Office and Microsoft Edge (or other browsers) well enough. One minor issue we did have was the LED light array at the front, which, while aesthetically pleasing, it can become a little distracting over time. However, it is possible to turn it off via the firmware settings, though this does require a bit of technical know-how.
Pushing the machine to a higher level of demand, we loaded up DaVinci Resolve to edit some 4K video shot on the Sony Alpha 7 Mark IV in the H.265 file format. Surprisingly, the machine handled this with relative ease for a simple 10-minute video edit. The project included multiple tracks with little grading and no effects applied. However, as soon as text or effects were added to the footage, the machine began to struggle. That said, you could still manage a 10 to 15-minute edit without too much trouble. The main point where the machine struggled was during export, as it took a significant amount of time to render the video into a file ready for upload. Still, for small video projects, this machine should suffice.
Switching to Adobe Lightroom and loading a few images, the machine performed well and was more than capable of handling basic edits to enhance your imagery for print or online use. Moving on to Photoshop with high-resolution files from the Sony A7 IV, the performance remained impressive for basic edits. The only noticeable slowdown occurred when using the brush tool for dodging and burning highlights and shadows. As layers accumulated, the processor and GPU began to struggle, revealing the machine's limitations.
The final test was to assess gaming performance. For this, we selected Tekken 8 and Hogwarts Legacy. It quickly became apparent when loading Tekken 8 that the machine was going to struggle graphically. While this program is often manageable on entry-level machines, the LarkBox S couldn't quite handle the demands. Once in the game (which took some time), even with settings reduced to a minimum and resolution down to Full HD, gameplay was possible but far from a good experience. With Hogwarts Legacy, the game was simply beyond the machine's capabilities and could not run effectively. However, less graphically and processor-intensive games, such as Portal 2 or the legacy Tomb Raider series, ran smoothly and without issue.
Performance: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Chuwi LarkBox S: Final verdict
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Taking a look at what’s on offer here with the LarkBox S, you essentially have an entry-level machine with a premium build quality and very stylish, if discreet, looks. It also has an edge of flair about it with the LED lighting array at the front, which could easily lead you to mistake it for a gaming mini PC. In reality, this is an office machine ideally suited to everyday work with Word and Excel, as well as browsing the internet and a little bit of light multimedia editing.
While the processing and graphical power of the machine isn’t huge, as a day-to-day machine that is built to a high standard and quality, it should last you for a good number of years. The LarkBox S is a great option. Alongside the quality build and relatively decent feature set for the price, there’s also the ability to upgrade the internal SSD and RAM. While the storage capacity upgrade is limited to a maximum of 1 TB, the fact that you can upgrade the RAM to 64 GB gives you a little more flexibility for multimedia editing and handling larger Excel documents.
Overall, the LarkBox S is a great option for any business looking for a compact mini PC for office administration work. Its compact size, durability, and design mean it will fit nicely into any environment. It’s a shame that it comes with Windows Home rather than Windows Pro, but you can always upgrade if needed. As a solid, well-rounded machine with a quality build and finish, the LarkBox S is a worthwhile option that justifies the extra cost over some cheaper alternatives.
Should I buy a Chuwi LarkBox S?
Buy it if...
You want a high-quality build
If you’re looking for a machine that will withstand more than the occasional knock or can be used for van life or in a workshop, the high-quality casing and solid build should meet your needs.
You need plenty of connection options
Across the front and back, there are plenty of connection options, enabling you to connect up to three monitors as well as external hard drives and other accessories neatly and easily.
Don't buy it if...
You need large internal storage
The internal hardware used means that it’s limited to just one terabyte of internal storage with the upgrade, which isn’t a great deal. If you’re looking for a machine for video editing or multimedia, you might want something with more internal storage potential.
You want to play games
Even if you’re a casual gamer and want the option to play some of the latest games, even at reduced resolution, this machine and its integrated GPU will struggle.
When I reviewed the Arc A770 and A750, I said that these Alchemist GPUs were impressive first efforts for Intel's Arc range, but not yet at the level that they needed to be to compete with the likes of Nvidia and AMD in discrete graphics.
Well, with the release of the new Intel Arc B580 (2nd-gen Battlemage), there's no doubt that Intel has produced one of the best graphics cards of this generation, and given gamers on a budget an absolute gift just in time for the holidays.
For starters, let's talk about the price of this GPU. At just $249.99 / £249.99 / AU$439, the Arc B580 undercuts both Nvidia's and AMD's budget offerings, the RTX 4060 and RX 7600, while offering substantially better performance, making its value proposition untouchable at this price range.
While I'll dig deeper into the performance in a bit, I'll cut to the chase and point out the simple fact that neither the RTX 4060 nor the RX 7600 can game at 1440p without severely compromising graphics quality. Not only can the B580 perform this feat, it does so brilliantly.
This comes down to some very straightforward spec choices that Intel made with its Battlemage debut that, especially in hindsight, make Nvidia and AMD's respective decisions even more baffling. First, with a VRAM pool of 12GB, the B580 can hold the larger texture files needed for 1440p gaming, whereas the RTX 4060 Ti cannot, due to its 8GB VRAM loadout.
Then there's the B580's wider 192-bit memory interface, compared to the RTX 4060 Ti's and RX 7600 XT's 128-bit. While this might seem like an obscure spec, it's the secret sauce for the B580. This beefier interface allows it to process those larger texture files much faster than its competitors, so this GPU can fully leverage its bigger VRAM pool in a way that Nvidia and AMD's competing cards simply can't, even with larger VRAM configurations.
Boiling all this down, you end up with a budget-class GPU that can get you fast 1440p framerates the likes of which we haven't seen since the RTX 3060 Ti.
Even more impressive, in my mind, is that I did not encounter a single game where there was some kind of quirk or hiccup caused by the driver. With the Arc Alchemist cards last year, there were issues with some games not running well because of inadequate driver support, or a game's reliance on an older version of DirectX that the Alchemist GPUs weren't optimized for. I didn't encounter any of those problems this time around. The Intel graphics team's long, hard work on getting Arc's drivers up to par has definitely paid off.
If there's a criticism I can make of this graphics card, it's that its creative performance isn't as good as Nvidia's. But given the entire creative world's reliance on Nvidia's bespoke CUDA instruction set, neither Intel nor AMD were ever really going to be able to compete here.
Fortunately, the Intel Arc B580 is a graphics card for gaming, and for any gamer looking to play at 1440p resolution on the cheap, the B580 is really the only graphics card that can do it, making it the only GPU you should be considering at this price point.
Intel Arc B580: Price & availability
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The Intel Arc B580 is available in the US, UK, and Australia, and has been from December 13, 2024, starting at $249.99, £249.99, and AU$439 respectively. Third-party graphics card partners like Acer, ASRock, and others will have their own variants of the B580, and their prices may be higher, depending on the card.
The closest competition for the Arc B580 in terms of price are the Nvidia RTX 4060 and AMD RX 7600, both of which have a $20-$50 higher MSRP. And while Nvidia and AMD are preparing to roll out their next-gen graphics cards starting next month, it will still be a few months after the initial flagship launches before either company's budget offerings are announced. So, the B580 is the only current-gen GPU available for under $250 / £250 / AU$450 at the moment, and will likely remain so for many months to come.
Value: 5/5
Intel Arc B580: Specifications
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Intel Arc B580: Architecture & features
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The Intel Arc B580 is the first discrete GPU from Intel based on its new Xe2 graphics architecture, codenamed Battlemage, and there are a lot of low-level changes over the previous-gen Intel Arc Alchemist. Many of these are small tweaks to the architectural design, such as the move from SIMD32 to SIMD16 instructions, but when taken together, all of these small changes add up to a major overhaul of the GPU.
That, in addition to using TSMC's 5nm process, means that even though the GPU itself has become physically smaller in just about every measure, it's much more powerful.
The B580 has a roughly 17% reduction in compute units from the Arc A580 and about 10% fewer transistors, but Intel says that its various architectural changes produce about 70% better performance per compute unit (or Xe core, as Intel calls it). I haven't tested or reviewed the Intel Arc A580, so I can't say for certain if that claim holds up, but there has definitely been a major performance gain gen-on-gen based on my experience with the higher-end Arc Alchemist cards. We also can't ignore the substantially faster boost clock of 2,850MHz, up from 1,700MHz for the A580.
Outside of the GPU architecture, there is also a smaller memory bus, with the A580's 256-bit interface dropping down to 192-bit for the B580, but the B580 features a 50% increase in its video memory pool, as well as a faster memory clock.
Specs & features: 4.5 / 5
Intel Arc B580: Design
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The Intel Arc B580 Limited Edition reference card is what you'd call the 'base' version of this GPU, but don't call it basic.
Despite its all-black-with-white-accent-lettering appearance, this is a good-looking graphics card, much like the initial Arc Alchemist GPUs before it, thanks to its matte, textured black shroud, dual-fan cooling, and rather understated aesthetic.
In a PC component world full of ostentatious, overly aggressive and flashy designs, there is something almost respectable about a graphics card in 2024 that presents itself without gimmicks, almost daring you to underestimate its capabilities due to its lack of RGB.
That said, there is one noticeable difference with this graphics card's design: the open 'window' over the internal heatsink to help with airflow and cooling. Unfortunately, the HWInfo64 utility I use to measure temperature and power draw for the GPUs I review couldn't read the Arc B580 during testing, so I can't tell you how much of a difference this window makes compared to something like the Intel Arc A750—but it certainly won't hurt its thermals.
Beyond that, the card also sports a single 8-pin power connector, in keeping with its 190W TBP, so you can pretty much guarantee that if you already have a discrete GPU in your system, you'll have the available power cables from your PSU required to use this GPU.
It's also not a very large graphics card, though it is larger than some RTX 4060 and RX 7600 GPUs (it's about 10.7-inches / 272mm), though third-party variants might be more compact. In any case, it's a dual-slot card, so it'll fit in place as an upgrade for just about any graphics card you have in your PC currently.
Design: 4.5 / 5
Intel Arc B580: Performance
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
OK, so now we come to why I am absolutely in love with this graphics card: performance.
Unfortunately, I don't have an Intel Arc A580 card on hand to compare this GPU to, so I can't directly measure how the B580 stacks up to its predecessor. But I can compare the B580 to its current competition, as well as the Intel Arc A750, which prior to this release was selling at, or somewhat below, the price of this graphics card, and has comparable specs.
In terms of pure synthetic performance, the Arc B580 comes in second to the Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti, performing about 10% slower overall. That said, there were some tests, like 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra, Wild Life Extreme (and Wild Life Extreme Unlimited), and Time Spy Extreme where the extra VRAM allowed the Arc B580 to pull ahead of the much more expensive Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti. The Arc B580 did manage to outperform the RTX 4060 by about 12%, however.
Creative workloads aren't the Arc B580's strongest area, with Nvidia's RTX 4060 and RTX 4060 Ti performing substantially better. This might change once PugetBench for Creators Photoshop benchmark gets updated however, as it crashed during every single test I ran, regardless of which graphics card I was using.
Notably, the Intel Arc B580 encoded 4K video to 1080p at a faster rate using Intel's H.264 codec in Handbrake 1.61 than all of the other cards tested using Nvidia or AMD's H.264 options, so this is something for game streamers to consider if they're looking for a card to process their video on the fly.
But what really matters with this GPU is gaming, and if you compare this graphics card's 1080p performance to the competition, you'll have to go with the nearly 40% more expensive Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti in order to beat it, and it's not a crushing defeat for Intel. While I found the Arc B580 is about 17% slower than the RTX 4060 Ti on average at 1080p (with no ray tracing or upscaling), it's still hitting 82 FPS on average overall and actually has a slightly higher minimum/1% FPS performance of just under 60 FPS.
The AMD RX 7600 XT, Intel Arc A750, and Nvidia RTX 4060 don't even come close to reaching these kinds of numbers, with the Arc B580 scoring a roughly 30% faster average 1080p FPS and an incredible 52% faster minimum/1% FPS advantage over the Nvidia RTX 4060, which comes in a very distant third place among the five GPUs being tested. All in all, it's an impressive performance from the Intel Battlemage graphics card.
Also worth noting is that the Intel Arc B580's ray-tracing performance is noticeably better than AMD's, and not that far behind Nvidia's, though its upscaling performance lags a bit behind AMD and Nvidia at 1080p.
Even more impressive, though, is this card's 1440p performance.
Typically, if you're going to buy any 1440p GPU, not even the best 1440p graphics card, you should expect to pay at least $400-$500 (about £320-£400 / AU$600-AU$750). And to really qualify as a 1440p GPU, you need to hit an average of 60 FPS overall, with an average FPS floor of about 40 FPS. Anything less than that, and you're going to have an uneven experience game-to-game.
In this regard, the only two graphics cards I tested that qualify are the Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti and the Intel Arc B580, and they are very close to each other in terms of 1440p performance. (I can give an honorable mention to the Nvidia RTX 4060, which almost got there, but not quite).
While Nvidia has certain built-in advantages owing to its status as the premiere GPU brand (so pretty much any game is optimized for Nvidia hardware by default), at 1440p it only barely ekes out a win over the Intel Arc B580. And that's ultimately down to its stronger native ray-tracing performance—a scenario which pretty much no one opts for. If you're going to use ray tracing, you're going to use upscaling, and in that situation, the RTX 4060 Ti and Arc B580 are effectively tied at 1440p.
And this 1440p performance in particular is why I'm so enthusiastic about this graphics card. While this is the performance section of the review, I can't help but talk about the value that this card represents for gamers—especially the growing number of 1440p-aspiring gamers out there.
Prior to the Intel Arc B580, gaming at 1440p—which is the PC gaming sweet spot; believe me, I've extensively tested nearly every GPU of the past four years at 1440p—was something reserved for the petit bourgeois of PC gamers. These are the folks not rich enough to really go in for the best 4K graphics cards, but they've got enough money to buy a 1440p monitor and a graphics card powerful enough to drive it.
This used to mean something approaching a grand just for these two items alone, locking a lot of gamers into incremental 1080p advances for two successive generations. No more.
Now, with an entry-level 1440p monitor coming in under $300 /£300 / AU$450, it's entirely possible to upgrade your rig for 1440p gaming for about $500 / £500 / AU$750 with this specific graphics card (and only this graphics card), which is absolutely doable for a hell of a lot of gamers out there who are still languishing at 1080p.
Ultimately, this, more than anything, raises the Intel Arc B580 into S-Tier for me, even though Nvidia's $399.99 RTX 4060 Ti GPU gets slightly better performance. The Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti just doesn't offer this kind of value for the vast majority of gamers out there, and even with its improved performance since its launch, the 4060 Ti is still very hard to recommend.
The Nvidia RTX 4060, meanwhile, can't keep up with the B580 despite being 20% more expensive. And with the AMD RX 7600 XT, laden with its $329.99 MSRP (about £250 / AU$480 RRP), falling noticeably behind the B580, the RX 7600 (which I haven't had a chance to retest yet) doesn't stand a chance (and has a slightly more expensive MSRP).
And, it has to be emphasized, I experienced none of the driver issues with the Intel Arc B580 that I did when I originally reviewed the Intel Arc A750 and Arc A770. Every game I tested ran perfectly well, even if something like Black Myth Wukong ran much better on the two Nvidia cards than it did on Intel's GPUs. Tweak some settings and you'll be good to go.
This was something that just wasn't the case with the previous-gen Arc graphics cards at launch, and it truly held Intel back at the time. In one of my Intel Arc Alchemist reviews, I compared that generation of graphics cards to fantastic journeyman efforts that were good, but maybe not ready to be put out on the show floor. No more. Intel has absolutely graduated to full GPU maker status, and has done so with a card more affordable than the cheapest graphics cards its competition has to offer.
Simply put, for a lot of cash-strapped gamers out there, the Intel Arc B580's performance at this price is nothing short of a miracle, and it makes me question how Intel of all companies was able to pull this off while AMD and Nvidia have not.
Even if you don't buy an Intel Arc B580, give Intel its due for introducing this kind of competition into the graphics card market. If Intel can keep this up for the B570, and hopefully the B770 and B750, then Nvidia and AMD will have no choice but to rein in their price inflation with the next-gen cards they plan to offer next year, making it a win-win for every gamer looking to upgrade.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
Intel Arc B580: Should you buy it?
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Buy the Intel Arc B580 if...
You want an extremely affordable 1440p graphics card A 1440p graphics card can be quite expensive, but the Intel Arc B580 is incredibly affordable.
You're looking for great gaming performance The Intel Arc B580 delivers incredible framerates for the price.
Don't buy it if...
You're looking for a budget creative GPU While the B580 isn't terrible, if you're looking for a GPU for creative work, there are better cards out there.
You want a cheap GPU for AI workloads The Intel Arc B580 might have dedicated AI hardware, but it still lags behind Nvidia by a good amount.
Also consider
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 The Nvidia RTX 4060 is a better option for a lot of creative tasks on a budget, though its gaming performance isn't as strong despite the higher price.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti If you want a strong 1080p and 1440p gaming GPU, but also need some muscle for creative or machine learning/AI workloads, this card is what you'll want, so long as you're willing to pay the extra premium in the price.
Over the course of about three weeks, I used the Intel Arc B580 as my primary workstation GPU when I wasn't actively benchmarking it.
This included using the graphics card for various creative workloads like Adobe Photoshop and light video encoding work.
I also used the B580 for some in-depth game testing, including titles like Black Myth Wukong, Satisfactory, and other recently released games.
I've been doing graphics card reviews for TechRadar for more than two years now, and I've done extensive GPU testing previous to that on a personal basis as a lifelong PC gamer. In addition, my computer science coursework for my Master's degree utilized GPUs very heavily for machine learning and other computational workloads, and as a result, I know my way around every aspect of a GPU. As such, you can rest assured that my testing process is both thorough and sound.
Photoshop has long been our benchmark for what a photo-editing app should be capable of, and that doesn’t change with the 2024 edition. Whether you work with graphics or photographs, it’s a comprehensive solution for manipulating images in pretty much any way you can think of.
As we covered in our in-depth Adobe Photoshop CC 2023 review, the last edition of Photoshop introduced a range of significant AI-powered upgrades. Those included generative features for creating visual assets using simple text prompts, as well as object-selection and removal tools supercharged by AI.
The 2024 version of Photoshop is an evolution of last year’s release. Rather than introducing any groundbreaking features, it builds on the existing toolkit to offer users an even more polished, accessible and powerful editing app.
Adobe sticks with a proven interface, and Photoshop CC 2024 will feel familiar to anyone who's used an older version of the app in recent years. The useful Contextual Task Bar returns, now with enhanced support for the transform, shape and gradient tools. Nothing is dramatically different, and the app is all the better for it.
Chief among the updates is Adobe’s Firefly Image Model 3, which drives the generative AI tools in Photoshop CC 2024. The net gain here is more realistic and consistent AI imagery from text-based prompts. Photoshop’s AI is far from infallible, but its best output is significantly more believable and convincingly integrated when compared to Photoshop CC 2023.
New generative tools help in this regard. Generate Similar allows you to create further variations based on your favorite of three generated images, letting you get closer to a visual that fits. When you find one that does, the Enhance Detail option boosts detail in a generated image for better clarity.
It’s all very effectively executed. You’ll still encounter errant output, sometimes to a laughable degree, and an eagle-eyed inspection will still pick up inconsistencies and smudginess in the best of Photoshop’s efforts. But if you want to incorporate generative AI into your workflow, Photoshop CC 2024 has the most complete set of tools to let you do so.
That includes a new Selection Brush option, which allows you to more easily make selections using a hybrid of the brush and lasso tools, as well as an Adjustment Brush for selectively applying granular tweaks to parts of an image.
Further refining the formula is the Distraction Removal tool, which can automatically detect, select and paint out people and wires from your photos with remarkable effectiveness.
With more updates in the pipeline, including a Generative Workspace that’s currently available in Photoshop Beta, Photoshop continues to set the standard for photo-editing apps in 2024. Adobe’s payment model might not be popular with everyone, but we think a Creative Cloud subscription offers a lot of value.
If you need an all-in-one image-editing solution with the latest generative AI features implemented to genuinely useful effect, Photoshop CC 2024 is the app to beat.
Available as part of an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription
From $22.99 / £21.98 / AU$32.99 per month for the Photoshop plan
From $19.99 / £9.98 / AU$28.59 per month for the Photography plan
As with all Adobe apps, Photoshop is only available to use via a Creative Cloud subscription. There’s no option to buy a one-off license, so you’ll need to keep paying for this subscription to maintain your access. You can sign up for plans on a monthly or an annual basis, with significant savings offered if you pay for the full year up front.
Photoshop is also available as part of several Creative Cloud plans, including the All Apps bundle. You can also choose to take out a single-app subscription for Photoshop alone, but this isn’t actually the most cost-effective way to access the app. Strangely, you’re better off with the Photography plan, which combines Photoshop and Lightroom, together with 20GB of cloud storage
Adobe Photoshop CC 2024 review: Interface
(Image credit: Future)
Interface largely unchanged from Photoshop Creative Cloud 2023
Contextual Task Bar supports more shape, transform and gradient settings
Photoshop’s interface has undergone iterative refinements over the years, but it remains fundamentally familiar for anyone who’s used a version of Photoshop – or, indeed, any desktop photo editor – in the past. Tool shortcuts reside in a vertical column down the left-hand side, while panels on the right are where you’ll find layers, image adjustments and color controls. Granular settings for your chosen tool can be found in the options bar along the top of the workspace.
The interface is largely unchanged from Photoshop CC 2023. Seasoned users won’t notice any major changes, which is the kind of consistency that keeps people paying for a Creative Cloud subscription. It does also mean that the same learning curve is present in 2024, with a degree of tuition required to fully get to grips with everything that Photoshop has to offer. It’s not the most beginner-friendly photo editor, but that’s inevitable when you’re dealing with such a capable and comprehensive piece of software.
Returning in Photoshop CC 2024 is the Contextual Task Bar, which floats at the bottom of the workspace. It can also be dragged around, pinned in place or disabled if you don’t need its input. Wherever you place it, the Contextual Task Bar displays shortcuts relevant to your current task or selection, genuinely streamlining editing workflows.
The Contextual Task Bar has been improved for 2024 to support fill and stroke settings for shapes, rotate and flip tools when transforming objects, as well as the ability to change color, opacity, type, and presets when working with gradients. These aren’t groundbreaking additions, but they are genuinely useful refinements that contribute to a slicker user experience.
(Image credit: Adobe)
That user experience is going to evolve in future iterations, and you can get a preview of this by downloading the Photoshop Beta version through Creative Cloud. Choose Generative Workspace from the welcome screen and you’ll find a space where you can create visual assets from text prompts and browse through previously generated elements. You can have several prompts running simultaneously, and everything is saved to a timeline, which allows you to go back and add variables.
Photoshop’s Generative Workspace is not dissimilar to the interface used by some of the best AI image generators. In our experience, it adds a useful cataloging function to Photoshop’s AI toolkit, allowing you to easily generate, manage and build on a library of generated creative assets in real time.
Interface score: 4.5/5
Adobe Photoshop CC 2024 review: generative AI features
Generative features powered by Firefly Image Model 3 for greater realism
New Generate Similar feature lets you create more image variations
One of the most significant additions to Photoshop CC 2023 was its suite of generative tools, which use Adobe’s Firefly Image Model to drive AI-powered image generation. We covered the effectiveness of these features at length in our review of Photoshop 2023, and they return with even greater potential in 2024.
Generative Fill and Generative Expand are now driven by the latest version of Adobe’s Firefly Image Model. The tools themselves still function in the same way: Generative Fill creates AI imagery in a selected area based on a descriptive text prompt, which can include adding and removing objects, while Generative Expand allows you to increase the dimensions of an existing image using generated content.
(Image credit: Future)
What the upgrade means for Photoshop users is more realistic generated imagery, complete with enhanced control over detail and composition. This bears out in practice: while Photoshop’s generative tools aren’t perfect, results in the 2024 edition are consistently more believable. We encountered far fewer uncanny effects, particularly when text prompts included living creatures.
In our review of Photoshop CC 2023, we commented that the unreality of AI-generated imagery could be spotted fairly easily upon closer inspection, particularly when larger objects were added or generative adjustments were made to bigger areas of an image. These issues have been significantly improved in the 2024 version.
We still encountered smudging of detailed textures, as well as warped edges and occasional freakish shapes, particularly in mixed lighting. It also struggles with reflections. Certain prompts simply produce hilarious results, like when we tried to change a blue-sky background for a fiery one over a volcano. On the whole, though, we were very impressed with the realism of generated elements in Photoshop CC 2024.
(Image credit: Future)
What struck us is that when we compared the ‘best’ result from the same prompt in the 2023 and 2024 versions, we had to look much closer in the latest edition before spotting any telltale signs that AI was involved. Everything from shadows and tone to general detail is more consistent – and that’s particularly the case if you hover over the thumbnail of a generated variation in the Properties panel and hit the Enhance Detail icon, which boosts detail further.
The Generate Similar option also allows you to refine generated content by choosing the best variation and generating more iterations from it. Say you prompt Photoshop to create a red truck – it will give you three variations to begin with. Pick the one of these that best fits your vision, click the three dots icon on the Contextual Tool Bar and select Generate Similar. You’ll then get three more images based on that variation, allowing you to steer the AI model towards what’s in your mind’s eye.
Generative AI features score: 4.5/5
Adobe Photoshop CC 2024 review: selection
(Image credit: Future)
Selection Brush is a hybrid of Brush and Lasso tools
Photoshop already has some of the most powerful selection features of any photo editor, including the AI-driven Object Selection Tool and ‘select subject’ shortcut found on the Contextual Task Bar. While some tidying up is often still required when using these tools to mask off parts of an image, they can significantly accelerate workflow and, depending on the object you’re selecting, can sometimes automate it entirely.
Photoshop CC 2024 doesn’t introduce any groundbreaking selection features, but there are a few new and improved tools which enhance the existing offering. First is the enhanced Selection Brush Tool, which is designed to simplify the selection process for trackpad users. It’s really a combination of masking and lasso tools, executed in a more user-friendly way.
Choose the Selection Brush then simply paint over an area as you would when masking. You can adjust the brush hardness, opacity and color from the toolbar, as well as toggling between add and subtract modes to amend your selection. Switch to another tool and your selection will change from a pink overlay to a classic ‘marching ants’ outline, as if you’ve lassoed your way around the object. Both visually and practically, it’s an effective change that’s genuinely useful.
(Image credit: Future)
Joining it is the Adjustment Brush tool, which allows you to apply non-destructive edits to specific areas of an image. Select the tool, then use the Contextual Task Bar to select the kind of adjustment you want to make. You can then paint over part of your image or select ‘Apply to object.’ You can change the hardness and size of the brush, as well as subtracting from your selection. You can then make granular changes to that new adjustment layer in the adjustments panel.
Again, this isn’t a groundbreaking feature. Instead, it’s one more way in which Adobe is making Photoshop more intuitive and accessible, through new applications of existing editing mechanics. While seasoned users may prefer to stick with traditional selection and application techniques, we think these brush tools tools will be easier for beginners to grasp. The good thing about Photoshop is that the choice is yours.
Selection score: 5/5
Adobe Photoshop CC 2024: Removal tools
(Image credit: Future)
Distraction Removal automatically takes away distracting elements
Generate Background Tool can simulate photorealistic settings
We talked extensively about the effectiveness of the Remove Tool in our review of Photoshop CC 2023. In short, it’s a powerful feature that’s able to make unwanted elements disappear from your images in just a few clicks. Paint over anything in your image that you want gone and Photoshop will replace it with AI-generated pixels which, more often than not, blend effortlessly into the existing scene as if the original element was never there.
This feature returns in Photoshop CC 2024, with added functionality. Rather than manually painting over unwanted wires and people in your image, you can now use the Distraction Removal Tool to detect and remove them with a couple of clicks.
Select the Remove Tool from the sidebar, then select ‘Find distractions’ from the toolbar at the top. Here you can select ‘Wires and cables’ or ‘People’. Choose the former and Photoshop will try to remove all telephone and power lines from a scene. Select the latter and it will highlight all the people it can find, giving you the option to deselect any that you want to keep in the image.
(Image credit: Future)
When it works, it’s an impressive feature that genuinely saves time. We found it incredibly effective for removing wires and cables, even where these run across different backgrounds. For example, in an image in which multiple cables were running away from the camera, in front of several buildings and the sky, every single wire was seamlessly removed, and it wasn’t possible to trace where they’d been.
People selection is also powerful. Even out-of-focus figures in the background were picked up by the tool, and it was also able to detect people walking side-on to and away from the camera, only once missing someone with their back turned. The effectiveness of the actual removal depends on the given scene, with complex textures resulting in a few floating faces. Nevertheless, it’s a useful and convincing enhancement to Photoshop's object removal arsenal.
Firefly improvements are also evident when using the Generate Background Tool. Background removal was another big introduction in Photoshop CC 2023. After removing a background, the Generate Background tool lets you swap in a completely different setting which matches the position and lighting of the subject. Once again, it isn’t faultless by any means, but in our tests we did find it a particularly effective shortcut for changing the background of product shots and flatlay photography.
Removal tools score: 4.5/5
Should you buy Adobe Photoshop CC 2024?
Buy it if...
You want the latest generative AI tools Powered by Firefly Image Model 3, the generative tools in Photoshop CC 2024 are at the cutting edge of what AI can do, creating realistic visuals from short text prompts.
You want powerful removal tools Complementing the Remove and Background Removal tools, Photoshop’s new Distraction Removal feature uses AI to instantly and seamlessly remove unnecessary elements from your compositions, as if they were never there.
You want a complete image editor From adjustment presets to comprehensive layer tools, Photoshop is the most complete image editor available. Whether you’re working with graphics or photographs, Photoshop is the ultimate all-in-one app.
Don't buy it if...
You like to own your apps outright As with all Creative Cloud apps, Photoshop is only available as part of a subscription, and you’ll need to keep paying to maintain access to the software. If you prefer to pay a one-off fee you’ll need to look elsewhere.
You only need to make basic edits Photoshop is an incredibly powerful app with a learning curve and price tag to match. If you only want to make simple adjustments to your images, there are cheaper and easier-to-use software options out there.
You don’t have a modern computer Because of its powerful feature set, Photoshop demands a pretty significant amount of computer processing power. Even some relatively recent models don’t officially meet the spec benchmark specified by Adobe, so do check that your hardware is up to the task.
Adobe Photoshop CC 2024: Also consider
Serif Affinity Photo 2022 It might not have the cutting-edge features of Photoshop, but if you want a solid set of photo-editing features at a very fair price Affinity Photo is a great desktop alternative that’s available for a one-off fee. Read our Serif Affinity Photo 2022 review.
Corel PaintShop Pro 2023 A comprehensive image editor with a generous set of tools to rival Photoshop's, PaintShop Pro is a reasonably priced option to consider if you don’t need the generative AI features offered by Adobe’s app. Read our Corel PaintShop Pro 2023 review.
How I tested Adobe Photoshop CC 2024
(Image credit: Future)
I tested it for more than three months
I used it as my primary image-editing app
I created a range visuals in different styles
As I regularly edit images for work, Photoshop was already an important part of my visual toolkit. Having updated the app to version 26, I continued to use it as my primary editing tool for both photo and graphics work. Because I’m familiar with the software’s interface and capabilities, I was able to focus on the new features and compare these to previous versions.
I spent a lot of time exploring the capabilities of Firefly Image Model 3. This included making adjustments to a range of photos, as well as removing objects, to see how Photoshop’s updated generative tools could streamline my workflow. I also tested these extensively with a wide range of text prompts, to assess how realistically and seamlessly Photoshop was able to integrated generated content into compositions.
Every Mini PC is trying to make its mark, and now the focus seems to be on high-powered machines with mass appeal. The GMKtec NUC Box K8 Plus is an interesting option, with a spec sheet that pitches it at the mid to higher end of this style of machine. Inside, the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS CPU and AMD Radeon 780M graphics provide ample processing and graphical power to handle day-to-day tasks, as well as a decent level of creative work such as high-resolution photo and video editing. That combination will also see you through mid-level gaming, although a few settings may need slight reductions.
However, then you come to the build quality. The main metal casing, finished in matte black, initially gives you a good impression of the machine and the high-quality. However, the transparent twist off top adds little to the design, and if anything cheapens and otherwise stylish mini PC. What this design does allow, however, is easy access to the inside in case you need to upgrade the RAM or SSD.
The outside of the machine is similarly designed with ease of use and functionality at its heart, featuring plenty of ports and even the Oculink PCIe 4.0 on the front, which enables you to plug in an eGPU to boost the graphics processing and overall performance of the machine. This makes the NUC Box K8 Plus a very different proposition from many of the best mini PCs we've reviewed and, at the price, makes it an absolute bargain. What GMKtec has done is balance absolute performance with cost, resulting in a mediocre-looking machine, due to that transparent top, that can actually hold its own against machines almost double its price.
GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus: Price and availability
How much does it cost? $424.97
When is it out? Now
Where can you get it? Widely available
TheGMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus is widely available and can be purchased directly from the GMKtec for £424.97
Value: 5 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus: Specs
GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus: Design
The design of the NUC Box K8 Plus is understated, featuring the usual compact, box-like form that makes it easy to position on a desk or take with you when you need something small and portable, that has more ports and expansion options than your average laptop.
The build quality is solid, with a metal casing that gives the machine a premium feel. The transparent top, which cheapens the design, covers the large Hyper Ice Chamber 2.0 cooling system—essentially a large top and bottom fan with a copper base—that helps to keep heat in check. The transparent top is positioned slightly above the body of the machine to enable airflow. While the dark grey transparency could add to the aesthetics, it seems to lack impact here.
In terms of size, this Mini PC is about average, measuring 127 mm x 132 mm x 58 mm and weighing 640g. This compact size makes it easy to position on your desk or mount using the included VESA mount. Its weight and dimensions also make it perfectly portable for users who need a machine on the go and makes it a great Van life option.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The rest of the machine is neatly laid out. At the back, you'll find a good range of ports, including 2 x USB 2.0, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1, 2 x RJ45 2.5G, USB4.0 Type-C, and a Kensington Lock for security. Below these ports is additional venting, highlighting GMKtec's focus on effective cooling. More vents appear on either side of the machine, further aiding airflow.
At the front, there's the signature green GMKtec power button, an Oculink PCIe 4.0, USB4.0 Type-C, 2 x USB3.2, and a 3.5mm audio-out for headphones. The most impressive design feature is the inclusion of the Oculink display port. While this might not be the most intuitive display connector out there, the port does offers performance and reliability that few other connectors can match, making it perfect for those working with 4K or 8K video or high end gaming where the connection of a powerful eGPU can be used.
Design: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus: Features
Mini PCs have recently leapt forward in performance and features, and again here, the GMKtec NUC Box K8 follows this recent trend with an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS CPU with 8 cores, 16 threads, 54W TDP, 16MB L3 Cache and 4nm processor tech. This is coupled with AMD Radeon 780M graphics which seems to be the choice for high performance mini PCs. While this mini PC is priced in the mid-range, the performance, components and features all seem to hit well above its weight. The CPU and GPU are joined by PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 SSD, and a nice feature here is that there are dual slots, which will enable you to maximise the internal storage with the ultrafast SSDs to a maximum of 8TB, 4TB in each. Alongside the ROM is a DDR5 5600MHz SO-DIMM dual channel, which means that you could potentially increase the RAM to 96GB, which is again impressive for a small machine. Our review sample came equipped with a 1TB SSD and 32GB of RAM.
One of the big features of the machine is the ability to connect up to four displays, two from the USB4.0 ports and one each from the HDMI 2.1 and DP (2.1). While this would have been unusual in the past, it's a feature that is becoming progressively more common. Although, it's worth noting that while three of the ports are at the back of the machine, the fourth is the USB4.0 on the front.
Connectivity for the machine is a big feature, with Intel i226V dual 2.5G LAN ports, WiFi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2 offering plenty of connection options for both networks and gaming.
One of the issues with all this power in a small box is inevitably heat, and here is the GMKtec Hyper Ice Chamber 2.0, which is all part of the cooling system. This sees a mini fan at the top which vents air under the twist top and draws heat away from the main components, then under the main board is a larger cooling fan with a heat sink that pulls heat away from the base of the motherboard and the CPU and GPU. This cooling is essential for the smooth running of these compact machines.
When it comes to power draw, the small machine can actually be quite power-hungry in comparison with some of the latest mini PCs. However, you do have the option to adjust the power draw with different performance settings, with the sleep mode consuming 35W, compared with full performance at 70W. This makes it a great solution if you need to manage your power consumption out in the field, and it will enable you to balance computer use with performance.
If you're looking for a machine for gaming or higher-end video work, then the addition of the Oculink port is really exciting. The nature of the port means that it's more complex to use than a standard HDMI, DP or USB4.0, but the quality of the connection, as well as its versatility, is a step up. To make use of the port, however, you will need the correct type of eGPU, and while these are less common than your standard eGPUs, they are generally cheaper and easy enough to set up.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Features: 5 / 5
GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus: Performance
Considering this is a mid-range mini PC with the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS CPU, the performance of this small machine is outstanding. When the demands on the machine increase, such as rendering 4K video in DaVinci Resolve, you can hear the fans fire up, and things start to slow slightly. However, considering how much this mini PC costs, the performance is exceptionally well-balanced and pretty close to far more expensive models.
Starting with a few easy tests, the Microsoft Office suite was loaded, and documents from Word and Excel were opened, edited, and saved. The power of this PC is more than enough to handle large multi-sheet spreadsheets with calculations without issue. Likewise, opening large Word documents as well as working on PowerPoint presentations was well within its abilities. The benchmark Windows Experience score of 8.2 mirrors the smooth use of the machine for day-to-day admin.
Digging a bit deeper into the higher-end performance and starting with the SSD: as standard, there's just one SSD installed used for the OS and base storage, and a second SSD can be added. Checking the results of the SSD and CrystalDiskMark results in scores of 5190.23MB/s for read and 4741.77MB/s for write, which demonstrate the speed at which data is accessed from the drives and made available to the applications. In DaVinci Resolve, this presented itself with fast loading times for video within the timeline along with fast render speeds, especially when converting MXF video ready for use within the application. This speed from the SSDs was apparent throughout the test.
Taking a look at the processing power, we noticed that in applications for editing video and images, the machine handled higher-resolution files with relative ease. In Photoshop, the machine didn't have an issue with applying brushes and filters as being able to handling multi-layer files. Likewise, all options in Lightroom ran smoothly. In DaVinci, scrubbing through 4K footage and editing it on the timeline was again surprisingly smooth for edits up to 10 minutes without too many graphics, text, or effects applied. When it came to more complex tasks such as applying effects and rendering videos, the multi-threads worked well, and again, while there is a bit of a wait for renders, the speeds are surprisingly fast considering the pricing of the machine.
Switching to gaming to push the abilities of the GPU, the results were interesting. In Hogwarts Legacy, with the resolution set to 1080p and medium-to-high settings, the gameplay was excellent with steady frame rates, although ray tracing was reduced. In Cyberpunk 2077, this was also playable at 1080p with low-to-medium settings without ray tracing. Finally, in Tekken 8, again at 1080p and high settings, smooth frame rates and excellent gameplay were achieved. Increasing the resolution of these games to 4K showed the system beginning to struggle. Hogwarts Legacy required all settings to be reduced, and the same was true for Cyberpunk 2077 However, both games were still very playable, while Tekken 8 ran without issue!
Performance: 5 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus: Final verdict
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The performance of the NUC Box K8 Plus for general day-to-day tasks is exceptional, handling Microsoft Office apps effortlessly, as well as browsing the internet and most other office-based applications. Taking a look at applications that require a little more processing power, the compact K8 Plus was able to handle the additional load from creative application with ease. Editing in DaVinci Resolve or Photoshop proved just how powerful this machine is. As long as you're sensible about its abilities, it packs in more than enough power for everyday editing of short-form high-resolution video. However, some render times may take a while.
When used for gaming, the performance is impressive again, with all games tested running well at 1080p and only starting to struggle as the resolution was boosted to 4K and the settings increased.
Overall, considering the price, the NUC Box K8 Plus is an exceptional machine with the bonus that the USB4.0 and Oculink ports enable a huge amount of flexibility when it comes to the upgradability of this machine.
Should I buy a GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus?
Buy it if...
You want a machine you can upgrade
This is one of a new breed of machines that enables not just the standard upgrades of ROM and RAM but also connected devices such as eGPUs and hard drives, vastly expanding its potential.
You like the idea of Oculink
HDMI or other display ports are more complex, but what you sacrifice in convenience, you more than makeup for in performance.
Don't buy it if...
You're on a restricted budget
While the machine itself is relatively affordable, once you start to look at the upgrade and expansion options, the price will quickly rise. What initially looks like a budget-friendly option might not remain so in the long run.
It would help if you had a tidy machine.
The upgradability and expansion of this machine are key features, but this does mean it will become the heart of a larger system of connected boxes. If you prefer a neat setup, this is for someone else.
Looking for something larger? We've tested the best business PCs around.
The Steelseries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 is a premium gaming keyboard with analog switches, designed to provide the most accurate and tweakable gaming experience possible.
It certainly looks the part: its understated appearance doesn’t scream gaming prowess, but when you peer further, the quality is evident from every angle.
The chassis is relatively thick but not as weighty as you might expect, and it feels solid and expertly put together, easily among the best gaming keyboards around. The same is true of the wrist pad and the stock double-shot PBT keycaps, which have a slight but smooth texture that’s satisfying to touch.
The inbuilt Smart Screen sits in the top right corner, and can be used to select profiles, change the global actuation point and toggle Rapid Trigger. It can also be customized to display information pertaining to your system or popular games and apps. You can even upload your own images and GIFs too.
Further customizations can be made via Steelseries peripheral software, GG. Here, you can tinker with the actuation points further, on a global or key-by-key basis. You can also set functions to trigger on press or release, and add two binds to a single key, with each triggered at different actuation points of your choosing.
It’s a shame, though, that GG provides no visual feedback when making such adjustments, and there’s no option to emulate the joysticks or triggers of a controller, as can be done on some other analog keyboards, such as the Turtle Beach Vulcan 2 TKL Pro.
However, the gaming performance of the Apex Pro makes up for this omission. The switches are extremely responsive yet offer enough feedback to make hitting actuation points easy. The relatively compact layout also makes the bottom row accessible, as does the sloped nature of these keys. All keycaps are also nicely indented, making for secure presses. The only gripe I have is with the short, flat wrist rest, which caused my palm to hang off the edge when in the WASD position.
I didn’t find the Apex Pro to be as amenable for typing. However, I generally prefer shallow keycaps to glide around on, so those who prefer thicker keycaps may have no issue here.
The Apex Pro is expensive, costing the same as the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro, another analog offering. But with the high price tag comes supreme build quality and performance, and although it misses out on a few analog tweaks, it’s still well worth your consideration.
(Image credit: Future)
SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 review: price and availability
$219 / £209 (about AU$336)
Available now in black
Same price as Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless
The Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 costs $219 / £209 (about AU$336) and is available now. It comes in one colorway, black. It also includes a wrist rest and a keycap puller, with Steelseries selling replacement keycaps on its website.
Unsurprisingly, it’s less expensive than the wireless variant, which costs $269 – but as well as ditching the wires, that model offers multiple connectivity modes, meaning you can easily switch it between multiple devices.
The Apex Pro is certainly towards the top end of the wired gaming keyboard market. It’s the same price as the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless, for instance, which uses Hall-effect analog technology as well. That board can also be tweaked using Razer Synapse, the brand’s excellent, feature-packed peripheral software.
If you’re after a more budget-friendly analog keyboard, then the Turtle Beach Vulcan 2 TKL Pro is a possible contender. Unlike the Apex Pro, it offers controller emulation, although its switches aren’t as precise as we would’ve liked for this purpose. Even though it has its issues, it’s still one to consider.
Value: 3 / 5
SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 review: specs
(Image credit: Future)
SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 review: design and features
Superlative build quality
Useful inbuilt screen
Some analog tweaks missing
The Apex Pro is a fairly imposing slab, with a thick yet sleek chassis, and its muted looks belie its gaming intentions; the RGB lighting is about the only giveaway in this regard.
The build quality is where the Apex Pro really stands out, though. It’s quite weighty, although not as heavy as you might expect, but every material and joint is exquisite. There’s also a handy compartment underneath housing the keycap puller, with a rubber flap to close it that works well.
The double-shot PBT keycaps feel premium to the touch, with a slight yet smooth texture. The overall layout is reasonably compact, but I didn’t have any issues with mispresses.
The Apex Pro also features Steelseries’ own modifier key, called the Meta key. This allows you to perform various shortcuts, such as adjusting the actuation point and selecting profile slots.
Such alterations can also be made via the Smart Screen. This uses a black and white OLED display, with navigation controlled via a scroll wheel and a small button below – both of which are just as well engineered as the rest of the Apex Pro.
You can set the global actuation point from anywhere between 0.1mm and 4mm, and toggle Rapid Trigger. The Smart Screen can also be used to display certain system information, including workloads for the CPU, GPU and RAM, which is very useful. In-game information can be displayed too, with many popular games having their own default layouts, including those for Counter-Strike 2, Minecraft, and League of Legends. You can even upload your own images and GIFs to display.
(Image credit: Future)
Further actuation settings can be adjusted in SteelSeris’ GG software. You can change the actuation of individual keys, and set keys to trigger on press or release. There’s also a dual actuation mode, letting you bind two functions to a single key, each triggered at certain actuation points of your choosing.
Other rebinding options include those for common shortcuts, media playback and system-level functions, although there aren’t as many on the latter front as some other peripheral tools offer. You can also customize the information the Smart Screen displays with a pleasing amount of depth and detail, selecting the timings for when certain information is displayed and what triggers it.
In Counter-Strike 2, for example, you can view your health, as well as your K/D ratio at the end of each round. As well as games, some apps are also integrated, such as Discord, which can display messages.
Overall, GG is easy to navigate and responsive. One aspect that is disappointing, though, is the lack of visual feedback when adjusting settings, which would’ve been useful when setting actuation points to see how your inputs actually translate in real time.
Design & features: 4 / 5
SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 review: performance
Excellent keycaps and switches
Actuation points easy to hit
Wrist rest issues
Put simply, the Apex Pro is a joy to use. The damping of the switches is superb, feeling incredibly satisfying to use while still being snappy enough for fast movements. The indentations of the keycaps also makes them secure and easy to use, and the bottom row is easy to hit with your thumb and little fingers, thanks to the slope of these keys and the aforementioned compact layout.
Hitting certain actuation points is also much easier than I’ve experienced with other analog keyboards, as there’s enough feedback to get a good feel as to how far down you’ve pressed. Rapid trigger also works brilliantly, letting you make those twitchy movements even quicker, by dynamically raising the actuation point when repeated presses are registered.
(Image credit: Future)
My chief nag from an ergonomic standpoint, though, is with the wrist rest. Given the aforementioned thickness of the Apex Pro’s chassis, I found the rest was definitely needed. However, since it’s quite short and provides very little slope, I found that the edge of my palm would hang awkwardly off the end when in the WASD position.
Also, when it comes to typing, I didn’t find the Apex Pro to be easiest to use. However, I should say that I mostly prefer shallow, laptop-style keyboards, as I find them easier to glide around on, which the stock keycaps on the Apex Pro are not particularly conducive to. But if you’re someone who prefers thicker keycaps for typing, then you’ll likely not have an issue here.
Performance: 4.5/ 5
Should I buy the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3?
Buy it if…
You want precise analog control The analog switches are a dream, providing plenty of feedback for accurate actuation-point hitting.
You want the best gaming performance Aside from that analog control, the switches are snappy when needs be, so there’s no gaming situation that catches it out.
Don’t buy it if…
You want to use it with multiple devices Since there’s only a wired connection, you can’t easily hotswap between multiple devices, as you can with the wireless variant.
You want to emulate a controller Despite the analog switches, you can’t emulate controller joysticks or triggers (not natively anyway).
SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 review: also consider
Razer Huntsman V2 Analog If you have your heart set on an analog keyboard, then the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog is a worthy choice (it’s our pick as the best gaming keyboard around, after all). With its excellent performance and myriad of customization options courtesy of Razer Synapse, you can’t go far wrong with this board. And since the release of version 3, the V2 can be found for a good price. Read our Razer Huntsman V2 Analog review.
SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless Gen 3 For $50 more, you can get the wireless version of the Apex Pro TKL, which helps to eliminate the clutter from your desk, and allows you to do some sofa gaming too. And since it features Bluetooth and wired options in addition to the 2.4GHz dongle, you can use it with multiple devices and switch between them with ease.
How I tested the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3
Tested for several days
Used for gaming, work, and general use
Over 10 years of PC gaming experience
I tested the Apex Pro for several days and used it to game, work, and browse. I used both with and without the included wrist rest.
I played games such as Counter-Strike 2, which is a great test for a keyboard’s responsiveness and accuracy. I also made sure to try out as many features as possible, and tinker with as many settings as I could using the GG software.
I have been PC gaming for over a decade, and I have used plenty of keyboards during that time. I have also reviewed a number of keyboards with varying price tags, sizes, and switch types.
