Computing - Organizer

9:59 am | July 21, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets | Tags: PC | Comments: Off

GMKtec NucBox G5: 30-second review

For a mini PC of its size, or really Micro PC, the GMKtec NucBox G5 powered by the Alder Lake N97 packs more than enough power for most day-to-day tasks such as office work and multimedia playback. The small size of the machine, equipped with both WiFi and Bluetooth, makes connections easy if you're running it behind a display, and with the familiar Windows 11 Pro OS, interaction is straightforward for non-IT professionals.

We've reviewed all the latest and best mini PCs and for us, the overall performance of the machine is impressive for its size, with the OS loading quickly. However, there is a slight pause as apps open, and while you can switch from one office app to another, there will be a noticeable delay. Using this machine, like other N97 and N100-powered mini PCs, requires a balance. As long as you don't overload the system with numerous open browser windows, documents, and spreadsheets, this compact computing solution will serve you well.

However, if you're looking for a small machine that can handle image or video processing, you'll be pushing the limits of this small box. Loading an application like Photoshop will see the machine struggle, with actions taking time to process and the editing experience becoming slow and cumbersome. But then, this isn't what the machine was designed for.

For light to medium-weight office work, it fares OK, packing the same power as larger machines and balancing its resources well between power draw and performance. When it comes to power this comes through the single USB Type-C port and only draws between 15 and 25W, making it ideal if you need a lightweight machine for on-site or off-grid systems or Van life use. Overall, considering its small size and low cost, its performance is incredibly impressive.

GMKtec NucBox G5: Price and availability

How much does it cost? From £142 / $179
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Directly from GMKtec or Amazon.com

With a retail price of around £142 / $179, this machine is cheap at almost every level and widely available. Looking around at the various deals will definitely pay off, with money-off offers regularly featuring on online retailers such as Amazon, as well as direct on the GMKtec official website, which you can check out by clicking here.

Value: 4 / 5

GMKtec NucBox G5: Specs

GMKtec NucBox G5: Design

Maybe because of the small size of the machine the plastic casing simply has less room to flex than it's larger counterparts and therefore gives it a higher quality feel, or then it could simply be the small details, such as the ports and venting that give it a solid quality feel. However, you can tell that this is plastic, and the build quality, while good, reflects its price point.

That small size is convenient when it comes to placing the machine, with small screw holes on the back enabling it to be mounted onto a VESA Mount if needed. Although attaching a mount may be a little overkill seeing as how the small size and weight mean that a bit of Velcro will likely suffice to hold this machine in place on the back of a monitor. The design is compact, yet GMKtec has managed to ensure there are plenty of ports around the body, utilizing every millimetre of space.

One small disappointment with the design is the single USB Type-C port, which is reserved for power delivery rather than data transfer. However, with four USB Type-A ports of different denominations and two HDMI ports, you have plenty of connectivity options. Upgrade options are limited due to the compact design. However, removing the four screws on the base allows the cover to be lifted away, revealing the small form factor SSD, which can be replaced with a model up to 2TB in size.

For such a small machine, an external SSD might be a more budget-friendly option, especially with all those USB ports. The design features plenty of details that enable easy connectivity for networks and accessories. The venting across the top also helps keep the machine cool during long periods of use. Its small size means that the design has had to be refined in order for it to pack in the features the surprising amount of features that it has.

Design: 4 / 5

GMKtec NucBox G5: Features

The GMKtec NucBox G5 is packed with features that make it an excellent choice for light home office use or for companies looking for a full Windows machine to power displays. Its compact size enables it to be placed almost anywhere, while its power allows it to run office apps, playback multimedia, and browse the internet well enough.

One of the standout features of the NucBox G5 is its strong LAN and wireless network support. The built-in dual-band WiFi and compatibility with RJ45 Giga LAN (10/100/1000Mbps) ensure a decent network connection. It also supports Bluetooth 4.2, making it easy to connect with wireless keyboards, mice, and headphones.

Weighing just 206 grams and being 60% smaller than mainstream mini PCs, the NucBox G5 is incredibly portable. If you want to take it with you, that's perfectly possible, although you will need the keyboard, mouse, and monitor to go with it. Measuring 7.2 x 7.2 x 4.4 cm, it is ideal for tight spaces, whether you need a compact solution for a home office or a discreet device to power displays in a business location.

Inside, the NucBox G5 is powered by the Alder Lake N97 processor, which features 4 cores and 4 threads and offers a burst frequency of up to 3.60 GHz. This, coupled with Intel UHD Graphics 1200 MHz, provides adequate performance for light graphics tasks, making it suitable for everyday computing needs such as Microsoft Office apps. However, it is not great for medium to heavy graphics work.

The ability to hook up to two monitors simultaneously through its dual HDMI 4K display is a great productivity feature. It enables you to work on multiple documents, browse the web, or stream videos.

When it comes to connectivity, the NucBox G5 has a variety of ports, including USB 3.2, TF/MicroSD, and an audio jack. This means the additional hard drives and accessories can be easily attached to boost the core system.

Features: 3.5 / 5

GMKtec NucBox G5: Performance

The overall performance of the GMKtec NucBox G5 is excellent considering its small size and affordable price. Designed for light office work, writing in Word, small to medium-sized spreadsheets, internet browsing, and multimedia playback, it performs well. However, through the test it did struggle with large spreadsheets with multiple calculations and trying to run Photoshop or DaVinci Resolve was pushing it a little too far. However, light image and HD video editing are possible using basic apps, but a more powerful machine would be preferable if this is what you need from a machine.

These test results highlight that the NucBox G5 handles everyday tasks such as word and Excel with ease but may show limitations with more demanding applications. The high scores in Crystal Disk Read and Write show decent data access speeds, which is beneficial for loading applications and transferring files. The GeekBench and CineBench scores demonstrate an equally decent CPU performance again for light multitasking and general productivity tasks. However, the Fire Strike and Time Spy scores reveal that the G5 is not suited for intensive gaming or high-end graphics work, even running older games such as Portal 2 while possible is slow.

Performance: 3 / 5

GMKtec NucBox G5: Final verdict

The GMKtec NucBox G5 impresses with its compact size, affordability, and ability to handle light office tasks and multimedia playback well. While it may not be suited for more demanding applications, it offers excellent value for those seeking a small, versatile, and powerful mini PC for everyday use. If you need a budget-friendly solution for basic computing, browsing the internet, office and watching back video, the NucBox G5 is a great choice. However, if your requirements include heavy multitasking or intensive software, you might need to consider a more powerful option.

Should I buy a GMKtec NucBox G5?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT mini PC review

9:52 am | July 20, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets | Tags: PC | Comments: Off

Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT: 30-second review

Most mini PCs are indeed small, but the Minsforum AtomMan G7 PT stretches this definition with a size and weight at least double that of average models. However, compared to a desktop, it remains relatively small. The AtomMan G7 PT is also one of the first PCs of this size to take advantage of the new generation of AI chips, which essentially enables the computer to allocate better its resources and power where and when they're needed.

After a tricky setup process with drivers for the new AMD Adrenaline software installed, the system fires into action, delivering an overall impressive performance for all office-based tasks, creative applications, and even a little gaming during downtime. Although this is a machine optimized for the gaming community, and the dual RGB backlight panels highlight this with default graphics that give a pleasing and fun look to the machine, it's equally well suited to the creative sector as well as office use.

That gaming styling carries across to the rest of the machine with the patterned venting design, angles, and finish. However, unlike some other gaming systems, it manages to pull back on the more outlandish design elements, keeping things relatively sleek and stylish. In the office or studio, that design is able to blend in subtly, and more importantly, the machine is well adapted with plenty of connectivity options, offering multiple display links, network options, and fast data transfer ports to connect hard drives and other devices.

Like most of the best mini PC units we've reviewed, while this machine is firmly rooted in the world of gaming, its power and features make it a great solution for those looking for a relatively small form factor machine with plenty of power for both processing and graphics.

Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT: Price and availability

How much does it cost? $1249
When is it out? 5th August
Where can you get it? The official Minisforum site

The AtomMan G7 PT is priced at $1249 - with a special deal on right now which discounts the price to $999.

You can order direct from the official Minisforum site by clicking here. But note orders won't start shipping in the US until 5 August.

Value: 4 / 5

Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT: Specs

Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT: Design

With the dual LED side panel, patterned vents on the side, and overall shape and design of the AtomMan G7 PT, Minisforum has undoubtedly designed this machine with the gaming community in mind. Even down to the fact that some of the backlight patterns have been designed by famous cartoon artists and on release there will be several different options as well as being able to laser cut your own. Swapping and changing these is a fast process, with the backlight panel being held in place by magnets, into which the templates are simply slotted in.

The rest of the design is more reserve and refined, and along with the weight and size of the PC, the fully plastic construction retains a premium feel. Checking over the design, it's instantly obvious that cooling for the CPU, graphics, and storage has been a major consideration, and this becomes clear once you start to take a look inside.

By first removing the LED side panel then the two screws holding the panel beneath in place, you then have almost direct access to the RAM and SSD. The SSD is encased in a large heatsink and fan and takes some getting to but can be upgraded with two slots giving plenty of upgrade options. However, with the test results showing that the standard SSD is already one of the faster SSDs on the market, expanding storage is probably best facilitated through the secondary slot to ensure you retain the speed of the OS.

On the other side of the machine, six larger screws hold the webbed side panel, which once removed exposes the huge GPU. This is far in excess of most Mini PCs and instantly highlights the true potential of this machine. It also helps to explain the design and why it's designed to stand vertically rather than flat.

On the base is the AC power socket which prevents the machine from standing upright without the aid of the stand that's included in the box. The stand and machine use a strong magnet to hold together; it's a neat solution that works well. Once setup, all wires can be plugged in before powering on. At the back, there's a good array with 3.5mm audio in and out, HDMI, DisplayPort, three USB Type-A, one Type-C, and a network port. The front is kept simple with a USB Type-A, one Type-C, 3.5mm audio, and the fan boost. The power button is on top.

Like many AI-enhanced machines, while the physical design of the machine resembles a standard mini or desktop PC, inside software is required to utilize some of the hardware features and adapt the machine to the way in which you want to work. In the case of this machine, that's through the AMD Adrenaline software that enables you to adjust the control of the machine between power and efficiency.

Design: 4 / 5

Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT: Features

The AtomMan G7 PT features an AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX processor with 16 cores and 32 threads, capable of speeds up to 5.4 GHz. Paired with an AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT GPU, this mini PC should be able to handle both creative tasks and gaming with ease. The DDR5 dual-channel memory is expandable up to 96GB, providing a huge amount of headroom for demanding applications.

Storage is also well-supported with a primary M.2 2280 PCIe 5.0 SSD slot and an additional M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 slot for expansion. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth, all helping to ensure a fast and reliable connection. Video output options include HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.0, and USB-C.

The machine also includes various peripheral interfaces, such as RJ45 2.5G Ethernet, multiple USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, and comprehensive audio options.

Features: 4.5 / 5

Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT: Performance

From the outset, the AtomMan G7 PT performance closely resembles that of a mid to high-end PC. After installing the Adrenaline software and tweaking settings, the machine handles multiple office applications, large documents, and some of the best video editing software and best photo editors like Photoshop and DaVinci Resolve without issue. The filling of the addition SSD slot or the use of an external SSD using one of the fast USB Type-C ports is recommended for handling large 4K video files, given the internal SSD's 1TB limit.

Throughout testing, the AtomMan G7 PT performed exceptionally well. Office applications ran smoothly, and creative tasks were handled well, albeit with storage limitations for large video projects with the review units limited storage. Gaming performance was superb, with titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Tekken 8 running smoothly. This machine bridges the gap between laptop processing and dedicated video editing rigs, making it a versatile choice for professionals and gamers alike.

Performance: 5 / 5

Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT: Final verdict

The Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT is a powerful mini PC that combines compact size with desktop-level performance. Ideal for gaming, creative applications, and heavy multitasking, it offers exceptional value for its price. While its gamer-centric design might not appeal to everyone, its performance and versatility make it a standout choice.

Should I buy a Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

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ASRock Steel Legend RX 7900 GRE review: the best midrange GPU but better

2:00 pm | July 15, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Computing Components Gadgets | Tags: AI, GPU | Comments: Off

ASRock Steel Legend RX 7900 GRE: Three-minute review

Earlier this year, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (Golden Rabbit Edition), initially exclusive to China, emerged as a formidable mid-range GPU contender upon its global release. It not only competes directly with the Nvidia RTX 4070 in terms of price but also rivals the performance of the 4070 Super.

ASRock Steel Legend's version of the RX 7900 GRE retains all the features we appreciated and found lacking in the GPU. This includes 16GB GDDR6 on a 256-bit memory bus, 80 AMD RDNA 3 compute units with RT and AI accelerators, 64MB of AMD Infinity Cache technology, and support for Microsoft DirectX 12 Ultimate.

Priced at $549 (£568.44/AU$1,025), the ASRock Steel Legend RX 7900 GRE stands out as one of the best versions of AMD's mid-range GPU.

As with many GPUs from the Taipei, Taiwan-based manufacturer, it includes several appealing extras. Customizable RGB lighting is available through ASRock’s Polychrome RGB Sync app.

The metal backplate not only enhances durability but also adds a sleek look to custom desktop setups. For cooling, it features a triple-striped axial fan with 0dB silent cooling and an Ultra-fit heat pipe for efficient heat dissipation.

An ASRock Steel Series Radeon RX 7900 GRE on a desk — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The ASRock Steel Legend RX 7900 GRE boasts higher core (1972MHz) and boost (2,333MHz) clock speeds compared to the version we reviewed last February. While this might yield a slight performance boost, the primary benefit lies in enhanced GPU durability. Buyers can enjoy added visual flair with customizable RGB lighting and an improved cooling solution, all without the concern of accelerated wear on their GPU.

Installation is straightforward, featuring PCI Express 4.0 support and requiring two 8-pin power connectors for its 260W power demand. The card includes three DisplayPort 2.1 ports and one HDMI 2.1 port.

Users will need to download the AMD Software Adrenalin Edition driver for optimal performance. Additionally, ASRock provides the ASRock Tweak 2.0 software for performance tuning and fan control adjustments.

This version of the RX 7900 GRE delivers nearly identical performance, making it ideal for 1440p native resolutions and entry-level 4K gaming, depending on the game. Gamers who also use their desktops for content creation can seamlessly edit high-resolution photos in Photoshop and videos in Premiere Pro without any issues.

Starting with Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga, considered a high visual benchmark in gaming, we tested at 1440p native resolution with max settings and ray tracing, achieving frame rates between 30-45 fps. Enabling AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) at a balanced setting boosted frame rates to 60 fps and above.

While FSR isn't as refined as Nvidia’s DLSS, with some noticeable ghosting issues, the RX 7900 GRE’s larger VRAM can provide better performance for GPU-intensive games.

Games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Forza Motorsport (2023) also saw respectable frame rates at max settings. Aspiring competitive gamers will definitely be able to get higher 100+ frame rates on games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Counter Strike 2 and Fortnite too.

The ASRock Steel Legend RX 7900 GRE is an enhanced version of an already impressive mid-range GPU. It features customizable RGB lighting, a robust metal backplate, and an efficient cooling system with 0dB silent cooling. This makes it an ideal choice for budget-conscious gamers looking for outstanding 1440p performance.

ASRock Steel Legend RX 7900 GRE: PRICE & AVAILABILITY

The ASRock Steel Legend RX 7900 GRE is now available in the U.S., UK, and Australia for $549 (£568.44, AU$1,025). It can be purchased from online retailers like Amazon and Newegg.

Priced $50 lower than the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super, the RX 7900 GRE offers 16GB VRAM compared to the 4070 Super’s 12GB, providing a slight advantage for 1440p gaming at native resolution.

However, the 4070 Super excels in Ray Tracing and AI upscaling, enhancing games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Alan Wake II.

ASRock Steel Legend RX 7900 GRE: Specs

Should I Buy ASRock Steel Legend RX 7900 GRE?

Buy the ASRock Steel Legend RX 7900 GRE if…

You require fantastic 1440p performance
The ASRock Steel Legend RX 7900 GRE is a 1440p beast with the ability to get some good performance out of 4K as well.

You need a GPU to make your desktop’s fly
The GPU looks great including the metal back panel and customizable RGB lighting.

You want good cooling components and quiet fans
Alongside the triple fan design that’s pretty quiet even when under stress, the ultra-fit heat pipe really goes a long way of keeping components cool.

Don’t buy if…

You need the best ray tracing and AI upscaling
Compared to NVIDIA’s 4070 Super, the RX 7900 GRE can’t keep up with ray tracing performance and AI resolution upscaling through DLSS.

ASRock Steel Legend RX 7900 GRE: ALSO CONSIDER

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super
Not only can it handle 1440p resolution just as well as the RX 7900 but excels at ray tracing and AI upscaling.

Read the full Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super review

HOW I TESTED ASRock Steel Legend RX 7900 GRE

I used the ASRock Steel Legend RX 7900 GRE on my main computer for two weeks, playing games like Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, and Forza Motorsport (2023). I also created video and photo content with Photoshop and Premiere Pro. With specs similar to the RX 7900 GRE we reviewed earlier this year, except for the additional 212Hz boost clock, the benchmarks were almost the same.

I’ve spent the past several years covering laptops and PCs, monitors, and other PC components for Techradar. Outside of gaming, I’ve been proficient in Adobe Suite for over a decade as well.

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

First reviewed July 2024

Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG review: incredible value with some compromises

5:00 pm | July 14, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Gaming Computers Gaming Laptops | Tags: AMD, Battery Life | Comments: Off

Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG: One-minute review

Before I got my hands on the Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG, I thought I was done being surprised by how good the best budget gaming laptops have become. And I absolutely slot this model in that category.

However, the value on this model sporting an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 is very impressive, especially considering that much of the competition priced similarly seems to sport the slightly weaker 4050 GPU, which is still fairly powerful.

In fact, these 4050 and 4060-equipped laptops can handle most gaming duties so the current difference between the best gaming laptops out there is not that huge unless you want to hook up a giant monitor or want something with a 4K OLED screen or something else that’s a QoL upgrade, but not all that necessary for something that’s going to be sitting two feet from your face. That said, we might start to see more pronounced performance differences when newer games take advantage of the power this generation of GPUs can provide.

Looking beyond the value here as well as the power of the current-gen GPUs, the Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG is a smart-looking laptop that looks like a gaming laptop without being in your face about it. It also comes with some AI functionalities that, while interesting, are enough in their infancy that they don’t make a noticeably huge impact on the experience.

Since it is a budget laptop, there are some sacrifices. Even though the display has a fast refresh rate, the colors aren’t that great (so no editing on this). And, the battery life is pretty weak. But, if you’re a gamer on a budget, you probably won’t care and you probably shouldn’t.

Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG: Price & availability

A Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG on a desk — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

How much does it cost? Starting at $1,249.00 / £998.31 / AU$1,899.00
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK and Australia

The Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG might just redefine value for gaming laptops. Or, maybe not. Regardless, it’s a damn good deal as you get a 14th-gen i7 CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, along with 16GB of RAM, for $1,249.00 / £998.31 / AU$1,899.00.

And, if you’re in Australia, you can find an even cheaper related version, known as the G6X 9MG, that is mostly differentiated by the fact that it boasts a less-powerful 4050 GPU for AU$1,699.00.

Now, Gigabyte is not alone in this mid-range performance meets budget pricing (well, budget for gaming) category but is one of the best values. The Acer Nitro 16 AMD I reviewed earlier this year, provides some very good 1080p performance and goes for a similar $1,199.99 / AU$2,099.99 (about £945) price tag. Of course, it comes with that less powerful 4050 GPU.

Another good comparison is the Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD), which goes for $1,379.99 / £1,300 (about AU$2,162), when you get the AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and 4060 GPU. As much as I like Lenovo’s designs and found their pricing to be good, the Gigabyte still offers better pound-for-pound value, especially since you can get a version with 32GB and 2TB of storage for just slightly more at $1,499.00 / AU$2,157.00.

Value: 5 / 5

Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG: Specs

If you don’t count the slightly cheaper G6X 9MG, which comes with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, the only real variation in configuration comes in how much RAM and storage space you order, ranging from 16GB to 32GB and 1 to 2TB.

Of course, this laptop’s RAM slots and M.2 SSD slots are easily swappable so you can upgrade to 64GB and some retailers in Australia offer upgrades during purchase to both the RAM and storage.

Beyond that, there’s only one choice when it comes to the screen, which is a 16:10 16-inch panel with a 1920 x 1200p resolution (essentially 1080p but in that 16:10 aspect ratio) and speedy 165Hz refresh rate.

Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG: Design

Sleek, subdued gaming design
Decent keyboard and mouse
Thermals are pretty good except underneath

Physically, the Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG is fairly smart looking. Its all-black colorway with some subtle gray designs on the lid and body’s top plate, both of which are aluminum, are the main indicators that this is a gaming laptop.

Otherwise, it’s a somewhat subdued, almost minimalist look that won’t rat you out if you pull it out at a cafe to work on (though once we get to battery life, you might think twice about doing this anyway).

The panel is basically a 1080p one but in a 16:10 aspect ratio (1920 x 1200p) and runs at a blazing-fast 165Hz refresh rate. It also provides a decent amount of screen space as this is a 16-inch laptop.

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Since there is plenty of space, the keyboard is a full-sized one, complete with a separate numpad. There are plenty of hotkeys for different shortcuts as well as a dedicated key to pull up Window’s new AI Copilot.

Since this is a gaming laptop, there’s also RGB backlighting. Unfortunately, it’s as basic as it comes as you can just pick one color for the whole thing. At least you can create macros for the keyboard, which is pretty cool. More importantly, typing on the keyboard is a nice experience, if nothing special.

The touchpad works well and is fairly sizable. The only minor complaint is its center-left placement – something that’s not unique here but that I never quite understood. Of course, that’s me being nit-picky, not to mention the fact that you’ll still need to use an external mouse for any gaming you do.

As far as ports go, the selection is decent with two USB-C and two USB-A along with an HDMI 2.1 port so you can keep a fast refresh rate with an external monitor. My only issue is that some of the ports are on the back – a design choice I’ve always disliked when I come across it.

When it comes to thermals, there’s a lot going on internally from heat piping and thermal intakes and outtakes to the two fans that get pretty loud whenever the laptop is under duress. While those fans can get distracting if you’re not using headphones, there aren’t too many issues with heat as long as you’re not touching the bottom of the laptop.

Design: 4 / 5

Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG: Performance

Very solid gaming performance
Screen is not the best for colors
Audio is not bad for a laptop

Benchmarks

Here is how the Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark Speed Way: 2,422; Fire Strike: 25,197; Time Spy: 10,228
GeekBench 6.3: 2,596 (single-core); 14,287 (multi-core)
25GB File Copy: 19.1 seconds
Handbrake 1.6.1: 4:40 Minutes
CrossMark: Overall: 1,996 Productivity: 1,894 Creativity: 2,114 Responsiveness: 1,966
F1 23 1080p (Ultra) 39 fps
Cyberpunk 2077: 1080p (Ultra) 32.13 fps
Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 3:43:53 hours
PCMark 10 Battery Life (Gaming): 1:11 hours

I was duly impressed with the performance on the Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG. And if you’re okay adjusting some settings or taking some slight performance hits, you’ll be very happy with what this laptop can do.

Powered by a 14th-gen i7 – specifically, one of the new HX chips with AI capabilities – and a Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 (and 32GB of RAM for the test unit), I never felt inhibited by the hardware, whether I was playing Hogwarts Legacy, Cyberpunk 2077, or Battlefield 2042. Now, the hardware included is meant to power that 1920x1200p screen at 165Hz and it certainly does.

While I mentioned earlier that I feel there’s not a huge difference performance-wise between a laptop like this and something sporting more powerful internals, you are going to have to adjust settings a little bit, particularly on the ray-tracing front. As you can see with the benchmarks below, it’s not going to touch something like the Acer Predator Helios 18 and its Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080.

Whether it’s from some of the backend AI functions closing the gap, my actual subjective experience, as opposed to just looking at the number, felt like I wasn’t missing anything. Sure, there was some texture popping here and there or light screen tearing, especially when the POV has moved around quickly, but anyone who’s limited by their budget is not going to be frustrated with the experience here.

On top of that, the screen looks good enough. However, you’re not going to be able to leverage that under-the-hood power for video or photo-editing. At least not if you want accurate results. The sRGB coverage is 67% while the DCI-P3 is 48. This also means that games aren’t going to pop with as much vibrancy as with some other laptops. Also, there’s no HDR on hand.

Regarding sound, Gigabyte advertises this laptop to simulate a 5.1.2 system using Dolby Atmos. While you still end up with that somewhat boxy audio that almost all laptops seem to end up with, there is a little more of a soundstage and a tiny bit more space to what I hear when playing, say, Cyberpunk 2077, thanks to the virtual spatial audio.

Performance: 4 / 5

Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG: Battery life

Not very good battery life
Charging is okay

We’ve seen some gaming laptops start to break the mold in terms of battery life. That’s not the case here. The battery life is, to speak plainly, not very good. Yes, this is the case for a lot of gaming laptops still, but you still get under four hours of regular use per our web surfing benchmark and just a little over an hour of gaming per the PC Mark 10 battery life benchmark.

If you do have to use the Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG untethered, charging it back up is not going to be a speedy affair. It’s not slow necessarily as you’ll get 10% more battery every ten minutes or so, but this is not fast charging.

Battery Life: 3 / 5

Should you buy the Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG?

Buy the Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

Acer Nitro 16 AMD
The Acer Nitro 16 AMD has a lot in common with the G6X 9KG reviewed here. It offers excellent performance and a fast refresh rate for not a lot of money. It does come with a weaker GPU (4050) but it has better color coverage.

Read our full Acer Nitro 16 AMD review

Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD)
The Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD) falls into a similar camp with its value proposition. Of course, you’re getting a 4050 instead of a 4060 GPU, but the battery life when not gaming is much better, making this a better option if you want your gaming laptop to also be your work laptop while on the go.

Read our full Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD) review

How I tested the Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG

Tested for a week
Pushed it as hard as possible gaming-wise
Played with various settings

I used the Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG for a week, playing a number of demanding games like Hogwarts Legacy, Battlefield 2042 and Cyberpunk 2077. While doing so, I ran the games at various settings, particularly at the highest ones with ray tracing on wherever possible, and took note of the results. I also tested each aspect of the laptop from the keyboard and touchpad to the webcam and speakers.

After spending time with the Gigabyte Aorus G6X 9KG, it’s clear that this is ideal for any gamer on a budget, as it delivers a lot of performance for its price tag.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.

HP Omen Transcend 14: Two-minute review

The HP Omen Transcend 14 (2024) is almost everything I want out of the best gaming laptops lineup: sleek, stylish, portable, comfortable to type on, and offering more than enough gaming performance for modern games at 1080p, all for a pretty reasonable price tag.

Its 120Hz OLED display in particular is a jaw-dropper and made me realize what I’m missing out on with my usual IPS monitor. The Transcend 14’s classy, portable design made me feel at ease taking it out to work. And it offered enough gaming performance to keep me gaming from the comfort of my bed rather than in my office on my gaming PC.

There are a couple of pain points with the Transcend 14, though. First, its battery life is seriously bad. Second—and admittedly this might only be a problem for those like myself who like to pretend they’re “competitive” gamers—it has a 16:10 aspect ratio display, which means you see less on the horizontal axis while playing first-person shooters. I could find no easy fix for this, as enabling 16:9 resolutions with black-border GPU scaling proved difficult.

Despite this, for casual or non-FPS gaming, this laptop is stylish, comfortable, and performs well enough that it would certainly be in the running for becoming my own personal gaming laptop. Its GPU is a little underpowered (even with a 15W boost in the Omen software) compared to similar laptops, but not enough to detract from the value offered by the Transcend 14’s stellar design, cooling, and display.

So, if you’re fine with these battery life, resolution, and GPU caveats, I can happily recommend the HP Omen Transcend 14, though I’d personally struggle to pick between it and the 2024 version of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (or maybe a bigger laptop altogether, given 14-inch displays are quite small).

HP Omen Transcend 14: Price and availability

A design element of the HP Omen Transcend 14 — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

How much does it cost? Starting at $1,689 / £1,449 (about AU$2,450)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK (Australia release unknown)

The Transcend 14 sits smack-bang where I hope many more laptops will sit as time goes on: in the mid-range OLED segment—“mid-range,” of course, always sounds a little tongue-in-cheek when we move past $1,500.

Three things make this laptop stellar value for the money: its mainstream gaming performance, sleek and portable design, and gorgeous OLED display. For $1,819 for the 1TB RTX 4060 version, you’re getting a pretty great deal.

Its main competitor is the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024), which also looks great, is portable, has a lovely 120Hz OLED screen, has similar specs, and costs roughly the same at MSRP. The main difference between the two right now seems to be that the Transcend 14 is frequently selling for much cheaper than its MSRP.

The Razer Blade 14 (2024) is an alternative, too, but costs a fair amount more for a version with similar specs. For that mark-up, you get an even better chassis (which is saying a lot) and better performance thanks to higher GPU power limits. But you don’t get that beautiful OLED screen, which is no little thing.

Value: 4 / 5

HP Omen Transcend 14: Specs

The spec stickers on the HP Omen Transcend 14 — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The Omen Transcend 14 (2024) comes in three main configurations, although you can customize it a little beyond these configs. The main choice to make is between a model with a Core Ultra 7 155H with RTX 4050, a Core Ultra 7 155H with RTX 4060, or a Core Ultra 9 185H with RTX 4070.

Beyond this, you can configure a few things. In the US, you can save $90 by opting for a 512GB SSD instead of a 1TB one, taking the base config down to $1,599, or pay an extra $140 for a 2TB SSD. You can also pay an extra $40 for a Wi-Fi 7 card, and you can pay extra for single-zone RGB or a white chassis.

You can also choose to pay an extra $150 to have a HyperX Cloud III Wireless headset included (which automatically pairs with the laptop). Apart from this, there’s the usual slew of Operating System, warranty, and software customizations to choose from.

HP Omen Transcend 14: Design

The lid of the HP Omen Transcend 14 — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Gorgeous 120Hz OLED display with vibrant colors and deep blacks
Classy, understated, portable MacBook-esque design
“Pudding-inspired” keycaps on a springy keyboard that feels great

The Omen Transcend 14 looks and feels more like a modern portable work laptop than a gaming laptop, and that’s a good thing, in my book. HP is clearly going for more of a MacBook-style design than a decked-out gaming aesthetic, and for the price, it sure as hell delivers.

This 14-inch machine is light, weighing 3.59lb, and slim, too, at just 0.7 inches thick. Crucially, it manages to walk the line between portable and sturdy, being super easy to sling in a backpack and take to the café without feeling like you might break it while doing so. There’s a slight flex to the display, but nothing concerning.

What’s more, it offers all this in a crisp, understated design—understated for a gaming laptop, that is. And while the “shadow black” style of Transcend 14 I received looks gorgeous, the “ceramic white” one looks even better. You can get the latter version for just $15 extra, which is worth it in my opinion.

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The keyboard of the HP Omen Transcend 14 — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

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The ports on the HP Omen Transcend 14 — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

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The HyperX logo on the HP Omen Transcend 14

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

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The webcam on the HP Omen Transcend 14 — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

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A quarter next to the HP Omen Transcend 14 — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Apart from this, the Transcend 14’s OLED display is probably its main selling point. If you’ve never gamed on an OLED monitor before, it’s hard for me to explain just how stunning the dark blacks and vibrant colors look. Combine this with its 120Hz refresh rate and you have a phenomenal gaming display. It’s just a shame it doesn’t come with full-fledged GSync or FreeSync.

It takes a lot to impress me in the keyboard department, given I’m very used to my own custom mechanical keyboard, but the Transcend 14’s semi-chonky keyboard did impress. I used this laptop as a daily driver for a few days and found it an absolute joy to type on. Its “pudding-inspired” HyperX keycaps look great, and the keys feel nice and springy. The trackpad’s nice and tactile, too, and is centered (thank God), just like it should be.

I’m no fan of RGB, but if that kind of thing’s your jam, you’ll be pleased to hear it comes with four-zone RGB. Or, if you’re happy paying an eye-watering $80 extra, you can get per-key RGB. Colors, effects, and the like can all be customized in the HP Omen software.

One thing that slightly disappointed me about the Transcend 14 is its selection of ports, especially given the rear USB-C port essentially acts as a dedicated charging port. For multiple USB devices, you’ll want to pick up a USB hub. Still, there should be just enough ports here for most use cases, including for connecting an external mouse and keyboard.

Design: 5 / 5

HP Omen Transcend 14: Performance

The HP Omen Transcend 14 on a table — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Reasonable 1080p gaming performance
GPU is power-limited, even after enabling 15W boost
Great performance for such a slim, cool, quiet, and reasonably-priced laptop

Benchmarks

Here is how the HP Omen Transcend 14 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark Fire Strike: 17,848; Time Spy: 8,010;
GeekBench 6: 2,362 (single-core); 13,248 (multi-core)
25GB File Copy: 15.52 seconds
Handbrake 1.6 4K to 1080p encode: 5:04 minutes CrossMark Overall: 1,506; Productivity: 1,404; Creativity: 1,810; Responsiveness: 1,069;
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 60.8 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 21.24 fps
Dirt 5 (1920x1200, Ultra): 50 fps
Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 4 hours 9 minutes
PCMark 10 Gaming Battery Life: 58 minutes

The Omen Transcend 14 keeps up with modern titles at 1080p, but starts to struggle at higher resolutions. However, gaming at 1080p on medium settings looks fantastic on its OLED display, and frankly, you don’t need a higher resolution on a 14-inch monitor anyway. During my time gaming on this laptop, I found that whether I was playing Metro Exodus, Overwatch 2, Doom Eternal, V Rising, Satisfactory, or Vampire Survivors (you know, to really put the laptop through its paces), it was more than up to the task.

During the starting area of Metro Exodus, the Transcend 14’s RTX 4060 pulled over 100fps on Extreme settings at 1080p with DLSS enabled, and not much less than that with it disabled. Risk of Rain 2 had me at a smooth 80fps even at higher resolutions, and Overwatch 2 averaged well over 120fps.

However, my real bugbear is that while the Transcend 14 display’s native 16:10 aspect ratio makes it more useable for casual gaming and general use, it’s not great for competitive gaming because you lose out on some horizontal real estate in games.

Using 16:9 compressed everything, making the game look stretched vertically. So, I tried to get it working with black borders. However, because the laptop runs a hybrid GPU setup (switching from its Intel Arc GPU to its RTX 4060 when needed), there was no GPU scaling option in the Nvidia Control Panel. I couldn’t get it working via the Intel Graphics Command Center, either.

The only way I could run a game at 16:9 with black borders was to change the resolution in Windows Settings and then play it in borderless windowed mode, which feels like more of a hacky workaround than anything else and, at any rate, introduced more input latency than when playing fullscreen (And trying to get 16:9 working in Counter Strike 2 just straight-up crashed the entire system.)

If you’re not picky about 16:9 FPS gaming like me, the Transcend 14 performs well enough for casual gaming today. You can expect about 60fps in most good-looking games at 1080p, and if you enable DLSS, FSR, or XeSS you can really make the most of the OLED display’s 120Hz refresh rate.

There’s also an option to boost max GPU power by 15W (from 65W to 80W) in the Omen Gaming Hub software. I found that enabling this boosted the GPU clock from 1965MHz to 2190MHz, and from 113fps to 131fps, at 1080p during the opening portion of Metro Exodus.

Unfortunately, though, even this 15W boost doesn’t quite put the Transcend 14’s performance in line with some similar-specced 14-inch laptops. Instead, it sacrifices a little gaming performance for a portable design, cooler thermals, quieter fans, and a lower price.

If we’re talking general work use, the laptop performs great—with one caveat. I found, for whatever reason, things got laggy when downloading files while on battery power. Even typing in Notepad was slow. As soon as I plugged in the mains or stopped downloading, it was fine. Just a peculiar heads up.

Performance: 3.5 / 5

HP Omen Transcend 14: Battery life

Atrocious battery life
Even with power-saving settings, expect fewer than 6 hours for light tasks

The Transcend 14 has a 71Wh battery, and in practice I found it to offer worse battery life than many other gaming laptops. In our PCMark 10 Battery Life test, we found it to give less than an hour of game-time on battery power, and this seemed to bear out in my day-to-day testing. For gaming, then, you’ll really want to have this thing plugged in via the rear USB-C port (which offers faster charging than the side port).

I got 5 hours and 45 minutes of seven-tab Chrome office work out of the Transcend 14, so don’t expect to get a full 8 hours of work done without charging it. To be clear, this was with the Omen Hub’s Eco Mode enabled, Windows power efficiency mode turned on, brightness turned low (but still clearly visible), and RGB lighting turned off.

In all, its battery life is disappointing, but it’s enough to crank out a few hours of work on-the-go, or half an hour of unplugged gaming here and there. And thankfully, it charges quickly using the rear port.

Battery Life: 2 / 5

Should you buy the HP Omen Transcend 14?

Buy the HP Omen Transcend 14 if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the HP Omen Transcend 14

I tested the HP Omen Transcend 14 (2024) for several weeks
I tested it using benchmark tests, video game benchmarks, and doing day-to-day gaming and office work
I used Nvidia FrameView to capture in-game framerates

For the first week, I got used to the laptop. I treated it as if I’d just bought it for myself, unboxing it, downloading my favorite games, and making use of it day-to-day. I made notes of any positives and negatives that came to mind. Then, I got to testing.

I ran benchmarks for tons of different use cases, noting the results. Finally, I tested some specific things I was curious about. Namely, the 16:10 vs 16:9 issue, and office work battery life tests. I also took the laptop out with me to work, to test its portability.

The HP Omen Transcend 14 (2024) is a gaming laptop, and is ideal for gaming even in more demanding titles (provided it’s plugged in and not running on battery power), but it can also be used as a work laptop. I used it for my own work and found its portability and design to both look and play the part, and its keyboard was a delight to use. Unfortunately, its battery life wasn’t amazing.

I’ve spent the past few years testing and reviewing all kinds of PC components, peripherals, and devices, including gaming laptops. I know how to test them properly, be objective and make accurate inferences from test results, and, probably more importantly, I know how to treat my devices like an end-user would, cutting the wheat from the chaff and getting to what’s most important to average PC gamers.

Crucial Pro Overclocking DDR5: Two-minute review

The Crucial Pro Overclocking DDR5 RAM kit is now going to be my default RAM kit on the test bench, it's really that good.

It's not so much about the style, which is in itself pretty fantastic with its oragami-inspired design and attractive white heatspreader.

It's also not really about the price, especially since the current retail price for a 32GB (2x16GB) of $104.99 in the US (about £90/AU$150) is technically a discount from its list price of $164.99 (about £135/AU$240), which would make this kit a lot less appealing when compared to something like the TeamGroup T-Force Delta RGB DDR5 I reviewed in March if the Crucial Pro Overclocking ever went back up to its MSRP.

While those factors—design and price—are definitely relevant, it wouldn't mean anything if its performance wasn't up to par with the competition, and fortunately, the Crucial Pro Overclocking DDR5 can more than hold its own against its rivals.

As you can see above, there are areas where the Crucial Pro OC kit doesn't quite get to the levels of some other competing DDR5 kits like the TeamGroup T-Force Delta RGB or PNY XLR8 Gaming Mako, both of which also clock in at 6,000MT/s when running in overclocking mode, but unlike those kits, the Crucial Pro can do both XMP and EXPO, so its compatibility is fantastic.

This is especially true if you work on a lot of different systems and sometimes find yourself toggling between AMD and Intel frequently enough that you have a hard time keeping track of which RAM you're using (though that might just be a me-problem).

A Crucial Pro Overclocking RAM kit — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Currently, you can only get the Crucial Pro Overclocking in a 32GB kit (16GBx2) at 6,000MT/s, but honestly, you really don't need much more than that. Besides, the stock 5,600MT/s that you get out of the package is better than most competing kits, so if you want better stability you have the option of just plugging your RAM in and turning on your PC for great performance.

There are things that some might be missing, like the RGB aesthetic or even more control over overclocking voltages and speeds than the presets you get with the Crucial Pro Overclocking kit, but for the amount of money you're paying for what you're getting, this is currently the RAM kit to beat in this range.

Crucial Pro Overclocking DDR5: Price & availability

How much does it cost? $104.99 (about £90 / AU$150)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

You can get the 32GB (16GBx2) Crucial Pro Overclocking DDR5 kit for $104.99 (about £90 / AU$150), though its does show a list price of $164.99 on Crucial's storefront where it has marked the price on this kit down considerably.

As it stands, this RAM kit is very competitive price-wise. If that ever changes, however, that will be a much bigger issue, as its performance to price ratio at its list price is genuinely terrible. You shouldn't spend more than $110/£90/AU$155 on this kit, as you can get a much better value elsewhere once you're in the $150/£120/AU$210 range.

Crucial Pro Overclocking DDR5: Specs

Should you buy the Crucial Pro Overclocking DDR5?

Buy the Crucial Pro Overclocking DDR5 kit if...

You want easy DDR5 overclocking
The best part about the Crucial Pro Overclocking DDR5 is that you plug it in and it just works.

You want great-looking RAM for your build
Between the stylish silhouette, this is some great-looking RAM.

Don't buy it if...

You want some RGB
This is strictly non-RGB, so if you want that sort of thing, there are other options out there.

It's priced above $110/£90/AU$155
This RAM has been selling for much less than its list price, but if that ever changes, there are likely to be better options out there.

TP-Link Deco BE63: One-Minute Review

The Deco range of mesh Wi-Fi systems from TP-Link is a popular option for many people who want good Wi-Fi performance at a competitive price, and the company recently introduced a new version of the Deco with support for the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard.

Somewhat oddly, there are some differences between the Deco models that are on sale in different countries, as in the US TP-Link has named this product the Deco BE63, while in other regions it’s the BE65 instead.

There are a few other differences as well, but all models share the same basic design and features, and the three-router system that we’ve reviewed here is about the same price as some of the two-router systems we’ve seen recently – so the Deco is certainly good value for money for anyone looking for a high-performance Wi-Fi upgrade.

TP-Link Deco BE63: Price And Availability

How much does it cost? $799.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,185
When is it available? It's out now
Where can you get it? US and UK (Australia coming soon)

Customers in the US have the best range of options, as they can buy a single Deco BE63 unit that will be suitable for smaller homes for $299.99. There’s also a two-pack available for homes with around four bedrooms, costing $549.99, while larger homes can opt for the three-pack that we’ve reviewed here, priced at $799.99.

In the UK, the model number is changed to Deco BE65, and the system is currently only available as a three-pack priced at £699.99. It isn’t yet on sale in Australia at the time of writing, but the price for the Deco BE65 should be approximately AU$1,185.

Wi-Fi 7 routers and mesh systems are still quite expensive as the technology is so new, but that three-pack option is actually quite competitive. We’ve seen Wi-Fi 7 products from rival manufacturers such as Netgear and Linksys that charge similar prices – or higher – for mesh systems that only have two routers, so TP-Link is certainly providing good value for money in relative terms.

Value: 5 / 5

TP-Link Deco BE63: Design

TP-Link Deco BE63 close up — (Image credit: Future)

Smart and compact cylindrical design
4x Ethernet ports (2.5Gbps)
1x USB 3.0 port

This new version of the Deco sticks with the familiar white, cylindrical design that TP-Link has used in recent years. Each router stands 176mm high and 107.5mm in diameter, so they don’t take up too much space when you’re setting them up. They’re sturdily built too, and TP-Link adds a little flourish with what initially looks like a simple brush-stroke pattern, but actually becomes recognizable as a large ‘7’ as you move further away.

There are four 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports on the back of each router, and each port can be used to connect to the internet (WAN), or to provide a wired connection (LAN) for devices such as a laptop or games console. And, unlike some of its rivals, the Deco also includes a USB 3.0 port that allows you to connect a hard drive or other storage device to your home or office network.

TP-Link Deco BE63/BE65: Specifications

Wi-Fi: Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 (2.4GHz/5.0GHz/6.0GHz)
Wi-Fi Speed: 10Gbps (US) ; 9.2Gbps (UK)
Ports (per router): 4 x 2.5Gb Ethernet (WAN/LAN), 1x USB-A (3.0)
Processor: Unspecified
Memory: Unspecified
Storage: Unspecified
Dimensions: 176 x 107.5 × 107.5mm, 1.1kg

But, as we’ve mentioned, there are some differences beneath the surface of the Deco, depending on which region you live in. The model sold in the US is called the Deco BE63, and provides tri-band Wi-Fi 7 using the 2.4GHz, 5.0GHz and 6.0GHz frequency bands, with a top speed of 10Gbps. However, customers in other regions are offered the Deco BE65, which has a slightly lower top speed of 9.2Gbps.

We were told by TP-Link that these differences are due to varying national regulations in each region, which affect the top speed that can be used on each frequency band (although this isn’t something we’ve encountered with other mesh systems that we’ve reviewed in the past).

The Deco hasn’t yet gone on sale in Australia, but TP-Link is actually planning to release three separate models in that region, with the standard Deco BE65 being joined by the BE65-5G with support for 5G mobile broadband, and the BE65 Pro, which will provide faster 5Gbps Ethernet ports for wired connections.

Design: 5 / 5

TP-Link Deco BE63: Features

TP-Link Deco BE63 ports — (Image credit: Future)

Free parental controls
MLO network
Quick setup, well-designed app

Getting started was straightforward enough, as the Deco app prompted us to connect one of the Deco routers to our existing broadband router, and was then able to automatically connect to the new Deco mesh network. We were then prompted to create a new name and password for the Deco network, and the three Deco routers automatically connected to each other. So, all that really needs to be done is to simply plug them in.

On the downside on the ease-of-use front, the app does throw some jargon at you, asking you to select settings such as ‘VLAN’ and ‘Dynamic IP.’ Most people will be able to ignore these and just accept the default settings shown in the app, but TP-Link could explain these settings more clearly for newbie users who aren’t Wi-Fi wizards.

The Deco app is well-designed overall, though, and its main screen quickly shows you all the key information about your network. There’s a network map that displays the status of the three routers and all the devices connected to each router. It also shows the current download and upload speeds, and has a built-in speed test to check your broadband connection (using the same Ookla Speedtest that we use for our performance testing).

TP-Link Deco BE63 app — (Image credit: TP-Link)

Some mesh systems simply merge all three frequency bands – 2.4GHz, 5.0GHz and 6.0GHz – into a single network, while others create a separate network for each. The Deco sits somewhere in-between, as it creates one network that combines the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands, but splits off the 6.0Hz band to create a separate high-speed network for newer computers and mobile devices that have Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 6E (which both support 6.0GHz).

We were also interested to learn that – unlike most of its Wi-Fi 7 rivals – the Deco also provides an option to activate or deactivate ‘multi-link operation’ (MLO) and create a separate MLO network as well. This is a key feature of Wi-Fi 7 that allows devices to use the 5.0GHz and 6.0GHz bands at the same time in order to improve Wi-Fi performance.

However, MLO only works with computers and mobile devices that also support Wi-Fi 7, so having the ability to create a separate MLO network allows you to prioritize performance for newer devices that cater for Wi-Fi 7. Alternatively, for older PCs, laptops and mobile devices, the Deco app also provides a QoS option (Quality of Service) that allows you to give priority to specific devices, such as a console or gaming PC, so that they get the best performance.

TP-Link Deco BE63 - 3 devices showing ports — (Image credit: Future)

We were also pleased to find that the Deco app includes some useful parental controls free of charge. You can create profiles for each child in your family, specifying their name and age, and any particular devices that they may use. The app allows you to specify a ‘bedtime’ schedule that blocks internet access for your children at night-time, and also provides content filters that can block adult content and other types of unsuitable material.

There are additional subscription services available, including an Advanced Parental Controls service, which includes extra features such as the ability to block age-restricted videos on YouTube. This costs £17.99 / $17.99 / AU$29.99 per year or £2.99 / $2.99 / AU$4.99 per month, but the basic parental controls provided for free are still better than those offered by some of TP-Link’s rivals, so parents are getting good value for money here.

Features: 4 / 5

TP-Link Deco BE63: Performance

TP-Link Deco BE63 Lifestyle 2 — (Image credit: TP-Link)

Tri-band Wi-Fi 7
Separate 6.0GHz network
2.5Gbps for wired connections

Whatever region you live in, the Deco BE63/BE65 provides impressive Wi-Fi 7 performance. Our aging office router can deliver fairly good performance levels for computers and mobile devices that are nearby, but its Wi-Fi signal struggles to reach a room located at the back of the building, where we have to use a set of Powerline adapters to provide a more reliable wired connection.

TP-Link Deco BE63 benchmarks

Ookla Speed Test – 2.4GHz/5.0GHz merged network (download/upload)

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps / 150Mbps

Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps / 150Mbps

20GB Steam Download - 2.4GHz/5.0GHz merged network (download)

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps

Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps

Ookla Speed Test – 6.0GHz (download/upload)

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps / 150Mbps

Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps / 150Mbps

20GB Steam Download - 6.0GHz (download)

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps

Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps

We therefore connected the first Deco router to our existing office router, with another Deco unit in the back office, and the last one in a hallway that was roughly halfway between the other two.

When running the Ookla Speedtest, devices in the same room as our old office router generally get a Wi-Fi speed of 120Mbps, which is fine for most uses but still less than the full 150Mbps provided by our office broadband service. Downloads from the Steam games store tend to struggle a bit more in that room too, rarely getting above 100Mbps.

However, the Deco immediately put that to rights, stepping up to 150Mbps on both the 6.0GHz band and the combined 2.4/5.0GHz band, and it was also able to maintain those consistent download speeds for both Ookla and Steam.

Furthermore, the Deco mesh system didn’t bat an eyelid as we walked with our laptop down the hall to that back office, effortlessly maintaining that 150Mbps download speed for Ookla and Steam on all frequency bands.

Performance: 4 / 5

Should You Buy The TP-Link Deco BE63?

TP-Link Deco BE63 Lifestyle 1 — (Image credit: TP-Link)

Buy the TP-Link Deco if...

You have lots of bedrooms
In most regions outside the US, the Deco BE65 is currently only available as a three-pack mesh system, which will be suitable for larger homes with more than half a dozen bedrooms. That may change in the future, though, with any luck.

You have a laptop or PC with Wi-Fi 7
Although Wi-Fi 7 is backwards-compatible with older Wi-Fi standards, it does include some important new features, such as MLO – multi-link operation – that can only be used if your computers or mobile devices also support Wi-Fi 7.

Don’t buy it if...

You’re on a budget
Prices for routers and mesh systems that support Wi-Fi 7 are coming down at last, but this is still very much state-of-the-art Wi-Fi technology. Most home users, and most smaller businesses, can still get by with less expensive Wi-Fi 6 or 6E.

You just want to watch Netflix
Wi-Fi 7 provides blazing fast wireless performance, with the new Deco models hitting 9-10Gbps. However, most domestic broadband services are still lagging behind with average speeds of around 100-200Mbps, so few of us really need Wi-Fi 7 right now – and you won’t need these speeds for basic streaming duties, either.

TP-Link Deco BE63: Scorecard

TP-Link Deco BE63: Also Consider

First reviewed: July 2024

GMKtec NucBox M6 mini PC review

5:32 pm | July 8, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets | Tags: PC | Comments: Off

GMKtec NucBox M6: 30-second review

The era of lacklustre mini PCs is over, and the GMKtec NucBox M6 is a testament to this evolution. The compact M6 features an AMD Ryzen 5 6600H CPU and AMD Radeon 660M GPU, and while this might be entry-level in the Ryzen range, it still impresses with a very decent performance, especially at its price point.

Like all the best mini PC units we've tested, the M6 handles all office tasks without issue and even supports light multimedia production, such as image and HD video editing. What really appeals about the M6 is that it has plenty of upgradability options, including expandable RAM and SSD storage, which will enable you to adapt this mini PC to your needs.

Everyday tasks like Microsoft Office applications, internet browsing, and light multimedia work are all well within this machine's abilities, and even some light gaming is handled well by the CPU and GPU combination. The machine's storage and processing power are impressive, but it's the small machine's versatility that really shines through. While the machine can sit in an office plugged into the mains, the dual power option also enables you to connect to PD power; this makes it possible to use in a variety of settings, from office desks to advanced display systems or even as a powerful, lightweight solution for van life. Overall, the GMKtec NucBox M6 offers exceptional value for its compact size, powerful specs, and versatile functionality.

GMKtec NucBox M6: Price and availability

How much does it cost? From $340 / £265
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Directly from GMKtec or Amazon.com

The GMKtec M6 is widely available with three variants: A barebones model with no memory or storage, a 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD model, and a 32GB / 1TB SSD variant.

Prices start at $340 / £265, but at the time of this review, all versions were heavily discounted on both the GMKtec website here and Amazon here.

Value: 4 / 5

GMKtec NucBox M6: Specs

GMKtec NucBox M6: Design

The GMKtec M6 follows the usual design rules for a typical mini PC in terms of size and weight, and there's really nothing remarkable about it from that angle. The PC is housed in an all-plastic matte black casing that, while not premium, still exudes a quality feel and, to be honest, looks great. Its layout is straightforward, featuring a good selection of front ports for occasional accessories and headphones and a more extensive array at the back, including dual network ports for enhanced gaming, dual display options, and various USB Type-A ports. This design consolidates GMKtec's experience in mini PCs, offering everything generally needed in this category of machine.

While the base configuration of the machine is pretty good, accessing the inner components is straightforward, with the top cover clipped in place. Removing the top lid reveals the fan cover, which is secured with four screws. Once removed, the SSD and RAM slots are easily accessible. The design includes dual SSD options, with the primary SSD featuring a heatsink, allowing for an additional SSD if needed. Each slot supports up to 2TB, enabling a total of 4TB of internal storage. The dual-channel RAM can be upgraded from 32GB to 64GB, providing more headroom for creative tasks.

Overall, the M6's design is compact and perfectly suited for desktop use or mounting via the included VESA mount. Despite its small size, the M6 features substantial cooling with a large heatsink on the main SSD, side venting, and an additional fan cover, ensuring decent air circulation that helps keep the machine cool under load when handling large files, demanding tasks, or gaming.

Design: 4 / 5

GMKtec NucBox M6: Features

The GMKtec M6 is a powerful mini PC, considering its relatively cheap price. It has a balanced array of ports and features, ideal for office work and light multimedia editing. Its AMD Ryzen 5 6600H CPU and Radeon 660M GPU offer more power than typical mini PCs at this price point, making it suitable for tasks like Photoshop and Davinci Resolve, provided the workload is moderate.

A notable advantage of the M6 is its dual power options—AC mains adapter and PD power—which add flexibility compared to other mini PCs. The M6 supports 5GHz/2.4GHz dual-frequency WiFi 6E and multi-user 2x2 MIMO, ensuring decent wireless connectivity. The dual 2.5G RJ45 ports further boost the networking options, although this is more of an office feature than at home unless you're gaming or using a creative network.

The AMD Ryzen 5 6600H, with its Zen 3+ architecture and 4.5GHz burst frequency, paired with the Radeon 660M GPU in use, does deliver impressive performance. The 32GB DDR5 RAM and 1TB PCIe SSD provide what you need for most standard apps, and if you are venturing into creative applications, then the ability to upgrade on both accounts is definitely welcome.

Features: 4 / 5

GMKtec NucBox M6: Performance

Considering its price, the GMKtec NucBox M6's performance is superb, highlighting the rapid advancements in mini PC capabilities. While its build and design might not match its premium counterparts, its performance and upgradability are impressive. Standard office applications load quickly, and large documents are handled with ease. Image editing in Photoshop is well-managed, though there is a slowdown as layers and effects accumulate. The M6 is more than adequate for Lightroom, with internal storage expandable to 4TB, which is handy if this is your sole machine or you wanted a compact alternative to any of the best laptops for photo editing.

For video editing, the M6 can handle standard HD footage and some 4K editing, provided expectations are realistic - this is hardly the best video editing PC for serious work. Gaming performance is surprisingly good, with titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Tekken 8 running smoothly with adjusted settings. Overall, the M6 is an ideal, affordable, and powerful solution for office, workshop, van, and display use.

Performance: 4 / 5

GMKtec NucBox M6: Final verdict

The GMKtec NucBox M6 impresses with its compact size, price, and ability to handle office tasks and multimedia easily. While it does slow for more demanding applications, it can be used for photo and image editing within reason, making it a versatile and powerful mini PC for everyday use. If you need a budget-friendly business computer for basic computing tasks, the M6 is a great choice. However, if your requirements include heavy multitasking or intensive software such as 3D or advanced video editing and production, you might need to consider more robust options. This mini PC shines in its intended niche, delivering reliable performance in a remarkably small package.

Should I buy a GMKtec NucBox M6?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+ review: beautiful laptop, half-baked AI

5:54 pm | July 4, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops | Comments: Off

Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+: Two-minute review

The new Copilot+ PC edition of the Asus Vivobook S 15 is an absolutely exceptional piece of kit. The overall aesthetic and design style is extraordinary. It’s clean and crisp, with a beautiful metal finish complete with exceptionally subtle Asus branding. This is a professional device at its core, and it really does show.

Open up the Vivobook and you’re greeted with an outstanding OLED display, with sharp vibrant colors, and a snappy 2880x1620 resolution, all hurtling along at 120 Hz. That’d be good enough, but Asus has color-calibrated this thing as well, so the contrast and vibrancy are stunning. Combine that with sound developed in conjunction with Harman/Kardon (which is honestly some of the best audio I’ve heard coming out of a laptop ever), and the Vivobook S 15 is lining itself up to be an absolute winner.

The Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+ in silver pictured on a wooden desk. — (Image credit: Future)

For hardware, the most interesting element is the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor. It’s an Arm-based system-on-a-chip (SoC) similar to Apple’s M3 line of chips found in the MacBook Air, and features an incredibly low 45W power draw. That’s been paired with 16GB of 8,440 MHz DDR5 memory (a phenomenally high speed even given current desktop PC standards), and a solid 1TB of PCIe 4.0 storage. Combine all of that with a bevy of connectivity options, plus a relatively affordable price tag, and all of a sudden you’re looking at one of the best laptops out there for general day-to-day work.

It’s not flawless however, it still struggles in games with no dedicated GPU (although AI upscaling does help a ton here), and the general AI features are (right now at least) somewhat limited, with only Microsoft Copilot and Co-creator being the most fleshed out features of the lot.

Still, AI aside, the Vivobook S 15 is just an utterly almost flawless thing. As traditional laptops go, it’s outstanding, easily competing with the likes of Dell’s XPS line, and far above and beyond the likes of Huawei’s MateBook D16. For the price you’re paying, there’s little not to love.

Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+: Price and availability

How much does it cost? $1,299.99 / £1,299.99 / AU$2,699
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Available now in the US and the UK

When it comes to the price, the Asus Vivobook S 15 is impressively affordable for what you’re getting. Rolling in at $1,299.99 (£1,299.99 / AU$2,699), it packs in some serious hardware for that cash. There's also a variant with the slightly less powerful Snapdragon X Plus chip for $1,099.99 in the US, although the availability of that model in other regions is unclear at the time of writing.

Not only do you get a decent processor for day-to-day work and streaming, plus 16GB of ridiculously high spec memory, and a TB of PCIe 4.0 storage, but it also features one hell of an OLED display, with a 3K resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate, and enough color accuracy (and vibrancy) to keep even the most eagle-eyed of graphic designer happy.

This is one of the first Snapdragon X laptops out there, and as such it is a little unproven mind you. It does lag behind in more traditional PC benchmarks, such as GeekBench and CineBench, but for general office work, web browsing, and daily activities it’s far more than capable. Just don’t expect a super seamless experience all the time.

There are very few laptops out there, that pack in so much hardware for such little outlay. There’s AI capacity here too, of course, being one of the main selling points of the S 15 (more on that in a bit), but even without it, the S 15 is absolutely outstanding.

Value: 4.5 / 5

Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+: Specs

The Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+ comes in one main configuration with the 12-core Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip, although a model featuring the 10-core Snapdragon X Plus SoC is also available for a slightly lower price in some regions.

Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+: Design and Features

Outstanding Screen
Material choice is stunning
Broad range of ports

As you’ve likely guessed by this point, the Asus Vivobook S 15 is an absolutely beautiful professional laptop or workbook. The satin metallic gray chassis is crisp and sharp, with nice smooth rounded edges. The Asus branding, what little there is, is a simple sans serif typeface, either just below the screen or engraved gracefully into the rear lid. The bezel on the screen is slim and almost nonexistent. Similarly, the keyboard, which is chiclet by design, provides a sublime typing experience, and the trackpad likewise does its job admirably too.

The I/O certainly isn’t lacking either. For your money, you get two USB 4 Type-C ports, two USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a Micro-SD card reader, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, and an HDMI out as well. It also comes with a fairly admirably built-in microphone, along with a decent built-in FHD webcam as well.

In general, it’s actually just a very well-built laptop. There’s no gimmicky folding display, or 2-in-1 design here for you to get used to, no touch-screen capability, or pens, just a simple, clean design. If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it, seems to be the motto.

Under the hood, you of course get that Arm-based Snapdragon processor. This is the X Elite X1E 78 100 chip (catchy), running at 3.4 GHz, and it features 12 cores, no hyperthreading, and a 42 MB cache as standard. Asus touts that this thing has a total AI processing power of around 75 TOPs to help with the on-board AI capabilities the Vivobook S 15 has, that’s paired with a dedicated “Neural Processor” as well (Qualcomm’s Hexagon NPU) which adds an additional 45 TOPs to the equation.

That’s been paired with 16GB of LPDDR5X memory rated at a whopping 8,440 MT/s. That’s ridiculously quick, even by some of the best desktop PC standards, and quite a curious addition, that suggests that both AI tasks and these Snapdragon chips really do benefit from high-frequency memory, perhaps even more so than the likes of AMD and its Ryzen processors (which generally benefit from higher frequency kits thanks to their Infinity Fabric interconnect being tied to the memory speed). The only minor downside here is that the Vivobook S 15 has soldered LPDDR5X, and there are no alternative models either, so 16GB is your lot sadly.

Because at its heart, the Snapdragon is an Arm-based chip, running off a different architecture compared to traditional processors found from AMD and Intel (which typically operate on an x64 architecture design), support is a bit mixed when it comes to general application use. That generally means you are going to find a lot of programs listing the CPU as “emulated”, Windows is effectively forcing the Arm processor to emulate and behave as a traditional x64 chip in certain programs, to ensure they operate correctly. That will have a minor detrimental effect on overall performance, but it shouldn’t be that noticeable if I’m honest. Arm and Asus clearly learned from the troubles Apple encountered with its first M1 processors, and compatibility is far greater now than it was back then for Arm-based processors because of it.

As for the less volatile storage, Asus has popped in a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and it does a pretty good job when it comes to sequential transfers, although more on that in a bit.

Design: 4.5 / 5

Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+: Performance

For day-to-day usage, this is flawless
Priced just right for what you’re getting
Gaming is still nowhere near a dedicated GPU

The Vivobook S 15 might have a bit of an oddity when it comes to its processor, but it still holds its own with some of the best out there to date. In general day-to-day use, the S 15 was cool and quiet, zipping along nicely. A particularly enjoyable experience with that screen. Cooling was handled well, and noise was minimal, one of the big benefits of the super-efficient Arm chips.

In benchmarks however, it is admittedly a bit of a different story, compared to something like Huawei’s MateBook D 16 (admittedly not available US side) with its Intel Core i9-13900H, the Vivobook did struggle in certain benchmarks, although perhaps not by as much as you’d think. GeekBench 6.2.1 provided the most intriguing results of the bunch, with the Snapdragon X landing a score of 2,444 in single core, and 9,008 in the multi-core test. Compare that to the i9-13900H, which scored 2,605 in single-core and 12,568 and you start to get a picture of just how close Arm is getting in terms of performance, particularly given it's often running an emulated version of the program on top of that.

Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+ benchmarks

Here's how the Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+ performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

Geekbench 6:
Single - 2,444
Multi - 9,088
3DMark:
WildLife Extreme: 6,091
Solar Bay: 9,933
CrossMark:
Overall - 1,181
Productivity - 1,050
Creativity - 1,377
Responsiveness - 1,062
1080p movie playback battery life: 14 hours 18 minutes
CrystalDiskMark 8:
Read: 5,024MB/s
Write: 3,623MB/s

That multi-core difference does give Intel the edge there of course, by a healthy 28%, but you’ve got to bear in mind that it’s scoring that with 20 total threads, compared to the Snapdragon’s 12. All while consuming more power, operating at 5.4 GHz, and running at hotter temps as a result. The gap is starting to close between Arm and x64 and that’s incredibly exciting.

Graphically however Intel still has the edge, with its Iris Xe graphics performing considerably better in our benchmark results. 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme for example scored just 6,091 with the Snapdragon and its Qualcomm Adreno chip, versus a staggering 13,731 with Intel. Similarly, in games at their native resolutions, Total War Warhammer 3 on Low scored 33.9 fps on Intel’s chip, versus just 13.7 on the Adreno.

But there’s a catch here, and that’s the AI upscaling tech that’s built natively into the Vivobook S 15. You can actually drop the resolution scaling to 50% in Total War Warhammer 3, let the notebook do its thing (it’s automatically applied to all titles), set the graphical profile to Ultra, and watch the game run at 20fps instead. Sure, that’s not playable for this kind of title, but that’s a significant improvement particularly given you’re now running the game on Ultra and not the lowest profile. Although admittedly it still doesn’t look the best, and needs significant antialiasing improvements, it’s a start.

Traditional performance aside, this is after all one of the first Copilot+ AI laptops out there, and there’s a lot to report here too. Copilot generally is very similar to any other LLM you may have used, such as Google Bard or Chat GPT. There’s a button on the keyboard to open it up, or you can click next to the Start Menu, and open up a window to chat. It’s limited to a number of queries per 24 hours, unless you sign in, and behaves like pretty much every other LLM. It doesn’t have access to your system directly, so can only suggest what you can do.

Live captioning is also heavily touted on the product page. It’s meant to be able to give you captions on any content (regardless of web browser or media format), and live translate from one language to another. I found it was generally very laggy and slow to use, even in English-to-English. Live translation was also much worse, with Japanese or Norwegian, often missing out entire sentences, or translated sentences appearing five to ten seconds after the content had occurred. It also struggled with accents and regional dialects, particularly with variants of British English. Recall (where Windows can find a file based on a description) is also not currently implemented and is “coming soon” in a Windows side update.

Moving away from the software side, when it came to the Display, and particularly the audio, the experience was outstanding. That screen is absolutely gorgeous, with a 15.6-inch OLED panel at 2880 x 1620, you get a 211.82 PPI density, and the colors are just phenomenal. Combine that with a buttery smooth 120 Hz refresh rate, along with adaptive sync as well as a color-calibrated profile from Asus and it’s just dreamy.

Likewise, the audio experience is exceptional too. Asus has worked with Dolby Atmos and Harman/Kardon on the built-in speakers, and they’re some of the best I’ve heard on a laptop at this price. Trebles are crystal clear, there’s plenty of mid, and a relatively well-rounded bass as well. You’re still going to get better results from some of the best headphones out there of course, or a decent speaker system, mixed with a decent subwoofer - but for a laptop? Nah, this is shockingly good.

Performance: 4 / 5

Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+: Battery life

Can last for multiple days of work and holds charge well
Bundled fast-charger

Asus rates the Vivobook S 15 at 70WHrs for its battery capacity, and it comes with a fast-charging 90W AC USB Type C adapter as well. It reckons you should be able to get around 18 hours of total battery life in general day-to-day use. In my testing, it landed around the 17-hour mark or so, more than enough for several days of office work and presentations without charge.

That figure did dip a bit when I was watching content on YouTube and in video calls, but otherwise, the Vivobook S 15 fell exactly where I expected it to in that regard. There was never a moment where I was particularly concerned r.e. the battery life on this thing that’s for certain.

Battery life: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+: Also Consider

How I tested the Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+

As usual with laptop reviews, I replaced my daily driver with the Asus Vivobook S 15 for a week, testing out all my usual work duties including web browsing, word processing, and answering emails. I also used it for a bit of leisure time too - watching Netflix and YouTube, and trying my best to play some games (though it struggled a little in that area).

I've been reviewing computers of all sorts for years, and I've used a wide variety of laptops for my own work throughout that time. To see Qualcomm push ahead with its own Arm-based chips in such a successful way is the real game-changer here - no matter what Microsoft might tell you about AI. Arm is here to stay, folks.

First reviewed July 2024

Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 review: a solid if unspectacular 1080p gaming laptop

6:13 pm | July 3, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Gaming Computers Gaming Laptops | Tags: CPU, RTX, Total War | Comments: Off

Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9: Two-minute review

If you're looking to get into the portable PC gaming scene without breaking the bank then the Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 is a viable option to consider in 2024. It's not going to give the best gaming laptops a run for their money in terms of leading performance, battery life, display, and design, but it does enough to stand out from a price-to-performance perspective.

While the manufacturer has made waves in the mid-range and premium end of the gaming laptop market, its budget offering favors function over form. My review unit features a 13th Gen i7 CPU, Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB RAM, and a 512GB NVMe Gen 4.0 SSD - all of which is more than enough to play today's games in 1080p. You won't always be maxing everything out in the graphical settings, due to the GPU's limited 8GB GDDR6 VRAM, but Nvidia DLSS 3's Frame Generation or AMD FSR can help ease the stress.

There's also the LOQ 15 (AMD) to consider if you would rather go for a Team Red rig instead of a Team Blue offering. Regardless of CPU choice, the GPU is decidedly mainstream, so there's no great power differential. It means that the same problems largely apply, meaning a so-so display, lacking battery life, and a port placement that may be cumbersome.

That battery life really does leave a lot to be desired. Web browsing and media playback achieved just under two hours with battery saving modes and the screen brightness halved. It's not great, and this extends to battery gaming which can't even manage an hour. You'll want to keep this gaming laptop plugged in to enjoy a lengthy gaming session, or when used as a desktop replacement when hooked up to one of the best gaming monitors.

So yes, while the Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 is unlikely to wow you, it is entirely serviceable at providing a solid 1080p gaming experience. It's ultimately going to come down to the pricing of the unit; if you can find an RTX 4060 variant around the $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$1,300 mark then it's worthwhile, but I can't really recommend splashing out upwards of $1,300 / £1,300 / AU$2,000 when RTX 4070 rigs offer more power for the money.

Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9: Price and availability

1080p 144Hz refresh rate display on the LOQ 15 — (Image credit: Future / Aleksha McLoughlin)

How much does it cost? Starting from $999 / £1,049 / AU$1,297
When is it available? The Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 is available now
Where can you get it? US, the UK, and Australia

The Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 is available with a starting price of $999 / £1,049 / AU$1,297 for a variant running an RTX 4050 GPU. Alternatively, there's a more powerful version running the more capable RTX 4060 discrete graphics for around $100 / £100 / AU$300 more depending on the retailer's availability - and I'd recommend springing for that slightly more powerful GPU.

In terms of price, the Lenovo LOQ 15 is one of the more affordable gaming laptops on the market at the budget end of the spectrum. Whether you're considering an RTX 4050 or RTX 4060 version, these aren't powerhouse machines, but they are priced as such. It's less aggressive when considering you can pick up some RTX 4070 laptops such as the MSI Katana 15 and Asus TUF A15 from $1,199 to $1,349 nowadays.

Price: 4 / 5

Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9: Specs

The Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 is available in a variety of configurations from Lenovo itself or found from retailers in the US, the UK, and Australia. As touched upon above, you can find the budget rig with either an RTX 4050 or RTX 4060 GPU. A major difference is the choice of GPU, depending on price, you can get a Ryzen 7000 or Intel Raptor Lake variant.

Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9: Design

Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 keyboard — (Image credit: Future / Aleksha McLoughlin)

Durable build quality
Thick bezels around the 1080p display
Lovely full-size RGB keyboard

Display-wise, the Lenovo LOQ Gen 9 is primarily plastic with a rugged build quality. It's a far cry from the single-sheet aluminum of premium gaming laptops but feels considerably better than some budget models available. The cracks begin to show, however, when looking further into the screen. With a peak brightness of 350 nits and a 1080p IPS screen, things are serviceable but dull. The 144Hz refresh rate is smooth enough but the bare minimum for machines in 2024.

The exposed hinges and thick bezels aren't the most pleasing to look at, as Lenovo has opted for function over form here. Simply put, it's not sleek or stylish, but it gets the job done. This utilitarian approach can also be seen in the protruding rear I/O as the hinged screen is around an inch ahead. It's done to maximize airflow, sure, but it's quite an outdated idea that was common on rigs from around 10 years ago.

The design of the Lenovo LOQ Gen 9 gets a lot of things right with its excellent array of connectivity options on the left, right, and rear of the device. You're fully equipped with a full-size HDMI 2.1 port, USB-C, and USB 3.2 ports so there are no complaints here. This extends to the keyboard which features four-zone RGB backlighting with its full deck size. It's lovely to type and game on. Unfortunately, this doesn't extend to the trackpad which is small and feels cheap, but that's not a huge concern as you really should be be utilizing one of the best gaming mice instead.

Design: 3 / 5

Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9: Performance

Image 1 of 3

Side of the Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 — (Image credit: Future / Aleksha McLoughlin)

Image 2 of 3

Rear I/O of the Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 — (Image credit: Future / Aleksha McLoughlin)

Image 3 of 3

Rear fans of the Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 — (Image credit: Future / Aleksha McLoughlin)

Solid gaming performance in 1080p
The fans are very loud under stress
The 13th Gen i7 CPU is still powerful

Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 benchmarks

Here's how the Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 got on in our suite of industry-standard benchmarks and game testing.

PCMark10 - 7,328
3DMark:
Night Raid - 57,918
Port Royal - 5,532
Time Spy - 10,117
Fire Strike - 22,507
Geekbench 6:
Single - 2,358
Multi - 13,144
Cinebench R23:
Single - 1,652
Multi - 15,698
CrossMark - 1,572
Productivity - 1,500
Creativity - 1,699
Responsiveness - 1,439
Cyberpunk 2077
RT Ultra - 88fps
Ultra - 84fps
Low - 114fps
Total War: Three Kingdoms
Ultra - 80fps
Low - 246fps
Red Dead Redemption II
Ultra - 67fps
Low - 159fps
TechRadar Battery Test: 59 mins

For the most part, the Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 delivers on its promise of providing playable framerates at 1080p. The 144Hz Full HD display is fast enough seeing as you'll be getting around 60 to 90fps when maxing out games such as Red Dead Redemption II, Cyberpunk 2077, and Total War: Three Kingdoms. For the best possible experience, you're going to want to enable DLSS 3 Frame Generation and Ray Reconstruction to take the strain off of the native hardware.

While there are versions of the Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 with 14th Gen processors, our review unit with the Intel Core i7-13650HX still impresses. This can be evidenced by the CPU-bound title Total War: Three Kingdoms, reaching a staggering 246fps with the settings dialed down to low. The single-core and multi-core performance through Geekbench 6 and Cinebench R23 is also solid, even though these figures have recently been eclipsed by Meteor Lake and Ryzen 7000 models.

As mentioned further up the page, the display here is what sets the side down to an extent. Yes, it's fast enough with a 144Hz refresh rate being smooth with no screen tearing or artifacting. With that said, the colors are washed out, there's no HDR support, and the peak brightness leaves a lot to be desired. It's not an issue that's unique to the LOQ 15 Gen 9, but it also doesn't break from convention here either.

What you will notice is just how loud the fans are on this gaming laptop. It's particularly noticeable at start-up, or when under any level of moderate stress. The LOQ 15 is easily among the loudest machines I've ever tested, distractingly so at times, even drowning out gameplay and media playback from the otherwise fine 2x 2W stereo speakers.

Performance: 3.5 / 5

Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9: Battery life

Poor battery life whether gaming or media playback
Battery can be quick-charged to full in just over an hour

Battery life can make or break a laptop and, unfortunately, the Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 falls into the latter category. In our battery test, the machine was able to achieve just under two hours of media playback when prioritizing the battery life and reduced screen brightness. Simply put, you're going to want to keep the 135W power adapter close at hand to get through a lengthy film or take your gaming experience on the go. Granted, that's the case for many gaming laptops, but I'd expect a bit better from a lower-powered unit like this - there's not an RTX 4090 guzzling down power here.

The Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 features a 60Whr battery that supports quick charging, but it drains almost as quickly so it's a double-edged sword. The manufacturer claims a full charge from completely flat about 80 minutes, and my testing can verify this. It can reach 50% in about around half an hour, which is solid enough, even if the battery retention is far from impressive.

Battery life: 3 / 5

Should you buy the Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9?

closed lid of the Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 — (Image credit: Future / Aleksha McLoughlin)

Buy it if...

You can find it discounted
There are regular deals on the Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 available from both the manufacturer and major retailers in the US, UK, and Australia. For the right price, it offers a ton of value.

You play a range of less-demanding PC games
The RTX 4060 and 1080p display are a good pair for entry-level PC gaming. 8GB GDDR6 VRAM should be enough to play most titles at 60fps for the next few years, even if you won't be maxing out all settings settings.

Don't buy it if...

You can find an RTX 4070 machine for around the same price
Some variants of the Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 may be nearly as expensive as some other budget RTX 4070 models. This graphics card is considerably more powerful in 1080p and can be found inside 1440p machines, too.

You want a more powerful gaming laptop
Regardless of which variant you consider, the Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 isn't a very powerful machine. It's available with an RTX 4050 or RTX 4060 which are far from leading offerings.

Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9: Also consider

MSI Katana 15
The MSI Katana 15 is the most comparable alternative to the Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 9 with its 144Hz refresh rate and Full HD resolution. It's available with either the RTX 4050, RTX 4060, or RTX 4070 so the pricing may be more of what you're looking for.

Read our full MSI Katana 15 review.

Asus TUF Gaming A15
The Asus TUF Gaming A15 combines excellent 1080p gaming performance with a stellar battery life and a solid design. It also has a wonderful RGB keyboard and a fast refresh rate, while being available in several different configurations.

Read our full Asus TUF Gaming A15 review.

First reviewed July 2024

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