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Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max): maximum power, maximum price tag

5:09 pm | November 6, 2023

Two-minute review

Apple’s October reveal of the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) range was both an unexpected, in terms of its timing, and a risky one. We expected that Apple would bring out a successor to the M2-based MacBook Pro 16-inch (2023) at some point, but few Apple watchers thought it would happen a mere 10 months later.

It's a risky move for several reasons. For a start, it risks annoying people who bought the last MacBook Pro 16-inch – particularly the maxed-out M2 Max model – and who will have thought they’d have some time before the very expensive laptop they just purchased was superseded. While trying to stay at the cutting edge of computing products is a ridiculous and expensive pastime, and while the reveal of the M3 Pro and M3 Max doesn’t suddenly make the M2 versions redundant, I can see why this might leave a bitter taste in the mouth for a lot of people.

It also risks making the whole M2 generation look like a misfire which Apple is keen to move on from. While the leap from M1 to M2 wasn’t huge, it didn't feel like a misfire – at least not until Apple launched not just the M3 at its October Scary Fast event, but also the M3 Pro and M3 Max, along with replacements for 10-month-old laptops and a new iMac that completely skipped the M2 altogether.

The good news is that with a starting price of $2,499 / £2,599 / AU$4,299, you’re getting the performance upgrades of the M3 series for the same price at the previous generation started at; well, that’s good news for people who held off buying the M2 Pro or M2 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro, although it could be seen as yet another insult to anyone who did buy those laptops, especially if they did so only a few weeks ago.

As with previous models, you can choose a variety of configurations, including M3 Pro or M3 Max chips, and up to 128GB of unified memory – and you’ll want to make sure you nail your options before you buy, as you can’t upgrade the laptops afterwards. Of course, the better specs you go for, the more money this already-expensive laptop is going to cost.

Also, unlike the new 14-inch MacBook Pro, there isn’t a more affordable option with the base M3 chip, so I can only recommend the MacBook Pro 16-inch to people who have the budget and need for such a powerful machine.

If that’s you, then this could be your new favorite laptop. It keeps the same best-in-class screen from previous models, with a stunning 16.2-inch display with a sharp 3456 x 2234 resolution and Liquid Retina XDR tech, offering 1,600 nits of peak brightness for incredible vividness and dynamic contrast. The ProMotion tech also allows for 120Hz refresh rates, which keeps the macOS operating system, and any app you run (or website you scroll through) feeling fast, smooth and responsive.

A great array of ports, including plenty of USB-Cs, a HDMI and memory card reader, gives professionals plenty of flexibility when using the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) when out and about.

Performance-wise, this is an impeccable workstation, with Apple building on the already impressive M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBooks. There wasn’t a task the new 16-inch MacBook Pro couldn’t handle during my testing, even when editing 4K footage with multiple 4K and 8K video files, and it also did an impressive job of running the latest games. That’s right: with the new 16-inch MacBook Pro (and the 14-inch model), Apple might have just come out with the first gaming MacBook. No longer is its ‘Pro’ range of MacBooks all work and no play.

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) review: Price and availability

Official release on November 7
Starts at $2,499 / £2,599 / AU$4,299
Same starting price as previous model

The MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) was announced at Apple’s Scary Fast event on October 30, and is released on November 7, 2023. That makes it little over nine months since the last model was released, on January 24, 2023.

The launch may well have set a record (and not a terribly good one) for shortness of lifespan for a new device, as the 16-inch MacBook Pros with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips were discontinued as soon as Apple announced the new M3 Pro and M3 Max versions. That’s sure to annoy a lot of people who only bought what was the latest and most powerful MacBook Pros less than a year ago.

You’d also be forgiven for wondering if this new MacBook Pro 16-inch will itself become outdated in just nine months. That seems unlikely, but I’d have said the same in January of this year – there was a gap of 14 months between the M1 Pro and M1 Max 16-inch MacBook Pros and the M2 versions). And, while the M2 models, as well as the M1 models, are still supported by Apple, if no longer sold by it, I wouldn’t blame you for being cautious. Always having the latest model of a MacBook is going to be difficult – and expensive – at the best of times, but for a new model to be replaced in just nine months definitely feels a bit cheeky. Would Apple attempt to do that with an iPhone?

At least Apple has kept the starting price of the new MacBook Pro 16-inch the same, at $2,499 / £2,599 / AU$4,299, which gets you a version with the M3 Pro chip, which comes with a 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU, 18GB of unified memory and 512GB SSD.

That means you’re essentially getting a big boost with the M3 Pro, plus more memory (the rather odd 18GB compared to the M2 Pro model’s 16GB), for no additional cost. That’s nice for people who had been weighing up the M2 Pro version up until a few weeks ago, although it could be construed as another slap in the face for people who've bought the M2 Pro.

The good news, however, is that while Apple has stopped selling the M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro 16-inch models, other retailers are still selling them, and they will likely be quite keen to clear inventory to make way for the M3 generation. That means you may be able to pick up an M2 Pro or M2 Max model with a big price cut, especially during the upcoming Black Friday deals event – and because those laptops are less than a year old, you could get yourself a still-excellent laptop for a bargain price.

You can also get the 16-inch model with the same M3 Pro chip, 36GB of memory and 512GB SSD for $2,899 / £2,999 / AU$4,899.

The next step up comes with the more powerful M3 Max chip, which features a 14-core CPU, 30-core GPU, 36GB unified memory and 1TB SSD for $3,499 / £3,599 / AU$5,999. Finally, you can get a model with the M3 Max with a 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 48GB Unified Memory and 1TB of storage for $3,999 / $4,099 / AU$6,899.

You can also configure the new 16-inch MacBook Pro to come with 64GB or 128GB of memory, and up to 8TB of SSD storage.

The fully-specced out version will set you back an immense $7,199 / £7,299 / AU$11,699. If you’re one of the few people who can a) afford this and b) need this kind of power, you’ll need to allow for two to three weeks for it to be delivered.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro is certainly a premium workstation laptop with the price tag to prove it, and while this will put many people off, for many others who require seriously strong hardware for work, may see this as a good investment – despite fears that Apple could drop a follow-up nine months later.

Unlike the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3) which launched alongside it, the 16-inch model doesn’t come with a more affordable model with the base M3 chip. This is the first time the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros have differed (apart from their screen sizes).

Value score: 3/5

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3): Specs

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3): Design

Same design as earlier model
New Space Black color option
Still the best screen you can get on a laptop

When it comes to the design of the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3), Apple has hardly deviated from the previous model – the only change is a new color option, called ‘Space Black’, which Apple claims is made with a “breakthrough chemistry” that reduce the retention of fingerprints by creating am anodisation seal.

Apple sent me a MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) in that color, and it looks great. Black can sometimes not be the most exciting color for tech to come in, but there’s a nice metallic finish to Space Black that gives it a depth that other laptops of a similar hue often lack. It looks serious and professional, which is what you want from a mobile workstation like the 16-inch MacBook Pro. It would be nice to have some more vibrant colors with the next MacBook Air, however. I can also confirm that whatever (space) black magic Apple used to banish fingerprints works a treat – after handling it for days, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) showed not a single fingerprint, whereas other MacBooks would be beginning to look a bit smudged by now.

There is a bit of a design oversight, I feel, as while the braided charging cable comes in black to match the color of the MacBook Pro it came with (much like with the 24-inch iMacs), the power brick that you plug into the wall socket remains white, which looks a bit ugly with the rest of the Black Space-colored MacBook Pro.

I should also point out that while I liked the new Space Black color, a few of my colleagues – especially the ones who usually use MacBooks – weren’t too impressed, noting that it didn’t look like a MacBook, and more like a standard black laptop. One even commented that it looked like a gaming laptop – which is interesting as Apple has been pushing the gaming abilities of its M3 lineup.

Aside from that, things are identical to the model released at the beginning of 2023, which itself was the same as the model from 2021, but to be honest, I don’t mind. I feel Apple nailed the design of the first 16-inch MacBook Pro two years ago – the keyboard is comfortable and responsive (banishing the poor reputation older MacBook Pro keyboards suffered from), the Touch ID button lets you securely sign in and pay for things with a quick tap, and there’s an excellent array of ports (SDXC memory card slot, three Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, a full-sized HDMI port and headphone jack.

There was a fashion a few years ago to keep make laptops thinner and lighter, and that often came at the expense of ports. While that’s fine for regular laptops, for workstations where you’re likely going to want to plug in a lot of peripherals, such as hard drives, external monitors or projectors and memory cards, having only two USB-C ports, one of which often gets used to charge the laptop, just isn’t enough.

With the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3), you can leave pretty much all of your adapters at home, and plug everything directly in to the laptop – making it a far more convenient device for people who travel a lot. With the quality of the screen (I’ll get to that in a moment), six-speaker sound system, studio quality mics and 1080p FaceTime HD webcam, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) continues what I appreciated so much about the previous versions – that it offered excellent quality with its built in features which meant you didn’t necessarily have to plug in external screens, microphones or speakers, which gives a level of flexibility to creatives working in film, animation, music and photography.

The slimline bezels around the screen still feel nice and modern (just compare it to the older 13-inch MacBook Pro to see what a difference a thin frame around the display can make), and yes, the ‘notch’ around the webcam remains, dipping down into the menu bar at the top of the desktop. The controversy over this was overblown back in 2021 when it debuted with the new 16-inch model, and it remains a non-issue now. macOS Sonoma, like the previous versions of macOS, adapts to it well, moving menu items to either side of the notch, and with the large 16-inch screen, you really don’t notice it, as you get a large, unobscured workspace.

The 16.2-inch screen remains the best display you can get on a laptop, with a sharp 3456 x 2234 resolution and Liquid Retina XDR tech, offering 1,600 nits of peak brightness for incredibly vivid colors and dynamic range, especially with HDR footage. Mini-LEDs and local dimming help make dark scenes look absolutely superb, and the P3 wide color gamut and support for 1 billion colors allows for accurate tones that will be essential for video editors and photographers in particular.

Perhaps my favorite part of the 16-inch MacBook Pro’s screen (which is also found in the 14-inch model), is the ProMotion technology, which supports up to 120Hz refresh rates, and can automatically adjust that rate to match onscreen content. This can be particularly noticeable when scrolling though websites or documents. Text, images and even moving footage all scroll smoothly and remain visible no matter how fast you scroll up and down. TV shows and movies also benefit from this – as well as computer games. Apple has been keen to emphasise the M3 line up’s prowess when it comes to playing graphically-demanding games, and ProMotion is key selling point (high refresh rate screens are increasingly common in premium gaming laptops).

ProMotion also helps extend battery life of the MacBook Pro by reducing the refresh rate when it detects static content.

Finally, there’s a MagSafe 3 port for easily connecting (and safely disconnecting) the power supply. It’s good to have, especially if you forget the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) is plugged in and pull it away, as the charger will disconnect safely without damaging any ports. It also means you don’t lose one of the USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports when it needs to be charged – though you can use one of those ports to top up the battery if you leave your MagSafe 3 cable behind.

So, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) doesn’t do anything new design-wise, but that really isn’t a bad thing. Why tinker with such a great design? Sure, Apple could have added a touchscreen, or even *shudder* resurrect the Touch Bar above the keyboard, and at 1.62kg (3.6lbs), it is a heavy laptop to carry around, but honestly, this would just be tweaking for tweaking’s sake – and could come at a cost (such as dropping some of the ports for a lighter and thinner design). I don’t want Apple getting complacent, but for now, I am perfectly happy that the company has stuck to a tried-and-tested design.

Design score: 5/5

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3): Performance

Superb performance
Big leap over M1 Pro and M1 Max
Can play modern games

Apple made some big claims about the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips at its launch event in October, and it sent me the MacBook Pro 16-inch with the high-end M3 Max (with 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU) and 48GB of unified memory, which is the most expensive preconfigured MacBook Pro 16-inch you can buy.

There are less powerful models, and you can also configure the MacBook Pro 16-inch to come with more memory and SSD storage, and I recommend you think carefully about what configuration suits your needs. The model I received will be overkill for a lot of people, unless you’re planning on doing some seriously intensive workloads when it comes to graphics rendering and video, but as this is an Apple device, it’s notoriously impossible to upgrade yourself, which means the specs you choose before you buy are going to be the ones you’ll have to live with.

If you do go for a lower-specced model of the 16-inch MacBook Pro (M3), then you won’t get the exact experience I got with the highest-end model, but even at the lower specs, you’re going to get a very good experience.

According to Apple, the M3 Max inside the 16-inch MacBook Pro delivers up to 45% faster CPU performance than the M2 Max, and up to 20% faster graphics performance. That’s not a bad step up in just 9 months, and is probably enough of a gap to make M2 Max owners regret their purchase. However, it’s not enough to justify replacing an M2 Max model with the M3 Max – even if you get a good trade-in price.

Benchmarks

Here’s how the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

Cinebench R24 CPU: Single-Core: 140; Multi-Core: 13,122
Geekbench 6 Single-Core: 3,219; Multi-Core: 21,345
Blender: Monster: 207.7; Junkshop: 125.5; Classroom: 87.8
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 24 hours and 35 minutes

When it comes to the older M1 Max, the gap is more pronounced, with Apple claiming 80% faster CPU speeds, and 40% faster graphics performance. However, it’s clear that when Apple talks about performance gains, it really wants to address owners of Intel systems (be they older MacBooks or Windows 11 PCs), and here the performance gains are much larger, with Apple claiming the M3 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro is up to 5.3 times faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Pro.

That’s an impressive boast, but bear in mind that the last MacBook Pro to come with an Intel chip was back in 2020, but Apple is referring to the 2019 MacBook Pro 16-inch model, which came with a 9th generation Intel Core i9-9980HK in its top configuration.

In our own independent benchmark tests, we definitely saw a good leap between the M3 Max and M1 Max MacBook Pro 16-inches, with a 35% increase in Geekbench 6 in single core CPU performance, and a huge 69% increase in multi-core performance.

Cinebench R24 saw a similar leap, with a 25% gain in single-core performance, and 98.9% increase in multi-core. This tracks, with the M3 having more cores that perform better, so multi-core performance increases as you’d expect.

The GPU performance also brought big increases according to the Cinebench test, with a leap of 188% for the M3 Max. These are all very impressive results.

But what do they mean for real-world use? In our Handbrake encode test, where we take a 4K video and re-encode it at 1080p, the M1 Max completed the task at 61fps (frames per second), while the M3 Max did it at 107fps, an increase in 76.6%, and with the higher fps, the task completed much more quickly – and this is how the new M3 series of chips can impact you, as there’s a noticeable cut in the time it takes to complete workloads, especially graphics-intensive ones.

In my day-to-day use of the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3), I was really impressed with how fast macOS Sonoma ran, allowing me to have a large number of applications open and running at once, plus a Chrome browser full of open tabs. The performance of the MacBook Pro 16-inch with M3 Max makes working on the laptop fast and fluid, and again, it feels like it’s an experience that’s been designed to speed up workflows, especially for creatives. Opening up and editing 4K videos in Premier Pro was incredibly quick, and I was able to add effects and use AI-enabled tools and see the results instantly, rather than having to wait for scenes to render. By speeding up workflows like this, I was able to complete the editing much more quickly, and for professional video editors, this means projects can be completed faster, which could enable you to take on more work. Suddenly, this very expensive laptop looks more like a wise investment.

One of the most exciting developments with the M3 family of chips is Apple’s focus on gaming performance, and I was keen to put this to the test.

Running games such as Shadow of the Tomb Raider, I was able to get 108fps at the highest settings at 1200p resolution (twice what we managed on the M1 Max), and in Total War: Warhammer III, it hit 58.2fps.

I also loaded up Baldurs Gate 3, a turn-based RPG that’s just launched, and is a popular game with a version made for Apple’s M3 lineup. On the M3 Max-powered MacBook Pro 16-inch, the game looked fantastic, with many graphical settings on ‘Ultra’. The ProMotion display also puts in good work, allowing me to cap framerates at 120fps, and while I might not often hit that in a graphically-busy game like Baldurs Gate 3, the ability to reach higher frame rates makes for a much smoother experience. There were a few times when odd graphical glitches appeared, such as strange lines in shadows, but they were only temporary, and it could be down to driver support for the new M3 chips.

I also played Baldurs Gate 3 on the new iMac 24-inch (M3), and while it was nice to play on an iMac, the power difference was clear, as the graphical settings had to be lowered, and there were still hitches in performance.

The MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3), then, has the potential to rival many of the best gaming laptops based on this showing – and it even looks the part if you go for the Space Black color option. Impressively, while the fans did kick in, they never got as loud as most gaming laptops get when powering through games, though the part of the chassis just above the keyboard did get noticeably hot to touch while gaming.

Performance score: 5/5

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3): Battery life

Over 24 hours in benchmark test
Shorter for intensive tasks
Gaming drains it even faster

Since the switch to Apple silicon, the battery lives of all flavor of MacBook have been seriously impressive – especially the 16-inch models, which come with physically larger batteries, along with all the efficiency features of the M3 lineup.

Apple claims that the new MacBook Pro 16-inch ‘delivers that longest battery life ever in a Mac’, with a lithium-polymer battery with 100 watt-hours of capacity, offering up to 22 hours of video playback and 15 hours of web browsing.

In our battery life benchmark, where we ran a looped 1080p video until the MacBook Pro turned off, the battery lasted just over 24 hours – that’s incredibly impressive. Now it’s unlikely you’re going to be using the MacBook Pro 16-inch for just watching a local video file, but it shows how far we’ve come – the fact that such a powerful laptop with a relatively large and bright screen can hit those kind of numbers is a real credit to what Apple has achieved with its M3 lineup.

When using the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) for more intensive tasks, the battery will deplete faster, but during my time with it, I never felt the need to charge it halfway through a day. The performance also remained consistent whether the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) was plugged into the charger or not – which is definitely nice to see, as some laptops reduce performance when on battery power to lengthen the time before it needs to be charged.

When gaming on the battery, the battery depletes even faster, and if you're playing a graphically-intensive game, you're looking at around three to four hours of battery life. That may sound shocking for a MacBook, but even the best gaming laptops often only last that long.

With the 140W USB-C Power Adapter included in the review sample I received, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) charged up quickly, taking less than an hour to go from empty to 100%.

Battery life score: 5/5

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3): Should you buy it?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 Max (2023) review: the Mac gaming rig is here

5:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Macbooks | Tags: AAA, CPU, RAM, Tomb Raider | Comments: Off

Two-minute review

Spec Sheet

Here is the MacBook Pro (M3 Max, 2023) configuration sent to TechRadar for review:

CPU: Apple M3 Max (16-core)
Graphics: Integrated 40-core GPU
RAM: 64GB [Unified LPDDR5]
Screen: 14.2-inch, 3024 x 1964 Liquid Retina XDR display 600 nits (1,600 peak nits with HDR content) brightness, wide color P3 gamut
Storage: 2TB SSD
Ports: 3x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), 3.5mm headphone jack, MagSafe 3 charging port, SDXC, HDMI
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3
Camera: 1080p FaceTime HD webcam
Weight: 3.6 pounds / 1.24kg
Size: 12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches / 31.26 x 22.12 x 1.55cm; W x D x H)

The story of the new MacBook Pro 14 is less about a new laptop on the block than it is about Apple showcasing the raw power of Apple's newest silicon, the M3 chip. Stuffed inside my brooding Space Black portable is Apple's apex M3 processor, the M3 Max. I tell you this so that you don't mistakenly expect that your $1,599 / £1,699 / AU$2,699 MacBook Pro 14 with an M3 chip will provide the same performance as what's cooking on my $4,299 / £4,399 / AU$7,249 review unit.

The base-model M3 will still support hardware-based ray tracing and mesh shading. It'll still have that blazing-fast neural network. But you'll have many fewer CPU and GPU cores, and much less memory; the M3 Max model has 64GB. You're buying a casually powerful Pro system. The M3 Max MacBook Pro came to play hard and work hard (it's tough to say which it'll go at harder).

MacBook Pro 14 M3 Max (2023) REVIEW — (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

From the impressive design and materials (aluminum chassis with a brand-new anodizing technique for the Space Black finish that finally cuts down on fingerprints) to the expressive keyboard that is now my favorite MacBook typing experience, to a versatile macOS Sonoma platform that supports every activity from entertainment and gaming to email, web browsing, and intense photo and video work, there is not one hint of performance disappointment in this system.

It's without a doubt the best MacBook I've ever used, and I think it stands a chance of giving some of the best gaming laptops a real run for their money.

This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, an affordable laptop, and if you're looking for thin, light, relatively budget-friendly, and are not working on massive CAD files, 4K video streams, or playing the latest AAA games, then perhaps the still-stellar MacBook Air M2 (no M3 yet) is more your style, or even the MacBook Pro 14 with M3. As mentioned, that model starts at $1,599 / £1,699 / AU$2,699 – that's $100 cheaper than the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 in the US, but is also a reminder that there's no $1,299 tier in MacBook Pro space.

There's little doubt in my mind that the complete lineup of MacBook Pro 14 M3 machines, from the base M3 to the M3 Pro and this M3 Max, will take their places among the best laptops money can buy. And, yes, the MacBook Pro 14 M3 Max could also snare a spot on our best gaming laptops list.

MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3 Max, 2023) review: Price and availability

M3 range starts at $1,599 / £1,699 / AU$2,699
Tested model costs $4,299 / £4,399 / AU$7,249
No 13-inch option (which would have cost less)

Apple announced the new MacBook Pro 14-inch range at its October 30 Scary Fast event, alongside new 16-inch MacBook Pros. The 14-inch MacBook Pro now comes with a choice of M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips, the latest generation of Apple's own silicon. Meanwhile, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is only available with the higher-end (and more expensive) M3 Pro and M3 Max. There's also a new iMac 24 running on the base M3 SoC.

Preorders are live now, and the new M3 and M3 Pro MacBooks will go on sale and ship from November 7, while the M3 Max models will begin shipping later in November.

The MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 range starts at $1,599 / £1,699 / AU$2,699 (it's worth noting that Apple has discontinued the 13-inch MacBook Pro). As configured, our Space Black MacBook Pro 14-inch with an M3 Max SoC, 64GB of RAM and a 2TB hard drive has a list price of $4,299 / £4,399 / AU$7,249.

Price score: 4/5

MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3 Max, 2023) review: Design

Same design
More power squeezed into the same space and weight
An awesome new color option

Apple has changed virtually nothing about the MacBook Pro design from the 14-inch model it launched earlier this year with an M2 chip. The dimensions are the same, with a thickness of 0.61 inches / 1.55cm, a width of 12.31 inches / 31.26cm, and a depth of 8.71 inches / 22.12cm.

The weight is roughly the same, though the M3 Max 14-inch MacBook Pro is, at 3.6lbs / 1.24kg, the heaviest of the 14-inch bunch.

The screen size is the same, and on the M3 Max and M3 Pro 14-inch MacBooks the port placement is unchanged from the previous generation, as are the number and types of ports. You get three USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and a MagSafe charge port (if you opt for the base M3 model you only get two Thunderbolt ports)

If you stack the MacBook Air 13-inch M2 on top of the MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 Max, the latter doesn't look that much larger, but it is substantially thicker and heavier. When I opened it up to reveal that familiar Liquid Retina XDR display and backlit Magic Keyboard, I noted that the keyboard and trackpad are, from a size perspective, exactly the same as on the MacBook Air. Apple uses the extra chassis space on the Pro to accommodate a six-speaker system that's split to sit on either side of the keyboard; the larger chassis also provides just a bit more space to rest your palms.

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As with the previous 14-inch MacBook Pro, the matte keyboard feels as good as it looks. It's expansive, and there's enough key travel to make every touch sure and satisfying; it's a pleasure to type on. The power button still doubles as a Touch ID biometric scanner, which I use to unlock the laptop and sign into various online services. I still hope for the day that Apple introduces Face ID to the FaceTime camera notch that sits at the top of the display.

But enough about everything that's the same. I want to talk about the new Space Black finish. Sure, Apple has done colorful and even inspired finishes before, but I'd argue there's never been anything quite like the new Space Black finish on this new MacBook Pro 14 M3 Max (the 14-inch M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBooks are available in Space Black or silver, while the M3 model comes in Space Grey or silver).

It's not just black – it's a light-swallowing black. I noticed this when trying to photograph the new laptop, and watched as it basically devoured my studio lighting. The surface is just shy of being matte black, and that low reflectivity really stops the light from bouncing back at you. The new color gives the laptop a bold, aggressive, and no-nonsense look. I think any gamer would be proud to cart this laptop into their next tournament.

Apple has developed a new anodizing process for the Space Black color to create a fingerprint-resistant surface, and I can report that it did repel most of my handprints. That said, I have dry hands, and I did note that the sweatier the palm, the more visible the marks left on the laptop's surface, although even those fingerprints were faint. Just remember that this is a fingerprint-resistant MacBook Pro, not a fingerprint-proof one.

Design score: 5/5

MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3 Max, 2023) review: Display

Same resolution
Still excellent
It's brighter! (With standard imagery)

In typical fashion, Apple has managed to not change anything about its MacBook Pro Liquid Retina XDR display, but has still managed to squeeze some extra performance out of it thanks to the new and more efficient 3-nanometer M3 Max chip.

The screen has the exact same resolution as the last display panel (3024 x 1964), and the same one million-to-1 contrast ratio. Even the same peak brightness of 1,600 nits with HDR content is unchanged, although for day-to-day brightness with standard content we now get 600 nits, as opposed to the 500 nits on the last MacBook Pro.

MacBook Pro 14 M3 Max (2023) in use — (Image credit: Future)

In real-world use, I found that the MacBook Pro 14-inch with M3 Max is quite capable of beating back even direct sunlight; I'm convinced I could work pretty much anywhere on this laptop.

Overall, this is a beautiful screen. Thanks to bright colors and inky blacks, everything on it gets a premium look. Do I mind the FaceTime camera notch? Not really. Video usually plays in letterbox format and well below it, and it doesn't interfere with the business part of apps and web browsing. Even when I played games – and I played a lot of them – I didn't notice it.

Display score: 4.5/5

MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3 Max, 2023) review: Performance

Apple silicon at its finest
Good luck finding a task it can't handle
AAA gaming can chew through battery life

Benchmarks

Here’s how the MacBook Pro (M3 Max, 2023) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

Cinebench R24CPU: Single-core: 140; Multi-core: 1,588, GPU: 12791; MP Ratio: 10.94
Geekbench 6 Single-core: 3,160; Multi-core: 21,236; GPU Metal: 158,215; OpenCL: 92,159
Battery life: 10 to 12 hours with mixed use

I really like the way Apple makes its chip series more powerful. It uses a standardized architecture, and then wraps more and more cores around it. The benefit is that all systems running the base 3-nanometer process M3 SoC share the same impressive features, but some perform faster than others.

While the bare-bones M3 in the base-model MacBook Pro 14-inch (with one fewer Thunderbolt ports) has an 8-core CPU (four efficiency cores and four performance cores), and a 10-core GPU, the M3 Max chip in the machine I tested has a 16-core CPU and a 40-core GPU. According to Geekbench 6, the system is running a 4.1GHz (single-core) and an estimated 3.3GHz (multi-core).

I ran a lot of benchmarks for raw performance scores, because that's what you do. Unsurprisingly, the GeekBench 6 numbers were startling, and while Apple has taken pains to compare the base M3 to the three-year-old M1 performance, comparing my MacBook Air M2 to the M3 Max was a real eye-opener. Granted, the M3 Max and the base M2 are not really directly comparable, but I think these figures do give you a sense of why you might pay so much for an M3 Max system stuffed with, in my case, 64GB of unified memory (you can, by the way, get a more expensive system with up to 128GB of unified memory and 8TB of storage).

MacBook Pro 14 M3 Max Geekbench Benchmarks (Image credit: Future)

It's easy to forget that Apple silicon is running on the ARM-64 platform, and that not all MacOS apps run natively on it. The reason I often forget this? Everything works. There's never been a moment in my three years of experience with Apple silicon where the MacBook throws up its digital hands and says, "Sorry, I can't run this app." Part of this is down to the rapid adoption of Apple silicon by Apple partners, and also because the Rosetta 2 system (which can translate between x86 code and Apple silicon) runs quietly in the background, managing all apps that are still looking for an x86 platform.

Okay, the MacBook Pro 14 M3 Max is not perfect on the compatibility front. The x86-compatible Steam, which I used for most of my games, did crash. But weirdly, so did iMovie, repeatedly, and that's an ARM native, and later the ARM-friendly Adobe Photoshop 2024. At least the system as a whole never crashes, and doesn't even know the meaning of a blue screen.

Since we're mostly not thinking about compatibility, we can just focus on performance, and the M3 Max is stunning. To be clear, I'm not a professional video editor or doctor analyzing 3D MRI scans, but I did my best to press this system and found it shrugged off all tasks. I opened 40 or so browser tabs on both Safari and Chrome (normally a soul-crushing task for any system), launched Apple TV+, installed Steam, and then played Tomb Raider Legacy. I might as well have been composing something in Notes (oh, wait, I was doing that, too). I loaded up FinalCut Pro with 4K 30fps video as well as some 4K 24fps ProRes HDR content, and edited and manipulated them with ease.

While not visually evident, I think it's also safe to assume that some of the system's speed and ease with all these apps – often running concurrently – is the new Dynamic Caching technology. This is essentially a more efficient way of using available memory. Instead of X number of registers always being used for the same task, the system only applies the memory needed for each, explicit task. The result is a lot less wasted memory and more left over for managing other critical tasks.

Apple spent considerable time during its Scary Fast event telling us how it engineered the new M3 SoC with features specifically designed to handle graphics-intensive tasks like, obviously, AAA games. Hardware-based ray tracing and mesh shading might improve how some of your most expensive apps look, but we all know that it's really all about gaming.

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Naturally, I played some games. First, a few hours of the engaging Rise of Tomb Raider, which I will note is not that easy when you're using the keyboard. The eight-year-old game looked good, and gameplay was smooth and immersive. I usually wore my AirPods Pro (they connected instantly) so as to not annoy people around me.

Next, I installed Lies of P, a brand-new game seemingly inspired by Pinocchio, that is at home on all major consoles and now, thanks to Steam, the MacBook Pro, too.

It's a beautiful and quietly atmospheric game that starts in an old, deserted train station. Everything is rendered in such exquisite detail and, thanks to all the M3 Max's onboard graphics power, every surface looked about as real as they can in a game of this nature.

The system seemed to keep up with the action quite well (I played this game with a Bluetooth-connected PlayStation 5 controller; the system supports Bluetooth 5.3, which has just 100ms of latency). I used Terminal for a real-time view of Frame rates and found that, depending on the action, they bounced between 30 and 60fps. Action generally looked smooth in most sequences, including fast-paced puppet-on-puppet battles.

l also played Shadow of the Tomb Raider at the highest possible resolution of 3024 x 1964, and with every atmospheric element turned to the absolute highest. At times, the fans were so loud that they drowned out the game sounds, but the gameplay and graphics were all at their cinematic best, and in the game's benchmarks I could achieve 108fps at 1920 x 1200 mode and 56fps at the highest, native resolution settings. Pretty impressive.

When I cranked all of Total WarHammer III settings to, where possible, ultra, (with 1920 x 1220 resolution), the fan churned on high, and there was some object (or sprite) flickering in the benchmark test. But the detail was all there, and the system reported an average frame rate of 56.1. Then I reran the test at the MacBook Pro's highest native resolution. The gameplay looked even better, naturally, though, the fps dropped to 33.8.

I won't claim to be a hardcore gamer, but it's clear to me that game developers are now thinking about the Mac as a viable platform, using the Game Porting Toolkit Apple released at WWDC 2023 to bring AAA games to the platform on the same date they arrive on your best console. It's not just that the games arrive on the Mac; it's that they're as playable and as immersive as anything on a Windows 11 gaming rig.

Overall, a quick look at all the benchmarks comparing the M1 Max to this M3 Max system shows a quantum leap across every aspect of performance. And, yes, the single number that is lower, AI Turn Time in Civilization VI, is also an improvement, as it shows the system taking less time than before to make that turn.

MacBook Pro 14 M3 max benchmarks — (Image credit: Future)

Performance score: 5/5

MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3 Max, 2023) review: Audio and video

Thanks to the larger system chassis, Apple fits three speakers on either side of the keyboard that can produce loud, clear sound. I played a wide variety of music, video, and gaming content through them. It all sounded great, with voices sharp and high notes clear as a bell. What this sound system lacks, though, is any discernable bass. Now, I wouldn't really expect the MacBook Pro 14 M3 Max's relatively tiny speakers to provide chest-thumping sound. Still, when I played White Stripes Seven Nation Army and Eminem's Lose Yourself I was struck by how flat some of the drums and backbeats sounded. It's not completely devoid of the richness necessary to deliver a nice drum solo, but I found the base side a bit hollow, robbing the tunes of their head-banging essence.

Remarkably, the MacBook Pro 14 still ships with a 3.5mm headphone jack. I'm sure audio and video professionals use it in their work, but for most people, the support you'll find for your best AirPods Pros (especially the head-tracking spatial audio) will be more than enough in-ear audio support.

The MacBook Pro 14 M3 Max comes equipped with the same 1080 FaceTime camera as its predecessor. I can tell you that it gives your callers a nice clear view of you and, thanks to the new native Sonoma webcam features, I can use gestures to set off fireworks, drop confetti, pop up thumbs-up emojis, and release balloons during any video call. My wife wasn't as amused as I thought she'd be.

MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3 Max, 2023) review: Battery life

Rated for 18 hours
Lasted in our tests over 12 hours with varied use
Charges quickly

You may have read some reports that the new MacBook Pro can manage up to 22 hours of battery life. That's the promise for the 14-inch M3 model; however, for my more powerful and more power-hungry M3 Max 14-inch MacBook Pro, the maximum I can expect is 18 hours, and that's only if I do nothing but, say, stream virtually all episodes of Ted Lasso. The number drops down to 12 hours if I'm browsing the web over Wi-Fi. And, in my experience, the duration truly plummets if you play a AAA game like Lies of P or even Tomb Raider Legacy on battery power.

When I started playing the latter game I had about 73% battery life left. Within a couple of hours, it was below 20%. It's clear that the MacBook Pro 14 M3 Max will give you all the gaming power you want and need (I usually played in High Power mode), but there's probably also an assumption that you're playing while plugged in.

My average battery life has been roughly 12 hours of mixed use, which is a little bit less than I was expecting from this more efficient 3-nanometer SoC.

I do have some good news. Fast charging works as promised, and I topped off to 50% in 30 minutes using the included 96W charge adapter and the woven black USB-C-to-MagSafe cable that strikes a discordant note when plugged into the perfectly white adapter (I'm not sure why Apple didn't make that Space Black too).

Battery life score: 4/5

Should you buy the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3 Max, 2023)?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

First reviewed November 2023

Also consider...

If our Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 Max (2023) review has you considering other options, here are three more laptops to consider...

Testing scorecard

How we test

I've spent decades reviewing Apple products, including many of its laptops and desktop systems (I've used Macs on and off since 1985).

For this review, I spent many hours with Apple's newest MacBook Pro and what it says is the most powerful silicon it has ever produced. I did my best to run it through a variety of tasks and played multiple games on it. I also ran a battery of benchmark tests to assess raw performance. 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.

Read more about how we test

HP Dragonfly G4 review: the perfect travel laptop for professionals

4:00 pm | October 29, 2023

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

HP Dragonfly G4: One-minute review

A perfect laptop may not exist, but the mighty HP Dragonfly G4 sure comes pretty damn close.

One of the best thin and light laptops of 2023, this HP notebook is a bit of a rarity, being a business laptop that doesn’t feel bulky or business-y for that matter. In fact, it takes on an Ultrabook approach, with its thin and light form factor, sleek and stylish design, and battery life that will outlast your own. And it does that so well I would consider this among the best Ultrabooks I’ve tested.

That makes it the best laptop to take with you on business trips or if you’re traveling for a long period and need something with a lot of power.

The Dragonfly G4 also has very few faults. There are only two flaws I could think of – the subpar speakers and the missing SD card slot, and neither of those are deal-breakers.

That near-perfection will cost you a lot of money, however. Like many business laptops and Ultrabooks, this one has a high price of entry, one that most consumers won’t be too keen to pay. It may not strictly be a laptop for business professionals, but its steep price tag will certainly whittle down its list of potential buyers.

HP Dragonfly G4: Price & availability

How much does it cost? Starting at $1,760 / £1,439.99 / AU$2,735
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

I wish the price and availability of the HP Dragonfly G4 were more straightforward than it is, as only the base model sporting an Intel Core i5-1335U, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage and a 13.5-inch WUXGA+ touch screen is available across the US, UK, and Australia. No matter where you are, though, you’re going to spend quite a bit to get one of these, as that base configuration goes for $1,760 / £1,439.99 / AU$2,735.

The unit reviewed here will set you back even more at $2,279 (about £1,879 / AU$3,595). And that jump in price is just for an upgrade to the Intel Core i7-1365U. While this exact configuration, with 16GB RAM and 512GB to go along with that i7 processor, is not available in the UK or Australia, ones with the slightly weaker Intel Core i7-1355U are, and those go for £1,679.99 / AU$3,390.

To add to the confusion, US customers have the option of ordering a custom build. The starting price of the customizable version is $2,548 (about £2101 / AU$4019). And, that comes with a surprisingly smaller 256GB SSD, not to mention a non-touch display.

Though this laptop is quite expensive, it’s really typical with mobile workstations that manage to balance performance and a gorgeous display with portability. The Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (2023), for instance, starts at $1,999 / £2,149 / AU$3,199. It comes with the M2 Pro SoC, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, and a Liquid Retina XDR display. Of course, you’ll have to transition to the Apple ecosystem, which comes with its own benefits and limitations. Plus, any kind of hardware upgrades come at significant cost; the max configuration will cost you a whopping $3,099 / £3,349 / AU$4,999.

That said, the Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) also hits a lot of the same marks and starts at a significantly lower price for its base model. For $1,249 / £1,198.99 / AU$2,398, you get an Intel Core i5-1340P, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD, along with a gorgeous 13.4-inch FHD+ OLED touch display. You can spend a little more at $1,499 / £1,719.38 / AU$3,281.30 and upgrade to a 3.5K OLED touchscreen along with an Intel Core i7-1360P and 32GB RAM. However, the Dell comes with a somewhat disappointing seven-hour battery life compared to the HP Dragonfly G4’s almost 13 hours of power.

Price score: 3.5 / 5

HP Dragonfly G4: Specs

The HP Dragonfly G4 comes in four configurations, with the base model fitted with an i5-1335U, 16GB RAM, and 512GB storage and our review model coming with an i7-1365U and the same memory and storage.

It’s a bit of a tricky one, however. The highest (and by that, I mean, the priciest) model comes with the same chip and RAM as the base and has half its storage capacity. The price difference, we’re speculating, may be due to the fact that it has Windows 11 Pro 64 installed, a version of the OS designed specifically for businesses.

To complicate things further, if you opt for a custom build, you may have to pay more. That’s even if you get a lower storage capacity. Be aware that some configurations only come with a non-touchscreen display; if you want a touch display, be sure to double-check that it’s what you’re getting before you commit.

HP Dragonfly G4 on the author's coffee table — (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

HP Dragonfly G4: Design

Portable, lightweight and robust
Great-feeling keyboard, responsive trackpad
Excellent port selection

I cannot talk up the HP Dragonfly G4 enough, especially when it comes to its design and build. This clamshell laptop is made for travel or hybrid work, with its lightweight yet robust design that makes it the ideal travel or commute companion.

I took it on a month-long trip around Europe, moving from one city to another with it in my backpack, and it not only survived – it thrived. And that was even after being squished inside the laptop compartment regularly. Even its premium-feeling outer shell, made of 90% recycled magnesium that helps keep its weight down to under 2.5 pounds, got away without any scratches. That’s really impressive considering that I took it out on trains and planes to squeeze in a bit of work. Meanwhile, the hinge is pretty robust and keeps that display stable.

Its portable nature isn’t just based on its weight alone. This 13-inch device is sleek and thin, making it so much easier not just to carry around but also to handle. It may not be as portable as a tablet, but its form factor did make me think more than once that I might as well be holding a tablet with a keyboard folio attached.

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Popping it open, you’ll notice that everything is nicely centered – so much so it would make Wes Anderson proud. I absolutely despise laptops with a trackpad that sits more on the left, for example, because while I do see the purpose of that alignment, it just wasn’t something I could get used to. Fortunately, I don’t have to worry about that here. Even the speaker above the keyboard is nicely aligned to it.

Speaking of the keyboard, it’s incredibly comfortable and satisfying to type on. While the tiniest bit squishy with keycaps that are on the smaller side, I didn’t experience any missed or wrong presses during my time with it – and I’ve clocked in more than 40 hours a week on it. The trackpad also feels premium and responsive, with good, if not perfect, palm rejection.

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Finally, there’s a great selection of ports here, especially for a small laptop. The Dragonfly G4 comes with two Thunderbolt 4 with USB-Cs, one USB Type-A with Power Delivery, an HDMI 2.1 port, a headphone / mic combo jack, and Nano lock slot. These are basically all the ports I need to stay productive all day long.

Design score: 5 / 5

HP Dragonfly G4: Performance

Fast, real-world performance and stays cool under pressure
Gorgeous display for productivity
Great webcam and dual-camera feature

HP Dragonfly G4: Laptop benchmarks

Here's how the HP Dragonfly G4 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Night Raid: 14,453; Fire Strike: 4,326; Time Spy: 1,590
GeekBench 6: 2,215 (single-core); 7,408 (multi-core)
25GB File Copy: 735.7MBps
Handbrake 1.6: 12:41
CrossMark: Overall: 1,357 Productivity: 1,344 Creativity: 1,415 Responsiveness: 1,231
Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm: 27.36 fps
Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 12 hours and 44 mins

On paper, the HP Dragonfly G4 looks a little underwhelming, performance-wise. Comparing its benchmark results with its predecessor and a similarly specced Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 4, it got lower scores on the Crossmark test, as well as only very slightly better scores than the Dragonfly G3 on Geekbench in both single- and multi-core performance as well as Handbrake 1.6.

While that is slightly disappointing, coupled with the fact that it can get a little loud when pushed, its real-world performance matters more, and that’s where it shines. Slow-downs weren’t a thing with this laptop even when I’ve had 25 tabs open on Chrome, several Windows apps running, and I've been editing batches of high-resolution images on Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom all at the same time.

In fact, I can’t recall a time when this laptop even struggled. It manages to export 10 or more edited RAW images from Lightroom to JPEG in no time, while handling other apps and an overloaded Chrome window. And that’s all while keeping things surprisingly cool – a noteworthy feat considering its thin chassis. It does get slightly warm, but not too warm to sit on your legs when you’re working on the couch.

The speakers are nothing to write home about, with its mids a bit recessed so you’re not really getting richer and fuller sound, and the low end being underwhelming. However, audio quality is only slightly better than that on most laptops anyway, so it’s hard to fault it for that.

The 13-inch 1280p display is an absolute stunner, giving out a bit of extra real estate for productivity and then blasting your eyeballs (in a good way) with 391 nits of brightness, 113.3% sRGB coverage, and an average Delta-E color accuracy of 0.14 (these numbers are based on our benchmark results). It’s actually a slight improvement over the laptop’s predecessor, the HP Elite Dragonfly G3. The paltry 80.2% DCI-P3 coverage, however, means that this isn’t going to be the best for cinematic video editing.

The Mixer feature in myHP app lets you use the laptop’s built-in webcam and a second webcam simultaneously, with the option to automatically switch from one webcam view to another using face tracking. Auto switching isn’t as fast, but it does work well and is useful if you have a multi-display setup. The app also offers 2160p 4K resolution, and not just for the built-in camera, for sharper video feeds, as well as a slew of tools like saving the footage as PDF, snapping stills, starting a livestream, auto framing, and picture enhancements.

The webcam’s footage itself is clean and crisp, with good dynamic range so that the highlights are not overblown. It comes with an anti-flicker feature on the myHP app but the movements are still not the smoothest at times. Overall, though, the picture quality is excellent, just what you’d need for professional-looking footage during video meetings with clients and colleagues.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

HP Dragonfly G4: Battery

Lasts you more than a whole work day
Just under 13 hours in our benchmark

On the battery front, the HP Dragonfly G4 delivers exactly what professionals want from their work or business laptop. I was actually surprised the first couple of times I used it for work, as it lasted me an entire work day and then some. That’s partly thanks to the Intel Core i7-1365U powering it, a very power-efficient chip that consumes very little energy with its TDP of 15 W.

I’ve talked about how the Dragonfly G4 is the near-perfect laptop for traveling professionals and business pros who regularly travel for work, and its longevity only contributes to that. Traveling with it for a month around southern Europe and northern Africa was extremely convenient, as I only needed to charge it after a full day’s work – at times, longer, depending on my usage. What’s more, I could charge overnight, use it on a long-haul flight or an all-day train ride, and never have to worry about running out of juice, indirectly affecting my productivity.

Indeed, this is backed by our benchmark. Our Web Surfing (Battery Informant) test yielded an average of 12 hours and 44 minutes of battery life, at times lasting a little over 13 hours. That isn’t as long as the MacBook Pro 14-inch (2023), but that still gives you an entire workday at full charge, if you’re the type to typically put in more than nine hours.

Battery score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the HP Dragonfly G4?

Buy it if...

You need a business or work laptop for travel or hybrid work

The HP Dragonfly G4 is incredibly lightweight, portable, and robust – making it the perfect travel companion whether you regularly travel for work or are living the digital nomadic life.

You want a powerful laptop that will last you an entire workday

This Windows laptop is a powerful portable machine, but it’s power-efficient as well, with up to 13 hours of battery life. Plus it keeps cool under pressure.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a budget

The Dragonfly G4 is very expensive, so if money is tight, I would look elsewhere. There are other great work laptops out there that won’t break the bank (see below).

HP Dragonfly G4: Also consider

If the HP Dragonfly G4 has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...

How I tested the HP Dragonfly G4

I tested it for a month while traveling around Europe
I used it as my main work laptop and for media consumption
We ran our usual suite of standardized benchmarks

Due to its thin and lightweight design, I decided to take the HP Dragonfly G4 with me on my month-long trip around Europe and northern Africa, during which I was working remotely. So, it served as my only work computer as well as my main tool for streaming movies and shows for that entire month, doing my day-to-day tasks on it that also include editing high-resolution images on Photoshop and Lightroom.

Apart from my real-world testing, our testing team also ran our suite of standardized benchmarks on it to assess its CPU and graphical performance as well as its display and battery life.

With years of extensive experience testing and reviewing laptops, and as one of the Computing editors at TechRadar, I have all the right tools to determine whether or not a laptop is worth your time and money. You can trust me to put them through their paces and make the right recommendations.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2023

HP Omen 16 review: a great mid-ranger held back by some design quirks

11:14 am | October 27, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Laptops | Tags: Final Fantasy, Mortal Kombat | Comments: Off

HP Omen 16: Two-minute review

Shopping for laptops can be difficult. You have to ask yourself so many questions just so you have an idea of what you're looking for. Do you want the best laptop out there or do you want something more run-of-the-mill for work? Or maybe you prefer a gaming rig? If you find yourself agonizing over the right laptop, allow me to introduce the HP Omen 16.

It's a slim, lightweight laptop able to fit snuggly in almost any bag. You can lug it around and hardly know it's there. I used it as my main computer for everyday work for a few weeks. Typing on the keyboard was quite pleasant since the keys have a nice, springy feel to them and the deep travel distance made it easy on my hands. The touchpad itself sports a smooth, responsive, enjoyably clicky feel. And its large size makes it great for productivity.

My review unit had an AMD Ryzen 7-7840HS processor paired up with a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card. Although it comes equipped with a low-end model from the GeForce 40 series, the performance of the Omen 16 was still phenomenal. Its matte Shadow Black color is a real head-turner, I have to say. The deep black is a great backdrop for the RGB lights and the stunning Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixel) resolution display.

Speaking of the screen, there's a problem with it that I find baffling. The bottom of the screen has a huge, 1.5-inch bezel taking up a large amount of space. The laptop's display is 16 inches and that bezel cuts in way too much for my liking. Also, the colors look muted on this - not sure why this is the case. I think it could be because the anti-coating on the glass is getting in the way, or maybe the Omen 16 doesn't properly offer all of the DCI-P3 color gamut. You can bump up the brightness and saturation via the on-device Omen app, but it can only do so much.

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HP Omen 16 facing forward — (Image credit: Future)

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HP Omen 16 keyboard glowing at night — (Image credit: Future)

But despite all the complaints I have, I would argue that the Omen 16 has a place among our list of the best gaming laptops. If you look at the ranking, the Omen 16 takes some of the best parts of those entries for itself. It's great at being a work/gaming laptop hybrid. If you need an all-rounder, this might just be the best computer out there.

Despite my recommendation, it does have questionable design choices that may make or break it for some people out there. Don't get me wrong: I liked it a lot, but certain things do frustrate me.

HP Omen 16: Price & availability

How much does it cost? Prices start at $1,269.99
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Dell's website/Best Buy

With prices starting at $1,270, the HP Omen 16 is a well-priced gaming laptop especially if you plan on using it for other workloads. Gaming hardware can be handy in helping professional video editors in their work or developers render projects. It's able to handle intense visual workloads with aplomb. However, if you have to do color-sensitive work, this computer isn't the best choice. As stated earlier, colors can look dull on the screen.

Low-end models come with a GeForce RTX 4050 while the high-end configurations come with the more powerful GeForce RTX 4070. Sure, the high model capping out with a GeForce RTX 4070 GPU may disappoint some. But considering the price point, I think it's a fair tradeoff.

Price score: 4 / 5

HP M16: Specs

The HP Omen 16 is available in four different configurations, with the base model coming with an AMD Ryzen 5-7640HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050, and 512GB of storage.

HP Omen 16: Design

Comfortable keyboard
Robust ventilation
Little storage space

HP made some interesting design choices with the Omen 16. Most of them are great, some not so much.

It features a 75 percent keyboard meaning it's your standard tenkeyless layout with directional and navigation keys on the side. As stated earlier, typing on it felt pretty nice thanks to its springy feel. Structure-wise, the laptop as a whole is quite solid so it can survive a bit of rough handling. I should mention the keys are quiet. They lack the clicky or tactile feel of a traditional gaming keyboard.

One of the areas the Omen 16 impressed was its cooling system. Heat sinks are located on the sides, rear, and underneath the laptop. What's more the Omen 16 stands on slightly raised feet ensuring good airflow. During the majority of my time using the Omen 16, it never once got hot. It did get a little warm a few times, but that was because it was charging. No matter how hard I pushed the machine, it never got uncomfortably hot which is wonderful. I've typed on gaming laptops that got so hot I had to stop. It was awful. I'm very happy to not have had that experience with the Omen 16.

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HP Omen 16 keyboard — (Image credit: Future)

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HP Omen 16 USB-A port — (Image credit: Future)

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HP Omen 16 rear ports — (Image credit: Future)

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HP Omen 16 USB-C ports — (Image credit: Future)

Additionally, I enjoy the array of ports present on the laptop. Each model comes with two USB-C ports, two USB-As, a headphone jack, an HDMI port, and an ethernet input. All these are situated on the sides and back of the Omen 16, which I appreciated; I didn't have to deal with the cables becoming intertwined with each other.

What I am not a fan of is the storage space. 512GB for three of the four primary configurations just doesn't cut it nowadays, especially when you realize how some AAA games take up over 100GB of storage space. With so many big games coming out every year, players need more. I need more. 1TB would've been more appropriate for everything above the entry-level model.

Design score: 3.5 / 5

HP Omen 16: Performance

Great performance
High refresh rate
Easy on the eyes

HP Omen 16: Benchmarks

Here's how the HP Omen 16 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Night Raid: 58,705; Fire Strike: 26,797; Time Spy: 11,141; Port Royal: 7,003
GeekBench 5: 1,993 (single-core); 11,377 (multi-core)
Geekbench 6: 12,097 (multi-core)
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 91 fps; (1080p, Low): 205 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 82 fps; (1080p, Low): 128 fps
Dirt 5 (1080p, Ultra): 103 fps; (1080p, Low): 189 fps
PCMark 10 Battery Life: 2 hours

If you look at our benchmark results across several tests, you can see Omen 16 is pulling some big numbers, but are they good? Yes. In fact, they're very good. To put it all into perspective, let's take a look at a similarly sized gaming laptop — the Alienware M16. If you compare the benchmarks, you'll notice HP's device outperforms in several areas. It was able to achieve higher framerates than the Alienware in every listed game at 1080p Ultra resolution. The Omen 16 did better than a computer that already had very high scores.

This power is thanks to the internal Ryzen 9 processor, GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, and 16 GB of RAM. This hardware combination results in a 165Hz refresh rate which is a perfect number for competitive play. If you're someone who enjoys climbing the leaderboards on your favorite game, you should be smiling from ear to ear looking at that number.

During my testing period, I played several rounds of the Mortal Kombat 1. Fighting games necessitate having a high frame rate. You need to be able to see your opponent's attack coming, so you can adequately respond with your own combo. To have a high FPS (frames per second), you need a high refresh rate to allow smooth, lifelike animations. Because the visuals were so clear and stable, I was able to keep up my corner combos with Reptile. I knew exactly when to throw out a punch or force ball keeping my opponent pinned to the wall. This is all due to that stellar refresh rate.

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HP Omen 16 on table — (Image credit: Future)

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HP Omen 16 closed — (Image credit: Future)

Additionally, the powerful hardware greatly increases the immersion. Mortal Kombat 1 features amazing-looking stages and I was able to truly enjoy every bit of detail NetherRealm Studios (the game's developer) put into the title. The Flesh Pits looked absolutely horrifying on the screen seeing all the body parts strung from the ceiling on chains. Conversely, stages like Sindel's Palace look beautiful with the light leaking through giving the area an ethereal look.

Things could be better, admittedly. The screen peaks at Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels). That is a perfectly good resolution, don't get me wrong. Games will look great, but it won't be winning any awards either.

Outside of gaming, the HP Omen 16 runs well as a day-to-day computer. I should note the screen is Eyesafe Certified which is great for someone like me who spends hours in front of a screen. This tech lowers the amount of blue light your eyes receive to lessen fatigue. Also, the laptop comes with a 1080p webcam — great for streamers or people who want to look good in Zoom calls.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

HP Omen 16: Battery life

Doesn't last long while gaming
Doesn't last long while working

I strongly recommend keeping the charger close at hand, because the Omen 16's battery doesn't last very long. The short battery life is, without a doubt, the laptop's biggest flaw.

As part of testing, I played Final Fantasy 14 with its in-game settings maxed out and performance further boosted via the Omen Gaming Hub app. It lasted about an hour and a half before it completely died on me. That amount of time shocked me because the game is a decade old. I didn't think a 10-year title would draw so much power that the battery drains completely in less time than it takes to kill a raid boss. I figured since the game is pretty old at this point it wouldn't be a huge burden. I guess I was wrong.

When it comes to less intense workloads, the Omen 16 does last a lot longer but not by much. It lasted about three and a half hours, nearly four before I had to run off and grab the charger. This is with Battery Saver as well as Eco Mode turned on. On average, it lasts about two hours. The machine performs well, but it has low stamina.

Battery score: 1 / 5

Should you buy the HP Omen 16?

Buy it if...

You want an affordable gaming laptop
The Omen 16 offers great performance at a mid-range level price.

You want a well-performing laptop
Although it may not have the greatest hardware, the Omen 16 can still churn out high-quality gaming.

Don't buy it if...

You want a long battery life
The HP Omen 16 struggles to last longer than an hour and a half while gaming - poor even for a gaming laptop.

HP Omen 16: Also consider

If you're curious about other options for the HP Omen 16. there are a couple you should consider...

How I tested the HP Omen 16

Tested the laptop over the course of two and a half weeks
Used it for both work and gaming
Ran it through several stress tests

I tested the HP Omen 16 for about two and a half weeks in various use cases. Half of the time was spent using the Omen 16 for everyday things like responding to emails, writing, and watching videos. I wanted to see how the laptop performs on a light workload.

Besides that, I spent several hours gaming on, trying out recent and older titles. Final Fantasy 14 was one of those titles. I wanted to see how well the Omen 16 boosted the performance of a 10-year-old game. As stated earlier, I tried out Mortal Kombat 1 plus Monster Hunter Rise. I wanted to the high refresh rate in action. Those titles are games where smooth character animations matter immensely.

Of course, the team at TechRadar ran the Omen 16 through several benchmark tests to see how it performs while firing on all cylinders, too.

Read more about how we test

Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe review: more spacious and more protective than it looks

6:00 pm | October 24, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops | Tags: Harry Potter | Comments: Off

Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe: two-minute review

In a way, the Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe kind of reminds me of Hermione’s beaded handbag in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. You know, the one that’s small on the outside but is so big on the inside, she was able to fit a bunch of clothes, potions, books, and even a tent.

That isn’t to say that the Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe is magical in any way, but the fact that it’s so deceptively small and compact is impressive – and something that someone like me (a tiny person who once drew the concern of an old woman on a train to Budapest because of how massive my pack looked on me) – can very much appreciate.

Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe on the reviewer's couch — (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

The first time I took this backpack out of its packaging, I was in all honesty skeptical. I was about to embark on a month-long trip around Spain and Morocco, and I was planning on using it as my carry-on so I’d have something to put some of my essentials in. However, at mere 10.6 x 5.12 x 17.3 in (27 x 13 x 44 cm), it didn’t look like it could fit my work devices, my toiletries, and enough clothes to last me a few days just in case my checked bag got lost in transit.

So imagine my surprise when I realized it could fit all that and then some – by some, I mean my full-frame mirrorless camera, a portable fan, a rain jacket, and a throw blanket too. And that’s just one of its many, many merits.

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Now, I just don’t hand out five out of five ratings casually, and I’m not saying that the Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe is THE backpack to rule them all (though it has proven itself among the best laptop bags and best backpacks we’ve tested to date). I think that the luggage pass-through in the back could have been slightly bigger – the way it is now, you have to put in a little bit of effort to slot it through a luggage handle.

It also could use more pockets for better organization. It only has five, if you don’t count the rear laptop compartment – a front pocket, a smaller mesh pocket in the main compartment, a padded laptop sleeve also in the main compartment, a stretch water bottle pocket on the side, and a tiny slot for a charging cable. Finally, and this might just be me being a little nitpicky, rear loading straps or a bottom compartment for shoes would have been nice.

Still, it’s hard to complain when you’ve already got a near-perfect laptop backpack in your hands. And it’s more than just because it’s capable of fitting all your devices and everything you need for a long weekend away while staying beautifully compact.

At only 2.2 pounds (under 1kg), it’s one of the most lightweight premium backpacks we’ve tested here – something you’ll appreciate when you’re already lugging several pounds of weight while trying to catch a train during your daily commute or trudging on hilly streets while dragging your suitcase behind you. Adding to your comfort are those thick, padded straps that help spread the weight around your shoulders and do not dig into your skin, as well as its nicely padded back that is kind to your back – not to mention, your laptop.

The 18L Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe’s main compartment is expandable, which explains how I was able to fit several days’ worth of clothes in there on top of my toiletries, make-up and devices, while the external compression straps allowed me to scrunch the backpack even when it’s at its capacity, keeping it compact-looking. And while I still think it could use more pockets, the ones it does have still allowed me to keep things organized, with my chargers, cables and small devices in the front, the personal items I needed easy access to in the top mesh pocket inside the main compartment, and the things I needed super quick access to (like my portable fan – a lifesaver when you’re traveling in humid Andalucia in the summer) in the water bottle compartment.

My constant concern about backpacks are pickpockets, but I quickly found out that you need not worry about your things in this one. Made of premium and hearty materials that are, by the way, so very easy to clean, this pack is so robust, pickpockets will have a hard time slashing its front or side open. Plus, its front pocket zipper has been thoughtfully installed in a way that makes it tricky for just anyone to slide it open. That can be a double-edged sword, as you may have a hard time opening and closing it when the pack is at full capacity, but I’d rather be inconvenienced a little than have my things stolen.

A surprise feature (to me) was its waterproofing. I didn’t know it was waterproofed until I found myself caught in a heavy downpour for a few hours in Cordoba, Spain. I was forced to walk twenty minutes from the train station to the Airbnb my friend and I had rented, then wait a couple more hours in the rain with nothing but a tree to shelter me, the whole time dreading the fate of my laptop. Luckily, this pack held up its end of the bargain, keeping all my belongings safe and dry. Nary a drop leaked, even through its zippers!

Without a doubt, the Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe not only delivers as promised but also goes above and beyond its call of duty. I’m supposed to test a few more laptop bags, but if I’m being honest, I’m not sure if I want to swap this one out for others.

Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe: Price

How much does it cost? $139 / £149 (about AU$220)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

Available in Eco Black Deluxe, Eco Nightfall, Eco Static, and Eco Titanium colorways, the Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe will set you back $139 / £149 (about AU$220). And it’s worth every penny! Budget-minded consumers might feel that paying more than $100 / £100 is too much, but trust me, this backpack is going to last you a while and can be used for most of your carrying needs (outside of a cocktail party, a formal event, or a small bags only concert).

Plus, in comparison to other premium packs, it’s actually decently-priced. The Mous 25L pack, for example, will cost you $279.99 / £219.99 / AU$430 while the The 20L Peak Design Everyday Backpack V2 will set you back $260 / £192 / AU$355. Granted, these have a slightly higher capacity, but that’s still a massive jump in price.

Value: 5 / 5

Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe: Specs

Should you buy the Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe?

Buy it if...

You want a spacious backpack that doesn’t look massive
While small and compact, the Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe can fit a lot – enough for a long weekend trip with devices included and definitely more than enough for your daily work commute.

You’re looking for a robust, waterproof backpack
This has kept my belongings dry after a few hours of heavy downpour in Spain, and it will certainly do so during your few minutes’ walk from the station or home to your office.

You need one pack for most needs
It’s a city commuter backpack, but it’s great as a travel carry-on, as well as for school, events, and even an outdoor movie picnic.

Don't buy it if...

You need more pockets
This takes on a more minimalist approach in terms of organization. If you need something with more pockets, look elsewhere.

You want a bigger backpack
With an 18L capacity, this is more than enough for most people’s needs. But if you need a bigger capacity pack, explore other options.

Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe: Also consider

How I tested the Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe

Tested it for a month
Used it as my work pack and my carry-on during a month-long trip
Put its features through their paces, including its waterproofing capability

Taking the Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe with me on my month-long trip around Europe, I used it as my carry-on while traveling around Spain and Morocco, and as my work backpack when I would come into the office while in London.

During this time, I was able to really put it to the test, gauging its comfort especially when I’m lugging it during transfers or when I’m moving from one destination to another, its capacity as I stuff it to its full capacity, and its durability. I was able to also test its waterproofing after being caught in a downpour for a few hours.

I’ve been testing and reviewing devices and accessories for about 10 years now. Not only do I have plenty of experience with them, but I know what makes the best ones tick and can intuitively tell you which ones are not worth your time and money.

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.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2023

First reviewed July 2023

Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023) review: a purposefully improved update

4:30 pm | October 14, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops | Tags: AAA, Forza Horizon | Comments: Off

Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023): Two-minute review

The Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023) was praised for its outstanding performance power within a chassis that was only a bit above five pounds in our review last year. There were a few compromises made in making this one of the best gaming laptops available. For the latest iteration of the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i, there are some adequate updates in both power and performance with some caveats including the uncomfortably huge packed-in power brick. Meanwhile, the gaming laptop manages to even weigh a bit lighter than its predecessor as well at a little under five pounds.

Though the Legion Slim 7i may struggle with native 4K resolutions, it shines exceptionally in the 1440p range. This means graphically intensive games ranging from Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield and the likes run wonderfully. Be mindful that those types of power pushing tasks will have the cooling system fans run noticeably louder than they already do at menial tasks like web browsing. Battery life is slightly above average and won’t last more than 7 hours which is good for a coastal trip. It also means that the gaming laptop won’t survive playing games with higher visual fidelity without the power supply.

Packed into this year’s Legion Slim 7i is a 14 core 13th gen Intel i9, 16GB DDR5 RAM, Nvidia RTX 4070 and 1TB SSD storage. There’s also an impressive audio/visual package thanks to the beautiful 16-inch 2560 X 1600 display offering a 240Hz refresh rate and great Harman speakers as well. Other carryovers from the previous version include an individually per-key lit RGB keyboard alongside generous port selection. Packed in apps like Lenovo Vantage are totally fine for customizing one’s experience but other apps like Legion Arena and WebAdviser feel like unnecessary bloatware.

Not much has improved significantly with the latest Legion Slim 7i and that’s totally fine. What has changed is that it’s incrementally more powerful and lighter which means more than anything. Simply put, this is one of the best thin and light gaming laptops released this year.

Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023): Price & availability

How much does it cost? Starting at $1,499.99 / £1,820 / AU$2,719
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

Depending on the territory one is in, there are going to be various pricing options for the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023). In the United States, there are three configurations available alongside the ability to customizable a build. The review spec version I receive will run potential buyers around $1,749.

There are more affordable options around $1,499 that includes a 13th gen Intel i7, Nvidia RTX 4060, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD storage with ability to bump that down to 512GB SSD for around $50 less. At the highest $2,211 tier, the customizable build includes everything in the review build alongside the ability to push the RAM up to 32GB and a better 3200 x 2000 display with 165Hz refresh rate.

In the UK, there’s a £1,980 pre-build that features a 13th Gen Intel i9, 32GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 4070, 1TB SSD storage and the 3200 x 2000 display. The other customizable configurations are split between £1,820.00 - £2,300.00 with the two similar Intel CPU, RAM, storage, GPU and display options similar to the U.S. Regardless of which of the $2,719 singular pre-built or two customizable builds between $3,089 and $3,799, they all come with the 3200 x 2000 display at 165Hz refresh rate. The pre-build comes with Intel i7, 32GB, Nvidia RTX 4060 and 1TB SSD.

The Legion Slim 7i is definitely less expensive than Razer Blade 14 or MSI Stealth GS66 while offering similar power. Within the realm of slim form gaming laptops, it’s safe to call it one of the most approachable when it comes to price.

Price score: 4.5 / 5

Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023): Specs

My review configuration of the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023) sits in the middle price wise at $1749 and features a Intel i9 CPU, NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD storage and 16-inch WQXGA display with a 240Hz refresh rate.

The cheapest configuration Intel i7 CPU, NVIDIA RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 512GB SSD storage and same 16-inch display that comes in the review configuration. Potential buyers with a bit more expendable cash can look toward a customizable version that’ll cost around $2,211. This comes with everything in the review configuration in addition to 32GB DDR RAM and 16-inch 3.2K display at a 165Hz refresh rate.

Outside of different choices in CPU, GPU, RAM and SSD storage, one of the most notable difference is the ability to choose between two different 16-inch displays. One being the standard WQXGA (2560 x 1600 resolution) pumping out 240Hz refresh rates and 3.2K (3200 x 2000 resolution) at a refresh rate of 165Hz. Legion has a configuration tool to create the best set-up for buyers as well.

Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023): Design

More lightweight than ever notwithstanding power increase
Adequate port selection
Awesome RGB keyboard that’s beautifully lit

Like its predecessor, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023) balances both form and function when it comes to overall design. When closed, it’s really easy to appreciate the all-metal chassis made from sandblasted aluminum and magnesium. The Legion Slim 7i provides a quality finish that doesn’t smudge yet feels like it’s noticeably tough when it comes to chassis build.

Port placement has changed slightly but feels overall familiar compared to last year’s model. In the lower rear is an HDMI port and three USB-A ports. There’s also a power port that connects to a large power brick that’s still a bit unwieldy and feels heavier than the laptop itself. For added measure, the rear ports feature light-up icons on the top of the laptop’s bottom as the display itself is offset about an inch from them. Some of the smaller changes to the port layout take place on the side, the audio jack is on the left side near the dual USB-C ports. On the left side is the SD slot for content creators and camera shutter for privacy. When closed it’s about less than an inch as well.

When opened, the Legion Slim 7i still features the power button/fingerprint scanner sitting in the middle of the Harmen speakers. The audio quality of the speakers sounds good when listening to music, gaming or watching video content. However, playing graphically intensive games will ensure the cooling fans are running at full blast. This means it’ll probably be best to have a pair of headphones handy.

The display itself is a joy to look at with beautifully bold colors, deep blacks and respectable brightness. On top of the display is a 1080p webcam that also features dual microphones as well which is solid for video conferencing and probably streaming with the right backlighting. Below that is the wonderfully lit per-key RGB keyboard that feels comfortable to use when typing documents or gaming. The trackpad below feels smooth to the touch when moving the cursor around and offers a nice tactile click when pressed in.

All of this comes in a slim package that fits well in even a backpack or briefcase. If anything, the power brick really hurts portability. Laying down or on the lap, the Legion Slim 7i doesn’t feel uncomfortable to use for long periods of time.

Design score: 4 / 5

Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023): Performance

Can run most AAA games at native 1440p range with max settings well
Runs well with creative based software
Don’t expect to make total use of the 240Hz on visually intensive games
Cooling fans are incredibly loud

Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023): Laptop benchmarks

Here's how the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i: Benchmarks performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Night Raid: 61244 ; Fire Strike: 25797; Time Spy: 12202
GeekBench 6: 2653 (single-core); 2653 (multi-core)
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition (1080p, Extreme): 49.11 fps; (1080p, High): 93.73 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 88.23fps; (1080p, Low): 125.12fps
Dirt 5 (1920x1200, Ultra): 103.90fps; (1920x1200, Low): 213.00fps
25GB File Copy: 2006.553812
Handbrake 1.6: 4:28
CrossMark: Overall: 1948 Productivity: 1908 Creativity: 2044 Responsiveness: 1794
Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 7 hours 01 minute
PCMark 10 Gaming Battery Life: 59 hours

As mentioned previously, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023) manages to pack more performance power in an even smaller case compared to the previous version. When it comes to general computing tasks, this gaming laptop can handle dozens of Google Chrome tabs without any slow down or stuttering and can open apps from Tidal to the Xbox app instantly. Watching 4K video and listening to hi-fi quality audio wasn’t a problem either. Considering the component specs of the Legion Slim 7i, it’s interesting how loud the cooling fans can get even while running applications that take significantly less processing power than performance pushing games.

When it comes to games, the lightweight gaming laptop can pretty much play all of the best AAA games at native 1440p with admirable frame rates. Cyberpunk 2077 managed to get 88 frames-per-second on average during benchmark tests. Adding ray-tracing into the mix bumped that down around ten which still put it above 60fps. Though Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition could only get 49fps, it’s still above 30fps which makes it still playable. Providing the highest frame rate was Dirt 5 which pushed out 103 fps at Ultra settings.

The good thing about these frame rates is that they can be improved through the use of Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling which is compatible with the games mentioned. Despite the serviceable performance, don’t expect to utilize the 240Hz refresh rate either. The only game that got in that ballpark was Dirt 5 at low settings.

Adobe Creative Suite software users will have much to celebrate with the Legion Slim 7i between gaming sessions. Photoshop didn’t run slow when playing around with 4K resolution photos and added layers. On the other side, exports on Premier Pro were pretty instant with a minute video taking somewhere in the ballpark of less than one minute.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023): Battery

General battery life is around 7 hours
Charging to full battery takes a bit over an hour

Expectations for battery life on these types of gaming focused laptops aren’t necessarily high as most games usually top out after around an hour and similar results come with Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023).

During the PCMark 10 Gaming Battery Life test, the gaming laptop only lasted around 59 minutes. However, general battery life is fairly average for better or worse. The web surfing had the Legion Slim 7i top out at 7 hours which is good enough for a bi-coastal trip. Though it’s not ideal, it’s still better than competing lightweight gaming laptops.

Charging takes a little over an hour to get to full battery life and there are two ways to juice up the gaming laptop. The most obvious is through the port in the back that connects to the big power brick. It can also use the USB-C to recharge up to 140W which means users could use a Macbook charger but that may affect performance.

Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023)?

Buy it if...

You want a gaming laptop that doesn’t weigh a lot
Large power brick aside, the Legion Slim 7i design weighs under five pounds and less than the size of a quarter when closed.

You require significant performance power
Size be damned as the gaming laptop has a powerful combo of a Intel i9, 16GB DDR5 RAM and Nvidia RTX 4070 that allows great performance across the many visually impressive AAA games.

Don't buy it if...

You want a laptop that is quieter
Even when using web browsers or music streaming apps, the cooling fans can get extremely loud.

Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023): Also consider

If the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023) has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...

How I tested the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023)

I tested this over three weeks
It was used for general and creative tasks alongside gaming
Games played include Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield, Hi-Fi Rush and Forza Horizon 5

During my three weeks with the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i, most of the time was split between using Google Chrome for various tasks, gaming and using creative software. I used the laptop at both home and in office spaces. Most of the time, the Legion Slim 7i was plugged in outside of a few occasions.

To witness how far the gaming laptop could go performance wise, I tested some of the biggest demanding games on it including Forza Horizon 5, Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield and Hi-Fi Rush. I used both Adobe Photoshop and Premier to try out how well it would work for creatives.

I have spent the past several years writing dozens of features on PC Gaming for TechRadar. Pieces ranging from reviews on various components and hardware alongside editorials exploring PC Gaming culture at large.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2023

Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) review: heavy, but a decent all-rounder

6:45 pm | October 6, 2023

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

Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023): Two-minute review

The Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) isn’t a laptop that’s meant to be exciting, but it is designed more to be functional and succeeds in offering a package that is more than fine for what most people will need. The convertible design is handy and what sets itself apart from other laptops at this price, perhaps allowing it to sneak into our rankings of the best 2-in-1 laptops out there, as opposed to offering beefier internals or a better overall display.

Nonetheless, it’s a good looking laptop, except it’s a little heavy for a 14-inch unit at 1.6kg (3.5 lbs). The port selection on offer is fine but missing a couple of important things in 2023 - namely a second USB-C and a Micro SD reader. On the plus side, the more compact keyboard feels excellent to type on and offers even backlighting for after-dark working. Meanwhile, the trackpad is tactile and offers a fingerprint reader for more secure entry.

The internals of the Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) also impress, blitzing our benchmark tests and providing plenty of power for the productivity tasks it’s designed for. The fan noise can get a little high under load, but otherwise, it’s a quiet performer that offers some responsive performance in day to day tasks, making it a candidate for one of the best student laptops in its price category. Battery life here is also excellent, with more than enough endurance to get you through a working day.

The big thing here is the display. While it offers decent detail, and the fact it’s a touchscreen is solid, its colour accuracy and brightness are middling. Paying a little bit extra can get you something a lot better without sacrificing anything in terms of internal power, such as with an higher-res OLED screen, for instance. Those options will make for some of the best laptops out there, but the Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) is a more than serviceable choice for the price.

That isn’t to say that the Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) is a bad laptop, because it most definitely isn’t. For most people, it’s a good choice, although if you are a creative who will be using that touchscreen, you may want to spend a little more to get exactly what you want.

Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023): Price & availability

How much does it cost? Starting at $749.99 / AU$1,399 (about £615)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK and Australia, depending on the model.

At £899 / $749.99 for my mid-range model sample, the Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) perhaps typifies a mid-range laptop. Its spec sheet is decent enough for the price, packing in a capable deca-core Intel Core i5-1355U processor, as well as 16GB of DDR5 RAM, a 512GB SSD, and an okay 16-inch 1920x1200 touchscreen display. This is available in the UK and USA, although pricing varies by quite a lot across the regions.

There is also a slightly more powerful config available, at £1199.99 / $849.99 that offers the next step up in terms of CPU with a Intel Core i7-1355U and a 1TB SSD, but apart from that, it’s identical. That means the same display, RAM and port selection. I should also say there is a base model that isn’t available in the UK but is available in Australia and the USA at AU$1399 and $749.99, respectively.

The easiest and most logical comparison here is to the base model Acer Swift Go 14, which features a pretty much identical spec-sheet to the Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023), with the same processor and display. With this Aspire model, though, you are getting a convertible chassis and double the RAM for less money.

Then there’s the Acer Aspire Vero 15 (2023), which does away with the touchscreen completely, bumps up the display size to 15-inches, and offers a more eye-catching design. That’s priced at $849.99 / AU$1,699 (about £672.72), but if you want a more conventional and vanilla laptop experience, it’s a convenient competitor to the Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023).

Value: 3.5 / 5

Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) test model — (Image credit: Future / Reece Bithrey)

Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023): Specs

The Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) comes in three configurations, with this review unit being in the middle. The slightly more powerful model offers a beefier processor, and more RAM compared to the base model.

The configurations listed above come as they are, and apart from choosing between RAM, processor, and SSD capacity by picking an individual model, that’s it.

Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023): Design

Compact frame, but a weighty chassis
Solid keyboard with clever backlighting
Okay port selection

In keeping with some of Acer’s more recent laptop releases, the Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) is a modern-looking laptop, complete with a solid chassis that features a nice textured finish to it. With a weight of 1.6kg (3.5 lbs), it makes for quite a hefty laptop for its screen size. Nonetheless, with its compact 14-inch screen size, the overall chassis is at least quite small, making it easy to fit into the best laptop bags for safe-keeping.

Bezels around the screen are reasonably thin while there’s enough space on the tray for a 65% layout keyboard and okay-sized trackpad. The keyboard offers some solid tactility with a snappy keypress and continues Acer’s trend of supplying decent keyboards with their laptops. The white backlighting present is also relatively even and provides a nice underglow for after-dark working. After a period of inactivity, the backlight turns off and returns when you begin working again. This is a handy quality of life feature and is comparable to the wake featured on Logitech’s latest run of MX peripherals.

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By comparison, the trackpad feels a little small, and its buttons feel a little on the cheaper side. Compared to other laptops of a similar screen size I’ve tested, it is a little dinky, but there is enough real estate for your fingers. Returning to the idea of quality of life features, the trackpad features a fingerprint sensor, which is just big enough to house your fingertip. It’s responsive, and works well with Windows Hello.

The port selection isn’t bad for a laptop of its size and thickness, with an HDMI 2.1 port, a pair of USB-A ports, a headphone jack, and a USB-C port. The pair of USB-As is a nice touch, given these seem to be getting rarer on laptops as time passes, although on the contrary, a second USB-C would have been nice to potentially offer another display output.

The right hand side is also home to a stylus, which can be used with the Aspire 5 Spin 14. It fits neatly inside, without any protrusions, and its small bump on the end almost gives it a look comparable to a larger version of the stylus that shipped with Nintendo’s DS handhelds - the nostalgia certainly hit me then.

Design score: 4 / 5

Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023): Performance

Decent performance for day-to-day workloads
Display offers good detail, but sub-par colours
Speakers are quite thin-sounding

Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023): Benchmarks

Here's how the Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Night Raid: 14,553; Fire Strike: 4,253; Time Spy: 1,452
GeekBench 6: 2266 (single-core); 9017 (multi-core)
25GB File Copy: 761.42 MBps
Handbrake 1.6: 3 minutes 45 seconds
CrossMark: Overall: 1494 Productivity: 1477 Creativity: 1495 Responsiveness: 1546
Sid Meier's Civilization VI (1080p): 35.2fps (low settings) 23.5fps (high settings)
PCMark 10 Battery Life: 10 hours and 38 minute

Being a mid-range laptop designed for productivity, I wasn’t necessarily expecting anything spectacular with regards to the performance of the Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023). Its Intel Core i5-1335U packed inside offers some excellent power for both day to day tasks and a hint of more intense workloads, with results in synthetic tests that rival laptops a lot more expensive, including Acer’s own Swift Edge 16 (2023).

Otherwise, the spec sheet with its 16GB of RAM and lack of a discrete graphics card means that more intensive workloads such as playing demanding AAA titles or heavy video editing workloads are off limits, but more day to day work is perfectly alright. WIth this in mind, the Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) still offered some solid performance in daily tasks when having tens of Chrome tabs open, even when I had video streaming on one and Spotify running in playing my usual playlist. A quick run of Civilisation 6 revealed some okay results at lower settings. Turning things up to the max left navigation feeling slow and laggy at times, proving that the Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) is okay for some lighter gaming. Under load, it also didn’t get too warm, although the fan noise was quite loud.

For general use, the 1920x1200 display is decent enough, although it offered somewhat disappointing results when measured with my trusty colorimeter. The 64% sRGB result means it displays the mainstream colours used for general working reasonably accurately, while its 48% DCI-P3 rating seems especially low and proves the Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) isn’t necessarily meant for colour sensitive workloads. Its 233.6 nits of peak brightness is okay for indoor use, as is its 1040:1 contrast ratio, although you won’t necessarily want to take this laptop outside.

The downwards-firing speakers sound okay, although they don’t necessarily offer much in the way of bass. For general listening, they’re perfectly acceptable, but they are a little thin and crispy. On the plus side, the 1080p webcam bundled into the Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) served up some decent results, with good colours and reasonable detail, proving it’s pretty capable for video conferencing tasks.

Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023): Battery

Lasted 10 hours and 38 minutes in our battery life benchmark
Capable of lasting for between 1 and 2 working days.

As much as the performance of the Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) may well be a mixed bag, its battery life impressed me. A run of the PCMark 10 benchmark revealed it to last for 10 and a half hours on a single charge. In the 1080p video loop test, it lasted for five and a half hours when draining the battery from 50% to nothing and for nine hours from fully charged to empty.

Acer says the battery should last for up to 14 hours, so while the results aren’t exactly on par with their claims, it still provides solid endurance. In day to day use, it largely matched the benchmarks, with it lasting for a working day before needing to charge the laptop back up again. To charge it from empty to full takes a couple of hours, which is reasonable.

Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023)?

Buy it if...

You want the convenience of a 2-in-1 laptop
The Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) offers the convenience of a 2-in-1 laptop with good execution, thanks to a responsive touchscreen, as well as solid power for modest workloads.

You want a fair amount of power
In both day to day use and in a range of synthetic benchmarks, the Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) impresses, making it a handy laptop for productivity workloads.

Don't buy it if...

You need a vast port selection
While the Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023)’s port selection is okay, it doesn’t offer that much outside of USB-A and HDMI out. For anything else, such as a second USB-C or a Micro SD reader, you will be left looking elsewhere.

Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023): Also consider

If the Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...

How I tested the Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023)

Tested the laptop for about two weeks
Used it as my main work laptop, as well as for photo editing, and streaming video
Also stress-tested using our suite of benchmarks

During my couple of weeks with the Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023), I used it as my main work laptop, swapping out my trusty 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro. I used it for writing articles, as well as for streaming content on Disney+ and photo editing using Photoshop. I also used it for video calls with friends and ran it through our suite of benchmarks

This is a laptop designed more for productivity workloads, but with the internal power it packs in, the Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) is also suitable for some lighter forms of more intense workloads such as photo editing.

As someone who has a few years’ experience writing reviews and testing laptops, I’ve got the right tools to help you through the minefield of whether a laptop is actually any good or not. You can trust me to take everything into account to help you make the right buying decision.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2023

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 – an incremental upgrade that’ll cost you

3:00 pm | September 22, 2023

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

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 preview: One-minute review

If you work a lot on the go, there is nothing better than a thin and light laptop that promises an all-day battery life. Certainly, on paper at least, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 promises all that.

It weighs just 2.49 lbs (a tiny uptick of 0.01 lbs from the last model), is a little over a half-inch thick, and is less than 11 inches wide by just over 8 inches deep (slightly longer than the Laptop Go 2).

Microsoft promises it can get up to 15 hours of battery life with "typical device usage," which is two hours more than the last model.

It has a full-sized keyboard, a large enough 12.4-inch touch screen (that's Surface Pen-ready), a spacious trackpad, and looks and feels ready for the road.

The Surface Laptop Go line always seemed to strike the right balance between portability and price. Oddly, the Surface Laptop Go 3 is breaking that mold a bit by raising the price by $200 to $799 in the US (around £649 - we've yet to get UK pricing). That does seem a lot more to pay for a last-gen CPU and what should be table-stakes components.

Surface Laptop Go 3 Hands on — (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 preview: Price and availability

How much does it cost? $799 (around £649 / AU$
When is it available? Pre-order now. Ships October 3
Where can you get it? Available in the US. No word yet on global availability

Microsoft is slowly but surely shifting its Go line away from true affordability, raising the price of the Surface Laptop Go 3 ultraportable laptop by $200. Granted, the $599 Surface Laptop Go 2 features half the base memory and storage space (4GB and 128GB SSD, respectively). In addition, the Surface Laptop Go 3 does have a more powerful CPU, the 12th Gen Intel Core i5 running at 2.5Ghz, which is a significant leap from the 1.75Ghz 11th Gen CPU in the last model.

This is also the first Surface Laptop Go to feature a fingerprint reader in all models, rather than select (more expensive) models.

Does all that add up to $200 more value? Maybe. We'll know better after we review Microsoft's new ultraportable.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 preview: Specs

As I noted above, the new Surface Laptop Go is mostly unchanged from the Laptop Go 2. Its dimensions and weight are of negligible difference. As is often the case, it's what's inside that matters.

For this model, Microsoft chose a newer, albeit not the newest, Intel CPU, a 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U (and its newer integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics) running at a peppy 2.5GHz. That's backed by double the RAM of the previous model (you could buy a Laptop Go 2 with 8GB, though) and is configurable up to 16GB. There's also a larger base storage drive, (256GB instead of 128GB). There's no option for a larger SSD, though.

The laptop has the same WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 support as the last model. As for the camera, it remains 720p while most others in its class are upgrading to full 1080p cameras.

Overall, I think these new components are mostly good news and could finally make the Surface laptop Go 3 a reasonable choice for the home and office.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 preview: Design

Still stylish
Feels solid
Great keyboard

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I liked the Surface Laptop Go design when I first saw it a few years ago. I still like it today but also think it's aging and doesn't compare all that well to, say, the MacBook Air M2's latest ultra-clean design.

Still, the body feels solid and smooth and the keyboard is large enough to feel comfortable and offers enough travel to provide a satisfying typing experience. The trackpad is large enough to be useful.

Of course, all this could be said about the Surface Laptop Go 2. I'm not sure why Microsoft did almost nothing to refresh the design.

The 12.9-inch screen is not especially high-resolution but it does look great.

I was a little surprised to still see a USB-A port on the side next to the laptop's sole USB-C port. At this point, if you don't give me at least two USB-C ports, I'm not interested. On the plus side, there's also a 3.5mm headphone jack. Finally, you have Microsoft's proprietary Surface Connect charge port.

It's available in Platinum, Ice Blue, Sage, and Sandstone.

I like how you can still open and close it with one hand. Everything about this ultraportable feels well-thought-out and dependable. It's not inspiring but it'll work.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 preview: Performance

A better Intel chip
More memory

Microsoft swapped out the 11th Gen Intel CPU for an Intel Core i5 running at 2.5GHz. That combined with 8GB of RAM should make the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 a much more performant system. At least, that's what I assume. We won't have benchmarks until we get our test unit.

It's also nice to see base storage move up to 256GB, though storage prices have fallen enough that Microsoft could (and maybe should) afford to stick in a half-terabyte drive.

In my brief time with the laptop, I didn't notice any issues launching and running, for instance, Adobe Photoshop Express, but that experience is far from conclusive.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 preview: Battery life

15-hour battery life
All-day use

Microsoft is promising 15 hours of battery life with normal use. What that means is open to interpretation. It could be just video playback, it might also be truly mixed-use.

While we can applaud that the Surface Laptop Go 3 is rated for two hours more battery life than the last model, we won't know the reality of that number until we test the laptop.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 preview: early verdict

Microsoft's Surface Laptop Go 3 is just as light and attractive as the last model but with a much-needed infusion of processor power, RAM, and storage. It even has a fingerprint reader with the base model.

For now, though, it's hard to understand why these incremental upgrades and effectively no other changes required a nearly $200 price hike. We'll reserve final judgment though for our full review.

MSI Prestige 13 Evo review: MSI goes for the premium ultrabook crown

1:37 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops | Tags: Intel Core, MSI, USB | Comments: Off

MSI Prestige 13 Evo: Two-minute review

Make no mistake: the MSI Prestige 13 Evo is a premium laptop. This almost feels like the blueprint for the best ultrabooks, a supremely lightweight but still powerful laptop with a whole host of features and a sleek, minimalist aesthetic.

Coming in either white or gunmetal gray colorways, the Prestige 13 Evo is equipped with almost everything you could want from an ultrabook; a wide variety of physical ports, a large, responsive trackpad, and a selection of useful security features.

Weighing in at just 0.99kg (2.18lbs), this laptop sits in the same weight class as the popular LG Gram, and it's even lighter than the eminently portable M2 MacBook Air. With a 13.3-inch display and a thickness of just 1.7cm, it's phenomenally easy to pick the Prestige 13 Evo up and take it wherever you go - in fact, the AC adapter is also very lightweight, but you won't need to bring that everywhere since this ultrabook also offers some impressive battery life.

The MSI Prestige 13 Evo ultrabook pictured on a wooden desk. — (Image credit: Future)

My immediate comparison point for any compact ultrabook like this is the Dell XPS 13, which has long sat among the best laptops out there. MSI's laptop is actually a bit closer in price to the XPS 13 Plus, which I recently reviewed - and I think it just about edges out Dell's competitor thanks to slightly better average performance and a more practical physical design.

The 13th-gen Intel Core CPU at the heart of this laptop more than pulls its weight, giving you the option of some light gaming and creative work alongside the usual productivity tasks we test for on ultrabooks. I was impressed by the smooth, responsive user experience and generally strong performance in our benchmarking suite - more on that later.

While the stripped-down appearance might not appeal to everyone (the XPS 13 Plus certainly has this one beat purely in terms of aesthetics), it's function over form here; and I personally like the straightforward design choices made by MSI.

If I had to level some criticisms at the MSI Prestige 13 Evo, they'd probably focus on the pricing. At $1,499 (£1,399.99, about AU$2,350) with apparently only one configuration available (though the baseline specs vary a bit between regions), it's undeniably expensive, matching the XPS 13 Plus model I reviewed. At this price point, the Prestige's relatively run-of-the-mill FHD+ display pales a bit in comparison to the 3.5K OLED screen of the Plus - and I mean pales in a literal sense, since it simply can't match the OLED's brightness and rich color density.

Other than the somewhat lackluster display, though, I have very little to dislike here; MSI has knocked it out of the park with this one, and I almost wish I could keep the Prestige 13 Evo forever - my own daily laptop is starting to look a little tired...

MSI Prestige 13 Evo: Price & availability

How much does it cost? $1,499.99 / £1,399.99 / about AU$2,350
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK, no official Australian release yet

MSI's pricing can be somewhat arcane at the best of times, but I've done my best to work this one out for you. There appears to be only one standard model of the MSI Prestige 13 Evo available in western territories, but it's not quite identical across every region.

It looks like my review unit is a UK-only model, but the only significant difference here is that it uses 16GB of DDR5 memory instead of the 32GB found by default in the US-spec version. I've only listed the review model's specs below, but bear in mind that you'll be getting some extra RAM if you buy this laptop in the States.

Since MSI doesn't maintain its own storefronts in the US and UK, you'll need to purchase the Prestige 13 Evo from a reseller like Amazon - for any British readers, you should absolutely check out this deal at Scan.co.uk, which puts the laptop down to just £779.99, a frankly ridiculous deal. Over in the US, the 32GB version is mildly discounted to $1,299.99 at Amazon at the time of writing.

There doesn't appear to be any immediate availability in Australia, so my commiserations go out to our friends down under - your only option will be to import one.

Price score: 4 / 5

MSI Prestige 13 Evo: Specs

As I noted above, our review unit appears to be UK-only; you can't buy the 32GB version here, and I couldn't find the 16GB model for sale anywhere in the US. I've listed the UK spec below, but other than the RAM, it's identical to the US model in every way.

The Intel Core i7-1360P processor has become a staple of many premium ultrabooks recently, and you get plenty of high-speed storage thanks to the 1TB M.2 SSD. Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 ensure you're getting the best in wireless connectivity too. Barring the middling display, this is a solid selection of specs.

Specs score: 4.5 / 5

MSI Prestige 13 Evo: Design

Minimalist exterior
Lots of ports and security features
Display really should be a bit better

As far as ultrabooks go, the MSI Prestige 13 Evo isn't particularly exciting - but that's not to say it's bad. The design is straightforward, with a robust screen hinge that gently angles the keyboard towards you when opened and a large touchpad at the bottom.

The exterior construction is plastic (to further serve the goal of reducing the overall weight) but thankfully it doesn't feel cheap, with sturdy rubber feet and minimal flex in the casing when you press firmly on the keyboards.

Speaking of the keyboard - it's a little cramped for my liking, with the bottom-right keys in particularly feeling a tad squished together, but I'm conscious that I have pretty large hands (I'm 6'3", if you were wondering) and most users probably won't have any trouble typing on the Prestige 13 Evo. My partner - who has regular-sized hands - tried it out, and reported no problems with the keyboard. The keys themselves have a good amount of travel and the touchpad feels firm and responsive.

I mentioned higher up that the display here is sub-par. For the avoidance of doubt, I don't mean it's a poor-quality display exactly, because the maximum brightness and color reproduction are more or less what I'd expect from an IPS panel at this resolution. The anti-glare coating works fine in well-lit environments and I definitely do like the 16:10 aspect ratio, which gives you more screen space for scrolling and the esoteric 1200p resolution.

My beef is more with the fact that if I spend this much on a laptop, I'd expect a slightly better display. Plenty of ultrabooks at this price point offer either higher-resolution screens or superior panel types like OLED or AMOLED; with its bog-standard 60Hz refresh rate and middling contrast, this one failed to impress me even if it was fine in practice for everyday work.

At least the screen bezels are pleasingly thin - with just enough room along the top for a 1080p webcam, something that I did lampoon the Dell XPS 13 Plus for lacking in that review. At this price point, 720p just doesn't cut it. The microphone array and dual speakers are also good, if not mind-blowing.

Mediocre screen aside, the Prestige 13 Evo excels in virtually every other area when it comes to design. MSI has pleasingly declined to worship at the altar of the MacBook and instead opted for a wide range of physical ports: no USB hub required here, as we've got two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, one conventional USB-A, HDMI video out, a microSD card reader (an increasingly rare inclusion on ultrabooks) and of course the humble 3.5mm audio jack.

The only thing missing here is an Ethernet port, but that shouldn't be necessary thanks to best-in-class WiFi 6E and the latest Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity. Wired internet is mostly reserved for gaming laptops these days, anyway.

Lastly, the Prestige 13 Evo rounds out its feature set with a selection of excellent privacy and security add-ons. We've got a fingerprint scanner built into the power button, an IR camera for facial recognition logins via Windows Hello, and dedicated buttons for shutting off your webcam and microphone - backed up by a physical shutter you can slide over the webcam itself for maximum digital privacy.

These features will best serve professional users who use their laptops to handle potentially sensitive data, but shouldn't be overlooked by less security-focused users; the speedy convenience of Windows Hello is always good.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

MSI Prestige 13 Evo: Performance

Intel Core i7-1360P is strong
Slightly outperforms some rivals with similar specs
Light gaming definitely an option here

MSI Prestige 13 Evo: Laptop benchmarks

Here's how the MSI Prestige 13 Evo performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark Night Raid: 18,320; Fire Strike: 5,419; Time Spy: 1,772
GeekBench 6: 2,458 (single-core); 9,643 (multi-core)
25GB File Copy: 1,659MBps
Handbrake 1.6: 10m 41s
CrossMark: Overall: 1,665; Productivity: 1,617; Creativity: 1,746; Responsiveness: 1,577
Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm (1080p, High): 37.9fps; (1080p, Low): 54.2fps
Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 12 hrs 3 mins

I was thoroughly impressed with the performance of the MSI Prestige 13 Evo - even though I've seen the same Intel Core i7-1360P CPU powering other laptops I've reviewed.

Here, the processor seems to be operating at its maximum potential: I saw strong performance across the board in both synthetic benchmarks and practical tests, with the processor even managing to offer some entry-level gaming capabilities in Civilization VI and Valorant - both relatively undemanding titles in terms of hardware requirements, but still great games.

General use is speedy and lag-free; I could open a dozen tabs in Google Chrome with Steam and Spotify running in the background and didn't experience any slowdown whatsoever.

In synthetic benchmarks like GeekBench 6, the i7-1360P demonstrated excellent single-core performance and solid multi-core results, putting it head and shoulders above its 12th-generation Intel counterparts. The SSD is also relatively speedy at about 1.65GB/s - not the fastest laptop drive I've ever seen, but quick enough to make moving files around a breeze.

It's probably worth noting that the 32GB version available in the US might benefit from its larger memory in certain RAM-intensive workloads, so if you're aiming to do stuff like code compiling, that might be a good pick over ultrabooks with the standard 8GB or 16GB of memory.

Naturally, the lack of a dedicated graphics card means you won't be doing any high-end gaming or 4K video editing tasks on this laptop, but that's fine - it's a small sacrifice to make for the incredibly thin-and-light design.

Thermal performance is also excellent here; the Prestive 13 Evo has a large perforated section on the underside for venting excess heat, and the interior thermal solution clearly works well - it barely even got warm throughout our testing process.

Performance score: 5 / 5

MSI Prestige 13 Evo: Battery

Solid battery life, not quite best-in-class
More than 10 hours of regular use
Compact charger

Battery life is a make-or-break area for many ultrabooks, but thankfully the Prestige 13 Evo delivers. You can get more than 10 hours of everyday use on a single charge, and using features like Windows 11's built-in battery saver mode can let you stretch that time even further.

The battery does drain a little faster if you're doing anything more demanding - for example, playing videos at maximum brightness with the speakers turned up - but overall I was very pleased with the longevity of this ultrabook. It doesn't quite match up to Apple's MacBooks, but it's at least in the same ballpark as the M1 MacBook Air.

The bundled AC adapter is relatively compact too, connecting via USB-C. Strangely, the Prestige 13 Evo also has a proprietary power connector, which was compatible with a different MSI laptop charger I had lying around. With the EU aiming to make USB-C the standard for charging our devices, that sort of port will soon be a distant memory.

Battery score: 4 / 5

The MSI Prestige 13 Evo pictured on a wooden desk with AC adapter. — (Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the MSI Prestige 13 Evo?

Buy it if...

You want solid Windows performance
Barring the powerful M-series silicon found in Apple's MacBook Air, this is some of the best performance you can get from a compact ultrabook - good job putting Intel's 1360P to work, MSI.

You don't want to use a USB hub
If laptop makers could stop removing everything except USB-C ports from their devices, I'd be very grateful. The port selection on offer here is strong, with HDMI output for connecting a second display being particularly welcome.

Don't buy it if...

You want a great display
While it's far from a complete disaster, at this price point I was really hoping to see a better screen than this. The maximum brightness is good but colors look a little bit washed out compared to other laptops I've seen in the same price range.

MSI Prestige 13 Evo: Also consider

If the MSI Prestige 13 Evo has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...

How I tested the MSI Prestige 13 Evo

Replaced my everyday laptop
Tested productivity work, web browsing, gaming
Used for a full day on battery power

As usual, I swapped out my normal HP Spectre x360 for the MSI Prestige 13 Evo as my everyday work laptop, doing all my typical tasks on it - word processing, video meetings, and web browsing - for several days. I only ever charged it overnight, and didn't run into any battery-related difficulties whatsoever.

I also used it casually, taking it out into the backyard on a nice evening to watch some Netflix with my partner and on a different occasion using it to play some Into The Breach, a game I will probably always be quietly addicted to.

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering 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.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2023

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023) review: the laptop I wish I’d had as a student

7:13 pm | September 20, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Chromebooks Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops | Tags: Acer Chromebook Spin | Comments: Off

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023): One-minute review

The single best thing about the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 is how easy it is to take around with you, no matter where you’re off to or what carrier bag you’ve got this laptop will become your most helpful travel companion. I was pleasantly surprised when I first received our review unit of the laptop and was able to slip it into my little tote bag, with room to spare for both the charger and my current paperback of choice.

In terms of design, for what the Chromebook is offering in terms of simplicity and portability I think it looks like the perfect productive machine. No fancy aesthetics or unnecessary frilly, this is likely my favorite Chromebook design so far, and as a long-time Macbook girl that claim carries a lot of weight coming from me. The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 could be the best laptop for you if all you want is something to work on, maybe watch a few shows, and put away until the next day.

I worked with this laptop for several days and honestly, it was the most stress-free testing I’ve done in a while. Because it’s so thin and light, I could slip it into my bag and carry on with my life without my shoulders screaming, and with a good 10 hours of battery life sometimes it wouldn’t leave my bag for a day or two purely because there was no rush to plug it in and charge it. As usual, the simple ChromeOS interface is free of any unnecessary apps or clutter and you can boot it up, sign in, and get to work in like 10 minutes right out of the box.

If you’re looking for the best student Chromebook, you’ve come to the right review. The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 is everything you need and more to get you through the school year without splashing out a frightening amount of cash. The touch display makes reading digital textbooks or annotating notes a breeze, and the glass-like trackpad is a joy to use.

The Intel Pentium processor inside means you can work and watch at the same time without any impact on performance, making multitasking easier - of course, part of the credit here goes to Google for making ChromeOS such a resource-light operating system. Overall, I really enjoyed my time with the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 and I’m actually quite sad I can’t hold onto it forever.

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023): Price and availability

How much does it cost? $380 / £329 / around AU$661
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK, tricky to find in Australia

Chromebooks are often heralded for their affordability compared to other laptops, and the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 lives up to that and more. This is probably one of the best cheap laptops you can buy right now in terms of pure value for money.

Keep in mind that the cheaper price tag often indicates somewhat limited capabilities, so if you want to play games beyond mobile app games (via the Google Play Store), you’ll have to look elsewhere.

This sentiment extends to users looking for a device with some serious computing power, as once again, Chromebooks are for your everyday basic tasks - if you want to run resource-intensive software, you’ll need to find something else. For everything this device offers, the price is very reasonable.

Price: 5 / 5

Sid view of Acer Chromebook SPIN 314 — (Image credit: Muskaan, Future)

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023): Specs

There are a few different models of the Acer Chromebook Spin 314, with our review unit effectively taking the entry-level position. There is actually a cheaper Spin 314 that uses a MediaTek Kompanio processor, but that model is older and uses a slightly different chassis.

As for other models, it's a bit confusing; the US Acer website list a far more expensive model ($679.99) but it's missing some specs, most notably any storage details - and I couldn't find it for sale anywhere, either. As such, I've included only the specs for our standard-model review unit below.

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023): Design

Solid, functional chassis
Sleek and Stylish
Comfortable typing experience

I absolutely love the design of this laptop. This may be my youth showing, but I think it looks so retro and cute. The silver plastic chassis and overall rounded design remind me of the laptops my dad used to use - and sometimes let me play Minesweeper on - and I think the choice to go 'back to basics' was a smart move on Acer's part.

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Acer Chromebook Spin 314 — (Image credit: Future)

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Of course, it wouldn’t be called a Spin if it didn’t spin - well, at least offer some kind of mobility. The full HD touchscreen offers impressively sharp colors without feeling too harsh, and the ability to turn your thin laptop into a slightly chunky tablet thanks to the 360-degree hinge is perfect if you want to snuggle up in bed to binge your favorite shows.

In terms of connectivity, you get a good selection of ports that include two USB-C ports, standard USB-A, and HDMI, so you can hook up quite a few peripherals and also connect it to a monitor if you want a dual-display setup.

Typing on this laptop is a dream once you get used to the Everything Button (ubiquitous on ChromeOS devices) replacing the caps lock, and as someone who notoriously hates most laptop touchpads, the Acer Chromebook Spin's is very tactile. Also, Acer uses ocean glass in the touchpad's construction, meaning the pad is made of recycled materials - a small but welcome addition that I appreciate.

Although its minimalist appearance might not be for everyone, I can’t really fault the design of the Acer Chromebook Spin 314; it’s probably my favorite Chromebook so far. That's saying a lot, because I’m not very sweet on Chromebooks myself as a committed Macbook girl.

Design: 5 / 5

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023): Performance

Good performance
Great storage speed

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023): Benchmarks

Here's how the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

Mozilla Kraken (fewer is better): 608.1ms
Speedometer: 301
JetStream 2 (higher is better): 213.4 points
TechRadar battery life test: 10h 15m

Of course, the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 runs on Google’s ChromeOS, the easiest system to navigate and learn if you’re just starting out on your laptop journey. It’s suitable for most everyday tasks like browsing the web, collaborating on documents, streaming a favorite show, or just watching YouTube. The laptop is generally geared towards lightweight web-based activities, though that's not to say it isn't a strong contender for our list of best student laptops or even the best Chromebooks.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 can pull a decent level of speed and computing prowess from its Intel Pentium Silver N6000 processor, and both within the benchmarks and general stress tests - plus frantic multitasking from me trying to do a million things at once - it breezed through everything I threw at it.

This laptop comes with 4 GB of DDR4 memory, which I'd say would be insufficient for a Windows laptop but is less of an issue here. There's also only 128GB of local eMMC storage, which again could be an issue were it not for ChromeOS's reliance on cloud storage via Google Drive. Naturally, these specs are modest overall, but that's not a huge problem for a Chromebook - especially one as competitively priced as this.

I worked on this laptop for a few days and while it was an adjustment to get used to the Everything Button, I’m genuinely sad I have to let go of this laptop. While I was using it I was thinking about my younger self, in school and university, and wondered at how much easier my life could have been if I had my hands on a laptop like this.

I wouldn’t have had to lug around a monstrously heavy machine, and it could've comfortably pulled double duty as an entertainment device in tablet mode. I can’t stress enough how much I recommend this laptop to students.

If you’re going to be doing an essay-heavy degree, you should be looking at the Acer Chromebook Spin 314. Thanks to Google's cloud ecosystem, you can just pick up where you left off with your coursework on any device.

Plus, it’s super refreshing to work on a device without all the clutter of regular desktops but still with basically everything you’d need to get through the day.

Performance: 4 / 5

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023): Battery life

10-hour battery life
All-day use out of a single full charge

The battery life of the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 lives up to the 10-hour estimate provided by Acer, clocking in at 10 hours and 15 minutes during our battery life benchmark.

In the time I spent reviewing it, I only had to charge it twice - which is pretty impressive, and my biggest pet peeve when reviewing laptops is needing to have them constantly plugged in. You can leave the house, work on it all day, then come home and get at least two hours of Netflix time before you have to plug it in again.

Battery life: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023)?

Buy it if...

You’re a student on a budget
Acer keeps it simple but sweet here: this is a plain laptop that is designed to get you through the day, and for the price you're getting a good, reliable product.

ChromeOS is your thing
ChromeOS has gained popularity and is genuinely a very good operating system, particularly if you work across multiple devices and want to take advantage of the Google ecosystem.

You’re often on the move
There are lighter machines and smaller machines, but for a 14” laptop this is tough (and cheap) enough to happily withstand the hustle and bustle of commuting.

Don't buy it if...

You need more computing power

Chromebooks are perfect for day-to-day or low-intensity work, but if you need a machine to run statistical programs or withstand some heavy-duty workloads, this isn't for you.

You need to use specific programs
If you need to use rendering software, want to dive into animation, or play the latest games, you're not going to be doing that on this - or most other Chromebooks, for that matter. Perhaps a MacBook Air would be a better choice?

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023): Also consider

If our Acer Chromebook Spin 314 review has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...

How I tested the Acer Chromebook Spin 314

Several hours a day over the course of a week
Office work, general web use, Android games and apps, media playback
Techradar benchmark suite, real-world tests, using the laptop for work

I used the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 as my main device for a few days for work and as a personal computer over the weekend, testing it over a week in total. I did all my usual work with it - which mostly comprises word processing, online research, and video calls - and then used it in tablet mode to watch YouTube at home.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2023

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