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The more I tested the GMKtec NucBox M7 Ultra, the less it looked like it justified its ‘Ultra’ moniker

10:15 am | January 23, 2026

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

GMKtec NucBox M7 Ultra: 30-second review

Having just reviewed the GMKtec M5 Ultra, that prior investigation puts an interesting twist on the M7 Ultra now before me.

Because the M5 was built on a platform that wasn’t widely utilised, and the M7 Ultra turned out to be built on a platform from 2022 that nobody used at all.

However, don’t be put off by the older hardware, because this Ryzen 6000 series processor with Zen3+ architecture is well-suited for a mini PC. It has DDR5 support, USB4 and plenty of PCIe lanes, enabling the M7 Ultra to deliver a well-rounded and confident performance level that’s above any of the Ryzen systems that use DDR4 and the Vega 8 GPU.

It’s also got plenty of potential for upgrades, either internally with the SODIMM and M.2 slots, or externally via USB4. And it must also be one of the cheapest systems to come with Oculink, enabling the external connection of discrete graphics cards via its 64Gb/s interconnect.

Compared to a cutting-edge system, it only has eight cores (sixteen threads), the DDR5 is only 4800 MT/s, and while it is a PCIe 4.0 system, it only supports PCIe 3.0 on the M.2 slots.

Those caveats make me think that the M7 Ultra is suitable for someone who needs a little big more power, but not the performance of a Ryzen 9 or Ryzen AI machine.

For that person who does more than just basic office tasks, this might be ideal, and if they suddenly need more graphics performance, it can be added via Oculink.

Where this system is flawed is that it's slower than the M7 and M7 Pro that came before it. Given the silicon's age, this isn’t going to feature in our round-up of the best mini PC systems, but with a reasonably effective platform and plenty of ports, it's not junk either.

GMKtec NucBox M7 Ultra: Price and availability

How much does it cost? From $310/£260/€300
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Direct from GMKtec and via online retailers

Much like the M5 Ultra, the M7 Ultra is offered in three basic SKUs that go from the baseline barebones system with no memory or storage, to an intermediate 16GB+512GB option that’s reviewed here, to the top spec with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

In the USA, these machines are priced at $309.99, $439.99, and $529.99, respectively.

GMKtec doesn’t have a specific UK outlet, but from the European site (e.g., de.gmktec.com), these systems are £260, £347 and £408, which, if you have DDR5 and an M.2 module, looks like a great deal. Euro prices are €299.99, €399.99 and €469.99. And all the M7 Ultras bought in Europe come with a free 8-in-1 USB docking hub reputedly worth €29.99.

I'm also seeing it available on both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk with similar pricing.

For those curious, based on the current exchange rates when writing this, the 32GB+1TB model is almost the same price no matter where you buy it, but the barebones model is 12% more expensive.

Another obvious question is how these prices compare with the M5 Ultra? In short, the M7 Ultra is about $50 more than the M5 Ultra for the barebones, and about $40 more for the 32GB+1TB option. When you consider that the M7 Ultra comes with USB4, uses DDR5 and is significantly faster, then the price difference is modest.

What I’d advise against is sourcing this via Amazon, as their systems only come with 512GB of storage, and the asking price is $489.99.

In this part of the review, I’d normally list the other mini PCs that use the same platform and how some are more expensive, and others are cheaper, but not today.

Unless I missed one, no other mini PC maker is using this platform, and I couldn’t find any retail computer, of any variety, that uses it. There are several mini PCs with AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, 6850H, and other “H” series chips, but these are not the same as the PRO 6850U.

Why is this the case? I’ve no information to share. It might be that AMD has TMSC make bins of many Ryzen 6000 mobile chips with no clear market, and now they’re having a clear out of those that didn’t sell.

Whatever the reason, this is a mid-2022 platform built on a fab AMD no longer relies on, and it might be that the GMKtec M7 Ultra is the one and only machine the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U gets to see the light of day.

Which might go some way to explain how competitively priced this system is.

Value: 4 / 5

GMKtec NucBox M7 Ultra: Specs

Item	Spec
CPU:	AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U( 8C/16T, up to 4.7GHz)
GPU:	AMD Radeon 680M, up to 2.2 GHz
NPU:	N/A
RAM:	16GB DDR5-4800 (8GB x 2) expandable to 64GB
Storage:	512GB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 3
Expansion:	1x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 3
Ports:	2x USB4, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2x USB 2.0, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x 3.5mm Audio, 1x Oculink
Networking:	2x 2,5GbE Realtek RTL8125, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
OS:	Windows 11 Pro (pre-installed)
Base Power:	15W-28W
PSU:	19V 6.32A 120.08W
Dimensions:	132 x 125 x 58 mm

GMKtec NucBox M7 Ultra: Design

Decent build quality
Easy internal access
VESA mountable

There are two important things about GMKtec systems I like, and those are the build quality and the ease of internal access. And, the M7 Ultra doesn’t confront either of those expectations.

While the top and underside of this NUC are plastic, the part that is likely to take the greatest amount of abuse, the sides, is metal on all faces.

It’s a cool gunmetal grey, and the plastic top is painted to match.

Access is remarkably straightforward, with the top rotating to come away, and with that removed, there are four large screws visible that most people should have a suitable screwdriver for.

I like that these are large, easily visible screws, not the tiny ones that ping under my desk before activating their inbuilt cloaking devices. These are only discoverable either with socked feet or the use of a stupidly powerful electromagnet.

Even I couldn’t misplace these screws was my first thought on seeing them.

With those removed, the DDR5-4800 modules and M.2 slots are unobscured, and upgrading either of them merely requires the replacement parts and a couple of spare minutes.

The memory modules were branded as GMKtec, but the chips had OEM Micro branding. Therefore, based on the repositioning of that source for memory, we won’t be seeing this in future GMKtec products.

Thankfully, you can swap the RAM with any DDR5-4800 SODIMMs of any brand, as long as they’re the same type and size.

On the outside, the M7 Ultra doesn’t go off the beaten path with all the ports on the front or back, and those on the front are well placed for the attachment of storage. Both USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports are on the front, along with the USB4 port, the 3.5mm audio jack and the Oculink port. Oh, and the power button.

Maybe the Oculink port might have been better on the back, but there isn’t much room with dual 2.5GbE LAN sockets, dual USB 2.0, another USB4 port and both HDMI and DisplayPort.

One feature which is slightly controversial on the M7 Ultra is that hot air is ejected under the external ports, not above them. While there is the possibility that it might impact the connected cables, I can’t see this air getting heated enough to melt the insulation on these.

As GMKtec do with most of its systems, included with the M7 Ultra, is a plate that can be used to VESA mount the system to the back of a monitor. As the scale of this system might make it tempting for someone to pick it up and take it home, connecting it to the monitor is probably a good idea. For those seriously concerned about theft, it also has a security slot on the rear.

As with the M5 Ultra, the engineering, accessibility and port deployment are good, and there doesn’t appear to be any significant design issues with this design.

Design: 4 / 5

GMKtec NucBox M7 Ultra: Hardware

AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U
DDR5 Memory
Gen 3 PCIe M.2 Slots

The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U is a mobile processor featuring eight cores, launched in April 2022 as an offshoot of the Ryzen 6000 series. And, the closest silicon from the core series is the Ryzen 7 6800H, a Zen 3+ (Rembrandt) architecture chip made for Socket FP7.

AMD’s Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) doubles the effective thread count to sixteen, giving it some potential for multi-threaded software.

Operating at a base frequency of 2.7GHz, boosting up to 4.7GHz when required, this silicon was part of the swansong of the 6nm process at TSMC before AMD moved to the 4nm fabrication in the 7040 series.

The thermal design power (TDP) is just 15W, but that can be bumped to 28W, making it highly energy-efficient. It supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a maximum official speed of 4800 MT/s. It also supports 6400 MT/s for surface-mounted LPDDR5, but GMKtec hasn’t chosen to use that.

And, as I’ve alluded to already, this is the only PC I’ve found that uses this specific processor, so it now seems unlikely that a machine using the greater bandwidth memory is ever likely to appear.

Since Zen3+, AMD has evolved the Zen4 and Zen5 architectures, with more powerful GPUs, 8000MHz DDR5 options and larger core and thread capabilities.

In this context, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U provides a solid underpinning to the system where it can run reliably for long periods and remain effectively silent.

However, there are a few choices GMKtec made that are more nuanced than merely picking an older processor. One might assume AMD let this business have these at a bargain price.

As is often the case, this all revolves around PCIe lanes and how these critical resources are allocated. In this system, there are various draws on the bandwidth of the PCIe subsystem, which has twenty lanes of PCIe 4.0 at its disposal. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U has an integrated USB4 controller, but it still needs at least four lanes for USB4 and at least four more for Oculink, leaving only eight lanes for everything else.

In that pile are all the other USB ports, dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, the small M.2 slot for the Wi-Fi, and most importantly, the two M.2 slots. However you dice this up, without using a PCIe switch, something had to give, and what gave here was the M.2 slots ended up being only Gen 3, not Gen 4.

I can see a strong argument that either one of the USB4 ports or the Oculink should have been sacrificed to provide Gen 4 storage, but that might have created a thermal issue for keeping the NVMe drives cool.

With the amount of bandwidth available, this was a tough choice, and GMKtec went with Oculink and two USB4 ports but downgraded the M.2 slots, for good or bad.

I’d have liked at least one Gen 4 M.2 slot, but I’m not the one trying to shoehorn all this technology into a tiny box.

Features: 3.5 / 5

GMKtec NucBox M7 Ultra: Performance

Mini PC		GMKtec NucBox M7 Ultra	GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra
CPU		AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U	AMD Ryzen 7 7730U
Cores/Threads		8C 16T	8C 16T
RAM		16GB DDR5 (2x8GB)	32GB DDR4 (2x16GB)
Storage		512GB AirDisk SSD	1TB NVMe
Graphics		Radeon 680M	Radeon Vega 8
3DMark	WildLife	9846	6711
	FireStrike	4149	3154
	TimeSpy	1495	1264
	Steel Nom Lt.	1420	1035
CineBench24	Single	90	78
	Multi	401	414
	Ratio	4.47	5.29
GeekBench 6	Single	2096	1806
	Multi	8582	5939
	OpenCL	22656	12823
	Vulkan	21484	11472
CrystalDisk	Read MB/s	3558	3624
	Write MB/s	2520	2642
PCMark 10	Office	6973	5581
WEI		8	8.1

Given the modest price difference between the M7 Ultra and its M5 Ultra little brother, these seem the obvious systems to compare.

And, unsurprisingly, with DDR5 memory and the 12 cores of the Radeon 680M in its corner, the M7 Ultra is a good bit quicker than the M5 Ultra in the majority of the tests.

Although, for some curious reason, the CineBench24 multi-core test is a win for the AMD Ryzen 7 7730U over the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U. But these results aren’t replicated in Geekbench or PCMark 10.

Why Windows Experience Index scores the GPUs inaccurately in this instance is another mystery, but that's the precise result reflected here.

There is, however, a hollow aspect to this victory, which is that my results from the old GMKtec NucBox M7, which used the Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H, were much better, scoring 14909 for 3DMark WildLife. Given that the original M7 system used DDR4, something doesn’t add up.

Yes, this system is up to 50% faster than the M5 Ultra, but it should be even quicker than that. It’s like it's operating on a single memory module, though I checked that it isn’t.

Looking back at the original M7 and the M7 Pro, the M7 Ultra has less processing power and lower GPU performance than both of these.

Unfortunately, the M7 is out of stock, and the M7 Pro is discontinued, I suspect.

I’ve concluded that, unless there was a fault with my machine, the M7 Ultra has the unfortunate accolade of offering less power than the models it replaced, sadly.

Performance: 3 / 5

GMKtec NucBox M7 Ultra: Final verdict

Not sure what to think about the GMKtec M7 Ultra, since it uses a processor no other machine has ever used and yet delivers performance numbers below those of its predecessors.

What’s the most curious thing about this system is that it uses DDR5 memory, but with the same 680M GPU, it's slower than the M7, which used DDR4. How is that possible?

The M7 Ultra's bandwidth should make it faster, not 66% of the M7’s speed in the 3DMark Wildlife benchmark.

I’m hoping that this system merely needs a firmware update to deliver the results the hardware should be capable of.

Because of these issues its not an obvious replacement for the M7 or the M7 Pro, but there are plenty of alternatives using Ryzen 6000 and 7000 chips that can perform better.

Should I buy a GMKtec NucBox M7 Ultra?

Value	Affordable system, especially barebones	4/5
Design	Easy access and a good port selection	4/5
Features	Odd processor, but Oculink and USB ports	3.5/5
Performance	Not as quick as it should be on paper	3/5
Overalls	Dissapointing follow-up to M7 and M7 Pro	3.5/5

Buy it if...

You want a medium-cost NUC
Not super-cheap but still affordable, the M7 Ultra has a specification that is suitable for users who need extra performance above an entry-level system. While not as fast as the original M7, it's still better than most Intel Core i5 systems.View Deal

You need a flexible NUC
Compared to some NUC designs, this one is remarkably flexible. With two 2.5 GbE LAN ports and dual M.2 slots, it can be used as a hardware firewall, media server or marketing display controller. But adding an Oculink port also enables it to be enhanced with a discrete video card, making it suitable for graphics-intensive tasks that the integrated graphics would not handle.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want ultimate performance
This is a mid-range mini PC, lacking the power of those with the fastest processors, such as the Ryzen AI Max+ 395. View Deal

Also consider

Geekom A5
The Geekom A5 mini PC delivers a decent user experience for office work in a small, easy-to-deploy package. It doesn't have a second M.2 slot, but it does have a SATA and a place for a 2.5-inch drive.
In testing it produced almost identical performance to the M5 Ultra, using its AMD Ryzen 5 7430U CPU.

Check out my Geekom M5 review View Deal

GMKtec NucBox M5 Plus
Another mid-tier mini system, this time the prior design from the same brand as the M5 Ultra. This one utilises the AMD Ryzen 7 5825U (8 cores, 16 Threads) CPU and features 1TB of onboard NVMe storage. Where this is slightly better than the A5 is that the second M.2 slot is 2280, and it has dual 2.5GbE LAN ports.

Check out my GMKTec NucBox M5 Plus review View Deal

I tested the GTBox T1 – and while the designers did something different with this mini PC, I’m debating whether it was a good idea

10:15 am | January 22, 2026

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

GTBox T1: 30-second review

Since Intel stopped its NUC platform, and by its definition guidance, we’ve seen a significant number of mini PC designs that have stepped outside the norms of shape and size in mini systems.

GTBox makes a mix of conventional designs and more out-there options, and the T1 is distinctively different. This NUC-sized motherboard is vertically mounted in a cylindrical speaker case measuring 115mm in diameter and 165mm high.

Because of that ergonomic choice, there is no front or back, only a single I/O section where all the ports and the power button are located. That’s a bit of a crunch, and due to this, there is only one USB4 and LAN port, but there are HDMI and DisplayPort video outs.

Inside the cylindrical speaker case is a punchy AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS processor, Zen 4 architecture from the 2023 Hawk Point series. In this context, it's combined with 32GB of DDR5 memory and a 1TB Gen 4 NVMe SSD.

This makes the T1 a powerful small system eclipsed only by Ryzen AI platforms, and the pre-release pricing is extremely competitive.

However, the downside to this design is that there is no access to the memory or storage, and you are specifically told that opening up the T1 to do this is ‘irreversible’.

If you are happy with those limitations, then the T1 might be a good choice, but the lack of flexibility precludes it from being one of the best mini PCs I've tested. Maybe with the T2, or whatever, GTBox can work out a way to put the mainboard on sliding rails to make memory and storage upgrades (or replacements) possible.

GTBox T1: Price and availability

How much does it cost? From $700
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Direct from GTBox

At the time of review, there is only a single SKU of the GTBox T1 available from the official GTBox site.

That model comes with 32GB of DDR5 and 1TB of storage. The cost is $699.99 for US customers with shipping included. GTBox doesn’t quote specific prices in other currencies, but they will ship to the UK, EU and Switzerland.

One oddity I noticed is that before you add this system to the cart, it tells you that “Free standard shipping on orders over $99” and “Free shipping and tax included in Europe and the United States.”

When you add it, it says that if you spend another $100, you can get free shipping.

I hope that’s a mistake. In both the UK and the EU, there are rules about real price discounts, where you can’t say you’ve made a reduction if you never sold it at the pre-discount price. GTBox has this machine reduced from $799.99 to $699.99, and I suspect it had that from the start.

Looking at competitor systems using the same platform, the candidates include the Bosgame M4 and the Acemagic W1.

The Boxgame M4 has had some hardware changes since I reviewed it, but you can still find the original M4, which uses the AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS and costs $559 for the 32GB+1TB SKU, via Amazon.com.

And, the Acemagic W1 is $549, but there is no stock of the memory and storage options. However, Acemagic will sell you the barebones model for only $280.

All of these systems, when in stock, are cheaper than the GTBox T1, and all of them also have the ability to be internally upgraded with extra RAM and storage.

On that basis, the T1 doesn’t look like an especially hot deal.

Value: 3 / 5

GTBox T1 mini PC — (Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

GTBox T1: Specs

Item	Spec
CPU:	AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS ( 8C/16T, 3.8GHz up to 4.9GHz)
GPU:	AMD Radeon 780M, 12 cores, up to 2.6 GHz
NPU:	AMD Ryzen AI 16 TOPS (38 TOPS total)
RAM:	32GB DDR5-4800 (16GB x 2) not expandable
Storage:	1TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4
Expansion:	N/A
Ports:	1x USB4, 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x USB 2.0, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x 3.5mm Audio
Networking:	1x 2,5GbE Realtek RTL8125, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
OS:	Windows 11 Pro (pre-installed)
Base Power:	35W-54W
PSU:	19V 6.32A 120W
Dimensions:	115 x 115 x 165 mm

GTBox T1: Design

Speakerific
Limited ports
Zero internal access

There is something about the mesh covering that speakers use that is lovely to touch, with a distinctly fabric feel. As this system is a computer-in-a-speaker, with a slate blue colour scheme, it looks great perched on the edge of a desk.

That’s where this system was designed to sit, since it doesn’t have any VESA mounting options, and you wouldn’t be able to hear the sounds it generates if it were out of sight.

On top is a circular depression with an LED light that can be set to pulse through various RGB colours via the BIOS. That there isn’t a software component to set this is disappointing, as repeatedly going into the BIOS to make changes seems excessively complicated.

But where this system entirely leaves behind the current world of mini PCs is that it only has one place where ports are accessible, and there is no access whatsoever to the internal system.

All the ports are on a single I/O shield, and that includes five USB ports, one USB4, three USB 3.2 Gen 2 and one USB 2.0. There are both HDMI and DisplayPort, and if you use the USB4 port for video, it allows triple displays to be operated from this one computer.

There is also a 3.5mm audio jack, a single 2.5GbE LAN port, the power inlet and a power button. But there is no security slot to stop anyone from walking off with the T1.

With things so tight in this area, maybe the top might have been utilised for a second USB4 port, but that wasn’t something the designers embraced.

Having more ports is always better, but what really confronts the reality of this system is the lack of internal access. With no approved way in, should you want more memory (if it's even socketed) or to replace the storage, there are no options. That limitation is problematic for a business customer as it reduces the flexibility of this design considerably.

What you do get is a system with an inherently fairly loud speaker, but you can’t really use this for conferencing, since there is no corresponding microphone.

Design: 2.5 / 5

GTBox T1: Hardware

AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS
One USB4 port
Unused PCIe lanes

Many mini PC builders are turning to AMD, largely due to the affordability of its components and the generous number of PCIe lanes, which allow for an array of high-speed ports. The Ryzen 7 8745HS is a Hawk Point processor that, to my knowledge, was originally released in June of 2023.

This chip boasts eight cores with hyperthreading, enabling it to handle sixteen concurrent threads. It offers a slightly improved power profile over the Ryzen 7 8745H, resulting in modestly higher clock speeds.

While there are several advantages to this processor, but also one notable drawback. That caveat is the age of the 780M GPU, which has now been superseded by the 890M and also the new 8060S integrated GPUs. It’s not Intel UHD Graphics bad, but there are faster options that aren’t discrete video cards.

On the upside, it utilises Zen4 architecture, matching the performance of the previous generation's 7745HX. Additionally, it supports DDR4, DDR5, and the latest LPDDR5x memory standards. Its most significant advantage for mini PC applications lies in the twenty PCIe 4.0 lanes provided by AMD, which facilitate multiple ports and significant expansion capabilities.

The capacity of these lanes has enabled the implementation of USB 4 and Oculink on some systems, but here there is only one USB4 port and no Oculink. However, the M.2 SSD slot does at least get PCIe 4.0 lanes, even if you can’t get inside to use an SSD of this spec in that slot.

With only one USB4 port, no Oculink and a single M.2 Gen 4 slot, this machine has PCIe lanes that sit entirely idle and contribute nothing to the overall experience.

Therefore, this system is something of a contradiction, as it has a decent processor and DDR5 memory technology with dual modules, providing ample bandwidth and enhancing GPU performance.

But, there are also at least eight PCIe lanes doing nothing, no way to exploit the PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot, and no expansion path other than using a single USB4 external drive or the LAN.

Features: 3.5 / 5

GTBox T1: Performance

Mini PC		GTBox T1	Bosgame M4
CPU		AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS	AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS
Cores/Threads		8C 16T	8C 16T
RAM		32GB DDR5 (2x16GB)	32GB DDR5 (2x16GB)
Storage		1TB GTP3000-1TB	1TB NVMe Kingston OM8PGP41024N
Graphics		Radeon 780M	Radeon 780M
3DMark	WildLife	19813	17746
	FireStrike	7726	7448
	TimeSpy	3194	3126
	Steel Nom Lt.	2765	2559
CineBench24	Single	103	104
	Multi	903	909
	Ratio	8.8	8.71
GeekBench 6	Single	2587	2609
	Multi	12380	12840
	OpenCL	30593	26664
	Vulkan	25443	31667
CrystalDisk	Read MB/s	3431	4087
	Write MB/s	2258	3142
PCMark 10	Office	7458	6992
WEI		8.2	8.2

As a counterpoint to the T1, I chose the excellent Bosgame M4. But if you go to the Bosgame website now and select the M4, it shows as discontinued for the M4 Neo and the M4 Plus. However, it is still possible to get the original M4 from other outlets.

The reason I went with the M4 was that it uses the same CPU, GPU, and memory as the T1, giving some indication of whether the T1 is a good version of this platform.

And, looking at the first part of this benchmark collection, all the signs are good, as it edges the M4 in the GPU tests and matches it in most of the processing metrics.

But where it all goes slightly awry is when we get to the CrystalDisk benchmark and discover that the best performance the GTP3000-1TB can achieve is below the 4,000Mb/s threshold that PCIe 3.0 M.2 NVMe drives can almost reach.

This is a guess, since I can’t identify the maker and spec of the GTP3000-1TB, but given the number, I’m inclined to believe that this is a Gen 3 drive, which, as this system has a Gen 4 slot, is a depressing conclusion. If it is a Gen 4 drive, then it's one of the slowest I’ve ever seen. What makes this even worse is that because you can’t get inside the T1, this drive can’t be replaced with something quicker or larger.

The phrase grasping defeat from the jaws of victory seems suitable for the T1, since it had all the pieces it needed to be a winner, and then blew it with an apparent cost-cutting exercise.

Overall, aside from the storage, this machine performs well and is perfect for a power user, or rather one who doesn’t need more than 32GB of RAM or 1TB of quick storage.

Performance: 4 / 5

GTBox T1: Final verdict

There are two elephants in the GTBox T1 room, and the first of those is a design where you explicitly can’t get inside the system to do any form of upgrades. There are plenty of appliances where that sort of limitation is considered normal, but the PC isn’t one of them.

And, given the upgrade paths that other mini PCs provide, that’s a significant problem.

I’d had less of an issue with this if GTBox had at least made some sort of effort to make the M.2 slot accessible, but the owner is told not to open the T1 under any circumstances.

The other elephantine problem is the asking price, which seems about $150 more than it should be with this specification. It may be that, with this unique speaker styling, GTBox assumed a price premium was in order, but nothing about this design justifies it.

With memory and storage going up in price, the cost of the T1 might suddenly become something of a bargain, but based on other machines using the same platform, it's way too high, and there are Ryzen AI systems that aren’t much more than this cost.

But, if we put our purchasing blinkers on and ignore the lack of flexibility and the price, this is a decent mini PC with a great hardware platform (ignoring the SSD) that delivers a good user experience.

However, business IT buyers don’t tend to wear those blinkers much these days, and they’d reject this due to the cost and the lack of internal access.

Should I buy a GTBox T1?

Value	Expensive for the spec	3/5
Design	Zero internal access and limited ports	2.5/5
Features	Powerful CPU and USB4, but unused PCIe lanes	3.5/5
Performance	Decent performance on CPU and GPU	4/5
Overalls	Interesting take, but it lacks flexibility	3.5/5

Buy it if...

If you want a power-user NUC

The T1 has an excellent Zen4 system at its heart, which is perfect for those who want more power, and the DDR5 memory used in it makes the most of that CPU and GPU combination. However, the lack of any memory or storage upgrades needs to be considered for its role.View Deal

You hate upgrades
Not everyone sees buying hardware as the start of a path to enhancement. If you have no intention of ever putting more memory or storage into your systems, then the T1 might be perfect for you. Though this also means that should anything go wrong with the SSD, then this system is junk.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

If you need a flexible mini PC
The lack of internal access and the inclusion of only one USB4 port make this mini PC highly inflexible, since you can’t upgrade either memory or storage, and what you can connect externally is limited by only having one high-performance port.View Deal

You want ultimate performance
This is a value-led mini PC, so it's not going to be as powerful as machines loaded with the fastest processors - for top performance, check out mini PCs using the AMD Ryzen AI platforms like the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, with 16 cores and 32 threads.View Deal

Also consider

Bosgame M4
Built around the same platform as the T1, the Bosgame M4 is a more traditional NUC design.
While it doesn’t have a metal case, the M4 ticks every other box for a successful NUC design. The asking price is low, the performance is good, and it’s a highly flexible system that can perform many tasks. Little to dislike here.

Check out my Bosgame M4 review View Deal

This HP 2-in-1 laptop I tested might not be a powerhouse, but it’s well made and capable enough for everyday tasks

7:51 pm | January 21, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Windows Laptops | Tags: Acer Chromebook Spin, Battery Life, FPS | Comments: Off

HP Pavilion x360 14: Two-minute review

The HP Pavilion x360 14 is a compact 2-in-1 laptop that aims to offer both performance and versatility in a single package.

True to most of HP’s lineup, the Pavilion x360 14 has a smart and understated appearance. The light grey colorway and sleek contours imbue it with elegance, while its 14-inch size helps with portability.

However, this latter aspect is undermined somewhat by its relatively thick and heavy construction, so it’s not the best laptop for frequent travelers who want a device with as minimal a footprint as possible.

The upshot of this weight, though, is that it adds some reassuring solidity. Both the base and the display enclosure of the Pavilion x360 14 have very little give, while the materials used all over the unit feel premium. The hinge for the lid is also sturdy, if a little clunky in action when you're pushing the screen beyond 90 degrees, as I often do whenever I use a 2-in-1 laptop.

Despite its small size, there are a good number of ports on the Pavilion x360 14. Along with two USB-A and one USB-C port, there’s also an HDMI port, a microSD slot, and a combo audio jack, all of which I welcome. What’s more, they’re conveniently located.

The general performance of the Pavilion x360 14 is pretty good. It can handle light productivity and stream 4K content with ease. However, it can suffer from micro-stutters when moving quickly from task to task. Also, gaming performance is average-to-poor, owing to the absence of a dedicated GPU. Of course, this isn't a gaming laptop, so you shouldn't really expect impressive game performance.

Rear three-quarter view of HP Pavilion x360 14 open on desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

I noticed that even under moderate loads, a fair amount of heat radiates from the left side of the Pavilion x360 14, as well as the top keyboard rows. Thankfully, temperatures aren’t alarmingly high. The fans generate some noise, but remain pleasingly quiet relative to many other laptops under stress.

The display is pleasingly sharp and vibrant, and although reflections are prominent at times, I usually found the maximum brightness setting could mitigate their presence to an acceptable degree.

Despite the small size of the Pavilion x360 14, its keyboard has a pleasingly spacious layout, which, combined with the snappiness of the keys themselves, makes it satisfying to type on. However, there was no backlighting in my particular review unit – a grave omission given how hard it was to make out the lettering most of the time.

The touchpad is usable, if a little small, and has a smooth surface. It’s also quite solid, although I did notice a slight rattle when tapping and clicking, which can hamper feel and feedback.

The touchscreen on the Pavilion x360 14 is responsive and accurate, however, those keen on illustration might be disappointed with the small – but still noticeable – levels of friction, which can lead to slightly rough swipes, whether a stylus or a finger is used.

The battery life of the Pavilion x360 14 is quite good. It lasted over 11 hours when I ran our movie playback test, which is similar to some of its more expensive rivals. However, it pales in comparison to the highest performing laptops on this front, which can endure twice as long in some cases.

All things considered, though, the Pavilion x360 14 is a strong option in the 2-in-1 sector, thanks to its decent everyday performance and impressive design. It’s a shame that it’s not as portable as other convertible models, and there may be better value alternatives depending on what you require from a laptop, but at the very least the Pavilion x360 14 deserves a place on your shortlist.

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Price & Availability

Close-up of right-hand ports on HP Pavilion x360 14, with desk and pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Starts from £699 (about $920 / AU$1,400)
Available now
Expensive compared to some rivals

The HP Pavilion x360 14 is available now and starts from £699 (about $920 / AU$1,400). For that, you get an Intel Core i3, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. However, we have seen it on sale for half this price from HP’s own website, which obviously makes it much better value.

The unit I review here is the top-spec model and costs around £1,000. It features an Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage (although you can upgrade to a 1TB drive instead). Again, we’ve seen a hefty discount on this variant, but its usual price is quite dear.

If you don't need a truly convertible laptop, but still want a touchscreen, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is a fine alternative. It’s decidedly more expensive, but it’s a truly premium machine, featuring an OLED display and a pleasingly portable design.

However, if your heart is set on a 2-in-1 but you want a more budget-friendly option, the Acer Chromebook Spin 312 is worth considering. Thanks to its compact form factor, great display, and usable touchscreen, it’s one of the best Chromebooks currently around.

Value: 3.5 / 5

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Specs

HP Pavilion x360 14 Specs
	Base configuration	Review configuration
Price	£699 (about $920 / AU$1,400)	£1,000 (about $1,300 / AU$2,000)
CPU	Intel Core i3 1315U (1.2GHz, 6 cores)	Intel Core i7 1355U (1.7GHz, 10 cores)
GPU	Intel UHD Graphics (integrated)	Intel Iris Xe Graphics (integrated)
RAM	8GB DDR4	16GB DDR4
Storage	256GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD	512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Display	14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, Touch screen	14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, Touch screen
Ports and Connectivity	1x USB-C (Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4), 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo audio; Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3	1x USB-C (Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4), 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo audio; Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3
Battery	43Wh	43Wh
Dimensions	12.7 x 8.3 x 0.8in (322 x 210 x 20mm)	12.7 x 8.3 x 0.8in (322 x 210 x 20mm)
Weight	3.3lbs / 1.51kg	3.3lbs / 1.51kg

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Design

Three-quarter view of HP Pavilion x360 14 open on desk, flipped upside down in touchscreen mode, with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Heavier and bulkier than expected
Solid construction
Impressive port selection

The Pavilion x360 14 looks smart, with its pristine light gray finish, rounded edges, and flat surfaces. All these aspects reflect HP’s desire to emulate the best MacBook designs.

Despite initial impressions, though, the Pavilion x360 14 is actually less slender and light than you might expect. Not only does this heft hamper portability, it’s doubly disappointing to see in a convertible laptop, since you’ll likely be picking it up and flipping it upside down frequently to use the touchscreen. The best 2-in-1 laptop options are all lighter than this.

On the plus side, the weight does contribute to the overall sturdiness of the HP Pavilion x360 14, as there’s virtually no flex to any of its panels. The materials employed seem quite premium as well, more akin to metal than plastic.

Also, the lid hinge is stable enough to prevent the display from wobbling under most circumstances. It operates smoothly, too, although I found it took a bit more effort to adjust the display angle compared to other laptops I’ve used.

More irksome, however, was the fact that once it’s reclined beyond 90 degrees, the rear of the base lifts clean off the underlying surface. This is a design choice some other laptops employ, but it’s not one I’m fond of. It always felt awkward adjusting the display to this point, and results in less stability when using the keyboard.

Close-up of webcam on HP Pavilion x360 14, with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Speaking of which, my review unit had no backlighting for the keyboard. I always lament this omission in any laptop, but it’s especially disappointing in the case of the Pavilion x360 14. The characters are dark and contrast marginally with the finish of the keys themselves, making them hard to see in many instances; at certain angles, they were totally invisible.

Even though the Pavilion x360 14 is a small laptop, it has an admirable selection of interfaces. There are two USB-A ports and one USB-C, the latter of which supports both Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4 standards.

Additionally, there’s an HDMI port, a combo audio jack, and a microSD card reader. It’s a small shame the latter isn’t fit for standard SD cards, but I can forgive this omission given the form factor of the Pavilion x360 14.

The ports are spread quite evenly across both sides, which improves convenience. They’re also ordered in a logical way: for instance, the power connector is furthest away from the user, while the microSD reader and combo audio jack are closest.

Design: 4 / 5

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Performance

Close-up of keyboard on HP Pavilion x360 14, with desk and pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Reasonable everyday performance
Heat and noise even under moderate loads
Responsive but uninspiring touchscreen

HP Pavilion x360 14 benchmarks:

3DMark Night Raid 13,367; Fire Strike: 3,646; Steel Nomad: 139
GeekBench 6.5 Single-core: 2,535; Multi-core: 7,729
CrossMark Overall: 1,480; Productivity: 1,517; Creativity: 1,528; Responsiveness: 1,247;
HandBrake - 4K to 1080p average FPS: 30.27

The general performance of the Pavilion x360 14 is reasonable, if not spectacular. It can handle light productivity and entertainment tasks well, even streaming 4K content without disruption.

However, despite my review unit having an Intel Core i7 installed, it wasn’t as swift as I was expecting. When switching between browser tabs or loading new web pages, it frequently stuttered. These stutters were momentary, so were minor infractions in the main, but they added up to become more disruptive when I tried to accomplish multiple (but not especially demanding) tasks in quick succession.

Being the top spec model, my review unit also had Intel Iris Xe Graphics. In theory, this offers improved performance over Intel UHD Graphics, but it’s still integrated to the CPU. This means that the Pavilion x360 14 is only capable of very light gaming. I managed to run Cyberpunk 2077 on Medium graphics, but it wasn’t a smooth experience, in terms of frame rate and visual fidelity.

A noticeable amount of heat emanated from the left vent of the Pavilion x360 14, as well as from the top keyboard rows and the section above. This was the case even when I conducted moderate workloads. Thankfully, the temperatures were never uncomfortable or concerning. Fan noise accompanied such moments, but it was pleasingly quiet relative to some other laptops under load.

Close-up of touchpad on HP Pavilion x360 14 — (Image credit: Future)

The 1080p resolution of the Pavilion x360 14 provides plenty of sharpness, which is doubtless helped by the compact 14-inch display. Colors also appear vibrant. It can be quite reflective at times, but thankfully there’s enough brightness to keep them from being distracting.

The touchscreen functions well, responding to inputs made by either a finger or a stylus quickly and accurately. However, the surface isn’t the smoothest, so more intricate usage, such as drawing or handwriting, can result in a dragging sensation. The effect isn’t as egregious as it is on some other touchscreens, but if you’re after one of the best touchscreen laptops, the Pavilion x360 14 might not cut it.

If you’ll mainly be typing, though, you’ll be pleased with the keyboard on the HP Pavilion x360 14. The keys are comfortably spaced despite the compact layout, and there’s a surprising amount of travel to presses, which makes them satisfying to use. They’re still snappy enough to type quickly, though.

The touchpad is less impressive. It operates well enough, but the small size and numb-feeling taps and clicks – in part due to the slight rattle I noticed – result in a less tactile experience.

Performance: 4 / 5

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Battery Life

Close-up of left-side ports on HP Pavilion x360 14, with desk and pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Respectable by 2-in-1 standards
Some longer-lasting rivals
Quick to recharge

The Pavilion x360 14 has a decent battery life. It lasted about 11 hours in our movie playback test, which is close to the same score achieved by the Acer Chromebook Spin 312.

However, it can’t beat the Microsoft Surface Pro 11, another fantastic 2-in-1 laptop, which managed over 14 and a half hours. Also, more conventional laptops can last longer, sometimes up to 20 hours or more. The Pavilion x360 14 is quick to charge, though. It took about two hours to fully replenish.

Battery Life: 4 / 5

Should I buy the HP Pavilion x360 14?

HP Pavilion x360 14 Scorecard
	Notes	Rating
Value	The HP Pavilion x360 14 has a reasonable starting price, although prices rise steeply with higher-spec models. We’ve seen big discounts on it recently, though.	3.5 / 5
Design	The HP Pavilion x360 14 looks smart and is well made, but it’s heavier and bulkier than you might expect. My unit was crying out for keyboard backlighting, too.	4 / 5
Performance	Not blistering, but still efficient for workaday use. The 1080p display looks crisp, while the keyboard and touchscreen are effective.	4 / 5
Battery life	Decent for a convertible laptop, although some rivals can beat it. It’s quick to recharge, though.	4 / 5
Total Score	The HP Pavilion x360 14 is a premium-feeling machine with a compact form, but one that's less portable and maneuverable than you might expect. There are also some better-value rivals, but it still offers enough to deserve consideration.	4 / 5

Buy the HP Pavilion x360 14 if...

You’ll be doing a lot of typing
The keyboard is a joy to use, thanks to the comfortable and snappy keys.

You want a premium build
Not only does it look smart, the Pavilion x360 14 is solidly constructed, and the materials employed feel more upmarket than your usual flimsy plastics.

Don't buy it if...

You’ll be conducting demanding workloads
Since it lacks integrated graphics, more strenuous tasks, such as gaming, are a struggle for the Pavilion x360 14.

You want the best usability
Despite its small size, its thickness and weight hamper tablet-style use, as well as portability.

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Also Consider

Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i
It might not be convertible, but the Yoga Slim 9i still has a touchscreen. What’s more, if you want the ultimate in portability, you can’t do much better. It’s a far more premium option than the Pavilion x360 14, but we found that its build quality and performance lived up to its commanding price tag. Shame there’s no audio jack, though.

Read our full Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i review.View Deal

Acer Chromebook Spin 312
If you’re on a tighter budget and can forgo the Windows operating system, the Acer Chromebook Spin 312 is a strong choice. It has a great display, keyboard, and touchscreen, all of which make it one of the best budget laptop picks. Its performance is also respectable – although it won’t handle heavy multitasking with the composure of more powerful machines.

Read our full Acer Chromebook Spin 312 review.

How I tested the HP Pavilion x360 14

Tested for a few days
Used for a variety of tasks
Laptop testing experience

I tested the HP Pavilion x360 14 for a few days, during which time I used it for multiple tasks, including productivity, streaming, and gaming.

I also ran our series of benchmark tests for laptops, which are designed to assess every facet of performance. I also tested the battery life by running a movie on a continuous loop.

I have plenty of experience both using and reviewing laptops. I have covered many models, ranging in their form factors, use cases, and price points.

First reviewed: November 2025
Read more about how we test

I tested the HP Pavilion 16 and it feels more premium than its price suggests – but don’t expect a powerhouse performer

5:42 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Windows Laptops | Tags: Battery Life, Total War | Comments: Off

HP Pavilion 16: Two-minute review

The HP Pavilion 16 is aimed at those looking for a capable everyday machine for a reasonable price.

It’s clear that HP has paid attention to the aesthetics of the Pavilion 16. Not only does the Sky Blue colorway add more interest than the monochromatic tones typical of mid-range laptops, but the materials employed look premium as well.

Its elegance is further emphasized by its sheer slenderness; I don’t recall having seen a thinner 16-inch laptop, making it one of the best laptop designs around. While this aspect helps with portability, the deceptively hefty weight doesn’t.

I can’t complain about the build quality of the Pavilion 16, though. There’s little flex to any part of it, despite its aforementioned lean form, while the parts that are plastic are pleasing to the touch. This is especially true of the keys, which have a slight texture for added tactility.

There are some useful ports on the Pavilion 16, including two USB-A, two USB-C (which support both Power Delivery and DisplayPort standards), and an HDMI port. However, most are loaded on the right-hand side, and the two USB-C ports are placed closest to the user, which can be inconvenient as the power cable has to be plugged into one of them.

Three-quarter view of HP Pavilion 16 open on desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

The Pavilion 16 handles general tasks rather well, from light productivity to 4K video streaming. However, since it lacks a dedicated GPU, graphics-heavy workloads are handled with less aplomb. Some light gaming is still possible, but you’ll have to dial back the settings and settle for unremarkable frame rates and visuals.

Fan noise is noticeable, even when the Pavilion 16 is running at a moderate intensity, but I would still describe it as being within acceptable bounds. Nearly all of the heat is confined to the very rear of the underside, which I also appreciated.

The 1200p WUGXA display is sufficient for this size of laptop, providing a clear and sharp image. Color reproduction and brightness levels are also commendable, although reflections can be a little too prominent at times.

If you’ll be doing a lot of typing, the Pavilion 16 is likely to meet your needs. The wide spacing of the keys, coupled with their deep travel and dampening, makes them satisfying to use. And if you’ll be dealing with lots of numbers in your work, you’ll be pleased with the inclusion of a numpad, too.

However, the touchpad is less impressive. It’s quite small for this size of laptop, yet at the same time manages to intrude while typing; I would often trigger cursor movement with my thumb palm. In the main, though, it’s still sufficient enough for everyday use.

An area where the Pavilion 16 excels is battery life. It lasted over 20 hours in our movie playback test, and charging times are very fast as well. On this front, it beats most of its similarly-priced rivals.

When you combine this aspect with its other plus points, the Pavilion 16 adds up to an enticing proposition, given its reasonable starting price. There are certainly other great laptops at this end of the market, some of which may have the edge in terms of performance, but the Pavilion 16 remains one to consider if you’re after a mid-range, workaday machine.

HP Pavilion 16 review: Price & Availability

Close-up of webcam on HP Pavilion 16, with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Starts from $459 / £569 (about AU$700)
Available now in various configurations
Reasonable price point

The HP Pavilion 16 starts from $459 / £569 (about AU$700) and is available now. Models with different Intel and AMD processors are available, as are models with touchscreens. RAM configurations also vary from 8GB to 16GB.

This is a reasonable price for a large laptop of this spec. For a similar price, you could also get the Acer Aspire Go 15. I was impressed with its performance when I reviewed it, which is perhaps marginally better than that of Pavilion 16. However, its display is less impressive than the Pavilion 16’s.

If you’re looking for another budget alternative, the HP OmniBook 5 14-inch (2025) could be one to look out for. It features a cutting-edge and vibrant OLED display, and impressively long battery life.

Value: 4 / 5

HP Pavilion 16 review: Specs

HP Pavilion 16 review configuration
Price	£569 (about $745 / AU$1,140)
CPU	Intel Core Ultra 5 125U (3.6GHz, 12 cores)
GPU	Intel Graphics (integrated)
RAM	16GB LPDDR5
Storage	512GB PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
Display	16-inch (1920 x 1200), 16:10, IPS, micro-edge, anti-glare
Ports and Connectivity	2x USB-A, 2x USB-C (Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4a), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm combo audio; Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3
Battery	59Wh
Dimensions	14 x 10 x 0.7in (358 x 255 x 18mm)
Weight	3.9lbs / 1.77kg

HP Pavilion 16 review: Design

Close-up of keyboard on HP Pavilion 16, on desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Exceptionally thin
Premium feel
Mixed connectivity options

The Pavilion 16 cuts an elegant figure, thanks to its minimalist design that’s free from fuss and unsightly bulges. The Sky Blue colorway also helps to distinguish it from many others in this sector, endowing the unit with enough interest while maintaining a professional appearance.

More impressive is just how slender the Pavilion 16 is. For a 16-inch laptop, it’s remarkably thin, which certainly helps with transportation. Its weight, on the other hand, is more of a hindrance, since it’s heavier than I expected it to be.

The plastics used in the Pavilion 16 feel premium, especially that of the keys, which are finished with a subtle texture that offers a pleasing amount of traction. They’re also secured firmly in place, without a hint of looseness.

Close-up of touchpad on HP Pavilion 16, on a desk — (Image credit: Future)

This same level of solidity applies to the overall construction of the Pavilion 16, too. There’s remarkably little flex to the chassis or the lid, despite how thin both are. What’s more, the hinge holds the display in place with impressively little wobble, no matter the angle, while being very easy to adjust at the same time.

There are two USB-A and two USB-C ports on the Pavilion 16, as well as an HDMI port – an increasingly rare sight on modern laptops. There’s no SD card reader, though, which is a small shame.

A bigger point of contention is the placement of the ports. All but two are on the right, which might prove inconvenient for some. And while I was glad to see the USB-A ports split across both sides, the two USB-C ports are both on the right.

What’s more, they’re located in front of all other ports, nearly mid-way along the chassis, which can cause issues when connecting the USB-C power adapter. Personally, I always prefer the power port to be the furthest away, in order to prevent the power cable from trailing over others or being obstructed by things you may have next to your laptop.

Design: 4.5 / 5

HP Pavilion 16 review: Performance

Close-up of left-side ports on HP Pavilion 16, on desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Reasonable everyday performance
Not ideal for gamers or creative pros
Tactile keyboard

HP Pavilion 16 benchmarks

Geekbench 6 (Single Core): 2,166; (Multi Core): 9,496
Cinebench R23 (Multi Core): 7,730
Cinebench R24 (Single Core): 94 (Multi Core): 411
Crossmark Overall: 1,433
3DMark Night Raid: 18,673; Fire Strike: 4,717; Steel Nomad: 352; Solar Bay: 6,519; Solar Bay Unlimited: 6,993; Solar Bay Extreme: 737; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 734
BlackMagicDisk Read: 2,639MB/s; Write: 2,494MB/s
Total War: Warhammer III: Mirrors of Madness (1080p, Low): 22.7fps

The everyday performance of the Pavilion 16 is commendable. It handles light productivity, browsing, and entertainment tasks well, which is what one would expect from this grade of laptop. More impressively, it can stream ultra-HD video without issue.

Such content is enhanced by the large display, which is allowed to make full use of its space thanks to the thin bezel. There’s enough brightness and vibrancy to make the viewing experience an enjoyable one, and while reflections can reveal themselves at points, for the most part the Pavilion 16 does an admirable job of keeping them at bay.

Even when performing moderately intense workloads, the fans in the Pavilion 16 were audible. However, the noise never rose above a muted whir, so I didn’t find them disruptive. Most of the heat was confined to the rear underside, with commonly-touched surfaces remaining cool.

Since it has no dedicated GPU, the Pavilion 16 isn’t the best choice for gamers or creative types. Cyberpunk 2077 was just about playable on Medium settings, but even here I experienced some stuttering and the occasional slowdown. Naturally, it wasn’t very pleasant to look at, either. You'd be better off checking out our list of the best gaming laptops instead.

Close-up of right-side ports on HP Pavilion 16, on desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Thanks to the wide chassis, the keyboard fits comfortably in the Pavilion 16, even with its number pad. However, while the keys have plenty of space between them, they don’t seem as large as those on other laptops. I had to adapt my typing accordingly, but as the size difference is that great, this didn’t take long.

Better is the considerable amount of travel and dampening they have, especially by laptop standards. This makes them more tactile and engaging to use.

Despite its relatively small size, the touchpad got in the way as I typed. The palm of my right thumb frequently triggered cursor movement; thankfully, no clicks or taps registered, which would’ve been much more disruptive.

Its small size also means navigation isn’t as expansive as it could’ve been. What’s more, it lacks the smoothness of some of the best in class, and I felt a slight rattle whenever I tapped or clicked, which made such actions feel awkward. Having said all this, I’ve certainly experienced more frustrating laptop touchpads, and it’s perfectly usable in the main.

Performance: 3.5 / 5

HP Pavilion 16 review: Battery Life

Three-quarter rear view of HP Pavilion 16, open on a desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Lasts long
Beats many rivals
Quick to charge, too

The battery life of the Pavilion 16 is very impressive. It lasted a mighty 20 hours and 15 minutes during our movie playback test, a score that bests many of its rivals by a large margin. The Acer Aspire Go 15, for example, only managed close to 12 hours.

Equally as impressive is just how quickly the Pavilion 16 can fully recharge, taking about 90 minutes.

Battery Life: 5 / 5

Should I buy the HP Pavilion 16?

HP Pavilion 16 Scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	The HP Pavilion 16 offers a lot for the money, but it stands alongside some equally-capable rivals.	4 / 5
Design	The HP Pavilion 16 is remarkably thin for its size, while the looks and build quality are admirable at this price point.	4.5 / 5
Performance	For general tasking, the HP Pavilion 16 suffices. The display and keyboard are great, but gaming and creative applications suffer from the absence of dedicated graphics.	3.5 / 5
Battery Life	The HP Pavilion 16 can outlast many of its rivals by a long way, and it’s quick to recharge, too.	5 / 5
Total	The HP Pavilion 16 represents good value considering what it offers, but you’ll have to settle for poor graphical performance.	4 / 5

Buy the HP Pavilion 16 if...

You’ll be doing a lot of typing
The tactile keyboard is a cut above many others at this price point, owing to its deep travel and comfortable layout.

You want all-day battery life
Its impressive score in our battery test means the HP Pavilion 16 should last you a full day or more unplugged.

Don't buy it if...

You want to game or create
Since it doesn’t have a dedicated GPU, the Pavilion 16 can only handle very light gaming and creative tasks.

You want the best touchpad
The touchpad on the HP Pavilion 16 is quite small for a 16-inch laptop, and it’s not the smoothest operator. It can also get in the way when typing.

HP Pavilion 16 review: Also Consider

Acer Aspire Go 15
The starting price of the Acer Aspire Go 15 is much lower than that of the Pavilion 16, but you’d be wise to ignore this base model, since its spec is frankly unfit for modern use. The model that most closely matches the Pavilion 16 is also similarly priced. But while it performs well, its display is far less impressive, so I wouldn’t recommend the Aspire Go to those wanting the best visual experience.

Read our full Acer Aspire Go 15 review.

HP OmniBook 5 14-inch (2025)
Another HP laptop, the OmniBook 5 is a little more expensive than the Pavilion 16, but it features an OLED display, which impressed us with its vibrancy. Its light build and enjoyable keyboard and touchpad were further highlights. Build quality and top-tier performance are somewhat lacking, but the OmniBook 5 is a solid offering all the same.

Read our full HP OmniBook 5 14-inch (2025) review.

How I tested the HP Pavilion 16

Tested for a few days
Used for multiple purposes and benchmarked
Experienced laptop reviewer

I tested the HP Pavilion 16 for a couple of days. I used it for a variety of tasks, from productivity and browsing to streaming video and gaming.

I also ran our series of benchmark tests, designed to comprehensively assess every aspect of a laptop's performance. This included a battery life test, where I ran a movie on a continuous loop until the HP Pavilion 16 shut down.

I am an experienced laptop reviewer, having tested a large number across a broad range of price points, form factors, and specifications.

HP Omen Max 16: Two minute review

Many of the best gaming laptops on the market feature Nvidia’s latest 50 series graphics cards, and while these are perfect for those who are looking for a powerful device, they typically come at an exceptionally high price point.

Enter the latest HP Omen Max 16, which comes with a more affordable pricepoint when compared to its rivals, though it will still leave a significant dent in your wallet.

The HP Omen Max 16 is a formidable machine designed for high-end gaming, and from the moment you power it on, its capabilities shine through, offering smooth gameplay and crisp visuals.

While it features a more traditional gaming laptop aesthetic with a slightly bulkier build, its performance under pressure is where it truly excels. The Omen Max 16 manages heat impressively well, maintaining optimal performance even during extended gaming sessions, and its display offers a truly immersive visual feast.

This laptop is a strong choice for gamers who prioritize raw power and a high-quality visual experience, and it's well-equipped to handle the most demanding AAA titles - all for a price that's (slightly) more sensible than other gaming laptops at this end of the market.

HP Omen Max 16 gaming laptop on wooden surface — (Image credit: Future)

HP Omen Max 16: Price and availability

How much is it? Starting at $2,599 / £1,999
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK

The Omen Max 16 is available for $2,599 / £1,999. This price positions it competitively within the high-performance gaming laptop market, especially considering the specifications it offers.

While it's certainly not a budget option, it provides excellent value for serious gamers looking for top-tier hardware without reaching the ultra-premium price points of some alternatives. For example, the MSI Stealth A16 AI+, which boasts an Nvidia 5070 Ti - less powerful than the 5080 featured in the Omen Max 16 - comes in at $2,899 / £2,199.

The laptop is currently available in the US, UK, and several European countries. While there's no official word on wider global availability, HP typically expands its distribution to other regions over time.

Value: 4 / 5

HP Omen Max 16: Specs

The HP Omen Max 16 is equipped with a powerful Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a fast 1TB NVMe SSD. These specifications combine to create a powerhouse capable of handling the most demanding games and applications with ease.

	HP Omen Max 16 AH0007NA
Price	$2,599 / £1,999
CPU	Intel Core i9-14900HX
GPU	GeForce RTX 5080
RAM	32GB DDR5
Storage	1TB PCIe SSD
Display	16.1-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) IPS - 240Hz
Ports	3x USB-A, 1x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Ethernet, 1x Audio Jack, 1x SD Card Reader
Wireless	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Dimensions	369 x 259.4 x 23.9 mm
Weight	2.5 kg

HP Omen Max 16: Design

Dated design
Keyboard looks great
Excellent screen

The Omen Max 16 embraces a bold, aggressive design that is characteristic of gaming laptops - while you could take it into an office environment or on the go, you might get some strange looks.

Personally, I find this aesthetic quite dated, so it’s not really the best option for me, but this won’t be the case for everyone. One thing I will note, however, is that the RGB keyboard is stunning thanks to the semi-transparent keycaps.

Its chassis is sturdy, and while it's not the slimmest laptop on the market, its build quality feels premium. The laptop's larger footprint accommodates its powerful components and effective cooling system, but it does also mean that this device will be taking up a fair amount of space on your desk or in your bag if you’re intending to take this laptop on the go with you.

HP has provided an ample selection of ports, ensuring you can connect all of your gaming peripherals without the need for an extra USB adaptor. You'll find multiple USB-A ports, a versatile USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4 support, an HDMI 2.1 output for connecting to external monitors, an Ethernet port for stable online gaming, an audio jack, and even an SD card reader.

However, it's worth noting that if you’re intending to run a streaming setup off of your gaming laptop, you may need more ports in order to plug in a microphone and higher-resolution webcam.

The 16.1-inch QHD IPS display is a highlight, offering vibrant colors, sharp details, and a smooth 240Hz refresh rate. While it’s not as good as an OLED panel, IPS still offers decent image quality, and is capable of an impressive range of colors. This screen provides an incredibly immersive visual experience, making games and movies truly pop. The high refresh rate ensures fluid motion, and there's no hint of screen tearing.

Design: 4 / 5

HP Omen Max 16: Performance

Excellent performance
Efficient cooling
Fans can get loud

HP Omen Max 16 Benchmarks

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

Geekbench 6 (Multi Core): 16,800; (Single Core): 3,150
Crossmark Overall: 2,050
3DMark Fire Strike: 35,890; Night Raid: 42,100; Time Spy 15,720
Total War: Warhammer III: (1440p, Ultra): 140 FPS; 1440p, low): 290 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 (1440p, Ultra): 90 FPS; (1440p, Low): 160 FPS
Dirt 5 (1440p, Ultra): 180 FPS; (1440p, Low): 260 FPS
PCMark 10 Battery Life: 5 hours 10 mins
TechRadar movie test: 5 hours

The performance of the HP Omen Max 16 gaming is exceptional, consistently delivering high frame rates across a wide range of demanding games.

Whether battling in the latest AAA titles or engaging in intense competitive multiplayer, the laptop maintains smooth and responsive gameplay. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card, paired with the Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, easily handles graphically-intensive games, even with settings cranked up to 'ultra'.

During extensive testing, titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Alan Wake 2 ran beautifully at high resolutions with ray tracing enabled, showcasing the laptop's ability to render stunning visuals without compromise. In each game I tried I got high frame rates with no stuttering and no issues whatsoever, and beyond gaming, the Omen Max 16 handles resource-intensive tasks such as video editing, 3D rendering, and complex multitasking with remarkable efficiency, making it a versatile machine for power users.

One of the standout features is its cooling system. Despite running demanding applications, the laptop manages heat impressively well. While the fans do become quite loud under heavy load, they are effective at keeping internal temperatures in check, preventing thermal throttling and ensuring sustained performance. The keyboard area remained comfortable to use, even during prolonged gaming sessions, which is a testament to the efficient cooling design.

The speakers provide decent audio, clear enough for general use, but for the best results, I'd suggest picking up one of the best PC gaming headsets to take advantage of directional audio.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

HP Omen Max 16: Battery life

Surprisingly good battery life
Almost a full day's regular use, about two and a half hours of gaming
Charges fast but uses a proprietary charger

While HP promises a decent battery life for general usage, in real-world testing, the Omen Max 16 delivered an average of around five to six hours for light tasks such as web browsing or video playback.

This is a respectable figure for a powerful gaming laptop. However, as expected with high-performance hardware, engaging in intensive gaming or demanding applications significantly reduces battery life, typically down to about one and a half hours.

Our PCMark 10 battery life benchmark and TechRadar movie test both lasted around 5 hours, which aligns with typical expectations for this class of device. For extended gaming sessions, keeping the laptop plugged in is essential.

Battery Life: 3 / 5

Should you buy the HP Omen Max 16?

HP Omen Max 16 Scorecard
Value	The HP Omen Max offers competitive pricing for its high-end specifications.	4 / 5
Design	It has a robust, traditional gaming aesthetic with a good port selection.	4 / 5
Performance	Expect exceptional performance for AAA gaming and demanding tasks.	4.5 / 5
Battery Life	Average battery life, typical for a high-performance gaming laptop.	4.5 / 5
Total	Overall, the HP Omen Max 16 offers excellent gaming performance for a competitive price. The design, however, feels a bit bulky and dated.	4 / 5

Buy the HP Omen Max 16 if...

You want powerful gaming performance
If you're looking for a laptop that can handle the latest AAA titles at high settings with ease, this will be the laptop for you.

Image quality is important to you
The vibrant, high-refresh-rate display offers an immersive visual experience.

You don't want to get burnt
The HP Omen Max 16 manages heat well, ensuring sustained performance during long gaming sessions.

Don't buy it if...

You prioritize portability and having a laptop with a slim design
The HP Omen Max 16's design is robust but bulkier than ultra-portable alternatives.

You need all-day battery life
While decent for a gaming laptop, it won't last a full workday or long gaming sessions unplugged.

You're on a very tight budget
The HP Omen Max 16 offers good value for its specs, but it's still a high-end device with a corresponding price tag.

Also consider

Asus ROG Strix Scar 17
For those seeking an even larger screen and potentially more aggressive aesthetics with top-tier performance, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 is a strong alternative that often features cutting-edge components.

Read our full Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 review

Alienware m18
If screen size and sheer power are paramount, the Alienware m18 offers an expansive display and extreme performance, often at the very top end of gaming laptop capabilities.

Read our full Alienware m18 review

How I tested the HP Omen Max 16

For a period of two weeks, the Omen Max 16 served as my primary device for both work and leisure activities. I integrated it into my daily routine, using it for typical office tasks, extensive gaming sessions in the evenings, and general media consumption.

To assess its portability and performance outside of a stationary setup, I also used it in various remote working environments. Beyond everyday usage, comprehensive benchmark tests were conducted using industry-standard software such as 3DMark and GeekBench, alongside in-game benchmarking tools, to rigorously evaluate its performance across different scenarios.

First reviewed January 2026

I tested the Ricoh ScanSnap iX2400 – and it’s the one piece of office kit I’m investing in this year to keep my paperwork in order

10:15 am |

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

Ricoh ScanSnap iX2400: 30-second review

The Ricoh iX2400 is a simple office document scanner that enables you to load up to 100 sheets of A4 paper into its auto feeder. You can then hit scan, and the entire stack of paper will be scanned and formatted, ready for review in a couple of minutes.

In August last year, I tested the more advanced iX2500, which is essentially the same machine with network connectivity. This stripping back of any type of wired or wireless network connectivity will appeal to those who are increasingly security-minded.

This does mean that the machine is only accessible from a single device, and if you want to use it from your desktop, laptop, or another person’s computer, then you’ll have to physically reconnect the hardware via USB. That’s not too much of an issue; it just isn't as convenient as the more expensive option.

In terms of performance, there’s little to no difference. It handles multiple A4 documents, bills, or even old photographs being scanned in colour, or for that matter, black and white, with absolute accuracy and speed.

The scanning speed is extremely fast. You can use the button on the front of the machine to directly scan or go through the software. Another slight change compared to the iX2500 is the lack of a touchscreen. This is a very stripped-down version, which will likely suit most people, especially when you consider the savings in price.

I’ve been using the machine in the office to scan agreements, household bills, and more over the past month, and, as I found with the iX2500, it’s just an extremely quick and easy way to keep on top of your household or small business administration.

The user interface with the software still feels a little dated. It looks like something left over from the 1990s and doesn’t seem to have progressed design-wise. However, it functions exceptionally well, enabling you to scan documents in various formats and resolutions for later use and even upload directly to the cloud.

One useful aspect of the ScanSnap iX2400 is the OCR capability. If you're scanning a whole series of documents, you can activate the option to create a searchable PDF, which converts the printed word into fully searchable documents using OCR technology.

If you’re working in a smaller office and are likely to leave this machine connected to a single computer or laptop, then it’s a good value, if not overly cheap. However, if you need broader accessibility or network integration, paying a bit extra for the iX2500 definitely makes sense. Either way, in any office, this machine, or one extremely similar, is a great asset.

Ricoh ScanSnap iX2400: Price & availability

How much does it cost? £310 / $399
When is it out? Now
Where can you get it? Widely available

While the price of the ScanSnap iX2400 is lower than the more advanced network-connected iX2500, it still carries a relatively hefty price of $399 / £310. It’s widely available, including from major online retailers such as Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Value: 4 / 5

Ricoh ScanSnap iX2400: Design

Specifications

Ports: USB 3.2, Power input
Connectivity: USB only (USB 3.2 Gen 1)
Size: 292 × 161 × 152 mm
Weight: 3.2kg
Accessories: USB cable, AC adapter, ScanSnap Home software licence

The iX2400 has been designed as a compact piece of office equipment. At first glance, you might mistake it for a standard desktop printer. The compact profile is available in both black and white. For this review, I looked at the black option, which is stylish and fits neatly on a desktop surface or shelf.

The quality of design is extremely good. The whole thing feels very solid, clearly designed for office use and daily operation, rather than occasional home use. This is also reflected in the premium pricing.

Checking over the machine, it’s a bit more simplistic than other versions I’ve reviewed. On the front is a single scan button, which, when connected to a computer, enables fast scanning of any documents. On the back, unlike other ScanScap options, there’s only a USB-C port—no Wi-Fi or network connection.

It weighs in at 3.2 kg, and with its compact size of 292 x 161 x 152 mm, it feels heavier than expected.

The design, while simple, is clever. The fold-up lid becomes the 100-sheet feeder holder, securely holding documents, A4, A5 paper or photographs ready for scanning. The adjustable guides are linked, so moving one moves the other, securely positioning whichever paper size you’re scanning.

The machine is also a duplex scanner. What’s interesting here is that rather than feeding documents through twice to scan both sides, it uses a dual-scanning system that captures both sides of each sheet simultaneously. If you’re scanning a photograph, it recognises there’s only one side to scan. Settings can be adjusted using the software.

As documents are scanned, they exit from the bottom of the machine into a pull-out tray, which helps keep things neat. At the machine’s speed, if you're scanning 100 documents, having the tray extended makes sense; otherwise, paper can scatter.

Whether you're using the machine occasionally or keeping it on your desktop, the compact design makes it minimalistic. During the review, I had it set up on one of my test benches, linked to a workstation connected to the network. It was convenient, and when I needed to move it, the small size and solid build made it easy to pack away and store.

Design: 4.5 / 5

Ricoh ScanSnap iX2400: Features

For simplicity, the iX2400 is one of the easiest document scanners I’ve reviewed. To get started, just remove the tape that keeps it safe in transit, plug in the power and USB cable, download and install the software, and you’re ready in under five minutes.

Then, simply load the software on your computer, insert your documents, and press scan. The scanner and software handle the rest, scanning content directly into the application where you can view, email, or share the results.

If you want more control, you can select the format, PDF, Word, image, or upload directly to the cloud via ScanSnap's own service (with an account), or connect to Microsoft Teams or Google Drive.

Everything is set up with sensible defaults. The only additional step I’d recommend is activating OCR if you want to make scanned documents searchable, especially when exporting to PDF or Word.

You have multiple options: duplex scanning, scanning up to 100 documents into a single file or as individual files. It supports duplex scanning at up to 45 pages per minute (90 IPM) with a resolution of up to 600 DPI.

While the scanner is designed to be simple and straightforward, you can delve into the settings to adjust image quality, which is useful when scanning old photographs. There are also quality and distribution settings within the software. While functional, it does look dated, especially in terms of design.

Features: 4.5 / 5

Ricoh ScanSnap iX2400: Performance

The iX2400 is the base model in the range, and it keeps things simple. It connects to your computer via a USB-C cable, with no network port or Wi-Fi. This makes it an offline-only solution, which I find appealing, particularly for scanning secure financial or NDA-related documents.

The setup was extremely easy. Without needing to worry about Wi-Fi or network placement, the single USB-C cable was all that was required. With the software installed, the machine was instantly recognised and ready to use.

To test, I inserted a stack of photographs and hit the scan button, more out of initial curiosity, once the machine was set up, rather than as a focused part of the test. I was surprised at the speed at which it got to work, and within a few seconds, 20 images were displayed on-screen.

Being familiar with ScanSnap software, I’d already set up scanning profiles for saving files to specific folders, which are then backed up to my NAS. It’s quick and easy to do, although the software’s interface does look dated, and the guides take some time to get used to.

While basic scanning is obvious, advanced options like OCR require a bit more digging. On the scan screen, you’ll see options for different document types, documents, business cards, receipts, and photos, along with colour mode, scan side, image quality, rotation, and file format.

OCR is off by default to reduce processing time. To enable it, you must click the 'Options' button next to the file format (when PDF is selected). Then, tick the 'Searchable PDF' box. This does increase processing time slightly, but it results in a fully searchable file, essential for NDAs and invoices.

You can also password-protect documents during scanning, a useful security feature for personal or sensitive information.

During testing, I scanned most of the paperwork accumulated over the past month. While it wasn’t a huge amount, using the duplex option sped things up. Unlike some scanners, native duplex scanning in this machine means very few (if any) jams.

I liked being able to insert a mixed batch, A4 sheets, A5, and business cards. It handled each without issue, scanning in the correct format.

Compared to one of my flatbed scanners, this machine is also incredibly quiet. Even when scanning 100 sheets, the noise level is minimal and short-lived.

This scanner is clearly designed for office use, not creative workflows. You can scan up to A4-sized photos, and the quality is decent, but it’s not suitable for colour-critical archiving. For casual scanning of old 5x6 prints, the quality suffices, but dedicated photo scanners are better for that use case.

While simpler than the iX2500, I personally prefer the design and simplicity. Plugged into an old PC, it’s now part of a dedicated admin area alongside a laser printer. It might feel a bit retro, but the offline functionality and security make it ideal for handling sensitive personal documents.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

Ricoh ScanSnap iX2400: Final verdict

When starting a small business, you often overlook the small peripherals that larger businesses take for granted. But as paperwork builds up, even in a paperless office, keeping on top of it becomes time-consuming.

Now, with this scanner, I can scan everything directly, place documents in relevant folders, and make them searchable for future reference. It’s also useful for receipts, which I scan on the go for my accountant. While there’s no direct integration with Xero, you can connect it to services like QuickBooks.

Personally, I like the ability to connect to Google Drive and Microsoft Teams, both of which I use in different areas of my work. Scanning documents directly to cloud storage is helpful, especially for sharing photographic examples and documentation with students and colleagues.

While it lacks network and Wi-Fi connectivity, the iX2400 makes perfect sense for small businesses or home offices. The cost might seem high for a scanner, but Ricoh has carefully considered small business workflows, and it will save you hours of time, especially near the end of the tax year. It’s a quick and reliable way to digitise and organise paperwork.

If you don’t already have a decent scanning solution or are still using a flatbed scanner, my recommendation this year is to purchase a Ricoh ScanSnap iX2400. It may lack network connectivity, but the time and stress it saves will be worth the investment.

Should I buy the Ricoh ScanSnap iX2400?

Value	The price puts it at the premium end of the market, but its speed and ease of use make it exceptional value for money	4
Design	The compact design means it will fit almost any office, and the high-quality build ensures it will withstand daily use with ease	4
Features	The feature set is basic, with no network connection, but if you prioritise security and simplicity, it's perfect	4
Performance	The scanning speed is incredibly fast and ideal for business use	4.5
Overall	The scanning speed is incredibly fast and ideal for business use	4

Buy it if...

You scan in bulk
If you frequently scan large volumes of paper and need a fast, jam-free, reliable desktop scanner, it's ideal.

You want a simple set-up
It's a great choice if you just want a scanner that works without fuss, plug it in, press a button, and scan directly to file or cloud.

Don't buy it if...

You need wireless scanning
This won't meet requirements if you require Wi-Fi or mobile device scanning for flexible office or team setups.

You're using it for creative workflows
Avoid the scanner if you're looking to digitise photos or images with color-critical accuracy; this device is best for documents.

For more office essentials, we've rounded-up the best home printers and the best scanner deals around.

Testing the GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra made me realize just how flexible an entry-level mini PC can be

11:45 pm | January 13, 2026

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

GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra: 30-second review

GMKtec is an established brand that makes a wide selection of mini PCs, and the M5 Ultra is a follow-up to the previous M5 and M5 Plus models (see my M5 review and the M5 Plus review).

The original M5 used a Ryzen 7 5700U, a Zen 2 architecture chip, the M5 Plus used the Zen 3 era Ryzen 7 5825U. And, the new M5 Ultra goes Zen 4 with a Ryzen 7 7730U.

From the outside, these all look remarkably similar, but internally, the M5 Ultra is 2023 technology and not the 2022 and 2021 tech used in the previous generations.

While the number of cores remains the same, the Ryzen 7 7730U offers better CPU and GPU clock speeds and better power efficiency.

However, it still uses DDR4 memory, and the best USB it has to offer is USB 3.2 Gen 2. Those wanting USB4 need to consider the M7 Ultra that I’ll be reviewing on Tech Radar Pro shortly.

But what made the original M5, and then the M5 Plus, so popular was their competitive pricing, and the M5 Ultra is also remarkably cheap, especially if you buy it ‘barebones’ and provide your own memory and storage.

With a starting price of under $260 for a barebones machine, this is a well-specified NUC system that has enough power for general office tasks once you’ve added memory, storage and an OS.

And with dual 2.5GbE LAN ports and easy internal upgrades, this is a highly flexible system that can be repurposed if required.

While this system doesn’t offer the raw performance of Ryzen AI or Ryzen 9 systems, or the latest USB4 technology, it’s a logical replacement for older desktop systems.

The inclusion of dual LAN ports, dual M.2 slots, and easily upgradable RAM might see this system join our best mini PC round-up, purely on the basis of flexibility and great value.

GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra: Price and availability

How much does it cost? From $260/£210/€240
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Direct from GMKtec and via online retailers

The M5 Ultra is available in a range of SKUs from GMKtec directly, though through online retailers, these are either ones with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, or 32GB of memory and 1TB of drive space.

It's also available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, among other online retailers.

And I'm seeing a few sites selling ones with those memory capacities and storage mixed up, but the cheapest option is to buy this system directly from GMKtec as a barebones system.

If you have spare DDR4 SODIMMs and a Gen 3 NVMe module to install, that could get you this system for only $259.99 in the US, £209 in the UK and €239.99 across the EU.

The review specification costs $489.99 for US residents via GMKtec.com, £382 for UK residents, and €439.99 for Europe, direct from GMKtec in Germany.

What’s most striking here is the difference between the barebones and populated system, which can be interpreted as 1TB of storage and 32GB of DDR4 being worth almost half the cost of the system. Therefore, if you have those things, the barebones makes more sense, and if you don’t, then the intermediate SKU with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage is worth considering, as it could save you $90 on the whole system.

Looking for machines that use this same processor, these are thin on the ground. According to my searches, these include the AceMagic Kron Mini K1, Kamrui E3B Mini PC, GenMachine Ren7000 and FakestarPC Fanless Mini PC. Of these, I’ve only got direct experience with AceMagic, and this brand typically delivers quality construction and innovative designs.

The Kron Mini K1 bears an uncanny resemblance to the M5 Ultra, and sells for $408.49 via Amazon for a system with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Making it cheaper than the equivalent M5 Ultra. Also from Amazon, the Kamrui E3B Mini PC is $479. I couldn’t find either the FakestarPC Fanless Mini PC or GenMachine Ren7000 available.

The fact that so few designs exist for this platform suggests that not many Mini PC makers thought it was a good idea, and the few who did pitched it as a mid-range device, where a good portion of the cost is determined by how it is outfitted with memory and storage. And it's worth noting that if you go barebones with this gear, the price doesn't include the Windows 11 Pro license.

Value: 4 / 5

GMKtec M5 Ultra — (Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra: Specs

Item	Spec
CPU:	AMD Ryzen 7 7730U ( 8C/16T, up to 4.6GHz)
GPU:	AMD Radeon Vega 8, up to 2.0 GHz
NPU:	N/A
RAM:	32GB DDR4-3200 (16GB x 2) expandable to 64GB
Storage:	1TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 3
Expansion:	1x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 3
Ports:	1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2x USB 2.0, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x 3.5mm Audio
Networking:	2x 2,5GbE Realtek RTL8125, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
OS:	Windows 11 Pro (pre-installed)
Base Power:	15W
PSU:	19V 3.42A 65W
Dimensions:	128.8 x 127 x 47.8 mm

GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra: Design

Basic build quality
VESA mountable
Easy internal access

If this NUC has a significant weakness, it's that it's entirely built from plastic. And, if you look at some of my images, you might notice that the one I was sent already got a scuff along the way.

Because it might not be the most durable case, mounting it on the rear of a monitor using the VESA bracket GMKtec provides could be a strategic move to keep it out of harm's way.

I think part of the issue here is that GMKtec has used a fine paint finish on its enclosure that highlights any contact rather than ignoring it.

Better considered are the port positions, where the USB options are liberally distributed with both Type-A and Type-C ports on the front, and more Type-A ports on the rear. There is only one USB-C port, and all the ports with USB 3.2 Gen 2 specifications are on the front.

The rear has to USB 2.0 ports for mouse and keyboard, two video outputs (one each of HDMI and DisplayPort) and dual 2.5GbE LAN ports.

That last option makes this platform perfect for a hardware firewall, since you could buy it barebones, add some memory and install a Linux firewall distro on it extremely cheaply.

One interesting sidenote to the LAN ports is that GMKtec has taken to putting a label over the ports, suggesting that if you want to use the machine immediately, then don’t connect the network. Microsoft seems oblivious to how annoying it is for new owners to wait while Windows 11 devours the medieval feast of updates to the distribution installation. Why Microsoft hasn’t bundled these into the base install, I’ve no idea, but it probably rhymes with the word decrepitude.

Sadly, because this is Windows, eventually connecting the network will become a necessity, but at least warning people that this comes with a downside was good on GMKtec’s part.

As with all the GMKtec Nuxbox designs I’ve seen, access to the inside is remarkably straightforward.

On this model, the top of the machine can be easily pulled off, and that reveals four screws that hold a plastic fan mount, blowing air on the system, which can be removed. With this part out of the way, the memory and storage are all available to be replaced or, in the case of the storage, upgraded.

There are two SODIMM slots for DDR4, which on the review hardware were occupied with two 16GB modules. The maximum addressable memory by the AMD Ryzen 7 7730U is 64GB, so you could install two 32GB modules to achieve that. But, from an economic point of view, I’d consider choosing a system that used DDR5, rather than adding more RAM to a DDR4 system.

The M.2 situation is even better, since this machine has an unused 2280 M.2 NVMe slot. While both the M.2 slots in here are only Gen 3, and not Gen 4, for those with the modules, you could use two 8TB sticks, giving a combined storage of 16TB. That would hold a decent media collection or a significant amount of data.

Overall, within the limitations of a system that uses DDR4 and PCIe 3.0, the M5 Ultra provides the best possible options and makes what is already a flexible solution even more adaptable.

Design: 4 / 5

GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra: Hardware

AMD Ryzen 7 7730U
DDR4 Memory
PCIe Gen 3 M.2 Slots

As I mentioned earlier, not many systems have used the AMD Ryzen 7 7730U, and maybe some of the reason is that this is a Zen 3 architecture CPU that was officially released with other 7030 series Barcelo-R chips in early 2023.

These were the tail end of AMD’s TSMC 7nm FinFET products before they shifted to 6nm on the 7025 series and then 4nm fabrication with the 7040 series. The first 7040-series chips with Zen 4 architecture appeared only three months after the Ryzen 7 7730U, so it never had much of an opportunity to develop a following.

That’s a shame, because the 7020 series it replaced only used the Zen 2 architecture, didn’t have any Ryzen 7 models, and had a maximum of four cores (eight threads). However, the 7020 series did at least support DDR5, which this processor did not, reverting to DDR4.

That’s the critical choice that erodes much of the performance benefit of having eight cores and sixteen threads.

This design also offered built-in USB ports, avoiding the need for PCIe lanes to be used for that function. This was also one of the last CPU designs to use the older Vega 8 GPU before the RDNA2 680M appeared with the 7035 series.

In short, this CPU and GPU combination where at the cusp of a major change, and the timescale between the rollover to DDR5, RDNA2 graphics and 4nm fabrication took away this silicon as an obvious choice for system builders.

It’s a guess, but a good number of these chips were probably made, and AMD might have a significant number that they are willing to sell cheaply now, which would explain their appearance here.

One downside to this architecture compared to later designs is that it only supports PCI Express 3.0 and has only 16 usable lanes, giving it the equivalent of 8 PCIe 4.0 lanes in later series.

Because it has built-in USB technology that isn’t a huge issue, but it does limit the M.2 slots here to Gen 3 mode, so buying Gen 4 drives for this machine is pointless. There are sufficient lanes for dual PCIe 3.0 M.2 slots, and for dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, since this system doesn’t have USB4 or other bandwidth-eating options.

Overall, the AMD Ryzen 7 7730U was a slightly odd choice, and its existence would suggest that in 2023, at the very least, AMD was strategically all over the place.

Releasing a new series when you intend to stomp on it within three months now looks like a severe lack of planning, and this system is one of the ripples of those rock-in-the pond choices.

Features: 3.5 / 5

GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra: Performance

Mini PC		GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra	Alliwava U58
CPU		AMD Ryzen 7 7730U	AMD Ryzen 7 5825U
Cores/Threads		8C 16T	8C 16T
RAM		32GB DDR4 (2x16GB)	32GB DDR4 (2x16GB)
Storage		1TB NVMe	512GB SSD
Graphics		Radeon Vega 8	Radeon Vega 8
3DMark	WildLife	6711	8218
	FireStrike	3154	3764
	TimeSpy	1264	1402
	Steel Nom Lt.	1035	1307
CineBench24	Single	78	85
	Multi	414	473
	Ratio	5.29	5.59
GeekBench 6	Single	1806	1978
	Multi	5939	7941
	OpenCL	12823	16925
	Vulkan	11472	15457
CrystalDisk	Read MB/s	3624	3650
	Write MB/s	2642	2717
PCMark 10	Office	5581	6445
WEI		8.1	8.1

I’ve not seen any other system with this processor, so I decided to compare it to another mini PC that also uses older AMD chip technology - the Alliwava U58 I recently reviewed.

Where the M5 Ultra uses the AMD Ryzen 7 7730U, U58 uses the AMD Ryzen 7 5825U, a 5000 series processor from exactly a year earlier, in January 2022.

On paper, these processors have the same number of cores and threads, the same DDR4 memory technology, the same base and boost clocks, and very similar Vega 8 GPUs.

It’s tempting to think that the 7730U is just a rebranded 5825U, and there is some truth in that.

However, in these tests, for reasons I can’t fathom, the Alliwava U58 performs better or the same as the GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra across a wide range of benchmarks.

Typically, the U58 is 10% better, but in some of the graphics tests, it manages to be even more superior.

Not sure why this is the case, but due to the U58 only having a single 1GbE LAN port, and a single M.2 slot, I’m still not convinced that it’s the better option.

Perhaps a firmware upgrade of the M5 Ultra might bring it up to a similar performance level at some point. However, if you want more power, then I’d avoid systems that use DDR4 and pay the extra to have a DDR5 system.

Performance: 3.5 / 5

GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra: Final verdict

This is an odd system, as it ended up with a CPU that few system builders considered and even fewer made into machines.

Looking at the performance, the reason is obvious, because it didn’t deliver a dramatic improvement over previous generations, and it was overtaken by new products in three months.

That said, it works perfectly well in this context, and for someone with spare DDR4 handy, it’s an inexpensive system that is dramatically better than an Intel N300-powered NUC or a Ryzen 5 system.

What GMKtec got right with the M5 Ultra is that it supports a decent amount of memory, has dual M.2 slots and dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, which increases the number of roles that this system could occupy exponentially. There are plenty of medium-power NUCs around, but like the U58 I mentioned in the benchmarking, they don’t have the LAN ports or the storage expansion options.

Those who are interested in those features, and perhaps less concerned with raw performance, might find the GMKtec M5 Ultra an interesting proposition.

Should I buy a GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra?

Value	Affordable system, especially barebones	4/5
Design	Mostly plastic, but the port layout is logical	3.5/5
Features	Odd processor, but easy upgrades	3.5/5
Performance	Not the fastest Ryzen 7, but powerful enough for most jobs	3.5/5
Overalls	Flexible and easy to upgrade at a bargain price	4/5

Buy it if...

You want a low-cost NUC
Even with memory and storage, this NUC is affordable, and barebones, it's a bargain. It might not be the fastest Ryzen around, but it's quick enough for daily Office tasks.View Deal

You want a flexible mini PC
Compared to some NUC designs, this one is very flexible. With two 2.5GbE LAN ports, it could be used as a hardware firewall, a media server, or in a dozen other contexts. The power and performance of this platform allow it to drive up to three monitors for promotional graphics, and it has more than enough power for typical office tasks.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

Check out my Geekom M5 review View Deal

Check out my GMKTec NucBox M5 Plus review View Deal

Hands on: HP EliteBook X G2i

8:10 am | January 7, 2026

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

My colleagues in the USA are busy covering CES, but HP didn’t want Australia to miss out – so the company shipped me a pre-release version of the new business-focused EliteBook X G2i running the newly released Intel Core Ultra X7 358H CPU.

Sadly, one of the conditions is that I can’t regale you with benchmarks (for now), but I can give you a sneak peek at a very impressive laptop.

While HP announced multiple EliteBook X G2i variants, the one I have is special – it’s the lightweight model that weighs under 1kg. Technically, it actually measured ~~xxxxxx~~ (redacted) grams on my scales, but that’s close enough in my book.

The EliteBook X G2i is impressively light in hand, and despite feeling almost hollow, it’s very sturdy, and has little flex in the 14-inch shell.

HP EliteBook X G2i laptop — (Image credit: Future)

The full spec is below, but I got hands-on with the Intel Core Ultra X7 358H equipped variant, with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. HP also announced the EliteBook X G2a with the latest CPUs from AMD, as well as the EliteBook X G2q that will use processors from Qualcomm.

HP also announced a 2-in-1 EliteBook X Flip that shares many of the same specs, but has a fold back screen. You can read more about the EliteBook X G2 Series directly from HP.

There are various display options, but I have the 14-inch 3K OLED (2880 x 1800), with a 120Hz (VRR) refresh rate, a 500 nit brightness and DCI-P3 100% color. In the non-lightweight model (only 100 grams more), you can get the same panel with (or without) a touchscreen, or a range of 1920 x 1200 OLED or IPS screens.

My favorite feature here is that the screen folds back through 180 degrees, which makes it easy to sit the laptop securely in a stand next to a monitor, and minimise the amount of desk space taken up. In use, the OLED is vibrant and bright, and the higher 3K resolution makes it easy to get the most out of the compact 14-inch screen.

USB-C connectivity is great, with dual Thunderbolt 4 on the left, and a 10Gbps port (that also supports charging and DisplayPort 2.1) on the right. You also get USB-A on the right, a Kensington lock port, and HDMI 2.1 and a 3.5mm headset jack on the left.

That’s pretty good for such a compact lightweight laptop, and my only tiny complaint is that I wish there was a little more space between the two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, to make it easier to plug in both a dock cable and a fast USB drive.

The laptop will run up to four monitors, or three if you want to stick with USB-C only. You also get Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE211 (2x2) and Bluetooth 6, plus a facial recognition webcam (with privacy shutter) – though a fingerprint sensor is an optional extra.

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HP EliteBook X G2i: Price & availability

HP has not given any pricing or an exact date for when the EliteBook X G2i and X Flip G2i will be available, but you can expect them in February 2026.

The wider EliteBook X G2 family, including the EliteBook X G2a and EliteBook X G2q, is not expected until later in the year.

HP EliteBook X G2i: Specs

There are quite a few variants of the HP EliteBook X G2i, but the specs below are for the lightweight clamshell variant.

CPU	Intel Core Ultra X7 358H
GPU	Intel Arc B930
Display	14in 3K OLED (2880 x 1800), 120Hz (VRR), anti-glare, 500 nits, DCI-P3 100%
RAM	32GB LPDDR5x 8533MT/s
Storage	1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD (954GB usable)
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6
Ports	Right: USB-C 10Gbps (USB PD, DP 2.1), USB-A 10Gbps (powered), security lock slot, optional nano-SIM. Left: 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB PD, DP 2.1), HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm headset jack
Dimensions	312.7 x 219.9 x 9.15mm (front), 14.41mm (rear)
Weight	999g
Operating system	Windows 11 Pro

HP EliteBook X G2i: Design and build

The lightweight EliteBook X G2i feels very premium the moment you pick it up and while impressively light, it doesn’t feel flimsy, and the whole 14-inch shell is quite rigid. Even the hinge is nicely tuned and opens fairly effortlessly one-handed, but still holds its position once you’ve set the screen angle.

There’s also very little flex in the lid or keyboard deck, and it generally feels like a laptop that will handle being used on the go, day in and day out.

The laptop's look is understated in the way I personally love: the branding is subtle, it’s very professional looking, and the rounded edges make it nice to handle. The lightweight model only comes in “Atmospheric Blue”, but it suits the design.

It does pick up fingerprints easily, though the finish also wipes clean quite easily, so it’s quick to make it look a bit neater before an important meeting.

The trackpad is large, accurate in use and has a good solid haptic click. The keyboard matches the premium feel, and there’s very little bounce. The keys have reasonably deep travel and it’s comfortable for long typing sessions, even with larger hands. I didn’t see any annoying low-angle backlight glow bleeding out under the keys.

It’s also great to see HP putting real effort into materials, and the clamshell covers use up to 90% recycled magnesium, plus there’s recycled content used across parts like the bezel, speaker enclosure, keycaps and more.

HP EliteBook X G2i: Performance

Again, I can’t give any specific benchmarks at this stage, but I have run the EliteBook X G2i through the full range of TechRadar tests. While there were a few inconsistent results and teething issues (which are normal for a pre-product sample and a new CPU), overall performance is excellent.

You can read more about some of the expected numbers directly from Intel, but suffice to say, the new Core Ultra Series 3 CPUs are very impressive, and thanks to a very powerful iGPU, make Intel powered laptops more competitive against the best from AMD and Qualcomm.

The Core Ultra X7 358H in the EliteBook X G2i isn’t hugely faster than last gen CPUs like the last gen Core Ultra 7 265H in single core tasks, but multicore performance is significantly better. But it’s the Intel Arc B930 that is most impressive, and it runs rings around last gen iGPUs like the Intel Arc 140V and even Radeon 890M.

In fact, it’s good enough to compete directly with low end dedicated GPUs in creator laptops (with more limited power profiles), and will happily handle casual gaming.

Based on Intel’s numbers, the Core Ultra X7 358H happily bests the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and is much closer to the higher wattage AMD Ryzen AI Max Pro 390 – though the Arc B390 iGPU still falls short of the Radeon 8050S.

In normal everyday use, the EliteBook X G2i is cool and quiet, but when pushed, it is noticeably noisy. That’s to be expected in such a thin and lightweight laptop, and in fact HP has done a great job of getting impressive sustained performance from the CPU, and the sound level is a perfectly acceptable tradeoff.

The lightweight variant of the laptop I have uses a 56Wh battery, while the normal G2i can also be equipped with a bigger 68Wh battery. While I can't share exact runtimes, battery life is very impressive, and it’s on par with (or better than) the best results from similar spec laptops using older Intel CPUs, or the best from AMD and Qualcomm. While battery life drops under sustained heavier workloads, the EliteBook X G2i is more than capable of lasting through an entire day of work.

AI performance is not a major drawcard for most people yet, but the Ultra X7 358H has a 50 TOPS NPU that will help with many workloads, and be increasingly useful as time goes on.

The EliteBook X G2i comes with a compact 65W USB-C charger, and tops up quite quickly, but we found it a little finicky and it didn’t always charge at the full rate from some 65W (or higher) chargers and power banks. Considering it uses USB PD spec for charging, these are likely just early quibbles with the laptop being more conservative about it making sure it is connected to a suitable performance charger.

HP EliteBook X G2i: Final thoughts

While we'll reserve final judgment until we get hands-on with a production version of the laptop, based on my time with the G2i, it's absolutely one worth putting on your shortlist for a 2026 upgrade.

I tested this Lenovo Legion gaming laptop and its design is sumptuous — but there are better performers at this price point

7:46 pm | January 6, 2026

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

Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10: Two-minute review

The Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 is an elegantly designed laptop, marketed for gamers and other power users requiring its high-end specs.

With its brilliant white finish, the Legion 7i stands out from the drubness of the gaming laptop crowd. The minimal branding and bright RGB keyboard backlighting impart a combination of elegance and vibrancy as well.

The Legion 7i has one of the best gaming laptop designs I’ve seen. It's remarkably thin and has some interesting touches, such as the brushed metal sides with their supremely flat surface and rounded corners.

More importantly, it’s supremely well built, with those aforementioned sides being a particular highlight thanks to their solid feel. However, the top panel can flex a little, and the lid even more so. Thankfully, the hinge offers more than enough stability, and pivots very smoothly.

There are a sufficient number of ports on the Legion 7i, but given the amount of empty space on the sides, it’s a shame there aren’t more. Still, you get two USB-C and two USB-A ports, handy for peripheral connections, while the power jack and HDMI interface are sensibly placed at the rear.

There’s also an SD card reader, an uncommon addition for a gaming laptop. More peculiar is a switch for toggling the webcam, placed on the left behind the aforementioned reader. Why there isn’t a physical slider for covering the camera is beyond me, and doubtless many would prefer this failsafe method instead.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 and RTX 5060 proved capable enough to run AAA titles at high settings. You might need Frame Generation and DLSS upscaling set to Balanced to get the highest fps, but this is pretty much par for the course in the current landscape.

As I expected, the fans whirred constantly during my sessions. The noise they generate can be quite loud, but the best PC gaming headsets should be able to drown this out.

Rear three-quarter view of Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 open on desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Less expectedly — and more worryingly — the portion above the keyboard became incredibly hot, to the point of being untouchable. However, this spike only lasted a few moments, before returning to a comfortable temperature. Nonetheless, this was still something I found concerning, and haven’t experienced with other gaming laptops to the same extreme degree.

The display of the Legion 7i lives up to its impressive specification. The high 2560 x 1600 resolution is as crisp as you would imagine, while the OLED technology offers fantastic contrast and color representation. I did notice some prominent reflections, but in the main these weren’t too bothersome.

Despite the keyboard looking rather typical for a laptop, the depth and dampening of the keys exceeded my expectations. This imbues presses with a reassuring thud, while their snappy response should see you perform at your best.

These same qualities, coupled with the spacious layout, make the Legion 7i’s board great for typing, too. The touchpad also feels delightful, thanks to its silky finish. However, its small size and alacrity to trigger at inopportune moments make it impractical.

The battery life of the Legion 7i is quite impressive by gaming laptop standards, lasting close to eight hours in our movie playback test. It’s also quick to charge, taking just under two hours to do so from empty to full.

The starting price of the Legion 7i is fairly reasonable: it undercuts some of its rivals, but there are cheaper alternatives with more powerful componentry. However, these often fail to match the superlative design and build quality of the Legion 7i, so if these are priorities for you, the Legion 7i is one of the best gaming laptops around.

Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 review: Price & Availability

Close-up of webcam on Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Starts from $1,779.99 / £2,069.99 / AU$3,759
Available now
Some cheaper rivals with stronger specs

The Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 starts from $1,779.99 / £2,069.99 / AU$3,759. For this, you get a unit with an Intel Core Ultra 7, an RTX 5060, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. In the UK, the base (and only) RAM capacity is 32GB. The highest spec of the Legion 7i features an Ultra 9, an RTX 5070, and 32GB of RAM. There are also two display options to choose from, varying only in their refresh rate (165Hz or 240Hz).

This is undeniably a lot of money, although it’s worth mentioning that we’ve seen both low- and high-spec models with considerable discounts on Lenovo's website. But while there are certainly more expensive 16-inch gaming laptops out there (the Razer Blade 16 comes to mind), there are also some considerably cheaper rivals.

One such model is the Asus TUF Gaming A16 (2025). This is one of the best budget gaming laptop options around right now: it impressed me with its performance and surprisingly elegant design when I reviewed it. However, it can’t match the premium construction, slender form, or visual fidelity of the Legion 7i.

Value: 3.5 / 5

Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 review: Specs

	Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 base config	Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 max config
Price	$1,779.99 / £2,069.99 / AU$3,759	$2,179.99 / £2,600 / AU$4,159
CPU	Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX (up to 5.2GHz)	Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (up to 5.4GHz)
GPU	Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop, 8GB	Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop, 8GB
RAM	16GB DDR5 (US); 32GB DDR5 (UK)	32GB DDR5
Storage	1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD	1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
Display	16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600), OLED, Glare, Non-Touch, HDR 1000 True Black, 100% DCI-P3, 500 nits, 165Hz, Low Blue Light	16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600), OLED, Glare, Non-Touch, HDR 1000 True Black, 100% DCI-P3, 500 nits, 240Hz, Low Blue Light
Ports and Connectivity	2x USB-C (1x Thunderbolt 4 (40Gb/s, DisplayPort 2.1, power delivery 65W-100W), 1x 10Gb/s, power delivery 65-100W, DisplayPort 2.1), 2x USB-A (5Gb/s), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Combo audio; Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4	2x USB-C (1x Thunderbolt 4 (40Gb/s, DisplayPort 2.1, power delivery 65W-100W), 1x 10Gb/s, power delivery 65-100W, DisplayPort 2.1), 2x USB-A (5Gb/s), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Combo audio; Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Battery	84Wh	84Wh
Dimensions	0.7 x 14.2 x 10.4in (17.9 x 361.7 x 263.4mm)	0.7 x 14.2 x 10.4in (17.9 x 361.7 x 263.4mm)
Weight	4.39lbs / 1.99kg	4.39lbs / 1.99kg

Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 review: Design

Close-up of top of keyboard on Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 — (Image credit: Future)

Light, thin, and elegant
Great build quality
Missed opportunity for more ports

You won’t see too many gaming laptops as elegant as the Legion 7i. The fetching white finish marks it out from the usual bland shades of black seen in this sector, and puts me in mind of MacBooks of yore. The subtle branding and RGB backlighting also help to liven up appearances.

Strange as it is to say, the edges of the Legion 7i are a real highlight. The completely flat surfaces and rounded corners are reminiscent of the best iPad and best MacBook designs, while the brushed metal finish only adds to the appeal.

What’s more, their aluminum construction feels incredibly dense, so there’s little chance of denting them. The top panel that houses the keyboard has more give, but it’s still more solid than many others in this price range. This is all the more impressive given how thin and light the base is. There are no extraneous protrusions either; even the rear ventilation bulge is much smaller than its rivals’.

Even thinner than the 7i’s base is the lid. It’s equally impressive in its resistance to flexing, and its hinge offers a remarkable amount of sturdiness while operating with the utmost smoothness. I also appreciated the slight jut at the top of the lid, which allows you to open the Legion 7i easily with one hand, which isn’t the case with many other gaming laptops.

Close-up of left side of keyboard on Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 — (Image credit: Future)

The rear features two ports: one for the power adapter and one for HDMI cables. On the left are three USB ports — two Type-C and one Type-A — and a combo audio jack. On the right, you’ll find another USB-A port and, unusually for a gaming laptop, an SD card reader.

Also on the right is a switch for disabling the webcam. This doesn't work as well as a mechanical cover, and its small size and stiff operation meant I wasn't a huge fan, though it's still nice to have this additional privacy feature.

Overall, though, the port selection on the Legion 7i should prove sufficient for most users’ needs. However, given the large gaps present on both sides, I can’t help feeling that more could’ve been squeezed in.

Lenovo’s main utility software, LegionSpace, is simple to use and functions well. It ran without issue during my time with it, and it was quick and easy to view system information and change performance modes.

Design: 5 / 5

Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 review: Performance

Close-up of touchpad on Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 — (Image credit: Future)

Good gaming performance
Some general performance issues
Odd temperature spikes

Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 Benchmarks

Here are the results for the benchmarks I ran on the Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10:

Geekbench 6 (Multi Core): 18,459; (Single Core): 3,008
Cinebench R23 (Multi Core): 28,264
Cinebench R24 (Multi Core): 1,664; (Single Core): 132
Crossmark Overall: 2,120
3DMark
Night Raid: 79,720; Fire Strike: 27,345; Steel Nomad: 2,730; Solar Bay: 56,673; Solar Bay Unlimited: 57,277; Solar Bay Extreme: 11,267; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 11,429
BlackMagicDisk Read: 5,208MB/s; Write: 4,343MB/s
Civilization VII (Max resolution, AMD FSR 3, High): 92fps; (1080p, High): 178fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Max resolution, Highest, Balanced upscaling): 162fps; (1080p, Highest, SMAA x4): 132fps
Total War: Warhammer III: Mirrors of Madness (1080p, Ultra)66fps; (Max Resolution, Ultra): 43fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (Max resolution, Ultra, Balanced upscaling)74fps; (1440p, Ray Tracing: Ultra, Balanced upscaling): 48fps; (1080p, Ultra): 93fps
Marvel Rivals (Max resolution, Balanced upscaling, Ultra): 61fps; (1200p, Low): 106fps

When it came to gaming, the Legion 7i conducted itself well. While playing Cyberpunk 2077, I was getting fps figures in the mid 60s with the Ray Tracing: Low preset selected and DLSS upscaling set to Balanced. Turning on Frame Generation resulted in significant improvements, boosting the rate to about 100fps.

Some general performance issues did blight my time with the Legion 7i somewhat. I experienced occasional lock-ups when navigating Windows 11, with clicks on icons and app windows failing to register. I also encountered stuck loading wheels.

Under load, the Legion 7i’s fans are certainly noticeable, but given many gaming laptops sound like jet engines when running demanding tasks, the sound isn’t too disruptive.

Despite the noise, however, the fans failed to provide consistent cooling. It didn’t take long for the section just above the keyboard to reach worrying high temperatures.

Thankfully, it cooled down to touchable temperatures in the midst of gameplay. The rear of the Legion 7i also became very hot, although thankfully not to the same extent, while the keyboard at least only became lukewarm.

Close-up of left-side ports on Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 on desk — (Image credit: Future)

On a more positive note, the display of the Legion 7i is exquisite. The 2560 x 1600 resolution is as pinpoint-sharp as you would expect, while the OLED technology allows for superb contrast. Color reproduction and brightness levels are also hard to fault. The only minor gripe I had was the reflectiveness of the screen, but this wasn’t bad enough to ruin the visual splendor of the Legion 7i.

The keys are solid and very well damped. They have a greater travel and a more emphatic thud compared to other gaming laptop keyboards I’ve experienced, which makes them very satisfying to game with. The space bar was a particular highlight in this regard, putting it on a level with those fitted in the best gaming keyboards.

What’s more, the keys rebound superbly, which further improves their performance. This applies whether you’re gaming or typing, while the latter activity additionally benefits from the comfortable layout, which, despite the main keys being pushed to the left by the number pad, doesn’t feel cramped.

The touchpad is also a joy to use, thanks to its super-smooth surface and solid clicks. However, it’s relatively small given the overall size of the Legion 7i, which hampers navigation somewhat.

It’s also overly-sensitive. Unintentional swipes and taps frequently registered when I used the keyboard — especially the common Alt and Tab combination, resulting in a very frustrating productivity experience. However, all this might be a moot point if, like many gamers, you plan on using a mouse exclusively.

Performance: 3.5 / 5

Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 review: Battery Life

Close-up of right-side ports on Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 on desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Decent longevity
Some rivals more enduring
Quick to charge

By gaming laptop standards, the Legion 7i has a respectable battery life. It managed to last just shy of eight hours when I ran a movie on a continuous loop, which means it can outlast many of its rivals, although both the Asus V16 and TUF Gaming A16 (2025) beat it comfortably, with each lasting over 10 hours in the same test.

Fortunately, the Legion 7i is very quick to charge, taking just two hours to fully replenish.

Battery Life: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10?

Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 Scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	The price is good considering its upmarket design, but there are cheaper rivals with better performance.	3.5 / 5
Design	This is one of the lightest, thinnest, and sleekest 16-inch gaming laptops around, not to mention the build quality is excellent.	5 / 5
Performance	Gaming performance is pretty good, but there are some issues with general performance. Some temperature spikes also sully the experience somewhat.	3.5 / 5
Battery Life	Pretty good for this class of laptop, and it’s very quick to charge. Some rivals can outlast it, though.	4 / 5
Total	You’re mainly paying for the superb design of the Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 rather than its outright performance, but this is still sufficient for high-end gaming.	4 / 5

Buy the Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 if...

You want a sleek, elegant design
You’ll struggle to find a thinner, lighter, and better-made 16-inch gaming laptop than the Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10.

You want a fantastic display
Super sharp, bright, and vivid, the WQXGA OLED display in the Legion 7i is excellent all-round.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best performance
Gaming performance is great, but don’t expect to run AAA titles smoothly with the highest settings applied. Some hiccups occur with general tasking, too.

You want the best cooling
I experienced some odd temperature spikes during my time with the Legion 7i, with some parts (thankfully, not those you’d often touch) becoming blistering hot.

Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 review: Also Consider

Asus V16
The Asus V16 is another thin and light 16-inch gaming laptop, but at a much cheaper price. Granted, with its RTX 40-series GPU, it isn’t as powerful but I still found the V16’s performance to be capable. It can’t, however, match the build or display quality of the Legion 7i, and it’s prone to getting hot, too.

Asus TUF Gaming A16 (2025)
Another budget-friendly offering, the TUF Gaming A16 can be optioned with an RTX 5070 and an AMD Ryzen 9 and still undercut the base Legion 7i. Again, though, its display isn’t nearly as impressive, and it can get very loud under load.

Read our full Asus TUF Gaming A16 (2025) review.

How I tested the Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10

Close-up of rear ventilation on Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10, on desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Tested for several days
Used for gaming and other tasks
Plentiful gaming laptop experience

I tested the Legion 7i for several days, during which time I used it for gaming, working, and light entertainment.

I played AAA titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 and ran our series of comprehensive benchmark tests, including those for the battery life.

I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, and have used many systems in that time. I’ve reviewed a large number of gaming laptops professionally, varying greatly in their specs and price points.

First reviewed January 2025
Read more about how we test

Dell XPS 14 2026 and XPS 16 2026

2:00 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Windows Laptops | Tags: AI, CES, XPS | Comments: Off

As CES 2026 kicks off, right out of the gate, we have one of the biggest surprises of the show as far as laptops go, and that is the return of the Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16.

Last year, Dell underwent a major overhaul of its laptop lines, consolidating them under a kind of grid scheme of Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max laptops, each with a base model, a Plus model, and a Premium version for different sizes.

It was controversial, for sure, and whether that controversy prompted Dell to change course or there was something in the sales performance of the rebranded laptops that gave Dell pause, whatever it was has given us back the iconic Dell XPS laptops, and it’s more than just a return to the old name.

The new Dell XPS lineup has had a solid redesign that at first sight goes a long way towards fixing the complaints I had with the last few generations of XPS laptops. It’s also powered by the new Intel Core Ultra 300 series processors, and by powered by Intel, I mean entirely.

With the new redesign, the XPS laptop is losing a discrete graphics option for the foreseeable future, which is putting a lot of trust in Intel’s new chips to deliver the mix of creative and productivity performance users expect from the XPS brand.

Whether the new Dell XPS 14 and Dell XPS 16 achieve that balance remains to be seen, but for right now, these two laptops are a fantastic return for the beloved laptop line.

Dell XPS 14 & Dell XPS 16: Price & availability

A Dell XPS 14 sitting on display — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

When is it out? The XPS 14 and XPS 16 go on sale January 6, 2026
How much is it? Starting at $2,049.99 for the XPS 14 and $2,199.99 for the XPS 16
Where can you get it? Only available in the US at launch, with global availability to follow

The Dell XPS 14 and Dell XPS 16 will go on sale in the US on January 6, 2026, with a limited number of configurations, starting at $2,049.99 for the XPS 14 and $2,199.99 for the XPS 16. Lower-priced configurations will be launching soon, as will wider availability in the UK and Australia, though no dates or pricing for those regions have been given yet.

Without knowing what the specific specs of the initial configurations are, it’s hard to tell how much the price of the new XPS laptops will vary from earlier models. With RAM prices being what they are, I would not be surprised if they come in somewhat higher, but Dell is also better able to absorb those price hikes or negotiate volume pricing down, thanks to its size, so we’ll just have to keep an eye on it over the next few weeks and months before I can give it a proper value assessment.

Dell XPS 14 & Dell XPS 16: Specs

Powered by Intel Core Ultra 300 series
No discrete graphics option

Dell XPS 14 2026 & Dell XPS 16 2026 specs
	Dell XPS 14	Dell XPS 16
Processor	Up to Intel Core Ultra X9 388H	Up to Intel Core Ultra X9 388H
Graphics	Intel Arc Graphics, Intel Graphics	Intel Arc Graphics, Intel Graphics
NPU	Up to 50 TOPS	Up to 50 TOPS
Memory	Up to 64GB LPDDR5x-9600	Up to 64GB LPDDR5x-9600
Storage	Up to 4TB PCIe 5.0	Up to 4TB PCIe 5.0
Display	Up to 14-inch 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED InfinityEdge touch display, 400-nits typical, 500-nits peak brightness, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500	Up to 16-inch 3.2K (3200 x 2000) OLED InfinityEdge touch, 400-nits typical, 500-nits peak brightness, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500
Wireless	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0
Ports	3x Thunderbolt 4, 1x 3.5mm Universal Audio jack	3x Thunderbolt 4, 1x 3.5mm Universal Audio jack
Battery	70WHr	70WHr
Webcam	8MP / 4K HDR w/ Windows Hello	8MP / 4K HDR w/ Windows Hello
Dimensions (W x D x H)	12.19 x 8.26 x 0.58 ins \| 309.5 x 209.7 x 14.6mm	13.88 x 9.35 x 0.58 ins \| 352.6 x 237.47 x 14.6mm
Weight	3.0 lbs \| 1.36kg	3.65 lbs \| 1.65kg

Dell XPS 14 & Dell XPS 16: Design

New, thinner, and more modern design
Fixes most of the accessibility issues with previous gen XPS models

The biggest change here for the Dell XPS 14and XPS 16 is the design of the two laptops, which significantly improves things over earlier generations.

First, the laptop feels lighter and sturdier than its predecessors, and it definitely looks more modern. The move from the Dell logo to the XPS logo on the lid also makes the laptop feel less like an office product and more like a proper ultrabook.

From my limited time with the two laptops, the keys had good travel and felt comfortable enough in my testing, but having not typed on them extensively, I can’t say how they’ll feel after a few hours of work.

The three Thunderbolt ports along the sides and the headphone/mic jack are sufficient for most people, and while the lack of USB-A ports might annoy some, at this point, I can’t fault Dell for sticking with the faster, more intuitive USB-C interface.

The webcam is an 8MP 4K HDR webcam, which is what I would expect for a laptop in this class, and the 10W audio is spread out between a number of hidden speakers along both sides of the laptop. Given the noise in the testing area, the audio was audible, but it was also really loud. I’ll reserve judgment on that until I can do more extensive testing with it.

The OLED displays looked great on the two laptops, with the XPS 16-inch feeling much more roomy as you’d expect, but the 14-inch display is also more than enough for most. The lighting in the testing space wasn’t the greatest, so I wouldn’t trust my eyes to judge the color accuracy without a longer look in better conditions, but I honestly can’t think of anything I’d fault them for.

The biggest changes, for me at least, are the return of physical Function keys and a more visible border for the trackpads. The old virtual Function key bar along the previous gen devices and the complete lack of a visibly defined trackpad on a smooth, glassy surface were accessibility headaches that simply weren’t necessary. The trackpad could be better defined, I’ll say, but I’m just happy that you can at least see it more clearly.

Dell XPS 14 & Dell XPS 16: Performance

I didn’t have a chance to benchmark either the XPS 14 or XPS 16, so I can’t tell you how either will perform versus their predecessors. I will say that the lack of discrete graphics will not work in the new XPS models' favor if you are comparing them to a Dell Premium with an Nvidia RTX 4050, like the Dell 14 Premium I tested last year.

That said, I haven’t fully tested the new Intel Panther Lake chips yet, so the new XPS’s performance might end up surprising me. We’ll know soon enough.

Dell XPS 14 & Dell XPS 16: Final thoughts

A Dell XPS 14 in a man's hand — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

I personally didn’t lose much sleep over the XPS rebranding last year, the way many of my colleagues did, but I’m sure the XPS’s triumphant return from exile will make plenty of people happy.

What I care far more about, though, is the redesign of these two laptops, particularly the Function keys and the trackpad. Those fixes alone make this the one laptop I’m most excited to test out in the next few weeks, and if Intel Panther Lake can live up to its hype, these two models just might be the laptops to buy in 2026.

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