Assembling a PC from scratch is a familiar task for many tech enthusiasts, but the concept of building your own PC case might be novel to some. The Cooler Master Qube 500 Flatpack, a new entrant in the compact PC case market, brings a unique DIY aspect to PC building.
Following in the footsteps of the In Win Airforce, the Qube 500 aims to elevate the build-your-own-case concept with an appealing design, versatility, and value, while offering easy to follow instructions via Cooler Master's YouTube channel. No matter where you are in your PC building journey, if you've got a motherboard and one of the best graphics cards that will fit in this one, you should definitely give it a look as it earns an unqualified place on our best PC case list.
The Qube 500 arrives flatpacked, which is going to be easily recognizable for anyone who's put together an Ikea table. The review unit I assembled, the Macaron edition, is a sleek and modern white base with different colored panels to further personalize your build. But, the case is also available in a pure white or pure black versions.
The design integrates removable faces with dust covers and a handy top-mounted handle on either side, making carrying the case a breeze. The front I/O includes a USB Type-C port, two USB Type-A ports, a power button with an LED indicator, and a headphone/microphone combo jack, so you'll get all the basics covered with this case.
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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The back panel hosts a power plug, seven-slot expansion-card bracket suitable for vertical graphics card mounting, with a maximum length of 365mm for a GPU.
There is also a pre-installed 120mm exhaust fan, and while Cooler Master says that fitting a 140mm fan is possible, I honestly don't see (and unfortunately, I didn't have a 140mm fan handy to test that claim with). The rest of the case supports up to two 140mm fans on each of the top, bottom, front, and side panels, offering considerable cooling options, especially since the sides themselves are reasonably open, allowing for considerable airflow throughout.
The Qube 500's interior is very well designed, accommodating a 3.5-inch drive on vibration-damping grommets and an additional mounts for both 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch drives. The layout ensures very efficient space utilization, ideal for a compact case, and assembling the PC section-by-section via the YouTube tutorial helps ensure that you're able to squeeze everything you can into the case.
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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The Qube 500's assembly is straightforward, thanks to the included installation guide, cable ties, case feet, screws, standoffs, and drive mounting pins, though I can't stress enough that you follow along with the YouTube assembly guide (as well as the advanced assembly guide). The interior layout is designed for ease of component installation, supporting both full-size ATX12V power supplies. The case's compactness is noteworthy, though it poses some limitations for front fan placement and long graphics cards when using a full-ATX power supply upfront.
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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
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The Cooler Master Qube 500 stands out for its build-it-yourself appeal and the satisfaction of creating not just the PC but its housing. This is honestly the ideal project to work with a younger sibling or cousin to help build their first PC, and it also appeals to experienced builders with its budget-friendly price and the novelty of the assembly process. While the building aspect might seem superfluous to some, the case's design, configurability, and price point make this one of the more compelling PC cases on the market despite its apparent simplicity.
The Qube 500 is a testament to Cooler Master's innovative approach to PC case design, offering a unique and enjoyable building experience without compromising on functionality and performance. Whether you're a DIY enthusiast or looking for a budget-friendly, compact case with good performance, the Qube 500 is an excellent choice that brings a new dimension to custom PC building.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Cooler Master Qube 500: Price & availability
How much does it cost? $99.99 (about £80 / AU$140)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
The Cooler Master Qube 500 Flatpack comes in three color options, white or black (with an MSRP of $79.99, or £89.99 in the UK and AU$145 in Australia), or the multi-color Macaron kit (with an MSRP of $99.99, or £104.99 in the UK and AU$167.50 in Australia).
This doesn't make it the cheapest PC case around, but it's definitely not the most expensive either, and considering that there really aren't a whole lot of cases like it, this one is well worth the extra investment despite it lacking fancy features like touchscreens or wraparound glass enclosures.
Cooler Master Qube 500: Specs
Should you buy the Cooler Master Qube 500 Flatpack?
Buy the Cooler Master Qube 500 Flatpack if...
You want a great DIY PC build project
Whether for yourself or helping someone get into PC building, this case is fun to assemble and looks fantastic, especially with the Macaron colors.
You want great ventilation
The amount of airflow in this case is fantastic thanks to the fairly open sides.
Don't buy it if...
You need a massive case If you've got a load of 140mm PC fans with huge radiators or massive CPU tower coolers, this case will likely be too small for you.
You want that ol' time PC gamer aesthetic
If you're looking for the RGB and stealth bomber aesthetic of a typical gaming PC, you might be able to get away with that with the all-black case, but otherwise, this is way too pastel for any kind of "battlestation" aesthetic.
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.
Assembling a PC from scratch is a familiar task for many tech enthusiasts, but the concept of building your own PC case might be novel to some. The PowerColor Qube 500 Flatpack, a new entrant in the compact PC case market, brings a unique DIY aspect to PC building.
Following in the footsteps of the In Win Airforce, the Qube 500 aims to elevate the build-your-own-case concept with an appealing design, versatility, and value, while offering easy to follow instructions via PowerColor's YouTube channel. No matter where you are in your PC building journey, if you've got a motherboard and one of the best graphics cards that will fit in this one, you should definitely give it a look as it earns an unqualified place on our best PC case list.
The Qube 500 arrives flatpacked, which is going to be easily recognizable for anyone who's put together an Ikea table. The review unit I assembled, the Macaron edition, is a sleek and modern white base with different colored panels to further personalize your build. But, the case is also available in a pure white or pure black versions.
The design integrates removable faces with dust covers and a handy top-mounted handle on either side, making carrying the case a breeze. The front I/O includes a USB Type-C port, two USB Type-A ports, a power button with an LED indicator, and a headphone/microphone combo jack, so you'll get all the basics covered with this case.
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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The back panel hosts a power plug, seven-slot expansion-card bracket suitable for vertical graphics card mounting, with a maximum length of 365mm for a GPU.
There is also a pre-installed 120mm exhaust fan, and while PowerColor says that fitting a 140mm fan is possible, I honestly don't see (and unfortunately, I didn't have a 140mm fan handy to test that claim with). The rest of the case supports up to two 140mm fans on each of the top, bottom, front, and side panels, offering considerable cooling options, especially since the sides themselves are reasonably open, allowing for considerable airflow throughout.
The Qube 500's interior is very well designed, accommodating a 3.5-inch drive on vibration-damping grommets and an additional mounts for both 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch drives. The layout ensures very efficient space utilization, ideal for a compact case, and assembling the PC section-by-section via the YouTube tutorial helps ensure that you're able to squeeze everything you can into the case.
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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The Qube 500's assembly is straightforward, thanks to the included installation guide, cable ties, case feet, screws, standoffs, and drive mounting pins, though I can't stress enough that you follow along with the YouTube assembly guide (as well as the advanced assembly guide). The interior layout is designed for ease of component installation, supporting both full-size ATX12V power supplies. The case's compactness is noteworthy, though it poses some limitations for front fan placement and long graphics cards when using a full-ATX power supply upfront.
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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The PowerColor Qube 500 stands out for its build-it-yourself appeal and the satisfaction of creating not just the PC but its housing. This is honestly the ideal project to work with a younger sibling or cousin to help build their first PC, and it also appeals to experienced builders with its budget-friendly price and the novelty of the assembly process. While the building aspect might seem superfluous to some, the case's design, configurability, and price point make this one of the more compelling PC cases on the market despite its apparent simplicity.
The Qube 500 is a testament to PowerColor's innovative approach to PC case design, offering a unique and enjoyable building experience without compromising on functionality and performance. Whether you're a DIY enthusiast or looking for a budget-friendly, compact case with good performance, the Qube 500 is an excellent choice that brings a new dimension to custom PC building.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
PowerColor Qube 500: Price & availability
How much does it cost? $99.99 (about £80 / AU$140)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
The PowerColor Qube 500 Flatpack comes in three color options, white or black (with an MSRP of $79.99, or £89.99 in the UK and AU$145 in Australia), or the multi-color Macaron kit (with an MSRP of $99.99, or £104.99 in the UK and AU$167.50 in Australia).
This doesn't make it the cheapest PC case around, but it's definitely not the most expensive either, and considering that there really aren't a whole lot of cases like it, this one is well worth the extra investment despite it lacking fancy features like touchscreens or wraparound glass enclosures.
PowerColor Qube 500: Specs
Should you buy the PowerColor Qube 500 Flatpack?
Buy the PowerColor Qube 500 Flatpack if...
You want a great DIY PC build project
Whether for yourself or helping someone get into PC building, this case is fun to assemble and looks fantastic, especially with the Macaron colors.
You want great ventilation
The amount of airflow in this case is fantastic thanks to the fairly open sides.
Don't buy it if...
You need a massive case If you've got a load of 140mm PC fans with huge radiators or massive CPU tower coolers, this case will likely be too small for you.
You want that ol' time PC gamer aesthetic
If you're looking for the RGB and stealth bomber aesthetic of a typical gaming PC, you might be able to get away with that with the all-black case, but otherwise, this is way too pastel for any kind of "battlestation" aesthetic.
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.
PNY GeForce RTX 4070 Super Verto OC: Two-minute review
The PNY GeForce RTX 4070 Super Verto OC is another solid entry into the Nvidia Lovelace family from PNY, and gamers or creators (or both) looking for a little extra performance for their money will very pleased if they bought this card.
With a US MSRP of $599.99 (about £480/AU$840), this card sells for the same as the Founders Edition in my Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super review, but it comes with a few nifty extras that make an already excellent graphics card even better.
In the main, this comes from the slightly faster factory boost clock of 2,490 MHz, up from the Founders Edition's 2,475 MHz boost. To be clear, this is only 0.60% faster, so the actual performance in real terms is a couple of points here, a frame or two there, and isn't the kind of thing that you're going to really notice even if you have the benefit of having both cards to test side-by-side like I do (if you want to see raw performance numbers vis-a-vis the competition, check out the Founders Edition review and tack on about 0.5% to the RTX 4070 Super's scores, more or less).
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
That said, extra performance is extra performance, however small, and with the PNY RTX 4070 Super Verto OC, you get a little bump in performance right out of the box. After that, you also have the PNY VelocityX overclocking software, where you can take things a good bit further, especially thanks to the 12VHPWR cable allowing for some extra wattage into the GPU.
That said, anytime you're overclocking any computer hardware yourself, either through a software tool or otherwise, do be careful not to push things too far and potentially damage your card. At $600, this is still a good investment.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
In terms of design, the dual-fan shroud for the PNY Verto series is the same as it is on other cards, but that's not terrible. It's not the flashiest design, but the dual fan design and exposed heatsink does allow for better cooling that is noticeable in my testing, which shows the PNY card running a few degrees cooler than the Founders Edition running the same 3DMark Speedway stress tests.
If there's one thing that I'm sad about its that with the 4070 Super, the 220W TGP means that you need to have either two 8-pin connectors or a 16-pin connector, so unlike the card in my PNY GeForce RTX 4070 XLR8 review that was able to sport a single 8-pin power connector, you're stuck with a 16-pin here.
There is an adapter in the box to let you plug two 8-pin cables into the card, but any time an adapter is involved, you're going to have to deal with some cable management issues.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Beyond that, the PNY RTX 4070 Super Verto OC is a little bit longer and taller than the Founders Edition (9.74 inches vs 9.4 inches and 4.74 inches vs 4.3 inches), though they both take up about the same amount of slot space as a dual slot card.
The PNY card's extra length does give it a bit more heat sink to work with though, and the heatsink and fan overhang the PCB allowing for direct air passthrough for better cooling performance. Essentially, you'll be able to slot this card into just about any of the best PC cases that aren't special "mini" chasses without an issue and get some extra cooling performance in the process.
Wrapping up, the PNY GeForce RTX 4070 Super Verto OC is a solid choice for anyone looking to pick up an RTX 4070 Super thanks to some solid extras for the same price as MSRP. You won't get a whole lot of bling with it, but if what you're looking for is the best 1440p graphics card to play the best PC games or do some 3D modeling on the side, this card will get you the performance you need to make it happen.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
PNY GeForce RTX 4070 Super Verto OC: Price & availability
How much is it? US MSRP $599 (about £480, AU$840)
When is it out? January 17, 2024
Where can you get it? You can buy it in the US, UK, and Australia
The PNY GeForce RTX 4070 Super Verto OC goes on sale on January 17, 2024, with a US MSRP of $599.99 (about £480, AU$840), and will be available in the US, UK, and Australia at launch or soon thereafter.
This puts it at the same MSRP as the Founders Edition card, which means you get some extra performance thrown in essentially for free, and the VelocityX overclocking software lets you tinker a bit with the card to squeeze out the best possible performance from this GPU.
In terms of other third-party GPUs, you're likely to find better cooling, flashier designs, and possibly better performance via OC settings, but for the price, the PNY RTX 4070 Super Verto OC is a great value for this GPU, even if it's pricier than the competing AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT.
PNY GeForce RTX 4070 Super Verto OC: Specs
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Should you buy the PNY GeForce RTX 4070 Super Verto OC?
Buy the PNY GeForce RTX 4070 Super Verto OC if...
You want an overclocked card for a great price
At MSRP, this card gives you both faster factory clocks as well as the ability to easily tweak your card's performance.
You want great cooling
The design of the RTX 4070 Super Verto OC lets air blow through part of the heatsink unobstructed, providing better cooling than the Nvidia Founders Edition.
Don't buy it if...
You want something flashy
The PNY Verto series isn't big on RGB, so if you want something shiny, this card isn't for you.
You're on a tight budget
Despite its extras, the PNY RTX 4070 Super Verto OC is still an expensive card, so you might want to check out the RX 7800 XT for great gaming performance at a better price.
PNY GeForce RTX 4070 Super Verto OC: Also consider
If my PNY GeForce RTX 4070 Super Verto OC review has you looking for other options, here are two more graphics cards to consider...
How I tested the PNY GeForce RTX 4070 Super Verto OC
I spent about two days testing the PNY GeForce RTX 4070 Super Verto OC
I tested its gaming performance and content creation performance specifically
I used out standard battery of benchmark tests
Having tested the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super already, I looked into how much the PNY GeForce RTX 4070 Super Verto OC exceeded that baseline performance, and where it fell short, if applicable. I did this using a more precise series of benchmark tests that pushed the card's thermals to the limit, as well as repeatable synthetic benchmarks to determine comparable scores.
I also tinkered with PNY's VelocityX overclocking software to see how well that software affected the card's performance for better or worse.
I've been a hardware reviewer for many years now and I've spent more time at TechRadar's PC component test bench than I'd like to admit, so I know my way around graphics cards and what they ought to be capable of given their specs and pricepoints; knowledge that I leverage to its fullest to make sure that our customers get the best possible product for their money.
First reviewed January 2024
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super is a graphics card with a lot of expectations built up around it after it's announcement at CES 2024, and if you've yet to upgrade your graphics card in a minute and you've been waiting for a sign, this release is what you've been waiting for, whether you end up buying it or going with a competing card from AMD or Intel.
Looking across the lineup of Nvidia graphics cards in 2023, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 definitely reviewed as one of Team Green's best thanks to fantastic performance and a more accessible price compared to the rest of the GPU market at the time. At $599.99 in the US (about £480/AU$840), the RTX 4070 Super is going to retail (at MSRP) for the same launch price as the card it refreshes, while the RTX 4070 will see a healthy price cut when the RTX 4070 Super goes on sale on January 17, 2024.
In terms of what you're getting for that same amount of money, you're going to get substantially more SMs for more processing power as well as a slightly faster base clock speed. But, sadly, we're still stuck with just 12GB GDDR6X VRAM which does hamper this card's 4K potential. If you're looking for the best 4K graphics card, you may have to wait to see what the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super or Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super have to offer later in January.
If what you're looking for is the best 1440p graphics card on the market, well, in terms of sheer performance, look no further. Between upgraded specs and DLSS 3 with Frame Generation, Nvidia Reflex, and a host of other tech packed into this card, you'll be playing the best PC games at high settings with the best 1440p monitors for many years to come.
Still, it's not an unqualified win for Nvidia here. For one, the price of the Nvidia RTX 4070 Super is still $100 (about £80/AU$140) more than the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT that it's directly competing with. And while the RTX 4070 Super does outperform the best AMD graphics card for the midrange on a number of levels, gaming sadly isn't one of them, unless you lean heavily on ray tracing.
Even in places where you factor in DLSS, without frame generation, Nvidia lags behind the RX 7800 XT overall when it comes to gaming. And once AMD releases its own frame generation tech for FSR in the coming weeks, the advantage Nvidia gets from DLSS 3 with Frame Generation will likewise tighten up. On this point, gamers are going to have some harder questions to ask themselves than anyone else, and the price of the RX 7800 XT alone might be more than enough to tip the scales for them.
Still, it's hard to argue that Nvidia hasn't delivered an absolutely phenomenal card with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super, and for midrange users out there who want fantastic gaming as well as content creation features and raw performance, this is almost certainly going to be at the top of the list when making your choice about a new upgrade.
How much is it? US MSRP $599.99 (about £480, AU$840)
When is it out? January 17, 2024
Where can you get it? You can buy it in the US, UK, and Australia
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super goes on sale on January 17, 2024, for $599.99 in the US (about £480/AU$840), which is the same price as the launch MSRP of the RTX 4070 when it launched in April of 2023.
And while we love to see prices stay more accessible for gamers and creators, Nvidia is still charging a premium for its card vis-à-vis AMD's competing RX 7800 XT, which has competitive performance for about $100 less.
Still, despite not being the best cheap graphics card on the market, for what you're getting, the price on the RTX 4070 Super is a very good value overall. While not quite AMD levels of performance for price, this is about as good a value as you're going to get from an Nvidia GPU on the market today (at least until we see what the RTX 4070 Ti Super and RTX 4080 Super are working with later this month).
Value score: 4/5
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super: Design
Gorgeous all-black finish
Same size as base RTX 4070
Still requires 16-pin power
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super Founders Edition is easily one of the sexiest graphics cards I've laid hands on in a long while. The all-black shroud, fans, and trim give it a very sleek look that might not have any of the flash of RGB bedazzled third-party cards, but as far as Nvidia's lineup goes, this is easily the most attractive.
In every other way, barring the Super branding, this card is identical to the original RTX 4070, so it comes with all its positives and negatives as well. Its smaller than its larger siblings, so its much more manageable in a wider variety of cases, but it is still heavy enough that some kind of GPU support is going to be needed if you don't have a vertical card adapter for your case.
The cooling solution is also fairly good and has plenty of power for cooling. Its 16-pin connector means that if you don't have an ATX 3.0 power supply, you'll need to use a two-8-pin-to-one-16-pin adapter, which might make cable management a bit of a hassle.
Design score: 4.5/5
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super: Features & specs
21% higher SM count
Slightly faster base clock
STILL just 12GB VRAM
When it comes to the RTX 4070 Super, there is a lot to appreciate here. For the same price as the RTX 4070, you're getting a far more SMs (56 to the RTX 4070's 46, a 21% increase), so that also means that you're getting a hefty upgrade in terms of CUDA cores (7,168 to 5,888), ray tracing cores (56 to 46), and tensor cores (224 to 184) over the original RTX 4070.
You're also getting a slightly higher base clock rate of 1,980MHz , which is about 3% faster than the base RTX 4070. For that, the RTX 4070 Super also has a 220W TGP, which unfortunately means that you're not going to get any RTX 4070 Super cards with an 8-pin connector like you can with the RTX 4070.
Beyond that, there isn't too much different spec-wise with the RTX 4070 Super than you have with the RTX 4070, and this unfortunately includes the 12GB GDDR6X VRAM configuration. Mind you, this is plenty for 1440p gaming, but if you've got one of the best 4K monitors, you'll have to accept some settings compromises if you want to game seriously at 4K.
This is a dual-slot card that is identical in size to the RTX 4070 Founders Edition, as well as utilizing the same cooling solution, so it will run a slight bit hotter thanks to the increased power flowing into the card, but it's not a whole lot so that it'd be noticeable.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super: Performance
Outstanding overall performance
12GB VRAM hampers 4K potential
Falls behind RX 7800 XT somewhat in gaming performance
In terms of performance, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super is about as solid a graphics card as you'll find in the midrange, offering fantastic gaming performance, while outshining the competition in non-gaming tasks like content creation and compute-heavy workloads.
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During synthetic workload tests, the RTX 4070 Super loses out somewhat to the RX 7800 XT on some tests while winning out on others, so when you don't factor in ray tracing, it's a bit of a wash. Once ray tracing is included, however, you so end up with about 23% stronger ray tracing performance for the RTX 4070 Super, which is expected given the maturity of Nvidia's tech versus AMD's.
It's also worth noting that the Nvidia RTX 4070 Super's compute performance is about 18% better than the RX 7800 XT, and overall, the RTX 4070 Super outperforms the RTX 4070 by about 17%, on average.
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Moving on to creative benchmarks, as expected, the Nvidia RTX 4070 Super outperforms the AMD RX 7800 XT when it comes to 3D rendering tasks thanks to the strength of Nvidia's CUDA processing, which most renderers use.
In terms of rasterization performance, the two cards are about even, while the RTX 4070 Super pulls slightly ahead of the RX 7800 XT in terms of video encoding, but only by about 1%. Over its predecessor, the RTX 4070 Super renders 3D scenes and rasterizes noticeably faster, but it's pretty much even on the video encoding side.
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When it comes to gaming performance, however, the RX 7800 XT pulls ahead of the RTX 4070 Super in a big way, especially at lower resolutions.
In 1080p gaming, the RTX 4070 Super consistently lags behind the RX 7800 XT when ray tracing isn't factored in, and when it is, this advantage is generally diminished (on average) when bringing balanced upscaling to bear, though the RTX 4070 Super and the RTX 4070 tend to do much better than the RX 7800 XT when pure ray tracing is involved.
Against its predecessor, the RTX 4070 Super offers about a 14% average FPS increase over the RTX 4070 at 1080p, an advantage that I expect will grow wider once better drivers are released to support the RTX 4070 Super post-release.
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The story is similar with 1440p gaming where the RX 7800 XT does generally outperform the RTX 4070 Super when ray tracing isn't involved, and lags behind when it is.
Upscaling helps here as well, but broadly speaking, the RTX 4070 Super is going to outperform the RX 7800 XT when ray tracing, and overall provides about a 9% better fps than the RTX 4070, on average. I suspect this latter figure will be higher once post-release drivers are installed, since the RTX 4070 outperforms the RTX 4070 Super in Metro: Exodus when it shouldn't, and so i believe this game is a bit of a driver outlier.
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At 4K, the RX 7800 XT manages to hold up better in absolute terms thans to its larger 16GB frame buffer vs the RTX 4070 Super's 12GB, but the GDDR6X memory and more mature ray tracing cores make ray tracing at 4K a better overall experience with the RTX 4070 Super than with either of the two other cards tested against here.
Ultimately, then, it comes down to whether you're really all that enthusiastic about ray tracing performance. If so, the RTX 4070 Super is the card you're going to want, but at $100 cheaper, the RX 7800 XT offers a much more compelling option for pure rasterized graphics than the RTX 4070 Super. This, ultimately, keeps the RTX 4070 Super from running away with the title of best midrange graphics card, but it's a much tougher fight for the RX 7800 XT than it was when it first launched against the RTX 4070.
Performance score: 4.5/5
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Should you buy the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super?
Buy the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also consider
How I tested the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super
Test system specs
This is the system we used to test the Nvidia RTX 4070 Super:
I spent about a week working with the Nvidia RTX 4070 Super, including using it as my main work PC graphics card for content creation work. I ran our standard battery of tests on it and its two main competitor cards due to time constraints (you can see my RTX 4070 review for its relative performance versus many more cards, and than consider a roughly 12%-15% better performance over that for the RTX 4070 Super).
I've been reviewing computer hardware, including graphics cards, for years now, and I am intimately familiar with the kind of performance you should expect from a graphics card at this price point. I bring that knowledge to bear on my graphics card reviews and make sure that every graphics card I compare to the card under review is retested using the most up-to-date drivers to get the best relevant data for comparison, even (as in this case) it means I only test the most relevant competing cards to provide the reader with the most important comparative data when they are considering making their next graphics card purchase.
First reviewed in January 2024
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.
When reviewing a laptop like the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i, it can be a bit tough deciding what kind of standard to set it against. Despite its somewhat chic look, this is not an Ultrabook. And, you’re not going to run any high-end gaming or editing programs on it, either.
Instead, it fits the criteria for the best laptop for those on a budget. In fact, my focus here is on whether it truly is among the best cheap laptops available right now, as its price to performance ratio is the barometer of whether it’s successful for what it’s supposed to do.
Since this is a budget model from Lenovo, you can be sure to see it on sale regularly – it’s discounted by about $200 at the time of writing – and that will probably affect how good of a purchase this laptop is. It does have a few features I don’t often see on budget laptops, namely a privacy shutter and fingerprint reader, not to mention Wi-Fi 6 support. For better or worse though, this is essentially the Honda Civic of laptops with an Abyss Blue sheen.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: Price and availability
How much does it cost? Starting at £400 (about $550 / AU$746)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
The review configuration of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i, the only Intel-equipped model in the states goes for a relatively inexpensive $659.99 / £518 (about AU$970). However, this is the kind of laptop that I would like to see at a slightly lower price tag, considering its compromises (discussed below). Of course, being a Lenovo, you should see it regularly on sale – it’s currently discounted to $464.99 in the US for example.
For comparison’s sake, the base configuration of the Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 (2023) goes for $749.99 / AU$1,399 (about £600). For that small increase in price, you get a bit more power, an hour more of battery life, and a lighter weight. Of course, its screen, despite the higher resolution, is also middling.
If you’re in the UK or Australia, there are cheaper configurations, but they’re also weaker. For £400 (about $550 / AU$745), you’ll end up with an Intel U300 CPU and only 128GB flash storage. In Australia, you’ll get an even weaker CPU in the Intel Processor N100, just 4GB RAM, but more storage with a 256GB SSD. That will all cost AU$799.00 (about $545 / £430.
Value: 4 / 5
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Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: Specs
Comparing the different configurations can be a bit difficult since the US, UK, and Australia all have different models available to them.
The United States just has the review configuration available, while the UK has it as well along with some weaker and stronger versions available.
Those UK configurations range from an Intel U300 CPU to a 13th-Gen Intel Core i7 and a range of 4GB –16GB of RAM and 256GB – 1TB SSD. You’ll pay accordingly, but you have choice. And, those in Australia can only choose between an Intel N100, N200, or N305 CPU and 4 or 8GB of RAM.
Some of the premium features that I appreciated Lenovo including are not available in the base configurations – no privacy shutter, no fingerprint reader, and no touchscreen functionality. Of course, you don’t have to worry about that in the US as you only have the one configuration available.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: Design
Has a sleek look hiding budget level components
Privacy shutter on webcam and fingerprint reader appreciated
Trackpad is too far left
I don’t mean to stick too much to comparing the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i to cars, but it reminds me of when I drove a Toyota Celica. It looked snazzy and for a split second made me feel like I could keep up with anyone. But, after that split second, I would come back to the reality that I was driving what is essentially an economy car.
And, it feels like an appropriate comparison here as it has a certain sleek look, especially in its Abyss Blue colorway, that harkens to the elegant, status-symbol design of Ultrabooks like the Dell XPS’ of the world. It even has an aluminum lid and top plate.
(Image credit: Future)
However, the undercarriage is made of plastic, the internal specs consist of a 13th-Gen Intel Core i3, 8GB of RAM which is the bare minimum these days, and a 512GB SSD. And, there are weaker versions of this laptop in Australia and the UK.
That’s not to disparage the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i. I actually like the look. It’s just a reminder that looks can be deceiving and this is a budget laptop. Even the 1080p screen is a little underwhelming in areas. When tested, it has 60.5% sRGB and 42.9% DCI-P3 color coverage, which not only makes it the last laptop you would want to do any photo editing on, but keeps those colors from popping when just pulling up a show on Netflix.
On the brighter side, the serviceable 720p webcam comes with a privacy shutter. A fingerprint reader is also included in the power button – a feature I would have expected on a slightly more expensive laptop. And, it has Wi-Fi 6 support, also a nice inclusion.
The keyboard is nice to use as well. And, though there’s nothing particularly remarkable about it, I didn’t find it cramped or uncomfortable to use. The trackpad is decent as well, though its far left placement is a bit uncomfortable, especially since my resting left palm sometimes got in the way of it tracking accurately.
Design: 3.5 / 5
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Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: Performance
Good browsing performance
Speedy and accurate touchscreen
Sound quality is mediocre
When it comes to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i’s performance, it’s pretty good for a budget level computer. You’re not going to do any gaming on it – just consider the sub-18 fps it achieves running Civilization VI. That’s pretty abysmal.
But, if you’re considering this computer, you’re probably not thinking in terms of gaming. Instead, you’re looking at it to get on the internet, type up some emails, and maybe watch Netflix. And, it can do a lot of that just fine.
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Benchmarks
Here's how the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i (15" Intel) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
In fact, it did fine with 20 tabs open on Google Chrome, which as a browser takes up a lot of RAM. Those 20 tabs include three videos streaming through Youtube, the google doc used to write up this review, and a number of TechRadar pages. While some of them took a second to load, switching between tabs was immediate even when playing video.
I mentioned before the poor color coverage of the display but I don’t want to dissuade the average user too much. The screen is colorful enough for most people and you probably won’t care that it doesn’t quite pop as much as screens with better color coverage. It’s kind of like the difference between a budget and high-end flat screen TV. You can tell quite the difference in the store. However, you don’t want to pay the huge price differential, and you probably won’t care when you’re home. More importantly, the touchscreen functionality is accurate and quick.
The sound quality is not great, but I have yet to come across a budget laptop that sounds particularly impressive. There’s very little soundstage so everything sounds like it’s coming from the center. There’s also very little low end so the quality is best described as nasal. It’s fine in a pinch, but I suggest using headphones or earbuds for your audio needs.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
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Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: Battery life
Decent battery life for a budget laptop
Battery runs down when the lid is closed
Though plenty of computers these days can reach upwards of 15 hours when it comes to battery life, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i is not one of those. Lasting just over nine hours in our battery informant benchmark, the battery life here is actually decent for budget laptops. At least, it’s enough to get through a day without having to charge.
The one real complaint about the battery life, however, is the fact that it tends to run down the battery when in sleep mode with the lid closed. Some laptops have this issue while others are able to conserve that battery life for when it’s in use. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by MacBooks, but more premium models won’t dissipate the same amount of battery in sleep mode as during use.
Battery life: 4 / 5
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Should you buy the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Also consider
If our Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i review has you considering other options, here are two laptops to consider...
How I tested the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i (15" Intel)
(Image credit: Future)
Tested for a couple weeks
Used for all sorts of browsing needs
Used regularly unplugged
I used the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i for a couple weeks as a work computer. I did a decent amount of writing on here, as well as plenty of web browsing including streaming video. I took a look at all the features, not to mention used it regularly to see how it does unplugged.
After spending time with the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i, it’s clear that this is meant to be a budget-conscious model for those that just want a day-to-day laptop that can get online without issues.
I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.
Hardcore gamers should be on the lookout for the Acer Helios 18, a gaming laptop that's loaded with some great specs, an excellent display, and much more. The design is a bit simpler than the Acer Helios Neo 16 or 18, but still has a nice sleek metallic look to it.
Pricing isn't bad either, starting under $2,000, somewhat reasonable for a gaming laptop of this size and class. The keyboard allows for some customization as well, another notch on the positive features belt. If the performance matches its specs once we do a more throrough review, this could be one of the best Acer laptops of the year, and a solid candidate for our best gaming laptop list.
Acer Helios 18: Price and availability
The Acer Helios 18 will be launching in the US in March 2024, with its price starting at $1,999.99 (around £1,570 / AU$2,990), while the Helios 16 is slated for a release later in January. The pricing isn't bad, a tad expensive but still cheaper than pretty much any other desktop replacement gaming laptop options with the same specs.
We don't have official information on when the Helios 18 will launch in the UK and Australia, but it'll most likely show up in other regions later down the line.
Acer Helios 18: Specs
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Acer Helios 18: Design
The Acer Helios 18 is a simple black gaming laptop that uses RGB lighting to make it more visually appealing, including the logo on the lid. Unlike the Helios Neo 16 or 18, it doesn't have a coded lid or a clear plate over silver metal on the back piece.
The back piece, however, does feature a pattern fanning out from the Neo letters in the center, all lit up in rainbow lighting, which looks gorgeous. And the lit-up Acer logo on the lid is also a nice touch that gives it a bit of aesthetic appeal.
The keyboard is similarly lit with RGB back-lighting and feels pleasant to type on. There's also a rather unique feature, with the WASD keys featuring MagKey 3.0, compared to the regular membrane switches in the rest of the keyboard. This adds in two features called MagClick and MagSpeed, with the former letting users install mechanical switches (and I felt the difference immediately when I tried it out) while the latter has a speedometer-inspired design and a more distinctive LED lighting.
Its 18-inch Mini-LED WQXGA (2560 x 1600) display is lovely and crisp with a massive 250Hz refresh rate. It also has a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, making this the perfect laptop for not just gaming but for editing and especially creative projects.
The port selection is incredible with Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports, USB Type-A ports, an Ethernet port, HDMI 2.1, a combo jack, a microSD reader, and way more. There's not anything lacking in the selection, with more than enough USB ports to go around.
Acer Helios 18: Performance
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The specs for the Acer Helios 18 are all current-gen CPUs and GPUs, including up to the Intel Core 9 14900HX and up to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, respectively. It also has up to 32GB LPDDR5 RAM and up to 4TB PCIe 4 SSD in RAID 0 storage, far more than enough for any gamers' needs.
We don't have any benchmark test results to determine its actual performance but judging from performance from adjacent models like the Acer Predator Helios 300 (2022) and the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, the Helios 18 should perform extremely well. Hopefully, the ventilation system, including a fan system, liquid metal thermal paste, and vector heat pipes can keep up and keep internal temperatures down.
Acer Helios 18: Early verdict
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The Acer Helios 18 is a well-rounded gaming laptop with tons of upgrades that make it more than worth investing in if you're looking for a solid desktop replacement. It has an excellent display, a robust port selection, current-gen specs that promise top-of-the-line performance, and a partially customizable keyboard.
Not to mention its unique design that takes advantage of RGB lighting uniquely and beautifully, a compliment very few gaming laptops receive. If the Helios 18 checks out once reviewers get it in their hands, this could end up as a sleeper hit of a gaming laptop.
One of Dell's other gaming laptop refreshes for 2024 is the Alienware x16 R2, which is meant to have superior performance over the Alienware m16 R2 since the former is more of a dedicated gaming desktop replacement. As such, both CPU and GPU options are maxed out with the best laptop specs you can get.
There's not much difference in terms of aesthetics, with the x16 R2 similar to the 2022 Alienware x15 R2 but that's not a bad thing considering how distinctive and downright cool its design is.
It also received an upgrade to its display, webcam, and updates to its ventilation system, which should help catapult it to one of the best gaming laptops on the market.
Alienware x16 R2: Price and availability
The Alienware x16 R2 will be launching in the US, according to information released during CES 2024. There hasn't been an official announcement yet revealing the release window or availability for the UK and Australia but knowing Dell, it'll be available in those regions pretty soon after the US launch.
As for pricing, it's starting at around $2,099.99 / £1,649 / AU$3,136 and will end up as high as about $2,899.99. This is a huge price difference compared to the 2022 Alienware x15 R2 at $2,910 (£2,800 / AU$5,203). It's good to see that gaming laptop prices aren't skyrocketing as I originally feared.
Alienware x16 R2: Specs
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Alienware x16 R2: Design
The Alienware x16 R2's design is pretty much identical to the Alienware x15 R2 from previous years, including that bright white color with blue highlights as well as the iconic back that juts out. It looks super unique, a gaming laptop that's worth showing off.
Its 16-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600) display is all tricked out with a 240Hz refresh rate, 3ms response time, as well as having a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. Soon after launch, Dell revealed a version with an FHD+ 480Hz panel would also be released, which is incredible. As for the current version not only does it offer incredibly smooth, stutter-free gameplay that would make any hardcore gamer happy, but it can be used for creative and editing projects with ease.
It's quite a bit on the heavy side, weighing six pounds. You won't be transporting this baby around often, but it's in line with a desktop replacement. It's a little heavier than the 2022 x16 model, so hopefully with the overhauled Alienware Cryo-tech Cooling technology it ventilates better and isn't prone to overheating.
The keyboard uses Alienware's in-house switches similar to the Alienware Pro Wireless keyboard and it has satisfying typing feedback. Not to mention the very distinctive rainbow-colored touchpad that complements the RGB-lit keyboard. The built-in camera has been upgraded, adding HDR capability on the FHD IR webcam, a plus for a gaming laptop.
The port selection, like before, is located wholly on the back and includes both HDMI and Display Port, which is a great touch. But it's bizarrely missing an ethernet port, which is an issue for a desktop replacement, as hardcore gamers would want a more stable connection.
Alienware x16 R2: Performance
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The Alienware x16 R2 comes with options for the current-gen Intel Core Ultra series CPUs, with choices between the 7 and 9. Paired with the RTX 4000-series GPUs up to an RTX 4090, and you have a truly tricked-out laptop made to perform at its best.
You can either upgrade the storage to 4TB using the standard single storage, or you can upgrade to a whopping 8TB using Raid 0 configurations. However, you can only configure up to 32GB LPDDR5 RAM, which is very good but not as high as the Alienware m16 R2, a strange choice.
Unfortunately, we won't have benchmark results until we can properly sit down with and test out this gaming machine. But with the specs it has, this should be an absolute beast in terms of output.
Alienware x16 R2: Early verdict
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As a huge fan of the 2022 Alienware x15 R2 gaming laptop, I have high hopes for the Alienware x16 R2 refresh I was shown. And so far it seems like a solid upgrade from the previous gen, with better specs, an updated display, improved ventilation, an upgraded webcam and more. All wrapped up in the same sexy package this series is known for, with a few upgrades like that gorgeous rainbow-lit touchpad. Even the pricing is somewhat reasonable and much better than so many other gaming laptops in the market.
My only real concern is the lack of an ethernet port, but that's not a deal breaker. I also hope that this ventilation system can hold up better when running an extensive gaming session. Other than that, I look forward to really putting this laptop through the ringer in testing.
Writing reviews on gaming laptops with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 like the Acer Nitro 16 AMD is an exercise in splitting hairs. Some are a little more expensive, some are a little cheaper. Some quality of life factors like changes in refresh rate or webcam resolution differ from laptop to laptop. The guts, however, are very similar.
The Acer Nitro 16 AMD, then, is a lot like many of the best budget gaming laptops with its surprisingly solid performance while sitting at the lower end of the gaming laptop spectrum. In its case, it does have that faster refresh rate and a good keyboard with bright RGB backlighting. However, its aesthetics are a bit more aggressively gamer-centric than many of the best gaming laptops, which have in recent times taken lessons from MacBooks and Ultrabooks.
That said, it has a lot to offer, especially for competitive gamers on a budget. You can surely go cheaper with models sporting older GPUs, but those will start to show their limitations much earlier. Because of that, the Acer Nitro 16 AMD is not a hard laptop to recommend for the right budget-conscious gamer.
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Acer Nitro 16 AMD: Price & availability
How much does it cost? Starting at $1,249.99 (about £988 / AU$1888)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US. Only older models currently available in UK, and Australia
Acer is no stranger to budget laptops and that’s certainly the case with the Acer Nitro 16 AMD. Whether you go for the most basic model with its $999.99 (about £788 / AU$1,471) price tag and its AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS CPU, 8GB RAM, RTX 4050 GPU, and 512 GB SSD or the max version that clocks in at $1,799.99 (about £1,418 / AU$2,647) and has an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU, 16GB RAM, RTX 4070 GPU, and 1 TB SSD, you’ll be dropping less than a lot of other gaming laptops.
Part of that is the fact that Acer generally runs cheaper than other brands and part of that is that AMD-equipped laptops are often cheaper than similarly specced Intel models. For comparison sake, the Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD) I reviewed back in October starts at $1,189.99 / £1,080 / AU$2,199 for a model that is very similar with a slightly different CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 7640S, and a slightly smaller 15.6 inch screen with a 144Hz refresh rate. Of course, it does come in a slightly more attractive package.
The one thing I will complain about here is the fairly different versions of this laptop across different territories. Those in the US have the widest selection while those in the UK have one AMD-equipped model available that’s essentially the review unit with a slightly weaker Ryzen 5 processor. Those in Australia have two – one just like the review configuration and one that’s almost identical but with a Ryzen 7 7840HS CPU.
Price score: 4.5 / 5
Acer Nitro 16 AMD: Specs
The Acer Nitro 16 AMD, being a budget-oriented gaming laptop, comes with a fairly limited array of options despite there being up to 11 options depending on your territory.
The processors range from the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS 3.30GHz chip to the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS 4.0GHz one. RAM ranges from 8GB to 32GB. And, the GPU goes from the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 to the 4070.
Strangely, the weakest CPU is not in the cheapest model as that one has less RAM. And, the most expensive model with that AMD Ryzen 9 CPU doesn’t have the highest amount of RAM.
Beyond the internal components, there aren't any other variables to worry about such as colorways or displays.
Regardless of which model you get, you end up with a 16-inch 1900 x 1200p screen with a 165Hz refresh rate.
Acer Nitro 16 AMD: Design
Chunkier, gamer-centric in design
Some ports on the back
16:10 1920 x 1200 screen with 165Hz refresh rate
As far as aesthetics go, the Acer Nitro 16 AMD does not pull its punches when it comes to its gamer looks. From the angled blue and reddish lines adorning the laptop lid as well as the aggressive looking N (for “Nitro”) on the lid as well as under the screen, this laptop is not going to pass as a non-gaming laptop the way a Razer laptop can.
Of course, it doesn’t help that it is pretty bulky, not only in size but in weight, especially considering that it weighs 5.95 lbs (2.70 kg). And, it certainly looks chunky. It is over an inch thick – the same as two MacBook Airs stacked on top of each other.
Since this is a budget gaming laptop, that form factor is somewhat to be expected. At least Acer made sure to put plenty of venting underneath and on the sides. Because of the side venting though, not all the ports fit on the sides as some of them, namely the power, HDMI and USB-C ones are on the back. Some people like having ports on the back for a cleaner look. I don’t as I find them to be harder to access.
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On the bright side, Acer included a 16:10 1920 x 1200 display with a speedy 165Hz refresh rate (and 3ms response time), which is perfect for competitive gamers. Of course, it’s basically a slightly larger 1080p screen so you’re not going to step up in resolution. However, that’s never the case with budget gaming laptops. Still, it’s a good screen. Plus, it has a 125% sRGB color gamut and at least the review unit came with a Delta-E of 0.22 so you can do some photo editing here. Its DCI-P3 coverage is 89%, so it’s not as ideal for professional video editing.
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As far as the keyboard and trackpad go, they’re more than competent for regular use. The keyboard is easy to type on with a nice textured feel. I didn’t find that I experienced any missed presses when gaming.
More interesting is the fact that it has full-color backlighting, though only in four zones so you won’t be able to adjust key by key.
Design score: 4 / 5
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Acer Nitro 16 AMD: Performance
Very good 1080p (well, 1200p) performance
Sound quality is decent
Webcam is disappointing
Acer Nitro 16 AMD: Benchmarks
Here's how the Acer Nitro 16 AMD performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Port Royal: 4,682; Fire Strike: 19,390; Time Spy: 8,472 GeekBench 6.1: 2,593.7 (single-core); 10,798.3 (multi-core)
25GB File Copy: 14.1s Handbrake 1.6: 5:25 CrossMark: Overall: 1,799 Productivity: 1,781 Creativity: 1,859 Responsiveness: 1,681 Far Cry 61080p (Ultra) 76 fps Cyberpunk 2077: 1080p (Ultra) 23.44 fps Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 9:15:40 PCMark 10 Battery Life (Gaming): 2:26
I’ve continually been impressed by all the laptops I’ve tested with a Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU. And, that continues to be true with the Acer Nitro 16 AMD. Obviously, there’s a ceiling to that performance.
For instance, this laptop can achieve a 64.7 fps on Cyberpunk 2077 on Ultra settings, but as soon as ray tracing is on, the fps drops like an anchor. Just look at the benchmark for Far Cry 6 – it also gets 76 fps on Ultra.
In more real world testing, I’ve been able to run Starfield and Hogwarts Legacy at higher than expected settings. Of course, that’s with ray tracing off and a tick or two off Ultra settings. Still, the results were very playable with just a tiny bit of screen tearing. Turning on Vsync takes care of that.
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It’s important to note also that the Acer Nitro 16 AMD is also running that display at a 165Hz refresh rate so getting the results is even more impressive. That means this is perfect for competitive gamers on a budget. To test, I ran Battlefield 2042 and had stable results without any issues at high settings.
As far as the sound goes, it’s not going to win any awards but it’s serviceable, just lacking some low end. The webcam is a little less impressive with its peak 720p resolution. It also gets a bit grainy.
Performance score:4 / 5
Acer Nitro 16 AMD: Battery life
Decent battery life for regular use
Not very good when gaming
The battery life of the Acer Nitro 16 AMD is about as interesting as an episode of the Great American Baking Show (yes, it does exist). Yes, we must discuss. You’re not going to be wowed with its longevity. But, it’s ok in certain instances.
When using it in a non-gaming capacity, you can get a little over nine hours of use. For a gaming laptop, that’s pretty good. Of course, you’ll want to be plugged in to actually game as it can only get just under two and a half hours when playing titles. Other than some configurations of the Asus Rog Zephyrus, most gaming laptops have not cracked the battery code.
Battery life score: 3 / 5
Should you buy the Acer Nitro 16 AMD?
Buy it if...
You’re a competitive gamer With an RTX 4050 GPU and a screen with a 165Hz refresh rate, you’ll be able to keep up in the fastest competitive games, skill notwithstanding.
You’re on a budget You don’t have to spend all that much relatively to get quality gaming performance. The only way to go cheaper is to go console or with an older GPU that might not keep up.
Don't buy it if...
You want a more portable gaming machine It’s bulky and on the heavy side so the Acer Nitro 16 AMD is not an ideal grab-and-go gaming machine, not to mention that the battery life isn’t all that great either.
Acer Nitro 16 AMD: Also consider
If our Acer Nitro 16 AMD review has you considering other options, here are two laptops to consider...
How I tested the HP Victus 16
Tested for a couple weeks
Pushed it as hard as possible gaming-wise
Played with various settings
I used the Acer Nitro 16 AMD for a couple weeks, playing a number of demanding games like Starfield, Hogwarts Legacy, Battlefield 2042 and Cyberpunk 2077. While doing so, I ran the games at various settings, particularly at the highest ones with ray tracing on wherever possible, and took note of the results. I also tested each aspect of the laptop from the keyboard and trackpad to the webcam and speakers.
After spending time with the Acer Nitro 16 AMD, it’s clear that this is meant to be a budget-conscious model for those that care about competitive gaming or for those that want something affordable while still equipped with a current generation GPU.
I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.
The newest trend in some of the best gaming laptops are ones equipped with Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 such as the HP Victus 16 reviewed here. These laptops are about as cheap as you can go while still getting one of Nvidia’s 4000 series GPUs. They still manage to offer some relatively powerful performance, especially when compared to the budget options from yesteryear equipped with 3000 series graphics cards.
In the case of the HP Victus 16, its pricing somewhat precludes it from the best budget gaming laptops, but it’s close. It’s more mid-range pricing and solid performance, as long as you don’t need max settings and Ray Tracing on in titles like Cyberpunk 2077, does make a good option for those looking at the best gaming laptops that want a nice balance between price and specs.
Now, there’s nothing that makes this particularly unique. But, that’s going to be the case for most of the competition as well. Whether you get this or a different 4050-equipped model like the Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD) is going to come down to if you want to save a couple hundred bucks or want some slightly more powerful components. Or, maybe you prefer a certain brand or aesthetic.
(Image credit: Future)
HP Victus 16: Price & availability
How much does it cost? Starting at $1,249.99 (about £988 / AU$1888)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US. Only older models currently available in UK, and Australia
Let’s get the hard part out of the way first. Residents of the UK and Australia may see language on the HP site about the all new Victus 16, but they’re unfortunately stuck with the last generation equipped with Nvidia RTX 3000 series GPUs. Hopefully that will change soon, though that’s not the case at the time of writing.
If you’re lucky enough to have access to the US store, there are two customizable configurations – one for AMD and one for Intel with the AMD being slightly cheaper, starting at $1,249.99 (about £1,000 / AU$1,900).
Maxing these configurations gives you a fairly robust laptop that’s not too expensive compared to other maxed out gaming laptops as the kitted out Intel configuration with a 13th-Gen Intel Core i7, 32GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, and 1TB SSD, not to mention a 1440p screen with a 240Hz refresh rate will set you back $2,169.99 (about £1,715 / AU$3,280).
The configuration reviewed here, which is a standard non-customizable one under the model designation 16-r0097nr goes for $1449.99 (about £1,150 / AU$2,190). Not bad for a 13th-Gen Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, and 1TB SSD.
Price-wise, you can find cheaper budget gaming laptops with similar specs. The MSI Katana 15 (2023) goes for $999 (about £785 / AU$1,550) without any upgrades and includes 13th-Gen Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, and 1TB SSD. However, it sports a slightly weaker Intel Core i7 chip and slower speed RAM. The battery life on the MSI is much worse as is the webcam, though it is a bit lighter.
Price score: 4 / 5
HP Victus 16: Specs
The HP Victus comes in a few different configurations. There are a few standard configurations including the review unit, which comes with a 13th-Gen Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, and 1TB SSD as well as a similar AMD version that comes with a Ryzen 7 CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060.
However, there are customizable versions for both Intel and AMD configurations. It’s not a wide range as you’re looking at either an AMD Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 CPU, Intel Core i5 or i7, 16 or 32GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, 4060, or 4070 GPU, and 512GB or 1TB SSD.
Beyond the internal components, you can upgrade the screen with the customizable configurations to not only a 1440p resolution, but a faster refresh rate going up to 240Hz from the standard 60Hz (there’s also an option for 144Hz).
You can also upgrade from Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 6E as well as the battery and color. Just be aware that the standard configurations like this model, specifically referred to as 16-r0097nr, are not customizable.
HP Victus 16: Design
Slightly gaming-centric look
Plenty of venting
Good keyboard and trackpad
The HP Victus 16 has followed the recent trend of having an only slightly gaming-centric aesthetic. You’re not going to see it in all its matte-black glory and confuse it for an Ultrabook. But, it doesn’t have the aggressive lines and streaks of red that older gaming laptops had.
At a little over five pounds, it’s a little chunky but it’s portable enough if you need it to be. Of course, it does house a 16.1-inch 1080p screen with relatively thin bezels outlining, though unfortunately it only has a 60Hz refresh rate (unless you go the customization route). At least, it has 300 nits of brightness – no HDR on hand with this one.
There’s quite a bit of venting around the Victus. Not only is it on the back and sides but a large section of the plastic shell underneath is vented. Because of this, I never experienced any throttling or overheating, though some intensive gaming sessions with Cyberpunk 2077 and Starfield did make the laptop warm to the touch right above the keyboard and around the back.
(Image credit: Future)
As far as ports go, adequate is probably the best description. It comes with three USB-A ports, one USB-C, one HDMI 2.1, an ethernet port, and headphone jack. It would be nice to get a second USB-C as everything is transitioning to that standard, but that’s a very minor quibble. The port selection is about what one would expect on a current gaming laptop.
The keyboard and trackpad are solid enough. They’re not going to replace a mechanical keyboard and gaming mouse (let’s be real, you’re going to need an external mouse for any gaming anyways). But, they were comfortable enough to use while typing up this review, for example, and navigating the world wide web.
Lastly, the HP Victus comes with a 1080p webcam, which in and of itself is of a higher quality than what I usually see on budget / mid-tier gaming laptops. More impressively is the fact that HP decided to include a physical shutter for privacy.
Design score: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Future)
HP Victus 16: Performance
Very good 1080p gaming performance
Refresh rate could be limitation for some gamers
Good-for-laptop audio
HP Victus 16: Benchmarks
Here's how the HP Victus 16 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Port Royal: N/A; Fire Strike: 20,526; Time Spy: 8,737 GeekBench 6.1: 2,671 (single-core); 14,161 (multi-core)
25GB File Copy: 14.9s Handbrake 1.6: 5:34 CrossMark: Overall: 1,730 Productivity: 1,647 Creativity: 1,945 Responsiveness: 1,407 Far Cry 61080p (Ultra) 77 fps Cyberpunk 2077: 1080p (Ultra) 23.65 fps Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 7:03:33 PCMark 10 Battery Life (Gaming): 1:40
The performance on the HP Victus 16 is like many of the gaming laptops with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050. It’s an exercise in compromising on settings to get good gameplay. Since this laptop comes with 16GB RAM at its lowest configuration and only has to power a 1080p screen at a 60Hz refresh rate, that 4050 GPU is more than enough, meaning you don’t have to compromise too much.
You’ll want to skip the Ray Tracing for instance. If you take a look at our benchmarks, for example, Cyberpunk 2077 managed just 24 fps. When I run the game at Ultra but with high textures and no Ray Tracing, the fps count instantly jumps to 78. This is after the most recent updates, so that’s pretty impressive.
On a similar note, I was able to run Starfield at high settings with minimal screen tearing or lag, which went away as soon as I turned on Vsync without any perceivable loss in quality. In essence, unless you need a super fast refresh rate for competitive gaming or need the ultimate gaming experience, you’re not going to feel like you’re compromising when using this computer.
While I prefer using the Kanto Ora speakers I have set up with them, the sound quality of the speakers were decent. Whether or not Bang & Olufsen were able to sprinkle magic dust on them or not, I didn’t find there to be anything too lacking with them. Of course, there’s not much in the way of low-end as is the case with most laptops. But, it doesn’t sound hollow like a lot of laptops I’ve used.
When it comes to the webcam, it offers a decently crisp image with minimal noise and can automatically focus on my face when moving around. It is capped at 30 fps, however, so it’s not going to be the smoothest looking video if that’s important to you.
Performance score:4.5 / 5
(Image credit: Future)
HP Victus 16: Battery life
Decent battery life if not gaming
Mileage may vary with some configurations
While gaming laptops not named Asus Rog Zephyrus are generally terrible when it comes to battery life. For instance, the MSI Katana 15 mentioned before lasted just 40 minutes in the PCMark 10 battery life for gaming benchmark. The HP Victus 16 lasted a more respectable hour and 40 minutes. That’s still not all that great, but gaming is a pretty demanding task and requires a lot of resources.
On the bright side, if you decide to get the HP Victus 16, you can use it for a decent amount of time unplugged if you don’t run any games on it. Specifically, in our Web Surfing Battery Informant benchmark, this laptop lasted a good seven hours. That’s not too bad if you need to use it on the road. Just be aware that some upgrades such as a screen with a higher refresh rate may negatively impact the battery life.
Battery life score: 4 / 5
Should you buy the HP Victus 16?
Buy it if...
You want good 1080p performance With only a few compromises like skipping Ray Tracing, you can get some really good 1080p gaming on this machine.
You’re trying to get the best performance without splurging It might be among the pricier 4050-equipped gaming laptops out there, but it’s a bit more powerful than the competition, making it ideal for those wanting as much performance as possible under $1,500.
Don't buy it if...
You want excellent performance no matter the game While you can get great performance in some games, there are already some games, as mentioned above, that you can’t play with the settings maxed out. If you want to see a game like Starfield at its full potential, you’ll need something more powerful.
HP Victus 16: Also consider
If our HP Victus 16 review has you considering other options, here are two laptops to consider...
How I tested the HP Victus 16
Tested for a couple weeks
Pushed it as hard as possible gaming-wise
Played with various settings
I used the HP Victus 16 for a couple of weeks, playing several demanding games like Starfield, Hogwards Legacy, Control, and Cyberpunk 2077. While doing so, I ran the games at various settings, particularly at the highest ones with ray tracing on wherever possible, and took note of the results. I also tested each aspect of the laptop from the keyboard and trackpad to the webcam and speakers.
I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.
If the Helios Neo 16 is the more affordable desktop replacement gaming laptop, then the Acer Nitro 17 is the definitive budget option from Acer. The Nitro brand has always balanced great specs with a reasonable price point and 2024's Nitro 17 refresh is no different, putting it squarely on track to be one of the best cheap gaming laptops, if not one of the best gaming laptops of this year, to boot.
It's great to see plenty of affordable gaming laptops, which are sorely needed in this space as some can cost well into the thousands. Hopefully, any benchmarks in the near future will showcase how much this refresh has improved on performance.
Acer Nitro 17: Price and availability
The Acer Nitro 17 will be launching in the US in January 2024, with its price starting at $1,249.99 (around £980 / AU$1,860). Out of all of Acer's gaming laptop offerings, this is easily the most budget option, even beating out the Helios Neo 16.
There's no official word yet on launches outside the US - especially the UK and Australia - but we'll most likely see releases in other regions later in 2024.
Acer Nitro 17: Specs
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Acer Nitro 17: Design
Unlike the Helios Neo 16 and Helios 18, the Acer Nitro 17 has a much simpler design, a plain black laptop with only the logo on the lid. A bit boring but considering the cheaper list price, a design choice that's entirely necessary.
The keyboard keys have that clear-ish border around them, which lets the RGB lighting shine through, a nice aesthetic touch that doesn't skyrocket the price. It also features a dedicated Microsoft Copilot key on the keyboard, one of Acer's first laptops to have such, allowing users to access Windows' AI features.
The port selection is fantastic and features plenty of USB Type-C and A ports, an Ethernet port, microSD, a combo jack, and more. Considering the price, it's quite the boon considering that more expensive gaming laptops will routinely miss at least one of these ports.
One of the only drawbacks is the weight and size of the laptop, which puts it squarely into desktop replacement territory. A bit strange since the specs don't allow for configurations for the Intel Core i9 or Nvidia RTX 4090, and yet this bad boy is a little over seven pounds. But considering that you get such a large screen in return, it's a trade-off that plenty of budget-minded gamers would be willing to accept.
Acer Nitro 17: Performance
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The Acer Nitro 17 refresh means that its specs have gotten some spiffy upgrades, including a 14th-Gen Intel Core CPU and an Nvidia RTX 4000-series GPU, up to an Intel Core 7 14700HX and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, respectively. Though we don't have any benchmark test results to determine just how well these updated specs will translate into solid gaming performance.
Judging by the performance results of the previous Acer Nitro 17 (2023) and the Acer Nitro 5 (2022) with weaker components, the Nitro 17 (2024) with its current-gen parts should be able to handle just about any of the best PC games at max settings with little issue.
Acer Nitro 17: Early verdict
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Though the jury's still out on performance due to a lack of benchmark test results, the Acer Nitro 17 should be able to handle any AAA game at high and maxed-out settings thanks to the upgraded specs. Combined with its budget pricing and you have a gaming laptop that's almost guaranteed to appeal to those looking for a more affordable desktop replacement.
Acer continues the trend of the Nitro being one of the best values in the gaming laptop market, and I hope to see reviews reflect that once it launches later on in January 2024.
