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Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 review: sometimes you need to fix what isn’t broken

8:28 pm | November 7, 2023

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

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: Two-minute review

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is one of Microsoft’s two Surface device offerings for 2023, which naturally puts a lot of pressure on it. For the most part, it delivers on what it’s known for, which is to say it’s a very light and small laptop with a touch screen and that’s about it. Oh, it’s also about $200 more despite very few changes to specs and no changes to its design.

There are several positives to this portable machine, mainly that it’s ultra-thin, weighs only 2.49 pounds, and is tiny enough to fit into nearly any carry bag with no issues whatsoever. It’s shocking how much smaller it is compared to the M1 Apple MacBook Air, which is already one of the best thin and light laptops and one of the best laptops period that you can find on the market. But if sheer portability is what you’re looking for, the Surface Laptop Go 3 is your best bet.

However, it’s harder to recommend this laptop for much else. It is an improvement over older models of the Laptop Go series, equipped with a 12th-Gen Intel Core i5 CPU running at 2.5Ghz, a huge improvement over the previous 1.75Ghz 11th-Gen CPU. But the fact that this laptop is more expensive and still running a 12th-Gen instead of a 13th-Gen CPU is mind-boggling. It does have better specs elsewhere, up to double the RAM and storage from the Go 2 at 16GB and 256GB, respectively, with an upgrade to SSD for faster memory, as well as a fingerprint scanner built into all models, which is a step up as well.

The performance is also average at best thanks to the outdated CPU, which carries all the laptop’s processes due to the GPU being integrated Iris Xe graphics. Its benchmark scores from productivity to file transferring to CPU-based gaming can’t compete with similarly priced laptops with better specs. Everyday use is just fine if you’re not looking for particularly strenuous work but if you’re looking for more, it’s most likely best to invest in another laptop.

Due to its extremely light weight and size, it’s not particularly strong and I can imagine how disastrous a fall could be. Its design is virtually the same as older models, which to be fair is a solid one so I can understand the rationale behind not wanting to fix what isn’t broken. But in addition to that, there aren’t any new colors added to the roster of Platinum, Ice Blue, Sage, and Sandstone, which combined makes the lack of change more disappointing.

It has a nice display that’s bright and clean, though not a true 1080p due to the size. Both the keyboard and touchpad are sized well and comfortable to use despite the small build, though I wish the keyboard had back lighting. Too bad the camera is only 720p, while most other laptops have already made the upgrade to 1080p.

One feature that has been improved is the battery life, which lasts almost nine hours under normal productivity work and over six hours when using it for more taxing video streaming. This is compared to the original Laptop Go 2 and especially the original Laptop Go’s atrocious battery life.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: Price & availability

keyboard closeup — (Image credit: Future)

How much does it cost? Starting at $799 / £799 incl. VAT / AU$1,429
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK

Pricing for the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 starts at $799 / £799 (incl. VAT) / AU$1,429, with the 16GB RAM / 256GB storage version priced at $999 / £999 (incl. VAT) / AU$1,729. This is a $200 jump from the Laptop Go 2 model.

Given the jump in cost, it doesn’t fully sit in the affordable laptop market, which was its niche in earlier generations. It also means that it’s directly more comparable to other machines like the M1 and M2 Apple MacBook Air, as well as a variety of Chromebook Plus machines like the Acer Chromebook Plus 515.

Its availability is quite good, as you can snag one whether you’re in the US, UK, or Australia.

Price score: 3 / 5

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: Specs

The review unit I received comes with the following configuration: Intel Core i5-1235U CPU, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage.

The base RAM starts at 8GB and is configurable up to 16GB. The base storage has gotten a bump up from the previous model’s 128GB at a solid 256GB. However, the SSD storage can’t be configured to a higher amount.

Specs score: 3 / 5

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: Design

Still extremely light and compact
Unchanged from older models
Keyboard and touchpad are great

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 keeps its distinctive design from older models, which is both understandable and disappointing. I can imagine that Microsoft doesn’t want to fix what isn’t broken, and it is a very solid design for a portable machine. You can open and close it with one hand, it fits into almost any bag without any impact on weight as you carry it, and the Pixel Sense display makes up for the fact that it’s too small to be 1080p.

The touchpad and keyboard are still rather nice, and easy to use with great feedback despite its small stature. It’s a shame, though, that there’s still no backlighting for the keyboard, which is a standard among laptops and just handy to have on its own merit for late-night typing.

On the other hand, the fact that it’s unchanged from before can be a huge detriment. There aren’t any new colors other than the same offerings of Platinum, Ice Blue, Sage, and Sandstone, and the shape is falling behind laptops like the M2 MacBook Air, which is much more streamlined and sleek.

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side view of a green laptop — (Image credit: Future)

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That unwillingness to change also extends to its webcam and port selection. The webcam is 720p in a laptop market that adopted 1080p as the baseline standard a long while ago, and it shows in the very average picture quality. Port selection consists of a single USB Type-A port, one USB Type-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the cursed Surface Connect charging port. While I’m happy to still see a Type-A port, having only one Type-C, no ethernet, no HDMI, and no SD slot for its new pricing is rather lackluster.

It does have a shockingly good audio quality, especially for its size. Most likely it's due to the speakers being located above the keyboard, giving it an unobstructed pathway for its sound. Testing it out on classical music and lyric-filled songs, instruments and vocals alike were clear and clean with little lost at higher volumes.

It’s difficult to overstate how portable this laptop is, and I’m always surprised at how easy it is to carry this laptop. Easily one of the lightest I’ve ever reviewed, right up there with the LG Gram Style.

Design score: 4 / 5

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: Performance

Performance is completely average
Good for office work, not much else

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: Benchmarks

Here's how the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Night Raid: 12,991; Fire Strike: 3,883; Time Spy: 1,407
GeekBench 5: 1,543 (single-core); 5,883 (multi-core)
Cinebench: 5,631 (multi-core)
Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm: 48fps
25GB File Copy: 28.6
Handbrake 1.6: 15:28
CrossMark: Overall: 1,323 Productivity: 1,325 Creativity: 1,379 Responsiveness: 1,161
Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 8:49:14
PCMark 10 Home test: 4,295
TechRadar Movie Battery test: 6 hours and 14 minutes

While the portability of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is still top-notch, its performance is painfully average. All its benchmark scores are nothing special compared to other laptops, suffering from its 12th-Gen CPU. Since it uses an integrated GPU, the CPU does all the heavy lifting in terms of performance, whether it’s for productivity work or creative and editing projects. And it being an outdated Core i5 processor powering this laptop puts it behind others released this generation with current tech.

Naturally, unless you’re running a CPU-heavy video game like Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm – which still runs at a okay framerate of around 40fps – you won’t be playing anything but low-end PC titles that could also run on a toaster.

Outside of benchmarks, the Laptop Go 3 performs just like most other Windows laptops when it comes to productivity tasks. I’m able to balance conference calls with various work documents and video streaming going on with very little slowdown. But more intensive tasks, like any creative works or editing that requires downloading, rendering, and uploading larger files, can cause noticeable stuttering and slowdown.

This laptop is clearly meant for office workers or the average college student who needs a portable machine that can handle basic tasks. But considering the sharp price increase costs over its main niche (an extremely portable laptop for a nice low MSRP) it’s harder to justify the still middling specs and performance compared to similarly priced laptops in the same market. The MacBook Air laptops and Chromebooks boot up much faster, run faster and more efficiently, and can juggle multiple tasks without any slowdown whatsoever. For the price, it’s not bad at all but there are simply better options available.

Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: Battery

Pretty solid battery life
Charge time isn't bad either

One aspect of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 that has noticeably improved is its battery life. It’s leagues ahead of the original Laptop Go, which could barely last four hours per change and took half of that time recharging, and even a solid improvement over the Laptop Go 2 which lasts about six hours on productivity work.

The Laptop Go 3 gives you nearly nine hours of productivity work on a single charge and over six hours of heavy video streaming when we tested it out using our TechRadar movie battery test. When I personally tested out the battery to see how long it would last during my work day, it lasted for about eight hours. It’s still a far cry from the promised “up to 15 hours” from Microsoft but it’s still a very solid if not exceptional battery life.

Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3?

Buy the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 if...

You want an easy-to-carry laptop
There are few laptops as portable and lightweight as this one. It doesn't even put a dent in your carry-on of choice.

Don't buy it if...

You want a better webcam
The webcam in this is pretty average not to mention only 720p, making it only good for basic conference calls.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: Also consider

If my Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 review has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...

How I tested theMicrosoft Surface Laptop Go 3

I tested this laptop for about two weeks
I tested its overall productivity performance as well
I used a variety of benchmark tests as well as a CPU-heavy PC game to test this laptop.

To test out the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 I used a full suite of benchmarks to rank both CPU and GPU performance, with more emphasis on the former. I also tested out frame rate performance on various settings with the more CPU-focused PC game Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm.

This laptop would primarily be used for productivity work. Due to its GPU and high color gamut, it can also be used for creative and editing projects, and its CPU means that productivity work is a breeze as well.

I’ve tested out many laptops, especially gaming ones, which gives me plenty of experience with properly benchmarking them. I also have extensive knowledge of testing out general performance such as framerate and graphics.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed November 2023

PhotoRoom review

9:41 pm | November 6, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Creative Software Gadgets Software | Tags: AI | Comments: Off

PhotoRoom: Two-minute review

Removing backgrounds from images used to mean manually masking subjects. Adding different backdrops and drop shadows required a deft touch, too. Not with PhotoRoom: harnessing the power of AI, it automates the background removal process and makes it a cinch to place people and products in new settings, complete with accurate shadows.

Available as a mobile app for iOS and Android, as well as a web-based tool, it has the potential to revolutionize promotional imagery for online businesses. With just a few taps, PhotoRoom makes it possible to cut out subjects, place them against virtual backgrounds, and then export them at the perfect size for different social platforms.

PhotoRoom review screenshot — (Image credit: Future)

A Pro subscription removes the PhotoRoom logo from high-resolution exports, unlocks powerful batch editing support, and grants access to a catalog of templates covering everything from birthday cards to seasonal sales. You can make mock magazine covers, create studio-style imagery for your online store, or instantly upgrade your marketing graphics – all without expert knowledge of design software. It can even transform self-portraits into headshots that pass for professional.

It’s easy to use, yet the results are broadly believable. While it's not infallible, PhotoRoom is impressively effective at matching backgrounds and shadows to the lighting of your original subject. And though not every virtual backdrop is photorealistic, the majority give the impression of genuine placement within the scene – or at least that the image has been professionally produced. If PhotoRoom’s presets don’t fit the bill, you can generate custom backgrounds using simple text prompts, giving you theoretically infinite possibilities.

With layered editing, including the option to place and edit text and graphics, PhotoRoom firmly plants its flag as an alternative to Adobe Express – a rival web-based design tool with AI features from the maker of Photoshop. Editing professionals may find some limitations, but for most users, PhotoRoom is slick, quick, and surprisingly powerful.

If you only want to separate subjects from their backgrounds, there are cheaper – and even free – alternatives. Equally, if you want a fully-fledged image editing solution, you should look at our round-up of the best photo editors.

But if you want an accessible toolkit that lets you rapidly generate pro-grade promotional imagery, and seamlessly place your subjects within a vast library of settings – all from your smartphone or web browser – PhotoRoom is well worth the cost of a monthly subscription.

PhotoRoom: Pricing & availability

Weekly prices start at $4.99 / £3.99 / AU$17.99
Many features are available for free, including background removal
Pro subscription removes branding and unlocks full feature set

PhotoRoom is available as a smartphone app for iOS and Android and online via the PhotoRoom website. Many of its features can be accessed without a subscription, including the background and object removal tools. With the free version, you are limited to 250 image exports, all of which will be watermarked with the PhotoRoom logo.

If you plan to use PhotoRoom for your business, you’ll probably want to pay for the additional features included with a Pro subscription. Paying for full access removes the PhotoRoom logo and export cap. It also unlocks batch editing, design resizing, and high-resolution exports, as well as the full collection of instant backgrounds.

Pricing for the Pro plan varies based on the frequency of the renewal period you choose. In the US, the rolling weekly plan costs $4.99, while the annual plan costs $89.99 per year. In the UK, you can subscribe for £3.99 a week or £69.99 a year. In Australia, the weekly cost is AU$17.99, while the yearly price comes in at AU$139.99.

PhotoRoom offers a free trial of the Pro features through its smartphone apps. Be aware that this will auto-renew if not cancelled before the end of the trial.

Try PhotoRoom's free tools here

PhotoRoom: Interface & tools

PhotoRoom can be accessed using the app or via the web
Simple, icon-based interface is easy to use and understand
One-click templates and AI backgrounds can be easily edited

Whether you use PhotoRoom on the web or through the smartphone app, the core user experience is very similar. The icon-based interface is designed to be simple and self-explanatory, even if you’ve never used a photo editor or any kind of graphic design software.

You start by selecting a tool, template, or photo: all options lead to the same destination, only the route is different. With a Pro subscription, you also have the option to edit in batches, applying the same template or background swap to several images at the same time.

Pick an image, and PhotoRoom will automatically run the background removal tool, separating the subject from its surroundings. From there, you can edit the outline of the cutout, either manually – by painting with a brush to adjust the masking – or with AI assistance, which automatically detects the objects you click.

Once you’re happy with the cutout, your first option is to explore PhotoRoom’s preset templates. Some are purely functional, making the background transparent or resizing the canvas for different social platforms. Others keep it simple and professional, with a drop shadow and a plain backdrop. The most dynamic add everything from text headlines and graphic elements to photorealistic settings and artistic blurring.

A tap or a click is all it takes to apply any of the templates. What’s more, every component in the template can be repositioned, rotated and resized to suit. Each occupies a separate layer, which you can drag to rearrange. You can also tweak each layer using the adjustment toggles and sliders. While PhotoRoom is far from a Photoshop alternative, you can make a range of color tweaks, change the perspective and add creative effects, including several blur and texture options. All of these tools are intuitive to use, and the learning curve is minimal.

The instant backgrounds tab is where AI really steps into the spotlight. You can browse by background category, spanning all manner of materials, scenes and settings, or pick from suggested backdrops based on the subject detected by PhotoRoom. Pick one, and you’ll get four versions of that theme. If none fit the bill, you can tap to generate four more.

Where backgrounds get really interesting is with custom prompts. Under the assisted tab, you can specify the surface and any background details you’d like. Or you can go full manual and write the entire prompt yourself, together with a negative prompt to exclude specific elements. You can also upload an image as a prompt. All three are straightforward to use and genuinely accessible.

AI is also deployed for the magic retouch tool, which allows you to paint over objects to remove them from an image, and for instant shadows, which can read the object placement within a given composition and introduce soft, hard, or floating shadows accordingly.

PhotoRoom: Cutouts

AI effectively recognizes and cuts out subjects
Manually brushing to edit the mask can feel clumsy

Any background removal tool is only as effective as its subject recognition. Luckily, PhotoRoom is remarkably good at detecting and selecting. From clothes to creatures, it effortlessly traced around countless subjects in our tests. What’s more, because the AI engine tries to understand what it’s looking at, it’s also effective at cutting out elements within an object – such as the spokes of a bicycle.

That’s not to say it’s perfect. It can struggle when presented with busy scenes that feature multiple potential subjects. Outlining can also falter when there is poor contrast, dim lighting or a low resolution, all of which affect the definition of a subject’s edges. But upload a well-lit image in clear focus and PhotoRoom will almost always extract it cleanly from its surroundings.

This is good, because editing a cutout isn’t the most precise affair. The guided mode is useful if you want to simply remove specific objects from the selection. But when it comes to manually refining the mask, you’ll need fine fingerwork to paint around objects. And while you can change the brush size, there’s no option to adjust its softness. Strangely, there's no undo option: if you accidentally paint to erase part of a selection, you’ll need to repaint it with the Restore brush – or cancel and start again.

So while the option to edit cutouts is necessary, the slight clumsiness means you’re often better trusting in the automated selection and accepting any minor deviations, which usually won’t be visible when viewed at standard screen sizes.

PhotoRoom: Performance

Instant backgrounds can deliver remarkable realism
Post templates require more creative input
Retouch tool is a useful addition for removing objects

A creative eye is still required when it comes to working with templates. Unlike backgrounds, PhotoRoom won’t suggest templates to suit your image, so you’ll need to pick one that works for your subject and purpose.

Realism is rarely the aim here, with many of the presets featuring bold graphics, text, and obviously simulated settings. It’s important to choose one that matches the theme of your subject, otherwise, your cutout can look out of place. Perspective is also important to bear in mind, particularly with product photography: the templates are most useful for subjects shot straight-on.

The best of PhotoRoom’s templates are those that keep things subtle, specifically those that place your subject against a relatively plain background with a soft drop shadow. Even then, you’ll often want to adjust the placement of your subject within the template and consider adding a shadow using the adjustment menu. With the right touch, results can be fun and dynamic.

The believability factor is far higher with PhotoRoom’s instant backgrounds. That’s not to say that every placement looks like a real photo. You will still encounter AI artifacts, especially with backgrounds generated from prompts. You’ll also need to ensure that the scale appears consistent: many have defocused elements that can throw off the perspective. One background made a bicycle look like a miniature model on a shelf, for example.

On the whole, PhotoRoom is remarkably good at placing subjects in scenes with a high degree of realism, particularly when that subject is an object. Whether you pick from PhotoRoom’s suggested backgrounds or select a theme for yourself, it will incorporate the item contextually – often with breathtaking effectiveness.

When tasked with placing a camera on a table surrounded by succulents, PhotoRoom generated shadows that looked true to life, weighting the camera in the scene. Swapping the table for a concrete step, it added a subtle reflection in the polished stone below. Equally, when situating a lamp on a bedside table, it cast a glow on the neighboring wall. It’s these details that make PhotoRoom stand out as a tool for product photography.

Not every result appears authentic, but for every four variations generated, at least half could pass for a genuine image from a photoshoot – certainly to the untrained eye on social media. Even those that don’t quite pass for genuine frequently look as if they’ve been manipulated by a professional graphic designer. And it’s worth remembering that these aren’t fixed scenes into which different subjects are substituted: each is generated specifically for the given subject, based on your chosen theme or prompt.

What’s so impressive is that new versions can be generated with just a click, and every result can be reworked simply by changing a few words in the text prompt. As with many generative tools, prompts won’t always yield the exact visual you had in mind. But the option does put an arsenal of creative possibilities at your fingertips, with no training required. With batch editing available to Pro subscribers, you can achieve a consistent look for up to 50 image subjects at once. This works best with similarly framed shots.

In short, PhotoRoom is a powerful tool for producing virtual photoshoots. If you’re an online seller, it has the potential to eliminate the need for expensive and time-consuming seasonal shoots. From one clear, well-lit set of images, you can produce realistic visuals of your subjects in all manner of scenarios, from minimalist retail stores to kitchens at Christmas. When you compare the relative costs and the quality of its output, PhotoRoom makes a convincing case for itself.

Should I buy PhotoRoom?

PhotoRoom review screenshots — (Image credit: Future)

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

PhotoRoom: Also consider

The closest competitor to PhotoRoom is Adobe Creative Cloud Express. Like PhotoRoom, this is a web- and app-based editing platform that makes it easy to produce professional marketing graphics.

It doesn’t have PhotoRoom’s ability to produce instant AI backgrounds for a given subject, which means PhotoRoom remains the top choice if you want to create realistic virtual product shoots. But Adobe Express does include a free cutout tool, social templates, and AI-powered generative fill, which can be used to add and remove elements within existing images.

If you’re looking for an intuitive online solution for producing polished marketing content in a range of sizes and formats, Adobe Express is arguably the more comprehensive option in terms of templates, font styles, graphic elements, and overall versatility. At $9.99 per month, it’s more affordable on a monthly basis, although the yearly fee of $99.99 makes PhotoRoom the cheaper annual choice.

It’s worth noting that if you have a Creative Cloud subscription, you’ll likely have access to Adobe Express already.

These are the best photo editors you can buy right now

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

5:09 pm |

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

Two-minute review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Value score: 3/5

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3): Specs

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3): Design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Design score: 5/5

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3): Performance

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

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

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

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

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

Benchmarks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Performance score: 5/5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Battery life score: 5/5

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

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Apple iMac 24-inch (M3) review: Apple continues its all-in-one winning streak

5:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Desktop PCs Gadgets Macs | Comments: Off

Apple iMac 24-inch (M3): Two-minute review

Let’s be honest: the title of the best all-in-one computer is the Apple iMac (M3)’s to lose. No Windows-based all-in-one comes close to Apple’s iconic product – and that’s not always a good thing. In the past, it’s led to a sense that Apple is resting on its laurels a bit; there was a period of time in the late 2010s where Apple seemed to pump out Intel-based iMacs with seemingly little to no enthusiasm, just a slight specs bump and the same, increasingly dated, design.

That changed with the launch of the iMac 24-inch (M1, 2021), which not only featured Apple’s new (at the time) M1 chip – the first non-mobile chip the company had produced – but also an overhauled design that slimmed the bezels down, modernized the look and added some much-needed color options. It was easily one of the best redesigns we’ve seen recently, and firmly cemented the iMac as the best all-in-one computer And then… nothing.

When Apple launched the M2 chip, there was no iMac refresh, even though other products, including the Mac mini, got the new SoC. Nor was there any sign of a 27-inch iMac or iMac Pro – both of which have currently never had Apple silicon versions.

It seemed like Apple had fallen out of love with the iMac once again. That was until its ‘Scary Fast’ event on October 30, 2023, where it finally unveiled a new 24-inch iMac (M3), featuring its cutting-edge M3 chip, but keeping pretty much everything else the same as the one from two years ago.

front view of iMac — (Image credit: Future)

Design-wise, the iMac 24-inch (M3) is identical to the M1 model from two years ago. It remains a great looking device with bright color options – a rarity both for modern Macs and Windows-based PCs – that don’t look childish, but that add a splash of individuality to the all-in-one. The screen remains the same as well, and is bright, sharp and offers excellent color accuracy with the P3 gamut.

However, sticking to the same design also brings back some old frustrations, such as the charging port on the bottom of the Magic Mouse, which means you can’t use it while it’s charging, plus a reliance on the increasingly obsolete Lightning connection for charging all of the peripherals, rather than getting with the times and using USB-C. And there's the lack of larger screen options; this is perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the new model, as 24 inches no longer feels that large, especially for power users who like to work on multiple apps and windows at once.

On the inside, things are much more different, however, with support for Apple’s impressive M3 chip, which offers a noticeable performance increase over the previous M1-powered iMac, and does an excellent job with intensive tasks such as coding and video rendering. It can even play modern games, and while you’re not getting the kind of frames per second seasoned PC gamers expect from their rigs, it’s a promising sign that gaming on Macs may one day no longer be the joke it once was.

One thing I’d have liked them to keep the same, however, is the price. Unfortunately, the new iMac 24-inch (M3) now starts at $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,199, a leap over the starting price of the previous model. In some ways this is understandable – the M3 chip represents a big upgrade in performance, and what isn’t getting more expensive these days? Still, Apple was developing a habit of launching new models for the same price as the previous one, so it’s a shame that has not happened here.

Also, the base model comes with just 8GB of memory and 256GB SSD, which is pretty low these days, and because the iMac isn’t upgradable (this is an Apple product, after all), I’d recommend upping the memory and SSD to future proof your purchase – but that, of course, raises the price further. The new iMac remains the best all-in-one computer you can buy, but it doesn’t feel as good value as the previous model.

Apple iMac 24-inch (M3) review: Price and availability

How much does it cost? Starts at $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,199
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

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Though Apple launched several MacBook Pros with a range of screen sizes and configuration options (including powerful M3 Pro and M3 Max chips), the new Apple iMac (M3) comes in just one size, 24 inches, and you only get the M3 chip – though that can be configured.

The base model of the Apple iMac 24-inch (M3) starts at $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,199, which gets you an M3 chip with 8-core GPU, 8-core CPU, 8GB of memory, 256GB SSD and Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse.

This is a step up in starting price from the previous M1 model, which launched at $1,299 / £1,249 / AU$1,899, and puts it at the pricier end of all-in-ones. However, Apple is making some big claims about the performance of the M3 chip (which we’ll get to in a bit), so the pressure is on to prove that this price bump is worth it.

You can also buy the new iMac with a slightly more powerful M3 chip with 10-core GPU (and same 8-core CPU, 8GB of memory and 256GB SSD) for $1,499 / £1,599 / $2,499, and this model comes with two additional USB 3 ports, support for Gigabit Ethernet, and Touch ID on the Magic Keyboard to allow you to log in with your fingerprint.

You can configure the base models to come with either 16GB or 24GB of unified memory, which ups the overall price, but which is probably worth doing if you want the iMac for more intensive tasks. That's because, unsurprisingly, you can’t open up the iMac and upgrade the memory later, and 8GB is a bit low these days, especially as with unified memory, you’re sharing it as both standard system RAM and video RAM for the GPU.

You can also configure the iMac 24-inch (M3) for more SSD storage, up to 2TB, and again this is an upgrade I’d recommend you make before you buy, as 256GB will fill up fast, especially if you work with video and photo files. At least you can always add more storage with an external hard drive later on, however.

Price score: 3/ 5

Apple iMac 24-inch (M3) review: Design

Same design as M1 model
Seven color choices
Peripherals still use Lightning cables

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The Apple iMac 24-inch (M3) keeps the same design as the M1 model from two years ago, and that’s both a good and bad thing. On the plus side, it remains an attractive and stylish all-in-one, and the 2021 redesign did a great job of updating the aesthetics to make it feel more modern.

This means thinner bezels around the screen, so less overall space is taken up, and the angular-yet-rounded corners bring to mind modern iPhones such as the iPhone 15 range. Thanks to the size and efficiency of the M3 chip (which uses the 3nm process, allowing for an incredibly small chip), the body behind the screen is impressively thin. There’s no chunky parts or big whirring fans that kick in when in use here, as with many other all-in-ones that have to balance a relatively compact form factor with making sure the components inside don’t overheat.

The only concession to the hardware included in the iMac is with the thicker bottom bezel, which is where the bulk of the components are placed.

The 24-inch screen is again the same as the last model: it has a 4.5K Retina resolution which supports the P3 wide color gamut and over a billion colors, and 500 nits of brightness. It also features a 1080p FaceTime camera and 'studio-quality' microphones, plus a six-speaker setup for spatial audio. The screen is held by a base and arm that feel sturdy but allow it to be easily tilted and positioned.

Perhaps the best thing about the 2021 redesign also returns: the varied colors in which you can buy the iMac. You have a choice of seven: green, pink, blue, silver, yellow, orange and purple, and the cables and accessories that come with the iMac reflect the color you choose. However, bear in mind that only the first four of those colors are available on the base-level model.

It was lovely seeing Apple bring a bit of color back to its Macs, serving as a nod to its past with the colorful iMac G3, as well as a break with current style of PCs and laptops generally coming in variations of gray and black.

As with the previous model, the colors give it a sense of personality that other all-in-ones lack, but thanks to their muted, pastel, hues, they look stylish rather than childish. They’d fit into any modern home, office or studio without much issue. Apple sent TechRadar the iMac in pink, and it really looks lovely. The fact that the peripherals and braided cables also come in the same color is a great touch that has been carried over from the 2021 model.

With dimensions of 54.7 x 46.1 x 14.7cm (21.5 x 18.1 x 5.8-inches) and a weight of 4.48kg (9.75lbs), the Apple iMac 24-inch (M3) doesn’t take up much space on a desk, and is relatively easy to pick up and place where you need. Thanks to the all-in-one form factor, which combines the screen and computer in one connected device, it’s far less hassle to set up and move than a standard desktop PC which requires various cables and a separate monitor.

The included Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard (plus the Magic Trackpad if you pay extra), are wireless, again minimising the clutter on your desk, and come charged and paired with the iMac, so you can take them out and start using them straight away. It’s a nice bit of Apple’s ‘it just works’ philosophy, and while it might not sound like a big deal, some Windows-based all-in-ones come with peripherals which need to be initially paired or charged, which makes the setup process less simple.

However, as I said, by sticking with the same design as the 2021 model, there are some frustrations as well, and it’s perhaps most apparent with the peripherals. When rumors of a new iMac started swirling, many people (myself included) had hoped that Apple would use this new model as an excuse to give the peripherals a design tweak.

This is mainly because they still use a USB to Lightning connection, which feels out of place considering that Apple has finally (and begrudgingly) swapped its proprietary Lightning port in its new iPhone 15 range for the much more widely-used USB-C. Back when iPhones (and other Apple devices) still used Lightning, it sort of made sense for the iMac peripherals to use it as well, as it meant you could use an iPhone charger to charge the peripherals – and vice versa. However, there will become a time when that’s no longer possible, and with pretty much every wireless mouse or wireless keyboard coming with USB-C ports, the fact Apple didn’t include them with the Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard feels like a wasted opportunity – and a rather dated decision.

What’s more frustrating, in my opinion at least, is that this also means that the charging port of the Magic Mouse remains on the bottom of the mouse. Apple’s argument is that by having it there, rather than on the front or back of the mouse, like pretty much every other wireless mouse in existence, it has a sleeker design. However, the downside is that when you need to charge the mouse, you simply cannot use it due to the wire sticking out of the bottom.

It’s a baffling design decision from a company that usually nails the form and function of its devices, and the fact that Apple still clings on to this choice is even stranger, and feels a bit like stubbornness. Sometimes you do something in a different way from everyone else because you’re innovating – but other times it’s because you’re wrong.

The lack of a new design means that you’re stuck with 24 inches, which will be a blow to people hoping to finally see an Apple silicon-powered 27-inch iMac. Also, 24 inches no longer feels like a particularly large screen size, especially for creatives looking for a device to work on their footage and images.

Of course, you can plug in a larger external USB-C monitor, but that kind of defeats the point of having an all-in-one device.

The front of the iMac is free from buttons and ports, and on the back you get the power button, along with two Thunderbolt USB 4 ports on the base model. If you go for a more expensive model, you also get two additional USB 3 ports next to the others. This can lead to a bit of confusion, as all four ports use the USB-C interface, but two of them are slower, maxing out at 10Gb/s, rather than 40Gb/s of the USB 4 ports.

The two faster ports are identified by a small lightning bolt icon above them, but because the ports are at the back of the screen, and are the exact same shape, it makes it very hard to distinguish between them. For peripherals this won’t be an issue – they’ll work the same – but if you plug in a storage device, such as an external SSD, you’ll see a big impact on file transfer speeds depending on which port you plug it into.

Overall, then, the design of the Apple iMac 24-inch (M3) provides a welcome return of a stylish redesign, along with a less welcome return of some less successful design decisions.

Design score: 4/ 5

Apple iMac 24-inch (M3) review: Performance

Here's how the Apple iMac 24-inch (M3) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Wildlife Extreme: 7,993
GeekBench 6: 3,010 (single-core); 12,039 (multi-core)
Cinebench R23: 1,897 (single-core); 9,943 (multi-core)
Cinebench R24: 140 (single-core); 651 (multi-core)
Handbrake 1.6: 44fps
Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm: 39fps

New M3 chip is big step up from M1

The new iMac 24-inch launched alongside new MacBook Pros showcasing Apple’s latest M3 series of chips, and while the all-in-one doesn’t come with the more powerful M3 Pro and M3 Max variants, which are currently exclusive to the new MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3) and MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) models, those two higher-end chips are going to be overkill for most regular users.

The base M3 chip is still a significant upgrade over the previous iMac’s M1 chip (Apple didn’t release an M2 version of its all-in-one), and an even bigger leap over the Intel processors found in older iMacs. That makes the new iMac a far more justifiable upgrade than the two new MacBook Pros, which are replacing M2 Pro and M2 Max versions that launched only 10 months ago.

Apple claims that the M3 chip is up to 35% faster than the Apple M1 chip, and you can configure the new iMac with up to 24GB of unified memory – whereas the M1 model maxed out at 16GB. For multitasking and more intensive workloads, this is going to be very welcome.

The base iMac (M3) comes with an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, compared to the 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU of the base M1 model, and you can also upgrade the M3 to have an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU (whereas the M1 model could only be upgraded to an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU).

The model Apple sent in for us to review is the highest-end version, with the 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU M3 and 24GB memory, plus 2TB of storage, so the kind of performance I experienced with it during my time using and reviewing the new iMac may not quite match yours if you go for a more affordable model (though the difference shouldn’t be that extreme).

When it comes to our benchmark tests, Apple’s claims about the M3’s impressive performance certainly hold up. In the Cinebench R23 CPU tests, which look at how well the chip’s processor performs, the new iMac with M3 scored 1,897 in single core tests, and 9,796 in multicore tests. This is a big leap over the iMac with M1’s scores, which hit 1,489 and 7,754 respectively in the same tests.

In Geekbench 5, which again puts the CPU part of the chip to the test, the new iMac scored 2,284 in single-core tests, and 10,716 in multi-core tests, compared to the previous iMac’s scores of 1,725 and 7,650.

These scores show a clear leap in CPU performance, and while the M1 iMac was no slouch when it first launched, I was immediately impressed with how fast and fluid the new M3 iMac felt when using macOS Sonoma. Even with multiple open Chrome tabs and numerous apps running, the iMac 24-inch (M3) was ultra-smooth in use.

Interestingly, the single-core scores for the M3 in both Cinebench R23 and Geekbench 5 actually beat those for the M1 Max, which was once the flagship chip from Apple. While the M1 Max overtook the M3 in multi-core tests, due to having more cores, this is a great example of how quickly Apple silicon is evolving, and while the new iMac doesn’t have M3 Pro or M3 Max configurations, it’s a formidable performer, and few – if any – all-in-one PCs can match it.

When it comes to graphics performance, the M3 (which is what’s known as a System on Chip, and which features a CPU, GPU and memory all on the same chip) also impresses. At the launch event, Apple made a big deal about the new graphical prowess of the M3 family, with hardware-accelerated ray tracing now included – something even some dedicated gaming laptops lack.

There’s also Dynamic Caching that makes use of the fast unified memory included on the M3, and mesh shading for geometry processing in complex 3D scenes.

These improvements mean workflows are seriously sped up compared to the previous-generation iMac, as evidenced by our Handbrake video encoding tests, and for the first time ever, the iMac is also a viable gaming device.

Playing Lies of P, a graphically intensive game where timing is everything, the iMac with M3 scored on average 33fps (Frames Per Second) – an impressively playable experience. Shadow of the Tomb Raider also ran well at 36fps, and Total War: Warhammer III, which is quite CPU-intensive due to its complex battles featuring a multitude of units, scored 38.4fps.

While these scores aren’t going to make PC gamers with RTX 4090-equipped rigs consider switching, it’s an impressive result for a thin all-in-one PC with integrated graphics. The six-built in speakers get a good workout during games, and music via Apple Music and YouTube sounds fantastic, again impressive due to the thin design of the iMac 24-inch, which limits the kind of speakers you can include. Thanks to macOS Sonoma’s new Game Mode, the iMac also cleverly detects when you’re playing a game and ensures resources are allocated to keep the game running smoothly, while lowering the latency of wireless peripherals such as the PS5 DualSense controller, or AirPods earphones.

One thing to note is that these results were for games running at 1080p. They looked fantastic on the iMac’s screen, but they don’t make use of its native resolution of 4.5K (4,480 x 2,520). At that resolution, the M3’s GPU really struggles. Shadow of the Tomb Raider, for example, drops to just 6fps at native resolution – making it resemble a slideshow more than a game.

Despite not coming with the high-end M3 Pro or M3 Ultra, the iMac 24-inch (M3) is an excellent performer, outclassing any Windows-based all-in-one at this price point, and represents a very good leap over the previous M1 model as well. Thanks to the efficiency of the M3 chip, along with a clever thermal solution, I didn’t notice any performance throttling while using it, even when testing out 4K video editing in Adobe Premier Pro, and the fans didn’t kick in either, so the iMac was essentially silent in use as well.

Design score: 4.5/ 5

Apple iMac 24-inch (M3): Specs

Should you buy the Apple iMac 24-inch (M3)?

Buy it if...

You want the best all-in-one PC

Yet again, the iMac 24-inch (M3) proves that Apple leads the pack when it comes to all-in-one PCs.

You have limited space

The thin design and modest screen size means the iMac 24-inch (M3) can be easily set up in almost any room in a home or office.

You enjoy the occasional game

The graphical advancements of the M3 chip, along with macOS Sonoma’s Game Mode, means that playing games on the iMac isn’t just possible – it’s enjoyable as well.

Don't buy it if...

You want a big screen

The 24-inch screen makes the new iMac easy to carry and place, but if you want more screen real estate, you should look elsewhere.

You want high-end Apple silicon

The lack of M3 Pro or M3 Max options means you’ll need to get a new MacBook for the ultimate performance from this generation of Apple silicon.

You’re a hardcore gamer

The new iMac is an exciting step forward for the viability of gaming on Macs, but don’t go thinking this will give the likes of Alienware or Razer a run for their money.

How I tested the iMac 24-inch (M3)

Spent several days testing and using the iMac
Ran our suite of benchmark tests
Played several games

As soon as the iMac 24-inch landed in the office, I set it up and began testing. This involved using it for day-to-day tasks, such as writing up articles in Google Docs and sending emails, as well as browsing the web in both Chrome and Safari (with multiple tabs open).

I also played several games, including Lies of P and Total War: Warhammer III to test out Apple’s claims about the M3 chip’s gaming performance. With the help of my colleague John Loeffler, we ran our usual suite of benchmarks over the weekend as well, so I could get a full idea of just how well the new iMac performs.

I’ve tested several iMacs in the past for TechRadar, including the previous model with the M1 chip, as well as the iMac Pro and 27-inch Intel-based iMacs, so I compared my experience of those devices, as well as many Windows-based all-in-one PCs, to inform this review.

First reviewed November 2023

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

5:00 pm |

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

Two-minute review

Spec Sheet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Price score: 4/5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Design score: 5/5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Display score: 4.5/5

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

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

Benchmarks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Performance score: 5/5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Battery life score: 4/5

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

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

First reviewed November 2023

Also consider...

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

Testing scorecard

How we test

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

For this review, I spent many hours with Apple's newest MacBook Pro and what it says is the most powerful silicon it has ever produced. I did my best to run it through a variety of tasks and played multiple games on it. I also ran a battery of benchmark tests to assess raw performance. We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained, regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

Read more about how we test

Obsbot Tiny 2 review: great features come at great cost

4:00 pm | November 1, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Peripherals & Accessories Webcams | Comments: Off

Obsbot Tiny 2: Two-minute review

If you want to see what a webcam of the future looks like, take a peek at the Obsbot Tiny 2. This webcam packs a serious punch, not just in performance but also – or more accurately, especially – in advanced features you won’t see elsewhere, making it the best webcam to buy right now.

If you have the money for it, that is.

But that’s how it's always worked, right? With great features comes an even greater price tag, and in the case of this aptly-named webcam (it really is tiny at just 47 x 44 x 62.02 mm), that means more than $300 / £250, which feels like a punch in the gut if you’re itching to get it.

At least your wallet can rest in peace knowing it wasn't “unalived” for nothing because you get a whole lotta bang for your buck here.

Obsbot Tiny 2 in use in author's home — (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

Even in its design, you can already tell that this is no ordinary webcam. Touting an elegant, lightweight and pocket-friendly design, the Obsbot Tiny 2 looks and feels solidly built and premium. Made of magnesium alloy that feels luxurious to the touch, it’s clear that Obsbot spared no expense in building it.

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Of course, being a premium piece of kit, you wouldn’t want to just toss this in your pocket or backpack, which is why Obsbot provides a robust case to protect it while you’re gallivanting around Asia or something. And you should protect it. After all, the camera is mounted on a gimbal, and you wouldn’t want anything heavy breaking it off the axis. That would then ruin the purpose of the whole webcam.

While it has a lot of features that most webcams on the market only wish they had, it’s got all the requisite ones too. A small light indicator up front lets you know which mode it’s in or if the gesture controls are working properly. There's a female tripod thread on the underside of the gimbal and a USB-C port for connecting the webcam to your PC or laptop.

Naturally, it comes with a mount for your monitor. The cool thing about this mount, however, is that it’s magnetic, so the webcam just snaps onto it in a fraction of a second for convenience. If you want a bit more versatility, you can get extra accessories like a tripod, a remote control, and even a mic – for an extra cost, of course.

Obsbot Webcam app — (Image credit: Obsbot )

Where the Obsbot Tiny 2 really shines is in its feature set, a list that is pretty long for a webcam. The coolest of those features is its Dynamic Gesture Control, which has apparently been improved from its previous version. There are three gestures currently available – I’m really hoping Obsbot will add more with the firmware update – which can trigger the camera’s zoom, dynamic zoom, and subject tracking. It’s very responsive and works incredibly well, although you might have to practice a little before you get those gestures down.

Speaking of subject tracking, the AI Tracking with Auto Zoom is also incredibly responsive and works smoothly, thanks in large part to that built-in gimbal.

Tiny 2 also comes with Voice Control, which has nine different commands, letting you do things like wake the webcam, put it to sleep, adjust zoom, turn subject tracking on and off, and switch from one reset position to another. This, too, works beautifully, and you need not raise your voice for the webcam to hear your commands.

These three features can be used without having to download the Obsbot Webcam app, but if you do fancy expanding the webcam’s features, installing the app will let you do exactly that. With it, you can do things like change modes, manually adjust the view, change the field of view, and play with the exposure settings.

Then there’s Beauty Mode, which allows you to apply retouching effects and beauty filters, enabling you to do things like smoothing your skin, brightening your eyes, and even changing your body shape. Now, I don’t advocate for drastically changing one’s appearance on screen and in photos, as that’s one of the reasons we get body image disorders, but, if you need to make some minor adjustments to look your best on camera, go for it. We all use filters; there’s no judgment.

Bear in mind, though, that you have to turn on the Virtual Camera setting in the Obsbot Webcam app and then select the 'virtual camera' option as your webcam in whatever video app you’re using for these beauty effects to reflect in your feed or footage. Plus, the app has to remain open for it to work.

Though its sensor and aperture aren’t quite as big as that on the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra, it does have a slightly bigger sensor than the Elgato Facecam Pro. On paper, that means it should offer a wider dynamic range than the latter as better noise handling.

Sadly, overblown highlights and dark shadows are not uncommon on the Obsbot Tiny 2 because its dynamic range is not quite as wide. Not that there are considerable details lost, especially if you’re in a well- and evenly-lit room, but it’s still worth mentioning in case you’re planning to set up somewhere with uneven lighting or where it’s really dark. If you want to recover some of the details lost or maybe have a more creative exposure, you can adjust that, plus contrast, saturation, sharpness, hue, and white balance on the app as well – but only to a degree.

In addition, its autofocus can sometimes be iffy. Most of the time, it’s reliable and responsive, but it has moments of sluggishness.

And since I’m on the subject, something is going on with the mic. During testing, there was no difference in volume, no matter how much I adjusted it. Plus, while I come out sounding audible, my voice does sound a little distorted and harsh. There’s also a lot of sibilance.

That said, there’s a lot to love about its performance. Again, its AI Tracking and Auto Zoom work smoothly and are very responsive. More importantly, the picture quality is fantastic, especially in 4K – it's sharp with fine grain or noise and good contrast. It also comes with what Obsbot calls PixGain HDR, which captures two images in the two native ISOs separately but simultaneously, then combines them to reduce motion blur, resulting in crisper picture quality.

Overall, you’re still getting great footage with this webcam – more than good enough for your business meetings or streaming content. That's especially true with its suite of extra features that help you have more professional-looking videos.

Obsbot Tiny 2: Price & availability

How much does it cost? $329 / £269 / AU$519
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, the UK, and Australia

At $329 / £269 / AU$519, the Obsbot Tiny 2 is expensive. How expensive exactly? It’s more expensive than the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra, which outside of the Tiny 2 is the best webcam on the market if money is no object. It’s more expensive than the Elgato Facecam Pro, a premium option known for being the world’s first webcam that shoots in 4K at 60fps.

The Tiny 2 is outmatched by these two in dynamic range, autofocus, and, in the case of the Facecam Pro, 4K frame rate. However, it’s superior in terms of smart features. The question is, which aspects of a webcam are more important to you? And, is it worth that sizable hole in your wallet if it’s the latter?

Personally, I would say no, based on my daily webcam usage. But, if I had deeper pockets, I would probably buy it just to get all those wonderful features.

Value: 3.5 / 5

Obsbot Tiny 2: Specs

Should you buy the Obsbot Tiny 2?

Buy it if...

You have more money than you know what to do with

The Obsbot Tiny 2 is expensive, even for a premium webcam. If you have the money, though, you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck.

You want to look best during business meetings

Want to look your best during client meetings, board presentations, and other business-related video calls? This will make that effortless.

You’re a streamer or a content creator making bank

Streamers and content creators who can make the most of this webcam’s features will get their money’s worth.

Don't buy it if...

You just want a regular webcam for work or personal use

This might be overkill if all you really need is an ordinary webcam so you can show your face and be heard during video meetings at work or calls with loved ones.

You’re kinda, sorta broke

If your budget is under $100 / £100, forget about it.

Obsbot Tiny 2: Also consider

How I tested the Obsbot Tiny 2

I spent a couple of weeks testing the Tiny 2
I used the webcam for my daily work meetings
I tested its general performance as well as its special features

Spending at least two weeks with the Obsbot Tiny 2, I used it as my main webcam for daily work video calls, testing its picture quality and slew of extra features during those calls to see how well they worked.

Of course, I also spent some time experimenting with those features, using the Obsbot Webcam app to play around with the gimbal as well as the camera's exposure and the beauty filters.

I’ve been reviewing webcams for TechRadar for a few months now. However, prior to this, I tested and reviewed a lot of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, giving me extensive experience in cameras. I’m also a film and digital photographer.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2023

Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming OC review: great performance for the price

11:58 pm | October 31, 2023

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

Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming OC: Two-minute review

The Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming OC is the best version of a difficult card to recommend generally, but it goes a good way towards ameliorating the biggest issue I had with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT: its price.

The Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming OC is available for $439.99 (about £360/AU$695), which is only $10 less than AMD's official MSRP for the RX 7700 XT, so it's not the biggest savings here, but it does make this card at least somewhat more competitively priced with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti, which comes in at $399.99 (about £320/AU$630).

However, it's not just a price cut off the reference MSRP from AMD that makes the Gigabyte RX 7700 XT card a good bargain. You also get some extra perks over AMD's reference specs to make it more enticing as well, making it one of the best graphics card options for midrange gamers on a tighter budget.

A Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming OC on a desk — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Starting with the design, you get a triple-fan design that definitely helps thermal performance, which isn't egregious on the RX 7700 XT to begin with. There is no reference card for the RX 7700 XT, mind you, but given that the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT does have a reference card that sports a dual-fan design, you do get something over the higher-tier AMD card.

That's not nothing, and the card itself isn't so long that it can't fit inside a typical midtower PC case. The RX 7700 XT does require a good bit more power than the RTX 4060 Ti (245W to the 4060 Ti's 160W), so it needs two 8-pin power connectors to run it. On the other hand, it doesn't require a 16-pin power cable like the rest of Nvidia's reference RTX 4000-series cards.

The Gigabyte card also lacks any real RGB lighting beyond the Gigabyte logo along the top edge of the card, which is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your perspective, but it's good to have options regardless. Non-RGB fans will appreciate the more subdued aesthetics of this GPU for sure.

In terms of ports, you have your standard 2 x HDMI 2.1 and 2 x DisplayPort 2.1 output on most AMD RX 7000-series cards, so you can hook it up to several of the best gaming monitors of your choosing.

Performance-wise, you can read more about the individual benchmarks in my RX 7700 XT review, and for the most part, the Gigabyte RX 7700 XT Gaming OC card performs a few percentage points better than the XFX Speedster QICK319 RX 7700 XT Black card given that it has about 100MHz higher game clock and a roughly 55MHz faster boost clock.

The difference is only going to be a few fps depending on the game you're playing, but given the Gigabyte card is cheaper, you're really getting extra FPS for less money, which is a fantastic deal no matter how you look at it.

In the end, then, the Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming OC makes a strong case for the RX 7700 XT, especially if spending north of $400 is really stretching your budget to the max. My original criticism that the RX 7700 XT is just too close in price to the AMD RX 7800 XT to make it the best 1440p graphics card to buy still applies to this card, but Gigabyte at least offers more than a non-OC card at a better price to make it a much more palatable purchase if you can't go for the RX 7800 XT.

Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming OC: Price & availability

How much does it cost? $439.99 (about £360/AU$640)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

The Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming OC is available now for $439.99 (about £360/AU$695). This is cheaper even than the AMD reference spec's MSRP of $449.99, and offers a better value by giving you some extra performance thanks to its factory overclocking.

It also brings you closer in price to the Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti while generally outperforming it. All in all, this is still too expensive to be the best cheap graphics card on the market, but it's definitely the best cheap midrange graphics card you're going to find.

Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming OC: Specs

Should you buy the Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming OC?

Buy it if...

You want great 1440p performance on a tighter budget
This card offers great 1440p performance for the price, especially if you can't stretch your budget to the RX 7800 XT.

You want some extra overclocked performance for free
Normally, OC cards cost more than the reference card, but this one actually costs less than AMD's official MSRP.

Don't buy it if...

You can stretch your budget to get the AMD RX 7800 XT
With the AMD RX 7800 XT offering such incredible performance, if you can stretch your budget to get that card (especially the Gigabyte Radeon RX 7800 XT Gaming OC), you absolutely should.

You want better content creation performance
If you're a content creator working with 3D rendering or other GPU intensive creative workloads, chances are an Nvidia card is going to offer much better performance than anything AMD can offer.

Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming OC: Also consider

How I tested the Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming OC

I spent about three weeks with the Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming OC
I used it to play games, produce and edit creative content, and more
I used our standard battery of benchmarking tools to test it

I spent about three weeks with the Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming OC, running my standard suite of benchmarks as well as assessing its general performance in real-world use cases.

I paid special attention to its gaming performance, since this is specifically targeting gamers, and paid less attention to its content creation performance since non-Radeon Pro cards are generally not marketed for those purposes.

I've been a computer hardware reviewer for years now and have tested all the latest graphics cards of the past several generations as well as having nearly a decade of computer science education, so I know my way around this kind of hardware. What's more, as a lifelong gamer, I know what to expect from a graphics card at this price point in terms of gaming performance.

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

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2023

HP Dragonfly G4 review: the perfect travel laptop for professionals

4:00 pm | October 29, 2023

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

HP Dragonfly G4: One-minute review

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

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

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

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

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

HP Dragonfly G4: Price & availability

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

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

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

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

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

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

Price score: 3.5 / 5

HP Dragonfly G4: Specs

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

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

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

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

HP Dragonfly G4: Design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Design score: 5 / 5

HP Dragonfly G4: Performance

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

HP Dragonfly G4: Laptop benchmarks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

HP Dragonfly G4: Battery

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

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

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

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

Battery score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the HP Dragonfly G4?

Buy it if...

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

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

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

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

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a budget

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

HP Dragonfly G4: Also consider

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

How I tested the HP Dragonfly G4

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

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

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

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

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2023

Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT review: Lots of cat-itude, but don’t turn up the mew-sic just yet

6:00 pm | October 26, 2023

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

Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT: Two-minute review

Press paws on your Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT purr-chase for now. I get why that may seem hard; this pair of gaming headset is adorable and completely irresistible. And it also has its share of appealing features outside of its feline design, many of which make it a great option for gaming while on the go.

However, it may not be for you if you’re more discerning about audio quality.

Don’t get me wrong here; I can get a bit snobby when it comes to audio quality myself, and despite its performance shortcomings, which I will get to later in this review, I also don’t mind this gaming headset. I probably wouldn’t call it one of the best PC gaming headsets I’ve tested, but it has its merits – the big one of which is convenience. And, I am an absolute sucker for all things pink and all things cat.

So I wouldn’t knock it just yet just because you’re used to great-sounding audio devices. Instead, read this review first before hitting buy.

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Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT on a Moroccan poof — (Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

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Design-wise, of course, the Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT is winning. Who among us doesn’t love cats, after all? (If you hate cats, you’re a monster, and I don’t want to be friends!) And that pink-and-gray colorway (or as Razer calls it, Quartz) is just the thing if you want to veer away from that black aesthetic that seems to dominate the gaming world. Adding to its appeal are customizable RGB lighting zones on the cat ears and the earcups.

This wireless gaming headset isn’t all looks either. The headset itself feels solid and made of quality materials, with a textured finish on the headband, yokes, and parts of the earcups that ensure minimal scratches as well as plush cushioning for the earpads and the underside of the headband for comfort.

Being a lower mid-range gaming headset, there are noticeable signs of corners being cut here. While the earcups themselves can be tilted up and down, the yokes don’t have any articulation, slightly affecting comfort. And the leatherette used is neither the softest nor the most breathable. The latter doesn’t bother me much, but the former can feel like an inconvenience in some instances – like when I need to free one ear by moving the earcup off to the side.

While great for gaming on your desktop PC, the Kraken Kitty V2 BT is really designed more for gaming and media consumption on the go – whether that’s on your laptop (you don’t have to use any of your precious ports), your portable gaming console like the Nintendo Switch, or your smartphone. It only has Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity and a built-in, not boom, mic, is fairly lightweight especially considering it’s got two kitty ears attached to it, and comes with uncomplicated physical controls.

When I say uncomplicated, I mean it’s only got a multi-function button that acts as the power, Bluetooth pairing, media, and call buttons, and the volume dial. You just have to remember the presses and holds for every function. Luckily, it’s all very intuitive – single press for play/pause and accept/end call; double press to skip a track; triple press for the previous track; etc – that you’ll have it all memorized after a couple of uses.

I only wish Razer also added a way to customize the RGB lighting on-the-fly. It only allows you to do so by connecting it to your smartphone and to the Razer Audio mobile app, and personalizing it from there. The mobile app, by the way, also gives you access to a 10-band EQ, five different sound presets, and toggling Gaming Mode for low latency audio.

Really, the only reasons why you’d think it’s not for on-the-go use are the fact that it’s not foldable and the absence of a travel pouch. These omissions are a tad purr-plexing given that Razer has positioned this as more of a headset to be used everywhere than an actual gaming headset to be used at home.

Don’t expect high-quality audio on the Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT. That isn’t to say that it sounds bad, because it doesn’t. And it’s got a bright sound profile that I think a lot of people would appreciate.

At the same time, the high end is not very crisp and the mids are not very prominent, resulting in audio that is not very rich and at times piercing to the ears. That’s whether I’m playing Hogwarts Legacy on my PC, playing Cooking Madness on my phone, or listening to my favorite tunes. The low end is also underwhelming, even when you switch to Razer’s Enhanced Bass sound profile.

The issue that bothers me most of all, however, is the clipping. When there are spikes in volume in the audio, even when the headset volume itself is not all the way up, I hear a popping sound. There’s definitely digital distortion happening that might be possibly related to the headset not having a lot of headroom.

The integrated beamforming mics are less-than purr-fect either. They have no issues with plosives or sibilance, and you will come through loud and audible. However, you’ll also sound a little distorted and not crisp. Plus, there’s no background noise rejection – friends could hear me typing, snapping my fingers, or playing music when I’m chatting with them.

At least, the battery life is decent. It’s not the longest I’ve seen, but you are getting up to 40 hours of playtime, especially if you turn off that bright RGB lighting.

Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT: Price & availability

How much does it cost? $99.99 / £99.99 (about AU$190)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

I wouldn’t call the Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT a pricey gaming headset. One of the best wireless gaming headsets out there, especially in terms of design, it sits nicely in the mid-range market at $99.99 / £99.99 (about AU$190). However, I also expected it to have better audio performance at that price.

If you want a more elevated listening experience, I’d go for the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) if you can spend a little more. It’s got lots of volume, an immersive sound, an amazing mic, and even better battery life. For only a bit more than the Kraken Kitty V2 BT, the Logitech G733 Lightspeed Wireless RGB will deliver a more elevated sound.

Value: 3.5 / 5

Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT: Specs

Should you buy the Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT?

Buy it if...

You love fun gaming peripherals to spruce up your setup
There’s no doubt that the Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT is like catnip to gamers who prefer fun gaming accessories with its kitty ears and its pink design.

You want a gaming headset you can take anywhere
Razer had portability in mind when designing this gaming headset, with its Bluetooth connectivity, multi-function button, light weight, and more.

Don't buy it if...

You need better audio quality
This doesn’t sound bad, but if you’re a more discerning listener, you’ll find a lot of flaws in its audio and mic performance.

Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT: Also consider

How I tested the Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT

I tested the Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT for a week
I used it with my PC, my iPhone, and my laptop
I used it for gaming and for listening to music

Testing the Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT for a full week, I used it as my main gaming headset when playing different titles on my desktop PC and on my smartphone. I also used it to listen to music on my laptop and again, on my phone, as well as make phone calls with friends. I also made sure to test its features, including its multi-function button and its battery life.

I’ve been testing, reviewing, and using gaming headsets for years as a freelance tech journalist and now as one of the Computing editors at TechRadar. My years of experience along with my discerning audio tastes make me more than qualified to test and vet these devices for you.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2023

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

6:00 pm | October 24, 2023

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

Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe: two-minute review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe: Price

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

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

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

Value: 5 / 5

Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe: Specs

Should you buy the Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe?

Buy it if...

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

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

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

Don't buy it if...

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

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

Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe: Also consider

How I tested the Timbuk2 Division Laptop Backpack Deluxe

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

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

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

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

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2023

First reviewed July 2023

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