Lenovo is a well-known brand in the world of professional business computing. They make phenomenal computers of all shapes, sizes, budgets, and performance. The ThinkStation P3 Ultra targets design, engineering, and video editing professionals who need high-powered machines capable of some serious computing power.
The ThinkStation P3 Ultra is on the higher end of Lenovo Workstations, and can be spec'd up to a 14th Gen i9, Windows 11 Pro for Business, NVIDIA RTX A5500, up to 128 GB RAM, up to 4TB of storage, and even an M.2 RAID. This can be a pretty hefty computer with a pretty hefty price tag. But how does it compare to the best workstations we've reviewed? We put the ThinkStation P3 Ultra to the test.
Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra: Price and Availability
Since there are so many upgrades available to the ThinkStation P3 Ultra, there are even more possible price tags thanks to the different possible combinations of these upgrades. However, what is easy to state is that the starting price for all base features is $934.45 at the time of writing this article, and the price, of course, climbs from there. The highest-end model can reach nearly $5,000. Compared to similar PCs, there is some competitive pricing for some of the features.
The Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra is available in multiple regions, such as the US and the UK. For more information on whether this computer is available for you, the best place to start looking is on Lenovo's website. However, it is available on multiple other retailers as well.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra: Unboxing and First Impressions
Unboxing the Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra was about like unboxing any other Lenovo computer. The box is simple and contains the workstation, a power cable, an adapter for Wi-Fi, and setup guides. Right away, I could tell this machine meant power, partly due to the abundance of DisplayPorts in the back and partially because it looked beefy, like every square millimeter of space packed with power on the inside. The compact nature was immediately noticeable, yet it does not feel compact when using it; instead, it feels quite expansive, powerful, and like a supercar at the start of an open highway.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra: Design and Build Quality
As expected for a high-end workstation, the Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra has excellent build quality. It seems durable -- though I don't feel any desire to push this to the limit due to the cost of this machine -- it feels like it cools pretty easily, the machine is relatively quiet even when under heavy loads, and it has easy to access ports, without any being hidden, or in dumb spots, as some compact units choose to do to save space. However, one thing that I did notice that I did not love was the absence of Thunderbolt ports at the back of the unit. There are two in the front, which is helpful, especially for large file transfers, but none in the back.
As someone who loves and gets to utilize some of the best Thunderbolt Docks on the market, I am pretty bummed none of mine will reach full potential unless the Thunderbolt cable is plugged into the front of the unit. Additionally, if I had a Thunderbolt or even a USB-C display I wanted to use, I would have to also run a DisplayPort cable up to my monitor of choice. But, especially with the newest Apple Computers releasing Thunderbolt 5, having the Thunderbolt 4 ports on the front of the machine will help with data transfer, and that's probably why they are there in the first place.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra: In use
Specs
CPU: Intel 13th-gen Core (up to i9) or Xeon GPU: NVIDIA RTX A2000 to A5000 options RAM: Up to 64GB DDR5 ECC memory Storage: Up to 4TB SSD Ports: USB-C, USB-A, Ethernet, HDMI, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt OS: Windows 11 Pro
The Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra is not the computer you would get to run a few Chrome (or any other browser) Tabs. It's different from one you would use for essential business or admin work. This is the kind of machine you get when you have advanced 3D rendering jobs, CAD projects, or even video editing that need to be done. During my testing, I pushed the RAM and GPU by exporting four lines of 4k footage through DaVinci Resolve, and it sliced through it like butter. I also used this to finish some CAD projects I had started for some 3D printing projects I am working on (for more, see our round-up of the best 3D printers). I found the workstation was able to render incredibly fast, and it sliced the .stl so I could send it to my 3D printer super quick, too.
I will be the first to admit I am a heavy and intense computer user, but at the same time, I am nowhere near the most powerful user there is. I wouldn't need this kind of power in my day-to-day, but it is very nice to have. This powerhouse would be helpful for professional video editors, those who use CAD for 3D renderings, and even some intense coders or programmers.
For the raw power that this computer can output, even when under heavy load, it remains pretty quiet. And, when it's not maxing out its cores, it's pretty quiet and could sit out on your desk without needing to be tucked away due to loud fans.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra: Final verdict
Overall, The ThinkStation P3 Ultra from Lenovo is an excellent choice for those who prioritize power and want a compact form factor. Granted, there are some limitations in ports when it comes to Thunderbolt placement and lack of HDMI, but even with that being the case, this computer is still highly versatile and incredibly powerful for those who need a powerful compact desktop.
This generation of processors has been a mixed bag at best (and disappointing at worst), so it makes sense that Team Red would go all out to ensure the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D delivered something that exceeded expectations.
In that regard, the 9800X3D is a smashing success, delivering substantially better gaming performance than the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D that it replaces, though at a slightly higher $479 / £449.99 (about AU$700) price point. For gamers though, most will happily pay a bit more for a roughly 15% increase in gaming performance on average.
The chip isn't without faults, though. It isn't the absolute best processor for gaming in terms of framerates (that title belongs to the Intel Core i9-14900K over several games, averaged out), but where the last-gen Intel flagship simply threw raw wattage to get to the top, AMD's latest gaming processor uses substantially less power to come within 6% of the 14900K's overall gaming performance, a difference that is so close to being within the margin of variance and test setups that if I reran all my tests next week, the 9800X3D might beat it outright.
But, honestly, it doesn't need to do that. Intel's 14900K is overkill for anyone not running creative workloads like video editing, and the power cost is simply too high to justify getting an extra 6% overall gaming performance in synthetic tests. The Ryzen 9800X3D, meanwhile, will get you effectively identical actual performance and at a lower cost, both in MSRP terms, but also reduced power consumption and indirect savings like not needing to shell out for a 360mm AIO cooler to get the most out of the chip.
For that, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is indisputably the best processor for gaming you can buy right now, and it cements 3D V-Cache as the second most impressive innovation for gaming hardware after AI upscaling and it's something that Intel just doesn't have an answer for it.
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D: Price & availability
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
How much is it? Its MSRP is $479 / £449.99 (about AU$700)
When is it out? It went on sale November 7, 2024
Where can you get it? You can get it in the US, UK, and Australia
The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is available now in the US, UK, and Australia for $479 / £449.99 / AU$799, respectively.
This is a bump up from the price of the Ryzen 7 7800X3D it replaces, which launched at $449 / £439 / AU$779. I would have loved to see the price remain the same, of course, but the last-gen chip wasn't exactly a cheap processor to begin with, and both chips are very much targeted at an enthusiast market where the price bump here isn't exactly going to be a dealbreaker—so long as the performance increase justifies the bump in price.
In terms of Intel's competing offerings right now, on the performance side, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (and Intel Core i9-14900K, for that matter) is $110 / £100 / AU$300 more expensive to get the same kind of gaming performance. As for in-class silicon, the 9800X3D is about 15-20% more expensive than the competing Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, and is roughly 33% more expensive than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X.
Essentially, the 9800X3D is a specialist chip for gamers, and while it isn't a performance slouch, at this price it's really only for PC gamers who want the best overall gaming processor and don't much care about stellar performance elsewhere. For those who need more than just a gaming chip, other options from AMD and Intel will be a better fit for the price.
Value: 3.5 / 5
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D: Specs
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D: Features & chipset
(Image credit: AMD)
The fundamental specs of the 9800X3D aren't much different from the 7800X3D. They both sport the same 8-core/16-thread setup as the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, but like the 7800X3D, the 9800X3D has an additional 64MB L3 cache while the Ryzen 7 9700X only has 32MB L3 cache.
This 3D V-Cache in the Ryzen 7 9800X3D has been redesigned from the previous two generations of AMD X3D chips. This second-generation 3D V-Cache, as AMD calls it, fundamentally changes how the 3D V-Cache die interfaces with the main processing die, which addresses some of the main complaints of the previous two generations of X3D chips.
In the first iteration of 3D V-Cache, the extra cache die was stacked on top of the main processing cores, but with 2nd-generation V-Cache, the extra cache die is underneath the main die, leaving the main processing cores free to directly interface with the CPU cooler.
This is a big deal, since the processing cores are where all the heat is being generated, so having an extra layer of silicon between it and the CPU cooler had a lot of implications for what the chip could do. Thermals had to be carefully managed, so clock speeds had to be kept in check and there was no ability to overclock the chip.
By moving the 3D V-Cache die underneath the main processor core complex, the thermal restraints around clock speeds and voltage no longer apply, so the 9800X3D is the first 3D V-cache chip to feature full overclocking support, allowing precise voltage controls at the same voltage limits as the rest of the Ryzen 9000-series lineup.
Compared to the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, then, the 9800X3D benefits from noticeably faster base clock and boost clock speeds out of the box, and overclockers can now tinker with their CPUs without too much concern that they'll brick the chip (though with overclocking, that is always possible and can void your warranty, so use caution).
Beyond that, the only major change from the previous generation is faster DDR5 memory support, from 5200MHz with the 7800X3D to 5600MHz with the 9800X3D, though both chips support AMD EXPO memory overclocking for even faster memory speeds.
Features: 4 / 5
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D: Performance
At the end of the day though, all that fancy new tech wouldn't amount to much if the chip's performance didn't deliver, and thankfully, it does - though not universally.
In the synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D showed very strong single-core performance on par with the rest of the Ryzen 9000-series lineup. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D, meanwhile, lags behind its Ryzen 7000 siblings noticeably, owing to the need to control thermals by limiting clock speeds. The Ryzen 9800X3D does not have this problem. Likewise, its multi-core performance is also unconstrained, running ahead of the Ryzen 7 9700X across the board.
On the creative front, this is generally not going to be a chip for creatives to concern themselves with - though there is one exception. If you're a photographer or graphic designer who does a lot of work in Adobe Photoshop or its alternatives, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D's extra cache is going to be a serious benefit for your workflows, beating out even the Intel Core i9-14900K in PugetBench for Adobe Photoshop be a few hundred points.
Everyone else though, this chip is not going to do much for you.
On the gaming side, this is where the 9800X3D really shows off, though there's a bit of a caveat to that. In games where the main CPU bottleneck is game logic, such as Total War: Warhammer III or Civilization VI, the extra 3D V-Cache isn't necessarily going to help your game performance. In that instance, you're going to want something with the fastest clocks possible to plow through all those AI decision trees or physics calculations before a game frame is even drawn.
As such, Intel's last-gen (and even current-gen) chips have an advantage in some games like Returnal (where complex bullet and geometry physics are the main CPU workload) or Total War: Warhammer III (where a lot of individual actors need to have their logic calculated quickly) because these gaming workloads benefit from faster clock speeds.
Where 3D V-Cache really benefits gaming is when there's data being communicated from the CPU to the GPU, like texture files or model geometry, and that additional cache memory can retain these smaller-but-not-tiny files in the fastest possible memory that can hold it. This mitigates the latency introduced when drawing a new game frame when the CPU has to go back to RAM to fetch a file because it didn't already have it in its much closer cache memory.
Games like F1 2023 and Tiny Tina's Wonderland benefited mightily from the extra available cache. In the case of the former, the Ryzen 9800X3D just wallops the Intel Core i9-14900K, and in the case of the latter, runs a very close second to it.
Taken all together, the Intel Core has a slight advantage just given the mix of games I used to test these chips, but for most gamers, the odds are good that the thing you're going to be looking for is a processor that works with your graphics card the best most of the time, and in this case, that'll be the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.
Overall, then, with performance that comes in neck-and-neck with the best Intel processors in gaming workloads on average, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D would already be an incredible chip.
But I simply can't get over the fact that the 9800X3D can do this with just 53% of the power of the Core i9-14900K. Add to that the Ryzen 7 9800X3D's impressive single- and multi-core performance, surprisingly great Photoshop performance, and gen-on-gen performance gains at very little power or monetary cost, and the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is easily one of the best AMD processors ever made.
Performance: 5 / 5
Should you buy the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D?
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Buy the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D if...
On balance, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is as good a gaming processor as you'll ever need.
Unlike its predecessor, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D can keep up with its peer class in general performance as well, not just gaming.
Don't buy it if...
If you're looking for more of a general-purpose processor, this chip isn't really for you.
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D isn't cheap, and for those on a budget, there are good processors out there that will get the job done.View Deal
Also consider
The Intel Core i7-14700K is still my favorite processor for its incredible performance at an accessible price.
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X Graphics: ASUS ProArt RTX 4060Ti RAM: 32GB DDR5 5200 Storage: 2 x 1TB M.2 1 x 4TB IronWolf Rear Ports: 2 x USB 2.0, HDMI, BIOS Flashback button, USB 3.2 Gen 2, 3 of which are Type-A and 1 Type-C, Display Port, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DP, optical S/PDIF out port, 5 x audio jacks, HDMI 2.1a 3 DisplayPort 1.4a and HDCP Support. Top Ports: 3.5mm audio in, 3.5mm audio in-out, 2 x USB A and a USB Type-C Connectivity: Dual Band 1200Mbps, Realtek 2.5Gb Ethernet, Realtek 1Gb Ethernet Audio: Realtek 7.1 Surround Sound High Definition Audio Camera: N/A Size: 435 x 215 x 465mm OS installed: Windows 11 Pro Accessories: N/A
Stormforce Gaming is known for making high-end gaming machines. However, they also make some of the most stylish creative machines on the market, including the Stormforce Pro Creator 0601.
This machine is pitched as a workstation for creatives with the hardware and feature set that is perfectly tuned to what designers, illustrators, photographers and even videographers require from a machine. The system is based on an ASUS ProArt B650-Creator motherboard, which is complemented by a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 7700x CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060TI GPU. While this combination sounds incredibly high-end when it comes to power and abilities for a standard desktop, these specifications actually pitch the machine at the entry-level when it comes to professional creative use. I've reviewed plenty of the best video editing computers and best photo editing PCs, and this one of the top machines I've tested.
What's interesting here is that Stormforce has pulled on the company's years of experience with their high-powered gaming machines and adapted them to suit the needs of high-end enthusiasts and professional creatives. As such, this machine strikes a balance between performance and price and offers a core system that will enable you to get up and running with ample power and capacity to handle most jobs.
Then, as your demands on the machine grow for additional storage and other expansions, the machine can grow and adapt as needed. This is a full-sized powered workstation that has been designed to grow and adapt to you.
While the machine itself offers plenty of power from the outset, it's the look and design of the machine that initially stand out. The case from Fractal Design reflects the styling of modern creative spaces. While the casing is larger than your standard desktop machine, the style will make you want this computer on display with the wooden frontage, glass side panels, and matte black finish, not only being functional but also a real statement.
Meanwhile, Stormforce Pro Creator 0601 is powerful when it comes to professional workstations that power sit at the entry-level, with the option to upgrade all components easily around the motherboard. However, the CPU and GPU are powerful mid-range models, as are the RAM and internal SSDs, which will be more than enough for most pro users, with upgrades really only required to the system if you need to edit longer-length 4K and 8K RAW video. As it stands, however, this machine is outstanding at a price and for the features and future potential that it offers.
Stormforce Pro Creator 0601: Price & availability
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The Stormforce Pro Creator 0601 is available directly from Stormforce Gaming for £1999 - you can check out the full details by clicking here.
Price: 4/5
Stormforce Pro Creator 0601: Design & build
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Like almost all the best workstations tested here, the Stormforce Pro Creator 0601 is essentially designed for professional use or, at the very least, for high-end enthusiasts. Considering what you get for the price, it's extremely well-balanced. When it comes to the base design, it looks like a standard desktop, just a touch larger, which is due to the fact that it has been designed to house a large CPU and GPU, along with all the additional support that those components require. It also means that there's plenty of room for expansion and additional drives and, more importantly, enables lots of airflow around the machine to keep things cool when under load.
While the Stormforce Pro Creator 0601 is large, the company has been careful to balance style with functionality, and the choice of the Fractal Design North Mid Tower case is striking. The front of the machine features a wooden slatted design reminiscent of the style that is being adopted by many design studios installing soundproof walling panels.
Otherwise, when it comes to the design and function, the machine is nice and simple, with a few quick access ports along with the power button on the top and the rest of the ports and connectivity at the back.
If you want to gain access to the inside of the machine to install additional hardware or upgrade the existing, then the side panel is held in place by a few hand-tightened bolts, which are easily removed. Once done, the glass side panel that gives you a view of the inner workings can be removed, and the internals can be accessed. Again, the design is stylish and neat. Colourful LEDs are common in gaming machines, and again, here, there are a few lights. Still, it's all nicely understated and gives the machine an altogether more professional and stylish aesthetic.
Design: 5/5
Stormforce Pro Creator 0601: Features
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The Workstation is larger than your average desktop, so it is really more likely to be placed on the floor rather than on the desk, where it would dominate the surface. As such, the casing has been designed with a range of sockets on top, such as the 3.5mm audio in and out as separate sockets, two USB A and a USB Type-C, enabling you to plug in hard drives and other accessories easily and these all sit alongside the large gold power button.
On one side there's the glass tinted window so that you can see the layout of the inside of the machine's components; then, around the back, you have the full array of ports, including 2 x USB 2.0, HDMI, BIOS Flashback button, USB 3.2 Gen 2, 3 of which are Type-A and 1 Type-C, Display Port, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DP, optical S/PDIF out port, 5 x audio jacks, these are all from the motherboard. In addition to these ports there's also an HDMI 2.1a 3 DisplayPort 1.4a and HDCP Support which are intergrated into the GPU.
As this is a workstation, everything is easily accessible, so if you want to get into the inner workings to swap the SSDs, RAM or otherwise, all you need to do is unscrew the securing knobs, which can be done by hand, and the panel to access the inside can be removed. In our review sample, the machine arrived with 32GB of DDR5 RAM, which can be upgraded to 192 GB. There's also plenty of storage with 3 x M.2 slots and 4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports. As standard, there are 2 x 1TB drives and a 4TB IronWolf Pro, which is an ideal starting point. You then have the option to add more storage in the form of additional SATA drives.
The volume of accessibility options further reinforces the professional level of this machine; there's plenty more to add to the highlights. But at the core its the ASUS ProArt B650-Creator motherboard with AMD Ryzen 7 7700X AMD Wraith Optimised cooling, ASUS ProArt NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060Ti, 32GB DDR5 5200 RAM, 4TB IronWolf Pro SSD alongside two 1TB SSDs that give this machine the power needed for most types of creative use. Essentially, if you put together a no-fuss wish list for a high end entry-level creative machine, then this is it.
Features: 5/5
Stormforce Pro Creator 0601: Performance
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Benchmarks
Crystal Disk Read: 3653.70MB/s Crystal Disk Write: 2611.94MB/s GeekBench CPU Single: 2457 GeekBench CPU Multi: 13525 GeekBench Compute: 135702 PC Mark: 8087 CineBench CPU Multi: 17175 CineBench CPU Single: 1616 Fire Strike Overall: 29901 Fire Strike Graphics: 33701 Fire Strike Physics: 30592 Fire Strike Combined: 15909 Time Spy Overall: 13288 Time Spy Graphics: 13464 Time Spy CPU: 12374 Wild Life: 74864 Windows Experience: 8.9
Setup of the Stormforce Pro Creator 0601 is fast enough, and once unboxed and plugged in, it boots into the standard Windows 11 Pro setup process, and you can fly through the options and settings quickly. The Wi-Fi connection is fast, with the dual band wifi card, enabling fast connection to the local network and enabling the applications required for the test to be downloaded and installed quickly.
Starting a look at the benchmarks and the CrystalDiskMark scores of 3653.70MB/s read and 2611.94MB/s write show a mid-range performance for the SSD, enabling applications to open quickly and for Creative Cloud apps to access and write files to the drive at speed. While the drive is mid-range when it comes to speed, it's more than enough for most tasks, including working with Premiere Pro and reviewing footage prior to editing. Likewise, the speed at which edits are rendered and exported is fast, and for standard 4K and 8K video, the overall performance on this front is impressive.
Checking out the Geekbench scores and the single-core result shows excellent performance, this result is experienced with smooth, fluid brush strokes in Photoshop and scrubbing through footage in Premiere Pro. There are essentially no glitches, and the workflow is smooth and natural. Reinforcing the CrystalDiskMark scores the Multi-Core score from Geekbench again sees the speed of video renders in the timeline and exported from various apps. handled with ease. Finally, looking at the Compute scores from Geekbench and you can see the impact on applications as visual filters and effects are applied to footage, and again, these are handled well. The only time things do start to slow is when RAW footage is used and effects start to get layered, but again, this is just part of the process of waiting for the timeline to render properly.
Again, checking the results for Cinebench and 3D Mark further reinforces just how good this machine is for content creation across the board. Its level pitches it at designers, illustrators, and photographers, and in all those cases, this machine has all the power that you need, with the option to expand on the storage if and when you need. Likewise, videographers and content creators using DSLR and Camcorders to shoot standard 4 and 8K footage will be able to edit short-form video without issue; however, as you start to add effects or switch to RAW footage, you'll start to see the system slow a little as rendering takes place.
When it comes to gaming, Stormforce obviously makes gaming PCs. While this PC is aimed directly at the creative sector, it has the power and ability to handle most games with ease. Through the test, we played Hogwarts Legacy, Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption II, and all played smoothly using the standard settings. Many enabled the options to be pushed to enhance the graphics further.
Looking at the final results from the benchmark tests and the PC Mark and Windows experience scores, we see that the machine takes word processing, spreadsheets, and administrative work in its stride without breaking a sweat.
Performance: 4.5/5
Should you buy the Stormforce Pro Creator 0601?
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The Stormforce Pro Creator 0601 has been designed with creatives in mind, and with this machine, you can run any of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite of applications without issue. If you're a designer, illustrator, artist or photographer; you'll be able to get on with your work without issues or slow down from this machine. What Stormforce has done with this machine is perfectly balance quality components with the requirements of the intended user, as such, it doesn't go over the top processing power, graphics, RAM or storage; it just balances it at a point that is slightly above what most people will need and at a great price.
However, this is more than a machine that will just meet your business's demands for today; the ASUS ProArt B650-Creator motherboard is one of the best out there and utilises the latest technologies for speed as well as upgrade potential and expandability. Essentially, for most professionals, this machine will meet your needs directly from the box; if you do need an extra boost of power for higher-end video editing, then the RAM, storage and all other components can essentially be upgraded as far as your budget allows.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Buy it if...
It would help if you had creative power
Featuring the ASUS ProArt motherboard and Ryzen 7 7700X CPU, the Stormforce Pro Creator 0601 is perfect for artists, designers, and photographers needing strong processing and graphic performance with plenty of upgrade options.
Want a stylish design
The Fractal Design North Mid Tower case with the wooden front panel and tinted glass side provides a modern style and aesthetic, making it a perfect workstation choice for a studio or office.
Don't buy it if...
You prefer compact desktops
While it looks like a desktop, it is larger and better suited for floor placement and may feel intrusive on a smaller desk. If you need more workspace or a compact, minimalist setup, a smaller form factor might be a better fit.
You edit RAW video footage
Even then, this is a great starting point. It's just that on occasion, you will need to wait for some footage to render before making the edits and if you're just editing short-form video, It'll be fine; anything longer than five minutes with effects, and you'll want a power boost.
Firewalla’s new Gold Pro is one of the best firewalls money can buy. It vastly improves over the previous generation of firewalls, providing twice as much processing power and memory.
Specifications
CPU: Intel Quad-Core N97 at 3.4GHz
RAM: 8GB of DDR4 3200MHz
FLASH: 32GB eMMC
Display: 1 x HDMI
Ethernet connectivity: Two 2.5GbE, two 10GbE
General connectivity: Two USB3.1, one Type-C console
Power Consumption: About 35W
Size: 218mm x 165mm x 44mm
Weight: 1.1 Kg
Connectivity has also been boosted, shifting to four copper Ethernet with two that support up to 10Gb. The unit consumes over 35W with all ports connected, while a cooling fan makes it less reliable in the long run.
The hardware is really half the story of this user-friendly firewall. The software is as polished as one can ask for, requiring just two steps to activate a feature in most cases. Firewalla is keen on adding new ideas in every software release, with recent features such as Wi-Fi tests. The Gold Pro has become more than a regular firewall; as a router, it greatly demystifies network setup and fine-tuning.
The Gold Pro is available in only one variant: one based on an N97 Intel CPU with 8GB of RAM and 32GB of flash memory. The price is steep, just under $1000 (currently at $899 for a limited time), when looking only at the hardware. Firewalla offers cheaper models, ranging from the lowly ARM-based Purple SE to the Gold Plus based on the J4125. All products carry a one-year limited warranty and unlimited software updates.
Firewalla Gold Pro: Design
The Gold Pro ships in a brown box with a 40W AC adapter and a user guide. The white and yellow metal enclosure measures 218mm x 165mm x 44mm and weighs 1.1 Kg, almost twice as big as the previous flagship device. Four rubber feet prevent the Gold Pro from moving if too much force is applied to Ethernet cables. Air vents and four mounting holes are on each side of the unit, while the back contains one socket for power. The unit becomes warm after a while, but the small internal fan makes no noticeable noise.
The front panel contains four RJ45 sockets, two USB 3.0 Type-A, one USB Type-C connector for the serial console, and one HDMI socket. Two recessed buttons on the right allow users to reset and enter recovery mode or reboot. The front LEDs are for the RJ45, showing linkup speed and activity. The status LED on the right comes alive during the boot process and remains off under regular operation. A USB key, which ships with the unit, acts as a security and Bluetooth dongle and must be plugged at all times.
Under the hood, Firewalla provides an Intel N97 quad-core x86 processor to do all the heavy lifting. It is the only processor available onboard, and all network traffic passes through it. The board includes two 2.5Gb and two 10Gb Ethernet MACs from Intel to connect the CPU to the network. Application memories consist of a single channel 8 GB RAM in SO-DIMM format, which can be expanded to 16GB, and 32GB of flash as an eMMC chip.
The Gold Pro's power consumption varies between 17W and 33W, slightly higher than that of the Gold Plus. The fan turns on when the CPU operates at maximum power and is completely silent, making it great as a desktop unit in an office setting. The unit is entirely RJ45-based, so upgrading to fiber is impossible without an SFP media converter. This somewhat limits the utility of the firewall in a home setting, the software supporting PPPoE while most residential Internet is fiber-to-home and thus cannot be connected directly.
Firewalla Gold Pro: In Use
The Gold Pro turns on with power applied to the box. The Linux boot process takes less than one minute, and an LED on the right lights up to show the progress. The software setup requires scanning a QR code at the bottom of the case into the Firewalla mobile app. An Internet connection is needed on the WAN-dedicated port to complete the setup. The Internet port can achieve speeds of up to 10Gbps, keeping the Gold Pro safe from obsolescence.
The Gold Pro can either work as a standalone firewall or as a router behind a firewall. In the router mode, the unit can assign IPs on demand while inspecting inbound and outbound traffic for threats. VLANs have been included for extra security, allowing different networks to reside on the same physical connection. Applications such as VLANs take full advantage of the CPU upgrade, with the N97 achieving over 100% performance uptick over the previous CPU generation.
Firewalla’s mobile application is polished and avoids intimidating the user with too many technical details. The first panel shows the firewall's health status and warnings about potential threats. The mobile app contains features that can be enabled, such as a Wi-Fi tester, VPN clients and servers, or an Adblocker. The list of add-ons, in addition to the threat list, is updated periodically.
Although not recommended, the Gold Pro's software can be customized by the end user through Docker containers. Commercial applications such as unRaid for NAS or home automation can be installed remotely through SSH.
Firewalla Gold Pro: The competition
A good firewall requires constant updates from a service provider. Firewalla’s propositions are more than just good firewalls with regular updates. They are, in fact, network appliances with features such as VPN and ad blocker. These features bring more responsibility from manufacturers on the testing and prevention side since they have more points of failure and potential vulnerabilities.
Many OEM PCs with two or more 2.5GbE connections require an OS like pfSense to work. They usually have a competitive price since one only pays for the hardware but needs a steep learning curve to build a working system. A mobile app is also non-existent, while the threat database usually depends on the open-source community, which isn’t true for the Firewalla Gold Pro.
Firewalla Gold Pro: Final verdict
The Firewalla Gold Pro outperforms its predecessor in terms of processing power by a factor of two, while its 10G connectivity is beyond what most people have at home. The ecosystem, including the app, cloud and threat update services, and tech support, sets it apart from the competition. The mobile app is one of the best available and will make setting up the unit a breeze. Services such as VPN and Adblocker make life easier at home or in the office.
A price tag of just below $1000 means the unit remains beyond what most people are willing to pay for a prosumer firewall. With four Ethernet LAN ports, the hardware can route packets on four high-speed links at 2.5Gb and over. Finally, the system is user-customizable thanks to Firewalla's willingness to open access to the underlying Linux system through SSH.
Buy the Gold Pro if ... you need 10G speed and a fuss-free mobile app.
Don’t buy if ... you are on a tight budget or if saving power is essential.
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus Graphics: Adreno X1 RAM: 16GB Storage: 1TB SSD Rear Ports: 2 x USB-C 4.0, microSD reader Front Ports: None Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 Audio: Dual speakers, average quality Camera: Rear 13MP, Front 5MP Size: 297.5 x 202.9 x 9.4 mm, 0.85 kg OS installed: Windows 11 Home Copilot+ Accessories: Keyboard cover, Asus Pen 2.0 stylus
The Asus ProArt PZ13 complements the two ProArt laptops from Asus and, of the three, is the one that raises the most interest. It's essentially a tablet and laptop in one and is not only packed with AI processing power but also features a DCI-P3 colour gamut 13.3-inch OLED screen that will instantly appeal to creatives.
However, while this machine runs on Windows 11 Home, it's powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus, which is partnered with Adreno X1 graphics. That combination produces a performance that excels in many tasks, especially with Adobe and creative apps, which for the most part it handle absolute ease. However, with some apps, including our 3DMark and PCMark benchmarking software as well as many games, they refused to run.
Through testing, many aspects made this machine stand out, and it truly is a viable alternative to the Microsoft Surface Pro 11, offering excellent battery life and a lightweight but ultimately robust build. General performance across Adobe apps such as Photoshop and Premiere Pro was excellent, even without the full compatibility for Premiere Pro, with high-resolution images from the Sony A7 IV and Canon EOS R5 C being handled easily. The touchscreen and stylus, with all those points of sensitivity, made working directly on the images a fluid process. Likewise, editing 4K video, with a little storage capacity boost from a Samsung T5 EVO 8TB, was equally smooth, even if the edits for the particular piece were relatively simple.
It's worth noting, that Premiere Pro isn't 100% compatible as with several other apps, and as you start to install further apps and games, the limitations of the ARM processor become apparent. So, not yet the best video editing laptop option, even with the broad color space coverage - although during installation of Premiere Pro, for example, there is a note that Adobe is working on the ARM version of the software. Until then, the Intel version will be used. In reality, most jobs run smoothly enough, but as the processing power demands increase or more graphically demanding tasks are applied, the machine does, at present, start to struggle.
Likewise, when it came to gaming, things weren't so smooth, as quite a few of the games refused to load at all since they were designed for different processing architectures. So, while this tablet has power and puts in impressive performance, at present, there are some compatibility issues.
Asus ProArt PZ13: Price & availability
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Priced at around $1,099.99, the Asus ProArt PZ13 is available through retailers such as Best Buy, Amazon, and the Asus website.
Price: 4/5
Asus ProArt PZ13: Design & build
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The ProArt PZ13 is designed as a two-in-one machine, so that you can use it as a creative tablet or laptop. As such, it comes with a removable keyboard, which is sleek and slim and doubles as a protective case and stand, although the link between the keyboard and monitor free moving so unlike a laptop won't support itself. This essentially means that on a table you can open it up like a laptop of the stand will support the monitor, however, on a lap that support is a little more tricky although not impossible.
One standout feature especially it you're working out in the field is that the PZ13 is IP52-rated, meaning it's dust-resistant and splash-proof, as well as being far more durable than your average tablet or laptop. This is something Asus has emphasised across its full line of ProArt laptops, and sure enough, in use, the ProArt has travelled through a variety of photo and video shoots, as well as delivering workshops and lectures, and not always in the most computer-friendly environments, where it proved to be an excellent, robust choice.
When it comes to size and weight, the PZ13 is slim and well weighted, measuring 29.75 x 20.29 x 0.90 cm and weighing just 850g. As you'd expect for a tablet, there's also a stylus, and if you want to remove the keyboard for a more slimline machine, it's quickly detached from the base. The case, of which the keyboard is part, further enhances the design with a green finish and a kickstand that enables you to prop up the screen when used as a laptop, although it's not ideal when supported on a lap.
A clever feature of the design is that the magnetic keyboard can be detached, rotated 180 degrees, and folded under the screen where it holds in place. This means that the keys are against the screen rather than facing down, offering a far more comfortable feel to the tablet compared with other devices.
The overall design and build is excellent, with a high-quality feel throughout the usage and design of the machine. Connecting to external devices is also quick and easy using one of the two USB4 ports, one of which can be used as the power in. There are also the usual array of wireless connection options including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
The 13.3-inch, 3K (2880 x 1800) OLED 16:10 aspect ratio screen is fully touch responsive and also features stylus support. The screen-to-body ratio is 87% so essentially covers most of the front of the tablet when used with the stylus which provides one of the most responsive and natural-feeling digital work surfaces available. What really stands out about the screen, aside from the 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, is the surface itself. While glossy, reflections are well managed, and the viewing angle is superb, making it easy to adjust and enhance images directly on the screen.
When it comes to physical ports, again, the PZ13 is tailored to creative users, and while there are only a couple of options with two USB4 ports and an SD Express 7.0 slot if you're on the move then this should for the most part suffice. One of those USB4 ports is used for the power, although it can also be used for accessories and storage when not connected to power. These ports can be used to maximise transfer speeds to the machine and ensure that when dealing with high-resolution video stored on an external device, the speed of transfer is fast enough to keep up with the pace of the application—specifically, Premiere Pro in this test.
Overall, the Asus ProArt PZ13 is one of the sleekest tablet/laptops available. The size and connectivity options, touch screen and USB4 ports when coupled with the full version of Windows, make this an excellent choice in terms of design for creative users.
Design: 4.5/5
Asus ProArt PZ13: Features
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The big features of the ProArt PZ13, aside from the large 13.3-inch OLED touch display with a 2880 x 1800 resolution, include its two-in-one design and integration with AI toolsets and CoPilot.
As a tablet, the computing power delivered by the Snapdragon X Plus chip, while not as powerful as Intel or AMD alternatives, provides solid AI-enhanced performance, especially for creative apps that support this technology.
The ProArt PZ13 is equipped with the Snapdragon X Plus X1P 42 100 Processor (3.4GHz, 30MB Cache, up to 3.4GHz, 8 cores, 8 threads) alongside the Qualcomm Hexagon NPU, which offers up to 45 TOPS (trillion operations per second) and supports AI processing. Graphics are handled by a Qualcomm Adreno GPU, which is relatively untested with larger creative apps, but despite the lack of full support, especially for Premiere Pro the tablet still delivered an impressive performance during testing.
Due to its tablet design, the RAM and ROM are fixed, with 16GB LPDDR5X on board and a 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD. However, as we did in this test you can utilise the USB4 ports to boost the storage at up to 40Gbps.
One of the standout software features enhanced by artificial intelligence is the Asus suite of AI-powered workflow apps, and these are accessible through the ProArt Creator Hub. This suite includes applications such as the AI-powered StoryCube, which utilises the machine's AI capabilities to help organise media files.
Alongside the apps, the Creator Hub enables you to manage system resources. If an application requires more allocated processing power than others, the Hub lets you assign resources as needed. It also provides an overview of hardware performance, such as heat levels and usage, and allows you to switch between modes depending on whether you need longer battery life or full power.
For creative users the Hub also gives you quick control over various display settings, including colour gamut adjustments. This feature enables you to quickly switching between modes such as standard, vivid colours, sRGB for web content, DCI-P3 for cinematic tones, and Display P3 for photography.
When you combine these display modes with Asus 2.0 stylus support, you get a highly natural way of interacting with the screen and pen strokes, making the PZ13 ideal for both photographic and art-based work.
As for power, the PZ13 comes with a 65W power supply but is also compatible with most PD power banks and stations. During testing, it was paired with a Bluetti AC60 and charged in the field via USB Type-C. Internally, it houses a 70WHrs, 3S1P, 3-cell Li-ion battery, which offers a surprising amount of battery life, considering the tasks the tablet was used for.
Features: 4/5
Asus ProArt PZ13: Performance
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Benchmarks
Crystal Disk Read: 5130.53MB/s Crystal Disk Write: 4883.76MB/s GeekBench CPU Single: 10746 GeekBench CPU Multi: 2294 GeekBench Compute: 10073 PC Mark: n/a CineBench CPU Multi: 5494 CineBench CPU Single: 1065 Fire Strike Overall: 906 Fire Strike Graphics: 860 Fire Strike Physics: 13589 Fire Strike Combined: 455 Time Spy Overall: n/a Time Spy Graphics: n/a Time Spy CPU: n/a Wild Life: 11377 Windows Experience: n/a
The ProArt PZ13 is by no means the first two-in-one tablet in this price range, but considering the competition, it packs a surprising amount of processing power for the price.
From the outset, it's worth noting that there are some compatibility issues with certain applications. For instance, Adobe Premiere Pro on installation shows a message indicating that it hasn't been programmed for use with the ARM processor. However, the Intel version of the application can still be used.
In practice, through the test Premiere Pro worked without issue, handling files from the Sony A7 IV, and delivering an impressive performance, capable of editing and grading FHD and 4K video footage with relative ease.
That said, some games present challenges. For example, Hogwarts Legacy refused to load beyond a certain point just going to a black screen, and many other games experienced similar issues, although some did play without issue. So, if you're considering this device for gaming, it might be best to wait until full support arrives for the CPU and GPU, those games that do play, play smoothly. However, for video streaming and playback, the speed of the machine is clearly evident.
In regular use, the PZ13 performs exceptionally well. For tasks like Google Docs and web browsing, the laptop ran for a full working day—well over 10 hours with some breaks—without needing a charge. With more power-intensive applications such as Photoshop and Premiere Pro, the battery life dropped more swiftly. However, it still managed a solid 4-6 hours, again factoring in breaks during working sessions.
While the PZ13 generally feels like using any other high-powered PC laptop or tablet, you may occasionally notice that some applications, particularly games, won't load. Overall, the performance of this two-in-one is exceptional with the high quality screen, along with the robust yet stylish design making it a great option if you're looking for an on-the-go solution.
Performance: 4/5
Should you buy the Asus ProArt PZ13?
The Asus ProArt PZ13 2-in-1 design is an ideal option for creative professionals, but it does have its limitations. The incredible touch screen and its pressure point sensitivity, along with tablet-to-laptop flexibility and AI-powered features, make it perfect for artists, photographers, videographers, and content creators who need a lightweight computer. However, its ARM-based Snapdragon X Plus processor does create compatibility issues with certain applications, especially those that demand high processing power or still need to be optimised for ARM architecture.
All things considered, this is a great machine that balances battery life, features, and power. As long as gaming isn't high on your priorities and creative applications such as the Adobe suite are, then this is a perfect choice.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Buy it if...
Portability is a priority
If you need a lightweight, versatile device with a long battery life for creative work on the move, the ProArt PZ13 excels. It's perfect for those who travel frequently or require a compact yet powerful setup for fieldwork.
It would help if you had a colour-accurate display
The OLED display with 100% DCI-P3 support makes it an excellent choice for photographers, videographers, and graphic designers. Its vibrant and accurate colour reproduction is ideal for creatives working with visual content.
Don't buy it if...
It would help if you had extensive port options
With only two USB-C ports and a microSD slot, connectivity may be limited without the use of external hubs or dongles. If you rely heavily on multiple peripherals or wired connections, this could be a drawback.
You rely on heavy-duty apps
The ARM-based Snapdragon X Plus chip might struggle with more demanding software that isn't optimised for ARM architecture. If your workflow involves power-hungry apps or games, this limitation may affect performance.
AMD unveiled the Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor, a successor to the 7800X3D. It promises to deliver 8% higher frame rates than the old chip on average, though some games will see a performance uplift of up to 26%.
Like before, there are 96MB of L3 cache in total – 32MB on the CCD itself, plus 64MB on an additional die. Interestingly, this time the 3D V-Cache is placed below the CCD (which houses the CPU cores), rather than on top like on previous iterations. This helps to improve cooling, says AMD.
There are three pieces of silicon in the 9800X3D – the CCD (4nm TSMC), the 3D V-Cache and the...
Today Apple has officially announced the new MacBook Pro, and it's powered by a choice of M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips. The M4 Pro and M4 Max are new, and have also been unveiled today "to form the most advanced family of chips ever built for a personal computer", Apple proudly boasts.
The M4 Pro has an up to 14-core CPU with 10 performance cores and four efficiency cores. Apple says it's 1.9x faster than the CPU of the M1 Pro, and 2.1x faster than Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V.
The GPU has up to 20 cores which enable graphics performance twice as good as that of the M4, and up to 2.4x...
I've had a couple of pre-briefings with Intel over the past couple of months about Intel Arrow Lake, so I can't say I'm surprised by the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and Intel Core Ultra 5 245K, but it doesn't mean enthusiasts are going to be any less disappointed with what we got in the end.
Both Core Ultra chips effectively match the performance of the chips they are replacing, and while I've been saying for a while now that we have to stop looking at performance as the only metric that matters, the efficiency gains offered by these chips are not substantial enough to really merit the investment if you're rocking a 13th-gen Intel chip or better.
The new chips do come with some architecture changes worthy of note, though, and they aren’t all useless for consumers. For starters, the chips come equipped with an NPU, the first Intel desktops to do so, and the new Intel Arc integrated GPU offers some improved graphics capabilities that will make a real difference for some AIO (all-in-one) PCs.
However, these are largely going to be unnecessary for just about any gamer or content creator out there since most desktops are going to have a discrete graphics card that will run AI circles around the NPU in these chips, and make the Intel Arc iGPU pretty much a non-factor in anything other than the most budget gaming PC from a couple of years ago.
For some folks, unfortunately, Intel Arrow Lake misses the target they wanted it to hit, and with strong competition from AMD’s Ryzen 9000-series, these aren't the best processors for gaming or content creation. But, Intel has to start somewhere as it shifts to a new platform, and it managed to produce a very different kind of chip over its predecessors without giving up too much on the performance front, which is no easy feat.
Ultimately, they're perfectly fine chips if you're buying them in a prebuilt PC or if you're coming in from 11th-gen Intel or older (or making the move from AMD), since you'll have to buy all-new kit anyway, so you might as well set yourself up for Nova Lake next year. But anyone with a Raptor Lake chip isn't going to see any real benefit from these, so they're better off waiting for Nova Lake in 2025 to make the jump.
The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and Intel Core Ultra 5 245K are available now in the US, UK, and Australia, priced at $589 / £548.99 / AU$1,099 and $309 / £289.99 / AU$589, respectively.
While the prices for these two chips stay the same or come in slightly lower than their predecessors, which is good, there are a bunch of added costs to upgrade to these chips... which is bad. First, they require an LGA 1851 chipset, so you’re going to have to buy a new motherboard in order to use them. They also don’t support DDR4 RAM, so you’re likely going to have to buy new DDR5 RAM as well.
The LGA 1851 socket does take the same CPU coolers as an LGA 1700 socket, though, so if you have a 12th-gen or better processor, at least your cooler will fit.
Against AMD’s latest, the Core Ultra 9 285K is better priced than AMD’s flagship Ryzen 9 9950X, but more expensive than the Ryzen 9 9900X. The Core Ultra 5 245K is slightly more expensive than AMD’s competing Ryzen 5 9600X.
The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and Intel Core Ultra 5 245K are newly architected desktop processors, powered by the same Lion Cove P-cores and Skymont E-cores found in the Intel Meteor Lake chips released late last year for laptops.
Intel Arrow Lake is essentially Intel Meteor Lake for desktops, and so it also features the same Intel NPU 3 13 TOPS neural processor as Meteor Lake, and the same Intel Arc Alchemist integrated GPU with four Xe cores (including four ray tracing cores) as its laptop cousin.
The max clock speeds of the Core Ultra 9 285K and Core Ultra 5 245K are slightly lower on performance cores (though with a higher base frequency) and higher across the board on the efficiency cores over the Core i9-14900K and Core i5-14600K, respectively.
The maximum amount of RAM is unchanged at 192GB, though the Core Ultra chips do not support DDR4 RAM, but they can support faster DDR5 memory up to 6,400MT/s.
Other than that, the TDP of the two Core Ultra chips is essentially unchanged from the 14th-gen chips they’re replacing, but they do have a 5°C higher TjMax (Tjunction max, which is the maximum thermal junction temperature that a processor can hit before it lowers performance to prevent overheating), so the chips won’t start to throttle until they hit 105°C.
Well, we’ve finally come to the performance segment of the review, and I wish I had better news for you, but most of you will be disappointed.
Starting with synthetic performance, the Core Ultra 9 285K is a very mixed bag vis-a-vis the Core i9-14900K and AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9900X.
In some tests like Geekbench 6.2, the Core Ultra 9 outperforms the 14900K in single-core performance by about 8%, only to lose out by about the same in Cinebench R23’s single-core benchmark. Meanwhile, in Cinebench R23’s multi-core performance, the Core Ultra 9 285K comes in about 12% faster than the 14900K and is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X.
The Core Ultra 5 245K, meanwhile, is effectively even with the Core i5-14600K, but fares much better in PCMark 10’s Home CPU benchmark, showing a roughly 14.5% performance boost over the 14600K and a 5.6% better showing than the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X.
In terms of average creative performance, the Core Ultra 9 285K does slightly better than the 14900K but slightly worse than the Ryzen 9 9950X — it’s substantially better than the Ryzen 9 9900X, on average, however.
The Core Ultra 5 245K, meanwhile does slightly worse, on average, than the Core i5-14600K, but comes out nearly 23% better on average than the Ryzen 5 9600X.
The gaming performance of the Core Ultra chips was easily the biggest disappointment, however, and is where these two chips really falter against Raptor Lake Refresh.
The Core Ultra 9 285K came in about 14% slower in gaming performance than the Core i9-14900K (though about 7-8% better than the Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9900X).
The Core Ultra 5 245K, meanwhile, came in about 9% slower than the i5-14600K, and only about 4% faster than the Ryzen 5 9600X.
Needless to say, if you’re looking for the best processor for gaming, you’ll want to look at the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D or wait to see what the upcoming AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D does later this year.
When all the scores are tabulated and the final averages calculated, the Core Ultra 9 285K shows slightly better multi-core performance, slightly lower single-core performance, slightly better creative performance, and much worse gaming performance against its predecessor.
The Core Ultra 5 245K is generally slower for just about everything compared to the Core i5-14600K, though it does have much better productivity performance, so this will make a great chip for affordable AIO PCs without discrete graphics.
The real disappointment with Arrow Lake, though, lies with its energy efficiency... or lack thereof. Most people don’t even need the performance of the Intel Core i9-14900K or even the Intel Core i5-14600K, so I’d be fine with lower performance if it meant that there was much less power draw, but the Core Ultra 9 285K and Core Ultra 5 245K max out at 90.5% and 93.3% of the power of their predecessors, respectively.
That’s still much too high, and at that point, you might as well just stick with Raptor Lake Refresh and undervolt the CPU.
Ultimately, given the significantly higher cost of making the switch to these processors from the LGA 1700 chips, the performance and efficiency just don’t make these compelling purchases on their own.
If you’re shopping for the best prebuilt gaming PC though, though, I won’t be too worried about picking between one with a 14th-gen chip or these new Core Ultras. You’re not going to notice the difference.
Performance: 3.5 / 5
Intel Core Ultra 9 285K & Intel Core Ultra 5 245K: Should you buy it?
Buy the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K or Intel Core Ultra 5 245K if...
If you haven't made the leap to the latest Intel processors, you're going to have to buy all new stuff anyway, so you might as well go for these chips and future-proof your PC for Nova Lake next year.
While the efficiency gains on these two chips aren't huge, they are more efficient, which is definitely a good thing.View Deal
Don't buy them if...
Running these chips is going to require a new motherboard at least, and likely will require you to buy new RAM as well, making these chips a substantial investment.
While the performance of these chips is great in absolute terms, they aren't any better than their predecessors, though substantially worse for gaming.
How I tested the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and Intel Core Ultra 5 245K
When I test processors, I put them through a rigorous process that takes into account synthetic benchmarks, creative workloads, gaming performance, and more to arrive at my scores.
I use industry standard tools like Geekbench, Cinebench, and PCMark, as well as creative apps like Adobe Photoshop, Blender, and Handbrake.
For gaming, I use built-in benchmarks for CPU-intensive games like Total War: Warhammer III on low graphics settings at 1080p to better isolate a CPU's impact on the game's framerates.
Finally, I make sure to use the same system for common-socket processors, the fastest RAM and SSD, and the most powerful GPU and motherboards available to maintain consistency wherever possible to ensure that CPU scores are comparable.
With each new processor I review, I retest previous processors I've reviewed in order to get updated scores for each, after installing the latest system and BIOS updates.
I've tested and retested two generations of processors more times than I can count over the last couple of years, so I am intimately familiar with how these chips perform, and my deep computer science and journalism background allows me to put all of this testing data into its proper context for consumers so they can make the right choice when shopping for a new processor.
Cisco’s Catalyst C1300-8MGP-2X enterprise-class Ethernet switch manages small and medium-sized networks at speeds up to 10Gb.
Specifications
CPU: Dual Core ARM 1.4GHz
RAM/Flash: 1GB/512MB
Ports: Four 1Gb, Four 2.5Gb
PoE budget: 30W per port, a total of 120W
Processing throughput: 41.66 Million packets per second
Dimensions/Weight: 26.8 cm x 32.3 cm x 4.4 cm/2.64 kg
It has eight wired interfaces, a 120W PoE, and two 10G SFP sockets. The compact fan-less unit consumes 20W when idle. As with all Cisco switches, a PC interface is available on the front panel to speed up installation through a Type-C USB socket, providing backup for the switch settings.
The Catalyst 1300 series uses a customized Linux OS and sports a dual-core network CPU, enabling an intuitive dashboard and fast packet processing with lower network latency. The high-end hardware simplifies network setup and provides security, and QOS features out-of-the-box. Cisco networking appliances integrate seamlessly with other devices, such as access points, through their cloud platform.
The Cisco C1300-8MGP-2X is available on Amazon for $718 and has a lifetime warranty. The eight-port unit supports 1Gb, 2.5Gb copper Ethernet, and 10Gb through SFP modules.
(Image credit: Future)
C1300-8MGP-2X: Design
The C1300-8MGP-2X is a compact unit measuring 26.8 cm x 32.3 cm x 4.4 cm and weighing 2.64 kg. As with other models in the C1300 series, all network and debugging ports are on the front. The back has two large heatsinks with no fan, which makes the switch ideal for an office where minimum noise is essential. Each side of the white enclosure has one screw hole for rack-mounting.
The front panel hosts eight RJ45 connectors, divided into two bandwidth groups. Four 1Gb Ethernet ports on the left provide around 30W each for PoE purposes to connected devices. The right offers a similar arrangement but with 2.5Gb Ethernet ports. The copper ports have a total PoE power budget of 120W. Two SFP slots support up to 10G modules and complete the list of interfaces.
Copper ports display their status on individual LEDs. The one LED per port approach differs from the previous model, which used two LEDs showing port activity and PoE warnings. As a result, the C1300 LEDs are more challenging to understand during troubleshooting. A reset button helps to restore factory settings should the switch become inaccessible.
Under the hood, the C1300 uses a Marvell dual-core 1.4GHz ARM processor, 1GB of RAM, and 512MB for application storage. The processor connects to two network ASICs that route packets at a maximum throughput of 10Gb per second to the eight copper ports and two SFPs. The processor can do packet analysis on the fly, significantly reducing latency while making the network more reactive to sudden changes.
(Image credit: Future)
C1300-8MGP-2X: In Use
The switch boots in less than two minutes. The system LED on the left shows progress and blinks green during the boot process, eventually settling on a solid green if all goes well. For each port, a single LED shows activity but not link-up speed. PoE is available as Ethernet becomes ready across the ports. Unlike older models, the SFP connectors do not share resources with any copper ports; using SFP will not turn off any copper port.
The C1300-8MGP-2X includes several new features compared to its predecessor. Bluetooth support is through a USB dongle, allowing remote and secure wireless access to the CLI and GUI. The PoE is undisturbed during reboots, allowing connected devices to retain power. Finally, a built-in REST API makes automation possible.
With an aggregated bandwidth of 56Gbps, the C1300-8MGP-2X should be enough for speedier 2.5G and 10G network appliances such as a NAS or a VPN. The processor can forward up to 42 million packets per second, thus maintaining minimum network lag. Moreover, the PoE budget of 120W makes connecting several outdoor devices, such as high-resolution cameras, a breeze. The unit consumes 20W idle with one 2.5G copper and one SFP connection.
The C1300 requires registration to be accessible from the Internet. For this, the Cisco Business mobile app initiates the installation using a QR code at the back of the case. The app offers most features available on the cloud, with many configurations done in less than four steps. The switch processes packets on Layer 2 and 3, providing security through VLANs or blocking unknown IPs.
(Image credit: Future)
C1300-8MGP-2X: The competition
The Engenius ECS2510FP targets a similar audience as the C1300-8MGP-2X switch. Its eight 2.5Gbps ports and double PoE power budget make it a serious contender, priced at less than $500. However, the ECS2510FP has two fans, which makes it impossible to use on a desk. The power consumption is also higher than the eight ports in the C1300 series, making it more costly in the long run.
C1300-8MGP-2X: Final verdict
With the new Catalyst C1300-8MGP-2X switch, Cisco improves on a tried and trusted platform, adding more security and practical features that make setup and configuration easier. The SOHO-type switch with a dual-core CPU is well equipped to fully utilize the quad 10 Gb and quad 2.5 Gb Ethernet ports. The companion mobile app is responsive and implements most of the functionality found on the cloud. Being passive, power consumption and noise are minimal, making the unit ideal in a small office.
The main drawbacks are the higher MSRP compared to similar units available elsewhere and the ports' status shown on a single LED.
you need a reliable switch with PoE and supporting 10G Ethernet.
CPU: Intel Core 14th Gen Ultra 9-185H Graphics: Intel Arc Graphics RAM: 32GB DDR5, up to 64GB Storage: 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD Rear Ports: 2 x USB 4.0, 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x RJ45 LAN (2.5G), 1 x DC in, Front Ports: 4 x USB 3.2 Gen2, 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x 3.5mm stereo jack, 1 Side Ports: SD Card 4.0, 1 x Kensington Lock Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Audio: HDA CODEC Camera: N/A Size: 135mm x 132mm x 46.9mm OS Installed: Windows 11 Pro Accessories: VESA Mount, free USB-C hub
The Geekom GT1 Mega instantly sets the tone with the high-quality metal exterior, with its row of USB Type-A ports across the front and a host of connection options across the rear, highlighting that this is something a little different. Inside is the latest 14th Gen Intel Ultra processor, which provides impressive performance in such a compact machine.
The new processor, which in our review sample is the U9-185H option, with the U7-155H also available, enables close integration with AI-enabled features. These work with the Intel NPU, which has the effect of significantly accelerating tasks like AI computation and video rendering, which in real-world terms is an invisible feature that you only witness through the speed of the processing.
There are other hints of this small machine’s power beyond editing 4K footage in DaVinci Resolve, which it handles as if it's a machine many times its own size, and the smooth running of high-impact games. Connecting up two 4K displays is well within its abilities, with an option to support up to four 4K monitors or one 8K through the two HDMI ports and USB4.
Sure enough, for video editing and 3D work, the Geekom ploughs through the processing without issue, and checking all Microsoft Office apps just doesn’t pose any type of stress on the system. While all this power and speed are impressive at such a small size, it is worth noting that the fans will kick in early—there’s a lot of cooling to be done—so if you like silence, while not loud, that fan whirr is apparent.
Then there are the options to upgrade, which, being a mini PC, are limited: a slight boost to the internal RAM and SSD but little else. However, the USB4 ports afford plenty of other expansion options with external SSDs and eGPUs.
As a true mini PC, the GT1 Mega will fit any workspace without issue, and the small VESA mount ensures that it’s easy to fit and mount as needed. That, coupled with the 65W power consumption, means that it can easily be transported and powered in the field with a power station such as the Bluetti AC70.
But is it the best mini PC we've tested? Well, while this is a great compact solution, it comes with a high price tag, especially considering the limited upgrade options. So, if you’re looking to spend this amount, it might be better to look at a larger desktop solution. However, considering the design and advanced technology, on its own or partnered with other devices to expand its function, it’s impressive and an ideal solution for any professional—creative or otherwise—who requires some serious processing power.
Geekom GT1 Mega: Price & availability
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The Geekom GT1 Mega is priced at $1,099 and is available directly from Geekom with a 3-year warranty.
You can also save 5% with code TECHRADAGT1 from Amazon US.
Score: 4/5
Geekom GT1 Mega: Design & build
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The GT1 Mega is housed in a compact form factor (135mm x 132mm x 46.9mm) that is common for mini PCs, which instantly makes it an ideal choice for anyone with limited workspace or requiring a machine that is easily portable between places of work. The exterior of the machine is of an extremely high quality, with the all-metal finish instantly giving the impression of quality and style. The simple monocoque design of the casing, with the line of four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, 3.5mm audio, and power button, are all neatly laid out, highlighting accessibility.
That look helps to define this system as a core unit that can adapt to what you need it to do. For creatives, accessories such as the Logitech MX Creative Console, keyboard, and mouse can all be plugged in easily without searching around the back. Then on the side, alongside plenty of venting, which alongside the IceBlast 2.0 cooling system helps to keep on top of the heat from the fast processor, is an SD 4.0 card slot—a feature that will appeal to photographers and videographers, although a CFExpress Type-B slot would be great to see. On the other side, for security, there's a Kensington port.
Flipping over to the back, and again there’s a host of connections, including two USB 4.0 and dual 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports, two HDMI 2.0, a USB Type-A 3.2, and one USB 2.0 port.
The overall build is of a high quality, and flipping the machine onto its back, there are four small rubber feet and the hole for the VESA mount. Unscrewing the base gives you access to the inside, where there’s the option to upgrade the RAM from the 32GB to 64GB and swap the PCIe SSD NVMe Gen 4, although our review sample was already fitted with the 2TB version, which is the maximum.
Design: 4.5/5
Geekom GT1 Mega: Features
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The Geekom GT1 Mega features Intel's 14th Gen Ultra U9-185H processor with 16 cores and 22 threads. It also features an AI-accelerated NPU, which is capable of delivering processing up to 8 times faster than the previous generation and enables you to access the latest machine learning tasks and compatibility with AI-enabled applications that can make full use of the new technology.
Visuals are supplied through Intel Arc graphics, which support both high-resolution video and gameplay, as well as the ability to run multiple displays from the system. This includes up to four 4K monitors or one 8K.
Inside, the machine features 32GB of Dual-channel DDR5-5600 SODIMM, which can be upgraded to 64GB. This is matched with 2TB of M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 x 4 SSD, which is the maximum that the machine can take.
Connections are a key feature of this small machine, and when it comes to networking, alongside the dual RJ45 2.5Gbps ports, there's also Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, further enhancing connection options.
Alongside the latest Intel processing, the big point of interest here is the expansion options. While those are limited internally, the ability to utilise the two USB4 ports along with the USB 3.2 Gen ports gives you plenty of options. Although the internal graphics are good, if you need the boost of a dedicated external graphics card, then an eGPU can easily be fitted. Likewise, ultra-fast external SSDs, NAS, and mass storage devices are all easily compatible.
The USB4 ports offer plenty of flexibility, with the ability to connect data devices, monitors, graphics, and even deliver up to 15W of PD power to quickly charge devices such as phones, tablets, and camera gear.
When it comes to portability, the small form factor and solid metal build make it nice and robust, but if you're working in the field, then the fact that it only draws 65W of power means that it will sit alongside a portable computing suite that can be used in the field without too much of an issue and powered by a portable power station. However, it does utilise a 19V DC input rather than the more universal USB Type-C, so the external power adapter is required.
Features: 4.5/5
Geekom GT1 Mega: Performance
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Benchmarks
Crystal Disk Read: 5049.75MB/s Crystal Disk Write: 4399.79MB/s GeekBench CPU Single: 2498 GeekBench CPU Multi: 13916 GeekBench Compute: 39696 PC Mark: 6992 CineBench CPU Multi: 15911 CineBench CPU Single: 1888 Fire Strike Overall: 8133 Fire Strike Graphics: 8886 Fire Strike Physics: 29083 Fire Strike Combined: 2995 Time Spy Overall: 4072 Time Spy Graphics: 3642 Time Spy CPU: 12306 Wild Life: 20948 Windows Experience: 8.3
Getting started with the GT1 Mega is fast, with the usual run-through of options for Windows 11 Pro. Once installed, the WiFi connection to install updates and applications is fast, and there’s little slowdown as you switch from browsing to applications and general use of the machine. Starting with the range of Microsoft Office apps, the machine is simply fast and responsive, with the apps loading quickly. Navigating large Word documents, presentations, and long spreadsheets is handled with no issues or slowdowns. Essentially, the machine just makes short work of this level of applications.
Likewise, two of the best photo editors, Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, caused no issues, with the batch RAW processing of files from the Canon EOS R5C handled without a hitch. We also tested the machine with some of the best video editing software. RAW files along with 4K video Log3 footage from the Sony A7 IV were edited within Adobe Premiere Pro with the same ease. The only issue with video editing was the volume of internal storage; however, switching to using an external 8TB Samsung T5 Evo quickly resolved this, enabling impressive ease of editing for a 15-minute video.
Finally, looking at gaming performance, three games were tested: *Tekken 8*, *Cyberpunk 2077*, and *Hogwarts Legacy*. In all cases, the machine was able to handle most of the graphic processing, though with some minor lag in *Hogwarts Legacy*. However, a Razer Core X eGPU with ASUS GeForce 3060 Ti gave a boost to the graphics performance.
Once the external SSD and eGPU were added to the mix, the power of this small machine matched desktop PCs without issue, offering an incredibly small and effective solution for creative professionals looking for a compact and portable machine that can be used in the field.
Finally, with the performance tested, we checked out how the machine coped with our benchmarking tests. Here, the real-world tests were reflected, with the Geekom GT1 Mega excelling across the board. The Intel Ultra U9-185H processor offered strong multi-core performance, scoring 15,911 in Cinebench CPU multi-core tests, highlighting what we had witnessed during video editing. Storage speeds using the internal SSD are fast, with CrystalDisk scores of 5049.75MB/s for read and 4399.79MB/s for write, ensuring quick boot times and rapid data transfers. Although the 2TB storage will be ample for most users, creatives should look at an external storage solution such as the Samsung T5 Evo or OWC Envoy as an option.
If you do need to access the internal workings of the machine for an upgrade, the process is a little more involved than most. First, the four rubber feet need to be removed, then the four screws taken out, and the base prised off. Then there's the backing plate, which is again held by four screws; this needs to be carefully lifted away as there are two wires connected to the WiFi card. With the base plate propped up, you can access the M.2 Key-M slot for PCIe x4 Gen 4 NVMe SSD, 2280, and dual RAM slots, along with the M.2 Key-M slot PCIe x4 or SATA, 2242. It's also worth noting that the M.2 Key-E slot for CNVi/PCIe WiFi, 2230, can be upgraded, giving some future-proofing. Another interesting feature is the 16-pin FPC SATA connector to connect an FFC SATA cable to a 7mm 2.5" SATA, which opens up further options.
While overall the performance is excellent, the graphics performance is just above average, with the Intel Arc handling most tasks. However, the Fire Strike and Time Spy results show that when pushed, an eGPU should be considered, as we found with Hogwarts Legacy.
Overall, when it comes to performance, the core machine punches well above its size, but what really appeals is the fact that, with applications that support AI, this machine can see a real boost in performance. And if you need more storage for video or graphics for gaming, then an external drive or eGPU can be quickly fitted. The Geekom GT1 is one of the most impressive mini PCs available, with solid build and performance that will suit most creative and high-demand users.
Performance: 4/5
Should you buy the Geekom GT1 Mega?
The Geekom GT1 Mega is a great option for professionals or creatives who need robust computing power in a compact form. Its AI processing and excellent multitasking capabilities make it a great mini PC, though its high price and limited internal, might be an issue for some.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Buy it if...
You need AI-accelerated processing
If your work involves AI tasks, machine learning, or real-time data analysis, the GT1 Mega’s NPU will greatly enhance productivity.
You require multiple high-res displays
The ability to support four 4K monitors or one 8K display makes this mini PC perfect for video editing or digital content creation.
Don't buy it if...
You're on a budget
At nearly £1,000/$1,000, the GT1 Mega's cost is a barrier for casual users or those who don’t need cutting-edge performance.
You want extensive gaming capabilities
While capable, its Intel Arc graphics won't compete with a dedicated gaming PC for high-end gaming performance
