This review first appeared in issue 360 of PC Pro.
Timing is everything when buying a gaming PC. You want to squeeze every last morsel out of your budget at the moment of purchase, and right now, CyberPowerPC is backing Intel’s mid-range Core i5-14400F processor due to its bang-per-penny: you have ten cores and 16 threads when you need them, but a single core can push up to 4.7GHz using Intel’s Max Turbo mode. A generous 32GB of DDR5 RAM means that memory will never be a bottleneck.
The Intel chip’s main partner in crime is Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4060 graphics, which inevitably don’t have the numbers of the RTX 4070 Super in the Palicomp system opposite – their respective scores of 10,518 and 18,932 in 3DMark Time Spy underline the difference in power – but are enough for fluid 1440p gaming.
You may have to compromise on detail settings if you want to hit 100fps, however. At High detail, Cyberpunk 2077 averaged 80fps, Dirt 5 hit 97fps, Shadow of the Tomb Raider broke through to 103fps but Metro Exodus Enhanced managed only 63fps. Moving to Ultra detail dropped those respective results to 53fps, 77fps, 93fps and 59fps. 4K gaming is too ambitious with this set of games, only breaking the 60fps barrier when I activated DLSS in Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
(Image credit: Future)
For this PC’s foundation, CyberPowerPC chooses the MSI Pro Z790-S WiFi, which is part of MSI’s professional series. That means no RGB, with chunky black heatsinks the order of the day. This includes a shield to cover the main M.2 drive, a fast 1TB WD Black SN770, with a second M.2 slot available.
You also get Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 built in, while the rear of the board offers a 2.5GbE LAN port, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 port (20Gbits/sec) and six USB-A ports. There’s no support for case-mounted USB-C ports, which may be one reason why CyberPowerPC opted for the Eluna 243 chassis. This includes three USB-A ports conveniently located along the front, next to the power button. The button kept sticking in my tests, but when I brought this to the attention of CyberPowerPC it assured me the problem had now been fixed.
That’s a relief, because this is a nice-looking chassis, with a subtle white grille effect on the front that allows the trio of RGB fans to shine through in a subtle haze rather than a blast of color. Naturally, there’s a tempered glass panel on the side to give an unimpeded view, which will be dominated by the 120mm RGB fan atop the Cooler Master air cooler. Having read Lee Grant’s views on liquid coolers this month, I’m more than happy with that choice.
The Eluna 243 chassis provides lots of room for expansion(Image credit: Future)
This provides ample cooling to Intel’s Core i5 processor, which performed to its full in every test: along with the Geekbench 6 scores below, it scored 13,829 in Cinebench R23 multicore, while switching to the newer Cinebench 2024 (the scores aren’t comparable with R23) it hit 837 in the multicore section, 106 for a single CPU core and 9,747 in the GPU-specific test. That compares to 1,028, 110 and 18,785 for the more expensive Palicomp PC opposite.
A 120mm RGB fan sits on top of the air cooler(Image credit: Future)
CyberPowerPC’s choice wins for efficiency, however, consuming 52W at idle and peaking at 309W across our tests. It was a quiet guest in my lab, too, only going above a low hum when playing games. A high-quality 650W, 80 Plus Cooler Master power supply means you have plenty of “power budget” if you decide to upgrade any components, while there is room for internal expansion thanks to three empty PCI-E slots. Technically two DIMM sockets are also free, but you’ll need to switch coolers as its fan overlaps the first slot. Remove the chassis’ left-hand panel and you’ll also find space for three more drives, with one 2.5in drive mounting plate and caddies for two 3.5in disks.
I also appreciate the five-year warranty, with the first two years covering parts, labor and courier costs; the final three years are labor-only, and you’ll need to stump up for shipping to CyberPowerPC UK’s Gateshead base. In fact, I liked everything about this PC apart from the niggles I faced with that power button.
This review first appeared in issue 360 of PC Pro.
Framework takes a different approach from most laptop makers, with an emphasis on reparability. It even adopts a modular approach to ports, so you can swap a USB-A port for an HDMI connector on the fly.
As my guide to building a Framework opposite shows, however, this isn’t a DIY system in the same way that you might build a desktop PC. Framework supplies the chassis with the motherboard and display built in, so all you’re doing is adding the SSD, memory, keyboard, ports and bezel of your choosing. Install Windows or Linux, and the relevant drivers, and you’re done.
Or you can buy a laptop preassembled and pre-loaded with Windows. There isn’t a huge difference in the price, but I would expect most readers to choose the DIY approach.
You can pick from (and then fit) a multitude of keyboard languages(Image credit: Future)
Chip choice
Framework sent me its top AMD version of the Laptop 13, which features a Ryzen 7840U, but it offers an à la carte menu of chips. For instance, you can choose from Intel’s Core Ultra range or save money by opting for a 13th generation Core CPU.
There’s also a choice of display. My review unit included the basic 60Hz panel with a 2,256 x 1,504 resolution, but for an extra £130 Framework offers a 2,880 x 1,920 screen that goes up to 120Hz. This also comes with a more advanced webcam; the one bundled with my laptop produced solid 1080p results – fine for business calls – but forget effects such as background blur. There’s no IR sensor for Windows Hello logins, either, but Framework includes privacy switches for the webcam and the microphones.
One of the many great things about Framework’s approach is that if something goes wrong you can fix it or replace it, and that includes the display and the motherboard. With a strong community and detailed resources from Framework, you may prefer to dig out your screwdrivers rather than taking the laptop to a repairer.
Full metal jacket
Despite its modular nature, the Framework 13 is a compact and slim laptop. It’s well made, too, with no obvious weak points. The only area where it arguably falls behind rivals is for style, with a simple, utilitarian look. I like the simplicity, but others may prefer a more stylish design. You can choose colored bezels, keyboard covers and expansion ports if you want to liven things up.
There’s nothing fancy about the keyboard, either, but the action is deep and solid, with only a trace of cushioning. Ham-fisted typists will find it clacks loudly, but those with a gentler typing style will be rewarded with quiet strokes. The UK layout includes a double-height Enter key, with the only compromise being half-height up/down cursor keys and some function doubling.
A nicely proportioned and slick touchpad sits beneath, with a fingerprint sensor above. This worked perfectly throughout.
The design may be utilitarian, but the Framework Laptop 13 is well built(Image credit: Future)
Plain Jane screen
It’s a shame Framework sent me the model with the cheaper screen, as this is one area where the Laptop 13 falls behind rivals. There’s nothing wrong with its resolution or refresh rate, but color coverage could be better: it’s tied to the sRGB space, covering 96% out of a 100% volume, and that means DCI-P3 coverage is stuck at 71%. Colors lack punch as a result, but accuracy is respectable (0.63 Delta E average) and it goes up to 467cd/m2. The panel’s native color temperature of almost 7000K means whites look a fraction “cold”.
You can always hook it up to an external screen. The only connector that Framework stipulates is USB-C, as this is used for charging (and data/monitor duties), which leaves three for you to play with – it’s possible to swap them out whenever you like – so if you need DisplayPort or HDMI then add them to your order. Or take your pick from USB-A, Ethernet, microSD, or even storage expansion cards.
You can take your pick of connectors for the three spare ports(Image credit: Future)
Need for speed
With a Ryzen 7840U inside my test system, I expected fast speeds. And that’s exactly what I saw. AMD’s Zen 4 architecture remains strong, with a 2,600 result in Geekbench 6’s single-core test and a solid 11,388 in the multicore test; having eight cores means it now falls behind the fastest chips from Intel and Qualcomm. It was a match for the Copilot+ PCs in Cinebench 2024, though, with 790 in the multicore section and 104 in the single-core test.
AMD’s Radeon 780M graphics are roughly on a par with Intel’s Arc chips, scoring 2,902 in 3DMark Time Spy. At the panel’s native resolution, it coped well in both Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Dirt 5 so long as I kept to the lowest detail settings, averaging 39fps and 44fps respectively. Switching to High proved too big a challenge, with frame rates toppling to 24fps and 28fps.
Unlike the Copilot+ PCs I’ve tested this month with Qualcomm Snapdragon chips inside, the Framework Laptop 13’s fan lets you know when the CPU is being pushed. It doesn’t help that Framework uses a single fan for cooling, but those who like a quiet existence should either choose a different laptop or stick to undemanding tasks.
Battery life is respectable, lasting 9hrs 12mins in the light-use test and a superb 16hrs 26mins when left idling. But don’t expect speedy recharging from the modestly sized 60W adapter, going from zero to 45% in half an hour.
(Image credit: Future)
Final thoughts
Buying a Framework laptop isn’t the best choice for those who seek instant gratification. It will take at least five business days to ship your custom order, and if you want the latest parts – such as the new screen and webcam combo – then you’ll have to wait for the next batch to arrive, similarly to a Kickstarter project. Even so, the wait should be a few weeks at most.
Instead, this is a long-term purchase. One that will last for years – a decade even – and so it makes sense not to rush in. While rivals are undoubtedly sleeker and sexier, I love Framework’s approach to modularity and reparability.
You’re paying a slight premium for this, but you’re also supporting a company that lives and breathes sustainability, which you simply won’t find if buying from one of the big brands.
This review first appeared in issue 360 of PC Pro.
Most all-in-one PCs include 24in or 27in panels, but Acer is thinking big with the Aspire S32. This includes a 31.5in display, and the company doesn’t stop there: via a set of pogo pins at the rear, it bundles a veritable feast of add-ons.
The first is a plain 1080p webcam, which is more than good enough to use for video calls. Second comes a 720p camera with a ring light: tap the top and it cycles from off to full-blast white. And the third is a strip light that switches between white, yellow or a mix of the two. All of the add-ons work via USB-C, too, so you can mix and match.
Acer also bundles an enormous detachable touchpad. This can even act as a graphics tablet, so those with artistic leanings can use the bundled stylus – which clips via magnets to the side of the touchpad when not in use – to sketch. And if you use the Aspire S32 as a surrogate TV in a den or student digs then you can detach the touchpad and use it from sofa distances. I spent a very enjoyable ten minutes watching Greg Davies’ The Cleaner – the pad works like a gigantic remote, with controls for volume and brightness – from this distance until I remembered I had to actually write this review.
A giant detachable touchpad sits at the base, along with a stylus(Image credit: Future)
Audio could be improved: soundtracks lack the gusto their creators intended, and even though I pushed the volume to the maximum (with minor distortion), I would have liked more. However, the image quality is more than good enough for TV viewing and work.
It has three minor weaknesses as a PC monitor. Some might want more detail than 2,560 x 1,440 when stretched across 31.5 inches, although in practice I found its 93ppi sharpness fine even when sitting up close.
Second, color accuracy only just the right side of acceptable, with an average of 2.62. And third, its native color temperature is a yellow-tinged 5653K, so those who like crisp whites will be disappointed.
The panel has one big strength that arguably outweighs its flaws, which is color coverage. With 90% of the DCI-P3 gamut in view, even Hollywood films look good on this all-in-one, and a peak brightness of 347cd/m2 is plenty, too.
The huge 31.5in display provides superb colour coverage(Image credit: Future)
You won’t find the latest silicon inside, but I have no argument with Intel’s Core i7-1360P processor. It remains a speedy performer in everyday use, even if it doesn’t wow in benchmarks. Here, it was hampered by having 8GB of RAM rather than the 16GB you’ll find in retail units; this will also significantly boost its graphics performance. I would expect around 2,000 in 3DMark Time Spy rather than the 1,415 it returned in my tests, while Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s 15fps at 1080p would hopefully be boosted to over 25fps (at Lowest settings).
(Image credit: Future)
All the computer components are crammed into the stand, which is perhaps one reason why the height isn’t adjustable; there simply isn’t room to fit in a sliding mechanism. That means you’re stuck with the bottom of the panel sitting around 150mm above the desk and the top 550mm above desk height, which means it will tower over most people.
The other downside of cramming the electronics into the narrow stand is that things get hot. I could hear the low hum of the fan throughout my time testing this PC, growing to a loud whirr in more intense benchmarks. I had also hoped for more than one USB-C port, but with a total of four USB-A ports, an SD card slot, gigabit Ethernet and two HDMI ports (one output, one input) there’s no shortage of connectivity overall.
Wi-Fi 6E is another welcome inclusion.
One USB-A port is needed for the wireless keyboard and mouse connector, which are of precisely the quality you would expect for bundled extras. Acer is more generous with its storage, throwing in a 1TB SSD.
Despite my criticisms, I grew fond of this machine. Even when hampered by that 8GB of RAM it sped through everyday tasks, while all the extras lift it above the normal all-in-one. Then again, so does the price: at £1,499 it’s too expensive. If that price drops – and I suspect it will – then I might just be tempted to nab one for my future den.
This review first appeared in issue 361 of PC Pro.
Last year, Intel stopped developing its popular NUC mini PCs, signing an agreement with Asus that it would “manufacture, sell and support the Next Unit of Compute (NUC) 10th to 13th generation systems product line, and to develop future NUC systems designs”. I assumed that meant Asus would have the monopoly on the NUC name, but not so: MSI has entered the fray with its Cubi NUC line, and assures me that more will follow in the coming months.
You can buy the Cubi NUC 1M as a barebones system, with the Core 3 100U version costing £349 inc VAT. Core 5 120U and Core 7 150U versions are available for £449 and £519 respectively (prices from scan.co.uk). Or you can buy Cubi NUCs as complete systems, supplied with RAM, SSDs and Windows 11 Pro. Here, I test the top-end version, with a Core 7 150U, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
The Cubi NUC 1M is a great mini PC provided that all-out power isn’t a priority(Image credit: Future)
Arguably, this is a 14th gen NUC as Intel released the 150U earlier this year. However, Intel seems intent on adopting more confusing names for its chips with every release, and the 150U actually has much more in common with the 13th generation Core i5-1335U than the new Core Ultra line. It still uses the Raptor Lake architecture, includes two P-cores and eight E-cores, and there’s no NPU for local AI tasks.
Like all U series chips, the 150U is designed for maximum efficiency rather than all-out speed. When I pushed it to extremes, the Cubi’s fan kept at a low-pitched but audible hum, but its power consumption peaked at 61W (it’s 15W when idle). That compares to 101W from the Geekom A8 Mini PC (see issue 359, p62) when I tested it with an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS.
While the Core 7 150U holds its own in single-core tasks, outperforming the Ryzen 9 8945HS in Geekbench 6 with a score of 2,635 versus 2,561, there’s a gulf in benchmarks that test all cores. In Geekbench, the Geekom A8’s 13,237 return is light years away from the MSI’s 8,651, and the gap grew in Cinebench R23 with 16,615 against 6,342.
(Image credit: Future)
The gulf in performance continued into gaming, as illustrated by the Geekom’s return of 3,215 in 3DMark Time Spy, almost twice the MSI’s 1,711, and where the Ryzen’s 780M graphics proved good enough for 35fps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider (at 1080p High settings) the MSI could only rustle up 22fps.
So, if all-out speed is your priority, the Cubi NUC is not your best choice. However, few people need such power, especially in businesses where MSI is certainly targeting this mini PC. For instance, it includes two 2.5GbE ports, one of which can be used for out-of-band management, while those IT directors who need to show they’re making environmental strides will appreciate that 43% of the plastics are PCR. MSI takes renewables seriously, too, with 92% of its factory’s power coming from renewable sources.
I also asked MSI about its customer support. You’ll be buying from a reseller rather than direct from MSI, but for businesses its approach is to have a ready supply of buffer stock so that faulty units can be swapped out and then fixed at MSI’s recently established UK service center. It’s hardly Dell next-business-day on-site support, but there is a plan.
The Cubi’s impressive range of connectivity includes two 2.5GbE ports(Image credit: Future)
The Cubi should be of particular appeal to any business wanting to mount mini PCs on a monitor. If you buy a compatible MSI display then its power switch can also switch on the PC, but otherwise MSI supplies an external power switch that sits at the end of a cable and means users don’t need to reach round the back. You can even power the Cubi via USB-C, with up to 100W of power, massively simplifying cable management. There are two USB-C ports here, both supporting Thunderbolt 4, and when you add Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, four USB-A ports, a microSD card reader and two HDMI 2.1 ports it’s hard to think of something that isn’t included.
Those looking for a home entertainment system will be pleased to discover those HDMI ports support CEC (so universal remotes will work), and there are plenty of ways to extend storage. A second M.2 socket sits empty, albeit M.2 2242 rather than 2280, and you can mount a 2.5in SSD externally via four screw slots on its bottom. Or plug fast external storage into the USB-C ports.
As ever with NUC designs, the big advantage of the Cubi is its ability to squeeze into any situation. Here, you could use the Cubi for digital signage (the Core 3 version will be fine for such tasks), in schools, in businesses and in homes. It isn’t the fastest mini PC around, nor the smallest, but for versatility it’s an absolute winner.
This review first appeared in issue 361 of PC Pro.
Dell’s Inspiron 14 Plus is currently the cheapest Copilot+ PC around, but if that’s still too much and your heart is set on an AI PC, then the PCSpecialist Lafité AI AMD may be the answer.
Rather than featuring one of AMD’s new Ryzen AI 300 series chips, PCSpecialist saves a chunk of cash by opting for last year’s AI hotshot, the Ryzen 8845HS. Its NPU offers 16 TOPS compared to the 55 TOPS of the Ryzen AI 370 HX in the trio of Asus laptops on review this month, which means no Recall or Cocreator built into Windows, but you can take advantage of third-party software enhanced for NPUs. So far, that mainly means video-editing and photo-editing software (think removing background noise), plus blurring effects in video calls.
(Image credit: Future)
You’re also buying an eight-core, 16-thread processor, and one that typically stands up well compared to Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H. You can see that in the single-core performance in Geekbench 6, with a result of 2,532 above the 2,349 of the LG gram Pro. I saw the same in Cinebench 2024, where the Lafité scored 105 to 99 of the LG, and it also performed in the multicore section: 871 versus 660. It was only in Geekbench 6’s multicore test that PCSpecialist’s machine came second, with 9,875 to the gram Pro’s 12,646.
PCSpecialist provides 16GB of RAM, leaving one SODIMM socket free. That hampers gaming performance, which you can see in the Lafité’s 1,749 return in 3DMark Time Spy – the Radeon 780M graphics here typically return a score closer to 3,000 – and our gaming benchmarks. At 1080p Low settings, the Lafité returned averages of 28fps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Cyberpunk 2077, and 36fps in Dirt 5.
These frame rates should jump by around 50% if you install a second SODIMM.
It’s easy to do this yourself as just a few crosshead screws keep the base in place. You can also replace the 512GB SSD, a budget SolidIGM drive that offers fast 3,515MB/sec sequential reads but 1,606MB/sec writes.
(Image credit: Future)
The budget again shows in the chassis, which is made of metal but doesn’t exude the class of its big-name rivals. It’s also a porky 18.5mm thick and weighs 1.4kg. The 100W power supply is similarly chunky and adds 330g of weight, but it does its job quickly: the Lafité went from empty to 93% in an hour. Battery life is strong for such an affordable gaming laptop, lasting for 12hrs 2mins in our light-use test, but that’s an area where Qualcomm powered laptops are far superior.
You can’t expect a top-grade panel at this price, but PCSpecialist makes a much better pick than Dell with the Inspiron. Not only does this IPS panel produce great whites, it covers 99% of the sRGB gamut with excellent accuracy (an average Delta E of 0.29), and brightness peaks at a respectable 375cd/m2. Add a 120Hz refresh rate and pin-sharp 2,880 x 1,800 resolution and it’s an undoubted highlight. The speakers are again good for the price.
The chunky chassis is made of metal but doesn’t exude class(Image credit: Future)
I’m less enamored by the keyboard, which feels like someone forgot to add the springs, but it’s functional, includes a backlight and suffers from no obvious layout issues. The touchpad is similarly basic, and the buttons too “clicky” for my liking, but again I guide your eyes to this laptop’s asking price. I’m less forgiving about the woeful webcam, with a fuzzy image I’d be embarrassed to use on a call. At least it supports Windows Hello.
The keyboard and touchpad are basic but functional(Image credit: Future)
While I would like more than one USB-C port, which is needed for charging, it is at least USB-C 4. And there are three USB-A ports, two of which support 10Gbits/sec transfers. A 3.5mm jack and full-size SD card slot complete the hardware, with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 covering the wireless side.
I have my criticisms, but the price is simply exceptional. Add in the three-year warranty – even allowing that parts are only covered for the first year – and it’s impossible to argue with. I would immediately buy and fit a matching 16GB Corsair DDR5-4800 SODIMM to give gaming a boost, but otherwise this is a great laptop for those who prioritize specs over slick design.
We've got another PC gaming handheld on the market to take on the venerable Steam Deck: the Acer Nitro Blaze 7, and it looks like it might be a very strong contender against the current handheld champ, the Asus ROG Ally X.
The Blaze 7's specs are pretty solid. In terms of hardware, it is sandwiched below the ROG Ally X but definitely above the ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and well above what the Steam Deck can offer.
This includes a 7-inch 1080p IPS touchscreen with a variable refresh rate up to 144Hz, up to 2TB PCIe SSD storage, and 16GB LPDDR5x memory running at 7500MT/s.
The real star here, though, is the AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS SoC powering the whole thing. This is a slight step up from the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme SoC found in the ROG Ally, Legion Go, and ROG Ally X, though only really in terms of its AI performance.
While the core counts in the CPU and GPU are the same, as are their speeds, you do get a dedicated NPU in the Ryzen 7 8840HS that should help offload some AI tasks. How much this helps with AMD Radeon Super Resolution (AMD's hardware-based upscaler) remains to be seen, though.
Acer Nitro Blaze 7: Design
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Design-wise, if one thing is immediately noticeable about the Blaze 7, it's that it feels a bit bulkier than the recently released ROG Ally X. However, it is nearly identical in terms of dimensions and is even a little bit lighter. Part of that comes from the ridged hand grips on the back of sides of the device, which felt a bit deeper than on other handhelds I've used recently. The spec sheet on the Blaze 7 isn't exactly clear on whether that difference is real or just my imagination.
The chassis is black plastic with white and red accents around the device, something I haven't seen on other devices. If nothing else, people around you will know you're playing on a Blaze 7 rather than some other gaming handheld.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Regarding ports, you get a lot here, including two USB4 ports, one on the top and one on the bottom, which will definitely make this thing easier to dock. Furthermore, since the bottom port is Thunderbolt 4, it will support video output and power delivery.
The battery, meanwhile, is a substantial 50WHr, meaning you should be able to get solid gaming time in before you need to plug it in.
One noticeable component that is missing is any of the back macro buttons you get on the ROG Ally. Personally, I never use those on the ROG Ally X unless my ADHD-addled brain gets fidgity, as even a video game beamed right at my face from my hands isn't enough to keep the restlessness away.
The rest of the buttons are the standard dual-stick, control pad, and ABXY buttons, as well as two triggers and two bumpers along the top of the device. You also get a power button with a built-in fingerprint reader, volume buttons, a view button, a menu button, a dedicated Acer Game Space button, a mode switch button, an Acer quick menu button, and (my favorite) a pop-up keyboard button.
Acer Game Space, meanwhile, is an all-in-one solution for managing your game library across different apps and storefronts that works reasonably well. It does remind you, though, just how terrible Windows 11 is as a platform for these kinds of handhelds.
Also of note is the heat vent along the top of the device. While playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider on the Blaze 7, that area of the device did get noticeably hot. This isn't unexpected — after all, energy = heat — and it wasn't something I noticed when holding the device as intended. I only felt the heat when my hand accidentally touched the vent (and the heatsink fins therein), so just something to keep in mind.
Acer Nitro Blaze 7: Performance
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
So I didn't get to run any benchmarks on the device, unfortunately, but Acer did conveniently have Shadow of the Tomb Raider running on the device I got some time with, and they enabled AMD's framerate tool to show the FPS on the device as you played it.
There were a couple of stutters here and there, but nothing you wouldn't get on any other device like this. On the whole, though, the Blaze 7 consistently got around or above 60FPS at 1080p with medium settings with FSR tuned to performance mode.
On a seven-inch screen, these settings looked fantastic, and the frame rate was very consistent unless you walked around an area with very complex geometry (and not really the temples so much, as you'd think, but more the people in the village seemed to be the worst offender).
We'll have to do a lot more testing to see how the device fares against the competition, but in my time with it, the Acer Nitro Blaze 7 looks like a very solid performer vis a vis its competition.
Acer Nitro Blaze 7: Price & availability
Unfortunately, we know nothing about the price or release date of the Nitro Blaze 7 at this time, though pricing and availability will surely be coming in the next few weeks.
That said, we can definitely expect it to be cheaper than the ROG Ally X since that handheld has 8GB more RAM than the Nitro Blaze 7, and memory right now is very expensive. Since the ROG Ally X sells for $799.99 / £799 / AU$1,599, the Nitro Blaze 7 needs to come in well below that to be competitive, so somewhere around $700 / £700 / AU$1450.
Any higher than that, and you're better off getting the ROG Ally X for the extra RAM.
Acer Nitro Blaze 7: Final thoughts
From what I've seen, the Acer Nitro Blaze 7 doesn't do anything especially well. It looks to be a fairly competent gaming handheld when it eventually goes on sale, but it's not without its charms.
I won't lie; the built-in keyboard button is something every handheld needs. Games that require keyboard input for names and other information really don't handle a virtual keyboard well and often never give you the option to use one. You're forced to try to escape to the desktop to bring in a keyboard from there, which can be a huge hassle in the middle of gaming.
The Ryzen 7 8840HS processor is also a solid improvement since it will bring some NPU power to bear, and hopefully, AMD RSR and other AI functions can properly leverage it.
All that is still an open question though, but I am excited to see what the Acer Nitro Blaze 7 can really do once we get a unit in for a more proper review.
The MSI Titan 18 HX returns in 2024, reclaiming its title as the best gaming laptop for those looking to splurge on the most over-the-top desktop replacement money can buy.
The Titan 18 HX, like its 2023 predecessor, the MSI GT77 Titan HX, is a $5,000 desktop PC masquerading as a gaming laptop. Clocking in at just under 8 lbs/4kg, you're going to feel this one if you ever have to actually carry it anywhere, and most backpacks out there won't even fit it. This laptop, then, will be relegated to your desk with the occasional trip to another room at most.
While it sacrifices portability, it does come with some absolutely bonkers hardware, including a 175W RTX 4090 mobile GPU, a 95W Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, up to 128GB DDR5 RAM, and up to 4TB SSD storage, with one of its three M.2 SSDs slots being a PCIe 5.0 interface for the best SSD speeds possible (though it doesn't come with a PCIe 5.0 drive, you'll have to provide that yourself). Throw in the world's first 18-inch 120Hz 4K+ mini LED display with 120Hz refresh and HDR1000 certification, and you have the most decadently specced gaming laptops I've ever tested.
And before you say it, mini LED isn't an OLED, I know, but I honestly prefer mini LED displays on gaming laptops, and this one can get you 112% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, so video editors and other creative pros might want to take note of this one as well.
Design-wise, this laptop is an improvement over its predecessor in a number of ways, not the least of which is that it does introduce some grey into the chassis to help break up the super-aggressive gamer black styling of the GT77 Titan HX (and even adds some light blue accent touches to the rear), as well as introducing a seamless trackpad and more refined curves into the keydeck.
The Titan 18 HX's mechanical keyboard, meanwhile, features Cherry MX ultra low-profile switches that are a dream to type on, and the seamless trackpad is adequate for basic use; but as with any gaming laptop, you'll probably want to use the best gaming mouse you have handy while actually gaming.
Given the laptop's size, MSI was able to pack in some powerful speakers that provide a much more immersive audio experience than you'll find on a lot of other laptops. Of course, you'll have to turn the volume up to drown out the whine of the laptop's cooling system, which can get noticeably loud under strain. You can adjust this in the MSI Center, though it will come at the cost of performance.
Speaking of performance, gaming on this laptop is an absolute joy. The very best PC games run buttery smooth at max settings, and while enabling ray tracing at the laptop's native 3840x2400p resolution on some titles will require you to use DLSS upscaling to get a playable framerate at 4K, that's the case with even the best graphics card in a desktop PC.
Still, for the amount of money this laptop will cost you, you could also be forgiven for asking if it's really worth the price. If you're the type to ask such a question, don't worry, it's an easy question to answer: this laptop isn't for you. If you want the absolute best gaming performance in a theoretically portable form factor and money isn't an object for you? Well, you are exactly the person this laptop is designed to cater to, and you won't find many, if any, better gaming laptops on the market than the MSI Titan 18 HX.
MSI Titan 18 HX: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
How much is it? Starting at $4,999.99 / £4,379.98 / AU$6,999
When is it available? It is available now.
Where can you get it? You can get it in the US, UK, and Australia
The MSI Titan 18 HX is available now in the US, UK, and Australia, starting at $4,999.99 / £4,379.98 / AU$6,999. All configurations come with an Intel Core i9-14900HX processor and 4K+ mini LED display, and the US has two configurations on sale right now. They both feature an Nvidia RTX 4090 mobile GPU and 4TB storage, with the only difference being a choice between 64GB or 128GB RAM.
In the UK, the Titan 18 HX starts with an Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, 64GB DDR5 RAM, and 2TB PCIe 4.0 storage, and goes up as high as an RTX 4090 with 128GB RAM and 4TB storage. In Australia, the Titan 18 HX starts with an RTX 4080 GPU, 32GB RAM, and 2TB storage, and goes up to an RTX 4090, 128GB RAM, and 4TB storage.
In no universe is this a cheap gaming laptop, and it's challenging to think of another 18-inch laptop that goes quite this hard on the specs. Even the Alienware m18 R2 pulls back from a full 4K display, much less 4K+, and tops out at 64GB RAM. Even upping the m18 R2's storage to 8TB with everything else maxed out doesn't even bring you up to the MSI Titan 18 HX's starting price.
Again, I can't stress this enough, only those with the deepest pockets need consider this one.
Value: 2.5 / 5
MSI Titan 18 HX: Specs
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
This is easily the most obscenely configured gaming laptop I've ever laid hands on, and I wouldn't be surprised if you could still play the latest AAA games at max settings at 4K for the rest of the decade. The hardware will likely physically fail on you before this thing is rendered obsolete when it comes to gaming or high-end performance.
Specs: 5 / 5
MSI Titan 18 HX: Design
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Gorgeous mini LED display
Improved chassis aesthetics
Ports galore
Low-profile mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX switches
The MSI Titan 18 HX introduces several improvements over last year's Titan, while generally keeping the fairly Decepticon-like aesthetic that the Titan is known for.
Starting with the sheer size of the thing, it's slightly bigger than its predecessor, a feat I didn't think possible. It also adds about 0.5 lbs to its weight, making it by far the heaviest laptop I've used in at least a decade or more.
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Opening it up, you'll find a low-profile mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX switches for some seriously smooth typing. The trackpad has gone seamless, as well, offering a glassy but responsive surface for your palms and fingertips to glide over. The trackpad itself is responsive, with good feedback, though a gaming mouse or controller is recommended for higher-level precision.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The Titan 18 HX comes loaded with 4x2W up-firing speakers on either side of the keyboard, as well as 2x2W subwoofers for extra bass, all of which work together to create some very rich sound, at least as far as laptop speakers go.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The IR webcam also gets an upgrade over last year's model, now at full HD as opposed to 720p, and features a physical privacy shutter, which you always love to see on a laptop.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The display though is the big feature here with a speedy 120Hz refresh rate on a 3840x2400p mini LED panel that is bright and vibrant. It also has VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification for a fantastic color contrast with deep blacks, and covers 112% of the DCI-P3 color gamut according to our tests.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
In terms of ports, having a chassis this big means you can cram in a lot of ports, and the Titan 18 HX does not disappoint. You get three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two Thunderbolt 4 ports with DP output (with one featuring PD3.1 certification for fast charging devices), one HDMI 2.1 port that can push 120Hz video at 4K, an SDCard slot, an RJ45 ethernet port, and a 3.5mm combo jack. You even get a Kensington lock slot for good measure.
Overall, this is one of the best-looking MSI gaming laptops I've seen this year, and its wealth of features, ports, and more make it a standout device before we even get to its performance.
Design: 4.5 / 5
MSI Titan 18 HX: Performance
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Best-in-class performance
Able to hit 60 FPS at 2400p on most games without upscaling
Upscaling can get you 60 FPS or better in games with ray tracing turned on
This gaming laptop absolutely puts some of the best gaming PCs to shame with its performance. Its 2400p resolution understandably taxes the hardware when playing high-end games at its native resolution at max settings, but in titles like Assassin's Creed Mirage, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Far Cry 6, the Titan 18 HX is easily able to clear 60 FPS at 4K on its highest settings, and that's not even factoring in any graphics upscaling.
Turn upscaling on, where available, and you can push the limits of the display's refresh rate on most games. If you factor in ray tracing, though, you can get in the neighborhood of 60 FPS or higher with appropriate upscaling, and on games like Cyberpunk 2077, it's an absolute necessity if you want to max everything out and get a better-than-just-playable frame rate.
Looking at its competitors, though, among the other 18-inch gaming laptops we've tested in our labs so far this year, none can match what the MSI Titan 18 HX brings to the table in terms of performance. The fact its competitors are all limited to 1600p QHD+ displays means that if you want the absolute bleeding edge of what laptop gaming can deliver in terms of 4K visual spectacle, the Titan 18 HX is really your only option.
Performance: 5 / 5
MSI Titan 18 HX: Battery life
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Terrible battery life, but it'll rarely be on battery power anyway
Charging to full will take you a couple of hours
Understandably, battery life is not this laptop's greatest strength, but to call it a weakness is a bit unfair. This is not the kind of laptop you'll use unplugged for any length of time, as you would one of the best ultrabooks or a MacBook Pro.
This is a desktop replacement, so even though its two hours and 40 minutes of battery life while surfing the web is a pretty funny data point for a $5,000 laptop, you'll never actually use the Titan 18 HX this way outside of extremely rare instances. Its bulk will make it difficult to bring it anywhere period, much less somewhere that doesn't have an available wall outlet.
Still, compared to other 18-inch gaming laptops, the Titan 18 HX's battery performance still falls about 20% below the class average of three hours and 27 minutes. That means it doesn't get a total pass from me on battery life, but it is hardly a factor anyone should realistically consider for a laptop like this.
Battery Life: 2.5 / 5
Should you buy the MSI Titan 18 HX?
Buy the MSI Titan 18 HX if...
Don't buy it if...
Also consider
If my MSI Titan 18 HX review has you considering other options, here are three other laptops to consider:
How I tested the MSI Titan 18 HX
I spent about a month testing the Titan 18 HX
I used our standard suite of benchmark tests
I primarily played games on the Titan 18 HX, though I also used it for general computing and content creation
I spent about a month with the MSI Titan 18 HX, using it as an everyday work machine at home while gaming at night once work was done. I also used it for content creation work with Adobe Photoshop.
This is a gaming laptop, first and foremost, so I tested it with our standard battery of gaming benchmarks and other benchmarks that check for CPU, GPU, and overall system performance.
I've been reviewing laptops for TechRadar for nearly half a decade now, and as a lifelong PC gamer, I know how games should run on given hardware, and how much that hardware should cost you to maximize the value to the consumer. I also have a Master's Degree in Computer Science, so I'm able to really dig in and analyze the nitty-gritty of the hardware in a way many other reviews can't.
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).
(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
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
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)
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
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.
(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.
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
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:
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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Shadow of Tomb Raider (note framerate in upper left). (Image credit: Future)
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Shadow of Tomb Raider benchmark test (Image credit: Future)
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Running FinalCut Pro and editing multiple 4K videos. (Image credit: Future)
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Lies of P with Benchmark window open (Image credit: Future)
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Rise of the Tomb Raider gameplay. (Image credit: Future)
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Lies of P Benchmark window (Image credit: Future)
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.
(Image credit: Future)
Performance score: 5/5
MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3 Max, 2023) review: Audio and video
(Image credit: Future)
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...
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.
Acer, always a competitor where price is concerned, is better known for cost-effective laptops than high-end gaming PCs, but they’ve been producing some of the best gaming PCs since 2008.
The newest of its Predator line, the Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023), is a monolith of a PC, which is to say it looks like a proper sexy space monolith, except it's nowhere near as quiet. Rather, it’s so loud that if you wanted to go on holiday but couldn’t, you could get part-way there by closing your eyes and make-believing you’re on a plane. That’s how loud the fans get on “gaming mode”.
On the normal power setting, the fans don’t spin up all that often even while gaming – but they definitely will at some point during a gaming session. If you value immersion while playing, you will find it broken by the Orion 7000.
But the PC excels in all other ways, making it one of the best computers we’ve seen in a while. It’s gorgeously designed; particularly its ARGB lighting is lovely. It’s got more ports than a leopard has spots. Its very large chassis is very well laid out, affording you ample opportunity to customize and upgrade the PC in the future.
Performance-wise it delivers everything you could ask for. It performed well in all the benchmarks we ran, and when we very enthusiastically played the brand-new AAA game Starfield at max settings, it was utterly smooth, with nary a frame-drop.
The fans will be a real problem for some. You wouldn’t be able to record live audio on it. Even voice chat is affected. The 2022 version of the Predator Orion 7000 (2023) had the same problem and was criticized for it, so it’s not like Acer didn’t know.
It’s clear what Acer’s priorities were, though: The Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) is not all that expensive – for a high-end gaming PC, you understand – and Acer has thrown in a decent mouse and keyboard combo. For this decent price, you may well be happy to slap on a good noise canceling headset with directional mic and enjoy the power you’ve bought.
How much does it cost? Starting at $3,000 / £3,300 (about AU$4,655)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
Starting at $3,000 / £3,300 (about AU$4,655), the Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) is expensive, but considering its specs, the price is actually pretty OK. Acer is known for producing more budget-friendly laptops and PCs, and, for a high-end gaming PC, the Predator Orion 7000 (2023) is not egregiously budget-un-friendly. Anyone looking for a PC armed with an i9 and RTX 4090 is already girded to pay at least this much.
Still, it’s a lot, and you don’t need to spend this much just to play the latest games. If you're looking for anything under $4,000 / £4,00 for the specs of our review unit, then you might want to look at older models like the superb Predator Orion 3000, which we’ve pronounced the best value gaming PC out right now.
Price score: 4 / 5
Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023): Specs
The Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) comes in four configurations in the US, three elsewhere. The cheapest of the US’s configurations has an i7-13700KF, a RTX 3080, and 10 GB dedicated memory; the other three can be succinctly summed up with GPU numbers: 3090, 4080, and 4090. Of Australia’s three configurations, two have an i9-13900K, and either an RTX 4090, or 4080. UK customers also have three configurations, the cheapest of which comes with an i7 hexadeca-core 3.40GHz and an RTX 4070Ti. The other two configurations come with an i9 and an RTX 4080 or 4090.
(Image credit: Future / Rosario Blue)
Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023): Design
Humongous chassis
Gorgeous RGB lighting effects
Easy to upgrade
The Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) is a no-nonsense PC. Its exterior alone proclaims “hard as nails”, meaning it’s serious business, serious gaming business. It scores almost full marks on aesthetics, and no, not simply because of its delicious ARGB – we’re not so shallow we’re completely swept away by a few million colors.
Well, regardless of whether we are or not, the whole package is gorgeous. Its massive ATX chassis is black all over with rounded edges, and the interior is spacious and very neatly arranged. The interior is visible through a crepuscular glass side panel paired with the gorgeous 16.7m ARGB LEDs. To finish is a matte black metal door with a shiny Acer logo printed in black, and topped with mesh.
The front of the chassis has two Predator FrostBlade fans in a raised glass casing with a shiny plastic frame; most of the glass is the same shadowy glass as the side panels, and part of the upper part of the glass is opaque with an Acer logo that lights up blue.
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(Image credit: Future / Rosario Blue)
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(Image credit: Future / Rosario Blue)
While it’s gorgeously designed, the Predator Orion 7000 (2023) really is huge. At 485mm x 219mm x 504.8mm and starting at 14Kg in weight, it’s not easy to carry and takes up a lot of space, so you’ll want to recall your manual handling training when you lift it and position it where you can access the back and not have to move it ever.
And it’s designed to keep you from having to. It’s designed to be easily-upgradable. It’s “toolless” – that is, you don’t need tools to access its internals. And its spacious interior means you don’t need to sweat and curse and get cramps while replacing parts.
(Image credit: Future / Rosario Blue)
As for ports… there’s a really impressive selection both at the back and the top of the chassis: 1x HDMI, 4x USB 2.0, 4x USB 3.1, and 2x USB-C. As for storage, there’s a 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, and 3TB HDD SATA 3 (and you can have up to 2 of each), and on the top, a 2.5-inch bay for hot-swapping USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C drives (one of our favorite features).
Also, there’s some cool free wallpapers on the Acer Predator site to finish off the look of your PC if you’re interested.
Design score: 4 / 5
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(Image credit: Future / Rosario Blue)
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(Image credit: Future / Rosario Blue)
Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023): Performance
The 4090 is superb
Not a single game exists today that cannot be played on it
Very upgradeable
Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023): Benchmarks
Here’s how the Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
The Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) performs, well, fantastically. It'd be surprising if it didn't. The review unit we received comes with an unlocked AIO liquid-cooled i9-13900KF processor with 24 cores, 32 threads, a stock frequency of 3000MHz and a clocking speed of 5.4GHz, and the scrumptious beast that is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090.
That partnership alone needs no explanation, it is the creme de la creme of gaming parts. Most games we benchmarked it with stayed above 100 FPS even at 4K. A couple managed to tax it at 4K, like Red Dead Redemption 2.
For everyday tasks – browsing, watching Netflix, emailing, programming – well, of course there were no problems. Even playing games while doing most of those things at the same time didn’t disturb the Pool of Performance at all.
The cost is fan noise. When Predator Orion 7000 (2023) gets into full gaming mode they hum in an endless high-speed harmony – as Acer says, hilariously. What they mean is they can’t deny the fans are loud. While voice-chatting, we had to use a headset with noise canceling, and a directional mic, which definitely improved things, but it’s such a shame it’s necessary.
The noise means you won’t always get to appreciate Acer’s DTS:X Ultra audio, which, Acer says, allows you to experience “real-world spatial sound” by transforming your speakers and headset into a 360 degree high-end surround sound system. We can confirm that the sound is full, clear and feels immersive.
Where internet connectivity is concerned Acer has installed its 2.5G “Killer Ethernet” and 6GHz Wi-Fi 6E, so fast and efficient internet access will run whether you want to use Wi-Fi or ethernet to get online.
The Orion 7000 comes preinstalled with Acer’s PredatorSense software. Despite the name it doesn’t alert you to predators or prey but to problems in your system: it’s the obligatory system-specific hardware monitor/configurer, one of the nicest we’ve seen, though; it shows temps and speeds very clearly, and lets you control the fans, power settings, lighting, and the clock speeds without having to go into the BIOS.
Performance score: 5 / 5
Should you buy the Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023)?
Buy it if...
You want a behemoth PC that can take on anything Performance is at the heart of the Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023). It can take on any task from general day-to-day use to intensive gaming sessions. It’s perfect for old, new and future games, so you won’t need a replacement any time soon.
You want an easy-to-upgrade PC The opportunities to upgrade the Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) are almost endless. With its toolless, spacious chassis, you won’t be fiddling and stressing when you’re ready to tweak it.
Don't buy it if...
You’re looking for a more cost-effective gaming PC The Predator Orion 7000 (2023) is expensive, and understandably so, but if you don’t have enough in your budget to fork out for its cheapest configuration, then there are more-than-decent cheaper alternatives to purchase instead.
Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023): Also consider
If the Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023) has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...
How I tested the Acer Predator Orion 7000 (2023)
I used this beaut as my main gaming PC for almost three weeks
Gaming-wise, I played various games, old and new
I used this beaut as my main gaming PC for almost three weeks. Gaming-wise, I played various games, old and new, mostly very new (Starfield, at max settings, which was glorious, loud at times, but glorious). Benchmark tests were carried out using games like CyberPunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and GTA V. I browsed the internet, joined video calls. And I, of course, wrote on it.
There’s very little the Predator Orion 7000 (2023) can’t do. Play your favorite games. The newest titles are nothing to it. Surf the web, watch shows, compile the Linux kernel, hell, do all of those things at once; it’ll look at you serenely like a lion challenged to a fight by a cat.
I have over 25 years of gaming experience and several years of testing gaming peripherals, PCs and laptops under my belt. I don’t just review these things in an “I have a job to do” type of way: I’m their manufacturer’s target audience; I thoroughly, honestly and fairly review and test all units. I pretty much live and breathe games, computers, and all the extras and have opinions about what is good and important, and can identify deficiencies and suggest improvements.
