I've generally leaned towards all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooling for my own custom PC builds for the past decade or so, but air cooling is practically forcing its way back into my habits because it keeps proving its worth via reviews like these. The Cooler Master V8 ACE 3DHP caught my eye mostly because of its "V8 engine" throwback gimmick, but there's a clever secret hiding inside its fins — something that Hyper 212 3DHP cooler owners will recognize.

Cooler Master provided a sample but did not see, nor did it have any input on, the contents of my article before publishing.

How much does the V8 ACE 3DHP cost?

At the time of writing, the best place to buy the Cooler Master V8 ACE 3DHP designed for AMD (AM4/AM5) processors is Newegg at $119.99, or Amazon for the same price via Newegg Business. I also found it sold above MSRP by third parties at Best Buy, which could be a last resort.

Otherwise, the Intel (LGA 1851/1700/1200/115X) variant isn't listed on the official Cooler Master US store, Newegg, or other third-party stores. For now, availability is skewed towards the AMD side, and though you do get an Intel bracket inside the box, it isn't perfectly optimized for those chips.

Is the V8 ACE 3DHP a good CPU cooler?

Before I ever installed this cooler onto a motherboard, I loved the way it looked. It isn't quite as extreme as Cooler Master's V8 GTS from 2013 — which almost resembled an alien motorbike engine — opting for a single-tower setup this time with incredibly dense fins on the heatsink. It's still a chunky air cooler, just like its ancestor, but now it actually looks more like a V8 car engine.

Aesthetics aside, the hype centers on the setup of 4x traditional heatpipes plus 2x "3D heatpipes" (3DHP) that run vertically from the base plate through the heatsink. It's all about pulling as much heat away from your chosen CPU as possible, which is why the V8 ACE 3DHP offers separate fine-tuned versions for AMD and Intel, though you still get mounting brackets for both.

Installation was a breeze. The V8 ACE 3DHP attaches to the standard AM5 backplate with four thumbscrews, two plates, and four more screws to hold it in place. The fans slide off the heatsink, so I can attach the two threads and tighten everything up. Finally, the fans are reattached and daisy-chained together, connecting to the CPU_FAN header.

Clearance is slim, but it fits cleanly over my RAM and the Gigabyte X870E Aorus Master X3D ICE SSD heatsink, with a slight amount of breathing space over G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB modules. Running an AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D on my open-air test bench at around 5.2GHz for 15 minutes kept an average temperature of 81.5°C, peaking at 83.5°C.

Unsurprisingly, it maintains a lower temperature on this powerful chip than my ~$35 Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE — and our sister site goes deeper into V8 ACE 3DHP benchmarks over at Tom's Hardware if you're craving more specific test results — while its fans thankfully showed no signs of rattles or other unwanted motor noise.

Does the V8 ACE 3DHP have any issues?

Being such a chunky cooler with a performance focus, the V8 ACE 3DHP is heavy — around 2.57 lbs (1.17 kg) — and it'll need plenty of cool, strong intake airflow to feed its thick, 30mm PWM fans, which generate at least 55 dBA of noise under load. PC builders tempted by this cooler will surely take its dimensions and clearance considerations into account, but it's still surprisingly big.

Because those fans slide into place on rails, you'll also want to be careful when handling this cooler. Although I'd mostly held it by the center section, I had once shifted my grip to one of its fans, which slipped down before I quickly caught it. I think my heart fell further than the cooler physically did, but it was a lesson learned. Nice feature, but be safe handling those detachable fans.

Should you buy the V8 ACE 3DHP?

You should buy this if ...

✅ You want to cool a powerful, high-performance CPU

✅ You're building in a PC case with plenty of airflow

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You're planning a compact gaming PC

The V8 Ace 3DHP is an impressive feat, but it demands a constant source of cool air moving through its thick heatsink. As long as you're planning ahead with a PC case that supports healthy airflow with a proper setup of intake and exhaust fans, then this'll be a great pairing for a higher-end, high-TDP processor.

Push it close to a demanding GPU, and there's a chance you'll see less-than-optimal CPU performance if the ambient temperature inside grows unchecked. However, if you're certain you know what you're doing, it wouldn't be impossible to keep this cooler happy in a miniature case with the right airflow setup.

Back in April, Microsoft raised the prices of all of its Surface laptops as a consequence of the ongoing RAM crisis, making these once valuable desktops nearly untenable for most people who can't afford them.

Yet not all hope is lost for these critically acclaimed laptops, as they do occasionally get generous discounts to bring their prices back down to more manageable levels.

Such is the case with the Microsoft Surface Laptop (7th Edition) with the Snapdragon X Plus CPU, 13.8-inch display, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD configuration that's now on sale with a 27% discount for $1099.99 at Best Buy.

What makes the Microsoft Surface Laptop (7th Edition) worth the money?

Despite current times being the worst time to buy a Surface Laptop, that shouldn't deter you from getting one if it's on sale, as they boast the best specs for conquering daily office workflows or finishing homework on time at school.

The 13.8-inch, 7th Edition Microsoft Surface Laptop is no exception, as it delivers exceptional performance on everyday tasks thanks to its Snapdragon X Plus processor and 16GB of RAM.

It also features a splendid, ultra-thin clamshell design that's pretty to look at, practical enough to carry around while traveling, durable enough to withstand accidental (or intentional) bumps or bruises, and comfy enough to hold in your hands while working.

Other notable features include a 2K touchscreen display with a 120Hz refresh rate to render images with crystal-clear 2304x1536 resolution, a respectable battery life of around 18-19 hours, and a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) with 45 TOPS to efficiently run AI-related programs like Recall or Windows Studio Effects.

If you need to browse the net for research notes fast or write down your work on documents or spreadsheets using Microsoft Office without slowdown, you can't go wrong with the Microsoft Surface Laptop (7th Edition) now that it's on sale, as it's one of the best Windows laptops around.

FAQ

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Best Buy's back-to-school sale continues to provide illustrious discounts on all kinds of computers and laptops built to help students succeed in school.

If you're looking for a high-quality laptop with solid performance and a clear display that has vastly benefited from this sale, then look no further than the 2025 edition of HP OmniBook X Flip 14", which is now 30% off for $699.99 at Best Buy.

Why buy the HP Omnibook X Flip 14"?

The HP OmniBook X Flip 14" (2025) laptop variant that's on sale right now comes configured with an Intel Core Ultra 5 (Lunar Lake) 226V CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD for storage.

For those who don't speak techno-wizardry, all this means is that this laptop can run software like Microsoft Office, browse the web, email, and multitask with multiple apps at once without any slowdown.

It's also great for creating digital artwork as it features a 14-inch, 1920x1200 touchscreen display capable of loading and rendering images with crisp clarity so you can make out all the details much easier when drawing.

Speaking of drawing, the HP Omnibook X Flip 14" (2025) is compatible with stylus pens (which are sold separately), so you will be able to draw on the screen instead of using a mouse if you prefer drawing that way.

Add to that a respectable battery life of up to 22 hours with its Intel chip, a durable and portable-friendly design, and an HP 5MP IR Camera for video conferencing, and you have a sweet mid-range laptop for work whose value has risen dramatically thanks to Best Buy's 30% discount.

FAQ

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Join Zac Bowden and Jez Corden on this week’s Windows Central Podcast as they dive deep into unreleased Microsoft hardware, AI developments, and big Xbox announcements!

• The Lost "Surface Phone" Prototype: Zach and Jez dissect newly leaked images and video of an unreleased 2013-era Microsoft-built Windows Phone prototype, reminiscing about the Lumia era, Nokia’s acquisition, and what could have been.
• Microsoft Copilot’s Super App & AI Disillusionment: A look at the rollout of the new unified Copilot experience (merging consumer and Microsoft 365 features), dropped functionalities (Group Chat, Podcast mode, Deep Research), and a frank discussion on AI hype, practical workflows, and "AI psychosis".
• Xbox Backward Compatibility Coming to Windows PC: The hosts break down the official announcement of original Xbox/Xbox 360 emulation on Windows, potential licensing hurdles, Play Anywhere integration, and upcoming achievement support.
• Gaming Rumors & Franchise Future: Updates on The Elder Scrolls VI codename rumors (Sentinel), long development cycles across Bethesda/Obsidian, and a candid critique of the state of the Halo franchise following Halo Campaign Evolved and project cancellations.
• New Xbox Console Features & Live Q&A: A discussion of the upcoming "Platinum Trophy" achievement equivalent, party/mic audio in Game DVR captures, and a live Q&A touching on Windows K2 progress, mobile shells for Windows on ARM, MSN's automation, and modern foldable vs. slab phones.

This episode of the Windows Central Podcast is sponsored by Surfshark VPN. Unlimited devices, access your content from anywhere, and auto-block malware on Windows, Edge, and other platforms from $2.50/mo, with 3 months extra FREE. Sign up today!

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The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x (Gen 11) is one of the best laptops we've reviewed all year. Our Cale Hunt called the PC a "top choice for students, small business pros, and even casual Windows users who want a premium laptop." Now, thanks to a YouTuber, the laptop can also claim the title of a streaming battlestation.

YouTuber "DevonDoesTech" used the Yoga Slim 7x to power his streaming and content creation setup for a 17-hour stream marathon. DevonDoesTech was sent the laptop by Qualcomm and tested the PC by using it as the heart of his stream.

The latest Yoga Slim 7x runs on a Snapdragon X2 processor. The one DevonDoesTech used has the Snapdragon X2 Elite inside. The idea behind the stream was to see how the chip handled real-world usage.

It's a clever way to showcase the new chip from Qualcomm. Snapdragon X processors have had respectable specs for a while, but posts about the chips on social media often include people asking about app compatibility.

An Arm blog post from July 2025 stated that 90% of time spent on Windows on ARM PCs is spent on natively compiled apps. Since then, NVIDIA has announced RTX Spark, which adds another major name to the Windows on ARM platform.

But boasting about how many apps are natively compiled is not the same as showing ARM-based PCs can actually be used to get work done. The DevonDoesTech stream required OBS Studio, Meld Studio, DaVinci Resolve, Discord, and other apps.

DevonDoesTech streamed for over 1,000 minutes during his stream. The setup had both a horizontal stream on YouTube and a vertical stream on Twitch that ran simultaneously.

"I didn't notice a difference. Never once during the 17-hour stream, never once during my testing, never once during my road trip did I say 'Dang, I really wish that I had the power of my desktop computer.'"

He added that the Yoga Slim 7x is "kind of blowing [his] mind."

While ARM-based computing has come a long way, there are still games that do not work with Snapdragon X chips. Kernel-level anti-cheat is required for some games and is still an awkward spot. But even in that area there's promise for improvement.

It's not just DevonDoesTech

DevonDoesTech's praise is quite effusive, but it aligns with our own experience. The Yoga Slim 7x earned a 4.5 out of 5 in our review and Hunt said the Snapdragon X2 Elite chip and the laptop are a "blast" to use.

After using a PC with a Snapdragon X2 for one month, Hunt was "totally sold on Snapdragon X2." He also spoke on app compatibility:

"For a fairly casual Windows user like me, ARM64 app compatibility is a complete non-issue. You can see for yourself if the apps you use are native or emulated on the extremely useful WorksOnWOA website."

There was a time when ARM-based laptops were lackluster compared to their x86 counterparts. I'm happy to see those days are behind us.

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We now have more details about Qualcomm's Snapdragon C chips. The processors were officially announced in May, but we did not have full specs or details at the time.

Snapdragon C chips are designed to power budget laptops that start around $300. Qualcomm has updated its product pages for the processors, including full specs.

The specs are promising and stack up well against offerings from competitors, such as the Intel N250. Qualcomm shared some favorable comparisons between Snapdragon C and Intel N250 that suggest Qualcomm's new chip could compete very well in the budget laptop space.

Snapdragon C specs and details

Snapdragon C promises up to 67% faster performance than Intel N250 according to Qualcomm. The biggest difference between the chips appeared in Cinebench MT testing, but Snapdragon C defeated Intel across a range of Qualcomm's tests.

Those performance tests are when both chips are running on battery power, which leans in Qualcomm's favor. Snapdragon processors often thrive in unplugged testing.

Qualcomm claims Snapdragon C delivers 106% better power efficiency during Netflix playback. Microsoft Teams (99% better) and YouTube (86% better) are both wins for Snapdragon C as well.

Power usage by idle apps is 39% better in power efficiency, according to Qualcomm.

Snapdragon C has a dedicated NPU, which helps with AI tasks. I doubt AI usage will be heavy among budget laptop users, so CPU performance and other specs will likely be bigger factors for those shopping for affordable PCs.

Windows 11 on ARM has improved greatly when it comes to app compatibility, so that should not be as much of a concern as it would have been just a few years ago. For many people, app compatibility is no longer a concern for Windows 11 on ARM.

There are some legacy and enterprise apps that are not compatible with Snapdragon C and other ARM-based processors, but the list of the best native Windows on ARM apps continues to grow and includes big-name and niche apps.

For non-native apps, Microsoft's Prism emulation has improved over the years as well. That means even apps running in emulation perform better.

What we still don't know about Snapdragon C

The official specs of Snapdragon C are promising, as are the figures shared by Qualcomm. But there are still several key facts we do not know, some of which won't be confirmed until laptops with the new chips launch.

We also need to know how the chips perform when laptops are plugged in and how that performance compares to that of Intel chips.

All of the claims about performance and efficiency come straight from Qualcomm, so we'll need to see them verified independently.

Qualcomm has a good track record with claims like this. Benchmarks and comparisons shared with the press about previous chips proved accurate in real-world testing.

Qualcomm has always been bullish about how well its Snapdragon processors perform when unplugged compared to Intel's chips. Qualcomm had an entire ad campaign highlighting differences on that front.

I'm confident that Snapdragon C chips will perform well and compete with similar chips from Intel, but we need concrete figures from the wild and hands-on experiences to know exactly how the new chips stack up.

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Laptops outfitted with Qualcomm Snapdragon CPUs are some of the best in the market for people looking to crush their daily quotas or survive mountains of schoolwork due to their reliable performance rates. long battery lives and sturdy designs.

Yet, many of them have had their price jacked through the roof thanks to the ongoing memory crisis, making their value not worth the investment for most people with low budgets and incomes.

Fortunately, one of these laptops, the ASUS Zenbook A14 (2025), has managed to snag a sneaky 30% discount to give people an edge in completing their daily workloads for the reduced price of $699.99 at Best Buy (listing price was $999.99).

Why buy the ASUS Zenbook A14?

If you're looking for a high-quality mid-range laptop that can get homework and work office tasks done fast with no fuss, the ASUS Zenbook A14 is the machine for you.

Why you may? Well, first of all, its performance rates are strong, as it's able to perform productivity activities like browsing the internet for info, opening up hundreds of emails, and running Microsoft Office and AI-empowered programs with great speed with little to no slowdown thanks to its mighty Snapdragon X Plus CPU, 16GB of RAM, and NPU capable of 45 TOPS.

Additionally, it has a clean and beautiful 2K OLED display screen that renders images in crisp detail so you don't miss out on any details when viewing documents or art pieces, an intuitive operating system, and a massive selection of USB and HDMI ports.

Throw in a massive battery life of roughly 32 hours with a sleek, minimalist design that doesn't compromise its durability for the sake of portability, and you have one of the best workhouse laptops in the mid-range spectrum, especially now that it won't cost you $1,000 thanks to this 30% discount at Best Buy.

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Mourning the concept of affordability in the custom PC-building scene isn't a new trend; on the contrary, the eulogy for "Moore's law" was read years ago, around when hardware like NVIDIA's high-end GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics cards came with astronomical prices, and possibly even earlier than that.

If you've never heard of the term — named after Intel co-founder Gary Moore — it's a prediction (not really a law) of how computing power increases every few years by doubling transistor counts without a severe cost impact. Anyone who follows graphics card, RAM, or storage prices knows that dream is over.

On a more widely known subject, the demands of generative AI quickly became obvious as more models were widely adopted, and building them on local hardware is how that all gets started. Since then, our sister site, Tom's Hardware, has watched GeForce RTX 50-series GPU prices spike by up to 39%. Sure, MSRP always felt like a suggestion rather than a rule with GPUs, but it's getting worse.

Today's GPU for the price of yesterday's PC

As it stands, encouraging novices to build their first custom Windows rig is particularly difficult because it usually means settling for the absolute bare-bones, entry-level GPU to stand a chance of keeping your build under $1,500. No matter how many advancements NVIDIA puts into DLSS — which I maintain is still the best graphics upscaler on the scene — it can't solve everything.

Plus, all these GPU headaches come before you start the painful process of finding a storage drive and suitable RAM modules to pair with it. Once you start approaching $2,000, I generally nudge people toward high-end gaming handhelds like the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ for something more entertaining. Then again, nothing beats the satisfaction of building your own rig from scratch.

Of course, the reality is that Moore's Law has its scientific limits. We can only go so far into microscopic process nodes before manufacturing hits the borders of what's currently possible. That doesn't excuse inflated prices, and a commercial obsession with artificial intelligence still pulls the brunt of that blame, but why isn't there any AI-free hardware for the rest of us?

Would any brand go against the grain?

Realistically, practically any functional computer can run a local AI model on its CPU, GPU, NPU, or a combination of the three on a single SoC processor. Much like the crypto-mining fad that saw graphics cards scalped for their usefulness in Bitcoin earnings, modern components are at the mercy of AI, and it's a bubble that shows no signs of bursting (whether I like it or not).

Since the advent of Intel's Arc graphics hardware, particularly the first-generation "Alchemist" A750, which powered my wife's gaming PC for years with gradually improving performance, I've become an advocate for what the brand is trying to do. It's a similar story on AMD's Radeon graphics side, as both have an opportunity to steal the entry-level market away from NVIDIA.

After all, if NVIDIA isn't under enough threat from its competition, why would there be any incentive to lower prices? Intel has made impressive advancements in its own XeSS upscaling tech, which is part of what makes Intel Arc G3-powered handhelds so appealing. If it could commit to more affordable discrete GPUs with its long-awaited "Celestial" range, it could shake up the game.

Then again, Intel's CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, seems more interested in a return to the memory business (via Tom's Hardware), which would push Intel's desktop graphics even further down the list of priorities. It's much the same story as NVIDIA's minuscule — if utterly dominant — consumer GPU business compared to its monstrous data center and artificial intelligence side.

Could gigantic desktop graphics cards even seem ridiculous a decade from now, when NVIDIA's RTX Spark chips become its main priority? Doubtful, but who knows? Either way, Moore's Law is seemingly dead, and regular consumers are eating the costs passed on from major manufacturers as the march towards AI psychosis continues. I'll keep my eyes peeled for any signs of that changing.

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ASUS Armoury Crate is but one piece of specialized management software that many of us have installed on our PC, perhaps without even knowing it. It comes preinstalled on ASUS gaming handhelds, including the Xbox Ally X, as well as ASUS gaming laptops.

If that sounds like hardware you use, it's time to check up on Armoury Crate. According to an August 10 update on the official ASUS advisory board, "a component used by Armoury Crate" is vulnerable and could be leaving you open to attacks.

Alongside that unmentioned component of Armoury Crate, ASUS has also released security updates for its GPU Tweak III, GPU Tweak II, and AI Suite 3 software.

This vulnerability, listed as CVE-2026-8917, comes with an 8.4 rating. That's out of a maximum of 10, meaning this isn't an issue you should ignore for long.

What does this ASUS vulnerability entail?

According to the CVE record, an "IOCTL vulnerability allows a local attacker to write a specific value to an arbitrary memory address, potentially leading to privilege escalation."

Although the CVE record doesn't mention Armoury Crate by name, it's clear that ASUS is concerned with that "certain component" alongside its other standalone software.

How do I update the vulnerable ASUS software?

Updated versions of GPU Tweak III, GPU Tweak II, and AI Suite 3 software can be directly downloaded from the ASUS support website.

You want to be sure that you're grabbing the most recent version. For GPU Tweak III, I'm seeing version 2.1.7.2. This appears to be a newer version than what's listed as affected on the CVE website.

For GPU Tweak II, I'm seeing version 2.4.0.0 on the ASUS support page; unfortunately, this version is listed on the CVE page as vulnerable, so I can only guess that ASUS hasn't yet made the necessary updates to its download packages.

It's unclear why ASUS hasn't yet made the secure version of GPU Tweak II available for download. If you're concerned, my best advice is to simply remove the software entirely until it's updated.

For AI Suite 3, I'm seeing version 3.01.10, which is thankfully newer than the affected version 2.1.2.0 listed on the CVE page.

And for the actual Armoury Crate software, you can choose to update from within the app itself.

Is there any alternative to ASUS Armoury Crate?

I often use Armoury Crate on my desktop gaming PC to control certain ROG and TUF components, but most of the time it sits idly in the background. It's not the best software, vulnerabilities aside, but it seems to get the job done.

I've read tales of some specific ASUS desktop hardware absolutely requiring Armoury Crate to function properly, but for other ASUS gaming devices, it can be replaced entirely.

Let me introduce you to G-Helper. It's designed to work with ASUS laptops and gaming handhelds, doing what Armoury Crate does in a streamlined, unbloated app that only eats up about 5MB of space.

You can download G-Helper for free from its official website.

— via PC Gamer

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There's a lot of debate around minimum memory requirements for Windows laptops at the moment, and that often comes with the discussion of rising costs for the same components. It could be confusing for students looking for a new portable PC as they head back to school, but there are genuinely great options out there.

• Back to school deals up to $900 off PCs and more at Dell

Dell's latest XPS 13 offers student pricing starting at $599, and comes with the absolute latest "Wildcat Lake" processors from Intel. Yes, it sticks with an entry-level 8GB of RAM — though it is high-speed (7,467 MT/s) LPDDR5x memory — but at 2.2 lbs, it's still one of the most lightweight and portable options available right now. Need more? I have some options.

How much RAM does Windows really need?

There's no doubt that manufacturers like Dell started flexing their design muscles even harder after Apple launched its MacBook Neo for $599 — later rising to $699 —and it's arguably led to better choices for Windows PC consumers on a budget. We saw the new XPS 13 at Computex, a technology convention held earlier this year in Taiwan, and learned more about its choice of Intel Wildcat Lake processors.

Dell's Konstantin Tuv described it as "a great student device" [...] we want this to be their first XPS", and revealed that it was in production far before the Neo ever appeared, so it certainly isn't some knee-jerk reaction to rush an affordable laptop to market. Indeed, the XPS 13 was designed from the beginning to be a featherweight companion for students and workers alike. Still, its release didn't suddenly remove its in-house alternatives from sale.

Microsoft itself is committed to optimizing Windows 11 for 8GB of RAM, as CVP Marcus Ash told us directly: "We're relentless at reducing the memory footprint." However, if you're certain you need more memory (RAM) or storage (SSD space), Dell still offers its 15-inch and 16-inch laptops with modern DDR5 and previous-generation DDR4 modules, so you can choose a variant that suits you.

Ultimately, the $599.99 Dell 16 comes closest to satisfying each category, albeit with a larger display (though you'll have access to its touchscreen) and increased weight at 4.18 lbs, but you get 16GB of RAM and the same sensible 512GB of storage as the $599/$699 XPS 13. Otherwise, if you're prioritizing portability, the $549.99 Dell 15 doubles the SSD to 1TB, giving you more space for your files.

Whatever you choose, it's refreshing to see Dell pushing its capable laptops below $1,000, even if it takes back-to-school-themed sales to do it. If you've been holding out for a new Windows PC, there are still brief moments of savings happening like this where it's smart to shop.

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I've spent a lot of time this summer gaming on my Steam Deck. It's hot outside, it's hot inside, and my desktop gaming PC simply creates too much heat.

The only major problem I have with my Steam Deck is that it doesn't play nicely with PC Game Pass, to which I'm a subscriber. Yeah, I could stream games to my handheld, but there's now a better solution in the works.

I'm talking about Xodus, an open-source project that's attempting to build a bridge between PC Game Pass and Linux systems, including the Steam Deck. The project is also attempting to iron out similar issues on macOS. No Windows install needed.

Xodus comes from the developers behind the Heroic Games Launcher, a separate open-source app that brings Epic, GOG, and Amazon Prime titles to Steam Deck (it also works on Windows, macOS, and other Linux systems).

The developers are undoubtedly up against a grind with this project. Xbox PC games that come from the Xbox app rely primarily on a Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) runtime, which is a far cry from DirectX and Win32 layers that Valve's Proton already handles quite well.

This Microsoft GDK is really what has kept PC Game Pass from running directly on the Steam Deck (and macOS) for so long.

Is Xodus ready for public release?

According to updates shared on the Xodus GitHub page, the developers have cracked Xbox authorization, license checks, and MSIXVC package (the containers that PC games come in) download and decryption.

In a Reddit post, a Xodus developer noted that the team's main focus is now getting the Software Development Kit (SDK) for each title to run through Wine. It appears that Xodus has its own Wine and Proton forks for this purpose, as well as an open-source version of the xgameruntime.dll file that Game Pass games depend on.

Xodus likely won't support all Game Pass games when it launches, either. Older games that eschew GDK and MSIXVC for UWP will likely come later, if at all.

Why I'm so excited to try out Xodus on my Steam Deck

As mentioned, the biggest drawback to my Steam Deck, aside from its growing age, is its lack of native PC Game Pass support.

Sure, I could upgrade to a newer handheld that natively runs Windows, but it looks like I might not need to quite yet. That's especially exciting considering just how expensive gaming handhelds have become of late.

Then there's the Steam Machine, another Valve device running the Linux-based SteamOS. A whole bunch of gamers recently got their hands on the Steam Machine when it launched in June, and making PC Game Pass an option can only benefit Microsoft.

Here's the rub: Xodus has no affiliation with Microsoft. It's an unofficial community project created by independent developers. Does that mean Microsoft will have a problem with it? Not likely, but you never can tell.

Xodus still doesn't have an official release date, but it's something I'll be keeping my eyes on as it progresses. If you're a Linux gamer who wishes they could use PC Game Pass natively, you'll definitely want to keep watch as well.

What do you think about Xodus as a bridge between Steam Deck/Machine and PC Game Pass? Is it something you'd use regularly? Do you already have an alternative method that works better for you? Let me know in the comments section below!

(via VideoCardz.com)

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Razer's gaming keyboards rank among the best on the market, whether you're looking to crush the competition in games or type up school reports. However, if you've ever shopped around, you've probably noticed how many are on the higher end of the affordability scale.

• Crush the new semester with Razer keyboards

Fortunately, one of Razer's top-rated wired gaming keyboards, the Huntsman V3 Pro 60%, has managed to evade lofty pricing for a limited time, thanks to a 28% discount bringing it to $129.99 at Best Buy, giving you a chance to get a leg up on multiplayer and get a head start on your studies for less.

What buy the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Mini 60%?

For starters, this keyboard features Razer's Analog Optical Gen-2 switches, which grant it extremely precise and responsive input detection speeds, which can be enhanced further with a Rapid Trigger mode and adjustable actuation that ranges between 0.1 mm and 4.0 mm.

The Huntsman V3 Pro 60% also features textured double-shot PBT keycaps with a keystroke lifespan of 100-million clicks to help it endure many years of intense button mashing.

Other notable features include a sleek and compact 60% form factor that makes it very portable-friendly while saving tons of vital desk space, buttons that double as arrow keys, and a Razer Snap Tap feature, which prioritizes the latest input between two selected keys without letting go of the previous one for near-instant directional movements in action games.

The only noticeable drawbacks of this keyboard are the somewhat noisy switches with no sound dampening (as noted in GamesRadar's review), the lack of wireless connectivity, and its usually steep listing price of $179.99.

So, it's a blessing to see its high price taken down to somewhat more affordable levels thanks to Best Buy's 28% discount, especially during this general RAM crisis where almost everything else in tech has become so insanely expensive.

If you're looking for a high-quality wired gaming keyboard that doubles as a high-speed workhorse keyboard for helping you ace exams or assignments, you can't go wrong with the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro 60%.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Before Microsoft acquired Nokia, the company was heavily rumoured to be working on its own in-house Windows Phone device that was expected to ship in 2014 under the Surface moniker alongside its Surface Pro device. Unfortunately for Windows Phone fans, such a device never saw the light of day, but newly published images of a mysterious prototype might have just given us our first and only look at what Microsoft was exploring internally.

Possibly codenamed Raven, there isn't much information available about this prototype, other than the fact that it’s from the 2013-2014 time frame and is running an early pre-release build of Windows Phone 8.1. It’s powered by an unknown Qualcomm chip, has a 720p screen, features a Microsoft logo on the back, and a silver metal frame that matches the colour of the Surface 2 that released that same year.

We can see in the photos that it has dedicated hardware keys for navigation, which are also coated in the same silver color as the chassis. The build of Windows Phone that it’s running appears to be from September 2013, and is from an internal development branch building towards what eventually became Windows Phone 8.1.

While not viewable in the images, I understand the device features individual up and down volume buttons and a camera button on the right-hand side of the device, and a power button on the top of the device. It also features a micro-USB port and headphone jack on the bottom side, and a SIM card slot on the left side.

This is likely one of dozens of prototype designs that Microsoft’s hardware teams cooked up during this era, but it’s certainly a fascinating look at what could have been, and it does look so clean. Development on this device was likely paused once Microsoft moved to acquire Nokia in 2014.

Back in 2013, I remember hearing from sources that Microsoft was experimenting with the concept of a "Skype Phone," a Windows Phone device with mobile data that utilized Skype for calls and messaging instead of traditional carrier networks. Perhaps this device was going to be that? Who knows.

The Surface Phone we eventually got arrived as the Surface Duo, which started development in 2016 and launched to the public in 2020. In that time, Microsoft shipped Nokia designs in the form of the Lumia 640, 650, 950, and 550 running Windows Phone, before abandoning the platform in 2017.

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Dell's latest XPS 13 (DX13260) was unveiled at Computex 2026 and launched in June, starting at $599 for students and $699 for everyone else.

Not to be outdone, Acer also unveiled a new budget $699 Windows 11 laptop at Computex; the Acer Swift Air 14 is expected to launch in North America in August ... basically any day now.

Considering how closely matched these two PCs are in price, I thought it was best to put together a comparison to help you make the right decision.

Dell XPS 13 vs. Acer Swift Air 14: Specifications

Here's a breakdown of the specs that go into each of these laptops to give you a better idea of what you're buying.

TL;DR? Acer's Swift Air 14 is a larger laptop with a much larger battery capacity, and both PCs run on the same Intel Wildcat Lake chips. I break down the differences in some detail below this table.

These budget laptops feel like they should cost a lot more than $699

One major feature that sets these budget laptops apart from other PCs in the same price range is their aluminum frames. These are laptops with a truly premium feel despite their budget pricing.

Windows Central Senior Editor Zac Bowden went hands-on with the new Acer Swift Air 14 at Computex, remarking:

Dell offers two colors — Storm or Sky — for its XPS 13, while Acer offers Sage Green, Frost Blue, Blossom Pink, and Lilac Purple colors for a bit of extra expression.

The Swift Air 14 is the larger of the two laptops due to its 14-inch screen. It's still only about 12.36 inches wide (basically the size that 13-inch laptops used to be), and it weighs in at just 2.75 pounds (1.25kg).

The XPS 13 has a width of 11.69 inches and weighs in at 2.2 pounds (1kg), which is considerably lighter. I'd say that both of these laptops are extremely portable, and there's a difference of just 0.1 inches when it comes to thickness.

The laptops feel premium, and that's really what matters with such affordable devices. Bowden, too, went hands-on with the new XPS 13, stating:

TL;DR: Both laptops have a premium design and build quality, and they're both relatively thin and light. Stick with the XPS 13 if you want to be as mobile as possible, though the Swift Air 14 isn't far behind.

Touchpads and keyboards don't suffer from budget pricing

As I mentioned, these laptops don't feel like they cost $699. Zac Bowden and I tested them both while we were at Computex, and it's clear that both brands put a lot of work into their keyboards and touchpads.

Dell skipped its lattice-free keyboard design on the new XPS 13 for a more traditional feel, and its mechanical touchpad (no haptics, unfortunately) is large and has a satisfying click.

In the same vein, the Swift Air 14's keyboard has decent travel and a comfy feel. The touchpad, again without haptics, is large and tracks well. You'll ultimately have to decide for yourself which setup you like more, but I can say that neither laptop skimps on the backlit keyboard and mechanical touchpad.

TL;DR: Your final decision will likely come down to personal preference, but I can say after testing both laptops that neither is likely to disappoint in terms of touchpad and keyboard.

Port selection might be the weak spot for some users

The XPS 13 with Intel's Wildcat Lake chips features dual USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2) ports. If you spend more on a model with an Intel Panther Lake CPU, you'll get two Thunderbolt 4 ports instead.

The Swift Air 14 is a lot better on ports, with dual Thunderbolt 4, one USB-A 3.2, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

As for wireless connectivity, the XPS 13 has more modern Wi-Fi 7 connectivity paired with Bluetooth 6.0. The Acer Swift Air 14 falls back to Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. Is this a difference an average user will notice in day-to-day computing? Absolutely not.

TL;DR: Dell's most affordable XPS 13 models don't come with Thunderbolt 4, and there's no 3.5mm audio jack. Acer's Swift Air 14 comes with dual Thunderbolt 4 by default, plus it adds USB-A and an audio jack.

Both PCs have IR cameras for Windows Hello

Something you don't see very often in budget laptops is an IR camera for Windows Hello. This additional hardware built into the above-display cameras unlocks facial recognition for Windows 11, adding an invaluable layer of security for any type of user.

Both laptops have a regular 1080p camera for video conferencing and stills. We had limited time to test cameras during our hands-on, but each seemed to do a good job of handling varying lighting conditions.

TL;DR: There's not much difference here between the 1080p webcams with IR sensors for Windows Hello facial recognition.

Dell's XPS 13 has a superior display compared to the Swift Air 14

Measuring 13.4 inches with a 2560x1600 (2.5K) resolution, the XPS 13's display doesn't fail to impress. It's crisp, it has plenty of brightness at a 500-nit maximum, and an anti-glare finish makes it easier to see in bright conditions.

It features Dolby Vision certification for HDR content, it has a 30Hz to 120Hz variable refresh rate, and Dell clocks it at 100% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage.

The only aspect I can see Acer winning with the Swift Air 14's display is sizing. It measures 14 inches, giving some users a much-needed boost for multitasking. It also hits 100% sRGB color.

It does, however, have a lower 1920x1200 resolution and less brightness at 350 nits. It's unclear if the Swift Air 14's display has a variable refresh rate: it's listed as 120Hz only. That's a nice smooth picture, though the variable aspect can help conserve battery life.

TL;DR: The XPS 13's higher resolution, variable refresh rate, and Dolby Vision certification make it an attractive option, though some users will prefer a full 14 inches from the Swift Air 14 for easier multitasking.

Intel Wildcat Lake CPUs help keep prices down

Dell's Wildcat Lake Core Series 3 processors are driving both of these $699 laptops, so I don't expect there to be much difference in performance. However, there is some nuance.

The XPS 13 is currently only available with a Core 5 320 chip; a Core Ultra 7 355 chip from the more powerful Panther Lake series is expected to arrive at some point in the future. If you want the most power possible and don't mind spending more, this is the configuration I'd hold out for.

I'm expecting the Swift Air 14 to launch with the same Core 5 320 CPU in its $699 model, but Acer also lists a Core 7 350 for those with a bit more to spend. Both laptops come with 8GB or 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and only Dell plans to release a 32GB config for its upcoming Intel Core Ultra model.

TL;DR: The use of Intel Wildcat Lake CPUs in both laptops means performance should be close. If you want more power, only the XPS 13 is expected to offer an Intel Panther Lake alternative.

Acer's Swift Air 14 has a much larger battery capacity, but Dell has a secret weapon

The Intel Wildcat Lake chips used in these laptops are geared to offer exceptional battery life.

Dell says its XPS 13 with a 52Wh battery can go for up to 17 hours when streaming video, and that's boosted by the use of 800ED battery cells that hold more power while taking up less physical space.

Acer's Swift Air 14 has a larger 70Wh battery, though it doesn't have Dell's extra-dense cells. This results in an estimated 19 hours of video playback, or 16 hours of web browsing, according to Acer.

We'll have to perform our own tests on these laptops to discover the true battery life, but I can say that both PCs should be able to get through a day of work or study without needing a charge.

TL;DR: The Swift Air 14's larger battery capacity is offset by Dell's use of denser battery cells. Both PCs should be able to go for most of a day without needing a charge.

Dell XPS 13 vs. Acer Swift Air 14: Which should you buy?

Acer's Swift Air 14 is expected to launch sometime in August, starting at $699. When it does, Dell's XPS 13 — which is available now — will have some new competition in the budget-but-premium space.

Which laptop you ultimately choose should come down to several personal preferences. Want a larger display even with a lower resolution? Acer's laptop is the way to go. Want a larger battery capacity? The same goes.

But Dell's XPS 13 drops its price to $599 if you're a student, which makes it a particularly spectacular deal. Combine that with a higher-res 2.5K display, snappy performance, and long battery life, and you have a PC that's tough to beat.

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One of the best laptop deals of the year is live, though I'm worried stock won't last. The Dell XPS 14 (2025) is up to $1,350 off.

I highlighted Dell's discount on the XPS 14 recently, and the deal has since gotten even better. I didn't think I'd see a laptop with these specs at this price in 2026. 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and 3.2K OLED touch display for $1,549.99 is, quite frankly, ludicrous.

My only concern is that the laptop dropping in price quickly suggests Dell is almost out of stock and wants to clear out 2025 models to push the newer XPS 14 laptops from this year.

Why buy the Dell XPS 14?

The XPS 14 is a pretty laptop built for productivity. At one time, there were a bunch of variations for this PC, but the options have been trimmed down as stock dips. The 3.2K OLED touch display in this model stands out, especially at this price.

The XPS 14 has a zero-lattice keyboard that packs large keys into a relatively small laptop body. The haptic touchpad of the XPS 14 is invisible, creating a clean look when the laptop is open.

That touchpad can take some time to get used to, but it was praised by Tom's Guide in their review:

"The keys have good travel distance and just the right amount of resistance when pressed. Once you get used to how tightly packed they are, typing is a breeze. And now that I’m used to it, the invisible touchpad doesn’t bother me. As before, I like the haptic feedback the touchpad produces, which also helps me know its location."

As a reminder, the Dell XPS 14 (2025) was originally called the Dell 14 Premium. Dell abandoned that naming scheme and resurrected the XPS brand earlier this year and retroactively renamed older models.

While I love the design of the XPS 14, it has battery life that's just OK. Our colleagues at Tom's Guide got 8 hours and 16 minutes in their testing. For context, 10 hours of battery life is considered "pretty good" in that same test.

The discounted XPS 14 model I highlighted retails for $2,899.99, but it is from last year. Many laptops from this year with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage cost well over $2,000. The new XPS 14 with those specs is $2,119.99 right now, and that's after a $630 discount. That version also has a 2K non-touch screen rather than the 3.2K OLED touch screen seen in the XPS 14 (2025) highlighted here.

FAQ

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It feels like every week the component crisis worsens, driving the prices of hardware for even mid-level PC gaming to insane prices that only a few could afford without draining their savings.

Fortunately, price discounts are still a thing, giving us PC players brief respites from this RAMpocalypse. One such deal is this 26% discount for AMD Ryzen 7 7800XD, reducing the price of one of our favorite gaming CPUs from $449.99 to $333.99 on Amazon.

Why buy the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D?

The AMD Ryzen 7800X3D may be three years old, but it's still packing plenty of processing power to help your PC run games with extremely high performance that will make them feel so much smoother and more responsive to play with.

How high, you may ask? Well, my colleague, Ben Wilson, confirmed in his 4.5-star review of the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D that its 3D V-Cache makes an obvious difference to games, even if it doesn't thrill in productivity.

You can boost the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D's performance further by overclocking it using the Precision Boost feature with the Ryzen Master app. This is all done while the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D's power management system keeps it stable and cool.

However, don't expect to use this CPU for grinding through productivity tasks in a speedy manner, as its performance rates in this regard are somewhat lacking compared to Intel's (often more expensive) offerings.

Additionally, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D isn't compatible with DDR4 RAM, so folks running PC rigs with older RAM may need to upgrade (which is easier said than done thanks to this AI-induced RAM crisis sucking all our RAM dry).

So, if you're looking to upgrade your gaming PC without breaking too much bank, this 26% discount for the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D at Amazon is currently one of the safest and most affordable bets out there.

FAQ

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The Seagate Xbox Expansion Card is a must-have accessory for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. It's a plug-and-play drive with quick enough speeds to play games right from the card.

But the Seagate Xbox Expansion Card is running out of stock. Scanning the web shows retail listings with warnings of low stock or a lack of stock at all. Other stores have the cards but at inflated prices. If you want to get a Seagate Xbox Expansion Card, you need to act quickly.

Below, I'll list all places I've found the card in stock. It's now difficult to find them at all, let alone at a good price.

Is it a good time to buy a Seagate Expansion Card?

Right now is a good time to buy a Seagate Xbox Expansion Card for three reasons. First, the card is below its launch price at certain retailers. Second, the card is running out of stock, so if you want one you need to act quickly. Third, games like GTA 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will take up a lot of space, so you'll need more storage.

Gaming prices are out of control right now. RAM and storage seem to get more costly each month. There aren't signs of the market correcting any time soon, either.

The most pressing factor here is that stock of the Seagate Xbox Expansion Card is running out. Literally as I wrote this article, Best Buy marked the card as unavailable. Newegg and Amazon have the card in stock but at wildly inflated prices.

The only Seagate Xbox Expansion Cards I've found in stock are the ones listed above, including the 2TB model at Walmart. If you spot a model in stock, please flag it and I'll update this piece.

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Razer's gaming keyboards have consistently ranked as some of the best you could buy, and, of course, they double up as generally excellent options for work and studies. Because let's be honest, if a keyboard doesn't feel good for actual typing, then is it even doing its job?

• Crush the new semester with Razer keyboards

We already praised the Huntsman V3 Pro as "the world's most advanced gaming keyboard", and for now, the downside of its high price has been solved as the tenkeyless (TKL) model drops to $124.99 at Best Buy. Compared to its original MSRP of $219.99, it's instantly a much more tempting pick.

That $95 price drop stands alongside a discount on the full-size variant that we tested, bringing that to $180.74 with a much more specific $69.25 discount. Either way, you'll gain access to Snap Tap, Razer's solution for perfect counter-strafing in FPS games that prioritizes the most recently pressed button.

What makes the Huntsman V3 Pro so good?

Adjustable actuation is one of those phrases that crops up around keyboards, and it's a feature that shines when you have the time to dig into it. Essentially, you can change the depth at which the optical switches underneath the keys detect a valid press, usually opting for shallow pushes during gaming and more deliberate, deeper pushes for typing.

If you're into tweaking and personalization, you'll get a lot out of it by fine-tuning the actuation and saving it to one of the on-board memory profile slots. That, paired with its brushed aluminum chassis and double-shot PBT textured keys for more durable lettering, makes for a comfortable typing experience.

On the flip side, we noted in our (full-size) Razer Huntsman V3 Pro review that the leatherette wrist rest isn't perfect, but it is magnetic, so if you'd rather use it only for typing and remove it for a night of gaming, it's easy to detach. I'd recommend giving it a fair try, as it's generally better to use something to support your wrists than nothing at all, but your mileage may vary.

Overall, this discount makes the Huntsman V3 Pro, whether TKL or full-size, an absolute bargain. Even if you don't make use of all the extra dials at first, diving into customization would help you assign them to your most-used features soon after. It's a quality wired keyboard that works just as hard for daily typing, so you could probably argue it's a back-to-school expense if you tried.

Frequently Asked Questions

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In an age where the best laptops are being price-gauged for everything they're worth thanks to AI eating all our RAM and memory, sometimes laptops we never took a shine to can end up being smarter financial alternatives, provided they have redeeming qualities and discounts to back them up.

One such flawed but capable laptop is the 16-inch, 2-in-1 Lenovo Yoga 7i, a laptop that doesn't quite get the "2-in-1" part right but makes up for it with all-day battery life, a strong SSD for fast boot-up times and decent storage space, and more enticing features that are now 20% off for $799.99 at Best Buy (was $999.99).

Why buy the Lenovo Yoga 2-in-1 laptop?

Now, the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16-inch isn't the greatest laptop in the world. When our laptop expert, Ben Wilson reviewed it, he remarked that its "sub-par IPS panel prevents its tablet mode from appealing to creatives who demand accurate color reproduction."

Plus, no bundled-in stylus pen combined with a stiff screen hinge makes the laptop's tablet mode not as useful or enjoyable compared to its competition.

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However, that doesn't mean the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 is worthless, as it has plenty of redeeming qualities.

It features above-average performance rates for crushing productivity tasks thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 5 Processor (2024) and 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD to help store vital data files and boot its systems quickly, a 70Wh battery that will last over thirteen hours, and solid Wi-Fi 7 connectivity to ensure you never lose connection with the internet and never wait forever for web pages to load.

It's also got a built-in fingerprint scanner that acts as a secondary security measure for your precious work files, a 2K touchscreen with 60Hz refresh rates and 1080p resolution so you can view documents and spreadsheets with clear clarity, and competent performance rates for tackling AI-related tasks thanks to its integrated Copilot+ feature and a Neural Processing Unit capable of 40 TOPS.

So if you're looking for a reliable mid-range laptop that won't cost you over $1,000 to tackle work reports or school exams while travelling, the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 that's now 20% off at Best could be the best unlikely weapon you didn't know you needed for slaying productivity backlogs.

FAQ

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The ASUS Zenbook A16 is not a gaming laptop, but what if it were a gaming desktop? One YouTuber sought to find out what happens when you connect an eGPU to the Zenbook A16. The results are surprising and show a promising potential future for gaming on Arm processors.

Connecting the Zenbook A16 is not something for the faint of heart. Until recently, it was not possible to connect any GPU to a Snapdragon X-powered laptop, even if you were willing to use unofficial methods.

ETA Prime connected an RTX 4060 to a Zenbook A16 using the developer driver for RTX Spark. That GPU is also from NVIDIA, and its driver can be installed on a PC like the Zenbook A16 to connect an RTX 4060.

Obviously the setup is not official or optimized, but it does work to an extent. Some other NVIDIA GPUs were also successfully connected, but ETA Prime saw the best performance with the RTX 4060.

ETA Prime runs through all of the specific hardware used, but the heart of it all is the AOOSTAR AG03 Thunderbolt 5 & OCuLink eGPU Dock.

The Zenbook A16 was able to hit impressive framerates and settings when connected to the RTX 4060.

In ETA Prime's video, you'll see Forza Horizon 6, Cyberpunk 2077, Project Cars 2, and DOOM: The Dark Ages at very respectable framerates and settings.

Hitting those framerates often required frame generation, but gameplay looks smooth. In Cyberpunk 2077, ETA Prime was able to hit the low 40s at high settings without frame generation and the low 70s with frame generation.

The Zenbook A16 runs on a Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme processor, which is quite speedy. But the chip leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to graphics. On top of that, games are not always optimized for Windows on Arm, so you can end up with issues like Halo: Campaign Evolved missing textures and having a transparent ground.

Experimentation by ETA Prime and Ghobso Gaming (who tested Halo: Campaign Evolved) shows that Snapdragon X2 chips are capable of playing games. But those processors lack support and optimization.

If drivers ship and game developers embrace Snapdragon X-powered PCs, we could see a significant jump in gaming on Windows 11 on Arm.

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Halo: Campaign Evolved launched recently, giving gamers a chance to explore a reimagining of the legendary Halo title. Since the game is on Game Pass and playable on PC, Xbox, and PS5, people are finding a variety of ways to play.

The Hyperkin Duke is a glorious and chunky way to take a trip down memory lane, but you may be interested in something sleeker. You may be asking, "How does a Snapdragon X2 laptop handle Halo: Campaign Evolved?" You're not alone. Luckily, YouTuber "Ghobso Gaming" has an answer.

Ghobso Gaming has tested over 200 games on the Surface Pro 11 with a Snapdragon X Plus. Recently, they tried playing Halo: Campaign Evolved on an ASUS Zenbook A16. That laptop is powered by a Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme.

That chip is the most powerful of the Snapdragon X2 lineup, so you may have high hopes for playing a few games. Unfortunately, Halo: Campaign Evolved got just one star from Ghobso Gaming on the Zenbook A16.

"It's not great news," said Ghobso Gaming. "I went on to the second level and that's where we got some big problems," explained the YouTuber. Confusingly, some of the textures of the game are completely missing when played on a Zenbook A16 powered by a Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme.

When I first saw the gameplay footage, I thought to myself, "I don't remember there being that much water in the original." But the ground of levels in the game is not water reflecting other parts of the map. It's simply gone.

On maps where there is a lot of vegetation on the ground, the textures are seemingly gone. You can look straight through the ground and see other parts of the level.

The graphical issue is peculiar, though it doesn't affect movement within the game or other mechanics. There's a chance that the problem could be fixed with an update and then Halo: Campaign Evolved could be playable on Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme systems.

During their testing, Halo: Campaign Evolved hit between 30 FPS and 50 FPS for Ghobso Gaming (with frame generation enabled). That's not great, but it's fine for sneaking in some gameplay between meetings.

Gaming on ASUS Zenbook A16

The ASUS Zenbook A16 is a 5-star laptop. Our Ben Wilson went so far as to say the PC is "everything a flagship Windows laptop should be."

Wilson added that the A16 is a stellar example of how Windows laptops can answer to Apple's MacBook Air without resorting to ridiculous pricing. While it may differentiate itself when it comes to price, the Zenbook A16 has one key thing in common with the MacBook Air: it's not a gaming laptop.

The fact that the Zenbook A16 struggles with Halo: Campaign Evolved is not shocking. Our testing of games by Wilson saw a mixture of perfect, playable, and not available.

Gaming on Snapdragon X processors continues to be a work in progress. I think we will see a day in which Snapdragon X PCs compete with devices powered by Intel or AMD chips. I hope that someday we'll see a great gaming handheld powered by Snapdragon X. But until drivers and other key components improve, gaming on Snapdragon X will remain mostly just potential.

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The harsh reality of heading back to school is the exam prep work. I've been there. Strict deadlines, heavy revision, and pressure on your shoulders. It can be intense when you don't have anything to help manage all of your work.

Luckily, a laptop to help you write and catalog all your studies beforehand for any exams with high performance is currently discounted to $899.99 at Best Buy — the ASUS ZenBook 14, featuring a vibrant 2K OLED display.

Why buy the ASUS Zenbook 14?

This specific UM3405GA-ZB_70 model of the ASUS ZenBook 14 laptop is a major upgrade from the UX3402ZA predecessor we reviewed four years ago, at least performance-wise.

With the new model's AMD Ryzen AI 9 465 2026 processor, 16GB of RAM, and Integrated AMD Radeon graphics, the ZenBook 14 will deliver fast performance in documents and spreadsheets, editing media, and browsing online without slowdowns, even when you have multiple apps or browser tabs open.

Additionally, it features an NPU rated for up to 50 TOPs so you can use its Copilot+ integrated functions to run AI-empowered programs like Windows Recall to see snapshots of your past activity or conjure quick art images with Cocreator.

Other notable features include a 512GB SSD to store files, a portable-friendly ultra-thin design, a 1080p Full-HD IR webcam with swift face login, and a 14-inch 2K OLED Touchscreen display so it can render images with crystal-clear clarity at a traditional 60Hz refresh rate, 2K resolution, and 500 nits of max brightness with HDR support and 100% accuracy of the DCI-P3 color gamut.

So if you need a powerful laptop in the mid-range area to save you from getting an 'F' on your exams or help you clear deadlines faster, then the ASUS ZenBook 14 that's now 25% off could be your savior.

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HP announced its new Omen Max 45L desktop gaming PC in 2025, and it arrived with several upgrades over previous models.

I'm talking about an upgraded cooling system built on the back of HP's unique "Cryo Chamber." About a new modular power supply with an auto-cleaning fan. About new in-depth overclocking abilities.

The Omen Max 45L recently landed in my office, and I've been using it for a couple of weeks to see what it's all about. Does it make a strong case for itself compared to a DIY build? Does it have enough premium features to warrant a premium price? Here's what you need to know.

HP sent Windows Central a review unit on loan for testing. It had no input, nor saw the contents of this review, prior to publication.

How much does the HP Omen Max 45L cost?

HP's Omen Max 45L does not come cheap as a direct result of inflated component costs and the general high-end nature of the system.

Looking at HP.com at the time of writing, prices start at $3,489.99 for a model with an AMD Ryzen 7 9700X CPU, NVIDIA RTX 5070 GPU, 32GB of Kingston Fury DDR5-6000 RAM, and a 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.

Prices climb all the way to $6,499.99 for a model with an AMD Ryzen 9 990X3D CPU, NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPU, 4TB of storage, and 64GB of DDR5 RAM.

The specific unit I'm reviewing costs closer to $5,959.99 before any discounts. At the time of writing, it's $800 off the regular price, bringing it down to $5,159.99. Here's a closer look at the specs that make up the PC I'm testing.

I put together a mock build on PCPartPicker to compare pricing. With the CPU, GPU, RAM, storage, PSU, X870 motherboard, Windows 11, and Lian Li O11 case, you're looking at roughly $4,616. Add some extra ARGB case fans in there, and you might hit $4,800 to $5,000.

Without a discount, HP is charging a lot more for the Omen Max 45L compared to building your own. If you are interested in this PC, I definitely recommend waiting for a deep discount.

Is the HP Omen Max 45L assembled properly with good cable management?

I've been on a run of good luck lately regarding pre-built PCs I tested and reviewed, and I had high hopes for the Omen Max 45L's build quality and cable management.

In the former case, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The PC has a sturdy separate top compartment that can be used to lug around the 50-pound system, quick-release side and front panels, and a pull-off top panel hiding the AiO radiator.

It's easy to get inside the PC without any tools, and I appreciate that there's a removable dust screen for the three front intake fans. I live with two cats and ... you get the idea. I've been using the PC for a couple of weeks, and there was minimal dust to blow out when it came time for photos.

The massive RTX 5080 GPU is held in place with an additional bracket — also removing the need for any bothersome foam packing en route — and I had to make no adjustments out of the box. The PC turned on and booted up as soon as I hit the power button.

There are a couple of areas where the build quality could be better. I noticed immediately that the CPU pump header isn't mounted squarely on the chip. The front panel of the case seems to stick on one side. And the rear side panel doesn't quite match up flush with the rest of the tower unless I really take my time lining it up.

Cable management leaves a lot to be desired

Cable management in the HP Omen Max 45L isn't great. It feels like it was a rushed job, leaving stray cables and extra length on the visible side. Not only does this make for a messy appearance, but it can also interfere with internal air cooling.

Around the back, behind the all-metal panel, things aren't much better. Compared to, say, Maingear's MG-1 MK.II or Acer's Nitro 65, the Omen Max 45L's (normally) hidden cabling is spaghetti.

There's a snarl of cables pinched between the panel and motherboard backing, and another snarl sitting in front of the modular PSU. One thing I can appreciate is that the correct SATA cables are sitting idle in front of the dual (empty) HDD bay for easier connectivity.

How is port selection on the HP Omen Max 45L?

The front of the case hosts four ports and an LED power button. There are two USB-A at 5Gbps each, one USB-C at 10Gbps, and one 3.5mm audio combo jack. Not too bad in terms of convenience for ports often used.

Around back, on the custom HP micro-ATX motherboard, you'll find four USB-A 2.0 ports (with speeds measured in Mbps) as well as two more USB-A at 5Gbps. Two additional USB-C at 10Gbps round out USB connectivity.

HP has a 2.5Gb Ethernet port for wired connectivity, as well as dedicated jacks for line in, line out, and microphone. This is a fairly austere port setup, leaving a lot of space on the board's I/O blank. At least there's an easy CMOS reset button available.

As for the GPU, ports depend on the card you get. The RTX 5080 here has one HDMI 2.1b and three DisplayPort 2.1b.

How does the HP Omen Max 45L's cooling set itself apart from other PCs?

The Omen Max 45L's most prominent feature is its dedicated Cryo Chamber that hosts the AiO CPU cooler's radiator separately from the rest of the PC. The air-gapped setup means that only ambient air is cooling the fins, and the hot air forced out the other side by the fans doesn't enter back into the PC.

It's an admittedly ingenious setup that makes a difference, especially when you're working with flagship GPUs that produce quite a bit of heat that's spilled directly into the main portion of the case. It does, however, add quite a bit of bulk to the case. If you're short on space already, this probably isn't the PC for you.

The Omen Max 45L uses mostly standard parts

A big issue a lot of people have with big-brand pre-built PCs is their insistence on using proprietary hardware inside. I'm talking about parts that can't be easily replaced because they're some weird size or shape.

That's not the case here. Well, not exactly. The motherboard is a custom micro-ATX HP 8E55 using AMD's X870 chipset. It's a standard size that makes for easy replacement, and the case also fits up to a full-size ATX board.

I'm not sure why HP didn't just go for the full-size board in the first place. The massive GPU blocks off a lot of the board, and you'll absolutely be pulling the card out of the case if you have to do anything that involves the secondary SSD or the M.2 Wi-Fi card.

The RTX 5080 is also a custom HP job with a snazzy Omen-styled casing. It performs just as well as any other 5080 out there made by a known brand.

I tested it using 3DMark's Speed Way and Steel Nomad tests and came back with these scores of 8,996 and 8,628, respectively.

There were no surprises from the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, either; it performed as expected in baseline benchmark tests. If you're buying this PC strictly for gaming, I'd recommend sticking with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. It costs $330 less and will deliver incredible gaming performance.

The Samsung SSD isn't the fastest we've tested, but it gets the job done with 6,626 MB/s read and 4,993 MB/s write speeds. Check out these graphs for a comparison to other hardware we've recently tested.

The PSU is actually one of the PC's strong points, which goes against a lot of other pre-built systems. It's a 1200W Platinum-grade option with a Cybenetics Platinum rating. It's fully modular for easy tweaking, it's quiet, and it has a custom reverse fan cleaning tool to spin the dust out of the hardware.

Even the separated AiO cooler can be replaced should the stock HP option that ships with the PC not be up to snuff for your needs.

Does the HP Omen Max 45L have good airflow?

To check airflow and temperatures, I ran a lengthy 3DMark Speed Way stress test. With all panels in place, including the front glass panel, the CPU hit 46 degrees Celsius, and the GPU hit 75 degrees.

With the front glass panel removed, GPU temperatures fell to about 74 degrees Celsius. The CPU, with separated cooling, saw no change. That's a minor difference, and you should have no problems keeping the PC cool as intended.

It's worth noting that the PC runs very quietly. The most noise I could get out of it was during the stress tests, and it peaked at just 47 decibels. That's quieter than most other pre-built PCs I've tested, and you'll hardly notice it's running even under load.

Does the Omen Max 45L come with useful custom software?

The main software to control this PC is HP's Omen Gaming Hub. It serves ads while open (annoying), but it does a decent job of controlling the PC.

The ARGB in the PC seems to have some issues, and I suspect it has to do with HP's firmware. It'll turn off randomly and not turn back on until the PC restarts, or it will reset on its own while using the PC.

HP includes a lot of software I deem unnecessary, including McAfee antivirus, Adobe offers, and Booking.com. It's classic bloatware. That's without mentioning the seven different HP apps that come preinstalled.

It can all be removed, but it's still an annoyance on a PC this expensive, especially when competitors are shipping clean installs of Windows 11.

Should you buy the HP Omen Max 45L?

You should buy this if ...

✅ You want a unique and powerful desktop PC for gaming or creative work.

✅ You'd rather not save some money with a DIY build.

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You're looking for the best value possible in a pre-built gaming PC.

❌ You want the absolute best cable management and build quality.

There's no question that the HP Omen Max 45L delivers on top-tier performance and cooling. Unfortunately, its assembly and cable management don't feel like they match the high price.

Worse, the PC comes with quite a bit of bloatware, and there are what I suspect are firmware issues that plague the built-in RGB lighting.

The pre-built gaming PC market has come a long way in recent years, and the Omen Max 45L ultimately feels like it's stuck in the past. It won't disappoint those who need a ton of power, but there are plenty of alternatives out there that will deliver a superior product at a similar price.

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LG got caught showing ads for McAfee to people who dared to plug in a monitor. An investigation by Gamers Nexus revealed that plugging in certain LG monitors triggered Windows Update to automatically download the LG Monitor App Installer without user consent. This wasn't just a display driver; it was a utility app.

The saga required Microsoft to step in and pressure LG to stop putting adware onto people's computers.

"We’ve connected with the team at LG and as an immediate next step, they have agreed to disable the McAfee pop-up from their app," said Windows chief Pavan Davuluri. "We appreciate LG working with us toward a shared goal of a better experience for our mutual customers."

LG has since stopped shoving adware onto people's PCs, but the company's official statement on the matter makes me question if any lessons have been learned.

"LG Electronics reiterates that McAfee is not installed automatically and is never installed without the user’s explicit consent," said LG in a statement shared with Windows Central and other outlets.

The company added, "During a limited period in the United States, a McAfee trial offer was also presented as an optional recommendation. McAfee was never installed automatically and always required a separate user choice and consent."

LG was never accused of installing McAfee without user consent, at least not by any reputable outlets I've seen. The company was accused of installing the LG Monitor App Installer without permission. That app is essentially a portal to other LG apps. It also controversially showed ads for McAfee.

I argue that no software should be installed without permission. Even more relaxed users would expect a monitor to install an app that's actually related to the monitor, not a showcase for other apps such as McAfee.

I chuckled at the part of the statement that read, "After reviewing customer feedback, LG removed the McAfee recommendation." I suppose that's one way to refer to the backlash and Microsoft intervening.

In case anyone from LG is still confused about definitions, installing an app without permission that shows ads for McAfee is adware. You don't have to install McAfee without consent for it to be adware.

Below is LG's full statement with emphasis provided by the company.

LG's full statement

"LG Electronics reiterates that McAfee is not installed automatically and is never installed without the user’s explicit consent.

The LG Monitor App Installer was designed to help monitor owners discover optional LG applications that enhance productivity, customization and monitor performance.

When compatible LG monitors are connected, the Installer can make related software available to help customers access monitor-specific features and functionality.

During a limited period in the United States, a McAfee trial offer was also presented as an optional recommendation. McAfee was never installed automatically and always required a separate user choice and consent. After reviewing customer feedback, LG removed the McAfee recommendation.

The LG Monitor App Installer does not collect personal information from customers' devices. Its function is to identify compatible monitor models and present applications supported by those models."

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I've covered over 100 apps during my time at Windows Central. From powerful video editors to tiny utilities that change a hyper-specific part of Windows 11, there are a massive number of apps to install on a PC.

One of my favorite categories of apps is those that enhance, improve, or replace the everyday computing experience. For example, on my smartphone I have several extensions to clean up the mobile browsing experience.

When it comes to Windows 11, I'm quick to install a third-party replacement of a default app, a tweaker that improves a default experience, or to use an app to replicate core functionality of a built-in app.

On top of providing unique functionality that enhances your computing experience, each of these apps can also be used to replace a built-in part of Windows 11 or a dedicated Microsoft app.

As I rebuild my clean Windows 11 installation this week, these will be the first six apps I download to replace Microsoft's defaults.

My top Windows 11 apps

If you asked me what the most exciting ThinkPad on the market is, I might say the latest T14 because it's highly upgradeable, or the latest X1 Carbon because it's so thin and light.

If you ask someone from the r/ThinkPad subreddit, you'd probably get an entirely different answer. Let me introduce you to the ThinkPad X210Ai.

If it looks odd, it's because it is indeed quite an oddity. For the ThinkPad savvy, yes, that's an X200 chassis dating from 2008 or so.

Notice the lack of a touchpad below the TrackPoint system's physical mouse buttons. The scissor-switch keyboard with high-topped keys and deep 2mm key travel. The chunky display surround with clasps to hold the screen closed while traveling.

Reddit user hektopuss posted this laptop a few months ago, and it's far from the only example of these modded ThinkPads on the subreddit.

Something like this shouldn't work. A ThinkPad chassis old enough to have shipped with Windows Vista, gutted and rebuilt with modern performance hardware. And yet, a small but increasingly visible corner of the ThinkPad community has been modding laptops that should cost less than a nice dinner into genuinely modern machines.

What's actually going on with the ThinkPad X210Ai?

The ThinkPad X210Ai is ultimately the result of the ThinkPad community's ingenuity and refusal to let old hardware die.

The X210Ai is a replacement mainboard from TP Art, which appears to be largely run by one person who goes by Franck Deng.

The mainboard is designed to drop into the X200 and X201 chassis; the best part is that it brings a modern Intel Core Ultra 7 165H or Core Ultra 9 185H to the table, as well as support for DDR5 RAM, dual M.2 SSD slots, Thunderbolt 4, and HDMI 2.1.

You can keep the X200/X201's original display, or you can upgrade it, while the keyboard and TrackPoint stay put.

Because of the modded mainboard's changes, the bottom chassis needs to be reworked with new holes punched for the ports and fans. Luckily, TP Art sells the full kit with mainboard, daughterboard, chassis, mylar, and 3D-printed accessories for as little as $1,299.

New displays with high resolutions start at $299, and extra custom fans cost $119.

TP Art also sells barebones builds with everything (including keyboard and display) except RAM, storage, CMOS battery, and main battery for $1,699.

This tradition isn't entirely new, and TP Art is a direct descendant of the efforts on forums like 51nb where modders have been retrofitting ThinkPad mainboards for years. TP Art simply recognized an opportunity to do what they love (and make a bit of money from it).

The used ThinkPad scene is thriving as RAM prices skyrocket

I imagine this sort of extreme ThinkPad modding would be happening no matter what component prices looked like, but the ongoing RAM and storage crisis driving up the cost of new laptops is surely having an exaggerated effect.

Memory and storage markets are genuinely breaking down for consumers as AI firms gobble up hardware, and there's no relief expected until maybe 2030. Combine these effects with the ThinkPad community's love of classic hardware, and it becomes clear why the X210Ai is becoming such a hit.

Franck notes on the TP Art site that the "volume of pending orders and our team's limited modification capacity" is forcing order processing up to six months out. I'd say that's quite popular.

The math on a rebuild doesn't look too bad once you start digging into current laptop prices. Say you buy a full barebones kit at $1,699 and have to add RAM and storage (the two highest costs).

Add, say, $500 to the cost for everything else, and you're sitting at about $2,200 total for a retrofitted ThinkPad.

Sure, you can get a more modern used ThinkPad for less, but that's not the point. Many enthusiasts yearn for the ThinkPad reliability of years gone by, one of the best keyboards ever made, and a wide selection of ports. That's exactly what the X210Ai offers.

Reddit user hektopuss says they plan to use the modded ThinkPad X210Ai for 10 years, which makes the purchase price a lot more reasonable.

Old chassis, new OS dilemma

Trying to run Windows on an unmodified ThinkPad X200 wouldn't go over well. It has no TPM 2.0 chip, no approved Windows 11 CPU, and shaky Secure Boot.

Windows 11 only works with a bypass tool, which would land with no driver support, and Windows 10 isn't going to be around forever (even though Microsoft recently extended its afterlife support).

The X210Ai's modified board with Intel Core Ultra Series 1 chips solves that problem. Windows 11 is fully supported, meaning you shouldn't have to worry about any deadlines on the horizon.

Does that mean X201Ai adopters are all using Windows 11? Far from it. It seems that most use some form of Linux, effectively sidestepping most of Microsoft's barriers. Reddit user hektopuss, for example, is using Windows, but there are plenty of examples of Linux to be found.

How you, too, can get started with a modified ThinkPad

Buying a customized classic ThinkPad with new hardware under the hood surely isn't for everyone. If you do want a ThinkPad but want to spend less, I recommend checking out used markets that are currently thriving. It's hard to kill a ThinkPad, and that's a boon for buyers.

I recommend checking out the ThinkPad Blue Book buying guide on Reddit to get an idea of pricing. It needs to be updated for 2026, as most listed prices have gone up, but it's still relatively accurate.

If you do want to check out the X210Ai, you're free to do so as long as you don't mind waiting. As I mentioned, wait times are up to six months, and orders can't be canceled once placed.

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Ever since Microsoft threw in the towel with Surface Duo, I've been what I call "smartphone homeless." Well, technically that era of my life began with the death of Windows Phone in 2017, flip flopping between different iPhone's and Android's until I found my new forever home with the Surface Duo in 2020.

That new forever home was very short lived. Between 2020 and 2023, I daily drove both the Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 for the lifetime of those devices. I was happy, content, and excited for where this form factor could lead should Microsoft continue developing it.

Of course, Microsoft didn't feel the same way, and the Surface Duo was put to rest not long after the Surface Duo 2 shipped. I loved the Surface Duo for a myriad of reasons, but the main one was its shape and size. I loved how squat and wide the device was, when being used in single-screen and dual-screen mode.

It was unique and different that it turned heads in public. To this day, I have never had more strangers come up to me in public to ask what phone model I was using. The Surface Duo was a conversation starter, but it wasn't just the novelty that I loved. It was genuinely useful, being easier to type on in single-screen mode compared to slab phone, and better for multitasking when in dual-screen.

So, when Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 8 last week, I was instantly intrigued based on its shape and size alone. It's the first westerly available short but wide smartphone since the Surface Duo, and although it's not dual-screen device with a 360-degree hinge, this is the closest thing to a Surface Duo 3 we're ever going to get.

Taking a look at their specs, it's immediately evident that both share similarities in their sizing. While the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is technically smaller, it's only smaller because the Surface Duo's bezels are so large. If you just compare screen sizes, they are very similar. The Surface Duo's display is 5.6-inches, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is 5.5 inches.

Both are similar in width when in folded position, which means typing on both feels identical when in use as a smartphone. It also means apps have more room to spread out, with text and images displaying more content across a single line. When opened up, the Surface Duo's dual-displays are overall bigger, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8's aspect ratio is preferred.

Although I could see the similarities on paper, I had to get my hands on a Galaxy Z Fold 8 just to make sure. Luckily for me, I have a Samsung store nearby, so I popped in and checked it out. To say I didn't immediately fall in love would be lying. It felt like home. The short but wide aspect ratio, the almost creaseless folding screen on the inside, and thin bezels all around, it just all comes together so perfectly.

Side by side, it makes the Surface Duo look like a prototype with its thick bezels and gap between the screens. I've always said the Surface Duo is beautiful in its own special way, but I think the Galaxy Z Fold 8 finally dethrones it from a pure aesthetics perspective.

But I could immediately tell that the aspect ratio and size of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 was right. It feels just like a Surface Duo in both folded and unfolded postures, and typing on both doesn't give my thumbs the cramps after a few minutes. Apps feel like they have more room to breath across both, and the entire OS experience is just nicer when the screens are this wide.

The one area that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 still fails to beat the Surface Duo on however is multitasking. Yes, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 can multitask and when set up by the user, it's very powerful. However, the Surface Duo was special because it made multitasking automatic.

You never think about multitasking on Surface Duo. It just happens. The device dynamically adjusts and places apps and popups on either screen where it makes the most sense. I never multitask on normal foldables, but I was running two apps side by side all the time on Surface Duo, because it was automatic.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 still requires you to manually initiate multitasking, which means I rarely if ever do it. On the Surface Duo, if you tap a link in a group chat in one app, it'll open your browser on the other half so that you can still see the group chat in the app you were just using. Galaxy Z Fold 8 doesn't do that.

It would be awesome if Samsung could add an option in OneUI that forces the OS to act more like Surface Duo, where multitasking is automated by the device. Unfortunately, that's not a thing at current, and so multitasking is still something I'm probably not going to do much of on the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Outside of that minor disappointment, I think the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a near perfect replacement for my Surface Duo needs. It has better cameras, and it's SO much lighter than the Duo. And although it doesn't support pen, I wasn't much a pen user on the Surface Duo either and so that's not a problem for me.

I will miss the novelty of a 360-degree hinge, and being able to close the Duo so that neither screen is visible was a really nice unique capability that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 obviously doesn't have. But we know at this point that Surface Duo 3 was going to pivot to a single-screen folding design like the one on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 anyway, which is why I think Microsoft was wrong to give up so soon.

With that said, I'm still very excited for the Fold 8, and I hope its the start of a long running trend of short but wide phones. Thank you Microsoft for showing the world that the short but wide aspect ratio works for smartphones. It may have taken a little longer for everyone else to catch on, but the good news is people are finally waking up.

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Microsoft's Surface Pro is on sale just in time for back-to-school season. The flagship 2-in-1 runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite or Snapdragon X2 Plus processor, both of which promise a significant performance bump over the last generation.

A bunch of Surface Pro models are on sale right now across various retailers. I've listed the biggest deals below, starting with the 21% discount on the Surface Pro with Snapdragon X2 Elite, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage.

Why buy a Surface Pro

The main reason to grab a newer Surface Pro is the processor you'll get. The Snapdragon X2 Plus and Snapdragon X2 Elite offer over a 50% graphics improvement over the last gen.

That performance bump helps everything from photo editing to everyday productivity tasks feel smoother.

Microsoft refined the design of the Surface Pro over more than a decade, resulting in a premium device that defines the category. There are good reasons why Apple and other companies try to copy the Surface Pro.

While imitation is a form of flattery, the Surface Pro still stands out because of its built-in kickstand that makes it easy to prop up. That kickstand-centered design is best taken advantage of with the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard, which happens to be discounted right now.

The Surface Pro Flex Keyboard that's on sale is compatible with the new Surface Pro that launched this year. If you're worried about compatibility, you can double-check your device on Microsoft's support document about Surface Pro keyboards.

The Surface Pro Flex Keyboard can be used wirelessly or when physically attached. If you've ever tried to use a laptop or a 2-in-1 on an airplane tray table or tiny desk, you'll know the struggle of feeling cramped. The Surface Pro Flex Keyboard lets you have the keyboard on your lap or a table while the PC sits elsewhere.

Like other PCs, the Surface Pro has crept up in price over the last year or so. The high price tag of the Surface Pro was the main complaint about the PC when it was announced. The current deals on the Surface Pro alleviate that issue, at least temporarily.

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I've never really had much interest in "business" laptops, because most of the time they are boring as hell. Featuring plastic exteriors with subpar displays and creaky hinges, I've always said they actually bring down the overall reputation of the Windows laptop ecosystem.

For years and years, business laptops were boring, but ASUS' new ExpertBook Ultra is the first business-class laptop I've used that has given me second thought. It's a beautiful machine, made out of premium materials and with a thin and light design that you might find on a high-end consumer focused flagship laptop.

It's the first business laptop I've used that made me want to keep using it. I was excited to unbox and set up this machine, even though it's designed for office workers and business professionals. I can't say I've ever felt this way about Dell's or HP's business focused laptops.

I've been using the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra for the last month, and this is my full review.

Specs & Price

The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra is available now from ASUS for an eyewatering $3,599.99. This will net you the same spec reviewed here, with an Intel Core Ultra X7 358H, 32GB RAM, and an Intel B390 GPU. That also includes the Tandem OLED 3K display. Of course, that is ludicrously expensive, so my advice is to wait for sales or try your luck at a third-party retailers like Best Buy.

It's available in both black and light-gray colorways, and in this review we spent time with the light-gray model which I think looks best.

What I love

Kicking things off, let's talk about design. In a word, I love the design of the ExpertBook. It's proof that business laptops need not be boring and corporate. The ExpertBook is anything but, featuring ultra-thin bezels and a unique finish on the chassis that ASUS calls Nano Ceramic Technology.

This Nano Ceramic feels amazing. It provides a distinct, silky matte texture to the whole device, which makes it easy to grip and does a fantastic job at hiding fingerprints and scratches. The device itself is also shockingly light and thin, coming in at just 0.99 kg and measuring a razor-thin 10.9 mm in profile. It's an almost impossibly light device, easily maneuverable with one hand and disappears when placed into any backpack, making it an excellent travel companion.

Simply put, the laptop strikes a great balance between executive minimalism and futuristic flair. That futuristic flair is best showcased when opening the laptop. Every time you open it, a lightbar that exists below the display will light up to let you know that the laptop is booting or waking up from sleep. ASUS calls this bar the "ExpertLumi" lighting system, and it provides an ambient glow whenever the device is booting or restarting.

You can turn off the ExpertLumi bar if you don't like it, but honestly, why would you. It's something unique about the device which I love, and it's not used often enough for it to be annoying. It's there when you boot up, or power off, and that's about it.

Above the ExpertLumi bar is the incredible 3K Tandem OLED 14-inch display. It's arguably the best thing about this laptop, offering great color contrast, colors that pop, and a high 120Hz refresh rate that makes scrolling and animations super smooth.

The display also features Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, complete with a matte finish that's designed to remove reflections and make the screen easy to see outdoors. It works wonders, with this laptop being one of the best when it comes to viewing it outdoors on a sunny day.

With that said, the matte finish does mean text and image clarity is slightly reduced. It's not the end of the world, and the display is still plenty sharp, but if you're used to high-resolution glossy displays like myself, the matte finish on this display will make text seem a little fuzzier around the edges.

In regards to the keyboard and trackpad, I have no notes. Both are perfect and feel incredibly satisfying to use. The trackpad is a haptic one, which is tuned perfectly so that it feels natural to use. Its design is also quite unique, as the trackpad itself runs all the way to the very edge of the device.

That means the trackpad hangs over the edge of the device, which doubles as a convenient place to place your finger when prying the lid open. On that subject, the lid is openable with one-hand, for those who care about that sort of thing. The keyboard is excellent to type on, with a quiet yet tactile feel that makes typing easy.

Coming onto the ports selection, I'm happy. There's plenty of ports on this device, all of which are well spec'd. We have two Thunerbolt 4 Type-C ports, supporting up to 40Gbps of data, as well as one USB-A 3.2 Gen2 port 1x full-sized HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The only port I'd say it's missing that I wish it had is an ethernet jack, but I'm content without one.

The webcam, microphone, and speakers are also great, which you'd hope would be the case on a business-focused laptop. Image quality is crisp and clear in well lit environments, with the picture only getting a little noisy in low-light environments. Perfectly acceptable for video calls at work.

What's not good

The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra is mostly great, which means I have very little to talk about that I'd class as "not good" about the ExpertBook. One issue that plagued my review unit it the laptop's hinge, which was very loose out of the box, so much so that the device wouldn't stay at a usable angle when typing.

This is a pretty big issue, but ASUS was quick to assure me that this was simply a pre-production issue and would not be the case on final units, which are now shipping. I can confirm that retail units that I have tested do not have this problem, though it's worth keeping an eye out just in case. If your laptop's hinge is super loose to the point where it won't stay upright when typing, make sure you get it exchanged.

The only other "issue" which isn't really an issue is the matte finish on the display. It really does come down to personal preference here, and I just prefer glossy screens over matte finishes. The matte finish on this display takes away from the color contrast you usually get on OLED displays, colors are a little more washed out and text and images are a little less sharp around the edges.

I wish ASUS offered the ExpertBook Ultra with multiple display configurations so I could choose one without the matte finish.

I think the real big problem with this laptop is its price. It's $3,599, which is an absurd price which, even when a laptop is this good, isn't worth it. The ongoing component shortage is the reason why pricing is this high, but as a result this is a super hard recommend to anyone that isn't buying these in bulk for a fleet of executives and managers.

Performance & Battery

Powering things under the hood, we have an Intel Core Ultra X7 358H paired with 32GB RAM and an Intel Arc B390 GPU. This is a very well equipped PC with plenty of power under the hood for day to day productivity tasks, multitasking, and even video and photo editing and rendering.

In fact the Intel B390 GPU in here is more than just your typical integrated graphics. It balances efficiency with power, resulting in an integrated graphics chip that is surprisingly capable at gaming when settings are lowered to 1080p medium. With that in mind, this is not a gaming laptop and should not be judged as one.

Although the device is super thin, the ExpertBook is still plenty capable. It keeps that Intel Core Ultra cool, allowing the CPU to boost up to 50W TDP in Turbo Mode without thermal throttling issues. In day-to-day productivity tasks involving handling dozens of browser tabs, streaming 4K video, compiling code, and running local AI tasks via its 50 TOPS NPU, the machine stays remarkably quiet (under 28 dB in Balanced mode) and snappy.

In regards to battery life, this laptop will last you all day on a single charge with no sweat for your usual day to day productivity task workflows. Obviously, that number will be less if you're doing high-intensity tasks, but for the most part you should be able to leave your charger at home for an office-based productivity workday.

Conclusion

You should buy this PC if...

✅ You want a lightweight flagship Windows laptop

✅ You need a PC with an anti-reflective screen and Tandem OLED

✅ You need lots of ports on your laptop

You should not buy this PC if...

❌ You prefer glossy displays

❌ You don't want to spend over $3,000 on a laptop

❌ You're a hardcore gamer who wants to game

Ultimately, the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra is an incredible laptop, but at $3,599, it's not something I can recommend most people go out and buy. It's just too expensive for what it is, even if it is an almost perfect thin and light laptop.

If we ignore that stupidly high price tag, I have very little to complain about here. The Nano Ceramic material that coats the chassis is unique and looks and feels amazing. Its lightweighted-ness is also otherworldly, and the Tandem OLED display is to die for, even with its matte finish which I'm not a huge fan of.

If you can find the ExpertBook Ultra on sale for less than $2,500, this gets a recommendation from me. Anything more than that, and I think you should probably look elsewhere as there are many other laptops that cost lest that do a great job at matching the ExpertBook Ultra in design and performance.

The HP OMEN is now under HyperX, so don't worry, you aren't imagining things. It's part of a simple rebrand that happened a while ago, and now the gaming side is fully transitioning over while the designs generally remain the same. This time around, the HyperX OMEN 15 opts for a mid-range RTX 5050 laptop GPU from NVIDIA and cleverly pairs it with a 120Hz OLED display for strong contrast.

Various models come with cheaper components, but this modern offering tempts with ~$700 discounts directly from HP to offset what would otherwise be an off-putting MSRP. Still, can any gaming laptop really be worth spending thousands of dollars, or is that money better spent elsewhere? I spent a week with a sample to find out, and this is what I discovered in my testing.

How much does the OMEN 15 cost?

You can buy the HP OMEN 15 in a wealth of varying specs directly from HP, including previous models with Intel's 14th Gen mobile "Raptor Lake Refresh" processors from 2024 and AMD's Ryzen 8000 Series "Dragon Range Refresh" from 2025. Modern equivalents with the same Intel Core Ultra Series 3 "Panther Lake" chips as my sample start at $1,999.99.

An exact match to the Intel-based spec tested in this review, with an NVIDIA RTX 5070 GPU, is $2,799.99 $2,099.99 at the time of writing. However, an AMD-based variant with the same GPU but with lower-spec 16 GB of RAM and a lower-resolution 2.5K display currently sells for $2,099.99. Alternatively, you can find multiple HyperX OMEN variants at Best Buy.

Is the OMEN 15 well made?

If you removed the Intel, NVIDIA, and 120Hz refresh rate stickers from the OMEN 15, it would look quite plain apart from a small 'OMEN' logo on the left and a subtle "O15" branding on the bottom right. There aren't any speaker grilles on the top, and the display has a tolerable bezel that stays quite thin on the sides. It's hefty at 5.02 lbs, but it likely wouldn't spend much time on your lap.

Huge cooling vents cover the rear side of its chassis, and the same applies underneath to keep the fans moving cool air over its power-hungry CPU and GPU. Rear-facing HDMI-out and USB-C ports support external monitors and charging alternatives, while the 200W AC adapter connects to a barrel jack on the left side alongside a USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port and headphone jack.

The right side features one more USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port and an Ethernet port for wired networking if you'd rather use it over the built-in Wi-Fi 7. Otherwise, the 5.7-inch mechanical touchpad is fine, though it loses physical click feedback around the top quarter. The keyboard is decent, and its sleek 4-zone RGB backlight looks quite hypnotic during gameplay.

For some reason, HyperX is another brand convinced that gamers want a number pad on their gaming laptops, so my typing experience is permanently shifted to the left. It isn't a big deal in games that mostly use the WASD keys, but everyday use feels strange. As always, I'd have much preferred larger, more powerful speakers over a few extra keys, as the audio experience is lacking in low-end bass.

How bright is the OLED display?

Using a colorimeter showed the OMEN 15 reaching 503 nits at 100% brightness without HDR, matching the 500 rating advertised by HyperX. Similarly, the OLED display scored 100% in color accuracy for the P3 gamut, and again for sRGB, with Adobe RGB scoring a respectable 92%. The screen does everything that it claims, and it looks great while it's doing it. A comfortable 250 nits rests around 66% brightness, but it can definitely go higher.

How fast is the OMEN 15?

I tested Cyberpunk 2077 at the OMEN 15's native 2880 x 1800 resolution, with the refresh rate set to its default 120 Hz, across a few graphical presets. The 'High' preset averaged 47 FPS without ray tracing after disabling resolution scaling and frame generation, which is a decent baseline for anything above 1080p. Switching the scaling option to DLSS with the 'Transformer Model' set to auto brings that up to 70 FPS without frame generation, and 111 FPS with 2X.

Using the default settings in the 'Ray Tracing: Low' preset with DLSS set to auto and frame generation at 2X, I was able to hit an average of 90 FPS in the benchmark. That gives a reasonable 40+ FPS baseline powering NVIDIA's "fake frames", and it delivers a finished product above a comfortable 60 FPS in the actual game. 'Ray Tracing: Overdrive' only just manages 32 FPS with DLSS set to performance, so tweak to your own preferences.

Elsewhere, Black Myth: Wukong without ray tracing averages 36 FPS in its dedicated benchmark tool with the 'High' preset at 100% of the OMEN 15's native resolution without frame generation, or 95 FPS when DLSS is set to 60% and frame generation is enabled. Ray tracing set to its 'medium' profile doesn't significantly wreck the DLSS-boosted performance, so the same upscaling and frame-generation combo still manages 69 FPS for a pleasing in-between.

In multiplayer titles, Counter-Strike 2 breathes easy with its 'High' visual preset at native resolution, generally maintaining over 100 FPS while spectating entire matches across various maps. It's a similar story in Apex Legends, which stays above 120 FPS with V-Sync disabled and everything else in the 'high' or 'enabled' territory. If you're into competitive shooters, you'll be quite happy with the OMEN 15 running at a smooth 120 Hz. No sweat.

Performance benchmarks

The Core Ultra 9 386H is part of Intel's Core Ultra Series 3 range, codenamed Panther Lake, with the 'H' meaning "highest performance". It's a 16-core, 16-thread mobile processor with a 20W base TDP and a boost up to 80W. Since it also includes an NPU rated up to 50 TOPS, the OMEN 15 is technically classified as a Copilot+ PC — though I doubt many PC gamers care.

Regardless, the CPU here is fast and capable, performing close to what we saw in the new ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo with the same chip and landing between Razer's Ryzen AI 9 365-based Blade 14 and its Ryzen AI 9 HX 370-based Blade 16. That's great company to be in, even if the OMEN 15 ever-so-slightly lags behind the Zephyrus. There's more than enough power here to back up the RTX 5070.

Speaking of NVIDIA's laptop GPU, the RTX 5070 L falls within the same margin of error as the aforementioned Blade 14 from 2025. It comes with 8GB of VRAM instead of the 12GB in its desktop equivalent or the upgraded mobile version, and this laptop chip is around 31.3% slower than a full-sized, "real" RTX 5070 — all totally normal side effects of NVIDIA's naming convention.

Finally, the PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD inside is from Samsung, delivering just under 5,000 MB/s read speeds, and closer to 4,000 MB/s write speeds. It's passable, but lower than I'd like for a laptop at this price, especially given that an entry-level Alienware 15 manages read speeds above 7,000 MB/s. The OMEN 15 never showed any perceptible signs of slow boots or sluggish disk activity, but it's worth mentioning.

Should you buy the OMEN 15?

You should buy this if ...

✅ You want an OLED gaming laptop for modern titles

✅ You're into competitive FPS and other esports games

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You're regularly playing in public places without headphones

It's telling that the OMEN 15 dropped $700 off its listing price around the time of reviews, suggesting this is the price it should have been from the beginning. It certainly feels more like a ~$1,999 gaming laptop, given the relatively mid-range GPU, though the bonus of 32GB of RAM shouldn't be ignored in this miserable era of memory shortages. That, and the OLED 120Hz display looks absolutely gorgeous.

The killer feature is that HyperX (HP) is backing up that smooth refresh rate with hardware that can actually reach it with a fitting frame rate. Sure, you have to lean on NVIDIA's DLSS suite in some games, but its RTX 50 Series benefits the most from all that anyway. It's a loud machine, though that's a recurring theme in even the best gaming laptops, and a pair of headphones lets you focus on the vibrant gameplay and ignore the lackluster speakers.

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I've been keeping an eye on global PC shipments as part of the ongoing RAM crisis for more than a year, and it seems that the component shortage has finally caught up with markets.

Global PC shipments dropped 4% year-over-year in Q2 2026 according to a new study by Counterpoint Research. That drop resulted in roughly 65 million shipments for the quarter, ending a growth run that had held since Q1 2025.

This report lines up with what IDC predicted a few weeks ago: that global PC shipments will decline by 11.3% for the full year. In the same report, IDC analysts also predict that Q4 shipments could fall by a whopping 20% year over year.

Why are PC shipments dropping?

The culprit behind the drop in PC shipments is the same as the one driving tech prices up seemingly across the board: soaring DRAM and NAND prices, driven largely by the sudden glut of AI data centers around the world.

PC manufacturers have basically had to choose between raising consumer prices and eating raised component costs, and most have chosen the former. It's no wonder that PC shipments have finally started to drop off.

Counterpoint notes that commercial PC buyers are proving to be the most resilient, helped along by ongoing Windows 11 migration from Windows 10. Without this uptick in PC sales, the overall picture would likely look a lot worse.

ASUS gained the most out of all Windows PC makers

ASUS has undeniably been producing some of the best Windows laptops around lately, and I'm not exactly surprised to see it's the only Windows PC maker that saw a rise in global shipments.

It improved by 4% year-over-year in Q2 2026, as Lenovo, Dell, HP, and other brands fell by up to 9%. It's worth noting that Apple had the best quarter, seeing its MacBook shipments climb by an impressive 13%. The popularity of its budget MacBook Neo undoubtedly has something to do with that number.

What this means for you when shopping for a new PC

Counterpoint expects component prices to remain elevated throughout the second half of 2026. That's bad news for anyone who's on the lookout for budget PCs, as there are bound to be more price increases as OEMs struggle to maintain margins.

My best advice for anyone holding out for a cheap Windows PC? Don't. Just don't. As I've explained in my previous RAM crisis coverage, relief on pricing isn't expected anytime soon ... at least not before the end of 2027.

If your current PC doesn't seem like it's going to live through another couple of years of dutiful service, it might be best to buy sooner rather than later despite the inflated costs already hitting consumers.

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