It might be surprising, but free VPNs are no longer just for PCs. You can also use them to help easily boost your security and privacy game on an Android device. Whether you want extra security while using a public Wi-Fi network, or to get around geo-restrictions for most of your favorite streaming services, a free VPN can help you do it without having to pay for anything.

The problem when looking for a good free VPN, though, is that there are a large number of them available on the Google Play Store. So how do you determine which ones are worth your time? Our experts here at PCWorld have tested a slew of VPNs, both for PCs and Android devices, and have curated a list of the best free options you can feel confident in using. Check out our top picks below.

Why you should trust me: Here at PCWorld we’ve been testing computer hardware, software, and services since the 1980s. As the VPN reviewer, I’m continually testing all of the major VPNs on the market and many lesser-known services in order to curate a list of the very best VPNs across a variety of categories. For a more in-depth guide, you can check out my article on how we test VPN services at PCWorld. Below you’ll find my favorite free VPNs, and below that, helpful advice about what to look for when choosing a VPN for your Android device on your own.

And if you’re looking to further upgrade your Android phone’s security, which I highly recommend, be sure to look at PCWorld’s recommendations for the best free antivirus for Android as well. Additionally, you can check out my guide to the best VPNs covering multiple devices.

Updated May 16, 2024: Check out my latest review of ProtonVPN. It manages to hold on to the number one spot as best free VPN for Android due to its generous free plan and easy-to-use Android app.

What to look for in a free VPN for Android

This will follow a lot of the advice I’ve already given for free stuff when it comes to Android. Google is doing a better job than ever at keeping harmful apps out of the Play Store, but there is still a chance of some random VPN app having malicious intent. Another problem is that even if the app is fine, the service itself may be up to no good.

For those reasons I always advise going with a well-known VPN service provider to reduce your chances of running into security issues.

Next, you want a free app that is truly free. Not some 7- or 30-day trial that will automatically start charging the card connected to your Play account after the trial period. You should also read over the privacy policy to make sure there’s nothing there you’re going to have a problem with.

Finally, you want to make sure the VPN has data limits that suit your needs.

How I tested

I judge VPNs on a variety of criteria including server network, connection speeds, privacy protections, ease-of-use, additional features, and cost. For a more detailed guide on how I test, check out PCWorld’s comprehensive guide on how we test VPN services.

Speed tests are kept as simple as possible. I average the connections between different global locations for any given VPN and then compare them to a baseline internet speed to get a good picture of the overall connection speeds. I thoroughly research and analyze the privacy policies and histories of each VPN and note any outstanding discrepancies or data collection issues.

Experience and ease-of-use are subjective, but I try my best to give an accurate representation of how it feels to work with the VPN. Since you don’t have to pay for a free VPN, the value will be contingent upon the trade-offs you’ll need to make and the restrictions it has in place.

Free VPNs aren’t a top recommendation, but if you’re going to go that way I’d strongly suggest the VPNs mentioned above.

Android, VPN

Summer is the best time of year to get outdoors and entertain. However, in some parts of the country, it can also be a very dicey time to do those things. Summer storms can quickly turn a great day sour, but with Weather Hi-Def Radar Storm Watch Plus, you’ll always be ahead of the weather. It’s just over 70 percent off for a limited time.

This HD weather app has earned 4.6/5 stars on the App Store because it takes you well beyond the basic forecast. The interactive weather radar gives you real-time and future-animated radar images to track 10-day temperatures, rainfall and flooding, snowfall and winter storm conditions, storm alerts, upcoming sudden weather changes, and much more. With just a few clicks, you can get incredibly detailed weather information to help you plan every day accordingly.

Plan for everything this summer. Right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to Weather Hi-Def Radar Storm Watch Plus for 73% off $149 at just $39.99.

 

Weather Hi-Def Radar Storm Watch Plus: Lifetime Subscription – $39.99

See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Accessories

We all have more files than we know what to do with these days. That’s why a cloud storage solution is basically essential for anyone. But you want one that will make it easy to stay organized and won’t cost a bundle every month, which is exactly where this FolderFort 1TB Storage Pro Plan comes in.

FolderFort is an intuitive, high-speed cloud storage that gives you access to your files on any modern browser on any device without any installations needed. With this deal, you’ll get 1TB of cloud storage with FolderFort’s specialized user interface that allows you to create unlimited workspaces and collaborate with unlimited users. It’s easy to organize files, share your files and folders, and access files across devices and platforms. FolderFort is secured by Backblaze, giving you robust encryption, fast speeds, and unlimited safe expansion.

Enjoy a better cloud storage solution. Right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to a FolderFort 1TB Storage Pro Plan for 68% off $251 at just $79.99.

 

FolderFort 1TB Storage Pro Plan: Lifetime Subscription – $79.99

See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Accessories

Microsoft has released a new version of its free Windows tuning tool, dubbed PC Manager.

Version 3.9.3.0’s main new feature is the improved “Files Cleanup” feature, as the US IT news portal Windowslatest reports. This is designed to give you more free space on your Windows computer quickly and easily. The new “Files Cleanup” cleans up downloaded files, searches for particularly large files, and removes duplicate files.

Microsoft’s PC Manager tool also brings Dark Mode to the app. There are also a number of detailed improvements to the interface as well as a revised desktop toolbar, which now integrates the Bing search. Update: On that note, be careful when using PC Manager’s Repair tools. After this update, it began saying you need to switch to Bing search to “repair” Edge to its intended use. If you’ve manually tuned Edge’s default to run Google, DuckDuckGo, or another search engine, ignore that PC Manager suggestion.

Further reading: How to use Microsoft’s free PC Manager for a digital spring cleaning

What Microsoft PC Manager does

With PC Manager, you can optimize the memory and storage space on computers with Windows 11 and Windows 10. Windows should also work faster by removing temporary files that are no longer needed and clearing the Windows update cache.

When cleaning up your computer, you can specify in PC Manager whether the tool should focus its cleaning and tidying work on downloaded files, large files, or duplicate files. For downloaded files, the software cleans up downloads from Edge, Chrome, and other applications that deposit files in the Downloads folder. If you let PC Manager search for large files, the tool will show you these. You can then decide whether you actually still need the file in question or whether you want to free up the storage space.

As already mentioned, the third option is to search for multiple files that are located in different places on your computer and therefore take up unnecessary storage space.

Microsoft’s PC Manager serves as an alternative to the iconic Ccleaner optimization app.

You can find the PC Manager download in the Microsoft Store. At least Windows 10 version 19042.0 or higher, or Windows 11, is required, with both x86 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips supported.

Editor’s note: This article originally ran on May 13 but was updated May 17 to warn about the Bing Search “Repair” behavior.

Windows

Gone are the days of backpacks overloaded with binders and the chronic hand-cramps from trying to write as fast as possible. Nowadays, a good laptop elevates your productivity and allows you to keep all your important lesson materials in one place. Whether you’re new to campus or heading into your final year, having a laptop that’s capable, sturdy, and portable — with good battery life, natch — will help keep you on top of your studies, or gaming (no judgement).

Why you should trust us: It’s in our name: PCWorld. We’ve been reviewing laptops for over 40 years, with exacting standards applied to all facets of the user experience, from performance benchmarks to features to the rigors of daily use. Our experts know their stuff and have curated a comprehensive list of the best laptops for college students, with their particular needs in mind.

After you finish looking over our recommendations, be sure to hit our daily updated roundup of the best laptop deals to try and score your favorite laptops on sale. Or check out our roundup of the best laptops for even more recommendations.

Updated May 17, 2024: We updated the list of recently reviewed laptops underneath our recommendations, and added additional context to various picks throughout.

Best laptops for college students

Recent laptop reviews

• Gigabyte G6X: It doesn’t look like much on the outside, but this gaming laptop offers outstanding specs for its $1,350 price tag — it’s a heck of a value.
• Acer Swift Go 14: The $799 Acer Swift Go 14 is a reliable travel workhorse through and through, delivering strong performance alongside a whopping 15 hour battery life. The only downside? It’s a Costco exclusive.
• Acer Aspire Go 15: The Acer Aspire Go 15 (2024) isn’t much to look at, but it plods along without much fuss, only struggling when demand is put on the meager integrated graphics or too much CPU horsepower is called for. For simple computing needs, it has clear value at just $300.
• Asus ROG Zephyrus G16: With rip-roaring RTX 4070 performance, a luscious OLED screen, and a comfortable keyboard, this $2,000 gaming laptop would be a good investment for video editing students who want more frames in games than our top pick offers. The price is high and the webcam is mediocre, though.

How we tested

The PCWorld team puts each and every Windows laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others we’ve tested. Chromebooks, on the other hand, go through a series of web-based tests. It wouldn’t be fair or possible to run the same kinds of tests on a Chromebook, as they’re Chrome OS-based machines.

Below, you’ll find a breakdown of each test and the reasons why we run them. For a much deeper look at our review methodology, check out how PCWorld tests laptops.

Windows laptops

• PCMark 10: PCMark 10 is how we determine how well the laptop handles lighter tasks like web browsing, word processing, spreadsheets, and so on.
• HandBrake: HandBrake is more intensive than PCMark 10. It basically measures how long a laptop’s CPU takes to encode a beefy 30GB file.
• Cinebench: Cinebench is a brief stress test of the CPU cores. It does this by rendering a 2D scene over a short period of time.
• 3DMark: 3DMark checks if 3D performance remains consistent over time by running graphic-intensive clips.
• Video rundown test: To gauge battery life, we loop a 4K video using Windows 10’s Movies & TV app until the laptop dies.

Chromebooks

• CrXPRT 2: The CrXPRT 2 benchmark tests a Chromebook’s battery life.
• Speedometer 2.0: This test determines a Chromebook’s web browser performance. It simulates this by adding, completing, and removing a to-do list.
• Basemark Web 3.0: This benchmark gauges how well a Chromebook can handle web-based applications.
• Kraken 1.1: Kraken 1.1 is a JavaScript performance benchmark.
• Jetstream 2: Jetstream 2 is a combination of WebAssembly and JavaScript benchmarks. This is a way to gauge how well a Chromebook runs advanced workloads.

What to look for in a laptop for college

The first thing to consider is budget. How much are you willing to spend on a laptop? If you’re working with an inflexible budget, Chromebooks are a good option. They’re affordable and designed to handle everyday tasks like writing papers, working on spreadsheets, and so on. Chromebook prices can range anywhere from $200 up to $1,000. If you want to spend a bit more, laptops with convertible touchscreens (otherwise known as 2-in-1s) offer a great deal of functionality. You can flip the screen around and use it like a tablet or prop it up like an easel for watching movies.

Things like navigating your e-mail or watching Netflix will require more RAM. We recommend springing for 8GB of RAM or more. 4GB of RAM is fine and good for web browsing and basic office work, but 8GB is better for having more tabs open and whatnot. Plus, applications like Google Chrome and Spotify tend to eat up a lot of memory. Most people can get by with 4GB in a pinch if you’re on a tight budget, but you won’t be able to multitask as much.

The final thing is a decent keyboard. In college, you’re going to be spending a lot of time typing. Depending on your personal preference, you may want either a full or short travel keyboard. Mechanical keyboards, for example, normally have longer travel. This helps prevent accidental keystrokes. The keys also give a lot of tactile feedback, as they bounce back after they’re pressed down.

Laptops

Hard drives. They still exist, believe it or not, and they’re still the best bang-for-your-buck when it comes to absolutely massive amounts of storage. Take three new offerings from Western Digital for example. While these 2.5-inch drives (the kind that used to go into laptops) aren’t blazing fast, you’d have a very hard time sticking so many files in your pocket for such little money with flash.

Today the company announced that its WD My Passport Ultra, WD_Black P10 Game Drive, and SanDisk G-Drive Armor ATD portable hard drives are all coming in new 6-terabyte capacities. That’s about five to ten times the storage capacity of the average new laptop or desktop, available with a USB 3.2 Gen 1, up to for your convenience. It’ll take a hell of a long time to actually fill up the drive, but you can do it.

The three different flavors of drive come with different enclosures. The Game Drive is the cheapest of the lot at $189.99, but it has a disappointing “Micro-B” USB connection (that weird MicroUSB type with the extra-wide add-on). The other two, the button-down My Passport Ultra for $205 and the beefy, ultra-protected G-Drive for $230, come with USB-C. But they should all have approximately the same performance. (Those prices are all on Western Digital’s online store — they tend to be considerably cheaper at retail over time.)

Consider that for a trade-off in size and speed, you’re getting a heck of a deal. The biggest portable SSD from Western Digital is the SanDisk Extreme Portable, with a sticker price of $360 for 4TB. These new high-capacity hard drives are effectively one third of that price byte for byte. If you have more time than money, it’s hard to ignore the savings. For even more portable storage stunners, be sure to check out our roundup of the best external drives.

Computer Storage Devices

In the new Firefox version 126.0, Mozilla developers have fixed several vulnerabilities in the browser. Better data compression should load Facebook pages faster. Even more tracking parameters are blocked when copying web addresses. Updates to Firefox ESR 115.11 and Tor Browser 13.0.1 are also available.

The developers have fixed at least 16 vulnerabilities in Firefox 126.0. Mozilla categorizes two of these vulnerabilities as high risk in its security report . A use-after-free vulnerability (CVE-2024-4764) could come to light and become exploitable if WebRTC is used more intensively (e.g. during video conferences) and a new audio source is added. A missing type check in the built-in PDF viewer PDF.js could open up the possibility of executing arbitrary JavaScript code in this context (CVE-2024-4367).

Some vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to execute injected code. Attacks on Firefox users are not yet known. With the menu item ” Help ” About Firefox, you can initiate an update check and download the update manually if required.

This is new in Firefox 126

Mozilla advertises on the What’s new page that you can edit PDF files in Firefox and in this case means that you can fill out forms. However, this does not refer to real PDF forms that are designed to be filled out on a computer. Rather, it refers to PDFs that only look as if they can be filled in, but which have to be printed out. Such PDFs can also be filled in using Firefox and its rudimentary functions for editing PDF files (and then printed out if required). Of course, this is not really new.

What is actually new, however, is support for the “zstd” data compression method for web content. This compression is used by Facebook, for example. With zstd, data can be compressed more with the same CPU load or processed with less CPU load with the same compression.

The Mozilla developers have further improved the option available since Firefox 120 to remove tracking parameters from a web address (URL) when copying it to the clipboard. The tracking of large web shops can also be filtered out. AV1 videos can now also be played back hardware-accelerated under macOS if an Apple M3 processor (or newer) is used.

Updates for Firefox ESR and Tor Browser

Firefox ESR 115 has been updated to version 115.11.0, in which the developers have closed at least six gaps. An update is also available for the Tor Browser based on Firefox ESR. The new Tor Browser 13.0.15 (for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android) is based on Firefox 115.11. A new version of the mail programme Thunderbird is not yet available.

The Mozilla subsidiary MZLA has also released Thunderbird 115.11.0, which was initially only available as an update for existing users. The developers have fixed at least six vulnerabilities, only one of which is considered high risk. This is CVE-2024-4367, the JavaScript vulnerability in the PDF viewer PDF.js already mentioned in Firefox 126. Other bug fixes are fairly straightforward and more of a cosmetic nature.

Mozilla plans to release Firefox 127 and Firefox ESR 115.12 on June 11, with the next releases to follow at four-week intervals until the end of November (Firefox 133). In the summer, the basis for Firefox ESR will change from Firefox 115 to Firefox 128.

Business, Online Services, Security Software and Services, Windows

PC gamers have been looking forward to the release of Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch’s Kurosawa-flavored open-world PlayStation exclusive, for literally years. But it looks like the game has a pleasant surprise upon launch: it’s multi-platform in more ways than one. Early players have discovered that you can use Nvidia DLSS and AMD FSR at the same time while playing.

For the uninitiated, Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super-Sampling and AMD’s Fidelity Super Resolution are two flavors of extremely similar technology, using some extremely complicated math to boost a game’s effective resolution without the performance hit that usually accompanies it. Typically the technologies are so similar that you can’t do both at the same time, to say nothing of the fact that DLSS is exclusive to Nvidia cards while FSR is mostly open.

What’s going on with Ghost of Tsushima then? As VideoCardz.com explains, it’s taking advantage of the fact that AMD FSR 3.1’s has decoupled two performance-boosting techniques, resolution upscaling and frame generation. Frame generation is yet another way of using complex modern chips to give you better performance, by artificially inserting animation frames in between frames that are rendered conventionally by the GPU.

Frame generation has been derided as “fake frames” by some purists who don’t want to use extras to boost conventional graphics card performance. But demonstrations have shown a dramatic improvement in the actual look of games, and a single-player aesthetic showcase like Ghost of Tsushima is an ideal place for the tech to shine.

Crucially, FSR’s “Fluid Motion” frame generation technique doesn’t conflict with the upscaling tech in DLSS. And since it’s multi-platform, you can run it just fine on Nvidia graphics cards. Ghost of Tsushima supports both out of the box, if initial testing on Twitter is to be believed. So if you have an Nvidia card — and most PCs capable of running the game do — then you can use DLSS for upscaling and FSR for frame generation.

Of course you can also go all-Nvidia and use DLSS for both, or switch over to FSR’s resolution upscaling technique and frame generation. It’s a refreshing thing to see out of a new PC release, especially a console port, which don’t always offer the most flexibility when they make the jump.

Graphics Cards

Price When Reviewed

99.00

Best Prices Today: Keychron M3 mini 4K Metal Edition

Keychron’s M3 mini 4K Metal Edition is the ultimate all-rounder gaming mouse. It’s robust and strong, armored with a metal chassis, and yet very lightweight; it also has all the connectivity options you could ever need, and a lightning-quick 4K polling rate that will keep you competitive in the quickest games.

At $99 it carries a bigger price tag than some mice in Keychron’s lineup. But with sturdiness, functionality, and style aplenty, gamers of all types are really going to dig this mouse.

Further reading: See our roundup of the best gaming mice to learn about competing products.

Keychron M3 mini 4K Metal Edition: Design and build

With a perforated back covered by a grid of interlocking geometric shapes, the Keychron M3 mini 4K Metal Edition boasts a futuristic aesthetic that’s unique and fresh. That said, perforated backs are magnets for dust and spills, so it’s a mouse you’re really going to have to keep your coffee cup away from.

I could use less force in my clicks but still feel like I had the very quickest actuation I could possibly get…

The M3 mini 4K Metal Edition has a symmetrical right-handed configuration with two small thumb buttons on the left and two compact main clicks. The mouse wheel comprises three more clicks and, on the underside, you’ll find a DPI switcher, polling rate button, and a button to switch between Bluetooth mode and Wi-Fi mode.

Delicate contours on either side of the chassis easily molded the mouse to my hand for a comfortable fit, so that I felt a lot of control no matter which direction I moved it. The back sections of each of the main clicks are also perforated, which isn’t particularly comfortable for a claw grip, but it’s comfortable enough for palm or fingertip grip types.

If you do prefer a claw grip, all is not lost; Keychron also make a non-metal version of the M3 mini 4K with a closed top, so go for that one if a claw grip is your jam.

I was happy with the mouse’s weight but its size only just fit my large hand. Still, its designation as “mini,” doesn’t mean it’s tiny — it’s just a little smaller than some other full-sized mice. The dimensions measure 4.76 x 2.36 x 2.62 inches in total, so some players may have a quarter-inch overhang at the front.

The chassis is made from a lightweight magnesium material, so the M3 mini 4K Metal Edition is remarkably strong. The perforated shell serves to keep the weight to a minimum. In fact, it weighs just 2.25 ounces (64 grams). That made it suitable for FPS games and it was easy on my wrist and arm for long play sessions.

Having now used this mouse, I’m a big fan of magnesium alloy in a mouse’s chassis. It made the black color shimmer like a starry night sky under bright lights, which was an effect I never got tired of seeing.

Keychron M3 mini 4K Metal Edition: Connectivity and battery life

The 4K Metal Edition’s connectivity options provide a lot of versatility for both gaming and for work on the go. For connecting wirelessly, you get a 2.4GHz wireless receiver. The Bluetooth connects via Bluetooth version 5.1.

Both of these connection types were quick for me, delivering smooth, uninterrupted gameplay. A 4K Wi-Fi receiver allowed me to set a maximum polling rate up to 4,000Hz, which is four times the reporting rate of some of the quickest esports mice released last year. Consequently, I was chuffed to see that it’s included in the purchase price.

In the box, the Keychron M3 mini 4K Metal Edition also comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable for a wired connection. It’s a paracord, so it has that quick shoelace-like feel that just glides across your table.

As to the battery life, you have the option of setting the polling rate to 1K for the longest possible life of up to 600 hours, or 4K for a more modest battery life of approximately 40 hours.

Keychron M3 mini 4K Metal Edition: Gaming performance

The M3 mini 4K Metal Edition boasts a Pixart PAW 3395 sensor with a maximum DPI resolution of 26,000 DPI and a maximum speed of 650 inches per second. Rounding out those impressive stats is the mouse’s lightning-fast 50g acceleration rate, which makes it exceptionally quick off the mark.

The PAW 3395 has a reputation for being a little more synced to polling events than some other Pixart sensors and that rang true for me in my playtesting. I noticed a lot of consistency in the mouse’s movements — they felt crisp with a clear absence of any hiccups or jumps in the motion.

In Battlefield I the 4K polling rate made a big difference to the speed at which I could track opponents. Those times I thought I was going to miss targets, I would often pull off unexpected hits, which was a nice surprise and big confidence boost.

The buttons feel very nice too. They’re some of the softest I’ve used, but their debounce is incredibly quick. They took all the effort away from me, allowing me to click with just the slightest pressure. I could use less force in my clicks but still feel like I had the very quickest actuation I could possibly get.

That response comes courtesy of the mouse’s Huano 80M microswitches. They’re rated for a long life of 80 million clicks, too.

I also really liked how convenient it was to switch DPI and polling rate with the external buttons. Keychron has made this even easier, with useful RGB indicator lights that show you what polling rate you’ve chosen, so I never had to stop my game and go into the app to see what I’d switched to.

Keychron M3 mini 4K Metal Edition: Software

Keychron Engine is the 4K Metal Editon’s companion app. The software is easy to follow and provides a decent amount of customization.

You can tweak the usual suspects like DPI and polling rate, and assign macro key functions, but there are also a few more in-depth settings to modify like the mouse’s lift-off distance and sensor performance.

The “sensor performance” setting allows you to activate one of the key advantages of the PAW 3395 sensor, Motion Sync, which is how it syncs the mouse’s sensor movement to polling rate events for smoother, more accurate movement.

Should you buy the Keycrhon M3 mini 4K Metal Edition?

If I was shopping for a mouse that’s quick enough to run toe-to-toe with some of the best esports mice, but packs in more functionality than you’ll see in most — things like Bluetooth, a DPI switcher, and a very strong metal body — then the Keychron M3 mini 4K Metal Edition would be top of my list.

This mouse has just about everything I’d want and need in a gaming mouse. I also really like that it would leave me with approximately $50 left in my pocket than if I bought some premium rivals. Ergo, if you want a stellar mouse and to save some money too, this mouse is a sure bet.

Gaming, Mice

Epic gives away games for free. It might be the only reason you have the Epic Games Store launcher installed on your PC — that certainly seems to be the case for a lot of die-hard Steam fans. But whether you actually use the store or just grab the freebies, you’ll want to check out this week’s free game Dragon Age Inquisition, and maybe take a gander at some of the deep discounts in the latest sale.

Dragon Age Inquisition is the third game in Bioware’s fantasy RPG series, the more swords and sorcery side of the coin opposite Mass Effect. And it’s been a good while since they made one — Inquisition came out all the way back in 2014, also released on consoles as old as the Xbox 360 if you can believe it. Even so, it was hailed as a great sequel (particularly following the ho-hum Dragon Age II) and a treat for RPG fans who wanted good writing as well as focused action gameplay.

As always with Epic giveaways, you can claim it for the next week (ending next Thursday, May 23rd) and keep it associated with your account forever, to download and play whenever you want. Not bad for a game that still goes for $40 on Steam, and this “GOTY Edition” includes all the extra DLC missions and the goodies they made you pay extra for at launch. Not bad.

As for the sale itself, it’s a smaller selection of titles than usual, but it seems to be focused on big AAA games from huge publishers, the kind of thing that always gets top slot in my YouTube advertising. Notably there are a lot of Sony-published games here that used to be PlayStation exclusives. Here are the games I’d hop on if I had a lot more free time than I do (and hadn’t played several of them already):

Dead Space (remake) $59.99 $20.99
God of War $49.99 $24.99
Horizon Zero Dawn Complete $49.99 $12.49
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown $49.99 $29.99
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart $59.99 $35.99
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands $59.99 $14.99

And the rest of the discounts, if your tastes aren’t a good match for mine:

Alan Wake II $39.99
Assassin’s Creed Mirage $24.99
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla $11.99
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition $53.59
Dead Island 2 $29.99
Dying Light 2 $29.99
EA Sports FC 24 $13.99
Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game $31.99
Far Cry 6 $14.99
Grand Theft Auto V $14.99
Hogwarts Legacy $29.99
Lord of the Rings Return to Moria $17.49
Lords of the Fallen $34.99
Mortal Kombat 1 $34.99
Red Dead Redemption II $23.99
Remnant II $29.99
Skull and Bones $29.99
Spider-Man Remastered $35.99
Spider-Man: Miles Morales $29.99
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League $27.99
The Crew Motorfest $34.99
The Last of Us Part 1 $40.19
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection $24.99
Witchfire $35.99

You’ve got plenty of time to pick one of these games up…or wait for the other game stores to offer the same discount. The sale runs until June 13th.

Video Games

I love spending time on the patio, working from there, but it’s on the opposite end of the house of where my router is, which means my Wi-Fi signal isn’t ideal. The TP-Link AC1200 Wi-Fi Extender is now available for a mere $23.99, down from its original $29.99, making it the perfect addition for anyone who curses the Wi-Fi signal in some areas of their home. (Don’t forget to check that box for the on-page coupon for that extra $4 off!)

Designed to extend Wi-Fi coverage up to 1500 square feet, the TP-Link AC1200 can support up to a remarkable 30 devices, ensuring a stable and strong Wi-Fi connection throughout the household. Basically, you can connect your laptop, your TV, and all those little smart home gadgets you have lying around.

As you can see in the product picture, the device has a fast Ethernet port, which provides the option for a wired connection. This is perfect for devices that may require a more stable connection for optimal operation, such as your gaming console or smart TV. No one wants to see that loading animation while they’re in the middle of something interesting.

The Wi-Fi Extender also gets extra brownie points for being compatible with any router or access point, making your life so much easier since you no longer have to scramble to figure out what mesh to get that will work with your system without changing everything. 

On the other hand, the device also supports TP-Link OneMesh, enabling the creation of a mesh network when connected to a OneMesh router, such as the Archer AX21, which is on sale right now for 26 percent off. This way, you can ensure whole-home coverage, no matter which corner you’re holed up in. So, if you’re open to spending a bit more money, you can redesign your entire set-up.

So go ahead and place your order for the TP-Link AC1200 Wi-Fi Extender before the deal expires. I’m off to place my own order.

Get the TP-Link AC1200 Wi-Fi Extender for $19 at Amazon

Networking

In a world where security and peace of mind are paramount, the Eufy Security SoloCam S220 emerges as a highly sought-after solution, now available at a remarkable price of just $69.99 at Amazon, a significant drop from its original $129.99. 

The price cut is one we love to see because it makes an excellent camera more accessible to everyone, allowing you to purchase more of these to drape over your home so you can check all angles. 

The SoloCam S220 doesn’t need wires to power up because it has solar charging capabilities. It only takes about three hours of sunlight every day to charge the camera fully. So, unless you live near the poles, you’re good to use these Eufy cams. 

The camera features infrared LEDs and an f/1.6 aperture, so you’ll get clear images even in low-light situations or at night. When your dog starts randomly growling during the wee hours, you can just open the app and check your home’s surroundings to see if he just heard the neighbors or if there’s actually a security issue. 

Setting up the Eufy SoloCam S220 is a breeze. The camera itself is compact and requires no wires. Simply drill it into your home’s wall and you’re good to go. 

One of the standout features of the SoloCam S220 is its ability to detect humans. If you want to take security to the next level and receive notifications about specific individuals at your door, you’ll need the HomeBase 3 Eufy security center. While the HomeBase 3 is not currently on sale, it’s a worthwhile addition. Using advanced artificial intelligence, the cameras can distinguish between family members, delivery personnel, and potential intruders, sending only the notifications that are relevant to you. 

While we didn’t get to review the Eufy SoloCam S220 ourselves, the camera has a whopping 4.3/5 stars on Amazon out of over 1600 reviews.

Most users appreciate how easy this camera is to install and set up with the local W-iFi network. One reviewer states, for instance, that the video quality during the daytime is crystal clear, and the night vision is impressive.

The Eufy SoloCam S220 is an absolute bargain at $69.99, an exceptional investment for anyone looking to enhance their home security. 

Get the Eufy SoloCam S220 for only $70 at Amazon

Security Cameras

The PlayStation 5 Disc Console Slim, packaged with the well-loved Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, is currently available for $449 at Walmart, down from its usual $559.99. This offer represents the lowest price for this bundle to date and a rare discount for the PS5.

The PS5 Slim is a powerhouse of a console despite its slim design. With 1TB of SSD storage, players can keep plenty of games — though huge with the size of some of today’s games, that number isn’t what it used to be. Either way, load times are great, with some games loading virtually instantly.

Gaming on a 4K TV is taken to another level when using the PS5 Slim. The console supports up to 120fps gameplay for compatible games on 4K displays with HDR technology. The visuals are vibrant and full of color, efficiently sucking you right into the worlds you’re playing. 

The DualSense wireless controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers further aid players in having an immersive experience when playing.

Another super cool thing about the PS5 Slim console is its backward compatibility, allowing you to explore thousands of PS4 games. So, if you’re just now upgrading to the PS5, you should be able to play most of the games you purchased before. 

This special offer on the PlayStation 5 Disc Console Slim – Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Bundle is an exceptional opportunity to pick up a cutting-edge console along with one of its flagship titles at a significant discount. Don’t miss out.

Get the PS5 Slim + Spider-Man 2 for $449 thanks to rare Walmart discount

Gaming

With how expensive new laptops can be, especially some of the best laptops, it’s easy to be tempted by the low-low prices of second hand models on classified and auction sites. But buying anything second hand has risks, right? And that’s true of laptops too, right? Well, sort of. While buying new will always give you more protections, more rights, and likely a better overall product, buying a used laptop can be a great way to make some big savings, get a better laptop than you could otherwise afford, and help cut back on e-waste.

That’s not to say there aren’t some caveats and potential problems worth considering, though. Here are a few of the ways buying a used laptop isn’t entirely safe, and what you can do about it.

Further reading: The best laptops under $500

Check the battery

Most components in even a well-used laptop should still work almost like new, but not all of them. The biggest concern with buying a used laptop is the battery. A swollen battery or one that has received any kind of obvious physical damage has the potential to leak harmful gasses, catch fire, or even explode. If you can check the battery itself before buying by prying open the lpatop, do so, and if the is any suggestion that the battery is damaged, steer well clear.

If the battery looks okay from the outside, it’s also important to check what its battery life and overall health is like. If it’s run through a lot of recharge cycles, it may not last anywhere near as long as it originally could. You can ask for a battery health report from the seller, or run one yourself if you have some hands-on time.

Here’s our run down on how to check your laptop’s battery health, for detailed information on how to run the exhaustive (but fast) report.

Is it pixel perfect?

Displays can degrade over time, too, so if the laptop is being resold quickly after its original sale, or if it’s been used a lot over a year or more, it’s important to check whether the display looks as good as it should. That means checking for individual pixels that don’t work correctly and bands of color running down the screen. These can sometimes be fixed, but it’s better to avoid them altogether if you can.

If the laptop has an OLED panel, you should make sure there isn’t any obvious burn-in, too. This can appear as a ghostly effect on the screen, no matter what you’re watching, and there aren’t many solutions for it.

Consider the warranty

One of the best ways to protect yourself against problematic purchases is ensuring whatever used laptop you buy has some form of guarantee. If there’s a warranty left, that’s doubly good. If if the seller has it along with all the original documentation (including Windows key and purchase receipt), it can make life a lot easier for you when it comes to getting support from the manufacturer of the used laptop.

That said, you shouldn’t assume it’ll be applicable to a second-hand purchase. Having a valid returns period for your used laptop, from wherever you’re buying it from, can give you additional peace of mind.

Make sure to clean the drive

Used laptops also have the potential to come riddled with malware. That may not be intentional – the original owner may not have realized it was getting slow because it was infected. But the last thing you want to do is start inputting your personal information into a laptop that can steal it.

To prevent that potential problem, whenever you buy a used laptop, be sure to give it a complete format. Ideally, securely erase it by following our guide, here. This will remove absolutely everything on the internal drive and ensure no matter what was on there before, it won’t be able to do you or your newly formatted laptop any harm.

Just be aware you’ll need to re-install Windows and all necessary drivers afterward, so be sure to have your Windows key to hand before starting.

Watch for bad deals

One other way that buying a used laptop is fraught with peril, is that there are lot of bad deals out there. From nefarious scammers selling old laptops with phony specifications, to the clueless and hopeful trying to get more for their old laptop than its worth.

You need to make sure that what you’re buying offers the value for money it claims to.

To ward off buying something outdated and not as fast or as well-equipped as you want, make sure to look up laptop reviews of the model you’re considering. If it’s more than a couple of years old, it’s probably not worth buying unless the price is exceedingly good and it’s been very well looked after.

You can give yourself some additional protection buying through a reputable website, too. While Amazon, Walmart, and Newegg all work with third-party sellers who can can sell used models, they will give you some protection in the form of money back on your purchase or a managed return.

If you can, consider making the purchase with a credit card, as your provider will often help you recoup the costs if you find yourself with a laptop that doesn’t match what you paid for it.

Another good way to avoid any potential pitfalls is to buy a manufacturer refurbished or renewed model. These are likely to be more expensive than models which are simply second-hand, but they will have been fixed up to a near-new standard, complete with additional warranty support. In some cases, with common problems fixed, refurbished laptops can even be more durable than their new counterparts.

Finally, you can bypass the pitfalls of buying a used laptop while still saving serious scratch by hunting for timely laptop sales instead. PCWorld keeps a running list of the best laptop deals around, updated every weekday, that can help you find some brand new bargains.

Laptops

Price When Reviewed

Dell G16 7630: $1899.99

Dell G16 7630: $1899.99

Best Prices Today: Dell G16 7630

The Dell G16 7630 is big and has plenty of muscle to run your favorite games. Its display is exceptional, and it runs media with very smooth motion.

It’s also priced to be affordable. But the gaming laptop’s sheer size means it’s not that portable. If you’re looking for a desktop experience but don’t want to shell out on an 18-inch laptop, then this ripper fits the bill exactly.

Further reading: See our roundup of the best gaming laptops to learn about competing products.

Dell G16 7630: Specifications

There was only one unit that I could find available at the time of writing this review, and it shares my review unit’s specifications. They are as follows:

• CPU: Intel Core i9-13900HX
• RAM: 32GB / 4800MHz
• Graphics: RTX 4070 GPU
• Display: 16-inch 2560×1600 QHD+ LCD, 240Hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, 3ms response time, ComfortView Plus low blue light, Nvidia G-Sync
• Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe Gen 4 SSD
• Webcam: HD 720p camera with single arrange digital mic
• Connectivity: Thunderbolt 4 port, 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1 port, RJ45 Ethernet port, 3.5mm audio jack
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
• Battery capacity: 84WHrs
• Dimensions: 14.05 x 11.37 x 1.01 inches
• Weight: 6.59 pounds (2.99kg)
• Cost: $1,737 on Amazon

Dell G16 7630: Design and build

The Dell G16 7630 is unashamedly a laptop for gamers that like a large space to play on. Its generous dimensions measure 14.05 x 11.37 x 1.01 inches, so it has a desktop replacement feel to it.

The chassis features an aluminum cover that makes it sturdier than if it were just made of plastic, but I did notice a bit of give there compared to laptops with solid CNC-milled aluminum chassis. The lid is similar, in that it will flex with firm pressure, but not with moderate pressure.

The display is a sight to behold. It may be only 16 inches on the diagonal, but its16:10 aspect ratio means you benefit from extra vertical space than in the laptop’s forbears. It gives the illusion you’re using an even larger laptop. That’s helped along by very thin left and right bezels that make every inch of screen space a prize to savor.

Playing games like Battlefield I and Cyberpunk 2077 was a real pleasure — my frame rates were high enough to stay competitive with the best players…

The top and bottom bezels are a lot thicker than the sides, especially the bottom bezel which sits atop a tall hinge. That’s a fact I was very happy for, since it meant I could look almost straight on at the screen without having to crane my neck downwards.

As to styling, the Dell G16 7630 eschews gamer-centric touches like RGB logos, or flashy Tron lights like the kind you’ll find in Alienware laptops, in favor of a simple Dell logo on the lid instead. I wasn’t unhappy about that since it meant the G16 7630 was one of those rare gaming laptops I could use in the office without anyone blinking an eye.

At least that was the case when the laptop was fully charged. When it was time to charge it, the huge 330W power brick was kind of a giveaway — it’s probably the chunkiest and biggest charging brick I’ve seen.

My review unit was a smart Nightshade Black color, which has a kind of charcoal hue. It also blended in nicely with my office environment.

Dell G16 7630: Keyboard and trackpad

The keyboard’s single-zone RGB backlighting was a brilliant blue color on startup, which was quite mesmerizing to see. The keyboard is full-sized and has a useful key layout for gamers, including full-sized arrow keys and a collection of media shortcuts down the right-hand side.

The laptop also sports a Game Shift Key that lets you change and maximize the laptop’s fan speeds for heavy tasks. The ADSF keys are outlined by a white border, which gives the keyboard the battle station look many gamers like.

Unsurprisingly for a laptop this size, the keys feel a bit mushy, but they fire off rapidly and with a satisfying low audible click. They are also nicely sized for my medium sized fingers — spacious but not trampoline-sized.

One hitch is the trackpad’s smallness. It plays second fiddle to the G16 7630’s keyboard and could do with an extra half inch in each direction. Its clicks are nevertheless fast, and the trackpad tracks well, so it’s not a total loss.

Dell G16 7630: Connectivity and audio

A useful assortment of ports line the G16 7630’s flanks, allowing me to plug in my normal array of peripherals. There’s a Thunderbolt 4 port for transferring my essential game files at a quick speed of up to 40Gbps and an ethernet port for when I want the lowest latency in games.

The laptop’s Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth functionality are also snappy — although, Wi-Fi 6 is rapidly becoming an older standard now, with laptops like the 2024 Razer Blade 16 now sporting the updated Wi-Fi 7 standard.

The Dell G16 7630 is a large laptop and it projects sound really well in a large room. The laptop’s two speakers are well tuned for mid-tones, so you get a nice neutral sound in games. I only noticed slight vibrations at higher volumes. Dolby Atmos support gives the audio an appealing immersive quality.

Dell G16 7630: Display and webcam

I made a promise to myself when the 2024 Razer Blade 16 came out that I wouldn’t play games in 2650x1600p with anything less than a 240Hz refresh rate. Thankfully my Dell G16 7630 came with the same refresh rate and resolution combination, which made for really fast and smooth game action.

Indeed, playing games like Battlefield I and Cyberpunk 2077 was a real pleasure — my frame rates were high enough to stay competitive with the best players. The screen resolution was also very detailed, but I’ve seen richer colors on OLED displays. Still, the Dell G16 7630’s 100 percent DCI-P3 color display produces a good enough picture to look bright and texture-rich.

The laptop’s brightness was also never an issue. I measured a peak brightness of 497 nits, which I used to my advantage to keep the display visible in very bright rooms of my house.

The 720p webcam impressed me less than the display. It’s adequate for chats and meetings, but some images came out looking a little orange at times.

A single microphone array also didn’t do my voice much justice in game chats. The sound lost some detail at different moments, which made me sound a little robotic.

Dell G16 7630: Gaming performance

The Dell G16 7630 features a fast high-end Intel i9-13900HX processor made for gaming. It belongs to the Raptor Lake family, and sports 24 cores and 32 threads and a maximum turbo frequency of 5.4GHz.

Compared to the older Alder Lake CPUs, this ripper has a more efficient P-Core microarchitecture and larger caches. It also supports faster DDR5 RAM (up to 5,600MHz), so it’s really designed to shred in games.

To test its performance, I first ran the Cinebench Multi-Threaded benchmark. This test flexes all the CPU cores to give an indication of how well the processor fares when it’s really pushed to the maximum.

My review laptop clocked a score of 10,658 in this test, which was quite decent; to be honest, though, there are now a bunch of laptops with 14th-generation Intel CPUs that will muscle out a score like this. But for an Intel 13th-generation CPU, the i9-13900HX is well up to the task of running your most demanding games.

With plenty of thermal headroom in the hefty chassis, the laptop’s CPU also performed admirably in a bespoke test that uses the free HandBrake utility. The CPU managed to keep rising thermals at bay when tasked with encoding a 30GB MKV file to the MP4 format. It took just 828 seconds to finish.

Anything under 850 seconds is quick and snappy. It bodes very well for carrying out tasks that really tax the G16 7630 CPU, like video editing or encoding. You can be sure the G16 7630 won’t just chug along, it’ll keep processing effectively even if it gets hot.

Moving on to the graphics performance tests, the 3DMark Time Spy 1.2 Overall test showed that Nvidia’s mid-range 4070 mobile CPU has a lot of muscle, placing third among its peers in our performance charts.

In the Rise of the Tomb Raider gaming test, the Dell G16 7630 performed very respectably, placing just behind the Razer Blade 16 2024.

The performance in the Shadow of the Tomb Raider gaming benchmark was even better. Here, the Dell G16 7630 toppled the field, opening up a can of whoop-ass on laptops like the Razer Blade 16 and the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.

These scores suggest that the Dell 16 7630 can be expected to perform capably and produce smooth action to keep you competitive in games.

The benchmarks reinforce what we already know about the RTX 4070 GPU, too — it’s a great video card that provides performance like Nvidia’s top-tier RTX 3080 GPUs.

What’s more, if that last score is any indication, this laptop offers a few performance surprises against laptops with RTX 40 series GPUs too.

Dell G16 7630: Battery performance

To test the laptop’s battery life, I started by charging the review unit up to 100 percent. The volume was set to 50 percent and a cheap pair of headphones was plugged in to control sound.

I also switched off the keyboard backlighting and the laptop’s Wi-Fi was switched to airplane mode. Finally, a 4K movie was set to run on repeat and the power cord was unplugged.

The G16 7630’s 84WHr battery ran for 5 hours and 35 mins. That’s the length of time you can expect a lightweight task like running a video to last on this laptop. For gaming, which uses more power, you can expect about half that time — so about 3 hours of battery life.

That’s not great, but the laptop charges quickly when you plug it in. The only problem is the charging brick is so big you won’t want to take it with you when you leave your house.

Should you buy the Dell G16 7630?

The Dell G16 7630 is a seriously big laptop that really fills a niche market. For me that feels like gamers looking for a desktop replacement but who don’t want to shell out on a more expensive 18-inch gaming laptop.

There’s a solid argument why you’d want that, too. The configuration I reviewed costs just $1,899, which is a lot cheaper than say, the Razer Blade 18, which has a starting price of $2,599. That makes it a particularly good buy if you can get by without a lot of portability.

Gaming Laptops

Many people need to learn how to use a smartphone properly. After all, these all-rounder devices require regular maintenance and important updates in order to be optimally protected against wear and tear and attacks.

Switching you phone off completely protects it

Surprisingly, this includes a very simple function: switching off the smartphone completely. According to security experts at the NSA, this alone helps to protect the device from hacking attacks. It is now not only common to gain access to smartphones via malicious links, but also via so-called zero-click exploits.

This involves bypassing the smartphone’s security functions step-by-step. Starting with a missed call, then the first installed files that gradually allow access to the system and tap into information. This usually goes unnoticed, but can fortunately be prevented by completely rebooting the device.

So how often should I turn off my phone?

The simple answer from security experts as to how often a mobile phone should be switched off completely is: at least once a week. In the best case scenario, however, you should remember to reset our phone even more often. This is because, in addition to eliminating the security risk, it also allows the smartphone’s operating system to run all functions smoothly.

By the way: To see how long your device has had to go without switching off, you can easily check the system settings. On Android devices, this can usually be found under “Device” and then “Status.” The uptime is displayed there in hours.

Further reading: The ultimate free digital security guide: Stay safe without spending a dime

Smartphones

Cloud storage is essential these days, as everybody has more data than they can fit on just their devices alone. Monthly fees add up, however, and it can be an annoying part of your budget planning to include cloud storage expenses. So, get them taken care of with a one-time payment. Right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to 20TB of Prism Drive Secure Cloud Storage for just $89.97.

Prism Drive offers AES 256-bit and HTTPS encryption for your files both when in transfer and at rest, giving you powerful security for your files. It’s easy to upload to the cloud and stay organized with an intuitive user interface. If you need to share files, you can do so with shareable links in just a few clicks.

Enjoy a better cloud storage experience for the web’s best price. Right now, you can get 20TB of Prism Drive Secure Cloud Storage for a one-time payment of just $89.97.

 

Prism Drive Secure Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription (20TB) – $89.97

See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Storage

If you want to learn a new language, there are many potential ways to go about it. But one innovative solution is making it especially fun. The Beelinguapp Language Learning App uses the power of reading and listening to help you learn a new language and, through 5/22, you can get it for $70 off.

Beelinguapp shows you the same exact text in two languages, side by side. Then, it uses karaoke reading to help you follow the audio in the text on both sides, making connections and beginning to understand the new language that you’re looking at. You can read fairy tales, news, novels, and more, and delve into 14 languages, including Spanish, German, Korean, and French.

Find out why Beelinguapp Language Learning App was a #4 Product of the Day on Product Hunt and has earned an Editor’s Choice ranking on the Google Play Store. From 5/13 through 11:59 pm PT on 5/22, you can get a lifetime subscription to this innovative language learning app for just $29.97 (reg. $100).

 

Beelinguapp Language Learning App: Lifetime Subscription – $29.97

See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Accessories

Google has solved a fundamental problem with Chromebook gaming in a rather awesome way: How do you play Android touch games on Chromebooks without a touchscreen? For a long time, the answer was simply: you don’t. But Google has come up with a way to remap keyboard inputs to touch controls, for every game in the Google Play Store, along with several other helpful Chromebook tweaks.

For whatever reason, Google left out ChromeOS and Chromebooks entirely from its keynote at Google I/O, which included AI-powered search enhancements and some rather interesting AI tweaks to Gmail. But in the ongoing debate over whether to buy a laptop or a Chromebook, factoring in the most recent advances to Chromebooks matter. This week, Google executives offered up a sneak peek of the cooler new Google technologies coming in the future.

Google calls this Game Controls. The technology was first shown off in 2022 on a limited set of titles, according to Emilie Roberts, developer relations engineer for Google. But it’s been revamped with a better editor, and broader coverage across all of the apps in the Play Store. Game Controls is being tested in ChromeOS m125, currently in beta, and will be released to the stable channel “soon,” she said.

Likewise, Google is taking a page from other gaming platforms, and allowing gamers to capture clips from their favorite games. “Gamers can grab video and screenshots, share them on social media, all without interrupting their gameflow,” Roberts said. She did not say when the feature would be released.

Google is also offering a pair of new features designed to make it easier for you to add apps to Chromebooks, as well as for developers to make them more discoverable. The first, and most prominent, will be an “Add to Chromebook” button that you may see on the websites of apps, letting you quickly add the app in launchable standalone form. It works with both PWAs (Progressive Web Applications) as well as Android apps, according to Sam Richard, a senior developer advocate for Google. Clicking on the button opens up the corresponding entry in the Play Store. It’s expected to launch in Chrome OS 125, which is rolling out over the course of the next few days and weeks.

The “Add to Chromebook” button is live, though developers will have to implement themselves. Eighteen developer partners have already signed up or committed to use the new “Add to Chromebook buttons, he said.

“While a lot of people look for apps on the Play Store, Google Search is also incredibly popular for app discovery,” Richard said. “Many folks who start the discovery in search end up on your website.”

Finally, Google is showcasing a tabbed PWA mode. If you download a PWA, Google says, you’ll be able to essentially organize it as a tab, rather than each in a separate app window. Figma showcased an early example of this, with the home page in one tab, and additional files being opened and worked on in other, separate tabs. It’s reminiscent of the tabbed “Sets” interface Microsoft tried out and then abandoned, but resurfaced inside the tabbed interface of File Explorer.

Chromebooks

VPNs aren’t just useful for keeping your online activities private and safe, they’re also a great way to bypass restrictions on streaming content in different countries. The top VPN providers are winning out in the cat-and-mouse game with streaming services to make sure you always have access to your favorite content no matter where you are.

Given the restrictions that services such as Netflix put in place against VPNs, you need to choose a service that has active compatibility with that streaming site. It’s also a good idea to choose a VPN with generous overall server spread so that if one server is down in the country you are trying to access, there are other options available. The PCWorld staff have thoroughly tested the top VPNs on the market to see how they fare at unblocking the top streaming sites and we’ve curated our favorites in the list below.

Why you should trust us: Here at PCWorld we’ve been testing computer hardware, software, and services since the 1980s. We’re continually testing all of the major VPNs on the market and many lesser-known services in order to curate a list of the very best VPNs across a variety of categories. For a more in-depth guide, you can check out our article on how we test VPN services at PCWorld. Below you’ll find our favorite VPNs, and below those, helpful advice about what to look for when choosing a VPN on your own.

We highly recommend that you use a VPN not only to access location-restricted content, but also to provide one of the best possible upgrades to your online security. So, if you’re looking to use your VPN for more than streaming, be sure to check out our comprehensive roundup of the best VPNs in all categories.

Updated May 10, 2024: Check out our latest review of ProtonVPN. From the makers of ProtonMail, ProtonVPN is a great choice due to its privacy, speeds, and streaming specific servers, which still keeps it as our top pick for Mac users.

Why does Netflix block VPNs?

Netflix’s big expansion into pretty much every country on earth back in 2016 meant it had to get tough on VPNs. While Netflix produces a lot of its own content that it can make available worldwide, the company also licenses a ton of content from traditional entertainment studios.

These third parties are still working on a system of global territory licensing. Under this system, Netflix gets a package of movies and TV shows from these companies that it can show in the U.S., but that aren’t licensed to be shown by Netflix in, say, Europe. To keep those companies and their other international licensees happy, Netflix must enforce a block on VPNs to prevent people from getting content made available to Netflix subscribers in the UK, but not the U.S.

“We are making progress in licensing content across the world,” Netflix said in a 2016 blog post. “But we have a ways to go before we can offer people the same films and TV series everywhere.”

Netflix isn’t the only company that has to enforce these restrictions. Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and others do it too. However, Netflix along with Hulu are easily the most active and effective at it.

What to look for in a VPN to access Netflix streaming

First, most people should not make speed the top consideration. The minimum recommended bandwidth for a 1080p Netflix stream is 5 megabits per second (Mbps). If you’re streaming in 4K it’s 15Mbps. Depending on your home internet speed, that should be doable with nearly all the top VPNs.

Instead, the first consideration should be the basic promise of Netflix compatibility from a reputable company. That’s the rub. Any old VPN can promise Netflix compatibility, but if there aren’t a lot of reviews about the service it may not be the real deal. Stick to well-known VPN services if you can.

Next, you need to consider how many servers are available for the service — especially the number in your target country. If you want Netflix Australia and the VPN only has two Australian servers, that could be a problem. Most of the popular VPN services list their server networks online so you can see how many servers are in each country.

Finally, make sure the VPN’s desktop app (and don’t forget about mobile) allows you to choose specific servers. Since this is a cat-and-mouse game with the streamers, you need a VPN with a number of servers in your desired Netflix country. That way if one server has been discovered by Netflix, it’s possible the others are still working. The fix for this then is easy — just switch servers.

How we tested

We judge VPNs on a variety of criteria including server network, connection speeds, privacy protections, ease-of-use, additional features, and cost. For a more detailed guide on how we test, check out our comprehensive guide on how we test VPN services.

Speed tests are kept as simple as possible. We average the connections between different global locations for any given VPN and then compare them to our baseline internet speed to get a good picture of the overall connection speeds. We thoroughly research and analyze the privacy policies and histories of each VPN and note any outstanding discrepancies or data collection issues.

In regards to unblocking capabilities, we connect to multiple servers around the world with each VPN and try to access content on all major streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney Plus, and more.

Personal Software, Streaming Media, VPN

Microsoft’s PC Manager is a cool, useful, and free tool for PC users who want to optimize Windows quickly and easily. But using PC Manager apparently can also have unwanted side effects.

Since the latest space-saving update, PC Manager has also been searching for very specific optimization requirements on Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers. If PC Manager recognizes that you’ve preset Google or another non-Microsoft search engine on Windows 11’s native Edge browser, it recommends switching to Microsoft’s Bing search engine, as Windowslatest reports.

PC Manager says that the default settings for Edge have been changed and recommends restoring the original settings specified by Microsoft, with Bing as the default search engine. The whole thing seems a bit intrusive, as hardly any users are likely to have accidentally set Google as their search engine — especially as the suggestions appear under the heading “Repair tips.” That’s almost cheeky.

So don’t be put off by this repair tip. Apart from that, the PC Manager is definitely worth a look, though you can also use CCleaner or other tuning tools. Please note, however, that tuning tools can sometimes lead to undesirable consequences and even damage the operating system. Use them at your own risk.

Further reading: How to use Microsoft’s free PC Manager for a digital spring cleaning

Windows

Technology giant Microsoft recently released its sustainability report for the 2023 financial year, and it didn’t exactly have positive numbers. Microsoft set a climate goal in 2020 to become carbon negative by 2030, sequestering more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it emits, but the company seems to be on the wrong track to achieve this goal. Microsoft’s greenhouse gas emissions increased by 30 percent in the 2023 financial year — and it’s all Copilot’s fault.

The big culprit is the company’s huge AI investments. It takes huge amounts of energy to train and use AI models. The International Energy Agency expects energy consumption for data centers worldwide to increase from 460 TWh in 2022 to between 620 and 1,050 TWh by 2026, due to AI and cryptocurrency use. For context, Sweden’s total energy consumption in 2022 was approximately 508 TWh.

Microsoft CEO Brad Smith confirmed in an interview with Bloomberg that the previous climate goals are now much harder to reach, precisely because of AI.

“In 2020, we unveiled our ambitious carbon target. That was before the explosion in artificial intelligence. In many ways, we are now five times further away from reaching them than we were in 2020, if you just think about our own forecast for the expansion of AI and its electricity needs,” Smith said.

Further reading: Copilot Pro: What can Microsoft 365’s premium AI do?

Business, Robotics

Price When Reviewed

1TB: $140 I 2TB: $200 I 4TB: $380

Best Prices Today: Adata SE920 EX USB4 SSD

The Adata SE920 is our second look at a 40Gbps USB 4 SSD and to be blunt, we like what we see. It’s handsome, stunningly fast, and has a clever enclosure featuring a micro-fan you can turn on and off according to need. Cool stuff.

What are the Adata SE920’s features?

I’ll get to the specs in a second, but the SE920 has one of the more unique features I’ve run across — half of the latched, spring-loaded outer shell slides out about half an inch to activate an internal fan. Said fan was very quiet, so I opted to leave the drive in the open position the majority of the time. You can see it in the open position in the photo up top and closed in the image below.

Beyond that, the SE920 is a USB 4 (40Gbps) external SSD that weighs about 7 ounces and measures 4.13-inches long by 2.52-inches wide by 0.62-inches thick — closed. Sliding the case/switch open ups the length to 4.82-inches. Either way, it’s quite a bit thinner than the finned OWC 1M2 — another very fast USB 4 SSD.

Further reading: See our roundup of the best external drives to learn about competing products.

Judging from the huge fins on the 1M2, and the micro-fan inside the SE920 — USB 4 generates almost as much heat as Thunderbolt. At least at the full 40Gbps. As you know, heat is unavoidable with electronics, but getting rid of it is essential to stability and longevity.

Adata provides a five-year warranty for the SE920. It’s a limited warranty, which means it’s mitigated by the amount of data written to the drive as well as physical abuse. The amount of data written can’t exceed a reasonable amount, which is likely 600TBW per 1TB of NAND if Adata follows the industry standard.

How much is the Adata SE920?

According to Adata, the 1TB SE920 will cost $140, the 2TB model will run $200, and the high-capacity 4TB is $380. More than 20Gbps USB SSDs, but not significantly, and miles cheaper than the OWC 1M2 — the only other external USB 4 SSD we’re aware of.

One thing I should point out is that being USB 4, rather than USB 3.2×2, you’ll get excellent performance on a Mac as well. Apple, for some unknown reason supports only 10Gbps with USB 3.2, meaning 3.2×2 20Gbps SSDS are constrained to half their potential. Nice one, Apple.

Not to let the USB Forum off the hook — there’s actually a 20Gbps mode for USB 4 in addition to the one for USB 3.2×2, and apparently the twain shall never meet in Apple land. Sigh.

How fast is the Adata SE920?

It wasn’t a blow out, but the Adata SE920 took the title of “Fastest external drive we’ve tested” from the OWC 1M2. At least at 40Gbps in synthetic benchmarks. At 20Gbps (using USB 3.2×2), under the synthetics, the opposite proved true — by about an equal margin.

As you buy USB 4 for the 40Gbps (or should), we weighted our judgement accordingly. Note that you can see the charts in larger format by right-clicking over them and selecting “View in new tab.”

The Adata SE920 offers the most speed for your money in an external drive, plus a nifty built-in fan.

In the end, however, the performance differences between the two USB 4 drives aren’t really worth worrying about. Subjectively, you’d never notice in a million years. This is demonstrated again below.

The SE920 again fell behind the 1M2 in the 48GB transfers at 40Gbps, but only just, and well within the margin of error for this particular test. The 1M2 again pulled away significantly at 20Gbps.

Where the SE920 really came into its own was in the long 450GB write. Speed after secondary cache ran out was quite good as well — around 850MBps. It took writing another 900GB of data immediately following the 450GB to reveal this.

Note that the 1M2 was a 1TB drive with less secondary cache, though it didn’t exhaust what it had in this test.

All in all, it’s a toss up between the 1M2 and the SE920 in terms of 40Gbps performance. And, if you’re wondering about the effectiveness of the fan… It helps — the SE920 didn’t run as hot during testing with the outer shell in the open position and said fan engaged.

Note that I had to turn on Better performance (caching) under Drive Management for the SE920 or writes were about ten times slower. Yup, 300MBps.

Should you buy the SE920?

If you want an uber-fast external SSD, then the SE920 is likely what you want. The OWC 1M2 was faster in some tests and significantly so on the 20Gbps bus, but the SE920 is a whole lot cheaper and easier to carry around. Good job, Adata.

How we test

Drive tests currently utilize Windows 11, 64-bit running on an X790 (PCIe 4.0/5.0) motherboard/i5-12400 CPU combo with two Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 4800MHz modules (64GB of memory total). Both 20Gbps USB/Thunderbolt 4 are integrated to the back panel and Intel CPU/GPU graphics are used. The 48GB transfer tests utilize an ImDisk RAM disk taking up 58GB of the 64GB of total memory. The 450GB file is transferred from a 2TB Samsung 990 Pro which also runs the OS.

Each test is performed on a newly NTFS-formatted and TRIM’d drive so the results are optimal. Note that in normal use, as a drive fills up, performance may decrease due to less NAND for secondary caching, as well as other factors. This is less of a factor with the current crop of SSDs with their far faster NAND.

Caveat: The performance numbers shown apply only to the drive we were shipped and to the capacity tested. SSD performance can and will vary by capacity due to more or fewer chips to shotgun reads/writes across and the amount of NAND available for secondary caching. Vendors also occasionally swap components. If you ever notice a large discrepancy between the performance you experience and that which we report, by all means, let us know.

Computer Storage Devices, Storage

Got a fairly recent Nvidia discrete graphics card? Got a Firefox browser, huge collection of extensions optional? Then you’ve got everything you need to let your GPU flex its muscles on upscaling some low-quality web video. Nvidia announced yesterday that Mozilla’s browser has added compatibility with the RTX Video Super Resolution upscaling and HDR tools.

As Nvidia says on its blog post, RTX Video combines both algorithm-powered upscaling (boosting the resolution of each video frame by dynamically filling in the intervening space) and translating standard dynamic range frames into high dynamic range with intelligently-boosted color vibrancy and contrast. Your videos should look better even if you don’t have an HDR-compatible screen to show them. As we said when we tested the feature at its launch: Nvidia’s RTX Video Super Resolution is like going from VHS to Blu-ray.

RTX Video is available on any desktop or laptop with an RTX 30-series card or newer, and you can activate it through the Nvidia Control Panel. (Oddly it’s not yet included in the omnibus Nvidia Windows app, still in beta.) You’ll need the latest versions of Firefox and Nvidia’s driver package. The system already works with web-based video in Chrome and Edge, plus the perennial local playback favorite VLC.

Graphics Cards

With summer’s sweltering heat waves just around the corner, staying cool and comfortable becomes a paramount concern. The Zafro 10,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner is a great choice for anyone who wants to be able to cool down anywhere they may set up for the day. It also helps that it’s $90 off right now, bringing the price down to just $239.99.

Zafro’s portable AC is well-suited for rooms up to 450 square feet, offering rapid cooling capabilities that can lower indoor temperatures to a refreshing 61℉. This feature is particularly beneficial during heat waves, providing a much-needed respite from the oppressive temperatures outside.

I personally tried a similar model when working from my semi-closed-in patio and I can honestly say I couldn’t have survived without it in mid-July. It would have worked even better in an actually insulated room, of course, but even so, the difference was major. 

The air conditioner also boasts four operational modes—Cool, Dehumidifier, Fan, and Sleep. Since it has a high-efficiency compressor, the noise level is kept below 45dB. Whether you want to use the Zafro during the night or when working, this low noise feature guarantees a quiet environment.

Installation and operation are straightforward thanks to its portable design with wheels. The unit can be easily moved to any room with a hung or sliding window, where it can be quickly set up with the included hose and window adapter. Even if you have casement windows, there are ways to make this work with a little bit of DIY. 

The air conditioner also incorporates a removable and washable double-layer filter, enhancing the indoor air quality by protecting against dust and other airborne contaminants. 

Need to stay cool during the sweltering summer months? The Zafro 10000 BTU portable AC is a solid option with this huge discount applied, saving you from the heat and saving you money too. 

Fight the heat with the $90 off Zafro 10000 BTU portable air conditioner at Amazon

Smart Home

Fantastic deals do not exi… Wait, no. That can’t be right because we just found a $400 off Dell G16 laptop. Usually available for $1699.99, you can get this gaming rig for a mere $1349.99, which is a significant saving considering powerful GeForce RTX 4070 gaming laptops typically range from $1500 to $2000 without sales. 

The Dell G16 has a heart of gold – and by that I mean a potent Intel Core i9-13900HX processor. That’s a last gen CPU, sure, but the newer 14900HX model isn’t that much of an improvement, so you can expect top-notch gaming performance. With a whopping 36 MB cache, 24 cores, and 32 threads, the Dell G16 can turbo boost up to 5.40GHz. This means it can handle even the most demanding games and applications with ease. It’s a practical choice for gamers who value performance over the latest model hype.

Oh, and that’s not all. The Dell G16 has a powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, with 8 GB GDDR6, providing outstanding visuals no matter what flavor gaming you’re into. Coupled with a 16-inch, 2560×1600 display that boasts a 240Hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, and Nvidia G-Sync + DDS technology, the Dell G16 will transport you right into your favorite gaming world. 

Memory and storage are well catered for, with 16GB of DDR5 memory and a 1TB SSD, offering ample space and speed for all your games and programs. Sure, we’d have loved to see more RAM in there so you can load up on all the Skyrim mods, but 16GB is perfectly adequate. You can also easily pop in another 16GB memory stick since the max is 32GB and there are two slots to fill in. 

Battery life is pretty much what you’d expect from a gaming laptop, with Dell promising about 6 hours of use (less while gaming). That’s pretty decent, and if you don’t want to worry about carrying your charger with you, you can always grab the Baseus Blade laptop power bank, which we found on sale yesterday for just $63.

For gamers who prioritize top-notch performance at a value, the Dell G16 with its RTX 4070 graphics offers a compelling package. Getting this level of gaming power for $1349 is a heck of a bargain.

If you’ve reached this far and decided that perhaps a gaming laptop isn’t what you need, then the Inspiron 16 Plus (Intel Core i7-13620, RTX 4060, 32GB DDR5, 2TB SSD), which we recently reviewed and loved enough to give the Editors’ Choice award to, is also on sale going for $650 off, available for an excellent $1200. 

Get the Dell G16 with RTX 4070 graphics for $1349 at Dell

Gaming Laptops

Are you ready for the summer and spending time outdoors? Not if you haven’t bought the JBL Clip 4 yet! The tiny but mighty JBL Clip 4 is currently available at a special price of $49.95, down from its usual $79.95. 

While not the absolute lowest price we’ve seen—the speaker has dipped to $44.95 previously—this offer still presents a significant saving for those looking to enhance their summer activities with quality sound.

This compact speaker delivers surprisingly big audio and punchy bass for its small size. You can definitely rock out to your favorite tracks, dance away through the garden when tending to the flowers or trimming the grass, or do whatever else you want to do. Heck, it’s going to be perfect for barbecues, too, since it’s not loud enough for the whole neighborhood to dance to your 90s hits Spotify playlist – what, just me? Ok then.

The JBL Clip 4 is also ideal for beach trips or lounging by the pool since it has an IP67 water resistance rating. One of the standout features of the JBL Clip 4 is its integrated carabiner. Simply hook it up to your backpack and you’re good to go wherever you want (although please, please don’t use this on public transport).

The battery life on the Clip 4 is also pretty awesome with up to 10 hours of playtime on a single charge, making it perfect for a whole day spent in the sunshine. 

The JBL Clip 4 at $49.95 is definitely a good bargain. You’ll end up with a speaker that provides high-quality sound, plus it’s durable and super portable. 

Get the JBL Clip 4 for $50 at Amazon

Speakers

It never fails. You get a shiny, brand-new laptop with ALL the bells and whistles, and yet the same thing lets you down every time. The built-in webcam. Even laptops that promise superior webcams ultimately fail to deliver. And if you’re wondering “why?” the answer comes down to everything else you love about your laptop.

Unfortunately, in this modern world, the webcam is more important than ever. Chances are you’re all too familiar with the terms, “Zoom” and “Teams” which now mean something totally different than they did 15 years ago. More people are working from home, and even those in the office are still attending remote meetings. And if you’re a professional, you want to look good. So why does your laptop’s webcam make you look terrible, and what can you do about it?

Further reading: The best laptops we’ve tested

The webcam position isn’t glamorous

Chances are that your laptop’s webcam is centered in the top bezel of your laptop’s display. That’s about as high as you can get on a laptop, but that still leads to the first problem. An unflattering view. Laptops aren’t all that tall, and there’s many people place them directly on a desk, front and center for easy reaching.

But you can’t lift the built-in webcam any higher than the actual laptop. If you’ve placed yours on a desk, then it’s probably below your face. If you want to take a good-looking photo of someone, the general advice is to raise the camera higher, not lower. A downward angle is almost always more flattering, and unfortunately you won’t get that with a laptop on a desk. Worse yet, chances are with the display positioned at a perfectly vertical angle, it will cut your head off. The only option is to lean back, which gives you the classic “up the nose” view that no one wants to see.

And all of that is the lucky scenario. For reasons we’ll get into below, some manufacturers have gone with alternative laptop placements, such as early Dell XPS 13s that positioned the webcam in the bottom bezel of the display, or Huawei’s attempt to stick a popup webcam in the keyboard. An even lower position just makes things worse.

Further reading: How to look fresh and professional in videoconferences and web meetings

Size is everything

When you bought your laptop, you probably paid attention to the features that matter most like RAM, display size, and battery life. But one area that influenced your decision probably also made your built-in webcam worse: form factor. Most people want a thin and light laptop with small bezels, because that makes for a more portable device. And that makes sense. But those very benefits are detrimental to webcams.

Think about the average camera for a moment. When you want a better camera, you probably look for the usual specs like megapixels, and then assume more is better. But that’s not the whole story. Sensor size also matters, which is why a DSLR with “fewer megapixels” can take a better photo than a smartphone with “more megapixels.” To understand why, you need to understand camera image sensors. A single camera image sensor is made of small light sensors called pixels. At its most basic, each pixel captures light, and all those light signals are combined into an image.

The problem is smaller sensors leave less room for those pixels. The only way to get more megapixels into a smaller sensor is to shrink each pixel sensor. Smaller pixel sensors are worse at capturing light, and cramming a huge number of megapixels into a small sensor only compounds that problem. That’s why a DSLR that’s “just” 20 megapixels can take an image that’s nicer, crisper, and even less noisy in dark settings than a 48-megapixel smartphone camera.

But alas, the fact that larger sensors lead to higher quality image capabilities runs headfirst into laptop portability requirements. In this day and age, we want smaller bezels, and thinner screens, which leads to less room for webcam hardware. That leaves manufacturers with the choice between making a chunkier laptop or using smaller less capable camera hardware.

The decision manufacturers settled on is obvious too: remember Dell’s decision to put the webcam at the bottom of the display for early Dell XPS 13 models? The company did course correct and managed to move the camera back to the best position at the top of the display. But Dell got there by working with camera sensor manufacturers to make even smaller webcam hardware. That reduced the image quality even more, although at least you don’t get as much up the nose as before.

Webcams are an afterthought anyway

If you’re thinking, “shove camera hardware into a small package” sounds familiar, you’re not wrong. Smartphones contend with some of the same issues, and yet they consistently turn out better results. Why is that? Priorities. When you look at the most important specs for buying a laptop, webcams don’t top the list. But smartphones are now the default camera we take everywhere, so Apple, Samsung, and other smartphone makers have an incentive to spend more on camera hardware.

You will see some of the size dynamics play out in a smartphone. Afterall, the rear facing camera is almost always far superior to the front facing camera. But once again, the front facing camera contends with smaller bezel, forcing phone manufacturers to get creative with smaller sensors or other solutions, like the hole punch or worse under screen hardware. But even front facing cameras are important to phone manufacturers since everyone loves a selfie.

That just isn’t the case for laptops, especially since webcams aren’t focused on taking still images. Just hitting a particular video resolution is all they need to say, “good enough for Zoom.” Ultimately, creating the perfect laptop is a balancing act: for every extra bit of power, you reduce battery life. For every extra port, you create more weight and a thicker chassis. And the larger your webcam sensor, the thicker your bezels. Webcams clearly land in the low priority section, especially when they’re directly competing with display real estate space. You can live with a subpar laptop camera, but not a subpar display.

Tips for a better webcam experience

You purchased a laptop because it’s fast, lightweight, and somehow squeezes hours of battery life into a portable package. But the webcam experience is terrible. You might think you’re completely out of luck, but you’re not. There are a few things you can do to improve your Zoom or Teams presence.

Start by lifting your laptop higher. It doesn’t matter how crisp your image is if all you’re doing is giving everyone an excellent view of your nose hairs. Instead of placing your laptop directly on the desk and leaning the display back, lift it up higher. You could do that by placing it on a stack of books or buying a laptop stand designed to give it height. Aim for getting the camera as close to level with your head as possible, or slightly above if you can manage it.

Then, fix your lighting. The big problem with small laptop camera sensors is they don’t deal well with lighting challenges. If you’re in a dark room, your camera will struggle. And if you have a bright window behind you, that will cause just as many issues.

Sit in a bright room, and make sure the source of that light is either coming from behind the laptop and aimed at your face, or at worst shining down from above. A ring light can help if you can’t add permanent lights to your video calling space. And consider turning down your monitor’s brightness, which may be causing an unflattering shine on your face and be confusing your webcam as it naturally gets brighter and darker when content on your screen changes.

Check your software settings as well. Both Mac and Windows offer some camera settings you may want to check, but it’s possible your video conferencing platform also may also be causing problems. Every platform, from Zoom to Meet offers some camera controls, and it’s worth looking to ensure you’re sending it the best possible image your webcam can produce. At the very least, it’s worth checking that your video call platform’s resolution setting matches what your webcam offers.

If all else fails, buy an external webcam. While more laptops are offering 1080p embedded webcams, they still suffer from the same issues of small sensor sizes buried in a display bezel. You’ll instantly get better results by skipping your built-in webcam and switching to an external option. You don’t have to spend a lot, though the more do spend the better results you’re likely to get.

At the top of the line is the $300 Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra, and it gets there by going after one of the most important specs in a camera: sensor size. Its huge sensor will give you DSLR-like quality, and of course you can place it as you need without lifting your entire laptop. You’ll spend a ton of money though, and it’s overkill for most people. On the more reasonable end is the Anker PowerConf C200, which will land you a 2K image for just $60. Both cameras even feature built-in privacy shutters, so you can be sure they’re only recording when you want. If that doesn’t satisfy your needs, we have a few other suggestions too.

Unfortunately, while they have improved some in recent years, bult-in laptop webcams are unlikely to ever provide a superior experience. But it’s worth trying to make the most of what you have. Some laptops, particularly those that offer a 1080p webcam, provide a “good enough” image for your average video call. Just go in with low expectations, and you won’t be (as) disappointed.

Laptops, Webcams

Upgrading from Windows’ built-in antivirus tools can cost a pretty penny at full price. Fortunately, you can get top-notch protection at more affordable prices if you know where to look—like PCWorld’s own software store, which currently has an exclusive deal on Norton 360 Deluxe. For just $25, you get 15 months of coverage for up to five devices.

Normally, this suite — our favorite antivirus software — costs $120 for a 12-month subscription. First-time subscribers can get it for $50, but that only lasts for the first year.

Norton 360 Deluxe is one of the best antivirus suites if you’re looking for an all-in-one package. It bundles together antivirus and firewall protection with a password manager, VPN service, dark web monitoring, parental controls, and cloud storage in a centralized interface. And its ability to block malware and other online threats is stronger than Windows’.

These deals will work for existing subscribers to Norton 360, though you’ll need to wait until your current subscription term to end. (Make sure auto renewal is turned off.) Afterward, you can redeem the code in your account.

For the full rundown on Norton 360 Deluxe (including everything you get), check out our review for all the details. But don’t wait too long to grab this deal—it won’t last forever.

Get Norton 360 Deluxe at 80% off via the PCWorld Software Store

Antivirus

Price When Reviewed

$1,699.99

Best Prices Today: Acer Swift X 14 (2024)

Once a niche option, 14-inch laptops are now the flagships of many laptop brands, packing powerful hardware and slim design in the same machine. The Acer Swift X 14 OLED seems to fit this bill at a glance, and it even carries an attractive price tag of $1,699.99 with an RTX 4070 and expanded memory inside. But while Acer delivers on performance-per-dollar, the Swift X 14’s generic design makes it hard to recommend over bolder competitors.

Acer Swift X 14: Specs and features

The new Acer Swift X 14 (SFX14-72G-7422) has a few upgrades over the 2023 model we reviewed less than a year ago. It switches from Intel’s 13th-gen Core processor line to the new Intel Core Ultra, upgrades from the RTX 4050 to the RTX 4070 GPU, and doubles the memory from 16GB to 32GB. This bumps the price up $200, which seems fair given the improvements. (A baseline version of this 2024 model with an RTX 4050 and half the RAM is also available for $1,499.)

• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
• Memory: 32GB LPDDR5x
• Graphics/GPU: Nvidia RTX 4070 with 60-watt TGP
• Display: 2,880 x 1,800 120Hz OLED
• Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe solid state drive
• Webcam: 1080p camera with triple-mic array
• Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C 4, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, microSD card reader, 1x 3.5mm combo headphone/mic jack
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
• Biometrics: Fingerprint reader
• Battery capacity: 76 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.71 x 8.98 x 0.7 inches
• Weight: 3.4 pounds
• MSRP: $1,699.99

Other aspects of the laptop remain the same, however. Its battery, wired and wireless connectivity, and storage haven’t changed. The chassis also appears to be identical to the prior model.

Looking for more options? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best gaming laptops available right now.

Acer Swift X 14: Design and build quality

Acer sticks to its script with the Swift X 14, which, like prior laptops in this lineup, features a dark gray aluminum chassis with a rugged, hard-edged look that can fit in anywhere — from a corporate meeting room to a home office. There’s not much to say about its appearance aside from this. It looks fine, but it’s unremarkable.

Build quality is good, although not better than most of its similarly priced competitors. Opening the display reveals very little flex or warping on the display surface, and the lower chassis is rock solid. This isn’t a unibody metal design, but it feels rigid and seems likely to last as long as you choose to keep it, provided the laptop doesn’t have an accidental high-speed encounter with concrete.

However, this particular Swift X 14 is a bit more expensive than some of the past models we’ve reviewed, coming in at nearly $1,700. That puts the Acer up against the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and Lenovo Slim Pro 9i. To be frank, the design doesn’t hold up against those competitors. There’s nothing wrong with the Swift X 14, but it doesn’t stand out.

The Swift X 14 measures 0.8 inches thick and weighs in at just 3.4 pounds, which is comparable to most similar laptops. Slimmer and lighter laptops are available, to be sure, but the Swift X 14 is easy to pack and light enough that its heft is hardly noticeable once secured in a backpack or messenger bag.

Acer Swift X 14: Keyboard, trackpad

The Acer Swift X 14 has a spacious keyboard layout that felt familiar and comfortable. The keyboard includes both Microsoft’s Co-Pilot key and an Alt key on the right side of the keyboard. Acer has reduced the size of the spacebar to accommodate these additions, but I didn’t find it a noticeable change and, like it or not, most Windows laptops are making the same choice.

Typing on the keyboard feels okay. There’s enough key travel to be comfortable, but the keys activate with a soft bottoming action that isn’t as definitive as it could be. While I like the keyboard, some recent laptops, such as the MacBook Air 15 M2 and Lenovo’s IdeaPad and Yoga 7 series, have an advantage over Acer. This has changed our opinion compared to the prior model — the keyboard is likely the same as before, but it doesn’t feel as impressive as it once did.

The keyboard is backlit but, as is typically true of Windows thin-and-light laptops, there isn’t much else to say about the backlight. The backlight is white and doesn’t offer customization beyond a couple brightness settings.

A similarly modest touchpad lurks just below the keyboard. It measures about 5 inches wide by 3 inches deep, which is about average in size for a modern 14-inch laptop. However, shoppers will find larger touchpads on laptops like the Dell XPS 14, Apple MacBook Pro 14, and even the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (though, in the latter case, the difference is small).

Acer Swift X 14: Display, audio

A gorgeous 14.5-inch OLED display is included with every current Swift X 14 laptop. It has a display resolution of 2880×1800 with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz.

The display’s strengths are many. It has an excellent contrast ratio, vivid color, and a tack-sharp look, especially when playing games or watching high-bitrate 4K video. Motion clarity is also excellent thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate. It adds clarity to fast-moving objects, whether it’s simply words flying by as you scroll through a webpage, or a foe in your favorite first-person shooter.

The only downside is one familiar to most OLED laptop displays, and that’s brightness. It can achieve a maximum brightness of just over 400 nits but, because the display is glossy, glare can become a problem when the laptop is used outdoors or in a brightly lit room. Also, while HDR is supported and looks good, the display isn’t bright enough to fully do it justice. Alternatives with a mini-LED display, like the Apple MacBook Pro 14 and Lenovo Slim Pro 9i, have an edge in HDR.

The speakers, on the other hand, aren’t great. They provide enough volume to be useful and sound OK when handling simple audio content, like a podcast or most YouTube videos. When listening to music, though, they have a harsh, metallic quality to the high end that’s grating and unpleasant. Headphones or external speakers are a must if you want to listen to your favorite tunes or immerse yourself in a game.

Acer Swift X 14: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

The Swift X 14 has a 1080p webcam and a triple-array microphone. That sounds good on paper, but in practice it’s mediocre. The webcam’s image was usable but grainy and lacked color saturation. I wasn’t impressed by the microphone, either, which delivered only modest volume. It’s still fine for Zoom, but if you want a laptop that makes you look and sound good on camera, this isn’t it.

The AI-powered noise reduction worked, at least, competently removing the sound of a space heater and several annoying crows perched too close to my window.

A fingerprint reader is built into the power button for biometric login. It worked well in my testing but, like all fingerprint readers I’ve tried, even the slightest grime or dampness can throw it off. Facial recognition through Windows Hello isn’t supported, which is a shame, as many competitive Windows laptops provide it.

Acer Swift X 14: Connectivity

The Acer Swift X 14 is not a large laptop, but it still has plenty of room for connectivity. It features two Thunderbolt 4 ports, both of which support USB 4, as well as two USB-A ports, HDMI 2.1, a microSD card reader, and a 3.5 mm audio jack.

The USB 4/Thunderbolt ports both support USB Power Delivery, and either can be used to charge the laptop with the included power adapter, which connects via USB-C. The ports can also be used with a wide variety of third-party USB-C chargers. They can handle DisplayPort output, too, so they can be used to connect to a USB-C or Thunderbolt monitor.

Of course, many price-competitive laptops also have USB 4/Thunderbolt ports, and it’s the Swift X 14’s more conventional connectivity that stands out. It’s great to see two USB-A ports for connecting older wired mice and keyboards. HDMI, meanwhile, is ideal not only for connecting to monitors, but also to TVs and projectors. This combination of ports means you can take the laptop anywhere without worrying about adapters, which isn’t true of most modern 14-inch laptops.

The Acer Swift X 14’s combination of ports means you can take the laptop anywhere without worrying about adapters…

There’s just one important port that’s missing, and that’s Ethernet. However, most 14-inch laptops have decided to ditch that port, so it’s not unexpected. Ethernet is still usable, but only through a USB-C to Ethernet adapter.

Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. That’s similar to most modern Windows laptops, and Wi-Fi speeds were excellent in my testing, even when the laptop was used in an exterior office more than 50 feet away from the router. I would have liked to see Wi-Fi 7, which is the most recent wireless standard, but most laptops are sticking to Wi-Fi 6E for now.

Acer Swift X 14: Performance

The Acer Swift X 14 I reviewed is a well-configured model with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics, 32GB of memory, and 1TB solid state drive. That’s excellent hardware for a 14-inch laptop, but the Swift X 14’s performance fell short of my expectations.

PCMark 10 puts the Swift X 14 off to a decent start with a score of 7,004. That’s not bad but it’s also not the best. Though it does top the 2023 Swift X 14.

Cinebench R20, a heavily multi-thread, short-duration processor benchmark, puts the Swift X 14 in a more favorable position. Here it delivers a noticeable gain over last year’s model, and while it doesn’t beat heavy hitters like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and Razer Blade 14, it does outrun the more expensive Dell XPS 14.

Handbrake, a heavily multi-threaded, long-duration processor benchmark, shows the Swift X 14 reaching the limits of its thermal performance. It’s slightly quicker than last year’s model, but the gap is so small that it’s effectively a tie. The ROG Zephyrus G14 and Razer Blade 14, both of which had AMD Ryzen processors, see a significant lead over the Intel-powered Swift X 14 and HP Omen Transcend 14.

3DMark’s Time Spy provides our first glimpse at the RTX 4070’s performance, and it delivers a decent score of 8,119. That’s a step behind the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and Razer Blade 14, but it defeats the HP Omen Transcend 14. The new Swift X 14 also greatly outperforms the older model with RTX 4050 graphics.

It’s a similar story in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, an attractive but aging game that represents typical games from the Playstation 4/Xbox One era. It hit a frame rate of 106, which once again falls short of the ROG Zephyrus G14 and Blade 14, but defeats the HP. This is a highly playable result, and one that lets gamers make proper use of the OLED display’s 120Hz refresh rate.

Metro Exodus is an extraordinarily taxing game, at least when enjoyed at 1080p resolution and the Extreme resolution we use for testing. Even without ray-tracing, this title gives laptops like the Acer Swift X 14 and HP Omen Transcend a swift kick in the pants. The Razer Blade 14 manages to hold up better, which is notable because, just like the Swift X 14, it has an RTX 4070. The difference is in thermals and power draw. While the Acer starts out strong, it ultimately hits the limits of its 60-watt TGP. The Razer Blade 14, on the other hand, has an RTX 4070 with an up to 140-watt TGP, and that provides a clear advantage in demanding titles.

I also fired up Cyberpunk 2077 to give the Swift X 14 a workout in this notoriously difficult title. The Acer put in a good effort, as it achieved an average of 57 FPS at 1080p resolution with detail set to Ultra and DLSS turned off. That’s far behind some larger RTX 4070 laptops (the Razer Blade 16 hit 83 FPS, for example), but the game is entirely playable on the Swift X 14.

There’s one final aspect of the Swift X 14’s performance that’s troublesome: fan noise. The laptop’s overtaxed cooling system frequently whirs to life at the slightest provocation. Download a file? Whoosh. Unzip a file? Whoosh. Batch edit a few photos? Whoosh. It’s even more noticeable in games, of course, where the fans are so loud that they’re hard to tolerate. I suggest investing in a good pair of noise-canceling headphones.

Battery life

Acer packs a 76 watt-hour battery in the Swift X 14. That’s not a small battery, but it’s not remarkably large for a laptop in 2024, and a bit small for one with discrete graphics.

The Swift X 14’s battery life holds up fairly well but doesn’t impress. It achieved 7 hours and 18 minutes of endurance in our standard battery test, which loops a 4K clip of the short film Tears of Steel. That’s much better than the 2023 Swift X 14, and it also defeats the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14. However, it falls behind other potential competitors like the HP Omen Transcend 14.

Acer ships the laptop with a compact 100-watt USB-C power adapter. It’s relatively easy to pack and, since the laptop only expects 100 watts of power, it’s simple to replace this with an even smaller third-party power adapter. That’s handy for traveling, as there’s no need to take the laptop power brick. Owners can instead grab a single USB-C brick for all their devices.

Should you buy the Acer Swift X 14?

The new Acer Swift X 14 is a lot like the older Swift X 14. It’s a solid mid-range laptop that delivers good performance in a small footprint, but it otherwise struggles to stand out. That’s not because of flaws but, rather, a lack of advantages. Nearly every aspect of the laptop, from design to performance and even the display, is merely good for a mid-range laptop in 2024.

The Swift X 14’s most obvious allure is its price, which, at $1,699.99, matches or undercuts competitors like the HP Omen 14 Transcend, Asus Zenbook Pro 14 OLED, and Dell XPS 14. But the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 spoils Acer’s party, as it manages to deliver even better performance at a lower MSRP of $1,599.99. To be fair, the G14 we tested had only 16GB of RAM, but that’s the sole significant disadvantage against the Swift X 14.

The Acer is a sensible choice if you want great performance-per-dollar, don’t want a “gaming” laptop (like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14), and need to stick with a 14-inch display. But that, I think, is a narrow audience.

Laptops

Malware is just one way hackers and scammers can get you. Another common tactic is social engineering—a collection of methods that exploit vulnerabilities in human behavior to steal sensitive info, takeover accounts, or otherwise infiltrate your life. Businesses and individuals alike can suffer big losses from successful campaigns.

But while antivirus software can block malware, including those that involve social engineering (e.g., scareware), it can’t stop all types of social engineering attacks. New variants continue to emerge, with no signs of stopping. 

You must keep watch yourself—which is easier if you know the key signs to watch for. At the recent 2024 RSA cybersecurity conference in San Francisco, Microsoft broke down social engineering attacks into three distinctive pieces. Once you become familiar with them, they’re easy to spot.

A sense of urgency

In a social engineering attack, you could be contacted about a misdelivered package, fraudulent bank transaction, loved one stranded overseas, secret shopping deal, or any number of situations—all of them designed to leverage a sense of immediacy. Act quickly, or lose out.

That inherent sense of urgency is a key factor in social engineering attacks. We humans don’t think as clearly or thoroughly when rushed, and that’s exactly what bad actors are counting on.

What to do: No matter how serious the situation, take a moment for review. Financial issues? Look up the official phone number for the purported caller, be it your bank or the IRS, and use that instead. Friend stuck in a foreign country with no money? Message them directly over your usual mode of communication and get more details.

An appeal to your feelings

Urgency is an effective part of social engineering attacks because it preys on emotion. It sparks fear, which often overrides better judgment.

But social engineering can get you through other emotions, with some of them actually positive in vibe. One example given by Sherrod DeGrippo, director of threat intelligence strategy at Microsoft, was the receipt of an email about divorce paperwork for review. For a married person, this phony message could inspire panic and a click on a malware link—but even a single person could end up infected with dangerous software. Why? They clicked out of sheer curiosity.

What to do: Before running with any impulse, first ask yourself what (or who) could be on the other side of the email, message, or call, especially if the message has no relation to you. If it could be legit, initiate contact separately, using known channels. But if not, just ignore the communication.

A play on your habits

Habits can be obvious routines, like always checking your email. If you’re accustomed to email notifications about bank statements, you might automatically click on a link you think will take you to a statement. The habit takes over before your brain fully processes that the message looks a little off.

But they can also exploit habits you never formed consciously—like social norms programmed into you. Maybe you don’t hang up on an unknown caller because you think it would be rude. Or you don’t question your sibling asking you spot them some cash. At work, you share confidential details without hesitation, wanting to preserve the relationship with your colleague.

In each of those situations, you could end up caught up in a scam or hack attempt, because you’re already inclined to be cooperative.

What to do: Take an extra moment to consider the situation before acting, especially if your gut tells you something is off. Is this banking statement arriving at its usual time, and where does the link direct to? Does a stranger cold-calling you actually deserve more than a polite farewell and call disconnection? Can you verify with your sibling through another form of communication (that you initiate) that it’s them asking for that money?

Bonus tips

If you find it difficult to think through these steps on your own, you can always call in outside help. (Thinking with this much suspicion is hard, especially if your brain is preoccupied with stress and worry.)

In addition to this strategy, having secondary lines of defense are important, too—in case you have an off-moment and fall for the social engineering. You definitely want a good antivirus suite installed on your PC (and other devices you use extensively). If part of the attack involves malicious links or software, antivirus should catch those.

Should your antivirus software fail to block a shady website, using a password manager or passkeys for logging into your accounts can prevent the page from stealing your credentials. A credible password manager won’t autofill your sign-in details on phony sites. Similarly, passkeys are specifically tied to the website you generated them for.

Antivirus, Password Managers, Security Software and Services

Keeping projects on time and under budget is a hard job, which is why project managers get paid the big bucks. But anybody can improve their ability to manage projects with the help of Microsoft Project Professional 2021 for Windows. For a limited time, this powerful project management software is on sale for just $19.97.

Microsoft Project has earned 4.4/5 stars from Capterra and GetApp because it’s an easy-to-use tool to manage everything from small tasks to large, complex projects. It gives you timelines, budgets, resources, and pre-built templates to help you keep your projects on the right track. You can leverage automated tools for scheduling and reporting to reduce inefficiencies, draw better insights, and stay organized throughout your projects. It’s an all-in-one tool to simplify all kinds of projects.

Become a better project manager with Microsoft Project Professional 2021 for Windows. From 5/13 through 11:59 pm PT on 5/22, you can get it for just $19.97 (reg. $249).

 

Microsoft Project Professional 2021 for Windows – $19.97

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

Accessories

Earlier this year, Intel told the world that its next-gen Core Ultra Series 2 “Lunar Lake” chips would be out before the end of the year. And that appears to be true, but with a welcome twist: They’re power-efficient enough to appear in a handheld gaming PC.

Intel hasn’t formally launched Lunar Lake yet, but Shenzhen Weibu Information Inc. has published details of what it calls the GP10: an 11-inch handheld gaming PC with an “Intel Lunar Lake chip inside. Weibu will show off the handheld PC at the Computex show in Taiwan that begins the first week of June.

Unlike more well-known handheld PC vendors like Lenovo, MSI, Logitech, Asus ROG, and others, Weibu isn’t a big name in the handheld gaming space — in fact, this might be its first handheld gaming PC. Weibu provides OEM/ODM services, meaning that it makes products under contract for its customers to brand and sell.

What’s more interesting is that it has what’s claimed to be a full-fledged Lunar Lake chip inside. That’s unusual; the Lenovo Legion Go 8.8, for example, uses an AMD Ryzen Z1, specifically designed for the handheld gaming market. But MSI debuted the Claw A1M in January at CES, with a Core Ultra 5 or Ultra 7 in either of the two models, the first major handheld vendor to do so.

To date, the MSI Claw is basically the only Intel Core-based handheld PC. Which leads to the question: Does the presence of the Weibu GP10 signal that Lunar Lake will address a broad spectrum of the market, including handheld gaming? Or is Weibu’s GP10 a one-off, designed to shoehorn in a powerful processor to attract attention? Will it even come to market?

We don’t know for certain. But we do know that Lunar Lake, the follow-on to the Core Ultra Series 1 low-power “Meteor Lake,” will be the first 18A (angstrom) chip — which will potentially decrease the operating power even more than Meteor Lake did. In 2022, Intel executives told the Hot Chips conference that Lunar Lake would be optimized for ultraportables running at 15 watts and below. Lunar Lake is also expected to boast an NPU with three times more TOPS than Meteor Lake, though it’s unclear whether it alone will meet Microsoft’s reported definition of an AI PC. But as for the argument that Lunar Lake could fit inside a handheld PC — yes, that seems reasonable.

As for the specs of the GP10, we know those too:

• Display: 10.95-inch (1920×1200,120Hz, multitouch)
• Processor: Intel Lunar Lake (speed and model not disclosed)
• Memory: LPDDR5 (on-board), 64GB max
• Storage: M.2. NVMe 2280, 2TB max
• Wireless: 802.11ac/802.11ax
• Ports: USB-C, TF, 3.5mm jack

All this certainly gives credence to the fact that Intel could be preparing a concerted push into Intel Core “Lunar Lake” handhelds. We’ll have to wait to see what the company announces at Computex.

CPUs and Processors, Gaming, Gaming Laptops

In the hybrid working world, you need solutions that will work for your home office, your work office, and public spaces. When you’re working from a tablet, this 8-in-1 Tablet Docking Stand has you covered. On sale for cheaper than at Amazon, this portable docking stand is on sale for 20% off now.

The adjustable tablet stand moves 180º, is adjustable for your posture, and is foldable for easy storage when not in use. It comes equipped with eight ports to extend the capabilities of your tablet. You can connect to multiple peripherals at once via three USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI 2.0 port, an SD/microSD slot, a 3.5mm audio port, and a PD/100W charging port. It’s a simple way to set up your perfect working situation, no matter where you are.

Upgrade your hybrid work abilities with this 8-in-1 Tablet Docking Stand. Right now, you can get it for 21% off $69 at just $54.99.

 

8-in-1 Tablet Docking Stand – $54.99

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Accessories

Chromebooks have undergone the most dramatic transformation over the years. No longer are they used to just running Google apps or accessing the internet. Nowadays, in addition to running everyday tasks like browsing the web and checking e-mail, you can also play the latest triple-A titles with cloud gaming. Because there’s such a wide variety now, we’ve curated a list of our top picks to help narrow things down. Whatever your needs may be, PCWorld has you covered with the best options on the market today.

If you still prefer Windows laptops, you’ll definitely want to check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available today.

Why you should trust us: PCWorld has been going strong since 1983, back in the days when print magazines were more common. Now that we’ve made the leap to digital, we’ve been reviewing more than 70 laptops every year. Every laptop that passes through our doors goes through an arduous testing process, in which we evaluate everything from processor performance to display quality. We’re committed to reviewing laptops in every price range too.

Update May 15, 2024: We updated our list of recently reviewed laptops below our best picks. Also note that Google Photos’ best AI editing tools are coming to Chromebooks, but not Windows PCs.

Recent laptop reviews

• Acer Aspire Go 15: It runs Windows, not Chrome, but this $299 laptop gets work done without much fuss, only bogging down when you throw an excessive amount of programs or browser tabs at it. It’s an outstanding value and a killer Chromebook competitor.
• Acer Swift Go 14: The $799 Acer Swift Go 14 is a reliable travel workhorse through and through, with a truly outstanding 15 hour battery life. It keeps going, and going, and…
• Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Fast, handsome, and affordably priced, the Chromebook 516 GE is a great do-it-all laptop that’s also ideal for cloud gaming.
• HP Laptop 14: The HP Laptop 14 certainly impresses with its stylish design, low price point, comfortable keyboard, and so on. That said, the weak multitasking performance and annoying fan noise knock it down a few pegs.

How we test Chromebooks

The PCWorld team puts each and every laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others we’ve tested. Due to the cloud-based nature of Chromebooks, they go through a series of web-based tests. It wouldn’t be fair or possible to run the same kinds of tests on a Chromebook as we use on laptops because they exclusively run a completely different operating system.

Below, you’ll find a breakdown of each test and the reasons why we run them.

Chromebooks

• CrXPRT 2: The CrXPRT 2 benchmark tests a Chromebook’s battery life.
• Speedometer 2.0: This test determines a Chromebook’s web browser performance. It simulates this by adding, completing, and removing a to-do list.
• Basemark Web 3.0: This benchmark gauges how well a Chromebook can handle web-based applications.
• Kraken 1.1: Kraken 1.1 is a JavaScript performance benchmark that measures browser speed.
• Jetstream 2: Jetstream 2 is a combination of WebAssembly and JavaScript benchmarks. This is a way to gauge how well a Chromebook runs advanced workloads.

For a more thorough explanation of our testing procedures, check out how PCWorld tests laptops.

What should I look for in a Chromebook?

If you’re looking for a Windows or MacBook alternative, you may want to consider a Chromebook. Equipped with low-power processors, they typically have good battery life and are usually silent in operation. They make great productivity machines, as they’re specifically designed for lightweight tasks like browsing the web, watching Netflix, and so on. Plus, they’re largely virus free. That said, most Chromebooks have minimal RAM and storage. If you’re a hardcore gamer or a video editor, you’re going to want something with a lot more power than a Chromebook is capable of providing.

Our guide to Chromebooks vs. Windows laptops can help you determine which operating system is best for your needs. For more options, you’ll want to check out our best laptops roundup.

• Operating system: Although every operating system has its pros and cons, I’d argue that Chrome OS is one of the most user-friendly ones out there. That said, with Chromebooks, you don’t have the option of picking another operating system, as they exclusively run Chrome OS. You’re stuck with it, bud.
• Processor: Shoot for a mid-range Chromebook if you can. They cost anywhere in the $400 to $600 range and many of them come equipped with Intel Pentium processors. These Chromebooks have better browser performance and are capable of running more intense gaming apps. It’s the best bang for your buck. Upper-end Chromebooks sometimes use Intel Core or AMD Ryzen processors, which pack more of a punch.
• RAM: Many Chromebooks have 4GB of RAM, which isn’t a lot. Chromebooks are web-based machines, so you need a fair amount of RAM to keep those tabs open and running smoothly. If you can spend a couple of hundred extra, you’ll be able to find a mid-range Chromebook with 8GB of RAM.
• Storage: I recommend at least 64GB of storage. Since you’ll mostly be storing things in the cloud, you don’t a ton of local storage.
• Durability: Chromebooks are popular in the education market because they’re pretty darn robust. I’m not saying you should smack one around with a baseball bat or anything, but they’re durable enough to handle the daily abuses of life.

Laptops

You can use any old keyboard to play most PC games. But for better performance, more customization, and maybe even a little more fun, a keyboard designed specifically for games is a great investment. 

But actually buying one can be a daunting experience. There are hundreds of options out there with a staggering array of features and price points — and that’s just the ones from the major brands. Which is where this guide comes in. We’ve tested the latest, greatest, and not-so-great gaming keyboards on the market, so you can find the best one for you and your battlestation.

Why you should trust us: PCWorld has been the go-to name for personal computer news and reviews for over 40 years. And as the writer of this roundup, and the reviewer of most of the keyboards on this list, I can assure you our picks have been thoroughly tested by people who are absolutely obsessed with keyboards. 

Every single keyboard on this list has been used by an expert, put through its paces for features and reliability, and carefully considered against the alternatives. We’ve tested every facet of the boards, even programming and complete disassembly for those that support it. And there are plenty that don’t make the cut, like the pleasingly yellow but unfortunately pedestrian Ducky One III SF.

For a more in-depth look at how we test keyboards of every kind, check out our dedicated article covering our keyboard review process. 

 

Gaming, Keyboards

You like monitors. You like gaming monitors. You really like OLED gaming monitors. (Don’t lie to me, I’ve got the click counts to prove it!) And you like good deals on OLED gaming monitors best of all. So I’ve got a treat for you today: Dell’s newest, spiffiest OLED gaming monitor, an eye-popping 32-inch 4K beast, for just $799.99. That’s $400 off the sticker price.

There’s just one catch to this deal: it’s a refurb. And frankly since this Alienware-branded monster was just released back in January (to an Editor’s Choice review from our monitor expert Matt Smith, no less!), that’s still a pretty darn good deal. Also note that this is a 32-inch, 4K OLED monitor with a 16:9 aspect ratio. It’s not to be confused with the very similar Alienware 34-inch ultrawide OLED, 21:9 and lower resolution, which also sells for $800 on a regular basis.

In addition to a subtle curve and that massive 3840×2160 resolution, the AW3225QF has a super-fast 240Hz refresh rate, Nvidia G-Sync capability, DolbyVision, and a bunch of other stuff that basically means it looks freakin’ awesome. Ports include DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1, a second HDMI port with eARC for fancy stuff with sound bars, and USB-C video with 90 watts of charging for laptops, and three standard USB 3.2 for plugging in extra gadgets. Yes, it has VESA mounts for monitor arms and a little RGB flair ’round back.

Dell has a good reputation with refurbished devices, and these are usually returns with very little use on them. But it does come with only a 90-day warranty, which might be an understandable deal-breaker for a brand new monitor. Also note that as this is a very popular monitor at a big discount, so stock may run out quickly — we called it “the 4K OLED dream monitor you’ve been waiting for,” after all.

Get a 32-inch Alienware OLED 4K gaming monitor for just $799.99

Monitors

If you own an older productivity laptop, Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming can be the way you avoid buying a pricey gaming PC. Now, Microsoft says that you’ll be able to enjoy a more PC-like experience with mouse and keyboard support for select titles within Cloud Gaming on a web browser, beginning today.

Microsoft also said that the mouse-and-keyboard experience will also be accessible via the Microsoft Xbox app for Windows later this month.

Mouse and keyboard support has existed for years on the Xbox, though only on titles that supported them. On the PC, you’ll need to have either the Google Chrome or the Microsoft Edge browser installed, plus, of course, a mouse and keyboard. Even then, there will only (?) be 26 titles that Microsoft will support with a mouse and keyboard:

• ARK Survival Evolved
• Atomic Heart
• Cities: Skylines – Mayor’s Edition
• Cities: Skylines – Remastered
• Deep Rock Galactic
• Doom 64
• Fortnite (browser only)
• Gears Tactics
• Grounded
• Halo Infinite
• High on Life
• House Flipper
• Inkulinati (Game Preview)
• Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
• Norco
• Pentiment
• Quake
• Quake 2
• Sea of Thieves
• Slime Rancher 2
• Sniper Elite 5
• State of Decay 2
• Terraria
• The Sims 4
• Valheim (Game Preview)
• Zombie Army 4: Dead War

To begin playing with a mouse and keyboard on Xbox Cloud Gaming, you’ll need to visit the Xbox.com/play site, sign in with your Microsoft account, and select one of the supported games. Microsoft said that when this feature is added to the Xbox app, you’ll see a special icon to denote the new capability. And here’s a nice feature: You can switch back and forth between an Xbox controller and a keyboard simply by pushing the Xbox button on your controller, or tapping a key on your keyboard.

Microsoft also said that it has begun previewing new Compact Mode features (“Jump back in” and “Friends”) to Xbox Insiders and a small cadre of regular players. “Jump back in” will feature the last nine games that you’ve played. Compact mode is designed for the small but growing crop of handheld gaming PCs.

Gaming Laptops, Windows

Switching to a solid-state drive is the best upgrade you can make for your PC. These wondrous devices speed up boot times, improve the responsiveness of your programs and games, and generally make your computer feel fast. But not all solid-state drives are the same. You can spend big to achieve read and write speeds that reach a whole other level, or you can find top-notch SSDs that offer solid performance without breaking the bank.

Many SSDs come in a 2.5-inch form factor and connect to your PC via the same SATA port used by a traditional hard drive. But tiny NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) “gumstick” SSDs that fit in an M.2 connection on a modern motherboard are becoming increasingly common, along with blazing-fast PCIe 4.0 (and now 5.0) solid-state drives for compatible PCs; you’ll even find SSDs that sit on a PCIe adapter and slot into your motherboard like a graphics card or sound card. No, picking the perfect SSD isn’t as simple as it used to be.

Why you should trust us: It’s in our name, PCWorld. Our reviewers have been testing PC hardware for decades. Our storage evaluations are thorough and rigorous, testing the limits of every product — from performance benchmarks to the practicalities of regular use. As PC users ourselves, we know what makes a product stand out. Only the best SSDs make this list. For more about our testing process, scroll to the bottom of this article

See also PCWorld’s guide to the best external drives if you’re strictly looking for a portable storage solution.

Updated May 15, 2024: The rollout of PCIe 5.0 drives continues, with the latest entry being the Teamgroup Z540 — second only to our previous top pick, the Crucial T705, in performance, while being significantly cheaper, making it the smarter buy, and our new top pick, for PCIe 5.0. Learn more in our summary below.

Our latest external SSD reviews

• SK Hynix Tube T31: For the folks who like the convenience of USB-A connector thumb drive with the peformance of an SSD, the Tube T31 belongs in your pocket.
• SanDisk Desk Drive USB SSD: On the other end of the spectrum, you have an external SSD that’s meant to stay put, on your desk, where its large capacity (4TB or 8TB) is at the ready as a capable and speedy alternative to an HDD for backups.
• Adata SD810: This is a solid 20Gbps drive, as long as you don’t need to write large amounts of data to it on a regular basis — in our tests, the drive slowed considerably in that scenario. That being said, the 4TB capacity is an especially good value at just $300.

NVMe SSD setup: What you need to know

Be aware of what NVMe drives deliver before you buy in. Standard SATA SSDs already supercharge boot times and loading times for PCs, and for a whole lot cheaper. You’ll get the most use from NVMe drives, be it in a M.2 form factor like the Samsung 980 Pro or a PCIe drive, if you routinely transfer data, especially in large amounts. If you don’t do that, NVMe drives aren’t worth the price premium.

If you decide to buy an NVMe SSD, make sure your PC can handle it. This is a relatively new technology, so you’ll only be able to find M.2-connection motherboards from the past few years. Think AMD Ryzen and mainstream Intel chips from the 6th-generation era onward, for the most part. NVMe SSDs that were mounted on PCIe adapters were popular in the technology’s early years, before M.2 adoption spread, but they’re rarer now. Make sure you’re actually able to use an NVMe SSD before you buy one, and be aware that you’ll need four PCIe lanes available in order to use it to its full potential. You’ll need a newer Ryzen 3000- or 5000-series CPU, or an Intel 11th- or 12th-gen CPU, to run a PCIe 4.0 SSD to its full potential. PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs will work in a PCIe 3.0 computer, but at slower PCIe 3.0 speeds.

To get the most out of an NVMe drive, you want to run your operating system on it, so you must have a system that recognizes the drive and can boot from it. PCs purchased during the past year or two should have no problem booting from an NVMe drive, but support for that can be iffy in older motherboards. Do a Google search for your motherboard and see if it supports booting from NVMe. You may need to install a BIOS update for your board. If your hardware can’t boot from an NVMe SSD, your machine should still be able to use it as a secondary drive.

What to look for in an SSD

Capacity and price are important, of course, and a long warranty can alleviate fears of premature data death. Most SSD manufacturers offer a three-year warranty, and some nicer models are guaranteed for five years. But unlike the olden days of SSDs, modern drives won’t wear out with normal consumer usage, as Tech Report tested and proved years ago with a grueling endurance test.

The biggest thing to watch out for is the technology used to connect the SSD to your PC. We go into deeper details and buying advice in our guide on which type of SSD you should buy.

1. SATA: This refers to both the connection type and the transfer protocol, which is used to connect most 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch hard drives and SSDs to your PC. SATA III speeds can hit roughly 600MBps, and most—but not all—modern drives max it out. (More on that in the next section.)
2. PCIe: This interface taps into four of your computer’s PCIe lanes to blow away SATA speeds, to the tune of nearly 4GBps over PCIe gen 3. Those sort of face-melting speeds pair nicely with supercharged NVMe drives. Both the PCIe lanes in your motherboard and the M.2 slot in your motherboard can be wired to support the PCIe interface, and you can buy adapters that allow you to slot “gumstick” M.2 drives into a PCIe lane. PCIe 4.0 drives are significantly faster, but require an AMD Ryzen 3000-series or Intel Core 11th-gen (or newer) processor, along with a compatible PCIe 4.0 motherboard.
3. NVMe: Non-Volatile Memory Express technology takes advantage of PCIe’s bountiful bandwidth to create blisteringly fast SSDs that blow SATA-based drives out of the water. Check out PCWorld’s “Everything you need to know about NVMe” for a nitty-gritty deep-dive.
4. M.2: This is where things get tricky. Many people assume M.2 drives all use NVMe technology and PCIe speeds, but that’s not true. M.2 is just a form factor. Sure, most M.2 SSDs use NVMe, but some still stick to SATA. Do your homework. Many modern Ultrabooks rely on M.2 for storage.
5. U.2 and mSATA: You may also stumble across mSATA and U.2 SSDs, but both motherboard support and product availability are rare for those formats. Some older Ultrabooks included mSATA before M.2 became popular, and drives are still available if you need them.

Speed matters, of course, but as we said most modern SSDs saturate the SATA III interface. Not all of them, though.

SSDs vs. hard drives

Do you need an SSD? “Need” is a strong word, but we heartily recommend that everyone upgrade to an SSD. Solid-state drive speeds blow even the fastest mechanical hard drives out of the water. Simply swapping out the hard drive in your old laptop or desktop for an SSD can make it feel like a whole new system—and a blazing-fast one at that. Buying an SSD is easily the best upgrade you can make for a computer.

SSDs cost more per gigabyte than mechanical hard drives, though, and thus aren’t often available in ultra-high capacities. If you want speed and storage space, you can buy an SSD with limited space and use it as your boot drive, then set up a traditional hard drive as secondary storage in your PC. Place your programs on your boot drive, stash your media and other files on the hard drive, and you’re ready to have your cake and eat it too.

How we test SSDs

Drive tests currently utilize Windows 11 (22H2) 64-bit running on an X790 (PCIe 5.0) motherboard/i5-12400 CPU combo with two Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 modules (64GB of memory total). Intel integrated graphics are used. The 48GB transfer tests utilize an ImDisk RAM disk taking up 58GB of the 64GB total memory. The 450GB file is transferred from a Samsung 990 Pro 2TB, which also contains the operating system.

Each test is performed on a newly formatted and TRIM’d drive so the results are optimal. Note that as any drive fills up, performance will decrease due to less NAND for secondary caching, and other factors.

The performance numbers shown apply only to the drive we were shipped as well as the capacity tested. SSD performance can vary by capacity due to more or fewer chips to read/write across and the amount of NAND available for secondary caching (writing TLC/QLC as SLC). Vendors also occasionally swap components. If you ever notice a large discrepancy between the performance you experience and that which we report (systems being roughly equal), by all means—let us know.

Business, Storage

Virtual machines, simulated PCs with their own operating systems running within another computer’s software, are super freakin’ cool. (That’s a technical term, I’m a professional technology writer.) But they’re not easy to set up, especially if you’re a newbie. They just got a lot easier, because VMware made its popular Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro VM software free for personal use.

Most users who are looking for a free solution to running a virtual copy of Windows, Linux, or any other operating system on a PC typically go with Oracle’s VirtualBox, which is open-source and powerful, but not especially user-friendly. As a professional product with decades of development and support, VMware Workstation is far more accessible.

Workstation Pro can be downloaded here, Fusion Pro here. Workstation is for installation on Windows and Linux, Fusion for Mac, and both can be used to run more or less any modern operating system virtually.

As BleepingComputer notes, this shift in direction follows Broadcomm’s somewhat tumultuous acquisition of VMware last year. VMware’s Workstation Player and Fusion Player software are being discontinued as a result of this change. (The Player programs are the equivalent of Adobe Reader versus Acrobat, they allow you to open VMware virtual machines but not make changes or access all features.)

VMware’s post on the switch to a free model notes that anyone who uses the software for commercial purposes will need to buy a license key and enter it during the setup process. Most professional customers have a licensing deal set up with Broadcomm, but individual commercial users will need to subscribe for $120 a year. Don’t get caught using a free personal license in a commercial environment or you’ll no doubt be handed a big bill in return.

Full disclosure: The writer’s father is an employee of VMware, but was not contacted for this article.

Virtual Machines

What’s the first thing you think of when you read the words “web search”? According to market share data, nine out of ten of you would say “Google,” or at least that’s the web search of choice worldwide by a startling 90 percent. Google just rolled out a “Web” search option along with its usual Images, News, Shopping, Maps, etc. tabs. It might just be a big deal.

But wait, isn’t “web search” what you’re supposed to get with a standard Google query, without any need to click on a secondary tab? Yes and no. Google’s official SearchLiason Twitter account explains that the Web tab filters results so that only text-based results will be returned, stripping out images, videos, shopping products, maps, and all the other allegedly helpful modern additions to Google. It’s practically a time machine to when searching the web really did focus on text, without a huge amount of additional context and add-ons.

Crucially, this is also going to strip out a lot of the extras that Google has been building into search in the “All” tab, for reasons both customer-facing and profit-driven. In addition to standard advertising, Google has been sticking more and more modules into search, crowding out conventional text-driven web results. This is only going to get more visible with the new Gemini-driven AI additions Google showed off yesterday at Google I/O.

And standard users aren’t the only ones who are complaining. The adulteration of “pure” text search with auto-generated results keeps Google users on its own search page, and means less traffic going to the pages where the actual information comes from — like the one you’re reading right now, for example. Google’s follow-up Tweet doesn’t directly address this, but it does hint at it.

Website owners and publishers have been sounding the alarm about this for years. In addition to the manipulation of search engine results via SEO algorithm targeting, which has allowed low-quality sites to crowd the top search results, Google and other search engines are now facing a huge uptick in AI-generated text results and fake retailers trying to scam people out of their information. It’s caused an unsustainable drop in traffic to some smaller sites, noted earlier this year in a widely-shared post by HouseFresh.

Some of these woes are caused by people gaming Google results. Some of them are intentional, with Google keeping users on its search page and engaged with its own content instead of going elsewhere on the web. Adding a dedicated “Web” option, to get back to “ten blue links,” as The Verge puts it, testing out the initial results.

Google says that the new “Web” tab is rolling out worldwide over the next two days, and unfortunately I’m not in the initial batch on any of my machines. But The Verge’s testing shows the Web option does indeed scrape out a lot of the distracting extras that have become so integrated with Google that I sometimes repeat my search on Bing or DuckDuckGo just to filter them out.

And I’m in agreement with Sean Hollister that this tool needs to be far more visible in Google’s interface, especially since it’s often tucked away under the “More” button on desktop. It feels more like an afterthought than a solution to some of the problems mentioned above. The fact that we’re getting this info from a couple of Twitter posts, and not a larger feature at Google I/O or even on Google’s search blog, says a lot by omission.

Online Services

With Thunderbolt Share, Intel is turning the Thunderbolt cable into a way to connect two PCs to one another, sharing files or controlling a PC. Simple, huh? Well, except that Intel isn’t exactly making it available to everybody.

Thunderbolt Share is a new Intel specification that connects two PCs via a cable, one to each Thunderbolt port. Alternatively, you can connect it to a Thunderbolt dock instead. Thunderbolt Share offers several options, all at blazing 40Gbps or higher speeds: control another PC, transfer files, sync them, or even migrate one PC to another. Is it a killer sneakernet replacement? Sure seems like it for local networks.

The idea? You or your family own more than one PC. If they’re Thunderbolt-capable, Share will unlock a number of handy additional sharing capabilities without needing to set up a workgroup, a network switch, or any other solution. Dock makers, too, will see an advantage: suddenly, Thunderbolt hubs like the Plugable 5-in-1 Thunderbolt Hub (USB4-HUB3A), part of our list of the best Thunderbolt docking stations, won’t just be designed primarily for external displays with Thunderbolt ports.

There’s just one thing. Intel didn’t take the simple route and just make Thunderbolt Share part of the Thunderbolt spec. Instead, Thunderbolt Share will be a software app Intel will license to PC and dock makers. And it won’t work for legacy Thunderbolt 3 or USB devices either — not officially, anyway. In short, you’ll have to keep track of which devices are Thunderbolt Share-capable, because without one, Thunderbolt Share won’t work. A special logo, however, will help.

“It’s really going to offer users an easy, fast, and efficient way to do more with your two PCs by securely sharing screens external monitors, keyboard, mouse, storage and all your files,” said Jason Ziller, vice president and general manager of Intel Client Connectivity Division, in a briefing with reporters.

A decade ago, Intel showed off something very similar: a 10Gbit Ethernet-over-Thunderbolt demonstration called Thunderbolt Networking. This is a faster version, an Intel representative said via email. Thunderbolt Share uses up to a 20Gbps connection over Thunderbolt 4 with low latency, and should achieve those speeds on recent PC models with some variability for different specifications.

How Thunderbolt Share works

Thunderbolt Share is designed to work only with docking stations and PCs that include either the Thunderbolt 4 or upcoming Thunderbolt 5 specification. You’ll also need the intermediary Thunderbolt Share software, designed by Intel, which will ship on licensed PCs. If you own a licensed Thunderbolt Share docking station, that accessory maker will point you to where you’ll be able to download the software. Remember, at least one of the PCs or docking stations must have a Thunderbolt Share license.

Once the software is installed on both computers, you’ll be able to connect the two PCs to one another using a Thunderbolt 4 or 5 cable, Intel says.

Once that occurs, you’ll have the choice of four different tasks:

Control other computer: You’ll see the other computer’s desktop in a window on your PC. You’ll be able to control it using your keyboard and mouse, and you can place that external PC’s window on your display. Essentially, you’re performing a local, cabled version of Microsoft’s Remote Desktop without all of the setup. Since all this takes place over a cable, you don’t have to worry about someone intercepting your communications on the Internet.

Drag and drop files: Nothing special, though the copy/move functions should take place at Thunderbolt speeds — between 80Gbps and 120Gbps speeds, depending on the specification.

Sync files: Presumably this works like syncing files to the cloud or so on: ensuring that files in two folders on the two PCs are in sync. It’s not clear which PC will be given priority, but it will most likely be the host.

Transfer data to a new computer: Remember PCmover? The PC-to-PC migration software (which Intel and Microsoft reportedly contributed to) used to even include a dedicated cable. This Thunderbolt Share function works like Windows Backup and Restore or one of our recommended backup programs, migrating your files (but not apps!) from one PC to the other at the press of a button. It’s not quite clear whether this includes things like system preferences, however.

Thunderbolt Share looks almost exactly the same as Bravura’s Easy Computer Sync, down to the text on the screen.

“Thunderbolt Share is built on both Intel and third-party technology (with appropriate licensing/permissions),” an Intel representative said in an email. “This ensures we can provide the best value to users and our OEM partners who are licensing Thunderbolt Share for their supported PCs and accessories going forward.”

Thunderbolt Share: who will get it, and who won’t

Intel didn’t explicitly say whether or not Thunderbolt Share will be a feature attached to its Evo Edition PCs, but it seems quite likely. While Ziller hinted that users may be able to buy a license to Thunderbolt Share in the future, that isn’t happening right away.

Given that Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 are almost identical, that’s not great news for owners of older Thunderbolt 3 docks. Owners of USB4 docking stations are technically out of luck as well — and given that AMD Ryzen laptops use USB4 ports in place of Thunderbolt, that means that owners of Ryzen notebooks are left out. Ziller said that Thunderbolt Share devices are identified “locally,” presumably meaning that they’ll have some sort of local authentication. But an Intel spokesman also confirmed that there’s no limitation in adding Thunderbolt Share to existing devices, provided that they meet Intel’s hardware requirements.

And, of course, not every laptop and docking station manufacturer will support Thunderbolt Share, either. Intel identified MSI, Lenovo, Acer, and Razer among the PC makers supporting the technology, and Kensington, Plugable, Belkin, and Promise as device makers which will support Thunderbolt Share. Again, you’ll have to have one device in a Thunderbolt Share connection chain that has a valid license. Plugable said that it plans to release a docking station that will allow one PC to drive other “headless” PCs without displays, using Thunderbolt.

However, one Thunderbolt Share licensee said that it’s still pursuing alternatives.

“While we believe that Thunderbolt Share will provide great benefits to creators, gamers, consumers and businesses, we are exploring additional solutions for seamless peripherals-sharing within Belkin docks,” a representative of Belkin, one of the Thunderbolt Share licensees, said in an emailed statement. “As we’re still in early days, we’re not ready to share our product plans but we’ll let you know as soon as we are.”

Thunderbolt Share hands-on

Intel provided an evaluation copy of the Thunderbolt Share software for PCWorld to test out. I performed my own tests, but my colleague Gordon Mah Ung tested the technology, too, in the video just above.

As Intel suggested, I downloaded and installed the Thunderbolt Share software on both of my test laptops, which each have Thunderbolt ports. I used a manufacturer-supplied Thunderbolt 4 cable; a generic 10Gbps USB-C cable just won’t work.

Once the software was installed on both laptops, simply connecting the cable opened the Share software, which offered me the four choices from controlling the other PC to syncing files. (Thunderbolt Share also works if you’ve plugged in your laptop in to an existing Thunderbolt dock with a second cable, by the way.)

Surprisingly, the most obnoxious roadblock had nothing to do with Thunderbolt or the software: I wanted to control one PC via the other, and the software wouldn’t do so until I had downloaded an up-to-date Intel integrated graphics driver. (Most PC makers recommend that you download drivers through them.)

Controlling one laptop with another doesn’t quite feel like you’d be able to sneak in a bit of gaming on a personal gaming laptop, controlled remotely. (Edit: Intel believes that you’ll see rthe other PC’s desktop at 1080p, 60 frames per second.) Streaming video, for example, was a little stuttery, though not too bad. Audio doesn’t transfer across the Thunderbolt Share bus, however. It is handy to be able to poke around another laptop for a missing file, however.

That might be, while the other Thunderbolt Share functions feel vaguely similar. My testing of the best Thunderbolt docks at PCWorld involves copying a folder of files from a connected SSD over a dock’s Thunderbolt cable; it took just about the same amount of time (1 minute 6 seconds) to copy the folder from one PC to the other. Weirdly, it took quite a while (three minutes!) to copy the folder from the remote SSD to the remote PC, not touching the local laptop; it took 1 minute 20 seconds to copy the file from the remote drive to the remote PC.

Syncing a folder worked fine; the default are the major folders (Documents, Videos, Photos, et cetera) but you can specify a particular folder if you so wish. The only feature I didn’t test was copying files as part of setting up a new PC.

So why isn’t Thunderbolt Share part of, say, the Thunderbolt 5 spec? According to Ziller, Thunderbolt Share is a “value-add” feature: you won’t get any benefit if you own a single PC. For that reason alone, Intel is separating it out, trying to benefit gamers and creators who work back and forth on different PCs.

Granted, a Thunderbolt cable is just another cable on your desk. A Thunderbolt dock already has wires snaking back and forth to your PC, to displays, to SSDs and so on. So there’s that. On the other hand, Thunderbolt Share honestly sounds like a decent solution to solve the “sneakernet” problem that just won’t go away.

Additional reporting by Gordon Mah Ung. Story updated at 10:49 AM to clarify the expected resolution of a shared PC.

Computer Accessories, Networking

Microsoft has been trying to get Windows users to adopt machines based on the Arm architecture (the same type of chips that power smartphones and other small devices) for years, with limited success. But the upcoming push in conjunction with Qualcomm might just do it, if a new Dell documentation leak is accurate. The new chips reportedly deliver jaw-dropping battery life.

A leaked internal slideshow and spec list shows Dell’s own testing for laptops based on Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon X architecture. These laptops are coming later this year from a variety of vendors. Crucially, this info includes Dell’s battery life estimates meant to be shared among its own employees — not the usual battery life estimates shared with promotional material, which is often generous as best.

According to the leaked info posted to VideoCardz.com, which has a strong track record for PC industry leaks, a laptop designed with Qualcomm’s SC8380XP system-on-a-chip and a typical HD screen and a 55-watt hour battery managed 20.4 hours of Netflix video streaming. An identical design with Intel parts (the only major difference being the CPU and wireless radio) managed 12.63 hours on the same test.

Two other tests with different parts installed, notably screens from various vendors, showed the Qualcomm laptops handily beating Intel-based hardware every time. Dell’s tests showed between 68 percent and 98 percent battery improvement for the Snapdragon-based laptops. That’s dramatic, but not impossible based on the battery life we’ve seen for some other Arm-based laptop designs, including Apple’s M processors for MacBooks and Chromebooks based on MediaTek and Qualcomm chips.

It’s also not surprising that Arm chips, which have been honed for over a decade to deliver better and better battery life for phones and tablets, would show similar gains for laptop designs. And at this point we should highlight that this information is leaked, not official, though the slides posted to VideoCardz are pretty consistent with leaks we’ve seen before.

Battery life isn’t everything — Arm architecture can create compatibility headaches for some software, and Qualcomm is hoping to finally meet or beat the latest Intel and AMD chips in terms of raw number-crunching performance with the Snapdragon X Elite. Video playback is also a rather subjective metric, and might not translate well to more usual tasks like web browsing. But for users who demand laptops with longevity, it could be a very exciting time to be in the market.

We’re expecting the first Snapdragon X Elite laptops to hit the market sometime in the coming months.

Laptops

When your remote control gives up the ghost or your kid’s favorite toy stops working, you’re often faced with the question: Did the batteries die or is the device defective?

A dead-simple, wonderfully nifty test offers a quick and reliable way to check the actual charge state of a battery, keeping you from rashly discarding good batteries or buying new ones unnecessarily.

Further reading: How to check your laptop’s battery health

Battery full or flat? This simple test reveals it

All you need for this test is the battery you want to check. If available, have a new, fully charged battery ready to compare the results. This is how it works:

1. Make sure you have a flat and firm surface, such as a table, in front of you.
2. Drop the battery vertically onto the surface from a height of about 20 centimeters (roughly 8 inches).
3. Pay close attention to how the battery hits the surface and how it behaves afterwards: A fully charged battery usually tips over and stays put. An empty battery, on the other hand, often bounces back a little and bounces up a few centimeters.

Why? Alkaline batteries contain a gel-like substance that absorbs the impact when fully charged. When the battery is flat, this substance dries out and hardens, making the battery more likely to bounce back.

Extend battery life with these 4 tips

• Switch off devices correctly: Make sure you switch devices off completely when they are not in use. Even in standby mode, some devices can continue to consume energy, which puts unnecessary strain on the batteries.
• Remove batteries: If you are not using an appliance for an extended period of time, remove the batteries completely. This not only prevents energy loss, but also protects against battery leakage, which could damage the appliance.
• Avoid extreme temperatures: Do not store batteries in places with high or very low temperatures. Extreme cold or heat can impair the chemical processes in the batteries and shorten their service life.
• Use batteries of the same type: Do not mix old and new batteries in the same appliance and avoid combining batteries of different brands or types (such as alkaline and NiMH). Different voltage levels and discharge rates can affect performance and reduce the service life of all batteries used.

Further reading: Does fast charging hurt your phone battery?

Power

There are great monitors, and then there’s the Samsung Odyssey Ark 2nd gen. Even though it’s only been a few months since this fantastic monitor was released, we’re already seeing a jaw-dropping 40 percent discount, its biggest deal so far. Instead of spending $2999.99 on it, you can get it for just $1799.99. That’s still a good chunk of change, but not when you consider everything this model has to offer. 

The Samsung Odyssey Ark 2nd gen is a massive 55-inch behemoth with a 1000R curved display. Whether you’re playing some World of Warcraft with your guildies or shooting up zombies, you’ll be sucked right into that world thanks to the stunning 4K visuals. They’re made even more luscious thanks to the inclusion of quantum mini-LED backlighting, an OLED alternative, and the HDR10+ support that technology unlocks. 

Gamers will also appreciate the blistering 165Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, which translate into buttery smooth visuals. Plus, the AMD FreeSync Premium Pro promises tear-free and stutter-free gameplay. 

Of course, the Samsung Odyssey Ark 2nd gen isn’t just for gaming. You can connect up to four different devices at the same time, switching between them as needed. Frankly, that’s ideal for all those gaming sessions you squeeze in between work meetings (it’s not just me who does that, right?). Thanks to the Multi View feature, you can keep an eye on your work chat while playing. 

One super cool thing is that the Ark has a built-in KVM switch, which enables you to control multiple PCs with a single mouse and keyboard, efficiently simplifying your workflow. Simply brilliant.

The Samsung Odyssey Ark Gen 2 has so much to offer. While we admit it’s a pricey monitor, it’s a worthwhile purchase, especially now that it’s $1200 off. 

Save $1200 on the Samsung Odyssey Ark 2 at Amazon

Monitors

The difference between the real world and the AI world is a flight of a dozen stairs.

In my basement office, I listened to what Google presented at Google I/O. I heard executives talk about search, Android, and Project Astra: a future multimodal “universal agent” that can understand audio and video, built around versions of Gemini both large and small. One million tokens is a big deal, right?

I guess. But to whom?

What I heard at Google I/O was a future that…is still in the future, for a price that most people can’t afford, and with features that were developed by Google employees for Google employees. It’s a Google that, more and more, seems to have lost the plot.

Everything’s not here yet

For the most part, what Google presented at Google I/O was science fiction. Instead of showing us what the future is, now, Google showed us what it might bring, tomorrow. It’s a future hidden behind jargon, inside developer previews and experiments within Google.Labs — and even then, those experiments aren’t scheduled to actually begin until sometime in the future. Remember, this is a company with a well-established penchant for development ADD, where products go to die when their developers lose interest. Do I think that Google doesn’t believe in AI? Of course not. But I’m not convinced that anything Google showed Tuesday will make its way into the real world, either.

(Remember Google’s ultra-realistic videoconferencing tool, Project Starline? It debuted at Google I/O 2021. Google and HP said this week that it will be commercialized next year.)

Downstairs in my office, everything is amazing. Take Project Astra, Google’s new vision for AI assistants. Someone wanders around the office using AI to ask questions about what the AI is seeing. What bandname would the AI give for a golden retriever and his stuffed chew toy? Explain this code to me, and how this database diagram could be improved.

That’s cool, no doubt. But to whom? Google employees, that’s who. Does Google expect that I’m going to point my smartphone camera at a head of broccoli and ask what to do with it? I hope not.

I might see myself wandering about a woodshop, asking Google what a miter saw is good for, for example. But I certainly wouldn’t trust YouTube to teach me how to use it responsibly. My colleague Michael Crider found some middle ground: using video as a search input, then asking Google for context. That’s a bit smarter.

I understand what Google is going for with Astra — improved visual search — and it is going to debut in the Gemini app for Android this fall, via a feature called Live. I’m just not sure how many people will want to use it. Or when it will actually arrive.

Why do the useful things cost so much?

But it doesn’t feel real. It doesn’t feel accessible. Is it useful? I’m not sure. That’s why the most meaningful announcement from Google I/O 2024 feels so refreshing: the integration of Gmail and Google’s Gemini AI, to allow you to question (for example) exactly what went on in an email thread. This is what Google was built upon: making search (and later email) accessible, easy, and simple to use. It makes sense!

Even then, though, there was very little that signaled to me that Google understood that people use its products — people that can’t sit down to a $200 sushi lunch at the drop of a hat.

The Gmail integration, as cool as it sounds, is locked behind a $20/month AI Premium subscription for Google Workspace. A chunk of the Gemini app presentation was devoted to a trip planner. Google Search showed how restaurants could be organized by patio seating and live music. For that matter, Search is now largely organized around “summaries” that tend to ignore the source of the actual information, i.e. writers like me. This all benefits techies with six-figure salaries and stock options.

Most of AI feels…similar. There are LLM chatbots, like Copilot, Gemini, and ChatGPT. There’s AI art, like Veo, Google’s most advanced video generation model, and Imagen 3, which the company calls its “highest quality text-to-image model yet.” (Those are coming in the future, too, after Google completes its collaborations with people like Donald Glover.)

But you know what the best thing I saw this week was? Something that felt fresh? Even welcoming? The synthesized AI voices that OpenAI showed off in ChatGPT. I know they’re fake. I know they’re designed to play upon your emotions, to make you think that you’re talking to a person. But it works! It feels human. And it’s a return to the early days of AI, when chatbots from Microsoft and others at least seemed real.

At lunch, I walked upstairs to say hello to my wife, who was working. I asked if she would mind paying $20 per month just to make sense of her email. She just snorted. Last night, I showed my 11-year-old son the OpenAI demos, and he wanted to watch every one.

I remember when Google made my life easier. Now I think it’s forgotten how.

Personal Software

I don’t know about you, but with the weather warming up, I love taking my laptop to the yard and working in the sun for a bit. That’s when my Baseus laptop power bank comes in handy, allowing me to keep my computer and phone going without having to scoot closer to the outlet. You can do this, too, because the Baseus Blade 100W is on sale at Amazon for just $63. 

Yes, I understand that the price you see on the product page may be different. However, when you apply the promotional code CD3N56TO at checkout, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see an additional 10 percent discount. This means that the $129.99 power bank is now available for just $62.98. It’s like magic! It’s also the best price this power bank has seen thus far. 

What makes the Baseus Blade special? So many things. The Blade boasts a 20000mAh battery that supports 100W fast charging, allowing you to recharge a third of your laptop’s battery in just half an hour.

I personally use the Blade 2, which has a 12000mAh battery and 60W charging, and I can’t help but wish I had the first model instead.

The original Baseus Blade also has more ports. It features two USB-C ports that support 100W output and 65W input, so you can plug in pretty much any device you own. There are also two fast-charging USB-A ports for those who like a more traditional approach. 

One of the things I enjoy the most about the Blade, however (and I’m sure you will too), is that it’s super slim and light. This power bank looks like it’s been on a diet its entire “life” since it’s only 0.7 inches thick. It will fit in nicely in the same sleeve as your laptop does. It’s also just over one pound, so it won’t weigh you down. 

When my phone battery is running low, and I need only to take my purse out and about, the model I have fits nicely and this one would too, since they’re pretty much the same size. In fact, it fits way better than the power bank I purchased specifically for my phone a while back, which is heavier and a lot bulkier. 

If you don’t need as much power and would prefer to get the newer Baseus Blade 2, that one’s on sale too for $62.99 (down from $99.99) at Amazon right now as well. But like I said above, I have it and wish I had the first-gen model instead. 

Get the Baseus Blade laptop power bank for $62.98 at Amazon

Laptop Accessories

Ah, the taskbar. It’s a vital part of the Windows operating system. It’s the place to go when you want to change the date and time, check the weather, and so much more. If you’re looking to change the color of said taskbar, you’ve come to the right place. Although Windows automatically selects a color for the taskbar (usually black or white), there’s a way to set a fixed hue and we’re going to tell you how to do it.

Windows is full of mysterious processes and files. What’s behind them?

How to change the color of the Windows taskbar

Open the Windows Settings via the Start menu and click on Personalization and then Colors. In the menu next to Select Mode, set the option Custom and change Select Default Windows mode to Dark–you can only select the color of the taskbar yourself in dark mode.

Scroll down and click on a color field that you like under Windows colors. If you can’t find anything here, click on the Show colors button next to Custom Colors and select a hue from the color field.

After clicking on Done, it will appear in the previous window in the Recently Used Colors row. Now scroll down a little further and set the switch for Show Accent Color on Start and Taskbar to On.

The taskbar and the background of the start menu will now appear in the selected color.

Alternative: With the help of the Translucent TB tool, it’s possible to make the taskbar completely transparent and therefore invisible. After installation, click on the tool icon at the bottom right of the taskbar and select Desktop and then Clear.

You can assign any color to the taskbar via Accent Color. The menu items Visible window, Maximized window, Start Opened, and Task View Opened can be used to determine the appearance of the bar when opening windows, the Start menu, or the Task View.

This article was translated from German to English and originally appeared on pcwelt.de.

Windows

Suppose you often go off the beaten path, camping in the wilderness, or you’re just tired of running power cords across your yard for the kids to trip over whenever you want to plug in your phone and laptop while chilling in a lounge chair. Whichever the case, you need a portable power station. Luckily for you, the Bluetti EB3A is over $100 off right now at Amazon, dropping the power station to just $198 — its best price yet. 

Don’t be fooled by its compact size; the Bluetti EB3A is a true powerhouse. With a robust 600W AC inverter and a 268Wh battery pack, it’s more than capable of breathing life into your gadgets. If you plug in one of those mini-fridges, it will even keep your… “juice” cold for a few hours.

Plus, it’s so lightweight and compact that you can easily carry it around in one hand, making it the perfect companion for your outdoor adventures. 

The coolest part about the Bluetti EB3A is that it features nine outlets, allowing you to charge all sorts of devices. There are two AC outlets, two USB-A, one Type-C port, and even a wireless charger, so you can use the power station as a table for your phone and have it ready for your next doom-scrolling session in no time. 

Those who love going off the grid can get the Bluetti EB3A and pair it with a solar panel. In fact, there’s a bundle that’s almost $200 off right now, pairing the EB3A with a 120W solar panel that is super easy to carry anywhere.

Of course, this setup is also excellent for home use, especially when there are power outages, and you need to keep your devices alive until things get fixed. Just find a sunny spot, open the solar panel, plug in your devices in the station, and wait for the power company to work its magic.

With or without the solar panel, the Bluetti EB3A is a fantastic addition to any home. It’s one of those things you don’t realize just how useful it can be until you’re desperate for a reliable power source.

If you want a lot more power, be prepared to shell out a lot more money, too. The Bluetti AC200MAX is $1249 for Prime members, down from its usual $1699. With a large battery capacity of 2048Wh and a strong inverter (2200W), this is a great choice for those who need power to keep large appliances going or folks who own an RV. 

Get the Bluetti EB3A portable power station for $198 at Amazon

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