Whether you’re self-employed or just gung-ho about work, it’s high time you prioritized your professional life and got a proper professional laptop. And if you can get a great laptop that’s also on sale, even better, right? Well, this Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G2 is down to $900 on Amazon with a solid 31% discount off its $1,299 MSRP. That’s a massive savings of $400 for a killer business machine. Nice! View this Amazon deal You won’t be wasting any money on this laptop because the guts are pretty friggin’ great. It’s running on a Ryzen 7 7735HS processor with 8 cores, plus a considerable 32GB of fast DDR5 RAM. That’s a chunky config that’s capable of powering through work tasks, juggling multiple apps and tabs, and even playing some games and editing video thanks to the integrated Radeon 680M graphics. The 1TB SSD with Windows 11 Pro grants access to all the advanced OS features you need. And you’ll love using this laptop thanks to its comfortable 16-inch IPS display at 1920×1200 resolution, providing ample screen real estate for spreadsheets, side-by-side apps, and streaming video. It supports Windows Hello via the 1080p IR webcam and the fingerprint reader, the Kensington lock is there for extra anti-theft security, and the backlit keyboard is nice for working in the dark. Connectivity is fine with double USB-C, double USB-A, HDMI, LAN, and 3.5mm audio. The Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G2 is an absolute steal at this price, so take advantage of this discount before it’s gone! Save $400 on this decked-out high-performance business laptopBuy now on Amazon Read...

Let’s be honest here: if you’re mainly just browsing the web, responding to emails, and watching YouTube and Netflix, then you don’t need a rocket PC. And if you never take your work on the go, then you don’t even need a laptop. Why waste hundreds of bucks when you can do just fine with a properly equipped mini PC? The Acemagician Vista V1 is ideal on a tight budget as it’s now just $189 on Amazon. That’s with Prime, which you can get with this free 30-day trial offer. View this Amazon deal This sleek and tiny PC is no gaming rig, but it packs enough power to get you through a day of work tasks and leisure browsing. The Vista V1 runs on a 12th-gen Intel N95 processor that deftly strikes a balance between low-power efficiency and workload performance for moderate multitasking. It’s punched up further with 16GB of RAM and a decent 512GB SSD, giving it enough oomph to handle Windows 11 without breaking a sweat. Demanding software will make it crawl, though. At under $200, this is a fantastic machine for value, especially with DDR4 memory prices on the rise. And on top of all that’s already mentioned, it can support double 4K@60Hz displays via HDMI and DisplayPort, providing ample screen real estate for your apps and tabs. It’s further fitted with double USB-A 3.2, double USB-A 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, and 3.5mm audio. And it’s mountable to the back of any VESA-compatible monitor, keeping it clear of your desk and minimizing clutter. This budget Intel mini PC is surprisingly good for home officesBuy now on Amazon Read...

Need a truly budget laptop? Here’s a deal that’ll knock your socks off. This HP laptop has fallen to an incredible new low price, making it cheaper than many Chromebooks with similar or better specs, except this one runs Windows 11 and won’t force you to learn a whole new operating system. Ahead of Black Friday, you can snag this laptop for just $219.99—that’s a jaw-dropping 56% off its original $499.99. View this Best Buy deal The HP 15-FD0113DX is a barebones machine with a 15.6-inch IPS screen that delivers great color accuracy, but is limited to just 1366×768 so don’t expect lots of screen real estate or super-crisp images. The 8-core Intel Core i3-N305 processor is functional and the 8GB of RAM is nothing to write home about—we’d much prefer at least 16GB for Windows 11—but it’s better than you’d expect at this price. The 128GB of storage might be limiting if you use tons of apps or plan to download lots of video, and the fact that it’s UFS storage means it won’t be as fast as an SSD. It’s good enough for day-to-day tasks, though, and it’s partly why this laptop can be so affordable. At least it comes with a 720p webcam for Zoom meetings, and the ports are adequate: 1x HDMI, 1x USB-C, 2x USB-A, 1x 3.5mm audio, but no Ethernet. I’d say this laptop is best for students and casual home users, and for that it’s a great buy at just $219.99. Grab this early Black Friday deal at Best Buy because price drops like this are getting rarer these days! But if you need something a little more powerful, check out our roundup of the best budget laptops under $500. This is a crazy good starter laptop now that it`s only $219.99Buy now from Best Buy Read...

Selecting the right monitor is critical to getting the best viewing experience from your games. Gamers spend so much time using their monitors. It’s not surprising then that there are so many different sizes, resolutions, and refresh rates to choose from. But if you just look at size alone the choice can be tough. Three of the most common sizes include 24-inch, 27-inch and 34-inch. So which size is best for gaming? If you’re looking for a monitor, be sure to check out PCWorld’s recommended list of monitors based off our comprehensive reviews. Proximity can be a deciding factor The proximity of a player’s body to the display can be a big factor in determining the right monitor size. Sitting too close to a large screen can cause eye strain and make it very difficult to see objects clearly. While sitting too far away from a display can make it hard to see the fine details. Players tend to go for a size monitor that makes them feel comfortable. For example, if the gamer sits very close, just two feet away, then a 24- to 27-inch monitor size is usually recommended. On the other hand, if they sit a little further, say 3 feet away from the display, they can get away with a 34-inch or larger size. Proximity makes 34-inch and larger monitors a little more restrictive, though, because most gamers generally like to sit close to their displays. Resolution favors the large monitor sizes The second factor that influences what size players adopt is resolution. Most 24-inch monitors (like the Acer Vero B247Y G) are capped at 1080p because it’s difficult to fit more pixels into the smaller screen size. Larger monitors of 27 inches or more tend to have resolutions ranging from 1440p to 4K because that strikes a balance of sharpness and performance. An example is the 4K 27-inch MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED. mentioned in this article Acer Vero B247Y G Best Prices Today: $111.93 at Amazon So, the size of monitor a gamer will select can often just be put down to the resolution they want to play at. Players who want a higher resolution experience will often buy a 27-inch or larger monitor, while players who want to reduce the graphic load on their PC or want to save money on the purchase price will opt for a smaller 24- or 25-inch 1080p monitor. Pexels: Yan Krukau Gamers gravitate to monitor size based on their gaming preference While most believe that larger monitors make for better viewing, when it comes to competitive gaming and PvP games, the opposite is true. Most tournaments are played on 24-inch monitors. That’s because the players can see more in their field of view and make quicker eye movements across the screen. They don’t have to search the screen for details that they may miss in larger displays. Because of that fact, you get a lot of gamers who play competitive multiplayer games — think Fortnite, League of Legends, and Valorant — opting for 24-inch monitors. That doesn’t mean that all games are better on smaller monitors. It’s certainly true that gamers who want more immersion, such as players of racing games and sims will often choose a 27-inch or larger monitor size to get that feeling of being completely engrossed in their game. Monitors above 27-inches and ultrawide monitors (like the 34-inch Alienware AW 3423DWF) also lend themselves well to games that emphasize story and visuals (like single-player games and RPGs) where the players want to soak up as much of the in-game environment as possible. Players may miss a few of the finer details but they can enjoy being immersed in the scenery as they go. mentioned in this article Alienware AW3423DWF Read our review Best Prices Today: $649.99 at Amazon That said, most consoles don’t support the ultrawide format, so you’ll want to avoid an ultrawide monitor if you plan on playing console games. What about 27-inch monitors? They sit in a sweet spot between the two extremes, in that they’re small enough for gamers to get as much of the action in their field of view as possible, while also being generous with the screen real estate. For that reason, a lot of casual gamers will choose a 27-inch monitor as a middle-ground option. In summary, there’s no “one size fits all” rule when it comes to monitor size and gaming. Players will gravitate to monitor sizes based on how close they like to sit, the resolution they want to play at, and for the best experience in the kind of games they like to play. It really comes down to personal preference. Related content The 5 best ultrawide monitors: Picks for gaming, budget, 5K, and more Use your TV as a computer monitor: Everything you need to know The best gaming laptops: 5 top options for portable performance Read...

Sick of your lagging laptop? Looking to buy a new daily driver for your home office but you’re on a tight budget? Then stop looking at laptops! Mini PCs are a much better deal, offering lots more power for less money while taking up less desk space. This Acemagician M1 mini PC is perfectly capable of handling all your daily tasks, and it’s on sale for just $287 (was $459) right now on Amazon. That’s a huge discount, making this a deal you won’t want to miss out on. Getting the Acemagician M1 will make multitasking easier than ever thanks to its ability to support triple 4K displays, allowing you to split your apps and browser tabs across ample screen real estate. In addition to the HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C video connections, it can power the rest of your workstation via six USB-A 3.2 ports, not to mention the 2.5G LAN, 3.5mm audio, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2. This is a surprisingly strong workhorse of a mini PC for the price. Look at the internal specs: AMD Ryzen 7 6800H CPU with Radeon 680M integrated GPU, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 512GB SSD, with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed. That’s an insane combo for under $300—you won’t find a laptop that comes close even at double the price. Even if you spend the difference on a decent monitor, keyboard, and mouse, you still come out way ahead compared to getting a budget laptop. In short, if you’re still on an old machine and growing weary of stutters and lag, this might just be the best $300 you spend when it comes to your workstation. Get the Acemagician M1 for $287 with a Prime membership (sign up for a free 30 days of Prime) and make sure you redeem that 10% promo on the product page! This mini PC has insane specs for the price! Save 37% todayBuy now on Amazon Read...

Halloween doesn’t spook me, but a tale from Reddit recently did. Imagine you’re living your best life, only to realize your PC isn’t quite doing the same. You decide to give Windows 11 a full wipe to get things running smoothly again. But after the reinstall of the operating system, you discover that not only did Windows encrypt your drives without your knowledge, you don’t have the encryption keys to unlock some of them. This frightfest comes from user Toast_Soup (h/t Tom’s Hardware), who says they lost 3TB of games and backup data to this scenario. In the post, Soup mentions never having turned on BitLocker, which makes the outcome all the more bewildering—especially since only their boot drive and these two storage drives (of six total drives) were locked up tight. Veterans of BitLocker immediately asked if the recovery key was stored in Soup’s Microsoft account. That’s because these days Microsoft automatically encrypts your storage if you sign in to Windows with a Microsoft account. In the Pro edition, that’s BitLocker. In the Home edition, it’s called Device Encryption, which is based on BitLocker but lacks hands-on control. And here comes the scariest part: Toast Soup only had the encryption key for their boot drive stored in their Microsoft account. I’ve had my own experience with this—Microsoft is not consistent about saving your encryption key to its servers. How do you avoid this fate? A few basic but crucially important steps: Back up your data All of it. Have more than one location for it, too, as per suggested guidelines—at least two copies in addition to the primary source, with one stored off-site. (You can do this with one external hard drive and then a cloud backup service.) For data safety, I suggest not having the backup drive plugged in at all times. It helps protect your data against threats like ransomware and accidents like this. Check your Windows encryption status PCWorld You might not think your PC is encrypted, but you should know for sure. Open your Settings app, then go to Privacy & security > Device encryption. (For a faster jump to this setting, just type in device encryption into Windows search or the start menu, then choose Device encryption settings.) At the top of the window, you will see a toggle for Device encryption. Now, here’s the thing—encrypting your drive is actually a good idea overall. It means that any sensitive data, like tax files, pay stubs, medical records, and anything else saved to your PC can’t be copied and exploited if your computer gets stolen. (A real concern, since most people own laptops nowadays.) So my recommendation is not to turn it off, but rather, verify your encryption key is backed up. If you back up both your data and your encryption key, your files should remain safely accessible to you (and only you). How to back up your Windows encryption key(s) Turns out, the PC I wrote this article on didn’t have its encryption key properly backed up to the Microsoft account it was logged into!PCWorld Open the Control panel in either Windows Home or Pro. Click on or search for Device Encryption. Then click on Back up your recovery key. I like to save this in two ways — once to my Microsoft account, and then again to a local file I put on a thumb drive. You can also print the recovery key, too, if you have a safe place in your home to store it. (It’s also not a bad idea to include it in your estate planning documents, if those are stored securely.) What’s the point of device encryption, anyway? As mentioned above, device encryption helps protect your data if your PC is ever lost or stolen. Most of us have social security numbers, personal correspondence, and other sensitive pieces of info on our storage drives we wouldn’t want other people prying into. And with so many people using laptops, the danger of theft is a real possibility. The problem here isn’t Windows automatically encrypting drives. (Android and iOS phones automatically do so, too.) The issue is Windows doing it on the sly—and then not consistently uploading and storing the encryption keys to your Microsoft account. But that’s easily solved by taking the precautionary steps outlined above. Stronger security is an unfortunate necessity these days; don’t undercut yourself by turning off encryption entirely. Read...

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If you’re tired of suffering an old laptop that can barely hold it together while browsing Chrome tabs, then it’s time to replace it with a mini PC. Unlike a full-blown desktop, a mini PC is much smaller and much cheaper yet thrice as powerful as any laptop of similar price. Want to level up your home office without spending a ton? Get this Kamrui E3B mini PC that’s 26% off on Amazon, a lovely discount that slashes its price down to just $297.59 (originally $399.99). This is a Prime-exclusive discount, but it’s okay if you don’t have it—just sign up for a free 30-day Prime trial to score it today! The Kamrui E3B is a tiny little thing that can fit beneath your monitor, or you can mount it to the back of any VESA-compatible display with the included VESA mounting plate. Inside, it’s running on a Ryzen 5 7430U CPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD that offers plenty of storage space, quick boot times, and fast app launches. That’s well enough to handle Windows 11, Office, Chrome, and whatever else you’ve got going on. It can even be user-upgraded up to 64GB RAM and 2TB storage. It’s a great productivity machine because it also supports triple 4K@60Hz monitors between the HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, and USB-C video ports. Spread your apps and tabs across all that screen real estate for maximum organization and workflow efficiency. This mini PC also packs another six fast USB-A ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm audio jack for headsets. Not bad, huh? I challenge you to find a $300 laptop that’s half as good as this mini PC. Go on, I’ll wait! When you come back, take advantage of this offer and grab the Kamrui E3B mini PC for $297.59. That’s the lowest price it’s ever been, so you know you’re getting a real deal. This Ryzen mini PC is a solid daily driver and it`s under $300 todayBuy now at Amazon Read...

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Mini PCs are all the rage these days, beating out both laptops and desktop PCs in straight-up comparisons of performance-per-dollar. You can usually spot at least one mini PC model on sale in any given week, but it’s rare for a high-end mini PC brand like Minisforum to go on sale. If you’re in the market for a quality option, today’s your lucky day. Right now, the Minisforum UM870 Slim mini PC is 20% off on Amazon, slashing its price down from its original $599.90 to a much more affordable and value-packed $479.90. That’s an incredible price for a machine that’s as robust, powerful, and elegant as this one is. Let’s talk power. This mini PC runs on an AMD Ryzen 7 8745H processor and a solid 32GB of DDR5 RAM as well as a spacious 1TB Gen 4 SSD. It may be tiny, but it ain’t slow or weak—that’s more power than you’ll find in any comparably priced laptop, capable of running Windows 11 without any slowdowns or issues as well as your work apps, browser tabs, creative endeavors, streaming platforms, and whatever else. The AMD Radeon 780M integrated graphics can even handle some light gaming, which isn’t something you always find in a mini PC at this price. It gets even better because this thing is a multitasker’s dream. It can push 8K@60Hz to two monitors via USB4 and HDMI 2.1, plus an additional 4K@60Hz via DisplayPort 1.4. That’s triple ultra-high-def displays for all the screen real estate you could ever need, bolstered further by 2.5G Ethernet and double USB-A 2.0 for peripherals on the back and 3.5mm audio and double USB-A 3.2 for data drives on the front. Minisforum is a top-rated mini PC brand and this is an excellent price for one of their mid-tier offerings. Get the UM870 Slim for just $479.90 while you still can! This hot Amazon price drop won’t stick around forever. Save 20% on this powerful Ryzen mini PC from a reputable brandBuy now on Amazon Read...