When historians look back at the PC industry in 2025, they’ll probably remember a time of intense turmoil. Between wildly unpredictable tariffs, geopolitical strife, the AI boom, hardware shortages caused by the AI boom (and tariffs), and hundreds of thousands of industry layoffs, it’s been an eventful – and stressful – year for the PC. Nonetheless, great things happened. We’ve seen the launch of entire new graphics card generations from Nvidia and AMD. The laptops of today are the laptops of tomorrow we’ve always dreamed of. Handheld gaming is exploding in popularity, leaving Microsoft scrambling to make Windows a viable alternative to Valve’s SteamOS on those devices. Security is evolving daily to protect a new breed of AI-powered attacks. Today is a day to celebrate the best of times. This is the Best PC Hardware and Software of 2025, as chosen by PCWorld’s editors. Best laptop: Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Read our review Best Prices Today: $1,650 at Amazon The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 (Aura Edition) is the most impressive Windows laptop we tested this year, and I’ll tell you exactly why. It combines a stunning 14-inch 2880×1800 OLED display with HDR and a 120Hz refresh rate, beastly specs (including an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V CPU, 32GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and Intel Arc 140V graphics), and a battery that can last up to 23 hours. It’s speedy enough to handle work tasks and binge-watching your favorite show on Netflix and, at under three pounds, it won’t break your back.  The 2-in-1 design is nice too, especially if you move around a lot. You can flip it into tablet mode or set it up like a little tent. This versatility is cool when you’re working with limited space like in an airplane seat, for example. The keyboard and trackpad also feel great, and the Yoga Pen sticks right to the top so it’s always handy when you’re ready to create your next masterpiece… or just doodle for fun! -Ashley Biancuzzo Best graphics card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Read our review Nvidia bet the fate of the GeForce RTX 50-series on DLSS 4’s incredible multi-frame gen feature. As magical as the feature can be, it left most of the RTX 50 lineup feeling flat at best, or as uninspiring sidegrades at best. Not the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti. Unlike most of the 50-series lineup, the 5070 Ti includes a sizeable performance uplift, while costing less – versus the 4070 Ti, you get 25 percent faster performance for $50 less. Better yet, the 5070 Ti’s prowess makes it the perfect vehicle for DLSS 4’s multi-frame gen – the card delivers killer 1440p and solid 4K performance as-is, but flipping on MFG takes visual smoothness and frame pacing to utterly sublime levels. You’re going to want to pair this beast with a 240Hz monitor if you can manage it. In a weak and price-engorged generation for graphics cards, only the RTX 5070 Ti and AMD’s Radeon RX 9070 series stand out as particularly appealing. The amazing power of DLSS 4 earns Nvidia this well-deserved nod. If you’re dismissing MFG as “fake frames,” you’re missing out. –Brad Chacos Best laptop for battery life: HP OmniBook 5 14 HP OmniBook 5 14 Best Prices Today: $549.99 at Amazon The battery life on the HP OmniBook 5 14 is utter insanity. We’re talking over 25 hours in our testing–you can thank the super-efficient Snapdragon X Plus processor for that one. The 14-inch 1920×1200 OLED touchscreen also looks great because of its wide color gamut and high contrast ratio. While it’ll breeze through most day-to-day tasks, it isn’t a gaming rig or a 3D workstation, so you may want to mind how you use it. That said, the main draw here is the ridiculous battery life and an OLED display that truly pops… all for under $900! This is one stunner of a laptop. -Ashley Biancuzzo Best monitor: Dell 32 Plus 4K QD-OLED  Dell 32 Plus 4K QD-OLED Monitor S3225QC Read our review Best Prices Today: $695 at Amazon | Not Available at Amazon Prime This year, the monitor that stood out as the best overall – i.e., the monitor most likely to satisfy the versatile needs of the majority of users – was the Dell 32 Plus 4K QD-OLED. Our high regard began with its big, sharp, colorful 4K QD-OLED panel. It grew with the 120Hz refresh rate and support for Adaptive Sync, making it a suitable option for work as well as entertainment, even gaming.   With two video inputs (HDMI 2.1 and USB-C with DisplayPort 1.4 support), 90 watts of Power Delivery for connecting to either Windows or Mac laptops, and two USB-C downstream ports supporting 15 watts of USB Power Delivery and 5Gbps of data, it’s up for productivity. The monitor goes on to sweeten the pot with five speakers – wait, what? — for 25 total watts and support for spatial audio. Finally, it seals the deal with a price that undercuts the competition — $850 MSRP, but currently hovering around $700 on Amazon. – Katherine Stevenson   Best password manager: Dashlane Dashlane Read our review Best Prices Today: $4.99 at Dashlane Staying sane while dealing with online security is much easier with a password manager. A good password manager, that is—one that quickly creates and fills in strong passwords, stores passkeys, immediately alerts you to compromised or weak passwords, and lets you securely share credentials with others. Dashlane gets the highest possible marks from us not just for its dependability, but its regular updates, too. In particular, the service now supports full passwordless login, which lets you sign in to your Dashlane account without a password. It’s also one of the first to implement secure import/export of passkeys and passwords (aka CXP). This puts it on the leading edge of credential security—other password managers are still working on their rollout. Combined with standard features like passkey support and dark web monitoring, plus surprising extras like VPN access and real-time phishing protection, Dashlane provides a lot of broad protection for your logins. Other password managers may be cheaper, but not as complete. -Alaina Yee Best SSD: WD Black SN7100 WD Black SN7100 1TB Read our review Best Prices Today: $79.99 at Amazon You might expect our pick for best SSD to use the latest-gen PCIe 5.0 interface, which can be 100 percent faster than the previous generation. But while the prospect of such blazing-fast transfer speeds is certainly tantalizing, for most everyday computing activities, including gaming, PCIe 4.0 performs comparably to PCIe 5.0 — and for a lot less money!    This is why our pick for best SSD is the WD Black SN7100 SSD, a PCIe 4.0 drive whose overall benchmark performance bested those of its peers, even if only by small margins. The upshot is that this drive is fast, and it features a reassuring five-year warranty. Better still, at $74 for 1TB, it’s half the cost of the best PCIe 5.0 drive. Need we say more? – Katherine Stevenson  Best desktop CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Adam Patrick Murray / Foundry It’s been a slow year for CPUs. Perhaps in reaction to 2024’s performance issues and regressions, both Intel and AMD have been quiet on the desktop front. Instead, focus has been on laptop CPUs. The lone bright spot for desktop enthusiasts? AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D. We saw it coming. Last year, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D delivered stupendous performance in both gaming and content creation. A flagship version would be even beastlier—and the 9950X3D proved that assumption right. Against the Intel Core 9 285K, the 9950X3D showed gaming performance lifts ranging from 25 to 48 percent (!) and a content creation performance boost of about 10 percent on average. And that’s at stock settings. Turn on PBO and you get another bump in performance. The only disappointing thing about the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is that it takes the title with no real competition. But that doesn’t make it a bad chip. On its own merits—and no matter what kind of PC user you are—it’s a win. -Alaina Yee Best Thunderbolt docking station: Plugable TBT-UDT3  Plugable 11-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station Read our review Best Prices Today: $299.95 at Amazon | $299.95 at Plugable I expected 2025 to be a breakout year for Thunderbolt 5 docking stations, and I wasn’t disappointed. Many docks I received, however, were priced at the high end of the spectrum. Plugable’s TBT-UDT3 was a notable exception, a moderately-priced laptop docking station I could recommend to those who needed a current-generation Thunderbolt 4 dock or who were looking to invest in next-gen Thunderbolt 5 hardware. Why did I weigh price so heavily? Two reasons: first, the omnipresent tariff concerns, and second, because Intel has reserved (again!) Thunderbolt 5 as a discrete add-on component, making it the domain of high-end, premium laptops, and not the mainstream. Eventually, that will change. But Plugable gives you tomorrow’s hardware at today’s prices. Plugable’s docking station offers the choice of three displays (or two plus an external SSD), Thunderbolt Share, and a general overall stability that unfortunately isn’t that commonplace. I think it’s the best overall docking station I tested, even though others had standout features that I ranked highly. –Mark Hachman Best antivirus: Norton 360 Deluxe Norton 360 Deluxe Read our review Data breaches keep piling up. So too attacks via phishing links and malware. AI may be helping people with dinner recipes and email writing, but it has also sped up the discovery of vulnerabilities—and exploits of them. Even with good online browsing habits, the most careful person can still fall prey to common tricks. You need a safety net. That’s why we love Norton 360 Deluxe. You could stitch together your own equivalent suite yourself, but this antivirus app pulls together and simplifies a very broad range of features for users. In addition to blocking malware and shady websites, Norton 360 Deluxe also offers dark web monitoring, a VPN, parental controls, a password manager, and 50GB of cloud storage for automated backups of critical documents. The subscription even includes general PC utilities like file cleanup, too. This highly comprehensive level of defense is rare—especially given how little Norton charges. You’ll be hard-pressed to find rivals that cost as little or provide as many features. -Alaina Yee Best gaming handheld: Valve Steam Deck Willis Lai / IDG If you want a solid, affordable handheld gaming PC…just get Valve’s Steam Deck. It’s nearly four years old now, but with a starting price of $400 and a “sweet spot” OLED upgrade at $550, it’s still the best option out there for most gamers (especially if you pair the Steam Deck with a GeForce Now subscription, an utterly transformative duo). SteamOS, smoother and better integrated than Windows 11, is a big part of that. If you want a little more gaming power or a bigger screen, the Legion Go S comes with a SteamOS option that doesn’t require any tweaking…but maybe wait for a sale. –Michael Crider Best high-end gaming handheld: Lenovo Legion Go 2 Lenovo Legion Go 2 Read our review For those who want a lot more oomph and options, and don’t mind paying for it, the Lenovo Legion Go 2 is our pick. This beast of a handheld includes the larger screen and Switch-style breakaway controllers of the original design, plus an OLED upgrade and screaming Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor. It runs Windows 11, but Bazzite is a Steam-powered option (and probably official SteamOS, later). Just be prepared to pay for it: this thing starts at $1350 USD. –Michael Crider Best gaming laptop: Alienware 16X Aurora Alienware 16X Aurora Not only did the Alienware 16X Aurora impress us with its raw performance, but its high refresh rate display also makes everything look positively delicious. This laptop is equipped to keep up with the latest titles thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU and RTX 5070 GPU. You can jump straight into the latest triple-A games without problem, with all the eye candy cranked, and they’ll play amazing. The 16-inch 2560×1600 IPS screen is crisp and big, and the 240Hz refresh rate makes every frame feel as smooth as silk. -Ashley Biancuzzo Best personal data removal service: Incogni Incogni Read our review Best Prices Today: $7.99 at Incogni You might be surprised how much of your personal data is being collected and sold online. Data brokers and people search sites are hoovering up your data at an alarming rate and it’s nearly impossible to keep a lid on it yourself. So the best solution is to let a personal data removal service handle the arduous task of removing this data for you. And none are doing it better than Incogni. The service is dead simple to use, and the set-it-and-forget-it automation begins to work in a flash. After only the first day of using it, Incogni had already sent out hundreds of removal requests on my behalf, saving me months’ worth of effort. Plus, the service regularly follows up with every site to ensure my data doesn’t ever reappear. The addition of Custom removals means there is practically no site that Incogni won’t attempt to wipe your data from either. It can be a bit expensive, but if you’re concerned about your personal data being shared online, the piece of mind Incogni offers is unparalleled. –Sam Singleton  Best gaming monitor: MSI MPG 272URX MSI MPG 272URX Read our review Best Prices Today: $999 at Amazon | $1099.99 at MSI For a gaming monitor to even warrant consideration, it needs to be fast and it needs to have a damn good picture. Those are just table stakes, which the MSI MPG 272URX delivers handily. Not content with the standard 1440p resolution, the 272URX goes full 4K for maximum clarity, and its 240Hz refresh rate renders even fast-paced games with buttery smoothness. Adaptive sync support is a given.   But lest you think the 272URX’s talents begin and end with gaming, consider this: generous connectivity, including four video inputs, Power Delivery, and a KVM switch; a full complement of image-quality adjustments via a user-friendly on-screen menu; and HDR support. In sum, it’s an all-around winner. – Katherine Stevenson  Best Chromebook: Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 Read our review Best Prices Today: $499.99 at Amazon Prime | $559.99 at Amazon When it comes to Chromebooks, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 is damned near flawless. It’s got an Intel i5 processor and 8GB of RAM, so it’s zippy when running everyday tasks, and the 14-inch 1080p touchscreen display looks sharp whether you’re cranking on daily workflows or zoning out to YouTube. It’ll also last around 13 hours on a single charge. You’ll get through a full workday, no problem – and with how great the keyboard feels, you won’t have any complaints while doing so. -Ashley Biancuzzo Best webcam: eMeet Piko+ 4K EMeet Piko+ Read our review Best Prices Today: $89.99 at Amazon Prime | $95.99 at Amazon I am so glad I picked eMeet’s Piko+ 4K for our best webcam of 2025: the only flaw that I could find with this cute little 4K webcam is that it lacked a traditional webcam mount. Imagine my surprise when I double-checked my review and our shopping listings, only to discover that eMeet now ships a “traditional” version of this webcam, too! I absolutely loved the clarity that this dual-lens 4K webcam offered, especially in low light. This webcam’s visual capabilities were simply excellent (the mic is merely average, but that’s okay) and the $90 price splits the difference between our $40 budget webcams and the $150-$250 you’d pay for an ultrapremium offering. I wasn’t expecting much from this webcam, but I was blown away by what it offers. –Mark Hachman Best VPN: NordVPN NordVPN Read our review Best Prices Today: $3.39 at NordVPN (Monthly) It’s never easy to select the best VPN overall. There are so many factors to consider such as privacy, ease of use, server network size, unblocking capabilities, and speed. The reasons people have for using a VPN varies widely and that all needs to be taken into account. Will the VPN be used to get around country blocks for streaming, staying anonymous online, torrenting, or something else—the list goes on and on. Many VPNs excel at a few of these functions, but rarely manage to shine across the board. That is, except NordVPN. It’s one of the only services that consistently ranks at the top, or close to it, of each category. That’s why it’s my pick for this year’s best VPN. Not only does it continue to be the fastest VPN I’ve ever tested, but it has a huge server network, a vast array of security extras, and its no-logs policy is backed by plenty of independent audits. It also never fails to unblock streaming services and fully supports P2P. No other current service exemplifies all of the elements of a great VPN like NordVPN, full stop. –Sam Singleton Best cheap VPN: Surfshark Surfshark Read our review Best Prices Today: $2.19 at Surfshark (Monthly) Each time I review Surfshark I’m amazed at the new and interesting features it adds to the service while maintaining such an inexpensive subscription price. At this point, I find myself asking, what doesn’t Surfshark have? Not only do you get the VPN with an outstanding server network and lightning-fast speeds, but you also have access to a whole slew of top-notch privacy and security extras such as multi-hop, antivirus protection, rotating IP, ad- and tracker-blocking, and more. The best part is that all of these great features and tools can be had for less than the price of a cup of coffee every month with Surfshark’s long-term plans. Even shady off-brand VPNs that market themselves as “cheap” barely offer subscriptions for this price—and none of them have the feature set or verified privacy record of Surfshark. It’s by far the best value VPN for those on a budget—and one of the best VPNs overall. –Sam Singleton  Best portable SSD: Teamgroup X2 Max  Teamgroup X2 Max Read our review Best Prices Today: $96.99 at Amazon For truly portable storage that can be carried with ease and used without the need for any additional cables or adapters, look no further than the Teamgroup X2 Max USB stick. This USB 3.2 Gen2 drive uses NVMe internals to deliver sustained transfers of approximately 1.1GBps.   Sure, you can find portable drives that are even faster than that – USB 3.2×2 or USB4, for example. But they won’t feature this lil’ one’s unique flexibility in the form of dual connectors. With both USB-A and USB-C connectors, one on each end, you are assured of being able to plug into any device as-is. Now that’s convenience! – Katherine Stevenson Best Windows Backup software: EaseUS Todo Backup 2025 Easeus ToDo Backup 2025 Read our review Best Prices Today: $39.95 at EaseUS This year, things got interesting in the backup software space. Our long-time favorite backup program was knocked from its perch by EaseUS Todo Backup 2025, which made impressive strides to achieve what our reviewer dubbed “the most efficient workflow I’ve seen.” He also described the interface as “a joy.” Wow. These are the kind of superlatives that make the tedious chore of backing up data much more welcoming.    Of course, EaseUS Todo Backup 2025 provides all the necessary functionality you need for complete confidence: whole drive and partition imaging, file and folder backup, sync, disaster recovery including a WinPE recover disk, and more. We also love that EaseUS bucks the trend by offering a perpetual licence ($59.99, or $79.99 for lifetime upgrades) in addition to a yearly subscription ($39.99). Although, to take advantage of EaseUS’s optional cloud storage at a respectable $20 per year for 1TB, you will need to opt for the subscription tier. – Katherine Stevenson   Best online backup service: iDrive  iDrive Online Cloud Backup Read our review Best Prices Today: $69.65 at iDrive It makes a lot of sense to use an online backup service. In the context of the trusty 3-2-1 rule for backups, an online backup suffices as one of the two distinct types of media that’s suggested, as well as checks the box that a backup be kept in a remote location.   What’s really great about iDrive, our pick for best online backup service, is that it offers even more than that, such as a client for local backups and basic imaging and disaster recovery, which is pretty rare among online services.     The Personal tier, which starts at $69.65 per year, has support for multiple devices and includes 5TB of online storage. With its comprehensive feature set and user-friendliness, iDrive is tough to beat. – Katherine Stevenson Best USB-C Hub: OWC USB-C Travel Dock OWC USB-C Travel Dock Read our review Best Prices Today: $29.99 at Amazon Most USB-C hubs are dongles: you get a long rectangular slab of plastic or aluminum about the length of a utility knife, with a number of ports attached. OWC’s Travel Dock looks a bit more like a docking station without the size of a docking station. It’s only 3.2 inches on a side, and ports sprout from all three sides of this 5-in-1 hub: USB-A, Ethernet, USB-C power input, HDMI, and an SD card reader. Even the cord tucks away. For about $35 ($30 as I write this) you get the most important four ports you’ll need, all in a compact little square that still fits inside a pouch, purse, or pack. Or…perhaps a stocking? –Mark Hachman Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Sharp OLED touchscreen with 120Hz refresh rate Healthy amount of RAM and storage for the price Wide range of physical connectivity Good integrated GPU performance Cons Boring design Supports table mode, but too heavy for frequent use CPU performance doesn’t stand out Battery life is just average for the category Our Verdict The Asus Vivobook 16 Flip’s yawn-worthy design is countered by well-rounded performance and a 16-inch 120Hz OLED touchscreen. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Asus Vivobook 16 Flip Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices Windows 2-in-1s just aren’t what they used to be—though, arguably, that’s probably for the best. Instead of tiny thin-and-lights with displays sized for a child, we now get 2-in-1s like the Asus Vivobook 16 Flip, which has a 16-inch OLED touchscreen. It’s definitely not an iPad alternative, but it’s a versatile Windows machine with solid performance. Asus Vivobook 16 Flip: Specs and features as-tested The Asus Vivobook 16 Flip I received for review is the maxed-out configuration, which is available from Costco at $1,249.99. It has an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V octo-core processor, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage, as well as a 16-inch OLED touchscreen. While none of these specifications are remarkable on their own, they represent good value at the $1,249.99 price point. Model number: TP3607 CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 258V Memory: 32GB LPDDR5x-8533 Graphics/GPU: Intel Arc 140V NPU: Up to 47 TOPS Display: 16-inch 2880×1800 OLED 120Hz touchscreen Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 solid state drive Webcam and microphone: 1080p with dual microphone array and physical privacy shutter Connectivity: 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort and Power Delivery and up to 20Gbps data, 1x Thunderbolt 4 with DisplayPort and Power Delivery and up to 40Gbps data, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm, MicroSD card reader Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Biometrics: None Battery capacity: 75 watt-hours Dimensions: 13.98 x 9.62 x 0.69 inches Weight: 3.97 pounds Operating System: Windows 11 Home Price: $1,349.99 MSRP / $1,249.99 typical retail from Costco Asus also offers a less expensive model with an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of storage. That model retails for $1,049.99 from Asus and is currently $1,019.99 on Amazon. I think you should spring for the more expensive configuration if you can swing it. Getting twice as much RAM and storage, plus a processor upgrade, is good value in return for an extra $200 to $230. Asus Vivobook 16 Flip: Design and build quality Foundry / Matthew Smith The Asus Vivobook 16 Flip’s design makes a modest first impression. It’s a slab of metallic silver-gray material with minimal branding and no flair. This, of course, is also true of many mid-range laptops. But there’s definitely something about the Vivobook 16 Flip’s design that screams “budget!” to me. I think it’s the bottom of the laptop, which is adorned with large ridged fan vents and rubber feet. It’s a serviceable design but not one that stands out. Build quality is the same story. The laptop feels solid and doesn’t allow much flex in typical laptop use. However, picking up the laptop from a corner flexes the chassis enough to cause a couple disconcerting creaks and groans. That contributes to the Vivobook 16 Flip’s budget feel. As the name implies, the Vivobook 16 Flip is a 2-in-1 with a 360 display that can rotate (or flip) so that the display is flush with the bottom of the laptop, effectively converting it into a tablet. This is a 16-inch machine that weighs in at nearly four pounds, and while that’s light for a laptop of this size, it’s still heavy enough to make tablet use awkward. I find the rotating hinge more useful when the laptop is in “tent” mode on a desk. This places the touchscreen at your fingertips, while the keyboard rotates back to become a stand. It’s a nice option if you want to watch Netflix or YouTube. Asus Vivobook 16 Flip: Keyboard, trackpad, mouse Foundry / Matthew Smith A spacious keyboard with numpad spans the Asus Vivobook 16 Flip’s interior. The primary alphanumeric keys are large and well positioned. Only the left-side Tab, Caps, and Ctrl keys are a little undersized—and even then, no more so than other laptops. The numpad keys aren’t full-sized but larger than most 16-inch laptops that squeeze in a numpad. Key feel is mediocre but good enough. The keys have good travel and a decent bottoming action, but the keyboard is quiet and lacks a sense of tactile feedback. That is not my preference, but people who want a smooth and quiet typing experience will like it. White LED keyboard backlighting is standard, which is typical for a laptop sold above $1,000. The inclusion of a numpad means the primary alphanumeric keys are shifted to the left, and the touchpad also shifts left to keep itself centered under the spacebar. I like the touchpad. It’s large, at roughly six inches wide and four inches deep, and provides a smooth, responsive touchpad surface with good palm rejection. There’s plenty of room to execute Windows’ more elaborate multi-touch gestures, like the five-finger pinch-to-minimize. But many 16-inch laptops, from the more expensive Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 to the budget Acer Aspire 16 AI, have similar touchpads. Asus Vivobook 16 Flip: Display, audio Foundry / Matthew Smith The Asus Vivobook 16 Flip has an OLED touchscreen with 2880×1800 resolution, a 16:10 aspect ratio, and a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s a wonderful display with great sharpness, deep contrast, vibrant color, and good motion clarity thanks to the high refresh rate. Even the brightness is decent with an HDR maximum of 500 nits and, in my testing, an SDR maximum of about 400 nits. My nitpick is with the glossy finish. It’s glossy, and while the display is bright for OLED glare can be an issue if you’re near a sunlit window. But this is a common problem for many OLED laptops, so while it’s an annoyance, it’s not a disadvantage. That cuts both ways, though. The OLED panel, while fantastic, is identical to the OLED panels found on many other 16-inch laptops, such as the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16. The Vivobook 16 Flip is inexpensive for a 16-inch laptop with an OLED touchscreen, at least. The speakers offer good volume and a rich, robust sound at lower volumes, which can prove genuinely enjoyable for chill beats or less demanding gaming. However, at higher volumes the sound can become muddy and imprecise. Most competitors have the same issues, though more expensive competitors like Lenovo’s Yoga Pro 9i and Apple’s MacBook Pro have a serious advantage in audio performance. Asus Vivobook 16 Flip: Webcam, microphone, biometrics You’ll find a 1080p webcam stuffed into the display’s top bezel. It provides decent sharpness and color but can look grainy in dark lighting. I also noticed the default field-of-view is wide, which means you’ll look small in the frame, which often isn’t ideal for video calls. You can counter that with zoom, but doing that will reduce the effective resolution. I had no problem with the dual microphone array. It picked up my voice without issue and was able to cancel out the sound of a space heater in my room. Louder and more abrupt noises, like a barking dog, may make it through the noise cancellation. Biometric login is not supported, which is a bit unusual for a Windows laptop above $1,000. Many competitors have either an IR camera for facial recognition or a fingerprint reader (and sometimes both), but neither is included here. Asus Vivobook 16 Flip: Connectivity Foundry / Matthew Smith Asus provides a good mix of physical connectivity on the Asus Vivobook 16 Flip. It has a Thunderbolt 4 port and a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, both with DisplayPort and Power Delivery. That means both can be used to connect displays or charge the laptop. There’s also a single USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port. Additional connectivity includes an HDMI 2.1 port, a MicroSD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack. This is a good, though not remarkable range of connectivity. Most competitive laptops have a similar number of USB-C ports and at least one USB-A. Perhaps counterintuitively, you’re actually more likely to see laptops and 2-in-1s above $2,000 ditch USB-A and HDMI, while competitors in the Vivobook 16 Flip’s price range are more likely to have these ports. Wireless connectivity covers the bases, too, with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. These are the latest versions of each wireless standard, though most laptops in this price range provide the same support. Asus Vivobook 16 Flip: Performance The Asus Vivobook 16 Flip that I reviewed had the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V. It’s an eight-core CPU with a maximum clock speed of 4.8GHz, four performance cores, and four low-power efficient cores. It also provides a robust version of Intel’s Arc 140V integrated graphics. The Intel chip was paired with a healthy 32GB of memory and 1TB of solid state storage. Foundry / Matthew Smith The Asus Vivobook 16 Flip gets off to a strong start in PCMark 10, a holistic system benchmark. This test tends to favor heavily multi-threaded CPU performance a bit less and does benefit from a GPU, all of which turns out well for the Vivobook 16 Flip. It delivers the best score and even beat more expensive 2-in-1s like the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360. Foundry / Matthew Smith The story is a bit different in Cinebench 2024, a heavily multi-threaded benchmark. As mentioned, the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V has eight cores, but only half of those are performance cores. Many competitors offer more high-performance cores, and it shows. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 runs circles around it here. Foundry / Matthew Smith Things once again change in Handbrake, however. Here, we see that the Vivobook 16 Flip provides a strong score for an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V laptop. It seems the laptop’s aggressive cooling (which is rather loud at full load) is more able to keep the chip running at full tilt over the duration of this test. Foundry / Matthew Smith Diving in 3D benchmarks, we see Intel’s Arc 140V strut its stuff. The 140V is generally a great integrated graphics solution and the Vivobook 16 Flip helps it extend its lead over AMD’s Radeon alternatives. While the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 is more-or-less tied with the Vivobook 16 Flip, the Vivobook’s performance here is strong. The 3DMark score will translate to strong performance in older or less demanding 3D games. Shadow of the Tomb Raider, for example, averaged 67 frames per second at 1080p resolution and Highest detail. A wide range of more modest games, from World of Warcraft to Ball X Pit, will be enjoyable on this laptop. I’m happy with the Asus Vivobook 16 Flip’s performance, and it’s probably the most significant reason to choose this laptop over a competitor that might have AMD’s Ryzen AI 7 350 or the Intel Core Ultra 256V. While I wouldn’t call the Vivobook 16 Flip a high-performance laptop, it’s very respectable for the price, and can handle both productivity apps and less demanding 3D games. The laptop’s 32GB of RAM and 1TB solid state drive are icing on the cake. While I wouldn’t call the Vivobook 16 Flip a high-performance laptop, it’s very respectable for the price, and can handle both productivity apps and less demanding 3D games. Asus Vivobook 16 Flip: Battery life and portability A 75 watt-hour battery lurks inside the Asus Vivobook 16 Flip. That is an average size for a Windows laptop, and it results in average battery life. Foundry / Matthew Smith The good news is that Asus’ Vivobook 16 Flip managed to endure PCWorld’s standard battery test, which loops a 4K file of the short film Tears of Steel, for over 14 hours. That’s a long time! The bad news is that many Windows laptops in this category offer similar or better battery life. Real-world battery life will generally prove a bit less, though roughly 10 hours shouldn’t be hard to squeeze out and 14 hours is achievable if you keep to less demanding apps, use a low-performance power profile, and set the display to around 50 percent of its maximum brightness. It’s an easy laptop to charge, too. It ships with a small 65-watt USB-C power adapter and can be charged with a wide range of third-party USB-C chargers. Even a modern phone charger can charge it to 100 percent in about four or five hours. Asus Vivobook 16 Flip: Conclusion The Asus Vivobook 16 Flip is a well-rounded 16-inch 2-in-1 that often fails to excel,but generally provides good value when compared to the competition. It’s strongest in performance, where it often was a bit quicker than the alternatives. The Vivobook also provides an OLED touchscreen at an affordable price, and while it doesn’t have any headline feature that really separates it from the competition, it also avoids any major problems that might make it a hard pass. It’s also a good value at $1,249.99 Read...

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TL;DR: Score a compact, travel-ready touchscreen Chromebook for just $79.99 (MSRP $284.99)—perfect as a backup, second device, or portable sidekick. You probably don’t want to bring your $1,000 laptop on a plane just to stream Netflix or answer emails at 38,000 feet. That’s where the Lenovo 300E 11.6? Touchscreen Chromebook can help—compact, lightweight, and surprisingly capable for just $79.99 (MSRP $284.99). Whether you’re looking for a reliable backup, a travel companion, or a laptop for casual use, this refurbished Chromebook covers all the basics. It has 4GB of RAM, a 32GB SSD, and a zippy Intel N3450 quad-core processor. This is a Chromebook that doesn’t try to be everything—it just does the things you need. Think: checking emails, writing docs, watching videos, joining video calls, or making sure your kid gets through homework without hijacking your work laptop. Even better? It ships free and won’t wreck your budget. That makes it perfect for tossing in your carry-on or using as a backup at home. Get the refurbished Lenovo 300E 11.6? Touchscreen Chromebook for $79.99 (MSRP $284.99) plus free shipping for a limited time. Lenovo 300E 11.6? Touchscreen Chromebook (2018) 4GB RAM 32GB Storage (Refurbished)See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

The new crop of laptops based on Qualcomm’s Arm processors aren’t exactly powerhouses, but they’re some of the most efficient laptops we’ve ever tested. In fact, the HP OmniBook 5 is our current battery champion, lasting over 24 hours in a standardized 4K video test. Today, Amazon is selling it for $549.99, an absolute bargain. View this Amazon deal Highlights include a 14-inch OLED screen, an IR camera for Windows Hello face unlock, and an impressive 2.98-pound weight (that’s 1.35 kilograms if you live in a civilized country). Note that the version Amazon is selling has the same beefy battery and efficient Snapdragon X Plus processor, but less RAM and storage (16GB and 512GB, respectively) and doesn’t come with a touchscreen. To learn more about the quirks of this laptop, check out Matt Smith’s review for PCWorld. Those specs are still good enough to handle just about everything a standard user can throw at it, making it an excellent pick for a student or an office worker who has to travel frequently. The exception is gaming. While most 2D games should be fine, and though compatibility for Windows on Arm is getting better, there just isn’t enough graphical oomph in this thing to handle the newest triple-A 3D titles. Note that 24+ hours in a video torture test isn’t the same as 24+ hours of use when you’re sitting in front of the laptop and browsing with dozens of tabs open. Battery life with real-world use will be less, possibly by as much as half… but the benchmark test shows that the Snapdragon-based OmniBook lasts longer than any other machine we’ve tested for any size, weight, or hardware power. If you need a machine that’ll get you from London to Sydney with a busted airliner power socket, this is it. This is a new, not refurbished, laptop. And there’s no time limit on the discount, so I suspect it’ll stick around for a while. That said, Black Friday is just two weeks away for deal-hunters in the US. If this laptop isn’t to your liking, maybe take a gander at PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops on the market and stay tuned for our upcoming sale coverage. Get an HP laptop with incredible battery life for $550Buy now on Amazon Read...

When your internet is running slow it can be beyond frustrating. Grappling with downloading or uploading files when your internet is chugging along can be tedious. Figuring out why your connection has gone slow is a must-do if you’re to overcome the problem. But where to start? Here are five common reasons your internet could be running slow that you can use as a guide. 1. Network congestion Network congestion is like a traffic jam on your data highway. It occurs when there is more data trying to travel across a network than the available bandwidth can handle. The overload leads to annoying performance issues, such as increased latency. A common cause can be when too many devices are connected to your network at the one time. There’s not much you can do about it except maximize your internet plan with your service provider or find a service provider whose network doesn’t suffer as bad congestion. You might also decide to use your internet at times other than peak times. 2. Background applications consuming bandwidth If you’re running programs or downloading large files in the background while surfing the web, you might be consuming your available bandwidth as those programs or downloads clock up megabytes. You might not even be aware of the apps and programs running and the effects they’re having on your internet speed. To prevent that happening you should regularly check to see what background processes are running and close unused apps and programs to free up bandwidth for other important tasks. 3. IP throttling Some internet service providers deliberately slow down internet connections. This can be done for a variety of reasons. For example, for users that have reached certain data limits, to ease congestion or to prioritize other traffic. Throttling can affect your overall internet experience making activities like streaming, downloading, browsing, or gaming slower than usual. In some cases, a VPN can help prevent IP throttling by changing your IP address, or the home address that your internet service provider sees as belonging to your connection. PCWorld reviews VPNs, so be sure to check out our list of the best VPNs. Pexels: Jakob Zerdzicki 4. Malicious software or viruses Viruses and other malware can affect your internet speed in a number of ways. They can run in the background of your PC, consuming your computer’s CPU and memory resources. Alternatively, they can chew up bandwidth by downloading or uploading files without your knowledge. In some cases, viruses can even infect your router causing it to malfunction or slow down. Viruses can also conduct malicious activities like Distributed Denial of Service (DDos attacks) which can further degrade your internet performance. Make sure you are using a reliable antivirus program, such as one of those that PCWorld recommeneds. 5. Outdated or broken router When all is said and done, if your internet is slow and there is no apparent reason, you could have a router suffering from technical difficulties. Alternatively, your router might just be old and not support the latest technological standards, or the firmware could be out of date. If you can’t just update the firmware, you’re going to need a new router to facilitate faster speeds and get you back surfing the web in double time. Related content 7 warning signs your computer was hacked — and what to do Solve your Wi-Fi problems with these smart router settings How to speed up your laptop without spending a dime Read...

If you’re happy with your TV’s size and display but wish it had more features, you don’t need to upgrade the whole thing. Consider starting with a much cheaper investment like a streaming dongle. The Amazon Fire TV Stick HD is on sale for 43% off right now, bringing it down to just $19.99 from its original $34.99. View this Amazon deal The Fire TV Stick HD is a nifty little device that’s so easy to use. Just plug it into your TV’s HDMI port—which it should have if it was made in the last two decades—and connect it to your Wi-Fi network. You’ll instantly unlock access to numerous streaming platforms, including Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video, and several live TV services. One of the best things about using a Fire TV Stick HD is that you can take all of your subscriptions with you even when you travel. Going to stay in a hotel for the weekend? Plug the stick into the hotel’s TV and you can resume where you left off. It also comes with an Alexa Voice Remote, allowing you to search for content and launch apps using voice commands as well as control Alexa devices on your network. This Fire TV Stick HD is the latest model, but note that it’s limited to 1080p video. If you want to step it up, you’ll need either the Fire TV Stick 4K (on sale for $24.99) or Fire TV Stick 4K Max (on sale for $34.99). If you’re happy with 1080p, you can’t go wrong with the Fire TV Stick HD, especially now that it’s just $19.99. That’s a crazy good price for something you’ll be using all the time. Save 43% on this streaming stick that works with any TV with HDMIBuy now on Amazon Read...

For the last three years, kidney patient Denis Gapper has made the tiring journey from Blenheim to Nelson three times a week for life-saving dialysis. Read...

The Kangaroos star will again be the main attraction in England after Brisbane agreed to travel to the UK for the World Club Challenge in February. Read...

Short domestic flights now cost as much as $3 a kilometre if booked shortly before travel - is that okay? Read...