If there was ever a good time to upgrade your gaming laptop to one with a cutting-edge GPU, it’s now. The Lenovo Legion 5i with an RTX 5060 is now on sale for $1,350 at B&H, a massive $350 off its MSRP. Who says good things don’t come to those who wait? Not only is it packed with solid specs and features, it’s capped off with a gorgeous 15-inch OLED display with a crisp 2560×1600 resolution and fast 165Hz refresh rate for smooth visuals at high frame rates. And with the RTX 5060 powering it all, you’ll be able to play the latest games with Nvidia’s latest tech, including DLSS 4 and frame generation. Under the hood, this machine is fitted with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX processor, a hefty 32GB of speedy DDR5 RAM, and a roomy 1TB SSD. All of this makes for a laptop that easily breezes through your games, apps, and even a million browser tabs without breaking a sweat. Connectivity isn’t a worry here either. On the Lenovo Legion 5i, you’ll find a next-gen USB4, a fast USB-C, three fast USB-A, plus HDMI 2.1 for an external 4K display, as well as LAN and 3.5mm audio. This one also comes with top-of-the-line Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3. This is an awesome price for an awesome gaming machine, so what are you waiting for? Get the Lenovo Legion 5i for $1,350 at B&H! Save $350 on this high-performance laptop with RTX 5060 GPUBuy now from B&H Read...

If you always feel achy and uncomfortable after a long day at your desk, then you have to look into a chair upgrade. Considering how many hours you spend in that thing, a good chair isn’t a luxury—it’s an essential. But who says a good chair needs to cost a fortune? The Staples Emerge Vortex is on sale for $130 right now, a solid 50% off its usual price. If that’s not an awesome deal, I don’t know what is! Though technically a gaming chair, it has a clean and understated design that makes it a solid addition to any home office. It features a tall back, lumbar support, a comfy headrest, and flip-up armrests that make it easy to slip the chair under your desk when not in use. (While it isn’t flimsy, it isn’t exactly heavy duty—it supports up to 275 pounds.) With over 10,000 reviews and a glowing 4.6-star rating on the Staples online store, the Emerge Vortex has earned high praise for its balance of comfort and affordability. Don’t miss out on this chance to snag the Staples Emerge Vortex gaming chair for $130! Save 50% on this budget-friendly ergonomic Staples gaming chairBuy now at Staples Read...

I love one-handed gaming keypads. I love them so much that I even made my own because I couldn’t find one that had all the features I want. So I’m thrilled whenever I see a new, ultra-premium option on the market… even if it isn’t quite what I’m looking for. Say hello to the Lemokey L0 HE by Keychron. This is ostensibly a premium alternative to the Lemokey X0, the company’s previous attempt at a one-handed gaming keypad. But this one is a lot more blinged out, more akin to the Keychron Q series of keyboards. It’s got a chunky full-aluminum body, magnetic switches for adjustable actuation, and fancy PBT keycaps that still show off some RGB bling thanks to some transparent windows. You also get a snazzy scrolling knob, multiple levels of internal foam, programming options via a browser tool, and the removable USB-C cable missing in the original design. Keychron But it has a price tag of $160. Holy freakin’ crap. I get that this thing has premium materials and it’s a niche product, but that’s a hundred and sixty simoleons for essentially half a gaming keyboard. It sure doesn’t help that it’s missing a wrist rest—essential for this form factor, whether integrated or discrete—and it doesn’t have an option for wireless. Combined with limited options for those semi-proprietary switches and Lemokey’s inability to program settings for individual games, I can’t say I’m rushing to buy one. Razer’s Tartarus Pro pad is cheaper with more options… and yes, I’m aware that that’s an extremely rare thing to say about any Razer product. Read...

If your laptop’s anything like mine, then it lacks many of the ports you need to connect all your displays, peripherals, drives, and accessories. If that’s you, then what you need is a proper docking station—like this Ugreen Revodok Pro, which happens to be 30% off on Amazon right now, knocking its price down to $25.89 (was $36.99). That matches its all-time lowest price, so now’s a great time to get one. The Revodok Pro is a delightful 7-in-1 USB-C hub and a superb pick for anyone who wants to attach more stuff to their laptop without paying too much for the opportunity. This one features dual HDMI ports that each support a 4K@60Hz display, instantly turning your laptop into a proper workstation. Just imagine how much more productive you could be if you had two full-blown 4K monitors for spreading your apps around. On top of those HDMI ports, you also get two 10Gbps USB-A ports and two 10Gbps USB-C ports, plus another charging-only USB-C port with 100W of power delivery. That means you can hook up all kinds of drives and peripherals while keeping your laptop powered, and those fast ports are compatible with both Thunderbolt 3 and 4. This tiny little hub solves so many laptop connectivity issues, and that’s invaluable when you’re on your laptop all day long. Grab this Ugreen 7-in-1 USB-C hub for just $25.89 with this limited-time deal! Save 30% and turn your laptop`s USB-C port into 7 ports todayBuy now at Amazon Read...

KB5064081 is now available as an optional update for Windows 11 24H2. “Optional” means that Windows 11 isn’t yet installing this one automatically on available PCs. It’s currently available in Windows Update but must be manually installed by users. (You can either search for it in Windows Update download it via the Microsoft Update Catalog.) Update KB5064081 brings a wealth of new features to Windows 11, including new personalized start page for Microsoft’s AI-driven Recall feature. The new page lets you check on your past activity and jump back into one of those tasks. There’s also a new navigation bar that allows you to switch between “Home,” “Timeline,” “Feedback,” and “Settings” pages. The “Recent Snapshots” section lists all current snapshots while the “Top Apps” and “Top Websites” sections list all current app activity, explains Windows Latest. Get Windows 11 Pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro This update also adds a seconds display to the clock in the Notification Center, but you’ll have to enable it in settings for it to show. You’ll also have more settings for widgets on the lock screen, allowing you to change the size and position of widgets, plus remove any you don’t like. Other improvements include Microsoft refreshing and expanding the interface for Windows Hello, with the various authentication options now displayed in a modernized look. Microsoft has also revised the CPU display in the Task Manager so that CPU performance is now displayed identically in all areas. After installing optional update KB5064081, Windows 11 will have build number 26100.5074. If you don’t want to install KB5064081 yet, you can hold off until the next Patch Tuesday in September. At that point, KB5064081 will be turned into a mandatory cumulative update for all all compatible Windows 11 computers. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Excellent 10Gbps performer, even with long writes Small even for a thumb drive Both Type-C and Type-A connectors Cons Slows down off secondary cache Our Verdict Not only is the X2 Max the fastest, most compatible (Type-A and Type-C) thumb drive I’ve ever tested, it’s among the fastest 10Gbps SSDs of any size I’ve tested. It’s not cheap, but its tiny-dancer excellence is worth the price. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Teamgroup X2 Max Retailer Price $69.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices The Teamgroup X2 Max took me by surprise. I was expecting a slowish commodity drive, as it’s as small as any thumb drive in my collection. However, when push came to shove, the X2 Max delivered superlative 10Gbps USB performance across nearly all of our tests — rivaling that of many significantly larger 10Gbps SSDs. In short, it’s a gem. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best external drives for comparison. What are the X2 Max SSD’s features? At just under 3-inches long, by 0.75-inches wide, by 0.25-inches thick — and including both a captive Type-C port and Type-A port — the X2 Max is outstandingly demure, even for a thumb drive. It’s so svelte it makes most of its ilk look chunky in comparison. The dual port types, shown below, also make it easy to use with virtually any USB-enabled device on the planet. Lightning connector Apple stuff of course excepted. The drive uses NVMe internals to operate at 10Gbps USB 3.2 speeds, with sustained transfers maxing out at just under 1.1GBps. Teamgroup wasn’t inclined to discuss the controller or specific type of NAND involved. However, given the excellent performance and ability to sustain reasonable transfer speeds over the long haul, I’m thinking state-of-the-art on both counts. There’s not specific durability (TBW) rating, but Teamgroup warranties the drive for a full five years, a munificent rarity for any external SSD. How much is the X2 Max? While it isn’t slow like a commodity USB stick, the X2 Max isn’t cheap like one either. 1TB costs $70, and the 2TB version we tested is $130. But you get what you pay for. This is not your father’s USB stick — it’s a full-on 10Gbps SSD in a tiny form factor. For, that, the price is right on. How fast is the X2 Max? The X2 Max benchmarked extremely well for a 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD in CrystalDiskMark 8, ATTO 4, and AS SSD 2. It also performed well in our main real-world transfers — most impressively, by not tanking as many SSDs do during super-long writes. In point of fact, the X2 Max is easily the fastest thumb drive I’ve tested, and faster than many of its larger 10Gbps brethren. While not light years better in CrystalDiskMark 8 than the Seagate Ultra Compact SSD and SK Hynix Tube T31, the X2 Max did best them overall in sequential transfers. Unlike many SSDs, the X2 Max doesn’t tank during super-long writes. Though it only took two out of the four contests, the X2 Max was highly competitive in all four. Longer bars are better. The one area where the X2 Max lagged behind its competitors was in random performance under CrystalDiskMark 8. Not disastrously so, but certainly noticeably — especially in the 32-queue write. Of course, I’m not aware of any real-world software that uses more than four queues. This was the one series of tests where the X2 Max fell short of the competition. Longer bars are better. The X2 Max was back to shining in our 48GB transfers. Note that there have been changes in the way I’m testing storage. Xcopy and our new favorite utility FastCopy are now used to show more of the true potential of the drives, and I’ve replaced the RAM disk with a 25GBps dual RAID 0 SSD array as the second drive in transfer tests. Read the “How we test” section at the end of the article for more info. While not total dominance, the X2 Max offers a nice uptick in real-world transfers over the competition. Shorter bars are better. Where the X2 Max really impressed me was with its sustained write performance. During the 450GB write (using Windows Explorer), the X2 Max did slow down, but not by that much — dropping from around 850MBps to between 500MBps and 650MBps. The same thing occurred when I wrote 950GB on top of that. Because of this, I’m not dead set on recommending the 2TB drive as the 1TB version (if it behaves similarly) likely won’t slow tragically either. Whatever you’re doing, Teamgroup… Keep on doing it. This is a total whoopin’ by the X2 Max in the 450GB write. The other drives slow to a much reduced pace when the secondary cache is exhausted. Shorter bars are better. Below is visual confirmation that the X2 Max doesn’t slow to an absurdly low pace during long writes as some SSDs do. Yes, the speed of the X2 Max drops during long writes, but not absurdly so as do many SSDs. As you can see above, where the X2 Max really separated itself from the pack was in the super-long writes — long a bugaboo of thumb drives and less expensive SSDs. The upshot being that this drive is good for prosumers and average users alike. Should you buy the X2 Max? Absolutely. If you want small and fast — it’s almost impossible to beat. Even forgetting the small, the X2 Max is more than competitive speed-wise with far larger 10Gbps SSDs. It ain’t cheap, but the best rarely is. Good on ya’, Teamgroup. How we test Drive tests currently utilize Windows 11 24H2, 64-bit running off of a PCIe 4.0 Samsung 990 Pro in an Asus Z890-Creator WiFi (PCIe 4.0/5.0) motherboard. The CPU is a Core Ultra i5 225 feeding/fed by two Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 4800MHz modules (64GB of memory total). Both 20Gbps USB and Thunderbolt 5 are integrated and Intel CPU/GPU graphics are used. SSDs involved in the test are mounted in a HighPoint 7604A 16x PCIe 5.0 adapter card. We run the CrystalDiskMark 8, AS SSD 2, and ATTO 4 synthetic benchmarks (to keep article length down, we only report one) to find the storage device’s potential performance, then a series of 48GB and 450GB transfers tests using Windows Explorer drag and drop to show what you’ll see under Window, as well as the far faster Xcopy to show what’s possible. The 48GB and 450GB write tests are written to/from a 25GBps two-SSD RAID 0 array on the aforementioned Highpoint 7604A. Formerly the 48GB tests were done with a RAM disk. 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 can be less of a factor with the current crop of SSDs with far faster late-generation 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. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Absolutely stunning display Ripping CPU performance RTX 5050 has huge advantage over iGPU Potent, six-speaker audio system Largely silent operation Cons Mics need noise cancelling Front edge of laptop can dig into wrists Our Verdict If you want a laptop that exudes greatness everywhere you look, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition is it. From brilliant performance in its class and respectable battery life to a brilliant display and solid design, this machine makes the price tag seem reasonable. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices Usually, when I think of a high-end laptop, I think of one that has pulled out all of the stops, going far too exotic on build materials, cramming too much hardware in too thin a machine, and winding up with an exorbitant price tag that perfectly illustrates the concept of diminishing returns. At first glance, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition looks like it might just be that kind of machine. With a high-power CPU, a discrete GPU, and two display options that both are geared up to dazzle, the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition certainly has the hardware, but it’s packed into a modest aluminum frame that’s not overly ambitious in its thinness. And with a $1,949 price tag for the potent configuration tested here, it feels like Lenovo struck the right balance, delivering solid quality everywhere it counts to make for a very respectable machine for folks who need a machine that can do a bit of everything and do it well.  Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Specs and features Model number: 83L00009US CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 285H Memory: 32GB LPDDR5x-8400 Graphics/GPU: Nvidia RTX 5050 8GB (100-watt TGP) Display: 16-inch 2.8K OLED, 120Hz, DisplayHDR True Black 1000, Touch Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD Webcam: 5MP + IR Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 with 65-100W Power Delivery and DisplayPort 2.1, 2x USB-A 5Gbps, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x SDcard reader, 1x 3.5mm combo audio Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Biometrics: Windows Hello fingerprint, facial recognition Battery capacity: 84 watt-hours Dimensions: 14.28 x 9.99 x 0.75 inches Weight: 4.52 pounds MSRP: $1,949 as-tested ($1,869 base) At the time of testing, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition was available in just a few configurations. All of them shared the same Intel Core Ultra 9 285H CPU, 32GB of memory, and 1TB of storage. The type of display and GPU were the only different points. Lenovo provides the option between a 2880×1800 OLED display paired with an RTX 5050 for $1,999 and a 3200×2000 Tandem OLED paired with an RTX 5060 for $2,299, though at the time of writing, those prices were discounted to $1,899 and $1,949 respectively. Best Buy also had the former configuration available for $1,949.  In addition to its preconfigured models, Lenovo offers a custom configuration tool. This starts at $1,869 for the same configuration as the base model above. But you can upgrade to 64GB of memory, an RTX 5070, and the 3.2K Tandem OLED display for $560 more. Or you can stick with the base specs and just upgrade to the Tandem OLED for $150 extra.  Lenovo’s full technical specifications for the product suggest quite a few more configurations to come, including touch and non-touch display options and an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H. The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition is a great machine. It comes at a price, but the premium isn’t so unreasonable when factoring in all that it brings to the table. Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Design and build quality IDG / Mark Knapp The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition is simple and elegant, but a little bland as a result. Lenovo has done a nice job rounding corners all over the place for a smoother look and feel, though the edges of the keyboard deck could still be a little more rounded for comfort. That said, it’s still a big gray slab, and nothing about it being an “Aura Edition” gives it anything more than an aura of plainness.  The construction is good. Just about everywhere you look — aside from the keycaps — is smooth aluminum or glass, including the display and its bezels. There’s some flex here and there, but it’s very slight. The display hinge moves smoothly, and is easy to open with one hand thanks to the weight of the base and a little lip at the top of the screen for this purpose and to give more space to the webcam and IR sensor. The hinge does wiggle for a second or two after moving the display or shifting the laptop around, but it holds firm while I’m typing.  The base sits on three rubber feet, a long one at the back and two small ones at the front. These are taller than is typical on productivity laptops, and this helps create an extra large channel underneath the laptop for airflow into the large grille underneath. Most of this grille is filled in, with sections at either side actually serving as intakes for the two fans.  Lenovo has squeezed in six speakers in total with two tweeters and four woofers. You’ll find speakers on either side of the keyboard and on the edges underneath the laptop.  Ports are all packed reasonably close together on either side of the laptop, including a dedicated power plug. The right edge also includes a privacy shutter switch that deactivates the camera — nice to see and easier to avoid accidentally swiping every time I open the laptop, though a little less reassuring than a shutter that actually covers up the camera sensor. The Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition’s power button is also on the right edge of the laptop, where it’s a little too easy to accidentally press any time I shift the laptop around on a desk or table.  With all the Lenovo has jammed into this 16-inch laptop, it’s little surprise that it’s over four pounds, but at just 4.52 pounds, it’s not unreasonably heavy. The laptop has a tapered design, seeing it sit at about 0.7 inches thick near the front and 0.75 inches thick near the back, though the rubber feet add almost 0.2 inches to that. At 14.28 inches wide and 9.99 inches long, it’s still fairly modest in size for a 16-inch laptop. Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Keyboard, trackpad IDG / Mark Knapp The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition has a pretty good keyboard on it. It’s a little bland to look at with its drab gray keycaps, but that doesn’t hurt its usability. Thanks to the slight dish to each keycap, good stabilization, and a short, poppy travel, I was able to quickly get up to a 118-word-per-minute typing speed with 98 percent accuracy in Monkeytype. Comfort while typing is an issue though. The laptop’s depth makes the keyboard quite a reach up the keyboard deck even for me (I’m 6’3”), and this leaves my wrists pressing into the front lip of the laptop, which isn’t very comfortable. It also can take some adjusting, as the keyboard is off-center to make room for a full number pad, albeit with keys slightly narrower than standard.  The keyboard has bright backlighting that can even be seen in the daytime with ambient lighting. It effectively illuminates the keycap legends. It has two levels, and a third option lets it turn on automatically. It’s a bit too aggressive, though, turning on even in a room plenty bright for seeing the keys.  The trackpad here is substantial. It’s both wide and tall, providing a huge surface to mouse around on and perform multi-finger gestures. Its glass surface is also wonderfully smooth. It has a shallow travel to perform physical clicks with a nice soft feel. Like the keyboard, it’s off-center, shifted to the left slightly to be centered under the keyboard alphanumerics. For left-handed users, this may be ideal. But for righties, it might not be. I often find this alignment has me largely using the right side of the trackpad, so when I go for a physical click, it ends up being a right click instead of the left click. If you tap to click, it won’t be a problem though. Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Display, audio IDG / Mark Knapp The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition has an absolutely excellent display, and this configuration of the system has the lower-end display option. The upper-tier’s tandem OLED display should only improve on its quality. The only quality to knock is that the screen is glossy, which leaves it subject to glare when set to low brightness levels. Beyond that, it’s brilliant. It’s perfectly sharp for a display its size, and its variable refresh rate keeps visuals smooth at up to 120Hz while also providing energy savings by dropping as low as 30Hz. The display offers 100 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color space and provides a reasonable degree of accuracy, hitting an average dE1976 of 0.95 and a max of 2.4 — a bit of calibration would likely have it ready for professional color work. In SDR, the display was able to reach a peak brightness of 486.1 nits for a full white screen, and with its OLED panel, it can achieve perfect blacks for infinite contrast. Turning on HDR, the display’s capabilities leap up even higher. I measured the fullscreen white peak brightness at 606 nits, and when displaying a 10 percent window of white, it achieved 1040 nits. The display is even a responsive touchscreen.  With its set of two tweeters and four woofers, the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition puts out impressive sound for a laptop. Most impressive is the clean, low-end it provides, giving musical bass lines a nice heft. Meanwhile, the upper registers get a clean presentation, albeit a little bit lacking in brilliance. There’s even some surprising stereo imaging. When listening to music with the laptop at a comfortable distance for typing, I was caught off guard by how sounds actually seemed to be coming from my sides and not just from the laptop right in front of me. At full volume, the speakers can distort a little, but they sound reasonably loud even at 50 percent volume.  Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Webcam, microphone, biometrics IDG / Mark Knapp The webcam on the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition is excellent. It can exhibit a little noise in the video, but otherwise has a very sharp image with natural lighting that looks great. Though Lenovo doesn’t have a physical shutter to cover the lens, it does provide a hardware switch on the side of the laptop to disable the camera. The webcam also provides Windows Hello facial recognition, which has worked quickly throughout my testing. You won’t find fingerprint scanning though. The mics aren’t quite as impressive. On one hand, they pick up my voice clearly without any weird compression artifacts. But on the other hand, they’re not doing much to eliminate background noise, picking up things like a nearby fan and my hands clapping — noises I’ve seen some laptops completely eliminate while still picking up my voice well.  Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Connectivity IDG / Mark Knapp The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition provides respectable connectivity, both wired and wireless. You’ll find two USB-C ports on the left edge offering Thunderbolt 4/USB4 capabilities and up to 100W power delivery to charge the laptop if you forget the standard charger (a 170W unit with Lenovo’s charging plug). The ports also support DisplayPort 2.1, but you can rely on the HDMI 2.1 port for video output as well. The left side is rounded out by a 3.5mm audio jack. On the right side, you’ll find a pair of 5Gbps USB-A ports and a full-size SD card reader. It would have been nice to see 10Gbps ports or at least to get the USB-C ports split between the two sides.  For wireless connections, the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition offers Wi-Fi 7, and it’s proven both fast and reliable in my testing, never showing signs of lag or being slow to re-establish a connection when booting up the machine. Bluetooth 5.4 is also supported, and it has worked consistently while listening to audio on Bluetooth headphones. Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Performance The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition is built like many other productivity laptops in the 16-inch class. This sees it face off against models like the Acer Swift 16 AI, the HP OmniBook X Flip 16, the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus, and the Dell 16 Plus, which all offered as-tested prices hundreds of dollars below the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition. But, even as the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition competes on size and weight with these other systems (save for the particularly thin and light Acer Swift 16 AI), it goes a little heavier in performance with a more robust CPU selection and a discrete GPU, an inclusion only the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus made at its as-tested price. The Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition offers excellent performance thanks to its combination of a high-end CPU in the Core Ultra 9 285H — a 16-core beast — with plenty of memory, fast storage, and its discrete GPU. The RTX 5050 inside gives it a strong edge in content creation, where it outpaced all of these other systems, including the RTX 4060-powered Dell Inspiron 16 Plus.  Cinebench helps us see just how much of an edge Lenovo’s choice of CPU gives the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition. In Cinebench R23, the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition simply obliterates the performance offered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V and Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, more than doubling their results. It even cruises ahead of the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus. This is a level of performance that can put the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition in league with heavy-duty gaming laptops, like the Lenovo Legion 5i 15IRX10 running on an Intel Core i7-14700HX. The CPU’s single-core performance is also exceptional, giving it all the performance it needs to feel responsive and power through heavy workloads.  That performance is showcased well in our Handbrake encoding test. This is effectively an extension of our CPU test, as it tasks the system with a long multi-core workload encoding a large video file. This not only requires a powerful CPU to perform well but also solid cooling to prevent heat from building up and slowing the system down as the test stretches on. Here, we see the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition do a great job, keeping its encoding time at under 11 minutes. That’s not only well underneath the encoding times of these other machines, some of which almost ran for 30 minutes, but it even slips underneath the encoding time of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370-powered Razer Blade 16 (2025).  Though the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition might have already successfully set itself apart from its competition on CPU performance alone, its discrete GPU helps take it to another level still. Intel Arc graphics work wonders for lightweight productivity machines, but even lower-tier discrete GPUs provide a world of difference. That’s true of the RTX 4060 in the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus and even more so for the RTX 5050 in the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition. That discrete GPU soared ahead of the competition in 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark, a rather demanding graphical test. Despite its thinner design and largely quiet operation, the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition actually managed to offer performance that lines up with many RTX 4060-powered gaming laptops.   Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Battery life With as much performance as the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition was happy to put down, it’s unsurprising that it falls a bit behind its rivals where battery life is concerned. The Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition still managed a commendable runtime of almost 14 hours, but most of the other machines pushed closer to 17 or 18 hours, except the Dell 16 Plus, which also had a small 63Wh battery.  While that’s not as impressive as these other machines, it’s not a bad showing, particularly for a machine with a discrete GPU and higher-power CPU. It’s striking a nice balance with performance that borders on gaming laptop while maintaining battery life more in line with productivity machines. Its offline video playback performance also carried over well into real-world use, where I was easily able to get through a full workday on battery power (albeit without tapping into the dGPU).  Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition: Conclusion The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition is a great machine. It comes at a price, but the premium isn’t so unreasonable when factoring in all that it brings to the table. Not only do you get exceptional performance from the internals, but you get them in a well-built package with plenty of extras to get excited about. The speakers and display combine for a great entertainment experience. The chassis is elegant and feels solid. And even with such high-power hardware, the Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 Aura Edition is happy to run on battery power for an entire workday. If you need a machine that largely excels in every respect, you’ve just found it. Read...

Windows 11 version 25H2 will be officially available in Fall 2025 and marks the next major feature update for Microsoft’s current operating system. The new features are already available for Insiders and can be tested in the current Windows 11 25H2 Insider Preview. Despite being categorized as an “enablement update”, the scope of the changes is considerable. The basic architecture remains identical to version 24H2, which means there are no new hardware requirements. If you don’t already have Windows 11, or just need a new license, you can grab it for 50 percent off on the PCWorld Software store right now. For all systems that are already running on 24H2, the upgrade requires minimal effort. A small enablement package activates the new functions without the need for a complete reinstallation or in-place upgrade. This procedure not only saves time, but also significantly reduces downtime, both in private households and in corporate environments. For Home and Pro editions, support is extended with the release by a further 24 months until 2027, for Enterprise and Education versions it’s even extended by 36 months until 2028. Devices with older versions such as 23H2 or Windows 10, on the other hand, must go through the classic, more extensive upgrade process. Windows Latest Thanks to the “Shared Servicing Branch”, many new features are already distributed in 24H2, but are deactivated until the Enablement Package activates them. Users benefit from around 40 percent smaller update packages thanks to the combination of servicing stack updates and other cumulative updates, which further shortens the installation time. New start menu with extended control options The revised start menu is one of the most visible changes in 25H2. It shows the pinned apps at the top, a section with recommended content such as recently used documents or programs in the middle and the complete app list below. The latter can be displayed in three modes, as a category view, as a compact grid, or as a classic list. Users can control the scope dynamically using buttons such as “Show all” or “Show less”. New personalization settings allow more pinned apps to be displayed by default or recommendations to be hidden completely. Frequently used and recently installed apps can also be displayed or hidden as desired. Companies benefit from the largely retained basic structure, as adjustments to documentation and training material are minimal. Restrictions still exist. Categories cannot yet be renamed or created, drag & drop currently only works from “All” to “Pinned”, and touch navigation currently lacks support for swipe up gestures. The start menu is supplemented by the option to display system folders such as “Settings” or “Explorer” as fixed icons in the bottom bar, which enables quick access to frequently used functions. Direct integration of smartphones via Phone Link With the new start menu integration of “Phone Link”, the connection between PC and smartphone takes center stage even more. Users can exchange files between PC and mobile devices via drag & drop, send images from Explorer directly “to my phone” or retrieve messages and content from the Start menu. The setup requires a Microsoft account for the app, but not for the Windows login. In private households, this simplifies the management of media and documents; in companies, it enables uncomplicated connection of service devices. Content can be synchronized via local networks or even mobile data connections. The implementation is considered to be more stable than in previous pre-release versions, in which Phone Link was often prone to errors. Windows Customizable widgets on the lock screen The lock screen display can be expanded with widgets, including weather, stock market prices, countdown counters or customized information sources. These elements can be customized to keep important data directly in view without unlocking the desktop. A new feature is the “Discover widgets” function, which displays suggestions for other available widgets and simplifies the selection process. For companies, this can be a way of providing employees with status information or appointments, while private users can keep an eye on birthdays or deadlines, for example. Currently, changes only take effect after a restart, which is likely to be optimized in the final version. Optimized energy management and performance diagnostics A new mechanism for throttling the CPU during idle phases reduces power consumption and extends battery life, which particularly affects mobile work devices and notebooks. In addition, Windows automatically records diagnostic data when the system reacts slowly. These logs can be sent to Microsoft via the feedback hub in order to identify the causes of performance problems more quickly. For the user, these are stored locally in the system under “%systemRoot%\Temp\DiagOutputDir\Whesvc” and are only transmitted when feedback is active. Extensions in the file explorer and in the search The File Explorer displays person icons in the “Recommended” area under the “Activity” column to make it easier to recognise who has recently worked on a file, but only when using a business or school account. In the search options, the direct link to the Bing search history has been removed; instead, access is centralised via the data protection dashboard. This change reduces redundant menu items and bundles data protection controls in one place. Higher quality system drivers through CodeQL analysis Higher quality standards will apply to driver signing in the future. Every kernel-mode driver (except graphics drivers) must pass a CodeQL scan before WHCP certification. This analysis uncovers potential errors or security gaps at an early stage and forces manufacturers to rectify them before the driver is released for Windows. This means more stable systems for OEM manufacturers and companies and a lower crash and incompatibility rate for private users. AI-supported functions and Copilot optimizations New functions are activated on devices with NPU, the so-called Copilot PCs. These include image descriptions for screen readers, live subtitles with translation options (currently still with crash problems), and intelligent text actions in “Click to Do”. The latter enables context-dependent processing of text content, such as recognizing and automatically processing certain entries. In addition, the search field in the top bar of “Click to Do” has been removed to simplify the interface. Users report long waiting times when using the app for the first time after model or build updates, which must be taken into account in corporate environments during rollouts. A new addition is the option to enter your own words in the Windows dictionary, which offers clear benefits for both private writers and companies with industry-specific vocabulary. Quick Machine Recovery and gamepad control of the on-screen keyboard With version 25H2, Windows 11 will receive an extended self-repair function, which will be introduced under the name “Quick Machine Recovery”. It builds on the Windows Recovery Environment, but extends it with the ability to automatically obtain updates or repair scripts from the Internet to resolve boot problems. If the system recognizes repeated boot errors, it automatically switches to the recovery environment, establishes a network connection and searches for suitable corrections via Windows Update. Administrators can specify whether this process should take place completely without user intervention. Activation is possible both locally, for example via configuration using Reagentc and XML files, and centrally via Intune policies. Parameters for waiting time, restart intervals and even WLAN login data can be predefined so that devices without a LAN connection can also be integrated. In Home editions, cloud-supported repair will be active by default in the future; in Pro and Enterprise environments, it must be specifically enabled. After a successful repair, Windows restarts automatically; if the repair is unsuccessful, the cycle is repeated according to the defined specifications. Thanks to this automation, Quick Machine Recovery reduces the administration effort and significantly shortens downtimes in both company networks and private installations. Thomas Joos New data protection dialogues and administrator protection 25H2 comes with revised data protection dialogues that offer more transparency when applications access data and system functions. An additional protection mechanism has been introduced for administrators, which makes unauthorized changes to the system more difficult and provides greater protection for security-critical actions. This gives companies an additional layer of security without having to resort to third-party solutions. Thomas Joos Further functional improvements and known problems Taskbar scaling adapts better to different display sizes and DPI settings. Context menus in Explorer have been optimized, new sharing options have been added, and Voice Access has been further developed. Support for Chinese and Japanese has been expanded, and in the settings under “Privacy and security” you can now see which applications are accessing Windows generative AI models. In current builds, this display is already visible in the user interface, but the full functionality will only be activated in a later update. Further adjustments relate to the toolbox, which has been improved in terms of its operation and integration. Microsoft has also fixed several bugs, such as truncated content in the notification center when the clock display is activated or a problem with dbgcore.dll, which could cause explorer.exe and other applications to crash. Known problems still exist, however: the Xbox controller can trigger a bug check on some systems when connected via Bluetooth. The Microsoft Changjie input method currently works incorrectly, which can be avoided by resetting to the previous IME version. In addition, Windows 11 25H2 supports touch keyboard control with a gamepad for the first time. This function, originally planned for 24H2, allows the on-screen keyboard to be operated without a mouse or touchscreen, which can be relevant in special application scenarios, such as on console-based workstations or for accessibility adaptations. Update strategy, insider options and rollback Microsoft emphasizes stability in 25H2. Many functions are already included in 24H2 and are only activated with the Enablement Package. For private users, this means a smooth upgrade without long installation times; for companies, it means the option to test only the new functions instead of recertifying the entire system environment. The update follows the shared servicing branch approach, which has also been used for previous upgrades, for example from 22H2 to 23H2. Mark Hachman After the official release, Microsoft offers a time window to leave the Windows Insider program and receive regular updates again. It’s also possible to completely reset 25H2 to 24H2 by uninstalling the Enablement Package without reinstalling the operating system; all 25H2 functions will then be deactivated immediately. Read...

TL;DR: Upgrade your workflow with a one-time purchase: a lifetime license for Windows 11 Pro paired with a hands-on training course, all for just $19.97 (reg. $237).  PC enthusiasts and power users, here’s a deal built for you: Windows 11 Pro plus a professional-grade tutorial, bundled for a clean $19.97, down from the usual $237 value.  Why this matters: Windows?11?Pro isn’t just a fresh look—it’s packed with upgrades that optimize performance and security. Features like Snap Layouts, DirectX?12 Ultimate, BitLocker, Hyper-V, and Microsoft’s integrated AI assistant Copilot offer real gains in control and productivity. How? You can get answers to questions, generate content, and even study with Copilot. The included Essential Windows 11 Pro course (10 hours, 150 lessons) walks you through core features like interface tweaks, OneDrive setup, system tweaks, and Office/Microsoft 365 integration—so you don’t just have the tools—you know how to use them well to maximize your PC’s performance. This bundle is ideal for PC users who hate wasting time on setup or subscription chaos. Once you redeem the digital license, it’s yours for life—no recurring fees. The code activates immediately, and there’s nothing physical to ship. You have until September 14 at 11:59 p.m. PT to grab your Windows 11 Pro lifetime license and training courses for just $19.97. Supplies are flying off the shelves! Microsoft Windows 11 Pro + The Essential Windows 11 Pro CourseSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

It’s been a few years since USB-C first hit the scene. And while we still love how reversible it is and how powerful it’s become, we’re also more aware of the potential pitfalls around this high-powered cable. There have been plenty of stories of poor-quality cables frying components, shorting chargers, or even catching fire, so we’ve gone to great lengths to test many options, including some of the best USB-C cables you can get and some of the most hazardous to avoid. Here are some key gotchas you need to be aware of before buying a USB-C cable these days. Learn how to spot the bad ones and what you can do to end up with one that’s fast, durable, and priced well. Further reading: Laptop makers, I’m begging you for this one simple feature Don’t buy from no-name brands This tip is true for most electronics, but it’s especially important for USB-C cables. You might think a USB-C cable is just a bit of wiring in a sheath, but actually there are several safety features — at least, there should be — that ensure safe power delivery. Of course, just because safety regulations exists doesn’t mean that all manufacturers follow them, especially manufacturers who don’t have a reputation to uphold. That tends to be the case for manufacturers on the other side of the world who sell to the international market through sites like Temu, AliExpress, and Amazon. Although sticking to recognizable brands isn’t an entirely foolproof method of securing a high-quality USB-C cable, it does eliminate a lot of the risk as far as safety transgressions are concerned. There’s also more likelihood of recompense if something does go wrong. USB-C cable brands we recommend include: Anker Apple Belkin Cable Matters Dockcase JSAUX Microsoft SooPii Ugreen Avoid USB-C-to-USB-A cables Gordon Mah Ung / IDG If transfer speed is important to you and if your devices and chargers support it, always prefer to use a USB-C-to-USB-C cable rather than a USB-C-to-USB-A cable or converting it from one to the other with an adapter. USB-A is limited in data transfer speed to 10Gbps and limited in charging speed to just 15W. Although there are some USB-C-to-USB-A cables that claim to handle up to 100W, these are typically based on proprietary charging technologies and only reach those rates when paired with appropriately compatible devices and chargers. In comparison, modern USB-C-to-USB-C cables can handle up to 40Gbps of data transfer and up to 240W for fast charging. (That said, 100W and less is still the most common.) You don’t need to buy a cable with the highest specifications, but higher-spec cables are usually higher quality, and that can help ensure that you’re getting a good USB-C cable. So unless you’re powering legacy devices that only support USB-A, you’re better off moving to end-to-end USB-C for both data transfers and charging if performance is a priority. Buy Thunderbolt or USB4 if you can Mark Hachman / Foundry Thunderbolt (3, 4, or 5) and USB4 cables offer the highest charging and data transfer speeds possible for USB-C as of this writing. But most people don’t exactly need those tip-top specs, right? Even so, there’s another good reason to buy one of these cable types: they must adhere to stricter specifications to earn their Thunderbolt or USB4 labels, especially Thunderbolt. A USB-C 3.2 cable isn’t just slower and less capable than a USB4 cable, it’s actually built to a weaker standard and probably isn’t as high-quality. Thunderbolt 3, 4, and the newest Thunderbolt 5 standard have far higher minimum requirements and taller ceilings on potential quality. All of this means that you’re way less likely to purchase a dangerous or underperforming USB-C cable if you stick to Thunderbolt or USB4. Just make sure you get whatever’s supported by your devices. (I mean, if none of your devices support Thunderbolt 4, you might as well save a bit of cash and opt for Thunderbolt 3 instead.) Check the cable’s weight Marcus Urbenz / Unsplash Weighing cables before you buy them might seem like some old-timey superstition, but it’s as legitimate as anything else on this list. Higher-quality USB-C cables are built with a thicker wire gauge, and that thicker copper wiring delivers a cleaner signal. Although some of a thicker cable’s heft and weight comes from its sheath, some of it comes from the wire itself — and more of that means a better cable. We have the receipts to back this up, too. We previously tested whether all USB-C cables are the same and compared a $9 USB-C cable to a $19 alternative. Both measured six feet in length, but the cheaper one was much thinner and lighter. (The $9 one weighed 38 grams while the $19 one weighed 86 grams. A significant difference.) Now, I know it’s not always easy or possible to weigh a cable before you buy it on the internet, but you can usually find weight in the cable’s technical specs. A little variation is okay, but if one cable is substantially lighter than others, consider axing it as a potential buy. Avoid third-party magnetic adapters Michael Crider / IDG You may have seen magnetic tip adapters that attach a USB-C cable and turns one end into a magnetic quick release, much like what we saw in Apple’s defunct MagSafe cables. But you should steer clear of these because they pose a significant risk of hardware damage. Many third-party magnetic USB-C cable adapters don’t offer protection against environmental damage to exposed pins. Others aren’t protected against debris shorting out the pins. There’s even the possibility of electrical arc damage when unplugging the connector. That last point is particularly dangerous, and it happens because the USB-C standard was designed with the idea that a USB-C cable would be plugged into a USB-C port, providing ample time to cut power when the cable is removed. However, magnetic connections are much faster to detach, so there’s a chance that power delivery is still going on even after detaching, leading to electrical arcs and potential damage. Stop using old USB-C cables James Barber / Foundry After all this advice, you might be thinking that it’s not worth the trouble and you might as well just use whatever old USB-C cables are lying around your home. But be wary of doing that! USB-C standards have continued to improve dramatically over the years, and many of those older USB-C cables from years ago weren’t just slow — they were dangerous. We performed an extensive test on older USB-C cables and found that most actually had the potential to provide too much power, which can damage ports and even fry devices. Do you really want to risk shorting your expensive laptop because you didn’t want to toss that old USB-C cable that’s been sitting in your drawer? Spending a few bucks on a new USB-C cable can protect you from all sorts of headaches and make life more convenient with faster data transfer and charging speeds. Further reading: The best USB-C cables worth buying Read...