As much as you may hate Zoom meetings, you still have to attend them—and you probably want to look good while doing so. Don’t have Zoom meetings to worry about? A good webcam is still worth having, whether to video chat with friends, to record YouTube videos, or to have something on hand for a remote job interview. Fortunately, high-quality 4K webcams don’t have to cost a lot anymore. Take this Obsbot Meet 2 webcam, for instance. Normally $139, you can now grab it for just $108.99 on sale with a 22 percent discount. That’s a darn good price for a webcam that captures 4K at 60 FPS. As a general rule, we’ve had good experiences with Obsbot webcams here at PCWorld, with one of them even holding a spot in our roundup of the best overall webcams. Given the Meet 2’s stellar 4.4-star rating on Amazon combined with its lovely specs, I’m confident this one will be a great addition to your setup—especially for this price. On top of capturing 4K footage, the Obsbot Meet 2 features AI features that help the camera dynamically adjust its composition and focus, so you always look good whether you’re alone or in a group. You can also make gestures to control the camera, such as pinching the air to make it zoom in. This makes the Meet 2 awesome for live streaming while gaming. This webcam has a sleek design that’s great for travel, with it being easy to shove into a bag and take with you wherever you go. Setting up the webcam is easy too, as you only need to plug it into a USB-C port for both power and video feed. Get one of the best value 4K webcams out there with this discount: the Obsbot Meet 2 for just $108.99. Save 22% on this budget-friendly 4K 60 FPS webcamBuy now at Amazon Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Rapid input (thanks to Rapid Trigger) Quiet, pleasant typing feel Non-slip and high-quality PBT keycaps Streamlined web software, profiles on the board Stylish, discreet design (optionally with wooden sides) Reliable multi-device handling thanks to Bluetooth Cons Hot-Swap only for Gateron Double-Rail HE No rotary control, no dedicated media buttons High design; palm rest recommended High price Our Verdict The Keychron K2 HE offers fast, precise gaming performance with a sleek, office-friendly design, though its limited switch options and lack of media keys may be drawbacks. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Keychron K2 HE Retailer Price $129.99 View Deal $139.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices Friedrich Stiemer The Keychron K2 HE combines reverb effect technology with a compact 75 percent layout. Designed for gamers, it should also perform well in the office. We tested its design, build quality, features, switches, gaming performance, and everyday usability. The Keychron K2 HE combines reverb effect technology with a compact 75 percent layout. Designed for gamers, it should also perform well in the office. Keychron K2 HE: Design and workmanship The Keychron K2 HE is available either in black or as a special edition with wooden sides. We tested the latter version. The real wood side panels are neatly fitted, feel smooth and give the keyboard a warm, almost cozy look. Transitions and gaps are consistent, nothing creaks and the aluminum frame complements the high-quality look. Thanks to its weight of just under one kilogram (965 grams), the board is very stable on the table. The 75 percent layout saves space while retaining the arrow keys and the most important navigation row. Friedrich Stiemer The construction is robust: an aluminum frame at the top (“aluminum top frame”) keeps the keyboard rigid, a metal support plate under the keys (“plate”) stabilizes the switches, and several damping layers absorb vibrations. The so-called “tray-mount” design means that the circuit board and plate are screwed into the bottom tray, which ensures a direct, rather firm typing feel with little resonance. The acoustics are muted (“thockig”), mechanical background noise is kept to a minimum. However, we recommend a palm rest for prolonged use due to the height of the casing–this is not included and is therefore a minus point. Keychron K2 HE: Features and technology The Keychron K2 HE can be used via cable and wirelessly. Using USB-C and a 2.4 GHz dongle, you can achieve a polling rate of up to 1,000 Hz for fast, stable input. Bluetooth 5.2 connects up to three devices on request, but is noticeably slower, making it more suitable for office and multi-device use. Inside is a 4,000 mAh battery that lasts from a few days to several working weeks, depending on the lighting and usage profile. The non-slip PBT keycaps are available in ANSI or ISO layout, depending on the variant. However, the hot-swap system (buttons can be changed without soldering) is limited to Hall-effect switches of the Gateron Double-Rail type; classic MX switches do not fit. Practical for everyday use, you can switch between Windows and macOS key assignments using a slide switch, and Keychron includes suitable mod keys. Dedicated media keys or a volume knob are missing; control is via Fn combinations or remapping in the software. Friedrich Stiemer Keychron K2 HE: Technical specifications The Keychron K2 HE uses Hall-effect switches, where a magnetic sensor detects the keystroke. This allows the trigger and reset point to be finely adjusted for each button. The “Rapid Trigger” technology refers to the fast automatic reset immediately after release–ideal for quick follow-up entries. “Multiple Actuation/Dual-Action” allows different actions depending on the depth to which a key is pressed, while “Last-Key-Priority” prioritizes the last key pressed during simultaneous inputs. The integrated RGB lighting offers numerous effects and infinitely variable brightness. Friedrich Stiemer Everything is controlled via the Keychron Launcher, a web-based app for key assignments, macros, lighting, and fine-tuning the reverb effect switches. The keyboard saves profiles internally, but the USB cable is briefly required to apply changes. Friedrich Stiemer Keychron K2 HE: High-end switches The factory-lubricated linear switches of the “Gateron Double-Rail Nebula” type run very smoothly. The POM plunger with double-rail guide ensures high stability and minimal lateral wobbling. The release is freely selectable via software, from 0.2 to 3.8 mm in 0.1 mm increments. The spring is in the light range with a starting force of around 40 grams, the bottom-out is around 60 grams. The total travel is around 4.0 mm. The switching characteristics are roughly comparable to the Cherry MX Red. The typing feel remains soft and quiet, supported by the housing damping. Large keys are well stabilized, and the space bar, for example, is also extra damped. The stabilizers themselves are also lubricated for better acoustics and actuation. Friedrich Stiemer Keychron K2 HE: Gaming performance The Keychron K2 HE shows its strengths in 2.4 GHz and cable operation: low latency, 1,000 Hz polling (1-ms signal rate) and fast resetting thanks to Rapid Trigger. In practical terms, this means that the buttons trigger very early and are immediately ready for use again after minimal release. For shooters, we recommend a trigger travel of 1.2 to 1.5 mm on WASD and an RT hysteresis (the short reset travel that the button requires after release until it triggers again) of 0.1 to 0.2 mm. “Counter-punishments” and fine corrections are thus more stable. In our opinion, the space bar–for example, for jumping–can trigger even flatter (approx. 0.8 to 1.0 mm), while abilities or reloading are deliberately lower (approx. 1.8 to 2.2 mm) in order to avoid incorrect inputs. “Last-Key-Priority” prevents “stuck” inputs when changing direction simultaneously. The K2 HE processes N-key rollover (NKRO) without ghosting; fast double-taps and micro-corrections remain cleanly reproducible. With “Multiple Actuation/Dual-Action,” you can assign two actions to one key–for example, light press = walk, deep press = run or create, and then zoom on the same key. For rhythm/action games, the triggering per button can be very finely staggered; in our testing, short reaction chains were noticeably easier to time with Rapid Trigger. Friedrich Stiemer Bluetooth is noticeably slower (typical 125 Hz signal rate) and is not recommended for competitive gaming; there is occasionally a short “wake-up second” after standby. BT is sufficient for single-player games, streaming PCs, and office work. For gaming, you should use 2.4 GHz or USB-C. Practically, in the Keychron launcher, you can save profiles with different trigger depths and dual-action assignments for each game and load them quickly if needed. Keychron K2 HE: Everyday work Quiet operation, compact dimensions, and reliable multi-device handling make the Keychron K2 HE suitable for everyday use. The PBT keycaps are non-slip and resist shiny spots. The 75 percent layout takes some getting used to, but offers a good balance of space-saving and direct access. Friedrich Stiemer Keychron K2 HE: Battery life Depending on the brightness and mode, the board can comfortably last one to two working weeks in mixed use. Heavy RGB use and pure Bluetooth operation noticeably shorten the runtime. On the positive side, the board also maintains 1,000 Hz performance wirelessly via 2.4 GHz. Friedrich Stiemer Keychron K2 HE: Software As the Keychron launcher is a web app, you don’t need to install anything. Simply plug in the Keychron K2 HE via USB-C, allow the browser to access the device and customize key assignments, macros, lighting, and the reverb effect parameters. The keyboard saves these profiles internally, and they also apply in 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth modes. In practice, the trigger, reset point, and rapid trigger can only be changed via USB; there are no direct shortcuts for this on the keyboard itself. Light, brightness, and effect changes, on the other hand, work immediately via Fn combinations. Two profiles are recommended: a gaming profile with a flat trigger and an office profile with a deeper trigger travel and quiet lighting. Frequent remaps include Caps Lock to Ctrl or media functions on the arrow keys. Macros can trigger command sequences such as “mute mic and push-to-talk.” Friedrich Stiemer The launcher works on Windows and macOS, and usually also on Linux, provided the browser supports WebHID. Transferred changes take effect within a few seconds and then run autonomously on the keyboard. Input latency remains unchanged. Dedicated controls, such as a volume knob, are missing; media control is handled via Fn levels or remapping. 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Qualcomm chief executive Cristiano Amon promised a “new phase of Snapdragon,” bringing, in his words, “AI everywhere.” One key technology: the next-gen “6G” technology, which will be ready in 2028. Google’s Rick Osterloh, senior director of devices and services, also indicated that his company was building a common technical foundation for PCs, apparently referencing an initiative to merge ChromeOS and Android. Qualcomm is celebrating ten years of the Snapdragon Summit here in Maui, the company’s promotional conference where it presents its roadmap to customers, developers, and fans. In 2024, Qualcomm set out to show how AI could be personalized through innovations like multimodal assistance and running large local models on the device. In 2025, Qualcomm will show you how it scales, Amon said. The approach isn’t new; many technology companies have talked about tapping computing where it lives, both in the cloud and on the edge. Amon said that same approach will be applied to AI, so that handhelds, computers, and servers will all work together. “AI is the new UI,” Amon said, putting AI where the user is. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon outlined several principles that he believes will guide AI.Mark Hachman / Foundry Qualcomm, which has predicted its success on its Snapdragon chips for smartphones, said that it’s expanding beyond smartphones with AI as well as silicon. Devices like a smartwatch are just extensions of the smartphone, Amon said. As AI takes over the phone, those devices will begin to interact with the phone’s AI, he said. It’s not a great exaggeration to say that those devices could be considered agents that will work with the smartphone on specific functions. Amon called that an “ecosystem of you.” Apps that run those devices, like glasses, will continue to evolve, Amon said. Simple applications like calendar or contacts, banking or bills, will be managed by AI. If there is a conflict, for example, the AI will resolve it. As AI technology evolves, Amon said that he sees the models evolving as well, into a collection of tiered models at the edge, designed to allocate tasks efficiently. The cloud will ingest the data and train the model, but it will be the edge that fine-tunes its training data and then applies the model to the user’s needs. “The amount of data will dwarf the amount of data that will train the models,” Amon said. “So that is going to be massive.” Those models and data will need to be communicated, and Qualcomm’s work in “6G” — the evolution of 5G — is going to assume that the network itself will intelligently communicate that data. Amon said that Qualcomm will have 6G “pre-commercial devices” as early as 2028. Qualcomm’s scenario assumes that you’ll be using a device like a smart ring or smart glasses that will recognize people, track steps, and be controllable using gestures, voice, or other means. If there’s a free moment, the AI will ask for your input on critical decisions. And that will carry over to your car, where the car’s computing platform will serve as a supplement for the computing horsepower already on your phones. Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of devices and services at Google, joined Amon on stage. In a talk that touched upon the first Android phones and other milestones in the two companies’ relationship, Osterloh referred to a “common technical foundation for PCs and desktop computing systems.” “In the past, we’ve always had very different systems between what we’re building in PCs and what we’re building in smartphones, and we’re working to combine that,” Osterloh said. “And I think that this is another way that we can leverage all of the great work we’ve been doing together on our AI stack…bring Gemini models, bringing our assistant, bringing all of our application and developer community into the PC domain.” Osterloh’s comments appear to refer back to and confirm earlier reports by Android Authority and others, which have reported that Google appears to be rewriting Chrome OS, the operating system for Chromebooks, and integrating it with Android. That effort is being referred to as “Project Aluminium,” a source said. “We’re really excited about this,” Osterloh added. “And I think that this is another way in which Android is going to be able to serve everyone in every computing category.” Amon appeared to imply that the two companies were working together on the project. Qualcomm paid for my travel, airfare, and meals to travel to its Snapdragon Technology Summit. The company did not ask for or exert control over PCWorld’s content. Read...

Sometime after my social feeds started to fill up with ads for mini-PCs, I realized that there’s a silent revolution going on in desktop PCs. Welcome to the era of the mini-PC, where you can do all your computing from a PC smaller than a box of Pop-Tarts and much cheaper than a fully fledged desktop PC in many cases. Naturally, I wanted one, so I bit the bullet and bought a GMKtek G5 mini-PC, the smallest mini-PC of 2024. Now, I couldn’t be happier. The first advantage I noticed was the price. While a new laptop of comparable performance would cost me upwards of $600, the mini-PC cost me just $150 — that’s with delivery and Windows 11 Home pre-installed, too. I was skeptical at first about how I’d use it for work in place of my laptop, but it’s worked out to be just fine. Admittedly, I can’t use my mini-PC on the go without power and a display like I can with my laptop, but then again, I don’t need to. All my computing is done either in the office or at home and my mini-PC has all the peripherals it needs at each location. Its tiny size alone has made my travel to and from work so much easier. While my laptop took up the whole back section of my backpack, my mini-PC slides in next to my lunchbox, taking up no more than a few inches in either direction. At only 7 ounces it’s a lot lighter too. I’ve managed to drop a whole 2 pounds weight from my shoulders on my daily commute. Bonnie Bayley The fact that the performance is excellent has been icing on the cake. The mini frequently hits clock speeds of 3.4GHz; it runs all my apps smoothly and silently; and it feels a lot more powerful than my work-issue laptop. It’s not designed for games, but it’ll also run some lightweight games, and I enjoy playing Fortnite and CounterStrike 2 when I’ve knocked off work. The power draw is very small too, only 12W and it also doesn’t heat up like my laptop does. Sometime down the track I look forward to installing more RAM in it, which I should be able to do much easier than in a laptop. As to setup, it only takes me a few minutes to plug in my mouse, keyboard, and HDMI cables, about the same time that it takes to load up my laptop. I also really like the fact that I can choose the peripherals I want to use with my mini-PC. It means I can use my favorite keyboard at work, the Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro, which feels so good for writing. So, if you only need to use your laptop between work and home and don’t need a device for working out and about, consider switching to a mini-PC. You won’t regret the portability and performance! Further reading: Best laptops 2025: Premium, budget, gaming, 2-in-1, and more Why you absolutely need a mini PC Today’s best laptop deals: Save big on work, school, home use, and gaming Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Great combination of CPU performance and battery life Premium build quality Runs Copilot+ PC features with full x86 app compatibility Nice keyboard Cons HP should upgrade this display Many G1a models aren’t Copilot+ PCs GPU performance lags Unimpressive speakers Our Verdict The HP EliteBook 8 G1a is a Copilot+ PC with an excellent mix of CPU performance and battery life. It’s a solid package, but the display drags down the experience, and the GPU just can’t keep up with the rest of the hardware. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: HP EliteBook 8 G1a Retailer Price $1,819.31 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices The HP EliteBook 8 G1a is a 16-inch Copilot+ PC laptop aimed at businesses and professionals. It has an AMD CPU, so it marries a speedy CPU with a neural processing unit that can deliver Copilot+ PC features on some models. Plus, unlike a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Arm PC, this is a traditional x86 PC that is guaranteed to run existing business apps and drivers that may not run perfectly on an Arm PC. But, although HP proudly markets this as a “next-generation AI PC,” it’s not just about AI features. Overall, it’s a solid laptop that most people would be happy to use for work, although the display doesn’t keep pace with the rest of the experience. HP recently redesigned its product names, and the EliteBook is HP’s line of laptops aimed at business users. The 8 Series is the entry-level line of EliteBooks, and the “G1a” here means this is a first-generation model in the new lineup with an AMD CPU. Overall, the HP EliteBook 8 G1a shows how strong AMD’s offerings are right now: Solid CPU performance and an NPU fast enough for Copilot+ PC features at a very competitive price. HP EliteBook 8 G1a: Specs The HP EliteBook 8 G1a has an AMD Ryzen AI processor — our review model included AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 hardware. That’s an x86 processor with a 50 TOPS NPU for AI features. However, it’s worth noting that not all the models have an NPU fast enough for Copilot+ PC features. HP has a variety of G1a models, and machines like the base AMD Ryzen 5 230 machine deliver up to 16 TOPS. That means they can’t run Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC features and, if your business does have an NPU-powered AI application, it’ll run much slower than on the models with faster NPUs. But the processor isn’t the only thing that differs from machine to machine. HP offers a range of configuration options during the purchase process, so you can get a model that’s very different from the below specs. Our review model had AMD Radeon 860M graphics. While AMD produces a lot of strong discrete GPUs, this is still integrated graphics and it’s not particularly fast. The RAM in this machine is user-upgradable and swappable, which is great to see on a business laptop. (The Intel-powered EliteBook 8 G1i I reviewed at the same time has soldered RAM.) Model number: HP EliteBook 8 G1a 16-inch CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 Memory: 32GB DDR5 RAM Graphics/GPU: AMD Radeon 860M NPU: AMD NPU Compute Accelerator Device (up to 50 TOPS) Display: 16-inch 1920×1200 IPS display with 60Hz refresh rate Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD Webcam: 1440p webcam Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C 40 Gbps), 1x USB Type-C (10 Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1 out, 1x combo audio jack, 1x security lock slot, 1x USB Type-A (5 Gbps) Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Biometrics: Fingerprint reader and IR camera for facial recognition Battery capacity: 77 Watt-hour battery Dimensions: 14.13 x 9.84 x 0.61 inches Weight: 3.73 pounds MSRP: $1,799 as tested HP EliteBook 8 G1a: Design and build quality Foundry / Chris Hoffman The 16-inch HP EliteBook 8 G1a has a premium-feeling metal chassis in a “Glacial Silver” color. At 3.73 pounds, it’s a little heavier than some laptops, but it feels solid and durable thanks to that metal build. The design here is minimal: Dark gray keyboard, black bezel, and silver metal elsewhere. There are a few HP logos (on the lid and just below the screen) and that’s about it. The hinge feels good to use, although I had to use a second hand to hold down the front of the laptop while opening it. It’s a solid hinge and the screen doesn’t move around while you type. HP bundles HP Wolf security with this machine, and that will be convenient for businesses who want to remotely manage this laptop in a fleet. As an individual knowledge worker, however, I didn’t like the end-user experience. I had to click through extra security dialogs to run PCWorld’s normal benchmark tools, for example — many people will want to disable this, or businesses will want to tune it so it doesn’t nag employees about their business apps. HP EliteBook 8 G1a: Keyboard and trackpad Foundry / Chris Hoffman The HP EliteBook 8 G1a has a full-size keyboard complete with a number pad. It’s spacious and feels like it has a good amount of key travel — more than the 13-inch HP EliteBook 8 Flip G1i I reviewed at the same time. It’s quiet and doesn’t click with the snap of a mechanical keyboard, but it’s still snappy. This is a good keyboard that you can get a lot of typing done on. But I always wish the arrow keys on laptops were full-size. This machine has a large trackpad that feels smooth to glide your finger over and clicks down with a clean “thunk.” I would prefer seeing a haptic touchpad, but this trackpad is solid. This isn’t a glass trackpad — those feel smoother, but those are premium touches reserved for higher-end laptops. Both the keyboard and trackpad are fairly quiet, which is important for a business laptop. HP EliteBook 8 G1a: Display and speakers Foundry / Chris Hoffman The HP EliteBook 8 G1a has a 16-inch 1920×1200 IPS display with a 60Hz refresh rate and 400 nits of brightness. That’s just nothing special, and that resolution stings on a 16-inch display, especially one in this price range. It’s an anti-glare display, which is nice to see. But HP offers the base model with 300 nits of brightness, which I’d recommend avoiding. HP does offer a variant of this laptop with a 2560×1600 display with a 120Hz variable refresh rate, and I’d love to see what that machine looks like. But it likely won’t have as much battery life and it’ll be more expensive. The display here is the one feature that feels the most lacking on this laptop, especially compared to consumer laptops in a similar price range. The stereo speakers on this machine are okay for a business laptop but, like the display, they feel more serviceable than special. They can get pretty loud, and the sound is clear, but the audio lacks some depth. They’ll do a fine job in video meetings. I test each laptop I review by playing Steely Dan’s Aja and Daft Punk’s Get Lucky. The instrument separation in Aja was reasonable, but a lot of the high notes weren’t particularly crisp. In Get Lucky, the sound was reasonably fun, but more bass would’ve been nice. Pack a good pair of headphones for music. HP EliteBook 8 G1a: Webcam, microphone, biometrics The HP EliteBook 8 G1a has a 1440p webcam. Business laptops tend to have solid webcams, so I was expecting a bit more here. It’s nothing special for a business laptop: It’s a little noisy and seems to do much better in ideal lighting. This is the kind of webcam that will look fine in a business meeting, but you’ll want to get an external webcam if you’ll be recording videos for YouTube or social media. HP also built in a privacy shutter above the display, and you can slide it to block the webcam. The dual-array microphone setup in this machine was clear and did a good job of removing background noise. It’s solid for a business laptop, but it’s not particularly high-end. If you’re participating in meetings all day and you want the best voice quality possible, you may still want an external mic. The EliteBook 8 G1a has both facial recognition hardware and a fingerprint reader in the power button on the keyboard. You can use Windows Hello to sign into Windows with either your fingerprint or your face, and both work well. HP EliteBook 8 G1a: Connectivity Foundry / Chris Hoffman The HP EliteBook 8 G1a offers a good number of ports, including three USB Type-C ports and two of them are Thunderbolt 4 ports. On the left side, this laptop has an HDMI 2.1 out port, two Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C 40 Gbps) ports, and a combo audio jack. On the right side, there’s a third USB Type-C port (10 Gbps), a USB Type-A (5 Gbps) port, and a security lock slot. Since each side of the laptop has a USB Type-C port, you can plug this laptop’s USB-C charger into other side of the laptop. That’s the kind of thing that’s easy to overlook on a spec sheet but makes the laptop much nicer to use in the real world. You can also get models of this laptop with optional extra ports: RJ-45 Ethernet, a Smart Card reader, and a nano SIM card slot for cellular connectivity. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have an SD card reader option. Our review unit had future-proof Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 wireless networking, and I had no problems with it. HP EliteBook 8 G1a: Performance The HP EliteBook 8 G1a has an AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 processor, and it performed well in web browsers, communication apps, productivity tools, and the apps you’d run on a Windows desktop. As always, though we ran the HP EliteBook 8 G1a through our standard benchmarks to see how it performs. Foundry / Chris Hoffman First, we run PCMark 10 to get an idea of overall system performance. With an overall PCMark 10 score of 7,605, this AMD-powered machine surpassed similar laptops with recent Intel Core Ultra processors. (And, as we’ll see below, it had similar battery life.) Foundry / Chris Hoffman Next, we run Cinebench R20. This is a heavily multithreaded benchmark that focuses on overall CPU performance. It’s a quick benchmark, so cooling under extended workloads isn’t a factor. But, since it’s heavily multithreaded, CPUs with more cores have a huge advantage. With a multithreaded Cinebench R20 score of 6,160, the AMD hardware here ran faster than Intel Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake chips. Foundry / Chris Hoffman We also run an encode with Handbrake. This is another heavily multithreaded benchmark, but it runs over an extended period. This demands the laptop’s cooling kick in, and many laptops will throttle and slow down under load. The HP EliteBook 8 G1a completed the encode process in an average of 924 seconds — that’s over 15 minutes. This machine can put out some serious CPU performance when it needs to, and it’s a good compromise of performance and power efficiency. Foundry / Chris Hoffman Next, we run a graphical benchmark. This isn’t a gaming laptop, but it’s still good to check how the GPU performs. We run 3DMark Time Spy, a graphical benchmark that focuses on GPU performance. With a 3DMark Time Spy score of 3,052, the AMD Radeon 860M graphics in this machine weren’t particularly impressive. It’s slower than Intel’s Arc graphics and is on the lower end for AMD’s graphics hardware. To be honest, I think most people — including business users — would prefer a laptop with a faster GPU. Lots of businesses use GPU-accelerated tools. I’d prefer to see a faster GPU here, even at the expense of NPU features. Overall, the HP EliteBook 8 G1a shows how strong AMD’s offerings are right now: Solid CPU performance and an NPU fast enough for Copilot+ PC features at a very competitive price. But this machine cuts a corner when it comes to the GPU, and anyone who uses a GPU-accelerated professional application will want to look elsewhere. HP EliteBook 8 G1a: Battery life The HP EliteBook 8 G1a has a 77 Watt-hour battery, which is a good size for a 16-inch laptop. It delivered a good combination of battery life and performance. Foundry / Chris Hoffman To benchmark the battery life, we play a 4K copy of Tears of Steel on repeat on Windows 11 with airplane mode enabled until the laptop suspends itself. We set the screen to 250 nits of brightness for our battery benchmarks. This is a best-case scenario for any laptop since local video playback is so efficient, and real battery life in day-to-day use is always going to be less than this. The HP EliteBook 8 G1a lasted an average of 936 minutes in our benchmarks — that’s nearly 16 hours. While you’ll get less in day-to-day computer use, this is likely enough juice for all-workday battery life, which is what really matters for a business laptop. HP EliteBook 8 G1a: Conclusion The HP EliteBook 8 G1a combines a premium metal build quality with AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 hardware. In many ways, the result is an excellent, well-balanced machine. AMD’s chips are highly underrated right now. They don’t match the CPU performance you’ll find in a high-end workstation or the battery life you’ll find in a thin-and-light laptop, but they offer an excellent mix of both. Plus, this delivers an NPU fast enough for Copilot+ PC features, so the AI features here aren’t just marketing. If apps ever start taking more advantage of NPUs, you’ll want a fast one like the 50 TOPS NPU here — not the 12 TOPS NPU Intel is still delivering in most PCs. But this isn’t the be-all, end-all business laptop. The display drags down the overall experience, and the graphics performance just isn’t up there with the CPU and NPU performance. While it’s a good laptop, it’s not the right pick for everyone. But I’m happy my review model had AMD hardware, and I think you’d prefer the AMD hardware here to Intel’s current offerings, too. Read...

Rather than struggling to keep your old laptop running, getting a new one is often the smarter choice. Batteries fail, software runs painfully slow, and Windows sometimes refuses important updates. How do you know when it’s time for a new device? These six clear warning signs will tell you. Sign 1: No more updates available A laptop without updates is a security risk. If Windows or other important programs no longer receive updates, it’s probably time to replace it. It becomes particularly critical when the operating system itself no longer receives security patches, as will be the case with Windows 10 from 2025. Without updates, dangerous security vulnerabilities arise and many new programs only run optimally under the latest Windows versions. An outdated laptop quickly becomes a digital island dweller. Tip: Check the update settings regularly. If your system reports “everything up to date” even though a newer version of Windows has long been available, this is a clear sign that you should consider a new laptop. Check out pcworld`s top laptop pick Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Read our review Sign 2: Memory space is constantly full If Windows is constantly complaining that it’s running out of storage, this is not just annoying: new programs can no longer be installed, and even simple updates fail. Of course, you can move data to the cloud or use external storage space, but in the long run, this is just a tedious workaround. Tip: Check Explorer to see how much space is still free on the system drive. If it’s permanently full and can’t be expanded, there’s hardly any way around a new laptop in the long run. Sign 3: Laptop takes forever to start Does your laptop feel like it takes an eternity to boot up, programs open with an agonizing delay, and even multiple browser tabs make the system break out in a sweat? This is a clear sign the hardware is aging. Adding more RAM or an SSD can help, but if performance doesn’t improve, the laptop is simply too old for today’s demands. Tip: Pay attention to how often you have to wait for your device when working. If even everyday tasks are sluggish, it’s definitely time for an upgrade. check out pcworld`s top budget pick Acer Aspire Go 15 (2024) Read our review Best Prices Today: $309.98 at Amazon Sign 4: Constant overheating and noisy fans When the laptop’s cooling system can’t keep up, problems arise. If the fan runs loudly even during simple tasks, or the laptop gets very hot, it’s a clear warning sign. Constant heat not only damages the components, but can also lead to sudden crashes. Tip: Clean the ventilation slots regularly and check the temperatures with tools such as HWMonitor. If your laptop is still constantly overheating, it is probably worth buying a new one rather than making expensive repairs. Sign 5: Limited upgrade options With desktop PCs, it’s often still possible to replace individual parts, but this is much harder with laptops. Many models don’t allow upgrades to the SSD or RAM. If nothing can be upgraded and the device is running at its technical limit, the only option is to switch to a more modern model. Tip: Check the upgradeability of your laptop. If neither storage nor RAM can be expanded, it’s usually better to invest in a new device than to cling to an overtaxed old laptop. Sign 6: Short battery life Of course, a laptop relies on its mobility. If the battery needs a power socket after just a few minutes, or if the device is always plugged in, its main advantage is lost. The battery can be replaced on some models, but not all of them. And even if it can, replacing individual components is hardly worthwhile if the rest of the hardware is also outdated. check out pcworld`s best battery life pick Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 Aura Edition Read our review Buying tip: Three laptops for every need If you realize that your old laptop has really had its day, it’s worth taking a look at the latest models. We have selected three devices that offer excellent value for money: from affordable entry-level devices to high-performance gaming powerhouses. By the way, you can find more top models in our best laptop roundup. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3: Affordable, mobile all-rounder for the home office Lenovo Buy the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 for $619 at Amazon The IdeaPad 3 is a solid companion for everyday use, studying, and working from home. With AMD Ryzen 5, 16 GB RAM and a fast SSD (512 GB), it masters office applications, streaming, and light multitasking without any problems. The slim design and low weight also make it a comfortable traveling companion. However, it’s not suitable for intensive gaming or complex video editing. Features: Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 7430U (6 cores, 2.3 to 4.3 GHz) Memory: 16 GB LPDDR4 Storage: 512 GB SSD Display: 16 inch WUXGA Full-HD (1920×1080 pixels) Connections: 1x USB 3.2 Type-C, 2x USB 3.2 Type-A, SD card slot, 3.5 millimeter jack connection Graphics: integrated AMD Radeon Graphics Battery: 42 Wh (up to 10 hours of operation) Operating system: Windows 11 Home Special feature: Slim, lightweight design. Asus Vivobook 17: Multimedia station with plenty of memory ASUS Get the Asus Vivobook 17 for $749.99 at Amazon The Asus Vivobook 17 in “Quiet Blue” is a 17.3-inch laptop for office, multimedia, and flexible working. With the Intel Core i7-1355U, 16 GB RAM in dual-channel mode (8 GB onboard 8 GB SO-DIMM), and a fast 1 TB NVMe SSD, it handles multitasking, video playback, and everyday applications with ease. The 17.3-inch 1920×1080 panel also ensures clear images. Despite the large screen diagonal, the device remains pleasantly light and portable at 4.62 pounds. Features: Processor: Intel Core i7-1255U, 10 cores, up to 4.7 GHz Turbo, 12 MB cache Memory: 16 GB (8 GB DDR4 onboard 8 GB DDR4 SO-DIMM, dual-channel capable) Storage: 1 TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD Graphics: Intel Iris X? Graphics Display: 17.3 inch FHD (1920×1080 pixels), IPS level, 60 Hertz, 250 nits, anti-glare, 86 percent screen-to-body Connections: 1× USB 2.0, 1× USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C, 2× USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, 1× HDMI 1.4, 1× 3.5-millimeter audio, 1× DC-in Camera & audio: 720p HD webcam with privacy shutter, SonicMaster speakers, integrated microphone Keyboard & touchpad: Backlit chiclet keyboard with Num-Key, 1.4 millimeter key travel, Precision touchpad Network & communication: Wi-Fi 6E (triple band), Bluetooth 5.3 Battery: 50 Wh, 3-cell Li-Ion Weight: 4.62 pounds Operating system: Windows 11 Home Special feature: Large 17.3-inch display, dual-channel RAM, 1 TB SSD. MSI Crosshair 17 HX: High-end gaming laptop for high demands MSI Get the MSI Crosshair 18 HX AI for $2,099.99 at Amazon Ready for any adventure: The MSI Crosshair 17 HX is a 17-inch gaming laptop built to deliver full performance for gaming, streaming, and other demanding tasks. Powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU (Blackwell architecture, DLSS 4, Max-Q), it handles the most demanding games and multimedia projects with ease. The Cooler Boost 5 system, featuring dual fans and an advanced heat pipe design, keeps performance consistently high when things get hot. Features: Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU, Blackwell architecture, DLSS 4, Max-Q Memory: 32 GB RAM Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD Display: 17-inch QHD (2560×1600 pixels), 240 Hertz, 16:10 format, 100 percent DCI-P3 color gamut Connections: 1× USB-C, 3× USB-A (USB 3.2 Gen 2), HDMI 2.1 Keyboard: 24-zone RGB (Mystic Light), QWERTY layout Network & connection: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.x (depending on model) Operating system: Windows 11 Home Special feature: MSI Center with AI Engine for intelligent system tuning, Cooler Boost 5 cooling, high refresh rate for particularly smooth gaming. Conclusion: Know when it’s time to upgrade A laptop that no longer receives updates and is constantly full, slow, loud, or hot is rarely worth saving. Once the battery finally dies or upgrades are no longer possible, it’s time to move on. Investing in a modern device not only saves frustration but also provides better security and greater comfort in everyday use. Buying a new laptop today also comes with the added benefits of improved energy efficiency, quieter operation, and significantly higher performance. Read...

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