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| PC World - 15 Jul (PC World)At a glanceExpert`s Rating
ProsVery thin and light for a 16-inch laptopLong battery lifeBeautiful OLED displayHighest-end Snapdragon X Elite hardware availableConsNo facial recognition logineUFS storage is soldered to the motherboardLimited to 16GB of RAMExpensive compared to other Snapdragon-powered laptopsThe top-end Snapdragon X Elite hardware isn’t much fasterOur VerdictThe Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge is an excellent Snapdragon X Elite-powered PC with a beautiful display, long battery life, and great build quality. But you’re paying extra for high-end Snapdragon X Elite hardware on the 16-inch model, and it doesn’t deliver the big performance bump you might expect.
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge is part of the first wave of Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X Elite hardware. The 16-inch model we reviewed is special, as it’s the only laptop that includes the highest-end Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 chip. This model boasts faster CPU performance than the others, but it’s also the only Snapdragon X Elite variation with an upgraded GPU.
Samsung delivered a great laptop here: It’s surprisingly thin and light, with long battery life and a beautiful OLED display. But lots of Snapdragon X Elite laptops are delivering that and this machine is on the expensive side compared to your other options. Part of what you’re paying for is that exclusive top-end Snapdragon X Elite hardware. And I’ll be honest. While the difference is somewhat noticeable, you’ll be just fine picking any Snapdragon X Elite laptop you might prefer. The high-end hardware here doesn’t make a massive difference.
Like other Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X Elite hardware, the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge is an Arm-based laptop. As discussed in our reviews of the Surface Laptop, Surface Pro, and Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x, application compatibility is good but not perfect. While most applications run just fine, some applications may not run at all or may run with bad performance. The situation is quickly improving, but it’s still early days. Also, as far as AI, those exclusive Copilot+ PC AI features aren’t very interesting.
Looking for more options? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available today.
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge: Specs
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge is part of the first wave of Copilot+ PCs that arrive with Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chips. All Snapdragon X Elite chips include a neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS) as well as a Qualcomm Adreno GPU.
Our review unit was a 16-inch model and it included Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 hardware. On paper, that’s the highest-end Snapdragon X Elite hardware available with the fastest speeds and a higher-performance GPU. Samsung is offering an exclusive here: The Galaxy Book4 Edge is the only laptop that offers this top-end hardware, at least at launch.
There are four Snapdragon X packages at launch, from lowest-end to highest-end:
The Snapdragon X Plus X1P-64-100 avoids the “Elite” name and only has 10 cores.
The Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100 includes 12 cores.
The Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 has 12 cores as well, but it gains a “Dual Core Boost” feature that can go up to 4.0 GHz for extra power when the CPU needs it.
The Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 in this machine has 12 cores, but its Dual Core boost goes up to 4.2 GHz. It also offers faster multi-threaded CPU performance and a high-performance Qualcomm Adreno GPU.
Qualcomm
Qualcomm
Qualcomm
While the 16-inch version of the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge has the highest-end Snapdragon X Elite hardware, it’s not just about those on-paper specs. Other things matter, too. For example, if a laptop can’t deliver enough cooling to sustain high performance, it may throttle the hardware and not deliver the higher speeds you might expect.
Unfortunately, Samsung only offers this laptop with 16GB of RAM. You can’t get this machine with 32GB of RAM, which is an option for some other laptops. The fastest Snapdragon X Elite hardware can’t be paired with 32GB of RAM, and that feels like a big missed opportunity.
There’s one other surprise in the specs: Samsung has chosen to use eUFS storage instead of the PCIe Gen4 SSD hardware other manufacturers are shipping their Copilot+ laptops with. This type of storage is more frequently used on smartphones and other mobile devices. The storage is soldered to the laptop’s motherboard, so you won’t be able to replace or upgrade it.
In theory, this interface has slower throughput than an NVMe SSD. On the other hand, it may use less power and boost the laptop’s battery life. In practice, the SSD hardware on the other Snapdragon X Elite PCs doesn’t seem to be hitting the limits of the interface, anyway. The eUFS storage performed just fine in day-to-day use, and I never noticed a perceptible difference in storage performance compared to the other Snapdragon X Elite laptops I’ve been using.
Finally, it’s worth noting that the high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 hardware is only an option for the 16-inch version. The less-expensive 14-inch version doesn’t include it as an option, and it has some other tweaks: No microSD reader, a slightly smaller battery, and nearly a pound less weight.
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100
Memory: 16GB RAM
Graphics/GPU: Qualcomm Adreno
Display: 16-inch 2880×1800 AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and touchscreen
Storage: 1TB eUFS storage (soldered to motherboard)
Webcam: 1080p webcam
Connectivity: 2x USB Type-C (USB4), 1x USB Type-A (USB 3.2), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo headphone jack, 1x microSD reader
Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3
Biometrics: Fingerprint reader
Battery capacity: 61.8 Watt-hours
Dimensions: 13.99 x 9.86 x 0.48 inches
Weight: 3.42 pounds
MSRP: $1,749 as tested ($1,349 starting price for the 14-inch version)
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge: Design and build quality
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge is available in a color Samsung calls “Sapphire Blue,” but it looks more like a silver or gray with a hint of blue to my eye. This 16-inch laptop is made of aluminum and it’s nice and thin. The edge tapers from the back of the laptop toward the front. At just 3.42 pounds and 0.48 inches thick for a 16-inch laptop, that’s an impressively slim frame for such a large machine.
It feels like a big piece of metal, and the design is pretty simple. You’ve got unobtrusive Samsung logos on the lid of the laptop and right below the screen and black bezels around the AMOLED display that look nice with the standard dark desktop background.
The hinge works well, and there’s a nice lip to grab onto while opening it. Thanks to the solid aluminum chassis and light weight, you can easily pick up the laptop from a corner and there’s no flex – no small feat for a 16-inch laptop!
It’s a well-built laptop with a good simple design language – all thin slightly-blue-but-mostly-silver aluminum made as thin as possible.
This Samsung laptop will likely appeal to people who use Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets. Samsung has a Quick Share application for sending files back and forth pinned to the taskbar by default – along with a Second Screen application that will let you use a Samsung tablet as a second display for your laptop.
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge: Keyboard and trackpad
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The 16-inch Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge includes a full number pad at the right. In general, I’m a big fan of having that number pad, but I know some people aren’t. Still, it’s a smart choice that puts that large keyboard tray space to use.
The keyboard has a white backlight, and it’s fine to type on. It feels a tad mushy to me – not as snappy and responsive and the keyboard on the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x laptop I recently reviewed. It’s not a problem, but it’s also probably not the absolute best typing experience on a Snapdragon X Elite laptop, unless you want that number pad.
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge is a great laptop, there’s no doubt about it.
The trackpad is the first thing that draws the eye when you open this laptop. It’s absolutely massive – I don’t know if I’ve ever used a trackpad this big on a laptop before. It works well whether you’re using gestures or just swiping your finger along it, and it offers good palm rejection. The click action feels fine, but it doesn’t feel as premium as the haptic touchpad found on the Microsoft Surface Laptop.
The combination of the massive touchpad and number pad pushes the standard keyboard to the upper-left corner of the keyboard deck. It’s probably just what I’m used to, but that layout felt odd at first to me. Still, I quickly got used to it while using this laptop.
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge: Display and speakers
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge has an absolutely beautiful display. The 16-inch 2880×1800 OLED display delivers dark blacks and vibrant colors with plenty of brightness at a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s a touch screen, too. It’s a real looker, and it’s a big upgrade over the IPS display included on the Surface Laptop.
The speakers are mounted on the bottom of the laptop. They put out solid audio quality with decent volume. (As always, though, bass is lacking compared to a good pair of external speakers.) Between the beautiful 16-inch display and speakers, I was able to watch some streaming TV in a hotel room on a road trip with a good experience.
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge: Webcam, microphone, biometrics
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge has a 1080p webcam, and it captures good video quality. This is a pretty standard 1080p webcam – Samsung isn’t going above and beyond here, but that’s fine. Since this is a Copilot+ laptop, you also get access to Windows Studio Effects for tweaks like forcing eye contact and blurring your background in any application.
The microphone is also fine and will do a good job in online meetings. Samsung included a standard-sounding microphone here, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It did a good job of picking up my voice with reasonable audio quality, even with some background noise.
The biometrics are a bit of a letdown. Samsung chose to only include a fingerprint reader for Windows Hello here. It’s built into the power button at the top-right corner of the keyboard, and you can rest your finger on it to sign in. It does work very well for a fingerprint sensor – I never had any problems, and it was always speedy.
However, I really enjoy the IR camera experience for Windows Hello as it can sign you in immediately as soon as you open your laptop. That’s missing here.
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge: Connectivity
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge has a reasonable collection of ports. On the left side, you’ve got two USB Type-C ports (USB4) and one HDMI 2.1 output port. This laptop charges via USB-C, so you’ll be plugging the charger into one of those ports to charge.
On the right side, you’ve got a combo audio jack for headsets, a USB Type-A port (USB 3.2), and a microSD reader slot. (The microSD reader slot is only included on the 16-inch model and isn’t present on the 14-inch model.)
That’s a reasonably collection of ports, especially for a laptop this thin – thank those nicely tapered edges that offer more room on the side of the laptop near the back.
Like other Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite-powered laptops, the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge includes Wi-Fi 7 support and Bluetooth 5.4-capable hardware. (Samsung lists it as Bluetooth 5.3 on the laptop’s specs sheet because Windows isn’t compatible with Bluetooth 5.4 yet.) The laptop’s Wi-Fi performed well, although I don’t have a Wi-Fi 7 network to test the latest standard on yet.
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge: Performance
Like other Copilot+ PCs with Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite hardware, the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge delivered snappy day-to-day performance while running on battery power. It worked well when running common productivity applications, including web browsers, the Microsoft Office suite, and Slack. The fans didn’t make noticeable noise in day-to-day use and only became audible when the laptop was really pushed, as in our benchmarks.
As always, we ran the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge through our standard benchmarks to see how it performs.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
First, we ran a CPU benchmark with Geekbench 6. We normally run PCMark 10, but it doesn’t run on Arm computers like this one. Geekbench 6 runs natively on ARM, so we can get an idea of this machine’s CPU performance when running native Arm code without Microsoft’s Prism translation layer playing a part.
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge delivered a Geekbench 6 multi-thread score of 1,5493, which beats the Microsoft Surface Laptop and Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x. We’re seeing the benefits of that top-tier Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 and its higher top-end performance here.
The fans stayed nice and quiet while this benchmark was running. In my experience, these machines tend to run hottest and loudest while running heavy workloads using x86 code through the Prism translation layer.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
Next, we run Cinebench R24. Cinebench R24 has a native Arm version, which means it isn’t running through the Prism translation layer. 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.
The fans spun up while the multi-threaded Cinebench benchmark was running — they kick in to provide extra cooling for intensive workloads like the one in this test.
With a multi-thread score of 883, the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge wasn’t much faster than the Microsoft Surface Pro and fell behind the results I saw from the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x. It goes to show that the differences between the various Snapdragon X Elite hardware variations aren’t huge. There’s likely something else going on here.
Samsung may be running the hardware a bit slower or cooling may be a factor – with such a thin laptop chassis, there may just not have enough cooling ability to keep this CPU going at the fastest possible speeds. I had seen some online chatter about this laptop not delivering dramatically better performance than similar laptops with lower-tier Snapdragon X Elite hardware, so I’m not surprised that’s what my benchmarks showed.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
Next, we run a graphical benchmark. Despite Qualcomm talking a lot about gaming performance, this isn’t really a gaming laptop. We recommend against buying a Snapdragon X Elite powered laptop for gaming. Still, as always, we run 3DMark Time Spy, a graphical benchmark that focuses on GPU performance. We also ran 3DMark Night Raid.
Time Spy is running through the Prism translation layer, while Night Raid is running natively on Arm. The pair of results shows the difference between x86 code translated with Prism and native Arm code.
With a Time Spy score of 2,146, the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge’s demonstrated the advantages of its faster GPU, beating other Snapdragon X Elite-powered laptops on running the code through Prism. However, for running typical x86 games, Intel’s integrated Arc graphics were faster.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
When we ran the Night Raid benchmark, which runs natively on Arm, the Qualcomm Adreno GPU shows it’s more powerful than Intel’s offerings when running native code. The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge delivered faster performance than Intel integrated graphics with a score of 27821.
While Prism works well, it’s clear these machines will perform best when running native Arm code.
Overall, the Snapdragon X Elite hardware in the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge performs well. But for the most part, it performs similarly to other Snapdragon X Elite-powered systems. You don’t need to spend a bunch of extra money for the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 hardware when you can spend hundreds of dollars less and get similar CPU performance.
If you’re focused on GPU performance, you do get stronger GPU performance from this system than any other Snapdragon X Elite-powered laptops. On the other hand, if GPU performance is your top priority, you’d probably be better off with a more traditional gaming laptop.
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge: Battery life
Snapdragon X Elite-powered laptops should post huge battery life numbers in our benchmarks. With a Snapdragon X Elite chip and a 61.8 Watt-hour battery, that’s exactly what we would expect to see from the Galaxy Book4 Edge. Thankfully, that’s exactly what we saw and the numbers are incredible for a 16-inch laptop with an OLED screen.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
To benchmark the battery life, we play a 4K copy of Tears of Steel on repeat with airplane mode enabled until the laptop suspends itself. 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.
We set the screen to 250 nits of brightness for our battery benchmarks and it’s worth noting that the Galaxy Book4 Edge’s OLED display has a bit of an advantage, as OLED screens use less power to display the black bars around the video.
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge lasted an average of 1,242 minutes in our test. That’s nearly 21 hours. Now, you’re not going to get this kind of battery life when you’re using the laptop normally, but it’s a huge number and something we don’t see very much, especially on a 16-inch laptop with an OLED display, as those are usually more power-hungry. While the eUFS storage is a controversial choice for a laptop, it may be giving the Galaxy Book4 Edge a boost here.
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge: Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge is a great laptop, there’s no doubt about it. The display is absolutely beautiful, the design is solid aluminum, and it’s extremely thin and light. Yet, thanks to the Snapdragon X Elite hardware, this machine can run for a very long time on a charge even while using a more power-hungry OLED screen.
The big concern is the price. At $1,749, you’re paying a good amount extra for that top-end Snapdragon X Elite hardware, which doesn’t make a huge difference. Plus, since this laptop is only available with 16GB of RAM, some workloads may perform better on a Snapdragon X Elite laptop with 32GB of RAM.
There are better values to be had elsewhere. You can pick up a Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x with 1TB of storage and 32GB of RAM for just $1,313. That’s a lot less money for double the RAM. Yes, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x is a bit smaller and it has lower-end Snapdragon X Elite hardware. But they’re pretty comparable, performance-wise.
Luckily, as we’re finishing this review, this machine is already on sale. Samsung was selling it for $1,499 on sale as we wrapped up the review, which is more reasonable.
If you manage to grab this laptop on a particularly good deal and the current Windows on Arm experience fits your needs, I’m confident you’ll be happy with it. It’s just a shame that this laptop truly isn’t a showcase for the power of its exclusive high-end Snapdragon hardware.
The cooling doesn’t seem good enough to really run the CPU hard, the machine tops out at 16GB of RAM, and that eUFS storage certainly isn’t the fastest possible choice. None of this is bad – the machine performs fine and offers comparable performance to other Copilot+ laptops – but it’s not speeding way ahead of them, as the specs might lead you to believe.
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| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 15 Jul (PC World)Exciting times! Microsoft recently announced at its developer conference about artificial intelligence, a new laptop class with significantly more powerful Snapdragon X CPUs, and its new operating system for the Arm architecture all sounds really promising.
This is also true in view of the fact that Apple took this step very successfully and consistently years ago. In the meantime, the entire Mac model range has been converted to Arm CPUs from its own production; models with Intel x86 processors are no longer offered.
The fact that Microsoft is now announcing a similar step together with the important computer manufacturers Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung is therefore definitely a sign of things to come.
On the other hand, as a long-time IT observer, it is almost alarming when Microsoft once again announces a “new PC era.” The company had already promised the same thing with Windows RT in 2012, but less than two years later, “the new generation of PCs on the Arm platform” was already history. The last devices with Windows RT were then withdrawn from the market.
Certainly, times have changed a lot since then and today’s Arm CPUs can hardly be compared with those of the past. The strength of Apple’s Arm chips compared to those from AMD and Intel on the so-called x86 architecture can be seen, among other things, in the fact that they work faster with the same number of cores and still consume less power. As a result, the notebooks last longer on a single battery charge.
Microsoft defines “Copilot+ PCs” as a new class of computers that have a powerful Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for AI tasks in addition to the CPU and GPU.
Microsoft defines “Copilot+ PCs” as a new class of computers that have a powerful Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for AI tasks in addition to the CPU and GPU.
IDG
Microsoft defines “Copilot+ PCs” as a new class of computers that have a powerful Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for AI tasks in addition to the CPU and GPU.
IDG
IDG
This alone does not guarantee success for the new system and the new computers. After all, one of the strengths of Windows has always been its compatibility with legacy software. However, this has yet to be proven, as some of the existing applications in the new Windows on Arm run on an emulation.
In the best-case scenario, users won’t even notice this, not even in terms of speed.
In the worst case, however, some software might not run at all, and for many Windows users this is likely to be a no-go and therefore a conscious decision against the Arm architecture. Until recently, Microsoft’s promise that “most existing apps and tools will run smoothly on new Arm devices” could not be verified.
After the experience of the past two decades that only every second Windows version is successful — this applies to XP, 7, and 10 and stands in contrast to the ME, Vista, 8, and 11 editions in between — the next one could now succeed again. As I said, exciting times.
Further reading: Good news! Most apps I’ve tried on Microsoft’s Copilot+ Surface just work
Windows and Surface devices with new Arm architecture
After this categorization, let’s take a detailed look at what Microsoft presented at the end of May. Much of the company’s developer conference centered on artificial intelligence and the associated new Copilot functions and versions.
At the same time, AI was and is at the center of the new PC hardware with CPUs based on Arm architecture and the associated new Windows version.
After the flop of Windows RT, such devices have only been available from Microsoft as absolute niche products. Now Redmond is making a new attempt to counter the increasing competition from Apple.
Alongside Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung, Microsoft is also offering AI laptops with Arm processors. The new Surface devices cost between $1,000 and $2,000.
Alongside Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung, Microsoft is also offering AI laptops with Arm processors. The new Surface devices cost between $1,000 and $2,000. Foundry
Alongside Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung, Microsoft is also offering AI laptops with Arm processors. The new Surface devices cost between $1,000 and $2,000. Foundry
Foundry
The new “Windows on Arm” will initially only run on laptops with processors from Qualcomm. In other words, the company that is already extremely successful with chips for smartphones.
In line with this, Microsoft is launching its own devices in the new “Copilot+ PC” class: The Surface Laptop as a classic notebook and the Surface Pro as a detachable device with a touch display and detachable keyboard.
Further reading: Microsoft Surface Pro (2024) review: A tantalizing glimpse of the future
Both models are powered by either the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chip with 10 cores or the Snapdragon X Elite with 12 cores.
The Surface Pro with a 13-inch display starts at around $1,200, depending on the amount of main memory and SSD. The Surface Laptop is available with a 13.8-inch or 15-inch screen, with prices also ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 depending on the features.
Microsoft is not sparing with superlatives for the new device class and calls them the “fastest, most secure and most intelligent Windows PCs ever built.” The new system architecture consisting of CPU, graphics processor, and the additional high-performance NPU (Neural Processing Unit) should lead to an “unprecedented level of performance.”
A “Copilot+ PC” is up to 20 times more powerful and up to 100 times more efficient at AI tasks compared to a 12th-generation Intel Core i7 configuration.
Microsoft also promises an all-day battery life: Videos should run for up to 22 hours on a single charge, while surfing the internet should be possible for over 15 hours. In addition to at least 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 256GB SSD, a powerful AI processor is a prerequisite for classification as a “Copilot+ PC.”
Microsoft does not specify more precise requirements for the CPU, but the integrated NPU alone should deliver at least 40 TOPS, or 40 trillion operations per second.
Microsoft and several hardware manufacturers have announced 16 new AI notebooks with two different Snapdragon X CPUs from Qualcomm for the coming weeks.
Microsoft and several hardware manufacturers have announced 16 new AI notebooks with two different Snapdragon X CPUs from Qualcomm for the coming weeks. IDG
Microsoft and several hardware manufacturers have announced 16 new AI notebooks with two different Snapdragon X CPUs from Qualcomm for the coming weeks. IDG
IDG
Initially, Microsoft and the other manufacturers will only be using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips. Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, and Samsung have announced a total of 16 AI notebooks for the summer, with some of the new devices expected to be available as early as June.
Later, “Copilot+ PC” computers with CPUs from AMD and Intel are also set to follow; however, both manufacturers will continue to rely on the previous x86 architecture, supported by powerful Nvidia graphics.
A fantastic copilot+ laptop
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x
Read our review
For x86 and Arm: Windows 11 version 24H2 twice
Although the operating system for the new AI notebooks is also called Windows 11 and looks the same as the previous one, technically they are two different systems with different instruction sets.
While Windows, with a few exceptions, has so far mainly run on x86 hardware, mostly with processors from AMD and Intel, the newly introduced variant works exclusively on the Arm architecture. This is another reason why it is only supplied pre-installed and not sold separately.
In the coming months, it will be important to pay attention to the version status. While Windows on Arm will be released immediately as version 24H2, the same version of traditional Windows will not follow until the autumn.
The new features that the autumn update will bring for all Windows 11 users include a new installation routine, native support for Wi-Fi 7, the use of Android phones as a webcam, the integration of the PC Manager optimization tool, the “sudo” superuser command familiar from Linux, the pack option in 7z and TAR formats, improved energy and quick settings for network, airplane, and night mode as well as the mobile hotspot.
Microsoft also wants to end the coexistence of the two parallel Teams versions with Teams. Finally, the AI assistant Copilot will soon be available on Windows 11 PCs in the EU for installation as an app from the Windows Store.
Recall: New AI function is not on board for the time being
In addition to the aforementioned changes in version 24H2, Windows on Arm offers additional new functions. Thanks to the high computing power of the NPU chips, various AI tasks will in the future be executed locally on the device and therefore much faster than before. Finally, latencies over the network will be eliminated.
Important: This new feature, known as Recall, is not currently included in Copilot+ PCs. This is because Microsoft has withdrawn Recall following protests. It remains to be seen what will happen with Recall. Read more about this here: Microsoft pulls Recall from initial launch of Copilot+ PCs.
More AI performance for Paint, videos, and other software
With the AI-supported Restyle function, personal photos can be given a new style. Restyle combines image editing and generation in a single step.
With the AI-supported Restyle function, personal photos can be given a new style. Restyle combines image editing and generation in a single step.
IDG
With the AI-supported Restyle function, personal photos can be given a new style. Restyle combines image editing and generation in a single step.
IDG
IDG
Other AI-supported programs will also benefit from the integrated Neural Processing Unit in the future. With Restyle, Paint, which is integrated into Windows, will receive a new function that changes the style of existing images.
There is also the improved tool for generating AI images, which has been renamed Image Creator.
The Live Captions function will in the future translate the sound of audio and video content in real time; the translations will be displayed as subtitles.
The free AI assistant Copilot and AI-supported software from third-party providers, including the Adobe software Photoshop, Lightroom, and Express, will also benefit.
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| ![](/n.gif) | | RadioNZ - 15 Jul (RadioNZ)![NZ Located](/pimages/nzsmall.gif) A third of Tonga`s population has had no internet for more than two weeks, with officials blaming an earthquake. Read...Newslink ©2024 to RadioNZ | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | RadioNZ - 15 Jul (RadioNZ)![NZ Located](/pimages/nzsmall.gif) A third of Tonga`s population has had no internet for more than two weeks, with officials blaming an earthquake. Read...Newslink ©2024 to RadioNZ | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 14 Jul (PC World)TL;DR: Study Spanish, French, Italian, and more with a lifetime subscription to Babbel on sale for $129.97 until July 17 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
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| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 14 Jul (PC World)Data leaks and breaches have become relentless—and huge. This week sees yet another one hit the news, with AT&T revealing that call and text message data logs for almost all wireless customers were stolen.
Disclosed via a securities filing on Friday, the data spans a six-month period between May 1 and October 31, 2022. Logs that showed phone numbers texted or called by AT&T wireless subscribers were downloaded, as well as call length and frequency of interaction with contacts. Currently, AT&T says that neither communication content nor exact times of contact are not part of the breach. Stolen call data is also limited to U.S. and Canadian numbers.
The hack affects nearly all of AT&T’s subscriber base during that time, around 110 million users based on active devices on the network, and including users with affiliated virtual operators (MNVOs) like Cricket and h2o Wireless. Records from January 2, 2023 were also accessed for a small slice of users, as was specific cell phone tower usage. The latter can allow bad actors to extrapolate the location for individual phone numbers.
AT&T says Snowflake, a third-party cloud storage service recently at the center of the Ticketmaster data breach in May, was the source of the data breach. Snowflake has since said its platform shows no unauthorized access.
You can read more about the breach in CNN’s rundown, including details about the delay in disclosure—initially aware of the breach by late April, AT&T held its filing until the FBI conducted an analysis of the stolen data for potential risks to national security. AT&T also says it does not believe the data has been released publicly yet, unlike the company’s huge leak of landline customer data, which included social security numbers.
You can get a heads-up on your info hitting the dark web through services like Google, which recently announced it would offer this feature for free.
You can get a heads-up on your info hitting the dark web through services like Google, which recently announced it would offer this feature for free.PCWorld
You can get a heads-up on your info hitting the dark web through services like Google, which recently announced it would offer this feature for free.PCWorld
PCWorld
In the meanwhile, while we wait to see if the data does eventually leak, you can take preventative steps to protect yourself and your online presence:
Screen carefully for scam attempts. With dark web records available to correlate your phone number with your name, address, date of birth, email address, location, and more, you can’t assume that if someone uses specific information about you when getting in touch, that they’re legitimate and trustworthy. Take an extra moment to consider whatever communication you just received. If it’s urgent, you still have time to look up the official number for the organization that called you. Or, if it’s someone you know, call them back directly. Use verified and legitimate methods of contact as you follow-up on the messages. You can also ask for a gut check from a level-headed friend or family member.
Watch for signs of identity theft. The more details someone has about you, the easier it is for them to impersonate you when trying to open banking and credit cards (among other grifts) in your name. Keep an eye out for mail about new accounts, already filed taxes, and other indicators that someone’s impersonating you.
Use passkeys and unique passwords to secure your online accounts. Passkeys are a simple and more secure method to protect an online account, but if a website or service doesn’t support them, upgrade your password to a unique, random, and strong version instead. Don’t reuse existing passwords or weak ones—with so many leaked passwords available, it’s easy work for a hacker to break past them. (That’s especially so if you’ve been using personal information as part of your passwords, due to all these dang data breaches and leaks.) You can keep track of both passkeys and passwords with a password manager.
Enable two-factor authentication on accounts whenever possible. Two-factor authentication adds another layer of protection to your online accounts. Even if someone guesses your password, they’ll still need to get past this second checkpoint before gaining access.
As additional measures, it’s wise to lock down your social media accounts—by not publicly sharing your whereabouts and habits from snoops, it gives them less material to use when trying to enact scams. You can also preemptively switch to encrypted forms of communication, if you’re concerned about the contents of your chats getting revealed.
So far, data breaches haven’t yet spilled the beans on the full intimate details of our personal lives—but at the rate that these keep piling up (and their scope), it seems like a matter of time before the messy details of our lives become revealed without permission.
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| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 13 Jul (PC World)If you’re on your computer a lot for school or work, you want a good keyboard. If you do a lot of PC gaming, you want a good keyboard. If you just like keyboards, you — wait for it — also want a good keyboard. And odds are pretty good that you’d also like a good deal on one. I’ve scoured the web before the selling smorgasbord that is Amazon Prime Day, and found the best early deals around for keyboards of all kinds.
As PCWorld’s resident keyboard nut and reviewer of dozens of models over the last three years, I’m not just suggesting the best discounts, I’m suggesting the best keyboards that I’d actually buy for myself. And because Amazon doesn’t have a monopoly on sales, I’ve also checked out its competition like Best Buy, Walmart, Newegg, and the rest for deals as well. I’ll be constantly updating this list throughout Prime Day to find the absolute best keyboards at the best prices.
Read on for the best keyboards at the best prices I can find across the web this week, and check out our Prime Day 2024 deals hub for great sales in other tech categories.
Early Prime Day 2024 deals on gaming keyboards
Razer BlackWidow V3 TKL mechanical keyboard, $79.99 ($20 off at Amazon)
Roccat Vulcan II Mini Air 65% wireless optical keyboard, $90.99 ($89 off at Best Buy)
HyperX Alloy Origins 60 mechanical keyboard, $34.99 ($25 off at Newegg)
Razer Huntsman Mini 60% white optical keyboard, $88.49 ($42 off at Amazon)
For my money, I’d hit that little HyperX keyboard at a sweet 35 bucks. But if you want something a little more capable and gaming-focused, the Razer BlackWidow has a rare discount at the moment, ditto for the faster Huntsman Mini. The Roccat Vulcan II (which now goes by the Turtle Beach brand) is at a huge discount, but only really benefits gamers who are on the go regularly.
Early Prime Day 2024 deals on mechanical keyboards
Keychron Q4 60% wired hot-swap mechanical keyboard, $69.99 ($120 off at Woot.com)
Keychron Q2 65% wired hot-swap mechanical keyboard, $79.99 ($120 off at Woot.com)
Epomaker Shadow-X wireless hot-swap mechanical keyboard, $42.99 ($43 off at Amazon)
Logitech POP Keys wireless mechanical keyboard, $79.99 ($20 oiff at Best Buy)
Mountain Everest Max modular mechanical keyboard, $139.99 ($150 off at Newegg)
Keychron’s Q series is fantastic if you want an all-metal, easily-modded keyboard with classy looks, and several are on sale at Woot.com right now (Amazon’s closeout sister site). But the Epomaker Shadow-X has wireless capability and a teeny tiny screen if you’re looking for more bling and a lower price. Speaking of keyboards, the Mountain Everest Max is an absolutely insane plug-and-play design with multiple add-ons, at towering discount while supplies last at Newegg.
Early Prime Day 2024 deals on keyboards
Logitech MK520 wireless keyboard and mouse, $36.99 ($13 off at Woot.com)
Logitech MX Keys Mini wireless keyboard, $74.99 ($25 off at Woot.com)
Logitech Combo Touch keyboard for iPad Air/Pro 11?, $129.00 ($70 off at Amazon)
Microsoft Designer Compact Keyboard, $32.99 ($5 off at Amazon)
Lenovo ThinkPad TrackPoint Keyboard II, $87.99 ($9 off at Amazon)
If you’re not into mechanical designs, Logitech is probably a go-to brand. The MX Keys is a great choice if you like compact, laptop-style designs. But personally I’d go for Lenovo’s ThinkPad TrackPoint Keyboard, which basically strips one of the much-loved ThinkPad keyboards off a laptop and onto a regular wireless keyboard, complete with the “red nub” mouse pointer.
More great Prime Day 2024 deals PCWorld covers a wide range of tech deals every Prime Day, so make sure to check out some other best deal roundups that may be of interest.
Best SSD and external storage deals for Prime Day 2024
Best battery charger and power bank deals for Prime Day 2024
Best Thunderbolt dock and USB-C hub deals for Prime Day 2024
Best monitor deals for Prime Day 2024
Best Amazon tech deals for Prime Day 2024
FAQ
1.
What kind of keyboard should I buy?
That depends on what you’re doing with it. If you have a laptop and you like typing on it, you’re good to go. But if you have a desktop, or you just don’t feel good typing for long periods of time on the keyboard you’re using now, it might be time for an upgrade. Most of the high-quality keyboards on the market are mechanical now, with big, chunky builds and long, loud key presses, because that seems to be what people prefer. But there are still slim, quiet boards available from companies like Logitech, Microsoft, and Apple.
2.
What kind of mechanical switch do I need?
Again, that comes down to what you want to do with it. There are broadly three kinds of switch: Linear (smooth from the top of the key press to the bottom), tactile (a small “bump” where the key press registers), and clicky (a loud “click” where the key press registers). These are generically color-coded to Red, Brown, and Blue switches, respectively, though that’s not universal — if you want to be sure, look for the linear, tactile, or clicky terms.
It’s all a matter of individual taste, but gamers tend to prefer linear switches, because they can be pressed and released quickly. Those who type for long stretches of time like tactile switches thanks to their finger feedback. And if you want even more feedback, along with a bit of noise, go witch a clicky switch. Just be aware that the noise might not be so well-received by other people in your home or office!
If you want to experiment with different kinds of switches without needing to buy multiple keyboards, get a board with hot-swap sockets. These let you pull out the switches and replace them with a different type. You can even mix and match the switches you put on a single board, if you have enough of them — Reds for WASD and Browns for the rest, for example.
3.
What layout keyboard should I get?
Keyboards come in a shocking variety of layouts these days, from full-sized (with the number pad on the left) to 60%, which is just the main alphanumeric section between the two CTRL keys with the Function row cut off. Tenkeyless, or TKL, is a good middle ground that doesn’t shrink any keys but chops off the number pad, and 75% preserves the function row and arrow cluster by shrinking a few of the less-used keys.
60% is great for travel keyboards, or those who don’t have a lot of space. Full-size is almost a must if you do a lot of data entry, and rely on rapidly inputting long strings of numbers. Everything else is a balancing act between space and comfort. But keep in mind, the smaller you go, the more often you’ll need to use a function key modifier — a standard 60% keyboard doesn’t have arrows or a Delete key on the main later, for example. Smaller boards include a learning curve if you’re not used to them.
4.
Should I get a wireless keyboard?
That depends on what’s important to you. If your keyboard sits in front of your desk and never moves, it’s probably not important. But if your keyboard is constantly on the go with you in a bag, or needs to connect to multiple devices over Bluetooth, wireless is the way to go. The latest boards can connect to three or four computers (or phones or tablets) easily, and last for months and months on a charge…as long as you take it easy with the backlighting.
There’s one exception: gaming. If you’re playing PC games with your keyboard, you want to use a wireless connection with low latency, and that means a dongle you plug in. Unlike some older wireless keyboards, and just like newer kinds of mice, modern wireless gaming boards have almost zero latency. That means you’ll never notice a gap between when you press a button and when your character reacts on screen. Just don’t use Bluetooth (even if it’s an option), as the high latency and crowded wireless bands can cause performance issues.
5.
Do I need a gaming keyboard?
Most of the time, no, you don’t. You can play PC games on pretty much any keyboard. Gaming keyboards offer a few nice perks, though, including fast polling rates (so even less lag time between key press and on-screen action) and custom programming tools. They also tend to be flashier, with rainbow lights and exotic case materials…not that any of that will really make a difference to how you play.
Again, if you want a wireless keyboard that’s also good for gaming, look for a gaming-specific model that uses a dedicated wireless dongle and not Bluetooth.
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| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 13 Jul (PC World)If you’re looking to save some dough on a computer display, it’s a great time to hunt for monitor deals thanks to Amazon’s Prime Day and competing sales events from other retailers. I’ve scoured the web for the best deals on the best screens.
PCWorld constantly reviews the latest monitor models with the newest tech, as well as hunting for the best value if you don’t need all the bells and whistles. You can trust us to not just find the biggest discounts, but the discounts on the monitors that are actually worth buying in the first place. Prime Day starts next week, but we’re already seeing deals pop up all over the web on gaming monitors, standard office models, and the elusive and expensive upgraded OLEDs.
Read on for the best keyboards at the best prices I can find across the web this week, and check out our Prime Day 2024 deals hub for great sales in other tech categories.
Early Prime Day 2024 deals on OLED monitors
Alienware 32-inch 4K OLED gaming monitor, $999.99 ($200 off at Dell.com)
Acer Predator 34-inch OLED Ultrawide gaming monitor, $799.99 ($200 off at Newegg)
LG 34-inch OLED ultrawide gaming monitor, $796.99 ($504 off at Amazon)
LG 45-inch OLED ultrawide gaming monitor, $999.99 ($700 off at Amazon)
Samsung Odyssey 49-inch OLED ultrawide gaming monitor, $1199.99 ($500 off at Amazon)
OLED monitors are the cream of the crop for gamers, and at the moment you can’t get any bigger than Samsung’s 49-inch super-duper-mega-ultrawide. But for a good balance between size and utility, I think I’d prefer the 45-inch LG model, if only because its 21:9 aspect ratio and lower resolution is much easier for gaming PCs to handle. On the other hand if you’re more of a movie fan, the 32-inch Alienware with its 16:9 4K screen is the way to go.
Early Prime Day 2024 deals on gaming monitors
Acer 34-inch ultrawide VA 100Hz gaming monitor, $189.99 ($90 off at Newegg, use coupon code FTTPDU8446)
Gigabyte 34-inch ultrawide VA 144Hz gaming monitor, $319.99 ($80 off at Amazon)
Dell 27-inch IPS 1440p 165Hz gaming monitor, $179.99 (regular price at Dell)
ASUS ROG 49-inch ultrawide VA 165Hz gaming monitor, $699.00 ($100 off at Amazon)
Gigabyte 32-inch 4K 144Hz IPS gaming monitor, $524.99 ($205 off at Amazon)
I’m an ultrawide fanboy, so if I was on a budget I’d gobble up that Gigabyte 34-inch VA monitor in a hurry. It’s already a budget favorite, and it’s $80 off at the moment. But if you wanna go big, finding that massive 49-inch Asus for under a grand is quite a coup. For a monitor that can do it all—games, movies, office work, and even some photo editing or video production—that Gigabyte 32-inch IPS panel is a Jack of all trades.
Early Prime Day 2024 deals on office monitors
Dell 27-inch 1080p VA monitor, $99.99 ($20 off at Dell.com)
Acer 27-inch 1440p IPS monitor, $139.99 ($55 off at Amazon)
Asus 24-inch USB-C 1080p IPS Monitor, $109.99 ($40 off at Amazon)
Lenovo L15 USB-C 1080p portable monitor, $195.49 ($30 off at Amazon)
Dell is a go-to for low-cost, high-quality monitors, but Acer has it beat with a 27-inch monitor with both upgraded 1440p resolution and a better IPS model for just a little more. Asus has a 24-inch USB-C monitor if you want an easy connection with your laptop that’ll also charge it up. And for more screen space on the go, that 15-inch Lenovo portable monitor is a great way to level up your mobile setup. It also works with some phones and tablets.
More great Prime Day 2024 deals
PCWorld covers a wide range of tech deals every Prime Day, so make sure to check out some other best deal roundups that may be of interest.
Best SSD and external storage deals for Prime Day 2024
Best battery charger and power bank deals for Prime Day 2024
Best Thunderbolt dock and USB-C hub deals for Prime Day 2024
Best keyboard deals for Prime Day 2024
Best USB flash drive deals for Prime Day 2024
FAQ
1.
What size of monitor should I buy?
Monitor size depends on personal preference and location.
A 24-inch monitor is fine for a desk that is around 24 inches deep, or less. Its small size will still be sufficient because the monitor is closer to you.
Most people, however, will want to go with a 27-inch monitor. The added size will make the monitor easy to see. This also opens up a wider range of 4K monitor options, as 4K is very rare on a 24-inch monitor.
Larger monitors, such as a 32-inch widescreen or 34-inch ultrawide, are great for deep desks and people who want an immersive experience. Monitors this large can serve as a TV replacement in a small room.
Displays of even larger size, such as 42-inch or 48-inch HDTVs, are best for home theater setups or an unusually large office. You’ll want to sit four to six feet away from a display of this size.
2.
What display input is best? (HDMI vs. DisplayPort vs. USB-C)
USB-C is the best display input for most people. It works by bundling DisplayPort into USB-C, so offers all the same features as DisplayPort. Yet it retains the features of USB-C including optional support for Power Delivery to charge external devices. This is why we recommend a USB-C monitor for most people.
DisplayPort is generally second-best. It supports higher resolutions and refresh rates than HDMI. This input is particularly common on desktop computers.
HDMI comes in third due to lower resolution and refresh rate support. This is improved by HDMI 2.1, but this feature remains hard to find and often adds to a monitor’s price.
All three of the options above handle 1080p at 60Hz, which is the most common resolution and refresh rate available today. It’s also important to buy a monitor that has an input compatible with your PC.
3.
Are all monitors compatible with Windows and MacOS?
Modern monitors are compatible with all recent versions of Windows and MacOS. They’re plug-and-play, which means the monitor should display an image without the need to install driver software or mess with Windows or MacOS settings.
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| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 12 Jul (PC World)Amazon’s Prime Day sales event is nearly here, but the early deals on desktop PCs have already begun. This year, Prime Day will run from July 16th through July 17th, and should include solid discounts on everything from gaming PCs to all-in-ones, as well as more traditional desktop machines.
Early deals are well underway not just from Amazon, but other online sites as well, and we’ve curated the best sales on computers from all over the internet. So, whether you’re looking to update your gaming setup with a sweet new rig or you’ve had your eye on that latest all-in-one, there is no better time to snag a discounted desktop.
I’ve built my own PC from scratch, and at PCWorld, I’ve used my desktop knowledge to curate a list of the best available computer deals for several years. Other retailers have jumped in on the early Prime Day action, and some of the best desktop PC deals can even be found outside of Amazon, so I’ve included those deals too.
Read on for all of the best computer deals, and be sure to check out our Prime Day 2024 deals hub for more great sales across all the tech categories.
Best early Prime Day deals on PC gaming computers
MSI Aegis Z, Ryzen 7/RTX 4070 Super/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,399.00 (10% off on Amazon)
MSI Codex R2, Core i5/RTX 4060/16GB RAM/2TB SSD, $979.99 (11% off on Amazon)
PowerSpec G518, Ryzen 7/RTX 4060/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $999.99 (20% off on MicroCenter)
Alienware Aurora R16, Core i9/RTX 4080 Super/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $2,199.99 (21% off on Dell)
Legion Tower 7i, Core i9/RTX 4080 Super/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $2,519.99 (20% off on Lenovo)
Acer Predator Orion, Core i7/RTX 4070/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,279.99 (23% off on Newegg)
ABS Eurus Aqua, Core i9/RTX 4090/32GB RAM/2TB SSD, $2,999.99 (25% off on Newegg)
It might not be Prime Day yet, but there is already a killer deal on the MSI Aegis Z for $150 off on Amazon. It comes loaded with a Ryzen 7 7700 CPU and a strong RTX 4070 Super GPU. It’s a strong mid-range build all for a price that looks more like budget rig range.
If you’re on the hunt for something that’s even more budget friendly, look no further than the MSI Codex R2 for $120 off on Amazon. Sporting a Core i5-14400F CPU and RTX 4060 GPU, you’ll get strong gaming performance without breaking the bank.
Best early Prime Day deals on mainstream productivity computers
IdeaCentre Mini, Core i5/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $489.99 (24% off on Lenovo)
HP Envy Desktop, Core i7/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $799.99 (20% off on BestBuy)
XPS Desktop, Core i7/RTX 4060Ti/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,099.99 (29% off on Dell)
Apple Mac Mini 2023, M2/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,149.00 (12% off on Amazon)
Mini-PCs are all the rage and the excellent IdeaCentre Mini is currently $160 off on Lenovo. The IdeaCentre is one of the best small form-factor PCs on the market and this particular model impresses thanks to its Intel Core i5-13500H processor and 512GB of SSD storage.
Mac fans can also find good deals this week, with Amazon offering the M2 Mac Mini for $100 off on its website. The M2 is still a solid CPU and considering, if rumors are true, the M4 Mac Mini isn’t set to be released until later this year, it’s the perfect time to buy the older version at a discount — you’ll still get a great mini desktop without the exorbitant price of a new-gen Apple product.
Best early Prime Day deals on all-in-one computers
Inspiron 24 AiO, Core 7-150U, MX570A, 16GB RAM/1TB SSD/24-inch 1080p touch display, $949.99 (21% off on Dell)
HP Envy AiO 34, Core i5/RTX 3050/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/34-inch 5K display, $1,499.99 (28% off on HP)
Acer Aspire C24-1300, Ryzen 5/8GB RAM/512GB SSD/24-inch 1080p display, $499.00 (27% off on Amazon)
iMac M3 2023, M3/8GB RAM/256GB SSD/24-inch 5K display, $1,199.00 (8% off on Amazon)
Not to be outdone, Dell kicked off its Black Friday in July sales event recently and it has a great deal on its Inspiron 24 AiO for $250 off on its website. It features the brand new Core 7-150U processor an MX570A GPU and a generous 1TB of SSD storage. Good performance features and a functional touchscreen make this a great option for anyone looking for a powerful AiO.
Or you could decide to go big with the HP Envy AiO 34 deal for $610 off on HP. This gigantic all-in-one from HP is an absolute beauty with tons of screen real-estate thanks to its 34-inch 5K display. Plus, it even comes with an RTX 3050 discrete graphics card — unheard of in an all-in-one computer.
PC deals FAQ
1.
What type of desktop should I get?
You’ll see a ton of options when searching for a desktop computer, but they all mainly fit into four main categories: gaming PCs, productivity PCs (towers or mini PCs), and all-in-ones (AiO). Which you should end up buying is entirely dependent upon what your needs are and what you want to do with your computer.
If you’re looking for something that will work in a home office or family room, then a productivity PC or AiO with a solid CPU and a decent amount of RAM and storage is probably the way to go. If gaming is your main concern, a gaming desktop PC can offer a lot more bang for your buck than a laptop and you should focus on getting the best GPU possible. Or if you just want something that can fit anywhere and provide basic computing then a mini PC is a good bet.
2.
How much processing power will I need?
If you’re after CPU power, look for processors with higher numerical labels. A Core i7 is more suited to gaming and more intense work than everyday tasks. Intel processors are available in Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9. Typically, the higher the number, the more powerful the CPU.
If you don’t need a ton of power, Intel Core i5 processors are your best bet, as they offer good performance at a decent price. You can get along just fine with a Core i3 for basic office and web browsing.
As for AMD options, the Ryzen 3 is good for basic productivity and web browsing, while Ryzen 5 chips rival Intel’s Core i5 as solid all-arounders. If you need more power, the Ryzen 7 chip is well suited for content creation like video editing. Finally, if you’re dealing with 4K video, spring for a Ryzen 9.
3.
What GPU should I get?
If you don’t intend to do any gaming on your computer, then feel free to save some money by going with integrated graphics. However, if you are looking to get your game on, then we recommend at least an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 or RTX 4060 as these are the least expensive discrete graphics cards that can handle 1080p gaming on High graphics settings in most games.
Thankfully, the latest-gen GPUs have begun dropping in price in pre-built systems so opt for that if you have the money and want a performance boost. But if you’re on a tight budget, then opting for a rig with a previous-generation card can allow you to save some money while still providing decent graphics quality.
4.
What about memory?
As for RAM, nowadays I think it’s best to shoot for 16GB at the minimum for all systems. If you’re on a budget or just need a basic browsing machine then 8GB can suffice. Those looking to do heavy content creation such as video editing should aim for 32GB.
5.
What is a good amount of storage?
Storage size is dependent upon your personal needs, but it is generally a good idea to opt for an SSD over a standard HDD as they are much faster and don’t significantly affect the price of a desktop. Before deciding, it’s best to consider what your intended use of the computer will be. Are you just storing documents or doing web browsing? Then something like 512GB will be plenty.
If you want to load up a lot of large files such as games or content creation projects, then you’ll need at least 1TB to 2TB of storage. However, just remember that even if your computer doesn’t have enough storage built-in you can always upgrade your SSD or go with an external drive to increase your available storage options.
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| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 12 Jul (PC World)Looking for a bargain on your next tablet? You’re in luck because there are some great Prime Day deals going on, even now in the early days before the main event starts. We’re already seeing iPads on sale for more than $100 off and Amazon Fire tablets at downright massive discounts.
I’ve been a consumer technology editor for over 10 years and I’ve been hunting for tech deals for most of my life. Here, I’ve curated the best Prime Day tablet deals based on price histories, my personal experiences, our PCWorld expert reviews, and brand reputations.
Keep reading for all the best tablet deals right now. We also have a Prime Day 2024 deals hub for big savings on other tech, too!
Best early iPad deals for Prime Day 2024
Apple iPad Air M1 with 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, 10-hour battery, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage, Wi-Fi 6 and 5G cellular. $750 ($120 off on Amazon)
Apple iPad mini (6th Gen) with 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, 10-hour battery, 4GB RAM, 256GB storage, Wi-Fi 6. $550 ($100 off on Amazon)
Apple iPad (9th Gen) with 10.2-inch Retina display, 10-hour battery, 3GB RAM, 256GB storage. $379 ($100 off on Amazon)
iPads are tough to beat if you’re in need of a versatile tablet for everyday use, doubly so if you’re already hooked into Apple’s ecosystem with an iPhone and/or MacBook.
Between these three awesome iPad deals, I’d personally go for the iPad mini. It strikes the best balance between price and performance, and it looks fantastic with its Liquid Retina screen. But if the 8.3-inch size is too small for you, I’d also be quite happy with the regular iPad.
The M1 iPad Air is a tad pricey because it includes cellular functionality, and most don’t need that. But if you can stomach the price, you’ll definitely feel the upgrade between the 8GB of RAM and M1 chip.
Best early Kindle Fire tablet deals for Prime Day 2024
Amazon Fire Max 11 (2023) with 11-inch display, 14-hour battery, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, Wi-Fi 6. Includes backpack and Echo Buds. $190 ($145 off on Amazon)
Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) with 10.1-inch display, 13-hour battery, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage. Includes case with stand. $100 ($75 off on Amazon)
Amazon Fire HD 8 (2022) with 8-inch display, 13-hour battery, 2GB RAM, 64GB storage. Includes case with stand. $90 ($75 off on Amazon)
Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids (2022) with 8-inch display, 13-hour battery, 2GB RAM, 64GB storage, parental controls. Includes 1 year of Amazon Kids+, case, and backpack. $87 ($118 off on Amazon)
These are the hottest Fire tablet deals right now, but if you ask me, one stands out above the rest: the Fire Max 11 offers the biggest discount and packs the biggest bang for your buck.
The 11-inch display is perfect for most use cases, and the 4GB of RAM plus octa-core processor offer the most responsive experience. Plus, it has the longest battery life. And let’s not forget the included backpack and Echo Buds! Too bad it doesn’t also come with a case…
If you’re getting this tablet for a young child, though, you probably want a Fire Kids tablet. The bundle deal on the Fire HD 8 Kids is a winner as it comes with the rugged kid-proof case and the backpack (blue backpack version and pink backpack version).
Best early Samsung tablet deals for Prime Day 2024
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus with 12.4-inch AMOLED display, 9-hour battery, 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, Wi-Fi 7. Includes S Pen. $799 ($200 off on Amazon)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 with 11-inch AMOLED display, 8-hour battery, 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, Wi-Fi 7. Includes S Pen. $699 ($220 off on Amazon)
If you need a powerhouse Android tablet, you can’t go wrong with Samsung’s Galaxy Tab line—and now’s a great time to jump on one because both the Tab S9 and Tab S9 Plus are on sale.
They’re both high-performance devices with beautiful AMOLED screens, 12GB of RAM, and Wi-Fi 7 support. They also both have the same CPU/GPU. The main differences? Screen size and battery life.
For me, I think 11 inches is plenty for anything I’d do on a tablet, so I’d go for the cheaper Tab S9. But if you seek maximum productivity, the extra screen space and battery life could be tangible. Is it worth an extra $100? Well, only you can decide that.
Tablet deals FAQ
1.
Is a tablet the right device for me?
It might be! Tablets are great when you want to do phone stuff but wish you had a much larger screen, or when you need the portability and productivity of a laptop and can make do without specific apps that only run on Windows or Mac laptops.
Tablets are more convenient than phones for writing emails, watching videos, browsing the web, playing mobile games, reading ebooks, and more. Plus, doing all this on a tablet keeps your phone juiced up.
Tablets tend to have longer battery life than most laptops, so you can maintain tablet activity for longer before needing to stop and recharge. Add a wireless keyboard and you can do almost anything a laptop can.
2.
What should I look for when buying a tablet?
Screen size is key as you want a lot more than your phone can offer, but not so much that it hampers portability. Battery life is also important and you’ll want one with at least 8 to 10 hours. CPU and RAM both affect how smooth and responsive it feels to use—the faster, the better.
Screen resolution and image quality can come into play if you’re working on spreadsheets, multitasking, or streaming movies/TV. Storage capacity is important if you intend to download a lot of files (e.g., games, ebooks, music, videos).
3.
What size tablet should I buy?
Tablet sizes range from 7 inches up to 13 inches and beyond, so the right size for you depends on how you intend to use your tablet.
If you’re going to do a lot of work or watch a lot of movies/TV, you can’t go wrong with the biggest screen you can afford. Stick to 10 or 11 inches if you prioritize a balance between portability, performance, and price. Only go below 10 inches if you need utmost portability or you have a tight, strict budget.
4.
How much storage do I need for my tablet?
Most people should be fine with a basic 64GB configuration, especially if all you’re going to do is stream video, browse the web, and answer emails. But more is never bad if you can afford it!
If you’re going to be installing lots of high-end games, downloading lots of video, or working frequently with big files, then you’ll probably need at least 256GB. Is money no object? Go up to 512GB. And if you still need more space? Supplement with an external SSD.
Avoid 32GB models because you’ll likely regret it.
5.
Should I get cellular service for my tablet?
LTE and 5G tablet models only come in handy when you’re away from home, in an area that doesn’t have any Wi-Fi, and you still want internet access. Otherwise, you probably don’t need cellular features.
Note that you can always piggyback any tablet off your phone’s cellular data by enabling your phone’s mobile hotspot feature. This essentially turns your phone into a Wi-Fi point, allowing your tablet to use the internet through your phone’s LTE or 5G data.
If, for whatever reason, you’ll be using your tablet often without Wi-Fi access and without your phone, then cellular might be worth it for you.
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