Category: Laptop

Chuwi Ubook Pro 2-in-1 convertible laptop review

Microsoft launched the Surface range, some might say, in order to provide a standard for others to follow, more or less faithfully. Some, like Chuwi, follow it almost to the letter; take the Ubook Pro, it is a 2-in-1 convertible laptop that looks a lot like the Surface Pro 7, complete with a lookalike keyboard.

Design

The design language of Chuwi tablets has evolved significantly over the past four years. Premium material is now the norm as the Chinese manufacturer wants to move away from the bargain basement crowd and improve its margin.

At 292 x 208 x 8.5mm, it has almost exactly the same dimensions as its Microsoft competitor and its weight, at 770g, matches it as well. Pure coincidence? More likely that they share the same supply chain. The integrated kickstand is a frame which looks more fragile than what the Surface Pro 7 offers.

Its angle can be set between zero and about 145 degrees; it remains firmly in place at any angle and represents a better solution than the rectangular plate in the Pro 7. The speakers are located on each side of the tablet, underneath the stand. 

The Ubook Pro is particularly well equipped when it comes to connectivity, better than its rival. There’s two USB 3 ports (type-A), a Type-C connector, a dedicated power jack, a mini HDMI connector, a microSD card reader and a 3.5-mm audio port. Other than the volume rocker and the power button, you will also find a 2-megapixel camera at the front and a 5-megapixel one at the back.

Overall the Ubook Pro feels solid yet light thanks to the combination of plastic, metal and glass. The display, a 12.3-inch model, has an oleophobic coating making it almost impervious to greasy fingerprints. Hurray! Its aspect ratio (3:2 with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels) means that the tablet looks taller – and feels squarer – than the 16:10 Windows tablets that usually come from China.

Hardware

Chuwi managed to source some fairly recent parts, the Intel Core m3-8100y, a feat given how constrained Intel’s supplies are at the moment. It was launched in Q3 2018 and is still on a 14nm process which means that it will run relatively warm.

It still rocks two cores, like the first Core M part with an Intel Graphics 615 processor graphics. One peculiar characteristic of the Core M family is that they have a very low default clock speed with a very high maximum frequency, which means that things can get warm very quickly.

The processor is teamed up with 8GB of system memory (single channel LPDDR4, so theoretically slower), a 256GB Netac SSD (SATA-based). A 36.5Whr battery powers the whole thing and connectivity is handled by the ubiquitous Wireless-AC 3165 from Intel. Also part of the package we reviewed was a stylus and a detachable keyboard.

In use and performance

The Chuwi Ubook Pro delivers some solid performance both visually and when it comes to tasks. Let’s start with the display which is not as bright or sharp as the Surface family. It doesn’t mean that it is intrinsically bad, just adjust your expectations.

When it comes to benchmarks, the numbers tell a story of two parts; the processor handles most productivity tasks well unless you want to game on it which is a no-no. The GPU is far too slow for most modern games but will deal with everything else without issue.

We would have preferred to have the DC port located nearer to the bottom of the tablet. Having it at the very top put extra pressure on the cable connector.

This is primarily a detachable laptop to be used on a desk (or flat surface) which means that it is an awkward experience should you want to use it on your lap. It simply doesn’t feel right for a number of reasons.

The keyboard is one of them; on a flat surface, it is perfectly usable with a snappy performance. Very responsive even with a very short travel; it is the very opposite of a mushy keyboard, The touchpad is surprisingly large as well, the extra depth provided by the taller display explains it.

Battery life is a cause for concern as we managed only three hours and 37 minutes on our tests (running a Youtube video with all power management features switched off and brightness set to maximum).

The competition

Believe it or not but affordable, detachable 2-in-1 devices are becoming a rarity as the market seems to have pushed towards Yoga-type devices with 360 degrees rotatable keyboard. There’s a splatter of more expensive models like the Miix 520 from Lenovo, the Dell Latitude 3390 or the HP Envy X2.

First, let’s have a look at the original Microsoft Surface Pro 7. You can pick up the Platinum model with a free Type Cover for $599, a saving of $280 off the original price. It has half the memory and half the storage but it does have a more powerful Core i3-1005Gi CPU, a more and a higher screen resolution.

Then there’s the (much) older version, the Surface Pro 4 without the Type cover or stylus which retails for $450 at Newegg. Like the Surface Pro 7 above, it has only 4GB of RAM and 128GB storage but its display has a much higher resolution and it comes with a more powerful CPU, the Intel Core i5-6300U.

Perhaps the most compelling alternative is the Surface Go. At $499 with a Type Cover, it is priced keenly with 8GB of RAM. However compromises on the OS (Windows 10 in S mode), the CPU (a Pentium Gold Processor 4415Y) and the display size (10-inch, rather than 12.3-inch) might be seen as a step too far. 

Final verdict

The Chuwi Ubook Pro is a thoroughly enjoyable product which can be sourced for far less than the Surface models. It is well designed, well kitted and despite some philosophical differences, it will definitely appeal to those looking for a cheaper-yet-capable alternative to the Microsoft Surface range. There are some small issues with the battery life and with the arrangement of the power port but other than that, the Chuwi Pro should definitely be on the short list.

LG’s 2020 Gram laptops add 10th-gen Ice Lake CPUs

LG has unveiled the 2020 versions of its Gram laptops, and the lineup for the year includes a flagship 17-inch model, a 14-inch and a 15-inch model, as well as a 2-in-1 convertible. Like the previous iterations, they were still made to be lightweight and portable with long battery life, though LG promises better performance and more efficiency by using newer components.

The new laptops are powered by 10th Generation Intel Core processors with Iris Plus graphics and up to 24GB of dual-channel DDR4 RAM. LG says they have double the graphics processing power of this year’s models and could help ensure that games and resource-intensive apps like video editors will run smoothly.

The updated devices also support WiFi 6, the next-gen WiFi standard that promises faster speeds and better energy efficiency than its predecessors’. And to make sure the 17-inch and 15-inch Grams can support their upgraded components, LG fitted them with larger batteries — 80Wh, as opposed to 72Wh like previous models had.

The 17-inch Gram has a Wide Quad Extended Graphics Array (WQXGA) IPS display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, while the rest boast Full HD screens with the more common 16:9 aspect ratio. Meanwhile, the 2-in-1 model for 2020 comes with a Thunderbolt 3 connection its predecessor didn’t have and can apparently keep running for over 20 hours. LG hasn’t revealed a release date for the new lineup yet, but it will showcase the devices at CES 2020 from January 7th to 10th.

THE LATEST LINUX KERNEL IS HEADED TO CHROMEBOOKS IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE AND THAT’S A BIG DEAL

For those of you who may not be familiar with the subject, Google’s Chrome OS that powers millions of Chromebooks is built on the Linux kernel. I’ll save you the long-winded explanation of what the Linux kernel is and how it works for two reasons. One, it would take all day. Two, I’m not a developer and I would likely confuse myself and you in the process. Apart from numerous Linux distributions and Chrome OS, the Linux kernel is at the heart of the Android operating system as well as various embedded devices and products such as smart TVs and webcams.

As it stands, the latest generation of Chrome OS devices runs on the Linux kernel version of 4.14. While this version is somewhat recent, it is by no means the most current version of the kernel. Back in January, we unearthed evidence that upcoming devices such as the Qualcomm-based Chromebook ‘Cheza’ will actually feature the much newer 4.19 kernel. This update is a big indicator that Google is serious about making Chrome OS a truly competitive operating system that is up to date with the latest and greatest that the open-source community has to offer.

Today, however, we’ve uncovered some information that is exponentially more exciting for the world of Chromebooks. The newest LTS(long-term support) kernel to hit Linux kernel was released just last month and it looks like it’s already headed to Chrome OS. In digging around the repository, I found the addition of the 5.4 Linux kernel but as I poked around, the plot thickened.

First, the aforementioned Snapdragon Chromebook ‘Cheza’ has now been moved to the much newer 5.4 Linux kernel before the previous 4.19 version ever saw the light of day. Taking a closer look at recent commits, I found that the Tiger Lake-based board we’ve been tracking has also been updated to the 5.4 Linux kernel. That means we could be looking at a variety of Chrome devices coming in the latter part of 2020 that features the newest version of the Linux kernel.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

From a consumer standpoint, this all may seem exceptionally nerdy and I’m sure a lot of Chromebook users couldn’t care less which version of the Linux kernel their devices are using. However, from a market perspective, this is extremely exciting news. In the past, Chromebooks have always felt as if they were the second-class citizens of the computing world. Features found in Windows and Mac devices have slowly trickled down to Chrome OS but it has always felt like the development cycle was months, if not years behind. The fact that Google and its developers are looking to get the latest possible software and features into their OS means they are concretely committed to the success of Chrome OS in the consumer market as well as EDU and enterprise.

We’ll be taking a closer look at the latest Linux kernel version and breaking down what’s new and improved and what that could look like for Chrome OS in the coming months. I suspect that it won’t be long before all new Chromebooks are built on the new kernel and parity with other operating systems won’t be far behind. Stay tuned. 2020 is going to be a stellar year from Chrome OS and we’ll be right in the mix.

Dell XPS 13 (late 2019) review: the one with six cores

For a long time, 13-inch thin and light laptops had dual-core processors. Then about a year or so ago, quad-core chips started showing up in these smaller computers. These processors brought a significant performance jump that was quite noticeable while you were both performing computer-intensive tasks and during everyday work.

Now Dell has introduced a six-core chip in its venerable XPS 13. The latest update to the XPS 13 has the same set of features and design as the model released earlier this year, but now you can have it with a 10th Gen Core i7-10710U “Comet Lake” chip inside, complete with six cores, twelve threads, and a peak turbo speed of 4.7GHz.

That’s a lot of chip for a computer that weighs less than three pounds and has one of the smallest footprints in the industry. But unlike the jump from two to four cores, the leap to six cores doesn’t make this the best, or even the fastest, 13-inch laptop for all tasks.

The design, keyboard, trackpad, and display of this XPS 13 is the same as the model we reviewed earlier this year, so you should head there for the nitty-gritty details. But I’ll just add that the new XPS 13 2-in-1 feels far more modern than the standard XPS 13, thanks to its sleeker design, bigger trackpad, larger (if more polarizing) keyboard, and more practical 16:10 display. Dell typically announces new designs at CES, so I suspect this six-core XPS 13 will be a bit of a swan song for a design that’s been chugging along for almost five years.

The real interesting stuff is all on the inside with this model, and everything is centered around that new chip. The Core i7-10710U is a 14-nanometer processor with six cores, hyper-threading (which provides 12 logical threads), a base speed of 1.1GHz, a max turbo speed of 4.7GHz, a power draw of 15W, and Intel’s UHD integrated graphics, which are the same as what was available on the 8th Gen four-core chips that preceded it.

This chip brings a lot of the processing power reserved for larger 15-inch laptops down to a smaller chassis, and the XPS 13 is the first computer on the market to utilize it. You’ll have to pony up at least $1,349.99 (before sales or incentives) to get an XPS 13 with this processor; the model I’ve been using, which is also equipped with 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a 4K touchscreen, tallies up to $1,799.99 before discounts.

But thanks to Intel’s extremely confusing 10th Gen chip lineup, it’s not as straightforward as saying “get this laptop if you want the fastest machine.” That’s because at the same time it released the six-core i7 chip, Intel also released its 10th Gen “Ice Lake” processor line. These chips have four cores, but a more efficient 10-nanometer die and a significantly upgraded integrated Iris Plus Graphics processor. These “Ice Lake” processors are available in a wide variety of thin and light laptops this fall, including Dell’s own XPS 13 2-in-1.

So to make the right decision, you really need to evaluate what you plan to use your laptop for and then choose which processor will get you the most performance. The six-core chip excels at number crunching and multithreaded processes (thanks to its two extra cores and four more threads), so it is going to be better suited for compiling code or running extremely complicated macros on Excel spreadsheets. It also charts higher on benchmark tools that measure multithreaded capabilities.

But due to its older and slower integrated graphics, the six-core chip is actually less capable than the four-core processor in the XPS 13 2-in-1 for doing creative tasks that leverage the GPU, such as working in Photoshop or Lightroom, or editing video in programs like Premiere Pro. That was borne out in my testing: the six-core XPS 13 took 24 minutes and 10 seconds to export a five-minute, 33-second 4K clip from Premiere Pro, while the XPS 13 2-in-1 with a four-core Ice Lake chip and Iris Plus Graphics did the job in 17 minutes and nine seconds.

The XPS 13’s processor was also unable to hit the full 4.7GHz speed during the export, peaking at 4GHz before settling to 3.5GHz after six minutes and dropping to as low as 1.8GHz over the course of the export. That could be due to the fact that Premiere attempts to offload as much as possible to the GPU during an export, but it’s also likely due to the fact that the XPS 13 is still a thin and light computer and doesn’t have the cooling capacity to maintain high speeds for long periods of time. There are good reasons why chips with this many cores have not yet made it into 13-inch laptops before now, and many of them are centered around the inability of such a thin chassis to keep them cool.

On the plus side, the extra processing power in the six-core i7 doesn’t impact battery life as much as you might expect. I averaged about six hours and 20 minutes between charges while using the machine for my everyday work of browsing the web, writing, email, Slack, and other productivity tools. That’s not especially great, but it’s also not far off from what I get with the quad-core chips found in many other 13-inch laptops.

The six-core XPS 13 is a strange computer. It feels like a holdover until something better is available in both design and internals. That first part probably isn’t too far off, since CES 2020 is just about a month away, but it’s hard to say how long it will be before Intel introduces Ice Lake chips that have six cores, a 10-nanometer die, and the improved Iris Plus Graphics. Once that happens, then we’ll have some real performance jumps in the thin and light category to celebrate.

While we wait for MSI’s 240Hz portable gaming monitor, here’s a 60Hz version

MSI managed to earn a CES innovation award for a portable gaming monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate, which we wrote about a few weeks ago. It’s now available, but with a much lower refresh rate—it’s listed at 60Hz instead of 240Hz. So, what’s going on?

The Optix MAG161V now available is a precursor to faster versions that will debut sometime later. Even though the MAG161V’s product page for the MAG161V prominently displays the same award badge as the MAG161 (no “V” at the end) that was touted in MSI’s award announcement, it’s a different monitor—I’m told MSI will release two more models, one with a 240Hz refresh rate and one with a 120Hz refresh rate.

This portable display consists of a 15.6-inch IPS panel situated on a kickstand, similar to a Microsoft Surface tablet, minus the keyboard and other hardware. It has a 1920×1080 resolution, 178-degree viewing angles (vertical and horizontal), 180 nits brightness, and a 700:1 contrast ratio (the global product page lists it at 800:1, but MSI tells me that’s incorrect, and that the US product page is accurate).

None of MSI’s product pages or datasheets list the response time, but on Newegg, it shows as being 25ms (gray-to-gray). That seems awfully high, even on an IPS screen, yet it’s accurate—I confirmed it with MSI directly.

“The future models may not be entirely the same as the 60Hz [model], we are looking to improve the overall build quality and features on the other models,” MSI told me.

Fair enough. Also, dropping to 60Hz is not necessarily a deal killer, if this is to be used as a secondary monitor for chat and other things that wouldn’t benefit from a fast refresh rate. Maybe it would work well with Stadia.

For anyone who might have purchased a laptop with a lower refresh rate and was looking forward to a portable 240Hz display for gaming (one of the niche markets for something like this), the 60Hz refresh rate is certainly disappointing. But, it’s not the end of the road—240Hz and 120Hz variants are coming.

In the meantime, the Optix MAG161V is available now on Newegg for $249.99.

Corsair PC Case Deal Offers Tempered Glass, RGB for Just $40

At its lowest price ever, the Corsair Carbide 175R also comes with tempting features like a PSU cover and dust filters.

Corsair’s Carbide 175R RGB normally costs $69.99, but we’ve spotted an early Black Friday tech deal that brings that price all the way down to $39.99 after a $20 rebate. That’s its lowest price ever and an absolute steal if you consider that this case comes with tempered glass, a power supply cover, RGB support, dust filters and more.

The chassis is a mid-tower ATX design, so you’ll be able to fit up to ATX-sized motherboards in here and up to seven expansion slots. It has room for two 2.5-inch SSDs and two 3.5-inch drives, along with graphics cards measuring up to 330mm long and CPU coolers up to 160mm tall. Long story short: plenty of space for building quite a solid gaming system.

If you’re into liquid cooling, you’ll also be pleased to know that the front of the chassis can hold up to a 360mm radiator, the top a 240mm unit and the rear a 120mm unit. The case comes with one 120mm fan included as standard, so you might want to spend a little extra on adding one or two more –- unless you install a 240mm radiator at the top of the chassis, in which case you’ll have your bases covered.

The RGB support comes in the form of the RGB-lit Corsair logo at the front of the chassis, and the included fan comes with six RGB LEDs.

For more recommendations, you can also take a look at what we consider the best PC cases available right now, based on our own testing. 

Lenovo Chromebook C340 review: You get what you pay for

Chromebooks are available at prices high and low. The $300 Lenovo Chromebook C340 sits in the sweet spot, balancing affordability with features and functionality. You’ll be hard-pressed to find as much bang for the buck as in the Chromebook C340, but Lenovo made a few choices that threaten to sink the entire experience.

Find out what they are in the Android Authority Lenovo Chromebook C340 review.

About this Lenovo Chromebook C340 review: I tested the Lenovo Chromebook C340 (11 inch) over the course of seven days. The device shipped with Chrome OS 78 and remained on that build throughout the duration of the review period. Lenovo supplied Android Authority with the review unit.

What is the Lenovo Chromebook C340?

The C340 is a two-in-one convertible that works as a laptop or a tablet thanks to a hinge that swings 360 degrees. The 11-inch display means the C340 is compact, lightweight, and highly portable. Though Lenovo isn’t necessarily pitching it to the education market, I can see it serving as an effective machine for school-aged kids thanks to the size and weight.

A metal panel covers the Chromebook’s lid. It’s available in either Sand Pink or Platinum Grey. I like the matte, granular look of both finishes. The Chrome and Lenovo logos are embedded in the metal. Lenovo used plastic for the lower half of the Chromebook. Despite the differences inherent in metal and plastic, the color is uniform across both materials.

The overall shape is somewhat wedge-like. Both sides are tapered a bit from the rear hinge toward the front edge. The lid has what I’d call an angular overbite that forms a distinct profile for the Chromebook when it is closed.

Like many 360-degree hinges, the C340’s consists of two rotating hubs that allow the lid to swing all the way around and lay flat on the bottom. The hinge is strong and sturdy throughout the range of motion, and I felt confident setting the display at any angle. I particularly like to stand two-in-ones such as the C340 like a tent so I can watch YouTube or Netflix.

These are the Chromebook C340’s basic features.

How does the Chromebook C340 perform?

Pay for Celeron silicon, get Celeron speed — or the lack thereof. Only a single processor option is available to the C340, and that’s an Intel Celeron N4000 clocked at 1.1GHz with a 4MB cache and burst speeds of up to 2.6GHz. Other specs that play a role in performance include the Intel UHD Graphics 600 and 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM at 2.4GHz. Two storage variants are available: 32GB and 64GB, with only $20 separating the two options.

The N4000 marked its debut in 2017 and since then at least two generations of N4xxx chips from Intel have reached the market. It’s a low-cost processor for low-cost machines. I wish Lenovo had opted for a newer variant of the N4xxx line.

The C340 isn’t slow, per se, but it’s certainly not zippy. I found performance slowed noticeably once I reached the dozen-open-tabs mark in Chrome. Toss in some Androids apps running in the background and you’ll see responsiveness tumble. The C340 struggled to run Adobe Lightroom, for example, but Netflix, Spotify, and Google Docs all did fine. In other words, this is a light-duty machine, not a performant powerhouse.

That goes for the battery, too. The three-cell, 42Wh battery takes several hours to recharge via the included 45Wh charger and will then run for up to 10 hours, according to Lenovo. Attaining that battery life depends on factors such as screen brightness and whether or not you’re blasting media through the speakers. Most days I tested the C340 it put up numbers between 9:12 and 9:28 — not quite 10, but enough for a work day or school day if you’re shutting down at 6PM.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth performed very well. The 802.11ac 2×2 configuration did wonderfully on my home Wi-Fi network, as well as the local Starbucks. No issues there at all. The same goes for the Bluetooth 4.2 radio, which was able to handle earbuds for wireless listening.

What I like about the Lenovo C340

Lenovo’s affordable Chromebook C340 puts the more-than-twice-as-expensive Google Pixelbook Go to shame when it comes to ports. Where the Pixelbook Go has just two USB-C ports, the C340 has two USB-C ports (3.1 Gen 1), two USB-A ports (3.1 Gen 1), a headphone/mic jack, a Kensington lock, and a microSD card reader. Moreover, the ports and controls are spread evenly on both side edges of the C340, ensuring utility no matter your setting.

Another feature the C34o has that the Go doesn’t? Physical volume controls on the side edge, as well as an easy-to-find power button. A simple click of the button won’t shut down your machine. Instead, press-and-hold to bring up the shut down dialog box, which includes options for logging out and locking the Chromebook. These are simple hardware features that go a long way in aiding usability.

I totally dig the size of the C340. A standard sheet of paper can almost cover the whole 290 x 208mm length and width. The C340 is a little chunky at 17.9mm, but as it weighs only 2.6 lbs / 1.18kg it’s light enough to sling around in a pack all day. My backpack felt empty as I toted the C340 into Manhattan for some meetings.

What I don’t like about the C340

If you’re wondering why I haven’t yet mentioned the display, you’re about to find out why. The Lenovo Chromebook C340 has an 11.6-inch IPS LCD touch display with HD resolution (1,366 x 768) in a 16:9 aspect ratio. It puts out 250nits and is protected by a highly glossy piece of glass.

At this size, the HD resolution is just barely good enough. The screen is perhaps at its best when watching movies or TV shows. During these activities, you often lean back a little and video content moves quickly. Colors look good and viewing angles are excellent.

Leaning in to use the C340 to browse the web or to get some writing done is a different story. My eyes were able to spot pixelated edges on graphics, icons, and text. It’s not egregious, but it’s noticeable. The backlight isn’t quite powerful enough. Though 250nits isn’t terrible, I had trouble seeing the screen when using it in sunny spaces, such as my living room or near the window of a coffee shop. The high reflectivity of the glossy glass doesn’t help. Toss in fingerprints from touching the screen and it’s not the best experience I’ve had.

Then there are the bezels. The C340 has thick black bezels all the way around the display that are incredibly unappealing. Convertible two-in-ones do necessitate that there be at least some bezel to add an area to grip when used as a tablet, but the C340 simply has too much.

The keyboard doesn’t do it for me, either. I appreciate that the keyboard deck is firm, meaning the frame is solid and doesn’t bend or sag when typing. That said, the keys are tall, with a rounded shape that tripped up my fingers. Further, the keys require quite a bit more travel than I care for and this slowed my typing speed. Last, it’s not backlit which is a dealbreaker for me. I realize these gripes are personal and others may find the keyboard delightful. Moreover, skipping the backlight likely helped Lenovo keep the cost down. 

Last, the speakers are not the best. The C340 has two bottom-firing speakers mounted underneath the chassis. When placed on a hard surface, such as a desk or a table, you’ll get plenty of sound. If you prop the Chromebook up on a pillow or blanket, the sound tends to get muffled. Simple physics. The sound itself is all mids and highs; there’s absolutely no bass at all. If you turn it all the way up you get a distorted mess. You’re better off using headphones.

Should you buy the Lenovo Chromebook C340?

Pricing determines so much. The Platinum Grey C340 comes in only one configuration with 64GB of storage and costs $299.99. You can buy the 32GB Sand Pink colorway for $299.99, but if you want 64GB and pink, you’ll pay $319.99.

Lenovo’s problem here is the competition. There are literally dozens of models available from a range of manufacturers in the $200 to $400 space. Thanks to the size and price, I would recommend the C340 to middle schoolers who aren’t sticklers for specs and performance. If you want more from your Chromebook, you may have to spend more to get it. Lenovo itself has a faster, 15-inch version of the C340, as well as clamshell variants such as the S340 14-inch and S340 15-inch. 

Chromebooks are so varied there’s surely an exact fit for everyone. The C340 11-inch perhaps fits best for younger users. 

Asus TUF 15.6″ Gaming Laptop On Sale For $579

Black Friday is an excellent time to find a nice gaming laptop on a budget. Today’s biggest gaming titles have demanding spec requirements—a good graphics card and a reliable processor is a must. This 15.6″ Asus machine more than hits the mark as one of the best deals we’ve found so far on gaming laptops.

The laptop comes pre-loaded with Windows 10. It features an RGB backlit keyboard which can be programmed using the TUF Aura Core panel. You’ll find an HDMI port on the side for a possible second display output.

This laptop is definitely ideal for gaming and other high-demand media software like Photoshop. The GeForce GTX 1650 GPU and Core i5 processor really come together to make this deal stand out. If you’re looking for a high-performance gaming laptop on a budget, you should check out this Asus gaming laptop deal while it lasts. It usually retails for over $700 but is available right now on Best Buy for just $579.

If you’re looking for something a little different, check out our list of Black Friday tech deals for more laptops, desktops, and tablets.

Thermaltake’s H550 TG ARGB Case Comes with Tempered Glass, Aluminum, & RGB

Recently having announced a trio of very similar cases, Thermaltake is back again to announce the new H550 TG ARGB case. At first sight, these cases might appear quite different from the G31, G32, and G33, but they’re actually based on the same internal chassis.

The basis is a simple mid-tower ATX case, which can hold up to ATX-size motherboards with seven expansion slots. It also has two additional expansion slots for vertically mounting a graphics card if you so desire. GPUs can be up 300mm long, and if you install one vertically, do be sure it isn’t more than 45mm thick or you’ll have clearance issues with the tempered glass panel. 

With a radiator installed there is a memory height clearance of 40mm, and even the best CPU coolers can be up to 165 mm tall. PSUs can be up to 200 mm long, but will be limited to 160 mm in length with the hard drive rack installed. Either way, the PSU cover has a window to ensure your PSU also gets a little admiration from its human companions.

Where things start to differ is from the G3X series is the case’s front panel and the front fans. The panel in this H550 TG ARGB comes with a large slab of diamond-cut 2mm thick aluminum as its front panel, which only has air intake from the bottom and its right side. This allocation should help in reducing noise reaching the user if the PC is located to your right.

The air intake is handled by three optional 120 mm fans, the exhaust at the top can hold up to two 140 mm fans (and thus a 280 mm radiator), and the rear can hold a 140mm fan, but comes with one 120 mm unit preinstalled.

That pre-installed fan comes with addressable RGB support, as does the LED strip in the front panel of the chassis.

Thermaltake’s H550 TG ARGB’s main chassis is made from SPCC steel, which has been painted black. It’s not the most expensive material, but it is tough and can stand the test of time quite well. This also means that we don’t expect the chassis to end up being all too costly when it hits shelves. Thermaltake hasn’t provided precise information regarding the when and for how much question, though.

Lenovo ThinkBook 14s review: The best of ThinkPad, without the ThinkPad

Earlier this year, I reviewed the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s, but that device came alongside a larger one, the 14s. Now that device is in, and it’s a very similar machine. It’s a bit bigger, and it has dedicated graphics, but it’s just as awesome.

If you’re unfamiliar with the ThinkBook brand, that’s OK, because it’s new. It’s pretty much Lenovo rethinking its Think business laptops. There are plenty of people that love ThinkPads, but there are also plenty of people that don’t like them at all. The latter people don’t want TrackPoints, the traditional black color, or that annoying placement of the Fn key (to the left of the Ctrl key).

The ThinkBook 14s is more of a traditional laptop. It has an aluminum build, a shallower keyboard, no TrackPoint, and no physical buttons on top of the trackpad. But this is an all-around great PC. The performance is fantastic, as is the keyboard, and it has some great, common sense features.

Note that the normal price of this model is $1,219, and the price above is the current price on Lenovo.com. It’s same to expect that it will never be sold for full price, as there’s always some discount going on, but the price does fluctuate.

There are only four models, and they’re not customizable. The base model will run you $647.40 for the same CPU, 4GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD. You can also spec it out with a Core i7-8565U, 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, and Windows 10 Pro for $1,007.40, so the pricing on this PC is pretty great.

Design

If I could say one thing about the design of the Lenovo ThinkBook 14s, I’d say it’s just right. It feels sleek and clean, but at the same time, it’s not too flashy. It’s not too thick, too thin, too heavy, or too light. It just feels right.

It’s made out of aluminum, and the color is what Lenovo is calling Mineral Gray. In other words, it’s not just another MacBook clone like the silver-colored aluminum laptops that we see so many of.

On the bottom-right of the lid, there’s the all-new ThinkBook logo, with the Lenovo logo on the top-left sift. Both of these are just dark gray, adding to the clean feel of the look, rather than a ThinkPad, which has a silver logo on a black logo with a red dot on the ‘i’.

It’s also durable. Lenovo says that it can handle spills from up to 60cc of water, and the zinc-alloy hinge can be opened and closed 25,000 times.

The back of the PC has a barrel hinge, which once again blends in with the rest. The hinge is 180 degrees, so the PC can lie completely flat if you want it to.

On the left side of the device, there’s an AC power port, an HDMI 1.4b port, a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. You read that correctly; there is an AC power port, and that’s because you can’t charge with the USB Type-C port. This is the biggest pain point that I’ve had with the ThinkBook series. I want to use one of my own USB Type-C chargers, and I can’t. This PC requires its own special charger, and it’s the only 65W Lenovo charger that I’ve seen shipped with a laptop in years.

One thing that’s cool is that the Type-C port is USB 3.1 Gen 2, meaning that it supports 10Gbps data transfer speeds. Most non-Thunderbolt Type-C ports are USB 3.1 Gen 1, which supports 5Gbps. Still, I have to wonder if it wouldn’t be more cost-efficient to use USB 3.1 Gen 1, ditch the AC power port, and just use USB-C for charging.

I’m not sure why you can’t charge with USB Type-C, although I’m sure it has to do with hitting a certain price point. Like I said before, the price point on ThinkBooks is pretty sweet. It probably also has to do with supporting existing chargers that SMBs have.

On the right side, there are two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports. I think that the ThinkBook 14s has all of the ports that most small to medium size businesses will need. The inclusion of HDMI is nice too, although it’s HDMI 1.4b, which means that you probably won’t want to plug it into a 4K screen.

Display and audio

The ThinkBook 14s includes a 14-inch 1080p anti-glare display. There’s no support for touch, and there aren’t any configuration options. If you want a higher resolution or something, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

I’ve described this PC as a larger version of the ThinkBook 13s, but that’s not exactly true when it comes to the display. The 13s also only had one option, which was 13.3 inches, 1080p, anti-glare, and also without touch, but it was 300 nits. The ThinkBook 14s only has 250-nit brightness.

It’s an issue. The anti-glare screen does its best at blocking glares, but there’s only so much it can do. If you’re using this PC in direct sunlight, you’re going to have a problem. And yes, the brightness is maxed out in the image above.

The screen has narrow bezels on the sides, coming in at under 5.5mm. The top and bottom bezels are a bit bigger, and the top bezel has a ThinkShutter privacy guard built into the webcam, so you don’t need to put a piece of tape over it.

On the bottom of the laptop, you’ll find two 2W Harman speakers, and they’re actually pretty fantastic. My gauge for if speakers are loud enough is if I can turn them up to 100 and feel uncomfortable. The ThinkBook 14s passes that test.

Keyboard, trackpad, and fingerprint sensor

The keyboard on the ThinkBook 14s is one of my favorites. Here’s the thing. ThinkPads are renowned for having some of the best keyboards around, and they definitely do, but they’re not very modern anymore. In 2019, most thin and light PCs don’t have a full 1.5mm key press anymore.

The ThinkBook 14s definitely has a shallower keyboard, and it feels more modern without compromising that quality that I’ve come to expect from Lenovo. While it’s shallower, the resistance makes up for it, and it’s accurate and precise.

There’s also no TrackPoint, which by probably most accounts, is a relic from a long-ago age. I’ve only used it for testing purposes on the various ThinkPads I’ve reviewed. Don’t get me wrong, as there are definitely TrackPoint die-hards out there, but those are the people that buy ThinkPads, not the people that ThinkBook was built for.

It uses a Microsoft Precision trackpad, and it gets the job done. I do miss the physical buttons that you find on ThinkPads, since they just make drag-and-drop operations easier. But this one is clickable responsive. It’s also pretty large, which is nice.

I also want to call attention to the power button, which doubles as a fingerprint sensor. You might have noticed when I mentioned the webcam that there’s no IR camera for facial recognition, but that’s OK, since this fingerprint sensor is so good. In fact, it’s better than any sensor I’ve ever seen on a ThinkPad. Plus, unlike ThinkPads, it’s built into the power button, which has its own benefits.

When you press the button to boot up the PC, it automatically logs you in, so you don’t need facial recognition. Unlike PCs from Dell that have a fingerprint sensor built into the power button, you don’t have to press it again after it boots up. Dell actually thinks it’s a security risk. It has a time limit, where if a PC takes longer than that time to boot, they assume that you might have walked away from your PC.

I have to wonder if the ThinkBook 14s would pass that test, because it boots fast, possibly faster than any other PC I’ve used. No really, it’s weird how fast this thing boots.

Performance and battery life

The model that Lenovo sent me includes an Intel Core i5-8265U, 8GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The specs are pretty mainstream, but oddly enough, the performance is most definitely premium. As I noted above, it boots up weirdly fast, and the overall experience is a continuation of that.

Battery life doesn’t disappoint either. I got a solid six hours of use out of it doing a variety of tasks, and you can probably stretch it to eight or nine hours if you do things that don’t use too many resources. For example, if you watch locally stored videos constantly, you can get over 10 hours from it, but I don’t think anyone in the world actually uses a PC that way. Streaming video, you’ll get more like nine hours, and it goes down from there.

The Intel Core i5-8265U is a quad-core 15W CPU with eight threads from the Whiskey Lake family. Obviously, this PC came out before 10th-generation processors were a thing. It’s pretty standard for a laptop or convertible, and I suspect that even if it did have a 10th-generation ‘Comet Lake’ processor, there wouldn’t be much of a performance boost from the Core i5.

It also has an AMD Radeon 540X 2GB GPU, which is a nice boost when you need it. Any 2GB mobile GPU won’t exactly get you playing games with ray tracing or editing 8K video, but what it does get you is a boost over integrated Intel UHD Graphics. In other words, it’s better than not having it.

Even the benchmark scores are weirdly good, particularly on the Home test. It was the same story for the ThinkBook 13s. I don’t know what special sauce Lenovo is putting in these things, but it should really be sharing the recipe with its other teams.

Conclusion

As was the case with the ThinkBook 13s, the ThinkBook 14s is a real winner for the price. You can get a heck of a lot for under a thousand dollars, and it’s more than the sum of its parts. This is a great PC.

There are two big problems though. One is that it doesn’t charge with USB Type-C, and that’s particularly annoying. The other is that the screen is too dim, so if you’re thinking about using it outdoors a lot, it’s not for you.

What you do get is a solid aluminum design, a fantastic keyboard, and a fast fingerprint sensor that scans your fingerprint before it boots up. It boots fast, performance is great, and battery life is long.

And this PC only costs $731.40. This is designed for SMBs, so at that price point, choosing a bunch of these to hand out to a team should be an easy decision.