Best Laptop For Home Studio (2024 Update)

Right out of the box I loved the design of this laptop and the bonus zipper carrying sleeve. The configurable RGB lighting patterns/colors, vents and solid feel are impressive without being gaudy. << Pros >> 1. The performance of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti has been impressive; requiring almost no tweaks to the default graphics settings and nearly doubling the frame rates that my old laptop with a RTX 3050Ti could barely handle. So far, I have tried: Metro Exodus Enhanced (RTX enabled) ~ 95fps, Fortnite ~ 120fps, Doom (2016) ~ 180fps, FNAF:Security Breach (no RTX option available) ~130, Quake II RTX Demo (90% resolution scaling enabled) ~ 57fps. 2.The 1TB hard drive is a good start, even with a few extra applications that Acer/Microsoft include there is still 898GB available. For additional game storage I installed a second SSD (2TB) and was pleased to see that Acer integrated a heat sink in the case (with a preinstalled thermal pad) for the second drive which is running very cool (~35C). 3. The included AcerCare application has some useful system checks and allows limiting battery charging to 80% for battery health. 4. The PredatorSense applications allows adjusting RGB lighting and setting performance modes: Quiet, Default, Extreme (overclock w/throttled fan speed), Turbo (dedicated button w/max overclock and fan speed). 5. There are a good selection of ports: 3 USB-A, 1 USB-C, HDMI, mini-display, LAN, headphone. << Things To Consider >> 1.Windows 11 seems to do a good overall with managing RAM; peak RAM utilization was around 80% while playing Metro Exodus (so having only 16GB could be an issue in the future or for some higher end games). 2. Limited portability. Weight comes with the solid feel and the AC power supply is large. Battery life has been only adequate (around 3hrs under normal use and less than 2hrs for light game play, with diminished performance). Swapping to Extreme or Turbo performance modes is only possible w/AC adapter AND >40% battery. 3. I am not really a fan of the trackpad, it supports multi-touch gestures, but is stiff (not really a deal breaker since I planned on using a mouse). 4. The speakers are clear, but lack bass and volume. This a bad combination with the cooling fan noise in both Extreme and Overclock performance modes. Head phones are in my future.MGoose

The Acer Predator Helios 300 is a beast; physically it's imposing at 15.6", it's thick, heavy, and angular. "Laptop" is definitely a misnomer here – the machine is heavy, thanks in large part to the cooling system embedded throughout – there's no doubt it cools well, but you do not want that heat venting onto you (and the vents are perfectly positioned to char your knees and anything else adjacent). The power port is clunky and the power brick is indeed a brick. Trust me that you need a desk. On standard settings without being plugged in, you will get decent performance and battery life, but nowhere near all-day performance if you're planning on doubling this up as a school or work computer. One short session of gaming (1hrish) will zap your battery life significantly. The other big drawback of multitasking this particular machine is the 16gb of RAM. Ideally, if you were going to make this a video or graphics production machine, you'd want 32gb. You must be plugged in to access some of the more amazing performance settings which bring out the best in most modern games. I had a hard time finding the edges with most of games I frequent; the response time was fast and loading times were practically nonexistent, the FHD 165Hz screen left very little to be desired, it's crisp and clear and bright. All of the most useful ports on the laptop are located on the back (power, USB-C, and HDMI) indicating to me that this is meant to be used primarily as a desktop. In that regard it performs exceptionally well, the base is stable, it doesn't shift, it vents well sideways and backward, and you can even hardwire in to your network if you need to (though this one is located on the left side). The ONE downside to having all of these ports on the back: if you want to stow the computer, it's harder to do so on its side because of the placement and thickness of the power cord. It's also not powered through USB-C, so the power brick becomes a harder-to-replace-on-the-go object. The keypad is a great addition without cannibalizing the rest of the keys on the customizable RGB-backlit keyboard. WASD are even specially lit and the trackpad is responsive enough (though serious gamers will want an external kit to round this laptop out). The built-in sound is fine for casual play, though with full fans running you'll want those noise cancelling headphones on to have a fully immersive experience… even though it's dts audio it is very, very limited in terms of quiet sounds. Gaming laptops almost always invariably have some sort of annoying startup sound you have to shut off in bios, this one is no different. Do that FIRST. From there the Acer Predator gaming software actually gives you some pretty cool information (how fast the fans are running, how your CPU and GPU are running, etc). There's even a turbo button when you're plugged in to automatically go to max settings. All in all, this is a great gaming computer; a laptop it is not, though it is portable if you so desire.NickAtWTF

Acer – Predator Helios 300 – 15.6" QHD Gaming Laptop Acer is known for building budget PC’s but for this model they are going more head to head against their competitors. The hardware specs are pretty high with a 15.6 QHD display, Intel Core i7 – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti – 16GB DDR5 – 1TB SSD (Which is very fast) and WiFi 6E, Full size per-key miniLED RGB backlit keyboard with NumPad, bottom-firing 2x stereo speakers, HD webcam, but has no biometrics or touch screen. There is a pair of USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports with another on the left along with an Ethernet jack, a headset jack and a Kensington lock slot. A Thunderbolt 4 port, HDMI 2.1, a Mini DisplayPort and the power input. It is more of a lugable rather than a laptop with a weight of 6.75 lbs and a powerbrick that is almost 3 lbs and is huge. The keyboard has a nice setup but the keys are somewhat mushy and the key caps are shallow. The bottom lip is a bit uncomfortable on your wrists in my opinion. The lighting under the lip is more of a gimmick than useful. Its position and lighting do not make it useful to say light up some notes in a dark room environment. The touch pad is decent but for gaming it gets in the way and I turn it off and use an external mouse. For other than gaming use the keypad is high end. I would have preferred a touch screen because it just makes sense in a laptop or other than gaming use. The lid is partially brush aluminum and is a fingerprint magnet. The overall build is rugged with a bunch of incorporated metal making for a ridged chassis. The web cam has poor skin tones and the exposure is off. The resolution is fine and mike is very good. The speakers on the bottom of the laptop is kind of meh. The QHD Screen is very good and vibrant with a high refresh rate and clean though the NIT of 312 makes it on the dim side so brightness could use improvement. Upgrade ability is easy and provides max supported memory of 32GB and two M.2 SSDs. The battery power is about 7hrs on normal use but about 1hr on turbo / extreme. You will be wanting to use this plugged in for most high performance gaming. You only have to find the space for that hugh power brick. Now the bad part is that when in high performance / turbo mode though the machine keeps the temps in rage BUT the fans sound like white noise on steroids. Even with a good headset on this thing is disturbingly noisy. At least it isn’t the high pitch whine of a power tool. You have to decide if this will work for you. The keyboard, weight and noise under performance load – which is my gaming sweet spot make this a no go for me.AZEqualizer

I have a love-hate relationship with laptops. Even when purchasing a brand new one, I came across software & performance issues at every turn. It was so frustrating that even though all I wanted to do was simple tasks like just browsing the web, attending zoom calls for school, etc, I was unable to. And then I decided to get this Chromebook. Setting up the Chromebook took about 8 minutes, and a bulk of the time was just spent signing in and syncing my settings. The display is gorgeous and there is not a single time where anything is pixelated, out of focus, or distorted. Browsing the web on this Chromebook is fast, customizable, and very efficient. I also love how you can customize your privacy settings for each website you visit very easily (which is just a Chrome feature, but still!) Tablet mode on this device works so smoothly and I cannot wait to purchase a stylus for it! Battery life on this device is just as promised–AMAZING. It will last me a solid 9-10 hours, even with streaming movies or tv. The flip-able component of this laptop is great, and the hinges seem very durable. Perhaps my one-and-only complaint about this device is the fact that the speakers are located on the bottom of the device, which is not so good if you want to have it set up as a laptop. The speakers are also not as loud as I would have liked. This Chromebook is perfect for someone who is just looking for something compact, simple, and reliable. You can also download apps from the Android app store ( Google Play Store) which is very cool!Leah

This is only my second time using a Chromebook, which uses ChromeOS, and must start by saying this is not a Chromebook or Chromebox you have used before. Included in the packaging, is the Chromebook a USB C charger and detachable USB C Cord, and the Warranty/Ownership Manuals. I should note that this review covers the use and ownership of the Intel i3 Processor model and not the Celeron based unit. Unpacking is straightforward, with minimal packaging and the normal amount of peel off plastic. The Chromebook will welcome you with a beautiful red casing, which has a metallic like look and feel, a 13-inch touch capable screen, a built-in webcam, and a well sized backlit keyboard. On the right-hand side, you will find the power button with LED indicator (charging/power indicator) and a USB C port, while on the left-hand side you will find a volume button, a headphone jack, a MicroSD card slot, and another USB C port. I should point out that both ports allow for use with the included USB C charger, so you do not need to guess which port to plug in to. I am not sure if that is a standard feature in USB C compatible laptops but found this to be a small detail which took the anxiety out of charging the device. While this does advertise 128 GB storage, you should remember that approx. 20 GB is used for the OS. If you have used an Android based phone, you’ll find that most apps are available for use/install on the Google Play store. There was a quick system update after first power up, followed by a setup process with my Google (Gmail) account used for account setup and login. You can add more than one (1) user to the Chromebook, so if you are purchasing this for more than one user, you’re in luck! Apparently, you can have a much quicker setup if you use an Android phone with your Google account. If you’re afraid of space, simply pop in a MicroSD card and format as needed. I installed a 32 GB MicroSD, which was immediately recognized by the device, and was easily able to store apps and files. With the included Wi-Fi 6 capable hardware, and a compatible router or mesh network system, you’ll see quick speeds, and even quicker in-network speeds. I was impressed by the chromeOS’s ability to add a network mapped drive in Settings to access files on my local network server. This saved me the time of having to figure out a Google Drive connection or use an external thumb drive to facilitate any file access or transfer issues. In network speeds easily exceeded 500 Mbps and higher depending on file size. Internet speeds are also near ISP provided speeds with my mesh network (Wi-Fi 6 capable network), when running speed tests in the browser or using one of the more popular speed apps. Accessing websites using the included Google Chrome browser delivers the desktop like experience you’re used to seeing on any other laptop or desktop with the app. The browser quickly synced with my saved bookmarks and passwords with my Google account, and all my extensions installed automatically. This allowed me to use the Chromebook immediately after setup and updating. You may need to confirm some settings, but ultimately found this to be painless. Most tasks with Google apps are done within Chrome browser, even when launching the Google Apps shortcuts. Apps found on the Google Play store install in a similar way, and my only real annoyance is the lack of apps designed for use on a Chromebook, with a much larger desktop space. You will see apps sized the same way as the mobile app, and function essentially the same as any Android app you’re used to. The i3 processor ensures apps and browsing is snappy. I did not find any slow down of the apps being used, or when browsing websites with the chrome browser. Faster Wi-Fi also ensured that any cloud-based documents stored on my network server or on Google Drive were quickly synced, accessed, and updated. Switching to tablet mode is as easy as flipping the screen around. You can also position the screen to allow for the Chromebook to stand the screen up in landscape or portrait mode. The screen orients itself based on how it is being held or positioned, and the touchscreen is responsive. The keyboard does automatically disable, so you do not need to worry about accidentally tapping a key when holding. If you are using an external keyboard/mouse, those will continue to function normally, with the mouse icon only showing up during mouse movement. Having an iPad Pro, I am already used to a large area screen, but was surprised with the speed on the Chromebook. The tablet use does not feel like an afterthought, and I found myself using the device mostly in tablet mode after about a day. The QLED screen is vivid and clear and is probably one of the best monitors I have seen attached to a laptop since the IPS display technology launched. While the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 supports and has a native 1920×1080 screen, you will find the size scaled down to allow for larger text. You can easily set the dispSamrio

My Google Pixelbook just died in midstream four days ago, after not quite four years of service, and I ordered this replacement. After reading reviews, I chose it over the Lenovo with a non-Intel processor (which costs about almost $300 less, with tax). There were two main reasons. First, I'm a lazy desktop cleaner and often have dozens of tabs open in separate windows. The Samsung's Intel i3 processor and reviews praising its relative speed made me think I'd be better off with it. Second, the Samsung has an all-metal case, as distinguished from the Lenovo's part-fabric one. I often isopropyl my computer and peripherals for hygiene, especially in the Covid era, and I didn't want to be saturating fabric. The keyboard, touchscreen and trackpad were not big factors for me, as I use an external keyboard, mouse, and monitor (in extension mode) except when traveling. It took me less than 50 minutes to set this machine up, including removing my keyboard and mouse from my wife's Mac, cleaning everything with isopropyl, and attaching my peripherals and all the dongles needed for them. It was basically plug and play, as the Chrome OS did all the heavy lifting. It recognized my peripherals and external monitor immediately and even kept my two foreign languages in the shelf menu. But it didn't transfer my oft-used Google Docs that I had pinned to the dock, or the changes to my modifier keys. All my bookmarks, stored passwords and other stored data were ready to go. It won't be this easy for those who are moving from Windows or Mac to Chrome for the first time. The Chrome OS and browser constitute a whole new system, with a distinct GUI and "feel." They take some getting used to. But I made transition when I was 73 and learned in time. The Google software is generally cleaner, simpler and faster than its Mac counterpart, but less graphically elegant and flexible. Google's software also has more trouble with text wrap and size scaling than the Mac's. One reason I made the transition was to avoid the feature bloat and constant changes that Apple seems to impose on users. But I still have my nine-year old Mac Mini at my own home. One hint for newbies to the Google Garden: since Google owns the search engine, it makes sure that instructions for Chromebooks and Pixelbooks are easily available. For example, just search for "How to pin a Google gdoc to the shelf" and the AI will tell you. Or you can just use Google Assistant ("Hey, Google") and ask it directly. The biggest problem is learning Google's sometimes different terminology (e.g., "shelf" = "dock," and "autofill" for passwords.) It takes time but isn't hard. I like having both a Google "laptop" and a Mac desktop for reliability, redundancy and security. These days, you never know when or where a software, hardware, or security vulnerability will crop up. So I think it's good to hedge your bets and use two completely different systems. I'll try to remember to supplement this review if the processor is too slow to handle may lazy desktop management well. But I can't imagine any change going below four stars.Cyberlawprof

Pros – Customizable: up to 64 GB of RAM two slots, it has 2 M2 PCIe gen 4 for storage. I bought it with an RTX 3060 but it is available with superior graphic cards. – Incredible performance on multitasking. I have to run so many process in my job and I don't have any problems regarding performance or speed. – The Intel core 9 12900H comes with 20 threads. Unbelievable, this machine flies haha. – Compatible with RAM DDR5 4800 – It's quite beautiful haha and the RGB … just catch your eyes Cons – The battery life is just normal, even bad. It lasts about 2 and half hours, but it's okay. It supposed to be connected to take advantage of its processor power. – It seems the touchpad has a response delay. Nothing to worried about, but better to work with a mouse. – It doesn't have an integrated camera – the Asus numberpad in the touchpad is quite beautiful, but kinda useless haha. Conclusion I've been using it mainly for development and multitasking. Sometimes, I've needed to edit and render videos and from time to time I've played COD. Never slow down, it doesn't heat so much. It just perfect for my needs. Highly recommended.Juan

Asus has a strong hold on the best gaming laptop on the market. This laptop is both amazing looking and with specs that work flawlessly with any programs. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!Gamer

Fantastic product I'm happy I bought and would recommend to others. It does run HOT, but it is designed to do that. 512 GB isn't much for a gamer like me so you'll want to have a bigger SSD for it (but you knew that when you bought the system).S. Bowen

Pros: Haven't used it loads and it's still new but it's very quick, good display, backlit keyboard, very thin and light but feels study. USB-C charging cable. Cons: Touchpad buttons not defined within touchpad, no built-in camera cover.Anthony

This laptop is probably one of the best on the market, with incredible features. The screen is of excellent quality, especially with the anti-glare. Brightness auto-adjust is also really useful. The speakers and sound quality are incredible, good for watching videos and listening to audios. This is an incredible laptop for my work and for watching movies and playing games. There is a feature which disables ADs which is really useful, allowing for uninterrupted browsing. Additionally, the laptop is very sleek, streamlined, and light weight, which is really useful as I'm constantly moving around. Really nice to have a silicone keyboard protector to maintain a nice clean keyboard especially during lunch. Taking the price into consideration, a month’s free trial of McAfee which was expired and three months for Microsoft office is rather disappointing. In addition to this, there is a small dent on the body – no big deal in the grand scheme of things and does not affect functionality but not acceptable for a brand-new item. The camera appears to be rather pixelated; however, the camera quality is good on video calls. So far, I have experienced two crashes when it has gone to sleep whilst away, and I have had to restart. During the restart it went onto system recovery mode, which was frustrating. Another downside is that I am unable to create normal folders (I can create ZIP Folders), perhaps this is due to a flaw in the software, despite doing the updates. Overall, a really good, high-quality laptop regardless of work or play. Would like to see a few additions/extras added in considering the price.sbhaimia

I was honestly shocked how light this laptop was when it arrived. As I opened the packaging I was convinced that something (even the laptop itself) was missing… however everything was there. This 16" laptop is a a very well specified Windows 11 device – 16Gb RAM, Intel i7 evo CPU and a 1GB SSD for storage. The display is a bright 2560 x 1600 pixels. As with current new devices, there is a minimal amount of documentation included to help the novice get up and running. Fortunately his isn't an issue for me but help may be required for less experienced users. The usual Windows setup process starts when the LG Gram is first started. Microsoft recommends using a MS account to get the full benefits from Windows 11 (e.g. integrated MS OneDrive cloud storage and some enhanced security features). After the initial setup, Windows Update and the "LG Update & Recovery" app need to run to bring the system firmware and Windows 11 fully up to date with the latest security patches. Unfortunately this process took several hours with many reboots before the laptop was fully patched and up to date. My internet connection is quite fast, 100Mb+, so that wasn't the bottleneck. A trial version of MS Office is also included, and if you are an existing MS 365/Office user its straightforward to enter your account details to unlock the full features. Windows 11 is a natural progression on from Win10, so this shouldn't be a barrier from using the device. There are two USB3 ports, two USB-C ports (also used for charging) and an HDMI port. I use an external monitor, printer, scanner, and external storage so I've pretty much used up all the ports. All of my devices were auto detected and drivers auto installed by Windows 11. Fortunately LG haven't installed too much unwanted software. I have uninstalled the provided AV software and am using Windows Defender and Windows Firewall. Thanks to the SSD, boot/startup times are fast and there are no performance issues in using standard office software.phil562

So far, the only let down is that the magnets holding the laptop closed are really strong and prevents me with bigger fingers from opening it one handed. The rest is mostly positive… Great performance, keyboard is good, screen is great, trackpad is accurate (though small). Microphone and camera are leaps better than my previous laptop and reviews state that they are amongst the best in the market for those telepresence meetings. Glad I got this before Microsoft decided to focus on the surface laptop studio instead of make another surface book.djjr50

It's essentially a Surface Book 2 that's significantly more powerful and capable… At a significantly higher price. While the price on the highest end of this product is borderline unacceptable; you'll immediately notice that workloads that caused the most powerful SB2 to struggle are brisk walks in the park to the highest end SB3. All in all, I wouldn't recommend this over the 2 if you're not handling stressing workloads that requires the pen and versatility of the Surface Book line.c.bangstrip

Unboxed it. Reading through features, I though I would try "presentation mode". This is attaching the screen facing away from the keyboard. In this configuration, the screen will no longer detach from the keyboard. The unit does not recognize that the screen is docked. The screen battery is dead. At any pricepoint this catastrophic design failure is unacceptable. At close to $4k it is beyond aggravating. Microsoft support was helpful in confirming the unit is useless.Suckered

Overall I love this laptop, its small and very lightweight. It is strong and powerful and has been able to handle video editing and gaming at the same time. The only downside to running such intensive programs concurrently is that the laptop will get really hot, thankfully the aluminum chassis helps to disperse the heat which is another plus for this laptop. The processor, Ram, and SSD help make this computer so powerful, and if need be you can always upgrade the SSD to an even faster one, but the one that comes with it is fast enough for most users. Sadly the Ram cannot be upgraded as its soldered on, but that just makes the laptop that much more secure as it prevents a thief from removing the memory and freezing it with liquid nitrogen and then extracting the data…..if you have bitlocker recovery keys, this is a great machine to help protect it. The secondary screen is great way to access the most used programs and even multitask with it, but be aware there is a learning curve and can be finicky at times. the screen can be toggled on or off and even switched between both as needed, I tend to only use it when editing videos and playing games at the same time. All in all I would highly recommend this lightweight ultra powerful laptop.Robert R.

Pros: I really love this laptop! The design is cool, light, and works really fast. Amazing. What is best about is that it starts instantly when I open, as it has a face recognition function. I didn't expect it to be such a great laptop. It was good that there was a discout as well. After three weeks of using this, I had only one crash. Cons: I have never used screen pad mode. I only use traditional one. Maybe it is unneccary feature. Was it the reason why there was a discout? Anyway, you can use it as traditional pad mode, so it is totally fine!Cristina

About four months in with this laptop and it's proven to be a fantastic, lightweight, sturdy replacement for my previous work laptop. It's fast and responsive. The only downside is the 'myasus' bloatware that can't seem to update itself properly and I haven't succeed (yet) in removing it. My favourite thing about this laptop (other than the touchscreen, quick turn-on, and durability) is the keyboard – it's a dream to type on! I favour mechanical keyboards but that's not something you find with ultrabooks and this is hands down the best typing experience I've ever had on a laptop. Some days I even prefer typing on it instead of using my pc. The screen is also gorgeous with crystal clear images that put my previous laptop to shame. Definitely happy with this purchase and hope it lasts a long time.Alex

First laptop I got was DOA. Crashed constantly on a few games, so I contacted Amazon support, and I had a replacement in a week. For the new one. Plays games very well! I can run any game at high/ultra with 60-100fps. GPU stays in the mid 70°c range under gaming load. Has a 130w tgp 3070 in it, so plenty of power for a laptop. It's upgradable! I out a 2TB Samsung 970 Evo in, and it works like a charm. It has a nice smooth 300hz 1080p monitor, and it looks nice. Good viewing angles, adequate brightness for indoor gaming. The keyboard leaves a bit to be desired, but it's a thin laptop keyboard so what can you expect? It comes with bloatware that can be expected on any prebuilt, but annoying nonetheless. The software for gigabyte is near useless. It doesn't save keyboard color configurations at all, and there's an "ai" profile changer in it that can get annoying. I would say overall 9/10 for a laptop. Would recommend.DripTester

I purchased the Aorus after spending months researching different options. I was looking for a replacement for an almost 7 year old Dell laptop that has seen better days. This one fit all the requirements I was looking for with a current graphics setup, storage and memory options, but also the 10-key numeric key (a must for me). Performance-wise, I have no complaints. From the basics of "office work" to heavy gaming, it takes everything I throw at it like it's nothing. Flight Simulator 2020 runs like a charm and works well with the Oculus Quest 2 as well, which I think is about as intense as you can get at the moment. The fans do get loud when you're gaming but when you're not, you can't even tell they're on. It's very quiet. I haven't experimented extensively with battery life yet, but from some early testing it seems that for basic stuff like writing, browsing etc. I should be able to eek out about 6 hours. It's far from the "All-day battery life" advertised on the sticker right below the keyboard but I knew coming in that a gaming laptop was unlikely to have great battery life anyway. So, it's what I expected. The light-up keyboard is a nice touch, although I usually stick mostly with the plain white. There are quirks that are a little odd. The camera placement is weird, but as someone that uses an external camera anyway when I need one, it doesn't matter and I appreciate that it's tucked out of the way. I wish the secondary functions of the F-keys and number keys actually illuminated, but that's a minor gripe since finding those keys are mostly muscle memory these days anyway. The smaller zero key on the numeric key pad takes some getting used to. The power cord connection is the only thing that really irritates me. It's in a bad spot for someone that uses a mouse, but it's workable if you let the cord run behind the laptop. One thing you want to make sure you do: upgrade all the drivers and software right away. The Aorus control center had issues opening out of the box for some reason and it wasn't until I updated it that it worked properly. Overall, this laptop is exactly what I was looking for. It performs exactly the way I hoped it would and gives me something that will stretch for years into the future while allowing me to upgrade storage and memory as needed.TechieInAK

I really wanted to like this laptop. It had basically all of the specs I wanted and went on sale for under 1200 (before taxes), which is a great deal for the specs. On paper, it was the best bang for your buck. I was able to install New World and play for about 30 minutes and that is when it crashed and I wasn't able to look back. Before installing New World, I had updated all the drivers and reviewed the Aorus Command Center settings. Everything should have worked fine. Was able to run New World on High settings (default from startup; I didn't have a chance to test at higher settings). When it first crashed, it went to a black screen, like it was hibernating. Hard shut off was able to turn off, however, turning it back on required waiting 10+ minutes to get the start up loading screen. I assume it realized it was turned off at that point. I could then turn it back on to try and troubleshoot it. It would eventually just freeze, crash with black screen and artifacts, crash with only black screen, and eventually blue screen with different error messages. After the first reinstall of Windows without Command Center, it ran fine for a few hours. I was able to update drivers and reinstall New World, however, I didn't get very far into the game before it crashed again. It would then continue to crash or blue screen while even trying to load the OS. I again reinstalled Windows at which point I gave up because it kept crashing during setup. My assumption is bad memory or perhaps the GPU bricked. Could it have been caused by New World, perhaps. I never opened the laptop up. The blue screen error messages were usually: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL PAGE FAULT IN NONPAGED AREA I ran the Windows Memory Diagnostic. In the first 2% of the first check, it said if found some hardware errors, then it froze. I ran it again and got to 20% without any errors, but then it froze again. I did not check to see if hibernate/fast boot was enabled since I think that was what was causing it not to hard shut off. I was still within my return window and figured it was no longer worth the hassle. I'll probably fork over the dough for a Legion or something more reliable. I generally have good fortune with these kinds of things, however, in this case, not so much. I really wished this laptop had worked out, because it had all the specs, great keyboard and lighting (although poor camera placement), great screen, great cooling, etc, etc. I've never had a laptop basically fail me right out of the box. Perhaps I was just unlucky. Can't win 'em all. If this dipped under $1000, I'd consider giving another one a try, as long as I am able to return it. I would not consider buying an open box or used one. Gigabyte/Aorus GPU/fan control utility was horrendous. I'm guessing I could have sent it in to be evaluated, but I didn't want to wait for a fix and possibly fall out of my return window. There wasn't a lot of information online about any of the issues I was having, other than people disliking the Aorus Command Center. Sorry, I didn't take any pictures before I returned it. Best Buy return went very smoothly, and I received the full refund. Five starts to them. I will defintely consider buying from Best Buy again for ease of return.cls31s

After possibly 6 months of learning and shopping for a 15 inch laptop, I am very happy to say that I made the right choice with this IdeaPad 5, with i7 and 16 GB RAM. I am not a professional reviewer, but here it goes. Overall Appearance & Feel The appearance is elegant and sleek. The case does not feel cheap and the friction on the lid allows you to position the lid angle anywhere from 0° (closed) to about 160° and holds strong. There are a significant amount of interface ports. However, it did NOT come with the charging port as shown in the photos and description. You can only charge using the only available UCB-C port and provided high-power charger – a typical USB-C plug-in charger will not charge the device. The keys could have a bit more stroke, but not too bad. They have a very minimal "tactile" feeling. One issue is the backslash key is nearly aligned against the top edge of the "Enter" key thus is is often inadvertently pressed. Why did they place the keys edge-to-edge? The trackpad is flawless, feels great and recognizes all gestures. However, I mostly use a Bluetooth mouse. The touchscreen works well. However, it often just stops working and requires either a reboot or go to Device Manager to disable and re-enable the HID Touchscreen device to get it working again. This happens maybe twice a week and is frustrating, but have not found a solution other than the manual remedy mentioned above. The camera on top of the lid has a mechanical shutter which I really like for privacy. Performance This laptop has no latency issues when using any of the basic office productivity applications, streaming videos, and web browsing. I can keep MANY apps open at once without any performance degradation. Start-up is extremely fast; the app-loading and commands are nearly instant, Amazing! The speed of this laptop is very impressive. It only takes about 5 seconds to start Windows from shutdown, I assume only if Windows "Fast Startup" is enabled, which it is. The finger print ID directly on center with the power button works flawlessly. I use it exclusively during login, I don't even remember my established password. Battery Excellent battery life. Windows automatically goes to sleep upon lid close, which is standard. Upon opening, you will need to enter your password or scan your fingerprint to unlock. I keep it generally plugged in, so not sure of full battery life. Sound Not impressive, but just ok for a 15 inch laptop. I am an audiophile so I would never listen to music on this thing. Connectivity More ports than other competition. I was especially looking for a full size SD Card reader because I do a lot of photo and video editing from SD Card storage. VERY DISAPPOINTING and MISLEADING that the laptop does not come with a dedicated charging jack, as shown in the image and description. The charging is done on the ONLY available USB-C port, thus you cannot simultaneously connect USB-C device while plugged-in. When not plugged in, I believe this port can deliver power to other mobile devices. Display Just ok. The brightness is not so good. For example, don't expect to do much work on a sunny day working in a park. My house has lots of windows and screen contents hard to see. The screen could be brighter. I'm not a gamer, so, otherwise, it suits me fine. Final Thoughts I would recommend this laptop for students and professionals, but not for serious gamers or graphic and video editing. I am very happy with the purchase and look forward to many years of use.Jason Sch

I dread buying a replacement laptop, the software and files to transfer etc; but (I learned to use an external harddrive to simplify transferring files & folders) just had to replace my 2014 Toshiba laptop. Lenovo brand was recommended by relative, so Lenovo seemed like my best option. I require the numeric keypad on the keyboard, the ideapad i5 came with this feature! I need a compact laptop – in the 15-16 inch range and the ideapad i5 was spot on at 15 inch! Security of 64 bit Windows also needed – ideapad i5 came with Windows 11 Home 64! Unfortunately Lenovo has some arrangement with McAfee and pre-installed that on laptop WHICH I HAD TO REMOVE right away so that I could install my TREND MICROS Security Program. McAfee is a real PITA to get fully removed! Ideapad i5 display is nice and I was able to increase brightness to a satisfactory level. However, when running on battery the display gets dim and unable to increase brightness. Guess it is fine so long as I have it plugged in when using it. I like the fingerprint id option – it takes a few minutes to set up and I am liking it. I like the shutter over camera lens – no more need for duct tape to cover it. I rarely use a camera on my laptop. Storage on the ideapad i5 is fine for me, I keep very little on the computer and really prefer using my external harddrive. Price of the ideapad i5 was reasonable. It is a stylish machine. But Lenovo sure does up the price a lot with optional extended warranties, on site repairs, damage insurance, battery replacement, etc Yes I paid the price for these add-ons. This increased the price a lot, but never having had a Lenovo brand before I am not sure what to expect for it and needed to add the extra protection. Once I saw that the only way the display could be bright enough for me to use was to have it connected to a power source, I regret getting the battery replacement option since I will never run this on battery power. I use my usb wireless mouse instead of the touch pad – it works fine. I do wish there were more usb ports though. I am using 1 for mouse and 1 for external harddrive. Touchscreen is great. I have touchscreen on old laptop and on desktop, I like this feature a lot, and if I use someone elses laptop they ask me why I am tapping their screen(they dont have touchscreen). Although the ideapad i5 ended up costing a lot because of the add-on items, I am pleased with the machine.Viking Lady

I've been looking for a laptop that is capable of handling intense graphics that also has a touchscreen feature. I was not able to find anything else other than the creator z16. It checks all the boxes. The laptop itself has a beautiful 16 inch touchscreen, the colors pop, and its capacitive touchscreen makes using it in windows 10 tablet mode a breeze. It has an ultra thin bezel which made the screen stand out more. With such powerful hardware I was impressed the manufacturer was able to pack everything into a a slim chassis .LL

I purchased this to do some CG work away from home, such as using Blender to make 3D assets or using Substance Painter to create textures. It takes everything I throw at it, the fans are very quiet.Gabrielle D.

This machine could have been great but it has poor performance for a 12th gen CPU. I also had to reset the laptop back to factory settings because the Gigabyte Control Center software which you need to get any performance from this laptop would not load after a Windows Update. The company doesn't have good support and so to remediate I had to reset the laptop to factory and reinstall everything again. Battery life is abysmal even for a gaming laptop and even with the panel set to 60hz and in battery saver mode, I got less than 3 hours while watching standard definition YouTube and doing some light Python programming. The highest Geekbench 5 score was 1640 Single-Core Score and 10517 Multi-Core Score and that is with fans blazing. If the Gigabyte Control Panel fails to run then you get between 6000-7000 which is not very good. Cooling is excellent and the panel is very good although not very bright and the SSD is a very fast Gen4 drive. Price for performance is just not there and I experienced no response from support. Keyboard and Trackpad are good. The camera is good enough and Windows Hello works awesome on the laptop.Piecofchum

For the price, this is a beast of a midrange laptop. I can play the latest version of Cyber Punk 2077 on RTX Ultimate settings at an average of 70fps. To increase battery life you will definitely need to adjust the power settings and disable the keyboard LCD. Things to note: The display refresh rate on this model is 144Hz. If you're a streamer, you're going to need a USB hub. The GoXLR is a little quirky; sound from web browsers goes in and out, especially when watching YouTube. The keys feel nice and clicky and have a good bit of travel. Single PC streaming from this laptop is pretty much flawless, but it's worth mentioning that the fans get really loud when so you'll want noise reduction effects on your mic. My only issue is with the Gigabyte Control Center. Do not update it. As soon as I updated it, the Fusion RGB tab was limited to 7 colors and only a static effect. You can create a custom color profile but you can't delete it. I just bothering to use the GCC. Other than that, I highly recommend this laptop if it fits your budget.OddlyJames

I bought this laptop to replace my Asus ROG G752VS as a high end gaming PC. My preferred setup is keeping ny laptop plugged in on my desk and connecting a 32" QHD monitor, so I care a lot more about gaming performance than portability, battery life, or keyboard layout. Much like my previous laptop, this machine can play any game I own on ultra settings at 60+ FPS, and does so out of the box (barring first time system updates, naturally.) If it matters, this laptop is smaller, sleeker and more portable than earlier generation machines (which were only nominally portable) and actually is light enough to fit in a decently-sized backpack (I have an Everki one that fits it perfectly, although at 17.3" it's going to be too long for smaller backpacks.) The performance is amazing, better even than I was expecting. The one downside I'd mention is the fans: the aggressive pre-installed heat management software turns the fans on as soon as the machine starts, and the fans themselves are loud with a distinct high-pitched whine. You can modify the behaviour of the fans with a few clicks to only activate when using graphics-intense applications, but this is a machine that runs pretty hot while gaming, so you should expect that whine to be an issue during any moderate usage. I block the sound out by mainly using a decent gaming headset or external speakers, so it's not a major deal breaker for me, but don't expect to be able to game while someone else is asleep next to you. The heat vents are on the sides of the machine near the screen and don't typically blow as hot as older laptops, but the underside can still get fairly warm after a couple of hours of intense use. Overall it's just what I needed, a very good machine for mostly desktop gaming that I can slip into my backpack when I need to travel.AndreA6

I personally purchased this same MacBook Air (MBA) but with 512GB of storage. It's the same exact unit. I liked it so much I purchased this one for my wife. She didn't need the extra GPU core or storage space. Overall, she has enjoyed this notebook more than the Wintel system we previously had. Apple's battery life estimates are more accurate, they're actually a little on the conservative side. Our previous Wintel systems (Dell XPS 13 2-in-1) were advertised with 14 hours of streaming battery life. The only way to hit that number was to turn the screen brightness down to 25%, turn off Bluetooth, flipping the screen around so the keyboard and trackpad were off, putting the system into power efficiency mode, and using MS Edge or the Netflix app (which limits streaming to 720p in Windows). Even then we couldn't ever fully get the 14 hours of advertised battery life and that was with 1080p notebooks. The MBA has a higher resolution display, a processor that performs better than the 11th gen Core i7 CPUs in our other units (that also had 16GB of RAM), and we can easily push 15 hours of real-world use with our systems. We no longer must bring a charging brick wherever we go. The battery life is longer if you just stream video content or play videos that have been downloaded. Another surprise with the MBA was the speaker quality. I'm not sure what Apple is doing but their speakers are better than what's in most 17" notebooks. The speakers in our previous 13" system were terrible, these put those to shame. Apple also put a faster SSD in these. Writing and reading large files take less time, the SSDs in our MBAs are almost 3X faster than our other systems (which were more expensive). The webcam is passible, I wish it were better. The image processor in the M1 helps with that though. Everyday performance with the 7 GPU M1 is fine, even for mobile gaming. macOS can now run iPad and iPhone apps, if the developers unlock them, and we haven't had any issues with that. 8GB of RAM is more than enough for everyday use with the M1. Even when we are stressing our systems, they only use 6GB of RAM. My only complaint is that the design is dated. It's essentially the same design that Apple released in 2018, just with a better keyboard. You get the same two USB4/TB3 ports, the same display, the same trackpad, the same physical webcam, and a better keyboard. I wouldn't normally have any issues with a classic design but it's almost 4 years old now and it has been cloned to death. Every other major PC maker has released a notebook that's a silver, dark gray, or gold slab of aluminum. I want color again with my PCs, like the old iBook G3 days. Even a white system would be different than the same three colors Apple has stuck with for far too long. The screen bezels are large, and the system is begging to be updated with a 14" display. Slimming the bezels while keeping the same form factor would allow for a 14" display, like Apple did with the 14" MacBook Pro. But, for the price of the system, it's hard to beat. The price-to-performance ratio of the baseline M1 MBA isn't matched with Windows notebooks and you get the added benefit of running macOS on Apple's hardware. It's powerful enough for photos and video editing yet efficient enough to last all day. This fan-less design is great and I'm excited to see what Apple does next.Pablo

I'm coming into the M1 Mac game a little late. I waited until this year to pick up a new MacBook Air (MBA) with Apple's M1 chip. I opted for the 512GB model because I wanted to store more downloaded movies and music. I'm not going to get into macOS, that is a solid OS that I like. I enjoy how integrated macOS with my iPhone, iPad, and content across everything. What I will go into is the design and performance of the M1 MBA. First off, it is worth paying for the extra 512GB of storage. Apple should start the MBA at 512GB but here we are. I'm able to store over 50 movies (at 1080p or 4K) and some music playlists without getting close to filling up the space. The design of the MBA is the same as it's been for a while. It's dated and has been cloned to death. The system is carved out of a single piece of aluminum and it's solid, I just wish Apple had updated these along with the internal. The screen is the same, the keyboard is improved, the trackpad is the same, the two USB-C ports are now USB4 and not just Thunderbolt 3, everything is pretty much the same except for what's inside. 2022 should bring a redesign of the MBA, I will probably sell this one off once that happens. The only thing to really talk about with this unit is the M1 SoC. You may scoff at the 8GB of RAM but it is more than enough for the majority of people. The M1 is a solid SoC offering an improvement over the previous Intel chips, both in the CPU and integrated graphics, while drastically increasing efficiency. The MBA can export a color-graded 4K video faster than real time unless you use ProRes. Even then it's faster than similar 11th and 12th gen Intel chips. I've edited photos, videos, and websites on my MBA without issues. The M1 doesn't stutter and completes everything faster than my previous notebook that had a faster clocked 11th gen Core i7 with 16GB of RAM. Apps open almost instantly, and everyday tasks are handled with ease. The pleasant thing about the M1 is that it doesn't require a cooling fan. The MBA is a quiet machine, unlike my previous notebook that would fire up its cooling fans when opening Edge/Chrome. The efficiency of the M1 is astounding. My system always instantly turns on when opening the lid, it has yet to discharge when in sleep mode (and I left it for two weeks without charging), and I'm easily getting 15+ hours of real-world usage. That's watching downloaded videos, streaming movies, working in Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), surfing the web in both Safari and Chrome, playing some of the Lego games through Steam, and listening to music. Apple has rated the MBA at 15 hours of web browsing and 18 hours of video playback, I think those numbers are a tad generous. So far, this is my favorite Mac notebook despite the M1 being a year old now and the MBA using a 5-year-old design. It's not as powerful as the new Pros and doesn't have the same quality screen but most people don't need a MacBook Pro. The baseline 14" MBP is only 20-30% faster than the MBA despite costing almost twice as much. Don't get the 13" MBP if you want something more powerful. It's the same hardware but adds a cooling fan and costs $300 more. That cooling fan isn't worth it, even for sustained workloads. You're better off getting a 14" MBP if you truly need the added performance. The only things the 13" MBP offer are the touch bar (which is being phased out anyways) and more battery life due to the thicker case. Stick with the 13" MBA. It's a bit thinner and easier to carry around, it's also nice having a silent system that still gets great battery life and can perform everyday tasks with ease while keeping up with offerings from Intel (without requiring the extra power).Pablo

MacBook Air 2022 is perfect for students. Students can study different courses, this can go from economics to computer science. The laptop is suitable for any course that a student can follow. I do computer science and I notice that the MacBook can run several applications at the same time, and this is a very big advantage over old Windows computers. But also, for students studying economics. For example, the MacBook can easily work with Word, PowerPoint, Excel and much more at the same time. M1 Small chip. Immense progress. I think that the brand new M1 processor made by Apple itself is one of the biggest upgrades to the new MacBooks. In the previous models, Apple used the intel processors that are also in the old Windows computers, but in the new MacBook this is no longer the case. Personally, I notice that the Macbook stays much cooler during heavy downloads, and it also stops making noise. I also noticed that the processor could open apps much faster. In my opinion, I find the completely new design of the MacBook Air 2022 very astonishing! The design is made by different metals and glasses that ensure the Macbook will not brake after a little fall. I take the MacBook to school every day and I notice that the metals in the design of the MacBook make the laptop last much longer, especially when we talk about the outside of the laptop. The design also fits 100% with the rest of Apple's products, the MacBook comes in 3 different colors that perfectly matches with the latest iPhones and iPads. Finally, I recommend this product to anyone, especially college students. This product is also 100% suitable for people who are involved in large projects in their daily lives, such as photographers or architects, especially because the MacBook contains the M1 processor that can handle a lot without unexpected annoying bugs. “Power. It’s in the Air.” MacBook Air with M1 is an incredibly portable laptop — it’s nimble and quick, with a silent, fanless design and a beautiful Retina display. Thanks to its slim profile and all‑day battery life, this Air moves at the speed of lightness.MaximilienG

I primarily use Macs for 90% of my computing, and have since I was in college….however my current job requires me to frequently use a program only available on Windows. I purchased a Lenovo when I started the job, and it was slow and loaded with 'bloatware' the constantly pops up trying to get you to subscribe to random services….it was extremely aggravating to use. After 6 months of annoyance with the Lenovo, I ended up buying the Surface Go Laptop for $550, and the difference is night and day. It is snappy and doesn't have tons of annoying bloatware, and the battery lasts all day even with heavy use. The build quality is also solid and has a "quality" feel. My Surface laptop go is several hundred dollars cheaper than the Lenovo it replaced, and I couldn't be happier with the purchase as it is better in almost every respect. I only regret spending $800 on the Lenovo and not doing the research ahead of time.justin.c

Does almost everything a laptop does. Great cameras. The screen is a small, coming from an iPad Pro, which I am making this review on. I ordered a dongle so I could have USB. Video out. I do like the USB-C feature. The SD memory card expansion making it a very versatile tablet. My only main core dislike to the point of frustration is the proprietary power cord. Its nice that it is magnetic so no knocking your tablet off a table, but I truly do wish manufacturers discontinue this practice, because it places me the consumer at a major disadvantage when I need a replacement cord, or I forgot the cord at home or at work, so it would be great if there were longer cords. Also the battery life is also not as advertised, I am getting about 7 hours idle with the screen off with a balanced setting, I cant change the battery status from % to time remaining, and none of the battery settings work. The 6 minutes of typing this Review on my ipad, my surface tablet lost 3% while idling.heather.r

After having owned a surface laptop for 2 years, I thought I could contribute a review. I bought a surface laptop 2 in 2020, and within 2 months I began seeing yellow smudge on my screen. I had it serviced free of charge (paid for shipping only), only to have the refurbished laptop having circles popping up from day 1 of using it. There was also no cursor appearing on the screen. So I had that serviced again. The third laptop (within 3 months of purchase) was finally working. But I kept on having dropped calls with Skype. Then 6 months later, the pen started giving out, it wouldn't write on the screen. Issues with the power adapter also started appearing. There would be times that the adapter wouldn't charge the laptop. I had both of them replaced (I was lucky that they gave out right before the 1 year warranty, but I paid for packaging and shipping). Then 2 months later, the power adapter died again. My laptop is down to 0% battery so I have to use my back up laptop. I actually had to purchase a back up 6 months after buying my Surface. Anyway, now that I'm out of warranty I'm trying to find a human to speak to and it's impossible to find a human to speak to! Every link on Microsoft's website leads to a Q&A box "what do you need help with today?" where you type your question and they give you some links to click. I found some phone numbers (felt a sense of relief) only to click through 10 options to hear "for home users, please find help online". I feel that most of the reviews are from people who have just opened the laptop, and are happy with its appearance/graphics. I hope mine gives some insight. Companies are now forcing us to buy the extra protection plan and Geek Squad, which is north of $30 a month. And with issues that come up after 1 year (immediately after end of manufacturer warranty), you're paying over $360. This is how they make money nowadays, is to produce poor products and sell on warranty.Heidi

I got this as a cheap option solely for e-learning purposes when I had time at my day job, and for any on-the-go tasks I couldn't accomplish on my MacBook (i.e. Windows required). But I'll probably be giving this away because it's not even sufficient for that. Perhaps the biggest issue, as a number of other reviewers noted, is the keyboard sometimes acts as if the Shift key is being held when it isn't. This results in CAPS characters when one is typing lowercase, inadvertent text selections, etc. A workaround is to hold Ctrl + Shift + Caps Lock for a few seconds. However, the issue should not be happening in the first place. Second, it's slow. Really, really slow. Besides startup, which is reasonably quick. But it's incredibly slow in every other regard. When typing text, when browsing the internet, working with docs, etc. My 7-year old MacBook Air seems at least twice as fast as this on the same tasks. I don't know how this got so many good reviews but I'll have to take note of the bad ones more carefully from now on.connorhawke

I went to Best Buy on Monday and ordered for deliver by Wednesday. I turned the computer on and the sound from the speakers sounded like static. When I got to the next screen, the mouse sensor disappeared. After finally being able to get the mouse sensor back on the screen, I was unable to type anything to even log into my Microsoft Account. On top of that, the battery and plug were hot to touch after 15 minutes of being on. I placed it back in the box and will return it tomorrow. It sucks that I was unable to use the computer after it arrived two hours earlier.Kay22

Let me start off by saying that this was a nice little laptop, but I did ultimately return it. The laptop itself is nice. Booted up quickly and got things running pretty easily. It was also my first introduction to Windows 11 which isn't as bad as I initially thought it would be. Ran some videos on YouTube, Netflix, and Disney+ without a problem, and programs like Word and Excel were working with no problem at all. Sound was decent and picture was good quality. The issue, which is really my fault and in no way an issue with the laptop, is when she was trying to play both Minecraft (Bedrock) and Roblox. There were only a few reviews and questions on both for this laptop, so hopefully this can help out some other parents (or young adults if this laptop is for you) out. Let me start off by saying that this laptop will run and play both games. But if your child has played either game on console or with another desktop or laptop with better specs than this one, be prepared to have them tell you how it looks a bit different and is a bit slower with movements and responses. Minecraft runs pretty well, but runs better if you go in an adjust some of the settings. The lack in response and movement is there, but for a youngster who doesn't know better, is definitely playable without too much of an issue. Like I said, unless your young person has already been playing on a better system, they won't really know too much better. The only time it slows a bit is when there is a drastic change like falls from certain heights or something where the graphics have to change and load quickly. Roblox is a bit of a hit or miss depending on the game they are playing. I do not play the game too much, but as I understand it, there are different games within the game that are a bit more intense than others, and will ask more of your system depending on which one of the games you play. Mostly like Minecraft, the games she plays on Roblox were doing ok, but definitely not as good as her previous laptop or her Xbox. So, like I said, more so there are no issues with the laptop itself. It just was not able to suit exactly what she wanted and had become accustomed to. Like I said, unless this your childs first laptop and experience playing Minecraft or Roblox, I would recommend something with a bit faster processor and a bit better graphics. Although this laptop meets the minimum specs to run both games, your kids experience will be better with a better laptop. That being said, I would definitely recommend this laptop for everyday use for things like homework, casual internet browsing, social media, and streaming some movies, shows, and videos. Definitely made me feel better about my eventual upgrade to Windows 11 on my machine and other kids' laptops. Overall, laptop is a great choice for the casual everyday user.Macc

This is a beautiful laptop in color, design, form, and specs. Right out of the box I loved the way this machine looked with its dark slate blue colored shell. Open up that lid and be blown away with the impressive OLED screen which seems to be the main attraction for this Asus laptop. Included here is a USB-A port, 2 USB-C ports, HDMI port, audio input jack, and a micro SD card reader. In the box you will find the Asus Zenbook laptop and a laptop charger cable brick. The OLED screen has a 2880 x 1800 resolution and a 90hz refresh rate display which looks incredibly bright and is a joy to work on and also use for entertainment. The 14" OLED has the color and clarity on this portable and lightweight laptop, which are perfect for everyday multitasking duties for work and play. The Intel Evo 12th gen Intel Core i5 processor is fast and responsive under various tasks and I've been impressed at its snappy response time. You'll get the 256 SSD harddrive in this compact laptop, along with Windows 11 for the operating system. 8GB of RAM seems to work ok on this machine for this price point, but I do wish it came with 16GB for prolonging my longevity with this laptop. Portable size and taking it with me on the go is a must for me. This Asus Zenbook is 3.06 pounds in weight and .67" thin. I love the backlit keyboard for working at various hours of the day and night. I really have loved the touchpad and the ability to activate the illuminated number pad as I work on spreadsheets and formulas most of my day. The illuminated number pad can be turned on or off with the touch of a virtual button and took me some getting used to, but I love having this with the compact keyboard design. Another feature that was new to me was the Pantone Validated sticker on this machine. This simply means that this computer is up to par for designers and technicians since it's been verified to have adequate color correction technology to properly simulate the full range of Pantone colors. At a price of $749.99 this is a fantastic mid-tier computer that works well for so much of what I do for work from home tasks and also personal web browsing and shopping. This machine can also be used for light gaming and it still performs well, but it isn't meant for heavy usage on gaming. I have loved using the OLED screen, Dolby Atmos, and Harmon Kardon speakers to enjoy watching streaming movies and shows. The picture and sound are fantastic in my opinion. The laptop also has a nice hinge on the clamshell which allows for a 180-degree lay-flat design and also makes typing and keyboard feel more comfortable. PRO: Color design 14" OLED screen clarity Portable and lightweight Intel Evo i5 Great price and functionality for most users CON: More RAM and larger SSD would have been niceJKinSYR

The Asus ZenBook is definitely a compact, lightweight unit for those who don’t need a lot out of a laptop. While it has up-to-date technology, there’s nothing that makes it stand out, except for its small size and portability. Unboxing was a confusing experience. Normally, this is straightforward process, but somehow the labelling made it appear as if there was no “up” from which to open the box. Then, once the box was opened, the mechanism inside that gently lifts the laptop, to present it to the user, was slightly off, causing the laptop to become skewed, not lift, and subsequently difficult to extract. Initial setup was also strewn with difficulties that are normally not present. The power cord, for example, is much shorter than what I’m accustomed to. Whereas the cord on the laptop that I’m using to write this review has lots of slack to allow me to move around the table, the cord on the Asus is stretched taut as it has no slack at all. This would require a user, during travel, to have to be located very physically near an outlet to allow for charging. Another example of a setup head-scratcher was the logging into of Microsoft. I have an existing account that I use for just this situation, but MS would not recognize it. When I tried to create a new MS account, using the same info, MS reported that my requested username was already in existence…because it is…I’m using it. While I recognize that this is an MS issue, not an Asus issue, it was a sticking point, regardless. It’s not all bad, however. The display is fantastic. I purchased an LG OLED 4K UHD television several years ago because of the display. The colors are rich, and the blacks are black. The display on this laptop rivals that television. It’s extremely clear, with fantastic color saturation, and the graphics, while nothing to write home about, do a great job of filling out the display. The combination of the touchpad and the number pad is innovative; I’ve never seen that done before. Until I became used to it, I was always second-guessing myself as to whether I had hit the correct “buttons”. Without the tactile feedback of a button being “clicked” or depressed, I needed to confirm my accuracy. Finally, the ability of the screen to be laid back until it is flat is very helpful. The size and portability of the device allows it to be easily transported anywhere, but if it’s being used for assistance, such as a YouTube tutorial, one doesn’t want to always have to sit down to view the screen, then immediately stand back up again to perform the next task. Laying the screen flat allows one to stand over the laptop and easily view the screen without the glare one would expect. As discussed before, the excellent display allows this to happen. Overall, my perception is that this is a great starter laptop with basics that can be expanded upon in future purchases. It’s compact and lightweight, meaning that it can be easily transported for some distance/time. However, once the battery is depleted, the short charging cable requires the user to be very near an open outlet. Any issues experienced during setup are the responsibility of Microsoft, not Asus, but it’s worth noting as it may change Asus’s suppliers in the future. The functionality is great, especially the display. If one is using it while amid activity, the lay-flat screen adds efficiency by allowing the user to stand over it and continue viewing, and the graphics and colors don’t wash out. There is some innovation shown here that I would suspect appears in later and/or higher-end models in the future, such as the number pad overlay onto the touchpad. It does take some getting used to, but it works. If you feel uncomfortable with, or simply don’t want to, complete transactions on your mobile device, or tablet, this is the unit for you. It’s not a gaming system, and it’s not for pure business. It’s a vanilla, middle-of-the-road device that fills the gap between mobile devices and the need for a dedicated computer.DakotaDan

The Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3402, 12th Gen Intel) is a very nice laptop that has great features but also has some limitations. The features of this laptop are as follows: • An Evo platform core i5-1240p processor 1.7 GHz (12M cache, up to 4.4 GHz, 4P+8E cores) • 8 GB of RAM • 256 GB SSD • a 14" 2880×1800 OLED 90 Hz Display (2.8K) • a 75Wh Lithium Ion Battery. • a Harmon Kardon Dolby Atmos Audio System • ASUS AI Noise-cancelling audio for clear speech • 180 degree Lay-flat ErgoLift Hinge • US military-grade durability. • Left side has a 10 GB/Second USB 3.0 port. • Right side has: charging and backlight indicators, a microSD slot, 2 Thunderbolt(TM) 4 ports for display/power delivery port, a 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, and an HDMI 2.0b port. This laptop weighs in a 3.06 lbs. and is 0.67" thin, making it highly portable. The included power supply is a 65W type-C AC Adapter and works in either of the thunderbolt ports. This model has windows 11 Home preinstalled. This Zenbook laptop has all of the typical WIFI and Bluetooth features one would expect in a system. The chicklet keyboard is nice and types well. The Harmon Kardon sound system sounds wonderful and is a really nice feature of this laptop. The included 2.8K OLED display is gorgeous and easy on the eyes. It would be a fantastic option in this series to have a touchscreen option available as that would make this an extremely awesome system, albeit at a high price point. The included thunderbolt ports along with the HMDI port makes for a useful set of external monitor options. I tested with my home setup that includes a USB – C based multiport display adapter and this laptop was able to drive primary laptop display and the 3 external monitors that I have connected to it at their recommended resolutions (main Screen 2880 x 1800, 2x 24"at 1920x 1200, and a 27" 4k monitor 3840 X 2160). I added a 4th external monitor via the HDMI port and was not able to drive this monitor with the other 3 – which is what I expected to happen but I had to give it a shot (on my home system this monitor is run via a USB based DisplayLink adapter). The most unique feature of this laptop is a special feature of the very large – some might say massive – 3" x 5" trackpad (my SurfaceBook's track pad is slightly larger than 4" x 3" for a much larger device as a comparison). When triggered this feature turns the trackpad into a keypad for quick data entry – this keypad can be activated in two ways – clicking and holds for a short press, on the upper right activates the key pad for what ever app you have open and also deactivates the keypad functionality once you are done with it. If you slide right from the upper left corner not only do you activate the keypad, but you also open the calculator app within the operating system. This upper left area can also be used to toggle the brightness of this keypad functionality between two brightness levels. Overall, I find that this device fits well for anyone who needs basic office automation functionality, along with some light picture and video editing capabilities along with portability. This could be professionals who are on the go, or students, or even parents who have a need for computing on the go. This is a very nice device and it would suit a large number of users and use cases. The only improvement I could wish for would be a touchscreen, but that would likely increase the price tag a bit.dnottingham4

If you haven't used a new laptop in a few years — especially a flagship ultrabook model, like the Galaxy Book series — prepare to be surprised. Great strides have been made in power, efficiency and battery life in the past two or three years alone, and it's now possible to have a thin, light computer with few, if any, compromises. Coming from a mixed Mac and PC world, I have been particularly impressed with the progress Windows machines have made. I've always wanted a 2-in-1 type machine, where the unit can do some acrobatics to make it more like a tablet when you want to use the touchscreen. As soon as I saw the new Galaxy Book2 360 announcement, my interest was piqued. While I'm not a Samsung phone user, I've always admired their bright, punchy screens, with high resolutions and deeply saturated colors. It's hard to beat an OLED touchscreen, and the Galaxy Book line uses Samsung's premier sAMOLED displays. I'm a stickler for screen quality, as it's what you'll be staring at and interacting with every time you use your machine. Combine that with high-end internals and a svelte package and you should have the ultimate ultrabook, right? My Galaxy Book2 360 unit arrived neatly packaged in a slim carboard box, which was easy to open and contained hardly any plastic, which I greatly appreciate. Contents are sparse, with just the laptop, USB-C cable and USB-C wall charger included. The cable and charger are well-made and sized for portability while still providing a very fast charge. Nice! I was immediately impressed with the build quality of the Galaxy Book2 360. It is both small and light without feeling flimsy, with hardly any flex in the aluminum chassis. The hinges glide open and closed smoothy, with a solid feel to them, and they have no trouble holding the screen at just about any angle without flexing or bouncing around while you type. The Galaxy Book2 360 includes a nice selection of ports, including both USB-C and some legacy options, which is very helpful for connecting accessories without a myriad of dongles. The built-in webcam isn't anything to write home about (and the Galaxy Book2 Pro models include an upgraded version), but it gets the job done with a decent, if grainy, picture. Perfectly fine for on-the-go video calls, but if you want to look your best, you'll want to invest in a good external camera. Speaking of typing, I'm also very pleased with the quality of the keyboard and trackpad on the Galaxy Book2 360. The chicklet-style keys are pretty fantastic to type on, with enough travel and feedback to know you've hit the right one. Backlighting is included and adjustable, and the function row up top includes the usual useful shortcuts, accessible by pressing the function button and the key together, or by activating the function lock feature. The top right corner key functions as the power/sleep button and the integrated fingerprint reader, which is lightning-fast and conveniently located. The trackpad is just about as large as it can be on a 13.3" machine, with plenty of room to move and a very accurate touch surface. Multitouch gestures all work well, and while only the bottom portion of the touchpad is hinged for clicking, it's a satisfying movement and sound. With the latest Intel "evo" i7 processor and a healthy 16GB of RAM on board, this machine truly whizzes through most everyday tasks. Booting up and waking from sleep are wicked fast, with the fingerprint reader often unlocking the machine before the screen even wakes from sleep. None of my everyday web browsing, email or document editing could slow this thing down, with instant app-switching and smooth graphics all around. The Galaxy Book2 360 came with Windows 11 preinstalled, and after a healthy round of software updates everything has been running well. The machine runs silently most of the time, with the fans occasionally kicking on with heavy-duty programs open. The only sustained fan running I have observed is when I connected the laptop to my 27" 4K monitor through a USB-C hub interface, which kept the fans running nonstop. They're not super loud, but they're certainly noticeable. Samsung does allow you to switch to a "quiet" mode in addition to the regular Windows power settings if the fans bother you, but this will throttle the processor and graphics, which could be an issue depending on what you're working on. Speaking of Samsung, I was a bit concerned about what the manufacturer may have included preinstalled on this computer, as Samsung is a bit notorious for having a heavy hand when it comes to customization on their Android phones. The Galaxy Book2 360 is no different, with more than 20 Samsung apps preinstalled on the machine. Thankfully it's easy to uninstall everything you don't need, which I did straightaway without issue. None of the apps gave me any issues, though, and some (like the Samsung Settings app) are very useful for customizing your experience beyond what the Windows Settings menus offer. The only app toz4teen

I really wanted to like this laptop. A couple of issues made me return it. The size, weight and build quality as well as overall design are really nice and one of the best. Samsung makes some clean looking devices and I hope they continue with this aesthetic. The screen is bright and OLED. The problem I had and it was a major one for me was a texture or graininess to the screen. Full HD at 13.3" should be fine but the screen looked pixilated and had an odd resolution graininess to it I couldn't unsee. Watching videos didn't look good. I really liked the OLED tech but the quality of this panel just wasn't good for me and from Samsung I expect the best display. The keyboard is great and I love it. The trackpad was abit of a let down with a plastic surface that just felt cheap in this price category. The trackpad worked fine and no problems there. The speakers are mounted on the bottom and only 2 watts each. So sound could easily get muffled and be hard to hear. Volume was just enough at high to hear audio and sometimes a bit low. The processor and ram are excellent. You get a lot of performance out of the 1255u but fans were a bit aggressive. Battery life seemed good. Overall I would have kept the device if it were not for the screen and speakers. I love the size and love the weight. It had a decent selection of ports with HDMI, USB c and thunderbolt, usb a and micro sd card support. Good job on ports. Overall this is a very nice laptop but the screen is something I look at every day and if it looks bad in resolution and has a weird grainy texture no matter what I do I see it and it bothers me. Maybe my unit was bad but I think it is just the OLED tech in this panel. I looked at the Galaxybook 2 pro and the screen did not have this issues at all. It is definitely an above average device with great specs you just have to look at the screen before you buy it to see if you like it or not otherwise I think most people will like it. There are a ton of Samsung apps added and McAfee so if you don't need them it can be annoying but Samsung support is excellent. I like Samsung laptops and they keep getting better so your mileage may vary.Technerd666

This is my first Samsung laptop and I've been pleasantly surprised. Taking it out of the box is nothing really special, they've eliminated most of the paper documentation so it's just a matter of taking out the laptop, the charging cord and the charging block. I opened the laptop and… nothing happened. Took me just a little time to realize it was dead. So I plugged it in to charge which was actually fairly fast. One of the things I noticed pretty immediately is that this laptop came with one of Samsung's "super fast" charging blocks that also work on their mobile phones, so that can be an unexpected bonus. If it's charged and off, opening it acts as powering it on. Several pros for the laptop: Its smaller size and light weight. This makes it very portable and easy to use in tablet mode. It has plenty of memory (16GB) for any application. I didn't use it for gaming, but this probably isn't the laptop for that. Serious gamers would want a larger screen, better graphics capability, etc. It boots up extremely fast, by my simple reckoning, it was ready to go in under 30 seconds, including the time for me to login. Programs execute extremely fast with the Intel Evo processor, the ample memory, and the SSD for storage. It comes with Windows 11 pre-installed and ready to go. Speaker sound quality was pretty good, it claims Dolby Atmos in the specs and I can say that they sounded pretty good, but who really uses laptops to fill a room with sound anyway. You would want to have it plugged in to take full advantage of that kind of feature, but that defeats the portability. The fingerprint reader was easy to use and reacted quickly to user input, logging in to the computer quickly. They keyboard is backlit which is great for lowlight environments. Some things I didn't like as much: This is my first smaller laptop so I wasn't used to the keyboard being a bit tighter spaced than a larger laptop, so it'll take getting used to. The power button isn't labelled, is right next to the delete key, and is also the finger print reader. I can see that being accidentally pressed. The PC itself has a limited number of external ports, 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A, 1 HDMI, 1 standard headphone/microphone jack, 1 media card reader. I've found this to be fairly standard and expansion is pretty easy with usb hubs, etc. I was able to charge the PC from either USB-C port, but only one was marked with the thunderbolt logo for charging. If you have other Samsung ecosystem products (phone, tablets) then the PC has built-in apps that integrate those devices (for example, you can automatically extend your display onto the tablet). Overall, this is a great laptop that should meet your needs for years.DoubleJ

Bought to replace my trusted 8+ years old Lenovo ThinkPad X220 Tablet, which is still working but slow and microphones don't work well, unhelpful during this time of Zoom meetings. So far, and it's only been a few days, I love how fast it boots (can start working in about 30 seconds on 64 bit Windows 10 Pro v. 2004), screen clarity, multi-tasking performance. Found the 2 USB ports of different revisions handy for charging and connecting variously aged devices. The HDMI port worked reasonably well for watching a movie on my TV, need to play around next time to see if I can eliminate some of the minor issues (hide pointer, picture size not filling screen size in either direction, currently I feel these should be automatically handled by Windows or the player app but there might be a good reason for not doing so). Screen is dimmer (have anti-glare coated screen) so not sure it will work outside in broad daylight when the summer comes like my old X220 could (I had the bright screen, not the touchscreen). Fingerprint scanner on the old one worked 95% of the time, the new laptop <5%, even though I added two more fingers for a total of 3. I go through each in turn then have to enter my 4 digit PIN very nearly every time I log on. I get a message telling me the scanner might be dirty. It's brand new so I should not have to, but cleaning with an isoporopyl alcohol soaked cotton swab made no difference. Will be contacting customer support. I don't use the touchscreen as I am not habituated to using it and I don't want to dirty it, but I tested it and it works, definitely easier to use for scrolling than the touch pad. The touch pad seems identical to my old one, so anticipating a love/hate relationship with some unintentional zooms and email deletions. So far not yet missed lack of stylus and ability to flip the screen and use it as a tablet, but that's probably because I am not giving any in person talks or presentations. Nobody complains about not being able to hear me at Zoom meetings anymore so I guess the microphone works, and speakers work well enough for that job. It's also very quiet and doesn't get hot like my old X220, which absolutely required a laptop desk. I have pure SSD (1 TB) so I suspect that is the underlying reason.Old software engineer

Well built machine. Making the move to the 16GB of RAM was the best choice for performance and speed which are both outstanding. Keyboard is the best in the industry as is typical with the ThinkPad line and overall fit and finish. Easy process to setup and congratulations to Lenovo in limiting extraneous software loads onto the system. Was usable right away. Others have made mention of the weight of the machine but for me this isn't an issue at all. In no way is this a machine that isn't east and comfortable to tote with my wherever I go.PennStateFan

My new laptop had a retail price over $2,000. With the March sale and my company discount, I scored 16 G Ram, 1 TB storage, fingerprint reader and a full HD touch screen for less than half of retail. I went for the ThinkPad for the available ports: HMDI, eithernet, and USB. My old laptop only had USB C's that required multiple adapter cables. Performance wise, the laptop handles all my training videos flawlessly. The 14 inch display is great. The ports allow me to connect with several different devices without carrying multiple adapter cables. Then there is the Lenovo support and loss and damage programs. At very reasonable prices I was able to add one year of premium tech support and an also very reasonable purchase of one year of loss and damage protection. Finally, the rewards program. Essentially, I received about $60 in reward cash. This allowed me to purchase a ThinkPad mouse – presenter. Original price of the mouse was $75. With the April sale I was able to purchase the mouse, pay with my reward cash and only pay $3.50 in taxes.Bearclaw

Bought to replace my trusted 8+ years old Lenovo ThinkPad X220 Tablet, which is still working but slow and microphones don't work well, unhelpful during this time of Zoom meetings. So far, and it's only been a few days, I love how fast it boots (can start working in about 30 seconds on 64 bit Windows 10 Pro v. 2004), screen clarity, multi-tasking performance. Found the 2 USB ports of different revisions handy for charging and connecting variously aged devices. The HDMI port worked reasonably well for watching a movie on my TV, need to play around next time to see if I can eliminate some of the minor issues (hide pointer, picture size not filling screen size in either direction, currently I feel these should be automatically handled by Windows or the player app but there might be a good reason for not doing so). Screen is dimmer (have anti-glare coated screen) so not sure it will work outside in broad daylight when the summer comes like my old X220 could (I had the bright screen, not the touchscreen). Fingerprint scanner on the old one worked 95% of the time, the new laptop <5%, even though I added two more fingers for a total of 3. I go through each in turn then have to enter my 4 digit PIN very nearly every time I log on. I get a message telling me the scanner might be dirty. It's brand new so I should not have to, but cleaning with an isoporopyl alcohol soaked cotton swab made no difference. Will be contacting customer support. I don't use the touchscreen as I am not habituated to using it and I don't want to dirty it, but I tested it and it works, definitely easier to use for scrolling than the touch pad. The touch pad seems identical to my old one, so anticipating a love/hate relationship with some unintentional zooms and email deletions. So far not yet missed lack of stylus and ability to flip the screen and use it as a tablet, but that's probably because I am not giving any in person talks or presentations. Nobody complains about not being able to hear me at Zoom meetings anymore so I guess the microphone works, and speakers work well enough for that job. It's also very quiet and doesn't get hot like my old X220, which absolutely required a laptop desk. I have pure SSD (1 TB) so I suspect that is the underlying reason.Old software engineer

Well built machine. Making the move to the 16GB of RAM was the best choice for performance and speed which are both outstanding. Keyboard is the best in the industry as is typical with the ThinkPad line and overall fit and finish. Easy process to setup and congratulations to Lenovo in limiting extraneous software loads onto the system. Was usable right away. Others have made mention of the weight of the machine but for me this isn't an issue at all. In no way is this a machine that isn't east and comfortable to tote with my wherever I go.PennStateFan

My new laptop had a retail price over $2,000. With the March sale and my company discount, I scored 16 G Ram, 1 TB storage, fingerprint reader and a full HD touch screen for less than half of retail. I went for the ThinkPad for the available ports: HMDI, eithernet, and USB. My old laptop only had USB C's that required multiple adapter cables. Performance wise, the laptop handles all my training videos flawlessly. The 14 inch display is great. The ports allow me to connect with several different devices without carrying multiple adapter cables. Then there is the Lenovo support and loss and damage programs. At very reasonable prices I was able to add one year of premium tech support and an also very reasonable purchase of one year of loss and damage protection. Finally, the rewards program. Essentially, I received about $60 in reward cash. This allowed me to purchase a ThinkPad mouse – presenter. Original price of the mouse was $75. With the April sale I was able to purchase the mouse, pay with my reward cash and only pay $3.50 in taxes.Bearclaw

I've had this laptop for almost 2 years now, and it still runs just as well as it did when I first bought it. I can run all of my favorite demanding games like Fallout 4, AC Valhalla, etc. (so long and there's not too much going on in the tray) and even with the fans on, it's not too noisy. Beautiful, smooth graphics, smooth display and transition, I adore this laptop still. I also use it for work, on a secondary Windows account, and even with both of them signed in and background apps running, I can still get my work done smoothly. The battery life has aged a little, as I mainly have it plugged in, but even when it's not, I still get hours in without having to plug it back up. 10/10 laptop, and definitely well worth the money. I thought by now I would've had to replace it or had it repaired, but I'm nothing but impressed. I can't recommend this enough, for new or seasoned PC gamers.illeador

Really liked the look (sleek black and green), the form (bigger screen but smaller body, although it did feel truncated). Keyboard was a dream for typing, color contrast of letters and green strip on keys made it easier to see in the dark even without the backlight. Screen was great with excellent viewing angles. Has full size SD memory card slot! Camera and WiFi connection were great for Zoom videoconferencing. Cons: *No num lock indicator, neither on screen or as a light on the num lock key *Fans would run while literally doing nothing, computer would remain hot while doing nothing *SSD seems a little slower than Acer’s Nitro 5 *Poor battery life (charging needed at least twice in a workday even after keeping plugged up most of time) * Fingerprint smudges/don’t know how cosmetics will hold up. After using for 1 week, looked like it’s been in use for a month. * Backlight doesn’t stay on, but keyboard’s green contrast can be seen in limited lighting without backlight on. * No in-device program to control lighting and fans, that I could see. * Barely loud-enough speakers. Had to return it because: 1) It crashed with BSOD at least 7 times in less than 2 weeks, twice during initial setup while installing Windows updates. It would often crash while I was in the middle of using it, other times while screen was on, but it was essentially sitting idle. 2) Ran hotter than was comfortable to use (hot under right palm heel and on lap) even though I wasn't gaming, just video streaming, browsing, and word processing (multitasking). Sometimes ran hot when just plugged up and in sleep mode.M2theM

It runs hot when playing hard demanding games. Just need to be responsible and keep it cool. As with any laptop, do not use it on a blanket or any soft surface, it myst be used on a solid hard surface at all times. The cold air intake for the 2 fans is on the bottom and it is imperative it does not get restricted. So for the parents out there, it will do schoolwork just fine as well as be able to have multiple connections needed for school like CITRIX client. It can also deal with any Adobe Suite software no problems. Any and all office suite software is a not even a contest for this little powerhouse. HP makes this with an extra 2.5 HDD bay on the inside. This means you can drop any SSD you want to in here for a second storage drive option for storage demanding files and/or huge applications and games. I spent 150 bucks on a 2TB SSD and added it to mine in 20 minutes. For the kids out there, this will game pretty reasonably. Yes, it will handle Warzone without problems with seriously high graphics. I get on the average of 75 fps playing Warzone in 1080 with all the goodies turned up like shadowing, view distance, textures etc. It also has a great Bluetooth adapter built in that actually does not have any problem syncing with any Xbox One Controller. Like I said, use this on a hard surface always and it will perform like a dream forever.Travelbones

Overall, spec wise, this laptop is hard to beat for the price when on sale. All aluminum case feels super well built and is packed with features. Backlit keyboard is nice and feels amazing The screen is super colorful and bright (400 nits) Great cpu Fast charging and decent port selection. Where I question the build is….I got one and the screen did not sit 100% flush along the body. When the lid is open, you can see on the right side there is a gap in the corner between the screen lid and body and in the left side, it sits lower. This by a few mm but still noticeable The trackpad also, for this price, should be a glass trackpad but it's not. The click is nice and is super precise but, at 1100$ when not on sale, should be glass. It also sits uneven slightly in the body as the right bottom corner sits slightly lower than the other corners that are flush. Onboard ram, why……no upgradability but should be good for a few years. Just don't buy this with the intent of future proofing your purchase. 8 GB should be fine for most but not if you're into intense video editing for example. Overall, on sale, very good buy even with those questional build issues. They are minor and don't take away from the overall experience. Maybe just get an extended warrantyCdnman

Purchased this as a backup browse / work device. Love the design and performance. However, the HP x360 trackpad… is the worst I've ever encountered. Efforts to resolve with Support did not work and the tech acknowledged the problem after sharing a video. Simple summary: you cannot left click and then reliably use the trackpad to highlight, move or interact with the screen. Don't think that's a big deal? Try editing a document or creating a presentation where you have to move things around on the screen. It even sabotages basic browsing — often the "two-finger scroll" is flaky… but the left-click / drag for page scroll bars is completely broken. All this is solved if I plug in a USB mouse, but I didn't buy a laptop designed for self-contained use to have to plug-in essential hardware. And for context, none of our other laptops (Lenovo, Dell, Apple, or MS Surface) suffer from the input problems encountered with the HP trackpad. The other devices just work. I wanted to love this device and give it high marks for battery, speed, display, sound, and material build quality. But the Trackpad/Touchpad has ruined my experience. If the follow-up support (promised by HP) fails to resolve this issue, it's going back to best buy. You've been warned.Rfh01tx

I have mixed feelings about this PC. I actually wish I could return it for the smaller version I originally wanted, but I am out of the country and I assume it would pose a big hassle. Pros: Size of the screen is good for excel and using apps side by side and it works acceptably well with the hp pen (sold separately). For a student it's useful in this regard. The body looks and feels nice and it seems sturdy enough to survive being carried around daily. HDMI, USB and USB-C ports are a big plus and gives you variety. Touch screen and 360 movement gives you multiple viewing and use options. Cons: It's a 15.6" PC but somehow it's longer than it's peers, meaning it doesn't fit in any and every laptop sleeve. HP has special products that fit it though. The extra space used for the speakers on the side is not very useful since the audio is average and the keyboard placement of the home, end and delete keys is a pain and takes some getting used to. Too many times my curser jumps around the page when typing because of this (it really drives me crazy). There is a large speaker below the laptop that doesn't make much sense as even on solid surfaces the sound gets muffled. If this was rectified, the audio would pair well with the large screen for movie viewing. The RAM is not stellar and I've had the laptop freeze on me a few times already so be mindful if you like to run multiple apps at once and don't shut down daily. It runs hot pretty fast when in use and because of the large and Long size, plus the almost non-existent screen boarder makes using it in tablet mode very clunky and annoying. the touch screen reacts to any skin, so an accidental touch messes many things up. Overall, I wish I could be happy about this purchase but unfortunately I'm not. This doesn't mean it's a bad device, just not the right one for me.Sterlin