If you need to kickstart your hobbyist toolbox with a set of kit, then you'll want to take advantage of this Amazon deal. This Strebito 144-in-1 kit is just $39.99 right now, which gives you a 20% saving on its usual price for a set that includes both a precision and an electric screwdriver, along with 22 maintenance tools and 120 different magnetic driver bits to work with.

● Check out this deal at Amazon

Basically, this is the ultimate starter kit for anyone looking to build or repair any kind of electronics, including PCs and laptops, and at an affordable price. You're gaining a complete set with two different drivers, a whole set of bits, built-in LED lighting, and a set of tools to help you clean, scrape, and adjust for any kind of project you're working on.

The big deal here is those two drivers, which you'll each need for two different types of repair jobs. The mini electric driver has a 350 mAh battery, which you'll be able to charge up within an hour using a USB-C cable.

Specs-wise, it features adjustable torque options between 0.15 and 0.5 Newton-meters, along with speeds of 200 RPM. It's a good option for getting into tight spaces like a PC case, with a built-in LED light to help you see better. As for the precision screwdriver, that gives you a much higher set of torque, up to 7 Newton-meters in this case, for when you need to apply a bit of heavy pressure to get the job done.

Worried about not having the right bits? Not with this kit. 120 different options are available here, covering all of the major head styles. You've got flathead, Torx, Phillips, and Pozidrive bits to choose from here. There's even a magnetizer/demagnetizer tool to help your drivers keep hold of the screws, but if you're worried about the magnets damaging your electronics, you can demagnetize them, too. There's a 5.7 x 3.3-inch magnetic project mat included here so that you can keep it all organized while you're building or repairing, too. This Strebito set also includes brushes, scrapers, and a suction cup to round out the 22 extra repair tools, which you'll find useful for taking apart your electronics.

All in all, the $39.99 price for this Strebito 144-in-1 precision screwdriver set makes it an affordable must-buy for someone who needs to expand their kit. As we head towards the holidays, you can even put it aside as the perfect gift for the DIYer, hobbyist, or PC builder in your life, too. With Strebito's lifetime guarantee included, you'll be covered if you have any issues.

The computing world is splintering into two. At IFA 2026, the world of laptops continued its trajectory from Computex towards a logical conclusion: a world where personal computing aims at the low end to combat the MacBook Neo and pick up customers during a RAM shortage, but otherwise focuses on high-end systems that promise to be agentic machines for the next chapter of the AI boom.

There are machines that are below $800 with 8GB of RAM, and there are machines that are multiple thousands of dollars with anywhere from 128GB to 192GB of memory. Want something in between? Good luck.

The MacBook Neo's long shadow

When Apple announced the MacBook Neo in March, other laptop OEMs jumped to compete. Devices like the Dell XPS 13 and Chuwi UniBook came quickly (with varying degrees of success), packing Intel's budget-focused Wildcat Lake processors. But it took until IFA for those companies to finally reveal something truly designed to take on the MacBook Neo. The Lenovo IdeaPad Vibe laptops come in seven colors, up from the Neo's four, ranging from "lowkey gray" to "spicy gold," with optional color keyboards and two screen sizes. Unlike other Neo competitors, Lenovo is opting for a mix of Qualcomm Snapdragon X and AMD Ryzen AI 400 chips rather than flocking to Intel.

Dell's new 14S also has four colors, including a surprisingly bold "velvet green." But its biggest iteration is that it also adds ports. While the XPS 13 had just two USB-C ports, the 14S also has HDMI and a headphone jack. Acer also debuted a 16-inch version of its Swift Air (also in three colors). These laptops were widely considered some of the best from the show. Colors have been a rarity in the Windows PC market, and now that these companies are chasing Apple, they're back.

On the bright side, this means that the spur of affordable, more premium laptops wasn't just a blip following the MacBook Neo. It's still going six months later, and given that Apple is rumored to be releasing a follow-up next year, nicer, colorful laptops may be a permanent fixture of the market.

Agentic AI computers: Laptops or furniture?

The other computers at IFA were all largely focused on running agentic AI. There are finally systems getting ready to ship with AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495, with up to 192GB of unified memory. Those include the Lenovo ThinkCentre X along with options from smaller names like Minisforum and GMKtec. The companies that are listing prices have them as high as $7,000. (When Strix Halo launched, entry-level configurations could be found under $2,000 with 64GB of memory, so these high-end systems with more memory aren't a shock given rising prices.)

Those were on display while Nvidia continued to hype its RTX Spark N1X platform, which will launch in October in two configurations. Two new devices, one from Acer and one from Lenovo, debuted at IFA, though we're still waiting on pricing for every RTX Spark device we've seen so far.

AMD's systems were portrayed as workstations in most cases, while others, like an AI NAS from Minisforum, gave us a look into what having some sort of AI furniture — dedicated AI hardware with access to your files that's not connected to a screen — could look like. Nvidia's laptops, all running Windows, are a mix of workstation, gaming PC, and agentic AI PC, though those demos were behind handlers, and we weren't able to try them ourselves.

All of these systems were shown running some sort of AI agent. Nvidia's bounced between Hermes and OpenClaw, while the many vendors showing AMD systems often had their own software, typically with the word "Claw" in there somewhere, running a variety of models locally.

These are all a swing away from what the industry called an "AI PC" just a few years ago. Now, with way more memory and far more compute (and less talk about NPUs), Nvidia, AMD, and the companies making the hardware are betting that you or your company are ready to set up agents and have them run workflows, and that you'll pay a pretty penny to do so.

Two extremes, but what about the rest of us?

There are clearly two visions of computing now: one with the power for local AI models to run tasks on your device (though how easy those will be to set up is an open question), and another where you do basic tasks on cheap computers. What about the rest of us? The people who are happy to spend $800 - $1,500 on a laptop or mini PC to get a bit of extra RAM and storage, the most premium build quality, higher-resolution displays, better speakers, and, of course, a bit more performance? Other than Dell recently adding Intel's Core Ultra Series 3 processors to the XPS 13 (which itself isn't the most premium), it's been quiet on that front.

Perhaps we have to wait for Intel to drop Nova Lake mobile, or for AMD to move forward with Medusa Point, to see these types of systems. Word on those has been quiet, but maybe next year, at CES, we'll see a return of the performance laptop. (Apple is likely to bring its M6 to the MacBook Air, but the company doesn't really do trade shows.) Or maybe memory prices mean something has to give ... and the laptop for everyone else is what is giving. But without new silicon aimed at that market, it seems that the Windows world is happy to be split into two extremes.

Want a powerful new OLED gaming laptop with a $1,000 discount on top? This HyperX Omen Max 16 gaming laptop from HP is down to $3,699.99 right now and features, among other top specs, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 mobile GPU. You'll struggle to find a better spec'd laptop at this price point, and it's much cheaper than buying or building a top spec desktop gaming PC, too.

● Check out this deal at HP

The mobile version of the RTX 5090 isn't quite as beefy as its desktop counterpart, but it's still the best GPU for a laptop that you can buy. Specs wise, it has 10,496 CUDA cores as its disposal, with 24GB of GDDR7 VRAM, operating on a 256-bit memory bus. A peak 175W TDP is much less than the desktop's 575W rating, but laptops are designed to be portable.

What's interesting is the pricing here. This laptop costs $3,699.99, and that's for an entire working system. If you wanted to buy the desktop version of the RTX 5090 alone from a retailer that has it in stock, it'd set you back at least $5,899. You could argue that they're totally different beasts, but PC gaming is getting really expensive. Buying a new desktop PC will set cost you thousands of dollars more than it would have last year. A top-spec laptop this like HyperX Omen Max 16 is the better of the two options from a financial point of view right now, especially as it'll still be able to handle modern games with the best settings for years to come.

As for this laptop, our HyperX Omen Max 16 review made clear that its original launch pricing didn't quite work, with better performance from rival laptops. The $1,000 drop makes it a much more attractive system, with a gorgeous build quality that's "solid as a rock." It's built with aluminum, with no flashy styling gimmicks, just a matte black finish and RGB lighting for the keyboard. It's weighty, too, measuring 14.04 x 10.59 x 1.03 inches and weighing 6.56 pounds.

This HyperX laptop has a 16-inch OLED display, will give you perfect blacks and infinite contrast compared to a cheaper LCD, with an ultra-fast 240Hz refresh rate for smooth, blur-free motion. The top resolution on this laptop's display is 2,500 x 1,600, and coupled with the RTX 5090, you won't struggle to hit the highest frame rates with Ultra graphics presets applied at 1600p, with the option to hook up to an external display using the supplied HDMI port if you prefer.

Games, movies and more are going to look incredible on this OLED panel, as it'll produce rich colors with plenty of depth, with 500-nit rated brightness, along with a max 1,100 for HDR content, to keep things vivid on-screen. Our review found it performed extremely well against the competition, with 131.2 percent of the DCI-P3 color space and 185.2 percent of sRGB. It also beat the MSI Raider 16 Max HX for panel brightness in our tests, with 464.6 nits vs 455.6.

The RTX 5090 is the centerpiece of this laptop, but you're also the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus as your CPU. It ships with 24 cores, eight of which are performance cores, which are good for gaming, along with 16 efficient cores for multi-threaded work. You're getting 32GB of DDR5-6400 RAM included, so no need to worry about the RAMpocalypse with this rig, along with a 2TB SSD offering Gen 5 speeds.

Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 support ensures the fastest wireless connectivity, and you've got plenty of I/O too, including 2.5Gb Ethernet, the already-mentioned HDMI, a headphone jack, and two Type-C ports.

The $3,699.99 sale price for this HyperX Omen Max 16 OLED gaming laptop makes it a much more appealing option for buyers. In a market where an equivalent high spec desktop PC can set you back over $6,000, this price for a high spec laptop with an RTX 5090 is a good one in the current market. Grab it while you can, because HP aren't likely to keep it this cheap for long.

A cracking deal at Walmart could set you up with a brand new gaming laptop, capable of hitting high frame rates at 1080p. This MSI Cyborg 15 gaming laptop is down to $1,049 right now, a saving of $250, and it makes it one of the best value machines you can buy for gaming right now, especially considering the specs.

● Check out this deal at Walmart

This laptop was $100 cheaper last month, but given the AI-fueled boom in PC hardware prices, that's a modest increase for a laptop that is still good value at this price. You're getting a 15.6-inch 1080p display with this MSI laptop, featuring a decent 144Hz refresh rate.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, meanwhile, is the best component in this rig. You're ditching integrated graphics for a current-gen Nvidia Blackwell GPU with 8GB VRAM and 3,328 CUDA cores. With Nvidia DLSS support enabling multi-frame generation for the most intensive games, you're going to easily hit high frame rates in games on this 1080p display.

The CPU, meanwhile, is an eight-core Intel Core 5 210H CPU, featuring four performance and four efficient cores apiece. You're also getting 16GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, which is a plus, as you're not settling for slower DDR4 speeds. A small compromise, given the price, is the 512GB SSD, which is still Gen 4, so it won't be particularly slow.

The MSI Cyborg 15 has a clear aesthetic for gamers, with a slate gray chassis, combined with a symmetrical pattern on the keyboard and transparent plastic cutouts. The keyboard has four RGB zones, which you can configure, with the chassis also including a fingerprint reader and webcam privacy shutter. There's also a decently large 55.2 Wh battery for those on-the-go gaming sessions.

As for connectivity, you're getting Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support for wireless networking, while a Gigabit Ethernet port is included if you want to max out your connection. You've got USB-A and USB-C ports, along with an HDMI 2.1 port to hook up your laptop to a separate monitor.

The $1,049 sale price for this MSI Cyborg 15 makes it one of the best value laptops on the market right now for 1080p gaming. You're not settling for outdated components, with the RTX 5060 setting you up for gaming for several years to come. If you want a budget-friendly rig before the holiday season, this is the deal you'll want to take advantage of.

A self-taught electronics tinkerer called Mike recently shared details of his retro-computing project on Hackaday. It certainly is retro, as the design eschews modern computer component niceties like microprocessors or microcontrollers. Instead, Mike’s computer is “a modern 8-bit design, built with recycled 1950s vacuum tubes.” It uses 460 Soviet-era 6N3P (Cyrillic 6Н3П-ЕВ) double triode tubes, which were manufactured around 50 years ago, combined with era-appropriate germanium diodes.

The wall-mounted vacuum tube-based computer you see in the video above is apparently the third tube computer Mike has engineered this decade. Previous iterations have sometimes come to an explosive end…

Of course, there have been a number of famous historically significant computers based on arrays of these tubes or valves, which offer similar functionality to the transistors that largely succeeded them. There are plenty of reasons the computer industry moved from tubes to transistors, and then silicon ICs, but enthusiasts aren’t bound by such practicalities.

Mike notes a few drawbacks with vacuum tubes, actually. Most notably, this simple 8-bit computer design needs 460 of these fragile, rather bulky, white-hot glowing tubes to run. Furthermore, these used/old stock 6N3P models only have about a 500-hour operational life, so a few handy spares are required, as is a stepladder to reach the whole array of tubes, which may fizzle out at any time. The tubes run hot, so Mike's computer room is always toasty whether the season makes that a nice thing or not. A fire extinguisher is always kept handy, and the room smells of burning dust.

Performance and capabilities are about as limited as one might expect. Mike notes that starting The Tube Computer (MK3) means waiting 10 to 15 mins after power-on for the machine to literally warm up. This is followed by a mandatory reset to get the tubes into a unified operational state.

For compute functionality, Mike’s Tube Computer architecture uses an arithmetic logic design to perform just the five essential functions needed for its instruction set (sum, carry, not, increment, and XNOR). Meanwhile, its instruction cycle relies on a non-pipelined architecture with a six-step fetch and single-execute cycle.

Components:

• 460 × 6N3P vacuum tube
• 46 × 10 tube pcbs
• 1 × 190cmx130cm 4mm acrylic panel
• 3 × 2m 30mmx30mm Aluminium box section
• 5 × Backplane pcbs

User interaction with this wall-mounted homemade computer varies depending on the program in use. Currently, Mike has it set up to run an Airship Simulator piloting a British R80 airship from Brighton to Paris. “By pressing controls on the image of the bridge of the R80, you can direct the airship software,” says Mike. “These membrane buttons simply put 5 volts directly to the input board of The Tube Computer. You can control the ballast, gas release, engine power, elevators, rudder and the bow mooring gear, which is used to release the airship from the tower.”

Another charming feature of this admittedly “build it now, fix it later” computer design is the very audible accompanying ex-British Rail flip-digit display. That add-on will invoke another entirely different flavor of nostalgia for some of our readers.

Modular laptop manufacturer Framework has just announced that it's dropping some of its memory pricing for its new Framework Laptop 13 Pro after previously doubling it back in July, including retroactively for orders that have already shipped. Posting on social media and in an update on its blog, the company says that it's been able to source new inventory at a reduced cost.

"We have a positive update today on LPCAMM2 pricing! We were able to source a limited quantity at lower cost, and are retroactively reducing prices for orders that shipped at higher price, as well as offering the lower price to orders through Batch 10" according to the company's recent X post. A further update, posted on the company's blog, goes on to explain that Framework's Supply Chain team "has been working continuously to source additional inventory at better prices."

The lower prices are due to a "limited quantity" of Micron 32GB and 64GB LPCAMM2 memory modules that the company has secured at "lower cost," and that as the company is "committed to passing on savings whenever we can," it is passing the price reductions back to customers. LPCAMM2 memory is available for the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 version of the Framework laptop. Other models, like those shipping with AMD Ryzen AI 300 CPUs, are using SO-DIMMs instead.

The price reductions are being applied to "both already shipped and a subset of pending pre-orders," according to chief executive Nirav Patel. This improves the situation for consumers compared to the last price update on July 22, which saw Framework almost double its prices for 32GB and 64GB LPCAMM2 memory in the Laptop 13 Pro. While these new prices are "still above our original pre-order launch baseline, they are lower than the last cost update that drove our current pricing for new pre-orders," according to the company.

This pricing isn't expected to last for long, however. As Framework notes, only a limited quantity of new modules has been acquired at lower cost. Framework explains on X that these are being made available "first-come, first-serve to customers through Batch 10". If the company is able to source more, then it'll "open it to later batches and then to new pre-orders."

Framework is automatically refunding the difference if your order has already shipped and you paid the higher price. Pending pre-orders through to Batch 10 have also been adjusted to reflect the better pricing. If you're waiting on a pre-order and want to update the RAM capacity you've ordered to take advantage of the lower prices, that option is now available via the order summary page, with instructions in Framework's Help Center if you run into trouble.

Those with a DIY Edition Framework 13 Pro that has already shipped and who want to switch to the 32GB or 64GB LPCAMM2 modules at the lower price can also fill out this contact form to organize a swap.

As building a PC becomes prohibitively more expensive, buying a pre-built option continues to look like a much better way to get started with PC gaming in 2026. Right now at Newegg, you can score this ABS Cyclone gaming PC with a 20-core Intel CPU, RTX 5060 8GB, and 32GB of DDR5 RAM for just $1,379. That's $420 off a 1440p-ready rig that should see you through the next few years of the RAMpocalypse.

● Check out this deal at Newegg

The DDR5-6000 RAM in this PC is currently worth $400 alone, making this build a good value proposition over buying the parts yourself. Likewise, the GPU is worth $450, meaning that more than half your build cost is covered by just these two parts. This PC would be perfect as a beginner gaming rig or mid-range replacement for a DDR4 gaming PC. With a Raptor Lake refresh CPU and Nvidia's latest GPU technology, it's the perfect stepping stone into modern PC gaming without breaking the bank.

As you can see, without frame generation, the RTX 5060 can put out a respectable 41 frames per second across our 1440p test suite, and easily manages 60 frames per second at 1080p in our other testing. Using Nvidia's DLSS technology, you'll be able to bump that up no problem and enjoy high-fidelity gaming with good frame rates. With just 8GB of VRAM, this card won't be useful for 4K gaming but would make a great upgrade for someone on an older RTX 30-series card or integrated graphics.

The GPU is complemented by the excellent Intel Core i7-14700F CPU, with 20 cores (eight performance and 12 efficiency), perfect for productivity and gaming workloads. The Raptor Lake Refresh CPU offers boost clocks of up to 5.4GHz.

This is a great all-round build at the price point, as evidenced by the strong supporting cast of components. You're getting that all-important 32GB of DDR5-6000 RAM for multitasking and gaming, as well as a 1TB Gen 4 SSD — specifically Kingston's SNV3S — for storage.

The motherboard is an ASRock B760M-CX with room for M.2 expansion should storage prices settle down in the future. You also get a very capable Cooler Master Hyper 212 air cooler, more than enough for this CPU, as well as a 650W 80 PLUS Gold PSU.

It also features Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, as well as a copy of Windows 11. For the price, this is a really good PC in the current market. You're getting a $300 discount, plus a further $120 off when you use the promo code SSF73457, for a $420 discount total. Thanks to the Intel's Gamer Days sale, you'll also get two free games to enjoy on your new PC: Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Star Wars: Galactic Racer, due to be released in February 2027 and October 2026, respectively. That's $120 of free upcoming new releases to enjoy on your new PC.

The price of PC parts continues to rise on a daily basis, so finding a monstrous gaming PC cheaper than it was in April is no small feat. Right now at Newegg, you can score an RTX 5080 gaming PC with a 9800X3D CPU, the ultimate in 4K gaming performance, for $2,999. A $500 saving that makes it cheaper than when we covered this same deal back in April.

● Check out this deal on Newegg's website

The individual cost of some of these components makes this a pretty remarkable deal in Fall 2026. The RTX 5080 GPU in this rig alone will set you back more than $1,500 in today's market. The CPU is nearly $500, bringing the cost of just those two components to 2/3 of the build's entire price.

RAM and SSD prices are heavily inflated, which means 32GB of DDR5 would normally set you back $400 right now. Add the storage to the bill of materials, and you've covered nearly the entire cost of this PC before you've added the case, fans, cooler, motherboard, and PSU. With the best CPU for gaming on the market and a huge GPU, this PC is no slouch either.

While the 9800X3D is not quite the fastest gaming CPU on the market these days, it is still the best all-rounder by some distance thanks to its combination of power efficiency and performance compared to the 9850X3D. This 8-core, 16-thread CPU chews through gaming titles, even at 4K, thanks to its 3D V-cache. Reducing reliance on slower RAM, this industry-leading tech makes AMD's X3D CPUs the best gaming chips on the market, as you can see from our testing data.

The RTX 5080 likewise needs no introduction. This behemoth features 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM and 10,752 CUDA cores. As you can see from our GPU hierarchy, that translates into average frames per second of 60 even at 4K, performance eclipsed only by the extremely powerful and expensive 5090. At 1440p, we clocked average fps of over 100. The 5080 will also unlock Nvidia's powerful DLSS 4.5 and new DLSS 5 technology for frame generation and neural rendering.

Headline components aside, this build features 32GB of Kingston Fury DDR5 6400 RAM, a fantastic addition considering it's easy to hide cheap, slow RAM inside a pre-built PC. The SSD is Team Group's NV5000 2TB Gen 4 drive, giving you plenty of storage and gaming performance. The motherboard is a Gigabyte B850 with Wi-Fi 6, giving you plenty of power and performance as well as room for expansion in the future. The build also features a 360mm AIO cooler for the CPU, Windows 11, and a 1000W 80 Plus Gold to keep everything running.

In today’s AI-dominated tech space, gamers have been bombarded with rising prices for storage, memory, and even GPUs. So gamers are increasingly looking for value when purchasing a new system. To that end, HP is attempting to deliver solid gaming performance at an accessible price with the HyperX Omen 15. It’s worth noting that the Omen now takes the place of the Victus 15 in HP’s mainstream gaming laptop range, with the Omen Max occupying the top spot.

The Omen 15 has a strong foundation with a Core Ultra 9 processor, 32GB of RAM, a 15.3-inch 1800p OLED display, and a sleek design. HP delivers all this for just over $2,000, and it has strong gaming performance, but there are compromises in chassis construction and features you’d expect at this price point.

Design of the HyperX Omen 15

The Omen 15 shares its design language with the slightly larger Omen Max 16 that I previously reviewed. It’s an unassuming design, finished in Shadow Black, with just a hint of shimmering flakes if you look closely under light. There aren’t any garish design flourishes or additional RGB effects (other than the keyboard).

Like the Omen Max 16, the Omen 15 identifies itself with an “O15” script on the right side of the deck. Given that the Omen 15 is less than half the price of its larger sibling, you only get an aluminum lid. Everything else, including the upper and lower chassis, is constructed of a much cheaper (and more pliable) plastic.

The desk easily deforms when pressing on it, and the whole laptop flexes with minimal effort, twisting it from corner to corner. The overall feel of the laptop doesn’t quite seem up to par with what I’d expect from a gaming laptop priced over $2,000.

There’s also another interesting omission when looking around the chassis. Despite its price tag, there are no Thunderbolt ports. And you only get one USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port on the back, beside an HDMI 2.1 port. There’s a GbE Ethernet port and a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port on the right side of the chassis, while a proprietary barrel-style power port, another USB-A port, and a 3.5 mm combo audio jack are on the left.

Our Omen 15 review unit measures 13.5 x 9.96 x 0.93 inches and weighs 4.89 pounds. For comparison, the Gigabyte Aero X16 is 14 x 9.9 x 0.78 inches and 4.2 pounds, while the Framework Laptop 16 measures 14.03 x 11.43 x 0.82 inches and 5.29 pounds. Finally, the Predator Triton 14 AI is 12.68 x 8.84 x 0.71 inches and 3.5 pounds (due to its smaller 14.5-inch display).

HyperX Omen 15 Specifications

Gaming and Graphics on the HyperX Omen 15

Our Omen 15 review unit came configured with an Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor, 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory, and a GeForce RTX 5070 GPU (85W TGP).

As for the assembled competitors, we have the Aero X16 (Ryzen AI 7 350, 32GB, RTX 5070 85W), Predator Triton 14 AI (Core Ultra 9 288V, RTX 5070 110W), and Framework Laptop 16 (Ryzen AI 7 350, RTX 5070 100W).

I’ve been playing a lot of Battlefield 6 recently, and I tend to run at native resolution in Overkill detail mode, with DLSS Quality and frame generation enabled. However, I dialed it back to High detail mode instead of Overkill to accommodate just 8GB of memory on the RTX 5070. Using these settings, I was able to average between 70 and 85 frames per second.

We start off our gaming benchmarks with Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest settings), where the Omen 15 started off on the right foot with 126 FPS at 1080p resolution and 60 FPS at 1800p. The Framework Laptop 16 eked out 6 additional FPS at 1080p and another 17 at its native resolution. However, we still consider it a good showing, given that the RTX 5070 in the Omen 15 operates at a 85W TGP (versus 100W for the Framework) and at a higher native resolution (1800p versus 1600p).

Cyberpunk 2077 (Ray Tracing Ultra settings) again saw the Omen 15 in second place to the Laptop 16. This time, it hit 35 FPS at 1080p resolution compared to 38 FPS for the Laptop 16. Performance at 1800p was in the single digits for the Omen 15, while the Laptop 16 managed 18 FPS. Both are slideshow-worthy numbers that are nothing to brag about.

Far Cry 6 (Ultra settings) was a high point for the Omen 15, which bested all competitors with 107 FPS at 1080p resolution. Cranking the dial to 1800p, that figure dropped to 69 FPS, compared to 70 FPS for the Aero X16 running at 1600p. The Laptop 16 forged ahead with 83 FPS at 1600p.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium settings) was something of a sore spot for the Omen 15 (59 FPS at 1080p), which fell well below the Aero X16 (78 FPS) and the Laptop 16 (91 FPS). Boosting the resolution to 1800p also saw the Omen 15 in third place, with 35 FPS, well off the pace set by the Laptop 16 (57 FPS).

Forza Horizon 6 (Ultra settings) is a more recent benchmark in our testing suite, and so far, the Omen 15 is the only entry in this class of gaming laptops. With that said, the Omen 15 achieved 80 FPS at 1080p and 51 FPS at 1800p.

On our Metro Exodus stress test, the Omen 15 review unit averaged 141.62 FPS at 1080p across 15 loops using the RTX preset. The CPU performance cores averaged 3.52 GHz, the efficiency cores averaged 2.82 GHz, and the low-power efficiency cores ran at 1.9 GHz. The RTX 5070 GPU averaged 2.0 GHz.

Productivity Performance on the HyperX Omen 15

With a Core Ultra 9 386H processor, 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD onboard, we expected solid performance from the Omen 15. Those expectations were met in terms of CPU performance, while storage performance lagged a bit behind the competition.

The Omen 15 performed well in Geekbench 6, hitting 2,857 in the single-core benchmark, keeping it right in the mix with the other competitors. However, it sprinted out ahead of the pack in multi-core, delivering 15,916 compared to 14,074 on the second-place Aero X16.

The Omen 15 was at the back of the pack on our file transfer test, coming in at 999 MBps from the Samsung MZVMX1T0HCLD-00BH1 SSD versus an average of around just under 1,500 MBps for the other three competitors.

Moving on to our HandBrake test, where we transcode a 4K video file to 1080p, the Omen 15 took the top spot, finishing the task in 3 minutes and 39 seconds. That was about 15 seconds faster than the second-place Aero X16.

Display on the HyperX Omen 15

Our review unit came equipped with a 15.3-inch 2880 x 1800 OLED display. Interestingly, the refresh rate is limited to just 120 Hz, compared to the faster 144 Hz to 165 Hz that we see in competitors like the Aero X16 and Laptop 16.

The Omen 15’s OLED panel performed roughly on par with the rest of the laptops in this segment, as it covered 132.3 percent of the DCI-P3 color space and 186.8 percent of sRGB. It even managed to take the top spot in the brightness category, hitting 460.2 nits compared to 444 nits for the Laptop 16.

I love OLED panels, and the 1800p unit on the Omen 15 just proves that that love shows no sign of abating. Colors looked rich, blacks were jet black, and brightness levels in my home office setting (with an abundance of overhead lighting) were more than adequate.

I played quite a bit of Forza Horizon 6 using the Omen 15, and marveled at the bright, colorful, and reflective car bodies as I competed in various events.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the HyperX Omen 15

There have been noticeable improvements made to the Omen 15’s keyboard, at least compared to the previous Victus 15. The biggest change is the move from half-height arrow keys to full-size. The tiny, half-height function keys have also been enlarged.

HP also boasts of an 8K polling rate for the Omen 15’s keyboard (equating to a response time of 0.125 ms). I wouldn’t consider myself to be a highly competitive gamer, so any upgrades in this area are lost on me. The keyboard also features 4-zone RGB backlighting.

Using the Keyhero.com typing test, I averaged around 87 words per minute with 95% accuracy, which is on par with my typical typing speed. I found the keyboard comfortable for typing and gaming.

There’s nothing particularly noteworthy about the touchpad, which features a top-hinged design. Its surface allowed my finger to glide smoothly, although it is a bit loud and clanky when clicked.

Audio on the HyperX Omen 15

The Omen 15 features stereo speakers supporting DTS:X Ultra and HyperX Audio Control. I was pleasantly surprised by the sound emanating from the speaker, which was rich in volume and clarity. While lacking any real semblance of bass, the underlying output was clean.

I took the opportunity to fire up “Mujahadin and Opium,” which is a horn- and string-filled track by John Barry from The Living Daylights soundtrack. There is just something very chilling about the interplay of the strings and horns; the former of which starts the track, while the latter beautifully fills in classic James Bond tradition.

The speakers also did well to mimic engine sounds as I went corner carving in Forza Horizon 6, be it a high-strung flat-6 or a burbling V8.

Upgradeability of the HyperX Omen 15

Flipping the Omen 15 over to reveal its bottom panel, you’ll find five screws holding it in place. Three of the screws are exposed, while the two corner screws at the back are hidden beneath tiny rubber plugs. I needed to use a safety pin to pry them out, which was annoying.

With the panel removed, you’ll find easy access to the battery, both M.2 SSD bays, the Wi-Fi card, and the two SO-DIMM slots (which are covered by a flexible I/O shield).

Battery Life on the HyperX Omen 15

The Omen 15 is powered by a 70 WHr battery, and it performed well against its peers. Our battery test leverages web browsing, video streaming over Wi-Fi, and OpenGL testing with the screen brightness set at 150 nits.

The HyperX laptop endured for 8 hours and 30 minutes, which was 10 minutes longer than the Laptop 16 and 14 minutes longer than the Predator Triton 14 AI. However, it was no match for the Aero X16, which lasted 9 hours and 13 minutes.

Heat on the HyperX Omen 15

During the Metro Exodus stress test, we measured the Omen 15's keyboard at 95.4 degrees Fahrenheit (F) between the G and H keys, while the touchpad was 85.1 F.

The hottest part of the laptop was near the bottom-rear of the chassis, measuring 110 F.

While running the Metro Exodus stress test, the CPU measured 63.4 degrees Celsius (C). Meanwhile, the RTX 5070 came in at 63.2 C.

Webcam on the HyperX Omen 15

The Omen 15 uses a standard 1080p webcam with IR capabilities, meaning it can be used with Windows Hello biometric authentication in Windows 11.

The camera is fine, and by no means a standout in any particular area. It covers the basics, offering decent color reproduction, and did a passable job of picking out my facial hair. However, I did notice a fair amount of noise in the image. However, if you mainly use the camera to hop on a few Zoom calls here and there, it’s more than adequate.

HyperX Omen 15 Software and Warranty

HP has no qualms about loading up its systems with a copious amount of apps, as you'll find a variety of software including HP, HP Documentation, HP PC Hardware Diagnostics, HP Smart, HP Privacy Settings, and HP TV+ (and that's not even all of them).

However, the HP utility that you'll probably interact with the most is the Omen Gaming Hub. Here you'll find controls for tweaking nearly every aspect of the system, from power modes to RGB lighting for the keyboard.

The Omen 15 comes with a one-year manufacturer warranty.

HyperX Omen 15 Configurations

Our Omen 15 review unit came configured with an Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor, 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory, a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, and a 2880 x 1800 OLED 120 Hz display. It’s listed on HP’s website with an MSRP of $2,799, but is currently available for $2,099 with a 25% off coupon.

There are various configurations available with slightly different specs, but the 15-ga0762nr SKU features a Core i7-14650HX processor, 16GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, an RTX 5060 GPU, and a 2560 x 1600 OLED with a 180 Hz refresh rate. This system is priced at $1,999, or just a $100 discount compared to our review unit’s sale price. However, the price disparity makes more sense when you consider our review unit’s MSRP.

Bottom Line

On the one hand, the HyperX Omen 15 has solid gaming performance across the board, and its CPU performance in productivity tasks is top-of-the-class. In addition, the 15.3-inch OLED display looks great and offers an expansive 2880 x 1800 resolution.

On the other hand, the chassis is constructed of cheap and flexy plastic, while SSD performance lags behind its competitors. In addition, the display is limited to a 120 Hz refresh rate, and you don’t get any Thunderbolt ports (if that’s something that’s important to you at this price point).

Where things get even more complicated is with pricing. Our review unit carries an MSRP of $2,799, but HP is currently selling it for $2,099 after discounts. At MSRP, our review unit is an absolute non-starter, while the sale price makes it a much more palatable option. But even at its sale price, we feel that the Gigabyte Aero X16 makes a far more compelling buy at just $1,799.

Hoto screwdrivers have become a key component in the Tom's Hardware staff toolkit in recent years, and this particular model has been one of my favorites. I've used it for DIY projects during my house reno, but it's also been useful for PC repairs and other odd jobs. The battery life means I've only had to charge it a couple of times in nearly a year of heavy usage. If that sounds good to you, you'll want to grab the 40% discount on this 25-bit Hoto electric screwdriver kit, now priced at just $29.98 for a limited time only.

● Check out this deal at Amazon

This kit is an upgraded version of the model I own; it's the same driver, but with extra bits and a better case, so it's a little bit more robust for users. The 40% discount brings it back to a price that we've seen a few times in recent months, but the kit does spike up and down, so you'll want to grab it while it's on offer.

You're getting the familiar 3.6V electric driver here, with a 1,500 mAh battery that Hoto claims allows you to drive over 1,000 screws without the need to charge it. That does match my own experience, as I've only needed to charge it a couple of times since I picked it up late last year. I use it extensively, pretty much every weekend, too. To charge it, you'll need to use the supplied USB-C cable, and it takes about two and a half hours to fully charge.

This is a fully adjustable driver, so it can handle a few different scenarios, with three different torque settings to choose from. It has an LED light at the top to help you see when you're driving in dark spaces like PC cases, and it'll stop immediately as soon as you release the button. It's magnetic, so keeping hold of tiny screws won't be a problem here.

You get an upgraded storage case with this Hoto model, which helps to both protect the driver and keep your bits organized, and it's a nice upgrade over the circular casing I received with the earlier NEX O1 Pro kit. You're getting 24 different screw bits here, along with an extended PH2 bit, giving you access to Phillips, Torx, flat, hexagon, and Pozidriv head bits, which are all rated for 60HRC on the Rockwell scale.

The $29.98 sale price on this 25-piece Hoto electric screwdriver set makes this a must-buy for hobbyists. If you need a starter set for a PC building kit, or just want a few handy tools for DIY-ing around the home, then this Hoto kit is a good place to start. It's versatile, lightweight, and a good option for when you just need a bit of extra power compared to manual driving.

Lenovo has a history of bringing concept laptops to the IFA trade show in Berlin, and this year’s pair are all about improving productivity and portability. They also feel closer to something you might actually buy than some concepts we’ve seen in the past.

First up, Project AeroBlade is a 14-inch laptop where, as the company’s press release puts it, “every component is re-engineered around mobility.” For starters, the laptop foregoes fans in favor of Frore Systems’ AirJet solid-state cooling tech, which uses piezoelectric membranes that vibrate ultrasonically, beyond the range of human hearing. There are four AirJet Mini modules here, which is three more than the single AirJet Mini we saw in Intel’s Wildcat Lake reference design back at Computex earlier this year. That should mean much better sustained performance than we’ve seen from passively cooled PCs in the past.

Frore System’s latest AirJet Mini modules are rated to dissipate 7.5 watts of heat, giving the AeroBlade laptop 30 watts of active heat dissipation. This pairs well with the 17-30W-TDP Intel Lunar Lake silicon Lenovo is using in this concept. The more recent Wildcat Lake chips are rated from 15-35W, so should also fare reasonably well with a similar solid-state cooling setup.

Project AeroBlade also uses a tiny motherboard, which, along with a magnesium-aluminum frame, results in a laptop that is just 0.39 inches (10 mm) thick and weighs less than 1.83 pounds (830 grams). The slimness means you’ll have to live on USB-C /Thunderbolt 4 ports alone, but the laptop includes three of them, along with an OLED screen and Wi-Fi 7.

The company is using Intel’s Lunar Lake here, but of course, if the concepts behind this design eventually become a laptop you can buy, it will ship with a more modern CPU. I’d love to see what kind of performance and battery life Wildcat or Panther Lake could deliver in this svelte laptop form factor.

The company is using Intel’s Lunar Lake here, but of course, if the concepts behind this design eventually become a laptop you can buy, it will ship with a more modern CPU. I’d love to see what kind of performance and battery life Wildcat or Panther Lake could deliver in this svelte laptop form factor.

A 17-inch screen in a 14-inch laptop

Project Swan sees Lenovo return to its rollable-screen ambitions, this time with a concept that at once feels more modest, mainstream, and achievable than previous attempts. Housed in a mostly standard-looking 14-inch ThinkBook chassis, the screen expands at the press of a button into a 17-inch, 16:9 display with a 2850 x 1672 resolution. That’s not quite 16:9, but there’s likely some small amount of the rollable OLED display that remains off the visible screen in this concept design.

As you would expect, this isn’t the thinnest or lightest 14-inch laptop, weighing in at 3.53 pounds (1.6kg) and measuring 0.7 inches (17.9 mm) thick. The extra bulk lives in the lid, which needs to house the rollable display mechanism, as well as bezels that expand out the sides. As is usually the case with these devices, the motor mechanism is louder than would likely be acceptable in a finished product, but at least it worked flawlessly during several open and close cycles – which is not always the case with concepts like this.

Hopefully Lenovo can shrink the required screen hardware slightly if a version of this design gets incorporated into a laptop you can actually buy. Because while I don’t love the extra bulk, the idea of a compact 14-inch laptop that can give me a 17-inch screen on the go is very appealing.

Nvidia is finally getting more specific about the launch of the RTX Spark. The chip, which it is now officially calling the "N1X," will launch in laptops in October and come in two configurations.

The more powerful option will mix a 20-core Grace CPU with a 6,144-core Blackwell GPU, and come with between 24 and 128GB of unified memory. The other variation uses an 18-core CPU and a cut-down 5,120-core Blackwell GPU with between 24 and 32GB of unified memory. That version will only be in laptops.

There's a lot that Nvidia hasn't specified outside of core counts and memory support, but with the chip launching next month, we're sure to find out more, either through Nvidia or OEMs, soon enough.

Nvidia made the announcement ahead of IFA in Berlin, where Lenovo and Acer announced new systems with Nvidia's new chips. Lenovo debuted the Yoga 9n 2-in-1 laptop, while Acer is debuting the SFF RTX Spark, a mini desktop. As of this writing, neither has pricing.

Further systems will come from Asus, Dell, MSI, HP, and Microsoft, the latter of which debuted the flagship Surface Laptop Ultra at Computex this year. These systems are being pushed as laptops and mini PCs meant primarily for agentic AI, though Nvidia has also demonstrated its gaming prowess in demos. We'll need to get our hands on these to test both scenarios. The company is also promising "all-day battery life," another claim we'll need to test.

The use of the N1X name has occurred in leaks, but this is the first time Nvidia has used it publicly. This suggests a separate, lower-end N1 chip may exist and be released down the line.

It's unclear exactly which devices will launch in October and which might come out later in the year. It's likely that that information will come soon, now that Nvidia has chosen a month. We'll also have to see if Microsoft's Agent Framework, which lets agents run in the background under control of the operating system, is ready in Windows by then.

Nvidia's unified memory approach is similar to the one popularized by Apple in its M-series chips, including the recently announced M6 and M5 Ultra, which also uses an Arm instruction set. On the x86 side, AMD's Strix Halo (and upcoming Gorgon Halo) also use unified memory.

The launch of these chips will also break Qualcomm's exclusivity on Windows on Arm, bringing a major new silicon vendor into the ecosystem, and possibly more partnerships from application developers eager to use Nvidia's tools.

AMD's Gorgon Halo is breaking cover at IFA. Ahead of the show, Lenovo revealed the ThinkCentre X Ultra with up to an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495 processor, with an integrated AMD Radeon 8065S GPU, and 128GB of RAM.

The system is set to release in November 2026 with an "expected" starting price of $3,669, which is surely not for the top-end model.

The system is fairly compact at 7.2 x 7.2 x 2 inches, about two inches longer than a Mac Mini on either side. The front of the system features two 10GBps USB-C ports and a headphone jack. The back boasts DisplayPort 2.1 and HDMI 2.1, two 10GBps USB Type-A ports, a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB 40GBps, rare on AMD platforms), a 10Gb Ethernet jack, and a punch-out port to add additional output. Lighting on the system that you can see through the front air intakes shows the system status at a glance.

Lenovo is offering both Linux and Windows options. The system will come with AMD Ryzen AI Developer Center, which includes preconfigured AI models and tools, as well as example workflows to use. Up to four ThinkCentre X Ultras can be used in a cluster to run larger models, more agents, extra requests, or longer context windows.

Lenovo and AMD are set to have some competition in the mini PC space this year, as Nvidia is launching systems with its RTX Spark from OEM companies sometime this fall.

Lenovo is providing a full spec list for the Yoga Pro 9n, the Nvidia RTX Spark-powered laptop it announced at Computex, and has a second Spark system ahead of IFA: the Yoga 9n 2-in-1, a 16-inch convertible.

Both systems are listed as using Grace CPUs with up to 20 Cores and Blackwell RTX graphics with up to 6,144 cores, suggesting there will be multiple RTX Spark chips to choose from for both systems. While the 2-in-1 will top out at 64GB of unified memory, the clamshell Yoga Pro will go up to 128GB. It's also notable that the 2-in-1 will use seemingly lower-end QLC storage, while that's not mentioned in the Pro specs. We also know that the 15-inch Pro will have up to 80W TDP, one of the first official TDPs we've heard for an RTX Spark system (we don't yet know that information for the 2-in-1).

Both are also pushing 9.2-megapixel cameras that connect directly to the processor, as well as the latest Wi-FI standards. The Yoga Pro 9n has a 15.3-inch, 2560 x 1600 OLED screen that sports variable refresh from 48 - 165 Hz, while the 2-in-1 has a larger 16-inch OLED screen at 2880 x 1800 and 30 - 120 Hz.

Both systems are all-black machines, with metal designs and a mix of reflective and matte materials, which we've seen in the Yoga line before, albeit usually in a dark blue color. The 2-in-1 brings back a soundbar in the hinge, which the company stopped using years ago, but allows for clear sound in any position.

Lenovo is pushing the clamshell Yoga Pro as an AI machine, using the Nvidia chip with its CUDA software to allow "increasingly sophisticated AI models to run locally on the device." Windows 11 is supposed to gain features to run more agentic AI, including OpenClaw and Hermes, using Nvidia's own openShell and Windows own security layer.

The system is also being advertised as capable of gaming, development work, video editing (the haptic touchpad features pen support for precise input), and rendering. Despite using Lenovo's premium consumer brand, the Yoga Pro 9n is arguably a workstation.

The Yoga 9n 2-in-1 is being pushed more heavily as a creativity device, with its touch-friendly design and the Yoga Pen Gen 2, though the company is touting AI models here, too. Specifically, Lenovo's blog posts calls out AI tools in ComfyUI and Adobe Premiere Pro, as well as local models like LTX (a model based on video rendering in physical space) and FLUX, a text-to-image model.

Lenovo is keeping the price and release date under wraps. The price, the company's press release says, will come at launch, but when that is isn't detailed. Previously, Nvidia announced that RTX Spark would release this fall.

The arrival of the MacBook Neo seems to have reminded other PC makers that people like color (and relative affordability), and the IdeaPad Vibe line appears to be Lenovo’s answer to both. Starting at $699 when they arrive later this year and offered in 14- or 15-inch screen sizes, the laptops will feature seven color options and either an all-metal chassis or a metal lid and keyboard deck, with a plastic bottom. In a twist, the company will also offer swappable keycaps (pretty uncommon in the laptop space) that can either match your laptop’s color or veer away from it for some striking contrast.

Lenovo says the laptops will start at 1.3kg (2.87 pounds), offer up to 24GB or 32GB of RAM (more with the AMD-based models, where you can also opt for a larger 65 WHr battery), and feature either 120 Hz IPS or OLED screens. Oddly, the OLED options will only be offered in the most subdued hues – lowkey gray and moody blue.

Internally, the Vibes feature two M.2 SSD slots and will be offered with either Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X or AMD’s Ryzen AI 400, and a 50 WHr battery as standard. Lenovo easily beats the MacBook Neo and Dell’s XPS 13 on ports, offering two USB Type-A and two Type-C ports (though they are all capped at 5 GB/s), along with HDMI, a headphone jack, and a microSD card slot.

Of course, given that both the AMD and Qualcomm chips feature prominent NPUs, Lenovo is also pushing its cross-platform Qira AI (also offered in Motorola phones), which the company says “features Workato-powered connections such as email, calendar, and collaboration services, helping users find relevant information and move from intent to action through natural-language requests with less app switching.”

Lenovo notes that Qira will only be offered “on select configurations,” and RAM is listed across the lineup simply as “up to 24GB.” Given the high price of memory these days, the $699 starting configs will almost certainly ship with just 8GB of RAM. So don’t expect the lower-end configurations to be particularly friendly when it comes to local AI tasks.

Lenovo says the AMD-based IdeaPad Vibe laptops will arrive first, starting in October, while Snapdragon models will land in November. And the company promises Intel options as well, arriving at an as-yet undisclosed date.

If you like the colors offered on the Vibe line, but don’t need portability, Lenovo will also be offering its IdeaCentre AIO i with Intel Core Series 3 CPUs and a 27-inch screen in similar colors. It will ship with a matching keyboard and mouse, starting at $939 in November.

Many a 20th-century PC enthusiast’s first taste of computing came through the purchase of a Packard Bell pre-built, for rosy-tinted-spectacles good or scarred-for-life bad. It was a huge player in the mid-90s, with over 45% retail market share in the U.S. at its peak. Now Packard Bell is back, under the wing of Acer at IFA 2026, with the Taiwanese PC maker’s unveiling of the Dot family, including a laptop, headphones, input peripherals, and more. However, Packard Bell products will be European market exclusives for now, reports ComputerBase (machine translation).

The Dot series of products, including the headlining DotBook 14, are aimed at the cheap and cheerful end of the market, and it looks like they intend to cut through with quirky and vibrant designs. “Who needs a Formula 1 car for shopping?” asks Acer / Packard Bell on the official product page.

Looking more closely at this laptop’s hardware, it is a 14.5-inch model powered by a last-gen Intel Twin Lake chip.

The Intel Twin Lake processor seems decent, with eight cores (all E-Cores) and running up to 3.9 GHz. The relatively poor touted 7-hour battery life is partly due to a smallish battery.

Design rather than tech specs will likely be an aspect of the DotBook that catches the eyes of laptop buyers. Acer shows off a bright orange clamshell design. The curious orange-among-the-white keys are the Escape, Enter, P, and B keys – does it make some sense now?

The price of the new Packard Bell DotBook 14 looks a little high considering the specs. We’ve seen sources suggesting a €499 price tag, which is roughly $580. But remember European prices include applicable sales tax so the price you see is what you pay. We note that cheap, performant, new Wildcat Lake laptops such as the Chuwi UniBook we reviewed are already around to spoil the DotBook party. Chuwi’s laptop costs $449 and ran for over 14 hours of battery life in our tests. Maybe our nostalgic U.S. readers should not be upset the DotBook is Europe-only.

Other Packard Bell Dot products showcased at IFA include colorful keyboards and mice. There are also some Dot headphones, speakers, a feature phone, a ring light, a food steamer, and even a turntable, for some reason. Mr. Leon Packard and Mr. Herb Bell could never have foreseen such gadgets when the corporation was originally founded nearly 100 years ago.

Walmart is currently offering a 21% discount on an impressive all-rounder prebuilt system from CyberPowerPC. The Gamer Supreme desktop gaming PC is now $1,399, a saving of $370.99 from the original listed price of $1,769.99. With this component selection, you get both a gaming PC and an incredible computer for everyday work and productivity applications.

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Inside the glistening glass panel case is Intel's Core Ultra 7 270K Plus processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti graphics card with 8GB of VRAM, 16GB of DDR5 memory, and a 1TB SSD for storage. This selection of components makes for a complete and competent gaming and productivity PC, with plenty of room for upgrades in the future.

One of the standout component choices in this prebuilt gaming PC is Intel's Core Ultra 7 270K Plus processor. It's currently Intel's best value-for-money CPU on the market with impressive gaming performance, and even more impressive multi-threaded productivity performance. The 270K Plus can go toe-to-toe with AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X in productivity workloads — all while costing half the price.

You can see from our benchmarking charts below that the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus isn't as fast as AMD's purely gaming-focused X3D offerings, but when it comes to single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads, it's a monster and is only superseded by a much more expensive chip. Not only that, but the 270K Plus is fully unlocked for overclocking.

Prebuilt gaming PCs have risen to the forefront when it comes to value these days, thanks to the ever-rising component prices of memory, graphics cards, and storage, which have driven the self-build enthusiast market to the edge. This CyberPowerPC build uses all current parts, including DDR5 memory and the impressive Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, giving you plenty of power and performance for the money you spend on this system.

A “beautifully preserved in working condition” Apple 1 computer motherboard signed by Steve Wozniak, accompanied by a letter signed by Steve Jobs, is up for auction next month at Bonhams in New York. The official estimate for this precious piece of computing history is US$500,000 - US$800,000, but we note that this ‘Hatfield’ Apple 1 previously sold for $686,000 in 2013. Let’s take a closer look at what you could get for your slightly under a million dollars.

This isn’t just an artifact to be encased in a glass cabinet. You could do that, of course, but Bonhams assures auction watchers that this Apple 1 is a working model. It also seems to come with all the essential accessories you'd need to get some computing done.

The motherboard is the centerpiece of the sale, of course. It is labeled “Apple Computer 1 / Palo Alto. Ca. Copyright 1976,” on the component side, with ‘NTI’ stamp underneath (second batch), and the board is complete with a white ceramic MOS Technology 6502 microprocessor, keyboard interface and connector, 3 original Sprague ‘Big Blue’ capacitors, 8KB RAM, expansion connector, cassette board connector, original Apple cassette interface board labeled ‘Apple 1 Cassette Interface Copyright 1976,’ explains the auctioneer description of the lot.

A period-appropriate monitor, cassette recorder, and pair of ASCII keyboards make up the 'Hatfield' Apple 1 hardware offering. Then there is also a selection of manuals, which would have come with the hardware bought in the late 1970s. An original Apple-1 Operation Manual; an original Preliminary Apple BASIC Users Manual with a green coversheet bearing Apple's original Newton logo, and an original Apple 1 Cassette Interface manual are included in the sale.

Another attraction of this auction is undoubtedly the Steven Jobs-signed letter. It is a letter from Jobs (dated 1978) to the original owner, Fred Hatfield, authorizing the exchange of the Apple 1 for an Apple II 4k board. The letter came in response to Hatfield complaining about the lack of software for the Apple 1. Jobs signed the letter making the offer, and it includes his title at the time: Vice President, Operations of Apple Computer Inc.

We’ve reported on Apple 1 auctions before, and this Hatfield sample is one of the most desirable Apple hardware artifacts, being from a batch personally designed and hand-built - then signed - by Steve Wozniak. The Apple 1 computer was first demonstrated in early 1976. Fellow Homebrew Computer Club members and Byte Shop visitors would buy up the first batch of (50) Apple 1 devices in the summer of 1976. Fred Hatfield, a computing enthusiast working at Computer Data Systems in Columbus, Ohio, bought his model sometime in 1976 from the second batch made available. In total, less than 200 Apple 1 systems were made.

The Hatfield Apple 1 last changed hands in 2013, achieving $686,000 at auction. Now, 13 years later, the estimated range of US$500,000 - US$800,000 might seem low, but sometimes auctioneers do this to catch broader interest. This Apple 1 will be sold as part of the History of Science, Technology & Computing auctions at Bonhams, New York, between October 4 and 14. You will be able to take part in the auction online.

Names like Sugon or Hygon may not appear on lists of the best CPUs since they often fly under the radar. However, that does not mean they are not making substantial strides in China. According to the latest ITHome report, Sugon has recently teased an upcoming mobile workstation (MWS) designed to push the boundaries of AI performance. The next-generation device boasts a powerful domestic 64-thread processor paired with 16GB of VRAM, a combination that delivers up to 50 tokens per second on local 35B MoE AI models.

Sugon’s device is closer to a traditional laptop form factor rather than those pseudo-portable workstations we have seen over the years that look more like a desktop stuffed inside a suitcase. The mobile workstation is 0.665 inches (16.9 mm) thick, so it is right in line with the thin and lightweight premium laptop category, only slightly thicker than ultrabooks.

Sugon, a prominent Chinese supercomputer manufacturer, does not actually produce processors. Last year, Sugon attempted to merge with Hygon, which originated from a joint venture between AMD and Chinese partners, in hopes of creating a domestic server superpower to rival global giants such as HPE and Dell, but the deal did not go through. Nonetheless, the failed merger did not alter the already close relationship between Sugon and Hygon, with the former already being the latter's largest shareholder.

Sugon did not officially disclose which processor will power the mobile workstation. However, the manufacturer will likely source it from its long-time partner, Hygon. Sadly, knowing the chip has 64 threads does not give us a complete picture of which processor model is inside Sugon's device. For several years, Hygon has offered processors with designs up to 32 cores and 64 threads. Four generations of Hygon chips, spanning from the C86-1G to the C86-4G series, leveraged licensed Zen IP from AMD.

Alternatively, Sugon’s mobile workstation may tap Hygon's latest C86-5G chips. These processors are particularly interesting because Hygon claims they utilize a “new self-developed microarchitecture,” signaling the departure from AMD's Zen microarchitecture. The new C86-5G series, which supports AVX-512, features a four-way simultaneous multithreading (SMT4) configuration, or in other words, four threads per core. If Sugon’s mobile workstation is indeed equipped with one of these chips, it would likely be a 16-core, 64-thread configuration that could provide decent processing power for AI.

The small teaser specifically highlights the inclusion of 16GB of VRAM. The small detail clearly indicates the mobile workstation will come equipped with a discrete graphics card instead of integrated graphics. According to the vendor, the combination of the 64-thread processor and the mysterious 16GB discrete graphics card will deliver AI inference performance that is between 3X and 5X faster than mainstream products currently available on the market.

The performance figures being thrown around are up to 50 tokens per second when running a massive 35-billion-parameter Mixture of Experts (MoE) model locally. By comparison, standard cloud APIs typically offer throughput ranging from 30 to 80 tokens per second. If Sugon can deliver on its promise, its mobile workstation could be a true game-changer for AI workloads.

Sugon has not revealed the availability or pricing for the forthcoming mobile workstation. Given the current pricing for memory and storage products, we expect the mobile workstation to cost a small fortune.