The post MSI Stealth 15M review: “Powerful, portable, and piping hot appeared first on Game News.
]]>Our unit combines an 11th generation i7 CPU at 3.3GHz with an Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD and retails at around $1,599. Considering the updated components inside, the expansive storage, and the 144Hz refresh rate display sitting on top, that’s a remarkably well-priced machine that follows MSI’s line of relatively affordable mid-range configurations. We particularly like that ‘entry-level 30-series card: making use of one of the likely best graphics cards for budget machines of this year turns this machine into an excellent RTX 3060 laptop offering performance and wallet-friendly pricing.
It’s certainly an impressive machine, with an excellent feel and strong performance to boot, aside from some thermal concerns.
Design & features
Specs
Processor: Intel i7-11375H
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060
Memory: 16GB DDR4 RAM
Display: 15.6-inch, 144Hz
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Storage: 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD
Ports: 2x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 2 (with DisplayPort), 1x MicroSD card reader, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x 3.5mm audio jack
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 AX201, Bluetooth 5.1
OS: Windows 10 Home
Weight: 3.7lbs (1.67kg)
MSI hasn’t thrown out the rule book with this one, the Stealth 15M follows the same design language of many other releases in the line. The profile is still fairly blocky, with only the rounded hinge softening the harsh lines of the chassis itself. However, considering the amount of power hiding away in here, MSI continues to impress with its ability to shrink its builds down to incredibly lightweight form factors while still ensuring an effect of sturdiness and durability. That comes from the magnesium alloy casing which not only offers a solid base to an already stocky design but is also surprisingly fingerprint resistant considering the smooth finish. Overall, we’d feel just as happy throwing this machine into a backpack as we would giving it pride of place on a permanent setup just like a quality Razer laptop or Alienware gaming laptop.
A fully RGB lit keyboard feels great for typing, with the low profile typical of a laptop, but one that still offers a nice amount of travel and speedy response, like those on best gaming keyboard lists across the internet. That means each click still feels tactile, something not all gaming laptops under $2,000 can boast. There’s also a good range of keys on here, with a 65% design typical of a 15-inch model as well as delete, insert, page up and down, and print screen functions nestled around the side of the main deck. The trackpad is equally smooth for day-to-day use, and excellently responsive as well.
It’s that everyday functionality that really makes the Stealth 15M shine. Not only are you picking up an understated design that will fit just as well into any office as it would a gaming desk setup, but using this machine for casual computing tasks also feels incredible. Plus, with a Thunderbolt 4 port, you’re getting all the connectivity you need for more demanding workflows as well.
Performance
Benchmarking
How does the MSI Stealth 15M fare on some industry tests?
Firestrike: 13994
Timespy: 6042
PCMark 10: 6204
Cinebench CPU: Multi-core: 6,207
CrystalDiskMark: 2,242 MB/s read; 1,918 MB/s write
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2: Ultra at 1080p: 61fps; High at 1080p: 70fps
Red Dead Redemption 2: Ultra at 1080p: 55fps; High at 1080p: 59fps
Metro Exodus: RTX (ray-tracing on Ultra) at 1080p: 49 fps; High at 1080p: 51 fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Highest at 1080p: 75 fps; High at 1080p: 99 fps
Total War: Three Kingdoms: Ultra at 1080p: 58fps; High at 1080p: 65fps
It’s always remarkable to see high-end settings running smoothly on AAA games from a tiny little machine. The MSI Stealth 15M certainly doesn’t disappoint here, even if you’re not unleashing the full power of Nvidia’s latest GPU generation. While the 3.3GHz CPU won’t be holding up to high-end computing functions, graphical tests performed extremely well which means 3D modelling and gameplay are a real strength here.
We found some particularly smooth gameplay in Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmarking, but also in day-to-day testing with Gears Tactics. Bumping up various detailing and reflection settings in both isometric gameplay and cutscenes here still allowed for a buttery experience, with only very few performance drops in ultra settings, and only when transitioning to a new scene.
While it’s difficult to recommend using any gaming laptop on battery alone, it’s worth noting that unplugging that power cord will see a dramatic drop in performance here as well. While it’s not something many make a habit of doing, we did notice a severe decrease in reliability and framerate even when bumping those presets right down on battery power alone. Battery life itself won’t see you far in gaming, but using the laptop for everyday tasks on a more conservative power setting did see us through a full working day though.
In testing other, more demanding titles, there’s no fooling anyone that this isn’t the lower end of some premium components. You’re getting a strongly playable 50-60fps with an excellent degree of reliability, but smoother gameplay that can fully take advantage of that 144Hz refresh rate does require some sacrifices. You won’t be diving into ultra settings too haphazardly here, but there’s still an impressive amount of power under the hood considering the form factor.
MSI has also included CoolerBooster 5 thermoregulation under the hood here as well, though it does work double time to keep this dense powerhouse running. There’s simply too much going on in such a cramped space for these fans to keep up and the result is a particularly loud, and hot, machine. While the fan sound certainly isn’t going to drown out any dialogue, it does take some getting used to, especially when things start to amp up during more intense scenes. Plus, the heat does seem to gather underneath the main board itself which can lead to some uncomfortable lap positions.
Overall – should you buy it?
The MSI Stealth 15M manages to pack the punch of one of the best gaming PCs into a super portable, lightweight rig, though there are some sacrifices to be made to achieve such a slimline design. Nowhere is this more apparent than the whirr of the fans or the burn of the underside during even lighter gameplay sessions. There’s a general hum about this machine that does take some getting used to if you haven’t used a compact rig before.
All that power under the hood is working for you, though. You’ll be pushing 1080p gaming to the top end of 50fps and jumping into 60fps reliably here, though more graphically demanding titles like Metro Exodus do struggle to run free in that framerate range. If you’re looking to keep up with the latest games and don’t need that Ultra setting badge on your mantel this is an excellent pickup – just don’t expect to consistently push the boat out on more intensive titles.
You can pick up cheaper rigs like the ASUS TUF Dash F15 with a similar 11th gen i7 / RTX 3060 setup, but this model’s value really shows its worth when you consider that ultra-portable form factor.
The Verdict
4
4 out of 5
MSI Stealth M15
A mid-range gaming laptop that manages to pack some serious power into a super lightweight chassis – at the expense of battery and cooling.
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]]>The post Get the perfect back to school cheap laptop in the HP Flash Sale appeared first on Game News.
]]>If all you’re in the market for is a basic machine to study on then either of these laptops could be perfect for your needs. There’s a choice of either an Intel or Ryzen chipset, complete with integrated graphics for faithful color reproduction and light business use.
These computers are lightweight in their operation and physical size, easily able to slide in and out of your bag – they’re also rugged to take being in constant transit thanks to their thick plastic construction.
(opens in new tab)HP Laptop 14t-dq300 | $420 $299.99 at HP (opens in new tab)
If you’ve been looking for something clean and capable, this HP laptop can do just that. It’s powered by a respectable Intel Celeron and should be quick enough to handle programs like the Microsoft Suite, Photoshop, and other student apps you may need. Features: Intel Celeron N4500, Intel UHD Graphics, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 720p HD screen.
View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
HP Laptop – 14z-fq1000 | $550 $399.99 at HP (opens in new tab)
Spend another C-note and trade the Intel for an AMD Ryzen 3; featuring a faster clock speed and a bit more grunt where you need it. The other big improvement is the Full HD screen for crystal clear streaming and working. Features: Ryzen 3, AMD Radeon graphics, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Full HD screen
Elsewhere in the HP sale running for the rest of the day you’ll find discounts on monitors (both work and gaming-focused models), PC, PC towers, and more. Check out the full sale (opens in new tab) for more.
Another handy piece of kit to pick up before the new school year is antivirus protection. Check out our guide to the best antivirus software. Or if you’re on a Mac, you take a look at our best antivirus for Macs piece instead.
Don’t forget that there are still many savings to be had at Amazon now. We’ve compiled the best Prime Day laptop deals for you to continue your browsing. If you’re determined to find a cheap, but capable, computer – and don’t mind switching to Google’s infrastructure – these Prime Day Chromebook deals might do the trick.
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]]>The post Alienware m15 R4 review: “A faster-than-fast, premium 1080p gaming laptop” appeared first on Game News.
]]>Design & features
Specs
Processor: Intel i9-10980HK
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
Memory: 32GB DDR4 RAM
Display: 15.6-inch, 300Hz
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Storage: 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD
Ports: 1 x MicroSD-Card Reader, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 x HDMI 2.1b with HDCP 2.2 Output, 1 x Mini DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x Thunderbolt 3, 1 x Alienware Graphics Amplifier Port, 1 x Power/DC-In Port, 1 x Wedge-Shaped Lock Slot, 1 x Killer Networks E3100x Gigabit Ethernet NIC, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A with Powershare Technology, 1 x Audio Out (Compatible with inline mic headset)
Connectivity: Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i 802.11ax 2×2 Wireless LAN, and Bluetooth 5.1
OS: Windows 10 Home
Weight: 4.65lbs (2.11kg)
The same design language of recent years is draped over the R4 variant of the m15, and that’s fine. The design of Alienware gaming PCs and laptops can be seen as divisive or as acquired tastes but I like this: it’s sleek and different. It’s the same as it has been in the duration of this phase of Alienware design really – nothing has changed that much in design and build, but still, it’s nice. The sleek white finish, and emblazoned emblem, and RGB lighting all combine on the machine to make for something which is very cool, I think.
The keyboard and mousepad are classic Alienware too, though the touchpad isn’t illuminated like the Alienware Area-51m which is a little sad on the cool front count, but a fair compromise. The keyboard is satisfying to use, and RGB-imbued so all is well here.
The laptop’s screen hinge set forward on the machine (‘toward you’) to allow for the ports and fans at the machine’s posterior. This is surprisingly neat and tidy still; whereas other laptops would just whack the hinge at the exact point where the top meets bottom, the forward hinge fits in the design and offers the space for those rear ports which is helpful. Speaking of, you’ll be well set on the ports front, with plenty of USB ports, USB-Cs, and display options at hand – as you can see from the breakdown.
The supporting component selection is very solid too, and while the CPU is not the very latest from Intel – the one here is 10th gen, not 11th – it’s still a top-grade chip that you can rely on, and that’ll benefit from all the wizardry now available to gaming laptops (balancing power between the CPU and the GPU, being one excellent feature in RTX laptops nowadays). And elsewhere the 1TB SSD will be plenty to get you going and 32GB of RAM should see you right for whatever you the use machine for – and for a good few years at that.
Performance
Benchmarking
How does the Alienware m15 R4 fare on some industry tests?
Firestrike: 22883
Timespy: 10563
Port Royal: 6435
PCMark 10: 6526
Cinebench CPU: Multi-core: 9,605cb; Single-core: 1,249cb
CrystalDiskMark: 2,905 MB/s read; 3,362 MB/s write
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2: Ultra at 1080p: 94 fps; High at 1080p: 124 fps
Metro Exodus: RTX (ray-tracing on Ultra) at 1080p: 66 fps; High at 1080p: 97 fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Highest at 1080p: 114 fps; High at 1080p: 121 fps
Total War: Three Kingdoms: Ultra at 1080p: 85 fps; High at 1080p: 118 fps
In short, the performance is tremendous. The widely reported excellence of the 30-series GPUs in a top gaming laptop is no truer than with the Alienware m15 R4, and shines through in gaming performance. It simply is a great 1080p gaming powerhouse, absolutely chewing through any game at that resolution, and often at max, ray-tracing settings.
However, it is almost like the 1080p screen is both simultaneously great to game at with the components powering it, but also holding the components back slightly. The 3070 dominates at 1080p but so much so that it feels like it needs to be unleashed at the 1440p resolution which would suit it better. At 1080p, the laptop does demonstrably outstrip our ASUS (opens in new tab) ROG GA15 (opens in new tab) gaming PC, but not so much that the gaming experience would be truly transformative: it’s just a bunch more frames per second above an already-very-acceptable level. It’s also worth pointing out that while this performance is emulated by other big boys with 30s-series cards, like the Blade Pro 17 (2021), you can still get relatively similar performance levels – and certainly similarly enjoyable gaming experiences if you aren’t just chasing frame rates, from the likes of slightly older gaming laptops like Razer’s Blade 15 Advanced (2020) and even Blade Pro 17 (2019). Not that this should put you off, but it is a good reference point.
However, while a 1440p resolution screen might be a better match for the 3070 all around, having it at 1080p and utilizing that nippy 300Hz refresh rate means that anyone who plays twitchy or online shooters competitively – or just prefers that genre and wants super smooth gameplay – will be extremely well served.
A small complaint, though, is that under any sort of load, the fans do get loud. Really, very loud; louder than my actual desk fan which was blowing into my face during testing.
It’s also a great machine to use more generally, as a day-to-day laptop. The keyboard is great to type on, the screen is lovely and vibrant and clear, it’s sturdy and robust, and even the speakers give the audio a good go. The Alienware Command Centre software is great too, much honed since my original time with that back in 2008 – and can be used to mitigate the noisy fans somewhat, and generally offer some customization and preferential settings tweak whatever you use the machine for.
Overall – should you buy it?
In short, this is an easy gaming laptop to recommend. It’ll give the best gaming PCs a run for their money in terms of performance, and toning down the component selection means you compensate for the Alienware premium and the new-component premium a little too to get that performance.
The RTX 3070 particularly feels like a great choice, especially as the laptop is not trying to claim 4K gaming; it’s still just a beast at 1080p. (Though I’d also be wary of trying to power it through the best 4K monitor for gaming.) But equally, it also feels it largely outgrows the 1080p screen and would offer an even better price and performance point with a 1440p resolution screen – unless you plug it into one of the best gaming monitors, best portable monitors, or even best curved gaming monitors with a 1440p resolution. But as it doesn’t, this remains a tight 1080p gaming laptop configuration.
For reference, the starting price point is about right, too, for Alienware laptops: you can pick up a 3060-powered model for prices starting at $1,800 – with deals and price cuts already occurring. The RTX 3070 laptop price – such as the model we tested – start at just over the $2k mark, however, so will require a bit more investment. Still, though, it doesn’t feel truly gobsmacking like Alienware models of recent times.
You might not get the GDDR6X memory that the 3080 has over its brethren, but you do get all the other Ampere architecture bonuses and features – the 3070 is in a way my favorite card of the bunch, and this sort of configuration proves why. What I really want to see is the 30-series laptops combined with the much-touted and rumored 1440p screens – that should really be a sweet, sweet spot for gaming. However, until then, or if you just want a faster-than-fast 1080p gaming laptop with the latest from Nvidia under the hood, then this is a cracking laptop to go for.
The Verdict
4
4 out of 5
Alienware m15 R4
An expensive gaming laptop, but definitely one of the best. An excellent combination of the latest components provides great performance in a quality, premium machine.
The post Alienware m15 R4 review: “A faster-than-fast, premium 1080p gaming laptop” appeared first on Game News.
]]>The post Dell, Alienware, and Asus gaming laptop deals are up to $730 off right now appeared first on Game News.
]]>With the new graphics card shortage almost resulting in an enormous shortage across the series, these gaming laptop deals offering 20- and 16-series graphical power are still very worthy of your attention. The headline act for us is a beast of an Alienware m15 R3 laptop with $730 off its price tag (opens in new tab) but there’s a whole host of offerings right now in both Dell’s gaming pc sale (opens in new tab) and Best Buy’s current price cuts on laptops (opens in new tab) and other machines.
- Alienware m15 R3 deal:
$2,430$1,699.99 at Dell (opens in new tab) - Dell G5 gaming deal:
$1,040$900 at Dell (opens in new tab) - HP Omen gaming deal:
$1,450$1,199.99 at Best Buy (opens in new tab) - ASUS ROG Zephyrus deal:
$1,300$1,099.99 at Best Buy (opens in new tab)
The gaming laptop premium might often be added to portable powerhouses, but some of these offerings go a long way to mitigating that with some terrific savings. As previously mentioned, the highlight in terms of sheer discount – and probably in terms of bang for buck value is the first of two m15 R3 deals. Boasting beastly specs and a thin design, it also provides a 300Hz HD display for superior frame rates and smoothed out gaming. And for $730 less than normal? Not bad at all for one of the best gaming laptops.
In terms of raw specs, this Alienware m15 R3 deal gets you a 10th-gen Intel Core i7-10750H processor, a rather lovely RTX 2070 Super graphics card that’s a strong contender for best graphics card, a ridiculous 32GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB SSD for faster loading. In addition, that 300Hz refresh rate will allow for unbelievably smooth visuals at a 1080p resolution. If you want a good gaming laptop for everything coming our way in 2021 and beyond, this Alienware m15 R3 is a good choice.
Beyond that, however, there are several other options we’ve picked out: another m13 laptop that’s got more than $600 off (opens in new tab); one of Dell’s own G5 gaming models, that’s a very good contender for the truest cheap gaming laptop deal of today; and two very reputable deals from well-know manufacturers in the form of an HP Omen with $250 off (opens in new tab), and an ASUS ROG Zephyrus machine with $200 off (opens in new tab), both at Best Buy.
Alienware m15 R3 | $2,430 $1,699.99 at Dell (opens in new tab)
This is a great offer on a very good laptop: the i7 processor is not the latest but it’s still a great chip; the 2070 Super is still an exquisite graphics card; there’s 32GB (!) of RAM, and a 300Hz display, and a 512GB SSD to boot. Great value with this discount.
View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
Alienware m15 R3 | $1,950 $1,299.99 at Dell (opens in new tab)
If you can’t quite stretch as far as the above deal, then this variant of the same Alienware beast is still good value and offers a whopping $650 off its price. The 2070 graphics card will still serve you incredibly well, alongside that i7-10750 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD. All wrapped up in Alienware quality. Nice.
View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
Dell G5 15 | $1,040 $899.99 at Dell (opens in new tab)
From Dell’s own gaming range, this G5 is a terrific little gaming machine and at a great price. The 1660Ti card is still a good card, and the supporting cast of a 10th-gen i5 CPU, a 256GB SSD, and 8GB of RAM make this perfect for anyone looking for a home laptop that can comfortably do gaming too.
View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
HP OMEN | $1,450 $1,199.99 at Dell (opens in new tab)
If you’re looking for a competent, can-do-it-all gaming laptop from a reputable and rated manufacturer then you can’t go too wrong with this HP Omen 15 model. The 2060 card is great for bang-to-buck value and performance and offers ray-tracing gaming, while the solid specs elsewhere ensure that this is a good deal for the price.
View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
ASUS ROG Zephyrus M15 | $1,300 $1,099.99 at Dell (opens in new tab)
And if you want to trim a bit more off the budget compared to the HP Omen, then this ASUS model is a winner, too. The core specs are the same, apart from the graphics card which dips below the ray-tracing-capable line; the ASUS Zephyrus offers a 1660Ti, which is still a card you can have great confidence in.
Want to see other options for portable powerhouses on offer today? Head on over to our cheap gaming laptop deals page. If you’re after a guide of the absolute best of the best, check out our guide to the finest gaming laptops. Prefer your machines to be static, on the other hand? Don’t miss the best gaming PCs.
The post Dell, Alienware, and Asus gaming laptop deals are up to $730 off right now appeared first on Game News.
]]>The post Save up to $500 on these Dell laptops this Black Friday appeared first on Game News.
]]>- Inspiron 14 5000 Laptop:
$449.99$379.99 at Dell (opens in new tab) - XPS 13 Touch Laptop – Rose Gold:
$1599.99$1099.99 at Dell (opens in new tab)
If you’re not looking to spend a bag on your new laptop, then the Dell Inspiron 14 5000 Laptop is a great place to start that won’t set you back too much at all. At $70 off you can pick it up for just $379.99, but don’t let that low price make you think you’re sacrificing power – an Intel Core processor and 128GB SSD mean you’ll be running pretty fast, and a 14-inch Anti-Glare FHD display will have things looking great.
At the other end of the price range is the XPS 13 Touch Laptop. With a 256GB SSD, Intel i7 processor, and 16GB of RAM it’s blisteringly fast, while the 13.3-inch touch display and built-in Widescreen 720p camera and a total weight of less than three lbs make it perfect for use on the go.
While both options are excellent for a more professional environment, the lack of any real graphics processing power in either of them means you’ll want to check out these Black Friday gaming laptop deals or Black Friday Razer deals if you’re looking to enjoy some games on your new machine.
Inspiron 14 5000 Laptop: $449.99 $379.99 at Dell (opens in new tab)
If you’re looking for something functional but that will still run pretty fast, the Inspiron 14 5000 is a great choice, and with $70 off, this is a very cheap way to pick yourself up a new laptop.
View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
XPS 13 Touch Laptop – Rose Gold: $1599.99 $1099.99 at Dell (opens in new tab)
On the other hand, if you’re looking for something a little more impressive, $500 off the XPS 13 Touch Laptop gives you a serious discount on a very, very fast machine, with an Intel i7 processor, 256GB SSD and 16GB of RAM.
Laptops are great, but if you’re looking for some real power, check out these Black Friday gaming PC deals.
The post Save up to $500 on these Dell laptops this Black Friday appeared first on Game News.
]]>The post ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 ACRNM review : “An impossibly lightweight powerhouse” appeared first on Game News.
]]>Design
Specs
Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q
Memory: 32GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM
Display: 14-inch, 60Hz, 1ms
Resolution: 2560 x 1440
Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Ports: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C; 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A; 1x Type C USB 3.2 Gen 2 with Power Delivery, Display Port and G-Sync; 1 x HDMI 2.0b
Connectivity: Gig+ Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
OS: Windows 10 Home 64-bit
Weight: 3.74 pounds (1.69kg)
It’s impossible to ignore one of the biggest design changes to hit the ASUS G14 with this latest edition. Sure, you’ll usually find loud colors in a gaming keyboard, with RGBs and customizable patterns always vying for your attention – but the ACRNM design is less about garish color for color’s sake, and offers a more subtle twist on that need for a few hues other than black or silver.
It seems that gaming laptops either take that cold monochromatic aesthetic or one that blinds its users with more LEDs than keys. With muted hues of blue, green, brown, and red seemingly placed at random in this ASUS G14 keyboard, however, this feels like an almost tongue-in-cheek response to such gaudy traditions.
It’s certainly not to everybody’s taste and takes some getting used to the first time out of the box. However, after a while, you’ll find a particular charm to its bizarre, esoteric design, and it’ll certainly resonate with the creatives and ‘thinkers’ that the laptop has in mind.
The is variant of the G14 also sports an unusual LED display along the top of the chassis. In fact, the entire front panel of the laptop is adorned with customizable lights that can be configured in a wide range of patterns. The inside may not look like your traditional gaming laptop, but anyone looking at you face on will know you’re loading up Red Dead Redemption – don’t worry about that.
Then we get to the build of the chassis itself. It’s easy to wonder if a 14-inch gaming laptop can really offer a powerful gaming experience – especially one worth over $2,000 / £2,000. In reality, the G-14 offers an incredibly light design that looks to change the reputation that massive, clunky gaming laptops have set as precedent – we’re looking at you Alienware.
A minimal footprint and impossibly thin profile mean you can easily drop this laptop into any backpack, and the gorgeous WHQD display stretches across as much of that dinky chassis as possible.
Features
The ASUS ROG-Zephyrus G-14 has its fair share of bonus features both under the hood and embedded into the design itself. First and foremost there’s that customizable LED panel on the top of the chassis. Over 1,000 mini-LEDs can be configured from proprietary software to display whatever you’d like along the top of your machine. It’s a new direction in personalization that adds just one more layer of control and an excellent little bonus feature on top of an excellent machine.
However, perhaps more noticeable is the unique hinge design that slightly raises the body of the laptop when the lid is opened. It’s cool to see, but it also serves a neat purpose too. Vents along the top of the chassis are left to breathe a little easier, which is a blessing because this machine is working pretty hard.
Fan control allows you to prioritise performance if you don’t mind the roaring of your laptop’s cooli2ng system in the background. It is a pretty loud roar, as well, and running Ultra settings will certainly have you plugging into one of the best gaming headsets. However, while that may be a drawback for some, there is the option to prioritise silence over performance should those around you start looking too suspicious.
Then there’s the display. This 1440p WQHD IPS panel really does shine – and would give many of its full-sized best gaming monitor counterparts a run for their money – with an anti-glare finish that, while looking a little dimmer in brighter lights, leaves a satisfying matte finish. However, this 1440p panel maxes out at a 60Hz refresh rate, which can feel a little slow considering the amount of cash being pumped into each purchase.
Under the hood, our unit was sporting a blinding Ryzen 9 processor, with 32GB of DDR4 RAM, a 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card. While it might not feature the very best graphics card, or the best CPU for gaming for example – and speaking ruthlessly – it’s still a very fine set of specs, with the Ryzen processor sitting particularly pretty at this price point, even if you are only just nudging into the minimum requirements for ray-tracing gaming.
Performance
Benchmarking
How does the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 fare on some industry tests?
Cinebench CPU: 4066
3DMark Fire Strike: 13,353 points
3DMark Time Spy: 5,701 points
CrystalDiskMark: 1,521MB/s read; 1,748MB/s write
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2: Ultra at 1080p: 51fps; Ultra at 1440p: 36 fps; High at 1080p: 56 fps; High at 1440p: 48 fps;
Metro Exodus: Ultra at 1080p: 42 fps; Ultra at 1440p: 33 fps; High at 1080p: 53fps; High at 1440p: 40 fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Highest at 1080p: 73 fps; Highest at 1440p: 49 fps; High at 1080p: 81 fps; High at 1440p: 58 fps
Total War: Three Kingdoms: Ultra at 1080p: 46 fps; Ultra at 1440p: 30 fps; High at 1080p: 67 fps; High at 1440p: 45 fps
There’s some serious power packed into this tiny footprint – power that offers up impressive gameplay across a number of titles. The urban jungle of GTA 5 offered no match for the Ryzen 9 processor, and the real jungle of Shadow of the Tomb Raider was equally as smooth.
That fluidity did struggle a little under the stress of Red Dead Redemption II at Ultra settings. Tearing was a lot easier to notice, with the whistle of the passing landscapes blurring just a little too much to call it frictionless. However, it was certainly playable and Medium settings offered an experience that many other rigs could only dream of.
All of that performance does come at a slight thermal cost, however, with the compact powerhouse putting its fair share of strain on the fans. Dropping down to a silence-first game mode does drop the brightness of the screen considerably, however.
That can leave you with a slightly underwhelming display if you’ve started taking the brightness of the perfect setting for granted. The matte anti-glare finish can dull certain colors in more sunlit environments, but those same colors pop in a darker room. It’s a small gripe when faced with the performance of this machine as a whole, but worth noting if you’re going to be playing or using the laptop in brightly lit areas.
That said, there are certainly some serious guts in here – all working together to offer up a stunning result. And easily enough to match one of the best gaming PCs – the ASUS (opens in new tab) GA15 (opens in new tab), for example, which we are lucky enough to have in-house here at GR.
Overall – should you buy it?
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is an impossibly lightweight powerhouse of a gaming laptop in an incredibly unique, and slim chassis – but it’s not cheap. The standard model comes in at around $1,500 / £1,500 right now, but the ACRNM special release will push that price well beyond $2,000 / £2,000. That’s no small change and doesn’t really leave much budget for a best gaming mouse, or best gaming keyboard, for example, but if you’re looking for an incredibly light machine that will plow through the latest titles on some impressive specs and look damn good while doing so, it’s worth saving for this one.
The Verdict
4
4 out of 5
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
A unique design that blends a playful chaos with subtle sophistication – all plastered on a powerhouse of a machine with an incredibly light footprint.
The post ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 ACRNM review : “An impossibly lightweight powerhouse” appeared first on Game News.
]]>The post Save up to 25% on Lenovo gaming laptops with these coupon deals appeared first on Game News.
]]>However, it’s important to note that these three offerings end tomorrow, August 27, 2020 so you’ll need to act quickly to capitalize!
- Save a massive 25% on a Lenovo Y740 gaming laptop with code PRESALEINTEL (opens in new tab)
- Save 19% on a Lenovo 5i gaming by using the code PRESALEINTEL (opens in new tab)
- Up to 20% off new Legion 5i and 7i gaming laptops with code PRESALEINTEL (opens in new tab)
The Lenovo Legion range of laptops are some great machines; the Y740 comes is on our guide to the best gaming laptops (opens in new tab) you can get right now.
And while these offer great value, they aren’t quite the cheapest gaming laptops deals (opens in new tab) we’ve seen recently in the bargain-hunting sense, but the value is truly excellent for what you get. That’s because Lenovo and their Legion range, have proven quality and pedigree in the gaming market – running Razer laptops (opens in new tab) close for overall quality, for example. The build quality is excellent, and their component choice is wonderful too, offering a great balance of performance and value, generally managing to stay clear of the enormous portable premiums that can get added to gaming laptops.
While today’s deals are on a handful of items, I particularly like the look of getting a Lenovo Legion 5i laptop, complete with RTX 2060 graphics card, an HDD + SSD storage combo, a new Intel 10th-gen processor, all with 19% off, bringing its price down to $1,289.99 (opens in new tab) (after using the code PRESALEINTEL).
Gaming laptop deals today
Get 25% off a Legion Y740 gaming laptop | just $1,469.99 at Lenovo (opens in new tab)
Use code PRESALEINTEL to get this price.
The Y740s are great laptops and so this is definitely worth your consideration when the code brings it down this price. AS well as that 2060 ray-tracing capable graphics card, you’ll also get a sizeable SSD and that Lenovo Legion quality.
View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
Save 19% on a Lenovo Legion 5i gaming laptop | just $1,289.99 at Lenovo (opens in new tab)
Use code PRESALEINTEL to get this price.
Or for slightly less than the Y740 you can take advantage of the same code getting you a chunk of a 5i laptop. It’ll still give you ray-tracing gaming with a 2060 card and features a brand-new 10th-gen Intel processor. Nice.
View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
Get up to 20% off Lenovo Legion 5i or 7i gaming laptops using code PRESALEINTEL (opens in new tab)
More generally, you can use the same PRESALEINTEL code on the ‘i’ gaming series from Lenovo too. This will give you a saving of up to 20% on quality machines that’ll be both great for work, home use, and, of course, gaming.
Prefer your gaming machines static? Check out our take on the best gaming PCs (opens in new tab) here.
Save up to 60% off Bitdefender Total Security antivirus (opens in new tab)
Bitdefender’s security packages currently sit on top of our best antivirus guides and there’s never been a better time to buy thanks to the massive discounts. In the US you can save 60% (opens in new tab) on the annual security bundles with prices starting at just $23.99 a year. In the UK 54% discounts see the prices starting at a mere £17.99 (opens in new tab).
> Save 60% on US/global bundles (opens in new tab)
> Save 54% on UK bundles (opens in new tab)
The post Save up to 25% on Lenovo gaming laptops with these coupon deals appeared first on Game News.
]]>The post Starting at $69, these Chromebook laptop deals are a steal if you need to work from home for a while appeared first on Game News.
]]>This is especially true if you’re looking to replace an older laptop, you only need something simple for work tasks, browsing the net, watching movies and so on. Another plus side is getting away from all those Windows updates that nowadays cause more problems than they fix.
Chromebooks don’t run on Windows, running instead on a similar operating system to Android phones, but reworked for a laptop experience. With loads of free apps available in the Google suite (Google Docs, Googles sheets etc), there’s really no need to spend extra on yet another Windows laptop and overpriced Microsoft Office license.
Because they offer a leaner experience, you’ll find you don’t need an awful lot of RAM, fast processors or expansive storage space to cover the basics and have a few tabs or apps running at once. Don’t get us wrong, budgets ones aren’t for gaming, for that we’d advise you check out our roundup of the best cheap gaming laptop deals (opens in new tab), or for the finest options, maybe our best gaming laptop (opens in new tab) guide.
One of the biggest selling points for Chromebooks though is how damn cheap some of them are. And when it comes to going cheap on a laptop, we often find that cheaper Chromebooks perform a lot better than dirt-cheap Windows laptops as Microsoft’s bloated operating system is too demanding for low-specced machines.
So when we spotted a Chromebook running for just $69.99 (opens in new tab) at Walmart today (a refurbished Dell model), we just had to tell you about it. But in all honesty, that one might be more of a temporary solution, or for those of you who won’t need it often. Instead, we’d stump up the cash for the larger unused Asus Chromebook which has had $100 knocked off today bringing the price down to a frankly irresistible $179 (opens in new tab). Let’s dive into the specs on each below.
Today’s best Chromebook deals
Dell 11.6-inch Chromebook (refurbished) | $69.99 at Walmart (opens in new tab)
Ok, it’s not the prettiest Chromebook at the ball, but Dell makes reliable hardware, especially for office laptops. It’s a refurb though, so it’s been used before, but also reset and cleaned up by professionals. 4GB of RAM is plenty for light tasks and many more expensive models only come with 2GB. 16GB of storage isn’t ideal though and some may find the 11.6-inch display a tad small and the same for the cramped keyboard. But if you’d look at our next highlighted deal…
View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
Asus 14-inch Chromebook C423NA | $179 at Walmart (opens in new tab)
This is more like it, a much more robust Chromebook experience from every angle and $100 off today. 14-inch models are, for us, the perfect size for a portable workstation. The HD display with thin bezels is easy on the eye and the wider keyboard is much nicer to type on than smaller models. You get 64GB of storage, which is loads for a Chromebook too. 4GB of RAM and a Dual-Core processor are a nice pairing for your standard work/browsing/streaming tasks too.
And yes, low specced Chromebooks like this are ideal for checking out the new Google Stadia (opens in new tab) game streaming service.
Want to avoid any sort of compromise for the optimal gaming experience? Then you’ll be wanting to check out our contenders duking it out for the title of best gaming PC (opens in new tab) in our buyer’s guide.
The post Starting at $69, these Chromebook laptop deals are a steal if you need to work from home for a while appeared first on Game News.
]]>The post These cheap Acer Nitro gaming laptops offer a great value way to get into PC gaming appeared first on Game News.
]]>First up is a 15.6″ Nitro model that is specced out with a Ryzen 5 CPU, a Radeon RX 560X graphics card, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. It can be yours for just just (opens in new tab)$569.99 (opens in new tab) from Best Buy – a healthy saving of $100, and not bad for a cheap gaming laptop. If you fancy something a little further up the scale and/or want a bigger screen, there’s also a 17.3-inch sized Nitro available. This is an Intel/Nvidia build and has an i5 processor, a GTX 1650 card, 8GB of RAM and a slightly larger 512GB SSD as the on-board storage. It’s going for just $779.99 (opens in new tab) at Best Buy, another saving of $100.
Both of these deals prove that you can get a quality cheap gaming laptop under $1000 (opens in new tab). And given the value that they offer, these cheap laptops give some of the very best gaming laptops (opens in new tab) a run for their money.
Cheap gaming laptop deals
Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop | 15.6″ 1080p | Ryzen 5 CPU | Radeon RX 560X GPU | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD | just $569.99 at Best Buy (save $100) (opens in new tab)
It’s not a rip-roaring set of specs by any means but it’s a solid, cheap gaming laptop that is comfortable with what it can offer. A great price for a first portable machine.
View Deal (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop | 17.3″ 1080p | i5-9300H CPU | GTX 1650 GPU | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD | just $779.99 at Best Buy (save $100) (opens in new tab)
(opens in new tab)A similar build but you get that bigger, roomier screen as well as an Intel/Nvidia processor and graphics card set up. A solid performer and great value.
More cheap gaming laptop deals:
Walmart (opens in new tab) | Best Buy (opens in new tab) | Amazon (opens in new tab) | Newegg (opens in new tab)
These gaming laptop deals genuinely do offer a great way into PC gaming that isn’t ridiculously expensive, and will still have you comfortably enjoying the latest and greatest games at 1080p on medium settings.
Also, given all the money you’ll be saving on these machines, it’ll mean you can redirect some of your overall budget to picking up the best gaming mouse (opens in new tab) or best PC headset for gaming (opens in new tab), too.
If you prefer your machines to be static, then check out the best gaming PCs (opens in new tab) going. And if you’re in need of a bigger screen, one of the best gaming monitors (opens in new tab) will prove a great companion to your new laptop.
The post These cheap Acer Nitro gaming laptops offer a great value way to get into PC gaming appeared first on Game News.
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