It used to be that if you dreamed of reaching 6GHz speeds with your hot rod desktop CPU, you'd have to try your luck with overclocking and all of the potential instability and cooling demands that required. Earlier this year, Intel released the Core i9-13900KS, which hit 6GHz right out of the box. Now, the company is doing it again with its fastest 14th-gen desktop CPU, the i9-14900K. That frequency is just a short-lived "Thermal Velocity Boost" speed, which isn't sustained for very long, but it's still something Intel can lord over AMD.

These 14th-gen chips, to be clear, are different from Intel's recently announced 14th-gen Core Ultra processors for notebooks. Understandably, Intel is focusing on efficiency for its mobile lineup, whereas its desktop chips are all about raw power (and 6GHz bragging rights). You can look at the 14th-gen desktop hardware as a last gasp for Intel's existing architecture, where the company doesn't mind pushing power demands to out-bench AMD. (The i9-14900K consumes as much as 253 watts, just like its predecessor.)

Intel's highest-end 14th-gen chip may get most of the attention, but discerning gamers may be more interested in the i7-14700K, which now features 20 cores (8 performance and 12 efficiency) and reaches up to 5.6GHz "Turbo Boost Max 3.0" speeds. Perhaps most importantly, its $409 price tag is well below the 14900K's $589.

When it comes to benchmarks, Intel claims the 14900K is up to 23 percent faster than AMD's Ryzen 9 7950X3D while playing Starfield in 1080p. The company also says that chip is up to 54 percent faster than the same AMD hardware while multi-tasking between After Effects and Premiere Pro. (That comparison may be a bit unfair, since Intel tested an Auto Reframe task in Premiere Pro that works together with its UHD graphics, something that AMD's graphics don't help with.)

Intel

Perhaps more useful than raw benchmark comparisons, Intel also says the i9-14900K was able to reach over 100fps in Total War: Warhammer III while playing, streaming and recording in 1080p with ultra graphics settings. That game is also optimized specifically for its 14th-gen hardware, so you can't expect the same results with every title.

If you're still eager to overclock, Intel is also making that easier with its new XTU AI Assist feature, which will only be available on the i9-4900K. In a demo for media, an Intel representative showed off how the XTU app can quickly determine the ideal processor core voltages, motherboard power settings and "other tuning knobs" to determine safe performance speeds. They noted that Intel had trained its AI overclocking model on hundreds of CPUs, as well as a variety of motherboard and cooler options (including a bit of liquid cooling). Once the AI tuning process is complete, you can roll with its suggested settings or use them as a baseline for further overclocking.

One feature you won't see in these new 14th-gen chips? An NPU (neural processing unit) for AI acceleration. Oddly enough, the company's upcoming Core Ultra mobile chips will feature an NPU, which enables things like Windows Studios Effects for AI-powered background blurs in video chats. It makes sense for Intel's first NPU to appear in its new architecture, whereas the 14th-gen desktop chips are beefed-up versions of last year's hardware. Still, it's a bit odd for its priciest desktop hardware to miss out on something mere laptops will see next year.

Intel's 14th-gen desktop chips will be available from retailers and system manufacturers on October 17th.

We're rounding the corner on Amazon's October Prime Day event, but if you're hoping to grab a new laptop, you can still take advantage of a few worthwhile discounts. While major Amazon sales like this week's Prime Big Deal Days aren’t quite a haven for deals on the best laptops, we've managed to find a handful of noteworthy price drops on MacBooks, gaming laptops and more. Just remember that you'll need to be a Prime member to access some, but not all, of the deals available, and that there's always a chance we see lower prices on Black Friday. 

Apple MacBook Air M2 (15-inch)

The 15.3-inch version of Apple’s MacBook Air is down to $1,049 for an entry-level model with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. That matches the best price we’ve seen and takes $250 off Apple’s list price. The MacBook Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and we gave the 15-inch model a review score of 96 earlier this year, as it covers just about all of the things we look for in a quality mainstream notebook. Compared to the 13.6-inch version, it also includes a more powerful speaker system and a slightly upgraded GPU. The SSD in this base configuration is technically slower than the one in higher-capacity SKUs, but that shouldn’t be a major problem unless you’re looking to do more complex work. In general, you wouldn’t buy the Air for things like high-res media editing, though its M2 chip is still plenty powerful for everyday tasks.

If you do need more storage space, the 512GB model with 8GB of RAM is on sale for a low of $1,249. Variants with double the RAM are up to $250 off as well. Meanwhile, the 13.6-inch MacBook Air isn’t discounted on Amazon, but it’s down to $899 at Best Buy. That’s $200 off the notebook’s list price. It's worth noting that there’s a chance we see new Macs by the end of the year, but that doesn't appear to be a certainty as of this writing.

Apple MacBook Air M1

The previous-generation MacBook Air with Apple’s M1 chip is back down to $750, matching the lowest price we’ve seen. Apple sells this entry-level config with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for $999, though we’ve often seen it go for $800 or less in recent months. This notebook arrived back in 2020, so it’s harder to recommend these days when the M2 models offer a faster chip, sharper webcam, slimmer bezels and improved speakers. If you only need a laptop for more basic tasks though, it’s not a bad value at this specific deal price. It’s still quieter and more solidly built than many mid-priced laptops, and its keyboard, trackpad and battery life remain excellent. We gave the M1 Air a review score of 94 at launch.

Dell G15 5530 Gaming Laptop

A configuration of Dell’s G15 5530 Gaming Laptop with an Intel Core i7-13650HX processor, 16GB of RAM, an upgradeable 1TB SSD and an 8GB GeForce RTX 4060 GPU is down to $1,130 for Prime Big Deal Days. That’s roughly $270 below its usual going rate. This is an updated version of the “best budget” pick in our guide to the best gaming laptops: It’s heavy, and it can run warm, but this configuration is more than capable of playing modern games at high-ish settings, and its 15.6-inch, 165Hz, 1080p display is sufficiently bright. It is stuck with a 720p webcam though. The slightly larger Dell G16 7630 is also on sale at $1,500 for a model with a Core i9-13900HX and RTX 4070.

Acer Nitro 5

The Acer Nitro 5 is the runner up to the Dell G15 in our guide to the best budget gaming laptops, and right now a model with a Core i5-12500H, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD and GeForce RTX 3050 GPU is down to $700 for Prime members. That’s about $100 off its usual street price. These are not the latest specs, so you’ll need to crank down the settings in more demanding games to reach a respectable frame rate. The chassis itself is chunky and made of plastic too. But there’s enough power to at least keep up with recent titles, and getting a 144Hz display at this price is nice. For those on a super tight budget, it’s competent.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3

If you’re looking to spend less than that, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 could be worth a look. A 2022 model with a Ryzen 5 6600H CPU, 15.6-inch 120Hz 1080p display, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD and GeForce RTX 3050 GPU is currently down to $600 for Amazon’s sale. Outside of a brief dip to $550 last Black Friday, that’s the lowest price yet for this configuration. If the specs didn’t give it away, this is very much an entry-level model. The RAM and storage count are low, and some reviews suggest that its display isn’t all that great, so it’s worth stepping up to the Nitro 5 above if you can. But if you’re determined to spend as little as possible on a gaming laptop, this should be enough for basic 1080p gaming with less strenuous titles. There are spare slots to upgrade the RAM and storage down the road as well.

Razer Blade 14

A config of the Razer Blade 14 with an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU, 165Hz 1440p display, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU is on sale for $1,950. That’s certainly not cheap, but you’d buy the Blade 14 if you’re willing to pay extra for a gaming laptop with a more slender, portable and premium-feeling design. This is a 2022 model, but the newer editions cost several hundred dollars more, and the last-gen CPU and GPU here are still powerful enough to play most modern games at high settings. Its keyboard is also great, though the whole thing can run hot. We recommend the slightly larger Blade 15 in our guide to the best gaming laptops, but that one isn’t discounted. And if you’re not into the Blade aesthetic, consider our top overall pick, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, instead.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9

The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is down to $1,800 for a model with a Core i7-1265U chip, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. That’s about $100 off its usual going rate. Chances are you know where you stand on the Surface Pro at this point: It’s still not especially comfortable to use on your lap, but it remains the gold standard for 2-in-1s that behave and perform like a laptop more than a traditional tablet. While this version isn’t a huge shake-up, it'll be a nice bump for those upgrading from a three- to five-year-old model. Just note that this deal doesn’t include a keyboard or stylus. We're reaching the time of year where Microsoft would usually introduce a new model, but as of this writing it’s not clear when a potential Surface Pro 10 might arrive. For now, the Pro 9 is the top Windows pick in our guide to the best tablets.

Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

Major Amazon sale events like Prime Day aren’t typically a haven for laptop deals, but if you’re looking for a new notebook, you can still usually find a few worthwhile discounts. That’s the case again for Prime Big Deal Days, the company’s latest deal-a-thon aimed at Prime members, which kicked off today and runs through Wednesday. We’ve sorted out a handful of notable laptop deals from the October Prime Day sale below, including price drops on MacBooks and gaming laptops. For the former, just note that there’s a chance we see new models by the end of the year, though reports have conflicted on that. 

Apple MacBook Air M2 (15-inch)

The 15.3-inch version of Apple’s MacBook Air is down to $1,049 for an entry-level model with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. That matches the best price we’ve seen and takes $250 off Apple’s list price. The MacBook Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and we gave the 15-inch model a review score of 96 earlier this year, as it covers just about all of the things we look for in a quality mainstream notebook. Compared to the 13.6-inch version, it also includes a more powerful speaker system and a slightly upgraded GPU. The SSD in this base configuration is technically slower than the one in higher-capacity SKUs, but that shouldn’t be a major problem unless you’re looking to do more complex work. In general, you wouldn’t buy the Air for things like high-res media editing, though its M2 chip is still plenty powerful for everyday tasks.

If you do need more storage space, the 512GB model with 8GB of RAM is on sale for a low of $1,249. Variants with double the RAM are up to $250 off as well. Meanwhile, the 13.6-inch MacBook Air isn’t discounted on Amazon, but it’s down to $899 at Best Buy. That’s $200 off the notebook’s list price.

Apple MacBook Air M1

The previous-generation MacBook Air with Apple’s M1 chip is back down to $750, matching the lowest price we’ve seen. Apple sells this entry-level config with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for $999, though we’ve often seen it go for $800 or less in recent months. This notebook arrived back in 2020, so it’s harder to recommend these days when the M2 models offer a faster chip, sharper webcam, slimmer bezels and improved speakers. If you only need a laptop for more basic tasks though, it’s not a bad value at this specific deal price. It’s still quieter and more solidly built than many mid-priced laptops, and its keyboard, trackpad and battery life remain excellent. We gave the M1 Air a review score of 94 at launch.

Dell G15 5530 Gaming Laptop

A configuration of Dell’s G15 5530 Gaming Laptop with an Intel Core i7-13650HX processor, 16GB of RAM, an upgradeable 1TB SSD and an 8GB GeForce RTX 4060 GPU is down to $1,222 for Prime Big Deal Days. That’s roughly $180 below its usual going rate. This is an updated version of the “best budget” pick in our guide to the best gaming laptops: It’s heavy, and it can run warm, but this configuration is more than capable of playing modern games at high-ish settings, and its 15.6-inch, 165Hz, 1080p display is sufficiently bright. It is stuck with a 720p webcam though. The slightly larger Dell G16 7630 is also on sale at $1,500 for a model with a Core i9-13900HX and RTX 4070.

Acer Nitro 5

The Acer Nitro 5 is the runner up to the Dell G15 in our guide to the best budget gaming laptops, and right now a model with a Core i5-12500H, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD and GeForce RTX 3050 GPU is down to $700 for Prime members. That’s about $100 off its usual street price. These are not the latest specs, so you’ll need to crank down the settings in more demanding games to reach a respectable frame rate. The chassis itself is chunky and made of plastic too. But there’s enough power to at least keep up with recent titles, and getting a 144Hz display at this price is nice. For those on a super tight budget, it’s competent.

Razer Blade 14

A config of the Razer Blade 14 with an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU, 165Hz 1440p display, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU is on sale for $1,950. That’s certainly not cheap, but you’d buy the Blade 14 if you’re willing to pay extra for a gaming laptop with a more slender, portable and premium-feeling design. This is a 2022 model, but the newer editions cost several hundred dollars more, and the last-gen CPU and GPU here are still powerful enough to play most modern games at high settings. Its keyboard is also great, though the whole thing can run hot. We recommend the slightly larger Blade 15 in our guide to the best gaming laptops, but that one isn’t discounted. And if you’re not into the Blade aesthetic, consider our top overall pick, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, instead.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9

The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is down to $1,800 for a model with a Core i7-1265U chip, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. That’s about $100 off its usual going rate. Chances are you know where you stand on the Surface Pro at this point: It’s still not especially comfortable to use on your lap, but it remains the gold standard for 2-in-1s that behave and perform like a laptop more than a traditional tablet. While this version isn’t a huge shake-up, it'll be a nice bump for those upgrading from a three- to five-year-old model. Just note that this deal doesn’t include a keyboard or stylus. We're reaching the time of year where Microsoft would usually introduce a new model, but as of this writing it’s not clear when a potential Surface Pro 10 might arrive. For now, the Pro 9 is the top Windows pick in our guide to the best tablets.

Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

Samsung announced a new portable solid-state drive (SSD) today. The Portable SSD T9 offers up to 2,000 MB/s sequential read and write speeds through the USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface. The SSD ships in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB options.

Samsung says the T9 is around twice as fast as its predecessor, the T7 (Engadget’s previous pick for the best portable SSD). “The USB interface enables two lanes of 10 Gbps operation to provide 20 Gbps data transfer rates which delivers faster speeds when transferring high-resolution videos or large files, effectively saving creators’ time during heavy workloads like video editing,” the company wrote in a press release. Samsung says it can transfer a 4GB video in nearly two seconds or a 90-minute 4K recording in 12 seconds.

Samsung

The device has an aluminum body with a rubber covering. Samsung says this allows it to withstand drops up to nine feet (one foot shorter than the T7 Shield). The company describes the cover as being ideal for heat control and comfort when gripping it. The SSD ships with USB Type C-to-C and USB Type C-to-A cables, and it includes a five-year limited warranty.

The T9 is compatible with Samsung’s Magician software, which enables performance benchmarks, security features and firmware updates. The software runs on Windows, macOS and Android.

The Samsung Portable SSD T9 is available today at Samsung’s website and retail partners (including Amazon). The drive costs $140 for 1TB, $240 for 2TB and $440 for 4TB.

Framework has slowly broadened its product portfolio to include a gaming laptop and an AMD variant of its 13-inch productivity notebook. After an initial manufacturing hiccup earlier in the year, it’s the latter that’s finally ready to reach eager pre-order customers as new mainboards make their debut. Like every other Framework release, you can pick them up as a pre-built laptop, or as the parts for you to upgrade an existing model. There are some differences, both in how they’re set up and what they can do, but don’t expect a revolution. This is still a Framework 13, after all, and it can do more or less the same thing it’s always been able to.

Hardware

Given Framework’s emphasis on building a stable platform for its modular laptops, there are no changes here. Pop the hood and you’ll only notice a few differences, like a plastic retainer on the WiFi module rather than a metal one, but that’s it. At this point, I feel confident enough that I could swap out a mainboard without having to consult a manual.

Framework’s adopted the “Good, Better, Best” mode with its specs, with the base model packing a Ryzen 5, 7640U with a Radeon 760M iGPU, 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD. The middle-tier unit I’m testing has a Ryzen 7, 7840U with Radeon 7840U, 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD. Fancier types who opt for the flagship get the same Ryzen 7 7840U as the middle tier, albeit with 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD.

The only other difference is with batteries: The base model will ship with the older, 55Wh battery while the other two get the newer 61Wh model. That said, the company has also wheeled out new HDMI and DisplayPort expansion cards for more power-efficient video outputs. Those will be coming to all new laptop orders in the near future, but make their debut here with the AMD editions.

Upgrades and Compromises

Naturally, the point of Framework’s platform is that if you already have one of its notebooks, you can just swap in the AMD mainboard. Although that process isn’t as simple as it is when you’re swapping out an Intel model for one of its successors. Your existing RAM and WiFi modules will not work with the AMD board, so you’ll need to get new DDR5 DIMMs and an AMD-made WiFi module like the RZ616, which is what Framework bundles in its prebuilt editions.

Much as the laptop’s design remains the same, there are more differences on the inside, which is where it counts. If you don’t know, each mainboard has a quartet of USB-C ports that stick out of the laptop’s deck. Each one corresponds to an Expansion Card slot, letting you slide in a specific port depending on your needs for that day. So you can pop out your second USB-C port in favor of a HDMI or DisplayPort-out the day you have a presentation to give.

On Intel’s side of the fence, this is a stress free experience because all four ports are the same. Since the 12th generation board, all four support Thunderbolt (and USB) 4, each one with 40 Gbps bandwidth, up to 100W power draw and support for two 60Hz 4K displays. Not to mention the standard enables you to add an eGPU to your setup for extra graphics muscle.

But things aren’t as elegant on the AMD side because a) Thunderbolt is an Intel standard and b) AMD’s portable silicon has some, uh, limitations. Only the rear port on either side supports USB 4, with the front two a mish-mash of competing standards. As you can see from the graphic, the front left port supports charging, USB 3.2 and USB-A, while the front right offers USB 3.2 and video out.

To make things worse, there are no visible clues to remind you what each port can and cannot do for obvious design and uniformity reasons. I don’t blame Framework for having to deal with AMD’s mess, and it has been brave enough to foreground these compromises from day one. But it’s one of those issues where you’ll either need to keep a mental record, or face an error pop-up when you’ve plugged the wrong port into the wrong socket.

But then I doubt there are too many people who are looking to buy this laptop who will need regular access to a quartet of 40 Gbps connections. I suspect there won’t be too many times AMD users are cursing the skies for the minor annoyance of swapping cards over. It’s just one of those situations where you wish users weren’t left dealing with the consequences of two chip giants who won’t play nicely.

Performance

Much as AMD may not have the silky uniformity and consistency of its rival chip giant, it does have an ace up its sleeve. Those integrated GPUs are far ahead of Intel’s, giving it enough grunt to push halfway-demanding games without too much sweat. It’s worth saying, as usual, that this is, first and foremost, a productivity machine, but with AMD on board, it’ll play just as hard as it works.

In the time I had with the hardware, I played Grand Theft Auto V on high settings and got 55 fps out of this machine. Similarly, Fortnite will crank out an average of 50 fps with the settings on high, easily enough to keep you amused on work trips or in your dorm room. Synthetic tests aren’t everything, but suggest the AMD version comes out ahead in both single (by a little) and multi-core performance (by a lot) compared to the equivalent Intel model.

The issue, really, isn’t with the performance you can wring out of this machine, but how much noise it’ll make while doing it. A common complaint, from the earliest version of the Framework 13, is the excessive fan noise when it’s put under heavy load. The mainboard fan really wasn’t designed to cope with the high loads you might expect to want to put it under, making a sound I will describe as “persistent” and “noticeable” and often “quite loud.”

Pricing

When announcing the AMD boards, Framework committed to price parity between Intel and AMD editions whenever possible. The Base and Performance models, on the entry and mid tiers, cost $1,049 and $1,469 whatever chip you choose. At the high end, however, there is a fairly big delta between the $1,669 you’ll pay for the AMD version and the $2,069 asking price for the Intel edition.

Wrap-Up

In the short time I’ve had with the AMD edition, I’ve been impressed with what is now possible in this chassis. The silicon out-performs its Intel equivalent, but it’s all taking place in the same body with the same, user-serviceable design. That’s a big achievement, and there are plenty of folks chomping at the bit to get one of these in their lives – the first seven production batches are already sold out, with an eighth on the way. It remains, undeniably, a Framework 13, so you will get the same flexibility and longevity that you’ve come to expect, but with a little bit more oomph.

When the Surface Laptop Go debuted three years ago, it seemed like Microsoft pushed itself to make the cheapest possible notebook without sacrificing that Surface flair. The result was a $549 computer with specs so anemic I'd never recommend it to anyone. But, if you spent a bit more, you could upgrade it to a compelling (and compact) PC for students and less demanding users. Now, with the Surface Laptop Go 3, Microsoft has given up on trying to deliver a super cheap PC. But the result is a computer that's far more appealing.

Starting at $799, the Surface Laptop Go 3 has been upgraded with Intel's 12th-gen Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Bump it up to $999, though, and you get 16GB of RAM — a first for the Laptop Go line. While the last two models could make for decent secondary machines, perhaps paired together with a powerful desktop, the Laptop Go 3 could conceivably be your primary PC thanks to that additional memory.

Sure, I'm sad to see Microsoft give up on the dream of a near-$500 Surface. But the original model was equipped with just 4GB of RAM and 128GB of sluggish eMMC storage – and nobody deserves to be subjected to such a torturously slow experience. The Surface Laptop Go 3 is more akin to Apple's long-lost 12-inch MacBook, a wonderfully small machine that was just powerful enough to get some work done.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

The Laptop Go 3 doesn't look or feel as expensive as that all-metal Apple machine, but it's almost there. It features an aluminum top lid and keyboard deck, along with a smooth plastic bottom. The Laptop Go 3 also weighs a mere 2.5 pounds — a half-pound heavier than the 12-inch MacBook. But that’s a bit lighter than Apple's slimmest notebook today, the 2.7-pound M2 MacBook Air. The Laptop Go line has always felt more akin to an over-sized tablet than a typical ultraportable, and that remains true this year. Few other notebooks slip as nimbly into my messenger bag.

So how did Microsoft make such a compact PC? Mostly, by building around a small 12.4-inch screen, which remains both a blessing and curse for the Laptop Go 3. On the bright side, Microsoft managed to scale down its Pixelsense technology to deliver a display that's both rich with color and bright enough for outdoor use. But unfortunately, the company is still relying on a strange sub-1080p resolution (1,536 x 1,024) to keep costs down.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

That means if you lean in close, you can easily see pixelated text and images. Though, you may not notice that loss in sharpness in normal use. It just annoys me that even the Surface Go 4, Microsoft's slower and cheaper tablet, has a 1080p screen. The Laptop Go 3 also retains the 3:2 aspect ratio of its predecessors, which makes it taller than a typical widescreen monitor and better-suited for web browsers and productivity apps.

Despite my issues with its screen, the Surface Laptop Go 3 is still an impressive PC for the price. We reviewed the $999 model with 16GB of RAM, and it felt noticeably snappier when it came to launching applications, switching windows and doing basic work than the previous two models. I'm typically juggling dozens of browser tabs, Evernote (yes, I know I need to move on), Slack, Spotify and image editing apps, and the Laptop Go 3 had no trouble keeping up with me.

I'd also attribute its speed bump to Intel's 12th-gen Core i5 CPU, which features 10 cores (2 performance, 8 efficient), a healthy step up from last gen's quad-core 11th-gen chip. While the Laptop Go 3 only scored slightly higher in the PCMark 10 benchmark, it faired much better in the Geekbench 5 multicore test. And based on my own testing, I can't deny that the real-world performance felt more lively. While it's not a machine I'd recommend to anyone doing tons of intensive image editing, the Laptop Go 3 still handled a few batch editing tasks (like resizing and watermarking) without showing any signs of slowdown. 

That chip upgrade doesn't make the Surface Laptop Go 3 much of a gaming machine — I hit around 40 fps while playing Halo Infinite in 720p with low settings — but I was still impressed by how it handled Xbox cloud streaming. During its crowded launch event, I was able to wirelessly stream Need for Speed Unbound smoothly, without any weird connectivity hiccups. And I had an even better experience playing a few hours of Lies of P at home over my Wi-Fi 6 router – consider that a solid stress test of the Laptop Go 3's networking hardware.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Thankfully, Microsoft didn't touch the best part of the Laptop Go line: Its excellent keyboard. Its keys are still wonderfully responsive and deep, making them well-suited to my furious typing sessions. And while its trackpad isn't as large as other notebooks, it's perfectly fine for web browsing and productivity work. Battery life remains solid as well: It lasted 9 hours and 10 minutes in PCMark 1. That’s well below Microsoft’s estimate of 15 hours, but it’s similar to other recent ultraportables, like the ASUS ZenBook S 13.

Microsoft could make the Laptop Go 3 more useful by adding more connectivity: It still only has one USB Type A connection, a USB-C port, a headphone jack and a Surface charge port. A few more USB connections would make it far more versatile (but at least it has more than the 12-inch MacBook, which only had one USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack). At the very least, it would be nice to have a microSD card slot for storing media.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

With a $799 starting price, the Surface Laptop Go 3 is firmly int mid-range laptop territory. The $999 model with 16GB of RAM could even be considered a premium product, especially since you can still snag the M1 MacBook Air for the same price. In terms of raw power, Apple's machine is clearly the winner, but it's also a bit heavier at 2.8 pounds. When it comes to compact Windows competition, the Surface Pro 9 also starts at $999 with 8GB of RAM. That machine offers a larger 13-inch PixelSense screen and weighs just 1.9 pounds.

Given that there aren't many 12-inch Windows PCs around, the Surface Laptop Go 3 certainly stands out. And now, thanks to a faster processor and the option of 16GB of RAM, it's more than just a basic notebook. Almost by accident, Microsoft has crafted one of the most compelling and compact mid-range laptops around. Anyone looking for a new ultraportable won't be disappointed — just don't squint too hard at that screen.

Google’s pitch for Chromebooks has been pretty straightforward for a while now. They’re laptops that don’t require a lot of fuss, with easy set-up, fast boot times and a simple software update process. They’re also secure from things like viruses and malware, and Google recently committed to 10 years of automatic software updates.

The hardware side of things isn’t quite as simple. Chromebooks started as cheap computers meant mostly for web browsing, but both Chrome OS and the laptops themselves have gotten a lot more advanced since then. There are still plenty of budget models out there, many with questionable build quality or specs; there are also lots of “premium” Chromebooks with powerful internals, high-end screens and great industrial design.

Then there’s a middle ground: utilitarian but well-designed laptops with powerful enough hardware for most users that don’t break the bank. In the last few years, I’ve had a hard time finding that sweet spot, but today Google is announcing the Chromebook Plus initiative to make that easier.

Essentially, Chromebook Plus devices have a guaranteed set of specs to ensure a consistent and quality experience. That means every Chromebook Plus has an Intel Core or AMD Ryzen (7000 series) processor, at least 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. A full 1080p IPS display and 1080p webcam also come standard.

Google

Google and four OEM partners are announcing a total of eight Chromebook Plus models today: two each from HP, Acer, ASUS and Lenovo. With the exception of two 15.6-inch models from Acer and HP, all of these devices will feature 14-inch screens, making them solid all-around options for most people. And while the “Plus” name might imply that we’re strictly talking about premium hardware, like HP’s $999 Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, these devices start at $399. That’s not the absolute cheapest price we’ve seen for a Chromebook, but quality can be hit or miss below that price – but with the Plus initiative, buyers will hopefully be a lot more secure in what they’re purchasing.

Chromebook Plus devices will also get access to a handful of software tricks, including a Material You design, dynamic wallpapers and the Magic Eraser tool in Google Photos. Some of the AI-powered tricks Google uses to improve calls in Meet will also work on other video call platforms, as well. Specifically, you’ll be able to use the auto “improve lighting” and “noise cancellation” features on Meet as well as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

Google

There’s also a new File Sync feature that’ll automatically keep files from Google Drive locally available for when you’re offline. Google says that’s thanks in part to the minimum 128GB of storage available on Chromebook Plus models, but it’s not clear how the system will decide what to download or how much space to use up. But expanding offline utilities for Chromebooks should nonetheless be handy. Google says that all the software improvements it announced as part of Chromebook Plus will be coming to all Chromebooks that meet these minimum specifications soon, as well.

Google

Google is also smartly partnering with Adobe, who just announced Photoshop for the web last week. While the company acknowledges that it’s a “streamlined” app for the web, it still represents the first time that Chromebook users will get a taste of the Photoshp experience. (It’s worth noting that existing Photoshop customers get access to Photoshop on the web as part of their subscription.)

Adobe and Google are giving Chromebook Plus buyers a three-month trial of Photoshop on the web, along with access to the Adobe Express creation tool that lets you quickly build things like animations, logos, flyers and so forth. Express users Adobe’s Firefly generative AI models, and Chromebook Plus owners will get to try that out too.

Google

Google also teased a slew of AI-powered software improvements coming to Chromebook Plus laptops next year. One is a text composer that understands the context of the tool you’re using, whether it’s something like YouTube video descriptions or short-form comments on social media. There’s also going to be a generative image AI that’ll let you make custom wallpapers for your Chromebook with text prompts. Similarly, you’ll also be able to generate image backgrounds for when you’re on video calls.

The initial eight Chromebook Plus models will be released on October 8. Lenovo will offer two Intel-powered 14-inch models, the IdeaPad Slim 3i and the IdeaPad Flex 5i for $550 and $500, respectively. Acer has a 14-inch Chromebook Plus 514 with a Ryzen 3 or Ryzen 5 processor and the 15.6-inch Chromebook Plus 515, with an Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processor. Both models are priced at $400.

Google

HP also has a 15.6-inch model with an Intel Core i3 processor for $600 and the Chromebook Plus x360 14 inch with a 360-degree hinge and up to a Core i5 processor for $750. Finally, the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX3402 includes up to an Intel Core i5 processor and a 14-inch screen, while the Chromebook Plus CM34 Flip has a 360-degree hinge and a more rugged design. (ASUS didn’t provide pricing for these models as of publish time.) Obviously there are a lot of smaller details that differentiate all these devices, and we’ll be looking forward to getting our hands on them soon so we can see what this all translates to in terms of the end user experience. But if Google can standardize solid specs across a wider range of price points, it’ll be a lot easier for people who want to give Chromebooks a shot.

LG has announced its first foldable laptop, making it the newest player in the industry to launch its entry for the growing (but still something of a niche) category. Similar to the ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold, the LG Gram Fold is a touchscreen device that can be used as a massive tablet or a computer when fully unfolded. Users will get a 17-inch OLED screen with a QXGA+ (2560 x 1920 pixel) resolution when it's used purely as a display, and they can link it to its accompanying Bluetooth keyboard if they want to use it as workstation. The device also supports stylus pens, so it can act like a traditional tablet for projects involving art, architecture and calligraphy.

When it is folded, the top part becomes 12-inch screen, while the bottom could turn into a keyboard for typing. LG says it tested the model and verified that it could withstand 30,000 folds without its display getting damaged. Samsung tests its foldable Galaxy phones' hinges around 200,000 times, but most people likely access their phones a lot more than their computers or tablets within a day.

A 13th generation Intel Core i5 processor powers the LG Gram Fold, which is also equipped with a RAM that the company says is 15 times faster than an LPDDR5 5,200 memory. On the software side, the foldable laptop runs Windows 11 and comes with Sync On Mobile that makes it easy to transfer phone data to the device. The LG Gram Fold is scheduled for release in October, but only in Korea at the moment. It's priced at 4.99 million won ($3,700) — not cheap, but still a lot more affordable than HP's $5,000 Spectre Fold —though the first 200 customers can get it for 3.99 million won ($2,959). Further, only those who purchase the device at launch will get a mouse and a stylus as free gifts from the company, and the model will not ship with those accessories otherwise.

Microsoft, even without the usual face of its Surface announcements, had plenty to show off to the assembled media and industry guests yesterday. Unsurprisingly, it led with (and focused on) its latest AI developments. Its Copilot AI assistant is now graduating to assist with all things Windows 11, in an update coming September 26. It will appear in apps such as Edge, while browsing the internet, not to mention Microsoft 365 programs like Word and Excel. You activate Copilot with your voice or a right click and can use it for the sort of things you might not remember keyboard shortcuts for — or just can’t be bothered to do manually, like organize windows on your desktop, delete the backgrounds from photos or even generate a Spotify playlist. It’s shaping up to be a wide-ranging AI tool.

Engadget

I’ll get into a few more of the AI announcements, but they were punctuated by more Surface hardware, including the Surface Laptop Studio 2 (hybrid, not laptop, surely?), coming with a much-needed specification boost. It has an Intel 13th-gen i7 H class processor, up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, and a 14.4-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, which can now tilt forward. There’s also an intriguing trackpad that seemingly rolls in some features from Microsoft’s accessibility-focused Adaptive Mouse.

The company also unveiled its third-generation Surface Laptop Go, which Microsoft claims is 88 percent faster than the original Go, for $799.

It wasn’t the event (or the hardware) to turn around the rut that Microsoft’s Surface line seems to be in, but there might be enough to satisfy folks thinking about getting a new laptop… or whatever the Studio 2 is.

— Mat Smith

​​The biggest stories you might have missed

Razer makes a $5,000 Lamborghini-inspired version of its Blade 16 laptop

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 hands-on: More ports and a much-needed spec bump

US brings back free at-home COVID-19 tests as cases continue to spike

Surface Laptop Go 3 hands-on: Microsoft makes a better case for its cheap PC

Microsoft wants its Copilot AI to be your personal shopper

'Everywhere' gameplay trailer shows off an ambitious sandbox with a Fortnite aesthetic

Google takes a snarky shot at Apple over RCS in its latest ad

The green bubble/blue bubble controversy continues.

Google has been trying to publicly pressure Apple into adopting the GSMA’s RCS (Rich Communications Service) messaging protocol for a long time now, with the biggest response from Apple being CEO Tim Cook saying consumers should buy their moms an iPhone.

So now, it’s getting petty. Google’s “iPager” ad mimics Apple’s marketing language to reveal a retro-styled beeper, suggesting Apple’s behind the curve with its messaging platform. The spot says the iPager uses “outdated messaging tech” to “text with Android,” citing many of the perceived disadvantages of sticking with SMS technology. The question is: Who is this YouTube parody for?

Continue reading.

Microsoft’s Adaptive Touch makes laptop trackpads more inclusive

For people who can’t continuously use fingers to move a cursor.

Engadget

Microsoft continues to build inclusive accessories and features for its mainstream products, and the company showed off more at its annual fall event on Thursday. It unveiled an Adaptive Touch feature that works on the “precision haptic trackpad” of the Surface Laptop Studio 2. During its keynote, the company called this the “most inclusive touchpad on any laptop” and helps people who can’t continuously use their fingers to move a cursor around. The system looks for multiple points of contact with the trackpad, noticing if they’re moving in the same general direction, to determine where to move the mouse. It’s in part based on the technology Microsoft uses for palm rejection, but reconfigured for Adaptive Touch.

Continue reading.

X is disabling Circles on October 31

Another feature bites the dust.

X users will no longer be able to tweet to a small group of friends or add people to their Circles after that date. The website formerly known as Twitter has announced it’s deprecating Circles on October 31. The company launched Circles in August 2022, so the feature barely made it to its first birthday.

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This year’s Razercon event held a couple of surprises for those who love the computer accessory company and luxury lifestyle brands. Razer has partnered up with Lamborghini to create a beefed up Blade 16 laptop that draws plenty of aesthetic inspiration from the sports car maker. It boasts a customized chassis with orange highlights that’s “infused with the spirit of Lamborghini.” The price tag is also infused with the spirit of Lamborghini, as this thing costs $5,000.

It looks pretty cool, but the actual components also got some Lambo love. The CNC-milled chassis is made from a single block of aluminum, adding durability, with a finish inspired by Lamborghini’s signature orange and matte black. The design on the lid echoes the headlights of the recently-announced Lamborghini Revuelto hybrid vehicle. So now you can race down the information superhighway in your Lambo computer as you race down the actual highway in your Lambo car. It’s an ouroboros of unnecessary speed.

The specs here are on-point, as there are some significant improvements over the base-level Blade 16 laptop. This is a highly-souped up edition, with a 13th Gen Intel Core i9 HX processor that boasts 24 cores and 32 threads. It also features a GeForce 4090 GPU, a 4TB SSD, 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a dual-mode mini-LED 4K 16” display. This thing is a beast, but remember that $5K price tag. Despite the cost, the Razer Blade 16 x Automobili Lamborghini Edition could become a collector’s item some day, as the company is only making 150 units.

Razer

Razer has also teamed up with fashion icons Dolce & Gabbana to create a gold-emblazoned edition of its popular Barracuda wireless headphones. The fashion brand’s signature design has even been applied to a Razer Enki gaming chair and a bunch of clothing items to celebrate the partnership, like hoodies and t-shirts. Let’s hear it for corporate synergy!