There have been many attempts to build an upgradable gaming laptop, and all of them have failed. Technology moves on, or the manufacturer stops being able, or willing, to support users who have already bought a machine. The most infamous example must be the A51M, which had swappable GPU modules designed to keep it close to the cutting edge. But Dell killed off the plan to produce new modules for that machine the very next year. It’s this arena, littered with high expectations and broken promises that Framework is entering with its first gaming notebook. It’s called the Framework Laptop 16 and it could be the standard bearer for a new paradigm in portable computing. No pressure.

The Framework Laptop 16 is the company’s second product after its perpetually-upgraded 13-inch notebook. That has earned it plaudits from across the industry, and has given it the confidence to turn its sights toward a far harder group to win over; gamers, creatives and power users. But despite the beefier internals, the machine retains the promise of being an entirely modular, fully-repairable laptop. “It’s all of the repairability and upgradeability that exists in the Framework Laptop 13, in a larger, higher-performance form factor,” said company founder Nirav Patel. He told me he believes that Framework is now “delivering on the holy grail in high-performance notebooks, which is the ability to upgrade the GPU independently of the rest of the system.”

At first blush, it’s clear that the Framework 16 doesn’t try to disguise the modular nature of its construction like its smaller sibling. That’s both a function of the sheer level of customization on hand, and an intentional choice to be loud and proud about what this machine is. Patel said that while the default build is fairly discreet (I’d be tempted to disagree), “there’s so much you can reconfigure and customize that you can build something totally insane” so expect the models seen in the wild to be “immediately eye-catching.” And, if you had to sum up its aesthetics in a single word, I’d be tempted to coin the phrase legopunk.

What we don’t have today, and won’t learn for a little while longer, is what specs are going to be found inside this chassis. Today’s announcements are essentially just preparing the ground for a fuller media blitz closer to when pre-orders open later this Spring. More importantly, it’s to get the ever-growing community of Framework developers and hobbyists attuned to what’s coming, and the tools that they’ll be given free-reign to play with to help customize and tweak their own machines. Patel believes that there’s plenty of potential toys for people to want to fiddle with, both inside the machine, and on the top of its deck. As part of this push, a slew of open source data, from mechanical drawings to electrical reference designs has been uploaded to GitHub.

Much of our discussion focused on the big question that will likely hang over this machine for at least the next year or so. Plenty of companies have made gaming laptops with the promise of a future roadmap to upgrades, and none of them could deliver on that year-after-year. “It’s been tried in the past, it’s failed horribly, so much so that there’s a class action lawsuit,” admitted Patel. “What they did wrong, we learned all of [their] lessons so what we’re building is an expansion bay system. Rather than constrain components to a single size and hope that they can conform to those requirements forever, the laptop itself will grow (or shrink) as required.

Framework has made room in the chassis to support both a current generation GPU module as well as future ones. “Instead of getting stuck where we can’t support new generations” he said, “we have that flexibility within that expansion bay to reconfigure any internal – or external – aspect of it to make sure it works.” This even stretches to the external dimensions of the laptop itself, and you can swap out the standard deck case for one with a longer rear vent, a common feature on many high-performance machines. “We’ve designed ourselves a way where we have pretty much complete flexibility to support changes when it comes to GPUs,” said Patel.

Internally, the 16’s mainboard is set up in such a way as to allow a connection over PCIe x8, which Patel says offers enough “high power and display support in both directions” for a laptop of this intended size and class. When asked if that connection was enough, he said that the machine still has to behave like a gaming laptop, rather than trying to bolt on overpowered desktop-class modules. “It wouldn’t make sense to put a 300 watt GPU into such a fairly thin form factor,” especially given the thermal constraints any laptop has, let alone a gaming one.

Framework

It should be easy enough to make changes, with Patel explaining that those who need integrated graphics can just add a default thermal module into the bay. But when the person’s needs change, they can “fly in a graphics module” to get that higher level of performance. But the expansion card bay isn’t just designed for an annual cadence of new GPUs, but instead will be offered up for a variety of purposes.

The bay, and its connection, will be opened up to Framework’s developer community enabling them to build their own modules. The company has already built a dual M.2 SSD that uses the bay, offering up to 16TB of additional storage. But Patel envisions a wide variety of other tools that could be plugged in, like a video capture card, streaming hardware, dedicated AI modules or even a software-defined radio transmitter.

As well as the unprecedented level of internal customization, the 16 also offers hot-swappable keyboard, mousepad and anything-else-on-the-top-deck modules. Patel said, based on market research, there’s a clean 50-50 split between people who love, and those who hate, numpads. “So, we thought, why not let people choose?” Consequently, the whole top deck of the 16 is user reconfigurable. Patel added that owners can “actually remove the keyboard, remove the numpad, slide the keyboard into the center and add input modules to the left and right” all while the machine is running.

Much like the expansion cards, Framework says it is opening these tools up to developers as well. Patel said that the company has already developed a secondary display, haptic slider and an LED matrix display. Framework is also developing regular backlit keyboards as well as, since this is a gaming laptop after all, an RGB-backlit version. Many of the modules are built on QMK keyboard software based on the Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller, and the company is releasing open-source firmware to help enable the developer community to build their own projects. In its release, the company said it was hoping to see fans building their own “jog wheels, sliders, touchscreen displays, e-ink notepads, smart card readers and more.”

Another holdover from the older Framework Laptop is the expansion cards: USB-connected peripherals which let you choose which integral ports your laptop has, and where you put them. The bigger chassis size means that the 16 has three ports on either side, compared to the two on its smaller sibling. But one of those, depending on how you feel about having a dedicated headphone jack, might already be reserved. “The gaming audience is either using wireless or USB headsets,” said Patel, who paused and smiled to himself before adding that the company has had the “courage” to remove the dedicated 3.5mm port from the bigger machine. “But we’ll introduce an audio expansion card [to replace it]” giving users the choice of having the port, or not, and to pick which side of the chassis they want that wire running to.

If there’s one thing that will hopefully ensure that Framework doesn’t fall into the same trap as the A51M, it’s going to be its ties with component manufacturers. The company already makes its own mainboards with Compal and Patel said Framework was already plugged into the ecosystem necessary to build its own graphics cards. He added that, much like initiatives to tackle mainboard and battery waste, Framework would also work to ensure that legacy GPU modules, the ones that get swapped out from this machine a few years down the line, will also get a second life. “You can take the graphics module out of a Framework Laptop 16 and install it in an external enclosure to use as an eGPU,” said Patel. The company’s booth at the Game Developers Conference will be demonstrating a proof of concept for this, which will likely evolve into a purchasable product when the need arises.

Patel notes that Framework now has a solid track record of supporting a model for several generations which should help quell any unease for would-be buyers. “We think, with the Framework Laptop 13 having shown this third generation of products all launching within the same form factor, all continuing support all the way back to the first laptop we ever shipped, it shows we are in this for the long haul.” He added that “when we say we’re building things for longevity, we’re gonna keep delivering upgrades, that is something we’re going to deliver on.” And that by open-sourcing many of its components, and offering comprehensive documentation, it enables third parties to “just jump in” with their own projects.

Further details about the Framework Laptop 16 will be made available when pre-orders open toward the end of Spring. Patel said that there’s no word on pricing, but that you should use Framework’s existing cost structure to compare against the market as it stands. Shipments are expected to begin towards the end of the year, but the real test of this machine isn’t so much in its first launch, but what happens 12 and 24 months down the line. Then again, it’s a challenge Patel knows all too well, and believes that users are craving “stability” and a machine that “works well for them as long as they want to.” It’s wild to think that, in this day and age, those are considered to be lofty promises.

If there was a question hovering over Framework’s much-lauded modular laptop, it was for how long the company would keep supporting it. After all, companies talk a good game about being green and sustainable at launch, only to abandon those plans a year or two later. Now, we’re three chip generations deep, and today we’re getting new mainboards carrying Intel’s 13th generation Core CPUs. Even better, users will soon have the option to ditch Intel in favor of AMD’s rival products, both for new machines and to upgrade in all of the models already shipped. It’s a remarkable sign of confidence in its platform, and a signal to users that Framework is in this business, with this chassis, for the long haul.

Intel’s 13th generation Core CPUs were first announced at CES in January and Framework is rolling them out along with a number of other updates to its laptop. Since it sells (or sold) only one model of laptop, these changes will appear in the product from now on. And these annual updates are designed to address the criticisms that some users have had with the hardware thus far. That includes a new hinge that’s been redesigned to be more rigid compared to the ones found in units up until now. And, more importantly, a new, bigger 61Wh battery with a slew of firmware updates that should increase the laptop’s runtime by between 20 and 30 percent depending on how intense your workload is.

The focus on addressing user complaints stretches to the display cover, which will now be matte as opposed to glossy. Similarly, Framework will now incorporate the 80dB louder speakers it offered in its Chromebook to some of its mainline laptops. All of these innovations will, as per Framework’s usual commitment to supporting its existing users, will also be able to buy as standalone parts. And, as I outlined last year, even someone with next-to-no aptitude for upgrading computer parts can make these fixes with relatively little fuss. Customers can now select their display bezel color and keyboard options at the buying stage, saving them from having to double purchase.

The other change that we’ll need to address is that this machine has been rechristened as the Framework Laptop 13. That’s because it’s now sitting alongside the company’s new 16-inch gaming machine, which was announced today.

I asked founder Nirav Patel if there wasn’t a temptation, since we’re now three generations in, to start messing with the chassis. “We plan to stick with it, we haven’t seen anything that makes us want to change it,” he said, “it’s really just being able to upgrade those modules.” He said that one of the key pillars of feedback he’s received is that users “actually just want stability” in their purchases rather than a constant stream of new hardware. He added that Framework’s pledge to keep supporting the same laptop chassis for so long is a good signal to would-be buyers that they’re investing in a “stable ecosystem.”

Framework has promised price parity between Intel and AMD’s mainboards, which will offer a Ryzen 7040 in either a Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 flavor. Pre-orders will open at the same time for both, although it’s thought that the AMD version might ship a little later. Framework will open pre-orders to users looking for a new machine and just the new mainboards at the same time. Those in the latter camp, who want to ditch Intel in their existing Framework 13 for AMD, will also need to buy new RAM and a new WiFi card. The one other downside for would-be switchers is that, as Patel explains, “the port configuration is different in terms of what the expansion cards actually support.” This is because the Intel boards universally support Thunderbolt 4, while the AMD model offers two USB 4.0, one USB 3.2 plus DisplayPort, and one vanilla USB 3.2 port.

There will be some changes and tweaks depending on which model you opt for, since the different chip options mean different default builds. For instance, the new Intel models will get the louder speakers, while the AMD units do not, although those quieter speakers have been tuned for better performance. Similarly, the base models with Core i5 and Ryzen 5 will keep the older 55Wh battery, while the i7 and Ryzen 7 options will get the newer 61Wh option. As such, you might want to examine the pre-order pages in more detail to make sure you know what you’re getting.

As users upgrade their existing laptops with new mainboards, Framework is acutely aware there will be a raft of functional boards potentially left unused. Rather than create a new stream of e-waste, the company has so far worked to support 3D-printed cases and hobby projects. “We released these open-source design files where people could 3D-print their own case,” said Patel, “but most people don’t have 3D printers.” Which is why Framework has teamed up with PC case maker CoolerMaster to produce the first official standalone case for its mainboards.

The case is a similar thickness to the laptop deck at present, and is designed so a user can “take that mainboard, drop it in, and [they] now have this nice simple little second PC,” said Patel. It will also accommodate the same expansion cards as the Framework Laptop 13, and all the user needs to provide is a USB-C power supply of 45W or higher. It includes both its own stand and the option to VESA mount the machine, tucking it neatly behind whatever display you choose to connect it to. It’ll be affordable, too, as it’ll cost just $39 when it launches later in Spring.

Patel also expects plenty of Framework owners to upgrade their batteries for the new and improved model. He explained that the company is demonstrating “a proof of concept that turns the [first-generation Framework laptop] battery into a USB-C power bank that can power any device, including a laptop.”And you might expect that this, too, will get refined and polished by Framework’s committed community into something that plenty of people can experiment with.

On that subject, the company is also announcing support for Fedora 38 and Ubuntu 22.04 Linux, both of which will work “fantastically out of the box” for both AMD and Intel models. Manjaro XFCE 22.0 and Mint 21.1 are also at an advanced stage of support, and the company says both are “working great” on the new hardware.

The pre-built base model configurations of both Intel and AMD versions of the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) with Windows 11 will cost $1,049 before build-to-order upgrades. All units can be pre-ordered from today for the usual $100 deposit, with shipments for both expected to start at some point in May. In addition, Framework also announced that it would begin shipping to Belgium, Italy, Spain and Taiwan later in the year.

If you own a Mac, there’s a good chance you spent quite a bit of money to buy it. If for no other reason than that, you should take care of your computer. Not only will it serve you better over its life, but you could end up getting more for it on the used market if you ever decide to sell your Mac.

In this how-to, we’ll share some tips on how to take care of your Mac. It’s impossible to cover the topic of computer maintenance from every angle, so think of this guide as more of an introduction to some organizational features and apps you may not have known about.

How to clean your Mac’s screen and body

While there are a lot of products you can buy that are specially made to help you with cleaning your computer, I’ve found the simplest approach works best — and it’s the one Apple recommends. To start, all you’ll need is some water in a spray bottle and a clean microfiber cloth. You can use either regular or distilled water. The advantage of the latter is that it’s far less likely to leave any residue on your Mac, particularly on the display. You can buy distilled water at a grocery store or make it yourself with some simple cookware. Either way, it’s more affordable than dedicated cleaning solutions and more versatile. If you don’t already own any microfiber cloths, Amazon sells affordable 24-packs you can get for about $14.

Two other products I’ve found that can make the job easier are Whoosh screen cleaner and a Giottos Rocket Blower. I can’t say enough good things about the latter. It will save you from buying expensive and wasteful cans of compressed air.

As for the process of cleaning your Mac, the most important tip to remember is to start with a clean cloth (that’s part of the reason we recommend buying them in bulk). You’ll save yourself time and frustration this way. Begin by turning off your computer and unplugging it. If you went out and bought a Rocket Blower, use it now to remove any dust. If not, take a dry microfiber cloth and go over your computer. Take special care around the keys, particularly if you own a Mac with a butterfly keyboard.

Next, dampen one side of your cleaning cloth with either water or Whoosh. Never spray any liquid directly on your computer. You’ll have more control this way and you’ll avoid getting any moisture into your Mac’s internals. I always clean the display first since the last thing I want to do is create more work for myself by transferring dirt from some other part of my computer to the screen. The last step is to buff and polish your computer with the dry side of the cloth. Be gentle here as you don’t want to scratch the screen or any other part of That’s it. Your Mac should be looking clean again.

How to organize your hard drive

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

One of the hardest parts of cleaning your Mac’s hard drive is knowing where to start. After all, most of us have apps on our computers we don’t even remember installing in the first place. Thankfully, macOS comes with a tool to help you with that exact issue.

Navigate to the “Storage” section of the “About This Mac” menu and click the “Manage…” option. Here you’ll find a tool that sorts your files into broad categories and offers recommendations on how to free up space on your hard drive. You can use those in combination with the handy “Show in finder” button at the bottom of the interface to quickly navigate your hard drive. No need to search for files manually.

The section dedicated to applications is particularly helpful since you can see the last time you used a program, as well as if it’s no longer supported by the operating system or if it’s outdated thanks to a more recent release.

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

You don’t need me to tell you to uninstall programs you don’t use, but what you might not know is that there’s a better way to erase them than simply dragging them to the trash can. A free program called AppCleaner will help you track down any files and folders that would get left behind if you were just to delete an application.

After deleting any apps you don’t need, move to the documents section. The name is somewhat misleading here since you’ll find more than just text files and excel spreadsheets. Documents, in this case, turns out to be the tool’s catch-all term for a variety of files, including ones that take up a large amount of space and DMGs you may have forgotten to dismount. The other sections on the sidebar are self-explanatory. The only other thing I’ll mention is if you’ve been using an iPhone for a while, there’s a good chance you’ll have old iOS backups stored on your computer. You can safely delete those too.

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

By this point, your hard drive should be in pretty good shape. If you want to take some additional steps to clean it, there are dedicated apps that can help. I like one called CleanMyMac X. At $51 per year, it’s on the expensive side, but will save you the time and trouble of doing everything I mentioned above (and then some) on your own. It also doubles as a malware removal tool.

Tips and tricks for keeping a neat Desktop and Finder

Igor Bonifacic

Let’s start with the menu bar. It may not technically be part of the desktop, but a tidy one can go a long way toward making everything else look less cluttered. My recommendation here is to download a $16 app called Bartender. At first glance, it’s a simple program allowing you to hide unwanted menu bar items behind a three dots icon. However, the strength of Bartender is that you get a lot of customization options. For example, you can set a trigger that will automatically move the battery status icon out from hiding when your computer isn’t connected to a power outlet.

While we’re on the subject of the menu bar, take a second to open your Mac’s System Preferences menu and go to the “Users & Groups” section. Now click on the “Login Items” tab at the bottom of the interface and take a look at all the apps that launch when you boot up your system. You can speed up your system by paring this list down to only the programs you use frequently.

When it comes to the desktop itself, the best advice is less is more. Nothing will make your computer look like a cluttered mess more than a busy desktop. Folders and stacks can help, but, for most people, I suspect part of the problem is they use their desktop as a way to quickly and easily find files that are important to them.

If you’ve ever struggled to find a specific file or folder on your computer, try using your Mac’s tagging capabilities instead. Start by opening the Finder preferences menu (“command” + “,”) and click the “Tags” tab. You can use the default ones provided by macOS or make your own. Either way, drag the ones you think you’ll use most often to the favorites areas at the bottom of the preferences window. This will make it so that they’re easily accessible when you want to use them. To append a tag to a file or folder, click on it while holding the ctrl key and select the one you want from the dropdown menu. You can also tag a file while working on it within an app. Keep in mind you can apply multiple tags to a single file or folder. You can even apply them to applications.

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

What makes tags so useful in macOS is that they can appear in the sidebar of the Finder and are easily searchable either directly through the Finder or using Siri. As long as you have a system for organizing your files, even a simple one, you’ll find it easier to keep track of them. As one example, I like to apply an Engadget tag to any files related to my work. I’ll add an “Important” tag if it’s something that’s critical and I want to find quickly.

One tool that can help supercharge your Finder experience is Alfred. It’s effectively a more powerful version of Apple’s Spotlight feature. Among other things, you can use Alfred to find and launch apps quickly. There’s a bit of a learning curve, but once you get a hang of it, Alfred will change how you use your Mac for the better.

How to organize your windows and tabs

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

If you’ve used both macOS and Windows 10, you’ll know that Apple’s operating system doesn’t come with the best window management tools. You can click and hold on the full-screen icon to tile a window to either the left or right side of your screen, but that’s about it and the feature has always felt less precise than its Windows counterpart.

My suggestion is to download an app that replicates Windows 10’s snapping feature. You have several competing options that more or less offer the same functionality. My go-to is an $8 program called Magnet. If you want a free alternative, check out Rectangle. Another option is BetterSnapTool, which offers more functionality than Magnet but doesn’t have as clean of an interface. All three apps give you far more ways to configure your windows than what you get through the built-in tool in macOS. They also come with shortcut support, which means you can quickly set up your windows and get to work.

Last week, Apple's new M2 Mac mini saw its first discount on Amazon, but now it's dropped even further, with a full $50 off the list price at B&H Photo. The discount applies to the the 256GB mini M2 and the 512GB mini M2, both with 8GB of RAM, bringing the tiny but mighty computers down to $549 and $749, respectively. It looks like Amazon is matching the price on both the 256GB model and the larger 512GB configuration. The Mac minis with the M2 Pro chip aren't seeing the same discount, though Amazon is listing those $10 below Apple's suggested price. 

If you're looking for a powerful desktop computer you can pair up with any monitor you have on hand, this is a great, low-cost way to get the power of Apple's new M2 chip. In our review, we gave the mini a solid score of 86, praising the excellent performance and the still-great, squat aluminum design that disappears into your desk. Around back, you've got plenty of ports to handle your accessories, including two Thunderbolt 4 UCB-C ports, an HDMI port with 4K output at 240Hz and 8K at 60Hz, two USB-A ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a gigabit Ethernet port, which you can upgrade to a 10 gigabit port, but it'll cost you an extra $150. 

Inside, there's the namesake M2 chip, which Apple first first offered in 2022. The chip combines computing operations, like CPU, GPU, input/output interfaces and certain memory processes into one "system on a chip," allowing for faster processing speeds. Apple has put the chip into new iPad Pros, their latest MacBook Pros and now the Mac mini. The chips in the discounted models have eight CPU cores, 10 graphics cores, 8GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage. That 8GB of RAM may strain under heavy browser tab loads, but should be suitable for most people's everyday work flows. The minis also make a good home theater computer, if you want even more customization than you'd get with an Apple TV. 

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Apple released the latest refreshes to its MacBook Pro laptops just last month, but a new deal has brought the 14-inch model down to $1,799 at Amazon and B&H. That's $150 off this configuration's typical going rate on Amazon, $200 off Apple's MSRP and the largest discount we've seen to date. B&H's listing says the deal is only scheduled to last through Tuesday. Note that only the Space Gray model is discounted.

This deal applies to the entry-level 14-inch model, which includes a new M2 Pro chip with a 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. The 14.2-inch Mini-LED display has a resolution of 3,024 x 1,964 and supports refresh rates up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling. There's a 1080p webcam inside an iPhone-style display notch, plus three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, an HDMI port, a full-sized SD card slot, a MagSafe connector for charging and a headphone jack.

We gave the latest 14-inch MacBook Pro a review score of 92 back in January. Although that review was based on a higher-power configuration than this discounted model, the general benefits are the same here. The new MacBook Pro is essentially just a speed bump, but it remains a fast and sturdily-built notebook for power users. Its display is still superb, its keyboard and trackpad are still comfortable, its speakers are still top-notch and its battery life can still genuinely last beyond a full work day. On the flip side, the whole thing is still expensive (even with this discount) and hardly upgradeable, but that's a familiar story for Macs. 

The one major upgrade here is the new chip. To be clear, this variant of the M2 Pro isn't worth the upgrade for most owners of the prior MacBook Pro, and its graphics performance is still clearly behind the M2 Max chip available in the pricier Pro models. Because of the way its NAND chips are configured, this entry-level model's storage performance is technically slower than the last entry-level 14-inch Pro as well. 

That said, this is still a powerful notebook. Any storage drop-off isn't likely to be noticeable the vast majority of the time, and the CPU and GPU performance here is still nice jump for most looking to upgrade from an older Intel-based Pro. While the M2 MacBook Air is the better buy for most people in need of a general-purpose laptop, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is a great choice for those willing to pay for more performance, and this deal makes it at least a little more affordable. 

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Earlier this week, Windows 10 mistakenly prompted some users to upgrade to Windows 11, despite the fact their computers did not meet the operating system’s minimum requirements. Twitter user PhantomOcean3 was among the first to notice the error after Windows 10 displayed a full-screen notification telling him he could install the software on a system that only had 2GB of RAM.

“Some hardware ineligible Windows 10 and Windows 11, version 21H2 devices were offered an inaccurate upgrade to Windows 11,” Microsoft states in a support document spotted by The Verge. “These ineligible devices did not meet the minimum requirements to run Windows 11. Devices that experienced this issue were not able to complete the upgrade installation process.” Microsoft adds it resolved the issue the same day it was detected.

As The Verge notes, this isn’t the first time Microsoft has erroneously prompted some Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11. Last year, hundreds of Windows Insider beta testers were able to install the operating system, even though their machines didn’t meet the minimum requirements. The incidents highlight an ongoing frustration with Windows 11. Microsoft requires that a PC feature a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) before you can install its latest OS on your computer. Ever since Microsoft first revealed that requirement, there’s been confusion about what PCs can run Windows 11.

Microsoft has formally approved a way to run Windows 11 on ARM-based Macs, if not in the way you might hope. In a new support article, the company has "authorized" using Parallels Desktop 18 to run the ARM versions of Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise on M1- and M2-based Macs. If you need Windows for work, you can theoretically use the virtual machine without angering your IT manager.

As you might guess, there are limitations. You can't run 32-bit ARM apps, in part because Microsoft is deprecating 32-bit software for all ARM Windows builds. Devices won't work unless they have Windows 11 ARM drivers. You can't use anything that depends on another layer of virtualization, such as Android apps, the Linux sybsystem and Windows Sandbox. Don't expect to run some games, either, as anything that requires at least DirectX 12 or OpenGL 3.3 won't work.

It's been possible to run Windows 11 in Parallels on ARM Macs since 2021, and it even ran reasonably well. You needed to use an Insider preview of the OS at the time, though, and Microsoft said at the time that it didn't plan to support new Macs. The sanctioned approach clears up licensing headaches, and Parallels Desktop 18 now lets you download and install Windows 11 with little effort.

As The Vergeexplains, it's not certain how Microsoft has changed the licensing — until now, it only licensed ARM versions of Windows directly to PC vendors. We've asked the company for comment. Parallels says you can buy either an individual Windows 11 Pro license or go through your employer's usual purchasing process.

This won't satisfy users who want native Windows support like they had with Intel-based Macs running Apple's Boot Camp. You won't get the performance or compatibility you would on a PC built for Windows on ARM. It may be the closest you get short of a collaboration between Apple and Microsoft, though, and it might do the trick if there's a must-run Windows productivity app.

If you regularly play games on a PC, a good mouse will give you greater control over your cursor, add a few more buttons you can customize to your liking and generally make your downtime more comfortable. In competitive games, the best gaming mouse won’t magically make you unstoppable, but its faster response time and extra inputs should make for a more pleasurable and responsive experience as you continue practicing.

Exactly which gaming mouse will work best for you is a matter of preference – how well its shape fits your hand and how well its feature set suits your particular gaming needs. Over the past three months, though, we set out to find a few options that might fit the bill, be they for FPSes, MMOs or anything in between. After researching dozens of mice, testing around 20, and playing countless hours of Overwatch, CS: GO, Halo Infinite and Final Fantasy XIV (among others), here’s what we’ve found, with some general buying advice on top.

What to look for in a gaming mouse

Wired vs. wireless

Buying a wireless gaming mouse used to mean sacrificing a certain level of responsiveness, but thankfully, that’s no longer the case. Over the last few years, wireless tech has improved to the point where the difference in latency between a good wireless gaming mouse and a tried-and-true wired model is barely perceptible.

Note, however, that we’re strictly talking about mice that use a 2.4GHz connection (over a USB dongle), not Bluetooth. Many wireless models support both connection options, which is great for travel, but Bluetooth’s latency is generally too high to be reliable for gaming.

Going wireless still has other trade-offs, too. Battery life is improving all the time, but with their higher performance demands and, oftentimes RGB lighting, wireless gaming mice tend not to last as long as traditional wireless models. You shouldn’t expect more than a few days of power from a rechargeable mouse you use regularly. Beyond that, good wireless gaming mice usually come at a much higher cost than their wired counterparts.

That’s not to say the premium isn’t worth it: Who wants yet another cable on their desk? Plus, you may need a wireless model if you hate the feel of “cable drag” or if your gaming PC is located in an awkward spot. Many wireless gaming mice come with a cable you can hook up in a pinch as well. But if price is any sort of concern, a good wired mouse is usually a better value.

Comfort and grip types

Everyone’s hands are different, so at the end of the day, calling one mouse “more comfortable” than another is mostly subjective. Ensuring your comfort is the most essential step when buying any mouse, though, so we’ve done our best to consider how each device we tested works with large, average-sized and small hands alike.

We also considered how each device accommodates the three grip styles most people use while holding a mouse: palm, fingertip and claw. As a refresher, a palm grip is when your whole hand rests on the mouse, with your fingers resting flat on the main buttons. A fingertip grip is when you steer the mouse solely with the tips of your fingers, with your palm not in contact with the device at all. A claw grip is when your palm only touches the back edge of the mouse, with your fingers arched in a claw-like shape toward the buttons.

In general, most people use a palm grip, which tends to offer the greatest sense of control – though, depending on the size of your hand, you may need your mouse to be a specific length to use it comfortably. A fingertip grip can allow for more rapid movements, while a claw grip is something of a balance between the two. Switch and Click has a good breakdown if you’d like a bit more detail, but we’ll note below if a mouse isn’t well-suited for a particular grip style. For what it’s worth, yours truly is a claw gripper most of the time.

Build quality and design

A good gaming mouse feels sturdy and won’t flex or creak when used strenuously. We also valued mice without any overly sharp angles or grooves that could be awkward for most people to hold. And while most gaming mice have plastic exteriors, not all plastic is created equal, so we looked for finishes that were smooth, not too slick and capable of withstanding the sweaty palms that often come with competitive gaming sessions.

The gaming mouse market is mostly split between two design styles: ergonomic and ambidextrous. Ergonomic gaming mice are almost always made with right-handed users in mind and often feature dedicated thumb rests. Ambidextrous mice are more symmetrical and designed to be used with either hand (though they may not have extra buttons on both sides). Which shape works best for you is largely a matter of personal preference.

A gaming mouse’s feet, meanwhile, should provide a consistent glide and reduce the friction between your mouse and the surface beneath it as much as possible. For the best performance, look for feet made from PTFE (aka Teflon). All feet will eventually wear down, but many mice come with spares, and most manufacturers sell replacements if needed.

As for flashy RGB lighting, it’s a nice bonus, but little more than that. Still, if you’ve already kitted out your setup with RGB, having a mouse with adjustable lighting effects can add to the fun (and more consumer tech could stand to do things for pleasure’s sake). More practically, some mice let you assign custom lighting settings to separate profiles, which can make it easier to see which one you’re currently using.

Weight

Gaming mice have gotten lighter and lighter in recent years, with some models we tested weighing as little as 45 grams. Your mouse doesn’t need to be that light – anything under 80g is still fairly low, and it’s not like a 100g mouse feels like an anchor. Regardless, a low weight makes it easier to pull off repeated fast movements, with less inertia. That said, some players still enjoy a little bit of bulk in their gaming mouse (relatively speaking), especially with games that aren’t as reliant on twitchy reactions.

To reach those lower weights, some manufacturers have released gaming mice with “honeycomb”-style designs, which come with several cutouts in the outer shell. These mice can still perform great, but having a bunch of holes that expose the internal circuit board to possible sweat, dust and detritus isn’t the best for long-term durability. We generally avoid recommending models with this design as a result.

Switches, buttons and scroll wheel

A growing number of gaming mice use optical switches instead of mechanical ones. Since these involve fewer bits making physical contact, they should generally be more durable and less prone to unwanted “double-clicks” over time. Mice with mechanical switches still have plenty of merit, but they carry a little more long-term risk in a vacuum.

Since most people will use their gaming mouse as their mouse-mouse, we valued models whose main buttons have a softer feel when pressed, with enough travel to make inadvertent actuations less frequent. But even this is a matter of preference: You may want lighter buttons if you play games that call for constant clicking. Also, we looked to testing from sites like Rtings to ensure each mouse we recommend has a sufficiently low click latency, meaning your clicks will register with minimal lag.

Beyond the standard click panels, a good gaming mouse should also have customizable buttons for quick macros or shortcuts. For most games, shoot for at least two extra buttons on the thumb side that are easy to reach and difficult to press by accident. Lots of mice have more buttons, which can be a plus, but not if they force you to contort your fingers to avoid hitting them. For MMO mice, having at least 12 side buttons is preferable in order to access as many hotbar commands as possible.

As for the scroll wheel, it should have distinct, ratcheted “steps” that aren’t too resistant but make it clear when you’ve actually scrolled. Its texture should be grippy, and it shouldn't make any distracting amount of noise when used. The wheel should also be clickable, giving you another input to customize for certain games (e.g., to control the zoom on a sniper rifle).

Sensors and performance

Some are more proficient than others, but generally speaking, the optical sensors built into most modern gaming mice are more than fast and accurate enough for most people’s needs.

While shopping for gaming mice, you’ll see a number of terms related to sensor performance. To be clear, a gaming mouse’s responsiveness doesn’t come down to just one spec. But for clarity’s sake, here’s a rundown of the more noteworthy jargon:

• DPI, or dots per inch, is a measure of a mouse’s sensitivity. The higher the DPI setting, the more your cursor will move with every inch you move the mouse itself. Many gaming mice advertise extremely high DPIs that top out above 20,000 or 30,000, but that’s largely marketing fluff: Few people play above 3,000, with 800 a common sweet spot. This concept is also referred to as CPI (counts per inch), which is probably the more accurate term, though DPI is used more often.

• IPS, or inches per second, refers to the maximum velocity a mouse sensor supports. The higher the IPS, the faster you can move the mouse before it becomes incapable of tracking motions correctly.

• Acceleration goes with IPS. In this context, it refers to how many Gs a mouse can withstand before it starts to track inaccurately.

• Polling rate is a measure of how often a mouse tells a computer where it is. In general, the more frequently your mouse reports information to your PC, the more predictable its response time should be. Anything at 500Hz or above is fine for gaming. The current standard, and likely the sweet spot for most, is 1,000Hz.

• Lift-off distance is the height at which a mouse’s sensor stops tracking the surface below it. Many competitive players like this to be as low as possible in order to avoid unintended cursor movements while repositioning their mouse.

Software and onboard memory

It doesn’t take long to find horror stories about bugs and other niggling issues caused by gaming mouse software, so the ideal app is one that doesn’t force you to use it all the time. It should let you adjust as many of the aspects above as possible, ideally to several distinct profiles. Preferably, you can save your settings directly to the mouse itself, letting you pick your customizations back up on another device without having to redownload any software. All this is most important on Windows, but Mac compatibility is always good to have, too.

Warranty and customer support

Most major gaming mice brands offer warranties between one and three years. The longer and more extensive a manufacturer’s program is, the better. This is the case with most consumer tech, but we note it here because the gaming mouse market is particularly flush with products from less-than-household names, many of which you may see hyped up on YouTube, Reddit or elsewhere around the web. A bunch of these more obscure mice are genuinely great, but if you ever buy from a more niche brand, it’s worth checking that some level of customer support is in place. We’ve made sure our picks aren’t riddled with an abnormal amount of poor user reviews.

Best for most: Razer Basilisk V3

Of the gaming mice we tested, the Razer Basilisk V3 offers the most complete blend of price, performance, build quality and wide-ranging comfort. It’s typically available between $50 and $70, and for that price it provides a sturdy body with a pleasingly textured matte finish and a shape that should be comfortable for each grip type and all but the smallest of hands. It uses durable optical switches, and its main buttons are large, relatively quiet and not fatiguing to press repeatedly.

The Basilisk V3 has a total of 11 customizable buttons, including two side buttons that are easy to reach but difficult to press by accident. There’s a dedicated “sensitivity clutch” on the side as well, which lets you temporarily switch to a lower DPI for more precise aiming (though it's the one button that may be harder for smaller hands to reach without effort). Beneath those buttons is a well-sized thumb rest. The thumb wheel on top is loud and a bit clunky, but it can tilt left and right, and a built-in toggle lets it switch from ratcheted scrolling to a free-spin mode. That’s great for navigating unwieldy documents.

Jeff Dunn / Engadget

At roughly 100 grams, the Basilisk V3 is on the heavier side for twitch shooters, but its PTFE feet let it glide with ease, and Razer’s Focus+ sensor helps it track accurately. The weight shouldn’t be a major hindrance unless you really take competitive FPS play seriously. (And if that's the case, see our premium recommendations below.) Either way, the included cable is impressively flexible, and the mouse’s RGB lighting is fun without being garish. Razer’s Synapse software is Windows-only and can be naggy with updates but makes it easy enough to set profiles and adjust DPI, polling rate, macros and RGB effects. You can also save up to five profiles to the mouse itself, though your lighting customizations won’t carry over. 

The Basilisk V3 is an ergonomic mouse designed for right-handed use. If you want an ambidextrous model with similar performance in the same price range, try Razer’s Viper 8KHz. It ditches the multi-mode scroll wheel, and its ludicrously high max polling rate of 8,000Hz has little real-world benefit for most, but it’s much lighter at 70g, and it has two customizable buttons on both its left and right sides. We’ll also note Logitech’s G502 X, which has a similar shape, lower weight (84g), and more side buttons, but also louder main buttons, a worse cable, no RGB and a slightly more awkward fit for most hands.

Best premium: Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro

If money is no object, the best gaming mouse we tested is the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro. It’s pricey at $150, but its superlight (63g) wireless design and top-notch sensor make it exceptionally responsive. While smaller-handed folks may find it a bit too tall, most should find its gently curved shape to be comfortable over long gaming sessions, regardless of their grip type. Its two side buttons are largely easy to reach and nothing about its body creaks or flexes. The scroll wheel is soft and quiet, while the main buttons feel satisfying but not overly sensitive. It also uses optical switches.

Battery life is rated at a decent 90 hours per charge, and you can connect an included (and highly flexible) USB-C cable in a pinch. Razer also sells a “HyperPolling” dongle that increases the mouse’s max polling rate to 4,000Hz, but few need that, and the company says using it can drop the mouse’s battery life down to just 24 hours.

Despite its higher cost, the DeathAdder V3 Pro does forgo some of the Basilisk V3’s extras: There’s no RGB lighting, no Bluetooth, support for just one onboard profile and no free-spinning or side-tilting on the scroll wheel. The DPI switcher is inconveniently located on the bottom of the mouse, and there's no built-in storage compartment for the USB dongle.

Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Much of that helps the mouse trim the weight, however, and the whole point of the DeathAdder V3 Pro is to excel at the essentials – which it does. Razer’s Focus Pro 30K sensor is complete overkill in terms of its maximum specs, but combined with the mouse’s PTFE feet, low click latency and easy-to-flick design, it makes fast movements feel as “one-to-one” as any mouse we tested. If you’re a competitive player who spends most of their time in twitchy FPS games, the DeathAdder V3 Pro should feel tailor-made to your priorities. That’s really the main market here, though; most people don't need to drop $150 on this kind of device.

While its contours aren’t as pronounced as the Basilisk V3, the DeathAdder V3 Pro is still designed for righties. For an ambidextrous model, Razer’s Viper V2 Pro is really the “1B” option here, providing the same excellent performance in a flatter design that should play nicer with small hands and lefties. The Basilisk V3 Ultimate, meanwhile, is essentially a wireless version of our “best for most” pick with the DeathAdder V3 Pro’s upgraded sensor, though it’s the heaviest option of this bunch at 112g.

If you don’t like the Razer aesthetic, Logitech’s G Pro Superlight is a close runner-up whose praises we’ve sung in the past. If you see it for less than the Razer models or just want a high-performing mouse for Mac, it's one to keep an eye on, but note that it has a lower battery life rating (70 hrs) and charges over microUSB instead of USB-C.

Best budget: Logitech G203 Lightsync

If you just want a competent gaming mouse for as little money as possible, go with the Logitech G203 Lightsync. Its design is likely too small and flat for palm-grippers with large hands, its scroll wheel feels somewhat mushy, and its rubbery cable isn’t ideal. It uses mechanical switches, too. But the rest of it is smooth, reasonably light (85g) and sturdily built for the money, plus its shape plays well with fingertip or claw grips. It’s also available in snazzy lilac and blue finishes alongside the usual black or white.

There are two customizable buttons on the right side – plus a DPI cycle button on top – but the G203’s design is otherwise ambidextrous. The RGB lighting around the bottom of the device is tasteful, and Logitech’s G Hub software makes it simple enough to tweak settings on both Windows and macOS. There's no onboard memory, however.

Jeff Dunn / Engadget

While the Logitech Mercury sensor within the G203 is a few years old and technically lacking compared to most newer alternatives, it’s consistent and responsive enough to yield few complaints. The set of PTFE feet help, too. You wouldn’t go out of your way to get the G203 to win competitive games of Counter-Strike, but it’s perfectly fine for most games.

If you’d rather get a wireless mouse on the cheap, Logitech’s G305 Lightspeed has more or less the same shape and build quality, but adds a more advanced sensor. Logitech says it can get up to 250 hours of battery life, but it requires a AA battery to work, which in turn pushes its weight to just over 100g.

Best for MMOs: Logitech G600

If you want a mouse specifically designed for MMO games, get the Logitech G600. It’s ancient, having launched way back in 2012, and as such it uses mechanical switches and a laser sensor (the Avago S9808) that can be less precise than a more modern optical sensor. It’s hefty at 133g, and it has a wide body that’s not ideal for small hands or fingertip grips. Plus, its cable isn’t particularly flexible, and its scroll wheel and main buttons are just OK.

Hear us out, though. The G600 is far from the only mouse in this style to be on the larger side, and any performance shortcomings it may have will be difficult to notice in an MMO. Outside of faster action games, it tracks fine. For large and average hands, particularly those that use a palm grip, the G600’s sloped shape should be comfortable. Plus, the scroll wheel can tilt left and right.

Jeff Dunn / Engadget

The most important thing an MMO mouse can do is let you access several in-game commands with minimal effort. The G600 does that, supplying 12 customizable side buttons that are angled in a way that distinguishes them without constantly forcing you to look down. Few MMO mice make these buttons “easy to reach,” but the G600 does about as well as one can.

The mouse’s killer feature, however, is a third click button, which sits under your ring finger and brings up an entire second set of commands when pressed. This means you can access up to 24 different inputs with just one hand, which is a godsend in MMOs that ask you to juggle multiple hotbars’ worth of commands. Being able to get through your “rotations” in a game like Final Fantasy XIV without having to contort your fingers around the keyboard is hugely convenient. This feature isn’t exclusive to the G600, but it’s not commonplace either. Best of all, this mouse is affordable, typically retailing around $35. There are certainly nicer MMO mice available, but the G600’s functionality is enough to make it the best value in its market.

Other honorable mentions

Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite is a better-built alternative to the G600 with a more modern optical sensor. It lacks the G600’s third main button, but it’s a good buy if you don’t need that and see it on sale.

The Ninjutso Sora comes from a lesser-known brand and is harder to actually purchase as of this writing, but it looks and performs like a G Pro X Superlight for smaller hands. Its main buttons are fairly stiff, but it’s incredibly light at 45g, so it plays great for FPS games.

The Lamzu Atlantis is another fine choice for FPSes with snappy performance and a symmetrical, ultralight (55g) build that's particularly well-suited to claw grips. Its bottom plate has a semi-open design, however, so it's at least somewhat more susceptible to damage from dust and debris than our picks above.

The Asus ROG Gladius III doesn’t stand out from our main recommendations in terms of design or performance, and its software can be buggy, but it’s unusually easy to repair. That is admirable and should make the mouse a good long-term investment for DIY types.

You didn't have to wait too long to get Razer's largest Blade systems to date. The company has revealed that the new Blade 16 and Blade 18 gaming laptops will be available tomorrow, February 8th. The 16- and 18-inch systems respectively start at $2,700 and $2,900, although the configurations launching this week are strictly high-end models with RTX 4080 or 4090 graphics — you'll have to spend at least $3,600 ($3,800 for the 18-inch model) to get something quickly. The 'entry' variants with RTX 4060 or 4070 GPUs will be available February 22nd.

Each portable has its own set of tricks. The new Blade 16 has a unique dual-mode mini-LED display that can switch between a media-friendly 4K 120Hz picture and a gaming-oriented FHD+ (1,920 x 1,200) 240Hz image. The Blade 18, meanwhile, is a giant desktop replacement with a six-speaker spatial audio setup. Both use 13th-gen Intel Core i9 HX processors, and their RTX 40 series mobile graphics run at full power — a peak 175W for the RTX 4080 and 4090. You won't do much gaming on battery, then, but this could save you from buying a tower PC for demanding games.

Accordingly, Razer is updating its Synapse software to enable CPU overclocking on the Blade 16 and Blade 18. You can modify the core voltage, the maximum wattage for boost power and even the time that boost is allowed to run. Don't expect the results you'd get from overclocking a desktop (you're working within the limits of a laptop chassis), but this may help you squeeze some extra frames per second out of your machine.

True to the rumors, Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Book 3 line — including the company's first-ever Ultra laptop model. The Galaxy Book 3 Pro, Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 convertible and Galaxy Book 3 Ultra all center around 120Hz, 2,880 x 1,800 "Dynamic AMOLED 2X" displays with technology lifted directly from Samsung's higher-end smartphones. You'll only find touch input on the Pro 360, but this still promises rich colors (120 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut), smooth responses and DisplayHDR True Black 500 support.

The 16-inch Galaxy Book 3 Ultra (pictured above) is, unsurprisingly, billed as a performance powerhouse. It comes with up to a 13th-gen Intel Core i9 and NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4070 graphics — this is very much a gaming machine. You can also expect up to 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD (with an expansion slot), a 1080p webcam and an AKG-tuned quad speaker array with Dolby Atmos surround. Two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB-A port, a microSD slot, a headphone jack and HDMI round out connectivity. The Ultra is an easy-to-carry system despite the specs, weighing 3.9lbs and measuring 0.65in thick thanks to a "full" aluminum frame that you'll also find in other models.

Samsung

The Galaxy Book 3 Pro and Pro 360 (middle) are more conventional thin-and-light portables. Both support up to a 13th-gen Core i7 and lean on integrated Iris Xe graphics. They support up to 32GB of RAM a 1TB SSD and the ports of the Ultra, but don't have the Ultra's expansion or HDMI 2.0 compatibility (only HDMI 1.4). The Pro is available in a very light (2.42lbs) 14-inch model as well as a 16-inch (3.4lbs) configuration, while the Pro 360 is only available in a 16-inch (3.7lbs) variant. The touchscreen laptop does have optional 5G, however.

Integration with Samsung's phones is tighter than before, too. Multi Control now lets you steer your handset (not just your tablet) using the Galaxy Book 3's keyboard and trackpad — you can drag-and-drop content between devices. You can automatically upload the phones' Expert RAW photos and edit them in Adobe Lightroom, too. The company is also eager to note support for Microsoft Phone Link, including new productivity features. You can quickly continue web browsing on your computer, or quickly connect to your phone's hotspot.

We're still waiting on pricing as we write this, but pre-orders are available today for the Galaxy Book 3 series. They'll ship on February 17th, starting with the Pro and Pro 360 notebooks. It's evident that the Ultra is the headliner, though, as it's one of the few truly portable laptops that can still deliver the performance needed for games and heavy-duty media editing.