Intel's long-promised desktop GPUs are finally close to reaching gamers worldwide. As part of its flurry of announcements, Intel has confirmed the Arc A770 GPU will be available in a range of models on October 12th starting at $329. As the price suggests, this is aimed squarely at the GeForce RTX 3060, Radeon RX 6650 XT and other mid-tier video cards — Intel claims both "1440p gaming performance" and up to 65 percent stronger "peak" ray tracing performance than rivals, although it didn't name specific hardware.
Like competitors, Intel is counting as much on AI as it is raw computing power. The Arc A770 supports Xe Super Sampling (XeSS) that, like NVIDIA's DLSS or AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution, uses AI upscaling to boost frame rates at higher resolutions. It supports Intel's dedicated and integrated GPUs, and should be available in over 20 games by the end of 2022.
Tom's Hardwarenotes the Intel's first mainstream desktop GPU, the Arc A380, was exclusive to China. This is the first chance many outside of that country will have to buy a discrete Intel graphics card.
Intel is delivering the A770 later than expected, having promised the GPU for this summer. Even so, the timing might be apt. NVIDIA is currently focusing its attention on the high-end with the RTX 40 series, while AMD hasn't done much more than speed-bump the RX 6000 line. The A770 may stand out as a viable option for budget-conscious gamers, particularly when GPUs like the RTX 3060 still have higher official prices.
If you want to see the power of competition in action, just look at the race between Intel and AMD to deliver the fastest PC CPU. While Intel was plagued with production delays and design issues over the past decade, AMD doubled-down on its Zen architecture to create an impressive family of Ryzen chips suited to performance-hungry enthusiasts. Today, AMD's chips power some of our favorite gaming laptops, like the ASUS Zephyrus G14.
Just when we were about to give up on Intel, though, it finally delivered on its long-awaited hybrid chips with the 12th-gen Core CPUs. Thanks to a combination of performance cores (P-cores) and efficient cores (E-cores), they trounced AMD in most multi-threaded benchmarks while using less power than the previous 11th-gen chips.
Now, it's time for the follow-up: Intel's 13th-gen Core chips, AKA Raptor Lake. And it sure looks like Intel isn't slumming it. The company's new top-end chip, the Core i9-13900K, sports 24 cores (8 P-cores and 16 E-cores) and can reach up to a 5.8GHz Max Turbo frequency. In comparison, last year's 12900K offered 16 cores (8P and 8E), and a maximum speed of 5.2 GHz. Intel claims the new 13900K is 15 percent faster than its predecessor in single-threaded tasks and 41 percent better for multi-threaded work like video encoding or 3D rendering.
Intel
The 13th-gen chips are built on an upgraded version of the Intel 7 process, which features the company's third-generation SuperFin transistor. When that 3D transistor technology was first announced in 2020, it sounded like a way for Intel to eke out more performance from its 10nm designs as it struggled to hit 7nm. (The Intel 7 process is still 10nm, following its rebranding last year.) For the most part, it seems like that was the case. AMD was able to reach 6nm with this year's Ryzen 6000 and 7000 chips, but Intel proved with its 12th-gen chips that it could still leap ahead with a larger fabrication process.
Based on the initial specifications, the 13th-gen chips look like a massive improvement across the entire lineup. The Core i5-13600K adds four cores and an initial 200Mhz of Turbo speed, hitting 14 cores and up to 5.1 GHz, compared to its predecessor. The i7-13700K now offers up to 16 cores and 5.4GHz, whereas last year's equivalent i7 was 12 cores.
The big takeaway? If you skipped last year's chips, and are running older Intel hardware, the 13th-gen CPUs look like the update you've been waiting for. Intel claims the 13900K is 27 percent faster than the 12900K when it comes to content creation multitasking, using apps like Adobe Media Encoder and Photoshop. And it's reportedly 34 percent faster for media creation apps like Blender and Unreal Engine.
While Intel doesn't have comparisons against AMD's upcoming Ryzen 7000 chips (they're not available yet, after all), the company says the 13900K is 58 percent faster than the Ryzen 9 5950X in Spider-Man: Remastered. That's to be expected, though, since the AMD chip is almost two years old at this point.
It's tough to tell how this latest battle between Intel and AMD will go, though we plan to test as much of the hardware as we can. If anything, though, it's certainly an exciting time to be in the market for new CPUs.
New Intel PCs will soon have a feature that Macs have offered for years: the ability to text, take calls and send files to their iPhones. That's all thanks to Intel's Unison app, which aims to keep Windows user in their workflow without being distracted by their phones. And yes, it also works with Android devices.
After acquiring the Israeli company Screenovate last year, Intel revamped its phone integration tool to suit more demanding users. With Unison, there's support for VPNs, firewalls and IT manageability. Intel also paid special attention to battery efficiency, as well as juggling wireless connections across Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular. The result is something that could be more useful than Microsoft's Your Phone app for Windows, which looks very polished but only works with Android phones.
According to Josh Newman, Intel's VP of mobile innovation, Unison will offer fast file transfers between phones and computers. (We're still waiting for more details on the actual connection speeds.) For example, you'd be able to quickly take a photo or video on your phone and throw it over to your Windows computer for additional editing. The app will also let you push files from your PC to your phone.
As a lifelong Windows user who can't help but covet the integration between Macs and iOS devices, Unison could be exactly what many PC users have been waiting for. Still, we'll need to see it in action before we make any final judgements, and its limited support could be an issue.
To start, Intel will only offer Unison a few 12th-gen Evo PCs from HP, Acer and Lenovo this fall. Newman says it'll head to future 13th-gen Evo systems next year. When asked if it could ever support earlier Intel hardware, Newman didn't rule it out, but he noted that the company wanted to see how Unison performed on a select group of systems first. There's also nothing stopping Unison from supporting AMD chips eventually, he said, but the companies would have to collaborate to make it happen.
Framework, the company spearheading a new generation of modular, repairable products, has made a Chromebook. It teamed up with Google to produce a ChromeOS-friendly version of the standard Framework machine with the same promise of modularity and repairability.
Internally, the Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition comes with a 3:2, 2,256 x 1,504 display, a 12th-generation Core i5-1240, 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD. You can order up to 64GB RAM and 1TB SSD, although you’re also at liberty to upgrade those components yourself at a later date.
You’ll also, as before, be able to spec the machine how you want, including USB-C, USB-A, MicroSD, HDMI, DisplayPort and Ethernet. Plus, if you're looking to bolster the storage beyond the SSD, you can buy dedicated storage expansion cards, blanked-out port modules that can hold a 250GB or 1TB of additional solid-state storage.
The one major change really is the fact that this model comes with the Titan C security chip baked into its chassis. It’s not clear yet if that’ll have any noticeable impact upon your ability to swap out the mainboard when it’s time to upgrade.
The Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition is available to pre-order in the US and Canada from today, with the base model priced at $999. Would-be buyers can expect their shipment in late November or early December, and folks are required to put down a $100 refundable deposit to hold their place in the shipment line.
AMD has unveiled its first Ryzen 7000 laptop processors, but they're aimed at a very different audience than the enthusiast desktop chips. The newly introduced Ryzen 7020 mobile series is billed as a performance boost for budget laptops that combines AMD's older Zen 2 architecture with a few newer technologies, including RDNA 2 graphics (the Radeon 610M) and LPDDR5 memory. It also promises a healthy, if unspectacular, 12 hours of peak battery life.
The result theoretically outruns comparable Intel-based systems. AMD claims a 2.4GHz quad-core Ryzen 3 7320U model with 4GB of RAM offers 58 percent quicker multitasking and 31 percent faster app launching than a dual-core Core i3-1115G4 machine with 8GB of RAM. We'd have pitted the new Ryzen against a six-core 12th-gen Core i3 instead, but this still suggests you're getting solid performance for relatively little money.
On top of the Ryzen 3 variant, there's also a Ryzen 5 7520U with a 2.8GHz base clock. Both have 6MB of total cache. Particularly cost-conscious buyers can also spring for a two-core Athlon Gold 7220U with a 2.4GHz base, 5MB of cache and the same Radeon 610M graphics. All three chips offer a thermal design power of 15W, so they're suitable for thin-and-light systems.
You won't have to wait long to buy a portable using any of these chips. AMD expects the first Ryzen and Athlon 7020 series laptops to arrive in the fourth quarter of this year (that is, October through December) starting at $399. Acer is promising 14- and 15-inch Aspire 3 systems with the new Ryzen inside, while an HP "17-inch Laptop PC" and refreshed Lenovo IdeaPads are also in the works. That entry price is important — AMD is targeting everyday users who won't spend much, but still want solid capabilities.
One of the most cost-effective ways to upgrade a computer or console is with solid-state storage. The fastest flash drives will make your desktop or laptop feel snappier with shorter app and operating system loading times. The best part is that we’re at a point where you don’t have to choose between speed and capacity – the latest SSDs offer both. Whether you want to replace an old hard drive or upgrade the capacity of your existing SSD, this guide will help you navigate all the complexities of buying a modern flash drive. Don’t know the difference between an NVMe and M.2 drive? Don’t worry, Engadget has you covered.
What to look for in a PC SSD
The most affordable way to add fast storage to a computer is with a 2.5-inch SATA drive. It’s also one of the easiest if you don’t want to worry about compatibility since almost every computer made in the last two decades will include a motherboard with Serial ATA connections. For that reason, 2.5-inch SSDs are a great way to extend the life of an older PC. Installation is straightforward, too. Once you’ve secured the SSD in a drive cage, all you need to do is to connect it to your motherboard and power supply.
The one downside of SATA drives is that they’re slower than their NVMe counterparts, with SATA III limiting data transfers to 600MB/s. But even the slowest SSD is significantly faster than the best mechanical drives. And with 1TB SATA SSDs costing about $100, they’re a good bulk storage option.
If your PC is newer, there’s a good chance it includes space for one or more M.2 SSDs. The form factor represents your ticket to the fastest possible consumer storage on the market, but the tricky part is navigating all the different standards involved.
M.2 drives can feature either a SATA or PCIe connection. SSDs with the latter are known as Non-Volatile Memory or NVMe drives and are significantly faster than their SATA counterparts, with Gen3 models offering sequential write speeds of up to 3,000MB/s. You can get twice the performance with a Gen4 SSD, but you’ll need a motherboard and processor that supports the standard.
If you’re running an AMD system, that means a Ryzen 3000 or 5000 CPU and an X570 or B550 motherboard. With Intel, meanwhile, you’ll need a 11th or 12th Gen processor and a Z490, Z590 or Z690 motherboard. Keep in mind you’ll pay a small premium for a Gen4 SSD.
You might have also seen something about Gen 5 NVMe drives. You can safely ignore those for now. At the moment, only Intel’s 12th-gen desktop CPUs support PCIe 5 and there aren’t any Gen5 NVMe SSDs out on the market. We’ll see the first ones arrive alongside AMD’s next-generation Ryzen 7000 processors later this year, but if the price of early Gen4 drives is any indication, they will be expensive.
As for why you would buy an M.2 SATA drive over a similarly specced 2.5-inch drive, it comes down to ease of installation. You add M.2 storage to your computer by installing the SSD directly onto the motherboard. That may sound intimidating, but in practice the process involves a single screw that you first remove to connect the drive to your computer and then retighten to secure the SSD in place. As an added bonus, there aren’t any wires involved, making cable management easier.
Note that you can install a SATA M.2 SSD into an M.2 slot with a PCIe connection, but you can’t insert an NVMe M.2 SSD into a M.2 slot with a SATA connection. Unless you want to continue using an old M.2 drive, there’s little reason to take advantage of that feature. Speaking of backward compatibility, it’s also possible to use a Gen4 drive through a PCIe 3 connection, but you won’t get any of the speed benefits of the faster NVMe.
One last thing to consider is that M.2 drives come in different physical sizes. From shortest to longest, the common options are 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 and 22110. (The first two numbers represent width in millimeters, the latter denote the length.) For the most part, you don’t have to worry about that since 2280 is the default for many motherboards and manufacturers. Some boards can accommodate more than one size of NVMe thanks to multiple standoffs. That said, check your computer’s documentation before buying a drive to ensure you’re not trying to fit one it can’t support.
The best buying advice I can offer is that you don’t get too caught up about being on the bleeding edge of storage tech. The sequential read and write speeds you see manufacturers list on their drives are theoretical. In reality, the real-world differences between different SSDs aren’t as noticeable as you might think.
If your budget forces you to choose between a 1TB Gen3 NVMe and a 512GB Gen4 model, go for the former. From a practical standpoint, the worst thing you can do is buy a drive that’s too small for needs. Drives can slow dramatically as they approach capacity, and you will probably end up purchasing a larger capacity one down the line.
With all that boring stuff out of the way, here are some go-to recommendations.
Best 2.5-inch SATA Drive: Crucial MX500
Crucial
You don’t have to look far to find the best all-round 2.5-inch SSD. It’s the Crucial MX500. With sequential read speeds of 560MB/s and $85 price tag for the 1TB model, it offers a hard-to-beat combination of performance and value. It also comes with a five-year warranty for additional peace of mind.
The 970 EVO Plus is a great pick for anyone buying their first Gen3 NVMe. It comes in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB varieties, all of which are competitively priced. Expect to pay about $70 for the 500GB model, $100 for the 1TB version and $190 for 2TB. Samsung’s SSDs also have a strong reputation for reliability.
If the 970 EVO Plus is out of your budget but you still want a NVMe drive, the Crucial P2 is a compelling option. It’s slightly slower than Samsung’s M.2 drive, offering sequential read speeds of up to 2,400MB/s instead of 3,500MB/s, but is significantly cheaper. Crucial offers the P2 in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB variants.
If you have an older computer but still want to take advantage of the M.2 form factor, consider the WD Blue SA510. It’s slower than the two above options but pricing is comparable to what you would pay for a 2.5-inch drive.
If you have the necessary hardware and money to spare, it’s hard to beat the Crucial P5 Plus. With sequential read speeds of 6600MB/s, it’s not the absolute fastest Gen4 NVMe you can buy, but it offers about the best value. The P5 Plus comes in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB varieties. The WD Black SN850 we recommend below in the console section is also a great pick.
Portable SSDs are a somewhat different beast to their internal siblings. While read and write speeds are important, they are almost secondary to how a drive connects to your PC. You won’t get the most out of a model like the SanDisk Extreme Pro V2 without a USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 connection. Even among newer PCs, that’s something of a premium feature. For that reason, most people are best off buying a portable drive with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt 3 connection. The former offers transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps.
Additionally, if you plan to take your drive on trips and commutes, it’s worthwhile to buy a model with IP-certified water and dust proofing. Some companies like Samsung offer rugged versions of their most popular drives. For additional peace of mind, 256-bit AES hardware encryption will help prevent someone from accessing your data if you ever lose or misplace your drive.
Some of the same features contribute to a great thumbstick drive. The best models feature USB 3.0 connections and some form of hardware encryption.
Best portable drive: Samsung T7
Samsung
For most people, the Samsung T7 offers the perfect mix of features, performance and affordability. The company offers the T7 in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB varieties and three different colors. It’s also relatively fast, offering sequential read speeds of up to 1,050MB/s. Best of all, you can frequently find it on sale.
Another Samsung pick here for good reason. The Fit Plus has about all the features you could want on a USB drive. It connects to your computer over USB 3.1 and supports transfer speeds of up to 300MB/s. The Fit Plus is also compact and has a handy slot for attaching it to your keychain. The only downside of Samsung’s USB drive is that it’s on the pricey side.
Thankfully, outfitting your fancy new console with the fastest possible storage is far more straightforward than doing the same on PC. With a Series X or Series S, the conversation starts and ends with Seagate’s storage expansion cards. The company offers 512GB, 1TB and 2TB models, with the most affordable starting at a not-so-trivial $139. The good news is that you can frequently find them on sale. Your best bet is to set an alert for the model you want on a price tracker like CamelCamelCamel.
With Sony’s PlayStation 5, upgrading the console’s internal storage is slightly more involved. Instead of employing a proprietary solution, the PS5 uses NVMe storage. Thankfully, there aren’t as many potential configurations as you would find on a PC. Engadget published a comprehensive guide on buying a PS5 SSD last year. In short, your best bet is a Gen4 drive with a built-in heatsink. Check out that guide for a full list of recommendations, but for a quick go-to, consider the Western Digital SN850. It meets all the memory specifications for Sony’s latest console and you won’t run into any clearance issues with the heatsink. Western Digital offers 500GB, 1TB and 2TB models of the SN850. Expect to pay about $150 for the 1TB variant and about $260 for 2TB.
For those still playing on a previous generation console, you can get slightly faster load times from a PlayStation 4 by swapping the included hard drive to a 2.5-inch SSD, but going out of your way to do so probably isn’t worth it at this point and you’re better off saving your money for one of the new consoles.
HP's work PCs typically focus more on performance than clever features, but you can't accuse it of playing it safe this time around. The company has unveiled a pair of computers that each have their share of tricks for remote workers. To start, HP has introduced the first Folio hybrid in its Dragonfly line, the Dragonfly Folio G3. As with earlier Folios, you can pull the 13.5-inch screen forward to convert the machine from a laptop to a presentation device or tablet. Don't expect the Snapdragon chip from the Elite Folio, though — this is a conventionally-powered PC with a 12th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7, up to 32GB of RAM and a new cooling system that promises to maximize performance without extra bulk.
The 3.1lb design is also thoroughly up to date. You can choose between either a 1,920 x 1,280 LCD or a 3,000 x 2,000 OLED panel. There's no slot for the stylus, alas, but you can magnetically attach and charge the pen on the side like you can with some recent iPads. You'll find a pair of Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports plus the usual audio jack, and optional 5G can keep you online away from WiFi. Storage starts with a 256GB SSD and scales up to 2TB.
The Dragonfly Folio G3 is already available with a $2,379 starting price. That's far from modest, but it's better than the $2,642 Elite Folio HP was selling as of this writing while offering better performance.
HP
Desktop-bound remote workers are well accounted for. HP has unveiled a 34-inch All in One (that's the actual name) whose centerpiece, beyond the 5K ultra-wide display, is its webcam system. You can move the magnetically attached 16MP camera to multiple places on the top bezel, and point it toward the desk for sharing documents. You can even add a second camera to share your notes while you stay on-screen.
You have the choice of 12th-gen Core i5, i7 or i9 processors, and you'll have GeForce RTX 3050 or 3060 dedicated graphics. Expansion shouldn't be much of an issue with up to 128GB of RAM, 4TB of SSD storage, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, four USB-A ports, Ethernet, HDMI 2.1 output, an audio jack and an SD card reader. The 34-inch All-in-One arrives in September with a base price of $2,119.
HP
There are a pair accessories that might prove appealing whether or not you care for HP's computers. The 32-inch Z32k G3 is billed as the first monitor to combine LG's IPS Black tech (higher contrast ratios) with Thunderbolt 4. You can plug in and charge many recent laptops (up to 100W), daisy-chain another 4K screen and otherwise minimize the need for cables and docks. It's not the brightest display at 400 nites, but the 98 percent DCI-P3 color coverage, pivoting and tilting will make it useful for creatives. It doesn't ship until November and has yet to receive a price.
There's also an add-on webcam. The HP 965 touts a 4K resolution, AI-guided framing and autofocusing and a low-light-friendly 18mm f/2.0 lens. You can buy it today for $199.
We wouldn't call Chromebooks disposable, but it's no secret that many of them prioritize price over sustainability. Acer, however, contends that they should be just as kind to the planet as some of their higher-end counterparts. The company has introduced the first Chrome OS-powered laptop in its eco-friendly Vero line, the Chromebook Vero 514. As with its Windows counterparts, the 14-inch portable is designed from the start to be repaired and recycled, with a relatively small environmental footprint.
About 30 percent of the Vero 514's chassis is made from post-consumer recycled plastic, and that climbs to 50 percent for the keycaps and speakers. The touchpad surface is made entirely from "ocean-bound" plastic, Acer says, and the military-grade drop resistance (up to 4ft) should help the Chromebook survive a tumble to the floor. The bottom cover is relatively easy to remove thanks to standard screws, making it more feasible to repair or upgrade the PC.
The specs suggest you'll want to keep this laptop for longer, too. The Chromebook Vero 514 uses 12th-gen Intel Core processors, and the 1080p display is accurate with 100 percent coverage of the sRGB color space (if a bit dim at 300 nits brightness). It's not yet clear if the computer can live up to its 10 hours of estimated battery life, but fast charging support can bring you to 50 percent capacity in 30 minutes. Two USB-C ports, one USB-A port and HDMI also reduce the chances you'll need to buy dongles.
The Chromebook Vero 514 ships to the US this October starting at $500, and to Europe a month later for €599. That's certainly pricier than the most affordable Chromebooks, but Acer is clearly betting that the greener design will be worth the premium. Ideally, the laptop's repair-ready body will save you money — you can fix it instead of looking for a far costlier replacement.
There's a good chance you want an external SSD you can take anywhere, whether it's extra storage for your school projects or backup for your can't-lose work files. Thankfully, you won't have to pay a lot for that extra space. Amazon is selling SanDisk's 1TB Extreme Portable SSD at a new all-time low price of $109, or less than half its official $250 sticker. There are steep discounts for 2TB (now $234) and 4TB ($460) models, too. At those prices, they may be easy choices if you want a speedy yet durable drive.
The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is reasonably quick with 1GB/s read and write speeds, but the rugged design is clearly its main appeal. The toughened shell can survive falls from 6.5ft and boasts IP55 dust and water resistance — while you wouldn't want to drop the SSD off a cliff or dunk it in a lake, it can handle the rough-and-tumble of everyday life. A carabiner loop makes it easy to clip the drive to your backpack or camera strap, and optional 256-bit hardware encryption keeps your data more secure.
This isn't the fastest external SSD you'll find, and you won't get perks like a Thunderbolt port (it's 'just' USB-C) or wireless connectivity. With a sale like this, though, those limitations are easier to accept. This is a good deal for any portable SSD, and the improved survivability is just a nice bonus.
Apple's MacBook Air M2 may not have completely reshaped the PC landscape like the M1 laptop did, but it's arguably the best version of the notebook to date. It earned a score of 96 from us and it would make a solid daily driver for anyone, from college students to working professionals. One of the few downsides is that the M2 laptop is more expensive than its predecessor, but now you can grab one for $100 less than usual from Amazon. The online retailer has the 256GB MacBook Air M2 in starlight for $1,099, which is the best price we've seen since launch.
The latest MacBook Air actually has a slightly different design than previous models. Apple moved away from the wedge shape and made the new laptop uniformly thin, making looking more like the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. Apple managed to increase the side of the Liquid Retina screen to 13.6 inches by shrinking the surrounding bezels, and while that's only a third of an inch bigger than previous displays, it has a more expansive feel. It also has the relatively new top notch that holds the machine's webcam. On top of that, you're getting improved speakers and a handy MagSafe power adapter in the Air M2's new design. Overall, it feels just updated enough to make a difference in daily use, but not so much that it will feel foreign to Apple diehards.
As for performance, the MacBook Air M2 handled everything we threw at it. The M2 chipset builds upon the stunningly fast foundation that the M1 processor provided last year, so you can expect a roughly 18 percent performance increase. If you spring for the faster GPU version, you'll get a 35 percent faster graphics than in the M1 model.
We found the M2 to be just as fast as the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2, so if you've been looking for a powerful new laptop but would like to keep things as thin and light as possible, you won't be sacrificing much by opting for the Air M2 over the Pro. The Air M2's battery life is even pretty close to that of the 13-inch Pro — the Air lasted about 16.5 hours in our testing, while the Pro lasted just over 17 hours.
