Sherri L. Smith

Lenovo's leading business laptop continues to deliver excellent performance in a classy frame. It's just missing a bit of oomph.

Lenovo isn’t afraid to push the envelope. This is the same company that brought us convertible laptops, integrated E-ink displays into traditional clamshell laptops, and was one of the first to bring us foldable laptops. This time around, Lenovo is experimenting with modularity with the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G4 and the Magic Bay Light.

In the game of bargains, you make strategic compromises or you annoy consumers, or whatever Cersei Lannister said. There’s an art to making a sub-$1,000 laptop. The OEM needs to balance specs and pricing. Cut too many features, and you have an inexpensive, ineffective machine that would better serve as a paperweight. Include too much, and you no longer have a budget system. It’s a difficult tightrope to traverse.

For the DIYers, pre-built is a dirty word. But for folks who don’t have the time, patience or know-how to track down the various cables, coolers, power supplies, and other components necessary to build a system, a pre-built system is an easy-breezy way to start playing Black Myth: Wukong in 4K immediately.

Acer doesn’t play about its gaming laptops. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t, because the Acer Predator Helios 16 (2024) is absolutely built for play, work, and anything else you can think of. The gaming laptop is absolutely OP with an Intel 14th Gen Core i9 processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU. The 16-inch laptop has power to spare and an absolutely stunning display. Furthermore, outside the typical customizable RGB keyboard, Acer has some fun ways to give the system a custom look.

If you’re looking to invest in a starter gaming desktop for yourself or someone in your life, have I got a system for you. This is also for those who want a no-muss, no-fuss pre-built system that won’t leave too much of a dent in your wallet. Ladies, theybies, and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i Gen 8 (2024).

The Lenovo Legion R25-30f is a must for gamers looking for a great-looking gaming monitor and a high refresh rate for under $200

Audio Link copied to clipboard Great soundbars . They can make or break your home theater experience and, depending on your tastes, can definitely put a hurtin' on your bottom line.

The Galaxy S24 FE and Galaxy Watch FE LTE are available for pre-order, too

Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) Boot Drive Type SSD Class Workstation Dimensions (HWD)