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New Surface Laptop Ultra firmware update fixes screen flickering and long reboot times

Microsoft has released its first firmware update for the new Surface Laptop Ultra that fixes a number of issues that users and reviewers have reported since launch day a few weeks ago. Namely, issues with the display and long reboot times are finally being addressed.

According to the changelog, this firmware update was released on October 22, 6 days after the Surface Laptop Ultra launched. It appears under the name "Microsoft Corporation System Hardware Update (200.0.7.0)" in Windows Update, and includes the following fixes:

  • Resolves an issue that could cause extended reboot times.
  • Resolves an issue that could cause screen flickering.
  • Resolves an issue that could cause unexpected restarts.
  • Includes additional bug fixes and general performance improvements.

Reviewers (myself included) had noted that the Surface Laptop Ultra's Mini-LED screen was disappointing as the display suffered from ghosting and flickering. Microsoft says the flickering issue should now be fixed with this latest update, though the ghosting issue is still present.

I also mentioned in my review that the Surface Laptop Ultra suffered from really long reboot times, which made installing Windows updates and drivers a pain as it made the process take twice as long. That issue is now also fixed as of this latest firmware update.

Other fixes include performance improvements and a reduction in unexpected restarts (BSODs,) something I am yet to encounter on Surface Laptop Ultra anyway. It's good to see Microsoft moving so quickly to improve the Surface Laptop Ultra, which is expected to get firmware updates for 6 years, until 2032.

Surface Laptop Ultra is on sale now starting at $2,599. It's Microsoft's first RTX Spark powered Surface PC, which explains why there have been some teething problems with the platform. I expect Microsoft to issue more bug fixes and improvements via firmware updates over the coming weeks.

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ASUS’s ProArt P16 RTX Spark sets a new bar for creator laptops

The ASUS ProArt P16 with RTX Spark is one of the best Windows laptops I've ever used. It's also one of the easiest to recommend to the wrong person.

That distinction matters when laptops start at $2,799.99 and go up to nearly $7,000, but I have a good reason for this caveat.

ASUS has designed this new ProArt P16 (H7607) primarily for people who create more than they consume: developers, engineers, AI enthusiasts, 3D artists, video editors, and professionals experimenting with increasingly sophisticated local AI and agentic workflows.

Indeed, NVIDIA's RTX Spark N1X combines a 20-core Grace CPU, 6,144-core Blackwell RTX GPU, native CUDA support, and up to 128GB of unified LPDDR5X memory. ASUS says the latter configuration can even run LLMs with up to 120 billion parameters.

If CUDA, local inference, LLMs, agentic workflows, GPU memory, or ComfyUI mean absolutely nothing to you, there are better laptops for your money.

If those terms interest you, even if you're just starting to learn about them, things get much more interesting, and you'll want to read on.

ASUS and NVIDIA had no input, nor did it see the contents of this review, prior to publication.

ASUS ProArt P16: Price and specifications

Perspective view from the front-left of the ASUS ProArt P16 laptop on a white tabletop, showing the dark chassis, lit keyboard, and bright screen.

(Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

I focused on two configurations for this review. My 3K Nano Black unit packs 64GB RAM and a 1TB SSD for $4,399.99, while the top model jumps to 128GB RAM, 2TB storage, and a 4K OLED for $6,999.99.

ASUS also offers Nano Black and Neo White, although configuration choices are strangely interdependent. Changing color can alter the display and Windows edition, so pay attention when ordering. ASUS currently lists Windows 11 Home and Pro, 3K and 4K OLED options, and memory capacities reaching 128GB.

Interestingly, Best Buy offers a model with 4K OLED, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage in that Nano Black ($3,399). While it's not cheap, it is still one of the more affordable models, and I think it's one of the more intriguing configurations for the general creator category.

But you can go even lower, as Best Buy's $2,799 model still has that 4K OLED, but 512GB of storage (you can add more later) and 24GB of RAM (obviously, RAM is the cost multiplier here in late 2026).

And don't confuse this H7607 model with the existing (and slightly older) AMD-powered ProArt P16 H7606. RTX Spark makes the H7607 a fundamentally different computer.

ASUS ProArt P16: Design and hardware

Top-down view of the closed ASUS ProArt P16 laptop featuring a minimalist matte black lid with a subtle centered ProArt logo.

ASUS keeps it simple for the lid. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

This may be ASUS's greatest achievement with the ProArt P16.

At just 3.9 pounds, it's remarkably light for a 16-inch workstation, undercutting the 4.5-pound Surface Laptop Ultra, 4.7-pound 16-inch MacBook Pro, and especially HP's surprisingly hefty 4.9-pound OmniBook Ultra 16 RTX Spark.

You absolutely feel the difference.

The ProArt measures just 0.51 to 0.63 inches thick, yet ASUS still squeezes in an enormous 99.9Wh battery.

Full bottom chassis view of the ASUS ProArt P16 displaying extensive ventilation grilles, regulatory stickers, speakers, and rubber feet.

There's one giant grill on the bottom of the ProArt P16 for ventilation, followed by some smaller areas. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

Build quality is excellent. I'd give Microsoft and HP a very slight advantage for pure premium feel, but ASUS wins enough other categories that I hardly care. For instance, Nano Black's fingerprint-resistant coating also works surprisingly well. As someone who despises smudgy black laptops, I appreciate details like this.

Thermals are even more impressive. Under sustained heavy workloads, my thermal camera recorded around 105°F across the keyboard deck and approximately 120°F near the rear exhaust. That's a few degrees cooler than both the Surface Laptop Ultra and HP OmniBook Ultra 16 RTX Spark in my testing. Fan noise never exceeded 50dB under extreme workloads.

For something this thin, that's outstanding, since I expected sacrifices in both areas, not the opposite.

FLIR thermal image of the ASUS ProArt P16 keyboard deck during operation, showing heat concentration in bright yellow and orange with a center point reading 105.3°F.
Daniel Rubino
FLIR thermal image of the ASUS ProArt P16 laptop underside, highlighting heat dissipation along the vents and a center reading of 105.1°F between the cooler fan intakes.
Daniel Rubino

Connectivity is arguably best-in-class for RTX Spark laptops. It has three USB4 Type-C ports, with two on the left and one on the right, so I can charge from either direction, plus USB-A, HDMI 2.1b, a headphone jack, and a full-size SD card reader. To me, this is the right port configuration for this demographic on an RTX Spark laptop. I wish more companies would split Type-C ports on either side for easier charging, but some still don't.

All these small conveniences add up.

ASUS ProArt P16: Display, keyboard, touchpad, and audio

Top-down view of the keyboard deck showing flanking speaker grilles, power button, trackpad with DialPad icon, and RTX Spark sticker.

Top-down view of the ProArt 16's basic but solid keyboard deck showing flanking speaker grilles, power button, and huge touchpad. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

Both displays are gorgeous 16-inch OLED touchscreens with 100% DCI-P3 coverage, HDR support, and variable refresh rate from 30 to 120Hz. The 3K panel runs at 2880 x 1800 and peaks at 1,100 nits for HDR, while the 4K panel runs at 3840 x 2400, peaks at 1,600 nits for HDR, and adds ASUS's excellent anti-reflection treatment.

It's also worth noting that you get presence detection, an auto-brightness sensor, and adaptive (ambient) color, which are extra bonus display features I like to see at this price point.

Here's my controversial advice: I'd get the 3K display.

Placing both laptops together, I routinely guessed incorrectly when trying to identify them by resolution alone. Pixel peeping exposes the difference, but at normal viewing distances, 3K is plenty for 16 inches.

Close-up of Windows system specs showing 128 GB RAM, 1.86 TB storage, and NVIDIA RTX Spark N1X processor with 6144-core GPU and 20-core CPU.

Close-up of Windows system specs showing 128 GB RAM in the $6,999 model. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

Unfortunately, ASUS forces the 4K configuration if you want 128GB RAM (unless you go through Best Buy, which has a 32GB model). I wish there were a 3K anti-reflective, 128GB option. That said, as someone who is a stickler for glossy displays, the 3K one is pretty good for glare, considering how much it bothers me.

I've also encountered extremely subtle flickering on my 4K unit. ASUS tells me a fix is coming, but I could also have a bum unit, so I have to have a chat with them about it.

Close-up of the ASUS ProArt P16 glossy screen displaying Windows specs: NVIDIA RTX Spark N1X chip and 64 GB RAM, with noticeable circular light glare.
Daniel Rubino
Close-up of the ASUS ProArt P16 4K anti-reflective screen showing Windows specs: NVIDIA RTX Spark N1X and 128 GB RAM, with diffused glare reduction.
Daniel Rubino

ASUS deserves enormous credit for its display controls, though. MyASUS (its main control and configuration app) provides profiles, color gamut controls, OLED flicker-free dimming, pixel refresh, burn-in mitigation, and other OLED Care options. You can even directly adjust memory allocation to the integrated GPU, which is particularly relevant on a unified-memory machine.

MyASUS Device Settings under Audio & Visual, showing Splendid color optimization modes including Normal, Vivid, Manual, and Eye Care.
Daniel Rubino
MyASUS Device Settings showing ASUS OLED Care options: Pixel refresh toggled On, auto-hide taskbar toggled Off, and taskbar transparency On.
Daniel Rubino
MyASUS Device Settings under Connectivity, showing TaskFirst network prioritization options with Multimedia Streaming selected.
Daniel Rubino

Overall, I think ASUS has the best out-of-the-box software, at least compared to HP and Microsoft, with the most configuration options for audio, connectivity, display, gestures, and more, not to mention direct driver updates from ASUS, warranty info, etc. I rarely praise OEM apps, but this is the way to do it.

This is also the part where I lament some pre-installed junkware, except I didn't find any on either laptop. These are relatively clean installs (except for whatever you dislike about Microsoft's inbox apps).

Close-up of the ASUS ProArt P16 backlit keyboard illuminated with cool white-blue backlighting under dark ambient lighting.

3-stage, timed backlight for the keyboard is excellent. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

The keyboard is similarly excellent, with springy keys, 1.7mm travel, and a three-stage backlight with automatic sensing.

The enormous haptic touchpad might be even better. Haptic feedback feels superb; it supports Windows Haptic Signals, and ASUS adds gestures for brightness, volume, playback, and ScreenXpert. Those gestures are quirky, but also completely optional.

Close-up of the laptop underside corner showing downward-firing speaker cutouts, a rubber foot strip, and product certification labels.

Close-up of the laptop underside corner showing downward-firing speaker cutouts. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

The four-speaker Dolby Atmos system is outstanding, and among the best I've heard from a Windows laptop. The 2.1MP webcam is less impressive on paper, particularly against HP's 5MP camera, but ASUS's processing produces a surprisingly sharp picture. Microsoft still wins this category with Surface.

There's even support for the optional $129 ASUS Pen 2.0. Using a pen on a traditional clamshell laptop remains awkward, but it's surprisingly handy for signing documents, marking up images, or quickly diagramming something.

ASUS ProArt P16: RTX Spark and performance

Close-up of the left palm rest on the ASUS ProArt P16 laptop showing the green and white NVIDIA RTX SPARK badge next to the trackpad.

(Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

Unified memory allows the CPU and GPU to access the same large pool rather than dividing system RAM and dedicated GPU VRAM into much smaller fixed buckets. With up to 128GB available, that changes what can realistically be done locally with large AI models, complex 3D scenes, development workloads, high-resolution video, and anything else that can consume enormous amounts of GPU memory.

Then there's CUDA, NVIDIA's massively established parallel computing platform and ecosystem. For developers and creators, CUDA acceleration is fundamental to everything from AI frameworks and local inference to scientific computing and applications like Blender. Having massive unified memory alongside a CUDA-capable Blackwell RTX GPU is what makes RTX Spark particularly interesting.

I've already been experimenting with Osaurus and Hermes, combining models including Gemma 4 26B A4B, GPT-OSS-20B, Qwen3VL-8B, and Raptor 0.6 4B. I'm still learning local AI and agentic computing myself, and I'll be updating this review and writing more about that journey as I figure out what works, what doesn't, and what you can realistically accomplish locally.

Geekbench 7 bar chart showing the ASUS ProArt P16 3K leading with 23,878 multi-core and 2,682 single-core, and the 4K model scoring 23,833 multi-core and 2,717 single-core.
Future
Cinebench 2026 benchmark bar chart showing the ASUS ProArt P16 scoring 6,742 in multi-core and 554 in single-core, alongside the HP OmniBook Ultra 16 and Surface Laptop Ultra.
Future

Looking across all my benchmarks, however, there's another interesting conclusion: which RTX Spark laptop you buy matters considerably less for raw performance than you might expect.

The ProArt P16, Surface Laptop Ultra, and HP OmniBook Ultra 16 (review forthcoming) trade places depending on the benchmark, but they're generally clustered surprisingly close together. In Geekbench 7, for instance, the ASUS actually posts the best multi-core result of the three, while single-core performance is separated by barely anything. CUDA testing is essentially a three-way tie. The 4K ASUS scored 187,547 against HP's 187,569, a difference so tiny it is meaningless.

That's good evidence of how consistent NVIDIA's N1X platform is between manufacturers.

3DMark Time Spy benchmark chart showing the ASUS ProArt P16 (3K) scoring 11,840, alongside the Surface Laptop Ultra (12,771) and HP OmniBook Ultra 16 (13,080).
Future
3DMark Time Spy Extreme bar chart showing the ASUS ProArt P16 (3K) leading with a 6,006 score, ahead of the Surface Laptop Ultra (5,857) and HP OmniBook Ultra (5,492).
Future
Geekbench 7 CUDA benchmark chart showing the ASUS ProArt P16 4K scoring 187,547 and the 3K scoring 185,630, compared to the HP OmniBook (187,569) and Surface (186,098).
Future
3DMark Steel Nomad bar chart showing the ASUS ProArt P16 (3K) scoring 2,846, compared to the HP OmniBook Ultra 16 at 2,935 and Surface Laptop Ultra at 3,064.
Future
3DMark Speed Way bar chart showing the ASUS ProArt P16 (3K) scoring 2,927, alongside the Surface Laptop Ultra at 3,011 and HP OmniBook Ultra 16 at 3,143.
Future

Graphics benchmarks reveal somewhat more variation. The ProArt P16's 11,840 result in 3DMark Time Spy trails the Surface Laptop Ultra's 12,771 and HP's 13,080 by around 7% and 9%, respectively. Speed Way and Steel Nomad tell roughly the same story, with ASUS usually sitting a few percentage points behind Microsoft and HP.

Yet even that isn't universal. In the heavier Time Spy Extreme test, the ProArt P16 actually beats both of them, scoring 6,006 compared to 5,857 for Surface and 5,492 for HP.

In other words, I wouldn't declare any of these RTX Spark laptops the definitive performance winner. We're talking about variations of the same extraordinarily powerful NVIDIA platform, and the rankings shift depending on the workload.

It's also worth remembering what ASUS has achieved physically. At 3.9 pounds and as little as 0.51 inches thick, the ProArt P16 is substantially lighter than its RTX Spark rivals while still maintaining excellent temperatures and relatively restrained fan noise. Some performance variation could plausibly be the consequence of fitting N1X into a thinner, lighter thermal envelope, but ASUS certainly hasn't compromised performance enough that I'd choose a much heavier laptop based on these benchmark differences alone.

CrystalDiskMark bar chart comparing SSD speeds: ASUS ProArt P16 4K scores 7,336 MB/s read and 6,720 MB/s write, while the 3K model reaches 7,226 MB/s read and 4,124 MB/s write.

(Image credit: Future)

The one performance result I would criticize is the SSD.

Both ASUS configurations are well behind the competition. Sequential reads hover around 7,300 MB/s, compared with 10,389 MB/s on the HP and a massive 14,647 MB/s on the Surface Laptop Ultra. Writes vary considerably between my ASUS configurations, too, from 4,124 MB/s on the 3K model to 6,720 MB/s on the 4K machine. Microsoft reached 12,711 MB/s.

Those ASUS numbers aren't slow in isolation, and Windows still feels exceptionally responsive, but this is a $2,800 to $7,000 workstation. Faster storage should come with the territory. At least ASUS provides a second PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot for expansion, so you can add a seriously fast SSD later.

Close-up of the left edge ports: an HDMI port, two 40Gbps USB-C ports, and a 3.5mm headphone audio jack.
Daniel Rubino
Close-up of the right edge ports: a full-size SD card slot, a 10Gbps USB-A port, and a 40Gbps USB-C port.
Daniel Rubino

Gaming performance is also surprisingly good. I've played Gears of War: E-Day at maximum settings without issue, while Minecraft Dungeons II looked and played fantastic aside from occasional frustrating stutters. NVIDIA's latest Game Ready Driver appears to have fixed the latter on my machine, which suggests some of RTX Spark's early gaming quirks may improve as drivers mature.

And RTX Spark is legitimately fast here. Time Spy places the ProArt P16 ahead of the RTX 5070-equipped Dell 16 Premium, while Steel Nomad and Speed Way put it comfortably ahead of an RTX 5050 Laptop GPU. A conventional gaming laptop remains the smarter purchase if gaming is your priority, but RTX Spark owners certainly don't need a second computer just to play PC games.

3DMark Time Spy chart showing ASUS ProArt P16 (3K) scoring 11,840, compared to ROG Zephyrus G14 (13,586), HP OmniBook Ultra 16 (13,080), Surface Laptop Ultra (12,771), and Dell 16 Premium (11,296).
Future
3DMark Time Spy Extreme chart showing ASUS ProArt P16 (3K) scoring 6,006 in second place behind HyperX OMEN 15 (6,257), ahead of Surface Laptop Ultra, HP OmniBook Ultra 16, and Alienware 15.
Future
3DMark Steel Nomad bar chart showing ASUS ProArt P16 (3K) scoring 2,846, behind Surface Laptop Ultra (3,064) and HP OmniBook Ultra 16 (2,935), but outperforming Alienware 15 (2,036).
Future
3DMark Speed Way bar chart showing ASUS ProArt P16 (3K) scoring 2,927, trailing HP OmniBook Ultra 16 (3,143) and Surface Laptop Ultra (3,011), while beating Alienware 15 (2,286).
Future

Ultimately, that's the performance story of the ProArt P16: ASUS gives up remarkably little despite building one of the lightest and thinnest RTX Spark laptops I've tested. Its N1X CPU and CUDA performance are right up there with Surface and HP; GPU performance is sometimes a little behind and sometimes ahead, and the only consistent disappointment is the SSD.

For a machine that's almost a full pound lighter than HP's OmniBook Ultra 16, I'll happily make that trade.

ASUS ProArt P16: Battery life

Close-up of the Windows Power & Battery settings screen showing 96% charge and an estimated battery life of 9 hours and 57 minutes remaining.

(Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

Battery life is good given what's inside (a 99.9 WHr battery, the legal limit), though Apple and Qualcomm still have an obvious efficiency advantage here, and I expect NVIDIA to improve over the coming years.

The Windows Battery Report recorded 9 hours and 58 minutes of real-world usage averaged over several weeks, including web browsing, video, messaging, and lighter creative work, basically standard laptop work with more focus on multimedia production and some lighter local AI work.

Hammer the GPU continuously with rendering, AI, or gaming and expect substantially less. Physics eventually wins.

Still, I can't say I've ever had a Windows laptop this powerful, this capable, and this thin/ligyht, and still get that kind of "regular" battery life.

Standby performance is exceptional. Leaving the ProArt P16 overnight resulted in less than 1% battery loss over 14 hours, finally making this Windows laptop behave the way I expect a modern premium portable PC to.

The included 140W USB-C charger is slightly bigger than HP's, though still compact, and ASUS gets bonus points for the excellent thick braided cable.

ASUS ProArt P16: Should you buy it?

Rear angled view of the ASUS ProArt P16 laptop lid under vivid purple lighting, highlighting the centered glossy ProArt logo and slim profile.

(Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

✅You should buy this if ...

  • You know the benefits of unified memory and CUDA
  • You want the best RTX Spark laptop
  • You want to learn about cutting-edge agentic AI workflows
  • You need a light, very capable workstation for 3D creation, video editing, or coding

❌You should not buy this if ...

  • You think this is just a gaming laptop in disguise
  • You don't know what agentic AI is and don't care to learn about it
  • You spend most of your time consuming content instead of creating it

So, should you buy the ASUS ProArt P16 with RTX Spark? Probably not.

And I mean that as a compliment.

The ProArt P16 H7607 is a specialized workstation for people operating near the frontier of what portable Windows computers can do. Someone mainly browsing the web, writing documents, editing the occasional photo, or even gaming can get an excellent laptop for dramatically less money.

But developers, creators, 3D professionals, AI researchers, and people seriously experimenting with local models and agentic workflows finally have what Windows has desperately needed: a thin, premium laptop that combines massive unified memory with NVIDIA RTX graphics and CUDA.

That's a really big deal.

Two ASUS ProArt P16 laptops under purple lighting: one closed showing the ProArt logo lid, and one open displaying an illustrated desktop background.

Both ASUS ProArt P16 models in 3K and 4K variations. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

ASUS then wraps that technology in what is arguably the best RTX Spark chassis on the market. And I mean that. ASUS has been killing it on design and features over the last 3 years.

At 3.9 pounds, the laptop almost feels impossibly light (for its class). The OLED display is beautiful, the keyboard and haptic touchpad are excellent, the speakers are outstanding, the ports are plentiful, the thermals are exceptional, and ASUS offers a level of hardware customization through MyASUS that competitors should copy.

Even the weird stuff is charming. My $4,399 3K review unit included ASUS's excellent $99 ProArt MD301 mouse and a protective sleeve, while the $6,999 128GB machine inexplicably included neither. ASUS notes that bundled accessories vary by country and territory, so your experience may differ.

An HP OmniBook laptop on the left and the ASUS ProArt P16 on the right, open side by side on a desk displaying colorful desktop wallpapers.

Left: HP OmniBook Ultra 16. Right: ASUS ProArt P16. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino)

One caveat: Those 24GB and 32GB Best Buy models are, I think, perfect, more general laptops for creators who want a premium Windows 11 experience with the latest technology. That's an easy recommendation if you can afford it.

The SSD should be faster, battery life can't match the best Snapdragon X2 or Apple Silicon laptops, and $7,000 is still an extraordinary amount of money for any laptop (though about $150 cheaper than a similarly spec'd MacBook Pro 16).

Yet none of those complaints change my overall impression.

The ASUS ProArt P16 is one of the best laptops I've ever used. For the relatively small group of people who can actually exploit everything RTX Spark offers, it may also be one of the most exciting Windows PCs in years.

And if you're simply curious about local AI and want to learn where personal computing may be heading next, the ProArt P16 deserves a spot very near the top of your shortlist.

Proart P16 (h7607)Windows Central

RTX Spark
ASUS
ProArt P16 (h7607)

The ASUS ProArt P16 combines NVIDIA's powerful RTX Spark platform with up to 128GB of unified memory, outstanding OLED displays, superb thermals, and a remarkably thin 3.9-pound chassis. It's an extraordinary Windows workstation, but most people shouldn't buy one.

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Why wait for Black Friday when Dell's Windows laptops are already discounted?

Black Friday is inching closer, but that doesn't mean you should wait for bargains on Windows laptops built for productivity before then. Dell is offering a selection of its laptops featuring 16GB of RAM for reliable performance under load, 1TB SSDs for plenty of storage space, and a range of portable sizes to suit you.

That includes the Dell 15 ($1,099.99 at Dell, was $1,149.99), Dell 16 ($1,199.99 at Dell, was $1,349.99), and Dell 14 Plus ($1,399.99 at Dell, was $1,579.99).

14 Plus Laptop (Intel Core Ultra 256V, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD): was $1579.99 now $1399.99

The Dell 14 Plus is the most expensive but best portable laptop in this roundup thanks to its thin and light form factor. It also comes with a crisp 14-inch non-touch QHD+ display (2560x1600), an Intel CPU, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD to crush work assignments.View Deal

16 Laptop (Intel Core 7 150U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD): was $1349.99 now $1199.99

The Dell 16 will give you the most screen space of all the highlighted laptops with its 16" FHD+ Touchscreen display (1920x1200) while handling creative tasks with ease using its Intel Core 7 CPU, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD.View Deal

15 Laptop (AMD Ryzen 7730U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD): was $1149.99 now $1099.99

The Dell 15 handles workflows efficiently with its Intel CPU, 16GB RAM, a 15.6" non-touch FHD (1920x1080) display, and 1TB SSD, while keeping a respectable mid-range price compared to its upper-tier siblings.View Deal

Which of these Dell laptops is best for you?

Dell 14 Plus Copilot+ PC on a desk

The Dell 14 Plus laptop on display (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

If you're looking for an affordable yet capable laptop, the Dell 15 offers the best value compared to the other laptops in this roundup.

It's equipped with a 15.6" (Non-Touch) FHD display with 1920x1080 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate to render images, videos, and writing with sharp details, so you don't have to squint at your work when typing or worry about blurry video feed when hosting stream meetings.

It comes with an AMD Ryzen 7000 7730U CPU and 16GB RAM that will make short work of Office, web browsing, and other productivity tasks while offering a ton of space to back up your precious files with its 1TB SSD.

However, if you've got the budget for more processing power, then go for the Dell 14 Plus Laptop.

It's won high praise from our friends at TechRadar for its 13+ hour battery, great portability due to its ultra-thin design, and 14-inch non-touch QHD+ display with 120Hz and Anti-glare protection.

Best of all, the Dell 14 Plus offers the best single-core performance for everyday use and heavy workloads thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 7 256V CPU, 16GB, and 1TB SSD.

Can these laptops have their RAM and SSDs replaced?

Only the Dell 15 laptop can have its RAM replaced, as it isn't soldered like the ones in the Dell 14 Plus and Dell 16 laptops. All of these laptops can have their SSDs swapped out and replaced with larger ones.

Are they good for gaming?

The Dell 15, Dell 16, and Dell 14 Plus aren't designed for gaming due to their integrated graphics cards, so they will struggle to run most games beyond extremely light titles like Minecraft. Stick to cloud gaming.

Should I wait for Black Friday for a better deal?

It depends on whether you're willing to wait until Black Friday for a bigger discount or if you're in need of a new laptop for work/casual use right now and don't have time to wait for a killer deal.

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Quiz: Are these quotes about iPhone Duo or Surface Duo?

Apple finally "invented" the folding phone, bringing flexibility and multitasking to the masses. iPhone Duo reviews are in, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu.

All the talk of passport-shaped phones, mobile multitasking, and optimized apps sent me back to the days of Microsoft's Surface Duo. A lot of the phrasing in iPhone Duo reviews could have been copied and pasted from reviews of the Surface Duo.

So, I put together a quiz to see if people can identify if a quote is from an iPhone Duo review or a Surface Duo review.

I've changed all of the quotes in this quiz as little as possible and all changes are noted with brackets. I only altered a quote if it includes something that's a giveaway like iPhone Duo, Surface Duo, Apple, or Microsoft.

Blank Pixel

I sent this quiz to a few friends and colleagues before publishing it. No one got a perfect score, and many only got 50% correct. I'm curious to see if that trend continues as more people take the quiz. Please let me know how you did in the comments!

Below are all of the reviews I used to create this quiz.

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"Hackintosh Lives" — Snapintosh puts macOS on Snapdragon X2 Elite

An engineer is working on a way to get macOS to run on computers powered by a Snapdragon X2 Elite chip. The "Snapintosh" project resurrects the concept of a Hackintosh but works with one of the latest chips from Qualcomm.

X user Miguel C shared his progress on the project recently. The video shows macOS 27 running on an ASUS Zenbook A16.

Snapintosh is still in its early days. The Zenbook A16 can boot the macOS desktop with GPU acceleration and render what's supposed to appear, but interaction with the interface is "usable but not yet smooth," according to Miguel C.

You can learn more about the project on GitHub.

Glitchy for now, trying to get WiFi working and more performance and GPU improvements. https://t.co/KYQEzglJkyOctober 20, 2026

The term Hackintosh refers to a non-Apple PC modified to run macOS (hack + Macintosh). It was popular for years and not just among enthusiasts or niche creators.

It was popular because it allowed people to run macOS on less expensive or more customizable hardware than Apple's own computers.

New Hackintosh builds became increasingly uncommon after Apple switched to Apple silicon. Apple designs macOS around its own chips and hardware, making it increasingly difficult to run the operating system on unsupported devices.

Until recently, I would have said the days of the Hackintosh were over. But Miguel C's Snapintosh project suggests there may still be a way to run modern versions of macOS on non-Apple hardware.

"Hackintosh Lives," exclaimed Miguel C on X. He noted that people should expect the experience to be "very rough" and that he's "working on de-slopifying the codebase."

If Miguel C is able to refine the experience, it would be interesting to try macOS on a Snapdragon X2 chip. The general consensus is that Apple makes the best ARM processors right now, so even a perfectly optimized Snapintosh would not beat an M-Series MacBook.

But some people prefer hardware made by companies apart from Apple. There are also more affordable Snapdragon X2 chips on the market, so you could potentially get better value on a Snapintosh using certain chips. Right now, the project is limited to the Snapdragon X2 Elite.

Even if a Snapintosh fails to ever compete with a Mac, the project is an intriguing engineering feat and a reminder of the fun days of Hackintosh computers.

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Forget overpriced Windows laptops, HP's 14-inch OLED pick is $599.99 just for today

Every once in a while, Best Buy will host a lucrative deal on a reliable, mid-range laptop during its "Deal of the Day" sale, and that's especially true now, as the HP Omnibook 3 laptop is available for $599.99 at Best Buy (was $799.99), but only for today.

This laptop is a great mid-range choice for students and office workers alike, with its above-average performance, battery life, and high-contrast OLED display that will help you get through the day.

OmniBook 3 (Snapdragon X, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD): was $799.99 now $599.99

The HP OmniBook 3 is a well-made mid-range laptop that will power through homework, casual tasks, and office work with its performance-boosting Snapdragon X CPU and 16GB RAM, long-lasting battery life of 32 hours, and detailed 2K OLED touchscreen.View Deal

Why buy the HP Omnibook 3?

HP OmniBook 3 14-inch Next Gen AI PC ad featuring a laptop with colorful flowing display, Snapdragon X, long battery life, and 16 GB RAM.

The spec highlights for the HP Omnibook 3 laptop. (Image credit: HP)

Our friends at TechRadar have praised and recommended the HP Omnibook 3 in their coverage a couple of times, and it's easy to agree with them. It's a well-made laptop for school learners or desk workers who need a reliable solution for daily homework, assignments, research, creative tasks, and casual use without breaking the bank.

This laptop is equipped with Qualcomm's (8-core) Snapdragon X CPU to give it faster and more responsive performance when running apps, 16GB of RAM to help it multitask multiple apps without slowing it down, and a 512GB SSD to store precious data.

The HP Omnibook 3 also features a 14-inch 2K OLED touchscreen that displays images, videos, and livestreams with crisp and vibrant details, and a massive battery life of potentially up to 41 hours so you won't have to worry about it shutting down during work.

Is it's RAM and SSD upgradeable?

The HP Omnibook 3's RAM is soldered, so it can't be upgraded, but its SSD can be removed via its M.2 NVMe SSD slot and replaced with a larger one up to 1TB.

Is it an AI laptop?

Yes, the HP Omnibook 3 is an AI laptop as it features Copilot+ PC integration with an NPU capable of 45 TOPS for boosted performance rates while performing local AI-related tasks.

Is it worth waiting until Black Friday?

It depends on your situation and needs. If you're not in a hurry and are willing to wait for a better price, then waiting until Black Friday on November 27, 2026, is a valid option.

However, if you desperately need a new, high-quality laptop and are concerned that laptop prices are going to get worse thanks to the RAM crisis, then we recommend taking advantage of Best Buy's 25% discount on the HP Omnibook 3, as this deal is only available for today.

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This fan-made OS brings Windows Phone back to one specific Android device

Not a week goes by that I don’t miss Windows Phone. To this day, it remains the only OS that would genuinely drag me away from my iPhone. Don’t hate me for saying it, but the iPhone still offers me a superior user experience over Android, at least in my experience. I’ve tried Android many times, and quite frankly, I really don't like it.

Then again, I don’t hate Android with a burning passion, either, and I did recently stumble across something that might make me reconsider. ztOS is a new operating system designed to look and feel exactly like Windows Phone 8.1. It’s built on Arch Linux for ARM, complete with its own suite of apps.

According to the project notes, the ztMETRO shell and its components are written in C and accelerated with OpenGL. It also includes an SDK for building apps in Python and Qt, along with an updater to keep the system maintained. It’s a surprisingly robust setup for a passion project.

Windows Phone lives through Linux and AI

Galaxy S9 in Sunrise Gold displaying the Windows Phone 8.1-inspired ztOS interface, featuring blue Live Tiles and familiar Windows Phone icons.

Windows Phone might be dead, but ztOS is bringing its iconic interface back to life on the Samsung Galaxy S9. (Image credit: Zerone-Laboratories | Samsung)

There is a catch, as usual. Currently, the project seemingly only works on the Samsung Galaxy S9. The project itself is in alpha, so expect some bugs and install at your own risk.

And yes, whether you care or not, the project is spearheaded by Claude. Because, well, everything seemingly happens through AI coding now. I’m guilty of it myself, having jumped on the FreeMyTV bandwagon to debloat my TV, improve performance, and get rid of adverts.

Still, I do long for Windows Phone. There’s a small part of me that hopes we’ll see it return in some fashion. Seeing all these wild AI-driven projects, whether it’s Xbox Labs reviving the Blades dashboard or Steam games running natively on Android or the iPhone, we're really in the midst of unknown territory.

Thinking of Windows Phone, though, really does make me facepalm at the idea that we maybe could have had a future where Windows Phones would natively play your Xbox games via the Xbox app. Imagine full cloud saves and achievements, giving you even more reasons to invest in Game Pass. But again, this is all just wishful thinking. Windows Phone is sadly, truly dead. Even I admit it.

Regardless, let me know what you think. Would you install a Windows Phone-like OS on your Android, or do you think Windows Phone should be left for dead and forgotten? Leave a comment down below and make sure you take part in our poll!

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Dell's XPS 13 redefined entry level laptops, and this deal for 16GB RAM is even better

2026 saw the release of the familiar Dell XPS 13, a 'new' laptop designed to be the ultimate, affordable gateway for first-time PC users thanks to its respectable performance, long-lasting battery life, high-quality build, and general reliability.

The XPS 13's work-focused 16GB configuration normally sells for $999.99 at Dell, but Best Buy now has a cheaper alternative for $799.99, thanks to a limited-time 20% discount.

XPS 13 (Intel Core 5 Series 3 320, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD): was $999.99 now $799.99

"The Dell XPS 13 returns as an excellent Windows-based answer to the MacBook Neo. It’s an excellent option for students or mainstream users who don’t need more CPU or GPU muscle." — Matt Safford, Managing Editor, Tom's Hardware

Tom's Hardware review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½View Deal

Why buy Dell XPS 13 laptop?

A silver laptop sits on a dark reflective surface, displaying vivid orange sandstone arches and ancient ruins against a blue sky, evoking travel and discovery.

The Dell XPS 13 in action. (Image credit: TechRadar (Christian Guyton) | Dell)

The new Dell XPS 13 has been making waves in the PC market for its shockingly high quality for an entry-level laptop.

Even our Windows laptop connoisseurs Zac Bowden and Cale Hunt were blown away by this laptop, with Cale calling it the "perfect starter PC" and Zac saying, "MacBook Neo's reign as the best deal in computing is well and truly over, all thanks to Dell".

They don't make those comments lightly because the Dell XPS 13 has plenty of features to help it live up to the hype and make it an easy recommendation for beginner PC users, students, and workers.

These include a strong battery life of nearly 15 hours per charge, a 13.4" 3K Touchscreen with 2560x1600 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate to provide crisp and detailed images and videos, and a solid, thin 0.5 inches thick chassis weighing in at 2.2lb for easy portability.

On top of that, the Dell XPS 13 has a solid and responsive keyboard, a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports to plug in useful accessories, an IR sensor for facial recognition, great-sounding speakers, Wi-Fi 7 support for faster and more stable internet connections, and decent performance for casual use and mid-level intensive workflows thanks to its Intel Core 5 Series 3 320 CPU and 16GB of RAM.

Can it's RAM and SSD be swapped with different ones?

The Dell XPS 13 laptop's RAM can't be removed and swapped for a different one due to being soldered, so you will need to decide how much RAM it gets during checkout.

Its SSD, however, can be swapped out with a different one, and the Dell XPS 13 supports up to 4TB of storage.

Is it worth waiting until Black Friday?

In the past, we'd recommend waiting until Black Friday for a chance at a better discount, as laptops are usually discounted to their lowest by then.

However, with the ongoing RAM crisis hiking the prices of laptops further and further, who's to say that the Dell XPS 13 won't have a good price by then, even with a Black Friday discount?

With that in mind, it's still worth using Best Buy's 26% discount for the Dell XPS 13 now in case things get worse, especially if you're in a hurry for a high-quality, beginner-friendly laptop.

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