Personal Computers

Microsoft is apparently keen to cut its popular legacy Windows applications with storied histories. Following the official deprecation of WordPad, another app is now heading to the chopping block by the end of this year and will no longer be supported with updates.

We’re talking about Paint 3D, the revised version of Microsoft Paint that’s been available since 2016. Back in 2017, we gave it an honest try and found that Paint 3D was actually a lot of fun to use.

A few days ago, X/Twitter user @phantomofearth spotted a banner in the app informing them that Paint 3D would be removed from the Microsoft Store and deprecated starting on November 4, 2024:

Paint 3D now has a banner stating that it will no longer receive updates or be available in the Microsoft Store starting on November 4th. pic.twitter.com/ksPg1Irdjo

— phantomofearth 🌳 (@phantomofearth) August 10, 2024

While Microsoft hasn’t officially given word on why Paint 3D is being discontinued, one Microsoft Vendor said that it’s because Paint 3D “didn’t gain much traction among users” and “most users preferred the simplicity of the original Paint app.”

It makes sense that Microsoft would want to concentrate its efforts on the version of Paint that most users prefer. There are already some extra features available for Windows Insiders to test, like new size controls for pens and brushes as well as some new options for the eraser.

Nevertheless, this version of Paint remains in the two-dimensional world for the time being, so it doesn’t come anywhere close to the diverse possibilities of Paint 3D. It’s especially tragic because Paint 3D was so beginner-friendly — now users will likely have to switch to a more complex application, such as Blender.

Related: Awesome open-source apps for every possible need

Paint 3D was a useful extension of the popular Windows image editing tool that added several new features. Instead of just 2D graphics, you could create, rotate, and edit objects in 3D. You could also add effects and backgrounds to bring the image to life.

Originally, Paint 3D was even supposed to replace Paint altogether, but they both ran in parallel for a long while. Starting in 2021, Paint 3D stopped being installed by default and had to be downloaded manually from the Microsoft Store. Perhaps that should’ve been a clue that Paint 3D was on its way towards being wound down.

Nevertheless, the end of Paint 3D is surprising since Microsoft never gave any official indication that it’d stop being supported. The fact that the end date is only three months away is doubly surprising.

Further reading: Microsoft Paint’s new Cocreator feature is an unexpectedly awesome AI treat

It seems like every month or so we hear about a new security flaw affecting tons of consumer-grade CPUs. Perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising, though, since the complexities of modern processors and the PCs around them have grown to truly labyrinthian degrees.

But the latest issue affecting AMD processors is pretty big — so big, in fact, that it extends back through generations of CPUs, some of which are long out of support and may never be fixed.

“You basically have to throw your computer away.”

Enrique Nissim, security researcher

The “Sinkclose” flaw allows an infected PC to run unchecked code on an AMD Ryzen processor in System Management Mode, bypassing checks in Windows and even most BIOS and UEFI setups. The issue was discovered by researchers from IOActive and shown off at Defcon.

Once compromised, these systems can be infected with bootkits that run circles around conventional security tools, including antivirus suites and Windows’ own built-in defenses. It could even be able to remain on a PC after a completely fresh operating system install.

Researcher Enrique Nissim described the deeply technical process required to physically scour the PC’s memory of the infection, then summed it up with: “You basically have to throw your computer away.”

AMD says that it had been alerted to the security flaw and has already “released mitigation options” for Ryzen-based PCs and industrial data center machines, and that embedded AMD hardware (like the APUs in game consoles) will be updated soon.

AMD’s full list of products affected by the Sinkclose vulnerability includes chips as old as the Ryzen 3000 series from 2019. All of these will be updated to close the vulnerability.

But that list is at odds with the report issued to Wired, which says the vulnerability exists in chips going all the way back to 2006. The majority of those are, obviously, far beyond their last official updates — and to be fair, most of them probably aren’t currently active. But that’s such a huge number of machines, both personal and industrial, that hundreds of thousands of them are inevitably still in operation and possibly even running crucial infrastructure.

The good news is that this isn’t an easy vulnerability to exploit, at least as far as we know right now because the researchers are giving AMD time to issue patches before they fully explain it. But for it to be exploited, a program would need kernel-level access to a system in order to inject the code into the pre-OS boot sequence. (The researchers say that Microsoft and its OEM partners should be sending out updates that patch the vulnerability on current systems before too long.)

The bad news is that kernel-level vulnerabilities, while technically complex and often patched by Microsoft or other companies, are fairly common. They’re exactly the kind of vulnerabilities that state-level teams of hackers and industrial espionage agents look for, because they’re so powerful and can be exploited on so many systems.

Further reading: Hackers can watch your screen via HDMI radiation

Microsoft keeps pumping more and more ads into Windows 11. In addition to self-advertising in the Start menu, app recommendations, and pop-ups for Game Pass games, there are now also pop-ups for cloud storage that you can’t switch off. Ugh.

It’s enough to make people who simply want to work in peace on their computer rip their hair out in frustration. Although you can disable many of these features yourself by diving deep into the Windows 11 settings, there is an easier way.

With the free Ashampoo Windows 11 AdBlock tool, you can declutter your Windows system relatively easily. You can see at a glance which types of built-in ads are active and deactivate them with a single click.

The freeware program doesn’t make any in-depth changes to Windows 11’s registry; instead, it simply taps into existing settings. This means that the options are limited, but you don’t have to worry about any potential damage to your Windows installation.

Ashampoo AdBlock works with all versions of Windows 11 and removes the following unwanted bits from the operating system:

• Bing results in the search
• Edge search bar widget
• Adverts in the file explorer
• “Finish Setup” advertising
• General tips and adverts
• Tips and adverts on the lock screen
• Personalised advertising
• Settings advertising
• Start menu advertising
• “Tailored Experiences”
• “Welcome Experience” Advertising
• More Windows notifications

You can simply download the Ashampoo AdBlock tool free of charge and start using it right away.

Alternatively, there are other providers of similar free tools, such as OFGB or Winpilot Adblock. The details differ, but the core functionality remains the same across all three apps — they’re designed to eradicate Windows 11’s ad annoyances.

“By the way,” Alexa sometimes says after responding to a command, followed by a random tidbit or suggestion you never asked for. Sound familiar? 

To be fair, Alexa is just trying to be helpful with its “by the way” asides. Still, Amazon’s chatty voice assistant tends to butt in when it’s not wanted, making unnecessary announcements or overstaying its welcome with random digressions. 

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to make Alexa pipe down. In some cases, all it takes is tapping a few toggles in the Alexa app. In others, a little hacking is involved.  

Either way, we’ll guide you through the process—and in return, you’ll get a little peace and quiet. 

It’s always a good idea to keep abreast of dangerous weather conditions, particularly when it comes to heatwaves, flooding, tornadoes, and hurricanes. 

But rip tides and wind advisories? That’s a little much—and besides, Alexa’s warnings might already be duplicating those you’re already getting from your phone or another app. 

Here’s how to turn Alexa’s weather notifications off, or adjust how they’re delivered: 

1. Open the Alexa app, then tap More, Settings, Notifications, then scroll all the way down to Weather. 
2. Tap Severe Weather Alert, then tweak the options. You can choose whether Alexa tells you about severe weather alerts repeatedly or just once, as well as whether you also want mobile push notifications.  
3. Finally, you can choose a delivery method: either out-loud Alexa announcements, or just standard notifications on your Alexa devices. 

If you’re worried about porch pirates, you may well want to know the moment an Amazon delivery lands on your doorstep.  

That said, you might not want to hear every last detail about your incoming Amazon orders, such as when an Amazon package is out for delivery, whether your return made it back to the warehouse, or the status of a given “subscribe and save” item. 

If you want to keep a lid of Alexa’s announcements about your Amazon shopping orders, here’s what you do. 

1. Open the Alexa app, then tap More, Settings, Notifications, and finally Amazon Shopping. 
2. Check out the various options and disable them as needed. For example, you can keep Alexa from announcing updates on items you’ve ordered or returned, or silence the “out for delivery” and “delivered” notifications.
3. You can also put the kibosh on updates about your “Subscribe & Save” orders, or cease deal and reorder recommendations. 

Alexa can become quite the nag when it comes to reminders, bugging you repeatedly until they’re marked as completed.  

Now, perhaps you do want Alexa to stay on your case about tasks, chores, or anything else you need to be reminded about. But if Alexa’s repeated reminders about your reminders are driving you mad, give this a try. 

1. Tap More, Settings, Reminders. 
2. Scroll down and disable the Always follow-up option to keep Alexa from bugging you about reminders that haven’t been marked as completed. 
3. While you’re at it, you can reduce the number of times Alexa announces a reminder (the range is between one and three times). 

Even during everyday interactions, Alexa can be overly chatty, starting from the moment you say the “Alexa” wake word and though the completion of a given voice command (“Your lights are off now”). 

If you just want Alexa to do your bidding with a minimum of fuss, give this setting a shot. 

1. Tap More, Settings, Voice Responses. 
2. Enable Brief Mode. 

Now, Alexa should be much quieter when obeying your commands, acknowledging the completion of most tasks with a simple beep. 

So, if you thought Brief Mode would put a stop to Alexa’s “by the way” asides, think again. 

Even with the Brief Mode setting enabled, “by the way” will still manage to crop up every so often, typically after you’ve asked Alexa to perform a task. 

The bad news is that there’s no Alexa setting that reliably banishes the “by the way” digressions for good. The good news is that an Alexa hack discovered by Reddit users can help keep “by the way” at bay. 

The hack (which, as noted, comes from Reddit, by way of AFTVnews) involves simply telling Alexa to “stop By the Way.” Easy—except Alexa will only stop the “by the ways” temporarily. 

A more permanent solution is to create a routine that issues the “stop By the Way” command every day. 

1. Tap More, Routines, then tap the “+” button in the top-right corner of the screen.  
2. Go ahead and name the routine (maybe “Stop by the way”), then add a triggering event, such as a given time each day (Schedule, At Time). 
3. Then, add an action. For this, tap Custom, then type “stop by the way.” 

Now Alexa will remind herself each day to stop “by the way,” and—hopefully—your “by the way” days should be over. 

If you’re looking to score a fast laptop at a killer price, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’re on the hunt for a blazing fast gaming rig, an affordable laptop under $500, or an everyday Chromebook, we’ve assembled a list of the best laptop deals available right now, using our finely honed editorial judgement (and thousands of hours of testing experience) to only recommend truly compelling deals on worthwhile notebooks.

We’ve separated the recommendations below by best laptop deals under $500, best home use laptop deals, best gaming laptop deals, and best premium laptop deals, to make it easier to find a notebook that fits your budget and needs. For more options, check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available right now.

• Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, $329 ($200 off at B&H)
• Lenovo Flex 3, $328.99 ($150.01 off at Best Buy)
• Lenovo IdeaPad 1, $499.99 ($300 off at Best Buy)
• HP Envy x360, $569.99 ($379.01 off at Adorama)
• HP Victus, $599 ($380 off at Walmart)
• HP Dragonfly Pro One, $698.99 ($700.01 off at Adorama)
• Lenovo Flex 7, $1,039.99 ($220 off at Adorama)
• Asus TUF Gaming, $1,099.99 ($300 off at Best Buy)
• Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, $1,699.99 ($300 off at Best Buy)
• Lenovo Legion Pro 7, $2,299 ($500 off at B&H)

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3: $329 ($200 off at B&H)

If you fancy yourself a casual user (aka someone that likes to browse the web or social media), the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is the laptop for you. It comes equipped with an Intel Core i3-1315U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage–that’s plenty of oomph for everyday tasks. The 15.6-inch 1920×1080 IPS display is nice, too. It should be clear enough for daily activities like spreadsheet work or watching a YouTube video. It also has a decent port selection with one USB-C and two USB-A. Not bad for a sub-$300 laptop!

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo Flex 3: $328.99 ($150.01 off at Best Buy)

Sometimes all you need is an affordable laptop for surfing the web and composing e-mail exchanges. If you’re in the market for such a laptop, the Lenovo Flex 3 is definitely worth considering. It’s powered by a Pentium Silver N6000 processor, which is suitable for general browsing and streaming Netflix, but not much else. It’s not the fastest processor we’ve ever seen here at PCWorld, but you’ve also got to temper your expectations, as this laptop is specifically designed with basic tasks in mind. However, according to Best Buy reviews, the 1080p touchscreen display is pretty darn crisp, making this machine an excellent value.

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo IdeaPad 1: $499.99 ($300 off at Best Buy)

The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 is an affordable, reliable laptop with all the right features. It’s an AMD forward laptop, so you’ll find a Ryzen 7 5700U CPU (with eight cores, 16 threads) and Radeon graphics underneath the hood. It’s plenty speedy for office work, school work, and day-to-day tasks. It also boasts 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage, which is good for the price point. The display is nice, too. It measures a sizeable 15.6 inches, has a resolution of 1920×1080, and is touch-enabled.

This is a really good deal, especially if you’re a student heading off to college for the first time. Don’t miss out!

HP

HP

HP

HP Envy x360: $569.99 ($379.01 off at Adorama)

The HP Envy x360 is powerful, lightweight, and versatile. The 2-in-1 form factor means you can fold the screen back and use the laptop like a tablet, and it comes equipped with a good amount of RAM (16GB) and storage (512GB SSD). The 1080p display is quite large at 15.6-inches and is touch-enabled, which is perfect for habitual notetakers and doodlers. The keyboard is also full-sized and has backlighting–this is great for when you’re using the laptop in low light environments.

HP

HP

HP

HP Victus: $599 ($380 off at Walmart)

The HP Victus contains powerful hardware for the price. It’s outfitted with an Nvidia GeFOrce RTX 4050 graphics card and an AMD Ryzen 5 CPU, so it should have no problem running most modern games. The 15.6-inch 1080p display also has a 144Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync Premium technology built-in, so gameplay should be fluid. The 8GB of RAM is pretty light for a gaming laptop, but you can always upgrade later on if need be. If you’re looking for more details regarding this laptop, be sure to check out PCWorld’s comprehensive write-up.

Asus

Asus

Asus

Asus TUF Gaming: $1,099.99 ($300 off at Best Buy)

If you’re looking to pick up a fast gaming laptop with RTX 4070 graphics, you’ve come to the right spot. The Asus TUF Gaming laptop is on sale for just $1,099.99 at Best Buy, which is a savings of $300. This baby features the aforementioned Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, an Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. Game performance should be zippy thanks to the powerful CPU and GPU, and the 15.6-inch 1080p display should produce smooth looking visuals due to the 144Hz refresh rate.

Asus

Asus

Asus

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14: $1,699.99 ($300 off at Best Buy)

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a portable, powerful gaming machine. Not only is it rocking an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU and 32GB of RAM, but it also weighs just 3.31 pounds. Most gaming laptops are big and bulky, so this is a nice change of pace, especially if you’re the type of person that’s always on-the-go. The 14-inch display also has a resolution of 2560×1440 and a refresh rate of 120Hz, which means gameplay should be stutter free.

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo Legion Pro 7: $2,299 ($500 off at B&H)

If your budget knows no bounds and you’re looking for the ultimate gaming experience, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7 will surely deliver. Not only is it packing RTX 4080 graphics, but it also has 32GB of RAM and an Intel Core i9-13900HX processor. In other words, given the hardware inside, performance should be blazing fast. The 16-inch display also has a resolution of 2560×1600 and a refresh rate of 240Hz, so images should appear sharp and gameplay smooth. The connectivity options are quite good as well. You’re getting two USB-C, four USB-A, and one HDMI.

HP

HP

HP

HP Dragonfly Pro One: $698.99 ($700.01 off at Adorama)

The HP Dragonfly Pro One is a good laptop if you’re a serial multitasker. This baby is packing an AMD Ryzen 7 7736U CPU as well as 16GB of memory and 512GB of SSD storage, so it should be capable of handling a bunch of open tabs and more demanding applications. The 14-inch touch display has a resolution of 1920×1200 and a maximum brightness of 400 nits, which means the picture should be sharp and vibrant. The Ceramic White colorway is also just plain gorgeous and a welcome departure from the grey rectangles we’ve grown accustomed to seeing.

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo Flex 7: $1,039.99 ($220 off at Adorama)

The Lenovo Flex 7 is a great laptop for those who want an affordable 2-in-1. You’re getting a lightweight design as well as a decent amount of power for just over $1,000. It has an Intel Core i7-1355U CPU, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. Zipping through spreadsheet work, light use tasks, and so on should be no problem for this machine. In addition to the 2-in-1 form factor, in which the screen swings back 360 degrees, it also weighs just 3.53 pounds. That means you can easily slip it in a backpack or messenger back and take it with you anywhere.

You’ll want at least 8GB, though 16GB is preferable, especially if you play games. Don’t buy laptops with under 4GB of RAM or 128GB of SSD storage—though on a Chromebook or a budget Windows machine, this configuration is acceptable. Check out our article on how much RAM does a laptop need for more in-depth info.

The one big difference between a Chromebook and a Windows laptop is the operating system. Chromebooks run ChromeOS and Windows run, well, Microsoft Windows. Chromebooks make good everyday machines because they’re designed for browsing the web, checking e-mail, and so on. They use less resources and are generally more affordable than the Windows variety. They also don’t need antivirus protection. A Windows laptop is a lot more versatile in what it can do, and not just in terms of running local programs. You can really pump a Windows laptop up with a ton of RAM, storage, and so on.

You’ll likely find the best laptop deals during Prime Day (mid-July), Black Friday (November 29th), and back-to-school season (June-August). Sure, you’ll find good laptop deals throughout the year, but if you really want to save big, we’d recommend scoping out your favorite online retailers during those times.

You can find all kinds of deals across a wide range of online retailers such as Newegg, Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon, and so on. However, we’d recommend checking out deals from laptop manufacturers like Lenovo, HP, and Dell. You’ll usually find many different configurations on sale and the discounts can be pretty darn steep.

For more options, check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available right now.

Although the Raspberry Pi 5 has a PCIe interface, it doesn’t have a slot for a PCIe SSD. There’s now a whole range of plug-in boards (HATs = Hardware Attached on Top) for retrofitting SSDs. They differ in whether they’re mounted above or below the main board of the Raspberry Pi, whether they’re compatible with the fan and how many SSDs they can accommodate.

Smaller plug-on boards such as the recently introduced M.2 HAT+ from the Raspberry Pi Foundation are unable to cope with the long 2280 SSDs. There are even HATs that can accommodate two or four SSDs. However, these variants, which are primarily intended for NAS use, are not bootable.

Further reading: 10 surprisingly practical Raspberry Pi projects anybody can do

For this article, we tested the NVMe Base model from the British company Pimoroni.

The expansion board is supplied with a tiny cable and a lot of screws. This makes assembly a little fiddly, but not particularly difficult. You’ll find excellent instructions in the YouTube video below.

Make sure that you use a PCIe SSD and not an old M2 SATA SSD! Nothing will work with that! After you’ve screwed everything together, restart the Raspberry Pi (still from the SD card).

Use lsblk in the terminal to make sure that the SSD has been recognized. It’s crucial that lsblk reports one or more lines with the device name “nmve0n1.”

Now you need to transfer the existing Raspberry Pi OS installation from the SD card to the SSD. To do this, start the SD Card Copier accessory program while the system is running and select the SD card as the data source and the SSD as the destination.

Copying the file system while the system is running is a little tricky and can lead to errors in unfavorable cases. You should not actively use the Raspberry Pi during this time!

If you want to be on the safe side, you can take the diversions via an image backup. In our case, the direct copying process was successful in just a few minutes. The copy tool automatically adjusts the size of the partitions and file systems to the size of the SSD.

sudo raspi-config

The last step is to change the boot mode so that the Raspberry Pi now uses the SSD as the boot medium instead of the SD card. To do this in the terminal, select Advanced Options > Boot Order > NVMe/USB Boot.

Even if everything works, the next boot process is a little disappointing at first. The Raspberry Pi takes so long to recognize the SSD that the time until the desktop appears is not shortened, but on the contrary is extended by a few seconds (in our case about 26 seconds, with SD card only 20 seconds).

If you’re unsure whether the SSD is being used, run lsblk again. The mount point for the root directory “/” must now be at the NVMe device.

You’ll notice how much speed the SSD provides most clearly when starting large programs (Firefox, Chromium, Gimp), which are now noticeably faster. Major updates (sudo apt full-upgrade) are also much faster.

Raspberry Pi Foundation

Raspberry Pi Foundation

Raspberry Pi Foundation

Is the higher speed just imagination or does the Raspberry Pi actually run faster? This question is answered by I/O benchmark tests with the Pi Benchmark, which can be obtained with wget:

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/TheRemote/PiBenchmarks/master/Storage.sh

Always take a look at downloaded scripts with an editor before executing them with sudo:

sudo bash Storage.sh

As you can see from the table opposite, we ran the test four times, with a micro SD card, with a SATA SSD (Samsung 840) on the USB3 port, with a PCIe SSD (Hynix 512 GB PCIe Gen 3 HFS512GD9TNG-62A0A), and with the same PCIe SSD and PCIe Gen 3 (details below). The differences are dramatic.

It’s important to note that these are synthetic tests! In real world operation, the Raspberry Pi feels noticeably faster, but not to the extent that the results in the table suggest.

A tip on PCIe Gen 3! By default, the Raspberry uses PCIe Gen 2. By adding two lines of code to the /boot/firmware/config.txt file, you can activate the significantly faster PCI Gen 3 mode:

dtparam=pciex1
dtparam=pciex1_gen=3

The benchmark results prove that this tuning measure actually still provides a measurable increase in performance. However, this is no longer noticeable in normal everyday desktop use. Only if you intend to use the device as a (database) server is the setting worthwhile.

The question remains… is such tuning risky? The Raspberry Pi Foundation must have had a reason for not activating PCI Gen 3 by default. In our tests over the course of several months, no problems were encountered. The kernel protocol with dmesg did not deliver any worrying messages either.

It’s undoubtedly cool to use the Raspberry Pi with a fast SSD. However, this is definitely not necessary for DIY projects and is less noticeable on the desktop than expected. Only when the device is intended to work as a NAS-like data server does the SSD speed up all I/O processes enormously.

It would be even better if the Raspberry Pi had a PCIe slot in future, so that at least short SSDs could be used without an expansion board.

When it comes to PCs, most users expect a reliable and lag-free experience. The boot up process takes only seconds, programs open almost without delay, and videos run smoothly. But every now and then, there’s sand in the gears: the PC crashes without warning or copying files takes minutes.

In most cases, it’s not the software but the hardware that’s responsible for the drop in performance. But where the bottleneck is located cannot be determined right away. Is a memory module defective or is the CPU overheating? Is the hard disk or SSD working at its capacity limit? Or is the application simply slow because it’s pulling data from the internet?

If your PC is slower than usual, you can find the issue by using special tools that display the current performance of the individual components. Read on to learn more.

Further reading: Is your laptop slow? Try these 9 things before you give up

The Windows task manager displays data and statistics on the most important PC components clearly and graphically. In case of problems, this system program is your first port of call.

The Windows task manager displays data and statistics on the most important PC components clearly and graphically. In case of problems, this system program is your first port of call.

IDG

The Windows task manager displays data and statistics on the most important PC components clearly and graphically. In case of problems, this system program is your first port of call.

IDG

IDG

The Task Manager is a useful tool for performance control. Microsoft has revised and upgraded the program considerably in recent years.

To call up the task manager, press the keys Ctrl>Alt>Del and select Task Manager (you can also alternatively type task into the Windows search window). In the app, click on Settings at the bottom left and activate the option Always on top.

Now switch to the Performance tab and open the CPU, Memory, GPU, Ethernet, and/or WLAN tabs in turn. Keep the tab open and work as usual on the PC and observe the information of the components. If they are permanently above 80 percent, then there’s something wrong here.

The freeware Core Temp shows the current temperatures of the individual CPU cores.

The freeware Core Temp shows the current temperatures of the individual CPU cores.

IDG

The freeware Core Temp shows the current temperatures of the individual CPU cores.

IDG

IDG

If your computer crashes again and again or runs noticeably slower, the cause is often an overheated CPU. The trigger can be a badly fitted or malfunctioning fan. The processor’s protection circuit reduces the clock frequency as soon as the temperature rises sharply. If this is not enough, the CPU is deactivated to prevent damage and the PC switches off without warning.

So you’re going to want to check the temperature of the processor with the help of Core Temp. The freeware offers a constantly updated database with all older and current CPU models from AMD and Intel and displays their data after starting. It also calls up the individual core temperatures and displays them on the tool interface and at the bottom of the taskbar.

The program window shows the maximum permissible CPU operating temperature at Tj. Max and the current temperatures below it. If these are permanently above 80 degrees, there’s probably a cooling error. Now you’ll want to look inside the computer to see if the fan is spinning and is firmly seated on the processor.

Windows performance monitoring tracks the percentage of processor time required for a thread in the graph (shown below).

Windows performance monitoring tracks the percentage of processor time required for a thread in the graph (shown below).

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Windows performance monitoring tracks the percentage of processor time required for a thread in the graph (shown below).

IDG

IDG

If the PC is simply doing its tasks too slowly, this may also be due to the CPU. In this case, observe the utilization curve in the task manager. Another helpful tool is Windows’ performance monitoring, which you can call up by entering perfmon in the search field. After starting it, open Performance > Monitoring tools > Performance monitoring in the left column.

Now a constantly updated diagram appears showing the processor time at the bottom. This value indicates how much time the CPU needs to execute a thread. Thread here means certain program actions, i.e. in word processing for text input, for saving, for printing, and so on. The less processor time the CPU has to spend to execute a thread, the better. If the value in the performance monitoring is permanently above 80 to 90 percent, the CPU is too slow and should be replaced.

Recurring PC crashes can be caused not only by the CPU, but also by the memory components of the main memory. Defects due to production errors or overheating are by no means rare. If individual memory addresses can no longer be addressed, Windows crashes.

With Memtest you can check the built-in RAM for errors. However, the software requires some preliminary considerations. Since Windows does not allow access to memory that is already in use elsewhere, Memtest can only ever check the free RAM. Therefore it’s best to reboot the computer, not call up any other program afterwards, and just start Memtest. Since Windows moves its subsystems dynamically in the memory, the tool will sooner or later examine the entire RAM.

Memtest can examine a maximum of between two and 3.5 GBytes of contiguous memory. Therefore, look in the Task Manager under Performance>Memory to see how much memory is currently available and divide the Mbyte value by 2,000. The result is the number of Memtest instances you should open in parallel. In each of them, enter 2,000 megabytes as the memory volume. Let each instance run until a coverage of 100 percent is reached. According to the manufacturer, this will detect 95 percent of all memory errors. If Memtest encounters an error, the program stops and issues a message. In this case, it’s best to replace the memory latch.

The graphics card can also cause crashes, especially if it is being used to capacity by a PC game. In this case, the GPU can overheat and memory errors can occur.

You can read the temperature in the task manager under Performance>GPU. Better suited than the on-board tool, however, is GPU-Z. This tool collects and displays additional information about the hardware. As a rule of thumb, the GPU should not get hotter than about 80 degrees. Otherwise, there’s a risk of hardware defects. If GPU-Z detects higher values, check whether the card fan is running and firmly seated. Whether it can be replaced depends on the graphics card itself.

OCCT can be used for a memory test of the graphics card. On the user interface, click on Test>VRAM on the left. Select the correct graphics card and the test duration. The default setting is 30 minutes, which is sufficient even for generously equipped cards. Now click on the start symbol at the bottom. If the program diagnoses a memory error, you have no choice but to install a new graphics card.

If a game only runs slowly and jerky with a low frame rate, the GPU might simply be overtaxed. This can be tested with the 3DMark benchmark, but the free demo version is very limited.

The tool SSD-Z reads the S.M.A.R.T. data of your SSD or hard disk and points out errors when reading or writing.

The tool SSD-Z reads the S.M.A.R.T. data of your SSD or hard disk and points out errors when reading or writing.

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The tool SSD-Z reads the S.M.A.R.T. data of your SSD or hard disk and points out errors when reading or writing.

IDG

IDG

If booting Windows suddenly takes a disproportionately long time despite the SSD, you should check the data medium. Crystaldiskmark has proven itself as a speed test. The tool performs several test runs and measures the time for writing and reading data. If the values are conspicuously low, we recommend taking a closer look. Crystaldiskmark not only detects hard disks and SSDs, but can also measure USB drives and sticks.

SSD-Z is suitable for more in-depth analyses. This tool displays the technical data and the current temperature of the storage medium and also lists the S.M.A.R.T. values of the drive. SSD-Z also comes with its own benchmark, but it is less precise than that of Crystaldiskmark.

When shopping for laptops, you’ll notice that some have Energy Star in their product listings. In person, you may even see Energy Star stickers on the laptops themselves. But what exactly is it? How important is it? Does it actually mean anything worth paying attention to?

Here’s everything you need to know about the Energy Star rating for laptops and how it might inform your purchasing decisions.

Further reading: The best laptops we’ve tested

The Energy Star is a sticker or certification marker with a blue background and a white star with “Energy Star” written on it. It’s about as on-the-nose as it gets as far as certification badges go, but it’s an easy one to spot and is well recognized across numerous industries.

According to the Energy Star program:

“ENERGY STAR products are the same or better than standard products, only they use less energy. To earn the ENERGY STAR, they must meet strict energy efficiency criteria set by the US Environmental Protection Agency or the US Department of Energy.”

Energy Star can apply to a wide range of products—from air conditioners to televisions to, of course, laptops—but on the whole it tends to focus on larger energy-using devices, such as heat pumps, kitchen appliances, and home improvement systems.

Jon Martindale / IDG

Jon Martindale / IDG

Jon Martindale / IDG

That said, you’ll find the Energy Star sticker on laptops and desktops, too. It’s a way for eco-conscious consumers to more easily buy products that align with their values of energy efficiency and environmental friendliness.

Related: What actually makes a laptop eco-friendly?

The Energy Star program has been in service since 1992, saving over $500 billion worth of energy and reducing more than four billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Today, the Energy Star rating can help you find laptops that are more energy efficient and offer better battery life. Energy Star ratings can be applied to Windows, Mac, and Chromebook laptops.

Energy Star hosts a product finding tool where you can look through laptops that have earned the certification, and some retailers—like Best Buy and Amazon—allow you to filter products by Energy Star.

The short answer is that a certified Energy Star laptop is more energy efficient and eco-friendlier than an equivalent laptop without the rating. However, it’s a lot more specific than that.

You can read the fine print for yourself in version 8.0 of the Computer Energy Star specifications, which explains that any product that sports the Energy Star rating must be tested at an approved EPA-recognized laboratory and must adhere to strict standards of hazardous material usage (including but not limited to maximum thresholds for mercury, cadmium, and lead, among other materials). The Energy Star rating also demands that a product be more readily recyclable, with ease of disassembly being paramount.

Companies who strive for the Energy Star rating are therefore encouraged to improve the efficiency of their own business, provide products for third-party testing, attempt in good faith to educate product users on the benefits of energy efficiency, and continue to provide ongoing updates to the EPA on the status of products. They must also ensure all relevant power-saving features are enabled by default on Energy Star products.

This is far from an exhaustive overview of Energy Star requirements for laptops, and there’s even a version 9.0 of the Energy Star certification that’s currently being drafted with changes upcoming.

On the one hand, if you see a laptop that’s Energy Star certified, you can be assured that it’s more energy efficient than the average laptop, it’s built to higher materials standards with lower use of toxic materials, and it should give you better battery efficiency with faster charging.

But the Energy Star rating says nothing about the overall quality or performance of a given laptop. In fact, the Energy Star rating is unrelated to any of the following considerations:

• Build quality or durability.
• Speed or performance.
• Storage or memory quantities.
• Display technologies.
• Usability or accessibility.
• Quality of life features like keyboard comfort, touchpad sensitivity, or noise levels of internal fans.
• Software or firmware.

There are no “good” or “bad” Energy Star ratings for laptops. There are no tiers, levels, or grades.

A laptop is either Energy Star certified (has a sticker) or it isn’t (doesn’t have a sticker). In other words, a laptop with the Energy Star label is guaranteed to meet Energy Star’s strict minimum guidelines, but there’s no way to know by how much it exceeds the guidelines.

Note that this isn’t necessarily the case for all Energy Star products. In 2024, the EPA introduced a premium Energy Star Most Efficient 2024 rating for products that meet higher standards for efficiency. It has its own set of guidelines and only applies to certain products, including clothes washers, heat pumps, air conditioners, ventilating fans, and computer monitors—but not laptops. Not yet, anyway.

Gigabyte

Gigabyte

Gigabyte

Admittedly, the Energy Star label is of relatively low importance for most people in the market for a laptop.

That isn’t to say that it’s useless or negligible. In fact, if you care about energy efficiency, about environmental impact, and about battery life, then you should look for Energy Star certified laptop.

It’s one of those things where if you have two equally good laptops that satisfy all your needs but one is Energy Star certified and the other isn’t, then you might as well get the Energy Star laptop.

But just because a laptop has the Energy Star sticker doesn’t mean you should get it. In fact, depending on your use case, you might even want to avoid Energy Star laptops.

For example, if you need a high-performance gaming laptop, you should get the best configuration for your needs, regardless of whether it has Energy Star certification. If you care most about connectivity, weight, or portability, same thing goes. If you need the largest screen with the largest resolution, go for it.

And don’t forget budget, which is likely at the top of almost everyone’s considerations when shopping for a laptop. We even wrote a whole guide on why it’s important to shop laptop sales. Price matters! If you spot a hot deal and there’s no Energy Star, maybe it’s still worth getting.

To sum up: yes, the Energy Star rating is meaningful and useful for laptops… It just isn’t that important.

While you don’t necessarily need to buy a laptop with the Energy Star rating, it’s worth considering the long-term implications of doing so.

A laptop with an Energy Star rating isn’t just more efficient with better battery life for a given performance rating, but it can save you money over the months and years of its use. You’ll recharge it less often and do so more efficiently, meaning your energy bills will be lower with Energy Star products than otherwise.

It’s also more environmentally friendly and can help you cut down your personal carbon footprint over the long term. It’s not a perfect one-shot solution to the world’s problems, of course, but it’s a great tool that can curb overall emissions and make it easier to recycle our tech products when they’ve reached the ends of their lifespans.

TL;DR: Undetectable Humanizer — on sale for $39.99 — converts AI text to human-like prose, helping content creators bypass detection tools and enhance SEO.

As AI-generated content becomes more prevalent, the tools designed to detect it are becoming increasingly sophisticated. This poses challenges for content creators who rely on AI to streamline their work. Undetectable Humanizer offers a solution by transforming AI-generated text into prose that feels authentically human, allowing you to maintain credibility and bypass AI detection.

For a limited time, get a lifetime subscription to Undetectable Humanizer for just $39.99.

AI detection tools analyze linguistic patterns and syntax to identify AI-generated content. Undetectable Humanizer’s proprietary technology uses natural language processing to adjust these elements, making the content indistinguishable from human writing. Undetectable Humanizer effectively converts AI text into human-quality prose using advanced algorithms and machine learning models. This transformation not only bypasses AI detection but also enhances readability and audience appeal.

Human-like content is crucial for improving search engine optimization, ensuring your work isn’t flagged by AI tools. It enhances audience engagement and fosters trust and credibility, which can lead to higher conversion rates.

With Undetectable Humanizer, businesses and professionals can elevate their content strategy, boost SEO performance, and build audience trust.

By transforming AI text into genuine human-like content, this lifetime subscription to Undetectable Humanizer for $39.99 can empower creators to maintain a competitive edge in today’s content-driven world.

Undetectable Humanizer: Lifetime Subscription – $39.99

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Until September 3, take advantage of these discounts on Microsoft Office 2019 for Windows or Mac, now only $24.97.

Microsoft Office 2019 is your go-to suite for productivity, whether you’re using a Windows PC or a Mac. Both versions provide powerful tools for professional and personal use. These apps are designed to enhance your workflow, offering features that make tasks more efficient and collaboration seamless.

You can pay $24.97 just once to get a 2019 license for life.

While both versions offer Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, only the Mac version offers Teams Classic, and just the Windows version includes Access and Publisher. Each of these is an excellent choice for users who need these additional programs for tasks like database management and publication design.

Both options provide lifetime access with a one-time purchase, ensuring you can use the tools you need without recurring fees. And though these may not be the most recent versions of the suite, you’ll still have all the essentials.

Through September 3, score one of these licenses on sale:

• Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows, on sale for $24.97
• Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac, on sale for $24.97

Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows or Mac – $24.97

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

• Clean interface
• Good antivirus protection
• Advanced settings

• Parental controls have limited utility
• Unclear pricing

ESET Home Security Premium may have changed its name, but not its character. It still offers good antivirus protection, along with useful tools like a password manager and PC utilities. Power users will most appreciate this security suite for its advanced settings, which give more control under the hood. However, parents may need a more robust set of tools for monitoring their kids’ activity.

$59.99

When we last reviewed ESET Home Security Premium, it had a different name. Officially it did, anyway. Despite the update, the antivirus suite formerly known as ESET Smart Security Premium is still called the very same in the app—and has kept its fundamentals, too.

Those core qualities start with good threat protection and an easy-to-use password manager. They include enough advanced settings to potentially satisfy power users, too. In fact, if you like your apps to have less handholding and more digging around, ESET could be perfect for you…so long as you can forgive some features for not living up to their hype.

Further reading: See our roundup of the best antivirus software for Windows to learn about competing products.

As with other security suites, ESET Home Security Premium’s antivirus and firewall serve as the key fundamentals of the app. Together, they shield your PC from malware (including ransomware), suspicious websites and downloads, and potential network attacks. The software also can scan for vulnerable networks, thwart unauthorized use of your webcam, and block dangerous email attachments. Parental controls and a password manager are available, too.

However, unlike similarly priced rivals, Home Security Premium is more sparse with its ancillary protections. You get safeguards for browsing sessions (like for banking) and a data encryption tool, as well as an anti-theft feature to help locate lost or stolen devices. No identity protections (like dark web scanning) come with the Home Security Premium plan — you must upgrade to Ultimate to get those.

Instead ESET’s mid-tier plan leans more heavily toward PC utilities. These focus on Windows performance — they monitor system changes, provide information on active Windows processes and network connections, help troubleshoot Windows issues, and check what devices are connected to your network.

ESET

ESET

ESET

When you buy a subscription directly through ESET, you can cover the exact number of devices you want (up to 10). The price starts at $60 for just one device, then increases in $5 increments. Covered devices must run Windows, macOS, or Android — iOS is not supported.

Licenses purchased through ESET come with a 30-day money-back guarantee and are automatically enrolled in auto-renewal. You can stack together the company’s 30-day free trial with the return policy. 

• 3-device plan: $70 for the first year 
• 5-device plan: $80 for the first year 
• 10-device plan: $105 for the first year 

ESET’s prices are the subscriptions’ list cost, but the company also caveats them as for “the first term only.” In other words, don’t expect to get a rate lock on what you pay. Customers will receive information for the next year’s subscription cost only 30 days before renewal; any price increases are communicated then.

For a discount, ESET offers 15 percent off when signing up for a two-year term, and 20 percent off when signing up for a three-year term. 

Further reading: How to get antivirus for cheap

After installation, ESET Home Security Premium drops you into the Overview tab, which is the software’s dashboard. For its look, the default is a dark theme, but you can click an icon at the top right of the window to switch to a light theme or match your system settings.

PCWorld

PCWorld

PCWorld

In dark mode, the interface is mostly gray with black tiles and green status bar (if all’s well on your PC). A set of seven tabs on the left let you jump to the dashboard, start a scan, update ESET Home Security Premium, use the app’s tools, dive into settings, get help, or go to the web portal for additional settings and features. The app can be resized to fit your window (or any dimension you want) — a rarity among antivirus software.

On a surface level, these categories feel logical, but some organization decisions can feel unintuitive. For example, parental controls are tucked within Setup > Internet protection — and they’re off by default. The overview tab also strangely lacks a tile that would let you start a scan. If you’re used to a more straightforward layout, ESET’s app won’t feel natural to use until you’ve fully clicked around and familiarized yourself.

Tabs vary in their feature density. Computer Scan has just three options: scanning the local disks on your PC, starting an advanced scan (which includes a custom option), or dragging and dropping files to check them out. Scan-related notifications appear in this window as well.

PCWorld

PCWorld

PCWorld

Meanwhile, Tools and Setup are more dense. Features appear as text entries sorted into groups, rather than as tiles. Advanced settings (called Advanced setup) are a maze of toggle switches, too. Power users will enjoy the control, but users who want a simple experience will likely get lost among the options — even with the handy tooltip explanations. The vibe is that of a home wired for its own server room: You first see just the installed ethernet wall ports and perhaps a piece of networking equipment, but if you’re willing to look, a complex setup lives inside a cramped closet down the hall.

In addition to the desktop app, ESET Home Security Premium ties into the company’s web portal, which you’ll use to manage your account and password manager users. The anti-theft tools live here too, as do the parental control activity logs for your children’s devices.

ESET Home Security Premium scans continuously for real-time threats on your PC and when you’re online. It checks files on your local hard drive and any removable media for malware and spam, including email downloaded to Windows Mail, Microsoft Outlook, or Mozilla Thunderbird. The software also monitors webpages for dangerous files and phishing attempts, as well as suspicious network activity going to and from the internet. 

Unlike similar rival plans, ESET Home Security Premium doesn’t let you limit app access to the internet or specific files as extra protection. It only automatically screens for unusual behavior. And as mentioned above, the Home Security Premium subscription doesn’t include data breach tracking, either — you must step up to the Ultimate tier for identity protections.

Right after installation, ESET performs an initial full-system scan. Its settings also include a system startup file check as part of the default scheduled tasks. However, the app primarily relies on real-time scanning as the primary method of catching threats. You must create your own scheduled scans to proactively screen your system.

PCWorld

PCWorld

PCWorld

To schedule a scan, you’ll head to Tool > Scheduler, click on the Add task button, and choose On-demand computer scan. When configuring the scan, you’ll schedule its time (once, repeatedly, daily, weekly, or based on an event trigger), then its behavior (like if it runs when a laptop is on battery). 

Next, you’ll select the scan depth — a smart scan, context menu scan, in-depth scan, or computer scan. Smart scans skip files previously marked as clean and not since modified. Context menu scans trigger a user-defined scanning profile when checking a file or folder using the Windows context menu. In-depth scans dig into every file on your system, regardless of previous scan results. Computer scans automatically choose your PC’s local drives to scan.

The parts of your PC that can be scanned (including hidden areas) change with the default scan option chosen — and you can pick exactly where to probe. If you want to create a scan that only checks places like the operating memory, boot sectors/UEFI, WMI database, or system registry, that’s possible. So is checking only a network location, a local drive or set of folders, or a combination of all areas.

PCWorld

PCWorld

PCWorld

Still not enough granularity? You can dig into ESET Home Security Premium’s Advanced Setup — if you want to tinker with how aggressive the scans are, you can.

For manual scans, you can only choose between a computer scan (examines the local drives on your PC), a custom scan (lets you select scan depth and the areas checked), a removable media scan, or repeating the last scan. You can also drag and drop folders or files into the window to scan them.

Related, you can also submit files of unknown or dubious origin through the app to the ESET labs for further analysis.

ESET replaces Windows’ built-in firewall with its own defenses, taking over the screening of all your PC’s inbound and outbound traffic. While simpler than Windows’ multiple interfaces for settings, you’ll have to dive into Home Security Premium’s advanced setup to change the firewall rules. 

If that sounds like your idea of a good time (no sarcasm), you can get quite granular with custom rules. But for typical users of third-party antivirus software, the ESET defaults should be sufficient.

The anti-theft tool is designed to locate a stolen device. On PC, the app will take several steps if marked as stolen in the ESET web portal — it will grab screenshots of the screen and take photos through the webcam, as well as location info. You can also set up a “phantom” account, which becomes the only active account when someone filches your PC, as well as review activity logs.

PCWorld

PCWorld

PCWorld

In practice, this tool isn’t as effective as you’d hope. A webcam can be covered with tape, for starters. The phantom account is useless if your Windows accounts aren’t secured with passwords. While that’s harder to do nowadays in Windows 11, it’s not impossible. ESET’s app can’t accurately tell when a Windows account isn’t password protected, either—and so you don’t get the warning you should. On a local Windows account with set up with a blank password field, ESET still counted the account as secured. (Tapping the enter key to log in is not secure, for the record.) The app also couldn’t always capture the IP address of the test PC — and IP addresses aren’t always an accurate reflection of someone’s true location.

ESET promotes its free Browser Privacy & Security extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge as an additional way to stay safe online — you can use it to get visual badges for good search results, clean up your browsing history, and wipe metadata from images you upload.

But on one PC, I couldn’t get the extension to behave properly in Chrome — a possible conflict with an already-installed ad-blocker extension. It couldn’t connect with ESET’s servers. The same extension worked fine on the test PC used to review the app within Edge, however.

ESET Home Security Premium includes parental controls — both for computers and Android phones. On a PC, you can configure Windows accounts separately, so that your child logging into their account won’t have the same full access to websites as a parent account. The filtering settings adjust based on age group (under 12, 12 to 17, and 18+). You can also change what types of websites are screened and add exceptions to either a block or allow list.

Some categories don’t make immediate sense — the help pages online don’t give a detailed explanation of what the less immediately obvious mean. When asked, ESET graciously explained several (“Dynamic” means websites that redirect to other sites or pages, for example), but clearer documentation would be better.

PCWorld

PCWorld

PCWorld

Website blocking works well. In fact, you could argue it works a little too well — when I attempted to allow certain websites within a forbidden category during testing, the app wouldn’t let them through. The opposite works, though. You can ban specific sites when the overall category is allowed.

Geolocation tracking never quite worked properly for the child account used for testing, either. The Android phone’s location often wouldn’t show properly, and in a whole separate ESET account, never showed up at all. This feature seems best suited for website filtering and activity monitoring.

ESET Password Manager is straightforward and effective — a good starter password manager, if you haven’t yet started using one. Though it doesn’t offer many extras, the basics are covered in a polished interface.

You’ll install the browser extension on PC or download the app for Android, then create a separate account than the one that controls the antivirus app. Be sure to save the recovery key generated during setup — if you forget your password, it’s the only way to get back into your account.

The extension fills in and captures passwords seamlessly, immediately recognizing login forms and even password reset fields. You can create entries for accounts, identities, notes, and credit cards, with notes the best option for simple entries like Wi-Fi passwords. (Account entries require all fields, including username, be filled out.) ESET also lets you store and generate two-factor software tokens for accounts — which isn’t the strongest security move, but if it helps you use 2FA, it’s still the better choice than not at all.

PCWorld

PCWorld

PCWorld

Additional features include the ability to instantly kill all active sessions from the menu (Secure sessions). You can forcibly log out everywhere, with the option to specifically delete cookies and log out, delete download history, delete history and close tabs, and/or delete bookmarks. You can also manually check your passwords for any caught up in a data leak. And you can secure the browser extension on PC with a PIN to secure your password vault but still get quick access.

A few small things keep this password manager from being top-notch. One is easily fixable — by default, autofill is turned on. Once you load a website, your credentials are automatically entered into the form fields. You don’t even have to click on them for the autofill to happen. This can be a security risk and should be turned off in the settings. Any passwords copied to your clipboard can’t be automatically cleared, either. You’ll need to do that manually within Windows. And finally, ESET’s splash screen for the password manager appears every single time you open it, which feels like a needless delay for getting into the vault.

ESET Home Security Premium includes several tools meant to help you keep tabs on your PC — and keep it in tip-top shape. 

System Cleaner looks for any changes to your system settings and appearance from the defaults. Running Processes and Network Connections let you know what apps and processes are active on your PC, and which have used your internet connection. Network Inspector lists the devices linked to your router. SysInspector identifies potential issues with your system, including outdated drivers, broken registry entries, and hardware incompatibilities. Device Control can limit access for devices attached to your PC, like a removable drive, CD/DVD drive, or printer. And Secure Data creates encrypted virtual drives or encrypted folders on removable media.

PCWorld

PCWorld

PCWorld

Of the set, Network Inspector has less usefulness. I liked how it put the discovered devices in a list form along with IP address and last connection time, but some routers do this too, and with full accuracy for what’s connected. Network Inspector doesn’t always see every device, either.

System Cleaner can be handy for seeing what’s changed when troubleshooting, but its suggestions for reversions or mitigations don’t always work — and sometimes seem untrustworthy. (Why is a system appearance change flagged in red?)

Meanwhile, Running Processes, Network Connections, and SysInspector can also be useful for troubleshooting purposes, or just general understanding of what’s going on behind the scenes with your PC. Device Control and Secure Data also worked as advertised when tested. ESET says Secure Data uses 256-bit AES encryption. (Note: I did not verify that the encryption is implemented correctly, so keep that in mind if using this feature to store sensitive data.)

ESET offers twin features that lock down potentially sensitive data transmitted to and from your web browser. The first is Safe Banking & Browsing, which ESET says relies on a driver to filter keyboard inputs and scramble them so a keylogger can’t capture them with accuracy. The other is Secured Browsing, in which the ESET antivirus engine screens for any processes that might try to interfere with Chrome, Edge, and Firefox’s normal operation.

PCWorld

PCWorld

PCWorld

No visual indicator exists for the safe banking and browsing mode being active. However, you will see a thin, bright green border when the secure mode for browsing is on…and when it’s off, too. This seeming bug happens if you turn off the Secure all browsers option, but leave the secured browser settings still on. I ended up ignoring this feature while testing, and still stuck with my normal best practices for browsing online. (That is, verifying a link is on a secure https connection, navigating directly to a website, using two-factor authentication where possible, downloading files from only reputable sources, and not plugging in unknown USB devices into my PC.)

If you need help with ESET Home Security Premium, you can find links to the company’s online help pages, knowledge base, and technical support. The help pages function as a basic manual for the application, while the knowledge base is more of a searchable FAQ. Both resources explain concepts in concise language. For more detailed assistance, the technical support form (which you’ll reach after clicking through multiple pages) lets you get into the nitty gritty. You can also contact customer support through live chat or email.

By default, ESET Home Security Premium checks for updates to virus definitions and the app every 60 minutes. You can change this interval (or disable automatic updates, which we don’t recommend) by going to Tools > Scheduler in the software. You can also manually check for updates by clicking on Update tab, and then clicking on the Check for updates button in the bottom-right corner. 

When evaluated by top security research organizations, ESET performs relatively well. In AV-Test’s zero-day attack and malware tests for March and April 2024, (the most current results released), the software’s antivirus engine caught 99.1 percent of the 316 zero-day malware samples in March, and 100 percent in April. For widespread and prevalent malware, it caught 100 percent of the 19,228 samples.

AV-Comparatives’ real-world test results for February through May 2024.

AV-Comparatives’ real-world test results for February through May 2024.

PCWorld

AV-Comparatives’ real-world test results for February through May 2024.

PCWorld

PCWorld

In AV-Comparatives’ real-world protection test for February through May 2024, ESET came in among the middle of the pack. It blocked 99.4 percent of the 489 samples comprised of exploits (like drive-by downloads), malicious web addresses, and URLs linking directly to malware—all without flagging a single false positive. Meanwhile, in AV-Comparatives’ March 2024 malware protection test, it had a 93.5 percent offline detection rate, 96.3 percent online detection rate, and 99.93 online protection rate. These results indicate generally strong defenses even when not connected to the internet, with an overall protection rate that hangs comfortably close to the top.

When evaluated for its ability to handle more sophisticated threats like malicious scripts and fileless attacks, ESET had one of the better scores. It caught 13 of 15 test cases in AV-Comparatives’ November 2023 Advanced Threat Protection Test. But in these results, the better-performing antivirus engines generally miss what their rivals catch, which suggests room for growth. 

We expect ESET Home Security Premium to have minimal impact on system resources when idle in the background — at least during everyday tasks. After running PCMark 10’s Extended benchmark, which simulates web browsing, video chatting, gaming, and image and document editing in free, open-source apps, the scores were the same as before installing the software.

Home Security Premium had light impact during our other two benchmarks, UL Procyon’s Office Productivity, and our Handbrake encoding test. Procyon focuses on Microsoft Office use — e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Handbrake lets us crunch a big uncompressed video file into a smaller version. In both benchmarks, ESET hanging out in the background only reduced scores by about 1 to 2 percent.

AV-Comparatives’ malware test results for March 2024.

AV-Comparatives’ malware test results for March 2024.

PCWorld

AV-Comparatives’ malware test results for March 2024.

PCWorld

PCWorld

As for its effect on your PC, ESET Home Security Premium should have minimal impact on system resources when idling in the background, especially during everyday tasks. After running PCMark 10’s Extended benchmark, which simulates web browsing, video chatting, gaming, and image and document editing in free, open-source apps, the scores were the same as before installing the software.

We also saw a light impact during our other two benchmarks, UL Procyon’s Office Productivity and our Handbrake encoding test. The Procyon benchmark focuses on Microsoft Office use — e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Most antivirus software tends to kick into higher gear when Office apps are active, since Word and Excel files can spread malware. Installing ESET caused a small decline in Procyon scores, with a 3 percent decrease. It had a smaller effect on Handbrake, with a tiny dip of just under 2 percent.

Even with a full system scan running in the background, ESET didn’t hit our test PC as hard as rivals have. In PCMark 10, scores drifted down by less than 3 percent. Even in Procyon and Handbrake, where scores can plummet when antivirus software runs full blast, the benchmark results dropped by a relatively modest 12 percent. Rivals like Avast, Norton, and McAfee have shown score degradation of up to 41 percent.

(Curious about how we test? You can get further details in our overview of our review process.)

In the real world, you can expect ESET to play nicer with older or slower computers — like our test PC, which is a budget laptop. And you’ll see even less effect if you schedule full scans for off-hours (like when you’re asleep). Same goes if you run smart scans on a PC where you don’t often change or add files, since that type of scan skips over unchanged files marked clean in a previous pass.

Ideally, an antivirus suite’s features should perform well across the board. But despite ESET Home Security Premium’s inconsistencies, this software delivers on its fundamentals, as well as goes easier on system resources. Power users in particular can get a lot out of this suite — provided they don’t need a well-rounded set of parental controls. Less technical users may benefit from a simpler app, though.

Whether you’re recording an important lecture or your own thoughts, Microsoft’s integrated Audio Recorder tool is extremely easy to use. You can save the file in different formats and you can place markers within the file itself, allowing you to jump to different sections. You don’t have to download third-party software, either! Here’s how to use Microsoft’s Audio Recorder.

Further reading: How to transcribe audio files in Microsoft Word

The app for sound recordings under Windows 10 and older versions of Windows 11 is extremely spartan. The successor offers slightly more functions.

The app for sound recordings under Windows 10 and older versions of Windows 11 is extremely spartan. The successor offers slightly more functions.

IDG

The app for sound recordings under Windows 10 and older versions of Windows 11 is extremely spartan. The successor offers slightly more functions.

IDG

IDG

To start the program, enter Audio Recorder in the Windows search bar and select Open. Select the desired microphone at the bottom left of the program.

At the bottom center is the recorder button, which starts the recording. The recorded audio files are listed at the top left while the waveform diagram of the respective file can be seen on the right.

You can save audio files in various formats such as m4a, mp3, wma, flac, and wav. To select the desired format, click on the three dots at the top right and then Recording Format. The audio quality can then be roughly adjusted using the three levels: best, high, and medium.

This is what the audio recorder looks like under a current Windows 11. It saves recordings via connected or built-in microphones.

This is what the audio recorder looks like under a current Windows 11. It saves recordings via connected or built-in microphones.

IDG

This is what the audio recorder looks like under a current Windows 11. It saves recordings via connected or built-in microphones.

IDG

IDG

Otherwise, the app is limited to the basic functions of play, stop and record. It also offers an import function and a share button.

The playback speed of the audio files can be set from 0.25 to 4x. You can also set markers in an audio file, allowing you to jump to different sections.

Incidentally, only microphones can be used as input signals for the audio recorder. The sound mixer, which could be used to record any sound on the computer, cannot be selected.

TL;DR: Simplify your job hunt with an AI that can generate resumes, provide live feedback, and even help you interview. Canyon Pro is only $69.99 for life. 

Searching for your first job after college can be daunting, especially when you don’t know if your resumé is good enough or if you’re applying to the right places. If you need a little help, Canyon AI Resumé Builder can take the stress out of the job hunt by helping you craft the perfect resumé, streamline your applications, and nail your interviews, and it does it all while still being just $69.99. That’s for a lifetime subscription, too. 

Canyon’s AI Resumé Builder assists you in creating a standout resumé, with AI guiding you through each step to optimize your content for different job applications. You can manage and edit all your resumés, enhance them using AI, and export unlimited versions. The Canyon Resumé Score gives real-time feedback based on your skills and experiences, helping you improve your resumé continuously. Sick of the grind filling out applications? Use the autofill to speed up the application process by filling out answers for job applications with a single click.

In addition to building and optimizing your resumé, Canyon helps you keep track of all your job applications in one place, ensuring you never miss a follow-up. The AI Mock Interview feature allows you to practice with tailored questions and receive actionable feedback. 

Get an all-in-one job hunter AI. 

Get a lifetime Canyon Pro Plan for $69.99 (reg. $684). 

Canyon Pro Plan: Lifetime Subscription – $69.99

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StackSocial prices subject to change. 

TL;DR: Create your own AI avatar to star in your next video with a lifetime subscription to X-Me AI Avatar Video Generator on sale for $89.99. 

If you’re looking to create high-quality videos for your business or personal projects without the hassle of traditional video production, X-Me is the way to go. By creating your own AI-powered video avatar, you can functionally star in your own videos without ever stepping in front of a camera. Whether you need to craft online tutorials, professional presentations, or even promo material for a product, X-Me is your way of making bespoke videos the easy way, and it’s only $89.99. 

First step, upload a 10-second sample video for the AI to analyze, copy, and create your own AI avatar. At first, it might seem simpler to just star in your videos yourself, but here’s why X-Me is a whole lot easier. The AI can speak over 126 languages and generate videos fast and without editing, and there’s even a GPT script writer to help you figure out what the AI needs to say. 

The AI Avatar Plus Plan offers 30 credits per month (1 credit equals 1 minute of video) and includes benefits like professional voice options, no watermark, and priority processing. Your credits also roll over month to month. 

Save time crafting pro-quality videos. 

Get a Lifetime Subscription to X-Me AI Avatar Video Generator for $89.99 (reg. $360). 

X-Me AI Avatar Video Generator Plus Plan: Lifetime Subscription – $89.99

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StackSocial prices subject to change. 

Antivirus software is a necessary tool in today’s online world. Attacks are only becoming more sophisticated, especially with aid of AI. Even the tech-savvy and cautious can drop their guard at wrong time or get tricked into exposing themselves to malware, spyware, or ransomware. Antivirus protection is an essential backup against such threats. 

Most systems come with security software baked into the OS, but for some folks, an upgrade can help demystify and simplify online security. To help you choose a good suite, we’ve identified products that offer excellent protection, worthwhile features, and minimal performance impact on your PC.

Why you should trust us: PCWorld has been deep in the trenches of testing computer hardware, software, and services since 1983—including security suites. For antivirus apps, we continually evaluate popular or noteworthy software. We consider the user experience, strength of protection against threats (online and offline), and how well it addresses the ever-expanding types of attacks. Our guide on how we test antivirus software at PCWorld gives the full details of our review process, but for the results of our work, read on.

Update August 9, 2024: For anyone headed back to college, you’ll want to read up on the free steps you can take to protect your laptop from online security risks. Other things to watch out for: The ways that malware can still slip past your antivirus software, hackers going old-school with phishing attempts and sending physical mail, and a new Windows downgrade attack.

Pros

• Strong antivirus protection
• Wide protection against major online threats
• Simple, straightforward features

Cons

• Performance impact on some PCs
• User interface would benefit from consolidation
• Upselling of additional services

An ideal antivirus suite packs in a little of everything needed for security without costing a ton—and that’s why our pick for the best antivirus software of 2024 is still Norton 360 Deluxe. Despite its slightly awkward interface, this software’s wide protection and affordable pricing is ideal for most users.

This plan has just about everything most PC users need, without extra bloat. For antivirus performance, Norton offers strong online protection, while having minimal impact on system resources if you don’t often download or copy large amounts of files. Additionally, you get malicious link and attachment screening, dark web and privacy monitoring, and webcam safeguards. Norton also tosses in 50GB of storage for cloud backups, access to Norton’s password manager and VPN, parental controls, and PC utilities that include the ability to monitor for outdated software. And those major extras—the password manager, VPN, and parental controls—have easy, simple interfaces, without feeling stripped to the bone.

Overall, Norton is an excellent option for those looking to consolidate their online security protections into a single software interface. It has a couple of quirks (namely a dual user interface that can mildly slow navigation), but its strengths far outshine its weaknesses, especially when it packs in so much value. You’ll pay $50 for the first year for 5 devices, and $120 per year thereafter.

Norton 360 Deluxe works for everyone—it consolidates all the biggest protections you need online into one package, including parental controls. If you have trouble keeping up with security experts’ recommendations (or haven’t yet gotten around to following all of them), this suite centralizes and simplifies it all.

Pros

• Good new design
• Well priced
• Excellent performance

Cons

• Smart scan requires too much user intervention
• Avast asks to install Google Chrome

Avast not only offers solid protection, but a simple, friendly interface. Combine that together with useful extra features and multi-device coverage, and you have a winning combo in Avast One.

In addition to top-ranked antivirus protection, it offers safeguards against remote webcam takeovers, malicious websites, and trackers. The Avast One plan also includes dark web monitoring, a VPN with up to 5GB of bandwidth per week, and protections for saved passwords to a browser. You get utilities to help you keep your PC’s drivers up to date, clean up your PC, and optimize your apps, too.

These features may sound standard, and to be fair, many of them can be found in rival software. But Avast makes staying on top of security dead simple, whether you’re a novice or a security veteran. Its default settings require little input to keep your PC protected, and if you want to dig in further or tinker, you still have that option, too.

So what keeps Avast out of the top spot, when its software outperforms Norton’s? The amount of features for its price. Norton’s performance isn’t perfect, but it’s about as good for online protection, which is where it counts. And the two software plans cost about the same—Avast One is $51 for 5 devices (or $70 for up to 30 devices) during the first year. The cost rises to $110 and $150, respectively, per year afterward. In the end, the more well-rounded subscription wins out.

You’re someone who has a password manager already set up, don’t need parental controls, and prioritize the highest marks in threat detection tests. Avast One lacks the first two features, and takes top marks for catching both online and offline risks.

Pros

• Top-rated antivirus protection
• Expanded protection against malicious websites and remote attacks
• Clean, straightforward interface

Cons

• Some PCs may experience a performance hit during heavier workloads
• Several features are a bit rudimentary

AVG is best known for its excellent free antivirus software, but there’s good reason to upgrade. AVG Internet Security not only offers more comprehensive protection, but also easy management of those tools. That can be valuable if you find keeping up with online threats too overwhelming or time consuming.

The Internet Security plan builds upon the free version’s top-ranked protection against malware and web, email, and network threats. It also guards the passwords saved to your browsers; webcam takeovers; unknown access to files with sensitive data; malicious redirects for websites you’re trying to visit (aka DNS hijacking); and Windows Remote Desktop attacks. Dark web monitoring is included as well. And the app has minimal impact on system resources when monitoring your system in the background, though full scans can hit budget or older systems harder.

Despite its small annoyances (like ads for additional paid features), AVG Internet Security is reliable antivirus software with a user friendly interface—and at just $60 during the first year for 10 devices, it’s affordable, too. In fact, it’s solid enough to earn a recommendation despite how strong the free version is on its own.

You need deeper control and more expansive protection from your antivirus software, but you don’t want to pay extra for features you don’t want. AVG Internet Security expands just enough on the company’s free antivirus to make it worthwhile, even though it lacks elements like parental controls, VPN, and a password manager.

Pros

• Strong security with a reasonable subscription price
• Well designed and user-friendly
• Offers a host of features in the areas of security, privacy, and performance

Cons

• No subscription option for fewer than five devices
• Simplicity of app feels slightly at odds with the depth of the PC tools

Avira Prime is one of the best choices for those seeking more help with managing their PC, thanks to its simple, clear interface and feature lineup. In addition to to solid antivirus protection, it offers a password manager, unlimited VPN, and a boatload of PC utilities that (among other things) can keep apps up to date, securely delete files, and back up data.

The one major feature missing from Avira Prime is a set of parental controls. You can’t use it to filter web content or monitor device usage. It also can hit older and budget PCs hard when full scans are running, if you’ve added or changed large amounts of files. But typically, it only minimally affects system performance when left to run in the background, so most people won’t notice Avira running.

For those who want the comprehensive simplicity that this security suite offers, you’ll pay $60 for the first year, and then $105 for every year after. That first-year cost is slightly higher than our overall top pick, but if you prefer more newbie-friendly software, it’s worth the extra ten bucks.

Avira Prime will likely feel best to users who want a simple antivirus suite, broad online protections, and robust PC utilities—and also want to use those latter tools for more confident management of their computer. Not every utility is a winner, but the overall set can help you identify and understand the more technical aspects of Windows and system upkeep. Parents will need to look elsewhere for controls that let them monitor and limit their kids’ PC use, however.

Pros

• Good protection
• Nice features like file shredder and home network analyzer

Cons

• Mixed impact on performance
• New app design is a little scattered

McAfee has been around a long time—and the company continues to hunt down current threats to PCs, with solid results. These days, dangers extend beyond just malware to identity and privacy issues, and McAfee Total Protection addresses these just as much as it does ransomware and phishing sites.

That ID protection makes it stand out against competitors, especially if you pay to scale up the service. The plan we tested included dark web scanning for multiple pieces of personal information (email address, phone number, social security number, passport, driver’s license, date of birth, tax ID, credit card, usernames, and more). The app also offers to help change your password for online accounts, when applicable. VPN access is included as well.

Mid-tier and budget machines can see impact on system resources when running McAfee scans. When we ran a full scan during a variety of common tasks (web browsing, document editing, etc), we noticed some dips in performance. You can mitigate this effect by timing scans for off hours, however.

Currently, McAfee Total Protection is available through third-party sellers (McAfee has turned its attention to its slightly newer McAfee+ plans on its website). We like this version still because of how deeply affordable it is—for example, a license on PCWorld’s own software site is just $19 per year, which covers up to ten devices for one year.

Your personal information can be used against you online—and with data breaches so painfully common these days, it can be a relief to have help in tracking who has your info. For anyone who doesn’t have as much time to handle that work themselves, or even keep track of a separate service, McAfee can serve as a central spot for managing all your online security concerns.

Pros

• Very easy-to-understand mobile-like interface
• Contains some basic smart home network monitoring
• Month-to-month pricing option

Cons

• Good performance results but currently limited in third-party testing

All deluxe antivirus suites offer extra tools as part of their package, but Panda Dome Complete particularly stands out. It also has one of the most striking interfaces we’ve seen. Similar to Microsoft’s Bing homepage, Panda Dome features a beautiful background photo, with the interface elements placed on top of it.

A whole raft of utilities come with this suite, including a virtual keyboard, advanced virus removal, an update manager for your Windows apps, a disk defragmenter, hard drive cleaner, and startup apps manager. You also get Wi-Fi protection (which lets you see what devices are connected to your network), a password manager, parental controls, and a VPN that offers 150 megabytes of bandwidth per day.

In addition to offering reliable antivirus protection, Panda had the most minimal impact on system performance during our benchmarks. So minor, in fact, that in the real-world it worked out to no difference.

As one of the most feature-rich offerings, Panda Dome Complete also one of the most expensive, too. You can purchase a subscription for $64.50 during the first year ($86 per year afterward), but that’s covers just one device. Fortunately, it only costs a little more to upgrade to a three device plan ($72 for the first year, $96 per year afterward) or five device plan ($79 for the first year, $105 per year afterward).

Panda Dome Complete puts a ton of features right at your fingertips—an ideal interface for those who want to dive into everything straight away. If you hate buried or oversimplified menus, you’ll feel right at home with this software.

Pros

• Built into Windows 10 and 11
• Settings are easy to review and customize
• Integrates with other security aspects of Windows

Cons

• Tends toward false positives, especially with SmartScreen
• Lacks the advanced features found in third-party products

Windows’ built-in security suite is an excellent free antivirus option—as we discovered in our roundup of the best free antivirus—even if its protection isn’t quite as strong as third-party rivals when your PC is offline. It bundles together Defender, which monitors for viruses and malware; Firewall, which blocks malicious incoming traffic and suspicious outgoing traffic; ransomware protections (including controlled access to folders, as well as data recovery via OneDrive integration); app restrictions; and even basic parental controls.

The most important of these protections are automatically enabled in Windows—you don’t have to lift a finger to get real-time antivirus scanning or network protection. You will have to manually switch on some features, though, including ransomware folder controls and file recovery.

You can find more features in other antivirus suites, like online privacy tools, a VPN, and encrypted cloud backups. But this free protection comes preinstalled on Windows machines and does a good job of keeping you protected from most threats.

You’re looking for lightweight, unobtrusive antivirus protection—and don’t mind configuring it, nor managing separate security tools to make sure you’re properly protected online. To get the most out of it, you must tinker with Windows Security’s settings. (You can learn more in our video on How to use Windows Security.) You also have to figure out your own online privacy tools, VPN, password manager, and encrypted cloud backup.

Pros

• Two-way firewall
• Good performance

Cons

• Mac-specific (no Windows / Android protection)

As the headline reveals, the focus of this roundup is the best antivirus for Windows PCs, but many PC enthusiasts are the de facto IT for friends and family. If you want to help an associate or loved one achieve strong antivirus protection for an Apple machine, our colleagues at Macworld recommend Intego’s Mac Internet Security X9.

In the suite are two utilities. The better known one is VirusBarrier, which spots and eliminates malware threats, and gets strong ratings for its protective abilities. It comes paired with NetBarrier, a two-way firewall that watches for suspicious traffic going to or from your Mac. For the price of this suite, NetBarrier’s inclusion isn’t common, but definitely welcome.

As part of its protection, VirusBarrier X9 scans for threats on your Mac’s internal storage drive (including any downloaded email and compressed archives), as well as connected disks and iOS devices. The app quarantines suspicious files, which you can then mark as trusted, leave in quarantine, or try to have repaired.

Overall, Intego’s Mac Internet Security X9 offers good compatibility with macOS while looking like a real Mac program, too. It costs just $25 (or £20.00) for the first year using this special Macworld link. If you need additional tools, like a backup utility, speed optimizer for your Mac, or parental controls, you can upgrade to the Mac Premium Bundle X9 for $40 for the first year (£23.99).

Intego VirusBarrier not only offers good compatibility with macOS, but it also looks like a real Mac program, too—making it an ideal match for anyone looking for an effective app that blends in seamlessly.

• McAfee+ Ultimate: This comprehensive all-in-one package offers strong antivirus protection and a vast array of online protections, but its apps, services, and tools could use more polish. Its scans also can tangibly decrease performance on mid-range and budget PCs.
• Avast Premium Security: You can choose a couple of different paths when upgrading from Avast’s already excellent free antivirus software—and this branch of the company’s software leans hard into safeguarding your PC. However, a couple of buggy features keep this suite from standing out among its rivals.
• Bitdefender Total Security: Superb antivirus defenses are packed into an easy-to-use app that includes a unique safe payment environment. However, it lacks some features you get with similarly priced suites, like a password manager.
• McAfee Total Protection: You can rely on McAfee Total Protection for blocking online threats and its easy-to-use VPN, but not its password manager. The app can also notably affect system performance on mid-range and budget PCs. Currently, the competition outdoes this entry-level offering.
• Norton 360 Deluxe: Norton 360 Deluxe has a wide array of protections spanning antivirus, password management, VPN access, automated cloud backups, and dark web monitoring. It can hit PC performance a bit harder on older or budget systems, but its overall value and solid results in AV-Test and AV-Comparatives’ benchmarks make it worthwhile.
• AVG Internet Security: A clean, straightforward interface, additional online protections, and top-notch antivirus protection make this affordable suite a perfect choice for budget-conscious users.
• Malwarebytes Premium Security: Technology newbies will like this antivirus software’s simplicity, but you can get more bang for your buck elsewhere.
• Norton Antivirus Plus: Its one-device limitation is tight, but this simplified antivirus suite is affordable and offers more features than similar rivals. If you can work comfortably with its quirks and potentially heavy performance effect, it can be ideal software for digital minimalists.
• Trend Micro Maximum Security: Even when you can count on Trend Micro Maximum Security to work, this beginner-friendly antivirus suite feels underbaked. You can find much stronger malware protection, along with a more robust set of features, in rival software—and often at a lower price.
• Avast One: This upgrade on Avast’s free security suite adds protection against identity and privacy threats, along with PC tools, all while still keeping its polished interface. And in AV-Test and AV-Comparatives’ latest benchmark data, it generally led the competition in blocking online and offline threats.

There are three basic requirements that an antivirus suite should meet:

• High-detection rate for malware and other threats
• Low impact on system resources
• An easy-to-use interface

That’s not all to consider, however. A lot has changed since the early days of antivirus software. These days, many security suites come with extras such as a backup service for your most essential files, Android and iOS apps for mobile security, a more advanced firewall, family protection (read: child restriction) features, and the right to use the program on multiple PCs. Access to a VPN and a password manager have become more common, too. Whether you need those extras depends on how much you’re willing to spend and your personal situation.

If you’re looking to go beyond the basics, our baseline recommendation is to find a suite that comes with a firewall, supports enough devices to cover what you own, and (if you don’t already have separate services set up) access to a password manager and VPN. Not sure if you need all that? Our guides on security suite features, password managers, and VPNs can help you decide.

Our approach to testing antivirus software is multi-pronged—we look not just at how well the suite catches malware and other threats (though that’s certainly a top factor), but other elements as well.

First, we take a look at the interface to determine how easy or complicated it is. Does the interface make it easy to get at essential tools like PC scans and password managers, for example, or is everything buried under multiple clicks? Are there elements that look like they should be clickable but aren’t? Are alerts interactive or purely informational, and do they make sense in context?

We also examine the features on offer. Every good antivirus suite should have the basics like scanning and real-time protection, but many vendors offer elements that go beyond basic security like password managers or firewalls. We try to discern whether any of these extra features are particularly useful, or just frills that look nice but don’t serve a practical purpose.

To test the suite’s demand on system resources, we run three benchmarks. The first is PCMark 10’s Extended test, which simulates a variety of workloads including editing spreadsheets, browsing the web, running video chat, and light gaming. 

PCWorld

PCWorld

PCWorld

We run the benchmark before the security suite is installed. Then we install the software, have it run a full scan on our Windows 11 test machine, and start a second run of the benchmark at the same time. Then we compare the overall scores to see if the decline between the two benchmark runs is significant.

We repeat the same process using UL Procyon, which simulates document editing in Microsoft Office apps—e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Then, as the harshest stress test, we use Handbrake to transcode a video before and after installing the antivirus software. On many home PCs, this encoding task utilizes 100 percent of the CPU. We then compare transcoding times to see if there’s any significant decline.

Our test machine is an Acer Aspire 3 15 with an AMD Ryzen 5 7520U, 8GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Each security suite is tested on a clean install of Windows 10 Home.

As for the antivirus suite’s detection capabilities, we rely on the opinions of security researchers dedicated to this task. We take into consideration reports from outlets such as AV Comparatives and AV Test.

We also take pricing into account and what you get for it. 

When possible, we review security suites using a free trial to get a sense of what consumers see when they first try out a new product.

Still have questions about our review process? You can get even more details (and the philosophy behind why we test as we do) in our full explanation about our antivirus testing practices.

Unfortunately, yes. Viruses, malware, and other online threats have only increased and become more sophisticated over time. Spending time on the internet or attaching any external drives to your computer without antivirus software is like going into battle without a stitch of armor.

In the basic sense, absolutely yes—which is why Windows 10 and 11 come with in built-in antivirus protection. But while Windows Security performs well, the best third-party antivirus software have even higher rates of detecting threats. The top antivirus apps also offer more control over settings, detailed logs of your PC’s activity, a more user-friendly interface, and additional features to strengthen your online security beyond just viruses and malware. So strictly speaking, a Windows PC doesn’t need third-party antivirus software, but you can benefit from more comprehensive online protection.

The short answer is maybe, but probably not. Antivirus software scans files and programs to ensure there is no malware or other harmful threat present. The longer the time frame between each scan, the more files the program will need to check. These intensive scans may have some noticeable effect on your computer speed. It’s therefore recommended that you schedule your scans to run more frequently and/or at night so as to not impact your computer usage.

While antivirus software can affect the speed of your computer, it is most likely not the only factor—or even the most prominent. Other factors such as unnecessary startup and background programs, insufficient RAM, or even undiagnosed malware can have more drastic effects on your computer speed than a simple antivirus scan.

It depends on what antivirus features are most important to you. Do you just need a program that will scan, detect, and remove malware? Then go with a free version. But if you are looking for more advanced features such as the ability to block webcam hacking, run suspicious apps in a sandbox environment, and permanently delete sensitive files, then you should seriously consider upgrading to a paid premium antivirus service. 

Overall, premium antivirus software is better suited to more complete coverage against threats—especially for inexperienced users. Children and seniors are particularly vulnerable to modern threats and therefore paid antivirus apps, which allow for multiple-device protection, may be a better option for families.

These days, most antivirus software are full suites. They take over completely for Windows’ built-in protection, and that single suite is all you need. More than that, and the different apps can start to conflict with one another. So no need to double up!

In a perfect world, your antivirus software will halt and clean the infected files for you. However, this largely depends on which antivirus program you are using.

In general, the antivirus will send a warning to you and try to quarantine the infected file in order to keep it from spreading. Once isolated, the software will give you the option to try to remove the infection or delete the file altogether.

A full scan performs a comprehensive and thorough check of your whole system. It usually checks your system memory, startup programs, system backup, email databases, hard drives, and any removable storage drives.

A quick scan only checks a few areas including startup programs, system memory, and boot sectors. It may not detect all malware, but it can usually give you an idea if your computer has a virus.

As to when you should do either, we recommend a full scan once per week, during computer usage downtime (such as late at night). A quick scan can be done anytime you like, but it’s usually only necessary if you notice suspicious activity on your PC.

Absolutely! Keeping your antivirus software up-to-date is crucial in helping you to avoid the most recent threats.

That being said, most antivirus software today—whether free or paid—will default to automatic updates. This way you don’t need to worry about manually updating your software. It may still be worth checking to confirm that your antivirus is running the most up-to-date version from time to time.

Great question—especially since antivirus software continues to add more and more components to help keep you safe online. At absolute bare minimum, your app should have a scanner to protect against malware and online threats like phishing sites and a firewall. But other services like remote access protection, individual file encryption, and a password manager can be helpful too. Our breakdown of antivirus software features lays out the details you need to know, so that you can decide what you need.

The arrival of 2.4GHz wireless technology has revolutionized wireless gaming headsets. Now they are more reliable than ever before and some can even rival their wired counterparts when it comes to connection latency and sound quality.

There are myriad different styles, designs, and hardware inclusions — it’s enough to make your head spin. So, to simplify things, I’ve done the hard part for you by getting hands-on and putting each device through its paces. The list below only includes those that have excelled in my extensive testing. The best gaming headsets strike a balance between performance, usability, and extras, placing them in a league above the rest.

Why you should trust me: I’m not just a tech expert, I’m also a gaming enthusiast. I’m always on the hunt for better gear to make my own experience better. I know what gamers want. Yes, I’m looking for technologies like spatial audio and Active Noise Cancellation in my gaming headsets, too. If a product makes the cut, I want to spread the word. If it doesn’t, I think it’s my obligation to let you know. I love to play, and I want you to have the best gaming experience as well.

For a rundown on how I test wireless gaming headsets and for buying advice, you can read my article “How we test gaming headsets at PCWorld.“

Updated July 30, 2024: To mention the recently reviewed Turtle Beach Stealth 500 gaming headset. This headset boasts a clear audio profile. Compared to its stablemate, the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3, it’s also a lot lighter and has virtually no clamp pressure, so you can game for long stints without feeling any discomfort.

Pros

• The styling is very appealing
• The 40mm drivers produce a very natural sound
• The cans are very soft and comfortable

Cons

• Some of the moving parts feel a bit tight
• Leatherette in the cups can get sweaty on hot days
• Battery life is decent but not excellent

Right out of the box, this headset looks fantastic, with fashionable Astro logos on both left and right earcups and very plush leatherette coverings over cushy memory foam, which feels very soft against your ears. As if that wasn’t enough, you can also swap out the magnetic speaker tags on the outside for pre-made designs of your own choosing, to further personalize your look.

The Astro A30 also has a refined and natural sound profile, thanks to very finely tuned 40mm audio drivers. But where this headset truly shines is in the connectivity department; it features low-latency 2.4GHz and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, as well as wired connectivity, so it can connect to just about anything, including a PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, and Mac. You can also mix and balance your different audio sources so you never have to miss a thing while playing.

Gamers who want to personalize their headset’s look, but also want decent audio, great connectivity, and excellent cross-compatibility. It’s also a great option if you like the convenience of listening to multiple audio sources as you play.

If you want the convenience of having a charging cradle to charge between games, be sure to check out the Astro A30’s sibling the Logitech Astro A50. This headset also sports a useful audio mixer wheel, and the cradle displays the EQ profile you’re using so that you’re never unsure what you’re set on.

Pros

• Clear refined audio profile
• Great control selection that you can personalize further
• Attractive and comfortable design

Cons

• PC and PlayStation versions lack Xbox compatibility
• No USB-A to USB-C adapter
• Slightly heavier than the previous generation

To me, the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3 feels like the first of a new wave of wireless headsets that offer more value for your money. For starters it sounds better and its battery life of up to 80 hours is a lot longer than the previous generation Turtle Beach Stealth 600 headset (Gen 2).

The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3 also has excellent cross-platform compatibility. For example, my Xbox model easily connected to my Xbox X/S, PC, cellphone, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5. It also featured Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so that I could switch audio sources on a dime.

The headset also had a lot of convenient controls on its left earcup. Some of these, like the power and Bluetooth pairing buttons, featured multiple functions, so I always had deep gamer functionality at my fingertips. A remappable chat / mixer wheel and Mode button, allowed me to have my most used controls on hand whenever I needed them.

Casual gamers who want an all-around great gaming headset with decent audio and a long battery life should go for this headset. It’ll also suit players that like to have control of those critical audio changes they make in their headset’s companion app. Lastly, the Stealth 600 Gen 3’s price tag of just $99.99 also makes it a great option for gamers on a budget.

Another excellent option for gamers on a budget is the Turtle Beach Stealth 500. It features a different design to the Stealth 600 Gen 3 with a floating headband and earcups that don’t swivel, but it’s audio sounds clear and its lighter weight and virtually non-existent clamp pressure allows you to wear it for marathon gaming sessions without feeling the slightest discomfort.

Also be sure to check out the HyperX Cloud Core Wireless. This gaming headset costs just $99.99 but features a solid aluminum frame, clear audio, a detachable boom microphone and spatial audio courtesy of DTS Headphone:X.

Pros

• Ultra-light and comfortable
• Excellent microphone quality
• Long-lasting battery life and fast charging option
• Versatile connectivity options

Cons

• Sound tuning favors esports
• Material quality could be better
• Non-detachable microphone

The Blackshark V2 Hyperspeed is an esports worthy headset that costs a lot less than the premium headsets that esports players usually go for. The standout is the headset’s microphone, which is near broadcast quality. The V2 Hyperspeed is also very lightweight — it weighs less than 10 ounces, so you can wear it for marathon gaming sessions and not feel like you need to take it off.

In regard to sound, the V2 Hyperspeed sports large 50mm audio drivers that produce audio across a frequency range of 12Hz to 28KHz. It has a low bass so sounds like explosions are particularly noteworthy in games.

If you’re aspiring to start competing in esports competitions and don’t have a huge budget to drop on a $300 headset, then the Blackshark V2 Hyperspeed is just the ticket. Its excellent microphone quality also makes it a great option for players wanting to record in-game videos.

Pros

• Great sound quality, especially in the mids
• A lot of metal makes it very solid and robust
• A very comfortable design

Cons

• Passive noise cancellation isn't great
• It's more expensive than some rivals
• The mushroom shaped dongle can be finnicky

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X may not be as flashy as it’s pricier sibling the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro, but it easily caters to all your gaming needs, offering great sound quality, a robust metal frame, and simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity that lets you stream music from your smartphone while missing absolutely none of your game’s audio.

What’s more, when it comes to comfort the 7X actually outdoes the Nova Pro — its soft mesh ear coverings just don’t get sweaty like the Nova Pro’s leatherette ones do in hot weather. On top of that, the Arctis Nova 7X has excellent cross-platform compatibility. In fact, in our playtesting we had no trouble connecting it up to just about anything with a USB-C port.

Another worthy contender in the midrange wireless category is the Logitech G935. This headset gets a lot right, featuring quality audio with a rich bass presence, a clear-sounding microphone, and an onboard dongle storage compartment.

Gamers who want a jack-of-all-trades headset with easy-on-the-ears clamp pressure and comfortable earcups that also won’t cost the kitchen sink.

Pros

• High-quality design and good workmanship
• Multi-platform compatibility
• Detachable microphone
• Above-average battery life

Cons

• Occasional sound fluctuations in DTS Surround Sound
• Microphone adjustment required in noisy environments
• No Bluetooth

In our testing of the Cloud III Wireless, we found it produced a deep bass and clear treble signature that allows you to pick up even the slightest audio nuances in games. The sound is delivered via a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi signal that enables a delay-free transmission. Although it doesn’t feature Bluetooth connectivity, it does have other convenient features. For example, the Cloud III Wireless’s microphone is detachable, so you can wear it like a pair of headphones when on the go.

The Cloud III Wireless’s design resembles most other HyperX Cloud core headsets, in that it features black and red styling and plush faux-leather earcup coverings over a soft memory foam that molds to the contours of your head. The HyperX Cloud III Wireless has a very decent battery life — HyperX claims it can provide 150 hours at 50 percent volume, which means you don’t have to constantly recharge between games.

The HyperX Cloud III Wireless doesn’t have Bluetooth so it’s best suited to dedicated PC gamers. Its excellent battery life will especially suit gamers that don’t like having to frequently charge their headset.

Pros

• Impressive audio that sounds warm and full-bodied
• Strong and robust design
• Excellent cross compatibility

Cons

• It's quite heavy and large
• The headband isn't extendable
• The software app is too simple

The Audeze Maxwell Wireless produces the kind of audiophile-grade sound you’d expect from a high-end studio headset, yet it’s expertly tailored for gamers. Its sound quality comes courtesy of 90mm planar magnetic drivers, which are a change from the 40mm or 50mm neodymium drivers we see in most gaming headsets. The Maxwell Wireless is a very versatile device, it sports all three connectivity types: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and wired connectivity via its USB cord. It also has solid cross-compatibility — our Xbox version worked with PC, Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Android and iOS devices.

Large, round-shaped cups, instead of oval or square cups, ensure the Maxwell Wireless fits even the largest of ears. Their distinctive shape also gives this headset a unique look. The cups are also very comfortable — they feature a luxurious leatherette material over soft memory-foam cushioning. The headband and yokes are both made from metal, and that does make the Maxwell Wireless quite heavy. Still, you can quite easily wear them for three hours straight and not feel any discomfort.

Anyone who wants the very best sound quality you can possibly get in a gaming headset. If your game has a rich and detailed soundscape, this headset will convey it better than any headset you can currently buy.

Pros

• Clear audio with fine detail in the sound
• Oozes comfort at every turn
• Pinpoint-accurate spatial audio support
• Mix of wireless and wired connectivity

Cons

• No Active Noise Cancellation
• Exposed cords could be risk of breakage
• It comes with a soft case instead of a more robust hard case

Logitech’s $250 G Pro X 2 Lightspeed may carry a premium price tag but its exquisitely snug leatherette earpads, clear audio with a smooth and low bass, and stylish robust design really does elevate it leagues above many other gaming headsets. A 50-hour battery life and good mix of wireless and wired connectivity only add to the headset’s appeal.

Icing on the cake, however, is the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed’s DTS Headphone: X 2.0 3D spatial audio support. It’s undoubtedly one of the best spatial audio technologies I’ve used and gels perfectly with the headset’s sound signature.

Serious gamers who want pinpoint accuracy in the directionality of their sound will want this headset. That said, with such clear audio and a comfortable design any gamer should consider themselves lucky to own it.

Another option to explore for great spatial audio is the Razer Barracuda Pro gaming headset. It uses THX Spatial Audio, and you can tweak the directionality of the sound in the Razer Synapse app.

Pros

• Great quality audio
• Dual wireless functionality
• Lots of software options for personalization

Cons

• Quite expensive
• Active Noise Cancellation won't block out all external sound

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro features just about everything you could possibly want in a wireless gaming headset, including excellent sound quality, style, comfort, and a durable metal headband. With support for 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless, as well as wired connectivity, the Arctis Nova Pro is easily compatible with your PC, laptop, or Xbox device. It also comes with a GameDAC base controller that lets you switch between your PC and Xbox One or Xbox X/S at the press of a button.

The headset incorporates technologies that elevate your listening experience, including Active Noise Cancellation, 360 Degree Spatial Audio, and Pro Grade Parametric EQ. All this functionality will set you back $349.99, which admittedly isn’t cheap. But for a headset that sounds this impressive and can actually make you a better gamer, that could be a price worth paying.

This headset is in many ways superior to most gaming headsets on the market. I’d recommend it to serious gamers who want Hi-Res audio and spatial sound in their games. If you like experimenting with EQ settings to create audio profiles, this headset is also ideal for that.

Pros

• Punchy audio that's ideal for FPS games
• Solid attractive and versatile design
• Very good noise cancellation

Cons

• Lacks support for spatial audio
• The batteries need frequent changing
• It's expensive

These cans look like, and can just as easily pass as, a premium pair of headphones. The cross-platform compatibility is extremely, good too — the Xbox version connects to everything except PlayStation, while the PlayStation version connects to everything except Xbox.

The Stealth Pro packs in a lot of premium functionality, from plush leatherette earpads to dual wireless connectivity (2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) and Active Noise Cancellation, you have lots of tools at your fingertips to elevate your gaming experience. The audio drivers are also especially tuned for FPS games.

Anyone who owns a bunch of gaming devices and wants to use just one premium headset across all of them. Also, since the Stealth Pro’s audio drivers are particularly well-tuned for FPS games, if that’s your jam, then this headset is ideal.

Pros

• It comes with two sets of earpads to personalize comfort
• The headband and cups allow for a good amount of head movement
• The audio sounds great across the spectrum
• The build quality is robust

Cons

• The AI Noise Cancellation could be better
• It lacks a boom microphone
• No simultaneous Bluetooth functionality

The Asus ROG S Wireless doesn’t boast deep gamer functionality, like simultaneous Bluetooth or a game chat mixer wheel, but what it does have is about as good as it gets for casual gaming. With Bluetooth as well as 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connectivity, it connects easily to PC, Mac, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices. The headset is one of the most comfortable you will find since it comes with two sets of interchangeable earpads in the box — a plush 100 percent protein leather pair and a cooler hybrid mesh pair. The earcups swivel and tilt giving your head and neck plenty of space to move. The headset is also very robust, featuring a strong metal headband and yokes.

On the sound front, the ROG Delta S Wireless’s 50mm neodymium drivers are extremely loud. They produce a clear sound across the audio spectrum. Slightly less impressive is the headset’s beamforming microphone, which is located inside the headset rather than externally like a boom-style microphone. Its downside is that it can occasionally pick up background noise, which is really the only thing we would have changed about this headset.

Casual gamers — i.e. gamers who value comfort and sound quality and who want the convenience of a headset that they can simply plug in and start playing with.

Pros

• Great audio performance with neutral mid-tones
• Lightweight comfortable design
• Mesh coverings on the earcups minimize sweat
• Flip-to-mute mic

Cons

• The omnidirectional mic is not detachable
• Lacks true simultaneous audio connectivity for listening to multiple audio sources at once
• The small RGB light zones feel like an afterthought

It’s unusual for a premium gaming headset to show off lightweight plastic cups instead of metal ones, and mesh fabric material over the earcups instead of plush leatherette ones, but that’s what makes the Corsair HS80 Max so comfortable. Weighing in at just 12.4 ounces, and with breathable mesh fabric that keeps sweat from building up on your ears, you can wear this headset all day long and not experience any discomfort.

But comfort aside, the Corsair HS80 Max is clearly a premium gaming headset — the audio sounds neutral and warm and Dolby Atmos surround sound support gives you excellent directionality in games. The headset throws in a few sweeteners on top of its excellent audio, including a flip-to-mute mic and RGB lighting zones on each ear. While this headset allows you to connect to Bluetooth and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi signals at the same time, true simultaneous audio isn’t possible. Still, a simple Bluetooth control allows you to switch between audio sources at will.

Players who especially want a lightweight headset with mesh earcups but don’t want to lose the kind of premium audio fidelity and functionality they’d normally have to forgo to get those features.

Pros

• Produces clear and distortion-free sound
• The 7.1 surround sound works well and elevates your gaming experience
• It feels comfortable even on hot days

Cons

• The earcups are all plastic unlike some rival gaming headsets
• The bass can seem subtle at times

The “Hybrid” in the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid’s name hints at its dual connectivity — it features both wired and wireless options, which means it can hook up to just about all your devices, be it your PC, Mac, console, or smartphone. For wireless connectivity, the H3PRO Hybrid supports low-latency Wi-Fi or Bluetooth 5.2, or you can use both of these options at the same time to voice-chat or listen to music while simultaneously hearing your game’s audio.

The H3PRO Hybrid’s audio is very refined. In our play test it delivered crisp and clear-sounding high and mid tones and balanced bass tones. We were similarly impressed by the headset’s Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) that does a respectable job blocking out ambient noise. Additionally, our testing found that the H3PRO Hybrid’s microphones were some of the best we’ve heard in a wireless gaming headset, faithfully reproducing voices as they sounded. The detachable boom mic is also very easy to remove and replace via its simple magnetic attachment point.

Gamers wanting to sound better in voice chats should consider this headset, which not only has a clear and refined sounding microphone, but also gamer-centric features like Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and dual wireless functionality with simultaneous audio.

Pros

• Comfortable
• Long battery life
• Pre-loaded EQ profiles
• Great microphone

Cons

• No notches on the volume wheel
• Aggressive battery saving

Although it shares the same name as its 2020 predecessor, the 2023 Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is a far more impressive headset, adding Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, an improved HyperClear Wideband microphone, and on-headset pro-tuned FPS profiles to an already impressive list of legacy features. The battery life has also been ramped up to 70 hours, which simply means you can spend more time exactly where you should be — in your game.

The headset currently sets you back just $200, which all things considered, seems exceptional value considering its potential to be a really great e-sports set; features like its 2.4GHz wireless connectivity, comfortable cloth earcup coverings, and THX Spatial Audio, are just the kinds of extras pro gamers really want. However, the BlackShark V2 Pro has no Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) to block out unwanted sound, which means it’s better used in a quiet room rather than on a noisy bus. But then again, who plays Fortnite esports matches on a noisy bus ride home anyhow?

Esports players or casual gamers who want a reliable and comfortable headset with great connectivity, but that don’t necessarily need Active Noise Cancellation.

Pros

• The audio sounds balanced
• Simultaneous Wi-Fi and Bluetooth lets you listen to multiple audio sources at once
• The futuristic styling looks fantastic

Cons

• The microphone picks up a lot of ambient noise
• The controls are reasonably basic
• It's expensive considering there's no ANC

The Roccat Syn Max Air is just an all-around great headset for gamers, with quality audio, a comfortable fit, and lots of gamer attitude. In our playtesting we found its 50mm Nanoclear drivers sounded really balanced through the midrange frequencies, making it ideal for esports games like Fortnite and Counterstrike: Global Offensive. Its versatility is another big strength — it has dual wireless connectivity so it can hook up to just about any device you need it to.

Using the simultaneous Bluetooth functionality is a must do with this headset, too. In just a few seconds you can add a second audio source from your Bluetooth-compatible device, allowing you to either enjoy music or take calls while missing absolutely none of your gaming audio.

Anyone who wants a headset that rocks a deep gamer aesthetic with futuristic styling and RGB lighting. The excellent audio, dual wireless connectivity, and comfort is an added bonus on top of that.

To find the best of the best, we put every wireless gaming headset through a legion of tests. We examine everything from design and styling to the integrity of their Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth signals. Since these headsets are tailor-made for gaming, we spend many hours trying them out in games, listening closely to their sound quality, and testing extra features like Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) or spatial audio technologies. Our testing criteria mainly falls under these categories:

When it comes to gaming headsets, design is crucial for your overall comfort. It’s also crucial for maximizing your gaming experience. To that end we consider factors like the overall shape and fit of the headband and earcups, their clamping force, and crucially what they’re made of—which affects how they feel. We also examine things like whether they have boom microphones, if the microphones are detachable, and whether there’s onboard storage for the dongle.

Wireless gaming headsets transmit sound to and from your PC via a wireless signal. However, the way they do this can vary. Key connectivity considerations are whether the headset connects via a Wi-Fi or a Bluetooth signal or provides a choice of both of these options. We also look at the Wi-Fi band the headset uses, all the while mindful that the 2.4GHz band is the current best-in-class standard for a low-latency connection.

This will make or break your gaming experience, and while there are lots of factors that determine audio quality, it can quite simply be determined by listening closely to the fidelity of the sound and the tonal range available. We also listen keenly for any audio distortion, such as rattling or hissing sounds that can be red flags for sound quality.

Wireless gaming headsets have become so advanced that the latency most gamers used to experience is no longer that much of an issue. That being the case, the latency of the audio signal even in the fastest wireless headsets with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi can still be somewhat higher than in wired headsets (100 to 200 milliseconds compared to just 3 to 7 milliseconds).

Most competitive gamers will still prefer to use a wired headset over a wireless one to reduce audio latency and signal interference. Chances are though, if you’re not playing competitively and have relatively low game pings, you won’t notice any delay in your audio.

Wireless gaming headsets also bestow a number of advantages over wired only headsets. For example, you can enjoy your game’s audio while roaming away from your device, are freed from the clutter of cords, and in some headsets, you can even enjoy the benefits of multiple audio sources at the same time.

A low-latency connection can make a world of difference, allowing you to hear the best-quality sound while also minimizing the likelihood of signal dropout or interference. As a general rule the lowest-latency wireless connection you can get these days comes courtesy of a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection. A Wi-Fi connection will also give you the best wireless range, allowing you to wander anywhere up to 20 feet away from your device without losing your audio. However, to take advantage of Wi-Fi you’ll need to plug a dongle into your devices.

Some headsets also offer Bluetooth connectivity, which still does a decent job transmitting your audio signal but somewhat lowers the fidelity of the sound quality. Another downside is it can also suffer latency issues. And, while it’s granted that most gamers wouldn’t choose Bluetooth over Wi-Fi for these reasons, one benefit of Bluetooth is that if you plan on using your gaming headset with multiple devices, it allows you to conveniently and quickly switch between them without needing a dongle.

It pays to research which of your devices work with a new gaming headset since compatibility can vary widely. By that I mean checking to see if it works with any consoles you might have, such as Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 or 5, or XBox X/S, and your smartphone. Doing so can save you the cost and inconvenience of having to purchase multiple headsets.

You’ll also want to check that the headset’s software-dependent features like 3D spatial audio are supported by not only the devices, but also the games you want to use it with, since that is not a given and you may be sorely disappointed if you can’t take advantage of the full breadth of your headset’s capabilities.

Beyond just being pleasant to wear, comfortable headsets help prevent pain and injury to your ears and head. What constitutes a comfortable headset can come down to personal preference, but as a general rule, these points will help guide you in choosing one that’ll keep you feeling snug.

• Lightweight design: Lighter headsets are generally more comfy over prolonged periods, and can prevent you feeling too much pressure on the top of your head. Designs that incorporate plastic tend to be lighter than those that have more metal in them.
• Soft materials and padding: The padding and coverings in headsets can be made from a broad spectrum of materials including PVC, rubber, memory foam, artificial leather, and plastic. Ideally the padding in the earcups should gently melt into the sides of your head with minimal force, while the earcup coverings should feel smooth rather than coarse. Many manufacturers opt for a combination of memory foam padding with leatherette coverings that we think gives you the most luxurious and comfortable feeling you can get these days.
• Extendable and flexible headband: A headband that extends vertically to cover your ears will prevent soreness in the parts of your ears not cupped, while one that is flexible and opens easily will reduce unwanted clamp force hurting your ears and sides of your head.
• Rotating earcups: These allow your head a degree of horizontal movement (left and right) without the headset’s earcups pulling your ears in the other direction.

As is the case with most other tech devices, wireless gaming headsets that eschew plastic for metal in their designs are a lot tougher and tend to last longer than those that don’t. That’s especially important for the arc of the headband which will quite often snap in two when made entirely from plastic.

When it comes to the durability of earcups, genuine leather tends to reign supreme over other materials, being a little more resistant to wear and tear than leatherette, plastic, or polyester cloth. On the flipside, leather tends not to circulate as much air to your ears and thus can make you sweat more, so any durability concerns you have will need to be weighed up against your personal comfort needs.

Most wireless gaming headsets will offer stereo sound from both earcups, but an increasing number now offer 3D spatial audio. This feature mimics the kind of sound experience you’d expect to get from having multiple speakers, thereby delivering sound through a 360-degree sound-scape in your headset.

Headsets like the Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless, SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, and HyperX Cloud Core Wireless, all offer their own spatial audio technologies, so the chances are good that a new-to-market mid-range or premium headset will support this technology.

While there are some differences between the spatial audio technologies used by different headsets, on the whole most work reasonably well, allowing you to clearly hear the directionality of sounds in games. Suffice to say, if you’re a competitive gamer this feature can give you a big advantage over your competitors, allowing you to better pinpoint sounds like your opponents’ foot-falls, explosions, or enemy fire a little easier than you otherwise would.

Noise isolation refers to how well your headset can isolate the sound coming from your own gaming headset while simultaneously blocking out any external sound from outside. Apart from just being plain annoying, sound leaking into your headset can be a strategic disadvantage in tightly contested games, especially in shooters like Overwatch or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive that rely on directional audio prompts.

At the very least, you will want to ensure your gaming headset has decent passive noise isolation, which is a measure of how well its overall physical design is effective at stopping external sound entering your ears. However, if only the strongest noise-blocking power will do, look for a headset with Active Noise Cancellation. This technology actively detects and analyzes the sound pattern of incoming noise and then generates a mirror anti-noise to cancel it out.

From a design perspective a good microphone should be either detachable or fold back into the headset’s body to be virtually undetectable when you’re not using it. This allows you to more discreetly use your wireless gaming headset as a pair of headphones when you’re not gaming, making it a little more versatile than a purely wired set.

Although you’ll mainly be using your headset’s microphone for casual voice chats in gaming sessions, you’ll also want to check that it has noise-cancelling technology and that the sound it picks up is clear and free of distortion—after all, your gaming friends won’t want to listen to your voice for very long if it’s muffled or full of static.

Just a cheer, boo, or drop of a bottle cap in the crowd at an esports event can put a pro gamer off their game and in the worst-case scenario that could cost them the tournament. To avoid that happening, pro gamers wear two headphones: an inner pair that outputs the game audio and another that covers the outside of their ears and blocks ambient noise.

Additionally, many tournament rules make wearing two headsets at once compulsory to avoid players obtaining any kind of information advantage from the crowd—basically this is considered cheating.

Sony and Microsoft both make top-quality wireless headsets for their respective devices, but there are also a range of wireless headsets from other companies, like SteelSeries, Logitech G, and Razer that will work just as well with consoles like the PS4, PS5, Xbox X/S. Again, the most important thing you need to look out for when choosing a wireless headset is that it has compatibility with the console you need it for.

If you intend on using your wireless headset with an Xbox console, it will have to support Xbox Wireless, which is Microsoft’s certified wireless technology that allows you to connect without a dongle. Sony’s PS4 and PS5 consoles, on the other hand, don’t have any such certified wireless technology, which means you can simply connect using your wireless headset’s supplied dongle. However, if you own a PS5 you’ll also want to check that your wireless headset supports Sony’s Tempest 3D Audio, which is the proprietary technology that provides spatial audio support on this device.

Nintendo’s Switch console is one of the easiest consoles to connect with; in most cases you can simply plug the headset’s wireless dongle in directly or else pair the headset’s Bluetooth to the device and away you go!

Microsoft is currently testing a revised Microsoft Store for Windows 11, which is available to Windows Insiders on the Canary and Dev channels. The new version of the Microsoft Store has a new download area, as discovered by Windows Latest.

Previously, you could view all installed apps in the Library tab of the Microsoft Store app and update them if necessary. This has now changed as Microsoft makes it easier to manage your apps.

The revamped Microsoft Store has a new Downloads tab in the left-hand sidebar, directly above the existing Library tab. If you click on Downloads, you’ll see a list of all the apps installed on your Windows computer (including both free and paid apps).

With the large Get Updates button at the top right, you can update all your apps at once. Or you can update each application individually using the three-dot menu in each app’s listing.

That three-dot menu also lets you do a few other things, like share the app with others, write a review and rate the app, pin the app to your taskbar, and view the app’s release notes.

Within the Library tab, you can also see all the apps installed on your system and all the apps you’ve purchased but aren’t currently installed on your PC. The aim here isn’t to update your apps — it’s to get a complete overview of all apps in an efficient manner.

For each app, you’ll see the date on which you installed the app. However, unlike in the Downloads section, you can change between overviews (e.g., a list of all apps, only games, only films, etc.). You can sort these lists by date or name, and you can filter for only apps that are currently installed. There’s also a search field.

All in all, this change in the Microsoft Store that splits between Downloads and Library makes it easier to keep track of all installed apps.

As a lifelong PC fanboy and a former professional Android blogger, it hurts me to say this: Apple’s iPad really is the best tablet on the market, and it’s been true for a while. That’s why I have one sitting on my desk under my main monitor.

And right now, you can pick one up for yourself at a great discount: this iPad Air is $399 at Walmart, a whopping $200 off retail price. But it comes with a couple of caveats.

First, it’s the 10.9-inch, 5th-gen iPad Air from 2022. I wouldn’t say that’s a huge deal-breaker unless you want a bigger screen. This model still has the M1 processor — the same one that’s inside the refreshed Arm-powered MacBook Air — so it’s rocking plenty of power in addition to 64GB of storage on the Wi-Fi base model.

Second, it’s purple. That’s the only color being sold at Walmart at this price. Personally, I’m not a big fan of this particular shade but I’d still take this deal. (Get a skin or a case if it really bothers you.)

Other highlights include a USB-C port for data and storage (not an outdated Lightning port), a 12MP rear camera, and a fingerprint reader integrated into the power button.

iPads with deep discounts like this tend to sell out quickly. This one’s already going in and out of stock based on location, so jump on it while you can — and if it’s out, try again in a little while to see if it comes back.

In Intel’s statement released on Friday, it says that its own recent tests of the microcode patches being rolled out to customers — for the voltage issue impacting 13th- and 14th-gen Core processors — basically show no performance impact, with exceptions on certain tests. Intel also said that “all future products” will not be affected by the bug.

Back in 2023, researchers discovered that applying Intel’s patch for the “Downfall” bug affecting 6th- to 11th-gen Core chips could cut performance by up to 40 percent. Intel says that won’t be the case here. Any performance impact is within “run-to-run variation,” which implies that you wouldn’t notice any performance deviations.

“Intel’s internal testing — utilizing Intel Default Settings — indicates performance impact is within run-to-run variation (e.g. 3DMark: Timespy, WebXPRT 4, Cinebench R24, Blender 4.2.0) with a few sub-tests showing moderate impacts (WebXPRT Online Homework; PugetBench GPU Effects Score),” Intel said, not specifying what a “moderate” impact might be.

“For gaming workloads tested, performance has also been within run-to-run variation (e.g. Cyberpunk 2077, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Warhammer III – Mirrors of Madness) with one exception showing slightly more impact (Hitman 3: Dartmoor). However, system performance is dependent on configuration and several other factors.”

The new microcode patches will still allow overclocking, Intel added, though with a standard disclaimer that doing so may void your system warranty. “For unlocked Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen desktop processors, this latest microcode update (0x129) will not prevent users from overclocking if they so choose. Users can disable the eTVB setting in their BIOS if they wish to push above the 1.55V threshold.”

Intel recently extended its warranty program on the affected Core processors to five years.

In Intel’s detailed statement, it summarizes the hard-to-find bug that has caused BSODs and other issues in Intel’s latest systems dating back almost to the beginning of the year. In late July, Intel said that issue was due to elevated operating voltages caused by faulty microcode that sent incorrect voltage requests to the processor.

“Intel’s current analysis finds there is a significant increase to the minimum operating voltage (Vmin) across multiple cores on affected processors due to elevated voltages,” Intel said in its statement. “Elevated voltage events can accumulate over time and contribute to the increase in Vmin for the processor. The latest microcode update (0x129) will limit voltage requests above 1.55V as a preventative mitigation for processors not experiencing instability symptoms. This latest microcode update will primarily improve operating conditions for K/KF/KS processors.”

Intel said it’s continuing to explore further mitigation options to combat what it called “Vmin shift” on Core chips, and will provide further updates by the end of August.

To date, Intel has released three “mitigations” to solve the problem: the “default settings” option in May, plus two microcode patches. June’s patch (0x125) to fix the Enhanced Thermal Velocity Boost (eTVB) was supplemented by the August patch (0x129) that’s now rolling out to board and system makers.

Intel’s statement stressed that the patch would not be rolling out via Windows Update. If you’re affected, you’ll need to download the code either from your motherboard maker’s support site or from the PC maker if you own a pre-built system.

Intel previously provided a list of the affected Intel Core desktop processors and said that mobile Core chips are not affected.

Video editing can put quite a heavy burden on any computer. So, when shopping for a laptop for video editing, you’ll want to make sure you’re loading up on enough heavy hardware firepower to get the job done. While you might not need the absolute top-of-the-line gear, simply buying a gaming laptop and calling it a day is probably not going to cut it. Beyond just processor and graphics performance, serious video editors need to take into account a few things such as the quality of the display, port selection, and onboard storage capacity.

Why you should trust us: PCWorld has been covering PCs since 1983, and reviews more than 70 notebooks a year in our never-ending quest to find the best laptops. Our expert reviewers evaluate every machine using a combination of performance benchmarks and rigorous usability standards, with an eye toward identifying the best laptops for specific needs and at various price points. We also edit lots of videos ourselves, with the results appearing on PCWorld’s YouTube channel. Take a look at our top picks for video editing below, followed by buying advice and more details about our testing process.

If you’re on a budget or just looking to save some money, you may also want to check out our daily roundup of the best laptop deals to scope out any discounts on content creation notebooks.

Update August 9, 2024: We replaced the Best Ultraportable for Video Editing pick with the Asus ProArt PX13 ($1,699), which boasts the latest AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor. Not only is it a powerful machine with impressive multithreaded performance, it’s also incredibly lightweight at just 3.04 pounds. We’ve also updated our list of recent laptop reviews, so be sure to check those out near the bottom of the page!

Pros

• Expansive 17-inch 16:10 display
• Thin chassis
• Incredible battery life

Cons

• Expensive
• 720p webcam

The Dell XPS 17 (2023) is a fantastic laptop for content creation because it has a gigantic display and a good amount of graphics firepower. The OLED touch display, which measures a massive 17-inches, features a crystal clear resolution of 3840×2400 and a maximum brightness of 550 nits. It’s perfect for media editing, multitasking, and so much more. The machine is also powered by an Intel Core i7-13700H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, which means it’s more than capable of handling any video editing you throw at it. The specific configuration we reviewed will cost you well over $3,000, so it’s likely not a viable option for the budget-conscious, but if your time is money, the Dell XPS 17 is money very well spent.

We feel the Dell XPS 17 is a phenomenal option for serious or professional video editors. The 4K screen is divine and it has the perfect amount of horsepower as far as internal components go. It also includes an SD card reader and multiple Thunderbolt 4 ports for quickly offloading videos or photos. Finally, the Dell XPS 17 can run up to 11 hours on a single charge, eliminating the need to go outlet hunting. Although we would’ve liked to have seen this model with an OLED screen, it’s still a top-notch pick.

Alternative option: The Dell XPS 16 is another good option for content creators. In fact, the hardware is almost identical to our top pick. The only real difference is that the Dell XPS 16 has an OLED screen and the Dell XPS 17 9730 does not. That said, the Dell XPS 16 didn’t make the cut because it doesn’t have as many Thunderbolt 4 ports and the keyboard is a real headache to use due to stiff keys.

Pros

• Fantastic battery life
• Solid GPU performance
• Gorgeous OLED screen that can be used outdoors
• Great audio
• AI-powered Core Ultra inside

Cons

• Chargers keep getting bigger
• Still not a great keyboard

The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra offers powerful performance as well as a gorgeous OLED display. Thanks to the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, it’s well equipped to handle any video editing task you throw at it. Plus, the 16-inch OLED display has a resolution of 2880×1800 and a refresh rate of 120Hz–so you can expect a crisp-looking picture with rich colors. Sure, it’s not 4K, but it’s still a fantastic screen for content creation. Battery life is absolutely absurd, too. This machine lasted a whopping 18 hours and 54 minutes on a single charge. Wall outlet? Who is she?

Anyone looking for a powerful, long-lasting laptop and doesn’t need to edit 4K videos. In addition to the stunning OLED display and the long battery life, the audio is also quite punchy, sounding great up and down the audio range. If you switch on the Dolby Atmos feature, you’ll hear even richer sound. Though content creators may not necessarily need good audio (or likely use dedicated headphones), it’s still a nice perk.

Alternative option: The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i ($1,699.99) is another great laptop to consider. It comes decked out with a 16-inch 3200×2000 165Hz refresh rate display, 32GB of RAM, and tons of ports (including an SD card reader). Compared to our current pick, the Yoga Pro 9i has a sharper screen with a faster refresh rate. That said, it only managed nine hours on a single charge. It’s an acceptable result, but it’s nothing like the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra’s 18 hours and 54 minutes.

Pros

• Excellent multithreaded CPU performance
• Beautiful OLED display
• Discrete Nvidia GPU for creative tasks
• Weighs just 3.04 pounds

Cons

• Lower battery life than a Snapdragon X laptop
• Fans can be loud
• No Copilot+ PC AI features at launch

The Asus ProArt PX13 is a creators laptop, full stop. It comes with the latest AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage — in other words, it’s powerful with a capital P. In addition to the impressive internal components, it also has a 13.4-inch 1880p OLED display with touchscreen and stylus support as well as a lightweight form factor. In fact, it weighs just 3.04 pounds, making it a fantastic option for those who are always on-the-go. Other cool features include Wi-Fi 7 connectivity and a 1080p webcam.

Anyone that needs a portable powerhouse for creative work, and doesn’t need a 4K display (or is willing to connect the laptop to a 4K monitor). If you commute into the office, you can easily toss this laptop into a bag and be on your merry way. It also has a lot of connectivity options, which is useful for video editors that need to offload their work. The port selection includes two USB Type-C, one USB Type-A, one combo audio jack, one HDMI 2.1, one microSD reader, and one power in. The ProArt PX13 also has a 360-degree hinge, which allows you to use it like a tent or lie it flat on a surface.

Pros

• All-day battery life
• Stunning display
• Durable build

Cons

• 720p webcam
• Keys feel too soft

The Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition is a good option for those on a tight budget, as it ticks off all of the right boxes for a sub-$1,000 machine. For one, colors appear rich and varied on the 16-inch 1200p FHD display. Sure, it’s not 4K, but it’s still a good screen–our reviewer was surprised by the “depth of the blacks and greys.” As for internals, the AMD Radeon RX 7600S GPU and the AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU should blitz right through graphically demanding tasks like video editing. It also lasted a whopping 11 hours on a single charge, which is shocking for a gaming laptop.

Anyone who’s looking to save money on a capable and long-lasting laptop. You don’t have to go outlet hunting because of the long battery life and the 1200p display offers nothing but stunning visuals. While the keys feel a bit mushy and the 720p webcam won’t be doing you any favors on video calls, we feel as though the pros far outweigh the cons, especially given the reasonable price point.

Alternative option: If you’re willing to spend a bit more for a shaper display and longer battery life, the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus ($1,199.99) is definitely worth picking up. The 16-inch 260×1600 IPS display has a 120Hz refresh rate and the massive 90 watt-hour battery lasted just over 17 hours on a single charge, which is nothing to sneeze at. However, it does cost more than our current pick, so it may not be the best option for the budget-conscious buyer.

Pros

• Good performance
• 18GB of RAM
• Runs quiet

Cons

• Low performance advantage over M2 Pro

The Apple MacBook Pro (M3, Pro) will kick you in the teeth with its power (in the best way possible). Inside, you’ll find a 14-core GPU as well as 18GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. That amount of RAM will keep things running nice and smooth while the beefy GPU will chew right through any intense edits, though intense video editors will want to upgrade to a model with more storage or invest in an external SSD for added capacity. The 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display also has a ridiculously high resolution of 3024×1964, so editing should be a delightful experience. It even comes with three Thunderbolt 4 ports for speedy data transfers.

Anyone who prefers Apple’s ecosystem. This configuration shows a 44 percent increase in performance (according to Geekbench’s Compute Metal test) compared to the M3 (sans Pro) model. You’ll also be able to see every detail of your photo or video editing work thanks to the gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display. Battery life isn’t too shabby, either. The M3 Pro MacBook Pro will last you over ten hours on a single charge, which is more than a full work day.

Alternative option: If you’re looking for a bigger screen, then you should check out the MacBook Pro, M2 Pro. The Liquid Retina XDR display measures 16.2-inches and has a resolution of 3456×2234, so visuals should be sharp as knives. The M2 Pro also comes loaded with a powerful 19-core GPU.

• Asus ProArt PX13: The Asus ProArt PX13 is a creator-focused laptop with impressive CPU performance thanks to its AMD Ryzen AI 300 series hardware. But, while this x86 machine has power and beauty, AMD’s latest hardware still falls behind Arm PCs when it comes to fan noise and battery life.
• Dell Inspiron 14 Plus: Dell’s first Copilot+ PC is fine, but there’s nothing about it that stands out in the Snapdragon X lineup. That’s a problem when it costs as much as a Surface Laptop — but the right sale might make this machine a good buy.
• Gigabyte Aorus 17X: The Gigabyte Aorus 17X delivers a premium GPU and CPU in a surprisingly portable package for a 17-inch laptop. But the laptop’s dim display disappoints.
• Asus Vivobook S 15: The Asus Vivobook S 15 is a competent entry into the Copilot Plus PC arena, but one that struggles to stand out from the alternatives.
• Acer Swift Edge 16: Acer’s Swift Edge 16’s low weight and good performance makes it a solid travel companion, though a small battery holds it back.
• Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge: The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge is an excellent Snapdragon X Elite-powered PC with a beautiful display, long battery life, and great build quality. But you’re paying extra for high-end Snapdragon X Elite hardware on the 16-inch model, and it doesn’t deliver the big performance bump you might expect.

The PCWorld team puts each and every Windows laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others we’ve tested. Chromebooks, on the other hand, go through a series of web-based tests. It wouldn’t be fair or possible to run the same kinds of tests on a Chromebook, as they’re Chrome OS-based machines.

Below, you’ll find a breakdown of each test and the reasons why we run them. For a much deeper look at our review methodology, check out how PCWorld tests laptops.

• PCMark 10: PCMark 10 is how we determine how well the laptop handles lighter tasks like web browsing, word processing, spreadsheets, and so on.
• HandBrake: HandBrake is more intensive than PCMark 10. It basically measures how long a laptop’s CPU takes to encode a beefy 30GB file.
• Cinebench: Cinebench is a brief stress test of the CPU cores. It does this by rendering a 2D scene over a short period of time.
• 3DMark: 3DMark checks if 3D performance remains consistent over time by running graphic-intensive clips.
• Video rundown test: To gauge battery life, we loop a 4K video using Windows 10’s Movies & TV app until the laptop dies.

The first thing to look for in a laptop for video editing is its CPU and GPU. The faster your hardware, the faster your edits.

If your workload is primarily CPU-driven, we’d recommend springing for the Intel Core i7 or the Intel Core i9. HX is designed for raw horsepower, which id deal for gaming and content creation, and the Ultra is built around power efficiency. For a more in-depth look at the difference between the two processors, we’ve done a thorough compare and contrast piece that really lays it all out. For those on a strict budget, you can get by with an Intel Core i5, but it’s going to be slower.

You probably won’t need a dedicated graphics card everyday video editing, but if you work on motion graphics, then the extra firepower really comes in handy. For most video editing projects, we’d suggest the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 or higher, though having any RTX GPU onboard can help accelerate some specific workloads. For those who prefer AMD over Nvidia, we’d recommend the AMD Radeon RX 7600S or higher. Unless you’re looking to play AAA games on the side, you don’t really need the best graphics card out there. A mid-range GPU will serve most people.

Another thing to consider is storage size. A 4K video, for example, will require more storage space than a 1080p video. In other words, you’re going to need quite a bit of storage, otherwise your laptop might get too bogged down. For those who work with 4K resolution, you should go for at least 1TB of SSD or higher. You could probably get by with just 512GB of SSD storage, but you’ll probably need to keep offloading files onto an external storage device.

RAM is important too, as it determines how fast your laptop will generally run. Video editors tend to work with large files, which can cause your laptop to slow down. That’s why we’d recommend at least 16GB of RAM. However, if you’re editing 4K video, you’ll definitely want 32GB of RAM or more. More RAM reduces the likelihood of bottlenecks, which can be a real pain in the neck when you’re in the middle of an important edit.

You’re going to want a display that’s both bright and color accurate. For example, a display that’s close to 100 percent of the sRGB spectrum is ideal. While a 4K display isn’t necessary, we’d strongly recommend it for serious video editing. A high resolution display will produce sharper images, which helps reduce eye strain, and allow you to edit 4K video at full resolution. A larger screen like a 15- or 17-inch is preferable as well, as it provides better visibility for editing.

PCWorld video director Adam Patrick Murray stresses that an ideal laptop for video editing includes an SD card reader for grabbing video off of a camera. He also recommends opting for a notebook with a 4K, 60Hz panel over the ultra-fast 1080p panels often found on gaming laptops that would otherwise be ideal for video editing. You need a 4K panel to edit 4K videos well and blazing-fast refresh rates don’t mean anything for video editing like they do for gaming. If color accuracy matters to you—it might not if you’re only creating casual videos for your personal YouTube channel, for example—then support for the full DCI-P3 color gamut is also a must along with Delta E < 2 color accuracy.

You won’t often find those sorts of specs listed for (or supported by) gaming laptops, but dedicated content creation laptops should include that information. That said, if you want the fastest possible laptop for video editing that can also satisfy your gaming proclivities, you can always pair that burly gaming laptop with a color-accurate external monitor for creation tasks.