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Portable apps are applications and tools that can be started directly and without prior installation. The advantage of this is that the programs are immediately ready for use and can be started from an internal or external hard drive or a USB stick. Useful tools are then also available for analyzing and maintaining a second or third-party computer, for example. Below we present the best portable applications for hardware analysis and system tuning, as well as a basic setup with media player, image editing, and word processing. Set up and use the PortableApps.com platform As a starting point for most portable applications, the PortableApp.com Platform is used to manage the programs and as a convenient program launcher. The tool also checks whether updates are available, which can be installed with a single click. PortableApps.com Platform shows a menu with categories and programs. The portable applications can also be started from a USB stick. PortableApps.com Unzip the portable app package to any directory on the hard drive or directly to a USB stick. You can specify the root directory or a subdirectory as the destination. The “PortableApps” folder contains the programs; you can use the “Documents” folder for your own files. Launcher: Start PortableApps.com Platform via “Start.exe.” The program interface opens with the application menu. When you start a program or click with the mouse on the desktop, the window closes automatically. The tool appears as a button in the taskbar and as an icon in the notification area next to the clock. The programs are sorted into categories such as “Graphics and Pictures,” “Hardware,” “Security,” and “System,” and can be started with a click of the mouse. The search bar serves as a filter; only menu entries that match the pattern entered are displayed. Configuration: PortableApps.com Platform can be configured by clicking on “Options.” On the “Organization” tab, you can define the structure of the application list. For example, select “Show all alphabetically” if you want to see the list of all programs but no categories. Under “Advanced,” “Keep menu open after application start” can be a useful option. If activated, the menu remains open after you have started a program. This allows you to try out several programs without having to call up the menu again each time. Click on “OK” to save the settings. Installing programs: Go to “Applications > More applications > By category.” A window opens with a list of additional programs that can be downloaded. Tick the desired entries and click on “Install.” Remove programs: If you do not need a program, simply delete it from the “PortableApps” folder. Add programs manually: You can also create folders with additional portable tools. PortableApps.com Platform searches for executable files in all subdirectories at startup and displays new programs in the “Other” category. A program can be assigned to another category via the “Category” context menu item. Tools for Windows tuning and system maintenance Many Windows settings are hidden in the depths of the system or cannot be changed at all by default. Winaero Tweaker: The tool provides quick access to Windows options and settings, which it usually changes directly in the registry. IDG Winaero Tweaker provides access to numerous options and settings. The “tweaks” are listed in a tree view. The tool determines the version of the operating system and only displays the settings available for it. The description texts are usually brief; if you want to know more, click on “See more details how this tweak works” (or similar). The website then shows further information. Tweak Power offers an interface for a number of system tasks. Under “Cleaning” you can remove traces of web browser use. The “Windows” section provides quick access to many Windows settings — for example, in the areas of “Operation” (mouse, keyboard), “Administration” (user logon, system startup), and “Visual Styler” (system icons, screen saver). Tweak Power also offers functions for managing autostart programs, and can fix errors in the file system and optimize system settings. Tweak Power offers a host of ways you can maintain and optimize your PC.Tweak Power Tweaking.com Windows Repair AIO can fix numerous Windows problems, such as resetting incorrectly set file permissions, re-registering system files, or repairing the Windows update. Windows Repair recommends carrying out all repairs in safe mode. To do this, click on “Restart in safe mode.” As soon as Windows is running again, restart Windows Repair. First carry out the steps recommended by the wizard. Under “System tools,” create a backup of the registry before making any changes to the system. Then click on “Repairs > Main part” and “Call up repairs.” Select the desired repair functions. Hardware analysis and inventory Information about what is in the PC helps, for example, when searching for drivers. However, it is also advisable to keep an eye on the condition of the drives and the temperature of the components in order to prevent failures. Speccy: Find out what hardware is installed in the PC and display the temperatures of the motherboard, CPU, graphics chip, hard drives and SSDs. IDG Speccy quickly provides the most important data on CPU, RAM, graphics chip and motherboard. It shows the manufacturer and type designations of the components as well as the temperature of the CPU and SSDs or hard drives. The S.MA.R.T values provide information on the status of the drives. Hwinfo displays particularly extensive details about the hardware. The “System overview” window provides data on the CPU, motherboard, and GPU, while the main window lists all components found. “Sensors” provides a more detailed insight into the current values of the CPU, RAM, drives, and network adapters — for example, the clock frequency, voltage supply, temperature, power consumption, and transfer rates. CPU-Z, GPU-Z, SSD-Z, and PCI-Z specialize in the values of the processor, graphics chip, SSD, and PCI bus. Crystal Disk Info displays drives and the requested S.M.A.R.T. data. Crystal Disk Mark: The tool measures the read and write speed of hard disks and SSDs. You can find out whether a drive actually delivers the expected performance. IDG Crystal Disk Mark is a performance test for hard disks and SSDs. The tool can determine the transfer rate with different file sizes. This can be used to determine whether an SSD is working as fast as it should. Using a USB stick for system installation Windows or Linux systems can be set up quickly from a USB stick. Installation systems are usually delivered as an ISO file, the contents of which you must first transfer to a USB stick. This works particularly reliably for a large number of systems with Rufus. If you start Rufus from a stick with the portable tool collection, you need a second USB stick as the installation target. The stick will be formatted and all files on it will be lost. Ventoy: Several ISO files can be booted from a USB stick prepared with this tool, for example for Windows or Linux installation. IDG An alternative is Ventoy. This tool also reformats the USB stick. However, you can copy the portable tool collection to the hard drive, then format the stick with Ventoy and then copy the tool collection back to the stick. Place the ISO files of the operating systems on the stick. When you boot the PC from the stick, Ventoy displays a menu from which you can start the desired installation system. Programs for network and internet Windows only offers a few diagnostic options for the network. You can display the most important data, such as IP address and connection speed, in the “Settings” via “Network and Internet.” In the terminal, ipconfig can help. Angry IP Scanner: Enter the IP range of the network and click on “Start.” The IP numbers of all devices in the local network are then displayed in the list. Angry IP Scanner Angry IP Scanner scans an IP range and displays the network resources found. This is useful in foreign networks to track down all devices. The tool also shows whether a device is listening on ports 80 and/or 443, which indicates a configuration interface that can be called up in the browser. Port Expert shows processes that are currently using the internet connection. Web browsers that establish a connection via ports 80 or 443 (HTTP and HTTPS) are to be expected. If unknown programs that use unusual ports appear in the list, this could be malware. Firefox is useful as a portable version if you want to use the browser on other people’s computers with the usual settings. Access data can also be saved with the portable browser. Protect them in the settings under “Privacy and security” with a sufficiently complex master password. Graphics, image editing, and office applications A basic software package should also include image viewers and image editing as well as simple programs for document processing. Irfan View is a powerful image viewer that supports numerous graphic formats and can therefore open almost any image file. In addition to image viewing and browser functions, Irfan View also enables the post-processing of graphic files. You can rotate, flip, crop, sharpen, or add effects to images without loss. Paint.Net can be used to edit photos and create drawings. Functions such as image cropping, scaling, red-eye removal, color saturation, contrast, and brightness adjustment are available. Screentogif is helpful if you want to record some work steps on the PC as a tutorial. The screen recorder creates a sequence of images that can be saved as an animated GIF. The animation can be opened and played in the web browser or in Irfan View. Abi Word is a clearly organized word processor and can also handle files created with Microsoft Word or Libre Office, for example. The Windows version is no longer being developed, but Abi Word is certainly sufficient for occasional use. The text editor Notepad++ does more than Microsoft Notepad. Files can be opened in several tabs and syntax highlighting makes it easier to edit configuration files, for example. The PDF reader Sumatra PDF fulfils simple requirements. It displays bookmarks and you can rotate pages if necessary. If you want to edit PDFs, you can use PDF-Xchange Editor. You can use it to change or add text to PDFs. Programs for audio and video Not every PC has programs that can play all audio and video formats. To be prepared for presentations, for example, you should have your own media player ready. VLC Media Player can play all common audio and video files. It comes with all the necessary codecs and is not dependent on what is installed on the PC. SMPlayer has many of the same capabilities as the popular VLC Media Player, but with more customization options.SMPlayer Smplayer has roughly the same capabilities as VLC. The program is a good alternative if you want more customization options for the user interface. Audacity is an audio editor that is suitable for recording, editing, and playing back audio files in various formats. As of version 3.5, AI functions can also be used in the program. Audacity: The audio editor offers a wide range of editing functions. Withthe Openvino plug-in, Audacity can also convert audio files into text.Audacity Tools for more security Clam Win: The free virus scanner is easy to use and scans the selected drive or only certain folders or files. IDG A virus scanner can probably be found on every PC by now. However, it can’t hurt to get a second opinion if malware is suspected. ClamWin is a free open-source virus scanner. When starting, you confirm the update of the signature files, then select the drive, folder, or file and click on “Scan.” Stinger was originally developed by McAfee, but is now maintained by Trellix. After starting, simply click on “Scan” to check the system drive. Click on “Customize my scan” if you want to select drives or folders. Spybot – Search & Destroy is a long-established product for searching for unwanted software and browser tracking cookies. After clicking on “Scan system,” the tool scans the drives and displays the findings. Check the results, uncheck the boxes next to entries that you do not want to delete, and click on “Fix selected.” Read...

Gaming laptops have become extraordinarily powerful over the last few generations. They now boast impressive CPU and graphics performance previously only possible on desktops, and a robust laptop can even have a top-tier display with fast refresh rate, too. Prices have also increased to accommodate the greater technology, though, and that may leave you wondering an important question: how long does a gaming laptop really last? Thiago Trevisan / IDG This question can actually be interpreted two different ways, so I’m going to dive deep and address both angles: first, what is the expected lifespan of gaming laptop hardware before it physically breaks down; and second, how long does a gaming laptop remain relevant before it falls behind in performance and becomes obsolete. Related: The best gaming laptops for every budget Keep reading to understand how long a modern gaming laptop can last, what factors influence longevity, and tips for what you can do to keep your own laptop alive as long as possible. How long before a gaming laptop dies? The very design of a laptop makes it more fragile and susceptible to damage and destruction. If you spill liquid on a keyboard, maybe it dies — but if you spill on a laptop keyboard, it hits the components underneath and can fry the entire device. Likewise, the hinges and display on a laptop are way more vulnerable than an external monitor. And if your laptop screen cracks, it’s not as simple as picking up a new monitor — laptop screen repairs are difficult, costly, and often times not even feasible. Pro tip: If you break your laptop screen, the silver lining is that you may still be able to salvage the laptop itself by connecting it to an external monitor and running the laptop in clamshell mode (i.e., with the lid closed) to bypass the broken display. Learn more about using an external monitor with your gaming laptop as well as using a laptop with multiple monitors. Thiago Trevisan / IDG Other components — like the trackpad, keyboard, and speakers — are less likely to break, but they still might. At least for these, you have the option of external replacements: a wireless mouse, a Bluetooth keyboard, 3.5mm speakers, USB headphones, etc. All that said, the real “problem” that drastically shortens a gaming laptop’s expected lifespan versus the lifespan of a gaming PC is heat. Excess heat degrades electronic components. That’s just science. Thiago Trevisan / IDG Think about how much more room a desktop case has versus a laptop body. All of that additional space provides greater airflow and better heat exhaustion. When you’re maxing your game settings and pushing your system to its limits, the compact and restricted nature of a laptop’s construction is going to cause wear and tear faster. Related: What to do if your gaming laptop is running hot With typical use, you can expect a gaming laptop to last about 4 to 6 years. If you take care of it, it could last up to 10 years or more; if you neglect it, it could die within 3 years. For the expected lifespan of a particular component (e.g., GPU), look for the manufacturer’s warranty duration. That’s how long the company expects it to last, so you can use that as a guideline. Any additional life is a bonus. How long does a gaming laptop remain relevant? What about with upgrades? It depends on what you mean by “relevant.” Do you want to play the latest and greatest AAA games with all the settings cranked up to max while maintaining at least 60 FPS? Then you’ll need a top-tier gaming laptop with a cutting-edge GPU, and you’ll probably want to replace it about every 1.5 to 2 years to ensure you have the fastest and most performant hardware available. Related: Why are gaming laptops so expensive? Explained But if you don’t mind gradually lowering your settings over time as your hardware begins to lag behind, and if you can tolerate a “playable” FPS in the 30 range, then you could get a high-end gaming laptop today and keep playing AAA titles for the next 5 years or so. Now, here’s the wonderful thing about having a gaming laptop: Even though laptops are generally less upgradeable than desktop PCs, you can still upgrade your laptop. When your gaming laptop can’t quite keep up anymore, you can get another year or two out of it with upgrades. First, let’s talk about what isn’t upgradeable. The CPU — likely an AMD or Intel if it’s a gaming laptop — isn’t upgradeable in laptops. There was a time when desktop CPUs were used in big gaming laptops, but those days are long behind us. If you want a better CPU, you’ll need to pony up the cash for an entirely new laptop. Some users have been known to open up their aging laptops and apply fresh thermal paste to the CPU, which can lower heat and prolong its life. Aside from that, there isn’t much you can do in the CPU department. You’re stuck with your laptop’s GPU and CPU, so choose wisely.Thiago Trevisan / IDG The GPU, or graphics card, also isn’t upgradeable in laptops. You’re stuck with whatever you choose at the time of purchase, so it’s typically wise to buy the best laptop you can afford (if you care about longevity). While you can potentially connect an external GPU to your laptop via Thunderbolt, external GPUs have limitations. However, it is an option, and it’s worth considering if you have an under-powered, older GPU. In that sense, a gaming laptop with a Thunderbolt port has more ways to prolong its relevancy. Related: Which laptop parts are worth upgrading? With those out of the way, let’s talk about the parts that can be upgraded in laptops and how well they keep your laptop relevant. The RAM, which will be of the smaller SO-DIMM variety in laptops, can usually be upgraded. Most high-end gaming laptops come with either 16GB or 32GB (with 32GB being the better option for future-proofing), but there’s often room to upgrade to a total of 64GB. Few people actually need that much RAM right now, but the option is there. Thiago Trevisan / IDG RAM upgrades are typically as easy as swapping out one module for another, or plugging a module into an empty second slot. Some more enthusiast-grade laptops even allow for RAM overclocking to eke out every bit of performance, giving it more lasting power. The next big upgrade point on a gaming laptop is the storage, typically an NVMe SSD drive in modern machines. Your choice of SSD will have a significant impact on both transfer speed and storage capacity, and some gaming laptops even have extra slots for multiple drives so you can keep them loaded with as many games as you have. If your gaming laptop has Thunderbolt or fast USB-C ports, you can even connect external drives to store games and data. This flexibility is one way to extend the practical lifespan of a gaming laptop, since the storage is upgradeable both internally and externally. A fresh Windows install can also breathe new life into a gaming laptop, removing bloat that has built up over time. Related: Why you should reset your Windows PC every year Tips to keep your gaming laptop going An old laptop’s lifespan can be stretched out if a few precautions are taken. For example, protective cases and covers can help minimize damage from dings and drops, especially during transport. But more importantly, laptop longevity really comes down to basic routine maintenance. Properly dusting the inside every few weeks or months (depending on how dusty your environment is) will keep the system clear of debris and reduce impediments to air circulation. Laptop cooling pads and stands can improve a laptop’s lifespan.Thiago Trevisan / IDG Along those lines, you should consider getting a laptop cooling pad or laptop stand, one that raises it and improves airflow. (The cooling apparatus of a gaming laptop is usually found in the bottom or backside, and they lay flat on the surface.) A simple laptop stand can improve temperatures, and thus longevity, of the machine. Some fancy cooling pads with fans also exist, which can blow cool air through during a long gaming session. Related: Are laptop cooling pads worth it? Undervolting the CPU should only be attempted by experienced users, but it can also lower thermals and improve durability. Not every gaming laptop has an unlocked CPU (which is necessary for undervolting), but for the ones that do, there are potential gains there. Apart from hardware maintenance, you can also further extend your laptop’s expected lifespan by being mindful of your gaming settings and how hard you push your machine. Thiago Trevisan / IDG Upscaling, whether through Nvidia’s DLSS 3 or AMD’s FSR 3, can be terrific for lightening the load. If your budget allows it, consider getting a GeForce RTX 40 Series laptop that supports Nvidia’s frame generation so it can punch above its weight as it ages. AMD also has its own version of frame generation that can work across more GPUs. Note: Laptop GPUs are weaker than their desktop counterparts. Even if your laptop has a GeForce RTX 4090, you can’t push it as hard as you could an RTX 4090 on a desktop. Gaming laptops have to sacrifice some performance due to design restrictions, but they make up for it with their portability and all-in-one factor. There are also several other game settings and tweaks you can make to crank out more performance without more heat, or keep the same performance while reducing heat. Learn more in our articles on vital gaming laptop settings to tweak and key settings to change in the Nvidia App if you’re a GeForce gamer. Keep using it as long as you’re happy To reiterate, a well-built gaming laptop will last you several years — both in terms of physical lifespan as well as relevant gaming performance — as long as you make a smart purchase, keep it well-maintained, and optimize your laptop setup and game settings. Thiago Trevisan / IDG When it starts to lag behind with age, you can keep it going with RAM and storage upgrades, a fresh Windows re-install, and possibly even an external GPU and external storage. Just remember that you should be able to get at least 5 years out of a good gaming laptop with typical use, as long as you’re okay with gradually lowering your standards over time. 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