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| RadioNZ - 29 May (RadioNZ)![NZ Located](/pimages/nzsmall.gif) It has been billed as the most important date for the future of the game, but what does it all mean? Read...Newslink ©2024 to RadioNZ | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 29 May (PC World)Did you know that computers have artificial intelligence now? You didn’t? How’s that? We’ve been subjected to an absolute avalanche of marketing touting AI from seemingly every tech company, from Microsoft and Nvidia to laptop makers and even thermal paste sellers. Well if you’ve somehow avoided the AI blitz, possibly by using a Chromebook, you’re about to get it in spades from Google.
The company has been pushing its Gemini (nee Bard) AI tools into most of its high-profile products, most notably Chrome and Android. Now Chromebook Plus, Google’s higher tier of ChromeOS laptops revealed last year, are slated to be Google’s flagship platform for the best and brightest of Gemini, with a few tools and options that aren’t available elsewhere.
With all this coming just a week after Microsoft’s big push for Copilot+ hardware, its own brand of devices that can access its cutting-edge generative AI tools, it’s hard to see this as anything but Google and Microsoft squaring up for a good old-fashioned tech race. (That’s not even mentioning Google’s all-AI, all-the-time I/O presentation.) While there’s a lot of crossover between Copilot and Gemini, Google is highlighting that its tools will be available at a far lower entry price — just $350 for the cheapest Chromebooks that meet the Plus designation, and come with a year of premium AI features for free.
What features? Let’s break it down. These tools are spread out within the Chromebook Plus interface, or available as more of a standard chat prompt by clicking the Gemini button on the task bar.
‘Help me write’ text generation
This will surely be the big draw if you’re convinced of AI’s power to save you time on office-style work. Gemini’s text-based prompts aren’t doing anything that we haven’t seen before with Copilot and similar systems, but it is surprisingly fast, and available just about everywhere that the Chrome browser is, plus all of the slightly skinned web apps in ChromeOS. Users can give direct prompts for text generation, modify existing text (like “make this headline shorter”), or choose from a quick list of auto-generated suggestions.
Google
Google
Google
Trying this out in person was impressive in terms of speed, but had the usual hiccups that generative AI users might be accustomed to at this point. Getting Gemini to give me a PowerPoint (or Google Slides) presentation on a specific topic was easy, but I still needed to go through it, touch things up, and cut out some irrelevant info. It certainly saved a lot of time, if not to the magical degree that Google’s presentation promised.
Magic Editor for Google Photos
Owners of Google’s Pixel phones have had access to some of these advanced photo editing tools for some time now, and they’re coming to Chromebook Plus owners now. These are particularly impressive once you bring them to a bigger screen, with the ability to move, resize, and otherwise gently alter objects (including people) and automatically adjust the rest of the image to match.
Google
Google
Google
As someone who’s been a Photoshop jockey for decades, the system’s ability to quickly select relevant objects and accurately fill in backgrounds was impressive. Even though I can do this stuff myself, the Magic Editor does it 10 times faster and without any immediately obvious artifacts. Since I use Windows for my work machine, I’m genuinely jealous that this won’t be available outside of Chromebook Plus devices.
AI-generated wallpaper and video call backgrounds
These are some interesting options, but by far the least useful of Google’s demonstrations. The Chromebook interface will allow Plus users to input prompts for AI-generated wallpaper for free. This seems like something that’s done so infrequently that it’s kind of an afterthought for Google’s big-iron AI systems, but what the hey, everybody wants cool-looking wallpaper.
Google
Google
Google
The video backgrounds are perhaps more relevant to everyday use. The same system will let you generate backgrounds that will appear behind you in video conferencing, no greenscreen required. The generation is the new thing here — pretty much every video chat system will give you the option to set a custom background. But Google representatives did say that this tool is platform-agnostic — it’ll work fine on browser-based Zoom or Teams running in ChromeOS, as well as Google Meet.
2TB of cloud storage and Gemini Advanced for a year
Android phones and Chromebooks have often come with freebies from Google — a current promotion will give you 100GB of Google One storage and three months of YouTube Premium for any Chromebook purchase, for example. If you buy a Chromebook Plus model starting today, you get 12 months of free access to the Google One AI tier, which includes use of Gemini Advanced and 2TB of Google Drive remote storage. After a year it’ll cost $19.99.
Gemini Advanced includes the more general “Help me write” tool above, available in the Chrome browser on any platform. Other, more specific tools, like the Magic Editor and the AI wallpapers, are only available on Chromebook Plus hardware.
Other new features coming to Chromebooks
In addition to the AI-centric announcements, Google showed off new stuff coming to all current Chromebooks with free software updates.
GIF recording
ChromeOS is getting a built-in screen recorder that can output in GIF format. My fellow tech writers should appreciate this.
Game Dashboard and touchscreen control remapping
ChromeOS is getting an Xbox Game Bar-style interface for playing over games, be they web-based, local (including Android games downloaded from the Play Store), and streaming (RIP, Stadia). More notably, the system includes a tool to map out touchscreen controls to the mouse and keyboard, making phone-only and controller-only games playable on a laptop.
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
It’s nothing we haven’t seen before with third-party tools, but appreciated nonetheless. Even if you already have a touchscreen on your Chromebook, this should be a welcome addition for gamers.
Google Tasks integration in the taskbar
Google
Google
Google
Click on the taskbar’s clock to bring up a mini-calendar, which now includes a quick view of Google Tasks for the logged-in account. Very nice, but I feel burned as a Google Keep fan. The graveyard beckons…
Faster Chromebook setup for Android users
If you buy a new Chromebook and you have an Android-powered phone handy, you can scan a QR code on the former to sync all your relevant Google data across, including Wi-Fi networks and passwords.
Even more stuff coming to Chromebooks soon
Google also demonstrated a bunch of new tools it hopes to bring to Chromebook users sometime later this year. The most dramatic was probably the ability to combine voice-to-text typing with “AI-powered” facial scanning, which allows a user to control a huge amount of the interface without using their hands. For example, the user dictates an email message, then moves their head a bit to guide the cursor down to the “Send” button, and quirks their mouth to the left to click it.
Google
Google
Google
It’s definitely a bit awkward, and I think it’s trying to work around including expensive accessibility tech (like dedicated eye tracking sensors) into low-cost Chromebooks. But the live demo, awkward as it was, seemed to have a lot of promise. We’ll see if this makes it to a release candidate, or slowly disappears into the news background, as these features sometimes do.
In addition to “Help me write,” Google is working on Gemini-powered “Help me read.” This is basically the same as ChatGPT’s auto-generated summaries, but for a specific website or document you’re looking at. Helpful in a sort of auto-speed-read kind of way, but this one is also going to be limited to Chromebook Plus models, at least at the start.
Google
Google
Google
Google is working on a system that will help you pick up from where you left off automatically when you log into a Chromebook. It’s kind of like a browser remembering all the tabs you had open when you closed it, but it’ll include multiple apps and files, including cross-device compatibility where possible. An example of reading a long article on iOS and picking it up on your Chromebook. It’s nothing you couldn’t do already with various apps and tools, just hopefully a bit more seamless.
New Chromebook models (sort of)
Google’s presentation and demo area had a handful of recent and new Chromebooks. These are all pretty basic machines, as Chromebooks tend to be, and mild refreshes of existing hardware. Notably, the cheapest Chromebook with all those Plus extras is now $349.99, down from $399.99 late last year.
Google
Google
Google
Chromebook Plus devices require at least a Core i3 12th-gen/Ryzen 3 7000 CPU or better, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a full HD IPS screen, and a 1080p webcam. There are seven new Plus models being announced today from Acer, Asus, and HP. But again, there’s nothing mind-blowing here — they all seem to be mild chassis refreshes and CPU bumps.
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
The most interesting model continues to be Acer’s “Gaming Chromebook,” the 516 GE, which PCWorld reviewed last month. Just keep in mind that, due to ChromeOS’s web-focused structure, you can really only make the most of its gaming keyboard and high-refresh screen if you have access to some serious cloud-based games, a la GeForce Now or Xbox Game Pass. We’ve seen others on this list before too, including the Asus Plus CX34 and the Acer Spin 714.
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
I also tried out the Asus Chromebook CM30, a MediaTek-based tablet with a Surface-style keyboard and kickstand. Notably, this is not a Chromebook Plus machine…and it shows. The thing chugged even as a demo. Chromebooks can generally get away with far less RAM than a Windows laptop. But I think ChromeOS has gotten so resource-intensive that this 10-inch tablet’s battery-sipping Arm processor and eMMC storage were overwhelmed.
Chromebooks Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 28 May (PC World)On June 26, 2024 Facebook will change its privacy policy with regard to generative AI features such as Meta AI. From that point on, posts and photos from all users will be read by the AI to help train them and improve services such as the AI Creative Tool. Meta is currently providing information about this on Facebook.
Private messages will not be affected, only public texts and images. Nevertheless, many users may be sceptical about this new regulation due to data protection concerns or for personal reasons.
Meta emphasizes that every user has the “right to object.” We explain below how you can object to the use of your data.
What do the new Facebook guidelines mean?
Firstly, an explanation of the specific consequences of the policy. Anyone who does not lodge an objection automatically consents to the use of their data by Meta. This means that Meta may use all information shared with the public to feed and train its AI models with the data. This is intended to teach the AIs to generate better texts and images.
The following content is then affected:
Public posts on Facebook
Posted photos and captions
Messages to AI chatbots from Facebook
Meta cites “legitimate interest” as the legal basis for the new regulation and therefore assumes that the use of the data will help both the company and the user. For example, by enabling Facebook to make better suggestions or improve services such as the AI Creative Tool. AI can also be used to moderate posts on Facebook.
Whether you also see these improvements as an advantage and want to help train Meta’s AI services is up to you.
How do I object to the new policy?
In order to prevent your data from being used by Meta, you must expressly object. This can be done using a specific form that can be found on this Facebook help page.
Enter your place of residence, your email address, and a reason for the objection. Possible reasons could be concerns about data protection, a general concern about the use of AI, or the belief that the use of your data will be helpful neither for Meta nor for you as a user.
Meta is obliged to review the objection and assess it in accordance with applicable data protection laws. But beware: Even if the objection is upheld, Facebook may still use a small portion of your data for AI training, for example when other people share content from you or mention you in posts.
The use of user data for AI training was already foreseeable toward the end of last year. However, the new regulations are now coming into effect for the first time. You still have until the end of June to submit an objection in order to be exempt.
Further reading: I changed these 11 Facebook settings, and you should too
This article was translated from German to English and originally appeared on pcwelt.de.
Security Software and Services Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 28 May (PC World)At a glanceExpert`s Rating
ProsHigh-end performancePremium build qualityA great mechanical keyboardExcellent speakersConsExpensiveLow display brightnessNo HDR for gamesNo Ethernet jackOur VerdictThe Alienware x16 R2 is a premium 16-inch gaming laptop at a premium price. But its mechanical keyboard and the highest-end hardware will cost you extra.
The Alienware x16 R2 is a high-end 16-inch gaming laptop. An Alienware representative told me this machine is Alienware’s “most premium ever.” It comes at a premium price, too — this is the kind of machine you pick if you want a polished experience with an all-metal chassis, mechanical keyboard, and high-end speakers. It’s not a value-focused gaming laptop that will give you the most gaming performance possible at the lowest price point. But if a more premium design is what you’re looking for, this might be the gaming laptop for you.
Looking for other options? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best gaming laptops.
Alienware x16 R2: Specs
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Alienware x16 R2 is a 16-inch gaming laptop with a lot of powerful hardware inside. Our review model had a high-end Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU, but the base model is also available with a Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 155H CPU. These are both Intel Meteor Lake CPUs, which means this laptop comes with the neural processing unit hardware that may become important to take advantage of AI features in Windows and other applications one day.
The model we reviewed had Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 graphics hardware, but Alienware also offers a higher-end model with GeForce RTX 4090 hardware — or you can step down and choose an RTX 4060 or RTX 4070.
Alienware included 32 GB of RAM our review model, but the base model has 16 GB. Additionally, we had a machine 1 TB of solid-state storage, but you can get versions of this laptop that come with a built-in RAID — up to two 4TB storage drives for a combined 8TB of solid-state storage.
The Alienware x16 R2 we got our hands on had a mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX ultra low-profle switches, but the base model comes standard with an “Alienware X Series keyboard” — a more traditional laptop keyboard.
Finally, the laptop we reviewed included a 16-inch 2560×1600 resolution IPS display with a 240Hz refresh rate. Alienware told us you can also get this laptop with a 2220×1080 display with a blazing-fast 480Hz refresh rate.
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 185H
Memory: 32GB LPDDR5X, 7467MT/s
Graphics/GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080
Display: 16-inch 2560×1600 IPS display with 240Hz refresh rate
Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
Webcam: 1080p webcam with HDR
Connectivity: 1x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C with Power Delivery and DisplayPort), 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Mini DisplayPort 1.4, 1x combo headset jack, 1x microSD card slot, 1x DC power in
Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Biometrics: IR camera for Windows Hello
Battery capacity: 90 Watt-hours
Dimensions: 14.36 x 11.41 x 0.73 inches
Weight: 5.86 pounds
MSRP: $3,199 as tested ($2099 base price)
Alienware x16 R2: Design and build quality
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Alienware x16 R2 is a well-designed gaming laptop. While it’s a 16-inch gaming laptop weighing in at nearly six pounds, the curved edges ensure it doesn’t look or feel too blocky. Alienware calls the color scheme “Lunar Silver.” The laptop’s lid is silver with a glowing alien head logo you can customize the color of, the inside of the laptop is black, and the back of the laptop — where all the ports are conveniently placed — is framed in white. The design is very Alienware, but it’s polished and not gaudy or over the top — as far as gaming laptops go.
This is a laptop with a full metal chassis. The lid and bottom of the laptop are made from anodized aluminum, there’s stainless steel around the keyboard, and the palm rest is made of a magnesium alloy. It feels nice to hold, and the solid metals give the laptop more of a premium feel than less-expensive gaming laptops that are often just made of plastic. (Plastic is fine and there’s nothing wrong with it, but there’s certainly something that feels high end about a nice metal laptop.)
There’s no weird flex to the laptop’s chassis, and the screen is very solid — it wobbles very little when you adjust its position.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The LEDs are well integrated: The keyboard offers per-key backlighting, and the entire touchpad’s surface has backlighting, too. (The touchpad backlighting turns on when you’re using it and then fades away a few seconds after you take your finger off of it, so it’s not always distracting.) The alien head logo on the lid is backlit, too.
The back of the laptop also has “stadium” backlighting, with a sleek-looking lightbar around the panel with the ports on the back of the laptop. All this “AlienFX” backlighting is customizable in the included Alienware Command Center software. But, out of the box, everything is a nice shade of blue — no over-the-top rainbow effect the first time you boot it up. (But you can configure it to look like that, if you like!)
It’s also worth noting that the touchpad and “stadium” backlighting on the back of the laptop have “100 micro LEDs,” according to Alienware. This means you can customize them with a variety of different colors and effects — you don’t have to choose just a single color.
Alienware x16 R2: Keyboard and trackpad
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Alienware x16 R2 we reviewed had an excellent keyboard. This is no surprise — the model we reviewed came with a mechanical keyboard with CherryMX ultra-low profile switches. Since this is a mechanical keyboard, the keys have a great tactile feel and “clickiness” to them — totally different from the standard keyboards you’ll experience on the average laptop.
Mechanical keyboards aren’t too common on gaming laptops. They’re usually found more on the external keyboards you’d use with desktop gaming PCs.
While I’m a big fan of mechanical keyboards — and so are many other gamers and PC users in general — they’re not a must-have feature. If you’ve never tried a mechanical keyboard, you should give one a try in person to decide how important this feature is to you, since it’s an additional upcharge and not included on the base model.
Mechanical keyboards tend to be on the loud side. While this is fairly quiet for a mechanical keyboard, it’s definitely a bit noisier than the average non-mechanical keyboard. If you’ll be gaming in a quiet room with someone sleeping next to you, the mechanical keyboard version of this laptop probably isn’t ideal. Otherwise, the sound is probably no big deal.
This laptop’s touchpad also feels excellent with a pleasantly smooth surface and good location. I’ve used gaming laptops with larger touchpads, but the touchpad’s size was never an issue — and the compact size ensures palm rejection works well, too. I wasn’t accidentally bumping it while typing.
Alienware x16 R2: Display and speakers
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Alienware x16 R2 has a 16-inch 2560×1600 IPS display with a 240Hz refresh rate. The display looks good, but there are some things you need to be aware of.
First, this laptop’s display doesn’t have full support for HDR. Alienware says it supports Dolby Vision videos, so that will be nice when streaming Dolby Vision-enabled content. But this is a gaming laptop, and it’s notable that the display does not support HDR in video games.
Speaking of brightness, this display is on the dim side. It offers just 300 nits of brightness. Other high-end gaming laptops — the Asus ROG Strix Scar, for example — offer 500 nits of brightness.
The laptop looked good while gaming. It felt a lot brighter and looked better than the on-paper brightness numbers would lead me to expect. And that 240Hz refresh rate makes for a smooth experience. But the Alienware x16 R2 is definitely behind some of its competitors on brightness and HDR.
The x16 R2’s speakers sound excellent — perhaps the best speakers I’ve ever heard in a gaming laptop. You’re getting a decent amount of bass (for a laptop.) It’s a six-speaker system with two upward-firing tweeters, one on each side of the keyboard. If you plan to do a lot of gaming with the laptop’s speakers — rather than plugging in a pair of headphones or external speakers — you’re getting a worthwhile premium speaker setup with this laptop.
Alienware x16 R2: Webcam, microphone, biometrics
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Alienware x16 R2 comes with a 1080p webcam with HDR. The webcam looks good — much better than the cheap 720p webcams that are often found in lower-end laptops. Also, thanks to the neural processing units (NPUs) included with Intel’s Meteor Lake chips, you get access to Windows Studio Effects — a suite of AI effects like Eye Contact that makes it look like you’re always looking at your webcam when you aren’t, as well as blurring your background and framing the video around your face.
The dual-array microphones work well for built-in microphones. I still would want to use a dedicated microphone for gaming sessions — especially if you’re blasting sound from those speakers — but the microphone setup is perfectly serviceable for online meetings or for gaming in a pinch.
The Alienware also comes with an IR camera for Windows Hello. It reliably signed me into Windows with my face in a variety of different lighting conditions. It’s a great convenience feature to have, and I missed Windows Hello when I reviewed a gaming laptop without it recently.
Alienware x16 R2: Connectivity
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Alienware x16 R2 has a rich selection of ports and great connectivity options — with the notable exception of an Ethernet port for a wired network connection, which is a popular feature on desktop-replacement laptops like this one.
All the ports on this laptop are conveniently located on the back of the laptop, ensuring cables aren’t sticking out to the sides of your laptop and getting in the way. Of course, if you’re a fan of USB and headset jacks on the side of your laptop, this may not be the machine for you — but you could always plug in in a USB-C hub or dongle for easier access.
On the back of the laptop, you’ll find a combo headphone jack, a microSD card reader slot, an HDMI 2.1 port, a Mini DisplayPort, and a power jack. You’ll also find a total of four USB ports: This machine has two USB-C ports, one of which is a Thunderbolt 4 port and one of which is a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port. There are also two USB-A ports, both of which support USB 3.2 Gen 1.
When it comes to wireless networking, this laptop is as futureproof as you can get thanks to its support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. You probably don’t have a Wi-Fi 7 router yet, so it’s not essential to have right now — but it means this laptop’s hardware will be ready when you upgrade your router. (Wi-Fi 7 connectivity isn’t available at launch and will be activated later in the year with a software update, according to Alienware.)
There’s one big omission: This laptop doesn’t offer a built-in Ethernet jack for wired network connections. Most gaming laptops of this size offer built-in Ethernet connectivity, but of course not everyone uses it. You’ll need a dongle if you want to connect it to your network via Ethernet — otherwise you’ll just be using Wi-Fi.
Alienware x16 R2: Performance
The Alienware x16 R2 delivered great performance in both gaming and day-to-day desktop use — that’s no surprise thanks to the high-end Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 graphics hardware, and 32GB of RAM.
I enjoyed playing Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty expansion with maxxed-out settings. The Alienware x16 R2 generates a lot of heat, but it has the cooling system to deal with it. Alienware says it has “Alienware Cryo-tech cooling technology,” and whatever it’s called, it worked well. It definitely moves a lot of hot air away from the laptop. The keyboard and other places you’d touch on the laptop stay cool enough that it’s not a problem.
But benchmarks will tell the full story. As always, we ran the Alienware x16 R2 through our standard benchmarks to see how it really performs.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
First, we run PCMark 10 to get an idea of overall system performance. While this is supposed to be an overall system performance benchmark, the CPU has a bigger impact than the GPU here. The 16-inch Alienware x16 R2 delivered a score of 7664.
That’s about what we’d expect to see — Alienware’s 18-inch m18 R2 with its Intel Core i9 185H CPU beats it. The Gigabyte Aorus 16X with its Intel Core i7-14650HX CPU also edges out the CPU in this Alienware laptop, but only by a little bit. Those Intel HX CPUs are delivering slightly better top-end performance than Intel’s latest Meteor Lake CPUs. Meteor Lake CPUs are more focused on power efficiency and AI performance, with their integrated neural processing unit.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
Next, we run Cinebench R20. This is a heavily multithreaded benchmark that focuses on overall CPU performance. It’s a quick benchmark, so cooling isn’t a huge factor. Since it’s multithreaded, CPUs with more cores deliver more performance and get higher scores.
The Alienware x16 R2 delivered a score of 7742. That’s a few notches below the Gigabyte Aorus 16X. Despite the Aorus having a “Core i7” CPU with a 7 in the model number rather than a 9, that particular CPU outperforms the Intel Core Ultra 9 in this laptop. If top-end CPU performance is what’s important to you, you’ll probably want a gaming laptop with an HX chip.
However, this isn’t representative of real-world gaming performance — these CPU differences don’t necessarily make that much of a difference in games, which are much more about GPU performance. A laptop’s cooling system is also an important factor, as we’ll see below.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
We also encode a video file with Handbrake. This is another heavily multithreaded benchmark, but it runs over an extended period of time. This demands the laptop’s cooling kick in, and many laptops will throttle and slow down under load.
The Alienware x16 R2 completed our standard encode process in 728 seconds — that’s just over 12 minutes. Interestingly enough, the Alienware x16 R2 outperformed the Gigabyte Aorus x16 R2 that beat it in the Cinebench benchmark. That suggests that the Alienware x16 R2 has a better cooling system that does a better job of keeping its CPU running cool under load, even if the CPU in the Aorus does have higher top-end performance.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
Next, we run a graphical benchmark — the most important type of benchmark for gauging gaming performance. We run 3Dmark Time Spy, a graphical benchmark that focuses on GPU performance.
The results give us a look at how the different Nvidia GeForce RTX GPUs compare to each other. The Alienware x16 R2, with its Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, delivered an average score of 17089. That’s a great score — a no-expenses-spared RTX 4090 is only 22 percent faster here. The RTX 4080 is significantly faster than the RTX 4070 — and much faster than the RTX 4060 and RTX 4050.
Next, we run the benchmarks in some games. First, we use the built-in benchmark in Shadow of the Tomb Raider to test all the gaming laptops we review. It’s an older game, but it’s a great way to compare graphical performance across different PCs.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Alienware x16 R2 ran the benchmark with an average performance of 166 frames per second. Once again, the RTX 4080 in the model we reviewed was slower than the top-of-the-line RTX 4090, but significantly faster than the RTX 4070.
Finally, we run the built-in benchmark in Metro Exodus. This is a more demanding game, and we set the benchmark to 1080p resolution at the Extreme detail setting.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Alienware x16 R2 delivered an average FPS of 72. Again, that’s midway between the performance of an RTX 4070 and an RTX 4090.
Overall, the Alienware x16 R2 delivered excellent performance. But this laptop is very customizable, and graphics performance will come down to which GPU you choose to put in your Alienware x16 R2 at checkout.
You may be able to get more top-end CPU performance by opting for a different laptop with an HX CPU instead of a Meteor Lake Core Ultra CPU — but remember that cooling is important, too. A Core Ultra-based laptop like this one may still deliver better sustained CPU performance than an HX-based laptop that has to throttle down to stay cool, as we saw in the Handbrake encode benchmark.
Alienware x16 R2: Battery life
Gaming laptops aren’t known for their long battery life, but the Alienware x16 R2 has a built-in 90 Watt-hour battery. That should deliver decent life — it’s nearly the biggest battery you can get. The largest batteries in gaming laptops top out around 99 Watt-hours, as the U.S. Transportation Security Administration won’t let you take larger batteries on airplanes.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
IDG / Chris Hoffman
To benchmark the battery life, we play a 4K copy of Tears of Steel on repeat in the Movies & TV app on Windows 11 with airplane mode enabled until the laptop suspends itself. We set the screen to 250 nits of brightness for our battery benchmark. This is a best-case scenario for any laptop since local video playback is so efficient. Bear in mind that real battery life in day-to-day use is always going to be less than this as you use various applications.
The Alienware x16 R2 delivered surprisingly good battery life for a 16-inch gaming laptop, running for an average of 425 minutes — that’s just over seven hours. It lasted 15 minutes longer than the Gigabyte Aorus 16X, despite that laptop having a larger 99 Watt-hour battery. This may be down to the difference in CPUs — as mentioned, the Meteor Lake-based Core Ultra CPU in this laptop is more focused on power efficiency than those HX CPUs, which are more focused on top-end performance.
It’s a great result for a gaming laptop. You aren’t going to be using this laptop away from an outlet for an entire eight-hour workday, but you have plenty of battery life to go for hours away from an outlet when you need it. (Bear in mind that all gaming laptops run games slower when they aren’t plugged in, so you’ll want to plug into an outlet to play games, anyway.)
Alienware x16 R2: Conclusion
The Alienware x16 R2 is a polished 16-inch gaming laptop with a good-lucking design, a nice all-metal chassis with great build quality, lots of customizable LEDs, and a collection of ports smartly placed on the back of the laptop. The mechanical keyboard on our review model felt great, too. It’s also very customizable with a wide range of different CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage options, and the configuration of our review model delivered great performance with excellent cooling.
There are a few weak points: You’ll find brighter displays elsewhere, and the lack of HDR support within games does feel like a shame at this high price point. Neither are deal-breakers, but they’d be nice to have upgrades on a premium gaming laptop. Additionally, if you want to use an Ethernet cable with your laptop, you won’t find that here — I know that will be a deal-breaker for some people.
Our review model was $3,199, so we’re definitely not in budget gaming laptop territory here. But the machine we reviewed was a high-end gaming laptop with an RTX 4080, mechanical keyboard, all-metal chassis, impressive speakers, and unusually long battery life for a gaming laptop. You’re paying extra for these things.
The base model starts at $2,099, which is a much lower cost than the model we reviewed— but you’re getting a Core Ultra 7 CPU, RTX 4060, 16GB of RAM, and no mechanical keyboard. These prices do feel a little high, and I expect you can save hundreds of dollars by choosing a less expensive gaming laptop with similar hardware — perhaps even an Alienware m16 R2. Those less-expensive laptops will probably be made of plastic instead of metal, though — and I don’t think their speakers will sound anywhere near as nice either. (Still, they may have brighter displays!)
Overall, the Alienware x16 R2 is a premium product at a premium price point, and that’s mostly what you’re getting — but it would be nice if that display had premium-level brightness and HDR support, too.
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| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 28 May (PC World)In the days of tech yore, antivirus software was just that. You installed the application and let it scan your system for malware.
But as protecting your PC became more complicated, vendors slowly morphed their offerings into full suites. Nowadays, a firewall and other safeguards like a browser extension, password manager, and VPN get dropped onto your system. You might even get a handful of utilities focused on optimizing your computer, rather than defending it.
To help you figure out what components are most important — as well as necessary for your situation — we’ve broken down the most common elements of today’s antivirus software.
Antivirus
At the heart of every antivirus plan is the engine that detects threats to your PC. These days, modern antivirus software both anticipates and roots out the presence of viruses and other malware, including ransomware.
Blocking malware before it even hits your computer is a key defense against situations like your PC being commandeered for botnet attacks, having your data stolen, and getting locked out of your documents and folders. It also can stop creepy behavior like being spied on through your webcam or having everything you do recorded (including what you type).
An antivirus engine does this by screening the websites you visit, as well as the email and apps on your PC, for phishing links and potential malicious downloads. Phishing attempts usually try to steal your passwords, credit card details, or other personal information by pretending to be a legitimate site and then capturing whatever data you input.
Ed Hardie
Ed Hardie
Ed Hardie
The other half of the protection comes from the antivirus engine’s ability to detect and then eliminate malware that does land on your PC. Typically, this monitoring happens in at least two forms: Real-time scanning watches for changed or new files, as well as unusual behavior from apps and Windows itself. Scheduled scans (especially if they’re full system scans) dig into your PC to make sure nothing was missed by the real-time scanning.
Antivirus apps and virus definitions get continual updates as new malware appears in the wild. So long as you buy a subscription from a reputable company (like those reviewed by leading security organizations AV-Test and AV-Comparatives), you’ll be kept up to date for your whole term. That applies even if you bought a plan labeled as 2024 and the year crosses over into 2025.
The plan you buy will dictate how many devices are covered — usually subscriptions support macOS, Android, and iOS gear in addition to Windows PCs. On rare occasion, Chromebooks are supported as well.
Firewall
Traffic doesn’t just go to your computer, but from it, too — and depending on the app, that data may contain info you don’t want to fall into the wrong hands. A malicious app can spy on what you’re doing, and then transmit that to a would-be hacker. A good firewall blocks those attempts automatically.
A reliable firewall also closes networking ports on your PC, so that unknown parties can’t connect and find a way into your home network. Think of it like a house where shutting the external doors causes them to blend into the walls, making it difficult to discern. However, if a door is left open, someone could walk in and then take what they want, set up cameras to spy on you, or change your phone settings to forward all text messages to them, among other things. A firewall is a bit like a guard that always stays alert, making sure no one can get in.
Browser extensions
The most common add-on to your browser (be it Edge, Chrome, or Firefox) is one designed for online protection. Usually, it’ll at least add extra icons to search results to warn you away from suspicious sites. The better ones also block trackers and ads to defend your privacy and help you avoid malvertising — that is, malware spread through compromised ad networks.
PCWorld
PCWorld
PCWorld
Other extensions help tie your browser into components of the overall antivirus suite, making their use seamless. Most often you’ll see one for a password manager get installed, so that you can capture, create, and use entries in your vault.
On occasion, you’ll see antivirus suites that offer plugins for shopping coupons and deals. These are not related to security at all, and can actually conflict with keeping your privacy.
Password manager
These days online security extends beyond simply defending your PC against malware. That’s why today’s software also blocks phishing websites, which generally try to capture sensitive information (like your login info) by pretending to be a legitimate site. If your credentials get stolen, you could end up with problems ranging from unwanted credit card purchases all the way to full-blown identity theft.
By using a password manager, you can prevent the simplest form of account hacking — credential stuffing. A bad actor takes usernames and passwords leaked through data breaches, then tries them across the web to see what else can be accessed with that same login info. Since some people reuse their passwords, attackers can breach a whole new set of accounts easily.
PCWorld
PCWorld
PCWorld
Password managers let you generate strong, unique credentials, which thwarts this kind of hack. They also take away the burden of trying to remember dozens (if not hundreds) of secure passwords. And with data leaks and breaches so commonplace nowadays, these services make changing your password far simpler and faster, too.
Not sure if you need a password manager included with your antivirus software? Our guide can help you make that decision.
VPN
At first glance, a virtual private network may seem more in the realm of privacy protection — or circumventing geolocation restrictions. But privacy now often overlaps with security, especially if you find yourself on a public network. And that’s the primary utility of VPN services provided through an antivirus software plan.
A VPN acts as secure tunnel for data passing between your PC and the websites you visit. Because it’s encrypted, nobody snooping on the same network will be able to tell what servers you’re actually in contact with. They can only see that your PC is communicating with the VPN. So on a public network, anyone scoping out potential targets ends up with less info about your activity.
PCWorld
PCWorld
PCWorld
Of course, you must trust a VPN if you use one, because it ends up seeing all of your traffic. Typically, a reliable antivirus maker should meet this requirement — at least from a security perspective. Currently, AES 256-bit encryption is the standard. Don’t settle for less.
Also investigate the privacy policies — like how logs are kept (if they are). Be aware too that VPNs provided with antivirus plans don’t provide as much anonymity as independent services. You typically can’t pay anonymously, for example. For more details, our VPN guide has the full rundown.
If you’re not sure if you need a VPN as part of your antivirus suite, our rundown can help you answer that question.
Dark web monitoring
An unfortunate reality is that websites get hacked, and that number continues to increase. Some weeks you’ll see near-daily news about ransomware, data breaches, and related occurrences.
The more sites you’ve used, the more likely your username and password have been stolen, and so too your real name, physical address, email address, phone number, birth date, social security number (if you live in the U.S.), and other such details. This info about you usually ends up on the dark web — a part of the internet where people share and sell illicit information, whether that’s stolen data or hacking tools.
PCWorld
PCWorld
PCWorld
Free tools exist to get alerts about data breaches and leaks (like Troy Hunt’s Have I Been Pwned site), but they don’t always catch everything. For dark web monitoring, your best offense is a wide defense. Antivirus software can be another set of metaphorical eyes helping keep watch. Most basic paid subscriptions will at least keep tabs on the email address associated with your account. Stepped up plans monitor more than one email address, along with credit card info, bank info, and personal details. (How much you share is up to you, based on your comfort with the antivirus company’s ability to keep those details safe.)
Good dark web monitoring will alert you quickly once new info surfaces — which helps you immediately change your password, enact a credit freeze, or take other protective measures based on what details leaked.
Cloud backups
With the prevalence of ransomware, a good backup system is a paramount part of defending your PC. Having a current backup of your files means no one can truly hold your PC hostage. They can encrypt your files and keep you from accessing them — but the backup lets you restore the lost files.
Usually, you’re on your own to do this, and properly at that, which involves the 3-2-1 method (three copies of the data, at least two different media types, and one kept off-site). Having cloud backup built into your antivirus software can help supplement and boost your current process. It serves as a different type of backup (compared to storing data on an external drive), and it also covers being off-site.
PCWorld
PCWorld
PCWorld
If an antivirus service offers this feature, make sure you’re getting cloud backup, rather than cloud storage. Cloud backup copies your files to the cloud, regardless of later changes made on your PC or other source device, and saves versions over time. Meanwhile, cloud storage mirrors files across all locations — if you delete a file on your hard drive, it disappears in the cloud, too. So this kind of setup will undermine the point of having a backup on hand.
Parental controls
Not everything on the internet is appropriate for the tiny humans in our lives — and there’s not enough hours in the day to police all their online activity. Similarly, some adult family members don’t always pay attention to what types of sites are risky, which can cause headaches for both them and you.
Parental controls can help with managing these situations. Such tools allow you to filter and restrict online activity, with the better parental controls able to block specific sites and site categories on PCs and mobile devices (either universally or at specific times of day). They also can shut off internet access during certain hours, like during school or bedtime.
PCWorld
PCWorld
PCWorld
Separately, parental controls can also track location on mobile devices. However, compared to Android and iPhone’s built-in location tracking, this particular feature isn’t always as reliable. So when evaluating the usefulness of parental controls, focus more on their ability to restrict content and usage.
Data broker opt-out
Data brokers are the bottom-dwelling vacuum cleaners of the internet. They hoover up information about you from every corner — companies that sell your data (including places you shop), public records, social media, warranty registration info, and more. Those details then feed into people search sites, where entering a person’s name and city or state can reveal their current and past addresses, phone numbers, birth date, known relatives, judicial records, and even social security number.
Hackers can then use your personal data to wage social engineering attacks on you. Impersonating you when chatting with a customer service agent becomes much easier if they know your mother’s maiden name, the last few places you lived, your siblings’ names, and the like. That can then lead to identity theft and financial losses. And then at the far extreme end of dangerous behavior, someone can also use people finder sites for swatting attempts.
In response, entry and mid-tier level antivirus suites sometimes will scan for your info on data broker sites, using your email address, name, birthdate, or other identifying info, and see where you turn up. More expensive subscriptions will also automatically attempt to remove you from those sites, so that you don’t have to spend time filing requests for opt-out. Compared to dedicated opt-out services, this feature in an antivirus plan often isn’t as comprehensive, but the cost tends to be cheaper overall, too.
Identity protection
Identity theft is an ever-looming threat these days, thanks to untold data breaches. And while you may think antivirus software wouldn’t overlap, the more expensive subscriptions offer protections that start with identity monitoring. You’ll get a heads-up about things like changes to your credit, activity involving your social security number, phone number transfers (i.e., someone switches your cell phone provider, a possible sign of SIM jacking), even title changes if you own your home.
PCWorld
PCWorld
PCWorld
Top-tier plans may additionally include insurance-like coverage. If you’re ever victim of identity theft, you could get up to $1 million for remediation costs (having help reporting identity theft, restoring lost funds, etc).
Generally, you can handle identity threats and theft on your own, but this kind of service is meant as a time (and sanity) saver. The one potential drawback is the level of trust you’ll need to place in a third-party and their security practices, since they’ll end up learning much of your most sensitive information.
Social media privacy scan
If your social media accounts are set so that everything’s public, you can reveal a lot of personal information to strangers — people in your life, places you frequent, products you use or like. These details can then be used for social engineering hacks, or at a more extreme end of the scale, online or real-world stalking.
You can lock down your accounts on your own, but privacy settings can be annoying to find and change. So some antivirus software subscriptions (typically the more expensive plans) will offer to scan your social media settings to alert you to privacy issues. Think of this feature as not necessary, but potentially helpful if you’re too time-strapped to completely do it yourself.
PC utilities
Data shredder
This kind of utility is a secure-delete tool for files — so long as they’re stored on a hard-disk drive. For solid-state drives (which most modern laptops and PCs use for storage), a different method is required for secure deletion.
Data shredders work by overwriting files repeatedly so the original data can’t be recovered. The better tools let you select the protocol used for the overwrite process, as well as how many passes are done.
PCWorld
PCWorld
PCWorld
System optimizer
You can already clean up Windows within the operating system itself — it has its own tools for deleting temporary files, dumping operating system installation files, and otherwise tidying up. But they’re not easily accessed through one simple interface, which is a gap some antivirus makers try to fill.
On the surface, a system optimizer utility can be helpful, but beware: You should first understand what you’re wiping beforehand. Altering your Windows registry in the name of spring cleaning could cause system issues down the road.
Mostly, if you know what you’re doing, system optimization tools can save a bit of time. But generally, most people shouldn’t buy an antivirus suite because it includes this kind of utility.
Software and driver updater
Software updates are definitely a key part of online security — out-of-date code leaves vulnerabilities open for bad actors to exploit. Some antivirus software monitors your apps and Windows for updates you’ve yet to run.
However, even though you can run updates directly through your antivirus software with this feature, you’re better off treating it as an alert system. Unless you’ll never update without outside assistance, most programs take care of their patches automatically, as does Windows. For the rare driver update that must be run manually, downloading the driver from the manufacturer website guarantees you run the right version. You’re usually best off getting updates direct from the source, to avoid potential version conflicts.
Sensitive file protection
You may have files you don’t want prying eyes to see — and while you could encrypt them, restricting access to them is sometimes an acceptable intermediary step.
Sensitive Data Shield lets you find documents with highly personal information and restrict access to those files.
Sensitive Data Shield lets you find documents with highly personal information and restrict access to those files.
PCWorld
Sensitive Data Shield lets you find documents with highly personal information and restrict access to those files.
PCWorld
PCWorld
A few antivirus vendors include this feature with their software, which blocks general access to files and folders you’ve chosen. Instead, only specific apps can access them. So if you have a documents folder you specifically want to keep on lockdown, you can keep unapproved apps opening files in there. The idea is to prevent malicious or compromised apps from digging into documents you don’t want them in, unbeknownst to you.
In practice, this feature can be hit or miss—but when it does work reliably, you get a second line of light defense against snoops.
File encryption
This tool is a rarity, but it can dramatically boost the security of your sensitive files — even if you already encrypt your local storage drive.
Typically, antivirus software with this feature will let you create an encrypted container file, which then gets mounted on your PC as a virtual drive. Anything you store on that virtual drive will be locked down with said encryption once you unmount the container file.
Even if you already encrypt your whole storage drive using Windows Bitlocker, locking down individual files and folders this way adds extra protection. Why? If you’re logged into Windows, and someone gets access to your PC, Bitlocker won’t keep them from seeing your files. However, if the encrypted container file isn’t mounted, they won’t be able to see inside it.
PCWorld
PCWorld
PCWorld
When considering the usefulness of a file encryption feature, check if it uses at least 256-bit AES encryption — currently considered a standard level of protection. Pass on those that don’t.
Backup services
On rare occasion, you’ll see this utility in an antivirus suite, where you can use the software to run automated backups.
However, for this kind of feature (which is mission critical for your data and your overall sanity), we prefer dedicated software, which tends to be more robust. As appealing as an all-in-one software solution is, when it comes to backups, it’s best to choose an app based on how well it does the job.
Other things to consider
Customer service
If you need (or want) human assistance with your antivirus software, including basic walkthroughs of installing the app, some top-tier plans offer premium customer service.
Separately, top-tier plans also sometimes have agents available to help with identity theft — not just walking you through the process of remediation, but handling the details as well.
Scam protection tools
Phishing scams continue to get more sophisticated (and prevalent) over time — and in response, antivirus vendors have begun releasing tools to navigate around them. For example, McAfee now has a mobile app designed to automatically detect and block text messages containing phishing links.
Not all of these utilities are paid, either — Bitdefender’s Scamio chatbot is free. You just copy and paste a text link (or a screenshot of a text link), and it will tell you if it’s possibly dangerous. Similarly, you can paste in email or text messages to judge if the sender is genuine or just trying to play you.
See PCWorld’s guide to the best antivirus software for our recommendations.
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