TL;DR: FolderFort Pro offers 1TB of lifetime cloud storage for $59.97 (reg. $251), letting you securely store and access your files without subscriptions. Your digital life deserves some breathing room, and 1TB of cloud storage is the solution you didn’t know you needed. With FolderFort Pro, you can store everything — from cherished memories to work essentials — for just $59.97 until December 8. What can 1TB hold? Let’s break it down: about 200,000 photos, assuming each is around 5MB. It can hold millions of documents or hundreds of thousands of spreadsheets. If you’re a video enthusiast, 1TB lets you save hundreds of hours of standard-definition footage or dozens of hours of HD videos. FolderFort makes managing your files simple with its user-friendly interface and secure cloud storage system. Plus, it’s a one-time payment — no monthly subscriptions, no recurring charges, just lifetime access to your files. Don’t wait for Black Friday — lock in this deal now and give your files the safe, spacious home they deserve. Whether you’re decluttering your devices, backing up precious moments, or preparing for a more organized digital future, lifetime access to a FolderFort 1TB Cloud Storage Pro Plan offers immense value for just $59.97.   FolderFort 1TB Cloud Storage Pro Plan: Lifetime Subscription – $59.97 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

The tech is being used to automatically control the creatures` access to feeders at sites across the UK. Read...

Wellllllllll those rumors of an impending launch for Intel’s next-gen Arc “Battlemage” graphics cards in December are looking a lot more concrete now. We discussed the whispers on this week’s episode of our Full Nerd podcast, but now, a listing for an Intel B580 desktop graphics card just popped up on Amazon on Friday night. Awkward. Videocardz spotted the listing for the ASRock Intel ARC B580 Steel Legend 12GB OC before anyone else. Beyond the confirmation of the product existing, perhaps the most interesting part of this oopsie-daisy leak is right in the name: The Arc B580 packs 12GB of GDDR6 memory clocked at 19Gbps. That means Intel is sidestepping the “Is 8GB of VRAM enough?!?!?!” controversy that enveloped last generation’s GeForce RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti, as well as AMD’s Radeon RX 7600. The Battlemage card’s 192-bit memory bus also overpowers the minuscule 128-bit bus in the RTX 4060 cards, providing hope that Intel’s GPU could possibly be used for both 1080p and 1440p gaming – unlike these Nvidia options, which are focused on 1080p gaming alone. While Nvidia’s RTX series has moved exclusively to the new 12VHPWR power connectors, the ASRock Arc B580 Steel Legend only requires a pair of traditional 8-pin connectors. Each of those can deliver up to 150W, while motherboard PCIe slots provide up to another 75W, given the B580 a maximum potential power draw of 375W. That, in combination with the 192-bit bus, suggests the Arc B580 could deliver performance in the ballpark of Nvidia’s similarly equipped RTX 4070 – something early leaks have also suggested. The IO panel for the card reveals a trio of DisplayPorts and a singular HDMI connector. The ASRock Steel Legend features a clean white look and a backplate with a flow-through design similar to what’s become common in many modern GPUs. Here’s ASRock’s also pretty darned awkwarddescription for the Arc B580 Steel Legend: “B-series pixel pushers, more excitingly known as Battlemage, will be the best graphics cards Intel has ever made. Following the chaos of Alchemist, the company has practically resigned its graphics architecture from the ground up. Providing there are no unexpected instabilities lurking in the Xe2 architecture, they should make for much more compelling competition to GeForce and Radeon. That’s across the desktop and mobile space.” Yeah, ASRock, hopefully there are no unexpected instabilities lurking in the Xe2 architecture! Speaking of, while this is a tantalizing glimpse that confirms Intel’s next-gen Arc GPUs should seemingly be right around the corner, it doesn’t provide any real information about expected performance. The Xe2 architecture powering Battlemage first appeared in Intel’s Lunar Lake laptop CPUs and provided a solid leap forward in frame rates versus their mobile first-gen Arc counterparts. I’m very curious to see not only Battlemage’s real world performance, but also its price – the first-gen Arc A580 launched at a mere $179 in late 2023. A price anywhere near that low would be a pleasant holiday surprise indeed if the B580 manages to deliver frames at a pace on par (or better) than Nvidia’s $300 RTX 4060 – and it would send a hell of a message to AMD while Radeon’s next-gen offerings focus on mainstream price points. I’d expect to hear a lot more information from Intel sooner than later if this is already appearing on Amazon’s U.S. storefront. You can see our earlier Full Nerd discussing about Battlemage rumors starting at the 37:30 mark in the video below. Read...

“Nearest Neighbor Attack” finally lets Russia’s Fancy Bear into target’s Wi-Fi network. Read...

Microsoft is positioning its contentious Recall feature for Windows 11 as a headline capability for Copilot+ laptops. So it’s kind of weird that when the previously delayed tool went live, it only did so for x64-based machines and not Arm-based Snapdragon laptops that made such a splash earlier this year. Well, if you have one of those, you can now try Recall via the Windows Insider program. Microsoft just announced that Recall, which records pretty much everything you do on Windows, is now available to Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs. You’ll need to get on the Insider Program (a fancy title for a beta) and join the Dev Channel if you want to see what all the hubbub is about. Fortunately, it’s easy enough to get back off when the updates reach stable (or you just don’t want to be on that channel anymore). Get Windows 11 Pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro Recall has had a rocky road since its announcement as one of Microsoft’s most dramatic new AI-powered tools. After being the focus of intense (and justified) scrutiny for its privacy and security implications, Microsoft delayed its rollout by months and assured regular users that they could turn off its access to certain programs. Microsoft also made the decision to turn Recall off by default for enterprise machines — if you want it on a compatible work PC, you’ll need to clear it with your IT manager before manually opting in and turning it on. At this point, it seems exceedingly unlikely that Recall will make it into the general release channel for Windows 11 before 2025. And even then, only a fraction of the market will have the ability to try it out since it’s only available on Copilot+ PCs from this year or newer. Which, by the way, Microsoft really wants you to buy into — so much so that it’s pushing full-screen ads for users still on Windows 10. Further reading: Is the Windows Insider program right for you? Read...

Microsoft is positioning its contentious Recall feature for Windows 11 as a headline capability for Copilot+ laptops. So it’s kind of weird that when the previously delayed tool went live, it only did so for x64-based machines and not Arm-based Snapdragon laptops that made such a splash earlier this year. Well, if you have one of those, you can now try Recall via the Windows Insider program. Microsoft just announced that Recall, which records pretty much everything you do on Windows, is now available to Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs. You’ll need to get on the Insider Program (a fancy title for a beta) and join the Dev Channel if you want to see what all the hubbub is about. Fortunately, it’s easy enough to get back off when the updates reach stable (or you just don’t want to be on that channel anymore). Get Windows 11 Pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro Recall has had a rocky road since its announcement as one of Microsoft’s most dramatic new AI-powered tools. After being the focus of intense (and justified) scrutiny for its privacy and security implications, Microsoft delayed its rollout by months and assured regular users that they could turn off its access to certain programs. Microsoft also made the decision to turn Recall off by default for enterprise machines — if you want it on a compatible work PC, you’ll need to clear it with your IT manager before manually opting in and turning it on. At this point, it seems exceedingly unlikely that Recall will make it into the general release channel for Windows 11 before 2025. And even then, only a fraction of the market will have the ability to try it out since it’s only available on Copilot+ PCs from this year or newer. Which, by the way, Microsoft really wants you to buy into — so much so that it’s pushing full-screen ads for users still on Windows 10. Further reading: Is the Windows Insider program right for you? Read...

Amazon has now committed $8 billion to AI startup that makes a key ChatGPT competitor. Read...

Begun, the OLED monitor price wars have! We’re already seeing tons of deals on gaming displays for Black Friday, and OLED upgrades have recently smashed through a $500 price floor. This 27-inch AOC 1440p OLED monitor is the cheapest one we’ve seen yet, with Newegg selling it for just $400. That’s a whopping $200 off its regular price, making it less than half of what you’d pay for a similar monitor just a little while ago. Though AOC is generally a budget brand, this Agon Pro AG276QZD isn’t skimping. It’s a 27-inch monitor with the “sweet spot” QHD (2560×1440) resolution that’s popular with PC gamers right now. And with its 240Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time, and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility, it’s more than fast enough for intense online multiplayer games. The screen gives you DisplayPort and double HDMI inputs, plus two USB-A ports, a headphone port, a little RGB bling around the back, and VESA mounting if you want to add a monitor arm. The included stand is pretty good, with a vertical option and an angled base if you like to contort your gaming keyboard into weird spots. The only thing missing here is USB-C for easy laptop connections, but at this price that’s a justified sacrifice. Newegg is offering free shipping and labeling this as a “Black Friday Deal,” so presumably it’ll stick around for the next week. The price might stay the same, but Newegg’s stock might go quickly… so get an order in quick if you’re ready to buy! Get this 27-inch 240Hz 1440p OLED monitor for just $400Buy now at Newegg If this isn’t quite what you’re looking for, then check out our dedicated Black Friday monitor deals roundup! Read...

If you’re a PC gamer, you know how expensive it can be. In addition to purchasing your favorite triple-A titles, you also need a powerful machine to run them on. When it comes to gaming laptops, it gets even more complicated, as it requires an intricate cooling system to handle the heat-generating components inside. Fortunately for you, there are some inexpensive options out there. In fact, when it comes to a sub-$1,000 gaming laptop, you don’t have to cut as many corners as you may think. If you’re feeling totally lost, don’t worry–we did the hard work for you. The laptops below have been personally tested and vetted by members of the PCWorld team, so you know you’re getting a good machine. Just note that laptop prices can fluctuate, so our picks below may occasionally go over $1,000. For more recommendations on gaming laptops, see our roundup of the best gaming laptops across all prices, or take a look at our roundup of the best laptop deals. Why you should trust us: Hey, it’s in our name! PCWorld prides itself on laptop experience and expertise. We’ve been covering PCs since 1983, and we now review more than 70 laptops every year. All of the picks below have been personally tested and vetted by our experts, who’ve applied not only performance benchmarks but rigorous usability standards. We’re also committed to reviewing PC laptops at every price point to help you find a machine that matches your budget. Quick links to select top recommendations Best overall: Acer Nitro V 16 Most portable: MSI Thin GF63 Best connectivity: Acer Nitro V 15 Acer Nitro V 16 – Best overall Pros Solid performance Competitive price Dedicated button for quick performance mode switching Fast 165Hz display with good colors Cons Fully plastic build Mushy keyboard Weak battery life Why we like the Acer Nitro V 16 The Acer Nitro V 16 is a really good sub-$1,000 laptop, full stop. The IPS display is big and fast, and the RTX 4060 GPU has enough power to run most games on the Medium or High graphics preset. While running the built-in Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark, the Nitro turned in a respectable 136 frames-per-second. Sure, it’s an older game/bench, but the fps shows that it’s very playable. The 16-inch 1920×1200 display’s 165Hz refresh rates ensures nothing but smooth gameplay. Who should buy the Acer Nitro V 16 Anyone who’s looking for an affordable laptop that doesn’t compromise on performance. The display is a great choice for action-packed worlds because it’s big and fast and the RTX 4060 GPU is capable of “running any modern game,” according to our review. The battery life isn’t the best (four hours on a single charge), but that’s about par for the course with gaming laptops. The gamer aesthetic is also a bit, ahem, loud. If you can live with those trade-offs, then you can’t pick a better value than the Nitro V 16. Alternative option: The Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition ($1,099.99), which was our previous Best Overall pick until the Acer Nitro V 16 usurped its throne, is still a good option to consider. For about a grand, you’re getting reliable graphics performance, a spacious keyboard, and long battery life. The HP Victus 15 ($1,099.99) is a more subtle-looking gaming laptop if that’s your cup of tea. In addition to the sophisticated design, gameplay should look smooth thanks to the high refresh rate display (144Hz). Read our full Acer Nitro V 16 review MSI Thin GF63 (2023) – Most portable Pros Good 1080p gaming Attractive backlighting Rugged build Cons Not the most color-accurate screen Best Prices Today: $815 at Amazon Why we like the MSI Thin GF63 The MSI Thin GF63 weighs just over four pounds, which is lightweight for a gaming laptop. For context, most gaming laptops tip the scales at five or six pounds. In addition to the MSI Thin GF63 being portable, it’s also packing a good amount of power. Between the Intel Core i5-12450H CPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, you should be able to run most games on the Medium or High graphics preset. The 1080p display is also spacious at 15.6-inches with a refresh rate of 144Hz. Who should buy the MSI Thin GF63 The MSI Thin GF63 is a good option for college students, as it’s light enough to take with you from class-to-class. It’s also powerful enough for everyday tasks like watching Netflix, writing papers, and so on. It’ll scratch the gaming itch, too. Read our full MSI Thin GF63 (2023) review Acer Nitro V 15 – Best connectivity Pros Solid build quality Loads of connectivity options Good gaming performance Cons Mediocre display Small amount of RAM Why we like the Acer Nitro V 15 The Acer Nitro V 15 is a well-rounded gaming laptop with a ton of connectivity options, which may appeal to those who prefer to plug into an external monitor or mouse. Most of the ports live on the left side of the laptop. Those are one Gigabit Ethernet, one HDMI 2.0, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, and one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2. You’ll also find an additional USB-A 3.2 and one 3.5mm audio jack, which brings the total of USB-A ports to three. That’s excellent news, especially if you want to connect to “a keyboard, mouse, and still have room left over for a webcam or external hard drive,” according to our review.” As for the guts, the Acer Nitro V 15 is rocking an Intel Core i5-13420H CPU and an Nvidia RTX 4050 6GB GPU, which is more than enough graphics firepower. In fact, this machine hit an average of 105 frames-per-second during the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark, which is a sizable improvement over laptops with RTX 3050 and 3050 Ti graphics. The only caveats are the limited amount of RAM and the mediocre display. Who should buy the Acer Nitro V 15 Anyone that needs a good amount of connectivity options in their life. Overall, the Acer Nitro V 15 delivers respectable gaming performance for a fair price. In addition to that, it also comes loaded up with a wide array of ports, which is good news for those who want to have a wired connection or plug into a monitor. The RAM is light at 8GB and the display is just okay, but if you can live with those minor nitpicks, then the Acer Nitro V 15 is a fantastic option. Read our full Acer Nitro V 15 review Dell Inspiron 16 Plus – If you`re willing to spend a little more… Pros Metal build Long battery life Respectable graphics performance Cons Light on ports Gets loud under heavier workloads Why we like the Dell Inspiron Plus 16 7630 The Dell Inspiron Plus 16 7630 is something of a sleeper hit due to its powerful internal components and high refresh-rate display. Inside, you’ll find an Intel Core i7-13700H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, which delivers solid gaming performance. The reviewer was able to play Cyberpunk 2077 at a respectable 30 frames-per-second at 1080p with the Ray Tracing: Ultra preset turned on. In addition to the good performance, you’re also getting a quality metal build as well as good battery life. Who should buy the Dell Inspiron Plus 16 7630 If you’re able to stretch your budget another $200 or so, we feel as though the Dell Inspiron Plus 16 7630 is a good option for college students and remote workers. It can handle anything from multimedia applications and day-to-day productivity as well as some gaming. It’s a little light on the port selection and it can get loud under heavier loads, but those are minor nitpicks in the grand scheme of things. Alternative option: The $1,349 Gigabyte G6X is a great alternative option to the Dell Inspiron Plus 16. It’s similar to the Dell in terms of sheer power, but it has a higher refresh rate display (165Hz) as well as a wider array of connectivity options. Recent laptop reviews We’ve reviewed several new laptops recently, though many cost more than $1,000. Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1: The Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 delivers good bang for the buck. Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360: The Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 is an excellent 2-in-1 laptop with long battery life thanks to Intel’s Lunar Lake hardware. But Lunar Lake’s focus on battery life comes at a cost, and this hardware doesn’t excel at multi-threaded CPU performance. Lenovo Chromebook Duet: The 2024 edition of the Chromebook Duet doubles down on its hybrid form factor and budget price. Lenovo has refined this design very well, and it remains a great choice if you want a cheap, reliable Chromebook that fits in small spaces and can do some light tablet duty. Just keep an eye on your tabs. Acer Swift 14 AI: The Acer Swift 14 AI isn’t exciting, but it packs well-rounded performance, good battery life, and a nice buffet of connectivity at a reasonable price. HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14: If you’re looking for a solid 2-in-1 that gets the job done and you can get behind the idea of efficiency over power, then the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 is worth your consideration. Dell Inspiron 14: The choice to switch to a Qualcomm SoC should have come with some advantage over other systems, but our testing couldn’t really find one. How we test gaming laptops under $1000 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. 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. Windows 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 hefty 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. Gaming tests: We benchmark each gaming laptop using several titles. Video rundown test: To gauge battery life, we loop a 4K video using Windows 10’s Movies & TV app until the laptop dies. What you should look for in a budget gaming laptop When it comes to picking the right gaming laptop, it really depends on what you want to do with it. Do you plan on playing lightweight indie titles like Stardew Valley (no shade, I love this game) or something more visually demanding like Cyberpunk 2077? Are you going to use the machine for work as well as play? It’s possible to get reliable performance out of a gaming laptop that costs under a grand, but you’ll need to take a hard look at the individual components. You don’t need a powerful GPU for something like Fortnite. You can run even most of the newest games very well at 1080p resolution with even entry level graphics cards if you don’t mind dialing down the in-game visual settings from Ultra to more-reasonable High to Medium settings. You’ll almost certainly need to do so to hit 60 frames per second in modern games on a gaming laptop under $1,000, but the good news is they should still look good, especially on a laptop display. GPU: The thing about the GPU is that it can’t be swapped out and upgraded later, so you need to be real choosy about which one you pick, as this component will determine how well your machine runs games. Luckily, you don’t need the best of the best to get reliable gaming performance. The GTX 1650 is an entry-level GPU that’s affordable and good enough for 1080p gaming with low-to-mid graphics settings. That said, expect lower frame rates on newer titles. If you’re looking for a bit more power, the more modern RTX 4050 and 4050 Ti are preferred options, and commonly found in gaming laptops under $1,000. These perform well at Medium to High settings at 1080p. You may occasionally find a deal on an RTX 3060- or 4060-powered laptop under $1,000, but they’re relatively rare, and your best option for 1080p gaming with few compromises. CPU: Like the GPU, the processor can’t be upgraded either, so you’ll want to be selective. For Intel, we’d recommend an 13th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7 or newer. For AMD, you’ll want to spring for a Ryzen 5000 or 7000. A processor with at least four cores is good, but six cores or more is better. RAM: You’ll want at least 8GB of RAM. If you can afford 16GB of RAM, it’s highly recommended. Memory is normally upgradable, so you can always swap it out and add more later on. Storage: Storage impacts how many games and applications you can install on your laptop. Like RAM, storage is often upgradable and can be swapped out later. However, you should aim for at least 512GB of SSD storage plus a hard drive, as AAA titles tend to eat up a lot of space. SSDs load games faster, as data is stored on chips rather than spinning disks. Display: 1080p is what you can expect at this price range, either with a 60Hz or 144Hz (preferred) refresh rate. Budget gaming laptops don’t always have the best displays, as that’s where manufacturers tend to cut corners to keep the cost low. If you’ve got a dim display, you can always pick up an external monitor to plug into it. Battery life: Generally speaking, gaming laptops are known for having poor battery life. That’s because they use a ton of power. They also tend to be heavier than other laptops because they need more space for heatsinks and other cooling components. Depending on the use, most will last anywhere from four to six hours on a single charge. That said, there are a few exceptions. For a deeper dive into the nitty-gritty details, check out our guide on the specifications you want in a sub-$1,000 gaming laptop. FAQ 1. Are Chromebooks good gaming laptops? This will depend on the type of gaming you want to do. But frankly, no they don’t make good gaming laptops in a general sense. Chromebooks can handle web games and Android games just fine. But a Chromebook won’t cut it if you’re looking to play the latest high-powered AAA games. This comes down to two factors, they don’t run Windows and they likely don’t have sufficient graphics power.With that said, Google is trying to bring cloud gaming to Chromebooks and it will likely be available in the future. Cloud gaming services use a remote PC or console to play games streamed through the cloud onto the Chromebook. Until that service is up and running though, Chromebooks will not be able to compete in the gaming arena. 2. Can you game with integrated graphics? Nowadays, the latest processors with integrated graphics can run a faire amount of modern PC games at reasonable settings. Intel’s newer Iris Xe line of processors with integrated graphics, for example, have been shown to run some of the latest games at 1080p and 30fps. You should know though that not all integrated graphics are capable of the same things. Intel and AMD’s integrated graphics have made huge leaps in recent years with regard to gaming performance. If you’re on a budget or looking for an ultra thin laptop with integrated graphics you can still enjoy some light gaming as well. Check out our article about Intel’s Core 12th-gen Iris Xe and AMD’s brand new Ryzen 6000 RDNA 2 for more detailed info. 3. What size laptop is best? This will come down to personal preference and intended use. If you plan to travel a lot with your laptop, then a small ultraportable size in the neighborhood of 13 to 14 inches is best. However, if want to use it as a gaming machine, then something in the 15- to 17-inch range would be ideal. Also, don’t forget to check the weight of the laptop before you buy it. Ultra thin laptops can weigh a featherlight 2 pounds while beefy gaming computers top the scales at three or four times that. Read...

Intel’s new Lunar Lake hardware is a reflection of modern chip design.  It’s tempting to call it a “processor” or “CPU” — old habits die hard, after all — but it’s really a system-on-a-chip (SoC), both in terms of architecture and philosophy. The CPU cores are joined by integrated GPU cores, a neural processing unit (NPU), and even on-chip RAM. Also, unlike past Intel chips, Lunar Lake seems set on striking a balance between the three. That’s keenly felt in Intel’s approach to Lunar Lake’s integrated graphics (iGPU). Building on the success of Intel Core Ultra, Intel’s new processors also offer Intel Arc graphics — but this time around, Intel has returned to providing each iGPU a name unique to its configuration, and the best version here is the Intel Arc 140V with eight Xe Cores and a max frequency of 2.05GHz. Meanwhile, Intel’s competition hasn’t been spinning its wheels. AMD’s latest Ryzen AI processors have their own integrated graphics updates in the form of the Radeon 880M (succeeding the well-respected Radeon 780M) and the new Radeon 890M (which clearly thumped an earlier Intel Arc iteration in our last integrated graphics test). So, how well does the iGPU in Intel’s Lunar Lake chips perform? Is it a minor boost over previous incarnations? Or a major update? Spoiler alert: Lunar Lake’s visual chops are good enough to let you play many modern games without paying extra for a discrete graphics card. Keep reading for our in-depth benchmark test results. Updated on November 22, 2024: This article was updated to include benchmark results from the Asus Zenbook S 14 with Intel Core Ultra 7 258V. Additional testing was conducted after initial results suggested the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition might be delivering lower-than-typical graphics performance for this configuration. Hardware specifications for our tests Our game benchmarks below were conducted on two laptops: a Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition with Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor and an Asus Zenbook S 14 with Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor. The Intel Core Ultra 7 processors are high-end Core Ultra 7 chips for slim-and-light laptops, though more mid-range in terms of overall core count and performance (as opposed to, say, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K). These chips are common choices for thin, light, Intel-powered laptops sold above $1,000. Cheaper laptops may offer them as upgrades. While neither the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V nor 258V are the most powerful SKUs in Intel’s latest line-up, their iGPU looks impressive on paper. Both are badged as Intel Arc 140V, which is the best version of Arc integrated graphics in the Lunar Lake line-up. They have eight Intel Xe Cores, the same number as higher Lunar Lake SKUs. With that out of the way, let’s get to the benchmarks. 3DMark Let’s start things off with 3DMark’s Time Spy and Night Raid tests. Time Spy is a more demanding (but still not especially punishing) benchmark while Night Raid is a less demanding benchmark meant for entry-level graphics hardware, including integrated graphics. Matthew Smith / IDG The Asus Zenbook S 14’s Arc 140V shows strong synthetic benchmark performance, scoring 31,946 in Night Raid and 4,236 in Time Spy. That’s a big improvement over the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition’s results of 28,193 and 3,585, respectively. While the Zenbook puts Intel closer to competing with AMD’s Radeon 890M, AMD still maintains an advantage of 39,966 in Night Raid, though it falls behind in Time Spy. That suggests we’ll see varied results in actual games, with Asus’ implementation providing stronger performance than our initial Lenovo test unit. Onward, to the games! Sid Meier’s Civilization VI Let’s give a polite round of applause to Civilization VI. First released in October 2016, the game is now eight years old — and over the course of that journey, it has roughly doubled its active player base since the months following its launch (based on publicly available Steam stats). With Civilization VII due out in 2025, the sun is setting on this title. But, at the moment, it’s still by far the most popular and commercially successful entry in the Civilization franchise. It’s also a less demanding game that’s playable even when frame rates dip below 30 FPS, which makes it easy to enjoy on mid-range, thin-and-light laptops with integrated graphics.  Matthew Smith / IDG The Asus Zenbook’s Arc 140V delivers 72.46 FPS average with 43.35 FPS 1% lows. While this matches the Lenovo’s average frame rate of 72.6 FPS, the improved 1% low (compared to Lenovo’s 55.6 FPS) suggests more stable performance. However, both Intel Arc 140V laptops trail significantly behind AMD’s Radeon 890M and Radeon 880M, which average 126.5 and 89.9 FPS, respectively. Even the older Radeon 780M beats Intel’s Arc 140V by a few frames per second. That’s a huge advantage for AMD in this title. Dota 2 Although not often discussed in “mainstream” gaming news, Dota 2 still typically sits among the top three games on Steam and has a vibrant esports scene. It’s also the least demanding game used for this test. Matthew Smith / IDG Dota 2‘s average frame rate sees another marginal uplift for the Intel Arc 140V. Though it churned out a slightly better average frame rate, its advantage comes down to just a handful of frames, which is trivial in a game that averages above 100 FPS. The minimum frame rate is more impactful. The Asus Zenbook S 14 beat a 1% low of 60 FPS, which means it can generally achieve 60 FPS or better in even the most demanding scenes. Intel Arc 140V beat the 1% lows from the AMD Radeon 880M and 890M laptops by roughly 10 FPS. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition was not as quick, however, and more-or-less tied its AMD-powered peers. Final Fantasy XIV Final Fantasy XIV is a personal favorite and remains among the most popular MMORPGs on the market. The latest expansion, Dawntrail, brought a graphics update that noticeably improves texture quality and polygon count. That makes it somewhat challenging for iGPUs to handle, though most can deliver an average around 30 FPS or better at High (Laptop) detail. Matthew Smith / IDG These results are the opposite of what we saw from Civilization VI. The Intel laptops dominate, with the Asus Zenbook S 14 averaging nearly 52 FPS and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition averaging about 45 FPS. Both figures leave AMD’s Radeon 890M and Radeon 880M behind. Total War: Warhammer III Though it sits in the same grand strategy genre as Civilization, Creative Assembly’s Total War: Warhammer III is far more demanding. It’s enough to challenge the most capable iGPUs, even at just 1080p and the Low detail preset. Intel’s Arc 140V is no exception. Matthew Smith / IDG This is a disappointing result for Intel. While the Asus Zenbook S 14 with Intel Arc 140V delivered a small performance boost over the prior generation of Intel Arc, the game still can’t provide a consistent 30 FPS at these settings. The slower Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is even worse off, as it averaged a tad under 30 FPS. AMD’s Radeon 890M notches a win here, raising the minimum frame rate above the crucial 30 FPS line. The Radeon 880M, on the other hand, finds itself tied with Intel Arc 140V. It’s playable, I suppose, but barely. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Though over 10 years old at this point, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a game that keeps on giving. It remains popular and, thanks to graphical upgrades in the Special Edition, it’s still somewhat demanding for iGPUs when played at 1080p resolution and High detail. Matthew Smith / IDG These results are good for Intel. While none exactly hit 60 FPS, it’s important to note the game has a 60 FPS cap. Because of that, it’s the minimum frame rate that matters most — and Intel’s Arc 140V beats both the AMD Radeon 890M and Radeon 880M by that metric. On the other hand, the older Dell Inspiron 14 Plus with Intel Arc delivered performance very close to the Asus Zenbook S 14 and Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition with Intel Arc 140V. Skyrim plays well on Intel Arc 140V, but Intel’s prior-gen hardware is nearly as good. Cyberpunk 2077 We finish off with Cyberpunk 2077, a notoriously demanding game that, despite a lackluster launch, has roared back to popularity in part thanks to its visually stunning and immersive world. Matthew Smith / IDG This is a good result for the Intel Arc 140V, which delivers a noticeable improvement over its predecessor. Asus’ Zenbook S 14 took a clear lead over the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition, as the Asus averaged about 48 FPS against the Lenovo’s 40 FPS. Compared to the AMD-powered systems, Intel’s Arc 140V seems to edge out the AMD Radeon 880M, but it falls behind the AMD Radeon 890M. Still, it’s important to note the Intel Arc 140V scored both average and minimum frame rates above 30 FPS at these settings. That means the game should feel playable on Intel’s Arc 140V — which, given how demanding this game can be, is impressive. Intel Arc 140V performance discussion Intel’s Arc 140V is definitely superior to the prior-gen Intel Arc offering. How much so depends on the game, but best-case scenarios see that it can increase average frame rates by up to 25 percent. That would be significant in any case, but it’s especially important for integrated graphics solutions that often struggle to hit the 30 FPS target in modern titles. An extra 25 percent can mean the difference between clearing a minimum frame rate of 30 FPS or falling short a few frames — and that’s exactly what happens in Cyberpunk 2077. However, not every game saw a noticeable performance boost. Civilization VI was no quicker on the new Intel Arc 140V than it was on an older Dell Inspiron 14 Plus with first-gen Intel Arc. The performance uplift was also rather marginal in Skyrim and Dota 2. To be fair, though, all these games were enjoyable at the settings we used for testing. We also saw a notable difference in performance between the Asus Zenbook S 14 and Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition. While the former felt like a respectable upgrade over the prior generation, the latter just barely edged ahead. We’ve also tried other laptops with Intel’s Arc 140V, like the Acer Aspire 14 AI, and we’ve found that performance leans closer to the Asus Zenbook S 14 than the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition (so far). But this goes to show that, in 2024, you can’t count on a graphics solution to perform similarly across all laptops that use it. You’ll need to read a review of the specific laptop you want to buy. How does the Intel Arc 140V compare to AMD’s Radeon 880M and Radeon 890M? We’d say the Intel Arc 140V has a general edge over the AMD Radeon 880M but isn’t as quick overall as the AMD Radeon 890M. As mentioned, it depends on the particulars of a given laptop. The verdict on Intel’s Arc 140V In summary, the Intel Arc 140V is a good update over prior Intel Arc integrated graphics. It pushes integrated graphics performance in a way that is at times meaningful, especially in more demanding games (like Cyberpunk 2077) that struggle to offer a steady 30 FPS. In other games, like Dota 2, the performance increase is evident in benchmarks but slim enough that it’s hard to notice in real gameplay. The real winner in all of this, truth be told, is you. Intel Arc and AMD Radeon integrated graphics solutions are competitive, and that competition is forcing both companies to put their best feet forward. In fact, Intel Arc 140V and AMD Radeon 880M/Radeon 890M graphics can now deliver performance that isn’t far behind some laptops with Nvidia GTX 3050 mobile graphics — and thanks to that, there’s a buffet of modestly priced laptops that can handle today’s most popular PC games. Read...