Search results for 'Features' - Page: 1
| PC World - 9 hours ago (PC World)Gone are the days of backpacks overloaded with binders and the chronic hand-cramps from trying to write as fast as possible. Nowadays, a good laptop elevates your productivity and allows you to keep all your important lesson materials in one place. Whether you’re new to campus or heading into your final year, having a laptop that’s capable, sturdy, and portable — with good battery life, natch — will help keep you on top of your studies, or gaming (no judgement).
Why you should trust us: It’s in our name: PCWorld. We’ve been reviewing laptops for over 40 years, with exacting standards applied to all facets of the user experience, from performance benchmarks to features to the rigors of daily use. Our experts know their stuff and have curated a comprehensive list of the best laptops for college students, with their particular needs in mind.
After you finish looking over our recommendations, be sure to hit our daily updated roundup of the best laptop deals to try and score your favorite laptops on sale. Or check out our roundup of the best laptops for even more recommendations.
Updated May 17, 2024: We updated the list of recently reviewed laptops underneath our recommendations, and added additional context to various picks throughout.
Best laptops for college students
Dell Inspiron Plus 14 – Best overall for students
Pros
Fantastic performance
Exceptional battery life
Great typing experience
Cons
CPU throttles under heavy loads
No user upgrades
Why we like the Dell Inspiron Plus 14
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is one of the most well-rounded laptops available right now. You’re getting reliable performance, phenomenal battery life, and a superb-looking display. It only costs $999.99 too, which is several hundred dollars cheaper than our former top pick. With a PCMark 10 score of 7,061, it beat both the similarly spec’d Acer Swift Go 14 and the more expensive Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. (PCMark 10 gauges how well a laptop handles day-to-day tasks.) It also lasted a whopping 17 hours on a single charge, which is perfect for students looking for a long-lasting machine. You don’t have to go hunting for an outlet between classes, that’s for sure.
Performance and battery life are no doubt impressive, but the 14-inch 1400p display is also worth noting. According to our review, “the display is exceedingly well suited to office work and static imagery.” We measured a peak brightness level of 418 nits, which is plenty bright for writing papers and browsing the web. Plus, thanks to the anti-glare coating on the display, you can use this laptop in more natural lightning environments.
Who should buy the Dell Inspiron Plus 14
Students looking for a well-rounded and long-lasting laptop. The design is a bit boring, sure, but its hardware capabilities and long battery life make up for the staid aesthetics. You can’t really get much better than this–especially for $999.99.
Read our full
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus review
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED – Best laptop for students runner-up
Pros
Robust build quality
Attractive OLED touchscreen
Good CPU and integrated GPU performance
Amazing battery life
Cons
Blah design
Keyboard isn`t memorable
Mediocre connectivity
Why we like the Asus Zenbook
The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED really dazzled us with its peppy processor performance, outstanding battery life, and sublime OLED touchscreen display. Movies and games “look realistic and vibrant” on the 14-inch 1200p display and the 75 watt-hour battery ran for a whopping 16 hours on a single charge. This result really blows away competitors like the Lenovo Slim 7 14 Gen 9 and the HP Pavilion Plus Laptop 14. As for how it fares in the performance department, the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED is plenty fast during day-to-day tasks such as web browsing, chatting over video, and so on, delivering benchmark scores just a bit below our top pick.
Who should buy the Asus Zenbook
The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED is a fantastic choice for students because it offers outstanding battery life, speedy overall performance, and a lovely OLED display. It’s also cheaper than our current top pick. That said, it’s a runner-up for a reason. The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, which is still the reigning champ, is the more well-rounded option of the two. It has twice the storage, a higher resolution screen, and a better keyboard. However, if you’re looking to save a hundred bucks or so, the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED is still a great option.
Read our full
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED review
Acer Aspire 3 – Best budget laptop for students
Pros
Spacious keyboard with number pad
HD webcam
Solid video playback performance
Decent business app performance
Workday-long battery life
Cons
Small 128GB storage drive
A little heavy
Best Prices Today:
$299.99 at Amazon
Why we like the Acer Aspire
For under $330, the Acer Aspire 3 laptop provides reliable performance as well as a durable build. It’s zippy enough for day-to-day productivity like binging your favorite shows on Netflix, checking e-mail, and so on. There’s even a full-sized keyboard and a 1080p screen. The HD webcam also produces “clean, crisp video” according to our review, which means you’ll always look your best in remote learning sessions. The 40 watt-hour battery is quite good too, lasting a total of eight hours on a single charge, so you don’t have to stop and go outlet hunting as you’re traversing from class to class.
Those are all checkboxes you don’t often find in laptops under $500, much less all of them in a $330 notebook.
Who should buy the Acer Aspire
Anyone who’s on a restricted budget! To get more specific, we feel as though the Acer Aspire 3 is a good option for students because it’s affordable and a good performer.
Read our full
Acer Aspire 3 review
Lenovo Flex 5i – Best Chromebook for students
Pros
Great build quality
Vibrant touchscreen display
Fast performance
Nice typing experience
Cons
Stylus not included
Average battery life for a Chromebook
Heavier than expected
Why we like the Lenovo Flex
The Lenovo Flex 5i is a great Chromebook because of its convertible design, fast performance, superb typing experience, and touchscreen display. The chassis has a luxurious aluminum finish on it, which makes it feel three or four times as expensive. The 360-degree hinge that connects the display to the rest of the laptops feels strong and like it won’t wear out anytime soon. The keyboard is also a dream to type on and easy to adjust to, and the 1200p display produces sharp, colorful visuals. Sure, it’s heavier than we expected right out of the box and the stylus isn’t included, but those are small trade-offs in the grand scheme of things. Overall, this is a really well-rounded machine.
Who should buy the Lenovo Flex
We feel as though the Lenovo Flex 5i is a good option for those who prefer using Google’s ecosystem and can handle mostly working online. The beautiful touchscreen display and the convertible design really gives it the edge over other Chromebooks and even some Windows laptops, as you usually see those features in machines that cost much more. While the nine hour battery life is a little below average for a Chromebook, it’ll still last you a full school day and then some. At the end of the day, the Lenovo Flex 5i’s list of compromises is quite small.
Read our full
Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review
MacBook Air (M3) – Best MacBook for students
Pros
Excellent battery life
Great combination of price, features, and performance
256GB SSD is now two NAND chips, maintaining performance
Cons
Expensive memory upgrades
Dual external display support requires closed lid
Best Prices Today:
$1,199 at Amazon$1299 at Adorama$1299 at Apple
Why we like the MacBook Air
From the outstanding battery life to the spacious Liquid Retina display, the MacBook Air (M3) received high marks across the board. It comes with an 8-core CPU (M3) and a 10-core GPU as well as two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a 66.5 watt-hour battery. Performance is similar to the MacBook Pro (M3), which means it can blitz through school work and casual use tasks. The only difference between the two is that the MacBook Air doesn’t have fans, resulting in quieter operation. This laptop also managed a whopping 19 hours on a single charge, which is great news for those with jam-packed schedules and have zero time to plug into the nearest outlet.
Who should buy the MacBook Air
Anyone who prefers MacOS over other operating systems! The battery life is incredible and the laptop itself weighs just a little over three pounds, which means you can easily take it anywhere with you. The $1,299 price tag is also reasonable for the performance and features. However, the 8GB of RAM is light compared to Windows-based alternatives.
Acer TravelMate P6 – Best ultraportable for students
Pros
Long battery life
Light and portable
A good price for a business laptop
Cons
Keyboard is a tad mushy
No NPU for future Windows AI features
Consumer laptops deliver similar specs at a lower price
Why we like the Acer TravelMate
The Acer TravelMate P6 is so lightweight that it might just float up into the stratosphere. It weighs just 2.65 pounds and is made of magnesium-alloy, which is a very light yet durable material. This is the kind of laptop you can easily toss in a bag and take with you from class to class. The 65 watt-hour battery also lasted nearly 13 hours on a single charge — more than a full school day! In the performance department, thanks to the Intel Core i5-1335U CPU, it’s equipped to handle coursework and day-to-day tasks. In fact, it managed a respectable Cinebench R20 score of 3,065, which isn’t far behind the more powerful HP Pavilion Plus.
Who should buy the Acer TravelMate
The Acer TravelMate P6 is a good option if you’re looking for a powerful, lightweight laptop. In addition to the slimmed-down form factor, it also features a 1080p webcam with a physical privacy shutter and a 14-inch 1200p display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. The taller aspect ratio gives you more room to scroll through webpages and the 1080p webcam will make you look your best during remote sessions. Plus, the backlit keyboard offers a comfortable typing experience. What more could you ask for?
Read our full
Acer TravelMate P6 review
Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition – Best gaming laptop for students
Pros
Impressive battery life
Gorgeous 16:10 display
Rugged chassis
Cons
Keys feel a bit soft
720p webcam is disappointing
Why we like the Asus TUF Gaming
The Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition is something of a rare gem in the sand dune. This specific model exhibits strong graphics performance as well as long battery life, which is unusual for a gaming laptop. Most gaming laptops last only a couple of hours on a single charge. Well, the Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition and its 11 and a half hours of battery life is out here changing the script. That’s more than a full school day.
Also, thanks to the AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU and the AMD Radeon RX 7600S GPU, it also managed 123 frames-per-second in the Rise of the Tomb Raider benchmark. That’s pretty darn good, especially for a sub-$1,000 gaming laptop.
Who should buy the Asus TUF Gaming
The Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition is a great option for those who like to game after class. The pricing is reasonable and you’re getting reliable graphics performance as well as a spacious keyboard and decent battery life. It’s also a good purpose machine, so you can use it for coursework and day-to-day productivity. If you’re a gamer who wants Nvidia features like DLSS or advanced ray tracing, however, this all-AMD system won’t cut it — opt for the alternative below instead.
Alternative option: The Lenovo LOQ 15 stands as another solid budget gaming laptop option. It’s more than capable of 1080p gaming thanks to its more powerful RTX 4060 and the design is very sci-fi inspired. That said, it didn’t nab the top pick because of the poor battery life (not unusual for a gaming laptop) and limited port selection.
Read our full
Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition review
Recent laptop reviews
Gigabyte G6X: It doesn’t look like much on the outside, but this gaming laptop offers outstanding specs for its $1,350 price tag — it’s a heck of a value.
Acer Swift Go 14: The $799 Acer Swift Go 14 is a reliable travel workhorse through and through, delivering strong performance alongside a whopping 15 hour battery life. The only downside? It’s a Costco exclusive.
Acer Aspire Go 15: The Acer Aspire Go 15 (2024) isn’t much to look at, but it plods along without much fuss, only struggling when demand is put on the meager integrated graphics or too much CPU horsepower is called for. For simple computing needs, it has clear value at just $300.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16: With rip-roaring RTX 4070 performance, a luscious OLED screen, and a comfortable keyboard, this $2,000 gaming laptop would be a good investment for video editing students who want more frames in games than our top pick offers. The price is high and the webcam is mediocre, though.
How we tested
The PCWorld team puts each and every Windows laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others we’ve tested. Chromebooks, on the other hand, go through a series of web-based tests. It wouldn’t be fair or possible to run the same kinds of tests on a Chromebook, as they’re Chrome OS-based machines.
Below, you’ll find a breakdown of each test and the reasons why we run them. For a much deeper look at our review methodology, check out how PCWorld tests laptops.
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 beefy 30GB file.
Cinebench: Cinebench is a brief stress test of the CPU cores. It does this by rendering a 2D scene over a short period of time.
3DMark: 3DMark checks if 3D performance remains consistent over time by running graphic-intensive clips.
Video rundown test: To gauge battery life, we loop a 4K video using Windows 10’s Movies & TV app until the laptop dies.
Chromebooks
CrXPRT 2: The CrXPRT 2 benchmark tests a Chromebook’s battery life.
Speedometer 2.0: This test determines a Chromebook’s web browser performance. It simulates this by adding, completing, and removing a to-do list.
Basemark Web 3.0: This benchmark gauges how well a Chromebook can handle web-based applications.
Kraken 1.1: Kraken 1.1 is a JavaScript performance benchmark.
Jetstream 2: Jetstream 2 is a combination of WebAssembly and JavaScript benchmarks. This is a way to gauge how well a Chromebook runs advanced workloads.
What to look for in a laptop for college
The first thing to consider is budget. How much are you willing to spend on a laptop? If you’re working with an inflexible budget, Chromebooks are a good option. They’re affordable and designed to handle everyday tasks like writing papers, working on spreadsheets, and so on. Chromebook prices can range anywhere from $200 up to $1,000. If you want to spend a bit more, laptops with convertible touchscreens (otherwise known as 2-in-1s) offer a great deal of functionality. You can flip the screen around and use it like a tablet or prop it up like an easel for watching movies.
Things like navigating your e-mail or watching Netflix will require more RAM. We recommend springing for 8GB of RAM or more. 4GB of RAM is fine and good for web browsing and basic office work, but 8GB is better for having more tabs open and whatnot. Plus, applications like Google Chrome and Spotify tend to eat up a lot of memory. Most people can get by with 4GB in a pinch if you’re on a tight budget, but you won’t be able to multitask as much.
The final thing is a decent keyboard. In college, you’re going to be spending a lot of time typing. Depending on your personal preference, you may want either a full or short travel keyboard. Mechanical keyboards, for example, normally have longer travel. This helps prevent accidental keystrokes. The keys also give a lot of tactile feedback, as they bounce back after they’re pressed down.
FAQ
1.
Which laptop size is best?
This is mostly personal preference. Students who bring their laptops to class or intend to travel a lot should consider a smaller, more portable size. Anything in the neighborhood of 13- to 14-inches is recommended. However, if you want to use your laptop for gaming, then you should consider something in the 15- to 17-inch range. It’s also important to keep in mind the weight of the laptop before buying it. Ultra thin laptops can weigh a featherlight two pounds while hefty gaming rigs top the scales at three or four times that—not exactly something you want to carry in a backpack everyday.
2.
How long should a laptop last on a single charge?
If you’ve got a jam-packed schedule, you’ll probably be running from class to class with very little downtime in between. That’s why we recommend a laptop with a long-lasting battery. We recommend something that’ll last 7 to 10-plus hours on a single charge, unless you want a notebook that can play games on the side—gaming laptops are notorious for their shorter endurance, even during everyday tasks. That 7 to 10 hours is a good figure if you plan on taking your laptop with you everywhere.
3.
What about processing power?
Most students will be able to get by with an Intel Core i3 or i5 processor. You don’t need anything mega powerful for everyday tasks and school work. However, if you’re using more graphically demanding programs on the regular, then you may want to spring for an Intel Core i7 or i9. It all really depends on your workload.
For more specifics regarding the hardware you want inside your laptop, be sure to check out our comprehensive guide on how to buy a budget laptop without getting screwed, as well as our broader cheatsheet on what to look for in a laptop CPU and GPU.
Laptops Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | |
| | | PC World - 4:05AM (PC World)When looking for a top-notch VPN, the two most important things to look for are privacy and speed. While privacy is crucial to a good VPN, speed should not be overlooked. Faster speeds mean quicker file downloads and website load times, a better streaming experience, and just a better all-around experience.
I’ve tested numerous VPNs and put their servers from all over the world through countless speed tests to determine the fastest services based on their network averages. I highlight not only the fastest download speeds, but also the fastest upload speeds. Read below to see PCWorld’s curated list of the fastest VPNs available now.
Why you should trust me: Here at PCWorld we’ve been testing computer hardware, software, and services since the 1980s. I’m continually testing all of the major VPNs on the market and many lesser-known services in order to curate a list of the very best VPNs across a variety of categories. For a more in-depth guide, you can check out the article on how we test VPN services at PCWorld. Below you’ll find my favorite lightning-fast VPNs and, below those, helpful advice about what to look for when choosing a fast VPN on your own.
If you’re looking for even more VPN options, check out my comprehensive roundup of the best VPNs in all categories.
Updated May 17, 2024: Check out my latest review of ProtonVPN. It may have missed out on this list of fastest VPNs, but it still sports good speeds and top-notch privacy features.
NordVPN – Fastest VPN
Pros
Excellent speeds
Enough features to appeal to power users and novices
No-logs policy
Diskless servers
Cons
Expensive
Why I like NordVPN
Nord regularly appears at the top of many VPN rankings, and it’s no surprise to see it here. In my tests, NordVPN retained 49 percent of the base speed, which is plenty fast. It’s also inside the top 10 for upload speeds. Of all the VPNs here, NordVPN also has to be one of the most feature-packed, rivaling ProtonVPN. It supports multi-hop connections, TOR over VPN, ad and tracker blocking at the server level, and a variety of other options.
Who should buy NordVPN
With all of the great features included with NordVPN, it can appeal to a wide audience. You’ll need to sacrifice some speed for those features though. However, the speed loss is pretty minimal and you’ll still be able to do everything you want to do while connected.
Read our full
NordVPN review
ExpressVPN – Second-fastest VPN
Pros
Consistently good speeds
Easy-to-use desktop program
Broad device support
Cons
Logs data transfer amounts
More expensive than many competitors
Why I like ExpressVPN
My current favorite as the best VPN overall is a good choice for speeds. It ranks third overall in my download speed tests, retaining more than 53 percent of the base speed in testing. For uploads, it ranks in the top 20, though the differences in speeds there are much slimmer than in downloads. ExpressVPN is one of the more costly VPNs out there at $100 per year. For that money, however, you get solid speeds, a promise to work with Netflix, split tunneling, and a wide range of device support. The app is also pretty easy to use and there are a wide range of country locations to choose from.
Who should buy ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a truly great VPN for everyone. It gives you everything you could want from a top-tier service including privacy, security, and speed. It might not be as fast as my top pick on this list, but it’s still plenty fast enough for most online activities.
Read our full
ExpressVPN review
CyberGhost VPN – Fastest upload speeds
Pros
Easy-to-use interface
Independently verified no-log policy
Seriously impressive server spread
Cons
Lacks some common features such as multi-hop and double VPN
Server speeds are hit-or-miss, especially in Asia
Why I like CyberGhost VPN
The winner for best upload speeds is CyberGhost VPN. While I found that the service had rather average download speeds, I was absolutely blown away by its upload speeds. CyberGhost retained an unbelievable 95 percent of the base upload speed across all of my tests — the VPN’s servers might as well have been in my backyard with those numbers.
CyberGhost VPN also has extra features that may interest some, such as streaming optimized servers and a dizzying 9,000 plus servers to choose from all over the world.
Other honorable mentions for upload speeds include NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Private Internet Access. Any of those VPNs will do the job nicely if upload speeds are a bigger concern than downloads. These services also promise features similar to CyberGhost VPN such as Netflix compatibility, multi-hop VPNs, and more.
Who should buy CyberGhost VPN
If you want something that offers a huge server network, and has top-rated upload speeds, then CyberGhost is a good option. Particularly if you work from home and need to connect to a remote work server or you’re looking to upload data securely over a VPN connection, CyberGhost VPN should be at the top of your list.
Read our full
CyberGhost review
Mullvad – The most private speed demon
Pros
Good speeds
Inexpensive monthly plan
Unrivaled anonymity
Open-source
Cons
Struggles with unblocking streaming services
Smaller server network
Lacks some extra features that other VPNs offer
Why I like Mullvad
If you don’t want to compromise on privacy and anonymity, while still getting solid speeds, then Mullvad is the best choice. This super-simple VPN supports connections via 41 different countries, and it costs just 5 euros per month (around $5.40 at this writing). Mullvad should be considered the “Swiss bank account” version of a VPN, as it actively resists obtaining any of your personal information and provides premium service. Instead of signing up for an account with the standard email and password, Mullvad assigns you a random account number and that’s it. No birth date or anniversary passwords to give you away. One number and that’s it.
In my tests, Mullvad performed well in download and upload speeds, maintaining around 48 percent of the baseline with each. That puts it firmly in the top half of all VPNs I’ve ever tested and it’s plenty fast enough to do just about everything you’d want to do. There may be a few faster VPNs on the market, though they won’t provide the same amount of anonymity as you’ll get with Mullvad and sometimes it’s worth sacrificing a little speed for a whole lot of privacy.
Who should buy Mullvad
Mullvad is ultimately designed for the privacy-conscious user. That being said, it does offer good speeds, so even if privacy is your main concern, you need not sacrifice speed in order to enjoy your anonymity.
Read our full
Mullvad review
Hotspot Shield – Honorable mention
Pros
Very fast
Large country selection and plenty of servers
Cons
Domain visits are recorded, though not tied to you
Expensive
Why I like HotSpot Shield
To long-time readers of our VPN reviews this will come as no surprise. The previous undisputed fastest VPN, HotSpot Shield, may have had its title usurped but that doesn’t mean it has slowed down. HSS still maintained an impressive 64 percent of base download speeds and 70 percent of base upload speeds in my latest review testing. That is still a standout score. HSS has its issues, as I haven’t been a fan of the company’s privacy policy, though it’s slowly getting better. Of course, it may simply be that to provide the speeds that it does HSS requires the analytics it collects. I can’t really say.
Who should buy HotSpot Shield
Simply put, if you’re interested in pure speed with your VPN and nothing else matters, then HotSpot Shield is the one you want. You’ll get some other nice features, but speed is the name of the game here and HSS still delivers.
Read our full
Hotspot Shield review
What to look for in a fast VPN
The first thing to consider in a fast VPN is, of course, speed. This may be tricky to do since you aren’t likely to be able to test connection speeds without paying to use the service. That’s where online reviews come in. Look for reviews, like ours, that give you a relative average of connection speeds rather than direct Mbps speed comparisons.
Next, you should look at a VPN’s server network including the number of servers and locations. It’s difficult to judge any VPN by just one feature, but a semi-reliable way to tell if a VPN is even worth your time is to look at the server spread. Anything with 1,000 or more servers and 30 or more country locations will do.
You’ll also want to read up on a VPN’s privacy protections. Does it have a no-logs policy? Has it undergone any independent audits of its servers? Where is the VPN company located? All of these will give you an idea of whether or not a VPN is transparent with its data collection policies and if it’s subject to government data sharing requirements.
Other factors you’ll want to take into consideration are the overall ease-of-use, user experience, and any additional features. Some of these features, such as split-tunneling and kill switches, can be extremely useful for certain purposes and might sway your subscription decision one way or the other.
Finally, as with all subscription services, you’ll want to review the price of a VPN service. Do you want a monthly or yearly subscription? Some top VPNs might be pricey month-to-month, but actually become quite affordable with long-term plans.
How I tested
My method for testing VPN speeds is rather straightforward. I average the connections between different global locations for any given VPN and then compare them to a baseline internet speed to get a good picture of the overall connection speeds.
I continue this process over multiple days of testing and then average the daily speeds together to get an overall average. I test a total of three days at different times of the day to account for any variation. That overall average is then expressed as a percentage of the base speed. That way the test results provide a sense of how much speed a VPN retains versus hard numbers, which can vary based on internet service providers, routers, and other equipment, time of day, and so on.
FAQ
1.
What does a VPN do?
A VPN (virtual private network) encrypts your internet traffic and disguises your identity while browsing the internet. A VPN will anonymize your online traffic and keep your ISP or other third parties from snooping on your internet browsing.
Additionally, VPNs allow you to connect to servers all across the world. So if you’re looking to access location-restricted content, such as streaming services, you can connect to the appropriate country’s server and gain access that way.
2.
How does a VPN work?
A VPN hides your IP address by redirecting it through a remote server hosted by the VPN company. To anyone looking in, the VPN server then becomes the source of your data instead of yourself. These remote servers can be in your own country or located in different countries around the world. All of your network traffic from your computer to the VPN is sent over a secure and encrypted connection.
When connected to a VPN while browsing the internet, the VPN acts as a middleman between your computer and a website. Your computer sends a request to the VPN which then passes it on to a website. The website then sends its response back to the VPN which forwards it through the secure connection to your computer. All of the traffic rerouted through the VPN shows as coming through their server rather than your own computer. This keeps your ISP and other third parties from snooping on your internet activity.
3.
Can you use a VPN to watch Netflix?
Yes! If you’re located in a country where particular Netflix content isn’t accessible, you can use a VPN server located in a different region to access that content. While certain streaming services try to prevent VPN connections, you can usually find a server that isn’t blocked.
Good VPN companies offer thousands of servers in which to connect to from all over the world. If your intended use for a VPN is to watch a streaming service such as Netflix, connection speeds and unblocked server availability will be the most important factors to look out for. (See our roundup of the best VPNs for our recommendation for Netflix streaming, as well as a host of other use cases.)
4.
Will a VPN affect my internet speeds?
In the past, VPNs were notorious for slowing down internet speeds. But nowadays it’s the exception rather than the norm.
When you connect to a VPN, it reroutes your traffic through its own servers. Depending on where these servers are located, the extra distance can lead to a higher ping. While one of the great features of VPNs is to encrypt your data, this can lead to slower download and upload speeds because it takes time to encrypt and decrypt your data—affecting everything from page load times to video buffering speeds. Thankfully, advances in encryption technology and server optimization by modern VPN providers have significantly lessened these impacts.
5.
Do VPNs protect against malware and computer viruses?
Unfortunately, no, a VPN will not protect you from malware or viruses. If you use a VPN and accidentally click on a malicious link or download a file containing a virus, there isn’t anything a VPN can do to help. In conjunction with a VPN, it is highly recommended that you use an antivirus program. Alternatively, you can find a VPN provider that offers additional threat protection features to help keep you safe.
VPN Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | |
| | | CNet News - 2:55AM (CNet News)Commentary: Apple traditionally waits for an iPhone launch to roll out splashy new features. But there are multiple reasons why adopting the RCS texting standard shouldn`t wait. Read...Newslink ©2024 to CNet News | |
| | | PC World - 1:45AM (PC World)In a world where security and peace of mind are paramount, the Eufy Security SoloCam S220 emerges as a highly sought-after solution, now available at a remarkable price of just $69.99 at Amazon, a significant drop from its original $129.99.
The price cut is one we love to see because it makes an excellent camera more accessible to everyone, allowing you to purchase more of these to drape over your home so you can check all angles.
The SoloCam S220 doesn’t need wires to power up because it has solar charging capabilities. It only takes about three hours of sunlight every day to charge the camera fully. So, unless you live near the poles, you’re good to use these Eufy cams.
The camera features infrared LEDs and an f/1.6 aperture, so you’ll get clear images even in low-light situations or at night. When your dog starts randomly growling during the wee hours, you can just open the app and check your home’s surroundings to see if he just heard the neighbors or if there’s actually a security issue.
Setting up the Eufy SoloCam S220 is a breeze. The camera itself is compact and requires no wires. Simply drill it into your home’s wall and you’re good to go.
One of the standout features of the SoloCam S220 is its ability to detect humans. If you want to take security to the next level and receive notifications about specific individuals at your door, you’ll need the HomeBase 3 Eufy security center. While the HomeBase 3 is not currently on sale, it’s a worthwhile addition. Using advanced artificial intelligence, the cameras can distinguish between family members, delivery personnel, and potential intruders, sending only the notifications that are relevant to you.
While we didn’t get to review the Eufy SoloCam S220 ourselves, the camera has a whopping 4.3/5 stars on Amazon out of over 1600 reviews.
Most users appreciate how easy this camera is to install and set up with the local W-iFi network. One reviewer states, for instance, that the video quality during the daytime is crystal clear, and the night vision is impressive.
The Eufy SoloCam S220 is an absolute bargain at $69.99, an exceptional investment for anyone looking to enhance their home security.
Get the Eufy SoloCam S220 for only $70 at Amazon
Security Cameras Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | |
| | | PC World - 17 May (PC World)At a glanceExpert`s Rating
ProsFeels like a desktop replacementHas a large keyboard with a good layout for gamersReally powerful performanceConsThe display isn’t as colorful as an OLEDThe keys are a bit mushyThe charging brick is huge, which reduces its portabilityOur VerdictThe Dell G16 7630 is big and exceptionally powerful. It’s a great option for gamers wanting a desktop replacement at a more affordable price.
Best Prices Today: Dell G16 7630
Retailer
Price
$1900
View Deal
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
The Dell G16 7630 is big and has plenty of muscle to run your favorite games. Its display is exceptional, and it runs media with very smooth motion.
It’s also priced to be affordable. But the gaming laptop’s sheer size means it’s not that portable. If you’re looking for a desktop experience but don’t want to shell out on an 18-inch laptop, then this ripper fits the bill exactly.
Further reading: See our roundup of the best gaming laptops to learn about competing products.
Dell G16 7630: Specifications
There was only one unit that I could find available at the time of writing this review, and it shares my review unit’s specifications. They are as follows:
CPU: Intel Core i9-13900HX
RAM: 32GB / 4800MHz
Graphics: RTX 4070 GPU
Display: 16-inch 2560×1600 QHD+ LCD, 240Hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, 3ms response time, ComfortView Plus low blue light, Nvidia G-Sync
Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe Gen 4 SSD
Webcam: HD 720p camera with single arrange digital mic
Connectivity: Thunderbolt 4 port, 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1 port, RJ45 Ethernet port, 3.5mm audio jack
Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
Battery capacity: 84WHrs
Dimensions: 14.05 x 11.37 x 1.01 inches
Weight: 6.59 pounds (2.99kg)
Cost: $1,737 on Amazon
Dell G16 7630: Design and build
The Dell G16 7630 is unashamedly a laptop for gamers that like a large space to play on. Its generous dimensions measure 14.05 x 11.37 x 1.01 inches, so it has a desktop replacement feel to it.
The chassis features an aluminum cover that makes it sturdier than if it were just made of plastic, but I did notice a bit of give there compared to laptops with solid CNC-milled aluminum chassis. The lid is similar, in that it will flex with firm pressure, but not with moderate pressure.
The display is a sight to behold. It may be only 16 inches on the diagonal, but its16:10 aspect ratio means you benefit from extra vertical space than in the laptop’s forbears. It gives the illusion you’re using an even larger laptop. That’s helped along by very thin left and right bezels that make every inch of screen space a prize to savor.
Playing games like Battlefield I and Cyberpunk 2077 was a real pleasure — my frame rates were high enough to stay competitive with the best players…
The top and bottom bezels are a lot thicker than the sides, especially the bottom bezel which sits atop a tall hinge. That’s a fact I was very happy for, since it meant I could look almost straight on at the screen without having to crane my neck downwards.
As to styling, the Dell G16 7630 eschews gamer-centric touches like RGB logos, or flashy Tron lights like the kind you’ll find in Alienware laptops, in favor of a simple Dell logo on the lid instead. I wasn’t unhappy about that since it meant the G16 7630 was one of those rare gaming laptops I could use in the office without anyone blinking an eye.
At least that was the case when the laptop was fully charged. When it was time to charge it, the huge 330W power brick was kind of a giveaway — it’s probably the chunkiest and biggest charging brick I’ve seen.
My review unit was a smart Nightshade Black color, which has a kind of charcoal hue. It also blended in nicely with my office environment.
Dell G16 7630: Keyboard and trackpad
The keyboard’s single-zone RGB backlighting was a brilliant blue color on startup, which was quite mesmerizing to see. The keyboard is full-sized and has a useful key layout for gamers, including full-sized arrow keys and a collection of media shortcuts down the right-hand side.
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
The laptop also sports a Game Shift Key that lets you change and maximize the laptop’s fan speeds for heavy tasks. The ADSF keys are outlined by a white border, which gives the keyboard the battle station look many gamers like.
Unsurprisingly for a laptop this size, the keys feel a bit mushy, but they fire off rapidly and with a satisfying low audible click. They are also nicely sized for my medium sized fingers — spacious but not trampoline-sized.
One hitch is the trackpad’s smallness. It plays second fiddle to the G16 7630’s keyboard and could do with an extra half inch in each direction. Its clicks are nevertheless fast, and the trackpad tracks well, so it’s not a total loss.
Dell G16 7630: Connectivity and audio
A useful assortment of ports line the G16 7630’s flanks, allowing me to plug in my normal array of peripherals. There’s a Thunderbolt 4 port for transferring my essential game files at a quick speed of up to 40Gbps and an ethernet port for when I want the lowest latency in games.
The laptop’s Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth functionality are also snappy — although, Wi-Fi 6 is rapidly becoming an older standard now, with laptops like the 2024 Razer Blade 16 now sporting the updated Wi-Fi 7 standard.
The Dell G16 7630 is a large laptop and it projects sound really well in a large room. The laptop’s two speakers are well tuned for mid-tones, so you get a nice neutral sound in games. I only noticed slight vibrations at higher volumes. Dolby Atmos support gives the audio an appealing immersive quality.
Dell G16 7630: Display and webcam
I made a promise to myself when the 2024 Razer Blade 16 came out that I wouldn’t play games in 2650x1600p with anything less than a 240Hz refresh rate. Thankfully my Dell G16 7630 came with the same refresh rate and resolution combination, which made for really fast and smooth game action.
Indeed, playing games like Battlefield I and Cyberpunk 2077 was a real pleasure — my frame rates were high enough to stay competitive with the best players. The screen resolution was also very detailed, but I’ve seen richer colors on OLED displays. Still, the Dell G16 7630’s 100 percent DCI-P3 color display produces a good enough picture to look bright and texture-rich.
The laptop’s brightness was also never an issue. I measured a peak brightness of 497 nits, which I used to my advantage to keep the display visible in very bright rooms of my house.
The 720p webcam impressed me less than the display. It’s adequate for chats and meetings, but some images came out looking a little orange at times.
A single microphone array also didn’t do my voice much justice in game chats. The sound lost some detail at different moments, which made me sound a little robotic.
Dell G16 7630: Gaming performance
The Dell G16 7630 features a fast high-end Intel i9-13900HX processor made for gaming. It belongs to the Raptor Lake family, and sports 24 cores and 32 threads and a maximum turbo frequency of 5.4GHz.
Compared to the older Alder Lake CPUs, this ripper has a more efficient P-Core microarchitecture and larger caches. It also supports faster DDR5 RAM (up to 5,600MHz), so it’s really designed to shred in games.
To test its performance, I first ran the Cinebench Multi-Threaded benchmark. This test flexes all the CPU cores to give an indication of how well the processor fares when it’s really pushed to the maximum.
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
My review laptop clocked a score of 10,658 in this test, which was quite decent; to be honest, though, there are now a bunch of laptops with 14th-generation Intel CPUs that will muscle out a score like this. But for an Intel 13th-generation CPU, the i9-13900HX is well up to the task of running your most demanding games.
With plenty of thermal headroom in the hefty chassis, the laptop’s CPU also performed admirably in a bespoke test that uses the free HandBrake utility. The CPU managed to keep rising thermals at bay when tasked with encoding a 30GB MKV file to the MP4 format. It took just 828 seconds to finish.
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Anything under 850 seconds is quick and snappy. It bodes very well for carrying out tasks that really tax the G16 7630 CPU, like video editing or encoding. You can be sure the G16 7630 won’t just chug along, it’ll keep processing effectively even if it gets hot.
Moving on to the graphics performance tests, the 3DMark Time Spy 1.2 Overall test showed that Nvidia’s mid-range 4070 mobile CPU has a lot of muscle, placing third among its peers in our performance charts.
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
In the Rise of the Tomb Raider gaming test, the Dell G16 7630 performed very respectably, placing just behind the Razer Blade 16 2024.
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
The performance in the Shadow of the Tomb Raider gaming benchmark was even better. Here, the Dell G16 7630 toppled the field, opening up a can of whoop-ass on laptops like the Razer Blade 16 and the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
These scores suggest that the Dell 16 7630 can be expected to perform capably and produce smooth action to keep you competitive in games.
The benchmarks reinforce what we already know about the RTX 4070 GPU, too — it’s a great video card that provides performance like Nvidia’s top-tier RTX 3080 GPUs.
What’s more, if that last score is any indication, this laptop offers a few performance surprises against laptops with RTX 40 series GPUs too.
Dell G16 7630: Battery performance
To test the laptop’s battery life, I started by charging the review unit up to 100 percent. The volume was set to 50 percent and a cheap pair of headphones was plugged in to control sound.
I also switched off the keyboard backlighting and the laptop’s Wi-Fi was switched to airplane mode. Finally, a 4K movie was set to run on repeat and the power cord was unplugged.
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
Dominic Bayley / IDG
The G16 7630’s 84WHr battery ran for 5 hours and 35 mins. That’s the length of time you can expect a lightweight task like running a video to last on this laptop. For gaming, which uses more power, you can expect about half that time — so about 3 hours of battery life.
That’s not great, but the laptop charges quickly when you plug it in. The only problem is the charging brick is so big you won’t want to take it with you when you leave your house.
Should you buy the Dell G16 7630?
The Dell G16 7630 is a seriously big laptop that really fills a niche market. For me that feels like gamers looking for a desktop replacement but who don’t want to shell out on a more expensive 18-inch gaming laptop.
There’s a solid argument why you’d want that, too. The configuration I reviewed costs just $1,899, which is a lot cheaper than say, the Razer Blade 18, which has a starting price of $2,599. That makes it a particularly good buy if you can get by without a lot of portability.
Gaming Laptops Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | |
| | | CNet News - 17 May (CNet News)This might be one of Apple`s best features. Read...Newslink ©2024 to CNet News | |
| | | CNet News - 17 May (CNet News)Meanwhile, Reddit says it will bring `AI-powered features` to redditors. Read...Newslink ©2024 to CNet News | |
| | | PC World - 17 May (PC World)Google has solved a fundamental problem with Chromebook gaming in a rather awesome way: How do you play Android touch games on Chromebooks without a touchscreen? For a long time, the answer was simply: you don’t. But Google has come up with a way to remap keyboard inputs to touch controls, for every game in the Google Play Store, along with several other helpful Chromebook tweaks.
For whatever reason, Google left out ChromeOS and Chromebooks entirely from its keynote at Google I/O, which included AI-powered search enhancements and some rather interesting AI tweaks to Gmail. But in the ongoing debate over whether to buy a laptop or a Chromebook, factoring in the most recent advances to Chromebooks matter. This week, Google executives offered up a sneak peek of the cooler new Google technologies coming in the future.
Google calls this Game Controls. The technology was first shown off in 2022 on a limited set of titles, according to Emilie Roberts, developer relations engineer for Google. But it’s been revamped with a better editor, and broader coverage across all of the apps in the Play Store. Game Controls is being tested in ChromeOS m125, currently in beta, and will be released to the stable channel “soon,” she said.
The screenshot is a bit blurry, but essentially ChromeOS Game Controls allows you to specify a point on the screen and then make a keyboard key equate to a “click” on that region.
The screenshot is a bit blurry, but essentially ChromeOS Game Controls allows you to specify a point on the screen and then make a keyboard key equate to a “click” on that region.Google / YouTube
The screenshot is a bit blurry, but essentially ChromeOS Game Controls allows you to specify a point on the screen and then make a keyboard key equate to a “click” on that region.Google / YouTube
Google / YouTube
Likewise, Google is taking a page from other gaming platforms, and allowing gamers to capture clips from their favorite games. “Gamers can grab video and screenshots, share them on social media, all without interrupting their gameflow,” Roberts said. She did not say when the feature would be released.
Google is also offering a pair of new features designed to make it easier for you to add apps to Chromebooks, as well as for developers to make them more discoverable. The first, and most prominent, will be an “Add to Chromebook” button that you may see on the websites of apps, letting you quickly add the app in launchable standalone form. It works with both PWAs (Progressive Web Applications) as well as Android apps, according to Sam Richard, a senior developer advocate for Google. Clicking on the button opens up the corresponding entry in the Play Store. It’s expected to launch in Chrome OS 125, which is rolling out over the course of the next few days and weeks.
The “Add to Chromebook” button is live, though developers will have to implement themselves. Eighteen developer partners have already signed up or committed to use the new “Add to Chromebook buttons, he said.
“While a lot of people look for apps on the Play Store, Google Search is also incredibly popular for app discovery,” Richard said. “Many folks who start the discovery in search end up on your website.”
The tabbed PWA mode within ChromeOS.
The tabbed PWA mode within ChromeOS.Google / YouTube
The tabbed PWA mode within ChromeOS.Google / YouTube
Google / YouTube
Finally, Google is showcasing a tabbed PWA mode. If you download a PWA, Google says, you’ll be able to essentially organize it as a tab, rather than each in a separate app window. Figma showcased an early example of this, with the home page in one tab, and additional files being opened and worked on in other, separate tabs. It’s reminiscent of the tabbed “Sets” interface Microsoft tried out and then abandoned, but resurfaced inside the tabbed interface of File Explorer.
Chromebooks Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | |
| | | PC World - 17 May (PC World)VPNs aren’t just useful for keeping your online activities private and safe, they’re also a great way to bypass restrictions on streaming content in different countries. The top VPN providers are winning out in the cat-and-mouse game with streaming services to make sure you always have access to your favorite content no matter where you are.
Given the restrictions that services such as Netflix put in place against VPNs, you need to choose a service that has active compatibility with that streaming site. It’s also a good idea to choose a VPN with generous overall server spread so that if one server is down in the country you are trying to access, there are other options available. The PCWorld staff have thoroughly tested the top VPNs on the market to see how they fare at unblocking the top streaming sites and we’ve curated our favorites in the list below.
Why you should trust us: Here at PCWorld we’ve been testing computer hardware, software, and services since the 1980s. We’re continually testing all of the major VPNs on the market and many lesser-known services in order to curate a list of the very best VPNs across a variety of categories. For a more in-depth guide, you can check out our article on how we test VPN services at PCWorld. Below you’ll find our favorite VPNs, and below those, helpful advice about what to look for when choosing a VPN on your own.
We highly recommend that you use a VPN not only to access location-restricted content, but also to provide one of the best possible upgrades to your online security. So, if you’re looking to use your VPN for more than streaming, be sure to check out our comprehensive roundup of the best VPNs in all categories.
Updated May 10, 2024: Check out our latest review of ProtonVPN. From the makers of ProtonMail, ProtonVPN is a great choice due to its privacy, speeds, and streaming specific servers, which still keeps it as our top pick for Mac users.
NordVPN – Best overall for Netflix
Pros
Great feature set
Excellent speeds
No-logs policy
Attractive and intuitive interface
Cons
Expensive
Why we like NordVPN
For our money, the best option for streaming Netflix is NordVPN. From the start, it has been challenging the Netflix VPN ban. It’s also had a goal of making all of its servers work with the streaming service. As of our latest review, Netflix works without a hitch on all servers tested. No matter which Netflix catalog you want, NordVPN promises to deliver it.
NordVPN has more than 5,000 servers and offers locations in 60 countries around the world. It also allows you to choose your specific server so that you can switch around if you need to if Netflix’s ban hammer ever comes down.
In addition to top-notch speeds, and Netflix compatibility, NordVPN offers double-hop connections and Meshnet. NordVPN also uses the WireGuard protocol by default, though it has made some modifications to make WireGuard friendlier and more private for commercial VPN services and thus calls its protocol NordLynx.
For both download and upload speeds, NordVPN is inside our top 5 for best speeds overall, and with the company’s success rate of averting bans, it should have no trouble streaming Netflix anywhere in the world.
Who should buy NordVPN
Simply put, everyone looking to use a VPN with streaming services such as Netflix can, and probably should, use NordVPN — it’s really that good for streaming. Between its consistently good speeds and history of successfully unblocking, we think NordVPN can’t be beat.
Read our full
NordVPN review
ExpressVPN – Best runner-up for Netflix
Pros
Excellent speeds
Easy-to-use interface
Unblocks all streaming services
Great security and privacy practices
Cons
More expensive than many competitors
Light on some features for a top VPN
Why we like ExpressVPN
If NordVPN isn’t your style, our top VPN overall, ExpressVPN, is also an excellent choice. ExpressVPN offers more than 3,000 servers in 105 countries. It also promises that Netflix will work with every server it has, and ExpressVPN offers good speeds. Express is on the pricier side at nearly $100 per year, compared to $60 for Nord. But the app is easy to use, the speeds are excellent, and it offers some nice extras such as a private DNS service that lets you set up an Apple TV or console for watching U.S. streaming services overseas.
Who should buy ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is right up there with NordVPN as our recommendation for most people. Its great server spread means you’ll likely find a country to connect to no matter where you want to spoof your location. Also, as our top VPN overall, ExpressVPN will serve you just as well with non-streaming activities as it will unblocking Netflix.
Read our full
ExpressVPN review
CyberGhost VPN – Best for server locations
Pros
Consistently good speeds
Easy-to-use desktop program
Broad device support
Cons
Logs data transfer amounts
More expensive than many competitors
Why we like CyberGhost VPN
When using a VPN to stream Netflix or another service, having a large pool of servers to choose from is a huge benefit. This is because streaming services and VPN providers are in a constant cat-and-mouse game to try and restrict or maintain access. And if you want variety and options in the server locations from your VPN, then CyberGhost VPN has them in droves.
It offers a staggering 9,000+ servers for users to connect to — more than twice as many as ExpressVPN. These servers aren’t all concentrated in the U.S. or Europe either. They boast a server spread with 110 countries across all parts of the world. It even recommends optimized servers to users for various needs such as gaming, streaming, and torrenting. We did find that some of the servers were faster than others, with servers located in Europe having excellent speeds while servers in Asia not so much. But all-in-all, in our testing we found that the speeds were good enough to stream on any and all of their servers.
Additionally, CyberGhost is an intuitive and easy-to-use Windows app with good functionality. It lacks some of the power user features that other VPNs on this list provide, but that shouldn’t be a deal breaker if you’re just looking to use the service to stream. Ultimately, CyberGhost is a straightforward and easy-to-use VPN service with an impressive number of server locations.
Who should buy CyberGhost VPN
If you’re looking for the greatest server spread with the most server locations to choose from then CyberGhost VPN is the ticket. For those who travel a lot or just need access to a wide-ranging server spread, CyberGhost is worth consideration.
Read our full
CyberGhost review
Surfshark – Best for access with multiple devices
Pros
Unlimited simultaneous device connections
Works well with Netflix
Built-in extras such as ad tracker and malware blocking
Low price on long-term plans
Cons
Indicators for ping or server load are not readily available
Based in the Netherlands and subject to government data sharing requests
Why we like Surfshark VPN
Surfshark is another VPN that hits our top 10 for speeds, reaching 61 percent of the base speed in our latest tests. This makes Surfshark plenty fast enough for Netflix streaming. Our testing also showed that Surfshark was able to not only unblock Netflix, but also any other major streaming service we tried—including Amazon Prime, Max, Hulu, and more.
It also comes with ad- and malware-blocking features, double-hop connections, and, surprisingly, it offers unlimited simultaneous device connections as opposed to the usual five-device limit with most VPNs. The Surfshark app for Windows is also easy to use and if you opt for a two-year subscription, the price is incredibly affordable as well.
Who should buy Surfshark VPN
Since Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous device connections, it is ideal for users who want to securely access streaming platforms from multiple devices at the same time. This makes it a great option for families who frequently have all of their members watching shows on their own devices, or individuals who don’t mind sharing their VPN with friends or colleagues.
Read our full
Surfshark review
ProtonVPN – Best for watching Netflix on a Mac
Pros
Excellent free plan
Great privacy tools
Reliable and transparent no-logs policy
Cons
Expensive
Best Prices Today:
$9.99 at ProtonVPN
Why we like ProtonVPN
Another good recommendation is ProtonVPN, which is available at a similar price to ExpressVPN. Unlike NordVPN, however, Netflix doesn’t work on every single Netflix server. It works on a lot of the more than 4,800 servers, but not every single one. The one issue with Proton is that it can have trouble from time to time, where a stream will suddenly stop, especially if you’re watching while you work on the same PC. While these issues popped up on our Windows machine, we did not have the same issue on a Mac, where it ran smoothly the entire time.
Who should buy ProtonVPN
While we at PCWorld typically use Windows PCs, we understand that Mac users need VPN love as well. So if you’re rocking a macOS machine we think that Proton VPN is a great option. The VPN has one of the better macOS apps we’ve encountered and combined with its strong unblocking ability, this makes ProtonVPN a solid pick for Apple users looking to access streaming services.
Read our full
ProtonVPN review
Why does Netflix block VPNs?
Netflix’s big expansion into pretty much every country on earth back in 2016 meant it had to get tough on VPNs. While Netflix produces a lot of its own content that it can make available worldwide, the company also licenses a ton of content from traditional entertainment studios.
These third parties are still working on a system of global territory licensing. Under this system, Netflix gets a package of movies and TV shows from these companies that it can show in the U.S., but that aren’t licensed to be shown by Netflix in, say, Europe. To keep those companies and their other international licensees happy, Netflix must enforce a block on VPNs to prevent people from getting content made available to Netflix subscribers in the UK, but not the U.S.
“We are making progress in licensing content across the world,” Netflix said in a 2016 blog post. “But we have a ways to go before we can offer people the same films and TV series everywhere.”
Netflix isn’t the only company that has to enforce these restrictions. Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and others do it too. However, Netflix along with Hulu are easily the most active and effective at it.
What to look for in a VPN to access Netflix streaming
First, most people should not make speed the top consideration. The minimum recommended bandwidth for a 1080p Netflix stream is 5 megabits per second (Mbps). If you’re streaming in 4K it’s 15Mbps. Depending on your home internet speed, that should be doable with nearly all the top VPNs.
Instead, the first consideration should be the basic promise of Netflix compatibility from a reputable company. That’s the rub. Any old VPN can promise Netflix compatibility, but if there aren’t a lot of reviews about the service it may not be the real deal. Stick to well-known VPN services if you can.
Next, you need to consider how many servers are available for the service — especially the number in your target country. If you want Netflix Australia and the VPN only has two Australian servers, that could be a problem. Most of the popular VPN services list their server networks online so you can see how many servers are in each country.
Finally, make sure the VPN’s desktop app (and don’t forget about mobile) allows you to choose specific servers. Since this is a cat-and-mouse game with the streamers, you need a VPN with a number of servers in your desired Netflix country. That way if one server has been discovered by Netflix, it’s possible the others are still working. The fix for this then is easy — just switch servers.
How we tested
We judge VPNs on a variety of criteria including server network, connection speeds, privacy protections, ease-of-use, additional features, and cost. For a more detailed guide on how we test, check out our comprehensive guide on how we test VPN services.
Speed tests are kept as simple as possible. We average the connections between different global locations for any given VPN and then compare them to our baseline internet speed to get a good picture of the overall connection speeds. We thoroughly research and analyze the privacy policies and histories of each VPN and note any outstanding discrepancies or data collection issues.
In regards to unblocking capabilities, we connect to multiple servers around the world with each VPN and try to access content on all major streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney Plus, and more.
FAQ
1.
What is a VPN?
A VPN (Virtual private network) encrypts your internet traffic and disguises your identity while browsing the internet. When used for streaming Netflix, a VPN will reroute your traffic from your location outside the U.S. to their own server within the country masking your true location and allowing you to bypass Netflix’s region locks.
Additionally, VPNs anonymize your internet traffic and keep your ISP from potentially snooping on your browsing.
2.
Are VPNs legal?
Yes! In most countries, including the United States, using a VPN is legal. Some websites such as Netflix might try to block VPN connections due to their own personal restrictions, but they are still perfectly fine to use. Please note, while using a VPN is legal, some of the activities done while using a VPN might be illegal. Activities such as downloading pirated copyrighted content or accessing dark web markets are both illegal with and without a VPN.
3.
Will a VPN affect my internet speeds?
In short, yes, a VPN can have an effect on your internet speeds. But nowadays it’s the exception rather than the norm.
While connected to a VPN, your traffic is rerouted through the VPN provider’s own servers. Depending on where these servers are located, it can add extra distance for your traffic to travel to and from, slowing your speeds down a bit. Also, VPNs encrypt your data which can lead to slower download and upload speeds due to the time it takes to encrypt and decrypt your data. This can have a more significant impact on speeds and it can affect everything from page load times to video buffering speeds. Thankfully, modern VPN providers have taken advantage of advances in encryption technology and server optimization to drastically reduce these impacts.
Check out our article on how to test your VPN speed for more info on how you can personally determine any potential slowdown on your home internet.
4.
Do VPNs track my browsing or store my data?
This is entirely up to the VPN provider you choose to use. There have been instances in the past of VPN providers collecting data on their users. However, these were mainly free VPN services with no explicit “no-logging” policies.
When searching for a VPN, be careful to check the company’s website for a “no-logging” policy, third-party trust verification, and trustworthy user reviews. Thankfully, most of the major paid VPNs have clearly stated “no-logging” policies, so it’s typically best to stick with one of them if you have concerns.
Personal Software, Streaming Media, VPN Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | |
| | | PC World - 17 May (PC World)At a glanceExpert`s Rating
ProsFastest external storage we’ve tested (at 40Gbps)Affordable for the ilkStylish enclosureAvailable up to 4TBAlso fast on the MacConsPricier than USB 3.2×2 (20Gbps)Our VerdictAdata’s handsome and unique USB 4 SSD is the fastest we’ve tested at 40Gbps, and is also relatively affordable. Recommended.
Best Prices Today: Adata SE920 EX USB4 SSD
Retailer
Price
Adata
$139.99
View Deal
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
The Adata SE920 is our second look at a 40Gbps USB 4 SSD and to be blunt, we like what we see. It’s handsome, stunningly fast, and has a clever enclosure featuring a micro-fan you can turn on and off according to need. Cool stuff.
What are the Adata SE920’s features?
I’ll get to the specs in a second, but the SE920 has one of the more unique features I’ve run across — half of the latched, spring-loaded outer shell slides out about half an inch to activate an internal fan. Said fan was very quiet, so I opted to leave the drive in the open position the majority of the time. You can see it in the open position in the photo up top and closed in the image below.
Beyond that, the SE920 is a USB 4 (40Gbps) external SSD that weighs about 7 ounces and measures 4.13-inches long by 2.52-inches wide by 0.62-inches thick — closed. Sliding the case/switch open ups the length to 4.82-inches. Either way, it’s quite a bit thinner than the finned OWC 1M2 — another very fast USB 4 SSD.
Further reading: See our roundup of the best external drives to learn about competing products.
The Adata SE920 with its spring-loaded fan-switching outer shell closed. See the lead photo for it in the open state.
The Adata SE920 with its spring-loaded fan-switching outer shell closed. See the lead photo for it in the open state.
The Adata SE920 with its spring-loaded fan-switching outer shell closed. See the lead photo for it in the open state.
Judging from the huge fins on the 1M2, and the micro-fan inside the SE920 — USB 4 generates almost as much heat as Thunderbolt. At least at the full 40Gbps. As you know, heat is unavoidable with electronics, but getting rid of it is essential to stability and longevity.
Adata provides a five-year warranty for the SE920. It’s a limited warranty, which means it’s mitigated by the amount of data written to the drive as well as physical abuse. The amount of data written can’t exceed a reasonable amount, which is likely 600TBW per 1TB of NAND if Adata follows the industry standard.
How much is the Adata SE920?
According to Adata, the 1TB SE920 will cost $140, the 2TB model will run $200, and the high-capacity 4TB is $380. More than 20Gbps USB SSDs, but not significantly, and miles cheaper than the OWC 1M2 — the only other external USB 4 SSD we’re aware of.
One thing I should point out is that being USB 4, rather than USB 3.2×2, you’ll get excellent performance on a Mac as well. Apple, for some unknown reason supports only 10Gbps with USB 3.2, meaning 3.2×2 20Gbps SSDS are constrained to half their potential. Nice one, Apple.
Not to let the USB Forum off the hook — there’s actually a 20Gbps mode for USB 4 in addition to the one for USB 3.2×2, and apparently the twain shall never meet in Apple land. Sigh.
How fast is the Adata SE920?
It wasn’t a blow out, but the Adata SE920 took the title of “Fastest external drive we’ve tested” from the OWC 1M2. At least at 40Gbps in synthetic benchmarks. At 20Gbps (using USB 3.2×2), under the synthetics, the opposite proved true — by about an equal margin.
As you buy USB 4 for the 40Gbps (or should), we weighted our judgement accordingly. Note that you can see the charts in larger format by right-clicking over them and selecting “View in new tab.”
The Adata SE920 offers the most speed for your money in an external drive, plus a nifty built-in fan.
The Adata SE920 was the fastest 40Gbps SSD we’ve tested, by a decent margin. At 20Gbps, not as much. Longer bars are better.
The Adata SE920 was the fastest 40Gbps SSD we’ve tested, by a decent margin. At 20Gbps, not as much. Longer bars are better.
The Adata SE920 was the fastest 40Gbps SSD we’ve tested, by a decent margin. At 20Gbps, not as much. Longer bars are better.
In the end, however, the performance differences between the two USB 4 drives aren’t really worth worrying about. Subjectively, you’d never notice in a million years. This is demonstrated again below.
The Adata SE920 was fast at 4K, but not as fast as the OWC 1M2. Longer bars are better.
The Adata SE920 was fast at 4K, but not as fast as the OWC 1M2. Longer bars are better.
The Adata SE920 was fast at 4K, but not as fast as the OWC 1M2. Longer bars are better.
The SE920 again fell behind the 1M2 in the 48GB transfers at 40Gbps, but only just, and well within the margin of error for this particular test. The 1M2 again pulled away significantly at 20Gbps.
The Adata SE920. finished a close second to the OWC 1M2 in the 48GB transfers. Shorter bars are better.
The Adata SE920. finished a close second to the OWC 1M2 in the 48GB transfers. Shorter bars are better.
The Adata SE920. finished a close second to the OWC 1M2 in the 48GB transfers. Shorter bars are better.
Where the SE920 really came into its own was in the long 450GB write. Speed after secondary cache ran out was quite good as well — around 850MBps. It took writing another 900GB of data immediately following the 450GB to reveal this.
Note that the 1M2 was a 1TB drive with less secondary cache, though it didn’t exhaust what it had in this test.
The Adata SE920 set a new record for external drives in our 450GB write. Shorter bars are better.
The Adata SE920 set a new record for external drives in our 450GB write. Shorter bars are better.
The Adata SE920 set a new record for external drives in our 450GB write. Shorter bars are better.
All in all, it’s a toss up between the 1M2 and the SE920 in terms of 40Gbps performance. And, if you’re wondering about the effectiveness of the fan… It helps — the SE920 didn’t run as hot during testing with the outer shell in the open position and said fan engaged.
The Adata SE920 displaying its excellent performance on a Mac Studio.
The Adata SE920 displaying its excellent performance on a Mac Studio.
The Adata SE920 displaying its excellent performance on a Mac Studio.
Note that I had to turn on Better performance (caching) under Drive Management for the SE920 or writes were about ten times slower. Yup, 300MBps.
Should you buy the SE920?
If you want an uber-fast external SSD, then the SE920 is likely what you want. The OWC 1M2 was faster in some tests and significantly so on the 20Gbps bus, but the SE920 is a whole lot cheaper and easier to carry around. Good job, Adata.
How we test
Drive tests currently utilize Windows 11, 64-bit running on an X790 (PCIe 4.0/5.0) motherboard/i5-12400 CPU combo with two Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 4800MHz modules (64GB of memory total). Both 20Gbps USB/Thunderbolt 4 are integrated to the back panel and Intel CPU/GPU graphics are used. The 48GB transfer tests utilize an ImDisk RAM disk taking up 58GB of the 64GB of total memory. The 450GB file is transferred from a 2TB Samsung 990 Pro which also runs the OS.
Each test is performed on a newly NTFS-formatted and TRIM’d drive so the results are optimal. Note that in normal use, as a drive fills up, performance may decrease due to less NAND for secondary caching, as well as other factors. This is less of a factor with the current crop of SSDs with their far faster NAND.
Caveat: The performance numbers shown apply only to the drive we were shipped and to the capacity tested. SSD performance can and will vary by capacity due to more or fewer chips to shotgun reads/writes across and the amount of NAND available for secondary caching. Vendors also occasionally swap components. If you ever notice a large discrepancy between the performance you experience and that which we report, by all means, let us know.
Computer Storage Devices, Storage Read...Newslink ©2024 to PC World | |
| | |
|
|
| Top Stories |
RUGBY
Hospitality owners in the capital are hoping for a successful night for the Wellington Phoenix More...
|
BUSINESS
Hospitality owners in the capital are hoping for a successful night for the Wellington Phoenix More...
|
|
| Today's News |
| News Search |
|
|