You don’t need a PhD to see that gaming rigs are significantly more expensive than their non-gaming counterparts. But what’s interesting is that gaming laptops tend to be more expensive than gaming PCs, at least in terms of what you get for your money. There’s a wide chasm in perceived value between gaming laptops and gaming PCs, and the best high-end gaming laptops often cost more pound-for-pound compared to similar-tier gaming PCs. Both might pack a blisteringly fast Nvidia GeForce RTX GPU and accompanying CPU, but one’s going to hit your wallet a lot harder. Why is that? This Razer Blade 18 (2024) with an RTX 4090 is a hefty $4,499. This Razer Blade 18 (2024) with an RTX 4090 is a hefty $4,499.Thiago Trevisan / IDG This Razer Blade 18 (2024) with an RTX 4090 is a hefty $4,499.Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Well, I’m a gaming laptop expert and I have lots of experience with this, so allow me to shed light on all the major factors that play into why gaming laptops are so expensive. Reason #1: Convenience The portability of a gaming laptop is its unique selling point versus normal gaming rigs. Not everyone can afford the luxury of a permanent gaming PC plus a separate laptop, so the ability to combine high-end gaming within a laptop is understandably sought after. Indeed, gaming laptops fit the bill for so many people. They come in handy for work and travel, but the sheer flexibility of playing anywhere in your home is also valuable. Even a svelte PC such as the Falcon Northwest Tiki isn’t mobile enough for some. Even a svelte PC such as the Falcon Northwest Tiki isn’t mobile enough for some.Thiago Trevisan / IDG Even a svelte PC such as the Falcon Northwest Tiki isn’t mobile enough for some.Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Sure, there are diminutive PC gaming desktops—such as the Falcon Northwest FragBox and Falcon Northwest Tiki—that are small enough to lug around, but they still require separate monitors, keyboards, and mice that kill on-demand portability. Nothing compares to the all-in-one convenience of a gaming laptop. That’s why gaming laptops outsell gaming PCs—and by 2025, gaming laptop sales are projected to be double the sales of gaming PCs. When there’s this much demand, it’s no surprise to see rising prices. Reason #2: Complex designs Gaming laptops aren’t just in higher demand than gaming PCs. They’re simply more expensive to produce due to engineering costs. Think of all the components that go into a laptop: display, keyboard, touchpad, CPU, etc. All of these parts don’t just have to fit together—they also have limited amounts of space to work with. That means laptop components need to be much smaller compared to desktop components, and the overall package of a laptop tends to be much more complex than a desktop PC. That’s a lot of technology packed into a small space! That’s a lot of technology packed into a small space!Thiago Trevisan / IDG That’s a lot of technology packed into a small space!Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG It’s one thing to pay a markup on high-quality components, like OLED screens, mechanical keyboards, and lots of RAM. It’s a step up to figure out how to get all those pieces neatly into the tiny chassis of a laptop. So, translating components into laptop-compatible form factors takes engineering manpower, and that drives up costs. And one particular part incurs a big cost: the battery. Whereas a desktop PC can support heavy and humongous power supplies, the battery in a laptop adds weight and places further design restrictions due to all the space it takes up and all the heat it generates. Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Even the power brick for a laptop is an important expense for manufacturers to consider. Smaller, heat-efficient adapters that can handle the power needs of a powerful gaming laptop aren’t cheap to make. And some manufacturers, like Razer, have moved on to newer technologies (like GaN charging) for their high-end gaming laptops. This intricate balancing act between battery capacity, weight, size, and heat efficiency results in ballooning costs. (But it’s not all bad. There are still lots of sub-$1,000 gaming laptops that still perform well.) Reason #3: Thermal restrictions The hardware in a laptop doesn’t just have to be smaller than it’d be in a desktop PC—it has to play nice in the hot, cramped environment. For any given component in a laptop: it can’t impede the flow of air through the inside; it can’t give off too much heat and contribute to the problem; it has to withstand heat well enough to continue operating even when the internal temperature climbs. More on this: What to do if your gaming laptop is running hot A lot of development goes into those factors, and a lot of extra testing needs to be done to ensure that higher-quality laptop components meet these stricter requirements. Dell Dell Dell You can see this in action when you look at two versions of a GPU, one for desktops and one for laptops. For example, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 desktop GPU has 24GB of VRAM and performs significantly better than the RTX 4090 laptop GPU, which only packs 16GB of VRAM. (That’s closer to the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super desktop GPU.) Similarly, a desktop GPU could easily suck down 450 watts of power while a laptop GPU may max out in the 175-watt range. Why is this? The laptop GPU is limited by thermal and power management needs. It’s not necessarily a cost-saving measure. A desktop GPU has tons of cooling space and larger fans to accommodate better airflow. A gaming laptop has smaller fans and the GPU has to work within a tighter space. These limits explain why less-powerful GPUs can still be very expensive in laptops. The story is similar for CPUs, too. For example, the Intel Core i9 14900HX falls short of its desktop counterpart due to power limits and cooling considerations. Reason #4: Accessories Gaming laptops aren’t just more expensive out of the box. If you want a decked-out experience that matches a desktop gaming rig, you’re going to spend a lot on accessories. These auxiliary costs add up fast. It’s not uncommon to buy accessories for gaming laptops—like this cooling pad. It’s not uncommon to buy accessories for gaming laptops—like this cooling pad.Thiago Trevisan / IDG It’s not uncommon to buy accessories for gaming laptops—like this cooling pad.Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Your first expense may be in the form of a laptop cooling pad. Sure, top-tier gaming laptops have impressive heatsinks and cooling designs to dissipate heat, but it’s not always enough. Even a simple laptop stand can improve thermals by increasing airflow beneath. Extra fan power is also a bonus that can help you crank your laptop’s performance. More on this: Are laptop cooling pads worth it? You might also need a hub or docking station. Since laptops are so small, they can’t support as many ports as desktop PCs can—but if you’re a power user, you’ll likely want the extra ports. See our picks for the best USB-C hubs and best Thunderbolt docks for options. Docking stations—especially ones with Thunderbolt support—are extremely useful. Docking stations—especially ones with Thunderbolt support—are extremely useful.Thiago Trevisan / IDG Docking stations—especially ones with Thunderbolt support—are extremely useful.Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG And if you spend a non-trivial amount of time using your gaming laptop at a desk, you probably need more than just the built-in keyboard and screen. Even just for ergonomic health, you’ll want an external monitor and external keyboard so you can keep good posture. And if you want top-notch graphics and the satisfying click-clack of a mechanical keyboard, you’ll want to spring for gamer-style options. Related: The best gaming monitors to level up your rig Get ready to add plenty of accessories to make your gaming laptop truly desktop ready. Get ready to add plenty of accessories to make your gaming laptop truly desktop ready.Thiago Trevisan / IDG Get ready to add plenty of accessories to make your gaming laptop truly desktop ready.Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Since storage and ports are limited on many laptops, you’ll also likely need an external drive to boost your storage capacity. Some gaming laptops come with lots of internal storage, but it’s easy to run out (especially given how large modern games have gotten). Are gaming laptops worth it? Without a doubt, gaming laptops are pound-for-pound more expensive than equivalent gaming desktop PCs. But that extra price might still be worth shelling out for. Last year I wrote about how I was blown away after switching to a high-end gaming laptop and seeing for myself the shockingly good gaming experience one can have. The combination of a mini-LED display, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, and good onboard sound made for some enjoyable sessions. The biggest reason to choose a gaming laptop over a gaming desktop PC is the portability factor. The added value can be huge depending on your use cases, which can justify the marked-up price. If you’re a white-collar professional who’s always working on-the-go but still wants to game, a gaming laptop is a no-brainer. If you’re a gamer who frequently moves between locations (like home, school, and friends’ houses), a gaming laptop makes sense. Even if you don’t need the absolute best gaming performance, there are lots of mid-level options in the gaming laptop market worth checking out. But if you strictly care most about bang for your buck and you only game from home, then there’s no reason to pay the upcharge. Use that cash to fund a blinged-out desktop gaming rig instead. Further reading: Use these apps to optimize your gaming laptop Read...

One of my favorite Windows features, Windows Sandbox, is finally testing some new features that I’d characterize as something like an improved airlock. I think of Windows Sandbox in the same vein that I do a VPN: While a VPN encrypts and hides your connection from prying eyes, it does so in a way that creates an encrypted tunnel from your PC to the server. Protecting your data is the paramount goal of a VPN, and it’s also what underlies Windows Sandbox, too. Windows Sandbox creates a Windows within Windows, a separate, isolated operating system designed to self-contain any files within it. While a virtual machine can be used to run any operating system, Sandbox is optimized for Windows. Think of it as a test bed for sort-of untrusted software and data. If you’ve ever downloaded any dodgy piece of software or accessed a shady website and wanted to run it without risk to your system, Sandbox is the app for you. (At least it’s designed to be.) I usually load Sandbox, then install a VPN on top of it. That’s pretty secure. Windows 11 Pro But Sandbox has one inherent “flaw”: The Sandbox is designed to obliterate any and all data when you shut it down. That’s what it’s designed to do, after all, and that’s a good thing if potential malware is involved — if you close Sandbox, everything inside the virtual OS is deleted. If any malware attacks and takes over Sandbox, the idea is that only the Sandbox is affected. Your PC is not. And when you close Sandbox — poof! It all disappears. On the other hand, it’s a little tricky to transfer trusted files from Sandbox to your “real” OS. If you’re convinced that a file you’ve tested within Sandbox is trusted, your normal course of action is to save it to the version of File Explorer within Sandbox, and then access it with the “real” File Explorer from your main Windows installation. Windows 11 Build 27686 of the Windows Insider Canary Channel adds a couple more conveniences: runtime clipboard redirection and the ability to share folders with the host at runtime. Though Microsoft doesn’t explicitly spell out what these mean, I’m assuming that if you copy a file (CTRL+C) from the Sandbox, move your cursor into the trusted Windows environment, and then paste (CTRL+V), Windows will copy the file outside of Sandbox, without the need to go through File Explorer. Likewise, you should be able to share a folder and files between Sandbox and your main, trusted OS. It’s certainly more convenient, though possibly less secure. What Microsoft is calling the Windows Sandbox Client Preview will now be updated via the Microsoft Store, freeing it from its dependence on the operating system, too. This will allow Sandbox to be updated on its own independent schedule, which is a good thing. Sandbox is also getting an early version of command-line support as well as its own audio/video input controls. What Microsoft isn’t saying, however, is whether you’ll still need Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Pro to use this updated version of Sandbox. There aren’t many reasons to use Windows Pro any more, but Sandbox has, in the past, definitely been one of them. Additional features Microsoft is also testing an increase in the FAT32 file limit from 32GB to 2TB, allowing significantly larger disk partitions using the Windows format command. Virtually all Windows partitions are used in conjunction with NTFS, but FAT32 (the oldest format, with roots going back to Windows 98) is typically used with external storage. This will give newer, larger drives the option to use the older FAT32 formatting option. Microsoft said it’s also making optimizations to improve battery life for this and future builds, but isn’t saying how and how much battery life you should expect. Windows Insider Channels (specifically Dev and Canary) aren’t guarantees that the new features will be shipped into mainstream PCs. But these new additions begin testing some features which might have some real impact on your PC. Read...

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Recently, Microsoft released a Windows update on the down low that mainly fixes a major problem in Microsoft Defender Antivirus. This was first spotted and reported by Neowin. Get Windows 11 Pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro The update, called Security Intelligence Update version 1.413.494.0, addresses a problem where Windows systems become vulnerable for a short time after installation. Related: You should change these settings in Windows Security A big security hole in Microsoft Defender According to Microsoft, a Windows system could be vulnerable to attack in the first few hours after a new Windows installation due to a protection gap in Microsoft Defender Antivirus. Apparently, the installation images for the operating system may have contained outdated antivirus software binaries. As such, this Windows Security update fixes the issue and adds better detection mechanisms for Trojan, adware, and backdoor exploit threats. In addition to improved security, the update may also result in improved system performance in some cases. The update has been made available for the following versions of Windows: Windows 11 Windows 10 (Enterprise, Pro, and Home) Windows Server 2022 Windows Server 2019 Windows Server 2016 Related: Is Windows Security good enough for everyday users? Check if the update is installed For most Windows users, the update has probably already been installed for you. If you want to be sure, you can check by launching Windows Security, then clicking on the Virus & threat protection tile, then clicking the Check for updates button. The following requirements also apply for this update: You must be running a 64-bit operating system environment on Windows 10 or later that contains PowerShell 5.1 or later. The Microsoft.Powershell.Security and DISM modules must be installed. You must be able to start PowerShell with administrator rights. Further reading: How to turn on Windows’ ransomware protection Read...

The Vivobook line of laptops by Asus are known for their lightweight form factors and reliable performance, and that’s why they’re great for just about anybody seeking productivity and portability. If you’re in the market for that kind of laptop, then you’re in luck: Best Buy is selling the Asus Vivobook 14 for just $210 right now, which is more than half off its original $430 price. That’s a wildly good deal. The Asus Vivobook 14 weighs just 3.1 pounds, so it won’t give you a shoulder ache as you carry it around. It has an understated aesthetic, which isn’t a bad thing — it blends into the crowd and I’d certainly pick a more subtle design like this if I’m bringing my laptop to a business environment like the office or a convention center. The Vivobook 14 has pretty modest specifications, but that’s to be expected in a sub-$500 laptop. Underneath the hood you’ll find an Intel Core i3-1215U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of SSD storage. It’s not the most powerful laptop, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s meant to handle day-to-day tasks like office work, school work, watching Netflix, and general web browsing — and it gets all that done with no issues. The display is quite nice, though, especially at this price. It measures 14 inches and it has a resolution of 1920×1080. While the maximum brightness level is only 250 nits, again, that’s not surprising given the super-affordable price. It also comes with a 720p webcam, which is good enough for video meetings and calls. (You can always hook up an external webcam with a better resolution if needed.) Nitpicks aside, this is a really solid laptop for the price. If you’re looking to save money on a lightweight laptop with a 1080p display, then this Asus Vivobook 14 is the right choice. Get this Asus laptop for over 50% offBuy now at Best Buy Read...

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