• HP, Asus, and Acer have qualified and begun shipping CXMT DRAM in small volumes, in a handful of notebook models sold outside the United States
• The restraint is potentially driven less by US policy than by fear of the incumbents: with Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron holding over 90% of the market, buyers say they dare not source too much from CXMT
• CXMT is not a cheaper option either currently, as sources say its DRAM costs no less than Samsung's currently and cannot be booked beyond the current quarter

HP, Asus, and Acer have begun putting DRAM from China's ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) into notebook computers, a report from Nikkei Asia has claimed, reporting several major PC makers completed qualification of CXMT's chips around the middle of this year.

The volumes are small, and the number of affected models is small, but perhaps more importantly, none of those models is sold in the United States.

The reason the volumes are small may have less to do with assemblers not wanting to irk a White House that has taken an increasingly tariff-heavy, America-first approach to manufacturing, but rather with market incumbents that currently account for as much as 90% of the total market's supply.

A tricky situation in a market dictated entirely by supply

PC makers are not being cautious primarily because of Washington, but rather because they do not want to upset agreements with market giants such as Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron.

An executive at one PC company told Nikkei that with the top three holding more than 90% of the global market, buyers have to stay low-key about using CXMT, adding: "We dare not source too much from CXMT at this moment."

That does make for an interesting conundrum: in the middle of the worst memory shortage in the industry's history, the binding constraint on diversification is fear of annoying the people you are already struggling to buy from.

Nikkei's report on the matter only reinforces what many market participants have already hinted at: CXMT is hardly the "cheaper" option.

Its DRAM quotes do not undercut Samsung's, and it reportedly cannot even be booked beyond the current quarter, as competition over who can buy it has continued to ramp up even as it reportedly chooses to prioritize local conglomerate Huawei's AI ambitions.

What PC makers are actually buying, then, is optionality. A supply chain manager who works with HP and Asus put it to Nikkei, saying they don't want to neglect a potentially important source while the market is this tight.

For context, validating a new DRAM supplier takes months of engineering, signal-integrity testing, thermal work, and platform validation, and it does not happen on a whim. HP, Asus, and Acer have now built a switch. Whether they throw it depends on conditions none of them control, but the switch exists, and eighteen months ago it did not.

With Samsung stating that the RAM crisis is here to stay, the underlying conditions have merely exacerbated an AI-driven memory crisis that has directly affected consumer electronics across the board as supply continues to get repurposed.

Spot RAM pricing has risen by 400% or more over the past twelve months. PC makers have responded by prioritizing memory allocation for premium models and lifting prices across their ranges by several hundred dollars. IDC expects the global PC market to contract by more than 11 percent this year, with supply conditions deteriorating further toward the end of it.

Smartphones are equally affected, with some makers scaling back certain models to memory configurations their predecessors already offered, while others increase pricing to offset higher component costs. Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo have each cut 2026 shipment targets more than once.

The pressure has already reached the components below the memory itself: motherboard makers have absorbed roughly 50 percent increases in PCB costs and trimmed their own shipment targets accordingly.

None of this originates in the PC market. It originates in AI infrastructure, where demand for high-bandwidth memory has pulled wafer capacity away from conventional DRAM at every major supplier.

That is precisely the gap CXMT has been expanding into, which is why a company most Western buyers ignored two years ago is suddenly qualified at three of the largest PC brands in the world.

A short term irritant for Samsung, Micron and SK Hynix?

So what will Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix think? In the short term, very little, and they have every reason to say so. They are the primary beneficiaries of this shortage, with pricing power they have not enjoyed in a decade and no commercial incentive whatsoever to loosen supply. A few thousand budget laptops in Europe and Asia that carry Chinese DRAM do not register against that.

The longer view might be less comfortable. Oligopolies are usually broken not by a competitor arriving with a better product but by customers becoming willing to qualify an alternative, and customers become willing when the incumbents make life sufficiently unpleasant. That threshold has now seemingly been crossed at three of the five largest PC vendors, during a period when the incumbents were charging whatever they liked.

The alternative parts are more expensive than expected and hard to get, so nobody has switched in any meaningful volume. But the certification work is done and dusted, CXMT is building capacity at multiples of its current base, and the moment supply loosens or Washington's posture shifts, the cost of moving volume across is dramatically lower than it was.

For now, the best example of how the industry is treating this news is visible in Acer's response to Nikkei: It declined to identify suppliers, said it maintains close contact with multiple global manufacturers, and described the goal as supply chain resilience. HP also declined to comment, and Asus did not respond at all to inquiries at the time of writing. That is not the language of companies making a bet but rather those that would like to keep as many options open as possible.

HP Omen 16 Slim: Two-minute review

In these strange times where PC memory prices seemingly double by the day, an affordable gaming laptop is a tantalising prospect. But is it actually realistic? Enter the HP Omen 16 Slim, HP's latest mainstream gaming portable.

There are two core variants of the Omen 16, a standard-sized model and this so-called "Slim". Long story short, this Slim model is a little skinnier but still isn't exactly super compact for a 16-inch laptop, thanks to not only a fairly hefty lower screen bezel, but also a chassis that sticks out beyond the base of the display. At least the slightly tanky proportions translate into a tanky chassis with a solid feeling keyboard bed.

Anyway, it's the value proposition that matters and that means getting into the specs. CPU-wise, we're talking Intel Core Ultra 7 255H, which is a pretty modern 16-core chip from Intel's Arrow Lake generation. Here it's configured with 24GB of DDR5 in dual 12GB SoDIMMs. But various configs are available, including 16GB and 24GB.

There's also 1TB Gen 4 SSD, but with any gaming laptop surely the most important single component is the GPU and it's no surprise to find an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 8GB doing the pixel pumping duties.

It's one up from the bottom of Nvidia's RTX 50 Series laptop GPUs, but it gets the full feature set, including all the latest DLSS upscaling bells and whistles. It outputs to a 165Hz 16-inch LCD display with a native resolution of 1,920 by 1,200 pixels, making it a 16:10 aspect panel rather than the usual 16:9 ratio.

The battery is a pretty generous 70Wh item, meanwhile, and networking includes WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4 and Ethernet. Slightly less impressive is the physical connectivity. Not only are you limited to just one USB-C port (plus three USB-A), it can only do a measly 10Gbps. So, the only video out is the single HDMI 2.1 port.

Of course, gaming performance is the key metric here, and the results are pretty good, albeit with one major caveat. This skinnier Omen 16 Slim makes do with 110W of Total Platform Power (TPP) and 80W maximum for the GPU, where the full-sized Omen 16 cranks that up significantly to 170W TPP. Given premium gaming laptops can supply as much as 175W and more just for the GPU, you can see how 110W for everything, including CPU, RAM and storage, can be a limiting factor.

That said, the RTX 5060 GPU is pretty efficient and well matched with the 1200p (near-enough 1080p) 165Hz display. You'll need to use DLSS upscaling to get slick frame rates in the most demanding games. But, broadly, you'll get fairly smooth results at very high detail settings. What's more, the chassis doesn't get too hot and the fan noise is moderate.

All of which means HP has done a nice job with the HP Omen 16 Slim. It's well built, mostly well specified and delivers a pretty sweet gaming experience. Whether it makes sense as a buy comes down to pricing. As configured here with 24GB of RAM, it's a little spendy. But there's an otherwise identical 16GB model that we just spotted for a whisker under $1,200. Right here in 2026, that's a very decent deal.

HP Omen 16 Slim review: Price & availability

• Available for £1,499 in the UK with 24GB of DDR5
• The closest US config rocks 16GB of DDR5 for $1,599
• Looks out for deals on sites like Newegg

In this precise configuration with 24GB of DDR5 RAM, the HP Omen 16 Slim weighs in at £1,399 in the UK. That's actually very good given current memory prices, right now. Indeed, you could argue it would make sense to knock that back to 16GB, keep everything else the same, and save some money.

Indeed, in the US, just that configuration is available, while the 24GB option is not. With 16GB, you're currently looking at $1,599, which is a fair bit less appealing. Currently, an otherwise identical version but with an RTX 5050 instead of the RTX 5060 can be had for $1,198 on Newegg, which implies you might be able to bag one with the 5060 and 16GB for around $1,400 at some point if you hang around and wait for a deal. At that price point, the HP Omen 16 Slim would start making a lot of sense.

HP Omen 16 Slim review: Specs

HP Omen 16 Slim review: Design

• Not actually that "Slim"
• Solid, well-built chassis
• Connectivity is only OK
• Cooling is well executed

The HP Omen 16 Slim is mostly plastic, just the bottom cover is metal. But it still feels very solid and durable. The Keyboard is nice and stable, with only a touch of flex when pushed hard. The keyboard, while we're on the subject, has four configurable RGB lighting zones, but at this price point, you're not going to get per-key lighting.

HP has done a nice job with the cooling, too. The twin fans draw air from the bottom cover and push it out the back and do so without making too much noise. However, despite the "Slim" branding, this is not a super compact laptop.

Coming in at 1.99cm to 2.27cm thick, where the standard Omen 16 measures between 2.39cm and 2.54cm, the 16 Slim is thinner than its sibling. But it's still not that compact.

Thanks to a rather large chine bezel and the way the rear of the chassis sticks out beyond the screen hinge, the Omen 16 Slim actually has a larger footprint than many laptops that trade on pure performance rather than portability and also tips the scales at 2.42kg. So, it's no featherweight.

In that context, the somewhat limited connectivity is a touch disappointing. You get three USB-A ports, but just one USB-C and even the latter is limited to 10Gbps, though it does at least support video out and charging the laptop itself.

HP Omen 16 Slim review: Performance

• Decent frame rates at 1200p with DLSS
• Seriously quick SSD
• Fan noise is reasonable

Intel's Core Ultra 7 255H is very much a known quantity, what with its eight Performance and eight Efficient CPU cores. It's all you need for gaming in CPU terms, so the HP Omen 16 Slim's critical gaming component compared with the competition among the best gaming laptops is that Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU and how well it's been implemented.

This thinner HP Omen 16 Slim model does suffer slightly in the wattage department, with the Total Platform Power shared across the GPU, CPU, memory and more capped at 110W. But that doesn't absolutely hobble gaming performance.

For instance, running at the 16-inch display's native 1,920 by 1,200 resolution, you can crank Cyberpunk 2077 right up, with Ultra RT settings and Quality DLSS scaling and still get 44fps average frame rate.

OK, that's not spectacular. But it is acceptable for a single-player title. Switch off the ray tracing and you'll be looking at frame rates nearer 100. Moreover, in less demanding games, let's say something a little older like Shadow of the Tomb Raider, you can hit over 130fps even without DLSS upscaling and really make the most of the 165Hz refresh rate of the 16-inch display.

Speaking of the screen, the 16:10 aspect is a little odd and adds a little GPU load versus a vanilla 1080p panel. But it's reasonably vibrant, with nice-ish colours and contrast and decent 3ms response times. It's nothing special, but probably what you'd expect at this price point.

Just note the panel reviewed here is the upgrade 400 nit option. The base display is only 300 nits, runs at 144Hz and has much less colour fidelity. Avoid that if at all possible.

The 16 Slim's thermal performance is pretty impressive, too. It doesn't get too hot under load and the fan noise is reasonable. Well, it is unless you enable "Unleashed Mode" in the Omen Gaming Hub app. That cranks up the fans, but doesn't do much for frame rates.

Elsewhere, the SSD is particularly nippy, clocking over 7GB/s for reads and nearly 6GB/s for writes. For what is pitched as a value-orientated system, that's impressive. As for other elements, the sound quality from the speakers is tolerable at this price point, but the volume could be a little higher, and the webcam quality is OK.

In terms of physical performance, the chassis feels robust, even though only the bottom cover is made of metal, and the keyboard base is nice and solid with minimal flex. As for the trackpad, it's mechanical and doesn't have niceties like a glass cover. But it's large and works well enough. It's also worth noting that the memory, storage and Wi-Fi cards are all upgradeable, which is welcome in an age where too many laptops have everything soldered on.

HP Omen 16 Slim review: Battery life

• Surprisingly good for a budget gaming laptop
• USB-C charging is supported
• Not actually all that portable

Undoubtedly one of the HP Omen 16 Slim's more impressive aspects is battery life. OK, you're not going to get more than a couple of hours of light gaming off the mains, but for watching video, this laptop has some real legs.

Our local video playback test netted over 12 and a half hours with the screen at half brightness. That's a realistic setting for use on, say, a plane, albeit you might want to wind the screen up a little in bright daylight.

Whatever, that's a very impressive result for a gaming laptop and makes this portable much more plausible as an all-round computing device to take with you on trips and outings. The caveat to that is that the fairly large proportions and relatively hefty 2.4kg kerb weight mean this isn't a laptop you're going to sling into a small shoulder bag and forget about.

Should I buy the HP Omen 16 Slim?

HP Omen 16 Slim: Scorecard

Buy the HP Omen 16 Slim if…

Don't buy it if…

HP Omen 16 Slim review: Also consider

How I tested the HP Omen 16 Slim HX

• Used as my daily rig for two weeks
• Threw my Steam library at
• Got forensic with the screen and build quality

I've been round the block when it comes to gaming laptops. My first portable ran a GeForce 2 Go, if you can remember back that far. My current lappie runs an RTX 4080, and there have been plenty more in between. ANd those are just my personal machines. I've long since lost count of how many gaming laptops I've reviewed. There are always a few knocking around.

Over the years, I've learned a lot about what makes a good gaming laptop and I applied that to the HP Omen 16 Slim over a couple of weeks. That means throwing everything in my Steam Library at it, from classic strategy titles like Total War to graphics fests including Cyberpunk 2077. All round performance, including the SSD, is also important, as is battery life for what is, ultimately, meant to be a portable machine.

I'm also very picky when it comes to screen quality and keyboard feel and have something of a forensic obsession with laptop build quality. You have to be realistic at this price point, but build quality is particularly important to gaming laptop longevity. Bendy chassis usually end up in flakey performance, eventually.

• First reviewed: July 2026
• Read more about how we test

• HP India has been fined 1.42 billion rupees ($14.7 million) for two separate cases
• Self-reporting ultimately landed it with lighter fines
• Both cases relate to government tender manipulation between 2017 and 2020

India's Competition Commission (CCI) has accused HP India and some related resellers of coordinating bids for Indian government contracts on the Government e-Marketplace.

According to the CCI, the company and certain partners manipulated government tenders by predetermined or communicated bid prices, submitting deliberately uncompetitive bids to create the appearance of competition and controlling discounts.

The regulator revealed two separate cases for investigation – one relating to PCs, and the other relating to printing consumables like ink and toner.

HP accused of manufacturing bids to win Indian government contracts

In the printing case, the CCI uncovered emails, witness statements, WhatsApp group conversations and even a 2019 video from a reseller meeting. Discussions around which companies would submit supporting bids, prices and discounts, and which reseller should win particular contracts were found.

The CCI declared that a total of 16 Tier-2 resellers had violated its Competition Act through bid rigging, with HP India fined 119.8 million rupees and its resellers fined a combined total of 23 million rupees.

A separate case revealed similar conduct covering laptops, desktops, workstations, POS systems, peripherals and more. Similarly, five additional resellers were highlighted on top of HP India's core businesses, bringing this case's fines total to 1.3 billion rupees and 12.2 million rupees respectively.

The CCI's final orders bring HP India's total fines to around 1.42 billion rupees, or $14.7 million, excluding the fines imposed on its partners.

But the fine could have been a lot worse had HP India not come forward and admitted to its wrongdoing between 2017 and 2020, having submitted a lesser-penalty application to buy itself a discount on the fines.

TechRadar Pro has asked HP for a comment, but we did not receive an immediate response.

If you're anything like me, one of the biggest frustrations with printing is the cost of ink. Over time, it can easily cost more than the printer itself, making refillable ink tank models an increasingly popular choice. They're built to keep running costs down while reducing the hassle of replacing ink cartridges on a regular basis.

So this deal immediately stood out to me. The HP Smart Tank 5101 all-in-one printer is down to $190 (was $260) at Amazon, saving you $70.10. In the UK, it's known as the HP Smart Tank 5107, and it's discounted to £150 (was £210) at Amazon.

Instead of relying on traditional cartridges, this model uses ink tanks that hold enough ink to print thousands of pages before needing a refill. Best of all, it comes with up to two years of ink in the box, so it will be ages before you need to spend out.

Today's top HP Smart Tank printer deal

Refilling the ink is easy because the bottles slot directly into the tanks and empty automatically without needing a squeeze or creating a mess, removing one of the biggest frustrations people have with refillable printers.

Printing speeds reach up to 12ppm in black and 5ppm in color, while the built-in scanner and copier mean it can handle far more than simple printing tasks. Wireless connectivity over 2.4GHz Wi-Fi lets everyone in the house or small office send jobs without plugging into a computer.

HP also says the Smart Tank 5101 continues producing sharp text and rich colors without the complicated maintenance routines often associated with ink tank printers.

Auto Power On helps reduce waiting around by waking the printer the moment a job is received, while borderless printing adds extra flexibility for photos, invitations, and creative projects.

Another useful addition is HP AI formatting, which automatically cleans up web pages and emails before printing, removing unnecessary content and awkward page breaks, stopping you wasting paper on unwanted content.

For the price, the Smart Tank 5101 is not only much cheaper than normal, it also comes with enough ink to keep many households printing for a very long time.

If your current printer burns through ink far too quickly, or you're thinking of buying your first all-in-one model, this is a terrific choice to get you started.

For more options, check out our round up of the best ink tank printers you can buy, as well as the best home printers.

Also consider

• Shop ink tank printers at Amazon

If your home office or small business is crying out for a faster, more capable printer, I've found a great, money-saving deal for you. The HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn is currently just $289 (was $449) at HP - a solid $160 saving for a laser printer built to handle demanding workloads.

In the UK, the wireless version with the exact same specs, the HP LaserJet Pro 4002dw has dropped to £164 (was £421) at HP.

Print speeds can reach up to 42 pages per minute, with the first page arriving in as little as 6.1 seconds, making it a terrific choice for anyone printing lengthy reports, invoices, shipping labels, or business documents. It’s also rated for a monthly duty cycle of up to 80,000 pages, with a recommended monthly volume of between 750 and 4,000 pages for the best balance of performance, reliability, and longevity.

Today's top HP printer deal

Paper handling is nicely practical, thanks to a 100-sheet multipurpose tray, a 250-sheet input tray, and a 150-sheet output bin.

If your workload grows, you can expand the printer with an optional third paper tray, giving you greater flexibility without constantly refilling paper.

Print quality reaches 1200 x 1200 dpi, producing crisp text and fine lines that are ideal for contracts, presentations, spreadsheets, and professional correspondence.

Automatic duplex printing also helps reduce paper use while making larger print jobs easier to manage.

The printer connects via Gigabit Ethernet for dependable wired networking and it also supports Apple AirPrint, Mopria, and the HP app, making it simple to print from Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, iOS, and Android devices.

A 256MB memory and 1200MHz processor ensure documents output quickly, even during heavier workloads.

Security features include SSL/TLS, SNMP support, WPA3, and 802.1x authentication, making it a sensible choice for shared office environment. HP also includes a one-year onsite repair warranty for added peace of mind.

In his four star review, our Senior Printer Editor, Jim said: "I found the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn to be an easy printer to use, with the right features to meet a heavy print load and print quality that’s good enough for most purposes." He also declared it "One of the fastest laser printers in its price category."

Although it isn't the cheapest laser printer available, this is a great price for a dependable HP business model that balances speed, print quality, and everyday practicality.

For more options, check out our round up of the best HP printers, best home printers and fastest printers we've tested and reviewed.

Also consider

• US: Shop all printer deals at HP
• UK: See all printers at HP

UK tech retailer Currys has cut the price on a number of big name laptops, including models from HP, Asus and Microsoft.

The Surface Laptop 13.8", Copilot+ PC, powered by a Snapdragon X Elite processor and backed by 16GB of DDR5 memory and a 512GB SSD, sees the biggest discount. Usually priced at £1599, it's currently available for just £999, a solid £600 saving.

If that's not a big enough incentive for you, the laptop also features a Quad HD+ touchscreen and up to 20 hours of battery life, so you won't have to spend ages looking for someone to plug it in.

My top 4 business laptop deals at Currys

Also on sale at Currys are two Asus laptops. The Zenbook 14 OLED 14" model is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H Processor and comes with 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD.

It also comes with a 2K touchscreen and promises up to 15 hours of battery life, which will be more than enough to get you through a full working day

That model usually sells for £1399 but you can snap it up for £999 at Currys right now, a solid £400 saving.

If you need a larger laptop, the Vivobook S16 OLED S3607CA 16" model is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 5 225H Processor with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. It also comes with a Full HD+ OLED screen and up to 20 hours of battery life.

That model usually costs £999 but Currys has slashed the cost down to £599, which means you'll also save £400 with that one.

If you're after a laptop with a bigger-than-normal display, then HP's OmniBook 7 AI is the model you want. It features a 17-inch, Full HD touchscreen and is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V chip, backed up by 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB SSD.

That model promises up to 12 hours of battery life. It should be enough to get you through a full working day, but depending on what you're using it for, it might require a top up when you're out and about.

While the OmniBook 7 AI usually retails for £999, you can save £699 right now at Currys, which is a welcome £300 off.

For more top picks like this, these are the best business laptops we've tested and reviewed.

• Shop all laptops at Currys

A printer is an absolute staple of the student set-up. The trick is finding one that a) doesn't take years to print a single page and b) offers good value for money. And this is why I always recommend ink tank printers for college and university students.

I've specifically chosen tank printers like the EcoTank, Smart Tank, and MegaTank lines because almost every one you buy comes with a generous amount of bottled ink in the box that can last for your entire time at college or university (and ink is cheaper to buy if you do need to top up). So, you won't need to blow your student loan on expensive inkjet cartridges like I had to!

Our senior printer editor has extensively tested the best home printers and the best ink tank printers - and based on those reviews, I've hand-picked the 6 top cartridge-free printers for students that performed brilliantly for text and phot printing, as well as offering value for money. For each one, click View details to see our review notes and how they fit into student life.

One quick note: because printers often have different model names in the US and UK, they may appear differently here (I know, it frustrates me too). However, I've made sure the links will take you to the identical unit for your region.

My top back-to-school ink tank printers

How we test printers for student life

All our printers are put through our unique standardized test, which lets us compare the speed, quality, and functionality against the others. This test covers every aspect of a student's printing needs.

To check performance, we use a uniform stack of test cards, text documents, and photos, and a range of paper sizes and types. If the manual says you can print on envelopes, labels, or t-shirts, we put that claim to the test, too. We're looking for crisp fonts and vibrant colors without smudging, smearing, or feathering.

We use a ten-page mixed text and color document to measure print speeds. We never take the manufacturer's word for this, and while they are usually accurate to be fair, we always time it ourselves. So, if you've got a deadline looming, you'll have a pretty good idea if your printer can get the print-outs in time.

Total cost and overall value are a core part of our review process. And this is specifically why we recommend ink tank printers for students. While they're a little more expensive than traditional, cartridge-based inkjets, they deliver better performance and they're cheaper to run for the duration of your course. Bottled ink is a lot more affordable than an inkjet cartridge, and with the amount you get in the box, it can last most of your time at college or university anyway.

Finding the perfect budget laptop for college or university can be a tricky task. You want something that won't break the bank, but will be a great studying companion that won't let you down. At TechRadar, we've tested hundreds of laptops; this guide runs through our top affordable recommendations for college or university students.

I've focused on options that deliver strong bang for your buck, and can handle an average student's day-to-day typing, research and entertainment needs. Most offer generous battery life, so you can move about without having to worry about staying near a power outlet, and are pleasingly compact and portable too. Note, these are all affordable, relatively basic options and as a result, they're not suitable for demanding tasks — head to our general best laptop or best student laptop guides for a wider range of options for more intensive needs.

Scroll down for our top recommendations. Hit the View Details button to find out more about each one and why it's a great choice for students specifically, or hop to the bottom for a specs comparison table.

College champions

Cheap college laptops: specs compared

No kidding, Currys is turning out to be a bit of a goldmine for cheap laptops for business and the back to school season. I went through all the deals to find 4 laptops that boast snappy processors and 16GB DDR5 RAM for smoothly tackling work in the office and at school.

My top all-rounder is the Asus Vivobook S16 for £599 (was £999). This lightweight OLED laptop with a 16-inch screen will effortlessly handle day-to-day tasks most professionals and students need. And it won't break the bank doing any of it.

I've been tracking all the best Prime Day home office deals this year. And while there are plenty of discount laptops on Amazon that absolutely aren't worth your time or money, I was pleasantly surprised to see some genuinely good price drops in the Currys summer sale.

One to avoid

Don't buy this Asus Zenbook A14 from Currys. Right now, the exact same model with double the storage is on sale at Amazon for £500 for Prime Day.

• Shop all computing deals at Currys

• Legitimate software is now the most dangerous weapon in a hacker's arsenal, HP warns
• Tax deadline phishing emails are opening doors that security scanners never flag
• Fake dating app downloads are delivering full remote access to attackers instantly

Cybercriminals are exploiting legitimate remote access applications such as LogMeIn and ScreenConnect to take control of victim devices without triggering standard security alerts, experts have warned.

HP's latest Threat Insights Report, covering January through March 2026, documents how attackers are deliberately blending malicious activity into normal IT behavior to avoid detection.

The report draws on data from millions of endpoints running HP Wolf Security across the period under review, and found the campaigns follow a consistent pattern built around social engineering rather than technical exploits.

How trust becomes the weapon

Legitimate software becomes the perfect disguise precisely because security tools are least likely to flag applications they already recognize and trust.

When an attacker controls a familiar remote access tool on a victim's device, nothing in the security stack raises an alarm.

That invisibility starts at the very first step — attackers used tax year-end phishing emails and fake desktop application downloads, including fraudulent dating website installers, to persuade users into installing remote access tools that they control.

Once installed, those tools gave attackers total device control while appearing indistinguishable from routine IT activity.

"What stands out in these campaigns is how easily legitimate remote access tools are being turned into entry points for attackers," said Patrick Schläpfer, Principal Threat Researcher at HP Security Lab.

"By combining trusted software with carefully designed social engineering — tied to events like the end of the tax year — it's getting even harder to distinguish what can and can't be trusted."

Separate campaigns uncovered in the same period used fake cryptocurrency wallet recovery tools distributed through code-sharing platforms and media download sites.

Those tools, rather than helping users recover lost wallets, harvested credentials, wallet data, and system information before packaging everything into archive files for exfiltration.

The emoji-heavy scripts used in these attacks showed characteristics consistent with AI-assisted coding.

This suggests that vibe coding tools are now lowering the barrier for building functional malware.

Malware hides in plain sight

HP's report also documented ClickFix campaigns disguising malware as audio files through convincing fake websites and realistic CAPTCHA prompts.

Victims unknowingly execute the malicious code in the background while believing they were completing routine security checks.

At least 11% of email threats identified by HP Wolf Security during the period bypassed one or more email gateway scanners entirely.

Executable files accounted for the largest share of malware delivery at 39%, followed by archive files at 38% and PDF documents at 10%.

"These attacks don't look like break-ins — they look like business as usual, blending in with normal IT activity and avoiding the warning signs associated with malware," said Alex Holland, Principal Threat Researcher at HP Security Lab

Holland added that organizations should restrict unnecessary privileges, control software installation, and isolate risky activity such as downloads and unknown links.

Enterprise security teams are advised to adjust their defenses to account for attacks that look legitimate, rather than suspicious.

If you're a content creator looking for a machine that can handle photo and video editing but won't break the bank, I've found a top laptop deal on the HP Omen 16 for $1099 (was $1399) at Walmart. And in the UK, the same spec HP laptop is down to £1199 (was £1399) at Currys.

This 16-inch model is packed with a high-performance Intel Core Ultra 5 225H processor, RTX 5050 graphics card, and 16GB DDR5 of memory, which will making running image and video editing software feel snappy and responsive.

Now, it's not an ultra-cheap RTX laptop, but this discount does come in nearer the budget end for a model with the chops to tackle graphics-intensive tasks like content creation (generally, the cheapest I've seen is the HP Victus 15 and Acer Nitro V 15, which run to around $800-$900 for the base trim). Below, I've also rounded up an extra selection of US deals and UK deals with big savings on laptops built for content creation.

Today's best HP video editing laptop deal

Looking beyond the headline specs of the Core Ultra 5 and RTX 5050, there are a number of features that stood out to me for creators.

The processor is AI-enabled, which means you'll have a better experience when using tools like generative expand in the Adobe suite.

The graphics card here serves up a dedicated 8GB GDDR7 VRAM, which is the minimum I'd recommend for video editing tasks.

The display has a 2K resolution with color accuracy and coverage of 100% sRGB for online photos and videos. However, you'll want a laptop with as close to 100% DCI-P3 as you can get if you're looking to go beyond phone and laptop screens - you'll find a couple of options below.

It's not a powerhouse workstation by any stretch of the imagination - you'll have to pay at least double for that. But the HP Omen 16 will easily run creative software as well as games on lower settings, making it a good pick at this discount price for work and play.

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I’ve been doing this job long enough to have witnessed several team-ups between laptop makers and luxury car brands – in fact, I’ve still got an Acer Ferrari One netbook (remember those?!) collecting dust somewhere.

I can certainly see the appeal for PC makers, as getting to slap a badge from brands such as Ferrari, Porsche, and others can help associate your device in the minds of consumers with speed, even if, like the Acer Ferrari One, the hardware can only achieve the kinds of speed you’d expect from a particularly lazy tortoise after a large meal. For the car brands, I guess it helps get their name out there and into the hands of people who would usually never be able to afford one of their vehicles.

So, when I was invited to see a new collaboration between HP and Ferrari, I went expecting to see a completely decent, bedecked with fancy car logos; nothing much more than a fancy advert in laptop-form. However, after my time checking out the HP Limited Edition Scuderia Ferrari AI PC, I came away happy to be completely wrong.

It’s clear, after talking to representatives from both HP and Ferrari, that this is a much deeper collaboration that’s been a while in the making (two years, no less). The result is a laptop that takes innovations from both companies – but one that you’re probably not going to be able to buy.

Two years in the making

You might think that the combo of HP, primarily known for PCs and printers, and Ferrari, best known for luxury cars and Formula 1, isn’t the most natural of partnerships – I certainly did, but the team-up does actually make some sense.

For a start, HP has been a major sponsor of Ferrari’s Formula 1 team, called Scuderia Ferrari HP, and while that means the HP logo is on the car and driver uniforms, it also involves behind-the-scenes collaboration, with HP providing laptops and other bits of tech.

The fact that Ferrari’s design team spends a lot of time thinking of ways to make products as light, fast, and thermodynamic (keeping key parts of the engine and car as cool as possible) also has obvious parallels with HP’s design team, who do similar when designing laptops.

So, the partnership makes a lot more sense than you might initially think – still, I was concerned that this would be little more than a basic HP laptop with a fancy Ferrari logo on it.

As I was taken through the HP Limited Edition Scuderia Ferrari AI PC and the design decisions that were taken, it became increasingly clear that wasn’t the case. A lot of this is due to the attention to detail that both teams brought to the laptop.

Take the color, for example, which is Rosso Magma – the same found on some of Ferrari’s most iconic cars. The deep, rich red is instantly recognisable, and has an almost 3D look to it in places thanks to the CNC-machined anodized aluminum and a zirconium bead-blasted surface. When the laptop is opened, the material of the palm rest beneath the keyboard has a horizontal streak effect which, I was told, is designed to resemble the blur of a fast-moving object, which I think works well.

The glass trackpad used to control the mouse curser is integrated seamlessly into the palm rest, with no visible outline. While this gives the HP Limited Edition Scuderia Ferrari AI PC a stylish and minimalist look, I do have some concerns about this design choice.

Like when Dell introduced a similar ‘invisible’ trackpad to its high-end laptops, not being able to see or feel when the trackpad begins and ends isn’t great for accessibility, and means you might find it hard to use without concentrating.

The HP Limited Edition Scuderia Ferrari AI PC mitigates this slightly by having a larger-than-normal trackpad size, and a thin red light runs along the top of the trackpad, indicating where it begins and ends. It certainly helps without compromising the overall design of the laptop, but I do worry that it would still be an issue for visually-impaired users.

The rest of the design of the HP Limited Edition Scuderia Ferrari AI PC, however, is impeccable, especially the underside of the laptop (which is often, understandably, neglected as it’s the least visible part of a laptop when being used).

The underside of the HP Limited Edition Scuderia Ferrari AI PC is inspired by the engine bays of Ferrari cars, with a Gorilla Glass window that shows off the cooling pipes and components. The glass is lazer-drilled, allowing for essential airflow to the components, and there are some lovely touches such as the coordinates of both the Ferrari and HP headquarters etched onto some of the parts. These little ‘easter eggs’ again highlight the attention to detail put into this laptop by both teams.

While the window is influenced by Ferrari cars, as many gaming PCs with tempered glass panels prove, PC users often like to show off the powerful components that beat at the heart of their devices, so I can see this appealing to both Ferrari fans and PC enthusiasts alike.

The rest of the underside is made of nanocarbon material, again similar to that found on certain performance cars, which keeps the laptop cool and light.

Along the rear hinge, there’s a venting system based on the Ferrari F76, which helps keep the laptop cool by expelling heat generated by the components, and it’s another great example of how the HP Limited Edition Scuderia Ferrari AI PC is a collaboration of both form and function.

High-end specs

The HP Limited Edition Scuderia Ferrari AI PC also features some pretty impressive specs as well. The screen is a 3K Tandem OLED+ touch display, and from what I saw, it looked fantastic with bright, rich colors and excellent contrast.

It comes with the very latest Intel Core Ultra X7 processor, which is a high-end mobile laptop processor, so you can expect mobile workstation-level performance and powerful integrated graphics.

There’s also a hefty 64GB of LPDDR5x RAM, a 1TB SSD, and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. Three USB-C ports (two of which are Thunderbolt 4) and a USB-A port are also included, plus HDMI and an audio jack.

It’s certainly a beast of a laptop, but with a limited number (just 4,999), and a price of $5,599 (around £4,200 / AU$8,000) when it goes on sale on June 12, 2026, this is likely to be out of most people’s budgets, and while I certainly won’t want to buy one (not that I even have the money for it), it’s cool to see what a combination of laptop and car makers can achieve when they work together to make something that’s not just a fancy branding exercise.

I’d also love to see some of the innovations Ferrari brought to this laptop someday make their way to more affordable HP laptops.

I've seen a number of limited-time printer deals on Amazon right now, including a discounted Epson EcoTank ET-2861, which is £150 right now (I've dropped a link at the bottom of the page). That's a great deal on a superb printer, but I'm begging you: don't buy it.

My advice? Save yourself an extra few quid and go for the Epson EcoTank ET-2860 for £137 (was £240). Here's the big secret: they're effectively the same printer. There's no real difference beyond the name, with both able to print, scan, and copy, print from your phone, and the inclusion of three years' worth of ink in the box.

With decent speeds, this printer is perfect for the home or home office. What I particularly like about this model, besides the cost savings you get from an ink tank, is how simple it is to set up (I bought one for my hyper-technophobic mother and even she managed to work out how to use it). So, swerve the EcoTank ET-2860 and go for Epson's ET-2861.

• Shop all printers at Amazon

Today's top Epson EcoTank printer deal

If you're buying a home printer these days, I always recommend opting for an ink tank model. First of all, while not as cheap as an inkjet printer, running costs are a lot lower, with ink bottles costing less than replacement inkjet cartridges.

They boast all the benefits of an inkjet printer - expect vivid, high-resolution photos and highly readable text - with speeds only slightly lower than a laser printer. For me, they're a best-of-both-worlds choice.

And in my experience, and that of my team, Epson still more or less dominates this area of the printing market.

So, what's the difference between this cheap EcoTank and the ET-2860? Nothing. The change in model number is usually specifying which shop you bought it from - typically, I see the ET-2860 at Argos, and the ET-2861 at Amazon. The dimensions, internals, specs, they're all the identical.

I've actually used the EcoTank ET-2860 loads of times, and I came away impressed. It's quick to print, output is perfect for home printing, and contains a generous amount of ink packaged with the printer.

For more top-performers, check out my guide to the best home printers and best ink tank printers we've tested and reviewed.

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I print a substantial number of documents each month, which often results in running out of ink at inconvenient times. To avoid frequent trips to the store for new ink, I decided to try HP’s All-In Plan. This subscription service from HP combines a printer, ink, and support into one monthly fee, providing a convenient solution for my printing needs.

After using the service for a few months, I’ve drawn some conclusions that could be helpful for others considering this option.

What is HP's All-In Plan?

HP’s All-In-One plan simplifies home printing through a subscription model, allowing you to essentially “rent” a printer and receive regular ink deliveries. This approach ensures consistent ink replenishment and printer maintenance.

What do you get?

There are three key components to the All-In Plan, including:

• Printer: The plan includes an HP printer, with different tiers offering various models like the HP Envy and HP OfficeJet Pro.
• Ink: It incorporates HP Instant Ink, automatically delivering ink when your printer is low.
• Support: It provides 24/7 support and potential next-business-day printer replacement.

Pricing and tiers

The HP All-In Plan features a tiered pricing structure designed to accommodate various HP printer models and cater to a wide range of printing needs. This ensures users can find a plan that fits their lifestyle and usage patterns.

The entry-level option includes the HP Envy printer, with monthly plans starting at approximately $6.99. This tier is perfect for basic home printing needs, offering reliable performance for occasional users. It’s particularly suitable for families or individuals who print documents, homework, or the occasional photo, making it a cost-effective choice for light use.

Moving up the tiers, the HP Envy Inspire is priced at around $8.99 monthly. This model is better suited for users with frequent printing demands, such as students or professionals who print presentations, reports, and high-quality photos. The Envy Inspire combines enhanced photo printing capabilities with versatile features, ensuring vibrant, sharp images perfect for invitations, scrapbooks, or portfolios.

For small to medium businesses, HP offers a Professional Plan that includes the OfficeJet Pro, starting at $12.99 monthly. This printer is engineered for higher-volume printing and has fast print speeds, automatic duplexing, and robust security options. It’s ideal for busy office settings where reliability and efficiency are essential.

The HP Smart tier also begins at approximately $11.99 per month and targets home offices or small businesses that require higher print volumes and quicker printing speeds. This option supports a more dynamic workplace, allowing users to easily print, scan, and copy, all while maintaining cost efficiency. The Smart tier enhances productivity, making it an excellent investment for those needing to produce more documents regularly without compromising quality.

Overall, the HP All-In Plan is designed to provide flexible solutions tailored to varying printing needs, making it easier for users to choose the right plan to fit their requirements.

Key considerations

When considering HP's All-In Plan, it is essential to weigh the potential benefits against the drawbacks to determine whether it meets your printing needs.

The plan offers a convenient, subscription-based approach, removing the need to monitor ink levels and purchase cartridges constantly. With automatic ink delivery, you are less likely to run out unexpectedly.

This plan can lead to significant cost savings for those who print regularly, especially in color printing, which usually consumes a large amount of ink.

HP also includes additional perks, such as extended warranties and access to advanced features within the HP Smart app, enhancing the printing experience.

However, if you use your printer infrequently, the monthly subscription fees may exceed the cost of purchasing individual cartridges.

The plan's reliance on an internet connection and HP's monitoring system creates a dependency that could be problematic if connectivity issues arise.

Additionally, restrictions on using third-party ink cartridges can limit your options and potentially increase long-term costs.

It’s important to note that the All-In Plans require a mandatory 24-month subscription and include cancellation fees if you decide to cancel early.

There are concerns regarding the overall long-term cost of the plans compared to buying the printer and ink outright.

The HP All-In Plan best suits individuals and households that print frequently and value convenience. However, those prioritizing flexibility and cost control may find traditional ink purchasing methods more appropriate.

For more picks, we've tested the best home printers.

The HP DeskJet 2855e is a compact all-in-one inkjet printer designed for light home use. It provides printing, scanning, and copying functions. The printer stands out because of its simple setup process, which users praise when they use the HP Smart app together with wireless connectivity features.

Now, this is a budget inkjet - it's currently $50 at Amazon.com and in the UK, the virtually identical DeskJet 2820e is £40 at Amazon.co.uk.

We went hands-on with the DeskJet 2855e to get a feel for how it all comes together. And we've also looked at what others are saying about it.

The 2855e printer receives continuous praise from online reviewers for its document printing quality, and some users report good photo results when using appropriate paper. The printer's compact design makes it an ideal choice for people who need to save space.

The 2855e printer has several negative aspects that users need to consider. Reviews frequently report problems with printer connectivity because they experience unstable Wi-Fi connections, mainly when their network operates only on the 5.0 GHz band (the printer needs 2.4 GHz connectivity).

The primary source of disagreement stems from HP's ink policy, which forces users to purchase HP-branded cartridges and subscribe to HP Instant Ink for potential savings. This policy creates frustration because of high costs outside the program and the need for internet connectivity for HP+ features. The printer is criticized for its slow startup, printing speeds, and the initial setup cartridges’ minimal page yield.

Regardless, users who need a basic printer for occasional tasks will find the HP DeskJet 2855e an appropriate choice because it offers cost-effectiveness and ease of use.

For our top-performing picks, see our guide to the best home printers we've tested.

HP DeskJet 2855e: Specs

The HP DeskJet 2855e is an all-purpose inkjet printer that works well for homes, students, and small businesses. It is a multifunctional device that enables color printing, copying, and scanning to meet different document requirements.

The DeskJet 2855e reaches a maximum ISO printing speed of 7.5 pages per minute (ppm) for black text while reaching 5.5 ppm for color prints. The printer operates effectively between 50 and 100 pages of monthly print use and reaches a maximum duty cycle of 1,000 pages. The printer operates effectively for both light and medium printing needs.

The printer delivers excellent print quality through its 1200 x 1200 rendered dpi for black text and 4800 x 1200 optimized dpi for color prints, resulting in clear and sharp documents. The printer produces detailed and colorful outputs through its 4800 x 1200 optimized dpi color printing capability and 1200 x 1200 rendered dpi black text printing ability.

The printer includes a 60-sheet input tray that supports printing different media sizes starting from 3 x 5 inches (postcards) and extending to 8.5 x 14 inches (legal paper). Users can print various documents on different paper types through this printer, including plain paper, photo paper, brochures, and envelopes. A 25-sheet output tray helps users manage their printed documents efficiently.

The printer enables wireless printing through built-in Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and direct connections through its Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port. The printer allows network users to print documents from various connected devices. The HP Smart app, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Chrome OS, and Mopria certification enable users to print directly from smartphones and tablets.

The DeskJet 2855e features a scanner that scans at 1200 dpi optical resolution to deliver detailed results for documents and photos. The copier enables nine copies with a 300 x 300 dpi resolution for black and color copies.

The printer measures 16.7 inches (W) x 11.97 inches (D) x 6.06 inches (H) and weighs 7.55 pounds to fit easily in different spaces with its compact dimensions. HP integrates at least 60% post-consumer recycled plastic into its construction to demonstrate its environmental responsibility.

HP DeskJet 2855e: Feedback

What other sites think

In addition to reviewing the product, we analyzed HP DeskJet 2855e reviews from other online publications to get a more precise and concise idea of what others think of the low-cost inkjet printer.

RTINGS.com says the HP DeskJet 2855e isn't a good choice for families due to its low page yield, leading to frequent and costly ink cartridge replacements. While its document print quality is passable, it struggles with photos, producing flat and unnatural images due to a narrow color range and poor accuracy. Although it includes a scanner, the scan quality is poor, it lacks fine detail, and there is no automatic feeder for multi-page documents. On the positive side, it offers good connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, USB, AirPrint, and Mopria, making it easily accessible to multiple users.

Over at PCVerge, the HP DeskJet 2855e is noted for being a compact, affordable printer suitable for light family use, boasting good connectivity options like Wi-Fi, USB, AirPrint, and Mopria. However, its limitations include the absence of an automatic document feeder, merely acceptable print quality, and higher long-term operating expenses due to ink consumption. While not the fastest, its photo printing speed is reasonable for its price. It features a high-resolution flatbed scanner with good color depth, though its hinges don't accommodate scanning thick items. Ultimately, the HP DeskJet 2855e is deemed a good value for fundamental home printing, particularly for infrequent users open to alternative ink solutions or an HP ink subscription.

Perhaps the most insightful review comes from a Reddit poster. Their “Love Letter to Mediocrity” covers all the essential bases. The author expresses pleasant surprise that the printer functions without significant issues, highlighting its easy setup, wireless printing, and all-in-one capabilities (print, scan, copy). However, the review notes its downsides, including high ink consumption, slow print speeds, and mediocre print quality. The reviewer concludes that the printer is best suited for users with basic printing needs and low expectations, rather than those seeking high-quality or fast performance.

What users have to say

The HP DeskJet 2855e achieves positive average star ratings on major online retail and manufacturer platforms. Still, negative reviews strongly outnumber positive ones, which leads to an extreme split in user satisfaction.

The printer earns a 4.2 out of 5-star rating at Walmart.com based on 652 ratings from 412 reviewers. The review distribution reveals that most users provide 5-star ratings at 65% while 16% give 4-star ratings.

The 1-star reviews account for 10% of the reviews, indicating that many users remain unhappy with the product. The overall recommendation rate from Walmart.com reviewers regarding the product amounts to 83%.

HP.com shows the DeskJet 2855e receiving 4.3 out of 5 stars from 433 user reviews on its official store website. The platform displays a mixed sentiment, with numerous negative reviews that describe multiple problems. 4. The polarized feedback pattern matches what other platforms show.

Best Buy lacks explicit ratings information in the document, but their summaries demonstrate that customers praise the DeskJet 2855e's user-friendly nature, and lack sufficient negative feedback. 6 The product starts with an overwhelmingly positive first impression, especially regarding its early usage.

The 4-star rating on RC Willey, based on 214 customer reviews, matches the general positive trend while showing that some customers remain dissatisfied.

HP DeskJet 2855e: Pros

The HP DeskJet 2855e receives positive reviews for its main features, which appeal to users who require an entry-level home printer.

Users praise the DeskJet 2855e for its "ease of use" and simple setup process after completing software installation and initial connection steps. Many users who experienced a straightforward setup process share positive opinions about this printer. The HP Smart application is a key tool that helps users set up their printer and provides easy mobile printing capabilities without a computer connection.

Multiple users describe the DeskJet 2855e as delivering "good print quality" and producing "clear and true to color" images with "great print copies" that meet everyday needs for documents, school work, and occasional photo printing. The expert review by PCVarge agrees with these observations since it notes that the printer delivers “good image quality” and “reasonable” photo printing speeds at an affordable price.

Users consistently praise the printer for its compact design and lightweight construction. The printer receives praise for its "convenient and space-saving" design and "portable" feature, which makes it suitable for home desks in small living spaces. PCVarge notes that the printer measures 6.7 x 11.97 x 6.06 inches and weighs 7.55 pounds, emphasizing its small size among desktop printers.

The printer's affordable initial cost is the main selling point for customers who consider it a "great price" and an "affordable" choice for basic home printing needs. The printer receives positive reviews from customers and experts because it offers a "good budget choice" that suits basic requirements while delivering print, scan, and copy functionalities.

Users highly value wireless printing capabilities across different devices and effortless HP Smart mobile application integration for its user-friendly features. The printer allows users to print documents without needing to plug in their computers every time.

According to HP, the printer features the “most reliable Wi-Fi,” which automatically detects and solves network problems, but some users report opposite experiences.

The positive reception of the HP DeskJet 2855e regarding its compact design, affordable price point, and user-friendly operation post-initial setup confirms its suitability for users requiring basic, straightforward printing capabilities. Due to this feedback, the product stands in the “basic home printing” market segment. The product meets the needs of a particular group of users who have low expectations. HP’s design choices involve choosing basic accessibility and a compact size instead of providing full functionality and premium materials.

The printer delivers its highest value to users with basic needs who successfully overcome typical setup challenges. The strategic market approach adopted by HP focuses on the entry-level market segment by prioritizing initial purchase affordability and ease of use. The user feedback confirms the product's successful targeting of its specific market segment because these customers find that the printer meets its essential promises.

HP DeskJet 2855e: Cons

The HP DeskJet 2855e suffers from multiple critical problems, negatively affecting customer satisfaction.

Multiple users, including those with technical expertise, found the printer setup experience highly challenging. They needed at least 20 minutes and sometimes two days to establish printer functionality. Users experience a "clunky nightmare" and "convoluted" setup process because the instructions depend on mobile app guidance while eliminating disc support, which results in users getting trapped in infinite loops.

The numerous reports about challenging initial setup processes by users with technical experience demonstrate how many buyers encounter a substantial obstacle that prevents them from completing the setup process. The initial unpleasant experience with the printer can make users lose enthusiasm for its beneficial features.

Installing the printer starts with a negative experience that damages customer satisfaction immediately after purchase, making them more likely to return products and view the following problems with increased hostility.

The first negative impression strongly influences customer reviews because it leads to the observed bimodal distribution across different platforms. A customer's inability to print a return label demonstrates their frustration and the practical difficulties that emerge when a setup fails. The setup process becomes a critical, high-stakes moment for HP because it focuses on app-based setup but lacks robust offline setup options and precise network configuration troubleshooting. Enhancing the initial user experience would lead to better overall customer opinions, even if additional drawbacks exist.

This issue sparks intense disagreement among customers who feel intensely dissatisfied with it. Users strongly dislike that the printer requires HP-branded ink cartridges and an active Instant Ink subscription for maintenance.

Users strongly condemn HP for what they call the "ink scam" and denounce the "ink rule" because of the "chip,” which forces users to use HP’s proprietary ink. Users explicitly mention they will never purchase HP products again because of this policy.

Expert reviews show that standard cartridges have a "very low page yield,” which results in “high long-term operational cost (without subscription)”- $0.08 per black print and $.12 per color print—so users must replace cartridges often before subscribing to the model.

Users view HP's proprietary ink policy and subscription promotion as more than financial issues because they create fundamental trust breakdowns and damage brand loyalty among numerous customers. Users experience deeper problems than price concerns because they see this practice as unfair towards consumers and feel trapped by the manufacturer's actions.

The printer's affordable initial price is a double-edged sword because it comes with expensive maintenance costs and limited ink availability. This exemplifies a "razor-and-blades" business model. Customers become angry when they experience "overpriced,” “forced,” or "designed to fail without subscription" ink cartridges in this business model. The potential existence of class-action lawsuits indicates how seriously customers view this ethical violation.

HP's subscription-based model generates recurring revenue but endangers customer loyalty and brand integrity, mainly because it feels deceptive to specific users. The business strategy employed by HP stands in direct opposition to customer autonomy, which is the leading cause of negative review sentiment.

The printer experiences recurring paper jam problems, while users frequently experience printing failures. Several users considered switching to their previous printers because of the recurring jamming issues. A reviewer pointed out that the printer construction feels inexpensive because it uses "cheap plastics." The low initial cost of the printer might relate to lower material standards.

The device, marketed as an “all-in-one” device, consistently demonstrates a significant problem with its scanning functionality. Customers experience two major scanning issues because the scanner refuses to function and fails to detect documents. Users encountered difficulties when scanning into a computer that forced them to run "HP scanner doctor" multiple times until they restarted their computer. This led to the belief that HP uses this method as an "ink scam" ploy. According to expert reviews, the scanning performance is not good because the image processing removes essential details from the scans and the flatbed scanner's lid hinges do not extend to accommodate thick items.

The absence of an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) is a significant limitation, meaning multi-page documents must be scanned one sheet at a time, manually.

The persistent issues with scanning functionality make the product's "all-in-one" claim less valuable according to user reports. The consistent problems with scanning functionality directly harm the "multifunctionality" value proposition because it affects the fundamental operation of the device.

The "cheap piece of junk" sentiment emerges when users feel they purchased only a printer and copier instead of an "all-in-one" device. The scanning module seems to suffer from quality control issues, software integration problems, or the manufacturer deliberately chose basic scanning features that fail to match typical user expectations for "all-in-one" devices. The significant difference between marketing claims and user experience results in customer dissatisfaction.

Users and experts agree that automatic duplex (double-sided) printing should be included in a printer, but the product lacks this feature. Users need to turn pages manually for double-sided printing. The absence of the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) significantly hinders efficiency when users scan or copy multiple pages. The control panel has a tiny non-tiltable LCD screen that users find hard to see from their seated position.

Finally, many users express dissatisfaction because they receive starter cartridges and XL ink cartridges with low page yields. Users who plan to print many pages should expect the starter cartridges to deplete quickly. Another noted that the "cartridges that came with it don't last long if you plan to print many pages.” Expert reviews confirm this problem by assessing "very low page yield,” which explains why the print cost remains high without an Instant Ink subscription, leading to frequent cartridge replacements.

Amazon is holding a surprise Tech Week sale, and among the bargains on offer are a number of top name business laptops, including three under £500 that are well worth your consideration.

The Acer Aspire 16, which is now £499 (was £800), sees the biggest discount. This would be my top pick given the specs (see below), making it an all-rounder machine for day-to-day productivity tasks.

Elsewhere, the Asus Vivobook 16 is down to £350 (was £440), and finally, rounding out the trio is the HP 15.6-inch laptop that's a wallet-friendly £270 (was £399). Check out my full thoughts on each laptop deal below.

• Shop the full Tech Week sale at Amazon

My top 3 business laptop deals under £500

This laptop sports a large 16-inch WUXGA display that gives you more vertical space than a standard Full HD panel.

The laptop is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 5 processor and 16GB of RAM to keep demanding office tasks running smoothly throughout the day. It comes with a 512GB SSD, offering quick boot times and enough space for business files, presentations, and everyday software.

A premium aluminium lid gives the laptop a stylish look, while the backlit keyboard and numeric keypad add practical touches for productivity-focused work.

Next up is the Asus Vivobook 16, down to £350 (was £440), down from £440 to £350. It's powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X1 processor which supports Microsoft Copilot+ features, giving you access to the latest AI-powered tools built into Windows 11.

The 16-inch WUXGA display uses a taller 16:10 aspect ratio, which makes it an ideal laptop for coding, as well as writing, or browsing.

With 16GB of RAM and a 512GB PCIe SSD, it has the memory and storage capacity needed to keep daily workloads running smoothly.

Battery life rated at up to 19 hours adds impressive endurance for long working days without constantly reaching for a charger, making it a great choice for hybrid working, commuting, and travel.

This is the cheapest laptop deal I've selected - but that low price inevitably comes with some compromises, but its AMD Ryzen 3 processor can handle daily office duties and moderate workloads.

It only comes with 8GB of RAM, which is lower than the 16GB found on the other two laptops here, but that will be fine for email, office software, and general multitasking.

The 256GB SSD provides enough capacity for documents, spreadsheets, and essential applications, making it a practical fit for small office setups.

Battery life rated at over 11 hours adds flexibility for working away from a desk, while the anti-glare Full HD display helps maintain clear visibility in bright rooms.

For more top picks like this, these are the best business laptops we've tested and reviewed.

• Shop all laptops at Amazon.co.uk

• HP Z8 Fury G6i supports up to four Nvidia RTX PRO GPUs
• Next-generation Intel Xeon processors deliver up to 86 cores and 174 threads
• Memory scales up to 2TB DDR5-6400 ECC across 16 DIMM slots

HP recently unveiled a host of new high-performance systems at its latest product showcase, but one device seems to dominate the conversation.

The HP Z8 Fury G6i stands out as the company’s most aggressive attempt yet at addressing heavy AI and simulation workloads without compromise.

This system supports up to four Nvidia RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPUs, paired with next-generation Intel Xeon processors, scaling up to 86 cores and 174 threads, with boost frequencies reaching 4.8GHz and large cache allocations.

Extreme processing power

This configuration allows it to handle complex rendering, large-scale simulations, and demanding AI development tasks.

“Technology and high-performance workflows are evolving faster than ever,” said Jim Nottingham, SVP and Division President, Advanced Compute Solutions.

“HP Z workstations are built to equip the best and brightest professionals with the tools they need for specialized workflows and AI at the edge, while giving IT decision makers the ability to scale performance responsibly.”

The hardware goes further than typical workstation limits, especially as memory and data requirements continue to grow.

It supports up to 2TB of DDR5-6400 ECC memory across 16 DIMM slots and eight memory channels, enabling data-heavy AI workflows without constant bottlenecks.

This device supports an optional HP Max Side Panel that expands the chassis itself, increasing internal volume and allowing larger graphics cards to fit without modification.

It is an industry-first feature because it physically extends the workstation’s width to accommodate quad-wide and up to 600W GPUs.

The tool-free design addresses a practical issue because some users had to cut open workstation panels just to install oversized graphics cards, so this will no longer be necessary.

“It increases your airflow and your thermals by 15%,” Nottingham added, noting GPU power requirements continue to rise with each generation.

The HP Z8 Fury G6i features a data center–style architecture with up to 104TB of storage across multiple NVMe configurations, including front-accessible, hot-swappable drives.

It offers nine PCIe slots, including PCIe 5.0 x16 lanes, for additional accelerators, networking cards, or storage controllers.

Dual power supplies of up to 2700W provide stable performance under heavy workloads.

For connectivity, this device includes Thunderbolt 5, high-speed USB, Wi-Fi 7, and networking up to 100GbE.

HP’s workstation lineup also includes the Z4 G6i desktop and mobile ZBook X G2i and ZBook 8 G2i models.

It also offers hybrid systems, including the HP ZGX Nano and ZGX Fury, which combine local compute with cloud resources.

The HP Z8 Fury G6i is expected to be available on HP.com starting in April 2026, with pricing to be provided closer to availability.

• HP EliteBook 6 G2q delivers up to 85 TOPS for local AI tasks
• Always-connected 5G experiences require specific hardware and preinstalled eSIM modules
• Service works only on compatible commercial PCs running Windows 11

HP has unveiled the EliteBook 6 G2q, an ultraslim AI PC that relies on Snapdragon X2 Elite or X2 Plus processors to deliver up to 85 TOPS of NPU performance for local AI tasks.

This lightweight laptop can be configurable in builds up to 15% thinner than its predecessor, claims to offer always-connected experiences through HP Go 5G service.

This service is advertised as offering unlimited 5G data by automatically switching between carriers for optimal coverage.

Connectivity through HP Go 5G

However, reading through the fine print, some major restrictions and throttles undermine the promise of truly unlimited, seamless 5G broadband.

One key limitation is that HP Go 5G requires specific hardware, including an embedded WWAN 5G module and a preinstalled eSIM.

It only works on compatible commercial PCs running Windows 11 and is activated through zero-touch deployment via HP’s management console or Microsoft Intune.

Another restriction is that access is limited to the United States, which prevents users from relying on the device for continuous connectivity while traveling internationally.

For this reason, international users must return to the United States at least once every 90 days to maintain roaming eligibility.

The service itself is structured around tiered plans, with Lite offering domestic unlimited data, Premier adding 1GB for international use monthly, and Premier Plus promising unlimited global access.

All of these plans are prepaid and non-refundable, requiring 3-, 6-, or 12-month commitments purchased directly through HP sales representatives, which reduces flexibility for many users.

A further limitation appears in the data speeds, which throttle progressively after 5GB per month, eventually slowing to 100Kbps after 100GB.

Tethering and hotspot usage are also explicitly prohibited under all plans, restricting users from sharing the connection with additional devices or coworkers.

Taken together, these conditions reveal that the so-called WiFi-killing broadband carries notable constraints that can complicate practical usage.

HP embeds Wolf Pro Security Next Gen Antivirus directly into the EliteBook 6 G2q to protect against modern threats.

Additional protections come from the Wolf Connect cellular card, improving asset tracking and data management across multiple endpoints.

These security measures extend across HP’s commercial portfolio, offering consistent defense for AI workloads deployed at the edge.

The HP EliteBook 6 G2q will be available starting in July 2026 on HP.com, with pricing announced closer to launch.

• HP repurposes failed Humane AI hardware into a commercial workplace intelligence platform
• HP NearSense enables seamless document and media sharing between nearby devices instantly
• One-click meeting joins and faster device pairing simplify office collaboration workflows

In early 2025, HP acquired Humane AI, a startup which had attempted to transform the wearable AI market with its AI Pin.

The hardware struggled with overheating and limited functionality, leaving many of its promises unfulfilled, and it eventually flopped.

HP is now repackaging the technology into a workplace-focused platform, HP IQ, aiming to integrate local AI and proximity-based collaboration across its device ecosystem.

Bringing devices together with HP NearSense

At the core of HP IQ is HP NearSense, a spatial intelligence system which enables devices to discover and collaborate with one another.

This technology allows users to share documents, images, and presentations instantly between nearby PCs and other HP devices, while also supporting one-click joining of meetings.

Over time, HP plans to expand NearSense to include Poly video conferencing hardware, print devices, desktops, and peripherals, offering proximity-based capabilities such as faster device discovery, simplified headset pairing, casting to nearby screens, and printing without installing drivers.

The intent is to create a more fluid workplace experience, although the rollout remains limited to selected devices at launch.

HP IQ can be accessed through the Visor interface, which surfaces relevant actions and insights based on user context, and accepts both voice and text inputs, adapting to employees’ workflows while keeping sensitive data local whenever possible.

By operating primarily on-device with a 20 billion-parameter model, the system avoids sending personal files to the cloud unless explicitly permitted by enterprise policy.

This hybrid approach seeks to balance responsiveness and privacy, although the AI’s capabilities remain basic — it can summarize documents, transcribe audio, or generate lists, but lacks broader reasoning or autonomous task execution.

For IT teams, HP IQ integrates with the HP Workforce Experience Platform, allowing centralized oversight of policies, updates, and security across devices.

HP plans to roll out HP IQ first on the EliteBook X G2 AI PCs in Spring 2026, with broader deployment to notebooks, desktops, and Poly devices scheduled later in the year.

“HP’s vision for the future of work is a connected, intelligent ecosystem that helps work flow across devices, spaces, and the moments in between,” said Tuan Tran, President of HP’s Technology & Innovation Organization.

“HP IQ is how it connects those experiences, reducing digital friction for employees while fitting into the environments IT already manages, so organizations can bring these experiences to life with confidence.”

While HP IQ consolidates on-device intelligence, spatial awareness, and IT control, the history of Humane’s AI Pin raises questions about whether the technology will gain traction.

The AI’s functionality remains limited, requiring manual file inputs, and the rollout is initially restricted to commercial devices.

Whether HP can deliver on the promise of a connected ecosystem without repeating past missteps remains uncertain.

Chromebooks often dominate the budget laptop space, but if you want a full Windows 11 machine without spending a fortune, I’ve found a great deal for Amazon’s Spring Deal Days.

The HP 15.6-inch laptop is now £280 (was £399) at Amazon. Already pretty affordable, this budget laptop is a brilliant buy for everyday computing in the sales.

The system runs on AMD’s Ryzen 3 7320U processor, a four-core chip built for efficient daily tasks. Web browsing, streaming, document editing, and general multitasking all run comfortably on hardware like this.

HP pairs the processor with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. That's obviously not a huge amount of memory or storage, but it will be plenty for most daily tasks. If you do need more power, I spotted this HP 15.6in laptop with Ryzen 5 and 16GB RAM down to £440 (£487) at Amazon.

• We found the best business laptops under £500 in Amazon's Spring sale.

Today's top HP laptop deal

The 15.6-inch display offers a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080, delivering sharp visuals whether you’re watching videos, browsing the web, or working on documents. Narrow bezels and an 85% screen-to-body ratio make the screen feel modern and spacious.

An anti-glare coating reduces reflections when working near windows or in bright environments. HP also includes flicker-free technology using DC dimming, which will be welcome during long work sessions.

Integrated AMD Radeon graphics handle visuals and media playback without issue. Movies, streaming content, and light creative tasks run smoothly on the system.

Battery life is rated for an up to oddly specific 11 hours and 15 minutes, giving the laptop enough stamina to get through most of a day away from a charger. When power does run low, HP Fast Charge can bring the battery from zero to about 50% hero in roughly 45 minutes.

It comes with full-size keyboard with a numeric keypad, dual speakers, and an HP True Vision camera with noise-reducing microphones for clearer video calls.

For anyone who wants a traditional Windows laptop rather than a Chromebook, this discounted HP model delivers a practical mix of performance, display quality, and everyday usability.

For other choices, take a look at our round up of the best laptops for working from home, as well as our picks for the best business laptops.

Today's top 16GB Ryzen 5 HP laptop deal

• Shop all laptops at Amazon

If you spend most of your days in front of a screen, a clear and responsive display can make long sessions easier on your eyes. So, I've been keeping an eye out for a great office monitor deal in the Amazon Spring Deal Days sale - and now I've found it.

The HP 23.8-inch FHD Series 5 business monitor, now down to £91.50 (was £150) at Amazon in the Spring Sale.

That’s a huge 39% reduction (or a £58.09 saving) on a screen with a fast refresh rate, solid colour coverage, and an adjustable stand.

This display uses a 1920 x 1080 resolution panel with a 16:9 aspect ratio, giving you a comfortable amount of screen space for documents, spreadsheets, and browser windows.

Today's best office monitor deal

Visuals look pleasingly vibrant thanks to 99 percent sRGB colour coverage and a 1500:1 contrast ratio. Brightness reaches 300 nits, helping content stay clear even in well-lit rooms.

The 100Hz refresh rate keeps motion smooth when scrolling through pages or watching video. It also helps make everyday desktop use feel a bit more fluid compared with standard 60Hz panels.

The monitor includes several features aimed at keeping your eyes comfortable during long sessions. HP Eye Ease reduces blue light while maintaining accurate colour, and the anti-glare screen cuts down reflections.

The adjustable stand lets you tweak the height and tilt to suit your setup, which can make a noticeable difference in long work sessions.

The slim design keeps things looking clean on your desk, and the three-sided ultra-thin bezel makes the display feel more immersive and easier to pair with a second monitor.

Connectivity is straightforward with HDMI and VGA ports (for old legacy equipment), so you can hook up laptops, desktops, and other devices without fuss.

For £91.50 during Amazon’s Spring Deal Days, this 23.8-inch display delivers smooth performance, vibrant colour, and ergonomic adjustments in a tidy, workspace-friendly package.

For more choices, check out the best business monitors we've rated and reviewed.

Also consider

• See all monitors at Amazon

• More than half of SMBs say printers are a low priority for their cybersecurity strategy
• Many have reported printer-relating data-loss incidents recently
• Printers need to be treated as smart, connected devices

New HP research has claimed more than half (57%) of SMBs agree printer security is a low priority in their cybersecurity strategy, revealing a worrying lack of awareness around a lesser-known but often-exploited attack vector.

More than half (56%) noted at least one print-related data-loss incident in the past year, highlighting printers as a growing security vulnerability.

However at present, one in two SMBs can't even see who prints what, or where documents are being printed, which speaks volumes about broader security visibility.

HP is worried about increasing printer attacks

On the cybersecurity front, 45% of businesses are unsure whether their print environment meets industry compliance standards, and a lack of employee training could further accentuate the issue. Two in three knowledge workers assume network printers are secure, and half don't even consider them as threats.

"A single misdirected scan or uncollected print job can leak payroll data, customer records, or contract details, all without any obvious sign that something is wrong," HP Office Print Solutions Division President Aurelio Maruggi wrote.

Looking ahead, around two-thirds (69%) of SMBs acknowledge they need to improve printer cybersecurity not just across cloud vulnerabilities, but also unauthorized access to print queues, misprinting and leaving confidential documents at the printer itself.

Plugging its own tech, HP says 88% of organizations using smart printers have improved visibility, policy enforcement and compliance support.

HP also highlights the need to reframe printers from dumb peripherals to "connected, intelligent endpoints embedded in everyday work." At this point, they may be treated more like other endpoints.

It's the last day of Amazon's Spring Sale, and it's your last chance to save on some great business laptops from Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, and MSI.

I review business laptops for a living, so I've searched through everything in the Amazon Spring Deal Days Sale to find the laptop deals you won't want to miss if you're a professional who needs reliable machine.

For smooth performance in day-to-day business tasks, I've ensured each laptop here is equipped with a minimum Intel Core 5 / AMD Ryzen 5 processor, 16GB of memory, and 512GB SSD.

All of the options below are suitable for productivity tasks, running Office software, browsing the web, and holding video calls. And at under £500 for known-brand machines, they're the business laptop deals you won't want to miss.

For more savings, I've also found 50home office upgrades under £50.

The top business laptops under £500 in Amazon's Spring Sale

More of today's Amazon Spring Sale highlights

• Amazon Devices: Fire TV & Blink from £13.99
• Apple: AirPods & Apple Watch from £139
• Appliances: up to 30% off Ninja & De'Longhi
• Clothing: up to 50% off Sketchers & Crocs
• Essentials: from £5
• Gaming: up to 50% off PS5 & Switch games
• Headphones: Sony & Shokz from £59
• Health & Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Laptops: from £149.99
• Smart home: up to 50% off cameras & doorbells
• Smartwatches: Apple & Huawei from £99
• Tablets: Fire & Galaxy Tabs from £59.99
• Toys: up to 30% off Lego
• TVs: from £139.99
• Vacuums: up to 30% off Shark & Vax

Amazon's Spring Sale kicks off today, but I've found some HP printer deals for the home and office over at Argos that I don't think even the shopping giant will be able to beat.

The cheapest one I've seen is the HP Deskjet 2910 all-in-one wireless printer, now £28 (was £35) at Argos.

The original price is already dirt-cheap for a budget printer, but paired with the code HP20 you're going to save even more. If you just need a reliable home printer for occasional printing of documents and images, I don't think you can go wrong at that price.

But I've selected some top choices that deliver even faster speeds and more features, well-suited for offices and home offices like the excellent HP OfficeJet Pro 9120e, currently £120, and the business-centric HP LaserJet Pro 3202dw colour laser printer, which is now £248 in the sale.

• Shop all HP printers at Argos

Today's top HP printer deals

• Shop all printers at Argos

• Cybercriminals leverage GenAI to accelerate attack creation
• Campaigns prioritize speed and scale over sophistication
• Report shows basic tactics still bypass defenses

Cybercriminals are “vibe-hacking” their way into enterprise environments, using Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to make launching attacks faster and easier, research has claimed, noting although the attacks are less sophisticated compared to non-AI ones, this is a tradeoff cybercriminals are apparently happy to take.

The latest Threat Insights Report from HP Wolf Security claims to have seen AI tools being used in different ways. In one campaign, a fake invoice PDF contained a link that triggered a download from a compromised site, before redirecting the victim to a trusted platform.

In another one, the crooks were using off-the-shelf malware components and optimizing them with custom lures and payloads. This allows them to “quickly build, customize, and scale campaigns with minimal effort”.

Piggyback attacks

The researchers also observed a so-called “piggyback” attack, in which malware was hidden in fake Teams installers.

Victims would download a malicious installer bundle with a hidden Oyster Loader malware piggybacking on the Teams installation process. So, while the real app is being installed, the victims don’t notice the infection happening in the background.

“It’s the classic project management triangle - speed, quality and cost. You often sacrifice one of them. What we’re seeing is many attackers are optimizing for speed and cost, not quality,” said Alex Holland, Principal Threat Research, HP Security Lab.

“They are not using AI to raise the bar; they’re using it to move faster and reduce effort. The campaigns themselves are basic but the uncomfortable reality is they still work.”

Looking at the report, it would seem that quality isn’t the defining factor here. As per HP’s telemetry, at least 14% of malicious emails managed to bypass one or more email gateway scanners, suggesting that the “low quality, high quantity” approach does work. The most popular delivery type were executable files (37%), .ZIP archives (11%), and .DOCX files (10%).

• HP says memory accounts for around 35% of the cost of a PC, up from 15-18% in one quarter
• The company, and analysts, expect volatility to continue for some time yet
• HP consumer devices are still selling strong, but Canalys anticipates costly impacts

HP has revealed the cost memory now accounts for around one-third (35%) of its PC bill of materials, up from around 15-18% last quarter, making a seriously sharp increase.

And worse still, the company is expecting memory chip price volatility to continue well into next year, largely driven by demand for AI data center components which is straining consumer supply.

Looking ahead, HP expects the RAM's percentage in the bill for PCs to rise before it stabilizes or decreases, spelling out potential knock-on price increases for consumers.

HP says computer memory is getting more expensive

To mitigate some of the price hikes, HP has secured long-term supply agreements and qualified new suppliers to diversify its supply. And even though the company blames AI for pushing costs up, it's also using AI in its supply chain planning to cut costs across areas like logistics.

The company is combining multiple approaches, including increasing end costs and reconfiguring devices, to retain healthy margins and not to pass on such sharp price hikes to consumers.

HP Interim CEO Bruce Broussard praised strong Personal Systems performance including "continued momentum in AI PCs." The company posted a 6.9% year-over-year increase in quarterly revenue. Personal Systems (PS) revenue rose 11%, with Consumer PS revenue up 16% and Commercial PS revenue up 9%.

HP isn't alone in feeling the pinch, though, as the entire industry gears up to absorb or pass on increasing costs. "Demand for conventional DRAM is surging alongside HBM as AI inference workloads scale, driving an exceptional short-term price rally,” Omdia Senior Principal Analyst Lino Jeng noted.

A separate Omdia post hints at a potential decline in the semiconductor market, had AI not stepped in and created such a surge.

Looking ahead, Omdia's researchers predict continued "supply-side pressures" and "cost increases being passed through to customers" following 40% to 70% rises in PC memory and storage costs throughout calendar 2025.

• HP has underlined how pricey RAM has now become
• On average, the system RAM now accounts for 35% of the total cost of making a PC
• Previously that figure was 15% to 18% of HP's total outlay for a PC, so the cost of memory has effectively doubled

HP has made it clear just how pricey RAM has become, reaching the point where system memory now eats up double the budget allocation it previously did with the cost of making a new PC.

The Register reports that HP shared this info in a Q1 2026 earnings call. According to HP, in the previous quarter, the cost of system RAM in a PC represented between 15% to 18% of the total budget — whereas now it takes up 35% of the cost. That means the price of memory has pretty much doubled.

On top of that, we're told that the amount of said budget that the memory modules consume is likely to increase as 2026 rolls onwards.

HP's interim CEO Bruce Broussard noted that the PC maker has long-term supply contracts in place for this year, and has also "qualified new suppliers [and] built in strategic inventory positions for key platforms and cut the time to qualify new material in half to accelerate our product configuration changes."

Analysis: DDR: double data rate — and doubly expensive for HP

On the face of it, this is a rather startling hike in the percentage of the bill-of-materials (total cost of components) that RAM now consumes. It represents more than a third of that bill, in fact, although really, that won't come as much of a surprise to those who've been following the price hikes we're seeing for consumers with RAM kits, particularly DDR5 models.

Still, it's clear enough that even a company with the clout of HP — it's the second biggest PC manufacturer in the world, behind only Lenovo — is struggling, despite what must be relatively vast resources in terms of its pool of existing (already purchased) RAM inventory. (Speaking of Lenovo, that firm is already warning about RAM-driven price increases for consumer PCs in March.)

The comment from HP's interim CEO about seeking out new suppliers is particularly interesting, given that we've been hearing a lot about more affordable RAM from Chinese manufacturers of late. Is HP looking to Asian chips such as the memory modules made by CXMT to fill the gaps in its stock supply lines? We can only speculate, but that's an obvious conclusion that some folks are understandably leaping to.

The temporary chief executive also made a comment about "configuring our products and shaping demand to align the supply we have with our customer needs", which could be read as a hint about having more laptops with 8GB of RAM to rein in the price rises for more mainstream HP notebooks. That may be a necessary move, albeit an unfortunate compromise in terms of future-proofing.

It's painfully obvious that the RAM crisis means tough times for everyone right now, even the biggest driving forces in the PC manufacturing world.

The HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw (or 4202dw in the UK) is an office-oriented color laser printer capable of fast high-volume printing. It improves significantly on the HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw with faster print speeds, increased paper and toner capacity and an upgradable modular design.

This makes it well-suited to a busy workgroup of around ten people, but I’m sure its slick and relatively compact design will also appeal to home-based workers. For me, the enhanced black print quality is an attraction, while its somewhat expensive toner cartridges aren’t, so let’s see how it performs overall.

HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw: Design and build

Crisp corners, strict symmetry and refreshing blue panels ensure the HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw stands out from all the other off-white office printers. It’s compact enough to share your desk at home and its modular design can be expanded with the addition of a 550-sheet paper tray to suit a growing business.

The blue drawer at the bottom can hold up to 250 sheets of Letter or A4 paper, the standard amount, while the blue panel above reveals a 50-sheet multi-purpose tray, which is more useful than the usual single sheet. The output tray on top is also deeper than most, holding up to 150 sheets.

To access the toner cartridges, you press a button on the side of the printer to make that blue panel hinge all the way open. Another tiny flap on top of the printer hides a handy USB Host port. Always a welcome feature. All other ports are hidden on the rear panel.

Despite being a fairly costly step up from the HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw, there’s still no touchscreen, just a four-line LCD with a rotary dial beneath it. Some users might like this retro design choice, but I found it annoying. Overall, I think the design and build quality inspires confidence.

HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw: Features & specifications

HP has endowed this mid-price printer with plenty of features and a pretty high specification. It can duplex print, of course, and has dual-band Wi-Fi 5 with AirPrint and Mopria compatibility. There’s a USB Host port in addition to the usual square USB-B port and HP has even-thrown in a USB-A to USB-B data cable.

It has wide media compatibility with 33 choices appearing on the menu when you come to identify the type of paper you loaded. It can take any size sheet up to letter, legal or A4 with the heaviest paper it can handle being 200 g/m² which is actually fairly thin card. It has HP’s Wolf Pro Security software built in and an adequate 512MB memory.

The print speed is given as 33 or 35ppm (pages per minute) depending whether printing on Letter or A4 paper and that was broadly confirmed by my testing. That’s about equal to the Xerox C320, but slower than HP’s black and white printers.

The HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw can take large cartridges capable of holding enough toner for up to 7,500 black and white pages and can be expanded to hold up to 850 sheets of paper if you buy the extra paper tray. That kind of capacity should meet the needs of any SME (small to medium enterprise) and HP suggests a monthly duty cycle of up to 50,000 pages.

HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw: Setup and operation

With the set-up cartridges already pre-loaded, this printer is almost ready to print out of the box. The setup guide runs to 5 pages, but you won’t need it. Just load your paper, turn on and follow the on-screen prompts. I found that initiation took longer than usual because of the dial interface. Like a safe cracker, you need to turn it this way and that to enter every letter of your wi-fi password. Unlike some of HP’s printers, there’s no inbuilt Bluetooth to hand the setup of this printer straight to the HP Smart app on your mobile device.

The next model up in this series is the HP Color LaserJet Pro 4301dw multifunction printer, which does have a touchscreen, and I can see HP’s logic. A single-function device doesn’t have enough settings to justify the expense of a touchscreen. But that doesn’t stop most rival printers at this price having one.

The free HP Smart app for Android or iOS gives you an alternative to the dial interface, but you’ll still need to scroll through the paper types at the machine each time you switch media.

HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw: Performance

The HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw performed very well in my tests, achieving strong print quality in all categories, but most notably with text documents. Black text on plain paper looks especially dark and crisp with unusually sharp definition.

This must be down to HP’s 6-bit resolution enhancement technology (RET) which has the effect of boosting the native 600x600dpi engine to a claimed 38,400x600 in best black mode. Basically, with 64 levels of gray (6-bit), the printer is multiplying 600 dots x 64 to give you 38,400 dots.

Mixed color documents also look impressive, thanks to the vivid nature of HP’s LaserJet toner. It’s applied evenly too, so there’s less of that banding you see when shading blocks of black or solid color. Photographs also fare well here, especially when I switched to laser photo paper.

Laser photo paper is only slightly heavier and glossier than regular paper, which is one reason lasers aren’t as good as inkjets when it comes to photos. The other reason is you can always see the dots that make up the 600x600 dpi laser photo and that’s still the case here. Even so, this laser printer is better than most and certainly good enough for printing eye-catching images on brochures and handouts.

HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw: Consumables

The consumables cost for the HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw is competitive for monochrome prints, but slightly higher than average for color prints. And there’s only a limited amount of pre-loaded toner. It ships with four setup cartridges which should yield up to 1,200 black or 1,000 color pages, which is about half the toner you get in HP’s standard carts.

The extra high-yield carts, however, can deliver up to 7,500 and 2,200 black and color pages respectively and it’s these expensive carts that give the lowest cost per page (CPP). With the black cartridges having a much higher yield than color, but small difference in price, you have monochrome pages with a pretty good CCP of around two and half cents and color pages costing more than 15 cents.

HP uses software to block any cartridge without a genuine HP chip, so I wouldn’t recommend buying cheaper third-party toner. Given the high quality of its monochrome output in particular, the answer is to buy this printer if you print predominantly in black and white.

HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw: Maintenance

Like other low-maintenance laser printers, the HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw combines the optical drum with the toner cartridge, so drum replacement is not a consideration. On the downside, it explains why the cost of its cartridges is relatively high.

HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw: Final verdict

There’s a lot to like about the HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw. Its slick and compact design, the rapid duplex print rate and the enhanced black print quality for a start. Having two paper inputs is very convenient, while the option to add a third is sensible future-proofing for a growing business.

I’m not so keen on the rotary dial interface — I would have preferred a touchscreen — and it’s a pity it can’t handle paper heavier than 200 g/m². A bigger concern is the relatively high cost of HP’s color cartridges, but that still doesn’t put me off.

The high quality of its black and white output and the more competitive price of its black toner make this an ideal printer for anyone who needs to print a high volume of predominantly monochrome pages.

For more top-rated options, check out my guides to the best home printers and the best laser printers I've tested.

• Enrique CEO steps down as HP CEO, immediately moves over to become PayPal CEO
• Alex Chriss leaves PayPal after two and a half years as leader
• HP is now looking for a new CEO

HP CEO Enrique Lores has stepped down from his position at the company, and will be moving over to PayPal with effect from March 1, 2026.

Lores will take over at PayPal from Alex Chriss, who has been in the role for a little over two and a half years.

Although the move may come as a shock, Lores already had ties with the fintech company, serving as a PayPal board member for nearly five years.

Enrique Lores moves from HP to PayPal

In a statement, the board explained that the leadership change followed concerns that PayPal's "pace of change and execution was not in line with [its] expectations."

Lores has already been responsible for leading major changes over at HP, where he turned the company toward the direction of services and subscriptions.

"It has been an honor to lead HP through its evolution into an AI-driven technology company that is redefining workplace solutions and connecting with customers globally," Lores said in an HP statement.

"The payments industry is changing faster than ever, driven by new technologies, evolving regulations, an increasingly competitive landscape, and the rapid acceleration of AI that is reshaping commerce daily," he explained speaking for PayPal, promising to "accelerate the delivery of new innovations."

On the HP side of things, board member Bruce Broussard has been appointed Interim CEO with immediate effect as the company seeks a new leader.

"Now is the right time to make a transition to a seasoned leader who can take the company through its next phase of transformation," former PayPal CEO Chriss added. It's unclear where Chriss is headed after this role.

With PayPal already recently making some product changes, including relaunching in the UK with new services, we can expect big things moving forward.

HP Pavilion x360 14: Two-minute review

The HP Pavilion x360 14 is a compact 2-in-1 laptop that aims to offer both performance and versatility in a single package.

True to most of HP’s lineup, the Pavilion x360 14 has a smart and understated appearance. The light grey colorway and sleek contours imbue it with elegance, while its 14-inch size helps with portability.

However, this latter aspect is undermined somewhat by its relatively thick and heavy construction, so it’s not the best laptop for frequent travelers who want a device with as minimal a footprint as possible.

The upshot of this weight, though, is that it adds some reassuring solidity. Both the base and the display enclosure of the Pavilion x360 14 have very little give, while the materials used all over the unit feel premium. The hinge for the lid is also sturdy, if a little clunky in action when you're pushing the screen beyond 90 degrees, as I often do whenever I use a 2-in-1 laptop.

Despite its small size, there are a good number of ports on the Pavilion x360 14. Along with two USB-A and one USB-C port, there’s also an HDMI port, a microSD slot, and a combo audio jack, all of which I welcome. What’s more, they’re conveniently located.

The general performance of the Pavilion x360 14 is pretty good. It can handle light productivity and stream 4K content with ease. However, it can suffer from micro-stutters when moving quickly from task to task. Also, gaming performance is average-to-poor, owing to the absence of a dedicated GPU. Of course, this isn't a gaming laptop, so you shouldn't really expect impressive game performance.

I noticed that even under moderate loads, a fair amount of heat radiates from the left side of the Pavilion x360 14, as well as the top keyboard rows. Thankfully, temperatures aren’t alarmingly high. The fans generate some noise, but remain pleasingly quiet relative to many other laptops under stress.

The display is pleasingly sharp and vibrant, and although reflections are prominent at times, I usually found the maximum brightness setting could mitigate their presence to an acceptable degree.

Despite the small size of the Pavilion x360 14, its keyboard has a pleasingly spacious layout, which, combined with the snappiness of the keys themselves, makes it satisfying to type on. However, there was no backlighting in my particular review unit – a grave omission given how hard it was to make out the lettering most of the time.

The touchpad is usable, if a little small, and has a smooth surface. It’s also quite solid, although I did notice a slight rattle when tapping and clicking, which can hamper feel and feedback.

The touchscreen on the Pavilion x360 14 is responsive and accurate, however, those keen on illustration might be disappointed with the small – but still noticeable – levels of friction, which can lead to slightly rough swipes, whether a stylus or a finger is used.

The battery life of the Pavilion x360 14 is quite good. It lasted over 11 hours when I ran our movie playback test, which is similar to some of its more expensive rivals. However, it pales in comparison to the highest performing laptops on this front, which can endure twice as long in some cases.

All things considered, though, the Pavilion x360 14 is a strong option in the 2-in-1 sector, thanks to its decent everyday performance and impressive design. It’s a shame that it’s not as portable as other convertible models, and there may be better value alternatives depending on what you require from a laptop, but at the very least the Pavilion x360 14 deserves a place on your shortlist.

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Price & Availability

• Starts from £699 (about $920 / AU$1,400)
• Available now
• Expensive compared to some rivals

The HP Pavilion x360 14 is available now and starts from £699 (about $920 / AU$1,400). For that, you get an Intel Core i3, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. However, we have seen it on sale for half this price from HP’s own website, which obviously makes it much better value.

The unit I review here is the top-spec model and costs around £1,000. It features an Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage (although you can upgrade to a 1TB drive instead). Again, we’ve seen a hefty discount on this variant, but its usual price is quite dear.

If you don't need a truly convertible laptop, but still want a touchscreen, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is a fine alternative. It’s decidedly more expensive, but it’s a truly premium machine, featuring an OLED display and a pleasingly portable design.

However, if your heart is set on a 2-in-1 but you want a more budget-friendly option, the Acer Chromebook Spin 312 is worth considering. Thanks to its compact form factor, great display, and usable touchscreen, it’s one of the best Chromebooks currently around.

• Value: 3.5 / 5

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Specs

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Design

• Heavier and bulkier than expected
• Solid construction
• Impressive port selection

The Pavilion x360 14 looks smart, with its pristine light gray finish, rounded edges, and flat surfaces. All these aspects reflect HP’s desire to emulate the best MacBook designs.

Despite initial impressions, though, the Pavilion x360 14 is actually less slender and light than you might expect. Not only does this heft hamper portability, it’s doubly disappointing to see in a convertible laptop, since you’ll likely be picking it up and flipping it upside down frequently to use the touchscreen. The best 2-in-1 laptop options are all lighter than this.

On the plus side, the weight does contribute to the overall sturdiness of the HP Pavilion x360 14, as there’s virtually no flex to any of its panels. The materials employed seem quite premium as well, more akin to metal than plastic.

Also, the lid hinge is stable enough to prevent the display from wobbling under most circumstances. It operates smoothly, too, although I found it took a bit more effort to adjust the display angle compared to other laptops I’ve used.

More irksome, however, was the fact that once it’s reclined beyond 90 degrees, the rear of the base lifts clean off the underlying surface. This is a design choice some other laptops employ, but it’s not one I’m fond of. It always felt awkward adjusting the display to this point, and results in less stability when using the keyboard.

Speaking of which, my review unit had no backlighting for the keyboard. I always lament this omission in any laptop, but it’s especially disappointing in the case of the Pavilion x360 14. The characters are dark and contrast marginally with the finish of the keys themselves, making them hard to see in many instances; at certain angles, they were totally invisible.

Even though the Pavilion x360 14 is a small laptop, it has an admirable selection of interfaces. There are two USB-A ports and one USB-C, the latter of which supports both Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4 standards.

Additionally, there’s an HDMI port, a combo audio jack, and a microSD card reader. It’s a small shame the latter isn’t fit for standard SD cards, but I can forgive this omission given the form factor of the Pavilion x360 14.

The ports are spread quite evenly across both sides, which improves convenience. They’re also ordered in a logical way: for instance, the power connector is furthest away from the user, while the microSD reader and combo audio jack are closest.

• Design: 4 / 5

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Performance

• Reasonable everyday performance
• Heat and noise even under moderate loads
• Responsive but uninspiring touchscreen

The general performance of the Pavilion x360 14 is reasonable, if not spectacular. It can handle light productivity and entertainment tasks well, even streaming 4K content without disruption.

However, despite my review unit having an Intel Core i7 installed, it wasn’t as swift as I was expecting. When switching between browser tabs or loading new web pages, it frequently stuttered. These stutters were momentary, so were minor infractions in the main, but they added up to become more disruptive when I tried to accomplish multiple (but not especially demanding) tasks in quick succession.

Being the top spec model, my review unit also had Intel Iris Xe Graphics. In theory, this offers improved performance over Intel UHD Graphics, but it’s still integrated to the CPU. This means that the Pavilion x360 14 is only capable of very light gaming. I managed to run Cyberpunk 2077 on Medium graphics, but it wasn’t a smooth experience, in terms of frame rate and visual fidelity.

A noticeable amount of heat emanated from the left vent of the Pavilion x360 14, as well as from the top keyboard rows and the section above. This was the case even when I conducted moderate workloads. Thankfully, the temperatures were never uncomfortable or concerning. Fan noise accompanied such moments, but it was pleasingly quiet relative to some other laptops under load.

The 1080p resolution of the Pavilion x360 14 provides plenty of sharpness, which is doubtless helped by the compact 14-inch display. Colors also appear vibrant. It can be quite reflective at times, but thankfully there’s enough brightness to keep them from being distracting.

The touchscreen functions well, responding to inputs made by either a finger or a stylus quickly and accurately. However, the surface isn’t the smoothest, so more intricate usage, such as drawing or handwriting, can result in a dragging sensation. The effect isn’t as egregious as it is on some other touchscreens, but if you’re after one of the best touchscreen laptops, the Pavilion x360 14 might not cut it.

If you’ll mainly be typing, though, you’ll be pleased with the keyboard on the HP Pavilion x360 14. The keys are comfortably spaced despite the compact layout, and there’s a surprising amount of travel to presses, which makes them satisfying to use. They’re still snappy enough to type quickly, though.

The touchpad is less impressive. It operates well enough, but the small size and numb-feeling taps and clicks – in part due to the slight rattle I noticed – result in a less tactile experience.

• Performance: 4 / 5

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Battery Life

• Respectable by 2-in-1 standards
• Some longer-lasting rivals
• Quick to recharge

The Pavilion x360 14 has a decent battery life. It lasted about 11 hours in our movie playback test, which is close to the same score achieved by the Acer Chromebook Spin 312.

However, it can’t beat the Microsoft Surface Pro 11, another fantastic 2-in-1 laptop, which managed over 14 and a half hours. Also, more conventional laptops can last longer, sometimes up to 20 hours or more. The Pavilion x360 14 is quick to charge, though. It took about two hours to fully replenish.

• Battery Life: 4 / 5

Should I buy the HP Pavilion x360 14?

Buy the HP Pavilion x360 14 if...

Don't buy it if...

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Also Consider

How I tested the HP Pavilion x360 14

• Tested for a few days
• Used for a variety of tasks
• Laptop testing experience

I tested the HP Pavilion x360 14 for a few days, during which time I used it for multiple tasks, including productivity, streaming, and gaming.

I also ran our series of benchmark tests for laptops, which are designed to assess every facet of performance. I also tested the battery life by running a movie on a continuous loop.

I have plenty of experience both using and reviewing laptops. I have covered many models, ranging in their form factors, use cases, and price points.

• First reviewed: January 2026
• Read more about how we test

My colleagues in the USA are busy covering CES, but HP didn’t want Australia to miss out – so the company shipped me a pre-release version of the new business-focused EliteBook X G2i running the newly released Intel Core Ultra X7 358H CPU.

Sadly, one of the conditions is that I can’t regale you with benchmarks (for now), but I can give you a sneak peek at a very impressive laptop.

While HP announced multiple EliteBook X G2i variants, the one I have is special – it’s the lightweight model that weighs under 1kg. Technically, it actually measured xxxxxx (redacted) grams on my scales, but that’s close enough in my book.

The EliteBook X G2i is impressively light in hand, and despite feeling almost hollow, it’s very sturdy, and has little flex in the 14-inch shell.

The full spec is below, but I got hands-on with the Intel Core Ultra X7 358H equipped variant, with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. HP also announced the EliteBook X G2a with the latest CPUs from AMD, as well as the EliteBook X G2q that will use processors from Qualcomm.

HP also announced a 2-in-1 EliteBook X Flip that shares many of the same specs, but has a fold back screen. You can read more about the EliteBook X G2 Series directly from HP.

There are various display options, but I have the 14-inch 3K OLED (2880 x 1800), with a 120Hz (VRR) refresh rate, a 500 nit brightness and DCI-P3 100% color. In the non-lightweight model (only 100 grams more), you can get the same panel with (or without) a touchscreen, or a range of 1920 x 1200 OLED or IPS screens.

My favorite feature here is that the screen folds back through 180 degrees, which makes it easy to sit the laptop securely in a stand next to a monitor, and minimise the amount of desk space taken up. In use, the OLED is vibrant and bright, and the higher 3K resolution makes it easy to get the most out of the compact 14-inch screen.

USB-C connectivity is great, with dual Thunderbolt 4 on the left, and a 10Gbps port (that also supports charging and DisplayPort 2.1) on the right. You also get USB-A on the right, a Kensington lock port, and HDMI 2.1 and a 3.5mm headset jack on the left.

That’s pretty good for such a compact lightweight laptop, and my only tiny complaint is that I wish there was a little more space between the two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, to make it easier to plug in both a dock cable and a fast USB drive.

The laptop will run up to four monitors, or three if you want to stick with USB-C only. You also get Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE211 (2x2) and Bluetooth 6, plus a facial recognition webcam (with privacy shutter) – though a fingerprint sensor is an optional extra.

HP EliteBook X G2i: Price & availability

HP has not given any pricing or an exact date for when the EliteBook X G2i and X Flip G2i will be available, but you can expect them in February 2026.

The wider EliteBook X G2 family, including the EliteBook X G2a and EliteBook X G2q, is not expected until later in the year.

HP EliteBook X G2i: Specs

There are quite a few variants of the HP EliteBook X G2i, but the specs below are for the lightweight clamshell variant.

HP EliteBook X G2i: Design and build

The lightweight EliteBook X G2i feels very premium the moment you pick it up and while impressively light, it doesn’t feel flimsy, and the whole 14-inch shell is quite rigid. Even the hinge is nicely tuned and opens fairly effortlessly one-handed, but still holds its position once you’ve set the screen angle.

There’s also very little flex in the lid or keyboard deck, and it generally feels like a laptop that will handle being used on the go, day in and day out.

The laptop's look is understated in the way I personally love: the branding is subtle, it’s very professional looking, and the rounded edges make it nice to handle. The lightweight model only comes in “Atmospheric Blue”, but it suits the design.

It does pick up fingerprints easily, though the finish also wipes clean quite easily, so it’s quick to make it look a bit neater before an important meeting.

The trackpad is large, accurate in use and has a good solid haptic click. The keyboard matches the premium feel, and there’s very little bounce. The keys have reasonably deep travel and it’s comfortable for long typing sessions, even with larger hands. I didn’t see any annoying low-angle backlight glow bleeding out under the keys.

It’s also great to see HP putting real effort into materials, and the clamshell covers use up to 90% recycled magnesium, plus there’s recycled content used across parts like the bezel, speaker enclosure, keycaps and more.

HP EliteBook X G2i: Performance

Again, I can’t give any specific benchmarks at this stage, but I have run the EliteBook X G2i through the full range of TechRadar tests. While there were a few inconsistent results and teething issues (which are normal for a pre-product sample and a new CPU), overall performance is excellent.

You can read more about some of the expected numbers directly from Intel, but suffice to say, the new Core Ultra Series 3 CPUs are very impressive, and thanks to a very powerful iGPU, make Intel powered laptops more competitive against the best from AMD and Qualcomm.

The Core Ultra X7 358H in the EliteBook X G2i isn’t hugely faster than last gen CPUs like the last gen Core Ultra 7 265H in single core tasks, but multicore performance is significantly better. But it’s the Intel Arc B930 that is most impressive, and it runs rings around last gen iGPUs like the Intel Arc 140V and even Radeon 890M.

In fact, it’s good enough to compete directly with low end dedicated GPUs in creator laptops (with more limited power profiles), and will happily handle casual gaming.

Based on Intel’s numbers, the Core Ultra X7 358H happily bests the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and is much closer to the higher wattage AMD Ryzen AI Max Pro 390 – though the Arc B390 iGPU still falls short of the Radeon 8050S.

In normal everyday use, the EliteBook X G2i is cool and quiet, but when pushed, it is noticeably noisy. That’s to be expected in such a thin and lightweight laptop, and in fact HP has done a great job of getting impressive sustained performance from the CPU, and the sound level is a perfectly acceptable tradeoff.

The lightweight variant of the laptop I have uses a 56Wh battery, while the normal G2i can also be equipped with a bigger 68Wh battery. While I can't share exact runtimes, battery life is very impressive, and it’s on par with (or better than) the best results from similar spec laptops using older Intel CPUs, or the best from AMD and Qualcomm. While battery life drops under sustained heavier workloads, the EliteBook X G2i is more than capable of lasting through an entire day of work.

AI performance is not a major drawcard for most people yet, but the Ultra X7 358H has a 50 TOPS NPU that will help with many workloads, and be increasingly useful as time goes on.

The EliteBook X G2i comes with a compact 65W USB-C charger, and tops up quite quickly, but we found it a little finicky and it didn’t always charge at the full rate from some 65W (or higher) chargers and power banks. Considering it uses USB PD spec for charging, these are likely just early quibbles with the laptop being more conservative about it making sure it is connected to a suitable performance charger.

HP EliteBook X G2i: Final thoughts

While we'll reserve final judgment until we get hands-on with a production version of the laptop, based on my time with the G2i, it's absolutely one worth putting on your shortlist for a 2026 upgrade.

You’d be forgiven for not knowing the name HP Associates, but it now ranks among one of the biggest companies in the world.

This was the semiconductor product division of Hewlett Packard - founded in 1961, it marked the beginning of a long, winding road which eventually culminated in the creation of Broadcom, a modern-day tech behemoth, becoming just one of a select few firms to surpass a $1 trillion dollar market cap in late 2024.

But Broadcom is more than just a chipmaker; since its controversial acquisition of VMware, the company has made notable in-roads into the cloud infrastructure and software industries - so here’s everything you need to know about Broadcom.

Broadcom has gone by many names

From its humble beginnings at Hewlett Packard in 1961, the company remained less of a company and more a business segment at the Silicon Valley giant - at least until 1999, when it split as part of the Agilent Technologies spin-off.

Before long, it was going by another name - Avago Technologies, a change which came after KKR and Silver Lake Partners acquired the semiconductor product division of Agilent in 2005 in a deal worth $2.6 billion.

This proved to be a successful period in the company’s history. In August 2009 the company went public on the NASDAQ, which was then followed by a period of aggressive acquisitions and expansion.

Deals for CyOptics , Amantus, and LSI Corporation all saw the company expand its reach and branch out into new, lucrative markets. The latter of those in particular positioned it to mount a charge in the data center industry.

Several years - and several more acquisitions - culminated in the acquisition of Broadcom Corporation. Now I know what you’re thinking - there was already a Broadcom?

Broadcom Corporation, founded in 1991, was a fabless semiconductor company based in California. Given the trajectory of Avago, the acquisition here made sense, and in this instance they chose to simply merge the companies under the Broadcom name.

The deal, valued at $37 billion, is arguably among the most impactful acquisitions in tech history, instantly creating an industry behemoth with revenue streams of up to $15 billion and a total market value of $77 billion.

Broadcom Corp’s long-standing reputation in key sectors such as data centers and mobile meant the deal was a match made in heaven following Avago’s aggressive acquisitions drive in recent years.

Broadcom goes from strength to strength

Broadcom has gone from strength to strength since the 2016 merger, and is firmly among the top chipmakers globally. The tech giant has courted controversy in recent years, however, particularly in the wake of its acquisition of VMware.

After acquiring the company, Broadcom has embarked on a sweeping overhaul of practices, most notably scrapping perpetual licenses which sparked a furious backlash among customers.

Changes to its channel partner programs have also raised concerns and sparked something of a blossoming industry among competitors hoping to lure away customers furious over price hikes and scrapped solutions lines.

Despite this customer backlash, the acquisition appears to be paying dividends for Broadcom thus far. Combined with its AI strategy, the company has reported strong financial results in recent months.

Financial results for its third quarter of fiscal year 2025, published in September, showed it reported a 22% jump in revenue compared to the same period in FY2024. A key factor behind this, the company noted, lay in VMware and demand for custom AI accelerators.

HP has a longstanding history of making powerful portable workstations packed with superb performance, solid battery life, and robust port offerings.

The ZBook X G1i is not only a continuation of that tradition, but it's also touted as the most mobile ZBook ever, still with high performance and a great battery.

It's a bold claim, and HP has successfully pulled it off. As an all-rounder, it's one of the best mobile workstations I've tested, performing very well in my tests and well-suited to business professionals, creators, and power-users.

HP ZBook X G1i: Unboxing and First Impressions

Given how powerful this machine is, I'm still shocked by how lightweight it is. Granted, it is a 16-inch unit, so it's not something you'd want to toss into a daypack or a shoulder sling, but it's still pretty portable for a workstation. As I always do, I left the charger in the box and will use my UGREEN or Anker power bricks, or one of the several docking stations I have set up across my different workspaces.

The next thing I do is log in to my Windows account and allow my sync to run, along with logging in to my proper accounts. I like using Windows Hello with both fingerprint and face recognition for easier, more secure sign-in. Once I got that taken care of, I made the proper updates and minimized my desktop to fewer apps, creating a clean workspace.

The HP ZBook X G1i is a very sleek and professional-looking laptop. It fits right into the business-tier design language, without being boring. It's got an elegant silver finish, it's easy to toss in a backpack, and it's got enough ports to power you through your day. This laptop is portable yet packs a full-size HDMI port, an RJ45 Ethernet port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB-C port, a headphone jack, a USB-A port, and an optional Nano SIM Card and/or a Smart Card Reader.

All of that in a portable workstation is wild. To add to the insanity, there is a full-size numpad as well. While this isn't unbelievable to see on 16-inch laptops, it's definitely not so standard that it's not worth mentioning. For those who spend all day entering numbers, a number pad can absolutely cut down on that time and make it faster and easier.

Speaking of the keyboard, the standard QWERTY side is comfortable to type on; it has good key travel and resistance without feeling like I am working too hard. It's a keyboard you can type on all day without discomfort or the urge to swap it out, unless you are a keyboard fanatic or mechanical keyboard lover.

HP ZBook X G1i: Design & Build Quality

The overall design of the ZBook X G1i is clean. It's business professional. It fits the look you're going for as a business pro with a laptop that can hold its own. You're not looking for something that flashes RGB, but you also need a machine powerful enough to handle your hefty workload. I get it.

The HP ZBook X G1i gets it too. With powerful components under the hood, this laptop still looks unassuming enough that you can take it into a conference room or a coffee shop without looking like a gamer while getting serious work done.

Another big thing that I look at for workstation laptops is port selection. A computer can be wildly powerful, but if you always need to plug into a dongle, that's worth noting, especially for a computer that claims to be a workstation. A workstation is not just another term for a laptop, but a tier, or class of laptop in its own right.

The workstation passes that test with flying colors. Offering not only a good number of ports but also a good spread and distribution, helping enhance working with them rather than just slapping ports wherever they fit.

HP ZBook X G1i: In use

For day-to-day work on this machine, I have found zero problems or qualms. It's excellent at basic productivity tasks, administrative tasks, and pulling up information in DBeaver or other database tools. It's fantastic with VSCode or other coding applications.

I haven't had any issues with 3D printing software or with elementary video and photo editing. It may not be the very best video editing laptop for creative professionals, but I would rank it as one of the best laptops for photo editing and general content creation.

I used this computer as my primary machine for a full day of work, and then used it on and off for a few weeks as my secondary. In that time, I barely felt the ZBook X G1i even take a deep breath. It's an excellent machine for AI work, front-end and back-end development, and even full-stack development and coding.

It's great for project managers who need to QA software features and pull everything up for testing before pushing to production, and it's also great for 3D modeling, CAD, and related work. All while being in a portable 16-inch laptop shell with one of the most beautifully sleek logos on the market.

The HP ZBook X G1i is an excellent choice for this kind of work. Plus, to add a little extra to a great package, HP offers a 5G antenna along with Wi-Fi 7. Meaning that you can get the best connection available while it's around and you're in buildings that have Wi-Fi.

When you are out and about or don't want to trust the sketchy Wi-Fi at an airport, you can hop on a Cellular 5G connection rather than having to pop out a travel router or jump on a VPN to keep your information secure. Or perhaps you're someone who isn't worried about sketchy Wi-Fi, but rather about the lack of a connection while working remotely. That's where the 5G option comes into its own, letting you hop on whenever you need to, even if that's poolside, between laps, or at a resort.

HP ZBook X G1i: Final verdict

The HP ZBook X G1i continues a great legacy of ZBook machines from HP. It's a powerful mix between a portable powerhouse and a lean mean computing machine, all while retaining that professional style.

It's ideal for, quite honestly, people like me. Project managers, side hustlers, system architects, hybrid professionals, the kind of people who have their hands in everything and anything at all times.

It's not the machine I'd choose to run my powerful app servers on, but if you need a machine that has workstation power in a form factor you're not dreading to take with you, then the HP ZBook X G1i is an option worth considering.

For more productivity machines, we've tested the best business laptops.

• HP’s GPIB standard receives Linux support 53 years after its original release
• Legacy lab instruments can now integrate seamlessly with modern Linux distros
• The interface maintains the original 8MB/s bandwidth across multiple connected devices

A bus standard introduced by HP in 1972 has finally gained stable Linux driver support, more than fifty years after its initial release.

HP created the interface to link laboratory instruments with computers, and it later became known as IEEE 488 after standardization in 1975.

The design allowed multiple devices to share a single bus of up to twenty meters while offering data transfer speeds of up to 8MB/s, which was impressive for its time.

Historical Context of GPIB

When developers introduced the bus, computing was still in its early stages. Intel had just released the 8008 processor, and the personal computer industry had yet to emerge.

Popular interfaces in use today, such as USB and PCIe, were still decades away.

GPIB provided a parallel, short-range, multi-master communication system and quickly found use in oscilloscopes, multimeters, and other laboratory instruments.

The standard later reached home computing, including Commodore 64 and Acorn systems, where it connected peripheral devices reliably.

The bus has now moved from staging to stable support in the Linux 6.19 kernel.

Earlier inclusion in the mainline kernel allowed testing, but the driver is now officially recognized and fully functional.

Greg Kroah-Hartman, an influential Linux kernel developer and a Fellow at the Linux Foundation, confirmed the update in the Linux 6.19-rc1 pull request.

“Here is the big set of staging driver updates for 6.19-rc1,” wrote Kroah-Hartman.

“Only thing ‘major’ in here is that two subsystems, gpib and vc04 have moved out of the staging tree into the ‘real’ portion of the kernel, which is great to see.”

The interface retains its original 8MB/s bandwidth, which remains sufficient for most measurement instruments today.

Its stackable connector design and support for multiple devices continue to deliver reliable operation after decades of use.

The standard’s adoption across both home computers and laboratory equipment reflects its flexibility and long-term durability.

Stable Linux support now allows older instruments to integrate into modern workflows.

Researchers and engineers can connect vintage hardware with current productivity tools without relying on external adapters.

The update shows how long-established technologies can continue to provide practical value when modern software support brings them forward.

Via Tom's Hardware

HP Instant Ink subscribers have discovered that the company’s current promotion can be applied to existing accounts, offering up to six months of free printing for those who redeem the code.

The offer, which uses the promo code CYBER, can be entered from the account dashboard and appears to add varying amounts of free Instant Ink time depending on the customer’s plan and eligibility.

Some users report receiving three months, while others say the full six months is possible.

You'll need to act fast

The redemption process is very straightforward. After logging in, customers just need to navigate to their plan overview page. A small “Redeem promo or PIN code” link is to be found halfway down the page on the right.

Entering the CYBER code adds the free months immediately - provided the account qualifies.

The company hasn’t made the offer particularly prominent, and many subscribers say they were unaware it could be used on existing accounts rather than only new sign-ups.

HP Instant Ink remains one of the firm’s more tightly controlled subscription services. The program requires a printer with a direct internet connection, and usage, billing and cartridge deliveries rely on that connection being active.

The service automatically sends replacement cartridges based on a customer’s current plan, page usage and other account details, with the goal of avoiding empty cartridges during printing.

The terms for the promotion are part of HP’s general Instant Ink rules, which cover everything from recycling requirements to plan changes. The company says users can switch tiers or cancel at any time, but downgrades only take effect at the end of the billing cycle.

Unused pages can roll over, but only up to three times the allowance of the selected plan.

For subscribers already paying monthly fees, this promotion provides a rare opportunity for them to get a lot of extra ink for free. Many who’ve activated it say the added months appeared instantly, with no further action needed.

Black Friday is upon us, and some big, fat deals are cropping up. There's no better time of year to pick up a new laptop. I've had my eagle eye on several strong Black Friday laptop deals – and I've just spotted another that's almost ridiculously good.

The HP Omnibook X Flip is currently on sale for just $429.99 (was $849.99) at Best Buy. That's an incredible price cut of almost 50% that I'd recommend to just about anyone searching for a new laptop. With a shiny new AMD Ryzen AI processor and a gorgeous 16-inch 2K touchscreen, this is the sort of laptop that could make you the envy of the office.

Shoppers in the UK can pick up the 14-inch model with an Intel Core Ultra 5 chip for an equally steep discount that's actually better than half price: just £499 (was £1,030) direct from the HP Store. You'll need to use the discount code BLACK100 to knock the price down to that figure from the listed £599 sale price, though.

Not in the US or UK? Scroll down to see the best HP Omnibook X Flip deals in your region!

Today's best HP Omnibook X Flip deal in the US

Today's best HP Omnibook X Flip deal in the UK

As the name suggests, the Omnibook can effortlessly 'flip' into tent or tablet mode thanks to the touch display and 360-degree hinge. The 16-inch model is ideal for anyone who likes to work on the go but doesn't want to sacrifice precious screen real estate by opting for a smaller laptop.

Considering the specs on offer here, I'm inclined to say that $430/£499 is a genuinely incredible price for this laptop. I'm fairly experienced with HP devices (my daily driver is a trusty old HP Spectre x360 from 2019, still going strong!), and historically my main criticism of them has been the price. Indeed, I'd say that $850 was a bit steep for the original asking price of the Omnibook X Flip, but a $420 price drop makes it significantly more appealing.

Plus, you're not just getting a capable Windows laptop here; the models I've featured above pack the latest AMD Ryzen AI and Intel Core Ultra chips (for the US and UK models respectively), both of which come with a dedicated 'neural processing unit' (NPU) for handling local AI workloads – a boon for anyone who wants to take full advantage of the Copilot+ suite in Windows 11. With 16GB of RAM to back it up, the Omnibook X Flip is also just a generally dependable laptop that should be able to handle all sorts of everyday office or school work with ease.

Shop more of today's best Black Friday sales in the US

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $119
• Best Buy: $1,000 off TVs, laptops & headphones
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lenovo: 45% off laptops & tablets
• Lowe's: up to 30% off appliances, holiday decor & tools
• Samsung: up to $2,000 off appliances, TVs & phones
• Target: 40% off Christmas decor, clothing & furniture
• T-Mobile: up to $1,100 off latest iPhone 17
• Walmart: furniture, cheap TVs & vacs from $69
• Wayfair: 54% off Christmas, furniture & decor

Shop more of today's best Black Friday deals in the UK

• Amazon: up to 66% off tech & essentials
• AO: up to £500 off Dyson, Bosch & Hisense
• Argos: up to 50% off appliances, tech & toys
• Boots: save on 1,000s of beauty products
• Currys: deals on Ninja, Shark & Lenovo
• Dell: laptops from £279
• Dyson: up to £550 off vacuums
• EE: Switch 2 bundles from £20/month
• John Lewis: up to 50% off tech & fashion
• Lego: sets & accessories from £2.99
• Samsung: deals on appliances & phones
• Very: up to 40% off tech, toys & fashion

I'm pleasantly surprised the Black Friday deals this year. Sure, there were a few hidden gems last time around, but I've seen a veritable flood of great laptop deals this year. Case in point, the surprisingly powerful HP Chromebook Plus 15 fell to its lowest-ever price of $359.99 (was $659.99) at HP.

• Shop HP's full Black Friday sale

This Chromebook is a bit of an anomaly. It's not too weak for comfortable everyday use, doesn't have a lackluster screen, offers solid overall build quality, and has a satisfying keyboard and trackpad combo. All without pushing the price tag into the realm where I'd recommend an alternative Windows or Mac machine. Especially when you tack on this huge $300 discount for Black Friday.

And more good news: It's on sale in the UK, too. Get the HP Chromebook Plus 15 for £248 (was £449.99) at HP UK.

Today's best HP Chromebook Plus 15 Black Friday deal

I'm normally not a huge Chromebook fan. When it comes down to it, I usually suggest something a little more powerful like a MacBook Air or Dell 14 Premium. But from our hands-on testing, it's clear the HP Chromebook Plus 15 is in a league of its own.

Everything I usually knock a Chromebook for – like a miniscule 4GB of RAM, tiny 64GB storage, and screen that makes you consider a portable monitor – doesn't apply here.

The Chromebook Plus 15 offers enough RAM and storage, combined with a respectable Intel core i3 processor, to ease my usual Chromebook performance woes.

And its surprising performance isn't the only reason we named it our top pick of the best Chromebooks in 2025. It also features a vibrant FHD display, which is not something you're usually going to get from a Chromebook. On top of that, you get a sleek design complete with HP build quality. Chromebooks usually feel cheap to me; this one doesn't.

If you need an everyday laptop at a reasonable price, the HP Chromebook Plus 15 at the lowest price I've ever seen it at is definitely the way to go. Thank you, Black Friday.

More Black Friday Chromebook deals

Shop more of today's best Black Friday sales in the US

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $119
• Best Buy: $1,000 off TVs, laptops & headphones
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lenovo: 45% off laptops & tablets
• Lowe's: up to 30% off appliances, holiday decor & tools
• Samsung: up to $2,000 off appliances, TVs & phones
• Target: 40% off Christmas decor, clothing & furniture
• T-Mobile: up to $1,100 off latest iPhone 17
• Walmart: furniture, cheap TVs & vacs from $69
• Wayfair: 54% off Christmas, furniture & decor

Shop more of today's best Black Friday sales in the UK

• Amazon: up to 66% off tech & essentials
• AO: up to £500 off Dyson, Bosch & Hisense
• Argos: up to 50% off appliances, tech & toys
• Boots: save on 1,000s of beauty products
• Currys: deals on Ninja, Shark & Lenovo
• Dell: laptops from £279
• Dyson: up to £550 off vacuums
• EE: Switch 2 bundles from £20/month
• John Lewis: up to 50% off tech & fashion
• Lego: sets & accessories from £2.99
• Samsung: deals on appliances & phones
• Very: up to 40% off tech, toys & fashion

• 4,000 to 6,000 jobs will be cut under HP’s latest cost-cutting move
• HP hopes AI will plug the gaps – AI PCs have already proven themselves
• Full-year revenue grew just 3.2%, shares are still down compared with last year

HP has announced it will cut 4,000-6,000 jobs as part of an ongoing cost-cutting initiative, largely driven by AI productivity gains.

Company CEO Enrique Lores confirmed the workforce reduction as part of the company’s recent Q4 earnings, acknowledging the firm’s ‘future-ready’ program that it launched in 2022, as part of HP’s ‘fiscal 2026 plan’.

Despite already realizing more than $1.4 billion in savings from the scheme, Lores said further reductions would be needed against the backdrop of a 3.2% full-year rise in revenue and a slightly better 4.2% rise in quarterly revenue.

HP continues to cut staff

HP has already sent 2,000 workers packing in 2025 (per layoffs.fyi), with these latest plans to reduce global headcount even further set to play out between now and 2028.

“The company estimates that it will incur approximately $650 million in labor and non-labor costs related to restructuring and other charges, with approximately $250 million in fiscal 2026,” HP confirmed.

Product development, customer service and operational processes will be among the roles most likely to be affected, with AI stepping in to fill gaps left by departed workers.

HP also noted AI PC use within the company has boosted team productivity by 16%, and confirmed it would be, “investing in AI-enabled initiatives to accelerate product innovation, improve customer satisfaction, and boost productivity.”

More broadly, HP is also worried about the rising cost of memory, which now accounts for 15-18% of a typical PC’s cost.

A decline in printing, particularly among consumers, has also led to poor performance. Printing net revenue was down 4% year-over-year.

Company shares are largely unaffected by the announcement, but last month’s fluctuations continue. Shares are down 20% over the past 12 months, but after hitting rock bottom over the summer, the past six months have seen some resurgence.

As senior printer editor, I've reviewed over 200 of the best home printers and best small business printers - and for the Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday, I've hand-picked my favorite inkjet, laser, and ink tank models all on sale right now.

After scanning all the best Cyber Monday printer deals, I've identified 11 units that performed best in my tests and offer real value for money. That value for money aspect is very important to me. In all my tests, I always look not just at the initial price, but the long-term running costs on cartridges, toners, and ink bottles. Sometimes, the cheapest possible printer in the sales isn't always the cheapest to run.

My favorite printer deal this Cyber Monday is the on the Epson EcoTank ET-4800, now $200 at Amazon (was $300). In the UK, the ET-4800 is down to £218 at Amazon too (was £320). When I used this refillable printer, I found it pretty fast, with excellent print quality across documents and photos.

Check out my full range below, with options for the office, home, printing high-resolution photos, and the top budget printers on sale for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. For more savings, the team is also tracking the latest Cyber Monday home office deals across office furniture and tech.

My top printer deal for Cyber Monday

Top printer deals on a budget

Top printer deals for the office

Top printer deals for home

Top printer deals for photographers

• Shop all printer deals at Amazon.com
• Save on printers at Best Buy
• Save on printers at Walmart
• Shop all deals on printers at Amazon.co.uk
• See all printers at Currys

Setting out for high school, college, or university, and looking for the best student laptop? It's not as simple as picking from the best laptops out there; you're going to need to consider what you need, rather than simply what makes a great laptop.

You'll want a laptop with good battery life, for starters. Unlike office or remote workers, students will often have to spend a full day in packed classrooms, potentially without easy access to a power outlet. So a device that can make it through the school day is a must – but preferably without sacrificing the necessary performance for the tasks you need it for, and without costing an outrageous sum.

Whatever level of education you're at, a new laptop is often one of the single biggest one-off expenses for students. To ensure you can buy with confidence, I've drawn on TechRadar's collective experience reviewing more than 1,300 laptops since our inception 17 years ago to help you find the perfect student laptop to suit your needs and budget.

The good news is that Apple has finally done the impossible and released a budget laptop, the new MacBook Neo, which is arguably the single best laptop on the market right from a pure price-to-performance perspective. It immediately rocketed to the top spot in the list below, as well as our ranking of the best budget laptops, so if you're an Apple fan, this is the definitive pick. Apple also has a student discount program, though if you're looking for a Windows laptop or Chromebook, many other retailers offer student discounts and back-to-school sales.

Every laptop featured in the list below has gone through our rigorous product testing and review process to ensure it deserves a place on our top laptop lists. This includes battery life testing, synthetic benchmarking, and real-world user experience – as well as gaming, since many students may want a laptop that can double up as a gaming device. When I decide to include a laptop in this list, it's because I'm 100% confident that it's a strong choice for any student looking for a new laptop.

If you don't need anything that flashy and would rather save some cash instead, look to the Acer Chromebook Plus 514, which is perfect for lighter coursework. Whichever laptop you choose, know that you're buying with confidence with TechRadar's expertise at your back.

The best student laptop overall

The MacBook Neo stands out as our top overall pick for students, delivering a tested 13.5 hours of battery life in our video rundown and launching at a student-friendly $599 / £599 / AU$899 – and you can save an extra $100 (or equivalent for your region) by utilizing Apple's own student discount function, making it even better value for money.

In daily use, the Neo’s A18 Pro chip handled note-taking, research, and multitasking without a hitch. We found it equally responsive for everyday tasks; the fact that you get the complete macOS experience, not a stripped-down OS, means you’re free to run all the software your courses demand. TechRadar's own Matt Hanson noted in his review that swapping between a half-dozen browser tabs, Zoom, and Word never slowed the Neo down, which was a big reassurance during finals week.

Compared to mainstream alternatives like Chromebooks or the Surface Laptop Go, the MacBook Neo offers a more polished build and smoother performance. While some Chromebooks are lighter, they can feel flimsy and are limited by ChromeOS. The Neo’s full macOS compatibility and reliable hardware make it a smarter long-term choice, especially if you want something that won’t hold you back as your workload ramps up.

There are trade-offs. The Neo isn’t aimed at gamers or those needing a premium display and advanced creative features, so serious gaming and heavy creative workloads are better served elsewhere. For most students, though, the balance of price, performance, and OS flexibility makes it a strong pick for campus life.

Read our full Apple MacBook Neo review.

The best laptop for students on a budget

Chromebooks can be an excellent choice for students working with a tight budget, as they're designed with affordable efficiency in mind. ChromeOS is a less resource-intensive operating system than Windows or macOS, meaning that a Chromebook can run smoothly even with a less powerful (and therefore cheaper) processor.

Still, the Intel Core 100U CPU at the core of the latest Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is leaps and bounds ahead of the feeble chips we've seen powering budget Chromebooks of yore. No, it's not going to run the latest triple-A games or handle complex scientific modeling software, but for straightforward tasks like writing assignments or researching online, our reviewer found it ran smoothly and efficiently, with enough battery life to see you through a full day of classes.

Read our full Acer Chromebook Plus 514 review

The best overall Chromebook for students

If you're already a ChromeOS lover or are looking to make the leap to Google's cloud-focused operating system, the HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch is a solid choice. With strong productivity performance and a battery that gave us more than 11 hours of continuous use in our tests, this feels like a laptop for serious students.

Reviewing this laptop, our Reviews Writer Lewis Maddison praised its premium-feeling build quality - something of a rarity for a Chromebook, which can often feel a little cheap in the hands - along with its surprisingly good display and quiet cooling fans. He described using the HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch to navigate ChromeOS as "a largely seamless experience" - although he did note that the keyboard can feel a little cramped at times, due to the inclusion of a numpad.

Of course, since it's a Chromebook, it's not going to be the right choice for students studying creative disciplines like graphic design or videography. If you're taking a course that doesn't require the use of intensive software, however - like Business Studies or Creative Writing - this laptop can definitely go the distance.

Read our full HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch review

The best lightweight student laptop

In his review, my American counterpart John Loeffler described the new Surface Laptop 13-inch as "the Purple MacBook I've been begging for" - and trust me, he's been begging for that for quite a while now.

With 17+ hours of continuous battery life, strong performance across productivity workloads, and a wonderfully portable design (weighing just 1.22kg), Microsoft seems to have finally hit its stride with the Surface product line. This is a made-for-Windows Ultrabook with a premium-feeling chassis, offering a very comfortable keyboard along with a high-quality touch display.

John did note that in terms of performance-per-dollar it loses out to the latest M4 MacBook Air, but for users who prefer Windows to macOS, it's practically perfect. It's also one of the best ways to use Microsoft's fancy new Copilot+ AI PC features in Windows 11.

Read our full Surface Laptop 13-inch (2025) review

The best laptop for creative students

As I've already noted further up in this guide, some laptops that are great for the average student won't hold up against the workload of a student studying creative disciplines. Graphic design, photo and video editing, 3D art – all of these need a bit more power than even the best student Chromebooks can provide.

Enter the MacBook Air 15-inch with Apple M4 chip. A powerful system that packs an improved CPU (10 cores vs 8 cores) over the M3 model, plus a larger battery thanks to the 15-inch chassis, this is a solid choice for anyone who wants plenty of bang for their buck when it comes to running creative software. With the M5 MacBook Air now on the market, it's swiftly becoming easier to find the M4 model below retail price, especially if you shop sales and seek out student discounts.

Sure, you could opt for a MacBook Pro if you really want a ton of power at your fingertips, but frankly, the standard M4 chip in the MacBook Air is perfectly capable - and you won't have to worry about fan noise here, either.

Read our full MacBook Air 15-inch (M4, 2025) review

The best 2 in 1 Chromebook for students

While its lower-end internal specs might hold it back from achieving true greatness, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 nonetheless does an admirable job of what it sets out to be: a lightweight, compact, and flexible laptop.

With the smallest display size of any laptop on this list, it's easy to take with you on the go or hold in your hands when flipped into tablet mode - and despite its small size, the touchscreen is a rather impressive QHD+ panel that places it above many of its Chromebook siblings.

Granted, some sacrifices have been made here to allow that excellent display at the very reasonable $429 / £419 / AU$707 starting price (though you can often find it cheaper than that). In terms of its CPU and RAM, this Chromebook is admittedly one of the weaker devices on this list - but as long as you're just planning to do basic tasks like word processing and watching YouTube, you should be fine.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 review

The best 2 in 1 Windows laptop

When John Loeffler, our US computing editor, reviewed the new Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 earlier this year, he was happy with its performance, design, and price point (models start at $649 / £849 / AU$1,498), though he did note that some of the things he was willing to accept in the regular Dell 14 Plus clamshell model to keep the price low are more problematic in a 2-in-1 form factor. Specifically, John notes in his review that the display on the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 can only be described as "decent enough".

On a 2-in-1 device, however, where notetaking and collaborating across a table with your classmates are common use cases, the quality of the display matters a lot more than it does on other laptops. That's not to say the 14-inch IPS panel on the 14 Plus 2-in-1 is bad, it's just not great, and it's a compromise that more than a few 2-in-1 fans might not be willing to make.

The other big issue John had with the laptop was its lack of high-end performance, but given the focus on a lower price point with the 14 Plus lineup, you really shouldn't be expecting more than a productivity and general computing laptop. In that regard, John found the performance more than up for the task, but he definitely recommends against trying to do any serious PC gaming or video editing work on this one.

Read our full Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 review

The best premium laptop for students

Looking for a laptop that just screams 'premium'? Look no further: students with some cash to splash who want a high-end device with some real staying power should absolutely spring for the 2025 Dell XPS 13 - perhaps the last XPS 13 we'll ever see, sadly.

See, Dell is switching up its naming conventions, ditching the XPS brand (a totally insane move, in my humble opinion) in favor of new Plus, Premium, and Pro tiers for its laptops. Despite this, the latest XPS 13 is still available from both Dell and third-party retailers, and it's still an absolutely gorgeous laptop.

When I reviewed it, I had nothing but praise for its excellent touch display, absolutely phenomenal 24-hour battery life, and strong productivity performance with its Intel Core Ultra processor. My only real criticism is the lack of ports; with just two USB-C ports and nothing else, you'll want to go fully wireless or invest in a USB hub.

Read our full Dell XPS 13 (2025) review

The best student gaming laptop

The Asus V16 stands out for students who want real gaming muscle in their backpack. Our lab tests saw it average 120 fps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider at medium settings, a number that leaves most student laptops in the dust for smooth play.

Performance comes from an RTX 4050 graphics card, giving it the horsepower to tackle demanding schoolwork and AAA games alike. The V16 isn't a maxed-out desktop replacement, but it keeps up impressively with recent titles. Our reviewer described a session of Cyberpunk 2077 as "surprisingly smooth" for a laptop of this price, with only modest settings tweaks needed. That balance of classroom productivity and after-hours gaming makes it a compelling pick for students who want more than just basic performance.

Compared to our prime pick, the MacBook Neo, the Asus V16 is the obvious choice for anyone prioritizing gaming, thanks to its dedicated GPU. Chromebooks and the Surface Laptop 13 are lighter, quieter, and last longer unplugged, but can't come close to matching the V16's graphics power or real-world frame rates. If your school life includes projects, multitasking, and esports or AAA titles, the V16's value stands out, even if it isn't the cheapest option in the student lineup.

Like most gaming laptops, the V16 gets warm, and the fans spin up under load. This is noticeable during lengthy sessions, though not unusually loud. The keyboard is excellent for both gaming and essay-writing, but at nearly 2kg, it's heavier than typical all-day campus machines. For students who want the best gaming experience and can live with a bit more weight and a shorter unplugged runtime, the Asus V16 is easy to recommend. If portability, silence, or all-day battery life are your top priorities, you may want to look elsewhere.

Read our full Asus V16 review.

Other laptops we've tested

New laptops arrive on the market every single month, so anyone shopping for a laptop is usually spoiled for choice. Here, I've highlighted a few laptops we've recently reviewed that didn't quite make it into this ranking; consider them my honorable mentions.

• Dell Inspiron 14 Plus: A Windows laptop ideal for anyone who just needs a straightforward system to get through the day, the Inspiron 14 Plus from Dell is a no-frills system that can act as a solid MacBook Air alternative for those who prefer Windows to macOS.
  Read our full Dell Inspiron 14 Plus review
• Dell 14 Plus: The non-hybrid version of the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 found in the list above, this is essentially the same laptop but without the 360-degree hinge and touchscreen functionality. Still a great laptop, mind you!
  Read our full Dell 14 Plus review
• Acer Nitro 14: Fundamentally a bit overpriced (which is its main downfall), but still a solid choice of 1080p gaming laptop, offering good gaming performance and a well-designed chassis.
  Read our full Acer Nitro 14 review

FAQs: How to choose the best student laptop for you

The best student laptop is going to give you the right balance between sufficient performance for productivity tasks, affordability for a student's budget, and durability to handle the kind of wear-and-tear that a student can put their laptops through – and having it look good never hurts.

But that can be a hard thing for students and families to balance, especially if they aren't as familiar with computer hardware as they'd like to be. Fortunately, there are some general guidelines that you can follow to get the right student laptop for your needs and budget: check out these frequently asked questions to get an idea of what you might need to look out for (and ways to save money!)

How we tested these student laptops

We know that buying a new laptop can be a huge investment. Even more so with laptops for college students. That’s why we take our jobs seriously, and test every laptop recommended on this list extensively.

That process involves using them in our day-to-day lives to see how long their battery lasts, how robust they are – college kids have hectic lives, after all, and how cool they stay under pressure. We also look at their design, including how stylish they are, if they are thin and light enough to carry around with, and how comfortable they are to work on. Because the webcam and microphone in a laptop are also incredibly important, especially these days, we take time to test those out as well.

When it comes to performance, we use a mix of real-world tests and synthetic benchmarks to see how powerful (or not) these laptops are. This means using Windows 10 (or ChromeOS on Chromebooks and macOS on MacBooks) and running various apps and seeing how fast they load, noting down any problems.

Battery lives are also important, so we’ll keep track of how long we can use the laptop without needing to charge it. To get specific numbers, we also run our own battery life benchmark that plays a looped 1080p movie until the battery dies and the PC Mark 10 battery life benchmark, which replicates real-world usage, such as web browsing and document creation. These tests give us an excellent idea of how long the batteries in these laptops last.

When all is said and done, we then take everything we’ve learned about the laptop and compare it to its price, to see if it offers the best value to students.

Tested by

Today's best student laptop deals

When Hewlett Packard split in November 2015, it didn’t mark the end of an era, it heralded the beginning of two industry heavyweights.

The pioneering Silicon Valley firm was founded in 1939, but in a rapidly evolving tech landscape, the decision to split into two distinct entities made sense.

HP would still remain a key player in the device manufacturing industry, while Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), as it came to be known, would focus on corporate hardware and services.

In a 2017 interview with BBC News, former chief executive Meg Whitman explained the company had essentially grown too big for its boots. It wasn’t agile enough to contend with a rapidly changing market.

"Our decision was that we needed to separate first into two companies, because a $110bn company working in 170 countries... we were never going to be fast enough to lead the market in which we compete," Whitman said.

"The bigger you are the harder it is to be fast, because you've got so many people involved in every decision. Our view was - given the backdrop of the technology industry - [being] smaller [and] more focused was going to be important," she added.

This wasn’t just an attempt to shake things up, however. In the years preceding the split, there had been challenges.

Notable among these were a flurry of acquisitions which failed to match expectations. In 2022, the colossus acquired Compaq for $25 billion, consultancy firm EDS for $14bn in 2008, and three years later secured the now-infamous deal to acquire Autonomy for $11bn.

Buying its way to dominance wasn’t quite enough, though. In 2012, the company was pipped by Lenovo as the world’s largest device supplier.

So how have the two companies fared since the split?

HPE goes it alone

HPE has firmly established itself as a key player in the cloud computing, infrastructure, and now networking domains.

The company’s key product lines, such as ProLiant servers, Aruba networking services, and GreenLake cloud options, are highly popular. With the advent of generative AI, the company has pivoted hard toward AI infrastructure support.

In its most recent quarterly earnings report, the company recorded “record-breaking revenue,” according to current CEO Antonio Neri.

Notably, the company’s acquisition of Juniper Networks has also positioned it as a key player in the networking space, priming it for a pending battle with Cisco, Dell, and Broadcom in this domain.

What’s going on with HP?

HP still ranks among one of the biggest PC manufacturers globally, based on sales volumes. Analysis from IDC earlier this year ranked the company second in this regard, boasting a 1.9% market share.

Notably, the company has held this position for a number of years now, trailing Lenovo which holds a 24.% share.

With the arrival of AI PCs, the manufacturer has pivoted hard to accelerate development on this front alongside competitors in the space.

• HP’s OneAgent update deleted key certificates, breaking Entra ID login on some AI PCs
• The faulty script removed Microsoft-issued certificates containing “1E”, severing cloud trust
• HP pulled the update and is helping affected users; only a small number were impacted

A silent update for HP’s OneAgent software broke a number of its AI PC devices, preventing some of its users from logging into Microsoft Entra ID - and as a result, HP was forced to pull the update and assist affected individuals.

OneAgent is a piece of software responsible for system management and updates. It was recently updated itself, to version 1.2.50.9581, and that update included a script designed to remove any files related to HP's 1E Performance Assist software.

To do that, the script would search, and delete, any certificates containing the “1E” substring in its subject, issuer, or friendly name. Unfortunately, among them was a certificate called "MS-Organization-Access", issued by Microsoft every time a device joins Microsoft Entra ID, or Intune. As soon as the script deletes the certificate, the device disconnects from Entra ID and the credentials no longer work.

Silently falling out of the cloud

The mishap was first spotted by Rudy Ooms, security researcher from Patch My PC, who said that "the whole Entra/Azure AD Join was gone!"

"With it, the devices had silently fallen out of the cloud. The whole trust between Windows and Entra ID disappeared."

The number of affected devices seems to be rather small, though. According to Ooms, since every company gets a unique certificate, there’s less than a 10% chance for the certificate to contain the risky “1E” string. Also, since the script only affects HP’s AI PCs (first released roughly a year ago), the number of potentially affected devices shrinks further.

In a statement shared with BleepingComputer, the company said it pulled the faulty patch and is working on assisting affected users.

"HP is aware of a potential issue affecting some HP AI PCs related to a recent over the air update," HP told the publication. "The update is no longer available and will not affect more AI PCs. We're investigating the issue and working closely with impacted customers on mitigation."

Via BleepingComputer

• Four brands now sell laptops powered by Intel’s Ultra 9 285HX processor
• Lenovo joins Dell, MSI, and HP in offering Intel’s fastest mobile chip
• Ultra 9 285HX laptops remain expensive but two are suddenly much cheaper

If you’re in the market for a new business laptop, and you want one that’s superfast and is going to age well, then a PC powered by Intel’s Ultra 9 285HX, its fastest ever mobile processor, is a no-brainer.

They aren’t cheap - but the problem is you won’t exactly be spoiled for choice when it comes to brands or models, as currently just four manufacturers make them.

If you’re after an absolute beast, then the Dell Pro Max 18 Plus Laptop with Windows 11 Pro is the one to look at. It includes an Nvidia RTX Pro 5000 Blackwell GPU with 24GB of GDDR7 memory, 128GB of DDR5 memory, and a 4TB performance SSD.

Price cuts!

At $9,458.02, Dell's monster workstation is comfortably the most expensive, but for professionals who need maximum computing power for demanding tasks, it’s got you more than covered.

If your budget won’t stretch to that, MSI’s Raider 18 HX AI is a more "affordable" choice. It uses the same Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX processor running at 2.1GHz, paired with 64GB of DDR5 memory and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU with 16GB of GDDR7 memory.

The 18-inch QHD+ 240Hz display, 2TB NVMe Gen4 SSD, and Wi-Fi 7 make it ideal for creative work and heavy multitasking.

It’s also the first of the four to enjoy a solid price cut. Microcenter is currently selling it for a bargain (relatively speaking) $2,699.99, down from $3,399.99, while at ExcaliberPC prices start at around $3,052.50.

If you want to feel like you’re getting an absolute steal, HP is having a sale you’ll appreciate.

The ZBook Fury G1i 16 Mobile Workstation PC is priced at $6,999, down from its usual $14,212. It features the same Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX processor, an Nvidia RTX Pro 5000 GPU, 128GB of DDR5 ECC memory, and a 16-inch 2.5K IPS display.

It also includes a 2TB PCIe Gen4 SSD, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4 support.

Lenovo is late to the party, but the world’s largest laptop maker has quietly launched the ThinkPad T16g Gen 3 business laptop built around Intel’s Core Ultra HX series, including the flagship Core Ultra 9 285HX, with GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 laptop GPUs.

It comes with up to 192GB of DDR5-5600 memory and three M.2 PCIe drives totaling 12TB. There’s no word on pricing yet, but it’s fair to say you won’t be seeing a discount on that one any time soon.

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• Check out our choice for best mobile worksations around
• And these are the best video editing laptops you can buy
• Lenovo quietly launches a Thinkpad business laptop

• Lenovo widens its lead as Windows 10’s end fuels global PC demand
• IDC reports strong growth driven by large-scale enterprise and education hardware refreshes
• Organizations upgrade ageing systems to maintain security and compliance

Lenovo has extended its already sizable lead in the global PC market as businesses rush to replace ageing Windows 10 systems before Microsoft officially ends support for the beloved OS on October 13.

The latest preliminary data from IDC shows global shipments grew 9.4% year over year to reach 75.9 million units in the third quarter of 2025, marking yet another strong period of recovery for the PC industry.

Lenovo shipped 19.4 million units, taking 25.5% of the market and growing 17.3% from last year. HP followed in second with 15 million units for a 19.8% share, while Dell reached 10.1 million at 13.3%.

Japan leading buying

Apple and Asus round out the top five with 6.8 million and 5.9 million shipments respectively.

“While the entire market is continuing on a very strong year, fueled by Windows 11 transition and the need to replace an ageing installed base, the results by regions are telling different stories,” said Jean Philippe Bouchard, research vice-president with IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers.

“In particular, the North American market continues to be impacted by the US import tariffs shock and by macroeconomic uncertainties. While existent, the demand for newer PCs ready for Windows 11 is likely to push well into 2026,” he said.

Asia Pacific led the growth with double-digit gains.

“The demand was driven largely by Japan’s hardware refresh linked to Windows 10 end-of-support and the GIGA education project,” said Maciek Gornicki, senior research manager with IDC.

“Growth outside Japan was more modest - hindered by macroeconomic and political challenges and slow Windows 11 adoption - though there were pockets of opportunity from hardware refreshes of devices purchased during and before the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Much of the new demand IDC is seeing for modern PCs comes from lifecycle management rather than any great enthusiasm for the latest AI-capable devices.

With Windows 10 end-of-life within touching distance, organizations are simply scrambling to ensure their systems are replaced or updated before support expires and security risks increase.

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• These are the best laptops for programming
• Take a look at our pick of the best laptops available
• US PC shipments fall as firms upgrade ahead of Windows 10 End of Life deadline

• The HP Series 5 Pro 14" 0.35-inch frame makes it one of the slimmest portable monitors available
• Its 75Hz refresh rate offers smooth motion for productivity-oriented tasks
• 100% Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 coverage delivers accurate, balanced visuals everywhere

HP’s latest portable monitor, the Series 5 Pro 14”, introduces the world’s first Neo:LED panel in a compact form.

Designed for professionals who work on the move, HP says the Series 5 Pro 14” aims to combine high-end color fidelity with the practicality of lightweight, travel-ready hardware.

At just 0.35 inches thick and 1.38 pounds, the HP Series 5 Pro 14” is among the thinnest and lightest in its class.

A thin and travel-friendly design

This device connects through a single USB-C cable, eliminating the need for an external power source, making it ideal for travel, hybrid work, or as a monitor for trading setups.

The 14-inch display combines IPS Black and Neo:LED technology, delivering deeper blacks and vibrant colors with a 2,000:1 contrast ratio.

Rated at 400 nits of brightness, the matte finish helps minimize glare under indoor lighting.

The screen covers 100% of both Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 color spaces, which positions it as ideal for photographers, designers, and video editors seeking color-accurate visuals.

The Series 5 Pro 14” refreshes at 75Hz, slightly above the standard 60Hz but still below what gamers might expect.

HP clearly designed it for productivity, not gaming, focusing on color precision and portability over refresh rate speed.

In this regard, it aligns more with the best business monitor class than entertainment-focused displays.

The dual USB-C ports with up to 65W power delivery enhance multitasking, allowing users to power their laptop and monitor from one connection.

Also, the inclusion of a multi-angle kickstand adds flexibility and compatibility with both Windows and macOS, ensuring ease of use across devices.

However, users have noted that macOS scaling may initially produce slight graininess, requiring minor adjustments for optimal clarity.

HP’s use of 90% recycled plastic and 55% recycled aluminum reinforces its sustainability focus, although performance remains the key factor for most professionals.

At $299, the HP Series 5 Pro 14” offers a strong balance between performance, portability, and color accuracy.

It does not aim to replace desktop-class monitors, but for professionals who need a reliable second screen with near-premium visuals, it stands out as a capable and efficient travel companion.

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• HP Series 5 Pro 49-inch monitor stretches productivity across 5120 x 1440 pixels
• Its VA panel delivers deep contrast, though viewing angles remain limited
• Integrated webcam and microphones make this screen ideal for video-heavy workflows

HP has unveiled a 49-inch curved ultrawide monitor designed for professionals seeking a wide workspace and sharp visuals without paying premium prices.

The monitor delivers a 5K resolution of 5120 x 1440 across its VA panel, offering an expansive field of view suitable for multitasking, editing, and productivity tasks.

Its curvature is optimized for comfort during long work sessions, and the build includes a sturdy stand with height, tilt, and swivel adjustments, making it a good monitor for trading.

Built-in camera and conferencing features

This new HP Series 5 Pro conferencing monitor integrates a 5-megapixel pop-up webcam.

The camera supports Windows Hello facial recognition and includes a physical shutter for privacy when not in use.

Dual microphones and front-firing speakers make it a self-contained setup for video conferencing and remote work, reducing the need for external accessories.

HP has also integrated ambient light and presence sensors to automatically adjust brightness and power settings.

This business monitor is a cost-effective alternative to high-end 49-inch ultrawide options from Dell or Samsung.

At the time of writing, there is no official price for this device, but reports suggest it should cost around $1300.

HP has confirmed that this device will be available in November 2025, and the price will be announced closer to availability.

While the pricing aims to appeal to small businesses and creators, the choice of a VA panel rather than an IPS or OLED type introduces limitations.

VA panels typically deliver strong contrast ratios but have narrower viewing angles and slower response times, making them less ideal for color-critical work or fast motion.

The monitor includes a refresh rate of 60Hz, DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1, and USB-C with 100W power delivery.

It can handle dual-input picture-by-picture setups, allowing users to view two systems simultaneously.

The display covers 99% of the sRGB color space but lacks full Adobe RGB or DCI-P3 coverage.

This may disappoint photographers and designers who rely on precise color calibration.

However, for those prioritizing screen size and integrated conferencing tools over top-tier color performance, HP’s offering could still represent a practical balance between cost and capability.

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• Nobel Laureate backs Cambridge-based crowdfunding effort...

• Workers aren’t happy with a lack of empathy and transparency from leaders
• AI tools are giving them greater autonomy and more free time, HP study finds
• Younger workers also want more flexibility

The 2025 edition of HP’s Work Relationship Index has highlighted widespread worker distrust in leadership - finding only 14% of the 1,300 UK employees surveyed trust their senior leaders to make the right decisions (down 12 percentage points compared with last year).

Workers noted a lack of empathy (86%) and transparent communication (86%), with two in five (41%) feeling their company prioritizes profit over people.

On the flip side, technologies like AI are actually helping employees at work, plugging gaps left by lacking leadership and giving them more control over how they get the job done.

Workers aren’t getting enough support at work

Three-quarters (76%) of UK employees now use AI at work to help them across productivity, content creation and data analysis, but it goes deeper than that. Two in five of the workers who say they’re happy at work use company-provided AI tools daily, showing that proper tool provision makes a significant difference in worker satisfaction.

“Businesses that democratise access to AI, provide training, and embed tech into daily workflows are already seeing higher levels of fulfilment and loyalty,” HP Northern Europe MD Neil Sawyer explained.

Three in four (76%) say that technology has enhanced their work-life balance, which is proof that productivity tools are truly freeing up worker time from repetitive and administrative tasks.

It’s not just technology that workers are after, but also greater flexibility. Four in five Gen Z workers would voluntarily sacrifice some pay in favor of more flexibility and autonomy.

Looking ahead, HP urges employers to focus on three key areas: lead with empathy and transparency to promote open communication; invest in tools and skills to equip workers with the resources they need; and enable hybrid work and autonomy to provide workers with greater flexibility.

“Businesses that democratise access to AI, provide training, and embed tech into daily workflows are already seeing higher levels of fulfilment and loyalty,” Sawyer concluded.

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This is a ridiculously good price a laptop with these specs - this 15.6in Dreamfyre machine is loaded with a Ryzen 5 3500U chip, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD for just £269 at Amazon.

There's not much you can fault with this laptop, which sports the cheapest Ryzen processor, a decent amount of memory, and plenty of storage space.

If you're a business pro or a student looking for a cheap laptop deal, there's a lot to like about this one, not least that eye-catching £269 price-tag.

Today's best cheap laptop deal

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HP EliteBook 8 G1a: 30-second review

To avoid immediate confusion, HP makes a standard version of the EliteBook 8 G1a 14 laptop, and then the Next Gen AI PC Wolf Pro Security Edition (A27BLEA) that this review covers.

While these share many of the same hardware components, the Next Gen AI PC Wolf Pro Security Edition (A27BLEA) is specifically designed for business users who need to deploy laptops for power users with enhanced security requirements.

Built around the new AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350, this is a highly efficient and yet powerful machine that’s ideal for demanding tasks, like running local AI models.

But it’s also ideal for a user who runs demanding AI tools, even if this machine wouldn’t realistically cross the threshold into being classed as a mobile workstation.

If you are looking for that level of performance, a laptop that uses the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 is probably more appropriate.

The limitations of the EliteBook 8 G1a are that it doesn’t have a second full M.2 2280 slot, limiting the amount of storage to 3TB with current capacities. And, while the memory modules are upgradable, this system with only one module is starved of memory bandwidth.

It does come with Wi-Fi 7, HDMI output and Thunderbolt ports, so while it might not be a necessity to have a docking station, it can exploit one effectively.

This machine isn’t the cheapest to use this new platform, but HP has an excellent selection of EliteBook, ProBook, and ZBook designs that use AMD processors, so there is plenty of choice. With so many machines of this type appearing, it’s hard to pick this one as being exceptional enough to be one of the best business laptops. But HP makes highly effective hardware, and the EliteBook 8 G1a doesn’t undermine that narrative.

HP EliteBook 8 G1a: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $1550/£1515
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Direct from HP, or via online retailers

Sold as the HP EliteBook 8 G1a 14 inch Notebook Next Gen AI PC Wolf Pro Security Edition, the asking price in the UK is £1799.99 for a machine with 64GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage.

The same spec in the USA is priced at $1,899, making it currently a better deal for American buyers.

What’s slightly odd is that via the HP store, it isn’t possible to select the spec of the review hardware, which matches 64GB of RAM with 512GB of storage.

Choosing 512GB of storage automatically drops the memory to 32GB.

For American customers, the cheapest model with the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 processor is $1549. European buyers can’t get that combination, and the lowest-priced option in the UK is £1,511.99, with 1TB of storage and 32GB of RAM for that money.

It should be noted that for those buying into the AI era, local AI models need lots of RAM to run quickly, so it might be pointless to run this CPU with only 16GB of RAM.

The RAM on these systems can be upgraded, as can the storage, but that’s additional cost and effort beyond the purchase price.

While I’m sure other brands will be using a similar platform in the coming months, at this time, the only significant releases are from Asus with the Zenbook S16, and the Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 6 and P16s Gen 4.

The Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 6 typically retails for around $1,240, featuring 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Whereas the P16s Gen 4 is $1500 for one with 64GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

So far, Asus isn’t using the PRO variant of the 350, but they do have the even more powerful Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 in the Zenbook S16 series, and you can get one with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage for only $1400.

In the grand scheme of things, the HP asking price for this machine isn’t excessive, but those looking for better value might want to consider the Asus Zenbook S16 series, which could easily save you money and get you a more powerful platform.

What’s always important to realise is that retail costs as presented on the brand websites aren’t what corporations pay for bulk orders, and that sort of horse trading could make HP a much more competitive option.

• Value: 3.5 / 5

HP EliteBook 8 G1a: Specs

HP EliteBook 8 G1a: Design

• Solid construction
• Lots of ports
• Cramped keyboard
• A Wolf Pro Security Edition

The HP EliteBook 8 G1a 14-inch Notebook Next Gen AI PC Wolf Pro Security Edition (A27BLEA) nicely blends aesthetics with functionality. Its sleek, minimalist exterior is crafted from high-quality materials, giving it a premium feel and durability. The notebook’s slim profile and lightweight construction make it highly portable, ideal for those who travel for a living.

The 14-inch display is a standout feature, offering vibrant colours and sharp resolution that make working on the laptop relatively easy. The narrow bezels maximise screen real estate, providing an immersive viewing experience without increasing the overall size and weight of the device. The anti-glare coating ensures that the screen remains readable in various lighting conditions, reducing eye strain during extended use.

What I was less enamoured with was the keyboard. The positive aspects are that the keys are well-spaced and provide a satisfying tactile response, making typing a pleasure.

But the keyboard doesn’t use the full width of the machine, and therefore some keys ended up reduced in size. Not a fan of tiny function keys or the cursor cluster, but despite this, I can type at a reasonable speed on it.

The backlit feature allows for easy use in low-light environments, adding to the notebook’s versatility. The touchpad is generously sized and highly responsive, supporting multi-touch gestures for improved navigation.

A real strength of the HP EliteBook 8 G1a is the port selection, since it includes USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and an audio jack. This selection ensures compatibility with a wide array of peripherals and accessories, enhancing the notebook’s functionality. The inclusion of Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, using the MediaTek MT7925 (2x2), ensures fast and reliable wireless connectivity.

Being a Wolf Pro Security Edition, HP add some neat features to provide robust protection against malware and cyber threats, in theory. These include a fingerprint reader and facial recognition technology built to secure logins and safeguard sensitive data. The part of the Wolf Pro technology that IT professionals will gravitate to is the Cloud-Based Management Console, which enables a centralised control for IT teams to monitor and respond to threats. There are lots of other features, like AI and behavioural analysis to detect unknown threats, if you haven’t already deployed equivalent tools in the business environment.

Overall, the HP EliteBook 8 G1a is a well-designed, high-performance notebook that meets the needs of modern professionals and power users, without resorting to discrete GPUs and limited battery life.

• Design: 4 / 5

HP EliteBook 8 G1a: Hardware

• AMD Ryzen AI 300 series CPU
• Radeon 860M GPU
• Upgrades

The AMD Ryzen 7 350 PRO is one of the new Krackan Point CPUs that have recently come to market, and utilises the AMD mobile chipset FP8, aka Strix Point.

Built on the latest 4nm TSMC fabrication, for its size and power consumption, this CPU delivers some exceptional performance, especially for AI use.

For those who read my Asus Expertbook P3 review, a machine that uses the non-PRO version of this chip, you might be wondering what a PRO spec processor adds.

The main distinction lies in the fact that the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 is tailored for business use, featuring additional functionalities and capabilities specifically designed for enterprise needs that are not present in the consumer variant, the Ryzen AI 7 350. Although both processors utilise the same core architecture and have similar performance potential, the “PRO” label indicates improvements in security, manageability, and reliability explicitly designed for business environments.

What that’s worth to you personally, I can’t say, but HP does make a toned-down model with the basic AMD Ryzen 7 350 if you want to save a small amount of money.

What isn’t radical on this platform is the Radeon 860M GPU, which I’d characterise as being a reasonable integrated GPU, but nothing special.

This balance of a high-end CPU and mid-range GPU hints that it’s built for those power users who aren’t editing 4K videos or modelling in 3D. But what it does well is support local AI challenges for those who need AI functionality, but can’t guarantee cloud services.

The evolution of AI for business use is still very much at the Proterozoic stage, but for those who are embracing technologies like CoPilot, this hardware is superior to the prior generation.

While not perfect, the upgrade paths in this machine do at least allow for enhanced memory and storage, and potentially the WiFi module when WiFi 8 becomes available.

Getting inside is relatively easy with a small screwdriver and a spudger, and with the underside removed, the battery, memory and storage are all highly accessible.

Unlike the HX 395 hardware, which uses soldered memory, this platform features two SODIMM slots that can accommodate up to 32GB modules, for a maximum capacity of 64GB. It might be that at some point you will be able to get 48GB or 64GB modules, and increase that to 96GB or even 128GB, since the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 can address up to 256GB of memory space.

I had two disappointments with the insides, and both related to the storage. The first is that the M.2 2280 slot, pre-installed with a Gen 4 1TB NVMe in my review hardware, didn’t have any form of heatsink or pad to help it dissipate. That effectively limits it to 2TB drives, since 4TB and 8TB options either come with or expect help with cooling.

The second M.2 slot is only 2230-sized, limiting it to 1TB capacities currently. There isn’t much room, I accept, but a second 2280 slot would have been terrific, since using AI without lots of storage space isn’t ideal.

• Hardware: 4 / 5

HP EliteBook 8 G1a: Performance

Since they use the same platform and memory technology, the HP EliteBook 8 G1a is worthy of comparison with the Asus Expertbook P3, admittedly a cheaper device.

How HP configured this machine enables it to outperform the P3 in many tests, and it was provided with a better storage device in the bargain.

Where the P3 overtakes it is in battery life, with the Asus machine having a larger battery and a longer operating time accordingly.

However, both these machines run for longer than a typical working day, and the EliteBook 8 G1a is lighter for those who carry their system with them.

One important note is that the performance of both these laptops can be massively undermined by using only a single memory module, as the review P3 was delivered. Therefore, don’t order one with a single memory module, or if you do, then purchase another identical module to get all the memory bandwidth available.

• Performance: 4 / 5

HP EliteBook 8 G1a: Final verdict

The HP EliteBook 8 G1a ticks plenty of corporate boxes, something HP is exceptionally skilled at doing.

What it offers is a powerful yet battery-efficient solution with all the latest security enhancements and management tools that corporate IT will love. It also features sufficient ports that most users won’t need a docking station, and the underlying platform is capable of running local AI models and tools.

It isn’t the cheapest laptop running this AMD Ryzen AI platform, but the quality of construction and features like Thunderbolt ports go some way to justify the extra it can cost over more affordable options.

Not the best 14-inch laptop I’ve seen, but a solid platform that delivers power-user appeal without sacrificing its practicality.

Should you buy a HP EliteBook 8 G1a?

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HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14: 30-second review

Externally, this machine bears an uncanny resemblance to HP’s EliteBook X G1a, and while there are differences on the underside, the whole top of this machine, including the screen, keyboard and ports, is identical.

However, inside this machine is a radical departure, as it uses the AMD Ryzen AI 395 Max+ processor, a full-blown Strix Halo chip. Therefore, HP has given it the title of Mobile Workstation PC, and it fully justifies that moniker.

Typically, mobile workstations require mains power and have a display larger than 14 inches, but this one does not need either of those things to deliver impressive results.

On the outside, it’s a gun-metal ultrabook, and on the inside, it’s a sixteen-core and thirty-two-thread monster that can blitz a vast array of intense computing challenges.

Not that it can defy gravity entirely, since the 74.5Wh battery on this machine will only sustain it for around 13 hours at most when used constantly.

In addition to the powerful CPU, the Ryzen AI 395 Max also includes a new integrated GPU, the Radeon 8060s and an enhanced AI experience that combines the CPU and NPU for up to 126 TOPS of neural processing.

Therefore, it can be used for video editing, AI local models, CAD work, whatever. In short, it's ready for most eventualities, and frankly, running Microsoft Office is beneath it.

If you are looking for a highly potent and portable solution, then the HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 should be one to consider if you’re accounts department isn’t squeamish about the cost of cutting-edge technology. Probably one of the best mobile workstations - and certainly one of the best business laptops - you can get for those who can afford one.

HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $1890/£1500/€1,699
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Direct from HP or via Amazon

As you would probably expect, HP makes many different SKUs of the HP Zbook Ultra G1a, starting from those that have the Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 CPU and 8050S GPU.

These start at around $1889 in the UK, for a machine with 32GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. That doesn’t seem too crazy, but then that SKU doesn’t have a touch screen and only a WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS panel.

Those wanting a machine like the review hardware, with the top processor, OLED touchscreen, and larger amounts of RAM and storage, need to buckle up.

The closest SKU I could find to the review hardware, which features the Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 processor, 64GB of RAM, 2TB of storage, and a 2.8K touch OLED display, is priced at $3,079.

In the UK, an entry-level HP Zbook Ultra G1a will cost you £1,499.99, and one with the review spec is £2,111.99 from HP. However, I was able to find the exact model (A3ZH3ET#ABU) from a laptop retailer for only £ 1,817.

The most expensive option is a model with the top processor, 128GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage, which could easily cost you over $3000, or more.

Most models on offer are all pre-defined SKUs, but you can entirely customise the machine to have whatever you want. I would warn against doing this, since the prices for memory and storage upgrades are frankly outrageous.

The trouble with the technology in the Zbook is that it's so new that relatively few brands have products out that use it. Lenovo, for example, hasn’t got this platform in its ThinkPad range yet. Dell has nothing available with a Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 in it, and neither does Acer.

Asus has the ROG Flow Z13, a gaming laptop, if you can find one. And, it's in a similar price range, if not even more expensive.

Where this silicon is more accessible is in a Mini PC from the likes of GMKtec, Beelink, Minisforum and others. But obviously, those aren’t laptops.

The brutal reality is that if you want one of these made to the standards of HP, then it's going to be expensive until other brands get their act together.

But the number of SKUs that are sold out suggests companies are willing to pay for this performance level.

• Value: 3 / 5

HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14: Specs

HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14: Design

• Thin and elegant
• Lots of USB and Thunderbolt
• Stunning OLED screen
• Almost no upgrades

This machine appears to borrow much of its chassis from the current EliteBook series, and if you put them together, they’re practically identical, including the port arrangement.

This is a compact design with an aluminium skin that feels solid and robust. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I’m not a massive fan of the way cursor keys are implemented on these HP keyboards, but the keys are at least large and well spaced.

HP didn’t take the MacBook approach to this machine, and it has plenty of USB and Thunderbolt ports that avoid making a docking station a necessity. If you do go down that path, maybe to have more than two screens, it’s worth noting that the PSU that HP includes is rated for 140W, and only a few docks deliver that much power to their host system.

The standout feature of this machine from the outside is undoubtedly the 2.8k OLED touch-enabled display, which has an excellent colour gamut and epic contrast levels. This is a significant upgrade over the IPS 1920 x 1080 resolution screen that HP is using on its cheaper machines, and creatives will love it.

However, the caveat to that display is that it has a glass coating to protect it from oily fingers, and this is highly reflective when used outside or with strong sunlight coming through the windows.

Access to the interior is relatively easy, requiring only the loosening of four retained screws and the subtle use of a plastic spudger to spring a few latches. Given how easy it was, it follows that when a hardware maker doesn’t make entry a challenge, there are almost no options inside. You could replace the battery and swap the M.2 storage, but there is no second M.2 slot, and the memory is soldered to the mainboard. Therefore, from an upgrade perspective, this well is almost dry.

In this context, I have some sympathy for HP, because getting this platform into a chassis so compact didn’t allow space for any future proofing, regrettably. It borrows enough from the EliteBook machines to make replacement parts for the screen and keyboard easy enough to find, though any work fixing the motherboard could be challenging, considering how little room is left inside this chassis.

It looks like, and mostly is, an Ultrabook, but with workstation components under the skin.

• Design: 4 / 5

HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14: Hardware

• AMD Ryzen AI 395 Max+
• Radeon 8060s GPU
• Amazing bandwidth of LPDDR5x-8533

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is a robust processor engineered to cater to the needs of contemporary computing, especially in the fields of AI, gaming, and professional tasks. Featuring 16 cores and 32 threads, it operates at a base clock speed of 3GHz, with the capability to turbo boost up to 5.1GHz.

This high core and thread count makes it particularly well-suited for multitasking, executing complex simulations, and managing extensive datasets. Furthermore, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 goes beyond mere performance by incorporating advanced AI features, making it an excellent option for developers and researchers engaged in machine learning and AI initiatives.

When comparing it to Intel’s leading offering, the Core Ultra 200 series, notable differences arise. While the Arrow Lake-H generation from Intel also possesses sixteen cores and threads, AMD’s sixteen Zen 5 cores can handle thirty-two threads concurrently. Intel’s design incorporates only six performance cores, while the majority serve efficiency purposes; in contrast, all of AMD’s cores are geared towards raw performance.

The trade-off here is battery life against performance, as the Arrow Lake-H chips will offer better longevity but can’t match the performance.

One aspect where Intel is significantly outgunned is in graphics, as the new Radeon 8060s are at least twice as fast as their 890M predecessor, and much better than Intel’s ARC 140 series.

Some of that performance boost comes from the increased number of shaders and clock speeds, but it also sees a significant improvement from the LPDDR5x-8533 memory on this system. With an ECC quad-channel configuration and a rated speed of 8000 MT/s, the quoted memory bandwidth is an incredible 256 GB/s.

With the 8060s GPU sharing main memory with the CPU, it achieves a bandwidth level that was previously only expected from the use of GDDR5 memory on discrete video cards a few years ago.

These advantages extend to the AI component of this offering, with the NPU delivering 55 TOPS and the CPU contributing to a combined performance of 126 TOPS. While we might end up laughing at these numbers a few years down the line, right now, this is much more powerful than anything Intel has for mobile or even desktop use.

For comparison, a discrete video card such as the Nvidia RTX 4090 might exceed 1300 TOPS. However, that’s not a practical piece of hardware to put inside a laptop due to space, power demands, and heat generation. For an APU, the AMD Ryzen AI 395 Max+ is in a class of its own.

• Hardware: 5 / 5

HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14: Performance

I mulled over what machine I’d use to compare, since none of the recent Intel 200 series machines I’ve seen are classed as mobile workstations.

In the end, I went with the Dell Precision 7780, a heavy-duty mobile workstation that cost even more than the ZBook.

As you can see, considering that it's the cutting-edge of mobile hardware in the HP, it still can’t go faster than the Dell in the graphics tests.

However, this isn’t a fair fight, as the AMD machine utilises an integrated GPU, while the Dell machine features an Nvidia RTX 3500 mobile discrete video card. The RTX 3500 Ada Generation is a professional mobile GPU featuring the 5nm Ada Lovelace architecture (AD104), with 5120 CUDA cores, 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, and a 100W TDP.

With all those shaders and its own independent GDDR6 memory, it should win, and possibly by a bigger margin than these benches reveal.

As a computing platform, the 13th Generation Intel Core i9-13950HX performed poorly, and even with 24 cores, it struggled in both the CineBench 24 and GeekBench 6 tests.

The power consumption of the Intel Core i9-13950HX and RTX 3500 delivers a running time of less than a working day, even with a 93Wh battery.

It should also be noted that the ZBook recovered almost half its battery capacity in thirty minutes, whereas the Dell took over an hour to hit a 50% recharge.

Had I chosen a more concurrent Intel system, perhaps using the Intel Core Ultra 7 268V and the Intel Arc 140V GPU, it would have been soundly thrashed in almost every test.

While I didn't run any AI tests, it would have been a victory for the ZBook, as Intel had no AI technology in 13th-generation processors.

Ignoring workstations with discrete video technology that don’t work well on battery power, the HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 demonstrates the power of an Ultrabook-sized machine with the latest AMD silicon onboard.

• Performance: 5 / 5

HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14: Final verdict

Let’s be brutally honest, this is a fantastic laptop that takes Intel’s best silicon and pushes past it effortlessly, but the price HP chose is somewhat of a gouge.

Most managers find it challenging enough to get a $2,000 laptop approved, but this one could easily exceed $4,000 or more, depending on options.

Recently, I reviewed the Bossgame M5 AI, a mini PC that uses the same AI 395 platform, which comes with 128GB of memory and 2TB of Kingston-branded storage. That costs about $1800, meaning you could have two of them for the price of one ZBook.

Yes, you would need monitors, keyboards and mice, but that’s a huge difference, and entirely rebuffs the notion that this is expensive because AMD is asking too much for its latest chips. But without competition, it can. HP has given this machine a flagship price because it knows that some corporate customers will be willing to pay it.

This is a huge shame, because many hard-working people deserve this level of performance to maximise their productivity, but fewer are likely to have a boss who will provide them with a system to deliver it.

However, history tells us that within six months or more, when many brands have laptops utilising this exciting platform, the price will become much more realistic.

Should you buy a HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

For more options for professionals, we reviewed the best laptops for work and gaming and the best laptops for working from home.