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Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake review: Ultra-fast networking makes this mini PC a great office machine

Alastair Jennings — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 21:10:00 +0000

Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake: 30-second review

The Beelink EQi is essentially an ideal office machine. There’s nothing fancy about the design; in fact, it feels a little lightweight and plasticy; however, the balance of features is far greater than the specifications would initially have you believe.

As ever, this Mini PC is compact with its 126mm-square footprint that enables easy positioning around the desk; however, while the looks may not highlight anything special, it packs in an unusual amount of connectivity for a Mini PC at this price and with this level of CPU.

The major surprise here is that on the back, alongside the usual 2.5GbE LAN port, is a second, ultra-fast 10GbE port, which is the sort of specification you normally find on hardware costing far more, but also ideal if you’re connecting into a UGREEN IDX6011 NAS over a 10GbE network for archiving. Next to this network port are two Thunderbolt 4 ports at 40 Gbps, HDMI 2.0, and triple-display support, meaning that for integration into an office or studio this machine is highly tuned.

It’s also very neat with the dark grey ABS enclosure feeling cheap compared to aluminium rivals. Still, the 85W power supply is built into the chassis, so the only cable at the back is a mains lead, and those going to monitors and accessories, there’s no power brick to get in the way.

Open the base and the interior is exceptionally well organised, with both M.2 slots covered by a substantial metal heatsink that lifts off with two screws. The rear port layout is the odd decision, with the two Type-A ports placed on either side of the HDMI output rather than together, which is awkward if you use a wired keyboard and mouse.

Performance is well balanced by Intel's Core 3 304, though it has its limitations. It’s quick where it counts when browsing the internet, using office software, or playing media, and I've even found myself using it to offload image and video files to the server quickly and to book equipment and locations. Where it does fall is in graphics performance, as highlighted by the benchmarks: great for the office but really a no-go for gaming unless optimised for lower-specification systems.

Storage is also interesting with two M.2 slots. However, they support different lane counts, and a Crucial T710 Gen 5 drive returned 3510.25 MB/s read in slot one but only 1750.42 MB/s in slot two, which is slower than the UFS drive Beelink already fits, but then does enable you to boost the overall internal storage neatly.

Everything else is again well-balanced for office use. This is a nice, quiet machine with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed. The design is nothing flashy, but for dedicated office use with serious network potential it’s one of the best mini PCs I've tested.

Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake: Price and availability

How much does it cost? From $509
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Directly from Beelink and retailers such as Amazon

The EQi costs $509 for the 16GB LPDDR5 and 512GB configuration that I’ve looked at in this review. It's available direct from Beelink here in three configurations - 16GB LPDDR5, 24GB DDR5, and 32GB DDR5 RAM, all with 512GB SSD.

I'm also seeing several models on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk for around the same price.

Value: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake: Specs

CPU: Intel Core 3 304, 5 cores/5 threads, up to 4.3GHz, 6MB cache, 15W TDP
Graphics: Intel Xe3-LPG integrated graphics
RAM: 16GB LPDDR5, or 24GB/32GB DDR5 at 5600MT/s; DDR5 version upgradeable to 64GB
Storage: 512GB UFS 3.1; two M.2 2280 slots (slot 1 PCIe 4.0 x2, slot 2 PCIe 4.0 x1), up to 4TB each
Left Ports: USB 3.2 Type-A, USB 3.2 Type-C, 3.5mm audio jack
Right Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB 2.0, HDMI 2.0, 10GbE, 2.5GbE, AC input
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, 10GbE Ethernet, 2.5GbE Ethernet
Audio: 3.5mm combined audio connection
Camera: None
Size: 126 x 126 x 44.2mm,
Weight: 500g
OS Installed: Windows 11 Pro
Accessories: HDMI cable, regional AC lead/power adapter and user manual

Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake: Design

If you’re looking for a machine that blends into the office background, then the Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake is a perfect option. The dark grey finish, rounded corners, and a lightly textured top panel are neat and strike a note that really highlights the machine's price point and specifications.

The size is also in line with what you’d expect from a standard Office Mini PC, with a relatively small form factor and a compact 126mm x 126mm footprint, at just 500g.

While the design might not be the most inspiring, it is generally well thought out and, surprisingly, has a built-in 85W power supply, so just a single power cable runs to the AC mains, with no need for a power brick.

On the front and back are a good range of ports, highly specified for a machine at this price. There’s also good air ventilation through the base, with airflow entering over the processor and passing through the storage.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Beelink quotes 32dB as the noise in normal use, and this seemed about right, with the ambient noise in the office slightly higher when ideal. This is also one of the neatest laid-out Mini PCs internally that I’ve seen, accessible through the base, which is held in place by four small cross-head screws. A small attention to detail is the small label that just helps to lift the base free, enabling easy access.

Once inside the interior, both M.2 slots are slightly hidden under a single large metal heatsink that lifts off with two screw. Once removed, your choice of M. 2 2280 SSD can be installed. This heatsink shows real consideration as a thermal solution for the installed drives, with the installation process taking no more than a couple of minutes.

The port selection and specification are where things really get interesting. Starting at the back, there are two USB 2.0 Type-A ports on either side of the HDMI Max 4.0 60Hz output rather than together, so a wired keyboard and mouse end up separated by a display cable.

Then there are two LAN ports, a 2.5GbE and a 10GbE, which is very unusual for a machine at this level; also unusual are the two Thunderbolt 4 ports. The front is a little more standard, with a USB 3.2 Type-A, a USB-C 10 Gbps, a 3.5mm audio jack, and finally the power button.

Design: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake: Features

A quick check through the features highlights the intended audience for this PC. At the heart of the machine is the very respectable Intel Core 3 304; it’s nothing flashy, but this is a new-generation CPU so offers far more than entry-level CPUs in the past, and while not an AI powerhouse, does feature an integrated NPU as well as GPU, handy if you use Copilot on a day-to-day basis for work.

The CPU offers a five-core, five-thread processor with one performance core and four efficiency cores, 6MB of cache and a 15W TDP, turboing to 4.3GHz. Beelink quotes AI performance at 24 TOPS across the CPU, GPU and NPU for local AI processing.

While it’s great to see this entry-level office machine has AI potential, connectivity is what has surprised me about the EQi through this test. On the back are those two Thunderbolt 4 ports that run at 40 Gbps with DisplayPort 1.4, and if you need to connect more monitors, then there’s the more traditional HDMI 2.0, which I used to connect to my monitor for this review.

The two network ports, one 10GbE and one 2.5GbE, are a headline feature and enabled me to connect directly into the 10GbE LAN in the office. This meant that I could quickly offload video and image files through the machine's Thunderbolt 4 to the network. While this is an office-focused machine, I use an old Intel NUC 9 in the office for this exact task, and its speed over 1GbE and USB3.2 Gen 1 is unmatched by this.

Inside there’s a fixed 16GB LPDDR5 or upgradeable DDR5 at 24GB or 32GB, both at 5600 MT/s, with the DDR5 version supporting up to 64GB. Storage is 512GB of UFS 3.1, again fixed, but there is the option to install two M.2 2280 SSDs, both enabling up to 4TB. One point about these two slots is that they don’t support the same number of PCIe lanes, with one half as fast as the other.

Wireless runs over a MediaTek MT7922 module, with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Features: 4.5 / 5

Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake: Performance

Benchmark scores

CrystalDiskMark Read: 1977.4
CrystalDiskMark Write: 806.79
Geekbench CPU Multi: 6303
Geekbench CPU Single: 2337
Geekbench GPU: 6182
PCMark Overall: 4733
Cinebench CPU Multi: 4785 (R23)
Cinebench CPU Single: 1696 (R23)
Fire Strike Overall: 1918
Fire Strike Graphics: 1971
Fire Strike Physics: 12379
Fire Strike Combined: 778
Time Spy Overall: 879
Time Spy Graphics: 773
Time Spy CPU: 3963
Wildlife Overall: 5133
Steel Nomad Overall: 127
Windows Experience Overall: 8.1
Procyon AI Computer Vision 2.0: 635

Additional tests

Crucial T710 Gen 5 NVMe, slot 1: Read 3510.25 MB/s, Write 3530.98 MB/s
Crucial T710 Gen 5 NVMe, slot 2: Read 1750.42 MB/s, Write 1766.17 MB/s
Lexar PCIe 3.0 SSD: Read 1631.56 MB/s, Write 1499.14 MB/s

Getting started with the Beelink EQi was extremely straightforward, with a single power cord that plugs in, eliminating the need for the usual power brick. While this may seem small, it actually makes quite a difference, reducing cables and bulk to deal with.

Once the initial setup with the mouse, keyboard, and 4K monitor was complete and Windows 11 Pro was set up, the machine was installed with the usual array of applications. Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite and a few games for good measure.

Starting with the main office applications, performance proved solid, running PowerPoint, Word, and Excel without issue, with Copilot there to support me as I put together a presentation for September. The speed is good, and despite the CPU's entry-level position, it handled everything impressively.

Checking out the results of the Geekbench 2,337 single-core and 6,303 multi-core results and, more importantly, the PCMark 10 came in at 4,733, showing that while this machine doesn’t excel, it’s where you would want it for a competent everyday computer that won’t get bogged down under heavy processing.

During the test, I edited a few images in Lightroom and Photoshop, and both ran surprisingly well, even with the images stored on the internal UFS 3.1 drive. While this drive isn’t the fastest compared with the latest SSDs, it is fast enough for most office-based work, with CrystalDiskMark results of 1977.4 MB/s read and 806.79 MB/s write.

What’s interesting is that inside there are two PCIe 4.0 slots, one listed as PCIe 4.0 x2 and the other as PCIe 4.0 x1, so I fitted a Micron Crucial T710 Gen 5 NVMe to each in turn to check out the speeds of each, just as a note you can add up to 4TB in each, giving a total of 8.5TB of storage which is impressive.

The first slot recorded 3510.25 MB/s read and 3530.98 MB/s write. The same drive in slot two returned 1750.42 MB/s read and 1766.17 MB/s write. That's roughly twice the speed in the first compared with the second and still very acceptable for the intended end user. While I used a PCIe 5.0 SSD, a respectable PCIe 4.0 SSD which is far cheaper should gain a similar result.

Switching to the Xe3-LPG graphics, things start to fall slightly. The integrated graphics are ideal for everyday work, watching back multimedia and light photo and video editing.

However, when it comes to gaming, the potential is limited. Hogwarts Legacy ran slowly, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was a no-go. Other games ran, but due to the lack of space on the internal storage, I ran all from the faster Crucial in the first of the two spare SSD slots.

After running the Mini PC in the office for a week, using it mainly for Word and research work with some light photo editing, a few features became apparent that set this Mini PC and test apart from most others. The speed of those connections just enabled the EQi to integrate perfectly with the studio; it’s nothing flashy, but it turned out to be the fastest machine for transferring image and video data to the NAS.

After a shoot, I plugged the CFExpress Type-B card reader into the Thunderbolt 4 port and transferred the files at speed over to the Ugreen IDX6011 NAS. The connection speed over the network, due to that 10GbE port, made the transfer speed far exceed that of any other machine I know.

I usually use an old Intel Nuc 9 Ghost Canyon that I can leave for a few hours before network editing on the MacBook Pro; however, here, with this small, inexpensive machine, it handled everything at speed.

While the 24-core TOPS, as quoted by Beelink, is marginal on the AI processing front, and while I was able to use Co-Pilot, running a local LLM was limited to a 3-4B model, I opted for Qwen3. The main issue here was that the RAM is only single-channel, which limits the speed; however, for checking through documents and basic summary tasks, it actually worked surprisingly well.

Performance: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Beelink EQi is an impressive office-focused machine that underwhelms with its design but outperforms in performance. It packs in the usual office-based Mini PC features such as being able to support three displays, 2.5GbE networking, a base level of storage and RAM, but then it surprises by offering more.

The 10GbE networking and Thunderbolt 4 ports are surprising and completely change what’s possible with this machine, and for something with such a small footprint, those two specifications instantly make it interesting.

When you then add in the fact that you can expand the internal storage with two 4TB SSDs, it then becomes even more interesting.

For me, the 10GbE and Thunderbolt ports are what make this Mini PC go from something that would blend into the background to something that’s actually very useful. The speed of those two ports enables me to hook this directly into an existing 10GbE network and to take advantage of the speeds that it offers. The issue, of course, is that you need the network infrastructure in place to make the most of this speed.

That brings me round to who the Beelink EQi is best for? Straight down the line, it would be for Office work. It has excellent single-core performance, runs pretty much silently, supports up to three displays, lets you upgrade the internal storage, and has an ultra-fast network connection that is beyond what most desktops offer. It’s also not really usable for playing games, and, on the surface, if you work in the creative sector, it’s not going to make an impact there either.

However, as I found with a cheapish mini PC that offers solid performance, the Thunderbolt 4 and 10GbE network make it great for offloading large video and image files to the NAS. Realistically, however, this is a Mini PC perfectly suited to anyone whose work involves documents, spreadsheets, browsers, and moving large files across a network; it is one of the more capable small machines I have tested this year.

Should I buy the Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake?

Value	Decent connection options for the money, if you have a 10GbE network to use it	4
Design	Compact, quiet and well laid out inside, let down by plasticy casing	4
Features	Outstanding port selection for a machine this size, focused for the office but with potential	5
Performance	Fast in everyday work, weak in graphics, excellent storage in the right slot	4
Overall	An excellent quiet office machine with workstation connectivity	4

Buy it if...

You store a lot of files in different places

Whether that is a NAS, a media library, or a shared project drive, the dual 10GbE and 2.5GbE ports move large files at a rate most full-sized desktops can’t match.

You want a silent machine.

Single-core performance is excellent, and in the office I couldn’t hear the machine over the ambient noise in most situations.

Don't buy it if...

You want to play modern games.

A Time Spy graphics score of 773, compared to 3,963 for the CPU, shows exactly where the limitations are. The single Xe3 core is built for displays, video playback and light graphical work, not gaming.

You need heavy multicore performance.

While light video and image editing is possible, it’s certainly not where the machine's strength lies.

For more professional-grade desktops, we've tested the best business computers.

Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock review: I finally found the ultimate docking station for creatives

Alastair Jennings — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 19:35:00 +0000

Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock: 30-second review

The Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock is one of a new wave of high-performance docks that offer ultra-fast connectivity and the option to add internal storage. The design is reminiscent of the Mac Mini range with its cubed compact aluminium design that sees a single Thunderbolt 5 cable running from the dock to your computer, and once done, adds three more Thunderbolt 5 ports, alongside a spread of USB, UHS-II card readers, 2.5GbE Ethernet, audio, and up to 140W of charging.

The big features here are the Thunderbolt 5 connection and the option to add an M.2 NVMe SSD, changing this from a high-performance hub into an SSD enclosure. The SSD must be purchased separately; it comes in a model with up to 8TB of capacity and takes less than a minute to screw into place. Satechi has included everything you need, including a screwdriver and thermal pads.

Once the SSD is installed and all desktop cables are connected, it's a neat solution that enables you to connect monitors, control boards, speakers, network connections, and additional drives in a matter of seconds.

This makes it a great solution if you’re a photographer or video editor and need to offload files quickly after a day's shoot, though it's disappointing that the network is limited to 2.5GbE, whereas many other premium docks have already adopted 10GbE. Despite that, for creators, I found it to be the best docking station I've tested.

At the price, however, this doc is well balanced; you do need a Thunderbolt 5 to get the most out of it. On anything slower, Thunderbolt 4, USB4 and so on, it still works, but the speeds drop dramatically.

In this test, I utilised an Asus Prime-based machine fitted with a Thunderbolt 5 card to check the speeds. It’s also worth noting that in an editing environment where you want everything to be as quiet as possible, there is an active fan that helps keep the SSD cool, but unfortunately, it adds a little noise under load.

If you use the CubeDock with the right machine and have an SSD installed, it’s one of the neatest ways I've come across to turn a laptop into a full creative workstation, storage included, from a single cable.

Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock: Price and availability

How much does it cost? From $399
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Directly from Satechi or Amazon

The Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock with SSD enclosure is priced at $399.99 in the US, available direct from Satechi and Amazon.com. In the UK, it's up for £399.99 at Amazon.co.uk.

The price is for the dock alone, and if you want to install an M.2 NVMe SSD, then this is a separate purchase, so budget for the drive on top of that.

Value: 3.5 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock: Specs

Upstream: 1 x Thunderbolt 5 (80/120Gbps), up to 140W host charging
Downstream: 3 x Thunderbolt 5 (80Gbps data each, 15W each)
SSD enclosure: M.2 NVMe, 2230/2242/2260/2280, up to 8TB, PCIe 4x4, up to 6000MB/s
USB-C: 1 x 10Gbps (30W), 1 x 10Gbps (7.5W)
USB-A: 1 x front 10Gbps (7.5W), 1 x rear 10Gbps (4.5W)
Card readers: SD + microSD, UHS-II,
Ethernet: 2.5GbE
Audio: 3.5mm in/out
Displays: up to 8K 144Hz single / triple 8K 60Hz (Windows); up to dual 6K 60Hz (macOS, chip-dependent)
Cooling: active fan, smart curve, 20-40 dB(A)
Power: 180W smart power supply
Dimensions: 12.7 x 12.7 x 5.2cm
Weight: 588.9g

Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock: Design

The CubeDock is a compact cube in industry-grade aluminium, measuring 12.7cm square and 5.2cm tall, and weighing a substantial 588.9g, far heavier than you would initially expect and highlighting that this is a permanent office fixture rather than portable.

The weight is reassuring, especially when it’s sat on your desk, having various accessories and peripherals plugged in. The aluminium build and natural finish look great and have the dual function of durability and passive heatsinking. There’s also an internal fan that's vented to keep everything at a stable temperature.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

On the front and back, there are plenty of ports, and the layout is well thought out, with the connections I most frequently need, such as USB-C, USB-A, and the two card readers, positioned on the front. The permanent connections, such as the Thunderbolt 5 ports, Ethernet, audio, power, and a second USB-A port, are all on the back.

As ever, there's a Kensington lock slot, too, which is good to see if you do work in a shared office, especially if you install an expensive 8TB SSD.

That SSD is installed at the base of the dock and requires a screwdriver to access it. Satechi has included everything needed in the box: a small screwdriver, the mounting screws and two thermal pads, so there's no hunting for bits.

Checking out the cavity where the SSDs slot in, and it’s good to see that the space has been designed to take any M.2 NVMe drive from 2230 up to 2280, so whatever size you have, the installation process is easy enough. Installing a Crucial T710 took a couple of minutes.

One surprise is that there are no HDMI or DisplayPort connections for a monitor. Instead, all video runs through the Thunderbolt 5 ports, so if your monitors use either of these connector types, you'll need adapters or cables to connect them.

Design: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock: Features

The design of the dock instantly highlights its close affinity with the Mac Mini in style and colour, although it is only available in silver. It’s also compatible with both Mac and PC systems, as long as they have a Thunderbolt 5 port; if not, it's fully backwards compatible with previous Thunderbolt and USB-C ports.

The feature that sets this apart from the vast majority of other hubs, even those with a Thunderbolt 5 port, is an integrated SSD enclosure. This means that rather than having the dock and then plugging in a separate external SSD, you can have one integrated internally, freeing up a port and also enabling maximum connection speeds.

If you deal with large files of any type, then having access to fast, readily available storage is essential, especially if you work with video. With an 8TB SSD inside, you'll be able to work off that fast internal storage for editing, offloading cards, and keeping an active project library for recent projects without constantly needing to archive.

Through the test, I popped in a Crucial T710 1TB, a PCIe Gen5 NVMe M.2 2280, and it’s highlighting that while the enclosure is compatible with the latest Gen5 modules, it runs at PCIe 4x4, which is rated at a maximum of 6000MB/s, so even if the drive is faster, you’ll be limited by that technology.

The storage is a feature that draws me to this dock, but there’s also the fact that a single-cable connection to your computer is all that’s needed, letting you connect all your devices. This not only helps with the time it takes to connect up in the mornings when you arrive at the office, but also at the end of the day. That one cable to my laptop, and then the Desktop PC enabled me to connect displays, data, networking, and charging.

On the feature side, there were a couple of points that surprised me, and the first was the display options: there are no HDMI or DisplayPort ports, so adapters will be needed if that’s all your monitors support. However, if you can connect via Thunderbolt 5 to Windows or macOS machines, you have plenty of flexibility and choice.

On Windows machines you can drive up to three 8K displays; on Mac, it's chip-dependent, with up to dual 6K on capable Apple Silicon and triple-display support reserved for the very newest Pro and Max chips, on my M1 Max, I was limited to two monitors and the speed of the Thunderbolt 4 connection, whereas the desktop equipped with the correct TB5 showed a huge uplift in speed.

The rest of the feature set is almost what you’d expect from a premium; up to 140W charging back to the host, ideal for my 16-inch MacBook Pro, plus 30W from a front USB-C for a phone or tablet; UHS-II SD and microSD readers great for the GoPro Mission 1 and the Sony A7 IV that I often use and a 3.5mm audio jack.

The one issue for me is that there's only 2.5GbE Ethernet; at this price, I would have expected at least 5GbE, with the more premium docks now all sporting 10GbE. Thankfully for the now-ageing MacBook Pro M1 Max and me, the dock is fully backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB4, and USB-C.

Another feature worth highlighting is the active cooling, which features a smart fan that only starts up when the dock needs it, keeping the SSD and controllers cooler under load. When working with video in the doc and with an SSD enclosed, the fan did kick in, but the office volume wasn’t overly loud or distracting.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Features: 4 / 5

Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock: Performance

I tested the CubeDock with my MacBook Pro M1 Max, with a CrucialT710 1TB installed in the enclosure. I also tested on an M1 Max-equipped machine with Thunderbolt 4, so I was unable to reach the full potential of a Thunderbolt 5-equipped machine. The T710 is a PCIe 5.0 drive. To measure the CubeDock at its full Thunderbolt 5 potential, I've connected it to the Thunderbolt 5-equipped Asus ProArt.

Setting the CubeDock up is easy enough, and I opted to install the Crucial T710 from the outset. This took a few minutes, and it was good to see that a screwdriver had been supplied along with thermal pads to help with the heat dissipation. Once installed and all cables were connected to the dock, I connected my MacBook Pro M1 Max via the Thunderbolt cable included in the box.

After a couple of seconds, the Crucial drive appeared on the desktop, as it had already been formatted. The monitor also sprang to life, and I had a direct connection to the network, albeit limited to 2.5GbE. That single-cable connection is something I use extensively in the office, with two permanently fixed docks: one for the MacBook Pro and the other for the Asus desktop. They just make everything so much cleaner, cut down on cables and increase the speed at which I can connect, especially with the laptop.

On the M1 Max, while the docking is handy, I’m used to that feature with the other docks, but here, having the internal storage was definitely a great addition. However, as the MacBook Pro M1 Max runs Thunderbolt 4, the T710 was never going to reach its full potential, and combined with the enclosure's PCIe 4x4 ceiling, the test results using this setup reflect the connection rather than the drive's or, for that matter, the enclosure's full capability.

What I will say is that in a real world environment for everyday offloading of memory cards and drives as well working directly from that larger internal SSD drive that I installed, it was a great solution and did highlight that soon it will be time to upgrade to a Thunderbolt 5 machine, although whether that will be a Mac or something else is at the moment very much up for debate.

While the benchmarks are impressive, they're far from the potential of the Dock, so for the real TB5 test I’ve connected to the ProArt desktop, here the speeds take a massive increase in speed and for any creative environment this dock not only works as a handy dock adding in ports that are easily accessible, but also takes the place of a fast working drive in a small desktop box.

What impressed me was the Benchmark tests that showed transfer speeds from the internal SSD that I had installed, of 4622.50 MB/s Read, 3721.54 MB/s Write.

Connecting a Thunderbolt 5 external SSD through the dock showed speeds of 4332.44 MB/s Read, 2748.33 MB/s Write.

On the MacBook Pro M1 Max with Thunderbolt 4 this reduced to 3441.50 MB/s Read, 1752.96 MB/s Write.

Connecting a Thunderbolt 5 external SSD through the dock showed speeds of 3445.34 MB/s Read, 1659.22 MB/s Write.

All very impressive. Alongside the SSD speeds and connectivity to connected and internal drives, there are also SD card slots, both of which are UHS-II and rated to 312 MB/s.

In the test, I offloaded a USH-II Lexar Professional Silver Pro 512GB card containing images captured on the Sony A7 IV, with transfer speeds of 243.76MB/s read and 104.68MB/s write. After recently coming across a premium hub that dropped to UHS-I, it's good to see proper UHS-II readers here.

Some of the other connections are also worth noting, and for use with laptops, 140W charging and networking are both handy, although, as stated before, I wish that the networking had been rated at the 5GbE, but still 2.5GbE still enables quick transfers to achieve NAS, just not quite the speeds I’d like for network video editing.

During the test, with transfers to and from the dock to the SSD I had installed, the internal temperatures did rise due to the load; however, the active fan kicked in quietly and kept the temperatures in check. The noise from the dock really wasn’t an issue.

Performance: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock is a great bit of kit, both in function and style and what stood out to me was the integrated SSD enclosure that enables direct fast storage that’s essential for most laptop users, especially those working on MacBooks.

Having that storage option in the dock itself, albeit you need to supply your own SSD, helps keep things neat, so there’s never a need to plug in an external SSD, since the storage is already contained within the hub, ready to go as soon as you connect. It just makes it all a little more permanent.

The remaining connection ports, including the two UHS-II readers and the 2.5GbE networking, combine to offer a well-rounded package and a perfect option for any professional environment, especially for those in the creative sector.

However, as a dock, it’s expensive at $399.99. This is a combined dock and enclosure, and, of course, you also need to consider the price of the SSD you pop in. You also need a Thunderbolt 5 machine, although it is backwards compatible, to take full advantage of the speeds on offer.

My Thunderbolt 4 MacBook Pro M1 Max, while limited in speed, did benefit from additional storage capacity and connection options. I’d also highlight that it’s worth checking your monitors to ensure they have a USB-C display connection, as there is no HDMI or DisplayPort; however, I found Ugreen cables for less than £10 each.

If you're running a Thunderbolt 5 machine and want a single, compact dock that handles your displays, data, networking, charging, and storage at once, then the CubeDock is a great option, especially when you look at the price compared with some of the other Thunderbolt 5 docks on the market.

Should I buy the Satechi Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock?

Value	Despite initially seeming like an expensive dock, once you weigh up the features, it’s extremely well priced.	3.5
Design	Reflective of the Mac Mini, the weight and size make this a great desktop option with a premium build and the option to install an SSD	4.5
Features	Integrated NVMe enclosure, 140W charging, UHS-II card readers and single cable connection to your machine	4
Performance	To make the most of the speed, you need Thunderbolt 5, and it is a good, balanced option	4
Overall	A great dock that will be a perfect partner for any creative, an upgrade in the network speed is really the only small downside.	4

Buy it if...

You have a Thunderbolt 5 machine and want built-in storage.

The integrated NVMe enclosure means one compact cube handles your displays, data, charging and fast storage from a single cable, no separate external drive cluttering the desk.

You offload fast camera cards daily.

The UHS-II SD and microSD readers run at up to 312MB/s, so cards from a modern mirrorless body offload at full speed rather than crawling through a UHS-I reader often seen on other docks.

Don't buy it if...

You're on a slower machine or a budget.

On Thunderbolt 4, USB4 or older, it works but won't reach its full speed, so you'd be paying a premium for potential you can't use.

Your displays are HDMI or DisplayPort.

All video runs through the Thunderbolt 5 ports; there's no HDMI or DisplayPort on the dock. If your monitors use those connectors, you'll need adapters, a dock with native HDMI/DP outputs may suit you better.

For more professional-grade desktops, we've tested the best business computers.

The new HP Omen 16 Slim isn't actually that skinny, but it is a surprisingly good budget gaming laptop - if you can get it at the right price

Jeremy Laird — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:16:44 +0000

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.

(Image credit: Future)

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

(Image credit: Future)

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

	Base spec	Review config
Price	$1,189 / £1,100 (estimated UK price)	£1,399 / $1,799 (estimated US price)
CPU	Intel Core Ultra 7 255H	Intel Core Ultra 7 255H
Graphics	Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU	Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU
RAM	16GB DDR5	24GB DDR5
Display	16-inch 1200p (1,920 x 1,200), 144Hz, IPS, 300 nits	16-inch 1200p (1,920 x 1,200), 165Hz, IPS, 400 nits
Storage	1TB NVMe SSD PCIe Gen4	1TB NVMe SSD PCIe Gen4
Ports and Connectivity	1x USB Type-C 10Gbps (USB Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4), 3x USB Type-A 5Gbps, 1x ethernet, 1x headphone/mic combo jack, 1x HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 76E Bluetooth 5.4	1x USB Type-C 10Gbps (USB Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4), 2x USB Type-A 5Gbps, 1x ethernet, 1x headphone/mic combo jack, 1x HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 76E Bluetooth 5.4
Battery	70Whr	70Whr
Weight	5.35lbs / 2.425kg)	5.35lbs / 2.425kg
Dimensions	14.1 x 10.6 x 0.9 inches / 35.75 x 26.9 x 2.27 cm	14.1 x 10.6 x 0.9 inches / 35.75 x 26.9 x 2.27 cm

HP Omen 16 Slim review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

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.

(Image credit: Future)

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

(Image credit: Future)

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

HP Omen 16 Slim benchmarks

3DMark: Night Raid: 57,311; Fire Strike: 25,198; Time Spy: 10,454; Port Royal: 6,372
Geekbench 6: Multicore: 14,468; Single-core: 3,114
Cinebench R24: Single Core: 134; Multi Core: 2,713
Crossmark: Overall: 1,992; Productivity: 1,888; Creativity: 2,182; Responsiveness: 1,783
Passmark Overall: 10,817; CPU: 38,631; 2D Graphics: 819; 3D Graphics: 17,174; Memory: 3,094; Disk: 36,232
CrystalDiskMark: Read: 7,025MB/s; Write: 5,895MB/s
Shadow of the Tomb Raider: (1200p, High): 132fps; (1200p, High, DLSS Quality): 139fps
Total War: Warhammer III: (1200p, Ultra): 83fps; (1200p, Low): 205fps
Cyberpunk 2077: (1200p, Ultra, no RT): 70fps; (1200p, RT Ultra, DLSS Balanced): 51fps
Doom: Dark Ages: (1200p, Ultra): 57fps; (1200p, Ultra, DLSS Quality): 83fps
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 12 hours and 32 minutes

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.

(Image credit: Future)

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.

(Image credit: Future)

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

(Image credit: Future)

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

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	Prices are pretty variable depending on spec and location. But certain Omen 16 Slim configurations do look appealing. You may need to keep your scanners peeled for a good deal, however.	4 / 5
Design	The "Slim" branding suggests something very compact, but this is actually a fairly beefy 16-inch laptop. That said, it is solidly built with a decent keyboard. It's just a pity the connectivity isn't a touch more comprehensive.	4 / 5
Performance	This is a value-orientated gaming laptop, so expectations should be kept in check. But the RTX 5060 GPU matches well with the 16-inch display and you can run pretty much any title at high detail settings with the aid of DLSS upscaling.	3.5 / 5
Battery life	If there's one metric where the HP Omen 16 Slim delivers beyond expectations, it's battery life. You can expect over 12 hours of video playback, which is well beyond what most affordable gaming laptops can manage.	5 / 5
Total Score	Much depends on the price you can bag on the HP Omen 16 Slim. But if you can find a good deal, you'll get good performance, solid build and a nice all-round package.	4 / 5

Buy the HP Omen 16 Slim if…

You want decent value in today's weird market
Nothing's cheap when it comes to gaming PCs, these days. But the HP Omen 16 Slim is definitely decent value in the current context of spiralling memory prices.

You want good battery life
Most gaming laptops struggle away from the mains. But the HP Omen 16 Slim will do 12 hours-plus of video playback on the battery.

Don't buy it if…

You're looking for great portability
Despite the "Slim" branding, this is not a particularly compact or light 16-inch laptop. But it is solid and feels built to last.

You need cutting-edge performance
The HP Omen 16 Slim puts out decent frame rates for a mainstream laptop. But its RTX 5060 GPU is limited to 80W and this is not a high-end machine.View Deal

HP Omen 16 Slim review: Also consider

Asus V16
If you're looking for something even cheaper, try the Asus V16. It uses older Nvidia RTX 30 and 40 Series GPUs to achieve a few savings. But it's surprisingly well built and very portable for a gaming laptop. Read our full Asus V16 review.

Medion Erazer Major 16 X1
If you want more performance without breaking the bank, try the Medion Erazer Major 16 X1 and its RTX 5070 Ti GPU. It's heavy, feels and bit cheap and the battery life is poor. But it'll kick out some very impressive frame rates. Read our full Medion Erazer Major 16 X1 review.

How I tested the HP Omen 16 Slim HX

(Image credit: Future)

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

The Razer Kiyo V2 is an excellent webcam, even though its fancy new AI features aren't really that exciting

christian.guyton@futurenet.com (Christian Guyton) — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 15:42:29 +0000

Razer Kiyo V2 webcam: Two-minute review

Razer is a household name in the webcam space, with its Kiyo brand being one of the most popular choices for streamers and PC gamers. The latest Kiyo V2 is another sterling example of Razer's commitment to premium build quality and high-end components, and for the most part, it's a great product.

Delivering either 4K recording at 30 frames per second or 1080p at 60, the Kiyo V2 captures quality video with a high degree of customization via the Razer Synapse software. It's fairly pricey (don't expect to see it on our list of the best cheap webcams), but for a 4K webcam with this sort of build quality and feature set, it's actually quite competitively priced.

(Image credit: Future)

Coming in black, white, and pink colorways (mine is the pink 'Quartz' model), the Razer Kiyo V2 is an extremely well-constructed product. It's durable and pleasingly tactile. The base can be extended and rotated to capture the perfect angle, and it easily clasps onto any monitor; I tested it both with the two monitors in my home desktop setup and my laptop, and it snapped into place with no issues. It's a little heavy, however, so laptops with flimsier display hinges might struggle.

The design is a departure from previous Razer webcams, which typically opted for a singular large casing surrounding the lens construction. Instead, it's a smaller lens housing with an oblong body, immediately reminiscent of the Logitech MX Brio 705.

Not everything has been abandoned with this new design, however. The lens housing, like previous Kiyo models, includes a pleasingly tactile rim that can be twisted to close the built-in physical privacy shutter. I'm always a fan of privacy solutions like this, though given the large size of the glass lens face, it would've been nice to see a lens cap included to keep it dust- and scratch-free.

(Image credit: Future)

It would potentially be nice if the webcam could be detached from the attached mount in order to fit it to a different mount; many content creators will have their own video setups and may want to use their own camera stands. However, the mount does have a threaded screw connector on the base, letting you fit it atop most industry-standard camera mounts.

In terms of video quality, it's great. 4K video is sharp and colorful, and even zoomed in, I found I looked perfectly detailed in the footage I recorded. Color reproduction is great, and the camera performed well in a range of light conditions. Low-light performance resulted in some mild oversaturation, but I've seen worse performance in more expensive cameras. It also supports HDR, though only at 30fps even at lower resolutions.

The autofocus works well, but I found it was a little slow to adjust if I quickly moved closer or further from the camera. Having tested quite a few webcams in my time, I feel that a webcam in this price range should be a bit snappier to focus.

That big lens means that the default field of view is huge. A 93-degree FOV means that the Kiyo V2 is liable to capture not just yourself but the entire room you're in, but thankfully it's easy enough to tweak this via the zoom and crop tools in Razer's Synapse software.

(Image credit: Future)

On the topic of Synapse, it's still a frankly rather clunky piece of software, but for webcam users who want granular control over their hardware, it does a solid job. In addition to zoom and crop tools, you can also manually tweak the autofocus, auto exposure, and color balance.

The Kiyo V2's software-side feature set also includes a selection of AI-powered tools, which are covered prominently in the marketing material for the webcam. These include dynamic light correction and noise reduction, but these features already existed in Synapse, and to be honest, I'm not entirely clear on what AI brings to the table here.

(Image credit: Future)

Look, Razer: I get it. I'm sure there's tremendous pressure from your shareholders to make everything AI-powered, because it's the buzzword du jour. But anyone who actually wants AI in their webcam (for whatever inane reason) likely isn't going to be better served by the Kiyo V2 than any other cutting-edge 'AI' webcam, like the Obsbot Tiny SE.

One element that does actually benefit from the involvement of machine learning is the auto-framing feature, which uses AI-powered head-tracking to keep you in the center of the frame even if you move around. However, since the Kiyo V2 lacks a mechanized gimbal, it can't alter the frame while fully zoomed out and can only track you so far; it can keep you in center frame if you move by a foot or two, but it won't follow you around a room.

On the bright side, you don't actually have to use Synapse and the AI features at all. The Kiyo V2 works great straight out of the box; just plug in the bundled cable, and you're off to the races, assuming you're happy with the default wide-angle FOV.

(Image credit: Future)

Now, for the only real problem I have with the Razer Kiyo V2. It comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box (the one with my review unit is pink, like the webcam itself), and as far as I can tell, you have to use this cable to access the full 4K functionality of the camera.

Considering that the cable is USB-C-exclusive, you'll need a free USB-C 3.0 port to make full use of the Kiyo V2. I tested it out with a USB-C to USB-A adapter, as well as using one of my own USB-C cables; no dice. It's frustrating, because USB-C ports can be in short supply for users connecting multiple peripherals, and the bundled cable is a bit short and inflexible.

(Image credit: Future)

Lastly, the built-in microphone is... fine, I guess. It's good enough for video calls, but anyone aiming to produce professional-level video content should definitely use a proper standalone microphone.

It's fair to say that the Razer Kiyo V2 deserves a spot among the best webcams on the market. There are a few niggling issues, but nothing that should ruin the experience for a gamer who wants a high-end webcam. For hardcore content creators, it remains a sound choice, but you should be aware of the downsides.

Razer Kiyo V2 webcam: Price & availability

How much does it cost? $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$279.95
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? The US, UK, and Australia

At $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$279.95, the Razer Kiyo V2 is significantly cheaper than the brand's own older Kiyo Pro webcam. If you're looking for a high-quality 4K cam, it's not an unreasonable price.

Sure, you could easily get a cheaper 4K webcam, but you'll need to risk it on a less established brand, and you almost certainly won't be getting the same rich feature set seen in the Kiyo V2. Similarly effective models from other premium brands like Logitech and Elgato will cost a comparable amount, so I'm pleased to say that despite its reputation for pricey hardware, Razer got the price right this time around.

Razer Kiyo V2 webcam: Specs

	Razer Kiyo V2
Price:	$149.99 / £149.99 / AU$279.95
Supported resolutions:	4Kp at 30fps, 1440p at 60fps, 1080p at 60fps
Sensor:	8.3 MP Sony STARVIS
Field of view:	93 degrees
Connection:	USB-C
Features:	Digital zoom, AI auto-framing, AI autofocus, dynamic color correction, HDR, mechanical privacy shutter
Software Integration:	Razer Synapse

Should you buy the Razer Kiyo V2 webcam?

(Image credit: Future)

Razer Kiyo V2 webcam report card
Value	The Razer Kiyo V2 is still fairly expensive, but it's reasonably priced for a high-end 4K webcam and much better value than the previous Kiyo Pro.	4 / 5
Design	A fresh chassis design that retains the excellent physical privacy shutter of older Kiyos, but the forced USB-C is annoying.	4 / 5
Performance	Audio is merely decent, but the picture quality and color balance are fantastic and Razer Synapse packs a ton of extra features.	4 / 5
Avarage rating	A high-quality webcam with a broad feature set and more competitive pricing, the Razer Kiyo V2 is a great product with only a few small flaws.	4 / 5

Buy it if...

You want 4K
At this price point, the Kiyo V2 is competitive within the 4K webcam space - you could find cheaper ones, but only if you're willing to accept a drop in quality.

You need wide-angled recording
If you're aiming to capture a larger space (or multiple video participants), the 93-degree FOV of the Kiyo V2 is perfect.

Don't buy it if...

You're short on ports
Since it needs to use the bundled USB-C cable to access full 4K recording, the Kiyo V2 is a poor choice for anyone who already has lots of ports in use on their PC.

You're on a budget
At $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$279.95, the Kiyo V2 is still pretty darn expensive, even if it's far better value for money than the older Kiyo Pro.

Razer Kiyo V2 webcam: Also consider

Insta360 Link 2C
Our current top pick of the 4K webcams available on the market right now, the Link 2C offers superior low-light performance and autofocus while also offering the same high-quality video and AI features as the Kiyo V2.

Read our full Insta360 Link 2C review

Obsbot Tiny 2
The Tiny 2 from Obsbot delivers 4K video along with AI-powered tracking via its mechanical gimbal mount. For those who want a high-end video experience, this is a great pick.

Read our full Obsbot Tiny 2 review

How I tested the Razer Kiyo V2 webcam

Tested the webcam in video calls and recording
Compared image quality to other webcams
8+ years of experience reviewing computer hardware

I replaced my usual webcam (the Insta360 Link 2 4K) with the Razer Kiyo V2 for two weeks, using it for all my normal video calls during the workday. I also tested it in various different lighting conditions by recording video separately and comparing the clips side by side. Naturally, I installed (well, reinstalled) Razer Synapse to properly test out all the software-side features as well.

I've been testing and reviewing PC hardware for more than eight years, starting at the PC-building hobbyist magazine Maximum PC before making the leap to TechRadar's computing team. I put all of my knowledge and experience behind each and every one of my product reviews, so you can be assured that you're getting an informed and bias-free judgement.

I love this wacky 47g sci-fi gaming mouse – and it's one of the best I've tested all year

Reece Bithrey — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 10:12:48 +0000

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97: two-minute review

It seems everyone and their dog is betting on where the high end gaming mouse market is going next, and the AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 is betting big on super light and powerful mice that nail the basics.

Okay, we've already seen this with the Razer Viper V4 Pro, but AngryMiao takes a different approach, with a heavily perforated chassis that looks like it's escaped from a sci-fi film rather than the gaming section of a branch of Currys or Best Buy.

Look past the aesthetics, though, and there's a genuinely accomplished mouse underneath. A sub-50g weight with or without a battery, a zippy 30,000 DPI PixArt PAW3950 sensor and true 8000Hz wireless polling put it right up there with the best ultralight mice I've tested this year, and its swappable battery system is a genuinely clever solution to the age-old wireless mouse problem of battery anxiety, with spares stashed inside the wireless receiver box for whenever you need them.

(Image credit: Future)

It's not a mouse without its flaws, though. The companion software is basic and has an annoying habit of running in the background, there's no dedicated DPI button or clutch anywhere on the chassis, and at $189 it's more expensive than its direct rivals. Whether that's a dealbreaker depends on how much you value standing out from the crowd.

That's ultimately what I feel you're paying for here. The AM Infinity.97 looks and feels like nothing else on the market, and backs that up with performance that goes toe-to-toe with mice from far bigger names. If you want a boutique ultralight mouse that doesn't sacrifice substance for style, this is one of the most compelling options I've tested all year.

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 review: Price & release date

$189 (approx £141/AU$270)
Released in January 2026
Towards the top end of the market

The AM Infinity.97 costs $189, and that puts it right at the top of the ultralight gaming mouse market against some genuinely excellent competition. The Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike costs $179.99, and the Razer Viper V4 Pro is $159.99 — meaning AngryMiao's boutique option is comfortably the priciest of the three.

It launched in January 2026 as the slightly smaller brother to the brand's original AM Infinity mouse, offering a different take on the highly competitive ultralight mouse sector from a brand better known for its keyboards than such potent mice.

For the price, it's competitive in features, too, with a flagship wireless sensor and polling rate specs, clever swappable batteries and a magnesium alloy chassis that's lighter than both Razer and Logitech's choices. In terms of features. It's perhaps closer to the Viper V4 Pro in that it seeeks to nail the basics of being a competitive ultralight mouse, rather than introducing new features such as rapid trigger, as the G Pro X2 Superstrike does.

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 review: Specs

Sensor	PixArt PAW3950
DPI	100 - 30,000
Polling Rate	125 - 8,000Hz
Connectivity	Wired, Bluetooth, 2.4GHz Wireless
Switches	TTC Orange Dot Optical V2
Weight	39g (without battery), 47g (with battery)
Battery	340mAh swappable (up to 165 hours at 1KHz)

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 review: Design

Sci-fi-inspired looks
Magnesium alloy chassis keeps things sturdy
Software has very little frills

AngryMiao is a brand I associate more for its wacky keyboards than mice, but its house style is unmistakeable. As with the likes of Gravastar, it leans into a sci-fi aesthetic with a perforated chassis in keeping with the older guard of what ultralight gaming mice used to look like.

Intriguingly, it's slightly smaller than rivals, too, being only 97% of the size of a standard gaming mouse. That's because of AngryMiao's own market research that demonstrated this kind of size was what players preferred, not least for a mouse designed more for claw grippers than palm or fingertip users. Saying that, I had no issues using this high-power rodent with my usual palm grip, and the little orange piece on the rear of the chassis acts as a useful grip that does more of the heavy lifting than you might initially expect.

The AM Infinity.97 is available in three colors: black, white, and pink. I asked for my sample in the vivid pink, but ended up with a white one – no harm done, though, as it's a nice white that's almost got a creamy, off-white hue in some lighting environments.

(Image credit: Future)

At 47g with the battery in, it's one of the lightest mice I've used this year, and pulling out the battery for wired use drops that to a genuinely absurd 39g. That's a fair bit lighter than both Logitech and Razer's choices, although not quite as light as the Corsair Sabre V2 Pro, which weighs 36g with its internal battery.

That lightness doesn't feel flimsy, either. The AM Infinity.97's chassis is magnesium-aluminium alloy, and it's properly sturdy under the fingers, with gentle contouring to to sit well in the hand and a cool metallic touch that's oddly pleasant during longer sessions.

The button layout here is sensible, with two main clickers and a scroll wheel on top, side buttons within easy reach on the left, and a Bluetooth/2.4GHz toggle tucked underneath. What you don't get is a dedicated DPI button – an odd omission at this price, and the first real crack in an otherwise polished package. The main clicks use custom TTC Orange Dot Optical V2 switches, and I've become a big fan of these in my two weeks with this mouse. They're snappy and positive under finger, and because they're optical rather than mechanical, they're also noticeably quicker to register than more traditional gaming mice.

(Image credit: Future)

Okay, there isn't the rapid trigger or haptic feedback you'll get from the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike, but the short, sharp travel with ample tactility still feels pleasantly brisk and solid under finger.

If there's one area where things get less impressive for this AngryMiao mouse, it's th software. Being a web-based UI means things should be lightweight, although it's paired with a a downloadable executable that has an annoying habit of nibbling away at system resources you'd rather it left alone when running in the background.

(Image credit: Future)

When you do open it, it's easy enough to navigate, but there isn't much to it — DPI and polling rate, remapping, macros, profiles, lift-off distance and acceleration is about where the feature list ends. The bigger brand rivals offer much more complete software customisation.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 review: Performance

Flagship 30,000 DPI sensor
8000Hz wireless polling
Innovative swappable batteries

AngryMiao has fitted the AM Infinity.97 with a 30,000 DPI PixArt PAW3950 sensor, one I've put through its paces in plenty of other mice as a top-end flagship sensor, and it's every bit as sharp and responsive here either for general navigation or for getting stuck into Counter Strike 2 – my usual test for peripherals.

You won't get away for using the full 30,000 DPI all the time, as it turns this rodent into a jittery nightmare, hence why it can be moved down to a number of preset levels between 100 and 30,000 DPI in the mouse's software. Somewhere between 1600 DPI and 3200 DPI is where I ended up, preferring the former for more precise aiming in CS2, and the latter for navigating Windows and productivity workloads.

Alongside the beefy sensor, the AM Infinity.97 benefits from true 8000Hz polling across both wired and 2.4GHz connectivity, plus you get Bluetooth as an added bonus. In my testing, both wireless connectivity methods felt rock solid throughout testing, whether I was on Bluetooth with a MacBook Pro or the 2.4GHz receiver box on my Windows gaming PC.

(Image credit: Future)

As much as 8000Hz wireless polling isn't the standout feature it was a couple of years ago, and its efficacy for normal folks is debatable, it's still very nice to see for a competitive oriented rodent such as this AngryMiao choice. It's something competitive players will feel more than us normal folks, but is still handy for peace of mind your mouse is performing at its best.

The fact is that the high DPI sensor, fast wireless polling, superlight chassis and snappy optical switches combine to make the AM Infinity.97 one of the best gaming mice I've tested this year, and I've given both the G Pro X2 Superstrike and Viper V4 Pro a run for their money, too. I'd wager it's closer in philosophy to Razer, nailing the fundamentals rather than throwing haptics and rapid trigger into a light chassis the way Logitech does — but as a first impression, it's a knockout.

I found its low mass makes wrist flicks and sweeping CS2 movements almost effortless, while those optical switches give you brisk, satisfying clicks and its sensor felt dead accurate to boot.This is a mouse that nails the basics and turns that into something genuinely excellent.

The AM Infinity.97 also has one further trick up its sleeve with a feature I've only seen on a couple of other gaming mice – the Glorious Model O3 and D3 Wireless – with swappable batteries. In this instance, the batteries clip on magnetically to the underside of the mouse, and can be swapped out for a spare kept inside the 2.4GHz wireless receiver box that connects to your PC with the bundled USB-C to USB-A cable.

(Image credit: Future)

The mouse also works wired, so a dead battery is never really a crisis. What you don't get is an internal backup cell, meaning if both external batteries die, you're out of luck until you plug in – Glorious has a 'Guardian battery' inside the mouse chassis itself, which is the one area where I think they win.

This swappable battery system leads AngryMiao to claim 'infinite' battery life in its marketing bumf, although a little further down the product page, it's more reasonable. With 1,000Hz polling, you'll see up to 165 hours, while at the full 8,000Hz, this drops to up to 30 hours. For reference, I was getting between 25 or so hours on a charge on one battery with 8,000Hz enabled, demonstrating just how thirsty a higher polling rate continues to be.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the AngryMiao AM Infinity.97?

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 scorecard
Attribute	Notes	Score
Design	The AM Infinity.97 features adistinctive sci-fi-inspired magnesium alloy chassis that's remarkably light without sacrificing rigidity, plus sensible button placement and snappy optical switches. Basic software and the lack of a dedicated DPI button are the only real drawbacks in my book.	4.5/5
Performance	We've got flagship-grade sensor performance, true 8,000Hz wireless polling and excellent optical switches that combine to deliver one of the fastest, most responsive ultralight gaming mice I've tested, with clever swappable batteries adding genuine practicality. Just watch out for the drop-off if using 8,000Hz polling all the time.	4.5/5
Value	It's the most expensive of the other two rivals I've put the AM Infinity.97 against, but you can get it more affordably on sales, and it's still very competitive given the feature set.	4/5
Average Rating	The AM Infinity.97 is a striking mouse from a brand better known for its keyboards, and it backs up the looks with genuine substance. It's one of the most responsive, comfortable ultralight mice I've used all year, with a genuinely clever swappable battery system to boot. Basic software and a steeper price than its rivals stop it from being such an easy recommendation, but as a statement piece that also performs, it's a very compelling option.	4.5/5

Buy it if…

You want flagship-level performance:
The AM Infinity.97 delivers some of the most responsive, accurate performance of any mouse I've tested this year, backed by a genuinely clever swappable battery system.View Deal

You want a mouse that looks like nothing else:
Its perforated alloy chassis and sci-fi styling make it stand out instantly against a sea of similarly shaped ultralight rivals.View Deal

You want virtually infinite battery life:
AngryMiao's magnetically swappable batteries is a genuine innovation in this highly competitive sector, and can unlock virtually endless battery life if you play your cards right.View Deal

Don’t buy it if…

You want something more affordable:
The big thing with this AngryMiao mouse is a higher price tag against its rivals, although they trade on innovative features and overall mass.View Deal

You want a subtler-looking mouse:
The heavily perforated chassis is a statement piece rather than something built to blend in, and if you'd prefer an understated rodent, then key rivals will serve you better.View Deal

You want more polished software:
The AM Infinity.97's web-based companion app is basic, prone to running in the background, and offers far less depth than rivals when it comes to customisation.View Deal

Also consider

Razer Viper V4 Pro:

If you want the basics nailed brilliantly without the boutique price tag, the Viper V4 Pro is $30 cheaper and matches the AM Infinity.97 for pure responsiveness while also being especially light. It skips the swappable battery gimmick, but has much stronger software and remains an excellent pick for competitive play.

Read our full Razer Viper V4 Pro review.View Deal

Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike:

The G Pro X2 Superstrike goes further than either AngryMiao or Razer on features with its clever HITS system that enables haptic feedback and rapid trigger and packs it into a familiar chassis to anyone who's used a G Pro X Superlight 2, albeit it is heavier than either Razer or AngryMiao's option. That being said, it undercuts the AM Infinity.97 on price.

Read our full Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike review.View Deal

How I tested the AngryMiao AM Infinity.97

(Image credit: Future)

Tested over two weeks of use
Used across both Windows and macOS
Extensive gaming mouse review experience

I used the AM Infinity.97 for a couple of weeks across both a Windows gaming PC and a MacBook Pro, testing it over Bluetooth, the bundled 2.4GHz receiver, and wired via USB-C.

Counter-Strike 2 formed the backbone of my performance testing, given how heavily it leans on quick, accurate mouse movement, alongside general everyday use for browsing and productivity to assess comfort and grip over longer sessions. I also used the web-based software extensively to test each of its functions.

I've been a tech journalist for the best part of a decade, and have reviewed plenty of gaming and productivity mice in that time from brands big and small from up and down the price ladder.

Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
First reviewed: July 2026

Microsoft Clipchamp (2026) review

Krishi Chowdhary — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 16:32:19 +0000

Microsoft's range of tools, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams, are very popular. However, not as many people know that Microsoft also offers a very capable AI video editor called Clipchamp, which comes bundled with its Personal and Business plans.

In this article, we put Clipchamp to the test. We'll examine the various features it offers, its plans, ease of use, and how it compares to its competitors to find out whether it delivers value for the money it charges and whether it's the right tool for your needs.

Clipchamp: Plans and pricing

Clipchamp offers one of the most generous free video editor plans we've seen among AI editing tools. You can edit videos using AI, trim, crop, resize, and rotate assets, as well as add animated text and titles. The free plan supports up to 1080p HD video resolution, along with limited access to royalty-free stock assets such as stickers, images, videos, GIFs, sound effects, and music.

The premium plan, on the other hand, supports up to 4K UHD video resolution and includes unlimited access to premium stock assets, premium filters and effects, and a single brand kit. However, Microsoft doesn't offer a standalone subscription to Clipchamp. Instead, it comes bundled with Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, and Business plans.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The Microsoft 365 Personal plan is priced at around $99.99 per year and comes with a host of other Microsoft apps, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, along with Microsoft Copilot.

The Family plan costs $129.99 per year, while the Microsoft 365 Business Premium plan costs $22 per user per month and the Microsoft 365 Business Standard plan costs $14 per user per month. Both Business plans include Clipchamp.

That said, the tool can turn out to be expensive if you're purchasing a Microsoft 365 subscription solely to use Clipchamp. However, if you're already a Microsoft user or have a Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, or Business plan, Clipchamp is an obvious pick.

Clipchamp: Features

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Clipchamp is primarily a video editing tool that incorporates a wide range of AI features to make the editing process much easier.

For instance, there's AI text-to-speech, which helps you generate AI voiceovers for your videos in over 80 languages. You can choose from 400 voices and even adjust the pitch or emotion to suit your videos.

Then there's AI silence removal, which can remove unwanted pauses from your videos, as well as an AI noise suppression feature that gets rid of background noise, mic static, and echoes in your audio and video tracks to improve clarity.

Additionally, there's a very handy AI background removal feature that lets you replace the background of any image with stock images, videos, or even solid colors.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

You can also enable auto-captions for your videos, where Clipchamp's AI accurately transcribes your audio in the language of your choice. You can even download your subtitle transcript in just a few clicks.

Now, besides helping you edit videos with AI, Clipchamp also uses AI to generate videos, but not from prompts. You can upload your files using its Create a video with AI feature, which auto-composes a video using user-supplied media. You simply have to choose a style and the length of the video, then wait for Clipchamp's AI to get to work.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

One of the best things about Clipchamp is its rich collection of stock assets and templates. You'll find hundreds of elements, such as backgrounds, overlays, frames, shapes, stickers, emojis, audio, music, and text styles, within the editor itself.

There's also a vast collection of templates for various platforms and use cases, whether it's Instagram or YouTube, or videos for corporate presentations, celebrations, social media ads, or even memes.

You also get four built-in recording options with Clipchamp: Camera, Screen, Camera and Screen, and Text-to-Speech. Simply grant the app access to your webcam and microphone, select the window, tab, or desktop you want to record, and click Share. This comes in particularly handy if you regularly use a free screen recorder to create or edit your videos.

Clipchamp: Interface and in use

You'll need your Microsoft login details to use Clipchamp. Once you're logged in, you'll see a very clean interface that feels beginner-friendly. You'll get two options at the top: Create a new video or Create a video with AI. If you simply want to edit a video, click on the first option.

(Image credit: Future)

The editing interface is divided into three panels. The central pane is where you can preview your videos, along with a horizontal timeline at the bottom. On the left-hand side, you'll find all the editing options and elements, such as the content library, templates, text, and transitions. You can select any element you want to add to your video.

Individual settings for every element you add appear on the right-hand side when selected. For instance, if you add an audio track and click on it in the timeline, all the audio-related settings appear in the right-hand panel.

Editing in Clipchamp is as simple as dragging and dropping. Simply drag a clip from your library onto the timeline to start a new project. Then choose any element you want and drag and drop it onto the timeline. Repeat the process until you've added and edited all the elements you need.

Clipchamp: How we tested

We used Clipchamp's free version to test its editing capabilities. We first clicked on Create a New Video, which opened a blank dashboard. We started by importing media and adding a small five-second clip to test it out. Once imported, we simply dragged it to the timeline at the bottom to begin editing.

First up, we found basic video settings on the right-hand side, such as filters and effects. We played around with the free filters, including Golden Hour and Vibrant Blogger. Each filter comes with an intensity slider, allowing you to choose how strongly you want it to be applied. The same goes for the effects.

Once we had edited the video, we started testing the elements in the left-hand panel. We first recorded a short voiceover and added it to our video. We then browsed through Clipchamp's audio selection and chose a soft rain background track.

(Image credit: Future)

Note that much of the music and audio selection is only available on the premium plan. That said, there's still a fair collection included in the free plan.

A nice touch is that you can search its vast content library using keywords in the search bar, which saves you from scrolling through its extensive collection of assets. Overall, the editing experience was pretty smooth, and we didn't encounter a significant learning curve.

Clipchamp: Alternatives

While Clipchamp uses AI to help you edit videos, it cannot generate AI images or videos from prompts. If that's what you're looking for, you'll need to consider tools like Veed or Kapwing.

Veed, for instance, allows you to generate AI videos using various models such as Seedance, Luma Ray, PixVerse 4.5, and more. You can also generate AI avatars with over 60 character options. One of Veed's biggest strengths is its wide selection of subtitle options, including dynamic and auto-generated subtitles. Starting at $12 per user per month, Veed is a good pick if you're looking for a mix of AI generation and editing.

If you're looking for something more professional, InVideo is a great choice. Along with its proprietary Agent One, it lets you create professional short videos, films, and cinematic content using conversational prompts. Built for filmmakers and other creative professionals, it can create promotional videos, animated videos, advertisements, and explainers. That said, InVideo is on the expensive side, with plans starting at $17 per month.

If you're looking for something more affordable, we'd recommend Filmora, which starts at just $4.17 per month. Although it can also help you create AI videos and images, Filmora is a more advanced video editing platform that lets you edit videos using simple AI prompts instead of doing everything manually on the editing dashboard. Along with this, it has also introduced features such as animated charts and AI video extenders to help you achieve better editing results.

Clipchamp: Final verdict

Microsoft Clipchamp is a very handy video editing tool that's surprisingly beginner-friendly while offering several advanced features at the same time. For instance, you get an AI auto-compose feature that lets you upload media and generate AI videos by simply selecting the style and length of your video.

Moreover, it comes with AI text-to-speech in over 80 languages, along with AI silence removal and background removal features, which come in particularly handy. There are also plenty of stock assets, including templates, effects, filters, stock audio, and music, that you can choose from, even on the free plan.

Editing is incredibly straightforward, too. All you have to do is drag and drop your videos and the elements you want to add to your final output. However, one downside is that you cannot generate AI videos or images from prompts.

Also, Clipchamp doesn't offer standalone pricing or plans and is only available as part of Microsoft 365 subscriptions, which start at $99.99 per year for Personal plans and $14 per user per month for Business plans. This can be quite expensive compared to dedicated AI video generators and editors such as Filmora or Adobe Firefly.

We've tested a range of video makers and editors, including the best video editing software, the best video editing apps and the best free video editing software.

I’ve been using the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (2026), and this is the best (and biggest) gaming laptop you can buy right now

Henry Winchester — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:11:33 +0000

Asus ROG Strix Scar 18: One-minute review

A hefty laptop in every sense of the word, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 bolsters its beefy design with high-end componentry, including a flagship Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and an Nvidia RTX 5090 GPU. It’s an 18-inch gaming machine that’s capable of running the latest titles at the best quality.

If this blockbuster performance comes at a cost, it’s portability: the ROG Strix Scar 18’s size and weight make it a desktop replacement rather than a lightweight travel companion, unless you have a big bag and a strong back.

The speakers and trackpad feel like they could be better, but this is otherwise a solid all-in-one package for gamers (and creators) who value performance.

(Image credit: Future)

Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 review: Price & release date

How much does it cost? $6,299 / £5,699 / AU$8,379
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

You’re not hallucinating: the ROG Strix Scar 18 really is that eye-wateringly expensive. For that price, you are getting a state-of-the-art gaming laptop, and it’s a perfect balance in terms of CPU, GPU, and display, delivering desktop-like levels of performance in a fairly portable unit. But it’s still just so much to spend on a computer, and you start to wonder where higher prices due to tech shortages end, and sheer profiteering begins.

You could buy a lesser model (a 5070 model with 32GB RAM and a 2TB SSD is about $/£2,000 less) and add more RAM and hard drive capacity when you’ve got enough in your pension to afford them, but the GPU is fixed here, and this is arguably the most important bang-for-buck component to upgrade.

So yes, it’s extremely expensive, and extremely powerful – but whether you’re getting what you’re paying for is debatable.

Value: 3 / 5

Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 review: Specs

Price:	$6,299 / £5,699 / AU$8,379
CPU:	Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
Graphics:	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
Display:	18-inch ROG Nebula HDR QHD+ (2560 x 1600), Mini-LED, 240Hz
RAM:	64GB DDR5-5600 SO-DIMM (Dual Channel)
Storage:	4TB SSD
Ports:	1x 2.5G LAN, 2x Thunderbolt 5 (Type-C), 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A.
Wireless:	Intel Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) 2x2 + Bluetooth 5.4
Weight:	7.27 lbs (3.30 kg)
Dimensions:	15.71 x 11.73 x 0.93 ~ 1.26 inches (399 x 298 x 23.5 ~ 32.0 mm)

Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 review: Design

Mammoth 18-inch footprint
Droolworthy, pixel-packed high-contrast screen
Fun AniMe Vision display

Let’s start with the obvious: this is not a small laptop. 18 inches is basically the most humongous laptop you can buy at the moment, and it’s not exactly portable. It won’t fit into a standard backpack, and it probably won't leave your house outside of a suitcase.

At 7.27 lbs (3.3 kg), just lifting the unit is a workout in itself, and the power brick adds another 2.2 lbs (1 kg), so you’ve got a hefty unit that you won’t be pulling out in a café, unless it has very stable tables. But it’s a gaming laptop, and portability is at the very bottom of the requirements here.

As is subtlety. Instead of at least trying to design something that gives a lighter, airier impression, Asus has leaned into an angular, beefy design language. Add in the RGB LED lighting strip around the bottom edge, and the entire thing looks like it’s about to take off and become a new target for the Rebel Alliance.

(Image credit: Future)

That’s not the only lighting trick the ROG Strix Scar 18 keeps up its sleeve: on the rear of the screen, there’s what Asus dubs AniMe Vision, essentially a programmable Wall Street-style ticker tape readout for your laptop. It’s monochrome, and very low-res, but it’s actually really neat: you can use Asus’ software to customize what it says, so you can broadcast scrolling messages of love or hate, depending on who you’re sitting opposite.

On the other side of this screen is the main display itself, which is thankfully higher-resolution and more colorful. Much more colorful. While not full ultra-HD, its 2.5K resolution (2560 x 1600) and 240Hz refresh rate is a perfect match for an 18-inch screen. It’s also mini-LED, which makes colors utterly pop, even from oblique viewing angles.

(Image credit: Future)

Asus has included a keyboard replete with enormous trackpad and full-size number pad. There’s a decent amount of depth to the keys, and while there’s no mechanical clunk, they’re responsive and comfortable enough for long gaming and typing sessions.

The trackpad doesn’t quite meet Apple’s almost supernaturally interactive standards, and it’s prone to accidental touches, but most users will likely be pairing this laptop with a mouse. The speakers, too, are a little disappointing and tinny.

(Image credit: Future)

On the underside of the laptop is a grill of air intakes for cooling, and this whole panel can be detached without tools so you can upgrade the RAM and SSDs. Around the edge of the laptop there’s a gamut of ports: three USB 3.2, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 5, HDMI, Ethernet, 3.5 mm headphone jack, SD card slot — no, wait, not an SD card slot, just a vent that looks an awful lot like an SD card slot. Cheeky! I would have loved an SD card slot on a laptop of this size and price.

Design: 4 / 5

Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 review: Performance

Nvidia RTX 5090 is an absolute beast
Phenomenal DLSS support
Gets crazy loud in Turbo mode

Having such a huge screen works wonders here; its slightly wider aspect ratio adds a movie-like expansiveness to more cinematic games.

The test laptop we received packs an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 laptop GPU with 24 GB VRAM. Memory weighs in at a substantial 64 GB DDR5 dual-channel, and I’m never going to come near filling up the 4 TB SSD.

It has the gaming panache where it counts. 007 First Light hits 62 FPS on ultra graphics settings, with Bond’s glassy eyes melting my heart at any given opportunity. Lower the quality and the frame rates hit new heights — up to 170 FPS in 007, and it still looks really good, if a little last-gen.

Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 Benchmarks

3DMark: Night Raid: 84,346; Fire Strike: 41,166; Time Spy: 21,574; Port Royal: 14,368
Geekbench 6: Multicore: 26,101; Single-core: 2,340
Total War: Warhammer III: Mirrors of Madness (1080p, Ultra): 176.7 fps; (1080p, Low): 411.7 fps
Cyberpunk 2077: (1080p, Ultra): 129.8 fps; (1080p, Low): 149.9 fps
Dirt 5: (1080p, Ultra): 197.2 fps; (1080p, Low): 296.0 fps
PCMark 10 Battery Life: 3 hours and 3 minutes

Likewise, the hard, ray-traced light of Pragmata looks gorgeous when it hits those solid surfaces, and I was able to turn ray tracing on and hit 60 FPS at full res, which is just right. Diana’s flowing locks alone are worth the price of admittance.

Asus includes preset modes (Silent, Performance, Turbo), which can be toggled in-game with a handy function key, making it easier to unlock higher frame rates — I watched 007: First Light jump from 100 to 150 FPS (at low settings). However, Turbo also makes the fans kick in and, despite Asus’ vapor chamber cooling the whole thing becomes a bit jet engine-like.

(Image credit: Future)

Raw settings are only half the story now, though. Nvidia’s 5090 includes DLSS, and this is a quick and easy shortcut to match the 240hz refresh rate of Asus’ glorious panel. In 007: First Light, I can bump the settings all the way up and hit an epic 225 FPS, bringing it back to cinematic life.

I also had a quick dabble in my interminable Adobe Premier/After Effects project, and this is a laptop that’s as suited to creators as it is to gamers. 3D tracking, which was a stumbling block for my 2023 MacBook Pro, is almost instantaneous here, and it can take on 8K video timelines without missing a beat. Its game-centric looks may not please all designers, but for streamers and YouTubers it’s good to know it’s got the graphical grunt where you need it.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)

Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 review: Battery life

Expect five hours-ish for general computing
Drops substantially when gaming

For a high-performance gaming laptop, battery life is actually pretty impressive. PCMark 10’s battery life benchmark, which simulates general day-to-day computer use like you’re some idealized executive who’s on Zoom calls that decide the fate of the planet, came in at five hours and three minutes. Running a 1080p video on a continuous loop in VLC gave a five-hour and 18-minute result — exactly enough time to watch all three Venom movies, and, wait, there’s a third Venom movie?

(Image credit: Future)

Heavy gaming sessions inevitably drag the battery life down to the sub 90-minute duration, so you’re never going to want to be far from a wall socket.

Battery life: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18?

Attribute	Notes	Score
Features	Outstanding display tech, with easy upgrade potential	4.5
Performance	Desktop-grade productivity and gaming frame rates	4.5
Design	Bold, heavy aesthetic that trades portability for performance	4
Value	You’ll need a wallet as large as the PC itself	3

Buy it if…

You demand uncompromised gaming power
Combining the RTX 5090 GPU and Core Ultra 9 CPU creates a Double Dragon-esque combo that will take on any game with ray tracing cranked up.View Deal

You want a stunning desktop replacement
18-inches hits the sweet spot for a laptop that’ll rarely leave the desk, feeling expansive and cinematic, and the 240Hz refresh rate and brilliant brightness are exceptional here.View Deal

You are a creator who needs desktop-class grunt
So long as you’re OK with the brutalised aesthetics, with 64GB of RAM and a 4TB SSD, this machine chomps through 8K video rendering, 3D tracking, and intense multitasking.View Deal

Don’t buy it if…

You need a laptop that you can actually travel with
At over 7 pounds (not counting the hefty 2-pound brick), this is an absolute unit that will struggle to fit in a normal backpack or survive on a café table.

You're sensible with money
Crossing the five-thousand-dollar threshold makes this a luxury purchase. Solid gaming performance can still be had for half the price.

You want high-end built-in speakers
For a laptop this large and expensive, the speakers are surprisingly tinny and weak, meaning you'll almost certainly want to pair it with a headset.

Also consider

Razer Blade 18
A sleeker, aluminum-unibody alternative that offers a similarly premium 18-inch display and high-end specs, but usually commands an even steeper price tag.

Read our full Razer Blade 18 review

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i
An understated and slightly smaller option that strikes a far better balance of performance-per-dollar – even if it lacks the ostentatious design of the Scar 18.

Read our full Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 review

How I tested the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18

(Image credit: Future)

Used as my daily driver computer for a month
Tested according to TechRadar’s guidelines
Put through its paces with games including 007 First Light, Pragmata, and Forza Horizon 6

To truly put the Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18 through its paces, I lived with it as my main computer for several days, testing it both as an everyday workstation and a high-end gaming battlestation. I made sure to test the system in various power profiles, monitoring the thermal performance and fan volume during long gaming sessions.

All benchmarks were run using TechRadar's standardized testing parameters—V-Sync was disabled in the Nvidia control panel, the power mode was set to "Best Performance" in Windows, and the laptop was fully charged and plugged into its massive 450W brick to unlock its maximum potential.

Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
First reviewed: July 2026

InVideo AI video editor (2026) review

Krishi Chowdhary — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:10:19 +0000

While there are several AI image and video generation tools on the market, InVideo differentiates itself by carving out a dedicated niche. Built from the ground up for creative teams, filmmakers, and professionals, InVideo offers the easy-to-use conversational AI Agent One, which helps you create highly professional videos using simple English instructions. This is probably why it's trusted by teams at Netflix, Nvidia, Meta, LinkedIn, and Google.

In this article, we put InVideo to the test to see if it lives up to its claims. Read on as we try out its top features and evaluate its pricing, ease of use, and compare it to the best AI video editors to help you find out if it's the right choice for your needs.

InVideo: Plans and pricing

You can check out InVideo by clicking here.

InVideo offers as many as four individual plans and two plans for teams and enterprises. One good thing about InVideo is that all of its plans come with access to more than 200 AI models, including Seedance 2.0, Veo 3.1, Nano Banana Pro, ElevenLabs Music, and Kling 3.0. Plus, every plan includes all the features that InVideo has to offer, the only difference is the usage limits.

The paid plans start at $17 per month (Plus plan), which comes with 75 credits per month. Here, you get 20 GB of storage, access to 100 iStock assets, and four AI avatars and voice clones. The next plan, priced at $85 per month (Max), comes with 390 credits, 16 AI avatars, 100 GB of storage, and access to 200 iStock assets.

(Image credit: InVideo)

The next two plans let you choose the number of credits you want. For instance, the Generative plan starts with 800 credits per month at $170 per month and goes all the way up to 8,000 credits for $1,700 per month. Here, you can create 40 AI avatars and voice clones, along with 2 TB of storage and access to 1,000 iStock assets (800-credit plan).

Lastly, the Elite plan, meant for individuals with large AI generation and editing needs, starts at 4,250 credits per month for $900 per month and goes all the way up to 42,500 credits per month for $9,000 per month. Here, you can create 200 AI avatars, get 10 TB of storage, and access up to 5,000 iStock assets (4,250-credit plan).

For businesses, there are two plans: Team and Enterprise. The Team plan starts with 160 credits per seat per month at a cost of $40 per month, while you'll need to contact InVideo's sales team and book a demo to receive custom pricing for its Enterprise plan.

As is evident, InVideo is one of the more expensive AI generation and video editing tools out there. Even its Max plan ($85 per month) is significantly more expensive than the highest-tier plans of competitors like Veed, Kapwing, Fliki, and Filmora.

Moreover, InVideo also offers a free plan with limited credits, allowing you to test out the platform's capabilities. However, the free plan is fairly limited compared to competitors like Filmora and is best suited for testing the platform rather than using it on a full-fledged basis.

InVideo: Features

Although InVideo commands a high price, there's a good reason for it. You can generate AI videos and images with InVideo, just like any other AI generation tool. InVideo calls this its Autopilot feature. However, the problem with one-time generation is that the context gets lost after a few back-and-forth edits.

By the time you're on your fifth or sixth edit, your character may have changed entirely, and the scene is nothing like what you initially wanted. This is a problem common to almost all AI generation tools on the market.

This is where InVideo's all-powerful Agent One comes into the picture. Designed for filmmakers and high-end marketing professionals, Agent One is a full-fledged AI assistant that can not only generate images and videos for you, but also remember the context of your scene and create professional, cinematic short videos and even full-length short films (more on that later).

(Image credit: InVideo)

Additionally, InVideo has an extensive collection of workflows, which are templates you can choose from to get started on a new project.

These include explainer videos, animated videos, script-to-video, promos, advertisements, listicle videos, faceless explainers, educational videos, and more.

You can also create animated videos in different styles, such as Disney Pixar-style, claymation, Lego, anime, and more.

(Image credit: Future)

Plus, you'll find a new Trends feature in InVideo that keeps you updated on the latest trends in video creation. This includes camera controls, effects such as Split Self and Drip Flip, as well as motion graphics like Highlight Typography and Glass Motion Graphics. There's also a dedicated Advertising Studio that lets you create high-end professional ad videos for any product of your choice in different styles.

InVideo: Interface and in use

Despite its high-end, professional features, InVideo is surprisingly easy to use, making it beginner-friendly. Its Agent One is as easy to use as a conversational AI.

You first have to provide it with a treatment, which is nothing but your idea, vision, or script, including the context of the video you want to generate. This can include character descriptions, environments, buildings, and a beat-by-beat story timeline.

The heart of Agent One is its Context tab, where you can provide additional details about your project. You'll find various content options under this tab, including About This Project, where you'll add the context of your video, its script, and the ultimate goal.

(Image credit: Future)

Then there's InVideo Rules, where you can enter standing instructions on the pacing or format of your video, along with the tone and specifications of the characters you want to use. There's also a dedicated World Building tab, where you can describe in detail the visual language, settings, and continuity you want to maintain throughout your video.

You can also upload images, references, research, briefs, and scripts in the Inspiration and Knowledge Bank tabs.

Unlike other AI generation platforms, which aim to keep your prompts as short and direct as possible, Agent One encourages you to be as detailed as possible. The more context and detail you provide, the better your output is likely to be.

Besides this, you can also select the layout of the video you want. InVideo gives you many more options than some of its competitors. For instance, you can choose between square, extra tall, portrait, landscape, and more. Plus, you also have a choice of output resolution, ranging from 1K to 4K.

(Image credit: Future)

Overall, the experience is similar to that of a director sitting in a chair talking to a creative team. The only difference is that everything is packed into a single AI agent.

InVideo: How we tested

We reviewed the breadth of InVideo's capabilities. In particular, we tested its Autopilot feature, which lets you create videos with a single prompt. We gave it the same prompt that we used while testing the other AI video editing software:

"A woman in a red coat walks across a rain-soaked city street at night, neon signs reflecting in the puddles, camera slowly tracking alongside her."

One thing to note is that before generating a video, InVideo gives you a lot of options to customize your output. This includes selecting the duration of the video as well as the platform you're generating it for, such as Instagram Reels, YouTube, or TikTok.

(Image credit: Future)

There's also a hidden Additional Options button in the bottom-left corner, where you can customize settings such as visual styles. You also get an option to choose an AI character from InVideo's free AI actors.

When we had everything in order, we hit the Generate button.

Now, InVideo takes arguably the longest time to process a project and generate an output, noticeably longer than the likes of CapCut or Veed. However, the outputs are worth the wait. InVideo created a pretty realistic-looking Instagram Reel of a woman walking on a rain-soaked street.

(Image credit: Future)

Besides this, we also tried using InVideo's Agent One, giving it the same prompt. Although it did create various character options for us in different styles, we couldn't proceed further because it required more credits than the free plan offered.

(Image credit: Future)

However, Agent One's conversational-style editing makes it pretty simple to use. You just have to write down what you're thinking, and Agent One processes your thoughts into a clean script, building each scene bit by bit.

InVideo: Alternatives

InVideo is designed for professional filmmakers or large enterprises that need to create realistic, professional AI videos. If you're looking for a simple video editing software simpler, you could opt for a tool like Veed, which is one of the most complete AI content generation and editing platforms.

With Veed, you also get access to various AI models such as Seedance, PixVerse, and Veo 3.1, which can generate text-to-video, image-to-video, as well as more than 60 diverse AI avatars.

Veed also has one of the best subtitle offerings on the market, keeping up with the latest social media trends. That said, its free plan is a bit limited in what you can do, which is why you'll likely have to upgrade to one of its paid plans, starting at $12 per user per month.

If you're looking for something more affordable, you can go with Filmora. It starts at just $4.17 per month, and even its highest-tier plan costs only $8.33 per month. Filmora is also a professional-level video editing platform that has recently integrated a wide range of AI features into its repertoire.

You get access to more than 2.9 million creative assets, including filters, transitions, effects, music, and stock media. It has also introduced advanced AI features such as AI Audio and Video Extender, which can extend short audio clips and videos for smoother transitions.

There's also Animated Charts and Lens Correction, which come in handy while editing action camera or wide-angle footage. Plus, you get more than 10,000 ready-made templates and over 500 AI-powered effects.

However, Filmora is one of the more difficult tools to use and comes with a bit of a learning curve. Once you get the hang of it, though, it is one of the best tools available for AI-powered video generation and editing.

InVideo: Final verdict

InVideo is a professional-level AI generation and video editing tool designed for filmmakers, advertisers, and professionals working in the creative industry. It offers access to more than 200 AI models, including Veo 3.1 and Nano Banana Pro.

InVideo comes with the powerful Agent One, a conversational AI that not only generates AI videos and images for you, but also works back and forth with you to create highly realistic, cinematic short videos.

Moreover, Agent One is surprisingly easy to use, almost as easy as conversing with a creative director and giving instructions. The best part is that you're not stuck engineering prompts to get the best output. Instead, you can focus on the creative aspects of your project while Agent One handles the rest.

That said, InVideo is one of the most expensive tools out there, with plans starting at $17 per month. If you're looking for something more basic or affordable, you can consider alternatives like Veed, Adobe Firefly, or Filmora.

We've tested a range of video makers and editors, including the best video editing software, the best video editing apps and the best free video editing software.

Veed AI video editor (2026) review

Krishi Chowdhary — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 09:50:21 +0000

Veed has quickly carved a name for itself in the AI video and image generation industry. Used by giants like Netflix, Google, P&G, and the BBC, Veed has grown into a full-fledged AI-powered video platform serving over 10 million monthly active users worldwide.

In our Veed review, we put the platform to the test and evaluate its top AI-powered creative features. We evaluate it first-hand, analyzing even its user interface, pricing, as well as how it compares to the best AI video editors available today. Read on to find out if it's the right choice for you.

Try Veed for free, with upgrades starting from $12 / £10 a month

Veed: Plans and pricing

The platform offers a handy free plan, which comes with around 120 credits, 2 GB of storage, and an upload file size limit of 1 GB. You can export videos up to 10 minutes in length in 720p, with limited AI video generation within the available credits.

Additionally, AI video editing features such as filler removal, background removal, and auto-edits are all available on a try-once basis.

We found the free video editing package to be fairly limited and ideal only for testing out what Veed offers, rather than using the platform long term.

To get the most out of Veed, you'll need one of its paid plans, starting with the Creator plan, priced at $12 per user per month. Here, you can export videos in 1080p quality with 5 GB of storage.

You can check out Veed by clicking here.

(Image credit: Veed)

A good thing is that there is no upload file size limit, along with unlimited access to auto subtitles and various subtitle styles. AI image generation limits are also increased to 300 images per month, compared to 100 images with the free plan.

Along with this, you get access to all AI video editing features except Text Behind Person, which is still available only on a try-once basis. Subtitle translation and AI dubbing are also limited to a try-once basis. This is also the first plan where you get limited access to Brand Kits and unlimited access to stock templates.

The Pro plan, priced at $22 per user per month, comes with 30,000 credits, enough for creating 6,000 AI videos. Here, you can export videos in 4K quality, along with unlimited AI image generation and access to all AI video editing features. Subtitle translation and AI dubbing also come with higher limits of six hours per year.

Then there's the Studio plan, offering 180,000 credits for $39 per user per month. This plan comes with unlimited storage, along with 12 hours per year of subtitle translation and AI dubbing. You can invite up to five editors, compared to three in all previous plans, along with one reviewer. All other features are limited within the credit allowance that comes with this plan.

Lastly, there's the Enterprise plan for large organizations, where you can customize your credit allowances with unlimited access to almost all features that Veed has to offer. This is the only plan where you get priority support from Veed, along with a dedicated Customer Success Manager, onboarding, and training.

Veed: Features

Veed offers a good mix of both AI generation and video editing features. For starters, you can generate AI videos with simple prompts in up to 4K quality, depending on your plan. You get access to some of the best AI models, including Veo 3.1, Seedance, Halo, Luma Ray, PixVerse 4.5, and MiniMax.

Besides this, there are features like text-to-video, image-to-video, and the ability to create AI avatars. You get more than 60 diverse avatar options, along with support for more than 120 languages. However, unlike Kapwing, most of Veed's avatars are rooted in real-life people and appear more authentic. Besides AI avatars, you can also create custom social media characters, which can be used consistently across future content you create.

The best thing about Veed is the wide range of subtitle options you get. From manual subtitles available in all plans to auto subtitles, there are unlimited subtitle styles to choose from, along with dynamic subtitles that animate with speech. These subtitle options are perfect for modern social media content.

(Image credit: Veed)

Editing features are also plentiful, with options such as Clean Audio, which removes background noise, removing filler words like "uh" and "um," removing awkward silences from videos, fixing eye contact so that your character looks directly into the camera, background removal, and auto-editing.

Another impressive Veed feature is its collaboration and brand management. Depending on your plan, you can use custom Brand Kits to maintain brand consistency across all your videos. Plus, you can invite editors to any project to facilitate real-time collaboration.

Besides this, you also get access to custom templates, which help you get started with pre-built ideas, as well as custom watermarks. The Enterprise plan also allows you to create separate private workspaces, which come in handy for large organizations with multiple teams.

Veed: Interface and in use

Getting started with Veed is pretty easy. Once you create your account, you are taken to the dashboard, where you'll need to enter your first prompt to generate an image or video.

In the workspace, you can see your recent videos in the central pane, along with Brand Kits and the Asset Library on the left. To create a new image or video, you'll need to click New Project from the toolbar at the top.

(Image credit: Future)

Once you're on the edit screen, you'll see all the editing options on the left-hand side, such as Audio, Images, Subtitles, Text, and more. There are plenty of stock videos and images to help you get started with any new project.

There is a horizontal editing bar at the bottom of the edit screen. However, many editing features, such as effects, detaching audio, opacity, and filters, are hidden – you'll need to click the three dots in the center of your dashboard to access them.

(Image credit: Future)

A lot of the edits need to be made after the initial AI video has already been created, such as editing the script, choosing between voice-only and character-driven videos, or adding subtitles or music.

We would have liked to see these options before generating the video, as that would have resulted in more accurate output.

Overall, editing in Veed is pretty smooth, although it takes a bit of time to get the hang of the platform.

Veed: How we tested

To test out Veed's capabilities, we used its free plan, which allows up to 120 credits. We then gave it the following prompt:

"A woman in a red coat walks across a rain-soaked city street at night, neon lights reflecting in the puddles, camera slowly tracking alongside her."

(Image credit: Future)

Veed took a bit of time to interpret the prompt and generate the results, longer than Kapwing and Fliki. That said, the results were pretty satisfactory, and Veed stuck to the prompt word for word.

Another peculiarity of Veed is that it can create both character-driven and voice-only videos. This means it can convert the same script into a story narrated by one of its many characters or create an AI video with only voiceovers.

That said, exporting a single AI-generated video around five seconds in length can take anywhere between 40 and 50 credits. This means the free plan lets you export only around one AI video, which is certainly not enough for everyday use.

After this, we tried creating an AI image with Veed. One thing we liked is that it lets you choose the AI model before generating the content. For instance, the image we generated cost around 20 credits with Google Nano Banana Pro, whereas the same image cost only five credits with the FLUX.2 Pro model.

(Image credit: Future)

We used the following prompt for image generation:

"A weathered sea captain with a salt-and-pepper beard, wearing a vintage naval coat, painted in the style of a classical oil portrait."

You can also choose the image orientation – landscape or portrait – and the number of image variations you want (one, two, three, or four). There's also a pretty handy option to enhance your prompt, which comes in handy when you're short on creativity but need accurate results.

(Image credit: Future)

Veed created four images as requested. Each image has a built-in option to edit, download, or add to an existing project on the platform.

Veed: Final verdict

Veed is one of the most complete AI image and video generation and editing platforms you can opt for. You get a wide range of features, such as text-to-image, text-to-video, script generation, auto subtitles, dynamic editing, and more.

Using Veed is also pretty easy, making it ideal for beginner video editors, especially compared to a more complex platform like Filmora. Besides this, if you want to generate social media content, Veed offers one of the best ranges of subtitle styles available. It also offers one of the most culturally and geographically diverse selections of real-life AI characters.

That said, its free plan is pretty limited, allowing you to create only one or two AI videos, which isn't enough for regular use. However, its paid plans are in line with the industry standard and are comparable to Invideo or Kapwing.

Veed: Alternatives

Veed is certainly very good, but depending on your needs, there are a few alternatives you can consider.

The first is Fliki, which gives you a lot of control over the kind of content you want to generate. For instance, you can choose from various templates and video formats, along with the type of character you want in the video. Additionally, there's the option to add captions, choose an AI avatar, or add a voiceover before you generate the video.

Many of these editing options are also available with Veed, but only after the video has been generated, which can be a bit time-consuming. However, Fliki can export videos only up to 1080p quality, whereas Veed supports up to 4K quality.

If you're looking for something more affordable than Veed, you can consider Adobe Firefly, which starts at just $8.49 per month. It has one of the most generous free plans, with daily image and video generation limits that allow you to use it for a longer period.

Firefly also comes with infinite-canvas mood boards, which come in handy for teams looking to generate new content ideas. There's also a professional range of stock assets, such as images, videos, and templates.

That said, many of its features, such as AI avatar generation and video editing, are still in beta, leaving plenty of room for improvement.

We've tested a range of video makers and editors, including the best video editing software, the best video editing apps and the best free video editing software.

The Medion Signium 27 S1 isn't going to turn the computing world upside down, but it's a surprisingly capable all-in-one desktop with a sensible price tag

christian.guyton@futurenet.com (Christian Guyton) — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 11:27:57 +0000

Medion Signium 27 S1: One-minute review

I'm a big fan of all-in-one (AIO) PCs, so I was pretty eager to get my hands on the Medion Signium 27 S1. I've long been a big proponent of the idea that we need more budget options in the PC hardware market, and with the current pricing crisis surrounding PC components like RAM and GPUs, reasonably priced systems are more important than ever.

Unfortunately, my excitement to review the Signium 27 S1 may have been somewhat misplaced. This certainly isn't a bad AIO desktop, offering decent (if unspectacular) performance in a clean, compact design. But there are a few too many small flaws here that make it difficult for me to recommend it wholeheartedly; if you're looking for one of the best all-in-one computers, this probably isn't it, though I do still think it can fill a certain niche in the market.

(Image credit: Future)

For the uninitiated, Medion is a German electronics company that cut its teeth producing budget PCs and notebooks in the 2010s and was recently purchased by Lenovo (whose leadership appears content to let Medion keep doing what it was already doing). I've tested some of Medion's gaming laptops in the past, and while they rarely wow, they're typically pretty good in terms of value for money.

And to be fair, the Signium 27 S1 is indeed good value for money. Its design language (particularly of the bundled keyboard and mouse) is clearly meant to evoke the Apple iMac 24-inch M4, and if you're only looking to do basic everyday tasks on your PC, it can offer a similar experience to Apple's excellent AIO for a far lower price. But if you crave the high-end build quality of Apple hardware or want a PC that can handle more demanding workloads, this won't be the right one for you.

Medion Signium 27 S1: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future)

How much does it cost? Starting at $875 / £649 (around AU$1,250)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

With a starting price of $875 / £649 (around AU$1,250), the Medion Signium 27 S1 is aggressively positioned in the all-in-one PC market, undercutting similar offerings from the likes of Lenovo and MSI.

There are a few different configurations available, which seem to vary greatly from region to region. My review unit uses an Intel Core 7 240H, while the cheapest configuration available uses the Core 5 210H. 1TB of storage comes as standard, which is very nice for the price, with 16GB of RAM in the lowest configuration and 32GB in my review model.

The closest comparison is the HP OmniStudio X, which costs $830 for the 27-inch 1080p configuration with an Intel Core Ultra 5 CPU. The HP AIO offers superior build quality and very marginally better performance, which makes it a more attractive option for US shoppers – but Medion wins in Europe and Australia, since that super-budget configuration of the OmniStudio X is only available in the US.

The only real problem with the Signium 27 S1 from a purchasing standpoint is availability. It's available exclusively through Aldi (yes, that Aldi) in the US and Australia, which means the prices above are pretty much just guidelines since Aldi retains the power to adjust the price on a per-store basis – though of course, you may well find one for cheaper. Fortunately for UK consumers, you can get it through Amazon or directly from Medion's website.

Value: 4 / 5

Medion Signium 27 S1: Specs

(Image credit: Future)

Medion Signium 27 S1 specs
	Base configuration	Review configuration
Price:	$875 / £649 (around AU$1,250)	$1,150 / £849 (around AU$1,635)
CPU:	Intel Core 5 210H	Intel Core 7 240H
Graphics:	Integrated Intel Arc Graphics	Integrated Intel Arc Graphics
RAM:	16 GB DDR5	32GB DDR5
Storage:	1TB SSD M.2	1 TB SSD M.2
Display:	27" FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, non-touch, 400 nits, 60Hz	27" FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, non-touch, 400 nits, 60Hz
Ports:	Ethernet (RJ45), 2x USB-C, 4x USB-A, HDMI-in, HDMI-out, Combi audio jack	Ethernet (RJ45), 2x USB-C, 4x USB-A, HDMI-in, HDMI-out, Combi audio jack
Wireless:	Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3	Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Camera:	1080p webcam with privacy shutter	1080p webcam with privacy shutter
Weight:	3.8kg / 8.38lbs	3.8kg / 8.38lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D):	615 × 180 × 480mm	615 × 180 × 480mm

Medion Signium 27 S1: design

(Image credit: Future)

Sleek design with easy assembly
Limited range of screen movement
Solid port selection

Gone are the days when AIO PCs were chunky, ugly devices. Now even a budget all-in-one can look good – and the Medion Signium 27 S1 certainly does look good.

Things do begin to fall apart a little once you actually touch it, though. The three buttons on the underside of the display are unsatisfyingly spongey, and although the base is solid metal and feels fairly durable, the rest of the device (including the keyboard and mouse) is made of cheap-feeling plastic. The mount is also very limited, only allowing for a small range of tilt with no height or rotation adjustment.

Still, there are several redeeming features here. The whole thing is very easy to assemble and start using, and the port selection is good for a PC in this price range, with a USB-C and USB-A on the side of the unit for easy access plus another USB-C, three more USB-As, Ethernet, and HDMI inputs and outputs – meaning you can either connect a second display for productivity, or use the whole device as a dumb monitor for a different system.

The webcam is merely passable, providing 1080p recording with pretty washed-out colors. It'll work for Zoom meetings, but don't expect to look good. On the bright side, there's both a physical camera shutter and a kill switch (which is a little redundant) for privacy purposes.

(Image credit: Future)

The display is decent enough, more than capable of handling everyday office tasks, and built with nice slim bezels. With a resolution of 1080p, a 60Hz refresh rate, and decidedly average color reproduction, it's not great for gaming or watching movies. The maximum brightness is fine, but again, it could definitely be better. Unsurprisingly, this monitor doesn't support HDR.

The IPS panel used here has a good-quality anti-glare coating, which helps offset the lackluster brightness; I had no problems using it in a brightly-lit room in the middle of the day. Strangely, the display can actually be raised to a 73.5Hz refresh rate, but doing so immediately knocks the resolution down to a blurry 720p, so 60Hz is the effective maximum (as listed on the spec page for the Signium 27 S1).

Surprisingly, the Signium is upgradable, with the option to remove the back panel and swap out the RAM and SSD for higher-spec components should you so desire. My review unit wouldn't really benefit from this kind of bump in performance terms, but being able to add more storage is definitely a plus.

Future

Lastly, the Signium 27 S1 comes bundled with a keyboard and mouse, both of which are clearly meant to evoke the aesthetic of Apple's Magic peripherals. They're absolutely nowhere close to Apple's hardware in terms of quality, immediately feeling cheap and tacky under the fingers.

They work, but they're undeniably very far from any of the best keyboards and best mice, especially the keyboard, so you'll most likely want to consider upgrading unless you have a high tolerance for poor-quality technology.

Design: 3.5 / 5

Medion Signium 27 S1: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

Good performance for basic workloads
Ill-suited for gaming and creative tasks
Sound quality is poor

Here's how the Medion Signium 27 S1 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

GeekBench 6 (single-core) 2,409; (multi-core): 10,227

3DMark Fire Strike: 4,337; Time Spy: 1,617; Night Raid: 16,686

CrossMark Overall: 1,540; Productivity: 1,473; Responsiveness: 1,287; Creativity: 1,719

Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm (1080p, High): 16 fps

Without beating around the bush, the performance on offer here is merely alright. If you want a svelte all-in-one desktop for basic office tasks like web browsing, word processing, and video calls, then it can get the job done very competently. It comes with Windows 11 as standard and the usual free trial of Microsoft 365.

I found that for my straightforward work, the Signium 27 S1 was very responsive and effective, giving me no noticeable slowdown or issues with productivity. Once I swapped out the mouse and keyboard for something more amenable to my tastes, I actually quite liked working on it.

But for more demanding tasks, like gaming or creative workloads, the Intel Core 7 240H falls short. You can squeeze a bit of casual gaming out of it by tweaking down the graphical settings and using resolution upscaling tools like AMD FSR or Intel XeSS, but don't expect to be playing Cyberpunk 2077 on this PC.

(Image credit: Future)

Creative tasks offer similarly lackluster performance. While the Signium is arguably capable of low- to mid-level 3D rendering, digital art, and video processing, it's really not ideal for that sort of work. While not part of our standard benchmarking suite for AIO PCs, I fired up Canva and Photoshop during my testing period and found that it really started to struggle once numerous layers were involved.

Finally, you'll want to get your hands on a decent headset or a set of the best computer speakers if you have any intention of playing audio via this PC. The integrated speakers are weak and tinny with poor noise cancelling, more or less hopeless for anything beyond very basic video playback.

Performance: 3 / 5

(Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Medion Signium 27 S1?

Medion Signium 27 S1 scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	The pricing here is competitive, but availability issues and configuration confusion might turn off some potential buyers.	4 / 5
Design	It looks excellent and offers solid functionality, but the build quality is lackluster.	3.5 / 5
Performance	Performance in basic tasks is good, but don't expect to run any demanding software or get good audio performance from the built-in speakers.	3 / 5
Total score	The Medion Signium 27 S1 offers an undeniably solid value proposition, but fails to impress in a few key areas.	3.5 / 5

Buy the Medion Signium 27 S1 if...

You're on a tight budget
In terms of value for money, this AIO delivers the goods. Few desktop systems can offer this sort of spec sheet at this price point.

You want an attractive all-in-one computer
Despite my issues with the build quality, the Medion Signium 27 S1 looks excellent considering the price point.

You want an extra monitor and an extra PC
Using the Signium 27 S1 as a second monitor is a seamless process, which is a neat bit of additional functionality.

Don't buy it if...

You need strong performance
Even with the upgrade options, there's no real chance that you'll be able to use the Signium 27 S1 for creative workloads or triple-A gaming.

You want good build quality
Although it looks nice at first glance, this isn't a system that was built to a premium standard. The bundled keyboard in particular feels extremely cheap.

Also consider

If my Medion Signium 27 S1 review has you considering other options, here are two other AIO PCs to consider...

Apple iMac 24-inch M4
The Apple iMac 24-inch M4 is the pinnacle of this type of computer and still sets the bar, especially in the looks department. It’s also fairly powerful thanks to Apple’s M4 chip, even though it hasn’t gotten a meaningful update outside of that Apple silicon and upgraded RAM in quite a while.

Read the full Apple iMac 24-inch M4 review

HP OmniStudio X
The lower-spec version of the HP OmniStudio X 27 in the US is probably the closest product to the Signium 27 S1, making it a very strong alternative – plus, it offers higher-spec configurations with discrete graphics, if you're willing to drop a bit more cash.

Read the full HP OmniStudio X review

How I tested the Medion Signium 27 S1

Tested for one work week
Used it for productivity and gaming
Ran it through our standard benchmarking suite, plus some extra tests

I used the Medion Signium 27 S1 as my regular work system for one week, swapping it out for my everyday desktop at home and using it for the usual range of work I do for TechRadar: online research, video calls, and writing reviews like this one.

I also ran our usual selection of benchmark tests (which you can see in the Performance section of this review) as well as firing up some extra programs to do further testing, including Canva, Photoshop, and Cyberpunk 2077 (which ran very poorly, no surprise there).

I've been reviewing PC hardware for more than eight years, testing all kinds of products from desktop computers to individual peripherals. I put every bit of my industry experience into my review process, so you can trust that it's both accurate and impartial.

First reviewed July 2026

TobenONE UDS060 review: This compact 11-in-1 USB-C dock is one of the smallest I've ever tested

mark@pickavance.com (Mark Pickavance) — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 16:48:06 +0000

TobenONE UDS060: 30-second review

Most budget docking stations look and behave almost identically. A handful of USB ports, an HDMI output, and maybe Ethernet if you are lucky. The TobenONE UDS060 tries something different. Alongside the usual 11-in-1 connectivity, it adds four physical shortcut keys and a rotary volume knob, both of which can be reprogrammed through a companion app.

On paper, that combination of practical connectivity and genuine customisation is unusual at this price.

The ports on the dock include the usual USB suspects, an audio jack, a LAN port and dual HDMI outputs for connecting monitors. That’s the same as many inexpensive USB-C docks, but what makes this one different is the programmable button and dial technology.

Those might be justification to buy this, but there are at least two significant reasons not to purchase it. The first is that it doesn’t come with a PSU, forcing you to either use your laptop supply or purchase another to power the dock. And the second is that this is a USB-C dock that uses, at best, a 10Gbps connection to the computer, and then shares that across all the ports on the dock. That limits all the USB ports to 5Gbps, or less if you use more than two of them. While it will work with USB4 and Thunderbolt, those connections don’t increase the bandwidth available to the dock ports.

While it might not be the best docking station I’ve tested, it’s certainly one of the most unusual. And if TobenOne ever made and uprated model, it could be a game-changer for some creative people.

TobenONE UDS060: Price & availability

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

How much does it cost? $89/£69/€81
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Direct from TobenONE

Docking stations can be expensive items, but the TobenONE UDS060 is relatively affordable at $89 for US customers, £69 for those in the UK, and €80.95 for those in the EU.

It's also available Amazon.com, currently priced at $88.

For those outside the US, you'll need to go direct to TobenOne. But since the company does sell products through Amazon, its appearance on other regional sites is probably only a matter of time.

With such an unusual form factor and features, there aren’t any docks that directly compete with this one. However, TobenOne also makes the UDS048, a simplified design with a single HDMI port, and that can be bought on Amazon.com for only $56.99.

If you are not interested in buttons and merely want a USB-C Dock, then the UGREEN Revodok Pro USB-C Hub is only $15.99 on Amazon, and its USB ports are at least Gen 2 (10Gbps) speed.

Value: 3.5 / 5

TobenONE UDS060: Specs

Model	UDS060
Connection type	11-in-1 USB-C, compatible with full-featured USB-C, USB4 and Thunderbolt 3/4 hosts.
Video outputs	2x HDMI, up to 4K at 60Hz each on Windows with DP1.4 MST. Mirrored only on macOS, single 4K maximum.
Data ports	USB-A and USB-C, both up to 5Gbps.
Networking	Gigabit Ethernet.
Card reader	SD and microSD.
Audio	3.5mm combo jack.
Power delivery	Up to 100W USB-C PD passthrough. Charger not included.
Controls	4 programmable shortcut keys plus a rotary volume knob with press function. TobenONE quotes 170 fixed combinations plus custom settings through its companion app.
Software	TobenONE app, required to unlock shortcut key and knob customisation. Basic docking is plug and play without it.
Operating systems	Windows 10/11, macOS on MacBooks 2016 or later, ChromeOS if the laptop has full USB-C port
Warranty	2 Years

TobenONE UDS060: Design

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Unique design
USB-C 5Gbps
No PSU included

The UDS060 follows the compact rectangular design common to this class of dock, finished in a plain grey plastic shell. TobenONE positions the shortcut keys and knob prominently on the top surface, which is the dock's obvious visual differentiator against more conventional rivals.

If we ignore that feature, what we have here is a basic USB-C 11-in-1 Dock (if you include the PD port as a port), that combines USB, LAN, Audio, SD Card readers and dual display HDMI in a remarkably compact form factor.

On the front are two USB-A and one USB-C, all 5Gbps spec, unfortunately. The right side has dual card readers, one for SD and the other for MicroSD. The left is unused, and the rear has the two HDMI ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, the USB-C that links it to the host, and another that is for the power supply and a single 1GbE LAN port.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Given that this dock might only be connected via 10Gbps USB-C, these ports seem adequate, though if you use USB4 or Thunderbolt, you might expect faster USB and a 2.5GbE LAN port. For them, it might be nice to see a Pro model in the future, with all the ports upsized and the construction moving from plastic to metal.

To my mind, the whole point of a docking station is that it’s a single cable connection and you are ready to rumble. But here, you need to remove the laptop PSU from the laptop bag and plug it in before connecting the dock. The issue here is that adding a 100W-capable PSU would have made this device more expensive, but without it, that cost transfers to the buyer, making the outlay more, but by stealth. People aren’t stupid and will realise that the additional cost was transferred intentionally.

On the host side, the UDS060 works over full-featured USB-C, USB4 and Thunderbolt 3/4/5 ports. A Thunderbolt 5 laptop will simply negotiate down to Thunderbolt 4 speeds when paired with a Thunderbolt 4 compatible device like this dock, so the mix of Thunderbolt generations quoted across TobenONE's pages reflects backward compatibility rather than a specification conflict.

Design: 3.5 / 5

TobenONE UDS060: Features

Limited Bandwidth
Programmable buttons
100W charging

The port count reads well for the price. Two HDMI outputs support dual independent 4K displays at 60Hz on a Windows laptop with DP1.4 MST support, which is a genuinely useful spec for anyone running a two-monitor desk setup for coding, design or trading. Add a USB-C data port, a USB-A port, both rated to 5Gbps, Gigabit Ethernet, an SD and microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack, and the UDS060 covers most of what a desk-based professional needs from a single cable.

It’s worth noting that some features of this dock will work without a PSU connected, drawing power from the laptop instead, but obviously, that does put an additional load on the laptop battery.

The macOS support is more limited. Dual HDMI drops to a mirrored output only, with a single 4K@60Hz display being the practical ceiling on some models, since macOS does not support the multi-stream transport needed for two independent extended displays over this kind of dock. I’ll be honest and say I can’t personally confirm the Mac information, because I don’t own anything with an Apple logo on it. But based on my experience with other docks and their documented limitations, that information tracks.

On the host side, the UDS060 works over full-featured USB-C, USB4 and Thunderbolt 3/4/5 ports. A Thunderbolt 5 laptop will simply negotiate down to Thunderbolt 4 speeds when paired with a Thunderbolt 4 compatible device like this dock, so the mix of Thunderbolt generations quoted across TobenONE's pages reflects normal backward compatibility rather than a specification conflict.

Undoubtedly, the UDS060's headline feature is the dial and buttons. Four physical shortcut keys and a rotary knob, which can be rotated or pressed, are fully customisable through the free TobenONE app. TobenONE quotes 170 fixed combinations alongside fully custom assignments, covering basic keys, media controls, mouse functions and expanded or combination keys. Typical uses include locking the screen, taking a screenshot, controlling media playback, muting audio or launching an application.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Basic docking functions work without installing anything, so the shortcut keys are an optional extra rather than a requirement to get the dock working. The catch is that this customisation requires software to be installed if you don’t want to use the default settings.

A nice aspect of the customisation is that when you modify the settings, the changes are stored on the device. So, if you set one of the buttons to perform a screen capture, that will remain the same on any PC that you then connect the dock to.

According to others who have Apple gear, the mapping will even work if you plug this into an Apple iPad that has USB-C, incredibly. You can’t change the mapping on an iPad, because the applications for this are specifically for Windows and macOS, but once it's set from either of those, it will retain the keys the buttons generate across platforms, including iOS and Linux.

Up to 100W of USB-C Power Delivery passthrough is available, enough to charge most ultrabooks at or near their stock charger's output. TobenONE does not include a compatible charger in the box.

Features: 3 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

TobenONE UDS060: Performance

5Gbps connections

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The performance of this dock is heavily affected by the core USB-C functionality, and attaching it to laptops with USB4 or Thunderbolt doesn’t significantly affect the available bandwidth.

The company notes that "basic docking functions are also supported on compatible macOS devices," but I didn’t test it with that.

What I tested it with was a USB4 connection on a laptop, and both USB4, USB-C, and USB-A external SSDs. The consensus was that these connected via USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) links, and the maximum performance I experienced was only 455 MB/s reads and 462 MB/s writes, even on drives rated for 1000 MB/s or better.

Copying from one drive to another halved that speed, depressingly.

From a technical standpoint, this is the biggest issue with this unit. For $16, UGREEN offers a USB-C hub that supports 10 Gbps, so why does this one only support 5 Gbps?

Performance: 2 / 5

TobenONE UDS060: Final verdict

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

There are things about this dock I genuinely love, and others that make it less than ideal.

Looking at the good things, the concept of a dock that also provides a customisable button and dial cluster is inspired. I just wish the dock were metal, so that it felt nicer to use than the plastic used here.

The port selection is fine, although it avoids bandwidth over subscription by offering only 5Gbps USB, making it invariably better to plug external storage into the host laptop than to attach it to the UDS060. I don't understand this choice; it seems silly.

Where this product isn’t good is that there is no PSU, forcing the purchaser to either use their laptop PSU or buy another one purely to use the dock. As the passthrough is 100W, that’s the maximum amount of power you can have recharging the laptop, even if it uses a 140W PSU. Most laptops will be fine, but it’s worth keeping in mind if you are considering this solution.

Overall, if you remove the customisable buttons, this is a low-end USB-C dock that costs more than it actually delivers. That’s a shame, because if it were USB 4, made of metal and could offer 10Gbps ports and a 2.5GbE LAN, then it would easily be worth twice what the asking price is currently.

TobenONE UDS060: Report card

Value	Inexpensive, but then this is only a USB-C dock	3.5 / 5
Design	Unique design, but mostly plastic	3.5 / 5
Features	Custom buttons, 100W charging, but no PSU	3 / 5
Performance	Only 5Gbps makes for poor external SSD speeds	2 / 5
Overall	Interesting multi-function design but poor USB performance	3.5 / 5

Should I buy a TobenONE UDS060?

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Buy it if...

You like the custom buttons
The custom buttons and dial on this design are a great feature, even if the hardware feels a little flimsy. Being able to retain the settings and move between devices is also helpful.

You are operating on a budget
This isn't an expensive dock, but there are even cheaper options if you lower your expectations.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want fast file transfers
With this Dock only connecting to the host computer at 5Gbps, most external SSDs attached to it will be running way below their quoted speeds. And, if you connect lots of devices, their individual slice of the bandwidth pie will only get smaller.

You need more than 100W charging
The maximum amount of power that the uplink port on this dock can deliver is 100W. If you need more than that, then you might need to connect a dedicated PSU to your laptop or find a more power-capable design.

Also consider

Plugable 10-in-1 USB-C Hub

A USB-C Dock with a much higher specification than the TobenOne. This hardware from Plugable has a 2.5GbE LAN port, 125W pass-through power, is made of metal and costs around $76. And, it has a USB 3.2 Gen 2 connection, double the bandwidth of the UDS060.

Check out our Plugable 10-in-1 USB-C Hub reviewView Deal

Bambu Lab A2L review: This 3D printer makes large-format printing look easy

Alastair Jennings — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 17:39:42 +0000

The Bambu Lab A2 L is a printer I’ve been expecting for some time. Essentially, it’s a larger A1, just with technology tweaks and, of course, scale. The big feature here is a 330 x 320 x 325 build area, making it one of the largest in its class of large open 3D printers.

While the A1 is a superb printer for beginners, there’s often a feeling that the print bed size can be a little bit restrictive, especially for some enthusiasts as well as businesses looking to model, create costume items or larger-scale prototypes, and this is what the A2 L’s larger print bed essentially facilitates.

What I like here is that Bambu has essentially created a large-frame design that keeps costs down compared with the more expensive, professional-level H2, P2, and X2 designs. This is more of the entry-level, but still it offers all of that technology and refinement that Bambu Lab always offers, and whilst many people will look at the open-frame design as a little bit of a negative point because you won’t be able to use engineering filaments, if the bulk of what you do is basic print farm work or you’re just printing PLA or basic TPU, then this machine is going to be a perfect option.

During the test, another point that came up was that the Wi-Fi is limited to 2.4 GHz. Since I was testing other kit at the time and didn’t have that 2.4GHz bandwidth, I couldn’t quite figure out what was happening. Only when I went for the dual 2.4 and 5GHz did it connect okay, but really, this is a minor thing for most businesses, and that would be absolutely fine.

The build area is obviously the major difference between this and the A1: the A1 has a nice square 256 x 256 x 256 build area, whereas this one upgrades to 330 x 320 x 325. I do kind of wish that Bambu Lab had kept an absolute cube build, as it just makes things easy when you’re orienting; however, it’s nice to have such a large space to work with.

Along with a larger build volume comes a new extrusion system, fully upgraded from the A1 standard direct-drive setup. On the A2, it adds a PMSM closed-loop servo extrusion system, designed to deliver smoother extrusion and monitor for issues during the print process. Another good upgrade is the motion stability system, which is far more advanced, as you’d expect given the couple of years between releases. Part of the reason for this is not just the passing of time, but also the fact that, because this is a much larger machine, it’s more prone to errors, so this part is finely tuned.

Further aiding error-free printing is a new package: physical blob and clogging detection, PMSM extrusion monitoring, and all live alongside all the safeguards the A1 featured when it was released.

One of the other features I have been really keen to see is the creative tool expansion, which essentially means, like the H2D, you can pop on an optional blade-cutting or pen-plotting module, so you can also work with stickers, card, leather, fabrics and a whole range of drawing and plotting projects alongside the 3D printing.

Really, this is a machine designed to sit there and get on with the work out of the box, and for less than £500/$500, you have a machine that can print multi-filament easily. If you do want to print engineering materials, you'll just have to spend a little bit more on one of the enclosed machines, but for most people, given the price, this is actually a fair option.

Bambu Lab A2L: Price and availability

The Bambu Lab A2L is available in the US for $469 direct from Bambu Lab - with a Combo version priced at $569.

It's also available in the UK for £319 at Bambu Lab, with the Combo version costing £429.

Bambu Lab A2L: Design

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Bambu Lab A2L specifications

Print Technology: FDM / FFF, single direct-drive servo extruder
Build Area: 330 × 320 × 325mm
Minimum Layer Resolution: 0.08mm
Maximum Layer Resolution: 0.28mm
Dimensions: 544 × 529 × 505mm
Weight: 12.8kg
Bed: Heated bed, max 80°C
Print Surface: Flexible steel build plate with Textured PEI Plate
Software: Bambu Studio; Bambu Handy app; cloud or LAN-only control
Materials: PLA, PETG, TPU, PVA; PLA-CF and PETG-CF with hardened nozzle.
Print Speed: Up to 500mm/s

It’s obvious that the A2L is in the same family as the A1. Essentially, it looks similar, just on a larger desktop-style frame, that measures 544 x 529 x 505mm, quite a substantial footprint, and it’s no lightweight at 12.8kg.

That scale of machine offers the current build area of 330 x 320 x 325mm, which is substantial, and in order to ensure proper rigidity for this large-format printer, the construction is made from aluminium with steel for the chassis, and a plastic outer frame to make it look nice rather than the look of printers past. To be honest, with Bambu Lab's usual design flair, this really does look like a great machine.

One thing to note is that this is an open-frame construction, and there is not, and probably will never be, an enclosure for it. There are higher-level machines like the Super P2S if you do need to utilise more engineering materials, and they don't cost a lot more.

What really appeals to me about this design is the optional cutting-and-drawing module that can be attached. This essentially boosts the machine's usability, and if you’re into crafting or modelling, as well as working in a small design business, having all these optional extras in one machine makes a lot of sense. One point to note here is that, unlike the H2D, which offers both of these modules to expand its functionality, it is slightly stripped down here, and for safety reasons, there’s obviously no laser module.

While it’s pitched to a wide range of users, it's primarily for a home enthusiast, although I’ve already spoken to several people who run print farms and are excited about this machine because of the sheer volume of prints they’d be able to produce on each print platform. Having run successive tests over a one-month period, I can confirm that the reliability for this type of use makes this a really great option, even in the commercial business sector, as long as you don’t want to print with engineering materials that require an enclosure.

Like all Bambu printers, it's designed for multi-filament printing and is fully compatible with both AMS and AMS Lite units. If you do purchase the combo unit, then you’ll get the AMS Lite, as you did with the A1. With this machine, you can link up four AMS units to get up to 19 colours.

Bambu Lab A2L: Features

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The first thing that should really be said about the A2L is that it’s not a huge leap in technology, although there are improvements across the board, mainly to facilitate its larger build area, more than material support or additional new features. So, firstly, the headline is the scale of this machine, and as stated before, the 330 x 320 x 325mm build volume is ideal for large-format printing. If you’re thinking about cosplay or prototyping larger objects, then, to be honest, for the price, there is really very little at the moment that can match this.

That larger size usually means it’s much more prone to errors, and whilst the larger H2 machines are in line with the print volume this machine offers, the one big difference here is that it is open-frame. That not only makes it much cheaper but also restricts the types of materials you can utilise. Essentially, day-to-day prototyping in PLA or one of the other more common materials is absolutely fine, and you can pop in a hardened nozzle if you do want to print with something like PLA-CF or PETG-CF. However, if you want to print with engineering materials, such as nylon, then you are going to have to look at an enclosed machine.

There are several features that really stand out that will help make the printer as reliable as possible. The first is the aluminium-and-steel construction of the frame and chassis, which results in an ultra-rigid unit. During the test, I was surprised to see that, even when printing flat out, it appeared just how stable it was. It is, of course, always a good idea to have a really good, solid table.

Built into the extruder is one of the major upgrades over the A1: a PMSM closed-loop servo extrusion system that offers smoother filament extrusion than the direct drive we saw on the A1. There’s also adaptive vibration compensation with multiple calibration and load-adaptation options, again helping with filament flow. Another surprising thing is that they’ve added granular dampers to the frame. This is essentially to cope with the high speed that this printer is capable of, and it’s worth noting that, at full pelt, this machine is quite ferocious in the corner of the workshop.

As with the A1, blob detection, run-out detection, clog detection and tangled-spool detection are all pretty much standard features.

Some of the standout features are the optional blade-cutting and pen-plotting modules, which expand the machine's capabilities and are ideal for crafters and enthusiasts, especially at this price point.

Once again, there’s full support for the AMS Lite system, and if you buy four AMS units, then you can print up to 19 colours, which is an impressive amount for a base machine at this price.

Bambu Lab A2L: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Getting started with the Bambu Lab A2 L is relatively quick and straightforward. Unlike the fully enclosed machines that we’re starting to get used to from the company, this does require a little bit of construction, but ultimately it’s just the vertical frame with the print head pre-installed, and once you’ve bolted it down and connected a couple of cables, you can then run through the initial calibration process.

This used to be the faffy part, and construction took some time. Now, the construction takes only 5 to 10 minutes; however, once you switch the machine on, you need to connect to your Wi-Fi before it can download and install any updates. You then have to run through the calibration process, which is fully automatic, so just let it run its course; it can take almost an hour on the first run. After that, it should be pretty much self-sufficient, with an automatic reminder alerting you as to when it needs recalibration or when the rails need a little oil.

As I ran through the first prints, all stored on the small MicroSD card, I was impressed by the machine's speed and robustness. Whilst it’s just an enlarged A1 with refinement, the rigidity feels just as good as that of the smaller machine, and Bambu Lab has really made quite a lot of adjustments to the base design in order to facilitate ultra-strong joints that don’t create any wobble or movement through the print process, which is definitely needed at maximum speed.

As the first few prints rolled off the print bed, they had that unique Bambu Lab look, with very fine layering and superb overall surface and inner print quality. Single-filament prints were exceptionally quick, and I checked the models as they were produced. I could see that the fine flow control was exceptionally good, with fine detail printed well.

The point I was going to see, especially with the test models, was that the overhangs and bridges seemed well handled, demonstrating that the new head is capable of producing enough cooling air to set the filament quickly throughout the print.

After checking a series of prints, from those just for fun to more functional parts, in both PLA and PETG, I was really impressed with the quality. Realistically, if you put the prints from this machine up against those from the H2D, which is obviously far more expensive, it’s actually extremely difficult to tell the difference. Whilst this machine is cheaper, the print quality on a purely visual side-by-side basis is identical. Realistically, at the base level, you are just paying for that enclosed space, but then it is obviously a lot more than that. However, for most people, that’s really all they need: a good, large machine for printing in these base materials, which, to be honest, is what most of us use.

If you’re working in design and you need to print out a large prototype, as I have with an air cooler this summer, then this is a really great option. For the models I was printing, it printed at full height, so I could quickly prototype an entire product without breaking it down into too many parts. If you do need to break it down into parts, there’s enough out there to support plenty of different models at the same time.

During the print process and testing, I printed solely for quality purposes, then looked at printing on sale to see how many models I could reliably print, and moved on to more functional models, including an air-cooling system and the associated parts. I am also using the printers to create many props and costume parts for various projects, and, again, the additional size offered by the Bambu Lab A2 L is extremely useful.

What I like about this printer is that, it’s large, and it printed large reliably. I have three or four large-format printers, all of the open design from various manufacturers. However, most regularly fail, whereas the A2 L was consistent with those larger prints, time after time. It’s also large enough for a fully wearable helmet, which is now my go-to test when testing print volume.

A quick check of the 3D test model, and to be honest, it’s as good as any. This test, which used to challenge so many printers, really now just highlights one or two printers that aren’t quite so good, and we just see a little bit of surface imperfection, which means that you need to have a little bit more oil on one of the rails, or give the machine a good clean or calibration, rather than anything more fundamental. Re-printing a 3D Benchy, it came out absolutely perfect.

Moving on to the more in-depth Kickstarter Autodesk 3D printer check, the model produced again looked good. I was a little surprised that there was only a bit of stringing on one of the overhangs, but otherwise the model itself looked exceptionally good, with fine flow control and dimensional accuracy that really highlighted what it was capable of. Whilst this is the larger of the two relatively entry-level models from Bambu, it’s still very, very capable.

Further, to put this to the test, I ran it for two weeks nonstop, producing multiple parts of the same model to check reliability. What I was interested in seeing was that after a certain number of hours, the interface asked me to maintain the rails. This is just a good reminder that Bambu Lab is really looking after the machines and notifying users when maintenance is required. I was also pleased to see that printing just pure PLA from four reels was consistent. I am not a huge fan of the AMS Lite four-reel design; however, there’s no doubting that it works. Here again in the workshop, it produced prints without issue.

The Bambu Lab A2 L is a natural progression as a 3D printer. It’s not one to get overly excited about; it is what it is and will enable you to print large. It’s relatively inexpensive. Budget-wise, what impressed me was just how reliable it proved to be, and with that large build area, you can not only print more but also print at a higher volume, at one of the lowest prices for this level of reliability and quality on the market.

If you run a print farm or you prototype goods, or you’re just looking for your next larger-format printer for producing cosplay costumes, then I can see the A2L being a popular choice that gives you far greater flexibility than its smaller and now slightly older sibling.

Bambu Lab A2L: Print quality

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Dimensional accuracy - score of 4/5

Target 25 = X: 4.88mm / 0.12mm Error | Y: 4.82mm / 0.18mm Error
Target 20 = X: 9.55mm / 0.45mm Error | Y: 9.89mm / 0.11mm Error
Target 15 = X: 14.86mm / 0.14mm Error | Y: 14.83mm / 0.17mm Error
Target 10 = X: 18.84mm / 0.16mm Error | Y: 19.81mm / 0.19mm Error
Target 5 = X: 24.81mm / 0.19mm Error | Y: 24.71mm / 0.29mm Error

X Error Average = 0.212
Y Error Average = 0.188
X&Y Error Average = 0.2

Fine Flow Control - score of 5
Fine Negative Features - score of 5
Overhangs - score of 5
Bridging - score of 4
XY resonance - score of 2.5
Z-axis alignment - score of 2.5

Adding up the totals gives a final score of 28 out of 30

BambuLab A2L: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

When you are looking at the A2L, you have to think about the build quality, given its size, and what I’m really pleased to see is, firstly, that Bambu Lab has continued with its design principles. This is a large-format printer that looks great. It has all the features from Bambu that many have come to expect.

Set-up and maintenance are exceptionally easy. As long as you follow the prompts, you’re going to have trouble-free printing. The only thing I would say, like with Bambu Lab’s other printers, is that it can be a little overprotective of the print: at any sign of string or debris on the build plate, it will stop, and you will have to check it. It won’t just plough through, which in itself is actually a good thing, but I can’t help but feel it’s just a little bit oversensitive.

This is still an open-frame design, so whilst the size will definitely appeal to professionals and high-end enthusiasts, you do need to consider that it will only print materials such as PLA, PETG and specialist TPU. Anything you would probably choose to make functional parts does require an enclosure, so from that point of view, it’s a little limited. However, that’s not what the A2 series is about, and actually, as a large-format printer for printing PLA prototypes, costumes and all manner of other objects in that fashion, it’s a great choice.

The other point about this 3D printer is that it has printing and cutting ability with the pen and cutter, which lends it to even greater use. Whilst this is a good option and a space-saver for many, I definitely prefer a cutter that draws the material through rather than one that pushes it down, as this machine does. Still, for my stuff, as long as the blade is exceptionally sharp, it works very well for both cutting and plotting.

If you own a company and want to create large-scale models or PLA, it’s a brilliant 3D printer. In my tests, I found it to be good and reliable, except that it stops on almost anything. But a quick check, either physically or through the Bambu Handy app, and get it set going. If you’re a keen model crafter or enthusiast of any type, this is a superb option, as long as you’ve got that slightly larger space to keep it. If you’re working in product design and you just need a large-scale printer for prototyping, this is again a superb choice.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Should I buy the Bambu Lab A2L?

Buy it if...

You need to print big.
There are a few other machines that can print at this size and quality, but with the open-frame design and Bambu Lab’s leading technology, it comes together in a combination that ultimately produces superb prints reliably.

You need mass printing.
Many print farms now utilise enclosed printers due to space and reliability. If you’re regularly printing multiple objects, the large print platform and reliability make this a superb option.

Don't buy it if...

Limited on table space
The A2 L does come in a size, so you will require quite some space in order for it to sit. It’s also a bed-slinger design, so whilst you might put it on your desktop, you do need to make sure that the print platform has enough room to move forward and back.

You need engineering materials.
The downside of the design is that you are limited to standard materials, so if you need engineering-grade materials for functional parts, you’ll have to use an enclosed printer.

For more models, I've tested the best 3D printers you can get right now.

I tested PSB's new stereo speaker system and the punchy sound and compact styling are a delight, but don't bother if you listen to a lot of vinyl

Simon Lucas — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:00:00 +0000

PSB iQ2: Two-minute review

‘Larger’ is not the same as ‘large’, and so while the PSB iQ2 is the larger of the two models in the newly refreshed iQ range, it’s still a very compact little pair of speakers. ‘Compact’ in this instance, though, in no way implies a shortage of features or a restriction on performance

The standard of build and finish is good, the looks clean and understated no matter which of the seven different finishes you choose. The iQ2 has everything you could realistically hope for in a wireless speaker system costing this sort of money. It has — deep breath — wired and wireless connectivity (including a moving magnet phono stage for use with a turntable, and a HDMI eARC socket for connection to a TV), one of the best user interfaces around in the shape of BluOS, a total of 270 watts of power, frequency response that belies the physical size of the speakers, and authentically high-resolution playback. That's a lot.

Though you don’t get everything you could realistically hope for where sound quality is concerned, the PSB nevertheless has plenty to recommend it. Through every input except its phono stage, it’s a lively, engaging and informative listen, can deal confidently with rhythms and tempos, has a fair amount of well-controlled punch, and doesn’t overlook the finer details when it comes to unpicking a recording.

It can sound a little cramped via Bluetooth, sure, and its phono stage is dull when every other input sounds energetic. But as long as you’re not expecting small cabinets with small drivers to deliver hangar-filling sound you'll get from the best stereo speakers on the market there’s plenty to enjoy here.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

PSB iQ2 review: Price & release date

$1,399 / £1,199 / $2,299 (approx.)
Released in June 2026

The PSB iQ2 active wireless stereo speaker system is on sale now. In the United States it sells for $1,399 — unless you like the walnut veneer finish, in which case it'll set you back $1,499. The equivalent in the United Kingdom is £1,199 / £1,299. The pricing is yet to be confirmed for Australia, but you’re probably looking at AU$2299 / AU$2499 or thereabouts.

There is neither the time nor the space to reel off all the very many excellent products that PSB is going up against at this price.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

PSB iQ2 review: Features

19mm aluminum dome tweeter, 100mm mid/bass driver
24bit/192kHz DAC
Wireless and wired inputs

It’s compact, yes, but PSB's iQ2 has found enough space to ensure it's equipped to justify the asking price. No aspect of its specification is underpowered.

Getting your audio information on board in the first place can be done in a number of different ways. All physical inputs are on the rear panel of the ‘primary’ speaker. It has sockets for HDMI eARC, digital optical, USB-C, USB-A and a moving magnet phono stage on RCAs for use with a turntable (this input is switchable to line level in the control app). There’s also a pre-out for connecting to a subwoofer.

The wireless stuff is covered off by Bluetooth with aptX Adaptive codec compatibility. The iQ2 is compatible with the BluOS eco-system, which means wireless access to every worthwhile music streaming service, internet radio and any content you may have stored on a device connected to the local network.

Once it’s on board, the digital stuff is handled by a 24bit/192kHz digital-to-analog converter before it’s handed over for amplification — the analog stuff, of course, is passed straight through. There are 270 watts of TI Burr Brown-derived Class D amplification to power the driver array — 45 watts for each 19mm aluminum dome tweeter, and 90 watts for each 100mm mid/bass drivers. The latter, mildly unusually, are positioned above the former. This is an arrangement that, suggests PSB, is good for a frequency response of 64Hz - 20kHz.

Features score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

PSB iQ2 review: Sound quality

Lively and informative sound
Well-organized soundstage but not the largest
Sounds dull via its phono stage

There are caveats here, and they concern the out-and-out scale of sound the PSB is capable of generating (or not), and the efficacy of its phono stage. But it’s probably best to start with the things the iQ2 gets — there are more than one or two.

With a Tidal-derived stream of Geese’s Getting Killed playing as a 24bit/44.1kHz FLAC file, the iQ2 is an energetic, engaging listen with a stack of pertinent observation to make where tone, timbre and basic detail retrieval are concerned. It maintains a nicely even-handed tonality, neither adding to nor subtracting from the organic heat of the recording. At every turn, it is attentive to even the finer details of texture and harmonic variation.

It sounds very much like it extends further down the frequency range than PSB is claiming, and when it’s down there it punches with well-controlled determination (as well as no little variation) and has no problems expressing rhythms believably as a result.

Frequency response is equally well judged, so when the system modulates from low end to midrange there’s no apparent step change. Then, once it's there, the iQ2 invests voices with plenty of character and emotional attitude, as well as revealing the finer details of technique. Move up again into the highest frequencies and, though the PSB is not the most substantial where treble sounds are concerned, it manages to describe shine and bite without becoming hard or glassy. The DSP-assisted crossover occurs at around the 3Khz mark, but it’s basically imperceptible.

There’s a fair amount of dynamic headroom available, so as well as having the grunt to play good and loud, the iQ2 breathes deeply enough to put worthwhile distance between the quieter moments of a recording and the points of greatest intensity and attack. And it can manage these transitions without audible stress or compression, which is not something you can automatically say about some of its nominal rivals.

The soundstage it creates is well defined and properly organized, so even complex recordings are laid out coherently. It’s not the most expansive soundstage you ever encountered, though. These are small-ish cabinets featuring small-ish drivers, and quite obviously there’s a limit to the scale of sound you’re entitled to expect. Got a great big room you want to fill with sound? You’ll be needing bigger speakers than these.

And it’s definitely worth noting that the above applies to most, but not all, of the iQ2’s inputs. It can, inevitably, sound a little squashed when streaming via Bluetooth — this is hardly unheard of, even in systems costing plenty more than this. Yet the integrated phono stage is an authentic disappointment. It gives away the bulk of the vibrant, energetic attitude the system displays through all of its other inputs and replaces it with an altogether more pedestrian, vanilla alternative. No turntable = no problem, of course, but if you have a record player you’d like to use, try and hear the PSB’s phono stage before you commit to spending any money…

Sound quality score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

PSB iQ2 review: Design

246 x 145 x 192mm (HxWxD)
Choice of seven finishes
Rear-firing bass reflex port

If a significant part of the appeal of systems like this is their relatively discreet nature, then PSB is onto a winner with the iQ2. Even by prevailing standards it’s notably compact at 246 x 145 x 192mm, and as long as you give each cabinet’s rear-facing bass port a little breathing space then it’s very adaptable and flexible when it comes to positioning.

As is generally the case with PSB, the standard of build and finish that’s on display here is more than acceptable. The cabinet edges are crisp and clean, and the combination of MDF and aluminum used in the construction allows the speaker to be fairly light (7.4kg per pair) but notably robust. The main sleeve is of MDF, the rear panel is of aluminum, and the front baffle (which is separated from the main body by a slim slice of brightwork) is MDF on aluminum.

There are seven available finishes, which means there really ought to be something to suit your interior design choices, but I can’t help thinking I got the short straw with my review sample's ‘sandstone’ beige. It’s a rather insipid and non-committal color. I haven't seen them but I’d suggest that any of the black, white, ‘boreal’ green, ‘granite’ gray, ‘ember’ red or (cost option) walnut veneer alternatives are likely to be preferable.

For me, anyway, the fact the iQ2 is supplied with four little magnetically attached grilles that cover only the drivers rather than the entirety of the front baffle is probably a good thing. Unless you’re actually trying to disguise the colour of the speakers in the first place…

Design score: 5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

PSB iQ2 review: Usability & setup

BluOS control app
A few physical controls
Easy to create a multi-channel or multi-room system

The primary speaker, the one with all the physical and wireless connectivity, also features a few capacitive (and illuminated) touch controls on its top panel. They’re useful if you happen to be passing, but of much more wide-ranging use is the BluOS control app.

BluOS is an increasingly popular control and management interface, one that’s been adopted by quite a number of manufacturers, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a clean, clear and stable interface, logical in navigation and extensive in its functionality.

Everything you need, from initial set-up — telling the primary speaker if it’s the left or right channel, for instance — and EQ control to establishing a multi-channel or multi-room system using any BluOS-compatible product, can be taken care of from here. Integrating your favorite music streaming service(s), accessing internet radio, checking for updates, so on and so forth — they're all here.

A great operating system is not, in and of itself, a reason to buy a wireless speaker system but it certainly makes it easier when you’re making your mind up.

Usability & setup score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)

PSB iQ2 review: Value

Great specification
Very acceptable build and finish
Energetic sound

Just because you don’t get a whole lot in physical terms, doesn’t mean the PSB iQ2 doesn’t represent very decent value for money.

The specification is good, the operating system is better still, the standard of build and finish is very acceptable indeed — and best of all, the sound is energetic and engaging through all but one of the input options.

If you want nicely poised and enjoyable sound from a system that won’t dominate your room, there’s authentic value to be had here.

Value score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Should I buy PSB iQ2?

PSB iQ2 scorecard
Attribute	Notes	Score
Features	No aspect is underpowered; 19mm aluminum dome tweeter, 100mm mid/bass driver, 24bit/192kHz DAC	5 / 5
Sound quality	Lively, informative and well organized; but sounds dull via phono stage	4 / 5
Design	Choice of seven finishes; crisp and clean edges; notably robust	5 / 5
Setup & usability	Excellent BluOS control app; easy to create a multi-channel or multi-room system	5 / 5
Value	Authentic value to be had, with good specification and even better control app; phono stage just a little lacking	4.5 / 5

Buy them if…

You want a comprehensive little speaker system
PSB has managed to cram a lot into what are very compact speaker cabinets.

You have interior decor that requires complementing
My review sample looks a bit weird, but the other six finishes are very nice.

You’re considering multi-room and/or multi-channel listening
BluOS is supported by a lot of brands and they can all join in with your system.

Don’t buy them if…

You have a big space you want to fill with sound
Here’s where I say something profound about the laws of physics…

You want to use vinyl as a primary source
The phono stage is the least effective of the iQ2’s inputs.

You haven’t shopped around
In isolation the PSB is a great little system, but in practice it has some stiff competition.

PSB iQ2 review: Also consider

KEF LSX II
The KEF LSX II is a little larger than the PSB iQ2, and it sounds it — and it’s arguably a more complete, better-balanced listen, too. The industrial design is, to my eyes at least, also more interesting. But while its control app is perfectly adequate, it’s not a patch on the BluOS app the iQ2 is running…

How I tested the PSB iQ2

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

I put the iQ2 on some Soundstyle speaker stands for the majority of this test — from there they were attached to a turntable and a CD player (via the phono input and the digital optical input respectively), as well as streaming via Bluetooth and from Tidal using the BluOS app.

I also tried them on a shelf for a while, and listened purely wirelessly, but because my shelves are positioned in the traditional way, it was quite difficult to get the rear bass reflex ports far enough away from a rear surface…

Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee
First reviewed: July 2026

Proton VPN Free review: a great choice for day-to-day, but with some unfortunate limitations

Rob Dunne — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 13:51:17 +0000

Proton VPN Free is undoubtedly among the best free VPNs available. Offering a broad spectrum of compatibility across devices, impressive speeds, and unlimited bandwidth, it would be easy for anyone looking for a free VPN to get started using Proton VPN Free.

That said, its apps aren't the simplest, you're limited to only one connected device at a time, and you can't choose which of its 10 available locations you connect to. Plus, our testing found some concerning throttling indicators which could make Proton VPN Free one to avoid should you be looking for a free streaming VPN or torrenting VPN.

Features

Proton VPN Free does exactly what a VPN needs to do and little else. Included in the free plan is your VPN connection, a kill switch, all of Proton VPN's protocols, and the ability to customise your app icon, in case you find yourself in a region with VPN restrictions.

Following recent updates, the app now offers 10 free servers and the company are developing a new, in-house VPN architecture that could lead to significant improvements in the future.

In our testing, we found no reason to be concerned about the kill switch. It was easy enough to set up, though it does require the VPN to be set as an 'always-on VPN' on Android devices.

Upgrading to a paid Proton VPN plan unlocks a plethora of further capabilities for the VPN.

For starters, NetShield, Proton VPN's ad, tracker, and malware blocking software. You can also access Proton VPN's Secure Core server network, which is its equivalent of multi-hop, use Proton for P2P downloading and file sharing, gain one-click access to Tor, split-tunnel your VPN traffic, and unlock Proton VPN's full suite of customization options.

These customisation options range from custom DNS to LAN connections, and even specific NAT types, plus you can set up specific profiles with tailored settings. Something to note is that while Proton VPN Free does allow you to create these fully customized profiles, you can only use them once you upgrade to a paid plan.

Features score: 4/10

Server Network

Proton VPN Free highlights one of the often overlooked benefits of paid VPNs, the ability to choose the server location you need, rather than simply being provided with one.

Proton VPN Free offers 10 server locations: the Netherlands, Romania, Singapore, Mexico, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, United States, Poland and Canada.

However, you do not get to choose which of these servers you connect to; instead, you are auto-connected to the fastest server available to you, which, more often than not, is the closest.

While not a big concern, should you plan to use Proton VPN Free just to secure your online traffic, it does limit Proton VPN Free's capabilities as a streaming VPN. Plus, you're likely guaranteed to have speed limitations if you're not close to any of the servers.

Choosing Proton VPN's paid version drastically increases the offering. Upping the countries available to a whopping 148, and, more importantly, you gain the ability to choose the exact location you want to connect to.

Server network score: 5/10

Apps

Despite being free, Proton VPN Free offers a good selection of apps. Free plan users can access Proton VPN on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, and Chromebooks.

The biggest omission from this list that you'd be able to access should you choose Proton VPN's paid plan is Apple TV. While all other expected streaming devices work with the free plan, Apple TV users will be prompted to upgrade rather than be able to use the free service.

Proton VPN recently underwent a refresh of many of its apps, leading to a new, sleek design across platforms such as Windows, iOS, and Android. (Image credit: Future)

Generally, however, the spread of compatibility available is impressive. What's more, each of Proton VPN Free's apps closely resembles each other, and features that might be hidden on smaller screen devices, such as mobiles, are easily accessible should you be looking to use Proton VPN free on your tablet or computer.

Apps score: 8/10

Ease of use

Proton VPN across both its paid and free plans is not the simplest VPN to look at, though this doesn't make it trouble to use, even if beginners might need a touch more time.

What must be said, though, is that while Proton VPN Free isn't the simplest to look at, it is arguably the best free VPN to look at for sheer aesthetics. Its dark purple theme, partnered with a simple enough map interface, makes for extremely pleasant viewing, even if all you can do with the free plan is click the connect button before you set about your browsing elsewhere.

Future

Setting up Proton VPN Free is appreciably simple. Most notably, you're not instantly pushed to make a paid plan account from the outset, unlike many free VPNs. Instead, should you need to sign up, you simply create your account by clicking the button on the login menu, and after going through the steps and signing in, you're greeted with the usual home screen, and a bar telling you what you're missing out on by not having the paid plan. No hidden free plan signup, no trial you need to navigate, just quick access to the free service, and easy ways to upgrade should you choose to.

Once in, there are only two buttons you need to worry about: connect, which you're greeted with on the main screen, and your kill switch. As mentioned already, given the lack of server choice, the connect button does everything for you once clicked, connecting you to the fastest server in a matter of seconds. Your kill switch can be found quickly via the settings tab on mobile phones and tablets, or via the kill switch icon on computers.

Ease of use score: 8/10

Speed and performance

Proton VPN Free is, without doubt, one of the quickest free VPNs available. In terms of speeds, Proton VPN free achieved a maximum of 1009 Mbps, which is by no means slow. These kinds of speeds would comfortably allow you to stream, game, or browse without any major issues.

That said, testing on an Android device saw our speeds when connected to the VPN halve when compared to what we saw without a VPN connection using either WiFi or a mobile data connection.

A bigger concern we found was evidence of substantial speed throttling after a certain amount of data was used. In testing, after using 3-4GB of data, we saw our speeds drop to only around 5 Mbps, which, while fine for browsing or emails, would leave you struggling should you wish to stream or download on your VPN connection.

Given the lack of server choice, it's unlikely you'd choose Proton VPN Free for streaming anyway, but this should definitely come into consideration. Should you be looking for a fast and simple solution to day-to-day internet needs, Proton VPN Free is a seriously strong option.

Speed and performance score: 7/10

Unblocking

Testing Proton VPN's ability to unblock content isn't a simple feat because, as we've mentioned, you don't get to choose the location you connect to.

This means seeing the full scope of Proton VPN Free's capabilities isn't possible from one testing location. What we can say is that we were flawlessly able to access Dutch streaming services, including Disney+, Netflix, and Prime Video.

When we managed to connect to Canada, we could unblock Netflix but failed to unblock Prime Video and Disney+.

Although we cannot guarantee the same levels of success in other regions, our testing of Proton VPN's paid plan suggests you should have similar success. This is because the paid plan was able to comfortably unblock most of the streaming services we tested in all 149 regions, including Netflix, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, 10Play, 9Now, and more.

It did struggle with Prime Video more regularly, though this is something we've seen across many VPNs in our latest round of testing.

Unblocking score: 5/10

Privacy and security

Despite not being able to access Proton's full suite of security features with Proton VPN Free, you have no reason to feel as though your data is at any risk, thanks to how the service has been set up.

First and foremost, Proton VPN is constantly proving that it not only doesn't store your data, but also that it has no vulnerabilities that may put your online privacy at risk. An independent audit by Securitum across August and September 2025 marked the 4th consecutive year in which Proton has proven its claims, and while, at the time of writing, we've yet to see an audit in 2025, we expect this to continue.

When using Proton VPN Free, you can use any of its various secure VPN protocols, including OpenVPN, WireGuard, and its proprietary Stealth protocol. Both WireGuard and OpenVPN have long been common in the VPN industry, and both have been proven countless times to be secure and reliable protocols.

WireGuard uses its traditional ChaCha20 encryption with Proton VPN, while Proton VPN's OpenVPN deployment uses AES-256, another impressively secure encryption method.

In January 2026, Proton announced it was removing support for OpenVPN configuration files that were downloaded before September 2023. Users of the official app are unaffected. However, people running manual setups on routers, Linux terminals, or third-party clients must refresh their credentials.

Stealth, Proton VPN's proprietary protocol, is an obfuscated version of WireGuard that runs over TLS. This makes your browsing data look like normal encrypted browsing data to anyone who might analyze your traffic to spot VPN usage. For most, this is a bonus that won't be entirely necessary, but should you be tackling enterprise rule-based firewalls or DPI-based firewalls, this protocol may prove to have better luck.

Key things missing from Proton VPN Free include Proton VPN's equivalent of multihop, called Secure Core, as well as its NetShield ad, malware, and tracking blocker, and any kind of split tunneling.

While missing out on split-tunneling and multihop is unfortunate, we'd usually recommend running an external ad and malware blocker alongside a VPN anyway, so NetShield doesn't prove as big a loss.

Privacy and security score: 8/10

Track record

Given Proton's wide suite of security tools and privacy-first claims, it attracts a great deal of attention and scrutiny online. Luckily, for the most part, it has proven to be flawless. An instance in 2019 where Proton Mail was forced to log a climate activist's IP after a law enforcement request proves to be the only mark on an otherwise problem-free record across its product range.

Swiss law works differently for VPN providers. VPN providers cannot be compelled to carry out bulk surveillance by either Swiss or foreign law enforcement. This makes Proton VPN much less vulnerable to requests that might put privacy at risk. At an individual account level, Proton VPN does need to comply with legally valid cases brought by the Swiss court, even if made by foreign entities. However, Switzerland has no ties to the EU, US, or NATO intelligence sharing pacts, and often doesn't recognize requests from countries with a poor judicial reputation.

Switzerland's privacy laws have been under review during the past 12 months, raising concerns that privacy protections may be undermined should certain provisions come into force. However, companies – including Proton – have pushed back on the proposals and, at the time of writing, no significant changes have been introduced.

Track record score: 9/10

Customer Support

Proton VPN's customer support options are more limited than most, especially on its free plan.

Should you encounter any issues while using the free plan, you can either use its support site to browse articles that may help you fix your issue, or you can use a contact email address to get some form of support from a human, depending on your issue.

In practice, Proton VPN's support articles are impressively helpful, and there's more than enough of them to cover most issues you face, and while it can be slow to contact a human via email, it's at least a viable alternative should you run into any issues not covered.

The biggest omission for Proton VPN Free customers is no live support functionalities. Even paid Proton VPN customers aren't quite able to access 24/7 support, but the lack of any kind of live chat does mean beginners could be left in the cold if struggling to find the support they need early on in their time using a VPN.

Customer support score: 7/10

Pricing and plans

Proton VPN Free does lack a fair amount compared to what a paid Proton VPN plan can offer, but that doesn't mean it isn't a supremely capable free VPN, depending on your needs.

By choosing to upgrade to Proton VPN's paid option, you can access:

19,000+ servers across 149 countries – plus the ability to choose which server you connect to!
Servers capable of speeds up to 10 Gbps with VPN Accelerator
Netshield ad, malware, and tracker blocking
Secure Core (multihop) connections
P2P downloading and file sharing
10 simultaneous connections
The Tor network within your regular browser
Split tunneling
VPN Profiles
Advanced VPN customisation settings

Given Proton VPN starts from $3.59 per month, that is a lot to include in that cost. While it's not as cheap as Surfshark or NordVPN, its paid plan also proved to be capable of speeds which matched the very fastest VPNs throughout, and it also proved flawless at unblocking streaming services.

So, while Proton VPN Free is a great free VPN choice to secure your day-to-day online activities, upgrading to a paid plan could prove to be extremely beneficial depending on what you want to achieve with your VPN.

Pricing and plans score: 9/10

Should you use Proton VPN Free?

If you are looking for a free VPN to protect you while you’re out and about, working overseas, or on holiday, and you’re worried about privacy when you’re connected to public Wi-Fi or someone else’s network, Proton VPN Free is without doubt a good choice for you.

While it doesn’t have much in the way of extra features, you can install it on your device, connect to the VPN, and then pretty much forget all about it. With speeds that will comfortably handle most tasks, an easy-enough interface, and a simple setup process, it's a breeze to get connected in a matter of minutes without being pressed into upgrading to its paid option.

Overall score: 70/100

Alternatives

NordVPN – from $3.49 per month
The best VPN overall
NordVPN ranks as our best VPN overall, making it a superb alternative to any VPN, especially a free one such as Proton VPN Free. Comparing NordVPN to Proton VPN's paid plan, you get more countries, even if only one, equally impressive speeds, clocking in over 1200 Mbps, and a whole host of features, including Threat Protection Pro and Meshnet, all for a price cheaper than Proton VPN. View Deal

Surfshark – from $2.49 per month
The best cheap VPN (and also the fastest)
Surfshark is the best cheap VPN out there, at only $1.99 per month for two years. Add to that impressive features such as Alternative ID, Surfshark Search, and Antivirus, and you can find yourself a complete security package for a matter of dollars with little difficulty.View Deal

ExpressVPN - from $2.49 per month
A beginner-friendly VPN package
ExpressVPN is without doubt one of the most secure VPN providers. It’s a more expensive VPN than almost any other VPN provider, but in return, you access a high-speed server network that spans 113 countries. Plus, it offers one of the easiest interfaces we've tested, across almost any device you can think of, even if you only get 10-14 simultaneous connections to use at once.View Deal

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Toshiba N300 4TB NAS HDD review: Can the extra cost over its rivals be justified by its performance?

mark@pickavance.com (Mark Pickavance) — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 10:30:25 +0000

While there are a few other brands, the hard drive market is essentially a three-horse race between WD, Seagate and Toshiba.

Having looked at WD and Seagate NAS HDDs recently, it seemed appropriate to look at what Toshiba offers that’s different to the other two.

Toshiba Electronics Europe launched the N300 NAS drive series in January 2017. By that point, Western Digital and Seagate had been in the dedicated NAS drive market for years. WD Red has been on sale since 2012, and Seagate IronWolf launched in 2016. Toshiba was late to this party, and that certainly coloured its product range from the outset.

The N300 launched at 4TB, 6TB, and 8TB, all carrying a 128MB data buffer and a 7200 RPM spindle. That last detail is the key one. Toshiba did not try to match WD and Seagate on their terms; instead, it went faster.

The N300 range runs at 7200 RPM on every capacity variant, from the smallest to the largest. That decision produces a drive with meaningfully higher sequential throughput. The N300 achieves up to 298 MB/s sustained transfer speed. The WD Red Plus manages around 180-190 MB/s. The IronWolf reaches 202 MB/s. The N300 leaves both behind in raw sequential performance.

And, this newer HDWG740EZSTC model covered here offers 512MB of cache, where older revisions had 128MB or 256MB.

However, there are tradeoffs here. On the hardware side, the additional rotational speed makes the N300 noisier, it generates more heat, and uses more power. That makes it less suitable for a NAS that’s sitting on the desktop, and more acceptable if you have a server room. And, the other awkward aspect of the N300 is that Toshiba has jacked the price up of this drive to around 50% more than what WD and Seagate are asking for the same capacity from some sources.

There are a few deals to be had on the N300, but it does make you wonder whether it's competing with the WD Red Plus and Seagate IronWolf, or the Red Pro and IronWolf Pro?

If only Toshiba would price the N300 more appropriately, it might become one of the best NAS drive options.

Toshiba N300 4TB: Price

Without doubt, the worst possible place to buy the N300 4TB drive is from Amazon.com and the Toshiba Store on that retailer.

The current asking price there is around $330, which is utterly outrageous. To put that into perspective, in January 2026, the price was $215.62, and in August 2025, it was $154.99. Therefore, it has seen a 212% price increase in just nine months. Given that I wouldn’t believe there is much interest in 4TB drives for Datacentres, this is purely corporate greed in action.

But what’s even more curious is that even in the US, you can get this drive for cheaper, since B&H Photo sells it for $244.99, and Newegg wants $299.

Outside of the US borders, the prices are still elevated but not as excessively. From Amazon.co.uk, the 4TB capacity is priced around the £200 mark, and across Europe on Amazon, it's €237.86, if they have stock.

For comparison, American customers on Amazon.com can pay $194.99 for the 4TB WD Plus drive, and the 4TB Seagate IronWolf is only $189.

In short, wherever you buy the N300, it's seen a much larger price increase than its competitors, and this is true across all regions.

One important difference to note is that the N300 is available in a much larger range of sizes than Red Plus and IronWolf. The smallest N300 is 4TB, and it is available in 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB, 14TB, 16TB, 17TB, 20TB and 22TB.

The Red Plus only goes from 1TB up to 12TB, and the IronWolf goes from 1TB to 16TB, with some truly odd sizes such as 7TB in between the usual capacity increases.

However, you look at the N300 pricing, this is an expensive drive that tries to go between the Red Plus/IronWolf and the Red Pro/IronWolf Pro product ranges.

What makes this more complicated is that while officially IronWolf Pro drives are made in 4TB capacities, I could only find 12TB and larger. But the 4TB WD Red Pro can be found for $249.99 on Amazon, which is cheaper than the N300 for the same capacity.

What’s genuinely confusing about the N300 range is that if you go looking for drives of a particular capacity, you might find that drive with three different part numbers, one being the retail number, others being OEM, and I managed with some sizes to find ones with 128MB, 512MB and 1024MB caches. Obviously, the larger caches are better, especially on bigger capacity drives.

As an example of how messed up Toshiba is on Amazon.com, clicking “Visit the Toshiba Store” sometimes takes you to Toshiba kitchen products.

These prices need to be more consistent and gouge less.

(Image credit: Toshiba)

Toshiba N300 4TB: Design

Since its launch, Toshiba has developed several proprietary technologies for the N300 and has kept them consistent across the product line.

These include Stable Platter Technology, which uses a tied spindle motor to secure the drive shaft at both ends. This reduces system-induced vibration and is directly comparable with WD's 3D Active Balance Plus approach. Both address the same problem, where in a multi-drive enclosure, vibration from one drive affects the others.

Also special to the N300 is Dynamic Cache Technology, a self-contained algorithm with on-board buffer management that optimises cache allocation between read and write operations in real time. From the outset, the N300 has typically had more cache than its competition, so managing the use of that is important for performance.

One of the hidden issues with faster-rotating drives is wear, and on the N300, this is addressed in a few interesting ways, one being Ramp Load Technology. This parks the read and write heads on a ramp outside the platter surface when the drive is idle. It reduces head wear during power cycles and protects the media surface.

Error recovery control has also been present since the original launch, limiting recovery time to avoid RAID array ejections in the same way that WD's TLER does.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

All these features I’ve mentioned arrived with the first N300 drives, but since then, the N300 has undergone some subtle changes, one of which is the introduction of NASLink Technology.

This fine-tunes drive behaviour for rapid data access and includes firmware-level optimisation for RAID performance through improved disk coordination. The more drives you have in an array, the more important it is that they’re all moving to a common beat, and Toshiba has baked that into the N300 via firmware updates.

Having larger arrays improves performance, but it introduces vibrations that can migrate from one drive to those either side of it. To combat this, the N300 also carries three built-in rotational vibration sensors. These detect and compensate for the knock-on vibration effects that become a serious problem once a NAS enclosure has more than four drives installed.

Overall, while Toshiba hasn’t come up with anything like Seagate IronWolf Health Management. In other respects, this is probably the most sophisticated drive serving the home and small-business NAS market.

However, when Toshiba only offers a three-year warranty and 180TB/year workload, it doesn't seem much like it's that special.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Toshiba N300 4TB: Performance

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Since Toshiba only provided two of these drives, there seemed little point in trying to work out what array advantages running the N300 offered. Therefore, I went with the same PC analysis that I used on the WD Red Plus and IronWolf drives

Here are my results:

Drives		Toshiba N300	WD Red Plus	IronWolf
Part No.		HDWG740	WD40EFPX	ST4000VN006
Capacity		4TB	4TB	4TB
Cache		512MB	256MB	256MB
Rotational Speed	RPM	7200	5400	5400
AJA
Read	MB/s	282	187	190
Write	MB/s	283	179	185
ATTO
Read	MB/s	291.57	206.24	192.35
Write	MB/s	294.25	197.35	191.76
CrystalDiskMark Default
Read	MB/s	299.18	201.23	200.77
Write	MB/s	300.50	208.26	199.33
CrystalDiskMark RealWorld
Read	MB/s	286.95	212.46	200.22
Write	MB/s	290.01	204.42	199.11
PCMark
Score		651	801	677
Bandwidth	MB/s	99.87	124.49	103.69
MS Winsat
Random 16 Read	MB/s	2.37	1.71	1.6
Sequential 64.0 Read	MB/s	218.38	168.53	158.16
Sequential 64.0 Write	MB/s	289.31	204.65	190.5
Read Time with Sequential Writes	ms	4.810	1.385	1.946
Latency: 95th Percentile	ms	31.620	12.685	34.685
Latency: Maximum	ms	75.357	64.723	62.341
Average Read Time with Random Writes	ms	12.021	5.267	9.898

Aside from PCMark10, all other tests show that the N300 is a country mile faster than either of the alternative NAS drives with the same capacity. I can put those results down to the increased rotational speed and also the 512MB cache on the N300.

One extra test I did perform on a NAS was to take a single drive on a Ugreen NASync DXP4800 Plus NAS, connect to it over a 2.5GbE LAN link, and bench test it from my PC.

I achieved read and write speeds over 285MB/s, which is the practical limit of 2.5GbE LAN ports. That with a single N300 drive, you can saturate a 2.5GbE Link is impressive, and it implies that with four drives in a RAID 5 configuration, you should be able to saturate a 10GbE LAN port. To do that on both WD and Seagate would involve moving up to their Red Pro or IronWolf Pro range.

Based on these numbers alone, the N300 might be worth what Toshiba is asking for it, depending on how your NAS is configured and if raw speed is important to that system.

However, I should also point out that the power consumption on the N300 is dramatically more than on the Seagate and WD drives. The current 4TB N300 draws 7.43W typical under active operating load, where the Red Plus only consumes 4.7W and the IronWolf 4.8W.

And, the N300 will be converting most of that power into heat, regrettably. If you already have a machine room where the cooling isn't coping, then maybe using these drives might not be the best plan.

Toshiba N300 4TB: Final verdict

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

If this drive were cheaper and Toshiba had technology like the IronWolf Health Management scheme, there would be little debate about this being one of the best options.

However, there are a few things about NAS and RAID arrays that make this choice slightly more complicated.

For starters, the majority of NAS are bottlenecked by their LAN connections, so if you only have a NAS with a 1GbE or 2.5GbE LAN port, then you won’t see the improved performance of the N300 over the WD Red Plus or IronWolf. If you do have a 10GbE LAN port, it will be saturated with four drives; extra drives won’t make any difference unless you have multiple LAN ports and bandwidth aggregation.

What you do get with the N300 is internal NAS performance, which, if you are running AI on your NAS, might be a factor. However, most people using their NAS that way use NVMe drives for caching, allowing them to get higher performance from 5400RPM drives. Rebuilds will be quicker, but the value of that comes down to whether the NAS is a point-of-service or other mission-critical function, and it assumes that a drive (or drives) dies in the first place to trigger the rebuild.

The fly in this ointment is the price, because for a four bay NAS, that’s a jump from roughly $800 in storage to $1200, and for that increase, you might consider Pro-level media.

Interestingly, currently the WD Red Pro 4TB is $250, offers 7200RPM spindle speeds, for less than the 4TB N300 on Amazon.com. And deals on IronWolf Pro models undercut Toshiba's pricing at that retailer.

In the UK, the IronWolf Pro 4TB is only £169.99, the WD Red Pro is £234.75, making the £195.15 N300 4TB a better deal than the WD, but much worse than the Seagate drive.

That’s the biggest issue here, because Toshiba aimed this product to hit the open ground between the entry-level NAS drives and the Pro series mechanisms, and now adjusted the price to compete with the premium layer. These Pro drives have 300TB/yr workload ratings and a 5-year warranty, whereas the N300 only has 180TB/yr and a 3-year warranty.

Based on these Toshiba defined ratings, it can't compete on reliability.

While I expect that if I tested the N300 against the Pro hardware, it would do well, since both of the competing brands typically only include 256MB of cache, not 512MB. But those who buy those mechanisms are looking for longevity above all else.

Overall, I liked the N300, as it takes less time to get operational on a NAS and in small arrays, the performance is excellent. But I can’t get on board with Toshiba’s pricing, which seems excessively high in some regions and lacks any consistency.

For more storage solutions, we've reviewed the best NAS devices.

The Alienware AW3426DW is easily the best 34-inch ultrawide OLED I've ever used, and it's made me want to abandon my 45-inch monitor

Isaiah Williams — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Alienware AW3426DW: Two-minute review

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

There's a new 34-inch ultrawide powerhouse in town, with the brand-new Alienware AW3426DW QD-OLED. After testing it with several games and movies, it's clear to me that this monitor stands well above its predecessors in terms of quality.

Unlike its predecessor, the Alienware AW3425DW, this display uses 5th-gen tandem OLED technology, delivering significantly higher brightness, improved efficiency, and better text clarity. The Penta (five-layer) tandem OLED stack also solves one of the biggest issues I've had with previous QD-OLED monitors, where brightness dimming from the automatic brightness limiter (ABL) would result in inconsistent brightness levels.

Frankly, coming from a 45-inch LG 45GS95QE QD-OLED ultrawide display that utilizes an 800R curve, I wasn't expecting to be blown away with greater immersion — but the AW3426DW delivers so much that I don't think I can do without a tandem OLED display going forward.

It also helps that Dolby Vision HDR support is included, which uses dynamic metadata to help shift brightness levels and tone mapping for each scene, and it's best used on games or movies that specifically support it.

For example, Battlefield 6's visual quality is elevated to a new level, specifically in sequences with chaotic explosions and fire particles that spread across the screen. You can see how good Dolby Vision is, when bright highlights are incredibly detailed, and since tandem OLED minimizes the need for ABL, there are no noticeable brightness dimming issues.

In games that don't support Dolby Vision, you can switch this off from the on-screen display (OSD) and enjoy HDR using the HDR Peak 1300 Bright or Display True Black 500 modes, although the former might have slightly more noticeable ABL. Other than a few errors that forced me to restart my PC after switching HDR modes and losing display signal, HDR functionality is great on the AW3426DW.

Without a doubt, this is one of the best gaming monitors money can buy, and certainly one of the best ultrawide monitors in 2026.

Alienware AW3426DW: Price & Availability

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

How much does it cost? $799.99 / £709 / around AU$1,150
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK

For everything that the AW3426DW ultrawide has to offer, effectively making it one of the best ultrawide OLED monitors money can buy right now, the $799.99 / £709 price is more than reasonable. It's around the same price as its predecessor, the AW3425DW, but is much better, mostly thanks to its tandem OLED tech, but also thanks to its new anti-reflective coating.

Having used a far more expensive LG 45-inch ultrawide, which still sells at just above $1,000 / £1,000 (original retail price was $1,699.99 / £1,699.99), the AW3426DW is a steal in my book.

The LG display might have a virtual reality-like 800R curvature, but it's heavily limited in comparison due to its older WOLED panel, and utilizes the same 3440x1440 display resolution as the new Alienware 34-inch monitor does at 45 inches, which means pixel density is worse on the 45GS95QE.

If you're not ready to make the jump to the flagship Alienware AW3926QW 5K2K ultrawide launching later this year, especially due to the leap in GPU power requirements (it'll be more demanding than gaming at 4K), then the AW3426DW is the best monitor to opt for.

Value: 4 / 5

Alienware AW3426DW: Specs

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

	AW3425DW (Previous Model)	AW3426DW (Review Unit)
Screen size:	34-inch	34-inch
Aspect Ratio:	21:9	21:9
Resolution:	3440x1440	3440x1440
Response Time:	0.03ms GtG	0.03ms GtG (Extreme Mode)
Panel Type:	QD-OLED / Q-stripe, 4-stack	QD-OLED Penta Tandem / RGB Stripe, 5-stack
Brightness:	250 nits (Typical), 1,000 nits (Peak)	300 nits (Typical), 1,300 nits (Peak)
Contrast Ratio:	1,500,000:1	1,500,000:1
Refresh Rate:	240Hz	280Hz
HDR:	VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400	VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 & Dolby Vision
Screen Coating:	Standard anti-reflective	New anti-reflective coating
Connectivity:	HDMI 2.1 2x (VRR support), DisplayPort 1.4, USB Type-B upstream, USB Type-A downstream, USB Type C downstream (Power Charge up to 15 W)	HDMI 2.1 2x (VRR support), DisplayPort 1.4, USB Type-B upstream, USB Type-A downstream, USB Type C downstream (Power Charge up to 15 W), Built-in USB Hub

Alienware AW3426DW: Design

Future / Isaiah Williams

Dell has kept the design for the Alienware AW3426DW simple, and it's almost identical to the previous AW3426DW model. The new monitor features the same sturdy stand and base, and I love the shiny and sleek finish it has.

In terms of connectivity, it's effectively the same again with two HDMI 2.1 ports that support variable refresh rate (VRR), along with a single DisplayPort 1.4. Fortunately, you can charge your devices while using the display, thanks to the USB-C 5Gbps downstream port, with a charging output of 15 W.

I'd appreciate it if this display had a slightly deeper curvature (perhaps 1500R) over its 1800R curve; however, that's likely my own bias coming from near-constant use of an 800R curved monitor, which is overkill to say the least.

Most Alienware monitors keep OSD navigation easy via a simple button, and that's also the case here. However, one personal gripe of mine is the lack of a remote control.

Some of LG's UltraGear ultrawide displays come with a remote control, which eliminates the need to physically reach over to the monitor button to change display settings. Fortunately, though, the Alienware Command Center application on Windows acts as an alternative option to access and control some of the OSD options.

The biggest highlight of the AW3426DW's design is its new anti-reflective coating. There's almost little to no glare when using this display in a bright environment, even with sunshine beaming in from open curtains.

Yes, a lot of this is thanks to the 5th-gen tandem OLED panel and the display's high brightness levels, but the anti-reflective coating is just as important in this case, with a 30% glare reduction — and at night, brightness truly blossoms better than I've ever seen before.

Design: 4.5 / 5

Alienware AW3426DW: Features

Future / Isaiah Williams

The AW3426DW has a wide range of features available via its OSD, notably multiple HDR modes: DisplayHDR True Black 500, HDR Peak 1300, HDR Peak 1300 Bright, and Dolby Vision. The latter is what I used for most movies, specifically those that are made for Dolby Vision, especially since it dynamically shifts brightness levels and tone mapping based on each scene — but more on HDR later.

I'm not a massive fan of Picture-in-Picture or Picture-by-Picture (PIP or PBP) modes on monitors, specifically with multiple inputs. However, there are several options available in terms of positioning and sizing, which are more than welcome on any ultrawide display, where productivity is one of the main appeals.

For competitive players, the eSports mode should come in handy, as it transforms the display into a 25-inch monitor, with the option to position the active area at the top, center, or bottom of the screen. It's a reasonable option to include in a monitor with a 280Hz refresh rate, and one that has a 0.03ms GtG response time, and helps simulate a 25-inch monitor gaming experience.

VRR works fine on both DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1 inputs, ensuring frame rates are high, matching the 280Hz refresh rate, and reducing screen tearing. Nvidia's G-Sync is also enabled to improve smoothness and latency, so screen tearing isn't a concern on this display whatsoever.

Features: 4.5 / 5

Alienware AW3426DW: Performance

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

I tested this monitor playing several games, such as Destiny 2, Crimson Desert, Dragon's Dogma 2, Resident Evil Requiem, and Battlefield 6, and I was left amazed at how impressive the AW3426DW performs. With Dolby Vision enabled in supported games (i.e., Battlefield 6), visuals are absolutely breathtaking, with highly detailed bright and dark areas on screen amid blood-soaked action.

With Dolby Vision enabled, there are effectively no ABL issues, or at the very least, if there are, it isn't very noticeable. Of course, it's not just Dolby Vision's inclusion alone doing the heavy lifting in this respect, but also the fact that this is a 5th-gen tandem OLED display, directly increasing brightness capabilities.

Not every game or movie has Dolby Vision support, and that's exactly why the other HDR modes are vital — and I'm happy to report that HDR Peak 1300 Bright is fantastic. It doesn't come without its faults, and in particular, gamers should be ready to deal with some level of ABL.

However, again, because of the tandem OLED layers, I could play games like Destiny 2 or Dragon's Dogma 2 and enjoy very bright experiences without losing detail in bright and dark areas on screen. It's also a huge benefit that the AW3426DW is seemingly well calibrated out of the box in terms of color profile and HDR calibration, as I hardly had to configure any settings in that regard.

Essentially, Dolby Vision should only really be used for movies and games where it's supported, and HDR modes such as HDR Peak 1300 and DisplayHDR True Black 500 for most games that don't support Dolby Vision.

There aren't many games that can reach the 280 frames per second mark (at least when playing on higher graphics settings), but if you have a powerful enough rig, it's a joy to experience a game that feels so smooth when in motion.

It's also pleasing to see that text clarity issues have been solved, which stems directly from the RGB stripe subpixel layout, and that makes this a great choice for any PC user looking for a QD-OLED display that caters to both work and play.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Alienware AW3426DW?

Alienware AW3426DW scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	The Alienware AW342DW is among, the best 34-inch ultrawide QD-OLED displays you can buy, and its price should be seen as a steal, despite being expensive.	4 / 5
Design	This monitor's design is simple yet attractive, and has just about enough ports to satisfy those after greater productivity.	4.5 / 5
Features	With several HDR, PIB/PBP, input options, and an eSports mode, this monitor makes it fairly feature-rich.	4.5 / 5
Performance	Dolby Vision and HDR Peak 1300 Bright help elevate the AW3426DW's immersion to new heights over predecessors, and its ultimately thanks to the 5th-gen tandem OLED panel.	4.5 / 5
Average rating	It's not a massive display like the flagship Alienware 5K2K, but in the UWQHD class, it stands above many competitors.	4.37 / 5

Buy the Alienware AW3426DW if…

You want a bright and colorful gaming experience
The Alienware AW3426DW utilizes its 5-layer tandem OLED panel, Dolby Vision, and other HDR Peak 1300 Bright to significantly boost brightness levels, without sacrificing details in dark and bright areas on screen.

You want a monitor that doesn't dominate your desk
In the same vein as other 34-inch displays, the AW3426DW is one of the best options on the market that still provides high-level quality and immersion, at a manageable size on your desk.

You want a monitor with a high refresh rate
With a 280Hz refresh rate, there is plenty for eSports gamers and high refresh rate enthusiasts to enjoy using the AW3426DW, making every game experience look incredibly smooth.

Don’t buy it if…

You’re out for a bigger ultrawide
If the 34-inch ultrawide monitor size is a feature you want to get past, it's best to seek out a larger 39-inch or 45-inch ultrawide display, possibly a 5K2K monitor.

You're tired of the UWQHD resolution
The UWQHD 3440x1440 resolution is great to stick with for good performance and immersion, but doesn't quite match up to 4K monitors or even LG's UltraGear 5K2K displays.

Also Consider

MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED

While significantly bigger than AW3426DW QD-OLED, the MSI MPG 491CQP arguably provides more immersion via its 32:9 49-inch wide screen. It's not a tandem OLED; however, it's currently around a very similar price to Alienware's new display and still provides great quality in HDR performance.

Read our full MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED review

How I tested the Alienware AW3426DW

Tested for a week
Played several modern games and watched multiple movies
Tested mostly using Dolby Vision and HDR Peak 1300 Bright modes

I used the Alienware AW3426DW for a week, mostly for gaming and watching movies. The games I tested include: Destiny 2, Resident Evil Requiem, Dragon's Dogma 2, Dead As Disco, Battlefield 6, and Crimson Desert. Some of the movies include Avengers: Infinity War and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

I also spent the same amount of time using the AW3426DW for work duties and found that it eliminates one of the biggest pain points on OLED monitors, which is text fringing. I had no issues with reading text or simply navigating on web browsers, and also found that both HDR and SDR are visually fine to use outside of gaming (or non-HDR activities).

The monitor was also placed in a brightly lit room for most of the review period, with direct sunlight positioned directly on it, and found that there was little to no glare, thanks to the anti-reflective display.

First reviewed July 2026

Razer wants the Seiren V3 Pro to be the ultimate gaming mic, but you probably don’t need it

alexblake.techradar@gmail.com (Alex Blake) — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:37:25 +0000

Razer Seiren V3 Pro two-minute review

When I look for a gaming microphone, my requirements are modest – I want my teammates to hear me clearly and my foes to know what I really think of them (just kidding, those obscene thoughts stay in my head). I’d wager that most gamers have similarly unpretentious needs.

Razer, however, thinks gamers could do with more – a lot more. And so it’s brought out the Serien V3 Pro, a microphone that’s stuffed to the gills with high-end features that take it way beyond your common-or-garden gaming mic.

But to be fair, it’s not just positioned for gamers. Razer pitches the Seiren V3 Pro as the perfect partner for “musicians, podcasters, and creators who demand more than entry-level gear,” and it’s outfitted its “studio-quality” device with a range of features that might tickle the fancy of users a little more discerning than your average CoD goon.

(Image credit: Future)

That includes 32-bit float. Razer has included this expanded capture range to rescue audio that’s been subject to a few too many what we might call “gamer moments.” It can handle more extreme volume spikes – the type that might be prompted by jump scares, frustrating moments and clutch kills – with the idea being that streamers won’t have to worry about clipping and distortion during their broadcasts.

Razer has supplemented this feature with a fistful of other premium addons, including dual 48kHz and 96kHz sample rates, a built-in shock mount and removable pop filter, and a 30mm dynamic capsule. There’s a digital signal processing (DSP) that enables features like an audio expander, compressor, AI noise removal, and more. Razer has also included an XLR connector in addition to USB-C, just in case you want to run your mic through a dedicated audio interface.

(Image credit: Future)

Again, it’s all geared towards pros and enthusiasts rather than your average video game enjoyer.

Audio performance is obviously the most important part of any microphone – you can have all the bells and whistles, but if you end up sounding muffled or distorted, they’re not much use to you.

Here, the Seiren V3 Pro impresses. My audio was crisp and clear right out of the box, with no adjustments necessary. Razer walks you through a brief set-up process in Synapse when you get started, and it’s worth doing so the mic can be tweaked to your surroundings. The AI noise suppression in Synapse did a great job cutting out the whirr of my desk fan, while the pop filter put a stop to most unwanted plosives throughout my recordings and voice calls.

The on-device controls worked well, especially the mute button. It’s large and touch-sensitive, so it’s very easy to press in a flash (just be careful you don’t accidentally activate it). Both the button and the mic’s RGB ring turn red when you’re muted, giving a clear visual cue. Only a small nub of the gain dial protrudes from the underside of the device’s body, though, which can make it tricky to find.

(Image credit: Future)

As far as visuals go, the Seiren V3 Pro blends understated looks with a few choice touches. Its matte black finish and angled stand are easy on the eye, while this wouldn’t be a Razer product without a smattering of RGB lighting – in this instance, it’s about halfway up. Above it is the removable pop filter cover that hides the mic’s grille and built-in shock absorber. There’s a large touch-sensitive mute button on the front and ports for USB-C and XLR on the bottom alongside a 3.5mm headphone jack and a gain dial.

The build quality feels rock solid, with plenty of reassuringly weighty metal to be found. There’s a hefty foot to keep the mic grounded on your desk, but you can opt to screw the mic onto a boom arm if you prefer. The absurdly long USB-C cable (3.15m at our count) ensures you can trail it far from your PC.

That’s the hardware, but what about Razer’s notoriously finicky software? 32-bit float is only available through Razer’s app, so love it or loathe it, you’ve got to use it to get the full experience.

(Image credit: Future)

Synapse is full of controls to tweak the mic to your needs. You can adjust EQ filters and frequencies, change the vocal bass and ramp up the vocal exciter, mess with the stream mixer levels for input and output, enable a noise gate, reverb and AI noise suppression, and even dial in the RGB lighting if required.

To the average gamer, this is all a bit excessive unnecessary, even daunting. But if you’re a podcaster or musician – or just someone who wants as much control over their audio as possible – there’s plenty here to play with.

And that sums up the Seiren V3 Pro as a whole, really. The mic’s high-level features and equally lofty price tag mean it’s simply off the radar for most gamers. But if you know you need it and are willing to pay, you’ll find there’s a lot on offer here.

Razer Seiren V3 Pro review: Price & release date

Available to buy now
Priced at $249.99 / £249.99 / AU$429.95
Optional “Main Character Bundle” including the Seiren V3 Pro and Razer’s Kraken Kitty V3 Pro headset

The Razer Seiren V3 Pro is available now from Razer’s website or from third-party retailers. It’s priced at $249.99 / £249.99 / AU$429.95.

That makes it pretty expensive for a gaming microphone, so you should think carefully about whether you need all of its extra features before pulling the trigger. If you spend most of your time on video calls with family or yelling profanities at enemies in Call of Duty, you could probably make do with something more affordable.

Razer sells an optional “Main Character Bundle” that includes the Razer Seiren V3 Pro and the Razer Kraken Kitty V3 Pro headset. That’s sold for $429.98 / £429.98 / AU$759.90.

Razer Seiren V3 Pro review: Specs

Polar patterns	Cardioid
Frequency range	50Hz – 16kHz
Connectivity	USB-C, XLR
Audio	24-bit / 32-bit (32-bit float via Synapse)
Sample rate	48kHz / 96kHz

Should I buy the Razer Seiren V3 Pro?

Razer Seiren V3 Pro Scorecard
Attribute	Notes	Score
Features	Lots of premium extras, plus plenty of control in the Synapse app	4.5
Performance	Excellent audio performance from the get-go	4.5
Design	Solid design, if unexceptional	3.5
Value	Expensive and much more than most people need, but decent value for pros	3.5

Buy it if…

You’re concerned about loud noises on your recordings
With 32-bit float support, there’s more leeway to capture loud sounds without ruining your audioView Deal

You don’t like fiddling with settings
This mic sounds great right out of the box, making it ideal for anyone who wants to get up and running quickly. And there’s a guided setup process in Synapse in case you need itView Deal

You have an audio interface
With XLR connectivity, Razer’s Seiren V3 Pro can be hooked up to an audio interface for even more controlView Deal

Don’t buy it if…

You’re on a budget
There are definitely more straightforward options available for less cashView Deal

You want something simple
All those extra features are probably more than most gamers needView Deal

You need more than one polar pattern
The supplied cardioid polar pattern is great for streamers, but not so much for podcast hosts interviewing guestsView Deal

Also consider

Blue Yeti

This classic mic is tried and true, with fantastic sound quality and superb ease of use. It sounds great out of the box and doesn’t require any additional apps to run. It’s also a fraction of the price of the Razer Seiren V3 Pro. That all makes it our pick for the best streaming mic money can buy.View Deal

SteelSeries Alias

The SteelSeries Alias is one of the best streaming microphones around. It comes with handy features designed for gamers, including a built-in shock mount and helpful mute indicator, plus an ingenious LED display that shows handy info (such as if your input volume is a touch too high). Like the Blue Yeti, it’s also more affordable than Razer’s offering.View Deal

How I tested the Razer Seiren V3 Pro

I created test recordings and also analyzed the mic’s performance during games and on audio calls with friends
The microphone was tested on both my PC and my Mac
I also spent time testing out the microphone’s software features in the Razer Synapse app

I spent a week testing the microphone on both my PC and my Mac. I created various audio recordings, used it during gaming sessions and put it through its voice-calling paces with friends.

Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
First reviewed: July 2026

Coveron (formerly NordProtect) made me rethink how I protect my personal information online

bryan.wolfe@futurenet.com (Bryan M Wolfe) — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:41:42 +0000

Coveron may seem like a new identity theft protection platform. However, that's not the case. NordProtect rebranded itself as Coveron in May 2026 to build a brand identity distinct from its other products.

Nord Security, the company behind one of the best VPNs, NordVPN, first introduced NordProtect in late 2023. At the time, it was only offered as part of NordVPN's Prime plan in the U.S. In early 2025, however, the company expanded its availability, and NordProtect became available as a standalone product. It has now been rebranded as Coveron.

In this article, we'll go into the details of the newly rebranded Coveron identity theft protection service, covering its plans and pricing, key features, and interface while comparing it with other seasoned providers in the market.

Coveron: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: Coveron)

Coveron offers monthly, yearly, and two-year plans, allowing users to stay flexible with their subscriptions. However, we'll be talking about the pricing of the one-year plans, as we have done in all our identity theft protection reviews.

Coveron has one of the cheapest entry-level plans, with its Starter plan costing $0.99 per month ($23.76 for the first 24 months). With this plan, you get $10k in identity theft insurance and dark web monitoring, where Coveron scans illegal online marketplaces to look for any of your personal data that may have been breached.

However, Coveron's best value-for-money offering is its Silver plan, costing $4.99 per month ($119.76 for the first 24 months). Along with dark web monitoring, you also get credit monitoring from one bureau and monthly credit scores. There's also credit freeze assistance, where Coveron experts guide you on how to freeze your credit with the bureau. The best part about this plan is its extensive insurance coverage, including up to $1 million in identity theft insurance, $50k in cyber extortion insurance, and $10k in online fraud insurance.

If you're looking for a bundled plan, your best bet is Coveron's Gold plan, which costs $7.49 per month ($179.76 for the first 24 months). Besides everything included in the Silver plan, you also get an additional credit lock feature that allows you to lock your TransUnion credit to prevent unauthorized access, along with $10k worth of cyberattack insurance. Additonally, you get access to a high-speed, secure VPN with 7,400+ servers across 118+ countries, along with Nord's Threat Protection Pro, which can block dangerous websites, detect phishing scams, scan your downloads for malware, and block ads and trackers.

Lastly, there's the Platinum plan, costing $9.99 per month ($239.76 for the first 24 months), which offers credit monitoring from all three bureaus. This is also the first plan where you get detailed credit reports, along with short-term loan monitoring and financial account monitoring. Additional features include malware breach alerts and criminal record monitoring.

Coveron: Key features and offerings

Coveron offers a big bag of identity and credit monitoring features. For starters, there’s dark web monitoring which continuously scans illegal online marketplaces as well as forums and underground communities to detect any leaked personal data, such as email addresses, phone numbers, and Social Security numbers.

You would receive immediate notifications when your information is compromised, allowing you to react promptly and reduce potential security threats. Then there’s credit monitoring that detects financial identity threats, including unauthorized account inquiries and new accounts opened using your personal information.

(Image credit: Coveron)

One of the standout features of Coveron is that it allows you to lock your TransUnion credit directly from its dashboard with the toggle of a button. You don't need to visit the TransUnion website separately to request a credit lock. Coveron's strategic partnership with TransUnion facilitates seamless credit locking.

Other features included in the highest-tier plans are short-term loan monitoring, which tracks any payday loans opened in your name, and financial account monitoring, which alerts you to new account applications or credit inquiries made using your identity. You also get the Incogni feature on the Platinum plan, which scans top data broker sites and submits personal data removal requests on your behalf.

(Image credit: NordVPN)

Besides this, Coveron offers the standard $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage. This coverage extends to eligible expenses, including legal fees, lost wages due to identity theft, and mental health counseling costs. The identity restoration process is supported by dedicated case managers who provide personalized assistance throughout your recovery journey. The service guides you in freezing your credit and helps you navigate the complex task of restoring your credit score.

The identity protection insurance cover from Coveron also includes a couple of add-ons. The first is cyber extortion protection, which covers up to $50k for cyber extortion incidents such as ransomware attacks. The second is online fraud insurance of up to $10k, which reimburses you if you end up losing money due to incidents like phishing, stolen funds, or other forms of online fraud.

Coveron: Interface and in use

Coveron's features are currently accessible through its web-based dashboard, which means you get a similar browsing and usage experience across platforms including Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS.

Once you log in to your dashboard, you'll see the features laid out in a menu on the left-hand side, divided into five headings: Monitored Assets, Alerts and Notifications, Dark Web Monitoring, ID Protection Benefits, and Credit Monitoring Services.

(Image credit: NordVPN)

Upon clicking each of these tabs, you are taken to a dedicated dashboard showing information related to those specific sections. For instance, when you click on Alerts and Notifications, you'll see all current instances of security breaches or suggestions that Coveron considers important. The alerts are divided into two main categories: security alerts and warnings.

Similarly, the Monitored Assets tab shows you the information being monitored across the dark web. Overall, Coveron's layout is pretty simple and easy to use without much of a learning curve. You can also get assistance in English by phone by dialing +1 (833) 439-5214 between 10 AM and 6 PM EDT.

Coveron: Support

Coveron offers comprehensive customer support primarily through its robust online Help Center, which features extensive FAQs, tutorials, and troubleshooting guides covering various topics, including account management, billing, connectivity, and app usage. For more personalized assistance, customers can readily access 24/7 live chat support, which is recommended for urgent issues due to its typically quick response times.

You can also get assistance in English on phone by dialing +1 (833) 439-5214 between 10AM to 6PM EDT. Alternatively, for more complex inquiries or when immediate assistance isn't critical, customers can opt for email support, with responses usually provided within a few hours. Overall, Coveron's combination of self-help resources and direct messaging options aims to provide thorough and accessible support for its diverse customer base.

Coveron: The competition

At first glance, Coveron may seem pretty bare-bones when it comes to identity protection features. It certainly lacks some useful functions, such as social media monitoring, which is a standard offering with many other providers. Besides this, you only get up to $1 million in insurance coverage, whereas providers like IDShield offer up to $3 million and Aura offers up to $5 million.

Similarly, the three-bureau credit scores on the highest Platinum plan are updated only once a year, which defeats the purpose of regular financial monitoring. Almost all other providers, such as McAfee+, update scores at least monthly (and even daily on some plans) so that you can keep a constant check on your credit standing.

However, one thing to keep in mind while comparing various identity protection platforms is that Coveron comes at a pretty affordable price. Even its highest-tier plan costs only $9.99 per month, which is often the starting price of other platforms. For instance, Aura's individual plan starts at $12 per month, whereas IDShield's individual plans start at around $14.95 per month. Sure, you might get additional features with other providers, but they often cost more than Coveron.

Coveron: Final verdict

If you’re on a budget and looking for a reliable identity theft protection solution, then Coveron from Nord Security is a pretty good choice. Even its highest-tier plan is more affordable than the starting plans of some other platforms. Not only do you get comprehensive dark web monitoring, but you also benefit from three-bureau credit monitoring and the ability to lock your TransUnion credit directly from the Coveron dashboard.

Of course, there's also award-winning VPN protection and comprehensive online protection through Nord's Threat Protection Pro. However, if you're looking for higher insurance coverage or advanced features like social media monitoring, more frequent credit monitoring, credit score simulators, home and auto title monitoring, or medical ID tracking, you'll need to consider alternatives such as IDShield, Aura, or McAfee+.

Why is identity theft protection important?

For many, much of our day-to-day life is now handled online, including financial management, shopping, family connections, work collaboration, and more. While digital technology offers numerous advantages, it also poses multiple security risks that threaten users both financially and personally.

Today's cybercriminals are constantly refining their tactics, deploying increasingly sophisticated attacks, including phishing scams, data breaches, and ransomware threats. These menacing strategies aim not only at financial theft but also often target our most sensitive data, leading to a cascade of complications that can significantly disrupt our lives.

This is where a dedicated identity theft protection service, like Coveron, becomes invaluable. Acting as a real-time shield against potential threats, it provides proactive monitoring that continually watches over your personal information around the clock. Picture receiving rapid alerts at the first hint of suspicious activity; this timely response can make all the difference in mitigating damage before it spirals out of control.

But it doesn't end there. Comprehensive recovery assistance provided by these services ensures that if the worst does happen, you're not navigating the aftermath alone. Specialists work with you to recover compromised accounts, restore your credit, and rebuild your digital identity, guiding you through each step with expertise and support.

I was surprised how easy it was to use MyFico identity theft protection

John Brandon — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:29:59 +0000

The FICO score is a type of credit score developed by the Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO). This is the score most lenders look at when evaluating your credit file. Composed of various components such as payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, credit mix, and new credit, the FICO score can range between 300 and 850. The higher the score, the better.

While there are various platforms and credit monitoring institutions you can use to keep an eye on your credit score, there's arguably very few better than using the platform developed by FICO itself, MyFICO. MyFICO is a credit and identity monitoring solution that gives you a bird's-eye view of all your important credit accounts, along with identity theft alerts.

In this article, we'll dive into MyFICO's features, pricing, and in-use experience in detail so that you can make an informed decision about whether it’s worth your attention and money.

MyFico: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: MyFICO)

MyFICO offers a range of plans to help consumers monitor their credit and identity, with pricing structured across different tiers. The free plan provides basic coverage, including a FICO Score 8 based on Equifax data, monthly Equifax credit reports, and 24/7 credit monitoring.

For more comprehensive coverage, MyFICO has three paid subscription tiers that automatically renew each month:

Advanced Plan: Priced at $29.95 per month, this plan offers three-bureau coverage (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) with credit reports and FICO Score updates every three months. It includes comprehensive credit monitoring, FICO Score monitoring with alerts, and identity monitoring. Additionally, it provides $1 million in identity theft insurance and 24/7 identity restoration. Features like the FICO Score Simulator and "How Lenders View You" analysis are also included.

Premier Plan: This top-tier plan costs $39.95 per month and offers a few additional benefits over the Advanced plan. Firstly, your credit scores and reports are updated every month instead of every three months. Secondly, you get an additional simulator for your FICO mortgage score. This lets you see how different financial actions can impact your FICO Scores 2 and 4, which are used by mortgage lenders. Besides this, all other benefits remain the same as the Advanced plan.

MyFico: Features

MyFICO offers a comprehensive suite of features designed to empower you with knowledge and protection over your credit and identity. With MyFICO, you receive FICO Scores and credit reports from all three major credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. This is essential because 90% of top lenders rely on FICO Scores. By reviewing your reports from all three bureaus, you can identify discrepancies and errors that may be negatively impacting your scores.

Additionally, MyFICO provides credit monitoring and alerts, continuously tracking significant changes such as new accounts or inquiries. This allows you to quickly detect potential identity theft or fraudulent activity and take immediate action if necessary. You will also benefit from FICO Score monitoring and a history graph, which visually displays your score's progression over time, helping you understand how your financial decisions impact it.

(Image credit: MyFICO)

One particularly helpful tool is the FICO Score Simulator, which enables you to explore "what if" scenarios, such as how paying down debt or applying for a new loan could affect your score. This feature empowers you to make informed financial choices before taking action.

(Image credit: MyFICO)

Beyond credit monitoring, MyFICO offers identity monitoring by scanning the dark web and public records for your personal information. If your information is compromised, you will receive alerts. In the unfortunate event of identity theft, you are protected by identity restoration services and up to $1 million in identity theft insurance. This coverage includes 24/7 access to specialists who can assist you in recovery and provide financial protection for related expenses.

Finally, MyFICO provides valuable credit education and customer support to help you understand the complexities of credit and offer assistance whenever needed. Together, these features give you a complete picture of your financial health, proactive protection, and the tools to confidently manage your credit and identity.

MyFico: Interface

MyFico truly stands out in the realm of identity theft prevention software, especially when compared to many other programs that often resemble outdated tax software from a decade ago.

Once you log into your main MyFICO dashboard, you'll see three gauge charts showing your credit scores from all three credit bureaus. On the side panel, you'll find various options to drill down into your scores, such as General Credit, Credit Cards, Mortgages, and Other Loans, which show how each of these factors is impacting your current credit scores.

(Image credit: MyFICO)

On the top bar, you'll find four options: Scores, Alerts, Reports, and Simulator. The mobile app is also pretty simple to use, with the same gauge chart at the top, followed by the various loan types and insights below.

The app boasts an intuitive layout, allowing users to easily navigate and access key features. Checking your credit score is a swift and straightforward process, while delving into potential credit issues or assessing identity theft notifications is just as seamless.

MyFico: Support

Users who are facing problems can get assistance from the MyFico support team. A direct toll-free number is provided, along with what appears to be an email address but, upon selecting it, directs the user to a support portal. The business is open Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 6 PM and on Saturday from 7 AM to 4 PM PST. However, we didn’t find any live chat option.

Additionally, MyFICO offers a knowledge hub where you can search for frequently asked questions on topics such as payments and billing, FICO scores, credit reports, and more. Overall, the support options are decent, given the platform's relative ease of use. You're unlikely to encounter any unusual technical hurdles while using it.

MyFico: The competition

While MyFICO is the official consumer division of FICO and offers direct access to the widely used FICO Scores, several strong competitors provide comprehensive credit monitoring services, often with different focuses.

One of the most prominent competitors is Experian, one of the three major credit bureaus. Experian offers its own free credit monitoring service, providing access to your Experian credit report and FICO® Score. They also have a unique feature called Experian Boost, which allows users to potentially increase their FICO Score by including on-time payments for utilities, phone bills, and streaming services. While MyFICO also offers FICO scores, Experian's direct connection to one of the bureaus and its Boost feature offer a distinct advantage for some consumers.

However, both MyFICO and Experian are primarily credit monitoring tools rather than identity theft protection platforms. Sure, MyFICO does offer some identity theft features, but they are more ancillary in nature. Other platforms like IDShield and IdentityForce are more focused on identity theft protection.

For instance, both platforms offer comprehensive real-time identity breach alerts coupled with deep dark web and social media scans. There's also a smart SSN tracker that sends you instant alerts if any suspicious names or addresses are associated with your Social Security number. Lastly, some platforms like Norton LifeLock can also scan various data broker websites for your information and submit removal requests on your behalf.

MyFico: Final verdict

If you’re someone with a lot of investments, financial accounts, or lines of credit and want to monitor your finances closely at all times, then MyFICO is one of the best choices for you. You get detailed reports and scores from all three credit bureaus, along with instant alerts for any changes or new accounts. You can view your FICO scores and score history graph, along with a FICO score simulator that helps you plan your future finances.

However, MyFICO is a bit on the expensive side, with plans starting at $29.95 per month. It also isn't a dedicated identity theft protection platform and offers only limited features in that regard. If you're looking for a full suite of identity protection features, such as deep dark web scanning, SSN tracking, address and phone monitoring, as well as identity restoration services, you'll have to consider other platforms such as Norton LifeLock, Aura, or Bitdefender.

We've also highlighted the best identity theft protection

Allstate Identity Protection review

John Brandon — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 05:54:00 +0000

Allstate Identity Protection is offered and serviced by InfoArmor, Inc. – a subsidiary of The Allstate Corporation – and provides a comprehensive suite of identity protection plans designed to safeguard your personal information and assist in the recovery in the event of identity theft.

It stands out with its proactive approach, providing you with real-time alerts for social media monitoring. If your account is hacked, you receive an immediate notification, enabling you to act swiftly before a small breach becomes a full-blown crisis. But is it the right choice for you? Read on to find out.

Allstate Identity Protection: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: Allstate Identity Protection)

With an understanding that each individual and family has unique needs, Allstate Identity Protection offers both individual and family plans available across several tiers, each tailored with distinct features and pricing to cater to a variety of requirements.

Among the options available, the Essentials Plan is an excellent starting point for individuals and families looking to secure their identities. Typically priced at about $9.99 per month for individuals and $18.99 per month for families, this plan features essential identity monitoring services along with financial fraud protection.

Customers benefit from one-bureau credit monitoring and access to 24/7 full-service remediation support, ensuring help is always available when needed. Additionally, the plan includes lost wallet assistance and significant reimbursement coverage, offering up to $1 million in identity theft expense reimbursement and up to $50,000 in stolen funds reimbursement.

For those seeking enhanced protection, the Premier Plan offers a step up with a monthly cost of around $17.99 for individuals and $34.99 for families. This tier builds upon the Essentials Plan by adding features such as financial account transaction monitoring and social media monitoring, which are crucial in today’s digital landscape. Furthermore, users benefit from stolen tax refund advances and increased coverage for stolen funds reimbursement, which can go up to $500,000, giving families added peace of mind.

The most complete option available is the Blue Plan, usually priced around $19 per month for individuals and $36 per month for families. This comprehensive plan includes family digital safety tools and a cybersecurity toolkit featuring antivirus software and a virtual private network (VPN).

Additional benefits include robocall and ad blockers, three-bureau credit monitoring with credit lock/freeze assistance, and an amplified stolen funds reimbursement of up to $1 million, as well as up to $1 million coverage for stolen 401(k) funds.

All plans share common features designed to provide proactive monitoring and support. Customers receive dedicated 24/7 remediation specialists who can assist with identity theft issues, along with identity theft expense reimbursement and privacy management tools to help individuals maintain control over their personal information.

Besides these tiered plans, there’s a special monthly plan called Identity Restoration, costing $3 per month for individuals and $6 per month for families, designed specifically to help users through the identity restoration process. While this plan does not include any protection or monitoring features, it can assist you with full-service identity restoration if you experience an identity breach. You also get $25k in identity theft coverage with this plan.

One impressive thing about Allstate is that its family plans can cover up to 11 members, including yourself. This means the per-member cost can go as low as $32.73 per year per person, even on its highest-tier plan. Moreover, all the plans except the monthly-only one come with a 30-day free trial, letting you trial the service risk-free before committing.

Allstate Identity Protection: Features

Allstate offers one of the most jaw-dropping collections of features we have seen across the industry. Of course, you get excellent identity monitoring, which thoroughly examines multiple sources across the dark web along with public databases for your Social Security numbers, driver’s licenses, and financial account information.

(Image credit: Allstate Identity Protection)

Additionally, Allstate's wide range of restoration features and insurance offerings reflects the confidence the company has in its own capabilities. While most platforms offer home title and auto title fraud reimbursement, Allstate goes above and beyond by offering stolen tax refund reimbursement, which compensates you if someone files a tax return in your name and claims a refund.

You also get up to $1 million in insurance coverage if funds are stolen from your 401(k) or HSA accounts, as well as reimbursement for fraud involving deceased family members.

In case your identity is breached or you become a victim of a scams, you get full support from Allstate Identity Protection through its Full-Service Identity Restoration service. If identity theft strikes you the company provides a dedicated Privacy Advocate to oversee the complete restoration process. The process involves working with creditors to freeze your credit and resolve any fraudulent accounts that have been opened.

(Image credit: Allstate Identity Protection)

Allstate also offers pretty robust credit monitoring features, including three-bureau credit monitoring on its highest-tier plan. You can access reports from all three bureaus and view your credit scores and trackers directly from the Allstate dashboard.

One particularly impressive feature is the ability to lock your TransUnion credit report with just the click of a button through Allstate. Besides this, you can set transaction alerts on your credit cards and bank accounts, and Allstate will send you a notification every time a transaction exceeding a specified threshold (say, $1,000) is made on your account.

(Image credit: Allstate Identity Protection)

Another impressive Allstate feature is its Digital Footprint, which provides a complete record of your online activity, including the sites you've shopped at and online accounts you've created or forgotten about. This enables you to see where your personal data exists across the web and how different companies use this information. Higher-tier plans also provide as essential features that include Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), password managers, antivirus protection, and browsing safety tools.

(Image credit: Allstate Identity Protection)

Lastly, there's the Family Digital Safety suite, which is included in the Blue plan and offers features like web filtering, screen-time management, and location tracking for family protection. Parents can use these features to detect cyberbullying and block inappropriate content and websites. They can also set screen-time limits for their children and monitor their location in real time.

Allstate Identity Protection: Interface

(Image credit: Allstate Identity Protection)

We hope you have a strong appreciation for the color blue, as Allstate Identity Protection prominently features a deep, calming shade of blue on both their website and mobile app.

The interface adopts a no-frills approach, reminiscent of TurboTax, prioritizing straightforward navigation over elaborate design. Users will find essential categories such as Digital Footprint, Credit Monitoring, Dark Web Monitoring, Financial Transactions, and Social Media Monitoring are clearly laid out on the left panel of the dashboard, making the platform easy to navigate and the most important features easy to access.

Allstate also offers mobile apps for both Android and iOS. While they are great for quickly accessing the dashboard and checking various alerts, these apps offer limited options for editing information within Allstate. We also noticed that updates for these apps are not very frequent, which may raise some security concerns.

For this reason, we recommend primarily using Allstate's web interface to manage your identity monitoring needs. Overall, while Allstate Identity Protection has a solid foundation, enhancing the user experience with more intuitive design elements and interactive tutorials could make it an even more valuable tool for safeguarding personal identity.

Allstate Identity Protection: The competition

Allstate offers one of the most affordable identity protection plans considering the vast range of features included. Even its highest-tier plan costs only $190 per year, which comes to around $15.83 per month.

Its most direct competitor would be Aura, which offers similar parental control features such as content filtering and screen-time limits, along with identity theft and credit monitoring features. Aura's bundled plans start at $12 per month and offer features comparable to Allstate.

One advantage of Allstate, however, is that it allows up to 11 individuals on its family plan, whereas Aura only allows up to five adults along with unlimited children. Aura does, however, provide a more comprehensive data removal service, scanning more than 200 data broker sites and submitting removal requests on your behalf. Additionally, its identity theft insurance goes up to $5 million, one of the highest coverage amounts in the industry.

Just as Allstate allows you to lock your credit directly with TransUnion, IdentityWorks allows you to do the same with Experian. The latter also offers comprehensive credit monitoring features such as a daily Experian FICO score tracker and quarterly three-bureau credit reports and FICO scores. That said, IdentityWorks is slightly on the expensive side, with plans starting at $24.99 per month.

If you're looking for something more affordable, you could consider Norton LifeLock, where plans start as low as $10.42 per month for individuals. It offers a good mix of two-bureau credit monitoring, one-bureau monthly credit reports and scores, along with direct assistance from identity restoration specialists.

Allstate Identity Protection: Final verdict

If you're someone who needs a comprehensive security suite instead of just an identity theft protection platform and also doesn't want to burn a hole in your pocket, Allstate is one of the best options you can choose. Its highest-tier individual plan costs only $190 per year, which comes to less than $16 per month. If you want to protect more than one family member, its highest-tier family plan costs only $360 per year and allows you to add up to 11 members. This brings the per-member cost down to around $32.73 per year.

At this price, you get comprehensive credit monitoring, identity monitoring, full-service identity restoration, up to $1 million in identity theft coverage, along with an additional $1 million in stolen funds reimbursement and 401(k)/HSA reimbursement. Additionally, there are several useful privacy management features such as Digital Footprint monitoring, ad blockers, scam alerts, and cybersecurity tools such as a VPN, password manager, antivirus protection, firewall, and webcam protection.

The list doesn't end there. There are also family digital safety tools that allow you to block malicious or harmful websites for your children and manage their screen time. All in all, Allstate offers one of the densest collections of features we have seen in the industry. However, if you're looking for something lighter and not as feature-packed as Allstate, platforms like Norton LifeLock and McAfee+ may offer better value for money.

We've also highlighted the best identity theft protection