Articles by Matt Safford

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A few years ago, Lenovo broke the traditional ThinkPad mold with the leather-topped ThinkPad Z13, and now the company is back with another alternative design dubbed the ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition. This new iteration retains the MIL-SPEC testing of traditional ThinkPads, but ditches the black boxy design for a sleek aluminum shell with a very distinctive bottom, a vivid OLED display, and – gasp – an all-new keyboard without the little red nub between the g, h, and b keys. Don’t fret though, ThinkPad die-hards. Lenovo says these drastic changes are only coming to the X9 – at least for now.So just what is a ThinkPad without its most enduring features, and can this new design compete with the best ultrabooks you can buy? Let’s find out together below, starting with the attractive new design.Design of the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Viewed at an angle and under certain lighting, the ThinkPad X9 could be mistaken for a traditional ThinkPad, in part thanks to the familiar logo and red LED power indicator in the corner of the lid. But the X9’s chassis is made of dark gray recycled aluminum. The lid is pretty resistant to fingerprints and smudges, and the bottom is ribbed in a way that reminds me of fancy hardshell luggage.Image […]

As much as I love high-priced tech like my 4K projector or Audioengine A5+ speakers, most of us can’t regularly spend several hundred dollars on a tech gift or purchase. But that doesn’t mean you can’t substantially improve your tech life (or the lives of your tech-focused friends and family) while spending a comparatively small amount of money.I own all of the affordable tech gifts in this list below, and all are on sale for less than $50. In fact, many are under $25! Each of these products has made my nerdy world a little nicer in its own way. If you’re looking for a small tech splurge for yourself during this Spring Sale week, or an affordable gift for that techie friend or family member, one of these 50-or-under options might be just what you’re after.My favorite sub-$50 deals:HOTO Wireless Screwdriver: was $60, now $39Lenovo Go Qi Charging Mouse: was $70, now $45Anker PowerConf C200 2K Webcam: was $60, now $48I’ve used the HOTO NEX O1 PRO 3.6V Screwdriver Set to build dozens of PCs(Image credit: Hoto)I build a lot of PCs, and I also do a fair bit of home improvement work around my apartment. So a cordless screwdriver is a nice thing to have. I also own a much slimmer Wowstick, but have found HOTO’s NEX O1 Pro to be more useful thanks to its extra (and variable) torque. It’s great for loosening those factory-installed screws on PC cases that just don’t want to let go, and also good for assembling furniture.The HOTO won’t replace my DeWalt impact driver or drill for bigger, tougher jobs. But for everyday tasks, it’s powerful enough, easy to charge over USB-C, and even looks good on my workbench.(Image credit: Amazon)For those of us of a certain age, few things beat a chunky tactile volume knob and physical buttons for controlling media, and Vaydeer’s USB device provides that and then some. I own the previous version of this device and love it for controlling and muting music at my treadmill desk while I work.I can also use the buttons on it to play / pause audio and video, move forward to the next track or backward to the previous one. It’s totally plug and play as no drivers are needed.Wireless retro controller takes me back to the 80s, removes the cord(Image credit: Amazon)What’s not to love about a $40 SNES-inspired wireless gaming controller that’s compatible with Windows, Mac, Android and the Nintendo Switch? Not much, but I own the original Pro model and not one of these newer models with translucent plastic shells. That’s peak late-90s nostalgia and I really don’t want to love it as much as I do.As you might expect given this controller’s small size and many more buttons than the SNES controller it was based on, its Rumble motors aren’t the strongest, and the layout can feel kind of cramped for some modern games. But for any kind of retro game and especially platformers (I’m looking at you, Super Mario Bros. Wonder), this is my go-to controller. At this price, maybe I should pick up another one.Lenovo’s Go Qi Charging Wireless Mouse never needs to be plugged in(Image credit: Lenovo)I have wireless charging pads at my desk and three other places around my apartment, as well as my desk at the office, for keeping my phone and watch juiced up, and I take one with me when I travel. So when I saw Lenovo had a Go Wireless Multi-Device Mouse that charges wirelessly using the Qi standard, I was intrigued. And now that I’ve owned one for more than a year, it’s my go-to travel rodent. In fact, I just retrieved this mouse from my suitcase after a trip to Scotland.There’s not much remarkable about this compact mouse in terms of its design. It houses a USB-C dongle under its magnetic top, and it also works over Bluetooth for pairing it with up to three devices. Lenovo claims 2-3 months of use if you use it a couple of hours a day, which is probably fairly accurate.I’ve never been able to tell because whenever I’m done using it, I just drop it on the Qi charging stand on my desk and it’s fully charged whenever I pick it up again. Plugging things in is so 2019. However, it does have a USB-C port in the front if you want to pry off the rubber door and charge it the old-school way.Anker’s PowerConf C200 2K Webcam delivers good performance and good-enough resolution for under $50  (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)I experimented with a 4K webcam during the worst of the Covid pandemic. But the truth is, almost no one needs that level of image quality for office and family chats. And many chat programs will just down-res you to 1080p (or less), anyway. So unless you’re a serious streamer or have some other niche case, I recommend something more affordable.I’ve been using Anker’s PowerConf C200 2K Webcam for the past two years and I couldn’t be happier with it. Its somewhat nebulous “2K” resolution looks sharper than 1080p webcams I’ve used in the past, and its low-light performance is great. It has an easy-to-see red privacy shutter for when you’re not using it, and it’s compact enough to easily clip onto a laptop screen and toss into a bag if you want to travel with it. It also has a screw mount on the bottom for mounting to an arm or stand, which is how I use it with the 55-inch OLED TV I use as a monitor. My old 4K webcam is in a corner gathering dust. But I use Anker’s PowerConf C200 2K almost every day.Add recessed power and USB ports to your desk for just $21(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)OK, this one’s only for the DIY-inclined, because it involves cutting a hole in your desk (or anywhere else you might want some flush-mount power ports, like a nightstand). Jgstkcity’s recessed power strip lets you drop a couple of AC outlets and two USB charging ports (one 30W USB-C) anywhere you need them – again, once you’ve cut a hole for it.While it’s always smart to be wary of no-name power strips, I’ve owned the older non-PD version of this strip for over two years and it’s been functioning just fine. I have it installed in the narrow stand I built right behind my couch. It’s a super-convenient place for power outlets, especially when friends or family stop by. I just warn people not to put drinks there. Thankfully, the coffee table is even more convenient for that and it’s right in front of the couch.Powerowl’s rechargeable batteries are good and surprisingly cheap (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)When I first started using rechargeable batteries with my Walkman in the early 90s, they were kind of awful (but still better than spending all my money feeding my music addiction). They couldn’t hold a charge and didn’t last nearly as long as name-brand disposable batteries. But here in the mid-2020s, rechargeables are surprisingly good.Panasonic’s Eneloops arguably ushered in the rechargeable AA and AAA renaissance, but PowerOwl’s batteries are a lot more affordable and I haven’t had a single one fail in over three years of using them in my various remotes, smart door locks, and other devices.Baseus 65W Flat GaN wall charger is great for travel and commuting (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)If there’s one thing everyone with modern tech could probably use at this point, it’s an extra high-speed and compact charger. The Baseus 65W Flat Wall Charger is my new-found favorite. It’s especially great for travel, because it outputs 45W over USB-C for my laptop and up to 20W over USB-A for my phone or other devices, all while folding to a slim 0.66 inches thick. It’s smaller than a deck of cards and easily fits in pretty much any bag pocket.Its slim shape should also help keep the device fully inserted in loose hotel room power sockets, and while the outer shell is plastic, the build quality feels solid, and it includes a 3.3-foot USB-C charging cable for those of us who aren’t already drowning in cables from other devices. You’ll have to provide your own USB-A cable to charge a second device, but at its current sale price, there’s hardly a reason to complain about that. And who doesn’t have an extra USB-A charging cable at this point?Hang your headphones on some under-desk charging ports for $13(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Do-it-all devices that pull together disparate features often turn out to be junk. But it’s hard to discount a $16 device that combines an under-the-desk headset hanger / cable holder and a three-port USB charging hub is hard to discount. Depending on where you place the device, the ports are great for charging phones and tablets. PD charging is supported, but only up to 20W, so don’t expect to be plugging your laptop here. Cozoo’s device ships with both 3M tape and screws for mounting under your desk, as well as cable tie-downs to help make the setup as tidy as possible.Given the price (and the fact that I’ve never heard of the brand outside of these devices), I generally wouldn’t want this to be my only charging option. But I’ve had this hanger under my standing desk for nearly a year now and it’s always worked for me as expected.TP-Link’s AX1800 WiFi 6 USB Adapter delivers Wi-Fi 6 to older devices over USB(Image credit: TP-Link)Have you upgraded your router to Wi-Fi 6 or later, but your desktop or laptop doesn’t have the requisite hardware to take advantage of your recent network tech? TP-Link’s AX1800 WiFi 6 USB Adapter is here to solve that problem for you. It’s quite large by USB Wi-Fi dongle standards, but I’ve found it works quite well with the Wi-Fi 6 router I bought in 2020.I have the router running downstairs from my office. And it instantly fixed an issue I was having with very poor reception from the SFF PC I built in the Fractal Terra case.Orico USB 3.0 Clamp Hub is easy to mount on many desks(Image credit: Orico)This is a four-port USB hub that’s designed to clamp onto your desk and give you extra convenient connectivity. Orico’s device delivers USB 3.0 speeds, which is good enough for most modern devices.It comes in black or silver and has a nice sturdy metal frame. Just note that its clamp section is pretty shallow and its adjustable screw can only open between 10 and 32 mm, so it won’t fit on all desks.Clean up the cables under your desk with a tray(Image credit: Delamu)If you to get a handle on the PC cables in your home or office, some cheap cable management trays will do the job. This two-pack comes with tape, though heavier loads will ultimately require some screws.Besides the trays, this kit also comes with cable ties and a few cable clips you can place along the bottom or sides of your desk. One of these has been holding up the PC cable clutter in my living room for the past year. But I had to screw it into my desk because it’s holding one of the above Anker power strips, plus the large external power brick from my LG OLED TV/Monitor. […]

Why you can trust Tom’s Hardware

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Over the last couple of years, the vast majority of external SSDs to hit the market have been 10Gbps or 20Gbps USB 3.2 drives, effectively capped at just over 1,000 MB/s or 2,000 MB/s respectively. But here in 2025, that cap has been blown off, as we’ve recently tested LaCie’s first Thunderbolt 5 drive (rated at 6,700 MB/s reads), as well as Corsair’s EX400U, a USB4 drive that’s rated to 4,000 MB/s read and 3,600 MB/s write. As both a reviewer and a user of these drives, I find it refreshing to see new levels of speed and innovation. And as an owner of a Samsung S25 Ultra, it’s also nice to see that Corsair’s drive includes a magnetic ring for snapping it on the back of a MagSafe- or Qi2-compatible phone for easy direct-to-drive video recording or transferring large amounts of files. The Corsair EX400U blows away the USB 3-based competition, as we’d expect. But on our Windows 11-based testbed it also mostly outperforms the LaCie drive running via Thunderbolt 4. Sure, the LaCie drive is much faster over Thunderbolt 5, but there are barely any Thunderbolt 5-based Windows systems at this point, and not a lot of Macs with that interface either. Even the brand-new MacBook Air only ships with Thunderbolt 4. So for now at least, USB4 seems to be the sweet spot for external storage, and Corsair’s EX400U delivers great USB4 performance in a compact, magnetic-backed package that’s also much less expensive than LaCie’s TB5 drive. It’s got a good shot of landing on our Best External SSD page, but first let’s take a look at the drive’s specs, from Corsair.Corsair EX400U SpecificationsSwipe to scroll horizontallyProduct1 TB2 TB4 TBPricing$119$189$349Interface / ProtocolUSB4USB4USB4Included11.8-inch (30 cm) USB4 cable11.8-inch (30 cm) USB4 cable11.8-inch (30 cm) USB4 cableSequential ReadUp to 4,000MB/sUp to 4,000MB/sUp to 4,000MB/sSequential WriteUp to 3,600MB/sUp to 3,600MB/sUp to 3,600MB/sDimensions2.53 x 2.52 x 0.47 inches (64.3 x 64 x 12mm)2.53 x 2.52 x 0.47 inches (64.3 x 64 x 12mm)2.53 x 2.52 x 0.47 inches (64.3 x 64 x 12mm)Weight92 grams92 grams92 gramsWarranty3 years3 years3 yearsCompatibility complications(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Design and accessoriesCorsair’s EX400U is a fairly compact (2.53 x 2.52 x 0.47 inches) silver square with a silver metal top and plastic sides. The company did a good job matching the color and texture of the mixed materials that it used here, but there’s no denying the abundance of seams around the top and sides.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)The drive feels solid, with no discernable flex, but there’s no denying that something like SK hynix Beetle X31 looks and feels more premium.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)The real stand-out exterior feature of the EX400U is the built-in magnetic ring on its base, designed to let the drive snap onto the back of MagSafe-equipped iPhones and Qi2 Android devices. We’ve seen similar form factors before Lexar, MSI, and others. And I’m sure we’ll see more since roomy, speedy and convenient external storage is great for content creators who are always recording video. But Corsair’s EX400U is the first USB4 drive we’ve seen in this form factor. It certainly won’t be the last.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)The only physical accessory included in the box is a 30 cm (nearly 12 inches) USB 4 Type-C to Type-C cable. The length is fairly standard, but it’s also both long for connecting to a smartphone and short for desktops, where the USB4 ports live at the back of the case. At least the magnet on the drive means you can stick the drive on any steel elements of the case so it isn’t dangling while you transfer files.Comparison products(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)At 2.53 x 2.52 x 0.47 inches, the EX400U isn’t particularly small or large for an external SSD, though it’s much smaller than its primary competition in our test group, the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 (0.67 x 2.56 x 3.85 inches). When I magnetically attached the Corsair drive on my S25 Ultra phone, one corner did encroach onto the camera bump, but the edge of the drive wasn’t visible at all as I cycled through the various sensors.In terms of performance, the only drive that can hope to be competitive in our test pool is LaCie’s Rugged SSD Pro5. And that drive is definitely faster if you’re plugged into a Thunderbolt 5-equipped host. But limited to Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 on our newly built external storage testbed, the LaCie drive didn’t perform as well as I expected.Storage testbed updateJust before testing both the Corsair drive and the LaCie Pro5, we updated our external storage testbed to an AMD Ryzen 7600X-based PC with an Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Hero motherboard. This was done in part because we needed a system with native USB4 support for upcoming drives.All the drives in the charts below have been freshly re-tested on the new X870E system, with the exception of the final Iometer sustained sequential test, which is less about top speed and more about how long a drive can write before depleting any fast cache. Although both the LaCie and Corsair drives had their Iometer testing done on the updated testbed. We also updated to CrystalDiskMark 8, rather than the older (and non-comparable) version 7 we used on the previous testbed.Trace Testing – PCMark 10 Storage BenchmarkPCMark 10 is a trace-based benchmark that uses a wide-ranging set of real-world traces from popular applications and everyday tasks to measure the performance of storage devices.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)In this first test, the Corsair EX400U landed a distant second to the pricier LaCie Thunderbolt 5 drive, but it was still far faster than any other external drive we’ve tested. Remember, though, that the LaCie drive was limited by the Thunderbolt 4 bandwidth of our testbed. On a Mac (or presumably on one of the few TB5-equipped PCs), the LaCie is significantly faster than the Corsair EX400U, but it also costs much more.Transfer Rates – DiskBench(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)In this real-world file transfer, the Corsair drive looks much better against the LaCie. Granted, it’s a couple hundred MB/s slower on reads, but on writes the Corsair drive is more than twice as fast, and far faster than any other external drive we’ve tested to date.Synthetic Testing CrystalDiskMarkCrystalDiskMark (CDM) is a free and easy-to-run storage benchmarking tool that SSD companies commonly use to assign product performance specifications. It gives us insight into how each device handles different file sizes. We run this test at its default settings.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)In this best-case synthetic sequential scenario on our USB5 / Thunderbolt 4 testbed, the Corsair drive arguably looks its best. It edges out the bottlenecked LaCie drive on reads and blows past it on writes by nearly 700 MB/s. And unsurprisingly, the other 10Gbps or 20Gbps drives are much slower.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Small file performance is also similarly impressive for the Corsair drive, putting it on top again, while the LaCie struggled here, landing in third place behind the Adata SE920.Sustained Write PerformanceA drive’s rated write specifications are only a piece of the performance picture. Most external SSDs (just like their internal counterparts) implement a write cache, or a fast area of flash, programmed to perform like faster SLC, that absorbs incoming data.Sustained write speeds often suffer tremendously when the workload saturates the cache and slips into the “native” TLC or QLC flash. We use Iometer to hammer the SSD with sequential writes for 15 minutes to measure the size of the write cache and performance after the cache is saturated.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)The Corsair EX400U drive lacks the LaCie’s initial write speed cache north of 3,000 MB/s, but maintains a faster write speed for the duration of the test than the LaCie, typically between 1,600 and 1,700 MB/s, while the LaCie hovered around 1,600 MB/s after its cache was depleted. So while the LaCie drive is much faster for tasks around 50 GB or less, if your write workloads typically involve much larger amounts of data with no downtime for the drive’s cache to recover, the Corsair EX400U might be the better option. The top of Corsair’s drive did get hot during this test, though, while the LaCie was only mildly warm.Bottom Line(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)For creators who need the fastest speed possible and who live solely within the Mac ecosystem using Thunderbolt 5-equipped machines, the LaCie Pro5 is faster and easy to recommend (even though it costs more than the Corsair). But that drive’s mixed performance in Windows under Thunderbolt 4 makes it tough to recommend in mixed computing environments, where USB4 is a much more popular option. There are certainly many more USB4-equipped computers available now and launching soon than there are Thunderbolt 5 systems.And in the USB4 realm, Corsair’s EX400U strikes a good balance between performance and price. It’s certainly not cheap at $189 for the 2TB model we tested, or $349 for the 4TB model. But both are downright affordable compared to the LaCie drive, which was selling for $329 for the 2TB model and $529 for the 4TB model when we wrote this.The Corsair drive also ships in a 1TB flavor, which the LaCie drive lacks, for around $119. Given Corsair’s drive is much faster and more future-proof than top 20Gbps drives like the Crucial X10 Pro, it makes those older drives hard to argue for, since they still often sell for between $100 and $115 at the 1TB level or $179 for 2TB. For now at least, the Corsair EX400U is one of the best external drives you can buy, with a great price-to-performance ratio and a still-unique magnetic attachment ring, which can be handy on phones and desktop PCs. […]

As an occasional keyboard reviewer and dabbler in the vast, deep waters of the custom keyboard hobby, I regularly find myself wondering about the latest (tactile) switches and perusing the seemingly endless spectrum of keycaps. On that journey, I’ve occasionally encountered Awekeys, a company that takes a step up from the typical ABS or PBT plastic, and crafts its keycaps from metal. So when the company reached out about its latest offering – a Viking-inspired metal keycap set with a distressed or antique finish – my fingers couldn’t resist trying them out.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Awekeys’ sent me the “Thor Copper” set with traditional legends and some Norse-inspired accent keys, but the set will also be offered in “Frigg Silver” and “Odin Gold,” as well as with runic sublegends corresponding to the alphabet used by Germanic tribes before they adopted the Latin alphabet. As someone whose living room has several copper accents and who has also visited several Viking-era sites in the far north of Scotland, this keycap set felt like it was made for me. So I removed the wood-themed keycaps I’d been using on the Keychron K2 HE Special Edition for the past couple of months and began installing the Awekeys keycaps.The Viking Antiques keycap set may come in copper, gold, or silver, but the metal at the core is a copper and nickel alloy that gives the caps an extremely solid and hefty feel – arguably too hefty, at least when it comes to the space bar, but I’ll get back to that. An Awekeys representative tells me the antique copper set I typed this review on is plated with real copper along with a protective nano-coating. The texture is somewhat slick and smoother than it looks in photos, but the extra weight and coolness of the metal give the typing experience a unique and premium feel. And barring something disastrous like a house fire, they do feel like they’ll last forever – as you might expect from keycaps made from a similar alloy as the U.S. nickel.How much coin do you have to throw down to own a set of coin-like keycaps? Well, that depends. As the company has done in the past, it’s launching these keycaps via Kickstarter with significantly lower prices if you order early in the process (the first 24 hours of the campaign or throughout if you pledge $2 to become an Awekeys VIP). A kit for 60% keyboards is $139 at the reduced price, or $209 MSRP if you miss the early window or aren’t a VIP. An 80% kit will start at $149 for VIP members or first-day pledgers (also $209 MSRP), and a 100% kit will be available at $179 for VIP or first-day orders, with a $279 MSRP. The above prices are for the copper set I tested or the silver colorway. Gold, which the company says is more complicated to produce, starts at $189 / $299 for the 60% base kit, and jumps all the way up to $299 / $499 for the 100% gold kit. These prices don’t include the five accent keys (the world tree, Odin’s ravens, Viking ship, warrior, and wolf) which are $79 extra for copper and silver and $99 for gold. There are various other add-ons, as well as a third early bird pricing tier if you miss the first day of the campaign but pledge before those kits sell out. There is no denying that the price of these keycaps is high – especially if you don’t get in early. But unlike previous kits, the company is at least offering lower-priced options for sub-100% keyboards so you don’t have to pay for keycaps you won’t use. Language support now goes beyond ANSI QWERTY layouts, with legends available in German, Nordic, Japanese, and Korean. The rune sublegends, runes-only, and blank keycaps are also options. The company says if they get enough interest in other languages, they may expand the legend options further. As always, we caution that pledging to a crowdfunding campaign is not the same as buying something. There is no guarantee in these situations that you will get your pledged items as described – or at all, particularly if the pledge goal isn’t met. But the $40,000 goal seems reasonably modest, and the company has completed four previous campaigns in the past. Still, pledge at your own discretion.InstallationImage […]

Why you can trust Tom’s Hardware

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Being on the cutting edge of consumer tech is often painful. Sure, you get the best features or the fastest speed, but often with limited support or hobbled performance in other areas or on other devices. That’s LaCie’s Rugged SSD Pro5 in a nutshell. It’s the fastest external storage drive we’ve ever tested, delivering sequential read speeds close to 7,000 MB/s and reads around 5,200 MB/s – when tested on an M4 Pro-based Apple Mac Mini. But as of this writing, seemingly the only Windows-based machine available with a Thunderbolt 5 port is Razer’s current-gen Blade 18. In testing on our new Ryzen 9000-based storage testbed with Thunderbolt 4 (via USB4), the Rugged SSD Pro5 couldn’t quite hit 4,000 MB/s reads and managed just over 3,000 MB/s writes. Plus, this LaCie drive has some pretty specific requirements, and isn’t supported at all over Thunderblot 3.So in short, if your workflow relies solely on a current-gen Mac with Thunderbolt 5 ports and you need maximum speed for video production, the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro 5 is a great external storage option. It’s faster than any other single drive on that platform that we know of. And at $599 for the 4TB model we tested ($399 for the 2TB model), it’s priced squarely at the content creation class who need the speed this drive can provide – again, specifically over TB5.But for Windows or mixed-platform users, USB4-based drives are available that can perform faster on more hardware and cost less, without the complex compatibility issues of this LaCie Thunderbolt 5 drive.LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 SpecificationsSwipe to scroll horizontallyProduct2TB4TBPricing$399.99$599.99Interface / ProtocolThunderbolt 5 (80 Gbps base)Thunderbolt 5 (80 Gbps base)Included12-inch Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C to USB-C) cable, 5 years of Rescue Data Recovery service12-inch Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C to USB-C) cable, 5 years of Rescue Data Recovery serviceSequential Read6700MB/s6700MB/sSequential Write5300MB/s5300MB/sDimensions0.67 x 2.56 x 3.85 inches (17 X 65 X 98 mm)0.67 x 2.56 x 3.85 inches (17 X 65 X 98 mm)Weight0.33 pounds (150.1 grams0.33 pounds (150.1 gramsWarranty5 years5 yearsLaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 compatibility complicationsWhether your workflow exists solely within the Mac ecosystem or your devices cross over to Windows and Android devices, there is quite a bit to consider on the compatibility side with the Rugged SSD Pro5. For starters, the drive doesn’t support Thunderbolt 3 ports at all in Windows, and Windows 11 23H2 or higher is a requirement for PCs. You may need to install a LaCie Toolkit to get the drive to work via native Thunderbolt 4 ports (and even then it may be stuck at 10 Gbps). And any system with a 10Gbps or 20Gbps USB port will also need to deliver at least 15W PD to that port for the drive to work. So much for plug-and-play. We connected this drive to a number of machines during testing, and outside of the recent Mac Mini, the experience was best described as plug-and-pray. For a full list of compatibility considerations, you can check this page at LaCie. To be fair, USB has plenty of its own issues, but we can’t remember a time in recent memory when a storage drive had such complex performance considerations that it warranted its own URL. And you should visit that URL, because there are further stipulations about iPad support and MacOS version requirements that I didn’t get into here.Design and accessories(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)The familiar Neil Poulton design of the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 is in place here, although the company has chosen blue over the traditional orange. For LaCie die-hards with several drives, that will at least help the Thunderbolt 5 model stand out. And at 0.33 pounds with no discernable flex anywhere, the drive feels like a rubber-clad rock. It’s also IP69 rated for dust and water protection, although there’s no rubber flap to protect the port when the cable isn’t plugged in. Still, while the drive feels like you could drop it out of a speeding car without major concern for its functionality, creators may put more stock in the fact that the drive comes with a 5-year warranty that includes the Seagate-owned Rescue Data Recovery. I’d still recommend regular cloud backup, though. As with most external SSDs, you’re much more likely under typical circumstances to physically lose the drive than you are to experience internal failure on the drive itself.The only hardware accessory in the box with the drive is the Thunderbolt 5 cable, which is just over a foot long from connector to connector. This is fine for many situations, although for those who might only have a TB5 port at the back of their system, a 1.5-foot cable feels like it would have been a better choice – especially given the high price of the drive.Comparison productsThe LaCie Rugged SSD Pro 5 is larger than many other (slower) external storage options, but still compact enough that traveling with it shouldn’t be a concern. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)As the first Thunderbolt 5 drive we’ve tested (and one of the first TB5 drivers ever, alongside OWC’s Envoy Ultra ) the Rugged SSD Pro 5 is somewhat in a class by itself, at least in our testing pool. Its rated speeds far exceed the many USB 3.2 Gen2 2×2 drives we tested last year (which tended to top out at around 2,000 MB/s). But it just so happens that alongside the LaCie, we also received the Corsair EX400U USB4 drive. It’s “only” rated to 4,000 MB/s, but it’s also much smaller than the LaCie drive and, more importantly, costs a lot less.To be fair, Corsair listed its drive as sold out when I wrote this, but the same was true of the LaCie drive. Our launch coverage of the Corsair drive had the 2TB model priced at $199 and the 4TB model at $359. That’s quite a bit less than the $399 2TB and $599 4TB MSRP of the LaCie drive. And as we’ll see in testing below, the LaCie drive really only excels when connected to a Thunderbolt 5 port.Storage testbed updateJust before this review, we updated our external storage testbed to an AMD Ryzen 7600X-based machine with an Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Hero motherboard. This was done in part because we needed a system with native USB4 support for upcoming drives. But in fairness to LaCie, when we plugged the Rugged SSD Pro5 into our old testbed, which had Thunderbolt 4 ports via an ASRock motherboard, the LaCie drive wasn’t recognized at all. LaCie does offer a toolkit for that case, but says the drive will be stuck at 10 GBps in that scenario, so we just switched over to the new testbed. All the drives in the charts below have been freshly re-tested on the new X870E system, with the exception of the final Iometer sustained sequential test, which is less about top speed and more about how long a drive can write before depleting any fast cache. We also updated CrystalDiskMark 8, rather than the older (and non-comparable) version 7 we were using on the previous testbed.Trace Testing – PCMark 10 Storage BenchmarkPCMark 10 is a trace-based benchmark that uses a wide-ranging set of real-world traces from popular applications and everyday tasks to measure the performance of storage devices.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)We’re used to seeing in the 1,000-1,200 range on this test, even for most 20Gbps drives. LaCie’s Rugged SSD Pro more than doubles that. And at 2,586, it’s also nearly 50% ahead of Corsair’s EX400U USB4 drive on this test. That’s a fantastic start.Transfer Rates – DiskBenchWe use the DiskBench storage benchmarking tool to test real-world file transfer performance with a custom 50GB dataset. We copy 4,617 files (images, videos, and software ISO files) to a folder on the test drive (write). Then, after leaving the system idle for five minutes, we run the same test in reverse, moving the test folder to a different location on our PCIe 4.0 testing drive.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)The Rugged SSD Pro also excels in our real-world 50GB read test, at over 200 MB/s faster than the competing Corsair drive. But the Corsair drive flips the script when it comes to write speeds, with its 1,671 MB/s easily doubling the 726 MB/s showing of the LaCie drive over our Thunderbolt 4-equipped USB4 port in Windows 11.As we’ll see shortly, we know the LaCie drive is capable of much faster speeds over Thunderbolt 5. And the bandwidth is there on our testbed for it to compete or outpace the Corsair drive. We’re not entirely sure whether native USB4 support is just better optimized than Thunderbolt on AMD’s X870E platform (which wouldn’t particularly be a surprise), or if the LaCie drive just doesn’t perform as well as you’d think over Thunderbolt 4, given its higher-bandwidth Thunderbolt 5 abilities.Synthetic Testing CrystalDiskMarkCrystalDiskMark (CDM) is a free and easy-to-run storage benchmarking tool that SSD companies commonly use to assign product performance specifications. It gives us insight into how each device handles different file sizes. We run this test at its default settings.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Again, the Corsair USB4 drive outpaces the LaCie drive under Windows, when limited to Thunderbolt 4, particularly on writes. To get a sense of what the Rugged SSD Pro5 can do on a Mac with Thunderbolt 5 ports, we also tested the drive on the M4 Pro-based Mac Mini. Using AmorphousDiskMark on the Mac (CrystalDiskMark doesn’t run on Macs), we recorded sequential read speeds of 6,941.17 MB/s, and write speeds of 5,199.14 MB/s. That’s easily faster than the Corsair drive.We also ran the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test on the M4 Mac Mini with the LaCie drive. There, the native Thunderbolt 5 performance delivered a read speed of 5,056 MB/s read speed and 4,020.2 MB/s writes. Clearly, LaCie’s drive is faster than any other external drive we’ve tested – but under Windows 11 in our storage testbed, it doesn’t perform as well as we’d expect, even accounting for that system’s Thunderbolt 4 limitations.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)The LaCie drive delivers perhaps its worst showing in this test, where its write results in particular are a fraction of what we saw on the Corsair USB4 drive. The LaCie Thunderbolt 5 drive has issues either with Thunderbolt 4 performance in Windows in general, or with our newly built USB4-equipped testbed more specifically. When plugged into my AMD-based ZenBook 14 laptop’s USB4 port, the LaCie drive failed to mount at all, much like on our older Intel-based testbed with Thunderbolt 4. So while your mileage may vary, it’s hard to recommend this drive for those whose workflows include Windows PCs.Sustained Write PerformanceA drive’s rated write specifications are only a piece of the performance picture. Most external SSDs (just like their internal counterparts) implement a write cache, or a fast area of flash, programmed to perform like faster SLC, that absorbs incoming data.Sustained write speeds often suffer tremendously when the workload saturates the cache and slips into the “native” TLC or QLC flash. We use Iometer to hammer the SSD with sequential writes for 15 minutes to measure the size of the write cache and performance after the cache is saturated.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)The bad news is that the Rugged SSD Pro5 only manages to write at its top speed Windows-based speed of around 3,200-3,300MB/s for about 15 seconds, which makes sense given the drive’s stated 50GB cache. Typically, we’d call out a drive with “pro” in its name sporting such a quickly depleted cache – 50GB is a fairly large amount, but it runs out fast at these speeds. But note that once the cache is consumed, the drive still maintains an average write speed above 1,500MB/s for the full 15 minutes of our test (actually the full 30 minutes that we typically run this test – we only chart half of it), which is better than nearly all other drives here. That said, the Corsair USB4 drive, while it lacks the initial write speed north of 3,000MB/s, maintains a faster write speed than the LaCie for the duration of the test, typically between 1,600 and 1,700 MB/s. So while the LaCie drive indeed delivers class-leading sustained write performance, that advantage really only applies until you’ve written 50 GB. If your write workloads typically involve much larger amounts of data with no downtime for the drive’s cache to recover, the Corsair EX4000U might be the better option. Corsair’s drive did get hot during this test, though, while the LaCie was only mildly warm.And keep in mind that our primary tests were run in Windows 11 over a USB4 / Thunderbolt 4 port. You may get better results if the only device you use is a TB5-equipped Mac or PC.Bottom line(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)The LaCie Rugged SSD Pro 5 combines a tried-and-true rugged design with the fastest speeds we’ve ever seen on an external SSD – when tested on a Thunderbolt 5-equipped Mac. It also ships with a five-year warranty that includes its parent company’s data recovery service. That’s enough to make this drive easy to recommend for Mac users – particularly those who only or primarily use current-gen Mac hardware and need the fastest possible performance for media creation or other write-heavy purposes. For everyone else though – including Mac owners who still use older hardware, or those who also need to move data around on Windows-based machines, Corsair’s EX4000U delivers fewer compatibility complications and generally faster speed in Windows. It also costs less – that’s assuming you can find either of these drives in stock.MORE: Best SSDsMORE: Best External SSDsMORE: Best SSD for the Steam Deck […]

At an event today in Manhattan and streamed worldwide, the IEEE announced Henry Samueli, one of the two founders of Broadcom, will be the recipient of the organization’s top award, the Medal of Honor for 2025. Aside from the recognition and prestige of joining the list of previous winners (including TSMC founder Morris Chang and GPS developer Bradford Parkinson), the award includes a newly expanded $2 million prize.While a professor at UCLA at the end of the 1980s Samueli and then-PH.D student Henry Nicholas began work on the mixed-signal communications technology that would lead the two to form Broadcom in 1991. Before long, the company would spearhead the global growth of broadband that makes much of our modern internet, communications, and streaming services possible. “IEEE Medal of Honor Laureate Henry Samueli’s vision and communications technology innovations spurred the development of products used by nearly every person around the world,” said 2025 IEEE President and CEO Kathleen Kramer via the IEEE’s press release. “From the billions of consumer smartphones, set-top boxes and tablets, to laptops and IoT devices, Samueli created new and novel ways to power connections and unite humanity.”The IEEE, or Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, is the world’s largest technical professional organization, with the stated goal of “advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.”(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)To that end, the IEEE also prominently praised Samueli’s notable charitable contributions. “In addition, his prolific philanthropy has deeply impacted many lives for the better – from generous support of STEM education to a pledge to give away the majority of his money during his lifetime, said K. J. Ray Liu, chair of the award committee and 2022 IEEE President and CEO. “These contributions are exemplary for technologists, modeling the impact they can have not just on the world they live in, but for those who follow them.”Broadcom is also integral, both metaphorically and literally, to the story of the Raspberry Pi SBC and the ecosystem that has built up around it. It’s no coincidence that Broadcom chips power the more than 61 million units sold as of early 2024.”The Raspberry Pi is a fascinating story,” said Samueli at the NYC event. “It was created by a Broadcom engineer, Eben Upton. And he had this idea that we could take one of our SoC chips that we had built for set-top boxes and modify it slightly and turn it into this mini computer… to stimulate young kids to get into computer science and learn coding.”While Samueli didn’t have a direct hand in the development of the Pi, his company makes the chips and fostered an environment where Pi founder and now company CEO Upton could turn an idea into an affordable, largely open-source platform for budding coders and talented makers alike.Henry Samueli may not be as high-profile as Nvidia’s Jensen Huang or AMD’s Lisa Su, but there’s no denying the many ways his contributions have improved the tech we use every day.The event today with Samueli and current and previous IEEE CEOs served primarily as the announcement of Medal of Honor award. The organization will hold an award ceremony on April 24th in Tokyo, Japan.Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. […]

Storage mainstay Seagate has been churning out hard drives and SSDs for decades, as well as innumerable portable hard drives. But it’s largely left portable SSDs to its premium, Apple-focused LaCie brand. But today the company is announcing its Ultra-Compact SSD, an external solid-state drive available in 1TB and 2TB capacities that, with its slender design and built-in USB-C port, looks like a high-end flash drive, rather than a traditional portable SSD. These kinds of drives, sometimes called SSD sticks, that pack SSD-like performance and a built-in USB port for cable-free use, have become increasingly common in the last couple of years, with the SK Hynix Tube T31 being our current favorite of what we’re still classifying as the best flash drives. We’ll have to do some testing to find out if Seagate’s drive deserves a spot on the above list, but its pretty external shell aside, it has some interesting things going for it that may make it worth considering even if it isn’t the fastest performer. Like many other Seagate products, the Ultra-Compact SSD ships with three years of the company’s Rescue Data Recovery service, as well as six-month trials of cloud backup and image organization services. That’s not going to be important for everyone, but the data recovery service will certainly appeal many who’ve lost irreplaceable data to a drive crash in the past.Dropbox Backup and Mylio Photos+ image organization and backup services.Seagate-Ultra Compact SSD specsSwipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0 1TB2TBPricing$90.99$179.99Interface / ProtocolUSB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps)USB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps)Sequential ReadUp to 1,000 MB/sUp to 1,000 MB/sSequential WriteUp to 1,000 MB/sUp to 1,000 MB/sDimensions2.7 (L) x .7(W) x 0.34(H) inches (without sleeve)2.7 (L) x .7(W) x 0.34(H) inches (without sleeve)11.15 grams19.6 grams (without sleeve)19.6 grams (without sleeve)Warranty3 years3 yearsDesign of the Seagate-Ultra Compact SSD(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)With a single-piece aluminum silver shell (with plastic plugs on the font and back) and a 2.7 x 0.7 x 0.34 inches, Seagate’s drive looks and feels great. The cap over the USB-C port is all rubber, but it stays on much better than most plastic flash drive caps. And if you’re worried about scratching up the metal, the company also includes a gray rubber sleeve that matches the cap. That does add a little bulk to the drive, but it’s still small enough that it shouldn’t interfere with nearby ports like many competing high-end stick SSDs or flash drives. Seagate points out that the drive is made up of at least 35% recycled materials (likely the aluminum), and it’s rated for drops up to 3 meters and sports IP54 dust and water resistance. Those specs are likely only while using the sleeve, but the drive feels plenty rugged without it for travel in typical conditions.Software and included extrasThe Seagate Ultra-Compact SSD ships with Seagate’s Rescue Data Recovery service for three years, which families or users dealing with truly irreplaceable data will no doubt find appealing. That said, my personal history with drives like this tells me it’s far more likely that you’d lose a drive this than have it randomly fail and lock you out of data access. If you’re worried about losing things like family photos, a cloud backup of what’s on the drive might be more useful. Speaking of that, the drive also ships with a six-month trial of Dropbox Backup and the Mylio Photos+ image organization and backup service. I don’t expect these are going to sway many potential buyers, but at least the trials aren’t the more typical 90-day variety. Six months will likely give you enough time to decide whether or not a service is worth paying for.Comparison productsAs a 2TB device in a flash drive form factor, the Seagate Ultra-Compact SSD doesn’t have a ton of direct competition, as many competing drives like the SK Hynix Tube T31 and Kingston DataTraveler Max) both top out at 1TB. The Transcend ESD310 does go up to 2TB though, and is selling for the same $179 price as the MSRP of the 2TB Seagate drive. And while it’s significantly wider, the ADATA SC750 is also available at 2TB for as little as $119. You’ll find all of these drives and more in our benchmark charts below.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Trace Testing – PCMark 10 Storage BenchmarkPCMark 10 is a trace-based benchmark that uses a wide-ranging set of real-world traces from popular applications and everyday tasks to measure the performance of storage devices.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Landing more or less in the middle of our competing cable-free flash drive and SSD comparisons, this isn’t a great showing for Seagate’s drive. But the drive is still much closer to the best drives here than the worst.Transfer Rates – DiskBenchWe use the DiskBench storage benchmarking tool to test file transfer performance with a custom 10GB dataset. We copy 1,204 files (images, videos, and software ISO files) to a folder on the test drive (write). Then, after leaving the system idle for five minutes, we run the same test in reverse, moving the test folder to a different location on our PCIe 4.0 testing drive.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Again the Seagate drive fails to impress here, at least on read speeds. But its write speed of nearly 512 MB/s puts it in 4th place among the other drives tested here. And 570 MB/s mixed-file reads is still is still a solid showing for a drive this small.Synthetic Testing CrystalDiskMarkCrystalDiskMark (CDM) is a free and easy-to-run storage benchmarking tool that SSD companies commonly use to assign performance specifications to their products. It gives us insight into how each device handles different file sizes. We run this test at its default settings.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)While again not the fastest of the bunch, Seagate’s Ultra-Compact SSD manages a balanced read and write speed both easily above 1,000 MB/s (so above its rated speed) in this test. Only our favorite SK Hynix Tube T31 is markedly better on both fronts. But remember, its capacity tops out at 1TB.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)On the flip side, there’s little positive to say about the Seagate drive’s small file write results here, other than they aren’t dramatically worse than the worst competing drives in our testing pool. If you’re looking for an external drive to directly run an operating system or demanding programs off of, there are lots of better options.Bottom lineThere’s lots to like about the design as well as the bundled data recovery features of Seagate’s Ultra-Compact SSD. And its performance, while far from class-leading, is still good enough to please mainstream consumers – especially those stepping up from a portable hard drive or an old space-cramped flash drive for backing up key files. But apart from its compact size and spacious 2TB option, there’s little to set it apart from the pack unless you count its bottom-rung small file performance – which to be fair won’t matter much to those just looking to move files on and off the drive for backup or other sneakernet purposes. And when you consider Adata’s SC750 was faster on nearly all of our tests for $60 less, Seagate’s compact metal shell and three years of data recovery service need to do a lot of heavy lifting to make Seagate’s drive appealing.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Still, with a decent price drop over its initial MSRP, it could be worth considering. It has the nicest design of any of these stick SSDs I’ve used yet, and its performance is still good enough for my typical tasks, like moving test result files and game files between PCs.MORE: Best SSDsMORE: Best External SSDsMORE: Best SSD for the Steam Deck […]

Late last year, our extensive testing showed that Intel’s Lunar Lake Arc 140V integrated graphics outperformed AMD’s top-end 890M integrated silicon (driver concerns and software aside) by an average of 7% over 27 tested games. Now that Intel has launched its Arrow Lake mobile parts, we’ve spent some time testing an Intel-provided MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo laptop running an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H, to see if Intel’s integrated performance edge still holds. And in a broad sense, the answer is yes. The Arc 140T iGPU in the 285H (despite being based on the older Xe+ architecture rather than the Xe2 of Lunar Lake’s 140V) maintains a slight edge over AMD’s 880M, which we also recently re-tested in MSI’s Prestige A16 AI+ laptop for comparison. But things aren’t cut and dry once you drop below 1080p.Also, AMD still leads on drivers and software for gaming, so you might have a better overall gaming experience if you opt for AMD. And really, while most games should broadly be playable at reduced settings and sub-1080p resolutions, those at all serious about on-the-go gaming should still strongly consider stepping up to a laptop with dedicated graphics, or perhaps something built around AMD’s flagship Strix Halo, which the company says offers up to 1.4x the performance of the 140V iGPU in Intel’s Core Ultra 9 288V.Below, we’ll look at the specs of our two MSI Prestige test laptops. Then we’ll delve into our limited gaming test results across five titles and see how the two similarly configured systems stack up in gaming, as well as in CPU performance and battery life. Note that we also managed to re-test Lunar Lake’s 140V graphics in an Asus Zenbook S14 and AMD’s flagship Strix Point iGPU, the 890M, inside a Zenbook S16. These tests were run right before the deadline for this article and are in different laptop chassis, with specs that vary more than the two MSI Prestige laptops. So we aren’t going to comment on these results. They’re just in our charts below for context.Swipe to scroll horizontallyRow 0 – Cell 0 MSI Prestige 16 AI EvoMSI Prestige A16 AI+ A3HMGCPUIntel Core Ultra 9 285HAMD Ryzen AI 9 365GraphicsIntel Arc 140TAMD Radeon 880MGPU Max Frequency2.35 GHz2.9 GHzMemory32GB 750032GB 7500Display2560x16002560x1600Battery99.9 Whr82 WhrPower Adapter140W100WOperating SystemWindows 11 ProWindows 11 HomeDimensions14.11 x 10.02 x 0.7514.09 x 10.18 x 0.68307087 inchesWeight3.31 pounds4.19Price as configuredRow 11 – Cell 1 $1,279Gaming Tests: Intel Core Ultra 285H / Arc 140T versus AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 / Radeon 880MGiven time constraints, we couldn’t test a wide swathe of games so we focused on some titles that we use for laptop testing and ordered them in the charts below based on when the games were released. As you’ll see, some less-demanding titles that are several years old run pretty well even at high settings. But newer games will force you to drop below 1080p and dial down the detail. We aren’t going to bother reporting performance at the laptops’ native 2560×1600 resolution, because neither integrated chip got anywhere close to playability while pushing that many pixels.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)This 2018 franchise title gives Intel’s GPU its first win, though the results are close. The 3 FPS lead the 140T holds over AMD’s 880M at 1080p is at least reasonably definitive, but stepping down to 720p for more playable frame rates, there’s a single-frame difference between the two competitors. These results are an average of three runs, but that’s still within general benchmark variance.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Using a 2019-era title that wasn’t particularly GPU-demanding when it was new, it’s not exactly a surprise that both GPUs here flirt with 30fps at 1080p in Borderlands 3, and the Intel laptop has a nearly 2 FPS edge there. But interestingly, when dropping down to 720p, the AMD silicon pulls ahead by about 6.5 FPS.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Moving forward in terms of time and difficulty, we get to Cyberpunk 2077, where we had to turn off ray tracing entirely and drop the settings down to low to stay well out of single-digit territory. This test is a mixed bag for Intel’s chip, where it pulls three FPS ahead at 1080p but again falls behind by 8 FPS at 720p – which is what you’ll probably want to stick to with this title if you want anything approaching smooth results on modern integrated graphics.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)The 2022 strategy title, Total War: Warhammer III is one title where Intel’s 140T has a clear advantage. It beats the AMD 880M in our MSI test laptop by 2 FPS at 720p and an impressive 13 FPS at 1080p.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Last up is last year’s hit, Black Myth: Wukong, which wasn’t exactly smooth on either iGPU, even when we dropped our typical test settings down from Cinematic to the Medium preset. Intel’s silicon turned in a 7 FPS edge over AMD at 1080p, but once again, dropping the resolution down a more playable 720p saw AMD’s 880M pull to just a few FPS behind Intel’s result. These results show that, while Intel’s integrated graphics tend to perform better overall, things are going to vary between titles, especially when gaming below 1080p. It also shows that modern demanding games are already pushing these integrated chips to their gaming limits. You’ll likely be able to play most games without dedicated graphics for now at reduced settings and resolutions. But before long, future titles may leave you wishing you’d invested in a true gaming laptop with dedicated graphics.Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.A quick look at CPU performance and battery lifeI was curious to see whether AMD’s advantage in some of our gaming tests at 720p could be an indicator that the Ryzen AI 9 365 might have an edge over the Core Ultra 9 285H on the CPU side. But that doesn’t seem to be the case, as you can see below, where we compared the two MSI Prestige laptops in a few of our productivity benchmarks.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Starting with the Geekbench 6 synthetic CPU benchmark, the AMD Ryzen 9 365-based laptop is competitive in the single-core test, falling just 1.59% behind the Core Ultra 9 285H in the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo. But on the multi-core test, Intel’s 16 cores and 16 threads managed to best AMD’s 10 cores and 20 threads by 20.62%.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Shifting to our real-world Handbrake test, where we transcode a 4K video file to 1080p, Intel’s lead is 24 seconds or just under 10%. That’s a win for Intel and Arrow Lake. But keep in mind that we’re comparing mid-2024 AMD silicon to an Intel chip that’s arriving on the scene in February of 2025.Battery LifeOur battery test is a mix of web browsing, video streaming, and graphical tests with the screen brightness set to 150 nits. So it’s not an indication of gaming performance, but it’s still a key consideration for any laptop.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Once again, the Intel-based machine is the clear leader here, offering up four extra hours of unplugged power in our test. But don’t read much into those numbers as an indication of power efficiency. According to MSI’s specs, the battery in the Intel-based Prestige (99.9 Whr) is 21.9% larger than the (82 Whr) battery in the AMD model. Still, the Intel laptop did get 36% longer run time, so it seems likely Intel does have some advantage in power efficiency, but we’ll have to test more Arrow Lake laptops to say for sure. At this point, we’re just happy to see that both options deliver over ten hours with their large 2560 x 1600 screens.Final thoughts(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)After putting Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285H chip and its 140T integrated graphics through our typical laptop tests compared to a similarly equipped MSI Prestige system running AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 365 and its 880M graphics, we are left with more or less the same conclusions we had late last year in our much more extensive laptop graphics testing.After many years of dominance by AMD, Intel’s integrated graphics are now the best in terms of raw performance overall. And thanks to its work over the past few years on dedicated cards like the Arc B580, its driver and software stack have improved greatly. But we’d still give the edge to AMD on the software side, which isn’t surprising given its GPU focus since acquiring ATI way back in 2006.And regardless of how much integrated graphics have improved in the last few years, just because you can play most modern games these days on an iGPU doesn’t necessarily mean everyone will want to. As our testing shows, you’ll often have to drop below 1080p resolution, even on older games at high settings. And the more demanding games that have come out in the last few years will force you to stick to low settings and 720p to keep things running above even 30 FPS. So unless you’re really counting on game developers downgrading the visuals due to rising costs, you should probably still choose a laptop with dedicated graphics if you want to play the best games of 2025 and beyond. […]

With its distinctive combination of leather, glass, and steel, along with a robust leather carrying strap up top, Montech’s Heritage was one of the more memorable cases to break cover last summer at Computex 2024. Here in early 2025, the case has finally arrived on our test bench, in both its black and white variations. And after spending time building a system in the Micro ATX / Mini-ITX chassis, we can confirm it’s one of the most unique compact cases on the market, although its internal design reminds me of Asus’ more understated and affordable AP201.Its unique aesthetics aside, the Montech Heritage is a versatile mid-sized compact case, with room for full-size ATX power supplies, the largest graphics cards, and rear-connector motherboard support. That said, given that motherboard support tops out at Micro ATX and the design looks like a cross between a designer handbag and a LAN-friendly gaming PC, the appeal of the Heritage is probably going to be fairly limited. But for those who like its looks, and who don’t need a full-size ATX motherboard, the Heritage case is well worth considering. Pricing also helps its appeal: it starts at $89 without fans, or $109 for the Pro model that we tested, which includes four fans and an extra screw-on headphone holder. The basic Heritage case ships without fans or the headphone holder.  SpecsSwipe to scroll horizontallyMotherboard SupportMotherboard Support Micro ATX, Mini-ATXColorColor Black or WhiteCase Dimensions368 mm (H) x 480 mm (L) x 235 mm (W)2.5-inch Drive Support23.5-inch Drive Support1Expansion Slots5CPU Cooler Clearance170 mmGPU Clearance400mmPSU Length165 mm (ATX / SFX)Radiator SupportUp to 360mm (top)Price$109.99 for the Pro version (reviewed)$89.99 for base model (no fans or headphone holder)Design of the Montech Heritage(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)At 14.5 x 9.3 x 18.3 inches, the Heritage isn’t particularly small for a Micro ATX chassis, but it’s more compact than the dual-chamber Corsair 2500D (14.8 x 12 x 18.9 inches). The leather on the side panels and the top handle are the same dark brown on both the black and the white models. But the latter has silver (plastic) trim, while the same trim on the black model is black. I don’t have a strong color preference, but I prefer the black trim because the silver makes the case look a bit chintzier and cheaper – helped by the fact that the silver trim on our review unit had imperfections in a couple of spots.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)But otherwise, the case looks and feels like a quality chassis, and is mostly made of steel. The wrap-around portions on the top and bottom of the side panels are plastic (covered partially in leather), but they’re thick and they feel very rigid. And the look and feel of the leather portions of our review unit were impeccable, giving the case a premium vibe despite its mainstream price. It’s not going to fit everyone’s aesthetic, but the external design of the Heritage is unique, striking, and generally well-constructed.The top and side panels pull off after you loosen a few captive thumb screws, and the front panel pulls off (although it requires a fairly substantial tug to get it off its pins).(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)With the panels away from the system, you can see its fairly standard internal layout, save for the bracket in the front that supports up to ATX power supplies up to 6.5 inches deep / long . Much like Asus’ AP201, the bracket can be moved up or down in one of three spots, to make room for larger PSUs or better airflow if you have a small power supply. I moved the PSU bracket to its lowest position for my test build, mostly because the power cable connectors and slack weren’t as visible there. Note the Heritage also supports rear-connector motherboards, so I used a Micro ATX Project Zero motherboard from MSI for this build, along with a 240 mm MSI AIO and a white MSI PSU. Note that there are no fan mounts up front, and a single 120 mm exhaust fan at the back comes pre-installed on the Pro model. Don’t worry too much about airflow, though, because every panel save for the windowed side is vented, and with the Pro model, Montech includes three reversed intake-focused fans in the accessory box that can be mounted on the bottom, top, or side of the case.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Since I will be mounting an AIO with its own fans blowing warm air out of the top, I installed the three fans at the bottom, where there’s ample access — thanks to plastic feet that lift the case up from your desk or table about an inch. As with all cooling setups like this, make sure you don’t put the case on thick carpeting or otherwise block air access around the bottom of the case. The bottom also has a magnetically-attached dust filter that’s a bit fiddly. It doesn’t pull off from the front or the back — instead, you need to pop it off with your thumb or finger by pulling it down. You may have to lift or tilt the case to easily get it back where it belongs after cleaning, which is a minor annoyance but not too bad considering the case is compact and has a built-in handle.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Speaking of that leather handle, it feels thick enough to occasionally lift the case and tote it from room to room, but I wouldn’t rely on it to regularly carry the case long distances. Plus, when it’s attached (done by unscrewing two large knobs on either side of the case and inserting the handle over threaded posts and re-attaching the knobs), the two side panels are attached to each other via the handle – which can be annoying if you’re just trying to do some basic maintenance.Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Note, though, that the handle doesn’t come pre-installed (it’s inside the accessory box so you can add it last, if you like). And with the Pro model, Montech also includes an alternative post that you can attach to one of the side studs, giving you a hanger for your headset. There’s a second dust filter under the top panel, but it’s a cruder, old-school metal sheet, held in place by tabs. You don’t necessarily need a dust panel up top if you’re using that area as an exhaust, but the dust filters are one of the few areas where the Heritage doesn’t feel like a premium product with lots of attention to detail.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)The port and button layout on the front is typical, with the Heritage offering up one USB-C port, two USB-A ports, a headset jack, and power and reset buttons.Storage and component considerations(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)As we’d expect for a compact case, there are some space limitations inside the Heritage, but not as many as you might think. You get about 6.7 inches of CPU tower clearance if you aren’t going to use an AIO (you can fit up to a 360 mm radiator up top), and graphics cards up to 15.75 inches should install without issue.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)I installed a Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT graphics card and a 240 mm MSI AIO, and the whole build process was pretty straightforward. But if your GPU is much longer than 14 inches, you may have to mount the power supply higher up in the front of the case or opt for a smaller SFX unit.(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)SATA-based Storage is also limited to up to two 2.5-inch drives or one 3.5-inch drive, mounted on a plate behind the motherboard. There’s also very little space behind the board area to stash cables if you’re using a back-connector motherboard, as I did. I was able to close the side panel, but just barely. To be fair, this is an issue with most cases compatible with rear-connector motherboards, unless it’s a dual-chamber case that’s extra wide. Just note that stowing the cables and installing the side panel would have been more difficult if I’d also mounted a hard drive behind the motherboard, instead of sticking just with an M.2 drive.Conclusion(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)As a Micro ATX / Mini-ITX case that seems designed to look like a designer handbag, with its unique mix of leather and steel, it’s clear that Montech’s Heritage will only appeal to a small niche of PC builders. But it’s still a striking, stand-out design with room for high-end components and plenty of airflow – provided you opt for the $109 Pro model or bring your own fans. The build quality mostly feels premium for the modest price, though the dust filters could be more thoughtfully designed for easier cleaning. And since the fans on the Pro model lack RGB, part of me wishes Montech would sell a version of the Heritage without the partial side window, offering even more ventilation in its place. That would also give you more leeway to keep unsightly cable slack bundled up inside the motherboard area, rather than in the tight space behind it. The lack of space behind the board for hiding cables for a clean build is one of the Heritage’s only other downsides – other than the fact that it doesn’t support full-sized ATX motherboards for more widespread appeal. It’s not often at this point that a company designs a case that looks and feels unique, while also offering up space for high-end GPUs and a focus on airflow. That Montech manages to deliver that, at a price just above or below $100 (depending on if you want to bring your own fans or you want a screw-on headset holder) is impressive. It’s certainly not for everyone, but if more companies took big design swings instead of just covering every side in glass, the PC build space would at least be a lot more interesting and diverse. […]

There have been design derivations in the recent past, but most of Lenovo’s ThinkPads hew pretty close to their IBM-era heritage: A boxy black rectangle with familiar rounded-bottom “smile”-shaped keys, and that oh-so-distinctive red rubber TrackPoint. But with its new ThinkPad X9, Lenovo is going in a different direction – and after a different kind of customer. But fret-not, loyal TrackPoint users: your trusty pointing stick will remain on other existing ThinkPad models.(Image credit: Lenovo)Aside from its lack of a TrackPoint, the ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition features a 50% recycled aluminum shell with a ribbed bottom that gives the laptop a very distinct feel in your hands, reminding me of a fancy metal suitcase. Offered up in 14- and 15-inch sizes, the laptop’s bottom also has a rectangular “engine hub” strip near the back that aids in cooling while also making room for full-size ports.(Image credit: Lenovo)You get HDMI 2.1 on the left edge, along with one Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C. The right edge houses another TB4 port and an audio jack on the 14-inch model, while the 15-incher adds a USB-A port as well.(Image credit: Lenovo)The company says the new design retains the same MIL-SPEC 810H rating as other ThinkPads, and the screens are OLED all the way. You get two screen options for the 14-inch model, 1920 x 1200 non-touch with a 400-nit rating, or a 2.8K touchscreen with 500 nits of brightness. The larger 15-inch model has a 2.8K resolution, and will be offered with or without touch. Both sizes offer up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of PCIe 4.0 solid-state storage and feature Intel CPUs up to Core Ultra 7. These aren’t the lightest laptops, but they aren’t particularly heavy, with the smaller model tipping the scales at 2.74 pounds while the 15-incher starts at 3.19 pounds.(Image credit: Lenovo)The keys of the keyboard technically retain their bowed-bottom design, but that’s really just a design choice, as the keys here are square and definitely feel different than a traditional ThinkPad keyboard. We’ll have to spend more time with a review unit to pass full judgement, but definitely expect an adjustment period if you’re thinking of opting for an X9 as an upgrade from your older ThinkPad.The large touchpad is haptic and, combined with the keyboard and look of the deck, make it clear the company is angling the X9 toward MacBook users. Another nice modern move is that the company is including a tiny 65W GaN charger with the X9, with a removable cable. While I would have liked a second USB charging port here for my phone, it’s nice to finally see a laptop maker ship a USB-C charger that’s as travel-friendly as sub-$50 models from the likes of Anker and Baseus. Lenovo says the X9 will be available beginning in February, starting at $1,399 for the 14-inch model or $1,549 for the larger 15-inch sibling. As with the ThinkPad Z series, we like the look and feel of the X9, but we’ll have to spend more time with a review unit to figure out how we feel about the keyboard, how well they perform, and what their battery life is like. In its press materials, Lenovo only makes a vague “all day long” battery life claim.Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. […]