It's laptop season
Choice aplenty whether you're shopping for a thin-and-light or gaming notebook
Is your laptop feeling long in the tooth? Well, now’s a good time to consider an upgrade because the new 2024 models from the usual PC brands are hitting the stores. The big new thing with most of these laptops: Intel’s Core Ultra processor, which comes with an integrated neural processing unit (NPU) that can help with local AI workloads. Hence, you’ll hear the term “AI PC” being bandied around.
However, since many popular AI applications are actually processed in the cloud, I feel the NPU isn’t going to do much for most folks. You’d be better off getting a computer with a dedicated Nvidia graphics chip (There’s a reason why Nvidia’s stock is sky high now). These so-called creator laptop or a gaming notebook can handle local AI workloads, and also be used for video editing or gaming.
But there are also other improvements in these new Intel chips, notably in the graphics department, which is now more competitive with AMD, as well as battery life. Don’t expect a huge leap in general CPU performance, at least based on my testing. And if you’re looking at gaming notebooks, an older 2023 model is perfectly good, too, since the latest ones are using the same Nvidia or AMD graphics chips. This means the gaming performance will be mostly similar.
Newer gaming notebooks, though, may offer better cooling solutions. They also come with Intel’s 14th-gen Core processors, which are different from the Core Ultra series. The former doesn’t have an NPU, but since they are intended to be used in more power-hungry gaming notebooks which have dedicated graphics, they probably don’t need an NPU.
In short, whether you’re looking for a thin-and-light laptop for normal office productivity workloads or everyday computing, or a powerful gaming machine to play the latest games, it’s time to start doing your homework. Just an FYI, we have already reviewed the new Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (see below), and the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16, and we are in the midst of or will be testing new notebooks from Acer, Lenovo, and Razer. So stay tuned!
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 checks all the boxes if you’re shopping for a slim, yet capable gaming laptop. It looks more office-friendly now, but still produces the goods with its Intel Core Ultra processor, and GeForce RTX 4070 graphics. Just don’t get caught playing games at work.
If you’re planning to bring a proper camera on your next holiday, the Sony A6700 is a great option. It’s compact, but packs good specs like a 26MP BSI sensor with Sony's Bionz XR image processing engine. You may have to get used to its button layout, and it only has one SD card slot. Still images and videos look good, too.
While you don’t actually need a water purifier in Singapore because tap water here is perfectly fine, some may want one for the convenience of having hot or cold water instantly. The Bbyeol Lynx offers six temperature settings, and has a compact design. It is also competitively priced compared with other brands.