Plex, well known as a service for streaming movies, music, and TV shows from your own computer, is now adding another thing you can stream: video games (via Protocol). Plex announced the new service, called Plex Arcade, on its blog and also launched a website for it. The service will cost $3 a month if you’re a Plex Pass subscriber, and $5 a month if you’re not.
Instead of focusing on modern console or phone games like its competitors, Plex lets you play Atari games. It’s taking the arcade name seriously, as you can play arcade classics from Atari, like Centipede, Super Breakout, and Missile Command, as well as games from the Atari 2600 and 7800. Overall, there are 27 games available on the service.
Unlike other game subscription services where you can simply sign up from your console and start playing, Plex Arcade has a few requirements. First is a Plex media server running on a Windows or macOS computer. There isn’t Linux support because Plex is using Parsec to stream the gameplay.
This means that you’ll have to sign up for a Parsec account, if you don’t already have one, and log in to it on Plex. There is a bit more freedom when it comes to what you can stream the games to, as Android devices and TVs are supported, as well as Google Chrome and Apple’s iOS and tvOS. Plex says you can play with “just about any Bluetooth-enabled controller.”
The service also supports you adding your own emulators and ROMs, which is nice, but it’s overall a bit of a tough sell. Even at the Plex Pass price of $3 a month, you’re paying a lot for games that, at this point, can basically run on a microwave. To be fair, it does let you run them on something like an iPhone or Apple TV, but the games are readily available on Android and PC.
If you’re interested in playing them for nostalgic purposes, it could be worth a try, but you may want to set aside some time for it — getting it set up was an exercise in frustration for me, and I wasn’t ever actually able to successfully play a game. (The iOS and tvOS clients got stuck at a loading spinner, and keyboard controls didn’t seem to do anything when trying to play on Chrome.)
If you want to try it out for yourself, there’s a free seven-day trial, though you will have to put in a credit card or link your PayPal. Plex says this is mostly a skunk works-type project, saying in the blog post that “[i]f there’s interest and we see some subs, it’ll grow into the glorious pheasant we know it can be. But if you guys drop the ball, it’ll die on the vine like a stomped ass goomba.” Harsh.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17G pushes out solid RTX-30 series performance while offering a mechanical keyboard.
For
300 Hz Screen
Physical Mechanical Keyboard
Against
Not much faster than prior-gen laptops
Slightly dim screen
Slightly low color gamut
Ampere has finally landed on laptops, with Gigabyte’s 2021 refresh of the Aorus 17G in particular representing our first chance to look at how RTX 3080 performs on mobile. This refresh also brings a 300Hz display to an Aorus laptop for the first time, plus sees the return of Aorus’ mobile physical mechanical keyboard. But the GPU still steals the show here, for two particular reasons. The first is to see if mobile Ampere is enough to propel this to our list of the best gaming laptops, and the second is that this represents yet another way to buy the notoriously rare RTX 30-series of GPUs.
Still, transitioning to mobile always comes with its tradeoffs, so the question remains- does the mobile RTX 3080 live up to the reputation set by its full-size cousins, or will PC owners still be left without many ways to get their hands on the best Ampere has to offer?
Specifications
CPU
Intel Core i7-10870H
Graphics
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GDDR6 8GB
Memory
32GB DDR4-2933MHz
Storage
1TB M.2 NVMe SSD
Display
17.3 inch, 1080p, 300Hz, IPS-level
Networking
802.11ax Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0
Ports
3x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A), 1x Thunderbolt 3, 1x UHS-II SD Card Reader, 1x RJ-45 Ethernet, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Mini DP 1.4, 1x 3.5mm Headphone jack, 1x 3.5mm Microphone jack
Camera
720p
Battery
99Wh
Power Adapter
240W
Operating System
Windows 10 Home
Dimensions(WxDxH)
15.9 x 10.8 x 1.0 inches
Weight
5.95 pounds
Price (as configured)
$2,699
Design of Gigabyte Aorus 17G
Image 1 of 9
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 9
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 9
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 4 of 9
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 5 of 9
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 6 of 9
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 7 of 9
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 8 of 9
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 9 of 9
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Like Gigabyte’s other Aorus laptops, the 2021 refresh of the Aorus 17G unabashedly wears its gamer branding on its sleeve, with an angled hinge, copious vents and a full physical mechanical keyboard. It does look a little cluttered upon opening the lid, mostly due to all the stickers advertising this laptop’s new features, like an RTX GPU and 300Hz screen. But removing those stickers reveals a slick look that speaks to its gaming nature while still not coming across as embarrassing.
Take the lid, which has a simple matte black finish that mostly resists fingerprints and is only accentuated by a single logo in the center. And the hinge, while angled, is also pleasingly rounded. The webcam placement is questionable- it’s under the screen- but that affects usefulness more than looks and at least allows for a thin bezel.
Despite looking reasonably restrained for gamer gear, the Aorus is still bulky enough to draw attention. When compared to other high-end gaming laptops, its 15.9 x 10.8 x 1 inch dimensions were only matched by the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17’s 15.7 x 11.53 x 1.02 inch dimensions. The Razer Blade Pro 17, meanwhile, is far more compact at 15.5 x 10.24 x 0.78 inches, while the similarly RTX-equipped, 15-inch Alienware m15 R4 is also smaller at 14.2 x 10.9 x 0.7 ~ 0.8 (depending on model) inches.
Despite its girth, though, the Aorus is slightly lighter than its competition at 5.95 pounds. While by no means lightweight, only the Alienware’s 5.25-pound weigh-in beat it. The Scar 17 and the Blade Pro 17, meanwhile, came in at 6.28 and 6.06 pounds, respectively.
The Aorus’ size also means it has plenty of room for ports. On its left side, you’ll find two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A ports, an SD card reader, an RJ-45 ethernet port and 2 separate 3.5mm audio jacks, one for headphones and one for microphones. That last feature in particular is a nice upgrade from, well, pretty much every other laptop I’ve reviewed. The laptop’s right side, meanwhile, has an additional USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A port, a single Thunderbolt 3 connection, plus connections for both Mini DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1. You’ll also find the DC In here, but there’s no lock slot anywhere on the Aorus.
Gaming Performance of Gigabyte Aorus 17G
What makes the Aorus 17G’s 2021 refresh special is that it’s the first laptop we’re looking at with a mobile RTX 3080 inside. Nvidia Control Center suggested the the laptop is utilizing Max-Q technologies. The Aorus 17G is also packing an Intel Core i7-10870H CPU and 32GB of RAM. So, how does the Aorus compare to both the m15 R4, which has the same CPU and 16GB of RAM, as well as powerful Turing laptops like the Scar 17 (i9-10980H, 2080 Super, 32GB RAM) and the Razer Blade Pro 17 (i7-10875H, 2080 Super Max-Q, 16GB RAM)?
In general? It sat towards the top of our results but didn’t make the RTX 2080 feel obsolete.
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
In Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the Aorus 17G hit an average 65 fps at 1080p on its highest settings, which was slightly behind the m15 R4’s 67 fps average but slightly above the 63 fps average of both the Scar 17 and the Blade Pro 17.
In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, both the Aorus 17G and the Scar 17 had average frame rates of 86 fps, while the m15 R4 was significantly lower at 77 fps and the Blade Pro 17 hit the bottom of the ranking at 75 fps.
Far Cry: New Dawn was fairly close across all contenders save the Blade Pro 17, with the Aorus 17G scoring 92 fps, the Scar 17, hitting 95 fps and the m15 R4 lagging imperceptibly behind at 91 fps. The slowest contender here was the Blade Pro 17, with 87 fps.
I also personally played Control for about a half hour on the Aorus using DirectX12 and High settings. With ray tracing off, I tended to fall between 79 – 84 fps, and with ray tracing on its high preset lowered that to 46 – 55 fps. The computer never felt hot to the touch during this time, nor did the fans get loud. The frame rate was also stable regardless of the amount of action on screen, though I did notice that it tended to load in at 94 – 105 fps before dropping a few minutes into play, I assume as more assets get loaded.
We also ran the Aorus through our typical Metro: Exodus stress test, where we ran the game’s 1080p RTX benchmark on a loop 15 times in a row. This is to simulate a half hour of intense gaming. The laptop scored an average frame rate of 59.6 fps, with a CPU clock speed of 3.47 GHz and a GPU clock speed of 1.19 GHz. The average CPU temperature during this time was 77.32 degrees Celsius (171.18 degrees Fahrenheit) while the average GPU temperature was 75.62 degrees Celsius (168.12 degrees Fahrenheit).
Productivity Performance of Gigabyte Aorus 17G
We’ve seen how the Aorus 17G handles games, but what about the productivity software that gaming laptops so frequently moonlight in? The Intel Core i7-10870H and 32GB of RAM provide a solid amount of power.
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
In Geekbench 5.0, which is a synthetic general productivity benchmark, the Aorus 17G scored 7895 points on multi-core tests and 1,265 on single-core tests. That puts it above both the Razer Blade Pro 17’s 5776/1,179 points and the Alienware m15 R4’s 7642/1,252 points, but behind the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17’s 8708/1,290 points.
In Handbrake, where we track how long it takes laptops to transcode a 4K video down to FHD, the Aorus 17G jumped down to third place, with a time of 8:33. That’s slower than the Scar 17’s 7:06 and the m15 R4’s near-identical 7:07, but still beats the Blade Pro 17’s 9:31.
The Aorus 17G was also in third place in our file transfer test, where we test the rate at which laptops can move 4.97GB of files. The Aorus did so at 845.02 MBps, which was about on par with the Blade Pro 17’s 844 MBps. That’s a far cry from the 1570.76 MBps score from the Scar 17 or even the m15 R4’s 1,055 MBps.
Display of Aorus 17G
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Aside from its GPU, another key innovation for the Aorus 17G is its 300 Hz
IPS
-level display. I tested this screen in two separate ways. First, I watched a trailer for Wandavision (one with color and widescreen, don’t worry), and second, I played Overwatch on it.
In Wandavision, I was impressed by the color quality and even the depth of blacks, but found viewing angles and reflectivity to be a big problem. While vertical viewing angles were almost complete, the screen’s image washed out whenever I strayed more than 45 degrees away from it horizontally. More problematic than this, though, was glare. I had to be certain my screen was pointing away from light, or else my image would reflect back at me even within perfect viewing angles.
In Overwatch, I was in love. While I’m doubtful that refresh rates over 144 Hz can really make one better in a game if they haven’t trained for professional esports, high refresh rates just feel responsive and pleasing to my eyes. I love being able to see as many frames of Overwatch’s gloriously detailed animation as possible, and to feel like my screen is almost instantly reacting to me. That said, I’m not sure I noticed too much of a difference between this display and the 240 Hz display I saw on the last Aorus I reviewed. How well you can distinguish between frame rates, however, tends to be highly personal.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Looking at our benchmarking results, I was surprised to see that the Aorus 17G actually covers less of the DCI-P3 color spectrum than competitors. It tops out at 79% versus the Scar 17’s 88.5% score, the Razer Blade Pro 17’s 84.1% score and the Alienware m15 R4’s whopping 149.5% score (thanks to a slower OLED screen). This is something I didn’t notice much in practice, though while my colors didn’t come across as flat, neither were they especially vivid.
The same pattern applied to brightness. The Aorus 17G had 300 nits of average brightness, while the Scar 17 had 336 nits, the Blade Pro had 304 nits and the m15 R4 had 362 nits. 300 nits of brightness was plenty for my purposes, and was a welcome increase over the unfortunately-dim 243 nits I saw on my last Aorus laptop.
Keyboard and Touchpad of Aorus 17G
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
While not new to the Aorus line, another key way this laptop differentiates itself from the competition is the inclusion of a full physical mechanical keyboard. It’s got a number pad and full-size keys, plus an easy to read Arial font and media controls baked into its Fn row. Full per-key RGB and clicky low profile Omron switches with 2.5mm of key travel and a 1.6mm actuation point make the gaming implications obvious, so I tested this in both general typing and Overwatch.
In general typing, I scored an average word-per-minute count of 65 – 70 on 10fastfingers.com. That’s lower than my usual score range between 75 – 80 wpm, which isn’t what I’d expect from a mechanical keyboard. However, I found that because these keys sit higher than the typical laptop keyboard (despite resting inside a divot into the case), my wrists had to come at them from an awkward angle where I had to manually raise them above where the wrist rest encouraged me to place them. Additionally, the perfectly smooth keycaps leave my fingers without any identifying features to use as landmarks when typing by touch alone.
In Overwatch, by contrast, I found button presses were satisfying and easy to register through touch and audio alone. This made actions like triggering my shift ability feel like second nature, and more importantly, made spamming A/D to stay evasive and help with aiming both easy to perform and easy on my fingers.
The 4.1 x 2.8 precision touchpad, meanwhile, is comfortably smooth without losing the friction needed for precise input and handles multitouch well. It does have a fingerprint reader in the top-left corner, though, rendering it unusable for input.
Audio on the Gigabyte Aorus 17G
The Aorus 17G has two bottom-firing speakers, one on either side, that tend to produce accurate sound but have an issue with volume.
I tested these speakers by listening to Driver’s License by Olivia Rodrigo. The most noticeable issue I had was that the song didn’t become audible until I hit about 30% volume and didn’t get comfortable until about 55 – 60% volume. On max volume, that song was able to fill my whole office, but didn’t hit much of the rest of my 2-bedroom apartment.
Sound quality was full-bodied during the test, with clear voices and bass and no sign of tinniness. However, throughout my whole test, the song also sounded somewhat muffled, as if the laptop was struggling to push it out.
Upgradeability of Gigabyte Aorus 17G
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Being a 17 inch laptop, the 17G has plenty of room for extra storage and memory. It’s a bit of a hassle to open — you’ll need a Torx screwdriver (we used a TR 6 bit) — and a spudger, but upgrading is easy once the case is off. Inside, you’ll have easy access to the two RAM slots and two M.2 SSD slots, plus the networking card. Our configuration came with both RAM slots filled with unsoldered memory, plus one of the SSD slots already taken, but there’s nothing to stop you from substituting your own parts.
Battery Life on Gigabyte Aorus 17G
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Aorus 17G has the type of battery life you’d expect from a high-powered gaming laptop, which is to say “not much.” It clocked in at 4:42 during our battery life test, which continuously streams video, browses the web and runs OpenGL over Wi-Fi tests at 150 nits of brightness. That’s about on par with the Razer Blade Pro 17’s 4:41 hours of battery life and longer than the Alienware m15 R4’s 4:01 battery life, but still falls short of the ROG Strix Scar 17’s 5:25 battery life.
Heat on the Gigabyte Aorus 17G
We tested the Aorus 17G’s heat after 15 minutes of streaming video on YouTube, and found that it stays cool during non-gaming use. Its touchpad was the coolest touchpoint on the laptop at 71.4 degrees Fahrenheit (21.89 degrees Celsius), while the center of the keyboard (between the G&H keys) was slightly hotter at 75.2 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius). The bottom of the laptop generally hit 81.9 degrees Fahrenheit (27.72 degrees Celsius), but the center of the bottom, which is just below the vents, did hit 85.5 degrees Fahrenheit (29.72 degrees Celsius).
Webcam on the Gigabyte Aorus 17G
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Aorus 17G suffers from what we like to call a “nosecam.” Placed below the screen rather than above it, this webcam has the unfortunate tendency to look directly up your nose. The idea here is usually to save bezel space, but we have to wonder if the unflattering angle is worth it? You can rectify it a little by stretching in uncomfortable ways, but if you’re looking directly at your screen, be prepared to show off your nostrils, your chin, pretty much everything a good selfie avoids.
Quality is mixed, with accurate color and decent shadows, but fuzzy texture. On the plus side, the Aorus 17G’s webcam does come with a sliding privacy cover.
Software and Warranty on the Gigabyte Aorus 17G
The Aorus 17G comes gracefully free of bloat, with the only examples we could find being standard Windows pre-installs like Microsoft Solitaire Collection and Spotify. In addition to these, you’ll also find utility apps like Nahimic Companion, Intel Graphics Command Center and Thunderbolt Control Center. These let you adjust and customize your audio and display as well as check what’s attached to your Thunderbolt ports.
Gigabyte Aorus 17G Configurations
The Aorus 17G has two different configurations, one with an RTX 3080, dubbed the Aorus 17G YC and one with an RTX 3070, listed as Aorus 17G XC. We reviewed the 3080 configuration, which is $2,699. Both configurations are otherwise identical, each packing an Intel Core i7-10870H, up to 64GB of DDR4-2933MHz RAM (our unit had 32GB) and 1TB of SSD storage. They also both have the same 17.3 inch 300HZ IPS-level display.
The version we reviewed costs $2,699, while the 3070 version costs $2,099.
Bottom Line
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
I’m of two minds on the 2021 refresh of the Aorus 17G. While I was hoping for a laptop equipped with a mobile RTX 3080 to far outperform its 2080 and 2080 Super cousins, what I instead got was a machine that was largely on par with them in performance. However, the Aorus 17G is also about $1000 cheaper than its competitors, even with the same CPU and memory/SSD loadouts.
That means you can now regularly hit frame rates anywhere from 60 – 90 fps on ultra settings in graphically intensive games for less than $3000 on a laptop.
Which brings us to the display. This is the first Aorus with a 300Hz option, and it’s just as responsive and satisfying as you’d think. The tradeoff here is that the screen is limited to FHD, and while it is IPS-level, its color and brightness don’t quite hit the peaks of its competitors. The 2021 refresh of the Aorus 17G also sees the return of its physical mechanical keyboard, though its featureless keycaps and awkward height leave it a little more useful for gaming than typing.
While I’d love to see an Ampere laptop pushing out significantly more frames than the competition, I have to compare it to what we have benchmarks for right now. And doing that, it’s still plenty enticing. The Aorus 17G gives you similar power to what you may find in a Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 G732 or Razer Blade Pro 17 for almost $1,000 less, plus a 300 Hz screen and a physical mechanical keyboard.
That said, we have recently reviewed another Ampere laptop, the Alienware m15 R4, which comes with a mobile RTX 3070 as opposed to a 3080. The upside here is that the Alienware lets you choose between a 300Hz screen or a 4K OLED, which drops the refresh rate to 60Hz but far eclipses the Aorus on color and brightness. You’ll also gain some performance on Handbrake and file transfer speed, but will generally be weaker on gaming. At $2,499 against the Aorus’ $2,699 (or $2,099 if you go for the RTX 3070 configuration), it’s up to you if those seem like worthwhile tradeoffs.
The Asus TUF Dash F15 is an attractively thin gaming clamshell with an eSports-ready screen. But you can squeeze more frames out of other RTX 30-series laptops.
For
Decent battery life
Fast screen
Successful software-based noise cancelling
Easy upgrades
Against
Frame rates could be better
No webcam
Flat keyboard
Gaming laptops are trying to slim down. This growing trend finds vendors promising power comparable to the best gaming laptops, which often require bulky chassis and cooling to support high-end components, in a PC that’s closer in size to a mainstream notebook.
The Asus TUF Dash F15 ($1,100 to start, available as tested on March 8 for $1,450) is a next-gen example. It offers the latest in Nvidia RTX 30-series mobile graphics and is one of the first machines to use an Intel H35-series chip. The Dash F15 is 20% thinner and 10% lighter than Asus’ usual TUF gaming laptop.
But while the Dash F15 can handle high-end titles, its gaming performance overall feels more like a last-gen Super card than the latest and greatest.
Asus TUF Dash F15 Specs
CPU
Intel Core i7-11370H
Graphics
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 (8GB GDDR6)
Memory
16GB DDR4-3200
Storage
1TB M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe
Display
15.6-inch IPS panel, 1920 x 1080 resolution @, 240 Hz
Networking
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), RJ45 Ethernet, Bluetooth 5.2
Ports
Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C), 3x USB 3.2 Gen1 (Type-A), HDMI 2.0, 3.5mm audio jack
Camera
None
Battery
76 WHr
Power Adapter
200W
Operating System
Windows 10 Pro
Dimensions (WxDxH)
14.17 x 9.92 x 0.78 inches (360 x 252 x 19.9mm)
Weight
4.41 pounds (2kg)
Price (as configured)
$1,450
Design on the Asus TUF Dash F15
Available in moonlight white or a more subtle eclipse gray, the Dash F15 can be striking or muted. Its trim build won’t grab attention on its own, but if you opt for the bolder white or decide to activate the keyboard’s “bolt blue”-colored backlight, you may make a head or two turn.
It’s not the striking visage that many gaming laptops proudly carry but with the large TUF block typography that may or may not have been inspired by Alienware (Asus hasn’t stated) on the lid accompanying the TUF logo, there’s enough to keep this more mature laptop from being a complete snooze. But if you’re looking for more fun, the aqua backlight sure looks special coming out of white keycaps compared to our review unit’s more traditional black ones.
Image 1 of 6
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 6
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 6
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 4 of 6
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 5 of 6
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 6 of 6
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Dash F15 isn’t the only trim gaming laptop on the block. At 4.41 pounds and 14.17 x 9.92 x 0.78 inches, it’s a little lighter and wider than the Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model (4.7 pounds, 14 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches). The Acer Predator Triton 300 is also of a similar build (4.4 pounds, 14.3 x 10 x 0.7 inches), but the Alienware m15 R4, which also holds an RTX 3070 graphics card, is heavier than the Dash F15 (5.25 pounds).
When you open the Dash F15, you’re greeted by a more gamer-friendly font and a darker deck. The deck loves to attract fingerprints and is side-flanked with diagonal line carvings that complement the vents north of the keyboard. Liberties were also taken with the shape of the power button. White WASD keys also add to the gamer aesthetic but can look kind of cheap, as you can see the keys’ cross-armed-like white retainers, especially if you turn the blue backlight on.
You get some offset media controls, including a mute button, which is particularly handy as we do more conference calls from home offices. Less welcome is the button for launching Asus’ Armoury Crate software. I’d much rather have the volume mute button here, alongside the other volume buttons (it’s on the FN row instead). There are also no play or pause functions on the keyboard.
Thankfully, the Dash F15 doesn’t sacrifice ports in its quest for sleek. The left side hosts the port for charging the laptop, along with an Ethernet jack, HDMI 2.0, USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A) and even Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C). The right side carries two more USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports. All the ports are closer to the laptop’s lip, and the charger is shaped like a right angle, so it can be easy for attached cables to get in the way of one another or you.
The Dash F15 isn’t the only trim gaming laptop on the block. At 4.41 pounds and 14.17 x 9.92 x 0.78 inches, it’s a little lighter and wider than the Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model (4.7 pounds, 14 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches). The Acer Predator Triton 300 is also of a similar build (4.4 pounds, 14.3 x 10 x 0.7 inches), but the Alienware m15 R4, which also holds an RTX 3070 graphics card, is heavier than the Dash F15 (5.25 pounds).
Accompanying the travel-friendly form and backing the TUF moniker is military-grade MIL-STD-810H certification for durability. The machine was tested for drops, extreme temperatures, humidity and vibration. Its plastic deck feels a little more solid than the average laptop, especially a budget one, but there’s a little bit of give when pressing the function row buttons. The lid is thin and also has a small amount of flex. The laptop doesn’t open all the way flat, which was a rare nuisance.
Gaming and Graphics on the Asus TUF Dash F15
The Dash F15 we reviewed uses an RTX 3070 (we confirmed that it’s a Max-Q design; however, Asus isn’t using the Max-Q label anymore) mobile graphics card, a member of Nvidia’s newest lineup. With Nvidia’s Dynamic Boost 2.0 AI feature, Asus says the card can clock to over 1,390 MHz (Nvidia specs the card to run from 1,290-1,620 MHz with boost). This is combined with Intel’s latest H35 series processor, a 35W, 4-core/8-thread part based on 11th Gen “Tiger Lake,” rather than the 45W parts we often see in gaming notebooks.
The machine handled Control well on high settings with ray tracing off. The game typically showed frame frame rates in the high 60s to low 70s, going as low as 57 frames per second (fps) and as high as 75 fps. With ray tracing set to high, the average frame rate dropped to the mid to upper 40s. However, it was sometimes down to 33 fps and managed as much as 53 fps.
There’s an obvious hit to frame rate, but ray tracing does provide a noticeable change in graphics in Control, since it uses ray tracing in five ways (on reflections, transparent reflections, diffuse lighting, contact shadows and debris). With ray tracing on, an office wall inside the Oldest House looked very high-end, with a shiny mirrored finish. I could see Jesse’s reflection, as well as that of the light fixture behind her. The wall’s gold paneling reflected a large staircase. But with ray tracing off, I could no longer see the light fixture or my reflection. The wall looked less like a pricey, executive border and instead had a large rectangular area that just looked whiter. The paneling was so washed out it barely looked gold and also lacked reflections.
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Dash F15 and Alienware both rock the midrange card in Nvidia’s latest mobile GPU lineup; however, the pricier Alienware was able to push out much more impressive frame rates with its RTX 3070 in the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark (1920 x 1080 resolution, highest settings). Even the Razer and Acer laptops, which use a last-gen RTX 2080 Super Max-Q and RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, respectively, did better than the Asus, though those are also paired with 10th Gen 45W Intel CPUs.
Our review focus ran the Grand Theft Auto V benchmark (very high) at an average of 87 fps, tying with the Razer and beating the acer (77 fps). But at 108 fps, the Alienware is starkly on top.
The Dash F15 fell to last place when it came to Far Cry New Dawn (ultra), with a 74 fps average. That’s 17 fps slower than the fastest machine in this benchmark, the Alienware. The two last-gen graphics systems were in the mid-80s.
In Red Dead Redemption 2 (medium), the TUF Dash F15 landed a solid second place finish with a 61 fps average. The Alienware beat it by just 8 fps.
The Dash F15 continued to outshine the Razer and Acer laptops on the Borderlands 3 benchmark (badass). The Razer was just 2 fps behind though, and the Alienware, again, took the crown, this time by a notable 16 fps.
To measure ray tracing prowess, we also ran the 3DMark Port Royal benchmark. The Alienware got the highest score (6,411), followed by the Razer (5,048). As a next-gen RTX card, it’s a little disappointing for the Asus to rank third (4,982), albeit a close third. The Acer took last place (3,989).
As a stress test, we ran the Metro Exodus1080p RTX benchmark on a loop 15 times, simulating 30 minutes of gameplay. During this time, the game’s frame rate was very consistent and averaged 51 fps. The RTX 3070 ran at an average clock speed of 1,238.64 MHz and average temperature of 70.8 degrees Celsius (159.44 degrees Fahrenheit). Meanwhile, the CPU averaged 3.66 GHz and 72.19 degrees Celsius (161.94 degrees Fahrenheit).
Productivity Performance on the Asus TUF Dash F15
The Dash F15 stands out as one of the first machines to arrive with an Intel H35-series CPU. Announced in January, these chips were designed specifically for ultraportable laptops and can operate at a TDP between 28W and 35W. Our Dash F15 configuration opts for an Intel Core i7-11370H. It runs at up to 35W, has four CPU cores, eight threads and a clock speed of up to 5.0 GHz. Our review laptop combines that with a 1TB M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe SSD and 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM.
That proved ample for 21 Google Chrome tabs, with one streaming a TV show, Spotify and the Epic Games launcher. The 21st tab caused the fans to kick up for a second, but not so powerfully that the sound overpowered the audio. I could quickly toggle through tabs and programs without delay or interruption to my show. Even tracking through the show was easy, with just a 1-3 second delay.
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
In Geekbench 5.0, the Dash F15 bested the Alienware (same specs as our review focus but with an octa-core i7-10870H), Acer (six-core i7-10750H / 16GB DDR4-2933 / 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD) and Razer (eight-core i7-10875H / 16GB DDR4-2933 / 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD) by a few hundred points. When it came to multi-core productivity, the Dash F15 naturally couldn’t compete with its beefier rivals here. All the competing machines’ CPUs have higher core counts than that of the Dash F15. They also all use older 10th Gen chips, but they’re configured at a higher 45W TDP. If you’re running heavily threaded tasks or games, you can get better performance out of the competitors here.
The Dash F15 fared better against the competition in our file transfer test, moving 25GB of files at a speed of 1,052.03 Mbps. Only the Alienware (1,147 Mbps) was faster. The Razer meanwhile, was at a crawl compared to the other machines here.
In our Handbrake test, each system is tasked with transcoding a video from 4K resolution down to 1080p. The TUF Dash F15 accomplished this in 10 minutes and 41 seconds. That’s 3:34 slower than the winner here, which is, again, the Alienware. The Triton 300 came in third place, completing the task 1:30 faster than the Dash F15.
Display on the Asus TUF Dash F15
Asus opted for a 15.6-inch IPS panel for the Dash F15 and even went the extra mile to include Nvidia G-Sync, a high 240 Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time.
A speedy screen like that has obvious benefits to gaming, especially if you’re playing an eSports title, where it’s easier for your graphics card to near 240 fps. Keep in mind that more graphics-intensive games will be harder to hit high frame rates on.
IPS is known for good color reproduction, and the shades, including the hints of brown cabinets in the darkest shadows or the pale robin’s egg blue of cabinets, came through. Smoky effects with rainbow prisms looked smooth and realistic with hints of purple, blue and red striking through. The area I was playing in is quite dark, however, and in my sunny room I did find myself wanting to nudge up the brightness a smidge.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout didn’t lose its luster on the Dash F15. Subtle shades, like pink in a light purple sky, were apparent, and reds were especially strong. The movie was bright enough head on, but from a side view, I could see reflections on about 80% of the screen.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The TUF Dash F15 is a bit shy of our 300-nit preferred minimum. At 265 nits, it’s in last place here, although the Triton 300 isn’t too far ahead (286 nits). Not surprisingly, the Alienware’s OLED ran away with both the brightness and color tests. The TUF Dash F15’s more equal color competitors are the Razer and Acer machines, and the Asus tied with the Razer with 79% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space, while just barely edging out the Acer.
Keyboard and Touchpad on the Asus TUF Dash F15
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The keyboard on the Dash F15 is a mixed bag. There’s backlighting, but it’s only a teal-ish blue. On the plus side, you can toggle it across three brightness settings or turn it off straight from the keyboard. There’s also an Aura button on the keyboard that toggles through effects, which are all basically flashing blue at different speeds.
The keys have a good amount of travel at 1.7mm, but they’re excruciatingly flat. Typing felt swift and snappy, but it was harder to figure out where my fingers were without any grooves to help them feel grounded in between presses. The travel makes most of the keys comfortable to press, but larger keys, like backspace, enter and shift (interestingly, not the spacebar) felt a little loose and hollow.
On the 10fastfingers.com typing test I averaged 112 words per minute (wpm) with a 93.97% accuracy rate. That’s slightly below my typical 115 wpm average and 98% accuracy rate, and I attribute all that to the flat keys.
Making the keyboard even more home office-friendly, Asus built the keyboard to be quiet and claims that the keys exude less than 30dB of noise. They certainly shouldn’t drum up any complaints. Their gentle clicking is neither silent nor annoying or distracting.
The 4.1 x 2.9-inch touchpad on the Dash F15 is on the smoother side, but doesn’t offer the ice rink-like gliding that some premium competitors offer. Clicks are heavy and clunky, but Windows gestures worked well though.
Audio on the Asus TUF Dash F15
The Dash F15 has two speakers that pump out virtual 7.1 surround sound audio via four cutouts on the laptop’s underside. They’re clear and accurate for gaming, but I wished for a little more volume.
When I played Control, it was sometimes hard to hear voices, such as those chanting in the background or my character’s voice. I also wanted to pump up the volume to better focus on key dialogue providing instructions. Footsteps were also hard to hear, sometimes, especially if the laptop’s fans were whizzing, and the experience wasn’t comparable to the virtual surround sound experience you can get with some of the best gaming headsets. Gunshots, however, sounded crisp and with solid pop.
Again, when I listened to music I want to turn it up about 15% louder for stronger effect. It was loud enough to enjoy but not to blast. Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire” came through accurately and without sounding tinny. But some of the strength and echo in her voice, along with the instruments, didn’t come through, and there was little bass. More electronic sounds, such as those in ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” suffered more. The song’s sound lost warmth and sounded tinny at times. Playing around with the equalizer and presets in the included Realtek Audio Console software didn’t yield significant improvements.
Upgradeability of the Asus TUF Dash F15
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Dash F15’s back covers prys off easily after unscrewing 14 Phillips head screws. Once inside, there’s space for a second PCIe Gen3 x4 SSD. You can also add up to 32GB of RAM, but you’ll have to get past some thermal tape to get to the SO-DIMM slots, as is the case with the Wi-Fi card.
Battery Life on the Asus TUF Dash F15
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Despite its trim build, the Dash F15 packs decent battery life for a gaming laptop. Our battery test surfs the web, runs OpenGL tests and streams video while connected to Wi-Fi and set to 150 nits brightness. The TUF Dash 15 kept up the workload for 6 minutes and 32 seconds, which is 41 minutes longer than the closest competitor, the Triton 300. The Alienware has been a favorite among our benchmarks, but all that power cost it battery life, and it placed last.
The Dash F15 comes with an AC charger, but you can also charge it at up to 100W via USB-C. Sadly, our review unit wasn’t bundled with a USB-C laptop charger. Still, it’s a nice feature to have. If you’re ever in a pickle, it keeps getting more likely that you or someone around you has something that uses a USB-C charger.
Heat on the Asus TUF Dash F15
As you might expect with a slender laptop, this isn’t the coolest machine around, but the Dash F15 still manages to keep warm temperatures relatively at bay. Although, it gets harder not to sweat when you get gaming. When I fired up Control, my right hand controlling my mouse immediately felt warm air blowing out of the side of the laptop, which remained as long as I was playing.
After 15 minutes of watching YouTube, the Dash F15’s hottest point was the center of the underside, where it measured 93 degrees Fahrenheit (33.9 degrees Celsius). The spot between the G and H keys was 90.5 degrees Fahrenheit (32.5 degrees Celsius), while the touchpad was 78 degrees Fahrenheit (25.6 degrees Celsius).
After 15 minutes of gaming, the touchpad was still a cool 78 degrees Fahrenheit, but the spot between the G and H keys jumped up to 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit (38.6 degrees Celsius), and the hottest point reached 117.5 degrees Fahrenheit (47.5 degrees Celsius. For comparison, the Alienware hit 108.7 degrees after YouTubing and 111.4 degrees when gaming.
To keep a 0.78-inch machine cool, Asus implemented its ROG Intelligent Cooling hardware-software solution. The Dash F15 uses 5 copper heat pipes (covering the CPU, GPU, VRAM and VRM) and two 83-blade, liquid crystal polymer fans to pull heat away from the CPU, GPU, VRAM and VRM and disperse it through the machine’s four heatsinks and fan outlets. There’s venting by the WASD keys to let the fan beneath generate airflow. Additionally, Asus upgraded the self-cleaning capabilities over last year’s TUF lineup with 5% more airflow space.
On the software side of the cooling solution, the TUF Dash F15 uses Nvidia’s Dynamic Boost 2.0, which switches power to the CPU or GPU, depending on what needs the most push. There’s also Armoury Crate, which, once downloaded, lets you choose among performance modes, including a “Silent” one that promises a max sound level of 35dB.
Webcam on the Asus TUF Dash F15
There’s no webcam integrated in the slim bezel on the Dash F15’s display. There’s no making up for that, especially with more people taking so many video calls these days, but Asus tries by offering software-based artificial intelligence (AI) to block out background noise on both ends of a call.
That’s right, Asus claims its tech can remove the sound of your noisy keyboard while also silencing your friend’s dog annoyingly barking in the background. Once you activate AI noise cancelling in the Armoury Crate software and switch to the appropriate speaker and mic in your chatting platform, it provides a helpful service.
In a video call with a friend, I was able to silence his TV and banging in the background. And on my end, he could “barely” hear me tapping my pen right next to my laptop on my desk.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Asus claims its software can reduce noise by 95% and eradicate 500 million “types of background noise.” The technology purposely uses the laptop’s CPU instead of its graphics card, so as to not interfere with gaming performance. You can also tweak its settings in Armoury Crate, and Asus provides recommended settings based on the scenario.
Software and Warranty on the Asus TUF Dash F15
Asus kept the Dash F15’s bloatware light. Our review unit came with RealTek Audio Console, McAfee Personal Security, Skype, Your Phone, Xbox Game Bar and Xbox Console Companion, courtesy of Windows 10, but not much else — not even your usual smatterings of Candy Crush Sagas.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Asus does include Armoury Crate, but it’s worth keeping for the AI noise cancelling and, partially, because two of the keyboard’s buttons are useless without it. If you do download the app, you’ll also get access to other perks, the most helpful being the ability to select and tweak different cooling profiles and display presets.
Asus backs the TUF Dash F15 with a 1-year warranty.
Asus TUF Dash F15 Configurations
We tested the middle configuration of the Dash F15 (SKU FX516PR-211.TM15). Available on March 8 for $1,450, it includes an Intel Core i7-11370H CPU, RTX 3070 graphics card, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD and a 240 Hz display.
The cheapest configuration (SKU FX516PM-211.TF15) will be available on February 15 for $1,100. It comes with the same CPU and RAM as our review focus but drops down to an RTX 3060 GPU, a less roomy 512GB SSD and a slower 144 Hz refresh rate.
The most expensive version of the Dash F15 is $1,700 and matches our review configuration, except it bumps up to an Intel Core i7-11375H and RTX 3070.
Bottom Line
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Asus TUF Dash F15 continues the trend of slim gaming laptops and does it justice, but there are inherent limitations to a gaming laptop focused on staying thin.
For one, frame rates might not match what you expect from Nvidia’s next-gen RTX 30-series on thicker machines. The Dash F15 fell behind the Alienware m15 R4 using the same GPU in our gaming benchmarks, and overall, its gaming performance was more similar to an RTX 20-Series Super card. .
At $1,450, our configuration of the Dash F15 seems fairly priced . It performed similarly to the Acer Predator Triton 300, which was $1,600 when it came out with a six-core Intel Core i7-10750H and RTX 2080 Super Max-Q. The aforementioned Alienware, meanwhile, is $2,499 as tested. So the Dash F15 offers good gaming performance for the price; it’s just not much of an upgrade over last-gen machines.
In terms of the new Intel H35-series chip, the Dash F15 excelled with lightly threaded workloads, even compared to pricey rivals. But for workloads requiring more cores, the Dash F15’s 11th Gen quad-core chip can’t keep up with beefier 10th Gen CPUs.
The performance conundrum of a slim gaming laptop is something Asus hasn’t fully solved with the Dash F15. But if you’re after a lightweight laptop with the premium screen and components that can handle high-end gaming with good frame rates for the price, the Dash F15 may be for you.
The Alienware m15 R4 packs plenty of RTX 30-series performance in an attractive design with an amazing screen.
For
Sleek design
Strong performance
Snappy Keyboard
Vibrant optional OLED Screen
Against
Warm temperatures
Relatively short battery life
Nvidia’s RTX 30-series “Ampere” graphics cards have been burning up the desktop market since they launched last fall, and now they’ve come to laptops. Alienware’s m15 R4 is among the first laptops to offer RTX 3070 and 3080 GPUs and has paired them with 10th Gen Intel Comet Lake H CPUs for speedy performance.
But the Alienware m15 R4 ($2,149 to start, $2,499 as configured) is more than just a speedy system with the latest components. Ready to compete with the best gaming laptops, it sports a spaceship-like chassis that’s relatively thin and light, a fantastic tactile keyboard and an optional 4K OLED display that offers epic image quality.
3x USB Type-A Gen 3.2, microSD, Thunderbolt 3, Mini DisplayPort, HDMI 2.1
Camera
1280 x 720
Battery
86 WHr
Power Adapter
240W
Operating System
Windows 10 Home
Dimensions(WxDxH)
14.19 x 10.86 x 0.78 inches (360.43 x 275.84 x 19.81mm)
Weight
5.25 pounds (2.38kg)
Price (as configured)
$2,499
Design of the Alienware m15 R4
Image 1 of 7
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 7
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 7
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 4 of 7
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 5 of 7
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 6 of 7
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 7 of 7
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Available in lunar light (white) or dark side of the moon (black), the Alienware m15 R4 has the same sci-fi-inspired chassis design — Alienware calls it “Legend” design — as its immediate predecessor, the Alienware m15 R3. A sloped front lip and a large rear exhaust with a honeycomb grille and RGB light ring make the m15 look like an alien spaceship. The number 15 adorns the back of the lid in a sci-fi font that looks like it comes straight from a warehouse at Area 51. The space theme continues on the inside, where a honeycombed grilled appears above the keyboard, which matches the color of the deck.
Like other Alienware laptops, the m15 R4 is loaded with RGB. The keyboard comes with either 4-zone or per-key lighting, depending on your configuration, and there are also lights around the rear exhaust and on alien heads on the back of the lid and power button. You can customize all the lights and create your own themes that launch along with your favorite games using the preloaded Alienware Command Center app.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
As befits a laptop of its price and stature, the Alienware m15 R4 is made from premium materials with a magnesium alloy shell and clear coat paint. On the inside, Alienware’s own Cryo-Tech cooling technology uses a CPU vapor chamber, 12-phase graphics voltage regulation and 6-phase CPU voltage regulation to improve performance.
At 14.19 x 10.86 x 0.78 inches (360 x 276 x 20mm) and 4.7- 5.5 pounds ,(depending on your configuration; ours was 5.25 pounds), the Alienware m15 R4 is pretty compact for a 15-inch mobile gaming right with all the trimmings. It’s only a little larger than last years’ Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model (14 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches, 4.7 pounds), which had a last-gen RTX 2080 graphics card, and slimmer than the MSI GE66 Raider (14.1 x 10.5 x 0.8 inches, 5.3 pounds). The 17-inch Gigabyte Aorus 17G YC with its RTX 3080 measures 15.9 x 10.8 x 1.0 inches while weighing 5.95 pounds.
The m15 R4 finds room for plenty of ports. On the right side, you’ll find two USB Type-A Gen 3.2 ports, while on the left live a third USB Type-A port, a 2.5 Gbps Killer Ethernet port and a 3.5mm audio jack. On the back side, there’s HDMI 2.1, a Mini DisplayPort, a Thunderbolt 3 port and Alienware’s proprietary graphics amplifier port.
Gaming Performance on the Alienware m15 R4
One of the first laptops with an RTX 30-series inside, the Alienware m15 R4 is powerful enough to do real 4K gaming with the effects turned up. Our review configuration came with the optional 4K OLED display that’s limited to 60 Hz, but it’s so damn sharp that to some, the spectacle may make up for the refresh rates.
With the RTX 3070 in our unit and its Core i7-10870H Comet Lake H CPU, we were able to play Cyberpunk 2077 at RTX Ultra in 4K, the highest possible settings, and the visuals were impressive (more on that in the display section below). However, we were limited to around 42 frames per second (fps) during action scenes, which is more than playable but a tad below the 60 fps that would max out the display’s capabilities. Turning down the settings to RTX Medium improved the frame rate by a few fps, as did setting DLSS to prioritize performance
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Alienware m15 R4 returned an impressive 108 fps in Grand Theft Auto V at 1080p resolution with very high settings. That rate was surprisingly a little higher than the Gigabyte Aorus 17G YC laptop (100 fps) with its RTX 3080 GPU and the same Core i7-10870H CPU. The Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model (RTX 2070) and MSI GE66 Raider (RTX 2080) were about 10% slower.
When we tested with the very-demanding Red Dead Redemption 2 at 1080p and medium settings, the story was much the same. The m15 R4 managed a strong 68 fps, while the on-paper more powerful Aorus 17G YC was slightly behind (64 fps), followed by the two laptops with older cards.
On Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p, highest settings, the m15 R4 returned an impressive 77 fps, but this time the Aorus 17G YC pulled ahead (86 fps) and the Razer and MSI laptops were just a few fps behind.
The numbers for Far Cry New Dawn, running at 1080p and ultra settings, weren’t the strongest. The m15 R4 managed a buttery smooth 91 fps, which is about on par with the 17G YC’s 92 fps but a little behind the GE66 Raider’s 99 fps. Though the Raider has an older GPU, it has a faster CPU in the Core i9-10980HK.
It’s worth noting that, as you might expect, playing these same four games at 4K dramatically reduced the frame rates to a modest 34 fps for Grand Theft Auto V, 33 fps for Shadow of the Tomb Raider, 56 fps for Far Cry New Dawn and a barely playable 27 fps for Red Dead Redemption 2. To run at higher resolutions, you may want to turn down other settings.
To see how the Alienware m15 R4 and its cooling system perform when you’re playing a demanding game over time, we ran the Metro Exodus benchmark at the RTX preset 15 times, simulating about 30 minutes of gaming. The system averaged 60.2 fps, but performance declined steadily from 63.9 fps at run 1 to 58.9 on the final run. During that time, the GPU clock speed averaged 1.4 GHz, and the CPU clock speed averaged 3.5 GHz. It had average GPU temperature and CPU temperatures of 77 and 88 degrees Celsius, respectively (170.6 degrees Fahrenheit and 190.4 degrees Fahrenheit).
Productivity Performance of Alienware m15 R4
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
With an Intel Core i7-10870H CPU, along with 16GB of RAM, a speedy 1TB NVMe PCIe SSD and RTX 3070 graphics, our configuration of the Alienware m15 R4 was more than capable of productivity work and heavy multitasking. Even with 35 tabs open and a 4K video playing, the laptop didn’t miss a beat. In fact, we were able to set the webGL Aquarium test to show 4,000 fish during this multitasking workload and still got 60 fps.
The Alienware m15 R4 scored a solid multi-core score of 7,642 on Geekbench 5 , a synthetic benchmark that measures overall performance. The Gigabyte Aorus 17G with the same Core i7-10870H scored a bit higher at 7,895.T he Core i9-10980HK-enabled MSI GE66 Raider understandably fared much better with 8,379, and the Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model with its Core i7-10875H was slightly behind the rest at 7,319. When it came to single-core performance, the numbers were much closer with the Alienware dipping behind all three of its competitors by a few points.
The 1TB PCIe M.2 SSD in our review unit delivered a speedy 1,055 MBps on our file transfer test, which copies 4.97 GBps of mixed media files from and to the storage drive. That rate is quicker than all of the Alienware m15 R4’s direct competitors except the GE66 Raider, which hit an impressive 1,696 MBps.
It took just 7 minutes and 7 seconds for the m15 R4 to transcode a 4K video to 1080p using Handbrake. That time is faster than the Aorus 17G (8:33) and Blade 15 Advanced Model (8:04) but a few seconds behind the GE66 Raider (6:59).
Display on Alienware m15 R4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Alienware sells the m15 R4 with two different screen options: a 1080p, 300 Hz screen and a 4K OLED display with vibrant color but a 60 Hz refresh rate. Our review unit came with the OLED screen, and it was just eye-popping to behold. When I watched a 4K nature video, colors, like the red in a parrot’s feathers and the green in a frog’s skin, seemed incredibly vibrant — as colorful as I’ve seen on any laptop screen.
Images were also bright and sharp for gaming. When I played Cyberpunk 2077, the facial lines on character, such as Jackie, were well-defined, and colors, like the reds and pinks of neon lights, were quite vibrant, though they didn’t pop as much as they did in the video. When I fired up Shadow of the Tomb Raider, water rippling in a lake had a very realistic sheen to it, and the green in trees really stood out.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
According to our colorimeter, the screen reproduces an impressive 149.5% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is nearly double that of its competitors without OLED screens, which all covered 79 or 80% of the gamut. OLED screens measure as brighter if only a portion of the pixels are white, so, with a smaller white square, our screen averaged an impressive 461 nits and, with the entire screen white, it was a still-strong 361 nits. Its IPS-based competitors were all stuck at around 300 nits.
Keyboard and TouchPad on Alienware m15 R4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Alienware m15 R4’s tenkeyless keyboard is really snappy and great for typing or gaming. Thanks to its generous 1.7mm of travel, I never bottomed out while hitting a strong 99 words per minute (wpm) on the 10 Fast Fingers typing test with a 2.5% error rate. Both were improvements over my typical 95 wpm and 3-5% error rate.
The keyboard features customizable RGB backlighting and comes in two configuration options: one with 4-zone lighting and another with per-key RGB. Either way, you can customize the colors and enable effects using the included Alienware Command Center software.
The 2.4 x 4.1-inch glass touchpad has just the right amount of friction, providing smooth navigation. Using Windows Precision touchpad drivers, it quickly and accurately responded to all our gestures, from pinch-to-zoom to three-finger swipe.
Audio on Alienware m15 R4
The front-mounted speakers produce music that’s mostly accurate and relatively loud, if not overly smooth. When I played AC/DC’s guitar and drum-heavy “Back in Black” at full volume, I could hear a clear separation of sound with some instruments coming from one side or the other. However, there was just a slight hint of tinniness on the drums.
A Taste of Honey’s bass-centric “Get Down, Boogie Oogie Oogie” sounded perfectly clean, thanks to its lack of harsh percussion. The top volume was loud enough to fill a small room, but I wouldn’t recommend using the Alienware m15 R4 to DJ a party, unless you attach external speakers.
The speakers are definitely good enough for gaming. When I played Cyberpunk 2077, the thumping music in a club scene felt really immersive, and gunshots were loud and clear.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Alienware Command Center software has an audio settings section, which allows you to control the equalizer and contains profiles for a variety of situations, from music to gaming and movie-viewing. I found that the default profile, labeled “Alienware” sounded nearly identical to the Music profile and is probably your best bet overall.
Upgradeability of the Alienware m15 R4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
You can upgrade the storage on the Alienware m15 R4, and the good news is that there are two M.2 2280 slots. To open up the laptop, all I needed to do was to loosen the eight Philip’s head screws on the bottom, two of which come out, and then use a spudger to pry the cover off.
Underneath, there are two M.2 slots under copper heatsinks. If your configuration only comes with one SSD, this means that you have an expansion slot that’s readily available. You just need to remove the heatsink covering the slot, pop it in and you’re good to go. Unfortunately, the RAM is soldered on and can’t be removed.
Battery Life on Alienware m15 R4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
We don’t expect long battery life from a gaming laptop this powerful, but you will get a few hours of endurance on the Alienware m15 R4. The laptop lasted 4 hours and 1 minute on our battery test, which involves continuous surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. The Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model (5:02) and MSI GE66 Raider (4:57) both lasted about an hour longer but have older-generation graphics cards. The Gigabyte Aorus 17G, however, has a more powerful RTX 3080 and lasted 40 minutes longer than the R4.
Heat on Alienware m15 R4
As with many thin gaming laptops, the skin temperature on the Alienware m15 R4 can get uncomfortably warm. We don’t recommend holding this on your lap with shorts on while you’re gaming.
After running the Metro Exodus benchmark for 15 minutes, the keyboard measured a toasty 53.9 degrees Celsius (129 degrees Fahrenheit), and the bottom center hit 51.7 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit). The back bottom was the warmest spot, reaching a full 57.8 degrees Celsius (136 degrees Fahrenheit), while the touchpad was relatively cool at 36.7 degrees Celsius (98 degrees Fahrenheit). The fan was running loud and nearly constantly during this test.
Webcam on Alienware m15 R4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Alienware m15 R4’s 720p resolution webcam captures pictures that were color-accurate but noisy. When I shot a selfie, the red on my hat, shirt and in a set of bins behind me really popped, as did some yellow and blue objects. However, there was a lot of speckling from sunlight coming in through a window.
Like other Alienware laptops, the m15 R4 comes with Tobii eye tracking sensors. The Tobii software comes preloaded, and I found that setting it up was a breeze. It asked me to calibrate it for my eyes. The software then showed a bubble, which moved accurately around the screen to follow my glances.
Software and Warranty on Alienware m15 R4
The Alienware m15 R4’s main piece of first-party software is the Alienware Command Center, which lets you control the RGB lighting, set the power policy, overclock the CPU and GPU (if your CPU allows it) and change the audio profile.
There’s also the Killer Control Center app ,which lets you control the Killer Wi-Fi card that can be set to prioritize gaming internet traffic over other background tasks, such as Windows updates, that might slow down your play. I really like the Wi-Fi analyzer screen on this tool because it showed the relative strength of all the networks in the area, even several of my neighbors’ routers.
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Like every other Windows laptop, the R4 comes with a little bloatware: two free-to-play games, a trial of Microsoft Office, a link to download Photoshop Express and Hulu.
Dell backs the Alienware m15 R4 with a standard 1-year warranty, which you can extend if you pay extra.
Configurations of Alienware m15 R4
Like many other Alienware laptops, Dell sells the m15 R4 with a variety of configuration options. You can get it with a Core i7-10870H or Core i9-10980HK CPU, an RTX 3070 or 3080 GPU, up to 32GB of RAM and up to 4TB of SSD storage in RAID 0. The display comes in either 1080p, 300 Hz or 4K, OLED 60 Hz varieties, and the chassis is either Lunar Light (white) or Dark Side of the Moon (black).
The system starts at $2,149 and comes standard with the Core i7 CPU, RTX 3070 graphics, the 1080p screen, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD.
Our review configuration of the Alienware m15 R4 is $2,499. For that price, you get the laptop with an Intel Core i7-10870H CPU, RTX 3070 GPU, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a 1TB M.2 SSD and the 4K, OLED display panel.
Prices for other configurations were not available at press time.
Bottom Line
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Alienware m15 R4 offers plenty of performance in a sci-fi-styled chassis that’s relatively thin and light for its class. The snappy, deep keyboard feels absolutely fantastic for typing or gaming ,and the optional 4K, OLED panel is one of the most vibrant we’ve seen.
There are some trade-offs here: the laptop skin temperature can get pretty warm, the battery life is mediocre and the 4K display tops out at 60 Hz. On the other hand, getting a AAA game running at 4K and more than 60 fps at high settings can be a challenge, even with RTX 30-series graphics cards. If smooth frame rates are more important than sharp resolution and eye-popping color, the 1080p, 300 Hz panel might be more your speed.
Whatever your display preference, the Alienware m15 R4 is an impressive gaming laptop that’s worth its premium price.
With over 300 million active users worldwide (almost half of which are paying subscribers), Spotify is the world’s largest and most popular music streaming service. But thanks to Spotify Connect – arguably the streaming world’s most important feature – you’re no longer restricted to listening to the catalogue solely through your phone or desktop.
The feature allows you to play the catalogue over wi-fi to any compatible audio product (more on that later) you have in your home – and with just two presses of a button! It’s so simple and convenient that streaming service rival Tidal has now launched its own Tidal Connect feature.
Spotify Connect is a godsend for house parties – so long as you trust your friends with the controls! – but it’s really for anyone who wants to easily access Spotify’s 60-million-song-catalogue and curated playlists on hi-fi and AV kit and smart speakers without the hassle of Bluetooth pairing.
So how does it work? How do you set it up? And what are the perks of Spotify Connect?
Spotify review
33 Spotify tips, tricks and features
What is Spotify Connect?
As we touched upon above, Spotify Connect is a way of playing Spotify through your wireless speaker, soundbar, AV receiver, voice-control smart speaker, or any other compatible device, over wi-fi. That means you can play your favourite tunes anywhere in the house, all without the need for any convoluted Bluetooth pairing between devices every time you want to listen to music. Just note that it’s a Spotify Premium feature, so you won’t be able to benefit from it if you’re a user of Spotify’s free, ad-supported tier.
Best of all, Spotify Connect doesn’t use your smartphone (or tablet or desktop) app to stream music. It plays music directly from its servers to the device, leaving your smartphone free for making calls and all other uses. You only have to use your phone to identify the speaker in the first place and then control music playback.
To ensure the best quality possible, Spotify Connect always streams in 320kbps, which is the highest bitrate Spotify currently offers.
11 of the best Spotify playlists to listen to right now
25 of the best podcasts on Spotify
How does Spotify Connect work? What products support it?
Just like Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect works over wi-fi. It seeks out compatible devices that are connected to the same wi-fi network and links them together to wirelessly to stream music.
To use Spotify Connect, you’ll first need a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer with the Spotify app downloaded on to it. To use Spotify Connect with most devices you’ll also need a Spotify Premium subscription, although some (the PlayStation 4, for example) are happy to work with Spotify Free. Other perks of paying for the Spotify Premium subscription (£9.99, $9.99, AU$11.95 a month) include no ads and being able to pick songs on the mobile app rather than just shuffle.
And then you just need the right product. Chances are you might already have a speaker or amp that supports Spotify Connect: there are heaps of Spotify Connect-enabled products, including smart speakers, music streamers and other hi-fi streaming components, wireless speakers, smart TVs, wearables and car audio systems. You can find the full list of compatible kit here.
Spotify Connect really has become a must-have feature in the AV and particularly audio world, and these days you won’t see many streaming-enabled products without it. In fact, it’s become so ubiquitous it’s usually the first feature you’ll see on a streaming-capable product’s feature list.
Spotify Connect works on one device at a time, unless you’re using a multi-room system such as Sonos, where you can select a group (two rooms or more, set up via Sonos’s app) to stream music to.
Spotify vs Tidal – which is better?
Apple Music vs Spotify – which is better?
How to set up Spotify Connect
Spotify Connect is simple to use. Download the latest version of the Spotify app to your control device – a smartphone, tablet or computer, say – and make sure both it and your chosen product(s) are connected to the same wi-fi network.
On your smartphone, launch Spotify, log into your subscription account, and select a song to start playing. Click the ‘Now Playing’ bar, then the device logo at the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. This will show which of your connected products can play from Spotify. Select a device (the text will go from white to green) and music will start playing on that device. Magic!
If you’re using Spotify Connect to listen to a song on another smartphone or tablet, make sure both devices are logged in to the same Spotify account and simply follow the steps above.
On the desktop app, click the ‘Connect to a device’ button in the bottom-right corner. This brings up the devices menu. Select the one you’d like to use, and it’ll do the rest.
Spotify claims using Connect lets you switch between multiple products “without skipping a beat”. In reality, there’s always a tiny bit of delay when you swap products, but it’s much quicker than having to pair to Bluetooth every time.
Once you’re all set, your smartphone or computer becomes the remote control: select a song or playlist, pause, skip or shuffle through Spotify’s vast catalogue.
Another big advantage of using Spotify Connect (especially on a product that supports it natively), is when you fire up the app or switch between products, it will always adjust the volume automatically for the chosen audio product. Pretty neat.
Best music streaming services 2021
How do you use your smartphone while using Spotify Connect?
You can use it normally without worrying that whatever you’re doing – sending a text, playing a game, watching a YouTube clip – will interrupt the music.
All songs are streamed directly from Spotify’s cloud servers to your Spotify Connect product; your phone acts purely as a controller.
First of all, this means playing Spotify won’t sap your smartphone’s battery – a fine reason to invest in a Premium account. Since you’re only using your smartphone or tablet to control playback, it goes a long way in prolonging the battery life.
Secondly, it means you can wish your mum happy birthday or make that pizza delivery call without having to pause and interrupt your carefully curated playlist.
You can also switch between devices seamlessly. Were you listening to Spotify through your headphones on your way home? Once you’ve walked through the door, simply select your Spotify Connect-compatible stereo system in the app and the song will carry on playing through your speakers without having to pause or restart it. If it’s non-stop music you want, you’ve got it.
Listen to the What Hi-Fi? playlist
Does Spotify Connect work with voice control?
If you use a smart speaker, such as the Amazon Echo, Sonos One or Google Nest Audio, you can use voice commands to play music from Spotify on them.
Add your Spotify account to the list of music streaming services (this can be done in the Alexa or Google Home apps) and make sure you select Spotify as your default music player so you don’t have to specify which service to use at every turn. Then simply say “Alexa, play the new Taylor Swift album” or “OK Google, play the John Wick soundtrack” and your smart speaker will comply.
We can’t see the Apple HomePod and HomePod Mini with Siri voice control supporting Spotify Connect anytime soon, although you can play Spotify through those Apple speakers via AirPlay.
But you might not need to rely on other brands and services to get voice controlled Spotify music: there are reports that Spotify is testing its own in-app “Hey Spotify” voice assistant.
We hope that if and when it does happen, Spotify finally unveils that lossless Hi-Fi tier – we’ve had our fingers crossed for over three years now.
MORE:
Read how Spotify saved the music industry but left some genres behind
Where is Spotify Hi-Fi? And do we still want a lossless Spotify tier?
Best free music apps: get free music on Android and iPhone
If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.
I had hoped that MSI’s GS66 Stealth for 2021 would look and feel a little different than last year’s model — not that the 2020 version was particularly busted in any major way. In fact, the previous model was a few nips and tucks shy of reaching Razer’s high bar for gaming laptop design. But while the outside shell of this year’s model is exactly the same as last year’s, I can live with that because what’s inside is mostly all-new.
The review unit we were sent was kitted out with the current pinnacle of mobile graphics tech: Nvidia’s new RTX 3080 Max-Q graphics chip, with 16GB of video memory (Nvidia also makes an 8GB variant). MSI also added a gorgeous canvas of a display: a 15.6-inch 1440p (QHD) IPS G-Sync screen with a fast 240Hz refresh rate.
The other specs in the review model are good, too, but not necessarily cutting-edge. It has 16GB of RAM, a 1TB NVMe SSD, and the same big, four-cell 99.99Wh battery that was in the previous iteration. It is equipped with an Intel Core i7-10870H processor, which on paper is a slight step down compared to the Core i7-10875H in the previous model I tested, but I didn’t notice a difference in performance.
Everything from games and websites to desktop backgrounds look so crisp in QHD.
Other minor tweaks worthy of mention include a bump up to Wi-Fi 6E compatibility and Bluetooth 5.2. This laptop has an HDMI 2.0 port, so it’s limited to outputting 4K resolution at up to 60 frames per second. Of the things MSI updated in this year’s GS66, the HDMI port should have been a little higher on the list than Wi-Fi 6E. Razer’s new Blade 15 and 17 Pro each feature HDMI 2.1, allowing 4K output with up to 120 frames per second to really take advantage of the hardware while connected to an external monitor.
The refreshed GS66 Stealth lineup with RTX 30-series chips and either a 1080p or 4K display will be shipping in February, but unfortunately, the model with the QHD display won’t be available until sometime in Q2 2021. MSI doesn’t have a price nailed down for the review configuration, either. Given that assessing value is an important part of the review process, we’re reserving a score until the cost is available.
I’ve been testing the flagship configuration of the new GS66 Stealth for a week. General performance outside of gaming felt similarly snappy to last year’s model. A big stack of tabs in Microsoft Edge, alongside Slack and Spotify, didn’t slow this machine down. It didn’t perform nearly as well in our Adobe Premiere Pro export test, though. Tasked with exporting a five-minute, 33-second 4K video, the laptop took six minutes, 30 seconds, compared to the three-minute, 14-second export time that we got with last year’s model. (It wouldn’t be fair not to mention that this configuration has 16GB of RAM versus 32GB in last year’s model, but I plan to retest this once final drivers are released for the GPU.)
Cyberpunk 2077 performed the worst of any recent AAA title I tested, but the numbers are still impressive.
But the real question is: was Nvidia’s latest high-end graphics chip worth the wait — and can it keep up with a QHD display? The short answer is that, like my colleague Tom Warren saw on the desktop version of the RTX 3080, this mobile variant is a big leap over what the last-gen RTX 2080 could provide. Since this is also the first generation of gaming laptops that offer QHD screens, it’s a little hard to compare the two, but there’s no question that games look great.
The RTX 3080 with 16GB of video memory is capable of running some of the most demanding games in QHD well beyond 60 frames per second — with all graphical settings adjusted to max, and with ray tracing and other RTX settings activated, when applicable. That’s an incredible achievement. And if you’re someone who doesn’t always play the latest games as they are released, these specs will afford you even more headroom to power through your backlog, with a fantastic display to enjoy them on to boot. The IPS screen that MSI opted to use is rich with contrast and better viewing angles than I expected, and its G-Sync adaptive sync does a great job of keeping visuals free of artifacts.
I was able to spend time playing Horizon: Zero Dawn, Cyberpunk 2077, Death Stranding, Shadow of the Tomb Raider,and Control, most of which have ray tracing and / or DLSS (deep-learning super sampling) graphical options to take further advantage of this powerful graphics chip. I tested it by running brief snippets of these games at 1440p and 1080p in order to see the gains from playing games at a slightly less demanding resolution.
MSI GS66 Stealth with RTX 3080 (16GB) performance
Benchmark (set to highest possible settings)
Average results running at 1440p
Average results running at 1080p
Benchmark (set to highest possible settings)
Average results running at 1440p
Average results running at 1080p
Horizon: Zero Dawn
76fps
88fps
Red Dead Redemption 2
58fps
72fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (RT shadows and DLSS on)
62fps
78fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (RT and DLSS on quality mode)
40fps
56fps
Death Stranding (DLSS on)
100fps
130fps
Control (RT and DLSS on)
56fps
80fps
Since Cyberpunk 2077, Death Stranding,and Control don’t ship with built-in benchmarking tests, I simply ran around a variety of locales to stress-test the hardware (the other games have scripted methods for gathering performance metrics). As someone who’s used to playing games on a 1080p display, I was impressed to see such graphically intensive games run this fluidly, especially at a higher native resolution. (If you’re a gamer who wouldn’t be totally happy with some of the numbers above, you could probably improve the frame rate by knocking down a few graphical settings.)
As I mentioned up top, the design of the 2021 GS66 Stealth is note-for-note the same as last year’s model. The overall look is stellar, though, and I wish every gaming laptop had a trackpad this generously large. It has backlit keys that can be programmed to dazzle with RGB splendor through SteelSeries software, but that’s really the only element that reveals this is a gaming laptop.
Well, aside from the very loud fans. I noted that last year’s model was relatively quiet, even under pressure. I’ve heard laptops louder than this new RTX 3080 version, but the decibel level went high enough so that at times I felt I needed headphones to hear all of the in-game details. Of course, that differed depending on the game. Cyberpunk 2077 made this laptop whir the loudest of the games I tested, while Control actually ran fairly quietly by comparison.
This QHD screen is pin-sharp, but importantly, it’s really vibrant, and the viewing angles are generous.
I found other flaws with the design. The keyboard layout is still crowded, with the important function key placed awkwardly next to the control key, making it cumbersome to do simple tasks like adjust the volume and brightness. Also, the bottom of the laptop chassis still flexes in a slightly worrying way. I don’t think it’s liable to break under normal use, but for a pricey machine like this, the design doesn’t inspire confidence.
Nvidia says that QHD-equipped laptops featuring RTX 30-series graphics chips will begin launching today, with systems from Razer, Asus, and Eluktronics launching first. For example, Razer’s Blade 15 with a 165Hz QHD screen and the RTX 3070 will price out at $2,199.99. We haven’t gotten our hands on it yet, but we expect to find similar performance in models with similar specs. However, since not all QHD panels are created equally, it will be interesting to see how the others compare to the excellent display in MSI’s review unit.
I couldn’t stop holding my eyeballs this close to the screen.
If you’re looking to buy one of MSI’s non-QHD models today, there is a number of options. You can get a system equipped with a less powerful RTX 3060 chip starting at $1,799.99, one with the RTX 3070 for $2,399.99, or with the new RTX 3080 chip starting at $2,699.99. The specs start with a 1080p IPS display with a 240Hz or 300Hz refresh rate. MSI’s product landing page indicates that it will be possible to upgrade to a 4K 60Hz IPS display.
Meanwhile, if you’re curious about how the RTX 3070 is shaping up while running alongside an FHD display, my colleague Monica Chin has our review of the MSI GP66 Leopard. We’ll have a lot more coverage of laptops built with the latest RTX graphics chip in the coming weeks and months.
But the TL;DR is that the RTX 3080, working in tandem with the QHD display and everything else that this GS66 Stealth is packing, has fantastic graphics performance, reaffirming that a display like this really is worth spending extra for (if you can swing it). The sharpness of the 1440p display makes pictures and text more enjoyable and pleasant to look at — both in-game and with everyday tasks.
Apple is adding celebrity-guided walking workouts to Fitness Plus today, with new walks to be added every Monday through the end of April. The new feature, called “Time to Walk,” pairs music and inspirational monologues from famous musicians, athletes, and actors with the exercise tracking that Apple Watch and Fitness Plus are known for.
Today’s launch includes walks with Shawn Mendes, Dolly Parton, Draymond Green, and Uzo Aduba. Apple says each Time to Walk episode features “personal, life shaping moments” from each influential person’s life and career, along with lessons, memories, and moments of levity. The celebrities will also introduce a playlist of songs after their talk to keep the motivation going for the rest of your walk and beyond. Also interesting to note, Apple says each episode was recorded as the celebrity guests walked in a place that was personally meaningful to them.
An example of the kind of photos that can appear during a Time to Walk workout.Image: Apple
On the technical side of things, Time to Walk episodes will be automatically downloaded to Fitness Plus subscribers’ Apple Watches and will play over Bluetooth headphones. Walkers will have access to the usual exercise metrics like time, pace, heart rate, and distance, and Apple says Time to Walk will display photos on your Apple Watch timed to moments in each guest’s story. Time to Walk is called Time to Push for wheelchair users, and it relies on watchOS’s wheelchair workout tracking to provide fitness information.
In terms of subject matter and tone, Time to Walk episodes sound like they’re more in the TED Talk school of inspirational audio than something you might hear on a laidback podcast, but for fans of each star or influential guest, they might be worth a listen and stroll.
(Pocket-lint) – The Nintendo Switch continues to amaze us years after its launch – it’s a console and a portable all in one, and already has a library that contains some of the very best games ever made.
Top Nintendo Switch games: Best Switch games every gamer must own
We love it, basically, and that goes for the excellent Switch Lite, too. That said, the speakers one the little consoles are more than a little underwhelming for more dramatic moments in games, so pairing your Switch with a headset is a no-brainer. The voice chat situation is a little complicated with Nintendo, so you’ll have to check which games will let you chat, but these options will all sound great as a minimum.
Our guide to the best Nintendo Switch headsets to buy today
Pocket-lint
Steelseries Arctis 1 Wireless for Xbox
squirrel_widget_261758
The name might be confusing, but trust us, this works perfectly with the Switch using its included USB-C dongle. The fact that it’ll also work with Xboxes makes it one of the most widely-compatible headsets out there.
It’s also reasonably priced and sounds really great, bringing your games to life, and the removable mic is great for saving on space when not in use. Build quality is solid and it’s really light and comfortable, making for an exceptional all-round bundle.
Pocket-lint
EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid
squirrel_widget_3884191
EPOS has hit it out of the park with its first true wireless gaming earbuds, and they’re a perfect fit for the Switch. An included dongle gets you low-latency connectivity for superb lag-free sound that’s rich and bassy.
It’s dead easy to connect and they’re really comfortable to wear for long sessions. Plus, a charging case helps them to about 20 hours of battery life, while you can also use them as great everyday earbuds with your phone when you’re not on the Switch.
The only drawback is that they won’t work with in-game chat, as the microphone only works via Bluetooth, which the Switch isn’t packing at the moment.
Pocket-lint
Logitech Pro X
squirrel_widget_184150
If you’re not fussed about playing wirelessly, there are countless options to consider which use the Switch’s 3.5mm audio port.
One of our favourites is the premium-feeling Logitech Pro X, which has a mid-range price but sounds simply wonderful. With huge soft cushions making for an excellent fit and super-impressive sound range, they’re some of the best headphones for any gamer, and work beautifully with the Switch.
Pocket-lint
Razer Kraken X
squirrel_widget_239773
Opening up the field to wired options also means that you can find some much more affordable options, though, and we’re particularly impressed by the Razer Kraken X, which sounds really great and doesn’t break the bank.
Its design is understated by Razer’s standards, and the fit and feel are both really solid, making for an overall package that is well worth considering.
Pocket-lint
Fnatic React
squirrel_widget_187793
Fnatic’s headset has been a firm favourite of ours for a few years now, which is testament to its quality. This is a really well-made pair of headphones, with a very sensible price to match.
Most importantly, they sound excellent, too, making for a really solid proposition overall, and placed in the middle of the prices offered by the Logitech Pro X and Razer Kraken X.
Writing by Max Freeman-Mills. Editing by Dan Grabham.
8BitDo is best known for its affordable retro controllers, but its latest product is quite a bit more ambitious. It’s a wireless arcade stick for the Nintendo Switch and PCs, simply called the 8BitDo Arcade Stick, and at $89.99 it’s now the most expensive controller in the company’s lineup.
Arcade sticks can be pretty pricey, though. Hori sells a $199.99 PlayStation-licensed PS4 model, for example, so 8BitDo is still at the more accessible end of the market if you do want an arcade stick. And if you do want one for the PC or Switch, I think this one is actually a great place to start.
8BitDo’s stick is specifically designed for the Switch and PC (via XInput), and it manages to feel native to both platforms thanks to a neat little trick: the button labels are red LEDs that switch on and off depending on where you’re playing. Turn the knob at the top left of the stick and the labels you don’t need will disappear. It looks cool and makes the stick easier to use, which makes it a pretty inspired decision in my book.
The stick’s visual design otherwise comes off like the offspring of a NES Advantage controller and a Teenage Engineering OP-1 synthesizer, with its gray, red, and black color scheme offset by round colored buttons in the corner. It’s quite small, as arcade sticks go, but it feels hefty and well-built. And while the compact size and wireless connectivity make it easy to pack away, the design is sleek enough that it could happily sit on a coffee table for a while. (At least it could on mine.)
There are three ways to connect the stick: a 2.4GHz USB dongle, Bluetooth, and a USB-C cable. The dongle can be stored in a door at the back of the stick, which is a helpful touch. Hardcore fighting game enthusiasts wouldn’t dream of using a wireless stick in competition, so the wired functionality is very welcome, but I found wireless performance to be fine for casual play. Battery life is good in wireless modes, too — 8BitDo says you should get 40 hours with the dongle and 30 hours with Bluetooth, and I haven’t needed to recharge the stick since unboxing it.
In terms of feel, 8BitDo’s stick isn’t quite up there with the most high-end options, as you’d expect for the price, but it’s still very playable. The micro-switched stick is reassuringly clicky and the buttons feel solid, plus you have the ability to swap them out if you feel like diving into the rabbit hole of stick customization. My one complaint is that I’m used to bigger sticks and tend to grip from the side, so I sometimes found my (admittedly big) left hand “slouching” on the edge of the boxy chassis, which wasn’t too comfortable. But it did at least encourage me to improve my “broomstick” grip technique.
I used the stick to play various arcade-style games, mostly fighting games like Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike and Garou: Mark of the Wolves, as well as some scrolling shooters like Ikaruga. Did it make me any better at any of these games? Well, no, but I had more fun playing them than I would with a controller. While arcade sticks aren’t for everyone, there are some types of games that I’ll always prefer to use one with, and 8BitDo’s Arcade Stick is up to the task.
I really like the 8BitDo Arcade Stick, and I think it’d be a great product for most people looking for a stick for their Switch or PC. It’s relatively affordable but has a uniquely stylish design and user-friendly feature set, making it an easy way to get started in the world of arcade sticks.
8BitDo is best known for its affordable retro controllers, but its latest product is quite a bit more ambitious. It’s a wireless arcade stick for the Nintendo Switch and PCs, simply called the 8BitDo Arcade Stick, and at $89.99 it’s now the most expensive controller in the company’s lineup.
Arcade sticks can be pretty pricey, though. Hori sells a $199.99 PlayStation-licensed PS4 model, for example, so 8BitDo is still at the more accessible end of the market if you do want an arcade stick. And if you do want one for the PC or Switch, I think this one is actually a great place to start.
8BitDo’s stick is specifically designed for the Switch and PC (via XInput), and it manages to feel native to both platforms thanks to a neat little trick: the button labels are red LEDs that switch on and off depending on where you’re playing. Turn the knob at the top left of the stick and the labels you don’t need will disappear. It looks cool and makes the stick easier to use, which makes it a pretty inspired decision in my book.
The stick’s visual design otherwise comes off like the offspring of a NES Advantage controller and a Teenage Engineering OP-1 synthesizer, with its gray, red, and black color scheme offset by round colored buttons in the corner. It’s quite small, as arcade sticks go, but it feels hefty and well-built. And while the compact size and wireless connectivity make it easy to pack away, the design is sleek enough that it could happily sit on a coffee table for a while. (At least it could on mine.)
There are three ways to connect the stick: a 2.4GHz USB dongle, Bluetooth, and a USB-C cable. The dongle can be stored in a door at the back of the stick, which is a helpful touch. Hardcore fighting game enthusiasts wouldn’t dream of using a wireless stick in competition, so the wired functionality is very welcome, but I found wireless performance to be fine for casual play. Battery life is good in wireless modes, too — 8BitDo says you should get 40 hours with the dongle and 30 hours with Bluetooth, and I haven’t needed to recharge the stick since unboxing it.
In terms of feel, 8BitDo’s stick isn’t quite up there with the most high-end options, as you’d expect for the price, but it’s still very playable. The micro-switched stick is reassuringly clicky and the buttons feel solid, plus you have the ability to swap them out if you feel like diving into the rabbit hole of stick customization. My one complaint is that I’m used to bigger sticks and tend to grip from the side, so I sometimes found my (admittedly big) left hand “slouching” on the edge of the boxy chassis, which wasn’t too comfortable. But it did at least encourage me to improve my “broomstick” grip technique.
I used the stick to play various arcade-style games, mostly fighting games like Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike and Garou: Mark of the Wolves, as well as some scrolling shooters like Ikaruga. Did it make me any better at any of these games? Well, no, but I had more fun playing them than I would with a controller. While arcade sticks aren’t for everyone, there are some types of games that I’ll always prefer to use one with, and 8BitDo’s Arcade Stick is up to the task.
I really like the 8BitDo Arcade Stick, and I think it’d be a great product for most people looking for a stick for their Switch or PC. It’s relatively affordable but has a uniquely stylish design and user-friendly feature set, making it an easy way to get started in the world of arcade sticks.
If you’re looking for a versatile DAC and headphone amplifier to handle your assorted hi-res music library, Cambridge Audio may have just what you need. The British audio brand has just launched its latest flagship model, the DacMagic 200M.
Successor to the previous generation DacMagic Plus, the DacMagic 200M is the first product from the company to natively support MQA technology, meaning it can decode and play downloaded MQA files, in addition to Tidal Masters (which are based on the tech). That’s alongside native support for 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512 files too.
(Image credit: Cambridge Audio)
Twin coaxial (up to 24-bit/192kHz) and optical (up to 24-bit/96kHz) inputs allow you to feed a number of digital sources through the DacMagic 200M, including CD players, games consoles and Blu-ray players. There’s also a USB type-B socket (32-bit/768kHz, DSD512) for hooking up a laptop, plus balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA analogue connections.
Last but not least for those who’d like to easily and conveniently stream files from their device over wireless means, the DacMagic 200M now has built-in aptX Bluetooth.
As for its DAC architecture, the new top-of-the-line DacMagic utilises dual ESS Sabre DACs in a mono configuration, meaning one chip handles the right channel while the other handles the left. Three pre-set filters (Fast, Slow and Short Delay) offer a level of sonic personalisation and help to reduce noise generated by the digital-to- analogue conversion process, too.
As you can see below, filter and source selection as well as file type and size are indicated by the series of LEDs on the front panel.
(Image credit: Cambridge Audio)
The headphone Class A/B amplification, meanwhile, drives a front-panel 6.3mm socket that, thanks to a reduction in impedance output, promises more power and less distortion than the one in the previous design.
The versatile Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M is available now, priced £449 ($499).
MORE:
Best DACs 2021: USB, portable and desktop DACs
Focal Arche review: French speaker/headphone brand has a crack at DACs
(Pocket-lint) – The Philips Hue smart lighting system has grown dramatically in the last few years, in both popularity and the number of available products, further cementing its place at the top of the smart lighting pile.
It’s now pretty safe to say that Philips’ range of connected LED lighting has an option to fit just about every socket you could possibly think of.
Best smart plugs: Google, Alexa and Apple HomeKit control
That’s why we’ve put together a quick, handy list of the current Philips Hue bulb line-up to give you an idea of how you can add colour and ambiance into your life.
Bear in mind that we haven’t included the other Hue products and controllers from Philips, just the bulbs themselves.
Pocket-lint
What is Philips Hue?
Philips Hue is a lighting system that works in conjunction with iOS and Android applications and smart home hubs in order to change colour or white levels depending on your mood. It can also be linked to other Internet of Things devices to switch on, off or change the lighting style through your home network.
It works in conjunction with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Nest, Samsung SmartThings and many other smart home devices. You do not need any of them to use Philips Hue lighting though – all new Philips bulbs now come with Bluetooth on board, meaning you can control them from your phone when in range.
There are multiple bulbs and lighting products in the range, and they come into their full potential when linked to your network through a Philips Hue Bridge – a small, connected hub that is wired to your router and controls the lights wirelessly. This is often found as part of a starter kit.
You can also control Hue bulbs directly with a Zigbee controller, such as the Amazon Echo Plus.
There are different styles of bulbs, most of which fit into two lighting categories: white and colour ambiance, which can display millions of colours, and white ambiance, which can be set to a wide selection of warm or cool white lighting options. Now there are also great filament options, too.
If you’re looking for outdoor lighting, there are some Philips Hue lights that work in your garden, but we’ve concentrated on indoor options here.
What Philips Hue bulbs are available?
There are bulbs in the range for all manner of fittings and styles, that offer white ambiance or white and colour ambiance. Here is the range that you can get at present.
Remember, you will need the Philips Bridge to exert full control over these bulbs, although Bluetooth control will still give you a good taste for what they’re capable of.
Philips claims all its bulbs will last up to 25,000 hours each – around eight-and-a-half years if you have the bulb switched on eight hours a day every day of the year.
Philips
Philips Hue white ambiance E14 Candle
squirrel_widget_172728
One of Philip’s newer Hue bulbs, this candle comes with an E14 screw fitting and has a 6W LED output that is equivalent to 40W. The candle form factor is otherwise known as B39.
It is capable of more than 50,000 shades of white, from warm to cool white.
Philips Hue white and colour ambiance E14 Candle
squirrel_widget_172729
Also with an E14 screw fitting and B39 form factor, the colour version of the Candle has an LED power output of 6.5W. It has the same lumen output though, of 470lm at 4000K.
It is also capable of more than 50,000 shades of white, but adds 16 million colours to the mix.
Philips
Philips Hue white extension bulb A19/E27
squirrel_widget_172881
The most commonly used bulb in many households, this A19/E27 screw fitting light has a power output of 9.5W and A60 form factor.
Its light output is 806lm and is smart but doesn’t change colour or white tone. That means it will stay the same colour temperature of 2,700K (warm white), but can be dimmed and switched on and off remotely.
Philips
Philips Hue white ambiance extension bulb A19/E27
squirrel_widget_172730
Similar to the above but with a flatter form factor, the white ambiance version with A19/E17 screw fitting has a 10W power output. Its brightness is up to 800 lumens at 4000K.
It is capable of more than 50,000 shades of white and is dimmable via Hue compatible devices down to one per cent.
Philips
Philips Hue white and colour ambiance extension bulb A19/E27
squirrel_widget_172731
The exact same form factor as the white ambiance version, this A19/E27 screw fitting bulb is capable of slightly brighter output, at up to 806 lumens at 4000K. It is a 10W LED bulb.
It has all shades of white plus 16 million colours. A newer version was released in recent times, with a richer colour palette.
If you have an older Hue system you might find some of the colours do not match the first generation bulbs.
Philips
Philips Hue white ambiance extension bulb B22
squirrel_widget_172732
Commonly known as a bayonet fitting, this white only bulb is the same as the A19/E7 version although it is slightly brighter, capable of up to 806 lumens at 4000K.
It can be set at more than 50,000 shades of white.
Philips
Philips Hue white and colour ambiance extension bulb B22
squirrel_widget_172733
Again, similar to the A19/E17 version of the colour bulb above, the B22 comes with the bayonet fitting instead. It only goes up to 600 lumens at 4000K in brightness however.
It offers all shades of white and 16 million colours.
It is also a “richer colour” bulb so might not match older models.
Philips
Philips Hue white ambiance extension bulb GU10
squirrel_widget_172854
Designed for spot lights the GU10 form factor has two locking pins and generally sits recessed into a ceiling or spot lamp. This bulb has 5.5W of maximum power output and a brightness of up to 300 lumens at 4000K.
It too offers more than 50,000 shades of white, from warm to cold colour temperatures. And it can be dimmed through Hue compatible devices down to one per cent.
Philips
Philips Hue white and colour ambiance extension bulb GU10
squirrel_widget_172734
The exact same form factor as the GU10 above, but with 6.5W of maximum output power. It has less brightness though, at up to 250 lumens at 4000K.
It adds 16 million colours to the numerous shades of white that can be achieved.
Philips Hue Lightstrips
Many people wanting to add a little colour lighting to their home will be looking at Lightstrips. This is a strip of LED lighting that works with the Hue system (so it’s also Alexa and Google Home compatible), but there are two different versions of Lightstrips, the original and Plus. Both are white and colour and both can be cut to length, but the Plus can also be extended, making it much more flexible, the original is less widely available, but be sure you’re buying the right version.
Philips
Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus
squirrel_widget_172735
The Hue Lightstrip is designed to add mood lighting to your room, with an adhesive back so it can be stuck under worktops or furniture, or behind your TV, to provide warm or cool white light and up to 16 million colours.
It comes at a length of 2m, but with Lightstrip Plus, you add extension cables, or extend the run of LED lights themselves, so it’s very flexible.
Philips Hue Filament Bulbs
Amazon
Philips Hue white filament bulb A19/E27
squirrel_widget_172736
One of Phililps’ latest additions to the Hue range is its new filament bulb offering. These bulbs have a beautiful retro feel to them, shining at what looks like a lower wattage to give you a bit of hipster chic.
They’re a great decorative option and really lend character to a room or environment.
Amazon
Philips Hue white filament bulb B22
squirrel_widget_172737
If you need a different fitting, the filament bulbs can also be bought with B22 bayonet cap. Because of the filament design, though, don’t expect any colour control. You’re sacrificing that power by choosing this stylish sort of bulb.
What Philips Hue starter kits are available?
As we say above, you will need a Philips Hue Bridge to connected your Hue bulbs to a home network. These often come as part of a starter kit with two or three bulbs included.
Here are the starter kits we recommend if you don’t already have Philips Hue lighting in your home.
Philips
Philips Hue white starter kit A19/E27
squirrel_widget_130127
This comes with the Philips Bridge 2.0 and two 9.5W white bulbs with A19/E27 screw fittings as detailed above. They have a fixed white colour but it is the cheapest way to get into Philips Hue.
Philips
Philips Hue white ambiance starter kit A19/E27
squirrel_widget_172738
This contains the Philips Hue Bridge 2.0, two A19/E27 white ambiance bulbs capable of more than 50,000 shades of white and a wireless dimming switch.
Philips
Philips Hue white and colour ambiance starter kit A19/E27
squirrel_widget_172739
In this pack you get the Philips Hue Bridge 2.0 and three A19/E27 white and colour ambiance bulbs capable of 16 million colours. They are the richer colour variants.
Philips
Philips Hue white and colour ambiance starter kit B22
squirrel_widget_172740
Essentially exactly the same as the kit above, except you get three B22 bayonet fitting versions of the bulbs with the Philips Hue Bridge 2.0.
Philips
Philips Hue white and colour ambiance starter kit GU10
squirrel_widget_172741
Another kit that offers three of the multicolour connected bulbs, except in the spot light GU10 form factor. You also get the Philips Bridge 2.0 hub with this set.
(Pocket-lint) – There’s nothing wrong with a trackpad, per se, but let’s be honest – even if they’re getting better every year, there’s still nothing quite like using an actual mouse for your computer, in terms of precision and control, especially if you work from home.
Best keyboards: Our pick of the top PC and Mac keyboards
If you’re finally tired of living that trackpad life, then, you might be on the lookout for a new mouse that doesn’t necessarily assume you’re a hardcore gamer whose biggest priority is stacks of function keys and flashing lights. In fact, most of us just want something compact we can use on the move or something accurate but simple for use at a desk.
We’ve taken a detailed look at the market and here’s our roundup of mice to help you consider what mouse is perfect for you.
Looking for a gaming mouse? Check out our guide to the best gaming mouse instead
Our pick of the best mice around to buy today
Logitech
Logitech MX Master 3
squirrel_widget_176805
Logitech only released the MX Master 3 recently, but it’s quickly rocketed up to the top of our list — this is an absolutely superb mouse used by at least two of the Pocket-lint team. It’s weighty in the right way, while still retaining a gliding feeling of control that’s hard to beat.
It’s also wireless, which isn’t completely essential, as this list will demonstrate, but does help with the feeling that you can use it in whatever way you like. The ergonomic design is easy to hold, the clicks of its buttons are satisfying but easily done; it’s the whole package. The only hesitation is that it won’t work for left-handers, an all-too common malaise in the world of the computer mouse.
You can use it with Logitech’s Unifying USB receiver or with Bluetooth.
Pocket-lint
Logitech MX Anywhere 3
squirrel_widget_2680539
If you want a more compact mouse that still has a lot of the brilliant touches that make the MX Master 3 so good, the Anywhere 3 could be perfect. It’s great for smaller hands or a workplace that moves around a lot.
You also get superb ergonomics, great clicking and an uneatably good scroll-wheel, just like on the larger version. It’s available in a few colours to suit your taste, and battery life is stellar too, rechargable by USB-C.
Pocket-lint
Logitech G203 Lightsync
squirrel_widget_239965
It won’t be the last on this list, but while the G203 Lightsync might be branded as a gaming mouse, we think it’s subtle enough and usable enough to believe that tag.
The fact that it’s wired keeps the price really low for this device, and the performance you get from it is hard to argue with. It’s lightweight and glides nicely, and has six buttons that you can reprogram if needed, for example, to open your most-used applications. Although it does have some LED lighting that is a little “gamery”, it’s pretty subtle and can be controlled to suit your taste, and the white version we’ve been using is particularly handsome.
Microsoft
Microsoft Intellimouse Pro
squirrel_widget_176815
That’s right, your eyes don’t deceive you. Chances are you remember the above design from somewhere, whether it’s a school IT lab, an office, or a front desk. Well, wherever that place was, their bosses haven’t scrimped on equipment, because despite its austere looks, the Intellimouse is a seriously great mouse.
With a subtle but effective ergonomic curve, and no unnecessary bells and whistles, there’s a reason why Microsoft’s mouse design hasn’t changed much down the years.
Pocket-lint
Logitech Pebble
squirrel_widget_239966
If you’re working remotely, or if you have a working commute — or even if you just take the odd work trip, you’ll know the value of portability. Logitech, which you might be noticing as a bit of a repeat feature on this list, has a great option for those who want a more diminutive, easily transported mouse.
The Pebble is nice and tiny, but still really comfortable to use, and has Bluetooth for easy pairing. It’s got a great clicking action for such a small mouse, and is really silent, which we have a lot of time for. If you’re in the need for a mouse that travels, Logitech has got you covered here, and at a really impressive price, too.
Anker
Anker Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse
squirrel_widget_176817
If you’ve ever worked in a sizeable office environment, you’ve probably glimpsed something like the image above in the far-off distance – there’s always someone in each company who’s discovered the benefit of a vertical mouse.
Anker’s got one of the best in the business, for an extremely reasonable price, if you’re interested in trying out a new orientation in life, and getting your hand relaxed. Some people find that the difference is night and day, and that any discomfort they had eases away instantly, so if you’re not getting on with a traditional mouse, this could be the answer.
Razer
Razer DeathAdder Essential
squirrel_widget_176850
We know that we opened this list with a promise to steer clear of putting a pure gaming mouse on it, but the simple fact is that the DeathAdder, from gaming experts Razer, is a genuine classic of the mouse world. It’s been around for years now, with only slight refinements, and that’s because it’s super comfortable, and reliable.
If it’s good enough for gamers to use for hours on end, it might just suit for your work, and if you drop into a game of Modern Warfare at lunch you might just have an advantage. Also, importantly, it’s a low-key mouse that doesn’t cram loads of extra buttons in. Instead, it concentrates on working well and staying comfortable.
Looking to upgrade your home working environment? You could do a lot worse than a pair of Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 BT powered speakers. Updates on the company’s ProMedia 2.1, now with Bluetooth for wireless playback from a phone, tablet or laptop, they promise to blast our your background music or Zoom calls much better than your computer’s speakers will.
Each satellite speaker in the pair, which would nicely flank a computer or laptop, houses an 8cm Klipsch MicroTractrix horn mid-bass driver directly below the 19mm PEI (polyethermide) tweeter – an arrangement Klipsch claims produces sweet treble and a natural midrange from a small footprint. They’re joined by a separate 17cm side-firing, ported subwoofer that can be tucked out of the way. Together, they kick out 200 watts of power – not bad for desktop computer speakers of their size.
The Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 BT speakers are available in the UK now, priced £279.
MORE:
These are the best speakers around
Upgrading your home office? Check out the best desktop speakers
Or go big with the best bookshelf speakers money can buy
Fresh from launching its unusual Sport Open Earbuds, Bose has turned its attention to updating two of its Bluetooth speakers. Say hello to the SoundLink Revolve II and SoundLink Revolve+ II, successors to the – you guessed it – Bose SoundLink Revolve and SoundLink Revolve+.
The new Revolve II (pictured below) now offers 13 hours of battery life from a single charge – up from 12 hours in the original – and although the new variant looks remarkably similar to its older sibling, you now get an IP55 rating for protection against dust and water ingress.
(Image credit: Bose)
The SoundLink Revolve+ II (pictured top) delivers a higher volume and more room-filling sound than SoundLink Revolve II, and this model now boasts 17 hours on a single charge.
Both speakers are available to buy now, priced at £179.95 for the Bose SoundLink Revolve II and £279.95 for the larger Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II. That makes them fierce competitors for the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Audio Pro Addon C3 and Addon C10 wireless speakers, as well as the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen), so needless to say we look forwarding to seeing how they stack up.
MORE:
Read all our Bose reviews
See our pick of the best Bluetooth speakers 2021: portable speakers for every budget
Check out the best budget Bluetooth speakers 2021: big on sound, kind on your wallet
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
