On February 2nd, 2025, computer scientist and OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy made a flippant tweet that launched a new phrase into the internet’s collective consciousness. He posted that he’d “fully given into the vibes” when programming with AI assistance. There`s a new kind of coding I call `vibe coding`, where you fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists. It`s possible because the LLMs (e.g. Cursor Composer w Sonnet) are getting too good. Also I just talk to Composer with SuperWhisper…— Andrej Karpathy (@karpathy) February 2, 2025 The tweet of course kicked off a flame war, because that’s how X works, especially under the current management. But for me, the tweet hit home—because it perfectly describes how I use AI to code. Update: After this article proved popular, I wrote a vibe coding tutorial to help interested tinkerers start making their own custom apps! Check out ‘Vibe coding’ your own apps with AI is easy! 7 tools and tricks to get started and begin your own journey. I’ll link it at the end as well if you’d rather read this before hopping over. My experience with vibe coding I’ve always had an interest in programming, because I’ve always had an interest in computers. I put together websites in HTML as a teenager (which, yes, were hosted on GeoCities) and have been occasionally dabbling in Python since. Yet none of my projects got very far and, apart from my early websites, I never made anything useful. My efforts all followed a familiar pattern: I’d fixate on a particular resource—like an O’Reilly book or an online course—and get started with great enthusiasm, but as I’d realize I was months or years away from creating anything remotely useful, I’d give up. I’ve used Claude AI to quickly generate a simple dice roller web app.Matt Smith / Foundry That changed in late 2024 when my general frustration with WordPress, which I was using for my personal website, got the better of me. In a fit, I threw my website’s content plus a screenshot of it into Claude 3.5 Sonnet and asked the AI to replicate my site with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. To my amazement, Claude 3.5 generated a functional website. It wasn’t perfect, but after a couple hours of working with Claude, I wound up with a website I liked even better than its WordPress predecessor. My approach was exactly what Karpathy described. I didn’t read the code, nor did I really try to understand it (though I did have to think a bit about how the featured articles carousel works). That aside, I just told Claude what to do, copy-and-pasted the results in VSCode, saved the file, and reloaded my browser to see what changed. And it worked. A work-in-progress screenshot of my Pico-8 puzzle game and the vibe-coded source.Matt Smith / Foundry But the most important part? It was fun! Fun enough that I’ve since tried my hand at several other coding projects. I made an online tool to track initiative and roll dice when DMing tabletop roleplaying games, I made another tool to simplify rolling dice in Battletech, and I’m currently making a puzzle game for the Pico-8 virtual game console. I also used AI to guide me through setting up tools that require a bit of fussing, like OpenAI’s Whisper speech-to-text model. Notably, all three projects were in different programming languages—HTML/JavaScript, Python, and Lua—none of which I’m even remotely proficient with. I’ve also dabbled in some C#, as I started to make the puzzle game in Unity before deciding it was overbuilt for my needs and swapping to Pico-8. I also toyed with turning my tabletop RPG tool into a Windows app before deciding that wasn’t helpful. The risks and pitfalls of vibe coding So, yeah, I’m vibing. But is it all good vibes? Or does vibe coding herald the same kind of AI slop-driven era for software as we’re seeing for blogs, forums, artwork, video, and music? That’s the big fear of critics, and it’s easy to understand those fears. Karpathy’s “vibe coding” is fast, fun, and approachable, but it isn’t rigorous, detail-oriented, or careful. The code written by AI will often work, but it can contain flaws that aren’t immediately obvious—and that raises an obvious question: how does a know-nothing programmer spot bugs and security flaws in AI-generated code? The simple answer is… they can’t. Take the case of Leonel Acevedo—better known as just “leo”—who posted about his experience vibe coding a SaaS startup, only to find himself dealing with major issues like unsecured API keys. It led to hundreds of videos and social media posts dunking on Leo’s naïveté: guys, i`m under attackever since I started to share how I built my SaaS using Cursorrandom thing are happening, maxed out usage on api keys, people bypassing the subscription, creating random shit on dbas you know, I`m not technical so this is taking me longer that usual to…— leo (@leojr94_) March 17, 2025 To be clear, I don’t have much sympathy for Leo. He used social media to promote his business with posts clearly built to drive engagement. And, well, that’s how chasing influence on social media works. Sometimes you’re the hero and sometimes you’re the villain. (Predictably, Leo is already making content about “rebuilding my SaaS in 30 days.”) Yet, I question what his problems are supposed to prove. Is vibe coding a SaaS and going straight into production dumb? Sure. But are most people vibe coding a SaaS startup and flinging it into the world like the baby in an Xbox commercial? Of course not. The reality is a lot more practical. Some people, like me, see vibe coding as a fun way to tackle simple projects that were previously out of reach. Others, including many software engineers, will use it as way to build prototypes, demonstrate proofs of concept, and—yes!—learn. It’s the blogging revolution… for code In a strange way, vibe coding reminds me of the circumstances from decades ago that paved the way for me to become a tech journalist. I grew up in a small midwestern town. My high school was so small, we didn’t even have a school newspaper. Then I went to college and got a degree… in English Literature. Not journalism or communications. I never wrote for the college paper, either. I then graduated college with no useful contacts or work experience. But I lucked out. I graduated right when the blogsphere exploded and social media took over the internet. Suddenly, formal credentials and an industry-specific degree, though helpful, weren’t necessary. So, I started writing—and eventually publications started paying me for it. I’ve been doing this now for 17 years. To me, vibe coding looks like it will do something similar for future software engineers and the programming landscape. Forget formal training. With AI assistance, people who are interested in programming don’t even need informal training. Anyone who knows their way around a laptop can ask ChatGPT about the tools they need to get started, how to install them and get them working, and generate the very code they need to get the first version of their project up and running. These people will make mistakes. A lot of the code generated will be bad, or at least inelegant. People will lose projects because they encounter a bug they can’t fix. The AI-generated code in my own projects is enough to make a senior software engineer go blind, I’m sure. But if it opens programming a bit wider to people (like me) who otherwise lack the patience to spend six months reading an O’Reilly tome just to spin up a halfway decent Python program, well, that seems like a win. Further reading: ‘Vibe coding’ your own apps with AI is easy! 7 tools and tricks to get started Read...

The final day of Amazon’s annual Prime Day extravaganza is here, with the deals drawing to a close at midnight Pacific. This is your last chance to score deep discounts! One thing we’re really loving about tech this year is the explosion of mini PCs. We’re seeing a lot more of them and they’re super affordable, rather powerful, and absolutely tiny. Some come with the latest AMD CPU, others run on Intel, some feature DDR4, others come with the newer DDR5. Storage is usually not a problem with mini PCs, either, and multitasking on multiple screens is expected. I’ve gone ahead and hunted all the best mini PC deals you can currently get your hands on right now. Here are the best Prime Day mini PC discounts I found, along with my recommendations. There’s also an FAQ at the end in case you need more guidance when buying these. You’ll need to be a Prime member to take advantage of these deals — here’s how to score a free Amazon Prime trial subscription and get in on the action. AMD Ryzen mini PCs Bosgame P4 Light – AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, triple display support – $284.99 (29% off, was $400) Acemagician AMR5 – AMD Ryzen 7 5875U, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, triple display support – $299 (40% off, was $499) Beelink SER5 MAX – AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, 24GB DDR5 RAM, 500GB SSD, triple display support – $299 (25% off, was $399) Kamrui E3B – AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, triple display support – $271.94 (37% off, was $430) Acemagician Matrix M1 – AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 512GB SSD, triple display support – $278.09 (30% off, was $399) Peladn WO7, AMD Ryzen 7 7735U, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, quadruple display – $352 (20% off, was $440) Beelink SER5 Max, AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, triple display support – $349.90 (22% off, was $449) Minisforum AI X1 Pro – AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370, 96GB DDR5 RAM, 2TB SSD, AMD Radeon 890M, quad display support – $1,063.99 (24% off, was $1,400) My favorite of the bunch is the Acemagician Matrix M1 for $278.10. That’s an impeccable price for a fantastic device. Running on a Ryzen 7, with 16GB DDR5 RAM, and 512GB SSD, this is a great daily driver. It even supports three 4K displays, thus allowing you to multitask to your heart’s desire. Even though it doesn’t have a dedicated graphics card, it does feature the RAdeon 680M GPU, which is more than enough for some light gaming. The Bosgame P4 is a close second, especially since it delivers a full TB of storage space for $285. Intel mini PCs Kamrui GK3 Plus – Intel Alder Lake N95, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, triple display support – $131.98 (37% off, was $210) Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q Gen 5 – Intel Core i5 14400T, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 512GB SSD, dual display support – $605.61 (15% off, was $712.49) HP Pro Mini 400 G9 – Intel Core i5 12500T, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, dual display support – $599 (21% off, was $759) GMKTec M2 Pro – Intel Core i7 1195G7, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, triple display support – $420 (34% off, was $640) Geekom IT13 – Intel Core i9 13900HK, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, quad display support – $599 (14% off, was $699) My favorite deal on this list is for the GMKtec M2 Pro which is down to $420 from its $640 MSRP. Running on a speedy i7 processor and with 32GB RAM, as well as a 1TB SSD, this device gives you loads of power to complete any of your tasks. Did I mention it supports three displays? That’s amazing! If you’re aiming to use four screens, you should go for the Geekom IT13 for $599 – you’ll pay a little extra, but you’ll have a ton more space to spread all the apps you need. Other great Prime Day deals These aren’t the only Prime Day deals being tracked by the PCWorld team. If you’re looking to supercharge your home setup with the juiciest tech sales, hit the links for only the best expert-curated picks we’ve found. Best Amazon Prime Day tech deals: Great sales chosen by experts Best Prime Day PC computer deals: Gaming & mainstream desktops Best Prime Day laptop deals: Gaming notebooks, 2-in-1s, and more Best Prime Day deals on SSDs and storage Best USB flash drive deals for Prime Day 2025 Best monitor deals for Prime Day 2025: OLED, home office, and more Best Prime Day deals on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs Best Prime Day mini PC deals: Big savings on tiny computers Best Prime Day deals on battery chargers and power banks Best Prime Day 2025 deals on Chromebooks Best Prime Day deals on office chairs and standing desks FAQ 1. What to consider when buying a mini PC? There are multiple things to consider when getting a mini PC, starting with your performance needs. Once you figure out what you’re going to use the PC for, you can make the right choice for you in terms of CPU, memory, and storage. Whether or not it comes with an operating system should also be on your checklist because you may not want to worry about installing a fresh copy of Windows, for instance. 2. Can a mini PC replace a desktop? Yes, mini PCs can absolutely replace desktops for many users, especially if you’re mainly going to use it for office work, browsing, and media streaming. Some higher performance models can even handle video editing or gaming, but their price tag reflects that. 3. What is the downside to a mini PC? One of the main downsides to most mini PCs is that they don’t come with a dediated graphics card, so their usability for gaming is limited. Also, most mini PCs are geared towards general use, so tasks like video editing may not work as well. Understanding component limitations can help you pick the right system for your needs. 4. Do mini PCs support multiple monitors? Yes, most mini PCs support at last two monitors, which is more than we can say about numerous laptops on the market. Many models support three or four monitors, thus enabling you efficiently multitask, spreading your apps across multiple screens. Most often than not, you can connect the displays via HDMI, DisplayPort, but also via USB-C. 5. What can you upgrade on a mini PC? Most mini PCs are easy to upgrade. The RAM and SSD are usually extremely easy to swap out and each model will come with specific requirements, as in the specific type of SSD it can support, maximum storage capacity and maximum supported RAM. Many models come with a magnetic cover that you need to pop open to access both RAM and SSD, while others require a tiny screwdriver to take out the case. Either way, it’s a fairly painless process. Read...

One of the easiest ways to enhance your PC experience is to get a better monitor. It doesn’t require any upgrades for your desktop or laptop, and it shines up the primary way you interact with almost everything: the visuals. Prime Day is upon us again, and from July 8th-11th, there are plenty of deals to be found on the best and most affordable displays. (Here’s how to get Amazon Prime for free so you can get in on the deep, deep discounts.) With U.S. tariffs affecting prices, to say nothing of general consumer trends, it might not be the smorgasbord of discounts we saw in previous years. But there are still savings to be had, on OLED monitors, gaming monitors, and standard office designs — and I’ve hunted down the best monitor deals in the list below. Even though it’s Prime Day, some of the best discounts can be found elsewhere on the web, so I’ve included those in the list as well. Best Prime Day 2025 deals on OLED monitors Samsung Odyssey OLED G93SC 49-inch, 5120×1440, 240Hz OLED gaming monitor — $899.99 ($700 off at Amazon) LG UltraGear OLED 34-inch 1440p 240Hz OLED gaming monitor — $714.99 ($585 off at Amazon) ASRock 27-inch 1440p 240Hz OLED gaming monitor — $479.99 ($166 off at Newegg) Alienware 27-inch 1440p 360Hz OLED gaming monitor — $619.99 ($280 off at Dell) Alienware 34-inch ultrawide 240Hz OLED gaming monitor — $679.99 ($120 off at Amazon) Alienware 32-inch 4K 240Hz OLED gaming monitor — $849.99 ($350 off at Dell) MSI 49-inch ultrawide 144Hz OLED gaming monitor — $749.99 ($350 off at Amazon) OLED monitors are the cream of the crop for gamers, thanks to incredible color vibrance and contrast, even if they’re not the absolute fastest on the market right now. For my money, MSI has the best deal at the moment…but then I’m an ultrawide fanboy and I love that gigantic 49-inch format. If you’re looking for an OLED upgrade at the lowest price, ASRock is leading the pack with a rare 27-inch pick under the $500 mark. Best Prime Day 2025 deals on gaming monitors KTC 24-inch 1080p 165Hz gaming monitor — $93.99 ($46 off at Newegg) Asus 25-inch 1080p 180Hz gaming monitor — $109.00 ($50 off at Amazon) ASRock 27-inch 1080p 240Hz gaming monitor — $104.77 ($85 off at Newegg) LG 27-inch 1440p 144Hz gaming monitor — $180.49 ($119.50 off at Amazon) Alienware 34-inch ultrawide 1440p 180Hz gaming monitor — $309.99 ($90 off at Dell) Gigabyte 28-inch IPS 4K 144Hz gaming monitor — $329.99 ($270 off at Newegg) LG 27-inch, IPS 1440p, 240Hz gaming monitor — $284.05 ($215.94 off at Amazon) For more affordable options for gamers, ASRock once again delivers with a 27-inch, 1080p display at just a hair over a hundred bucks. But I’d say that Gigabyte is giving the best bang for your buck with its 28-inch 4K option. Not only is it using an IPS panel for greater color accuracy, it’s packing a USB-C port for flexible video. It’s a great, affordable centerpiece to a setup that works for both, well, work and gaming. Prime Day 2025 deals on office monitors Acer 27-inch 1080p IPS 120Hz monitor — $99.99 ($50 off at Best Buy) Samsung 27-inch 1080p IPS monitor — $99.99 ($50 off at Amazon) Dell 27-inch 1440p IPS monitor — $179.99 ($40 off at Amazon) LG 27-inch 4K IPS monitor — $229.99 ($150 off at Amazon) Asus 32-inch 4K IPS monitor — $209.99 ($90 off at Amazon) Samsung 34-inch 1440p ultrawide monitor — $219.99 ($110 off at Amazon) MNN 15-inch portable USB-C monitor — $59.97 ($30 off at Amazon) I can personally recommend Dell’s 27-inch, 1440p IPS monitors, because I’ve been using them for years on either side of my ultrawide center display. It’s a perfect way to expand your desk space, but unless you need some gaming-grade speed, it works great as a primary display too. For laptop users, there’s no easier way to expand your mobile capabilities than with a USB monitor (especially since they now include power and video). And there are a bunch of affordable options now, too. Other great Prime Day deals These aren’t the only Prime Day deals being tracked by the PCWorld team. If you’re looking to supercharge your home setup with the juiciest tech sales, hit the links for only the best expert-curated picks we’ve found. Best Amazon Prime Day tech deals: Great sales chosen by experts Best Prime Day PC computer deals: Gaming & mainstream desktops Best Prime Day laptop deals: Gaming notebooks, 2-in-1s, and more Best Prime Day deals on SSDs and storage Best USB flash drive deals for Prime Day 2025 Best monitor deals for Prime Day 2025: OLED, home office, and more Best Prime Day deals on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs Best Prime Day mini PC deals: Big savings on tiny computers Best Prime Day deals on battery chargers and power banks Best Prime Day 2025 deals on Chromebooks Best Prime Day deals on office chairs and standing desks FAQ 1. What size of monitor should I buy? Monitor size depends on personal preference and location.  A 24-inch monitor is fine for a desk that is around 24 inches deep, or less. Its small size will still be sufficient because the monitor is closer to you. Most people, however, will want to go with a 27-inch monitor. The added size will make the monitor easy to see. This also opens up a wider range of 4K monitor options, as 4K is very rare on a 24-inch monitor. Larger monitors, such as a 32-inch widescreen or 34-inch ultrawide, are great for deep desks and people who want an immersive experience. Monitors this large can serve as a TV replacement in a small room.  Displays of even larger size, such as 42-inch or 48-inch HDTVs, are best for home theater setups or an unusually large office. You’ll want to sit four to six feet away from a display of this size. 2. What display input is best? (HDMI vs. DisplayPort vs. USB-C) USB-C is the best display input for most people. It works by bundling DisplayPort into USB-C, so offers all the same features as DisplayPort. Yet it retains the features of USB-C including optional support for Power Delivery to charge external devices. This is why we recommend a USB-C monitor for most people. DisplayPort is generally second-best. It supports higher resolutions and refresh rates than HDMI. This input is particularly common on desktop computers.  HDMI comes in third due to lower resolution and refresh rate support. This is improved by HDMI 2.1, but this feature remains hard to find and often adds to a monitor’s price. All three of the options above handle 1080p at 60Hz, which is the most common resolution and refresh rate available today. It’s also important to buy a monitor that has an input compatible with your PC. 3. Are all monitors compatible with Windows and MacOS? Modern monitors are compatible with all recent versions of Windows and MacOS. They’re plug-and-play, which means the monitor should display an image without the need to install driver software or mess with Windows or MacOS settings. 4. Are tariffs affecting monitor prices? Yes. Deals for monitors around this sale aren’t as good as they were during Amazon’s last big sale in October, particularly for the largest, most expensive models. That said, we have managed to avoid the complete shutdown of imported stock that seemed likely during the most tumultuous back-and-forth tariff negotiations…so that’s something. Prices are unlikely to improve later in the year, so if you find a delectable deal on a monitor you’re interested in, Prime Day may be one of your best bets of the year. Especially if you buy on day one of the event — President Trump says additional reciprocal tariffs will return on July 9, the second day of Prime Week, and could plunge prices into chaos. Read...

Amazon Prime Day 2025 is officially live, and if you’ve been eyeballing those juicy laptop deals, now’s the time to commit and jump in. But this year, Amazon’s switching things up. Prime Day is now a four day event (July 8th to July 11th), which gives you more time to snag the best discounts. Just remember, you’ll need a Prime membership to access the deals. Here’s how to get it for free. If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with a curated list of the best laptop deals on Prime Day. Why should you care about what I’ve got to say? Fair question. I oversee all laptop and Chromebook review coverage at PCWorld. I also maintain our best laptop deals roundup daily, along with our best laptops of 2025 roundup weekly. That means I’m hunting for the best laptop discounts online every single day, so I’m pretty well-attuned to the landscape, while my hands-on knowledge helps me unearth the true gems. Best Prime Day 2025 deals on budget laptops Lenovo IdeaPad 1, Intel Celeron processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/12GB RAM/128GB eMMC + 256GB PCIe), $284.05 ($74.95 off at Amazon) Asus VivoBook Go, AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $329.99 ($100 off at Amazon) Dell Inspiron 15 3535, AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $399.99 ($50 off at Amazon) Our top pick: With 8GB of RAM, a comfortable 1080p display, and a spacious 512GB of storage, the Dell Inspiron 15 3535 really hits the sweet spot at this price point (under $500). If you want a laptop that remains peppy after weeks of use, then this is the one to pick. Best Prime Day 2025 deals on mid-range laptops Samsung Galaxy Book4 (AI), Snapdragon X Plus processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $599.99 ($300 off at Amazon) Dell Inspiron 5441, Snapdragon X Plus processor/14-inch 1920×1200 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $694.99 ($105 off at Amazon) Dell Inspiron 16 Plus, Intel Core i7-13620H processor/16-inch 2560×1600 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $816 ($133.99 off at Amazon) Apple 2025 MacBook Air, M4 chip/13.6-inch 2560×1664 display/16GB RAM/256GB SSD, $849 ($150 off at Amazon) Asus Vivobook 14 Flip, Intel Core Ultra 5 226V processor/14-inch 1920×1200 OLED touchscreen display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $869.99 ($130 off at Amazon) Our top pick: The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus is a great pick because you’re getting a high resolution 16-inch display (2560×1600), a good amount of RAM (16GB) and storage (1TB), and a powerful Intel Core?i7-13620H processor–all for under $800. Best Prime Day 2025 deals on premium laptops Microsoft Surface Laptop (2024), Snapdragon X Elite processor/13.8-inch ?2304×1536 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $989.99 ($410 off at Amazon) Apple MacBook Air, M4 chip/13.6-inch 2560×1664 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,049 ($150 off at Amazon) Samsung Galaxy Book5 360, Intel Core Ultra 7 processor/16-inch 1920×1080 AMOLED display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,049.99 ($300 off at Amazon) Asus Vivobook S 14, AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor/14-inch 3840×2160 OLED display/24GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,057.99 ($142 off at Amazon) Asus ZenBook 15 Pro OLED, Intel Core i7-13620H processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,099.99 ($100 off at Amazon) HP Envy, Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor/17.3-inch 1920×1080 display/64GB RAM/2TB SSD, $1,399 ($290 off at Amazon) Our top pick: Just a little over a grand for the Asus Vivobook S 14? That’s an excellent price for a laptop with the latest AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor and a super crisp 14-inch 3840×2160 display. You’re also getting 24GB of RAM, which is more than most laptops get at this price point. Best Prime Day 2025 deals on gaming laptops Acer Nitro V, Intel Core i5-13420H processor/RTX 4050 graphics/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $649.99 ($150 off at Amazon) Acer Nitro 17, AMD Ryzen 5 8645HS processor/RTX 4050 graphics/17.3-inch 1920×1080 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $979.99 ($220 off at Amazon) Asus ROG Strix G16, Intel Core i9-14900HX processor/RTX 4060 graphics/16-inch 2560×1600 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,359.99 ($340 off at Amazon) Lenovo Legion 16, Intel Core i9-14900HX processor/RTX 4070 graphics/16-inch 2560×1600 display/64GB RAM/2TB SSD, $1,999 ($239.74 off at Amazon) Our top pick: The Asus ROG Strix G16 really stands out. Not only does the RTX 4060 graphics card deliver excellent gaming performance, but you’re also getting 16GB of RAM (ideal for running modern games) and 1TB of SSD storage for large installs. The 16-inch 2560×1600 display also gives you slightly more vertical space than your standard 1080p panel.  Other great Prime Day deals These aren’t the only Prime Day deals being tracked by the PCWorld team. If you’re looking to supercharge your home setup with the juiciest tech sales, hit the links for only the best expert-curated picks we’ve found. Best Amazon Prime Day tech deals: Great sales chosen by experts Best Prime Day PC computer deals: Gaming & mainstream desktops Best Prime Day laptop deals: Gaming notebooks, 2-in-1s, and more Best Prime Day deals on SSDs and storage Best USB flash drive deals for Prime Day 2025 Best monitor deals for Prime Day 2025: OLED, home office, and more Best Prime Day deals on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs Best Prime Day mini PC deals: Big savings on tiny computers Best Prime Day deals on battery chargers and power banks Best Prime Day 2025 deals on Chromebooks Best Prime Day deals on office chairs and standing desks FAQ 1. What kind of laptop should I get? Well, it depends on your needs and lifestyle. A 2-in-1, for example, is a good fit for someone who travels often. You can swing the screen back 360 degrees and use it in tablet mode for taking notes or you can prop it up like a tent for watching movies with friends. If gaming is a top priority, then you’ll want to look into a laptop with powerful graphics hardware and a display with a high refresh rate. For those of us who need a basic laptop for general web browsing, a low-powered Windows laptop should do you just fine. 2. How can I tell whether a laptop is a good Prime Day deal? I always use CamelCamelCamel, a free tool that tracks Amazon price history. Just create an account, enter a product’s ASIN (found in its Amazon URL and starts with the letter B), and you’ll see a graph of its price history over time. It’s an easy way to spot the good stuff and to also know if you’re getting the lowest price. 3. Do laptop brands matter? Not really, as long as you stick to well-known brands. Big manufacturers like Acer and Dell make solid machines and often offer steep discounts on their websites. You might have a personal preference, though, like maybe you’ve historically stuck with HP machines. 4. How much memory do I need in a laptop? I always tell my friends and family to aim for at least 8GB of RAM. Anything less, and you’ll likely notice things starting to slow down. If you can go higher than 8GB, even better. The more RAM you have, the snappier your laptop will feel, especially for everyday tasks like web browsing or working in spreadsheets. For more demanding work, 16GB is a solid choice for productivity and gaming, while 32GB and beyond is ideal for video editing and other intensive tasks. 5. Is now a good time to buy a laptop? Will tariffs affect laptop prices? Yes! Prime Day tends to offer some of the lowest laptop prices of the year, especially on budget and mid-range models. Prices on premium and gaming laptops are all over the place, but Prime Day is one of those rare times where you’ll see good discounts across every category.  As for external factors like tariffs, there are currently no major new tariffs affecting laptops in the U.S., but this can change fast depending on trade decisions. Manufacturers hike the prices up later in the year, especially if supply chain issues pop up again, so if you’re thinking about pulling the trigger on a new laptop, now’s a good time to do it. Read...

Scammers commonly try to take advantage of shoppers hunting for a good deal—and with Amazon Prime Day just around the corner, opportunity is ripe for them to strike again. Even if you don’t shop at Amazon, enough competing retailers try to muscle in during this decade-long tradition, so you could still fall for a nasty trick. The same applies if you plan to sit out from the buying frenzy. Fraudsters more easily slither around our normal defenses during busy and chaotic times. So your job is to know how they could strike, and be prepared to avoid their tactics. These three key scams are the top ones to look out for. Prime Membership scams: A popular scam claims your account has a problem that won’t be resolved until you get in contact. This tactic applies just as equally to any other retailer (e.g. Best Buy, Newegg, Target, etc). Fake order confirmation scams: With these scams, you’ll receive an email, text, or call about an order you never placed. A variant: Communication that says a problem with your order has occurred. Fake listing scams: You can encounter phony links for deals through social media, email, and text. They often spoof official sites, with prices too good to be true. Package delivery scams: You may receive messages (most commonly through text) letting you know about delayed or misdirected packages. Don’t click that link.Tech Advisor Scammers of course hope you’ll click the links in their email or texts, or that you’ll return their call. Once they have you communicating with them, their goal is to steal something from you. Bad links can send you to fake product listings that send you junk or cheap imitations. Or the address sends you to an imitation of the official site, in order to steal your login info. Scammers can then take over your account and start buying things on your dime. During phone calls, scammers skilled at social engineering will try to spark fear, urgency, or other strong emotions in you, so that you end up giving away information that lets them access your shopping account—or worse, your bank info. How to avoid Amazon Prime Day scams Two simple tactics will help you avoid shopping scams (and most scams in general).  Checking up on your Amazon account, orders, or delivery status? Use the official website or app.Christian Wiediger / Unsplash First: Don’t act immediately on any sudden, strong emotions. Fear and urgency are key feelings that scammers exploit.  Maybe you think you spotted an incredible deal, and you’re both excited and also worried you’ll miss out if you don’t act fast. Perhaps you’re concerned that an issue happened with your order, and you’ll lose the deal. Or you’re stressed because you think your package has been misrouted, and it could now become lost or stolen. Or you never bought anything at all, and you’re now freaking out a bit that your account could have been compromised. Second: After taking a breath, verify the situation by logging into your account directly—not through any provided link. Or, if you’ve been called, call them using contact info from the company’s official website. This method lets you check on your account, order, or package status in a safe way. Bonus tips Even the built-in antivirus in Windows is a pretty good backup defense—but don’t count on it (or any AV app) saving you from harm.Foundry Before any shopping period, make sure your accounts are protected by good passwords (unique, random, and strong). Password managers make this task easy. For an Amazon account, I also recommend adding two-factor authentication too, especially if you have stored payment information. Even if someone captures or guesses your password, that second layer of authentication should stop a scammer from taking over the account. Our favorite Antivirus Norton 360 Deluxe Read our review Also, make sure your antivirus software is up to date. Scammers sometimes try to trick people into installing infostealer malware, which records information directly from your PC, including passwords and banking details. This kind of malware was in part responsible for the recent massive collection of 16 billion leaked passwords. Good antivirus software acts as a backup line of defense, stamping out potential infections—hopefully before any sensitive data gets lifted. And of course, if you want legit links to genuinely good deals, check out the curated lists by well-known, respected websites—like those we publish right here on PCWorld.com. You can check out our top picks, starting with this week’s best early deals. Read...

The Solicitor General concludes the 15-year-old`s sentence could be referred to the Court of Appeal. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Great CPU performance Often record-setting GPU performance Fast SSD and AI performance, too 4K 120Hz display with Mini-LED backlight Lots of connectivity Cons Heavy and bulky So-so keyboard and touchpad RTX 5090 price premium is hard to justify Minimal battery life Our Verdict The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W pairs AMD’s new Ryzen 9 9955HX3D CPU with Nvidia’s top-tier RTX 5090 mobile GPU. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the combo delivers record-setting performance. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: MSI Raider A18 HX A9W Retailer Price $6,714.89 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices 2025 is shaping up to be a good year if your laptop buying tastes skew towards the equivalent of a family-sized meat-and-cheese platter. The launch of new Nvidia RTX mobile graphics—including the top-tier RTX 5090 with 24GB of VRAM—has the potential for chart-topping performance. Now it’s joined by AMD’s Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, a 16-core CPU with the company’s vaunted 3D V-Cache, an extra stack of L3 cache that can prove useful in games. The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W brings both new chips into one chassis. And, as a bonus, it tosses in 64GB of memory and a 2TB PCIe 5.0 solid state drive. That’s incredible hardware, but the laptop retails for an equally incredible MSRP of $5,099.99. So, is it worth it? MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: Specs and features The highlight of the MSI Raider A18 HX A9W is undoubtedly the combination of AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D processor and Nvidia RTX 5090 graphics. Each is an undisputed heavyweight in its category and should deliver a killer one-two punch of CPU and GPU performance. With that said, however, this MSI Raider A18 HX A9W still must deal with the power and thermal constraints faced by every laptop—and it will be interesting to see the results. The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W delivers additional technical highlights, too, like the PCIe 5.0 solid state drive and the 4K Mini-LED display. Model number: A18?HX?A9WIG-082US CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D Memory: 64GB DDR5-5600 Graphics/GPU: Nvidia RTX 5090 (Max 175W with Dynamic Boost) NPU: None Display: 18-inch 3840×2400 120Hz Mini-LED with HDR Storage: 1x 2TB PCIe 5.0 SSD Webcam: 1080p 30fps camera with Windows Hello support Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 5 / USB-C 4 with DisplayPort and Power Delivery 3.1, 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x SD card reader, 1x HDMI 2.1 (up to 4K @ 120Hz), 1x 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45) Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Biometrics: Facial recognition, fingerprint reader Battery capacity: 99 watt-hours Dimensions: 15.91 x 12.11 x 1.26 inches Weight: 7.94 pounds Operating System: Windows 11 Pro Price: $5,099.99 MSRP Features like these don’t come cheap, of course, so the Raider A18 HX A9W rings up at $5,099.99. That’s a lot of money! However, it’s not unusually expensive for a top-tier gaming laptop. A variety of high-end laptops retail at higher prices, from fully configured Apple MacBook Pro 16 configurations to top-end Razer Blade, Alienware, and MSI Titan laptops. If $5,099.99 is a bit rich for your blood, MSI provides a configuration with Nvidia’s RTX 5080 for $4,099.99. It’s otherwise identical to the model reviewed here and a good bet for gamers who don’t plan to use the laptop’s GPU for creative or AI workloads. The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W is a CPU, GPU, and storage performance powerhouse. It delivers across the board with strong results in every benchmark, from multi-core sustained CPU workloads to ray-traced gaming and even AI large language models. MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: Design and build quality IDG / Matthew Smith The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W shares a chassis with its Intel-powered sibling, and it’s a substantial piece of hardware. It tips the scales at nearly 8 pounds and measures 1.25 inches thick, as well as close to 16 inches wide. It won’t even fit in a typical backpack or messenger bag meant to carry a laptop. You’ll need a special bag designed for the purpose (and MSI has a bag to sell you). Beyond its imposing size, the Raider 18 provides a functional yet unremarkable aesthetic. The black plastic construction is punctuated by red detailing, creating a decent visual appearance that falls short of the premium feel found in more professionally oriented machines like Razer’s Blade 18. It also lacks the dramatic flair of MSI’s own Titan laptop, which serves more as a statement piece (at an even higher price). The most notable visual quirk is the LED lighting at the front of the laptop, but that trick is emulated by other high-end machines. Still, the Raider 18 feels dependable. There’s not much flex to be found, even in traditional weak spots like the center of the keyboard, and the laptop doesn’t creak or groan when handled. Machines in this category can feel a bit rickety due to their size, bulk, and the numerous chassis components and internal PCBs they’re constructed from. The Raider 18 isn’t as solid as the Razer Blade 18, but it feels more robust than most laptops in its category. MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: Keyboard, trackpad IDG / Matthew Smith MSI stretches a spacious keyboard with numpad across the Raider 18 HX AI’s deck. Most keys feel generously sized though a few, like Caps Lock, remain slightly smaller than standard. The numpad keys match the size of the main alphanumeric keys, which is a welcome change from laptops with undersized numpads. Despite the SteelSeries branding, the keyboard’s feel disappoints. I didn’t notice a difference between this keyboard and typical competitors, including alternatives that are much less expensive, like the Asus TUF series. The large chassis provides ample room for key travel, but the bottoming action is lacking in tactile feedback. The keyboard is still fine, but the Raider’s price tag sets expectations the keyboard doesn’t deliver. RGB backlighting saves the keyboard from complete mediocrity. Owners can customize each key individually through the Steelseries GG app, which handles both lighting profiles and macro configurations. I appreciate this software—it looks polished, works intuitively, and lets you save multiple setups. While these features aren’t groundbreaking, SteelSeries outpaces competitors like Gigabyte and Acer, which lag in software quality. The touchpad is more of a mix. It measures roughly 5 inches wide by 3 inches deep, which isn’t large for an 18-inch gaming laptop. The surface is responsive, but unremarkable, and the physical button action produces a springy yet hollow click. Competitors like the Razer Blade 18 and Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 offer a noticeably larger touchpad. MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: Display, audio IDG / Matthew Smith The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W has the same 18-inch Mini-LED display found in the Intel-powered Raider 18 HX AI. It provides 3840×2400 resolution, which is a bit higher than a typical 4K display (4K is usually 3840×2160), alongside a 120Hz refresh rate. A Mini-LED backlight lights the display with numerous individual LEDs positioned directly behind the LCD panel. Those LEDs can turn on and off individually, which greatly improves contrast. In my testing, the Raider A18 HX can hit a minimum luminance of zero nits, which means its contrast is technically on par with OLED. However, Mini-LED displays suffer a “blooming” issue where bright halos (or inverse shadows) appear around or inside small, high-contrast objects. The MSI Raider A18 HX does a good job of minimizing that issue, and I personally didn’t find it distracting, but it’s something to keep in mind. The Raider A18 HX has a matte panel, rather than a glossy panel, so it doesn’t “pop” in quite the same way. Despite that, the display still provides an incredible color gamut. It’s also ultra-bright and ultra-sharp; the pixel density works out to 252 pixels per inch, which is higher than even a 27-inch 5K monitor (which has 218 pixels per inch). HDR support is great, too, and this is an area where many gamers will prefer the Mini-LED over OLED, because OLED can’t match Mini-LED in HDR brightness. The Raider 18 also provides solid audio performance, though it’s ultimately less impressive. The built-in speakers have plenty of volume, and the laptop includes woofers for low-end bass, but I found the audio presentation was a tad metallic, grating, and muddy as I cranked the volume up. Still, the sound system is good for a Windows laptop. MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: Webcam, microphone, biometrics A decent 1080p webcam is found in the Raider A18 HX A9W. It boasts 1080p resolution and provides good video quality in rooms with moderate to great lighting. Though not suitable for YouTube or other more serious work, the 1080p webcam is ideal for video calls. It also has a physical privacy shutter. The microphone is respectable, too. It picked up my voice without issue and had decent noise cancellation. Notably, the MSI Raider A18 HX A9W doesn’t support Windows’ built-in Studio Effects filters, which use AI for effects like background blur. That feature is supported on the Intel-powered Raider 18 HX AI. The Raider A18 HX A9W supports biometric login with a fingerprint reader and an IR camera for facial recognition. Both biometric login options worked well in my testing. MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: Connectivity IDG / Matthew Smith The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W provides top-tier connectivity. We’re talking two Thunderbolt 5 ports, each with USB-C, DisplayPort, and Power Delivery. Thunderbolt 5 can provide data rates up to 80 Gbps bi-directional which, frankly, is way beyond what most use cases require. They’re particularly useful for people who want to use the laptop with a Thunderbolt 5 dock that has numerous downstream ports. The Thunderbolt 5 ports are joined by three USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, HDMI 2.1, a 2.5G Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. There’s an SD card reader, too. Overall, the laptop’s ports offer a great range of physical connectivity that can handle both the latest Thunderbolt and USB peripherals and older USB-A devices. However, as with the Intel-powered MSI Raider 18 HX AI, I have a small nitpick. Both Thunderbolt 5 ports are on the right flank, and at roughly the mid-point between the front and rear of the laptop. That can lead to more cable clutter on your desk, since it’s difficult to neatly hide and route cables connected to these ports. Wireless connectivity is great, as well, with support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4—the latest version of each standard. MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: CPU Performance The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W is, on paper, one of the most expensive, exotic, and powerful laptops ever sold. It provides two heavy hitters. The first is AMD’s Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, a 16-core and 32-thread chip with AMD’s 3D V-Cache, which could improve performance in games. It’s joined by Nvidia’s RTX 5090 mobile, the most powerful RTX-series mobile GPU in Nvidia’s line-up which, by extension, makes it the most capable mobile gaming GPU available right now. As mentioned earlier, PC World also reviewed an MSI Raider 18 laptop with Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285HX and Nvidia’s RTX 5080. It was a bit less expensive at $4,499. So, does the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D and RTX 5090 provide a useful upgrade? IDG / Matthew Smith PCMark 10, a holistic system benchmark, spat out a result of 8,581 on the MSI Raider A18 HX A9W. That’s highly competitive with other laptops in this category, though it doesn’t quite match some Intel-powered laptops we’ve recently tested. Still, the results here are very close, so this benchmark alone isn’t enough to make any firm statements about how the AMD Radeon 9 9955HX3D and Nvidia RTX 5090 perform. IDG / Matthew Smith Next up is Handbrake, a heavily multi-threaded CPU benchmark, where we use the CPU cores (and not any special encoding hardware on the chip) to transcode a feature-length film from .MP4 to .MKV. This benchmark shows a lean towards Intel’s chips. This is perhaps due to their higher number of cores overall. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX has 24 total cores (though only eight are performance cores, with the remaining 16 being efficiency cores). This is a trend across all Intel and AMD chips, with the Intel P-core + E-core architecture being a better fit for this benchmark than AMD’s CPUs that only have high-performance cores, but fewer cores overall. IDG / Matthew Smith Next, we jump over to Cinebench 2024, the latest version of the popular benchmark, which again places a heavy load on all CPU cores. In this test, however, the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D provides performance that is more directly competitive with Intel’s best CPUs. In fact, the MSI Raider A18 HX A9W’s score of 2,111 is the second-best PCWorld has recorded from a laptop to date—coming just a hair behind the MSI Raider 18 HX A2XW with Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX. The AMD and Intel CPUs are basically tied here, and both deliver results that rank among the strongest from any laptop ever sold. The results might seem a bit disappointing, however, at least if you’re an AMD fan. The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D is great, but in PCWorld’s tests, it didn’t clobber Intel’s top-tier equivalents. But let’s be clear here. The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D didn’t run away from the pack, but it’s still among the most powerful mobile CPUs we’ve ever tested, and certainly an outstanding pick for CPU-heavy workloads. MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: GPU Performance However, the 9955HX3D is aimed firmly at gamers, as the chip’s 3D V-Cache can often provide an advantage there. The RTX 5090 also deserves time in the spotlight, too. So, let’s move on to the 3D benchmarks. IDG / Matthew Smith 3DMark, the gold standard of 3D gaming benchmarks, produced mixed results that ultimately favor the MSI Raider A18 HX A9W. The AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D and Nvidia RTX 5090 didn’t leap ahead in 3DMark Time Spy, which is an older (though demanding) benchmark that doesn’t test ray tracing. But in the Port Royal benchmark, which does test ray tracing, the Raider A18 HX A9W leaped ahead to a score of 16,416. That’s the new high-water mark in PC World’s testing, and by a respectable margin—it’s roughly 11 percent quicker than the quickest Intel/Nvidia RTX 5080 laptop we have tested to date. IDG / Matthew Smith Next up is Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which PCWorld tests at 1080p and on Highest detail, but with ray-tracing off. Here the MSI Raider averaged 230 frames per second, which is an excellent result. It’s not the best we’ve seen, however, so there’s not much benefit to selecting the RTX 5090 over the RTX 5080 in this game. IDG / Matthew Smith Now we move on to Metro: Exodus, which we run at Extreme detail but without raytracing turned on. Here, the Raider A18 managed to reach an average of 99 frames per second, which is an excellent result. It’s only a minor uplift over RTX 5080 laptops, however, so the RTX 5090 isn’t a compelling GPU upgrade for this title under the conditions we tested it. IDG / Matthew Smith We wrap up gaming testing with Cyberpunk 2077, as the graph shows, the MSI Raider 18 was quick in any situation, hitting new high scores. The uplift was often rather substantial, too—20 FPS or more at 1080p and Ultra detail, and 5 FPS or more in the Overdrive ray-raced preset (which is meaningful when most laptops average 30 to 40 FPS).And that’s with Nvidia DLSS turned off. I also tried the game with the DLSS Transformer model in use, with Nvidia DLAA upscaling quality and DLSS Frame Gen 3x turned on. With all those options in use, Cyberpunk 2077 averaged 127 frames per second at 1080p in the Overdrive ray-traced preset. That’s an incredible result, and in general, Cyberpunk 2077 felt incredibly smooth—smoother than on any laptop I’ve tested so far. The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W’s overall GPU performance is outstanding. With that said, the RTX 5090 is a luxury. Choosing the RTX 5090 over the RTX 5080 adds $1,000 to the Raider A18 HX A9W’s price, but provides a performance gain of about 10 percent, at best. That’s tough to justify. MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: AI performance When it comes to AI, however, the RTX 5090 is a bit more appealing—and it mostly comes down to the memory. The RTX 5080 has 16GB of VRAM, which is a healthy figure for gaming, but rather cramped if you want to run AI models on your laptop. The RTX 5090, however, provides 24GB of VRAM. That increase means it’s possible to offload larger models like Google Gemma 3 27B and Qwen3 32B to the GPU. Both weigh in at a tad above 16GB, which is above the VRAM available on the RTX 5080. Google Gemma 3 27B produced an average of 12.67 tokens per second across three prompts and replies, that spanned about 1,000 tokens each. That’s a solid result and more than twice the speed of the Raider 18 HX AI, as that laptop, which was tested with an RTX 5080, didn’t have enough VRAM to execute the model on the GPU. On top of that, models like Google Gemma 3 27B are more intelligent than their smaller siblings. In that way, the RTX 5090 can provide a boost to both model quality and the speed at which responses are generated. MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: SSD performance The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W’s solid state drive performance deserves special mention. Like its Intel-powered sibling, the Raider 18 HX AI, the A18 has a PCIe 5.0 solid state drive. In this case, it’s the 2TB Samsung PM9E1. And, wow, does it deliver on performance. I measured CrystalDiskMark read speeds of 14654MB/s and write speeds of 11046MB/s (in SEQ1M Q8T1). Those are huge figures. If you need storage performance, the MSI Raider has the goods.  MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: Battery life and portability The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W does all it can to provide acceptable battery life. It includes a 99-watt-hour battery, which is the largest found in laptops due to limitations on the size of lithium-ion batteries allowed on flights. It also supports hybrid graphics, meaning the powerful and power-hungry RTX 5090 can switch off, handing graphics responsibilities to the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D’s miserly Radeon 610M integrated graphics. IDG / Matthew Smith Unfortunately, it’s not enough to provide much battery life. The Raider endured a bit under three hours of use in our standard battery test, which loops a 4K file of the short film Tears of Steel. My subjective use seemed to provide slightly better results, but I still found that just a couple of hours of use could leave the battery with just 30 percent of its charge left in the tank. To make matters worse, the Raider ships with a huge 400-watt power brick. To be fair, it’s not that large for a 400-watt unit, but it’s still among the larger power bricks I’ve seen so far in 2025. While the power brick connects over a proprietary connector, the laptop can be powered over USB-C. That won’t deliver enough power to fully handle the laptop in all load situations, however, so you may see the battery discharge while connected to USB-C power. While the Raider A18’s battery life isn’t great, it isn’t much worse than that of other laptops in this segment. In general, you’re going to get four or five hours, at most. The one clear exception is the Razer Blade 16, which stretched battery life to more than 10 hours. That’s thanks to its much less powerful, but much more power-efficient, AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU. MSI Raider A18 HX A9W: Conclusion The MSI Raider A18 HX A9W is a CPU, GPU, and storage performance powerhouse. It delivers across the board with strong results in every benchmark, from multi-core sustained CPU workloads to ray-traced gaming and even AI large language models. Compared to its Intel-powered alternative, the Raider 18 HX AI, the A18 is broadly similar but scores small wins in gaming and storage performance. The A18 also notches a large win in AI performance thanks to the RTX 5090’s 24GB of VRAM. It’s not a perfect laptop. The Raider A18 is thick, heavy, and not much to look at. It also suffers a mediocre keyboard and touchpad and, as you might expect, can be loud under full load. The RTX 5090 version is also quite expensive at $5,099.99; the less expensive RTX 5080 model, priced at $4,099.99, is a better value in many situations, as it has the same AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D CPU, and the RTX 5080 only slightly lags the RTX 5090 in games. But at the end of the day, performance matters, and the Raider A18 HX A9W is an obvious choice if you want the best performance you can find in a modern laptop. It set records in multiple benchmarks and was still competitive in benchmarks where it didn’t top the charts. Read...

Major General Mikhail Gudkov was killed in the Kursk region during what Russia`s defence ministry described as `combat work`. Read...

Last week, I secured my lowest price for Spectrum internet in years. All it took was a call to Spectrum’s retention department, which is where you end up after telling the automated system you want to cancel your service. After a mildly tedious conversation with an exceedingly friendly rep, my monthly bill dropped from $68 to $45 per month for the next full year. Not only did I save money, but my speeds increased from 400 Mbps to 500 Mbps. While I can’t guarantee the same results everywhere, in general it’s a great time to threaten to cancel cable internet service. For years, Comcast and Charter (which operates the Spectrum brand) have boasted to shareholders that growth in home internet more than offsets the collapse of cable TV, but now they’re losing internet customers to vendors offering faster fiber and cheaper 5G wireless alternatives. They are highly motivated to keep potential defectors on board, so you should take full advantage of their collective insecurity. What competition looks like Last year, Spectrum and Comcast lost 508,000 and 411,000 home internet customers respectively . The year before, Comcast lost 66,000, while Spectrum lost 61,000. Stock prices for both companies are already below what they were two years ago. By contrast, fiber and wireless home internet are growing. T-Mobile and Verizon added 1.7 million and 1.5 million wireless home internet customers in 2024 respectively, while AT&T added 1 million customers to its fiber service. Both of their stocks are up from two years ago. This isn’t rocket science: Wireless home internet is cheaper than cable, with plans starting at $35 per month for T-Mobile and Verizon when bundled with mobile phone service. Fiber, meanwhile, offers symmetric upload and download speeds, which aren’t always available with cable, and it can be cheaper as well. (AT&T’s 500 Mbps plan, for instance, costs $75 per month on a non-promotional basis, $10 per month less than Comcast.) Cable providers should have reckoned with this new reality years ago. Instead, they resorted to scare tactics and misinformation. Comcast and Charter both rolled out ad campaigns to convince people that they didn’t actually want cheaper internet service, which they later had to modify for being misleading. Comcast then tried to advertise its internet plans as “10G” in a desperate attempt to look better than 5G (despite being unrelated technologically). Advertising watchdogs pressured Comcast to drop that line of attack as well. Cable’s response Only now are the cable giants doing what they should have done all along, which is to actually compete. Comcast, for instance, announced a somewhat-simplified set of home internet plans last week, starting at $40 per month for 300 Mbps service with a one-year price guarantee. (Customers can also pay a higher price of $55 per month to lock in that rate for five years.) These new plans also reverse a longstanding policy of enforcing data caps in most markets. Comcast’s internet service plans as of July 2025.Comcast Last year, Comcast also launched a separate pair of internet plans under its “Now” brand, priced at $30 per month for 100 Mbps and $45 per month for 200 Mbps. Those plans don’t include data caps either. Spectrum’s response hasn’t been as splashy. It’s been more focused on increasing internet speeds and bundling more services together, including free streaming services on its cable TV side, and an offer of $30-per-month home internet (at 500 Mbps) when bundled with two mobile lines. It’s also been scrapping hidden fees and trying to improve its customer service. But here’s the problem: Cable companies don’t want to hand out big discounts to existing customers if they can avoid it. While Comcast says its new packages are available to anyone, existing customers must call in to make the switch, and I’ve heard from a few readers who’ve run into problems getting the plans they want. As my experience with Spectrum has shown, it’s all a matter of reaching the right representative. What you should do about it Negotiating a lower home internet price is easy. You just need to bypass the standard customer service department and skip straight to the one with the goal of keeping you from cancelling your service. You can often accomplish this through the automated answering system by selecting the options that lead to cancelling your service. I understand this can be nerve-wracking. If you have no intention of switching providers, you certainly wouldn’t want the cable company to call your bluff and cut you off without warning. Trust me, that’s not going to happen. Cable companies operate retention departments for the express purpose of pumping the breaks on cancellations and talking things out first. They also have access to promotions that standard customer service reps don’t. (Every Spectrum retention specialist I’ve ever talked to has relished pointing this out.) If it makes you more comfortable, just approach the subject in a circumspect way. Once the retention rep is on the line, tell them you’re thinking about cancelling, or you want to discuss the logistics of cancelling at a convenient future date. In my experience that’s enough to set the promotional gears in motion. And if that doesn’t work, maybe it’s time to look into other options. There are more of them available now in more places, much to the cable companies’ dismay. Sign up for Jared’s Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter for more money-saving advice. Read...

One of the easiest ways to enhance your PC experience is to get a better monitor. It doesn’t require any upgrades for your desktop or laptop, and it shines up the primary way you interact with almost everything: the visuals. Prime Day is upon us again, but even before it lands on July 8th-11th, there are early deals to be found. (Here’s how to get Amazon Prime for free so you can get in on the extravaganza.) With U.S. tariffs affecting prices, to say nothing of general consumer trends, it might not be the smorgasborde of discounts we saw in previous years. But there are still savings to be had, on OLED monitors, gaming monitors, and standard office designs — and I’ve hunted down the best monitor deals in the list below. Even though it’s Prime Day, some of the best discounts juiciest can be found elsewhere on the web, so I’ve included those in the list as well. Best early Prime Day 2025 deals on OLED monitors ASRock 27-inch 1440p 240Hz OLED gaming monitor — $479.99 ($166 off at Newegg) Alienware 27-inch 1440p 360Hz OLED gaming monitor — $619.99 ($280 off at Dell) Sony 27-inch 1440p 480Hz OLED gaming monitor — $714.99 ($385 off at Amazon) Gigabyte 34-inch 1440p 240Hz ultrawide OLED gaming monitor — $679.99 ($390 off at Newegg) Gigabyte refurbished 49-inch 1440p ultrawide OLED gaming monitor $729.99 — ($120 off at Amazon) Alienware 32-inch 4K 240Hz OLED gaming monitor — $849.99 ($350 off at Dell) OLED monitors are the cream of the crop for gamers, thanks to incredible color vibrance and contrast, even if they’re not the absolute fastest on the market right now. But if you do need ludicrous speed, Sony is offering a 27-inch, 1440p panel with 480Hz (about double the current standard at this size) for hundreds less than the alternatives. For my money, Gigabyte has the best deal at the moment…but then I’m an ultrawide fanboy. If you’re looking for an OLED upgrade at the lowest price, ASRock is leading the pack with a rare 27-inch pick under the $500 mark. There will probably be a few more offerings like that on Prime Day, but I’d bet you won’t find a name brand for much lower. Best early Prime Day 2025 deals on gaming monitors KTC 24-inch 1080p 165Hz gaming monitor — $93.99 ($46 off at Newegg) ASRock 27-inch 1080p 240Hz gaming monitor — $104.77 ($85 off at Newegg) Alienware 34-inch ultrawide 1440p 180Hz gaming monitor — $329 ($70 off at Dell) Gigabyte 28-inch IPS 4K 144Hz gaming monitor — $399.99 ($200 off at Newegg) Samsung 32-inch 3K 240Hz gaming monitor — $499.99 ($700 off at BuyDig, use coupon code YFF23) For more affordable options for gamers, ASRock once again delivers with a 27-inch, 1080p display at just a hair over a hundred bucks. But I’d say that Gigabyte is giving the best bang for your buck with its 28-inch 4K option. Not only is it using an IPS panel for greater color accuracy, it’s packing a USB-C port for flexible video. It’s a great, affordable centerpiece to a setup that works for both, well, work and gaming. Pre-Prime Day 2025 deals on office monitors Acer 27-inch 1080p IPS 120Hz monitor — $109.99 ($40 off at Best Buy) Asus 24-inch 1080p IPS monitor — $119.00 (regular price at Amazon) Dell 27-inch 1440p IPS monitor — $179.99 ($40 off at Dell) Samsung 34-inch 1440p ultrawide monitor — $219.99 ($110 off at Amazon) MNN 15-inch portable USB-C monitor — $59.97 ($30 off at Amazon) I can personally recomend Dell’s 27-inch, 1440p IPS monitors, because I’ve been using them for years on either side of my ultrawide center display. It’s a perfect way to expand your desk space, but unless you need some gaming-grade speed, it works great as a primary display too. For laptop users, there’s no easier way to expand your mobile capabilities than with a USB monitor (especially since they now include power and video). And there are a bunch of affordable options now, too. FAQ 1. What size of monitor should I buy? Monitor size depends on personal preference and location.  A 24-inch monitor is fine for a desk that is around 24 inches deep, or less. Its small size will still be sufficient because the monitor is closer to you. Most people, however, will want to go with a 27-inch monitor. The added size will make the monitor easy to see. This also opens up a wider range of 4K monitor options, as 4K is very rare on a 24-inch monitor. Larger monitors, such as a 32-inch widescreen or 34-inch ultrawide, are great for deep desks and people who want an immersive experience. Monitors this large can serve as a TV replacement in a small room.  Displays of even larger size, such as 42-inch or 48-inch HDTVs, are best for home theater setups or an unusually large office. You’ll want to sit four to six feet away from a display of this size. 2. What display input is best? (HDMI vs. DisplayPort vs. USB-C) USB-C is the best display input for most people. It works by bundling DisplayPort into USB-C, so offers all the same features as DisplayPort. Yet it retains the features of USB-C including optional support for Power Delivery to charge external devices. This is why we recommend a USB-C monitor for most people. DisplayPort is generally second-best. It supports higher resolutions and refresh rates than HDMI. This input is particularly common on desktop computers.  HDMI comes in third due to lower resolution and refresh rate support. This is improved by HDMI 2.1, but this feature remains hard to find and often adds to a monitor’s price. All three of the options above handle 1080p at 60Hz, which is the most common resolution and refresh rate available today. It’s also important to buy a monitor that has an input compatible with your PC. 3. Are all monitors compatible with Windows and MacOS? Modern monitors are compatible with all recent versions of Windows and MacOS. They’re plug-and-play, which means the monitor should display an image without the need to install driver software or mess with Windows or MacOS settings. 4. Are tariffs affecting monitor prices? Yes. Deals for monitors around this sale aren’t as good as they were during Amazon’s last big sale in October, particularly for the largest, most expensive models. That said, we have managed to avoid the complete shutdown of imported stock that seemed likely during the most tumultuous back-and-forth tariff negotiations…so that’s something. Prices are unlikely to improve later in the year, so if you find a delectable deal on a monitor you’re interested in, Prime Day may be one of your best bets of the year. Especially if you buy on day one of the event — President Trump says additional reciprocal tariffs will return on July 9, the second day of Prime Week, and could plunge prices into chaos. Read...