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| PC World - 12 Jul (PC World)Amazon Prime Day 2024 is finally here and so is the deluge of laptop deals. Whether you need a lightweight notebook for school or a lightning-fast rig for marathon gaming sessions, these discounted laptops are primed (ha!) and ready to meet every need. You will need a Prime subscription, so if you’ve never subscribed before, sign up for a 30-day trial for free.
So, why should you listen to my recommendations? I oversee PCWorld’s laptop review program, from assignment to publication, and I also carefully maintain our daily laptop deals roundup, as well as our best laptops of 2024 roundup. Every day, I spend a good amount of time searching the web for the best laptop deals.
To assemble the list below, I looked at everything from graphics and storage space to design and form factor. I also checked out Amazon pricing history with Camel Camel Camel. Since I’m so tapped into the laptop scene, I’ve also included deals from Dell, Acer, Best Buy, and Newegg—though the focus for Prime Day deals is clearly on Amazon.
Read on to check out the best laptop deals. And don’t forget to tune into our Prime Day 2024 deals hub for delicious discounts in other tech categories.
First published on July 12, 2024. Last updated on July 16, 2024.
Prime Day 2024 deals on budget and mid-range laptops
Acer Aspire 3, includes 8GB of RAM and a 1080p display, $299.99 ($22 off at Amazon)
HP Stream 14, includes 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and a lightweight form factor, $299 ($100 off at Amazon)
Asus VivoBook 16, includes an AMD Ryzen 7 7730U CPU and 1TB of SSD storage, $499.99 ($100 off at Amazon)
Acer Swift Go, includes an Intel Core i7-1355U CPU and a 1200p touchscreen display, $507 ($72.99 off at Amazon)
Lenovo ThinkBook 15, includes an AMD Ryzen 7 5825U CPU and a 1080p display, $568.26 ($81.34 off at Amazon)
Acer Aspire 5, includes Thunderbolt 4 support and an Intel Core i7-1355U CPU, $633.33 ($166.66 off at Amazon)
HP Envy x360, includes an Intel Core Ultra 5 125U CPU and a 2-in-1 form factor, $799.99 ($200 off at Amazon)
Dell Inspiron 15, includes an Intel Core i7-1255U CPU and 1TB of SSD storage, $499.99 ($200 off at Dell)
The HP Envy x360 is a great laptop with a powerful Intel Core Ultra 5 125U processor and a versatile convertible form factor. It’s zippy enough for general browsing and productivity tasks, and the convertible form factor means you can fold the screen all the way back.
Being able to use a laptop in different positions is useful if you’re a frequent traveler, especially when using the device in a cramped space like an airplane seat. The 15.6-inch 1080p is also nice, as it has touch capability. This is good news if you’re a regular doodler or note taker.
Prime Day 2024 deals on premium laptops
Acer TravelMate Spin P4, includes a 1200p touchscreen display and a convertible form factor, $939.99 ($210 off at Amazon)
Asus VivoBook S 16 OLED, includes an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU and a 3200×2000 OLED display, $949.99 ($150 off at Amazon)
LG Gram 16, includes an Intel Core i7-1360P CPU and weighs just under three pounds, $999.99 ($300 off at Best Buy)
Dell XPS 13, includes an Ultra 7 Processor 155H CPU and a 1200p 120Hz display, $1,149 ($250 off at Dell)
Dell Inspiron 16, includes an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU and 2TB of storage, $1,299.99 ($400 off at Dell)
Dell XPS 14, includes an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU and 14.5-inch 3200×2000 OLED touch display, $2,099.99 ($400 off at Dell)
The above laptop deals are all fantastic, but there’s one that really stands out from the rest. For under a grand, you can pick up the Asus VivoBook S 16 OLED, which boasts a powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU as well as a stunning 3200×2000 OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The CPU has 16 cores, 22 threads, and can run up to 5.1 GHz. That means it should blitz right through day-to-day tasks and office work.
The OLED display is ideal for entertainment or graphic design work, as this type of panel is capable of producing inky blacks and rich colors. The laptop itself also weighs just 3.31 pounds, which is perfect if you travel often.
Prime Day 2024 deals on high-end gaming laptops
Asus TUF Gaming A15, includes an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, $1,049 ($350.99 off at Amazon)
Asus ROG Strix G16, incldues an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU and a 165Hz refresh rate display, $1,289.54 ($110.45 off at Amazon)
Acer Nitro 16, includes an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, $1,499.99 ($300 off at Acer)
Asus TUF Gaming A16, includes an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU and 1TB of storage, $1,670.94 ($129.05 off at Amazon)
Razer Blade 16, includes an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 GPU and 2TB of SSD storage, $3,499.99 ($800 off at Amazon)
If you’re looking for a great gaming experience at a reasonable price point, the Asus TUF Gaming A15 is definitely worth looking into, as it’s a very well-rounded machine. Between the AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, this laptop should fly through most games on the higher graphics settings.
The 1080p display is also quite spacious at 15.6-inches and the 144Hz refresh rate should keep things looking nice and smooth in the heat of battle. It also comes with 1TB of SSD storage, which is a good amount of space if you’ve got a massive games library.
Prime Day 2024 deals on gaming laptops under $1,000
HP Victus, includes an Intel Core i5-12450H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 GPU, $599.99 ($100 off at Amazon)
Asus TUF Gaming F15, includes an Intel Core i5-12500H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, $699.99 ($200 off at Amazon)
Gigabyte Aorus 15, includes an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU and a 360Hz refresh rate display, $939 ($160 off at Amazon)
MSI Bravo 15, includes an AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, $879.99 ($120 off at Best Buy)
MSI Bravo 15, includes a 144Hz IPS display and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, $979.99 ($320 off at Newegg)
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 deserves a call-out because of its wickedly fast 360Hz refresh rate display. That’s an incredibly high number, so this display should churn out silky smooth visuals, which is important during faster-paced games like Fornite or Doom.
It also comes with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU and an Intel Core i5-12500H CPU, meaning it has enough juice to run most games on the Medium or High graphics settings, but you may want to dial those settings back on more modern titles. The display, measuring a roomy 15.6-inches, is pretty spacious with a resolution of 1920×1080. It’s not the highest resolution we’ve ever seen, but it’s perfectly fine for most games.
More awesome Prime Day tech deals
Our PCWorld editors have curated best deal roundups across all the major tech categories:
Best Amazon tech deals across PCWorld’s top categories
PC computer deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
Monitor deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
SSD and storage deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
USB flash drive deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
Thunderbolt dock and USB-C hub deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
Office chairs and standing desks: Best of Prime Day 2024
PC keyboard deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
Battery charger deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
Laptop bag and backpack deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
Chromebook deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
iPad, Galaxy Tab and Kindle deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
Laptop deals FAQ
1.
How do I pick a laptop for Prime Day 2024?
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 others. If gaming is a top priority, then you’ll want to look into a laptop with powerful internal 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 Camel Camel Camel, which is a pricing history platform. You can make a free account and the interface is pretty easy to navigate. Let’s use the Asus VivoBook 16 as an example. Plug the ASIN, which is the part of the URL that starts with the letter B (B0BT6NKLQR in this case), into the search bar and hit search. Once the result generates, scroll down and you’ll see a graph of its price history. You’ll see a big dip in the price this month, the lowest price it has ever been in fact. That’s a big drop from the end of March when it was as high as $741.16.
3.
Do laptop brands matter?
Not particularly when you’re hunting for deals, as long as you stick to household names. All of the big manufacturers like HP and Acer make perfectly capable machines and they all offer pretty steep discounts on their online retail storefronts. You may have a personal preference, though. Dell, for example, has great customer service and their website is easy to navigate. As for HP, their back-to-school guide is laid out in a really straightforward way.
4.
How much memory do I need in a laptop?
I always tell my friends and family to shoot for at least 8GB of RAM. Anything less than that and you may very well notice a slowdown. If you can go higher than 8GB, that’s great! The more RAM you have, the zipper your laptop will be, especially when it comes to general browsing or making spreadsheets. 16GB of RAM is better for productivity tasks and gaming, and 32GB of RAM is perfect for photo editors.
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| ![](/n.gif) | | ITBrief - 12 Jul (ITBrief)![NZ Located](/pimages/nzsmall.gif) RFID technology is making a retail comeback, thanks to cost reductions and multifunctional handheld readers, revolutionising inventory management and customer experience. Read...Newslink ©2024 to ITBrief | ![](/n.gif) |
| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 11 Jul (PC World)At a glanceExpert`s Rating
ProsGood performance for productivitySolid aluminum buildTactile, spacious keyboardConvertible form factorLong battery lifeIncludes stylusConsMiddling display brightnessOnly 8GB of RAM in base modelNo Trackpoint on keyboardOur VerdictThe Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 offers solid performance and a great value for anyone who needs a laptop to get work done.
To many, Lenovo’s ThinkPad laptops are the gold standard for Windows productivity, but they can be pretty spendy. The ThinkBook lineup offers almost every luxury you’ve come to expect from Lenovo’s serious business laptops with a much lower price point. The Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 starts at just over $1,000 with solid but not amazing specs and fantastic build quality. It won’t scratch your gaming itch, but if you need to get work done, it’s hard to go wrong with the ThinkBook 14.
Looking for more options? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available right now.
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4: Specs and features
The Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 is a “budget-premium” business laptop—the base configuration has a Core Ultra 5 and just 8GB of RAM, and the 14-inch LCD touchscreen is only 1920×1200 and 60Hz. On the other hand, the aluminum chassis is robust and durable, which is necessary if you’re going to haul a laptop to meetings and toss it in your bag. The 2-in-1 design also makes this notebook useful in more situations than your average productivity machine.
Lenovo also offers this laptop with a more powerful Core Ultra 7 CPU and 16 or 32GB of RAM, which will make the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 better for multitasking and working with large files. These upgrades don’t add too much to the price, either. Fully decked out, the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 clocks in around $1,400. The Meteor Lake chip in this machine does have AI acceleration, but it’s not fast enough to qualify for Microsoft’s Copilot+ features. Here are the specs of the laptop I tested.
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 125U
Memory: 16GB DDR5
Graphics/GPU: Intel Arc iGPU
Display: 14-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS LCD touchscreen, 60Hz
Storage: 512GB M.2 SSD PCIe Gen 4
Webcam: 1080p, IR for Windows Hello
Connectivity: 1x USB-C Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps), 1x USB-C (10 Gbps), 2 x USB-A (5 Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x microSD card reader, 1x 3.5mm audio jack
Networking: WiFi 6 802.11AX, Bluetooth 5.2
Battery capacity: 60Whr, 65W charging
Dimensions: 12.32 x 8.81 x 0.66 inches
Weight: 3.61lbs
MSRP as tested: $1,149.99
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4: Design and build quality
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
The ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 has a mature, elegant design. If you walk into a room with this machine, no one will think you grabbed a gaming notebook off your desk. The underside tapers to present a slimmer side profile, which also makes the machine very easy to pick up from almost any angle.
The chassis is fully aluminum, with a slick dual-texture finish on the lid. It comes with a Lenovo Slim Pen, which is about as good a stylus as you’ll find bundled with a Windows laptop. It attaches magnetically to the right edge of the laptop for quick access. There’s a robust settings application, and the pen is comfortable to hold. Sadly, Windows 11 still isn’t very good for stylus input, but that’s not Lenovo’s fault.
Lenovo’s latest ThinkBook is sleek, sturdy, and a delight to carry around.
Next to the stylus attachment, you’ll find the ThinkBook’s power button with integrated fingerprint scanner. It’s a bit slow if you’re accustomed to using a fingerprint sensor on a phone, and I don’t like how close it is to the pen. You have to sneak your finger in right next to the stylus tip to reach the button. That said, the accuracy is good if you can reach it. This edge also sports a microSD card slot, a USB-A port, and a Kensington lock. On the opposite side, the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 has both of its USB-C ports, another USB-A, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
The 3.61-pound weight is slightly heavy for a 14-inch laptop, but the compact footprint makes it easily portable. The size also helps when you utilize the convertible 360-degree hinge to prop the machine up like a tent or fold the keyboard back. The hinge is on the stiff side, which is preferable for a 2-in-1, so it’ll stay put when you move between postures. You’ll probably need two hands to open the notebook, though.
The lid has Lenovo’s trademark reverse display notch, which gives you an ergonomically friendly lip to grasp when opening the laptop. This area houses the 1080p webcam (with Windows Hello support), but the rest of the bezel is extremely narrow—it’s almost all screen. The privacy-minded will also be happy to hear there is a physical camera shutter for the webcam.
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4: Keyboard and trackpad
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
Lenovo’s laptops consistently offer good keyboards, but some are better than good. The ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 is in the latter camp—it’s got an excellent keyboard. There’s no room for a number pad, but the compact layout fills most of the available space with full-sized keys that feel tactile and sturdy. The keys have reasonable travel, and the bottom out is firm without being harsh.
The ThinkBook has a small cutout that gives the arrow cluster a bit more space. These keys are not quite full size, but they’re not split in half like many of today’s mainstream laptops. Not only are these keys easy to find by touch, the layout is super-smart. I adore having the page up and down keys right next to the arrows.
If you do a lot of typing on the go, this is a fantastic machine to use. There’s even a Windows Copilot key, in case you want to consult a robot. The only thing you’re missing from the more expensive ThinkPad line is Trackpoint, but most people don’t need that additional pointer. It’s one of the few features you lose with the ThinkBook 14 versus the ThinkPad X1 convertible.
The trackpad isn’t the largest, but neither is this laptop. At 120 x 75mm, the trackpad occupies a sizable chunk of the space below the keyboard. It’s extremely responsive, and the smoothness is incredible. Lenovo opted to cover the surface of the trackpad with mylar. It gives the trackpad a silky texture that embodies the “premium” feel you’d expect from a high-end notebook.
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4: Display and audio
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
The display on the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 is not a show-stopper, but it is entirely serviceable for its intended use case. The resolution clocks in at 1920 x 1200, which is lower than many similarly priced laptops in 2024. The refresh rate is also stuck at 60Hz, and the brightness tops out at 300 nits. Again, there are 14-inch notebooks that offer more capable displays with OLED technology, higher brightness, faster refresh rates, and a lot more pixels. Those machines are much more expensive, though.
The screen is plenty sharp for productivity work, and a higher resolution at this size wouldn’t make apps or videos look any better. It’s a nice overall visual experience that won’t drain too much power. The brightness might be annoying if you need to use the ThinkBook in a brightly lit office, or, heaven forbid, outdoors. I’d like to see at least 400 nits of brightness on a laptop in this price range.
The ThinkBook has stereo speakers tucked into the bottom of the chassis. The sound is typical of laptop speakers. They’re fine for movies and TV, anything where the audio is mostly spoken words. Music sounds acceptable at lower volumes, provided you’re not too picky. There’s next to no bass in the sound profile, and the speakers will distort if you crank them too high.
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4: Performance and benchmarks
The ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 is designed for efficiency and portability, which means it’s not the fastest machine out there. However, it makes up for that with its long battery life, and it does still compete well with other laptops in its price range.
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
PCMark 10 is designed to test a machine across a variety of metrics like web browsing, video chat, and photo editing. With Lenovo’s default adaptive power setting, the ThinkBook competes well with Core Ultra 5 and Core Ultra 7 chips. It only loses about 10 percent compared to the more expensive ThinkPad X1 convertible.
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
Cinebench is a CPU-focused test that shows how a PC handles heavy but brief multi-core workloads. The ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 catches up to the ThinkPad X1 here, scoring in the middle of the pack among similarly priced Windows laptops. The Ryzen in the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED and Core Ultra 7 155H in the Dell XPS 14 are well out in the lead, though.
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
The Handbrake test is similar to Cinebench in that it shows how a computer handles multithreaded tasks, but this is a longer-duration test where thermals matter more. Scores in this test are consistent across the U-series Intel Core processors, so the ThinkBook, ThinkPad X1, and performance-tuned Lenovo Yoga 7i score around the same. Dell’s XPS 14 with a Core Ultra 7 155H steals the show, though.
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
While the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 is not a gaming machine, it can be helpful to know what the integrated GPU is capable of doing. The unfortunate answer is: not much. It runs neck and neck with other Meteor Lake chips with their modest Intel graphics. The Dell XPS 14 leads the way, showing what’s possible with a real GPU. It’s followed by the Asus Zenbook 14, which has strong AMD integrated graphics. The ThinkBook 14 is not the best laptop if you intend to play anything more complex than Vampire Survivors.
Benchmarks only tell part of the story. Using the ThinkBook day-to-day is a good experience. Apps open quickly, and you can multitask without noticeable slowdowns. Even 16GB of RAM can feel a bit claustrophobic in 2024, particularly if you like to keep a lot of browser tabs open. I’d recommend staying away from the base model with 8GB of RAM. That’s not enough, even for productivity use. The 16GB of RAM version I tested was good enough for what you can realistically do on a 14-inch laptop.
If your use case involves transferring large files over Wi-Fi, you may want to look elsewhere. While the Wi-Fi 6 radio is fine for browsing the web, it has lower maximum throughput than Wi-Fi 6e and 7, which are available on competing laptops. You will need a compatible network, though.
Lenovo doesn’t add too much software on top of the standard Windows loadout. There’s the Vantage settings app, which I like much more than the configuration utilities offered by other OEMs. There is also, however, a trial of McAfee on the machine that pops up alarming warnings trying to get you to upgrade. You can uninstall it, though.
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4: Battery life
The ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 has a 60Wh battery, which is a bit small compared to other laptops of this size. Lenovo’s performance tuning is efficient, though, offering healthy longevity on par with some computers with larger batteries.
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
IDG / Ryan Whitwam
Our battery test consists of playing a 4K copy of Tears of Steel on repeat in the Movies & TV app (in airplane mode) until the laptop runs out of juice. The ThinkBook lands in the middle of the pack, but all these laptops have overall good battery life. It ran for more than 14 hours in our test. There’s no doubt you can make it through a work day with this notebook, even if you have to crank up the display brightness.
Charging is accomplished via the USB-C ports. The ThinkBook comes with a 65W charger, which is much more compact than most laptop power supplies, but you can get smaller USB-C chargers. I tested the ThinkBook with a third-party USB-PD charger, and it worked just as well as the OEM model. It’s nice to have that option.
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4: Conclusion
Lenovo’s latest ThinkBook is sleek, sturdy, and a delight to carry around. The 2-in-1 design lets you reorient the machine to make better use of the touchscreen display, and I appreciate that Lenovo includes the Slim Pen even if Windows 11 isn’t always great at stylus input. It’s not the fastest computer you can buy, but it’s more than good enough for browsing, writing, spreadsheets, video, and anything else you’re likely to do at work.
You should have no problem getting in a full workday with the Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4, even if you forget the charger at home. If you do somehow manage to drain the battery, you can recharge with almost any USB-C plug, possibly even the one you use for your phone if it supplies enough power. That can help reduce the clutter you have to haul around.
While I don’t recommend the base model with 8GB of RAM, the 16GB upgrade isn’t much more spendy. Lenovo always juggles its pricing frequently, so sales on this configuration or the upmarket Core Ultra 7 version are likely. If you do pick up the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4, you’ll get a fantastic little productivity laptop at a good price.
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| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 11 Jul (PC World)Want to upgrade your gaming or workstation setup with a huge monitor with top-notch specs? This LG UltraGear 45-inch OLED monitor should be high up on your list, especially at this jaw-dropping price.
The 45-inch display looks gorgeous with its 3440×1440 ultrawide resolution, providing an impressive viewing experience no matter if you’re playing games, working, or just kicking back. The OLED technology completes it with rich, vibrant colors that are true to life.
We also love the 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time, which make this OLED monitor the perfect display for playing fast-paced action games without any lag or ghosting. Throw in AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync and have the best a monitor can offer right now.
This LG UltraGear monitor isn’t just about visuals, either. It also comes with Picture-by-Picture and Picture-in-Picture modes, allowing you to multitask more efficiently. Given the size of this bad boy, you’ll have plenty of room to spread out all the apps you need.
All of this means that this 45-inch LG UltraGear ultrawide OLED gaming monitor is an absolute steal at $700 off. Don’t expect this deal to last very long, so if you’re intrigued, grab it while you can!
Save $700 on this 45-inch OLED monitorBuy it now at LG`s Store
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| ![](/n.gif) | | PC World - 11 Jul (PC World)Sometimes small news can reveal big truths. When Microsoft released its annual sustainability report in May, it was hardly a blockbuster story—but the numbers hid something interesting: the company has increased its emissions by 30 percent since 2020.
Why? One key explanation can be summarized in two letters: AI. Microsoft’s massive investment in artificial intelligence has led to proportionally massive climate emissions.
Artificial intelligence requires a lot of energy. This isn’t only true for Microsoft, but all other tech companies as well—and by 2027, the world’s AI services are expected to consume as much energy as the entire country of the Netherlands, according to a study by the Amsterdam School of Business and Economics.
The data centers operated by these tech giants don’t just devour energy. They also require large amounts of water to cool the facilities. A single facility can consume over 50 million gallons of water per year.
So, to keep their carbon footprints down, the IT giants are now investing in building large data centers in the Nordic region, where much of the energy is renewable.
In June, it was announced that Microsoft would invest $3.2 billion in Sweden over two years, and at the same time Google announced that it would invest another $1.1 billion in its Finnish data center. Companies like Amazon and Facebook are also investing billions in Nordic data centers.
Those living in these countries who have seen electricity bills skyrocket are left wondering how their grids will cope with these big investments. Even so, the question is much larger than that.
Of course, AI and cloud computing are here to stay and there’s nothing we can do to stop that. In that case, how long can we—the consumers and people of the world—continue to use them without paying?
Today, we can generate texts with ChatGPT, create images with Adobe Firefly, and make songs with Suno. We can use Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot for advanced AI searches. All of this is (mostly) free because these companies are still developing their services and we would hardly be willing to pay to be guinea pigs. Moreover, these tech giants are competing to dominate the market.
But in the long run? I’m convinced that this will all change. The opportunity to use advanced AI services at no cost will soon be over, because even individual AI jobs are extremely energy-intensive.
This summer, Nordic radio station P3 News had an analyst calculate how much energy is needed when a school student does their history homework by AI-generating text, images, and video. The carbon footprint turned out to be the equivalent of running the air conditioner for 10 hours on the hottest day of summer.
When a single AI task requires that many resources, I find it hard to believe that these services can remain free for long.
Already these days, more and more advanced AI features are shifting behind paid subscriptions, and this trend is likely to continue. We consumers will have to get our wallets out if we are to continue using AI.
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