COMPUTING

From gaming paradise to mobile workhorses to tablets with laptop power, these computer and accessory picks will increase your productivity

ULTRAPORTABLE LAPTOP

HP SPECTRE 13

An incredibly thin, light and beautiful laptop, with a dense, high-end HD panel. Despite being 1cm thick, it doesn’t skimp on the power either, thanks to an Intel Core i7 processor.

From $2,999, hp.com/au

GAMING LAPTOP

ASUS ROG ZEPHYRUS GX501

This is an amazing piece of engineering. Despite being incredibly thin and light (2.2kg), it packs insanely powerful Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics, a quad-core processor, and a 120Hz 1080p display.. $4,999, asus.com

ALL-IN-ONE

APPLE iMAC WITH

5K RETINA DISPLAY

There’s never been a screen like this. Big enough for every task, detailed, bright, colourful, and it happens to have a Mac stuffed in the back of it as well.

From $2,699, apple.com/au

GAMING HEADSET

STEELSERIES ARCTIS 7 Super-comfortable thanks to SteelSeries’ ski-goggle-inspired headband, with great full-range drivers and a studio-quality mic, all in a wireless package which features DTS Headphone:X 7.1 surround sound. $279, steelseries.dk

GAMING MOUSE

RAZER DEATHADDER ELITE

Razer’s Chroma-lit mouse is ultraergonomic for even the most awkward hands, and its Omron switches (good for 50 million clicks, apparently) are only bested by the 16,000 CPI optical sensor. $119.95, razerzone.com

MID-RANGE TABLET

APPLE iPAD 9.7

Apple’s cheaper iPad has a super-fast A10 processor, a vibrant 9.7-inch 2048x1536 display, and a wealth of tablet-specific apps and games that run great. It also supports the excellent Apple Pencil stylus. From $469, apple.com/au

PRO LAPTOP

MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK 2 15

This super-fl exible laptop brings huge Intel quad-core power and Nvidia GTX 1060 graphics to a thin frame, but also the ability to detach the screen and use it as a generously sized 15-inch tablet.

From $3,649, microsoft.com

GAMING PC

ALIENWARE AURORA R6

Compact, cool and nowhere near as ostentatious as many larger gaming PCs tend to be, the Aurora R6 (particularly in its water-cooled configuration) is a great way to get VR-gaming ready.

From $3,499, dell.com/au

4K MONITOR

SAMSUNG U28E590D

Everyone’s getting in on the 4K game, but Samsung’s 28-inch panel is yet to be bested. A 1ms response time means it’s perfect for even twitchy games, and 60Hz 4K action is just a DisplayPort away. $598, samsung.com/au

MECHANICAL KEYBOARD

COUGAR 700K

Made for serious gaming with every possible mod con – from the FPS wrist rest to repeat rates adjustable on the fly – with your choice of Cherry MX switches to get the exact experience you’re after. $155, cougargaming.com

PREMIUM TABLET

APPLE iPAD PRO

The iPad Pro is more than a tablet. It’s a creative toolkit, a processing powerhouse, and an essential addition to any mobile workflow, whether you opt for the 10.5-inch or 12.9-inch model.

From $979, apple.com/au

VALUE TABLET

SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB A 8.0

While it’s a budget device, don’t expect budget performance. The Galaxy Tab A 8.0 offers up everything you need for a smooth experience, and enough muscle to deal with anything you can throw at it. From $299, samsung.com/au