Portable power
Why a laptop should appeal no matter your needs
Welcome to the May issue of PC Advisor. If you’re thinking of buying a new PC, chances are you’re considering a laptop. But the choice is made more complex these days with the plethora of hybrids which want to offer you the best of both laptop and tablet worlds.
When it comes to Windows devices, you’ll find the broadest choice. Microsoft itself has a surprising range, which now includes the Surface Book. It’s like the Surface Pro 4 at first glance, but it’s designed to be a laptop first and foremost, not a tablet with an optional keyboard. You can read our review on page 16, but if you don’t have thousands to spend there are plenty of other hybrids starting from around £250.
Not everyone wants a 2-in-1 device, and we’ve rounded up a selection of powerful laptops starting on page 60, which should appeal no matter what your priorities. If gaming is your number one consideration, the Asus RoG G752 and Alienware 17 – pages 19 and 22 – should be on your shortlist.
The humble desktop PC isn’t as desirable as it once was, but it’s still the best choice for gaming. And it doesn’t have to cost the earth. While it isn’t always cheaper to build your own, it’s fun and much easier than you might thing. Our step-by-step guide on page 88 will guide you through the whole process, which can take as little as 45 minutes. From a boxful of components to a PC running Windows 10, we explain how it’s done, and you can even use our recommended parts list to build a rig capable of playing the latest games for under £500.
Building a PC is something anyone can do, but if you’d rather pay someone else to put together a top-quality gaming system then check out Chillblast’s Fusion Nano Fury on page 25. This is one of the smallest we’ve seen to pack the kind of 3D power you’d normally associate with a massive graphics card housed in a huge tower case.
Even the Nano is huge compared to many of the 14 palm-sized PCs that you’ll find on page 82. They may not match the Chillblast’s performance but some can plug into an HDMI port on the back of your monitor and are so small you won’t even know they’re there. They can be cheap, too, starting at just £4 for the Raspberry Pi Zero.
We’re fans of all kinds of gadgets, but especially those that make your life easier. Enter the Tile and TrackR Bravo on pages 56 and 57, Bluetooth tags that can be attached to your keys, bike, wallet or pretty much anything and – with the assistance of your smartphone – will help you find it when you lose it. They’re cheap and they also make great gifts, so check out our reviews on page 56 to see which one is the best.