It used to be that the best gaming laptops were those that had Intel Core i7 processors, 8GB of RAM and any discrete graphics imaginable. Gaming laptops were so few and far between that it wasn’t a matter of whether they were good or not. Instead, the only question was ‘Can it run Crysis?’

In 2018, the best gaming laptops are entirely different from what they looked like in the past. There are ultra-thin portable solutions using Nvidia Max-Q technology, but you can still buy a clunky, powerful behemoth that can plow through every game you throw at it. And, now that Intel has released a wide range of 8th-generation Coffee Lake processors for laptops, including the Core i9-8950HK, there are no limits on what the best gaming laptops can do. 

So, whether you’re looking for a laptop that can handle work just as well as gaming, or you want a gigantic gaming behemoth, we have the recommendations you’re looking for. And, because we’ve tested, reviewed and ranked all the gaming laptops on this list, you can be confident that you’ll find the best gaming laptops for your needs right here on this list.

1. MSI GS65 Stealth

CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB GDDR5X VRAM, Max-Q) | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) anti-glare, wide-view 144Hz panel | Storage: 512GB M.2 SSD

Hailing in Coffee Lake to the world of the best gaming laptops, the MSI GS65 packs a ton of power into a very unassuming package. Rocking an 8th-generation Intel Core i7-8750H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU, there’s nothing that can stand in the way of this laptop. And, what’s better, thanks to its subdued design, you’ll be able to bring this power out wherever you go without having to hide your nerdy pastimes.

Read the full review: MSI GS65 Stealth 

2. Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501

CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (8GB GDDR5X VRAM) | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) anti-glare, wide-view 120Hz panel with G-Sync | Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe x4 SSD

Kicking Nvidia’s Max-Q technology off right, the Asus Zephyrus GX501 combines the heralded thinness of an Ultrabook with the performance of a gaming PC to bring the best of both worlds to your feet. Despite exhibiting subpar times in our battery life benchmarks, this svelte powerhouse of a notebook is one for the books when it comes to both portability and style. Plus, it’s virtually silent if noise is a cause for distraction in your everyday routine.

Read the full review: Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501

3. Razer Blade

CPU: 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB GDDR5 VRAM) | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 14-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800) IGZO (LED backlit, multi-touch) | Storage: 256GB – 1TB PCIe SSD

It may have an edgy name, and you may not be able to stick a bigger hard drive in it later, but the Razer Blade is built for stamina and, obviously, high quality graphics. On top of featuring a battery life over 7 hours and 30 minutes, it can handle up to 4K Ultra-HD gaming with the help of a Razer Core V2 external graphics box and a spare monitor. Or, you could opt in for the more recently added integrated 4K display option. However you choose, you’re in for a treat, we promise. 

Read the full review: Razer Blade

4. Asus ROG Strix GL502

CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 – 1070 | RAM: 16GB DDR4 | Screen: 15.6-inch full HD 1,920 x 1,080 IPS | Storage: 128GB – 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD

The Asus Strix GL502 may not boast the most innovative design, swapping out the usual black and red color scheme for one that makes it feel like Halloween year-round. But, it’s undoubtedly one of the best when it comes to gaming in 1080p. In fact, we were able to crank the settings all the way up in Overwatch without taking a hit below 60fps. The battery life is janky, sure, but the screen, performance and onboard sound system more than make up for it.

Read the full review: Asus ROG Strix GL502

5. Alienware 13 R3

CPU: Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB DDR4 | Screen: 13.3-inch HD 1,366 x 768 TN – QHD 2,560 x 1440 OLED touchscreen | Storage: 180GB – 512GB SSD

Unlike most laptops its size, the Alienware 13 R3 bears a hinge-forward design. By moving the heat sinks behind the screen, the chassis is allowed to be thinner, at 0.81-inch (0.22cm). Unfortunately, this means you won’t find many 13-inch laptop bags that will actually suit the Alienware 13 R3. While you may be tempted by the inclusion of a full-size Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, it’s the OLED touch display that caught our attention. 

Read the full review: Alienware 13 R3

6. Razer Blade Pro

CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB GDDR5) – 1080 (8GB GDDR5X) | RAM: 16 – 32GB | Screen: 17.3-inch, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) 120Hz matte IPS – UHD (3,840 x 2,160) IGZO touchscreen with G-Sync | Storage: 512GB – 2TB PCIe SSD

At long last, Razer has introduced a true desktop replacement that won’t weigh you down. Measuring in at only 0.88 inches thick with the option between a 17-inch 1080p display running at 120Hz or a G-Sync-laden 4K touchscreen, the Razer Blade Pro also introduces the company’s ultra-low-profile mechanical switches to a notebook for the first time ever. That’s a deal that’s only sweetened by an unusual trackpad placement that makes it comfier to boot.

Read the full review: Razer Blade Pro

7. Gigabyte SabrePro 15

CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) IPS wide-viewing angle display | Storage: 1TB HDD, 256GB SSD

For less than a grand and a half, you might not think it, but the Gigabyte SabrePro 15 is a bargain. In its price range, you won’t find a laptop with this level of performance. Although it’s only available in one configuration, the GTX 1060 is a nice change of pace considering most affordable gaming laptops struggle to run triple-A games beyond medium settings. That goes without mentioning the fantastic RGB keyboard and Microsoft Precision Touchpad.

Read the full review: Gigabyte SabrePro 15

• This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Asus ROG Strix GL502 

8. Alienware 17 R4

CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (2GB GDDR5) – GTX 1080 (8GB GDDR5X) | RAM: 8GB – 32GB | Screen: 17.3-inch, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – UHD (3,840 x 2,160) IPS anti-glare 300-nits | Storage: 128GB SSD, 1TB HDD – 2TB SSD, 1TB HDD

To be frank, Alienware hasn’t been a name typically associated with value. That seems to be changing with the Alienware 17 R4, which bears so many different customization options when it comes to specs that you can practically name your own price. Bespeckled with all of the signature elements we’ve come to expect from the brand, such as RGB backlit-accents and tons of ventilation, our only real qualm with the Alienware 17 R4 is a disappointing battery life.

Read the full review: Alienware 17 R4

9. Asus ROG G703

CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (8GB GDDR5X) | RAM: 32GB DDR4 | Screen: 17.3-inch, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) non-touch IPS | Storage: 512GB SSD, 1TB HDD

If you like your laptop thin, light and affordable with lengthy battery life, you’re going to have to look somewhere else. The Asus ROG G703, a hulking behemoth of a gaming laptop, takes the specs of a desktop PC and only ever so slightly squishes them down into a package that can more or less be taken anywhere. At 10.6lbs (4.8kg) and with a 17.3-inch screen, it won’t fit in your backpack, but with a graphics card and processor this powerful – does it really matter? 

Read the full review: Asus ROG G703

• This product is only available in the US and  Australia at the time of this writing. UK readers: check out a fine alternative in the Alienware 17 R4 

10. Gigabyte Aero 15X

CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB GDDR5) | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) LCD anti-glare | Storage: 512GB SSD

For those uninitiated, there are few names in gaming hardware as positively recognized as Gigabyte. The Aero 15X is further proof that all the credit is well deserved. It’s expensive, but no more so than the bulk of gaming laptops we see using Nvidia’s Max-Q design technology today. That means that the Gigabyte Aero 15X packs an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 into a frame that’s under 0.8 inches thick – thin enough to qualify as an Ultrabook.

Read the full review: Gigabyte Aero 15X

• This product is only available in the US and Australia at the time of this writing. UK readers: check out a fine alternative in the Razer Blade 

Watch the video below for the top 7 things to consider when buying a laptop.

Gabe Carey has also contributed to this article

http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/laptops/best-gaming-laptops-top-5-gaming-notebooks-reviewed-1258471

While the Sonos One has been available Down Under since early this year, the voice-enabled speaker launched without any, erm, voice support in Australia.

That changes today, however. Sonos has released a free software update that will allow Australian owners of the speaker to enable Amazon’s Alexa assistant on the device, with the firmware side of things handled directly via the companion app.

Joining the US, Canada, the UK and Germany, Australian Sonos One users will now be able to issue Alexa commands and have their speaker perform many common AI-assistant tasks, the notable exception being making phone calls.

“iHeart you, Alexa”

Music is obviously a key area for Sonos, and audio aficionados can get Alexa to control their Sonos systems with voice support for streaming tunes from Amazon Music, Spotify, iHeartRadio and TuneIn.

Alexa will also be able to read out the latest headlines from TEN Eyewitness News, reserve a table at a restaurant through its Dimmi skill, provide travel updates from Qantas and, of course, control smart home devices.

Although Sonos speakers now have Audible audiobook support, users cannot start a narration via voice – it still needs to be initialised using the Sonos app. However, once book playback has been started, Alexa can adjust the volume via voice commands.

Sonos has also announced that it will continue to add updates throughout 2018, with AirPlay 2 and Google Assistant support also expected to arrive before the end of the year.

http://www.techradar.com/news/sonos-one-gets-alexa-support-in-australia

In the wake of the ongoing Cambridge Analytica scandal and questions around its ability to impact elections, Facebook’s been trying to reassure both users and governments that it takes its responsibilities seriously. 

The latest remedy the company has released to try and deal with its public image problem comes in the form of a new video, which looks fondly back on what made the platform so successful in its earlier days, and self-critically examines what factors have caused its downhill slide since.

Aside from some rather vague ‘we need to do better’ statements from CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the new advert is the closest the company’s come to admitting that it has a serious image issue and that it has substantially strayed from its initial intentions.

“We came here for the friends”, the video’s voiceover begins, before rolling through a string of examples of simpler online interactions that apparently made us feel “a little less alone”.

“But then something happened,” it continues, before explaining that problems started when “we had to deal with spam, clickbait, fake news, and data misuse.”

However, “from now on,” says the video, “Facebook will do more to keep you safe and protect your privacy.”

The crux of the ad is that the company will at least try to return its focus to the ‘friends and family’ aspects of the service, and in doing so, steer away from the current affairs and political news content maelstrom that it has become.

Network repair

The video will apparently run on TV, online and in cinemas through till July, and forms part of a massive campaign that the company is undertaking to restore its image in the wake of the recent scandals.

Physical adverts railing against fake news, spam and clickbait have also been seen around various major US cities over the last month and are expected to start hitting more locations as the campaign continues.

People and their pockets

Despite the ongoing crisis that the company faces, Facebook’s reported earnings for the first quarter of 2018 have beaten Wall Street’s estimates, although they are still down since the previous quarter.

After having consistently risen by between $1-2 billion each quarter throughout 2017, the first three months of 2018 saw earnings fall from $12.97 to $11.97 billion. The company’s quarterly report reveals that 98.5 percent of that came from advertising revenue.

Despite the drop in earnings, the number of daily and monthly active users also continues to climb, with a jump of 50 and 70 million users respectively, quarter-on-quarter. This brings the numbers up to 1.45 billion daily and 2.2 billion monthly active users.

http://www.techradar.com/news/facebooks-new-ad-campaign-admits-the-social-network-has-lost-its-way