CES was last week, and it was a massive show. As always, there was lots to see, but if you can't guess, most of my time is tied up meeting with PC manufacturers, so my best of CES list is going to be about the best Windows 10 PCs I saw. And indeed, there are quite a few nice ones.
I broke the list down into categories, as there's no such thing as the perfect PC for everyone. You might be looking for power for gaming, something that's ultra-portable, or just a great all-around machine. Let's dive in.
Best overall: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga
To be honest, I almost left this one off of the list, since Lenovo ditched the Lift and Lock keyboard, which retracts the keys into the device when you fold the display back. One of the things that I've always appreciated about Lenovo's premium ThinkPads is that they solve those little annoyances. Last year, the firm removed the option for an OLED display, and my favorite model is still the OLED one from two years ago.
With all of that said, I still think that this was the best overall machine at CES. ThinkPads are renowned for having the best keyboards, something that's super-important to me. There's also a 4K option now, which comes with Dolby Vision, and the speakers in the keyboard have far better audio quality than previous generations.
This year's model is made out of aluminum for the first time, and although it's a heavier material, the device is lighter at 2.99 pounds, it fits in a smaller footprint, and it's just as tough as previous generations. Lenovo builds the pen right into the device, so it's always with you.
Honorable mention: I pick the X1 Yoga because I prefer the additional functionality that comes with being able to fold the display back and use it as a tablet. But if you want a clamshell, check out the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, which weighs just 2.4 pounds.
Check out our hands-on article here.
Best gaming: Acer Predator Triton 900
The Predator Triton 900 is a gaming convertible that does not make any compromises. Unlike other gaming convertibles that we've seen, it has a full 45W Intel processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 graphics. But you can flip the display over and use it in different form factors.
In fact, it also comes with an Xbox Wireless Adapter, so you can flip the display like you see above, and just use the controller to play games. You can also fold the display to use it as a tablet, of course, which is better for mobile games. It's definitely one of the more unique and robust designs I've seen.
Check out our hands-on article here.
Best all-in-one: Lenovo Yoga A940
Sure, there weren't a whole bunch of all-in-one PCs announced at CES, but Lenovo's Yoga A940 is a Surface Studio killer. It's over a thousand dollars more inexpensive than Microsoft's AiO, and it's better in quite a few ways.
It improved on the Surface Dial by using USB ports on the sides, so the Lenovo Precision Dial isn't taking up valuable screen real estate. It also has a larger base. Not only does that allow for a real desktop processor, but there's also room to hold your mouse and keyboard on it for when the display is tilted down. There's even a wireless charging pad where the mouse is stored, so you can charge your phone.
Check out our hands-on article here.
Best convertible: LG gram 2-in-1
Weighing in at just over two and a half pounds, LG's new gram is the lightest convertible I've ever held, and it's kind of amazing. What's really cool about it though is that it doesn't make any compromises. The touchscreen has pen support, the trackpad is clickable, it has USB Type-A ports, and it has a full keyboard. These are all things that tend to be sacrificed in the name of being thin and light.
It also has a fingerprint sensor in the power button, which reads your fingerprint when you boot it up, rather than having to scan your fingerprint again after it's booted up. That's just one of those nifty features that I like to call out.
I think LG's gram laptops are among the most underrated around. They're incredibly light, but they really don't seem to make any compromises, with a U-series Intel Core processor and all of the things I mentioned above.
Check out our hands-on article here.
Best clamshell: Lenovo Yoga S940
Lenovo announced quite a few new devices at CES, as it always does. I expected the Yoga C730 to be my favorite, on account of the AMOLED display, but the S940 really blew me away. Just look at the bezels in the image above. It used curved glass all around the Dolby Vision UHD display, and it's just beautiful.
It also has AI sensors that can detect when someone is looking over your shoulder, or when you get up and walk away from your PC. There's an IR camera on top, so all you need to do is sit in front of your PC, and it will detect your presence and log you in.
Check out our hands on article here.
Most improved: Dell XPS 13
Dell's XPS 13 has always been one of the best clamshell laptops on the market, but it's always had one major flaw: the webcam is placed underneath the display in favor of smaller bezels. That changes this year though, as the firm finally managed to put a webcam on top of the screen without sacrificing bezel space. It did this by shrinking the webcam.
Check out our hands-on article here.
Best thin and light: Acer Swift 7
If you're looking for the kind of laptop that you can throw in your bag and feel like it's not even there, look no further than the Acer Swift 7. This guy weighs in at less than two pounds, making it one of the lightest clamshells around. It has a much smaller footprint than last year too, cutting out the massive bottom bezel for an incredible 92% screen-to-body ratio.
It makes some compromises though, with a 5W Intel Y-series processor, although that's exactly what those chips are made for. There are fewer compromises than previous generations, however, as the trackpad is now clickable and it supports touch.
Check out our hands-on article here.
Best display: HP Spectre x360 15
One thing that was really cool from CES is that we're seeing OLED displays make a comeback. While Lenovo put the technology in a mainstream convertible and Dell put it in gaming laptops, HP put a 4K AMOLED display on its most premium convertible, the Spectre x360 15. And it is absolutely beautiful.
OLED displays have more vibrant colors because they're rendered on top of true black, rather than on top of a backlight, which is what you'd get with an LCD. I'd love to see this technology, at least as an option, on everything.
Honorable mention: HP also announced Sure View Gen 3, the latest iteration of its privacy display. There are two significant changes: it looks dark now instead of white, and it works on 4K displays. The firm announced new devices with the technology, but none of them are offered in 4K, so that's something to look forward to later this year.
Check out our hands-on article here.
Honorable mention: Huawei MateBook 13
Huawei is calling its MateBook 13 a mainstream device, rather than premium, which is a space reserved for the MateBook X and MateBook X Pro. Still, it's pretty sexy, and it's got powerful internals like Intel Whiskey Lake processors and dedicated graphics. It's aimed at competing with the MacBook Air, and it's pretty solid.
We'll be receiving a review unit of the MateBook 13 later on this week, so stay tuned for that.
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