refresh rate
The 11 best Windows laptops to buy amid RAMageddon
Creator Playbook Look Up Back to School Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable Selects Say More Trending Now Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age Switch Off Mashable Voices Safety Net Versus All Series See how the Asus Zenbook A14, Dell XPS 13, and other top-rated models compare. Haley Henschel is a Chicago-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable who reviews and finds deals on popular tech, from laptops to gaming consoles and VPNs. She has years of experience covering shopping holidays and can tell you what's actually worth buying on Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Her work has also explored the driving forces behind digital trends within the shopping sphere, from dupes to 12-foot skeletons . All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Windows laptops run an impressive gamut from slick ultraportables to beastly gaming stations and approachable modular systems. Moreover, some newer models trounce MacBooks on battery life -- a feat made possible by the latest Intel and Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. Shopping for the best Windows laptops is no cakewalk these days. New AI data centers are hogging memory components, fueling a global RAM shortage that's led to steep PC price hikes . So, after testing nearly 50 Windows laptops (and counting) in the past two years, including models from top brands like Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo, we've identified the top laptops for every use case.
With laptop prices up, here's what's actually worth paying for
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Laptop prices are climbing due to rising memory costs. Here's what actually matters when choosing a screen, processor, RAM, and storage. This isn't the best time to be thinking about buying a computer. High memory prices have driven up the cost of almost everything.
Windows 11 can auto-adjust your monitor's refresh rate to save power
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Windows 11 can auto-adjust your monitor's refresh rate to save power Windows 11's Dynamic Refresh Rate saves energy by lowering your screen's refresh rate when you're not gaming. Here's how to enable it. Windows 11 supports the activation of a dynamic refresh rate (DRR) on monitors equipped with the relevant technology. When this feature is enabled, the operating system automatically adjusts the refresh rate to suit the user's activity.
Best of IFA 2026: 10 hot PC products and tech on the horizon
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Groundbreaking monitor refresh rates, cutting-edge laptop cooling, and a free app that harnesses all of your home's PCs for faster AI inferencing are just some of the products we're excited about. Like CES in Las Vegas, the IFA technology tradeshow that takes place every year in Berlin gives technology vendors and taste makers an opportunity to show off their latest and greatest wares, and consumers a chance to start planning their next purchases and saving their shekels. From a PC user's perspective, the category that got the most love this year was monitors, and we're here for it as innovations include esports-caliber OLED and truly affordable Mini LED. There are also some tasty laptops coming down the pike, some intriguing developments for consumer AI, and a few very promising hardware concepts that we're praying will make it to market.
The 6 Best Monitors That Actually Work Well With Macs
Macs are fantastic computers, but you'll need one of these great displays to complete your work-from-home setup. The Mac Mini is back. And so is the Mac Studio . They've been nearly impossible to buy for most of 2026 thanks to the rising demand for running AI models locally . Prices have risen, yes, but when new models go on sale in late September, they'll finally be out in the wild. And with that, you'll want a decent monitor to match. Whether you need something basic or you're a content creator looking for a high-end display, one of these monitors I've tested below should do the trick.
Lenovo takes the wraps off 2 new Nvidia RTX Spark laptops at IFA 2026
Look Up Trending Now Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age Creator Playbook Say More Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Switch Off Mashable Voices Mashable Selects Safety Net Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List All Series Haley Henschel is a Chicago-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable who reviews and finds deals on popular tech, from laptops to gaming consoles and VPNs. She has years of experience covering shopping holidays and can tell you what's actually worth buying on Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Her work has also explored the driving forces behind digital trends within the shopping sphere, from dupes to 12-foot skeletons . All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.
Acer made a 1,000Hz monitor, and yes, it costs over 1,000
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. The Acer Predator XB253Q U1 pushes esports displays into four-digit refresh rates, but the gains over today's fastest monitors come at a steep premium. Competitive esports players suddenly have an abundance of bleeding-edge monitor options coming out of IFA -- at least if you've got deep pockets. Mere hours ago, Dell revealed a 560Hz OLED monitor that does things traditional TN panels can't. And now, Acer is striking back with a glorious new TN monitor that pushes out frames at a speed OLED can't even dream of matching.
How HDMI Technology Delivers Smoother, More Immersive Gaming
Learn how HDMI features such as VRR, ALLM, QFT improve gaming and why enabling higher color bit depth improves display color. In computer and video gaming, connectivity plays a defining role in shaping the overall experience. HDMI technology has established itself for delivering both high-definition video and high-resolution audio through a licensed, tested and certified seamless connection. Its widespread adoption across gaming consoles, PCs, displays, and home entertainment systems makes it the most versatile and reliable interface for gamers of all levels. One of HDMI technology's greatest strengths is its ability to transmit uncompressed audio and video signals.
The pros and cons of using a TV as your computer monitor
You should also consider refresh rates, which affect the fluidity of movements on your screen. Typical monitors and TVs are locked at 60Hz. That's fine for spreadsheets and more static content, but if you like fast-moving video games, you'll benefit from a display with higher refresh rates like 120Hz. It's much easier to find a cheaper monitor with a higher refresh rate than a TV. Monitors are built for this.
Samsung just announced a 1,100Hz gaming monitor (yes, Im serious)
Say More Look Up Switch Off Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Creator Playbook Mashable Voices Trending Now Mashable Selects Safety Net Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List In My Bag All Series Samsung just announced a 1,100Hz gaming monitor (yes, I'm serious) Samsung's new 2027 Odyssey gaming monitors feature a curved 27-inch display and a 1,100 Hz refresh rate. Tabitha Britt is an award-winning freelance journalist, editor, and SEO/AEO strategist. Aside from reviewing dating apps and sex toys for Mashable, Tabitha is also the founding editor-in-chief of DO YOU ENDO -- a digital magazine by individuals with endometriosis, for individuals with endometriosis. She has a Master's degree in Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism from The New School for Social Research and is a grad of Sextech School. You can find more of her work in various online publications, including,, and .