We've been searching through all this year's Labor Day sales, and one thing is clear: A genuine 4K business monitor for $200 is still a rare find, so this deal really stood out to us. the Samsung ViewFinity S70H is down to $200 (was $300) at Amazon.

This 27-inch 4K UHD monitor has an IPS panel, HDR10, and Samsung's built-in eye-comfort features. Whether you're upgrading a home office setup or adding a second display for multitasking, this is the most compelling Labor Day monitor deals we've seen yet.

Why we recommend it

4K UHD resolution at this price point is still uncommon, and the extra pixel density makes a real difference for text sharpness and general productivity compared to a standard 1080p or 1440p display. The IPS panel and 178-degree viewing angle also mean consistent color and brightness even if you're not sitting dead center.

HDR10 support and Samsung's Eye Saver Mode, which reduces blue light and prevents flicker, make this a comfortable choice for anyone spending long hours in front of a screen. Samsung's Display Manager software adds useful extras like split-screen layouts and brightness presets without needing third-party tools.

With both HDMI and DisplayPort inputs, it's flexible enough to pair with a laptop, desktop, or games console without needing an adapter.

Price Context & Historical Value

This is the lowest ever price for this Samsung monitor, according to CamelCamelCamel. A $100 drop from $299.99 to $199.99 is a genuine markdown, around 33 percent off, and a strong price for a 4K monitor with HDR10 and IPS color accuracy.

Monitor pricing can fluctuate around major sales events, so it's worth confirming the price is still live at checkout, but this is a solid entry point into 4K at home if you've been waiting for the right price.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Samsung ViewFinity S70H if...

You want a genuine 4K monitor for work or media at a budget-friendly price, you want HDR10 support and Samsung's Eye Saver mode for long screen sessions, or you need both HDMI and DisplayPort inputs for a flexible desk setup.

❌ Skip the Samsung ViewFinity S70H if...

You want a high refresh rate for gaming, since this is a 60Hz panel, you need USB-C connectivity or a built-in KVM switch, or you're after a larger screen than 27 inches.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

This 4K monitor has a 60Hz panel. That's ideal for general office tasks, but it's not built for high-frame-rate gaming. It also skips USB-C connectivity and a built-in KVM switch, both of which appear on some pricier ViewFinity models. For everyday productivity and media use, none of that should matter much.

• Shop the full Labor Day sale at Amazon

The MSI PRO MP243 is a slim-bezel monitor that delivers nearly everything you would want from a low-cost display. At the same time, it’s exactly what you would expect when you hear the words “budget monitor.”

It’s not going to impress you with flashy features, and it’s not going to win any performance awards. It's not the very best business monitor we've ever tested. But what it does offer, however, is a sleek design, an easy setup, and enough of what most people need to make it a practical choice for everyday work in the office or home.

Maybe you need a larger screen for your home office, or perhaps you just bought a mini PC or Mac mini and need an affordable display to go along with it. It could also work well as a second monitor in a dual-screen setup. In those cases, the MP243 does the job.

MSI PRO MP243: Price and availability

The price is where the MP243 really starts to make sense.

At around $120, you are getting a 23.8-inch IPS panel, a 144Hz refresh rate, Adaptive-Sync, HDMI, DisplayPort, built-in speakers, VESA support, and a clean white design.

That is a good group of features for a monitor in this price range.

One of the closest alternatives is the Dell SE2426HS. It has a similar 23.8-inch Full HD IPS panel, 144Hz refresh rate, Adaptive-Sync, and VESA support. The Dell also has a height-adjustable stand, which is a real advantage over the tilt-only stand on the MSI.

The MSI does have a few advantages of its own. It includes built-in speakers and DisplayPort, and the white finish gives it a cleaner look than most budget monitors.

At a lower sale price, the MSI is an easy monitor to recommend. At around $120, it is still a good option, but there are more competitors worth considering.

It really comes down to what matters more to you. If you want the white design, built-in speakers, and DisplayPort, the MSI is a good pick. If you care more about stand adjustment (and a higher resolution), there are better options.

MSI PRO MP243: Unboxing and First Impressions

Most of the monitor and stand are plastic, but they don’t really feel cheap. It’s lightweight enough that I’d still be careful when putting it together and taking it apart.

Everything included in the box is white, even down to the cables, which gives the setup a uniform look. If you’re someone who likes a certain aesthetic, I think you’ll appreciate that everything matches.

The monitor is really simple to put together. Everything just clicks in, and then you’re good to go. The back of the stem includes a cable-management clip for routing your power and display cables. It is a small feature, but it helps keep the back of your desk a little cleaner.

The top of the base includes a simple organizer slot. It’s big enough that you can put a USB adapter, thumb drive, or anything else in there that would otherwise just be sitting on top of your desk. It's an unexpected little feature that actually turned out to be useful.

MSI advertises it as a spot to hold your phone. You can place your phone in landscape and, depending on your workflow, use it as a secondary screen or simply keep it visible for notifications, your calendar, or something similar. It’s not a huge feature by any means, but it’s another small touch I appreciated that adds to the overall practicality of the monitor.

MSI PRO MP243: Design & Build Quality

The monitor’s control button is on the back right side. It doubles as both the power button and the joystick for navigating the menu.

The monitor keeps things simple when it comes to connectivity. It has one HDMI port, one DisplayPort, and one 3.5mm headphone jack. Both display inputs support 1080p at refresh rates up to 144Hz.

Honestly, support for up to 144Hz is a nice bonus for this price range, even if it’s clearly built for office work first. It's not necessary, but it's handy and opens up the customers for this monitor a little bit as well.

The MP243 has the standard settings you would expect, including brightness, contrast, sharpness, volume, and color controls. It also includes a few MSI-specific features that are worth mentioning.

MSI’s EyesErgo features include Less Blue Light, Anti-Flicker, and an anti-glare coating. These are all meant to make the monitor easier on your eyes during longer work sessions. If you spend most of your day reading emails, writing, or working through spreadsheets, they are nice features to have.

There is also an Eye-Q Check feature that gives you basic reminders for posture, eye fatigue, and taking breaks. It is not a feature I would buy the monitor for, but it makes sense on something that is primarily designed for office use.

The monitor supports Adaptive-Sync, HDR Ready, and refresh rates up to 144Hz. Adaptive-Sync can help reduce screen tearing, while 144Hz makes scrolling through webpages and moving things around the screen feel smoother than it would on a basic 60Hz monitor.

One of the more useful features of this monitor is its support for VESA mounting. The obvious benefit is that the monitor can be attached to a compatible wall mount or monitor arm. However, I think the more interesting use case is mounting a compatible mini PC directly to the back of the monitor.

Pairing this monitor with any of the best mini PCs is a more affordable alternative to a prebuilt all-in-one desktop. The computer stays out of sight, you can use shorter cables, and the whole setup takes up less space and looks cleaner.

I’m a stickler for cable management and keeping electronics as organized as possible. Being able to mount a mini PC behind the monitor, hide most of the hardware, and cut down on visible cables really adds to the value of this monitor.

The MP243 uses a 24-inch IPS panel with a claimed viewing angle of 178 degrees.

The bezels are thin along the left, right, and top edges, while the bottom bezel is slightly thicker. Combined with the white finish, the slim borders give the monitor a more high-end appearance than its price might suggest.

That is where this monitor arguably shines the most. It looks sleek, occupies relatively little space, and can blend naturally into a clean home-office environment.

The actual display is more conventional. Its 1080p resolution and standard image-quality features are appropriate for email, web browsing, documents, spreadsheets, and other everyday office tasks.

You can do just about anything with it, of course, but if you're trying to edit photos or creative content on this, you may miss some things you would catch on a higher end monitor, it also just won't look as clear.

MSI PRO MP243: In use

One thing I actually didn’t mind was virtual meetings on this monitor. While I didn't have the clearest images of everyone, I didn't feel the virtual meeting was degraded or compromised in any way when using this screen.

The monitor includes two built-in 2W stereo speakers. The best comparison I can make is that they sound like basic laptop speakers without Dolby features or any other processing trying to make them sound better than they are.

It was good enough to hear clear audio, but I won't be listening to music through this anytime soon. If you do not already own desktop speakers, they are enough to get started. You can always add better speakers or headphones later.

I also connected an Xbox Series X and tested the monitor with Overwatch. It worked and the game was “playable.” However, the deficiencies were pretty noticeable when compared to my dedicated gaming monitor, which was already around five years old.

The 144Hz refresh rate may make it seem gaming-friendly on paper, but refresh rate alone doesn’t define the overall experience. For casual gaming, especially with a system limited to Full HD, it gets the job done.

I would not buy it specifically for gaming, though. Anyone shopping primarily for gaming should look elsewhere, which makes sense as this is more of a budget business monitor, despite the 144Hz tag that will get gamers excited.

MSI PRO MP243: Final verdict

The MSI PRO MP243 is best suited to someone who wants to upgrade or expand a home-office setup without spending much money.

Its strongest qualities are its clean design, compact footprint, useful stand, cable-management features, built-in speakers, and support for VESA mounting systems. It provides the basic features most people need for regular office work while looking better than many inexpensive monitors.

Its limitations are just as clear, though. It’s only 1080p, the build is lightweight, and while it supports 144Hz, I wouldn’t recommend buying it specifically for gaming. That doesn’t make it a bad product. It just means it should be purchased for the right reasons.

This is a practical choice for emails, documents, web browsing, secondary-screen use, casual media consumption, and compact desktop setups. If you’re not concerned about having 4K, it offers a straightforward and affordable way to add more screen space to your desk.

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: two-minute review

The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is a high-octane handheld games console that can run PC and Xbox games from a wide range of game stores. With the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chipset — featuring the Intel Arc B390 GPU and 32GB RAM — it’s easily the most powerful portable console I’ve ever (quite literally) gotten my hands on. But there’s a pretty huge catch to that performance: a price tag that would buy you two Steam Deck OLEDs or a mid-price gaming laptop.

Let’s start with the superficial stuff: the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ looks gorgeous. Its screen is an extensive eight inches across, offers wonderfully rich colors and a silky-smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Combined with its discreet RGB lighting around the asymmetrically placed thumbsticks and Void Purple colorway, it has a unique look that definitely helps it stand out from the crowd.

But its design goes far beyond aesthetics. Its Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers should not only offer greater longevity, but they felt really responsive, even if they’re not quite as sensitive as the TMR versions now offered by some controllers. Meanwhile, it felt perfectly ergonomic in my hands — I was genuinely surprised how light it felt for a 1.73 lb / 786g console — although its laser-etched grips sure made my hands feel sweaty, for some reason.

What cements the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ as one of the best handheld games consoles out there, though, is its performance. It’s the first gaming handheld on the market with the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chipset and, boy, does that have a pronounced effect on how it plays. While benchmarks showed it offered similar CPU performance to the recent Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, thanks to its Intel Arc B390 GPU and 32GB RAM, it managed to smash its 3D Mark benchmarks by between 35% and 76% — that’s a significant performance upgrade.

Numbers only tell part of the story, though: what was the Claw actually like in action? Well, Baldur’s Gate 3 looked truly gorgeous on Ultra graphics settings and yet it hovered around a decent 38fps. Meanwhile, despite only being released in 2025, both Doom: The Dark Ages and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 played at a rock-solid 60fps — whether I was punching demons to death or countering devastating attacks, there wasn’t a hint of latency or lag. Even the boss-level challenge of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered hit 60fps at points… before plunging to a stuttery mess in busier areas. Still that’s impressive stuff for a handheld console.

But the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has a pretty huge barrier to Fosbury flop over: its price. In return for its premium components, you’ll pay a seriously premium price tag of $1,799.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,849. Not only is that significantly higher than any other gaming handheld to date, it’s also as expensive as some mid-range gaming laptops.

And that presents an enormous problem for the Claw. Despite the fact that some of the best gaming laptops come in at a similar price, many of them offer superior performance in our benchmark tests. Now don’t get me wrong: no gaming laptop offers the kind of ergonomics or compact form factor you get here, but I do have doubts that the pro gamers that can afford this kind of device will be willing to trade performance simply for the sake of increased maneuverability.

That’s a real shame because in almost every respect, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is a fantastic gaming handheld that has really stretched my expectations of what this kind of device is capable of. I want one. And you should too. But I’m not convinced either of us will be able to justify the spend.

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: price & availability

Having launched on June 23, 2026, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is available now. As you can see from the specs — or if you took sneaky peak at the benchmarks in the performance section — it’s seriously mighty for a gaming handheld.

It’s the first handheld console on the market that rocks the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chipset, which includes the 12-core Intel Arc B390 GPU and a hefty 32GB RAM. That puts it considerably ahead of most of its competitors, even if it can’t quite rival any of the best gaming laptops for sheer processing punch.

Unfortunately, like the hero in a Greek tragedy — or Oddyseus, apparently — it has a fatal flaw. The price. At $1,799.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,849, its cost is possibly the most eye-watering thing I’ve come across in a while and that includes all the people on social media that bragged about raw-dogging the solar eclipse in August. While the price tag here might not literally melt your retinas, it’s likely to give you second thoughts.

By comparison, we threw some shade on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X for its price on its release — and that only retailed for $999.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,599. The Claw 8 EX AI+’s sticker price outstrips every other handheld console by quite some margin, sitting more up the gaming laptop end of the spectrum. For example, a mid-spec Alienware 16X Aurora, with Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 and 32GB DDR5, goes for $1,999.99 / £1,799 (around AU$2,800). Ultimately, I think there aren’t going to be that many mainstream gamers able to pay this price and those that do are going to expect stellar performance in return.

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: specs

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: design

I’ll be honest: when I first picked up the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, I was pretty shocked by how light and manageable it felt. Fundamentally, this is not a small console — it’s as broad-shouldered as the Steam Deck OLED or the Lenovo Legion Go S and weighs in at 1.73 lbs / 786g, which is the heaviest gaming portable I’ve gotten my hands on to date. But despite this, it never felt at all bloated, sitting comfortably in my grasp.

I’d chalk this up to its ergonomic design. On top of feeling well balanced, it offers flared grips, unlike previous iterations of the MSI Claw. These sat really comfortably in my hands, although they aren’t quite as easy to wrap your hands around as the controller-mimicking forked grips of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X.

This was also helped by the laser-etched texture of its grips, which enabled me to keep a decent grasp on the Claw. But I will say they aren’t quite as comfortable as those on some of the best Xbox controllers I’ve tested, feeling a little on the rough side and quickly getting sweaty as I tried to splat sakapatates in Clair Obscure: Expedition 33.

The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ also left a pretty good impression on some of my other senses too. No, I didn’t lick it — I’m talking visual appeal here, rather than gustatory. Subtle RGB lighting around each of the thumbsticks is my personal highlight, although I’ll also give its gentle curves and Void Purple colorway honorable mentions as well. Honestly, I’m a little less jazzed about the way the screen juts out past the bottom of the device, but this does seem to be a more common look these days, with the jutting grips of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X creating a similar effect.

Speaking of screens, despite it not quite rocking the richness of the Steam Deck’s OLED display, the Claw 8 EX AI+ has a beautiful looking screen. As a result of its expansive eight-inch breadth and 16:10 aspect ratio, it rocks a 1920 x 1200 resolution, not to mention a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Every game I played always felt detailed and smoother than whipped cream under a heat lamp. Meanwhile, its 500 nit typical brightness felt plenty bright enough in most settings — on max brightness, I even found I was able to play it outside, although when I faced it directly toward the blazing August sun, it was quickly overpowered by the fiery onslaught.

Anyone familiar with previous incarnations of the MSI Claw will be pretty familiar with the layout here. The Claw 8 EX AI+ has the same combo of asymmetrical thumbsticks, Xbox-style face buttons and vertically aligned Menu, MSI Center M, View and Quick Setting buttons that you’ll have seen on previous iterations. There’s only two macro buttons on its rear, which honestly feels a bit stingy compared to the four offered by the Steam Deck and many Xbox controllers.

On the plus side, the Claw 8 EX AI+ is packing both Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers — as well as preventing the inexorable drift issues that plague potentiometer thumbsticks, Hall effect sticks and triggers also offer smaller deadzones and increased sensitivity. They’re not quite as sensitive as the marginally fancier TMR thumbsticks and triggers you see in a lot of premium controllers these days but I’m not aware of any portable consoles that offer those currently.

So for the most part, its control scheme is suitably versatile. The only area it falls a little short is the lack of built-in mouse control for games that require a cursor. Unlike the Steam Deck’s super flexible trackpads or the quirky hybrid mouse-cons offered by the Nintendo Switch 2 and Lenovo Legion Go 2, the only way I could mimic a mouse input on the Claw 8 EX AI+ was by jabbing its touchscreen with my greasy hand-sausages. That ain’t gonna cut it for some Steam and Windows games. Now, in MSI’s defense, it has never pitched the Claw as a substitute for PC gaming, but it is a shame that some sections of my Steam library will lay tantalizingly just out of reach. Of course, I could connect a mouse via USB or Bluetooth, but that then prevents the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ from being as portable.

Another criticism I have is the fingerprint scanner. While I appreciate that these narrow scanners are space-efficient, they’re not efficient in any other sense of the word. Every single time I tried to log in to the MSI Claw, I found I had to pop my pinky on the scanner three or four times just to access the home screen. Given my MacBooks’ Touch ID readers require just a single tap to unlock, I honestly wish MSI found a way to squeeze in a circular scanner here.

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: performance

While the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+’s looks are impressive, what makes it exceptional is what’s going on underneath the surface. While gaming handhelds have previously involved some performance tradeoffs in return for their diminutive size, that’s not the case here, thanks to the Herculean Intel Arc G3 Extreme chipset it’s packing. MSI claims that the Arc G3 Extreme should unlock 42% faster performance on average compared to the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme that the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is rocking, although this requires a little unpacking.

Certainly, performance benchmarks alone don’t suggest the Arc G3 Extreme is leading the field. The Claw 8 EX AI+ hit 2,492 single-core performance and 12,550 multi-core performance in our GeekBench tests, compared to the 2,788 and 12,883 scores nabbed respectively by the ROG Xbox Ally X. So for raw processing power, there’s not a huge amount of light between the two chipsets, with the Ryzen Z2 Extreme taking a narrow lead.

But factor in graphical performance and Intel’s SoC absolutely spanks AMD’s. With the help of the Intel Arc GPU B390, the Claw 8 EX AI+ gets some seriously punchy 3D performance — in our 3DMark benchmarks, it scored 3,544 in Port Royal, 12,358 in Fire Strike and 6,534 in Time Spy, compared to the 2,006, 9,141 and 4,033 the ROG Xbox Ally X hit. Those are 76%, 35% and 62% increases respectively, gains which show the Claw’s graphics are seriously swole.

And that translates to some staggeringly smooth performance in-game. On Ultra settings, Total War: Warhammer 3 comfortably averaged out at 81.3fps, while on Low settings Dirt 5 ran smoother than a nitro cold brew at 95.7fps and still managed a very creditable 48.3fps on Ultra. But what blew me away most is how well it ran Cyberpunk 2077 on Ultra settings with ray-tracing disabled, netting a reasonably polished 43fps — that’s downright playable and throws some serious shade on the ROG Xbox Ally X, which only managed 8fps.

Unfortunately, while these benchmarks are impressive compared to other gaming handhelds, at this price those aren’t the Claw’s biggest competition. Several of our picks for the best gaming laptops have costs in the same region and yet offer significantly better performance.

For example, the Alienware 16X Aurora with Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 and 32GB DDR5 we tested costs only a few hundred dollars / pounds more at $1,999.99 / £1,799. And yet its performance is leagues ahead of the Claw, hitting a 3DMark Time Spy score of 13,594 and Fire Strike score of 31,480 — that’s double and nearly triple the Claw’s scores respectively. Naturally, you’re not getting the same compact form factor but I wonder how much that truly matters for the kinds of gamers that are willing to drop almost one and a half grand on a pro gaming device.

Okay, enough nerding out over numbers. Time to focus on the thing you actually care about: how the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ actually feels to play.

Honestly, what the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is capable of kinda blew me away. As those benchmarks would suggest, it can offer ludicrously smooth frame rates. Playing a 2D game like Hollow Knight: Silksong, it remained rock solid at 120Hz, with all the action as Hornet zipped around the rich, mysterious landscapes of Pharloom as slick as ice on a spring day.

Granted, that might not feel like much of a challenge, but this unflappable stability carried over when I transitioned to modern 3D games. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ran at a wonderfully smooth 60fps. Rather than having to strip it down to the basic visuals required to get it running on the Steam Deck, it actually looked pretty great and ran so stably I was able to crack out counter after counter on chromatic bosses. Being able to enjoy the game on the go felt like such a novelty that I’d honestly be happy to mop up the game’s remaining optional bosses purely on handheld.

Keen to push the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ to breaking point, I even tried playing a bit of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered on Xbox. I’ll admit my expectations were pretty low here, as I’ve heard plenty of people complaining about performance issues on their 5000 series Nvidia GPUs. And yet, amazingly, it was playable.

Well, kinda. With the graphics settings on Low while in the depths of Xedilian, performance plowed along steadily at 60fps, which is truly wild for a AAA Bethesda game. However, it didn’t take long for it to start exhibiting some pretty hinky behavior — sporadically I encountered some audio stuttering and, once I entered a more densely populated open area, the frame rate dropped so far it was more 19th century zoetrope than an RPG from 2025. But I feel like most gaming handhelds would spontaneously combust if you even had the cheek to try this, so Imma still put this one in the win column for MSI.

On top of this, the Claw 8 EX AI+ seems to be able to keep a cool head during all of this. In comparison to its predecessor, the Claw 8 AI+, MSI promises the EX AI+ can achieve an extra 5W cooling capacity, 25% higher static pressure for fans, and 9% higher airflow, thanks to fans that are 0.5mm taller. I can’t speak to how accurate such granular figures are but certainly even slamming out epic boss fights or pushing the CPU to its limit, I rarely noticed the EX AI+ getting unbearably warm, which speaks to the strength of its cooling.

What the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is capable of is honestly pretty staggering. The only criticisms I have come down to software and input issues.

The Claw’s MSI Center M launcher felt a little unreliable. Occasionally, I got locked out from being able to access it — hitting the MSI button did nothing, and switching between windows just returned me to the Xbox app. On top of this, sometimes switching out to this menu then returning to a game would lock the input, meaning I could no longer use controller settings till I’d switched out and back again. That’s not a total deal-breaker, but it is a shame, given how stable the Steam and Xbox OSes feel by comparison, and shows that even the mighty MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ isn't immune to Windows 11's unsuitability for gaming handhelds.

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: battery

Given its huge 80Whr battery capacity, I was expecting the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ to have some serious endurance. Unlike the ephemeral life I get out of my 40Whr Steam Deck — where I’m lucky if I get 90 minutes out of many 3D games — the whopping battery in the Claw had me anticipating some pretty epic gaming sessions. Which is why I was a bit bemused by the actual results I eked out during our benchmarks.

Running our standard PC Mark 10 Gaming Battery benchmark with all the settings switched to balanced in both MSI Center M and Windows 11, I was shocked to see the battery discharged from 100% to 0% in just 1 hour 36 minutes. So sure was I that I must have made a mistake, I recalibrated the battery using the Claw’s built-in software, revisited all the settings and ran the benchmark two more times. Despite this, I was only able to squeeze out 1 hour 40 minutes and 2 hours 31 minutes on subsequent tests.

Certainly that’s not completely incompatible with my objective experience — on the console’s default AI Mode, I comfortably drained its full battery in a two-hour play session of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, for example. But that’s an incredibly demanding game, even for the MSI’s specs, and 2D games didn’t seem quite as thirsty in comparison.

So what’s going on here? Ruling out a fault with my review unit, I suspect that the capacious 80Whr battery the unit ships with is only part of the picture when it comes to the life you’ll squeeze out of it. The more important part? Its AI performance mode.

While our standard benchmarks set consoles and gaming laptops to balanced mode, the default performance mode for the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ automatically adjusts its power consumption on the fly for the best efficiency in any given moment. That means the mode you’re most likely to play it on will stretch out the battery life without causing a noticeable dip in performance.

Even when the battery has run dry, it doesn’t take long to top it up again. With its 65W charging, you’d expect it to take about 90 minutes to juice up that 80Whr battery — and that’s bang in line with my experiences. When plugged into a cable capable of at least 65W, charging up the Claw only ever took around an hour and a half. However, I did occasionally experience some glitchy behavior here, with progress freezing at 98% or 99% full even when left for 20 minutes, suggesting the console’s battery monitoring software can occasionally be a touch off.

Should I buy the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: also consider

How I tested the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

• Tested it over two weeks
• Tried playing a wide range of titles at different graphics settings
• Conducted TechRadar’s full suite of testing benchmarks

I tested the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ over the course of two weeks. I made sure to play a wide variety of games from multiple game stores, whether they were from TechRadar’s Steam library or Xbox Games Pass Ultimate. On top of this, I tried out a wide variety of games at different graphics settings, from relatively undemanding 2D games to AAA 3D titles.

When it comes to more detailed assessments of its performance, I conducted our usual suite of benchmarks. Not only did that entail getting detailed performance scores from 3DMark and GeekBench 6.5, but I also conducted a range of in-game fps benchmarks at both ultra and low graphics settings. To test the console’s battery life, I ran multiple PC Mark 10 Gaming Battery tests to see how rapidly it drained the battery from 100% and I also timed how long it took to charge the console from 0% to 100% using a cable that was rated more than its 65W max charging rate.

During my career, I’ve tested a wide variety of gaming gadgets and accessories, from wireless controllers to gaming handhelds. I’ve also invested a truly ludicrous amount of my four decades on this Earth playing computer games, whether they be RPGs, action adventure games or creative sandboxes. And while I’m a little hazy on the details, I’m told this investment will pay dividends any day now.

• First reviewed: August 2026
• Read more about how we test

MSI's monitor range has consistently impressed us in tests, whether you're looking for an office upgrade, a new gaming set-up, or a back-to-school display for pulling double-duty. With that in mind, I found a great budget monitor deal on the MSI Pro MP272LE for $90 (was $120) at Amazon.

Now, a 27-inch monitor for under $90 is easy to find. One that adds a genuinely fast panel and proper mounting options without leaning on gaming branding is less common. Which I why I like this budget monitor built to handle spreadsheets, browser tabs, and video calls with room to spare.

Why we recommend it

Most budget monitors in this price range cut corners somewhere, whether that is a narrow viewing angle, a slow response time, or a bare-bones port selection.

MSI's Pro MP272LE avoids most of that by pairing an IPS panel with a wide connectivity spread that covers HDMI, DisplayPort, and VGA, which matters if you are connecting an older desktop tower or a laptop dock alongside a newer machine.

The panel itself is fast for what is fundamentally an office monitor, with a 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time. That is more than most productivity work needs, but it makes for noticeably smoother scrolling and window dragging, which adds up over a full workday.

Physical adjustability is often the first thing cut on a budget display, and MSI has kept tilt adjustment and VESA mount compatibility here. That means it can go on a monitor arm or stand if your desk setup calls for it, rather than being locked to a fixed height.

For more top picks, see our guide to the best business monitors.

Price Context & Historical Value

A $30 drop from $119.99 to $89.99 works out to a 25 percent discount, a solid markdown for a 27-inch IPS monitor with this port selection. It puts the MP273 E14A comfortably below most 27-inch IPS monitors at full price, and it is a fair price even without factoring in the discount.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the MSI PRO MP273 E14A if...

You want a 27-inch IPS panel for office work at a low price, need HDMI, DisplayPort, and VGA inputs to support an older or mixed setup, or want VESA mounting and tilt adjustment for a proper desk setup.

❌ Skip the MSI PRO MP273 E14A if...

You specifically want a monitor marketed and optimized for gaming, you need a higher resolution than Full HD for detailed spreadsheet or design work, or you are looking for USB-C connectivity for a single-cable laptop setup.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

We haven't reviewed this exact configuration, so this recommendation is based on the monitor's specifications and MSI's general track record in the monitor category rather than hands-on testing. MSI markets this model with gaming-oriented features like a 144Hz refresh rate, even though the panel and port selection make it just as suitable, if not more so, for office use. If you want a monitor built and marketed purely for productivity, it is worth comparing against MSI's non-gaming office lineup before buying.

• See all monitor deals at Amazon.

Over the last couple of days, I've become intimately aware of basically every product on sale at the new MSI UK Store than I thought one human ever could be. Why? Well, it's all because of a launch promotion that gives you the chance to buy one product each day for just £1.

As part of the MSI Cheat Code event, a voucher code has been hidden on one of the category or product pages on the MSI Store. The task is simple: search through those pages to find the hidden code, enter it at the checkout, and you'll come away with the product of the day for a single pound coin.

The catch, of course, is that the code is squirreled away in one of the hundreds of pages that make up the site. Plus, there's only one code available. So, as soon as someone finds it and uses it, the offer for the day expires.

Quite how or where it's hidden, I can't say for sure. It could be just in a part of the item description, or superimposed over one of the product images, or maybe even just hidden as white text somewhere on the page. I honestly don't know, as I still haven't found one yet. I don't think I'm smart enough to come up with a way to search through the page source to find anything easier, either — if that's even possible.

So far, a few lucky so-and-sos have come away with a monitor and a motherboard and AIO cooler bundle for a quid. Today's offer on a mesh Wi-Fi system is still yet to be claimed at the time of writing, so you can head over to the MSI Store to start searching now.

My eyes are on some of the products being featured in the next few days, though. Already confirmed are a case and power supply, a QD-OLED monitor, and, most importantly of all, an RTX 5060Ti. Bagging the latter for just £1 would be the bargain of the year, especially with all the ongoing issues with prices around PC components.

Whether anyone is successful or not, I'm sure this will at least make the metrics look good for MSI's new store, as loads of people repeatedly scour through every category and product page to try and find the hidden code. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm returning to the hunt. I'll be interested to know in the comments if you have any luck.

• MSI's Nvidia GPUs are rumored to be getting price hikes
• They'll be 20% more expensive (or worse) in China, and that kind of increase will surely be seen elsewhere
• This is happening against a backdrop of wider price hikes for graphics cards – although Nvidia is offering a rare chance at an RTX 5080 or 5090 at MSRP

As fresh rumors reveal that another graphics card maker is set to hike prices, Nvidia has a plan to let you buy a Founders Edition Blackwell GPU at the MSRP, even in the case of the RTX 5090 — although you'll need to travel.

And you'll need to move very fast, attend QuakeCon in Texas, which starts today, and get yourself to the GeForce booth (hat tip to VideoCardz) before supplies of RTX 5070, 5080, and 5090 Founders Edition graphics cards run out. And I don't think that they will last for long (a matter of minutes, at a guess, although hopefully that won't be the case).

Nvidia describes this as 'Verified Priority Access' in real life, and at least it does give gamers a chance to buy an RTX 5080 and 5090 at the intended price, which is not something you can get anywhere near when purchasing one of these high-end Nvidia GPUs at retail.

As for the most recent news on GPU price hikes, Wccftech spotted that MSI is the latest graphics card maker to announce that its products will be considerably more expensive.

This is just a rumor, one that arrives via the Board Channels in China, and so should be served with some seasoning — but the theory is that MSI's Nvidia GPUs are set for price hikes of 20% or more. This is due to rising memory prices, of course, and what Nvidia charges its partners for video RAM modules (as Team Green is paying more, it passes that bill on, of course).

The price increase is in the order of $300 (£220 / AU$420) for the RTX 5080 over in China (converting from RMB), around $200 (£150 / AU$280) for the RTX 5070 Ti, and approximately $100 (£75 / AU$140) for RTX 5060 models (and not far off that for the RTX 5050).

Sadly, not only will current-gen Nvidia GeForce graphics cards be affected, but also RTX 4000 and 3000 models (with GDDR6 video RAM getting costlier, as well as GDDR7).

Analysis: pricey times

While this is a rumored cost increase for MSI products in China, these exact same pricing pressures are, of course, happening globally, so there's no reason to believe that MSI's GPUs in other regions won't follow suit.

What's more, this isn't just a problem that pertains to MSI, but Nvidia's other card-making partners, and those companies are also rumored to be implementing hefty price hikes. For example, just this week we've heard that Gigabyte GPU prices will jump between 20% and 40%. Also, on a regional basis, Nvidia RTX 5000 models in South Korea are looking at price hikes of up to 30%.

So, this is a coherent picture of hikes, and those percentages are all in a similar ballpark, indicating increases of at least 20% or a good deal more. They are also backed up by more general chatter from the grapevine about Nvidia's VRAM increases and AMD's Radeon GPUs becoming pricier.

I fear that getting any kind of current-gen graphics card at, or near, the MSRP could be a much tougher task before long, and those at QuakeCon better make the most of Nvidia's GeForce offerings at the firm's booth. As noted, I expect this to be the definition of a flash sale — as in they'll be gone in a flash — although you do have another shot at winning an RTX 5070 in the Quake III Arena RTX Remix and Doom: The Dark Ages challenges.

This MSI portable monitor is one of the best we've tested. It's a simple way to add a second screen to your workflow without breaking the bank - especially now the MSI Pro MP165 E6 is down to $70 (was $95) at Amazon.

Earning four stars in our review, it proved an invaluable second display for business professionals who need to add more screen real-estate while traveling or working in small spaces.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the MSI Pro MP165 E6 if...

You want a cheap, lightweight second screen for travel, presentations, or a desktop you occasionally need more space on. The built-in kickstand, VESA mounting points, and tripod socket give you more ways to position it than most budget portable monitors offer.

❌ Skip the MSI Pro MP165 E6 if...

You need a display for color-critical photo or video work — our review found the color coverage mediocre and brightness capped at 250 nits. While not a deal-breaker for us at this price, if you specifically want a portable monitor with its own battery, skip this since it has to stay plugged in.

Why we recommend it

In our full 4-star review, we called it "a super-light, hyper-functional portable display that is great to have as an extra display for all of your tech." We found it well suited to business professionals who need extra screen real estate without adding much bulk to a bag, and especially liked the wallet-friendly price.

What stands out here is how many mounting options MSI built in for a monitor at this price. The VESA points and tripod socket mean it works as a wall-mounted second display, a tripod-mounted screen for demos or content recording, or just a laptop companion propped up on its own kickstand — most budget portable monitors we see only really support the last of those.

For more top picks, we've rounded up the best portable monitors to go through our testing process.

Price Context & Historical Value

MSI lists the MP165 E6 at $89.99, with Amazon and other retailers typically pricing it closer to $94.99–$95. We've featured this exact monitor in a previous deal at $64.99 during this year's summer sale at Amazon. The lowest ever price we've seen it was $62. So, while it's not quite as cheap as it was over Prime Day, it's still a very good discount.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

Our review flagged mediocre color coverage and a brightness ceiling of 250 nits, so this isn't the monitor to reach for if you're editing photos or video.

Like most monitors we test at this price, there's also no internal battery. That means it needs to stay powered via USB-C whenever it's in use, and the built-in stand, while functional, isn't going to feel especially premium.

For a basic second screen for business users or even gamers, none of that gets in the way in our view.

• See all monitor deals at Amazon.

• Samsung announces new OLED panels for laptops, capable of '1,600 nits' in peak brightness
• The new tandem OLED panels have a 40% higher brightness requirement than older single-layer OLED panels
• The new panels will be used in MSI, Lenovo, Asus, and Dell laptops that have the latest DisplayHDR True Black 1400 certification

OLED panels are continuously improving year after year, as seen in recent tandem OLED displays from Samsung – and fortunately, the tech giant isn't resting on its laurels.

As reported by TweakTown, Samsung has introduced new tandem OLED panels for Lenovo, Asus, MSI, and Dell laptops, with claims of up to 1,600-nit peak brightness in small windows. This will apply to laptops that have the latest DisplayHDR True Black 1400 certification.

Notably, the push up to 1,400 nits certification is a '40% higher' brightness requirement compared to older single-layer OLED panels, which is ideal for bright rooms and environments.

This is thanks to the presence of tandem OLED panels, which work by stacking at least one or more OLED layers together, providing significantly increased brightness levels and efficiency.

Samsung notes it has started a 'full-scale' supply of the new tandem OLED panels for laptops, starting with the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition, and later for laptops from Asus, MSI, and Dell.

The boost to 1,600 nits is a significant enhancement for gaming and movie-watching experiences on these laptops. While the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura is certainly more of a premium laptop for creators, it's also capable of gaming using Nvidia's RTX 5000 series laptop GPUs.

With that in mind, issues with auto brightness limitations (ABL) that would often spoil bright gaming or movie scenarios should now be further diminished, as tandem OLED helps tackle those drawbacks.

Samsung hasn't mentioned any plans for its new panels being used for standalone OLED monitors just yet, but naturally, this should be the next step once these new laptops launch. For now, there are plenty of OLED gaming monitors (i.e., LG UltraGear OLED 27GX700A) capable of higher nits available on the market.

• TCL CSOT is reportedly now mass producing the first inkjet-printed OLEDs for consumers
• MSI just revealed a new 27-inch monitor which seemingly uses this 4K panel
• Inkjet printing is a more affordable way of making OLEDs and it will usher in cheaper monitors and laptops, and eventually TVs further down the line

TCL CSOT has seemingly taken a big step towards putting inkjet-printed OLED panels in the homes of consumers, and mass production of these screens is now reportedly underway.

OLED-Info reports that the Chinese manufacturer has kicked off production with an initial 27-inch 4K panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz. It offers a brightness of up to 300 nits and 99% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut (meaning lifelike and accurate color representation).

This inkjet-printed screen is destined for monitors, but bigger panels for the likes of TVs are expected to be in the cards for the future. For starters, though, we're looking at production for monitors and also laptop OLEDs.

This is still the very early stages for TCL, and OLED-Info clarifies that we are only talking about 'low volume' production on the firm's Gen 5.5 inkjet line for now. Still, it's an important step to take, but producing the panels is one thing, and it'll take some time for these to be incorporated into monitors which are then shipped to retailers where consumers can buy them.

Note that the Gen 5.5 inkjet line has produced OLED panels before, just not displays destined for consumer products (they were screens for commercial use in the medical field).

It seems that the freshly announced MSI Pro Max OLED 271UPJW12 uses this TCL 4K panel, although that isn't explicitly stated in the press release for the new model published by TechPowerup. All the specs match up, though, and it couldn't really be any other screen anyway – and this revelation is another sign to back up OLED-Info's contention that mass production is now up and running.

MSI boasts of the monitor: "With a 164 PPI density and an optimized RGB Stripe sub-pixel layout that closely resembles the uniform RGB structure of traditional LCDs, this advanced design effectively eliminates color fringing, optimizing text and image clarity."

We don't get a price from MSI, but that's not surprising at this stage, because as noted, the release is likely still some way off yet.

Analysis: what's the big deal with inkjet-printed OLEDs anyway?

As we've covered in the past, there are some distinct advantages with using an OLED printed by an inkjet compared to traditional (Fine Metal Mask) OLED panels. They are more power-efficient, and the inkjet-printed (IJP) OLEDs will also have a longer lifespan, but most crucially, they're cheaper.

TCL has previously told us that these IJP panels are 20% cheaper than existing OLEDs (and they can be made 30% faster, too). Analyst firms believe that these printed panels could be up to 35% cheaper in the future, when production is higher volume and more refined (with less waste).

The upshot should be OLED monitors which are a good deal more affordable, not to mention laptops with OLED screens that hit cheaper price points – and as noted, TVs eventually, too. The lower power usage will also be a major benefit for notebooks in terms of extending battery life, given that the display is one of the biggest drains on the battery.

The overall affordability of OLED will also be helped by TCL's inkjet-based creations, because the dominant panel makers – LG Display and Samsung – will be forced to be more competitive with their pricing. Add to that the emergence of BOE's Generation 8.6 panels, which went into mass production last month – again offering a more economical way to produce OLEDs thanks to much larger substrates – and this poses yet more competition, meaning there'll be some distinct downward pressures on OLED pricing.

The catch is that it will take some time for this to happen, especially in the world of bigger screens for the likes of OLED TVs – but make no mistake, it is happening.

If you're heading to college this fall, don't make the mistake of buying a laptop that's only good for taking notes and browsing the web. Courses increasingly rely on AI tools, creative software, and demanding applications, so you should invest in something far more powerful than a Chromebook.

Right now, the MSI Katana 15 HX is down to $1134 (was $1319) at Amazon, saving you $185. That's an excellent price for a laptop featuring an Intel Core i7-14650HX processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 graphics, 16GB of DDR5 memory, and a spacious 1TB NVMe SSD.

The MSI Katana 15 HX laptop combines workstation-class hardware with a high-resolution display, making it an excellent choice for students who want a laptop capable of handling demanding workloads alongside everyday coursework.

Today's top laptop deal

A portable powerhouse

In our review we said the laptop was a "great option" that "balances design and performance with a relatively affordable price."

At the heart of the system is Intel's 14th Gen Core i7-14650HX processor, paired with Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU based on the Blackwell architecture.

Together they deliver the performance needed for AI workloads, video editing, 3D rendering, CAD software, photography, and other demanding creative applications.

The 16GB of DDR5 memory keeps multitasking smooth, while the 1TB NVMe SSD provides plenty of room for large projects, applications, and media libraries.

Support for ray tracing and DLSS 4 also helps boost supported professional workflows and GPU-intensive tasks.

The 15.6-inch QHD display offers a sharp 2560 x 1440 resolution with a fast 165Hz refresh rate, making scrolling, animation, and video playback feel silky smooth.

With 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, it's also well suited to photo editing, video production, and other color-sensitive work.

Keeping everything running efficiently is MSI's Cooler Boost 5 cooling system, which combines dual fans with multiple heat pipes to help maintain stable performance during extended workloads.

A customizable four-zone RGB keyboard, highlighted WASD keys, and a full numeric keypad make it equally comfortable for productivity and creative work.

It comes with Wi-Fi 6E, USB-C with DisplayPort and Power Delivery, HDMI output supporting up to 8K displays, USB-A ports, and Gigabit Ethernet, making it easy to connect high-resolution monitors, fast external storage, and other peripherals.

MSI AI Engine and Windows Copilot also help optimize performance for different workloads.

With a powerful processor, one of Nvidia's newest laptop GPUs, a color-accurate QHD display, plenty of fast memory, and a spacious SSD, this is an excellent laptop deal for students, creative professionals, and anyone looking for desktop-class performance in a portable package.

For further choices, look at our round up of the best student laptops and best business laptops you can buy.

Also consider: More RTX laptops for students

• See all student laptops at Amazon

For a laptop that blends the power of a creator laptop with a true business productivity focus, you'd be hard-pressed to find better than the MSI Venture 16, which is now $1029 (was $1120) at Newegg.

For a Copilot+ laptop with a flagship Arrow Lake processor, 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory, and a touchscreen in a business-ready chassis, that’s a compelling price.

For anyone using this as a primary work machine — particularly with multiple browser profiles, development environments, virtual machines, or photo editing applications running simultaneously — the difference between 16GB and 32GB is one you notice in real use rather than just on paper.

Today's MSI Venture 16 laptop deal

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285H is the highest-spec Arrow Lake-H chip Intel offers for laptops — a 16-core (6P+8E+2LPE) processor with a 5.3GHz boost clock and 24MB of cache. For a productivity laptop in this category, that’s meaningful headroom for video editing timelines, running virtual machines, compiling code, or handling large datasets without the machine slowing down. The integrated NPU gives the Venture 16 AI full Copilot+ PC certification, enabling on-device AI features in Windows 11 without relying on cloud processing.

The 32GB of DDR5-5600 in dual-channel configuration is the spec that separates this build from the cheaper 16GB variants in the Venture line.

The 16:10 aspect ratio is a practical everyday advantage worth calling out. The 1920x1200 resolution gives you more vertical screen real estate than a 1920x1080 panel of the same size, which translates to fewer scrolling interruptions in documents and spreadsheets, more code visible at once in an editor window, and a more natural reading proportion for web content. We flagged this same benefit in our ThinkPad T16 coverage — once you’ve used a 16:10 laptop for a while, 16:9 screens feel oddly cramped.

Intel Arc graphics covers the GPU side of everyday workloads — accelerating video decode and encode, driving an external 4K display via HDMI 2.1 or USB-C, and handling light photo editing and creative tasks. It’s not a discrete GPU for gaming or GPU-bound 3D rendering, and buyers with those needs should look at a machine with a dedicated card. For professional productivity, content review, and video conferencing use cases, Arc is comfortably ideal.

The 180-degree flat-open hinge and single-hand-open lid are thoughtful details that matter in conference rooms and desk-share environments. MSI’s AI Noise Cancellation Pro microphone array is one of the better implementations of AI-enhanced audio on a laptop.

We noted this in our hands-on of the MSI VenturePro line, and it translates across the Venture family. The 720p webcam is the spec that disappoints at this price; most competitors in the $1,000+ tier now offer 1080p cameras.

The 55Wh battery is smaller than we’d like for a 16-inch productivity machine, and real-world all-day battery life will depend heavily on workload and screen brightness settings.

Professionals who frequently work away from a plug for full days may find themselves reaching for the charger more than they’d want. The USB-C PD charging support (up to 100W) means you can use a compact third-party charger rather than the bundled 90W brick, which is useful for travel.

• See other laptop deals at Newegg.

We’ve covered the MSI Katana 15 across multiple generations, and our verdict on the line has been consistent: it’s a laptop that “delivers where it counts” for buyers who want genuine performance without paying flagship prices.

Right now, the 2025 MSI Katana 15 with the RTX 5050 is $999 at Walmart, and it makes a strong case for itself as one of the most accessible entry points into Nvidia’s latest Blackwell GPU generation.

The RTX 5050 is Nvidia’s entry-level Blackwell laptop GPU, and it’s the part of this machine’s spec sheet that needs the most honest explanation. It’s not in the same class as the RTX 5070 or 5080 in laptops that cost significantly more — but it does bring DLSS 4 support including Multi Frame Generation to the 'under $1000' category.

Today's fastest laptop deal

The high-performance Intel Core i7-14650HX is a 16-core, 24-thread Raptor Lake Refresh chip with a 5.2GHz boost clock. It's a meaningfully more capable processor than the U-series or P-series chips found in consumer laptops at this price.

The 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD are the other two specs worth noting.

It's the fast 16GB DDR5, which is the right baseline — it comfortably handles multi-tasking, gaming, and general content creation tasks.

The 512GB SSD is fair at this price-point, although I'd recommend pairing it with an external drive or upgrading the internal SSD at some point.

The 144Hz FHD display is well-matched to the RTX 5050’s capabilities — the GPU can deliver 144 fps for scrubbing through editing timelines and less demanding gaming titles. And the panel will actually show those frames.

It's not the brightest, and it doesn't boast absolute color accuracy. So, it's not one for creative professionals, but if you're starting your content creator journey or just want a cheaper but snappy laptop, there's plenty to like here.

Right now, the MSI Katana 15 is the fastest laptop under $1000 you can get.

• See all laptop deals at Walmart.

Not all monitor deals are created equal. There are currently two very different MSI screens on sale — the MSI PRO MP272 E14C down to $100 (was $140) at Amazon and the MSI Modern MD342CQPW now $269 (was $340) at Amazon.

One is a compact, budget-friendly 27-inch FHD workhorse. The other is a wide, curved 34-inch ultrawide with USB-C 98W charging and a built-in KVM switch. Different use cases, same brand, both worth a look.

Today's top monitor deals

Why I like the MSI Pro MP272

For under $100, the PRO MP272 E14C is one of the most compelling budget monitor deals you’ll find right now. The 144Hz IPS panel is the main story — it makes everyday use noticeably smoother, from scrolling web pages to dragging windows around — but the USB-C connectivity and slim four-sided bezels make it feel more premium than the price tag suggests. If you’re building a dual-monitor setup on a budget, two of these side by side for $200 is a seriously good outcome.

The TÜV Rheinland flicker-free and low blue light certifications are legitimately useful for long desk sessions, and the MSI Eye-Q Check tool — a built-in vision assessment that helps optimize your display settings — is a thoughtful touch you don’t normally see at this price. The 1ms MPRT response time and FreeSync support round out a spec sheet that punches well above its price.

Why I like the MSI Modern MD342CQPW

The MSI Modern MD342CQPW is a different class of monitor entirely. The 3440×1440 UWQHD resolution across 34 inches gives you a workspace that’s genuinely transformative for anyone who multitasks heavily — writers, developers, finance professionals, and designers who need multiple windows open simultaneously will immediately feel the difference. The 21:9 aspect ratio is essentially equivalent to having a 27-inch monitor and a second 14-inch screen side by side, without the bezel gap in the middle.

The 98W USB-C power delivery is the standout practical feature here. Most USB-C monitors charge at 65W or less — enough for ultrabooks but not for a MacBook Pro or a high-performance Windows laptop under load. At 98W, the MD342CQPW can genuinely keep up with a power-hungry machine while running the display, which means one cable to your laptop for video, data, and power.

The built-in KVM switch is worth calling out for anyone with two computers on one desk — a common setup for remote workers who have both a personal machine and a work laptop, or developers running a Windows desktop alongside a Mac. One keyboard, one mouse, one monitor, switchable between two machines via a button press. It’s a feature that usually adds significant cost when bought separately.

The 1800R curve and 120Hz refresh rate complete a package that’s usually found at a higher price point. VA panels typically deliver better contrast than IPS — deeper blacks and richer shadows — which shows up in both creative work and casual video watching. The white finish is a nice option in a category that skews heavily black, particularly for cleaner or brighter home office setups.

Which one is right for you?

Go for the MSI PRO MP272 E14C ($99) if: you want a sharp, smooth everyday monitor without spending a lot, you’re building a dual-monitor setup on a budget, or you just want a significant upgrade from a 60Hz panel without overthinking it.

Go for the MSI Modern MD342CQPW ($269) if: you work with multiple windows open at the same time, you want to clean up your desk by running one USB-C cable to your laptop, or you have two computers on your desk and want a KVM setup without buying extra hardware.

Also consider: More monitor deals

Budget monitors at this price often cut corners in ways you notice every day — a stand that only tilts, no speakers, a 75Hz panel. The MSI MAG 242C is $100 (was $120) at Best Buy, and it avoids most of those compromises.

You get a 24-inch 1080p VA curved panel running at 180Hz, a height-adjustable ergonomic stand, Adaptive Sync, and built-in speakers — at a price that’s hard to argue with if you need a capable everyday display.

The 1500R curve on a 24-inch screen is subtle rather than dramatic — it wraps the edges slightly closer to your field of view, which makes text and content feel more immersive during long sessions without being distracting. VA panels at this size deliver a 3000:1 contrast ratio that IPS alternatives at the same price can’t match, giving you deeper blacks and more defined shadows in both work and entertainment content.

Today's top monitor deal

180Hz on a budget 1080p monitor is increasingly the baseline worth buying at, and the MAG 242C delivers it on a VA panel rather than the cheaper TN displays that sometimes populate this price tier. The difference matters for everyday use: VA panels offer significantly wider viewing angles than TN, so colors stay accurate whether you’re sitting dead-center or glancing across from another screen. The 3000:1 static contrast ratio also means content with dark scenes — films, TV shows, games at night — looks noticeably more defined than on IPS alternatives at the same price point.

The height-adjustable stand is the spec that separates this from a lot of the competition. Most budget monitors at this price offer tilt only — enough to angle the screen slightly, but not enough to properly position it at eye level for an eight-hour working day. The MAG 242C’s stand lets you dial in the right height for your setup, which is the kind of ergonomic detail that matters more over time than any panel specification.

Adaptive Sync covers the full 48–180Hz variable refresh range, eliminating tearing and stuttering across the panel’s entire operating window. For buyers connecting an AMD GPU, FreeSync works natively; Nvidia GPU owners can use G-Sync Compatible mode on supported cards. Either way, the result is smoother, tear-free output whether you’re gaming, scrolling a web page, or watching video.

The built-in 2W speakers are a modest but practical inclusion. They won’t replace a proper speaker setup, but they cover the basics for video calls, background audio, and casual video watching without requiring a separate peripheral.

The MAG 242C’s connectivity covers the essentials: one DisplayPort 1.2 and one HDMI 1.4 input, plus a 3.5mm audio jack. The 100×100mm VESA pattern gives you a clear path to a monitor arm if the included stand isn’t right for your setup. MSI’s Less Blue Light software provides software-level blue light reduction for extended sessions.

One honest note: the HDMI port is version 1.4, which caps HDMI input at 144Hz rather than the full 180Hz. To get the maximum refresh rate, use the DisplayPort connection. For most everyday use cases, this is a non-issue, but it’s worth knowing before you connect a console or a device that relies on HDMI.

Also consider: More monitor deals

• See all monitors at Best Buy

Motherboard deals at this level of discount don’t come around that often. Right now, Amazon has the MSI PRO X870-P WiFi at $152 (was $170) for AMD Ryzen and the MSI B760 Gaming Plus WiFi at $133 (was $200) for Intel in the Prime Day sale.

Both are well-regarded ATX boards with built-in Wi-Fi, and both represent meaningful savings if you’re mid-build or planning an upgrade. And both punch above their discounted price.

The two boards target different platforms entirely — one is AMD AM5, the other Intel LGA 1700 — so this isn’t a true apples-to-apples comparison. Think of them as two separate opportunities: one for Ryzen 7000/8000/9000 builders, and one for 12th/13th/14th Gen Intel builders.

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More on the PRO X870-P WiFi — AMD AM5

At this price, the PRO X870-P Wi-Fi sits in an interesting spot: it’s the X870 chipset — AMD’s current-gen platform with full PCIe 5.0 support — at a price that previously would have bought you a mid-range B650 board. The X870 chipset brings wider PCIe 5.0 support and Wi-Fi 7 as a platform requirement (rather than an optional add-on), and AMD has committed to AM5 support through at least 2027, which means whatever Ryzen processor you pair with this board today will have a clear upgrade path for several years.

The connectivity package at this price is genuinely impressive. Wi-Fi 7 with its 320MHz channel width delivers noticeably lower latency and higher throughput than Wi-Fi 6E — the kind of upgrade you notice on a busy home network. The 5Gbps Ethernet port, USB4 at 40Gbps, and Thunderbolt 4 are the kind of specs that usually appear on more expensive boards. Three M.2 slots (including one Gen5) gives you flexibility for fast SSDs now and room to expand later.

MSI’s PRO series is positioned more toward productivity and professional use than the flashier gaming-branded boards, which means the design is restrained — minimal RGB, clean silver heatsinks, no aggressive aesthetics. Whether that’s a positive depends entirely on what you want your build to look like. Best Buy reviewers have praised it as straightforward to install and stable from the first boot, with multiple builders noting it’s working well with everything from Ryzen 7700X to the 9800X3D.

One honest note: the PRO X870-P is tuned more for stability and accessibility than aggressive overclocking. If you’re planning to push DDR5 kits to their absolute limits or run a flagship Ryzen 9 chip at sustained all-core maximum TDP, a higher-end X870E board would give you more VRM headroom. For the majority of builds — including enthusiast setups — it handles everything without issue.

More on the B760 Gaming Plus WiFi Gaming Motherboard

The B760 Gaming Plus WiFi is the more straightforward recommendation of the two — it’s a well-established board with a substantial real-world track record. The 840+ reviews on Amazon at 4.4/5 tell a consistent story: this board works reliably, installs without drama, and delivers good performance across a wide range of Intel builds.

Intel’s LGA 1700 platform supports 12th, 13th, and 14th Gen Core processors, which means there’s a wide choice of CPUs available at various price points — everything from a budget Core i3 to the Core i9-14900K. It’s worth noting that Intel has moved on to the LGA 1851 socket for its newest Arrow Lake generation, so this platform won’t support 15th Gen CPUs. That said, for builds centered on a 13th- or 14th-Gen processor, the B760 remains a very solid foundation.

Wi-Fi 6E built-in is a practical inclusion at this price — it saves you from buying a separate wireless adapter and keeps the build clean. 2.5 Gbps Ethernet provides fast wired connectivity for those who prefer a cable. Two M.2 Gen4 slots comfortably handle primary and secondary NVMe SSDs, and PCIe 4.0 x16 is more than adequate for any current GPU.

Reviewers have specifically praised the B760 Gaming Plus WiFi for its stability across sustained workloads — one reviewer noted it handled “AAA applications and multitasking effortlessly” over ten months of use without a single stability issue. The reinforced PCIe slots and robust VRM heatsinks contribute to a build quality that feels more substantial than budget Intel boards at a similar price.

Also consider: Pre-built PC deals

• See all motherboard deals at Amazon

If you’re after a pre-built desktop that doesn’t compromise on anything — CPU, GPU, storage, cooling, or aesthetics — the MSI Vision ZS (9NVP-2068US) is $2790 (was $3299) at Amazon for Prime Day.

• See all Prime Day deals at Amazon.com

The $510 saving is significant, but the more compelling argument is what you’re getting: AMD’s Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with an RTX 5070 is arguably the best CPU-GPU pairing for an all-around high-performance desktop.

The 9800X3D is AMD’s flagship desktop processor and the current benchmark leader for CPU-intensive workloads. The RTX 5070’s 12GB of GDDR7 memory and DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation support gives the GPU side of the equation equal footing.

Top Prime Day desktop PC deal

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the headline spec here, and it earns that billing. Built on AMD’s Zen 5 architecture and equipped with 96MB of stacked 3D V-Cache, it consistently tops multi-threaded benchmark charts and delivers the kind of sustained performance that creators, developers, and heavy multitaskers notice immediately.

The 3D V-Cache technology — a stack of additional cache sitting directly on the processor die — dramatically reduces the latency involved in fetching data from system memory, which is where the Zen 5 generation makes its most significant generational leap over Zen 4. At 4.7GHz base and 5.2GHz boost, it’s also among the most efficient high-core-count desktop chips available.

The RTX 5070’s 12GB of GDDR7 memory operates at a significantly higher bandwidth than the GDDR6X memory found in last-generation midrange cards, and the Blackwell architecture brings meaningful improvements in ray tracing performance and AI-accelerated workloads, alongside the expected DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation support. For creators using DaVinci Resolve, Blender, or Adobe Premiere, the combination of the 9800X3D’s multi-threaded CPU performance and the RTX 5070’s GPU compute is a genuinely capable production workstation, not just a desktop built around a single use case.

The 360mm AIO liquid cooler is a meaningful inclusion for a chip with the power envelope of the 9800X3D. Many pre-builts at this tier cut costs by using a 240mm AIO or even a tower air cooler, which limits sustained all-core performance during extended workloads. The 360mm radiator keeps the 9800X3D at optimal temperatures without the fans having to ramp to uncomfortable noise levels — MSI’s specification confirms no thermal throttling under heavy loads, which matters for anyone running rendering jobs or compiling large codebases alongside everything else.

The Vision ZS chassis is one of the more considered aesthetic choices in MSI’s pre-built lineup. The MAG PANO 120R case uses machined mesh panels across the front to maximize airflow into the system, which complements the liquid cooling rather than working against it. MSI Mystic Light RGB runs throughout the build and is controllable via MSI Center software. The result is a machine that looks like a premium desktop without the more aggressive styling that some buyers want to avoid.

The 2TB NVMe SSD is the right storage allocation for a machine at this price. Modern AAA titles regularly exceed 100GB each, and 2TB gives you room for a full game library without immediate juggling. Wi-Fi 6E covers fast wireless on the less-congested 6GHz band, and USB Type-C on the front panel handles fast data transfer and peripheral connectivity without reaching around the back.

Overall, the MSI Vision ZS puts AMD’s current top-performing desktop processor alongside a class-leading GPU in a package that’s easy to recommend for buyers who want maximum performance without the time investment of a self-build.

Also consider

• See all computers and laptops at Amazon

The finishing touch I needed to complete my budget gaming PC was a new monitor. I wanted it at least 27 inches, curved, with 1440p support, a high refresh rate, and low response time. I wanted all that for around £100. A tough ask, I thought, until I saw the MSI MAG 275CQF for £119. It's now even cheaper for Prime Day, and I can't recommend it enough if you want a quality budget gaming monitor.

• View all of today's Prime Day deals

Some of you may scoff at this pick, that perhaps I should have gone for a 4K display instead, or picked something larger if it's my main monitor. Truth is, for the relatively little PC gaming I still do these days, it suits me just fine. And it's an ideal size for work, too, giving me that extra bit of screen real estate I need for multiple windows and tabs.

The MSI MAG 275CQF pretty much hits everything I was after. It's a 27-inch curved display that offers 1440p resolution support, a refresh rate of up to 180Hz, a 0.5ms response time, HDR, and both display port or HDMI connectivity options. And best of all, it now only costs £101 in this week's Amazon sale.

So, if you're bemoaning ridiculous prices for RAM, storage and graphics cards, and you're looking for a way to upgrade or get the most out of your current rig, then this cheap monitor could be a nice little boost to your gaming experience.

Buy the MSI MAG 275CQF at Amazon

I've found the MSI MAG 275CQF is the perfect pairing to my rig, as my spec is built around running most games in 1440p at 60fps or higher. With a Ryzen 5 9600X and a 16GB RX 9060XT, I can make use of the monitor's full resolution and the higher refresh rate in many less demanding titles. And that's mostly what I'm playing on it, with my PS5 Pro used for any cutting-edge games I want the big screen experience on.

Considering I work on the PC, too, I really like the extra screen size, responsiveness, and the sleek curved design for writing and all my other work needs. I've currently got the MSI MAG 275CQF paired with a basic 1080p monitor in a dual-screen setup, but I'm sorely tempted just to add another now that it's on sale again to get one huge curved display setup.

Prime Day may be over, but the best budget portable monitor deal is still running - for now at least. I never saw anything that could beat this screen on price and performance, and it reviewed brilliantly in our own tests.

Currently, the MSI Pro MP165 E6 portable monitor is just $65 (was $95) at Amazon. And for UK readers, it's priced at £68 at Amazon right now. It's an ultra-thin and light device that's very easy to deploy wherever you are. And for the price, there's not much we didn't like about this 15.6in 1080p display.

In our own tests, we ran this portable monitor across multiple locations, using it as an IT management screen hooked up to laptops and PC. We even toyed with some content creation tasks, pairing it with a Mac mini to make music tracks. So, it's pretty versatile, as well as portable.

Scoring 4 stars in our review, we called it "a super-light, hyper-functional portable display that is great to have as an extra display for all of your tech."

After spending time trying this out across a range of workflows, we found it well-designed for business professionals who could really use more screen real estate.

Now, it's not the most feature-rich portable monitor we've ever reviewed - notable, color coverage is average, so I wouldn't recommend this as a primary screen for video and photo editing.

But it's not entirely stripped back. Highlights here include the stable integrated kickstand, single cable set-up, and VESA mountable design.

I saw loads of portable monitor deals over Prime Day - most of which have ended. But personally, considering the discount, I think MSI's budget pick is the one to go for.

• Shop all portable monitors at Amazon

The PC hardware market has been dominated by the RAM crisis in 2026, with prices for components reaching absurd levels, particularly (and unsurprisingly) memory kits. Without an affordable way to buy RAM for new PC builds, there's not much that can be done outside of playing the waiting game or overspending.

It's also the same story for GPUs; VRAM is a vital part of graphics cards and their functionality, especially with new games demanding more VRAM to allow users to play games at their desired graphics settings — and that means prices for GPUs, especially Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5000 series lineup, have also skyrocketed.

It's not impossible to find pre-built systems that are fairly affordable this summer, but it won't be easy, especially if you're looking at acquiring anything equipped with an RTX 5070 and beyond.

It also doesn't help that Microsoft's Windows 11 and certain applications can hog RAM, which isn't so bad for systems with 16GB or 32GB of system memory, but it's not the same case with systems using 8GB.

Fortunately, some of MSI's Nvidia-powered gaming laptops are on sale thanks to Amazon Prime Day, and there are big and generous savings involved, considering the state of the PC hardware market.

In the UK, the MSI Cyborg 15 RTX 5050 B2RW is now available on Amazon for £849.99 (was £1,399), with a huge 39% discount, making it one of the most affordable options this Prime Day. The RTX 5050 isn't exactly the best Nvidia GPU available, but for 1080p gaming with the help of DLSS 4.5, it's enough to handle multiple triple-A games with ease.

It doesn't stop there, though. The MSI Cyborg 15 RTX 4050 AI A1VE is now available for £799 (was £1,169), with a 32% discount slightly closer to that of its RTX 5050 counterpart.

Last but not least, the MSI Thin 15 is now available on Amazon for £749.99 (was £829), with a smaller 10% discount, but it is the most affordable option on the list. The sale price is around the same ballpark as the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU, which would be relevant for a desktop system upgrade.

The biggest takeaway is that all of these gaming laptops on sale feature at least 16GB of RAM despite the ongoing crisis, which is the minimum amount of system RAM required for most modern triple-A games. While this isn't the case with VRAM (the RTX 5050 has 8GB), DLSS should help provide improved performance where necessary.

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

Handheld gaming PCs have come a long way since Valve's Steam Deck launched in 2022, back when the handheld market was still very much in a niche form.

The Steam Deck appealed to so many gamers simply because of its affordability and performance, running both indie and triple-A games with little difficulty (with reasonable graphics settings). The device provided gamers with an easy way to tackle their game libraries when away from their desks.

Unfortunately, the ongoing RAM crisis, combined with other difficult market conditions in 2026, has not only forced Valve to delay the launch of new hardware, but also drastically increased the price of the Steam Deck OLED. That handheld is now $789 / £649 / AU$1,199 and $949 / £779 / AU$1,429 for the 512GB and 1TB models respectively.

We're not focusing on the Steam Deck today, though. Instead, our attention has been grabbed by the new MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, coming straight out of Computex 2026 and delivering exceptional performance across several games we tested. And frankly, it may turn out to be the best handheld of 2026 in terms of raw power and performance, but there's one massive problem – the same one Valve faced with its Steam Deck OLED.

The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ price is a joke

While I can happily admit that the Steam Deck OLED isn't worth its new price by a long shot, the cost of that device doesn't even come close to the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ in terms of absurdity.

The Claw 8 EX AI+ will be available at retailers and from the MSI Store priced at $1,799 (around £1,340 / AU$2,540). Yes, you read that right. MSI's new handheld is almost the same price as an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 (going by the GPU's MSRP, that is), or to look at it another way, the Claw is the same price as an full desktop gaming PC.

There's no denying how great MSI's new handheld is, especially considering the claims of its Intel G3 Extreme processor being 44% faster at 1080p than the MSI Claw 8 AI+'s Intel Core Ultra 258V. On paper, the only benefit it seems to be missing compared to other upcoming handhelds like the OneXPlayer 3 is an OLED screen.

However, I suppose it's a good thing there's still no OLED panel with this new Claw handheld, as I can only imagine how much more expensive the device would be if that was included. And frankly, the $1,799 price still wouldn't be justified if an OLED panel was part of the picture.

Simply put, it's pretty difficult to imagine anyone who will be willing to spend so much for a device like this when, as noted, you can get a full-blown gaming rig for this money. Okay, it's a handheld packing a lot of power and top quality performance, so it's definitely going to cost more, sure — but pushing close to $2,000? Absolutely not.

It's fair to point out that the RAM crisis has definitely had a part to play in the obscene pricing here, as shortages have put the entire PC market in disarray. Regardless, even with the memory shortage and other problems with PC components, I don't think the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has any business being as costly as it is — and I believe MSI will find that out sooner rather than later.

I also fear that this won't be the only seriously overpriced gaming portable to be winging our way in the future.

• Valve's latest SteamOS beta offers improved compatibility with Intel platforms
• It also sees initial firmware added for incoming Intel G3 Extreme-powered handhelds
• Performance on SteamOS with Intel hardware should improve further with future updates

Handheld gaming is set to reach new heights in 2026 and beyond, with Intel's latest Panther Lake mobile processors providing more power for high-level performance — and Valve has just made life better for Intel-based handhelds.

Valve's SteamOS 3.8.8 beta includes improved hardware support for Intel platforms, additional controller support for MSI Claw devices, and initial firmware for upcoming Intel handhelds. That includes handhelds like the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, OneXPlayer 3, and the Acer Predator Atlas 8, all of which will use the Intel G3 Extreme processor.

Intel-based handhelds running SteamOS (or Bazzite) aren't anything new. However, performance with Intel hardware on the operating system hasn't been great, with devices like the MSI Claw 8 AI+ delivering worse game performance than Windows 11 — but it's the complete opposite for AMD-powered handhelds on SteamOS compared to Windows 11.

The appeal of SteamOS, besides its ease of use and console-like user interface, is its optimization for gaming in terms of memory usage, which Windows 11 lacks (and still falls behind Valve's SteamOS even with the Xbox Mode).

With that in mind, switching from Windows 11 to SteamOS for worse performance doesn't make much sense, and that's what has kept some owners of Intel-powered handhelds away from the Linux-based operating system.

Full Steam ahead for Intel chips

Fortunately, it's now evident that this is being addressed by Valve, as handheld enthusiast ETA Prime highlights with the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and its fluid performance results in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Forza Horizon.

Functions like sleep mode work as expected, which is great, but navigation and menu options still need updating, and the TDP (power consumption) can only be controlled via a Decky Loader plugin — plus the Steam menu button config needs to be added on Intel handhelds.

Regardless, this is a step in the right direction for these portables, and with more updates from Valve leading up to the launch of the new Intel-powered handhelds, this is definitely something to get excited about for those who don't have AMD-powered hardware.

Strolling through the halls of MSI’s 40th anniversary exhibition after a long week of Computex was a real treat; an ode to four decades of powerful hardware, creative designs, and one of the PC gaming industry’s longest-serving titans.

Speaking of Titans, it was the special Dragon Edition Draco Epic Titan 18HX that held my attention the most on the show floor; this beastly beauty packs some serious punch with an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 laptop GPU with 24GB GDDR7 memory.

However, it’s as much a work of art as it is a gaming device. Inspired by the constellation Draco, which represents the mythical dragon defeated by Heracles in Greek mythology, MSI’s 40th anniversary special edition laptop is emblazoned with a gorgeously textured metallic blue-grey dragon surrounded by golden constellations.

It’s not just the backplate of the laptop, which features the Draco-inspired design heavily; the design language carries through the entire device. Is it extra? Absolutely, but if you’re an MSI fan, this tribute to the brand’s dragon mascot feels apt.

Between this maximalist casing, its RGB keypad, and the ample bundled peripherals and accessories, this makes for one of the most dramatic, borderline kitschy designs I’ve ever seen on a laptop, and I’m absolutely obsessed.

How much is that dragon in the window?

Of course, the Dragon Edition Draco Epic Titan 18HX has a lot going for it beyond design and a powerful CPU / GPU combination. I didn’t get the chance to try any games on the device, but by specs alone, it’ll likely offer an exceptional gaming experience.

Its 18-inch UHD+ Mini LED display features a 240Hz refresh rate for smooth and vibrant visuals, and its vapor chamber cooler with a dedicated PCIe Gen5 SSD cooling pipe should keep the clamshell calm and collected even in longer play sessions.

As well as that aforementioned RGB haptic touchpad, there’s also the Cherry mechanical per-key RGB gaming keyboard — featuring a Copilot key if you’re part of the small minority who actually want one of these, let alone on a gaming laptop.

If this all sounds as great to you as it did to me, I regret to inform you that it’s, in all likelihood, out of your price range.

While MSI has yet to confirm pricing, the laptop’s maximalist design alone will likely lead to a significant price hike versus the standard Titan 18HX, which already clocks in at a prohibitive starting price of $4,999.99 / £4,379.98. Add to that the nature of this special edition laptop as well as the included mouse, mouse mat, packaging and collectors coins, and I’d be surprised if it costs any less than $7,500 / £7,000.

If your pockets are deep and you’re as enamoured with this loud and proud laptop as I am, more power to ya. I think I’ll focus on saving for the new MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ in the meantime.

• Check out our Computex 2026 hub for all the latest news out of Taipei.

MSI’s Claw 8 EX AI+ was far from the only handheld gaming PC on display at Computex 2026, but it was certainly my pick for the one to watch.

In its gorgeous, vibrant Void Purple colorway, it’s a treat for the eyes, and marked improvements to ergonomics and performance make for an exciting proposition when it releases later this year in June.

Over the week, I had the opportunity to go hands-on with the new handheld across a variety of games, including Hogwarts Legacy, F1 25, and Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, and it suffices to say I’m impressed. With Intel’s new Arc G3 chip in tow, the future looks bright for the Claw 8 EX AI+, provided MSI can stick the landing on pricing… but that’s a big if.

The next generation is here

Intel’s mobile chipset is the backbone of several new handhelds (including the Acer Predator Atlas 8) announced at Computex, offering up to 14 CPU cores, and an Arc B390 integrated GPU with 12Xe cores — specs that really pay off in performance.

When reviewing the recently released Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, my Steam Deck was practically wheezing during densely populated or fast-moving sequences, even on the lowest settings. You may laugh, but as I noted in my review, it’s a surprisingly visually impressive game, and it was only when trying it out on the MSI 8 Claw EX AI+ that I was really able to appreciate what a difference the more powerful hardware makes. Movement was wonderfully fluid, and judging by my brief time with the handhelds and comments from Intel, you can expect improvements to battery life, too.

The performance boost largely comes from the frame rate-boosting XeSS 3 Multi-Frame generation tech that the Intel Arc iGPU can tap into, resulting in liquid-smooth gameplay even under pressure. We didn’t get to run our usual collection of benchmarks on the MSI 8 Claw EX AI+ h, but I’m eager to see how the numbers stack up once we have a model in our hands for longer testing.

I’ve been hanging on to my original Steam Deck for dear life, and had hoped it would be able to see me through for at least another year or two (read: cope), but having tried the MSI 8 Claw EX AI+ there’s no doubt I’ll be missing out if I don’t hop on this next wave of devices.

Like a glove

Speaking of hands, the Claw 8 EX AI+ sees noteworthy improvements in the ergonomics department. Following suit from the the Asus ROG Ally Xbox X’s controller-esque textured grips, this drastic design overhaul also brings drift-resistant Hall-effect sticks and triggers and a more clicky, satisfying D-Pad.

I have quite small hands, and I find they get fatigued really quickly while playing on my Steam Deck (and even my Nintendo Switch 2…) but the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ was noticeably more comfortable to hold. I didn’t get the chance to play it in bed as I do at home — that would have been a pretty weird thing to do in a demo space — but I hope even with my elbows propped up, it’ll still be pretty easy on the wrists.

MSI has clearly paid attention to user feedback, as haptics now feel more immersive and offer greater depth, with what MSI describes as a “high-end linear motor” simulating the on-screen action, versus the weaker rumble in previous models.

The Void Purple colorway may not be for everyone — nor will the RGB lighting-encircled joysticks, but I personally thought it toed the line between svelte tech and gamer aesthetic quite well.

It’s a slight shame that the touchscreen display didn’t see any real upgrades — but still, its 120Hz 8-inch VRR specs are nothing to sniff at, and it’s plenty bright and beautiful for gaming on the go.

Enough to move the needle?

Considering the previous model, the MSI Claw 8 AI+, only hit the market in 2025, I was a little skeptical when I heard a new variant would be arriving so soon — plus with still-unconfirmed pricing rumored to be in the realms of $1,500, it was looking like a hard sell right up until the point I had it in my hands.

Price hikes are one thing; even the Steam Deck OLED can’t claim affordability following an almost 50% price hike a few weeks ago (thanks, RAMmageddeon), while Lenovo’s Legion Go 2 Ryzen Z3 Extreme 2TB also got a similar astronomical price hike back in April. Who knows how much this will launch at, let alone whether that pricing will be sustainable in the near future.

We’ll have to wait and see when June arrives what the future looks like for PC gaming handheld pricing — and in my case, perhaps Steam Deck resale value, because I could well be front in line to score MSI’s powerful and performant PC handheld.

Handheld gaming continues to grow year on year, with new hardware entering the fray to improve performance results in games — and with Computex 2026 well underway, it's time for PC enthusiasts to get excited.

There have already been several hardware announcements from the likes of Asus, Acer, OneXPlayer, and more, which means there's plenty for consumers to consider when picking out their next device.

Fortunately, Intel has been hard at work on its Panther Lake processor lineup and has delivered the powerful Arc G3 Extreme, which uses 14 cores and 14 threads and 12 Xe GPU cores, delivering some of the best performance on any handheld gaming PC we've seen thus far. However, it's not all just about power and performance.

Several other manufacturers have taken the time to fine-tune the handheld gaming experience, to improve visual enjoyment, comfort, and more — and here, we'll look at the best handheld gaming PCs that have been unveiled at Computex 2026.

1. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

MSI has gone back to the drawing board after releasing the Claw 8 AI+ and Claw 7 AI+, and now, unveiled the all-new, powerful handheld, the Claw 8 EX AI+. While the display is effectively untouched, the processor is now the Intel Arc G3 Extreme, a significant step up from the Claw 8 AI+'s Core Ultra 258V.

Intel claims the G3 Extreme is 44% faster than the Core Ultra 258V at 1080p with 2x upscaling (i.e., from 540p), at 35W, and, notably, 42% faster than one of its rival chips, the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme.

As a bonus to a monumental performance leap coming from the Core Ultra 200V series is its XeSS 3 upscaling compatibility, alongside Multi-Frame Generation, and access to Windows 11's Xbox Mode. Intel is the latest competitor to join Nvidia in utilizing Multi-Frame Generation technology, as AMD has yet to roll this out for Radeon GPU users.

With XeSS 3 upscaling, Multi-Frame Generation, and an overall raw performance boost, accompanied by better ergonomics for comfort, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ may end up being the best of the bunch among handhelds this year — however, its price could make or break it, especially if the rumored $1,500 figure is legitimate.

2. OneXPlayer 3

One-Netbook certainly isn't a mainstream manufacturer like MSI, but its new OneXPlayer 3 handheld is definitely a strong competitor to the Claw 8 EX AI+, and, on paper, in some cases arguably better.

The OneXPlayer 3 is a 3-in-one handheld gaming PC that supports AI, gaming, and productivity, and features the same Intel Arc G3 Extreme processor found in the Claw 8 EX AI+. However, it outshines MSI's device with a bigger, more immersive 8.8-inch 144Hz OLED display that is both VRR and HDR enabled.

Users have two storage options via microSD and mini SSD, while its battery has a capacity of 85 Wh. That latter might mean the handheld ranks among those with the best and longest-lasting battery life, but we'll need to see how it performs in real-world testing.

Without a doubt, this is a device that will be able to tackle any game thrown at it and provide exceptional visual quality while doing so. There's no information on its launch date nor its price, and yet again, the latter will likely be the defining factor in its potential success.

3. Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

Doubling down on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X's impressive features, Asus revealed the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 to celebrate the ROG brand's 20th anniversary. More importantly, the X20 comes with a larger 7.4-inch OLED display with 1,400 nits of peak brightness, bundled with the ROG XReal R1 Edition 20 gaming AR glasses.

It's quite clear that Asus has prioritized visual improvements over performance or power, so it's hard to describe this as a 'mid-generation' upgrade, in the same way the Asus ROG Ally X was compared to its non-X counterpart.

The Xbox Ally X20 also features a rotatable D-pad, labeled a 'Transforming D-pad', which should cater to fighting game players when using the handheld, thanks to optimization for diagonal inputs.

The major downside is that Asus isn't currently selling this as a standalone device, and since the ROG XReal R1 Edition 20 gaming AR glasses retail for $849, the bundle will likely be priced at or around $2,000.

4. Acer Predator Atlas 8

Just like the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ and the OneXPlayer 3, the Acer Predator Atlas 8 is powered by Intel's Arc G3 Extreme, with power-ready capabilities that can bolster performance in several games for users.

Its design takes after the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X (and the new ROG Xbox Ally X20), just as MSI has, with controller-like handles that cater to comfort for those long gaming sessions. The adjustable triggers on the Lenovo Legion Go S handheld are easily one of my favorite features for any handheld, and fortunately, that's included here with the Atlas 8.

The only missing element is an OLED display for greater immersion, so it sits in a very similar ballpark as the Claw 8 EX AI+, with the only difference being the latter's comfier design.

In the same vein as all of Computex's handheld announcements, the Atlas 8 hinges on its price tag, and based on the current market conditions, thanks to the RAM crisis, it looks like it may be priced well above $1,000. Acer has confirmed that this will launch in October 2026, so price information shouldn't be too far off.

As a veteran deal-hunter, I can honestly say Best Buy has had an incredible Memorial Day sale event this year - and what particularly stood out to me were a host of RTX 50-series laptops and desktop PCs that are perfect for video editing.

• See all laptop & PC deals at Best Buy

I've gone through the entire stock to find the best video editing laptop and PC deals and picked out my favorites - basically, all the ones with fast DDR5 RAM and discrete RTX 5060, 5070, and 5080 graphics card. That includes the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 for $1425 (was $1775) and the ever-impressive Asus ROG Strix G18 for $2800 (was $3300.

If you're a content creator, you'll need to act fast though - Best Buy's Memorial Day sale ends tonight (the clock is quite literally ticking on the page).

Top Memorial Day video editing laptop deals

Top Memorial Day video editing PC deals

More of today's best Memorial Day sales

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $99
• Best Buy: Big tech deals on laptops, office furniture, and more
• Casper: up to 30% off mattresses
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• DreamCloud: up to 60% off mattresses, 66% off bundles
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lowe's: $1,000 off appliances, patio & tools
• Nectar: up to 50% off mattresses, deals from $369
• Saatva: up to $550 off luxury mattresses
• Samsung: up to $1,600 off appliances
• Target: 30% off clothing, patio & furniture
• Walmart: furniture, cheap TVs & vacs from $69
• Wayfair: 50% off furniture, grills, rugs & more

MSI Versa 300 Wireless 8K review

The MSI Versa 300 Wireless 8K is a gaming mouse with a pro level spec and some useful features. Despite this, it also has a pretty competitive price.

There's nothing spectacular or gamerish about the way it looks, maintaining as it does a relatively understated aesthetic. There’s only a small logo that allows some subtle RGB lighting to pass through.

In the hand, I found the Versa 300 more bulbous than I’m accustomed to, with a more prominent hump in the middle. However, I adjusted quickly to the shape and found it comfortable thereafter. In fact, it actually fitted my palm as well as the best gaming mouse shapes.

This fit also helps to impart a secure feeling, making me confident in performing lift-offs. This is further aided by the concave side walls and their diamond grip pattern. It’s a shame, though, that this grip area isn’t made from a soft touch material like silicone or rubber; it merely adopts the same smooth plastic as the rest of the unit. Regardless, I still found it provided sufficient grip and feedback.

The Versa 300 is quite a light mouse, weighing just 66g, which makes it easy to maneuver. However, there are certainly lighter mice around, and what’s more the weight doesn’t feel evenly distributed. Most of its mass seems to be concentrated near the rear, which can cause the whole unit to tilt backwards when lifting off. At least the Versa 300 feels solid and durable, which is always a positive. The body material feels smooth and upmarket, too, belying its budget price tag.

In action, the Versa 300 is quite impressive. The first aspect I noticed was just how smoothly it glided. This surprised me, given the PTFE skates are quite small compared to those on more premium gaming mice.

The included USB cable is braided and quite long, which makes it amenable to a wide variety of setups. It’s also quite light, although it still adds a small but noticeable element of drag to movements. The connection to the USB-C port is as solid as I could’ve wished for, so I wasn’t concerned about accidentally yanking it out.

The Omron mechanical switches feel satisfying enough, but they’re a little heavier and travel a little further than those on more elite gaming mice. This makes them feel less snappy. I still found them just about light enough for competitive play, but more serious head clickers might find them too sluggish for their needs.

The scroll wheel is somewhat unusual, due to its prominent, spiky finish. Far from being uncomfortable, though, I found this texture pleasing and it provided good feedback.

The middle click is also very satisfying, feeling more like a true button press than many others, thanks to its long travel and definitive thud when actuated. It’s probably one of the best middle clicks I’ve experienced.

However, the notching of the wheel is a little too light for my tastes, making it somewhat harder to judge single flicks compared to others. There’s no free scroll or tilt scroll feature, either, which some premium gaming mice get.

MSI Center, the brand’s peripheral software, is simple to use and laid out clearly. There is a reasonable amount of adjustments here, including five customizable levels for the DPI selector, ranging from 100 to 26,000, as well as rebinding options.

These are quite limited, though. You can only swap inputs around, assign media playback controls, and trigger macros (a fairly basic macro recording facility is included). It’s a shame you can’t customize the RGB lighting from here; for that, you’ll need to download another app, Portal X, which just creates more inefficiency.

You can enable more advanced features, such as Motion Sync and Angle Snapping, as well as alter the debounce time between 0ms and 30ms (in increments of 1ms). You can also adjust the lift-off distance, but this only has two settings: low and high.

Battery life is also excellent. After using the mouse consistently for several days, in both Bluetooth and 2.4GHz modes, it only dropped around 10-15%. I didn’t experience any connectivity issues, either, with the two wireless modes maintaining a stable, lag-free signal.

Other gaming mice may have a greater selection of advanced performance based features, but it’s hard to complain about their absence in the Versa 300, given its competitive pricing. There aren’t many in this sector that offer a top-draw spec for so little, making it a compelling pick for those on a budget.

MSI Versa 300 Wireless 8K review: Price & availability

• $99.99 / £59.99 (about AU$140)
• Available now
• Well-priced for its spec

The MSI Versa 300 Wireless 8K costs $99.99 / £59.99 (about AU$140) and is available now in black only. It comes with a braided USB cable but no grip tape or spare skates.

Considering its spec, the Versa 300 is well-priced. There aren’t many gaming mice at this price point offering dual wireless connectivity modes, an 8K polling rate, and advanced tweaks.

It’s significantly cheaper than the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro, which is one of our current favorites in the sector. But the Razer has more advanced software, granting you access to more adjustments and functions. We also loved its snappy mouse clicks, an area where the Versa 300 falls short.

However, if you’re after a truly budget gaming mouse, it’s hard to beat the Cooler Master MM311. We found it performed much better than it had any right to. It may lack multiple connectivity modes and a rechargeable battery, but you can’t really get better performance for less.

Should I buy the MSI Versa 300 Wireless 8K?

Scorecard

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

MSI Versa 300 Wireless 8K review: Also consider

How I tested the MSI Versa 300 Wireless 8K

• Tested for several days
• Used for a variety of games and tasks
• Extensive gaming mouse experience

I tested the Versa 300 for several days, during which time I used it for gaming, working, and general productivity. I used all of its connectivity methods with two different Windows PCs.

I played a variety of games, from fast-paced shooters such as Counter-Strike 2, where speed and precision matter most, to games requiring a more considered and versatile and more encompassing mouse functionality, such as Subnautica 2.

I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, and have experienced many gaming mice in that time. I’ve also reviewed a large number of them, from budget offerings to pro-level and feature-packed premium models.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed: May 2026

• The RAM crisis has reportedly resulted in a motherboard manufacturer crisis, according to Digitimes
• Digitimes' report suggests motherboard shipments have plummeted for four major Taiwanese manufacturers
• Consumers no longer have the incentive to buy motherboards for new PC builds due to unaffordable RAM kits

The AI boom and ongoing economic struggles continue to leave the PC hardware market in disarray, and a recent development suggests matters are only getting worse.

As reported by PC Gamer, a new Digitimes report indicates a 'collapse' for motherboard manufacturers and their shipment targets for 2026, due to the memory crisis.

Unsurprisingly, RAM shortages and price hikes have effectively discouraged consumers from building new PCs, which has a knock-on effect of leaving motherboards on the shelves.

Notably, the report states that Asus is among the four major Taiwanese motherboard manufacturers that lowered shipment targets at the end of 2025, and has still experienced a collapse in shipments. It also claims that Asus has only managed to ship 5 million motherboards in the first half of 2026, despite aiming for 10 million overall.

Frankly, those numbers are regarded as one of the worst for Asus, as it's said to mark the 'lowest point in Asus's motherboard shipments since the company split in 2008', and also worse than the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A similar case applies to MSI, which was reportedly estimating 11 million motherboard shipments but has fallen to 8.4 million for 2026.

Yes, these cases don't directly impact consumers, especially given the lack of consumer incentive to buy motherboards (which is part of the issue, but not to blame), but in theory, low motherboard sales could lead to a drop in production for the major manufacturers.

If the RAM crisis does dissolve, there will likely be a sudden demand for motherboards where production has been severed, ultimately leading to skyrocketing prices and shortages. It's quite evident that the AI boom has done immense damage to the PC hardware market, but we can only hope that it isn't irreparable.

• MSI has launched two new monitors, the MSI MPG 322UR X24, and the MSI MAG 321UP X24
• Both are 4th-gen QD-OLED monitors, using several new features to improve immersion
• DarkArmor Film and Uniform Luminance work to improve black levels and keep brightness consistent, respectively

QD-OLED displays are consistently lauded as the best on the market, thanks to their deep black levels, which ensure picture quality unmatched by mini-LED and regular LED monitors. However, it doesn't come without a few drawbacks, and that's what MSI's new displays promise to solve.

MSI has launched two new 31.5-inch OLED monitors, which were previously revealed at CES 2026: the MSI MPG 322UR QD-OLED X24 and the MSI MAG 321UP QD-OLED X24.

Both models are 4th-gen QD-OLED displays, packed with several new features such as an AI Care Sensor to prevent burn-in by switching the display off when a user leaves the monitor's view. The most notable features are 'DarkArmor Film' and 'Uniform Luminance', both shaped to help revitalize and enhance the viewing experience.

DarkArmor Film is a new design made to increase black levels by 40% and increase the screen's scratch resistance. Most importantly, MSI claims it eliminates the 'purple tint' often seen on OLED displays in brightly-lit environments.

This should stop sunlight or other light sources from causing frustrating glares, which was the cause of the purple tint, and it's evident in MSI's demonstration video (available above), with the difference showcasing the DarkArmor Film display as the victor.

On top of that, both the 322UR and 321UP utilize Penta Tandem OLED technology, significantly enhancing brightness and improving light efficiency by up to 30% by stacking five light-emitting layers, a feature popular among new-gen OLED TVs and monitors.

Perhaps the bigger feature of the two is MSI's Uniform Luminance, which seeks to eradicate the aggressive auto brightness limiter (ABL) issues that plague OLED displays. Switching from small to bigger windows would result in very noticeable brightness shifts, leading to a jarring and inconsistent viewing experience.

Uniform Luminance uses customizable HDR curves to produce smoother transitions between light and dark scenes, ultimately reducing the impact of aggressive ABL and keeping brightness levels consistent.

Listings at several online retailers have the MSI 322UR QD-OLED X24 available at £895 / $1,099 / AU$1,799, and the MSI 321UP QD-OLED X24 available at $899.99 / (around £799 / AU$1,499). Undoubtedly, these are monitors worth keeping an eye out for, and ones I could see added to my wishlist.

If you're looking for a powerhouse laptop for creative work and heavy production tasks without compromising on speed or display quality, I've found a serious high-end deal worth checking out.

MSI’s Stealth A16 AI+ delivers top-tier creator hardware, a stunning OLED display, and massive memory capacity, and it's currently down to $3,999, which is a $300 saving off its usual $4,299.99 asking price.

The hardware is suitable for demanding creative workflows, including video editing, 3D production, and AI-assisted design tools.

Today's top creative laptop deal

It's powered by an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor running between 2.0GHz and 5.1GHz, delivering the speed needed for large creative projects and heavy multitasking. Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU with 24GB of GDDR7 memory provides enormous graphics performance for video rendering, animation, and advanced visual effects work.

It comes with 64GB of LPDDR5x memory, giving creative professionals plenty of headroom for working with large timelines, layered compositions, and demanding design software

The 2TB NVMe Gen4 SSD delivers extremely fast storage speeds and enough space for massive media libraries, raw footage, and project archives.

The 16-inch QHD+ OLED display offers a sharp 2560 x 1600 resolution and a buttery-smooth 240Hz refresh rate. Full 100% DCI-P3 color coverage makes it well suited for color-accurate editing, photo work, and professional video production.

In our review we said it was a "a future-proof powerhouse for demanding tasks" and noted that it "consistently delivered exceptional performance across a variety of demanding applications."

Nvidia Studio validation comes preinstalled with Studio Drivers and creator-focused tools, making it ready for professional workflows right out of the box.

AI acceleration also plays a role here, with a built-in NPU capable of handling AI-assisted creative features and modern productivity tools.

Connectivity remains modern with WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 built into the system. HDMI 2.1 and USB-C with DisplayPort support allow connection to high-resolution external displays, including 4K and even 8K monitors for expanded workspace setups.

Portability stays impressive considering the hardware inside, with a slim 0.79-inch profile and a weight of about 4.6 lbs. The magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis gives the laptop a clean, durable appearance that fits easily into studio, office, or mobile creative environments.

Battery capacity reaches 99.9Whr, supporting longer creative sessions between charges when working away from a desk. A six-speaker sound system by Dynaudio adds stronger audio playback for editing and media review tasks.

With this mix of GPU power, memory, and storage, it’s built to handle creative workloads that would overwhelm typical laptops and the $300 saving makes it an appealing choice.

For more choices, look at our round up of the best business laptops you can buy, and also the best laptops for photo editing and video work.

If you're looking for a capable laptop for AutoCAD, CAD software, and everyday productivity without spending a fortune, I've found a great deal for you.

MSI’s Thin A15 B7UC-473US delivers modern hardware, a fast display, and plenty of flexibility, and it's currently down to $699, which is a huge $200 saving off its usual $899.99 asking price.

That discount puts serious hardware into a much more affordable range for professionals, students, and engineers working with CAD and 3D design software. Systems with this mix of processor power and dedicated graphics usually cost quite a bit more.

Today's top AutoCAD laptop deal

The Windows 11 Home laptop is powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS processor running at 3.3GHz, delivering steady performance across AutoCAD drafting, multitasking, and day-to-day workloads.

Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU with 4GB of GDDR6 memory will allow it to handle CAD rendering, 3D modeling, and technical visualization tasks.

It comes with 16GB of DDR4 memory running at 3200MHz in a dual-channel configuration. The 512GB NVMe SSD keeps boot times short and gives fast access to large CAD files, project assets, and installed software.

The 15.6-inch Full HD display pairs a sharp 1920 x 1080 resolution with a 144Hz refresh rate. IPS-level panel technology keeps viewing angles wide, which helps during design reviews or collaborative project work.

Intel Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support is built into the system, and HDMI and USB-C with DisplayPort support allows two extra monitors to run alongside the main IPS display, which is especially useful when working with complex CAD layouts across multiple screens.

It has a slim 0.85-inch profile and a weight of about 4.10 lbs. The Cosmos Gray finish and aluminum styling give the chassis a stylish appearance that fits comfortably into both work and home setups.

Battery capacity sits at 52.4Whr and works alongside a 120W power adapter that keeps recharge times reasonable.

A 720p HD webcam and stereo speakers support video calls, presentations, and remote project collaboration.

Deals at this price with this level of hardware don’t show up too often, so act fast as it won't be around for long.

For more choices, look at our round up of the best business laptops you can buy, and also the best laptops AutoCAD and for architecture students and architects.

When we tested the MSI Cubi NUC mini PC, we found it to be "a compact and versatile mini PC designed for businesses and professionals."

And right now, the MSI Cubi NUC 1MG Mini Desktop is now $580 (was $700) at Best Buy. That’s a solid $120 saving on a compact system that delivers modern hardware in a footprint barely larger than a book.

Inside the small chassis sits an Intel Core 5-120U processor with 10 cores and strong boost speeds, enough to keep everyday tasks running smoothly, whether you’re juggling spreadsheets, running business apps, or keeping dozens of browser tabs open.

Today's top MSI mini PC deal

In our review we said it "offers a compelling mix of sustainability, compact design, and robust connectivity."

Integrated Intel Graphics handle everyday visuals, media playback, and light creative work with ease, while Windows 11 Home is preinstalled so you can get started right away.

It comes with 16GB of DDR5 memory, which handles demanding workloads and there's room to expand up to 64GB later, giving the system useful flexibility if and when your needs grow.

Fast storage plays a huge role in how quick a PC feels during daily use. The 500GB NVMe SSD keeps startup times short and launches applications quickly, helping you spend less time waiting and more time getting things done.

For connectivity you get dual HDMI ports and two Thunderbolt connections (so you can run multi-monitor setups), multiple USB-A and USB-C ports, dual Ethernet ports, along with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth support.

At just under 2 inches tall and weighing about 1.38 pounds, it can sit quietly on a desk or tuck out of sight without taking over your workspace.

Energy efficiency and small size combine to make this an easy fit for professional or home setups. If you’ve been looking for a compact desktop that will handle all your daily workloads without eating up desk space, this is a great choice.

For more top picks like this, these are the best mini PCs we've tested and reviewed.

• Shop all mini PCs at Best Buy

• XpertStation WS300 supports trillion-parameter models without relying on cloud infrastructure
• Dual 400GbE LAN ports enable high-speed distributed multi-node AI workloads
• Unified HBM3e GPU and LPDDR5X CPU memory maximizes bandwidth for AI

MSI has officially launched the XpertStation WS300, a deskside AI workstation based on Nvidia’s DGX Station architecture.

This system is designed to handle demanding large language models, generative AI, and advanced data science workloads.

The platform is powered by the Nvidia GB300 Grace Blackwell Ultra Desktop Superchip and supports up to 748GB of unified, large coherent memory.

Unified memory architecture for high-bandwidth AI processing

The XpertStation WS300 combines HBM3e GPU memory with LPDDR5X CPU memory for high-bandwidth data sharing.

This configuration allows local processing of trillion-parameter models and supports extensive AI workflows without relying on cloud infrastructure.

The workstation includes dual 400GbE LAN ports, which enable multi-node distributed computing with up to 800Gbps aggregate bandwidth.

MSI claims that the XpertStation WS300 delivers data center class performance directly to the desktop environment, with its setup intended to help organizations move from experimentation to production while maintaining consistent compute reliability.

The XpertStation WS300 supports the full AI lifecycle, including large-scale model training, data-intensive analytics, and real-time inference.

By functioning as a centralized AI compute node, the platform enables collaborative fine-tuning and on-demand deployment, but maintains control over its data and intellectual property.

High-speed PCIe Gen5 and Gen6 NVMe storage accelerates dataset ingestion and AI pipelines, ensuring sustained utilization during compute-intensive operations.

Combined with the Nvidia AI Software Stack, the workstation integrates hardware and software to allow seamless workflow transitions from research to production environments.

MSI also integrated Nvidia NemoClaw, an open-source stack that runs OpenShell within a policy-controlled sandbox.

This allows autonomous AI agents to operate continuously and safely at the deskside, using the workstation’s 20petaFLOPS compute potential.

The configuration supports always-on AI processes locally, enabling experiments with advanced AI and robotics applications without transferring sensitive workloads to cloud servers.

"MSI has a strategic vision to advance AI-first computing," said Danny Hsu, General Manager of MSI's Enterprise Platform Solutions.

"With Nvidia, we are defining the next era of AI infrastructure, bridging centralized performance and distributed innovation, and enabling organizations to move from experimentation to production with greater speed, scale, and confidence."

The platform provides extensive capabilities for advanced AI workflows, but its $84,999.99 price tag raises concerns about cost efficiency.

Organizations that do not require maximum memory or continuous trillion-parameter model operation may find the investment difficult to justify.

The system delivers unprecedented local AI performance, enabling demanding computations at the desk.

However, the practical value of this workstation is likely limited to enterprises with high-throughput AI workloads and specific infrastructure requirements.

MSI Prestige 14 AI+: Two-minute review

The MSI Prestige 14 AI+ is a sleek business-focused laptop with a premium design that manages an interesting and useful mix of the features and performance you need, but skips a lot of the bloat.

As the name suggests, it’s a 14-inch laptop, and it’s aimed at users on the go who need a thin and light machine that still offers decent performance and battery life. The Prestige 14 measures in at 31.6 x 22.2 x 1.2 - 1.4cm (12.4 x 8.7 x 0.47 - 0.55 inches) and weighs 1.32kg (2.91 lbs) — an excellent size for portability without being too small. Compared to the non-Windows competition, it’s chunkier than a MacBook Air, but is slimmer and lighter than a MacBook Pro.

The Prestige 14 AI+ D3M configuration I tested uses the Intel Core Ultra 7 355 CPU with 32GB of onboard LPDDR5x memory and a 1TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD — a popular spec in laptops launched in 2026. You can also get the Prestige 14 AI+ in the same spec but with a 512GB SSD, or with a more powerful Intel Core Ultra X7 358H CPU.

While the Prestige 14 AI+ is a classic clamshell laptop, there’s also a similar 2-in-1 model. If that’s more your style, check out our MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ review.

On the left side, the Prestige 14 AI+ has two USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 ports (both supporting DisplayPort and 100W charging), plus an HDMI 2.1 output. The right side features dual USB-A ports and a 3.5mm headset jack.

The pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports makes it easy to connect the laptop up to a dock or monitor, and if also using HDMI, you can drive 3 external displays. I generally like having one USB-C port on each side, but the dual left ports plus HDMI setup does make it neat on a desk.

The 14-inch OLED display has a resolution of 1920 x 1200 (a pleasing 16:10 aspect ratio) with excellent 100% DCI-P3 color. MSI doesn't quote a specific NIT figure on the local spec sheet, but in use the glossy OLED panel is bright enough to overcome reflections in slightly glary office environments but struggles a little outdoors.

Handily, the screen folds back through a full 180 degrees, which is great for sharing content across a table or using the laptop in a vertical stand. The 1920 x 1200 resolution is perfectly fine at this size but not quite as sharp as I prefer and you will need to look at the larger 16-inch Prestige 16 AI+ if you want a higher res screen, like 2880x1800.

The IR FHD webcam gives decent quality video when well-lit and is still acceptable in tougher lower-light conditions. It supports facial recognition unlocks, plus has a physical shutter for privacy. Speaker quality is better than expected, though as is normal in a thin laptop, the sound gets a little muddy at higher volumes.

The backlit keyboard has deep key travel, very little bounce and no distracting light bleed from under the keys. The large touchpad is nice and accurate and supports gestures, though its non-haptic click mechanism has unusually deep travel, especially on right click, and can feel a little awkward at times.

The new Intel Series 3 Core Ultra 7 355 CPU is a good fit for this kind of thin-and-light machine. In daily use the Prestige 14 AI+ feels very responsive for typical office work, photo editing and even heavier multitasking. This is thanks in part to the snappy CPU, but also due to the 32GB of RAM and fast SSD. The integrated graphics are a step down from Intel Arc iGPUs but performance is plenty for accelerating lighter creative work and even some casual gaming.

The battery has an 81Wh capacity — decently large for this class of machine — and the laptop lasted an excellent 14 hours and 42 minutes unplugged when doing office tasks. Video playback is even better at 16 hours and 21 minutes in testing, meaning the Prestige will happily make it through a day unplugged.

All in all, the combination of snappy everyday performance and excellent battery life in a stylish portable laptop makes the MSI Prestige 14 AI+ easy to recommend.

MSI Prestige 14 AI+: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $1,699 / £1,449 / AU$2,599
• When is it available? Available now
• Where is it available? Available in the US, UK and Australia

The MSI Prestige 14 AI+ is very new, so at the time of writing availability is not yet widespread and in the US, only the Ultra X7 385H variant is for sale.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 355 variant tested costs around £1,449 in the UK and AU$2,599 in Australia, though some retailers already have it a little cheaper. You can also save a little by opting for the 512GB SSD spec.

The pricing places the MSI Prestige 14 AI+ firmly in premium ultrabook territory rather than the more budget-friendly business-laptop space, but the spec and features do help justify the higher asking price — especially as the latest generation of laptops has experienced noticeable price rises compared to 2025 models. Still, I hope to see the price come down over time to help keep it competitive.

The Intel Ultra X7 358H variant is also sold in Australia and the UK with up to a 2TB SSD and is only slightly more expensive — so it’s well worth checking out if you need more storage or higher performance.

• Value score: 4 / 5

MSI Prestige 14 AI+: Specs

The Prestige 14 AI+ family includes several variants, but the configuration tested here is straightforward: an Intel Core Ultra 7 355, 32GB of onboard LPDDR5x memory, a 1TB SSD and a 14-inch 1920 x 1200 OLED display.

The other common option is a model with a more powerful Intel Core Ultra X7 358H CPU and up to a 2TB SSD.

• Specs score: 4 / 5

MSI Prestige 14 AI+: Design

• 180-degree fold-flat screen
• Dual Thunderbolt 4
• 16:10 OLED display

The Prestige 14 AI+ looks and feels like a proper premium laptop compared to MSI's more budget-friendly office machines, and it has a sleek, understated design that easily rivals the best from other brands.

The Prestige 14 measures in at 31.6 x 22.2 x 1.2–1.4cm (12.4 x 8.7 x 0.47–0.55 inches), and its 1.32kg (2.91 lbs) weight makes it a very manageable laptop to carry around every day. The curved edges of the aluminum alloy design make it feel pleasantly slim in hand (or when slipping it into a bag) but it’s strong enough to use without any undue flexing.

The port fitout and left/right split is pretty standard on laptops these days and has everything needed for most users. It would be nice to see little extras like an SD card reader, or another USB-C port on the right, but that’s increasingly rare.

MSI says the laptop can be equipped with 64GB of RAM, but for now I have only seen 32GB variants for sale. The RAM is soldered so can’t be upgraded, but the SSD uses a M.2 slot so can be swapped out in the future if you need more space.

The keyboard is above average, with comfortable sizing (even for my large hands), deep travel and very little bounce during a vigorous deadline-induced writing session.

The trackpad is large and accurate to use and supports gestures like adjusting volume or brightness, and has a handy shortcut to the calculator and the MSI Center S management software. You do need to turn the gestures on manually and once you get used to them they work pretty well, and they aren't easy to accidentally trigger. You can also set up your own custom actions for gestures, like activating specific hotkeys or launching apps.

Overall I found the trackpad to be above average and my only complaint during my use was that right-clicking in the lower corner felt oddly deep, despite it working just fine.

The 16:10 display gives that little bit of extra screen real estate that you only realize is so helpful if ever going back to a 16:9 laptop. The 1920 x 1200 resolution is lower than I usually like, but considering the 14-inch footprint, it's quite sharp and usable day to day. That’s helped by the OLED panel with an excellent 100% DCI-P3 color rating, and while there’s no listed brightness, it’s good enough even in bright office environments, but the glossy surface shows a lot of reflections if outdoors at a cafe.

If you want a higher resolution display, then look at the larger Prestige 16 AI+ C3MG lineup. The spec is very similar overall, but you get a 16-inch 2880x1800 OLED display and the price is only slightly higher. Or for touchscreen support, the Prestige 14 Flip machines offer a comparable laptop but with a 2-in-1 design.

My favorite feature though is that the screen uses a hinge that allows it to fold back through 180 degrees. That is very useful for using the laptop in a vertical stand next to external monitors — in my testing I had it upright and flat next to dual vertically mounted 4K 27” panels, letting me use the laptop screen as an extra workspace for things like a Slack chat. The fold-back screen also makes it easy to share content across a table, and works well in one-on-one meetings.

The Prestige 14 AI+ includes an IR webcam and fingerprint reader, so secure logins are fast and easy. Many laptops only have one or the other, but having both means you can use whatever method you prefer, or turn off facial logins if needed without resorting to using a pin or password.

• Design score: 4 / 5

MSI Prestige 14 AI+: Performance

• Great everyday performance
• Very quiet in normal use
• Fast 1TB SSD

The MSI Prestige 14 AI+ feels snappy in typical use, with top-notch single-core performance plus fast RAM and storage. The Intel Core Ultra 7 355 is aimed at being an efficient chip for thin and light laptops, so multicore performance is lower than you get with more powerful CPUs.

It’s still plenty for most tasks, but for anyone who runs more demanding apps, the Prestige 14 with the more powerful Intel Core Ultra X7 358H is well worth the slightly higher price. For most users though, the Ultra 7 355 is a good mix of performance and efficiency.

MSI has equipped the Prestige 14 with a very fast SSD that can approach the limits of the PCIe 4.0 interface. In my tests the drive managed 6,961 MB/s read and 6,335 MB/s writes in CrystalDiskMark, which helps ensure the laptop feels fast when launching apps and multitasking.

Of course, decent performance in a thin form factor means some fan noise is expected under heavy load. Like most laptops these days, MSI uses vapor chamber cooling and during normal office work the Prestige 14 AI+ is mostly inaudible, or very quiet when the fans do spool up a little.

It gets that characteristic laptop fan whine under heavy loads, but does ramp down quickly once the CPU isn’t working as hard. The chassis does get noticeably warm if you push the laptop for an extended period, but the keyboard, touchpad and underside never became uncomfortably hot in my testing.

Graphics performance is naturally limited by the integrated GPU, but it is still respectable for a thin business laptop. The Prestige 14 AI+ scored 3,296 in 3DMark Time Spy and 6,502 in Fire Strike, which is a bit less than last gen CPUs like the Intel Ultra 7 258V, but enough for lighter GPU work and some casual play with older or less demanding games.

If you need a laptop that can compete with low-end discrete graphics, then opting for the Prestige 14 with the Intel Core Ultra X7 358H CPU is a good call, as it has a much more powerful Intel Arc B390 iGPU, which offers over 50% higher performance.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 355 includes an NPU with up to 49 TOPs performance, but we are still in that awkward phase where it’s underutilized most of the time. Still, it’s only going to get more useful, and already offers advantages such as efficiently handling webcam backgrounds and video effects in otherwise notorious resource-hogging apps like Teams.

If your workload consists of typical office tasks — writing, handling spreadsheets, multitasking across apps, image editing and other general productivity, the Prestige 14 AI+ has more than enough performance.

If you need to handle more creator-style workloads, then it’s definitely worth looking at other models, such as the MSI Prestige 16 AI+ C3M.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

MSI Prestige 14 AI+: Battery life

• 14 hours and 42 minutes work when unplugged
• 16 hours and 21 minutes of video playback

The Prestige 14 AI+ has an 81Wh battery — decently large considering the light weight and thin design meaning battery life is one of its key strengths. Connected to Wi-Fi, I managed 14 hours and 42 minutes of lighter office-style work (like writing reviews) on battery, which is more than enough to get through a long day.

If you add in some more demanding tasks like a lot of image editing, then battery life slips. But even then the CPU is efficient enough that you need to be working it pretty hard before you can’t make it through a day unplugged.

The Prestige 14 AI+ charges over USB-C using its included 65W adapter (though it supports 100W), and you can quickly add back 50% of charge in about 30 minutes, or be fully topped off in about 1.5 hours. The charger is not too bulky and you can change the AC end of the cable if going overseas.

For less demanding tasks such as video playback, the laptop lasts even longer. With Wi-Fi on and the screen at 50% brightness, it lasted 16 hours and 21 minutes.

Overall the Prestige 14 combines the large battery and efficient CPU well and is a solid choice if you need to get work done when on the go.

• Battery life score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the MSI Prestige 14 AI+?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

MSI Prestige 14 AI+: Also consider

If my MSI Prestige 14 AI+ review has you considering other options, here are three alternatives to consider...

How I tested the MSI Prestige 14 AI+

• I tested the MSI Prestige 14 AI+ for two weeks
• I used it both at a desk and when working on the go
• I tested it with benchmarking tools, battery testing and everyday workloads

I ran the MSI Prestige 14 AI+ through the usual comprehensive array of TechRadar benchmarks, as well as using it for actual day-to-day work.

I used it for office tasks, media playback, multitasking and general productivity work, while also checking battery life, thermals, noise and charging times.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2026

• MSI's general manager has called 2026 the "most challenging year since the company was founded"
• The RAM crisis is hitting the laptop maker hard, and it's cutting back on production of low-end notebooks by 30% as a result
• There is brighter news elsewhere as DDR5 RAM prices are seemingly dropping in Europe – but not by that much

The RAM crisis is again exerting unwanted pressures on the broader PC market, even while some slightly more optimistic news has reached us on memory pricing over in Europe.

The dose of pessimism comes from MSI, which is going to jack up the prices of its 'gaming products' in the order of 15% to 30% this year. This is according to general manager Huang Jinqing on a recent earnings call, as per a report from Taiwan's United Daily News (via Tom's Hardware).

The increases are driven by the RAM shortage, and also problems with GPU supply from Nvidia — we're told there's a 20% shortfall in securing stock of the latter.

The result is that MSI will cut back on its low-end gaming laptops to the tune of 30%, so it can focus more on mid-range and higher-end PCs. The simple equation to keep revenue flowing is selling fewer devices at higher prices.

Huang said the PC industry is facing severe challenges, and that: "This year is the most challenging year since the company was founded" (text translated from Chinese).

On top of the shifting priorities with laptops, MSI is switching its motherboards to favor models supporting DDR4 memory. Whereas previously four times as many DDR5 motherboards were shipped versus DDR4, that situation has reversed completely, so the older standard is now coming off production lines in fourfold compared to the quantities of DDR5 boards. That's quite a remarkable turnaround.

Analysis: tough times despite some sparks of hope

As noted at the outset, VideoCardz noticed another update from German tech site 3D Center, which keeps tabs on RAM pricing over in Germany, and observes that the price of DDR5 memory dropped by around 7% in March compared to February.

So that sounds quite positive, and it echoes other observations from the European market last month, too. However, lest we get carried away, remember that DDR5 RAM is still quadruple what it cost compared to the price in September 2025, according to 3D Center's price watching. It's just that it has dropped back a little, after plateauing from January to February this year.

Obviously, it's good to witness any kind of downward correction — or indeed just to see that RAM pricing isn't going up — but there is, of course, a limit to how much prices will rise before most consumers throw their hands up in the air and (rightly) just refuse to buy. Unless they have absolutely no choice, that is.

And elsewhere, we're hearing gloomier news on RAM hikes, and as MSI makes clear, all this — and related supply issues around video memory for GPUs — is making life very difficult for PC manufacturers (or indeed those building themselves a new computer). We've already heard as much from the likes of HP and other big laptop makers, of course.

However, to call 2026 the "most challenging year" is quite a statement, considering that the pandemic in 2020 was a very tough time for the market (and it isn't the first time we've heard this sentiment in the tech industry this year).

Huang is predicting a 10% to 20% decline in PC sales this year, whereas analyst firms are pitching their estimations at a 10% drop for 2026. That's the best-case scenario as far as MSI's general manager is concerned, which is troubling to say the least, as is the fact that the budget end of the PC market is going to be hit hardest.

It's the last day of Amazon's Spring Sale, and it's your last chance to save on some great business laptops from Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, and MSI.

I review business laptops for a living, so I've searched through everything in the Amazon Spring Deal Days Sale to find the laptop deals you won't want to miss if you're a professional who needs reliable machine.

For smooth performance in day-to-day business tasks, I've ensured each laptop here is equipped with a minimum Intel Core 5 / AMD Ryzen 5 processor, 16GB of memory, and 512GB SSD.

All of the options below are suitable for productivity tasks, running Office software, browsing the web, and holding video calls. And at under £500 for known-brand machines, they're the business laptop deals you won't want to miss.

For more savings, I've also found 50home office upgrades under £50.

The top business laptops under £500 in Amazon's Spring Sale

More of today's Amazon Spring Sale highlights

• Amazon Devices: Fire TV & Blink from £13.99
• Apple: AirPods & Apple Watch from £139
• Appliances: up to 30% off Ninja & De'Longhi
• Clothing: up to 50% off Sketchers & Crocs
• Essentials: from £5
• Gaming: up to 50% off PS5 & Switch games
• Headphones: Sony & Shokz from £59
• Health & Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Laptops: from £149.99
• Smart home: up to 50% off cameras & doorbells
• Smartwatches: Apple & Huawei from £99
• Tablets: Fire & Galaxy Tabs from £59.99
• Toys: up to 30% off Lego
• TVs: from £139.99
• Vacuums: up to 30% off Shark & Vax

• MSI MEG Vision X AI 13.3-inch touchscreen doubles as a monitoring hub for creatives and professionals
• GPU selection dictates performance for gaming, rendering, and professional workloads alike
• Lobster-like chassis combines expandability with unconventional aesthetics

MSI has launched the MEG Vision X AI series, a barebones all-in-one PC which combines high-end gaming hardware with a strikingly unconventional design.

The system features a full-size tower measuring 299.3mm wide, 502.7mm deep, and 423.4mm tall, weighing approximately 18.3kg, and a PS3-esque appendage and protrusions that suggest both function and a distinctive aesthetic.

The device includes a 13.3-inch touchscreen intended for system monitoring, quick toggles, or dedicated status displays, allowing creatives to access software shortcuts, monitor rendering progress, or adjust project settings without switching focus from their primary display.

Interactive touchscreen enhances workflow and monitoring

The unique look of this device promoted TechRadar Pro editor Desire Athow to quip the casing resembled, “a lobster that hadn't completely shed its hard exoskeleton to grow,” capturing the layered and almost organic appearance of the chassis, emphasizing the sense of a device that is both protective and expandable, housing high-end components while presenting a unique surface.

MSI appears to have embraced this aesthetic to showcase the interactive touchscreen while accommodating a full-size tower structure capable of housing top-tier components.

The device is larger than regular compact all-in-one PCs, suggesting the company prioritizes cooling, power delivery, and expandability over minimalism.

Performance is anchored by Intel’s Core Ultra 7 265K CPU on a Z890 platform, paired with 64GB of DDR5 memory.

GPU options split the series into two clear tiers, a GeForce RTX 5080X configuration at $4,640 and a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti model at $4,082.

MSI indicates that CPU and RAM are consistent across models, meaning buyers make performance choices largely through GPU selection.

This ensures that professional applications like 3D rendering, video editing, and simulation software benefit from dedicated GPU acceleration alongside gaming performance.

The MEG Vision X AI supports both wired and wireless connections, with Intel Killer E5000 5GbE for the former and Wi-Fi 7 or Bluetooth 5.4 for the latter.

It also includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, which support fast external storage, docking, or display expansion.

This connectivity allows professionals to attach high-speed NVMe drives or multi-monitor setups, which can streamline workflows for designers, animators, and video editors.

Power is supplied by an 850W 80 PLUS Gold PSU, providing adequate headroom for sustained GPU loads.

Although the primary audience for the device is gamers, its hardware and expandability suggest it could also serve as a versatile platform for creators who require both raw performance and reliable workstation capabilities.

Via Guru3D

When I finished building a new budget gaming PC at the start of the year (luckily, I scored some RAM before the crisis fully kicked off), I decided on one final affordable upgrade to complete the build: a better monitor. I was surprised to find that many good-sized and well-specced options were available at reasonable prices, including the MSI MAG 275CQF that I want to shout out now.

There are certainly bigger and better gaming monitors out there, but given that my gaming time is split between my PS5 and PC, I didn't want to splash out on something super-expensive and super high-end when it would get fairly irregular use. That's what made this MSI MAG stand out.

It's a 27-inch curved display that offers 1440p resolution support, a refresh rate of up to 180Hz, a 0.5ms response time, HDR, and both display port or HDMI connectivity options. And best of all, it only costs around £100 when on sale.

Well, I'm pleased to say that a similar offer is back again at Amazon UK, with the MSI MAG 275CQF now down to £109 (was £189).

While the exact same monitor isn't on sale in the US, a near-identical equivalent that's also 27 inches and offers 1440p resolution support is listed on Amazon — and, better still, it has a slightly higher peak refresh rate of up to 200Hz.

Buy the MSI MAG 275CQF at Amazon

At this price, I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase. My rig features a Ryzen 5 9600X and a 16GB RX 9060XT, so it's capable of running most games in 1440p at 60fps or higher, so I can make use of the monitor's full resolution and the higher refresh rate in many less demanding titles. And that's mostly what I'm playing on it, with my PS5 Pro used for any cutting-edge games I want the big screen experience on.

Whether I'm running Mewgenics, the recent Marathon server slam, or I'm quickly hopping on to do my Zenless Zone Zero dailies, performance and image quality are fantastic. I really can't fault it as a solid budget option.

Considering I work on the PC, too, I really like the extra screen size, responsiveness, and the sleek curved design for writing articles exactly like this one and all my other work needs. I've currently got the MSI MAG 275CQF paired with a basic 1080p monitor in a dual-screen setup, but I'm sorely tempted just to add another now that it's on sale again to get one huge curved display setup.

Yep, there's a very strong chance it'll end up in my basket again in the next few days.

• MSI's RTX 5090 Lightning can only be bought via a lottery system in the US
• Some buyers are therefore taking advantage of this and reselling the GPU for between $8,000 to $15,000 on eBay
• It's cheaper to buy the RTX 5090 Lightning from the UK and pay for shipping and import, but however you dice it, you'll be down a small fortune

Ever thought about dropping the best part of ten grand on a GPU? If you are mulling a purchase of MSI's latest Nvidia graphics card – which is a new premium spin on the Blackwell flagship – you better prepare for a wallet-destroying price.

VideoCardz spotted that MSI's RTX 5090 Lightning Z graphics card is priced at truly eye-watering levels for buyers in the US, who would be better off importing the GPU from the UK.

The catch with the RTX 5090 Lightning is that it's a limited-edition graphics card, with not many more than 1,000 units having been made for global distribution to the buying public. In the US, the extra tricky bit is that the Lightning can only be purchased via a lottery, meaning you must win the opportunity to buy this graphics card at its retail price, which is $5,090 (see what they did there?) in the US.

So, predictably, what has happened is that those who've won the chance to buy the RTX 5090 Lightning have done so, but with the aim of trying to resell the GPU on eBay (or other marketplaces) to those who really want this card, but failed to win the aforementioned lottery.

As you can imagine, the markup on the Lightning is a nasty one, with current eBay prices ranging from $8,000 to $15,000.

Now, as VideoCardz points out, for GPU enthusiasts in the US, there's a better approach here rather than buying one of those products listed on eBay, which is to look at UK retailers instead (where there isn't a lottery system).

At the time of writing, Overclockers UK – one of the big custom PC makers and component sellers in the country – has MSI's RTX 5090 Lightning in stock and ready to ship for £5,000. For a buyer in the US, that works out at around $6,800 currently, so even after shipping and import costs, it's still going to be a good deal cheaper than forking out $8,000 (or indeed a lot more).

Analysis: ride the lightning – or don't, and buy a whole RTX 5090 gaming PC instead

Granted, in the scenario presented, there are support issues if things go wrong with the GPU for a US buyer using a UK retailer. But then there'd be support issues with an eBay seller anyhow (some of which are abroad anyway, so for example, one of those RTX 5090 Lightning graphics cards is shipped from Germany).

Of course, there's a bigger issue here though, which is simply: why on earth would you want to pay so much for a GPU anyway, even a flash RTX 5090? True, the RTX 5090 Lightning is doubtless a sterling overclocker (it is "built to sustain 1000W loads with absolute stability"), and it's a stunning-looking creation (with a built-in 8-inch display, no less).

But the prices floating around are just ludicrous, as is the recommended retail price frankly, wherever you can manage to get the GPU at that level (not in the US, as noted). $5,090 is still over 40% more expensive than the most affordable RTX 5090 at Newegg currently (which is $3,600 – and yes, prices have shot up with the flagship in general). And unless you're a really hardcore overclocker – or just want supreme GPU bragging rights – that's a seriously painful premium for the Lightning even at MSRP.

More to the point, for five grand you can pick up an entire gaming PC with top-spec components including an RTX 5090. Again, at Newegg, you can buy a liquid-cooled gaming rig built around the MSI Ventus RTX 5090 and Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor with 32GB of DDR5 RAM (which is also seriously pricey these days) and a 2TB SSD.

Or a liquid-cooled Alienware Area-51 PC (as pictured above) can be configured with the same spec for the CPU (the Intel 285K), GPU (RTX 5090) and RAM (32GB), plus a 1TB SSD, priced at $4,650 at the time of writing, which is 10% under the cost of MSI's RTX 5090 Lightning. I know which purchase I'd be making – none of the above, but if I did have that kind of budget for my PC gaming, it'd be the Alienware machine, for sure.

MSI’s big updates for the year mostly focused on the company’s business and AI devices, between laptops, desktops, and all-in-one PCs.

MSI also brought out a new glacier blue colorway for the Claw 8 AI+ and updated its desktop components line for a fresh new ecosystem. But there were four new products that truly shined in MSI’s new lineup and they weren’t just a chipset refresh or new coat of paint.

Raider 16 Max HX

This year, CES didn’t come with all-new gaming processors, but that didn’t stop MSI from updating the Raider 16 for even more power. Promising an astounding 300W of power, the Raider 16 Max HX is MSI’s “most powerful laptop ever.” Which is saying a lot considering the sheer power of last year’s Raider A18 HX.

The Raider 16 Max HX’s incredible 300W of total device power will be split between the laptop’s Intel Core Ultra 200HX CPU and its Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 or 5090 GPU with a split of 125W to the CPU and 175W to the GPU.

Plus it's got a quick-access panel on the bottom cover to more easily upgrade memory and storage. So even if the Raider 16 Max HX costs more than your rent, you’ll be able to hold onto it for years.

Prestige 14 Flip AI

The Prestige 14 Flip AI is similar to last year’s Summit 13 AI+, though it's got the new, sleek Prestige design rather than the Summit’s black and gold color scheme and features Intel’s new Core Ultra 300 series CPUs.

With the MSI Pen 2 and a 360-degree convertible hinge, the Prestige 14 Flips is the most portable and versatile of the new Prestige lineup.

Vision RS AI 2nd Gen

MSI also updated the Vision RS AI desktop this year. Sporting a curved seamless glass panel and all-white case, the Vision RS AI 2nd Gen is a powerful, liquid cooled beast of a machine that can run your AI models or games without missing a beat.

And it just looks pretty. Instead of the usual RGB heavy gaming design, the Vision RS AI 2nd Gen is clean and understated. Plus it can be kitted out with an Intel Core Ultra 9 and Nvidia RTX 5090.

MPG 27QRF X36

Fast OLED displays are all over CES this year, but the MPG 27QRF is one of the better iterations with a 360Hz, 0.5ms panel featuring Nvidia’s G-Sync Pulsar motion clarity and variable refresh rate.

It also has a built-in webcam and ultra clean design with a sturdy base.

• Intel announced that there'll be a handheld gaming platform with the Panther Lake series
• Partnerships with MSI, Acer, GPD, and Microsoft mean a good few handhelds could be on the way
• These devices won't be here any time soon, but more details are expected later in 2026

Nothing much has been happening with handheld gaming PCs at CES 2026, but Intel has hinted at the potential for a raft of major new launches later in 2026.

As reported by Notebookcheck, Intel has promised that handhelds are coming which are built with its Panther Lake series of processors. This potentially includes partnerships with the likes of MSI, Acer, GPD, Microsoft, and Onexplayer, with further updates set to be revealed later this year.

With both Lenovo and Asus recently launching the Legion Go 2 and the ROG Xbox Ally X respectively, this leaves both of those manufacturers effectively out of the picture for a handheld refresh powered by these new Intel chips – new devices surely won't be coming for some time on those fronts.

Essentially, this leaves room open for one of the big players, namely MSI, to make a successor to the Claw AI+ handhelds that use Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V processor.

Based on Intel's performance claims for Panther Lake's Arc B390 integrated GPU, which is said to be 73% faster than AMD's Radeon 890M while running at a lower power usage, it's safe to say that Team Blue could give Team Red a run for its money in the handheld space here.

If it was built around a Panther Lake CPU, we could see a new MSI Claw device with significantly better performance than most of the current-gen mainstream handhelds. As Intel claims, this is supposed to be next-gen handheld gaming performance (see the graph above).

It also helps that XeSS 3 (supported by Panther Lake and older Xe integrated graphics) comes with the benefits of multi-frame generation, a technology that we've only seen Nvidia utilize for its RTX 5000 series GPUs (although it's also possible via Lossless Scaling on Steam).

More importantly, in the grand scheme of things, the battle between AMD and Intel in the handheld market is on.

Analysis: Intel is making a stronger name for itself in the gaming market

While AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU essentially provides gaming laptop-tier performance for the GPD Win 5 and other premium handhelds, Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V is still the most impressive chip overall for me.

It's the processor used in the MSI Claw AI+ handhelds, and the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is the best handheld I've used to date. Yes, the Claw's $899 price tag was a point of contention for me, but with Max+ 395 handhelds costing nearly $2,000, there's a clear winner in terms of value.

If Intel's generational performance leap claims are accurate, we'll be in for a far more powerful successor to the MSI Claw 8 AI+ with a Panther Lake chip as its engine. And Intel will further establish itself as more of a presence when it comes to hardware for gaming – especially since its upcoming Arc B770 discrete GPU has leaked, supposedly packed with 16GB of VRAM.

There's plenty to look forward to from both AMD and Intel, not only in the desktop GPU department, but also for SoCs and their powerful integrated graphics for handhelds. I'm pumped to see what happens in 2026.

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2026 live news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything we've seen.

You can also ask us a question about the show in our CES 2026 live Q&A and we’ll do our best to answer it.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok for the latest from the CES show floor!

• MSI Nano Pen integrates seamlessly into Prestige Flip laptops for immediate access
• Tilt detection allows precise control of strokes in drawing and writing
• Two interchangeable tips give users options for different creative tasks

At CES 2026, MSI introduced the Nano Pen as part of its collaboration with Microsoft, creating a stylus designed for mobile productivity on newer Prestige Flip laptops.

The pen is integrated into a dedicated slot at the bottom of the device, keeping it secure and immediately accessible.

The Nano Pen weighs approximately 13.5g, making it an ultra-light option for frequent handling and extended writing or drawing sessions.

Design and technical features

The device supports the Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP) 2.0 and offers 4096 pressure levels and tilt detection, which allow more nuanced control over strokes in compatible applications.

The pen offers a 266Hz report rate and can hover 8 to 10mm above the screen, which helps input feel more responsive and precise.

It also includes two interchangeable tips, one sharper and one rounder, letting users choose the style that best suits their writing or drawing.

A distinctive aspect of the MSI Nano Pen is its built-in microphone for Microsoft Copilot, which enables press-to-talk voice commands.

By pressing both buttons on the pen, users can trigger voice input and interact with Copilot in a more direct and immediate way.

The combination of stylus input and voice commands streamlines workflows for users who frequently switch between writing, drawing, and dictating content.

Charging works through either a USB-C connection or the integrated slot on Prestige Flip laptops, depending on the configuration.

The slot allows the pen to charge rapidly, reaching full power in just 30 seconds and providing up to 45 minutes of use from only 15 seconds of charging.

Although battery life is relatively short, rapid charging offsets this limitation by allowing quick top-ups between tasks.

The design keeps the pen accessible while maintaining a lightweight profile and balancing portability with functional utility.

The MSI Nano Pen reflects an effort to combine conventional stylus input with AI-assisted voice functionality.

• MSI Prestige 16 delivers more than 30 hours of 1080p video playback effortlessly
• The aluminum chassis keeps the device light at only 1.59 kilograms
• PCIe Gen4 SSD slot provides fast storage access for large media files

At CES 2026, MSI introduced the Prestige 16 as part of its new Prestige series, which targets business and productivity users.

The laptop uses Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors and Intel Arc B390 graphics and delivers sustained performance for professional workflows while maintaining a lightweight construction.

Its 81Wh battery supports more than 30 hours of 1080p video playback, a figure that exceeds most competing laptops, including Apple’s MacBook Pro.

Display and input for professional precision

The device features a 16-inch OLED display with 2.8K resolution, 48 to 120Hz variable refresh rates, and full coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut.

It carries DisplayHDR True Black 1000 certification and offers low blue light output, supporting accurate color reproduction and reduced eye strain during extended use.

The MSI Prestige 16 includes a single backlit keyboard with a Copilot Key, which supports traditional typing and quick access to voice-enabled commands.

The device also includes the Action Touchpad and MSI Nano Pen, which support precise input for professional workflows that require detailed control.

Users can configure memory up to 64GB LPDDR5x, and the system provides storage through a single PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD slot.

This setup delivers fast read and write speeds suitable for professional applications and large media files.

Connectivity includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports with DisplayPort and power delivery, two USB-A 3.2 ports, and an HDMI 2.1 port that supports 8K at 60Hz or 4K at 120Hz.

Wireless connectivity relies on Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth v6.

For audio, the system combines dual 2W stereo speakers with woofers, spatial microphones, and DTS Audio processing.

Thermal management uses a dual-fan vapor chamber system to sustain performance under heavy workloads while keeping noise below 30dBA.

Security features include TPM 2.0, fingerprint scanning, an IR webcam, and Smart Guard presence-based auto-locking.

The laptop’s aluminum body features a slim profile with rounded edges and smooth contours, which reduce overall weight while maintaining a premium feel.

The chassis weighs 1.59kg, supporting mobility without compromising internal hardware or display quality.

"The newly designed Prestige series - with its all-new design language, smoother contours, and elevated craftsmanship - underscores MSI’s commitment to innovation in the business and productivity segment," said Eric Kuo, Executive Vice President and General Manager of MSI’s NB Business Unit.

"With unique features like the Action Touchpad and MSI Nano Pen, we’re helping professionals unlock greater productivity and control wherever they go."

We're currently stuck in a PC market where RAM acquisition is the main concern, as prices skyrocket due to the ongoing AI boom, with consumers left to pay up or wait patiently for price drops, especially for the best gaming laptops.

You might be wondering why that matters in regard to the MSI Katana 15 HX B14W gaming laptop. Powered by the Nvidia RTX 5070 (laptop GPU), the Katana 15 HX B14W is also limited to 8GB of VRAM.

Now that last mention might throw most consumers off of purchasing, as 8GB of VRAM isn't desirable for game performance, considering the high system requirements from newer titles. Games are gradually becoming VRAM hungry, and with only 8GB of VRAM, users have to be reasonable with graphics settings and resolutions, especially when using Frame Generation, which utilizes more VRAM.

Also, in case you're unaware of how I've felt about 8GB VRAM GPUs in both laptops and gaming PCs, I'll say this: I don't like them and have always pushed for 12GB to be the new minimum.

However, the MSI Katana 15 HX B14W proved me wrong in some areas, with results ending up different from what I was expecting, even in a few of the toughest scenarios that would usually spell a complete collapse on low VRAM GPUs. However, it's not all great, and there's a reason why 8GB of VRAM is frowned upon.

Maybe 8GB of VRAM isn't so bad after all?

It's not unreasonable to expect an 8GB GPU to provide good performance in games that don't have demanding system requirements, but the real question is, how well can it perform in some of the most demanding games of the last decade?

That's exactly what I put to the test; in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p using DLSS balanced on the ultra graphics preset, I managed an average of 90fps, which is very impressive considering how great Nvidia's DLSS 4 is in image quality, thanks to the transformer model replacing the former CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) model.

A step up to the ultra ray tracing graphics preset gave me an average of 54fps, and it's no secret that Cyberpunk 2077's ray tracing is no easy hurdle for any graphics cards to jump over, so that's another positive for the Katana 15 HX's RTX 5070.

Enabling Frame Generation (not Multi-Frame Generation) made performance results much better in Cyberpunk 2077, with an average of 115fps. Since the base frame rates were high enough, enabling frame gen wasn't going to significantly worsen image quality (although visual artifacts are still somewhat noticeable), and gameplay felt smooth and responsive.

It's worth noting that not all games tested feature ray tracing and DLSS Frame Generation technology. Titles such as Shadow of the Tomb Raider ran exceptionally, with an average of 160fps at 1440p ultra graphics settings using DLSS on balanced, with frame gen absent.

Performance in most titles also got better at 1080p, and a prime example is Monster Hunter Wilds. At 1440p DLSS Balanced on ultra settings, I got an average of 55fps, and saw a 21% performance increase when dropping down to 1080p, with a 66.51fps average.

However, as expected, 8GB wouldn't be a point of contention for consumers for no reason, and my tests in VRAM-hungry games like Black Myth Wukong, Monster Hunter Wilds (in central hubs), and Assassin's Creed Shadows proved that.

When attempting to use Frame Generation in Black Myth Wukong, VRAM usage would hit 7.1GB, using almost all 8GB, – not ideal for performance. A similar case was present during testing of Assassin's Creed Shadows (a game that has ray tracing enabled by default), where base frame rates were low, and enabling Frame Generation hardly increased the frame rate, but only significantly increased VRAM usage.

In cases of poorly optimized games, like Monster Hunter Wilds, stability and performance with constant stutters got worse as VRAM was almost maxed out when in central hubs and camps in-game, without using Frame Generation.

8GB VRAM isn't future proof, and the RAM crisis is a major worry

While I'm impressed with how well 8GB of VRAM is able to hold up for gaming based on the Katana 15 HX benchmarks, it doesn't mean I'm particularly happy with it. Games are becoming more demanding on system requirements year by year, and while we can see that such configurations can handle heavy games like Cyberpunk 2077, it's also evident that 8GB is close to hitting limits in games that need more VRAM.

With the current RAM crisis leading to price hikes across the board, recent reports estimate that we'll be seeing more 8GB RAM specifications on laptops and PCs, which would ultimately reduce manufacturing costs. If 8GB of VRAM is already showing signs of being insufficient for modern gaming, then a return to 8GB system RAM will only make performance worse.

Games are already beginning to launch with system requirements that include a need for at least 16GB of RAM, and 32GB is being pushed as the ideal amount for good performance, so 8GB alone could cause significant problems for stable performance.

It's not just the fall back down to 8GB for VRAM and RAM that's an issue, but also the potential that these systems would cost more than they normally would, significantly reducing bang-for-the-buck.

I'm not suggesting that the MSI Katana 15 HX is a bad gaming laptop, no. It's more than enough for budget gamers who don't mind gaming at 1080p or 1440p resolutions while using upscaling.

After all, the RTX 5070 is a midrange laptop GPU. However, this gaming laptop and many others that use 8GB specifications will more than likely struggle with upcoming games – and unfortunately, I don't think we'll be seeing the end of 8GB VRAM or RAM configurations any time soon.

If you are looking for a PC, then you should consider the MSI Claw A1M. This is a gaming handheld console but with standard laptop components which means you can use it as a mini PC.

Laptopoutlet is clearing them out at £315 after a 10% off coupon (CLAW10 is the code). That's a saving of £485 or 61%; put it simply, there's absolutely no new computer that can compete against it at this price. Buy it while you can.

I don't need a PC or a laptop but if I did, I would be all over this as it is ideal as a mini PC or even a business PC (by day). And given the current RAM crisis that's on everyone's mind, this deal is really a no-brainer and in my view, the best PC deal of 2025 in the UK.

Let's look at the specs: The Core Ultra 7 155H CPU is faster than the M4 found in the Apple Mac Mini PC, according to popular benchmark CPUBenchmark (although Apple's CPU still outshines it in single-thread performance).

The Claw has 16GB of cutting-edge LPDDR5 RAM and 1TB SSD; the equivalent Apple Mac Mini PC would cost £999, more than 3X the price.

Bearing in mind that this is a mini PC with a 7-inch full HD IPS display, it also has a pair of 2W speakers, a microSD card slot, a 53WHr battery (larger than a lot of laptops), a Thunderbolt 4 port and a fingerprint reader.

I was also surprised to see that this 675g handheld console features Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, making it likely the cheapest Windows device to incorporate these high-speed wireless technologies.

I consider this clearance deal to be the best offer of 2025 and I cannot stress enough how great of a bargain it is. Its primary audience are gamers who want desktop-level performance on the move; it is absolutely perfect for creators and professionals who want a powerful, portable workstation without having to pay a premium.

While you don't need to use a docking station to use it, such a USB dock is advisable to make full use of the MSI Claw's capabilities while it's not used untethered for leisure purposes.

Check out our hands-on review of the MSI Claw

Below is a list of PCs and laptops sold in the UK for around £300

More UK PCs and laptops around £300

The MSI Pro MP165 E6 is a budget portable monitor that fits the bill if you need a simple display to extend or add to your current setup.

I found it slim and lightweight, and a good way to get a bit more screen real estate without breaking the bank. The USB-C connection means you can hook it up to plenty of other devices, from laptops to games consoles.

While the specs aren't dazzling, the price certainly catches the eye, making it one of the best portable monitors for business travel.

MSI Pro MP165 E6: Price and availability

The MSI Pro MP165 E6 is an affordable portable display, retailing for $95 at Amazon.com and £90 at Amazon.co.uk.

I'm also seeing it available from other retailers, too, for around the same price. There aren't many sub-$100 portable monitors worth your money, but this is one of them.

MSI Pro MP165 E6: Unboxing and First Impressions

The MSI Pro MP165 E6 shows off its lightweight frame right out of the box. Something was missing when I was opening everything up because the entire package was so light. The packaging was minimal, with only a USB-C and HDMI cable and a protective sleeve in the box —no frills, just the basics. I appreciate that MSI chose a sleeve rather than a case/folio. It comes off easily, allowing me to plug in the monitor and set it up semi-permanently without needing to store the cover.

I have tested many portable monitors and found a wide range in quality, usability, and functionality. The MSI Pro MP165 E6 sits beautifully in the budget category, offering good value for a great price. It ticks most of the boxes in terms of functionality without knocking it out of the park in quality, but that is where the budget-friendly nature comes into play. But, more on that later.

MSI Pro MP165 E6: Design & Build Quality

Picture the top half of a budget laptop, no keyboard, just the display. Now you've pictured the MSI Pro MP165 E6. It's a simple display, with simple inputs: no battery, no heft, no fuss.

MSI did choose to add some innovative features, even for a budget item, such as VESA mounting screws, a stand, and 90-degree cables in the box. These are all really little, simple things that go the extra mile.

Even though this panel could be used for an abundance of different use cases, MSI positioned the ports at the bottom edge of the display, making them super accessible, while still allowing you to tuck cables away if and when necessary.

MSI Pro MP165 E6: In use

Given this display's nature, I have many uses for it in the professional world. I've used this in my IT professional world as a display for some desktops I was working on, so I could keep them in my tech area without needing to remote in or connect a larger display. I have also used this display to set up an Apple TV and to check a camera's output.

The monitor was used quite a bit on a VESA-mountable stand for a camera playback feature, and then moved to a custom upright piano casing. This monitor still lives in that upright piano casing, serving as a display for a Mac mini plugged in and running all the tracks for a Music Director rig. This display was great for that, as it's quickly deployable, lightweight, only needs a USB-C port, and offers standard 1080p resolution, making it larger than 4K and easier to see.

For those who are not in the niche music industry, this panel is great to throw in your backpack and take with you to board meetings to display content to those across the table from you, for productive work in a co-working space or coffee shop, or even for photographers who need a reference display to make sure their camera shot is lined up.

The USB-C connectivity makes this display super accessible to most devices made in the last few years, and if that doesn't work, there is always an HDMI too. In my testing, I found no issues between macOS and Windows, nor did I encounter any problems with Chromebooks, Apple TVs, or Nintendo Switches.

While this is a fantastic display for the price, it is in no way a tremendous display panel. It's standard 1080p, it's got mediocre brightness, and the speakers that should have just been skipped.

But, if you are looking for something to get you into portable monitors, or if you want a backup, or if you just need a basic panel to display some information, and you don't care if it's the best quality, you should check out this display, but for those who need something a bit higher-tier, check out my guide to the best portable monitors.

MSI Pro MP165 E6: Final verdict

The MSI Pro MP165 is a solid choice if you're looking to get into the world of portable monitors and don't have any specs in mind. It's a great entry point into this world, and it won't hurt the budget too badly, coming in under $100.

If you're in the market for a portable monitor, I'd recommend starting out with this one and see how you like having that second screen before you go off and spend absurd amounts of money on the more expensive ones.

For more options for your workspace set-up, we've tested the best business monitors.

• The MSI Claw A8 has been spotted on Newegg in the US for $1,149
• No stock suggests the price may have been a placeholder
• If legitimate, the MSI Claw A8 could join other mainstream handhelds that cost over $1,000

Mainstream handheld manufacturers have recently priced new devices within unaffordable price regions, well above the template Valve set with its Steam Deck – and unfortunately, it seems that trend isn't stopping any time soon.

As reported by VideoCardz, the MSI Claw A8 Ryzen Z2 Extreme handheld has been spotted on Newegg, listed for $1,149, without any sign of stock. The handheld has had a staggered launch in other regions, notably Asia, and it's currently available in the UK for £849, but it hasn't seen a launch in the US for months.

It's important to note that the $1,149 may be a placeholder, but we've seen cases of early listings before, and that's enough to suggest that this price tag may be legitimate once stock is available.

This could be the third mainstream handheld gaming PC to cost over $1,000 in the US if this current price tag sticks, making the MSI Claw A8 join the Lenovo Legion Go 2 and Asus ROG Xbox Ally X as arguably overpriced handhelds. The prices for these devices in particular are major points of contention, since the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor isn't a big leap from its Ryzen Z1 Extreme predecessor in power and performance.

There's no doubt that both tariffs and RAM price hikes have played their part if this is the real price tag. However, similar pricing for handheld hardware was still present before the current crisis, and frankly, consumers likely won't be happy regardless of the reasons.

The Steam Deck's affordable price template is seemingly becoming a thing of the past, and while Valve's earnings from the Steam storefront made Steam Deck sales at a loss possible, handheld manufacturers should be looking to stick close to that template. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like that will be the case, even after this RAM price crisis eventually ends.

Analysis: The only thing that will change high handheld prices is a drop in sales

Besides a fall in DRAM pricing via an eventual collapse of the current AI boom, the only way ludicrous pricing of handhelds will come to an end is if sales fall significantly, which means consumers need to stop paying unreasonable prices for handhelds.

I've argued that there are handheld gaming PCs that do warrant prices at or just over $1,000, but these aren't from mainstream manufacturers, and the devices are equipped with processors that quite literally challenge laptop GPUs, notably the AMD Ryzen AI Max + 395.

The Ryzen Z2 Extreme that powers both the Legion Go 2 and the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X doesn't warrant the high price tags they have, and the same applies to the MSI Claw A8, if the Newegg price remains.

As long as sales stay within a decent range for the likes of MSI, Asus, and Lenovo, we will continue to see cases of overpriced devices – and that's unfortunate, as I don't believe consumers feel strongly enough to resist purchasing new devices.

If you're in the market for a compact work laptop with real business credentials and missed out on a Black Friday deal, we've got some great news for you. MSI is offering one of the best sub-$500 laptop deals of this holiday season, with a configuration that’s far better than what you typically see for the asking price.

At the heart of the Modern 13 F1MG-010US is Intel’s Core 7 150U processor paired with Intel Graphics, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD. It’s great for everyday productivity, multitasking, browsing, office work, lightweight creative tasks, and even handling large document sets or dozens of open tabs.

MSI's laptop also comes with Windows 11 Pro, giving you proper business features such as BitLocker, Remote Desktop, and advanced device-management options that you don’t get with the Home edition.

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Today's best MSI Laptop deal

The laptop's 13.3-inch IPS-level 1080p display is perfectly suited general work and MSI’s Matrix Display support lets you to connect up to two additional monitors via USB-C and HDMI.

The laptop features a hinge that opens a full 180 degrees so the display can lie completely flat on a table, and MSI’s Flip-n-Share feature lets you instantly flip the screen around so anyone sitting opposite you can see it.

The machine also includes Wi-Fi 6E support, Hi-Res Audio, and MSI’s AI Engine, which automatically adjusts system performance based on your current task.

The machine weighs just 3.2lbs and measures 0.78 inches thick, so it’s ideal for commuting or slipping into a small backpack. Speaking of which, MSI is bundling its 20th Anniversary Gaming Backpack for free with the laptop, which is a nice little extra.

For anyone who wants an ultra-portable Windows 11 Pro laptop with great specs for not much money, this deal is hard to beat, especially when you consider the laptop normally retails for $950 and is still priced at that at Best Buy and other major retailers. It also comes with a 3-year global warranty for extra peace of mind.

For more options, we've also tested the best business laptops, and the best laptops for video editing.

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I'm a big fan of compact desktops. The more I do and grow in my professional career, the more I appreciate their value. Not only are compact desktops great for administrative roles, but also front desks, stationary desktops for employees to be able to utilize, perhaps you have offices where part-timers, or hourly employees need to be able to work and access company data or systems, or maybe the setup that you have you need to have a compact workstation and a laptop doesn't make sense for whatever reason.

Mini PC's are phenomenal in these areas. Now, for this review, I am not going to act like this is the most powerful machine I have worked with and that it is capable of running large LLM Models, a massive codebase, edit 12K videos and teach you how to perform open heart surgery all at the same time, I understand that while there are machines that are built to be powerhouses, this is meant to be a compact machine, it's meant to give you the power that is needed at a reasonable price and a better footprint.

MSI isn't trying to break records with this machine; they are trying to create a machine for everyday users. It wanted to make a machine that can be plugged into any display and perform basic tasks, or run headless and connect to servers, run processes in the background, or something along these lines.

MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG: Price and availability

The MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG is widely available from online retailers like Amazon. I'm seeing prices starting at around the $1000 / £1000 mark depending on where you buy.

MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG: Unboxing and First Impressions

The Cubi NUC is a simple setup. It's included in a basic package, which consists of power, a VESA mount, and an extended power button, if needed. The VESA mount design is excellent, allowing you to easily use it or forget it exists without altering the layout, restricting access to key ports, or requiring the purchase of an accessory. The VESA mount is ideal for mounting behind a monitor, TV, or display, or for attaching to the underside of a desk, wall, or other surfaces.

Like so many of the best mini PC machines I've used, the size of the Cubi NUC lends itself to plenty of different use cases as well. It's ideal for tucking away in a cabinet at a medical office, on a cart in a hospital, in a digital screen display kiosk, in a classroom, at a welcome desk, and more. That's where a machine like this thrives.

I was pleased to see the port layout, which makes quick-access ports extremely easy to reach, along with a fingerprint scanner for added security. Additionally, for setups and use cases where the computer may be tucked away, mounted, or hidden out of reach, MSI includes an external power button with a long cable, allowing you to place it in a readily accessible area and keep the machine where you ideally want it.

MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG: Design & Build Quality

The design is both minimal and functional. Unlike some machines that place all ports on the back to maintain an ultra-minimal look, MSI understands that this approach is not always the most functional.

Therefore, they opted to divide the ports on the front and back to maximize productivity. The quick access ports are on the front, accessible if the machine is mounted or on top of a desk, and the (typically) one-time-plug-in-and-forget-about-it kind of ports are in the back. This layout facilitates cable management, as it positions the majority of the cables to the back of the desk, or at least away from the user.

For a business machine that isn't competing in any beauty pageants, this design is excellent, focusing on productivity and functionality.

MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG: In use

MSI's Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG has been in my fleet (yes, it's a fleet at this point, as I currently have 18 computers in my review queue) for 92 days. In that time, I've had it set up at my secondary desk in my home office, plugged into my BenQ EW2790U on my Flexispot E7 Plus Desk Setup. It's been great for background tasks, writing, emails, and some productivity work as well.

The ease of having a machine always ready to go is fantastic. I like having a server computer that I can remotely access using a VPN, Remote Desktop, or my recent favorite, Chrome Remote Desktop, to modify my network drives. Locally access my Synology, rip content without slowing down my primary machine, transfer data, or perform other tasks that don't require my primary machine.

Having a computer ready to go, plugged in at all times, is also great if you want the least amount of friction possible to get from not working to working and then back to not working again. You just have to sit down, press a key on a keyboard and you are good to go.

The dual network lines came in handy when I tested connecting to my Synology BeeStations and Disk Stations for some updates to the newest DSM software, while I also wanted to connect to my LAN. Granted, Synology allows for LAN access, but I wanted to transfer some content quickly to my NAS as well, making this a perfect solution.

Another great use case for the dual Ethernet would be if you need to connect to a redundant network, a secure network, and a more open network, a server, a network audio controller, or really any other network-controlled device. It’s a little machine like this that can take your workstation, studio, office, or role to the next level, harnessing the simplicity and power of its ease, connectivity, and possibilities as a headless unit to run tasks for you in a more efficient way.

There are some scenarios where these armrests may not be ideal, but for most, they’ll be fine, or worth the lack of adjustment if you like the style and overall aesthetic and feel of this chair.

Some chairs you give up look and design for overall comfort and features. The Serene Nox by Eureka is the exact opposite, you give up highly adjustable armrests and lumbar for the overall aesthetic.

That’s another element of this chair that you should probably know. You’re not going to want to use this chair with a cheap folding desk, nor at the kitchen table, where your temporary workspace is, you won’t even want to use this chair in a bullpen, you want to use this chair in offices, in executive corner suites, you want this chair at the reception desk of a high end corporation so that it can look the part and still provide comfort.

MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG: Final verdict

The MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG is not for everyone. In fact, it may not even be for most people. But it's well-specced for those who need an easy office machine. It'll capably handle tasks like a Windows headless unit to run a server, running multiple digital displays, or an always-on machine that can be on dual networks at once.

It’s a discreet and smart machine that may just be the building block to a more efficient chain of automations, or simplified workflows, or introducing AI into your sphere, all without taking up precious real estate on your desk, or locking you into a non-upgradable display that may or may not meet your desired specifications.

Should you buy a MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

For more professional-grade computing, we've tested the best business laptops and best business computers.

I'd never heard of 'Cyber Week' before today – it feels like the sales are getting a little out of control, to be honest. Prime Day isn't even just one day anymore! But you know what? I'll take whatever nonsense retailers want to pull if it means we keep getting deals as good as this one.

The MSI Claw A1M is currently on sale at LaptopsOutlet for a ridiculously low price of £314.99 (was £799.99) – that's not only the cheapest it's ever been, but it's even cheaper than Valve's competing Steam Deck (the handheld I generally recommend for anyone who wants PC gaming on a budget).

And this amazing deal isn't even for the entry-level model, either; you get a powerful Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor and 16GB of RAM to power your games, plus a 1TB SSD to store them.

I seriously cannot stress enough how good this deal is. The listed sale price is £349.99, which is already better than half price, but then the discount code CLAW10 nets you another 10% off, leading to that frankly unbelievable £314.99. If you didn't already pick up a new handheld PC or gaming laptop over Black Friday weekend, this is one deal you'll want to snap up before it's gone.

Not in the UK? Scroll down to see the best MSI Claw deals in your region!

Today's best MSI Claw A1M deal

If you're wondering why the MSI Claw A1M is so cheap, there are probably several factors at work here. Initial pricing was a bit steep, leading to poor sales despite it being a generally solid competitor to PC gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally. MSI was also quick on the draw with a new model, the Claw 7 AI+, which effectively superseded this version.

In other words, we're probably looking at LaptopsOutlet dealing with a stock surplus here; these last-gen Claws have most likely been sitting in a warehouse, and now need to go – even at a heavily discounted price. The retailer's loss is our gain, though: the Claw A1M is still a perfectly capable handheld that should outperform the base configuration of the popular Steam Deck while also offering a superior display and four times the storage.

I'm a big proponent of PC gaming handhelds (I personally own an Asus ROG Ally, which I adore), and quite frankly this is one deal that's too good to pass up – if I didn't already have a handheld I'd leap at it.