Updated: Best laptop: 25 top laptops for every budget

Overview

Choosing the right laptop is even more confusing than ever - so we're here to help with our regularly updated guide to the best laptops.
The release of Windows 8.1 has pulled the OS further towards the touch and tablet future, even if the Start menu has returned. This, along with the performance boost Windows 8.1 offers, is a boon for the vast array of laptop-tablet hybrids now flooding the market.
Apple's range of MacBooks still continue to impress and we've even seen Chromebooks gradually emerge as not only affordable laptops but as fashionable coffee-house companions.
Thankfully, cheap laptops are more powerful and capable than ever before as the likes of ARM, AMD, Intel and Nvidia continue to squeeze and integrate both processor and graphics for optimum performance. This has meant that high-end devices are becoming perfectly good replacements for your desktop computer, able to cope with more intensive programs.
Those after a fast boot up time and a lightweight machine to carry might drool over an Intel Ultrabook, which is essentially a marketing name for a thin and light laptop with an Intel Core processor, but there are also plenty of manufacturers pumping out ultraportable equivalents.
Serious gamers will want a machine tailored to their processing needs, which will still generally means discrete graphics, while those after flexibility might fancy a convertible laptop-tablet hybrid.
Here we look at some of the best laptops from the last six months - those that really excel themselves in our extensive testing processes this year. We've arranged them into categories to help you find the best one to suit your needs.
We also list the current selling prices in the UK, Australia and the US, although in some cases a laptop listed here may not be available in every territory.
All of the machines listed here are laptops. We have also listed the convertible laptop-tablets that fall more on the side of laptop than tablet, and that includes devices, such as Microsoft's Surface Pro.
Similarly, all-in-one touchscreen computers and other desktop PCs are in our PC and Mac desktop reviews page.

Laptop pricing

The prices listed here are for guidance only and aren't guarantees of availability at a certain price. Because of the wildly fluctuating availability of certain models, we often review laptops by series. As a consequence it may be that there are tens of models with similar or the same name, available at various price points.
When considering what to buy, think about your needs and your most important factor, be it laptop battery life or screen size. The most important part is to be honest about what you need, and you could save a fortune on getting the best laptop for you.
Since this article seeks to round up the best laptops available, we are only listing those we have fully tested and reviewed in real life situations. More laptop-tablet hybrids will be reviewed as soon as we get them in for testing, so we expect to add more impressive convertible tablets to this list later.
For now, here are the great machines we have tested and loved so far:

Best budget laptops

There's been a surprising number of good budget laptops available recently, and a lot of them are Chromebooks. Since the release of the first Google cr-48 prototype in 2010, each batch of Chromebooks has gradually improved to the point where they can cater for most day to day demands and unless you really need full HD playback, video-editing options and gaming chops they generally do fit the bill. You'll also note that some of the budget portables now have touchscreens as the line between what's a laptop and a tablet continues to blur and will ultimately not matter anymore very soon.

1. Acer C720 Chromebook

£189/AUS$350/$314

It comes as no surprise that the first and most affordable budget laptop we're highlighting is a Chromebook. If you're after something that will handle basic word processing and spreadsheets, browsing the web over Wi-Fi and watching YouTube clips then the Acer C720 is a steal.
At this price you also have to expect compromises: the 1.40GHz Intel Celeron processor and Intel HD Graphics are up to a lot of tasks, and also help to secure 8.5 hours of battery life, but can't cope with intensive tasks such as video editing. Storage is scarce too: a 16GB SDD is supplied, but then you're expected to embrace the cloud and suck up the 100GB of free Google Drive space that comes with the purchase.
The 11.6-inch TFT screen is also on the dull side with a limited viewing angle, and the keyboard refuses to offer decent feedback. But these are to be expected and the overall package is a bargain.

• Read our full Acer C720 Chromebook review

2. HP Chromebook 11

£205/$AUS380/$341

Light, sturdy and really quite stylish, our reviewer went a little squishy over the HP Chromebook 11. Setting aside the limitations of ChromeOS and the Chromebook concept itself, this is HP being as clever as possible with the specs.
Instead of an Intel processor, HP chose the ARM-based Samsung Exynos 5250 and slotted in 2GB of RAM and 16GB of solid-state storage (bolstered by the usual 100GB of Google Drive space). When set to work together with a vibrant 11-inch IPS screen running at a decent 1,366 x 768 pixels, the overall effect is a smooth and responsive experience.
The only surprising result - considering the low-power and efficient choice of specs - is the battery life, which was a head-scratching three hours on full load and then five hours after a few fine adjustments.
The touchpad isn't top notch either, and suffers from being oversensitive on occasion, but you'll find the key connectivity ports are all there, such as USB 3.0 and HDMI, and the HP Chromebook 11 adds up to surprisingly well-built laptop.

• Read our full HP Chromebook 11 review

3. Asus X102BA

£286/AUS$530/$475

On the face of it, the Asus Z102BA looks like a no-frills lightweight laptop, but it's actually packed with a few surprising features that make it a good general purpose portable.
First off, it's kept the choice of OS fuss-free and pre-installed a full copy of Windows 8. Second, it comes bundled with a version of Microsoft Office 2013 Home & Student Edition. Finally, its otherwise unremarkable 11.1-inch screen, which has a resolution of 1,366 x768 and a limited viewing angle, is also a nicely responsive touchscreen.
In fact, combine all these factors together with a good isolation keyboard for lots of typing, all the connectivity you need (including an Ethernet port) and plenty of space for photos, files and videos on its 500GB hard drive, and the Asus Z1023BA becomes a shoo-in for a student on a tight budget.
The only major thing letting it down is that the battery lasted three hours in our intensive test. A mediocre result considering the Asus is geared towards energy efficiency with its AMD A4-1200 APU, which combines CPU and graphics on a single chip.

• Read our full Asus X102BA Chromebook review

4. Acer Aspire V5

£299/AUS$554/$497

Looking at the quality build of the Acer Aspire V5-122P, it's easy to fall into the trap of comparing it to the Aspire's high-end siblings and end up grumbling over its performance. Its budget limitations are squarely reflected in the internals: AMD's A6-1460, which includes Radeon HD 8250 graphics, backed by 4GB DDR3 RAM and capable of dealing with HD video playback, basic productivity tasks and some simple editing software, but not much more.
Equally, the 1,366 x 768 native resolution of the 11.6-inch TFT screen is, as you may have spotted by now, pretty standard on budget laptops and in this case benefits from a bright LED backlight.
Yet again, battery life rears its ugly head and only briefly, as the Asus achieves a measly 92 minutes against our Battery Eater test, and slightly more respectable two hours of general use.
The Aspire V5 is a stylish looking budget portable but very much a mixed bag. Ultimately, it's an adequate budget laptop running Windows 8 and, therefore, worth considering.

• Read our full Acer Aspire V5 review

5. HP Pavilion 15

£329/AUS$610/$547

Sports car manufacturers might disagree, but its yet to be proven that the colour red will make a thing go faster on it's own, but it does make the HP Pavilion 15 stand out from other less stylish laptops at this budget price.
Make no mistake though, this is a budget laptop powered by an AMD APU, which combines both the graphics and the processor into one chip.
The overall experience is still peppy in Windows 8, and unless you plan to use it for video editing, the Pavilion 5 will handle all the usual document and spreadsheet work, film watching and web browsing you can throw at its way. It will also give you a respectable 5 hours of battery life in the process.
The 15.6-inch TN display isn't going to make film watching an earth-moving experience, though and the keyboard, as is often the case at this price, isn't very responsive.
Take a look, if you're looking for a tidy portable on a tight budget and need a full Windows 8 OS.

• Read our full HP Pavilion 15 review

6. Asus V550CA

£399/AUS$739/$663

The Asus V550CA does a good job of balancing power and price, and at this price It's no surprise the Intel Core i7 packed isn't the latest: it's an Ivy Bridge, which means its last gen but still very capable.
There are no frills here in spec terms as it's designed to be a straightforward laptop for covering the needs of office work with good storage, web browsing and a bit of casual gaming.
You shouldn't expect to use the V5550CA for anything more as the integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 are mediocre befitting the low resolution of the 15.6-inch TFT screen on offer.
But this a capable laptop with a nice brushed aluminium lid and a generally appealing style, if you want cutting edge performance, you'll need to pay more.

• Read our full Asus V550CA review

7. Lenovo G500s

£449/AUS$925/$829

Lenovo has a habit of pumping out similarly named products at a brisk trot and the G500s is essentially an update to the Lenovo G505.
The G500s comes with an Intel Pentium 2020M processor, 8GB of memory and integrated Intel HD graphics, which means it will handle Windows 8 and day to day use smoothly enough, along with the likes of HD video playback on it's sizeable screen.
That's 720p HD, however, not full 1020p HD as we're still looking at a native resolution of 1,366 x 768. Demanding tasks are firmly off the table, though. You won't be playing games like Titanfall on this portable.
The G500s isn't the most portable of devices at 2.5kg, which amounts to hefting around a small bag of potatoes, which makes it more suitable as a stay at home device.
We also didn't find that keyboard gave much feedback when typing, which caused a bit too many mis-types for our liking. But overall, this is a steady but mundane workmate with a good battery life.

• Read our full Lenovo G500s review

Best laptop-tablet hybrids

While a few of the budget laptops have included touchscreen technology, it's now time to sing along to Diana Ross' 'Touch me in the Morning' and get those screens all smeary with a look at the best of the laptop-tablet hybrids.

8. Lenovo IdeaPad Z500 Touch

£439/AUS$813/$729

If you're looking for a 15.6-inch touchscreen laptop and like to play the odd game, then the Z500 could be a contender.
Even without the latest Core i7, the Z500 still performs well as an all-rounder. But the biggest surprise is that it has discrete graphics, which paired with a low-resolution screen means the Z500 Touch could be in our gaming section, too. For example, we found that it manages a very solid 36fps in Bioshock Infinite on Medium settings.
This is no ultraportable though, it's a little too chunky to be carried everywhere, and the performance comes at the cost of battery life, which averages about three hours.
There a better gaming machines, but they cost more and there are lighter laptops but they don't offer as much performance or, indeed, as much storage. A well-designed machine from Lenovo, then, which probably explains why the company is doing so well.

• Read our full Lenovo IdeaPad Z500 Touch review

9. Lenovo Yoga 11S

£549/AUS$1,017/$912

The Lenovo Yoga 11S is quite versatile, we admit the clue was in the name. It's extremely portable and its solid hinge quickly turns it into a slate for browsing the web from the sofa or a tablet with kickstand for checking recipes while you're in the kitchen.
The Intel Core i7 processor and solid state drive ensure a quick and responsive Windows 8, but we'd have liked Lenovo to include the latest generation of Core i7, Haswell, for preference. We also can't understand why at least one USB 3.0 port wasn't included.
You can easily tuck this system into a carry bag and aside from more than casual gaming, it'll bend over backwards (sic) to do most things you'd ask of it. Very versatile and worth considering.

• Read our full Lenovo Yoga 11S review

10. Microsoft Surface Pro 2

£719/AUS$1,332/$1,195

First, lets not get confused about which Surface this is. The Surface Pro 2 is actually packing closer to laptop specs. It comes with the full Windows 8.1 OS and not the 'optimised' Windows 8.1 RT that limits you to Windows Store apps. It's also powered by the latest generation of Intel Core i5 processor and not a Tegra 4, which you'd normally associate with smartphones and tablets.
In fact, the main selling point of the Surface Pro 2 is that it has improved across the board: from a more vibrant display and better performance and graphics to seven hours of battery life. With these increases, the Surface Pro 2 does find itself sitting in an awkward halfway house between laptop and tablet, particularly as its gained weight and chunkiness that doesn't compare favourably with other tablets. It's also still expensive at £719 without the keyboard.
In design terms, the Surface Pro 2 is a celebration of what Microsoft can do when it's cornered and needs to come out fighting, and it's a form factor that may just fit your needs perfectly and with no small amount of style.

• Read our full Microsoft Surface Pro 2 review

11. Asus Transformer Book TX300

£1,159/AUS$2,147/$1,925

Asus sees this 13-inch model as a showcase for what the company can achieve in design and performance terms, and there's a lot to like about this stylish brushed aluminium hybrid.
True to it's name this powerful laptop can be turned into a tablet quickly by unclipping the keyboard.
Although it's Intel Core i7 (3rd gen, not Haswell) and 4GB RAM offer a snappy Windows 8, this isn't where the TX300 stands out. It's features like the lush screen which supports full HD playback, the dual batteries (in base and tablet) and dual-storage of a 500GB drive and 128GB SSD respectively, which distinguish it from the crowd.
There are few caveats, no HDMI, for instance, only USB 3.0 ports on the keyboard but not on screen and the fact it weighs 2kg. That weight also doesn't reflect that it's a graphics gaming powerhouse and battery life isn't sparkling at around 5 hours, but then you are getting a gorgeous screen for your movies.
The Asus Transformer Book TX300 may not beat an iPad or a Apple MacBook Pro but it may well be the most comfortable compromise between laptop and tablet that we've seen.

• Read our full Asus Transformer Book TX300 review

High-end laptops

In stark contrast to the budget and hybrid laptops, top-scoring high-end laptops are scarce right now. Most manufacturers are either attempting to out skinny the MacBook Air with their ultraportables or are focusing on complying with the Intel marketing requirements to get an Ultrabook stamp.

12. HP EliteBook 820 G1

£899/AUS$1,666/$1,494

If thin is your only form of beauty then look away now. The HP's EliteBook 820 G1 is a solidly built, well-specified and powerful laptop.
When we say solid, we mean in a 'throw it around a warzone' way as it meets military specifications. And when we mean well specified, the G1 has, for instance, the latest generation of Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. The integrated graphics isn't up to intensive gaming, but productivity is the priority here, as reflected in the firm but comfortable isolation keyboard.
Battery life is reasonable, in general use it achieved five hours, but this could be improved by slotting in a bigger battery thanks to the tool-free access to the internals. It's straightforward approach doesn't have space for a touchscreen either, which is unlikely to be a missed feature as it has an excellent trackpad with twin sets of buttons.
Overall, this is straight-shooting, good value laptop that will take a fair few knocks on the road and keep on rolling.

• Read our full HP EliteBook 820 G1 review

13. Fujitsu Lifebook E743

£937/AUS$1,736/$1,557

Fujitsu has chosen the modular route for the Lifebook series. The 14-incher has a bay on the left that enables you to swap modules out for different uses: Need a Blu-ray writer? Slot it in. Running out of power? Then grab a second battery module, and if you make a lot of presentations, it has a handy LED projector module too. We'd call this the Swiss Army knife of laptops, except we wouldn't recommend trying to open a tin of beans with one.
The E743 has an Ivy Bridge Intel Core i5 processor, which means it loses out on the battery boost the latest Haswell chips offer, but it does offer adequate integrated graphics for the business user. Connectivity is well taken care of, particularly when it's connected to the supplied dock.
We found its battery life adequate, around 4 hours in a working day, but a little heavy at 1.9kg. The lack of juice could be resolved with a second battery module, however.
This is a very versatile business laptop though and a not too shabby looking system either, with its smooth metallic finish and red trim around the keyboard.

• Read our full Fujitsu Lifebook E743 review

14. Toshiba Satellite P70

£1,199/AUS$2,222/$1,992

Here's another 'bigger boned' high-end laptop powered by a top-end Haswell Intel Core i7-4700MQ processor - and it's a fast machine.
It's not the most stylish number, however, with a top and bottom of brushed aluminium and the rest being a cheap-looking plastic. The visible seals around the edges aren't that appealing either, but it does offer a stunning screen, a whopping 2TB of storage, discrete graphics and a Blu-ray writer.
Where the Toshiba falls over is battery life - a mere 77 minutes chains it firmly to a desk. That compromise may be satisfactory for many who want a powerful portable-type machine with a vivid 1920 x 1080 screen and speakers, but it doesn't excuse the choice of Nvidia's mid-range discrete graphics, which delivers more than integrated GPUs but not much more if you're after a true desktop replacement.

• Read our full Toshiba Satellite P70 review

Ultraportables

Who needs a DVD or Blu-ray writer when you can put your laptop in an envelope? Ultraportables have become incredibly popular, thanks in part to the MacBook Air and Intel's $300 million marketing fund for developing Ultrabooks.
While ultraportables don't have any specific requirements other than being thin and light, a manufacturer has to follow a defined specification to be able to use Intel's Ultrabook brand. This is based on the particular Intel chips being used and has become quite restrictive.
Some of the requirements, for instance, for a 14-inch Ultrabook using the new Haswell processors are that it's 23mm thick or less, has a touchscreen and can hit six hours of HD video playback. What this means is that the Ultrabook trademark offers a certain level of quality and performance, but it doesn't necessarily guarantee that you're buying the best ultraportable, so lets have a look at some good ones.

15. Samsung Series 7 Ultra

£699/AUS$1,295/$1,161

The slim and sharp exterior of the Samsung Series 7 Ultra screams quality, and that's echoed in the premium internals as well. The Ultra is powered by a Core i5, which is to be welcomed, but one of its standout features is the AMD Radeon HD 8500M graphics chip, which gives the Samsung some real graphical clout, while aiding the Full HD display in providing a pin-sharp viewing experience.
The overall package is pulled down slightly by its weight. At 1.6kg it's not as portable as others in its price range, and the small 128GB SSD isn't enough if you intend this to be your main computer.
The whole Series 7 Ultra experience is stylish and the performance is nippy nonetheless. If a quality screen is a priority and you need a little more graphical punch from your portable this is worth a spin.

• Read our full Samsung Series 7 Ultra review

16. Dell XPS 13

£849/AUS$1,573/$1,411

The XPS 13 is Dell's answer to the MacBook Air, but has a more compact rather than thinner and lighter design than its rival.
Due to it's Core i7 processors, decent amount of memory and SSD storage, the XPS 13 will handle whatever tasks you wish to throw at it outside of power gaming, but for not as long as we'd hoped. The battery lasts for around four hours, which isn't even half as long as the battery on the MacBook Air.
If you're after a 1080p viewing experience on a portable this is a crowd-pleaser too - it's 1,920 x 1080 touchscreen is fantastically sharp. But there are few caveats, most notably the lack of an SD card reader. But all told, this is a capable and desirable, luxury laptop that will turn heads in your local coffee shop.

• Read our full Dell XPS 13 review

17. 13-inch MacBook Air

£891/AUS$1,651/$1,480

This is the sixth generation of the MacBook Air, and although its regal position in the ultraportable world may not be on the wane yet, it did take a few tiny missteps this time.
Apple's decision to pony up for the latest gen, Haswell processor isn't one of them, although opting for the lesser Core i5 is. We would have preferred the faster Core i7, especially at this price, and the performance results aren't better across the board, as they should be, because of it. We note that the Core i5 chip does offer better integrated Intel HD Graphics than the previous MacBook Air though, offering a 40% boost to graphics performance.
But it's the battery life that astounds - 10 hours of movie playback and 12 in general use - incredible results. And we mustn't fail to mention the Wi-Fi support for the ac standard.
The 13-inch MacBook Air is still working its winning ways. It's still an oh-so very light and portable laptop with a responsive multi-touch trackpad and backlit keyboard, and everyone will love its staying power on a single charge.

• Read our full 13-inch MacBook Air review

18. Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus

£1,200/AUS$2,223/$1,994

The 13.3-inch ATIV Book 9 is on the business end of Samsung's Ultrabooks, which means performance and staying power are a crucial part of its sell. Fortunately, as well as being highly portable it also manages a solid nine hours of battery life.
That's quite a remarkable feature in its own right but when married with it's near-silent operation and a screen that has a native resolution of 3,200 x 1,800, it becomes an astonishing spec. Unfortunately, as our reviewer noted it's not entirely practical. The default desktop icons were tiny at this resolution. Note this should be resolved in Windows 8.1 as the DPI is automatically set and icons will look their normal size. As our reviewer noted though, it's likely you'll drop the screen down to 1080p, especially as this is the norm for watching films. This means that unless you particularly like the fact that the chassis can be laid flat for some tabletop touchscreen brainstorming with colleagues, the screen's full resolution becomes more of a bragging point.
We found the overall look and feel of the ATIV to be excellent, particularly the touchscreen and multi-touch trackpad, and it has all the connectivity you'll need for business purposes, including Ethernet.

• Read our full Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review

19. MacBook Pro 15-inch

£1,276/AUS$2,364/$2,120

The Pro edition means, of course, a Retina display. That's a native resolution of 2,880 x 1,800, and while the basic form of the MacBook Pro is unchanged, there's been a lot removed and upgraded internally.
As with the MacBook Air, the Pro has moved to a Haswell processor for the added battery performance. The optical drive has also been dropped completely and the hard drive has been switched for an SSD. These changes amount to Apple being able to shave the laptop down to a thickness of 18mm in pursuit of even greater sleekness. FireWire has also been replaced by two much faster Thunderbolt ports.
As you might expect, the main gripe with the MacBook Pro, even with the most fantastic of screens, is the price. This is especially noticeable when compared with its own lesser siblings. But for professionals, such as graphic designers and video editors. it's still an excellent solution and the battery life is even better than before.

• Read our full MacBook Pro 15-inch review

20. Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga

£962/AUS$1,782/$1,598

The Yoga series from Lenovo are capable and stylish hybrids, but in this setting they can also be accomplished business ultrabooks too.
Snappy performance is guaranteed with a Core i3 (Haswell) processor, 4GB of RAM and an SDD (albeit a small one at 128GB). The ThinkPad Yoga will have no trouble dealing with complicated spreadsheets or the kind of productivity tasks required at work.
And while it's versatility may not be necessary for some business settings, the fact it has a sturdy hinge means you can flip it over into a tablet when needed or just stand it up for useful reference during a meeting.
Where the Yoga's performance gets all bent of shape is in its battery life, which amounts to only 3 hours. Some of that result is likely sucked away by the Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) 12.5-inch touchscreen. The storage is a little sparse too, most business users will need more than 128GB of SSD for all their presentations, docs and spreadsheets.
The ThinkPad Yoga maybe a step too far removed from the original business-class ThinkPads, but its stylish and could do well, particularly as a commuting sidekick.

• Read our full Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga review

Gaming laptops

Battlefield 4? BioShock Infinite? DOTA 2? Titanfall? World of WarCraft? If your eyes latched onto any of those game names we've just mentioned, then welcome - you've reached the right place in our 25 best laptops feature. Here we're interested in how many frames per second we can achieve in what contemporary games and at what settings - and everything else is a little less important. Accepting a chunky beast in exchange for a mobile gaming machine used to be the norm, but these days we're beginning to see much thinner yet incredibly powerful laptops trickle through right at the top end.

21. Alienware 14

£899/AUS$1,666/$1,494

Alienware's gaming laptops have vastly improved since the company was bought by Dell and the Alienware 14 is no exception. The style of Alienware products haven't changed much, the angular focus of their designs remains as too does the excessive customisable lighting, but they are very well-built machines.
The core specs of this 14-inch laptop are solid too, a 3.4GHz Core i7-4700MQ, 2GB Nvidia GTX 765M graphics and 16GB of RAM suggest that it will fly. The results, however, were slightly down on what we expected and in real-world terms it will handle the likes of Crysis 2 adequately at 1,920 x 1,080 on Ultra settings, but not perfectly.
In terms of day to day use, it's a heavy machine but it does offer almost four hours of standard battery life, a responsive trackpad and a nicely backlit keyboard. To get the best performance would require upgrading from the standard model and that's where Alienware products start becoming expensive.

• Read our full Alienware 14 review

22. Gigabyte P25W

£1,184/AUS$2,194/$1,967

The Gigabyte sports the same top-end Core i7-4700MQ processor as the Alienware 14, 8GB of RAM and Nvidia GeForce GTX 770M graphics, which means this will play the majority of current game at a high setting. For instance, you should expect Bioshock Infinite to run at around 60fps, but drop to roughly 30fps if you step it up to Ultra.
Overall, performance is good thanks to the core specs, but we weren't particularly impressed with the trackpad. In gaming terms it's irrelevant but for general use it's disappointing.
The battery stood up adequately at around two and half hours, which is good enough to make use of the included Blu-ray drive for a few episodes of House of Cards.
We were disappointed by the TFT screen, which is frankly a little weak, but If you're after solid gaming performance while still managing to maintain a little bit of style then look at the Gigabyte P25W.

• Read our full Gigabyte P25W review

23. Asus G750JX

£1,269/AUS$2,351/$2,108

The 17.3-inch G750JX is sold under Asus's Republic of Gamers (RoG) sub-brand, which was set up to compete with Alienware, and while this may look like an Alienware it's got decidedly less of the superfluous customisable lights and is bordering on a stealth design for gaming laptop.
It's not subtle in weight terms at 4.6kg though, but this is the kind of gaming machine that oozes raw power without having to shout about it.
The main specs are a Core i7-4700HQ running at 2.GHz, backed by Nvidia GeForce GTX 770M graphics and 8GB of RAM. It's also packing dual hard drives totalling 1TB. In gaming performance terms, this will run current titles, such as Skyrim at 1,920 x 1,080 at High Settings comfortably. But for Crysis 3, for instance, this drops to around 40fps at Medium Settings.
This is a superb gaming laptop, which stays incredibly cool on when being pushed to the max. Worthy then of your attention.

• Read our full Asus G750JX review

24. MSI G570 Stealth

£1,679/AUS$3,111/$2,790

A gaming laptop in brushed aluminium that's little thicker than an Ultrabook - what black art is this?
The build quality of the 17-inch MSI G570 Stealth is excellent, it even has quality speakers hidden on the base that offer clear treble and punchy bass.
The Core i7-4700HQ is used here again, as it was in the Asus G760JX, together with Nvidia's GeForce GTX 765M, which isn't as good as the GTX 770M used in the Asus. Again, storage is plentiful with a 1TB drive and there's plenty of connectivity, including 4 USB 3.0 ports.
In real-world performance terms, the G570 eased through Bioshock Infinite on Max Settings at 1,920 x 1,080. So far, so similar to a few of the other laptops we've mentioned, but bear in mind this is running in a sleek chassis that's 21.6mm thick and that also sports a nice TN screen.
If you've been yearning for a gaming laptop with slick design, then take a look at the MSI GS70 Stealth.

• Read our full MSI G570 Stealth review

25. Razer Blade

£1,802/AUS$3,339/$2,994

Finally, we have the matte-black aluminium 14-inch Razer Blade - can it respond to the gauntlet that's been thrown down by the MSI G570 Stealth?
The Razer Blade has a much more compact design and it sports a lower-res but still sharp 1,600 x 900 screen.
Razer doesn't make design changes lightly, and has opted to reduce resolution to enable the discrete Nvidia GeForce GTX 765M graphics and Core i7 4702HQ to offer as much gaming performance as possible.
In a sense the Blade achieves this, for instance, our Metro Last Light benchmark result was almost 23fps at Max Settings. That's an admirable result for a 14-inch gaming laptop but whether that appeals to gamers that want the best performance they can get from a game is another question entirely.
The Razer Blade is a beautifully designed gaming laptop that will enable you to play games like Call of Duty: Black Ops comfortably and in style, but you'll need to decide how much gaming performance you want for your cash.

Intel unveils industrial virtualisation solution

Intel has announced a pre-integrated, pre-validated embedded virtualisation solution for the industrial market at this year's Embedded World conference in Nuremberg.
Intel Industrial Solutions System Consolidation Series is designed to let customers merge and manage multiple discrete systems on a single machine, providing faster delivery of new products and reduced costs.
The solution provides customers with a hardware and software bundle, which includes an embedded computer with an Intel Core i7 processor and pre-integrated virtualisation software.
The software includes Wind River Hypervisor, which is pre-configured to support three partitions running two instances of Wind River VxWorks and one instance of Wind River Linux 5.0. The former is for real-time applications, while the latter is designed for non-real-time programmes.

Industrial virtualisation

"More and more, the industrial sector is looking to technology for innovative ways to become even more efficient and competitive," said Jim Robinson, GM of Segments and Broad Market Division of the Internet of Things Solutions Group at Intel.
"By bringing together what have typically been multiple subsystems within industrial equipment into a single computing platform, Intel's application-ready platform makes it easier and more affordable for OEMs, machine builders and system integrators to deliver consolidated, virtualized systems."
Intel also plans to offer the virtualisation software in a package with McAfee Embedded Control later this year.
The Industrial Solutions System Consolidation Series launches in the second quarter. A development kit will retail for $3,858 (£2,320, AU$4,320), while a production kit will sell for $2,998 (£1,800, AU$3,355). Both will include one year of support and maintenance.

In Depth: Sapphire screens - the gem of the mobile world?

There's been a lot of talk surrounding sapphire screens for smartphones recently, and it's one of the heavily rumored features for the upcoming iPhone 6.
Apple has even gone and purchased a sapphire product company, fuelling the rumors of an iPhone 6 appearance further and it could be the catalyst the screen tech needs to catapult it into the mobile mainstream.
So why is it so important? We're here to set the story straight about what sapphire screens are and why we should all be excited for the mobile future.

What exactly is sapphire?

We all know what sapphire is, right? It's that beautiful blue gemstone found on the ring given by Prince William to Kate Middleton for their engagement in 2010.
So why is this precious gem being constantly bandied about as the future of smartphone screens?
In fact sapphire is much more than a gemstone, it is a crystallized form of aluminum oxide which sports a natural blue hue thanks to traces of elements such as iron and titanium.

Why is it good for phones?

Manufactured sapphire has been around for a while and it's used on all of Tag Heuer's watches, as well as being the transparent armor that is currently found on military vehicles and there is some pretty sound reasoning behind this.
It is common knowledge that there is little in the universe that is harder than diamond, a substance that measures 10 on the Mohs mineral hardness scale.
The Mohs scale measures how easily different minerals scratch from 1 to 10, 1 being the softest and 10 being the hardest.

Sapphire measures nine on that scale, only one less than diamond and two to three higher than ordinary glass.
Putting this into context, sapphire mobile screens should be far more scratch and crack resistant than a traditional chemically strengthened glass screen.
Whilst we highly doubt your next phone will be bullet proof like the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Launcher's windscreen, we could be looking at mobile screens that won't crack if dropped, nor scratch if left in a handbag or pocket with a set of keys.

Hasn't sapphire been used before?

With all recent the talk of sapphire screens you'd be forgiven for thinking that its use in the mobile world is something that is completely new.
Anybody with an iPhone 5 or 5S will know (possibly) that's not the case.

The same site also show that sapphire is actually harder to scratch than Gorilla Glass, something that is reiterated by Matthew Hall, Director of the Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology at Alfred University's Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering.
"Chemically strengthened glass can be excellent, but sapphire is better in terms of hardness, strength, and toughness" Hall explained, adding "the fracture toughness of sapphire should be around four times greater than Gorilla Glass - about 3 MPa-m0.5 versus 0.7 MPa-m0.5, respectively."
This comes with some rather large downsides though. Sapphire is both heavier at 3.98g per cubic cm (compared to the 2.54g of Gorilla Glass) as well as refracting light slightly more.
This means that under the same lighting conditions sapphire screens will seem darker.
Gorilla Glass has one more massive trick up its sleeve; its manufacturability. Hall admits that he is less "less familiar with the details of sapphire production, but it's my understanding that all methods are batch-based while the relevant glass making process is continuous in nature."
This means sapphire screens will be more expensive to produce, with analysts currently claiming that Gorilla Glass is approximately 10% of the price ($3 rather than $30).

So my iPhone will get more expensive?

The reasonable assumption then is a sapphire screen will make your next iPhone more expensive, unless Apple finds a way to either absorb the cost or manufacture enough to scale down costs.
It might have just been able to do that following a deal with GT Advanced, a company that has developed a method for creating a sapphire sheet that is thinner than a human hair and can be mounted to a glass display.
This method makes production of sapphire screens significantly cheaper.
The deal worth $578 million in prepayments has also allowed GT to purchase nearly 1000 furnaces to help produce the sapphire screens thereby allowing economies of scale to reduce the costs even further.

Are there any problems?

All the work that Apple is doing with GT Advanced should see it overcome the largest problem that faces any potential sapphire screens, but that doesn't mean other problems won't arise.
A big problem that has faced sapphire to date is the purple flare that surrounded areas of bright light on the iPhone 5's camera.
This purple fringe was attributed to the sapphire lens, although was likely caused by chromatic aberration (a light distortion that can be tricky to correct on large lenses, let alone those found on smartphones).
Another key problem that any potential iPhone with sapphire screen will face is one that we have already touched upon, screen brightness.
If you've shelled out for a new iPhone you're going to be pretty miffed if you can't use it outside.
This is something that is likely to be significantly reduced with thinner sapphire screens mounted to glass, but can also be remedied with brighter screen technologies such as AMOLED displays.
Put everything together and we're left salivating. Can you imagine a 5-inch sapphire AMOLED iPhone 6? We can but dream.

TeacherNI.com portal to enroll 5,000 students by year end

Online education portal, TeacherNI.com is targeting enrollment of 5,000 students across the country by the end of the current calender year. It has already rolled out it ICSE and ISC platform and is looking at including course and test ware for CBSE by June end.

CO founder and Managing director, TeacherNI.com, Dhaval Mehta said that the portal helps students uptil class XII students connect to the best possible education resources, learn from nationaly acclaimed teachers and access to latest teaching techniques. It also helps in providing performance focused revision and test program to help the student asses himself and provide simulated examination experience.

"The simulated examination module helps students give tests similar to what they would be doing in their respective board exams. While it helps them in getting rid from the exam phobia, the test papers are evaluated by teachers who have in the past been examiners for the respective board so that the student gets a real assessment of where they stand" said Mehta.

He said that their course ware will aid the learning process in classrooms and incorporates latest teaching techniques practised internationally. TeacherNI.com hopes to tie up with schools and also enroll students individually.

Top performing employees to get 15.3% hikes compared to an average 10%: Aon Hewitt Survey

 

Top performers in 565 companies will take home an average increment of 15.3 per cent this appraisal season, even as pay hikes across these organisations remain a muted 10 per cent, the lowest since FY09, according to Aon Hewitt's Annual Salary Increase Survey. This 'reward gap' between high performers and the rest is the widest since 2011 when Aon Hewitt began capturing such data.

Not only are companies rewarding top performers more disproportionately, they are also tightening the 'bell curve', giving the top rating to fewer employees. If 16.2 per cent of total employees assessed got the top rating pre-2007, only 8.7 per cent made the grade last year.

"The difference between top and average performers has become sharper," says Anandorup Ghose, rewards consulting practice leader at Aon Hewitt India. "As you see smaller (increment) budgets, you'll see those budgets being spent on a critical few rather than many." The ongoing economic slowdown has forced companies to make this definitive change in talent management strategy. PepsiCo India is a good example of this trend. "This year, top performers have got twice as much increase vis-a-vis average performers," said Samik Basu, Chief Human Resources Officer PepsiCo India. "This is particularly important to retain top talent in challenging times."

Six IIM graduates placed with lucrative pay

Six Indian management graduates from IIMs have landed themselves a lucrative job with an annual pay of Rs 44 lakh each from a Dubai-based finance firm. 

Dunia Finance, an Abu Dhabi-based finance company, has hired six new graduates from the distinguished Indian Institute of Management's campuses in Ahmedabad and Kolkata. 

The MBA graduates have been offered a highly competitive tax-free annual pay of Rs 44 lakh or gross of tax Rs 66 lakh, plus discretionary performance-related bonuses. 

This ranks the finance company on a par with world's major corporate and multi-national recruiters. Empowering and enabling talent for success is embedded in the company's culture, the company said. 

Founded in 2008 by a team consisting of IIM alumni, Dunia has a proven track record as a consistent recruiter of MBA talent. 

Rajeev Kakar, founder, managing director and CEO of Dunia, who is himself a 1987 graduate alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad, said IIM campuses are the leading management institutions in India, recognised globally for their contribution to talent, and Dunia is a young and dynamic company committed to hiring the best in all markets. 

"Our recruitment drive this year puts us right amongst the world's major businesses as an employer of talent. Dunia has grown quickly and sustainably over the last five years, driven by a dedication to quality service and carefully nurtured talent management," he said. 

"We want to be seen as a dream recruiter for MBA talent from around the world, providing fulfilling careers that empower people, enable success, and enrich lives," he said.

Online system for babus' performance appraisal launched

An online system for filing of annual performance appraisal report of IAS officers was today launched by the government. 

The Smart Performance Appraisal Report Recording Online Window (SPARROW), developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC), will be applicable from current assessment year -- 2013-14. 

The online filing of Performance Appraisal Report (PAR) will bring more probity and transparency, avoid loss of such reports during transition, ensure better monitoring and timely completion of performance appraisals, Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy said while launching the system. 

It will also facilitate in speeding up the process of getting appointment and promotion related clearance from Central Vigilance Commission, Narayanasamy said. 

As many as 4,737 IAS officers are working across the country. 

The system would be operational for use by the officers posted in state as well as central ministries or department from the last week of March this year. 

"The software has an inbuilt system of generating auto-alerts which would go to the officers concerned with whom the PAR would be pending for more than the specified time and thus would ensure better monitoring of the writing of PAR," said a statement issued by Ministry of Personnel. 

Each officer would have to digitally sign the report before forwarding it to appropriate authority. It would also have the facility of uploading summary of medical reports, certificate of training, academic courses, appreciation letters, etc, the statement said. 

"The software would have an in-built security mechanism to ensure that nobody can tamper with the data available in it. 

"For e-filing, each officer or authority involved in the work flow is required to be issued a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) which is the digital equivalent of physical or paper certificate for authentication," it said.

6 questions to ask a manager during appraisal

By Srilagna Saha, TimesJobs.com 

An employee must find out the company's future plans for his/her own success. 

As much as it's true that your manager will always have feedback or questions regarding your performance, it's never a bad idea to have some questions ready for him as well. 

By asking relevant questions to the manager during appraisal, one will surely showcase his willingness to understand his past failures and overcome them in the next appraisal cycle. 

Tanvi Saxena, head HR, CapitalVia Global Research Ltd., shares some of the questions that an employee must ask his/her manager during the appraisal interview. 

What is that one thing that I should stop/start/continue doing? 

Feedback is one of the most critical and important aspects of an appraisal interview. As much as it is the responsibility of an appraiser to provide effective feedback, it is also the candidate's responsibility to ask questions that can help in receiving the most accurate and relevant feedback. This question will also give you clarity on what your manager sees as your successes and failures. 

What is the company's future growth plan? 

Most of the things that you need to know about your year ahead can be known by asking this one single question. Growth does not only mean promotions, but can mean additional responsibility, job rotation, etc. During this conversation you can also mention what are your expectations in terms of growth. 

What should be my priority in the coming year? 

This will provide you with necessary clarity that is much needed for you to succeed in upcoming challenges. And let us face it! We often deviate from what's important to what's urgent time to time. Getting this questions answered will keep you focused on the most important tasks. 

What are the trainings/certifications I should attend? 

This question will not only help you in keeping yourself up-to-date and in sharpening your skills, but will also act as a preparation for the next appraisal cycle. 

What are the other areas/opportunity/responsibilities that I can take up within company? 

This will help you in understanding the other possibilities/opportunities that exist within the organisation. Also, if you are interested in shifting to other domains, you will get the opening to put across your interest. Also, it will present you as a proficient resource who is a multi tasker, and can be utilised as and when the company needs. 

What business changes are planned in future? What can I do to help? 

An individual's growth largely depends on company's growth. Hence, it is important for you to know what your company is planning next. Also, as an employee, one must showcase the concern and willingness in helping and supporting the company with their business challenges and plans.

5 campus recruitment tips for corporate

Campus hiring is one of the most effective ways of hiring fresh talent. Find out how to make the most out of your campus recruitment drive. 

Besides making their presence felt, employers need to be active in reaching out to the potential candidates. If this involves branding activities, it has to be as innovative and truthful as possible to give candidates the right picture about the organisation.

Samit Jain, director, Pluss Polymers shares 5 things an effective campus recruitment process should incorporate: 

Employer information sessions 

Companies generally tend to send their HR team to recruit, but HR is just an enabler. The real team in which the employees will work should reach out for recruitment. The candidates should be provided a chance to have a candid discussion with the team they are actually going to work for and with. It is the imperative of the company to train their employees for conducting such sessions during the recruitment process. 

Just a one hour power point presentation doesn't give a feel of what it is like to work for the company. It is the employee which makes the company and the companies should facilitate such interactions of existing employees and students. 

Make students to like your organisation 

If the students have not heard about the company in 4 or 5 years of college, they are less likely to believe what the company has to say in an hour's information session. The company needs to build its recognition on campus by participating in events such as, critiquing student resumes, academic or cultural events that are held. 

Ask yourself, how many times has someone from your company delivered lectures at the institute? If it is less than two times in a year, then you are not sending out the right message. Students appreciate feedback from employers and it's a great opportunity to build your brand by contributing towards student education - this can only be done if you are seen through the years on campus. 

Offer internships 

Indian organisations, SMEs in particular, shy away from taking any responsibility of contributing towards education. They believe they don't have funds. It does not cost much, except for a time commitment. 

There is nothing better than word-of-mouth promotion of an organisation. Internships provide students with invaluable "real-world" experience. These interns will end up serving as on-campus ambassadors to promote the organisation when they return to college. 

Conduct group presentations 

Everyone talks about the gap between industry and academia. This gap can be bridged by incorporating lectures from company professionals and experts along with the institute curriculum. 

The company will have to work closely with the faculty and the college administration while planning such lectures. It will provide expertise to students in specific subject area making them more suitable/prepared for the real world as well as it provides a good opportunity to the company to showcase their organisation. 

Connect with faculty 

It is essential that the organisation connects with the faculty on a regular basis. Offer small exercises which they can give their students as part of the course. Sponsor some faculty for some research or study programme to be conducted during the undergraduate or graduate programmes. Provide case studies from the organisation for technical and management courses.

Wi-Fi virus that spreads like common cold

Researchers have shown for the first time that Wi-Fi networks can be infected with an 'airborne' virus that can move as efficiently as the common cold.

Researchers at the University of Liverpool in UK designed and simulated an attack by a virus, called "Chameleon" on Belfast and London in a lab setting . They found that not only could it spread quickly between homes and businesses, but it was able to avoid detection.

Experts found that "Chameleon" behaved like an airborne virus, travelling across the Wi-Fi network via Access Points (APs) that connect households and businesses to WiFi networks. "When "Chameleon" attacked an AP, it was able to collect and report the credentials of all other Wi-Fi users who connected to it. The virus then sought out other Wi-Fi APs that it could connect to and infect," said Alan Marshall, professor of Network Security at the University.

Smartphone cameras compete with high-end DSLRs

Expect sharper, clearer selfies this year. 

Samsung Electronics Co. has beefed up the camera in its Galaxy S5 smartphone due for April release and added smarter camera software, following Sony and Nokia in their upgrades of handset cameras. The tweaks mean smartphone photos, ubiquitous nowadays because of social media such as Facebook and Twitter, will be closer in quality to images captured by digital single-lens reflex cameras, also known as DSLR. 

How to give a super-thin smartphone the power of a DSLR camera that can capture moving images with clarity is a key challenge for the likes of Samsung, Sony, Nokia and LG as they try to differentiate their offerings in a crowded handset market. Their efforts to make smartphone cameras more powerful have taken a toll on the compact, point-and-shoot camera market, but catching up to the high-end cameras used by professional photographers had appeared a far-fetched ambition. 

The gap is getting narrower thanks mainly to improvements in camera software and other technologies, but may never close completely. 

The global wireless show that wraps up in Barcelona on Thursday showed smartphone makers using software trickery to offset their camera weaknesses: inferior image sensors and lack of optical zoom lens. The companies are also making photo manipulation on the phone easier to learn than manually controlling DSLR cameras. 

Instead of touting their smartphones as thinner, lighter or bigger screened, Samsung, Sony and LG were boasting how their latest mobile gadgets can record ultra-high definition videos known as 4K, take big-pixel pictures without a second of delay and capture clearer images even at a low-light settings and when a subject is moving. 

One trend in smartphone camera this year will be phase detection autofocus, previously available only in cameras with interchangeable lens, said Chris Chute, a director at research company IDC. 

Samsung showcased the feature in the Galaxy S5, the latest version of the South Korean company's flagship smartphone. It reduces the time it takes to focus on a subject to 0.3 second so even when the subject is moving, the image can be captured with a sharp edge, said Seshu Madhavapeddy, Samsung's senior vice president for US product and technology. 

"Now that phones are starting to have this, consumers will only be more likely to use phones for not just everyday pictures, but more and more for special event photography," Chute said. 

With the 16 megapixel rear camera in the Galaxy S5, it is possible to preview the result of applying high dynamic range imaging to pictures. HDR imaging usually helps create better pictures in extreme lighting conditions but with digital cameras, it is processed after snapping a photo. 

Samsung and LG also showed how their high-end smartphones can selectively blur and sharpen a picture by tapping the area a user wants to adjust. This feature, which adds depth to a photo, was a major trait in DSLR cameras. While DSLR cameras did this trick in the image's raw data by changing the lens aperture, Samsung's S5 and LG's G Pro 2 do it through software. Nokia and Sony said their latest smartphones have similar features. 

Nokia is also betting big on powerful camera features to lure buyers from Samsung and Apple Inc. Among Nokia's major products is the Lumia 1020 smartphone announced last year, which can take 38 megapixel images. Larger pixels in the camera don't necessarily mean a better picture, which also depends on the lens and image sensors. But bigger pixels allow taking photos with sufficient details for poster-size prints, something that professional photographers are keen on. Other high-end smartphone cameras are around or below 20 megapixels. 

Sony's Xperia Z2 smartphone, announced at the Mobile World Congress, has a rear camera with 20.7 megapixels, same as the predecessor Z1, but Sony upgraded the camera's video-recording power to 4K. The Z2 is also equipped with technologies that allow users capture to moving subjects blur-free. 

All these handsets from Samsung, Sony and LG can record ultra-HD picture quality video, something that isn't widespread among digital cameras. 

"This trend is happening much faster than most predicted," said IDC's Chute of the 4K video recording in high-end smartphones. But will these moves push smartphone cameras to reach the market reserved for premium cameras over $1,000? 

"You're getting to the stage where cameras in high-end models are good enough for the majority of consumers in most environments," said Nick Dillon, a senior analyst at Ovum. But there will be a significant quality gap between the pictures from DSLR cameras and smartphones for the foreseeable future, he said. 

One reason is the sensor. The larger the sensor is, the better the image's quality because it can capture more light. "There is a limitation in the sensor size you can put in smartphones because it would make smartphones bigger," Dillon said. And that's one crucial reason why professional photographers haven't swapped their cameras for smartphones. 

Smartphone cameras have yet to match high-end digital cameras especially in low-light settings, said Jun Michael Park, a freelance photo journalist in Seoul. 

"I still wouldn't switch. Smartphone's small camera comes in handy, but when I take pictures I always think about getting it printed, having a show, or getting them published," Park said. Winning over photographers like Park could be the next trophy for smartphone makers.