The Most Interesting PCs of CES 2024

In this year of the “AI PC,” every major vendor of personal computers (except Apple) was showing off new machines at this year’s CES show. Despite the hype, there remains a limited number of applications that use the new “neural processing units” inside the latest generation of chips. Improved video conferencing blur and noise-canceling audio are the only areas that I can see business customers using them regularly today.

But the makers of the laptops—as well as chip makers such as AMD and Intel—are convinced that the presence of such capabilities will lead to applications that will make our machines more personal and easier to use going forward, as indicated by applications like Microsoft Copilot and going from there. We’ll see how this plays out; it’s likely to make the next couple of years in the PC business much more interesting than the last several.

In the meantime, here are some thoughts on the most interesting PCs I saw at the show. Generally, these are high-end mainstream notebooks, which make sense for business users but usually not enterprise buyers. (I expect enterprise systems to mostly get refreshed this spring, particularly as Intel comes out with vPro-capable versions of its Core Ultra line.) I’ll let the gamers write about the many gaming laptops I saw—all of which now feature higher-end graphics.

In general, the trends were the newest set of processors—typically Intel Core Ultra (Meteor Lake) processors, with AMD’s newest Ryzen (Hawk Point) coming a bit later. All the vendors talked AI applications, despite mostly showing off just video conferencing tools or the occasional demo of Stable Diffusion image generation.

Note that despite Microsoft’s announcement of a dedicated Copilot key for keyboards last week, very few of these machines include it, because they were designed earlier. We’ll see that more on machines introduced later in 2024.

Acer

Acer Aspire 3D 15 Spatial Labs Edition (Credit: Michael J. Miller)

One of the coolest new machines was Acer’s new Aspire 3D 15 Spatial Labs Edition, which pairs a lenticular 3D display with Acer’s Spatial Labs software, so you can see 3D effects without special glasses. The concept of 3D screens on laptops isn’t new—Acer has offered a few different models over the past few years—but typically the machines were extremely pricey. The Aspire 3D 15 will be available starting at around $1,400. That’s not bad and is possible in part because it uses a lower-end discrete graphics card (RTX 2050) and Intel 13th Generation (Raptor Lake) CPU.

This is being marketed toward content creators and educators who run 3D applications, and who don’t want to wear bulky VR headsets to see the results of their creations.

Acer Swift Go 14 (Credit: Michael J. Miller)

Another Acer machine that looked good was the new Swift Go 14 (not to be confused with the very inexpensive Go 14), Acer’s thin and light mainstream model designed for students and professionals. This has the newer Intel Core Ultra processors, an aluminum chassis, a very good selection of ports, a 1440p QHD webcam (including a physical shutter), and a 2.8K OLED display with a 2880 x 1800 resolution at a 90Hz refresh, starting at about $800. A larger 16-inch version called the Swift Go 16 sports a 3.2K OLED display with a 3200 x 2000 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The 14-inch model has a touchpad that lights up with controls when you are running video. Both are good values for the money.

CES 2024 First Look: Acer’s Aspire 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition Drives Glasses-Free 3D

Dell

Dell XPS 14 (Credit: Michael J. Miller)

Dell’s big news is the redesign of its flagship XPS line, with new 13-, 14-, and 16-inch models. Generally, these follow design cues from the XPS 13+, which Dell introduced a couple of years ago. It includes smaller bezels, a borderless haptic touchpad, and an unusual capacitive touch function row instead of traditional function keys. The design stands out. All of these are now available with OLED displays, which are becoming a standard throughout the industry.

The 13-inch model starts at 2.6 pounds, with processors up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 165, and offers a 13.4-inch screen, ranging up to a 3K+ (2880 x 1800) OLED display. Prices start at $1,299 for the base model with the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and Intel Arc integrated graphics. The 14-inch steps it up to a 14.5-inch 3.2K (3200 x 2000) OLED, while the 16-inch model adds a higher processor option of the Core Ultra 9 185H and a 16.3-inch 4K+ (3840 x 2400) OLED.

The 14- and 16-inch models support discrete graphics, with the 14-inch taking up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU and the 16-inch up to an RTX 4070, with 80 watts of Thermal Design Power (TDP). The XPS 14 will start at $1,699 and the XPS 16 at $1,899, with all the systems coming to market soon.

These machines do have the dedicated Copliot key, but ports are limited to three USB-C/Thunderbolt ports (you can use dongles for HDMI and USB-A); the 14- and 16-inch ones have an audio jack (something that is missing in the 13-inch). The LED function keys on the XPS 13+ line was popular enough that Dell decided to include it throughout the line, adding an ambient light sensor to change the level of the lighting. These designs will stand out.

Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (Credit: Joe Maldonado)

Another thing that grabbed my attention was Dell’s new UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub Monitor. It’s a 39.7-inch display with a WUHD (5120 x 2160) resolution. It’s designed to take the place of two standard monitors as well as a 140-watt USB/Thunderbolt hub with features such as wired Ethernet with wake-on LAN features, and pop-out USB-A and USB-C connectors. Unlike big gaming monitors, this is designed more for high-end professionals, with 99% DCI-P3 / Display P3 color space, low blue light, and a built-in KVM switch (to let you attach two machines, each with half of the display area). Compared to the previous generation, it now has a better refresh rate (120Hz), an ambient light sensor to automatically adjust brightness and color temperature, and a new backlight to reduce blue light exposure. At $2,499, it’s an expensive monitor, but it does look great.

CES 2024 Hands On: New Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16 Modernize Design, Add AI Oomph

HP

HP Spectre x360 14 (Credit: Michael J. Miller)

HP is now shipping new versions of its Spectre x360 2-in -1 laptops, with both 14- and 16-inch models, with the latest Intel processors, new displays, and a better webcam.

With this year’s models, HP has moved back to a more traditional 14-inch 16:10 display (from the 13.5-inch 3:2 display in last year’s model). The Spectre x360 14 now offers a 2.8K OLED screen with a 120Hz variable refresh rate and IMAX Certification. The 14-inch model comes with a Core Ultra 7 155 Processor with ARC graphics, while the 16-inch version can also go up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU.

The webcam has been improved to a 9-megapixel camera with low-light adjustment. HP says the machines now have a dedicated AI chip for functions like the walk-away lock, wake on approach, and privacy alerts.

HP Spectre x360 16 (Credit: Michael J. Miller)

The 14-inch version starts at $1,499.99, with the 16-inch version starting at $1,599.99, available now. I’ve really liked the earlier generation of the Spectre with a 13.5-inch display, and look forward to trying this out shortly.

Lenovo

Lenovo X1 Carbon Gen 12 (Credit: Michael J. Miller)

Last month, in conjunction with Intel’s’ Core Ultra announcement, Lenovo introduced a couple of business machines—the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 and X1 2-in-1 Gen 9, as well as the consumer IdeaPad Pro 5.

This year’s version of the X1 Carbon is a redesign of the firm’s flagship 14-inch notebook, with smaller bezels, an optional 8-megapixel camera, and what the company says are better thermals that will allow for improved battery life. It also has a few minor changes, such as new tactile marks on the volume, insert and enter keys, and a larger 120 mm haptic touchpad, with a quick menu you can launch from the touchpad. It still starts at 2.4 pounds. Lenovo released a limited version last month, starting at $2,989. The bigger launch including enterprise versions with vPro support is expected in March. I’ve long liked the X1 Carbon line, but its webcam quality has lagged behind the competition, so it’s good to see that improving.

Lenovo X1 Carbon 2-in-1 (Credit: Michael J. Miller)

The similar X1 2-in-1 (formerly called the Yoga, but with a new name as Lenovo is using Yoga for its high-end consumer machine) has an aluminum case and offers a 2.8K OLED display. It’s also more compact and replaces the pen that was docked in the machine with a larger one that magnetically attaches, since the bigger touchpad takes up more space. This too should be available in March, starting at $2,639.

Lenovo Pro 9i (Credit: Michael J. Miller)

The newest version of the 16-inch Yoga Pro 9i can support up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor and up to an Nvidia GeForce RT 4070 Laptop GPU, with up to a 3.2K (3200 x 2000) IPS display. With the traditional Yoga 2-in-1 design, a 5MP camera, rotating soundbar, and six speakers, it should be a top end notebook. Stepping down a notch—but easier to carry—is the 14-inch Yoga 9i, also a 2-in-1 but with a maximum of the Core Ultra 7 155H processor with Intel Arc graphics, four speakers, and available with 14-inch screen 2.8K and 4K OLED screens.

(ThinkBook Plus)

Lenovo Thinkbook Plus Gen 5 (Credit: Michael J. Miller)

As usual Lenovo has lots of unusual designs, including those with color e-ink covers, and dual displays. One that caught my eye was the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5, a 14-inch laptop with an OLED display that can detach from the keyboard to become an Android tablet, even if you’re using the rest of the laptop with an external display as a Windows machine. I’m not sure it will have very broad appeal, but it’s an unusual idea.

CES 2024 Hands On: Lenovo’s ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid Is Two Systems in One

LG

LG Gram Pro 2-in-1 (Credit: Michael J. Miller)

LG has long pushed its laptops as being particularly light, and I was interested that the 16-inch LG Gram Pro 2-in-1 comes in at 1,399 grams, or just over 3 pounds, and just 12.4 millimeters thick. Despite this, the 2-in-1 includes the Intel Core Ultra processors, a full set of ports, and options for a 2560-by-1600 IPS or 2880 by 1800 resolution OLED displays. One drawback for graphics-centric users is that it only includes last year’s Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 mobile GPUs, but that’s pretty good considering the weight and size.

For much more, check out PCMag’s full coverage of everything at CES 2024.