Tag: Windows 10
Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus NVMe SSD review: Fast on PCIe 4, fast on PCIe 3
At a GlanceExpert's Rating
Pros
- Excellent performance
- Exceptional sustained writes from the 2TB version
- Nice-looking copper color scheme
Cons
- 1TB version ran out of cache before the end of our 450GB write
Our Verdict
This drive is a worthy competitor to Samsung's 980 Pro, at least in the 2TB version. The 1TB will run out of juice on very long writes, something the 980 Pro won't do. Regardless, for the price, an excellent SSD.
Best Prices Today
Sabrent must've read some of my articles and discovered my love of the color copper. The heat-spreader and the metal carrying case for the brand spanking new Rocket 4 Plus PCIe 4 NMVe SSD feature the color in copious amounts. I like it. Even if copper leaves you flat, the drive's stellar performance will grab your attention—it bested the Samsung 980 Pro in many tests. This is one of the best SSDs around.
Editor's note: This review originally published on December 21, 2020. As of late January 2022, Sabrent has upgraded the NAND in the Rocket 4 Plus to Micron's B47, which has increased its sustained throughput substantially in our follow-up testing in March. As of this addendum, it's the sixth fastest NVMe SSD we've tested under CrystalDiskMark, and the second fastest drive in our 48GB transfer tests, up from 8th place.
Specs and pricing
The NVMe SSDs we review all use the M.2 connector, and are 22 mm wide by 80 mm long (2280). The Rocket 4 Plus is an x4 PCIe 4.0 device featuring a Phison PS5018-E18 controller and 96-layer, Micron TLC NAND. Sabrent promises not to change to slower components, as has happened with a couple of SSD vendors recently. There's also 2MB of DRAM cache. NAND is treated as SLC for secondary caching to the tune of 25 percent.
Beyond that, the drive is enveloped in coppery goodness (the label) and is available in two flavors: 1TB ($160 on Amazon) and 2TB ($310 on Amazon). A 500GB model exists for $90 but can be hard to fine online, while a 4TB flavor costs $750.
The drives carry a 5-year warranty, and are rated for 350TBW per 500GB of capacity. TBW is the number or terabytes that may be written before the drive warranty lapses. It's quite likely capable of writing more, but that's the company's cut-off point for replacement. Most users are unlikely to come close to that in a decade.
Performance
All that coppery goodness would mean nothing if the Rocket 4 Plus didn't haul the freight. The 2TB version I tested delivers. The Rocket 4 Plus's CrystalDiskMark 6 sustained throughput numbers are impressive indeed, trading first place between writing and reading with the Samsung 980 Pro.
The Rocket 4 Plus couldn't quite match the 980 Pro's overall real world performance in our 48GB transfer tests, but it took a solid second place.
CrystalDiskMark's 4K tests showed another story—the Rocket 4 Plus lagged significantly.
Where the 2TB Rocket 4 Plus really rocked was in our 450GB sustained write tests. Note however, that the 980 Pro Samsung sent me was only a 1TB model. Though it's not shown in the charts, the 1TB version dropped to around 675MBps (PCIe 3) at around the 350GB mark in the copy and took 386 seconds, compared to the 2TB version's 250 seconds on PCIe 3 and 209 seconds over PCIe 4. Yes, cache makes a difference.
I should also mention that in general, it's never a good idea to run an SSD close to capacity. Write speeds will slow down tremendously without NAND available as cache. Always overbuy in terms of capacity.
The PCIe 3 tests utilized Windows 10 64-bit running on a Core i7-5820K/Asus X99 Deluxe system with four 16GB Kingston 2666MHz DDR4 modules, a Zotac (NVidia) GT 710 1GB x2 PCIe graphics card, and an Asmedia ASM2142 USB 3.1 card. It also contains a Gigabyte GC-Alpine Thunderbolt 3 card, and Softperfect Ramdisk 3.4.6 for the 48GB read and write tests.
The PCIe 4 testing was done on an MSI MEG X570 motherboard socketing an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-core CPU, using the same Kingston DRAM, cards, and software. All testing is performed on an empty, or nearly empty drive. Performance will decrease as the drive fills up.
A nice buy at 2TB
Though there's room for improvement in small- and 4K file performance, there's little else to complain about with the Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus in its 2TB incarnation. That it can wrestle at all with the 980 Pro at this price point is a feather in Sabrent's (and Phison's) cap.
The best laptops for college students
Ah, college. A time of true enlightenment. Whether you're just starting out or you're heading into your final year, you're going to need a good laptop for college research and writing papers. But with so many different brands and confusing model numbers out there, it's easy to get overwhelmed.
Don't worry, we're here to help. We've pulled together a robust list of student-friendly laptops for college that we had previously tested and reviewed as part of our ongoing quest to find the best laptops. In other words, the folks over here at PCWorld have personally vetted each and every one of these picks. While most (if not all) of the laptops on this list are fantastic productivity machines, we've also got picks for gamers and macOS users, and options to hit every price point. You may also find some low-cost gems in our roundup of the best laptop deals, which we update daily.
Read on to learn more.
1. HP Spectre x360 14 1Q881AV – Best overall
When we think about the best thin-and-light laptop, it's always been a close contest between the Dell XPS 2-in-1 and the HP Spectre x360. This time around, we're giving the luxurious HP Spectre x360 14 some time in the sun, with a nod to the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 9310 that preceded it as our top pick. The Spectre x360 14, now sporting the same Intel 11th-gen Tiger Lake CPU available in the Dell XPS line, trades blows with its eternal rival in test after test. It rises to the top because of a few key advantages: It offers longer battery life (thanks to a bigger battery), a far better keyboard, and little things like a USB-A port and a physical webcam shutoff switch, all for a lower price. Well played, HP.
2. Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition
If you're serious about gaming, the Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition is one heck of a powerhouse. The review unit we tested had an 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor, an AMD Radeon RX 6800M GPU (with 12GB of GDDR6), 16GB of memory, and 512GB of NVMe SSD storage. You can play older titles on high to very-high graphics settings and newer games on medium. There are a few shortcomings, though. Battery life is lackluster and it's pretty darn heavy. That said, poor battery life and a clunky form factor isn't unusual for a gaming laptop, and if you're looking to play some games when you aren't busy working on assignments, this powerhouse offers much more value than most of its rivals.
3. Microsoft Surface Pro 7+
By naming this Windows tablet the Surface Pro 7+, Microsoft mistakenly implies that it's some sort of minor upgrade from the Surface Pro 7. Nothing could be further from the truth: We rarely see such massive upgrades in CPU and GPU horsepower, as well as battery life. It also offers an LTE option and an absolutely dead-silent, fanless chassis.
You may be wondering why we chose the 7+ and not the Surface Pro 8. While the 8 has a larger screen and good audio, configurations start at $1,099.99 and can go up to over $2,599.99. The 7+'s base configuration starts at $899, which is a more affordable option for college students, and it should still chew through tasks admirably. The base version has an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of SSD storage.
4. Pixelbook Go
As a general note, Chromebooks make excellent productivity machines. They're designed for basic tasks like web browsing, typing out papers, and so on. They're also largely virus-free.
Google's Pixelbook Go is a perfectly good Chromebook and that's exactly what the company set out to create. It offers a careful balance of quality features and economical compromises for a reasonable $649 starting price. It's also much better looking than the typical bare-bones model. If you're committed to the Chromebook universe, this is a laptop worth buying.
5. Gram 17 (2021)
The LG Gram 17 is a remarkably lightweight business laptop, and one worth considering if your scholarship left you ample room for a luxe laptop purchase. Although relatively big in size dimensions-wise, it somehow weighs just under three pounds. Is it a work of sorcery? No, it's the magnesium chassis that makes it so light. In our review, we liked the bounciness of the keys and the long battery life. The Gram 17 ran out of steam around the 13 hour mark, which is nothing short of impressive. The 17-inch IPS-grade display is stunning, too. With a resolution of 2560×1600, you're bound to get a crisp and vibrant picture. According to our review, the display size is perfect for productivity.
6. MacBook Air (Space Gray)
The MacBook Air with the new M1 processor so absolutely and thoroughly trounces the Intel version released earlier this year (with Intel's “Ice Lake” Y-series CPU/GPU) that it defies belief. And, since there's no fan, the Air runs super quiet, which is great in a classroom setting.
Unfortunately, Apple changed practically nothing else about the MacBook Air. This new model is exclusively a processor swap. But what a processor! You can read the full review of the MacBook Air M1 at our sister site, Macworld.
7. Acer Aspire 5 – Best budget option
With its affordable price point, decent performance, and robust build, the Acer Aspire 5 is a good budget option for most people. While the color scheme is a little boring, the build is surprisingly rugged. Our tester was surprised by its “solid, durable feel.” The keyboard is nice, too. It has a spacious layout, which is perfect for longer typing sessions. Performance is fast enough for general-use tasks like writing emails and browsing the web, but that's about it. If you're shopping around for a solid everyday laptop that won't break the bank, the Aspire 5 is definitely worth a look.
8. Acer Swift 3X
The Acer Swift 3X is both speedy and lightweight, an ideal choice for the college student who's always on the go. The higher-tier configuration we reviewed has an Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, an Intel Iris Xe Max discrete GPU (with 4GB of LPDDR4X memory), 16GB of memory, and 1TB PCIe NVMe of SSD storage. But the real star of the show is its 14-inch 1080p IPS display, which shines at a bright 300 nits, according to our review. We managed to squeeze out 12+ hours of battery life on a single charge, so you can definitely expect this laptop to last through multiple classes.
9. Swift X (SFX14-41G-R1S6)
From stellar performance to the lightweight form factor, the Acer Swift X has a lot to offer. In addition to handling content-creation tasks, it can also run a few lightweight games as well. However, its biggest strength is its battery life. Despite the power-hungry internals, the Swift X's battery lasted more than 12 hours in our tests. Depending on your use, you won't need to go hunting for an outlet all that much. It's perfect for college students.
10. HP Envy x360 15 (2021) eu0097nr
The HP Envy x360 15 (2021) has an attractive design, decent internals, and a wide selection of ports. The unit we tested came equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U processor, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage. For ports, you're getting two USB-A, USB-C, HDMI 2.0, and a full-sized SD card slot. In our review, we liked the keyboard quite a bit, saying “the keys give off a satisfying tactile bump and they actuate even if you hit just the corner of a key with your fingernail.” In other words, you don't need to worry much about accidental keypresses.
11. Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1
The Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 is affordable and offers good performance for the price. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700U processor is fast enough for everyday tasks like web browsing and document editing. It makes a good productivity machine, which is perfect for college. According to our review, the laptop “remained comfortably cool and quiet while juggling multiple apps, browser tabs, and downloads.” It's also pretty versatile in terms of what you can do with it. You can prop it up like a tent and watch movies or flip the screen around and use it like a tablet. Overall, it's a good value. You're getting good performance, punchy audio, and a convertible touchscreen.
12. Aspire Vero
The Aspire Vero is affordable and fast enough for general use. The review unit we tested has an Intel Core i7-1195G7 processor, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 16GB of memory, and 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 of SSD storage. While the internals are pretty good. the most unique thing about the Vero is that it's made out of PCR plastic, which makes it one of the few environmentally friendly laptops out there. While we dig how eco-friendly it is, the exterior's got a textured design that takes some getting used to. The keyboard is also springy and the 1080p non-touch display produces crisp images. The one downside is its short battery life. In our review, we managed to eek a measly seven hours out of the three-cell battery.
13. HP Chromebook x2 11 da0023dx
Ah, folio-style laptops. While some may find them cumbersome to deal with, our reviewer really liked this one. The HP Chromebook x2 11 is one of the best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy. The tablet's aluminum chassis feels rugged and like it'll last quite a while. The detachable keyboard took some getting used to, but ended up being fine for long typing sessions. The rear plate, which transforms into a kickstand that holds up the tablet, connects to the back of the tablet via magnets. The reviewer found the connection to be both clean and strong. As for the performance, it's about what you'd expect out of a Chromebook. It's zippy enough for everyday tasks like browsing the web and so on.
14. Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5
The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 is a good mid-range laptop. It's fast enough for web browsing, editing documents, and so on. That said, it can “feel taxed by demanding tasks.” When our tester opened up multiple tabs, he noticed a sag in performance. The port selection, however, is nice combination of old and new. It has two USB-C ports, a single USB-A port, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, and a microSD card reader. As for the keyboard, our tester liked the “crisp and taut” feel of the keys. Although this laptop is a 2-in-1, it weighs about 3 pounds, which is kind of heavy for a convertible laptop. It may not be the most portable laptop in the world, but at least it has the flexibility to function as a tablet for applications that favor that form factor.
How we tested
The PCWorld team puts each and every Windows laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others we've tested. Chromebooks, on the other hand, go through a series of web-based tests. It wouldn't be fair or possible to run the same kinds of tests on a Chromebook, as they're Chrome OS-based machines. Below, you'll find a breakdown of each test and the reasons why we run them.
Windows laptops
- PCMark 10: PCMark 10 is how we determine how well the laptop handles lighter tasks like web browsing, word processing, spreadsheets, and so on.
- HandBrake: HandBrake is more intensive than PCMark 10. It basically measures how long a laptop's CPU takes to encode a beefy 30GB file.
- Cinebench: Cinebench is a brief stress test of the CPU cores. It does this by rendering a 2D scene over a short period of time.
- 3DMark: 3DMark checks if 3D performance remains consistent over time by running graphic-intensive clips.
- Video rundown test: To gauge battery life, we loop a 4K video using Windows 10's Movies & TV app until the laptop dies.
Chromebooks
- CrXPRT 2: The CrXPRT 2 benchmark tests a Chromebook's battery life.
- Speedometer 2.0: This test determines a Chromebook's web browser performance. It simulates this by adding, completing, and removing a to-do list.
- Basemark Web 3.0: This benchmark gauges how well a Chromebook can handle web-based applications.
- Kraken 1.1: Kraken 1.1 is a JavaScript performance benchmark.
- Jetstream 2: Jetstream 2 is a combination of WebAssembly and JavaScript benchmarks. This is a way to gauge how well a Chromebook runs advanced workloads.
What to look for in a laptop for college
The first thing to consider is budget. How much are you willing to spend on a laptop? If you're working with an inflexible budget, Chromebooks are a good option. They're affordable and designed to handle everyday tasks like writing papers, working on spreadsheets, and so on. Chromebook prices can range anywhere from $200 up to $1,000. If you want to spend a bit more, laptops with convertible touchscreens (otherwise known as 2-in-1s) offer a great deal of functionality. You can flip the screen around and use it like a tablet or prop it up like an easel for watching movies.
If you've got a jam-packed schedule, you'll probably be running from class to class with very little downtime in between. That's why we recommend a laptop with a long-lasting battery. We recommend something that'll last 7 to 10-plus hours on a single charge, unless you want a notebook that can play games on the side—gaming laptops are notorious for their shorter endurance, even during everyday tasks. That 7 to 10 hours is a good figure if you plan on taking your laptop with you everywhere.
Things like navigating your e-mail or watching Netflix will require more RAM. We recommend springing for 8GB of RAM or more. 4GB of RAM is fine and good for web browsing and basic office work, but 8GB is better for having more tabs open and whatnot. Plus, applications like Google Chrome and Spotify tend to eat up a lot of RAM. Most people can get by with 4GB in a pinch if you're on a tight budget, but you won't be able to multitask as much.
The final thing is a decent keyboard. In college, you're going to be spending a lot of time typing. Depending on your personal preference, you may want either a full or short travel keyboard. Mechanical keyboards, for example, normally have longer travel. This helps prevent accidental keystrokes. The keys also give a lot of tactile feedback, as they bounce back after they're pressed down.
For more specifics regarding the hardware you want inside your laptop, be sure to check out our comprehensive guide on how to buy a budget laptop without getting screwed, as well as our broader cheatsheet on what to look for in a laptop CPU and GPU.
How to create an insane multiple monitor setup with three, four, or more displays
By now, a dual-monitor setup has become commonplace. Multitasking on a single screen is just way too confining. But why stop at two displays? I can speak from experience: Having multiple monitors (and I'm talking three, four, five, or even six) is just…awesome, and something you totally need in your life.
Right now, my main PC has a triple-monitor setup: my main 27-inch central monitor, with a 24-inch monitor on either side. I use my extra monitors for a number of things, such as comparing spreadsheets side-by-side, writing articles while also doing research, keeping tabs on my social media feeds, and, of course, watching Netflix.
Using one of your monitors in vertical orientation can make a big difference for scrolling long documents. If you're a gamer, well, surely you can see how great three-plus monitors can be for games that support multi-monitor setups. You can even use your TV as an extra computer monitor!
But before you jump in, you want to give your multi-monitor plan some forethought. This guide will walk you through all the factors you need to take into account before setting up three or more monitors.
Step 1: Check your graphics card(s)
Before you run out and buy a bunch of extra monitors, check to see whether your computer is physically capable of handling all that graphics prowess. First, look at the back of your PC: How many graphics ports (DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, and VGA) do you see?
If you don't have a discrete graphics card, you may only see two video ports—most motherboards come with integrated graphics that can only run dual-monitor setups. If you do have a discrete graphics card, you'll probably see at least three ports, not including the ports on your motherboard.
Tip: While it is possible to set up multiple monitors using ports on both your motherboard and your discrete graphics card, you'll see a performance drop and some lag when you move windows between monitors. If you want to do this, you will also need to enter your PC's BIOS and go to Configuration > Video > Integrated graphics device and set it to “Always enable.”
Just because you see three or more ports on your discrete graphics card, however, doesn't necessarily mean you can use all of them at the same time. For example, many older Nvidia cards are unable to run more than two monitors on a single card, even if they have more than two ports. The best way to find out whether your graphics card supports multiple monitors is to find the name of your card (Control Panel > Device Manager > Display Adapters) and Google it with the monitor setup you're looking to run (e.g. “Nvidia GTX 1660 four monitors”).
Most modern graphics cards can power several displays simultaneously.
If your graphics card supports—and has enough ports for—the number of monitors you want to set up, excellent. If not, you may need to purchase an additional graphics card to get the multi-monitor support you're looking for.
Before you buy an extra graphics card, you'll need to make sure you have enough space in your tower (and open PCIe slots), as well as a power supply unit that can handle the extra strain.
If you buy a graphics card solely for the purpose of having multiple monitors, it's best to get a cheaper modern option, as current GPUs can power several displays without issue. Check out the best budget graphics card section of our GPU guide for your best options.
Alternatively, monitors with DisplayPort multi-streaming support can be daisy-chained together from a single DisplayPort connection on your graphics card, using additional DisplayPort cables to connect the additional monitors to one another. The various displays don't even need to be the same size or resolution. ViewSonic's VP2468 is one such example. At around $330 on Amazon, this 24-inch monitor is on the pricier side, but in addition to DisplayPort-out, it also offers a premium IPS screen, and a super-thin bezel, which is ideal for multi-monitor setups.
Step 2: Select your monitors
Once you figure out your graphics card situation, it's time for the fun part: obtaining extra monitors. In general, monitors can be had for fairly cheap these days. Assuming you can't finagle a hand-me-down, a 24-inch monitor with an IPS screen will run you around $150, such as the Acer R240HY. You can get a 24-inch TN screen, which will likely trade strong off-axis viewing for a lower response time—something gamers might prefer—for roughly the same money, such as the Asus VS248H-P ($160 on Amazon). You can also find smaller IPS monitors at around 21.5 inches, such with this HP Pavilion IPS display, for.
Meanwhile, it you're looking for even more screen real estate, you can find a decent 27-inch IPS screen for just a little over $200, such as the $210 ViewSonic VA2759-SMH.
Of course, the perfect monitor for you depends on multiple factors, including the monitors you already have, the size of your desk, and what you're planning on using your extra monitor for. (Of course, resolution is yet another variable, and you can see our article about 1080p vs. 4K monitors to help you make a decision in that area as well.)
In my case, I already had two 24-inch monitors, and I wanted a larger monitor as the centerpiece of my setup, so I picked up a 27-inch monitor and placed it between my two 24-inch displays. I'm not using my multi-monitor setup to play multi-monitor games, so the difference in sizes (and the difference in heights—my 27-inch monitor's stand holds that monitor about one inch higher than my 24-inchers) isn't an issue for me. However, if you're planning on doing a lot of gaming or watching videos that span multiple monitors, this height difference will make for a not-so-seamless experience.
A DisplayPort connector (left) and an HDMI cable (right).
Before you buy your monitors, you'll also want to make sure they have input ports that correspond with your PC's output ports. While you could use conversion cables, such as DVI-to-HDMI or DisplayPort-to-DVI, they can be a hassle. If you have a VGA port on your PC or your monitor, I suggest staying away from it: VGA is an analog connector, which means your picture will be noticeably less sharp and colors will be less vivid.
Step 3: Set up your PC
Set up your monitors, plug them in, and turn on your PC. Voila! A perfectly formed multi-monitor setup! Well, not so fast. Setup is easy, but there are still a couple more steps.
The first thing you'll want to do is configure Windows to play nicely with your multiple monitors. If you're running Windows 7 or Windows 8, right-click on the desktop and click Screen resolution; in Windows 10, click Display settings. This will take you to a screen where you can configure the options you have for multiple monitors in Windows.
Here, you can confirm that all your monitors are detected. Click Identify, which will cause a large number to appear on each of your displays, so you can determine which screen is which. Select the monitor you'd like to serve as your main display (which will also determine where your taskbar and Start button appears). A drop-down menu lets you choose whether to duplicate your desktop or extend your desktop across all the screens. In most multi-monitor setups, you'll want to extend your desktop across all three (or four, or whatever) of your displays.
Alternately, you can set up your multi-monitor configuration in your GPU's control panel. Right-click your desktop and choose either the Nvidia or AMD control panel (depending on your graphics card), and find the Display section, which will offer similar options as Windows.
Gaming
It's one thing to use multiple monitors to do work and watch Netflix. It's another thing entirely to use multiple monitors to play video games. If you want to use your snazzy new multi-monitor setup to do some three- or four-panel gaming, there are a few extra things you'll have to take into consideration.
Gaming on several displays at once requires far more graphical firepower than gaming on a single screen alone, because the GPU has so many more pixels to push—so if you're not running a sufficiently robust graphics card or cards, you'll almost certainly see lag and artifacting in your multi-monitor games. Once again, check out PCWorld's guide for choosing the best graphics card for gaming.
GLORIOUS.
Before you can start playing your games across multiple panels, you'll need to set up your graphics card and your game. Nvidia users will need to set up Nvidia Surround, while AMD users will need to create an Eyefinity group for their monitors.
You'll also need to go into your game—not all games are multi-monitor compatible—and configure the video or display settings to the correct resolution so that the game spans across all of your monitors instead of staying squished on just one. You'll also want to play around with other settings as the game allows, including field of view (too low, and there will be too much going on around you; too high and everything on your left and right screens will be hugely distorted).
For gaming, it's easier if you have multiple identical displays, because otherwise you'll run into issues with resolution, distortion (if your displays aren't at the same height), and color calibration, all of which can be difficult to work with if you're trying to play in a “seamless” environment.
If working with multiple displays seems like more trouble than you want to bother with for gaming, maybe you'd be better off with a single ultrawide monitor. Check out our article on the pros and cons of dual displays versus a single ultrawide.
Windows is getting new video-editing and family apps
On Wednesday, Microsoft announced two new apps that will be arriving on Windows 11 soon—first on test builds for Windows 11, but probably soon on the stable release path, too: Microsoft Family and the Clipchamp video editor.
The two new apps are part of the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22572 for the Dev Channel, which normally means that the new changes and additions may not make their way to Windows 11 users in general. But, like many tweaks Microsoft has made recently, these have the feel of an early look of features all Windows 11 users will eventually receive.
The build also makes a significant change to the search feature within Windows 11: Search Highlights looks to be a subset of the Bing pages that are normally associated with Microsoft's search engine. Microsoft will push new content to the search box, pepping it up but also potentially distracting you from your original search.
Microsoft Family
If you've followed Windows over the years, you're aware that Microsoft reorganizes as much as it adds—transitioning from the older Control Panel to the Settings menu, for example, or by pushing subscription information from the web to within Windows 11. Microsoft Family feels like a similar type of reorganization.
Microsoft
What Microsoft Family does is take the Family Safety mobile app that Microsoft launched in 2020 alongside the consumer version of Microsoft Teams and makes it a built-in Windows app. All Family Safety did was to reorganize some of the features found within the Microsoft Account (as well as the misleadingly named Find My Device) and bring them front and center. Now you can go to Microsoft Family to limit screen time for your kids, set content restrictions, and “geofence” kids by tracking them on their phones, if they agree.
Interestingly, this is one occasion where you have an advantage with Windows 11 Home, as opposed to Pro. Microsoft Family will only “ship” with Windows 11 Home. Windows 11 Pro users will have to go to Settings > Accounts > Family within the Windows 11 Settings menu and download the Microsoft Family app from the Microsoft Store.
Clipchamp
In September 2021, Microsoft acquired Clipchamp, a small in-browser video-editing application that competes (and still does) with Microsoft's own built-in Video Editor app within Windows 10 and Windows 11. Now, Clipchamp will also be a built-in Windows 11 app, at least for Insiders, initially. (If you're not an Insider, you can still download and use Clipchamp directly from the Microsoft Store.)
Microsoft believes that Clipchamp's selling point is its timeline—the ability to go back and forth within a video, trimming and adding to the video. But the real impact may be from what it adds: a stock library filled with more than a million royalty-free videos, audio tracks, and images that can be added to videos. There's even an Azure-powered text-to-speech generator capable of creating voice overs in more than 70 languages, Microsoft said in a blog post.
Search Highlights
Search Highlights is a new feature that Microsoft will roll out next week, the company said, within the Windows 11 search app. You'll see it in Windows 10, too.
Normally, you can just tap the Windows key on your keyboard to initiate a search of your PC. That will search apps, documents, and more. But you can also click the search icon on your taskbar, where you'll see the results of recent searches, and some suggestions: “today in history,” for example. Search Highlights will take a search like “today in history” and essentially thrust it on you—so if you search for “pears,” for example, you may find that the search box has already told you an interesting anecdote about pears from a hundred years ago.
Microsoft
“Search Highlights will present notable and interesting moments—like holidays, anniversaries, and other educational moments in time both globally and in your region,” Microsoft said. “You'll find rich, bold content in search home that highlights what's special about today.”
It sounds like “Search” may become a miniature home page of sorts, with a word of the day, trending searches, Microsoft Rewards information, and so on. It's part of a livelier Windows 11 that sounds more like Windows 10, but it also might duplicate some of the content that's already in Widgets, which may prove interesting in the long run. Logging in with a Microsoft work account will generate results more specific to your workplace.
You will be able to control this, however: in Settings, you'll be able to toggle this on and off with Settings > Privacy & security > Search settings and toggling Show search highlights.
AMD Ryzen’s fTPM stuttering issues will be fixed in May
Earlier today, AMD announced that it has found a fix to resolve a fTPM related stutter on Ryzen PCs. The stuttering itself is caused by issues with the fTPM (Firmware Trusted Platform Module) chip that led to “temporary pauses in system interactivity or responsiveness.” The impact where this was most felt was during gaming, where an occasional stutter would cause massive disruptions.
AMD’s now come up with a solution to the issue, though it won’t be available until early May. Those with this issue will need to update their motherboard’s system BIOS when this update eventually rolls out. Unfortunately, that’s not really a solution for right now and doesn’t help make the user experience better at the moment. So, to temporarily solve the problem, AMD has suggested that its users use a third party TPM device in the meantime.
It took a while, but a solution is coming
Some AMD Ryzen users have already dealt with this issue for months, and f... How to fix audio problems on your Windows PC
For all its positives, Windows sometimes acts in unexpected ways—like a sudden lack of audio. If your computer abruptly stops playing sound, try these easy steps to fix the issue:
No sound in one app
- First, reboot your computer.
- Confirm the program's volume isn't turned down or muted. In browsers like Chrome and Firefox, each tab can be muted individually—right-click a tab to see its status. (The option will say “Unmute tab” if currently silenced.)
- If you still can't hear anything in this program, try uninstalling and reinstalling it. Before doing so, first back up any data and/or write down how your settings are currently configured, as applicable.
Note: For paid software, your license for the program may be tied to a specific version—if that's the case, you may need to do a little hunting to find its installation program on the vendor's website. This same advice applies if you just prefer your version of the app over the current one.
No sound at all
First thing to check: The audio output device. Windows can sometimes change it to a different source unbeknownst to you. (To view this image full-size, right-click on it and choose “Open in new tab.”)
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- First, check to make sure Windows is using the correct device for speaker output by clicking on the speaker icon in the taskbar. (Sometimes Windows will switch output to a different device, unbeknownst to you.) At the top of the pop-up window, you'll see the name of the speaker currently in use—e.g., Speakers (2-Anker PowerConf). Click on that name to switch to the proper device, if applicable. If using external speakers, make sure they are powered on.
- Reboot your computer.
- Verify via the speaker icon in the taskbar that the audio is not muted and is turned up.
- Ensure that the computer isn't muted via hardware, such as a dedicated mute button on you laptop or keyboard. Test by playing a song.
- Right-click the volume icon and click Open Volume Mixer. Ensure that all options are on and turned up.
- Internal speakers still not working on your laptop? Plug headphones into the audio jack and test again. If the headphones work, remove them to continue troubleshooting the internal speakers.
- For desktop systems with speakers plugged into the 3.5mm jack, try a USB speaker or USB headphones. (Or visa versa.) If the alternative device works, remove it to continue troubleshooting the initial set of speakers. (See our roundup of best budget computer speakers if you are in need of a new set.)
- Right-click the volume icon again and choose Open Sound settings (Windows 10) or Sound settings (Windows 11). For Windows 10, find Related Settings in the window that opens, then click on Sound Control Panel. For Windows 11, scroll down to the Advanced section of the window that opens, then click on More sound settings. For both operating systems, a new, smaller window labeled Sound will appear. Click on the Playback tab, and then confirm that your audio device (likely “Speakers”) has a green checkmark next to it. Then click Properties and make sure that Use this device (enable) is selected.
If your sound still doesn't work by this point, you may have a missing or corrupt driver for your audio controller.
- Uninstall the driver. Open the Device Manager (type device manager in the taskbar search box), go to Sound, video and game controllers, select the audio controller for the device that's malfunctioning, and press the Delete key.
- Reboot the system and allow Windows to reinstall the driver, which it should do automatically. If it doesn't, download the driver from your PC maker's site or audio card manufacturer's site, and reinstall it manually.
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