From dominating the CES show floor to Computex defining a bright future, computing has been going through quite the renaissance over the past year. Whether it's for hard work or the ultimate gaming experience, this area of tech has seen innovation on a level that I haven't witnessed in years.
While it's true that a lot of this is driven by the explosive rise of AI, two key things have stood out:
- Innovation in design: Not only are companies thinking outside the box, they're doing so with a thoughtful interplay between hardware and software that makes every product genuinely helpful.
- Figuring out the balance between performance and power efficiency: Apple's M-series MacBooks have dominated this area for a while, but the scales have been balanced with cutting-edge silicon driving the new wave of Copilot+ PCs.
And all of this is being done while consistently iterating alongside breakthrough new standards of home networking, and improving peripherals to help you build that dream setup.
But in that tidal wave of hundreds of new announcements, there are a few that stand head and shoulders above as the definitive best of the best. So without further ado, let's hand out some well-deserved awards.
Best laptop
Best laptop: MacBook Air M3
The MacBook Air 13-inch M3 earns the Tom’s Guide award for best laptop overall thanks to its excellent performance, astounding battery life and ultraportable design. Like its predecessor, the MacBook Air 13-inch M2, this notebook features a 13.6-inch Retina display that’s perfect for work and play. It also has the same flat practical design, comfortable keyboard and MagSafe charging we’ve come to appreciate. At 2.7 pounds, it’s light enough to take wherever you go.
Apple’s ultraportable laptop isn’t exactly cheap with its $1,099 starting price but its far more affordable than any of the company’s M3-powered MacBook Pro notebooks which start at $1,599. Sure, the M2 Air now starts at $999, but the M3 laptop still offers excellent value for what it offers. It’s the most affordable M3 MacBook currently available. Thanks to its value and overall functionality, we think this is the best MacBook for most people.
Best AI laptop
Best AI laptop: HP OmniBook X
“AI laptops” have been all the rage in the computing world for nearly a year. While we’ve yet to see one of these machines make a strong case for why a normal person needs AI for everyday use, the recent crop of Copilot+ PCs does offer a tangible benefit. Namely, astonishing battery life. Of all the Copilot+ PCs we’ve tested so far, none has the endurance of the HP OmniBook X.
If you’re looking for a laptop that can last for an entire workday and still have enough power to stream movies or surf the web, the OmniBook X has you covered. In our lab test, HP’s notebook lasted for an epic 16 hours and 22 minutes — which is nearly an hour longer than any of the M3-powered MacBook Air laptops we reviewed. This machine offers incredible endurance for a Windows laptop, which don’t typically last more than 12 hours (if you’re lucky).
In addition to all-day battery life, the HP OmniBook X offers fast Snapdragon X Elite-fueled performance in a svelte ultraportable chassis. It even has a touch display for good measure. For these reasons, it’s the best AI laptop you can get right now.
Best 2-in-1
Best 2-in-1: Asus Zenbook Duo
Dual-screen laptops are very much a thing now, and we’ve been waiting for a while for one that we would actually use. Not to say others haven’t been fun, but a mix of heinous prices and questionable durability has made these problematic.
Enter the dramatically refreshed Asus ZenBook Duo, and we finally have our first dual-screen option for the masses — packing two gorgeous 14-inch OLED panels for prime multitasking prowess, a sleek, structurally sound build-quality, and impressive value for money at $1,499.
Not only that, but the detachable keyboard and touchpad are second-to-none. In this category, you’re normally getting what is akin to a cheap bluetooth keyboard. But this deck gives you beautifully ergonomic chiclet keys and a snappy-yet-smooth pointer.
There are a couple obstacles in the limited battery life (due to driving two displays), the speakers are a little weak, and this laptop can get hot when put under serious pressure. But these are easy to ignore in the face of a laptop that proves dual-screen machines are no longer a gimmick.
Best gaming laptop
Best gaming laptop: Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)
The “MacBook Pro of gaming laptops” is how we described Asus’ incredible portable PC in our Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) review. That’s a thoroughly deserved compliment, too. As performant as it is pretty, this stunning and svelte system is one of the first OLED gaming laptops to feature G-Sync, which makes playing the best PC games feel considerably smoother.
The RTX 4070-powered model we reviewed proved to be an extremely capable gaming laptop, which when you throw in an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS CPU and 32GB of RAM, is hardly a monocle-dropping shocker. Games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage ran at an average 56 fps at the Zephyrus G14’s native 2.8K resolution (2880 x 1800) and every title we tested on Asus’ laptop looked incredibly vibrant thanks to that sensational OLED 120Hz screen.
Best tablet
Best tablet: iPad Pro M4
The iPad Pro M4 is the premium tablet to beat. Its Ultra Retina XDR OLED is a marvel to behold thanks to the inky blacks and eye-scorching whites it delivers. The tablet is also thinner and lighter than before, which makes it easier to travel with and hold for longer periods. Its M4-fueled performance and long battery life ensure you can run even the most demanding apps for longer.
As good as the iPad Pro currently is, it could become more useful when it receives the Apple Intelligence features the company teased during WWDC. But even if these features aren’t particularly beneficial, you’ll still get a phenomenal tablet that can handle just about anything you can throw at it — and with a gorgeous OLED to boot. The iPad Pro has set a new standard for premium tablets and has more than earned the best tablets award.
Best monitor
Best monitor: LG UltraGear 45GR75DC
The LG UltraGear 45GR75DC takes home our Tom’s Guide award for best monitor this year because this remarkable curved display delivers great value for the money. The 45-inch 32:9 (5,120 x 1,440 pixels) IPS panel is built for gaming, so you can count on getting a solid 200Hz refresh rate with a low 1ms response time. And the 1500R curvature of the panel means it will wrap around you slightly, affording you a bit more immersion when playing games or watching movies.
But this is also one of the best curved monitors for getting work done, since the ultrawide display gives you lots of room for managing projects and comparing things side-by-side. Plus, our lab testing reveals it hits 100% of key color gamuts with good color accuracy. And while it doesn’t support HDR or get quite as bright as LG advertises, we still found it plenty usable for day-to-day work. We also love how easy it is to set up and rotate the display on its adjustable stand, as well as the generous port array and the convenience of having a 90W USB-C power delivery port built in so you can charge your laptop off the monitor. For all these reasons and more, this Editor’s Choice display is our best monitor of the year.
Best webcam
Best webcam: Logitech MX Brio 4K
In our Logitech MX Brio 4K review, we called this Ultra HD snapper "the Michael Jordan of webcams." That’s not a statement to be making lightly when it comes to the GOAT of GOATs. Logitech’s high-end cam will admittedly set you back a pretty penny, with it normally retailing for around $200. Still, you most definitely get what you pay for in the case of the Logitech MX Brio 4K that produces pristine image quality that will make you look your absolute best in that next conference call/job interview.
With robust software and an advanced autofocus that is fantastic for highlighting small details in a room (ideal for a rising streamer who wants to show off an armada of plastic figures in the background of their latest gaming stream), there’s so much to like about this classy 4K cam. The MX Brio is also great in low light conditions, while its dual beamforming mic nails noise reduction.
Best docking station
Best docking station: Plugable TBT4-UD5
Docking stations are a bit of a wild west in terms of capabilities and price. At the $200 range, you’re normally looking at some limitations and compromises — meaning you’ve got to go increase your budget to get the best of everything. That is what makes the Plugable TBT4-UD5 such a world-beater, and an easy choice for this award.
Inside this rather average plastic design is a $199 Thunderbolt 4 dock with every port you could ever want, from SD card compatibility and gigabit ethernet to a ton of USB ports and HDMI sockets. Not only that, but you’re getting full 100W power delivery to power even the hungriest of laptops.
So rather than thinking you need to be spending a minimum of 300 bucks to bring your multi-monitor desk setup together, this brings all of those premium features at a much lower price.
Best router
Best router: Asus RT-BE96U
The Asus RT-BE96U is a powerful Wi-Fi router with a sleek design and eight external antennas. It features the latest wireless tech thanks to the inclusion of Wi-Fi 7 and has a range of 105 feet. Asus also throws in its AiProtection security software free of charge which includes parental controls as well as strong defenses against malware as it’s based on Trend Micro’s antivirus software.
What impressed the most about the Asus RT-BE96U though is its speed. In our real world testing, it reached speeds of almost 2 gigabits per second (1.948 Gbps) over its faster 6 GHz band. When it came to benchmark testing though, the Asus RT-BE96U reached closer to 3 Gbps. The available ports are ideal for multi-gig internet too with one 10 Gbps and a gigabit per second WAN port along with one 10 Gbps and three gigabit LAN ports with two USB 3.0 ports to top it all off. Fast speeds and futureproof wireless tech make the Asus RT-BE96U not only a solid investment but the fastest traditional router we’ve tested this year.
Best mesh router
Best mesh router: Netgear Orbi RBE973
Netgear may not have been the first to market with a Wi-Fi 7-powered mesh kit but it was certainly worth the wait for the Orbi RBE973. Not only does this mesh Wi-Fi system sport an all-new design but it’s the first to reach speeds of over 2 Gbps in our real world tests thanks to its ultra-wide 320 MHz data channels. The black version with chrome trim blends in while the white version with rose gold trim stands out in the best kind of way.
As this is a high-end mesh Wi-Fi system, Netgear has provided all the ports necessary for multi-gig internet a 10 Gbps WAN input along with a 10 Gbps and four 2.5/1 Gbps LAN port on the main unit designated as the router. However, the satellites also come equipped with similar, high-speed ports. The Orbi RBE973 is a refined device capable of delivering the fastest speeds possible while filling an almost 10,000 square foot home with a strong Wi-Fi signal.
Best antivirus
Best antivirus: Bitdefender
When it comes to securing Windows PCs, Macs and mobile devices, Bitdefender antivirus offers excellent protection along with a number of useful extra features and add-ons to secure one’s entire digital life. Its simple but intuitive interface puts all the tools one needs front and center and it’s easy to tell when something is amiss. Bitdefender also provides full 27/7 tech support along with useful self service guides and videos for those who want to troubleshoot things on their own.
When it comes to defending against viruses, Bitdefender’s malware-scanning engine is one of the best with thorough system scans. We were also really impressed by how Bitdefender antivirus learned our test system’s contents over time and subsequent scans were even quick. From a password manager to a VPN and even optional identity theft protection, the company has all of your online bases covered with a light impact on system performance. Bitdefender remains one of the best cybersecurity firms in the business and its wide range of security suites along with its excellent research are the main reasons why.
Best VPN
Best VPN: NordVPN
In addition to being one of the biggest names in the industry, NordVPN is the best VPN you can get today. With over 6,000 servers in more than 110 countries with new ones added recently, you’ll find a speedy server wherever you are. NordVPN also offers its own NordLynx protocol based on WireGuard to deliver excellent security along with even faster speeds.Likewise, its Meshnet feature allows users to link devices anywhere around the world using encrypted NordVPN connections.
NordVPN’s apps are top notch as well and their map-based interface makes it easy to find the country and the server you want. However, NordVPN is more than just a VPN company with malware detection, ad-blocking and other security/privacy-focused features including secure storage with NordLocker and password management through NordPass. This is all backed up by independent audits which confirm the company’s no-logs status. NordVPN has grown tremendously over this year to stand on par with its biggest rivals.
