Tag:

replaced

Haven’t replaced your laptop in a few years? Here’s how to know if it’s college-ready or time for an upgrade

by admin September 4, 2025

Everyone eyes up shiny next-gen laptops in ads and store windows sometimes and thinks about how nice it would be to have a new device – but do you really need one?

As a champion of reducing e-waste, I’d typically say no, your existing laptop is probably fine. Unless you’re using a clunker from 2016, there’s often no need to upgrade your laptop until it starts to get real sluggish at basic things like web browsing.

That said, there are some pivotal moments when upgrading your laptop is worth considering – and one of those is when you head off to college or university. After all, higher education now practically demands that you have your own computer, and who’s taking a full-size desktop with them to college?

1. Raw power: what can it do?

Let’s start by considering processing power – but before I even get into that, I have an important caveat to make, which might even save you from needing to read the rest of this article (you’re welcome).

Here it is: if your laptop is more than five years old, it’s definitely time to upgrade. Sure, five years isn’t that old, and a well-looked-after laptop could still be running fine after that much time. But remember, by the time your studies are complete it’ll be eight, nine, or even 10 years old, depending on how many years your course lasts. Software changes too much in that amount of time for you to still expect reasonable performance, even if the laptop itself is still in good condition.

Anyway, let’s talk performance. How much processing power does the best student laptop need? Well, that answer depends on what you’re going to be using it for.

Some college-level courses, such as literature or business studies, will only require you to do simple tasks on your laptop – like writing assignments or online research. If that’s the case, you don’t need a ton of computational oomph.

For courses like this, you’ll probably get away without upgrading your existing laptop if it’s only a few years old already. As a general rule of thumb for the CPU, I’d recommend an Intel Core i3 (or Ultra 3), AMD Ryzen 3, or Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus as the minimum for a Windows laptop, along with at least 8GB of RAM – though 16GB is preferable.

If you prefer the best MacBooks instead, I’d say upgrading is mandatory if yours is an older Intel model; anything from the M2 chip onwards is ideal.

Getting a high-end gaming laptop for college is often overkill, but some majors will be able to take advantage of the greater processing power. (Image credit: Nvidia)

Some majors, however, will see you doing more intensive tasks on your laptop. The list is long: photo and video editing, 2D and 3D art, game design, animation, music production… lots of creative disciplines will usually require the use of more demanding software, such as Adobe’s Creative Cloud or Blender.

The same goes for many technical courses; most STEM majors will find themselves using tools like MATLAB, which will run better on more powerful hardware.

For this, it becomes more of a question of budget, since the sky is arguably the limit. If cash is no concern, something like a high-end MacBook Pro with an M3 or M4 chip is a good choice. If you prefer Windows, look for laptops with an Intel Core i7 (or Ultra 7), AMD Ryzen 7, or Snapdragon X Elite processor, with at least 16GB of RAM. You may even want a laptop with a dedicated GPU (ideally from Nvidia).

In other words, if you’re studying a subject that will require a more powerful laptop, it’s more likely that you’ll need to upgrade.

You might be lucky if you’re a PC gamer, though. If you already own a gaming laptop with a discrete GPU, preferably an Nvidia RTX 3000-series or newer, then you should be fine to use that as your primary system for college – just consider whether you’ll need to take it to classes regularly, since gaming laptops are rarely renowned for their portability and battery life.

2. Battery life: how long can it last?

On that topic, next up is battery life. Our own research into consumer needs here at TechRadar has indicated that battery quality is one of the single most important factors people think about when it comes to deciding on a laptop, and I’m inclined to agree; any laptop that can’t make it through a full eight-hour day of work or studying isn’t worth its salt (unless it’s very cheap).

With that in mind, there are ways to test out your own laptop’s battery life to figure out whether it’s up to scratch for college.

You can actually do one of our in-house battery tests yourself for free: just download VLC Media Player and the Blender short film Big Buck Bunny, then set brightness to 50% (volume off) and set the video to loop. Start with a full charge and simply time how long it takes the battery to run out.

I have watched this video far too many times.

Bear in mind that we use this test for consistency’s sake, and it isn’t necessarily indicative of how long a laptop will last in every real-world scenario. If you’re running intensive software (like playing games, for example), you can expect your remaining charge to drain faster.

You should already have a feel for whether the battery life on your laptop is good enough, though; if you struggle to use it for a few hours without hunting for a power outlet, it might be time for a new laptop.

If you decide to upgrade, check out reviews and rankings – like our very own best laptops list – to read up on the battery life and charging speed of any laptop you’re considering.

3: Portability: how light is it?

Most students want to take their laptops on the go frequently, so portability is another major concern here.

When I went to university more than a decade ago, I took my chunky two-year-old HP Pavilion 16, which was a big darned mistake. Granted, laptops in general weren’t as svelte back then, but I still wish I’d had something a bit more portable; lugging that thing to classes was a pain in the, uh, shoulders.

There are plenty of modern laptops that pass the portability test, though. Look for laptops with a display size of 15 inches or less, with a total weight of less than 2kg.

If you want something ultra-portable, you might even want to consider one of the best student Chromebooks, which are not just smaller and lighter but also cheaper than many MacBooks and Windows laptops – just remember that Chromebooks are only well-suited for basic tasks like word processing and internet research.

Chromebooks can be a viable (and affordable) option for college, but be certain you’ll only need to do basic tasks on your laptop of choice before buying one. (Image credit: Shutterstock)

4. Display: how sharp is it?

The last thing I’ll briefly talk about here is screen quality.

If you’re studying any visual media course such as photography or graphic design, you’ll want to make sure your laptop has a good display. That means a minimum resolution of 1080p (but higher is better) and decent color reproduction; look for a ‘color gamut’ of at least 100% sRGB or 95% DCI-P3, ideally Pantone-validated.

And that’s it! Hopefully, you now have the information you need to make an informed purchase – or not, if you already have a laptop that’s only a couple of years old.

Ultimately, only you can decide whether you really need to upgrade, but here’s my advice: if you think your laptop is pretty decent and nothing in this article has set off alarm bells in your head, stick with it. We could all stand to make our tech last a little longer.

You might also like…

Source link

September 4, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

I’ve used the Bosch ErgoMaster Series 6 for two weeks, and it’s already replaced my blender, food processor, and whisk

by admin August 31, 2025

Why you can trust TechRadar

We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Bosch ErgoMaster Series 6: one-minute review

The Bosch ErgoMaster Series 6 (sometimes known as the Serie 6) is an ergonomically designed stick blender, particularly well suited for users with limited hand mobility as a result of its curved body that sits comfortably in the hand, and trigger-style control.

The ErgoMaster has a 1,000W motor, and comes with a blending foot, a mini-chopper with two blades (one for general use, one for ice), a balloon whisk, and a 600ml mixing vessel. Attaching and removing accessories is easy, requiring no awkward twisting motions, and many of the components are dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.

During my tests, the main blender foot produced silky-smooth sauce and soup in just a couple of minutes, while the mini-chopper attachment processed herbs, onions, garlic, cheese, and nuts quickly and evenly. The ErgoMaster’s instruction manual offers advice on quantities, how to prepare ingredients, and the length of time for which you should blend.

The balloon whisk worked especially well, whipping egg whites to stiff peaks even faster than my hand mixer (ideal for meringue and light sponge cakes).

Image 1 of 2

You can use the trigger control with your whole hand, which is much more comfortable than holding a small button with one finger(Image credit: Future)The blender has a premium construction with a stainless steel body(Image credit: Future)

The only attachment that didn’t meet my expectations was the mini-chopper’s ice blade, which took a lot longer than anticipated, and produced ice that was quite unevenly crushed.

The ErgoMaster has a premium build, sporting a stainless steel body and soft-touch handle for comfort, but I found that the metal heated up noticeably when I’d been using the blender for several minutes (when blending soup and sauces, for example). Fortunately, the grip itself never became hot, but it did take the appliance some time to cool down after use.

Overall, the ErgoMaster Series 6 is a super-versatile multifunction blender that’s particularly beneficial for those with hand mobility issues, although if you want to process ice regularly, you’d benefit from picking up a personal smoothie-maker as well.

Bosch ErgoMaster Series 6: price and availability

List price £99.99 (about $140 / AU$210)
Often available for less during sales events
Not widely sold outside Europe

The Bosch ErgoMaster Series 6 stick blender was released in 2023, and has a list price of £99.99 (about $140 / AU$210), although it’s often available for a discount, particularly during sales events such as Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday.

It’s available direct from Bosch, and from third-party retailers such as John Lewis and Amazon. You’ll find today’s best prices below. Note that the ErgoMaster Series 6 isn’t sold widely outside Europe.

Its price is pretty much standard for a high-end hand blender, and similar to the Ninja 2-in-1 Immersion Hand Blender and Mixer, for example. If you want something a little less expensive, the ErgoMaster Series 4 sports a plastic body rather than stainless steel, and is priced at £84.99 (about $110 / AU$180).

Today’s best Bosch Series 6 ErgoMaster deals

Bosch ErgoMaster Series 6: design

Comfortable to hold and easy to operate
Particularly good for people with restricted mobility or hand strength
Includes well-made mini-chopper and balloon whisk attachments

The Bosch ErgoMaster Series 6 is a solidly made stick blender that, as the name implies, is particularly comfortable to hold and use. The body of the blender, containing the motor, has a curved shape that sits better in the hand than a straight-sided cylinder, and rather than a button, the blender is activated by gently squeezing a large trigger-style control.

It’s a thoughtful design, and would be particularly good for anyone who doesn’t have full strength in their fingers, since the trigger doesn’t require much pressure and its operated using your whole hand, rather than just a single digit. The more firmly you hold the trigger, the faster the blender will mix.

The blender’s body is stainless steel, while the hand grip is made from a soft-touch plastic. The trigger button is ridged to prevent slipping.

The mini-chopper attachment is great for preparing onions and garlic (Image credit: Future)

The ErgoMaster Series 6 comes with a set of attachments for different ingredients: the standard blender for soups and sauces; a mini-chopper with two blades (one for ingredients such as cheese, nuts, and vegetables, and one for ice), and a whisk. To remove an attachment, hold down two large buttons on the handle (one on either side) and pull gently. To attach one, simply push it gently into place. There’s no need for awkward twisting movements that you might find uncomfortable if you have limited mobility in your hands.

You also get a tall mixing vessel with a capacity of two and a half cups, or 600ml, which is useful for blending or whisking wet ingredients such as cream or eggs. It’s a useful addition, and its shape makes it possible to whisk relatively small quantities that might be tricky to whip in a bowl without spillage.

The only downside is that this vessel isn’t totally cylindrical, which means it can be difficult to remove thick ingredients with a spatula. Ingredients tend to become stuck on the flat sides where the volume measurements are embossed. The tall vessel also has no pouring spout.

The balloon whisk attachment is excellent, although it can be tricky to scrape all your cream or meringue out of the mixing vessel when you’re done (Image credit: Future)

Not all of the blender’s components are dishwasher-safe, but the metal blending attachment, the whisk, the large vessel, the bowl of the mini-chopper, and the chopper’s two blades all are, which makes maintenance easy.

The blender is accompanied by a manual with diagrams explaining how to prepare different ingredients, and how long it will take to blend or chop a particular quantity. For example, a smoothie made using a 40:60 ratio of fruit to liquid should take 60-90 seconds to blend at full power in the tall mixing vessel.

Bosch ErgoMaster Series 6: performance

I started testing by preparing some ingredients for a pizza sauce (you can find the sauce recipe on Good Food) using the mini-chopper attachment and the cutting blade, and following the preparation instructions in the manual.

Herbs don’t need any special preparation, so I added my basil to the bowl and gave it a few pulses of around one second each. After around six pulses, the leaves were chopped into small, even fragments ideal for cooking (the manual suggests it could take up to 10 pulses).

Image 1 of 4

Fresh herbs were quickly and evenly chopped(Image credit: Future)Fresh herbs were quickly and evenly chopped(Image credit: Future)Herbs like basil don’t require any special preparation before chopping(Image credit: Future)Herbs like basil don’t require any special preparation before chopping(Image credit: Future)

The chopper also worked very well for preparing onion (roughly chopped into wedges first) and garlic (peeled, but added whole). I was impressed by how evenly and quickly the ErgoMaster prepared all of these ingredients. If you have a condition such as arthritis, for example, you might find fine knifework difficult and usually opt for pre-chopped ingredients. With this blender, you’ll be able to buy cheaper whole produce and prepare it easily yourself.

Once my pizza sauce had cooked down, I used the main blender foot to whizz it all to a smooth consistency. Exactly how long this takes will depend on the quantity and consistency of the ingredients, and the desired texture. I wanted my sauce as smooth as possible, and found that blending took about three minutes.

Image 1 of 3

Blending a large batch of pizza sauce to a smooth texture took about three minutes(Image credit: Future)Blending a large batch of pizza sauce to a smooth texture took about three minutes(Image credit: Future)Blending a large batch of pizza sauce to a smooth texture took about three minutes(Image credit: Future)

It wasn’t much faster than using my jug blender (which would be my usual choice; it too has a 1,000W motor, the same as the ErgoMaster), but then you don’t have to pour hot liquids, and there’s much less washing up afterwards. The only requirements are that you take the pan off the heat and ensure the end of the blending foot is submerged before you start the motor – and don’t immerse it beyond the “maximum” level.

I was surprised by just how quiet the blender foot was in use. It registered under 40dB, which is around the same as the hum of my fridge. It was louder when mixing harder ingredients, but still far less noisy than a jug blender.

I also used the ErgoMaster to prepare a roasted red pepper and sweet potato soup (the soup recipe is also from Good Food). Although the ingredients were tougher, the overall volume was lower, and the blending process took about the same time.

Image 1 of 2

The blender also made light work of a roasted vegetable soup(Image credit: Future)The blender also made light work of a roasted vegetable soup(Image credit: Future)

While blending the soup and sauce, I noticed that the body of the blender was heating up. The handle itself never became hot, but the metal part below was distinctly warm after the motor had been running for a few minutes, and it took quite a long time to cool back down afterwards.

The mini-chopper made light work of cheese, breaking it down into crumbs ideal for melting. It’s necessary to cut it into 1cm cubes first, but this is certainly easier on the hands than using a box grater, particularly for hard cheese such as parmesan. I used 100g of mature cheddar, and it was finely chopped in 20 seconds.

Our standard battery of blender tests here at TechRadar also includes nuts. I used 150g of shelled, toasted hazelnuts, which I was preparing to use in dukkah. The smaller the nuts, the longer you need to pulse the blender, and it took the maximum recommended 30 seconds to break them down; but there was none of the dust that’s usually created when I chop nuts using my Kenwood food processor. Another win for the ErgoMaster.

Image 1 of 2

It’s necessary to cut cheese into 1cm cubes before chopping(Image credit: Future)It’s necessary to cut cheese into 1cm cubes before chopping(Image credit: Future)

The only ingredient that the ErgoMaster really struggled with was ice. As per the instruction manual, I used the chopper’s ice attachment with 100g of ice, and pulsed for five seconds. When I released the trigger, the ice was barely touched. Chopping it to a usable texture took closer to a minute, and even then it was rather rough. If you want to chop ice regularly (particularly in large volumes), you’d be better served by a smoothie maker.

By contrast, the whisk attachment is superb, and performed even better than my Dualit hand mixer. I used the tall mixing vessel with the whisk, and it whipped two eggs to stiff peaks in 30 seconds. I used these to make a half-quantity of meringue (see the Lightest Ever Meringues recipe on Good Food) and they were ready to be baked within two minutes.

Image 1 of 2

Chopping ice took a lot longer than suggested in the manual, and the results were uneven(Image credit: Future)Chopping ice took a lot longer than suggested in the manual, and the results were uneven(Image credit: Future)

Overall, the Bosch ErgoMaster Series 6 is a great stick blender, particularly for those with mobility issues in their hands, and an excellent chopper and whisk. It’s a piece of cake to use, and could happily replace several small appliances in the typical kitchen. Just avoid ice, and you won’t be disappointed.

Should you buy the Bosch ErgoMaster Series 6 ?

Swipe to scroll horizontallyBosch Serie 6 ErgoMaster score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

A premium blender with a price tag to match, but can often be found discounted. Not widely available outside Europe, though.

4.5/5

Design

Ergonomic, with comfortable grip and trigger operation. Excellent accessories, most of which are dishwasher-safe.

5/5

Performance

Purees, whisks, and chops almost all ingredients effortlessly. Just don’t bother with ice.

4.5/5

Buy it if

Don’t buy it if

How I tested the Bosch Serie 6 ErgoMaster

I used the Bosch ErgoMaster Series 6 in my kitchen for two weeks, during which time I prepared a selection of my favorite recipes that I’d normally prep using a jug blender to compare the results for speed, texture, and noise.

As with all our stick and jug blender reviews, I also tested the ErgoMaster’s performance with onions, cheese, nuts, and ice to see how quickly and evenly it could process these common ingredients. For more details, see how TechRadar tests, rates, and reviews products.

First reviewed August 2025.

Bosch Series 6 ErgoMaster Pressure Controlled 3-in-1 Hand Blender: Price Comparison

Source link

August 31, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Gorgeous Cybernoir Thriller Replaced Finally Has A New Release Date

by admin August 26, 2025

Replaced has been turning heads since it was first revealed back at E3 2021 (RIP), but actually completing the game has taken longer than anyone thought it would, including its developers at Sad Cat Studios. At long last, there’s good news, though: the team recently confirmed the gorgeous pixel art action game will arrive sometime next spring.

That early 2026 timeframe will be a bummer to those secretly hoping Replaced might still sneak out onto PC and Xbox before the end of the year, but it’s better than nothing for fans who have been waiting years to finally see the cinematic cyberpunk platformer in action for themselves. After missing its original 2022 launch window, the day-and-date Game Pass game has been subject to continuous delays. A 2024 launch slipped into 2025, which has now slipped into 2026. What makes this time any different?

“This is the first time I’m addressing this personally and that’s because I can finally say it with confidence,” game director Yura Zhdanovich revealed in a new developer update. “Replaced will be released in spring of 2026. We will need just a little more time to get it polished. And to be more precise, our final trailer for the game with the exact release date will be shown later this year.”

Zhdanovich seems to be teasing a final date getting announced at The Game Awards 2025. Until then, Replaced has looked surprisingly good during its recent showing at Gamescom. Much like Silksong, its repeated delays seem to have less to do with development woes (minus having to relocate because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine) than the fact that Sad Cat Studios had just been severely underestimating how much time it would take to get Replaced right.

Replaced is more than just eye-candy

Sporting a Batman: Arkham-like, combo-based combat system and tons of vibrant, detailed pixel art backgrounds, Replaced is exactly the kind of “hand-crafted” indie project that deserves as much production time as it can get. Add in the cinematic mood and ambiance of puzzle-platform games like Inside and Planet of Lana, and you have the recipe for something very special if Sad Cat Studios can pull it off. The latest demo of the game looks as promising as ever.

“We have done more than 600 clips of animation, which effectively translates to several thousands of hand painted frames of those animations blended together with beautiful VFX, amplifying the mix between retro and modern visuals,” Zhdanovich said. No AI-generated slop in sight. You love to see it.

Source link

August 26, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Pixel-art cyberpunk platformer Replaced delayed again, this time until spring 2026

by admin August 25, 2025

The long-awaited cyberpunk platformer Replaced has been delayed once again. Now it’s not coming out until next spring. Developer Sad Cat Studio apologized for the delay and said that this is simply “what’s right for the project” and that the team remains dedicated to creating a “truly special experience.”

This isn’t the first time the game has suffered a delay. It was originally announced back in 2021, with a pending release date of 2022. That didn’t happen. In 2024, the company announced a release date of 2025. As today’s news indicates, that also isn’t going to happen.

Why all of the delays? The company wants a polished finished product, sure, but the real world intervened on its original release plans. The company was based in Belarus before relocating after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This was the primary factor behind those earlier delays.

For the uninitiated, Replaced is a nifty-looking sidescrolling platformer that takes inspiration from old-school games like Out of this World (also called Another World) and Flashback. It looks soaked in cyberpunk vibes. Assuming there are no more delays, it’ll come out next year for PC and Xbox Series X/S. The trailers have gotten us amped for this one.

Source link

August 25, 2025 0 comments