Laptops

Huawei Matebook X Pro 2020 review: Nothing spectacularly new

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” said Huawei, probably

Published

May 11, 2020

Gab Orlina

Huawei is continuously stretching itself across multiple devices these days. While the company is known mostly for their smartphones and, recently privacy issues, their attempts on creating laptops has also been a success. They manage to consistently cram in a ton of nifty features over the years, that they simply don’t change it every new year.

That rings especially true for the Huawei Matebook X Pro 2020 — same device, with the only difference being the hardware. On the surface, it maintains a lot of the core features last year’s model had. The question is whether or not it’s performance across the board remains consistent with the 2019 model.

Let’s take a deep dive into the Huawei Matebook X Pro 2020:

It has a 13.9-inch FHD IPS touchscreen display

It comes with the 10th generation Intel processor inside

It has two USB Type-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support

It comes only in the Space Gray color

Consistently delivers all-around great performance

The Huawei Matebook X Pro 2020 comes with the latest, 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM. The new-gen processor does what you’d expect in performance delivery, as most applications run smoothly on the device. I’ve also noticed that the new chip improved the device’s battery life just a little bit.

There’s also an NVIDIA MX250 slapped inside this machine to handle beefy graphics work. Data presentation and analytics load quickly, photo and video editing is possible with the device. Render times for videos take a little longer, but that’s also expected from an entry-level graphics card.

You can play games on this device, but don’t expect 60 FPS levels of gaming for it. Casual games like Minecraft and CS:GO will achieve high frame rates, but it’s mostly because these games don’t require a lot of graphic work.

Consistently bright and colorful touchscreen display

The 13.9-inch display maintains its touchscreen capabilities with 450 nits of brightness at the maximum. The 3:2 aspect ratio on a relatively thin bezel works wonders, and provides a ton of space. The screen is that bright even under direct sunlight, that you can still watch Netflix on your lawn.

The touchscreen tracked my fingerprints with ease, and there’s even a gray trail to indicate it. It’s honestly my preferred way of scrolling through social media feeds instead of the trackpad. Of course, you might want to clean your hands first before touching your screen if you want to be super clean about it.

Consistently horrible thermal solution

Of course, with all that hardware and performance you need some way to keep everything cooled down. The thing is, to maximize performance means that your hardware will crank things up and produce more heat. The goal of a device’s thermal setup is to simply find a way for the hot air to flow out to keep things cool, as long as it doesn’t inconvenience you.

Clearly, the Huawei Matebook X Pro 2020 did not take this into consideration. To be fair, this isn’t the only premium ultrabook that heats up uncomfortably when you’re doing too much. For a laptop, I can’t even recommend you to put this on your laptop when you’re working with 50+ tabs of Chrome open.

Consistently strong battery life for an ultrabook

However, despite the bonkers of a thermal solution, the device still lasts long, as advertised. I got about close to 12 hours on a single charge when I’m just strictly working on documents, spreadsheets, and web browsing. A laptop that lasts for half a day doing work, for me feels like a luxury when you think about it.

Add other tasks like Netflix streaming, photo and video editing, and that number comes down to 10 hours. It’s pretty good, especially for a thin and light device like the Matebook X Pro 2020, especially for a 56Wh battery.

One full charge took about two and a half hours, which is pretty standard for the USB-C Thunderbolt 3 port. You can opt to charge it with a capable power bank or a smartphone that comes with an OTG feature. I just pray that your phone won’t explode from the heat.

Features that are either a consistent boom or consistent bust

There were a lot of other things they kept in the device that still prove to be a boom or bust situation. One of these was the pop-up 1MP camera in between the F6 and F7 keys; it’s decent except that it points upward to your nose. At least there’s more space on the display, which is honestly the way I prefer my bezel-less display.

Next would be the keyboard, which has good key travel but it feels like a certain Butterfly switch. The fingerprint sensor, which is placed on the power button, was a nice touch. They managed to make the tracking relatively easy, and it unlocks the device quickly.

Is the Matebook X Pro 2020 your GadgetMatch?

At PhP 119,999, the Huawei Matebook X Pro 2020 provides consistent performance from last year’s model, even with the improved hardware inside. They stayed true to the whole “don’t fix what isn’t broken” schtick, and it continues to pay off in full. It also lasts long for work-related purposes, which is a premium in that regard.

There are the expected downsides to a device like this, with thermals being the most obvious one. But that’s pretty much the trade-off of having your hardware perform at a high level. Despite this, the device is still top-notch and worth the investment.

Laptops

Acer unveils Swift Air 14 and Swift Spin 14 AI with Intel’s latest processors

Thin, light, AI-powered laptops

Published

May 30, 2026

GadgetMatch

Acer has expanded its Swift laptop lineup with the launch of the new Swift Air 14 and Swift Spin 14 AI. The new Windows 11 laptops combine slim designs, dedicated AI hardware, and long battery life for users who want productivity on the go.

Swift Air 14 focuses on portability

Leading the announcement is the new Swift Air 14. Powered by Intel Core Series 3 processors, the laptop delivers up to 40 platform TOPS and up to 17 TOPS from its dedicated NPU for AI workloads. Acer says users can expect up to 19 hours of battery life, with fast charging capable of reaching 50 percent in around 30 minutes.

The Swift Air 14 weighs just 1.25kg and measures as thin as 12.9mm. Its all-aluminum chassis comes in Sage Green, Frost Blue, Blossom Pink, and Lilac Purple. A 180-degree hinge allows the laptop to lie flat when collaborating or sharing content.

For visuals, Acer equips the laptop with a 14-inch WUXGA display featuring a 120Hz refresh rate and 100 percent sRGB color coverage. Quad speakers with DTS:X Ultra complete the entertainment package.

The Swift Air 14 also includes a 1080p IR webcam with a privacy shutter, Windows Hello facial recognition, Acer PurifiedVoice noise cancellation, Intel Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, dual Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, and a USB-A port.

Swift Spin 14 AI adds convertible flexibility

Acer also introduced the Swift Spin 14 AI. The new convertible features a 360-degree hinge that lets users switch between laptop, presentation, display, and tablet modes.

Inside is up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor. The system delivers up to 50 TOPS from its dedicated NPU and up to 100 platform TOPS overall. Acer claims battery life can reach up to 26 hours on a single charge.

The Swift Spin 14 AI features a 14-inch WUXGA IPS touch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It also supports the optional Acer Active Stylus with Wacom AES 2.0 technology. The stylus supports shading and 4,096 pressure levels, making it useful for drawing, note-taking, and document signing.

Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, dual Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, dual USB-A ports, and HDMI 2.1. Security features include a 5MP IR camera, fingerprint reader, human presence detection, and Acer User Sensing technology.

Acer brings AI features to both laptops

Both devices include a dedicated Copilot key for quick access to Microsoft’s AI assistant. Acer also bundles its own AI-powered software suite, including AcerSense and Acer Intelligence Space.

The suite includes tools such as Acer QR Capture, Acer AI Image Generator, and Acer Video Speed Controller. Acer says these features are designed to improve productivity, creativity, and day-to-day usability.

Acer has not yet announced local pricing or availability. The company says details will vary by market.

Laptops

MSI announces new Raider, Crosshair gaming laptops

Redesigned for better power

Published

May 19, 2026

GadgetMatch

MSI has unveiled its latest generation of high-performance gaming laptops, introducing comprehensive updates to the Raider, Crosshair, and Cyborg series.

The updated product lines include redesigns, as well as up to the latest Intel Core Ultra 200HX processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series laptop GPUs.

MSI Raider 16 HX: Flagship power

The premium tier is led by the redesigned MSI Raider 16 HX, which establishes a maximum total power delivery threshold of up to 300W of combined CPU and GPU output via MSI OverBoost technology.

This extreme performance is made possible by a newly designed Cooler Boost Trinity with Intra Flow thermal system. With up to three fans, six heat pipes, and an exclusive five-exhaust vent design, the laptop delivers exceptional cooling performance while keeping noise below 50 dBA.

It has a 16-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS display with up to 240Hz refresh rate and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut.

With two DDR5 memory slots, it can support up to 128GB of RAM, alongside dual M.2 slots for ample storage.

MSI Crosshair 16 HX: Mainstream performance realignment

Meanwhile, the mid-tier MSI Crosshair 16 HX receives a structural redesign that slims down the overall chassis depth while boosting overall thermal ceiling performance by 30W over the prior model.

It comes with a similar Cooler Boost thermal solution and quad-vent exhaust, while delivering up to 200W total system power.

Gamers can fully tap into that performance with a QHD+ 240Hz display. Connectivity gets an upgrade too, as the new I/O layout features three USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, and repositioned HDMI and RJ-45 LAN ports.

The look is completed by the iconic RGB Crosshair aesthetic, with a more dynamic RGB backlit keyboard.

MSI Cyborg 15 Max: Major upgrades in performance, display

Lastly, the newly redesigned MSI Cyborg 15 series arrives with major upgrades. Particularly, the entry-level Cyborg 15 Max marks a substantial performance update for the budget tier.

It now has up to a 140W total system power, thanks to an Intel Core 200H processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 GPU. This sets a new benchmark in the entry-level gaming segment.

The performance is likewise powered by a Cooler Boost thermal system. Overall, the Cyborg 15 Max achieves an impressive 122% increase in TGP.

The entire series is equipped with an FHD 144Hz display with 100% sRGB color gamut. Even connectivity is upgraded, with three USB-A ports and one USB-C port.