The Best of CES 2023

Aug 20, 2023

CES is back! After an all-digital event in 2021 and a tepid in-person show last year, CES finally felt back to normal in 2023. Sure, there were still plenty of face masks and other COVID-19 precautions to remind you that we're not actually back to normal quite yet, but the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center and beyond were once again filled with vendors, showgoers, and curious (or lost?) gamblers. As usual, PCMag was there to check out the latest in tech for the year ahead, and we weren’t disappointed.

Now in its 56th year, CES still managed to bring plenty of innovation to the table. We took scores of meetings and scoured Las Vegas to track down the absolute best products at the show. We marveled at everything from sleek new laptops and completely wireless TVs, to a computerized makeup applicator and a bike desk that can charge your laptop as you pedal.

Of course, we can’t guarantee that everything we saw will make it to market in 2023—or ever, for that matter—but seeing what does is part of the fun. Putting the finished product to the test is the final step in the process.

So without further ado, these are the best products, prototypes, and technologies we found at CES this year. Here’s hoping we’ll see many of them again in PC Labs soon.

Dragonfly laptops and tablets from HP have traditionally been intended for offices, but the Windows-based HP Dragonfly Pro is designed for the freelance and work-from-home set. With powerful hardware, custom keys for macro functions, and dedicated live support from a team of HP experts, this thin-and-light productivity machine appears to be a worthy competitor to the likes of the Apple MacBook Air and Dell’s XPS laptops.—Joe Osborne

LG is no stranger to crashing through expectations around laptop weight at a given screen size. (Its LG Gram 17, at just under 3 pounds for a 17-inch laptop, is eternally mind-blowing.) At 2.2 pounds, the 2023 LG Gram Ultraslim makes even a MacBook Air feel a bit portly. Even more impressive is that it's a 15.6-inch laptop; a 13-inch MacBook Air is small-screen model by comparison. Plus, the chassis feels rigid and looks great. It's a superbly mobile notebook that feels like a paper notebook in your hand.—John A. Burek

Laptop makers were loading up the 16- and 18-inch gaming models at CES 2023, but the Alienware x16 drew our eye the most. Its unique RGB touchpad is an objectively eye-catching inclusion, so maybe that’s cheating, but we rate it highly nonetheless because care was clearly put into this brand-new design. An all-silver chassis includes superior rear ring lighting, a bottom panel with better airflow, advanced internal thermals, and the latest 13th Gen CPUs and RTX 40 Series GPUs from Intel and Nvidia. It’s a premium product, but this slim powerhouse is one to watch.—Matthew Buzzi

This year, we’re giving our budget laptop award to a gaming machine–especially because lower-cost gaming laptops have been thin on the ground. In a world of increasingly expensive gaming machines, we’re happy to see a true budget model when one comes our way. It's even better when it comes in an appealing physical package, as is the case with the Dell G15. Starting at just $849, the G15 comes in an array of fun color combinations, with a build that looks and feels better than most in this price range. It’s a bit heavy, but it offers the latest generation of entry-level CPU and GPU options from Intel and Nvidia for as much performance for the price as possible. There are also plenty of configuration options, and a more midrange G16 model if that better fits your budget. We can’t wait to see what this affordable gamer can do when units become available for testing.—MB

Lenovo's always had a big presence in the business world, but the Lenovo ThinkBook 16P Gen 4 offers both solid business specs and a new modular system for adding specific features, like a 4K camera, a light for better-looking video calls, and 4G LTE. The real trick is Magic Bay, which pairs these snap-on accessories with the laptop lid using a magnetic mount and pogo pin connection. It's a brilliant way to add niche features to a business laptop, transforming Voltron-style into exactly what you need to do your work. But that quirky innovation is paired with a well-made work machine, boasting the latest Intel 13th-Gen processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX laptop graphics. It was already a business laptop contender, but the ability to mix and match premium features puts it over the top.—Brian Westover

The Asus ProArt Studiobook 16 looks like a top-notch, super-powerful laptop for professional creators and designers before you even get to its marquee feature. It's built for power, with the top-end Intel 13th Gen CPUs and Nvidia RTX 40 Series GPUs, but the standout selling point is the 3D screen. Called Spatial Vision, this OLED display is a glasses-free 3D solution, and we can confirm that it’s quite effective in person. 3D models and 3D video pop out of the screen, which can be useful (or just plain cool) for a range of professional uses, and it’s compatible with a wide array of popular software. Even without the 3D, the 3.2K OLED screen, high-end power, and physical dial input tool look like a creator’s dream.—MB

The Asus Chromebook Vibe CX34 grabbed our attention thanks to a killer design and great feature set. The recent move to support cloud gaming has delivered some of the best Chromebooks ever made, combining the lightweight ChromeOS with excellent hardware. The resulting performance boost is paired with new game-friendly features like high refresh rate displays, anti-ghosting keyboards, and top-tier Wi-Fi 6E connectivity. But the Asus Chromebook Vibe CX34 distills those gaming features into a smaller, more portable package, with a 14-inch 2-in-1 design that includes extras like a touch screen and garaged stylus for productivity and creative work. The combination makes for one of the most capable Chromebooks we've seen.—BW

The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i isn't the first dual-screen laptop or the first 2-in-1 with OLED, but its pairing of two 13.3-inch OLED displays still manages to be one of the best we've seen. The displays are gorgeous in and of themselves, but it's the combination of smart accessories and thoughtful software that elevate this above a mere proof-of-concept. The Yoga Book 9i will come kitted out with a folding stand that lets you use the dual screens as either side-by-side or stacked top and bottom displays, giving you a desktop-like dual-monitor experience on the go. An included pen makes taking notes and annotating files a cinch, whether you're using it as a laptop or a tablet, and a magnetic Bluetooth keyboard can snap on for a tactile laptop experience or pulled free for a flexible desktop setup. Gestures let you make the most of the dual displays, and features like an on-screen edge-to-edge touchpad in laptop mode or a one-touch virtual keyboard bring true versatility that makes the dual-display design more than just a gimmick.—BW

When it comes to all-in-one PCs, it's rare to see a design that successfully combines form and function. But the Lenovo Yoga AIO 9i ditches clunky designs and packs its svelte chassis and stand full of excellent features, like 13th-Gen Intel Core CPUs, a discrete Nvidia GeForce RTX 40-series laptop GPU, Qi wireless charging, a healthy collection of ports, and a spacious 32-inch 4K display that looks almost weightless thanks to a stand design inspired by modern architecture. It's style with substance, and we've fallen for the sleek, modernist look.—BW

Lenovo took a major turn with this big, classic gaming tower. A 34-liter (L) desktop behemoth, the Legion Tower 7i comes imbued with everything from customizable RGB lighting (seen through a beautiful tempered-glass side panel) to top-of-the-line hardware. Equipped with the latest 13th-Gen Intel Core processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX desktop graphics, the Legion Tower 7i is made to deliver superb frame rates, low latency, and incredibly realistic ray tracing. Joining the new processing and graphics hardware is up to 64GB of 5,600MHz DDR5 RAM, up to 6TB of SSD storage (thanks to a trio of SSD slots), and a 1,200-watt power supply to keep it all humming right along. Cooling gets a makeover, too, with a larger VRM heat sink, as many as six nearly silent ARGB fans, and a front bezel that uses an airflow-amplifying 3D pattern for optimal cooling. If that's not enough, an optional liquid cooling system can take your Legion desktop to the next level. Expect it in April, starting at $2,479.99.—JAB

Why waste your time with New Year's resolutions when you can get lost in the soaring high resolution of the newest Dell Ultrasharp 32 6K display? With a superfine 6,144-by-3,456-pixel resolution atop Dell’s IPS Black panel, the monitor offers true-to-life color with outstanding clarity and detail for digital content creators and design professionals. While improving image quality, it also refines many of the features introduced in last year’s 4K model, including an updated, intelligent 4K webcam that uses a new dual-gain HDR CMOS sensor and a multi-element lens to deliver the clearest image possible, along with plenty of additional features like a pop-out USB hub and a built-in KVM that make it a productivity powerhouse.—Zackery Cuevas

Frame rate, response time, resolution, screen size...finding the right balance of each is every gamer's dream. We saw plenty of impressive displays at CES that are sure to deliver, but one in particular caught our eye. The Acer Predator X45 is a 45-inch 21:9 QHD+ 800R curved display with a 240Hz refresh rate, making it the perfect choice for both casual and esports play. AMD FreeSync Premium, a USB-C hub, and a KVM switch complete an overall package that should excite gamers in the market for a new screen when it arrives later this year.—ZC

We saw a couple of PCI Express 5.0 consumer SSDs at CES 2023 (and we suspect we missed a few), but we have to give props to Aorus' effort in the Aorus 10000. PCI Express 5.0 SSDs will run hot, and the snap-on thermal solution should help keep matters in check. (A rival MSI solution even employs a vapor chamber design in its heat spreader.) With projected five-figure read and write rates (up to 12,000MB per second for reads, 10,000 for writes), though, one hopes that for most ordinary transfers, they'll be over quicker than it takes for your drive to heat up much. With 5.0 support now on both Intel and Nvidia mainstream desktop platforms, look out, multi-gigabyte file transfers, your time is short.—JAB

Cache is an essential part of any processor. Without it, CPUs would slow to a crawl, and adding more cache, in most cases, helps boost performance. Adding more cache quickly drives up costs as chips become larger, but AMD overcomes this challenge with its innovative 3D V-Cache technology. This essentially places a second chip full of cache on top of its processors, and that's over 100MB of cache in the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, which ships with 128MB of L3. The performance gained from this extra cache will likely vary greatly between applications, but most should benefit at least some from its inclusion. Unlike AMD’s last attempt at using 3D V-Cache, the company achieved this without reducing the clock speed of the chip or by disabling overclocking. When it launches, this could very well be AMD’s fastest desktop processor ever released.—Michael Justin Allen Sexton

The newest entry in Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 40-Series of graphics cards is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti. We just reviewed one of these cards and found it to offer strong performance in a wide range of games, particularly ones that utilize ray-tracing. Of course, pricing is key. Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4070 Ti was introduced with an MSRP of $799.99, but it can be found at a wide range of prices from Nvidia’s board partners. At $799.99, this is the most affordable next-gen graphics card we’ve seen from either AMD or Nvidia so far, and it offers fine value at that price. Just don’t buy one of the models that’s much pricier, as those quickly lose ground to AMD’s Radeon RX 7900 XT.—MJAS

It's hard to appreciate the Azoth fully until you actually type on it and hold it in hand. This compact (75 percent) keyboard is Asus' first major sop to the DIY keyboard crowd, and quality and customizability exude from every inch. The key switches themselves are stabilized for absolutely rock-solid vertical travel, without wobble on their stems, and the frame and chassis themselves have serious, dense heft. A customizable mini OLED panel in the upper right lets you display a panoply of information or GIF-style animations. And a starter toolkit for keyboard tweakers is included, including a puller tool for the hot-swappable switches. Rattle-dampening layers inside the body and pre-lubricated key switches set this above most off-the-shelf boards from mainstream makers, and push it into the realm of the serious keyboard geek. Expect it to cost around $250.—JAB

It’s not technically a mouse (it’s a screen stylus), and you can’t add it to or use it with just any laptop (only a couple of specific MSI models), but we have to give props to the MSI Pen 2(Opens in a new window), which combines a genuine graphite pencil with a screen stylus. In our demo, we were able to scribble on an adjoining notepad with the true-pencil tip, then use the same tip to interact with a laptop screen without changing pens or retracting the tip. (MSI says the “lead” is a combination of graphite and palm that won’t damage the screen surface.) It doesn’t digitize your notes from a notepad, like the Rocketbook and other such solutions, but it’s a cool breakthrough that we hope to see beyond just a few machines.—JAB

Motorola turned out one of its most interesting handsets in years with the Lenovo ThinkPhone. This business-focused smartphone pairs well with Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon thanks to its carbon fiber exterior and toughened internals. It meets IP68 for protection from dust and water as well as MIL-STD 810H for protection from drops, bumps, temperature extremes, and more. Beyond its rugged build, the phone features solid specs including a large, fast display, a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor with plenty of RAM and storage, and a trio of capable cameras. Moreover, Motorola plans to support it with multiple OS and security upgrades, and includes a bevy of tools to allow ThinkPad and ThinkPhone owners to get the most out of their paired devices.—Eric Zeman

HTC’s newest VR headset, the Vive XR Elite, offers a unique modular design that lets it work as a battery-powered, standalone device or a USB-C-tethered display that weighs just over half a pound. On its own, it looks to undercut the pricier Meta Quest Pro with its color pass-through camera, and while it doesn’t have built-in eye or face tracking, a series of optional accessories will let you add those features at your leisure. HTC’s pointed promise to not collect user information through the headset, its Viveport store, or its Viveverse metaverse platform should particularly appeal to users concerned about Meta’s spotted history with personal data.—Will Greenwald

Known for a host of health devices, Withings is launching a new connected health product for your bathroom. The Withings U-Scan(Opens in a new window) device resides in your toilet and tests your urine without requiring you to capture a sample or use messy strips. The company initially plans to introduce two consumer health cartridges for the device to help you monitor your metabolism and menstrual cycle. Withings describes the product as a "miniaturized health lab that will change the way people monitor their health from the comfort and privacy of their own bathroom."—Angela Moscaritolo

LG's upcoming MoodUp refrigerator is lit, literally. This flashy fridge features color-changing LED door panels you can customize whenever you like via LG's ThinQ mobile app. Change it up to match your home decor, the season, or your favorite sports team's colors – LG says it supports 1,800 different color combinations, and even features a built-in Bluetooth speaker for kitchen discos. There's no word yet on pricing, but the MoodUp is slated to launch later this quarter or early Q2.—AM

There were a lot of great TVs at CES, but the LG Signature OLED M3 does something none of the others can do by taming the snarl of cables that come with using multiple AV components. Whether you want to add a Blu-ray player, a gaming console, or a set-top box, the M3 allows you to do so without wires. Using the LG Zero Connect box and a new transmission standard, the TV can receive 4K video at 120Hz and advanced audio formats up to 30 feet away from your entertainment gear, giving you the cleanest TV setup ever. The only cable the TV needs is for power.—BW

JBL is among the first to bring some smarts to the charging case of its true wireless earphones. The Tour Pro 2(Opens in a new window) charging case features a 1.45-inch LED touchscreen that can not only display details such as battery life but also select active noise cancellation (ANC) settings, manage music, and receive call, message, and social media notifications without requiring the user to dig their phone out of the pocket. The headphones themselves boast a six-mic design for improved (ANC), an ear canal test to customize the ANC profile, and up to 40 hours of playback (with ANC off). A 15-minute charge delivers four hours of battery life. The earphones sport an oval ear tip design and multiple sets so users find the best seal, and they support Bluetooth 5.3 Low Energy.—EZ

The Lumix S5 II is a watershed camera for Panasonic. It marks the first time the company has stepped away from its in-house DFD Contrast autofocus system, an acknowledgment that industry-standard phase detection focus is the way to go with consumer cameras. We’ve got high hopes, as not-so-great burst rates were our big gripe about the original S5, and the S5 II outpaces it by leaps and bounds with a 30fps electronic shutter. As for specs, the S5 II sports a 24MP full-frame sensor with support for 6K video, and takes L-mount lenses. For around $2,000, it looks to be an even better value as a starter camera than the original.—Jim Fisher

Not everyone can easily use a gamepad, and accommodations for gamers with physical difficulties are always heartening to see. Sony’s Project Leonardo controller is designed to make the PlayStation 5 more accessible, with plenty of interchangeable controls (both buttons and analog sticks) built around a large circular body. The concept is similar to Microsoft’s Xbox Adaptive Controller, and like that device it can also work with existing third-party accessibility controls. It’s still under development, but it shows potential for PlayStation fans.—WG

While many funky concept vehicles debuted at CES, Volkswagen’s ID.7 was the best real car, in that it's not a concept and it's coming out next year. The ID.7 is Volkswagen’s first electric sedan, building on the success of the ID.4 SUV with some cool new features for EV drivers, including a large, 15-inch dash screen and a heads-up display. It will use augmented reality to show your current speed on the windshield, as well as turn-by-turn navigation prompts so you don’t have to take your eyes off the road. Volkswagen also earns extra points for dressing up the vehicle up for CES in “digital” camouflage: 40 layers of electromagnetic paint that change colors, with a QR code pattern overlay that’s actually scannable. That’s the exact type of techno-buffoonery we love to see at CES.—Emily Dreibelbis

Sometimes you pull your EV into a lot for charging and there are no chargers available. Evar’s autonomous Parky robot(Opens in a new window) is meant to help fill the gap. While it can’t offer a full recharge—it only provides about 50 miles of range—the Parky can automatically find your car to charge it after you’ve walked away. EV drivers will need to submit a charging request using a QR code, which will summon the robot. The Parky has LiDAR and ultrasonic sensors to assist with object detection and avoidance, and bumpers to protect cars should an impact occur.—EZ

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