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Chuwi CoreBook Air: 30-second review

There’s something slightly familiar about the Chuwi CoreBook Air. Once again, it follows the recent trend of 14-inch Windows laptops offering a premium build with aluminium alloy casing and a solid yet lightweight build. The specification list considering the price is also impressive, with more on offer than you would usually anticipate for a little under £500/$500.

From the outset, there are several features that really appeal. Obviously, the CPU, GPU and memory specifications all prove more than enough to run all productivity apps, but then there’s a good volume of ports. Through the test for normal use, a bit of word processing and browsing the internet, the battery was sufficient for a day's worth of work.

While the specifications hit the mid-range, making it ideal for most office-based tasks, I found that the CoreBook Air had enough to run Blender and CapCut without issue. Although limitations to the ability were pushed with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which did load but was just too jittery to play with any success.

For general use, such as Excel and PowerPoint, the machine was more than capable of handling large documents. What really impressed me was that, despite it only being a 14-inch machine and not a particularly expensive one, the screen clarity was exceptionally good, and the screen surface was able to limit reflections exceptionally well.

One of the other aspects you often find with a cheaper laptop is that it uses a proprietary power supply. However, here, the laptop is supplied with a 65W USB-C charger, which means if you do leave your charger at home, you can more than likely borrow somebody else's. Again, for a laptop of this size to have three USB-C ports, two on one side, one on the other, and a full-size HDMI just gives you even more connectivity options, as well as the ability to plug into other accessories, devices, systems, and drives.

Like some laptops of this type, slim and lightweight, while the quality is exceptionally good and the cooling is better than expected (though the fans do kick in and are audible), the keyboard area and trackpad do feel lightweight and less responsive than I personally like.

Neither the track pad or keyboard feel 100% precise in their mechanics, with the keyboard actuation lacking the satisfying feel of those featured in our guide to the best business laptops. I also found the trackpad wasn’t quite as precise, and you really needed to accurate about your click action in the bottom left. I’d also often mis-click, and the precision that you get with the likes of the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra just isn’t there, but then you could buy four of these laptops for a single unit of that machine, just to put that in context.

However, for a laptop at this price, the fact that it can handle all productivity, web browsing, word processing, light multimedia editing, and a little bit of gaming is impressive. If you’re in the market for a cheap laptop that will see you through the demands of productivity applications for work, and a little bit of media use, as well as downtime playing games and watching multimedia, then this machine should suffice. If you're looking to do heavier media editing or play top-tier games, this might be a little more restrictive, and you’d need to spend a bit more for a bit more power.

Chuwi CoreBook Air: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? $479 / £404 RRP
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Directly from Geekom and Amazon.com

At present, the Chuwi CoreBook Air has a UK price of £404 and a US price of $549 and can be purchased directly from the Chuwi US and Chuwi Global websites.

Chuwi is offering TechRadar Pro readers a 13% discount on the purchase price when you use the code TechRadarAir.

• Value: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Chuwi CoreBook Air: Specs

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 6600H (6-core/12-thread, up to 4.5GHz)
Graphics: AMD Radeon 660M
RAM: 16GB LPDDR5 6400MHz
Storage: 512GB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD
Left Ports: 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI 2.1
Right Ports: USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 3.5mm audio jack
Connectivity: Wi-Fi , Bluetooth
Audio: 2W stereo speakers
Camera: 2MP with privacy shutter
Size: 298 x 221 x 16.3 mm, 1.08 kg
OS Installed: Windows 11 Pro
Accessories: 65W USB-C PD charger

Chuwi CoreBook Air: Design

The Chuwi CoreBook is a slim, lightweight Windows 11 Pro laptop that has been perfectly designed for portability and mid-range power use, essentially ideal for students, business users, and anyone looking for a home laptop that’s both robust and powerful enough for the entire family. The balance of the CPU and GPU means that it’s great for general use, but if you’re looking for the latest cutting-edge graphics power, then this is a mid-range machine. While powerful, it won’t be able to run some of the more top-tier games or multimedia software, although they will load.

With that in mind, portability is one of its key focuses. At just over 1kg, 1.08 kg, and measuring 298.4 x 221.3 x 16.3 mm, it will fit into almost any backpack or laptop bag without issue. It’s also one of the smallest and lightest laptops out there. The design is very similar in style to the Geekbook X14 Pro, although that had slightly more squared-off corners and a few key differences in the port configurations and, of course, internal workings.

Taking a look around the side of the machine, starting on the left, there’s a full-size HDMI 2.1 TMDS port to easily connect to larger displays or projectors. Next to this are two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports, and these are fully featured, perfect for connecting to ultra-fast external SSDs or delivering power to other devices. On the right-hand side is another USB Type-C (data only), a 3.5mm audio jack, and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port.

Looking around the body, this is pretty much it for ports and buttons, but up on the top edge of the screen, it’s nice to see there’s a sliding camera privacy cover. It’s mechanical, but this is often the best solution; you know you have absolute privacy once that camera is covered.

On the base of the machine, there’s a huge vent panel, and again on the back with very minimalistic profiling. There’s a good amount of venting between the body of the laptop and the hinge for the screen. As the machine really starts to work, especially when playing games, you can feel the warmth filtering up through the gap between the screen and keyboard. As you open the screen, the hinge feels good and secure, showing little loss for everyday use. The keyboard layout and trackpad are of a decent size.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Looking around the body, this is pretty much it for ports and buttons, but up on the top edge of the screen, it’s nice to see there’s a sliding camera privacy cover. It’s mechanical, but this is often the best solution; you know you have absolute privacy once that camera is covered.

On the base of the machine, there’s a huge vent panel, and again on the back with very minimalistic profiling. There’s a good amount of venting between the body of the laptop and the hinge for the screen. As the machine really starts to work, especially when playing games, you can feel the warmth filtering up through the gap between the screen and keyboard.

When you open the screen, the hinge feels good and secure, showing little loss for everyday use. The keyboard layout and trackpad are of a decent size.

• Design: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Chuwi CoreBook Air: Features

Looking at the feature set, one of the bigger appeals here is just how small and lightweight this laptop is, just a kilogram. It will easily slip into a laptop bag or backpack without adding too much weight, and with its full aluminium alloy casing, it does feel nice and robust.

Opening up the laptop reveals the 14-inch Full HD screen with 1920 x 1200 resolution. It’s not the highest resolution we’ve seen in this style of laptop, but at this price, it’s all pretty decent and should suffice for day-to-day use. The screen itself is a 14-inch WUXGA display with a 16:10 aspect ratio that offers 315 nits of brightness. In brighter conditions, you might need to shade it a little bit. However, the surface of the screen seems to be of exceptional quality and helps reduce reflections and glare.

Complementing the visuals are dual custom box-tuned speakers that help provide audio—a step up from many speaker systems found on mid-range laptops.

Inside, powering Windows and other applications is an AMD Ryzen 5 processor with 6 cores, 12 threads, and up to 4.5GHz. This is coupled with a Radeon 660M (RDNA2) integrated GPU, which should be more than enough for most mid-range games. It also includes 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB of PCIe SSD storage.

Ensuring the laptop has enough power for everyday use, there’s a 55Wh battery, which, while not the largest capacity, will still provide plenty of power for a day’s work, and shouldn’t take too long to charge using the 65W USB-C PD charger, charging up to 60% in just 55 minutes.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

• Features: 4 / 5

Chuwi CoreBook Air: PerformanceBenchmark scores

CrystalDiskMark Read: 3064.43
CrystalDiskMark Write: 1289.67
Geekbench CPU Multi: 5389
Geekbench CPU Single: 1397
Geekbench GPU: 7734
PCMark Overall: 5850
Cinebench CPU Multi: 8634
Cinebench CPU Single: 1429
Fire Strike Overall: 4492
Fire Strike Graphics: 4851
Fire Strike Physics: 18743
Fire Strike Combined: 1667
Time Spy Overall: 1720
Time Spy Graphics: 1528
Time Spy CPU: 5985
Wild Life Overall: 8748
Steel Nomad Overall: 214
Windows Experience Overall: N/A

Starting out with the Chuwi CoreBook Air is straightforward. Windows 11 Pro is pre-installed, so all you need to do is run through the last few steps to get up and running. When I did this, it took about 15 minutes, signing into Microsoft and Google accounts, and making sure the system was fully updated.

One thing I also had to do was ensure all the AMD graphics drivers had been installed. While the AMD application was pre-installed, the final driver software wasn’t, so that’s something to note if you plan to buy this laptop.

Without those AMD drivers installed, even with the software there, the performance is considerably restricted. But once all updates were done to both Windows 11 Pro and AMD, the uplift was instantly apparent. As I started to load Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, all three applications loaded quickly. Opening documents and presentations, the machine handled them without much issue.

The only thing I’d note is that while Microsoft Word worked fantastically well, Excel and PowerPoint felt a little restricted on the display with that lower resolution. However, since the USB-C ports on the side are fully featured, you can always connect to a 4K display without too many issues, and that 4K resolution is easily supported by this machine.

Using Word to write this review, the speed of the machine was perfect for general work and productivity, and I was easily able to switching between Word, PowerPoint and Microsoft Edge. Later, while compiling a PowerPoint presentation for an evening lecture, I was able to gather multimedia content and design the presentation again the laptop was able to handle everything smoothly.

Taking a closer look at PowerPoint, while it’s very usable on the 1920 x 1200 resolution screen, I always prefer more screen space, especially when flicking between slides. Here, connecting to a 4K monitor did help with that process. Although even on the Full HD screen, PowerPoint was very usable, and if you were on a train putting together a presentation, the clarity and brightness of the screen would suffice.

One thing I did note about the screen, aside from the resolution, was screen brightness. Brightness is limited to 350 nits. During the UK winter months, when daylight is at a premium, this isn’t too much of an issue, as most of the time it’s quite dark, and 350 nits is probably more than enough. But on a bright day in the office, with sunlight streaming through the window, that brightness was starting to be challenged. If you are planning to use this outdoors or in well-lit environments, then 350 nits is around the minimum you’d want.

Otherwise, the screen is very good, perfect for productivity, although a little limited when it rolls over into creative applications.

Having experienced decent performance throughout all the Microsoft Office applications, I moved on to some creative tasks, first, loading Adobe Photoshop, which ran surprisingly smoothly. I opened up images from the Sony A7 IV for other reviews, cropping, resizing, and doing some basic image enhancement. Photoshop was more than capable of not only handling those high-resolution image files but also applying effects. Once again, the only drawback was that with a screen of this resolution, the available workspace felt a little limited.

Switching to an application that feels more at home on this screen size, I tried Lightroom, which worked incredibly well. Enhancements and adjustments were applied quickly, and although the screen resolution felt a little low, Lightroom Classic was more than sufficient. Even when it came to bulk exporting adjusted images, the machine had no issue handling the load.

I then moved on to some higher-demand applications, including Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve, to test 4K video. It became instantly apparent that this wasn’t going to be possible. While video was rendered on the timeline, as I dragged files across into the timeline in both applications, things began to slow down dramatically. I had to wait for the system to catch up, and the fans kicked in due to the increase in processing.

I retried the process, this time using 1080p footage downscaled in Adobe Media Encoder. Here, the footage was editable, and again I was impressed with the performance. while, the fans did kick in to help keep things cool, editing a relatively complex five-minute video was manageable. Switching to a less processor-intensive app like CapCut might be a good idea for light editing.

After modest results with video editing, I switched over to a little bit of gaming, loading Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. I had to reduce all settings right down to the lowest and even drop from Full HD to 720p. Still, the game was jittery and not a great experience, despite it technically being able to run.

I then tried Red Dead Redemption 2, and again saw similar issues with scaling and choppy graphics. So really, if you’re looking to play the latest games, while the Radeon 660M integrated GPU is quite good for multimedia creation, when it comes to gameplay of higher end games, it just doesn’t have the power.

• Performance: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Chuwi CoreBook Air: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Chuwi CoreBook Air proves itself as a very competent day-to-day machine for use in and out of the office. It’s a decent size, lightweight, strong and robust. While the keyboard and trackpad might not be premium, they are of decent quality, and for most users, typing on them will feel perfectly fine.

What’s impressive is the pure performance of the mid-range CPU and GPU combo. While they aren’t AI-enhanced for applications, they’re perfectly good for day-to-day use, as well as watching multimedia and browsing the internet, this small laptop is more than powerful enough.

I also really liked the volume of connectivity options. The Wi-Fi connection speed seemed exceptionally good and robust, especially when connected to the Netgear Nighthawk M7 for the majority of testing. With three USB-C ports, two fully featured and one for data only, you have plenty of connection options, and that important flexibility of being able to charge the laptop with almost any modern charger.

While the 55Wh battery might not be the largest, it was more than sufficient for a good day’s light work, handling spreadsheets, Word, and PowerPoint. But as soon as you start pushing the processor, battery life drops rapidly. It’s good to see that you can get a 60% charge from a flat in just over an hour.

What really strikes me about the CoreBook Air is the price. You’re effectively getting a powerful laptop for everyday use for not a great deal of money. Okay, the screen resolution might be a little low, and the brightness a little dim compared with some, but when it comes to the strength of the build quality and the abilities of that mid-range CPU and GPU combo, for most people and most workloads, this laptop will be more than sufficient.

Should I buy the Chuwi CoreBook Air?

Value

Excellent value for money considering the performance you can get from this mid-range laptop

4

Design

Good, strong build quality with the aluminium casing giving it a premium feel at a mid-range price

4

Features

Well-balanced set of features that aren’t groundbreaking but provide you with a good workhorse of a machine

4

Performance

Real performance is good for productivity. OK for creative applications. Best to look elsewhere if you want to do gaming

4

Overall

Overall, a well-balanced machine that’s great for most office work, light creativity and gaming

4

Buy it if...

You want on-the-go productivity
This ideal if you need a lightweight machine that handles office, browsing, and creative tasks smoothly in a travel-friendly size.

You want good general performance on a budget
The CoreBook Air delivers decent all-around performance and the ability to go slightly beyond simple productivity applications without spending a fortune.

Don't buy it if...

You want upgradability
With the RAM soldered in place, there’s no option to upgrade, which could limit compatibility with future applications.

You need top-tier media tools.
This laptop includes everything from speakers to a webcam and a relatively decent GPU, but if you're a content creator, they’re just not at the level required.

For more powerful productivity machines, we've reviewed the best mobile workstations.

The Chuwi CoreBook Air is a 14-inch mid-range Windows laptop designed for everyday work, students, and business professionals. It’s a powerful yet affordable workstation that will keep up with the demands of the modern office, from productivity to some light content creation.

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If you think more pixels makes for a better PC monitor, you're going to love the new LG UltraFine 6K Evo 32U990A. This 6K monster of a monitor has over 21 million of them. For context, a 4K display has just eight million. It's a massive step up.

What you don't get, at least not compared with a regular 32-inch 4K monitor, is more actual display size. Instead, those 21 million pixels are crammed into essentially the same 32-inch diagonal, resulting in much, much higher pixel density. Where 4K on a 32-inche monitor comes in around 140 pixels per inch, the LG UltraFine 6K Evo 32U990A clocks in at 224 pixels per inch.

In other words, this is a true high-DPI display. It's a pretty high-performance display by several other metrics, too, at least for an IPS as opposed to an OLED monitor. There's good colour coverage and true 10-bit fidelity, for instance.

Less impressive is the 60Hz refresh. It's perhaps inevitable given the epic resolution and this monitor's productivity rather than gaming remit. But here in 2026, 60Hz seems a bit sluggish, as does the quoted 5ms pixel response time. Countering that is excellent connectivity, including dual Thunderbolt 5 ports and plenty of further USB-C inputs and outputs.

As for value, well, it all depends how you're coming at this LG. Compared to the near-enough $6,000 Apple Pro Display XDR, which is also 6K and 32 inches, it's a bargain, if less capable in some important ways. But at $1,999 or £1,799, it's also way more expensive than most of the best 4K monitors available today. So, you'll really want to appreciate those extra pixels.

LG UltraFine 6K Evo: Design and featuresLG // FutureLG // FutureLG // Future

• Minimalist design
• Mediocre build quality
• Excellent connectivity

Specs

Panel size: 32-inch

Panel type: IPS Black

Resolution: 6,144 x 3,456

Brightness: 450 nits SDR, 600 nits HDR

Contrast: 2,000:1

Pixel response: 5ms GtG

Refresh rate: 60Hz

Colour coverage: 98% DCI-P3

HDR: VESA DisplayHDR 600

Vesa: 100mm x 100mm

Connectivity: DisplayPort 2.1 x1, HDMI 2.1 x1, 2x Thunderbolt 5 with 96W PD upstream, 1x Thunderbolt 4 downstream,1x USB-C upstream, 2x USB-C downstream, 1x USB-C upstream

The LG UltraFine 6K Evo 32U990A is a slick display that looks like it's been designed to please Apple Mac users. In terms of pure aesthetics it will do just that, thanks to its minimalist vibe, slim bezels and engineering elements like a display hinge that mimics Apple's Pro Display XDR.

However, it's not as nicely built as either of Apple's own monitors, the Studio Display or the aforementioned Pro Display XDR. The mix of plastic and metal used here doesn't feel even nearly as premium as the lush alloys of the Apple alternatives. The huge external power brick is also a little untidy compared to monitors with integrated power supplies.

Still, by PC monitor standards, this LG is well enough screwed together and offers a decent range of adjustability from its stand. It also boasts excellent connectivity. You get dual Thunderbolt 5 ports with 96W of power delivery, just for starters.

To that you can add DisplayPort 2.1, HDMI 2.1 and another three USB-C ports. Together, that ensures pretty much all your connectivity needs are covered, including single-cable connectivity with a laptop, sharing the display with multiple PCs and even daisychaining with full 6K support.

Of course, the main event is the 32-inch 6K panel. It's an IPS Black item, so has heightened contrast compared with most other IPS monitors. But when it comes to not only contrast but also HDR performance, its specs still fall miles behind an OLED display.

That's no surprise given this monitor is only rated for DisplayHDR 600 certification. In other words, it lacks full-array local dimming. That said, colour coverage is good, extending to 98% of the DCI-P3 gamut and there's also true 10-bit per channel colour support without dithering.

LG UltraFine 6K Evo: PerformanceLG // FutureLG // FutureLG // Future

• Incredibly sharp visuals
• Good colour accuracy
• Poor contrast and HDR performance

The LG UltraFine 6K Evo 32U990A is both stellar and disappointing in almost equal measure. But let's start with its finest quality, which is surely the incredible pixel density enabled by full 6K resolution on a 32-inch panel.

The resulting 224 pixels per inch makes for incredibly sharp visuals and fabulously clear and crisp text. It also allows for a huge amount of space for professional workflows. The appeal here compared to a mere 4K monitor, for instance, is that you can view 4K content in a window at full resolution and still have significant space left over for timelines, toolbars and more.

However, the 6K resolution and outstanding pixel density is compromised by the IPS panel's slightly old-school anti-glare coating, which introduces a touch of visible sparkle. Moreover, the step up from a 4K panel in terms of visual detail also isn't entirely earth shattering. Yes, this display is sharper and the text is crisper. But you're paying quite the price premium for those benefits.

The very fact that this is an IPS panel as opposed to OLED also makes it feel rather old fashioned. Sure, the colour accuracy at factory settings is good in both SDR and HDR modes. But even with the latest IPS Black panel tech and 2,000:1 claimed contrast, this monitor looks a bit watery and washed out compared to the latest OLED monitors. The black levels in particular look poor next to any OLED display.

In part that's thanks to the fact that this LG only has DisplayHDR 600 certification. That means it's specified with mere edge-lit backlighting, likely with around 16 zones, not full-array local dimming with hundreds or thousands of zones. In short, this is not a true HDR display.

The 60Hz refresh likewise adds to the sense of a slightly outdated display. Sure, this is no gaming monitor. But even for routine daily computing tasks, 120Hz or higher makes everything more pleasant. Of course, by IPS display standards, this is not a poor monitor. It's just, at this price point, you have so many options. What you gain in terms of 6K pixel density with this display you arguably lose in other areas.

LG UltraFine 6K Evo: Final verdictLG // FutureLG // FutureLG // Future

LG's new 6K display is an exciting prospect, on paper. The combination of native 6K support using the latest IPS Black panel tech is very appealing, for sure. In practice, this premium pro display somewhat disappoints.

For sure, you get an outstanding high-DPI experience. But unless your specific workflows benefit from the extra desktop space, the subjective upgrade in terms of visual clarity and the quality of text rendering is more marginal than you might expect compared to a 4K display of the same size.

At the same time, the limitations of an IPS panel, even with improved contrast, are all too obvious at a price point that includes 4K OLED alternatives such as the Asus ProArt PA32UCDM. The comparatively poor contrast and black levels are all too obvious. There's a significant speed deficit, too, in terms of refresh rate and pixel response.

Admittedly, LG has given this display outstanding connectivity that extends to dual Thunderport 5 ports with support for 6K monitor daisy-chaining. So, in many ways, this is a very powerful productivity tool.

The problem is the 6K and connectivity upsides come with quite a few compromises. Long story short, what many will want is a display like this but based on OLED panel tech. Given the lofty pricing, that isn't an outrageous ask even if such a monitor doesn't currently exist. Until it does, if you are happy with an IPS panel and your workflows will benefit from the 6K resolution, LG's latest Ultrafine monitor probably adds up. But only barely.

For more high-resolution displays, we've reviewed the best 5K and 8K monitors.

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The Dell Pro Max Tower T2 is not your usual business PC. It's not going to be the pick for casual users, or gamers, or admin work. And it's worth specifying that to begin with: this is a beast of a machine for professionals who need uncompromising power in engineering, AI, and all-around business performance, and who want a machine that is capable today and upgradable for the future,

Yes, it’s niche, and that’s okay. Dell doesn’t shy away from creating machines for a specific subset of users.

If you’re looking into this machine, there is a wide range in specs and pricing. The entry-level buildout is right around $1,000. But the high specs on my review unit are pushing $13,000. So, it may rank as one of the best workstations I've tested, but it certainly comes at a (hefty) price.

Dell Pro Max Tower T2: Price and Availability

The Dell Pro Max Tower T2 is available from both Dell US and Dell UK in a range of configurations.

The entry configurations are priced at around $1,000 and still include a Core Ultra 7, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and an AMD Radeon Pro GPU.

As I mentioned, my buildout is pretty high-tier. My exact buildout is priced at $12,787 and features an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K vPro with 128 GB of RAM, an NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell with 96GB, 4 TB of storage, and a massive 1500W PSU… oh, and a DVDRW drive.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Dell Pro Max Tower T2: Unboxing and First Impressions

The Dell Pro Max Tower T2 brings me down memory lane; it makes me remember the PCs I grew up on, the one I learned my fascination with computers on, and then I turned it on.

The machine that once reminded me of dial-up and waiting for a simple PDF or low•res photo to fully render is no longer reminiscent of my past at all, and simply reminds me that this is 2026 and this machine means business for today, and tomorrow. That’s exactly how this machine feels. Granted, it‘s no small casing, but for the amount of power packed into this chassis, the power-to-size ratio is wild.

Another thing that quickly surprised me is the port offering. There are great DisplayPorts, USB-A and USB-C ports, a disk drive for crying out loud, and other great ports that make this a spectacular machine all around. What‘s awesome too is that the build quality is spectacular, yes, it is a big machine, but it's a big machine that is built to last, and built to be re-built as new components are released, keeping the desktop workstation around for quite some time to come.

Dell Pro Max Tower T2: Design & Build Quality

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

This desktop has a classic tower design with a. 32L Chassis that offers great cooling, space to expand and change out parts in the future, and it fits the mold of what pro-level users are used to, which is a bigger deal than some may think.

For those who are not necessarily enthusiasts but are just pro-users, they may not care about the fancy new doohickeys, gadgets, and gizmos. They want a machine that will work the way they need it to, every time, without fail or downtime, and they want it to work right away. They don‘t want to have to learn a new system or rebuild their setup.

The form factor helps with that, but so does the port location, the simple DisplayPort out, the IEC power connection, not some proprietary cable, and the all-around business-first focus. It’s simple things like this that help business users.

Beyond the design, the build quality is great. It’s rugged enough that you can get work done without worrying about your machine breaking, and it looks and feels professional enough that it never passes as a gaming machine, keeping this strictly business.

The internals of this blast-from-the-past-looking tower are nothing close to those with which I grew up. It’s rocking an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K with 24 cores, up to 5.7GHz boost, and built-in NPU AI Acceleration. It has an NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell with 96GB, plus a total of 4TB of blazing-fast SSD storage, 128GB of RAM, and a power supply with plenty of headroom to add other components in the future.

This computer is fine-tuned down to the component selection for AI models, training, 8K video editing, large-scale rendering, massive database manipulation, CAD, simulations, and more. This machine is a powerhouse. Plain and simple.

Dell Pro Max Tower T2: In use

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

I work alongside engineers, those who work with large data warehouses, those who work with AI, those who work in 3D modeling, 4K and 6K video editors, professional photographers, those who run massive visual events, those who run full custom applications, and so on. I was able to work alongside all of those individuals with this computer to see just how powerful the Dell Pro Max T2 Tower truly is.

It is important to note that this is not a gaming PC; those are also highly spec’d, but in different ways. You could upgrade the GPU to a more gaming-focused one to get closer, but right now this machine is built for work, not play.

I'd happily use this machine as my workhorse for serious work. In high-performance roles like data engineering and architecture, tower PCs are common. This machine is spectacular for that. If you already have a monitor and keyboard setup you love, you're just looking for a more powerful engine for your ecosystem. That's exactly what this delivers.

It’s snappy, has great ports, doesn’t slow down, and stays quiet even during benchmarking tests.

Dell Pro Max Tower T2: Final verdict

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future

The Dell Pro Max Tower T2 is a powerhouse workstation designed for real productivity. It’s not your everyday gaming PC; it’s more than that. Yes, it’s not the most advanced gaming GPU, but it is among the most powerful for raw performance and processing.

For AI, data models, data-intensive work, massive productivity, and beyond, this will handle it. And thanks to the old-school tower form factor, this machine can be upgraded with other components as you desire, without breaking solder joints or cramming parts in.

In short, this isn’t the PC for most, but for those who know they need incredible power in a Windows machine to handle these kinds of tasks, then this may just be the enterprise-grade machine you’ve been dreaming of.

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Yakuza Kiwami 3 is a remake of what is perhaps the most divisive game in Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Like A Dragon franchise. It comes with overhauled graphics, refreshed combat, a more fleshed-out narrative, and, of course, a new separate story – dubbed Dark Ties – which follows the path of antagonist Yoshitaka Mine.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC
Release date: February 11, 2026 (Steam); February 12, 2026 (other platforms)

Having recently gone back to the Yakuza 3 Remastered on PlayStation 4, I can say that Kiwami 3 is a very comprehensive remake, and changes to its visuals, combat, and story certainly feel striking.

But are all of these changes for the better? Does this remake continue the high standard that RGG Studio set with the first 2 Kiwami games? Well, the answer to those questions may not be particularly straightforward.

A Dragon reborn

(Image credit: Sega)

Let’s start by discussing the main game: Yakuza Kiwami 3. This follows the story of Kazuma Kiryu – also known as the Dragon of Dojima – a former Yakuza and Tojo Clan Chairman. Following the events of Kiwami 2, Kiryu decides to run an orphanage on the island of Okinawa. But it doesn’t take long before he’s embroiled in yet more drama.

His orphanage is under threat, due to it being situated on land that's needed for a government-backed resort plan. The new Tojo Clan chairman is shot by a mysterious figure. And a succession dispute is erupting among the Tojo family patriarchs. The narrative is still gripping, although this revisit does make a couple of changes.

As some fans may already know, there’s been a shake-up to the finale, which is undoubtedly going to ruffle some feathers. I won’t go into details, but in my view, this change isn’t executed very well. It takes some of the emotion and impact away from the original Yakuza 3, causing the game to fall short of the very best RPGs, narrative-wise.

Something else that may reduce the impact of the narrative is the newly added English voice acting. I know I’m far from the only one who’s said this, but some of the English voices are poor, especially that of Kiryu himself. There’s a lack of maturity and gruffness to the protagonist’s voice, meaning his iconic personality doesn’t shine through. As a result, I played through the game in Japanese.

Best bit

(Image credit: Sega)

One of the highlights for me was playing through the various mini-games at Morning Glory. So when I defeated the grand-champion of bug catching – Mame the dog – I was absolutely over the moon. That pooch puts up one hell of a fight, believe me.

Still, a lot of the other adjustments feel largely positive. For instance, combat feels far better than it did in the original. The new Ryukyu style – which is inspired by Okinawan weapon arts – is brutal and optimized for wiping out swathes of enemies at once. There’s a wide variety of weapons that Kiryu can use in this style, and learning new combos makes it truly devastating.

The Dragon of Dojima style feels excellent too, and perfectly personifies the classic brawler combat Kiryu is known for. You can learn new abilities, including heat action finishers and grabbing techniques – usually, you’ll have to use points earned in battle to do so. Other aspects, like health and strength enhancements, require you to use cash instead. In my opinion, this feels more streamlined and polished than the original upgrade system, and I really enjoyed enhancing my build as the game progressed.

Just generally, combat feels more refined in Kiwami 3. The issue of enemies continually blocking has been significantly improved, battles feel a bit faster-paced, and Kiryu’s movement feels more fluid. I did find that the game was considerably easier than other Yakuza games – at least playing on standard difficulty. As a result, I reduced my use of healing items in battle – but you can select a harder difficulty option instead, if you’d prefer a greater challenge.

Another significant addition is the Lalala Phone, which you can customize to improve Kiryu’s abilities – or just for aesthetic reasons. This is surprisingly fun and provides a real throwback to the late noughties. You can also add friends in Tokyo or Okinawa, and eventually unlock rewards for doing so, giving an actual incentive to use your phone. This has seemingly replaced the original’s Revelations feature, though, which was a source of quirky and often funny cutscenes.

(Image credit: Sega)

But before I move on to Dark Ties, I want to talk about two other major changes – one that I loved, and one that I was less hot on.

I’ll start with the good: Life At Morning Glory. Here, you can complete a bunch of mini-games, like helping the children with homework, sewing, harvesting crops, and fishing. I was absolutely addicted to these – especially the latter two, as they’re necessary for cooking meals requested by the kids. Cooking is a blast, and it’s really wholesome watching Kiryu bond with the orphans over food. More generally, you see so much more of Kiryu’s relationship with the children in this remake – and although he may be a punch-first, ask-questions-later kind of guy, you get a window into the softer, more sensitive side of him, which is a joy to watch.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t in love with the other major addition, Bad Boy Dragon. In this story, Kiryu becomes chairman of the Haisai Girls and supports them in their aim to protect Okinawa, crush the oppressive Tokyo Night Terrors, and become Japan’s leading girl gang. You’ll fight in turf wars and large-scale battles in order to achieve all of this, and frequently recruit new members along the way.

Personally, I found this part of the adventure to be a little tedious. Fighting in turf wars feels same-y after a little while, and the trope of helping a group of underdogs win against the odds – as seen with Four Shine in Yakuza Kiwami 2 and Real Estate Royale in Yakuza 0 – just felt a little uninspired. The environments you battle through also lack differentiation, making this part of Kiryu’s campaign less compelling than others.

Enter the underworld

(Image credit: Sega)

Kiwami 3 definitely adds a lot of good stuff, but not all of its additions work out for the best. But my suspicion is that a lot of players – especially returning fans – will be more interested in the Dark Ties content, which follows Tojo Clan newbie Yoshitaka Mine. Here, you uncover the origins of Mine’s Yakuza career, explore his relationship with the brutish Tsuyoshi Kanda, and explore his desire to learn about genuine human bonds.

This is a shorter style of game, with just three chapters. Dark Ties clocked in at under 8 hours for me after I completed the story, as well as a healthy dollop of side-content. But there’s still plenty of fun to be had.

Firstly, I want to talk about combat. We already gushed about Mine’s moves in our Dark Ties preview, and for good reason. Mine’s shootboxing style is truly vicious and brilliantly reflects his character – especially when you’re using the souped-up Dark Awakening mechanic. But even his normal moveset – made up of Intense knee smashes, rapid-fire jabs, and acrobatic grabs – makes Mine’s new campaign a blast to blitz through. Seriously, I even found myself enjoying random encounters with street thugs.

(Image credit: Sega)

I really took a shine to Kanda Damage Control as well. This sees Mine attempt to boost the reputation of his aniki, Kanda – a man who I’d describe as a disgusting pig if I were feeling generous. In order to do this, Mine has to do good deeds around Kamurocho – after which he always claims to be Kanda himself. It never gets old, honestly. These often involve high-octane battles, but sometimes descend into the typical wackiness that Yakuza is loved for. I spent a lot of time with this, and plan to max out Kanda’s rank in the coming days for sure.

But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Because the other major part of the game – Hell’s Arena – did not do it for me at all. This is basically a dungeon crawler where you have to avoid death, loot treasure chests, and destroy your enemies with the help of various mercenaries and weapons. In a similar vein to Bad Boy Dragon, the dungeon-crawling in Hell’s Arena can feel tedious, and the setting didn’t feel varied or interesting enough to draw me back in.

Story-telling is pretty good throughout Dark Ties, though. Mine is fixated on Tojo Clan Chairman, Daigo Dojima, and the way that the latter’s men will risk their very lives in order to save their boss. I was engaged with Mine’s pursuit of human connection, his conflicting relationship with Kanda, and his rise through the Tojo Clan, ensuring that Dark Ties felt like a worthwhile addition overall.

The Dragon and the Kirin

(Image credit: Sega)

We’ve spoken in depth about Yakuza Kiwami 3 as well as Dark Ties now, but it’s time to bring them together and look at the package as a whole.

Now, something that has whipped up a lot of discussion online is the graphical quality of the game – especially with regards to Kiwami 3. An update was released during my review, intended to fix “a lighting issue” and “other quality concerns”. This will be available for all players at launch.

Using version 1.11 of the game, I didn’t have some of the lighting issues encountered by other players, and with HDR active and a few tweaks, I had Kiwami 3 looking pretty solid. RGG Studios’ attempt at ‘tropical lighting’ can make some in-game elements appear oversaturated, though. Some street signs, for instance, looked almost too bright, creating quite the contrast against the original’s grittier color palette.

Just generally, I wasn’t bowled over by the visuals across both campaigns, actually. Some of the in-game textures – stuff like cars and walls, say – just look a bit dated, and lacked the sharpness I’d expect from a 2026 release. Sure, you’re still getting an upgrade overall from the remaster of Yakuza 3, and the game’s visuals aren’t ugly or anything – they’re just not especially impressive.

But back to the good stuff. I was really pleased with the performance of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties on PlayStation 5. With 4K visuals and a smooth framerate, you can expect pretty seamless gameplay with very few hiccups.

I was also loving the soundtrack once again. Yakuza always brings together an eclectic mix of aggressive battle music, smooth jazz, and upbeat tracks to suit every mood or setting, and Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is no different. You can even listen to tunes from other Sega titles, like Rhythm Thief & The Emperor’s Treasure, Persona 3 Reload, and Metaphor: ReFantazio using Kiryu or Mine’s phone, which I adored.

(Image credit: Sega)

But now I want to return to the questions that I posed at the beginning. Are all of the changes made in Yakuza Kiwami 3 for the better? Well, the short answer is no. On the whole, you’re getting an improved experience, with better combat, a shiny new battle style, and boatloads of new content. However, changes to the finale and the slightly tedious Bad Boy Dragon side-story felt less positive.

Does Kiwami 3 maintain the high standards set by its remade predecessors? On the whole, yes. The more streamlined upgrade system, good performance, and quality of life adjustments are most welcome. But I think RGG Studio could’ve made a more visually impressive game. A few other choices – like redesigning a major character named Rikiya and removing Revelations – may also upset some hardcore fans.

With that said, I was a fan of Dark Ties overall, in spite of a couple of flaws. I wouldn’t say that this helps to propel the overall package to the dizzying heights that other entries in the series have reached, though. And ultimately, I feel that Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties sit in the ‘good category’, rather than the ‘great’ one.

Should you play Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties?:

(Image credit: Sega)Play it if...

You’re looking for action-packed combat
The combat in both Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties is very enjoyable. Smashing through enemies with the new Ryukyu style with Kiryu or viscerally attacking foes with Mine never gets old. I love using new skills against bitter ex-Yakuza called reapers in Yakuza Kiwami 3 or troublesome opponents in Kanda Damage Control in Dark Ties.

You want to learn more about Mine
Mine is a villain with quite a bit of depth, and Dark Ties is a great way to discover more about him. In this separate story, you’ll learn about the end of his business career and descent into the underworld, and it’s pretty gripping from start to end.

Don't play it if...

You’re a stranger to the series
If you’ve not played a game in the Yakuza series before, I strongly advise against starting with this one. By the time you find Kiryu in Okinawa, you’ve just missed out on too much lore. Go back to Yakuza Kiwami, or even better, Yakuza 0, and work your way up to this one.

You’re expecting amazing next-gen visuals
If you’re looking for a real spectacle to enjoy on your PS5, Xbox Series X, or PC, then Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties may not hit the spot. Some textures look a bit dated, and the lighting may not do it for those seeking out a more realistic, natural-looking game.

Accessibility features

There’s a pretty comprehensive set of accessibility features to explore in Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. You can set auto quick-time events, swap the left and right sticks, choose between rapid or hold button controls, and customize the camera to your liking. You can also alter subtitle language and text size, map controls to different buttons, and utilize color vision assistance.

(Image credit: Sega)How I reviewed Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties:

For this review, I spent more than 50 hours playing through Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. During this time, I rolled credits on both Kiryu's and Mine’s campaigns, defeated all of the reapers, and completed the Life At Morning Glory and Bad Boy Dragon storylines.

I played the PS5 version of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties on my Sky Glass Gen 2 TV, which is connected to a Marshall Heston 120 soundbar. On occasion, I dipped into the Yakuza 3 remaster in order to compare performance, graphics, and gameplay.

I’m a long-time fan of the Yakuza series, and recently reviewed the Nintendo Switch 2 versions of Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2. More generally, I’m a massive JRPG fan, and have written about titles such as Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army, and Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter.

First reviewed February 2026

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Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties supplies cathartic combat and a whole lot of new content, but can it live up to the high standards that RGG Studio set with its previous remakes?