The build

Build the best PC for your budget

It’s getting hot in here… the closer you get to the magic £1000 mark, the more you start to see low-compromise – or indeed no-compromise – PCs

You don’t need a screen on your liquid cooler for top performance, but don’t tell this lot

AMD’s best Ryzen CPUs are hard to top for their combo of raw power when plugged in and battery efficiency when not – ideal for gaming machines

Slim and light laptops look nicer, feel better and tend to last longer between charges than the rest. And no, you don’t actually need workstation-grade power just to record those music tracks you like to fuss over at the weekends. Here, then, are 2025’s top truly portable laptop contenders, ranging from under £500 to well over two grand…

Once upon a time (a few years ago), £800 used to be a sweet spot for the laptop buyer. Nowadays, only a few slinky heroes squeeze under the line…