Windows Central Tech Awards 2024 — Ranking the top PCs, tools, accessories, and software innovations of the year

ASUS Zenbook Duo 2024
Tech Innovator of the Year 2024

ASUS manages to refine its Zenbook DUO with genuine usefulness in a category filled with novelty and excess. Traveling with this 14-inch powerhouse offers the same premium feel as its Zenbook siblings, and the inimitable dual-screen modes are beyond sturdy when needed.

With a metallic kickstand and an impossibly compact keyboard, I find myself opting for the grandiose double-stack more than I ever thought, and the all-day battery powers my obsession with its dual OLED panels — simply a genre-defining triumph.

See at: Amazon

Earnest Yuen, World's Edge
Microsoft Ecosystem Star of 2024

In 2024, Earnest Yuen crossed a milestone 30 years with Microsoft, which has seen him work on dozens upon dozens of titles, many of which are now regarded as timeless classics. Kameo: Elements of Power, ilomilo on Windows Phone (now the subject of a famous Billie Eilish song), Killer Instinct, and many more. Today, Yuen helps guide Microsoft's Age of Empires renaissance, which has seen not only Age of Empires II enjoy a Lazarus-like resurgence but has seen the franchise expand to new titles like Age of Empires 4. We salute you, Earnest!!

See Age of Empires at: Xbox

Snapdragon X Elite
Best Processor of 2024

We had high hopes for Qualcomm's next-generation chips for Windows laptops, and when they finally arrived, they didn't disappoint. Where in the past ARM laptops have been underpowered compared to their Intel and AMD counterparts, with Snapdragon X we get the best of everything. Top-tier performance, incredible battery life, and the latest in AI abilities from Microsoft and others. The future is definitely here, and Qualcomm is leading a revolution.

See more: Copilot+ PCs

Surface Pro 11 & Surface Laptop 7
Best Overall Laptop

We’re making a slight exception for the best overall laptop of 2024, giving it to two PCs—Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7—because they overlap in hardware and quality but differ in form factor. I prefer Surface Pro 11, and senior Windows reporter Zac Bowden prefers Surface Laptop 7, but both earned the uncommon perfect score from both of us.

So why these Surfaces? Simple. Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X processors and some slight hardware improvements from Microsoft made these two iconic Windows PCs by far the best they’ve ever been. Outstanding battery life, serious performance, excellent displays, brilliant webcams, virtually silent operation, and even the rare price reduction have made these the best non-gaming laptops we can recommend overall. Indeed, even in my discussions with other tech reporters and reviewers from some of the biggest sites, many of them use the new 2024 Surfaces.

Did I also mention the brilliant blue colorway both now come in or the outstanding (albeit expensive) new Surface Pro Flex Keyboard, which does things I didn’t know I wanted?

Microsoft has created the most enjoyable Surface PCs in years with almost no weak spots (there’s even a 5G Surface Pro 11, which I still want to get). Sure, Microsoft lost Surface Chief Panos Panay, but it’s clear that the Surface team, when focusing on the fundamentals and combining with Qualcomm’s game-changing processors, can still outdo everyone in the PC space and surprise many of us. The only thing that we expect to beat the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 will be 2025’s iterations, which we cannot wait to review.

See at: Microsoft

Razer Blackwidow V4
Best Keyboard

The Razer Blackwidow V4 picked up refreshes recently and remains the best keyboard money can buy. This RGB powerhouse has "so much RGB it might offend God," according to Daniel Rubino, complete with key cap and underglow lighting. Roller media buttons complement double-shot keys that provide so much of a tactical advantage that some esports organizations have banned them for cheating. The silicon wrist rest is also on hand to sweeten the deal.

See at: Amazon

Lenovo Legion Tower 7i
Best Pre-Built PC

Building your own gaming PC can be a daunting and exhausting endeavor, and there are several great options for securing a tower fully ready to handle everything you throw at it. Among them, Lenovo's Legion Tower 7i is among the very best.

Using standard parts and a spacious, easily accessible design, the Legion Tower 7i is incredibly easy to upgrade and tinker with to your heart's content. Not that you'll need to — out of the box, this gaming desktop is a monster, and you'll struggle to really push it to its limits.

See at: Amazon

GEEKOM Megamini G1
Best Mini PC of 2024

There were some amazing advancements in the rapidly growing mini-PC category in 2024, but the coolest one we saw (quite literally) was the Tecno X Geekom’s MEGAMINI G1. Who said mini-PCs had to be boring or have massive tradeoffs? Packing a 13th Gen Core i9-13900H, NVIDIA RTX 4060, up to 64GB DDR5 RAM, and a ton of ports, the MEGAMINI G1 is already formidable for the mini-PC category. But it was the world’s first mini-PC with a liquid cooling system, so you could really max out those components and the super rad RGB-filled chassis with built-in performance monitoring LED that sold us.

See at: Kickstarter

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
Best Gaming Laptop

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 isn't the wildest or most powerful mobile gaming laptop you can buy, but it's easily the most polished and refined. This is a spectacular laptop, no matter your needs, with a sleek and premium design, a gorgeous and smooth OLED display, and some of the best speakers on any laptop.

ASUS rightfully dialed back the raw performance to achieve something that's far more portable and viable, as the laptop you can take with you everywhere — not just leave plugged in on your desk. Don't get it wrong, though; the Zephyrus G14 is still a highly capable gaming laptop with some impressive hardware chops.

See at: Amazon

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 (Gen 3)
Best Gaming Headset of 2024

This headset really undermined the competition by performing better in almost every regard while also being far more affordable. The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 (Gen 3) absolutely blasted my expectations this year, delivering a cross-platform solution for anyone looking to boost their gaming, PC, or even mobile audio.

See at: Amazon

Surface Flex Keyboard
Best Tech Accessory of 2024

Microsoft surprised us this year with the new Surface Flex Keyboard, showing that it still has some crazy ideas coming from its labs and giving us something we didn’t know we wanted. While expensive, Microsoft shoved in a battery and Bluetooth to operate the keyboard separately from the Surface Pro, making the most versatile laptop even more adaptable. Instead of hiding the Surface Pen, it is now always available, making it much easier to grab when needed. Rounding it out is a haptic touchpad powered by Sensel technology. When you combine all three of those innovations, you get the best Surface Pro keyboard ever made, hands down.

See at: Amazon

Dell Ultrasharp 34 Curved
Best Monitor

The UltraSharp 34 Curved Thunderbolt Monitor earns its title with its exceptional gamut of features. Its 5K resolution and ultrawide-curved design provide stunning clarity and immersive viewing experiences, while the panel delivers accurate colors and deep contrasts. Packed with a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth motion and an ambient light sensor that adjusts brightness and color temperature based on the surrounding light, the Thunderbolt 4 connectivity and sustainability-focused design tops off an incredible spec sheet and stands out as a top choice for professionals and gamers alike.

See at: Amazon

Razer Wolverine V3 Pro
Best Gaming Input Accessory of 2024

The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro is a monster of a controller and is the first third-party Xbox controller ever in the platform's 20-year history that you can confidently say is better than the real thing. This RGB-spangled wireless gamepad will defeat all stick drift issues, with reliable Razer switches for guaranteed longevity.

See at: Amazon

ASUS ROG Ally X
Best Gaming Hardware of 2024

While PC gaming handhelds have been a thing for a while, it's arguably the ASUS ROG Ally platform that truly showcased what Windows is potentially capable of in this segment. And sure, Windows has its shortcomings on devices like this, particularly regarding battery efficiency, which is why the battery-boosted ROG Ally X helped it solidify its place as the must-have gaming hardware device of 2024.

See at: Amazon

HP OmniStudio X
Best All-in-One PC of 2024

A one-and-done solution without compromise, the OmniStudio X has everything you need in a Windows PC and doesn't skimp on often overlooked categories like speaker quality. HP includes a keyboard, mouse, and webcam compatible with Windows Hello for secure logins with face recognition built into a brilliant 31.5-inch 4K display.

Its adjustable stand is part of a toolless setup, giving this all-in-one PC the broadest possible appeal and skipping the need for technical knowledge. You can even opt for dedicated NVIDIA RTX 4050 graphics if you're in a creative work or hobby space, expanding the usefulness of this stellar AIO to practically every category.

See at: HP

ASUS Vivobook S 15
Best Budget Laptop of 2024

The VivoBook S 15 was one of the first Snapdragon X laptops we laid hands on, and it impressed immediately with its sharp design, glorious OLED display, and of course, the new Qualcomm chips. That you can get essentially the same laptop as the higher tier model but with a more wallet-friendly Snapdragon X Plus, now, makes this an unbeatable value package. Buying on a tighter budget doesn't mean missing out on high-end features, which makes this budget model unbeatable in 2024.

See at: Amazon

HP Elitebook 1040 G10
Best Business Laptop of 2024

You may be surprised not to see Lenovo getting the best business laptop award this year, but that’s because HP’s redesigned EliteBook 1040 G11 nailed it for us (and me in particular). With its new smudge-free chassis, exceptionally lightweight build, built-in 5G, wonderful keyboard, top-tier webcam, solid battery life, and smooth curved design, this is one laptop that I kept grabbing for my trips due to its reliability and minimalist, clean design. The EliteBook 1040 proves HP’s EliteBook line still has some tricks up its sleeves, and we can’t wait to see what it does next.

See at: Amazon

BlueSky
Best Mobile App of 2024

BlueSky is a brand new platform that has been finding a place among the various Twitter (X) replacements of the past year. Unlike Threads which is backed by the mega corp Meta, BlueSky cut through the zeitgeist anyway and began making real inroads throughout the year. Algorithm-optional, the ad-free Bluesky aims to be a "healthier" social media alternative in a landscape that has become increasingly toxic and bot-laden in recent times.

See at: BlueSky

Copilot (Voice Mode)
Best Windows Feature of 2024

While cutting-edge AI models stay locked behind paywalls with other brands, Microsoft keeps Copilot up to date with useful features. Rather than engineering the perfect prompt, I find myself talking to Copilot on my phone and in the Edge sidebar, interacting with it more naturally. There are still improvements to come from some of its responses, but Copilot's customizable voice model is convincing enough to convince practically anyone to try it.

See at: Microsoft

Logitech MX Vertical Mouse
Best Mouse of 2024

The Logitech MX Vertical has been crowned the best mouse of 2024 thanks to an ergonomic design that promotes a natural hand position, reducing wrist strain and discomfort during extended use. Its smooth scrolling and precise tracking make it ideal for both professional and casual tasks, boasting a long-lasting rechargeable battery and customizable buttons to enhance user convenience and productivity. This combination of comfort, performance, and versatility has set a new standard for ergonomic mice this year. A stellar pick.

See at: Amazon

Adobe Photoshop CC 2024
Best Windows PC app of 2024

Despite a major focus on sophisticated generative AI that creates uncanny objects out of thin air, Adobe's 'Generative Fill' stands as the most useful image-editing tool for 2024. Now, we're skipping ultra-zoomed touch-ups and opting for this intelligent paint bucket instead, using its surroundings to quickly remove unwanted objects, blemishes, and other oddities in a flash.

In an industry obsessed with creating new imagery with artificial intelligence, Adobe has the edge in removing troublesome spots in busy photographs. It has sped up my workflow like nothing that came before it and is an example of how AI can do more than exclusively create bizarre creatures with extra fingers. Adobe promotes Gen AI in its entire suite, but Generative Fill is an unsung hero.

See at: Adobe