March was an exciting month for new product releases, as we got a closer look at a few devices that were announced and previewed at CES 2024 earlier this year. In total, XDA reviewed over 40 products this month, from niche networking equipment to mainstream laptops and midrange phones. There were products we knew about, such as Asus’ Zenbook Duo, and surprises like Apple’s M3 MacBook Air. We won’t blame you if you missed anything, so we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best products we had on our reviews desk in March 2024. These are the best of the best, so you can buy them knowing you’re getting your money’s worth and excellent performance in the products’ respective categories.
Best of CES 2024: Our favorite products from the biggest tech show of the year
There was plenty of tech to love at CES 2024, but only a few products can be considered the best
10 EnGenius ESC1112FP
An excellent cloud management switch for advanced networking needs
It’s niche, sure, but the EnGenius ESC1112FB is an 8-port networking switch for power users and business professionals. Aside from the eight 1Gb RJ45 ports, the EnGenius ESC1112FB also features four ports that support a 1Gb uplink interface each, as well as 130W of power over Ethernet. You can mount it on any surface or inside a server, which makes it more positioned for enthusiasts or business owners. There are software features like a managed cloud platform, too. This switch costs much more than budget alternatives, but Rich Edmonds, our lead PC hardware editor, still recommends it to “create a network requiring more advanced infrastructure.”
EnGenius ECS1112FP
The EnGenius ESC1112FP is an 8-port networking switch with a PoE capacity of 130W and four uplink connections for creating a robust and reliable network. The cloud platform for managing the switch and other aspects of the LAN is among the best in the business.
9 Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360 A-RGB
A great AIO cooler with RGB and a competitive price
Arctic’s new Liquid Freezer III is the company’s follow-up to the Liquid Freezer II lineup, and it features a variety of configurations. We tested the 360mm A-RGB version, but you can choose alternatives that better suit your preferred radiator size and number of fans. In our review, we found that the Liquid Freezer III is a great option for people who need an AIO liquid cooler for a powerful processor. This cooling system features a VRM fan, which helps lower temperatures during sustained loads and makes your PC more stable overall. Plus, the all-white design and RGB elements make the Liquid Freezer III visually stunning. It also comes in at a great price, retailing between $125 and $160, depending on size.
Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360 A-RGB
$108 $150 Save $42
The successor to the Arctic Liquid Freezer II is an excellent AIO liquid-cooling kit with larger radiators, improved performance, and a similar affordable price. The Liquid Freezer III is everything you need for a capable gaming rig with the latest AMD or Intel processors.
8 be quiet! Pure Power 12 M
A great-value PSU with full ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0 support
Next up is the be quiet! Pure Power 12 M, which is a great-value power supply that serves as a successor to the fan-favorite be quiet! Pure Power 11. We reviewed the 850W version of the Pure Power 12 M, but it comes in many more variants. Our lead PC hardware editor built a PC using the Pure Power 12 M, and found it to be sufficient for use in more capable gaming PCs. In part, this is due to full support for the Intel ATX 3.0 standard as well as PCIe 5.0. If you’re looking for a power supply that can handle a lot while still remaining reliable, the be quiet! Pure Power 12 M is a great option.
be quiet Pure Power 12 M
The be quiet! Pure Power 12 M is a series of reliable power supplies with an 80 Plus Gold efficiency rating, two powerful 12V rails, a capacity of up to 1200W, and full support for ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0.
7 Mobapad M6 HD
They’re the “ultimate Joy-Con alternatives” for Nintendo Switch users
The Nintendo Switch is a solid handheld for many reasons, but the device’s hardware is rarely at the top of that list. In fact, it pales in comparison to some of the best PC gaming handhelds that have come out recently. Well, you can make your Switch one step closer to those devices by swapping out your native Joy-Cons for the Mobapad M6 HD. XDA editor João Carrasqueira called it the “ultimate controller,” since it retains most Nintendo features while improving ergonomics. It has amiibo support, HD rumble, and motion controls, but IR camera support is notably missing. Still, Nintendo Switch die-hards should consider the Mobapad M6 HD, since it’s the best controller for that device in a lot of ways.
Mobapad M6 HD
The Mobapad M6 HD are the ultimate Joy-Con alternative, and essentially unrivaled in terms of quality and feature set when it comes to Switch controllers. They’re not perfect, but they’re probably the best controllers you can get for the Switch if you care about comfort.
Our lead PC hardware editor calls it his “new all-time favorite mouse”
Keychron is known for its impressive peripherals, but you usually notice their prowess with mechanical keyboards rather than mice. Even still, the Keychron M3 Mini 4K Metal Edition manages to be one of the best mice you can buy. It’s available for around $100, which is fair for a pointing device of this caliber. It has a neat design and is made of a magnesium alloy, meaning that it’ll feel sturdy and light. You can use it with the included 2.4GHz USB receiver, a USB-C cable, or Bluetooth. It’s also customizable, and you can set the PixArt 3395 sensor anywhere between 100 and 26,000 DPI based on your preferences. Oh, and if you’re a Keychron fan, you might appreciate that the USB receiver is a mini Keychron keyboard.
Keychron M3 Mini 4K Metal Edition
The Kychron M3 Mini 4K Metal Edition is a magnesium version of the M3 Mini with a 4K polling rate, PixArt 3395 sensor, lightweight design, and full 2.4 GHz wireless support. Designed for work and play, there’s very little this Keychron mouse can’t do, outside of countless MMO button reprogramming.
5 BenQ ScreenBar Halo
Fixing bad lighting can be one of the best ways to improve productivity at your desk, and you don’t have to clutter it with a desk lamp to do it. BenQ has been making monitor light bars for a while, and the BenQ ScreenBar Halo is the most feature-rich one yet. It includes two lights, which is something that most light bars don’t offer. One throws light away from the back of your monitor to equalize the lighting environment, and your eyes will thank you for that. The main light pushes light forward, away from your monitor, to prevent reflections off the display. There’s also the wireless dial that can be used to adjust things like color temperature, brightness, and automatic settings. At nearly $200, it’s expensive, but it’s a good value for people who value excellent lighting.
BenQ ScreenBar Halo
BenQ’s ScreenBar Halo is a premium light bar perfect for just about anybody. It’s USB-powered, has a wireless controller, is compatible with curved monitors, features an integrated backlight, and even comes with three eye-care modes to find the most comfortable lighting for you. If you need a full-featured light bar, this is it.
4 Miyoo Mini+
A tiny retro gaming handheld that will fit in your pocket
When you think of a gaming handheld, an image of a Steam Deck or Asus ROG Ally probably comes to mind. While the Miyoo Mini+ isn’t like those PC gaming handhelds, it’s still a fun and compact way to play retro games on the go. The overall build is plastic, save for a glass screen, and semi-transparent. On the inside, it’s powered by a single-board computer and is capable of emulating games from a variety of old consoles. In terms of size, it’s comparable to a deck of cards or a GameBoy, so it’s more than popular. At $100, it’s our top pick for people who want to play retro games on the go.
Miyoo Mini Plus
About the size of a deck of cards (or a Game Boy), this portable from Miyoo will slip easily into your pocket and be able to handle emulating a huge ton of retro games. What’s more is that this is the cheapest portable on the list, making it an easy buy for those who might be interested.
3 Asus Zenbook Duo
A great dual-screen laptop with an Intel Core Ultra process
Lenovo impressed us with the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i last year, which is a dual-screen laptop that actually made sense for some people. Now, Asus has the Zenbook Duo (2024) as a competitor, which appears to be a more polished and consumer-friendly version of that device. For one, the detachable keyboard with an integrated trackpad makes the Zenbook Duo feel much more like a typical laptop than other dual-screen options. It also uses the Intel Core Ultra platform, which is more efficient than older Intel chipsets.
5 reasons why dual-screen laptops are ideal for professionals and multitaskers
It’s hard to deny how useful a dual-screen laptops can be, and I foresee a bright future for the form factor.
While it isn’t the most powerful laptop on the market, having a second display makes a huge difference in terms of productivity. “This is the laptop for anyone who has ever wished for a second screen wherever they go, and I’m truly impressed at how well the product comes together as a whole,” according to XDA editor Cale Hunt.
Asus Zenbook Duo (2024)
With Core Ultra processors, lots of storage, up to 32GB of RAM, and an OLED display, not only is the Zenbook Duo a fascinating convertible machine with two screens, but it’s a powerful, capable laptop in its own right. If you’re looking for something premium and exciting, the Zenbook Duo is worth a look.
2 Maingear MG-1
A pre-built gaming PC with the quality and detail of a custom build
If you need a gaming PC that feels like it was built from scratch yourself, but don’t want to actually build it, the Maingear MG-1 is the pre-built system you should buy. Compared to many of the poorly-received pre-built gaming PCs out there, the Maingear MG-1 is a cut above. Our review unit had a 14th Gen Intel Core i9-14900K processor (CPU), Nvidia RTX 4080 Super graphics card (GPU), DDR5-6000MHz RAM, and an M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe solid-state drive (SSD), and retails for $3,349. XDA editor Cale Hunt says “it’s put together as good as or better than I’d do if I was assembling myself, and it’s fairly competitive when it comes to pricing compared to a DIY build.” Each PC is built to your exact specification, so the attention to detail is there, and the Maingear case at the center of the setup is great.
Maingear MG-1
Maingear’s MG-1 Legendary is a custom prebuilt gaming PC packed with high-end performance hardware, stellar cable management, and without bloatware or other unnecessary software. You will pay more compared to building yourself, but the warranty, customer support, and quality craftsmanship should make up the difference.
1 M3 MacBook Air
An already-great laptop gets supercharged with M3, WiFi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3
The M2 MacBook Air immediately became one of the best thin-and-light laptops out there when it was released back in 2022, and Apple’s minor M3 refresh improves on that. There isn’t a design refresh or even new colors on the M3 MacBook Air, but it obviously includes the M3 system-on-a-chip. Compared to M2, the M3 SoC is much more powerful in graphical improvements, and that’s on top of overall performance gains. The M3 MacBook Air also includes Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 for better connectivity, and the Midnight colorway finally won’t be as much of a fingerprint magnet. Since Apple didn’t raise the price of the MacBook Air after the M3 refresh, it’s safe to say that the best MacBook for most people just got better.
MacBook Air M3 15-inch
Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Air gets the silicon upgrade to M3, which has an improved neural engine for AI tasks, as well as increased power efficiency.
The final say
These products stood out as the best in their respective categories in March 2024, but that doesn’t mean they’re perfect for everyone. It all depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re eyeing a mainstream laptop and are fine with using macOS Sonoma, the M3 MacBook Air is one of the greatest thin-and-light laptops ever. For people craving productivity on the go, the Asus Zenbook Duo gives you two screens in a polished form factor. There’s also the Maingear MG1 for people that want the quality of a custom gaming PC without the hassle of building it themselves. Then, there are the assortment of PC hardware components, accessories, and other products. If these products don’t appeal to you, stay tuned, because there are plenty more in store for April.
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