Upgrade Your Laptop

Aug 18, 2023

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Upgrade your laptop with these accessories to get more done on the go.

Your laptop is an essential tool for getting tasks done each day. Whether it's work, play, or connecting with others over the internet there's a lot this little computer is capable of. But manufacturers have cut down screen sizes and reduced connectivity almost exclusively to USB-C ports in a push towards smaller and lighter designs. Below are some accessories I’ve tested extensively over the past few months to restore desktop-like functionality to my mobile office while working from home and the road.

If you're used to a dual or ultrawide monitor setup in your office, you’ll find it damn near impossible to do your best work on the go. The average laptop screen size is a mere 14 inches—too cramped to effectively multitask across more than one app. Since my job requires me to juggle three windows at any given time, I’ve experimented with multiple portable monitors to expand my workspace. Often they’re too much of a burden to lug around or, worse, lack the picture quality needed to properly render text and images. The Xebec Tri-Screen 2 is a lightweight attachment that adds two sharp HD screens to your laptop's primary display. I’ve used it over the past four months to multitask while traveling between states and shuffling between rooms of my home.

This gadget slides over the lid of any laptop sized between 12 to 17 inches. Pull on either of the attachment's two tabs (located on opposite sides of your laptop's built-in screen) to reveal a sleek 10.1-inch monitor. Extend both screens out simultaneously and you instantly gain an extra 20-inches of real estate. The IPS panels create wide viewing angles so you can fully immerse yourself in your work. At its highest performance settings the Triscreen 2 is a 1080p workstation equipped with a smooth 60 Hertz refresh rate. Admittedly, I often bump the resolution down to 720p, which is still perfectly sharp but greatly increases the text size. That way I can easily glance over at messages, read a webpage, or enter data into a spreadsheet. I found the screens to look their best at 60 percent of their maximum brightness level—I can easily see them while I work in a a light flooded room, like our office's test lab which has floor to ceiling windows. Although colors aren't reference monitor accurate, the lifelike red and green hues paired with the sharpness create a high quality image that doesn't look artificially vibrant or washed out like similar products.

Xebec rectified the two biggest hurdles for attachable portable monitors: cable management and screen support. These types of portable monitors often stick to the lid of a laptop using either weak magnets or adhesive. You then pull the monitor out with a retractable sliding mechanism when you need it. This design relies on paper thin panels. In most cases, thinner is better, but these types of monitors often droop at an angle or waver with the slightest breeze of wind. Not only does the Triscreen 2 stand straight with an adjustable kickstand that keeps both screens rigidly locked in place, but it also has a full 180 degrees of screen rotation. Meanwhile its compact USB-C cables are just long enough to stretch across even a chunky 17-inch gaming laptop without any overhang or tangling. If your laptop doesn't support Thunderbolt connectivity, the included HDMI and USB connector is woven into a single cable so you don't have an unsightly nest of wires.

There are two hangups: The $500 price tag can be hard to justify and the Triscreen 2 eats into your USB ports to power the screens. While nothing can be done about the cost, you can expand your port selection with a solid USB-C hub like the model below. Ultimately no other dual-screen portable monitor is going to set up as easily, stand as straight, or provide as painless an experience as this option. Despite being easily removable, it's so light that I end up leaving it on my laptop when I throw it in a travel bag. Keeping everything as a single unit is incredibly convenient.

A good USB-C hub unlocks a whole new world of functionality from devices you already own. For example you can use a single USB-C port to turn your phone into a gaming system that connects to your TV or connect USB accessories like a microphone to a tablet. Now that laptops primarily rely on this type of connection, everyone should own at least one of these dongles. The first things I look for in a hub are that it has the type of ports I need with support for passthrough charging at a high wattage (preferably 65 watts or above). This means it’ll passively charge your laptop and provide connected devices like a webcam with enough power to work properly.

For my purposes the 100W Satechi Multiport Adapter USB-C offers the best balance of connectivity with performance. It has a solid variety of ports including USB-A, USB-C, and HDMI—just not a huge number of them. However its standout feature is a built-in M2 SSD slot that allows the hub to also act as an external SSD and expand your storage space. This helps you hold more media and game files and quickly transfer them between devices. I use this feature to exchange massive video and photo files between my work and personal computer. All of this comes in a body small enough to be left connected to your laptop at all times.

In addition to expanding your device's connectivity with other gadgets, this hub outputs video from the laptop to a monitor for a multi screen setup or casts content to a living room TV through an HDMI connection. You don't have to be a professional working across multiple devices t0 benefit from this model. If you’re looking to eek out a bit more from your laptop this is a handy tool to have on hand. The USB-A ports support USB 3.0 speeds, allowing you to transfer files up to 5 GBPS, while the HDMI port supports resolutions up to 4K at a smooth 60Hz for a sharp video signal.

Sure it's on the thicker side of all the USB-C hubs I’ve tested and it lacks an SD card reader, which isn't great for photographers or those who use gadgets that rely on these tiny cards. However, for everyday use, its excellent build quality has held up when beating around in my backpacks and pockets filled with sharp things like keys, knives, and charger prongs. Its premium metallic finish feels sturdy in your hand and dissipates heat well when fully loaded with accessories.

The trackpads built into today's laptops are miles better than they’ve been in years past. Unfortunately they’re still limited in scope and size. While it's fine for navigating the web, the compact two-button layout limits the productivity you have over each click. No mouse I’ve used offers the same level of control and speed as Logitech's MX Master 3. Its wide ergonomic grip prioritizes comfort and its customizable shortcut buttons help me get more work done in fewer clicks.

Admittedly, I’m usually a sucker for slim gaming peripherals with clicky buttons. My preferred mouse falls between the wired HyperX Pulsefire Haste while gaming and the Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro for work. The MX Master 3 is larger and curvier for more precision than these mice but still feels nimble and light. It lacks the pinky grip I appreciate on the Dark Core, but its textured palm and thumb rest fits comfortably in hands both small and large. You can use it for hours without strain and each drag offers a satisfying glide. Its wireless connectivity means it doesn't eat up a precious USB slot (unless you want to use the foolproof USB dongle included in the box over Bluetooth), and its extensive battery life makes it ideal for travel. Just one minute on the charger can give you three hours of battery life.

Sensitivity settings can be adjusted at a level between 200 and 8000 dots per linear inch (DPI) and makes moving the cursor feel incredibly snappy. But it's the customizable buttons that steal the show for setting shortcuts or media keys in apps. For example you can use the thumbwheel to scroll horizontally when working on programs with multiple tracks or an extensive timeline (think producing music or editing video). By setting your own actions to these buttons, you can knock out basic tasks like copy and paste in fractions of a second. In more advanced programs you can use these buttons to make cuts in a video editor or resize a tool in Photoshop. The MX Master's signature raised shape makes for tighter turns than you’d get with a standard, flatter mouse. This naturally guides your fingers towards the customizable thumb key and buttons. Just above those rests the scroller which has a premium metal feel and the ability to ratchet scroll through entire page sections.

While I’ve gravitated towards flashier designs in the past, it is nice to go almost one full month without having to charge the mouse. RGB lights tend to drain battery life in about a week with other wireless models I’ve used. Although the key presses are quiet, they feel tactile enough whether I’m working or gaming. And because it has the ability to connect to three devices at once I can switch between my Windows PC and Mac with the flip of a switch at the bottom of the mouse. Install Logitech's Flow software and you can seamlessly move the mouse cursor between multiple computer systems without switching profiles entirely.

The AirPods Pro 2 are one of the best wireless earbuds we’ve tested, with rich sound and strong active noise cancellation that justifies their $250 price. I use these in my office, at home, and while traveling.

These buds tuck away into a compact 2-inch charging case for up to 30 hours of listening time or about five full charges throughout the day (the AirPods last an impressive six hours). The case takes up less room than a pack of gum, so it fits into a pocket or small bag easily—unlike a set of overhead cans. Since this case uses Apple's MagSafe standard, it can be charged wirelessly or via your iPhone's Lightning cable. Although they have more features when paired with other Apple devices (such as spatial audio and one-tap pairing or handoffs), they play well with my other devices.

Connected my Windows gaming laptop or Android tablet over a Bluetooth 5.0 connection, these headphones still provided a near flawless sound and active noise cancellation to minimize distractions. And when I need to be aware of my surroundings, the standout adaptive transparency mode lets in the environment just by pressing on the AirPods stem. The built-in microphones detect and boost external noises like footsteps and traffic, while canceling out unwanted noises like power tools at a construction site or passing sirens.

Sound quality on this new generation of AirPods Pro has drastically improved from its predecessor. With a redesigned amplifier and driver, these earbuds deliver deeper bass and crisp highs. The soundstage is also noticeably wider, which makes it easy to distinguish where noise is coming from as well as make out different instruments and vocals in a song. You’ll also find new customizable silicone ear tips in the box which come in three different size options to create an optimal seal. You should definitely spend the five or so minutes it takes to find the perfect fit for your ear, as this makes the AirPods more comfortable to wear for extended periods and helps improve the noise cancellation.

While the $70 Logitech C920S remains the king of affordable HD webcams, Razer's DSLR-like Kiyo Pro Ultra webcam is the best 4K option we’ve tested. Its large sensor and field of view captures more light and view of your space to create a professional look that hasn't been matched by the competition. Whether you’re creating video content or taking video calls, you’ll look your best with a razor sharp focus and vibrant colors boosted by the advanced high dynamic range image processing.

At $299, it's not cheap, but it employs new technologies to compensate for flaws like lens distortion and poorly lit rooms. The end result is a much higher quality image. Most of the real control is locked behind the Razer Synapse Windows App. There are tabs for the camera view itself (zoom, pan, tilt), exposure (with options for manual adjustments and desired metering), and focus. If you’re not happy with what you see, you can go in and extensively tweak the brightness and color grading settings. While this camera still looked great on the MacBook I use for work, I wish it had the granular level of control found in the Windows Synapse app.

Both Logitech and Dell have dipped a foot into 4K webcams over the years but haven't made as drastic of a case for creators to shift to such a high resolution. Razer's unique cinematic look finally does. You can see the quality for yourself in the selfies above which I shot seconds apart. There's no noise, blur, or distortion of my face while the impressive autofocus’ strong bokeh effect helps my body stand out sharply from the mess of my testing space. The natural lighting from my loft's window is absorbed by the sensor and enhances the overall colors. The neon yellow and green on the blurry Fast & Furious machine in the background looks more true to life. Yes, the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra is pricey and looks big on your laptop, but no other webcam comes close to it if you’re serious about streaming, creating video, or presenting to coworkers.

Hunter Fenollol, our resident expert of all things consumer tech, from smart home to VR gaming headsets, has years of knowledge creating product explainers, in-depth reviews, and buying guides to help you get the most from the latest electronics. Throughout college, he covered and reviewed the latest gadget releases for sites like Tom's Guide, Laptop Magazine, and CNN Underscored. If he's not elbow-deep in the latest hardware, you can find Hunter at one of Long Island's many beaches, in Manhattan, or gambling away his paycheck.

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