TOPGRO 16" S1, Core i9-9980HK, 32GB, 1TB SSD, 1650, Silver

The TOPGRO S1 pairs a still-capable i9-9980HK with a dated GTX 1650, making it a productivity workhorse first and a gaming laptop second. The 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD are the real highlights, while the 60Hz display and weak GPU hold it back. If you need a budget-friendly work machine with light gaming on the side, it's worth a look. If you want to play modern titles, keep scrolling.

The i9-9980HK still has some fight in it. Eight cores and 16 threads at up to 5.0GHz will chew through productivity tasks, video editing, and multitasking without breaking a sweat. The 32GB of DDR4 is plenty for heavy browser tab hoarders and VM enthusiasts alike. But the GTX 1650 with 4GB of VRAM is the bottleneck. It'll handle esports titles and older AAA games at medium settings, but newer games will choke. Our database puts the CPU at a middling 42nd percentile, while the GPU sits at a stronger 70th. That mismatch tells the story: this is a workhorse with a casual gaming side, not a gaming beast.

Stacked against the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 or HP OMEN Transcend 14, the TOPGRO S1 gets smoked in gaming performance. Those machines pack current-gen GPUs and high-refresh displays. The MacBook Pro M4 Max is in a completely different universe for creator work. But the S1's 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD compare favorably to entry-level configs of those competitors, which often ship with 16GB and 512GB. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and MSI Raider are both heavier and more expensive, but they'll actually run modern games. The S1's niche is budget productivity with light gaming on the side.

Without a listed price, it's hard to nail down the value proposition. But the spec sheet suggests this is aimed at budget-conscious buyers who want a lot of RAM and storage without paying for a current-gen GPU. The 4.8-star customer rating from 11 reviews suggests owners feel they got their money's worth. If this lands under $700, it's a solid deal for a productivity machine. If it's priced like a modern gaming laptop, you're overpaying for old silicon.

The TOPGRO S1 is a bit of an odd duck. You've got a 2019-era Core i9-9980HK paired with a GTX 1650, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB NVMe drive. That CPU was a monster in its day, and the RAM and storage are generous, but the GPU is entry-level by today's standards. It's a business laptop wearing a gaming laptop's jacket.

The 16-inch display runs at 2560x1600, which is nice and sharp, but it's capped at 60Hz. For a machine marketed as a gaming laptop, that's a compromise. The 1.75kg weight is reasonable for a 16-incher, and Wi-Fi 6 plus a backlit keyboard round out a decent package. Just don't expect it to hang with modern gaming rigs.

Skip this if you're serious about gaming. The GTX 1650 and 60Hz display will leave you frustrated with anything beyond esports titles. Also skip it if you need rock-solid reliability, our database puts this machine near the bottom of the pack for dependability, and the brand is relatively unknown. If you need a laptop that can handle modern games or heavy GPU workloads, save up for something with at least an RTX 4060.

Buy this if you need a Windows 11 Pro machine with lots of RAM and storage for work, school, or content creation, and you only dabble in older or esports games. The i9-9980HK is still capable, and the 32GB of RAM future-proofs you for years of multitasking. Just plug it in when you game, and keep your expectations for graphics settings in check.