Here at PCMag, we've tested thousands of laptops since our lab's founding more than 40 years ago. Our analysts and editors have more than a collective century of experience telling the good laptops from the great ones. We test more than 100 models every year to determine the best laptop overall. We also rank winners in various subcategories, such as gaming laptops, work laptops, budget laptops, Chromebooks, and MacBooks. We test all models for CPU and graphics performance using rigorous, repeatable benchmark tests, and we evaluate design, usability, connectivity, and—most important!—value. Our current best laptop for most people is the 14-inch HP OmniBook 5, a stellar-value OLED notebook with incredible 34-hour battery life, but we have plenty more tested, vetted recommendations. Read on to see all our picks, compare their specs, and get down-to-earth buying advice for nailing down the best laptop for you.
Overview
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Best Laptop for Most PeopleHP OmniBook 5 14
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Best MacBook for Most PeopleApple MacBook Air 13-Inch (2025, M4)
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Best Budget LaptopAcer Aspire 3 (A315-24P)
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Best Ultraportable LaptopDell XPS 14 (2026)
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Best Desktop Replacement LaptopFramework Laptop 16 (2025)
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Best Gaming LaptopMSI Raider 18 HX AI
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Best Content Creation LaptopApple MacBook Pro 14-Inch (2025, M5)
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Best Budget Gaming LaptopMSI Katana 15 HX
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Best Business LaptopLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition
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Best ChromebookAcer Chromebook Plus Spin 714
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Best Convertible 2-in-1 LaptopLenovo Yoga 9i Gen 10 Aura Edition
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Best 2-in-1 Detachable LaptopAsus ProArt PZ13
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Best Workstation LaptopDell Pro Max 18 Plus
You Can Trust Our Reviews
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
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Best Laptop for Most PeopleHP OmniBook 5 14
Pros & Cons
HP’s OmniBook 5 laptop swoops in right to the top of our laptop list, with epic battery life, peppy performance, and a brilliant screen for well less than $1,000 at its starting price. HP’s Qualcomm Snapdragon-based portable laptop is a superbly screened, long-lasting steal—just make sure your favorite apps are compatible before buying.
Why We Picked It
Design: Essentially, the OmniBook is a silver sliver with a clean look. The laptop is just light enough to qualify as an ultraportable, and it features a full-metal frame and a soft-touch plastic keyboard deck. HP fit the OmniBook with a 1080p webcam with infrared sensing for biometric logins and a privacy shutter. Of course, you won’t see Thunderbolt 4 ports here without an Intel chip inside, but at least they’re versatile USB-C connections.
Display: HP made some measured decisions to optimize the OmniBook 5 display for performance and price, offering a 1200p OLED panel without touch (though it’s optional) and a 60Hz refresh rate. It’s basic in sharpness and speed, but super-premium in color coverage.
Performance: In terms of speed, the OmniBook 5 is firmly midrange, designed more for longevity than performance. Regardless, this laptop will easily handle homework, paying bills, and web browsing. It’s just not your go-to video editing or gaming rig. The OmniBook 5 is a laptop designed for most people, not edge cases like content creation or gaming.
Battery life: Here’s where the OmniBook 5 distinguishes itself from every other laptop on this list: more than 34 hours of battery life. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X laptop processors are highly efficient, confirmed by our battery testing. Expect this laptop to last well more than a full workday off the charger.
Value for money: The OmniBook 5 maintains a healthy focus on value with an approachable starting price, further enhanced by frequent sales on HP's own web store. We’ve seen it for as low as $699.99, which is quickly approaching traditional budget-laptop pricing—that’s a steal for what this laptop is capable of.
Who It's For
Casual computer users: With a midrange processor inside designed to run battery-efficient, the OmniBook 5 is ideal for general audiences who just need a laptop for the most basic tasks. This laptop is perfectly optimized for managing home finances, web browsing, and even basic photo editing.
Kids in school: This laptop is a fine fit for students of almost all ages. It’s affordable for what it includes, elevating basic homework at virtually any grade level. The OLED screen will enhance all visuals, and the laptop’s webcam is ready for remote learning.
AI early adopters: The HP OmniBook 5 is also, importantly, a Microsoft Copilot+ PC, meaning its processor has the AI hardware needed to power the full complement of Windows 11 Copilot AI features. These include full chatbot models, text editing and generation, and video call enhancements.
Specs & Configurations
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) 1 Boot Drive Type SSD Class Ultraportable Dimensions (HWD) 0.6 by 12.3 by 8.6 inches Graphics Processor Qualcomm Adreno X1-45 Native Display Resolution 1920 by 1200 Operating System Windows 11 Panel Technology OLED Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (X1P-42-100) RAM (as Tested) 32 Screen Refresh Rate 60 Screen Size 14 Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) 34:48 Variable Refresh Support None Weight 2.98 Wireless Networking Bluetooth 5.3 Wireless Networking Wi-Fi 6E Learn More HP OmniBook 5 14 Review -
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Best MacBook for Most PeopleApple MacBook Air 13-Inch (2025, M4)
Pros & Cons
The best MacBook for most people continues to be the easiest call to make in this buying guide. Apple's 2025 MacBook Air is budget-friendlier than before, returning to a three-digit starting price. Meanwhile, its M4 processor update preserves the core Mac experience and introduces advanced AI capabilities. Aside from gaining the MacBook Pro's improved 12-megapixel Center Stage camera, nothing else has changed about the Air this year. You get the same sharp LCD screen, sublime keyboard, and large trackpad as before. The 13-inch MacBook Air remains a benchmark to which other ultraportable laptops aspire.
Why We Picked It
Design: Apple's laptops have led the design charge for 20 years, though the latest MacBook Air carries that torch without doing much new. This year's model still measures just 0.44 inch thick and weighs a feathery 2.7 pounds. Of course, the laptop still has just two Thunderbolt 4 ports. While still an impressive exterior, this is perhaps the least exciting part of the 2025 MacBook Air update.
Display: Apple's pride in its display technology shows in how much mileage it draws out of each revision. This year's MacBook Air has the same 13.6-inch, 2,560-by-1,664-pixel, 16:10 LCD Liquid Retina screen. The panel hasn't changed a bit with this model, so expect the screen to hit around 363 nits of brightness while covering 100% of the sRGB and 95% of the DCI-P3 color gamuts. True Tone also returns, adapting the screen's color temperature to ambient light on the fly.
Performance: The MacBook Air's new M4 processor still drives competitive speeds compared with laptops in its class, and it continues to punch above its weight in demanding tasks like Photoshop. Always look to a MacBook Pro for a dedicated content-creation machine, but the Air will easily handle the odd photo touch-up or video render. M4 also supports Apple's second-generation ray-tracing techniques, so Mac gaming got a slight boost, too.
Battery life: While we saw a generational decline, Apple's featherweight laptop line was still impressive in terms of battery life, at 19 hours and 56 minutes, in our rundown test. Nearly 20 hours will get you quite far, but some competitors outlasted it by several hours.
Value for money: This generation's Air laptop is the most value-packed new MacBook in a while. Thanks to a $100 price cut, it has finally returned to a $999 starting price. Increasing the starting memory capacity to 16GB also makes upgrades to the storage, GPU, or memory more approachable.
Who It’s For
Apple die-hards: If you already own an iPhone or an iPad and want to stay within Apple's ecosystem, or you've been an Apple fan for some time, then this decision was already made for you. While Apple's macOS was already deeply integrated with those devices, the Sequoia update brings full iPhone Mirroring, giving you complete digital access to your iPhone from your Mac desktop.
College students: It's easy to deduce why you see so many MacBooks on college campuses. They're reliable, sturdy, and robust computers with excellent inputs and versatile connection options. You'll often hear of MacBook Air models lasting throughout an undergraduate's tenure. While you have to get used to macOS if you're not already familiar with it, some fields of study (particularly media, design, and the humanities) lean on Macs to get students through coursework.
Specs & Configurations
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) 512 Boot Drive Type SSD Class Ultraportable Dimensions (HWD) 0.44 by 12.0 by 8.5 inches Graphics Processor Apple M4 (10-core) Native Display Resolution 2560 by 1664 Operating System Apple macOS Sequoia Panel Technology LED Processor Apple M4 RAM (as Tested) 16 Screen Refresh Rate 60 Screen Size 13.3 Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) 19:56 Variable Refresh Support None Weight 2.7 Wireless Networking Bluetooth 5.3 Wireless Networking Wi-Fi 6E Learn More Apple MacBook Air 13-Inch (2025, M4) Review -
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Best Budget LaptopAcer Aspire 3 (A315-24P)
Pros & Cons
It's well known that bargain-priced laptops are often riddled with compromises, and while this Acer Aspire 3 isn't exempt from those, we've ranked it as the for how it presents relatively few. We especially appreciate this notebook's lengthy battery life, decent keyboard, and reliable performance for basic tasks. You won't get a dazzling display or flashy design, but budget-strapped buyers or parents shopping for their young kids will be well served by this Aspire model.
best budget laptopWhy We Picked It
Design: This 15-inch Aspire model is a sub-$500 laptop, so you shouldn't expect much design flair. It covers the essentials, including a keyboard that makes for fast typing paired with a numeric keypad that's often missing from 15-inch models. The laptop also features rubber pads on the bottom of the base for added stability. Of course, what you're after at this price is the basics.
Display: Likewise, Acer's Aspire display covers the basics required by a screen at this price: full HD resolution and decent brightness for the price, which is helped by an anti-glare finish for improved legibility in bright settings. Of course, this laptop doesn't cover 100% of any of the three color palettes or gamuts we test for, not that you should expect that this far south of 500 bucks.
Performance: Within its class, this Aspire model produced decent performance numbers in our benchmark tests. While it won no contests, it wasn't completely blown out, either. We found the Aspire to get by just fine through basic computing tasks such as word processing and web browsing, but we wouldn't recommend pushing it much further with multimedia content creation or gaming.Battery life: This is a high point for the Aspire, which lasted longer than any of the laptops we compared it with in our review at 16 hours and 46 minutes. That's likely thanks to its lower-power processor and relatively dim display when set to the 50% brightness we use for our battery rundown test. Regardless, this laptop is a marathon runner.
Value for money: Here's where the Acer Aspire 3 excels—almost purely because of its bargain-bin price. With a list price just under $400, we've seen it dip below $300 since our review. You won't find many 15-inch laptops with 16-hour battery life for that little, not to mention one with up-to-date Wi-Fi and reliable everyday performance.
Who It’s For
Budget-strapped buyers: Naturally, this is a first stop for anyone who's hard up for cash. Priced well south of $500 and sometimes seen for less than $300, the Acer Aspire 3 is about as low as Windows laptops go in terms of cost. However, it doesn't short-shrift budget buyers, especially on battery life and up-to-date connectivity.
Jack or Jill's first laptop: Due to its low price and, therefore, a lower level of investment in the event of accidental (i.e., careless) damage, this Aspire model is ideal as your kid's first laptop, particularly for elementary school workloads. Your kiddos also won't be punished for forgetting to charge the laptop with such long battery life.
Specs & Configurations
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) 128 Boot Drive Type SSD Class Budget Dimensions (HWD) 0.75 by 14.3 by 9.4 inches Graphics Processor AMD Radeon Graphics Native Display Resolution 1920 by 1080 Operating System Windows 11 Home Panel Technology IPS Processor AMD Ryzen 3 7320U Processor Speed 2.4 RAM (as Tested) 8 Screen Refresh Rate 60 Screen Size 15.6 Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) 16:46 Variable Refresh Support None Weight 3.77 Wireless Networking 802.11ax Wireless Networking Bluetooth 5.2 Learn More Acer Aspire 3 (A315-24P) Review -
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Best Ultraportable LaptopDell XPS 14 (2026)
Pros & Cons
Dell revived the XPS brand after a year's hiatus, and its comeback was a massive one. The new XPS 14, especially its higher-end configurations, takes the cake as the best ultraportable laptop we’ve tested since Lenovo’s . In its revision, Dell crafted a thin-and-light machine that exudes premium style reminiscent of the MacBook Pro, with competitive performance from an Intel Core Ultra X7 chip in our tested build. The optional OLED screen sweetens the deal even further, and it’s a long-lasting laptop, to boot.
ThinkPad X9 14 Aura EditionWhy We Picked It
Design: The XPS 14 refined Dell’s leading laptop design into something much more comparable and competitive with the MacBook Pro while maintaining its own identity. The most critical design revisions include a more traditional keyboard layout that ditches the capacitive touch keys, and a new touchpad with defined edges. Both are significant quality-of-life improvements.
Display: Dell sells the XPS 14 with two different display options. One is a 1200p LCD panel without touch control but featuring a 1Hz-to-120Hz variable refresh rate, which maximizes power savings by minimizing the refresh rate when viewing still content. The other is a glitzy 1800p OLED touch screen with a similar 120Hz refresh rate but less range and excellent color coverage. We prefer the sharper and colorful screen, but always welcome choice.
Performance: This is where the XPS 14 begins to pull ahead of the rest, thanks in no small part to one of Intel’s new Core Ultra X7 chips. These new "Panther Lake" processors have much-improved Intel Arc graphics units on board that even keep pace with the M5 graphics chip inside the MacBook Pro. Running on that engine, the XPS 14 is a capable content creator and pinch-hit gamer.
Battery life: Despite the muscular CPU, the Core Ultra X7 CPU can be a power-sipper when it needs to be. The XPS 14 lasted 21 hours in our battery rundown test, suggesting it will easily endure a full workday on a single charge. This result was from the sharper OLED model, so the entry-level models may last even longer.
Value for money: This is where the adage “you get what you pay for” applies. The XPS 14 is expensive, full stop, but it’s also one of the highest-quality builds we’ve seen from a Windows laptop to date. Dell has worked hard to build up the XPS brand to command the prices it does, and it shows in the product. However, you’ll pay a premium to enjoy Dell’s work.
Who It's For
Power-using commuters: This 3-pound laptop is well-suited to people who travel or commute often but still need a touch of power. Dell’s XPS 14 qualifies as an ultraportable while delivering highly competitive performance across the board.
Screen snobs: With the XPS 14, Dell’s 1800p OLED touch-screen option is a no-brainer for people who prioritize a pristine panel. This screen aced nearly all of our color gamut testing and shone more than brightly enough for varied use.
Specs & Configurations
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) 1 Boot Drive Type SSD Class Ultraportable Dimensions (HWD) 0.58 by 12.2 by 8.3 inches Graphics Processor Intel Arc B390 Native Display Resolution 2880 by 1800 Operating System Windows 11 Home Panel Technology OLED Processor Intel Core Ultra X7 358H RAM (as Tested) 32 Screen Refresh Rate 120 Screen Size 14 Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) 21:02 Touch Screen Variable Refresh Support None Weight 3 Wireless Networking Bluetooth 5.4 Wireless Networking Wi-Fi 7 Learn More Dell XPS 14 (2026) Review -
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Best Desktop Replacement LaptopFramework Laptop 16 (2025)
Pros & Cons
The Framework's latest 16-inch laptop builds upon what the original achieved and significantly elevates it. The system hasn't undergone significant changes in chassis design, but the new components made available have significantly elevated its performance, particularly in gaming and content creation. Not only is it the overall desktop replacement to beat, earning our Editors' Choice award, but the Framework Laptop 16 is a dream machine for DIY types. Plus, if you're not interested in building one, you can buy a pre-assembled model.
Why We Picked It
Design: The 16-inch Framework design remains largely unchanged from the previous generation, which is just fine. Framework has made every consideration in its laptop design, allowing you to upgrade nearly every important part individually, including the screen. (You can even replace the bezels around it.) It's not a luxurious-looking system, but it's eminently practical, customizable, and consumer-friendly.
Display: Framework has significantly upgraded its screen technology to keep pace with the new components inside, adding Nvidia G-Sync for automated refresh rate management up to 165Hz. It's a 1600p IPS panel that won't compare with OLED, but it achieved super-competitive color coverage in our display testing, as well as nearly 490 nits of maximum brightness.
Performance: This laptop isn't just a dazzling DIY desktop replacement; the Framework 16 proved to be one of the most potent 16-inchers we've tested recently. With a high-end AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, and a powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics chip in the removable rear module, this laptop aced our benchmarks—even the gaming ones at 1600p.
Battery life: This is where the Framework 16 falls behind the competition, lasting barely more than 7 hours on our battery rundown test. While it's far off the mark that competing systems hit, the screen's high screen brightness at the 50% level we use for testing might have worked against the laptop. If you can work on the Framework 16 at less than 50% brightness, you can expect increased longevity.
Value for money: Value is the name of Framework's game, and it plays that game better than any laptop maker in the industry. Framework's dedication to DIY modular design enables individualized upgrades and repairs to nearly every component and part. This means you can live with the same Framework 16 indefinitely, upgrading parts piecemeal as they come. No more replacing your whole laptop for a better CPU.
Who It's For
Desktop replacement shoppers: This is the leading laptop for shoppers replacing an aging or broken desktop. Regardless of whether you're into the Framework 16's DIY design, you will be interested in this laptop's screen quality and silicon performance. In both areas, the Framework 16 clashes with luxury systems that are nowhere near as easy to tweak or repair, instead requiring you to buy an entirely new laptop when it's time for an upgrade.
DIY enthusiasts and PC builders: This is the ultimate laptop for people who enjoy building PCs and getting hands on with their hardware. Framework sells its new 16-incher in a DIY edition that comes with the parts you order completely unassembled—you can even skip getting a preloaded operating system and install your own (likely Linux). If you want to build a laptop nearly from scratch, this is as close as you'll get.
Specs & Configurations
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) 1 Boot Drive Type SSD Class Desktop Replacement Dimensions (HWD) 0.82 by 14 by 11.4 inches Graphics Memory 8 Graphics Processor Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU Native Display Resolution 2,560 by 1,600 Operating System Windows 11 Panel Technology IPS Processor AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 RAM (as Tested) 32 Screen Refresh Rate 165 Screen Size 16 Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) 7:04 Variable Refresh Support G-Sync Weight 5.29 Wireless Networking Wi-Fi 7 Learn More Framework Laptop 16 (2025) Review -
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Best Gaming LaptopMSI Raider 18 HX AI
Pros & Cons
For most people, the MSI Raider 18 HX AI breaks the price ceiling and keeps soaring into the stratosphere, but that's what it takes to be the best of the best in terms of power and premium parts. The latest 18-inch Raider earned our Editors' Choice award for big-screen gaming laptops, the best in its class that we've tested so far in this hardware generation. We love it for its breathtaking 4K mini-LED display, Thunderbolt 5 support, Wi-Fi 7 radio, and PCI Express 5.0 storage—and that's before even getting to the top-end CPU and GPU combo.
Why We Picked It
Design: The Raider is all about size and stature. With a giant 18-inch screen and weighing a ponderous 7.94 pounds, this laptop isn't designed to go much of anywhere. Instead, it's a desktop replacement through and through. This large design allows for several ports, including Thunderbolt 5, as well as substantial cooling to keep its top-end components from overheating during play.
Display: This is one of the stars of MSI's show: the 18-inch mini-LED screen with a super-sharp 3,840-by-2,400-pixel resolution and speedy 120Hz refresh rate. It's a regular Rolls-Royce of gaming displays. The screen includes Nvidia G-Sync so that the screen redraws and the GPU frame rate will always match, at up to 120 frames per second.
Performance: Surprising no one, the Raider is an absolute beast at any task you throw at it, short of super-specific workstation applications. It more than doubled the baseline in the PCMark 10 test for general productivity, set the record for our HandBrake video encoding benchmark, and posted extremely competitive frame rates in our gaming benchmarks.
Battery life: You don't come to a laptop like this expecting high efficiency. Despite its size and power profile, the Raider lasted a few hours longer than some competing 18-inchers (and even a few 16-inch laptops) in our battery rundown video-playback test. And you can just forget about gaming on the battery—keep this laptop on your desk as much as possible, plugged in.
Value for money: A laptop this expensive requires a different approach to evaluating its value than most other kinds of laptops. Rather than comparing it with other laptops, compare it instead with the cost of a comparable gaming desktop setup. Including the top-end screen and high-power components, you're not paying too much more than it would cost to build such a desktop setup. Regardless, however, this is an expensive machine for deep-pocketed enthusiasts only.
Who It’s For
Power-hungry gamers: This laptop's primary audience is gamers who want peak power from their semi-mobile PC gaming system. The Raider aced all of our performance benchmarks, gaming or otherwise, pairing super-potent parts with a top-notch cooling system to run at maximum output.
Space-starved PC players: Of course, most people will tell you to just buy a gaming-desktop setup for this amount of money, and they would be right. However, what if you just don't have the space in your home for such a thing, or you need the option to pick up your system and take it to a friend's house or an esports tournament easily? The Raider shines in those scenarios.
Specs & Configurations
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) 2 Boot Drive Type SSD Class Desktop Replacement Class Gaming Dimensions (HWD) 1.26 by 15.9 by 12.1 inches Graphics Memory 16 Graphics Processor Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU Native Display Resolution 3840 by 2400 Operating System Windows 11 Home Panel Technology IPS Processor Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX RAM (as Tested) 64 Screen Refresh Rate 120 Screen Size 18 Secondary Drive Capacity (as Tested) 2 Secondary Drive Type SSD Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) 5:37 Variable Refresh Support None Weight 7.94 Wireless Networking Bluetooth 5.4 Wireless Networking Wi-Fi 7 Learn More MSI Raider 18 HX AI Review -
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Best Content Creation LaptopApple MacBook Pro 14-Inch (2025, M5)
Pros & Cons
For the category, we consider several factors, including raw performance, display features, and portability. Apple's latest 14-inch MacBook Pro nails all of the criteria with its new M5 processor. While we're getting further away from the last MacBook Pro redesign every year, this model is by no means outdated, nearly qualifying as an ultraportable with power rivaling some of the most potent laptops of its size in key content creation functions. For that, it earned our Editors' Choice award for compact content creation laptops.
content creation laptopWhy We Picked It
Design: Apple's 14-inch MacBook Pro design has remained essentially unchanged for several years, but the current version addresses so many fan concerns that it leaves little to be desired. The all-aluminum build could benefit from an update to its USB-C ports to Thunderbolt 5, currently still on Thunderbolt 4. However, the M5 chip's power delivery limitations might be at play here, as it lacks the additional cores you'll find in its Pro and Max variants.
Display: The 3,024-by-1,964-pixel Liquid Retina XDR display returns, this time with a clever trick to boost the brightness of its mini LEDs to 1,000 nits for content in standard dynamic range and up to 1,600 nits in high dynamic range. Apple's display still rocks our color gamut coverage tests, and it would be a boon to any commute-bound photo or video editor.
Performance: This is where Apple focused its attention on with this update: the new M5 processor. This chip introduces a new architectural feature that integrates an AI-accelerating coprocessor with each of the system-on-chip's (SoC) graphics processing cores. The performance benefits are twofold: faster GPU-based AI task processing and even faster graphics processing, aided by new machine learning processes like artificial frame generation. The M5's productivity speeds lead the charts, too, making for an all-around superchip.
Battery life: While the MacBook Pro lasts 4 hours less this year than last year's model in our battery rundown, it still falls within Apple's 24-hour promise, and that's more than you need from such a high-power laptop. Expect to get through most, if not all, of a workday on this Mac's battery, especially if you plug in for high-intensity output periods, such as project exporting.
Value for money: While Apple's MacBook Pro laptops have always been expensive, many competitors have also started charging more for their products, which has given Apple room to make big waves with relatively small price reductions. The MacBook Pro's starting price remains unchanged with the M5 upgrade, and it competes well within its class at this price. Of course, Apple's storage and memory upgrade pricing at checkout continues its legacy of excess.
Who It’s For
Creators on the go: Apple's newest MacBook Pro is a great fit for anyone who works in media or digital design who needs to get work done remotely or while commuting to the office. (Frequent fliers have also always had the pro Mac laptop top of mind.) If you need to get deadline-driven creative work done on the move without sacrificing power, battery life, or your office studio's superior displays, the MacBook Pro is the answer—and it's worth getting used to macOS for.
Sideline computer gamers: This machine's M5's graphics boost makes it a good fit for gamers who are Mac loyalists. Apple has been hot on improving its reputation among PC gamers for years, and its massive improvements to graphics processing via AI accelerators give the MacBook Pro M5 a tremendous upgrade. Multi-frame generation is finally available on Mac games, which should dramatically change the conversation as developers adapt to how Apple's GPUs apply the technology. High-power Macs won't ever replace gaming PCs, but that doesn't mean they can't handle games well enough for the mainstream.
Specs & Configurations
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) 1 Boot Drive Type SSD Class Desktop Replacement Dimensions (HWD) 0.61 by 12.3 by 8.7 inches Graphics Processor Apple M5 (10-core) Native Display Resolution 3024 by 1964 Operating System Apple macOS Tahoe Panel Technology Mini LED Processor Apple M5 (10-core) RAM (as Tested) 32 Screen Refresh Rate 120 Screen Size 14.2 Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) 24:06 Variable Refresh Support ProMotion Weight 3.4 Wireless Networking Bluetooth 5.3 Wireless Networking Wi-Fi 6E Learn More Apple MacBook Pro 14-Inch (2025, M5) Review -
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Credit: Joseph Maldonado
Best Budget Gaming LaptopMSI Katana 15 HX
Pros & Cons
Buying a is all about managing compromises while finding the lowest price possible, and the MSI Katana 15 HX makes the fewest compromises to reach a sub-$1,000 price. Bringing the latest in Nvidia graphics tech to buyers at a three-figure price, the newest Katana handles gaming at 1080p better than ever. The MSI just set a new bar for budget gaming laptops to reach, and it's our top pick for an affordable gamer book.
budget gaming laptopWhy We Picked It
Design: The design and the display are generally the weakest areas for budget gaming laptops. While the Katana doesn't escape that trope entirely, it does fairly well. Although this is an all-plastic laptop, it's built without excessive flex in any area and includes a comfortable keyboard. It's also relatively portable for its class, making for a fine one-and-only device for cash-strapped buyers.
Display: Screens in lower-end gaming laptops are often the first to take a quality hit when cutting costs, and Katana presents a bog-standard budget gamer screen: a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS panel with a 144Hz refresh rate and middling color coverage. Its heightened refresh rate pushes this screen just above the "1080p/60" minimum spec for PC gaming expected from most players.
Performance: The Katana is impressive in its class for both general productivity speeds and gaming frame rates. The star of the show is its Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050 graphics chip paired with DLSS 4 frame generation, which achieves high enough frame rates in high-fidelity games to make use of the laptop screen's 144Hz refresh rate. Budget-limited customers will be delighted by the broad selection of games these performance boosts make available.Battery life: Gaming laptops aren't often favored for their battery longevity, but the Katana reported a decent 8 hours in our battery rundown video test. However, expect this number to drop by more than half while running a game, especially an intense one. You'll get by on a few commuter rides per day, but don't forget to pack your charging cord.
Value for money: The Katana offers one of the best values in laptops today, gaming or otherwise. Getting RTX 50-series graphics into the hands of gamers for less than $1,000 is a feat in itself, but doing so while maintaining decent build quality and a potent enough processor to limit bottlenecking is a significant accomplishment.
Who It’s For
College students: For the PC gamers among the undergraduate college population, the Katana 15 HX is an excellent all-in-one solution. It can handle most general collegiate work while serving up some serious frag sessions in between classes.
Casual or first-time PC gamers: The new Katana would delight both dabblers in PC gaming and kids hoping for a sweet first gaming laptop. It offers a great gaming experience without requiring a steep investment.
Specs & Configurations
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) 512 Boot Drive Type SSD Class Gaming Dimensions (HWD) 1 by 14.1 by 10.3 inches Graphics Memory 8 Graphics Processor Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050 Laptop GPU Native Display Resolution 1920 by 1080 Operating System Windows 11 Home Panel Technology IPS Processor Intel Core i7-14650HX RAM (as Tested) 16 Screen Refresh Rate 144 Screen Size 15.6 Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) 8:11 Variable Refresh Support None Weight 5.29 Wireless Networking Bluetooth Wireless Networking Wi-Fi 6E Learn More MSI Katana 15 HX Review -
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Best Business LaptopLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition
Pros & Cons
Once again, Lenovo takes home the honor of the ever made with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition. This model takes the same crisp OLED display, light weight, class-leading keyboard, and ample port selection to the next level with a CoPilot+ PC-ready Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor. (The outgoing Gen 12 model was not CoPilot+ PC-compliant.) Lenovo is polishing its top-tier laptop at this point, adding shiny new features on top of a dominant mobile computing platform.
best business laptopWhy We Picked It
Design: Still a combination of magnesium, aluminum, and carbon fiber, Lenovo's matte-black beauty is the benchmark for business laptop design. Lenovo somehow made the laptop even lighter this year at just 2.17 pounds, which outclasses Dell's XPS 13 and Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air.
Display: This version of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon has the same stunning OLED panel as before, with a 2,880-by-1,800-pixel resolution, rich colors, and up to a 120Hz refresh rate. With intense brightness and wide viewing angles, it's still ready for most working environments, whether in an office or on a jet.
Performance: Last time, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon was a potent performer but not the top dog, and Intel's "Lunar Lake" platform tells the same story. Lunar Lake, or Core Ultra V200-series processors, are built primarily for AI tasks and overall efficiency, so you won't see class-leading output here but rather enough to get you by in a standard working environment.
Battery life: This is another area in which we've seen massive improvement, thanks to Core Ultra V processing. Whereas the outgoing ThinkPad lasted just 13 hours and some change, this latest model outlasted that by more than six hours. This doesn't earn it an overall win against its rivals but makes it competitive on daily lasting power.
Value for money: We gave this ThinkPad X1 Carbon another Editors' Choice award and a five-star rating, a rarity for us, recognizing Lenovo's responses to previous criticisms on performance and battery life. This will never be the most affordable business ultraportable, but you get what you pay for, and here you get quite a lot for the steep price.
Who It's For
Mobile professionals: If you travel for work or take a long bus or train commute often, this is the ultimate machine for you. With a thin, lighter, and MIL-STD 810H-certified chassis, this ThinkPad is prepared for the rigors of frequent travel. The boosted battery life and performance help keep the latest ThinkPad X1 Carbon's position as a top business laptop.
ThinkPad loyalists: Lenovo's ThinkPad brand inspires loyalty and earns it with every X1 Carbon generation. Its iconic design, best-in-class keyboard, distinctive TrackPoint navigation, and impeccable business pedigree inspire professionals to pay more for the full package that the Carbon name promises. That said, this latest model earns and deserves the hype.
Specs & Configurations
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) 512 Boot Drive Type SSD Class Business Class Ultraportable Dimensions (HWD) 0.56 by 12.3 by 8.5 inches Graphics Processor Intel Arc Graphics 140V Native Display Resolution 2880 by 1800 Operating System Windows 11 Pro Panel Technology OLED Processor Intel Core Ultra 7 258V RAM (as Tested) 32 Screen Refresh Rate 120 Screen Size 14 Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) 19:49 Variable Refresh Support Manual Weight 2.17 Wireless Networking Bluetooth Wireless Networking Wi-Fi 7 -
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Best ChromebookAcer Chromebook Plus Spin 714
Pros & Cons
Acer's Chromebook Plus Spin 714 represents the upper echelons of what can aspire to through Google's Chromebook Plus program. In this refreshed version of its leading 2-in-1 Chromebook, Acer equipped the Spin 714 with an AI-ready Intel Core Ultra processor that's also competitive in raw performance. Winning our Editors' Choice award for high-end Chromebooks, the Spin 714 is your first-stop premium ChromeOS laptop.
ChromebooksWhy We Picked It
Design: Acer's Plus Spin 714 is housed in a gray metal shell that measures just 0.71 inches thick and weighs 3.21 pounds with everything inside. The Chromebook has a 14-inch, 1200p touch screen with a 1440p webcam above it. Acer tops off the laptop's exterior features with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, among other connections, for uncompromised connectivity.
Display: You don't get much sharper for Chromebooks than a 1200p display, and Acer made sure to preserve those pixels with a layer of Gorilla Glass and antimicrobial protection. Both would be welcome features in a classroom if this laptop weren't priced as it is.
Performance: Acer's Spin 714 is a competitive Chromebook in terms of raw speeds, though it didn't lead in any of our benchmark results. Regardless, its processor will carry out all the usual Chromebook work and grant access to some helpful AI features, particularly Google Gemini
Battery life: At 14 hours and 46 minutes on the battery, the Spin 714 is among the longest-lasting Chromebooks we've tested. This should be enough endurance to get through a day of work with some time to spare for light gaming or watching Netflix.
Value for money: This is one of those Chromebooks that challenges the broader value proposition of the category. The Spin 714 is a high-quality laptop for its price, but aren't Chromebooks supposed to be cheap? Relatively speaking, this laptop is high-value in that it displays lots of high-end performance and features for far less than $1,000.
Who It's For
Google mega fans: If you're already sold on ChromeOS and own an Android device, the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 represents the finest ChromeOS experience in both hardware and performance. This laptop effectively runs more of the latest Android apps and handles more work at once. The Spin 714 should also support new Google updates containing fresh features for many years based on its next-generation silicon.
AI early adopters: Speaking of silicon, the Spin 714 is one of the first Chromebooks to spearhead Google's Gemini program. It can access Gemini over cloud servers and take on key processes using the laptop's neural processing unit, or NPU. Getting AI aspirants off to the races, each Spin 714 sale includes one year of access to Gemini Advanced for more intense interactions and projects using machine learning.
Specs & Configurations
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) 256 Boot Drive Type SSD Class Chromebook Class Convertible 2-in-1 Dimensions (HWD) 0.71 by 12.4 by 8.8 inches Graphics Processor Intel Graphics Native Display Resolution 1920 by 1200 Operating System Chrome OS Panel Technology IPS Processor Intel Core Ultra 5 115U RAM (as Tested) 8 Screen Refresh Rate 60 Screen Size 14 Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) 14:46 Touch Screen Variable Refresh Support None Weight 3.21 Wireless Networking Bluetooth 5.2 Wireless Networking Wi-Fi 6E Learn More Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 Review -
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Credit: Joseph Maldonado
Best Convertible 2-in-1 LaptopLenovo Yoga 9i Gen 10 Aura Edition
Pros & Cons
Our current is the Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 10 Aura Edition, which earned our Editors' Choice award among high-end 2-in-1 laptops for its luxurious build, super-sharp OLED touch screen, and fantastic battery life. This model forgoes dedicated graphics to focus on the ultraportable experience, yet still provides a lot of punch for bursts of high-intensity work or prolonged projects.
best 2-in-1 convertible laptopWhy We Picked It
Design: Lenovo has long been a leader in 2-in-1 laptop design, and its latest flagship carries the torch for its most recent chassis revision, last seen on the outgoing ninth-generation model. It's a full-metal ultraportable system, measuring 0.61 inches thick and weighing just 2.91 pounds, and the protruding webcam housing returns to preserve more screen real estate.
Display: This laptop's 14-inch OLED touch screen is one of its major highlights, shining bright and displaying nearly perfect color coverage. Its color-rich quality makes for a fantastic entertainment device and a cinch for minor content creation projects.
Performance: Our Yoga 9i review unit packs an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, which is rated for the full suite of Microsoft Copilot functions in Windows 11 via its neural processor. The Yoga didn't dominate our performance benchmarks, but it posted high enough numbers to instill deep confidence in its capabilities, leading in the PCMark 10 productivity simulation, too.
Battery life: This is where the Yoga excels. In our battery rundown test, it ran for nearly 22 hours, longer than any 2-in-1 laptop we tested and second only to even more efficient Snapdragon-based systems. This is a long-lasting show-binging laptop or a power-sipping photo editor and digital drafter—take your pick.
Value for money: As Lenovo's top-end convertible laptop line, the Yoga 9i starts out at a premium price, but as tested, it offers a decent value for the experience it provides. This 2-in-1 looks and feels just like laptops that cost $1,000 more, making the Lenovo 9i a relative steal.
Who It's For
Flush, fashionable laptop fans: Clad in a gorgeous full-metal shell and adorned with the highest-end parts inside and out, the Yoga 9i is an understated, sleek affair that gives off demure, well-to-do vibes. It's just about as close to a MacBook or iPad as a 2-in-1 laptop can reach.
Amateur creators and TV bingers: The OLED touch screen, refreshing at 120Hz, is a dream for both relaxed TV streaming fans and motivated creators at home. The dynamic color coverage pops in both scenarios, and the 120Hz refresh rate provides smooth video and more realistic drafting with the included stylus.
Specs & Configurations
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) 1 Boot Drive Type SSD Class Convertible 2-in-1 Dimensions (HWD) 0.63 by 12.4 by 8.7 inches Graphics Processor Intel Arc Graphics 140V Native Display Resolution 2880 by 1800 Operating System Windows 11 Home Panel Technology OLED Processor Intel Core Ultra 7 258V RAM (as Tested) 32 Screen Refresh Rate 120 Screen Size 14 Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) 21:56 Touch Screen Variable Refresh Support None Weight 2.91 Wireless Networking Bluetooth 5.4 Wireless Networking Wi-Fi 7 Learn More Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 10 Aura Edition Review -
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Best 2-in-1 Detachable LaptopAsus ProArt PZ13
Pros & Cons
The Asus ProArt PZ13 is our pick for the best Windows tablet due to its exceptional value, high-quality OLED display, and solid performance tailored for creative professionals. It's a great, competitive alternative to the Microsoft Surface Pro 11, especially with its included keyboard cover and kickstand. This versatile tablet wowed us with sturdy design, a premium display, and great Snapdragon-powered performance while remaining budget-friendly. And with nearly 18 hours of battery life and a combination of accessories and features that will appeal to the most demanding creative pros, the ProArt PZ13 earns its spot as the best Windows detachable tablet available today.
Why We Picked It
Design: The ProArt PZ13 features compact dimensions (0.35 by 11.7 by 8 inches) and a lightweight design (1.87 pounds) that enhance portability, but the aluminum chassis and Gorilla Glass front ensure durability and a premium feel. The magnetic kickstand and keyboard cover provide stability and usability, although the absence of a bundled stylus is a drawback.
Display: The tablet boasts a stunning OLED touch screen with a resolution of 2,880 by 1,800 pixels, delivering vibrant colors and deep contrasts. The Pantone-validated display offers exceptional color coverage, outperforming many competitors, including the Surface Pro's IPS panel, and the high contrast ratio makes it suitable for various lighting conditions.
Performance: Powered by an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus processor, the PZ13 is positioned as a capable device for multitasking and creative applications. While it lagged behind competitors in synthetic benchmarks, subjective performance was strong, with the tablet feeling responsive during everyday tasks and moderate multitasking. The Hexagon NPU provides 45 TOPS of AI processing power, making it suitable for AI-enhanced applications, though it still trails behind more powerful chips like the Ryzen AI 9.
Battery life: The ProArt PZ13 demonstrated impressive battery life, outlasting its rivals by over three hours during video playback tests, making it a reliable choice for on-the-go use.
Value for money: Even at more than $1,000, the ProArt PZ13 is competitively priced, especially considering the included accessories, which are often sold separately with competitors. The combination of a high-quality display, solid performance, and included keyboard cover makes it a strong value proposition, even despite the lack of a stylus and the limited port selection.
Who It's For
Creative professionals: The ProArt PZ13's stunning OLED screen and Pantone validation make it an excellent choice for graphic designers, digital artists, and even video editors—anyone who needs a vibrant, high-quality display for color accuracy and detail. Additionally, its portability allows creative professionals to work on projects in various locations, whether in a studio, at a client meeting, or while traveling.
Business multitaskers: The ProArt PZ13 is well-suited for professionals who need a reliable and portable device for presentations, meetings, and remote work. Its detachable design allows for easy transitions between tablet and laptop modes, making it convenient for on-the-go productivity. The high-quality display is ideal for showcasing presentations, while the solid performance and excellent accessories ensure smooth multitasking with business applications.
Specs & Configurations
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) 1 Boot Drive Type SSD Class Detachable 2-in-1 Dimensions (HWD) 0.35 by 11.7 by 8 inches Graphics Processor Qualcomm Adreno GPU Native Display Resolution 2880 by 1800 Operating System Windows 11 Home Panel Technology OLED Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (X1P-42-100) RAM (as Tested) 16 Screen Refresh Rate 60 Screen Size 13.3 Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) 17:47 Touch Screen Variable Refresh Support None Weight 1.87 Wireless Networking Bluetooth 5.4 Wireless Networking Wi-Fi 7 Learn More Asus ProArt PZ13 Review -
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Best Workstation LaptopDell Pro Max 18 Plus
Pros & Cons
Dell keeps its firm grip on the crown with the Pro Max 18 Plus, a monster 18-inch laptop with fresh Nvidia RTX Pro graphics and the most powerful Intel Core Ultra chip around. With that combo, Dell's 18-incher posted dominant benchmark results, making full use of its roomy chassis with lots of room for cooling. Speed aside, this laptop has a large, vibrant IPS LCD housed in a high-end build with room for lots of memory (up to 256GB) and fast local storage (via four M.2 slots). It's an elite mobile workstation in every sense of the term, earning it our Editors' Choice award.
mobile workstationWhy We Picked It
Design: The Pro Max 18 Plus is a larger-than-life laptop, measuring 1.2 inches thick and weighing 7.2 pounds in its starting configuration. Dell's big-time laptop is still a high-end build, however, in a gorgeous all-metal frame that has passed MIL-STD-810H testing for durability. The laptop also takes full advantage of its size, cramming in all sorts of hard connections, including two Thunderbolt 5 ports.
Display: Dell's 18-inch screen is a focused effort, with just one available option: an IPS panel with a 1600p resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and wide viewing angles. It's a vibrant panel with excellent color coverage, complemented by a helpful anti-glare coating that keeps images bold even under harsh ambient light. It's a bummer that it's the only display option available, but at least it's a seriously superb screen in its class.
Performance: Our Dell Pro Max 18 Plus configuration included top-end silicon from Intel and Nvidia—a 24-core Core Ultra 9 285HX CPU and a 24GB RTX Pro 5000 GPU—producing several first-place results in our benchmark tests. In fact, the Pro Max 18 Plus outperformed its competitors in our workstation-level tests. That's the true weight behind its claim on our Editors' Choice award.
Battery life: This is one area where the Pro Max 18 Plus falls behind its competition, lasting a bit more than 4 hours in our video rundown test. With such a large screen and such potent parts inside, we weren't expecting an epic running time. But you pay a battery-life penalty for that extra screen space and all that silicon muscle.
Value for money: The value you can derive from the Dell Pro Max 18 Plus entirely depends on your specific use cases for it. As tested, this is a monstrous powerhouse for the most demanding tasks in cutting-edge computing fields, such as software development, data science, AI engineering, and 3D visual management. If you work in a field like that, then this level of power is likely worth the cost.
Who It's For
Professionals willing to invest in high performance: This is the absolute best laptop for demanding professionals who need a top-end laptop to tackle cutting-edge computing work. People who work in resource-intensive fields like software development, 3D asset creation and manipulation, and AI model work will get the most benefit out of the Dell Pro Max 18 Plus.
Big-screen computing enthusiasts buying for work: People shopping for a high-end work laptop with a large display should start their search with this model. The Dell Pro Max 18 Plus marries a large, sharp, and vibrant screen with class-leading performance to present a peak big-screen work laptop.
Specs & Configurations
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) 1 Boot Drive Type SSD Class Workstation Dimensions (HWD) 1.19 by 15.83 by 11.02 inches Graphics Memory 24 Graphics Processor Nvidia RTX PRO 5000 Native Display Resolution 2,560 by 1,600 Operating System Windows 11 Pro Panel Technology IPS Processor Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX RAM (as Tested) 128 Screen Refresh Rate 120 Screen Size 18 Secondary Drive Capacity (as Tested) 1 Secondary Drive Type SSD Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) 4:20 Weight 7.17 Wireless Networking Bluetooth 5.4 Wireless Networking Wi-Fi 7 Learn More Dell Pro Max 18 Plus Review -
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Rating |
4.0 Excellent |
4.0 Excellent |
3.5 Good |
4.0 Excellent |
4.5 Outstanding |
4.0 Excellent |
4.5 Outstanding |
4.0 Excellent |
5.0 Exemplary |
5.0 Exemplary |
4.0 Excellent |
4.0 Excellent |
3.5 Good |
Best For | Best Laptop for Most People | Best MacBook for Most People | Best Budget Laptop | Best Ultraportable Laptop | Best Desktop Replacement Laptop | Best Gaming Laptop | Best Content Creation Laptop | Best Budget Gaming Laptop | Best Business Laptop | Best Chromebook | Best Laptop for Most People | Best MacBook for Most People | Best Budget Laptop |
Class | Ultraportable | Ultraportable | Budget | Ultraportable | Desktop Replacement | Gaming, Desktop Replacement | Desktop Replacement | Gaming | Business, Ultraportable | Chromebook, Convertible 2-in-1 | Ultraportable | Ultraportable | Budget |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (X1P-42-100) | Apple M4 | AMD Ryzen 3 7320U | Intel Core Ultra X7 358H | AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX | Apple M5 (10-core) | Intel Core i7-14650HX | Intel Core Ultra 7 258V | Intel Core Ultra 5 115U | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (X1P-42-100) | Apple M4 | AMD Ryzen 3 7320U |
Processor Speed | 2.4 | 2.4 | |||||||||||
RAM (as Tested) | 32 | 16 | 8 | 32 | 32 | 64 | 32 | 16 | 32 | 8 | 32 | 16 | 8 |
Boot Drive Type | SSD | SSD | SSD | SSD | SSD | SSD | SSD | SSD | SSD | SSD | SSD | SSD | SSD |
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) | 1 | 512 | 128 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 512 | 512 | 256 | 1 | 512 | 128 |
Secondary Drive Type | SSD | ||||||||||||
Secondary Drive Capacity (as Tested) | 2 | ||||||||||||
Optical Drive | |||||||||||||
Screen Size | 14 | 13.3 | 15.6 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 14.2 | 15.6 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13.3 | 15.6 |
Native Display Resolution | 1920 by 1200 | 2560 by 1664 | 1920 by 1080 | 2880 by 1800 | 2,560 by 1,600 | 3840 by 2400 | 3024 by 1964 | 1920 by 1080 | 2880 by 1800 | 1920 by 1200 | 1920 by 1200 | 2560 by 1664 | 1920 by 1080 |
Touch Screen | |||||||||||||
Panel Technology | OLED | LED | IPS | OLED | IPS | IPS | Mini LED | IPS | OLED | IPS | OLED | LED | IPS |
Variable Refresh Support | None | None | None | None | G-Sync | None | ProMotion | None | Manual | None | None | None | None |
Screen Refresh Rate | 60 | 60 | 60 | 120 | 165 | 120 | 120 | 144 | 120 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 |
Graphics Processor | Qualcomm Adreno X1-45 | Apple M4 (10-core) | AMD Radeon Graphics | Intel Arc B390 | Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU | Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU | Apple M5 (10-core) | Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050 Laptop GPU | Intel Arc Graphics 140V | Intel Graphics | Qualcomm Adreno X1-45 | Apple M4 (10-core) | AMD Radeon Graphics |
Graphics Memory | 8 | 16 | 8 | ||||||||||
Wireless Networking | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 | 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.2 | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 | Wi-Fi 7 | Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 | 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.2 |
Dimensions (HWD) | 0.6 by 12.3 by 8.6 inches | 0.44 by 12.0 by 8.5 inches | 0.75 by 14.3 by 9.4 inches | 0.58 by 12.2 by 8.3 inches | 0.82 by 14 by 11.4 inches | 1.26 by 15.9 by 12.1 inches | 0.61 by 12.3 by 8.7 inches | 1 by 14.1 by 10.3 inches | 0.56 by 12.3 by 8.5 inches | 0.71 by 12.4 by 8.8 inches | 0.6 by 12.3 by 8.6 inches | 0.44 by 12.0 by 8.5 inches | 0.75 by 14.3 by 9.4 inches |
Weight | 2.98 | 2.7 | 3.77 | 3 | 5.29 | 7.94 | 3.4 | 5.29 | 2.17 | 3.21 | 2.98 | 2.7 | 3.77 |
Operating System | Windows 11 | Apple macOS Sequoia | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 | Windows 11 Home | Apple macOS Tahoe | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Pro | Chrome OS | Windows 11 | Apple macOS Sequoia | Windows 11 Home |
Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) | 34:48 | 19:56 | 16:46 | 21:02 | 7:04 | 5:37 | 24:06 | 8:11 | 19:49 | 14:46 | 34:48 | 19:56 | 16:46 |
Buying Guide: The Best Laptops for 2026
Details, details, and more details! Buying the best laptop for you can be maddening, given all the specifications and features you'll encounter in your search. Which class of laptops is best for you depends on your budget and how you plan to use it. Take a systematic approach when shopping—here's how to make a smart pick.
What Are the Types of Laptops You Can Buy?
Let's start with a rundown of the main types of laptops on today's market.
- General-use laptops: Most laptops on the market fall into this category. They are capable of everyday computing tasks like web browsing, document editing, light content creation, and casual gaming. Expect baseline specs, passable features, and graphics acceleration that relies on the CPU. (More on that later.) They start as low as $300 and top out around $1,100.
- Ultraportables: These laptops, generally under 3 pounds, feature thin, light designs, making them easy to carry while commuting or traveling. Like general-use laptops, most lean on CPU-integrated graphics, but you might get some better features, like extra-sharp screens, touch-input support, and premium build materials. The prototype ultraportable is Apple's iconic MacBook Air, which starts at $1,000. Most Windows ultraportables cost $800 or more.
- 2-in-1 laptops: Tablets and laptops in one, the 2-in-1 category is split into two subcategories: convertibles and detachables. Most convertibles are clamshell-style laptops with a 360-degree rotating hinge. You can use the laptop in "tablet mode," with the keys behind the screen, or propped up in an inverted V. Detachables are souped-up tablets with keyboard covers that snap off, and kickstands that prop them up. As a rule, all 2-in-1 laptops, whether budget or high-end models, have touch screens.
- Gaming laptops: Discrete graphics processors from AMD, Intel, or Nvidia enable gaming laptops to play PC games at varying levels of fidelity and frame rate. You can spend anywhere from $800 to more than $4,000 on a gaming laptop. (Generally speaking, the quality of gameplay and the visual sharpness rise with the price.) Some approach ultraportable status (the smallest have 14-inch screens), while the beefiest feature gigantic 18-inch displays.
- Business laptops: These range from general-use models to high-style, premium ultraportables. (Some are 2-in-1s, too.) Because of this, we look at business laptops through the lens of several subcategories, like budget, ultraportable, detachable, and convertible. Most distinguish themselves with special security software, hardware, or firmware features that protect sensitive company information or resources.
- Mobile workstations: These are business laptops with dedicated work-grade GPUs and specialized drivers for rendering professional 3D or special-effects projects, working with machine-learning models, and performing other forms of GPU compute. Few cost less than $1,500, and some can exceed even the most powerful gaming laptops in price.
- Chromebooks: Chromebooks run exclusively on Google's ChromeOS, based on its Chrome web browser and a suite of browser-based web apps. They rely on cloud storage for storing most files and feature only minimal local storage. Few cost more than $700, making them ideal budget alternatives.
- MacBooks: Apple's two laptop lineups serve different audiences. MacBook Air is for everyday, mainstream users; Air models are punchy and reliable enough to serve well in the classroom and the office. Some consumers might want a MacBook Pro for amateur content creation, but these higher-power MacBooks are for students and professionals in advanced computing fields, with upper Pro models competing with the workstation crowd. Expect prices from $700 for the earlier-generation MacBook Air to more than $4,000 for the most decked-out Pro.
How to Choose the Best Laptop in 2026: Every Factor to Consider
Now that we've covered the major types of laptops available, let's explore the specifics you'll need to decide on before pressing the Buy button. In the main part of the guide, we'll get into each consideration in detail, but here’s a TL;DR summary of what we’ll cover:
- Brands. Acer, Apple, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and MSI are all worthy leading laptop brands, with strengths in their own areas, but buying on brand alone can mean you miss some great alternatives and values. We break that down in more detail shortly.
- Battery life. In general, mainstream and thin-and-light machines will last the longest off the plug, and gaming laptops and workstation models will be shorter-lived on a charge. But battery life depends heavily on how you use your machine and its particular component makeup. Consulting our reviews and their benchmark tests is essential as a yardstick for relative longevity.
- Price. This is the squishiest factor of all, especially as prices begin to fluctuate amid tightening memory and storage supplies. We've previously defined budget Windows laptops as models at $500 or less, with premium Chromebooks available in the $400-to-$600 range. A decent mainstream ultraportable will cost between $700 and $1,100. Gaming laptops ranged from $700 (basic) to $4,000 or $5,000 (very much kitted out). Mobile workstations are still similarly sky’s-the-limit. Apple's MacBooks start at $999 new. However, expect these quoted prices to balloon by as much as 30% (possibly more) this year as the memory and storage supply squeeze, spurred by the demands of AI data centers, starts to hit laptop manufacturers.
(Read our guide on how to survive the RAM crunch without overpaying.)
- Size and weight. Assess these based on how often you’ll carry your machine. Most gaming machines weigh between 4 and 6 pounds, mainstream machines from 3 to 5 pounds, and the better class of ultraportables between 2 and 3 pounds. Overall size is proportional to the screen size, and bigger-screen models tend to weigh more. Also, factor in the weight and bulk of the AC adapter. (Some gaming laptops have real whoppers.)
- Displays. IPS panels are the middle-ground standard these days, with brilliant OLEDs or mini LED panels as premium choices. Seek out a minimum screen resolution of 1080p (1,920 by 1,080 pixels). A 60Hz refresh rate is acceptable for an everyday laptop; look for at least a 120Hz or 144Hz rate in a gaming model. Avoid TFT screens except in the very cheapest laptops. Most mainstream ultraportables have 13- or 14-inch screens; desktop replacements are in the 15-to-17-inch range; and most gaming models and workstations have panels from 15 to 18 inches, with a handful smaller.
- Processing power. This is a complex area. Short version: With Intel and AMD chips, generally look for “3”-class processors (Core i3, Core 3, Ryzen 3) in budget machines, “5”-class ones in mainstream laptops, and “7” or “9” in high-end power models. But this is not comprehensive or absolute. Chips with numbers ending with “H” (or “HS” or “HX”) are a higher power class than ones ending in “U” or “P.” Snapdragon X chips are a class of their own related to Windows on Arm PCs, and Apple’s MacBook chips rise from M1 to M4 (the generation number) and offer upper-tier Pro and Max variants in each. Benchmark tests in our reviews will tell you much more in a relative sense.
- Graphics power. The big differentiator here is getting “integrated graphics” from AMD or Intel, which feature in most mainstream laptops, versus a discrete graphics chip or GPU (Nvidia's RTX or GeForce RTX, or less commonly, AMD's Radeon RX) in a gaming laptop or workstation. In the simplest terms, higher GPU series numbers (GeForce RTX 4060 versus RTX 4080, say) should be faster in a given graphics family and generation, but it’s nuanced; reviews matter here, too.
- Memory and storage capacities. Look for at least 8GB of main system memory in any Windows or Mac laptop, with 16GB preferred. More than 16GB is relevant primarily for content creation pros, workstation users, and heavy multitaskers; 4GB might suffice in a budget Chromebook, but nothing else. As for storage, a 512GB SSD is a decent balance in a mainstream laptop; don’t opt for less than 256GB except in a Chromebook, and look for at least 1TB in a gaming machine. Games eat a lot of space.
(Read our guide to how much memory your next PC needs.)
- Ports. Look for a mix that matches the peripherals or displays you might attach. Having both USB Type-A and Type-C is ideal, plus a full-size HDMI output for a second monitor. (Note: Many machines piggyback display output on USB-C ports these days.) Headphone/mic jacks are common; Ethernet ones, less so.
- Wireless connectivity. Wi-Fi 6 support should suffice for most users, with Wi-Fi 6E a premium feature and Wi-Fi 7 the cutting edge. All laptops released today will also support Bluetooth.
- Operating systems. This is very much a personal preference. Windows 11 is today’s default for most buyers, but Apple users may prefer macOS for its familiarity and deep bench of handy built-in applications. ChromeOS features in low-cost Chromebooks that emphasize in-browser web work and cloud storage. A last option, Windows on Arm, is emerging in the latest Copilot+ laptops with Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors; it’s mostly indistinguishable from Windows 11, apart from some limitations around program compatibility.
- Refurbished models. A refurbished laptop can net you a great deal, but refurbishers’ standards and condition-grading scales aren’t consistent. Insist on a good return policy if you roll the dice on one; getting a refurb from a laptop manufacturer is often safer than a third party.
Which Brand of Laptop Is the Best?
Choosing a laptop based on what might be the "best" laptop brand isn't the best initial approach—assess laptops model by model instead. Some brands have reputations for what they're best suited for. But going by those alone can mean you miss a winner from a different brand.
For instance, Apple has long been known for its MacBooks' particular aptitude for creative professionals, from writers to photo/video editors and even digital designers. Meanwhile, Lenovo is best known for its class-leading keyboards and its ThinkPad business machines. As a last example, brands like Acer and Asus, while they have high-end models, tend to dominate the midrange and budget sectors with value-minded systems. Other major makers of first-rate laptops include HP and MSI. But you'll find tons of crossovers in all of these assessments that make relying solely on brand almost meaningless.
If knowing the top laptop brands still drives you, go with the wisdom of the crowd: See what you can find within our running Readers' Choice: Best Laptop Brands series, which polls readers like you to name their favorite laptop brands for specific use cases and scenarios.
What Is the Longest-Lasting Laptop?
Many of the best laptops can last the better part of a workday away from an outlet. You'll find exceptions. A leading laptop with a 4K display and a powerful CPU may last less time, and gaming laptops deplete far sooner than most other machines. And when playing demanding GPU-taxing games? Gaming laptops run out of juice faster than most. Much depends on how you compute; even powerful laptops have become adept at sensing when maximum power isn’t required, reducing various components’ energy consumption.
This is where PC Labs’ battery testing comes in. We evaluate battery life by playing a locally stored video file continuously at a middle brightness setting. An excellent result suggests that the laptop can adapt its power use to the task at hand; our testing lets you compare the potential of the machines you are considering. We evaluate all laptops using this test.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Measuring battery life is never an absolute, though, since it depends on how you use your laptop. Your usage profile probably doesn’t match our test—or anyone else’s—to a T. So you’ll want to look at tested battery life in a relative, not absolute, sense.
If you're keeping score, HP's OmniBook X AI (based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite CPU) and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (the M3 model) are today's longest-lasting laptops we've reviewed, enduring 30 hours on our battery rundown test.
How Much Will the Right Laptop Cost?
Don’t care about cutting-edge design and robust components? A cheap laptop could suffice, though prices are volatile this year. Yesterday's market was flooded with basic but full-featured models under $500, but that's set to change. Regardless, "shopping holidays" like Prime Day and Black Friday, and actual holidays like Presidents’ Day, bring frequent sales, discounting some of these models even further.
Most handle word processing and email checking just fine, but they’ll struggle with heavier tasks, such as keeping many web browser tabs or memory- and CPU-demanding programs open simultaneously. Look at our reviews to compare performance. PC Labs has tested many late-model budget laptops; some are classic clamshells, and others are convertible or detachable 2-in-1s. (See a few of our top cheap laptops in our lineup of favorites.)
Spending closer to $1,000 should still unlock many of the cutting-edge features modern laptops offer: slim, sturdy aluminum chassis, brilliant touch-enabled 4K displays, powerful processors and graphics chips, and all-day batteries. Some leading laptops have brought these features closer to $800; check brands like Acer, Apple, Asus, and HP—especially while supplies last at those prices.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)A major caveat: In this price range, you’ll have to settle on what the most essential features are for you. You might land a beautiful 4K display or a cavernous terabyte of solid-state storage, but probably not both.
You can choose almost any combination if your budget is $2,000 or more, which won't change with the price hikes, but will perhaps begin further past the $2,000 mark. That said, even the most powerful laptop that money can buy must still obey the laws of physics. Powerful hardware generates heat, and the cooling mechanisms required to address that heat take up space. Hard-core gamers who want a large display and a screaming-fast graphics processor that requires bulky cooling pipes and fans won’t find it in a thin, light laptop.
IT-manageable, security-conscious business laptops—models made primarily by Dell, HP, and Lenovo—have their own pricing dynamic and tend to cost a bit more, all else being equal. That’s because of their premium warranty or support plans, enterprise-specific silicon focused on manageability or security, fingerprint or face-recognition login features, and more rugged build quality.
As mentioned before, the memory and storage supply shortage, spurred by component-level demand from AI data centers, could result in laptop prices ballooning by 30% or more this year. So, expect a lot of these price categories to be slowly redefined throughout the year and into the next.
What Is an Ideal Weight and Size for a Laptop?
Most people searching for the best laptop should choose one that measures about half an inch thick and weighs 3 pounds or less. These are the maximum dimensions and heft a laptop can have to be considered ultraportable, and for most users, portability is the key to maximizing use and enjoyment.
Aiming for that weight and thickness usually means a laptop with a 13- or 14-inch screen, although a few models with 15-inch or larger screens qualify. At most screen sizes, you can find models in conventional “clamshell” laptop or 2-in-1 designs.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Some Windows laptops and ChromeOS laptops do have smaller 11-inch or 12-inch displays, often not technically laptops in the classic sense but rather tablets with detachable keyboards. Avoid these designs unless you’re looking for a part-time tablet or the lightest possible laptop. They’re lighter than most 13-inch ultraportables, often less than 2 pounds, but they’re not as effective at being tablets as the Apple iPad is, and their detachable keyboards mean typing on most of them tends to be subpar.
At the other end of the size spectrum are 17-inch and 18-inch laptops. They mostly appeal to hard-core gamers, but you can find the occasional 17-inch productivity machine or workstation if you like a larger screen for other reasons. A 17-inch or 18-inch laptop can closely mimic a desktop experience at the expense of size and weight. Most 18-inchers are meant for gaming; the larger panels complement the latest GeForce and Radeon GPUs, which use the extra chassis space for cooling. These monsters from Alienware, Asus, and Razer tackle the hardest graphics tasks to date, with varying results.
Some of these designs can exceed 6 pounds and measure more than an inch thick. If you plan to park your gaming rig on your desk and seldom move it, a 17-inch or 18-inch model is worth considering to maximize screen space. Otherwise, most gamers should stick with 15- or 16-inch designs.
What Kind of Laptop Screen Should You Get?
The best laptop screens have become more pixel-dense over the past decade, producing crisper text and sharper images, often with better-looking colors. Displays are sometimes measured in pixels per inch (ppi), but native resolution, expressed in horizontal by vertical pixels, is the most popular method.
Most laptops have screens with at least “full HD” resolutions. Also known as “1080p” displays, they comprise 1,920 by 1,080 pixels (or sometimes 1,920 by 1,200) and most commonly employ LCD panels built on in-plane switching (IPS) technology. IPS screen quality varies, but these screens maintain image color when viewed off-center. Thin-film transistor, or TFT, technology predates IPS and has faded out due to its inferior viewing angles.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Only the very cheapest laptops still use TFT (resolutions of 1,280 by 720 and 1,366 by 768 pixels are common here), which cannot touch the crisp text and vivid colors found on smartphones or TVs. If you’re not picky about image quality, though, a lower-resolution display might be an acceptable sacrifice.
For the crispest text and details, common resolutions beyond 1080p include 1440p (2,560 by 1,440), 1600p (2,560 by 1,600), and 4K or 2160p (3,840 by 2,160). Some high-end screens still use IPS panels, while others use OLED technology. OLED screens command a premium for their inky blacks and luxurious colors. A few premium laptops have adopted mini LED backlighting for finer control over color depth and image brightness, especially for HDR content.
Regardless of the specific screen tech, people who plan to use their laptops in brightly lit rooms or outdoors will want to ensure the panel has a maximum brightness of at least 500 nits.
Finally, gamers and video content creators must pay attention to the refresh rate, or how often the screen redraws content per second, measured in hertz. A 60Hz rate is standard, with 120Hz and 144Hz common in gaming laptops and reaching as high as 360Hz. Unless you're an esports gamer seeking extreme frame rates, don't worry about going past 144Hz. And before you pay a significant premium for a high-refresh screen, be sure the graphics chip, or GPU, is muscular enough to push your games at a high enough frame rate to make a difference. A high-refresh screen won't confer many benefits if you play games at 60 frames per second or lower.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)If you want to take advantage of the touch-screen support present throughout Windows and ChromeOS, seek out a touch-enabled laptop and perhaps even a digital stylus to write or draw on it. Some Windows laptops come in touch- and non-touch versions, so check specs carefully. Touch panels tend to be glossy screens; most matte screens designed to filter out glare from ambient lighting aren't. Most gaming laptops lack touch panels, and Apple MacBooks don't do touch screens at all.
What Is the Best Processor for Your Laptop?
Most $1,000 ultraportables use Intel Core processors or, less commonly, AMD Ryzen CPUs. All of these offer plenty of power for everyday computing tasks, but remember that higher CPU model numbers in a given family of chips typically indicate more processor cores, higher maximum clock speeds, and sometimes even multithreading. With multithreading, each CPU core can run two sets of software instructions simultaneously instead of just one. Modern software is designed to take advantage of as many CPU cores as possible so it can run faster on multithreaded chips.
Meanwhile, budget laptops typically use AMD Ryzen 3 processors, or Core i3 or newer Core 3 chips in Intel's case. These typically have just a few individual cores. At the other end of the spectrum, high-end powerhouse laptops have workstation-class Intel or AMD CPUs with double-digit core counts. However, expect to see many new Intel-based machines employing Core Ultra processors; these are the firm's successors to the Core i series, with an increased focus on AI processing.
Regardless of the CPU, a laptop is typically designed to use less power and generate less heat than its desktop counterpart. In the latest mainstream, lightweight laptops, Intel laptop CPUs typically consume 15 watts (W) of power (or less) up to as much as 45W for the highest-end mobile chips.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Gaming laptops and mobile workstations typically feature higher-powered CPUs, usually denoted by an "H," "HS," or "HX" in the CPU's model name. These require more cooling hardware and consume more energy, but they drive performance closer to that of a desktop PC. You’ll find H-series CPUs from both AMD and Intel.
Apple is in its fourth generation of M-series silicon for MacBooks. Apple's MacBook Pro laptop models contain some variation of its M4 processors. Meanwhile, you can get the basic M4 chip in the latest 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air laptops.
Getting into laptop-processor specifics can get you pretty deep in the weeds, but for a decent overview that doesn't overwhelm you, check out our guide to choosing a laptop CPU that fits what you do. As a rule of thumb, though, Core Ultra-family chips are Intel's latest, while the Ryzen AI 300 and Ryzen 8000 series are AMD's newest offerings. Chips with a "U" in the model number are typically lower-powered CPUs for thin machines, and the "H" chips indicate power-user machines. A newer CPU variant is the Snapdragon X Elite and Plus family from Qualcomm, powering some recent AI-equipped models that run a special Arm-based version of Windows. (See more about these in What Is an AI PC?)
Which Graphics Chip Should You Get in Your Laptop?
A graphics processor built into the CPU (also known as an “integrated graphics processor,” or IGP) is perfectly adequate for most everyday laptop use. You’ll know you’re looking at an IGP if you see a reference to Intel’s Arc Graphics, HD Graphics, UHD Graphics, or Iris as the graphics solution on an Intel-CPU laptop (or Radeon Graphics on an AMD-based laptop). An IGP makes use of part of the main system memory. The amount of memory available to the integrated graphics chip is usually fixed, so increasing system memory generally won’t improve graphics performance.
Most gamers will want to consider a discrete GPU with dedicated graphics resources. Even a budget gaming GPU offers a significant advantage over an integrated graphics processor when playing 3D games. Hard-core gamers should look for Nvidia’s latest GeForce RTX GPUs at the high end. The very latest chips in the GeForce line are the RTX 50 series, with names like GeForce RTX 5080 and 5090.
With gaming laptops, the level of GPU you need is deeply tied to the frame rate you want to run at the laptop’s native screen resolution and the kind of games you play. That’s where our reviews come in handy. We test with demanding gaming and industry-standard benchmarks to give you a relative sense of a laptop’s graphics performance. Check out our roundups of the best gaming laptops and budget gaming laptops for much more beyond our picks here. PC Labs has tested all the latest gaming laptops on the market, from budget models to cost-no-object deluxe models.
How Much Storage and Memory Does Your Laptop Need?
All modern laptops, even entry-level models, now use solid-state drives (SSDs), which store data in memory cells rather than spinning platters (the classic hard drive). SSDs' much faster access times make them a vast improvement. They’re also immune to jolts and bumps that might crash a spinning platter’s heads.
Note that not all laptop SSDs are created equal. SSDs that use the more modern, generally faster PCI Express NVMe standard, rather than the older, slightly slower SATA interface, are preferable. (PCI Express SSDs have largely taken over the field.) Either is far better than a third type, which is a not-quite-SSD: the much slower eMMC, a kind of flash storage drive found in budget machines. (If your budget laptop has 32GB or 64GB of storage, it's probably eMMC. Check the specs.) Traditional spinning hard drives are now rare in new laptops, and eMMC is the slowest and least desirable flash tech.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)The minimum amount of storage space to consider is 256GB. This will accommodate operating system updates and large apps with room left over. Look for at least 512GB for multimedia storage and some PC games. You’ll find 1TB or even roomier SSDs at the high end, which are increasingly required for PC gaming, but going beyond 1TB can add a lot to the overall cost. It’s more cost-effective to get a 512GB or 1TB SSD and add an external drive if you need additional space.
While a laptop’s SSD stores your data, its system memory (or RAM) works with the CPU to run apps and helps define its multitasking capacity. While you might squeak by with 8GB of RAM, 16GB is essentially the floor now, especially for heavy multitaskers and PC gamers. A minimum of 16GB of RAM reduces the chance of slowdown while browsing resource-hungry websites and allows you to run multiple apps at once. It's also necessary to run the various AI tasks that modern laptops can do.
Beyond 16GB is mostly needed by content creators or high-end PC gamers; meanwhile, steer clear of anything with less than 8GB of RAM. Even Chromebooks, which are designed to demand fewer computing resources than Windows laptops, suffer from less than 8GB of RAM at a minimum.
What Kind of Connectivity Does Your Laptop Need?
Starting with wireless connectivity, the latest mainstream Wi-Fi standard is 802.11ax (or Wi-Fi 6), an important feature to look for. Steer clear of the older 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5). Today's high-end is Wi-Fi 6E, with the cutting-edge Wi-Fi 7 showing up in mostly premium devices. The latter reduces latency and provides access to additional bandwidth with a compliant Wi-Fi 7 router.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Serious gamers should consider a laptop with a Killer Networks setup, which more granularly prioritizes wired or wireless gaming traffic. Business users and gamers may also want a dedicated Ethernet jack. Most gaming machines will have one, and some gamers insist on wired Ethernet rules for competitive online gaming. Some leading laptops feature a full-size or fold-out Ethernet jack; others may come with an adapter that routes Ethernet through a USB port. Others leave wired Ethernet up to you to add via an accessory.
As for other physical connections, pay attention to a laptop's USB port type and quantity. Look for laptops with both USB Type-A and Type-C ports. USB-A is the familiar rectangular connector that has been around for decades, while USB-C is smaller, pill-shaped, and sometimes accepts the laptop’s charger.
Some budget laptops may have only USB-A ports. On the other hand, some ultra-thin designs only have USB-C ports, so you’ll need dongles to connect USB-A peripherals you own. A mix is what you want.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Check for an HDMI or DisplayPort connector for video output, especially if you plan to connect your laptop to your TV, desktop monitor, or lecture hall A/V system. DisplayPort video outputs are sometimes implemented on laptops via USB-C ports to save space.
Photographers may benefit from a built-in SD or microSD card reader for image uploading. Finally, if you plan to use your laptop in an unsecured location, a Kensington-cable style or a Noble-lock style security notch for fastening a physical locking cable is helpful. Make sure the notch type matches the kind of tethering cable you intend to use.
Are Refurbished Laptops Worth Buying?
Every manufacturer and reseller has different standards for refurbishing used laptops. It is best to buy any refurbished machine directly from the manufacturer’s online store rather than a reseller.
Some resellers or third parties will rate their refurbished stock with a grade. (It pays to ask who has done the refurbishing—the manufacturer or the reseller.) Refurbished laptops are sold and rated with grades of A, B+, B, C, and so on to reflect their wear and tear. However, it’s generally up to the reseller what the grade means. We strongly recommend insisting on an ironclad return policy in the case of purchases like these if you decide to roll the dice. You could end up pleasantly surprised, but usually, a refurbished laptop deal that looks too good to be true...is.
Should You Get a Longer Laptop Warranty?
Most laptop makers offer one-year warranties on parts and labor. These standard plans are limited, so they won't cover accidents like spilling a drink on the keyboard or dropping the system on the sidewalk. Fortunately, your credit card issuer likely covers such mishaps for a short period after you purchase a new product, and it may also extend the manufacturer's warranty. (For example, many Mastercard accounts include a doubling of the standard warranty period up to one year.) Check your account benefits guide for details.
If your credit card issuer doesn’t cover you, some top laptop makers will happily sell you extended warranties. Apple, Dell, HP, and Lenovo all offer a wide range of extended warranties and accidental-damage coverage. Expect to spend $100 to $300 for these options. Our rule of thumb is that if a warranty costs more than 15% of the laptop's purchase price, you're better off spending the money on backup drives or services that minimize downtime.
Of course, you can't put a price tag on peace of mind. You'll encounter instances when the logic board or the display—the most expensive parts of a laptop—fail, and while rare, such a catastrophe can cost you half of what the laptop is worth in repair costs.
Ready to Buy the Right Laptop for You?
Shopping for a leading laptop is an exercise in patience. An ultra-competitive market means that even if you’ve got specific requirements, you can almost certainly find a handful of excellent models that will meet them and another handful of perfectly serviceable but ho-hum models that will, too. Now that you know which specifications to look for, parsing the good from the bad will be much easier.