Your needs will largely determine what you need out of a laptop. If you want to replace your desktop computer, you’ll want more power in your device. If you travel often, you might prefer something lightweight and easy to carry. However, you can always enhance your laptop with accessories such as secondary monitors, keyboards, and external hard drives. Our experts have looked at dozens of laptops, and we’ve rounded up our favorites for productivity, gaming, and other essential tasks. Like other models in the XPS lineup, the 9310’s minimal design means there aren’t many ports, but it’s still got enough for most users. The only minor downside is that the fingerprint sensor can be somewhat unreliable. Also, keep in mind that this laptop doesn’t include a dedicated graphics card, so it’s not ideal for gaming or graphics-intensive tasks. However, it is fast and powerful enough for most day-to-day use and is a well-rounded laptop. Screen Size: 13.4 inches | Resolution: 1900x1200 | CPU: Intel Core i7-1185G7 | GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics | RAM: 32GB | Storage: 512GB SSD | Touchscreen: Yes On the downside, its limited port selection and sub-par webcam bring it down slightly. While it could have used some upgrades beyond the brand new Apple M1 chip that debuted with this Macbook Air, overall, it’s still a fantastic option for fans of Apple products. Screen Size: 13.3 inches | Resolution: 2560x1600 | CPU: Apple M1 | GPU: Apple 8-core GPU | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB SSD | Touchscreen: No The Surface Laptop 4 features a responsive keyboard and trackpad, which is another factor for productivity. It falls short a bit when it comes to connectivity (4G LTE cellular data is unavailable), and the display is unexceptional but makes up for that with the excellent battery life that should get you through an entire day in class. Our reviewer saw up to nine hours of battery life while completing tasks including web browsing and photo editing. The Surface Laptop 4 also comes with a powerful processor and plenty of RAM (computer memory) but no dedicated graphics processing unit (GPU), which is fine for a laptop intended for school and business work. Screen Size: 13.5 inches | Resolution: 2256x1504 | CPU: AMD Ryzen 4680U or Intel Core i5/i7 | GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics or Intel Iris Plus Graphics | RAM: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB RAM | Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB SSD | Touchscreen: Yes Our reviewer points out a few other minor issues, including poorly located ports that complicate cable management and more than the average amount of pre-installed applications (known as bloatware). However, the 14-inch display and built-in speakers are both top-notch. Overall you couldn’t ask for more power inside such a portable laptop. It’s the perfect choice for gaming, video editing, and other graphics-intensive tasks. Screen Size: 14 inches | Resolution: 1920x1080 | CPU: Intel Core i7-11375H | GPU: Nvidia RTX 3060 | RAM: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB RAM | Storage: 512GB SSD | Touchscreen: No The Razer Blade is also equipped with an RGB (red, green, and blue) backlit keyboard and better speakers than you’d expect. However, as with other high-powered laptops, the Blade doesn’t have the best battery life, and it’s also fairly heavy, so it’s not the most portable laptop around. However, those are minor gripes, as the Razer Blade is certainly one of the best laptops out there for gaming. Screen Size: 15.6 inches | Resolution: 1920x1080 | CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H | GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB SSD | Touchscreen: No The downside is that this isn’t a very powerful laptop, and it tends to get hot if you try to push its capabilities. Also, the camera isn’t great, and your selection of ports is relatively limited. With that said, you’re getting a super thin and light machine with a whopping 13 hours of battery life. Screen Size: 12.4 inches | Resolution: 1536x1024 | CPU: Intel Core i5-1035G1 | GPU: Intel UHD Graphics | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 128GB SSD | Touchscreen: Yes Its 2560x1440 screen has a high 120Hz refresh rate so that it can take full advantage of its Nvidia graphics card and powerful AMD Ryzen processor. Additionally, you get a full terabyte of solid state storage, which is plenty of room for games and other software. Unlike many other gaming-capable laptops, the G14 actually has decent battery life and is small, lightweight, and thus more portable than you might expect. The only major downside we found during testing the G14 is that it doesn’t have a built-in webcam, which is a serious disadvantage in a world where nearly everyone communicates via Zoom. Screen Size: 14 inches | Resolution: 2560x1440 | CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS | GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 1TB SSD | Touchscreen: No The IdeaPad 1 has only 4GB of RAM, 64GB of solid state drive storage, and an Intel Celeron N4020 processor. However, if you need a laptop to get work done and don’t need it to do much other than word processing and web-based tasks, then it’s perfectly adequate. It does come with Windows 11 in S mode, which limits the device’s capabilities. However, considering the low power of the IdeaPad 1’s hardware, that may be desirable, and you can always turn off S mode if it bothers you. Screen Size: 14 inches | Resolution: 1366x768 | CPU: Intel Celeron N4020 | GPU: Integrated | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 64GB SSD | Touchscreen: No The laptop has a bright and color-accurate 4K monitor and the latest and greatest in terms of connectivity capabilities. Highlights include a SIM card slot so that you can hook the Firefly up to a 5G cellular network instead of relying on Wi-Fi networks. It’s kind of pricey, and an SD card reader would have been a welcome addition, but overall the Zbook Firefly 15 G8 is a pro-grade laptop. Screen Size: 15.6 inches | Resolution: 1920x1080 | CPU: Intel Core i7 | GPU: Nvidia T500 or Integrated | RAM: 16GB or 32GB | Storage: 512GB or 1TB SSD | Touchscreen: Available with some configurations Most people can go with something in the middle (14 or 15 inches offer an excellent compromise) and don’t need to worry too much about resolution in a laptop, so long as the screen is at least 1080p. 4K is nice but really only noticeable in larger 15- or 17-inch laptop displays. If you’re a gamer, look for a display with at least a 144hz refresh rate.
Components
Look for at least a 514GB SSD, unless you’re going for a really cheap device and don’t need much onboard storage. Also, traditional hard disk drives (HDD) are pretty much extinct in modern laptops, so avoid them if possible. Find 8GB of RAM at a minimum, though 16GB is preferable, and 32GB is almost a necessity for high-end gaming and graphically intensive productivity (such as photo editing or graphic design). You’ll also want the latest generation of processors from AMD, Intel, or Apple, and if you’re doing any gaming, you’ll want a dedicated graphics card.
Operating System
Most laptops run Windows 10 or 11. Windows 11 may be the latest, but it isn’t fundamentally much different from its predecessor Windows 10, so don’t hesitate to buy a laptop with this older operating system that still receives updates and support from the manufacturer. If you buy an Apple device, you’ll be using macOS, and Chromebooks run ChromeOS, which is very similar to a web browser.
About Our Trusted Experts
Andy Zahn tested and reviewed most of our picks for top laptops from Dell, Microsoft, Asus, and HP. He has been writing for Lifewire since 2019, covering the last tech and consumer gadgets, and specializes in laptops, desktops, gaming, drones, and photography. However, you tend to pay more for a 2-in-1 laptop than a traditional laptop, with traditional laptops tending to give you more bang for your buck in terms of computing power. Also, traditional laptops are usually more robust. Andrew Hayward is a Chicago-based writer with over 14 years of experience covering tech and gaming. He has tested and reviewed several laptops for Lifewire, including the Razer Blade 15, Dell XPS 13 9370, and the Apple MacBook Air (2018). Jeremy Laukkonen is an automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles, or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles. Jeremy has contributed numerous laptop reviews for Lifewire, including the MacBook Air with the M1 chip. Matthew Smith is a veteran consumer tech journalist who’s been reviewing products since 2007. His expertise includes PC hardware, gaming, laptops, smartphones, and more. He was formerly the Lead Editor of the product reviews team at Digital Trends.
