1. The list in brief
2. Best overall laptop
3. Best Chromebook laptop
4. Best value laptop
5. Best Windows 11
6. Best 15-inch laptop
7. Best budget laptop
8. Best for work
8. Best 2-in-1 laptop
9. Best for gaming
10. Best large screen
11. Best OLED laptop
12. Best cheap gaming laptop
13. How to choose
14. How we test
If you're looking for the best laptops of 2024, then we're here to help. Each year, we review a huge amount of laptops across every category, and we're constantly updating this guide to give you the very latest buying advice, no matter what your budget is.
We've only just started 2024, so a lot of the laptops on this page were released last year – but that doesn't mean they are outdated, with many coming with cutting-edge components. And, at CES 2024, the huge tech show in Las Vegas that ran at the beginning of January, we got an exciting glimpse of what the future holds for laptops.
But, if you want to know what the best laptop you can buy right now is, then our choice remains the MacBook Air (M2), which is available in both 13-inch and 15-inch models. This standout in the best MacBook category merges a sleek, contemporary design with an impressive screen, stellar performance, and exceptional battery life. The 13-inch model is particularly great value, especially after its price reduction since the launch of the 15-inch model.
If you don't fancy a MacBook, don't worry, as we have a huge range of other options, from Windows 11-powered laptops, to budget Chromebooks, powerful gaming laptops and everything in between. Each laptop on this page has been carefully reviewed by our team of experts, where we spend weeks using these laptops in day-to-day activities to assess their real-world performance. This comprehensive approach ensures that our recommendations on the best laptop options are based on extensive, firsthand experience, offering you advice you can trust.
What to look for
Battery life: The best thing about laptops is that they allow you to break free from your desk and use them almost anywhere - which is why checking the battery life is essential. For pure battery life, Chromebooks are the best laptops you can buy – but Apple’s latest MacBooks with M1, M2 and brand-new M3 chips come close, offering well over 10 hours of battery life. Meanwhile, gaming laptops usually sacrifice battery life for performance instead.
Performance: When looking to buy the best laptop for your needs, you should consider the performance a potential purchase offers. You don’t want to be stuck with a laptop that starts lagging after a few years. For Windows laptops, look to get one with a modern 14th generation Intel processor, or AMD Ryzen 7000 series. With a MacBook, go for an M1, M2 or new M3 model – which are Apple’s powerful chips made specially for its laptops.
You should also go for a minimum of 8GB of RAM, though 16GB is more future-proof. Recently, Microsoft suggested that 16GB of RAM would be the minimum requirement for the next generation of 'AI laptops'. For Chromebooks, however, 4GB of RAM is fine.
Matt has been reviewing laptops for the best part of 15 years, and has been using them for a lot longer. That means he knows the essential ingredients that make the perfect laptop – long battery lives, dependable performance, solid designs and above all value for money. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops on this page.
The quick list
Want to cut to the chase and find out what the best laptops are? Below, you’ll find a roundup of our choices, and you can jump to a more detailed review of every pick, along with our price comparison tool to help you find the best deals.
The best laptop overall
Apple proves that you can improve on perfection with the 13-inch MacBook Air. With a thinner design, bigger screen and M2 chip, it's the laptop to beat.
The best Chromebook
This 2-in-1 Chromebook offers incredible value for money, with a stunning OLED display and detachable keyboard making it perfect for students.
The best value laptop
The MacBook Air M1 remains a firm favorite, and an obvious choice if you want a top-end portable laptop for less than the MacBook Air M2's price.
The best laptop for Windows 11
The Dell XPS 15 is the best Windows 11 laptop you can buy right now thanks to its gorgeous 15-inch screen and thin and light design.
The best 15-inch laptop
Apple's recent 15-inch version of the MacBook Air comes with the same M2 chip as the smaller model higher up this list, but with a gorgeous new screen.
The best budget laptop in the world
If you're after a budget Windows 11 laptop then this is the one to get, offering good performance, a stylish design and a low price.
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The best laptop for productivity
Want the best laptop for productivity? The brand new 16-inch MacBook Pro gives you a choice of M3 Pro and M3 Max chips for incredible performance.
The best 2-in-1 laptop
Thanks to its unique dual-screen design, the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i is an innovative take on the 2-in-1 that's especially useful for productivity.
The top laptop for gaming
Modern gaming laptops don't need to be big and bulky, as the Razer Blade 14 proves with aplomb. If you want a portable gaming device, get this.
The best large-screen laptop
Looking for a huge screen to boost your productivity? The Dell XPS 17 combines the slim design of other XPS laptops with a 17-inch screen.
The best OLED laptop
OLED screens looks gorgeous on laptops, and the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra is a top example of the difference it makes. It's slim, light and portable, too.
The best affordable gaming laptop
The HP Victus 15 is ideal if you're looking for a machine that can play games, but doesn't blow a hole in your bank balance.
The best laptops in 2024
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the best laptops in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
The best laptop overall
✅ You need a laptop that's thin and light: Thanks to a brand-new design, the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) is one of the thinnest and lightest laptops you can buy.
✅ You want an M2-powered MacBook: W love the M1 MacBook Air (which is also on this list), but this model comes with the more recent M2 chip, for better performance.
✅ You're thinking about getting the 13-inch MacBook Pro: Because it's thinner, lighter, cheaper, the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) is already a better choice. Factor in its similar performance, and you've got a winner.
❌ You only have the budget for the cheapest MacBook: The MacBook Air (M2, 2022) also comes with higher price tag, so if you need something cheaper, the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) (read more) may be a better choice.
❌ You want a lot of ports: The new MacBook Air comes with only two Thunderbolt ports. If you need more ports, consider the MacBook Pro 16-inch below instead.
❌ You need a bigger display: To some folks, a 13-inch screen isn't enough. Luckily, you can always go for the 15-inch MacBook Air.
💻 The MacBook Air (M2, 2022) boasts a fantastic new design alongside a larger display and an impressive battery life of 16 hours. It costs more than its predecessor, but the jump in performance the newer M2 chip provides goes some way to justifying that. ★★★★½
What you need to know
The Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022) is in our opinion the best laptop overall you can buy right now. Thanks to a stylish new design that makes this thin and light laptop feel more modern, this is a MacBook you can take almost anywhere. Not only is it portable, in our review we found that it offers a very decent 16-hour battery life, and the new screen is a joy to work on. It’s just a shame that a price bump has made it slightly less good value for money than its predecessor.
Design: After years sticking to a safe tried-and-tested design, Apple finally gave the MacBook Air a much-needed makeover with this model. It’s now thinner and lighter than before, making it more portable, and by slimming down the bezels around the screen, it’s allowed Apple to include a larger display without making it bulky. The screen is bright and vibrant, and the new modern look and new color options makes the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) one of the best looking laptops you can buy.
Performance: During our time reviewing the MacBook Air, it delivered incredible performance across the board. It quickly boots into macOS, and apps run smoothly (and look fantastic on the new display). We found even when browsing the web in both Safari and Chrome with lots of tabs open, the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) kept up, though we may soon find the 8GB of memory that comes with the base model a bit too limited. Meanwhile, thanks to the redesigned keyboard, whipping up documents and composing emails feel effortless and comfortable.
Battery life: In our tests, the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) lasted a huge 16 hours on battery while playing a 1080p video – that's a 30-minute improvement over the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022), and five hours longer than the MacBook Air (M1, 2020). This laptop will last you throughout an entire workday or on a long-haul flight, and then some. It's not the longest life you'll find in a MacBook - the new MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max) almost hits 24 hours on a single charge.
Value for money: The MacBook Air starts at $1,199 / £1,249 / AU$1,899, a substantial leap from the older MacBook Air’s launch price. The price rise is understandable. However, it also means it won't feel as good in value as its predecessor. Apart from its excellent performance, the best thing about the 2020 MacBook Air was its low price, so Apple raising the price on the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) is a little hard to swallow. The good news is that with the launch of the 15-inch MacBook Air, the price of the 13-inch model has dropped by $100, making it better value for money (though still pricey).
Read the full review: MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | A lot more expensive than is predecessor | ★★★☆☆ |
| Design | Thinner, lighter, and with a bigger screen | ★★★★★ |
| Performance | Powerful performance thanks to the M2 chip | ★★★★☆ |
| Battery life | At 16 hours, it outlasts many rivals | ★★★★★ |
The best Chromebook
✅ You want an OLED Chromebook: An OLED display on a Chromebook is uncommon, so if that's what you're looking for, this is the best choice.
✅ You need long battery life: It's possible to squeeze 18-19 hours of battery life out of this Chromebook if you make the right adjustments in settings.
✅ You want a more robust system than Android or iOS can offer: As powerful as Android and iOS have become, mobile operating systems are still far more restricted than Windows, MacOS, or Linux OS.
❌ You have more limited manual dexterity: Some may find the Duet's smaller-than-standard keyboard a bit fiddly. If that's likely to be the case for you, a larger laptop such as the Acer Swift 3 (skip to that entry) may be a better option.
❌ You're on a tight budget: The Duet 5 Chromebook is incredibly affordable for the premium features it offers, but it's not the best option out there for those on a tight budget.
❌ You want a traditional laptop OS: Chrome OS isn't as robust as Windows 10 or MacOS and it isn't meant to be. If you want a traditional laptop environment, a Chromebook will only get you part of the way there, which may not be enough to satisfy your needs.
💻 The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook offers good performance, a gorgeous display, and a new form factor –plus outstanding battery life – improving on its predecessor. It's a brilliant value for money. ★★★★½
What you need to know
The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook 5 is the best ultra-low price laptop you can buy, and it's a brilliant follow-up to the original IdeaPad Duet. While it’s been out for a while, Chromebooks don’t date as quickly as Windows laptops, and it's still one of the best Chromebooks we've used. If you're a Chromebook skeptic, the IdeaPad Duet Chromebook just might convert you. It can be used as both a laptop and a tablet thanks to its detachable keyboard, while also boasting an impressively long battery life. You're simply not going to find a Windows 11 laptop that can outlast the 20-hour battery life the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook offers – especially at this price. It’s a particularly good choice for students who want something reliable, flexible and affordable.
Design: The Duet 5 Chromebook's keyboard is Ultrabook-worthy in quality and comfort, and it can be easily detached, turning the Duet 5 into a tablet-like device. Meanwhile, the magnetized backplate on the Duet 5 Chromebook has a small clip to house a Lenovo Active Pen stylus, even though the stylus isn't included in the box. The best thing about the design, however, is the gorgeous 1080p OLED display, which offers exceptional image quality - especially considering the price.
Performance: When it comes to general web browsing, video streaming, and basic productivity use, the Duet 5 does exactly what you want it to do without so much as a hiccup. Its CPU is upgraded to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen2 processor, which is a step up from the last model, and the 8GB of RAM is a decent amount for a Chromebook, keeping things running very smoothly.
Battery life: While Chromebooks on average get about 10 hours of life on a fully-charged battery, the Lenovo Duet 5 lasted a huge 16 hours. This is a drop from the previous model (which managed over 20 hours), which we assume is due to the stronger hardware and OLED display.
Value for money: As far as Chromebooks and 2-in-1 laptops go, this is hands down the best value you're going to find in a portable device of its kind. When it launched, it was more expensive than its predecessor, but over time, its price has dropped, making it superb value for money.
Read the full review: Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | It's by far the best budget laptop around | ★★★★★ |
| Design | The 2-in-1 design and OLED screen sets this Chromebook apart | ★★★★☆ |
| Performance | Dependable rather than ultra powerful | ★★★☆☆ |
| Battery life | Over 16 hours will keep you going through an entire work day | ★★★★★ |
The best value laptop
✅ You're looking for a MacBook you can afford: One of the best MacBooks Apple has ever made, the Apple Macbook Air (M1 2020) is also the cheapest, making it a great value.
✅ You need a powerful thin and light: Though incredibly thin and light, the MacBook Air M1's performance is also so impressive.
✅ You want a long-lasting battery: With a battery life of more than 11 hours, the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) will get you through an entire work or school day and longer.
❌ You're on a budget: Despite being of great value, the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is still pretty expensive. If you want something cheaper, there are plenty of other options.
❌ You don't like Macs: If you weren't a fan of previous MacBook Airs or prefer a Windows laptop, this won't convince you to switch over to the other side.
❌ You want the latest MacBook Air: If you want the latest model, then go for the MacBook Air (M2, 2022). Be warned, though, as it's much more expensive.
💻 The MacBook Air (M1, 2022) is one of the most exciting Apple releases, thanks in large part to its game-changing M1 chip as well as its ability to run both legacy apps and iOS apps. Rounding those out are its great battery life and excellent performance. ★★★★½
What you need to know
With the MacBook Air (M1, 2020), Apple has gave its thinnest and slimmest laptop a huge performance upgrade. The 2020 Air runs on the Apple M1 processor, the manufacturer’s highly acclaimed ARM-based chip, giving it the power boost it’s long deserved.
Design: The MacBook Air's design is iconic, so the fact that the 2020 model keeps the same look as older Airs is not necessarily a problem. If you do want a newer design, you'll need to look at the much more expensive MacBook Air 2022.
Performance: The MacBook Air (M1, 2020) boots up quickly, thanks in large part to the M1 chip inside, while the macOS is fast and responsive. Naturally, all the macOS applications that you typically run on Intel-based MacBooks should work beautifully with this M1-powered MacBook Air. That's all due to some software wizardry Apple has done on the Rosetta 2 tool.
Battery life: The MacBook Air’s battery life is just as impressive, lasting a hefty 11 hours and 15 minutes during our usual battery test. After a few hours of work during testing, the battery only dropped a few percentage points. The battery level will also remain high even if leave it on standby for 24 hours. This means you shouldn't have to worry about plugging it in during an entire work or school day. If you want a longer battery, however, check out the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) model, which outlasts this one by five hours.
Value for money: Prices for the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) start at $999 / £999 / AU$1,599, and it easily outperforms competitors that cost much more, making it brilliant value for money. That's even more true if you can find it in a sale. With Apple having released a new model of the MacBook Air (and with rumors swirling that another updated model could launch in the next few months), it means you can often find the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) going for some incredibly impressive prices at the moment.
Read the full review: Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Amazing value for money | ★★★★★ |
| Design | Iconic, albeit not as fresh as 2022's model | ★★★★☆ |
| Performance | The M1 chip is plenty for most tasks | ★★★★★ |
| Battery life | Excellent day-plus battery life | ★★★★★ |
The best for Windows 11
✅ You want a lightweight laptop: Despite its size, the Dell XPS 15 is one of the lightest laptops around.
✅ You want lots of options: Dell offers a wide range of configuration options that allows you to pick an XPS 15 that best suits your needs and budget.
✅ You want the best Windows 11 laptop: The solid, stylish and lightweight design, excellent performance and stunning screen makes the Dell XPS 15 the best Windows 11 laptop out there.
❌ You want a cheap laptop: Dell's XPS lineup are premium laptops, and the XPS 15 is no different. This is a cutting-edge Ultrabook with a price to match.
❌ You want to play games: The Dell XPS 15 (2023) can be configured with up to an RTX 4070 GPU, which isn't bad at all, but this is no gaming laptop.
❌ You love macOS: While the Dell XPS 15 is a brilliant Windows 11 device, the MacBook Air (M2) (full info here) is a much better buy, so long as you are happy using macOS.
💻 Dell XPS 15 (2023) is yet another brilliant Ultrabook from Dell, and is easily the best Windows 11 laptop you can buy right now. It offers new and improved components for even better performance, and can be configured with a discrete GPU, making it great for creatives such as video editors. However, battery life is disappointing compared to the previous model. ★★★★☆
What you need to know
The Dell XPS 15 (2023) is the best Windows 11 laptop you can buy right now, and we imagine any 2024 version that comes out later this year will continue that trend. It has a large, 15.6-inch screen that's a joy to work on, especially if you invest in the 3.5K OLED model, and it packs plenty of performance into a gorgeous slim and light package. Dell has once again shown that laptops with large screens don't need to be big and bulky.
Design: The Dell XPS 15 keeps the same design as the previous model, but that's no bad thing - there aren't many 15-inch laptops out there that can compete with the svelte look of the Dell XPS 15's 2023 model. The only one that does is the MacBook Air 15-inch, which is also included in our best laptops list. It weighs just four pounds (2kg), and comes with two Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2) ports, one headset (headphone and microphone combo) port, and one SD slot. This is a good selection, especially for photographers who won't need an adapter for their camera's memory card.
Performance: The Dell XPS 15 (2023) that we reviewed came with a cutting-edge Intel Core i7-13700H processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card and 32GB of RAM, which led to us being extremely impressed by its performance. You can do some seriously heavy creative work on this laptop thanks to its RTX 4070 GPU, and you can configure it up to 64GB of RAM and 8TB of storage, making it an absolute beast of a workstation laptop.
Battery life: In our battery life benchmark, we found the XPS 15 (2023) lasted just over eight hours. This means it should get you through a work day without needing a charge, though if you get the model with the RTX 4070 GPU and want to do video encoding or even a spot of gaming, then expect battery levels to drop more quickly.
Value for money: Starting at $1,499 / £1,498.99 / AU$2,498.10, this is not a cheap laptop, but nor is it outrageously priced. For the specs and performance you get, you'll be very happy if you can afford it - and keep an eye out around Black Friday, as Dell often has some of the best price cuts around.
Read the full review: Dell XPS 15 (2023)
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Very expensive, but considering the specs you get, is worth it for those with the extra cash. | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | Beautiful, sturdy form factor and sleek design. | ★★★★☆ |
| Performance | Performs well for any task, but not ideal for gaming | ★★★★☆ |
| Battery life | The bad battery life isn't too shabby at all but it's disappointing for an Ultrabook. | ★★★☆☆ |
The best 15-inch laptop
✅ You want a bigger MacBook Air: While practically identical to the 13-inch model, the MacBook Air 15-inch (2023) has the advantage of having a bigger display.
✅ You want a laptop for streaming: Thanks to its screen and six speaker setup, consuming content has never been this enjoyable.
✅ You want a 15-inch laptop that's portable: It's impressively thin for a laptop, despite being bigger and a little heavier than the smaller Air.
❌ You want something super lightweight: Want the smallest and most lightweight to carry around with you? Go for the 13-inch version instead.
❌ You want a laptop to work on while travelling: Because of its bigger size, the MacBook Air 15-inch (2023) is unlikely to fit on the tray tables on buses, trains, and planes.
❌ You're on a budget: The MacBook Air 15-inch (2023) offers good value, but this remains an expensive laptop, so you may be better off looking elsewhere for a more affordable machine.
💻 The MacBook Air 15-inch (2023) has a stunning design, a dazzling display, and the best speaker system in a laptop. The bump in size, however, means it's less portable than its 13-inch counterpart. ★★★★☆
What you need to know
The rumors were true: Apple was indeed working on a 15-inch version of its excellent MacBook Air, and after its launch at WWDC 2023, we've had a chance to properly test it out. And we like what we've seen. A lot. While there have been some compromises to portability due to the increased screen size, this is still a thin and light laptop that's a joy to use.
Design: 2022’s redesign on the MacBook Air, the biggest change to the MacBook line in years, was a welcome and much needed refresh. Apple has kept that same design language for the 15-inch model, giving it a more modern look, an improved screen, and MagSafe 3 charging port. Except for its bigger size, the MacBook Air 15-inch (2023) looks pretty identical to the smaller Air.
Performance: Sadly, there's no generational leap between the MacBook Air 15-inch (2023) and the 2022 model – but the M2 is an excellent chip, and for day-to-day use including web browsing and video editing. Video content looks stunning, thanks to its high-resolution screen that displays bright, vibrant colors. Plus, very few laptops can compete with the audio quality its six built-in speakers can deliver.
Battery life: The MacBook Air 15-inch (2023) can last up to 15 hours of wireless web browsing and a whopping 18 hours of video playback. When it comes to the battery life, it definitely outperforms Windows 11 rivals.
Value for money: Only $100 more than that the 13-inch MacBook Air, the MacBook Air 15-inch (2023) isn’t outrageous in price, starting at $1,299 / £1,399 / AU$2,199. In fact, we think it's an excellent value for money. It's also cheaper than rivals like the Dell XPS 15.
Read the full review: Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (2023)
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | While still pricey, the MacBook Air 15-inch (2023) is a good value MacBook. | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | It boasts the same new design as the new 13-inch model | ★★★★☆ |
| Performance | It's an excellent and powerful daily performer. | ★★★★☆ |
| Battery life | The 15-inch MacBook Air can outlast most Windows 11 laptops in terms of longevity. | ★★★★☆ |
The best budget laptop
✅ You want a cheap laptop: The Acer Aspire 5 is a no-frills laptop that does the job well for a lot less than other Windows 11 laptops.
✅ You want a very portable laptop: This budget laptop is impressively light without feeling cheep and tacky, and that means it's comfortable to carry around with you throughout the day.
✅ You don't want a Chromebook: There are cheaper Chromebooks out there, but due to the limitations of ChromeOS, they aren't for everyone. The Acer Aspire 5 is cheap, but also runs Windows 11.
❌ You want a gaming laptop: The Acer Aspire can be configured with a discrete GPU, but that ups the price, and still doesn't turn it into a gaming laptop.
❌ You want long battery life: At around six and a half hours, the battery life isn't awful, but nor is it exceptional. The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet, above, offers much better battery life.
💻 The Acer Aspire 5 is a brilliant budget laptop that is comfortable to carry around, but is also sturdily built. Windows 11 runs well on it, and as you can configure it with a graphics card, it does a decent job at video editing for the price. ★★★★
What you need to know
As long as you keep your expectations in check, the Acer Aspire 5 remains the best cheap laptop you can buy in 2024. Its design is lightweight yet doesn't feel cheap, its large screen size is comfortable to work on, and you can even configure it to come with an Nvidia GPU. Don't mistake this for a gaming laptop however. But, the GPU can help make the Aspire 5 punch above its weight when it comes to video editing. For the price, you'll pleasantly surprised.
Design: The Acer Aspire 5 won't win any design or innovation awards, but it offers you a solid, dependable laptop design that will at least feel familiar. Weighing 1.7kg and measuring 18mm thick, it's a laptop you can easily carry around with you. We didn't love the L-shaped power connector in our review, however, which sticks out a bit when plugged in.
Performance: The Acer Aspire 5 doesn't wow when it comes to performance - but nor does it disappoint. This is a solid and dependable laptop that you can rely on for your day-to-day needs. However, gaming is out of the question with the base model, which comes with integrated graphics. However, you can buy a model with a dedicated GPU, and this offers improved graphical performance - but don't expect to play demanding games on this thing.
Battery life: In our review we found the Acer Aspire 5 lasted around six and a half hours on battery. While this isn't awful, there are cheap laptops out there, especially Chromebooks, which offer much longer battery life. So, you'll likely want to bring its charging cable with you when you're out and about.
Value for money: As you might expect from a laptop we consider to be the best budget device money can buy, the Acer Aspire 5 offers excellent value for money, going for around $600 in the US and £500 in the UK. Even at that low price you get good performance, a nice design and 1080p screen.
Read the full review: Acer Aspire 5 (2022)
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | This is an excellent value Windows 11 laptop that is often on sale | ★★★★★ |
| Design | Dull but solid. You won't worry about it breaking easily | ★★★☆☆ |
| Performance | Again, performance is solid, especially for the price | ★★★☆☆ |
| Battery life | Acer claims it can hit 10 hours on battery, but our tests are closer to 7 | ★★★★☆ |
The best productivity laptop
✅ You need the most powerful MacBook: You’re guaranteed incredible performance that’ll crush the more demanding workloads, whether it's the M3 Pro or M3 Max model you go for.
✅ You’re a traveling creative pro: If you're a creative who needs power, a gorgeous display, great-sounding speakers and lots of ports, this is the perfect travel companion.
✅ You want to game on a MacBook: The MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 Max boasts seriously impressive gaming prowess.
❌ You have an earlier 16-inch MacBook Pro: The M3 Pro and M3 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro models are the second to have launched last year, so if you have the M2 Pro or M2 Max models, don't worry - they are still very good.
❌ You’re looking for an affordable workstation laptop: The 16-inch MacBook Pro is an expensive investment, which means it may be priced out of many people's reach. The 14-inch model is more affordable, and you can get it with the base M3 chip.
❌ You’re a casual user: Unless you’re a creative professional, you’re unlikely to need the kind of performance that the MacBook Pro 16-inch offers, especially with the M3 Max chip. For regular use, the MacBook Air 15-inch (also in this guide) will be a better buy.
💻 The MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Pro/M3 Max) is Apple's latest instalment in its high-end prosumer laptop range. Despite launching less than a year after the previous model, thanks to a choice of new M3 Pro or M3 Max chips, and up to 128GB unified memory, it's had a hefty upgrade, and while M2 Pro/M2 Max MacBook Pro owners shouldn't need to upgrade, if you want the best laptop for productivity, then this is it ★★★★★
What you need to know
The MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Pro/M3 Max) is hands-down the best laptop for creative professionals we’ve ever tested – even though it comes just nine months after the last model. It's powered by the new M3 Pro and M3 Max SoCs, Apple's most powerful chips. There wasn’t a task it couldn’t handle during our testing. It did an impressive job of handling 4K video editing, even with multiple 4K and 8K video files, as well as running the latest and most demanding games. Along with the new MacBook Pro 14-inch, this may be the very first MacBook for gaming.
Design: Design-wise, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Pro/M3 Max) doesn't deviate from its predecessor. There is, however, a new color option, called Space Black, that's apparently made with a material with an anodization seal that's designed to minimizes fingerprint retention, helping you maintain a clean laptop.
Performance: Our independent benchmark tests showed a hefty leap in performance between the M3 Max and M1 Max MacBook Pro 16-inches. We saw a good 35% increase in single core and a considerable 69% increase in multi-core CPU performance in Geekbench 6. You should, therefore, see a noticeable time reduction when completing workloads, specifically graphics-intensive ones. The MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 Max's performance makes workloads fast, fluid and incredibly seamless, especially for creatives.
Battery life: Apple promises up to 22 hours of video playback, and 15 hours of web browsing on a single charge for the MacBook Pro 16-inch, with what it says is the "longest battery life ever in a Mac". The good news is that those claims are pretty spot on, as we found that in our battery life benchmark test, where we ran a looped 1080p video until the MacBook Pro turned off, the battery lasted over 24 hours. Considering the power on offer here, that's extremely impressive.
Value for money: The MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Pro/M3 Max) is an incredibly ambitious laptop both in terms of hardware and design, and it’s aimed at creative professionals who need powerful mobile hardware. Yes, it's an expensive laptop - but if you need all that power, it's well worth paying for it.
Read the full review: MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max)
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Same base price as the previous model (in the US at least) is welcome - but it's still pricey | ★★★☆☆ |
| Design | New Space Black color is great, same best-in-class display and port selection | ★★★★★ |
| Performance | The M3 Max inside our review unit offers incredible performance, even when gaming | ★★★★★ |
| Battery life | We managed a huge 24 hours in our battery benchmark. This is seriously impressive | ★★★★★ |
The best 2-in-1 laptop
✅ You need flexibility: The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i’s dual-screen design means you're able to work in a variety of ways that suit your needs.
✅ You have a large budget: This is an incredibly pricey laptop, but if you have the cash, you'll be very pleased with the performance, dual screens and overall build quality.
✅ You want something to work on while travelling: This laptop is incredibly thin, despite having two screens, and it doesn't weigh much either. This makes it a great laptop to take with you while travelling.
❌ You're on a tight budget: The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i’s unique design and powerful components come at a cost - a big cost. You may be better off going for something more affordable.
❌ You don’t need two displays: The main selling point of the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i is its dual-screen display. If you're not going to use that, go for a cheaper 2-in-1 laptop that offers similar flexibility.
❌ You want something less flashy: The unique design of the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i certainly gets a lot of attention - but that may be something not everyone wants, especially in public places, or during work meetings.
💻 The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i is incredibly elegant, and it’s just as capable, whether you’re doing general productivity work or editing a batch of high-resolution images in Lightroom. Its screens are gorgeous as well. Finally, this is a dual-screen laptop done right. Beware of that steep price tag, however. ★★★★½
What you need to know
One of the best touchscreen laptops – and naturally, among the best 2-in-1 laptops – we’ve tested in 2023 (so far), the Yoga Book 9i is an incredible dual-screen laptop that actually uses the second screen well. The Yoga Book 9i sees you through your productivity and multitasking in a seamless and time-saving way without the extra weight. It’s also a capable piece of kit with cutting-edge mobile components powering it - but it also comes with a very high price.
Design: We completely fell in love with the Yoga Book 9i when we reviewed it. The dual-screen design works brilliantly, and it's one of the few dual-screen laptops that doesn't feel like a gimmick. Instead, it can really help your productivity - either by giving you more space to work on (like a multi-monitor setup on a desk would), and by allowing you to work on it in several modes, so you can choose the most useful and comfortable mode depending on what you're working on.
Performance: The Intel Core i7-1355U processor of the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i offers an excellent balance between strong day-to-day performance and efficiency. Efficiency is especially important for thin and light laptops like the Yoga Book 9i, as it means they don't so easily overheat when being used - a worry for some thin laptops due to lack of space in the body for air to circulate. The OLED screens also look brilliant.
Battery life: The efficient processor doesn't just keep the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i cool, it also means that despite having two OLED screens, battery life isn't too bad at all. In our review, we found that it lasted almost nine and a half hours during our battery life tests, and if you turn off one screen, that jumps up to just over 12 hours.
Value for money: Let's be blunt: this is an expensive laptop, with a launch price of $1,999 / £2,299.99 / AU$4,299, and it's unlikely to drop in price any time soon. Its dual screens and premium design does mean the high price is understandable, but there's no escaping the fact that its price could put a lot of people off.
Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga Book 9i
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | It's expensive, but it's worth the cost if you can maximize its features. | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | Not only is it beautifully designed, but Lenovo also pulls off that dual-screen setup well. | ★★★★★ |
| Performance | It's a capable laptop that can see you through general productivity and some creative work. | ★★★★☆ |
| Battery life | Whether you're using both or just one display, it gives you an all-day battery life. | ★★★★★ |
The best laptop for gaming
✅ You want a lightweight gaming laptop: We're not talking about performance, but the actual build and design of the Razer Blade 14 is seriously svelte.
✅ You want epic performance: As for performance, Razer has kitted this out with some of the best mobile tech around - and it shows.
✅ Audio quality is important: The dual speaker setup leads to some of the best audio we've heard from built-in speakers.
❌ You’re on a budget: Razer laptops are notoriously expensive, and the Razer Blade 14 is no exception. Check out the HP Victus 15 instead, which we've picked as the best cheap laptop you can buy right now.
❌ You want long battery life: As you might expect from a powerful gaming laptop, the battery doesn't last long.
❌ You want to travel really light: While thin compared to most gaming laptops, the Razer Blade 14 has a chunky power brick. Yes, you can use USB-C instead, but it won’t supply enough power to keep up when gaming.
💻 The Razer Blade 14 (2023) is the company's best gaming laptop yet. Sporting a thin and light chassis, as well as cutting-edge specs, it doesn’t compromise on performance. However, battery life isn't the best. ★★★★½
What you need to know
This year’s Razer Blade 14 refresh has been outfitted with the latest specs, including the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU, which sports a 5.2 GHz max clock speed and eight cores/16 threads, and up to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU. Despite coming with high-end components, it's a stunningly thin and light laptop - something most gaming laptops just cannot offer.
Design: Razer makes some of the best thin and light laptops on the market, including the Razer Blade 14 (2023). Razer has done a great job of including high-end specs like the Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card, while keeping the overall weight and thickness down - it weighs just four pounds, and with the 14-inch screen, the Razer Blade 14 proves that gaming laptops don't have to be big and bulky.
Performance: The Razor Blade 14 (2023) offers superb performance when gaming, allowing you to play even the most demanding games, such as Cyberpunk 2077 at their highest settings, while maintaining high frame rates. The 14-inch screen comes with a high 240Hz refresh, and that combined with the RTX 4070 GPU ensures your games feel fast and responsive. We really can't fault the performance of the Razer Blade 14 in any way.
Battery life: According to Razer, the Razer Blade 14 (2023) should offer up to 10 hours of battery life, but in our review, we found it was more like eight hours when using it for day-to-day work. When you start playing games on it, the battery struggles to make it past four hours - so you'll want to have this plugged in.
Value for money: Razer's reputation for expensive laptops is well deserved here. Despite it being a 14-inch laptop, its starting price point of $2,399 / £2,499.99 / AU$4,499 will be far too high for many people, though remember this is a gaming laptop with some of the best components you can currently buy.
Read the full review: Razer Blade 14 (2023)
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | You get a lot for the price, but there's no getting around the huge price tag | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | Its thin and light design makes it stand out against other gaming laptops | ★★★★★ |
| Performance | You'll be able to fire up any modern game and play at high or ultra settings with ease | ★★★★★ |
| Battery life | While it's not too bad at day to day tasks, if you're gaming on this laptop, the battery disappears quickly | ★★★☆☆ |
The best 17-inch laptop
✅ You love great design: The Dell XPS 17 (2022) is a gorgeous machine made out of high quality materials. The design may be a couple of years old, but with uber-slim bezels, it’s still bang up to date and very slick indeed.
✅ You want the latest Intel chips: The XPS 17 has been updated for 2022 with Intel’s latest 12th Gen Alder Lake CPUs delivering outstanding performance, thanks to a mix of performance and efficiency cores.
✅ You need decent battery life: Despite its large screen and beefy CPU performance, the Dell XPS 17 still delivers over 10 hours of battery life away from the mains.
❌ You want a true gaming laptop: The Dell XPS 17 can be had with Nvidia RTX 3050 or 3060 graphics, which are decent for casual gaming. But serious gamers can get better performance with the Razer Blade 14 (click for details).
❌ You want maximum bang for your buck: The Dell XPS 17 is a great performer, but it will cost you. You can have similar performance, but with a less pleasing design, for a lot less cash. The slick looks and engineering add cost.
❌ Portability is a priority: Inevitably, this 17-inch model isn’t the most portable laptop around. Weighing in at well over 2kg and measuring more than 14 inches across, this is not a laptop you’ll want to lug around daily.
💻 The Dell XPS 17 (2022) looks identical to last year’s model, but it's still one of the slickest and sleekest 17-inch laptops around and now packs Intel’s latest 12th Gen CPUs for epic performance and surprisingly good battery life. ★★★★½
What you need to know
If the Dell XPS 17 (2022) looks familiar, that’s because it is. Physically, this revised 2022 model is a dead ringer for last year’s Dell XPS 17 - and the one from 2020, too. But that’s no bad thing given this is one of the slickest and sleekest laptops around. That doesn't mean there's nothing new with the latest model, however. Dell has done a lot of work updating the internal components of the XPS 17, and it's now powered by Intel's 12th generation processors. You can configure it with an Nvidia GeForce GPU as well, and that means, if you're after a large-screen laptop that's stylishly designed and can keep up with even the most demanding of workloads, then the Dell XPS 17 (2022) is definitely worth considering.
Design: The Dell XPS 17 is super sleek and beautifully built, with the main chassis and screen covered in machined aluminum and the palmrest in carbon fiber. It still looks modern, too, thanks to ultra-slim bezels on all four sides of the display. And all that's despite it still squeezing in a 720p webcam up top with Windows Hello facial recognition support.
Performance: As far as performance goes, this laptop has everything you could ask for. It’ll tear through everything from video encodes to 3D renders with ease. Intel Alder Lake’s world-beating single-core performance also guarantees that this laptop feels snappy in day-to-day tasks like web browsing. If there is an exception, it involves graphics performance and gaming, unless you splash out on a truly high-end configuration. Even then, remember that this is not designed to be a gaming laptop.
Battery life: Large powerful laptops like the Dell XPS 17 (2022) used to be nailed-on certainties for awful battery life. Not these days. In light workloads like watching video and web browsing, you can expect over 10 hours of battery life. Whilst reviewing the Dell XPS 17, we found we could just about manage a whole workday on a single charge.
Value for money: The Dell XPS 17 (2022) kicks off at $1,749 in the US, £2,099 in the UK and AU$3,999, and costs can quickly mount when you start configuring it with yet more powerful specs.
Read the full review: Dell XPS 17 (2022)
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Not cheap at entry and pricier as you spec up | ★★★☆☆ |
| Design | Sleek and beautifully built but lacks ports | ★★★★☆ |
| Performance | Packs a punch, but graphics are lacking | ★★★★☆ |
| Battery life | 10hrs plus is impressive given all the power | ★★★★☆ |
The best OLED laptop
✅ You want excellent productivity and gaming performance: This laptop can balance both, plus any editing or creative projects that you need to be done. It's the ultimate workhorse in a gorgeous chassis.
✅ You want a great display: The display is a full 3K AMOLED screen that supports HDR and offers crisp, clear visuals.
✅ You love to type: The keyboard keys are wide, which increases typing accuracy, and it even sports a numlock pad.
❌ You’re on a budget: Though this is a high-quality laptop that can truly do it all, it also comes at a steep price. The average worker or creative person might have trouble affording it.
❌ You need a better battery: This battery is pretty bad, especially if you're gaming or streaming movies. It does charge fast but you're better off keeping it on AC power.
❌ You don't need the power: One of the reasons the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra is so expensive is that it comes with very powerful components for creative tasks. Not everyone will need those – so save money and look elsewhere.
💻 The Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra is capable of nearly any task you put it to – productivity, creative projects, and more. Plus, the Samsung ecosystem inside is a feature that truly rivals Apple's. ★★★★½
What you need to know
The Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra is a truly impressive Ultrabook that proves that Samsung can make laptops as stylish and desirable as major laptop brands such as Dell, HP and Asus. The Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra is an absolute stunner of a portable machine, offering excellent specs and a gorgeous display all in a sleek and sexy package, and it's one of the best looking ultrabooks going that isn't the Dell XPS 13 and Apple MacBook Air (M1,2020). Arguably its best feature is the beautiful 3K (2880 x 1800) AMOLED screen that is bright and vibrant, and at 16-inches, is a joy to work on.
Design: The Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra has an absolutely gorgeous, sleek design. It’s an Ultrabook wearing a sexy black chassis and has a light and thin form factor for its 16-inch display. The display itself is a 3K (2880 x 1800) AMOLED screen that features 400 nits of brightness normally, and when it’s using HDR that increases to 500 nits. It has a nice, wide keyboard with well-sized keys and a num lock pad on the side, making it very comfortable to type on.
Performance: General performance for the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra is very well-rounded, making it a great all-round workhorse that can tackle most creative and editing tasks alongside productivity and even higher-end gaming. Intel's 13th generation processors paired with Nvidia's new RTX 4000 series of laptop GPUs makes this an incredible performer that's even able to play games.
Battery life: Sadly, the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra has a terrible battery life. Through productivity work, you can get it to last around six hours at most, and with streaming and gaming, you’ll be getting less than five hours.
Value for money: Pricing is quite high, as it starts at $2,399.99 (£2,649 / around AU$4,875) for the base model and $2,999.99 (£3,049 / around AU$5,610) for the upgraded model. This means it's a laptop that won't be for everyone.
Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | It's an extremely expensive Ultrabook but the current sales soften the blow somewhat. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Design | This is a slim and gorgeous Ultrabook that features a Samsung ecosystem that rivals Apple's. | ★★★★★ |
| Performance | It's truly the jack of all trades of laptops, able to juggle most tasks with ease. | ★★★★★ |
| Battery life | It has a horrible battery life, but at least it charges fast. | ★★☆☆☆ |
The best affordable gaming laptop
✅ You want great value: The base model of the HP Victus 15 offers excellent value for people wanting to get into PC gaming without spending too much.
✅ You want a cheap gaming laptop that doesn't suck: Despite its low price, the HP Victus 15 is a capable gaming machine, especially when you go for one of the more powerful configurations.
✅ You care about sustainability: HP has made an admirable effort to use recycled and sustainable materials to make this gaming laptop.
❌ You want to max out your games: The HP Victus 15 can play most modern games, but you won't be able to hit the highest graphical settings (you may want to check out the Razer Blade 14 if you have the money).
❌ You want a long battery: As you'd expect from a gaming laptops - especially a budget one - the battery of the HP Victus 15 doesn't last long when unplugged - expect around four and a half hours.
❌ You want a thin and light gaming laptop: The HP Victus isn't the most exciting-looking gaming laptop, nor is it thin and light.
💻 The HP Victus 15 is laser-focussed on giving you the best possible value for a cheap gaming laptop. Even if you go for the cheapest model, you'll still be able to play modern games, though there will be compromises. This is the perfect choice for people looking for their first gaming laptop. ★★★★
What you need to know
The HP Victus 15 is in our opinion the best cheap gaming laptop you can buy right now. It offers a low price of entry, and even at its cheapest configuration, it comes with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 laptop GPU, which is enough to play modern games, though you'll need to do some careful tweaking in certain games' graphical settings. If you want a bit more oomph, you can configure it with up to a RTX 3050 Ti GPU, and while that isn't exactly a powerhouse of a graphics card, it can give you a smoother gaming experience, though that of course ups the price. In 2024, we'd like to see a new model come out with RTX 4000 laptop graphics.
Design: The Victus 15 may be a budget gaming laptop, but it certainly doesn't feel cheap, and in our review we were impressed by its sturdy build quality. It has a decent heft to it that means you won't worry about carrying it around with you, though at 5.06 pounds (2.3kg), some people may find it a bit on the heavy side. The fact that HP has used post-consumer recycled and ocean-bound plastic, along with water-based paint, for a lot of the chassis means this is an impressively green device - something you can't always say about gaming laptops.
Performance: For the price, the HP Victus 15 offers impressive performance, making it an excellent choice as a first gaming laptop, or an alternative to consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X. We were sent the cheapest model to test, which comes with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 laptop GPU, which comes with 4GB of RAM. While it'll struggle at high settings, it managed the demanding Cyberpunk 2077 at lowest settings, hitting 48fps (frames per second), which - considering the budget price - isn't too bad at all. You'll need to carefully tweak the settings of games to get the best performance - if you hate the thought of that, then going for a more powerful - and expensive - gaming laptop may be your best bet.
Battery life: In our tests the HP Victus 15 only lasted just over four hours on a single charge - so this isn't a laptop that you're going to be able to use for long while unplugged. However, that's true of a lot of other gaming laptops, and at least the Victus 15 charges up quickly - it gets to around 60% from empty in an hour.
Value for money: The HP Victus 15 is easily the best value gaming laptop you can buy right now. Sure, it's showing its age a bit, but it can still play modern games at a decent level of performance and visual splendour. The fact its build quality is very good as well means this is a cheap gaming laptop that punches above its weight.
Read the full review: HP Victus 15
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | The HP Victus 15 offers excellent value for money, especially if you find it on sale | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | This is a budget laptop with a plain design, but we love the sustainability featyres | ★★★★☆ |
| Performance | Even when going for the cheapest model, this laptop performs impressively well in most games | ★★★★☆ |
| Battery life | At just over four hours, the battery life is particularly short | ★★☆☆☆ |
How to choose the best laptop for you:
What are the best laptop brands? The best brands for laptops include Apple, Dell, Lenovo and HP, and they all have their strengths. For example, Apple make brilliantly-designed slim and light laptops, while Dell does a great range of high-end ultrabooks, as well as affordable devices and Chromebooks as well. Lenovo's well known for making solidly-built business laptops (and some great 2-in-1 laptops as well), and HP’s also been making some gorgeous laptops recently that are some of the best laptops in the world.
When it comes to gaming, the best laptop brands include Alienware, Asus and Acer.
How much RAM does a laptop need? RAM (Random Access Memory) is an important specification to look for in a laptop. You’ll want 4GB at the very least for a Windows laptop – though we’d actually recommend for many people to go for 8GB. That will ensure that the laptop runs well for years to come. Budget Chromebooks can get away with less RAM, such as 1GB or 2GB.
Battery life considerations Finally there’s battery life. This is likely to be one of the most important considerations you have when choosing what laptop to buy. The best laptops need to be able to let you work - and play - for hours on end without you having to scramble for a power adapter. Modern laptops are getting ever more power-efficient, which has led to longer battery lives. For a laptop to be included in our best laptops list, it needs to offer a battery life of five hours or more.
Which type of laptop is best for you?
General laptops: Where the best cheap laptops are found, devices that focus more on practicality than style, portability or power. That’s not to say they can’t be fast, but you’ll typically find a non-Ultrabook clamshell laptop with an HD screen and spinning drive-based storage for less than $600 or £400.
Ultrabooks: Where you’ll find thin-and-light notebooks sporting SSD storage and display resolutions that exceed 1080p. Paired with powerful, albeit mobile-centric components and especially long battery life, the best Ultrabooks will cost a pretty penny – $700 or £500 to $2,000 or £1,800.
2-in-1 laptops: Where notebooks that double as tablets are located. The Surface Book 2 might be a ways off, but many of the best 2-in-1 laptops are available right now. Outfitted with both detachable and 360-degree rotating hinges, these hybrids are the most versatile way to experience Windows 10 (or Chrome OS) on a touchscreen.
Chromebooks: Where you’ll find the best Chromebooks running Chrome OS. These do much of what Windows and macOS can in the browser, focused on cloud storage over local, while recently getting Android app support for touchscreen models. They generally cost less than $300 or £200 and some can even withstand a slight tussle.
Gaming laptops: Need a laptop to play games (almost) just like a shiny desktop PC can? Then you’ll want one of the best gaming laptops. These machines generally cost from $800 or £600 to upwards of $3,000 or £2,800 and they’ll likely be the ones to take advantage of AMD’s laptop-grade Ryzen processors first. If you're really on a budget, then you can check out the best cheap gaming laptop deals.
Laptop-tablet hybrids: Designed from the tablet-first approach to laptop-tablet hybrids, the best Windows tablets pack beyond-HD touchscreens, sometimes with kickstands in their frames or provided via keyboard covers. These generally shine with a stylus, and range from the budget to the premium price ranges.
How we tested these laptops
How we test the best laptops
We know that buying a new laptop can be a huge investment, so every laptop in this list has been extensively tested by us. When we test laptops, we use them in our day-to-day lives to see who they perform. We look at their design, including how stylish they are, or if they are thin and light enough to carry around with, and how comfortable they are to work on.
When it comes to performance, we use a mix of real-world tests and synthetic benchmarks to see how powerful (or not) these laptops are. This means using Windows 10 (or Chrome OS on Chromebooks and macOS on MacBooks) and running various apps and seeing how fast they load, noting down any problems.
These days, the webcam and microphone in a laptop is also incredibly important, so we take time to test out these as well. When it comes to gaming laptops, we’ll run more benchmark tests, as well as fire up games to play on them as well (it’s a hard job, isn’t it?)
Battery lives are also important, so we’ll keep track on how long we can use the laptop without needing to charge. We also run our own battery life benchmark that plays a looped 1080p movie until the battery dies. We also run the PC Mark 10 battery life benchmark, which replicates real-world usage, such as web browsing and document creation. These tests give us an excellent idea of how long the batteries in these laptops last.
We then take everything we’ve learned about the laptop and compare it to its price, to see if it offers the best value to customers.
