However, all these premium bells and whistles comes with a premium price, which means this won’t be a laptop we’d recommend to people on a budget. Apple has once again launched the best laptop money can buy with the new MacBook Air 13-inch (M4). There’s simply not another laptop at this price point that offers the same mix of performance, design and build quality. A new and improved webcam brings some handy AI-powered tools to make video calls look even better, and the new Sky Blue color option gives you more options for picking a MacBook Air that suits your tastes. If you want a laptop with a bigger screen, then consider the MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) instead. Dell continues to prove it’s the go-to company for some of the best Windows laptops money can buy, with its latest XPS 13 laptop that features Intel’s cutting-edge Core Ultra 200 series processors.
As for the screen, it’s smaller and lower resolution than the previous model, and offers 60Hz refresh rate, half of the 120Hz the last model supports. This means the 13-inch Surface Laptop is actually a brilliant choice for most people, offering a premium experience at an affordable price. The overall build quality is impressive considering the price, with a sturdy feel that means you shouldn’t worry about chucking it into a bag, and there’s a decent amount of ports as well, including two USB-C, one USB-A, microSD and 3.5mm audio jack.
Some get way too hot, others have poor build quality, and some have dim screens with poor viewing angles. And compared with our more portable picks, all gaming laptops are large and heavy, and don’t last very long on a charge. Ultraportable Windows laptops tend to cost more than most people want to spend, but they last years longer than cheap laptops under $500. They also lack the processing power to play high-end games or handle demanding tasks such as professional video editing or 3D modeling.
Only two USB-C ports does mean plugging in lots of accessories will need a USB hub, however. Microsoft’s Surface devices have always been stylish products, and the latest Surface Laptop continues that trend, even with a lower price. It has a thin and light chassis that is easy to carry around, yet feels sturdy and premium, and we especially love the new purple colorway, though that is only available on the higher-specced model. However, the quality of the screen has been reduced compared to the more expensive model from 2024. I am based in Seattle and responsible for Wirecutter’s computer monitor coverage, as well as all our guides to Apple laptops and desktops. I also review higher-powered laptops, such as business laptops and laptops for photo and video editing.
One of the best things about laptops is how portable they are – but if you need to always look out for a power outlet to keep using your device, then you’re going to get very annoyed very quickly. 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. The Dell XPS 13 continues the XPS lineup’s reputation as being some of the best-designed Windows 11 laptops you can buy. It looks gorgeous with a thin and light design that rivals any Apple product, and it feels sturdy and well built as well.
However, it’s far from the most powerful laptop in our best laptops list, and the M4-MacBook Air (which sits at the top of this guide) offers much better performance. Also, if you’re looking for a laptop to play games on, then you should look elsewhere, as this is a laptop that really isn’t built for that kind of use. A capable laptop for photo and video editing typically costs between $2,000 and $3,000 due to its powerful specs, large, color-accurate display, and excellent build quality. But if you’re not working in 4K, you can get by with less expensive options around $1,000. If you’re on a tight budget or don’t need a laptop for more than light tasks like browsing and checking email, you can get away with a less powerful processor and 8 GB of memory. Intel Core 3 and AMD Ryzen 3 processors are fine for casual use and basic schoolwork but aren’t the best for multitasking; Core 5 and Ryzen 5 options are faster and better at multitasking but rare in lower price ranges.
Asus rates the Vivobook S 15 at 70WHrs for its battery click here capacity, and promises around 18 hours of battery life. In our tests we found it came close to that promise, lasting around 17-hours on a single charge. This means it’s an excellent choice for anyone looking for a laptop they can use for multiple work days without worrying about charging it.
It’s well-priced for an RTX 5000 series laptop, and it hasn’t skimped on gaming performance.. Gaming laptops rarely offer good battery life, but the new Blade 16 surprised us with its power-efficiency. The design, though not really different from last year’s model, is still unmatched in a gaming laptop. If you want an ultra-cheap budget laptop, then the Asus Chromebook CM14 is the best laptop for you thanks to an impressively low asking price and solid (if unspectacular) performance.
Recently, Microsoft suggested that 16GB of RAM would be the minimum requirement for the next generation of ‘AI laptops’. You’ll want 4GB at the very least for a Windows laptop – though we’d actually recommend for many people to go for 8GB. Battery life is very good, at just over 9 and a half hours, and it charges back up to full very quickly, making the Asus Chromebook CM14 a great laptop for working away from a desk. The best laptops of 2025 keep on impressing me, and in the past few months alone, I’ve been kept busy keeping this page updated when new laptops have been released and been given the stamp of approval from our crack team of laptop experts.
These gaming laptops, along with powerful workstation laptops often known as ‘desktop replacements’ are usually designed to be used while plugged in. However, you should expect at least a few hours of battery life for when you’re using the laptop for less strenuous tasks such as emailing and editing documents. Chromebook Plus devices are usually a bit more expensive than standard Chromebooks, and the HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch is no different. However, compared to other laptops, the HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch offers excellent value for money with a fantastic display, premium design and solid performance that other laptops at this price point struggle to match. It often goes on sale as well, making it even better value when sales events like Black Friday roll around. The latter is possible thanks to the beefy AMD Radeon 890M integrated graphics that even allow you to play some games on it (though we don’t recommend it, this is definitely not a gaming laptop – check out the Razer Blade 16 in this guide instead).
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