It can be difficult to distinguish between decent and great laptops. We tested them in order to offer our professional judgements on them. The best laptops for 2023 can be found on CNET’s list, which includes our top selections for various brands, operating systems, price ranges, and categories. New laptop models using such CPUs are scheduled for release later this year, according to recent announcements from Intel, AMD, and Nvidia. The newest M2 CPUs are now available in Apple’s 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. But as of right now, according to The Tech Fun testing and reviews, these are the finest laptops on the market.
What is the best laptop?
Our ranking of the greatest laptops for 2023 is now headed by the Apple MacBook Air M2, which is a great option for most users. It provides a fantastic blend of all the qualities we evaluate during testing: dependable day-to-day performance, a long battery life, and a design that appeals to a wide variety of consumers. We still advise the 2020 MacBook Air M1 as a less expensive option to the most recent Air model because it’s still a great laptop all around. The most recent MacBook Air begins at $1,199. HP’s Pavilion Aero 13 is a fantastic tiny and light laptop starting at $550, but even when fully equipped, it’s a fair $900 for those searching for a more cost-effective alternative.
Our laptop experts at The Tech Fun have tested and reviewed laptops for decades, covering everything from performance to pricing to battery life. This well compiled list includes the greatest laptops in a range of price ranges, sizes, and designs, as well as Chromebooks and Windows laptops.
We also have specialised lists you can look at if you want to see more laptop brands and options in a particular category. These lists include the best gaming laptops, best 15-inch laptops, best two-in-ones, best Chromebooks, best laptops for college students, best laptops for designers, and best MacBook Pro substitutes. Check out our best cheap laptop and best cheap gaming laptop recommendations if you need to keep the cost of a new laptop as low as possible.
Periodically, we add new models to our list of the top laptops that we’ve tested and reviewed. Jump to our laptop FAQ at the bottom of the list if you need help deciding which kind of laptop or two-in-one is ideal for you. If you want to save money on your purchase, be sure to visit our best laptop offers page.
Best laptops 2023
Apple MacBook Air M1 2020
Although the newer, larger, and better M2 MacBook Air is available, the M1 MacBook Air—one of the first to migrate from Intel to Apple silicon—is still in production, which is a good thing. It continues to be our go-to pick for a MacOS laptop for everyday use as Apple’s entry-level laptop. It is a good option for work or school because of its strong performance and lengthy battery life of up to 18 hours.
Dell XPS 13
For its size, weight, performance, and all-around nice aesthetics, the Dell XPS 13 is a steadfast favourite. Dell reduced the size and weight of the XPS 13 for 2022 while maintaining its sub-$999 starting price and adding the newest 12th-gen Intel CPUs. Although there is no headphone port, a USB-C converter is provided in its place, and the battery life is excellent, the design is still fantastic.
HP Pavilion Aero 13
HP crammed a lot of value into the Aero 13: a gorgeous magnesium-aluminum body, strong processing power, lengthy battery life, a brilliant, vivid display, and a weight of under 2 pounds (0.94 kilograms). Amazingly, though, the cost isn’t prohibitive despite everything that it delivers. Despite having a starting price of $800, it frequently goes on sale for significantly less. Consider the HP Pavilion 14 if you want something a little bigger with more to offer in terms of components.
Apple MacBook Air M2
With one exception, the 2022 model of the MacBook Air retains its top ranking as the most widely applicable laptop in Apple’s portfolio thanks to a redesigned design, a bigger display (13.6 inches as opposed to the previous 13.3 inches), a faster M2 CPU, and a long-awaited improvement to a higher-res camera. A letdown is the $1,199 beginning price for the MacBook Air, which is $200 more than the standard $999 starting price. Because of this, the M1 version of the Air still has a place on our list of the greatest laptops. Even yet, we are fans of everything else about it, making it our top pick if you’re thinking about buying an Air and don’t mind paying extra money.
Lenovo Yoga 7i Gen 7 (14-inch)
For those who require a laptop for business or education, this lightweight convertible that weighs only three pounds is a good option. It includes a comfortable keyboard and a quick, smooth precision touchpad, and the all-metal chassis gives it a high-end appearance and feel. Despite having less added features than its more expensive linemate, the Yoga 9i, it does sport one of Lenovo’s sliding camera shutters that provides privacy when needed. In our tests, the battery life of this device was 12 hours, 45 minutes. The most recent model with 12th-generation Intel CPUs costs around $1,000.
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus
Since the laptop is only slightly larger than a 15.6-inch model, the 16-inch display on the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus is a terrific size, giving you extra workspace as well as a larger keyboard and touchpad. For this Inspiron, Dell incorporated high-performance components such a 12th-generation Intel Core i7 CPU, Nvidia discrete graphics, and a display that fully complies with the sRGB colour gamut. The fit and finish of the laptop are higher quality than what we typically see in the Inspiron brand.
Microsoft Surface Pro 8
The Surface Pro continues to hit all the right notes if you’re seeking for a versatile Windows tablet that also functions as a Windows laptop, even though it is not the Surface Laptop. Microsoft recently upgraded it for the Surface Pro 9, but there haven’t been many changes other than an option for a Microsoft SQ 3 processor with 5G wireless and a CPU upgrade from 11th-gen Intel Core processors to 12th-gen chips. If you were considering a Pro 8, it is still available but is now less expensive. Until we know how the Surface Pro 9 performs, this is the model we recommend.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7
Lenovo introduced the Yoga series with Windows 8 ten years ago, and with Windows 11, the design’s flexibility has only increased. The company’s flagship 14-inch Yoga 9i Gen 7 sports a new design with softened corners for comfort and processors from the 12th generation of Intel, which significantly improves multicore performance. It is fantastic for business, video conferencing, and pleasure thanks to a lovely OLED display and better acoustics. For the premium bundle, Lenovo also provides an active pen and a laptop sleeve.
When the strong speakers are turned up, the palm rests are slightly vibrated, and Lenovo clogged the laptop with advertisements for add-on services and applications. Overall though, the two-in-one convertible laptop to beat is the most recent Yoga 9i.
Dell G15 Gaming Laptop
Along with the HP Victus line, Dell’s G15 has been a popular low-cost gaming laptop for the previous few years. This year, the G16, a 16-inch variant, was added. We put both to the test and were pleased with what they had to offer.
The G15 is the way to go if you want a cheap gaming laptop. The G16 is a superior long-term investment if you have a few hundred dollars extra to spare. In any case, you’ll get a decent gaming laptop for the money, but we highly advise holding out for a deal.
Razer Blade 14
The AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, one of the fastest mobile CPUs available (at least for the time being), and the GeForce RTX 3070 or 3080, the best mobile graphics available, are both included in the Razer Blade 14. Its display can match the MacBook’s pixel for pixel. Even when compared to other high-end laptops, despite its high-quality build being on pace with the greatest MacBooks, it may not be the best laptop value.
Apple MacBook Pro (2021, 16-inch)
New Apple silicon, a new screen, a fresh look, and all the ports we’ve been requesting: The most advanced MacBook Pro model to date is the 16-inch Apple model. The bigger MacBook Pro’s hardware and MacOS work together to get the most performance and battery life out of each component. The new high-resolution mini-LED display is stunning. You’ll also discover here amenities like an HDMI output and an SD card reader if those were on your list of must-haves.
But you have to pay for it: This high-end laptop’s starting price for the 16-inch variant is $2,499.
Acer Chromebook Spin 714
With the Spin 713, one of the top Chromebooks on the market in 2021, Acer has now replicated that success with the Spin 714. The premium two-in-features one’s don’t differ significantly from those of its predecessor, but Acer did make some adjustments to keep it competitive, like as adding a USI pen that can be charged and stored inside the 714’s body. Although there are less costly choices, this is the Chromebook you want if you want one that will endure for years. Watch for a discount on this one: It costs $729 normally, but if you hunt about, you may often get it on sale for less.
Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360
Although the newest big-screen two-in-one from Samsung doesn’t appear all that different from its predecessor, it has a new, 12th-generation Intel CPU inside that significantly improves multicore performance. The Pro 360 now ranks among the greatest two-in-ones on the market thanks to the additional, modest changes Samsung made to the device.
Dell XPS 17 9720
The XPS 17 offers greater performance potential while maintaining the same premium, sleek style of its 13-inch linemate. It may be set up with a 6GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics chip, 64GB of RAM, and an Intel Core i9 CPU that is up to generation 12. The greatest part: Dell significantly reduced the size of the chassis, allowing you to fit a 17-inch display into a frame that is comparable to an earlier 15-inch laptop. A large screen and a lot of power are combined into the lowest feasible form factor.
Laptop FAQs
How much do good laptops cost?
A excellent place to start when looking for the finest laptop for yourself is to set a budget. The good news is that you can get a stylish, lightweight laptop with a long battery life for less than $500. Check out our top options below, along with more detailed buying recommendations, if you’re looking to buy a laptop for $500 or less.
Laptops costing between $500 and $1,000 now have higher-end components like AMD Ryzen and Intel Core i-series CPUs, as well as premium design elements like narrow display bezels and aluminium or magnesium casings. There are also touchscreens and hybrid devices that can be used in a variety of orientations, such as a tablet and a laptop. You can also obtain faster RAM and more SSD storage at this price range, which will boost performance.
Where can I find high-end laptops and two-in-ones? Above $1,000. Expect to pay at least $1,000 if you want the quickest performance, the longest battery life, the slimmest, lightest designs, and the finest possible display quality with a sizable screen.
Which is better, MacOS or Windows?
For many people, choosing between a MacOS or Windows laptop will come down to personal choice and price. The M1 MacBook Air is Apple’s entry-level laptop, and it costs $999. From Apple and other stores, you can occasionally find it on sale or receive educational pricing. However, a new MacBook will typically cost at least $1,000, and costs only increase from there.
But for the money, you get top-notch gear from top to bottom, inside and out. Apple recently switched to utilising its own CPUs, which led to overall performance gains compared to earlier models based on Intel. The 16-inch MacBook Pro, the company’s most powerful laptop, hasn’t been upgraded to Apple silicon, though.
But once more, that excellent hardware has a cost. Additionally, you may only use Apple computers. You can acquire an astonishing selection of devices at a broad range of costs with Windows and Chromebooks (more on this below).
Since there is a lot of software available for both, you should be able to use either unless you need to run anything that is exclusively supported by one platform or the other. However, a Windows laptop undoubtedly has an advantage when it comes to gaming.
In particular, for individuals who want their computers to get out of the way so they can get things done, MacOS is thought to be simpler and safer to use than Windows. Microsoft has attempted to do so throughout the years, and with Windows 11, it is attempting to break down any boundaries. Additionally, despite their reputation for being safer, Macs are now greater targets for malware because to the success of the iPhone and iPad, which has helped to boost Mac sales.
Are Chromebooks worth it?
They are, but not everyone should use them. Chromebooks, laptops that run Google’s Chrome OS, are excellent for those who perform the most of their work in a web browser or utilising mobile applications. Chrome OS has advanced significantly over the past ten years. They are frequently affordable, safe, and straightforward. They cannot, however, execute Windows or Mac software natively.
What’s the best laptop for home, travel or both?
The epidemic affected many people’s jobs and workplaces. It’s possible that the compact, ultraportable computers that frequent travellers cherished have suddenly proven hopelessly unsuitable for working from home. Or perhaps you prefer a larger display with better graphics power for gaming rather than a lengthy battery life.
Consider a 15.6-inch laptop or bigger if you want to use a laptop for business and don’t require more mobility than transferring it from room to room. In general, a larger screen is preferable if you’re utilising it as an expanded display with an external monitor because it makes life simpler for work and more pleasurable for pleasure. It usually also indicates that you’re getting extra ports, making it simpler to connect an external monitor, storage device, keyboard, and mouse without the need for a hub or dock.
Keep your 13- or 14-inch laptops or two-in-ones for travel. They’ll be the tiniest and lightest while yet providing long-lasting batteries. It’s great that PC manufacturers are switching from 16:9 widescreens to 16:10 or 3:2 ratio displays, which provides you additional vertical screen area for working without drastically expanding the footprint. Though it’s not always the case, these devices often lack strong processors and discrete graphics.
Which laptop is best for gaming or creating?
Any laptop may be used to generate content and play games. The components within the laptop will have a significant impact on the games you play, the material you produce, and the pace at which you do each task.
You don’t need a powerful gaming laptop to play casual browser-based games or to use streaming game services like Google Stadia, Nvidia GeForce Now, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. In a similar vein, if all you’re doing is cutting video clips, cropping images, or live-streaming video from your camera, a cheap laptop or Chromebook with integrated graphics will do the trick.
You will need to spend more money on discrete graphics, such as Nvidia’s RTX 30-series GPUs, for anything that is more demanding. Additional system memory of 16GB or more, a quick SSD for storage, and a quicker CPU like an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 will all aid in your ability to accomplish tasks more quickly.
The display is the other component you should take into account. In order to make gaming more fluid, search for screens with a high refresh rate of 120Hz or higher. Look for screens that fully reproduce the sRGB colour space while creating content.
How we test computers
Two steps make up the review process for laptops, desktops, tablets, and other computer-like devices: performance testing under controlled settings in the CNET Labs, and comprehensive hands-on use by our expert reviewers. This entails assessing the functionality, ergonomics, and aesthetics of a gadget. These two types of evaluations—objective and subjective—are combined to provide a final review judgement.
As the devices we evaluate advance over time, so does the array of benchmarking programmes we employ. Primate Labs Geekbench 5, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10, and 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra are the most significant core tests we are presently doing on every supported machine.
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