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Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
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Credit:
Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
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The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus lies at the intersection of productivity and gaming thanks to its hardware normally found in budget to mid-tier gaming laptops. Read More
Acer finally enters the OLED laptop game with its new, value-focused Swift 3. It has more cons than pros, but it's a solid and speedy machine still worth its price. Read More
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 is a beefy gaming laptop that’s great for gaming and productivity, and undercuts competitors by several hundred dollars. Read More
Apple’s MacBook Pro 14 gets an update to the M2 Pro chip, improving on its predecessor’s already excellent performance and class-leading battery life. Read More
Our PC experts at Reviewed are always on the lookout for the best laptops for everyone, from gamers to students to frequent flyers. PCs are the center of business and play for nearly everyone, so we work hard to make sure you find a laptop you love on this list.
Most people need to look no further than the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, (available at Dell) a souped-up productivity laptop with a discrete graphics card. It was a consistent, top performer in all our benchmarking tests even when we compared it to some of our favorite budget gaming laptops.
It's not the fanciest laptop around, but it can still perform with the best.
Pencil artists should appreciate the stylus' textured rubber tip the most.
Great productivity performance
Solid, yet lightweight chassis
Great touchpad, decent keyboard
OLED screen doesn’t get very bright
Can run warm
Good performance for the price
Responsive touchscreen
Higher-end look than the price suggests
Screen isn’t the brightest or most colorful
Heavy
Large, bright display
Great CPU and SSD performance
Attractive design
Limited connectivity for older devices
Modest graphics performance
Excellent stylus included
Responsive touchscreen display
Comfortable keyboard and trackpad
OK battery life
Performance could be better
Feather-light
Excellent performance
Gorgeous aesthetics
Short battery life
Unimpressive screen
Cramped keyboard
We test everything from processing capability to screen brightness.
Here at Reviewed, we test laptops for their processing capability, graphics, battery life, and screen brightness. We use popular benchmarks like Geekbench and 3DMark to gauge how well the laptop multitasks, runs games, and more. We also test multiple platforms, from Windows laptops to Macs and Chromebooks alike.
To test battery life, we set up our laptops to continuously cycle through various websites at a brightness of 200 nits—which is around 60% for many of the mid-range models—until they run out of power, estimating how much work you can get done on a single charge. We also use each laptop for an extended period, rating each on factors like build quality, price, portability, and design.
When it comes to laptops, there’s a lot to consider. From display size to build quality, you want a laptop that’ll last a couple of years. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:
The CPU, graphics chip, RAM, and storage inside your PC determine how well your computer can multitask, handle intensive tasks like gaming, and store all your files. The better the specs, the snappier the laptop will feel as you work.
Most people will be more than happy with a current-generation Intel Core i5, Apple M2, or AMD Ryzen 5, which are mid-range processors. 8GB of RAM will give you enough room to lightly multitask, but we recommend 16GB or more of RAM for future-proofing.
Graphics chip and storage size needs will vary the most depending on what you plan to run on the laptop. While Chromebooks can get away with 64GB of storage with additional cloud storage, Windows laptops need 256GB or more of storage to run optimally. 512GB hits the sweet spot for many users.
For most people, there is no need for a dedicated graphics card. Modern integrated graphics are more than capable of running things like esports games or small 3D modeling files. However, if you plan to play the latest AAA games or need to run a lot of vector calculations, you should consider a discrete graphics card.
Not only do you want a laptop that can take a beating (since you’ll probably be lugging it around with you), but you want one with a well-built keyboard and trackpad since they’re your primary form of interaction with the machine. A poor trackpad or finicky keyboard can ruin the experience.
Generally, durable laptops are stiff and hard to deform, so metal is usually more rugged than plastic. A good keyboard should be quick to type on, and your fingers should easily reach all the keys without any missed hits. Check that the Shift, Control, and Fn keys aren’t awkward to reach with your thumb and pinky fingers.
Whether you prefer stiff or soft keys is up to you: stiff keys are harder to accidentally press but will tire you out faster, while soft keys are easier to type on for long periods but can be prone to poor feedback and typos. See what’s most comfortable for you.
Trackpads are a little easier to judge. A good trackpad reads all your finger movements accurately, so the mouse won’t feel jumpy or unresponsive. A larger trackpad gives you better control of your cursor, and the trackpad should have little friction so you don’t “skip” with your cursor.
2-in-1s have gained in popularity, but touch screens and pens cost money to include. Similarly, cramming all those powerful components into a small, easy-to-carry package can often cost more than a larger laptop with fewer design constraints.
They’re not as comfortable to use as dedicated tablets like iPads, but 2-in-1s can provide extra options for those who need something versatile. Display pens are great for those who take a lot of notes or draw, such as students or artists.
Consider which operating system you need. Windows is still the dominant OS these days, and if you’re going to play games, edit photos and videos, or need certain software for work, you’ll probably stick with Microsoft’s offering in a business laptop. MacOS has exclusive software and great integration with the Apple ecosystem, so it’s the preferred option for those with iPhones, iPads, or other Apple products.
If you spend all your time on the web and want to save some money, though, a Chromebook may serve you well. Between Netflix, Gmail, and Google Docs, you can do almost anything in a browser. Many of those web apps even work offline for those rare occasions you don’t have Wi-Fi. Chromebooks have the advantage of being cheaper (since they don’t need as much processing power) and virtually bloatware-free (since they run Linux under the hood).
You’ll usually find laptops in one of three main sizes, measured by the diagonal length of the display:
There can still be varying sizes within those categories—for example, the XPS 13’s smaller bezels make it much smaller than most 13-inch laptops—and sizes in between, like the 16-inch MSI Summit E16 Flip. But in general, picking a size range you’re comfortable with can help narrow down the field.
You’ll also want to consider the number of USB ports, whether you need HDMI and Ethernet, and how comfortable the keyboard and trackpad are to use—this can vary quite a bit from model to model, and it’s important to get something responsive and durable.
Adrien is a staff writer for Reviewed, mainly focused on reviewing laptops and other consumer tech. During his free time, he's usually wandering around Hyrule.
Matthew S. Smith is a veteran tech journalist and general-purpose PC hardware nerd. Formerly the Lead Editor of Reviews at Digital Trends, he has over a decade of experience covering PC hardware. Matt often flies the virtual skies in Microsoft Flight Simulator and is on a quest to grow the perfect heirloom tomato.
Joanna specializes in anything and everything gaming-related and loves nerding out over graphics cards, processors, and chip architecture. Previously she was a staff writer for Gizmodo, PC Gamer, and Maximum PC.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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