The Best Laptops for 2023

If you’re looking for a laptop, our guide has the information you need to find the best one for your needs. We’ve tested laptops in different categories and have a list of the top picks, whether you’re on a budget, need it for work, or want it for gaming.

It can be tough to choose the right laptop, but don’t worry! We’ve tested a lot of laptops and made a list of the best ones for 2023. This list includes top laptops from different brands, operating systems, and budget options. Some new laptops with new processors and graphics chips from Intel, AMD, and Nvidia are coming out soon. Apple has updated their MacBook Pro laptops with the latest M2 processors as well.

OVERVIEW

HP Pavilion Plus 14

Best Laptop for Most Buyers.

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$499.00
at Amazon
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14

Best Budget Laptop.

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$539.00
at Amazon
Acer Chromebook Spin 714

Best Chromebook.

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$725.00
at Amazon
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (2022)

Best Business Laptop.

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$2,329.00
at Amazon
Dell XPS 15 OLED (9520)

Best Desktop Replacement Laptop.

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$2,199.00
at Amazon
HP Spectre x360 13.5 (2022)

Best Convertible 2-in-1 Laptop.

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$999.99
at Amazon
Microsoft Surface Pro 8

Best Detachable 2-in-1 Laptop.

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$839.97
at Amazon
Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022)

Best General-Purpose MacBook.

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$1,149.99
at Amazon
MSI Katana GF66

Best Budget Gaming Laptop.

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$1,057.99
at Amazon
Acer Predator Triton 300 SE (2022, 16-Inch)

Best Overall Value Gaming Laptop.

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$2,199.00
at Amazon

OVERVIEW

Laptops may not have the same impact on daily life as smartphones, but they have evolved and improved in their own ways. With longer battery life, stunning screens, and affordable high-quality graphics, laptops have become a top choice for many tasks. Additionally, features like touchpads and full-size keyboards, which are not available on mobile devices, continue to improve with each new generation.

The wide range of laptop options, such as budget laptops, gaming laptops, 2-in-1s, Chromebooks, and ultraportables, can be confusing, with multiple choices available from retailers like Amazon, Newegg, and local electronics stores. AndroidStox, after reviewing hundreds of laptops annually, has a wealth of knowledge on the different types of laptops available. The top choices in each category are listed, along with a comprehensive buying guide that provides all the necessary information for making an informed decision when purchasing your next laptop.

The abundance of exceptional features has resulted in a highly fragmented laptop market. Places like Amazon, Newegg, and local electronics mega marts offer a confusing variety of options including affordable laptops, gaming laptops, 2-in-1s, Chromebooks, and ultraportables. To simplify the buying process, we have compiled a list of our top picks in each category and a comprehensive buying guide to provide you with all the information you need to make a confident decision on your next laptop purchase.

A Deeper Dive: Our Tested Top Picks

HP Pavilion Plus 14

Best Laptop for Most Buyers

4.0 Excellent
Rating-4

The Pavilion Plus 14 is one of the top choices for a budget-friendly Windows laptop. To be considered the best pick for most consumers, a laptop needs to have an economical starting price, efficient components, superior construction quality, and, for those with larger budgets, the ability to upgrade. The Pavilion Plus 14 meets these criteria with a starting price under $800, a sleek design, potent processor options, and the option to upgrade to a high-resolution 90Hz OLED display at an affordable price. Our review model, which included the OLED screen, 1TB SSD, and powerful Core i7 H-Series CPU upgrades, was priced at a reasonable $1,279.99. Despite some minor drawbacks, this laptop offers excellent value for its high-quality features and solid build.

For the average shopper seeking a quick, compact, and hassle-free laptop, the search can stop here. This laptop is particularly attractive for those who can increase their budget for some of the faster and stylish upgrade options. While there are options with larger screens, if you are in the market for a lightweight laptop for everyday use in the home or office, with a fair starting price and the ability to upgrade, this laptop offers the best value in terms of its performance and reliability.

PROS

  • Stellar 2.8K OLED display for the price
  • Thin and light (though not the lightest)
  • Good array of ports and 5-megapixel webcam

CONS

  • Under-10-hour battery life
  • No webcam privacy shutter
  • No Thunderbolt 4 ports

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14

Best Budget Laptop

4.0 Excellent
Rating-4

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14 is a good laptop that costs under $520 and has good performance, nice build quality, USB-C ports, a comfortable keyboard, and a fingerprint scanner. Although the display and speakers are not the best, it is still a great value overall.

If you’re looking for a laptop that is good value for money and cost less than $1,000, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14 is an excellent option. Despite its low price, it still has good performance, USB-C ports, a comfortable keyboard, and a fingerprint scanner. The only downsides are a not-so-great display and speakers, but these aren’t major issues. If you just need a laptop for basic tasks and want to save money, this is a great choice.

PROS

  • Great performance
  • USB-C port included
  • Sturdy chassis
  • Comfortable keyboard and touchpad
  • Integrated fingerprint scanner
  • Users can upgrade RAM (at their own risk)

CONS

  • Lackluster speakers
  • Dull display

Acer Chromebook Spin 714

Best Chromebook

4.5 Outstanding
Rating-4.5

Chromebooks often prioritize affordability, but there is a range of higher-end models that offer more functionality. The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 falls in this category, with a price tag of $729. It offers a better performance, larger screen, and comes with a pen for touch screen use, along with the latest 12th Generation Intel Core i5 processors for improved performance compared to its predecessor.

If you need a laptop that runs on ChromeOS and want the quality and performance of a Windows laptop, this one is a great choice. It has HDMI and Thunderbolt 4 support and a full SSD, not just a small amount of flash storage. If you’re looking for a better quality Chromebook than the budget alternatives, this one is the top pick.

PROS

  • Latest model drops the microSD card reader
  • Still a bit heavy

CONS

  • L-mount lens library still growing
  • Tracking focus limited to 6fps

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (2022)

Best Business Laptop

4.5 Outstanding
Rating-4.5

Business laptops are unique and need to have specific features to meet the demands of professionals who work in an office environment. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon stands out among its peers, with a fantastic design, exceptional keyboard, reliable performance, and necessary connectivity features. In simple terms, it’s fast, durable, compact, long-lasting, and offers a variety of connectivity options.

If you’re a professional who values both a business laptop’s features and portability, this laptop is a great choice. It may have a higher price point, so those with limited budgets may want to consider other options, but its top-notch performance, established ThinkPad features, and various customization options make it a winning pick.

PROS

  • Sleek, sturdy, and ultralight
  • USB-A and HDMI as well as Thunderbolt 4 ports
  • Unbeatable keyboard
  • Top-quality screen choices including OLED and 4K
  • Solid productivity performance and battery life

CONS

  • Business-class price
  • No SD or microSD card slot
  • 5G option not yet available

Dell XPS 15 OLED (9520)

Best Desktop Replacement Laptop

4.5 Outstanding
Rating-4.5

The Dell XPS 15 OLED is a laptop designed for power users and content creators. It features a cutting-edge CPU with both performance and efficient cores, an OLED display with near-4K resolution, and long battery life. The GPU is not designed for gaming but still provides good performance for 1080p gaming. The laptop is available in silver or white and offers a good balance of processing power and battery life.

The Dell XPS 15 OLED is a laptop designed for power users who need extra processing power for tasks like photo editing, light video editing, and data manipulation. The laptop has strong performance with a long battery life, allowing it to be used without charging for a significant part of the day. The standout feature of the XPS 15 OLED is its OLED display, which offers vibrant and accurate color representation, covering both the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts, and delivers high brightness levels, making it a visual delight to use.

PROS

  • Lightning performance with Intel 12th Gen CPUs
  • Gorgeous 3.5K OLED touch display
  • All-day battery life
  • Comfortable keyboard and spacious touchpad
  • SD card slot

CONS

  • USB-C ports require adapters for many uses
  • GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU isn’t a powerhouse
  • 720p webcam is a little disappointing

HP Spectre x360 13.5 (2022)

Best Convertible 2-in-1 Laptop

4.0 Excellent
Rating-4

The HP Spectre x360 13.5 is a stylish and versatile 2-in-1 laptop with a luxurious design that includes machined aluminum construction, a 1080p webcam, and powerful Thunderbolt and USB-C ports. It features a 12th Generation Intel Core i7 processor that provides enough power for light video and photo editing, along with good graphics performance for a system without a dedicated GPU.

The laptop has excellent battery life, lasting for 15 hours on a single charge, making it one of the longest-lasting 2-in-1s. The highlight of the Spectre x360 13.5 is its stunning OLED screen, which offers rich and vibrant colors, deep blacks, and stark contrast for a breathtaking viewing experience.

The HP Spectre x360 13.5 is a fantastic 2-in-1 laptop that can be used as a laptop or tablet. It appeals to people who appreciate the visual and audio features of their laptop, thanks to its beautiful OLED display and high-quality 1080p webcam.

PROS

  • Gorgeous 3:2 aspect ratio OLED touch screen
  • Elegantly sleek, sturdy design
  • Great performance and battery life

CONS

  • No HDMI port (but mini dock included)
  • No internal pen storage or LTE mobile broadband
  • Keyboard layout a little disappointing

Microsoft Surface Pro 8

Best Detachable 2-in-1 Laptop

4.0 Excellent
Rating-4

The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is a top-of-the-line detachable 2-in-1 tablet that has been refined and improved with thinner bezels, a slimmer design, and strong performance from an 11th Generation Intel Core i7 processor. It builds on the already strong design of previous models, but is not a radical overhaul. The system is priced high, but the keyboard and pen accessories, which are essential for a complete experience, must be purchased separately and at an additional cost.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 8 features a strong anodized aluminum design and a sophisticated integrated kickstand to securely hold the tablet in place. The updated keyboard cover has a convenient storage and charging space for the advanced pen, and Windows 11 offers unbeatable pen features and interaction. With outstanding performance and a battery life exceeding 12 hours, the Surface Pro 8 stands as the best of modern Windows tablets.

PROS

  • Modern design with thin bezels and larger (13-inch) display
  • Superior 1080p webcam
  • Two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support
  • Well-implemented kickstand
  • User-accessible SSD
  • Perky performance in tested Core i7 configuration

CONS

  • Higher starting price diminishes entry-level appeal
  • Accessories and configuration upgrades are pricey
  • Keyboard base still sold separately
  • USB-C ports only

Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022)

Best General-Purpose MacBook

4.5 Outstanding
Rating-4.5

The 2022 MacBook Air (M2) has combined the sleek design of the Air with the powerful performance of the M2 chip in a lightweight aluminum body that weighs less than 3 pounds. The 13-inch Retina display is impressive, the keyboard and trackpad are top-notch, and Touch ID provides convenient and secure access. This makes the MacBook Air the most accessible and affordable Mac laptop available.

The Apple M2 chip in the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) offers impressive performance for everyday tasks and even some media editing. It’s energy-efficient, runs quietly without noisy fans, and has a long battery life. The ultraportable design, 13-inch Retina display, solid keyboard and trackpad, and Touch ID security make the M2 Air a top choice for Apple fans and those switching from Windows.

The M2 MacBook Air is a great laptop for Apple fans and those who don’t like Windows. It is not the cheapest Mac laptop, but it has great features. If you want to save money, the M1 MacBook Air might be a better choice.

PROS

  • Stunning, slim design
  • Larger, more vibrant 13.6-inch display
  • Multiple color options
  • M2 chip delivers excellent performance

CONS

  • Shorter battery life than 2020 M1 MacBook Air
  • Camera notch encroaches on display panel
  • Limited to two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports (though mitigated, in part, by MagSafe connector)

MSI Katana GF66

Best Budget Gaming Laptop

4.0 Excellent
Rating-4

The Katana GF66 is a budget-friendly gaming laptop with a lot of great features. It has an 8-core processor, good graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD all for $1,200. You can find it for a bit more online, but it’s still a good deal. The only downside is that the screen isn’t as good as we’d like, and the battery life could be longer. However, the cooling system is decent and the fans aren’t too loud.

The Katana GF66 is a great choice for those looking for a budget gaming laptop with powerful graphics. It offers the same graphics as more expensive models, but at a lower price, and its 144Hz display lets you make the most of this performance. This is a rare feature at this price point, making the Katana GF66 an easy choice as the best option in its class.

PROS

  • Aggressive price for the component mix
  • Solid 1080p gaming performance
  • 144Hz display
  • Roomy 1TB SSD

CONS

  • Display isn’t overly bright or colorful
  • Middling CPU performance
  • Brief battery life

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE (2022, 16-Inch)

Best Overall Value Gaming Laptop

4.0 Excellent
Rating-4

The Acer Predator Triton 300 SE is a 16-inch gaming laptop that provides an impressive balance of affordability, performance, design, and practicality. Despite its reasonable starting price, you can upgrade its specs at checkout to meet your needs. The laptop features superior webcam and battery life for its class, making it a top choice for mainstream gaming laptops.

The Acer Predator Triton 300 SE is the perfect choice for gamers who want a balance between a laptop and a desktop and don’t want to compromise on performance. This laptop offers top-end results in design, features, and performance. If you’re looking for a laptop that delivers great value for your money, this is the one to get.

PROS

  • Elegant metal design
  • Gorgeous 16:10 G-Sync display
  • Ample connectivity
  • Full HD webcam and built-in fingerprint reader
  • Solid battery life for a 16-inch gaming rig

CONS

  • Peak performance slightly trails competitors
  • Merely average solid-state drive
  • Shallow keyboard feel

Top Recommendations: Best Laptops | 2023

What is the Cost for the Suitable Laptop for You?

In simple terms, if you don’t need a high-end laptop with fancy design and powerful components, you can opt for a cheap laptop. There are many basic but full-featured models available in the market with prices under $500. During shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday, these laptops can be discounted even further.

These cheap laptops are good for basic tasks like word processing and email checking, but may struggle with heavier tasks like keeping multiple tabs open in a web browser or running demanding programs. To compare their performance, you can check our reviews. We have tested many budget laptops in the market, including traditional clamshells and 2-in-1s that can be converted or detached. We have also listed a few of our top picks for cheap laptops.

Which Operating System to Choose: Windows, Chromeos, or Macos?

When you are shopping for a laptop, most of the options you will see will run on Windows operating system. However, there is also Google’s ChromeOS and Apple’s macOS to consider. The choice between Windows, ChromeOS, and macOS will depend on your budget and computing needs. If your budget is around $1,000 or above, then a MacBook is a good option. If your budget is below $1,000, then a Chromebook is a good alternative. Apple’s MacBooks are known for their solid design, good battery life, and built-in apps. However, they are not cheap.

MacBooks are more expensive and are popular among content creators with options for a 16-inch display and powerful Intel Core i9 processors. However, they do not have touch-screen support. Windows-based laptops offer the most software options, including most popular games, and the greatest form-factor flexibility. Chromebooks are limited to browser games and apps but some models have detachable or foldable keyboards, allowing them to be used as tablets.

What Type of Laptop Display Should You Choose?

Over the past 10 years, laptop screens have become more pixel-dense, resulting in clearer text, improved visual quality, and more vibrant colors. Density is sometimes determined by pixels per inch (ppi), but the primary way to describe a laptop screen is through its native resolution, represented by the number of horizontal and vertical pixels.

Laptops that cost more than $500 typically have displays with at least full HD (1080p) resolution, which has a pixel count of 1,920 by 1,080 (or sometimes 1,920 by 1,200). These screens are usually built using LCD technology with in-plane switching (IPS) and offer consistent image quality even when viewed from an angle. Another type of screen technology, thin-film transistor (TFT), is commonly used in gaming laptops, but may result in color shifts or faded images if viewed from an off-center angle. This is important to consider if you frequently present or share the contents of your screen with others.

For the sharpest text and vivid colors, you can opt for a display higher than full HD. Currently, many premium laptops offer 4K native resolution (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) as a standard or optional feature. These screens typically use IPS technology like full HD displays, although some may use OLED, similar to high-end smartphones. OLED screens are more expensive but offer rich blacks and colors ideal for movie enthusiasts.

What is the Ideal Processor for Your Laptop?

Full-frame cameras with image sensors the size of 35mm film are now accessible for enthusiasts due to falling prices. Ranging from $1,000 for basic models to around $2,000 for capable mid-range options and up to $6,500 for specialized models. The Canon EOS RP, our top pick for a low-cost model, offers essential features and affordable lens options. However, it lacks a stabilized image sensor, unlike the Nikon Z 5 and Sony a7C.

What is the Necessary Storage and Memory Capacity for a Laptop?

Above-entry level laptops usually have SSDs as their storage device. SSDs provide faster access to data, as well as better resistance to physical shocks compared to traditional hard drives with spinning platters.

Some gaming laptops come with a combination of SSD and hard drive to balance performance and storage capacity. Having a small SSD for the operating system and frequently used apps provides faster boot times and improved performance, while the larger hard drive can be used for storing large files like games or media. However, for the best performance, it’s recommended to go for an SSD-only setup if possible.

The minimum amount of storage space for laptop shoppers should be 256 GB, with 512GB being the highest capacity. 1TB or even 1TB SSDs can add thousands of dollars to the overall price, so it is more cost-effective to get a 512GB SSD and add an external drive if needed.