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Apple's MacBooks have dominated in battery life in recent years, but this situation is undergoing a change now that Windows laptops, in addition to Intel and AMD, have a third CPU option: Qualcomm's Arm-based Snapdragon X chips. The longest-running laptops currently are Qualcomm-based Copilot Plus PCs, including the HP OmniBook X 14, the Asus Zenbook A14 and Microsoft's Surface Laptop 7 and smaller 13-inch Surface Laptop. These Snapdragon X laptops are shattering battery life records, but the Acer Swift Go 14 AI and Acer Aspire 14 AI show that Intel's Lunar Lake chips are also super efficient.
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- Best Battery Life Laptops of 2025
- What makes a laptop have good battery life?
- Best battery life laptops 2024/2025
- HP OmniBook X 14
- Microsoft Surface Laptop (13-inch)
- Asus Zenbook A14
- Acer Swift Go 14 AI
- Longest-lasting Dell laptop
- Apple MacBook Pro M4 (14-inch, 2024)
- Microsoft Surface Laptop 7
- Best cheap Copilot Plus PC
- Apple MacBook Air M4 (15-Inch, 2025)
- Other laptops we've tested
- How we test laptops
- Factors to consider
What makes a laptop have good battery life?
Everyone can agree that longer battery life in a laptop is better, but many parts of a laptop stand in contrast to a long runtime. High-powered CPUs and graphics, for example, drain the battery faster than more efficient and less powerful components. Larger, brighter and higher-resolution screens consume more battery resources than smaller, dimmer displays that have fewer pixels to power. The type of display matters too. While an OLED panel offers a superior picture than that of an LCD screen, it tends to drain the battery faster. The size of the laptop can also play a role, with compact and thin ultraportables usually relying on smaller batteries than larger laptops that have room for a bigger, longer-lasting battery.
So there are trade-offs to be made in many cases in order for a laptop to achieve lengthy battery life. If your primary concern, however, is finding a laptop that will last the majority of a day on a single charge, then you've come to the right place. We've assembled a list of the laptops that have produced the longest battery life scores in CNET Labs in the past year.
Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor, the HP OmniBook X 14 offers more than 25 hours of battery life.
HP/CNETHow do we test for battery life? In CNET Labs, we put every laptop we review through a suite of benchmarks to test for performance and battery life. To get a sense of how long a laptop can last on a single charge, we fully charge its battery and, with uniform screen brightness, volume and sleep/hibernate settings, we conduct a video playback test that streams a video over Wi-Fi on an endless loop until the battery dies. For more details, you can read how we test laptops.
Our battery benchmark is just that, a benchmark. We use it because it can be replicated on any laptop, regardless of operating system or manufacturer. You'll likely get shorter runtimes than the results of our battery-drain test if you're using the laptop for more demanding applications than streaming video, and you might be able to eke out even better battery life under scenarios where the laptop sits idle in between sessions of use instead of constantly streaming a video.
Best battery life laptops 2024/2025
These are the longest-lasting laptops we've tested in the past year or so, and each offers at least 12 hours of runtime.
| Battery life in hours, minutes |
| 25 h 12 m |
| 24 h 20 m |
| 24 h 7 m |
| 23 h 13 m |
| 23 h 11 m |
| 22 h 13 m |
| 21 h 59 m |
| 19 h 50 m |
| 18 h 56 m |
| 16 h 41 m |
| 15 h 50 m |
| 15 h 33 m |
| 15 h 26 m |
| 15 h 20 m |
| 14 h 55 m |
| 14 h 52 m |
| 14 h 50 m |
| 14 h |
| 13 h 40 m |
| 13 h 39 m |
Pros
- Unprecedented battery life
- Strong CPU and NPU performance from Snapdragon X Elite
- Weighs less than 3 pounds
- High-res webcam
Cons
- Dim display among Copilot Plus PCs
- Wobbly display hinge
- Mechanical touchpad is meh
Another Copilot Plus PC, another battery record set. The first Qualcomm Snapdragon X-powered model we reviewed, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, ran for nearly 20 hours in testing. The next Copilot Plus PC we looked at, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7441, lasted more than 23 hours. The latest is HP’s OmniBook X 14, which raised the battery-life bar past 25 hours. It's still the longest-running laptop I've tested.
Why we like it
The OmniBook X 14 lasted two hours longer than Dell's Copilot Plus PC and is also a few ounces lighter to make it an exceptional travel companion. In addition to its long runtime and light weight, we like its solid, all-metal design and affordable starting price but still prefer the overall package you get with the Surface Laptop 7.
Who it's best for
Road warriors or really anyone with an on-the-go lifestyle who wants a laptop that will run all day and all night and then some.
Who shouldn't get it
If you want a better design and build quality along with a brighter display, then check out Microsoft's Surface Laptop 7.
Pros
- Beautiful, durable and compact design
- Outstanding battery life
- Better-than-expected audio output
Cons
- 13-inch, 3:2 display can feel cramped
- Laptop is harder to open than it should be
- Lacks Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 connectivity
Even among long-running, Arm-based laptops, the 13-inch Surface Laptop's battery life is outstanding. It lasted 24 hours and 20 minutes in testing, putting it in a select group of laptops that can last for longer than a day on a single charge.
Why we like it
In addition to its incredible battery life, I like its durable and compact design as well as its build quality and simple, understated design. It's like a mini-MacBook for Windows users.
Who it's best for
Anyone who needs a secondary laptop for travel, the 13-inch Surface Laptop makes sense for its sturdy, compact design and long battery life.
Who shouldn't get it
I love the look and feel of the 13-inch Surface Laptop, but I like the added performance, superior display and haptic touchpad of the larger 13.8-inch model. It's the better value if you're shopping for a workhorse, everyday laptop. I'd only consider the smaller and cheaper 13-inch Surface Laptop as a secondary machine for travel.
Pros
- Incredibly thin and light without feeling flimsy
- All-day-and-all-night battery life
- OLED display at this price is a nice surprise
- Ample RAM and storage for the price too
Cons
- Meh performance from Snapdragon X CPU
- Meh mechanical touchpad
- Meh speakers
Built around an Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor, the Zenbook A14 is the lightest Copilot Plus PC we've tested and the second-longest running. It weighs less than 2.2 pounds and offers a battery life of more than 24 hours.
Why we like it
Its Ceraluminum shell allows the Zenbook A14 to be incredibly light yet rigid, and its 14-inch OLED display is excellent. It also serves up ample RAM and storage for the price.
Who it's best for
Students and anyone who is on the road with regularity for their job. If portability is paramount, then the lightweight, long-running Zenbook A14 is the pick.
Who shouldn't get it
If you're concerned about Windows-on-Arm compatibility issues, then you should skip the Zenbook A14 and find an Intel- or AMD-based laptop.
Pros
- Incredible battery life
- Crisp and bright 14.5-inch, 2.5K display
- Sharp 1440p webcam
Cons
- Drab design
- AI logo on touchpad is a bit much
- Awful audio output
Battery life continues to be a strong suit for Qualcomm-based Copilot Plus PCs. The HP OmniBook X 14 above still holds the title for the longest-running laptop we've tested, with a runtime of more than 25 hours, but the Swift Go 14 AI is in the top 5 of longest-running laptops with a battery life of more than 23 hours.
Why we like it
The Swift Go 14 AI is based on a 14.5-inch display with a crisp 2.5K resolution and smooth 120Hz refresh rate.
Who it's best for
Laptop shoppers at the budget end who want the best battery life. At only $1,000, it’s a great deal for a general-purpose laptop that will run all day and let you leave the power adapter at home.
Who shouldn't get it
Those whose budget extends past $1,000 can get things like a better design and OLED display along with long battery life in higher-priced models.
Pros
- Insane battery life
- Strong overall performance from Snapdragon X Plus
- Sharp, bright display
Cons
- Design is basic (read: boring)
- So-so touchpad
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus sits between Dell's lower-end Inspiron (non-Plus) line and the premium XPS series.
Why we like it
The all-aluminum chassis is a step up from the plastic shells on the Inspiron line, but the overall design isn't as sleek and modern as an XPS. The 7441 model is Dell’s new Copilot Plus PC, which has an ARM-based Snapdragon X processor that allowed the laptop to last for more than 23 hours on our battery tests. That's one of the longest laptop runtimes we have ever seen.
Who it's best for
The 14-inch, 2.5K display makes the Inspiron 14 Plus a versatile machine, giving you enough screen space to be productive without feeling too cramped while also being compact enough for daily travel. With lengthy battery life, you can roam for long stretches between charges with the Inspiron 14 Plus. Priced at $1,000, the Inspiron 14 Plus is a well-rounded, well-built mainstream laptop. Our test model is currently out of stock, but the step-up model with a Snagdragon X Elite CPU is selling for only $100 more at $1,100.
Pros
- Excellent screen, especially with nano-texture
- Good size and reasonable weight for everyday use
- Same solid design as previous model
- Improved webcam
Cons
- Big drop in performance in low-power mode
- Only two external displays supported in the M4 and M4 Pro models
- Prone to fingerprint smudges
Apple doesn’t have the battery-life lead it once enjoyed, but the MacBook Pro 14 remains one of the longest-running laptops you can buy. The latest M4 Pro ran for 1 minute shy of 22 hours on our battery test, which will get you through a day’s worth of computing on a single charge. You’ll likely need to recharge before it will.
Why we like it
It combines style and power, and the 14-inch model delivers a good size and a reasonable weight for everyday use. The Liquid Retina display is excellent, and we love the new nano-texture option.
Who it's best for
Creators and other power users who need the power of a Pro and are willing to pay for it.
Who shouldn't get it
For more basic use, you can skip the Pro and save money by getting a MacBook Air, which is also long running and available in 13- and 15-inch sizes.
Pros
- Beautiful, durable design
- Class-leading battery life
- Strong performance
- Awesome and accurate haptic touchpad
Cons
- No OLED option
- Upgrades get costly and don't include dedicated GPU
- Your Arm-on-Windows compatibility mileage may vary
The Surface Laptop 7 ran for nearly 20 hours on our battery drain test -- 19 hours and 50 minutes to be exact. It's been surpassed by Dell's Copilot Plus PC but still offers a runtime that's almost 2 hours longer than the M3 MacBook Air's battery life. In addition to the jaw-dropping battery life, we saw strong overall performance from the Snapdragon X Elite processor.
Why we like it
I like it for its polished design and class-leading battery life. The Surface Laptop 7 competes with the MacBook Air in performance and battery life and supplies a similarly sleek and solid build.
Who it's best for
People who love the look and long battery life of the MacBook Air but want a Windows laptop. I wish there was an OLED display option, and you’ll need to do a compatibility check for your mission-critical applications before embracing the Arm-based Surface Laptop 7, but if you can get past those hurdles, then you’ll get a well-built, good-looking and long-running Windows ultraportable. You don't necessarily need to spend the roughly $2,000 that our test system costs; one of the lower-priced configurations that starts at $900 should meet the needs of most people.
Who shouldn't get it
Anyone worried about potential Windows-on-Arm compatibility issues should skip Qualcomm-based laptops and pick out an Intel or AMD laptop. The Surface Laptop 7 is also not the pick if you want an OLED display on your next laptop. For more options, check out my other favorite Windows laptops.
Pros
- Exceedingly long battery life
- Competitive performance for the price
- Useful port selection
Cons
- Dull display
- Dull design
This recent release from Acer's budget Aspire line is based on an Intel Lunar Lake CPU. Its Intel Core Ultra 5 226V features a neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS) for local AI processing, which happens to be the minimum requirement for Microsoft's Copilot Plus PC platform. The Aspire 14 AI is on sale for $619 at Amazon and only $500 at Costco, making it easily the cheapest Copilot Plus PC I've reviewed.
Why we like it
The Aspire 14 AI a great pick among budget laptops. Its performance and battery life exceed what you can expect for the price and the design is nearly the same as you get with Acer's more expensive Swift models. You're forced to sacrifice display quality to hit such a low price but that's an item that's usually not very high on a budget shopper's priority list. More important is getting a modern CPU that delivers sufficient performance for everyday use that's also efficient to allow for lengthy battery life -- plus a bit of future-proofing with its AI capabilities.
Who it's best for
With the lengthy battery life we've come to expect from Copilot Plus PCs and with application and AI performance that's competitive with pricier models, the Aspire 14 AI offers great value for budget shoppers looking for a Copilot Plus PC.
Who shouldn't get it
If you care about the overall look of your next laptop and have the money, you can find more exciting designs. Spending more will also get you a brighter display with better color performance.
Pros
- Optimal balance of screen size and system weight
- M4 processor provides good balance of performance and battery life
- Lower $1,199 starting price
Cons
- 256GB SSD is too small for the price
- $200 upcharge for more RAM or storage is steep
- Smooth ProMotion display still exclusive to MacBook Pro
The 15-inch MacBook Air is proof that you don't need a Pro to get a larger display. It supplies a larger screen that was once found only on the pricier Pro models. If you're eyeing the 14- or 16-inch Pro models primarily for the added screen size, the MacBook Air 15 is the more affordable option, especially at its new lower starting price.
Why we like it
I really enjoyed the roomy, 15.3-inch display. It made juggling multiple windows during the workday easier, and I liked watching show, movies and baseball on it in the evenings. The Apple M4 update adds incremental improvements -- and a new sky blue color -- to an already fantastic laptop that sits in the Goldilocks Zone of Apple's MacBook lineup.
Who it's best for
People looking for a big-screen MacBook who don't need the power of a MacBook Pro. With its roomy display, trim design and new lower starting price, the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air should be viewed as the default Air, with its cheaper and smaller 13-inch sibling a good alternative for students and others with tighter budgets and busy, on-the-go lifestyles.
Who shouldn't get it
Students who need a more affordable and portable laptop will be better off with the 13-inch Air. Creative types who need more graphics oomph will need to spend more for the added power of a MacBook Pro. Check out our best MacBooks page for more MacBook recommendations.
HP OmniBook X Flip 14: This two-in-one laptop offers style, value and configuration options abound, including a 3K OLED display for only an extra $100.
Dell 14 Plus: Skip the two-in-one and opt for the clamshell laptop I tested, when it goes on sale.
Acer Swift Go 16 (2025): Built around a beautiful 16-inch OLED screen, the latest Swift Go 16 improves on its predecessors without significant price inflation.
Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1: This big-screen, mini-LED convertible laptop certainly has some positives, but there are a few too many negatives to give this Plus a full-throated recommendation.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition: It’s a great business laptop, but it can get pricey fast with upgrades.
HP EliteBook X G1a: X does not mark the spot for this biz laptop when the Ultra version costs roughly the same and supplies a far better display inside a slimmer, more compact design.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10: It's ultrastylish and ultracompact, but maybe don't hide the camera behind the display next time?
Acer Chromebook Plus 516: The 16-inch display provides plenty of room to work but Acer has a similar model that offers more for less.
HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14: Similarly priced systems offer better performance and longer battery life, but HP's flagship convertible laptop boasts an unrivaled design and awesome OLED panel.
HP Pavilion Plus 14 (2025): Parts of the HP Pavilion Plus 14 are great, but there's one poor-quality feature that totally ruins the experience.
M4 MacBook Air (13-Inch, 2025): Whether you pick the little 13-inch model or the more comfortable yet compact 15-inch Air, you'll be getting an undeniably versatile MacBook.
Acer Swift 16 AI: It's thin. It's light. It's long-running. And it boasts a big, bright 16-inch OLED display. So what's holding this Copilot Plus PC back from being more than just a big-screen productivity machine?
HP Pavilion Aero 13: When it comes to runtime, Snapdragon X laptops and the MacBook Air run laps around it.
The review process for laptops consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our reviewers. This includes evaluating a device's aesthetics, ergonomics and features with respect to price. A final review verdict is a combination of both objective and subjective judgments.
We test all laptops with a core set of benchmarks, including Primate Labs Geekbench 6, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10, a variety of 3DMark benchmarks (whichever can run on the laptop), UL Procyon Photo and Video (where supported), and our own battery life test. If a laptop is intended for gaming, we'll also run benchmarks from Guardians of the Galaxy, The Rift Breaker (CPU and GPU) and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
For the hands-on, the reviewer uses it for their work during the review period, evaluating how well the design, features (such as the screen, camera and speakers) and manufacturer-supplied software operate as a cohesive whole. We also place importance on how well they work given their cost and where the manufacturer has potentially made upgrades or tradeoffs for its price.
The list of benchmarking software and comparison criteria we use changes over time as the devices we test evolve. You can find a more detailed description of our test methodology on our How We Test Computers page.
There are a ton of laptops on the market at any given moment, and almost all of those models are available in multiple configurations to match your performance and budget needs. So if you're feeling overwhelmed with options when looking for a new laptop, it's understandable. To help simplify things for you, here are the main things you should consider when you start looking.
Price
The search for a new laptop for most people starts with price. If the statistics chipmaker Intel and PC manufacturers hurl at us are correct, you'll be holding onto your next laptop for at least three years. If you can afford to stretch your budget a little to get better specs, do it. And that stands whether you're spending $500 or more than $1,000. In the past, you could get away with spending less upfront with an eye toward upgrading memory and storage in the future. But laptop makers are increasingly moving away from making components easily upgradable, so again, it's best to get as much laptop as you can afford from the start.
Generally speaking, the more you spend, the better the laptop. That could mean better components for faster performance, a nicer display, sturdier build quality, a smaller or lighter design from higher-end materials or even a more comfortable keyboard. All of these things add to the cost of a laptop. I'd love to say $500 will get you a powerful gaming laptop, for example, but that's not the case. Right now, the sweet spot for a reliable laptop that can handle average work, home office or school tasks is between $700 and $800 and a reasonable model for creative work or gaming upwards of about $1,000. The key is to look for discounts on models in all price ranges so you can get more laptop for less.
Operating system
Choosing an operating system is part personal preference and part budget. For the most part, Microsoft Windows and Apple's MacOS do the same things (except for gaming, where Windows is the winner), but they do them differently. Unless there's an OS-specific application you need, go with the one you feel most comfortable using. And if you're not sure which that is, head to an Apple store or a local electronics store and test them out. Or ask friends or family to let you test theirs for a bit. If you have an iPhone or iPad and like it, chances are you'll like MacOS too.
But when it comes to price and variety (and, again, PC gaming), Windows laptops win. If you want MacOS, you're getting a MacBook. While Apple's MacBooks regularly top our best lists, the least expensive one is the M1 MacBook Air for $999. It is regularly discounted to $750 or $800, but if you want a cheaper MacBook, you'll have to consider older refurbished ones.
Windows laptops can be found for as little as a couple of hundred dollars and come in all manner of sizes and designs. Granted, we'd be hard-pressed to find a $200 laptop we'd give a full-throated recommendation to, but if you need a laptop for online shopping, email and word processing, they exist.
If you are on a tight budget, consider a Chromebook. ChromeOS is a different experience than Windows; make sure the applications you need have a Chrome, Android or Linux app before making the leap. But if you spend most of your time roaming the web, writing, streaming video or using cloud-gaming services, they're a good fit.
Size
Remember to consider whether having a lighter, thinner laptop or a touchscreen laptop with a good battery life will be important to you in the future. Size is primarily determined by the screen -- hello, laws of physics -- which in turn factors into battery size, laptop thickness, weight and price. And keep in mind other physics-related characteristics, such as an ultrathin laptop isn't necessarily lighter than a thick one, you can't expect a wide array of connections on a small or ultrathin model and so on.
Screen
When it comes to deciding on a screen, there are a myriad considerations: how much you need to display (which is surprisingly more about resolution than screen size), what types of content you'll be looking at and whether you'll be using it for gaming or creative work.
You really want to optimize pixel density; that is, the number of pixels per inch the screen can display. Though there are other factors that contribute to sharpness, a higher pixel density usually means sharper rendering of text and interface elements. (You can easily calculate the pixel density of any screen at DPI Calculator if you don't feel like doing the math, and you can also find out what math you need to do there.) We recommend a dot pitch of at least 100 pixels per inch as a rule of thumb.
Because of the way Windows and MacOS scale for the display, you're frequently better off with a higher resolution than you'd think. You can always make things bigger on a high-resolution screen, but you can never make them smaller -- to fit more content in the view -- on a low-resolution screen. This is why a 4K, 14-inch screen may sound like unnecessary overkill but may not be if you need to, say, view a wide spreadsheet.
If you need a laptop with relatively accurate color, that displays the most colors possible or that supports HDR, you can't simply trust the specs -- not because manufacturers lie, but because they usually fail to provide the necessary context to understand what the specs they quote mean. You can find a ton of detail about considerations for different types of screen uses in our monitor buying guides for general purpose monitors, creators, gamers and HDR viewing.
Processor
The processor, aka the CPU, is the brains of a laptop. Intel and AMD are the main CPU makers for Windows laptops, with Qualcomm as a new third option with its Arm-based Snapdragon X processors. Both Intel and AMD offer a staggering selection of mobile processors. Making things trickier, both manufacturers have chips designed for different laptop styles, like power-saving chips for ultraportables or faster processors for gaming laptops. Their naming conventions will let you know what type is used. You can head to Intel's or AMD's sites for explanations so you get the performance you want. Generally speaking, the faster the processor speed and the more cores it has, the better the performance will be.
Apple makes its own chips for MacBooks, which makes things slightly more straightforward. But, like Intel and AMD, you'll still want to pay attention to the naming conventions to know what kind of performance to expect. Apple uses its M-series chipsets in Macs. The entry-level MacBook Air uses an M1 chip with an eight-core CPU and seven-core GPU. The current models have M2-series silicon that starts with an eight-core CPU and 10-core GPU and goes up to the M2 Max with a 12-core CPU and a 38-core GPU. Again, generally speaking, the more cores it has, the better the performance.
Battery life has less to do with the number of cores and more to do with CPU architecture, Arm versus x86. Apple’s Arm-based MacBooks and the first Arm-based Copilot Plus PCs we’ve tested offer better battery life than laptops based on x86 processors from Intel and AMD.
Graphics
The graphics processor handles all the work of driving the screen and generating what gets displayed, as well as speeding up a lot of graphics-related (and increasingly, AI-related) operations. For Windows laptops, there are two types of GPUs: integrated (iGPU) or discrete (dGPU). As the names imply, an iGPU is part of the CPU package, while a dGPU is a separate chip with dedicated memory (VRAM) that it communicates with directly, making it faster than sharing memory with the CPU.
Because the iGPU splits space, memory and power with the CPU, it's constrained by the limits of those. It allows for smaller, lighter laptops, but doesn't perform nearly as well as a dGPU. In fact, there are some games and creative software that won't run unless they detect a dGPU or sufficient VRAM. Most productivity software, video streaming, web browsing and other nonspecialized apps will run fine on an iGPU, though.
For more power-hungry graphics needs, like video editing, gaming and streaming, design and so on, you'll need a dGPU; there are only two real companies that make them, Nvidia and AMD, with Intel offering some based on the Xe-branded (or the older UHD Graphics branding) iGPU technology in its CPUs.
Memory
For memory, we highly recommend 16GB of RAM (8GB absolute minimum). RAM is where the operating system stores all the data for currently running applications, and it can fill up fast. After that, it starts swapping between RAM and SSD, which is slower. A lot of sub-$500 laptops have 4GB or 8GB, which in conjunction with a slower disk can make for a frustratingly slow Windows laptop experience. Also, many laptops now have the memory soldered onto the motherboard. Most manufacturers disclose this, but if the RAM type is LPDDR, assume it's soldered and can't be upgraded.
However, some PC makers will solder memory on and also leave an empty internal slot for adding a stick of RAM. You may need to contact the laptop manufacturer or find the laptop's full specs online to confirm. And check the web for user experiences, because the slot may still be hard to get to, it may require nonstandard or hard-to-get memory or other pitfalls.
Storage
You'll still find cheaper hard drives in budget laptops and larger hard drives in gaming laptops, but faster solid-state drives have all but replaced hard drives in laptops. They can make a big difference in performance. But not all SSDs are equally speedy, and cheaper laptops typically have slower drives; if the laptop has only 4GB or 8GB of RAM, it may end up swapping to that drive and the system may slow down quickly while you're working.
Get what you can afford, and if you need to go with a smaller drive, you can always add an external drive or two down the road or use cloud storage to bolster a small internal drive. The one exception is gaming laptops: We don't recommend going with less than a 512GB SSD unless you really like uninstalling games every time you want to play a new game.
Setting a budget is a good place to start when shopping for the best laptop for yourself. The good news is you can get a nice-looking, lightweight laptop with excellent battery life at prices under $500. If you're shopping for a laptop around $500 or less, check out our top picks here, as well as more specific buying advice for that price range.
Higher-end components like Intel Core i-series and AMD Ryzen processors and premium design touches like thin-display bezels and aluminum or magnesium bodies have made their way to laptops priced between $500 and $1,000. You can also find touchscreens and two-in-one designs that can be used as a tablet or a laptop -- and a couple other positions in between. In this price range, you'll also find faster memory and SSD storage -- and more of it -- to improve performance.
Above $1,000 is where you'll find premium laptops and two-in-ones. If you're looking for the fastest performance, the best battery life, the slimmest, lightest designs and top-notch display quality with an adequate screen size, expect to spend at least $1,000.
Deciding between MacOS and Windows laptop for many people will come down to personal preference and budget. Apple's base model laptop, the M1 MacBook Air, starts at $999. You can sometimes find it discounted or you can get educational pricing from Apple and other retailers. But in general, it'll be at least $1,000 for a new MacBook, and the prices just go up from there.
For the money, though, you're getting great hardware top to bottom, inside and out. Apple recently moved to using its own processors, which resulted in across-the-board performance improvements compared to older Intel-based models. But, the company's most powerful laptop, the 16-inch MacBook Pro, still hasn't been updated to Apple silicon.
But, again, that great hardware comes at a price. Also, you're limited to just Apple laptops. With Windows and Chromebooks (more on these below), you get an amazing variety of devices at a wide range of prices.
Software between the two is plentiful, so unless you need to run something that's only available on one platform or the other, you should be fine to go with either. Gaming is definitely an advantage for a Windows laptop, though.
MacOS is also considered to be easier and safer to use than Windows, especially for people who want their computers to get out of the way so they can get things done. Over the years, though, Microsoft has done its best to follow suit and, with Windows 11 here, it's trying to remove any barriers. Also, while Macs might have a reputation for being safer, with the popularity of the iPhone and iPad helping to drive Mac sales, they've become bigger targets for malware.
Yes, they are, but they're not for everyone. Google's Chrome OS has come a long way in the 10-plus years since they arrived and Chromebooks -- laptops that run on Chrome OS -- are great for people who do most of their work in a web browser or using mobile apps. They are secure, simple and, more often than not, a bargain. What they can't do is natively run Windows or Mac software.
The pandemic changed how and where a lot of people work. The small, ultraportable laptops valued by people who regularly traveled may have suddenly become woefully inadequate for working from home. Or maybe instead of needing long battery life, you'd rather have a bigger display with more graphics power for gaming.
If you're going to be working on a laptop and don't need more mobility than moving it from room to room, consider a 15.6-inch laptop or larger. In general, a bigger screen makes life easier for work and is more enjoyable for entertainment, and it also is better if you're using it as an extended display with an external monitor. It typically means you're getting more ports too, so connecting an external display or storage or a keyboard and mouse are easier without requiring a hub or dock.
For travel, stay with 13- or 14-inch laptops or two-in-ones. They'll be the lightest and smallest while still delivering excellent battery life. What's nice is that PC-makers are moving away from 16:9 widescreens toward 16:10- or 3:2-ratio displays, which gives you more vertical screen space for work without significantly increasing the footprint. These models usually don't have discrete graphics or powerful processors, though that's not always the case.
You can play games and create content on any laptop. That said, what games you play and what content you create -- and the speed at which you do them -- is going vary greatly depending on the components inside the laptop.
For casual browser-based games or using streaming-game services like Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming, you don't need a powerful gaming laptop. And similarly, if you're trimming video clips, cropping photos or live-streaming video from your webcam, you can get by with a modestly priced laptop or Chromebook with integrated graphics.
For anything more demanding, you'll need to invest more money in discrete graphics like Nvidia's RTX 30- or 40-series GPUs. Increased system memory of 16GB or more, having a speedy SSD of at least 512GB for storage and a faster processor such as an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 will all help you get things moving faster too.
The other piece you'll want to consider is the display. For gaming, look for screens with a high refresh rate of 120Hz or faster so games look smoother while playing. For content creation, look for displays that cover at least 100% sRGB color space or, better yet, 100% DCI-P3.
