The Top 2023 Computers: The Best Laptops We Recommend
The laptops with the highest reputation across all categories, as determined by editors at NA Online Stores.
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Which laptop is best?
Best laptops in 2023
FAQs for the Best Laptops
Choosing a new laptop is a big decision that can be challenging if you are unfamiliar with laptop benchmarks. The best laptops for work, school, or home offer high overall performance and dependability along with a slew of advanced features. Choosing the best from the worst can be even more difficult, so we've put them through their paces to give you our expert advice. Our top picks for laptops of all brands, operating systems, budgets, and categories can be found on NA Online Store's list of the best for 2023. The most recent chips from Intel, AMD, and Apple's new M2 chips have been added to many of the models we have previously recommended.
Which laptop is best?
Because it is a good option for the majority of people, the Apple MacBook Air M2 currently occupies the top spot on our list of the best laptops 2023 has to offer. It combines everything we look for in a test in an excellent way: dependable day-to-day performance, a long battery life, and a design that appeals to a wide range of users are all included. We still recommend the 2020 MacBook Air M1 as a less expensive alternative to the most recent Air model because it is still an excellent laptop overall and starts at $899. HP's Pavilion Aero 13 is a great small and light laptop that starts at $550 and costs a reasonable $999 even when fully loaded, making it a good choice for those looking for a more value-oriented option.
Our laptop experts at NA Online Store have tested and evaluated laptops for decades, evaluating everything from performance to price to battery life. The best laptops, including those running Windows, MacOS, and Chrome, are included in this carefully curated list, which spans a variety of sizes, designs, and prices.
We also have specialized lists that you can look at if you want more laptop brands and options for a specific category. These lists include the best gaming laptops, best 15-inch laptops, best two-in-one laptops, best Chromebooks, best laptops for college students, best MacBook Pro alternatives, and so on. Check out our picks for the best budget laptop and best budget gaming laptop if you need to keep the cost of a new laptop computer as low as possible.
New models that we have tested and evaluated are added to this list of the best laptops on a regular basis. Jump to our laptop FAQ at the bottom of the list for advice on which laptop or two-in-one is right for you. If you want to save money on your purchase, be sure to check out our best laptop deals page.
Despite the availability of the new M2 MacBook Air, which is bigger and better, the M1 MacBook Air—one of the first to switch from Intel silicon to Apple silicon—will continue to be available, which is a positive development. It is still our top recommendation for a MacOS laptop for everyday use because it is Apple's entry-level model. It is a good choice for school or work because it performs well and has a battery life of up to 18 hours. Check out our review of the Apple MacBook Air M1 (late 2020).
Due to its size, weight, and performance, as well as its overall aesthetic appeal, the Dell XPS 13 is a perennial favorite. For the year 2022, Dell made the XPS 13 even lighter and smaller, maintained its starting price of less than $1,000, and discontinued using the most recent Intel processors of the 12th generation. Despite the absence of a headphone jack, the design is still excellent. instead comes with a USB-C adapter), and the battery life is long.
Best small laptop under $1,000
The Aero 13 was loaded with value from HP: A magnesium-aluminum chassis that is pleasing to the eye, powerful processing power, a long battery life, a display that is bright and colorful, and a weight of just 2 pounds (0.94 kilograms). Amazingly, despite everything it provides, its price is not prohibitive. Although it retails for $800, it frequently goes on sale for significantly less. The HP Pavilion 14 is a good option if you want something a bit larger with more components.
With one caveat, the 2022 version of the MacBook Air remains our top choice for the most universally useful laptop in Apple's lineup thanks to a new design, a larger display (13.6 inches compared to the previous 13.3 inches), a faster M2 chip, and a long-awaited upgrade to a higher-resolution webcam. It is disappointing that the traditional starting price of $999 for the MacBook Air is increased by $200 to $1,199. Because of this, the Air's M1 model remains on our list of the best laptops. Still, we like everything else about it, so if you're thinking about an Air and are willing to spend more, we'd recommend it.
Lenovo Yoga 7i Gen 7 (14-inch)
If you need a laptop for work or school, this 3-pound, thin convertible is a good option. It has a comfortable keyboard and a responsive, smooth precision touchpad, and the chassis is made entirely of metal, giving it a premium appearance and feel. Although it lacks additional features in comparison to its premium linemate, the Yoga 9i, one of Lenovo's sliding shutters for its webcam provides privacy when desired. In addition, according to our tests, it has a long battery life of 12 hours and 45 minutes. With 12th-generation Intel processors, the most recent version starts at less than $1,000.
Best 16-inch laptop for creators on a budget
Since the laptop is barely larger than a 15.6-inch model, the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus's 16-inch display is a great size. However, it also gives you more room for work and a larger keyboard and touchpad. Dell included a 12th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia discrete graphics, and a display with a 100% sRGB color gamut in this Inspiron, which is sufficient for beginning web content creators. Additionally, the laptop's fit and finish are superior to those of the Inspiron line.
"Dell Inspiron 24 All-in-One Desktop - 16" FHD + Touch Screen - 64GB - 2TB"
Even though this Microsoft Surface laptop isn't the same as the Surface laptop, the Surface Pro still hits all the right notes if you want a Windows tablet that can do everything and doubles as a laptop. It was recently updated by Microsoft for the Surface Pro 9, but other than the option of a Microsoft SQ 3 processor with 5G wireless and a switch from 11th-generation Intel Core processors to 12th-generation chips, little else has changed. Until we see how the Surface Pro 9 performs, we recommend the Pro 8, which is still available but is now less expensive.
Lenovo introduced the Yoga line 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 work, video conferences, and pleasure thanks to a lovely OLED display and better audio. For the premium bundle, Lenovo also provides an active pen and a laptop sleeve.
When the powerful 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.
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 either case, you'll get a decent gaming laptop for the money, but we highly advise holding out for a deal.
Best MacBook Pro 14-inch alternative
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 deal.
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 find 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.
Best Chromebook for most people
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 expensive options, this is the Chromebook you want if you want one that will endure for years. Watch for a discount on this one: It costs $749 normally, but if you hunt about, you may often find it on sale for less.
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 processor 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.
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, 32GB of memory, and an Intel Core i9 processor 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 possible form factor.
Laptop FAQs
What are the prices of decent laptops?
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 purchase 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 processors, as well as premium design elements like thin display bezels and aluminium or magnesium casings. There are also touchscreens and hybrid devices that can be used in a variety of positions, such as a tablet and a laptop. You can also obtain faster memory 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 spend 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 superior, Windows or MacOS?
For many people, choosing between a MacOS or Windows laptop will come down to personal preference 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 prices only increase from there.
But for the money, you get top-notch gear from top to bottom, inside and out. Apple recently switched to using 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 potent laptop, hasn't been upgraded to Apple silicon, though.
But once more, that excellent hardware has a cost. Additionally, you can only use Apple laptops. You can acquire an astonishing selection of devices at a wide range of prices 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 something that is only supported by one platform or the other. However, a Windows laptop undoubtedly has an advantage when it comes to gaming.
In particular, for people 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 over the years, and with Windows 11, it is attempting to break down any boundaries. Additionally, despite their reputation for being safer, Macs are now bigger targets for malware thanks to the success of the iPhone and iPad, which has helped to boost Mac sales.
How valuable are Chromebooks?
They are, in fact, but not for everyone. In the past ten years, Google's Chrome OS has advanced significantly, and Chromebooks, or Chrome OS-powered laptops, are excellent for users who spend the majority of their time using mobile apps or online browsers. They are generally safe, straightforward, and a good deal. They are unable to execute native Windows or Mac applications.
Which laptop is best for home use, travel, or both?
Many people's jobs and workplaces have changed as a result of the outbreak. It's possible that the little, ultraportable laptops that frequent travellers cherished overnight become hopelessly unsuitable for home offices. It's also possible that you choose a larger screen with higher graphics power for gaming over a long battery life.
Consider a 15.6-inch laptop or larger 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 better if you're utilising it as an expanded display with an external monitor because it makes life easier for work and more pleasurable for pleasure. It usually also indicates that you're getting extra ports, making it simpler to connect an external display, 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 smallest and lightest while still 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 gives you additional vertical screen space for working without drastically expanding the footprint. Though it's not always the case, these devices typically lack strong processors and discrete graphics.
Which laptop is the best for producing or playing games?
Any laptop can be used to generate content and play games. The components inside the laptop will have a significant impact on the games you play, the content you produce, and the speed 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. Likewise, if all you're doing is cutting video clips, cropping images, or live-streaming video from your webcam, 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 computer testing is done ?
The evaluation process for laptops, desktops, tablets, and other computer-like devices entails two steps: performance testing under controlled circumstances in the CNET Labs, and extensive hands-on use by our professional reviewers. This entails assessing the design, usability, and features of a device. Both those objective and subjective evaluations are used to form a final review verdict.
As the devices we test 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 currently doing on every supported computer.
You may read more about each benchmark and how we apply it on our page explaining how we test computers.
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