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The Best Laptops for Students of 2024

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Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)

Fantastic performance

Gorgeous OLED screen

12-hour battery life

Soldered on memory

Fewer graphics card configurations than previous years

HP Pavilion Plus 16 (2023)

Great performance and battery life

Bright and clear display

Slim design

So-so keyboard

No simple GPU toggle

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i (2023)

Good performance for the price

Responsive touchscreen

Higher-end look than the price suggests

Screen isn’t the brightest or most colorful

Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 (2024)

Thin, lightweight body

Excellent audio

Bright display

Slow SSD performance

Marginal upgrade over last gen

Acer Swift 3 OLED (2022)

Speedy Intel H processor

Gorgeous OLED display

Design quirks

So-so battery life

Updated June 10, 2024

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 proves that a gaming laptop can beat productivity laptops at their own game.

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor (8 cores, 16 threads at 4GHz (up to 5.2 GHz))
• Graphics: Nvidia RTX 4060 mobile (discrete), AMD Radeon 780M integrated graphics
• Memory: 16GB DDR5 at 6400MHz (non-replaceable)
• Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
• Display: 14-inch, 2880 x 1800 at 120Hz OLED panel, 500 nits (rated), 410 nits (measured), 100% DCI-P3, 0.2ms response time, Nvidia G-Sync compatible, supports Dolby Vision HDR
• Battery life: 12 hours

Students using CAD engineering software will get a lot of mileage out of the ROG Zephyrus G14’s discrete graphics and powerful processor. It’s also a great laptop for other content creators—the 120Hz OLED panel can handle HDR content with full P3 color coverage and excellent response time.

On the other hand, you might not need a laptop with excellent graphics performance or a beefy processor. If you’re going to spend most of your time in Google Docs and Netflix, the Lenovo Yoga 9i, the MacBook Air M3, or the HP Pavilion Plus 16 will still deliver a great experience.

While this 14-inch laptop can’t outperform behemoths like the Asus Rog Strix G18 or Lenovo Legion 5i, it’s fast enough to run graphically intense games at 2K resolution without dipping below 60fps.

The HP Pavilion 16t provides incredible performance for its price, and it's almost as polished as the more expensive HP Envy.

• Processor: Intel Core i5-13500H
• Graphics: Intel Iris Xe (integrated), Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (discrete)
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5x 5200MHz
• Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 with TLC
• Display: 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 400 nits max (rated); 458.1 nits max (measured), variable refresh rate enabled (48-120Hz), IPS anti-glare
• Battery life: 13+ hours

For a general purpose laptop you can take with you all day, the HP Pavilion Plus 16 is fantastic. Its 13-hour battery life, strong performance, and ample memory and storage make it a no-brainer for those after the best performance per dollar—it frequently goes on sale for under $800.

The Pavilion Plus 16 is powerful enough to handle content creation and gaming, but more intense games like Cyberpunk 2077 may struggle at maxed out graphics settings. It’s also hard to deny that the Pavilion Plus 16 is not as robust as a more premium laptop. The variable refresh rate screen sounds like an awesome feature until you realize the panel lags every time it tries to auto-adjust the framerate. If you’re a frequent flyer, the 16-inch size will cramp your seat. There are also some nitpicks: you can’t choose a default graphics processor, and the keyboard has some awkward key placement around the arrow keys.

That said, the HP Pavilion Plus 16 is still a great laptop for commuting and for staying on campus from sunrise to sunset. The sturdy chassis and light weight are boons for people who prefer 16-inch laptops to their smaller counterparts.

• Processor: Intel Core i5-1335U
• Graphics: Intel Iris Xe
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR4 4267MHz
• Storage: 512GB SSD
• Display: 14-inch, 1920 × 1200, 60Hz, IPS LED-backlit touchscreen with stylus support
• Battery: 7.5+ hours

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i is a solid and reliable 2-in-1 laptop that starts at $650, a much more affordable price point for students looking to purchase a new laptop compared to others on this list. The model we reviewed cost $800, and that’s still a steal of a price for the performance, reliability, and versatility it offers.

Its processor keeps up with Intel’s 12th-gen Core i7 H-series chips, it has every type of port you could ever realistically need, and it also looks more expensive than it actually is. We were most impressed with the responsive touchscreen, a crucial aspect of any 2-in-1 laptop. The display brightness was lower than we would have liked to see, but that only starts to cause glare problems if you use the laptop outside on a super sunny day.

The MacBook Air M3 is sleek and powerful, striking a great balance between value and quality.

• Processor: Apple M3 (8-core, 4 performance, 4 efficient)
• Graphics: Apple M3 10-core (integrated)
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5x, unified
• Storage size: 512GB SSD
• Display: 13.6-inch, 2560 x 1644 resolution, 500 nits max (rated), 518 nits max (measured), 100% DCI-P3, LED display
• Battery life: 10+ hours

Apple’s MacBook Air 13 M3 is a master of all trades. It’s fast, extremely portable, packs an awesome display in a slim profile, and can reach over 10 hours of battery life—all while being one of Apple’s cheapest laptops.

It outperforms most Windows productivity laptops in its price range thanks to its M3 processor, and its HDR-compatible 2K display looks as gorgeous as the best OLED screens from the competition.

The one downside to the Apple MacBook Air 13’s M3 processor is its graphics performance, which is fine for day-to-day productivity and light creative content, but it lags behind the integrated graphics aboard Intel and AMD’s latest processors.

Even so, more powerful laptops tend to be larger, have worse battery life, or both when compared to the MacBook Air 13 M3. It’s one of the best laptops you can get, and it has nothing to envy from the more expensive MacBook Pro lineup.

Other Laptops for Students We Tested

• Processor: Intel Core i7-12700H
• Graphics: Intel Iris Xe (integrated)
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Display: 14-inch, 2880 x 1800, 16:10 OLED
• Battery: 5.5+ hours

The Acer Swift 3 OLED has a beautiful display that any student would appreciate. Other laptops are more aesthetically pleasing, have a better key feel, and are thinner and lighter than the Swift 3 OLED, but they usually don’t come with an OLED display.

During testing, we measured a max brightness of 421 nits, more than what most people need from a laptop. The Swift 3’s OLED display covers 99.1% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, as well as 100% of the sRGB gamut and 97.4% of the Adobe RGB gamut.

The Swift 3 OLED also features an H-series Intel processor, which is more commonly found in gaming laptops, while most other mid-tier laptops use one of Intel’s slower P-series processors. While it’s not as fast as Apple’s M3 chips or the latest-gen Intel and AMD chips, it keeps up with newer processors like the Intel Core i7-1360P.

• Processor : Apple M2 Pro (10-core)
• Graphics : Integrated (16-core)
• Memory : 8GB to 96GB
• Storage : 256GB to 8TB SSD
• Display : 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR (3024 x 1964)
• Battery : 24+ hours

Apple’s MacBook Pro 14 M2 Pro is a master of all trades. It’s fast, extremely portable, packs an awesome display in a slim profile—and can reach an incredible 24 hours of battery life, the longest of any laptop we’ve tested.

Its performance keeps up with Intel and AMD’s current-gen midrange processors like the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H. The screen reaches 1,000 nits of brightness in HDR content thanks to Apple’s mini-LED, Liquid Retina XDR display, and even offers more hardware upgrades than most Windows laptops of similar size.

Windows alternatives like the Dell XPS 13 and HP Spectre x360 are compelling alternatives, but they can’t beat Apple in battery life.

Class-leading battery life

Excellent processor performance

Superb HDR display

Unimpressive game performance

Keyboard needs an update

Not the best value for money

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 8GB (Discrete); AMD Radeon 780M (integrated)
• Memory: 32GB LPDDR5X 6400MHz
• Storage: 512GB PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 NVMe SSD; 1 empty M.2 2280 slot
• Display: 14.5-inch, 2880 x 1800, 120Hz OLED, glossy
• Battery life: 8+ hours

If you want a powerhouse but you don’t want to pony up for the ROG Zephyrus G14, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is awesome. It’s a slim, lightweight 14.5-inch gaming laptop with over 8 hours of battery life that’s easy to sling in your bag and take to the lecture hall without worrying whether you’re seated next to a power outlet.

This laptop regularly comes in at about $1,000 on sale, and it has a lovely 2K OLED panel that feels like it belongs on a much pricier machine. Content creation and gaming are both a feast for the eyes on this display. The Legion Slim 5’s processor and discrete graphics are no different—this is a fast, powerful machine for just about any task.

Excellent design

Performance and efficiency

Gorgeous display

The CPU can run hot

No upgradeable memory

• Processor: Apple M1
• Graphics: Integrated
• Memory: 16GB
• Storage: 256GB
• Display: 13-inch 2560 x 1440p Liquid Retina
• Battery: 11.5+ hours

Even though the Apple MacBook Air M1 is two generations old, this popular laptop still performs well enough to handle most productivity tasks with ease. For just $700, you get a laptop that has a bright, vibrant display, a sleek aluminum chassis, and almost 12 hours of battery life. Because you can't upgrade the M1 MacBooks after purchase, we recommend splurging on a model with at least 512GB of storage.

Jaw-dropping battery life

Incredible performance

Iconic build quality

Poor port selection

• Processor : Intel Core i5-1240P
• Graphics : Intel Iris Xe Graphics
• Memory : 8GB LPDDR4X
• Storage : 256GB SSD
• Display : 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 120Hz LED
• Battery life : 7+ hours

Students who need a Chromebook will appreciate the versatility of the Acer Chromebook 516 GE. It’s one of the fastest, well designed Chromebooks on the market. The 2K display and strong performance will still feel snappy in five years.

ChromeOS isn’t as versatile as Windows 11 or MacOS, but the Chromebook 516 GE’s 120Hz display and midrange processor are great for remote streaming from either a desktop PC or a cloud gaming service. Native ChromeOS apps run quickly and efficiently, and the 8GB of included memory give enough bandwidth to multitask without lag. In addition to being one of the fastest Chromebooks we’ve ever tested, it boasts Wi-Fi 6E and an Ethernet port for rock-solid Internet connectivity.

The build quality on the Chromebook 516 GE is impressive. Tossing it in a backpack won’t leave a dent, and the sturdy chassis and anti-ghosting RGB keyboard share more in common with a good gaming laptop than with a typical Chromebook. But unlike most gaming laptops, the Chromebook 516 GE’s price regularly hovers around $500 on sale.

120Hz display makes everything smoother

Plenty connectivity options

No Thunderbolt 4 connectivity

Speakers don’t sound great

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 16 cores, 22 threads, boost clock up to 4.8GHz
• Graphics: Intel Arc integrated graphics
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5X 7467 MHz
• Storage: 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 solid state drive
• Display: Dual displays, 2x 14-inch 1,920 x 1,200 OLED 60Hz, both support touch
• Battery life: 14.5 hours

If you’re off at college, you might not have the luxury of sparing some desk space for a second monitor. That’s where the Asus Zenbook Duo comes in. This laptop has two 14-inch displays that can be used together for 28 inches of screen real estate. You can hold it horizontally like a book, stack it vertically, or hide a display under the included standalone keyboard for a traditional laptop setup. The Zenbook Duo also comes with a stylus, so you don’t have to haggle with touch inputs when you need a stylus’s precision for art assignments.

When it’s time to write an essay, don’t worry. When you plop the keyboard onto the bottom display, the Zenbook Duo works like a regular clamshell laptop. And despite all the twinkling OLED lights on double the displays, you can count on the laptop to last over 14 hours before needing a recharge.

The Zenbook Duo may be cheaper than the comparable Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, but it is more expensive than many other laptops on this list. Its Intel Core 7 Ultra processor is powerful enough for casual video editing, and the integrated graphics are good enough to play esports at 60fps. However, you can get more powerful laptops for less money.

Dual-screen concept works well

Can also pass as a “normal” laptop

Touchscreens don’t make it a tablet

Performance is modest for the price

Bluetooth keyboard can be finicky

• Processor : Intel Core i7-13700H
• Graphics : Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, Intel Iris Xe (integrated)
• Memory : 16GB LPDDR5 6400MHz
• Storage : 1TB SSD
• Display : 14.5-inch, 2880 x 1800, 120Hz OLED
• Battery life : ~7.5 hours

The Acer Swift X 14’s discrete graphics and high end processor offer impressive performance that can handle any content creation task you throw at it. Add in almost 8 hours of battery life and a 2K OLED display, and the Swift X 14 is a fantastic laptop for students and teachers alike.

You can often find the Acer Swift X 14 for less money than the ROG Zephyrus G14 or Lenovo Legion Slim 5, but it isn’t quite as powerful. The graphics performance is enough to comfortably play multiplayer games or edit cumbersome Premiere video projects, but don’t expect it to blast through rendering intricate 3D scenes in Blender (modeling them is fine). The touchpad isn’t as refined as what you’ll find on the MacBook Air 13 M3, either.

Despite the shortcomings, the Swift X 14 is still a very good laptop. Besides, it’s one of the rare laptops with several types of ports if you need to give presentations on the projector.

Impressive GPU performance

OLED display with vivid colors

Great selection of ports

Disappointing battery life

Oversized touchpad

Underwhelming screen brightness

• Graphics : Iris Xe Graphics
• Display : 16-inch, 3200 × 2000, 120Hz OLED
• Battery : ~7.4 hours

The Acer Swift Go 16 is faster than our top pick in almost every way—but it’s usually the more expensive of the two, and its graphics power can’t match the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, making it a less versatile machine. But if one of your must-haves is an Intel 13th-gen processor and an OLED screen, take a look at the Swift Go 16.

It chews through large Excel spreadsheets with complex formulas and data, its processor keeps pace with Apple’s MacBook Pro 14 M2 Pro (or beats it, depending on the test), and its integrated graphics performance is sufficient for “light” gaming if you catch yourself focusing on too much work and not enough playtime.

Great productivity performance

Solid, yet lightweight chassis

Great touchpad, decent keyboard

OLED screen doesn’t get very bright

Can run warm

• Processor: Intel Core i7-1360P
• Memory: 16GB DDR5 4800MHz
• Display: 14-inch, 3840 x 2400, OLED
• Battery life: 8.5+ hours

Artists and note takers should check out the Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 8, a fantastic 2-in-1 laptop with a 4K OLED touch display and a pressure sensitive stylus out of the box. With almost 9 hours of battery life, it’s a great companion for long library sessions or afternoons on the quad.

The laptop’s Intel Core i7-1360P processor is not as powerful as other processors on this list, but productivity tasks and some heavy work in Photoshop won’t pose any problems. If you’re not pushing your PC to the limit every time you tackle a homework assignment, you’ll be fine.

In exchange, the Lenovo Yoga 9i provides a top-grade user experience. This laptop has some of the best speakers of any laptop we’ve tested, the trackpad works flawlessly, it has one of our favorite laptop keyboards to date, and it’s a beautiful, sturdy machine. Even with daily use and heavy commutes to and from school, the 2-in-1’s hinge feels like it could survive for years.

It’s the perfect travel buddy for students to keep their digital notes in order and read them later at night in tablet form before popping open YouTube to go to sleep. The laptop used to be $1,400, but these days it’s often on sale for under $1,000.

Phenomenal touchscreen display

Dynamic audio

Included stylus and case

Slightly underpowered

Short battery life

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050
• Memory: 16GB DDR5 6400MHz
• Storage: 512GB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe
• Display: 14.5-inch, 2560 x 1600, 90Hz, IPS touchscreen
• Battery: 9.5+ hours

If you need something with enough power for light video or audio work, with a battery that lasts longer than you do through an entire day of classes, then the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 is another great laptop to look into.

The Silm Pro 7's AMD processor is much faster than the last-generation AMD Ryzen chip in our Best 2-in-1 pick, the HP Envy x360. The entire laptop is configured to offer the most performance possible in such a slim profile for $1,200, but that of course raises the price.

That puts this mid-range laptop on the same shelf as the MSI Prestige 13 Evo, Acer Swift Go 16, and even the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus—but its processor isn’t nearly as fast. The battery life is nothing to ignore, though, so if you happen to find the Silm Pro for under $1,000, then you’ll be getting a great deal.

Solid performance

Sturdy, tactile keyboard feel

Minimalist, professional look

Just okay screen brightness

Loaded with bloatware

• Processor: Intel Core i7-13700H
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5 6400MHz
• Display: 14-inch, 2880 x 1800, 120Hz, OLED
• Battery life: 7.5+ hours

Don’t be fooled by the Asus Zenbook 14X OLED’s tiny footprint. It isn’t especially fancy, but nails the basics and then some. Film students will especially appreciate the lovely 2K display and the surprisingly rich audio in this tiny laptop.

The Zenbook 14X doesn’t have a discrete graphics card, but its Intel Core i7-13700H processor is mighty powerful on its own. CPU-heavy tasks will be a breeze on the Zenbook 14X, and you won’t have to worry about Chrome crashing when you open the 200th tab.

While you would expect a 14-inch laptop to include at most 2 USB-C ports and a headphone jack, the Zenbook 14X squeezes some USB-A ports and an HDMI port in its sides, too. The stylish metal chassis is also sturdy enough to handle getting trotted from classroom to classroom. Battery life is a bit short at 7.5 hours, but the great processor and refined body are worth the tradeoff.

Stays cool on your lap

Touchpad with built-in Numpad

Pleasing sound

Middling performance

All ports are on the right side

Lacks a built-in card reader

How to Choose a Laptop for Students

Operating system.

Which operating system is the best? The answer to that question depends on the student. Some will be more familiar and comfortable with MacOS, while others may prefer Windows or Android. How a laptop is going to be used is another factor in choosing an operating system.

If you’re going to need certain software for school or to play games, you may want to stick with Windows. Apple has complete control over how Macs are built, so its auto-update system does an excellent job of keeping the laptop operating system up to date. Unlike macOS and Windows, ChromeOS isn’t a full-fledged operating system. With ChromeOS, you’ll be spending most of your time in a Chrome browser using web-based tools.

If you run more intense workloads—whether that’s photo and video editing or playing the latest PC games—you’ll want a bit more “oomph.” Intel’s higher-end i7 processors will make those video encodes run noticeably faster, and a dedicated graphics card will ensure your games run smoothly. For browsing the web and using office software, lower-power chips like Intel’s i3 and i5 are fine.

Battery Life

A long battery life is imperative in laptops for students. No one wants their computer to die while taking notes in class, working on a project in the library, and especially during late-night gaming sessions with friends.

That’s why we tested battery life when evaluating student laptops. We had each laptop cycle through various websites until it ran out of power to estimate how much work it could get done on a single charge. Our recommended laptops range in battery life from about five hours up to more than 17 hours.

Screen Size

When it comes to screen size, it’s important to balance portability against the space available to work. Picking a general size range can help narrow the field. Our recommendations for student laptops range from 13 inches up to 14 inches.

Laptops with displays that are about 13 inches are easy to carry around campus and great for light work like writing papers and browsing the web. Mid-sized laptop screens are a bit less portable and may not work in constrained spaces, but the larger display is useful for photo editing and watching videos.

Large laptops, computers with screens of 17 inches or larger, are only recommended for students who need video-editing abilities or other intensive work that requires a lot of screen real estate.

We recommend that you err on the side of more storage. While 4GB of RAM is usable in a Chromebook, even web browsing can eat up RAM. We wouldn’t advise 4GB for most Windows users. If you tend to open lots of tabs, use lots of browser extensions, or want to be future-proof, at least 8GB is the way to go.

People often underestimate how much space they’ll fill with their music, photos, and videos. Storage can be expensive, though. If you can’t afford a large solid-state drive, consider a laptop with an SD card slot and using a high-capacity card for expandable storage.

A computer can be looked at as an investment in the future of a student, especially with a laptop for college. However, laptops can be pricey. When looking for the best student laptop, we suggest looking at value, so you know that the price matches the performance and features that you’re getting from a laptop.

How We Test Laptops for Students

More articles you might enjoy.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

Meet the testers

Adrien Ramirez

Staff Writer

Adrien is the PC staff writer for Reviewed with over 4 years of experience covering laptops, desktops, software, games, and more.

Joanna Nelius

Former Senior Editor, Tech

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.

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Recent updates, all reviews, the 6 best laptops for college - summer 2024 reviews.

If you're going off to college, you'll need a laptop that can handle your school workload. Depending on your program, the best laptop for students may be a simple Chromebook, an ultraportable Windows laptop or MacBook, or a powerful mobile workstation. You'll want to look for a portable device with long battery life, as it'll make it easier to carry around and allow you to work in various places, away from an electrical outlet. As you'll be working a lot on the laptop, you should also look for a device that provides a good user experience, like a sharp and bright display, a comfortable keyboard, and a responsive touchpad. It's also important to consider the port selection if you use multiple peripherals or external displays. Of course, price is a big concern for some students, so we've also included picks for the best budget laptops for students.

We've bought and tested over 130 laptops. Below, you'll find our recommendations for the best laptops for college you can buy. You can also see our recommendations for the best student Chromebooks , the best lightweight laptops , and the best 15-16-inch laptops . If you're on a set budget, check out the best laptops under $1,000 .

If you need to upgrade your wireless network at home, we recently launched router reviews; check out our list of the  best Wi-Fi routers .

Best Laptop For College

The best laptop for college we've tested is the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024). This premium model is ideal for college students who need a thin, light laptop to write papers, browse the web, and consume media. Apple's base M3 SoC is well suited to light productivity tasks and even some video editing and 3D graphics. Plus, it doesn't even need a cooling fan, so you won't have to worry about loud fan noise in classrooms and libraries. It provides an amazing user experience, sporting a sharp, bright display, a spacious keyboard, and a gigantic haptic touchpad. Its battery life is excellent, though it takes a while to charge to full. Port selection is its biggest weakness as it only has two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports, and these ports will only output to two external displays if the lid is closed. The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) is also a good choice if you want a bigger screen with better-sounding speakers, but it costs more.

For Windows users, we recommend the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) . Also a premium ultraportable, this 14-inch model feels incredibly well built and provides an amazing user experience with its 120Hz 2.8k OLED display, spacious keyboard, and haptic touchpad. It has Wi-Fi 7 wireless connectivity, an excellent 4k webcam, and a decent port selection with one USB-A and two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4s. Plus, you can flip the screen around into tablet mode since it's a 2-in-1 convertible. Pen support is present if you want to take handwritten notes, though you may have to buy the pen separately, depending on the retailer. Two things to bear in mind: the display doesn't get nearly as bright as the MacBook Air's, so visibility may be more of an issue in well-lit environments, and OLEDs are susceptible to permanent burn-in, meaning you'll have to take some active measures to prevent it, like hiding the taskbar.

See our review

Best Mid-Range Laptop For College

Our recommendation for a more affordable mid-range option is the HP Pavilion Aero 13 (2024). Configurable with Zen 4 AMD Ryzen CPUs (up to a Ryzen 7 8840HS), this 13-inch ultraportable is well suited for light productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing, as well as some moderately intensive workloads like programming and photo editing. Its compact and lightweight design makes it easy to carry around, and you likely won't need to bring a charger, as the battery lasts around 10 hours of light use. It only comes with 16GB of soldered RAM, which is both good and bad, as you don't have to spend extra to upgrade (most laptops come with a measly 8GB on the base models), but you also don't have the option to get more or add more later. Thankfully, its standard M.2 NVMe SSD is user-replaceable. You can choose between an FHD+ or QHD+ IPS panel; both get bright enough to provide good visibility in well-lit settings.

As for the user experience, it's good, though a noticeable step down from the more premium models mentioned above. The keyboard feels spacious, albeit a tad fatiguing over an extended period, and the touchpad is responsive but makes some actions like dragging and dropping hard to perform. Its build quality is also inferior, as its aluminum and plastic chassis has a cheap, hollow feel and exhibits a fair amount of flexing. Additionally, the finish is prone to scratches even from everyday use. With all that said, this is still a very good device for college students if you can look past its unremarkable build.

Best Budget Laptop For College

The best budget laptop for students we've tested is the ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023). This model feels well-built despite its low price, and it's relatively portable for a 16-inch device. You can get it with an AMD Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 CPU; both are more than adequate to handle most student workloads like text processing, web browsing, and video playback. RAM configuration is limited, as you can only get 8GB or 16GB. 16GB models are harder to find, but the upside is that the memory is user-upgradeable, so you can just get the 8GB model and pop in a SO-DIMM memory stick later on. Battery life is okay at around eight hours of light use.

The overall user experience is good. It has a comfortable keyboard, a large, responsive touchpad, and a decent 720p webcam. The display looks reasonably sharp but a bit dim and washed out, a common drawback of budget-friendly devices. You get Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity, a fingerprint sensor for quick logins, and a decent port selection with three USB-As, a USB-C, and an HDMI. The USB-C doesn't support video output, so you'll have to use the HDMI port to connect an external display.

Best Cheap Laptop For College

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook 14 (2023) is the best laptop for students we've tested in the cheap category. It's a great option if you only need a simple device to browse the web and write papers. Its compact design makes it easy to carry around, and its battery lasts about 13 hours of light use. The Core i3 configuration (paired with an FHD display, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage) is regularly on sale for around $400 to $500 USD on  Lenovo's website . There are cheaper configurations, but we don't recommend them unless you have an extremely light workload.

As for the user experience, its FHD display looks sharp, gets bright enough for use in well-lit settings, and supports touch input. However, the keyboard feels mushy, and the touchpad is small and sometimes unresponsive. Its 1080p webcam is excellent, which is surprising for a budget-friendly Chromebook. Again, ensure you can do everything through a Chrome browser or Android app; otherwise, it's best to go with a Windows laptop like the ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023) above.

Best Workstation For College

For students in more technical fields who need a high-performance laptop to run intensive applications, we recommend the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023). Like its M2 predecessor, this new M3 model has a sleek, compact design, a sturdy build, and all-day battery life. It provides a fantastic user experience with its sharp Mini LED display, comfortable keyboard, and gigantic, easy-to-use haptic touchpad. You get tons of ports to connect peripherals and external displays and an outstanding 1080p webcam for video calls. You also get a fingerprint sensor so that you can log in quickly.

Apple's M3 Pro/Max SoCs can easily handle demanding tasks, making this laptop a great option for students in programming, 3D graphics and animation, or science and engineering. The fans remain quiet under load, so you don't have to worry about causing too much noise in a quiet classroom or library. If screen real estate is more important than portability, you can get the larger Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3, 2023) . It's the same device but with better-sounding speakers and a longer battery life. The only downside is its higher price.

Best Gaming Laptop For College

If you want a laptop that you can game on during your downtime, get the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024). Sleek and compact, this 14-inch model is easy to carry around while still packing plenty of processing power to provide a smooth gaming experience in demanding games. It has a gorgeous 120Hz 2.8k OLED display, a tactile keyboard, and one of the best speaker system you can find on a Windows machine. You get Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity, a facial recognition IR camera for quick logins, and a wide port selection, including two USB-Cs and an HDMI 2.1.

Regarding the configuration options, you can choose between an AMD Ryzen 7 or 9 CPU paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050, 4060, or 4070. If you don't mind playing your games at 1080p, you can go with a 4050 model, but for 1440p gaming (or 2.8k), we recommend upgrading to a 4060 or 4070. RAM and storage max out at 32GB and 1TB, respectively. Only the SSD is user-replaceable, which you might want to do later, as 1TB fills up quickly with the size of most modern games. Battery life is decent at around eight hours of light use, so depending on your usage, you may have to plug it in for a quick charge to get through the day.

• ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (2024): The ASUS ZenBook 14 OLED (2024) is a good option if you want a Windows alternative to the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024) but prefer a clamshell model instead of a 2-in-1 convertible like the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024). It provides a similar user experience as the HP, but its battery life is shorter at around eight hours of light use. See our review
• Framework Laptop 13 (2023): The Framework Laptop 13 (2023) is a great alternative to the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024) if you want an easily repairable and upgradeable laptop. This 13-inch ultraportable model's design lets you replace any component in the laptop. The parts are available to buy from Framework, and the company provides online manuals to guide you through the replacement process. However, its build quality, display, touchpad, speakers, and webcam aren't as good as the MacBook Air. See our review
• Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (2024): The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (2024) is a cheaper alternative to the HP Pavilion Aero 13 (2024). It has a sturdier build and a more comfortable keyboard, and it's a 2-in-1 convertible, so you can use it as a tablet. The display supports pen input if you want to take handwritten notes, though you'll have to buy the stylus separately, and there's no place to store it for transport. Keep in mind that this is a Chromebook, so it isn't ideal if you need to install specialized applications, which typically lack Chrome OS support. See our review
• Lenovo Yoga 6 13 (2023): The Lenovo Yoga 6 13 (2023) is a cheaper alternative to the HP Pavilion Aero 13 (2024). It has a sturdier build and a better touchpad; however, its display doesn't get as bright, and its webcam is significantly worse. It also doesn't perform as well because it uses slower AMD Zen 3-based CPUs, whereas the HP uses newer Zen 4 processors. See our review
• Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2023): The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2023) is cheaper than the ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023). It has a better webcam, and its USB-C supports video output, so you don't need to carry a separate HDMI cable. The downside is that its battery lasts only six to seven hours. See our review
• Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 (2024): The Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 (2024) is a great Windows alternative to the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023). Like the MacBook Pro, this model provides a great user experience and has plenty of processing power to handle demanding tasks like 3D graphics and simulations. Plus, it's more versatile and can double as your gaming device since there are more games on Windows. It's a 16-inch device, so it might not fit into some bags. Its battery life isn't as impressive as the MacBook Pro, but still amazing at around 12 hours of light use. See our review

Aug 26, 2024: Added the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (2024) and the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 (2024) as Notable Mentions. No change in the main recommendations.

Aug 01, 2024: Replaced the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 (2023) with the HP Pavilion Aero 13 (2024) because the Lenovo is no longer available. Added the Lenovo Yoga 6 13 (2023) as a Notable Mention. Removed the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2023) from the Notable Mentions because it's discontinued and no longer available.

Jun 12, 2024: Replaced the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition (2023) with the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) because the Zephyrus has a sturdier build and is more portable. Replaced the LG gram 14 (2023) with the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) as a Windows alternative to the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024) because the LG is an older model and getting harder to find. Replaced the Acer Swift 3 14 (2020) with the ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023) because the ASUS performs better and is easier to find.

May 16, 2024: Replaced the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) as a Notable Mention with the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024), as the HP has better battery life and performance over time. Minor text changes for accuracy and clarity.

Apr 17, 2024: Replaced the M2 Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) with the M3 Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024). Added the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (2024) as a Notable Mention.

Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best laptops for college students to buy. In addition to the test results, we factor in the price (a cheaper laptop wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no laptops that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).

If you prefer to make your own decision, here's the list of all of our laptop reviews, sorted by price from low to high. Keep in mind that most laptops are available in various configurations, and the table only shows the results of the model we tested, so it's best to see the full review for information about other variants.

The best student laptops in 2024: top laptops for college and school

These are the best laptops for students across all budgets and preferences

• Best overall
• Best budget
• Best Chromebook

Best premium Chromebook

• Best Windows laptop
• Best creative laptop
• Best 2-in-1
• Best premium 2-in-1
• Best gaming laptop
• How to choose
• How we test

The best student laptops have to walk the tightrope between good value for money and top-notch performance, while also providing enough battery life to get you from the start of the school day to the end. With these factors in mind, I've curated this list of the best laptops for students of all ages - whether you're heading off to higher education or just need a new laptop for the upcoming year of high school.

Trying to navigate the murky waters of the best laptops on the market can be a daunting tasks, so I've tightened the scope of our search here - including a carefully selected list of the best Ultrabooks to the best MacBooks and even some of the best Chromebooks , meaning that whichever operating system you like the most, I've got you covered.

Price (or at least, price-for-performance) should be the number one factor when it comes to buying a laptop for school or university. Students are often shopping on a budget, but studies show that a new laptop is typically the biggest individual purchase for a new student; an investment that shouldn't break the bank but also shouldn't crap out halfway through a three- or four-year course.

You can check out our best budget laptops if you specifically want something super-affordable, but all the laptops on the list below offer a strong price-to-performance ratio, meaning that you get plenty of bang for your buck - I've also made sure to include options for users with specific needs, like 2-in-1 laptops for digital artists who need a touchscreen device and of course the excellent M3 MacBook Air for students in creative disciplines.

Australians can check out our best laptop deals and best cheap laptop deals pages.

The quick list

If you want to get right to it and see the best student laptop in every category, check out our quick roundup of top picks below. Don't worry though, you can easily jump to a more detailed view of every pick along with a price comparison tool to help you find the best laptop deals for students no matter your budget.

Best student laptop overall

With a solid build and decent weight, this extremely affordable 14-inch laptop offers decent battery life and performance for the price. 

Read more below

Best budget student Chromebook

It might not be the flashiest, but it's built to last, especially in terms of battery. ChromeOS is also a great, versatile OS - especially for younger learners.

Best student Chromebook

The best Chromebook for students overall, the Duet 5 Chromebook features a gorgeous OLED display, excellent battery life, and a portable design. 

It may not be cheap, but its performance more than justifies the extra expense, delivering one of the best Chromebook experiences.

Best premium Windows laptop

A sleek, lightweight design and powerful performance make this a top-notch pick for Windows fans looking for a premium laptop for college.

Best laptop for creative students

Generally the best laptop out there for most people, this is a dream machine for creative students. Just be prepared to pay the steep price.

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Best affordable 2-in-1 for students

This laptop has an attractive price, good design, great performance, and excellent battery life. And it offers a great degree of versatility.

Best premium 2-in-1 for students

Sometimes, you need more than just good enough from a 2-in-1, and this delivers performance and build - though it's generally more expensive.

Best gaming laptop for students

It can't be all work and no play, but on a student budget, the MSI GF63 Thin has great performance and affordability you need from a gaming laptop.

Understanding what makes a good laptop for students is more than just knowing an awful lot about laptops (although I do know an awful lot about laptops). As someone who went through higher education with a decidedly lackluster laptop, I learned the hard way what's needed - and I've put that knowledge to use here to ensure you get the perfect laptop to carry you through a full course of studies.

The best student laptop overall

1. Acer Aspire 5 (2022)

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

✅ You’re on a budget: This entry-level model only costs around $600/£450, which makes it a capable option for budgeting students.

✅ You travel a lot: It’s not an ultrabook, but a sturdy design and weight of just 1.7kg mean that the Aspire 5 will happily live in your backpack all day long.

❌ You’re a gamer: Acer’s website talks about a discrete GeForce graphics card, but most Aspire 5 models rely on more basic integrated graphics.

❌ You need all-day battery life: Six and a half hours certainly isn’t bad for a laptop in this price range, but you’ll need to spend a bit more if you need a long-lasting laptop.

The Acer Aspire 5 (2022) remains our pick as the best student laptop you can buy right now. That's because it's got a low price, but decent specs (OK, the 11-gen Intel CPU isn't the most recent, but it does the job well, especially compared to the processors you find in similarly-priced laptops) mean it's a dependable performer for most day-to-day tasks students will use it for.

As it's a Windows 11 laptop, it can run full-desktop applications, unlike Chromebooks which often have to make do with pared-back apps that don't offer the full range of features.

Of course, you need to set your expectations for this laptop. It's price and age means this isn't going to be a powerful laptop that can handle media editing or gaming, but for writing up essays and researching for your course, it remains an excellent choice, especially if you're on a budget, but don't want a Chromebook.

Read our full Acer Aspire 5 (2022) review

The best budget Chromebook for students

2. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook

✅ You’re after a great value 2-in-1 Chromebook: Despite its low price, this Chromebook punches above its weight.

✅ You want the flexibility of a 2-in-1 device: Not only can this be used as a laptop, but it can turn into a tablet-like device as well.

❌ You need a powerful device: While the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 is fine for daily web browsing and media streaming, we wouldn't recommend it for anything more intensive.

❌ You want a great display: The small size and resolution of the screen keeps the price down, but that means it doesn't wow.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook is a decent Chromebook for students who are looking for a bargain. Its low price means this isn't a particularly powerful device, even by Chromebook standards, but ChromeOS runs impressively well, and it won't let you down for day-to-day tasks like web browsing, document creation and emailing.

It can also be used for media streaming when you're winding down after a day of studying, though the small screen isn't ideal for truly immersing yourself in TVs and films.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook is a great laptop for students because of its 2-in-1 design, which can be quite rare for laptops at this price. This allows you to use it as both a laptop and as a tablet-like device, and this kind of flexibility is super handy for students - especially as it means they don't need two separate devices.

The battery life lasted an excellent 16 hours in our video playback test when we reviewed the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook, so it'll easily last an entire school day without needing to be charge.

Read our full Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook

The best overall Chromebook for students

3. Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook

✅ You want the best 2-in-1 Chromebook around: The flexible design of this Chromebook is ideal for students who want both a laptop and a tablet-like device.

✅ You want outstanding battery life: Hitting almost 19 hours on a single charge, there are few laptops or other Chromebooks that can match the IdeaPad Duet 5's lasting power.

❌ You want a cheap Chromebook: The premium features on the Duet 5 Chromebook means that this is relatively expensive, though still a lot less than most Windows laptops.

❌ You want more of a tablet-first form factor: The aspect ratio and 13.3-inch display size makes this bulkier than a standard tablet.

The brilliant Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook is a great example of how Chromebooks don't need to be cheap, budget affairs. Thanks to its gorgeous 1080p OLED display, 8GB RAM and Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen2 processor, this is one of the most powerful Chromebooks out there, and is ideal for students who want a device to work and watch movies on.

The design itself is excellent, with a slimline body and detachable keyboard - there's certainly no chance of this being mistaken for a budget device. And as a 2-in-1 device, you can use this as both a traditional laptop, or a tablet-like device. Putting it into 'tent mode' also makes it a small screen for watching TV and movies on - so this is a great option for students who don't have the money (or space) for multiple devices.

In our review, we were particularly impressed by the stunning OLED screen - which is a rarity in Chromebooks, and thanks to its Snapdragon CPU, battery life is amazing, lasting over 16 hours in our tests. That blows past most Windows 11 laptops and MacBooks - and even a lot of Chromebooks as well. So, students can happily work on the Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook for multiple school days without needing to charge. All of these premium features does mean the price tag is higher than you may expect from a Chromebook, but it still offers plenty of value, making it a great option for students with a bit of flex in their budgets.

Read the full Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook review

Get your laptop for less with our Lenovo voucher codes .

The best premium Chromebook for students

4. Acer Chromebook Spin 514

✅ You need a powerful Chromebook: Despite being similar in price to a mid-range Windows laptop, this is a more high-end Chromebook with solid internal specs to match.

✅ You care more about performance than aesthetic: Not that this looks hideous, but it certainly doesn't have the fancy trimmings of something like the HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook.

❌ You're on a very tight budget: Though not quite as pricey as other premium Chromebooks, this might be out of reach if you're seeking something sub-$500/£500.

❌ You need a Windows or a Mac laptop: If most of your workload and casual computer needs to be done on a full operating system, this one's not for you.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 might be a bit on the pricier side when it comes to Chromebooks, but it offers a lot for the money: powerful components, great user accessibility, and strong versatility thanks to its 360-degree hinge and touch display - just like the best 2-in-1 laptops . When we reviewed it, we praised its great performance, robust build quality, and all-day battery life.

Still, starting at the $500/£500 mark means the Spin 514 is cheaper than many Windows laptops with similar specs, and it should still be accessible for students who want a high-end Chromebook. It's not the most expensive Chromebook on the market - that would be the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook .

Pricing aside, this is a solid 2-in-1 laptop with great internal specs, meaning that it should be easily capable of lasting through three, four, or even five years of study at university. A student laptop is often an investment - and in this case, you can rest assured it's a good one.

Read the full Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022) review

The best premium Windows student laptop

5. Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023)

✅ You want ultraportability: There are very few laptops out there that are this easy to carry around. It also looks fantastic so you shouldn't have any qualms about showing this one off.

✅ You want a premium laptop: The Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) looks and feels high-end, with a sleek yet robust design.

❌ You want great performance: Thanks to its 13th-gen Intel CPU, it's a great everyday performer that will handle general workloads, but beyond that, this laptop is going to struggle.

❌ You loved the older XPS 13 design: With a major aesthetic redesign, if you're a fan of the old XPS 13s, it's very likely that you're going to dislike this laptop.

The Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) is a sidestep from the main XPS series from Dell, but it's no less excellent - this is the definitive Windows Ultrabook , a sleek combination of portability, performance, and refined design. We've reviewed a lot of XPS laptops over the years, and this ranks among the best.

With a 13th-gen Intel Core i7 processor and up to a hefty 32GB of RAM, the XPS 13 Plus chews through productivity workloads despite its compact design.  Weighing in at 1.26kg and just 1.5cm thick with the lid closed, it's easy to toss into a bag and take with you on the go. In our review, we praised its responsiveness and noted that it could even handle some light gaming on the side.

If you're looking for something with a bit more muscle, you might want to consider the Dell XPS 15 - the big brother to the 13-inch XPS models, which offers a larger screen and a dedicated GPU for students who need the processing power to work on video-editing or 3D-modelling workloads.

Read our full Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) review

The best creative laptop for students

6. MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)

✅ You need a powerful laptop for content creation: Apple's M3 chip represents a bigger step up in performance than we saw with the M2, making this a powerhouse laptop for creative workloads.

✅ You want a thin and light laptop: The MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) is one of the best thin and light laptops you can buy, and it's completely silent thanks to the fanless design too.

❌ You’re after the cheapest MacBook: It's the latest MacBook Air to be released, but macOS fans on a budget should consider the M2 or even M1 models.

❌ You need ports: The thin and light design that arrived with the M2 model comes at a cost of ports, and the new MacBook Air comes with just two Thunderbolt ports.

If you're a student taking a creative course - or you're a serious hobbyist when it comes to content creation - then the latest MacBook Air is arguably the best choice. Apple 's M-series silicon is almost unparalleled when it comes to creative workloads, and the latest 13-inch MacBook Air crams all that creative power into a svelte, compact, but durable metal chassis. Students who prefer a bigger display can opt instead for the M3 MacBook Air 15-inch .

The M3 system-on-a-chip (SoC) offers yet another step up in performance from the 2022 M2 model, marking this as a prime pick for any students who plan to spend a lot of time doing tasks like digital art, video editing, 3D design, and animation. Despite the great performance, it's also silent in use since it's passively cooled with no fans, and the battery life is phenomenal.

Naturally, you'll be paying the infamous 'Apple Tax' here - this is one of the most expensive laptops on this list, so it's not for the faint of heart. You'll probably want to opt for a model slightly above the base version too, since that iteration skimps on RAM with only 8GB where 16GB should really be the minimum. However, Mac lovers on tighter budgets should definitely still consider older models, like the 2022  M2 MacBook Air or even the still-excellent 2020 M1 MacBook Air .

Read our full MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024) review

The best affordable 2-in-1 laptop for students

7. Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (2022)

✅ You want a well-rounded 2-in-1 laptop: It performs incredibly well in the areas it needs to like speed and an HD display, and even in areas it doesn’t like gaming or battery life.

✅ You need longer battery life: Its battery lasts quite long for a 2-in-1, lasting nearly eight hours or a full work day and boasting a fast charge time.

❌ You want something thinner and lighter: Though it’s a great laptop, it’s a bit on the heavier and thicker side at a little over three pounds and under an inch.

❌ You need a 2-in-1 with a tablet pen: This is a laptop made for work, which would have been perfect for an included tablet pen to go with it. 

The Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 is a great laptop, but it's a tad on the large side for the average student (and a bit expensive too). On the other hand, its little sibling the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 could be the perfect college companion.

Besides the smaller 14-inch display, it's largely similar to the bigger Inspiron 2-in-1 model: strong performance, versatility thanks to its touchscreen and 360-degree hinge, and competitive pricing. It does fall short in the same areas as the 16-inch model, with the lack of a bundled stylus being a key point of contention in our review.

Despite this, we still found a lot to love when reviewing the Inspiron 14 2-in-1. The 1080p webcam is a nice touch for video calls and virtual classes (who'd want 720p in 2024?), and the overall performance is strong - with even some light gaming possible. The battery life and speedy charge time were also excellent to see, making this a hard laptop for us not to recommend. 

Read the full Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 review

The best premium 2-in-1 laptop for students

8. Acer Spin 5 (2022)

✅ You need a powerful 2-in-1: Not only does the Acer Spin 5(2022) handle general computing tasks easily, there’s also enough performance power to handle creative tasks. 

✅ You require a great screen and speaker combo: Between the lovely 14inch 2.5K screen and excellent DTS compatible speakers, there’s much to appreciate on the audio/visual side of things.

❌ You don’t like loud cooling fans: When running general apps like web browsers and video conferencing software, the fans on the Acer Spin 5 (2022) get loud. 

❌ You want a 2-in-1 with a bit of design pizzaz: Looking a lot like its older sibling, the angular form factor with the steel gray and rose gold accents lacks excitement. 

Acer's Spin series of laptops and Chromebooks have been good choices for students for years, thanks to their solid performance and good versatility. The 'spin' part of the name refers to their 360-degree hinges, which combined with a touchscreen let you flip instantly between laptop and tablet mode - and the Acer Spin 5 (2022) is a great example of this.

A built-in garaged stylus that charges when it's nestled inside the laptop makes this a fantastic laptop for artistic types, and the all-day battery life means you'll still have charge leftover when the school day is done to kick back and watch some Netflix. Add a high-quality webcam for distance learning and some generally strong performance in our internal tests, and you've got one stellar student laptop.

This is one of the more expensive laptops on this list, marking it out as a more premium device, but for those students who are willing to view their college laptop as an investment, it's a great choice that should carry you through several years of coursework.

Read our full Acer Spin 5 (2022) review

The best gaming laptop for students

9. MSI GF63 Thin (2022)

✅ You want to game on a budget: Gaming laptops can be bloody expensive, but the MSI GF63 Thin walks the line between value and performance expertly.

✅ You need a multi-purpose laptop: Decent performance in just about every area and a reserved design means that the GF63 Thin can happily double as a laptop for study.

❌ You need good battery life: The battery life on offer here is far from dismal, but it’s not what we’d call impressive.

❌ You want high-resolution gaming: While some gaming laptops offer models with different screen resolutions, the GF63 Thin is only available at 1080p

Even the most studious of students need some downtime, but even the best cheap gaming laptops can cost way more than a student's budget can afford. Fortunately, for them, the MSI GF63 Thin is almost tailor-made for their academic and non-academic needs.

While it might not have the portability of a MacBook Air or Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1, the GF63 Thin is still fairly manageable for a gaming laptop. What's more, its specs include up to an Intel Core i7-11800H CPU, up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU, and plenty of RAM, so performance isn't going to be too much of an issue. When we reviewed it, we ruled that it offered fantastic value for money in terms of performance, and the dedicated GPU means that it should handle graphically-intensive tasks better than many of the other laptops on this list.

Those beefy specs are also going to be great for productivity work, especially if you're going into technical fields like engineering which often require special computer hardware for coursework. The MSI GF63 Thin is a fair compromise, then, between getting your school work done and having something to mess around with once you're done — all without absolutely blowing a hole in your budget.

Read the full MSI GF63 Thin (2022) review

How to choose the best student laptop for you

The best student laptop is going to give you the right balance between sufficient performance for productivity tasks, affordability for a student's budget, and durability to handle the kind of wear-and-tear that a student can put their laptops through – and having it look good never hurts.

But that can be a hard thing for students and families to balance, especially if they aren't as familiar with computer hardware as they'd like to be. Fortunately, there are some general guidelines that you can follow to get the right student laptop for your needs and budget.

How to choose the right laptop for students

There are a few other boxes that the best student laptops should check besides being able to handle the demands of your coursework. One of the biggest considerations you should have when choosing a student laptop is battery life - you need something that will last all day during your classes and still have juice leftover for late nights studying at the library.

Student laptops should also ideally be both versatile and lightweight because you’ll want something that can multitask all the programs you’ll need without being a drag to carry around campus. Versatility is crucial with a student laptop, especially with majors that will have you flipping back and forth between a published paper and the essay you’re trying to finish in time.

Budget is also a major consideration in choosing the best student laptop for your university experience. Not everyone can shell out a ton of money for a student laptop - we absolutely understand that - so you need to be sure to pick something that meets all your criteria without going overboard on your budget. It’s easy to find a great student laptop within your price range these days, and even better when you find a sale and get a good deal on it.

Is a MacBook a good laptop for students?

This is a slightly loaded question, because ultimately the best operating system for students (whether that's Windows 10 or 11, macOS, or ChromeOS) will always come down to which OS the student in question prefers to use. Some of us are married to the effective functionality of Windows; others might prefer the aesthetically pleasing UI of Apple devices, or the Android-esque, streamlined user experience Chromebook provide.

If you're already comfortable using a specific operating system, making the leap can be tricky. ChromeOS is arguably the easiest to pick up and use, but changing to MacOS after a decade spend familiarizing yourself with Windows might lead to confusion. Take this into consideration when choosing a new laptop for school or college.

On the hardware side, we're pleased to say that MacBooks are more competitive than ever. Apple's fantastic M1 and M2 chips are much more capable of running demanding tasks than processors with integrated graphics, making Apple laptops excellent all-rounders for the busy student. However, if you need to run highly intensive software, it's worth considering a Windows laptop with a dedicated GPU - ideally an Nvidia RTX one - since this will give you a lot more grunt in GPU-accelerated programs.

Which is better for students: a laptop or a desktop?

Simply put, most college-level students will need a laptop for their studies at this stage. While having a computer of some kind is practically a necessity at this point - with the rise of remote learning and content creation among university students - a laptop can be thrown into a rucksack and taken along to lectures and workshops, unlike a desktop PC.

Yes, a desktop will typically offer more processing power and the advantage of a bigger screen, but you might end up spending more (especially once you factor in the need for peripherals) and then still find yourself needing a portable device for note-taking and working on the go. If you've already got a small tablet or laptop that you can take out and about, you might want to consider buying one of the best desktop computers , but otherwise, we recommend you get a more capable laptop and use that in lieu of a desktop.

Can students get a free laptop?

Some schools and universities will offer free (or discounted via subsidy) laptops to students who demonstrate need. Be sure to research your chosen place of education to find out whether it offers any tech assistance schemes or hardware grants; whether or not you qualify is likely to depend on your personal financial situation.

If you don't qualify for these or your school doesn't offer a tech assistance program, there are also third-party groups that offer free or reduced laptops to students. Computers with Causes , Dell Scholars , and Notebooks for Students are some examples of these.

If you still need to buy a laptop, take a look at our best cheap laptop deals page to see if you can snap up a bargain.

How we tested these student laptops

We know that buying a new laptop can be a huge investment. Even more so with laptops for college students. That’s why we take our jobs seriously, and test every laptop we recommend on this list extensively. 

That process involves using them in our day-to-day lives to see how long their battery lasts, how robust they are – college kids have hectic lives, after all, and how cool they stay under pressure. We also look at their design, including how stylish they are, if they are thin and light enough to carry around with, and how comfortable they are to work on. Because the webcam and microphone in a laptop are also incredibly important, especially these days, we take time to test those out as well.

When it comes to performance, we use a mix of real-world tests and synthetic benchmarks to see how powerful (or not) these laptops are. This means using Windows 10 (or Chrome OS on Chromebooks and macOS on MacBooks) and running various apps and seeing how fast they load, noting down any problems. 

Battery lives are also important, so we’ll keep track of how long we can use the laptop without needing to charge it. To get specific numbers, we also run our own battery life benchmark that plays a looped 1080p movie until the battery dies and the PC Mark 10 battery life benchmark, which replicates real-world usage, such as web browsing and document creation. These tests give us an excellent idea of how long the batteries in these laptops last.

When all is said and done, we then take everything we’ve learned about the laptop and compare it to its price, to see if it offers the best value to students.

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Christian is TechRadar’s UK-based Computing Editor. He came to us from Maximum PC magazine, where he fell in love with computer hardware and building PCs. He was a regular fixture amongst our freelance review team before making the jump to TechRadar, and can usually be found drooling over the latest high-end graphics card or gaming laptop before looking at his bank account balance and crying.

Christian is a keen campaigner for LGBTQ+ rights and the owner of a charming rescue dog named Lucy, having adopted her after he beat cancer in 2021. She keeps him fit and healthy through a combination of face-licking and long walks, and only occasionally barks at him to demand treats when he’s trying to work from home.

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The Best Laptops for College Students

By Kimber Streams

Kimber Streams is a writer who has been covering laptops and other tech at Wirecutter for more than a decade. They once built a fort out of keyboards.

College is expensive—including tuition, housing, and textbooks, not to mention food and other miscellaneous costs. So students need a reliable laptop that’ll last for years of taking notes, writing papers at 3 in the morning, and editing slides for a group project. But choosing the right laptop can be more challenging than writing a thousand words on Proust.

We test dozens of laptops every year, and for this guide we’ve rounded up the picks from our other guides that are the best for students. A laptop’s price-to-performance ratio is the most important factor, followed by its battery life, its size and weight, and its keyboard and trackpad. Our top pick offers the best balance of all those factors for high school and college students, whether they’re attending classes remotely or schlepping it to a physical classroom.

We also have more-portable picks, if you’re able to spend more. And for anyone on a tighter budget, we have less expensive options that are also well suited for younger kids. To achieve their more-affordable price tags, these cheaper options all make serious trade-offs—in shorter battery life, bulkier size, or more-limited functionality—and they’re not likely to last as long as our picks. If you’re a film or photography student and you need a laptop for photo and video editing , or if you want a laptop that can also play games , we have picks for you, too.

The research

Our pick: asus zenbook 14 oled, mac options: macbook air, budget chromebook pick: lenovo ideapad flex 5i chromebook plus, budget windows pick: acer aspire 3 spin 14 (a3sp14-31pt), budget tablet pick: apple ipad.

Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (UM3406HA-WS74T)

The best ultrabook.

The Zenbook 14 offers excellent battery life, a vivid touchscreen, and a reliable keyboard and trackpad, all in a thin and light body. It’s comparatively inexpensive, too.

Buying Options

Recommended configuration

Who these are for: Budget ultrabooks—thin and light laptops with good performance and long battery life and a price tag in the $700 to $800 range—are ideal for high school and college students because they provide the best value. These cheaper ultrabooks tend to make minor trade-offs compared with ultrabooks over $1,000: They may be a bit larger and heavier, may not last quite as long on a charge, may feel less sturdy or solid, or may lack convenient features such as a fingerprint reader or USB-C charging. But even with those drawbacks, budget ultrabooks still provide far better performance and overall quality compared with $500 laptops.

Why we like this one: Most high school or college students shopping for a laptop to last through graduation should get the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, either the UM3406HA-WS74T or UM3406HA-PS76T model. It’s powerful and portable enough for a full day of classes, and it has a vivid screen and a solid keyboard and trackpad. At 14 hours, the Zenbook 14 OLED has the longest battery life of all the Windows laptops we’ve tested so far in 2024. Unlike most cheap ultrabooks, the Zenbook 14 is sturdy and comes with a USB-C charger, which you can use to charge more devices and is generally cheaper to replace than specialty non–USB-C chargers.

You can read more about the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED and our other picks in our guide to Windows ultrabooks .

Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020)

Performance for a great price.

The M1 MacBook Air has a comfortable keyboard, good performance, and a reasonable amount of storage—things that haven’t always been true of previous MacBook Airs.

You save $50 (7%)

Upgrade pick

Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022, 13-inch)

A sleek design and a nice webcam.

The 2022 M2 MacBook Air offers an updated design, a brighter screen, and a better webcam, and it restores the fan-favorite MagSafe port.

(available in gray and white)

Who these are for: If you prefer macOS or need exceptional tech support , a MacBook is a safe bet; the 13-inch models usually offer the best combination of size, weight, and speed. They’re great for most types of schoolwork, including writing, researching, and basic video and photo editing and coding. Once you factor in Apple’s education discount , you can get one with good enough specs and storage to last three to four years for less than $1,000. MacBooks are usually more expensive than Windows ultrabooks, especially if you want to upgrade the memory or storage; Apple’s SSD upgrade prices are so high that we usually recommend looking into cloud storage or an external SSD instead.

Why we like this one: The 13-inch MacBook Air (M1, 2020) costs just $700 at Walmart, the lowest price we’ve seen for a MacBook. If you have a higher budget, we recommend the newer MacBook Air (M2, 2022, 13″) , which has a brighter screen, a superior webcam, and a MagSafe charging port. Both models are more than fast enough for web browsing, working on documents, and light photo and video editing, plus they can even handle professional work like 3D rendering or compiling code. They also have great keyboards and trackpads, as well as all-day battery life. Like Apple’s other laptops, the Air has only USB-C ports; you may need a USB-C hub for certain peripherals. But the Air’s light weight, solid construction, and industry-leading support make it a great laptop, especially if you also own an iPhone or other Apple devices.

For more details on our Mac picks, take a look at our full guide to MacBook models .

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus

The best chromebook.

Reliable performance, a spacious touch display, and long-enough battery life for a full workday make the Flex 5i the best Chromebook for the price. But it is a bit heavy.

Who these are for: Chromebooks are ideal for students who don’t need Windows or macOS for specific programs. A good Chromebook can do  almost anything a regular laptop can do , including document work, video calls, and streaming video—as long as it’s possible in a web browser or via Android apps. And $500 Chromebooks tend to be faster, lighter, and sleeker than similarly priced Windows laptops. Plus, Chromebooks are secure and easy to maintain . But Chromebooks may have trouble connecting to campus printers, and they can’t play Windows games. And they’re not good for people who need access to Mac or Windows apps for photo, video, or audio editing, or other specialized software.

Why we like this one: If you can complete all of your coursework on a Chromebook, we recommend the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus because it has the best combination of features and price of all the models we tested. It has fast performance, a reliable keyboard and trackpad, a tall touchscreen, surprisingly good speakers, and enough battery life to last a full day of classes. But we wish it were lighter—at 3.6 pounds, it’s heavy for a 14-inch laptop.

For more options, you can read our full guide to Chromebooks .

Budget pick

Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 (A3SP14-31PT)

The best windows laptop under $500.

Unlike most cheap Windows laptops, the Aspire 3 Spin 14 is fast, compact, and light, and it has a decent 1080p touchscreen and good battery life.

Who these are for: If you need a Windows laptop for school and you can’t afford to spend a lot, you can find a decent one for less than $500, but you have to make some compromises. These models are best suited for grade-school or middle-school students, because most budget Windows laptops that are fast enough for school work tend to be bulky, heavy, and stuck with battery life that won’t last a full day of classes. You have to be extra-vigilant when shopping for a laptop in this price range to avoid slow or old processors, not enough memory, sluggish storage, and terrible, low-resolution displays.

Why we like this one: The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 (A3SP14-31PT) in any of our recommended configurations ( 37NV , 38YA , or 32M6 ) is the best Windows laptop you can find for the price. But we strongly recommend saving up for our top pick if you can—it’s better in nearly every way.

The Aspire 3 Spin 14 is fast enough to meet most people’s computing needs, and its keyboard and trackpad are reliable. It also has a decent-looking 14-inch 1920×1200 touchscreen with a tall aspect ratio, as well as a 360-degree hinge that allows you to use the device as a tablet to take handwritten notes (if you have a stylus). Compared with most bulky Windows laptops in this price range, the Aspire 3 Spin 14 is also more compact, and it has long enough battery life to last a full day of classes.

The Aspire 3 Spin 14 ships with Windows 11 S mode, which allows only apps from the Microsoft Store and limits you to Microsoft Edge for web browsing. But you can switch it to Windows 11 Home for free to install any program you need. It also comes with a ton of bloatware; we recommend following these steps to get rid of it.

Choosing a budget laptop is tricky, because you can find hundreds of variations, their prices fluctuate constantly, and companies release and discontinue models with no warning. If our pick isn’t available, check our full guide for other available options and advice on how to shop for a budget laptop.

For additional details, you can read our full guide to budget laptops .

Apple iPad (10th generation)

The best ipad for most people.

The cheapest iPad that Apple sells has a large screen, fast performance, a USB-C port, and plenty of color options to suit the needs of most people.

(available in silver)

Who these are for: Windows laptops and Chromebooks that cost around $300 are almost uniformly unpleasant to use—washed-out screens and crappy performance are the two biggest problems. A tablet isn’t good at all the things a laptop is good at, and if you’re taking programming classes or learning how to do high-end photo and video editing with apps such as Photoshop or Premiere, a tablet probably wouldn’t work for you. But if you mainly need to browse the internet, write papers, stream videos, draw, and take handwritten notes, an iPad can be a workable, inexpensive substitute for a traditional laptop. iPads feel faster than cheap laptops, they run the App Store’s huge selection of games (in addition to productivity apps), and their light weight makes them more convenient to use in bed or on a couch when your homework is done and you want to unwind.

Why we like this one: The 10.9-inch Apple iPad (10th generation) is responsive and pleasant to use, its larger screen is bright and colorful, it has good battery life, and the Apple Pencil is great for drawing or taking notes. And Apple has made big strides forward in keyboard and mouse support, which makes the iPad feel a lot more like a traditional laptop when you put it in a case and pair it to a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse (or one of Apple’s Magic Trackpads ). If you can afford it, and especially if your iPad will be your only computer, consider the 256 GB version instead of the 64 GB version; with that version, you’ll need to rely on cloud storage less, and you’ll have more space for apps and other files.

Head to our reviews of the best tablets and pro tablets to read more about our picks.

Meet your guide

Kimber Streams

Kimber Streams is a senior staff writer and has been covering laptops, gaming gear, keyboards, storage, and more for Wirecutter since 2014. In that time they’ve tested hundreds of laptops and thousands of peripherals, and built way too many mechanical keyboards for their personal collection.

Further reading

The Best Laptops

by Kimber Streams and Dave Gershgorn

From budget-friendly options to thin-and-light ultrabooks to powerful gaming laptops, we’ve spent hundreds of hours finding the best laptops for most people.

The Best Backpacks for College and High School Students

by Zoe Vanderweide

Our top backpack picks for the 2023-2024 school year include a sporty-looking ergonomic pack, a bag that’s nostalgic and timeless, and a polished workhorse.

The Best College Dorm Essentials

by Wirecutter Staff

Our favorite durable-but-not-too-expensive bedding, accessories, kitchen gear, and tools for your dorm room.

40(ish) Wirecutter Picks for Heading Back to School

Here are 40(ish) of our favorite school supplies.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then   View saved stories .

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The Best Laptops and Tablets for College Students

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Best Windows Laptop Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Read more

Best MacBook for College Apple MacBook Air (13 Inch, 2024) Read more

Runner-Up Acer Swift Go 14 (2024) Read more

The Best Chromebook for Students Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus Read more

The perfect college laptop may not exist. But somewhere between performance, size, weight, and price, there's a machine that will make you (and your parents) happy. We test dozens of laptops and tablets every year. The choices below are our favorite picks for students heading back to school this year. Whether you're attending classes in person or online—or doing some of both—there's something here for every student and every budget.

Be sure to check out our other back-to-school guides, including the Best Laptops , Best Tablets , Best Laptop Bags , Best Student Email Discounts , and Best Dorm and College Gear .

Updated August 2024: We've added the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus, M3 Macbook Air, Lenovo 9i, Macbook M1 Air, Acer Swift Go 14, Acer Nitro 17, Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge, and Raspberry Pi 5, and we’ve revamped all our other picks to include the latest models with the most up-to-date specs.

Best Windows Laptop

The Asus Zenbook 14 is a unique combination of performance, great battery life, and an OLED display—all for less than $700 ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ). This 2023 model we like uses an AMD Ryzen 5 7530U CPU, with 8 GB of RAM and a 256-GB SSD. That may not sound like much, but we were impressed with the performance, especially given the price. That said, if you're heading to film school or plan to spend your nights gaming, this is not the laptop you want (see our gaming pick below). Battery life is outstanding though, clocking in at 12.5 hours (measured looping a YouTube video at full brightness), which is helpful for the long days on campus.

This is a small, portable machine (3.1 pounds and 19 mm thick), and it manages to pack in plenty of ports despite the slim form. There are two USB-C ports (one of which is needed for charging), one full-size USB 3.2 port, a full-size HDMI output, and a microSD card reader. If you want something just a little more powerful, you can bump the specs to 16 GB of RAM and a 512-GB SSD with the Ryzen 7 processor for not much more money.

You should also strongly consider Asus’ 2024 model of the Zenbook 14 OLED ( 7/10, WIRED Recommends ). It's $799 at Walmart , though stock frequently fluctuates. It has slightly more updated specs but otherwise delivers a similar experience to its predecessor, with even better battery life.

Specs to look for: AMD Ryzen 5 7000 series, 8 GB RAM, 256-GB SSD

Best MacBook for College

Apple’s latest MacBook Air ( 7/10, WIRED Recommends ) with the M3 chip is the best Mac for college. It's light (2.7 pounds), easy to cart around in a backpack all day, and powerful enough for most tasks. The 13.6-inch LCD screen is plenty bright at 500 nits (there's also a 15-inch model ), and the 1080p webcam has a nice, sharp image perfect for chatting with friends.

The Air is a little short on ports: two USB 4/Thunderbolt ports , a 3.5-mm headphone jack, and a MagSafe port for charging. Apple claims 15 hours of battery life, but we hit 29 percent after eight hours during the workday. That's pretty good, if not quite up to Apple's claims. Apple’s M3 chip combined with the upgraded 16 GB of unified memory makes for a speedy laptop. We had no trouble running standard college apps like Slack, iMessage, Spotify, and Telegram, along with about 60 tabs open in Google Chrome.

Note: college students with a .edu email address can get the M3 Air for $999 through Apple’s Education store . On top of that Apple has a Back to School offer  through September 30, which includes a gift card up to $150 and 20% off AppleCare.

Specs to look for: Apple M3 chip, 8+ GB of RAM, 256-GB SSD

This Acer laptop is frequently discounted to $800 and, like the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, it's quite good value for the money ( 7/10, WIRED Recommends ). The build quality is a bit lackluster, but performance is excellent for everyday productivity. There's a nice selection of ports, even a microSD card slot, and the battery lasted roughly 11 hours in our tests (a YouTube video on loop at max brightness).

Specs to look for: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 16 GB of RAM, 512-GB SSD

The Best Chromebook for Students

Lenovo's Flex 5i Chromebook Plus ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ) is a good choice for students all in on Google services. It's one of the fastest, most versatile Chromebooks we’ve tested. It strikes a great balance between price, power, and features, with a 2-in-1 design that lets you seamlessly switch between laptop mode for homework and stand mode for late-night binges.

The 14-inch 1,920 x 1,200-pixel resolution screen is a bit taller than you’ll find on most laptops, which is great for working on documents and browsing the web. The Intel Core i3 processor and flash storage never struggle to keep up. Even if you have dozens of tabs open doing research, this won't let you down. The display is 1080p and gets bright enough for most typical conditions, though there's nothing special about it. The port selection is solid, with two USB-C ports and one USB-A on board. There's a microSD card slot too, if you find the internal 128 GB of storage wanting. See our Best Chromebooks guide for more options.

Specs to look for: Intel Core i3, 8 GB of RAM, 128-GB SSD

A Gaming Laptop for Students

You'll need a competent machine for when you want to play games and take your mind off coursework. But certain students will also need a powerful PC for graphics-intensive work, like video editing. A gaming laptop is the way to go, and the Acer Nitro 17 is a great place to start. It's frequently sold for just $900 at Micro Center, which is a killer price considering the performance it delivers. The RTX 4060 graphics card will handle most games at low to medium settings, and you get to enjoy all of it on a spacious 17-inch display and 165-Hz refresh rate .

The downside is it's very heavy at 6 pounds, an important factor to consider if you have to lug it to class. It also doesn't have great battery life, so you'll want to keep a charger handy. If those are deal-breakers, then consider the older Acer Nitro 5 ($908) , which has lesser specs but is slightly smaller and lighter, and its battery life is a bit better .

Specs to look for: AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS, Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card, 16 GB of RAM, 1-TB SSD

Best 2-in-1 Laptop for College

The Lenovo Yoga 9i ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ) has long been a WIRED favorite. Two-in-one laptops are nice for college because they can double as a tablet or be folded into various shapes for watching movies or as presentation devices in class. Lenovo’s 2024 edition of the Yoga 9i features Intel’s Core Ultra CPU and a 5-megapixel webcam. With a trio of USB-C ports and one USB-A port, there are plenty of ways to connect any accessories you need. Our only issue with this laptop is the battery life, which isn't the best—something worth weighing if you plan to tote it around campus (bring the cord).

Specs to look for: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU, 16 GB of RAM, 1-TB SSD

Best Budget Laptop

Lenovo's AMD-based IdeaPad 5, which comes with a Ryzen 5 processor, is a great laptop for students. There's plenty of power, a very nice 14-inch IPS display, 16 GB of RAM, and a 256-GB SSD. The 360-degree hinge converts it to tablet mode or stand mode for watching movies in your dorm. To take full advantage of the 2-in-1 design, be sure to grab the digital pen ($40) . Another reason we like the IdeaPad is the plethora of ports: You get two USB-A ports, an HDMI, an SD card reader, one USB-C, a headphone jack, and a charging port (though you can use the USB-C to recharge the laptop too). If you're a computer science major or plan to do some video editing, the more powerful Ryzen 7 version can be had for just a little more .

Specs to look for: AMD Ryzen 5, 16 GB of RAM, 256-GB SSD

The Best Budget MacBook for College

The MacBook Air ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends ) from 2020 with the original M1 chip is still available, and at $650 it's a pretty good deal. The battery will last more than a full workday, under most workloads, and it's powerful enough for college use. These days you can only buy the base model with 8 GB of unified memory and 256 GB of storage, but that should be sufficient for college tasks. If you push it with many browser tabs and apps running simultaneously, you may run into some slowdowns. The 720p webcam isn’t great, but for this price it's hard to argue.

Specs to look for: Apple M1 chip, 8 GB of RAM, 256-GB SSD

Best Linux Laptop

Framework's 13-inch laptop is a good choice for budding programmers and sysadmins. The 13-inch model ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ) is available with either Windows or Linux, but I much prefer it with Linux—a DIY laptop needs a DIY OS. The hallmark of this laptop is how you can repair and replace components down the road, making it more environmentally friendly and cost-effective.

Right now you can get an Intel Core Ultra series system with 32 GB of RAM, a 2-TB SSD, and whichever mix of ports suits your needs for around $1,300. That will ship with no operating system. When it arrives you can install Linux (or opt to ship it with Windows if you need to dual boot). See our Best Linux Laptops guide for more options.

Specs to look for: Intel Core Ultra 5, 16+ GB of RAM, 500-GB SSD

If You Want a Copilot+ PC

You might be seeing a wave of “Copilot+ PCs” in your research—that's because Microsoft launched this new moniker earlier in the summer. These machines have Qualcomm processors that enable good productivity performance, even with AI-specific tasks, and excellent battery life. They're not suitable for gaming or if you need to use specific, niche apps because the CPU architecture might not play well with apps that aren't properly optimized.

That said, the Galaxy Book4 Edge ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ) from Samsung is our favorite Copilot+ PC at the moment (and we've reviewed a lot !). It has the best performance out of the many we've tested, great battery life, and a pleasant 16-inch display. It's also not as expensive as many other options with the specs we recommend and has already dropped to an even better value on sale.

Specs to look for: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E84100, 16 GB of RAM, 1-TB SSD

Or Get an iPad

Do you really need a laptop? Really really? Only you can answer that, but if your requirements revolve around taking notes, doing research, reading textbooks, and other knowledge-related tasks, then you might be able to get by with a much lighter tablet like the iPad Air ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ). The Apple Pencil Pro is a must-have. Using it on the iPad's screen feels close to dragging a real pencil across a piece of paper. You'll also want a Bluetooth keyboard for typing those papers and emails. We like the Logitech Combo Touch ($229) ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ) or Apple’s own Magic Keyboard ($299) , both of which add trackpads to the mix for a more computer-like feel. Our Best iPad Accessories guide has more options.

That said, it's not as easy to multitask on an iPad as it is on a laptop, and by the time you get a keyboard, pencil, and whatever else you need, it can become just as expensive as a laptop. With 2024's updated Air, supported accessories became a little confusing. The iPad Air is compatible with the Apple Pencil (USB-C) and the new Apple Pencil Pro . It won't work with the second-generation Apple Pencil though. It also works with the first-generation Magic Keyboard case and not the latest redesigned version.

Specs to look for: M2 processor, Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi+cellular, 64 GB of storage

★ An Android alternative: If you don't want to buy into Apple's ecosystem, the OnePlus Pad ($479) ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ) is a great alternative. You need to add the $149 magnetic keyboard cover to make it a productivity machine (OnePlus sometimes has an offer that bundles it for free), but you can use split-screen mode to run apps side by side and have a third app floating on the side for easy access. The OnePlus Pad 2 is also a solid option that's larger, but it's pricier.

It's not a laptop or tablet, but the Raspberry Pi 5 has education written all over it. This hackable, programmable micro PC is a great option for anyone—computer science major or otherwise—who wants to tinker and experiment with software or hardware. They're also just fun to build projects with. You can automate your dorm coffee maker , make a beetbox , or create a network-wide content filter . If the Raspberry Pi doesn't grab you, have a look at our guide to some alternative small board options .

How to Choose the Right Laptop for College

The important thing to remember is that there is no single correct choice here. The laptop that's best for your college experience depends on what you're doing at college. An English major with long reading lists and many papers to write might do better with an iPad and a nice accessory keyboard. A computer science major who needs to compile software or run Linux will need a laptop they can tinker away on. That said, here are some basic metrics to keep in mind for laptops:

• Windows : If you're getting a Windows machine, your main options for the processor are Intel and AMD, though Qualcomm is now a viable alternative with Copilot+ PCs . Each has its strengths and weaknesses. For a more complete guide to the differences, see our full guide to buying a laptop .
• Chromebooks : These browser-based machines use half a dozen different processors, most of which you've probably never heard of. There's a reason for that: Those processors are slow. My recommendation when buying a Chromebook is to stick with a Chromebook Plus machine . This is a new standard Google created to ensure a certain level of performance and polish with Chromebooks.
• MacOS : Apple has been making its own processors for a few years, like the M3 chip found inside the MacBook Air showcased above. More powerful models like the MacBook Pros feature the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips. Our MacBook buying guide can help.

Regardless of which OS you choose, the minimum amount of RAM you want in your laptop is 8 GB. That's enough memory to keep your computer feeling snappy even if it's running under load. That much RAM will also keep the machine feeling spry longer into its lifespan. If you can afford it—especially if you plan to edit photos or videos as part of your coursework—go for 16 GB.

Screens vary tremendously but don't settle for anything less than 1080p. For a 13-inch laptop, 1080p is sharp enough. If you're going with a bigger laptop, 2.5K or even 4K screens will improve the viewing experience. If you're trying to play games as well, be sure to get something with a higher refresh rate— 120 Hz or 144 Hz will more than satisfy.

Weight and Battery

Don't forget you'll be lugging this thing around. It may well be tugging on your back for eight hours or more. One pound may not seem like much, but at the end of a long day of walking, you will notice the difference between a 3-pound laptop and a 4-pound laptop. Trust me. Also, maybe pick out a nice bag to carry your computer.

Similarly, battery life is very important when you're (potentially) away from a wall outlet for extended periods. Whatever you end up getting, make sure it's capable of lasting at least eight hours under real-world use—browsing the web, editing documents, writing emails, and taking notes. Even then, you might want to consider a portable battery charger .

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• Buying Guide

What’s the best student laptop? We asked students

The best laptops for students, from kindergarten through college.

By Monica Chin , a senior reviewer covering laptops and other gadgets. Monica was a writer for Tom's Guide and Business Insider before joining The Verge in 2020.

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Shopping for a laptop can be stressful — doubly stressful if you or your children will be learning online for the first time. Kids of different ages have a range of different laptop use cases and different needs. And as the choices for best laptop and best Chromebook evolve, so do students’ needs. So I spoke to some experts on the subject: students themselves. 

• The best laptop you can buy
• The best Chromebooks to buy

My recommendations here are meant to accommodate a variety of preferences and price ranges. But they’re a jumping-off point rather than an exhaustive list: every student is different. Before making a decision, you’ll want to make sure you read reviews and try out devices yourself if you can. I’ll do my best to keep this article up to date with items that are in stock. 

The best laptop for elementary school

For younger students, a touchscreen device is easier to use than a keyboard and touchpad, says Michelle Glogovac. Glogovac’s five-year-old son uses an iPad for Webex meetings with his kindergarten class. He’s gotten the hang of it; Glogovac says he’s already learned how to mute and unmute himself, “a skill that many adults aren’t familiar with.” 

That said, it may be worth investing in a keyboard case if you go the tablet route. Glogovac has to type her son’s meeting codes and passwords for him, which can be cumbersome on the iPad’s flat screen. 

As kids get older, their best laptop choice will vary depending on their needs. As a parent, it’s important that you and your child are in sync about how they intend to use it and the size of the programs they want. 

Kristin Wallace purchased a budget HP laptop for her daughter, Bella, but didn’t realize how quickly the nine-year-old would fill up 32GB of storage. “It is really slow and has no space for games. I need a computer with more storage space,” said Bella, who uses the laptop to Zoom with friends and take virtual guitar lessons and math enrichment classes. Wallace plans to buy Bella a better device in the next few weeks. 

Audio quality is an important consideration for kids’ laptops. Lisa Mitchell, an elementary library media specialist, says her students use their devices to watch YouTube videos in addition to their online classes. Battery life is also a plus, even for distance learners who may not be far from a wall outlet. Bella likes to use her laptop all around the house and doesn’t want to bring the cord with her.

Durability is also worth paying for, according to Mitchell. If you’re using a tablet, get a protective case. “If a reasonably-priced insurance or replacement policy is available, it’s usually worth the extra expense.”

Check out :

• Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Editio n ($139.99): a colorful, fast tablet with kid-friendly content
• Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 ($379): a tiny 11-inch Chromebook with a detachable keyboard
• Apple 10.2-inch iPad ($329): a great budget tablet that supports the Apple Pencil
• Microsoft Surface Go 3 ($439.99): a solid Windows tablet with a built-in kickstand
• Google Pixelbook Go ($649): a sturdy touchscreen Chromebook

The best laptop for middle school

The middle school students I spoke to don’t use their laptops for much more than web-based schoolwork and browsing. Don’t be too concerned about power — prioritize a machine that’s comfortable and easy for your child to use. 

“We just got the most basic Chromebook and it is totally perfect,” says Gabrielle Hartley, an attorney and mother of three children. “The most basic Chromebook serves all the needs of the basic middle schooler.”

Hartley’s son Max, who is in eighth grade, agrees. “I would really like a gaming PC or gaming laptop that can plug into a monitor and run video games with 120fps, but I really don’t need that,” Max says. “Most eighth graders aren’t going to be running any video games on their laptops or any software that requires a lot of power.”

Max mostly uses his laptop for Google Classroom applications, including Gmail, Slides, Google Docs, and Google Sheets. They’re very easy to use on his device, which he describes as “a run-of-the-mill Samsung Chromebook.” That said, if your child is starting middle school this year, it could be worth checking with their teachers to see what operating system is most compatible with their workflow. Caspian Fischer Odén, a ninth grader from Sweden, told me he has trouble with his Chromebook because his school has blocked downloading apps from the Google Play Store. 

Even kids with more demanding hobbies think a budget device can get the job done. Sam Hickman, an eighth grader from the UK who uses his laptop for photo and video editing, says, “For most middle schoolers, any processor developed within the last two years will be able to handle any tasks they can throw at it.” 

So, what is worth paying for? A comfortable keyboard, several students told me. Many middle school kids aren’t used to typing for long periods of time. You should also look for a device that’s compact and easy for them to carry around, particularly if they’re preparing for in-person school. Shoot for an 11- to 13-inch model — certainly nothing larger than 15 inches. 

• HP Chromebook x360 ($239.99): an affordable Chromebook with great battery life
• Lenovo Flex 3 Chromebook ($299.99): a small but sturdy laptop made for students
• Lenovo 300e ($419.99): a durable 2-in-1 with a stylus and LTE
• Acer Aspire 5 ($679.99): a portable option for kids who need a 15-inch screen
• Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 ($573.99): an attractive, light Windows laptop

The best laptop for high school

High schoolers’ laptop needs can vary based on their interests, but most don’t need powerful machines with lots of bells and whistles — especially if they come with glitches or serious downsides that could interfere with schoolwork. Miles Riehle, a student at Laguna Beach High School, has a high-end Surface Pro 7 but finds it overwhelming. “There is so much other stuff that I don’t use very often,” he said. “Something simpler might be a little more straightforward.”

The best operating system may depend on what your child is used to. Aryan Nambiar, a student at Barrington High School in Illinois, has an iMac at home and enjoys using an iPad for his schoolwork. Riehle says he would prefer a Chromebook because he has an Android phone and often uses Google services. 

But almost every student I spoke to agreed that the most important feature of a high school laptop is portability. Kids attending in-person classes may be carrying their device around for much of the day with a stack of other books. Look for a 13- or 14-inch screen, or a lighter 15- to 17-inch model. 

Students also recommend something sturdy. “Most high schoolers I’ve seen will throw their laptop in their bag without too much care,” says Moses Buckwalter, a student at Penn Manor High School. Backpacks can be jostled in the hallway as well. Kids can also run into trouble at home. “Anything can happen,” says Aadit Agrawal, a high school student from India. “My own brother scratched my laptop with his nails.”

Battery life is another key feature. “It can be a real struggle to find a place to charge while in class,” says Cas Heemskerk, a sophomore from the Netherlands. Unlike college students, many high schoolers don’t have frequent breaks to juice up their devices, so try to find something that can last a full day. 

Many students recommend a touchscreen with stylus support. Nambiar uses the feature for his biology class, where he does a lot of visual modeling. “The touchscreen is always a bonus for drawing diagrams, whereas if you’re using a laptop it’d be a whole process to submit a diagram you drew,” Nambiar says. Riehle uses a Surface Pen to fill out school forms and annotate PDFs. Agrawal finds it useful to take notes on the same screen as his online lessons.

Depending on the broadband situation in your area, you may also want a laptop with multiple connectivity options. Agrawal’s online classes are sometimes interrupted by powercuts, so he recommends an LTE model. Matej Plavevski, a junior at Yahya Kemal College in North Macedonia, recommends looking for an Ethernet port in case slower connections disrupt meetings. That’s hard to find on smaller laptops, but there’s a slew of affordable dongles and docks to consider. 

• Acer Chromebook Spin 514 ($699.99): a convertible Chromebook with all-day battery
• Apple iPad Air ($599): a powerful tablet with a great screen
• Acer Chromebook Spin 714 ($699.99): a fantastic Chromebook that’s not too pricey
• Dell XPS 13 ($599): a solid clamshell Windows laptop
• Surface Laptop 5 ($899.99): an excellent, light laptop that’s comfortable to use

The best laptop for college

College kids are justified in spending a bit more money than other age groups. Some (especially in STEM courses) can expect to do some fairly demanding work. Assad Abid, an electrical engineering undergrad from Pakistan, needs to run simulation software for his assignments. Aakash Chandra, a student at New Horizon College of Engineering in India, does a lot of coding, in addition to creative work in Premiere Pro and Photoshop, and gaming. Students also noted that it’s worthwhile to pay for a laptop that will last for a few years after graduation. That means you won’t have to worry about finding and financing your next device until you’re (hopefully) settled into a job.

But among high-end, capable devices there’s still a wide range of options. Students stressed that a college laptop should be light. Expect to bring it between classes, meals, meetings, the library, and other locations on campus. “It’s a boon that I can carry my laptop as well as some notebooks without feeling like I’m carrying too much for six hours a day,” says Haseeb Waseem, a senior at Villanova University. 

Another universally-lauded feature: battery life. Waseem, who uses an HP Spectre, says the all-day juice gives him “the flexibility to study in a bunch of different locations, and even outside.” 

Speakers and webcams are often overlooked, even in top-end devices. But students say it’s worth looking for good ones if you’re starting college this year. Though many college students are now back to in-person classes, some will still be meeting with clubs and attending events online. Waseem isn’t satisfied with his laptop’s audio and picture quality, which he says has made it difficult to pay attention in class and to engage with other students.  

Many students will need to invest more in areas tailored to their interests and schoolwork needs. Chandra’s dream laptop would include a stylus and touchscreen for his creative work as well as a high-end GPU. Waseem, who uses his laptop for a hodgepodge of activities, including streaming, coding, social media, video chatting, and Microsoft Office work, would prefer to prioritize a large screen to keep track of his multitasking. 

• Acer Swift 3 ($849.99): a super light laptop that performs well
• HP Envy x360 ($1099.99): a fast and stylish 2-in-1
• HP Spectre x360 13.5 ($1,399.99): a premium convertible with standout battery life

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The best laptops for college students

Our favorite machines for classes on campus, online and everywhere in between..

Whether you’re working on an essay, doing research for a paper or just need some downtime streaming your favorite show - a good laptop is a sensible investment for every college student. The best laptop for college doesn’t have to push the envelope with the latest graphics card and processor, nor does it have to cost an arm and a leg. Sure, the best laptops come in all shapes and sizes and range in price, but college students don’t need a power-hungry machine to support their needs. The best laptop for college is ideally thin and lightweight, and provides enough battery to last all day without having to be tethered to the wall. No matter what you’re studying, we’ve researched and tested a range of laptops for you to consider as you decide which is the best laptop for college for you.

Apple MacBook Air M3

Best apple laptop, dell xps 13, best windows laptop, asus rog zephyrus g14, best gaming laptop, acer chromebook plus spin 714, best chromebook, hp pavilion aero 13, best budget laptop, what to consider in your next laptop for college.

It’s important to consider your major and what you need your laptop to do before deciding on the best laptop for college. For example, if you’re a liberal arts major and will mostly be writing or making presentations, you don’t need an expensive system with a discrete graphics card. Alternatively, if you’re a film major who might need to render videos on a regular basis, having a beefy PC can significantly reduce the time it takes to finish a project. You’ll also want to take a look at any guidelines provided by your college or your specific program, as you may need required software or apps that only run on a specific OS.

Some other things to consider are if you want a more portable 13 or 14-inch machine that’s easier to carry around, or if you prefer something with a larger screen. On top of that, if you are doing tasks like photo or video editing, you’ll probably want to go for a system with a high-resolution display (1440p or 4K), so it's easier to see details. As for other specs, ideally you’ll want 16GB of RAM (though you can go down to 8GB on a Chromebook) and at least 512GB or 1TB of storage. Most newer laptops now come with SSD storage, too, which means you can store and transfer data much faster.

Finally, while your budget ultimately will determine how powerful of a laptop you can get, well-equipped ultraportables will generally cost between $1,000 and $1,400, with prices going up from there for systems with discrete GPUs. Budget Windows laptops and Chromebooks can be affordable alternatives though, with many going for just $500 to $700. But again, remember to check your school’s requirements because it’s not worth saving a few bucks only to find out that your notebook can’t run the app you need for all your homework.

Best Laptops for 2024

Best Gaming Laptops

Best 2-in-1 Laptops for 2024

Best Chromebooks

Best Cheap Windows Laptops for 2024

A word on Microsoft’s new Copilot+ PCs

We have really enjoyed using the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop 7. They’re fast, quiet and support a huge range of both native Arm apps and traditional x86 software. However, there are a few major productivity apps that still have not been updated to work on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips used in the recent wave of Copilot+ PCs . Some of the most notable ones are Adobe’s Illustrator and InDesign (which won’t be available until sometime in July), and After Effects and Premier Pro, which aren’t expected to arrive until later in 2024. And given the number of college students who may need a PC to edit videos, draw or create layouts with these apps, that makes it difficult to give them whole-hearted recommendations in this guide right now. However, if you’re sure the apps you need for your course or major are supported, it may be worth giving these new Copilot+ PCs a closer look.

Read our full Apple MacBook Air M3 review

Screen size: 13.6 inches | Installed memory: 8GB | Drive capacity: 256GB | Graphics processor: 10-core GPU | Available ports: MagSafe 4 charging port, 3.5mm headphone jack, 2x Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports | Battery life: 18 hours | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Max supported RAM: 24GB

It's hard to beat Apple's MacBook Air if you want a powerful machine for college that won't weigh you down and offers good battery life. You have a few good options this year — the 13-inch or 15-inch MacBook Air M3 and the MacBook Air M2. The M3 laptop earned a score of 90 from us for its impressive performance, gorgeous 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display and its thin-and-light design. You may need to invest in a slightly beefier external hard drive, though, since the drive capacity is a little limited here (unless you’re willing to pay more for a bump in internal storage). However, the M2 remains a fantastic machine and, with the launch of the M3 models, it received a $200 price cut. We recommend springing for an M3 Air if you want a more future-proof laptop, but the MacBook Air M2 will likely be enough for most students' needs, with the reassurance of Apple’s excellent build quality.

Apple has officially stopped selling the M1 MacBook Air in its online store, but it's still floating around the internet for under $1,000. It has the wedge design of older MacBook Airs, larger bezels and only a 720p webcam. But if you're coming from an Intel machine, the performance gains will be noticeable even if you pick up an M1 machine on clearance. However, we expect stock to become limited as the year goes on.

Read our full Dell XPS 13 review

Screen size: 13.4 inches | Installed memory: 16GB | Drive capacity: 512GB | Graphics processor: Qualcomm Adreno | Available ports: 2x USB 4 | Battery life: Up to 27 hours | Refresh rate: 120Hz | Max supported RAM: 64GB

The best PC has long been Dell’s well-rounded XPS 13 series and I still recommend it to anyone that doesn’t want a Mac. Yes, the latest XPS 13 lacks a headphone jack, and some of its buttons are hard to see and use. But it's a good laptop and a reliable workhorse that will get you through classes and late-night writing sessions without breaking a sweat. Its excellent battery life means you can attend classes untethered and still have more juice left in the tank when you get home.

The XPS 13 (previously called the XPS 13 Plus ) offers a solid balance of speed and attractive-yet-minimalist design. This year, it’s powered by a new Core Ultra 7 processor , which makes it an “AI PC.” Thanks to a built-in NPU (neural processing unit), it can handle a few AI tasks, like Windows Studio Effects for video chats , without taxing your CPU or battery life. But it also has everything we previously liked about the XPS 13 Plus: An edge-to-edge keyboard with lusciously large keys, along with a huge “invisible” trackpad nestled within its glass wrist rest. And of course, it features a nearly border-less “Infinity Edge” screen, which has been a mainstay of the XPS line for almost a decade.

When it first debuted, the XPS 13 Plus was a more powerful alternative to Dell’s thinner and weaker XPS 13. While we’ll miss the previous XPS (which you can still find refurbished), it makes sense for Dell to lean into its stunning new aesthetic. The 2024 XPS 13 Plus looks more refined than the vast majority of Windows ultraportables, and like the Infinity Edge display, it raises the bar for what other PC makers should emulate.

Read our full ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 review

Screen size: 14 inches | Installed memory: 32GB | Drive capacity: 1TB | Graphics processor: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 | Available ports: 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB-A 3.2, 1x USB-C 3.2 | Battery life: 10 hours | Refresh rate: 120Hz | Max supported RAM: 64GB

For the student who wants a new laptop that’s light enough to carry to class but powerful enough to edit videos or play games at night, ASUS’ ROG Zephyrus G14 offers an incredible combination of performance and portability, which is why it's one of our top picks for the best gaming laptops . It features a gorgeous 120Hz OLED display, an AMD Ryzen 9 chip and up to NVIDIA RTX 4070 graphics, which is more than enough to handle almost anything you can throw at it, and a definite plus if you’re a gamer.

The 2024 model also sports a more sophisticated design with a single row of white LEDs across its lid instead of a bunch of RGB lights, a ton of ports (including a full-size HDMI jack and microSD slot) and better-than-average battery life. All of this comes in an unibody aluminum chassis that weighs just 3.3 pounds, which is the same as a 15-inch MacBook Air. Put simply, the ROG G14 is one of the best laptops we’ve reviewed this year, period, which makes it a great choice for students that are dabbling in a bunch of different subjects or disciplines. Also, if you like the G14’s mix of performance and design but want something a touch larger, there’s the ROG Zephyrus G16 which supports up to an RTX 4090 GPU. — Sam Rutherford, Senior Reporter, Reviews

Screen size: 14 inches | Installed memory: 8GB | Drive capacity: 256GB | Graphics processor: Intel Graphics | Available ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x HDMI 2.0 | Battery life: 10 hours | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Max supported RAM: 16GB

Chromebooks may have started out as inexpensive PCs for early education and basic web browsing, but they’ve matured a lot over the years. Recently, with the introduction of Google’s Chromebook Plus designation, you can now get a number of handy AI-powered features from Google’s operating system alongside improvements such as faster wake times, 1080p webcams and better battery life.

Out of all the models on the market, Acer’s Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is one of the few that supports a speedier Intel Core Ultra 5 chip with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of base storage (which is twice as much as many of its rivals). Meanwhile, thanks to its 360-degree hinge, you can use it as a standard clamshell or make use of its touchscreen as a tablet, depending on the situation. Finally, with a starting price of $700, it’s more affordable than a typical Windows or Mac-based alternative. It's our current top pick for a premium device on our list of the best Chromebooks . — S.R.

Read our full HP Pavilion Aero 13 review

Screen size: 13.3 inches | Installed memory: 16GB | Drive capacity: 512GB | Graphics processor: AMD Radeon | Available ports: 2x USB-C, 1x USB-A (10Gbps), 1x USB-A (5Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm headphone jack | Battery life: 10 hours | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Max supported RAM: 16GB

If you’re looking for a sturdy student laptop under $800, your best bet is the HP Pavilion Aero 13 . Yes, it’s almost two years old, but it’s still one of the best cheap laptops for college students available now, and a great choice for those who aren’t fussed by a smaller screen size. For an affordable price, you’ll get a Full HD screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio and surprisingly thin bezels, as well as a comfortable keyboard and spacious touchpad. Importantly, the Aero 13 provides relatively powerful components compared to others in this price range, with an AMD Ryzen 5000 series processor and Radeon graphics card. Plus, it has a generous array of ports and enough hours of battery life to last you a full day and then some (meaning there’s no excuse not to finish your schoolwork).

For more budget-friendly options, check out our top picks for the best cheap Windows laptops .

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Best laptops for college in 2024: Student laptops for every budget

The best college laptops we've tested, from under $500 to full workstations

Best overall

Best under $1,000, best under $500.

• Best battery life

Best 2-in-1

Best for business majors, best for engineering students, recent reviews, how to choose the best college laptop, how we test college laptops, why trust laptop mag.

1. The list in brief 2. Best overall 3. Best under $1,000 4. Best under $500 5. Best battery life 6. Best 2-in-1 7. Best for business majors 8. Best for engineering students 9. Recent reviews 10. How to pick the best college laptop 11. How we test college laptops 12. Why trust Laptop Mag

I know that picking the best laptop for college is one of the most important choices a student makes after school and major — so you want to get it right the first time. With that in mind, I've curated this guide to the best laptops for college to remove the guesswork from your search. 

Your laptop is crucial to your studies and downtime, so consider everything you want and need to do with it. A law student's laptop requirements are drastically different from those of a chemical engineering student.

At Laptop Mag, my major is laptops, and we review more than 100 laptops from every major brand each year. My continuously updated list of the best college laptops results from all that hard work, so when you are ready to buy, you know you are getting the most up-to-date recommendations. I will help turn an endless sea of laptops into a simple multiple-choice test.

What are the key factors for a good college laptop? Long battery life and fast CPU performance are two. While a thin-and-light model won't cut it for every major, we'll try to avoid weighing you down too much. If you prefer to take notes by hand, a 2-in-1 laptop is for you.

The school year is almost upon us. Here are the best laptops for college available right now.

The Quick List

Have you got to get to class? Here's a quick rundown of our picks for the best college laptops. Follow the links to the full review if you want to know more about one.

The best overall

The MacBook Air M3 is the best laptop for college for most people. For just over $1,000, it offers over 15 hours of battery life, excellent performance, and a bright display.

Read more below

The best under $1,000

The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED crushes almost every critical feature for a college laptop with nearly 16 hours of battery life, a gorgeous OLED display, and a powerful Intel Core Ultra CPU.

The best under $500

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is an outstanding value, as it often dips below $400. It offers a versatile 2-in-1 form factor, nearly 10 hours of battery life, and an excellent keyboard.

The best long-lasting

The MacBook Pro M3 has a fresh MacBook Pro design and ports, but it doesn't sacrifice battery life, with 17 hours and 16 minutes in our testing. If you must go that long without plugging in, well, your professors are cruel.

Best 2-in-1 laptop

HP's 2-in-1 powerhouse is thin and sleek, with a gorgeous 2.8K OLED display and excellent speakers. Did I mention it has over 11 hours of battery life? If you need the flexibility of a 2-in-1, this is top of the class for 2024.

Over 13 hours of battery life, off-the-charts productivity performance, a full keyboard with number pad, and a gorgeous 16-inch OLED display in a 3.3-pound laptop. This laptop deserves a promotion.

Load the next laptop

Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is an excellent pick for engineering students. Its powerful RTX 4070 GPU and AMD CPU tick the boxes for most engineering programs. The gorgeous display, sturdy build, and exceptional keyboard round it out nicely.

Sean Riley has covered a wide variety of tech over his 13 years as a journalist but found his home at Laptop Mag in 2020. As the managing editor, he participates in every laptop review published on Laptop , whether as a reviewer or editor. 

1. MacBook Air 13 M3

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

The MacBook Air M3 is the best choice for most students in 2024. Starting at $1,099 ($999 for education), you get an outstanding keyboard, excellent performance, and remarkable endurance, which ticks all the boxes for college laptop shoppers.

The MacBook Air M3 lasted 15 hours and 21 minutes in our battery life test. With Apple 's excellent build quality and strong support, this is a great choice for almost any college student.

Why buy the MacBook Air instead of the Pro? If you need more sustained performance or longer battery life, then by all means, the MacBook Pro 14 M3 is an excellent option that you'll spot a little further down this list. The main tradeoffs are weight and, of course, the higher starting price, around $1,500.

As long as macOS isn't a dealbreaker for you, college students will appreciate everything the MacBook Air M3 offers. If you need to save a little money, the MacBook Air 13 M2 remains a solid laptop available at $899 for education and sometimes less on sale. If you need a little more screen real estate, you can always check out the MacBook Air 15 M3 , which is just $200 more. It has the same benefits as the Air 13 but a 15.3-inch display.

See our full Apple MacBook Air M3 review .

• ­Back to the top ⤴

2. Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425)

The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425) was a hotly anticipated laptop this year, and it delivered on all fronts. The Intel Core Ultra CPU gives it outstanding performance, but the efficiency is even more impressive, with almost 16 hours of battery life!

For all of the details, you can check out our full review , but here's a look at a couple of critical benchmarks. In the multi-core Geekbench 6.2 test, the Zenbook managed to beat the MacBook Air M3 (12,707 vs. 12,087). And if you happen to need to create videos for school or as a part-time gig, in the Handbrake 1.6 test, the Zenbook converted a 4K video to 1080p in 6 minutes and 36 seconds, over a minute faster than the Air M3's 7:54. 

The 1080p OLED display makes any content look fantastic, whether you're toiling away at schoolwork or taking a break to watch some streaming content. At 3 pounds, the Zenbook 14 OLED also won't overload your laptop bag, which you'll appreciate as you haul it around campus.

If you aren't a MacOS fan, this is easily the best laptop for college under $1,000. If you are an engineering student or creating content, this laptop may come up a little short on power, but if some presentations and papers are the heaviest lifting your laptop will do in college, this has you covered.

See our full Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425) review .

3. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus

The best college laptop won't do you much good if you can't pay for tuition, so if you're a bachelor of arts student who needs to keep things affordable, look no further than the sub-$500 Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus. While memorizing that long name may feel like an assignment, you'll appreciate everything it offers for typically less than $400.

As long as you don't need any specific Windows software for your major, Chrome OS will handle everything you need to do without a problem. While you may remember underpowered Chromebooks from grade school or middle school, times have changed, and the Flex 5i benefits from an AI-infused Intel Core i3-1315U chipset that will keep your productivity tasks running smoothly.

As the name suggests, the Flex 5i is a 2-in-1 laptop, which makes it perfect for streaming content in tent or presentation mode, whether it's lectures or Netflix. The 14-inch OLED touchscreen display could be brighter, but our reviewer found binge-watching content a great experience.

In our testing, we found the keyboard to be "clicky, super responsive, with excellent bounciness." While you can, of course, fall back on the touchscreen, the touchpad is spacious and accurate as well. Speaking of that touchscreen, you can also run Android apps if there's something that Chrome OS can't handle natively.

For around $400, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is an easy recommendation for budget-conscious college students.

See our full Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review .

Best long-lasting

4. apple macbook pro (14-inch, m3, 2023).

The MacBook Pro 14 M3 finally brings the updated Apple design to the most affordable "Pro" MacBook, starting at $1,599. That antiquated design was the one thing holding back a recommendation for the MacBook Pro 13 in 2023. Now you get all the outstanding performance and battery life without sacrificing those new ports and superior display.

The MacBook Pro 14 M3 is powerful enough to handle virtually any course load, including software engineering and other computing-intensive majors. Best of all, returning to the specific category we are talking about here, despite all that power, it still crushes it when it comes to battery life, with an incredible 17 hours and 16 minutes on our battery test, which simulates real-world usage.

If you have any remote courses, the upgraded 1080p webcam is vastly superior to the 720p camera in its predecessor. The icing on the cake is the comfy keyboard and gaming performance for one of the first times on a MacBook.

The MacBook Pro 14 M3 finally gives us a better entry point into the modern MacBook Pro design at a more palatable price. If the MacBook Air M2 just can't quite cut it for you, this is the clear upgrade option and one of the longest-lasting laptops on the market. If you need to "Max" things out, the MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max, 2023) does outlast the Pro 14 by about 40 minutes, but at $3,499, it's Ivy League pricing that you can skip unless you need the added performance too.

See our MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3, 2023) review

5. HP Spectre x360 14 (2024)

Our reviewer called the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) a "near-perfect" laptop, which sounds like precisely the sort of thing you want to wield heading into college. Considering the laptop is typically just over $1,500, it serves up an incredible combination of features with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, 32GB of RAM, 2TB of SSD storage, and 11 hours of battery life with a 14-inch, 2.8K OLED touchscreen.

It's not the cheapest college laptop by any means, but you are getting excellent value. The sleek and durable build will hold up well in your laptop bag for four years or beyond. The 4K webcam and excellent built-in speakers could save you from buying an external webcam or speakers to augment your setup.

Digging into the specifics of that OLED display, the Spectre covered 85.8% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which surpasses competitors like the  MacBook Air 13 M3 (77.8%). At 366 nits of brightness, the Spectre could be brighter, the MacBook Air turns the tables on it there at 476 nits, but it's still bright enough for use in anything but direct sunlight. 

The Spectre held up well through our gauntlet of performance benchmarks. In the Geekbench 6.1 overall performance test, its multi-core score of 12,358 crushed the average premium laptop (8,443) and even outpaced the MacBook Air 13 (M3, 12,087). It also has a decent SSD speed, with a transfer rate of 1,362 megabytes per second, which is within the margin of error for the average premium result (1,378 MBps). 

See our full HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) review.

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6. MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo

MSI isn't the first name you think of when you think about business laptops. But maybe that's time to change. The company's Prestige 16 AI Evo has a resume that will blow you away, including over 13 hours of battery life and prodigious productivity performance.

Battery life will be one of the big selling points for business majors and many others; our reviewer and lab tester were astounded to see the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H-powered laptop last up to 13 hours and 22 minutes in our Laptop Mag battery test. However, the part that is even more shocking is that given that excellent battery life, this laptop scored 13,310 in the Geekbench 6.1 overall performance test, surpassing Apple's MacBook Pro 14 M3 (12,024).

Business majors can still enjoy time off, and while the 16-inch 4K OLED panel gives you plenty of space for spreadsheets or presentations, you'll also be able to enjoy watching content on it when you're not studying to be a titan of industry. The Prestige 16 AI Evo's display covered 139.2% of the DCI-P3 color gamut in our testing. The average business laptop is closer to 80%.

Speaking of spreadsheets, the full keyboard with a number pad is a data-entry dream, our reviewer loved the comfortable and speedy chiclet-style keys. 

While you perhaps are less security conscious at this stage in your career, the MSI Prestige is outfitted with robust protection, including a fingerprint reader and Windows Hello login support with the IR webcam. 

At 3 pounds the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo isn't a featherweight, but it's not a spine-compressing beast either, and well worth its weight considering everything on offer.

Read our full MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo review

7. Lenovo Legion 5 Pro

The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is among our best gaming laptops of 2024 , and the features that made it stand out make it a fine choice for engineering students. The affordable price is a welcome start, as a laptop with a dedicated GPU can climb north of $2,000 to $3,000 quickly, but the Legion 5 Pro is available for under $1,500.

Inside, the Legion 5 Pro should tick the boxes for most engineering programs, with an AMD Ryzen 7 7745HX CPU and an Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU. Are these the bleeding edge of performance? No, but they are plenty fast enough to handle any software or tasks that come your way. 

Sometimes, affordable gaming laptops are cheap out on other aspects of the laptop. Still, the Legion 5 Pro crushed more than the internal specs with an outstanding keyboard that our reviewer called her keyboard soulmate . It didn't skimp on the display, reaching 82.4 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 319 nits of brightness. Those are unheard-of marks for a gaming laptop at this price.

There are more powerful systems if you want to spend more or are close to graduation and looking to step up to something more professional. Still, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro will complete the job for most engineering students and let you have fun gaming in your downtime.

See our full Lenovo Legion 5 Pro review .

We review dozens of laptops every year that aren't admitted into the prestigious best laptops for college page. While some simply didn't have what it takes, others are still strong options. Here are some of our most recently reviewed laptops that didn't make the cut. 

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | 32GB RAM | 1TB SSD

Score: ★★★ ★

Pros: Gorgeous 120Hz AMOLED display; powerful CPU/GPU Combo; excellent battery life; relatively thin and light; robust Samsung ecosystem

Cons: Performance doesn't quite match top competitors; retail pricing high for max configuration; webcam could be better in low-light

See our full Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra review .

Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 9 | Intel Core i9-14900HX | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | 32GB RAM | 1TB SSD

Pros: Vibrant display; bouncy keyboard and silky touchpad; powerful performance and graphics; cool thermals

Cons: Scratches will strip the paint; mediocre audio; short battery life

See our full Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 9 review .

HP ZBook Studio 16 G10 | Intel Core i9-13900H | Nvidia RTX 4000 Ada Generation GPU | 64GB RAM | 2TB SSD

Pros: Powerful, well-optimized performance; Stunningly vivid display; Incredibly light and thin; Loud onboard speaker system

Cons: Prohibitively expensive; No HDMI port

See our full HP ZBook Studio 16 G10 review . 

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite | Qualcomm Adreno | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD

Pros: Impressive battery life; Fantastic keyboard; Sharp OLED display; Strong multi-core performance

Cons: Mediocre gaming performance; No USB Type-A ports; Reflective display

See our full Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x review .

Microsoft Surface Pro (11th Edition) | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite | Qualcomm Adreno | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD

Score: ★★★ ½

Pros: Great performance; Gorgeous display; Sturdy and thin; Solid speakers; Superb battery life

Cons: Shallow keyboard; Poor trackpad; Lack of ports; Expensive for just a tablet

See our full Microsoft Surface Pro (11th Edition) review . 

Acer Nitro 17| AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS | Nvidia RTX 4060 | 16GB RAM | 1TB SSD

Score: ★★★★

Pros: Huge display; great audio quality; smooth gaming performance; budget-friendly price

Cons: Bulky; plastic chassis; no right-hand control key; grainy webcam

See our full Acer Nitro 17 review .

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16| Intel Core i9-14900HX | Nvidia RTX 4060 | 16GB RAM | 1TB SSD

Pros: Leading productivity power; solid RTX 4060 fps; bright and colorful panel; sturdy chassis; tons of ports

Cons: Piercing speakers; sluggish trackpad; dreadful battery life

See our full Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 review .

Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 9 | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | Nvidia RTX 4050 | 32GB RAM | 1TB SSD

Score: ★★★★ ½

Pros: Beautiful display; bouncy keyboard; strong overall performance; discrete graphics; decent battery life

Cons: No RTX 4060 with Intel Core Ultra 7 configuration; touchpad too resistant; awful audio

See our full Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 9 review .

MSI Vector 16 HX A14VHG | Intel i9-14900HX | Nvidia RTX 4080 | 32GB RAM | 1TB SSD

Pros: Superb processing power; high RTX 4080 fps; beautiful display; decent battery life; solid audio

Cons: Flimsy trackpad; loud fans; SSD could be faster

See our full MSI Vector 16 HX A14VHG review .

HP Spectre x360 16 (2024) | Intel Core Ultra 155H | Nvidia RTX 4050 Graphics | 16GB RAM | 1TB SSD

Pros: Large, vibrant display; great performance; incredible speakers; huge touchpad; sleek design

Cons: Limited ports; battery life could be better

See our full HP Spectre x360 16 (2024) review .

Alienware x16 R2 | Intel Core Ultra 185H | Nvidia RTX 4080 Graphics | 32GB RAM | 1TB SSD

Pros: Thin design; excellent keyboard & touchpad; strong performance and graphics; solid battery life

Cons: Price-to-performance ratio is rough; display isn't the best for a $3K+ gaming laptop; messy audio

See our full Alienware x16 R2 review .

Razer Blade 16 | Intel i9-14900HX | Nvidia RTX 4070 Graphics | 16GB RAM | 1TB SSD

Score: ★★★★½

Pros: Powerful, reliable performance; vivid OLED display; loud, powerful speakers; comfortable, snappy keyboard

Cons: Worse battery life than the previous generation at under five hours; base model starts at $2,999

See our full Razer Blade 16 (Early 2024) review .

Lenovo Yoga 7i Gen 9 | Intel Core Ultra 5 125U | Intel Integrated Graphics | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD

Pros: Good battery life; roomy touchpad; loud top-firing speakers; flexible 2-in-1 design; ample ports

Cons: Underwhelming display, sluggish gaming performance, grainy webcam; heavy for a 2-in-1.

See our full Lenovo Yoga 7i Gen 9 review .

Dell Inspiron 14 Plus | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | Intel Arc Graphics | 16GB RAM | 1TB SSD

Pros: Quick, responsive performance; over 15 hours of battery life; powerful speakers; comfortable keyboard

Cons: Display could be brighter; one USB-C port; blurry webcam

See our full Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (7044) review .

Asus Zephyrus G14 | Ryzen 9 8945HS | Nvidia RTX 4060 | 16GB RAM | 1TB SSD

Pros: Stunning OLED display in a sleek, compact chassis. Springy keyboard is a joy to type on, has strong CPU performance for gaming/productivity, and has a long battery life.

Cons: Middling graphics; runs hot

See our full Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) review .

Lenovo Slim 7i Gen 9 | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | Intel Arc Graphics | 32GB RAM | 1TB SSD

Pros: Bright, vivid OLED display; speedy performance; snappy keyboard, loud speakers; compact chassis

Cons: Mushy touchpad; disappointing webcam

See our full Lenovo Slim 7i Gen 9 review .

There are several factors students should consider before buying a laptop for college. 

The first is portability, which goes hand in hand with screen size. Thirteen- and 14-inch laptops are popular among college students because they balance screen real estate and portability well. Ideally, you'll stay below 3 pounds as well, although budget or more powerful systems may have you go higher.

Battery life is another critical component of any good college laptop. If you plan to take the notebook to class or the library, don't count on there being an outlet! Choose a laptop with at least 9 hours of battery life, which should be enough to get you through a couple of classes with enough juice to hit the library, too.

Regarding specs, we recommend buying a laptop with an Intel 13th Gen Core i5 CPU, AMD Ryzen 7000 series, or Apple M2. You should also look for at least 8GB of RAM (16GB if you can afford it) and a minimum of 256GB of storage. 

Don't be afraid to go with a Chromebook if you want to keep things affordable and don't have specific Windows or macOS software requirements. Chrome OS can handle typical tasks for university students, and Chromebooks tend to be cheaper and require less support.

Other things that will help you punch up a successful report or research complex topics include a comfy keyboard and a sensitive touchpad. And when it's time to relax, get a laptop with a vivid and bright display.

We put each laptop through extensive benchmark testing — both synthetic and real-world—before we send it to our reviewers. We evaluate each aspect of the laptop, including its performance, battery life, display, speakers, and heat management.

In our benchmark testing, we use a Klein K10 colorimeter to detect the brightness and the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamut of the laptop's display. For performance testing, we run the laptop through a gauntlet of benchmarks, including Geekbench 5.4 and 3DMark professional graphics tests. 

To determine real-world performance, we task the laptop with converting a 4K video to 1080p resolution and duplicate a 4.97GB multimedia file. Our real-world graphics test is Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm benchmark with medium settings at 1080p and 4K resolution. 

We also run heat tests by playing a 15-minute full-screen video and measuring temperatures in different areas of the laptop. Last but not least, our battery test consists of continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. For MacBooks and premium Windows 10 or Windows 11 laptops, a runtime of over 9 hours is considered a good result, whereas gaming laptops and workstations that can stay powered longer than 5 hours deserve praise. 

These tests are complemented with extensive hands-on testing from our reviewers who critique everything from the laptop's materials to the feel of its touchpad. 

Laptop Mag reviews over a hundred laptops yearly, from paperweight ultralights to everyday workhorses to lumbering gaming notebooks that scorch the frame rates of even the hottest AAA games. We're not just experts in the laptop field, as we go one step further by meticulously testing smartphones, tablets, headphones, PC accessories, software, and even the latest in gaming. 

We are 100 percent independent and have decades of experience to help you buy with confidence. Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing products for three decades and continues to deliver trustworthy reviews you can rely on. 

Our experienced team of writers and editors scour the available information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it. 

Future Publishing , one of the world's largest technology publishers, enforces our editorial trustworthiness. As a company, we have unrivaled experience across every tech sector — and we're the group's specialist for all things mobile tech.

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Sean Riley has been covering tech professionally for over a decade now. Most of that time was as a freelancer covering varied topics including phones, wearables, tablets, smart home devices, laptops, AR, VR, mobile payments, fintech, and more.  Sean is the resident mobile expert at Laptop Mag, specializing in phones and wearables, you'll find plenty of news, reviews, how-to, and opinion pieces on these subjects from him here. But Laptop Mag has also proven a perfect fit for that broad range of interests with reviews and news on the latest laptops, VR games, and computer accessories along with coverage on everything from NFTs to cybersecurity and more. 

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The 7 Best College Laptops for Study Sessions and More

These 7 expert-approved options are powerful, portable, and ready for class.

College students face an ever-increasing need for versatile laptops in today's digital age. These devices are no longer just for writing papers; they've become essential tools for research, note-taking, online classes, and collaborative study sessions.

But the demands don't stop at academics. Students also rely on their laptops for entertainment, social networking , and gaming . This multifaceted use presents a unique challenge when choosing the right device for not just one year of college, but hopefully through senior year and possibly beyond.

Industry experts recommend spending at least $800 on a laptop that can withstand the rigorous demands of college life. Key features include a screen size of at least 13 inches and a battery life of eight hours or more. Weight is another important factor—look for a device that is 4 pounds or less, as portability is essential for comfortably lugging a laptop around all day—to classes, the library, a coffee shop, the dining hall, and back to the dorm. While cheaper laptops exist, they often lack the performance necessary for smooth day-to-day operations, and you may end up with a bulkier, heavier design.

Step up to the $1,000 price point and it opens a range of high-performance options for those who are able and willing to invest a bit more. These slightly pricier laptops typically offer faster processors, increased RAM, and larger storage capacities. One standout option in this category is the MacBook Air, starting at $999 for the 13-inch model with the M2 processor. Apple's educational discounts can make this even more attractive, potentially reducing the price by $100 or more.

Regarding processors, the latest offerings from Intel (Raptor Lake series) and AMD (Ryzen 7000) are worth considering. However, a specialized gaming laptop might be necessary for serious gamers, though these typically start at around $1,500.

Battery life remains a crucial differentiator. Certain high-end models like the MacBook Pro boast up to 22 hours of use on a single charge, significantly outperforming many budget Windows laptops that may struggle to reach seven hours. As mentioned above, at least eight hours is preferred so you can get through the day without needing a charge.

With the new academic year approaching, students are advised to carefully consider their needs and budget when making this critical investment in their education and campus life.

Best Laptops for College

• Best Macbook: Apple 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop M3
• Best Windows Laptop: LG gram Pro
• Best Chromebook: Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus Gen 7
• Best Value Laptop: Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
• Most Versatile Laptop: ASUS Zenbook 14X
• Most Affordable Laptop: Aspire 3 Spin 14 Convertible Laptop

The Expert: As a tech journalist—my work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, and other media outlets—I spend nearly every waking hour typing on my laptop. I also am a former college student who toted a laptop between class and dorm rooms, so I know the demands that are put on these gadgets. I have spoken to many current college students about how they use their laptops and have heard what they ask for in terms of portability, power, and other factors.

What to Consider in a College Laptop

The first and most important step before buying a laptop is to check with your college or university. Many institutions have specific requirements for computers, including processor speed, and some colleges may suggest either a Mac or a Windows computer.

More Stuff for School: Best Backpacks for Students • Best Laptop Bags • Best Power Strips and Surge Protectors • Best External Hard Drives

Most colleges and universities support both Mac and Windows machines, so if your school doesn’t dictate a preference, you'll need to choose—Mac or Windows. You might want to check if any courses you’ll be taking require Windows software.

Next, think about how you will primarily use the computer— both for the present and future. You’ll want to be sure your laptop can accommodate any applications and programs you will need now as well as have the capability to add whatever might be needed down the road. In simpler terms, you want to make sure you futureproof your purchase to the best of your ability.

For word processing and general Internet tasks, nearly any processor on the market will do. If you are seeking a Windows computer, look for a processor with a minimum of a dual-core processor and AMD’s Ryzen 3 or Intel’s Core i7 chip, as they offer a decent amount of speed to run applications. However, the type of processor means little if you choose a MacBook, my current top choice, because Apple makes its own chips, all of which work well for students.

Portability

Students are always on the move, so it’s important to find a laptop that fits easily into a backpack or shoulder bag and won’t be too weighty. A model under 4 pounds is a reasonable place to start. Keep in mind that your laptop’s screen size will impact its weight, so there may be some trade-offs necessary if you plan to watch movies or play games on the device in your spare time. If you prefer a smaller screen for your laptop, there is always the possibility to add an external monitor at some point for a bigger display.

Screen Size

For most purposes, the bigger, the better when it comes to screen size. Laptop screens range in size from 11-to 17-inches. A larger screen means you’ll be able to fit more text onto a page when editing, not to mention movies look that much more detailed and engaging, but bigger screens come with downsides of weight and bulk. Keep to 15-inches or less for models that are reasonably compact and lightweight. Go above that, and larger laptops can be too bulky for easy transport.

Maintaining power is critical for students who race from class to class and are on the go all day or may be in locations without the capability or time to charge. Laptops these days typically offer eight to 12 hours of battery life, and in some cases, more. Choose a laptop with at least eight hours of battery life to get you through the day, keeping in mind that the amount of time you actually get can be substantially less with heavy-duty activities like gaming. MacBooks tend to have the best battery life on the market—the MacBook Pro claims up to 22 hours and the MacBook Air boasts up to 18 hours on a charge.

Unless you’re a fiend for accessories like adding lots of hard drives, you don’t need many ports these days. Most laptops come with industry-standard USB-C ports that can be easily expanded with a docking accessory. That said, it can be convenient to have an ethernet port for high-speed internet that comes through a cable, or a DisplayPort that allows you to easily hook up an external monitor.

How We Selected Laptops for College

I’m a laptop fanatic and have owned dozens of models over the last two decades. As a journalist, I work primarily on a laptop (this article was written on a 2020 MacBook Pro 16-inch), so finding the best model is my constant obsession. I looked over more than a hundred laptop listings and also tried out some of the best available on the market.

To select the models for this roundup, I considered each model’s screen size, processor, weight, and cost. I tried to find laptops that I would be happy to use myself every day, but also looked for ones that would fit a variety of budgets.

Apple 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop M3

If you’re away from electrical outlets for long periods, perhaps at a large university with a full day of classes, look no further than Apple’s latest MacBook Pro, which boasts up to a whopping 22 hours of battery life. In fact, this might be the perfect option for college students who want a laptop to last them through all four years of school and beyond.

This M3 model, which is claimed to be up to 60-percent faster than the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1, has the stunning screen of Apple’s Pro models, but is compact enough to fit into most backpacks. It's easy to have this laptop along wherever the day takes you. The speedy processor lets you zip through homework assignments with enough time left to get to that lounge party in the dorm.

LG gram Pro

The LG gram Pro offers a compelling blend of performance and portability. It couples a non-reflective 17-inch high-resolution WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS display (providing crisp visuals for both work and entertainment) with an ultralight design just under 3 pounds.

Beneath the hood, the laptop is powered by Intel's latest Core Ultra processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, enabling smooth multitasking and moderate gaming capabilities. Notable is the inclusion of Intel's AI Boost technology, which allows for AI-enhanced operations even without an internet connection.

Storage comes in the form of a fast NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD. There is a multitude of ports including two USB 3.2, HDMI, Micro SD, headphone, and more. While premium features often come at a higher price, the LG gram Pro stands out as a top contender in the Windows laptop market for students who are seeking a powerful, lightweight machine.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus Gen 7

This versatile 2-in-1 laptop offers four versatile modes—laptop, tablet, tent, and stand—that caters to students' many needs and handles basic everyday tasks with ease. Powered by 13th Gen Intel Core processors, it offers robust performance for multitasking—everything from document editing to video streaming.

The 14-inch touch screen with matte finish (for reduced glare) and stylus support enhances note-taking and creative tasks. With up to 10 hours of battery life, it's ready for a full day of classes. The device comes with a 12-month Google AI Premium plan, including Gemini Advanced, which could be a game-changer for research and productivity.

While the starting price is attractive, students should note that some features, like the stylus, are optional extras. It's a solid choice for budget-conscious students seeking a flexible, AI-enhanced learning tool.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3

The IdeaPad's sleek gray chassis caught my eye immediately. At just under 4 pounds, it's refreshingly portable yet offers a generous 15.6-inch Full HD display (1920 x 1080). You’ll get the benefit of crisp visuals, making this suitable for work and entertainment. While not the brightest screen out there, it performs well in most indoor settings.

The AMD Ryzen 3 7320U processor, coupled with 8GB of RAM, handled everyday tasks admirably. I could comfortably multitask between numerous browser tabs, Office applications, and media playback without noticeable slowdowns. The 256GB SSD, though modest in capacity, ensures quick boot times and responsive file operations.

It's worth noting that this isn't a gaming machine. The integrated AMD Radeon 610M graphics can manage light, casual games, but anything more demanding is beyond its capabilities. Battery life is respectable, at 10 hours to get you through a typical day, though heavy users might need a mid-day charge. A Rapid Charge feature provides two hours of battery life with a 15-minute boost.

The keyboard offers a comfortable typing experience, but the lack of backlighting could be an issue in low-light environments.

ASUS Zenbook 14X

After putting the ASUS Zenbook through its paces, I can confidently say that it's a standout option for college students. The 14.5-inch WQXGA OLED touch screen is a visual treat offering vibrant colors and deep blacks that make both studying and Netflix binges a joy.

In my testing, the 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB RAM handled everything I threw at it. Multiple browser tabs, Word documents, and even some light video editing all ran smoothly. The 1TB PCIe SSD is speedy, launching apps and files in a blink. The keyboard is comfortable for long writing sessions. Battery life is solid, lasting through most of a school day, though heavy use might require a mid-day charge.

At 3.09 pounds, it's light enough to carry around campus all day. The Thunderbolt ports and HDMI output proved useful for presentations and connecting to external displays.

After spending a week with the Dell G16 7630 Gaming Laptop, I can confirm it's a powerhouse that punches well above its weight for student gamers. The 16-inch QHD+ display with a 240Hz refresh rate is a standout feature, offering crisp visuals and buttery-smooth gameplay that's a treat for both gaming and content creation.

The Intel Core processor, paired with 16GB DDR5 RAM, was up to task from intense gaming sessions to multitasking between research papers and resource-heavy applications. The GPU is a beast, and it easily manages modern titles in high settings. The hard drive provides ample storage and quick load times. I was particularly impressed by the thermal management—even during lengthy gaming marathons, the laptop remained cool and quiet.

The build quality has a premium feel, with a sleek finish that doesn't scream “gaming laptop” in lecture halls. Battery life is decent for a gaming laptop, about six hours, though you'll want to stay plugged in for intense gaming sessions. The backlit keyboard is comfortable for both gaming and late-night essay writing.

acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 Convertible Laptop

The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 offers versatility and performance in an affordable package. This convertible laptop features a 14-inch 1920x1200 IPS touch screen for crisp visuals and plenty of flexibility—-it flips, stands, and folds— for various use cases.

It handles everyday tasks efficiently and is powered by an Intel Core i3-N305 processor and 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM. While the 128GB SSD may be limiting for some users, the device compensates with its adaptability, easily transitioning between laptop and tablet modes, including Wi-Fi 6, which ensures fast connectivity, and the Windows 11 Home in S mode, which prioritizes security.

At its low price, the Aspire 3 Spin 14 represents good value, especially for students or casual users seeking a multi-functional device. However, power users may find its specifications somewhat restrictive for more demanding applications.

It All Computes With These Key Tips on Buying a Laptop for College. Check Out What Our Expert Sascha Brodsky Has to Say.

Do I need a webcam, or do all computers come with them nowadays?

All modern laptops come with a built-in webcam, so there’s no need to invest in a separate gadget. Keep in mind, though, that not all webcams are created equal. Apple’s MacBook Pro models are renowned for the excellent quality of their webcams.

Should I invest in an external monitor?

An external monitor is an invaluable accessory for any college student. Having an extra monitor will let you work with more text at a time and can be great for researching term papers. All laptops on the market are equipped with the USB-C standard, which makes adding an extra monitor as easy as plugging one in, although check with the manufacturer to see if you need an adaptor.

Is there a way to future-proof my laptop purchase?

Buying the best laptop you can afford is a smart way to make sure your laptop doesn’t become quickly outdated. One key consideration is the amount of RAM and the size of the hard drive.

Laptops with at least 16GB of RAM and a 512GB drive are likely to be able to support future operating system updates. Apple’s MacBooks have a good track record for durability, and the company tends to support its software for many years.

Sascha Brodsky, a freelance journalist based in New York City and a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, writes about many aspects of technology including personal technology, AI, and virtual reality. His work has appeared in The New York Times , The Atlantic , The Guardian , and many other publications. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling and hiking. 

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Best College Laptops: Tested Picks for Research, Writing, Gaming and More

College laptops fit for any student.

• MacBook Air (M3)
• Asus Zenbook 14 OLED
• Microsoft Surface Pro (11th Edition)
• HP Spectre x360 14
• Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i
• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12)
• Shopping Tips

For a college student, there is no more important tool than a laptop. It's a catch-all for note-taking, studying, homework, collaboration, procrastination (don't tell your professors), and extracurricular activities. When you pick one, you're likely choosing a tool for at least four years of education, if not further studies or just life after college.

Picking a college laptop can feel like homework in itself. There are a ton of laptops on the market, and you may get some help by checking out recommendations from your school or department. In our opinion, most students should prioritize portability, battery life and then performance, unless your school recommends something specific. This semester, the latest parts in laptops include Intel's Core Ultra CPUs, AMD's Ryzen AI 300 processors, Apple's M3 chips and Nvidia's RTX 40-series GPUs. If you're taking classes remotely, be sure to take the webcam into consideration. More and more laptops are finally getting 1080p webcams, which often include higher-quality lenses for better images. (Many, but not all, also have privacy shutters for when you're not making calls.) Also, don't forget whatever student discounts are available. Many vendors may give you some percentage off, a gift card, or a free extra when you can prove that you're a student, either with a .edu email address or a college ID card.

Best College Laptops You Can Buy Today

Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

Popular in the lecture hall

1. MacBook Air (M3)

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

Apple's thin and fanless MacBook Air with the M3 chip is likely to be a popular sign on college campuses this fall. The company may be popular, sure, but the M3 Air has the performance and longevity to back it up. If you use multiple monitors at your desk, you'll be glad to know the new MacBook Airs support two of them. For when you're on the go, both the 13-inch and 15-inch models ran for more than 15 hours on our battery test. Both machines include sharp webcams, excellent touchpads, and bright displays. The 15-inch version in particular has excellent speakers, with six speakers and force-canceling woofers. The M3 MacBook Airs start at $1,099 for the 13-inch model and $1,299 for the 15-incher. Be sure you get exactly what you want, but beware, upgrade pricing can be wallet busting. For those looking for some savings, the 13-inch M2 model starts at $999. Read: MacBook Air (M3) review

High specs for a good price

2. Asus Zenbook 14 OLED

We see laptops with great screens and fast chips all the time, but the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED delivers both, and for a great price. We tested it with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage for $1,299, and have seen even lower prices in the months since. 

At just 2.82 pounds, the sturdy aluminum laptop won't be too heavy in a backpack (Though the "pounder blue" color attracts fingerprints). The only performance downside was that this machine throttled on our Cinebench stress test. For quick bursts of speed, it's good, but if you do intensive work, you should take note. The keyboard is sort of mushy, which might not be great for term papers, but for the pricing, you may be able to tolerate that. Read: Asus Zenbook 14 OLED review  

For dedicated notetakers

3. Microsoft Surface Pro (2024)

The Microsoft Surface Pro is a sleek, portable system that's easy to take with you, and is great for notetaking with a pen. Add in long battery life, and you have a study tool that can go with you from class to class. The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip has enough power to keep up with x86. Thanks to an increasing number of Arm-compatible apps, including Google Chrome, you won't be missing out on a lot from Intel and AMD machines. That being said, you'll want to make sure any dedicated software you use for class will work. Qualcomm's NPU, with 45 TOPS, is great for Windows Studio effects, but mostly these effects are cool tricks for now. Don't buy this just for AI. But if you want a great note taking device that's extra slim, it's worth considering. Just don't forget to add a keyboard and stylus to the base price. Read: Microsoft Surface Pro review

An excellent 2-in-1

4. HP Spectre x360 14 (2024)

HP may have sunset the Spectre line , but the last 14-inch machine on the market to bear the name is a great one. The Spectre is an attractive laptop with a 16:10 display (though we still miss the old 3:2 aspect ratio). The aluminum design feels premium, which it should — this laptop commands a high price. The Spectre doesn't have a ton of ports, but you still get a USB-A port for legacy peripherals thanks to a drop-jaw hinge. HP has switched to speakers from Poly, which it owns, and we found they were loud, clear, and balanced.

Read: HP Spectre x360 14 review

For a bit of graphics power

5. Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i

Some majors, like engineers, graphics designers, or some programmers may need a bit of extra graphics power. That's where having a discrete GPU comes in. We tested the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i with an RTX 4050, along with a beautiful 16-inch, 3200 x 2000 display. The Yoga Pro 9i also has an excellent 5MP webcam for when classes are remote, and deep key travel for taking notes. The display could be a bit brother, and there's a bit of bloatware you may want to remove. But the Yoga came in cheaper than some competing laptops, like the Dell XPS 16, with a discrete graphics card. Those who like to tinker will appreciate the extra SSD slot, which you can use to bulk up storage. 

Read: Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i review

A finely-honed business machine

6. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12

For business majors who want to get a feel for the type of laptop their first job will give them, there's the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12). The ThinkPad has its trademark excellent keyboard, and with the TrackPoint in the middle, you don't even have to move your hands from the home row to move the cursor. There are plenty of ports for your peripherals, including USB Type-A. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon can get pricey. We advise against the OLED screen option, as we didn't find it that impressive, and a standard LCD display would likely do better on battery life.

Read: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12)  

Quick College Laptop Shopping Tips

• Consider your major or specialization: Science majors and liberal arts majors may have different needs. An engineering major working with computer-aided design software might want a notebook with a discrete graphics card, while students who primarily do research and write papers may be fine with a thin ultrabook. Your school or department may also have recommended specifications (as well as a list of software that you'll need to run), so be sure to check those out.
• Learn if your work will live locally or in the cloud: Find out if your school or department uses cloud storage, such as Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. If they do, you may be able to get by with less internal storage. Of course, if you want your own copies of your work or would like to keep personal files as well as school files, budget for a bit of extra space.
• Weight and battery life matter: After all, you'll be carrying this laptop around all day in a backpack as you move from class to class. Lightweight and long battery life can both save your back and leave more room for books.
• Consider how you take notes: A good keyboard is always important, especially when you're writing papers. But some students still prefer to take notes by hand, and those people will want to consider a convertible or detachable 2-in-1 with a stylus.
• See if you can get a student discount: Some stores will offer you a discount with your proof of affiliation with a university or college. It's also possible that your school will have a relationship with a vendor for deals on certain models. Others may just throw in a gift card or some free earbuds. If you can find a deal, great; school is expensive enough.

Finding Discounts on the Best College Laptops

Finding discounts on the best college laptops .

Whether you're shopping for one of the best gaming laptops or another model that didn't quite make our list, you may find some savings by checking out our lists of Dell coupon codes , HP coupon codes , Lenovo coupon codes , Razer promo codes or Newegg promo codes .

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Andrew E. Freedman is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware focusing on laptops, desktops and gaming. He also keeps up with the latest news. A lover of all things gaming and tech, his previous work has shown up in Tom's Guide, Laptop Mag, Kotaku, PCMag and Complex, among others. Follow him on Threads @FreedmanAE and Mastodon @FreedmanAE.mastodon.social .

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• RebeliusGaming I had you as a referent, but Apple laptop as number 1 option for gaming?.... It has to be a mistake. Reply
• aindriu80 This list makes no sense at all, going to college with the highest-end machines consumers can purchase??, what about the college part? Reply
• Old Molases What do you think of Acer Nitro 5? Reply
• shady28 Bad list. In college you want something light, good battery life, a good adjustable screen, decent keyboard, and fairly rugged. Those are paramount. Gaming is a far distant concern. A lot of corporate laptops fit this bill A big bulky low battery life Nitro 5 is horrible. You'll look really dense sitting in a classroom with that thing and its huge power brick. Which means it'll sit in the dorm. The Surface would be perfect, but that's a $1500+ laptop there. You probably should have set a price limit of $800 or so. The XPS, beyond being expensive, again you picked a 15" model. Do you guys imagine a bunch of students in class with 15" screens on their 12" wide flip up tables? I mean yes, get a 27" 1440p IPS monitor for the dorm, the laptop needs to be usable in class. The Mac would be the perfect form factor with a great screen and solid construction, but unless you are going for a media related degree like graphic design or some such, it is a no go. Too much requires Windows software. It's also expensive. There are plenty of options out there but this list is trash. Reply
• JimboCA Mac may be out of the budget of many college students. I have both PC and Mac laptops. The PC laptop is necessary for PC-specific applications. In my work, I need MS Visio. The Mac substitutes do not work for me as well. I love the Mac for its intuitive layout. On the PC side, I like the HP laptops. I have a Z Book 17 (not the best for lugging around, however it has a top notch discrete graphics card and 32 gb of RAM. I have a smaller HP for portability's sake. The elite book is small and fairly powerful. The best considerations need to be: What software do I need to run? How portable do I need it to be? What kind of battery life do I need? There are great choices that fit the spectrum. Reply

Admin said: , portability and the power to tackle everything your major requires. Our list includes Windows PCs, Macs and some gaming systems for those who like to play when they aren't working.

Admin said: The best college laptops offer great battery life, portability and the power to tackle everything your major requires. Our list includes Windows PCs, Macs and some gaming systems for those who like to play when they aren't working. Best College Laptops: Tested Picks for Research, Writing, Gaming and More : Read more

shady28 said: Bad list. In college you want something light, good battery life, a good adjustable screen, decent keyboard, and fairly rugged. Those are paramount. Gaming is a far distant concern. A lot of corporate laptops fit this bill A big bulky low battery life Nitro 5 is horrible. You'll look really dense sitting in a classroom with that thing and its huge power brick. Which means it'll sit in the dorm. The Surface would be perfect, but that's a $1500+ laptop there. You probably should have set a price limit of $800 or so. The XPS, beyond being expensive, again you picked a 15" model. Do you guys imagine a bunch of students in class with 15" screens on their 12" wide flip up tables? I mean yes, get a 27" 1440p IPS monitor for the dorm, the laptop needs to be usable in class. The Mac would be the perfect form factor with a great screen and solid construction, but unless you are going for a media related degree like graphic design or some such, it is a no go. Too much requires Windows software. It's also expensive. There are plenty of options out there but this list is trash.

• passivecool IMHO an idiotic set of parameters by which to judge this category. Poor Andrew, a victim of TH intel+gaming brainwashing. I like to follow TH but if you are looking for advice for this segment, click on... Reply
• My son loves the hp ultrabook. AMD powered and only was $600 I would never buy the intel part. Lol. They run super hot. They are also inefficient. I’ll be sticking with AMD These articles are generally terrible Reply
• View All 10 Comments

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The 7 Best Laptops For Students No Matter Their Age Or Grade

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The humble laptop remains one of the most important tools for a student, despite kids’ access to an amazing range of technology. Giving them one of the best laptops for students is a great way to make sure they are prepared for a new school year.

No matter the age of your learner, the best laptops for students can help keep them organized at ... [+] school.

Just because these laptops are the best, doesn't mean they need to cost the earth, though. Our favorite, the Asus ZenBook S 13 OLED , has midrange laptop pricing despite its incredible display and fantastic keyboard. Sure, the MacBook Pro M2 has a premium price tag for its premium design, but for MacOS fans, it's well worth it.

Even little kids’ schoolwork can benefit from a great laptop. That's why we recommend the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook for elementary school students. But there are plenty of other great options out there. Here are some of the best laptops for students of every grade level. After reading this story, you may want to see our favorite Chromebooks for students or peruse the top laptops for college students .

• Best Laptops For Students Overall: Asus ZenBook S 13 OLED
• Best Value Laptop For Students: HP Envy x360
• Best Premium Laptop For Students: MacBook Pro M2
• Best Laptop For Students In Elementary School: Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook
• Best Laptop For Students In Middle School: Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
• Best Laptop For Students In High School: Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i
• Best Laptop For Students In College: Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

Best Laptop For Students Overall

Next-gen performance in an ultralight chassis, asus zenbook s 13 oled.

I'm a tech journalist working and living in Gloucestershire, in the UK. I ran my own PC hardware review website for many years before transitioning into freelance writing. I've covered everything from the rise of Bitcoin and the encroachment of anti-privacy laws, to tabletop wargaming and advances in virtual reality. I've written, authored, edited, and copywritten for a broad array of the most prominent publications, including Digital Trends, Lifewire, PCGamer, The Inquirer, and KitGuru. I've also written two novels, and contributed backstory and dialogue to a handful of games. I am passionate about all the cutting-edge hardware inside and out the latest gadgets, PCs, and consoles, even if I can't always afford them.

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Memory: 32GB | Graphics: Intel Iris Xe | Storage: 1TB SSD | Display: 13.3-inch OLED | Resolution: 2,880 x 1,800 | Battery: Up to 14 hours | Weight: 2.2 pounds | Ports: USB Type-A, Thunderbolt 4

The Asus ZenBook S 13 OLED is a powerful laptop with excellent build quality and a gorgeous OLED screen. It has plenty of performance for demanding schoolwork—letting students play around with video and audio editing, or 3D design work with ease. The battery life is impressive at up to 14 hours of mixed use despite the high brightness and resolution display.

The super-lightweight design makes it a great laptop for carrying around all day, and its compact size makes it easy to slip into a backpack or laptop sleeve. It has a 13th-generation Intel processor, and it comes standard with a boatload of memory—32GB of fast DDR5 RAM—making it perfect for heavy multitasking and having as many browser tabs open as you want. To top it all off, this laptop has a 2.8K OLED screen, so images look ultra crisp with inky blacks and vibrant colors. It doesn't fold out into a tablet mode, but it does support touch inputs, so if you want to interact with on-screen elements with the touchpad, a mouse, your finger or a stylus, it's incredibly versatile.

What the experts say : This range of interactivity is an important element of a modern laptop for students, according to Jeremy Rambarran , a professor at the Touro University Graduate School of Technology. "This enables students to reference the system to review their course materials [the way they want] without having to rely on paper copies of various resources, such as lecture materials,” he says. “So they can study on-the-go [letting them] study longer and as a result, better understand new content while educators can use the instructor's version of the application to grade assignments."

Best Value Laptop For Students

Lots of power for not a lot of money, hp envy x360 2-in-1.

Memory: 8GB |  Graphics: Intel Xe | Storage: 512GB SSD | Display:  14-inch touchscreen | Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 | Battery: Up to 13 hours | Weight: 3.4 pounds | Ports: USB Type-A, USB Type-C, HDMI, headphone jack, MicroSD card reader

The HP Envy x360 is among the best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy in 2023, making it one of the best laptops for students since it gives them access to both a capable laptop and tablet in a single device. It's lightweight and portable, and with extensive battery life, students needn't fear straying far from a power socket. That lets them work on a commute in to college too, and with the bright 14-inch touchscreen, they can use it outside, though it's best to stick to shaded areas for the best clarity. It has a 13th-generation Intel Core i5 processor and a 512GB SSD, making it impressively snappy in day to day operation—and it boots up (from off or sleep) very quickly.

The onboard graphics are capable enough for very casual gaming, but don't expect to play much outside of older esports and indie games. The touchscreen display has a 360-degree hinge that you can fold back to use this laptop in other positions. That makes it viable for use as a tablet, in tent mode for watching a movie or listening to recorded lectures, and it's great for drawing or handwriting notes at a comfortable angle.

What the experts say: “A convertible 2-in-1 laptop, where the display swivels around into tablet mode, provides a traditional clamshell experience while serving as a digital writing and drawing platform for taking notes during class,” says Mark Coppock , a veteran technology writer. “The HP Envy x360 is one of the best available, providing premium quality and performance at a midrange price.”

Best Premium Laptop For Students

Fast apple processor and a high-resolution display, apple macbook pro 14-inch m2.

Memory:  16GB |  Graphics:  Apple M2 Pro GPU |  Storage: 512GB SSD |  Display:  14 inch |  Resolution:  3,024 x 1,964 |  Battery:  Up to 21 hours |  Weight:  3.5 pounds |  Ports:  Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, headphone jack, Micro SDXC

For the perfect blend of build quality, powerful hardware, a gorgeous display and extensive battery life, the Apple MacBook Pro M2 ticks every box. It has cutting edge hardware that makes it exceptionally powerful for even demanding applications, offers enough battery life to handle multiple days of school or college without needing a recharge, and it has cutting-edge connectivity, so you can use the fastest of external drives and other accessories. It doesn't have any traditional USB Type-A ports, so you'll need an adapter or two if you want to attach external mice, keyboards, and other accessories, but there are plenty of options there.

Apple devices also offer better security than their Windows counterparts, with more robust security features, and less malware made for MacOS in general. They also give students access to some of the most lauded creative applications, like Final Cut Pro. At 3.5 pounds, this laptop is also plenty portable for day to day use, although you can also get the 13.3-inch version if you want something even more compact and transport-friendly.

What the experts say: “The MacBook Pro offers long-lasting stamina as well, so that you can run more programs for longer on battery alone, with no slowdown or warming up enough to invoke the fan,” noted Forbes Vetted contributor, David Phelan, in his review of the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M2 Pro ). “These models hold performance boosts for all of us, and not just the most Pro of users. That said, creators can get the most out of the improved performance, particularly for video workflows.”

Best Laptop For Students In Elementary School

Our favorite chromebook for students weighs barely 2 pounds, lenovo ideapad duet 5 chromebook.

Memory: 8GB |  Storage: 128GB eMMC | Display:  13.3-inch touchscreen OLED | Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 | Battery: Up to 12 hours | Weight: 2.2 pounds | Ports: USB Type-C

Young children need a device that's lightweight, portable, simple to use and ideally, relatively durable. The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook fulfills all those needs and more, with an OLED display that is bright and colorful to help keep children engaged with what's on screen. At just 2.2 pounds, it is perfectly comfortable enough to carry around all day—even for younger children—and it gets even lighter when you detach the keyboard to turn it into a tablet.

The touchscreen is responsive and snappy, and Chrome OS is streamlined, helping kids to focus. It's also super secure, as there's very limited malware that targets Chrome OS. The fact that it's locked down to the Google Play Store and native Chrome OS apps makes it much harder for younger kids to get into trouble with sites or apps that they shouldn't be using. Parental controls on Chrome OS include Family Link, which lets parents remotely manage what their kids can access and look over their digital shoulder to see what they've been doing.

What the experts say: Coppock told us that, “The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook is an excellent choice for a student, with a comfortable keyboard that works great as a traditional laptop while its tablet mode provides a solid media consumption and gaming experience. The bright display with its wide colors and deep contrast makes work and play a lot more fun.”

Best Laptop For Students In Middle School

A more grown-up laptop for bigger kids, microsoft surface laptop go 2.

Memory: 8GB |  Storage: 128GB SSD | Display:  12.4-inch touchscreen | Resolution: 1,536 x 1,024 touchscreen | Battery: Up to 13.5 hours | Weight: 2.5 pounds | Ports: USB Type-A, USB Type-C, headphone jack

Older kids need more powerful hardware to handle the more demanding needs they have. This Surface Laptop Go 2 from Microsoft gives them the full Windows 11 experience (though you can switch it to S Mode if you want more control over what they can do) which unlocks some truly powerful applications, like photo and video editors, as well as the full suite of Microsoft Office apps. Its hardware isn't cutting edge, but it's powerful enough to drive these sorts of programs and ensure good performance even when heavy web browsing. The onboard graphics can handle some very casual gaming, but this is not a gaming machine at heart.

What is it, though, is very portable. At just 2.5 pounds, it weighs almost nothing and is compact enough to fit into any backpack. The screen is bright, but relatively low-resolution making this not the best machine for watching movies and TV shows on. However, it's perfectly usable for school work and scrolling social media, and its battery life is extensive, lasting well beyond a standard school day.

What the experts say: Professor Rambarran is a big fan of Surface laptops like this one, citing their portability and ease of integration with school resources as particular standout features. “They can help students with stress-free note-taking in the classroom, or even if they’d prefer to record and then transcribe their lectures at a later time," he told Forbes. “Through using USB-C ports on these devices, charging and tethering various mobile devices including iPads, Android and iPhones is pain free. Additionally, educators can leverage the Bluetooth feature on a Surface device to wirelessly project key course material."

Best Laptop For Students In High School

Slim design, sharp display, lenovo slim 7i.

Memory: 16GB |  Graphics: Intel Iris Xe | Storage: 512GB SSD | Display:  14-inch touchscreen | Resolution: 2,880 x 1,800 | Battery: Up to 10 hours | Weight: 2.9 pounds | Ports: USB Type-A, USB Type-C, HDMI, headphone jack

The Lenovo Slim 7i combines excellent build quality with high-end performance from its latest-generation CPU and memory, making it a potent laptop for high school students who need a little more grunt for the demanding work they're handling. Despite its heavier performance profile, it still remains lightweight and portable, with a good selection of ports for connecting all your most important accessories. Its high-resolution display has a tall aspect ratio, making it great for reading back longer documents of course notes, or working on longer essays.

The Intel Iris Xe graphics are strong enough for some older casual gaming, though this isn't a laptop that is able to play the latest games with ease—it's primarily a work machine. This configuration includes a 512GB SSD for storing all your essays and documents, though you can upgrade it to 1TB for students needing to handle a lot of big files.

What the experts say: I love the bright and vibrant display, and the touch input is a real nice-to-have feature, even on a laptop that isn't designed with a tablet-mode in mind. Honestly, I find the Lenovo Slim 7i is one of the best touchscreen laptops in the world, with a fantastic mix of performance and portability. It’s a little fancy for my young children, but when they are responsible enough to handle a machine of this quality, it's exactly the kind of laptop I'd be looking to give a high school student.

Best Laptop For College Students

All the power they need for work and play, asus rog zephyrus g14.

Memory: 16GB |  Graphics: Nvidia RTX 4060 | Storage: 512GB SSD | Display:  14 inch | Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440 | Battery: Up to 10 hours | Weight: 3.6 pounds | Ports: USB Type-A, USB Type-C, HDMI, headphone jack

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is the latest in a long line of fantastic do-it-all laptops. It has a great looking display, a lightweight chassis, amazing general compute performance with AMD's latest high-end mobile processor, and some serious gaming power with the Nvidia RTX 4060. Yes, college work is more important than play, but it's great to have a single device that can work all day taking course notes and writing essays, and then when the work is done, use it to socialize and play with friends and family—no matter how far away they are. That graphical power is also super handy for 3D design work, so this is a great laptop for a student interested in the creative arts.

Despite the high-powered hardware, the Zephyrus G14 has great battery life at up to 10 hours of mixed use (less if you're gaming) and a robust selection of ports for attaching all your important external accessories. It supports Wi-Fi 6 for fast connectivity on campus Wi-Fi, and its half terabyte of fast storage is enough for just about anyone. There are options if you need more, though, and more powerful graphics chips available.

What the experts say : “Many students like to play games as well as do their coursework, and a gaming laptop like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 can offer a compelling option to accomplish both,” says Coppock. “It's small and light enough to take to class for taking notes, while still being powerful enough for modern games at 1080p.”

The Best Laptops For Kids To Excel With Schoolwork—And Gaming

34 best labor day laptop sales: save on macbooks, thinkpads and more, why trust forbes vetted.

The Forbes Vetted team is well-versed in all things technology and gear for students of all ages. We have dozens of reviews and analyses of the best laptops , as well as other technology for kids, such as tablets and phones . We consider quality, functionality, value and overall utility of each item as it relates to the user, which in this case is potentially a child.

Jon Martindale, the writer of this story, is a regular Forbes Vetted tech contributor who has bylines in digital publications including Digital Trends and PCGamer, and formerly ran his own PC hardware review website. Needless to say, we’ve collectively conducted extensive research and testing on the best laptops for students.

We interviewed a number of experts for this article, including Mark Coppock, a professional technology journalist with over three decades of experience in the space. We also spoke to Touro University Graduate School of Technology Professor Jeremy Rambarran, and technology editor and mother of two, Suzanne Sutherland . Together they offered valuable insight into the best laptops for students.

This story is regularly reviewed for accuracy and was most recently updated in August 2023.

How We Chose The Best Laptops For Students

To find the best laptops for students, we combined our extensive firsthand knowledge of some of the world's best laptops, with in-depth research from every angle. We consulted experts—some of whom are quoted in this list—talked to manufacturers, pored over reviews from third-parties and considered user reviews. We also consulted parents and educators on their preferred picks and features when selecting laptops for students.

Combining all that together, we put together a list of the absolute best laptops for students while considering function, price and the features most important to students.

Which Type of Laptop Is Best For Students?

Students of different ages have different wants and needs—that's why you'll note a big difference between the models we recommend for various age ranges. However, there are some features worth considering for students of all ages.

A touchscreen is handy for handwriting, sketching or just working with touchscreen apps, and it’s also possibly more intuitive to young kids growing up with touchscreen tech. That can make getting a 2-in-1 laptop a good idea, as it can work as both a tablet and laptop, although traditional clamshell laptops with touchscreens are great too.

You also want to consider portability. If they're carrying it around all day at school, keeping it under 3.5 pounds is a good way to make sure it doesn't weigh them down. Additionally, make sure it's small enough to fit into their backpack and has enough battery for at least a full school day.

Any students wanting to use their laptop for graphics or 3D design work need to make sure it has a dedicated graphics chip, too, ideally from AMD or Nvidia.

What Should I Consider When Buying A Laptop For A Student?

Fast processor.

Performance is still incredibly important when it comes to student laptops, so buying one with a recent-generation processor (Intel 11th, 12th or 13th generation, or AMD Ryzen 5000, 6000 or 7000) is ideal. You also want at least 8GB of RAM, and preferably at least 256GB of SSD storage space. If you want it to be good for gaming or 3D design work, you need a dedicated graphics chip, preferably from AMD or Nvidia.

Touchscreen, Display And More

But that's not everything. Student laptops also really benefit from a touchscreen. They're great for taking notes, sketching or for interacting with touchscreen apps. Good Wi-Fi and even cellular connection support helps the student stay connected to all remote learning resources and to easily download any class materials they need.

A big, bright display goes a long way to making a laptop more functional on brighter days, too. A strong battery never goes amiss either. The last thing you want is a student not having their laptop for something important, because it's run out of battery.

Lightweight

A low carry weight can be a real boon, too. Look out for laptops that weigh less than 3.5 pounds for a system that's truly portable. Especially if they're 14-inches or less and can easily fit inside a backpack.

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10 best student laptops to suit all budgets and studies

These portable student laptops from apple, dell and lenovo are class acts, article bookmarked.

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Whether you’re getting ready to head to university or you’re about to start sixth form, you need a reliable laptop to stay on top of your studies. The best student laptops are fast enough to handle academic work, easy to carry between lecture halls and home, and affordable enough to be gentle on the bank balances of skint university students.

With such a wide array of student laptops to choose from, it can be hard to know where to begin. If you have a preference for MacBooks, your decision is considerably easier – we think the 13in MacBook air with the M3 chip walks the line between price and performance – but look beyond the Apple-dome and you’ll find a huge variety of excellent and affordable Windows laptops and Chromebooks , all built to suit different needs.

You might not need a very powerful student laptop. For everyday jobs such as web browsing, emails and penning essays, a cheap and cheerful Chromebook with a display that’s comfortable to look at during long writing sessions could be perfect for you.

Meanwhile, if your coursework involves specialist jobs such as complex simulation, video editing and sound engineering, you’ll obviously want a laptop with a decent CPU (or even a discrete GPU) that won’t buckle under the strain.

Keep scrolling for our full review and verdict of the best student laptops for all needs and budgets.

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How we tested the best student laptops

We spent weeks testing all of these laptops, considering their suitability for a range of different types of users. Value for money was our primary consideration for most students, but we also took into account each laptop’s potential for watching entertainment, gaming, and handling specialist tasks such as programing and graphic design.

The best laptops for students in 2024 are:

• Best student laptop overall – Dell XPS 13: £999, Dell.com
• Best cheap student laptop  – Lenovo IdeaPad 3i: £324.95,  Amazon.co.uk
• Best student laptop for gaming – Asus TUF Gaming A15: £899.99, Amazon.co.uk
• Best Chromebook for students – Lenovo IdeaPad Duet: £269, Amazon.co.uk
• Best MacBook for students – MacBook Pro 14in: £1,898.96, Amazon.co.uk

Dell XPS 13, 2022

• Best : Student laptop overall
• CPU : Intel Core i5 (12th gen)
• Graphics : Intel Iris XE
• Screen : 13.4in, 1,920 x 1,200px
• Storage : 256GB SSD
• Incredibly fast
• Stylish design
• Poor quality webcam

The 13in variant of Dell’s flagship laptop is a showcase of everything the manufacturer can pack into a single device. The Dell XPS 13 is one of the best Windows laptops you can buy, and pairs a minimalist, no-fuss design with top-level functionality and performance. The bright, crisp touchscreen is one of the best displays on any laptop, while, under the hood, the 12th-generation Intel processor packs more performance than the average desktop computer.

In our review of the 15in model, we said “if you’re in the market for a high-performance and productivity-focused Windows laptop with a spectacular next-generation display, the new Dell XPS 15 is the best you’ll find. This is about as close to perfect as laptops get.”

Lenovo ideapad 3i

• Best : Cheap student laptop
• CPU : Intel Celeron
• Graphics : Integrated
• Display : 14in, Full HD
• Storage : 128GB
• Top value for money
• Runs on the latest Windows 11 OS
• Comes with one year of Office 365
• Relatively underpowered

Laptops don’t get much more affordable than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3i. Perfect for churning through written homework, watching the odd YouTube video and firing off emails, this Windows 11 laptop keeps things simple with a cheap and cheerful Intel Celeron processor and 4GB of RAM. That means you won’t be playing Call of Duty on this thing – which could be a positive, depending on your perspective – but the slim design and 1.4kg weight make the Lenovo IdeapPad 3i perfect for chucking in a backpack.

Acer Aspire 5

• Best : Value student laptop
• CPU : Intel Core i7
• Graphics : GeForce MX550
• Display : 15.6in, Full HD
• Storage : 512GB
• Full size keyboard with numpad
• Excellent value
• Dedicated graphics card
• Middling performance

The Acer Aspire 5 is a superb everyday laptop that’s ideal for working remotely and watching entertainment on the go. The Intel Core i7 CPU, dedicated GeForce MX550 graphics card and 16GB of memory gives this ultrabook plenty of performance even when running demanding software, while the 512GB SSD means you’ve got more than enough storage to juggle giant media files, no matter where you’re working from.

At less than £800 it’s also remarkably good value for money, with impressive specs that won’t become obsolete for years yet.

Apple MacBook Air M3

• Best : Student laptop for graphic design
• CPU : Apple M3 chip
• Graphics : Integrated M3 GPU
• Screen : 13.6in, 2,560 x 1,664px
• Storage : 256GB to 512GB
• RAM : 8GB to 16GB
• Thin and light
• Superb performance
• Limited ports

Apple’s thinnest, lightest MacBook transcended the tech world to become an instantly recognisable design icon, the profile of which many rival laptops have since followed. If you’ve ever held one of these machines, you’ll understand why it’s such an alluring device: the MacBook air is an elegant piece of engineering, weighing just 1.24kg and measuring 1.13cm thin. The 2024 model is powered by Apple’s latest M3 processor, an ARM-based chip that unlocks notable performance boosts and better battery efficiency over the older Intel CPU seen in previous generations.

Acer Swift 3

• Best : Everyday student laptop
• CPU : Intel Core i5
• Display : 14in, 1080p
• Great value for money
• Long battery life
• Lots of ports
• Average performance

The Acer Swift 3 is a lighter and more portable alternative to the Acer Aspire , but still manages to pack in all of the features you might need in a Windows 11 laptop. Weighing just 1.2kg and measuring 16mm thin, it’s straightforward to pop into and out of a bag when you’re working on the go. The Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of memory keeps performance fast, even while you’re juggling dozens of open Chrome tabs.

The mid-range processor isn’t the latest chip on the market, but it’s fast enough for this price range and more than capable of handling everyday tasks. The all-day battery life, the option to upgrade to a generous 512GB of SSD space and the plentiful array of connectivity options makes the Acer Swift 3 a versatile piece of kit.

Asus TUF gaming A15

• Best : Gaming laptop for students
• CPU : AMD Ryzen 7
• Graphics : Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050
• Powerful enough for the latest games
• Smooth 144Hz refresh rate

Downtime is just as important as work, and a good gaming laptop for students can kill two birds with one stone. Powerful enough to run the latest games, the Asus TUF gaming A15 is also specced to handle more academic pursuits, such as video rendering, graphic design, audio editing and complex computational programming.

The Asus TUF range sports a 144hz screen for silky smooth framerates, while this particular model comes equipped with a high-performance GTX 3050 graphics card, an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and 8GB of RAM.

Lenovo ideapad duet Chromebook

• Best : Chromebook for students
• CPU : MediaTek Helio P60T
• Display : 10.1in, 1,920 x 1,200px
• Storage : 64GB
• Sharp, vibrant screen
• Magnetic keyboard included
• Doubles as a tablet
• You’re limited to web apps and ChromeOS software

An affordable two-in-one from Lenovo, the IdeaPad Duet is a zippy little Chromebook-tablet that doubles as a laptop, thanks to its included magnetic keyboard cover and stand. Because it’s a Chromebook, it runs on ChromeOS software, meaning you can’t install Windows or MacOS applications on here. That’s fine for everyday use – word processors, spreadsheets, even photo editing can all be done in a browser window – but it could be an issue if there are any specific Windows applications you need to install as part of your work or study.

The crisp 1,920px x 1,200px resolution screen is pretty much unheard of at this price, and is excellent for getting some work done while on the go or watching Netflix shows in your downtime. We chose the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet as our best buy in our list of the best Lenovo laptops , where our reviewer described it as “a quick, sleek and versatile piece of kit.”

Asus Vivobook 15

• Best : Student laptop for entertainment
• CPU : Intel Core i5 (11th gen)
• Storage : 512GB SSD
• Excellent all-round performance
• Sharp, vibrant Full HD screen
• No dedicated graphics processor

Asus consistently makes excellent mid-range Windows 11 laptops at affordable prices, and the Asus VivoBook 15 is no exception. The Intel Core i5 processor is designed to breeze through everyday use cases, such as taking notes, web browsing and researching, but is just about powerful enough to cope with more demanding tasks, such as photo editing, audio engineering and graphic design, when it needs to.

The high-definition screen and slim bezels also make the Asus vivobook 15 a superb device for streaming episodes of House of the Dragon while hungover in bed.

MacBook Pro 14in

• Best : MacBook for students
• CPU : Apple M2 Pro
• Display : 14in
• Beautifully designed

The MacBook Pro is synonymous with the creative fields, so any student working with high-end production tools, or video- and audio-editing software, will be well served by Apple’s powerhouse laptop.

Powered by the M2 Pro chip, the 14in MacBook Pro is desiged for people who need desktop-grade processing power in a compact and portable form factor. It has a luscious, colour-accurate 120Hz screen, it runs quietly and offers a decent selection of ports. It’s certainly not cheap, but the MacBook is the laptop of choice for most creative professionals, and will still be speedy by the time you graduate.

Read the full MacBook Pro 13in review

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7

• Best : Student laptop for university
• CPU : AMD Ryzen 5
• Storage : 256GB
• Powerful performance
• Superb battery life
• No dedicated GPU

For the last few years, Lenovo has been quietly turning out laptops and tablets that offer smart design and decent specs without costing the earth, and this model is the culmination of the Chinese manufacturer’s best work. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 is a premium ultrabook without the premium price tag.

This super-thin laptop is powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 processor tuned for laptops, giving you enough grunt to handle CPU-intensive tasks, such as photo and video editing, and even some lower-end games. The Full HD screen has excellent colour reproduction and contrast, and the long-range microphones with active-noise cancellation are well-suited to Zoom calls.

Student laptop FAQs

Can students get discounts on laptops.

Yes. Most of the big laptop brands offer discounts to current and newly accepted university students, as well as teachers and staff, so it’s always worth checking if the laptop you’re buying can be made cheaper with your student ID.

Apple’s discount is the best known and can be accessed through the Apple Store for Education , where you can save up to 10 per cent on most Apple products. Other companies have also followed suit: Asus offers up to 15 per cent off some laptops; Dell offers students 20 per cent off electronics; and HP offers up to 40 per cent off a selection of its products.

Verification is either manual, or through partnerships with student deals sites such as Unidays and Student Beans.

Should I consider getting a 2-in-1 laptop?

A two-in-one laptop is one that can be converted from a traditional laptop into a touchscreen tablet, either by detaching from the keyboard completely or by opening a full 360-degrees, so the keyboard is hidden behind the screen.

They’re a useful form factor for students. They save on space and money by combining two devices into one. They’re also great for watching media and entertainment (especially in cramped rooms) as the 360-degree design allow you to prop up the screen at any angle and on small desktops.

Lastly, they’re excellent presentation devices, allowing you to display information and data in a more immersive and engaging way, by folding the keyboard out of sight.

Why you can trust us

Steve Hogarty is a tech writer with more than a decade’s experience in the video games and technology industry. He has written for  The Independent’s  IndyBest reviews section since 2021, covering everything from laptops and smartphones to tablets and everything in between.

The verdict: Laptops for students

The Dell XPS 13 is our pick of the best laptops for students. At £999 it’s an investment, but this stylish and powerful device is an all-round performer that’s well suited to even the most demanding tasks.

On a budget? We recommend the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet . It’s a zippy little Chromebook with a detachable keyboard that doubles as a tablet, it’s ideal for slogging through late-night workloads and wasting hours watching YouTube videos in the bath.

To print wirelessly with ease, pick up one of the best home printers

Compare the best broadband deals with Independent Advisor

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Article updated on August 15, 2024 at 3:34 PM PDT

Best Laptop for High School Students in 2024

Start your back-to-school shopping by picking up a new laptop. Check out our picks for the best budget-friendly laptops for younger students.

Our Experts

• More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.

What to consider

The current sweet spot for a reliable laptop to handle average work, home office or school tasks is between $700 and $800. For a model suitable for creative work or gaming, plan to spend $1,000 and up. Every brand of laptop can be found discounted online at one time or another, however, so it pays to track deals to find the lowest price.

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 but they do them differently. Unless there's an OS-specific application you need, go with the one you feel most comfortable using. A Chromebook running on Google’s ChromeOS is an excellent (and less expensive) alternative, but it can’t run Windows or Mac software.

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, which in turn factors into battery size, laptop thickness, weight and price.

When it comes to deciding on a screen, there are a myriad number of considerations: size, resolution, what types of content you'll be looking at and whether or not you'll be using it for gaming or creative work. Higher resolutions are better for fitting more on a screen and look for a dot pitch of at least 100 pixels per inch as a rule of thumb.

The processor, aka the CPU, is the brains of a laptop. Intel and AMD are the main CPU makers for Windows laptops with a staggering selection between them. Generally, 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.

We highly recommend 16GB of RAM, with 8GB being the 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 the storage drive, which is slower.

You'll still find cheaper hard drives in budget laptops and larger hard drives in gaming laptops, but faster solid-state drives (SSDs) have all but replaced hard drives in most models. A 256GB SSD is the minimum, and 512GB will last longer without getting filled up.

What is the best laptop for high school students overall?  

We are just starting to see the first Copilot Plus PCs based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X processors , and these Windows-on-Arm laptops are closing the gap in battery life that MacBooks have enjoyed since Apple first introduced its own Arm-based M series laptop processors in 2020. Its Windows rivals may be gaining, but Apple’s current M3 MacBook Air is our favorite laptop for high school students because it’s now discounted to $850 at Amazon .

That’s a great price for a laptop that will get you through four years of high school and beyond. Until the M3 Air’s recent price drop at Amazon, we had recommended the original MacBook Air M1 for the high school set, which is now sold as a Walmart exclusive for just $649 . It’s still a great value for students on tight budgets, but we think the extra $200 is worth it for the updated design, slightly larger display, higher-resolution webcam and better performance of the newer M3 model. It's also available in 13- and 15-inch sizes, so you can choose between greater mobility or more workspace. 

For those looking for a Windows alternative to the Air, Microsoft's new Snapdragon X-based Surface Laptop 7 offers a similarly excellent mix of design, performance and battery life. We also like the HP Pavilion Plus 14 for its strong everyday performance and long battery life that comes in a compact, backpack-friendly weight at a budget-friendly price. Meanwhile, we like a quartet of Acer models if you are looking for a Chromebook, a Windows laptop at a Chromebook price or a more high-powered laptop for STEM classes or gaming.

At CNET, we test all kinds of laptops, ranging from budget models for everyday tasks to high-performance laptops for gaming and content creation and everything in between. Each member of our team has decades of experience testing and reviewing laptops. We not only conduct performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs, but also put each model through extensive hands-on use. This helps us find not only the best laptop overall, but the best laptop for your needs in your price range.

Best laptops for high school students

• Sizable performance gains from M1/Intel Airs
• All-around great design, features
• Adds dual display support, Wi-Fi 6E
• Base configuration short on memory, storage

Best laptop overall for high school students

Apple macbook air m3.

For Apple's latest MacBook Air, little has changed from its predecessor beyond a move from Apple's M2 silicon to M3 chips. The performance differences are overall modest, but graphics performance does get a notable bump. The biggest feature additions are faster Wi-Fi 6E support and the capability to run dual external displays, albeit at the cost of having the Air's lid closed. Still, since Apple gave the M2 MacBook Air (our previous best overall laptop pick) the full update treatment, the fact the M3 version is nearly the same except for faster performance doesn't bother us in the slightest; it's just that much better.

• Class-leading battery life
• Strong performance
• Awesome and accurate haptic touchpad
• No OLED option
• Upgrades get costly and don't include dedicated GPU
• Your Arm-on-Windows compatibility mileage may vary

Best MacBook alternative for high school students

Microsoft surface laptop 7.

The Surface Laptop 7 model we reviewed rings in at $2,000, which is beyond the reach of most student budgets. The line starts at $1,000, however, which makes it a bit more accessible. Students will like its polished design and class-leading battery life. Our test model ran for nearly 20 hours on a single charge, and you can expect a similar runtime from the entry-level unit. 

The Surface Laptop 7 reverses earlier Arm-on-Windows efforts that were plagued by lackluster performance and limited compatibility, with many x86 apps unable to run on an Arm-based system. This time around, performance has improved and so has compatibility. For $1,000, the Surface Laptop 7 features a Snapdragon X Plus CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. The storage capacity might be a bit tight, but it should offer sufficient performance for most people, along with the freedom to leave the charger at home for days at a time.

• Big boost to battery life
• Performance in benchmark tests shows the M1 Air easily outperforming Intel versions
• Fanless design runs cool and quiet
• No external design or feature changes
• App compatibility is an issue for early adopters
• No mobile broadband options, 5G or otherwise

Best budget laptop for high school students

Apple macbook air m1.

With the arrival of the M3 MacBook Air , Apple dropped the M1 model from its lineup and positioned the M2 MacBook Air as the new budget option at $999. The M1 Air lives on as an exclusive at Walmart for only $699.

Other than losing out on the performance gains from the newer M2 and M3 chips, what else are you sacrificing in choosing the M1 Air? It has a slightly smaller screen at 13.3 inches than the 13.6-inch display you get with the M2 and M3 models. The larger displays are also brighter at 500 nits compared with the 400-nit panel of the M1. The webcam resolution gets a bump, going from a 720p camera in the M1 to a 1080p camera on the newer models. Cosmetically, the M2 model introduced a flatter, boxier enclosure than the tapered design of the M1 Air.

The M1 MacBook still offers solid overall performance for most users and a long battery life of up to 18 hours. If you're a high school student, it's hard to go wrong with the most affordable MacBook Air.

  Read our MacBook Air M1 review .

• Excellent overall performance
• Gorgeous OLED display
• All-metal chassis
• Comfortable keyboard
• 1440p IR webcam with privacy shutter
• Weak speakers
• No Thunderbolt 4 support

Best low-cost OLED laptop for high school students

Hp pavilion plus 14.

The HP Pavilion Plus is a good fit for students because it delivers a stylish and solid all-metal chassis, good battery life and numerous configuration options at reasonable prices. It’s available in 14- and 16-inch sizes; we tested the 14-inch model, which is better for students who will take it across campus each day. HP offers AMD and Intel processors, and it can be configured with entry-level discrete graphics too. There are also multiple displays to match your budget, including a beautiful OLED panel.

The starting price is $850, but is often discounted for hundreds less. We recommend getting that OLED screen if you can afford it; the higher-resolution OLED panel adds $150 to the package and is worth it.

• Rugged, rigid all-metal chassis
• Rich colors and stellar contrast from OLED display
• Quad speakers produce good sound
• Generous 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD
• Display resolution merely adequate
• So-so touchpad
• No Windows Studio Effects for webcam

Best cheap OLED ultraportable laptop for high school students

Lenovo slim 7i.

The Slim 7i is the rare laptop that costs less than $1,000 and features an OLED display. And it’s not an outdated model that Lenovo put on sale to move it out. It supplies a modern, Core Ultra CPU along with an ample 32GB of RAM and a spacious 1TB SSD. And you get all of this inside an all-aluminum chassis that’s thin and light and strong.

You will need to be a member of Costco, however, to nab this 14-inch OLED laptop at its low price of $950. But if you belong to Costco or have a friend who does, the Slim 7i gets you the superior display quality of an OLED panel -- stellar contrast and vibrant colors -- at a price many students can afford. Non-members can still order the Slim 7i online, but you'll pay a 5% surcharge plus $15 in shipping. It's still a great deal at the nonmember price of $1,015.

• Great performance, long battery life
• Dockable USI stylus
• 1080p webcam
• Durable build
• Small touchpad
• No microSD slot

Best Chromebook for high school students

Acer chromebook spin 714.

This premium two-in-one doesn't stray far from its predecessor in terms of its sturdy design, nice-looking display, strong performance and long battery life. The main changes are an updated 13th-gen Intel Core i5 processor, but Acer removed the garaged pen for use on the touchscreen display. It still works with USI pens, though. There are less expensive options, but if you want a Chromebook that will last for years, this is it. Keep an eye out for sales on this one too: It normally lists for around $700, but can often be found for just $430 at Walmart. 

• Excellent battery life
• Enough performance for basic use
• Decent build quality for the price
• Dismal viewing angles for display
• 128GB SSD is tight for Windows laptop
• Grainy 720p webcam
• Terrible speakers
• Slow USB-C connectivity

Best Windows laptop for the price of a Chromebook

Acer aspire go 14.

Acer’s entry-level Aspire Go 14 is a good choice if you have a Chromebook budget but want a Windows laptop. For just $300, this entry-level laptop holds its own against other Windows models that cost twice as much or even more. The design cannot be described as enticing or exciting, but it's functional and unlikely to offend. Performance from the quad-core AMD Ryzen 3 7000 series CPU and 8GB of RAM suffices for basic use, and battery life is surprisingly long.

The 14-inch display features a modern 16:10 aspect ratio and is sufficiently bright, but it suffers from poor viewing angles that might take some getting used to before you settle on the right angle to position the display. Another drawback is the tight storage of the laptop’s meager 128GB SSD. Neither drawback is a deal breaker when you consider the bargain-basement price. The Aspire Go 14 provides great value with its acceptable build quality, capable performance and long battery life.

• Powerful yet ultraportable
• Strong performance from latest Intel and Nvidia tech
• Lots of ports
• Boring design
• Some flex to all-metal chassis
• Keyboard and touchpad are meh

Best laptop for STEM students

Acer swift x 14.

For STEM classes, you'll need some extra graphics power. The Acer Swift X 14 is our top pick among Windows laptops for its strong overall performance, beautiful OLED display and sensible price. The $1,500 model we tested features a 13th-gen Core i7 H-series processor and Nvidia Geforce RTX 4050 graphics. The combo is plenty for those starting in STEM as well as content creators. The display is large enough to work on for long stretches without feeling cramped, but it's also lightweight enough to be easily portable. If you don't need that graphics jolt, you can get the same awesome OLED display with integrated graphics for less in the  Swift Go 14 . And if you like the idea of the Swift X 14 but want a larger display, there's the  Swift X 16 .

• Leading 3D performance among budget gaming laptops
• Plastic keyboard deck is solid
• Aluminum top cover adds durability
• Roomy and bright 16-inch, 16:10 display
• Crisp, 1080p webcam
• Plenty of ports, including Thunderbolt 4
• Bulky and heavy
• Design borrows liberally from Acer's entry-level Nitro 16
• Weak audio output
• Short battery life

Best laptop for high school gamers

Acer predator helios neo 16.

Like other gaming laptop makers, Acer has two lines: a budget-friendly Nitro series and midrange and premium models that carry the Predator label. Oddly enough, it's under the latter you'll find our budget gaming pick: the Helios Neo 16. It's strikingly similar to the Acer Nitro 16, but with slightly better build quality and graphics performance. The only place it really faltered was its speakers, which put out disappointingly flat audio with nonexistent bass.

The Predator Helios Neo 16 was priced at $1,200 when it was first released, and now it can be found for closer to $1,000 at Amazon. That's a great price for RTX graphics power.

Other laptops we've tested

HP Envy x360 16 : This midrange convertible impresses with a premium OLED display. Its AMD Ryzen 8040 series CPU makes it pretty fast, too.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 : It’s a top gaming laptop for creators, too.

Dell Inspiron 2-in-1 7445 : A dim display dulls Dell's otherwise well-rounded, AI-equipped and affordable 14-inch convertible laptop.

Microsoft Surface Pro 11 : We've been waiting for decent Arm-on-Windows performance and for a screen upgrade, and together they've made the new Surface feel like a new tablet.

Acer Swift X 14 (2024) : The design won't wow you, but the 14.5-inch OLED display powered by RTX 4070 graphics is a great combo for on-the-go content creation.

Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640 : Content creators may bemoan the display choices, but this midtier, 16-inch laptop offers well-rounded performance from its Core Ultra chip and RTX graphics.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 : Lenovo makes strides with its second foldable-display laptop, but further refinements are still needed before it's ready for the masses.

Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Q425 : It's a boon to get an OLED display in such a portable package with great battery life for roughly $1,000, but the fit and finish feel decidedly midrange.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 : The latest X1 Carbon has many charms, but they will remain out of reach for many business buyers constrained by budgets.

Dell XPS 16 9640 : Dell's new 16-inch XPS model offers a unique design backed by strong performance and surprisingly long battery life. Just be prepared to pay for its many configurable charms.

Alienware m18 R2 Gaming Laptop : When you're this big, the sky's the limit.

Dell XPS 14 9440 : The radical look is sure to turn heads, but some of the daring design elements could be turn-offs. 

HP Omen Transcend 14 : Neither a featureless slab nor a carnival of lights, HP's latest 14-inch Omen has its own unique flair. It doesn't scrimp on substance, either.

Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7440 : For a reasonable $1,000, this 14-inch Dell model based on an Intel Core Ultra CPU lets you be productive and remain portable.

Alienware m16 R2 : This middle-class option for mainstreaming gaming fares better than average and is a sensible option for 1440p play.

Acer Predator Triton 14 : With fast performance and a bright HDR screen, this mainstream 14-inch gaming laptop can be a great gaming value.

How we test laptops

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 5 and 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. 

Factors to consider

There's a multitude of laptops on the market that would be a fit for high school students, and almost all of those models are available in multiple configurations to match your performance needs and budget restraints. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of options, we're here to help with advice on what to consider when shopping for a school laptop.

The search for a new laptop for most people starts with price, particularly for cash-strapped high school students. To end up with a laptop that will last you at least through four years of school, I would advise against choosing a bargain-basement, entry-level model. Additionally, you could get away with spending less upfront in past years with an eye toward upgrading memory and storage in the future. Laptop makers are increasingly moving away from making components easily upgradable, however, so it's best to get as many laptop capabilities 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 school tasks is between $700 and $800. For STEM students who need to run demanding STEM apps (or those looking for a bit of gaming -- after your homework is done, of course), you'll need to spend about $1,000 or a bit more. The key is to look for discounts on models in all price ranges so you can get more laptop for less. 

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. 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. 

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 -- although this nearly three-year-old Air is regularly discounted to $750. 

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, especially if you need it to last you through four years of school.

If you are on a tight budget, consider a Chromebook. ChromeOS is a different experience than Windows -- more streamlined and easier to use. It's limited, in that basically everything runs through the Chrome browser. Just make sure that your school or coursework doesn't require you to use apps that run only on a Windows or Mac machine.

If you plan on taking your laptop to class each day, then you'll want a lighter and thinner laptop. We recommend a model with a 13- or 14-inch display for most students. Larger 15- and 16-inch models provide more screen real estate for getting work done and juggling multiple windows, but you'll probably get tired of dragging it across campus.

When it comes to deciding on a screen, you have lots to consider: 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 or not you'll be using it for gaming or creative or STEM work.

You really want to optimize pixel density; that is, the number of pixels per inch the screen can display. Although other factors 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. 

Text and the edges of images can look fuzzy on a lower-resolution display. Look for a Full HD 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution at a minimum or a 1,920x1,200-pixel resolution on laptops with 16:10 aspect ratios that are taller than traditional 16:9 widescreen displays and provide more vertical screen space for work without significantly increasing the footprint. A Quad HD (QHD) resolution of 2,560×1,440 pixels (2,560×1,600 on a 16:10 display) will result in crisper text and images, and will likely suffice on a 13- or 14-inch laptop display -- you don't necessarily need a 4K display.

The processor, aka the CPU, is the brains of a laptop. Intel and AMD are the main CPU makers for Windows laptops. Both 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. 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. 

The graphics processor, or GPU, 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, STEM and design applications as well as gaming, 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.

For memory, we highly recommend 16GB of RAM, with 8GB being the absolute bare 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. 

Some PC makers will solder memory on and 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. 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, including voiding the warranty.

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. Not all SSDs are equally speedy, and cheaper laptops typically have slower drives; if the laptop only has 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 one. 

Laptop FAQs

How much do good laptops cost.

The good news for high school students on tight budgets is you can get a nice-looking, lightweight laptop with excellent battery life that will last you through four years of high school for less than $1,000. In the $700 to $800 range, you'll even find models with premium design touches like thin-display bezels and aluminum or magnesium bodies. 

Above $1,000 is where you'll find premium laptops and two-in-one convertible models that act as both laptops and tablets. 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. 

Which is better: MacOs or Windows?

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, but is regularly discounted to $750.  For a newer M2 MacBook, be prepared to spend $1,000 or more. 

For the money, you're getting great hardware top to bottom, inside and out. Apple has moved to using its own processors, which resulted in  across-the-board performance improvements  compared with older Intel-based models.

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 available on only 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 their schoolwork done. Over the years, Microsoft has done its best to follow suit and  is trying to remove any barriers  with  Windows 11 . 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 .

Are Chromebooks worth it?

Yes, they are , but they're not for everyone.  Google's Chrome OS has come a long way in the 10-plus years  since it arrived, and Chromebooks -- laptops that run on Chrome OS -- are great for students 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. With their low cost and ease of use, Chromebooks are a natural fit for students, but be sure your school or particular course of study doesn't have certain software requirements that make a laptop with either Windows or MacOS a requisite.

Which laptop is best for students who are also gamers?

You can play games on any laptop. What games you play and what content you create -- and the speed at which you do them -- varies 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. 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 art students and content creators, look for displays that cover at least 100% sRGB color space or, better yet, 100% DCI-P3.

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Best laptops 2024 tested — September top picks

One list of the top laptops we recommend, based on testing dozens of models from Apple, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft and more.

• Best overall
• Best for Windows
• Best Copilot laptop
• Best Chromebook
• Most repairable
• Best for gaming
• Best battery life
• Best MacBook Air alternative
• Best 2-in-1
• Best MacBook Pro alternative
• Best powerful MacBook
• Best dual screen laptop

Also tested

• Battery life results
• How to choose

Frequently asked questions

• How we test

The best laptops are powerful enough to handle both work and play, comfy enough to carry all day and efficient enough to ensure you won't run out of juice when you're in the lurch.

Luckily lots of great laptops exist to meet these needs, but that abundance also makes finding the best laptop for you awfully tricky. You can get a Chromebook or a compact, speedy Windows 11 laptop for not a lot of money, and those who can afford to spend a bit more have access to a slew of the best laptops from the likes of Apple, Dell, HP , Lenovo and more.

That's why we test and review dozens of laptops from top manufacturers every year, then gather the very best together here in one easy-to-read list to help you make a smarter purchase.

You can count on the fact that every laptop on this list has been tested and reviewed by myself or one of my colleagues, so you know a real person has used it in real life and really likes it. 

So whether you're shopping for a sleek new ultraportable, a cheap Chromebook, a new gaming laptop or the best MacBook for your needs, you can count on finding at least one great option here!

The quick list

In a hurry? Here's a brief overview of the laptops on this list, along with quick links that let you jump down the page directly to a review of whichever laptop catches your eye.

The MacBook Air 13-inch M3 is the laptop we recommend first to most people because it delivers unbeatable value. You get great performance from Apple's M3 chip, a bright display and more than 15 hours of battery life (according to our testing) in an ultraportable package.

Read more below

Acer's Aspire Go 15 is the best value in laptops right now because it's a decent Windows 11 ultraportable that can be yours for under $500. Sure, it's underpowered and the speakers suck, but I love it because you get a full laptop with a comfy keyboard, decent performance writing and editing and 10+ hours of tested battery life for less than an iPad.

The Dell XPS 13 (2024) is one of the best Windows laptops you can buy now that it has the power of Snapdragon X chips inside, which give this portable powerhouse killer speed and MacBook-beating battery life in our tests. The capacitive keys are controversial, but you can get used to them.

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x features blazing-fast performance, incredible battery life and a gorgeous OLED display in an elegant ultraportable chassis. Though its AI features aren’t impressive, it’s an all-around great Snapdragon X Elite Windows laptop that won’t break the bank.

Lenovo's Chromebook Duet 3 delivers a great display, a decent port selection and enough power to get work done. It's one of the best Chrome tablets you can buy, and the included keyboard cover helps it double as a surprisingly effective 2-in-1 Chromebook. 

Read more below 

The Framework Laptop is a truly unique ultraportable that's remarkably repairable and upgradeable. It's basically the anti-MacBook, designed to be easy to customize, upgrade and repair while delivering style and performance without compromise. Read more below

Load the next 6 products...

We've long been fans of the Zephyrus G14 because it has the chops to run most games at solid framerates, the efficiency to be used as a work laptop in a pinch, and a slim, compact chassis that's more portable than most gaming laptops.  

The MacBook Pro M3 replaces the 13-inch M2 model with a low cost version of the 14-inch Prosumer laptop. With this, you're afforded over 17 hours of battery life, which makes it the longest-lasting laptop on this list

Stylish, lightweight, and powerful, the Acer Swift 5 is a truly impressive Windows 11 laptop that rivals the latest MacBooks in terms of size, style and speed. This mid-range productivity notebook delivers compelling value thanks to its power and vivid 14-inch 1600p touchscreen.

We recommend the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED as the best 2-in-1 for the money because it's a light, beautiful and well-made ultraportable with the ports you need, plenty of speed and a vivid 2.8K OLED panel that makes watching movies or reading comics look stunning.

 The Asus ProArt P16 is a creative powerhouse of a laptop that doesn’t forget about the ergonomics for making great things. From that gorgeous 4K OLED touchscreen to the DialPad, everything keeps you in your flow. 

If you need the most powerful MacBook Pro ever released, look no further than the MacBook Pro 16-inch powered by the M3 Max chip. This laptop renders videos at blazing-fast speeds and is also great for high-end gaming. It also features a sleek new Space Black design.

Dual screen laptops are quickly becoming all the rage, and there's no better option than the new Asus Zenbook Duo — providing Intel Core Ultra performance to keep everything on those gorgeous dual 14-inch 3K OLED displays running fast, and offering it all at just $1,499.

Alex Wawro is a lifelong journalist who's spent over a decade covering tech, games and entertainment. He oversees the computing department at Tom's Guide, which includes managing laptop coverage and reviewing many himself every year. 

The best laptops you can buy today

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.

The best laptop overall

1. apple macbook air m3.

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

✅ You need a long-lasting laptop:  The MacBook Air M3 lasted more than 15 hours in our battery test, which is longer than its predecessors. This laptop can last you all day and more. ✅ You want a small, fast MacBook:  The M3 chip inside this MacBook Air gives it more than enough power for multitasking, and it pairs well with the long battery life and light weight. While it can't crunch video or play games as well as the MacBook Pros with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips, this is the ultimate MacBook for getting things done on the go.

❌ You want to play games: While this laptop does a stellar job of running games optimized for Apple silicon, non-supported games have trouble running at acceptable frame rates. There's also the lack of developer support. If games are important to you, consider looking elsewhere. ❌  You own a MacBook Air 13-inch M2:  The MacBook Air M3 is certainly powerful, completely outclassing its M1 counterpart. However, if you own an Air M2, you don't need its M3 variant since the performance difference between the two is minimal.

💻  The MacBook Air M3 is a bit pricey, but it justifies the premium with an unbeatable combination of performance, battery life, display quality and portability.

1. The best MacBook : See all models compared 2. The best laptops for battery life 3. The best 2-in-1 laptops , for when you can't decide between a laptop and a tablet

What you need to know The MacBook Air M3 is an excellent all-rounder that feels truly worthy of the Air name. Though it's virtually indistinguishable from the excellent MacBook Air 13-inch M2 that previously topped this list, the M3 variant is hard to dismiss.

The MacBook Air M3 (from $1,099) is a breath of fresh you-know-what, and that’s because Apple paired that speedy M3 chip with the same ultraportable design of its predecessor. It's a potent blend of performance and portability, one we recommend as one of the best laptops for getting work done on the go for most folks.

Design:  The MacBook Air M3 is so thin it could easily be mistaken for an iPad when closed (especially if the Apple logo is facing out). That’s how slim this notebook is. Measuring just 0.44 inches thick with the lid open, an everyday Bic pen looks chunky next to this machine.

Don't expect to get much in the way of ports, however. As before, you get just a pair of Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports along the left edge, alongside a MagSafe power adapter. At least you also get a headphone jack.

Display: The 13.6-inch display offers a 2,560 x 1,664-pixel resolution and gets nice and bright in person, so it's a pleasant place to watch videos, write emails, edit photos and whatever else you want to do.  

The MacBook Air M3 did well in our display tests, too. When we tested it with our light meter we found it delivers an average brightness of 476 nits, peaking around 496 when viewing HDR videos. That’s brighter than the  Dell XPS 13 OLED ’s 357-nit average.

Performance:  On Geekbench 6, which measures overall performance, the MacBook Air M2 hit 3,082 on the single-core CPU test and 12,087 on multi-core. That’s faster than both its predecessors, though the performance gulf is widest between the old Air M1 and Air M3. For more details, check out our in-depth MacBook Air M3 benchmark results !

Battery life:  The MacBook Air M3 is one of the longest-lasting laptops for the money. On the Tom’s Guide battery test, the new Air averaged 15 hours and 13 minutes, which is better than average.

Read the full review: MacBook Air 13-inch M3

• ^ Back to the top

The best value laptop

2. acer aspire go 15.

✅You need a Windows 11 laptop under $500: The Acer Aspire Go 15 is one of the best laptops under $500 you can get, in my opinion, because it delivers all the utility of a Windows ultraportable for $299. If you need a cheap laptop for school or getting basic work done, this is a great choice. ✅ You need a versatile productivity machine:  Acer's Aspire Go 15 can feel sluggish and can't run demanding games or apps, but what it can do is handle web surfing, writing, schoolwork and emails. The keyboard is surprisingly spacious and comfy and you get a versatile array of ports to boot, making this cheap laptop surprisingly good for school and office work.

❌ You can't stand sluggish PCs: The Acer Aspire Go 15 can help you get work done, but it won't do it quickly. The weak Intel Core i3-N305 CPU in our review unit chugged if I opened too many Chrome tabs or apps at once, and forget about playing any but the simplest of PC games.

❌ You want to look good on video calls: The cheap 720p webcam built into the Acer Aspire Go 15 is just not very good. It's serviceable if you need to have a chat with colleagues or family, but you won't look your best.

💻  The Acer Aspire Go 15 is a cheap Windows laptop, in both good and bad ways. Luckily, the parts of it which feel cheap in a bad way aren't dealbreakers unless you really can't stand a slow laptop. But if you can make peace with its underpowered performance, the Go 15 will reward you with a sturdy, versatile Windows experience that can last 10+ hours on a full battery, according to our testing. 

1. Best budget laptops 2. I review PCs for a living and this $300 laptop does more than an iPad for less

What you need to know The Acer Aspire Go 15 is a cheap laptop in good and bad ways. For $299 you get a thick-set 15-inch ultraportable with a spacious keyboard, plenty of ports and 10+ hours of tested battery life.

Of course, you have to make some trade-offs when you buy this laptop. The speakers aren't very good, the low-res webcam makes you look washed-out and performance in anything but writing and browsing the web is pretty disappointing.

But if you can live with those compromises you get a pretty useful laptop for not very much money. It's the kind of thing I'd recommend a parent give a child as their first laptop, as it's great for surfing the web and doing homework. Remote learning, office work and research are all easy to do on this affordable 15-incher, but don't expect to play games or run apps more complicated than Minecraft.

Design:  The Acer Aspire Go 15 is a thick-set laptop that measures roughly ‎14.29 x 9.44 x 0.74 inches and weighs 3.86 pounds. That makes it a bit chunkier and heavier than your average 15-inch ultraportable, but it's still easy enough to carry around the house or toss into a backpack on the way to school.

I actually find the plain silver chassis to be kind of attractive since it's so simple and straightforward, but you can always spruce it up with stickers if you want some flair. Along the edges you'll find a decent port array, including two USB-A ports and a USB-C port, an HDMI out and a 3.5mm headphone jack—which is nice to have given the way headphone ports have become an increasingly rare commodity on modern laptops.

Display: If you're a display snob, you might be a bit unhappy with the Acer Aspire Go 15's 15.6-inch LCD screen. The 60Hz 1080p display is plenty good enough for browsing the web or reading, but videos and games look a bit washed-out and dim.

But as long as you're not planning to use this thing outside in direct sunlight all the time, it's more than good enough for basic work and play. 

Performance:  The big weak point of this laptop is its performance. The Intel Core i3-N305 CPU and 8GB of RAM in our review unit is fine as long as you're just running a web browser with some open tabs and maybe an app like Spotify in the background, but forget about running demanding apps without serious slowdown.

Not only can you not do much in the way of serious photo/video editing on this machine, but you can't play many games and you definitely won't be able to run any onboard AI apps. Heck, even opening more than 10+ tabs in Chrome can make this laptop feel noticeably slower.

Battery life:  One nice thing about this laptop's underpowered CPU is the fact that it doesn't eat up much battery power when you're out and about.

I know because this laptop lasted just over 10 hours (10:15) in our in-house battery test, which means you can safely carry it through a day of work or school without needing to lug the charger with you. You'll have to keep the screen dim and be sparing with the apps, but 10+hours of tested battery life is pretty good for a Windows laptop.

Read the full review: Acer Aspire Go 15

The best Windows laptop

3. dell xps 13.

✅ You want a great Windows laptop: There are many great Windows laptops out there, but the Dell XPS 13 shines with its winning combo of svelte design, performance and portability.  ✅You want great battery life: The Snapdragon X chip helped our review unit last nearly 20 hours (19:41) in our battery test, which is incredible for a Windows laptop. If you want all-day battery life, get an XPS with Snapdragon inside. ✅ You don't use a lot of peripherals: The XPS 13 only offers two USB-C ports, one of which you need to use when charging the laptop, so it's not great for folks who like to plug in a lot of devices.

❌ You like physical keys: The Dell XPS 13 has no physical function keys, instead sporting a touch-sensitive bar with light-up capacitive touch keys in its place. So if you hate capacitive touch keys, don't buy this laptop. ❌ Ports are important: The XPS 13 sports 2 USB-C ports, and that's it. You don't even get a headphone jack (though it does come with an adapter that lets you plug some into a USB port), so if you value ports don't buy this laptop.

💻  The Dell XPS 13 is an excellent Windows laptop that's perfect for work thanks to its light weight, speedy performance and incredible battery life. 

1. Dell XPS 15 OLED (2022) vs MacBook Pro 16-inch 2. I used the Dell XPS 15 OLED for 6 months — what I found

What you need to know The Dell XPS 13 hits a sweet spot between portability, price and performance in a Windows laptop. 

We've long loved the excellent compromise between portability and screen size that is the XPS 13, and the 2024 model maintains that killer look while upgrading to a killer Snapdragon X CPU that delivers outstanding battery life.

While the row of capacitive touch function keys and the invisible touchpad are controversial design choices that take some getting used to, those that do will be rewarded with one of the best Windows laptops you can buy. The 2024 Dell XPS 13 may only have a pair of USB-C ports and little else in the port department, but if you just need a fast, lightweight Windows 11 machine for getting things done on the go, this is a great choice.

Design:  At 11.6 x 7.8 x 0.6 inches inches and roughly 2.6 pounds heavy, the Dell XPS 13 is pretty portable and easy to carry. Plus, it looks great on a desk. You can throw it in your backpack and carry it through a day of school or work, without having to worry about feeling the extra load.

Display: The 13.4-inch display on the XPS 15 looks great and almost appears to hover in the the air thanks to the thin bezels of its InfinityEdge display. It's not especially lush but it does get bright, which is nice when working outside in the sun.

Performance:  The Dell XPS 13 is a capable machine, and our review unit was more than speedy enough at time of review thanks to its Snapdragon X Elite CPU, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD.

However, be aware that without the option to put a discrete graphics card in this laptop it will never be great for gaming on anything other than cloud gaming services.

Battery life:  Our Dell XPS 13 review unit lasted 19 hours and 41 minutes in our battery test, which is amazing battery life. You can carry this laptop through a whole day of work or school confident that you won't have to bring a charger.

However, it is much better than many Windows laptops, including the preceding XPS 15 (2021), which couldn't even last 8 hours in the same test. The newer XPS 15 also beat out both Windows ultraportables like the the  Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7  (8:06) and gaming laptops like the Alienware x14 (5:35).

Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 (2024) review

The best Copilot laptop

4. lenovo yoga slim 7x.

✅ You want a great Copilot+ laptop: Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X Elite chips are great, but the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x delivers a great combination of portability, performance and battery life. ✅You want an OLED display:  The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x's OLED display is one of its strongest attributes. It delivers vibrant colors and deep contrasts at a sharp 2,944 x 1,840 resolution. ✅ You want dependable battery life:  The Yoga Slim 7x lasted for 14 hours on our battery life test, which is well more than you'll need for a full workday — with enough left over to stream some videos.

❌ You expect useful AI features: This is an issue with all Copilot+ PCs at the moment, but the advertised AI features this laptop supports aren't fully realized yet. As such, don't expect this laptop to deliver in that regard. ❌ You want a headphone jack: If you want to listen to music or videos without bothering your neighbors then you'll need to use a pair of wireless headphones since this laptop doesn't have a headphone jack.

💻  The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x is arguably the best Copilot+ PC thanks to its ultraportable design, fast performance, gorgeous OLED panel and phenomenal battery life. Best of all, it won't break the bank.

1. HP OmniBook X review 2. This is the longest-lasting laptop

What you need to know The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x is built for portability and efficiency.

Thanks to its Snapdragon X Elite chip, you'll get more than all-day battery life and enough performance to power through your regular workload. The OLED panel is a marvel to behold, and its ultraportable design makes it easy to travel with. For $1,199, it offers an excellent value all around.

Design:  At 12.8 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches and weighing 2.8 pounds, this svelte notebook is almost as thin and light as the 13-inch MacBook Air. And thanks to its sturdy aluminum chassis and tasteful Cosmic Blue color, it looks just as good as Apple’s laptop.

Display: The OLED display is a big selling point. It pumps out inky blacks, eye-scorching whites, and super-saturated colors. In addition, the sharp 2,944 x 1,840 resolution means everything you’re looking at is nice and clear.

Performance:  The Yoga Slim 7x can easily handle most everyday workloads thanks to its fast Snapdragon X Elite processor and 16GB of RAM (upgradeable to 32GB). It also runs cool and quiet. In our battery test, it matched or exceeded its Apple M-series and Intel Core Ultra-driven competitors.

Battery life:  In our battery test, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x averaged 14 hours and 14 minutes, which is astonishing for a Windows laptop.

Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x

The best Chromebook

5. lenovo duet 3.

✅ You want a Chromebook that turns into a tablet: The Duet 3 is a Chrome tablet at heart, but the included snap-on keyboard turns it into a decent laptop that's good enough to get you through a day of class. ✅You prize screen quality: You can get Chromebooks for less, but many have dim, low-quality screens. Not so with the Duet 3, which sports an 11-inch 2K screen with great color reproduction that gets plenty bright. 

❌ You plan to do a ton of typing: The detachable keyboard on the Duet 3 is good enough to type out some emails or even a paper, but if you'll be typing all day on it you'll want something a little more comfortable. ❌ You need a headphone jack: It's disappointing that you can't plug in a pair of inexpensive earbuds. You'll have to invest in one of the  best wireless earbuds  or  best wireless headphones  if you want to do any private listening (or Zoom calls) on the Duet 3.

💻  The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 is a remarkably versatile and well-made Chrome 2-in-1 for not much money. While it has some issues, including an uncomfortable keyboard and no headphone jack, we feel it's the best Chromebook for most people.

1. Best Chromebooks 2. Best Chromebooks for kids 3. Best student Chromebooks

hat you need to know The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 is a cheap, performant Chrome tablet with a great screen and a packed-in keyboard that makes it a surprisingly versatile 2-in-1.

The fact that the Duet 3 doubles as both a tablet and a laptop gives it remarkable versatility for the price, but you should know that detachable keyboards are not as comfortable to type on as a traditional clamshell laptop keyboard. So if you plan to do a lot of writing on your Chromebook, you might be happier with another of the best Chromebooks on the market. 

But if you like the idea of a Chrome tablet that you can type on when you want to knock out an email or a social post, the Duet 3 delivers great value in a slim package.

Design:   The Duet 3 sports a luminous 11-inch 2K (2,000 x 1,200 pixels) screen housed in a black aluminum chassis that, at 10.16 x 6.48 x 0.31 inches and just 1.14 pounds, isn't hard to hold. Sure, the Duet 3 isn't quite as thin or light as pricier tablets like the base  iPad 2021  (0.29 inches, 1.09 pounds), but it's awful close and feels plenty light enough to carry around the house all day.

Display: The Duet 3's 11-inch 2K display on the Duet 3 gets nice and  bright, with good color accuracy. It's plenty responsive too, which you want in a touchscreen. 

It gets a bit reflective in direct sunlight, but remains plenty usable for most applications.

Performance:  Our Duet 3 review unit is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 chip, and it feels plenty snappy for basic work. In my own day-to-day work and play I was able to open 2-0+ tabs in Chrome and stream music, watch videos on the Amazon Prime Video app, and play a game downloaded from the Google Play Store with no hitching or performance issues.

This tablet is no speed demon, but if you just need it for basic web browsing and entertainment you'll have no complaints.

Battery life:  The Duet 3 lasted roughly 10 hours and 30 minute in our battery test, which is good enough that you can carry it to a day of classes without having to worry about plugging in. In my own hands-on time using the tablet at home, I found I could reliably use it sparingly for a few days and still count on having upwards of 70% battery life when I picked it up.

Read the full review: Lenovo Duet 3

The easiest laptop to repair and upgrade

6. framework laptop.

✅ You care about your right to repair: I've never seen a laptop that's easier to open up, fiddle around with and put back together. No other laptop on the market can match the Framework in this regard, so if you care about being able to repair and upgrade your laptop, this is the one for you. ✅ You're plagued by port envy: On most laptops, the ports it comes with are all you get. The Framework is different: you can change what ports it sports by buying hot-swappable Expansion Cards that you plug into 4 slots on the bottom of the laptop, and each can have one port on it. So you can swap out 2 USB-C and 2 USB-A ports for 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A, a DisplayPort out and an Ethernet jack, for example. ✅ You like a tall screen: The 3:2 display ratio of the Framework's screen feels a bit taller than the displays found on most laptops, and it's great for working with "tall" things like long documents, emails, coding projects and more.

❌ You're scared by pieces of your laptop coming off: The Framework is well-designed and sturdy, but because it's designed to be taken apart you may occasionally find yourself accidentally doing something like popping the bezel off the screen. This is a feature, not a problem, but it can unnerve new owners. ❌ You don't want to pay extra for ports: The Framework offers unrivaled port versatility thanks to its Expansion Card system, but it does entail buying a handful of Cards for all the ports and other options you want, some of which could be easily lost or misplaced.

💻  The Framework Laptop is a remarkable piece of tech. It's a great laptop for getting work done, but more than that it's a statement of purpose, a clear example that every other laptop maker could be building and selling us more repairable, sustainable laptops if they cared to as much as Framework does. Its a fantastic investment if you care about your right to repair and upgrade your own laptop.

What you need to know When it came out we called the Framework Laptop the Anti-MacBook because it's everything Apple doesn't do in laptops: Repairable, upgradable and respectful of your rights as an owner.

I was initially excited about those promises but dubious the company could deliver on them without some glaring sacrifices. But now that I’ve used one myself, I’m happy to report the Framework Laptop is as good as advertised. The updated Framework Laptop 13 the company shipped in 2023 only reinforced my opinions. With its intentionally easy-to-repair design (you can pop pieces off this laptop and get at the innards in minutes, with no tools besides the spudger it comes with) and super cool swappable Expansion Card ports, the Framework Laptop 13 is a versatile ultraportable that's one of the best laptops you can buy if you care about your right to repair and tinker with your devices. 

Design:  The Framework sports a simple silver aluminum chassis that blends right in with all the other laptops in the coffee shop, until you spot the Framework gear logo on the lid. At 11.67 x 9 x 0.62 inches in size and just 2.8 pounds, this DIY ultraportable is just as thin and even a hair lighter than Apple's  MacBook Air with M1 , an especially incredible feat when you realize the Framework achieves that 0.62-inch thinness while still being modular and full of easy to access, mostly user-replaceable parts that, unlike a MacBook, aren't needlessly soldered to the mainboard in a way that makes repairing or upgrading a MacBook nearly impossible. 

Display: The Framework's 13.5-inch display is sharp and functional, and its relatively7 rare 2,256 x 1,504 resolution (a byproduct of the 3:2 aspect ratio) is well-suited for viewing webpages and text. It also gets plenty bright in person, though you'll probably be frustrated if you try using it outdoors in direct sun.

Performance:  While the Framework I tested performed well under pressure, the cooling fans are awfully loud and sometimes kick on even when doing light work like browsing the web. It also underperformed a bit in our performance benchmarks compared to a lot of its contemporaries. Our unit also fell a bit behind its contemporaries in our performance tests, so while it's great for work and some light gaming I wouldn't try taxing it with anything more serious.

Battery life:  The Framework’s battery is good enough to get you through a day of work without needing to pack a charger, which is great to see in a productivity laptop. The Framework lasted 11 hours and 38 minutes in our battery test, which as you'll see from the chart of test results is quite good compared to some other laptops on this page.

Read the full review: Framework Laptop 13 (2023)

The best gaming laptop

7. asus rog zephyrus g14.

✅ You want a gaming laptop you can take to class: You can find gaming laptops with lower price tags, bigger screens or more powerful innards, but you won't find many with better battery life, or that look as good on a desk. The Zephyrus G14 stands apart from the crowd by being powerful to play the latest games, yet performant and low-profile enough to double as a work laptop. ✅ You want an all-AMD gaming machine: PC diehards have strong feelings about Intel vs. AMD vs. Nvidia components. If you prefer an all-AMD laptop, the Zephyrus G14 can deliver that, and the much-ballyhooed efficiency of AMD components may have something to do with this laptop's remarkable battery life.

❌ You want more than 14 inches: The 14-inch (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) 120Hz display on the Zephyrus G14 is great, but it's a little small to really enjoy playing games to full effect. You could always hook the laptop up to one of the best gaming monitors , but if you want a larger canvas for gaming on the go you should look elsewhere. ❌  Webcam quality matters: The 720p webcam in the latest ROG Zephyrus G14 leaves a lot to be desired, and if you use it for streaming you'll hardly look your best. That said, earlier Zephyrus G14 models didn't even have webcams, so at least you get one this time around.

💻  The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a great gaming laptop, delivering a potent blend of performance, portability and power efficiency. The bright 16:10 120Hz display makes games and movies look great, while the speakers sound good enough that you won't feel compelled to use headphones.

What you need to know The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is one of the  best gaming laptops  on the market for most people because it's powerful, easy to carry and offers best-in-class battery life (for a gaming laptop). The newer models offer a better, brighter screen than earlier models, with good speakers and an AMD CPU/GPU combo that delivers solid gaming performance. This model also has a webcam built into the top bezel of the display, a convenience for video calls that earlier models lacked. 

However, the Zephyrus G14 can't always deliver better performance than similarly-priced gaming laptops, and the webcam isn't very good. Still, you'd have a hard time finding a better gaming laptop (that can also double as a work or school laptop) for this price.

Design:  The Zephyrus G14 measures 12.28 x 8.94 x 0.77 inches, weighs 3.79 pounds and looks good in Asus’ bright Moonlight White color scheme. The rounded corners and tapered edges balance out the sharp diagonal vents scattered across the chassis, and the optional and eye-catching AniMe Matrix mini-LED display on the back of the lid is a $600 cosmetic upgrade that will definitely turn heads.

Display: The 14-inch WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) display on the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022) looks great, and with its 16:10 aspect ratio I had no trouble juggling a lot of open windows on the desktop. The 120Hz refresh rate, 3ms response time and support for Dolby Vision HDR ensure the display is well-suited to making games and movies look their best.

Performance:  Gaming performance is what matters in a laptop like this, and the 2022 Zephyrus G14 delivers if you configure it right. Our well-equipped review unit  to hit 30-40 frames per second in Cyberpunk 2077 on max settings. However, that was with the help of AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution upscaling tech. In general, this laptop can run the best PC games quite well, and it has no trouble with basic productivity tasks.

Battery life:   The Asus Zephyrus G14 (2022) lasted roughly 10 hours and 14 minutes in our Tom's Guide battery test, and barely over an hour when gaming. That's great web browsing time for a gaming laptop, so this is a great choice if you want a gaming machine that can also last through a day of classes.

Read the full review: Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022)

The longest-lasting laptop

8. macbook pro 14-inch (m3, 2023).

✅ You want a fast MacBook: While it can't match the video-crunching power of the beefier M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pros, the M3-equipped 14-inch MacBook Pro 2023 is one of the fastest laptops on the block.

✅Battery life is key: The 2023 MacBook Pro sets a high-water mark for battery life when we tested it, lasting over 17 hours in our battery endurance tests. That's one of the longest-lived laptops we've ever tested.  ✅ You want Pro features for cheaper: In killing the 13-inch MacBook Pro, Apple is giving its cheapest pro that gorgeous 120Hz Liquid Retina XDR display, some of the best speakers we've heard on a laptop, and more ports.

❌ You don't like the notch: With the benefits the adoption of the 14-inch model's design bring, one key drawback is the notch. If that's going to buy you, you may want to shop elsewhere.

❌ You're looking for additional Pro power: The standard 3nm chipset is good, but the M3 Pro and M3 Max do hold a lot more power potential — particularly in the graphics department. ❌  Price-to-performance matters: With a retail price of $1,599, the M3 MacBook Pro is relatively affordable. However, there are Windows machines at this price range that offer more horsepower like a dedicated GPU for gaming.

💻  The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 delivers blistering performance and an even brighter display along with surprisingly robust graphics and super-long battery life.

What you need to know The new M3 MacBook Pro represents a big shift in Apple's laptop range, as the company (finally) killed off its 13-inch model with Touch Bar in favor of the far more premium 14-inch frame. 

Alongside this, it delivers mind-blowing performance along with a class-leading battery life, a Liquid Retina XDR display, full-height function keys, amazing speakers, and a class-leading battery life.

Design:  The new MacBook Pro features that same unibody aluminum design that was previously reserved for the Pro and Max MacBook Pros. Gone is that classic look with the eyesore of a Touch Bar, and in its place is a utilitarian frame that comes with a somewhat distracting display notch.

Along the left side of the laptop you'll find the MagSafe charging port, two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Over on the right you’ll find the HDMI port and SD Card slot.

Display: The MacBook Pro M3’s 14-inch, mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display is still one of the best you’ll find on any laptop, even if it’s not as rich as an OLED panel. And Apple has boosted the brightness on the latest model when viewing SDR (standard dynamic range) content to 555 nits in our own testing.

Performance:  The MacBook Pro’s M3 chip is the latest and greatest slice of Apple silicon, which is why this is one of the most powerful laptops on this list if you care about demanding work like photo/video editing or game development.

Our testing reveals this beast is at least 20% faster than the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 , and it's a decent gaming laptop as well as it can run the latest titles like Lies of P at a smooth 60 FPS, with bells and whistles like hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

Battery life:  In our battery testing our 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro lasted for 17 hours and 23 minutes. That's admittedly not quite as long as the 18:20 delivered the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2, but with that model now discontinued this is the new top dog of Apple's laptops when it comes to battery life.

In short, the M3 MacBook Pro can easily last you through a full day of work and beyond. If you need great battery life, this is the longest-lasting laptop on this list.

Read the full review: MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3, 2023)

The best MacBook Air alternative

9. acer swift 5 (2022).

✅ You love 1600p resolution: The Swift 5 is a great all-rounder, but one thing that sets it apart is its unique 2,560 x 1,600 display. That's effectively the 16:10 equivalent to 1440p, and if you love the idea of a taller, higher-res display on your Windows laptop this is one of the few to deliver it. ✅ You want a MacBook Air M2 competitor for less: Acer gave the 2022 Swift 5 a smart redesign and a component upgrade that helps it rival premium ultraportables like Apple's MacBook Air or Dell's XPS 13, but the Swift 5 costs a bit less than either. 

❌ You want to play a lot of games: The beautiful 1600p display makes what you do on the Swift 5 look great, but you won't be doing a lot of high-intensity gaming with just an Intel CPU and no discrete GPU. ❌ You hate bloatware: Almost every new PC comes with some software pre-installed, but Acer really takes it up a notch. You’ll find unnecessary apps like Booking.com, Simple Mahjong, Planet9 Link, Aura Privacy, ExpressVPN, Forge of Empires, and other programs that aren’t part of a vanilla Windows 11 install on a new Swift 5, which is a hassle to clear out.

💻 The Acer Swift 5 , with its great 1600p display, fast SSD, a great design — and a good price — represents a very strong value compared to similarly-specced competitors. Those looking for a productivity notebook will especially appreciate its 16:10 display, which makes it easier to view documents and spreadsheets. However, it's not an ideal gaming platform, and its battery life could be better. 

What you need to know The Acer Swift 5 (2022) is a svelte Windows laptop sporting a slick design, a gorgeous 1600p display and a speedy enough 12th-gen Intel chip onboard to get you through  a day of work. It’s also cheaper than its chief rivals when comparably equipped. 

While this laptop has some flaws, it's a great machine that delivers a lot of value for its sub-$2k price tag. 

Design:  While older Swift 5 laptops looked pretty generic, the 2022 model has a beautiful design with eye-catching edges decked out in a double-anodized gold treatment. 

Measuring 12.2 x 8.4 x 0.59 inches and weighing just 2.65 pounds, the Acer Swift 5 is thicker than Apple's MacBook Air but also a hair lighter. The Acer Swift 5 feels sturdy despite its light weight thanks to its resilient aluminum chassis, and our review unit had a beautiful diamond pattern traced on it in gold lines that are as thin as a human hair, according to Acer.

Display: The Acer Swift 5’s 14-inch panel looks beautiful, and its WQXGA resolution (2560x1600, or 1600p) ensures it can deliver more pixels on-screen than more traditional 1080p or 1440p laptop displays.

The display offers a 16:10 aspect ratio, and in our testing the big, wide screen was easy to digest at a glance and made the games and movies we watched on it look great. 

Performance:  The Acer Swift 5 is plenty speedy thanks to its Intel CPU and 16GB of RAM. While this machine can't achieve the same speeds as other, more expensive laptops on this list, like the M3 MacBook Pro, it's plenty powerful enough for getting work done.

And while you shouldn't expect to play the latest and greatest games at max settings on this laptop, less demanding games like Fortnite , Rocket League, and League of Legends can be enjoyed for hours with decent-looking graphics courtesy of the laptop's integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics chipset.

Battery life:  Sadly, we've hit the one disappointing point in this otherwise glowing overview. While the Acer Swift 5 is a stunning little Windows laptop that's plenty good enough for what it costs, the fact that it barely lasted over 11 hours in our battery test was a little disappointing.

Don't get me wrong, it's still longer-lasting than most Windows laptops, including a few on this list. But our battery test is done under controlled conditions with the screen kept quite dim, and in the real world when you're perhaps using it in the bright sun or playing games on it, it will last a lot less time. In our review we noticed that using the laptop normally at max brightness caused it to conk out in about 5 hours, which is disappointing. Thankfully, it does charge quickly.

Read the full review: Acer Swift 5 (2022)

The best 2-in-1 laptop

10. asus zenbook 14 flip oled.

✅ You love ultraportables : The Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED is one of the thinnest laptops out there — which is impressive for a 2-in-1. Because of its svelte design and light weight, it's easy to carry around wherever you go.

✅ You want an OLED display : You don't usually see OLED panels on laptops under $1,000 — which makes the Zenbook 14 Flip all the more attractive. This display doesn't get too bright, but its rich picture quality makes up for that.

✅ You want a 2-in-1: This one is obvious, but if you want a device that's both a laptop and tablet, the Zenbook 14 Flip OLED is worth considering, especially for its excellent $999 asking price.

❌ You need long battery life: 9 hours of battery life used to be great, but not so in a world of MacBooks that can last 15 hours or more. So if you want more than 12 hours of battery life, you might want to look elsewhere. ❌ You want a good webcam: If you want to look your best during video calls, then this Zenbook 14 Flip OLED's ancient 720p won't do you any favors.

💻 The Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED is a premium 2-in-1 because it's sturdy, looks great on a desk and comes with plenty of power (and plenty of ports) to get things done. The vivid 2.8K OLED display is the cherry on top that makes everything you do on this laptop look nice. It doesn't have the muscle for serious gaming, but if you want to browse the web, watch movies and read comics this is a great 2-in-1 for you.

What you need to know The Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED has a gorgeous display that's ideal for watching videos, and it has one of the best laptop keyboards we’ve tested in a long time. It's also a decent performer, so you don't have to deal with the slow loading and weak gaming potential of some other 2-in-1 laptops.

However, it's not perfect. The webcam isn't great, and the battery life can leave you wanting. The light-up LED number pad on the touchpad is a nice touch, but it can be annoying if you don't like it. 

That said, this is inarguably one of the best 2-in-1 laptops on the market because it performs well, looks great and offers plenty of ports for a price that never gets higher than $1,300.

Design:  Measuring 12.2 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches and weighing 3.3 pounds ensures the Zenbook 14 Flip is a great travel laptop. While it's not as thin and light as the 13-inch  MacBook Air M2  or some other laptops on this list, it's easy to carry from room to room and not a hassle to throw in a backpack to take with you to school.

Display: One of the main selling points of this laptop is its 14-inch 2.8K OLED panel, and it delivers both in our own hands-on testing and in our performance testing lab, achieving bright brights, deep darks and beautiful contrasts between light and shadow. A good OLED panel makes everything you do on it look better, and this laptop is no exception.

Performance:  The 13th Gen Intel Core CPU and 16GB of RAM in our Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED review unit ensure that this thin-and-light laptop doesn't straggle when it comes time to work. While this laptop can't exactly tear through big video editing projects or play the latest and greatest games at ultra-high settings, it's more than good enough for work and play.

Battery life:  In our battery test the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED lasted for 8 hours and 53 minutes, which is good but not great. It's acceptable and not a huge hassle if you don't plan to carry it around for a full day, but if you do it's kind of a bummer that you need to bring a charger with you or else risk running out of juice at a key moment.

Read the full review: Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED .

The best MacBook Pro alternative

11. asus proart p16.

✅ You’re looking for a Windows 11 laptop for creativity: Whether you’re workload heavily involves Photoshop or Premiere Pro, or if you have a passion for music creation in Pro Tools, the sheer performance potential of this machine will keep up with any demands. ✅ You want confidence in the color of your work: Not every OLED display is the same. They can look amazing, but not be calibrated for accuracy. Every ProArt P16 is color calibrated so you can be sure that what you’re working on is true to what it will look like in real-life. Plus that display is simply gorgeous. ✅ You want a laptop you’re proud to whip out in public: A lot of laptops with dedicated GPUs can look a bit garish. The ProArt P16 is very demure and very mindful with its sleek aluminum shell, stellar keyboard and responsive touchpad with DialPad to dial into your creativity.

❌ You value battery life highly: For the general day-to-day, the stamina is OK. But any additional pressure like RAW Photoshop editing will drain it fast. ❌ You need lightning fast loading speeds: The SSD loading times in here aren’t overtly bad, but there are far faster options out there for transferring dense files — like the MacBook Pro.

💻  The Asus ProArt P16 is easily one of the best creator laptops you can buy — packing stellar performance, a fantastic display, great ergonomics and AI smarts into a carefully considered and sexy chassis.

What you need to know

The Asus ProArt P16 takes the familiar aluminum unibody enclosure of the ROG Zephyrus G16, classes it up a little and repurposes it for creators. It sounds like a small change, but the big updates on display here make it a true masterpiece of a portable creation station.

That 4K OLED display is super crispy and color accurate for crucial edits, the combination of AMD Ryzen AI 9 and RTX 4070 power through any and all tasks you throw at it, and the super responsive touch screen + DialPad control give you the options to make the most finite of changes to your creations.

Design: The ProArt P16 feels unmistakably luxurious with its aluminum construction. It copies some of the ROG Zephyrus G16’s homework, but in a good way — replacing that silver tone with a mean matte black finish. And at 13.9 x 9.7 x 0.7 inches with a weight of 4.1 pounds, it manages to shave a bit of weight off the M3 Max MacBook Pro too.

Display: Opening up the ProArt P16 will reveal its mouthwatering 16-inch 4K OLED screen. It may only run at 60Hz, but for the creative pro, you just need super crispy detail and color you can trust, which this absolutely delivers on. Not only that, but the 16:10 aspect ratio is great for productivity, and that vividness alongside the amazing contrast makes this a fantastic binge watching display.

Performance: This laptop is a monster — packing AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 combined with RTX 4070 GPU. Not only can it crush graphics-intensive creative tasks in a time that would make any MacBook Pro blush, but it’s also great for gaming too. Pair that with a ton of RAM, and you won’t see one iota of slowdown no matter what you do.

Battery life: In regular day-to-day use, the ProArt P16 does OK with over 9 hours in our battery test. But you’re probably more bothered about putting it under prosumer strain, at which point it does stumble slightly. If you plan to tax it with 4K video edits and the like, make sure you keep that charger with you.

Read the full review: Asus ProArt P16

The best powerful MacBook

12. macbook pro 16-inch (m3 max, 2023).

✅ You need to edit 8K videos: If you're a professional video editor, there's no Apple laptop more powerful than the MacBook Pro 16-inch with M3 Max. This laptop will likely pay for itself over time with how much time it could save you. ✅ You like playing high-end games on Mac: Gaming on Macs has always been dubious but it's better than ever thanks to the M3 family of chips. Games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Lies of P showcase how fast and fluid games can run on the latest Macs.   ✅ You want a MacBook that'll last for years: M1 MacBooks are still viable so it stands to reason that M3-driven notebooks could potentially last you even longer. This should justify the admittedly high initial price.

❌ You don't want to spend so much money: The MacBook Pro 16-inch with M3 Max starts at $3,499 and can get as high as $7,199 when fully decked out. This is not a machine for those on a budget. ❌ You own a MacBook Pro M2 Max: The M3 Max MacBook Pro is roughly 20% faster than its M2 Max-driven predecessor. While that's impressive, it means you don't have to update to M3 Max if you have an M2 Max laptop.

💻  The MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max, 2023) retains the same fetching design and gorgeous mini-LED display as the previous M2 Max model, this premium laptop’s performance is currently second to none. That hefty $3.5k starting price tag is a significant chunk of change, but professional creatives and even gamers will get their money’s worth.

What you need to know: The 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 Max chip is one of the most powerful laptops we’ve ever tested. That's not a huge surprise since we said that about its predecessor the  MacBook Pro 16-inch with the M2 Max  chip, but it remains amazing that Apple's own chips can deliver this much power and efficiency in a laptop.

The M3 MacBook Pro 16-inch is basically identical to its predecessors in all the other ways too, right down to the size, screen and number of ports. The only new thing besides the M3 chips is a new Space Black color scheme for the top-tier models, which admittedly does look stellar. 

Design: The MacBook Pro M3 Max measures 14.01 x 9.77 x 0.66 inches and weighs 4.8 pounds (or a slightly lighter 4.7 for the less powerful M3 Pro model). That is pretty big and heavy, but at least the laptop's squared-off aluminum chassis feels durable in your hands.

Display: The 16.2-inch Liquid Retina Display (3,456 x 2,234) on the MacBook Pro M3 Max looks just as good as it did on previous models, and the 120Hz refresh rate can help make scrolling feel smoother and allow some games to run at a very high framerates. Admittedly some people don't like the notch that hangs down from the top bezel, where it contains the camera equipment, but I find that you quickly stop noticing it once you get used to it.

Performance: The MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 Max is the most powerful laptop we've ever reviewed as of the end of 2023, though we expect that to change in the months ahead. But even if it does eventually lose that title, there's no question that the 16-inch MacBook Pro is a powerhouse. You can get better performance out of the M3 Max model than the weaker M3 Pro version, but both are plenty powerful enough for demanding work like video editing and programming.

Battery life:  The 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 lasted roughly 17 hours in our in-house battery tests, which is remarkable. While it's not the longest-lasting MacBook on this list, it lasts hours longer than any competing Windows laptop. No need to lug the charger with you when taking this out for a day at the office.

Read the full review: MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max, 2023)

The best dual screen laptop

13. asus zenbook duo (2024).

✅ Your workload requires two screens: Let's be honest — two screens are better than one for multitasking, and the Asus Zenbook Duo packs two stunning 14-inch panels. Pair that with the best keyboard and trackpad on a laptop of this class, and you'll fall in love with getting stuff done on this mini machine. ✅ You've wanted a dual-screen laptop, but have always felt nervous about durability: It's easy to get anxious about the durability of dual-screen laptops. With this, you won't feel a hint of nervousness, as the military grade-tested chassis and strong kickstand ensure confidence.   ✅ You're adding AI to your workload: The Intel Core Ultra CPUs on offer in the Zenbook Duo do well to speed up graphics-based tasks, but the secret sauce is in that NPU for handling any AI-based tasks.

❌ You want a decent amount of ports: With just two Thunderbolt 4, one USB-A and HDMI 2.1 ports, you can easily find yourself missing the likes of an SD card reader. ❌ You're looking for the best battery life: It's a dual-screen laptop, so of course that second panel will impact the battery life — specifically, you're getting just over 8 hours of runtime in our own testing.

💻  The Asus Zenbook Duo (2024) polishes the dual-screen laptop formula with key refinements that makes this category feel like less of a gimmick, and more of a real recommendation. From it's impressive value for money to the versatility of how you can use this, you will more than get your money's worth.

What you need to know: The Asus Zenbook Duo (2024) could be easily mistaken for a gimmick — most dual-screen laptops are. But this is the one that transcends that label with a finely tailored UI, sleek and durable hardware, and two gorgeous 14-inch OLED displays, to become one of the best laptops you can buy today.

Moving away from the awkwardly sandwiched second display of its predecessors, the new Zenbook Duo takes inspiration from the likes of the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i and HP Spectre Fold , while refusing to compromise on key specs and offer it all at an affordable $1,499 price.

Design: The Asus Zenbook Duo measures in at 12.3 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches and weighs 3.6 pounds. That additional thickness is down to the detachable keyboard and trackpad deck for full dual-screen action. For those who are worried about the durability of a dual-screen laptop, fear no more — the hinge and kickstand are super strong.

Display: With two 14-inch OLED panels, the Asus Zenbook Duo provides great color and a crisp contrast to all visuals — lending itself to instilling confidence in you when editing photos. Plus, with a 16:10 aspect ratio and 120Hz refresh rate on both, they feel silky smooth to interact with. Be it with the trackpad or your fingers for multi-touch gestures. 

Performance: The Asus Zenbook Duo packs up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 chipset, which guarantees a decent amount of power for chewing through even the most intensive of workloads. This comes down to two key strengths: that NPU taking on some of the AI-driven tasks, and a boost in graphics with that ARC-inspired iGPU meaning that more visual-intensive workloads are handled effectively.

Battery life:  The Asus Zenbook Duo does fall down slightly when it comes to battery life, which is expected given the 75Wh cell is powering two panels. Specifically, you're hitting just over 8 hours on one charge (10 hours if you're using this in single-screen. Make sure you keep a charger around with you.

Read the full review: Asus Zenbook Duo (2024)

We test and review dozens of laptops every year, and just because they don't all make this list doesn't mean they aren't good machines.

No, there are loads of great laptops that don't quite achieve the level of excellence needed to be leaders of the pack. Below we've gathered all the good laptops we've tested which don't quite make this list, but are still great alternatives well worth considering if they meet your unique needs, or if you can't find your first choice on sale. 

14. Microsoft Surface Laptop 7

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 ($999 to start) is the first Surface Laptop to ship with a Qualcomm CPU inside, and the extra power and battery life it affords make this the best Surface Laptop yet.

While there's not a lot of flash to this workhorse, those in need of a straightforward no-frills Windows 11 laptop will be well-served by the Surface Laptop 7. Available with your choice of a 13-inch or 15-inch 120 Hz touchscreen, these laptops offer good performance and a comfy typing experience for not too much money. 

Admittedly, the port array is sparse at best (all you get is USB-C) and you won't be doing much hardcore gaming on this portable PC. And while its Snapdragon X chipset qualify this as one of Microsoft's first Copilot+ PCs, the AI features on offer feel frivolous and fun to have at best. 

But that may change down the line, and even if you don't care a bit about AI this remains a great ultraportable for Windows fans.

Read our full Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 review .

Battery benchmarks: comparison

We run every laptop we review through a series of battery tests to see how long it actually lasts on a full charge, which is one of the key deciding factors for most people when buying a laptop. You want to know about how long a laptop will actually last on a full charge so you know when to carry a charger with you, and when you're safe to leave it at home.

Note that these tests do not reflect real-world use patterns since we have to set every laptop to the same settings in order to do fair comparisons. Thus, while the times listed here are accurate and useful as a comparison point, your own experience with a laptop's battery life will likely vary quite a bit.

This is because when we run our battery test we set the laptop's display to 150 nits of brightness and have it endlessly browse the web via Wi-Fi until it dies. However, when you use your laptop you're likely adjusting brightness on the fly, doing all sorts of different tasks while perhaps listening to music or watching a video at the same time, and generally putting the machine through more of a workout than it gets in our test.

So while I stand by our testing and the battery life results we compare in the chart below, I want to be clear that your own experience will vary! 

How to choose the best laptop for you

What kind of power do you want? If you only need something basic for surfing the web, consider a Chromebook or a cheap Windows laptop with an Intel Core i3 processor and 4GB of RAM, because that's the minimum you should expect from a modern laptop. If you want something that feels speedy and can handle more than basic writing and web browsing, look for beefier laptops with at least an Intel Core i5 CPU from the past few years, 8 to 16GB of RAM and a 256GB to 512GB SSD for storage.

What kind of games do you want to play? Most laptops feature integrated graphics chipsets that are built into their CPU, which usually struggle to run demanding modern games but can often handle old or less graphically-demanding games. But if want to play the latest and greatest games on your portable PC you'll want a dedicated gaming laptop, because they come with more powerful discrete laptop graphics cards, more RAM, better cooling systems and other advancements designed to make them decent gaming machines. Of course, you have to make compromises when buying a gaming laptop that you don't have to make when buying one of the best gaming PCs , since your laptop needs a beefy battery and enough room to be able to discharge heat effectively without cooking its innards.

How big of a laptop do you want? Think about how often you might carry this laptop around. Machines such as the Dell XPS 13 and MacBook Air are remarkably light and slim, but their 13-inch screens are on the small side. You can get a larger 15-inch display on a premium ultraportable like the XPS 15 and still not have to worry about weight too much, but once you start getting up into the realm of 16-inch to 18-inch screens, expect your laptop to weigh at least 3-5 pounds. As mentioned above gaming laptops are almost always several pounds heavier than thin-and-light ultraportables because they need more room for beefier components, but they offer big power in exchange.

Do you want Chrome, macOS, or Windows? Windows is the most common operating system, while macOS is more ideal for folks already tied into Apple's ecosystem. ChromeOS is Google's minimal operating system, which has the advantage of being decent and cheap but the disadvantage of requiring an Internet connection to take advantage of its full features. 

So if you don't think you'll be online often, a Chromebook is a poor choice and you should go with Windows or macOS instead. On the other hand, if you just need a low-powered laptop or tablet for browsing the web, writing emails and watching videos, ChromeOS will do you just fine.

Whichever system you decide on, you may also want to consider investing in the best mouse and best keyboard for your needs so you can have some more ergonomic options for getting work done on your new laptop. I also recommend getting yourself an affordable laptop stand, as a $45 stand revolutionized the way I work on the go.

How do I find the best laptop deals?

We've scoured the internet and given you the best deals on our favorite laptops just above, but we know they're not going to be the best options for everyone! If you're shopping around for something more suited to your tastes, here's how our team go about finding stellar savings.

First things first, establish what you're looking to buy and set a budget. It's easy to watch costs spiral and before you know it, you've dropped thousands of dollars on additional power and features you may not need. Figuring out what you want to do with your laptop and how much money you're comfortable spending is the best option. For example, saying "I want a good gaming laptop for under $1,000" will net you a whole host of great budget-to-mid-range choices.

Second, retailers are going to work really hard to make its deals look super attractive with huge percentage discounts, but don't fall for it. We've already spotted numerous deals that have actually been cheaper in the past, but just look better now because the original retail price was jacked up just before Black Friday. 

As a good sense check for this, take a look at downloading the Camelizer — a Chrome extension that can run an extensive historical price check on any Amazon product. With that line graph, you can see whether that Cyber Monday laptop deal is actually a deal.

And finally, within your choice, have a think about what particular features of a laptop matter to you. If you're someone who cares about screen real estate, the choice is obvious. But if you can really stretch the graphical capabilities of that silicon with your workload, think again.

Or maybe you want the vastly increased amount of app support and customization opportunities of Windows 11, which will also net you better value for money than the MacBooks, but also lacks the simplicity of macOS. Just take a breather, think about what things matter — the software, the keyboard being good to type on, etc — and make the best judgement for you.

What kind of laptop should I buy?

Laptops are so diverse now that it's impossible to know what you should buy without knowing your unique needs, but you can ask yourself some questions to help narrow down your options.

Where will you use this laptop? If you need something to carry to work or school you'll want something that's light and lasts at least 10+ hours on a charge, like the MacBook Air or Acer Swift 5. 

What do you want to do with it? If you care about playing games, making games or doing video work you'll want a laptop with a discrete graphics card like the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra. True gamers will want to consider the best gaming laptops as well, but be warned most are heavy and barely last a few hours on a full battery.

Which operating system fits your life best? MacBooks are best if you're going to be working with others on Macs, and they've got great integration with your iPhone and iPad. Windows laptops are also great, and much easier than MacBooks to integrate into an office or school full of Windows machines. But don't overlook Chromebooks, as these ChromeOS-powered laptops are typically cheaper than the competition yet are perfectly fine for browsing the web, basic productivity work and even light gaming. 

How much RAM do I need?

This can be tricky to know because it's not like storage, where you can sort of predict how much you'll store on the laptop and plan accordingly. RAM is the memory your laptop moves files in and out of in real time while you're using them, so having more of it improves game performance, multitasking speed and generally makes everything feel snappier.

In general, I recommend you get a laptop with at least 8MB of RAM if you don't want it to feel sluggish. If you plan to do a lot of multitasking or running demanding apps and games, try for at least 16GB of RAM. 

If you plan to play a lot of fast-paced modern games it's not a bad idea to get a laptop with as much RAM as you can afford, as much as 32MB or more.

How we tested these laptops

How we test the best laptops.

In our never-ending quest to find the best laptops we put every computer we test through a barrage of synthetic and real-world tests to benchmark how well it performs compared to the manufacturer's claims, and compare how good it is relative to the competition.

These tests include, but are not limited to: measuring the average brightness and color quality of each laptop's display using our in-house colorimeter, using a heat gun to measure the heat generated by the laptop after 15 minutes of strenuous work, and using a mix of real-world and synthetic benchmarks to test how well a laptop performs at various day-to-day tasks. We run all laptops through the Geekbench CPU performance benchmark tests as well as various 3DMark tests to measure graphics capabilities. We also run a file transfer test to measure how fast a machine's hard drive is, a video transcoding test to gauge how well a laptop can cut video and a custom battery test that has the machine browse the internet over Wi-Fi until it runs out of juice.

We also run every laptop we test through a basic game test using Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm to gauge how good it is at running games compared to other laptops. We use this old game because it runs on a wide variety of laptops across different prices, sizes and operating systems, so it's great for comparing performance. 

Of course when testing dedicated gaming laptops we run benchmarks for many more demanding and popular games, including Assassin's Creed Valhalla , Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2 . For more information on our testing process, check out our guide to how we test .

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Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast with more than a decade of experience covering both for outlets like Game Developer, Black Hat, and PC World magazine. A lifelong PC builder, he currently serves as a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering all things computing, from laptops and desktops to keyboards and mice. 

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What’s the best work-from-home laptop? Here’s what to look for

The best laptops for working from home don’t have to be expensive. Models costing as little as $500 offer the features you need to work efficiently and stay connected with coworkers. That said, if you have the budget, some higher-end laptops could provide better experiences and be smarter long-term purchases. We’ll make some specific product recommendations for great work-at-home laptops, and also walk you through the features you need so you can shop anywhere and find the best deal for you. 

Note: Because of the mass shift to working from home to combat coronavirus, laptops are flying off online shopping sites and local store shelves. We’ll do our best to recommend products that are in stock, but pay close attention to ship dates (which are becoming a moving target), and be prepared to keep looking if your first choice is no longer available. 

What you need on any laptop to work from home

Great budget choice for home, walmart motile m142.

You don’t necessarily need to spend a lot on a laptop to work effectively from home, but you do need to make sure your machine has certain features to keep you productive and connected.

We’re even including a Chromebook among our top picks (above), because Google’s Pixelbook Go ( starting at $649 from Google ) is the best balance of features and affordability that we’ve seen so far. Unless you have a stubbornly Windows-only application you have to use, you can do everything else on this capable, midpriced Chromebook. 

Here are the specs to look for while shopping: 

CPU: An 8th-gen or younger Intel Core i5 ‘U’ 

AMD and Intel are both coming out with new mobile CPUs this year, but mainstream users won’t need the latest Ryzen 4000 or Comet Lake H chips . For everyday work, an Intel 8th-generation or 10th-generation Core i5 ‘U’-class CPU offers the best balance of performance and power efficiency. Lower-end Core i3 ‘U’ siblings might be too slow, and higher-end Core i7 ‘U’ chips would be nice to have, but aren’t necessary.

Has Intel Iris graphics and 10th-gen CPU

Lenovo yoga c940 14.

You should start to see better deals on laptops with 8th-gen CPUs, because they’re older—but still very worthy!

Specific 8th-gen CPUs to look for: Core i5-8250U, Core i5-8265U

Specific 10th-gen CPU to look for: Core i5-10210U

A fancy GPU? Nice, but not necessary

Mainstream productivity apps like Office and browser-based apps do not require a discrete graphics chip—also known as a GPU. The “integrated” Intel HD or UHD graphics that come with mid-range CPUs like Intel’s Core i5 U-class will suffice for basic work-from-home tasks.

However, if you want to play games (well, low-end games), you could opt for a laptop with Nvidia’s low-end MX150 or MX250 GPU, or go with one of Intel’s 10th-gen CPUs that come with Intel’s peppy Iris graphics.

Finally, a full discrete GPU like an Nvidia GeForce GTX will let you play mainstream games at a decent clip. But now we’re getting into “gaming laptop” territory (go here for our gaming laptop recommendations ).

Has a good 720p webcam

Xps 13 7390.

Webcam: A must

When you work from home, you’ll likely end up doing a lot more videoconferencing. Most laptops offer an integrated webcam, and most of those webcams are 720p resolution, which is sufficient for showing your face in Skype or Zoom.

Some 720p webcams work better than others, though: Apple’s solution is surprisingly subpar and is still showing up in the new MacBook Air , which starts at $999. Meanwhile, Dell’s XPS 13 and XPS 15 have a 720p webcam with a four-element lens for sharper video.

Has a 1080p webcam with infrared

Hp spectre x360 13t.

If you need a 1080p webcam, remember that higher-resolution video creates bigger files, and applications like Zoom and Skype have to compress the file anyway to manage bandwidth demands. A small subset of mostly higher-end laptops offer 1080p webcams standard, including the HP Spectre x360 13t. 

Memory: At least 8GB of RAM

For running mainstream productivity applications and a bunch of browser tabs, your laptop should have at least 8GB of RAM. Do not be tempted by lower-end models with just 4GB. If you can afford a model with 16GB, that upgrade would be well worth considering. 

Has 8GB of RAM and 512GB SSD

Acer swift 3 sf314-57-57bn.

Storage: At least a 256GB SSD or 500GB hard drive

Ideally, you’ll be able to choose a 256GB or higher-capacity SSD, as this newer storage type is faster than traditional spinning hard drives. However, we wouldn’t recommend any SSD smaller than 256GB, unless you store everything in the cloud.

If you store a lot of data (or games) locally, a hard drive will offer more capacity for the money. It’ll just be slower.

Keep an eye out for  laptops using Intel Optane Memory as a supplement to the installed storage. While it originally appeared as a way to boost the performance of traditional hard drives in low-end laptops, more recently we’re seeing it in higher-end laptops with SSDs. Check it out in these laptops: 

• HP Envy x360 15t ( starting at $1,000 on HP.com Remove non-product link )
• HP Elite Dragonfly ( starting at $1,961 on HP.com )

Display: At least 14 inches with 1920×1080 pixels

The display is one of the most expensive parts in any laptop, and the component vendors often skimp on to hit a price point. Luckily, the sweet spot for laptop displays is also the best for work: A screen measuring 14 inches or 15 inches diagonal, with a resolution of 1920×1080 (1080p). If possible, choose a taller, 4:3 aspect ratio display, which will give you lots of vertical space for spreadsheets and documents (as opposed to the wider 16:9 aspect ratio, which is better for watching videos). 

You could get away with a 13-inch display—we recommend a few laptops with this display size in this story. You’ll start to feel cramped quickly if you work a lot in spreadsheets, though. A 17-inch display gives you lots more space, but the laptop will be larger and heavier. 

Ports: HDMI, audio, and USB

This is a great selection of ports (from the Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-51DJ): ethernet, HDMI, two USB-A, and USB-C—and this is just on the left side of the laptop.

A laptop with a limited port selection will drive you crazy while working from home. Sure, if your laptop is so thin and light that it offers a scant USB-C port or two, you could buy a USB-C hub to expand your options. But you’ll be happier with dedicated ports, so look for a laptop with these basics: 

• At least one, but ideally two USB-A ports for legacy devices (keyboard, thumb drives)
• At least one, but ideally two USB-C ports for current storage and display connectivity
• HDMI port for connecting a display
• Audio jack for connecting a microphone or headphones
• If you take a lot of photos with a digital camera, an integrated SD card slot would be convenient as well.

The best laptops for home use are versatile

When you’re working from home on a laptop, versatility wins. That’s why we recommend solid mid-range features like Intel U-class CPUs and generous servings of RAM, storage, and ports. Shop wisely, don’t be dazzled by things you don’t need, and enjoy a laptop that can serve you well, day in and day out.