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Finding the Right Work Laptop
Choosing the best laptop for work is a serious business. After all, you need something that's durable, secure, powerful, light, and capable of lasting through a long workday—and you have countless options. We've winnowed down the 10 best business laptops that can get the work done, but browsing even this smaller subset of machines with care is key. Not every laptop matches how you or your employees work, or what you do.
These work-oriented PCs have the same basic components as everyday consumer laptops, but business-PC manufacturers include features to meet specific business needs, such as biometrics (fingerprint readers and facial recognition); rugged, MIL-SPEC-tested chassis and keyboards; Intel-vPro-certified networking and power management; and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) support for secure access. The latter two are checkmark features that an IT-based business-laptop buyer might look for in a fleet of machines, but everyone needs more physical security and durability.
You'll also find choices for professional versions of Windows, and less bloatware than comes with consumer PCs. With so many thin black and silver laptops on the market, business machines tend to look samey, but the key differences that matter most to business users tend to be below the surface, inside the chassis.
The line between tablets and laptops is also blurring in the business-machine world. Once the two were separated by operating systems, but there are now several tablets aimed at businesses that run true versions of Windows. Some of these tablets even have physical, detachable keyboards.
But make no mistake, in the business sphere, conventional clamshell-style laptops still rule, and choosing the right one can determine whether you run a company that's successful or one that suffers from too much downtime. Let's walk through essential business-laptop features, the components you'll need, and—also important—how to distinguish between a business laptop and a consumer one.
Evaluating Processing Muscle (and Memory)
Dual-core processors, particularly the Intel Core i3, i5, and i7 series, have long been the norm in business PCs, though quad-core processors such as the 8th Generation ('Kaby Lake R') Intel Core i5 and i7s, or hexa-core units like the latest top-end Intel 'Coffee Lake' mobile CPUs, are now available for more strenuous business applications. You can even find a hexa-core Intel Core i9, previously limited to desktops, in some larger workstation-grade machines meant for designers, engineers, and serious data crunchers.
At the other end of the spectrum, power-saving processors such as Intel's Y-series Core i3, i5, and i7 have largely supplanted chips from the Intel Atom and Core M lines in tablets and ultraportable laptops. These ultra-low-wattage processors are often marketed alongside higher-performance chips; look for the 'Y' in the chip name to know what you're looking at. Chips a step up from the Y series in the Intel mobile-CPU world tend to end in a 'U' and are the mainstream choice.
A few business laptops you'll see will sport Intel Xeon processors, or the option for them. These are mobile workstations, and they're designed to run specialized software in fields such as financial modeling, engineering, and graphic design that require the ultimate in both power and constant-grinding reliability. They're typically more expensive—and have far shorter battery life—than mainstream business laptops powered by Intel's Core CPUs. Only choose one of these if you need to run a specialized app that requires that kind of specific CPU support. Otherwise, an Intel Core i7 or Core i9 will offer similar performance, and typically lower prices and better battery life.
If your business still uses software that requires Windows 7 Pro, look specifically for laptops with older 6th Generation Intel Core processor (processors with a '-6xxx' model number). Laptops with 7th and 8th Generation Intel Core processors require Windows 10.
Also, look for no less than 4GB of RAM if shopping for a PC for a rank-and-file worker, but go for 8GB or 16GB if at all possible. (Graphic artists and spreadsheet ninjas should aim for 16GB as their absolute minimum.) The right amount of memory allows you to keep more programs, windows, and browser tabs open at once, as well as perform multimedia processes (such as editing photos) faster.
Go Solid, if You Can: Storage Solutions
With businesses using video, multimedia PowerPoint slides, and multi-megapixel photos in staff meetings, opting for a spacious hard drive is a good idea. A 1TB hard drive is a good balance between economy and space.
That said, we're huge fans of solid-state boot drives. While pricier and more meager in their storage capacities, solid-state drives (SSDs) don't have any spinning parts and are therefore better suited to take a licking on the road. SSD-equipped systems also boot and launch apps more quickly. If you'll travel or commute much with your laptop and don't need maximal storage capacity, an SSD is the right choice.
These days, you won't find less than a 128GB capacity for a solid-state boot drive on a business-centric Windows machine or on an Apple MacBook, but upping the amount to 256GB or 512GB is a good idea if you can afford it.
Optical drives have all but disappeared on business laptops. If you need to retrieve older files or records stored on CDs or DVDs, an external drive can help out a lot in this situation; that might be a smarter move than buying a bulky laptop equipped with an optical drive if you know you're not quite done shuffling discs yet.
Assessing Graphics: Integrated and Dedicated
Most business PCs come with integrated graphics chips, which are a lightweight graphics-acceleration solution that's part of the main CPU. These integrated GPUs are usually fine for business laptops, since you won't be playing 3D games on a computer meant for work. (Right?) Most professionals who require discrete graphics will use them for specialized tasks such as GPU acceleration in Photoshop, high-definition video creation in Adobe Premiere Pro, or 3D graphics visualization in architectural drawings and CAD software. Mobile-workstation-class laptops will usually come with some sort of discrete graphics, either for their 3D capabilities or to drive multiple monitors.
When evaluating graphics solutions, it's easy to tell what tier of business laptop you're looking at. Integrated graphics silicon is usually dubbed 'Intel HD Graphics' or 'Intel UHD Graphics' and indicates a mainstream business machine. The most common dedicated graphics chips in laptops, as a whole, are from Nvidia's GeForce GTX line, but they are not usual fare in business machines. GeForce GTX chips tend to be reserved for higher-end consumer or gaming systems, though some business machines will include one of Nvidia's lesser GeForce MX chips to give graphics a little boost. A higher-end workstation machine will tend to use dedicated graphics chips from Nvidia's Quadro or AMD's Radeon Pro line.
As for the display panel, LCD screens with 1,366-by-768-pixel resolution are still available if you're trying to save some money on your laptop, but your eyes will thank you for upgrading to at least a 1,920-by-1,080-pixel display that makes use of In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology. This combination will ensure that you have plenty of space for displaying many columns of numbers in Excel or arranging many windows on the screen at once, and that your coworkers will be able to see them from any angle while clustering around your desk.
For graphics or scientific work, a 3K or 4K display provides more real estate still, as well as sharper text and more detailed visuals. Though these are still fairly uncommon fixtures on business laptops, they're becoming more common, and worth the money if your job will make use of extra pixels. Just know that, all else being equal, a high-resolution screen will drain battery life more rapidly than a lower-res one of the same base technology.
Stay Connected: Wired and Wireless Options
A strong wireless-connectivity loadout is essential in any business machine these days. Offices, airports, and client sites demand wireless connectivity for access to real-time email, messaging clients, and cloud services. Few businesspeople work fully local anymore.
Every laptop these days has some flavor of Wi-Fi built in. It should get you satisfactory throughput, but you have to find a hotspot or an unprotected network to surf the web. Look for dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wi-Fi for the best flexibility for your IT organization. The most common kind nowadays, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, runs primarily on 5GHz networks, but it will work with 2.4GHz networks as a fallback. Offices in high-density buildings may wish to use the less-populated 5GHz bands, as the 2.4GHz channels tend to get more crowded.
Don't discount good old Ethernet entirely, though: You'll still need it for crowded conferences where the Wi-Fi is saturated. So, if your laptop is too thin to house an Ethernet jack, a USB-to-Ethernet adapter is a worthwhile investment. (One might come in the box.)
These difficulties are, in part, why some business laptops have built-in mobile-broadband wireless modems as options. They work in tandem with available cellular networks to bring broadband speeds to your laptop wherever there's a cellular signal available. You can configure many business laptops with one of these modems integrated for a nominal fee; this option is one of the key distinguishing features of business laptops.
Mobile data plans to use with the laptop, on the other hand, don't come cheap. Depending on whether or not you have an existing plan, rates can run as high as $60 to $80 per month. The faster 4G LTE wireless will give you transfer speeds rivaling what you get from a Wi-Fi connection, and it's available from the top cellular networks with the most coverage, notably AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Mobile hotspots and smartphone tethering are also available in case you don't want to buy internal modems for all your employees; they're a quick fix if you only need mobile internet part-time.
Keep Running: Know Your Battery
A big battery can be your best friend on a lengthy flight or a long commute. Business laptops usually come with multiple battery options. Some enterprise-class laptops have two or three different kinds of batteries (four-, six-, and nine-cell options). More cells means longer battery life, all else being equal. The 'equal' is the tricky part; this isn't always the case with laptops that use 4K displays or other power-hungry components. A big battery adds some heft, but being able to run it unplugged from dawn 'til dusk is worth the weight gain.
Most ultraportable laptops have non-removable, sealed-in-the-chassis batteries. Laptops with removable batteries do still exist, but they are increasingly uncommon, limited mostly to rugged tablets and laptops designed for extreme conditions.
If you think you'll need more battery life than a single charge can offer, look for an external battery pack rather than limiting yourself to a model with a swappable internal battery. Combined with the internal battery, these external solutions can help deliver battery life in the 19-to-24-hour range. Just be forewarned that these extra-life batteries can weigh down your system by an extra pound or more.
See How We Test Laptops
The Appeal of 2-in-1 Tablets
Price and portability are arguably the biggest reasons why a business might consider a Windows-based tablet for work. Some tablets sell for less than $500 and can easily adapt into a corporate environment. While specialized (read: expensive) tablets have been in vertical markets, such as health care, for years, the ubiquity of the Apple iPad means that people are used to carrying a computer that doesn't have a physical keyboard or that uses a detachable, basic one.
Look for a Windows 10 tablet like the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 if you need to run in-house or third-party apps that were originally created for PCs. True enterprise-class tablets running Windows 10 are still evolving, but most business users expect their work computers to behave the same as their personal tablets. Apple fans will have to be content with using the iPad or iPad Pro for business, as a tablet-optimized version of macOS doesn't exist.
Most Windows tablets are built to surf the web, run Office apps, and perform other very light computing tasks, but they are also compatible with the gamut of security applications, VPN and email clients, and countless hardware peripherals such as printers, scanners, and network-attached storage (NAS) devices. We wouldn't run an entire business on a tablet, but one can be a nice take-along unit for an offsite meeting or used as a portable alternative to your 6-pound business-laptop bruiser.
Chromebooks for Business: Simple and Affordable
With the cloud becoming omnipresent in our computing lives at both work and home, Chromebooks are more viable options than ever for laptops devoted to work activity. These laptops are restricted to using Google's Chrome OS, which began as a souped-up version of the popular web browser. Android apps from the Google Play Store (such as the Microsoft Office suite or Adobe Photoshop Lightroom) extend Chromebooks' abilities, but they often lack features found on the Windows-based versions of the same programs. Business that run their core applications on the Google suite may find Chromebooks useful under certain circumstances, though, as emailing and communications stations.
Scp containment breach 079. If web-based collaboration is key to your workflow, a Chromebook could be enough, and because Chromebooks don't need powerful hardware to run most web apps, they generally cost a lot less than other business laptops. Some Chromebooks designed for work do have beefier processors and more memory. Our general takeaway, though, is that under most circumstances, they tend to work better as adjunct than primary machines in most businesses.
Mobile Workhorses: Our Top Bets
Take some time to consider the nature of your particular job. Doing so should point you toward the ideal business laptop. Paying a little extra for more power or capabilities now will save you headaches down the road. The added value of a longer warranty (some business laptops come with three years), specialized tech support, and a more ruggedized frame (fortified by carbon fiber or magnesium alloy) are some of the extra benefits you may get with a business laptop. If your work is graphics-intensive, you'll want to opt for a laptop with discrete graphics. When choosing a processor, you'll have to find the right balance between power for your applications and energy efficiency, and in selecting a battery, you'll need to choose between its capacity and weight. When you determine the best features for your needs, you can focus on just those laptops that incorporate them. And that's where our deep-dive reviews come in.
Our current favorite business laptops are laid out below. We refresh the list often to include the newest products, and because of the large number of laptops we review every year, not every top-rated product makes the cut. For more, also see our overall top laptop picks, and if money is tight, our roundup of the best budget laptops is worth a read.
If you're looking to fully outfit your work area, also check out our takes on the best business monitors, plus our favorite keyboards and printers.
Best Business Laptops Featured in This Roundup:
Apple MacBook Pro 15-Inch (2018) Review
MSRP: $2399.00Pros: Excellent battery life. Core i9 processing muscle. Sleek, thin all-metal design. Beautiful display with automatic color-temperature adjustment. Roomy SSD.Cons: High starting price, and painfully expensive as configured. Limited I/O options.Bottom Line: With the addition of an Intel Core i9 processor, the sleek 15-inch MacBook Pro is now one of the most powerful desktop-replacement laptops you can buy, making it an excellent choice for well-heeled, on-the-go creative pros.Read ReviewHP EliteBook x360 1030 G3 Review
MSRP: $1449.00Pros: Wonderfully compact and light. Three screen choices: bright 1080p, privacy-filter 1080p, and 4K. Crisp keyboard. Good array of ports, including two Thunderbolt 3. Marathon battery life. Impressive audio.Cons: No SD card slot. Clumsy cursor-arrow keys.Bottom Line: Business convertibles don't come any better than the HP EliteBook x360 1030 G3, an executive 2-in-1 that combines ample power with a sunny 13.3-inch screen and a snappy keyboard in a petite 2.76-pound package.Read ReviewDell Latitude 7212 Rugged Extreme Tablet Review
MSRP: $1909.00Pros: Very bright, polarized screen. Long-lasting batteries are hot-swappable. Extensive selection of accessories.Cons: Keyboard cover is a pricey extra. Unresponsive touchpad.Bottom Line: The Dell Latitude 7212 is a well-designed, tough detachable Windows tablet that can take pretty much anything you (and nature) can throw at it. And compared with the rugged competition it's a relative bargain.Read ReviewHP Chromebook x2 Review
MSRP: $599.99Pros: Elegant detachable design. Spiffy screen. More lap-friendly than tablets with kickstands. Strong performance and battery life.Cons: Expensive. No backlit keyboard. Mediocre cameras.Bottom Line: It could use a $50 or $100 price cut, but HP's pioneering Chromebook x2 detachable joins Google's $999 Pixelbook as the elite of the Chrome OS field.Read ReviewLenovo ThinkPad P52 Review
MSRP: $1160.10Pros: Powerful, VR-ready Nvidia Quadro graphics and six-core Intel CPU. Gorgeous 4K touch screen. Classic ThinkPad keyboard does not disappoint.Cons: A pound overweight. Brief battery life.Bottom Line: Thumping its peers in our testing, Lenovo's Quadro-based ThinkPad P52 raises the bar for beefy 15.6-inch mobile workstations in almost every regard.Read ReviewLenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (2018) Review
MSRP: $1519.00Pros: Premium build quality. Thin and light. Very good battery life. Quick charging.Cons: Expensive. Finicky touch screen. Anemic speakers. No Ethernet port.Bottom Line: The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon offers premium features in a slim and attractive package that business users will love-just be prepared to open your wallet wide for this top-notch ultraportable laptop.Read ReviewMicrosoft Surface Book 2 Review
MSRP: $2499.00Pros: Premium alloy construction. Elegant convertible design. Sharp high-resolution touch display in new larger size. Discrete Nvidia GTX 1060 graphics. Very long battery life. Multiple configuration options. Xbox wireless controller receiver is integrated.Cons: 16GB RAM maximum. Surface Pen is an additional purchase. Adding SSD storage is pricey. Some finicky issues required troubleshooting in our tests.Bottom Line: The Surface Book 2 is a feat of design, a top-of-the-line premium convertible 2-in-1 laptop that's fast, long lasting, versatile, and portable. It's even up for gaming.Read ReviewAcer Swift 5 Review
MSRP: $999.99Pros: Unbelievably light for its screen size. Sunny 1080p screen. Good battery life.Cons: No Thunderbolt 3 port or SD card slot. Screen is reflective. Beaucoup bloatware.Bottom Line: The lightest 15.6-inch laptop the world has ever seen, Acer's 2.2-pound Swift 5 is a design landmark whose portability outweighs its minor imperfections.Read ReviewDell Latitude 5591 Review
MSRP: $1069.00Pros: Mighty muscle from hexa-core CPU. Comfortable keyboard. A plethora of ports.Cons: Expensive. Reflective screen. Relatively heavy and bulky.Bottom Line: Impatient (and deep-pocketed) business pros will thrill to the Dell Latitude 5591, a speedy six-core productivity powerhouse that outruns most 15.6-inch laptop competitors.Read ReviewMicrosoft Surface Pro 6 Review
MSRP: $899.00Pros: Speedy new 8th Generation Intel processor. Good battery life. Premium feel. Sleek all-black color option. Brilliant display. Well-implemented kickstand.Cons: Minimal changes from previous model. As ever, keyboard sold separately. Not ideal for in-lap use. Somewhat restrictive configuration combinations. Limited ports.Bottom Line: With a modest speed boost and a new color choice, the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 may not have changed much from the previous iteration, but what we loved about this 2-in-1 convertible then, we still love now.Read Review
Users are reporting that after installing this week's Microsoft's April 2019 Patch Tuesday updates, Windows has suddenly become slow and programs are taking forever to open.
Yesterday, we reported that there is a conflict between the latest Windows updates and Sophos, Avast, and Avira antivirus software that is causing Windows to freeze or updates to not finish installing.
Since then, we have received emails and seen reports from users who have stated that this week's updates are also causing Windows to become very slow. The reports we have seen have been from users running Windows 7 and Windows 10.
The issues that users are experiencing include Windows taking a long time to start or reboot, unable to start programs, lag in games, excessive disk activity, video streaming issues, and other similar problems.
For example, in a comment at BleepingComputer a reader has stated that their Windows 10 computer has become extremely slow and that rebooting/starting Windows takes forever.
Users on Reddit [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] and elsewhere [1,2] are also complaining that Windows has become very slow since installing the updates.
While I have not been able to verify this on my own Windows 10 computer, one user on Reddit stated that the issues were being caused by Windows Defender.
Normally when a user has an antivirus program, Windows defender will disable its real time protection. It seem for this user at least, Windows Defender is being enabled automatically even though the user had Avira installed on the machine.
Having two antivirus programs performing real-time protection could definitely cause slowdowns and other issues.
At this time there is nothing from Microsoft that states they are aware of the reported issues. The only reference to Windows being slow since the updates is from a support article posted yesterday by Avira that is simply titled 'Why does my system run very slow?'.
This article states that if Windows 10 has become slow, you should remove the KB4493509 update. For Windows 7 users, they state that you should remove KB4493472 and KB4493448 updates for Windows 7.
As these instructions are for users of their software, it may not apply to everyone.
BleepingComputer has contacted Microsoft to see if they are aware of these issues, but have not heard back as of yet.
It should be noted that I personally have no issues after installing these updates for Windows 10 and running ESET Nod32. If you are having issues, can you please leave a comment and let us know if Windows Defender is enabled along with your AV software or other things you have tried to resolve the issue.
Update: 4/12/19 6:54 PM EST: Woody Leonhard also reported on Computerworld that he is seeing users have slowdown issues on Windows 10 after installing these updates.
Update: 4/12/19 8:05 PM EST: BleepingComputer has been told by a source familiar with the matter, that these issues are being caused by conflicts between the recent updates and antivirus software. While Microsoft originally reported that the antivirus conflicts were only causing Windows to freeze, it appears that there could be other symptoms. You can read more about the antivirus conflicts at this article.
Related Articles:
Users are reporting that after installing this week's Microsoft's April 2019 Patch Tuesday updates, Windows has suddenly become slow and programs are taking forever to open.
Yesterday, we reported that there is a conflict between the latest Windows updates and Sophos, Avast, and Avira antivirus software that is causing Windows to freeze or updates to not finish installing.
Since then, we have received emails and seen reports from users who have stated that this week's updates are also causing Windows to become very slow. The reports we have seen have been from users running Windows 7 and Windows 10.
The issues that users are experiencing include Windows taking a long time to start or reboot, unable to start programs, lag in games, excessive disk activity, video streaming issues, and other similar problems.
For example, in a comment at BleepingComputer a reader has stated that their Windows 10 computer has become extremely slow and that rebooting/starting Windows takes forever.
Users on Reddit [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] and elsewhere [1,2] are also complaining that Windows has become very slow since installing the updates.
While I have not been able to verify this on my own Windows 10 computer, one user on Reddit stated that the issues were being caused by Windows Defender.
Best Windows 7 Laptop 2018
Normally when a user has an antivirus program, Windows defender will disable its real time protection. It seem for this user at least, Windows Defender is being enabled automatically even though the user had Avira installed on the machine.
Having two antivirus programs performing real-time protection could definitely cause slowdowns and other issues.
At this time there is nothing from Microsoft that states they are aware of the reported issues. The only reference to Windows being slow since the updates is from a support article posted yesterday by Avira that is simply titled 'Why does my system run very slow?'.
This article states that if Windows 10 has become slow, you should remove the KB4493509 update. For Windows 7 users, they state that you should remove KB4493472 and KB4493448 updates for Windows 7.
As these instructions are for users of their software, it may not apply to everyone.
BleepingComputer has contacted Microsoft to see if they are aware of these issues, but have not heard back as of yet.
It should be noted that I personally have no issues after installing these updates for Windows 10 and running ESET Nod32. If you are having issues, can you please leave a comment and let us know if Windows Defender is enabled along with your AV software or other things you have tried to resolve the issue.
Update: 4/12/19 6:54 PM EST: Woody Leonhard also reported on Computerworld that he is seeing users have slowdown issues on Windows 10 after installing these updates.
Update: 4/12/19 8:05 PM EST: BleepingComputer has been told by a source familiar with the matter, that these issues are being caused by conflicts between the recent updates and antivirus software. While Microsoft originally reported that the antivirus conflicts were only causing Windows to freeze, it appears that there could be other symptoms. You can read more about the antivirus conflicts at this article.
Related Articles:
BestWindows LaptopWindows Central2019
It's a great time to be a fan of Windows laptops, and if you're in the market for a new device, there are plenty of options for a wide number of uses. Microsoft's Surface Laptop 2 is no doubt the best bet for most people who just need an above-average laptop for everyday use, thanks to a premium build quality, brilliant touch display, and powerful performance. However, there are a bunch of other great laptops, which we've rounded up here.
The Surface Laptop 2's 13.5-inch notebook chassis holds a touch display with a 2256x1504 resolution, 3:2 aspect ratio, and relatively thin bezel. It's compatible with the Surface Pen for a great inking experience, and color accuracy hits 99% sRGB and 81% AdobeRGB.
Grab either an 8th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processor (CPU) with four cores for stellar performance, add up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM, and up to a 1TB solid-state drive (SSD) that can hit read and write speeds around the 1,500 MB/s and 800 MB/s marks, respectively. For ports, you get USB-A 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, Surface Connect, and 3.5mm audio.
The battery lasts between 8–10 hours on a full charge when tackling regular productivity tasks, allowing you to mostly forget about a charger when heading to the office or to class. Seated above the display is an IR camera for logging in securely with Windows Hello, and the palm rests are covered in Alcantara fabric for a more comfortable typing and pointing experience.
Pros:
- Stunning 13.5-inch touch display
- Premium build quality and Alcantara fabric palm rest
- All-day battery life
- IR camera for Windows Hello
- Fast SSD storage
Cons
- More affordable options available
- Port selection is limited
Best Overall
Surface Laptop 2
The best Ultrabook for most people
With a slim, light chassis, the Surface Laptop 2 has the portability and performance needed to get through a standard day's work.
Dell's XPS 13 has seen some welcome changes to its 9380 model, including the webcam being moved back above the display where it doesn't look up your nose. There's no longer an IR camera because of the thinness of the bezel, but there is still a fingerprint reader for added security.
The display, sized at 13.3 inches, is available in either 1080p (FHD) or touch 4K, and it sits in a chassis that's about as compact as possible. You can carry the laptop around under your arm or on your back without hardly noticing it thanks to its size, yet it holds onto two Thunderbolt 3, USB-C 3.1, and a microSD card reader (although, unfortunately, no USB-A ports).
For performance hardware, you can get up to an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U CPU, 16GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 2TB PCIe SSD with excellent read and write speeds, all powered by all-day battery life. The Precision touchpad is well sized in relation to the rest of the laptop, and the keyboard is comfortable for long stretches of typing.
Pros
- Beautiful 4K display
- Large precision touchpad
- Light and thin construction
- Two Thunderbolt 3 ports
- Strong performance and battery
Runner-up
Dell XPS 13 9380
Beautiful laptop at a competitive price
The XPS 13 9380 is built incredibly well, has a beautiful display with almost no bezel, and performance will get you through a day's work.
If you don't need a touch display but still want a laptop that's close to a work of art, Lenovo's IdeaPad S940 is a great choice. It has an all-metal chassis with precisely cut angles, and it's one of the slimmest options available despite holding onto a ton of features.
A sizeable Precision touchpad makes good use of the space below the comfortable keyboard, and speakers powered by Dolby Atmos run along the sides of the keys for unmuffled audio (there are also two more on the bottom of the laptop). Along the edges, ports include two Thunderbolt 3, USB-C, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
The 13.9-inch display comes in either FHD or 4K with HDR, and while both are nice, the 4K model is a stunner. Brightness hits about 500 nits brightness and color accuracy hits 100% sRGB and 86% AdobeRGB for a vivid picture. Lenovo is using its Contour Display technology here, so the display's edges curve away like a smartphone for a truly thin bezel. Battery life should last a workday if you go with the FHD display, but know that you will likely see closer to 6.5 hours from a charge with the 4K model.
Pros
- Beautiful 4K HDR display with contour
- Compact, light 14-inch build
- Plenty of configuration options
- Stellar Dolby Atmos quad speakers
- Strong performance
Cons
- Below-average battery life
- No touch display option
- Could use more ports
Runner-up
Lenovo IdeaPad S940
Awesome screen, great speakers, super thin
The IdeaPad S940 brings contoured glass, 4K HDR display, and Dolby Atmos sound to one of the smallest 14-inch Ultrabooks on the market.
Considering the build quality, display, and hardware within, the HP Spectre x360 13t offers some of the best value around. It has a unique gem-cut design with angled corners, and its thin chassis holds two Thunderbolt 3 ports, USB-A 3.1, and a microSD card reader. There's also a fingerprint reader on the main chassis and an IR camera in the relatively thick top bezel for extra security through Windows Hello.
The 13.3-inch touch display comes in either FHD or 4K, and it's compatible with an included active pen for inking. Inside, get up to an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 2TB M.2 PCIe SSD for excellent performance, made more impressive by all-day battery life from a single charge.
The touchpad is using Synaptics drivers instead of Precision drivers, but it's large and matches the edge-to-edge keyboard in terms of ease of use. If you like the idea of a premium convertible laptop, you'll definitely get a lot for your money with the Spectre x360.
Pros
- Unique gem-cut chassis
- All-day battery life
- Active pen included
- Competitive price
- Beautiful display options
Cons
- No Precision touchpad drivers
- Thick top and bottom bezel
Best Value
HP Spectre x360 13t
Likely the best value you'll find
The all-new Spectre x360 13t demonstrates HP can do jaw-dropping hardware and design, and a great price only adds to the package.
If you love gaming and want a PC you can take with you wherever you go, the Razer Blade 15 is likely the most exciting option in this roundup. It can be configured with up to an NVIDIA RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics card (GPU), 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H CPU, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB SSD, allowing it to run just about any modern game without issue. It might get hot, but all that hardware is packed into a chassis that's just 0.70 inches thin.
The 15.6-inch display has an FHD resolution and up to a 240Hz refresh rate for buttery smooth graphics, and you can go up to a 4K display with 60Hz refresh rate if you'd like to push things to the limit. No matter which display you choose, it comes with hardly any bezel and outstanding color reproduction. The RGB keyboard can be fully customized, and you can use the huge Precision touchpad for standard tasks when not gaming with an external gaming mouse.
For ports, you're getting HDMI, Thunderbolt 3, Mini DisplayPort, and USB-A 3.1, which allow you to connect external monitors and other accessories for a gaming battlestation when you're not on the move.
Pros
- Gorgeous 4K and FHD display options
- Insane gaming performance
- Slim, premium build
- Decent port selection
- Enormous Precision touchpad
Best Gaming
Razer Blade 15
The ultimate gaming Ultrabook
The Razer Blade 15 is slim, it's packed with powerful gaming hardware, and it has beautiful display options.
The Surface Pro 6 is a truly versatile device thanks to a smart design and premium quality build. It's primarily a tablet with a 12.3-inch touch display at a 2736x1824 resolution (and 3:2 aspect ratio), but once you attach a Type Cover with keyboard and touchpad (sold separately) and extend the rear kickstand, it becomes a bonafide laptop. Of course, you have to pay extra for the privilege.
Get up to an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8650U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD for high-performance needs, all contained in a chassis that's just 0.33 inches (8.5mm) thin and weighs in at only about 1.70 pounds (770g). There's no Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C, but ports do include USB-A 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, a microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack. For some added security, an IR camera work with Windows Hello.
The beautiful touch display is compatible with the Surface Pen for a phenomenal inking experience, furthering the versatility of this device. You can sketch or jot down notes one minute, and use it as a productivity machine with keyboard and touchpad the next. If you have your eye on a 2-in-1, definitely put the Surface Pro 6 near the top of your list.
Pros
- High-quality design and build
- Powerful hardware options
- Beautiful touch display with pen support
- All-day battery life
- Starts at a great price
Cons
- No USB-C or Thunderbolt 3
- Accessories sold separately
Best 2-in-1
Surface Pro 6
Premium build and powerful hardware
The versatile Surface Pro 6 is a premium 2-in-1 for anyone who likes a knockout display, pen support, and the performance to handle a day's work.
The Surface Go might appear underpowered at first — and no doubt won't cut it for a lot of people who are dealing with specialized work — but it's actually a versatile, portable device with a lot to offer.
Performance hardware includes up to an Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD, enough to tackle everyday productivity tasks and even some light gaming. The addition of 4G LTE options means you can stay connected just about everywhere, and you'll get a full workday of battery life from a charge.
The 10-inch display has an 1800x1200 resolution and 3:2 aspect ratio, it's compatible with the Surface Pen for a stellar inking experience, and by adding a Type Cover, you get a true laptop. Ports include USB-C, a microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Pros
- Optional 4G LTE connectivity
- Premium compact design
- Beautiful touch display with inking
- Great battery life
- Starts at a low price
Ultra Portable
Surface Go
The best combination of size and power
Microsoft's most affordable Surface is the Go, yet it delivers a high-quality computing experience that you can take with you wherever you go.
Lenovo's premium convertible laptop lineup includes the Yoga C930, a device with high build quality and performance hardware to match. Get up to an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8550U CPU, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD with blazing read and write speeds, altogether enough to easily handle a standard workday.
You can expect a full day of battery life from a charge, especially if you opt for the 13.9-inch FHD touch display model, though you can go with 4K for a truly stunning picture. If brightness is a selling point, the 4K model is also probably a better choice. An active pen is built into the laptop in its own silo, ready for drawing or notetaking whenever you are.
Ports include two Thunderbolt 3 and USB-A 3.1, and the keyboard is excellent for typing all day, every day. The convertible hinge doubles as a robust soundbar for watching movies or listening to music, and there's a fingerprint reader set into the palm rest for some added security.
Pros
- Hinge doubles as a soundbar
- Modern port selection
- All-day battery life
- Premium build quality
- Comfortable keyboard
Best Convertible
Lenovo Yoga C930
Premium convertible with soundbar hinge
Lenovo's Yoga C930 asks a relatively high price, but its set of premium features will certainly make sense for a lot of people.
Samsung's Galaxy Book2 is an interesting device; it's built to closely resemble the Surface Pro 6, yet it has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 ARM CPU. This hardware matches a 6th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU when it comes to multi-core performance, but it sucks up far less battery. You can expect about 12 hours of use before needing to plug in.
The 12-inch sAMOLED touch display is absolutely gorgeous with its 2160x1440 resolution and 3:2 aspect ratio, and included is an S Pen for Windows Ink. A keyboard is also included, so when you're not using the Book2 as a tablet, you can snap on the keys and touchpad and get to work. It gets the job done, but because of its design, its keys don't have the most travel.
The real beauty lies in 4G LTE connectivity, allowing you to stay in contact anywhere you go without the need for Wi-Fi. If you love the idea of a Surface Pro 6 but absolutely need the LTE feature, definitely check out the Galaxy Book2.
Pros
- Beautiful sAMOLED display
- Outstanding battery life
- High build quality
- S Pen and keyboard included
- Great speakers
Best Mobility
Samsung Galaxy Book2
A Surface Pro clone with an ARM CPU
Samsung delivered a Surface Pro-like PC that runs on a Snapdragon 850 with LTE. And it's glorious.
Huawei makes some impressive laptops, and perhaps none more so than the MateBook X Pro. It has an aluminum design reminiscent of a MacBook, and it's stocked with a 13.9-inch touch display with 3000x2000 resolution and 3:2 aspect ratio. There's almost no bezel for a clean look, but it doesn't have pen support.
The chassis weighs in at about 2.93 pounds (1.33kg) and is only about 0.57 inches thick, but it's packed with up to an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8550U CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and an NVIDIA MX150 discrete GPU for versatile performance.
It has a keyboard that stretches from edge to edge and the Precision touchpad is huge, allowing you to be as productive as possible. You can enjoy a movie or TV show thanks to loud, full speakers, and battery life is respectable for when you're not able to plug in. Really one of the only complaints with this laptop is the webcam placement, which pops up from the keyboard and has a tendency to look up your nose when video conferencing.
Pros
- 3K touch display with 3:2 ratio
- Dedicated GPU
- Great price considering hardware
- Almost no bezel
- Premium build quality
MacBook Look
Huawei MateBook X Pro
A perfect MacBook lookalike
The MateBook X Pro brings a premium aluminum build, stunning 3K display with 3:2 aspect ratio, and a dedicated GPU for added versatility.
A 17-inch laptop is great for multitasking thanks to the enormous display, but you often trade portability. However, the LG gram 17 weighs in at just 2.95 pounds (1.34kg), making it as light as a lot of 13-inch Ultrabooks. The huge display has a 2560x1600 resolution that's great for photo editing, and it has a battery that will last for a full day before needing a charge.
Performance hardware includes up to an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SATA SSD, which is slower than PCIe versions but still far better than a standard HDD. Ports include Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, three USB-A 3.0, and a microSD card reader for generous connectivity.
The Precision touchpad seems small compared to all the space that's available, but it tracks well. Typing for long periods shouldn't be an issue on the keyboard, and a fingerprint reader built into the power button adds security through Windows Hello.
Pros
- 2K display with 16:10 ratio
- Light build despite size
- All-day battery life
- Respectable port selection
- Fingerprint reader
Cons
- Slow SATA SSD
- Keyboard and touchpad relatively small
Best 17-inch
LG gram 17
A huge laptop that remains light
The LG gram 17 is an extraordinarily light and capable 17-inch Ultrabook that's perfect for students, photographers, and other pros.
Best Business Convertible: HP EliteBook x360 1040 G5
If you're looking for a business laptop with a convertible design, there may be none better than HP's EliteBook x360 1040 G5. It has a durable all-metal design that's rather light, yet it manages to pack quite a bit of hardware and features, including IR camera and a fingerprint reader for extra security. Ports include two Thunderbolt 3, two USB-A 3.1, HDMI, and 3.5mm audio.
The 14-inch touch display can be had with up to a 4K resolution, and a Sure View privacy filter ensures those looking over your shoulder in a crowded cafe or airport won't see what you're working on. The display is compatible with an active pen, so you can flip the laptop around to tablet mode and jot down notes or sketch a plan.
A comfortable keyboard and large Precision touchpad promote productivity, and optional LTE connectivity means you can stay connected just about everywhere. For performance hardware, get up to an Intel Core i7-8650U CPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB PCIe SSD and still get all-day battery life.
Pros
- Plenty of configuration options
- Powerful hardware available
- Sleek all-metal design
- LTE options available
- Generous port selection
Best Business Convertible
HP EliteBook x360 1040 G5
Beautiful 14-inch business convertible
The EliteBook x360 1040 G5 is pricey, but it has the features and performance to tackle everything you throw at it day in and day out.
Most 15.6-inch Ultrabooks do not include a dedicated GPU due to size and heat constraints, but the MSI PS63 Modern is different. Get either an NVIDIA GTX 1050 or GTX 1050 Ti to go along with up to an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, and still take advantage of all-day battery life despite the added performance.
You get near-perfect color reproduction from the FHD display, and it has thin bezel for an attractive look. This is all contained in a chassis that's just 0.63 inches thin and weighs just 3.53 pounds (1.60kg), which promotes portability when you need to hit the road. One downside with the laptop's size are the speakers, which are not anything special.
A fingerprint reader lets you sign in with Windows Hello, the Precision touchpad and keyboard are great for long days of work, and ports include USB-C, three USB-A 3.1, HDMI, and a microSD card reader. If you'd like an Ultrabook that can handle a broad range of tasks, this is it.
Pros
- Light and thin premium build
- Includes dedicated GPU
- Oustanding battery life
- Fingerprint reader
- Thin bezel around FHD display
Best Versatility
MSI PS63 Modern
Combination of power and battery life
The MSI PS63 Modern delivers a powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (or 1050Ti) in a 15.6-inch Ultrabook, making it a rare find.
Those of you who like to turn heads with their devices will want to check out HP's Spectre Folio. Its real leather chassis (yes, almost the entire thing is made of leather) allows the display to snap out of its usual notebook orientation to fold down into a tent mode or full tablet mode that's great for inking.
It has a backlit keyboard that's actually quite comfortable for a device this thin (0.6 inches), though the small touchpad uses Synaptics drivers instead of Precision. You can go up to a 4K display that's awesome for entertainments purposes, and optional LTE allows you to stay connected everywhere.
You get a full day of battery life here, even with an Intel Core i7-8500Y CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 2TB PCIe SSD that together offers excellent performance. Port selection is limited to USB-C, two Thunderbolt 3, and a 3.5mm audio jack, but for those who want to remain mobile and have a truly unique device, the Spectre Folio should make for a great laptop.
Pros
- Premium leather construction
- LTE connectivity
- Excellent battery life
- Beautiful IPS display with inking
- Excellent keyboard
Cons
Windows 7 2019 Update
- Not a lot of ports
- Touchpad uses Synaptics drivers
Unique Design
HP Spectre Folio
Real leather chassis
Undeniably one of the most unique laptops on the market with its real leather chassis, the Spectre Folio 13t is ideal for anyone on the move.
Lenovo's X1 Carbon is truly a versatile business laptop, built to withstand daily abuse above and beyond what's experienced in a usual office setting. Not only does it have respectable performance hardware — up to an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8560U CPU, 16GB RAM, and 1TB PCIe SSD — it can also be configured with a 4G LTE modem to stay connected wherever you go.
The 14-inch display comes in either standard FHD or 1440p with Dolby Vision HDR, 100% sRGB and AdobeRGB color reproduction, and 500 nits brightness. It's an absolutely gorgeous picture, and you can still expect all-day battery life for times when you're not able to plug in.
Ports include two USB-A 3.1, two Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, a microSD card reader, and 3.5mm audio, which should let you connect just about all accessories in your arsenal. If you'd like a Windows notebook with a focus on business, this is definitely near the top of the list.
Pros:
- LTE connectivity available
- All-day battery life
- Brilliant HDR display
- Reliable performance
- Comfortable keyboard and touchpad
Best Business
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
Keep up with work wherever you are
With 4G LTE modem, powerful performance, and a brilliant display, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a premium business laptop ideal for staying connected.
Dell's Latitude 7400 2-in-1 blurs the lines between business and standard consumer laptop, offering up 15 hours of battery life (wow), a durable brushed aluminum all-metal body, and a great selection of ports. It's a bit on the heavy side compared to some other convertibles, but the large battery and touch display are worth it.
There's no 2K or 4K options available, but the FHD low-watt display does have great color and contrast, especially for a business device. It hits 100 percent sRGB and 77 percent AdobeRGB, both excellent results, and you can add an optional Active Pen to the mix for quality inking. Above the display, set into the thin bezel, is an IR camera that will lock and unlock your laptop for you as soon as you sit down or walk away from the device.
For those who want to stay connected at all times, there is a 4G LTE option you can choose at checkout. A SIM slot resides on the right side of the laptop, below the microSD card reader; other ports include two USB-A, 3.5mm audio, two Thunderbolt 3, and HDMI.
Pros
- Gorgeous low-watt FHD display
- Good audio
- Impressive battery life
- Premium build quality
- Great port selection
Unreal Battery
Dell Latitude 7400 2-in-1
Excellent battery, super adaptive
Dell's revamped Latitude 7400 2-in-1 for 2019 leads the pack for 14-inch Ultrabooks and overall battery life.
Bottom line
There's basically a Windows laptop for every kind of user, including the one that wants to save money, spend a lot, or look forward with experimental form factors. Want to have a laptop to use just for work? There's a model for you. Does your work involve intensive tasks like photo or video editing? There's one for you, too.
However, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 is our top pick for a Windows laptop for most people who want a solid PC experience. It's built extremely well and will last for years to come, it has a battery that lasts a full workday without needing a charge, and its keyboard and large touchpad are covered in Alcantara fabric for a truly comfortable experience. It also happens to have a brilliant touch display with 3:2 aspect ratio and high resolution, making it very easy to use on a daily basis.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Cale Hunt is a staff writer at Windows Central. He focuses mainly on PC, laptop, and accessory coverage, as well as the emerging world of VR. He is an avid PC gamer and multi-platform user and spends most of his time either tinkering with or writing about tech.
Daniel Rubino is executive editor of Windows Central. He has been covering Microsoft since 2009 back when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Surface, HoloLens, Xbox, and future computing visions. Follow him on Twitter: @daniel_rubino.
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