10 Best PC Laptops

Wally Nowinski
editor

Our experts used the PerfectRec decision engine to comb through our laptop database and find the best pc laptops available in 2024. Here are our top picks.

Our criteria for the best pc laptops:

  • Operating System: We limited the search to the best Windows laptops.
To consider others factors, try the PerfectRec decision engine to get your personalized laptop recommendation
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10 Best PC Laptops

1
ASUS 13.3”

Zenbook S 13

BEST RATING
Portability:
4.9
General: A-, Gaming/AI: B, Eng/Design: B+
Size: 13.3"
Overall Performance: Good
Portability: Very thin, very light
Battery: Very Good




Expert Summary
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is a premium, lightweight laptop, making it highly portable and suitable for on-the-go use, especially with its long battery life. With a midrange price, you're getting solid build quality, a vivid OLED touchscreen, and excellent heat management. It has an Intel i7-1355U processor paired with 32GB RAM, which will handle general use very efficiently. Its Intel Iris Xe graphics are fine for casual gaming and moderate creative tasks, but might fall short for intensive 3D rendering or engineering software. The laptop offers a good selection of ports, including Thunderbolt 4, and a comfortable backlit keyboard, although it lacks an Ethernet port and an option for hardware upgrades due to having no available RAM or storage slots.
Pros
  • Thin and lightweight design
  • High-resolution OLED display
  • Large color gamut coverage
  • Excellent portability score
  • Backlit keyboard with fingerprint reader
Cons
  • No dedicated number pad
  • Not suitable for hardware ray tracing
  • Limited engineering performance
  • No touchscreen option
2
BEST RATING
Battery Life:
4.7
General: A-, Gaming/AI: B, Eng/Design: A-
Size: 16"
Overall Performance: Very Good
Portability: Med. thick, light
Battery: Very Good




Pros
  • High-resolution 16-inch screen
  • 32 GB RAM for multitasking
  • Powerful Intel Core Ultra processor
  • Ample 1024 GB storage
  • Thunderbolt and USB-C support
Cons
  • No touchscreen or high refresh rate
  • Limited battery life
  • On the heavier side for portability
  • No room for additional RAM, storage
3
Framework 13.5”

Laptop 13 (2023)

BEST RATING
Portability:
4.7
General: A-, Gaming/AI: B+, Eng/Design: A-
Size: 13.5"
Overall Performance: Very Good
Portability: Thin, very light
Battery: Good




Pros
  • Repairable and customizable
  • Lightweight and portable
  • Excellent general performance
  • Very good build quality
  • High screen pixel density
Cons
  • Limited GPU for 3D tasks
  • No hardware ray tracing support
  • No touchscreen
  • Moderate fast motion screen performance
4
ASUS 14”

Zenbook 14

BEST RATING
Portability:
4.7
General: A-, Gaming/AI: B+, Eng/Design: A-
Size: 14"
Overall Performance: Very Good
Portability: Thin, very light
Battery: Good




Pros
  • Excellent general use performance
  • Very good keyboard quality
  • High screen color accuracy
  • Good build quality
  • Good portability
Cons
  • Moderate battery life
  • Fan noise is noticeable
  • Good, not excellent, speaker quality
  • Heat management could be better
5
LG 17”

Gram 17

BEST RATING
General Use:
4.6
General: A-, Gaming/AI: B, Eng/Design: B+
Size: 17"
Overall Performance: Good
Portability: Med. thick, very light
Battery: Very Good




Expert Summary
The LG Gram 17 is a midrange-priced laptop that is highly portable, weighing only 2.98 pounds despite its large 17-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 2560 x 1600. It has generous amounts of storage and RAM, ensuring smooth performance for general use. Equipped with an Intel i7-1260P processor and integrated Iris Xe graphics, it's capable of basic 3D tasks and engineering software but is not designed for intensive gaming or high-end machine learning tasks. It offers a long battery life, a full backlit keyboard with a number pad, and multiple USB-C ports, including two that support Thunderbolt 4. The build quality, heat management, and fan noise are rated good. Suitable for users seeking a large-screen laptop that is easy to carry and capable of handling everyday tasks efficiently.
Pros
  • Lightweight and highly portable
  • Large, high-resolution screen
  • Long battery life
  • Good build quality and heat management
  • Has backlit keyboard and number pad
Cons
  • Integrated graphics limit performance
  • Not ideal for gaming or intensive engineering
  • Limited upgradeability for RAM and storage
  • No facial recognition or hardware ray tracing
6
Acer 14”

Swift Go 14

BEST RATING
Portability:
4.7
General: A-, Gaming/AI: B, Eng/Design: B+
Size: 14"
Overall Performance: Good
Portability: Thin, very light
Battery: Good




Expert Summary
The Acer Swift Go 14 offers robust performance with its Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and Intel Arc graphics, suited for general use and capable of handling some engineering and creative tasks. The OLED display is of high quality, boasting a high resolution and color accuracy, which is great for visual work but not touch-enabled. This laptop is lightweight and thin, enhancing its portability, but the tradeoff comes in battery life, which is moderate. There are ample ports, including Thunderbolt, for connectivity, and features such as a backlit keyboard and fingerprint reader are present for convenience. It's described as having a lower midrange price, indicating a balance between affordability and features. Overall, it's a versatile choice for everyday use, with some capacity for more demanding applications.
Pros
  • High-resolution screen
  • Good for general use
  • Backlit keyboard
  • Good color coverage
  • Efficient heat management
Cons
  • Moderate battery life
  • Average 3D/Machine Learning performance
  • Limited port variety
  • No hardware ray tracing
7
Lenovo 16”

ThinkPad Z16

BEST RATING
General Use Screen Quality:
4.7
General: A-, Gaming/AI: B, Eng/Design: A-
Size: 16"
Overall Performance: Good
Portability: Thin, med. heavy
Battery: Good




Expert Summary
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is a midrange-priced laptop, equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and an AMD RX 6500M graphics card, suitable for moderate to intensive tasks and light gaming. It sports a high-quality OLED screen with a sharp 3840 x 2400 resolution, perfect for professional creative work. However, it is not the lightest at over 4 pounds, which might affect its portability for users who travel frequently. For connectivity, it includes a variety of ports but lacks an SD card reader. The laptop offers robust security features and is expected to have fair battery life, making it ideal for professionals who need a durable, secure, and reasonably powerful machine. It comes with Windows 11 Pro and its build quality is rated as excellent.
Pros
  • High-resolution touchscreen
  • Robust build quality
  • Excellent keyboard
  • Ample storage and memory
  • Solid general performance
Cons
  • Moderate battery life
  • Less portable (weight)
  • Limited heat management
  • Fair 3D performance
8
Dell 15.6”

XPS 15

BEST RATING
Operating Noise:
4.8
General: A-, Gaming/AI: B, Eng/Design: B+
Size: 15.6"
Overall Performance: Good
Portability: Med. thick, med. heavy
Battery: Very Good




Expert Summary
The Dell XPS 15 is positioned at a midrange price level, offering a substantial balance between performance and cost. For storage, it comes with a decent size, accompanied by a sizeable amount of RAM for multitasking. It is powered by a modern Intel processor, alongside an Intel Arc GPU which makes it suitable for general usage and some more intensive tasks like light engineering work, but it might struggle with very demanding 3D or machine learning tasks. You'll find the battery life suited for a full day's work. Its 15.6-inch display is an IPS type with a good resolution, although it's not a touchscreen. Portability is good, not too heavy nor too bulky, making it a solid choice if you need to move around with your laptop. There are multiple USB-C ports, including Thunderbolt 4, enhancing connectivity and data transfer speed. The laptop has a backlit keyboard and a fingerprint reader for extra convenience and security, an excellent build quality, and manages heat well. Overall, the Dell XPS 15 is versatile and well-rounded, fitting for general use, professional work, and some creative tasks, yet not the ultimate choice for high-end gaming or very demanding computational tasks.
Pros
  • Premium build quality
  • Excellent keyboard
  • Good general performance
  • Reliable heat management
  • High-resolution display
Cons
  • Average battery life
  • Limited gaming performance
  • No touchscreen option
  • Moderate portability
9
Acer 14”

Swift 14

BEST RATING
Portability:
4.7
General: A-, Gaming/AI: B, Eng/Design: B+
Size: 14"
Overall Performance: Good
Portability: Thin, very light
Battery: Good




Expert Summary
The Acer Swift 14 is a mid-range laptop with good performance for everyday tasks and some more demanding applications, thanks to its Intel i7 processor and 16 GB of RAM. It has a high-resolution display, making it suitable for those who appreciate sharp visuals. The laptop is reasonably light and thin, enhancing portability, but this can mean shorter battery life compared to others, which might be a concern if you need to work for long periods away from a power source. It doesn't have a dedicated graphics card, so while okay for casual gaming, it's not ideal for high-end gaming or intensive 3D work. The Acer Swift 14 runs on Windows 11 Home, offering the latest features and security updates.
Pros
  • Midrange price
  • High-resolution display
  • Powerful Intel i7 CPU
  • Windows 11 Home included
  • Sleek design
Cons
  • Average battery size
  • Limited port selection
  • Moderate weight
  • No dedicated GPU
10
HP 15.6”

Envy x360 15"

BEST RATING
Operating Noise:
4.6
General: A-, Gaming/AI: B, Eng/Design: B+
Size: 15.6"
Overall Performance: Good
Portability: Med. thick, med. heavy
Battery: Very Good




Expert Summary
The HP Envy x360 15" is a versatile laptop with a convertible 2-in-1 design, which allows it to be used as both a laptop and a tablet. It has a lower midrange price and offers an OLED touchscreen with a standard resolution, suitable for general use and media consumption. The AMD Ryzen 7 processor coupled with ample RAM makes it a good candidate for everyday tasks and can handle some more demanding applications. Its portability is considered good, given its reasonable weight and battery life, which supports typical usage for a decent duration. Additionally, this laptop features a backlit keyboard and a number of USB-C ports, enhancing its functionality and ease of use. However, it may not be the best option for intensive gaming or heavy engineering tasks, as it lacks dedicated high-performance graphics capabilities. Overall, the HP Envy x360 15" could be a good fit for users seeking a combination of performance in everyday tasks with the flexibility of a tablet.
Pros
  • Convertible design for laptop and tablet use
  • Touchscreen with good color coverage
  • Backlit keyboard and fingerprint reader for convenience
  • Solid build and heat management
  • Good general performance for everyday tasks
Cons
  • Mediocre performance for 3D tasks and engineering
  • Limited port selection with no Thunderbolt
  • Average battery life
  • Heavier than some comparable models