10 Best Windows Laptops

Wally Nowinski
editor

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

Our criteria for the best windows 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 Windows Laptops

1
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
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
ASUS 13.3”

Zenbook S 13

BEST RATING
Portability:
4.9
General: A-, Gaming/AI: B, Eng/Design: A-
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
4
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
5
LG 17”

Gram 17

BEST RATING
General Use:
4.6
General: A-, Gaming/AI: B, Eng/Design: A-
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
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
7
Acer 14”

Swift Go 14

BEST RATING
Portability:
4.7
General: A-, Gaming/AI: B, Eng/Design: A-
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
8
Acer 14.5”

Swift X (2023)

BEST RATING
Portability:
4.5
General: B+, Gaming/AI: B, Eng/Design: A-
Size: 14.5"
Overall Performance: Good
Portability: Med. thick, light
Battery: Very Good




Expert Summary
The Acer Swift X (2023) is a midrange laptop with a 14.5-inch IPS display, a 120Hz refresh rate, and 16:10 aspect ratio, making it suitable for both productivity and light gaming, thanks to its Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU. It has an Intel i5-13500H processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage, striking a balance between performance for general use and more demanding tasks like 3D rendering and machine learning. With a 76Wh battery, it offers decent battery life, although intensive tasks will consume power more quickly. At 3.31 pounds, it's relatively portable, and its backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader, and Windows 11 Home OS enhance its user-friendliness. However, it's not equipped with hardware ray tracing or DLSS for high-end gaming or specialized machine learning tasks. The laptop's build and color representation are very good, catering well to general use and creativity work. It comes with multiple USB-C ports, with support for charging over USB-C, ensuring convenient connectivity and power options.
Pros
  • High-resolution 2560 x 1600 screen
  • Lightweight at 3.31 pounds
  • Potent Intel i5-13500H processor
  • Nvidia RTX 3050 for decent graphics
  • Battery lasts 10 hours typically
Cons
  • RAM not expandable, fixed at 16GB
  • Screen not touchscreen
  • No Ethernet port available
  • No hardware ray tracing support
9
Acer 16”

Swift X 16

BEST RATING
General Use:
4.5
General: A-, Gaming/AI: B+, Eng/Design: A-
Size: 16"
Overall Performance: Good
Portability: Med. thick, med. heavy
Battery: Good




Expert Summary
The Acer Swift X 16 is a midrange laptop with a good balance of power and features. It has plenty of storage and a solid amount of RAM for multitasking. It's powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and includes an Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card, making it a solid choice for both general use and more demanding tasks such as 3D rendering or engineering software. The battery life is not particularly long, so it may not be the best for all-day use without access to power. The laptop has a high-resolution 16-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, which is beneficial for productivity but the absence of a touchscreen may matter to some. It's relatively lightweight for its size, enhancing its portability despite being a larger laptop. Additionally, it comes with a backlit keyboard and an array of ports, including USB-C and HDMI, but lacks Thunderbolt support. It's suited for gaming, thanks to its hardware capabilities, and it has an aesthetically pleasing design that doesn't scream "gaming laptop." Overall, it's a versatile laptop that offers a good mix of features for users looking for the flexibility to work and play.
Pros
  • High-resolution screen
  • Robust CPU and GPU
  • Good port selection
  • Backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader
  • Decent portability
Cons
  • Limited battery life
  • Heavier than ultraportables
  • No touchscreen
  • No facial recognition
10
Lenovo 14.5”

Slim Pro 7 14

BEST RATING
Battery Life:
4.7
General: A-, Gaming/AI: B, Eng/Design: B+
Size: 14.5"
Overall Performance: Good
Portability: Thin, light
Battery: Very Good




Pros
  • Good battery life
  • High-resolution touchscreen
  • Portable and lightweight
  • Robust build quality
  • Backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader
Cons
  • Moderate fan noise
  • Limited engineering performance
  • No hardware ray tracing
  • No ethernet port