Maybe you’re intrigued by Apple’s new MacBook Pro, or perhaps you’re looking to upgrade your 10-year-old laptop that’s run its course. No matter the reason, any time is a great time to buy a new laptop. Brands like Apple, Acer, and Microsoft offer laptops at various price points to suit almost any budget or use case. Plus, many mid-range and high-end models see frequent discounts, especially around the holidays or big sales events.
Also: The best laptop deals you can buy now
What is the best laptop for 2024?
To help you find the best laptop for your home, office, or student, ZDNET’s team of expert reviewers tested each laptop on this list to ensure you’re getting the best value for your money. Our pick for the best laptop overall is the MacBook Pro (M3 Max) for its incredible 22-hour battery life, M3 Max chipset, and 120Hz display refresh rate. You can keep reading below to find out more about the MacBook Pro (M3 Max) plus our other top picks.
The best laptops of 2024
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MacBook Pro (M3 Max)
Best laptop overall
MacBook Pro M3 Max features: Display size: 14-inch and 16-inch | Display type: Liquid Retina XDR | Resolution: 3456 x 2234 pixels | RAM: Up to 128GB | Storage: Up to 8TB | CPU: 14-core M3 Max | Battery life: Up to 22 hours
Desktop-class laptop — that is what ZDNET’s editor-in-chief Jason Hiner called the MacBook Pro M3 Max. It’s a very apt description for it, because the performance of this device can rival a Mac Studio. This machine is capable of taking large RAW image files, processing them through Adobe Photoshop’s AI Denoise feature, and removing all the graininess from them in less than 20 seconds. That’s less than half as long as it would take on a MacBook Pro sporting an M1 Pro chip.
The MacBook Pro M3 Max’s performance is pushed even further thanks to its GPU’s unique architecture called Dynamic Caching, which is a more sophisticated form of graphics memory allocation. This allows for faster mesh shading, enabling high-quality graphics, better rendering, and even ray tracing, which is something you normally only see on high-end graphics cards. It also allows for more “photorealistic” lightning, perfect for enhancing immersion.
Review: MacBook Pro (M3 Max) review: A desktop-class laptop for an AI-powered age.
The accolades don’t stop there. The MacBook Pro M3 Max sports a stunning display, capable of outputting a 120Hz refresh and 1,600 nits of peak brightness for a level of clarity people have been asking for for a long time. Plus, it’s very power efficient, allowing it to last up to 22 hours with low-end configuration. Or you can activate High-Power Mode to have it fire off on all cylinders when unplugged.
If it wasn’t already clear, the MacBook Pro M3 Max is a monster. It’s arrived at a perfect time, too, because the next generation of virtual reality is here, and we’ll need this to experience Apple’s Vision Pro at its peak.
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MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo
Best lightweight laptop
MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo features: Display size: 13.3 inches | Display type: OLED | Resolution: 2880 x 1800 | RAM: Up to 32GB | Storage: Up to 1TB SSD | CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | Battery life: 16 hours of video playback
MSI, as a brand, is well-known among gamers due to its wide selection of gaming laptops and accessories. However, the company does offer plenty of great everyday options too. Case in point, the Prestige 13 AI Evo. Despite weighing a little over two pounds, the device actually packs quite a bit of muscle thanks to the Meteor Lake processor underneath.
During our review, we ran the Prestige 13 through some benchmark tests to see how well it performs compared to other top picks, and the results were interesting. The numbers show MSI’s laptop performs better than a MacBook with an M1 chip. It can’t outspeed a MacBook with an M2 chip, but that’s still impressive. The M1 hardware was cutting-edge for a brief time. A computer with these specs can run hot so MSI equipped the Prestige 13 with powerful fans to keep it cool (although they do run rather loud).
It’s important to mention that it comes with a stunning 2.8K (2,880 x 1,800 pixels) resolution screen with support for the entire DCI-P3 color gamut. Translated into plain English, this means the Prestige 13 has a gorgeous display. It is a bit of a strange laptop in that MSI installed gaming software on it, yet it has an Intel Arc GPU. The model isn’t great at running video games; however, that doesn’t detract from its overall quality. The machine is solid regardless.
Review: Forget MacBook Air: This Windows alternative is just as lightweight and full of features
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Dell XPS 16
Best Windows laptop
Dell XPS 16 features: Display size: 16.3 inches | Display type: OLED | Resolution: 4K | CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | RAM: Up to 64GB | Storage: Up to 4TB SSD | Battery life: 12 hours
With so many fantastic Windows laptops out there, it was hard to pick just one, but we had to give it to the XPS 16. It is such a good computer. We feel confident in saying that it’s good enough to become your main device. For starters, Dell’s machine comes with a stunning 4K resolution display surrounded by thin bezels. Having a thin frame is a small touch, but it makes the screen seem significantly bigger than it is.
Under the hood, you’re looking at an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H with a Nvidia GeForce RTX 40-series graphics card. Our review unit came with an RTX 4070 GPU. Combine these specs with its 32GB of RAM (64GB max) and you’re looking at a laptop that can easily handle all sorts of tough workloads from gaming to video editing.
The XPS 16’s also has a stylish design. The zero lattice keyboard and the Function key touch panel give it a distinct look seen nowhere else. On the sides of the keys are the device’s room-filling speakers. We do want to warn you that the XPS 16 is rather heavy and doesn’t have a wide array of ports so you may need a docking station. Be sure to check out ZDNET’s list of the best laptop docking stations for recommendations.
Review: Dell XPS 16 (2024) review: Best Windows laptop I’ve tested so far this year
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Acer Aspire 3
Best laptop under $500
Acer Aspire 3 features: Display size: 15.6 inches | Display type: LCD | Resolution: 1080p | CPU: Intel Core i3-11154G4, Up to AMD Ryzen 5 7520U | RAM: 8GB | Storage: Up to 1TB | Battery life: 8.5 hours
The budget-friendly Aspire 3 from Acer retails for less than $500, yet it doesn’t sacrifice power. It’s actually quite capable. It can run on an Intel Core i3-11154G4 processor, an integrated Intel UHD graphics card, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. You do have the option to upgrade your CPU and GPU to AMD versions if you want extra power. For processors, you can opt for an AMD Ryzen 5 7520U, while for the graphics card, customers can install an AMD Radeon integrated GPU instead.
Also: The best 2-in-1 laptops: Top flexible, hybrid, and convertible notebooks
Altogether, this means the Aspire 3 is fantastic for different workloads. You can use it casually, like for surfing the internet or doing some homework, as well as for more labor-intensive actions like streaming. Its 15.6-inch screen outputs a 1080 resolution image. Plus, the built-in webcam and microphone make it a great pick for video calls, virtual meetings, and online learning courses.
Reviews on Amazon state it’s a “good value for the money,” as users says they appreciate the speed and quality.
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MSI Creator Z17 HX Studio
Best laptop for content creators
MSI Creator Z17 features: Display size: 17 inches | Display type: LCD | Resolution: 2560 x 1600 | CPU: Intel Core i9-13950HX | RAM: 64GB | Storage: 2TB SSD | Battery life: 7 hours
The Creator Z17 HX Studio from MSI is designed from the ground up to be the ultimate machine for content creators and creative professionals. The 17-inch QHD display not only gives you excellent color, detailing, and contrast, but it also supports touch inputs via the MSI Pen 2, which is great for anyone who wants to take notes during client meetings, create digital drawings and paintings, or have more control over your apps and programs.
What’s particularly interesting about the MSI Pen 2 is that it can also directly write on paper via special graphite tips. This means you won’t have to carry around a bunch of pencils or pencils for meetings and work. It can all be done directly on the Creator Z17.
The laptop can house up to 64GB of RAM, an Intel Core i9-13950HX processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, and a 2TB SSD giving you all of the power and performance you’ll ever need. Plus the device supports Wi-Fi 6 for lightning wireless internet speeds. MSI saw fit to equip their hardware with Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, enabling quick file transferring, battery charging, as well as the ability to set up a secondary display.
Review: This $3,000 laptop is a feature away from being my dream machine
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Corsair Voyager a1600
Best gaming laptop
Corsair Voyager a1600 tech specs: Display size: 16 inches | Display type: IPS/LCD | Resolution: 2560 x 1600 | CPU: AMD Ryxen 9 6900HS | RAM: 32GB | Storage: 2TB SSD | Battery life: 6 hours
ZDNET writer Taylor Clemons went hands-on with the Corsair Voyager a1600, and we can confidently say that it’s one of the best (if not the best) gaming laptops on the market. It’s built with an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS CPU, AMD Radeon RX 6800M graphics card, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD. This gives you tons of power and performance to handle just about any triple-A title in your library or on your wishlist, as well as the ability to smoothly multitask for streaming on Twitch or play videos and music while you work or play games.
The laptop also has Elgato Stream Deck integration, which means you’ll get unprecedented control over your favorite programs as well as your laptop. Additionally, it houses one of the better batteries in a gaming laptop that I’ve seen, providing about six hours of use on a full charge. And while that does sound like it’s on the shorter side, it’s an eternity for gaming laptops where you might only average three hours before you need to plug in.
Review: This laptop with a programmable touch bar is what the MacBook Pro should’ve been
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ZDNET’s top pick for the best laptop is Apple’s MacBook (M3 Max, which features a stunning Liquid Retina XDR display, great performance, and promises 22 hours of battery life. This chart breaks down how the laptop stacks up with the top features on other devices, from price, to CPU/GPU, screen size, and display resolution.
| Best laptop | Starting price | CPU/GPU | RAM/Storage |
| MacBook Pro (M3 Max) | $3,299 | M3 Max | Up to 128GB, up to 8TB |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | $949 | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel Arc | Up to 32GB, up to 1TB |
| Dell XPS 16 | $1,899 | Intel Core Ultra 7, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | Up to 64GB, up to 4TB |
| Acer Aspire 3 | $264 | Up to 11th gen Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 5 7000 series, Intel or AMD integrated graphics | 8GB, up to 1TB |
| MSI Creator Z17 HX Studio | $2,829 | Intel Core i9-13950HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | 64GB, 2TB |
| Corsair Voyager a1600 | $1,300 | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, AMD Radeon RX 6800M | 32GB, 2TB |
The main question when buying a laptop is: “What do you want to do with it?” Once you’ve established that, you can focus your research on finding the right machine for you.
For example, if you’re on the move a lot, you’ll want a good combination of flexibility, sturdiness, connectivity, security, and a long battery life. However, if you’re a largely deskbound graphic designer or content creator, you should opt for a laptop with powerful hardware. Devices with top-tier processors and graphics cards tend to be heavier than most.
Here’s a well-researched (and tested) list of our favorite laptops for a wide array of use cases.
| Buy this best laptop… | If you need… |
| MacBook Pro (M3 Max | A powerful, well-rounded laptop for the office and home. This MacBook Pro model features the new M3 Max chip, resulting in a big increase in power and performance for everything from spreadsheets and video calls to content creation. |
| MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo | The best lightweight laptop. MSI’s Prestige 13 weighs around two pounds yet packs series muscle courtesy of its Meteor Lake processor and OLED screen. |
| Dell XPS 16 | A Windows-based laptop. The Dell XPS 16 is sports seriously powerful hardware and is highly configurable so you can create one that meets your needs. |
| Acer Aspire 3 | A budget-friendly laptop. The Acer Aspire 3 retails under $500, and is perfect for web browsing, classwork, and streaming. |
| MSI Creator Z17 HX Studio | A high-end laptop for content creators. With 64GB of RAM, a 2TB SSD, and RTX 4070 graphics card, you’ll have plenty of power and performance for video and image editing as well as digital art and streaming. |
| Corsair Voyager a1600 | A quality gaming laptop. The Corsair Voyager a1600 features AMD components as well as a QHD display and 2TB storage drive. |
Multiple factors go into choosing the laptops for this list. We look for machines with great designs, performance, and effective storage and RAM. We also considered the different purposes for which you may need or use your laptop and the overall value (including the price point) that the laptop promises.
- Design: Whether your laptop is your ultimate workstation or source of entertainment, its design, display, and portability determine how you interact with the unit.
- Performance: For many, laptops are essential for workflow and communication. The best laptops promise efficient speed and performance, powered by the greatest and latest chipsets (like the Apple M3 Max).
- Storage and RAM: It’s likely you’ll use a laptop to store key documents or memories, and the best models have plenty of room for you to do so.
- Purpose: We strive to answer the question, “What laptop should I get if ___” as we know you have different workflow and entertainment needs and preferences, from graphic design to gaming.
- Value: The best laptop can be a pricey investment, so we considered qualities that assure you’ll get your money’s worth.
There are so many great laptops out there in the world, and we get access to many of them to review. It was tricky to narrow things down to just a handful for this list. So we ultimately relied on our own experiences with these devices in order to make our selections.
We looked at which models had the nicest displays, the best performance, the best keyboards, and so on. Our tests involve surfing the internet with the laptops in order to get a feel for them, then we put them through specific use cases. The goal here is to see what they’re capable of in real-world use.
Once all the testing is complete, the ones we liked the most are reviewed and sorted, given a specific category like best Windows laptop, and place on the list.
While the desktop form factor, especially in the form of all-in-one (AIO) devices, still exists, laptops come in various sizes and cover many use cases. They range from thin, light, and ultraportable to bulky, powerful, and deskbound. Because of how good laptops are nowadays, most people opt for sticking with a laptop to serve as their main computer. If a small laptop screen is an issue, an external monitor can be connected.
While every computing platform has its loyal supporters, most people end up using a particular operating system because of key applications running on it, employer preferences, or budgetary constraints. Windows, which ranges from budget to premium, and Apple’s MacOS, which is exclusive to premium devices, cover a broad spectrum. Chrome OS is mostly limited to mid-range devices.
Also: Comparing the best Macs: Is a MacBook or Mac Studio right for you?
All Windows devices listed here meet the requirements for Windows 11. If you purchase a device with Windows 10 installed, you will be able to upgrade to Windows 11 if you choose to do so. Note that after October 14, 2025, Windows 10 support will end, and there will be no further security patches or feature updates.
In general, the leading PC vendors have the most extensive range of offerings and the best-documented track records for product development and customer relations. Therefore, if you do not have a specialized use case or budgetary constraints, you will typically consider vendors such as Lenovo, HP, Dell, Apple, or Asus. These vendors currently lead the PC market in terms of shipments, along with several other well-known brands.
The good news is that you don’t need to have the biggest, best, newest components to get a decent gaming laptop. To play most triple-A and indie titles, we recommend a rig with at least 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, a 120Hz refresh rate for the display, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card.
Also: Best gaming laptops you can buy right now
And if you want to try your hand at content creation, something like the Corsair Voyager a1600 is a sure bet. You might also want to consider equipping with accessories. An Elgato Steam Deck integration, for example, can offer streamlined workflows when editing videos, livestreaming, and even setting up video calls with channel moderators or collaborators.
It really depends on the student, but there are some common factors to consider when shopping for a laptop for school. You’ll want something small and lightweight for easier commutes to and from school, as well as in between classes.
Also: The best laptops for college students
You’ll also want something with at least an 8-hour battery life to get through a typical school day without needing to plug in (which is excellent for younger kids who may be forgetful and leave their charging cable at home). Also look for a laptop with at least 4GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and cloud-storage backup to create duplicate copies of important files and classwork. You’ll also want to avoid laptops with dedicated graphics cards aimed toward gaming to help cut down misuse and procrastination
Whether you’re looking for a single laptop for yourself or a fleet for your business, the best laptops for work not only offer great performance but also multiple connectivity options and durable builds.
You’ll want to look for a model that has at least 8GB of RAM, a 512GB storage drive, a quad-core CPU, and a display that is large enough to work on without being too bulky to travel with. You’ll also want a model with, at least, 8 hours of battery life to get through a typical shift without needing to plug in.
We strongly recommend getting a MacBook Pro (M3 Max) and purchasing Final Cut Pro, an editing software exclusive to the Mac ecosystem. There’s also the option of buying the 16-inch MacBook Pro from early 2023. It sports an M2 Max chip and offers great performance for content creators. The machine can handle 4TB of footage with ease.
Review: Apple 16-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Max, 2023): A content creator’s dream machine
Therefore, Apple MacBook Pros are a popular choice as are any laptops with powerful processors, dedicated graphics cards, and high-resolution displays such as the Dell XPS 13 and 15.
There are many laptops on the market other than those listed above. If you’re still looking around, consider these alternative best laptops we’ve tested.
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ZDNET writer Taylor Clemons also contributed to this list.
