Looking to buy a new laptop? These are the best laptops of 2017 for travel, gaming and more, curated through expert reviews.
You can do a lot of good with a laptop. You can type up lengthy petitions to change the world for the better and accompany them with heartwarming videos you’ ve produced using professional video editing software. Or you can use a laptop to get yourself arrested for creating T malware.
Whatever you choose to do with your laptop, you can count on us to help you find the best one. Having combed through and tested every laptop we could get our hands on, we guarantee confidence, accuracy and comprehensiveness in our recommendations of the top laptops.
Below is a list of the best laptops money can buy, comprised of the newest, highest-rated laptops in several key categories you might be looking for, from Ultrabooks for travel to gaming laptops and hybrids in between.
For most folks, this is the top laptop
Slim and feathery, Dell’s flagship XPS 13 is the top laptop for most people. The notebook squeezes a 13.3-inch screen into an 11-inch frame, a feat that only just now Dell’s rivals are catching up with. Couple that with Intel’s latest Kaby Lake processors and USB-C in tandem with legacy ports, and all of the color options become just icing on top of what’s a superb laptop.
A premium hybrid laptop for less
For the low asking price of 500 bucks, you can’ t find a better valued laptop than the Samsung Chromebook Pro. Count on a 12.3-inch QHD touch display, 360-degree hinge and near-perfect pen support to boot. Not only is this laptop one of the best budget laptops, it sits among the best Chromebooks, too. That’s a lot for so little of a price.
Best in class for ultra-portables
The Dell XPS 13 is easily the best Ultrabook you can buy. Thin and light with a battery life exceeding 7 hours, Dell’s flagship is a posterchild Ultrabook. Having squeezed a 13.3-inch screen into an 11-inch frame, this handsome clamshell packs Intel’s Kaby Lake CPUs and USB-C alongside legacy ports, such as the elusive SD card slot and USB 3.0. Top it all off with a gorgeous Rose Gold frame option.
A top hybrid laptop without breaking the bank
The Samsung Notebook 9 Pro’s single configuration is far stronger than the equally priced 13-inch MacBook Pro, and with more screen real estate to boot. Pair that with a gorgeous touchscreen and superb S-Pen stylus, and this becomes a top 2-in-1 laptop. While the screen is merely FHD, you’ ll be grateful for the resulting battery life.
The top Chromebook for every use case
The Chromebook Flip C302 feels like a much more expensive notebook, but for a fraction of the price of an Ultrabook. Stacked with a gorgeous 2-in-1 design and a keyboard that feels rich to the touch, the Asus Chromebook Flip proves that Chromebooks can be high-end without bearing wildly extravagant price tags. The Asus Chromebook Flip is truly one for the short list.
A champion gaming laptop for mobile PC dominance
Oozing with gamer cred, the Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501 is among the first to take advantage of Nvidia’s Max-Q technology, which allows gaming notebooks to possess slimmer frames without compromising on power. Though the battery life is lacking, the Zephyrus’ performance and profile make it a gaming laptop that could finally replace your desktop and Ultrabook.
The perfect laptop for school work of all kinds
The only laptop featured three times on our list, there’s more to the Dell XPS 13 than a masterclass Ultrabook. It’s also a choice laptop for high school and college students. The XPS 13’s utility is extensive, spanning everything from writing to video editing and nearly everything in between, with a bunch of configurations to accommodate for different budgets and use cases.
The best all-around Windows tablet
The latest Surface Pro sees not only the battery life improve by as much as 32%, but the accessories have been revamped as well. Although it’s now sold separately, the Surface Pen has 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity. What’s more, the Alcantara Type Cover is markedly comfier than previous versions and, of course, the processor has been updated to Kaby Lake.
Despite everything, the top MacBook to buy
Apple’s MacBook in 2016 was granted a much-needed boost, and it helps macOS work much better. Divisive points remain in this model – namely the sole USB Type-C 3.1 port and the redesigned keyboard – but the 2016 version comes in Rose Gold with significantly improved Skylake CPUs. Through and through, it’s the top MacBook money can buy – even refurbished!
