Today’s 15-inch laptops are slimmer and quicker than their aging counterparts. Here are the top models for working, gaming, streaming, and any other task.
Why buy a 15-inch laptop? Well, they’re not only larger than the best 13- or 14-inch laptops, but they’re also often much more powerful. They don’t always need to be big and clunky, either. Take, for example, our pick for the best overall 15-inch laptop, the Dell XPS 15. It remains our top pick at this size for its ability to cram all that power into a relatively tiny form. After hundreds of hours of testing time with the best 15-inch laptops, here’s our list of the greatest you can buy. Why you should buy this: It’s the best overall 15-inch laptop you can buy. Who’s it for: Anyone who needs serious power on the go but doesn’t want to take up too much room in a backpack. Why we chose the Dell XPS 15: There’s no steadier hand in the 15-inch laptop market than Dell, and its XPS 15 exemplifies the reputation 15-inch laptops have rightly earned: They’re dependable, powerful, and robust. The latest XPS 15 features up to an 11th-generation Intel Core i9 processor (starting with the i5-11400H) and graphics up to an Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti. The XPS 15 is best when you pump it full of powerful components, as it’s not quite as thin or light as some of the other laptops on this list. That’s not to say it’s large in terms of volume — in fact, the XPS 15 ‘s footprint remains one of the smallest on this list thanks to its ultra-thin bezels. The 16:10 aspect ratio ensures that you have plenty of screen real estate too. Read our in-depth Dell XPS 15 review Why you should buy this: It’s one of the most powerful 15-inch laptops you can buy that’s not a workstation. Who’s it for: Anyone who wants high-end components in a package that’s still relatively thin and light. Why we chose the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4: You can configure the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 up to an 11th-gen 8-core/16-thread Intel Core i9-11950H CPU with vPro,64GB of RAM,4TB of fast PCIe solid-state drive storage thanks to dual SSD slots, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU. The laptop gets expensive, but that’s a lot of power for a business-class laptop that’s reasonably thin and light. If you’re a creative or scientific type who needs a lot of power in a (relatively) portable package, then this is the laptop for you. You also have excellent choices for the 16-inch display (still considered a member of the 15-inch class) that’s in the productivity-friendly 16:10 aspect ratio. You can choose between a WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) IPS non-touch panel, a WQUXGA (3,840 x 2,400) IPS non-touch panel with Dolby Vision and HDR 400, and a QWUXGA touchscreen with Dolby Vision and HDR 400. You’re promised a bright display across the board, with great colors and contrast and some of the best high dynamic range (HDR) support for bingeing Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Connectivity is also a strength — two USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 ports, a full-size HDMI port, two USB-A 3.2 ports, and a full-size SD card reader, along with the fastest wireless connectivity available in Wi-Fi 6E. Finally, you’ll also find the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 to offer excellent build quality that should stand up to significant abuse. Read our in-depth Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 review Why you should buy this: It’s the best ultrathin 15-inch laptop you can buy. Who’s it for: Those who want a highly portable laptop that still has a large display. Why we chose the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4: Most people shopping for a 15-inch laptop are looking for an extra level of performance, which is why the Dell XPS 15 is our first choice. However, if you want a 15-inch laptop primarily for the larger screen and don’t need the additional power that a discrete GPU provides, the Surface Laptop 4 is a fantastic option.
