The best laptops in 2021

The best laptops are those that allow you to keep track of all of your various projects and gadgets. Once you’ve found the right one, you’ll have the speed to get through all of your assignments, as well as the battery life to get you through a day of work without having to worry about finding a power outlet.

Finding the best laptop for you can be difficult because there have never been so many options. There are top-rated laptops for basic web browsing, mainstream machines with premium components and appealing designs, and beastly gaming laptops that will allow you to play the latest PC games the way they were meant to be played.

The newly-announced is the next big contender for our best laptops rankings.

Microsoft Surface Laptop StudioIt has up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPUs and Intel 11th generation Core processors. , a two-in-one with a display that you can pull closer to you.

• These are the best Windows laptops on the market
• The best laptops under $500 can help you stay productive on a budget

What are the best laptops?

It’s well worth the extra money if you can afford the more expensive model with an OLED touchscreen. It’s so good, in fact, that it took home the awards for best laptop display and best laptop overall in our tests. The Dell XPS 13 is our pick for the best laptop overall, as it combines fast performance and a stunning bezel-less display in an incredibly slim and lightweight design with long battery life.Tom’s Guide Awards 2021If you want an OLED laptop but don’t want to spend as much money, Asus has an OLED-equipped Zenbook 13 that has great power and battery life and is usually a few hundred dollars less than the XPS 13. ..

If you prefer a Mac, we recommend the new MacBook Air with M1 as the best MacBook for most people, as it provides excellent performance and a long battery life.

The Acer Swift 3 is the best budget laptop for budget-conscious shoppers. Check out our top picks for the best laptops for a complete list of our recommendations. If you require additional suggestions for a high-quality budget laptop, please contact us.

The best laptops you can buy today

Because of its excellent performance, beautiful display, and slim design, the Dell XPS 13 is one of our favorite laptops. While the battery life isn’t as good as some other laptops in this price range, it’s usually more than enough to get you through a day of work without having to run to the nearest power outlet.

It’s so good, in fact, that it won the awards for best laptop display and best laptop overall in our tests. If you can afford it (it’s usually a couple hundred dollars more than the non-OLED 4K screen configuration), the OLED’s deep, inky blacks, vibrant colors, and high contrast ratios really shine when mounted in the XPS 13’s thin-bezelled InfinityEdge design. Dell also began offering the XPS 13 with a 3.5K OLED touchscreen option in 2021. Tom’s Guide Awards 2021.

Read our full

Dell XPS 13 OLED review

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Not interested in OLED? Don’t miss our

Dell XPS 13 (2020, 11th Gen) review

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Not only does the M1 chip make the MacBook Air a multitasking powerhouse, but it also allowed me to play Rise of the Tomb Raider without lag, even with the Intel app converted to Rosetta 2. A MacBook hasn’t come close to matching that since 2015. This chip provides faster speeds than the Air has ever seen, as well as the longest battery life of any MacBook: on the Tom’s Guide battery test, it lasted 14 hours and 41 minutes. Apple’s laptops have been transformed thanks to the company’s own Apple silicon processors, which have replaced the Intel chips it previously used.

Furthermore, thanks to signal processing, the webcam on the MacBook Air is clearer and more color-accurate than ever before. Apple’s switch to ARM-based processors appears to have a lot of upside, including the ability to run iOS and iPadOS apps on a Mac. We’re also pleased to see the Magic Keyboard, which is a welcome upgrade from the previous MacBooks’ Butterfly-style keyboard.

Furthermore, you get better-sounding movies and TV than you’d expect from a laptop this small, thanks to Dolby Atmos audio support. It’s so good that it received our best laptop and longest-lasting laptop recommendations. Not only is this the best laptop for many, if not most, Apple users, but it’s also a laptop that the PC world should be watching. Tom’s Guide Awards 2021.

Read our full

Apple MacBook Air M1 (late 2020) review

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The Framework Laptop is a modular laptop that promises to let you customize, repair, and upgrade it to an unprecedented degree while remaining affordable and ultraportable. Everything from the memory to the screen bezel to the mainboard is user-replaceable, and each laptop Framework ships with a screwdriver so you can crack open the case and swap out parts yourself.

It’s not for everyone, but if you’re a do-it-yourselfer who enjoys tinkering with your laptop’s internals, this is the laptop for you. Currently, the Framework laptop can only be purchased from the Framework.website, with a starting price of $999 — though the DIY Edition can be had for as little as $749 if you’re willing to assemble your laptop yourself and supply your own memory, storage, operating system, and Wi-Fi card.

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 4 is the company’s closest thing to a flagship Windows laptop. This 2021 addition to the Surface Laptop line packs premium components into a slim chassis, and it comes with a clean, bloatware-free Windows 10 install.

In addition, it received a recommendation for the best-sounding laptop in our tests. When you add in the 10+ hour battery life and the tall 3:2 display ratio, which can make reading and editing documents more comfortable, you have a great notebook for getting things done on the go. It has a nice Alcantara deck option that gives your wrists a little more comfort than a typical all-metal laptop, as well as a comfortable keyboard with well-sized, satisfying keys. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 is the way to go if you’re looking for a premium Windows laptop that you can use from anywhere. Tom’s Guide Awards 2021.

Read our full

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 review

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When it comes to getting the most bang for your buck, the Acer Swift 3 proves that great performance can be had for a surprisingly low price. It has more ports than some of the laptops listed above it, including a USB Type-C port, HDMI port, and a USB-A port. This laptop, which is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 4700U processor, has a long battery life (11:09) and a slim design. You also get a fingerprint scanner.

Its keyboard is comfortable to type on, with quiet, clicky keys. We just wish the display was brighter and more colorful, and the speakers had a little more oomph. However, if you’re looking to get things done on a budget, the AMD-based Acer Swift 3 is hard to beat, and it gives you plenty of reasons to inquire about AMD-based versions when you’re shopping.

Read our full

Acer Swift 3 (AMD) review

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The MacBook Pro with M1 Apple silicon is a fantastic upgrade for anyone looking for more than the speed and endurance of the entry-level Air. Not only does it outlast the Air in terms of battery life, with nearly two hours more, but it also has a fan inside, allowing its octo-core M1 chip to be pushed even further without overheating. Oh, and you still get the amazing Magic Keyboard, which allows for comfortable and responsive typing, something that MacBooks lacked during the Butterfly-switch keyboard era.

We just wish Apple would update its design or add more Thunderbolt ports (currently, the 4 USB-C port configuration is only available on Intel-based MacBook Pros). Plus, the MacBook Pro’s Retina display is bright and colorful, so any photos or video you edit on it (as well as the next Netflix show you binge) will look fantastic. In fact, it took home the prize for the longest-lasting laptop in our competition. It all adds up to one of the best laptops of all time: the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Still, it’s incredible to see how Apple’s own processors have surpassed the performance of its previous Intel-based MacBooks. Tom’s Guide Awards 2021.

Read our full

MacBook Pro with M1 review

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Some smart design tweaks, such as larger keycaps and a responsive touchpad that’s more than 60% larger than the previous generation, improve the new XPS 15. The Dell XPS 15 is one of Tom’s Guide’s favorite laptops because it’s powerful, portable, and attractive. Its immersive 15.6-inch InfinityEdge display, which eliminates the bottom bezel for a stunning 92.9% screen-to-body ratio, is one of our favorites.

Dell also began offering the XPS 15 with a 3.5K OLED touchscreen option in 2021. If you can afford the extra $1k or so (which includes a few upgraded components in addition to the OLED screen), it’s well worth it, as the OLED’s deep, inky blacks, vibrant colors, and high contrast ratios really shine when mounted in the XPS 15’s eye-catching InfinityEdge design.

Read our full

Dell XPS 15 OLED review

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Not interested in OLED? Don’t miss our

Dell XPS 15 (2020) review

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The Lenovo Yoga 9i made a splash in a crowded field of 2-in-1s by offering a competitive price. It not only has the latest 11th Gen Core i7 processor, a built-in stylus, and a long battery life, but it also has a vibrant display and a powerful rotating speaker.

Yes, its port selection is a little limited, and its display could be a little brighter. Talk about getting the most bang for your buck. The Shadow Black edition is more stylish, has a glass palm rest that covers the entire deck, and places the fingerprint reader in a more convenient location. Oh, and if you pay an extra $600? The Lenovo Yoga 9i is a serious competitor for your money when it’s $650 less than a similar Dell XPS 2-in-1 and $430 less than a HP Spectre x360 with the same parts.

Read our full

Lenovo Yoga 9i review

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When you consider that the 2.9-pound XPS 13 is almost a full pound heavier, that’s quite impressive. This isn’t the case here, as the 2-pound Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano lasted 12 hours on our battery test, putting it up against some of the best laptops available today. We worry about how long a laptop will last on a single charge when we hear it’s incredibly thin and light.

However, you may need to bring a USB-C hub because there aren’t many ports. Lenovo didn’t skimp on either performance or usability. The Nano’s Intel 11th Gen Tiger Lake processors provide the speed you need for a ton of productivity, and the keyboard lives up to the ThinkPad brand with a snappy and comfortable typing experience.

Read our full

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano review

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When it comes to 4K, the screen is bright and beautiful, so everything you play will look as good as it runs. When it’s time to get down to business, it has a fantastic keyboard for a comfortable typing experience. The Alienware m15 R4 isn’t just the best gaming laptop on the market; it’s also (for the most part) what other gaming laptops should strive to be. It has plenty of horsepower to run all of your favorite games, even in full UHD 4K. Its design is also flawless, with a lovely white chassis (which is also quite portable).

That isn’t to say we don’t wish for some changes. The fan can be quite loud, and it is on the more expensive side of the spectrum. However, for those who want to game quickly and stylishly, this is the machine to check out. Most notably, its battery life is on the short side (leaving you scrambling for power outlets). But that’s not surprising, given that gaming notebooks aren’t known for their internal power supply endurance.

Read our full

Alienware m15 R4 review

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While the Dragonfly is wonderfully light at 2.5 pounds, it also feels impressively sturdy, has an oleophobic coating to prevent fingerprints, and is made from recycled ocean-bound plastics. The HP Elite Dragonfly is one of those rare laptops that comes along and redefines the category. With incredibly thin edges that measure just 0.6 inches in thickness and a deep blue coat of paint that looks refreshing, mesmerizing, and classy all at once, this 2-in-1 laptop’s design is one of the most stunning we’ve ever seen on a laptop.

Its stunning 13.3-inch display is stunning for watching movies and TV shows, and it blew away our color and brightness tests. This beauty is a beast in terms of performance and features. Its 8th-generation Intel CPU can easily handle everyday tasks, and its keyboard is one of the most comfortable we’ve ever used. With a starting price of $1,629, the Dragonfly is on the pricey side, but those willing to pay a premium will be rewarded with one of the best laptops on the market. It also has an incredible battery life of more than 12 hours, beating out favorites like the MacBook Air and the Dell XPS 13.

Read our full

HP Elite Dragonfly review

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The Asus ZenBook Duo 14 is designed for those who need a second screen but don’t want to use an external monitor. It can also be used by Adobe Creative Cloud apps, which include touch controls. It’s so cool that it received a nomination for best laptop breakthrough in our competition. It accomplishes this by placing a 12-inch touch screen above the keyboard. This screen is ideal for secondary applications such as Spotify, Slack, Discord, and others. Tom’s Guide Awards 2021.

If you have an external wrist rest, however, you should be fine. Furthermore, its performance is quick and competitive with the XPS 13, with which it competes in a head-to-head comparison. Plus, its battery life is impressive, especially considering it has two screens to illuminate. The ZenBook Duo 14’s biggest flaw is that it lacks a wrist rest, making it a little uncomfortable to use.

Read our full

Asus ZenBook Duo 14 review

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We thought it was so good that we named it the best budget laptop in our review. This one defies logic, which is a testament to how good of a deal it is. Oh, and it’s also a good tablet, with good color reproduction and a sharp resolution that you don’t often see at this price point. It’s not only a tablet Chromebook, but it also comes with a free keyboard, which we don’t expect from the iPad or any Surface, even the more affordable Go. When it comes to value, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet storms to the front of the pack at $279. Tom’s Guide Awards 2021.

The Chromebook Duet also sees ChromeOS receive some long-overdue touchscreen tablet optimizations, making it easier to navigate all of your tabs. Oh, and just in case that wasn’t enough, it has an incredible battery life of 12 hours and 47 minutes. nearly 13 hoursFor people with larger hands, the keyboard may take some getting used to. The only criticism I have is that it is a bit pricey. , according to our web-surfing test

Read our full

Lenovo Chromebook Duet review

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This Chromebook stands out with a slim, lightweight design that weighs just over 2 pounds and a rubberized, easy-to-grip chassis that comes in sleek Just Black and Not Pink colors. The Google Pixelbook Go is not only less expensive than the original Pixelbook, but it also outperforms it in almost every way. It doesn’t hurt that the keyboard is quiet and comfortable.

The Pixelbook Go is notable for its long battery life, which we observed to be well over 11 hours during our testing. When you combine that with solid performance, a bright and colorful display, and a responsive touchscreen, you have one of the best Chromebooks available for those willing to pay a premium. Just keep in mind that the Pixelbook Go lacks some ports and does not fold into tablet mode like its larger Pixelbook sibling.

Read our full


Google Pixelbook Go review


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Fast, long-lasting, and cost-effective. Normally, you’ll be able to get two out of three, but the trifecta that Acer achieved with the Chromebook Spin 713 is extremely rare. The Chromebook Spin 713 is a convertible with a touch screen display, which you’ll want for Chrome OS’ support of Android apps via the Google Play store. It’s also one of the best laptops for those looking for a low-maintenance alternative to Windows 10 or macOS. And it’s all contained in a slim silver laptop weighing only three pounds.

We’d give it a higher rating if the speakers were a little louder and the keyboard was a little bigger. Because at $629, this is a fantastic deal, and it frequently goes on sale at lower prices. It’s so good that it received our best Chromebook recommendation. Nonetheless, the Chromebook Spin 713 is well-deserving of a place among the best laptops available. Tom’s Guide Awards 2021.

Read our full

Acer Chromebook Spin 713 review

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The AMD-powered Asus Zenbook 13 OLED is a great value, with a stunning 1080p OLED display and long battery life in a slim, lightweight package that costs less than a grand.

Sure, the speakers aren’t great, the webcam isn’t great, and there’s no headphone jack, but these are minor flaws that can be worked around. At this price, the OLED-equipped Asus Zenbook 13 is the best option for a zippy little ultraportable with a great screen that will last you all day.

Read our full

Asus Zenbook 13 OLED review

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How to choose the best laptop for you

Performance:Consider a Chromebook or a cheap Windows laptop with an Intel Core i3 processor and 4GB of RAM if you only need something basic for surfing the web. Consider starting with a Core i5 CPU, 8 to 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB to 512GB SSD if you plan on doing more intensive work.

Graphics and gaming:Most mainstream laptops have integrated graphics, which can handle light games like Minecraft and Overwatch but aren’t up to the task of intense AAA games or complex visual work. A laptop with a discrete graphics card, such as an Nvidia GTX 3000-series on the higher end, is required for this.

Size:Think about how portable you’d like your laptop to be. Gaming notebooks like the Alienware m15 R4 have more heft (but offer more power in exchange), whereas machines like the Dell XPS 13 and HP Elite Dragonfly are feather light with slim designs.

Operating system:Windows 10 (most mainstream PCs), macOS (MacBooks), and Chrome OS (Chromebooks) are the three most common operating systems for laptops. The most popular operating system is Windows 10, while macOS is better for those who are already part of Apple’s ecosystem. Chrome OS is a lightweight operating system designed to allow for low-cost, fast systems, though it has grown in strength over time with the addition of full Android app support.

Regardless of which system you choose, you may also want to get the best mouse for your particular work situation.

How we test the best laptops

To find the best laptop, we put each one through a battery of benchmarks and real-world tests to see how it will perform in real-world situations.

We put our machines through a variety of tests, including Geekbench 5 (CPU performance) and various 3DMark tests to assess graphics capabilities. We also run a file transfer test to see how fast a machine’s hard drive is, as well as a custom battery test in which the machine browses the internet over Wi-Fi until the battery runs out. Using our in-house light meter and colorimeter, we determine the average brightness and color quality of each laptop’s display.

We run benchmarks for popular games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Hitman 2, and Far Cry: New Dawn when testing dedicated gaming laptops.

• Here are five upgrades that the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 should have.
• Our picks for the best mouse for productivity
• One of the best microphones can enhance your setup

Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast who has covered both for publications such as Game Developer, Black Hat, and PC World magazine for over a decade. He is currently a senior editor at Tom’s Guide, where he covers everything from laptops and desktop computers to keyboards and mice.