Best Laptops in 2023

Best Laptops in 2023
Best Laptops in 2023 (Image: © Sales Mag Theme)

Laptops. There are just so many of them. But what’s the best laptop for you? Is it a business notebook, a powerful gaming laptop, or a Chromebook? We know the sheer number of choices can be overwhelming, which is why we made this list.

We’ve created this handy, dandy guide so you’ll know all the ins and outs of your prospective system before you make the decision to hit the buy button. From advice on choosing screen size, to selecting between an SSD and HDD, to insider scoops on where to find the best prices on laptops, here are some essential tips for finding the right system for you.

Our Top 3 Recommendations

Best Pick Dell XPS 13 OLED (2021) Dell XPS 13

Breathtaking 3.5K OLED display

Striking, ultra-thin design

Fast performance

Over the course of a year, we review over 150 laptops covering every price point and use case. Whether you’re looking for a productivity workhorse, a badass gaming system, or a multimedia machine to kick back and watch a movie or two, we can help you find your ideal match.

In order to make our best laptop of 2023 list, the system needs to score at least 4 out of 5 stars on our reviews and deliver on the things shoppers care about most. In our evaluations, we focus on design and comfort, display quality, the keyboard and touchpad, performance, battery life, and especially value.

The Best Laptops in 2023 Summary

Award Image Model Price
The best overall laptop you can buy Dell XPS 13 OLED (2021) Dell XPS 13 See on Amazon
The best overall laptop you can buy Dell XPS 13 OLED (2022) Dell XPS 13 See on Amazon

The Dell XPS 13 is currently our top overall pick for the best laptop of 2023. For our Apple aficionados, the new must-have is the latest MacBook Air now with the company’s new M2 processor or if you’re a power user or content creator, the MacBook Pro 13 can stand up to your workload. Looking for something more affordable? The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 2-in-1 delivers an OLED display and over 13 hours of battery life for under $500.

CES 2023 is kicking off, meaning we’re seeing a new slate of laptops with next-gen processors and innovative designs. In fact, we’re already seeing the best gaming laptops of CES 2023. There’s plenty to look forward to from Dell, Lenovo, Asus, and more, and that means 2023 will see some potential contenders to take the title of best laptop.

8 Best laptops in 2023 which we recommend!

Our Reviews for Best Laptop to Buy Today

Dell XPS 13 OLED (2021) (Image credit: Amazon)

Dell XPS 13 OLED (2021)

The best overall laptop you can buy

SPECIFICATIONS

CPU: Intel Core i7-1185G7 | GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD | Display: 13.4-inch, 2160 | Size: 11.6 x 7.8 x 0.6 inches | Weight: 2.8 pounds

REASONS TO BUY

Breathtaking 3.5K OLED display

Striking, ultra-thin design

Fast performance

REASONS TO AVOID

Battery life takes a hit with OLED

Limited port selection

No webcam shutter

The Dell XPS 13 OLED is what happens when the best laptop meets the latest display technology. Combining the two creates something close to magic — an ultra-portable device capable of running most tasks while providing a cinema-like viewing experience. Everything we love about the other XPS configurations remains, including the fast performance, striking design, and top-rate touchpad.

The latest XPS 13 model debuts a gorgeous OLED panel that provides rich picture quality for when you’re streaming movies at home or editing videos for work. Is it worth the tradeoff to battery life? If you need a high-res display, then yes. The 3.5K OLED display outlasted the 4K IPS config in our battery test and is capable of producing a wider range of colors. Equipped with an Intel Core i7-1185G7 CPU with 16GB of RAM, the XPS 13 is small but mighty.

Overall, the XPS 13 OLED brings an excellent display upgrade to what was already our favorite laptop, and it does so without too many sacrifices.

Dell XPS 13 OLED (2022) (Image credit: Amazon)

Dell XPS 13 OLED (2022)

The best overall laptop you can buy

SPECIFICATIONS

CPU: Intel Core i7-1185G7 | GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD | Display: 13.4-inch, 2160 | Size: 11.6 x 7.8 x 0.6 inches | Weight: 2.8 pounds

The Dell XPS 13 OLED is what happens when the best laptop meets the latest display technology. Combining the two creates something close to magic — an ultra-portable device capable of running most tasks while providing a cinema-like viewing experience. Everything we love about the other XPS configurations remains, including the fast performance, striking design, and top-rate touchpad.

The latest XPS 13 model debuts a gorgeous OLED panel that provides rich picture quality for when you’re streaming movies at home or editing videos for work. Is it worth the tradeoff to battery life? If you need a high-res display, then yes. The 3.5K OLED display outlasted the 4K IPS config in our battery test and is capable of producing a wider range of colors. Equipped with an Intel Core i7-1185G7 CPU with 16GB of RAM, the XPS 13 is small but mighty.

Overall, the XPS 13 OLED brings an excellent display upgrade to what was already our favorite laptop, and it does so without too many sacrifices.

How we test laptops

Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing laptops for three decades. We test over 150 different models per year, subjecting each system to a series of rigorous benchmarks that provides a complete picture of performance, battery life and usability.

Our expert reviewers also use each product to see how it looks and feels in everyday situations. Because we see so many different notebooks, we can compare each to its direct competitors and give you an idea of how it stacks up to the average laptop in its price band.

When we bring a laptop into our laboratory, our goal is to see how it would work if you brought it into your home or office. While we use a number of industry standard benchmarks such as Geekbench and 3DMark, we focus heavily on real-world tests that we have developed in-house.

To test endurance, the Laptop Mag Battery test surfs the web at 150 nits of brightness until the system runs out of juice. To judge pure processing power, we use a giant spreadsheet macro that matches 65,000 names with their addresses, a video transcoder that converts a 4K video to 1080p and the Geekbench 4 synthetic test. We measure graphics prowess with both 3DMark Ice Storm / Fire Strike and a series of actual game titles.

We use a colorimeter to measure screen brightness and color gamut while other instruments help us determine a laptop’s key travel and ambient heat. See this page on How We Test Laptops for more details on our benchmarking procedures.

How to find the right laptop

When shopping for a laptop, there’s a lot to consider. To help you choose a system, we’ve put our up-to-date list of favorite notebooks above, along with five points to keep in mind when choosing a system.

Budget: What you get for the money.

You can find good cheap Windows laptops and high-quality Chromebooks for under $500. However, better mainstream laptops usually cost more than $700 and premium Ultrabooks can run over $1,000. The best gaming laptops can cost $2.000 and up, but you can play the latest titles at decent frame rates on gaming laptops under $1,500 as well as the best gaming laptops under $1,000.

Screen Size: 12 to 14 inches for Portability

Knowing a laptop’s screen size tells you a lot about its portability overall. If you want to use your computer on your lap or carry it around a lot, go for one with a 12, 13 or 14-inch display. If you want to use the computer on tables and desks and won’t carry it around much, a 15-inch model may give you more value. Some gaming rigs, media machines and workstations even have 17 or 18-inch screens, but those are hardest to carry.

2-in-1 or Clamshell?

More and more of today’s laptops are 2-in-1s with screens that either bend back 360 degrees or detach so you can use them as tablets. If you like the idea of using your laptop in slate mode for drawing, media consumption or just using it standing up, a 2-in-1 could be for you. However, you can often get better features or a lower price by going with a traditional clamshell-style laptop.

Battery Life: 8+ Hours for Portability

Unless you only plan to use your laptop on your desk, battery life matters. Even within the home or office, having plenty of juice enables you to work on the couch or at the conference table, without being chained to the nearest outlet. For the best portability, we recommend getting a laptop that lasted over 8 hours on the Laptop Mag Battery Test. The longest-lasting laptops endure for over 10 hours.

Specs: 1080p / Core i5 / 8GB Are Best Bets

You can spend a lot of time delving into specs, but here are the key components to think about. If you just want really good mainstream performance, go for a Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and a 1080p screen.

  • Screen Resolution: Unfortunately, 66 percent of consumer laptops and 51 percent of business systems have low-res screens. If at all possible, get a display with a 1920 x 1080 (aka 1080p or full HD) or higher resolution. If you’re a content creator, you’ll want to look into at least a 2.5K resolution panel. And if you’re a gamer, definitely pay attention to the refresh and response rate. We recommend 144Hz and 3-millisecond, respectively. 
  • CPU: An Intel Core i5 provides good mainstream performance. Some budget systems will come with Core i3, Celeron or Pentium CPUs which are good enough for basic tasks, but not heavy mutltiasking. Get a Core i7 or a quad core processor (serial number ends in HQ or HK) for gaming or high-end productivity tasks such as video editing and 3D modeling. AMD is enjoying a renaissance with its Ryzen line of processors. Ryzen 7 is the middle-of-the-road chip that will bring mainstream performance while Ryzen 5 and 9 cover your entry level and power user needs. And of course we can’t forget Apple with its M-series chips based on ARM architecture that  has taken the industry by storm.
  • RAM: 8GB is ideal for most users. 4GB is acceptable for budget systems. Secondary laptops and Chromebooks may have less.
  • Storage: Unless you’re a gamer or a power user, 256GB of internal storage is probably enough. If at all possible, get an SSD (Solid State Drive) rather than a hard drive, because it’s going to make your entire computer a lot faster.
  • Graphics Chip: Gamers and creative professionals need to do some research and figure out which discrete GPU is good enough to run their favorite software. Everyone else will be happy with the built-in Intel HD Graphics that come on the CPU.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the Best Laptop to Buy in 2023?

The Dell XPS 13 is currently our top overall pick for the best laptop of 2023. For our Apple aficionados, the new must-have is the latest MacBook Air now with the company’s new M2 processor or if you’re a power user or content creator, the MacBook Pro 13 can stand up to your workload. Looking for something more affordable? The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 2-in-1 delivers an OLED display and over 13 hours of battery life for under $500.

Yousaf Nadeem
I am a WordPress Developer, who has been programming for over 8 years. I have expertise in PHP, JavaScript, HTML and CSS. In addition to this, I also know SEO and Technical SEO as well as how to make your website rank on Google’s first page of search results.
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