The best laptops of 2017: top laptops for every need

The best laptops of 2017: top laptops for every need

 

If you’re looking for a new laptop, right? And, let us guess, you’d rather not waste a lot of time figuring out which is the best laptop for you? Lucky for you, then, that it’s our job and our passion to publish the most well-rounded and real laptop reviews in the world.

It’s a process and a product that we’re constantly looking to improve, and a brand new approach to our immensely popular list of the best laptops comes part and parcel. What you’ll find below are the newest, highest-rated laptops in several key categories or classifications of laptop you might be looking for, from Ultrabooks for travel to gaming laptops and hybrids in between.

Best Ultrabook: Dell XPS 13

CPU: Intel Core i3 – i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620 – Iris Plus Graphics 640 | RAM: 4GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800) | Storage: 128GB – 1TB SSD

CPU: Intel Core i3 – i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620 – Iris Plus Graphics 640 | RAM: 4GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800) | Storage: 128GB – 1TB SSD

The Dell XPS 13 reigns supreme as the best laptop you can buy today. Thin and light with a battery life that exceeds 7 hours, Dell’s flagship laptop is the posterchild for what an Ultrabook is supposed to be. Squeezing a 13.3-inch screen into an 11-inch frame, the Dell XPS 13 is outfitted with Intel’s latest Kaby Lake processors and USB-C without skimping on legacy ports, such as the withering SD card slot and traditional USB. Couple that with the option of a gorgeous Rose Gold finish, and it should come as no surprise that the Dell XPS 13 is number one.

Best 2-in-1 laptop: Samsung Notebook 9 Pro

CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620 – AMD Radeon 540 Graphics (2GB GDDR5) | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch – 15.6-inch FHD LED display with Touch Screen Panel | Storage: 256GB SSD

The Samsung Notebook 9 Pro is every bit as competent as the 15-inch MacBook Pro and for a substantially lower cost. Though it’s limited to only one configuration, albeit across two different sizes, the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro is as powerful as it is pragmatic. If this wasn’t evidenced by its 360-degree hinge and vivid screen with brightness up to 450 nits, then maybe its onboard S-Pen stylus or lengthy battery life will convince you.

Best Chromebook: Asus Chromebook Flip

CPU: Intel Pentium – Core m3 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 515 | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 12.5-inch, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) LED backlit anti-glare | Storage: 32GB – 64GB eMMC

Originally marketed as a “premium” Chromebook to compete with the likes of the Chromebook Pixel, it’s not hard to see why we were skeptical of the first Asus Chromebook Flip we reviewed. High-end Chromebooks had been done before, but always at an inordinately high cost. But as Asus has successfully exhibited with the Chromebook Flip C302, you can cut that price in half and still make a Chrome OS-powered laptop that feels like it belongs in the upper echelon. Stacked with a gorgeous design, a keyboard that feels rich to the touch and even a 2-in-1 form factor, the Asus Chromebook Flip proves that Chromebooks can be high-end without going overboard.

Best gaming laptop: Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501

CPU: 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-7700HQ | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (8GB GDDR5X VRAM) | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 14-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800) IGZO (LED backlit, multi-touch) | Storage: 256GB – 1 TB PCIe SSD

At Computex 2017, Nvidia promised that the next generation of gaming laptops would be three times thinner and three times more powerful than those on the market right now. While triple the power is a lofty claim, Asus’ ROG Zephyrus GX501 (among the first containing Nvidia’s Max-Q chip design) is significantly thinner than its closest competitors, the Razer Blade Pro and MSI GT73VR, and – what’s more – it’s generally just as powerful. Though the battery life was pretty dismal in our experience, the Asus ROG Zephyrus is otherwise one of the first gaming laptops that could sufficiently replace both your desktop and your Ultrabook, thanks to pristine power and a super-slim profile.

Best laptop for students: Dell XPS 13

CPU: Intel Core i3 – i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620 | RAM: 4GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800) | Storage: 128GB – 512GB SSD

The only laptop to be featured twice in our recommendations, there’s more to the Dell XPS 13 than its status as a tightly kept Ultrabook. Now featuring new processors and better integrated graphics, clearly there’s an advantage to the Dell XPS 13 besides the fact that it comes in Rose Gold. The 13-inch display, crammed into an 11-inch body, is a worthy rival to a certain other aluminum laptop line. What’s more, the Dell XPS 13’s utility is extensive, spanning everything from writing to video editing and everything in between.

Best Windows tablet: Surface Pro

CPU: Intel Core m3 – i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 615 – Iris Plus Graphics 640 | RAM: 4GB – 16GB | Screen: 12.3-inch, 2,736 x 1,824 PixelSense display | Storage: 128GB – 1TB SSD | Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.1 | Camera: 8MP rear-facing, 5MP front-facing | Weight: 1.73 pounds | Size: 11.5 x 7.93 x 0.33 inches (W x D x H)

Despite the subdued naming convention, this is actually the fifth iteration of the Surface Pro. As a follow-up to the winning Surface Pro 4, it would have been every bit deserving of a number attached to it, too. That’s because 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 Surface Pro keyboards and, of course, the processor has been updated to Kaby Lake.

Best MacBook: 12-inch MacBook (2016)

CPU: Dual-core Intel Core m3 – Core m7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 515 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 12-inch Retina (2,304 x 1,440) IPS | Storage: 256GB – 512GB PCIe Flash | Dimensions (W x D x H): 28.05cm x 19.65cm x 1.31cm

Apple’s MacBook performance in 2016 was granted a much-needed boost, and it helps MacOS zip along much better. Its divisive points remain in this model – namely the use of a sole USB-C (Thunderbolt 2) port and the redesigned keyboard – but the 2016 version is less of a risk than the previous model was. If only it were a bit cheaper.