The definitive breakdown of the best laptops out right now

[NelsonG]

Not all laptops are created equal, and if you’re in the market for a new one after a year of working from home, doing a solid bit of research is required before you put your hard-earned money down. After all, we pretty much live our lives around our computers, from work in the morning to Netflix and Skype calls with friends at night.

But, y’know, that’s why we’re here (our top picks are all below—you’re welcome!), there are a few basic things you’ll definitely want to consider before you look through our curated list. Of course, everyone’s got their own needs (gamers are going to be looking for a dazzling 4K display, for example), but it’s good for anyone to keep the following in mind:  Read more...

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IMAGE: Amazon

OUR TOP PICK

Huawei MateBook X Pro

If you can ignore the webcam placement, this laptop's 3K touchscreen and stellar speakers make it a powerhouse for work and play.

• Storage: 512 GB SSD
• RAM: 16GB
• Battery life: 15 hours
• Features: USB-C ports, 3K touchscreen, second-generation Dolby Atmos speakers, Intel i7-8550U processor, one-touch power button with identity authentication, NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics card, no SD card slot

$1,799 from Amazon

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST 2-IN-1

Lenovo Yoga 920

Sitting at an impressively low price point, Lenovo's most recent upgrade to their already amazing convertible offers speed and great battery life.

• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 512GB
• Battery life: 10.8 houros
• Features: 3840 x 2160 display, 8th gen Intel Core i7-8550U processor, 1 USB 3.0 port, 2 USB-C ports, Intel UHD Graphics 620, fingerprint reader

$1,370 from Amazon

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST FOR VIDEO AND PHOTO EDITING

MacBook Pro

With Apple’s new and powerful M1 chip, the latest MacBook Pro is a powerful machine that's truly tough to beat.

• RAM: 8-16GB
• Storage: 256GB-2TB SSD
• Battery life: Up to 20 hours
• Features: Retina with TrueTone (2880x1800), 8-core CPU with four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores, Apple's M1 chip,

$1,299 from Amazon

IMAGE: Dell

BEST DESIGN

Dell XPS 15

One of the best looking — and top-performing — ultraportable laptops out there.

• RAM: 32 GB
• Storage: 1 TB
• Battery life: Up to 17 hours
• Features: 3,840 x 2,400 UHD+ InfinityEdge Anti-reflective display, USB-C port and two Thunderbolt ports (USB-C compatible), SD card reader, headphone jack, 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-10750H, NVIDIA GeForce 1650Ti graphics

$999 from Dell

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST FOR GAMING

Razer Blade

The best overall (and most aesthetically pleasing) gaming laptop out there, the newest Razer Blade gives top notch graphics with no lag.

• RAM: 16 GB
• Storage: 1TB
• Battery life: Up to 7.5 hours
• Features: Up to 3,840 x 2,160 display, Intel Core i7-10875H 8-Core, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics, three USB 3.1, one USB-C Thunderbolt 3, HDMI port, Mini DisplayPort 1.4, Kensington lock port, headphone jack

$2,599 from Amazon

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

Samsung Notebook 9 Pro

A travel-ready convertible with a glorious included stylus that can easily mold to all note taking and artistic needs.

• RAM: 8 GB
• Storage: 256 GB
• Battery life: 12 hours
• Features: 1920 x 1080 FHD display, Intel Core i7-7500U Up To 3.5GHz, two USB-C and two USB-3, HDMI port, micro SD slot, Radeon 540 graphics

$959 from Amazon

IMAGE: Amazon

BUDGET PICK

Asus Chromebook Flip

A well-reviewed, sturdy 2-in-1 with stellar specs that you wouldn't expect in this price range.

• RAM: 4 GB
• Storage: 64 GB
• Battery life: 10 hours
• Features: 1920 x 1080 FHD display, 6th gen Intel Core m7 processor, two USB-C, micro SD slot, 100 GB free storage on Google Drive

$485 from Amazon

IMAGE: Amazon

BEST FOR WINDOWS STANS

HP Spectre x360 15

One of HP’s best offerings, the convertible 2020 Spectre retains its title as one of HP’s best laptops ever.

• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 1TB
• Battery life: Up to 13 hours
• Features: 4K UHD 3,840 x 2,160 display, 10th-generation Intel i7- 10750H processor, two USB-C ports, micro SD slot, USB-A port

$1,850 from Amazon

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