Need a new laptop? It’s a tough decision. If you’re like most people, a laptop is one of the most expensive tech purchases you’ll make, and it’s something you’ll use and live with nearly every day for years to come. So there’s a lot riding on this pricey expense.
I’ve tested all kinds of laptops, from cheap Windows computers and Chromebooks to bread-and-butter MacBooks and over-the-top gaming machines. These are the ones I recommend the most and why I think they might be a good fit for you.
Though the MacBook Air is still the easy recommendation for most people, that doesn’t make it the go-to answer for everyone. What if you need more power for video or photo editing, or for crunching large datasets? What if you prefer to run Windows? What if you play lots of games and want to take them with you? Or what if you want something that’s super repairable, or something that’s unusual? We’ve got some recommendations, including a Chromebook or two, a laptop with two screens, the 16-inch MacBook Pro, and the Microsoft Surface Laptop with a Snapdragon X Elite chip.
What we’re looking for
How we test laptops
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We run benchmarks to test performance, but we focus on actual real-world use to get an idea of what living with a laptop is like. A laptop should last you a bunch of years, and you don’t want to be punished every time you open the lid.
Value
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Good things usually cost good money, but some laptops feel more worthy of their asking price than others.
Performance
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You want enough performance for the tasks you want to accomplish — from basic web browsing to heavy content creation or playing games. If you can afford more headroom, go for it.
Keyboard and trackpad
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These are the main ways you interact with a laptop, so they should function well and feel good to use.
Screen
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You can always plug into an external monitor, but a quality laptop has a bright and sharp screen with nice contrast and colors.
Design and build
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The more solid the build, the longer it should last after years of getting battered during a daily commute or on the road. And a good design only enhances day-to-day experience.
Battery life
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Plenty of folks keep their laptops plugged in all the time, but it’s freeing to be able to work much of the day away from the charger.
Port selection
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The more ports, the better — within reason, of course. A thin-and-light laptop can get away with just a few, but they should be decently speedy.
The best answer for most people
$1149
The Good
A little more speed never hurtsStarts with more storage that’s twice as fastStill one of the best laptops aroundGreat battery life and speakers
The Bad
Starting price is $100 more than M4 generation (though you get more storage for it)The MacBook Neo now exists and costs less than half
CPU: M5 (10-core) / GPU: M5 (8- or 10-core) / RAM: 16GB, 24GB, 32GB / Storage: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB / Display: 13.6-inch or 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display, 2560 x 1664 or 2880 x 1864 , 60Hz, no touch option / Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches (13-inch) or 13.40 x 9.35 x 0.45 inches (15-inch) / Weight: 2.7 pounds (13-inch) or 3.3 pounds (15-inch)
Just get the latest MacBook Air. It’s been a little same-y for a few years, but it’s still the best for a reason. Every part of it is good to great. It’s incredibly thin. Its keyboard is solid. Its haptic trackpad is excellent. Its speakers are loud and full-sounding (especially on the 15-inch). It’s got a very nice-looking display. Even its webcam is best in class. All that, and it balances a great level of performance with a battery that easily lasts around 13 hours.
Both the 13- and 15-inch models are great for just about everything outside of hardcore gaming, heavy-duty content creation, or 3D modeling. An Air will serve you well for years to come. Many of us at The Verge still use work-issued M1 MacBook Airs from 2020, and they’re holding up great after five-plus years of service. An M5 Air (or M4 if you can still find a deal) could last you the better part of a decade.
Want to spend less? Or shopping for a student?
$599
The Good
Impressive performance for $600Perfect for a middle school or high school studentThe best mechanical trackpad aroundSolid speakers and screen
The Bad
Small limitations: 8GB of RAM, slow storage, no keyboard backlighting, and only 20W charging with the included chargerWish it weighed a little less, and its colors were more vibrant
CPU: A18 Pro (6-core) / GPU: A18 Pro (5-core) / RAM: 8GB / Storage: 256GB, 512GB / Display: 13-inch Liquid Retina display, 2408 x 1506, 60Hz, no touch option / Dimensions: 11.71 x 8.12 x 0.5 inches / Weight: 2.7 pounds
Enter the MacBook Neo. Most inexpensive laptops are bulky and creaky, with bad keyboards and screens. Like the Air, the Neo nails the basics, just at a lower price. Its build quality is unbeatable for its $600 price (or $100 less for students and teachers). And while its A18 Pro processor is technically a smartphone chip, it’s faster than most Windows laptop chips in single-core performance — making it more than enough for everyday tasks. Its 8GB of RAM and relatively slow storage may feel lean for more intensive users, but the Neo performs great unless you really push it with dozens of Chrome tabs or heavier content creation apps.
The laptops to get if you prefer Windows
$1050
The Good
Exquisite hardware that feels great to touch and useVery good keyboard and one of the best mechanical trackpadsBattery can stretch to 1.5 days (with native Arm apps)3:2 aspect ratio screen is ideal for productivity
The Bad
Webcam doesn’t support Windows HelloLoss of magnetic charging portSnapdragon X still has app and game compatibility issues that competing chips do notWhy have Home, Page Up, and Page Down keys instead of media controls?
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 / GPU: Qualcomm Adreno / RAM: 16GB / Storage: 256GB, 512GB / Display: 13-inch (1920 x 1280) 60Hz touchscreen / Dimensions: 11.25 x 8.43 x 0.61 inches / Weight: 2.7 pounds
$970
The Good
Beautiful fanless designGreat battery lifeThe keyboard is a lot sturdier
The Bad
Windows still needs a better UX in tablet modeThe thick display bezelsNo haptic touchpad
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 / GPU: Qualcomm Adreno / RAM: 16GB / Storage: 256GB, 512GB / Display: 12-inch (2196 x 1464) 90Hz touschscreen / Dimensions: 10.8 x 7.47 x 0.30 inches / Weight: 1.5 pounds
Microsoft’s entry-level Surface Laptop 13-inch and Surface Pro 12-inch are sleek little Windows computers. One is a conventional clamshell and the other a convertible tablet, so you can take your pick from two very well-built devices with metal chassis, great screens, and good keyboards and trackpads. Their Snapdragon X processors are fast enough for everyday tasks and some creative work. But one of their biggest strengths is their extra-long battery life and lengthy standby times. Both the Surface Laptop and Surface Pro can easily tackle a standard workday on a single charge, plus a few more hours, and barely lose any charge overnight, unlike most Windows laptops. Unfortunately, Microsoft recently jacked up its Surface prices due to RAMageddon, so they’re not as competitive with the MacBook Air as they used to be. (This is a problem across the industry; other Windows computers are also getting more expensive.)
Alternatively, if you want something that feels even nicer and runs an Intel chip for wider app and game compatibility, check out the new Dell XPS 14. I’m still working on my review of it, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see how good the XPS is again after I loathed the XPS 13. I’m glad to see Dell resurrected its most notable brand, and it’s actually good — great hardware, a lovely tandem OLED screen, and nice performance from Intel Panther Lake chips. But it starts around $1,900 and climbs much higher with options.
Need a bigger Windows laptop? (Hey, my eyes aren’t what they used to be either.)
$1700
The Good
Incredibly light for such a capable 16-inch laptopGreat battery life and a lovely OLEDVery good performance with lots of RAMHell yeah, an SD card slot
The Bad
Beige color isn’t for everyone (though the satin finish is nice to touch)The usual Windows on Arm disclaimer — compatibility issues with some specialized apps and many gamesOkay speakers
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme / GPU: Adreno X2-90 / RAM: 48GB / Storage: 1TB / Display: 16-inch (2880 x 1800) 120Hz OLED touchscreen / Dimensions: 13.92 x 9.54 x 0.54 ~ 0.65 inches / Weight: 2.87 pounds
The Asus Zenbook A16 is as impressive as it is beige. It’s meant to be a MacBook Air fighter, and it’s a formidable alternative, with Qualcomm’s powerful X2 Elite Extreme chip inside. At $1,699.99, it isn’t cheap, but you get a massive 48GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and a huge 16-inch OLED display. (A similarly priced 15-inch MacBook Air comes with 32GB of RAM and just 512GB of storage.) Despite this large, lovely screen, the A16 weighs just 2.87 pounds / 1.3kg — only a smidge more than the much smaller MacBook Neo. It’s the lightest 16-inch laptop around, and it’s even got an SD card slot, which I love. I’ve experienced firsthand how it’s powerful enough for some heavy photo editing under pressure.
Need a Chromebook for a kid or just simple browsing?
$369
The Good
Excellent look and buildSharp 1080p display1080p webcam with AI features and physical shutter
The Bad
No touchscreen optionStiff touchpadBattery life could be a bit better
CPU: Intel Core i3-1215U / GPU: Intel UHD / RAM: 8GB / Storage: 128GB, 256GB UFS / Display: 14-inch IPS, 1920 x 1080, 60Hz, non-touch / Dimensions: 12.9 x 8.4 x 0.74 inches / Weight: 3.17 pounds
For a fairly affordable Chromebook that’s still solid, stick with the tried and true Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 for about $400. It’s got an older 12th-gen Intel processor, 8GB of RAM, and a basic 1080p screen. But it’s one of the cheapest Chromebooks around with the “Plus” designation, meaning it’s one of The Good Ones.
Chromebooks are in a bit of a weird spot now that Googlebooks are on the horizon and we don’t know a lot about them just yet. Our former top pick, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, remains an excellent laptop — the best of the best Chromebooks. But in recent times it’s shot up from a fair $650 starting price to $800 to $1,000. Yikes. At this point, only get the Lenovo if it’s on a big sale. Otherwise, just get a MacBook Neo.
Okay, here’s what I’d actually buy myself if I could only own one computer
$1900
The Good
Balanced performance, battery life, and portabilityOLED displayProgrammable LED strip on the lidGreat keyboard and smooth trackpad
The Bad
Gets a bit hot and loud under loadSoldered RAMThermally throttles its GPUs
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 270, HX 370 / GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, RTX 5070, RTX 5070 TI, RTX 5080 / RAM: 16GB, 32GB / Storage: 1TB / Display: 14-inch OLED, 2880 x 1800, 120Hz, 500 nits / Dimensions: 12.24 x 8.66 x 0.63 inches / Weight: 3.31 pounds
The laptops I’ve outlined above are all fantastic. They’re also just a liiiiittle boring, because they don’t take into account playing lots of games, which is what first got me into PCs as a kid. That’s why my personal choice for one computer to do it all are the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16. They strike a great balance between work and play, being sleek and travel-friendly and offering good battery life during the workday. But once you sign off, their discrete Nvidia GPUs and lovely OLEDs offer a whole lot of fun for gaming.
The 2025 models of the Zephyrus G14 and G16 are still easy recommendations in 2026, especially if you can find a deal. The 2026 revision is a small update that mostly bumps the chips to Intel Panther Lake, though I’ve got my eye on the new G14 since it’s making the switch from a microSD card slot to full-size SD. Just brace yourself for how expensive it might be. Asus didn’t announce any pricing at CES, and since then all its 2026 models have landed at significantly higher prices than last gen. If you’re shopping for a deal on the 2025 models, I like the entry-level Zephyrus G14 with RTX 5060 GPU (which is thinner than the higher configs) and the G16 with RTX 5070 Ti (a good sweet spot for the larger model).
Now, here’s the MacBook I’d buy for myself if I’m just focusing on creative work
$1500
The Good
Everything good about the M4 model, with just a little more speedStill a very good value for an all-purpose creative workflow machineBest-in-class battery life
The Bad
Just a snoozer of an updateSpace black finish can still be a little smudgyApple’s price structure may still have you longing for M4 Pro / Max
CPU: M5 (10-core / GPU: M5 (10-core) / RAM: 16GB, 24GB, or 32GB / Storage: 512GB (discontinued), 1TB, 2TB, 4TB / Display: 14.2 Liquid Retina XDR, 3024 x 1964, adaptive refresh up to 120Hz, no touch option / Dimensions: 12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 / Weight: 3.4 pounds
The base 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 is my personal sweet spot for content creation without spending tons and tons of money. The 14-inch size makes it easily portable, and it’s powerful enough to fit my needs as a part-time pro photographer. It’s also a great starting place for a college student or young professional getting into creative fields.
The pricier M5 Pro / M5 Max models set the high mark for performance across video production, 3D rendering, and pro work. If you’re a full-time creative professional or developer, the upgrades to an M5 Pro or M5 Max are worth it. If that’s you, take your pick of 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pros and get the best one you can comfortably afford. It’s sure to provide you with excellent performance for well over five years. I saw that in my M5 Max MacBook Pro review, where I retested the M1 Pro and M1 Max models and heard firsthand from professional users how well those were still holding up.
$3899
The Good
Still the bestAmazing performance and battery lifeDouble the starting storage, and it’s blisteringly fast
The Bad
Still very expensive, with a $400 price increase over the M4 Max (though you get extra storage)
Okay, those are the standard recommendations.
But what if you want something a little more niche?
Looking for desktop-level gaming in a laptop?
$3200
The Good
Great graphics performance in the latest high-end gamesLots of ports, including Thunderbolt 5Easy access to RAM and SSDsQuite the boisterous RGB light showNice QHD / 240Hz Mini LED screen
The Bad
Typical gaming laptop issues (pricey, hefty, and not great battery life)Competition offers OLED screensCustomizing lid animations is a pain
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX / GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 / RAM: 32GB / Storage: 2TB / Display: 16-inch Mini LED 2560 x 1600, 240Hz display / Dimensions: 13.94 x 10.55 x 0.9 to 1.21 inches / Weight: 6.17 pounds
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 and Lenovo Legion Pro 7i are both excellent gaming laptops with Intel Arrow Lake processors and high-end Nvidia RTX graphics. I tested both with RTX 5080 Laptop GPUs, and they proved powerful enough to play the latest games on high settings in 2.5K resolution — even 4K for some slightly older or less-demanding ones.
Both laptops have lots of RGB lighting, great keyboards, and 16-inch displays with high 240Hz refresh rate. The Asus usually had a slight performance edge, but the Legion gets extra points for having an OLED display. Either of them are great options if you want a thicc-boy-style gaming laptop.
$2999
The Good
Great performance at 2.5K and even at 4K on an external monitorBeautiful OLED screenOne of the best keyboards in this class of gaming laptops
The Bad
No face or fingerprint unlockNumpad makes things slightly cramped, with off-center trackpadLenovo’s apps are slightly more invasive with notifications than others
Do you want to live that sweet dual-screen life?
$2500
The Good
Lovely dual OLEDs that now sit closer togetherVersatile dual-screen form factorStill a great single-screen clamshellStrong performance and battery life
The Bad
Gets warm, but not lap-roasting hotA little heavy and thick for a 14-inchVertical orientation compromises sound qualityMuch pricier than last-gen
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 386H, Core Ultra X9 388H / GPU: integrated Intel graphics (386H), integrated Intel Arc B309 GPU (388H),/ RAM: 32GB / Storage: 1TB / Display: Dual 14-inch (2880 x 1800) 48 – 144Hz OLED touchscreens / Dimensions: 12.21 x 8.21 x 0.77 – 0.92 inches / Weight: 3.5 / 4.7 pounds
By god, it’s the Asus Zenbook Duo’s music! You can connect a second display to any laptop, but a laptop with two screens is even better. The latest Zenbook Duo is very expensive at $2,700, but you get two 14-inch OLEDs, a great detachable keyboard and trackpad, and an Intel Panther Lake chip that’s great on both performance and battery life. The integrated Intel Arc B390 GPU can even do some respectable 1200p gaming while you have Discord or your work Slack (or both) open on the other screen. The multitasking freedom you get from these two screens (in both landscape and portrait orientations) is a big part of the fun here. Plus, you can flex on everyone else at the coffee shop.
Do you want a laptop you can repair or upgrade yourself?
$1049
The Good
Still the repairability champ with excellent, modular port selectionFaster CPU performance over both Intel and previous AMD modelsHigh-res 3:2 aspect ratio screen is great for productivityThin, light, and an overall great package
The Bad
Radeon 860M iGPU performance is a little lackingTrackpad still feels a little cheapScreen is a little lacking in contrast and color qualityLess repairable laptops offer more for similar prices or less
CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 5 340, AI 7 350, AI 9 HX 370 / GPU: Radeon 860M / RAM: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 48GB, 96GB / Storage: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB / Display: 13.5 inch IPS, 2256 x 1504 60Hz or 2880 x 1920 120Hz, no touch option / Dimensions: 11.68 x 9.01 x 0.62 inches / Weight: 2.87 pounds
There is no better laptop for a tinkerer than the user-repairable, user-upgradeable Framework Laptop 13. There’s also the Framework Laptop 16 if you want something bigger with discrete graphics, but it’s not as easy of a recommendation due to its clunky, Erector Set-like build.
Framework has been cooking with its latest releases, and its upcoming Laptop 13 Pro and updates to the Laptop 16 also look promising. But the standard Framework Laptop 13 with AMD Ryzen AI 300-series chips is a great all-rounder. It performs well whether you’re running Windows or your Linux distro of choice. You pay a premium for the flexibility Framework offers, but the potential for upgrades and easy self-service make it a better long-term investment. Plus, they’re the only laptops in production that allow you to choose your own ports and hot-swap them on a whim. It’s just awesome.
$2524
The Good
Fully user-repairable and upgradeableSizable boost in gaming performance with RTX 5070Amazing levels of customization, from ports to keyboard / trackpad alignmentNice quality high-res, high-refresh LCD
The Bad
A concerning amount of BSOD crashes during testingLid still has lots of flexSide spacers are still uneven and creakyAuto brightness is erratic and jumpyStill feels a little janky, like a Franken-laptopOriginal owners need to buy a new display for G-Sync
Read my full reviews of the Framework Laptop 13 and Framework Laptop 16.
