The Best Laptops We've Tested (September 2024) (2024)

Here at PCMag, we've tested thousands of laptops since our lab's founding more than 40 years ago. Our analysts and editors have more than a collective century of of experience telling the good laptops from the great ones. We test more than 100 models every year to determine the best laptop overall. We also rank winners in various subcategories, such as gaming laptops, work laptops, budget laptops, Chromebooks, and MacBooks. We test all models for CPU and graphics performance using rigorous, repeatable benchmark tests, and we evaluate design, usability, connectivity, and—most important!—value. Our current best laptop for most people is the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Touch, a top-value ultraportable that lasts nearly 20 hours on a charge, but we have plenty more tested, vetted recommendations. Read on to see all our picks, compare their specs, and get down-to-earth buying advice for nailing down the best laptop for you.

Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks

• RELATED:
• Best Cheap Gaming Laptops
• Best Business Laptops
• Best Apple Laptops
• Best Ultraportables

Buying Guide: The Best Laptops for 2024

Details, details, and more details! Buying the best laptop for you can be maddening, given all specifications and features you'll encounter in your search. Which class of laptops is best for you depends on your budget and how you plan to use it. Take a systematic approach when shopping—here's how to make a smart pick.

What Are the Types of Laptops You Can Buy?

Let's start with a rundown of the main types of laptops on today's market.

• General-use laptops: Most laptops out there fall into this class. They are capable of everyday computing tasks like web browsing, document editing, light content creation, and casual gaming. Expect baseline specs, passable features, and graphics acceleration that relies on the CPU. (More on that later.) They start as low as $300 and top out around $1,000.

• Ultraportable laptops: Thin-and-light designs make these laptops easy to carry while commuting or traveling. Like general-use laptops, most lean on CPU-integrated graphics, but you might get some better features, like extra-sharp screens, touch-input support, and premium build materials. The prototype ultraportable is Apple's iconic MacBook Air, which starts near $1,000. Windows ultraportables generally cost $700 or more.

• 2-in-1 laptops: Tablets and laptops in one, the 2-in-1 category is split into two subcategories: convertibles and detachables. Most convertibles are a whole "clamshell" laptop with a 360-degree rotating hinge. You can use the laptop in "tablet mode," with the keys behind the screen. Detachables are souped-up tablets with keyboard covers that snap off, and kickstands that prop them up. All 2-in-1 laptops have touch screens, and they run the price spectrum from budget to high-end models.

• Gaming laptops: Discrete graphics processors from AMD, Intel, or Nvidia enable gaming laptops to play PC games with varying levels of fidelity and frame-rate speed. You can spend anywhere from $700 to more than $5,000 on a gaming laptop. (Generally speaking, the quality of gameplay and the visual sharpness rise with the price.) Some approach ultraportable status (the smallest have 14-inch screens), while the beefiest feature 18-inch displays and gigantic power supplies.

• Business laptops: These run the gamut, from general-use models to high-style, premium ultraportables, (Some are 2-in-1s, too.) Because of this, we look at business laptops through the lens of several of the above subcategories, like budget, ultraportable, detachable, and convertible. Most distinguish themselves for the office with special security software, hardware, or firmware features that protect sensitive company information or resources.

• Mobile workstations: These are business laptops, but with dedicated work-grade GPUs with special drivers for rendering professional 3D or special-effects projects, working with machine-learning models, and performing other forms of GPU compute. Few cost less than $1,500, and they can exceed even the most powerful gaming laptops in price.

• Chromebooks: Chromebooks run exclusively on Google's ChromeOS, based on its Chrome web browser and a suite of browser-based web apps. They rely on cloud storage for storing most files and feature only minimal local storage. Few cost more than $700, making them ideal budget alternatives.

• MacBooks: Apple's two laptop lineups serve different audiences. The MacBook Air line is for everyday, mainstream users; Air models are punchy and reliable enough to serve well in the classroom and the office. Some consumers might want a MacBook Pro for amateur content creation, but these higher-power MacBooks are for students and professionals in advanced fields of computing, with upper Pro models competing with the workstation crowd. Expect prices from $700 for earlier-generation MacBook Air to well past $3,000 for the most decked-out Pro.

Which Brand of Laptop Is the Best?

Choosing a laptop based on what might be the "best" laptop brand isn't the best initial approach—assess laptops model by model instead. Some brands have reputations for what they're best suited for. But going by those alone can mean you miss a winner from a different brand.

For instance, Apple has long been known for its MacBooks' particular aptitude for creative professionals, from writers to photo/video editors and even digital designers. Meanwhile, Lenovo is best known for its class-leading keyboards, and its ThinkPad business machines and mobile workstations. As a last example, brands like Acer and Asus, while they play just fine in the high end, tend to dominate the midrange and budget sectors with maximum-value systems. Other major makers of first-rate laptops include HP and MSI. But there's tons of crossover in all of these assessments that them almost meaningless.

If knowing the top laptop brands still drives you, go with the wisdom of the crowd: See what you can find within our running Readers' Choice: Best Laptop Brands series, which polls readers like you to name their favorite laptop brands for specific use cases and scenarios.

What Is the Longest-Lasting Laptop?

Many of the best laptops can last the better part of a workday away from an outlet. You'll find exceptions. A leading laptop with a 4K display and a powerful CPU may last less time, and gaming laptops deplete far sooner than most other machines. And when playing demanding, GPU-taxing games? Gaming laptops run out of juice even more quickly off the plug than they usually do. A lot depends on how you compute; even powerful laptops have become adept at sensing when their maximum power isn’t required and reduce various components’ consumption.

This is where PC Labs’ battery testing comes in. We evaluate battery life by playing a locally stored video file nonstop at middle brightness. An excellent result suggests that the laptop can adapt its power use to the task at hand; our testing lets you compare the potential of the machines you are considering. We evaluate all laptops using this test. At the preceding link is an extended summary of the best battery performers.

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Measuring battery life is never an absolute, though, since it depends on how you use your laptop. Your usage profile probably doesn’t match our test—or anyone else’s—to a T. So you’ll want to look at tested battery life in a relative, rather than absolute, sense.

However, if you're keeping score, the HP OmniBook X AI (based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite CPU) and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (the M3 model) are today's longest-lasting laptops we've reviewed, enduring for just over 30 hours on our battery rundown test.

What Are the Best Laptop Specs for Work From Home?

Because you'll find only so many unique makes of processor, graphics chip, memory, and storage, the most identifiable and popular laptop "specs" aren't all that different regardless of whether a given system was designed for working from home. However, a few key laptop specifications have an outsize impact on getting work done in a home office.

First and foremost is the webcam. The laptop's camera is your window into your working world, so it better be of high quality to make the best impression every time. Avoid webcams that aren't at least 1080p in recording resolution, and it might behoove you to look out for newer top laptops with Intel Core Ultra processors that enable AI enhancements to their webcam image, automatically improving lighting, framing, and audio.

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Also, pay close attention to the ports and other hard connections of any laptop you're considering buying for working from home. The laptop's port selection will dictate whether you'll need an additional USB hub or docking station to expand its connectivity.

Otherwise, specs like CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage will be directed more by the type of work you need to accomplish at home and the hardware required to meet those requirements. We explore all of those internal considerations below.

How Much Will the Right Laptop Cost?

Don’t care about cutting-edge design and robust components? You might be satisfied with a cheap laptop. Today’s market is flooded with basic but full-featured models with list prices under $500. "Shopping holidays" like Prime Day and Black Friday, and actual holidays like Presidents’ Day, bring frequent sales, discounting some of these models even further.

Most of them will handle word processing and email checking just fine, but they’ll struggle with heavier tasks, such as keeping many web browser tabs or memory- and CPU-demanding programs open at once.You'll want to look at our reviews to compare performance. PC Labs has tested many of the latest budget laptop models across the market; some are classic clamshells, and others are convertible or detachable 2-in-1s. (We've detailed a couple of our top cheap laptop picks in our lineup of favorites above.)

Increasing your budget to around $1,000 will unlock access to nearly all of the cutting-edge features modern laptops offer. These include slim, sturdy aluminum chassis, brilliant touch-enabled 4K displays, powerful processors and graphics chips, and batteries that will last all day and well into the night. We're increasingly seeing leading laptops bring these features down closer to the $800 range, as well, in some models from brands like Acer, Asus, and HP.

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The major caveat in this price range is that you’ll have to choose the most important features. You might be able to land a first-rate laptop with a beautiful 4K display or a cavernous terabyte of solid-state storage at this price, but probably not one with both.

If your piggybank has $2,000 or more, you can choose almost any combination of features you want. Even the most powerful laptop that money can buy, though, must still obey the laws of physics. Powerful hardware generates heat, and the cooling mechanisms that such components require take up space. Hard-core gamers who want a large display and a screaming-fast graphics processor that requires bulky cooling pipes and fans can’t expect to find it in a thin, light laptop.

IT-manageable, security-conscious business laptops—models made primarily by Dell, HP, and Lenovo—have their own pricing dynamic and tend to cost a bit more, all else being equal. That’s because of their premium warranty or support plans, enterprise-specific silicon focused on manageability or security, fingerprint or face-recognition login features, and more rugged build quality.

Windows vs. ChromeOS vs. macOS: Which Operating System to Get?

The best laptops you’ll run across in-store or at your favorite online seller will run Windows 11 (unless the seller is named “Apple”). Still, Microsoft’s best-known product isn’t necessarily the best operating system for everyone. Thanks to the ascendance in recent years of Google’s ChromeOS up the ranks of budget laptops, you now have an alternative to Windows at every price level. The tipping point for non-Windows laptops is around $1,000; above a grand, your main alternative to a Windows machine is a MacBook; below it, it’s a Chromebook.

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Today, many leading laptops are based on ChromeOS as a primary alternative to budget-priced Windows laptops. A Chromebook could be a fine, value-minded choice for someone who needs a laptop just to watch movies, create text documents, write emails, and work in basic spreadsheets. With a Chromebook, the main features you will need from your laptop are a decent screen and a comfortable keyboard, since cloud services like Google Drive can handle most of your storage and processing needs. And, if you still insist on key creature comforts, you can find midrange Chromebooks with full-HD (1080p) displays and comfortable keyboards just as easily as you can find bargain-basem*nt ones these days.

Indeed, Google's Chromebook Plus program sets a level for impressive-quality Chromebooks at near-budget prices. PC Labs has tested Chromebooks all across the market, including clamshell models, convertibles, and even a few detachable 2-in-1 Chrome tablets. (We've detailed our top Chromebook pick in our lineup of favorites above.)

An Apple MacBook might be right for people with similar needs but larger budgets, assuming you’re cool with running your day-to-day computing life on macOS. You won’t find a “cheap” MacBook anywhere in the Apple family, but you will find unmatched industrial design, universally excellent battery life, and a ton of built-in apps to manage your multimedia collection and sync with your iCloud account and the rest of your Apple devices.

Higher-end MacBook Pros also suit content creators, with the option for a 16-inch Liquid Retina XDR display and CPUs up to Apple's own M3 Max. One of the most significant Mac laptop drawbacks is a total lack of touch-screen support, which is an option in various ChromeOS and Windows machines.

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A Windows-based machine affords access to the broadest range of software, including most AAA games; the subset of popular, first-rank game titles is much smaller on macOS, and games on ChromeOS are limited to what runs in a browser or what you can download as an Android app or from the Chrome Web Store. A Windows machine also drives the most form-factor flexibility. A few Chromebooks have designs built around detachable or foldable keyboards, letting you use them as tablets, but Windows offers a far broader selection of these flexible physical designs.

The vast number of Windows devices means Microsoft’s OS gives you the most flexibility in choosing a top laptop, period. Most of the rest of your buying decisions, which we’ll address below, are therefore relevant mainly to Windows machines. (We’ll be sure to note when Macs or Chromebooks offer a certain feature as well, however.)

What Is an Ideal Weight and Size for a Laptop?

Most people searching for the best laptop should choose one that measures about half an inch thick and weighs 3 pounds or less. These are the maximum dimensions and heft a laptop can have to be considered ultraportable, and for most users, portability is the key to maximizing use and enjoyment.

Aiming for that weight and thickness, in most cases, will limit the laptop’s screen size to 13 or 14 inches, although a few models with 15-inch or larger screens now fit into the ultraportable category. You can find models in either the conventional “clamshell” laptop shape or a 2-in-1 convertible design at most of these screen sizes. The latter has a hinge that rotates the screen 360 degrees, so you can use it as a makeshift tablet or prop it up like a tent for watching movies.

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Some Windows and ChromeOS laptops do have smaller displays, such as 10 or 11 inches. Some of these are not technically laptops in the pure sense but rather tablets with detachable keyboards. Avoid these designs unless you’re looking for a part-time tablet or the lightest possible laptop. They’re lighter than most 13-inch ultraportables, often less than 2 pounds, but they’re not as effective at being tablets as the Apple iPad is, and their detachable keyboards mean they’re not much better at being leading laptops, either—typing on most of them tends to be subpar.

At the other end of the size spectrum are 17-inch and 18-inch laptops. They mostly appeal to hard-core gamers, but you can find the occasional 17-inch productivity machine or workstation if you like a larger screen for other reasons. A 17-inch or 18-inch laptop can closely mimic a desktop experience at the expense of size and weight. Most 18-inchers are meant for gaming; the larger panels complement the latest GeForce and Radeon GPUs, which make use of the extra chassis space for cooling. These monsters from Alienware, Asus, and Razer (geared toward gaming) tackle the hardest graphics tasks to date to varying effects.

Some of these designs can exceed 8 pounds and measure more than an inch thick. If you plan to park your gaming rig on your desk and seldom move it, a 17-incher or 18-incher is a possibility. Otherwise, most gamers should stick with a 15-inch or 16-inch laptop.

What Kind of Laptop Screen Should You Get?

The best laptop screens have grown denser over the past decade, packing more pixels into the same area. That enables crisper text, sharper on-screen images, and, often, better-looking colors. Display density is sometimes measured in pixels per inch (ppi), but the main specification that defines a laptop screen is its native resolution, which is expressed in horizontal by vertical pixels.

Most laptops that cost $500 or more have screens with at least “full HD” resolutions. Also known as “1080p” displays, they sport a resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels (or, in a few cases, 1,920 by 1,200) and typically employ LCD panels built on what’s known as in-plane switching (IPS) technology. IPS screens’ quality can vary, but they are best known for keeping the quality of the image high if you look at the screen from an oblique or off-side angle. Thin-film transistor (TFT), the other major screen type in modern laptops (once standard issue in gaming-geared models), tends to shift colors or look faded if not viewed straight-on. That matters if you often share the contents of your screen with others—say, when giving impromptu presentations.

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The cheapest Windows- and- ChromeOS-based laptops will usually have lower-resolution thin-film transistor (TFT) displays (1,280 by 720 pixels and 1,366 by 768 are the common numbers there), which means text won’t appear as crisp, and colors might not be as vivid as you’ve come to expect from your smartphone or TV. If you’re not picky about image quality, though, a lower-resolution display might be an acceptable sacrifice in the quest to save money.

You can go higher than full HD for the crispest text and details. Many of the finest laptops now have displays with 4K native resolution (generally 3,840 by 2,160 pixels) as standard or optional extras. These screens mostly use the same IPS technology as full HD panels, but a few use OLED technology, similar to what you’ll find in cutting-edge smartphones. OLED screens command a premium, and their inky blacks and luxurious colors are best suited for movie buffs. Some of the top laptops, particularly from Apple, Dell, and Razer, have moved to mini LED backlighting technology that introduces finer control over color depth and image brightness, especially boosting HDR content.

Whether the screen is OLED, IPS, or TFT, people who plan to use their laptops in brightly lit rooms or outdoors will want to make sure that the panel has a maximum brightness level of at least 500 nits.

Is a Laptop Touch Screen Necessary?

To take advantage of the touch-screen support present throughout Windows and ChromeOS, you’ll want to seek out a touch-enabled laptop and perhaps even a digital stylus to write or draw on it. Some Windows laptops come in both touch- and non-touch versions, so check the specifications of what you’re buying carefully. Glossy screens typically feature touch support, while most matte screens designed to filter out glare from ambient lighting do not.

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Since many gaming laptops have matte displays, touch support is much harder to find among their ranks.Many gaming laptops above budget level do offer high-refresh-rate screens, though. Hard-core gamers or esports hounds who are looking for silky-smooth visuals to give them a competitive edge will want to maximize the number of frames per second that their screen can display and can do so by opting for a screen with a 120Hz or greater refresh rate.

However, before you pay a major premium for a high-refresh screen, you’ll want to be sure that the graphics chip, or GPU, is muscular enough to push the kinds of games you play at a high enough frame rate to make a difference. Standard laptop screens have 60Hz refresh rates, and if you are playing games at 60 frames per second or lower, in most cases, a high-refresh screen won’t confer many benefits.

What Is the Best Processor for Your Laptop?

Most $1,000 ultraportables use Intel Core processors or, less commonly, AMD Ryzen CPUs. All of these offer plenty of power for everyday computing tasks, but remember that higher CPU model numbers in a given family of chips typically indicate more processor cores, higher maximum clock speeds, and sometimes even multithreading. With multithreading, each CPU core can run two sets of software instructions simultaneously instead of just one. Modern software is designed to take advantage of as many CPU cores as possible so it can run faster on multithreaded chips.

Meanwhile, budget laptops typically use AMD Ryzen 3 processors, or Core i3 or Pentium/N-series chips in Intel's case. These typically have just a few individual cores. At the other end of the spectrum, high-endpowerhouse laptops have workstation-class Intel or AMD CPUs with double-digit core counts.

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Regardless of which CPU a laptop has, it’s typically designed to use less power and generate less heat than its desktop counterpart. In the latest mainstream, lightweight laptops, Intel laptop CPUs typically consume 15 watts (W) of power (or less) up to as much as 45W for the highest-end mobile tasks.

Gaming laptops and mobile workstations typically feature higher-powered CPUs, usually denoted by an "H" in the CPU's model name. These require more cooling hardware and consume more energy, but they drive performance closer to that of a desktop PC. You’ll find H-series CPUs from both AMD and Intel.

Apple is in its third generation of M-series silicon for MacBooks. As of this year, all of Apple's laptop models contain some variation of its M3 processors.

Getting into laptop-processor specifics can get you pretty deep in the weeds, but for a decent overview that doesn't overwhelm you, check out our guide to choosing a laptop CPU that fits what you do.

Which Graphics Chip Should You Get in Your Laptop?

A graphics processor built into the CPU (also known as an “integrated graphics processor,” or IGP) is perfectly adequate for most everyday laptop use. You’ll know you’re looking at an IGP if you see a reference to Intel’s Arc Graphics, HD Graphics, UHD Graphics, or Iris as the graphics solution on an Intel-CPU laptop (or Radeon Graphics on an AMD-based laptop). An IGP shares the CPU’s processor cores, memory, or both. The amount of memory available to the integrated graphics chip is usually fixed, so increasing the system memory won’t result in better graphics performance.

Most gamers will want to consider a discrete GPU with dedicated computing resources. Even a budget gaming GPU will offer an immense advantage over an integrated graphics processor when it comes to playing 3D games. Hard-core gamers should look for Nvidia’s latest GeForce RTX GPUs at the high end.

With gaming laptops, the level of GPU you need is deeply tied to the frame rate you want to run at the laptop’s native screen resolution and the kind of games you play. That’s where our reviews come in handy. We test with several demanding gaming and industry-standard benchmarks to give you a relative sense of a laptop’s graphics performance. Check out our roundup of the best gaming laptopsoverall and the best budget gaming laptops for much more. PC Labs has tested all of the latest gaming laptops across the market, from budget models to cost-no-object deluxe ones. In our lineup of favorites above, we've also detailed our top picks in three categories (budget, mainstream, and high-end).

How Much Storage and Memory Does Your Laptop Need?

The best laptops above entry level all come with solid-state drives (SSDs), which store data using memory cells instead of spinning platters (the classic hard drive). Since information stored in cells is much faster to access, SSDs are the best and most common drive configuration. They’re also immune to jolts and bumps that might crash a spinning platter’s heads.

A few of the top laptops‚ especially larger-chassis ones designed for gaming, come with both kinds of drive: a small SSD to hold the operating system, essential apps, and a few games, and a larger spinning one to store the bulk of your game files or other space-consuming media. That’s a perfectly fine option if you’re looking to save money or simply need the maximum possible local storage amount, but you should stick with an SSD-only setup whenever possible.

Note that not all laptop SSDs are created equal. SSDs that use the more modern, generally faster PCI Express NVMe standard, as opposed to the older, slightly slower SATA interface, are preferable. (PCI Express SSDs are rapidly taking over the field in new laptops, in any case.) Either of these, however, is far better than a third type, which is a not-quite-SSD: the much slower eMMC, a kind of flash storage drive found in budget machines. (If your budget laptop has 32GB, 64GB, or possibly 128GB of local storage, it is probably using eMMC. Check the specs.) All of them are better than a traditional spinning hard drive unless you simply need sheer capacity for the least money, but eMMC is the slowest and least desirable flash tech.

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The minimum amount of storage space most laptop shoppers should consider is 256GB. This will accommodate the considerable requirements of operating system updates and large apps like Microsoft Office with room left over. People with sizable collections of videos, photos, or music (or any but the most casual of PC gamers) should seek out a minimum of 512GB. At the high end, you’ll find laptops configurable with 1TB or even roomier SSDs, and these will sound exciting. But beware that the absolute highest capacities can cause a laptop’s price to skyrocket—a 4TB SSD can add thousands of dollars to the overall cost of a high-end laptop. It’s more cost-effective to get a 512GB SSD and add an external drive if you need additional space.

While a laptop’s SSD stores your data, its system memory (or RAM) works with the CPU to run apps and helps define its multitasking capacity. Basic productivity apps will run just fine with 8GB of memory, but you’ll want to configure a midrange laptop with 16GB to ensure that tomorrow’s more advanced apps will have access to enough memory. That’s also a decent target amount for heavy multitaskers, PC gamers, and people who surf the web with many tabs open. Modern web browsers loading multimedia-rich sites and web apps are voracious memory consumers.

Few people who aren’t professional or prosumer content creators will see much additive benefit from memory amounts above 16GB. On the flip side of that, a budget Windows system with just 4GB of memory will be sluggish with multitasking and is generally indicative of a bare-bones configuration to avoid. The same is true of Chromebooks—although ChromeOS is designed to demand fewer computing resources than Windows, if you’re prone to performing memory-intensive tasks like browsing with dozens of tabs open simultaneously, 4GB can be limiting.

What Kind of Connectivity Does Your Laptop Need?

If you plan to use your laptop’s touchpad, touch screen, and keyboard as the primary means of control, most of the time you may never need to plug in anything other than the power cord. In this case, you’ll rely on almost every laptop's Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections.

The latest mainstream Wi-Fi standard is 802.11ax (also dubbed “Wi-Fi 6”), an important feature to look for among the finest laptops to ensure fast Wi-Fi connectivity in the future. Steer clear of the older 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5), though, as it’s now being phased out, with the high-end Wi-Fi 6E standard appearing in more premium laptop options. We're also on the cusp of Wi-Fi 7 hitting the mainstream, so watch out for that even faster version to hit more laptops in the coming years. (It reduces latency and provides access to additional bandwidth.)

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Serious gamers might want to opt for a machine with a Killer Networks setup. It will allow for more granular control over prioritizing wired or wireless gaming traffic on your internet connection. Business users and gamers may also want a dedicated Ethernet jack. Most gaming machines will have one, and some gamers insist wired Ethernet is still the only way to go for competitive online gaming. Some leading laptops implement Ethernet as a full-size or fold-out jack; others may come with an adapter in the box that routes Ethernet through a USB port. Still, others come with neither, leaving wired Ethernet up to you to add via a dongle if you want it.

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As for other physical connections, you’ll want to examine the edges of a given laptop carefully and take count. If you have an external storage device like a thumb drive, you’ll want to pay attention to the type and quantity of USB ports. Look for laptops that have both USB Type-A and Type-C ports. Type-A is the familiar rectangular connector that has been around for decades, while Type-C is smaller, oval-shaped, and sometimes doubles as a receptacle for the laptop’s charging cable.

Budget laptops may only have Type-A ports, a disadvantage in an increasingly Type-C world. On the other hand, some ultra-thin designs only have Type-C ports, which means you’ll need dongles to connect any Type-A peripherals you might already own. A mix is what you want.

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If video output matters to you, check for a dedicated port like an HDMI connector, especially if you plan to connect your laptop to your TV, desktop monitor, or lecture hall A/V system. Sometimes video outputs are implemented on laptops as micro HDMI or mini DisplayPort connectors to save space. You’ll need a special cable to use these, which may or may not be included in the box.

Photographers will benefit from a built-in SD or microSD card reader for more convenient image uploading. And if you plan to use your laptop in a public, unsecured location, a security notch for fastening a physical locking cable is helpful. These fall into two types: the Kensington-cable style and the Noble-lock style. Make sure the notch type matches the kind of cable you intend to use to tether the machine to an immovable object.

Are Refurbished Laptops Worth Buying?

Every manufacturer and reseller has different standards for refurbishing previously used laptops. A slight discount on a rigorously tested MacBook Pro that Apple sells with the same warranty as a new one might be worth the cost savings, while a laptop refurbished by a third party you’ve never heard of could be chancy. It’s best to buy any refurbished machine directly from the manufacturer’s online store as opposed to from a reseller, especially a reseller that may be hawking refurbs from “marketplace" sellers or third parties on its platform.

Some resellers or third parties will rate their refurbished stock with a grade. (It pays to ask who has done the refurbishing—the manufacturer itself or the reseller.) Refurbished laptops are sold and rated with grades of A, B+, B, C, and so on to reflect the machine's relative amount of wear and tear. No universal grading system for refurbished PCs exists, however. It’s generally up to the reseller what the grade means; thus, it can vary from seller to seller. We’re wary of machines graded this way and strongly recommend insisting on an ironclad return policy in the case of purchases like these if you decide to roll the dice. You could end up pleasantly surprised, but usually, a refurbished laptop deal that looks too good to be true...is.

What is almost universally true is that with some tech know-how, you can use your pre-owned laptops to your advantage. If you’re in the market for new laptops for both yourself and your kids, you might consider tuning up your current PC to give to your children and buying a new one for yourself.

Should You Get a Longer Laptop Warranty?

Most of the best laptop makers offer one-year warranties on parts and labor. These standard plans are limited, so they won't cover accidents like spilling a drink on the keyboard or dropping the system on the sidewalk. Fortunately, your credit card issuer likely covers such mishaps for a short period after you buy a new product, and it also may extend the manufacturer's warranty. (For example, many Mastercard accounts include a doubling of the standard warranty period up to one year.) Check your account benefits guide for details.

If your credit card issuer doesn’t cover you, some top laptop makers will happily sell you extended warranties. Apple, Dell, HP, and Lenovo all offer wide ranges of extended warranties and coverage for accidental damage. Expect to spend $100 to $300 for these options. Our rule of thumb is that if a warranty costs more than 15% of the laptop's purchase price, you're better off spending the money on backup drives or services that minimize downtime.

Of course, you can't put a price tag on peace of mind. You'll encounter instances when the logic board or the display—the most expensive parts of a laptop—fail, and while rare, such a catastrophe can cost you half of what the laptop is worth in repair costs.

Ready to Buy the Right Laptop for You?

Shopping for a leading laptop is an exercise in patience. An ultra-competitive market means that even if you’ve got specific requirements, you can almost certainly find a handful of excellent models that will meet them and another handful of perfectly serviceable but ho-hum models that will, too. Now that you know which specifications to look for, we hope parsing the good from the bad will be much easier.