The 7 Best Laptop Brands - Spring 2024 Reviews

Acer, a Taiwanese company, was founded in 1976 as Multitech and later renamed Acer in 1987. Despite they're known for making affordable, budget laptops for a long time, the company currently has one of the widest selections of models, with multiple laptop lineups like Aspire, Swift, Nitro, Predator, Concept, and more. Acer is one of the biggest Chromebook manufacturers, producing popular models like the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (2020). It's also among the first to produce gaming Chromebooks like the Acer Chromebook 516 GE (2022).

Our pick for the best Acer laptop is the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022), a 2-in-1 convertible Chromebook. It has a bright, sharp 14-inch screen, a spacious keyboard, and an outstanding 1080p webcam. It supports pen input and comes with a stylus that you can dock into the side of the laptop for transport. Performance is excellent, and battery life is amazing at over 13 hours of light use. The biggest drawback is availability. You can still get the Core i5 model with 8GB of RAM, but other configurations are hard to find.

There's a newer 2023 version, which we haven't tested but expect will perform similarly. The upgrades include a faster Intel 13th Gen CPU and a higher resolution 1440p webcam. See the 2023 model on Amazon or at Best Buy. If you prefer a Windows laptop or need more processing power, the Acer Swift 14 (2023) is a great alternative. Its Intel H-series processor can handle significantly more intensive tasks, but its battery life takes a hit, lasting only six to seven hours of light use.

Apple is one of the most recognizable electronics companies in the world. Apple products have become synonymous with exceptional build quality, and the company is well-known for its amazing customer support. Since 2020, Apple has been producing its own ARM-based processors for their MacBooks instead of relying on Intel chips. This change has made MacBooks among the most powerful and power-efficient laptops on the market. Another advantage of MacBooks is their integration with other products in Apple's ecosystem, supporting features like Continuity Camera, Airdrop, and Handoff, etc. Gaming isn't great on MacBooks due to the lack of compatible games and Apple displays' slow response time; however, there's some progress, as Apple has released a tool that'll help developers create a macOS version of their games.

The best Apple laptop we've tested is the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023). This premium mobile workstation has almost everything you'd want on a laptop: a sturdy build, a thin and light design, plenty of processing power, and a long battery life. It has a sharp Mini LED display, a comfortable keyboard, an easy-to-use haptic touchpad, and tons of ports. What's new in this generation of the MacBook Pro 14 is the base M3 configuration, which can be a great option if you don't need the Pro/Max chips' processing power but still want the 'Pro' features, like the display and up-firing speakers. The larger Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3, 2023) is also a good choice if you want more screen space; just expect to pay more.

Although the MacBook Pro 14 is an amazing device, the most popular model in Apple's lineup is the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024). This ultraportable is better suited for those with a lighter workload, like web browsing, text processing, and video playback. Its base M3 SoC can even handle video editing, though you'll have to wait longer for videos to render and might experience stutters if the material is overly complex. The display looks incredibly sharp (not Mini LED like the Pro, unfortunately), and you'll get the same spacious keyboard and haptic touchpad. There's also a 15-inch model if you want more screen space; it has better-sounding speakers but costs more.

See our recommendations for the best Apple laptops here.

Founded in 1989 by four members who had worked at Acer, ASUS, also known as ASUSTek, is one of the largest laptop manufacturers in the world. It's also one of the best gaming laptop brands and often sponsors Esports events and players. ASUS makes a wide range of laptops, including ultraportables, mobile workstations, gaming laptops, and Chromebooks. ASUS often experiments with new form factors and features, like dual-screen laptops, touchpads with an integrated numpad, a customizable dial (like the ASUS ProArt Studiobook Pro 16 OLED (2021), and 2-in-1 gaming tablets like the ASUS ROG Flow Z13.

The best ASUS laptop we've tested is the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (2024), a 14-inch ultraportable with a gorgeous OLED display. It's available with Intel Meteor Lake CPUs, which are fast enough to handle general productivity tasks and more demanding workloads like photo editing and programming. These new chips sport additional low-power cores to improve battery life as well as an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) to handle AI-based tasks, like background blurring during video calls and some functions in photo editing apps. It has a great keyboard, a large touchpad, and numerous ports, including two Thunderbolt 4s and an HDMI. The display supports touch and pen input, though you may have to buy the stylus separately.

For gaming, we recommend the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022). This 14-inch gaming laptop has a powerful AMD Ryzen 9 CPU and an AMD Radeon discrete GPU to provide smooth gameplay at 1440p. Its 120Hz IPS display has a fast response time to deliver a clear image and supports FreeSync variable refresh rate to reduce screen tearing. It gets hot and loud under load but is otherwise a great device. Unfortunately, this model is hard to find because it has been discontinued. ASUS has announced a new 2024 model with an AMD Ryzen 9 8940H CPU and NVIDIA 40-series GPUs (up to an RTX 4070), which we'll review when it's available.

Dell is an American company founded in 1984 by Michael Dell. The company makes desktops, laptops, workstations, monitors, and a wide range of computer peripherals. It's one of the largest laptop manufacturers, with well-known brands like XPS, Precision, Latitude, and Inspiron. In 2006, Dell acquired Alienware, which is now considered one of the best gaming laptop brands on the market. High-end Dell laptops like the XPS, Precision, and Alienware models often have unique designs that stand out among the crowd and generally provide a great user experience. A common criticism of Dell is its use of proprietary parts, which make repairs and upgrades challenging for the average user.

Our top Dell laptop pick is the Dell XPS 15 (2023). This 15.6-inch workstation feels premium and incredibly well-built. You can get it with an FHD+ IPS or a 3.5k OLED display, up to an Intel 13th Gen Core i9 CPU, and various NVIDIA GPUs, up to an RTX 4070. The OLED panel has full DCI P3 and Abode RGB coverage, making it suitable for photo and video editing. You get a nice tactile keyboard, a large and responsive touchpad, and full-sounding speakers. Performance is excellent, and its battery lasts around 11 to 12 hours of light use. Unfortunately, its 720p webcam is mediocre at best, and there are only three USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports plus an SD card reader.

Also worth mentioning is the Dell Alienware m16 R1 (2023), a mid-range gaming laptop. It's available with high-performance AMD Ryzen CPUs and NVIDIA discrete GPUs, up to a Ryzen 9 7945HX and RTX 4090, respectively. There are multiple display options, including a 480Hz FHD+ display, and you can even get the laptop with a mechanical keyboard, sporting ultra-low-profile CherryMX switches. The RAM and storage are user-replaceable, so you can upgrade or add more later. As for downsides, it's a bulky and heavy laptop, and its battery lasts less than an hour when gaming. Also, the fans get pretty loud.

HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American company founded in 1939. As one of the oldest tech companies in the world, HP has produced a wide range of products, including calculators, digital cameras, personal digital assistants, scanners, printers, desktop computers, and laptops. It's currently among the top three laptop manufacturers in market share. Its varied laptop lineup includes popular brands like ENVY, Spectre, Pavilion, EliteBook, ZBook, Victus, and OMEN. HP also makes many Chromebooks, offering both budget-friendly and premium models like the HP Chromebook 14 (2021) and the recent HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook.

The best HP laptop we've tested is the HP Spectre x 360 14 (2024), a premium 2-in-1 convertible designed for general productivity. It has a nice OLED display with stylus support, a great keyboard and touchpad, and an amazing 4k webcam. Its Intel Meteor Lake CPU can easily handle tasks like web browsing, text processing, spreadsheets, and even more demanding workloads like programming and photo editing. Thermal throttling is minimal despite its thin and compact design, and the laptop doesn't get hot or loud. You get a fingerprint sensor and a facial recognition camera for quick logins.

If you're looking for an HP gaming laptop, we recommend the HP OMEN 16 (2022). This 16-inch laptop has Intel 12th Gen CPUs and various NVIDIA GPUs, from an entry-level GTX 1650 to a powerful RTX 3070 Ti. There are also multiple display options, including a QHD panel with a 165Hz refresh rate. The keyboard feels great to type on, and there are many ports, including an Ethernet port for a stable internet connection when gaming online. Battery life is short at around seven hours of light use or a little over an hour of gaming, so you'll have to play with the laptop plugged in most of the time.

Lenovo is a Chinese company and one of the largest laptop manufacturers in the world. Lenovo's current laptop lineup is vast and includes popular brands like IdeaPad, Legion, Yoga, and ThinkBook. The company is often at the forefront of new technology and experiments with more unique form factors and features, like laptops with an e-ink display on the lid, dual-screen laptops, and ultrawide laptops with a 21:9 display. Lenovo's laptops are often among the best value models you can get, whether you're looking for a cheap Chromebook or a premium mobile workstation. A source of frustration with Lenovo is its tendency to give the same product multiple names, confusing the average consumer.

The best Lenovo laptop we've tested is the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 (2023), a budget-friendly 14-inch mobile workstation. It feels sturdy and provides an excellent user experience with its sharp display, tactile keyboard, and large touchpad. You can configure the laptop with an AMD Ryzen 5 or 7 CPU paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 discrete GPU. The Ryzen CPUs and the RTX 3050 aren't the most powerful on the market, but you're still getting a fair amount of processing power for the price. The main downside is that you can only get 16GB of soldered RAM.

Lenovo is no stranger to the gaming scene and produces some of the best gaming laptops on the market, like the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 16 (2023). This 16-inch model is available with powerful AMD CPUs and NVIDIA GPUs, up to an RTX 4070 running at a TGP of 140W, so it has tons of processing power to provide a smooth gaming experience. You can get the laptop with a 165Hz or 240Hz QHD+ display; both have a fast response time and VRR support to reduce screen tearing. Unfortunately, the laptop is a little bulky, and its battery lasts an hour or so when gaming.

For more about the brand's laptops, check out our recommendations for the best Lenovo laptops.

Microsoft is well-known as the creator of the Windows operating system. Although it has made computer peripherals since the 1980s, its Surface line of personal computers is relatively young, with the first device released back in 2012. Microsoft has popularized the 2-in-1 tablet form factor with its Surface Pros, and it often makes devices with unique features, like the Surface Laptop's Alcantara-covered keyboard deck and the Surface Book's detachable display. Microsoft has a relatively small lineup, focusing almost solely on productivity and media consumption devices. Its laptops are usually well-built and provide a great user experience, but they're more expensive than similar models from other brands.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022) is our pick for the best Microsoft laptop. This premium ultraportable is available in a 13.5-inch or 15-inch size, so you can choose based on your preference. It provides an amazing user experience with its sharp 3:2 display, comfortable keyboard, and responsive touchpad. The webcam is excellent despite its 720p resolution, and there's also an IR camera for quick logins via facial recognition. You can configure it with an Intel 12th Gen Core i5 or i7 CPU; both are fast enough for general productivity tasks. Unfortunately, its port selection is limited, and the battery lasts only around eight hours of light use.

Another device worth mentioning is the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021), a 2-in-1 tablet PC. Its versatile form factor allows you to detach the keyboard to save space or make the device easier to hold, and you can pop the keyboard back on when you need to type something out. You can also take handwritten notes or draw with a stylus, although you'll have to buy the pen separately, and the same goes for the keyboard. It has a sharp, bright 120Hz display, an excellent 1080p webcam, and clear-sounding speakers. Battery life sits around seven hours of light use, which isn't a lot but still decent for a tablet.