Buy Windows Laptop ##VERIFIED##
Windows 11 might not have reached the heights of popularity enjoyed by its predecessor, but it's steadily maturing into an excellent, versatile operating system. The laptops on this list will come with Microsoft's latest OS if you buy them new, but there's always the option to 'revert' back to Windows 10 if the change feels a bit much.
buy windows laptop
The best Windows laptop should offer the perfect balance between performance and versatility. These machines can handle your most basic everyday computing tasks, but many of them also have the processing power to handle much more intensive workloads - whether that's powering through 3D rendering or editing 4K video footage.
It's worth bearing in mind that we're looking at all sorts of Windows-powered laptops here, but if you're after something a bit more specific, you may want to check out our rankings of the best 2-in-1 laptops or the best gaming laptops - the majority of which run on Windows 11.
We've accounted for plenty of key factors in deciding our ranking of the best Windows laptop and update it whenever we review a laptop that we feel deserves a spot on the list. Performance is naturally a major factor, but we also examine durability, aesthetics, user experience, and most importantly pricing. In the current economic climate, affordability is vital for many tech buyers - if you're shopping on a budget, be sure to check out our best laptop deals too!
It might be fairly expensive at $2,350 (around 1,950 / AU$3,410) for the model we reviewed, so this will be one to skip if you're on a tight budget, but the Alienware m17 R5 'AMD Advantage' edition is an absolutely mighty Windows gaming laptop, delivering top-notch performance both in games and in creative workloads.
As we noted in our review, it's really unclear whether credit should lie with Dell or AMD for producing such an excellent laptop, but we're happy either way. The internal components pull their weight in practically every area, and the sleek Alienware chassis packs a nifty cooling solution that keeps your system running smoothly.
Still not sold on it? Well, the 4K 120Hz display is absolutely magnificent, giving more expensive gaming laptops a serious run for their money. The keyboard has full RGB lighting, which is aesthetically appealing but not over-the-top, and while the battery life isn't spectacular, it outstrips the majority of gaming laptops in its weight class. The Alienware m17 R5 AMD Advantage is one of the best Windows gaming laptops you can buy right now - end of story.
It's rare that we come across a consumer laptop that does it all, so this Ultrabook from Samsung is special in that way. The Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra is capable of nearly any task you put it to, which means it's the laptop you want if you need that one portable machine that can tackle productivity tasks, creative work, and even gaming - even though you do have to pay quite a bit to get it.
Inside its absolutely gorgeous and sleek chassis is a workhorse tackled most creative and editing tasks we put to it, alongside productivity and even higher-end gaming. And we found that it can keep up with the likes of the M2 Max chip-outfitted Apple MacBook Pro 16. And while it obviously cannot beat a dedicated gaming laptop, it absolutely swept its last-gen rivals in benchmark test scores with its RTX 4000 GPU.
Included in that testing is battery life. Considering how much users expect out of a laptop, this is a vital step in our process. On top of a synthetic benchmark test, we also run a 1080p movie on loop to simulate more organic battery usage and record the results.
Where it falls short: By default, some configurations of the Aspire 5 (A514-54) ship with Windows 11 S mode, which only allows apps from the Microsoft Store and limits you to Microsoft Edge for web browsing. But you can switch it to Windows 11 Home for free to install any program you need. And like many inexpensive Windows laptops, our pick comes with a ton of unnecessary bloatware that takes up space and slows down performance. Follow these steps to remove those programs and make your laptop feel faster and be more secure. The Aspire 5 (A514-54) also lacks a fingerprint reader, which some of our other picks have.
Why we like it: Depending on how you use a computer, you might not need a laptop at all. An Apple iPad (9th generation) with a Bluetooth keyboard or a keyboard case makes for a lighter and more portable system than any of our picks. If you primarily browse the web, make video calls, write, and take notes, an iPad provides a smoother, less painful experience than the Windows options in this price category.
Then we tested the Windows laptops and Chromebooks that met our criteria by using each for at least a day of ordinary work and video calls to get a feel for their performance, screens, keyboards, and trackpads. For Chromebooks, we had at least 20 browser tabs open, including Google Docs, Google Sheets, streaming music, Slack, and a variety of other sites. For Windows, we had five to 10 tabs open at a time, as well as the Spotify and Slack applications. We also tested the laptops by opening large Excel spreadsheets, 100-page Word documents, and 200-page PDF files.
If you want the most power and flexibility available, buy a modern Windows laptop. See our roundup of the best laptops for a wide range of buying recommendations, and our daily laptop deals (updated almost every day) for the latest sales on top laptops.
A laptop PC powered by Microsoft Windows offers several advantages. Windows laptops can run just about any app, your choice of any browser, and options that include native games, utilities, apps, and antivirus programs. You can tweak and configure your PC as you choose.
From a hardware perspective, a traditional laptop form factor is more convenient than a detachable keyboard such as on the Lenovo Chromebook Duet, for example. While tablets make Android apps more convenient, the tradeoff is less productivity when in laptop mode.
Laptops with an Intel Core i3 or an AMD Ryzen 3 should be considered the minimum specification, with a Core i5 or Ryzen 5 preferred. Buy a laptop with at least 8GB of RAM inside and 256GB of storage. More RAM means more available tabs and a larger variety of applications; documents, video, and apps may require more storage space.
While you can do a lot even when spending little on a Windows laptop, you must set your expectations accordingly. The biggest downside when purchasing a budget laptop (of any kind, really) is limited power. Many Windows laptops under $500 run on Intel Celeron or Pentium processors, but you can find some with Core i3/i5 and AMD Ryzen 3/5 CPUs at the higher end of the price spectrum.
The best Windows laptops are light enough to carry all day, powerful enough to tackle your daily workload without lag, and power-efficient enough that you don't need to worry about unplugging to get some work done on the go. A great screen and a comfy keyboard are also key components.
We have our full list of the best laptops overall, which includes MacBooks and Chromebooks, but those who prefer Windows should stick with this list. At Tom's Guide we review dozens of laptops from the top manufacturers every year. We evaluate every system in the testing lab and in the real world, running benchmark tests, display tests and battery life tests. And only the very best Windows laptops are recommended here.
Based on our testing, these are the best Windows laptops you can buy, and you can read our full review of each machine to help you make a buying decision. If you're looking for more options, check out our best Chromebooks page and best MacBooks list.
However, it's a bit pricey when you kit it out, and despite its great components the Surface Laptop Studio delivers subpar performance compared to similarly-priced machines. But few other laptops can match its intriguing sliding hinged display, which can be tented over the keys like an easel or slid all the way flat to turn the Studio into a heavy tablet.
It's a great Windows laptop that offers plenty of power for everything save serious gaming. And while the speakers and pre-installed bloatware leave room for improvement, the striking 16:10 1600p display and the power of Intel's Core i7 chip make this a great (and great-looking) Windows laptop for getting things done on the go.
The Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 ($1,249 to start) is an ultra-thin 2-in-1 laptop that's tailor-made for people who are always on the go. Like its siblings the Book Pro 360 and Book 3 Pro 360, this iteration features a gorgeous AMOLED screen that's perfect for media consumption. It's also ideal for work thanks to its speedy performance.
Though a Windows laptop at its core, the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 comes loaded with a slew of Samsung software. This could be good or bad, depending on how invested you are in the Samsung ecosystem. If you are, then you'll find that this 2-in-1 pairs nicely with your Samsung tablets and phones. Otherwise, all of these applications are effectively bloatware.
Despite the middling webcam and Samsung bloatware, the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 has a lot going for it and is a 2-in-1 we highly recommend to those who are in the market for a powerful, portable laptop that pairs nicely with Samsung devices. While Samsung has since released a successor in the Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 (farther down this list), its upgraded CPU is a little anemic and it actually has worse battery life than its predecessor. Both are great, but we still like to recommend the Book2 Pro 360 since it's such a standout performer and now often available at a deep discount.
But those are the only meaningful upgrades Microsoft appears to have delivered over last year's model, and they don't do enough to keep the Surface Laptop 5 competitive with some other laptops on the market. You can generally get better performance and more useful features for your money from competitors like the Acer Swift 5 and Dell XPS 15 OLED. 041b061a72