1. Best Laptop Overall
Dell XPS 13
The Dell XPS 13 crams a vibrant and sharp 13-inch display into an 11-inch chassis, making it one of the most compact ultraportables ever. This 2.7-pound laptop also delivers fast performance, thanks to its Intel 6th Generation Core processor and SSD. The non-touch-screen version of this machine lasted nearly 12 hours on a charge, giving you plenty of endurance. Dell also sells a version with a sharper, quad-HD touch display. Overall, the new XPS 13 is the best lightweight laptop for the money.
2. Best 3 Cheap Laptop
Lenovo Ideapad 100S
Despite its sub-$200
(430,000Tsh) price, the Ideapad 100S looks and feels anything but cheap. This
11.6-inch Windows 10 laptop offers good build
Asus VivoBook E403SA
For just $399 (870,000Tsh),
the 14-inch Asus VivoBook E403SA provides a full 1080p screen, a
brushed-aluminum lid, a USB-C port and over 9 hours of battery life. A Pentium
processor and 4GB of RAM offer just enough performance for productive
multi-tasking. And, at 3.2 pounds, the E403SA won't weigh down your bag or your
lap
The ThinkPad 13 offers Fortune 500 features at prices even a
startup can afford. For a little more than $600 (1,310,000Tsh), you get a
durable, MIL-SPEC-tested chassis, a 1080p display, an SSD and over 9 hours of
battery life. Even better, the ThinkPad 13's keyboard is one of the best we've
tested on any laptop.
3. Best Battery Life
Lenovo ThinkPad X260
With its optional extended battery on
board, the ThinkPad X260 lasts over 17 hours on a charge. That's long enough to
spend an entire trans-continental flight crunching spreadsheets or writing
reports on this powerful 12.5-inch business laptop. And at just 12 x 8 inches
and 3.2 pounds, the X260's durable chassis is small enough to fit on most
airline tray tables.
4. Best Apple Laptop
Apple MacBook Air (13 inch)
Although the new 12-inch MacBook is
sleeker, the MacBook Air 13-inch is a better deal overall. This 3-pound
aluminum ultraportable lasted 14 hours on the Laptop Mag Battery Test, which is
well above the category average. Although the screen resolution could be
sharper (it's just 1,440 x 900p) the Air's comfortable keyboard, superfast
flash storage and sub-$1,000 (2,189,100Tsh) price tag make it one of the best
laptops on the market
5. Best Video/Photo Editing
Laptop
Asus ZenBook Pro UX501VW
As powerful as a MacBook Pro that costs
$1,000 (2,189,100Tsh) more, the 15-inch ZenBook Pro comes packed with the
high-end features a creative professional needs. Its 3840 x 2160 UHD touchscreen
is even sharper than the Mac's while a powerful Intel Core i7 CPU and Nvidia
GTX 960M GPU provide enough oomph for editing 4K videos. Potent performance,
good looks and a great piece? What's there not to love?
6. Best Gaming Laptop
Alienware 17 R3 (2016)
The best gaming laptop has gotten even
better -- and faster. The Alienware 17 R3 keeps the sleek sci-fi design and
colorful keyboard of its predecessor while adding an Intel 6th Generation Core
i7 CPU and an optional 4K display that's one of the best we've seen. If the
laptop's top-of-the-line Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M mobile GPU isn't quick enough
for you, add Alienware's $300 Graphics Amplifier and insert any desktop
graphics card for true future-proof power