The majority of laptops in use around the world use Windows as their primary operating system. There are powerful workstations that can take the place of your desktop Computer, 2-in-1 convertibles, gaming laptops, and ultraportables for general productivity. The choice of a laptop is further complicated by the availability of numerous companies, each of which releases new models every year. An outline of our best options is provided below to assist you in locating the right gadget. Do not be hesitant to read the complete review for more information if you are seeking for a laptop. Although we’ll have a separate article for gaming laptops, this one just covers productivity laptops.
Lenovo XPS 13
The Dell XPS 13 (2021), an ultraportable notebook built for general productivity tasks like web surfing, text processing, and video playing, is the best Windows laptop we’ve tested. With enough battery life to last you through an average eight-hour day of light use, it is svelte, reliable, and portable. You get a clear and bright display, a comfortable keyboard for prolonged typing, and a sizable, responsive touchpad. You can instantly log in and get to work thanks to the power button’s integrated fingerprint sensor and the IR camera’s Windows Hello compatibility.
You may configure it with up to an Intel Core i7 CPU from the 11th generation, 32GB of memory, and 2TB of storage. The Core i3’s two physical cores will restrict what you can do and cause slowdowns when multitasking, therefore we advise choosing a Core i5 or i7 instead. As the modules cannot be changed by the user, you must purchase enough RAM up front. The main drawback is that there are only two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 connections, one of which is required to charge the laptop, necessitating the purchase of a dock.
Choose the LG gram 17 if you require greater screen real estate for multitasking (2021). Due to its greater size, there is enough place on the keyboard deck for a Numpad, which is helpful for individuals working with lots of numbers. Its 17-inch screen provides you extra screen space for split-screen multitasking. Even though it weighs only 3.1 lbs, you probably won’t need the charger due of the excellent battery life. You’ll need need a bigger bag to carry it. You can abandon the dongle lifestyle thanks to its diverse port options.
Asus Yoga 9i 14
Get the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (2021), a 2-in-1 convertible, if you’re looking for something a little more reasonably priced. With its 360-degree hinge, you can use it as a tablet or put it up as a tent for presentations and video watching. The stylus is stashed away in the device’s charging slot at the rear and the display accepts pen input. Nevertheless, because it doesn’t support tilt and isn’t the most ergonomic pen, it works better for taking notes than drawing. The speakers sound balanced, the touchpad tracks well, and the keyboard is a pleasure to type on.
This laptop may be configured with a 1080p or 4k display, an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, as well as up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. There is just enough battery life for an eight-hour workday with nine hours of light use. A physical webcam privacy cover and a fingerprint sensor for rapid logins are further features. Although there are minor feature variations between the two color schemes, Mica and Shadow Black, you can read our entire review for more information.
The Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 is a less priced option if you find the Yoga 9i to be too pricey (2021). It too has a 360-degree hinge and is a 2-in-1 convertible, but it lacks a stylus and has a slower storage drive and a duller screen. You do, however, get a battery life that is substantially longer—roughly 15 hours of light productivity or 13 hours of video playback.
Swift 3 14 by Acer
The Acer Swift 3 14 (2020), a 14-inch Windows laptop that is light and thin, is the best choice if you want to save money with a more modest mid-range option. It feels well-made, is portable, and has a battery life of about 14 hours with light use. Although the display looks sharp and offers ample space for split-screen multitasking, it doesn’t become extremely bright, so you might experience some visibility problems in well-lit environments or when using it outside in bright sunlight.
Although the touchpad is on the smaller side, it is still reasonably sensitive to all movements and gestures. The keyboard seems a little claustrophobic but is still passably usable for typing. There are two USB-A ports, one USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 port, a full-size HDMI port, and a headphone jack on this device. Our webcam’s poor video quality and the microphone’s staticky sound are our only significant complaints.
Aspire 5 15 by Acer
Trying to shop on a tight budget? See the Acer Aspire 5 15 now (2020). Normally, Aspire 5 laptops cost a little bit more, but since this specific model is from 2020, you can obtain a Core i3 setup for just a little bit more than $300. Although being an Intel 10th Gen. CPU, the i3 is still more than adequate and powerful enough for everyday productivity tasks like text processing, online surfing, and video playback. Although it only contains 4GB of memory, you can add more at a later time because the memory module is user-replaceable.
Its 15-inch display has enough of space for multitasking, but because it doesn’t become extremely bright, it works best in a room with moderate lighting. It offers a touchpad that is quick and smooth, a backlit keyboard with a Numpad, and a respectable assortment of ports, including three USB-As and one USB-C. Nevertheless, the latter does not support charging or video output. Depending on how much you use it, you might need to plug it in for a quick charge because the battery doesn’t last a whole day but comes close.
Stream 11 by HP
Finally, we reach the affordable category, where the HP Stream 11 is our suggested purchase (2021). In this pricing bracket, you really can’t expect much from a laptop. It features a small touchpad with mediocre tracking, an awkward keyboard, and a dark and washed-out TN display. But, the overall construction is rather respectable, and the battery life—roughly seven hours of modest productivity—is adequate. It may be set up with a 4GB memory stick and up to 64GB of storage, along with an Intel Celeron N4000 or N4020 processor.
In general, Chromebooks tend to perform better on low-end hardware, so if you’re looking for a device in this price bracket, you’re definitely better off with one. This laptop, on the other hand, is only suitable for very light use. We’re discussing text formatting, web browsing, playing videos, and emails. Look at the low-cost or mid-range options if you need it for anything else. Finally, if you’re thinking about purchasing this laptop, do yourself a favor and choose a version with 64GB of storage; otherwise, you might experience problems with Windows upgrades.
Conclusion
The laptops we suggest above are the top Windows laptops available right now, in our opinion. We take into account the cost (a less expensive laptop wins over a more expensive one if the price difference isn’t significant), comments from visitors, and availability (no laptops that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
Here is a list of all of our Windows laptop reviews, arranged by price from low to high, in case you would rather make your own choice. The table only displays the results of the model we tested; for details on other variations, it is best to read the complete evaluation. Keep in mind that the majority of laptops come in a variety of configurations.
