We have scoured the market to find the best laptops in all categories, from premium to budget to gaming laptops, and everything in between. In the list below, you’ll find our top picks for November 2023. PCWorld prides itself on laptop expertise, having reviewed more than 70 laptops every year since 1983. All of the picks below have been personally tested and vetted by experts, who’ve applied not only performance benchmarks but rigorous usability standards. We’re also committed to reviewing PC laptops at every price point to help you find a machine that matches your budget. Here are our top picks:
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 1, Intel Core i5/Intel Iris graphics/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/13-inch 2160×1350 display, $599.99 ($2,319 off at eBay)
HP Omen, Intel Core i9-13900HX CPU/Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 GPU/32GB RAM/1TB SSD/17.3-inch 1440p display, $2,599.99 ($600 off at eBay)
Acer Aspire 5 Laptop, Intel Core i5-1335U CPU/Intel Iris Xe graphics/8GB RAM/512GB SSD/15.6-inch 1080p display, $549.99 ($100 off at Acer)
The deal on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano is spectacular, as it’s an older model with immense discount, but still a powerful, highly polished laptop.
Best laptops of 2023
Acer Aspire 3 – Best budget laptop
Pros:
– Spacious keyboard with number pad
– HD webcam
– Solid video playback performance
– Decent business app performance
– Workday-long battery life
Cons:
– Poor gaming graphics performance
– Basic 1080p display
– Small 128GB storage drive
Price When Reviewed: £529.99
The Acer Aspire 3 is a good budget option for most people, with affordable price, decent performance, and good build.
Dell Inspiron Plus 16 7630 – Best midrange laptop
Pros:
– Great matte display
– Solid-feeling design
– Repairable and upgradeable with ease
– Powerful Intel chips across the line
– Nice keyboard
– Electrical disconnects for mics and camera
Cons:
– Weak battery life
– Expansion Modules drive price up for some ports
– Loud fan kicks on under moderate load
Price When Reviewed: £1,199
The Dell Inspiron Plus 16 7630 offers good power for the price, great display, and battery life, making it a good midrange option.
Acer Chromebook Spin 514 – Best Chromebook
Pros:
– Great processor performance
– Sturdy, premium design
– Top-notch keyboard and touchpad
– Two USB-C ports with Power Delivery
– Long battery life
Cons:
– A bit heavy for a 2-in-1 device
– Display could be brighter
– Android game performance is unreliable
– Expensive compared to Windows alternatives
The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 is a worthy option for those who prefer ChromeOS, with solid performance, design, and battery life.
Dell XPS 13 Plus – Best ultraportable
Pros:
– Fast CPU
– Gorgeous 3.5K OLED
– Great audio
Cons:
– Only two USB-C Ports
– Middling battery performance
– No headset jack
Price When Reviewed: From £1,298.99 | Model reviewed £1,998.98
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is an excellent ultraportable with leading-edge performance and a stunning OLED panel.
Acer Swift Edge 16 – Best budget ultraportable
Pros:
– Extremely thin and light
– Gorgeous OLED display
– Strong CPU performance in short-duration tasks
– Integrated Radeon graphics performs well
Cons:
– Design doesn’t impress
– Mediocre keyboard and touchpad
– Very weak speakers
The Acer Swift Edge 16 offers a thin-and-light design, beautiful OLED display, and strong CPU performance for a sub-$1,000 price.
Razer Blade 14 (2023) – Best gaming laptop
Pros:
– Impressive CPU and GPU power
– QHD+ display looks superb
– Exceptional build quality
Cons:
– Keys can feel mushy
– Flat audio
– Top-tier configuration is pricey
The Razer Blade 14 is a standout gaming laptop with portability and power.
