Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (8th Generation)

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon comes with a pre-built Fedora 32 OS. This model is a solid, no-nonsense machine for day-in, day-out use. What is really surprising about this model is that you get plenty of ports to hook up extra devices, but Lenovo has still managed to keep the chassis thin. And that is not all!

The highlight of this model is the 10th-gen Intel i5 or i7 chip, which supports up to 16 GB of LPDDR3 RAM and up to 1 TB of SSD. That is more than enough firepower to keep business users and professionals happy. The keypad, facial recognition, fingerprint reader, and other bells and whistles are exactly what you would expect from a Thinkpad. This model is class-leading and top-notch!

While Lenovo claims this laptop can run for 19 hours, we feel that this estimate is a bit of a stretch. When you are running Fedora on this machine, you will need some battery optimizations to make it work for around 12 hours. That is still great performance, though!

The thick bezels are our only disappointment about the Thinkpad X1 Carbon. But that has not stopped this model from topping our list of the best Lenovo Linux Laptops. (Link best linux laptops article here)

Buy Here: Amazon

Lenovo ThinkPad P53 Mobile Workstation

The second Lenovo laptop to get the Fedora treatment is the Thinkpad P53 Mobile Workstation. Like the X1 Carbon, this model is a sturdy piece of hardware, and calling it future-proof would not be unheard of. This device feels great to power on and use, whether you are a gamer, video producer, or another type of content creator. This laptop is also available in Ubuntu 18.04 LTS and Windows versions.

Like the Thinkpad X1 Carbon, this model also has large bezels, which are the first thing you notice. These larger bezels do reinforce the panel’s durability. On the flip-side, the Thinkpad P53 comes short of winning any awards for slimness.

That said, ThinkPad P53 is a full-on desktop replacement. The device sports a stunning 15.6-inch display with 4K resolution, HDR, and a DCI-P3 100% color gamut. The laptop can be reinforced with a 9th-gen Intel Core i7-9750H chip, Nvidia Quadro T1000 or T2000 graphics card, fast SSD storage, and ample memory, as per your requirements.

Overall, the Thinkpad P53 is one of the best Lenovo Linux laptops for times when a regular laptop comes short of the necessary specifications, and a typical desktop is out of the equation due to portability issues. The Thinkpad P53 offers a desktop-level performance, military-grade robustness, and expedition-grade battery capacity.

Buy Here: Amazon

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (Gen 5)

Last year, Lenovo took several gambles with their newer models. One of the gambles was introducing Lenovo’s first metal Thinkpad, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga. Surprisingly, this gamble paid off, and the Yoga 5th gen became so popular that it earned a spot in this article. (Link best Lenovo laptops article here)

The original matte black finishing and carbon fiber construction of this model have become a staple in the industry, but the unibody aluminum-magnesium chassis of the X1 Yoga comes as a breath of fresh air.

As for the design, there is nothing new to see here. The laptop itself feels quite sturdy, attractive, and compact, but the design feels somewhat ordinary. The X1 Yoga 5th generation keeps all the other elements of the Thinkpads, such as the red trim on the touchpad, fingerprint sensor, illuminated I, and central red rubber stick. Even so, this convertible two-in-one laptop flaunts a bright display. You can get it in both 1080p and 4K resolution models.

Besides, this model has a top-of-the-line keypad and a long-lasting battery life, same as the Lenovo Yoga 9i, at approximately 11 hours. The pre-built stylus pouch and webcam lid are also nice additions. All in all, this Lenovo Linux laptop is an excellent option for professionals. Users who gravitate towards a small keyboard and a cool pointing stick will probably enjoy this model.

Buy Here: Amazon

Lenovo ThinkPad T490

If you can find a Linux-ready Lenovo Thinkpad T490, consider yourself lucky. If not, the laptop will still be a great machine that works extremely well with Linux distros. Even the small critical features, such as hibernation and a fingerprint sensor, work really well in this model without any glitches.

Do not allow the business aesthetic of this model to throw you off, as it can be perfectly capable as a home or student workstation. The latest version of this model comes with an Intel Core i5-8265U 1.80 GHz Processor, 8 GB DDR4 RAM, 256 GB SSD, several ports, and a full HD display. The screen can become rather bright, as the maximum brightness is 500 nits. You can also replace the SSD with a simple screwdriver if you would like.

As for the battery life, Lenovo claims it is 16 hours. However, we got about 6 hours on a 2K display with the 8th gen i5U series CPU. Sure, that seems disappointing, but it is to be expected considering the heavy power requirements of the 2K display.

Still, the Lenovo Thinkpad T490 is a top-shelf Lenovo Linux laptop. Although its Linux-ready versions are hard to find, you can get a Windows machine and install any Linux distro on this model. Everything works without any major glitches, and the economical price of this model further sweetens the deal.

Buy Here: Amazon

Lenovo Chromebook S330

When looking for a Lenovo laptop for Linux, not everyone can afford to spend 1,000 USD. The Lenovo Chromebook 330 is an excellent ultra-basic economical option worthy of consideration, as it runs Linux without any trouble. The specs of this laptop are also pretty decent for a Chromebook.

This model sports a 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) display, 2.1 GHz MediaTek MT8173C Processor, 4 GB LPDDR3 RAM, 64 GB eMMC, and a Business Black finishing for as low a price as 270 USD. All the USB ports, including the power (USB-C), HDMI, and single USB port, are on the left-hand side, while a full-size SD card slot and headphone/mic jack are on the other side. Sure, this setup is pretty basic, but it is everything that most users need in a Chromebook.

The keypad feels nice, and the touchpad is very responsive. The hinges open to 180 degrees, so you can lay this model flat on a worktable. However, there are no rubberized edges to keep the laptop from skidding. The battery life, as with all Chromebooks, is excellent. You can get through the day (and night) without needing to connect the laptop to a power source.

All in all, this model has four standout features: excellent Linux compatibility, a nice design, remarkable battery life, and an affordable price point. For those on a tight budget, the Chromebook S330 is a great Lenovo Linux laptop.

Buy Here: Amazon

Buying Guide

The market for Linux-ready and Linux-compatible laptops from Lenovo will only grow in the future. This will make selecting a suitable Linux laptop even more difficult. You should consider the following factors before diving headfirst into a laptop purchase.

Your Needs

Before buying anything, you should consider your needs. If you are just starting out and want to test the water with a Linux distro, then an affordable option like the Lenovo Chromebook S330 will do the trick. Slightly older models, such as the Thinkpad T490, are considered midrange but can also be suitable for professionals on a budget.

Compatibility

If your Lenovo laptop is not compatible with Linux out-of-the-box, check for any compatibility issues. The two main components that can give you trouble are the GPU and network adapter. Make sure that both components work effortlessly with whatever model you are going for. If you are a frequent traveler, ensure that the fingerprint sensor is also compatible for maximum security.

Hardware Specifications

Hardware specs, such as CPU, RAM, SSD, and GPU, are also important. This is because Linux is usually a very memory-intensive OS. You will need a higher RAM and SSD to make a future-proof purchase for at least 3 years. A higher SSD will reduce bootup time, but it can significantly increase the initial investment cost.

Battery Life

Linux distros are notorious for battery consumption. Optimize your laptop to your needs. Always look up the various battery optimization options online to get the most use out of your machine. Also, keep your expectations realistic. A high-performance machine will bleed energy. For instance, when using a core i7 machine running on a high-performance Linux distro, never expect a 12-hour battery life. That is YOUR fault, not a flaw with your laptop or Linux.

Conclusion

As of now, Lenovo’s support for Linux is mostly available in high-end machines. If you are a professional, these options will suit you well. However, this was a pretty big gamble on Lenovo’s part. Why would anyone spend 1,000 USD on a new laptop, when you can slap any lightweight distro to an older model, make some tweaks here and there, and get a few more years of life out of the device? Fortunately, you can get a more affordable Lenovo Linux Laptop, including some of the models mentioned in this article. We hope that the information provided above was helpful enough to help you find the best Lenovo Linux laptop suited to your needs. Thank you for reading!

However, the year 2020 was special for the manufacturer. The reason being, the newest Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition became the first system in the market with preinstalled Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. The computer manufacturer was facing tough competition from Lenovo in the OEM Linux space for quite some time.

Lenovo had already started certifying both Ubuntu and Red Hat for their select P laptops. The new release balanced the odds. That said, the purpose of this article is to help you find the best Dell Linux Laptop. Below are our top recommendations based on popularity, user reviews, and Linux-support. Let’s take a look!

1. Dell XPS 13 Developer’s Edition 2020

The Dell XPS 13 has been the Rolls Royce of Dell Linux machines for a while. Developers and power users alike, looking for the best Linux laptop, prefer it over other models. Last year, Dell upped the ante a notch and introduced Dell XPS 13 Developer’s Edition 2020. It comes with a preinstalled Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, including several new additions such as Thunderbird 68.7.0 and LibreOffice 6.4.

This machine boasts an 11th Generation Intel® Core i5-1135G7 chip, support for up to 16 GB 4267MHz LPDDR4x RAM, and up to 2TBGB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD compatibility. You can also choose between multiple displays depending on your preferences. The laptop has a shiny Platinum silver exterior and a contrasting black interior that feels premium. It’s also pretty lightweight and durable.

In case you are wondering, it has Dell’s class-leading Infinity Edge display along with a touch screen feature. The display bezels are thin, giving you much greater screen real estate to play. The best thing about this laptop is BIOS updates. Ubuntu 20.04 LTS natively notifies of every BIOS update. If an update is available, you will get a popup message via the fwupd service.

Overall, Dell XPS 13 Developer’s Edition 2020 is a perfect system for developers, sysadmins, and IT professionals. A base price of $989.00 offers great value for the money, considering the laptop specs.

Buy Here: Dell

Buy Here: Amazon

2. DELL Inspiron 15 3000

In case you are sick and tired of the two dozen XPS 13 configurations and looking for an affordable alternative, Inspiron 5 3000 is worth a shot. And the good news is, Dell is now selling a Ubuntu edition that comes with a preinstalled version of the operating system. As of writing this article, DELL Inspiron 15 3000 is the best dell Linux laptop on a budget.

Obviously, like all budget machines, this means making some sacrifices in the hardware and the overall performance, especially in areas where the CPU and RAM come into play. A lowly Celeron processor powers this laptop, and its 8 GB RAM won’t help multitask.

Still, Ubuntu OS is good to go with low-end hardware as its very efficient across different powers of systems. On top of that, you can easily dual boot with a Windows OS. Even though the SSD is merely 128 GB, it’s the latest and faster M.2 NVMe model. Therefore, the boot-up and loading of different applications are quick.

Finally, the plastic frame houses a 1080p display, which is very rare at this price point. Also, you get multiple full-size USB ports, an Ethernet port, an SD reader, and an HDMI. To conclude, Inspiron 15 3000 is no powerhouse. However, those wanting a budget Dell Linux machine for basic everyday tasks will find plenty to appreciate.

Buy Here: Amazon

3. Dell XPS 15

Coming in on the third spot is Dell XPS 15. Its cheapest configuration is a great option for general purpose use. In contrast, the expensive configurations can tackle intensive tasks, such as video editing, gaming, and programming.

Sure, it’s doesn’t come with a preinstalled Linux distro. However, all essential features, like sound, network connectivity, and ports, work right “out-of-the-box” with any Linux OS. Keep in mind; there is a minor compatibility issue on the newer 9560 model with its GPU. Still, the laptop is a very viable option with its integrated Intel graphics card.

There are two display choices for the XPS 15. An Ultra HD touchscreen or a Full HD non-touch screen. Both displays have excellent full color support. On a one-time charge, the non-touchscreen can last for a good 10 hour period. Ultra HD touchscreen, on the other hand, is a lot less considerate on power consumption.

The whole design is very stylish. Trackpad and keypad are solid all around. The aluminum build offers a clean look. The blackish carbon fiber palm rest with a nearly bezel-less display cements it as a visually modern machine. While Dell XPS 15 is pretty quiet on light usage, the fans get louder with the extra workload.

Buy Here: Amazon

4. Dell Precision 5530

The Dell Precision 5530 is a beast of a development machine. If you are looking for a relatively compact 15 inches laptop that works great with any Linux-based distro, Dell Precision 5530 may just be an ideal option. This one comes with an Intel Core i7-8850H Hexa-core 2.6 GHz processor, 8GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD in terms of specs.

The massive 15.6 inches display is actually very compact. Its 96 WH battery adds a little bit of heft, but you will surely love its over a dozen hours of battery life. The keypad and trackpad remind us of the XPS. That is to say; they are the best in the bunch.  The keys are solid and with the perfect travel & touch. The same goes with the trackpad. While it’s not as large as on a MacBook, it’s still pretty slick.

The display is crisp with almost 1/8th of an inch bezel. There’s tons of display real estate, which allows you to tile windows and multitask like a pro.

So, if you’re looking for a laptop that includes the nicest keyboard on the market, and you don’t mind that it’s heavy, nothing will go wrong with Precision 5530. It’s a beast of a laptop that will surely serve you well for a long time.

Buy Here: Amazon

5. Dell Precision 5550

With the portability of a lappy and the processing power of a desktop, Precision 5550 is one of the latest offerings from Dell. It’s incredibly thin, super-fast, and super pricey – at the same time.

The 15.6 inches display is InfinityEdge. Meaning, it has one of the thinnest bezels on the screen that you will see in the market today. The 79 key backlit keyboard has a nice feel to it with ample key travel. Touchpad is exactly what you’d expect from the 55XX line.

Depending on your budget, you can go with any hardware specification. Take a look at Dell’s official website for more details on the hardware front. While you get all the latest ports – along with a fingerprint sensor – it’s interesting to note that there is no USB-A port on this device. Therefore, you may have to spend some more to get additional connectivity options.

That said, even the base configuration comes north of $2000. Sure, there are faster, more affordable mobile workstations in the market. But, no other dell Linux machine is as thin and lightweight. So, you are paying a premium amount for this portability.

Buy Here: Amazon

Buy Here: Dell

Buyer’s Guide – Picking the Best Dell Linux Laptop

This write-up assumes that you already know the basics of CPU, RAM, SSD, and other hardware specifications. Therefore, we are focusing on the more general aspects of choosing a Dell Linux machine instead.

Linux-Ready or Linux Compatible?

Dell’s Linux-ready laptops come with either a Red Hat Enterprise or a Ubuntu Linux. With Dell’s staple certifications and support, you can rest assured that these systems will work out of the box. So, instead of wasting time setting up your OS, you can focus more on creating value for your business. That’s why we recommend going with a Linux-ready system if possible.

Linux Compatibility

If Linux-ready laptops are out of your budget, check if your preferred model is compatible with the particular version of Linux Distro you want. A simple google search will let you know this information. Popular Linux distros have their own online hardware compatibility resources, such as Linux Mint, Ubuntu, and Arch. If the information isn’t there, you can always get help from fellow Linux users on online forums.

New or Used?

Thanks to Dell’s laptops’ popularity, there’s always a steady supply of old or refurbished machines in the market. In case you are on a tighter budget, a refurbished or even slightly used machine can save you a handsome amount with minimum disadvantages. Apart from minor touchups here and there, Dell’s refurbished laptops are often in tip-top condition. Just make sure the battery is new.

Final Thoughts

That’s all about the dell Linux machines. These days, choosing a Dell Linux laptop is pretty much similar to choosing any other laptop in general. However, the options mentioned in this article offer the best performance for the price. Some of them work right out of the box, while others need minor tinkering depending on your Linux distro. Just keep their hardware limitations in mind before purchasing to save yourself from disappointment. Thank you for reading.

Chromebooks deliver great value for a low price. That’s because the Chrome OS is super lightweight, therefore, it needs less power to get the performance you need. Besides, the introduction of touch screens and the 2-in-1 form factor has further elevated their status.

That’s why the Best Chromebooks of 2021 even rival some of the best laptops in the market.

If you are having trouble deciding what is the suitable Chromebook, we have narrowed down the options for you. Have a feast!

1. ASUS Chromebook Flip C434

Backlit keypad, very thin display bezels, and exceptional split screening make Asus C434 an ideal 2-in-1 Chromebook for people who want to get everything done in style. But a premium Chromebook means you do have to shell out a premium amount too. The good thing is, it’s still not as pricey as PixelBook or Lenovo Yoga C630.

The model is available in four different specifications. You can go for one that best suits your needs. The keypad is excellent to type on, and the trackpad is on point. This model does not only feature a USB-A but two USB-C ports as well. The USB-C ports are placed on the opposite sides, so you can connect it to the side you like.

Talking about size, this is a 14 inches laptop that feels like hiding in a 13 inches shell. The bezels are super slim, and the 16:9 aspect ratio squeezes it into a much smaller footprint than the other premium 4:3 aspect ratio Chromebooks. The aluminum body feels slightly delicate than the plastic ones. But it’s definitely less prone to scratches.

The only minor drawback is the speakers. They face downward and can get muffled when you are using them on the bed. Overall, Asus Chromebook Flip C434 takes the first spot on our list of the best Chromebooks because of its handsome portable build, great battery, and exceptional performance.

Buy Here: Amazon

2. Lenovo Chromebook Duet

Short on your budget? Don’t worry! Lenovo Duet has got your back. The Duet delivers more than just decent performance at a low price. It’s an ultra-portable, 10 inches, two-in-one device that comes with a clip-on keypad and a twill-like kickstand cover. Shut it like a book, and no one will know you are carrying a laptop. HA!

The Duet features a MediaTek Helio P60T chip, 4GB RAM, and 128GB SSD storage, which is plenty fast. If you are simply surfing the internet and don’t plan on using it for super heavy productivity work, this laptop performs really well. And don’t forget that it’s also a 2-in-1 laptop!

In its detachable form, the Duet brags of a gesture navigation system – pretty much like Android – that makes the app switch a real breeze. The battery life doesn’t disappoint either. On a full charge, we got close to 12 hours of non-stop use. Impressive, right?

That being said, there are, of course, some disappointments. The absence of a headphone jack is sure to bug some users, and the 16:10 display feels slightly dim. However, these are understandable trade-offs for such an affordable price. Overall, Lenovo Chromebook Duet is a great on-the-go option for the office, schoolwork, or entertainment purposes.

Buy Here: Amazon

3. Google Pixelbook Go

The best Google Chromebook in the market right now is Pixelbook Go, and it effortlessly makes it to our Best Chromebooks 2021 list. It’s a stylish 13.3 inches super-slim laptop that weighs just 2 pounds. What’s more, it sports a rugged magnesium chassis and an easy to grip design, making it quite a durable piece.

Not only is it stylish and portable, but it offers a solid performance as well. It’s available in four different capacities and three different configurations. This gives you plenty of options to go for a suitable configuration. The standout feature of Google’s Pixelbook Go is the keypad. There’s no clicky-click sound, and it has a very springy feel.

Go supports fast charging, thanks to a pair of USB-C ports. The battery life is also exceptional. On a full charge, the laptop lasts for 12 and a half hours straight. That is more than enough to get you throughout the day.

However, PixelBook Go is an expensive Chromebook, but it’s just pretty similar to our number one pick in terms of performance. That’s why it doesn’t top our list. Still, users who prefer a smaller footprint and a lightweight device may favor spending a wee bit more for Google Pixelbook Go.

Buy Here: Amazon

4. Acer – Chromebook Spin 713

Acer’s Chromebook Spin 713 is one of the best Chromebooks you can buy. It has a nice build, a gorgeous display, and long battery life. The screen stands out from the rest of the convertibles because of a squarish 3:2 aspect ratio. On top of that, its offbeat shape has certainly won us over.

The 10th Gen Core i5 processor, aided by an 8GB RAM and 128GB NVMe SSD, can handle the heavy workload of multiple tabs like a champ. It comes with all the ports you have come to expect from a top-of-the-line laptop model. And that’s not all! It even has an HDMI port. How often do you see that on a Chromebook?

The sunny and snappy Vertiview display is another highlight. It’s so sharp that even the tiniest text stays readable. Brightness is just about right. The white backgrounds are nicely white, and the contrast is decent. The keypad and touchscreen are pretty responsive as well.

If this model came with a stylus, it would have ranked much higher on our list. Still, the value it brings to the table makes it a sure-fire candidate on any top five list of the best Chromebooks 2021.

Buy Here: Amazon

5. HP Chromebook x360 14

Want a powerful Chromebook and don’t mind the extra footprint of a 14 inches screen? HP Chromebook x360 may just be your ideal candidate. This 2-in-1 neatly navigates between the hordes of modest consumer-grade Chromebooks and ritzy business models and comes in the middle $560 range.

The design is sleek, thanks to an aluminum build and a plastic bottom. However, at 3.64 pounds, it’s is a full pound heavier than even the heaviest model on this list. There are plenty of ports on both ends of the package, along with a MicroSD slot and an audio jack.

Punching keys is comfortable due to responsive tactile feedback. The large buttonless touchpad responds well to the taps. As for the IPS display, you get wide viewing angles, bright, rich colors, and nice saturation all around. Thankfully the speakers are on the sides of the keyboard. This ensures you hear the same sound whether using it on your work desk or bed.

While there are several different configurations of this model in the market, we suggest going for the Core i3, 8GB RAM, and 64GB eMMC Flash memory model. That’s because it offers form, function, and fun for a fantastic price.

Buy Here: Amazon

A Buyer’s Guide to the Best Chromebooks

While there is less variety in best Chromebooks 2021 than windows machines, these are important factors to consider:

Display Resolution

The standard screen resolution on a Chromebook is 1080p for 13 to 15 inches screens. Don’t go for a model that has a lower resolution (1336×768) because it is only suitable for 12 inches or smaller screens. It looks very coarse on slightly larger displays. That’s why if you are going for 13 inches or a bigger-sized Chromebook, don’t settle on a low resolution.

CPU

Low-end Chromebooks suitable for browsing do well with an Intel Celeron or even a Pentium chip. While the Celeron chip with a 4GB of memory can be unbearably sluggish on a Windows machine, the same specs offer a very decent experience for Chromebooks. However, if you are a multi-tasker, look for a modern Intel Core CPU like the Core i3 or Core i5. AMD’s recently introduced Ryzen C chips also compete well with Intel’s Core machines.

Storage

Chromebooks store most of the files in the cloud. Therefore, even a small serving of 32GB or 64GB eMMC storage is enough. But a true SSD (whether 64 or 128GB) is the biggest sign of a premium Chromebook. Look for an additional SD card slot to help you save files on a device of your choice if needed.

Connectivity

Chromebooks are wireless, supporting both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Most of them support the 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard, but the leading corporate models that are coming with Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) standard give a slight edge in connectivity.

Other Considerations

If you often give presentations, a video out port such as HDMI becomes a must-have. Similarly, having a USB-C (or two) comes in handy for fast charging and quick file transfers. USB-A is pretty much available on all Chromebooks. More ports, the merrier, because then you can attach more peripherals.

Final Thoughts

That’s all about the best Chromebooks 2021. If you are looking for a ChromeOS device, the options mentioned above are convenient to use, easy to take along because of a smaller footprint, and generally inexpensive. Whether you are a social media aficionado or just need a basic machine to regular everyday work, the best Chromebooks will always come in handy.

This article has gathered our top five picks to help you choose your next ideal Lenovo laptop. These laptops offer great performance and have long battery life. Some even top the 10 hours mark. What’s more, they have also been tested against multiple military-grade specifications for high-end durability and resilience.

Let’s take a look at the buyer’s guide first before going through our top picks.

Buyer’s Guide for the Best Lenovo Laptops

Lenovo produces laptops for a wide audience. Because of this wide range, deciding on a particular Lenovo model becomes quite a daunting task. However, this buyer’s guide aims to make this choice easier for you. Apart from the obvious CPU, RAM, Memory, and ports availability factors, we discuss some other important factors for Lenovo laptops. Read on!

Screen Size

Choose whether you want a wider display or a more portable solution. The 13 inches Chromebooks are some of the smallest Lenovo laptops today and undoubtedly the most portable. 14-inch displays give you more screen real estate while still being portable. But their downside is the lack of a dedicated num pad. 15 inches and higher displays are appropriate for productivity work. However, they are the least portable.

Touchscreen Capability

If your work becomes easier with a touch screen, then go for a touchscreen model. But keep in mind, laptops with touchscreen capability are much more expensive. On the plus side, some of the touchscreen models like the ThinkPad X1 Yoga are 2-in-1, giving you the best of both the laptop and the tablet experience.

Keypad and Touchpad

Even fantastic specs don’t mean diddly if your laptop has bad ergonomics. Ensure the keypad has solid tactile feedback, plenty of key travel, and enough spacing between the two keys. Similarly, look for an accurate touchpad with a quick response. Be careful of the jumpy cursor.

1. Lenovo Yoga 9i

Specifications:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-1185G7
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: Iris Xe
• Storage: 512 GB
• Display: 14-inches, 1080p
• Battery life: 11:15
• Weight: 3 pounds
• Size: 12.6 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches

Lenovo Yoga 9i is undoubtedly the king of the ring right now. It takes the already proven formula of Yoga C940 and further improves it. With subtle design improvements, better performance, longer battery life (approx. 11 hours), and an 11th Gen Intel CPU, the Yoga 9i proves to be quite a worthy successor to the last year’s top laptop.

As you have come to expect from the Yoga series, 9i has a premium and portable build. Its unique hinge rotates 360 degrees to convert the laptop into a tablet if you want. The hinge also doubles as a rotating soundbar with Dolby Atmos. The display is also crisp, vibrant, and plenty sharp. We had no trouble watching content in broad daylight.

Our favorites about this model are the bells and whistles. You get a webcam cover (yeah! No need for a tape anymore), an Active Pen slot (keeps it safe), two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and a fingerprint sensor for extra security. Unfortunately, there’s no IR camera on the laptop.
Overall, Lenovo Yoga 9i is a surprisingly powerful two-in-one laptop. It has premium specs and offers premium performance when challenged to its max. Phenomenal battery life is just the icing on the cake.

Buy Here: Amazon

2. Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Extreme (2nd Gen)

Specifications:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-9850H
• RAM: 32 GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Display: 15.6-inches, 4K HDR
• Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Size: 14.2 x 9.7 x 0.7 inches

The X1 Extreme is a powerful business laptop. It has a jaw-dropping 15.6 inches 4K HDR display (beat that, HP!) and a lightning-fast speed thanks to its 9th gen Core i7 chip, 32 GB RAM, and a quick 1 TB SSD. Plus, it has the signature Thinkpad goodness – durable design, excellent keypad, and matte black finishing on a carbon fiber build.

Compared with contemporary models such as X1 Yoga or even the X1 Carbon, the X1 Extreme packs more punch. That is because it has six core H-series processing chips. It also has a bigger display and more ports, making it a much better option for productivity.

The X1 Extreme has passed all the MIL-STD durability tests like all the best Lenovo laptops. Expect no flex when grasping the corners of the screen or smashing the keypad on your Mondays. The laptop is still incredibly compact at 0.72 by 14.2 by 9.7 inches and weighs just 3.75 pounds in mass. So, it’s still pretty portable.

That said, beware of the limited battery life, though. Yup! Something had to crash the party. During our test looping the latest movie trailer, it lasted for just 6 hours. That’s somewhat disappointing but not unexpected considering the graphical demands of the 4K display.

Buy Here: Amazon

3. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (5th Gen)

Specifications:

• CPU: Intel Core i7
• RAM: 16 GB
• GPU: Intel Core i5-10310U; Core i7-10610U
• Storage: 256 GB; 512GB SSD
• Display: 14-inches, 1080p and 4K
• Weight: 3 pounds
• Size: 12 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches

Last year, Lenovo took a gamble with the ThinkPad X1 Yoga by introducing its first metal Thinkpad. It surprisingly paid off. Sure, Thinkpad’s original carbon fiber construction and a matte black finish have become a sort of trademark, X1 Yoga’s unibody aluminum-magnesium construction is a breath of fresh air.

As for the design, there’s nothing new to see here. Sure, it feels sturdy, premium, nicely built, attractive, and compact enough, but it just feels ordinary. It keeps all the other elements of the Thinkpad, such as the touchpad’s red trim, fingerprint sensor, the illuminated I, and the central red rubber stick.

This convertible two in one laptop flaunts a bright display. Both 1080p and 4K are available. Besides, it offers top of a line keypad and a long-lasting battery life, same as Lenovo Yoga 9i’ at approximately 11 hours. It also has a pre-built stylus pouch and a webcam lid.

All in all, Thinkpad X1 Yoga is an excellent option for business users. In particular, users who gravitate towards having a small yet brilliant keyboard and a cool pointing stick would get the most back out of their bucks with this model. It’s one of the best Lenovo laptops in the market right now.

Buy Here: Amazon

4. Lenovo Legion Y545 Gaming Laptop

Specifications:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H
• RAM: 16 GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
• Storage: 128GB
• Display: 15.6-inches, 1080p
• Weight: 5.3 pounds
• Size: 14.2 x 10.5 x 1.1 inches

The Lenovo Legion Y545 is a budget-friendly entry-level laptop for gaming enthusiasts. It under promises due to its budget price and over-delivers thanks to Nvidia’s discrete graphics chip.

It has an industrial and a more toned-down design than most of its counterparts. The chassis is trim for a 15.6 inches gamer. While the side screen bezels aren’t as slim as some of the pricier models, they are skinny enough to give this model a modern look.

When tested for gaming performance, the Lenovo Legion Y545 pushes well past the targeted 60 frames per second mark in the real-world gaming benchmarks. That means games like Fortnite, Minecraft and PUBG run as smoothly as you would expect. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about graphics-extensive games like GTA V or Apex Legends.

Our only disappointment is the low battery life. On a full charge, the laptop lasts a measly 5 hours. That said, Legion Y545 is still an excellent entry-level gaming laptop due to its affordable cost and great performance. And when you are not gaming, you can use it for some light productivity work and watch your favorite content on that gorgeous 1080 screen.

Buy Here: Amazon

5. Lenovo IdeaPad 3

Specifications:

• CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 1.20GHz Dual-Core Processor
• RAM: 12 GB DDR4
• GPU: Intel UHD Graphics
• Storage: 256 GB SSD
• Display: 15.6-inches, 1080p
• Weight: 4.1 pounds
• Size: 14.25 x 9.98 x 0.79 inches

While the $500 range is home to some awful lappies sporting 768p resolutions and Atom or Celeron processors, Ideapad 3 is one of the better options. The reason being its more than decent specs such as a 10th gen Intel’s Ice Lake processor, 12 GB memory, and a 1080p resolution.

Design-wise it doesn’t have unique features except the less common Abyss blue color. It’s rectangular with round corners. A Lenovo logo sticks in one corner. The chassis is neither thick nor thin. The laptop’s undercarriage and cover are made of hard plastic.

The panel is 1080p, which provides a much sharper image than some of its contemporaries, notably Lenovo 330. The peak brightness of the panel is 250 nits, which isn’t much. As long as you are using it indoors, brightness won’t be a problem. Its battery life is also decent, coming in at 7 and a half hours on a full charge.

Lenovo’s Ideapad 3 packs enough power to keep you hammer through the day on basic tasks without showing any signs of a slow down. It is highly recommended for day-to-day indoor use.

Buy Here: Amazon

Final Thoughts

This is in no way the end of the best Lenovo laptops. The choices are endless. That’s why you need to have a clear perspective on your needs versus interests – features you must have and ones that would be great to have. Going out with a clear set of goals can help you acquire the Lenovo laptop of your dreams.

If you aren’t especially tech savvy, knowing what to look for in a decent laptop capable of handling all of that data can be tricky. Not to worry, though, as we’ve prepared a list of five laptops, each equipped with more than enough power.

Want to know exactly what features you should be keeping an eye out for? Our Buyer’s Guide succinctly outlines every characteristic you should be considering, in a way that computer newbies can actually understand and interpret.

Likewise, if you have any questions we haven’t quite covered there, it’s worth checking the FAQ. As we’ve taken the time to gather up and answer the most common inquiries from other customers, it’s likely yours is one of them.

Need A New Laptop Now? Here’s Our Top Pick:

1. Acer Aspire 5 FHD Laptop

With a full HD 15.6 inch LED display in widescreen, encased in beautiful shiny silver, the Acer Aspire 5 is a thing to behold. And at half the price of the leading Macbook laptop, it’s easily our number one choice for this list.

Having been upgraded to DDR4 16GB RAM, it’s more than capable of multitasking and running multiple applications at once is a breeze. Data sets will be analyzed far quicker than average, too, thanks to an AMD Ryzen 3 graphics card.

Proffering both a 1TB HDD and a 128GB SSD, the Aspire 5 has the best of both worlds. That’s an absolutely huge storage space, with more than enough room for large files, and will also revitalize the regular performance of the laptop generally.

Running the latest version of Windows 10, with three USB ports (one 3.1 and two 2.0 respectively) and an HDMI port that supports HDCP, it has all of the connections you’ll need for work or study. 6 hours of battery life is ideal for a full day of learning

Pros:

• Full HD display, 15.6 inches – lightweight at under 4lb
• 16GB RAM, plenty of data for analysing data
• New Windows 10 right out of the box
• 3.50 GHz CPU speed

Cons:

• Combines SSD and HDD, rather than opting for a more powerful version of the former

2020 Newest Acer Aspire 5 15.6" FHD 1080P Laptop Computer| AMD Ryzen 3 3200U up to 3.5 GHz(Beat i5-7200u)| 16GB RAM| 128GB SSD+1TB HDD| Backlit KB| WiFi| Bluetooth| HDMI| Windows 10| Laser USB Cable

• 15.6 inches Full HD (1920 x 1080) Widescreen LED backlit IPS Display; AMD Radeon Vega 3 Mobile Graphics
• AMD Ryzen 3 3200U (2.60 GHz, up to 3.50 GHz with Turbo Boost, 4 MB Cache, 2 Cores ), 3-cell lithium-ion, up to 6 hours battery life mixed-use
• RAM is upgraded to 16GB DDR4 memory for multitasking Adequate high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run multiple applications and browser tabs all at once
• Hard Drive is upgraded to 128GB SSD plus 1TB HDD provides massive storage space for huge files, so that you can store important digital data and work your way through it with ease. Enhance the overall performance of the laptop for business, student, daily usage
• 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Port, 2 USB 2.0 Ports & 1 HDMI Port with HDCP support,802.11ac Wi-Fi; Backlit Keyboard; Up to 7.5 Hours Battery Life,Windows 10 in S mode. Maximum Power Supply Wattage 65 W + Laser USB External Cable

Buy on Amazon

2. Dell Inspiron 15 3000 HD Laptop

Impressive color, clarity and anti-glare are all achieved effortlessly with the energy efficient LED screen on this beautiful Inspiron 15 300 from Dell. 15.6 inches and weighing just over 4lb, it’s petite yet powerful, and great for data science on the go.

16GB of DDR4 RAM paired with a 512GB PCIe SSD offers high-bandwidth and smooth, speedy program operation. You’ll have plenty of space for all of your data, and downloads will occur at far greater speeds than you’re used to.

AMD Radeon Graphics with shared video memory offers excellent image quality and will ensure all data presentations run smoothly. Plus, the full sized standard keyboard and numeric keypad allow for comfortable, accurate typing all the time.

Running the most secure Windows ever, 10 Home in S mode, you’ll find increased responsiveness and the speediest boot times. There are 2 USB 3.2 ports, a single USB 2.0 port, an SD card reader and an HDMI port, for all your connectivity needs.

Pros:

• 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD for maximized speed and storage
• AMD Athlon Silver 3050U processor, dual core two-way processing
• Attractive, sturdy dark gray casing
• Free 32GB USB card as part of your purchase

Cons:

• May not be powerful enough for deep learning

2020 Dell Inspiron 15 3000 15.6" HD Laptop Computer, AMD Athlon Silver 3050U Processor, 16GB RAM, 512GB PCIe SSD, MaxxAudio Pro, HD Webcam, AMD Radeon Graphics, Win 10 S, Black, 32GB SnowBell USB Card

• 【Upgraded】Seal is opened for upgrade only, 1-Year warranty on Upgraded RAM/SSD from Snow Bell, and original 1-Year Manufacture warranty on remaining components. 【15.6" HD Narrow Border Display】1366 x 768 resolution boasts impressive color and clarity, Anti-Glare Energy-efficient LED screen.
• 【AMD Athlon Silver 3050U Mobile Processor】Ultra-low-voltage platform. Dual-core, two-way processing provides maximum high-efficiency power to go.
• 【16GB DDR4 RAM】Plenty of high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run your games as well as multiple programs. 【512GB PCIe SSD】Save files fast and store more data. With plenty amounts of storage and advanced communication power, great for major gaming, multiple servers, backups, and more.
• 【Standard Keyboard】with Numeric keypad, Allows you to enjoy comfortable and accurate typing.【AMD Radeon Graphics】with shared video memory provide solid image quality for Internet use, movies, basic photo editing and casual gaming. Waves MaxxAudio Pro with stereo speakers & 720p at 30 fps HD camera with Single-array microphone.
• 【Windows 10 Home in S mode included】3-Cell, 42 WHr, Integrated battery. 14.33" x 9.80" x 0.78", 4.04 lbs. 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, 1x USB 2.0 port, 1x Headphone/Microphone Combo, 1x SD media card reader, 1x HDMI, 1x RJ45. Wireless-AC + Bluetooth, Accent Black, Bonus 32GB SnowBell USB Card.

Buy on Amazon

3. HP Business i5 7200U Laptop

Offering the same specs as the Inspiron, at a more affordable price, the i5 7200U from HP’s business range also runs with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD card. Though slightly smaller, at 14 inches, it’s still just as impressive in our opinion.

The WLED display is crystal clear, providing a decent image quality via the AMD Radeon graphics card. At only 3.24lb, it’s slightly sleeker than comparable devices, which could just swing it for students with busy schedules.

Two USB Type-A and one USB 3.1 Type-C ports and a classic HDMI ensure you’ll be able to hook up to all of your devices and accessories, no problem. Plus, the 3-cell lithium ion battery has plenty of power to keep you going all day long.

Right out of the box, you’re Windows 10 Home in S mode, though it’s easy to switch to the standard version by following the instructions provided. With the AMD Athlon Silver S050U processor, all of your data should load up nice and smoothly.

Pros:

• Lightweight, portable laptop that packs a punch
• Running up-to-date software Windows 10 Home (S version – can be changed)
• 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM; plenty for data scientists
• More affordable than other laptops with similar specifications

Cons:

• Only fourteen inches – could prove too small for some

2020 HP 14 inch HD Laptop Newest for Business and Student, AMD Athlon Silver 3050U (Beat i5-7200U), 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, 802.11ac, WiFi, Bluetooth, HDMI, Windows 10 w/HESVAP 3in1 Accessories

• AMD Athlon Mobile Processor with Radeon Graphics. AMD Athlon Silver 3050U (2.3 GHz, up to 3.2 GHz). Get more done faster on a reliable laptop that can keep up with your everyday tasks.
• 14-inch diagonal HD, SVA, anti-glare, micro-edge, WLED-backlit, (1366 x 768) Display. Gives you the space and clarity you need to get your work done. Weighs 3.24 lbs. and measures 0.8" thin Ultrathin and ultralight for maximum portability, featuring a smaller screen size.
• RAM is upgraded to 16GB DDR4 SDRAM for multitasking Adequate high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run multiple applications and browser tabs all at once. 512GB solid state drive (SSD) While offering less storage space than a hard drive, a flash-based SSD has no moving parts, resulting in faster start-up times and data access, no noise, and reduced heat production and power draw on the battery.
• Up to 10 Hours of battery life means you can transition from morning meetings to evening entertainment without plugging in.
• Windows 10 Home in S mode, You may switch to regular windows 10: Press "Start button" bottom left of the screen; Select "Settings" icon above "power" icon;Select Update & Security and Activation, then Go to Store; Select "Get" option under "Switch out of S mode"; Hit Install. (If you also see an "Upgrade your edition of Windows" section, be careful not to click the "Go to the Store" link that appears there.)

Buy on Amazon

4. ASUS VivoBook 15 S513 Laptop

For data scientists looking to wield serious power – provided they have extra money to spend! – look no further than the VivoBook 15 from Asus. Yes, it’s a few hundred dollars more than our other choices, but it’s absolutely worth the price jump.

Packing a Ryzen 7 4700U GPU, as well as a 1TB SSD, this has the processing capabilities of a far more expensive gaming laptop. That, plus 8GB of DDR4 RAM, in more than enough to run data sets, even those on the larger side.

The 15.6 inch, full HD NanoEdge bezel display offers a stunning 85% screen-to-body ratio, making for some truly beautiful visuals. Plus, presenting your data is easier than ever before, given the 178 degree wide viewing angle created.

Ergonomic and backlit, the keyboard makes for efficient work even in the evenings, whilst the inbuilt fingerprint sensor, activated by Windows Hello, allows for even greater protection with encryption you can actually trust.

Pros:

• Luxurious Full HD 15.6 inch display, NanoEdge beze
• Added security via inbuilt fingerprint sensor; backlit keyboard
• 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD for impeccable speeds
• Multiple USB ports and the standard HDMI connector

Cons:

• Only has 8GB of RAM, but given the Ryzen 7 GPU, with up to 4.1GHz of processing power, it shouldn’t be too big a deal

ASUS VivoBook 15 S513 Thin and Light Laptop, 15.6” FHD Display, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Processor, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB PCIe SSD, Fingerprint Reader, Windows 10 Home, Indie Black, S513IA-DB74

• 15.6 inch Full HD NanoEdge bezel display with stunning 85% screen-to-body ratio
• Powerful AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Processor (8M Cache, up to 4.1 GHz)
• 8GB DDR4 RAM and 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD and Windows 10 Home
• Ergonomic backlit keyboard along with a fingerprint sensor activated via Windows Hello
• Comprehensive connections including USB 3.2 Type-C, USB 3.2 Type-A, USB 2.0, HDMI, and Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) (*USB Transfer speed may vary. Learn more at ASUS website)

Buy on Amazon

5. Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Business Laptop

We may have saved the most expensive laptop for last, but it also happens to be the most impressive. From Lenovo’s ThinkPad range comes the E15, packed with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD. It’s beautiful to look at, and even more so to play on.

You may be wondering why there are laptops above, also with those specs, for hundreds of dollars less. Well – they don’t also have the 10th generation i5-10210U Quad Core processor, with Intel’s patented Turbo Boost Technology!

Alongside all of that power, there’s a full HD 15.6 inch LED display, with anti glare and Intel’s UHD graphics. Running on Windows 10 Professional 64 bit, you’ll have access to so many more features that are useful for data science.

With a long life, 3-cell lithium ion battery, you’ll be able to work on the go undisturbed. There’s even a FHD low-power display option, offering you an extended boost of juice that could keep you going for days at a time.

Pros:

• 15.6 inch, Full HD anti glare LED screen with ISP technology
• Intel Core i5-10210U quad core processing, up to 4.2GHz
• 512GB SSD plus 16GB RAM, running Windows 10 Professional
• Impressive battery life and power saving modes

Cons:

• Pretty pricy, but a worthwhile investment if you’ve got the cash

2020 Lenovo ThinkPad E15 15.6” FHD Business Laptop Computer, 10th gen Intel i5-10210U (up to 4.20GHz,Beat i7-8550u), 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, WiFi HDMI Win10 Pro w/Ghost Manta Accessories

• 【10th gen Quad-Core i5-10210U】Intel Core i5-10210U (1.6 GHz base frequency, up to 4.2 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 6 MB cache, 4 cores). 3-Cell 45WHr Li-ionLithium ion, up to 11 hours battery life mixed use.
• 【15.6” FHD IPS Anti-glare LED Display】15.6 inch FHD (1920x1080) IPS Anti-glare LED display, Intel UHD Graphics. 1 x HDMI, 2 x USB USB 3.1 Gen 1, 1 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 1, 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x Headphone/microphone combo jack, 1 x RJ45.
• 【High Speed】Upgraded to 16GB DDR4 memory for multitasking Adequate high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run multiple applications and browser tabs all at once.
• 【Enormous Space】Upgraded storage to 512GB SSD provides massive storage space for huge files, so that you can store important digital data and work your way through it with ease. Enhance the overall performance of the laptop for business, student, daily usage.
• 【Windows 10 Pro】Windows 10 Professional 64-bit - Has all the features of W10 Home OS, but more! The operating system you need for enterprise and small business alike! Ghost Manta Accessories including HDMI Cable, USB extension cord and Mouse Pad.

Buy on Amazon

Buyer’s Guide

For an incredibly tech-based subject such as data science, getting a laptop that looks good and won’t weigh you down are the least of your concerns. Those factors still matter, sure, but there are more important things to consider. Such as…

Operating System

The majority of programs you’ll be using should be compatible with any operating system, but the most universally accepted option is Windows. The more up to date your software is, the better, with Windows 10 being the most current version.

Coding software and languages you can expect to be utilizing include:

• Python
• MatLab
• Rapid Miner
• R
• SAS
• Stata
• SPSS
• RStudio

You’re free to use Mac OS X or other systems like Linux if you’d prefer – many data scientists do! – but you’ll have a much easier time on a Microsoft computer when it comes to software downloads. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Memory

Important for analyzing large datasets without an endless lag, an appropriate amount of RAM or Random Access Memory for your chosen laptop is crucial. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting quality work time waiting for pages to load and numbers to crunch!

Around 16GB of RAM is recommended at minimum, but if you can afford to spring for higher, then you won’t regret it. It is of course possible to upgrade the existing RAM of some laptops, but if you don’t know how to do so it’s better left to an expert.

Storage

Most newer laptops utilize an SSD or Solid State Drive over the more traditional hard drives as it is. However, making sure you have an SSD with enough memory, at least 256GB if not more, is also important when it comes to speedy analysis.

An added advantage of using SSDs over their predecessors is that, because they don’t actually move, your laptop will be far quieter when you’re working. It’ll also be a whole lot less likely to overheat when you’re clocking some serious data.

Portability

For any student or employee, carrying a bulky, heavy laptop around is not just annoying, but can be the root of some serious back pain. The likelihood is that you already have enough massive textbooks to lug between home and campus anyway!

Ensuring your display is large enough to visualize all of your information, at least fifteen inches in size, is important. That said, opting for the lightest laptop that doesn’t compromise on sturdiness is always advised, for the sake of convenience.

Battery Life

A laptop that can stay juiced up for a decent portion of the day is a must for most students. This is less important if you’re regularly working from home, but hey, sitting at a desk every day can get really repetitive.

Sure, some lecture halls and teaching spaces have outlets, but then you have to remember your charger and hope there’s a socket free and… you get the picture. Having a really decent battery life is the making of a quality laptop.

Frequently Asked Questions

What GPU does a data scientist need?

This really depends. Your school, college or employer might provide you with access to external servers and much greater computer power. GPU’s are very expensive to purchase, and can run up thousands of dollars in expenses.

For those looking to perform deep learning or other more extensive data investigations, you’re going to want to seek out a “gaming laptop”, as the CPU found in a regular one isn’t able to cope with such huge amounts of information.

Check out this explanation on what GPUs are and whether or not you need them from Towards Data Science for more information.

Are data science and machine learning the same thing?

Yes and no. Data science is an umbrella term for a variety of different disciplines, whilst machine learning is a subsidiary of data science. Encompassing things like analytics and engineering, it’s used as a collective for multiple subjects.

When discussing ‘data’ more generally, the information may not have even originated from technological sources, whilst machine learning always involves the study of computer generated data.

Can you use a Macbook for data science?

In short, yes. Many data scientists use Macbooks as they’re easier to connect to virtual operating systems, but you can get exactly the same hardware capabilities for half the price when you opt for a Windows laptop.

Laptops are great for all forms of computing and you get the added benefit of portability and space-saving.Laptops aren’t only useful for productivity they can also be great for media consumption and, with enough computing power, some gaming.

The issue with gaming laptops previously is that they were bulky, expensive and typically they all had terrible battery life.

All of these issues were the result of trying to integrate a graphics card or GPU into such a small form factor. GPUs just like CPUs kick off a lot of heat and use up a lot of power when in use.

To counter this Nvidia started manufacturing their mid-range GPUs to work with a lower power draw and TDP. This means that you don’t need as much space for cooling and that your battery will last much longer.

This is especially true for Nvidia’s Turing based GPUs that have an emphasis on performance without overloading your battery or cooling system.

For a standard-sized (not bulky) laptop chassis you’ll want this GPU to ensure you can play all games maxed out at 1080p without looking like you brought the whole RGB brigade with you.

You get sleek looks with high performance. There are Max-Q versions of the more powerful 2000 series cards that work well in a laptop but you will still pay a massive premium for a few extra frames.

If you don’t need the GPU for gaming and instead for media rendering, crypto mining, or productions and simulations then a GTX 1650 will be plenty powerful for all of your needs.

We’ve put together a list of the best laptops with a GTX 1650 GPU built into them. We’ve included options for the budget conscious and the power-hungry, if you’re looking for a sleek and professional-looking incognito gaming laptop we’ve included something in here for you also.

Best Laptops with GTX 1650

1. ASUS TUF A17 Gaming Laptop

This great A17 laptop from ASUS’s TUF line of products has a powerful feature list that can stand up to the most powerful of mid-range PCs.

This laptop obviously contains the Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650 (you’ll see the theme here) and has adequate cooling in the form of dual self-cleaning anti-dust fans that extends the longevity of this laptop.

The A17 Gaming Laptop is powered by the Ryzen 7 4800H Processor which is an 8 core, 16 thread CPU that can handle almost anything. The 4000 series Ryzen CPU has a base clock of 2.9GHz and a boost clock of up to 4.2GHz.

With the dual fan design and TUF Gaming cooling system, your CPU will be adequately cooled to reach and sustain its boost clock. This CPU will run all programs and keep your games running smoothly with no compromises.

This laptop comes equipped with 16GB of 3200MHz RAM which is ample for almost any process to be running and won’t be a bottleneck for gaming. You’ll be able to have plenty of Chrome tabs open without noticing any lag.

If however, you find the need for more RAM the A17 Gaming Laptop offers you an extra DIMM slot for more memory.

For storage, the ASUS laptop includes a large 512GB M.2 SSD and an even larger 1TB HDD for plenty of storage capacity for games, all the project files you could imagine, AND all your playlists from Spotify downloaded to local storage.

As the name states this laptop has an FHD 17.3” display that has a refresh rate of 120Hz this means that any competitive games that you can run at 120 FPS will look buttery smooth and you’ll also have a slight tactical advantage.

With a 9-hour battery life, you’ll have no problem finishing the last bit of that campaign before the battery dies out.

ASUS’s TUF line of products is designed with gaming at the center of its focus. The laptop looks great and is covered in sleek gunmetal grey paint made from an extremely durable plastic composite that can withstand high drops.

The only give away that this is actually a gaming laptop is the RGB keyboard and the large exhaust ports on the back of the device.

Pros:

• Powerful Ryzen 7 4800H and GTX 1650 Combo.
• 16GB of fast high spec RAM.
• Designed for gamers but can be used for anything.
• 1.5TB of storage.
• Buttery smooth high-quality FHD display.   

Cons:

• The TN panel used in the display can have bad viewing angles.

ASUS TUF Gaming A17 Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 120Hz Full HD IPS-Type, AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, GeForce GTX 1650, 16GB DDR4, 512GB PCIe SSD + 1TB HDD, Gigabit Wi-Fi 5, Windows 10 Home, TUF706IH-ES75

• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6 Graphics (Base: 1380MHz, Boost: 1515MHz, TDP: 50W)
• Quad-core AMD Ryzen 7 4800H Processor
• 17.3” FHD (1920x1080) 120Hz IPS-Type display
• 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD + 1TB HDD | 16GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM | Windows 10 Home
• Durable MIL-STD-810H military standard construction

Buy on Amazon

2. Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop

This Acer Gaming Laptop from their Nitro line of products is a great way to get into some gaming or to render out that new youtube video. The laptop looks great and is powered by a 9th generation Intel i5 processor which is a 4 core, 8 thread CPU.

This small but powerful package has a base clock of 2.4GHz and a boost clock of up to 4.1GHz. Given adequate cooling, this CPU will sit between 3.5GHz and 4.0GHz easily. Thankfully due to Acer’s CoolBoost technology cooling won’t be an issue in this laptop.

The i5 processor is supported by 8GB of high-speed RAM, which is ample for standard usage and even gaming. If however, you do find yourself needing more you can add an extra DIMM in the free port that Acer provides.

For storage, the Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop comes equipped with a 256GB NVMe SSD installed which is lightning quick. There is a free M.2 SSD slot in the laptop if you need more storage. There is also a 2.5” slot available for you to expand the storage capacity more cost-effectively.

The monitor has an FHD 1920×1080 Resolution panel and a refresh rate of 60Hz. The panel is also IPS meaning it looks amazing from all angles and has great color accuracy.

With this refresh rate and resolution, the laptop will never dip below 60 FPS which is a better frame rate for the older i5 processor and will produce less heat and use less power.
The battery life in this slim form laptop at 6+ hours with standard usage and 3-4 hours under heavy gaming load.

Overall the Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop looks great and isn’t obviously a gaming laptop until you see the backlit keyboard. The red accents along the chassis also look amazing and add to the aesthetic.

Pros:

• Highly efficient i5 CPU.
• CoolBoost Tech elongates longevity of laptop.
• Many expansion options for storage and memory.
• Laptop comes with Alexa built-in.
• Aesthetic design with red accents.

Cons:

• Can be quite loud during heavy use.

Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop, 9th Gen Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, 15.6" Full HD IPS Display, 8GB DDR4, 256GB NVMe SSD, Wi-Fi 6, Backlit Keyboard, Alexa Built-in, AN515-54-5812

• 9th Generation Intel Core i5-9300H Processor (Up to 4.1 GHz)
• 15" Full HD Widescreen IPS LED-backlit display | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Graphics with 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM
• 8GB DDR4 2666MHz Memory | 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD (2 x PCIe M.2 slots - 1 slot open for easy upgrades) & 1 - Available hard drive bay
• LAN: 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 port) | Wireless: Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX200 802.11ax
• Backlit keyboard | Acer Cool Boost technology with twin fans and dual exhaust ports

Buy on Amazon

3. ASUS ROG G531GT 15.6″ Gaming Laptop

The ROG Gaming Laptop from ASUS is the second ASUS device on our list and is the first one that looks overtly like a gaming laptop. With a powerful 6 core, 12 thread 9th generation intel i7 CPU matched with the GTX 1650 this laptop has been built and designed for gaming.

The CPU sits at 2.6GHz and can boost up to 4.5GHz if properly cooled so you can guarantee that this CPU will not bottleneck your gaming performance.

The laptop comes with 8GB of high-speed DDR4 RAM installed and offers you expansion up to 32GB with the free DIMM slot that ASUS includes.

You get 512GB of SSD storage installed with this device and you have the option to add extra drives if you need to.

The 15.6” 1080p 60Hz monitor is great for gaming and you’ll get a solid gaming experience from this screen alone but you can connect to an external monitor up to 120Hz if you want to, to get the most out of your gaming hardware.

The battery life isn’t amazing in the laptop at 5 hours average life you’re better off gaming plugged in.

The RGB built into the laptop with its angular design really makes this laptop look like it was built for gaming. The keyboard is extremely high quality and the overall finish of the design really stands out. If you’re looking for a covert gaming machine this may not be for you.

Pros:

• High powered 6 core i7 CPU.
• Expandable memory and storage.
• HDMI 2.0 port for high refresh rate gaming externally.
• Gaming aesthetic and gaming focused keyboard.

Cons:

• Lower battery life than other models 

Sale

ASUS ROG G531GT-BI7N6 15.6" FHD Gaming Laptop Computer, Intel Hexa-Core i7-9750H Up to 4.5GHz, 8GB DDR4, 512GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, 802.11ac WiFi, HDMI, USB 3.0, Windows 10

• Windows 10NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB dedicated graphics; 9th Gen Intel® Core i7-9750H processor; 15. 6" display; 8GB memory; 512GB solid state drive; Bluetooth; HDMI output; Webcam not included, DVD/CD drive not included

Buy on Amazon

4. HP Pavilion Gaming 15 Laptop

The next laptop on our list is the Pavilion Gaming 15 Laptop from HP. This laptop features the younger brother of the Ryzen 7 that we featured in our number 1 pick; the 6 core, 12 thread Ryzen 5 4600H.

This is an extremely powerful processor just as it the Ryzen 7 but this CPU actually has a slightly higher base clock, at 3.0GHz base and 4.0GHz boost the 4600H actually has faster single core operation than any other processor on the list (when thermally throttled to base clock).

HP has coupled this CPU with an upgradeable 8GB of 3200MHz DDR4 RAM. At this speed you’ll get all your tasks done without the laptop breaking a sweat.

The laptop comes equipped with 512GB of PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage. This only populates 1 slot within the system so you can add an extra module of M.2 storage to boost capacity.

The screen is a beautiful 15.3” anti-glare IPS model with a resolution of 1080p at a refresh rate of 60Hz.

The Pavilion Gaming 15 Laptop has enough battery to last you a full day of any task at 12.5 hours of total battery life this laptop will barely ever need to be plugged in.

Like the previous laptop, this one is made for gamers, and it looks the part. With its B&O inspired angular design and green the accenting on the body and backlit keyboard, this laptop is designed for the flashy gamer.

Pros:

• Powerful hexa-core Ryzen 5 CPU.
• Upgradeable memory and storage capacity.
• FHD IPS screen with anti glare.
• 12.5 hour battery.

Cons:

• Aggressive Gaming look may not be for everyone.

HP Pavilion Gaming 15 Laptop, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD, 15.6" Full HD, Windows 10 Home, Backlit Keyboard (15-ec1010nr, 2020 Model)

• REALISTIC GAMING GRAPHICS: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (4 GB GDDR5 dedicated). Get all the power you need for a fast, smooth, power-efficient gaming laptop experience. 15.6-inch diagonal Full HD IPS anti-glare micro-edge WLED-backlit display, 250 nits, 45% NTSC (1920 x 1080) with 60Hz refresh rate; 79% screen to body ratio
• AMD RYZEN MOBILE PROCESSOR: Uplift your performance and multitask seamlessly with accelerated power and efficiency, while enjoying stunning HD visuals. AMD Ryzen 5 4600H Processor, 3 GHz base clock up to 4 GHz max boost clock
• HIGHER BANDWIDTH MEMORY & FAST BOOTUP WITH SOLID-STATE DRIVE: Boot up in seconds, transfer files without waiting hours, and enjoy a speedier laptop gaming experience with the internal 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive (2 accessible M.2 slots, 1 available), and higher bandwidth, speed and efficiency with 8 GB DDR4-3200 MHz SDRAM (1 x 8 GB, 2 accessible memory slots upgradable to 32 GB , 2 x 16 GB)
• THIN, LIGHTWEIGHT AND PORTABLE GAMING LAPTOP WITH LONG BATTERY LIFE (unpackaged): 14.17 inches (W) x 10.12 inches (D) x 0.93 inch (H); 4.37 pounds. Up to 12 hours and 30 minutes (mixed usage); up to 11 hours (video playback); up to 8 hours and 45 minutes (wireless streaming), 3-cell 52.5 WH LI-ion polymer battery
• LAPTOP GAMING CONNECTIVITY: With a Wi-Fi 5 (2x2) WLAN adapter and Bluetooth 5.0, all your connections are rock solid. MU-MIMO supported SuperSpeed USB Type-C 5Gbps signaling rate, SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps signaling rate, USB 2.0 Type-A (HP Sleep and Charge), Ethernet (RJ-45), 3.5mm Headphone/microphone combo, AC Smart pin, HDMI 2.0, multi-format SD media card reader

Buy on Amazon

5. Lenovo Ideapad 3 Gaming Laptop

The last laptop on our list is the Lenovo Ideapad 3 Gaming Laptop. This Ideapad line from Lenovo is usually reserved for its workstation systems and just because this one is called the ‘Gaming Laptop’ doesn’t mean it doesn’t belong to that Ideapad line.

This gaming laptop has been designed with productivity and production at its heart. With a quad-core, 8 thread 10th generation intel i5 CPU powering it can handle all tasks you could throw at it. The i5-10300h has a base clock of 2.5GHz and boosts all the way up to 4.5GHz.

This laptop can be configured with many different options for storage and RAM so we’ve decided on 16GB of high speed RAM and 1.5TB of storage capacity split between 2 M.2 SSDs.

The monitor of this laptop is the best of the whole list, with a 120Hz 1080p IPS panel you’d be hard pressed to find a laptop with similar specs at this price point.

With a 9 hour battery life you’re sure to have plenty of time between charging periods.

The Ideapad 3 Gaming Laptop looks completely unassuming with its uniform body concealing the bulk of the unit underneath clean curves.

The only element that makes this laptop look like a gaming piece is the backlit keyboard and even that is a muted yet tasteful aqua blue color. This laptop is great for anyone not looking to garner attention with their laptop.

Pros:

• Most updated processor on our list.
• Configurable memory and storage before purchase. 
• FHD 120Hz IPS screen.
• Professional, sleek looking laptop.

Cons:

• Keyboard quality is a bit mushy.

2020 Latest Lenovo Ideapad 3 Gaming Laptop 15.6" FHD IPS 120Hz Intel Quad-Core i5-10300H (Beats i7-8850H) 8GB DDR4 512GB SSD (2x256GB SSD) 4GB GTX 1650 Backlit Dolby HDMI Win 10 + iCarp Wireless Mouse

• 【CUSTOMlZED, Professional Upgraded to】: 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD + 256GB SSD
• Equipped With The Latest and Powerful Enough 10th Generation Intel Core i5 Processors, Intel Quad-Core i5-10300H (Beats i7-8850H), (2.5 GHz base frequency, up to 4.5 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 8 MB cache, 8 Treads)
• 15.6 inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) 120Hz In-plane Switching (IPS) Technology LED Backlight Display, Dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6
• 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C, 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x RJ-45, 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x Headphone-out/microphone-in combo jack
• Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit), Integrated 720p HD Webcam with Privacy Shutter, Backlit Keyboard, 2x2 802.11AX and Bluetooth, Dolby Audio, 3-cell 45 Wh Lithium-polymer, up to 9 hours battery life : 【iCarp Wireless Mouse Included】

Buy on Amazon

Buyer’s Guide

When it comes to Laptops that include a GTX 1650 there are a few things you’ll need to look out for, most in the form of all the different components but also in the design aspects of the laptop.

You don’t want to be walking around with a PC that weighs tonnes hanging off of your shoulder and looks like it can control the millennium falcon.

Obviously the aesthetics of the laptop are completely up to you, so if the components in 2 laptops are exactly what you need then choose the one that looks the best to you.

CPU

The first component that you need to check off is the CPU or processor. The CPU you have in your system can make a huge difference in the performance of the laptop, not just in gaming but in everything else.

Your CPU is the ‘brain’ of your pc and will determine how smoothly programs run, how quickly they open, the amount of programs you can have open at the same time and how fast the laptop is in general.

A high core count and high thread count means the CPU can allocate its power/resources to more applications simultaneously. In terms of gaming you don’t want your CPU to be the ‘bottleneck’ of the system, meaning that it is the reason your GPU can’t be used to its full potential and costing you precious performance.

The GPU is lauded as the most important component for modern gaming and whilst usually true this is usually for rendering textures and physics simulations, your CPU will be in charge of things like AI, model interactions and pre-loaded texture placements.

A game like GTA V can suffer hugely from inadequate CPU cores and threads. If you’re planning on streaming any games then you’ll need one of the latest CPUs to go with your GPU.

RAM

The next component is the memory, we’ll keep this one simple, the minimum you should be using is 8GB. In modern laptops, you will almost always have the option to upgrade your RAM so purchase low and upgrade in the future if need be.

RAM essentially just determines how many programs you can have open and the switching speeds between the programs, it is responsible for many more things but this will be where you’ll see the biggest impact. So for the sake of simplicity we recommend 8GB of RAM as a base.

Storage

From here we can look at the storage. There are 2 types of storage; SSD storage or Solid State Drives and HDD or Hard Drive Disks. The difference between the 2 types is the speed at which they operate.

SSDs are industry standard in modern laptops depending on your budget, they are extremely speedy and can offer large storage options all the way up to 10 TB.

HDDs are good for high capacity but they are extremely slow, you’ll notice the speed difference between the 2 drives in the start-up time of your laptop, the speed at which programs open, when you’re moving files between drives and when you’re loading any media files.

We would recommend always going for the largest SSD size that you can afford or if you’re budget conscious then a small SSD for startup and a couple games with a larger HDD as a mass storage drive.

Display

The next component isn’t actually an internal component, what we’re looking at is the screen or monitor. A good monitor is imperative to a good gaming, production or even just spreadsheeting experience.

If you have to look at a horrible TN panel all day not only can it cause you eye-strain but it just generally isn’t accurate. The color representation on a cheaper, lower quality panel is almost always lower than a better quality VA or IPS panel.

TN panels can work in a pinch but they aren’t recommended. The next thing is resolution and refresh rate, the largest monitor on our list is 17.3” which is small enough that full HD or 1080p will be more than adequate, you can look at a QHD or 1440p panel but your GPU will struggle to run games at ultra settings at this resolution.

As we said at 17.3” 1080p will be more than adequate for viewing distance.

On the note of running at higher resolutions, a lower resolution such as 1080p saves on battery life; fewer pixels, less power draw.

Battery capacity is measured in several different ways but the easiest to understand is battery life (in hours), we’d recommend a minimum of 5 hours of working battery life and all of the laptops on this list at least meet that spec.

Ports and Peripherals

The last aspect of your laptop that’s worth looking at is the externals, the number of ports, the casing, the keyboard, the trackpad, the charging cable and the extras like RGB.

This is completely subjective so we’ll leave it up to you to decide on the best course of action here. As long your internals are up to spec the laptop could look however you want and still run perfectly fine.

You can either use it as a tablet when you don’t need a keyboard, or you can use it as a touchscreen laptop.

You get the best of both worlds, and you only pay once – how cool is that! Plus they tend to be more lightweight than a generic laptop, and are more affordable to boot.

It’s worth noting, before we carry on, that detachable and 2-in-1 laptops are also referred to as hybrids. We will use all these terms interchangeably.

Not to be confused with convertible laptops, which simply have a keyboard that can be rotated all the way around.

The tricky thing is, there are loads of detachable laptops out on the market at the moment, so it can be hard to pick one. But don’t worry, that’s where we come in.

We’ve been checking out some of the best detachable laptops around, and after much deliberation, we were able to handpick our top 5 favorites!

Our reviews on our top 5 picks are coming up very shortly,

And after that, we’ve also got a buying guide for you. You don’t need to have any prior tech knowledge to understand the buying guide, and it makes for a handy checklist, to check that you’ve thought of everything before you buy.

So without further ado…

Best Detachable Laptops Reviews

1. Microsoft Surface Book 2

If you’re looking for a detachable laptop with a screen size to rival a traditional laptop – then this is the one to go for.

Its screen is an impressive 15 inches wide, and it also has an equally impressive display resolution, coming in at 3240 x 2160.

You know what, there’s a lot of other impressive features about this laptop too. Like the 17-hour battery life. You could have the laptop on in the evening, forget to switch it off, and it would still be running fine the next morning.

You get a whopping 16GB of RAM so you can multitask to your heart’s content. Plus there’s a staggering 256 GB of solid-state drive storage, so you can go ahead and download anything you like.

And if that’s not enough storage for you, there’s also an SDXC media card slot.

The detachable keyboard comes included in the price, as does the accompanying stylus.

And there’s even a top of the range graphics card to boot.

We thought that with so much included it must be a little heavier than the others in our top 5 picks, but we were pleasantly surprised to learn that it weighs just 1 pound – super portable.

Pros

• Huge very high-resolution screen
• Fantastic specs all round
• Top integrated graphics card

Cons

• Premium product at a premium price

Microsoft Surface Book 2 15-Inch 256GB i7 2-In-1 Laptop Bundle (16GB RAM, Detachable Touchscreen, Windows 10 Pro) 2017

• 1.9GHz 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8650U Quad-Core (Up to 4.2GHz)
• 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD Storage, Detachable Screen Design, 17 Hour Battery Life
• 15 Inch (3240 x 2160 Resolution) TouchScreen Display, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GPU (6GB GDDR5)
• SDXC Media Card Slot, USB Type-C, USB 3.0 Type-A, 802.11ac Wi-F,| Bluetooth 4.1,Windows 10 Pro (64-Bit)
• Included in Surface Book 2 15 Inch 256GB i7 Bundle: Microsoft Surface Pen Platinum, USB Type-C to HDMI / VGA / DVI Adapter

Buy on Amazon

2. Microsoft Surface Pro FJR-00001 Laptop

This is a great quality laptop, and when you want to use it as a tablet, you can either fold the keyboard around or detach it all together.

And when you want to swap from tablet to laptop, you simply open the built-in kickstand and add the Surface Pro Signature Type Cover, which features a working keyboard.

It also has what it refers to as a Studio mode, which is when it’s in tablet mode but is slightly raised.

It has a good screen size, coming in at 12.3 inches, and has a fantastic screen resolution of 2736 x 1824!

But despite its size, it’s one of Microsoft’s most lightweight laptops, weigh a mere 1.69 pounds. So it’s very portable and great for when you’re on the go.

And the battery life is incredible – it offers 50% more battery life than previous models in this series, coming in at a very impressive 13.5 hours – even when being used for graphic-intense apps like movie streaming.

The rest of the specs are really good too. You get an Intel brand processor – and a multi-core one at that, all the power you need.

If you follow the link provided, it will take you to the version which has a full 4 GB of RAM for multitasking, and that has a really good 128 GB of file storage for your downloads.

But there are several upgraded versions you can choose from on the Amazon page if you’re prepared to pay a bit more money.

There are also several accessories you can buy to go with it, such as a special cover, a Bluetooth mouse, a Surface Pen for drawing and writing on the laptop, and more.

Pros

• 3 modes of use
• Excellent screen size and resolution
• Excellent battery life
• Weighs less than 2 pounds

Cons

• The keyboard cover is sold separately

Microsoft Surface Pro FJR-00001 Laptop (Windows 10 Pro, Intel Core M, 12.3" LCD Screen, Storage: 128 GB, RAM: 4 GB) Black

• The latest Microsoft Surface Pro Features a 7th generation Intel Core M Processor, 128 GB of storage, 4 GB RAM, and up to 13.5 hours of video playback
• Our fastest Surface Pro ever* thanks to a powerful Intel Core laptop-grade processor
• Go all day with up to 13.5 hours of battery life. * 50% more battery life than the previous generation
• Our lightest Surface Pro yet*, starting at 1.69 lbs (m3 model)
• Surface Pro Signature Type cover and Microsoft Surface Pen sold separately

Buy on Amazon

3. HP Elite X2 1012 G1

Here’s another great detachable laptop, and while it does not come directly from Microsoft, we can assure you that it does run on Windows, specifically Windows 10 Professional 64-bit.

It has a nice size, smaller than most traditional laptops, but very large for a tablet. And the screen resolution is also good, coming in at 1920 x 1280, which is good enough to stream movies in HD.

It comes with a 3-position kickstand, a stylus, and a removable keyboard with TouchPad. But the stand out feature of this beauty has to be its webcam facilities for video calling etc. It has a 2 MP camera at the front, AND a 5 MP camera at the back.

The rest of the specs are really good too. You get an Intel brand processor – and a multi-core one at that, all the power you need.

The RAM is very generous, coming in at 8 GB, so you can have music running and have several other apps running at the same time perfectly seamlessly.

And that’s not all – it also comes with a whopping 256 GB of solid-state drive storage, which is perfect for those who like to download music and games.

It doesn’t say so on the product description, but we’ve found the battery life on this beauty to be about 9 hours, which is very good.

Pros

• 3 position kickstand
• 2 cameras, front and back
• Loads of storage space
• Very generous RAM

Cons

• Doesn’t come directly from Amazon

HP Elite X2 1012 G1 Detachable 2-IN-1 Business Tablet Laptop - 12" FHD IPS Touchscreen (1920x1280), Intel Core m5-6Y54, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM, Keyboard + HP Active Stylus, Windows 10 Professional 64-bit

• 12" FHD UWVA eDP ultra-slim LED-backlit Touchscreen (1920 x1280) Corning Gorilla Glass 4
• Intel Core m5-6Y54 1.10 GHz Processor (Turbo 2.70 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 2 Core 4 Threads)
• 256 GB SSD | 8 GB DDR3 RAM | 802.11ac WiFi + Bluetooth
• 2MP Front Camera | 5MP Rear Camera | Includes Travel Keyboard and HP Active Pen
• Windows 10 Pro 64-bit

Buy on Amazon

4. HP Envy x2 12-inch Detachable Laptop

This detachable laptop features a keyboard case design, and when the screen is attached, it rests on the case’s kickstand, and the keyboard is raised to the perfect angle. And the tablet can be removed from the case whenever you like.

The screen is a nice 12 inches, which is small for a laptop but huge for a tablet. And better yet it gives you High Definition viewing thanks to its 1920 x 1280 display resolution.

It runs on Windows 10 (in S mode), so you’ll probably be familiar with how to use it and the main apps you can get.

What impressed us the most with this laptop was the exceptional battery life, coming in at a whopping 22 hours! And it only takes an hour and a half to go from dead to full charge.

It has both a front and a rear camera, so it’s great for video calling. And it comes complete with a stylus, which you can secure in place inside the keyboard case.

The rest of the specs are very good. You’ve got a Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, which is the new processor on the block to give your laptop all the power it needs.

Then there’s 4 GB of RAM for your multitasking, and 128 GB of flash storage for anything you want to save to the system.

Amazon occasionally has deals on this laptop – worth a look.

Pros

• Large high definition screen
• Exceptional battery performance
• Both a front and a rear camera
• Comes complete with a stylus

Cons

• Although it has been tested to prove it works like new, it is not strictly brand new, but renewed
• It’s heavier than the other detachable laptops in our top 5 picks

HP Envy x2 12-inch Detachable Laptop with 4G LTE, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 128 GB Flash Storage, Windows 10 (12-e091ms, Silver, Blue) (Renewed)

• HP Digital Pen and USB-C to USB-A dongle ARE NOT included.
• Built-in 4G LTE (SIM card required; not included) allows you to stay connected - with or without Wi-Fi.
• Battery life: Up to 22 hours (video playback); up to 19 hours (wireless streaming); up to 1,000 hours (connected stand-by time). With HP Fast Charge, go from 0 to 90% charge in approximately 90 minutes.
• Display: 12.3-inch diagonal WUXGA+ IPS BrightView WLED-backlit multitouch-enabled edge-to-edge glass with Corning Gorilla Glass (1920 x 1280).
• Memory: 4 GB LPDDR4x-3733 SDRAM (not upgradable); Storage: 128 GB Universal Flash Storage.

Buy on Amazon

5. Latest Lenovo Chromebook Duet

If you’re more familiar with Android tablets than with Windows laptops, then this laptop should appeal to you, because it uses Google’s Chrome operating system, and all the apps available are the ones you’ll find on Google Play.

It’s built for the age where most apps are run on a browser and files are typically stored in the cloud rather than directly onto the laptop. Which is fine for most people, but can present problems for people who like to download large files, such as movies.

But it’s not entirely without storage facilities, and better yet the storage is in SSD form (more on that in our buying guide).

The screen is 10.1 inches, which is small for a laptop but big for a tablet. And it has a great resolution, coming in at 1920 x 1200, and better yet it has an IPS display for viewing at any angle.

It has a good processor, the MediaTek P60T, which has a nice maximum speed of 2 GHz, so has all the power you need. There’s a good 4 GB of RAM for your multitasking.

It has a built-in webcam and microphone, so it’s great for video calling, and it offers plenty of connectivity including both wifi and Bluetooth. And has plenty of ports if you wanted to plug in a mouse or charge your smartphone.

It also has a very long battery life, coming in at up to a whopping 10 hours on a full charge. And the other feature that makes it great for when you’re on the go, is that only weighs a measly 1 pound.

Pros

• Chrome operating system
• Excellent screen resolution
• Very long battery life
• Weighs a measly 1 pound

Cons

• Not well suited for downloading large files such as movies
• Remember you will need a Google log-in to use it

2020 Latest Lenovo Chromebook Duet 2-in-1 Tablet/Laptop 10.1" FHD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS Touchscreen- MediaTek Helio 8-Core P60T 4GB RAM 64GB eMMC Webcam WiFi ARM G72 MP3 Chrome OS + iCarp USB C Toggle

• This ultraportable 2-in-1 Chromebook includes a fast and stable plug-and-play detachable keyboard enabled with 5-point pogo pin and magnet design
• Take it with you everywhere! Thin and lightweight the Chromebook Duet offers up to 10 hours of battery life
• The unique dual-tone design with aluminum alloy on the tablet is a standout design With sophisticated fabric texture on the stand cover you'll be stylish productive and practical
• Fast secure and easy to use This touchscreen Chromebook boots up quickly with just your Google login to give you access to all of your cloud-based documents email and more
• With the 10 1" FHD (1920 x 1200) IPS display and stunning colorful details you won't sacrifice for great visuals! The 10-point multitouch touchscreen is also USI pen compatible (pen sold separately)

Buy on Amazon

Best Detachable Laptops: A Buyer’s Guide

As promised, here’s your buying guide. It may be fairly brief but you can be sure that it covers all the main points.

What to look for in a detachable laptop

Shopping for a detachable laptop is pretty much like shopping for any laptop, and you will be looking at the same sort of specs, which we will come onto later.

The only difference being in the screens kickstand, which traditional laptops don’t have.

The other thing to point out is that the stylus and keyboard case or keyboard docking station don’t always come included in the box and you might have to pay separately for them.

Operating System

The two main players in detachable laptop operating systems are Microsoft’s Windows, and Google’s ChromeOS.

Some people have attempted to add a keyboard to Apple’s iPad, but a detachable laptop is still not part of Apple’s official remit at the time this article was written.

Just about anyone who’s ever worked in an office is familiar with Microsoft’s Windows, and perhaps because of this, it is also the most popular operating system for home use.

For this reason, most of the detachable laptops in our top 5 picks come with a Windows operating system.

That said, Google is quickly making progress and becoming a worthy competitor to Windows, which is why we also included a laptop that runs on Google’s ChromeOS in our top 5 picks.

Screen

Detachable laptops often tend to have a noticeably smaller screen than your more traditional laptops. But we would argue that screen resolution is more important than screen size.

If you want to enjoy streaming movies on your laptop, then we would recommend a screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 or higher. And ideally with an IPS display.

Other Specs

The other specs generally follow very similar lines to regular laptops. To make the most of the kind of software that’s around at the moment, you’ll need a laptop with up to date components.

You’re unlikely to find one with THE most up-to-date components, however, since detachable laptops are generally designed for cool and quiet operation, that you’ll be likely to use them in your hand or lap.

While gamers’ laptops need to have special cooling technology because the processors are working so hard.

CPU

Speaking of processors, we recommend that you go for a processor (CPU) that is dual-core or multi-core. Intel is still one of the best brands for CPUs, but now they face equally good competition.

RAM

You should also look for a laptop that has about 4 GB or more so that you can sufficiently multitask and have multiple apps running at the same time.

File Storage

How much space you need to save your files is kind of down to you and how you like to store your files. If you like to download a lot of media, whether it’s photos, music, or movies, then the more space you have the better.

But if you carry out most of your tasks on a browser, stream all your media, and save everything in the cloud, then this doesn’t matter as much.

The thing to look out for in storage space is to go for a laptop with a solid-state drive (SSD), rather than an old fashioned hard disk drive (HDD)

Graphics Card

Most detachable laptops feature an integrated graphics card, able to run most of the less graphically intense games.

Battery Life

How long a laptop battery will last on a full charge depends very much on what apps you’re using. But broadly speaking, you should be looking for a laptop that offers at least 3 hours of battery life. But of course, 6 or 7 hours would be much better.

Naturally, if you want to take total advantage of the game then it’s important that you get the best possible laptop for your needs.Thankfully there is a wide range of great laptops on the market that you can use to effectively play Minecraft. The only question is which one will be the best for you?

We’re here to help you to answer that question. Read on for our picks of the best laptops for Minecraft. We’ve also written a handy buyer’s guide to help you to narrow down your decision.

Best Laptop for Minecraft

1. Razer Blade 15

If you’re looking for a high quality laptop to meet all of your gaming needs in addition to Minecraft then you are sure to love the Razer Blade 15. This laptop even comes with an RTX series GPU, which means that running Minecraft has never been easier.

As far as performance is concerned, you can have high expectations! The laptop comes with an Intel Core i7-10750H CPU with 6 cores in total. It also has a turbo clock speed up to 5 GHz, so you can run the game fast too. In addition to this, the laptop comes with 16 GB RAM and a 512 GB SSD. This is more than any gamer can ask for at this price point.

The laptop features a 15.6 inch display, meaning that carrying it around with you isn’t difficult or cumbersome at all. It has a flashy backlit keyboard that you are sure to love – it’s even possible to alter the colors to fit your unique preferences.

Gamers will also appreciate the improved cooling design that helps to keep your laptop ticking like a dream. The only real downside that we could find to this laptop is the shallow keyboard, though this is a fairly minor complaint as a whole.

Pros

• 10th gen processor
• Supports Thunderbolt 3
• Matt panel

Cons

• The keyboard is a little shallow

Sale

Razer Blade 15 Base Gaming Laptop 2020: Intel Core i7-10750H 6-Core, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, 15.6" FHD 1080p 144Hz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, CNC Aluminum, Chroma RGB Lighting, Thunderbolt 3, Black

• More power: The 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H processor provides the ultimate level of performance with up to 5.0 GHz max turbo and 6 cores.
• Ray-tracing: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is powered by the NVIDIA Turing GPU architecture and brings cinematic-quality rendering to the most visually intense games.
• More frames: Incredible performance paired with the fast 144Hz 15. 6" full HD thin bezel display helps edge out the win.
• Thin and compact: The CNC aluminum unibody frame houses incredible performance in the most compact footprint possible, while remaining remarkably durable and just 0.78" thin.
• Ready to connect: Fully loaded with Wi-Fi 6, Gigabit Ethernet, Thunderbolt 3, USB type-A and type-C ports, and HDMI, for a desktop-class experience

Buy on Amazon

2. ASUS ROG Strix G15

If you’re an ASUS lover, you’ll be pleased with the ASUS ROG Strix G15. This laptop boasts some pretty impressive specs so you will get an enjoyable Minecraft experience every single time you play. Lag who?

The laptop comes with an Intel Core u7-9750H CPU which means that it runs pretty fast – this is further backed up by the single core clock speed of 4.5 GHz. It’s ideal for all sorts of games as a result of this, not just Minecraft. The laptop features an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU so it can handle games with high graphics requirements without much problem. You will also get 16 GB of RAM.

In addition to all of this, you can also get a 1TB solid state drive – this is pretty impressive! You will have plenty of space to store all of your games and other important files. If you fancy playing Minecraft in the dark then you will be pleased to know that the laptop comes with a backlit keyboard too. There are 12V fans installed to ensure that your laptop remains cool even when you’re playing intense games.

Pros

• Fantastic storage
• Great GPU
• Cooling technology

Cons

• Battery isn’t the best

Sale

ASUS ROG Strix G15 (2020) Gaming Laptop, 15.6” 240Hz FHD IPS Type Display, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, Intel Core i7-10750H, 16GB DDR4, 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, RGB Keyboard, Windows 10, Black, G512LW-ES76

• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6 with ROG Boost (Base: 1260MHz, Boost: 1455MHz, 115W)
• Latest 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H Processor
• 240Hz 3ms 15.6” Full HD 1920x1080 IPS-Type Display
• 16GB DDR4 2933MHz RAM | 1TB PCIe SSD | Windows 10 Home
• ROG Intelligent Cooling thermal system with Thermal Grizzly Liquid Metal Thermal Compound

Buy on Amazon

3. Dell G3 15 3500

Whether you’re playing Minecraft or any other game, you can expect the Dell G3 15 3500 to give you a fantastic gaming experience. The laptop has incredible specifications and as a whole is pretty affordable, so you can expect great value for money.

The laptop features an Intel Core i7-10750H processor and it has a turbo clock speed up to 5 GHz. You can run Minecraft like a dream thanks to this processor. The laptop has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card and 6GB VRAM.

In addition to this, the laptop also has 16GB RAM so loading up applications can be done in no time at all. There’s even a 512 GB solid state drive installed too, and there’s a backlit keyboard. There is one downside though, but it depends on your priorities.

The laptop is pretty heavy weighing 5 lbs in total. If you plan on keeping the laptop in one place then this shouldn’t be an issue for you but if you need a more portable laptop then you may need to look elsewhere.

Pros

• Backlit keyboard
• 16GB RAM
• High performance

Cons

• Weighs a lot – not ideal for traveling

Sale

Dell G3 15 3500 15 Inch FHD with 144Hz Refresh Rate Gaming Laptop, Intel Core i7-10750H 10th Gen, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home Black

• Game Shift triggers a dynamic performance mode within the Alienware Command Center without ever having to leave your gameplay
• An innovative dual-fan cooling system with an advanced thermal design ensures that your system stays cool as the action heats up
• Every detail of your game just got magnified thanks to an optional 144Hz display that’s complimented by a two-sided narrow bezel
• Powerful discrete graphics up to NVIDIA GeForce discrete graphics and 6GB GDDR6 dedicated memory ensure clear, graphics intensive gameplay
• Heighten your immersive gaming experience with optional 4-zone RGB backlit keyboard and Nahimic Sound Center with dual speakers

Buy on Amazon

4. Acer Predator Helios 300

You’re sure to get great value for money with the Acer Predator Helios 300. The laptop has a decent battery life of up to 6 hours, and that’s not all!

The laptop is powered by an Intel Core i7-10750H CPU so you don’t need to worry about your games taking a long time to load. It has a single core clock speed up to 5 GHz and it also has a GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card. If this wasn’t enough, then you’re going to love the 6GB VRAM. The laptop has 16 GB RAM and comes with 512GB SSD storage.

It comes with Windows 10 OS installed, which is compatible with most games. In addition to this, the laptop has a 15.6 inch display that is very accurate in color. It has Aeroblade 3D fan technology too, which means that you don’t need to worry about your laptop overheating with long periods of use. The biggest issue with the laptop is that it doesn’t have Thunderbolt 3 support.

Pros

• Powerful GPU
• Wi-Fi 6 ideal for streaming video
• Storage can be upgraded

Cons

• Doesn’t come with Thunderbolt 3 support

Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop, Intel i7-10750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB, 15.6" Full HD 144Hz 3ms IPS Display, 16GB Dual-Channel DDR4, 512GB NVMe SSD, Wi-Fi 6, RGB Keyboard, PH315-53-72XD

• 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 5.0 GHz) with Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
• Overclockable NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM
• 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) Widescreen LED-backlit IPS display (144Hz Refresh Rate, 3ms Overdrive Response Time, 300nit Brightness & 72% NTSC)
• 16 GB DDR4 2933MHz Dual-Channel Memory, 512GB NVMe SSD (2 x M.2 slots | 1 Slot open for easy upgrades) & 1 - Available Hard Drive Bay
• 4-Zone RGB Backlit Keyboard | Wireless: Killer Double Shot Pro Wireless-AX 1650i 802. 11ax Wi-Fi 6 | LAN: Killer Ethernet E2600 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN | DTS X: Ultra-Audio | 4th Gen All-Metal AeroBlade 3D Fan

Buy on Amazon

5. MSI GP65 Leopard

The MSI GP65 Leopard is a great choice if you want the portability of a laptop but the functionality of a desktop computer. The laptop is ideal for running demanding programs thanks to its impressive specifications.

First of all, the laptop has a 10th gen i7 processor, which is always useful to have in a gaming laptop. It also has a turbo clock speed up to 5GHz, meaning it runs smoothly and fast every time you boot up a game. If you happen to enjoy other activities such as audio editing it also features a hexa core set up. The laptop features a fantastic 6GB of Video RAM, and 16 GB RAM. This is more than enough to run even the most demanding AAA games.

The laptop comes with a 512 GB SSD and it comes with Windows 10 Home OS that can boot up in mere minutes. You’ll also be pleased with the impressive IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1050 pixels. Not bad! With that being said, this laptop again lacks a Thunderbolt 3 port and the battery isn’t too great when you aren’t connected to power. Otherwise it’s an ideal choice that any gamer is sure to love. It’s certainly more than good enough for running Minecraft.

Pros

• Fantastic GPU
• RAM can be upgraded
• High quality speakers ideal for listening to music

Cons

• The battery backup is not ideal – the laptop operates better when it’s connected to power

MSI GP65 Leopard 10SDK-049 15.6" 120Hz 3ms Gaming Laptop Intel Core i7-10750H GTX 1660 Ti 16GB 512GB NVMe SSD Win10 VR Ready

• 15.6" FHD (1920x1080) 120Hz IPS-Level NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6G GDDR6
• Core i7-10750H 2. 6 - 5. 0GHz Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201(2*2 ax)
• 512GB NVMe SSD 16GB (8G*2)DDR4 2666MHz 2 Sockets Max Memory 64GB
• USB 3 2 Gen2 Type C *1 USB 3 2 Gen1 *2 Steel Series per-Key RGB with Anti-Ghost key+ silver lining 720p HD Webcam
• Win 10 Multi-language Giant Speakers 3W*2 6 cell (51Wh) Li-Ion 230W

Buy on Amazon

Best Laptop for Minecraft: A Buyer’s Guide

CPU

When it comes to buying a laptop, one of the first things that you should always think about is the CPU. In short, the performance you will get while playing Minecraft will largely depend on your CPU.

You should be looking at how fast the CPU is, and if you can do other things while playing such as opening your browser. You will need to ensure that you have a fantastic high processor when you buy your laptop. At the minimum you should be looking for a laptop with Quad or Dual Core, and a minimum of 2.6 GHz.

RAM

RAM is essentially the amount of memory that your laptop has, so having a decent amount of memory is crucial for Minecraft. If you want to get a good performance with your game then you should be looking for a minimum of 4GB of RAM. If you want to play other games then you should look for more than this.

GPU

GPU is another important thing to consider as it influences how well the laptop is going to perform. In essence if your GPU is better then your game performance will also be better. Look for a dedicated GPU that can handle the requirements of the game.

Graphics Card

While Minecraft may not seem like it needs a powerful graphics card, it can certainly be beneficial to have a good graphics card to get the best enjoyment out of the game. Ideally you should be looking for a graphics card that works well with Minecraft and any other game that you wish to play. If you are a gamer and you’re looking for something with higher specifications then look for a laptop that has a display resolution higher than 1920 x 1080 pixels.

Hard Drive

Having a spacious hard drive is always a good idea, but it’s especially important for gaming and minecraft. Look for a minimum of a 1GB HDD, though more than this would be better. It’s also worth considering an SSD as this will help your laptop to run better. They can be a little more expensive but they are worth the money.

Battery Life

If you’re looking for a laptop that you can play when you’re on the go without needing to plug the laptop in then you should be looking for a model with decent battery life. Now, it’s important to note that gaming will deplete your battery a lot faster, but that doesn’t mean that the laptop should only last for 30 minutes before the battery dies when you are away from a charging station.

Battery life is also important if you wish to use the laptop for other purposes, such as to take to lectures in university or if you need it for work. So, how much battery should you be looking for? A Minimum of 6 hours on one charge should be what you invest in – any more is a bonus.

Portability

This leads on from the previous point. Do you plan on keeping your laptop in just one location or will you be moving around? Maybe you wish to take it to class with you, or to work. Or, perhaps you just want to play on your laptop from home at your desk.

Whatever the case, you need to consider the amount of portability that you need. If you plan on staying in just one location then having a very lightweight laptop may not be that important to you. In this circumstance perhaps you would like to get a larger screen so that you can see more at once.

If you are planning on moving around with your laptop in tow, then you should consider how portable the laptop is. Is it lightweight, is it slim? The last thing you want is to be carrying a heavy laptop around on your back all day. Generally smaller laptops are more portable, so you should consider 15 inch screens or less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you play Minecraft on any laptop?
Minecraft is one of the few modern games that you can play on pretty much any laptop. With that being said, you may not get the best performance or the most enjoyment on a low quality laptop that isn’t up to scratch. You may not even want to play anymore because the performance is so poor. It’s better to spend a little bit more money on a laptop that will give you the best enjoyment and longevity.

Can you play Minecraft for free?
One of the most surprising things about Minecraft is that yes, it is free! You will need to pay for some optional add ons, but otherwise it’s totally free. In fact, it has more than 300 million players to date! ]]> https://linuxhint.com/best-laptops-with-ips-display/ Tue, 19 Jan 2021 19:52:45 +0000 https://linuxhint.com/?p=85754

To join in the industrial revolution, you need to open a factory; to join in the internet revolution you need to open a laptop – Alexis Ohanian

Knowledge is power, and the sum of all of humanity’s knowledge is available to anyone with a high-speed internet connection and a laptop. At the touch of a button, all of the collective power that our species has ever acquired can be absorbed, learned, and utilized in any way that we see fit.

For most of us, that involves the betterment of the self and finding newer, richer, and more in-depth ways to entertain and amuse ourselves. But if we want to see everything that there is to be seen, via the internet, we need to see as it was meant to be seen, in all of its magnificently detailed glory, which is why the best way to dive headfirst into the internet is with a laptop with an IPS display.

Made to make the most seemingly insignificant details spring to life and leap into the annals of your imagination, IPS (In-Plane Switching Panel) screens and monitors let us see the things that we’d normally miss. It’s all about the details, and since the advent of IPS, they no longer belong to the devil.

They now belong to the future and the internet. So that you can make the most of the world that’s available at your fingertips, we’ve put together a list of the best laptops with an IPS display, so that you can see the online world the way it was always meant to be seen. It’s time to step through the looking glass and find out how things look with IPS…

Best Laptops With IPS Display

1. Asus ZenBook 14 Ultra-Slim Laptop

Sometimes you need to head toward the horizon to see what was right in front of you the whole time, and this ultra-slim laptop has hopped halfway around the world to show everyone what’s possible with a little bit of innovative know-how. It may not be the biggest laptop you’ll ever see, but Asus ZenBook proves that bigger isn’t always better.

With a five and a half-inch cutting edge interactive touchscreen trackpad that adapts to how you want to use the machine, and a nano-edge IPS display, this Zenbook hs a five hundred and twelve-gigabyte hard drive and sixteen gigabytes of dedicated RAM, which means you’ll be able to travel to every corner of the internet in record time while you’re working on a multitude of other projects. It isn’t just fast, it also makes everything look good.

Intuitive and responsive, the ZenBook has been designed to bring the world to you, so that you can see all of its glaring imperfections, and with the help of the touchscreen trackpad and an IPS display, you can, slowly but surely, start to make the world a better place.

Pros:

• It’s light (it weighs just under three pounds), fast, and innovative. In fact, it’s everything that a state of the art laptop should be.
• And that state of the art design and intuitive feel that the Zenbook personifies? It’s exemplified in its touchscreen trackpad which is a remarkable piece of technology that’s made even better by being used in conjunction with an IPS display.
• While most of us don’t have much use for brand names in the real world, if you’re going to put your faith in a laptop, it’s always better to invest in a name that you know you can trust. And Asus is a name that computer fanatics the world over have devoted themselves to.

Cons:

• All of the technological punching power and speed that the ZenBook is imbued with? It comes at a cost, which means that the Asus isn’t exactly cheap. In fact, it’s the exact opposite of cheap, and it will leave a lasting mark on your pocketbook. But you know what they say about the best? If you want it, you have to pay for it.
• The build quality, if a number of rather disgruntled (and former) Asus fans are to be believed, isn’t what you’ll hope it’ll be for the price that you’ll pay for the machine, Which seems a little befuddling to us. Why make a great laptop and then wrap it in a cheap chassis? That really makes no sense at all.

Sale

Asus ZenBook 14 Ultra-Slim Laptop 14” Full HD NanoEdge Bezel, Intel Core i7-10510U, 16GB RAM, 512GB PCIe SSD, GeForce MX250, Innovative Screenpad 2.0, Windows 10 Pro, UX434FLC-XH77, Royal Blue

• Innovative screen pad: 5.65-Inch interactive touchscreen trackpad that adapts to your needs for smarter control and multitasking
• App switcher on screen pad: easily move docked Windows between your main display and screen pad Display
• Handwriting on screen pad: take note or jot down your ideas by writing on the screen pad
• Number key on screen pad: turn screen pad into a numeric keypad for easy numeric data entry
• 14 inch wide-view full HD 4-way NanoEdge bezel Display Glossy

Buy on Amazon

2. Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop 15.6 inches Full HD IPS Display

Another machine that’s traveled countless leagues across the sea to level the playing field and show the world what can be done with forward-thinking application and excellence of design, the Aspire 5 is one of Acer’s premiere laptops. And this latest generation machine has ensured that Acer’s frontline laptop just got a little better.

Using a Ryzen 3 processor in conjunction with a two hundred and fifty-gigabyte hard drive and eight gigabytes of RAM, the Aspire brings the world to life with its IPS display and AMD Radeon Vega 3 graphic card. Speed, accessibility, and ease of usage are the bywords that Acer uses to show you everything that the world could be when you lose yourself in the miasma of gorgeous color and detail that this laptop readily delivers.

Like Asus, Acer has devoted their business to changing home computing for the better, so that wherever you are, you’ll always be part of the internet revolution. The future just got a little brighter, which means that you’ll probably have to wear shades to make the most of the Aspire. It’s just a shame that Acer didn’t think to include a pair with this laptop.

Pros:

• It weighs in at just four pounds, so wherever you go, the Aspire can go too. And it’s sturdy, durable, and strong chassis makes sure that even if it does take a bit of beating on your combined travels, it’ll fire up every single time you switch it on.
• And thanks in no small part to its incredible processor, IPS display, and pretty hefty hard drive, it’s also fast and can be as good looking as you want it to be. It all depends on what’s on the screen.
• The best thing about the Aspire though? It won’t break your bank and or melt your pocketbook. It’s a whole lot of laptop for an incredibly reasonable price.

Cons:

• While it’s an ideal machine for surfing the internet and seeing all that there is to be seen, it isn’t quite speedy enough to keep up with the big boys of the gaming world. It isn’t a world series gaming laptop and was almost certainly designed with the more studious user in mind.

Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop, 15.6 inches Full HD IPS Display, AMD Ryzen 3 3200U, Vega 3 Graphics, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD, Backlit Keyboard, Windows 10 in S Mode, Silver，KKE Mousepad

• 【Upgraded】RAM is upgraded to 8GB high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run multiple applications and browser tabs all at once. Hard Drive is upgraded to 256GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD allows to fast bootup and data transfer, 1TB Hard Disk Drive for ample storage space. Original Seal is opened for upgrade ONLY, 1-years warranty on Upgraded RAM/SSD from PConline365, and original 1-Year Manufacture warranty on remaining components
• 【Processor】AMD Ryzen 3-3200U Processor (2.60 GHz, up to 3.50 GHz Max Boost), AMD Radeon Vega 3 Graphics
• 【Screen】15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) TN 220 nits Non-Touch Backlit Anti-Glare Display
• 【Tech Specs】 1 x USB-A 3.1 (Gen 1), 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x HDMI, 1 x Ethernet, 1 x Headphone / mic combo| Windows 10 Home
• 【Authorized PConline365 Bundle】Bundled with KKE Mouse Pad, Authorized Sellers ONLY

Buy on Amazon

3. Lenovo Chromebook C330 2-in-1 Convertible Laptop

Historically, the greatest revolutions have always been the ones that no-one sees coming until it’s far too late. It’s the way that things have always been and the way they always will be, and home computing was and is no different. The Chromebook arrived from out of left field and continues to subvert all of the traditional ideas and conventions that the laptop world built its foundations on.

This eleven and half-inch best of both world laptop has an IPS display, a sixty-four-gigabyte solid-state hard drive, and four gigabytes of RAM. While those numbers might not seem as impressive as the previous entries on our list, as the Chromebook is designed to do everything online and to store all of your work safely in the cloud, it doesn’t need to get bogged in the everyday running patterns that other laptops do, which means that it’s every bit as quick as any other IPS laptop on our list.

Designed to double up as both a laptop and tablet, Lenovo’s Chromebook is versatile, adaptable, and brings the power of the internet directly to you. And best of all? It looks good doing it. While we don’t normally get swept up in, and aren’t normally taken in by design aesthetics, we have to admit that we’ve fallen hard for this laptop.

Pros:

• It’s a Chromebook, so it’s pretty much guaranteed to be virus-free forever and day. You’ll be able to surf the internet for as long as you want and not have to worry about your machine picking up any nasty infections along the way.
• Thanks to a little engineering inventiveness and know-how, it doubles up as both a laptop and a tablet. And thanks to its IPS display, anything and everything that you watch, search for or see on this Chromebook looks incredible.
• And then there’s the price. It’s an insanely affordable way to enter the world of IPS laptops.

Cons:

• At just eleven and a half inches, it’s far from being the biggest laptop on our list, but it does make maximum usage of the screen size that’s available.
• It’s a Chromebook so when it’s offline, it’s not as powerful or quite as user-friendly as a traditional laptop is. But then, who wants to spend their life offline, when the majority of the fun that you can have with an IPS laptop can be found on the internet.

Lenovo Chromebook C330 2-in-1 Convertible Laptop, 11.6-Inch HD (1366 x 768) IPS Display, MediaTek MT8173C Processor, 4GB LPDDR3, 64 GB eMMC, Chrome OS, 81HY0000US, Blizzard White

• Get high performance when you need it – The Chromebook C330 boots up in seconds and features easy-to-use Chrome OS, plenty of memory and storage, and so much more
• Sleek, stylish, and secure, this 360⁰ convertible laptop is less than 1-inch thin and about the weight of a hardback book, with an 11-inch touchscreen display that's perfect for day-to-day computing and multimedia, on or offline
• The Lenovo Chromebook C330 is easy to use, offers built-in virus protection and keeps going with long battery life. No setup needed – Just login with a Google account so emails, maps, documents, and photos stay with you via cloud storage
• Built to connect, this notebook computer includes a variety of USB ports for effortless connectivity. Plus, stay in touch with the built-in camera. Bluetooth 4.2
• Users love it; "High end features for a low price," says one happy reviewer. Another adds, "This Chromebook has far exceeded my expectations. The speed is snappy and the device responds quickly to gestures and commands."

Buy on Amazon

4. HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop 15.6″

From the brand formerly known as Hewlett-Packard, this gaming laptop has been imbued with all sorts of technological bells and whistles by their ‘X’ (we call them that because it sounds cooler than it probably is) division and leaves most of is competition choking on its net fueled, gaming happy, computerized dust.

With a one terabyte hard drive and eight gigabytes of dedicated RAM, this HP gaming monster is powered by the latest generation of Intel processor, which combined with its full HD IPS display and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics, means that it’s a jaw-dropping beast of a laptop that’s been purpose-built to outpower just about every other machine out there. And that’s exactly what it does with a deadly combination of speed, user-friendly intuition, and breath-taking graphics.

American made by an American company who have rebranded and repurposed themselves for the twenty-first century, the HP is like a fine-tuned muscle car. Just point it in the right direction, fire it up and nothing can catch it or keep up with it.

Pros:

• It’s fast, it’s dependable, and has a chassis that’s been built to last and a screen that’s been made to keep your attention focused in one place.
• Given everything that’s packed into its shell and it’s, as far as our list is concerned anyway, relatively large size, it’s surprisingly light. At just under five pounds, it’s made to go wherever you want to go, whenever you want to go there.
• And as it uses Windows 10 as its base operating system, you know that as well as being a gaming machine for the ages, it’s also stable, safe, and secure.

Cons:

• For the most part, it’s a laptop that is beloved by the gaming and academic communities in equal measure and only seems to have one inherent flaw. It’s lamentable battery life. From a full charge it’ll only run for seven and a half hours, and the harder you push its CPU (central processing unit), the faster it’ll drain whatever relatively little power its battery is holding.

HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop 15.6" Core i5-8300H 15.6-inch Diagonal Full HD IPS Anti-Glare WLED-Backlit Display(1920 x 1080) with 8GB RAM + 1TB HDD Storage

• Brand New in box. The product ships with all relevant accessories

Buy on Amazon

5. Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming Laptop

The gamers have the IPS machines market just about sewn up, but that’s hardly surprising as when you play hard, you expect nothing but the best from your machine and your on-screen display. The Ideapad is Lenovo’s entry into the gaming universe and once you’ve spent some time with it, the chances that you’ll ever want to look at another laptop are slim to non-existent.

Powered by a ninth-generation i5 Intel processor, eight gigabytes of RAM and a five hundred and twelve gigabyte SSD (solid state hard drive) and backed by the latest NVIDIA GeForce graphics and an IPS display, the Ideapad is a machine that doesn’t know how to, and will never, quit. It’s made to go the gaming distance, punch a hole in the internet and be a dependable home office based laptop, and readily and easily delivers on all three fronts.

While other brands have been content to sit back and play catch-up with their competition, Lenovo has been continually pushing the envelope of what is both possible and achievable in the home computing revolution. And with the Ideapad, they’ve finally made a machine that they, and everyone else, can be proud of.

Pros:

• Built to perform like a race car, the Ideapad is fast, hard, and made to go to the distance. The more you push it, the more you’ll get out of it, and with an IPS screen display that most of Lenovo’s rivals would give their right arm to put in their machines, it’s a laptop that’ll see you securely through whatever minefields you need it to navigate.
• While it’s far from the cheapest machine on our list, it’s not the most expensive either and sits somewhere in the middle ground. And given all of the power that this machine has, that’s not a bad place to be.

Cons:

• Like all gaming machines, it’s beset by one major flaw. It’s battery life. And the harder you push the CPU, which you will because it’s a gaming machine and that’s what gaming machines are made to do – be driven hard, the less life the woeful battery that the Lenovo comes with will have.

Sale

Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming Laptop, 15.6 Inch FHD (1920 X 1080) IPS Display, Intel Core i5-9300H Processor, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB Nvme SSD, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, Windows 10, 81LK00HDUS, Black

• A new dimension of gaming performance awaits - with 9th-generation Intel Core i5 processors, the IdeaPad L340 gaming has the power you need to outshoot, outrun, and outsmart anyone. Includes 8GB DDR4 RAM and 512GB NVMe SSD
• Take it to the next level - With the latest NVIDIA GeForce Graphics behind you, you can tame the hottest titles with faster, smoother, and more power-efficient gameplay. Plus, the 15.6-Inch screen delivers a stunning full HD IPS Display with 1920 x 1080 resolution
• A portal to a new sound dimension - hardwired into every Idea Pad L340 gaming is advanced Dopoundsy audio technology. Take your mobile gaming experience to another dimension and have a real blast along the way
• Control your own fate - Game in 'quick' Mode or work in 'quiet' Mode. It's your call with a simple function setting that lets you shift gears between modes, instantly.
• Final product may vary slightly from image

Buy on Amazon

Buyer’s Guide

Which IPS Display Laptop Is The Right One For Me?

Given the huge disparity in both price and performance, it’s important that you know exactly what you want your IPS laptop for, and what sort of budget that you have to play around with.

Set the latter, and make a decision based on that. While it’s tempting to always push that budget as far as you can and maybe blur its lines a little, don’t.

The evolution of technology is moving at a frantic pace, which means that in all likelihood you’ll be tempted to swap your IPS laptop for a better model in a couple of years. And if you blow past your budget now, you won’t be able to up your IPS laptop game a little further down the road.

So stick to your budget rigidly, as we guarantee that the right machine for you is on this list and at a price that you can happily afford

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is An IPS Display Laptop?

IPS, or in-plane switching, was developed by Hitachi during the late nineteen nineties to solve some of the problems of traditional liquid crystal screens. Composed of a system of panels that are built into the screen, IPS delivers a much richer depth of color than normal LCD’s do and a much greater range of viewing angles.

It is and was, the answer to the issues that LCD screens often presented and is commonly used in conjunction with HD (High Definition) monitors to create an incredibly vivid on-screen display.

While IPS delivers a much sharper, clearer, and focused picture, it requires far more energy to run than conventional LCD screens do, and when used in laptops, can use up to fifteen percent more power than a traditional LCD screen.

Choosing a laptop is not an easy feat, especially with a profusion of laptop models in the market. Decision-making becomes even more difficult when the advantage of one brand over another is being considered. Two brands that are normally compared head-to-head are Acer and ASUS. Hailing from Taiwan, both companies have released various laptops suitable for every type of user – gamers, professionals, students, or those who just need a laptop for entertainment.

Acer was founded in 1976 and offers a variety of computer products such as laptops, desktops, and tablets. They also sell computer accessories like monitors, mice, keyboards, and projectors.

ASUS, on the other hand, was founded in 1989 by an engineer who was a former Acer employee. Like Acer, they’re also known for their computer products and accessories, but they’ve expanded to motherboards, graphics cards, routers, headsets, and smartphones.

Both Acer and ASUS received awards for design and innovation, but which Taiwanese brand offers a better laptop? Find out from their detailed comparison below.

Innovation

It’s a tie for both brands when we talk about innovation. Both come up with new and unique features that attract more users.

As they continue to add more models to their laptop lineup, Acer also continues to come up with a number of innovations. For one, they’ve come up with laptops that have a 15.6” display but weigh less than 2 lbs. The frame is also just 0.35”, making it even sleeker. This is particularly evident in their Swift series, but they’ve also done the same thing with some of their gaming laptops.

Acer is also known for LiquidLoop, a fanless cooling system employed in their Switch 7 Black Edition, eliminating the fan noise while keeping the laptop cool.

Another awesome Acer innovation is the CNC-machined Ezel Aero Hinges in Predator Triton 900 screwed at both sides of the screen, making it adjustable forward and backward for great viewing angles and even all the way down to switch the laptop to a surface book.

ASUS also has its own line of innovations. The most unique is probably the ScreenPad integrated into their selected Zenbook, Vivobook, and Studiobook series. Taking the place of the touchpad, the screenpad functions as a secondary display that has an interface similar to mobile phones so users can work on the main screen and can watch videos on the screenpad at the same time. Apps can also be accessed from the screenpad, and accessible apps can be customized by the users.

ASUS also made their ROG Mothership GZ700GX more superior with a detachable, wireless keyboard allowing users to put the keyboard anywhere comfortable.

When it comes to cooling, ASUS developed a detachable liquid cooling module that pumps coolant into the laptop, and pipes distribute the coolant into the laptop. This unique cooling architecture is particularly employed in their ROG series. In addition, the keyboard in some of their ROG series also has its own cooling system, distributing cool air in the entire keyboard. These unique cooling systems will certainly keep the laptop cool despite long hours of use.

Design

When it comes to design, ASUS has a slight edge over Acer. Both brands have sleek, lightweight, and portable laptops but the majority of ASUS laptops have metal casings, specifically made of aluminum, making them more robust and durable. Their designs also look elegant and stylish with a variety of colors to choose from.

To be fair to Acer, their designs are also not the worst out there. In fact, they have laptops that have a professional finish. However, they’re more inclined to using plastics rather than metals, with the exception of a few models like the Chromebox 13, which has an aluminum chassis and hinges.

Overall, ASUS laptops have better and more durable laptop designs than Acer.

Performance

It’s a tie for both brands when it comes to performance. The performance of a laptop would depend on its and the components used in Acer and ASUS laptops are more or less the same.

Both Acer and ASUS laptops are armed with the latest processors either from Intel or AMD, as well as top of the line graphic cards, RAM, and secondary storage, especially in their gaming and professional laptops.

Overall, both brands have laptops that offer a wide variety of products that provide moderate to extreme performance levels that would suit a user’s need.

Price-to-Performance

It’s a win for Acer in this category. Considering the entirety of the laptops from both brands, you can get a slightly cheaper laptop from Acer that has the same performance level as an ASUS laptop.

There are, however, a few exceptions to this, like the ASUS ROG G703GX, which has a better price-to-performance than its Acer contender, Predator Triton 900. Both are the latest gaming line-ups from both brands, but for the same performance, it’s more worthwhile to spend lesser bucks on ROG G703GX.

Generally, Acer does have the edge over ASUS for best value laptops. Predator Helios 300 laptop, for example, has a price tag of less than $1000; considerably cheap for a gaming laptop. Acer’s Chromebook series are also more budget-friendly than ASUS’s. When looking at the other series from both brands, Acer’s pricing is slightly lower as compared to ASUS.

Customer Service

Like Acer, ASUS also has multiple channels for customer support like phone, email, and chat, and both have knowledge bases or FAQs providing online references to customers. When it comes to warranty, though, Acer has offerings for accidental damage coverage, while this is not applicable to all ASUS laptops.

Acer and ASUS have their fair share of complaints when it comes to customer support, so it’s safe to say that it’s a tie when it comes to customer service, although if you’re a clumsy user, but you have your eyes on an ASUS laptop, better check if its warranty covers accidental damages.

The Verdict

Acer and ASUS are award-winning brands, and both are fairly popular in the computer market. However, there is no consistent winner in all the aspects discussed in this article. Laptops from both brands have more or less the same level of performance and customer support. If you’re on a budget, go for an Acer laptop, but if budget is not an issue and you’re into aesthetics and durability, then ASUS would be right for you.

For your convenience, we have compiled a list of the top five external laptop monitors available in stores. These bestselling monitors make multitasking a breeze. We have included some, portable as well as not-so-portable options, in this list. Let us dive right in!

1. Cocopar 15.6″ USB-C Portable Monitor

Imagine an ultra-thin, lightweight, single-cable, portable, and excellent-quality monitor that you can take with you everywhere. Well, Cooper has turned your imagination into reality with this laptop-attachable monitor that can increase your productivity like a breeze. Powered by a USB-C cable, this portable monitor can come with you on trips and anywhere else you may go.

Its build is solid and seems very resilient to everyday wear-and-tear. At 1080p resolution, the screen does not glitch at all. The colors are vibrant and sharp, providing a vivid picture. The built-in speakers are even louder than we expected. There are two different ways to connect your laptop to this monitor: either use an HDMI to mini HDMI cable, or a type C to type C port link.

The package also includes an ultra-thin folding case that you can use as a monitor stand. It fits perfectly over the screen, just like an iPad flip cover. During work hours, you can even use the monitor in portrait mode to read emails and documents. The cover easily snaps on and off for whichever working preference you may have. This monitor also has tiny rubber stands to stop it from skidding on your desk.

If you are a regular traveler and need something portable yet functional, Cooper’s 15″ external monitor is the most versatile option available. The price is not too high, either!

Buy Here: Amazon

2. LG 4K UHD 27UD88-W

With the LG 27UD88-W, witness a stunning 4K UHD IPS display that can be paired with any 4K laptop for an extra-large 27″ screen. Plus, this model is VESA-compatible, which means you can use your own VESA mount if you do not like the included mount.

Aesthetically, the LG 27UD88-W looks very attractive and modern, with virtually no bezel. The matte screen is fine-looking and is good for glare. There is a USB-C port on this device to connect it to your laptop. Additional USB ports also come in handy for additional connections. You can use your extendable keyboard with this device and leave it plugged in without any problem. But, you cannot control the brightness or volume of this device using Mac keyboards, which can be inconvenient for Mac users.

With a single cable, you can plug your laptop in to charge, and the device will carry those 4k visuals to the screen. Initially, we were concerned about its 60-watt charging capacity drawing too much power. However, the machine only draws power depending on your work. If you are doing something that is extremely power-intensive, such as rendering 3D all day.

Overall, this model is a perfect monitor for anyone who wants the simplicity of a USB-C pass-through and a display quality that is 4K-capable. However, the large size of this monitor makes it somwhat hard to move places. So, consider this model only for a permanent home or work setup.

Buy Here: Amazon

3. ASUS ZenScreen MB16ACE 15.6″ Portable

Taking the third spot is the Asus ZenScreen 15.6″ Portable monitor. This device provides a full-HD IPS display that you can connect to your laptop via a USB-C connection. Because this device has a 16-9 aspect ratio, it is quite wide, so we do not recommend this display for on-the-go work. For at-home or travel use on a desk, though, this model is worth a shot.

This monitor powers up without drawing too many watts and connects easily without. This device is plug-and-play, which removes the hassle of connecting many different wires to power up. The screen is slick, light, and sexy, and the monitor is as thin as most tablets you find on the market. The screen resolution is great, as well. The picture provided by this device is pretty crisp, though we wish it were slightly brighter, but that is just a personal preference.

This model has a dual-screen cover and stand. When you are using it as a stand, the device folds only vertically and settles back at an angle of approximately 30 degrees. While this is not ideal for a stable setup, there is no noticeable wobble to the device. Still, we would advise using this monitor on a flat surface.

All in all, the Asus Zenscreen is a great second work screen. Yes, this model is portable, but it is not portable enough for an evening haul to the coffee shop. As for the cost, this device is the lowest-priced monitor on the list. So, decide yourself!

Buy Here: Amazon

4. Lenovo ThinkVision M14

The Lenovo Think Vision M14 mobile display is a 14″ screen for boosting on-the-go productivity. Weighing just 570 g, this model has an ergonomic design and is compatible with any laptop that supports a USB-C connection.

Despite its ultra-portable design, the visuals feel great on the FHD (1920 x 1080 resolution) IPS display of this device, and the brightness of the display is good. While the bezels are not the same height, you can line them up if you want to. The design is quite ergonomic for lengthy work sessions, and you can control the viewing angle according to your preferences. You can also adjust the monitor’s height thanks to its adjustable foot.

There are several ports available on either side for computer accessories. These ports sit flush with the display surface so that the monitor aligns well with your laptop display. This feature is one thing we particularly love about this model.

This device offers a 45 W passthrough, which should be enough if your laptop only has one USB-C port or if you are using a phone. The included polyester case does its job, but we believe a more robust housing would have better suited this excellent external monitor.

Buy Here: Amazon

5. AOC 24B2XH

The AOC 24B2XH is a 1080p 24″ matte panel that comes equipped with IPS technology. Throw in multiple-input feature, a low price, and the fact it has negligible bezels, and you get quite the dual screen with this device.

Despite its economical price, this model has a premium style about it. There are no frames on its three sides, and the profile is very sleek in comparison. This model is labeled as 60 Hz, but it can go up to 75 Hz, making it an excellent second monitor for your needs. However, if you’re a pro gamer, you should go for the better 144 Hz option.

The setup is easy, and the monitor stays in position once you are done. A VESA compatible design further expands the mounting options, allowing you to hoist this device on your wall or leave it on your workbench. The base feels rather plastic, and it is also taller than other monitors. So, if you are using this monitor on your desk, make sure the device does not get caught in a breeze, as it is rather top-heavy.

Though you need a dedicated cable to connect it with a laptop, the quality and class of this model, at such a low cost is hard to ignore.

Buy Here: Amazon

Buyer’s Guide

It is recommended to consider the following features before heading out to purchase an external laptop monitor to ensure that you choose the model that best suits your needs.

Size

The size of the device matters, depending on your use. For a general home or office setup, go with a monitor that has the same size (and resolution) as your laptop. Such second monitors are more portable. You can put them in the same backpack as your laptop without any second thoughts. However, if you are a gamer, video editor, or graphics designer, a bigger monitor with better resolution will better suit your needs.

Screen

Evaluate the screen. What are the model’s brightness range, color gamut resolution, and panel technology? Dual monitor screens tend to be dimmer than their desktop counterparts at their max brightness levels, with luminance ranging from 230 to 300 nits. The native resolution of these panels ranges from 1,366 x 768 pixels to 3,200 x 1,800 pixels (QHD+). We further recommend IPS panels over VA or TN because they offer better color accuracy and wider viewing angles.

Stand

Different portable monitors utilize different types of stands. Most models use a thin, yet stiff, plastic board as a stand. You can attach the screen to this stand type via hinges. Other frames are foldable and double as display protective covers when not in use. Yet others still have multiple grooves, and you can alter the monitor’s tilt by placing the base in a different position. A few monitor models use the laptop itself as support. These get fastened to the side, and you can slide or swing the additional monitor out for use. If you are going for a bigger, less portable second monitor, make sure that it supports the VESA mount to get more flexibility and ergonomics.

Power

To keep the number of wires to a bare minimum, make sure that your external monitor supports USB-C connectivity. This way, you can transfer both data and power through a solo USB cable. The latest external monitors come equipped with USB-C functionality. Be sure to check whether the model you are considering supports both transfers simultaneously because some earlier generations of USB-C ports do not allow simultaneous data and power transfer. Thunderbolt 3 ports should work fine for this.

Final Thoughts

Whether you are tackling your workload on the go, or just pivoting among rooms as you work from home, the right laptop external monitor will make multitasking a breeze. All the models listed above are bestsellers, so choose the model that best fits your needs and budget. If you are still unsure, check our Buyer’s Guide for some extra help. We wish you all the best. Thank you for sticking with this article. Until next time!

Think we missed a great external monitor? Let us know in the usual place!

Either way, you look there are a few key differences between desktops and laptops that we’ll need to address to make sure you’re still getting the power and upgradability that you get with a desktop.

Something you’ll want to avoid is replacing your ~20-inch desktop screen with a tiny 11.6-inch notebook so we’ll set 15.6 inches as a minimum in terms of screen size. 

Most modern desktops come with at least half a terabyte of storage and gigabytes of RAM. If you make the switch to a laptop and don’t have those extra gigabytes you will notice it and cloud storage payments can make the running costs of the laptop stack up.

If you’re switching to get that extra portability you won’t want something too bulky or cumbersome but you also don’t want to sacrifice the power of a desktop, so a happy middle ground is the perfect place to be. 

If you’re moving away from a gaming PC, mid to high tier gaming performance is where you should be aiming, this is definitely possible with modern laptops. A problem with any gaming unit is heat displacement.

In a desktop tower, you have plenty of space for extra fans and adequate airflow. This is something you won’t find in laptops because of their small form factor so an effective and innovative cooling system is a must.

The only issue with laptops is their lack of upgradability therefore we might need to find some creative ways to get around this limitation.

It’s always a good idea to make sure you’re getting the top specs from the start so you don’t need to change your laptop every couple of years. On the note of longevity, a powerful battery can be handy but as you’re used to being tethered to a desk,  charging while using the laptop shouldn’t be a problem.

In a rush?

Have you already sold your desktop and need to get back onto a PC quickly?

Not to worry, we’ve got our top pick right here and just a few reasons why this is our favorite. 

Razer Blade Pro 17 Gaming Laptop 2020

This is the best all-around laptop that leaves nothing out. You could jump off the highest spec desktop straight onto this and not notice the difference.

• 10th gen Intel i7 Processor and NVIDIA 2080 Super.
• 17.3 inch 300Hz FHD Screen.
• Thunderbolt 3 connectivity for daisy chaining extra screens.
• Only 0.8 thick at its thickest when closed.

Best Desktop Replacement Laptops – Reviews

1. Razer Blade Pro 17 Gaming Laptop 2020

Our Number 1 pick does it all, this laptop excels at productivity, gaming, music, and video editing, and even media consumption. With the power of Intel’s 10th gen i7 processor and NVIDIA’s 2080 super GPU, there isn’t much this laptop can’t handle.

The 8-core processor makes standard productivity like answering emails and document editing a breeze. The extra cores allow the computer to allocate processing power to different programs almost effortlessly, making sure you can work on hundreds of different things at the same time.

This program allocation matched with the 16GB of included RAM takes the load off of the whole processor and makes sure it doesn’t overheat.

The 2080 Super is NVIDIA’s upgrade from the RTX 2080 and offers a 20% performance boost over its predecessor. This means that the laptop can handle the hardest to run games (yes it can run Crysis) including newer ray-tracing titles like Cyberpunk 2077.

With the 300Hz monitor you’ll have an advantage in competitive games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive where you can expect frame rates in excess of 300FPS at 1080p.

The Blade Pro 17 comes with an innovative Razer-designed Vapor Chamber cooling system that utilizes dual vacuum sealed heat exchangers to keep the components at a usable temperature and your wrists rests comfortable to use even during gaming sessions.

This laptop also comes with some upgradability options. There are 2 RAM slots with upgrade options all the way up to 64GB and an extra M.2 SSD slot if the included 512GB SSD isn’t enough.

Razer includes a full year of Razer care with this laptop meaning that you get a year of hardware repair coverage.

Pros

• 10th gen i7 Processor and 2080 Super to power through any task and intense games.
• 300Hz FHD screen offers an amazing gaming experience and smooth, seamless media consumption.
• Razer’s custom Vapor Chamber cooling system keeps everything at a workable ambient temperature.
• Thunderbolt 3 allows you to output 4K video to another monitor.
• Razer care removes the worries of switching to a portable device.

Cons

•  The low battery life of around 3 hours means you need to stay near an outlet.

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

Sale

Razer Blade Pro 17 Gaming Laptop 2020: Intel Core i7-10875H 8-Core, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Max-Q, 17.3" FHD 300Hz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, CNC Aluminum, Chroma RGB, Thunderbolt 3, SD Card Reader

• New 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10875H Processor: Turbo Boost of 5. 1GHz and up to 64GB RAM for powerful gaming and work performance
• Experience phenomenal performance with the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20 Series Super Graphics, featuring ray tracing technology that delivers a cinematic-quality rendering
• Game on with a thin bezel 300Hz FHD Display that provides silky-smooth performance and maximized screen size
• Custom Vapor Chamber Cooling System: Dual heat exchangers and custom fans to maximize heat dissipation and airflow
• Advanced Connectivity: Featuring USB 3. 2 Gen 2, 2. 5Gb Ethernet, UHS-III SD Card Reader, Wi-Fi 6 (802. 11ax), Windows Hello, and Thunderbolt 3

Buy on Amazon

2. Microsoft Surface Laptop 3

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 3 is an amazing laptop by itself and really supports a full switch from desktop to laptop form factor. If you’re looking to go fully portable because the static desktop made you feel chained down, this is the best laptop for you. 

As Microsoft is the manufacturer of this laptop you can guarantee a great all-around performance when it comes to software. The relationship between hardware and software in this laptop makes every action feel smoother and as though it flows easier.

The Surface Laptop 3 comes with an 11.5-hour battery life meaning that chained down lifestyle is no more, you’ll barely have to worry about charging it that often. 

This laptop is also great for the creative type. If your desktop workstation was centered around digital design then Microsoft has the Surface pen to offer, a 4096 pressure level touch pen that can replace your digital drawing tablet completely. 

Microsoft has partnered with AMD to create a Surface Edition Ryzen 7 Processor that has been optimized to run seamlessly with the rest of its hardware.

The Ryzen 7 processor is extremely powerful but when that is paired with a specialized motherboard and 16GB of RAM this laptop becomes lightning fast. 

For upgradability, Microsoft offers the Surface dock that fills the issue of fewer access ports on laptops. 

The Surface Laptop 3 also looks amazing with its 15-inch screen specifically designed with a special resolution that suits the form factor that sits somewhere between QHD  and UHD. You can also get the Surface Laptop 3 in 4 different colors to suit you.

Pros

• The Specially designed Ryzen 7 Processor makes this laptop a beast at productivity.
• An 11.5-hour battery can power hours of work.
• Alcantara wrist wrests and a beautifully designed keyboard make this a joy to type on.
• The thin and light form factor makes this 15-inch laptop ultra portable.
• 512GB SSD Storage with extra OneDrive storage included.

Cons

• No GPU so limited gaming capabilities.

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

Sale

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 – 15" Touch-Screen – AMD Ryzen 7 Surface Edition - 16GB Memory - 512GB Solid State Drive – Platinum (VFL-00001)

• Clean, elegant design — thin and light, at just 3. 4 pounds, Surface Laptop 3 15” is easy to carry.
• Complement your style with rich color and premium finishes.
• Improved speed and performance to do what you want, with the latest processors – Surface Laptop 3 with AMD Ryzen 7 Microsoft Surface Edition processor is the fastest in the 15” class.
• More ways to connect, with USB-C and USB-A ports for connecting to displays, docking stations and more, as well as accessory charging.
• All-day power on the go, with up to 11. 5 hours of battery life, plus standby time when you're away.

Buy on Amazon

3. Eluktronics MAX-17 Covert Gamer Notebook PC

This brand new entry from Eluktronics marries style with performance in its ultra sleek unbranded uni-body. The MAX-17 offers a midpoint between a professional looking workhorse and a kitted out RGB gaming laptop without compromising on performance.

The MAX-17 comes equipped with a 10th gen i7 supported by 32GB of RAM and an NVIDIA 2080 Super, and we know from Razer’s option how powerful this combo is.

This laptop comes with a 17.3-inch FHD 240Hz monitor so the high power components are not going to waste and they can push 240 frames out of this monitor. If you still wanted to power multiple monitors you can use the Thunderbolt 3 port to power up to a 4K screen.

The laptop also has an extra M.2 SSD slot for storage expansion and the capability to add more RAM so you have the options to increase these 2. With a 1TB SSD and 32GB of RAM already included you won’t find yourself needing to upgrade anytime soon.

What sets this laptop apart from the others is 2 things: Its massive battery and the included extras. The battery in this monster can handle around 4 hours of solid gaming and around 9 hours of standard usage with some streaming.

That level of battery power is unheard of in gaming laptops. The extras that come included are a Covert 7.1 Surround sound gaming headset, a hive-65 gaming mouse and desk pad, and a 10 foot HDMI 2.0 cable for powering another display.

Pros:

• Extremely powerful with the i7 and 2080 super.
• Looks extremely sleek and professional.
• The infrared camera allows you to use Windows Hello and login without typing or touching anything.
• The RGB panel and keyboard make this feel like a gaming laptop when plugged in.
• Included extras offer a great gaming experience.
• A huge battery allows for hours of usage. 

Cons:

• Eluktronics is a fairly unknown brand but with the CEO of the company contacting customers with issues themselves this may work in your favor.

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

Eluktronics MAX-17 Covert Gamer Notebook PC: Intel i7-10875H 8-Core NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super 240Hz Calibrated FHD IPS W10 Home 1TB NVMe SSD 32GB DDR4 RAM - World's Lightest 17.3" Gaming Laptop

• Magnesium Alloy Chassis - Lightest 17.3" gaming notebook in the world!
• 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10875H 8-Core 16-Thread Processor - Thermal compound upgraded with Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut liquid metal!
• 8GB GDDR6 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Graphics (Max-Q | TDP: 90~115W with EluktroBoost Technology)
• 15.6" 240Hz Color Calibrated Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-Type Display
• 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD + 32GB DDR4 Dual Channel RAM

Buy on Amazon

4. HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 Laptop

The Spectre x360 offers a truly portable experience with a twist, it can be used as a 15.6-inch tablet when necessary. This laptop is great for the desktop user who likes to consume media.

With the keyboard folded behind the screen, you would get a completely unobstructed view of the beautiful 4K touchscreen that comes with the laptop. 

The laptop is powered by an 8th gen i7 processor which while not as powerful as the newer 10th gen options can still hold its own in terms of productivity and media consumption.

You won’t need any other entertainment system with this laptop. The four speakers and HP Audio Boost 2.0 system offer a true surround sound experience and solidify this laptop’s place as a media consumption device.

HP has 16GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage so your boot speeds will be very low. 

The battery life of this laptop is up to 7 hours so this will support the longest of binge sessions with no interruptions.

Pros

• 2-in-1 Laptop tablet design.
• 4K UHD screen offers a great viewing experience.
• The backlit keyboard offers easier typing in low light conditions.
• Included Stylus can be used when in tablet mode.

Cons

• A low storage option means cloud storage may need to be used.

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 Laptop, 15.6" 4K UHD Touchscreen, Intel Core i7-8565U Processor up to 4.6GHz, 16GB DDR4 RAM. 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD, HDMI, Backlit Keyboard, Wireless-AC, Bluetooth, Windows 10 Home

• 15.6" Ultra HD 4K Micro-edge IPS (3840 x 2160) Display
• 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U 1.80GHz Quad-Core Processor (8MB Intel Smart Cache, up to 4.60GHz), NVIDIA GeForce MX150 2GB
• 16GB high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run multiple applications and browser tabs all at once; 256GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD allows to fast bootup and data transfer
• 2 x USB 3.1 Type-C, 1 x USB 3.1, 1 x HDMI, 1 x Combination Audio Jack, 1 x Micro SD Card Reader
• Built-in HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone, Bang & Olufsen Audio, HP Audio Boost 2.0 with Four Speakers, Backlit Keyboard, Wireless-AC, Bluetooth, Windows 10 Home 64-bit, 4.78 Pounds

Buy on Amazon

5. ASUS ZenBook 15 Laptop

The final entry to our list comes from ASUS and offers a great feature for multitasking.

The ZenBook 15 is catered towards those desktop users who had a multi screen setup or ultrawide screen set up so that multitasking was always simpler.

ASUS’s answer to that was the innovative 5.65-inch ScreenPad, a feature that turns your trackpad into a secondary display. This feature is great for anyone used to multitasking on multiple monitors with their desktop setup. 

The main screen on the ZenBook 15 is a 15.6-inch 4K UHD that makes everything pop with its NanoEdge bezel. The laptop is powered by a 10th gen i7 and 16GB of RAM so it can easily handle most tasks. 

ASUS has also included Amazon Alexa voice assistant to aid in productivity and also Windows Hello with an IR camera.

The ZenBook 15 also has an NVIDIA 1650 GPU built in so you can even do some moderate gaming on the laptop but not at 4K. This is all kept up by a 6 hour battery that will probably require you to have it plugged in when gaming.

Pros:

• Slim professional looking form factor.
• ScreenPad multitasking screen technology.
• High quality aluminum build.
• Beautiful 4K UHD display.

Cons:

• A smaller battery means you need to be near an outlet. 

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

ASUS UX534FTC-AS77 ZenBook 15 Laptop, 15.6” UHD 4K NanoEdge Display, Intel Core i7-10510U, GeForce GTX 1650, 16GB, 512GB PCIe SSD, ScreenPad 2.0, Amazon Alexa Compatible, Windows 10, Icicle Silver

• 15.6 inch wide-view 4K UHD 4-way NanoEdge bezel display with 92% screen to body ratio
• Innovative ScreenPad: 5.65-inch interactive touchscreen trackpad that adapts to your needs for smarter control and multitasking
• Latest 10th generation Intel Core i7-10510U Quad Core Processor (8M Cache, up to 4.9 GHz) with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q discrete graphics
• Fast storage and memory featuring 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD and 16GB RAM
• Works with Amazon Alexa Voice Service that helps you with tasks, entertainment, general information, and more.

Buy on Amazon

Best Desktop Replacement Laptops Buyer’s Guide

We’ve gone through a large amount of what you should be looking for in a desktop replacement laptop at the top.

We’ve got a list of the minimum specs you’ll want if you’re looking for your own. 

• Intel i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 Processor.
• 15.6-inch screen 1080p IPS.
• 16GB of RAM.
• 512GB of SSD storage.
• If you had a gaming desktop then an NVIDIA 1650 GPU.

Ultimately you can replace a desktop with any laptop and visa versa but to truly keep the feeling of using a desktop you need to have the power, the screen, and the storage be at the higher end. 

Mid-range laptops are more than capable of allowing you to watch your favorite movies, but you can invest in a more expensive laptop if you want the highest possible viewing experience.

Ultimately, the laptop that you choose to purchase will depend entirely on your own personal preferences and what you are looking for overall. 

You might find everything that you need in a less expensive laptop, but we will list the best laptops for watching movies here that are suitable for a variety of budgets, so you can pick the best one for you.

There are certain features that you should look for in a laptop that will be designed towards providing a high-quality movie experience, and we will tell you all about them in this article. 

In a Hurry?

Has your favorite movie just been uploaded to Netflix? We’ve got you covered.

We can understand why you might want to get a new laptop sooner rather than later so that you can watch all the newly released movies without having to wait even a minute longer than necessary.

Our number one pick for the best laptop for watching movies is the ASUS 14″ HD Chromebook Laptop Computer.

This laptop is more budget-friendly than some of the other picks on our list, and it is still capable of providing you with everything that you need for a high-quality viewing experience.

It has excellent specifications with brand new technology and will run smoothly while you watch your favorite movies. 

• 14-inch NanoEdge display
• 1366×768 resolution
• Anti-glare screen for better viewing
• Supports HD video playback
• Dual high-quality stereo speakers
• Intel HD Graphics

Best Laptops for Watching Movies – Reviews

1. ASUS 14″ HD Chromebook Laptop Computer

This 14-inch laptop has a HD 180 degrees NanoEdge display, with a 1266×768 resolution that provides impressive color and clarity. This is perfect for allowing you to watch movies, and you won’t need much more than this for a successful experience.

It even has anti-glare properties within the screen, so you can watch all day long without straining your eyes. 

This laptop has an Intel Celeron N3350 Processor with an ultra-low voltage platform, with dual-core processing that provides the most efficient power to go.

It has 4GB of DDR4 RAM, which is plenty of high-bandwidth RAM that will allow you to stream movies without annoying lag. It has 32GB of flash memory, and it supports high-definition video playback, making it more than suitable for your needs. 

The laptop has Intel HD Graphics with shared video memory that provides solid image quality for internet use and watching movies.

There are also high-quality dual stereo speakers that work to provide excellent audio that isn’t muffled. A headphone/microphone combo jack can be found on the side of the laptop so you can plug in your headphones when you want to watch movies while in public places. 

Pros

• NanoEdge display with anti-glare
• Plenty of RAM for streaming movies
• Supports HD video playback
• Integrated HD Graphics for solid image quality
• High-quality dual speakers for great audio

Cons

• Battery life is not the most long-lasting

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

2020 ASUS 14" HD Chromebook Laptop Computer, Intel Celeron N3350 Processor, 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC, Webcam, USB-C, Chrome OS, Grey, 32GB SnowBell USB Card

• 14" HD 180 Degree NanoEdge Display, 1366 x 768 resolution boasts impressive color and clarity, Anti-glare Energy-efficient NanoEdge screen.
• Intel Celeron N3350 Processor, Ultra-low-voltage platform. Dual-core, two-way processing provides maximum high-efficiency power to go.
• 4GB LPDDR4 RAM, Plenty of high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run your games as well as multiple programs. 32GB eMMC flash memory, This ultracompact memory system is ideal for mobile devices and applications, providing enhanced storage capabilities, streamlined data management, quick boot-up times and support for high-definition video playback.
• Full Keyboard Allows you to enjoy comfortable and accurate typing. Intel HD Graphics 500 with shared video memory provide solid image quality for Internet use, movies, basic photo editing and casual gaming. Dual high-quality Stereo speakers & Built-in Webcam.
• Chrome OS included. 2 -Cell 38 Wh Polymer Battery, 12.7" x 9" x 0.63", 2.7 lbs. 2x Type-C USB 3.0, 2x Type-A USB 3.1, 1x Headphone/microphone combo jack, 1x Multi-format card reader. Wireless-AC and Bluetooth, Black, Bonus 32GB SnowBell USB Card.

Buy on Amazon

2. HP Pavilion Gaming 15 Laptop

This laptop provides you with realistic graphics that will enhance your viewing experience through the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650. You can even stream movies online without struggling through lag.

You really do get everything that you could possibly need with this laptop, and it has a 15.6-inch diagonal Full HD IPS anti-glare screen.

You can watch all day long without your eyes becoming fatigued, and you can see the stunning visuals that this laptop has to offer. 

The 1920 x 1080 resolution display has a 60Hz refresh rate and a 79% screen to body ratio. Movies are shown at just 24 frames per second, and a 60Hz monitor is more than capable of handling this.

This laptop has an AMD Ryzen 5 4600H Processor that can improve your overall performance and allow you to have multiple tasks and applications open in the background while you are watching. 

The laptop is thin, lightweight, and portable, so you can take it with you on the go with ease and watch movies while you are traveling or waiting around.

The long battery life is impressive and can last up to 12.5 hours during standard use, which gives you more than enough time to get through multiple films.

You will also receive a high level of bandwidth that works with both speed and efficiency and won’t let you down with 8GB of DDR4 to support you while you stream. Your purchase even comes with a one-year limited hardware warranty. 

Pros

• Provides you with realistic graphics
• Full HD IPS anti-glare screen
• Helps to eliminate eye strain and fatigue
• The laptop is thin, lightweight, and easily portable
• The battery life of up to 12.5 hours
• Comes with a one-year limited warranty

Cons

• Fans are known to run quite loudly

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

HP Pavilion Gaming 15 Laptop, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD, 15.6" Full HD, Windows 10 Home, Backlit Keyboard (15-ec1010nr, 2020 Model)

• REALISTIC GAMING GRAPHICS: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (4 GB GDDR5 dedicated). Get all the power you need for a fast, smooth, power-efficient gaming laptop experience. 15.6-inch diagonal Full HD IPS anti-glare micro-edge WLED-backlit display, 250 nits, 45% NTSC (1920 x 1080) with 60Hz refresh rate; 79% screen to body ratio
• AMD RYZEN MOBILE PROCESSOR: Uplift your performance and multitask seamlessly with accelerated power and efficiency, while enjoying stunning HD visuals. AMD Ryzen 5 4600H Processor, 3 GHz base clock up to 4 GHz max boost clock
• HIGHER BANDWIDTH MEMORY & FAST BOOTUP WITH SOLID-STATE DRIVE: Boot up in seconds, transfer files without waiting hours, and enjoy a speedier laptop gaming experience with the internal 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive (2 accessible M.2 slots, 1 available), and higher bandwidth, speed and efficiency with 8 GB DDR4-3200 MHz SDRAM (1 x 8 GB, 2 accessible memory slots upgradable to 32 GB , 2 x 16 GB)
• THIN, LIGHTWEIGHT AND PORTABLE GAMING LAPTOP WITH LONG BATTERY LIFE (unpackaged): 14.17 inches (W) x 10.12 inches (D) x 0.93 inch (H); 4.37 pounds. Up to 12 hours and 30 minutes (mixed usage); up to 11 hours (video playback); up to 8 hours and 45 minutes (wireless streaming), 3-cell 52.5 WH LI-ion polymer battery
• LAPTOP GAMING CONNECTIVITY: With a Wi-Fi 5 (2x2) WLAN adapter and Bluetooth 5.0, all your connections are rock solid. MU-MIMO supported SuperSpeed USB Type-C 5Gbps signaling rate, SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps signaling rate, USB 2.0 Type-A (HP Sleep and Charge), Ethernet (RJ-45), 3.5mm Headphone/microphone combo, AC Smart pin, HDMI 2.0, multi-format SD media card reader

Buy on Amazon

3. 2020 Lenovo Yoga C740 2-in-1 14″ FHD Touchscreen Laptop Computer

This laptop has a 10th Generation Intel Core i5-10210U Processor, so you can leave all your tabs open in the background without affecting the playing of the movie. It has a 14-inch display, which is smaller than some other picks on this list but will still provide enough viewing space.

It is worth noting that there is no HDMI port, so you can’t connect it to your TV if you wanted to view it on a bigger screen. 

It has an anti-glare feature to protect your eyes while viewing and has integrated graphics for better image quality.

There is 8GB of DDR4 RAM for full-power to help you if you are streaming movies or videos online, and there is a headphone/microphone combo port so you can plug in your favorite pair of headphones if you need to. 

Pros

• 10th Generation Intel Core i5-10210U Processor
• Anti-glare feature to protect your eyes and allow for wider viewing angles
• 8GB DDR4 RAM to help you stream movies without lag
• Has a headphone/microphone port for plugging in headphones

Cons

• No HDMI port for connecting your laptop to the TV

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

2020 Lenovo Yoga C740 2-in-1 14" FHD Touchscreen Laptop Computer, Intel Quad-Core i5-10210U (Beats i7-7500U), 8GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB PCIe SSD, Windows 10, BROAGE 64GB Flash Stylus, Online Class Ready

• CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core i5-10210U Processor @ 1.60GHz (4 Cores, 6M Cache, up to 4.20 GHz).
• Display: 14" FHD (1920x1080) IPS 300nits Anti-glare, Dolby Vision, 10-point Multi-touch; Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics.
• 8GB DDR4 2666 SDRAM Memory for full-power multitasking; 256GB PCIe SSD Solid State Drive. Pci-e SSDs are great for major gaming applications, multiple servers, daily backups, and more.
• Intel 9560 802.11AC (2 x 2) & Bluetooth 5.0; 2 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 (power delivery, DisplayPort), USB-A 3.1 Gen 1, Headphone/mic combo.
• ▌Authorized BROAGE Bundle ▌Bundled with BROAGE 3 In 1 Design Stylus (Stylus Pen + Ballpoint Pen + USB 3.0 64GB Flash Drive), Authorized Sellers ONLY. Windows 10 Home 64 bit; Backlit Keyboard; Fingerprint Reader; Color: Mica.

Buy on Amazon

4. HP Stream 14″ HD Laptop Computer

The HP Stream laptop has a 14-inch diagonal HD display with a 1366 x 768 resolution that provides you with crisp and clear images with impressive color accuracy when you are watching your favorite movies.

It also features anti-glare, like most other modern laptops, and has an Intel Celeron N4020 dual-core processor that provides maximum high-efficiency power. 

It has 4GB of DDR4 RAM, which is plenty of high-bandwidth RAM for you to smoothly play movies while streaming them through online platforms.

It supports high-definition video playback to suit all your viewing needs and has Intel Graphics with shared video memory that provides solid image quality for Internet use and watching movies.

There are built-in stereo speakers that will provide you with great quality audio, and there is a HDMI port so that you can connect it to the TV to watch on a bigger screen. 

Pros 

• Diagonal HD display with a 1366 x 769 resolution
• Provides crisp and clear images
• Has high color accuracy
• High-speed processor for maximum power
• Supports high-definition video playback
• Has a HDMI port so you can connect your laptop to the TV

Cons

• Users have noted that darker scenes in movies are harder to view

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

2020 HP Stream 14" HD Laptop Computer, Intel Celeron N4020 Dual-core Processor, 4GB DDR4 RAM, 64GB eMMC, Intel HD Graphics, 1 Year Office 365, Webcam, HDMI, Windows 10S, White, 128GB SnowBell USB Card

• 14" diagonal HD Display, 1366 x 768 resolution boasts impressive color and clarity, Anti-glare Energy-efficient WLED screen.
• Intel Celeron N4020 Dual-Core Processor, Ultra-low-voltage platform. Dual-core, two-way processing provides maximum high-efficiency power to go.
• 4GB DDR4 RAM, Plenty of high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run your games as well as multiple programs. 64GB eMMC flash memory, This ultracompact memory system is ideal for mobile devices and applications, providing enhanced storage capabilities, streamlined data management, quick boot-up times and support for high-definition video playback.
• Standard Keyboard, Allows you to enjoy comfortable and accurate typing. Intel Graphics with shared video memory provide solid image quality for Internet use, movies, basic photo editing and casual gaming. Stereo speakers & Built-In Camera with Built-In Microphone.
• Windows 10 S included. 3-cell Lithium-ion battery, 13.3" x 8.9" x 0.7", 3.22 lbs. 2x USB 3.1 Type A, 1x USB 2.0 Type A, 1x HDMI output expands your viewing options, 1x Headphone/microphone combo jack, 1x Built-in media reader for simple photo transfer. Wireless-AC and Bluetooth, White, Bonus 128GB SnowBell USB Card.

Buy on Amazon

5. Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15.6″ FHD Touchscreen Laptop Computer

Our final pick on this list of the best laptops for watching movies is the Lenovo IdeaPad that has a 15.6-inch display in Full High Definition. It also supports anti-glare and has a 10th generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 Processor that is super fast.

There is an impressive 16GB of DDR4 3200MHz RAM, that will provide you with a lag-free experience when you stream movies online. 

There is a HDMI port, so if you want to chill out in your room while watching a movie, you can connect it to the TV for a larger screen to view it on.

There is a headphone jack where you can plug in your headphones if you are viewing in public or late at night and don’t want to play the sound out loud.  

Pros 

• Large display with Full HD
• Has the anti-glare feature
• A high amount of 16GB of DDR4 RAM to aid while streaming
• HDMI port so you can connect to the TV
• Headphone port so you can watch in public

Cons

• Battery life isn’t as long as the company states

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

2020 Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15.6" FHD Touchscreen Laptop Computer_ 10th Gen Intel Quad-Core i5 1035G1 (Beat i7-7500u)_ 16GB DDR4 RAM_ 512GB PCIe SSD_ Windows 10_ BROAGE 64GB Flash Stylus, Online Class Ready

• CPU: 10th Generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 Processor (6MB Cache, up to 3.6 GHz)
• DISPLAY: 15.6" FHD (1920x1080) WVA 300nits Anti-glare, 45% NTSC, 10-finger multi-touch support; Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics.
• Memory: 16GB DDR4-3200 MHz SDRAM Memory for full-power multitasking; STORAGE: 512GB PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive; Optical drive: None; 720p webcam with privacy shutter and 2x, Array Microphone Ideal for Home, Student, Professionals, Small Business, School Education, and Commercial Enterprise, Online Class, Google Classroom, Remote Learning, Zoom Ready.
• WiFi 6 802.11AX (2 x 2), Bluetooth 5.0; 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (power delivery, display port), HDMI 1.4b, Headphone / mic combo; 4-in-1 Card Reader
• ▌Authorized BROAGE Bundle▌ Bundled with BROAGE 3 In 1 Design Stylus (Stylus Pen + Ballpoint Pen + USB 3.0 64GB Flash Drive), Authorized Sellers ONLY. Windows 10 Home, English; Graphite Grey; Backlit Keyboard; Touch Style Fingerprint Reader

Buy on Amazon

Best Laptops for Watching Movies Buyer’s Guide

How to Choose the Best Laptop for Watching Movies

The purpose of this laptop is something that you are really going to need to consider. Of course, anyone who wants to get a laptop for watching movies will need to consider the relevant specifications before making a decision.

How you are watching these movies can also have an impact if you are streaming or downloading them, as different laptop components can help with this.

We will leave everything that you need to know here so that you can make an informed decision and be aware of the components that you will need to factor into your decision making. 

The display is arguably the most important thing to consider in terms of screen size and resolution.

For better graphics and visuals while watching movies, you are going to need a full HD resolution display. You can settle for normal HD, but the quality may suffer ever so slightly.

You will also probably be looking at a laptop that is at least 14-inches in screen size, but this is not essential, as it mostly depends on how big of an area you would like to view your films on. 

There are three main components that you will need to compare when it comes to watching movies on laptops, which are the processor, RAM, and the graphics card.

The processor is really important as it will determine the ability of the laptop when you are running multiple applications at once.

If you have a tonne of browser tabs open alongside your favorite movie, a processor will need to be able to handle this all at once.

The most powerful processors are usually those that have been released more recently, as they use newer and faster technology than those older models.

They will be able to run multiple applications with ease, even when a lot is required from your system. Weaker processors can easily become overloaded, which will interrupt your viewing.

In terms of RAM, you will need enough RAM to support the performance of the processor. RAM will actually work in harmony with the processor to deliver high performance, depending on the task at hand.

Both the RAM and the processor need to be high quality if you are planning on running streaming platforms like Netflix or Disney+, that can be a drain on your system.

For the task of watching movies, it is advised to get a laptop that has at least 4GB of RAM for the very best results. You don’t really need much more than around 8GB, but you can choose to if you feel it is necessary. 

Another essential internal component for the hardware of your laptop is the graphics card. The graphics card will determine the productivity of the laptop and has an important role in the output and the display.

A high capacity graphics card will be able to improve overall productivity while also providing excellent visuals, which is perfect for watching movies.

Finally, you will need to find out what the battery life of your chosen laptop is and compare it to those with similar specifications. Usually, the battery life will give you an indicator of how long the laptop will run from a full battery during regular use.

However, this does not account for how long the battery life will last if you are watching movies, which is slightly more demanding, and will cause the battery to run out slightly faster.

It is probably a good idea to carry your laptop charger with you when you are out with your laptop, just in case your battery dies right in the middle of the movie. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Gaming Laptops Good for Watching Movies?

This will depend on what you will be using your laptop for. If you are simply using a laptop for more casual use, then a gaming laptop is probably a little bit excessive.

These types of laptops come with some of the best features that are designed for intensive use, which means that they are at a higher cost.

If you don’t actually intend to watch movies on your gaming laptop often, you will likely be able to find all of the specifications that you need in a much cheaper laptop. 

However, if you are planning on using your laptop for watching movies and completing other high-demanding tasks on a daily basis, then you could actually benefit from a gaming laptop.

This is because the better specs will actually help you to run demanding software more easily, without lag.

Interior designing requires your laptop to be able to support certain software and programs, such as 3D modeling software.

Some laptops will struggle and will be unable to keep up with these, so it really is important that you find a laptop suitably powerful and able to run them efficiently, allowing you to focus on the actual designing without worrying about it crashing or lagging.

Good laptops, especially for specialized uses, can be quite expensive and hard to come by.

However, there are plenty of good value options if you do some research. 

In fact, there are many available options in today’s market for interior design laptops.

As technology starts becoming a core element for this job, especially at professional levels, laptop manufacturers have started providing for the demand, with some amazing features to help you achieve the very best results, working efficiently and with everything you need.

If this is your first time purchasing a laptop for interior design, you might struggle to figure out which laptops are truly the best and most suitable.

To help out, we’ve compiled a list of our top five picks for the overall best laptops for interior design.

In a hurry?

Just like how gamers require special laptops able to support their games, interior designers need a laptop that is able to efficiently run the 3D modeling software and interior designing programs.

If you’re in a hurry to get a suitable laptop, we recommend you check out our number one top choice: the New Apple MacBook Pro Space Gray.

The New Apple MacBook Pro Space Gray is by far one of the most recommended and best options, not only for interior design projects but for any creative visions that you want to bring to life. 

Here are the main features:

• Ideal for supporting all major interior design software and programs
• The most powerful notebook Apple has created
• 16-inch Retina display with excellent graphics and visual quality
• 11 hours of battery life
• 64GB of memory and 8TB of SSD storage- you can edit large files and multitask smoothly
• Ninth-generation 8-Core Intel Core i9 Processor
• A huge amount of features – incredibly powerful and efficient

Best Laptop for Interior Design – Reviews

1. New Apple MacBook Pro Space Gray

It is no secret that, when it comes to creative projects, Apple is usually the leading brand, with the best and most advanced products that offer you the technical support you need to achieve your vision.

The MacBook Pro is the most powerful notebook in Apple’s arsenal, with superfast processors, next-generation graphics, massive storage, and an immersive 16-inch retina display…amongst many other features.

The Ninth-generation 8-Core Intel Core i9 Processor gives it more than enough power to support all of the major interior design software and programs, making it an ideal choice.

The 16-inch Retina Display features True Tone technology, with excellent image quality and visuals to ensure you’re getting your designs as precise as possible.

It has AMD Radeon Pro 5500M Graphics with GDDR6 memory, and an Ultrafast SSD.

It also features Intel UHD Graphics 630. With the four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports you can easily connect any external memory or device that you might need to use with your designing work, and the MacBook Pro has an incredible 11 hours of battery life so that you can work for as long as needed, without interruption.

We’re not sure if this feature is significant in any way to interior designing (you never know), but it also has a six-speaker system with force-canceling woofers.

With up to 64GB of memory, you can easily edit large files and multitask smoothly, avoiding any crashing or lagging as you work. We could keep listing features, as there is a huge amount, but overall you get the picture.

This is by far the best option you could go for if you like working with Apple products. 

PROS

• Ideal for supporting all major interior design software and programs
• The most powerful notebook Apple has created
• 16-inch Retina display with excellent graphics and visual quality
• 11 hours of battery life
• 64GB of memory and 8TB of SSD storage- you can edit large files and multitask smoothly
• Ninth-generation 8-Core Intel Core i9 Processor
• A huge amount of features – incredibly powerful and efficient

 CONS

• No downsides

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

Sale

New Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage, 2.3GHz Intel Core i9) - Space Gray

• Ninth-generation 8-Core Intel Core i9 Processor
• Stunning 16-inch Retina Display with True Tone technology
• Touch Bar and Touch ID
• AMD Radeon Pro 5500M Graphics with GDDR6 memory
• Ultrafast SSD

Buy on Amazon

2. Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop

The Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop is another excellent top choice, and not only does it have more than enough power to easily support all of your interior designing needs, but it is also one of the more budget-friendly options!

It features a 9th Generation Intel Core i5-9300H Processor that has up to 4.1 GHz. As for image quality, it has a 15-inch full HD widescreen IPS LED-backlit display, with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Graphics that have a full 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM.

It also features 8GB of DDR4 2666MHz Memory and has a 256GB PCle NVMe SSD, with two PCle M.2 slots, a slot open for easier upgrades, and an available hard drive bay.  The keyboard that this laptop has is also backlit, making it look advanced and highly attractive.

The Acer has an Acer CoolBoost technology that features twin fans to ensure the laptop doesn’t overheat, and dual exhaust ports.

Although it is built for gaming, it is ideal for all your interior designing needs, and the powerful capabilities, especially in graphics, will perfectly support the interior design software so that you can use it without the laptop struggling or crashing.

Another amazing feature is that this laptop comes with an in-built Alexa, to help you keep organized and for you to set up easy commands to multitask even better. 

PROS

• Budget-friendly option at high performance and quality
• 9th generation Intel Core Processor
• 15-inch full HD Widescreen LED-backlit display with excellent graphics
• 8GB of RAM
• Backlit keyboard and Acer CoolBoost technology
• Built-in Alexa

CONS

• Could have more storage

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop, 9th Gen Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, 15.6" Full HD IPS Display, 8GB DDR4, 256GB NVMe SSD, Wi-Fi 6, Backlit Keyboard, Alexa Built-in, AN515-54-5812

• 9th Generation Intel Core i5-9300H Processor (Up to 4.1 GHz)
• 15" Full HD Widescreen IPS LED-backlit display | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Graphics with 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM
• 8GB DDR4 2666MHz Memory | 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD (2 x PCIe M.2 slots - 1 slot open for easy upgrades) & 1 - Available hard drive bay
• LAN: 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 port) | Wireless: Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX200 802.11ax
• Backlit keyboard | Acer Cool Boost technology with twin fans and dual exhaust ports

Buy on Amazon

3. Acer Store Aspire 5 Laptop

If you’re searching for a laptop that can handle interior design projects, without being on a highly professional level, like for example, for beginner interior designers, students, or easier remodeling projects, then you can make do with a cheaper laptop that is still of good quality and able to support the basic software.

For this, we recommend the Acer Store Aspire 5 Laptop. This product has a 10th Generation Intel Core i5 1035G1 Processor with up to 3.6GHz. As for memory, it has 8GB, with 512GB NVMe SSD.

It features a 15.6-inch full HD widescreen LED-backlit IPS Display, with NVIDIA GeForce MX350 with 2GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM. The Webcam it has is also full HD, perfect for any serious meetings.

The keyboard is backlit, which makes it look really good and can also help you find the keys better in the dark. As for the battery, it has up to 8 consecutive hours, which is more than enough for a full day’s worth of work.

To connect other devices, it has one USB 3.1, two USB 3.1 ports, a USB 2.9 port, and one HDMI port with HDCP support.

The Acer Aspire comes with Windows 10 installed, and it can perfectly support all of the basic software needed for simple interior design projects.

Designed for on-the-go working, it is especially efficient when it comes to media-heavy projects and use, and great at sharing files and projects.

Performance, connectivity, and entertainment seem to be the three main traits, which work pretty well when it comes to interior designing.

Not that it matters much for the actual interior designing, but the speaker of this laptop features Acer TrueHarmony for excellent sound quality (which, to be fair, can offer a greater music listening experience as you work!)

PROS

• Budget-friendly and ideal for simpler interior design projects
• 10th Generation Intel Core i5 Processor
• 8GB of RAM
• 15.6-inch full HD widescreen LED-backlit IPS display, and a backlit keyboard
• 8 hours of battery life
• Excellent performance, connectivity, and entertainment provider

CONS

• Not suitable for supporting more advanced or professional interior designing

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

Acer Aspire 5 A515-55G-57H8, 15.6" Full HD IPS Display, 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1, NVIDIA GeForce MX350, 8GB DDR4, 512GB NVMe SSD, Intel Wireless WiFi 6 AX201, Backlit KB, Windows 10 Home

• 10th Generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 Processor (Up to 3.6GHz)| 8GB DDR4 Memory | 512GB NVMe SSD
• 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED backlit IPS Display | NVIDIA GeForce MX350 with 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM
• Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX201 802.11ax | Backlit Keyboard | HD Webcam | Up to 8 Hours Battery Life
• 1 - USB 3.1 (Type-C) Gen 1 port (up to 5 Gbps), 2 - USB 3.1 Gen 1 Port (one with Power-off Charging), 1 - USB 2.0 Port & 1 - HDMI Port with HDCP Support
• Windows 10 Home

Buy on Amazon

4. Asus ROG Strix Scar III Gaming Laptop

The Asus ROG Strix Scar III Gaming Laptop isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing on this list, in fact, many consider it to be quite ugly due to how thick and heavy it is.

However, it is by far one of the most powerful laptops available in today’s laptop, meaning it will easily support any and all interior design software programs, helping you multitask and open large files to edit and bring your vision to fruition.

As a gaming laptop, you instantly know that it is going to have excellent graphics and support capabilities, meaning it will breeze through your interior design needs.

It has the latest 9th generation gen Intel Core i7-9750h Processor and also features Bluetooth 5.0. With a 240 Hz 15.6-inches Full HD IPS Display, it showcases excellent image and visual quality, so you don’t skip on any details.

It comes with 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB PCle SSD, a Windows 10 Home, and Gigabit wave 2 Wi-Fi 5.

It also features a Rog Intelligent Cooling Thermal System with dual 12V fans, to ensure the laptop doesn’t overheat during intense usage. It also has anti-dust technology, to keep it working in top condition, and has adjustable fan modes.

This laptop is also one of the most durable, so the thicker and heavier body really does have its use! Overall, it is highly recommended for heavy-duty projects that require as much power as possible.

PROS

• Extremely powerful – ideal for heavy-duty interior design projects
• The latest 9th Generation Gen Intel Core i7 Processor
• 15.6-inches full HD IPS Display
• 16GB RAM
• Rog Intelligent Cooling Thermal System, anti-dust technology, and adjustable fan modes

CONS

• Very heavy and not the most aesthetically pleasing

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

Asus ROG Strix Scar III (2019) Gaming Laptop, 15.6” 240Hz IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, Intel Core i7-9750H, 16GB DDR4, 1TB PCIe Nvme SSD, Per-Key RGB KB, Windows 10, G531GV-DB76

• Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6 (base: 1110MHz, Boost: 1335MHz, TDP: 80W)
• Latest 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750h Processor.Bluetooth 5.0
• 240Hz 15.6” Full HD 1920x1080 IPS Type Display
• 16GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM | 1TB PCIe SSD | Windows 10 Home | Gigabit wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 (802.11AC 2x2)
• Rog intelligent cooling Thermal system with dual 12V fans, anti-dust technology, and adjustable fan modes

Buy on Amazon

5. Dell XPS 15 Laptop

The Dell XPS 15 Laptop, although last on our list, is just as powerful and as capable when it comes to supporting all of the major software programs needed for interior designing.

It is also designed to be thin and lightweight, with an emphasis on image quality and high resolution, making it ideal for you to design those interiors up to the last detail. It has a 9th generation Intel Core i7-9750h Processor, with 16GB DDR4-2666MHz and 1TB PCle SSD.

It features a 15.6-inches 4K UHD InfinityEdge anti-reflective touch IPS display which has excellent resolution and image quality, allowing you to appreciate even the finest of details, which in turn means you can design the interiors to a higher detail.

The keyboard is backlit, making it very aesthetically pleasing and easier to use in the dark, and features a fingerprint reader (so advanced!). The Dell XPS also has Bluetooth 5.0, an SD card reader, Thunderbolt, and a USB 3.0 port.

Performance is especially good for creative use, such as interior design projects, so this is an ideal option for all levels of interior designing! 

PROS

• Thin, lightweight, with high-performance capacity
• 9th Generation Intel Core i7 Processor 
• 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage
• 15.6-inches 4K UHD InfinityEdge anti-reflective touch IPS Display
• Backlit keyboard

CONS

• Overheats faster than other laptop models

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

Sale

Dell XPS 15 laptop 15.6", 4K UHD InfinityEdge Touch, 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5, 1TB SSD storage, 16GB RAM, XPS7590-7565SLV-PUS

• 15.6" 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) InfinityEdge anti-reflective touch IPS 100% a do be RGB 500-nits display
• 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750h (12MB Cache, up to 4. 5 GHz, 6 Cores)
• 16GB DDR4-2666MHz, 2x8G
• 1TB PCIe SSD
• Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5

Buy on Amazon

Best Laptop for Interior Design Buyer’s Guide

Choosing the right laptop to help you work on your interior design projects can be tricky, as you need to make sure that the laptop will be able to support the software programs that you will require for the projects, and you need to ensure it has a high-quality visual display so that you can work at full detail.

There are a few main factors that you can take into consideration to determine whether a certain laptop is suitable or not: 

• Display size and quality:  It’s pretty important to have the best possible display quality, to ensure you can design your interior projects to the highest of detail and at full HD quality. The bigger the size, the better, but always check for the actual display details!
• Power and software capabilities: You need a laptop that is able to easily run your interior design software, and that will allow you to multitask and edit large files without crashing or lagging. Look for efficient core processors and powerful capabilities, as well as a high RAM and a good storage capacity.
• Connectivity options: the ability to easily connect to printers or other devices comes in very handy when it comes to sharing your project results. Whether it is with different available ports or with a good Bluetooth connection. 

A good computer salesperson will always ask you what you think your main usage of the laptop will be, and if you already know the answer to that is streaming videos then you’re already one step ahead.

This article will act as your definitive guide to purchasing the best laptop for you, with our top picks included below. 

Now a common mistake people make when they’re looking for a streaming laptop is that they overlook the importance of the processor.

You won’t need a gaming or editing level processor but depending on your choice of streaming platform or browser, your computer could struggle to handle the load of high-resolution video.  

Sites like youtube use very heavy compression so that 4K resolution videos don’t need the bandwidth or computing power that a raw 4K video would. If you use a browser like Chrome for all of your streaming then your processor won’t be the problem, it’ll be the amount of ram you have.

RAM essentially dictates how many programs you can have open and then the speed of switching between those programs. Google’s Chrome browser is actually terribly optimized for ram and can eat through a normal amount of gigs with 3 or 4 tabs open. 

The screen you get with the laptop will make a huge difference to your streaming experience. There are a few things we’re looking for here but mainly the resolution and the panel type.

The resolution dictates the definition of the image (HD, QHD, or 4K UHD), and the panel type defines the color reproduction/accuracy so for watching shows, videos, and movies the better the color reproduction the better the viewing experience.

We could also look at the aspect ratio as some laptops come in odd form factors but with most videos and shows using a 16:9 aspect ratio, we’ll set this as our standard. 

We’ve also evaluated the audio options that come with each laptop, the likelihood is you’ll be using some type of headphone/earphone to listen to your shows but if you don’t then we’ll be looking out for you. 

The last feature we’ll be looking at is the battery life and charging capabilities. The worst thing is when you’re halfway through a movie and you get that pesky ‘Low battery, please charge’ warning.

You want to make sure that the laptop can get through those rainy day binge sessions. If the battery itself can’t stand up to the test then a good charging cable will have to do.

We’ll also include a summarised buyer’s guide if you want to make sure you’re getting the best device for your streaming needs.

In a rush?

Has the new season of your favorite show just dropped on Netflix and you can’t wait to get your bing on?

No problem we’ve got our top pick for you right here and just a few reasons why we love it:

Gigabyte AERO 15 OLED 

This laptop includes all of the major features needed for a good streaming laptop and caps them out at the best possible offering.

• Samsung OLED 4k 60Hz Screen.
• 94Wh Battery.
• RGB keyboard for easy typing in the dark.
• Windows Hello fingerprint scanner.
• 512GB SSD

Best Laptops For Streaming Videos – Reviews

1. Gigabyte AERO 15 OLED

This laptop’s the epitome of a streaming laptop, with the amazing Samsung OLED 4K screen and even enough computing power for you to run a couple of games if you want to. This laptop is the full package.

The OLED technology that comes included with this monitor is normally only found in high-end televisions.

It is a new panel type that changes each pixel to a separate LED light that can turn on and off when needed meaning this is the only screen type that you’ll be able to experience true blacks on.

A standard IPS or LCD screen will always have the backlight bleed through to pixels that are meant to be black so OLED removes that issue. 

On top of the best possible viewing experience Gigabyte has included Nahimic 3 Surround sound tech that was actually designed for gaming. If you wanted to use your Bluetooth headset this laptop comes equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 for the best audio response and low latency.

The AERO 15 also comes with a 9th generation intel i7 processor which basically means that it can deal with any video encoder or playback without any interruption to you. The laptop also comes with an Nvidia 1660ti video card which means your 4k video playback will never stutter.

Pair these with the 16GB of RAM you could have 20 different Youtube videos open in 20 separate tabs and the laptop wouldn’t break a sweat.

The Storage in the laptop is a 512GB SSD which means that your pc will load up within seconds, you won’t be waiting for programs like the Netflix app to open. 

With a Killer Wi-Fi 6 chip, this beast can stream up to 2.4Gbps. To put that into perspective that’s almost 100 4K videos playing simultaneously. You might want to get onto AT&T about upping your internet speeds.

The laptop has a built-in 94Wh Battery that Gigabyte claims can last up to 8.5 hours of constant usage so your binge sessions will not be interrupted.

You might be thinking that all of this tech crammed into a 15.6-inch laptop would make it bulky and cumbersome but Gigabyte has combated that issue with a compressed aluminum body.

This makes the laptop only 0.8 inches thick and 4.4lbs total. You will not be getting that uncomfortable dead leg feeling during the long watch sessions.    

Pros

• OLED Screen for best possible viewing.
• Nahimic Surround Sound tech for cinema-quality audio.
• Physical camera cover and Windows Hello fingerprint scanner for increased privacy.
• Video card and i7 processor provide enough power for heavy usage.
• 8.5 hour battery life is ideal for long viewing sessions.

Cons

•   Fans can get quite loud under heavy load.

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

Sale

Gigabyte AERO 15 OLED SA-7US5130SH Thin and Light Laptop, 15.6" Thin Bezel Samsung UHD AMOLED Panel, i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX1660Ti,16GB RAM, M.2 PCIe 512GB SSD, Win 10, 94Wh Battery

• 15.6" 3 millimeter ultra-thin bezel | Samsung UHD 3840x2160 Amoled display | 100%DCI-P3 Color Gamut, more colors than sRGB
• Best color accuracy: Individually calibrated and certified with X-Rite Pantone
• 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H 6 core processor w/ 2.6 GHz/4.5 GHz (base/max turbo)
• Powerful graphic performance: NVIDIA GeForce GTX1660Ti GDDR6 6GB Supports NVIDIA Optimus technology to increase gaming experience
• 16GB DDR4 2666MHz Samsung DRAM module | M. 2 NVMe PCIe 512GB Intel 760P SSD | Windows 10 Home

Buy on Amazon

2. Lenovo Yoga C740-15.6″ FHD Touch

Our 2nd pick is a great option from Lenovo’s Yoga line, these laptops are great for video streaming for a few reasons but the USP of the Yoga is its keyboard’s ability to fold back behind the screen.

This gives you an uninterrupted view of the screen and removes the chance you’ll accidentally tap pause or esc during the climax of your favorite show.

You might be thinking ‘but how do I control the laptop with the keyboard and trackpad folded behind it?’ Lenovo thought about that and made the monitor a touchscreen. So you can skip the intro on Netflix as you would on your phone or tablet, just tap it.

The 15.6-inch laptop screen has an IPS panel to support its media viewing capabilities. IPS offers great viewing angles and decent color accuracy (not as good as OLED but still very good).

The screen is also FHD which means that even though you might not be able to view 4K or even 2K videos you’ll still get 1080p which the majority of content currently is.

The Yoga C740 is powered by a 10th generation i5 chip that can deal with most daily tasks and video streaming with no issues. It also has 12GB of RAM so you will be able to multitask without lag.

All of this is backed up by a 13.5-hour battery so you won’t have to worry about dimming your screen to get those extra 20 minutes of watch time.

Pros

• 15.6 inch 1080p folding touchscreen offers an unobstructed viewing experience.
• Quad-core Ultra-low-voltage i5 processor gives ample power for all streaming services.
• Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 5 support for a totally wireless experience.
• 13.5-hour battery for long watching sessions.
• 256GB for fast boot up times

Cons

• Quite heavy for a laptop without a video card and extra cooling (4.2lbs)

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

Sale

Lenovo Yoga C740-15.6" FHD Touch - 10th gen i5-10210U - 12GB - 256GB SSD - Gray

• Operating System: Windows 10 Home I Screen Size: 15.6 inches
• System Memory (RAM): 12GB I Solid State Drive Capacity: 256GB
• Processor: 1.6 gigahertz Intel 10th Generation Core i5-10210U
• Graphics : Intel UHD Graphics 620 I Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
• Basic software package included: 30-days trial of Microsoft Office

Buy on Amazon

3. New Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip

At Number 3 we’ve got an option for the Apple fans out there and the new MacBook Air with the M1 chip is a worthy entrant.

Apple’s macOS offers a smooth and professional-feeling experience for anyone trying to enjoy a couple of shows. The usability of Apple’s system is really demonstrated in the user experience.

This laptop has been designed with Apple TV in mind so you can guarantee a great viewing experience on it especially if you’re using Apple’s streaming service.

Apple has spared no expense with the monitor on this device. You get a familiar feeling retina display with P3 wide color gamut meaning the color representation is going to be amazing. All this is to enhance your experience while streaming.

The M1 MacBook Air comes with an Octa-core CPU meaning everything will be running smoothly and you will never experience frame drops in any of your watching.

Pros

• macOS for a smoother more familiar feeling user experience.
• Retina display with Apple’s true tone and a P3 wide color gamut.
• Wi-Fi 6 for up to 1.2Gbps streaming.
• Up to 18 hour battery life.

Cons

• If you aren’t used to using MacOS or OSx this laptop will feel foreign to you.

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

New Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) - Gold (Latest Model)

• Apple-designed M1 chip for a giant leap in CPU, GPU, and machine learning performance
• Go longer than ever with up to 18 hours of battery life
• 8-core CPU delivers up to 3.5x faster performance to tackle projects faster than ever
• Up to eight GPU cores with up to 5x faster graphics for graphics-intensive apps and games
• 16-core Neural Engine for advanced machine learning

Buy on Amazon

4. XIDU 12.5″ Tour Pro Touchscreen Laptop

The Penultimate laptop on our list is from a relatively unknown brand XIDU. The laptop is not the most powerful nor the biggest but it is the king of portability. At 12.5 inches this is the smallest laptop on our list (0.8 inches smaller than the MacBook).

So for streaming videos, you would need to have the laptop a bit closer to you, but not too close because this mini hero packs a 2k (1440p or QHD) screen that sits between FHD and UHD.

The pixel density on the screen means you won’t be able to see the separate pixels unless your nose was touching the screen.

The screen is also a touchscreen which alongside its size puts the laptop somewhere between a tablet and pc.

With an Intel Celeron processor and 8GB of RAM, this laptop isn’t going to run any games or let you have too many programs opened at once but it’s more than adequate for streaming some Netflix or Prime Video.

Pros

• Compact size and 2.65lbs weight makes it perfect for carrying around in a backpack or large purse.
• 2k QHD IPS display makes this ideal for streaming videos.
• Backlit keyboard for typing in the dark.
• Fingerprint sensor increases privacy.
• The 8 hour battery offers enough power for a long watch session.

Cons

• The lack of a high powered processor limits this laptop to mainly streaming only.

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

XIDU 12.5" Tour Pro Touchscreen Laptop with Backlit Keyboard | 2.5K(2560X1440) IPS | Fingerprint | Intel 3867U Processor | 8GB DDR3+128GB SSD | Win10 Home for On-The-Go (12.5 Gray SSD)

Buy on Amazon

5. Acer Aspire 5 15.6″ FHD 1080P Laptop

Our final pick is the Aspire 5 from Acer. Acer has a great history of making reasonably priced reliable laptops and this one is no exception.

The Aspire 5 comes with a Ryzen 3 processor which alongside 12GB of RAM will tackle any of your streaming needs with little to no difficulty.

The Ryzen processor is AMD’s answer to the i3 processors from intel but this one in particular beats out the i5 in certain cases. 

The monitor on this laptop is an FHD IPS screen so you won’t have to worry about viewing angles and colors will really pop. Acer has also made this a 15.6 inch display which is ample for viewing in bed, on the couch, or even in a cafe.

The keyboard is also backlit for easy operation in low light conditions. 

Pros

• 15.6 inch FHD IPS screen offers great streaming visuals.
• Ryzen 3 and 12GB of RAM can power through most tasks.
• 7 hour battery is enough for Netflix to ask if you’re still watching.
• The backlit keyboard makes typing way easier in the dark.

Cons

• A single downward firing speaker means audio isn’t the best but Bluetooth and audio jack are included.

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

2020 Newest Acer Aspire 5 15.6" FHD 1080P Laptop Computer| AMD Ryzen 3 3200U up to 3.5 GHz(Beat i5-7200u)| 12GB RAM| 256GB SSD| Backlit Keyboard| WiFi| Bluetooth| HDMI| Windows 10| Laser USB Cable

• 15.6 inches Full HD (1920 x 1080) Widescreen LED backlit IPS Display; AMD Radeon Vega 3 Mobile Graphics
• AMD Ryzen 3 3200U (2.60 GHz, up to 3.50 GHz with Turbo Boost, 4 MB Cache, 2 Cores ), 3-cell lithium-ion, up to 6 hours battery life mixed-use
• RAM is upgraded to 12GB DDR4 memory for multitasking Adequate high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run multiple applications and browser tabs all at once
• Hard Drive is upgraded to 256GB SSD provides massive storage space for huge files, so that you can store important digital data and work your way through it with ease. Enhance the overall performance of the laptop for business, student, daily usage
• 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Port, 2 USB 2.0 Ports & 1 HDMI Port with HDCP support,802.11ac Wi-Fi; Backlit Keyboard; Up to 7.5 Hours Battery Life,Windows 10 in S mode. Maximum Power Supply Wattage 65 W + Laser USB External Cable

Buy on Amazon

Best Laptops For Streaming Videos Buyer’s Guide

We’ve mostly gone through what you need to know when looking for a streaming laptop but we’ve also added some minimum specs for you to see what you should be looking for at the very minimum. 

• At least 1080p Screen resolution.
• IPS or OLED Panel type.
• 8-16GB of RAM.
• SSD storage for quick boot ups.
• Minimum of 7 hour battery life.
• Bluetooth and 1/8th inch jack for audio.
• Intel i3 or Ryzen 3 Processor. 

As long as your new laptop meets these specifications as a bare minimum then you should have a great streaming experience.

You won’t experience stuttering, buffering, waiting to open browsers/apps or the dreaded loading icon (as long as your internet can keep up).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I not stream videos on a 720p monitor? 

Of course, you can, videos can be streamed on any screen all the way down to 144p, however, most videos are a minimum of 1080p (FHD).

So streaming that content on a lesser monitor means you’re willingly leaving out certain parts of your favorite show.

Imagine a sensor bar covering the middle of your screen, this is effectively the same but that censor bar is evenly distributed across the whole video.      

Among the piles of textbooks and drawing equipment, you’ll need to get a hold of a laptop that is suitable for you to help create your design.

Major computing manufacturers are always coming up with innovative ways to incorporate designing features into all of their laptops meaning that it is now more accessible than ever to purchase a high quality laptop that can be a huge asset during your studies.

Owning a laptop is important for architecture students a lot more than students taking other courses because of how advanced the software is when it comes to designing.

Students undertake internships and work placements throughout their college career so having a device that is reliable and easy to transport and use is crucial.

Lucky for you, you have come to the right place if you’re stuck as to where to start. With so many laptops available, where do you start with looking for one with a lot of storage space that can handle the various softwares you will be using.

There are many factors that go into researching laptops for architecture students and I’ve managed to compile it into one article for extra ease so you don’t have to worry about anything.

I’ve selected the top 5 laptops suitable for architecture students that you can buy now which is followed by a buyers guide telling you everything you need to know when researching and making your choice and ending with an FAQ where I answer the most common questions asked.

Can’t wait to read the entire article? Here’s our top pick: Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop

The best-selling laptop for design students on Amazon comes in the form of Acer’s Aspire 5 model. Highly powered and easy to travel with, the Aspire 5 has sharp visual presentation and a large screen making it the perfect choice for your studies.

The best feature on the laptop is the Acer Colour Intelligence which makes the colors standout on the monitor as well as Acer BlueLightShield which stops your eyes from straining from excessive usage meaning you can work on your projects and designs for as long as needed.

The battery life is also extremely extensive with a 7.5 hour running time and the laptop can also be connected to Alexa meaning you can even use the laptop handsfree if needed. The sleek and slim design should slot easily into backpacks and makes it a dream to travel with.

Best Laptop For Architecture Students – Reviews

1. Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop

The Acer Aspire 5 is a beautifully designed laptop that is extremely fast and perfect for architects who are on the go. A great tool to have for students who want a laptop that is easy to use.

The bonus is that it is selling at a great price for a laptop of its quality. The Aspire 5 comes with a basic 4GB RAM storage that can easily be replaced with an alternative hard-drive.

This means that you can easily give your laptop the amount of storage that laptops triple the price would come with for a fraction of the price. 

As this is the best selling laptop for architects, the Acer Aspire 5 actually has an average of 4.6 stars from over 18,500 reviews and the numbers don’t lie!

Ideal for those who are eager to kickstart their design career and want a high quality laptop at a decent price, the Aspire 5 is great for designing, taking notes and keeping track of your college progress.

Pros

• Fast for those who like to work quickly
• Reasonably priced
• Comes with 4GB of RAM 

Cons

• The touchpad can feel a little loose at times after a lot of use

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop, 15.6 inches Full HD IPS Display, AMD Ryzen 3 3200U, Vega 3 Graphics, 4GB DDR4, 128GB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Windows 10 in S Mode, A515-43-R19L, Silver

• AMD Ryzen 3 3200U Dual Core Processor (Up to 3.5GHz); 4GB DDR4 Memory; 128GB PCIe NVMe SSD
• 15.6 inches full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED backlit IPS display; AMD Radeon Vega 3 Mobile Graphics
• 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 port, 2 USB 2.0 ports & 1 HDMI port with HDCP support
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Backlit Keyboard; Up to 7.5 hours battery life
• Windows 10 in S mode. Maximum power supply wattage: 65 Watts

Buy on Amazon

2. HP 15 15.6″ HD Touchscreen Premium Laptop

Our second option on the list comes with the best memory storage with a staggering 16GB. The 15 inch screen has a brilliant 1366 x 768 pixel resolution meaning that you can design knowing that the quality of the laptop is of the highest standard.

HP is a brand that is one of the pioneers in computing and remains one of the bestselling brands, especially for people who want an alternative to Apple products.

The laptop is also touchscreen meaning that it is perfect for designing and you can use the Microsoft apps available to design. 

With an average of 4.5 stars from over 1,000 reviews, the HP 15 has a brilliant 41 watt battery life meaning you don’t have to worry about the laptop running out of battery if you’re out and about. The design is also lightweight making it perfect for travelling around. 

Pros

• High memory 
• Touchscreen so you can use a stylus to design

Cons

• High price point
• Samsung Chromebook 4 + Chrome OS

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

2020 HP 15 15.6" HD Touchscreen Premium Laptop - 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1, 16GB DDR4, 512GB SSD, USB Type-C, HDMI, Windows 10 - Silver W

• Fast Processor 10th Generation intel(r) core(tm) i5-1035g1 Processor quad-core 1 0 GHz Base frequency up to 3 6 GHz with Intel's) Turbo Boost Technology
• Display 15 6-Inch diagonal HD SVA bright View micro-edge WLED-backlit touchscreen display (1366 x 768)
• Fast boot up with SSD Boot up in seconds transfer files without waiting hours and enjoy a snappier experience with the internal solid-state drive 512 GB pcie(r) nvme(tm) M 2 Solid State Drive
• 1 HDMI 1 4b 1 headphone/microphone combo 1 USB 3 1 Type-C Gen 1 (Data Transfer up to 5 Gb/s) 2 USB 3 1 Gen 1 (Data transfer only) 1 AC smart pin
• Windows 10 Home No DVD

Buy on Amazon

3. Samsung Chromebook 4 + Chrome OS

Our third choice is from Samsung and is their Chromebook which boasts a Chrome OS operating system and Intel Celeron processor.

Easy to set up and use, the Samsung Chromebook as you can easily design as well as using the various Google apps that can connect to the others meaning your work will be saved with backup.

The laptop also has ultra fast connectivity meaning that no matter where you travel, your laptop will work at fast speed.  

The praise for the Samsung Chromebook has been overwhelming, with an average of 4.4 stars from over 1,500 reviews thanks to its large storage capacity and extensive battery life. The Samsung model also has numerous USB ports meaning you can multitask with ease.

Pros

• High battery life
• Ultra fast connectivity
• Several USB ports

Cons

• The pixel resolution isn’t as sharp as the previous offerings

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

Sale

Samsung Chromebook 4 + Chrome OS 15.6" Full HD Intel Celeron Processor N4000 4GB RAM 64GB eMMC Gigabit Wi-Fi -XE350XBA-K02US

• Large and immersive 15. 6” display in a compact frame
• Military-grade durability
• Ultra-fast connectivity with Gigabit Wi-Fi
• Advanced security with multiple layers of built-in virus protection
• 10. 5 hours of battery life

Buy on Amazon

4. ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 2-In-1 Laptop

Like the laptop before, the ASUS Chromebook also runs on the Chrome OS operating system, giving users the ability to connect their work and progress to various Google apps for backup to ensure its security.

It comes with a decent 8GB RAM which can be enhanced with an external hard drive and allow the user to use multiple softwares at once.

The ASUS Chromebook Flip has garnered an average of 4.4 stars from over 1,600 reviews thanks to the ease to use and portability. It’s ultra thin design means that the laptop is sleek and can be easily packed and taken anywhere and used anywhere for design inspiration and office use.

Pros

• 2 in 1 design so laptop can also be used as a tablet
• Touchscreen for easiness when designing

Cons

• High price point

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

ASUS Chromebook Flip C434TA-DSM4T 2-in-1 Laptop 14" Touchscreen Full HD 4-Way NanoEdge, Intel Core m3-8100Y Processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC Storage, Chrome OS (Renewed)

• 14 inch touchscreen FHD 1920x1080 4-way NanoEdge Display featuring ultra-narrow bezels (5mm thin) around each side of the display that allows for a 14 inch screen to fit in the body of a 13 inch Laptop footprint
• The FHD display has a durable 360 degree hinge that can be used to flip the touchscreen display to tent, stand, and tablet mode
• Powered by the Intel Core m3-8100y Processor (Up to 3.4 GHz) for super-fast and snappy performance. If you use a ton of tabs or run lots of apps, this has the power to get it all done with ease
• 4GB LPDDR3 RAM; 64GB eMMC storage and 2x USB Type-C (Gen 1) and 1x USB Type-A (Gen 1) ports plus a super bright backlit keyboard. Usb Type-C supports display-out and Power delivery
• The lightweight (3 lbs) all-aluminum metal body makes the C434 both durable and beautiful for a timeless look that will never go out of style

Buy on Amazon

5. Lenovo Chromebook S330 Laptop

The final choice we have picked is actually the cheapest laptop on our list. The Lenovo Chromebook S330 is a fantastic entrypoint laptop that has plenty of design features that are beneficial to those studying architecture.

The Lenovo Chromebook is proof that high quality technology doesn’t have to break the bank.

Equipped with 4GB RAM, this again can be increased with an external hard drive and a brilliant 10 hour battery life, the Lenovo is a reliable laptop that makes a brilliant starting point in your architectural career. 

Collecting an average of 4.3 stars from 1,300 reviews, the Lenovo has received a lot of excellent reviews, with praise for the 1920X1080 pixel resolution screen display being a major focus of acclaim.

It may be a bit more budget than the others, but it is still lightweight and reliable and decent speed.

The Lenovo Chromebook is perfect for those on a budget who don’t want to compromise on quality.

Pros

• Ideal choice for those on a budget
• Lightweight so it is easy to carry around

Cons

• Not as fast as the other devices on this list

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

Lenovo Chromebook S330 Laptop, 14-Inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Display, MediaTek MT8173C Processor, 4GB LPDDR3, 64GB eMMC, Chrome OS, 81JW0000US, Business Black (Renewed)

• HIGH PERFORMANCE LAPTOP: The Chromebook S330 is equipped with a MediaTek MTK8173C Processor, Chrome OS, 4 GB LPDDR3, 64 GB eMMC 5.1 and so much more.
• SLEEK & STYLISH DESIGN: Sleek, stylish and secure, the Lenovo Chromebook S330 is less than one inch thin and 3.3 lbs. light with a 14-inch FHD Display perfect for day-to-day computing and multimedia, on or offline.
• POWERFUL PROCESSING: Perfect for all your daily computing needs, the Lenovo Chromebook S330 delivers a host of performance features. Enjoy powerful processing for daily tasks, LPDDR3 memory for multitasking, eMMC storage for quick boot-ups, fast software loading and additional 100 GB of cloud storage via Google Drive.
• BUILT TO CONNECT US: Full I/O support comes standard on the laptop computer with USB-C, microSD and USB 3.0 for effortless connectivity. Further this Chromebook also features powerful 2 x 2 WiFi ac with Bluetooth 4.1, a 720p webcam and two 2W speaker systems for effortless collaboration, all supported via a suite of collaborative apps via Chrome OS.
• EASY TO USE: The Lenovo Chromebook S330 is easy to use, offers built-in virus protection and keeps going with long battery life. Further no setup is needed, just a Google account so your stuff stays with you via cloud storage of your emails, maps, docs, pics and more.

Buy on Amazon

Best Laptop For Architecture Students Buyer’s Guide

As mentioned at the start of the article, purchasing laptops for architectural design has never been so accessible meaning that people don’t have to miss out.

When deciding which laptop is best for you, you need to consider the RAM storage, portability and budget.

With so much to buy in preparation for your course, the last thing you need to worry about is whether your laptop has the capability to store all of your work.

That is why the following three factors are so important when you look through the laptops should you choose to browse elsewhere. 

RAM 

The memory storage is key when deciding what laptop is best for you. It is recommended that professional architects purchase laptops that have around 32GB RAM but for students, it is expected that you will probably have a laptop with a lot less due to cost.

You should aim for a laptop with around 16GB RAM as you will be using numerous software for multitasking, however, if you do go for a laptop with less memory, simply purchase an external hard drive that can add memory space.

Laptops are starting to possess the power and storage that used to only be found in PCs but no more, you can use the highest quality software at your fingers wherever you are.

Portability

Another aspect is how well your laptop can realistically travel. All of the options on our list are relatively lightweight meaning that they can be taken around anywhere whether you are looking for simple inspiration or working in the office or from home.

Architecture students are expected to bring their laptops to classes so it’s important that you are selecting one that ideally has a slim design for easiness. 

Budget

Architecture is a course that requires a lot of resources from textbooks to drawing tools and a laptop that can be taken around wherever for inspiration. Naturally, the cost of these resources adds up and this can intimidate those who are on a bit of a budget.

However, now that computing brands are manufacturing their laptops with design features due to their increased popularity and demand, there are plenty of affordable choices on the market.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do architecture students need laptops?

Laptops are essential to architecture students probably more than to any other student because of the design aspects. Naturally architects primarily designed by hand but nowadays, it’s all done on specialized software.

Having a laptop will mean you can easily travel with it so if inspiration strikes you or you are working in a firm for work experience or on an internship, you’ll have the equipment stored on your own device.

Is 16GB RAM enough for architecture?

When studying architecture, you will be running various software at the same time. Because of this, it is important that your laptop has a high RAM count.

Preferably your laptop will have 16GB but anything lower is fine, given that you have a hardware that you can plug in for background.

Some students even aim to purchase laptops that have 32GB RAM but this can be very excessive and expensive.

Today, we’re reviewing the top five best options. For this article, we focused only on popular laptop docking stations that support dual monitors. These little devices give you everything you need to become more productive. Without further ado, let’s dive right into the reviews.

Microsoft Surface Dock 2

The latest entry in Microsoft’s docking arsenal requires the newest Surface Pro device. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support Surface Pro 3, 4, and the original Surface Book. But it supports dual 4k monitors and a total of 6 USB ports (still no Thunderbolt 3 ports, though) for the peripherals.

Surface Dock 2 is very similar in size and shape to Surface Dock but slightly deeper. It uses the same 40-pin SurfLink connector that passes along power, display, and USB signals simultaneously. While the connector dimensions are the same, the cable is slightly longer, which is a welcome improvement. The main power cable is also longer.

The device supports two 4k monitors @60fps resolution on the latest Surface Pro models such as Pro X, Pro 7, Pro 8, Book 3, etc. Older models will only show one 4k60 and one 4k30 or both 1440p displays at best.

Our only disappointment is the lack of pre-built HDMI and DisplayPort receptacles. Moreover, if your monitor doesn’t have a USB-C, you will need to invest in a USB-C to DP 1.4 or USB-C to HDMI 2.0b adapter to make everything work. While the original price of this device is much higher, our top option is worth every penny. After all, you’re getting two 4k displays. You can get it at many reasonable rates from Amazon below.

Buy Here: Amazon

Plugable USB 3.0 Universal Laptop Docking Station

A major advantage of a third party docking solutions like this Plugable’s model is flexibility. If you replace your laptop with another from a different manufacturer, you don’t have to replace the docking solution too. Plus, it’s a Universal Docking Station, which means it will work with most brands. With just one cable, you get 11 additional ports for further connectivity. Isn’t that great?

The Plugable USB 3.0 Universal Laptop Docking Station supports two 2k monitors @60fps resolution without any lag whether they’re HDMI, DVI, or VGA. The best thing is, the package includes a DVI to VGA adapter and a DVI to HDMI adapter to help you’re your setup.

Furthermore, the device features a vertical design. Thus you can slip it in between the two monitors to save valuable desk space. A vertical orientation also makes the ports more accessible. It features dual video outputs, a wired Gigabit Ethernet port, 3.5 mm Headset and Microphone jacks, two USB 3.0 ports, and four USB 2.0 ports to boot.

It doesn’t charge your laptop, though, so you will have to plug your external charger to power your system. Although designed only for Windows, you can download its Linux driver from the manufacturer’s website and get it working on a Linux system. Overall, it’s a very economical option, and the manufacturer gives you a limited two-year warranty to ease your concerns.

Buy Here: Amazon

Targus USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Universal Dual Display Video Docking Station

Coming at third place on our list of the best laptop docking stations is Targus SuperSpeed Universal solution. It’s a simple one-touch portable expansion module that connects your laptop to other work peripherals at USB 3.0 speeds. PS: it supports Linux right out of the box.

The device delivers a superb display for two screens at a 2048×1152 resolution. A total of nine USB ports (2x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0 power, 2x USB 2.0, Ethernet, 2x display) give you more than enough ports to simultaneously connect multiple accessories. The On and Off button is also a nice addition.

Moreover, its unique pre-built power charger supports 90W laptops. The package includes a range of different charging tips for older branded laptops. There’s also a handy chart telling you what tricks to try based on your laptop’s brand. There’s no USB-C adapter in the package, though.

Although not bulky in design, the tip compartment does take up half the volume. It’s removable, but that doesn’t considerably reduce its volume. That said, The Targus superspeed Universal docking station is a great value. It’s highly compatible, so it should work like a charm for any home or office set up.

Buy Here: Amazon

Acodot Universal Laptop Docking Station

Tidy up your workspace by connecting up to 11 accessories to Acodot’s Universal Laptop Docking Station. It supports Windows OS only. Compatible drivers are available for MAC users. However, it doesn’t support UNIX/Linux and Surface RT.

For video displays, the gadget holds an HDMI port that supports 4k resolution @60fps with a single HDMI display or 1080P@30fps if two screens are connected. Likewise, the DVI/VGA port supports display resolutions up to 2048×1152 for a single screen and 1920×1200 when both displays are in operation.

Acodot Universal Laptop Docking Station has six backward-compatible USB 3.0 ports, a DVI out, an HDMI out, a Gbps Ethernet port, and 3.5mm audio in/out auxiliary ports. This arsenal is more than enough to expand upon if needed. Additionally, the hub comes with a power supply lead, a DVI to VGA connector cable, a DVI to HDMI adapter, and a user manual with helpful instructions to get you started.

The only problem is: this portable expansion module does not plug and play. You have to download the necessary drivers before working. Thankfully, the entire set up process takes hardly two minutes. Overall, this midrange docking station is another great option to consider. It’s highly functional and very useful in improving productivity while working from home.

Buy Here: Amazon

Lenovo Thunderbolt 3 Essential Dock

Here’s one device that can go toe-to-toe with Microsoft Surface Dock 2 in terms of performance. PS: It also hosts an inbuilt DisplayPort. This universally compatible laptop dock supports dual 4k monitors at 60fps resolution and ups the power out to 65W. It’s small, convenient and comes at a very market competitive cost.

Powered by Intel’s Thunderbolt 3 technology, it boosts your productivity with up to 40Gbps transfer rate to support dual displays, superfast 10Gbps data rate, and a host of well-optimized ports. There are two USB-A 3.0(1 x always-on charging); Two USB-C Downstream Ports, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x HDMI 2.0 port, 3.5 mm audio ports, and an RJ45 Gigabit for Ethernet.

Once connected, it powers your laptop as well. Some Lenovo laptops come with the driver for Thunderbolt 3 Essential Dock preinstalled. However, others need to install the drivers from the Lenovo website. Older laptops that do not support Thunderbolt or USB-C protocols will not work with this docking station.

This compact and convenient laptop dock is IT enterprise-ready. It features advanced network management & security and management concepts such as PXE boot, WOL, and MAC address pass-through on some Lenovo ThinkPad Notebooks.

Buy Here: Amazon

Buyer’s Guide

Not all docks are equal, not even the best laptop docking stations. So, consider the following features before you head out to buy one.

Connection type

The latest docking solutions support USB-C connections, which provides a robust and fast expansion option. Before you settle on such an option, make sure your laptop supports this option or not. In the case of a Microsoft Surface Device, your options are more limited because of their blade-type connector. Older laptops don’t support USB-C standards. Therefore you will have to make do with some basic docks.

Video Out

Look closely at the specifications for video ports. What resolution does it support when you’re running the two screens simultaneously? Besides, If it’s a 4k or 5k display, you will need a DisplayPort to support these resolutions. Some docking stations (like Lenovo’s solution mentioned above) come with inbuilt DisplayPort. In contrast, others (Microsoft Surface Dock 2) need a special converter adapter.

Power

It’s not really a one-cable connection if your dock doesn’t supply power to the laptop. However, there are some good choices, such as the Plugable’s dock mentioned above. If your laptop consumes more wattage, make sure the dock you settle on delivers enough power to keep up.

Ports

Does your dock have enough external ports to connect all the devices you need? Usually, the best docking stations have 6 or more USB ports, which are more than enough. Also, pay attention to the USB port types, whether they’re A, B, or C type. This is important if you want to power gadgets like smartphones.

Ethernet

Connecting a wired Ethernet is another plus of docking stations. You can free yourself from the shaky internet connection. Simply plug indirectly. If not you, then the participants on your daily zoom meeting will definitely notice the difference.

Audio In/Out

Having a dedicated port for connecting your external speakers and microphones can transform your audio entirely. In case you’re into making podcasts or making appearances on social media, the difference in voice quality is definitely worth paying some extra bucks.

Final Words

To keep a smaller form factor, some modern laptops compromise on important ports that can prove to be a deal-breaker. The best laptop docking station helps you solve this problem. And not just that, It gives you every port you might need to transform your laptop into a full-fledge office work station. Our list includes popular options available today, and they don’t cost you a limb either. So, choose one which best suits your needs. That’s all for today. Thank you for reading!

A 17” screen sure does not fit the lightweight and portable characteristics. But it offers more storage, faster processors, and high-end graphics. Bigger laptops support more hardware that allows you to work more efficiently.

These laptops are fit for heavy graphic designing, media work, and intense gaming sessions. They have wide and roomy screens for you to widen your visual space.

Following are the best of five 17” screen laptops, desiccated for proper comparison.

Buyer’s Guide

Make sure to enlist the following pointers in mind before setting off to get a 17” laptop.

Screen Size and Usage

Although this article pertains to 17″ screens, you have to dive deeper into screen specifics. A large screen needs a higher pixel rate and resolution for a finer and crisp detailed image. Look for high pixel density. A 1080p Full HD Display should be your starting point. Go above and beyond that based on your budget.

Affordability and Specifications

A larger size doesn’t always mean it should cost more. But if you do come to consider spending some of your savings, make sure the laptop makes up for it in specifications.

For that, you need to have a clear idea about the intended usage of your future laptop. Some key factors include:

• Model Type
• Clock Speed
• Memory Unit
• RAM and Storage (SSD Storage is recommended)
• Graphics card
• Speed

Battery Life

A larger laptop requires more juice. Especially if you have heavy gaming sessions planned or programming/designing needs, even if you want it for home or business use, the laptop should at least give 4 to 5 hours of the full blast before needing a recharge. Besides, you should consider how long it takes for a recharge. What’s the point of having a laptop when it spends half the day latched onto the power socket to revive itself?

Additional Perks

Know full well we are in the modern-day and age. Some features may get outdated sooner rather than later. Therefore, look for laptops that can support your needs in the long run.

The USB Type C, for example, is a must-have these days, as many models of phones and other devices are getting integrated with it. Especially with works like editing and gaming, new and improved externals will become a nuisance to connect to if your laptop lack this. Why invest more money in a connecting dongle when you can get its service in a better model?

Another example is the fingerprint scanner. It is fruitless to invest in a pricey laptop if it doesn’t serve you with a finger or face recognition security locks. These allow higher security through secure logins.

1. LG Gram 17Z990N

Starting off the 17 inchers, we have one known for its lightweight and credible portability.

It is accompanied by an 80Wh battery, WQXGA 16:10 IPS Display, and a 10^th Gen Intel CPU with an Iris Plus processor. This powers through 4k content production and allows you to play with video filters, high-resolution photo editing, and a 1080p gaming experience.

The laptop also supports Thunderbolt 3 Transfer, moving up to 40Gbps data or a 5k video in a glimpse. The fingerprint scanner adds to its versatility. Through its power button, you can easily log in and bring your laptop back to life in an instant.

The larger layout means better visibility, be it at the time of the day. It weighs just 3 pounds and still manages to serve you a mega display. On the sides, you get; 2 USB ports, a headphone jack, an SD card slot, an HDMI port, a charging port, and the modern Type C port.

An additional 1TB M 2 NMVe SSD and a lithium battery that lasts up to 17 hours (dependant on use) make it a worthwhile contender. Nevertheless, the charging is slow as compared to others.

Buy Here: Amazon

2. Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop

If you’re into heavy gaming sessions and still want to keep up with work, then the Acer Nitro featuring the 9^th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H is a must-have.

The 17.3″ Full HD, 144Hz refresh rate Notebook is a 6-Core Processor. It comes with a widescreen IPS LED-Backlit display, 3ms response time, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Graphics card. Plus, it has 6Gb of that amazing GDDR6 VRAM. This laptop is known for its high FPS rates to run heavy games, directional buttons, and articulate image tracing.

The red accent keyboard is a major aesthetic boost for the device, while the Nitro Sense key makes all the commands merely one touch away. You get a 16GB memory with an additional 256Gb NVMe SSD and an available Hard drive bay.

Another intriguing feature is Acer’s Cool Boost. It makes this monster 25% more efficient in cooling. When paired with a competitive sound edge of Acer True Harmony x Waves MaxxAudio, the laptop becomes unbeatable in the field of gaming and theatre mode.

However, the screen does wobble a little when you’re typing too fast, or the battle gets a bit fierce in your favorite game.

Buy Here: Amazon

3. 2019 HP Flagship Home and Business Laptop

Next in line, we have a good Business computer 1/3^rd the price of a Mac. This budget-friendly wide display is all ready to take over your workload without trying to make you bankrupt.

Weighing in 5.4 lbs, the laptop comes packed with an 8^th Gen Intel Core i5-8265U Quad-Core Processor. It serves a 17.3” HD display with an SVA BrightView WLED-Backlit display with a resolution (1600 x 900). It features Intel UHD Graphics 620 card.

This laptop is known for its exquisite keyboard. It is a full Island-style keyboard that comes with a Numeric Keypad. That’s not all; storage-wise, the system comes with 8GB DDR4 SDRAM and 254GB SSD on its hard drive. You can also add to your storage through its Micro SD Card Reader given at the side. Other ports on the side include 1 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x Integrated Speaker/ Microphone, 1 x HDMI and 1 x RJ-45.

You can charge it through its 41WHr 3-cell Lithium-ion Battery, and it works for a long time. However, the speaker quality could have been it. It gives off a rather a tin can vibe.

Buy Here: Amazon

4. DELL Inspiron 17 3793 2020

For all multi-tasking stans whose work mainly relies on typing or have work related to Accounting, this option might be the one for you.

The Dell Inspiron comes with an Intel Core i5-1035G1 1. 0 GHz, Turbo boost to 3. 60 GHz, 6MB Cache, 4 Cores, and 8 Threads. It supports Intel UHD Graphics with shared graphics memory, which allows it to flaunt great visuals.

As compared to others, the RAM for this option is 16GB, which allows you to multi-task. The 512GB SSD enables it to retrieve data faster, hence making it a more efficient device. The storage on this is impressive – a massive 1TB HDD provides great capacity.

It’s a strong built robust, long-lasting model ready for hardcore programming or website design. Drawback? A DVD drive is available, but considering the price, we expected some backlighting or a finger scanner, at least.

Buy Here: Amazon

5. Razer Blade Pro 17

Another gaming God in the 17-inch line is the Razer Blade Pro. This model is rather famous for its pristine and crisp display.

Raised from a thin CNC Aluminium unibody measuring 0.78”, it is known for its high powerhouse performance in vapor chamber cooling. It also supports SSD and Dual channel memory upgradeability. Further graphics can be implemented by the Thunderbolt 3 aspect, which is compatible with Razer Core X External GPU.

The showstopper display is an edge to edge 100% sRGB; factory calibrated matte screen along with a 144Hz refresh rate. You also get to customize RGB individual key lighting, as it comes with 16.8 million colors and dozens of pre-set profiles for you to explore.

Get complex creative tasks and sore tricky game levels backed with the laptop’s perfect display. The system also comes with Biometric security facial unlocking feature. The IR sensor lets you instantly connect to work without having to type in every time.

On the sides, connectivity is optimized through 1 Thunderbolt 3, 1 USB Type C, 3 USB Type A, an HDMI, Sd card reader, Wi-Fi 6, and a 2.5 Gbit Ethernet port. However, this is very expensive for the range of specs provided.

Buy Here: Amazon

Closing Remarks

All in all, a 17-inch laptop is a great way to get done with multi-task projects or heavy workload. All you need to keep an eye out for is that you get a proper bang for your buck. We have included user-specific and general home and office use models for you to explore. These products, along with our buyer’s guide, will help you make an informed decision. Thank you for reading!

Laptops are the go-to gadgets for working from home these days. But let’s face it, laptops are not the most comfortable without a supportive chair and suitable desk. It is of absolute importance that your workspace matches your comfort level. A fatigued back and cramping neck will only slow things down.

Therefore, getting the best ergonomic laptop stand is the ideal way to maximize your work efficiency. Thankfully, you do not have to invest in an expensive table or make space for one. With a good laptop stand, you can make it work even in the comfort of your bed.

So, to prevent you from developing a hunchback, we have gathered a list of ergonomic laptop stands for you. The models shown in this list provide just the right viewing height and add comfort to your daily work routine.

Buyer’s Guide to the Best Ergonomic Laptop Stand

The perfect ergonomic laptop stand should have some key features to make it worthy of being called the best.

Ergonomics
Hunching down to face your laptop screen will have a devastating effect on your cranial and cervical areas. To safeguard against any health problem, a safe screen distance and eye level must be sought. Especially when you are working for extended hours, the mount must allow you to work at different angles. Adjustable heights play a huge part when you switch between places to work. Therefore, a stand that successfully cancels body and mind fatigue to make it free for productivity is best.

Withstanding Ability
There are two kinds of weights that a laptop stand must be able to bear.

• The weight you will be exerting on the stand while working
• The weight of the laptop

If the model is a collapsible design, check for locking adjustment levels. This will help prevent the stand from buckling under the weight. A weighty laptop often causes the level settings to dislodge out of place. If you love to put a ton of weight on your device, choose a stand that has a more rigid structure.

Retention
To enjoy an ergonomic mount, the laptop should stay put. Find one with rubberized coatings on top and bottom of the mount. This will not only prevent your laptop from slipping on steeper angles but it will also keep your work surface scratch-free from the force exerted on the stand. Another way to keep the laptop anchored in place is to buy a mount that has stoppers on the front.

Now that we have provided a guide on how to choose a laptop stand for your needs, we will dive right into the list of the best ergonomic laptop stands available today.

Amazon Basics Ventilated Adjustable Laptop Computer Holder Desk Stand

Coming up first in the list, the ergonomic laptop stands by Amazon Basics benefit both parties. You get an improved posture through the stand’s elevated angle for comfortable typing. In addition, your laptop gets much-needed ventilation to cool off during long hours of work.

This stand is constructed from a collapsible metal mesh platform. This aids in drawing the heat away from your device and reducing crashing events. Moreover, the platform height can be adjusted from 12 to 35 degrees to suit your needs. The stand measures approximately 13 x 11 x 7.2 inches (L x W x H) at its maximum height. The stand also comes with a 6-slot cord organizer to prevent you from losing your focus to tangled wires.

To anchor the laptop in place, there are two stoppers on the platform at the front. This allows you to keep the laptop in position at even steeper angles. The ergonomic design has a solid, smooth base and a rigid structure. So, you can get creative anywhere, from the sofa to the table, without worrying about laptop positioning or odd angles.

The only downside is the stopper size. This may be slightly tall for some individuals and get in the way of typing. Other than that, Amazon Basics has a winner on their hands.

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon

Nulaxy Laptop Stand, Ergonomic Aluminum Mount

Our next favorite is an ergonomic aluminum mount for your laptop. This stand is fit to accommodate laptops of sizes ranging from 10 inches to 15.6 inches. The ergonomic design is a U-shaped contraption that has a detachable base bar. The open structure allows effortless heat ventilation, wherever the fans are placed on your laptop.

This sturdy mount has two vertical bars to place the laptop. These top and bottom surfaces are rubberized to ensure that the laptop does not skid when the bar is moved. The design uses sturdy protective hooks to prevent your laptop from falling towards you.

What makes this mount so great is its rigid and durable structure that promises a 6-inch rise in screen to match your eye level. What is more, the premium quality 5-mm aluminum alloy can bear a weight of up to 4 kg! For compact storage, the stand can be disassembled into three parts. Simply hook the pieces together to use the stand again.

The reason that this stand ranks second is its inability to adjust to different heights. Moreover, you may experience slight wobbling when using your keyboard.

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon

Nulaxy Laptop Stand, Ergonomic, Adjustable

Nulaxy’s second stand on our list is yet another stylish aluminum plate laptop mount. This model offers similar characteristics to the previous Nulaxy Mount. The difference lies in its adjustable height angles.

The Nulaxy C1 is a simple yet effective way to adjust laptop height to your eye level. This stand fits perfectly for standing desks, couches, and even your lap. Besides, it comes with dual adjustable shafts that support a raised flat platform with a small window, which allows heat dissipation to bring the temperature of your laptop down.

Silicone pads are attached at the top and bottom of the stand to hold your laptop in place and prevent scratches. According to the manufacturer, these high-quality metal and firm shafts can withstand a weight of around 44 lb.

This stand also comes with retention stops to prevent the laptop from sliding down when placed at a steeper angle. It has broad compatibility with different laptop models, ranging from 11 to 17 inches. The highest point of this stand measures up to 12.5 inches from the desktop.

As for downsides, the retention tags can hinder use of the laptop keyboard. If you are someone who puts a considerable amount of weight down on the keyboard when you type, then the angle may alter a little. Lastly, this item is more costly than the two mentioned before.

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon

KENTEVIN Laptop Stand

Next up, we have a budget-friendly ergonomic mount for you to look at. This laptop mount is designed from lightweight ABS. It has sturdy non-slip rubber surface pads so that your laptop does not budge.

This model also offers heat dissipation for prolonged productivity. The ‘X’ hollow layout allows proper airflow from the bottom and sides. Moreover, the ergonomic design of this stand helps prevent back and neck pains through eight adjustable height levels. You can adjust the height from 5.5 to 7 inches. Like a previous model on our list, this stand is also compatible with all laptops ranging from 10 to 15.6 inches.

The mount measures 9.8 x 10.7 x 0.9 inches (L x W x H) in dimensions. In addition, this stand can bear a weight of up to 44 lbs (20 kgs). The collapsible structure has an additional pull-out stand to place your phone or tablet into. This feature is great for multi-taskers who need to see different screens while working.

Another benefit of this mount is its 360-degree rotatable bottom design. This design permits you to share your creativity and discuss your work with your peers without moving the entire workstation.

However, heavier laptops do not stay ‘locked’ in place on lower height settings. Their weight tends to slide the adjustable knob out of place. The rotating disk also creates an annoying sound when turned, which can bother some users.

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon

Foldable Laptop Tablet Stand by Klsniur

The last worthy piece among the best ergonomic laptop stands that caught our attention is one by Klsniur. This model is yet another ergonomic mesh design that maximizes ventilation. This stand is compatible with laptops ranging from 10 to 15 inches (tablet, sketch board, MacBook, iMac, iPad, Lenovo, Dell, HP, etc.).

As for its structure, this stand is made from a durable metal mesh/A3 lightbox stand. The mount itself is quite robust and can support up to 12 kg without any problems. To keep your laptop from skidding, anti-slip feet come into play. They also keep the surface of your desk scratch-free. Furthermore, the ergonomics of this laptop stand allow eye-level balance from 26 to 30 degrees.

The design is portable and storage-friendly, as it is very lightweight and can collapse to fit in your bag. This mount also comes with many wire slots on both sides to keep all external gadgets organized.

However, this stand is not cut out for work on your lap or other soft surfaces. This is because this stand does not have a flat platform base. There are only two rods to support the entire frame, making it fit for a flat desk surface only.

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon

Final Thoughts

A good ergonomic laptop stand can change your life. With improved posture and fatigue prevention, a good laptop stand can aid you to work more comfortably and efficiently. We highly recommend these top five stands, as they stand out in durability and function among other available models. When your body and mind are at ease, you will generate more work output. That is all for now. Thank you for reading!

When it comes to buying a new laptop, it can be overwhelming when you’re confronted with a lot of technical jargon. If like most people you predominantly use your laptop for word processing, excel, and browsing the internet, then you don’t need anything too complicated.

But that doesn’t mean you can just use any old laptop, you still need something that is fast, reliable, and has a good amount of storage for all of your files. This is especially true if you produce large documents, as you don’t want to have to wait for your laptop to catch up as you’re typing. Or for any of your files to go missing.

If this laptop will be your main work device, then you definitely can’t afford to just buy the cheapest option. Many consider word processing and excel to be basic applications but really they are essential. And, as they are essential, they need to run efficiently which they can only do on a decent device.

So, to help you wade through all of the complicated devices out there, we’ve put together a list of the best laptops for word processing and excel. Read on to find the perfect match for your work.

Best Laptop For Word Processing And Excel – Reviews

Got lots of work to do and don’t have time to browse? No problem, here’s our top pick for the best laptop for word processing and excel.

1. ASUS VivoBook F510UA

Specifications at a Glance:

• Screen Size: 15.6”
• RAM: 8GB
• Hard Drive: 1000GB
• Overall Device Size: 14.2” x 9.6” x 0.8”
• Operating System: Windows 10 Home
• Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080
• Weight: 3.7lbs

Our top pick for the best laptop for word processing and excel is this ASUS VivoBook. It has a decent amount of RAM, a large hard drive, and is one of the more affordable options out there. It is by no means the cheapest, but it is worth the investment.

This laptop has quite a large display but is still sleek and relatively lightweight. This is a great option if you need a large display for work but also need something portable that will easily fit in a backpack. 

There is enough RAM for regular use of word processing and excel and also a large amount of hard drive space. This laptop also has an anti-glare display which will benefit your eyesight if you’re working on a screen for most of the day. 

This is a very standard device but it isn’t basic or cheap. It isn’t the most expensive option on this list, but it is also not the cheapest.

Pros

• Sleek design
• Anti-glare Full HD WideView display 
• Large hard drive
• Good RAM

Cons

• More expensive than average

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

ASUS VivoBook F510UA Thin and Lightweight 15.6” FHD WideView NanoEdge Laptop, Intel Core i5-7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB HDD, USB Type-C, Fingerprint Reader, Windows 10 – F510UA-AH50

• Powerful Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz (Turbo up to 3.1GHz) processor
• 14.2 Inches wide, 0.8 Inches thin and portable footprint with 0.3 Inches NanoEdge bezel for a stunning 80% screen to body ratio
• 15.6 inches anti glare Full HD 1920x1080 WideView display with ASUS Splendid software enhancement
• 8GB DDR4 RAM and 1TB HDD; Ergonomic chiclet keyboard with fingerprint sensor
• Comprehensive connections including USB 3.1 Type C (Gen1), USB 3.0, USB 2.0, and HDMI; Lightning fast 802.11ac Wi Fi keeps you connected through any congestion or interference.Bluetooth 4.1

Buy on Amazon

2. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th Generation Ultrabook

Specifications at a Glance:

• Screen Size: 14”
• Hard Drive Size: 512GB
• RAM: 8GB/16GB
• Overall Device Size: 8.55” x 12.74” x 0.59”
• Operating System: Windows 10
• Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080
• Weight: 4.6lbs
• Color(s): Black

If you’re looking for a laptop that does the basics and isn’t too fancy and complicated, then this is the best choice for you. It is a little on the expensive side but just because you only need the basics, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get something that is good quality and durable. 

When it comes to word processing and excel, RAM is important but the hard drive size even more so. With this device, you have a choice between 8GB and 16GB, but with only 512GB of hard drive storage. So you can make the decision about how much work you will likely need to save on there and how many other applications you may need open at one time.

If you’re looking for a work device, this is a great choice due to its anti-glare display. Glare can be damaging on the eyes and can cause them to strain and become tired. If you have no choice but to stare at a screen all day, then it’s worth investing in one that will give you some protection.

If this is going to be a work device, it’s likely going to spend a lot of time around many cups of tea and coffee. But this laptop has been through 200 tests that have determined its durability in extremes from Arctic weather to desert storms. So you can be sure that your coffee won’t be much of a match against this device.

Pros

• Fingerprint sensor unlock
• 18-hour battery life
• Extremely durable

Cons

• Low hard drive size
• Heavier than average
• Expensive

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

Sale

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th Generation Ultrabook: Core i7-8565U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 14" FHD Display, Backlit Keyboard

• Intel Core i7-8565U Processor 1. 8GHz, Up to 4. 6GHz Turbo, Quad Core
• 14" Anti-glare LED Backlit IPS FHD (1920 x 1080) Display
• 16GB LPDDR3 2133MHz RAM, 512GB Solid State Drive
• Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint Reader, Windows 10
• Intel Integrated 620 Graphics, HDMI, 802. 11 Wireless-AC

Buy on Amazon

3. Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM Notebook

Specifications at a Glance:

• Screen Size: 15.6”
• Hard Drive Size: 1000GB
• RAM: 4GB
• Overall Device Size: 10.2” x 15.02” x 1.19”
• Operating System: Windows 10
• Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080
• Weight: 5.27lbs
• Color(s): Black

This laptop is by far (at the time of writing) the most affordable option on this list. If you only need a laptop for browsing the internet and producing the odd document, then you probably don’t want to spend a lot of money.

This is a great option as it has a good-sized screen and has a decent amount of hard drive space. It only has 4GB of RAM, but if you’re an infrequent user, you don’t really need much more than this.

At over 5lbs, it is a little on the heavier side. It is of course portable, but may not be the easiest to carry around and take in and out of a bag. If you’re not using it for work and don’t expect to take it out of your house all that often then the weight shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

Overall, this is a simple device that has a good amount of storage space for someone who is an infrequent user.

Pros

• Affordable
• Good size screen
• Good battery life
• Big hard drive storage size

Cons

• Small RAM
• Heavy

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM 15.6-Inch Full HD Notebook (Intel Core i3-7100U Processor 7th Generation , 4GB DDR4, 1TB 5400RPM Hard Drive, Intel HD Graphics 620, Windows 10 Home), Obsidian Black

• 7th Generation Intel Core i3-7100U Processor (2.4GHz, 3MB L3 cache)
• 15.6" Full HD Widescreen ComfyView LED-backlit Display supporting Acer ColorBlast technology
• 4GB DDR4 Memory, 1TB 5400RPM HDD
• Windows 10 Home
• Up to 12-hours Battery Life

Buy on Amazon

4. Microsoft Surface Laptop 3

Specifications at a Glance:

• Screen Size: 13.5”/15”
• Hard Drive: 256GB
• RAM: 8GB/16GB
• Overall Device Size: 14.6” x 13.18” x 3.2”
• Operating System: Windows 10 Home
• Weight: 2.6lbs
• Color(s): Cobalt Blue/Matte Black/Platinum/Sandstone

If the appearance and color of your laptop are just as important to you as how much storage is available, then this is the choice for you.

That said, don’t be distracted by the sleek design and multiple colors available. This laptop has a lot more going for it than just looking good. This laptop’s sleek design looks great but is also practical. At just 2.6lbs, it is incredibly lightweight and will be easy to carry around. It will easily slip into your bag and you will barely know it’s there.

Although it is lightweight, it still has a good-sized touchscreen display. You may be wondering why you would need a touchscreen if most of what you do is reading and producing documents and spreadsheets. But having the touchscreen available even just for scrolling is a game-changer. Being able to easily scroll through a document will make reading so much easier. 

Pros

• Lightweight
• Sleek design
• Available in multiple colors
• Touchscreen
• Choice of sizes
• Available with 8GB or 16GB

Cons

• Poor battery life
• More expensive than average

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

Sale

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 – 13.5" Touch-Screen – Intel Core i5 - 8GB Memory - 128GB Solid State Drive (Latest Model) – Platinum with Alcantara

• Clean, elegant design — Thin and light, starting at just 2.79 pounds, Surface Laptop 3 is easy to carry
• Choose from rich tone-on-tone color combinations: New Sandstone, plus Matte Black, Cobalt Blue, and Platinum
• Improved speed and performance to do what you want, with the latest processors – Surface Laptop 3 is up to two times faster than surface Laptop 2
• More ways to connect, with USB-C and USB-A ports for connecting to displays, docking stations and more, as well as accessory charging
• All-day power on the go, with up to 11.5 hours of battery life, plus standby time when you’re away. Go from empty to a full battery with fast charging - up to 80% in about 1 hour

Buy on Amazon

5. Dell XPS 15 9500

Specifications at a Glance:

• Screen Size: 15.6”/13.4”
• RAM: 16GB/32GB
• Hard Drive: 1000GB
• Overall Device Size: 13.57” x 9.06” x 0.71”
• Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
• Display Resolution: 3840 x 2400
• Weight: 4.5lbs

Dell computers are renowned for their durability and are the gold standard for office equipment. If the device you’re looking for will primarily be used for work, a Dell laptop is a reliable choice. 

Depending on the kind of offices you have worked in, you may be more accustomed to older, clunkier Dell devices. But this Dell XPS 15 9500 is incredibly sleek and modern in both style and substance. 

Despite its sleek design, there is no compromise when it comes to space with this laptop. If you’re constantly peering at a small laptop all day, then you’re eyes are going to become tired and your back will surely ache. With a 15.6” display, you will be able to see your work clearly and be able to split-screen without worrying about not being able to properly see what you’re working on.

But, if you need something a little smaller and more portable, this laptop is also available with a 13.4” display.

Pros

• Startup sensor
• Touchscreen
• Large screen
• A large amount of RAM as standard
• Multiple display size options
• Choice of 16GB or 32GB

Cons

• Expensive
• Heavy

Buy‌ ‌Here:‌ ‌‌Amazon‌ ‌

New Dell XPS 15 9500 15.6 inch UHD+ Touchscreen Laptop (Silver) Intel Core i7-10750H 10th Gen, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, Nvidia GTX 1650 Ti with 4GB GDDR6, Window 10 Pro (XPS9500-7845SLV-PUS)

• Enjoy a 16:10 display that features a stunning edge-to-edge view, now with 922k more pixels on 4K Ultra HD+.
• Equipped with 100% Adobe RGB, 94% DCI-P3 color gamut, VESA certified DisplayHDR 400, and Dolby Vision, this display delivers more than 16 million ultra-vivid colors that are 40 times brighter than ever before
• With a 62% larger touchpad, 5% larger screen, and 5.6% smaller footprint, every element is carefully considered—from its inlayed stainless logos to its high-polished diamond-cut sidewalls
• Integrated Eyesafe display technology helps reduce harmful blue light.
• Corning Gorilla Glass 6 is tough, damage resistant, durable, elegant and allows for no flex in its display

Buy on Amazon

Best Laptop For Word Processing And Excel Buyers Guide

Size

When it comes to choosing your laptop, size is definitely one of the most important factors to consider. You obviously need a laptop that is easy to carry around and fit in your bag, but that’s not the only thing to think about.

Consider the work you do on a daily basis. When it comes to using Word and Excel, do you regularly need multiple windows open next to each other at once? For this, you obviously need a large screen. Even though you can of course split the screen on a smaller device, it will be difficult to see the text and data properly which can lead to mistakes.

Alongside this, you also need to consider the resolution. It is easy to assume that all laptops will have the same HD resolution, but this isn’t entirely true. If you’re going to be staring at words and numbers on a screen all day, you need something that will show them in a clear, sharp focus.

Not only will this make your work easier, but it will also be kinder on your eyes. Staring at a screen all day isn’t good for anyone, especially if your work involves reading, writing, and analyzing data.

RAM vs Hard Drive

If you primarily use your laptop for word processing and excel, then you’re going to need to focus on the hard drive storage over RAM. Of course, both are important but if you produce a large number of documents then you’re going to need a large amount of space to store them.

Your RAM will be useful for research and unsaved documents so you can’t afford to be too unconcerned with it. But it doesn’t need to be your primary focus. For a device that will be used every day for work, then you’re still going to need between 8GB and 16GB. But, if you’re only going to use it every now and then, 4GB should be enough.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do laptops come with Microsoft Word?

This depends on the laptop but a lot don’t. You will likely have to purchase Microsoft Office when you buy a new laptop or sign in to your account if you have already paid. You can do this with a one-off payment every year or a monthly subscription. If you’re a student or still in school, then your organization may provide you with a free or discounted subscription.

There are alternatives as you can use Microsoft Word online or use the applications on Google Drive. But, most organizations will expect work to be produced using Microsoft Office and they are the standard tools that most people use. It’s entirely up to you, but always make sure to double-check exactly what is included with your laptop. 

Should I buy a Notebook or a laptop?

This entirely depends on the kind of work you do. Notebooks are generally sleeker and smaller than the average laptop (hence their name). If you primarily use your device to look at one screen at a time when you’re on the go, then a notebook could be a good idea. 

If you usually work on a desktop computer, then this is a great way of having your work on a more portable device. A notebook can be easily slipped into a bag and taken out anywhere, such as on a train or in a cafe. Laptops are bigger and are intended to be your primary device.