The best laptops of 2024, tested and approved by Mashable’s experts
Choosing the best laptop is a largely subjective decision that comes down to your primary use cases, your preferred operating system, and your budget. In other words, there’s no such thing as a universally best laptop.
This is an annoying fact of life for both laptop shoppers and those of us doling out “best laptop” recommendations, since we can’t make custom judgment calls for everyone in need of a new machine. (I would love to, but I’ve got a thing after this.) However, I can confidently point you in the right direction of some standouts that I and other members of the Mashable team have vetted and approved.
Our top picks
As of Nov. 2024, Mashable’s top laptop overall is the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, a sophisticated Copilot+ PC with incredible performance, an unrivaled battery life of nearly 23 hours, and some fun AI features (if you’re into that sort of thing).
If you’re a card-carrying member of Team Apple, the best MacBook we’ve tested to date is the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air, which is a sleek, peppy notebook with a scrumptious keyboard and closed-lid support for two external displays. We currently recommend the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro as the best laptop for photo and video editing — it’s fast, well-made, and long-lasting — but that will likely change soon with this month’s launch of M4-series models. Stay tuned for our review.
For users on a budget, the best cheap laptop we’ve tested is the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, which has a premium, ultra-portable design and an excellent keyboard. If you’re trying to spend less than $ 500, look into the HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch: With a large, colorful display, cool everyday performance, and some useful AI features, it’s the best Chromebook we’ve used.
Among gaming laptops, the Alienware m16 R2 leads the pack. It’s a super snappy mid-ranger that’s capable of being toned down for everyday use when you’re done playing Cyberpunk 2077.
The best laptops we’ve tried also include two unique 2-in-1 devices. Creative professionals would be served well by the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2, a sturdy 2-in-1 with a decent battery life and a pull-forward design that can turn it into an easel, while heavy multitaskers should look further into the latest Asus Zenbook Duo. It features two beautiful OLED displays, performs well for its price point, and includes free accessories like a stylus and a detachable keyboard.
After spending countless hours reviewing laptops across popular brands, we’ve decided to recommend these models because they’re well-made, powerful enough for their respective use cases, and priced fairly (or easy to find on sale). At the very least, we think they can be useful archetypes within different categories of computers. Don’t start from square one if you don’t have to, you know?
What’s on deck
Along with an M4-series MacBook Pro, we have reviews in the pipeline for several laptops: the new Dell XPS 13, a Lunar Lake model with an optional tandem OLED display; the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34, a cheap Chromebook; the HP Omen 17, a strapping gaming laptop; and the latest Framework Laptop 13, a modular laptop. (The previous-gen Framework Laptop 13 used to be featured in this guide as Mashable’s favorite repairable laptop.) I’ll update this story once we’ve finished testing them.
The scoop on Black Friday laptop deals
If you’re particularly hung up on the “budget” part of laptop shopping, know that Black Friday season is the best time to buy a laptop if you’re hunting for a good deal. With Black Friday proper scheduled for Nov. 29 this year — an unusually late time slot — many retailers are treating all of this month like a free-for-all.
As someone who’s covered Black Friday sales for Mashable since 2019, I expect to see most of the best Black Friday laptop deals pop up at Best Buy — possibly including sizable price drops on new Lunar Lake Copilot+ PCs and M4 MacBook Pros. (The M3 generation will likely hit new record lows.) Amazon will probably price-match its competitor on models from popular brands like Apple, Microsoft, LG, Acer, and Asus, with Walmart filling the gap on lower-priced gaming laptops and Chromebooks.
Cross-checking Black Friday laptop deals across retailers (and manufacturers’ DTC sites) will be your best line of defense against overpaying. Keep in mind, too, that stores like Best Buy and Target offer holiday price match guarantees, in case something you buy gets cheaper later in the season. If you don’t want to sift through the sea of sales yourself, though, I’ll also be tracking the top Black Friday laptop deals myself.
Read on for Mashable’s in-depth guide to the best laptops of 2024. FYI: We’ve listed the pricing and specs of our testing units, which may not apply to each laptop’s base model.