There's no such thing as a universal best laptop. Whether a laptop works well for you — and there could be several that fit the bill— is a largely subjective decision that comes down to your primary use cases, your preferred operating system, and your budget.
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, after spending countless hours reviewing popular laptops, we can confidently point you in the right direction of the best laptops that stand out for meeting important, impartial standards for performance and build quality.
We think these laptops will serve most people well, and at the very least, we think they can be useful archetypes within different categories of computers (from MacBooks to Windows PCs, budget laptops, gaming laptops, and Chromebooks). Don't start from square one if you don't have to, you know?
Keep reading for Mashable's hands-on tested 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.
Best deals on laptops this week
- Dell XPS 13 9315 Intel i7 512GB SSD 8GB RAM 13.4" Laptop — $699.00 (List Price 999.00)
- Dell Inspiron 15 3520 Intel i7 1TB SSD 16GB RAM 15.6" Laptop — $519.99 (List Price 699.99)
- Lenovo Yoga 7 Ryzen 7 1TB SSD 16GB RAM 14" 2-in-1 Laptop — $864.99 (List Price 999.99)
- Dell G15 Intel i7 RTX 4060 1TB SSD 16GB RAM 15.6" Laptop — $999.99 (List Price 1199.99)
- Asus ROG Zephyrus Ryzen 9 RTX 4060 1TB SSD 14" Laptop — $1,299.99 (List Price 1599.99)