The best laptop 2024: top portable picks for all budgets (2024)

Image

1

of

6

Processor: Apple M3

Screen size: 13.6-inch

RAM: 8GB - 24GB

Storage: 256GB - 2TB

Battery life (TechRadar test): 14 hours and 19 minutes

Size: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches (304 x 215 x 11.3mm)

Weight: 2.7 lbs (1.24kg)

The latest MacBook Air sticks to the same design as the previous M2 model - but that's fine with us. It has a stylish and modern look that's easy to carry around and comfortable to work on. This does mean that port selection remains limited, which won't be a deal breaker for many people, but if you have lots of peripherals you need to plug in, you'll want to invest in a USB-C hub or look into getting a MacBook Pro.

The new MacBook Air comes with the latest M3 chip - and there are actually two versions you can buy: a base model with an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, and a more powerful version with an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. The base model also comes with 8GB of memory, which is quite low by today's standards. If you have the budget we recommend configuring the MacBook Air (M3) to come with more memory, up to a maximum of 24GB. While reviewing the MacBook Air (M3), we found it to perform brilliantly, with macOS booting fast and running smoothly, even with multiple apps open at once.

Apple claims the MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) can last up to 18 hours watching Apple TV shows and 15 hours browsing the internet, though in our battery life benchmark tests (which involve playing a looped 1080p video) the 13-inch MacBook Air lasted a bit less than that, at 14 hours and 19 minutes. That's an excellent time for a laptop of this power, however it is slightly less than the previous model lasted in the same tests, which could suggest the bump in performance has come at the cost of efficiency.

The MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) starts at $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,799. This is slightly higher than the older M1 MacBook Air’s launch price of $999 / £999 / AU$1,599. However, this is less than the M2 model's launch price, which began at $1,199 / £1,249 / AU$1,899 when it launched in 2022. It's great to see prices go down, rather than up, with new models, though it should be noted that with the launch of the M3 model, the M2 model is still being sold by Apple for a new, lower price of $999 / £999 / AU$1,599. So, if you want real value for money when buying a MacBook, the M2 model is now the one to go for.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Expert Verdict

Image

1

of

5

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen2

Screen size: 13.3-inch

RAM: 8GB

Storage: 128GB

Battery life (TechRadar test): 16 hours 20 minutes

Size: 12.04 x 7.35 x 0.28 inches (305.86 x 186.74 x 7.23mm)

Weight: 2.24lbs (1.02kg)

The Duet 5 Chromebook's keyboard is Ultrabook-worthy in quality and comfort, and it can be easily detached, turning the Duet 5 into a tablet-like device.Meanwhile, the magnetized backplate on the Duet 5 Chromebook has a small clip to house a Lenovo Active Pen stylus, even though the stylus isn't included in the box. The best thing about the design, however, is the gorgeous 1080p OLED display, which offers exceptional image quality - especially considering the price.

When it comes to general web browsing, video streaming, and basic productivity use, the Duet 5 does exactly what you want it to do without so much as a hiccup. Its CPU is upgraded to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen2 processor, which is a step up from the last model, and the 8GB of RAM is a decent amount for a Chromebook, keeping things running very smoothly.

While Chromebooks on average get about 10 hours of life on a fully-charged battery, the Lenovo Duet 5 lasted a huge 16 hours. This is a drop from the previous model (which managed over 20 hours), which is disappointing.

As far as Chromebooks and 2-in-1 laptops go, this is hands down the best value you're going to find in a portable device of its kind. When it launched, it was more expensive than its predecessor, but over time, its price has dropped, making it superb value for money.However, it would be even better value for money if a stylus was included. If you want to make the most out of this Chromebook, you’ll need to spend a bit more money for a compatible stylus.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Expert Verdict

Image

1

of

5

Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7

Screen size: 14.5-inch

RAM: 16GB - 64GB

Storage: 512GB - 4TB

Battery life (TechRadar test): 9 hours 35 minutes

Size: 12.59 x 8.5 x 0.74 inches (320 x 215.98 x 19mm)

Weight: 3.97lbs (1.80kg)

You're not going to find a better looking Windows 11 laptop than the Dell XPS 14. It is thin, light and even comes with a microSD port - something many other lightweight laptops don't bother with. It feels solid and dependable, while looking like a thoroughly modern laptop. This doesn't revolutionize laptop design, but it does perfect it - especially if you upgrade the screen to OLED. The only downside is that during our review we found that the keyboard isn't the most comfortable to work on.

The Dell XPS 14 takes the latest MacBook Pro 14-inch with M3 Pro chip head-on, and pretty much beats it, especially with light gaming performance, and it's about a draw when it comes to creative tasks thanks to theIntel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU paired with an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, which is in the model that we reviewed. Having a dedicated GPU in such a svelte laptop is certainly impressive, and it proves that you don't have to ditch Windows 11 for macOS if you want a thin and light laptop for doing creative work on.

In our battery life benchmark, we found the XPS 14 lasted over nine and a half hours - a huge improvement on the previous generation XPS 13 Plus. Thanks to the efficiency improvements that Intel made with the new Core Ultra 7 155H CPU that powers the XPS 14, you get a laptop that has a larger screen, is more powerful and has more battery life than the XPS 13 Plus. That's impressive stuff, and while it can't match the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which lasted around eight hours longer in the same tests, it'll see you through an entire work day.

Starting at $1,499 / £1,599 / AU$2,999, this is a very pricey laptop. For the money you get some excellent specs, including an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor with integrated Arc graphics, 16GB LPDDR5x memory, 512GB M.2 PCIe SSD storage, and a 14.5-inch full HD+ display. As with many of Dell's products, you can configure the XPS 14 with more powerful components and a better screen, but be warned that this makes the already-steep price even higher. You won't need to buy another laptop for a long, long time, but it'll still be hard to justify for many people.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Expert Verdict

Image

1

of

3

Processor: Intel Core i5

Screen size: 14-inch

RAM: 8GB

Storage: 512GB

Battery life (TechRadar test): 6 hours 37 minutes

Size: 0.71 x 12.9 x 8.8 inches (18 x 327.7 x 223.5mm)

Weight: 3.75lb (1.7kg)

The Acer Aspire 5 won't win any design or innovation awards, but it offers you a solid, dependable laptop design that will at least feel familiar. Weighing 1.7kg and measuring 18mm thick, it's a laptop you can easily carry around with you. We didn't love the L-shaped power connector in our review, however, which sticks out a bit when plugged in.

The Acer Aspire 5 doesn't wow when it comes to performance - but nor does it disappoint. This is a solid and dependable laptop that you can rely on for your day-to-day needs. However, gaming is out of the question with the base model, which comes with integrated graphics. However, you can buy a model with a dedicated GPU, and this offers improved graphical performance - but don't expect to play demanding games on this thing.

In our review we found the Acer Aspire 5 lasted around six and a half hours on battery. While this isn't awful, there are cheap laptops out there, especially Chromebooks, which offer much longer battery life. So, you'll likely want to bring its charging cable with you when you're out and about.

As you might expect from a laptop we consider to be the best budget device money can buy, the Acer Aspire 5 offers excellent value for money, going for around $600 in the US and £500 in the UK. Even at that low price you get good performance, a nice design and 1080p screen.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Expert Verdict

Image

1

of

6

Processor: Apple M2

Screen size: 13.6-inch

RAM: 8GB - 24GB

Storage: 256GB - 2TB

Battery life (TechRadar test): 16 hours 6 minutes

Size: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches (304.1 x 215 x 11.3mm)

Weight: 2.7lbs (1.24kg)

After years of sticking to a safe tried-and-tested design, Apple finally gave the MacBook Air a much-needed makeover with this model. It’s thinner and lighter than before, making it more portable, and by slimming down the bezels around the screen, it’s allowed Apple to include a larger display without making it bulky. The screen is bright and vibrant, and the new modern look and new color options makes the MacBook Air (M2) one of the best looking laptops you can buy, even a few years after its launch. The newer M3 model keeps the same design, so the M2 MacBook Air still feels modern.

During my time reviewing the MacBook Air, it delivered incredible performance across the board. It quickly boots into macOS, and apps run smoothly (and look fantastic on the improved display). I loved that even when browsing the web in both Safari and Chrome with lots of tabs open, the MacBook Air (M2) kept up, though the 8GB of memory that comes with the base model a bit too limited. Meanwhile, thanks to the redesigned keyboard, whipping up documents and composing emails feel effortless and comfortable.

In TechRadar’s battery benchmark tests, the MacBook Air 13-inch (M2) lasted a huge 16 hours on battery while playing a 1080p video – that's a 30-minute improvement over the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022), and five hours longer than the MacBook Air (M1, 2020). This laptop will last you throughout an entire workday or on a long-haul flight, and then some. It's not the longest life you'll find in a MacBook - the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max) almost hits 24 hours on a single charge.

The MacBook Air launched at $1,199 / £1,249 / AU$1,899, a substantial leap from the older MacBook Air’s launch price. However, with the launch of the M3 MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Air (M2) is now officially on sale for $999 / $999 / AU$1,599 - making it much better value for money, and arguably selling for the price it should have launched at. Even better, if you're a student with an appropriate ID, you can get it for $899 / £899 / AU$1,439. For that price you're not going to get a better laptop.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Expert Verdict

Image

1

of

7

Processor: Intel Core i3

Screen size: 15.6-inch

RAM: 8GB

Storage: 128GB

Battery life (TechRadar test): 5 hours and 13 minutes

Size: 14.2 x 9.39 x 0.79 inches (360.6 x 238.5 x 19.99 mm)

Weight: 3.7 lbs (1.68 kg)

The design of the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is pretty straightforward, with a gray body and Google logo, and while that might not make it the most interesting of laptops, it's solidly built and dependable. The 15-inch screen makes it comfortable to work on, though it also means the overall size of the laptop is quite large.

As far as Chromebooks go, the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is an excellent performer, with the Chrome OS operating system booting quickly, while apps run impressively smoothly. It feels fast and responsive - something you wouldn't be able to say about many Windows 11 laptops at this price. For day-to-day tasks, including document creation, emails and video calls, the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 performs very well - though you are limited to apps built for Chrome OS or Android. This is an important consideration when buying the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 - or any Chromebook for that matter - as a lot of applications for Windows or macOS won’t run. The good news is that there are a growing number of Chrome OS versions, and some decent alternatives, and being able to run Android apps gives you even more choice. However, there is also a chance that a piece of software you rely on every day on a traditional laptop may not have a version for Chromebooks, so make sure you do a bit of research before you buy.

Usually the battery lives of Chromebooks are one of their main selling points, but in our tests, the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 only lasted a disappointing five hours and 13 minutes. While that's not ridiculously low, it is surprisingly short for a Chromebook, which is a shame.

The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 offers exceptional value for money. Selling for $399.99 / £399.99, it's an affordable laptop that punches well above its weight. While we recommend it for working from home, it's also a great choice for students or anyone who wants a budget laptop but doesn't want to make compromises on performance.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Expert Verdict

Image

1

of

9

Processor: Apple M3 Pro - M3 Max

Screen size: 16-inch

RAM: 18GB - 128GB

Storage: 512GB - 8TB

Battery life (TechRadar test): 24 hours and 35 minutes

Size: 14.01 x 9.77 x 0.66 inches (356 x 248 x 17mm)

Weight: 4.7 lbs (2.2kg)

Design-wise, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Pro/M3 Max) doesn't deviate from its predecessor. There is, however, a new color option, called Space Black, that's apparently made with a material with an anodization seal that's designed to minimizes fingerprint retention, helping you maintain a clean laptop.

Our independent benchmark tests showed a hefty leap in performance between the M3 Max and M1 Max MacBook Pro 16-inches. We saw a good 35% increase in single core and a considerable 69% increase in multi-core CPU performance in Geekbench 6. You should, therefore, see a noticeable time reduction when completing workloads, specifically graphics-intensive ones. The MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 Max's performance makes workloads fast, fluid and incredibly seamless, especially for creatives. At the moment, the M3 Pro and M3 Max remain Apple’s most powerful chips, but if you’re concerned that they might be outdated soon I don’t blame you. They came out less than a year after the M2 Pro and M2 Max, and Apple has recently released the M4 chip in the iPad Pro. While the M4 doesn’t reach the performance levels of the M3 Pro or M3 Max, it does suggest we may see an M4 Pro and M4 Max, along with updated MacBook Pros, sooner rather than later. However, even if these do arrive soon, I believe that it won’t mean the current MacBook Pros will suddenly feel underpowered.

Apple promises up to 22 hours of video playback, and 15 hours of web browsing on a single charge for the MacBook Pro 16-inch, with what it says is the "longest battery life ever in a Mac". The good news is that those claims are pretty spot on, as I found that in our battery life benchmark test, where I ran a looped 1080p video until the MacBook Pro turned off, the battery lasted over 24 hours. Considering the power on offer here, that's extremely impressive.

The MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Pro/M3 Max) is an incredibly ambitious laptop both in terms of hardware and design, and it’s aimed at creative professionals who need powerful mobile hardware. Yes, it's an expensive laptop - but if you need all that power, it's well worth paying for it.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Expert Verdict

Image

1

of

7

Processor: Intel Core i7

Screen size: 2 x 13.3-inch

RAM: 16GB

Storage: 512GB - 1TB

Battery life (TechRadar test): 12 hours 13 minutes

Size: 0.63 x 11.78 x 8.03 inches (15.95 x 299.1 x 203.9mm)

Weight: 3.15lbs (1.34kg)

We completely fell in love with the Yoga Book 9i when we reviewed it. The dual-screen design works brilliantly, and it's one of the few dual-screen laptops that doesn't feel like a gimmick. Instead, it can really help your productivity - either by giving you more space to work on (like a multi-monitor setup on a desk would), and by allowing you to work on it in several modes, so you can choose the most useful and comfortable mode depending on what you're working on. However, this dual-screen design won’t be for everyone, and it makes the price tag a lot higher than most traditional laptops with the same kind of specs. For people with smaller spaces (and budgets), and are happy enough with the traditional ‘clamshell’ laptop form factor, then I recommend saving yourself a lot of money and looking at something like the Dell XPS 14 instead.

The Intel Core i7-1355U processor of the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i offers an excellent balance between strong day-to-day performance and efficiency. Efficiency is especially important for thin and light laptops like the Yoga Book 9i, as it means they don't so easily overheat when being used - a worry for some thin laptops due to lack of space in the body for air to circulate. The OLED screens also look brilliant.

The efficient processor doesn't just keep the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i cool, it also means that despite having two OLED screens, battery life isn't too bad at all. In our review, we found that it lasted almost nine and a half hours during our battery life tests, and if you turn off one screen, that jumps up to just over 12 hours.

Let's be blunt: this is an expensive laptop, with a launch price of $1,999 / £2,299.99 / AU$4,299, and it's unlikely to drop in price any time soon. Its dual screens and premium design does mean the high price is understandable, but there's no escaping the fact that its price could put a lot of people off.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Expert Verdict

Image

1

of

7

Processor: AMD Ryzen 9

Screen size: 14-inch

RAM: 16GB - 32GB

Storage: 1TB

Battery life (TechRadar test): 3 hours and 54 minutes

Size: 12.23 x 8.97 x 0.70 inches (310.7 x 228 x 17.99mm)

Weight: 4.05lbs (1.84kg)

Razer makes some of the best thin and light laptops on the market, including the Razer Blade 14 (2023). Razer has done a great job of including high-end specs like the Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card, while keeping the overall weight and thickness down - it weighs just four pounds, and with the 14-inch screen, the Razer Blade 14 proves that gaming laptops don't have to be big and bulky.

The Razor Blade 14 (2023) offers superb performance when gaming, allowing you to play even the most demanding games, such as Cyberpunk 2077 at their highest settings, while maintaining high frame rates. The 14-inch screen comes with a high 240Hz refresh, and that combined with the RTX 4070 GPU ensures your games feel fast and responsive. We really can't fault the performance of the Razer Blade 14 in any way.

According to Razer, the Razer Blade 14 (2023) should offer up to 10 hours of battery life, but in our review, we found it was more like eight hours when using it for day-to-day work. When you start playing games on it, the battery struggles to make it past four hours - so you'll want to have this plugged in.

Razer's reputation for expensive laptops is well deserved here. Despite it being a 14-inch laptop, its starting price point of $2,399 / £2,499.99 / AU$4,499 will be far too high for many people, though remember this is a gaming laptop with some of the best components you can currently buy.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Expert Verdict

Image

1

of

7

Processor: Intel Core i5 - i9

Screen size: 17-inch

RAM: 16GB - 64GB

Storage: 512GB - 8TB

Battery life (TechRadar test): 9 hours 5 minutes

Size: 0.77 x 14.74 x 9.76 inches (19.50 x 374.45 x 248.05mm)

Weight: 5.37lbs (2.44kg)

The Dell XPS 17 looks and feels extremely premium thanks to its machined aluminum body. Thin bezels surround the display, giving it a modern look while also keeping the overall size of the laptop as compact as possible. This isn't a laptop you can comfortably carry around in a small bag, mind you, but Dell has done a great job of making sure it's not big or bulky.

This is an excellent performer, packed with high-end components from Intel and Nvidia. Day to day tasks feel fast and responsive, and heavy creative workloads, such as 3D rendering and 4K video editing, are handled well. If you want a powerful workstation laptop with a large screen for creative work, and you don't fancy the MacBook Pro 16-inch (which is also in this guide), then this is an excellent alternative.

Powerful laptops with large screens often suffer from poor battery life, but thanks to the efficient hardware in the Dell XPS 17, it avoids that fate. During our review, we found that for watching videos and web browsing, it'll last just under 10 hours on a single charge, meaning you can use it unplugged for a whole workday - though heavier workloads will see the battery deplete faster.

The Dell XPS 17 (9730) starts at $1,599 / £2,698.99 / AU$4,398.90, though the base model varies depending on location. This is certainly pricey for a laptop, though you do get good specs, a large screen and thin and light design for your money. If you configure it with more powerful components, expect the price to rise even further.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Expert Verdict

Image

1

of

6

Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7

Screen size: 14-inch / 16-inch

RAM: 16GB

Storage: 512GB

Battery life (TechRadar test): 13 hours and 54 minutes

Size: 12.30 x 8.81 x 0.46 inches (312.3 x 223.8 x 11.6 mm)

Weight: 2.71lbs (1.23kg)

If the design looks familiar to you, then that's because the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro features a look that's heavily influenced by the MacBook Air. This isn't particularly bad, especially for people who love the look of Apple's laptops, but want to stick with Windows 11, but it also means it's hard to get too excited about the look of this laptop. One thing we do love, however, is the gorgeous AMOLED screen that really makes images look bright and vibrant. It's also a touchscreen - something you won't get on a MacBook.

The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro offers excellent performance curtesy of the new Intel Core Ultra 7, which is Intel's latest mobile CPU and means this laptop can power through pretty much any task you throw at it - though don't go expecting it to play games on its integrated graphics. The screen is the real star of the show, however, and makes working on this laptop a joy. However, while the screen is also great for watching movies and TV shows on, unfortunately the built-in speakers aren’t as good, leading to tinny sound quality. If you want audio to go with the spectacular visuals, you’ll want to connect some external speakers.

Last year's Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra did a lot of things right, but its battery life was very disappointing. Thankfully, the new Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro is a massive improvement, offering over 10 hours of life on a single charge.

As a Samsung Galaxy product, you should expect a premium price tag, and while the $1,449 / £1,599 puts it above the base MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) model, it offers better specs, a larger SSD and a better display as well thanks to AMOLED technology. It's not cheap, but you get a lot for your money.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Expert Verdict

Image

1

of

5

Processor: Intel Core i7 - i9

Screen size: 15.6-inch

RAM: 16GB - 32GB

Storage: 1TB

Battery life (TechRadar test): 2 hours 39 minutes

Size: 14.13 x 10.20 x 0.98 inches (359 x 259 x 25mm)

Weight: 4.96lbs (2.25kg)

The MSI Katana 15 isn't an ugly gaming laptop, but the design does feel a bit old fashioned. This is a bulky, heavy gaming laptop, rather than a thin and light model, but that's the price you pay for a more affordable gaming laptop - you're not going to get premium designs and build quality here, though the Katana 15 doesn't feel like it would easily break. The 15.6-inch 1080p screen does the job well, and with a high 144Hz refresh rate, competitive games in particular feel fast and responsive.

While you definitely shouldn't expect to play the latest games at their very highest settings, the MSI Katana 15 does a very good job. The 1080p screen means that the RTX 4050 GPU, Nvidia's lower-mid-range graphics card, isn't put under too much stress, and slightly older games, such as Far Cry 6, can hit over 80fps (frames per second) at Ultra settings. Considering that game remains an impressive graphical showcase proves that the MSI Katana 15 can certainly punch above its weight. Considering the relatively affordable price tag, you'll be very impressed with the performance on offer here.

Gaming laptops often struggle to offer decent battery life, and unfortunately the MSI Katana 15 is one of the worst offenders. In our web surfing test, which is hardly intensive, it lasted two hours and 40 minutes, and the PCMark battery test, which replicated light to medium-intensity work, didn't even hit an hour. So, this is a laptop that will need to be plugged in a lot of the time.

The MSI Katana 15 is excellent value for money, which is why it's our pick for the best affordable gaming laptop you can buy right now. It's not the cheapest, but we recommend you saving up a bit more to get this laptop thanks to its new components - cheaper gaming laptops often stick with older tech to keep down costs. The MSI Katana 15 is far more future-proof, and offers excellent performance when gaming at 1080p, so if you can afford the slightly higher price, your investment will certainly pay off.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Expert Verdict

Managing Editor, Core Tech