Best Laptop of 2024

There are a lot of Windows laptops. A lot. Which makes narrowing it down to just one more than a little tricky. However, the HP Pavilion Plus is exemplary because it can meet the needs of a lot of people while still being affordable. It’s available in 14- and 16-inch sizes; we tested the 14-inch, which is small enough for travel but big enough that you won’t feel cramped while working. HP offers AMD and Intel processors, and it can be configured with entry-level discrete graphics too. There are also multiple displays to match your budget, including a beautiful OLED panel. 

The starting price is $850, but we recommend getting that OLED screen if you can afford it. It adds about $100 to the package, but it’s worth it. The good news is that HP regularly has deep discounts, so you can get the OLED and a faster processor or more storage and still be around $1,000

Despite the availability of the newer -- and better -- M3 and M2 MacBook Air models, the M1 MacBook Air (one of the first to switch from Intel to Apple silicon) stays around, exclusively from Walmart, and that's a good thing. As Apple's entry-level laptop, it's still a good choice for a MacOS laptop for basic everyday use. It has great performance, long battery life and is thin and light.

HP packed a lot of value into the Aero 13: Eye-pleasing magnesium-aluminum chassis, strong processing performance, long battery life, a bright, colorful display and a weight of just 2 pounds (0.94 kilogram). Amazingly, with all that it offers, it doesn't break the bank in terms of price at around $800 well configured, but it's frequently discounted for hundreds less. 

The Acer Aspire 5 continues to be one of the best Windows laptop deals around. Available in 14-, 15.6- and 17.3-inch sizes, I am partial to the 15.6-inch size because it's relatively compact and lightweight but still full-featured. Acer has a wide range of configurations to choose from, starting under $500. This budget laptop also features a USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, Ethernet and an HDMI port. Aside from internal components, the Acer Aspire 5 has changed little since we first reviewed it in 2020. The components inside continue to improve, continuing to deliver excellent performance and features for its price.

Most Chromebooks fall below $500, and for general use, they're all most people will need. However, Google's ChromeOS is capable of doing much more than it could more than a decade ago when it first appeared. Consider this HP the MacBook Pro of Chromebooks: beautiful design, excellent display, keyboard and touchpad and enough processing power to take advantage of today's ChromeOS features. If you're an Android phone user, it's the perfect companion. It's $1,000, and if that's more Chromebook than you need, check out our full list of the best Chromebooks we've reviewed.

We don't make it a practice to recommend laptops that cost nearly $2,000 and rely on integrated graphics. At this price, it's reasonable to expect a dedicated GPU for gaming or content creation. The Spectre x360 14, however, is the rare exception. This two-in-one is one of the first laptops to feature Intel's new Core Ultra CPU that delivers solid performance today and is equipped for the AI workloads of the future. Plus, those graphics integrated to the Core Ultra processor are an improvement on Intel’s previous-generation iGPU.

The all-metal, matte-black chassis is as stunning as the high-res OLED display. And the 9-megapixel webcam is awesome, especially when combined with the AI-assisted Windows Studio Effects and noise reduction features. 

With its next-gen Intel Core Ultra CPU, gorgeous OLED display and premium build quality, the Spectre x360 14 is primed for a long and useful life and delivers value, even at its elevated price.

Alienware rejiggered its midrange 16-inch m16 to fit more comfortably into its place in the company's gaming laptop universe. That meant lowering its configurations and redesigning it to meet the lower price target buyer. It's now easier on your wallet and to slip into a backpack. While there are certainly more powerful gaming laptops, the m16 meets the needs of a broader audience, so for the moment, it's our top pick.

Like other gaming laptop makers, Acer has two lines: the budget-friendly Nitro series under the Acer brand and midrange and premium models that carry the Predator label. Oddly enough, it's under the latter you'll find our budget gaming pick: the Helios Neo 16. It is strikingly similar to the Acer Nitro 16 but with slightly better build quality and graphics performance. The only place it really faltered was its speakers, which put out disappointingly flat audio with nonexistent bass.

The Predator Helios Neo 16 currently costs $1,200. That is high for a budget gaming laptop. The trick is to be patient and wait for a sale, which happens regularly, and the price drops to $850.