The all-new Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 reigns supreme.
The best Windows laptops run an impressive gamut, from 2-in-1s with new Qualcomm hardware to dual-display stunners and liquid-cooled gaming stations. (Some of them, dare we say, will tempt even the most devoted Apple Macbook disciples.) Users who need a new laptop for everyday productivity, creativity, or entertainment have no shortage of options. And that’s for better or worse.
To help you pick out your next PC from the crowded Windows market, we’ve broken out our best laptops rundown into this separate guide to the best Windows machines of 2024. All of these laptops have been rigorously hands-on tested by Mashable staff members or contributors for performance and build quality, and we stand by their value (or at least think they’re worth finding on sale).
Read on to learn more about our favorite models, including four new picks: The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is our new favorite Windows laptop for most people (unseating the HP Spectre x360 14), and the Lenovo Yoga 9i (Gen 9) is our new top 2-in-1 machine. The HP OmniBook X 14 is now the best mid-range Windows laptop we’ve tried. And finally, the Lenovo Legion 9i (Gen 9) is the gaming laptop we like most — but you should try to find it on sale.
FYI: We’ve listed the pricing and specs of our testing units, which may not apply to each laptop’s base model.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, 13-inch
Best Windows laptop for most people
Who it’s for:
Fast and fresh-feeling, the Mashable Choice Award-winning Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is a huge W for the Copilot+ PC series and a worthy short-list candidate for most shoppers looking to upgrade to a modern-era laptop. Just make sure it works with your favorite apps.
Why we picked this:
How much time do you have? “Apple must be sweating through its armpits with the launch of the Surface Laptop 7 because — holy cow — this is one hell of a laptop,” wrote Mashable tech editor Kim Gedeon. The upgraded Snapdragon X Elite variant we tested went nearly 23 hours on a single charge, and it cruised past all the latest M3 MacBooks in our performance benchmark to become the second-fastest laptop we’ve tested (after the luxe, way pricier Lenovo Legion 9i). It has a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) to support some new AI features that “make Windows fun again,” said Gedeon. Its stylish and sturdy aluminum design is available in four fingerprint-resistant aluminum finishes. Its 120Hz touchscreen display is plenty bright. And you can choose from 13- and 15-inch sizes starting at just $999.99 with base specs.
There’s a tiny asterisk next to our recommendation of the Surface Laptop 7, which is that some apps aren’t compatible with its ARM chip. (Google Chrome, Adobe Photoshop, Spotify, Netflix, OneDrive, Dropbox, and Zoom are all a go, for what it’s worth.) Double-check before you commit to it, but if you don’t think you’ll run into any workflow hangups, the Surface Laptop 7 is the PC to beat in 2024.
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HP OmniBook X
Best mid-range Windows laptop
Who it’s for:
The HP OmniBook X is for users searching for a reasonably priced PC that balances serious performance and fun features. It’s just not the most exciting laptop to look at.
Why we picked this:
Another Qualcomm-powered Mashable Choice Award winner, the OmniBook X is a more affordable way to hop on the Copilot+ PC train. While it wasn’t quite as zippy as the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, our Snapdragon X Elite-powered test unit also crushed the M3 MacBooks in CPU testing, and it lasted a commendable 16-plus hours on a charge. It packs the same entertaining AI features as the Surface Laptop 7, too. (“I had a blast playing around with the new-and-improved [Microsoft] Paint,” said Gedeon.”) Other highlights include a satisfyingly clicky backlit keyboard, a good mix of legacy and modern ports, and a vivid dim 14-inch touchscreen display.
Alas, all of this is wrapped up in an aggressively plain package: “[The] OmniBook X is a bit of a snoozefest” in the looks department,” Gedeon wrote. “HP wants this to be the laptop that you bring into the office – and it blends right in with the sterile, clinical vibes.” Its speakers aren’t great, either (though they’re plenty loud). That said, the OmniBook X’s great performance and price point make these pretty easy to brush off — so easy, in fact, that it was set to be our top Windows laptop of 2024 before the Surface Laptop 7 came along.
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Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3
Best budget Windows laptop
Who it’s for:
While incredibly well-made, Microsoft’s current entry-level laptop won’t meet the needs of power users. But it can be worthwhile “if you’re a student who needs a snappy keyboard that can keep up with you while typing notes,” said Mashable’s Gedeon, especially if you typically work remotely.
Why we picked this:
The Surface Laptop Go 3 is a compact Windows laptop with the essence of a MacBook Air — minus the peppy M-something chip. It’s a lightweight looker above all, with a polished, durable aluminum-slash-plastic design featuring a responsive 12.4-inch touchscreen and an absolutely fantastic keyboard. “For a notebook that starts at $800, the Surface Laptop Go 3 feels like a $1,200 laptop,” Gedeon wrote.
Its internals left a different impression, and it wasn’t a great one. The Surface Laptop Go 3 has an outdated 12th-generation Intel Core processor and lasted less than eight hours on a single charge in our battery life test. It also comes with a 720p webcam, which is simply unacceptable in the year of our Zooming lord 2024.
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Lenovo Yoga 9i (Gen 9)
Best 2-in-1 laptop
Who it’s for:
A stunning hybrid laptop with stellar speakers, Lenovo’s latest Yoga 9i is geared toward users who need a sleek, flexible machine for intense productivity. Bonus points if you have a dedicated work spot, as it needs to stay plugged in.
Why we picked this:
This Mashable Choice Award winner isn’t a cheap laptop, but realistically, it’s a sneak for the money. The Yoga 9i configuration we tested is “equipped with a gorgeous 2.8K OLED display, Intel’s new Core Ultra 7 155H processor, and a rotating soundbar that gives your favorite tunes a full-bodied, atmospheric sound you won’t find on most other laptops — all for just $1,449!” wrote reviewer Sarah Chaney. “In my book, that’s an excellent deal, especially if you’re searching for a laptop with flexible 2-in-1 functionality.” (It can flip between laptop, tablet, tent, and stand modes.) It also includes a Lenovo Slim Pen and a protective case, upping the value factor even further.
Zeroing in on that CPU, the Yoga 9i performed admirably in our testing, scoring just a tad faster than the M3 MacBooks in a Geekbench 6 benchmark. The trade-off there is that the battery doesn’t last very long and runs quite hot. (Good thing it has those fantastic speakers — you’ll want to drown out the sound of its hardworking fans.) Still, “[for] me,” Chaney said, “its premium positives easily outweigh its few negative traits.”
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Acer Swift X 14 (2024)
Best Windows laptop for photo and video editing
Who it’s for:
The latest Acer Swift X 14 is a lesson in not judging a laptop by its boring gray chassis. Photo and video editors with intense workload needs will appreciate its beautiful OLED display and unassuming brawn; it’s a Windows workhorse that can go toe-to-toe with Apple’s powerful M3 machines.
Why we picked this:
That “Swift” in its name is not false advertising. Its Intel Core Ultra 7 155H configuration is the second-fastest Intel laptop we’ve tested to date (after the Lenovo Legion 9i) — it’s even faster than other modern PCs with that same chip, including two on this list. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU in our loaner also managed to outperform the M3 chips in Apple’s recent MacBook Airs in a graphics benchmark. All this power means the Swift X 14’s fans can get quite noisy, but fortunately, its battery life doesn’t take a hit. It lasted for about 8.5 hours in our trial, which “isn’t half bad for a laptop with discrete graphics,” Gedeon wrote in her review.
Media editors and other creative types will also make good use of the Swift X 14’s ample port selection (there’s a microSD card slot) and 14.5-inch 120Hz OLED display, which Gedeon deemed “a visual treat.” The same can’t be said of its overall design; this is an objectively boring-looking aluminum laptop, so seek artistic inspiration elsewhere. But that was hardly enough to stop us from giving it a Mashable Choice Award.
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Lenovo Legion 9i (Gen 9)
Best gaming laptop
Who it’s for:
The Lenovo Legion 9i is an indulgent, high-octane gaming PC for users who want a taste of the latest in laptop innovations. Hope you already started saving for it.
Why we picked this:
The Legion 9i is a majestic piece of modern machinery that made a name for itself as the first 16-inch gaming laptop with a self-contained liquid-cooling system. Our testing unit was a specced-out configuration with an Intel Core i9-13980HX processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics, and an ultra-bright Mini LED display, and this setup successfully kept it both cool and quiet. Its overall performance left Gedeon impressed; it got the highest Geekbench score out of all the laptops we’ve ever tested, and it plays AAA games like they’re nothing. “On less-capable gaming laptops, wandering through Cyberpunk 2077’s Lizzie’s Bar … is a stuttering nightmare,” Gedeon wrote. “However, on the Legion 9i, the game ran smooth as silk.” She also appreciated its customizable per-key RGB lighting and rich speakers.
All of that being said, the numbers behind that dollar sign are still excessive and, frankly, stupid. If you don’t need a new gaming laptop immediately, do your bank account a favor and wait for it to go on sale for $3,000 or less. (We expect it to reach a more palatable price around Black Friday.) It should also be noted that this thing is, in a word, a chonker, weighing over 5.5 pounds. Factoring in its pitiful 41-minute battery life, you’ll need to leave this one plugged in on your desk.
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Asus Zenbook Duo (2024)
Best dual-display laptop
Who it’s for:
Prolific multitaskers who want a nontraditional (but ungimmicky) Windows laptop will delight in Asus’ dual-screened Zenbook Duo. It’s a convenient all-in-one package with a futuristic look but a down-to-earth price.
Why we picked this:
Decked out with a pair of 120Hz OLED displays that make it easy to bounce between different apps, the Zenbook Duo dazzles. “[Single-screen] laptops are now cancelled,” Gedeon gushed, adding that she would “gladly give up my M2 MacBook Air for Asus’ dual-screen beauty.” Moving under its hood, the Zenbook Duo is powered by a new Intel Core Ultra CPU, and we got nine-ish hours of battery life out of the starting 7 155H configuration. Considering it’s powering two screens at once, that’s commendable. It also has a surprisingly good array of ports for a hybrid device that can switch between laptop, dual-screen, desktop, and sharing/laid-flat modes.
But what’s extra great about the Zenbook Duo is that it includes compatible accessories like a built-in kickstand, a stylus, and a clicky detachable keyboard (complete with a full touchpad), so you don’t have to spend any more cash on top of its extremely reasonable $1,500 entry fee. Too bad about its quiet speakers and dull webcam, but those are just minor nit-picks that don’t distract from its productivity potential and general cool-as-hellness. It should come as no surprise that the Zenbook Duo is a Mashable Choice Award-winner.
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How we tested
Mashable staff subjected all of the laptops on this list to rigorous hands-on testing, which involved inspecting their build quality and using them for a variety of real-world tasks for several weeks at a time. This included working in different kinds of documents, checking emails, watching videos, taking photos on their webcams, participating in video calls, listening to music (via Spotify), playing games (if possible), and experimenting with any unique software features or use cases they claimed to support.
Additionally, all of the laptops featured here were made to run industry-standard benchmark software. We run these benchmarks because they replicate real-world tasks to produce scores we can use to easily compare different laptops’ performance. We recently started implementing these benchmarks in our testing, and you can expect to see them in all of our new laptop reviews going forward.
Performance benchmarks
We evaluate Windows laptops’ overall performance by having them run the Windows version of Primate Labs’ Geekbench 6, which measures processor performance in a handful of common tasks. We record each of their multi-core scores in our reviews — the higher the score, the better.
To get a sense of gaming laptops’ graphical prowess, we also play Cyberpunk 2077 on them. We picked this game because it’s a graphically intense AAA title that pushes many systems to their performance limits. If the laptop has a discrete/dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card (as opposed to an integrated GPU that’s built into the CPU), we play Cyberpunk once with its DLSS tech off and again with DLSS on using the High preset without ray tracing. This tests the machine’s raw GPU power and its performance with AI upscaling, respectively.
We follow this up with 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark for gaming PCs and record their scores. Again, higher is better.
Battery life benchmarks
We look to see about nine to ten hours of battery life in the Windows laptops we review, with 12-plus hours being ideal. Gaming laptops are a different story: They only need to last at least two hours per charge to get our approval, earning extra brownie points for reaching the four-hour mark.
We’ve assessed laptops’ stamina a couple different ways in the past. (More on that shortly.) On the Asus Zenbook Duo, the Lenovo Legion 9i, and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3, we ran UL Solutions’ PCMark 10 battery life test at maximum brightness. This benchmark has the machine complete a series of apps and functions until it conks out.
On the Acer Swift X 14, HP OmniBook X, Yoga 9i, and Surface Laptop 7, we conducted a video rundown test that involved playing a looped 1080p version of Tears of Steel, a short open-source Blender movie, at 50 percent brightness.
In order to standardize our battery life testing methodology, we will only be using the Tears of Steel rundown on all Windows laptops going forward. We’ll stick with PCMark 10’s battery life test for gaming laptops.
Final thoughts
After evaluating a laptop’s hands-on performance and benchmark testing results, we make our final recommendations based on whether we think they offer a good overall value for the money. A too-expensive laptop will sometimes get a pass if we think it looks and works so great that it’s worth the trouble of finding it on sale. (Looking at you, Legion 9i.)
It bears mentioning that these aren’t the only Windows laptops we’ve tried — we’re constantly testing and assessing new models across different categories, and many don’t make the final cut. With that in mind, you can expect this guide to evolve on a pretty continuous basis. We’re always on the lookout for new top pick contenders.
