<h1>Laptop comparison Compare laptops' specs & features</h1>

<p>Chromebooks can’t run Windows-specific games or particular programs you might be used to on your Mac or Windows computer. But if you use web-based email, if you can get by with Google’s office web apps or Office 365 and Android app alternatives, and if you stream your music and movies over the internet, a Chromebook should do just about everything you need it to. Zak has been writing <a href="http://example.com">click here</a> for TechRadar since 2015 and was previously Editor-in-Chief of our sister publication Maximum PC. He has also written for PCGamesN and Trusted Reviews, so testing and recommending the best laptops comes naturally. Why you can trust TechRadarWe spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you're buying the best.</p>
<p>However, if you're on an extremely tight budget, then the Asus Chromebook CM14 is definitely worth considering. Retailing for just $299 / £299, and often found on sale for even less, there's simply no Windows 11 laptop at this price point that can compete. OK, the Surface Laptop above is a great Windows 11 laptop, but it's more of an all-rounder. The latest Dell XPS 13, however, goes all-in on flagship hardware and design, making it the very best thin and light laptop in 2025. Apple has once again released the best laptop in the world with the 13-inch MacBook Air, which now comes with the M4 chip and a new, lower, price.</p>
<p>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 HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch is our new pick as the best Chromebook money can buy in 2025 thanks to its affordable price, robust build quality and dependable performance. If you want to play video games, you’ll also need dedicated graphics — we recommend Nvidia’s 50-series GPUs with at least 8 GB of video memory. Look for at least 16 GB of memory and a 13th- or 14th-generation Intel Core 5 or 7 processors or a or 8000-series Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 9 processor. For gaming laptops, we benchmark each laptop’s performance with Forza Motorsport, Gears Tactics, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows.</p>
<p>It also has one of the best screens you can find on a laptop and a keyboard that's a joy to type on. Like other Chromebook Plus laptops, the HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch features a much more premium design (and build quality) than standard, less expensive Chromebooks, and it feels solidly built as well. Its compact size makes it an easy laptop to carry around for hours, though this does mean that the keyboard layout feels a bit cramped. The MacBook Air 13-inch has always been Apple's best value laptop, and it's just got better, as it now starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,699, which is a price cut compared to the M3 model's starting price of $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,799. While this still isn't budget laptop territory, the performance and build quality you're getting for the price is seriously impressive, and you'd be hard pressed to find a Windows 11 laptop that offers the same level of finesse for this price. The best overall laptop must be powerful enough for everyday tasks, while remaining thin, light, and portable.</p>
<p>The Acer Nitro V 15's battery life isn't awful, but neither is it particularly impressive. In our battery life benchmark test, where we played an HD video on loop with the screen at 50% brightness, the Acer Nitro V 15 managed six and a half hours. Still, this isn't terrible for a gaming laptop, especially a budget one, and it charges quickly. We were absolutely blown away while testing the Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+ thanks to its stunning design – which includes an excellent OLED display that makes colors pop, and with a 120Hz refresh rate, it feels fast, fluid and responsive as well.</p>
<p>Not only does that mean you can work for multiple days without needing to plug it in, but it's remarkable how this laptop offers such good the performance while also having a battery that lasts for days. Dell's Inspiron line has always featured solid mid-range laptops, and the latest Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (7441) model continues that trend. In our Dell Inspiron 14 Plus review, we were very impressed with the performance and design of the laptop, and its extremely long battery life was particularly noteworthy.</p>
<p>Gaming laptops aren't known for their long battery lives, but the Razer Blade 16 pleasantly surprised us, lasting seven and a half hours when not being used for gaming – which means you could use this as a work laptop and not have to charge during the workday. When gaming, the battery life around two and a half hours, which is to be expected considering the powerful internals of this laptop. In our review we found the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus had a phenomenal battery life, lasting almost 18 and a half hours on a single charge – and we could work on the laptop for three work days – and there was still 50% battery left!</p>
<p>Again, being a Chromebook Plus device means it's kitted out with relatively powerful components for a Chromebook and this results in day-to-day tasks running smoothly, and you can even play games on it (from Google's Play Store). Sure, it can't compete with more expensive Windows 11 laptops or MacBooks, but for the price, you'll struggle to find a better performing laptop. With the new Surface Laptop coming with a cheaper starting price compared to last year's model, this is a laptop that offers brilliant value for money, with a build quality and design that makes it look and feel like a much more expensive device. While Microsoft has made compromises to keep the price down, it has resulted in a great-value laptop that is more accessible for people.</p>
<p>The Acer Nitro V 15 is our new pick as the best budget gaming laptop of 2025 thanks to its solid performance when playing the latest PC games at 1080p resolution and relatively affordable price. These days, it's getting increasingly difficult to find a decent gaming laptop for less than $1,000, so it's great to see Acer release the excellent Nitro V 15, which offers gamers the chance to play the latest games without having to spend a fortune. With a choice of Nvidia's budget GeForce RTX GB or GeForce RTX GB, you can also make use of DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation (MFG), two features that can really help the Acer Nitro V 15 punch well above its weight when it comes to performance. During our time testing this laptop, we managed to get the graphically-demanding Cyberpunk 2077 to hit an excellent 211fps (frames per second) at Ultra graphics settings and DLSS upscaling set to 'Balanced'. That's incredibly impressive for a gaming laptop at this price, and would not have been possible a few years ago.</p>
<p>Our new pick for the best OLED laptop is the excellent Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+, which features a stunning, vibrant, OLED screen, plus some of the best mobile hardware around – and a very competitive price. If you're a creative professional, and you've the budget for it, the latest MacBook Pro with M4 or M4 Max chip is an excellent investment thanks to its raw power, build quality and dependability. We live with each laptop we test for at least a day of work to get a feel for its real-world performance, keyboard, trackpad, and screen.</p>