2025 Laptop Awards - The Best of the Best!

Best Budget Laptop

HP OmniBook 5 (14" & 16")

Why it won:

• Consistently available near $400, an unmatched price-to-spec value.
• Strong fundamentals: current-gen processor, solid build, good display, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage.
• Competitors under $400 compromise heavily in at least one key area.

Notable drawbacks:

• 14-inch model runs warm while charging.
• Slightly heavy for its class.

HP OmniBook 5 2-in-1 Flip 14 - 2025

14 Inches | 512 GB | 16 GB | Core 7-150U

HP OmniBook 5 2-in-1 Flip 14 - 2025

14 Inches | 512 GB | 16 GB | Core 7-150U

BestBuy

On Sale

$599Save $200

Buy Now

Amazon

$679

Buy Now

Pros

• Very well built
• Fantastic value when on sale
• Excellent keyboard
• Surprisingly good speakers
• Display is acceptable at this price point
• 2-in-1 Capabilities
• Chassis has rounded edges

Cons

• Performance is very basic
• Battery life is average
• Heavy for its size
• Webcam isn't great
• Gets very warm on the left side when its charging
• Fans can be heard in a quiet room

BestBuy

$599Save $200

On Sale

Buy Now

Amazon

$679

Buy Now

HP OmniBook 5 16 - 2025

16 Inches | 512 GB | 16 GB | Ryzen AI 7 350

HP OmniBook 5 16 - 2025

16 Inches | 512 GB | 16 GB | Ryzen AI 7 350

Walmart

$699

Buy Now

HP

On Sale

$849

Buy Now

Walmart

$699

Buy Now

HP

$849

On Sale

Buy Now

Best Value for Money Laptop

MacBook Air 13 & 15 (M4)

Why it won:

• Premium chassis and excellent performance for under $1,000.
• Regular sale prices: $750 for 256GB and $950 for 512GB configs.
• Delivers reliable everyday experience: top-tier trackpad, speakers, battery life, and silent fanless operation.

Notable drawbacks:

• Still limited to a 60Hz display.
• No Wi-Fi 7.

Apple MacBook Air 13 - M4 Series - 2025

13 Inches | 512 GB | 16 GB | M4 10-Core | M4 10-Core GPU

Apple MacBook Air 13 - M4 Series - 2025

13 Inches | 512 GB | 16 GB | M4 10-Core | M4 10-Core GPU

Amazon

Sky Blue

On Sale

$949

Buy Now

B&H Photo

Silver

Best Price Ever

$999

Buy Now

B&H Photo

Sky Blue

Best Price Ever

$999

Buy Now

BestBuy

$999

Out of Stock

Pros

• M4 CPU is very fast for a thin and light laptop
• Premium built laptop - chassis, speakers, keyboard, trackpad
• Sky Blue color looks good
• Improved webcam
• Price is good for what you get

Cons

• M4 chip throttles a little in the MacBook Air's chassis
• Display is out dated. 60 Hz IPS panel
• 256 starting storage is disappointing
• Keyboard feels a little low travel

Amazon

Sky Blue

$949

On Sale

Buy Now

B&H Photo

Silver

$999

Best Price Ever

Buy Now

B&H Photo

Sky Blue

$999

Best Price Ever

Buy Now

BestBuy

$999

Out of Stock

Apple MacBook Air 15 - M4 Series - 2025

15.3 Inches | 256 GB | 16 GB | M4 10-Core | M4 10-Core GPU

Apple MacBook Air 15 - M4 Series - 2025

15.3 Inches | 256 GB | 16 GB | M4 10-Core | M4 10-Core GPU

Amazon

On Sale

$1,099Save $100

Buy Now

BestBuy

$1,099

Buy Now

B&H Photo

On Sale

$1,099Save $100

Buy Now

Pros

• M4 CPU is very fast for a thin and light laptop
• Premium built laptop - chassis, speakers, keyboard, trackpad
• Sky Blue color looks good
• Improved webcam
• Price is good for what you get

Cons

• M4 chip throttles a little in the Air's chassis
• Display is out dated. 60 Hz IPS panel
• 256 starting storage is disappointing
• Keyboard feels a little low travel

Amazon

$1,099Save $100

On Sale

Buy Now

BestBuy

$1,099

Buy Now

B&H Photo

$1,099Save $100

On Sale

Buy Now

Best Premium Laptop

MacBook Pro 14 (M5)

Why it won:

• The most complete all-around laptop of 2025.
• Extreme performance paired with top-tier battery life and quiet operation.
• High-end Mini-LED display, excellent keyboard, speakers, and strong port selection.

Notable drawbacks:

• Lacks Wi-Fi 7.
• Large display notch.
• macOS may not suit everyone.

Apple MacBook Pro 14 - M5 Series - 2025

14 Inches | 512 GB | 16 GB | M5 10-Core | M5 10-Core GPU

Apple MacBook Pro 14 - M5 Series - 2025

14 Inches | 512 GB | 16 GB | M5 10-Core | M5 10-Core GPU

Amazon

Space Black

On Sale

$1,399Save $200

Buy Now

B&H Photo

Silver

$1,599

Buy Now

Amazon

Silver

$1,599

Buy Now

BestBuy

$1,599

Buy Now

Walmart

On Sale

$1,479

Out of Stock

B&H Photo

Space Black

On Sale

$1,549

Out of Stock

Pros

• Excellent performance
• Very long battery life
• All round premium laptop
• Exceptionally quiet and mostly feels cool to the touch
• Very premium - Great speakers, webcam, trackpad, keyboard, dsiplay
• Extremely fast storage

Cons

• An incremental update that doesn't change much from the M4 version
• No Wi-Fi 7
• Not good for gaming
• No Thunderbolt 5

Amazon

Space Black

$1,399Save $200

On Sale

Buy Now

B&H Photo

Silver

$1,599

Buy Now

Amazon

Silver

$1,599

Buy Now

BestBuy

$1,599

Buy Now

Walmart

$1,479Save $120

On Sale

Out of Stock

B&H Photo

Space Black

$1,549Save $50

On Sale

Out of Stock

Best Premium Windows Laptop

Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15

Why it won:

• Exceptionally portable for a 15-inch laptop with standout battery life.
• Bright, high-resolution OLED display.
• Super comfortable keyboard and haptic trackpad combo.
• The Core Ultra 7 variant allows light gaming.

Notable drawbacks:

• No iconic ThinkPad TrackPoint. Pretty minor if you ask us.

Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition - 15 - 2025

15.3 Inches | 1 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 7 258V

Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition - 15 - 2025

15.3 Inches | 1 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 7 258V

Lenovo

Thunder Grey

On Sale

$1,679

Out of Stock

Lenovo

Glacier White

Best Price Ever

$1,779

Out of Stock

Pros

• Fantastic 4k Webcam
• Great screen options
• Effective anti-reflective coating on the display
• Accurate haptic trackpad
• Great speakers
• Good port placement

Cons

• Missing the red Trackpoint
• Pricey
• Port selection is limited
• Its performance is at the lower end for similar laptops

Lenovo

Thunder Grey

$1,679Save $410

On Sale

Out of Stock

Lenovo

Glacier White

$1,779Save $340

Best Price Ever

Out of Stock

Best Budget Gaming Laptop

Lenovo LOQ

Why it won:

• Rare combination of good build quality, 100% sRGB display, strong keyboard, and proper GPU power at this price.
• Outperforms similarly priced gaming laptops that often cut corners in cooling or display quality.
• Competing budget models often suffer QC issues—LOQ avoids most of them.

Notable drawbacks:

• Bulky and heavy

Lenovo LOQ 15 - Intel - 2025

15.6 Inches | 512 GB | 16 GB | Core i5-13450HX | RTX 5050

Lenovo LOQ 15 - Intel - 2025

15.6 Inches | 512 GB | 16 GB | Core i5-13450HX | RTX 5050

Lenovo

$1,129

Buy Now

BestBuy

$1,174

Buy Now

Lenovo

$1,129

Buy Now

BestBuy

$1,174

Buy Now

Best Value for Money Gaming Laptop

Lenovo Legion 5i (Intel)

Why it won:

• Around $1,000 for an OLED display, high-wattage Nvidia GPU, and Intel Arrow Lake HX processor.
• Strong performance, comfortable keyboard, and compact footprint at 15 inches.

Notable drawbacks:

• Weak speakers.
• No face recognition.
• Ports placed inconveniently.

Lenovo Legion 5i 15 - Gen 10 (Intel) - 2025

15.1 Inches | 1 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 7 255HX | RTX 5060

Lenovo Legion 5i 15 - Gen 10 (Intel) - 2025

15.1 Inches | 1 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 7 255HX | RTX 5060

B&H Photo

On Sale

$1,299Save $400

Buy Now

Pros

• Very comfortable keyboard
• Excellent OLED display
• Compact and portable
• Well built
• Fast current gen CPU
• Powerful GPU (full wattage)
• Pricing is very competitive

Cons

• Ports are far forward and may get in your way
• Speakers aren't great
• No fingerprint reader or facial recognition
• No Advanced Optimus

B&H Photo

$1,299Save $400

On Sale

Buy Now

Best Premium Gaming Laptop

Lenovo Legion 7i

Why it won:

• Bright 500-nit OLED panel—rare for gaming laptops.
• Excellent keyboard layout with large arrow keys.
• Powerful Intel HX processor and mid-range GPU with high wattage.
• Upgradeable memory.

Notable drawbacks:

• Limited to 8GB VRAM. Some modern titles might need more.

Lenovo Legion 7i 16 - Gen 10 - 2025

16 Inches | 1 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5070

Lenovo Legion 7i 16 - Gen 10 - 2025

16 Inches | 1 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5070

Lenovo

On Sale

$2,192Save $377

Buy Now

BestBuy

$2,249

Buy Now

Pros

• Very comfortable keyboard
• Fast full size SD card reader (UHS-II)
• Stunning display
• Portable for a gaming laptop
• Glacier White version looks cool
• Upgradeable memory

Cons

• Maxes out at an RTX 5070
• Gets warm under load

Lenovo

$2,192Save $377

On Sale

Buy Now

BestBuy

$2,249

Buy Now

Best 14-inch Gaming Laptop

ASUS TUF A14

Why it won:

• The only 14-inch gaming laptop of 2025 without a major design flaw.
• Excellent cooling, rare in this size.
• Strong battery life.

Notable drawbacks:

• Not the most premium or highest performing device.

Asus TUF Gaming A14 - 2025

14 Inches | 1 TB | 16 GB | Ryzen AI 7 350 | RTX 5060

Asus TUF Gaming A14 - 2025

14 Inches | 1 TB | 16 GB | Ryzen AI 7 350 | RTX 5060

BestBuy

$1,699

Buy Now

Amazon

$1,749

Out of Stock

Pros

• Exceptional battery life
• Very lightweight
• Feels comfortably cool under load
• Extra 10 Watts GPU power in 2025 version

Cons

• CPU downgraded from Ryzen 9 to Ryzen 7
• Plastic build
• Speakers aren’t great
• More expensive this year

BestBuy

$1,699

Buy Now

Amazon

$1,749

Out of Stock

Best 16-inch Gaming Laptop

ASUS ROG Strix Scar 16

Why it won:

• Best thermals of any full-power 16-inch gaming laptop.
• No numpad, keeping hands away from hotter center areas.
• Rear exhaust design prevents hot air from blowing on hands.
• Stunning fast-refresh Mini-LED display.
• Up to Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and RTX 5090. Great components.

Notable drawbacks:

• It's big, but not bigger than the competition.

Asus Rog Strix Scar 16 - 2025

16 Inches | 2 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5080

Asus Rog Strix Scar 16 - 2025

16 Inches | 2 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5080

Amazon

Best Price Ever

$3,199Save $100

Buy Now

B&H Photo

$3,199

Buy Now

BestBuy

Best Price Ever

$3,199Save $100

Buy Now

Pros

• High end components
• Feels very cool to the touch while gaming
• Exhausts hot air out the back
• Comfortable keyboard
• Great Mini-LED display
• Ports in good locations away from your mouse

Cons

• Heavy
• Like all thick laptops, you may feel it biting into your wrist a little

Amazon

$3,199Save $100

Best Price Ever

Buy Now

B&H Photo

$3,199

Buy Now

BestBuy

$3,199Save $100

Best Price Ever

Buy Now

Best 18-inch Gaming Laptop

Alienware 18 Area-51

Why it won:

• Coolest operating temperatures among 18-inch competitors, especially vs. Legion 9i.
• Curved front edge adds comfort during long sessions.
• 2560 × 1600 panel enables higher FPS than 4K alternatives.
• Optional Cherry MX mechanical keyboard.

Notable drawbacks:

• Extremely heavy.
• Side exhaust vents can direct heat toward the mouse hand.
• Mechanical keyboard produces a slight ringing noise when typing fast.

Dell Alienware 18 Area 51 - 2025

18 Inches | 1 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5070 Ti

Dell Alienware 18 Area 51 - 2025

18 Inches | 1 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5070 Ti

Dell

On Sale

$3,099Save $520

Buy Now

Pros

• Extremely powerful
• Feels premium
• Remains cool even during performance use
• Fan noise is minimal if used on Balance mode (95% of max performance)
• Thunderbolt 5, 2.5 Gbe, PCIE 5.0 SSD, SD Card Reader

Cons

• Heavy, almost 10 pounds
• Does not have an OLED or Mini-LED display
• Soldered Wi-Fi card (though it is Wi-Fi 7)

Dell

$3,099Save $520

On Sale

Buy Now

Best Portable Gaming Laptop

ASUS Zephyrus G16

Why it won:

• Balanced performer: good for gaming, editing, Linux, and general use.
• Cooler and quieter than the 2024 model.
• Compact form factor with GPU options above 8GB VRAM.
• Comfortable keyboard and solid speakers.

Notable drawbacks:

• GPUs aren't fed full wattage so they don't perform at full capacity.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 - Intel (Arrow Lake) - 2025

16 Inches | 1 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 9 285H | RTX 5070 Ti

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 - Intel (Arrow Lake) - 2025

16 Inches | 1 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 9 285H | RTX 5070 Ti

BestBuy

$2,629

Buy Now

Pros

• Fan noise is minimal for a gaming laptop
• Very light and portable for a powerful laptop with a 16 inch screen
• Display is great - OLED, Fast Refresh Rate, High Resolution, G Sync, Advanced Optimus
• Great speakers
• Batery life is good for a gaming laptop

Cons

• GPU does not run at full wattage. The RTX 5080 and 5090 models perform poorly. Get the 5070 Ti
• Keyboard doesn't feel as comfortable as the Razer Blade 16
• Webcam is grainy

BestBuy

$2,629

Buy Now

Best Creator Laptop

ASUS ProArt P16

Why it won:

• Creator-focused version of the Zephyrus G16 with elite color-accurate displays.
• Optional 4K Tandem OLED panel looks exceptional; super bright.
• Strong specs: Ryzen 9 HX 370 + RTX 5090.
• Fast full-size SD card reader and highly portable design.

Notable drawbacks:

• GPU isn't fed full wattage, so it will not perform at its best.
• Tandem OLED configuration (the one we recommend) is extremely expensive.

Asus ProArt P16 - 2025

16 Inches | 4 TB | 64 GB | Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | RTX 5090

Asus ProArt P16 - 2025

16 Inches | 4 TB | 64 GB | Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | RTX 5090

*Tap to see alternatives

PriceUnavailable in US

Hover to see alternatives

Pros

• 5090 version is a standout with its Tandem OLED panel and great performance
• High resolution and high refresh rate screen options
• Excels in creator tasks
• Games decently well
• Comfortable keyboard
• Never gets too hot

Cons

• 5070 versions are not as competitive, <400 nit screens and lesser performance
• Some fan noise even in lighter use
• Less efficient than a MacBook Pro
• Average battery life
• Always a little warm

*Tap to see alternatives

PriceUnavailable in US

Hover to see alternatives

Best Programming Laptop

MacBook Pro 14 (M5)

Why it won:

• Extremely bright, high-resolution Mini-LED display ideal for reading code.
• Exceptional battery life, even under heavy development workloads.
• Very fast CPU performance and silent operation.
• Reliable unplugged performance unlike many Windows laptops.

Notable drawbacks:

• Higher RAM configurations are expensive.
• Base keyboard has lower travel vs. higher-end M4 Pro/Max models.

Apple MacBook Pro 14 - M5 Series - 2025

14 Inches | 1 TB | 24 GB | M5 10-Core | M5 10-Core GPU

Apple MacBook Pro 14 - M5 Series - 2025

14 Inches | 1 TB | 24 GB | M5 10-Core | M5 10-Core GPU

Amazon

Silver

Best Price Ever

$1,776Save $223

Buy Now

B&H Photo

Space Black

Best Price Ever

$1,799Save $200

Buy Now

Amazon

Space Black

On Sale

$1,845Save $154

Buy Now

B&H Photo

Silver

$1,899

Buy Now

BestBuy

$1,899

Buy Now

Pros

• Excellent performance
• Very long battery life
• All round premium laptop
• Exceptionally quiet and mostly feels cool to the touch
• Very premium - Great speakers, webcam, trackpad, keyboard, dsiplay
• Extremely fast storage

Cons

• An incremental update that doesn't change much from the M4 version
• No Wi-Fi 7
• Not good for gaming
• No Thunderbolt 5

Amazon

Silver

$1,776Save $223

Best Price Ever

Buy Now

B&H Photo

Space Black

$1,799Save $200

Best Price Ever

Buy Now

Amazon

Space Black

$1,845Save $154

On Sale

Buy Now

B&H Photo

Silver

$1,899

Buy Now

BestBuy

$1,899

Buy Now