![]() The key is to look for discounts on models in all price ranges so you can get more laptop for less. Right now, the sweet spot for a reliable laptop that can handle average work, home office or school tasks is between $700 and $800 and a reasonable model for creative work or gaming upwards of about $1,000. I'd love to say $500 will get you a powerful gaming laptop, for example, but that's not the case. All of these things add to the cost of a laptop. That could mean better components for faster performance, a nicer display, sturdier build quality, a smaller or lighter design from higher-end materials or even a more comfortable keyboard. Generally speaking, the more you spend, the better the laptop. But laptop makers are increasingly moving away from making components easily upgradable, so again, it's best to get as much laptop as you can afford from the start. In the past, you could get away with spending less upfront with an eye toward upgrading memory and storage in the future. And that stands whether you're spending $500 or more than $1,000. If you can afford to stretch your budget a little to get better specs, do it. If the statistics chipmaker Intel and PC manufacturers hurl at us are correct, you'll be holding onto your next laptop for at least three years. The search for a new laptop for most people starts with price. To help simplify things for you, here are the main things you should consider when you start looking. So if you're feeling overwhelmed with options when looking for a new laptop, it's understandable. There are a ton of laptops on the market at any given moment, and almost all of those models are available in multiple configurations to match your performance and budget needs. You can find a more detailed description of our test methodology on our How We Test Computers page. ![]() The list of benchmarking software and comparison criteria we use changes over time as the devices we test evolve. We also place importance on how well they work given their cost and where the manufacturer has potentially made upgrades or tradeoffs for its price. If a laptop is intended for gaming, we'll also run benchmarks from Guardians of the Galaxy, The Rift Breaker (CPU and GPU) and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.įor the hands-on, the reviewer uses it for their work during the review period, evaluating how well the design, features (such as the screen, camera and speakers) and manufacturer-supplied software operate as a cohesive whole. We test all laptops with a core set of benchmarks, including Primate Labs Geekbench 5 and 6, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10, a variety of 3DMark benchmarks (whichever can run on the laptop), UL Procyon Photo and Video (where supported), and our own battery life test. A final review verdict is a combination of both objective and subjective judgments. This includes evaluating a device's aesthetics, ergonomics and features with respect to price. The review process for laptops consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our reviewers. This helps us find not only the best laptop overall but also the best laptop for your needs and in your price range. We conduct performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use. Each member of our team has decades of experience testing and reviewing laptops. For those looking for a cheaper option, HP's Pavilion Aero 13 is an excellent 13-inch, 2.2-pound laptop starting at $880 but frequently available for less than $600 and, in our tests, punches above that price in performance.Īt CNET, we test all kinds of laptops - from budget models for everyday tasks to high-performance laptops for gaming and content creation and everything in between. The latest MacBook Air starts at $1,199, though, which is why we still recommend the MacBook Air M1 as a lower-cost alternative to the newest Air model, as it's still an all-around excellent laptop. And it's now available in a larger, 15-inch size with the same great performance and features. It's a solid choice for most people, with a great combination of everything we look for when we're testing: reliable everyday performance, long battery life and a design that works for a broad range of users. The Apple MacBook Air M2 continues to hold the top spot on our list of the best laptops 2023.
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