The 7 Best Laptop Brands - Fall 2023 Reviews

Acer is a Taiwanese company founded in 1976 as Multitech and was renamed Acer in 1987. Although it was known for making affordable, budget laptops for a long time, it now has one of the widest selections of models, with multiple laptop lineups like Aspire, Swift, Nitro, Predator, Concept, and more. Acer is one of the biggest Chromebook manufacturers, producing popular models like the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (2020). It's also among the first to produce gaming Chromebooks like the Acer Chromebook 516 GE (2022).

Our pick for the best Acer laptop is the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022), a 2-in-1 convertible Chromebook. It has a bright, sharp 14-inch screen, a spacious keyboard, and an outstanding 1080p webcam. It supports pen input and comes with a stylus that you can dock into the side of the laptop for transport. Performance is excellent, and battery life is amazing at over 13 hours of light use. The biggest drawback is availability.

The Core i5 configuration with 8GB of RAM is the most widely available, but even that model is hard to find. There's a newer version with Intel 13th Gen CPUs. We haven't tested it, though the only change other than the CPU seems to be the 1440p webcam. If you prefer a Windows laptop or need more processing power, the Acer Swift 14 (2023) is a great alternative. Its battery life isn't as good as the Spin 714, but it can handle significantly more intensive tasks.

Apple is one of the most recognizable electronics companies in the world. Apple products have become synonymous with exceptional build quality, and the company is well-known for its amazing customer support and service. Since 2020, Apple has been producing its own ARM-based processors, making MacBooks among the most powerful and power-efficient laptops on the market. Another advantage of MacBooks is their integration with other products in Apple's ecosystem, allowing for features like Continuity Camera, Airdrop, Handoff, etc. Gaming isn't really a thing on MacBooks. However, Apple is actively working on making it more viable, as it has just announced a new translation tool that'll make it easier for developers to create a macOS version of their games.

The best Apple laptop we've tested is the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023). This premium mobile workstation has nearly everything you'd want on a laptop: a sturdy build, a thin and light design, plenty of processing horsepower, and long battery life. It has a sharp Mini LED display, a comfortable keyboard, an easy-to-use haptic touchpad, and tons of ports, including three USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI, and a full-size SD card reader. If you want a larger screen and don't mind paying more, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is essentially the same device but with better-sounding speakers and longer battery life.

Of course, we can't talk about Apple without mentioning the ever-popular Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) and the newly released Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023). They're essentially the same laptop; you just get a larger 15.3-inch screen and better speakers on the 15-inch model. These ultraportables are great for light productivity tasks like text processing, web browsing, and video playback. Port selection is pretty limited, as you only get two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3s with support for a single external monitor.

To know more, check out our recommendations for the best Apple laptops here.

ASUS, also known as ASUSTek, was founded in 1989 by four members who had previously worked at Acer. It's currently one of the largest laptop manufacturers in the world. It's also one of the best gaming laptop brands and frequently sponsors esports events and players. ASUS makes a wide range of laptops, including ultraportables, mobile workstations, gaming laptops, and Chromebooks. Like Lenovo, ASUS often experiments with new form factors and features, like dual-screen laptops, touchpads with an integrated Numpad, a customizable dial (like the ASUS ProArt Studiobook Pro 16 OLED (2021), and 2-in-1 gaming tablets like the ASUS ROG Flow Z13.

The best ASUS laptop we've tested is the ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023), a 2-in-1 ultraportable with a gorgeous OLED display. It's available with Intel 13th Gen P-series CPUs, which are fast enough to handle general productivity tasks and more demanding workloads like photo editing and programming. It has a great keyboard, a large touchpad, and numerous ports, including two Thunderbolt 4s and an HDMI. You get Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity and a facial recognition IR camera for quick logins.

For gaming, we recommend the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022). This 14-inch gaming laptop has a powerful AMD Ryzen 9 CPU and an AMD Radeon discrete GPU to provide smooth gameplay at 1440p. Its 120Hz IPS display has a fast response time to deliver a clear image and supports FreeSync variable refresh rate to reduce screen tearing. It gets hot and loud under load but is otherwise a great device.

Dell is an American company founded in 1984 by Michael Dell. The company makes desktops, laptops, workstations, monitors, and a wide range of computer peripherals. It's one of the largest laptop manufacturers, with well-known brands like XPS, Precision, Latitude, and Inspiron. In 2006, Dell acquired Alienware, now considered one of the best gaming laptop brands on the market. High-end Dell laptops like the XPS, Precision, and Alienware models often have unique designs that stand out among the crowd and generally provide a great user experience. A common criticism of Dell is its use of proprietary parts, which make repairs and upgrades challenging for the average user.

Like other laptop brands in this article, it's hard to say which laptop is best from a specific manufacturer, as it depends entirely on your use. For general productivity like web browsing, text processing, spreadsheets, and video playback, we recommend the Dell XPS 13 Plus (2022). This sleek ultraportable feels exceptionally well-built and is easy to carry around. It's available with Intel 12th Gen CPUs, which are plenty fast for light productivity tasks, and you can choose among multiple display options, including a bright and colorful 3.5k OLED panel. Unfortunately, its port selection is very limited, as it only has two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports, and its battery life is pretty short at around six hours of light use.

HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American company founded in 1939. As one of the oldest tech companies in the world, HP has produced a wide range of products, including calculators, digital cameras, personal digital assistants, scanners, printers, desktop computers, and laptops. It's currently among the top three laptop manufacturers in market share. Its laptop lineup is varied and includes popular brands like ENVY, Spectre, Pavilion, EliteBook, ZBook, Victus, and OMEN. HP also makes many Chromebooks, offering both budget-friendly and premium models like the HP Chromebook 14 (2021) and the recent HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook.

The best HP laptop we've tested is the HP ENVY x360 15 (2023). It's a 15-inch 2-in-1 ultraportable designed for light productivity tasks like web browsing and text processing. However, it can handle more demanding workloads if you get a configuration with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 discrete GPU. It has a nice full-aluminum chassis, a great keyboard and touchpad, Wi-Fi 6E, and a very sharp 1440p webcam. The port selection is excellent, but sadly, no Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 support. It supports pen input and comes with an MPP (Microsoft Pen Protocol) 2.0 stylus that magnetically attaches to the side of the laptop. Battery life is decent; it lasts a little over eight hours of light use, so depending on your usage, you might need to plug it in for a quick charge.

If you're looking for an HP gaming laptop, we recommend the HP OMEN 16 (2022). This 16-inch laptop has Intel 12th Gen CPUs and various NVIDIA GPUs, from an entry-level GTX 1650 to a powerful RTX 3070 Ti. There are also multiple display options, including a QHD panel with a 165Hz refresh rate. The keyboard feels great to type on, and there are many ports, including an Ethernet port for a stable internet connection when gaming online. Battery life is short at around seven hours of light use or a little over an hour of gaming, so you'll have to play with the laptop plugged in most of the time.

Lenovo is a Chinese company and one of the largest laptop manufacturers in the world. Lenovo's current laptop lineup is vast and includes popular brands like IdeaPad, Legion, Yoga, and ThinkBook. The company is often at the forefront of new technology and experiments with more unique form factors and features, like laptops with an e-ink display on the lid, dual-screen laptops, and ultrawide laptops with a 21:9 display. Lenovo's laptops are often among the best value models you can get, whether you're looking for a cheap Chromebook or a premium mobile workstation. A source of frustration with Lenovo is its tendency to give the same product multiple names, confusing the average consumer.

The best Lenovo laptop we've tested is the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 (2023), a thin and light 14-inch mobile workstation. It feels sturdily built and provides an excellent user experience with its sharp display, tactile keyboard, and large touchpad. Its wide port selection includes a true HDMI 2.1 that can output a 4k 120Hz signal and a USB-C with USB4 support. You can configure the laptop with an AMD Ryzen 5 or 7 CPU paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 discrete GPU. The Ryzen CPUs are fast, and as for the RTX 3050, it's a few years old but can still handle heavy workloads like video editing and 3D graphics. The main downside is that you can only get 16GB of soldered RAM.

For more about the brand's laptops, check out our recommendations for the best Lenovo laptops here.

Microsoft is well-known as the creator of the Windows operating system. Although it has made computer peripherals since the 1980s, its Surface line of personal computers is relatively young, as the first Surface device was released in 2012. Microsoft popularized the 2-in-1 tablet form factor with its Surface Pros and made laptops with unique features, like the Surface Laptop's Alcantara-covered keyboard deck and the Surface Book's detachable display. Like Apple, Microsoft has a relatively small laptop lineup, focusing almost solely on productivity and media consumption devices. Microsoft laptops are usually well-built and provide a great user experience overall, but they tend to be more expensive than similar Windows laptops from other brands.

Our pick for the best Microsoft laptop is the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022), a premium thin and light model in a 13.5-inch or 15-inch size. This well-built model provides an amazing user experience with its sharp display, comfortable keyboard, and responsive touchpad. The webcam is excellent even though it's limited to a 720p resolution, and there's also an IR camera for quick logins via facial recognition. You can configure it with an Intel 12th Gen Core i5 or i7 CPU; both are fast enough for general productivity tasks. Unfortunately, its port selection is limited, and the battery lasts only around eight hours of light use.

Another device worth mentioning is the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021), a 2-in-1 tablet PC. Its form factor is very versatile, as it allows you to detach the keyboard to save space or make the device easier to hold, and you can pop the keyboard back on when you need to type something out. You can also take handwritten notes or draw with a stylus, although you'll have to buy the pen separately, and the same goes for the keyboard. It has a sharp, bright 120Hz display, an excellent 1080p webcam, and clear-sounding speakers. Battery life sits around seven hours of light use, which isn't a lot but still decent for a tablet.