Best laptop for 2020 – CNET

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The XPS 13 is a perennial favorite for its size, weight, and performance and overall beauty. For 2020, Dell has made the laptop even smaller, while also making the laptop screen bigger and increasing performance for CPU and graphics-intensive tasks. It’s not a huge leap forward, but it’s still the best in the class. And for those who want the latest and greatest Intel processors, the XPS 13, as well as the company’s 2-in-1 XPS 13, are available with the chipmaker’s 11th generation Core processors.

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HP has outdone itself on its little high-end two-in-one. With features like active pen support, four display choices, including a UHD resolution OLED and 1080p display with the HP Sure View privacy screen, an instant mic mute button and ‘other privacy and security features like an infrared camera and a fingerprint reader and a switch to disable its webcam. And now this HP laptop is available with 11th generation Intel Core processors for better performance and better battery life.

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The combination of the larger hardware of the MacBook Pro and the MacOS extracts maximum performance from components while delivering top-notch battery life in a way Windows systems never seem to, and the high-resolution display screen remains formidable. Plus, this model’s keyboard uses scissor-style switches below the keys, rather than the much-ridiculed butterfly-style switch. You pay for it, however – the base price for the 16-inch model of this high-end laptop is $ 2,399. Read our Apple MacBook Pro (16 inch, 2019) review.

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Although it is not the Surface Laptop, the Surface Pro continues to hit all the right notes if you’re looking for a multi-purpose Windows tablet that doubles as a Windows laptop. This powerful laptop features the 10th Generation Intel processor, fast wireless Wi-Fi 6 and a long battery life. It’s also the first to have a decent USB-C port. Read our Microsoft Surface Pro 7 review.

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This is our recommendation for those looking for a macOS laptop for basic everyday use. The MacBook Air was updated in the first half of 2020 with new Intel processors and, most importantly, a new keyboard. However, in November, Apple announced that its new local M1 processors would replace the Intel processors in the air. By using Apple’s M1, the company promises better performance and longer battery life – up to 18 hours. Intel-based models will still be around, however, and regardless of which chip runs the Air, you get a great little Mac laptop starting at $ 999. Learn more about the new M1-based MacBook Air.

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A great offering for simple tasks like emailing, word processing and more, thanks to the new AMD Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 processors. This budget laptop also features a backlit keyboard, reader for fingerprint and a USB Type-C port. It’s also an incredibly light laptop – under 3 pounds – for a machine that can be found for under $ 700.

We’re also fans of the Acer Aspire 5, which has a larger 15.6-inch display. The Acer Aspire 5 is available in a variety of configurations starting at $ 400, but can go all the way up to $ 830 if you want entry-level discrete graphics for basic gaming and content creation. Read our review on the Acer Swift 3 (14-inch, 2020).

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It’s basically a Chrome version of the first Microsoft Surface Go. Like the Go, the Chromebook Duet is a 10-inch tablet with a removable keyboard and touchscreen. Unlike Microsoft, however, Lenovo includes the keyboard. It is also significantly cheaper than the GB (including the new GB 2), with laptop deals starting at $ 279 for a 64GB version or $ 299 for one with 128GB of storage. It’s basically a smaller, albeit less powerful, Pixel Slate that makes more sense to more people with a price tag more in line with what people expect a Chromebook to cost.

The Chromebook Duet has a small screen, however, if you regularly use it at a desk, we recommend connecting an external monitor to its USB-C port. You will probably also want to connect a wireless keyboard and mouse. Or, if you want a more traditional laptop experience rather than tablet mode, the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 is worth checking out.

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Dell’s G-series gaming laptops are cheaper than its Alienware division, but still capable of playing the latest AAA titles. There are three separate models – the G3, G5, and G7 – available in 15 and 17 inch sizes. The mid-range G5 15 hits the mark with great value, build quality and design. The latest versions start at $ 900, including a special edition model with AMD’s impressive Ryzen 5 4600H processor.

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There is simply no other 17 inch laptop that is this light and has a long battery life. The Gram 17 lasted 13 hours on our streaming video test, beating last year’s model by 47 minutes on the same test. Processor performance is also improved from version 2019, with the addition of a 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor. This is also paired with more powerful integrated Intel Iris Plus graphics, giving you a bit more speed for photo and video editing and casual gaming. Read our review of the LG Gram 17 (2020).

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While Asus and Lenovo produced some great business laptops this year, this Latitude is our top pick at the moment. Co-designed with Intel, the 9510 fits a 15-inch screen in a 14-inch body but gets over 20 hours of battery life and features a powerful Core i7 processor with vPro for security and remote management. It’s available with 4G or 5G mobile connectivity and uses AI to learn how you work to give you the best performance whether you’re on battery or plugged in. Plus, it’s available as a traditional clamshell laptop or a. Read our Dell Latitude 9510 review.

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Although HP and Dell have excellent high-end convertible two-into-one laptops, they have small 13.3- and 13.4-inch screens. If you want a little more room for your work or play, the 14-inch C940 is a great choice. One of the Intel Project Athena laptops, the C940 is tuned to be more responsive and for longer battery life. Everything is fast. In addition, it is one of the few that comes with a pen, which is stored and recharged in the body. The replacement for the C940, the Yoga 9i, recently started shipping and while we haven’t tested it yet, nothing has changed too much and we expect it to be just as good if not better than his predecessor. Read our Lenovo Yoga C940 (14 inch) review.

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Regularly available for under $ 700, this slim 3-pound convertible is a solid choice for anyone who needs a laptop for the office or school work. The all-metal chassis gives it a premium look and feel, and it features a comfortable keyboard and a responsive and smooth precision touchpad. While its additional features are light compared to its high-end line companion, the C940, it does have one of Lenovo’s sliding shutters for its webcam that gives you privacy whenever you want. And it has a long battery life to boot. Read our Lenovo Yoga C740 (14 inch) review.

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Yes, the best gaming laptop around right now is the same as our top pick for a MacBook Pro alternative. There is one small exception, though: While we recommend getting this Blade Pro laptop with its 4K resolution display option for creators, gamers will want to get the screen with a 300MHz refresh rate that Razer offers for this model. Read our Razer Blade Pro 17 (Early 2020) review.