The 10 Best Laptops

Name	Apple MacBook Air 13-Inch (2014)	Apple MacBook Pro 15-Inch Retina Display (2014)	HP Chromebook 11 (Verizon LTE)	Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro (VN7-591G-75S2)	Dell Inspiron 11 3000 Series 2-in-1 (3147)	Dell Inspiron 17 5000 Series Non-Touch	HP Stream 13 (13-c020nr)	Lenovo Flex 2 (15-Inch)	MSI GS60 Ghost Pro 3K	Toshiba Tecra C50-B1503
Editor Rating
Lowest Price	$999.00 Amazon	$1,299.00 Amazon	$269.00 Amazon	£1,129.97 Laptops Direct	$429.99 Dell	$449.99 Dell	$199.00 Microsoft Store	$799.00 Lenovo	$1,873.51 Amazon	$699.49 WalMart
Type	Ultraportable	Desktop Replacement	General Purpose, Ultraportable, Value	Gaming	Value	Value, Desktop Replacement	Ultraportable, Value	Desktop Replacement	Gaming, Gaming Ultraportable	Business
Platform	Mac OS X	Mac OS X	Google Chrome OS	Windows 8	Windows 8	Windows 8	Windows 8	Windows 8	Windows 8	Windows 7
Processor Name	Intel Core i5-4260U	Intel Core i7-4770HQ	Samsung Exynos 5250	Intel Core i7-4710HQ	Intel Pentium N3530	Intel Pentium 3558U	Intel Celeron N2840	Intel Core i5-4210U	Intel Core i7-4710HQ	Intel Core i5-4210U
Processor Speed	1.4 GHz	2.2 GHz	1.7 GHz	2.5 GHz	2.16 GHz	1.7 GHz	2.16 GHz	1.7 GHz	2.5 GHz	1.7 MHz
RAM	8 GB	16 GB	2 GB	8 GB	2 GB	4 GB	2 GB	6 GB	16 GB	4 GB
Storage Capacity (as Tested)	128 GB	256 GB	16 GB	1128 GB	500 GB	500 MB	32 GB	500 GB	1256 GB	500 GB
Graphics Card	Intel HD Graphics 5000	Intel Iris Pro 5200	ARM Mali-T604	Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M	Intel HD Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 4400	Intel HD Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 4400	Nvidia GeForce GTX 870M	Intel HD Graphics 4400
Screen Size	13.3 inches	15.6 inches	11.6 inches	15.6 inches	11.6 inches	17.3 inches	13.3 inches	15.6 inches	15.6 inches	15.6 inches
Weight	2.91 lb	4.36 lb	2.3 lb	5.29 lb	2.99 lb	6.6 lb	3.33 lb	5.52 lb	4.4 lb	4.66 lb
Battery Rundown - Standard Battery	15:51 hrs:min	8:55 hrs:min	5:31 hrs:min	4:10 hrs:min	8:24 hrs:min	5:20	9:09	5:30 hrs:min	3:17 hrs:min	7:20 hrs:min
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Shopping for a laptop is a pretty daunting task. The sheer number of systems available online or in a store's electronics section is enough to make your mind spin. Most people have a general idea of what their laptop should look like and what they want in terms of features, but are often intimidated by the choices available. We narrow down those choices with 10 top-rated notebooks.
The first thing you need to consider is what you need in the laptop. Are you looking for something to compete on the gaming grid? Then a discrete graphics card and big screen are necessary components in the laptop you choose. Are you on a limited budget? Then be on the lookout for anything under $500 that offers at least a Core i3 CPU and 4GB of memory. If a business system is what you need, then security measures like a fingerprint reader and a TPM module are must-haves. For those who spend a lot of time on the road, an ultrabook or an ultraportable will keep back and shoulder strain to a minimum. For those who need a system meant for watching movies, a bright 1080p screen is a must-have feature. And last but not least, ask yourself if a touch screen is important to you. With the advent of Windows 8 and 8.1, touch-screen functionality has become a significant factor to consider when buying a laptop.
The editors of PCMag.com test hundreds of systems each year to help you find the best laptop. There are a lot of laptops out there, from the large-screen desktop replacements to the lightweight ultraportables, and even laptop/tablet convertibles, but all share common features. In this story, we help you narrow your choices by collecting the 10 best laptops on the market today. If you need more shopping advice, then our buying guide is a good place to start. Also be sure to check out our top laptop picks for business and gaming.