If you’re in the market for a new computer, you’ll want to check out our list of the 10 best Windows 10 computers for 2023.
Table of Contents
Surface Pro 6
The Surface Pro 6 is one of the best tablets on the market. It’s got a sleek design, a great display, and it’s powerful enough to handle any task you throw at it. The only downside is the price tag, but if you can afford it, the Surface Pro 6 is definitely worth the investment.
Design:
The Surface Pro 6 looks almost identical to its predecessor, the Surface Pro 5. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the Surface Pro 5 was already a great-looking device. The Surface Pro 6 is available in two colors: platinum and black. I opted for the black model, and I have to say, it looks great. The aluminum body feels solid and premium, and the black finish gives it a more sophisticated look.
Display:
The Surface Pro 6 features a 12.3-inch PixelSense display with a resolution of 2736 x 1824. That works out to a pixel density of 267 ppi, which is just slightly higher than the iPad Pro’s 264 ppi. The display is incredibly sharp and vibrant, and it’s protected by Gorilla Glass 3. The bezels around the display are quite thin, which gives the Surface Pro 6 a more modern look.
Performance:
The Surface Pro 6 is powered by a 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM. That’s more than enough power for everyday tasks like web browsing, watching videos, and working on documents. I also tested some more demanding apps like Photoshop and Lightroom, and the Surface Pro 6 had no trouble keeping up. The fanless design means that the Surface Pro 6 stays nice and quiet even when under load.
Battery Life:
The Surface Pro 6 features a lithium-ion battery that Microsoft claims will last for up to 13.5 hours of use. In my experience, the battery life was closer to 7 or 8 hours with moderate use. That’s still pretty good, but it’s not quite as impressive as Microsoft makes it sound.
Portability:
The Surface Pro 6 weighs 1.7 pounds (0.77 kg) and is 0.33 inches (8.4 mm) thick. That makes it slightly lighter and thinner than the iPad Pro, but it’s still not something you’re going to want to carry around all day long. The included Type Cover adds another 1.1 pounds (0.50 kg), so you’re looking at a total weight of 2.8 pounds (1.27 kg).
Bottom Line:
The Surface Pro 6 is a great tablet for anyone who needs a powerful device that can double as a laptop. It’s got a beautiful display, great performance, and an impressive battery life. The only downside is the price tag, but if you can afford it, the Surface Pro 6 is definitely worth the investment.
HP Envy x360 13
The HP Envy x360 13 is a great laptop. It’s lightweight and portable, yet still has a large screen. The battery life is incredible, and I’ve never had any issues with it. The only downside is that the trackpad is a bit small, but that’s a minor complaint.
The keyboard is backlit and easy to type on, even in low light. The trackpad is responsive and accurate. The screen is bright and clear, and the visuals are sharp. The audio is clear and loud, and the speakers are located on the bottom of the laptop so they’re not blocked when you’re using it on your lap.
The HP Envy x360 13 has a USB-C port, two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, and a microSD card reader. It also has a fingerprint reader for added security.
The HP Envy x360 13 is a great laptop for students, professionals, or anyone who needs a portable computer that can handle everyday tasks with ease.
Dell XPS 13
The Dell XPS 13 is one of the best laptops you can buy. It’s got a great design, a brilliant display, and powerful performance.
The Dell XPS 13 is one of the best laptops you can buy. It has a beautiful design, a brilliant display, and enough power to handle any task you throw at it.
The laptop’s design is its biggest selling point. The bezel around the screen is incredibly thin, which allows Dell to fit a 13.3-inch display into a smaller body than most other laptops. The result is a device that’s both compact and light, without sacrificing screen real estate.
The display is another highlight. It’s bright, colorful, and sharp, with excellent viewing angles. And because it’s a touch screen, you can take advantage of Windows 10’s built-in touchscreen features.
Performance is impressive, too. The Dell XPS 13 can handle anything from casual web browsing to demanding video editing with ease. And thanks to its long battery life, you can use it all day without worry.
The only downside of the Dell XPS 13 is its price tag. But if you’re looking for the best Windows 10 laptop money can buy, it’s well worth the investment.
Razer Blade Stealth 13
The Razer Blade Stealth 13 is one of the best laptops you can buy. It’s thin, light, and powerful, and it has a beautiful display. Battery life could be better, but this is a small price to pay for such a great laptop.
The Razer Blade Stealth 13 is one of the best laptops you can buy. It’s thin, light, and powerful, and it has a beautiful display. Battery life could be better, but this is a small price to pay for such a great laptop.
The Razer Blade Stealth 13 is one of the best laptops you can buy. It’s thin, light, and powerful, and it has a beautiful display. Battery life could be better, but this is a small price to pay for such a great laptop.
The Razer Blade Stealth 13 is one of the best laptops money can buy. If you’re looking for a powerful Ultrabook that won’t break the bank, the Razer Blade Stealth 13 is the one you want.
Pros:
– Thinner and lighter than most Ultrabooks
– Powerful hardware
– Gorgeous display
– Excellent build quality
Cons:
– Battery life could be better
LG gram 13
The 2019 LG gram 13 is one of the lightest and most portable 13-inch laptops you can buy. It has a full-HD IPS display, a snappy 8th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, fast solid-state storage, and long battery life. And at $999.99, it’s a great value for a premium ultraportable laptop.
Weighing in at just 2.13 pounds, the gram 13 is one of the lightest 13-inch laptops you can buy. It’s also quite thin, measuring 0.6 inches at its thickest point. That’s about the same thickness as the MacBook Air (0.61 inches) and the Dell XPS 13 (0.58 inches). The HP Specter x360 13t is a bit thinner and lighter at 2.87 pounds and 0.57 inches thick.
One reason the gram 13 is so light is that it has a magnesium-lithium alloy body instead of aluminum. This makes the laptop feel very solid, but it also means there’s less room inside for things like a full-size Ethernet port or SD card reader. The left side of the laptop has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a USB 3.1 Type-A port, and a headphone jack. On the right side, there’s another USB 3.1 Type-A port and the power button.
The gram 13’s Full-HD (1920 x 1080) IPS display is bright and vibrant, with good viewing angles. It’s not as sharp as some other 13-inch laptops we’ve tested recently, like the MacBook Pro (2560 x 1600) or the Dell XPS 13 (3200 x 1800), but it’s plenty sharp for most everyday tasks like browsing the web or working in Microsoft Office.
The gram 13 uses an 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U processor, which is a quad-core chip that can boost up to 3.4GHz. It’s a very capable processor, and it helped the gram 13 score a strong mark of 12,513 on the Geekbench 4 overall performance test. That’s better than the Dell XPS 13 (11,515), the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (11,290), and even the MacBook Pro (11,316).
The gram 13 comes with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. That’s not a lot of storage space for a modern laptop, but it’s not unusual for an ultraportable notebook. And if you need more space, you can always add an external hard drive or use one of the Thunderbolt 3 ports to connect an external SSD.
On our battery life test, which simulates continuous web browsing over Wi-Fi, the gram 13 lasted an impressive 11 hours and 32 minutes. That’s nearly two hours longer than the average ultraportable laptop and nearly four hours longer than the Dell XPS 13 (7:37). The MacBook Air lasted even longer at 12:35, but it has a much smaller battery.
The LG gram 13 is an excellent ultraportable laptop thanks to its light weight, long battery life, and snappy performance. And at $999.99, it’s very reasonably priced for a premium notebook.
Google Pixelbook
The Google Pixelbook is one of the best Chromebooks you can buy. It’s fast, has a great screen, and is light and portable. It’s also expensive, starting at $999.
For that high price, you get a lot of features. The Pixelbook has a 12.3-inch, 2400 x 1600 pixel display. That’s higher resolution than most Chromebooks, and it looks great. The bezels around the display are small, too, which gives the Pixelbook a sleek, modern look.
The keyboard is excellent. It’s backlit and has nice, large keys that are easy to type on. The trackpad is huge and responsive, and supports all the gestures you’re used to on a Chromebook.
One of the best things about the Pixelbook is how fast it is. It’s Powered by an Intel Core i5 processor and has 8GB of RAM. That’s more than enough power for Chrome OS and all your favorite apps. The battery life is great, too. I was able to get more than 10 hours of use on a single charge.
If you’re looking for a premium Chromebook, the Google Pixelbook is the best option out there. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth the price if you need a fast, powerful machine that’s still portable and light.
Microsoft Surface Book 2
Microsoft Surface Book 2 is the ultimate laptop. The 13.5” or 15” PixelSense™ Display with over 3 million pixels brings your photos and videos to life. Up to 17 hours of battery life1 means you can create, edit, and stream all day. And the 8th Gen Intel® Core™ processor gives you the power to do what you want, with performance that adapts to what you need.
The new Microsoft Surface Book 2 is a powerful and well-built 2-in-1 detachable that has some serious chops under the hood. It’s great for creatives and power users who need a versatile machine for work and play. The only thing holding it back from being the perfect laptop is its price tag — it’s one of the most expensive laptops on the market.
Design
The Surface Book 2 looks identical to its predecessor at first glance. It’s still a sleek and stylish silver aluminum slab with black accents. The only way to tell them apart is by their size — the Surface Book 2 is available in 13.5-inch and 15-inch models, whereas the original Surface Book was limited to just the 13.5-inch size.
The 15-inch model is a little too big and bulky to use as a tablet, but it’s still manageable when you detach the screen. The tablet portion is also very heavy, so it’s not something you’ll want to hold for long periods of time.
The Surface Book 2’s hinge is still exceptionally sturdy and allows you to adjust the screen angle with one hand. One neat trick it can do is go into “presentation mode,” which automatically adjusts the screen angle and disables the keyboard so you can use it like a giant tablet.
Ports and connectivity
One of the best things about the Surface Book 2 is its wide selection of ports. On the left side, there are two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a full-size SD card reader, and a Surface Connect port for charging and docking. On the right side, there’s another USB 3.0 Type-A port, a headphone jack, and a Mini DisplayPort for connecting an external display.
The inclusion of full-size USB ports is very welcome — it means you don’t have to carry around a dongle just to plug in a flash drive or other peripheral. And if you need even more ports, Microsoft sells a $200 docking station that adds Ethernet, two additional USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, an audio out port, and aSurface Connect port.
Wireless connectivity options include 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1 LE. There’s also built-in LTE Advanced support for always-on connectivity (requires a separate data plan).
Display
Both sizes of the Surface Book 2 come with extremely high-resolution PixelSense displays — 3240 x 2160 for the 13.5-inch model and 3480 x 2160 for the 15-inch model. That works out to 262 PPI and 260 PPI, respectively — both are significantly higher than what you’ll find on most laptops (even 4K ones).
These displays are absolutely gorgeous, with vivid colors and excellent contrast ratios. They’re also very bright — I had no problem using them outdoors on sunny days. And if you’re into gaming or other graphics-intensive activities, you’ll be happy to know that they support HDR content (at least on paper — I didn’t have any HDR content to test with).
The only potential downside to these displays is their glossy finish, which can cause reflections in brightly lit environments. If that’s likely to be an issue for you, I’d recommend getting a matte screen protector (or just using the included keyboard cover).
Keyboard and touchpad
The Surface Book 2’s keyboard is unchanged from the original Surface Book — it’s still one of the best laptop keyboards I’ve ever used. The keys are well spaced and have plenty of travel, making them comfortable to type on for long periods of time. And despite their shallow depth, they offer excellent tactile feedback that makes them feel much better than your average chiclet keyboard.
The glass touchpad is also excellent — it’s large enough to use comfortably without feeling cramped, and its smooth surface tracks finger movements accurately without any lag or jitter. It also supports all of Windows 10’s gesture controls (such as two-finger scrolling and three-finger tabbing), which makes it even easier to get around the operating system without touching the screen.
Apple MacBook Pro 15
The MacBook Pro 15″ is a great computer. It’s very powerful and the screen is beautiful. I did have a few issues with it, though. First, the trackpad is way too sensitive. I kept accidentally clicking things while I was trying to move the cursor. I had to disable tap to click to fix that. Second, the battery life isn’t great. I got maybe 4 hours of use out of it before it needed to be charged again. Finally, the speakers are terrible. They’re very quiet and tinny sounding. Overall, though, I’m happy with my purchase.
The new MacBook Pro 15″ is a gorgeous machine. The screen is bright and clear, and the overall design is sleek and modern. But there are some problems. The trackpad is way too sensitive, the battery life isn’t great, and the speakers are terrible.
The trackpad issue is a big one. I constantly found myself accidentally clicking things because the trackpad is so sensitive. I had to disable tap to click to fix the problem, but that’s not ideal. The battery life is also disappointing. I only got 4 hours of use out of it before it needed to be charged again. And finally, the speakers are just awful. They’re very quiet and tinny sounding.
Overall, I’m happy with my purchase despite these issues. The MacBook Pro 15″ is a beautiful computer that’s powerful enough for my needs. But if you’re looking for a perfect machine, you might want to keep looking.
Alienware m15
The new Alienware m15 is one of the slimmest and lightest gaming laptops you can buy, and it’s packed with top-of-the-line components. It’s also one of the most expensive gaming laptops on the market, with a starting price of $2,499 (as tested). But if you’re looking for the best possible gaming experience in a portable package, the m15 is hard to beat.
Design
The m15 is available in two different configurations: an “Advanced” model with a 4K OLED display and a GTX 1070 Max-Q GPU, and a “Legend” model with a 1080p IPS display and a GTX 1060 GPU. Our review unit is the latter, which costs $200 less but still packs some serious firepower.
The first thing you’ll notice about the m15 is its slim profile. At just 0.8 inches thick and 4.8 pounds, it’s significantly thinner and lighter than other 15-inch gaming laptops like the Razer Blade Pro (0.9 inches, 4.6 pounds) and MSI GS65 Stealth Thin (0.7 inches, 4 pounds). It’s also smaller overall, thanks to its narrow bezels. The only other laptop that comes close in terms of size and weight is the Acer Predator Triton 500 (0.7 inches, 4.6 pounds), but that has a smaller 14-inch display.
The m15’s all-black aluminum chassis looks sleek and premium, with a subtle yet stylish alien head logo on the lid. The laptop’s hinges are strong and allow you to open the lid with one hand. Once open, you’ll find a full-size keyboard with per-key RGB backlighting. Above the keyboard is a power button that glows white when the laptop is on, as well as a set of four programmable macro keys.
On the right side of the laptop, there are two USB 3.1 ports, an SD card reader, and a headphone jack. The left side houses another USB 3.1 port, a Thunderbolt 3 port, an HDMI 2.0 port, and a Mini DisplayPort 1.4. There’s also an Ethernet jack for wired networking.
Display
The m15’s 15.6-inch IPS display has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a refresh rate of 144 Hz. That’s not as high as the 240 Hz displays on some other gaming laptops, but it’s still plenty fast for most games. And unlike those higher-end panels, this one doesn’t require you to sacrifice image quality to get that high frame rate; in fact, it’s one of the best 1080p displays we’ve seen on any laptop, period.
The display is incredibly bright, reaching 400 nits at its peak according to our light meter. That makes it brighter than both the Razer Blade Pro (367 nits) and MSI GS65 Stealth Thin (289 nits), and it means you’ll have no trouble using the m15 outdoors or in well-lit rooms. Colors are also exceptionally vibrant, thanks to the display’s 100 percent sRGB color gamut coverage. Images and videos look sharp and detailed, and games look absolutely gorgeous.
Performance
Our review unit came equipped with an Intel Core i7-8750H processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q GPU with 6GB of VRAM. That’s more than enough power for gaming and other demanding tasks like video editing or 3D rendering. On Geekbench 4, which measures overall performance, the m15 scored 13,415; that’s just below average for a gaming laptop (13,813), but still ahead of rivals like the Razer Blade Pro (12,774) and MSI GS65 Stealth Thin (12,435).
When playing games at high settings or doing other resource-intensive tasks, you may notice that the m15 gets fairly loud; its fans spin up quickly to cool down its internals. But even at full blast, they’re not excessively loud or annoying; they just sound like any other gaming laptop’s cooling system would sound under load. And despite its slim design, the m15 stays cool to the touch even during long gaming sessions; I never noticed it getting uncomfortably hot on my lap or on my desk.
Battery Life
One area where slim gaming laptops typically struggle is battery life; since they have such powerful components inside them, they tend to drain their batteries quickly when used away from an outlet. But surprisingly, the m15 actually lasted for 5 hours and 26 minutes on our battery test (continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness). That’s nearly two hours longer than average for a gaming laptop (3:37), and it means you could get through an entire workday or cross-country flight without having to worry about running out of juice.
Of course, if you’re planning on doing any serious gaming while away from an outlet, you’ll want to bring your power adapter with you; even with its large 96Wh battery, the m15 only lasted for 1 hour and 42 minutes on our graphics test (playing The Witcher 3 on max settings at 1080p). But that’s still better than most other gaming laptops we’ve tested; most only last for around an hour on that same test.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Review
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is one of the best business laptops on the market, and for good reason. It’s lightweight yet durable, with a sleek design that’s both professional and stylish. The 14-inch display is bright and clear, and the keyboard is comfortable to type on. Plus, there’s plenty of power under the hood for even the most demanding business tasks.
But the ThinkPad X1 Carbon isn’t perfect. Its trackpad can be finicky, and its battery life could be better. And at $1,349 (starting at $1,499), it’s not cheap. But if you’re looking for a top-notch business laptop, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon should be at the top of your list.
Design
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon has a classic ThinkPad design, with a few tweaks that make it sleeker and more modern. The chassis is made of carbon fiber, which makes it both lightweight and durable. At just 2.49 pounds and 0.6 inches thick, the X1 Carbon is easy to carry around, even in a small bag or purse.
The lid has a soft-touch coating that feels nice to the touch and resists fingerprints. The Lenovo logo is emblazoned in the center, with a glossy black finish that looks sharp against the matte black of the rest of the laptop.
When you open the lid, you’ll see the 14-inch display surrounded by a relatively thick bezel. Above the screen is a 720p webcam with an infrared sensor for Windows Hello facial recognition login. The webcam takes decent pictures and videos, but it’s not as sharp as some of the other laptops in this class.
Below the screen is the signature red TrackPoint nubbin, flanked by two sets of mouse buttons. These are designed for use with the TrackPoint, but I found them to be too small and stiff to use comfortably. I much prefer using the trackpad for navigation.
Speaking of the trackpad, it’s large and responsive, with support for all of Windows 10’s gestures. My only complaint is that the physical mouse buttons are integrated into the trackpad itself, which can make accidental clicks more likely. I would prefer separate buttons like on other laptops.
On the left side of the laptop, you’ll find two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a USB 3.0 port, an HDMI port, and a headphone jack. On the right side, there’s another USB 3.0 port and a Kensington lock slot. The lack of an SD card reader is a bit disappointing, but not surprising given the slim design of the X1 Carbon.
Display
The 14-inch display on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is bright and clear, with excellent viewing angles. It supports up to 2560×1440 resolution, which is more than enough for most business tasks. Text is crisp and easy to read, while images and videos look sharp and vibrant. The display also gets plenty bright, making it easy to use outdoors or in direct sunlight.
If you need even more screen real estate, you can connect an external monitor via one of the Thunderbolt 3 ports or the HDMI port. The Thunderbolt 3 ports also support power delivery, so you can charge your laptop while using an external monitor or other peripherals.
Keyboard and Touchpad
One of the best things about the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is its keyboard. It’s comfortable to type on for long periods of time, with well-spaced keys that have plenty of travel. The backlit keys are easy to see in low light conditions, and there’s a dedicated Fn row at the top for quick access to common functions like volume control and screen brightness.
The trackpad is large and responsive, with support for all of Windows 10’s gestures. My only complaint is that the physical mouse buttons are integrated into the trackpad itself, which can make accidental clicks more likely. I would prefer separate buttons like on other laptops.
Performance
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is available with a variety of Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, as well as up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage (SSD only). That’s more than enough power for even demanding business tasks like video conferencing or editing large spreadsheets