The right webcam helps you look your best; the wrong one turns your stream into a grainy nightmare. That could make or break your stream, depending on what you're doing.

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with webcams, and I relied on my laptop to do the job for a long time. But if you don't have one of the best laptops, chances are your webcam might not be outstanding; besides, laptop webcams aren't optimized for streamers. It's time to treat yourself and your viewers to an upgrade.

Right now, the best webcam for streamers is the Elgato Facecam Pro. This is a high-end webcam that lets you stream at 4K60fps. It's exquisite, and while not cheap, it makes up for it in performance.

Want something more affordable? The Logitech HD Pro C920 can stand its ground when faced with more impressive, pricier alternatives. This one is a great pick for video calls and more casual streamers alike.

There's more to explore, including 1080p, 2K, and 4K webcams to satisfy even the most demanding of audiences. Check out some of the best webcams for streaming and give your setup a major upgrade!

Best webcams for streaming

How to choose the best webcam for streaming?

Choosing the best webcam for streaming might seem like a simple task, but unfortunately, it's really easy to pick the wrong thing and end up with something that doesn't live up to your expectations. Let's avoid that!

Check out some of my best tips for buying a webcam down below.

• What resolution do I need for streaming?
  When it comes to resolution, many believe that "bigger number is better," but that's not necessarily true. Most people won't watch your streams at 4K due to bandwidth limitations. On your end, streaming at 4K uses up bandwidth and resources, too. As such, 1080p is the sweet spot for most streamers. Steer clear of 720p—people expect crisp visuals these days.
• What extra features does my streaming webcam need?
  As a streamer, keep an extra eye for low-light performance. Unless you're planning to also buy a ring light and all that jazz, you're most likely going to stream in imperfect lighting. Your webcam needs to be able to handle that, so watch out for built-in auto exposure and noise reduction. Fast, reliable autofocus is also crucial. Lastly, solo streamers might enjoy auto-framing features to stay in the middle of the frame.
• What kind of frames per second (fps) do I need?
  Many pricier webcams will offer 60 fps, and some will offer even more. Treat 30 fps as a minimum—anything under that feels sluggish. These days, 60 fps is the sweet spot, and anything above that is largely unnecessary (but doesn't hurt to have).

FAQ

Webcams are an easy choice when it comes to streaming, although many content creators also resort to other options. I'll try to answer some of the most commonly asked questions below to help you pick the best webcam for streaming for your unique needs.

• Can I stream using just my phone?
  Yes, you absolutely can. Many phones have excellent cameras that are comparable to a webcam, although your mileage may vary depending on your model. Newer iPhones and expensive Samsungs tend to do well, but low-light performance may not be that great.
• Are there any laptops with good webcams?
  Sure, laptop webcams can do the trick for streamers, too. Some of the best laptops do a good job with their 1080p webcams. We've also reviewed laptops with the best webcam performance, too.
• Do I need a DSLR camera for streaming?
  Some established content creators use DSLR or mirrorless cameras for streaming. The quality is often outstanding, but the price point is much higher than even a high-end webcam. Unless your content specifically relies on mind-blowing stream quality, you're probably better off using a webcam or your phone.

Sure, hard drives (HDDs) still exist, and sure, they might cost you less, but they're also excruciatingly slow by comparison. Do you really want to wait for hours to back up some files? No? Well, in that case, you've come to the right place.

We should all be backing up our files (I know you've heard that one before), but content creators and power users need a specific type of portable SSD. It needs to be speedy enough to allow you to work on your files without moving them to your computer (although editing on one of the best laptops would still be faster). Plus, they need to be spacious as you're dealing with large files on a daily basis.

My favorite pick for the best portable SSD for content creators is the SanDisk Extreme Pro. With sequential read speeds hitting 3,800MB/s, it's going to make huge file transfers much less of a headache.

The Crucial X9 is an alternative if you're less concerned about blazing speeds and just want something durable, compact, and still way faster than a traditional HDD.

I have a few more picks for you down below, so check out the best portable SSDs for content creators. They'll help you rest easy with reliable (and fast) backups.

Best portable SSDs for content creators

How to choose the best portable SSD

Without beating around the bush: Portable SSDs aimed at content creators aren't exactly cheap. In fact, portable SSDs aren't cheap, period. But they're great if you pick the right one for your needs, which is why it's important to choose correctly.

Below, I'll answer some of the most frequently asked questions to help you pick the perfect SSD for your needs.

• How fast does my SSD need to be?
  As a content creator, if you're working with 4K/8K video or RAW photos, you want your SSD to be reasonably fast. Aim for newer USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Gen 2x2 speeds that are in the 1,000MB/s to 2,000MB/s range at a minimum.
  Faster SSDs exist (there are a few on this list) and they're nice to have, but pricier.
• How much capacity do I need?
  Most creators should aim for 2TB as a sweet spot right now. 1TB is a way to save money if you don't deal with large files. 4TB becomes necessary if you're doing large projects. For huge storage purposes, stick to HDDs, which tend to be cheaper.
• Do I need to care about durability?
  Nearly every SSD on this list is water-resistant, and many can handle varying degrees of falls. If you're often on the go, make durability your top priority and aim for an SSD with an IP65 rating or higher.
• Do I even need a portable SSD?
  If you have some old SSDs laying around, be they M.2 or SATA, you can stick them into a USB enclosure and use them as a backup drive. They'll be a cheaper, but worse alternative to buying an actual portable SSD.

Portable SSDs are a great way to keep your files safe without condemning yourself to ultra-slow transfer speeds. Consider the above points and pick the drive that works for your needs.

Many people don't know what to look for, and outside of some strategic buzzwords, product blurbs don't make things much clearer. That’s where I come in: I’m here to break it all down and highlight a few routers actually worth your attention.

When shopping for a router, you only really need to know the Wi-Fi standard that your devices support (if you're using one of the best laptops, you might be looking for Wi-Fi 7). Beyond that, you'll want to know about speeds, range, and ports, and I’m covering all of that below to make this (mildly annoying) process as simple as possible.

My current pick for the best Wi-Fi router is the TP-Link Archer BE400, and that's because of access to Wi-Fi 7 combined with a reasonable price tag ($145 at Amazon). It's a solid dual-band router with speeds just below 6 Gbps, and it'll do the trick for most people.

Need a mesh system? My favorite one right now is the tri-band TP-Link Wi-Fi 7 Deco BE63. It's easy on the eyes (which cannot be said about most routers) and costs $420 at Amazon for a pack of three, which covers up to 7,600 square feet.

Whether you need something affordable or you need a monstrous router to keep up with one of the best gaming laptops, I've got you. Check out the best Wi-Fi routers in 2025 below.

Best Wi-Fi routers

How to choose the best Wi-Fi router

Picking the right router isn't easy, and without a lot of knowledge about networking and cybersecurity, you might feel a little lost when faced with some of the terms I've used above.

Good news: You don't need to be an expert to buy the right router. Here are some things to consider before you shop for the best Wi-Fi router for your needs.

• Which type of Wi-Fi should I buy?
  
  We're at a point where routers marked with Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, and Wi-Fi 7 are all readily available. Choosing between those depends on your needs, and while I don't recommend buying Wi-Fi 5 anymore unless your devices are on the older side, Wi-Fi 6 is often the most budget-friendly pick. Wi-Fi 6E gives you slightly higher speeds and an extra 6GHz band for reduced congestion. Wi-Fi 7 ramps that up even more, but those routers are still super pricey, and chances are that your laptop or phone can't take full advantage of them yet.
• Should I get dual-, tri-, or quad-band?
  
  Dual-band routers broadcast on two frequencies: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. They're the cheapest option of the three. Tri-band routers add a third band (surprise, surprise), most commonly a 6GHz band. This helps reduce congestion if you have a lot of connected devices. Quad-band routers might offer up to two 6GHz bands but are very expensive. A tri-band router is an excellent pick if you want smoother performance across many devices, but a dual-band router will suffice for one person.
• Do I need a mesh system?
  
  Some routers have excellent range on their own, but those that don’t can still cover your entire home when used as part of a mesh system. Mesh setups use two or more units to blanket your home in Wi-Fi, eliminating dead zones. If you live in a house above 2,500 sq. ft. (unless specified otherwise), or one with multiple floors and tricky layouts, a mesh system means every member of the household can enjoy uninterrupted Wi-Fi throughout the house. The downside is that this is pricier than just buying one router.

Most people (and most households) don't need a wildly expensive router. But if you're shopping right now, I still recommend buying one with the newer Wi-Fi standards if your budget allows, as this means future-proofing your devices when they need it.

I've been working 100% remotely since 2018, and one of my favorite perks (aside from the option to work in my PJs) is the ability to pick out my own tech. I do not miss the PCs at my old office that took 30 minutes to boot. No, I'm not exaggerating.

Performance is important, so the best tech you can get yourself as a remote worker is one of the best laptops. Options include the Apple M4 MacBook Air, now just $1,099 at Amazon, or the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5, just $680 at Amazon.

As much as my own home is quieter than my old office, it gets noisy if my neighbors randomly decide to drill for 10 hours a day. (Again, not exaggerating.) Noise-cancelling headphones are a must, and my Bose QuietComforts are true lifesavers. You can pick them up for $349 at Amazon.

Don't forget to invest in a good standing desk to keep your spine happy. The Flexispot Comhar electric standing desk has drawers and ports, which is a win in my book, and it's now just $253 (down from $300) at Amazon.

You'll also love having a portable monitor if you work in a hybrid environment or travel for work sometimes. The Acer AOPEN is a 15.6-inch option that weighs under 3 pounds, making it easy to carry if you commute. It's now down to $89 at Best Buy.

The above is just a little sample of all the best tech and accessories for remote workers I'm about to show you. Check out my favorites below; trust me, they will make your work life more enjoyable.

Best tech and accessories for remote workers - Quick links

• Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5: $680 at Amazon
• Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M4: was $1,199, now $1,099 at Amazon
• Logitech Blue Yeti Nano USB nicrophone: was $119, now $99 at Amazon
• Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth headphones: $349 at Amazon
• Logitech Brio 101 Full HD webcam: was $39, now $35 at Amazon
• Havit HV-F2056 Laptop cooling pad: was $39, now $27 at Amazon
• HP X3000 G3 wireless mouse: was $18, now $17 at Amazon
• Logitech Wave Keys wireless ergonomic keyboard: $69 at Amazon
• Acer AOPEN 15.6-inch LED portable nonitor: was $129, now $89 at Best Buy
• SAMSUNG ViewFinity S5 34-inch ultrawide monitor: was $329, now $229 at Amazon
• Flexispot Comhar electric standing desk w/ ports: was $300, now $253 at Amazon

Best tech for remote workers — Laptops

Best tech for remote workers — Headphones & microphones

Best tech for remote workers — Webcams

Best tech for remote workers — Laptop accessories

Best tech for remote workers — Mice & keyboards

Best tech for remote workers — Monitors

Best tech for remote workers — Desks & chairs

The easy part is narrowing down the category, because hey, we all love getting more gaming-related goodies. The hard part? Knowing what's actually good, fun, and worth the money. Figuring out what will make the gamer in your life smile is not as easy as picking something at random and hoping they will find some use for it.

If you usually see them sitting at the desk in front of a PC, then I can promise you that they could use a good mouse. The Logitech G502 Hero is a solid pick both for fast-paced esports titles and for immersive RPGs, and it's currently on sale for just $39.

A mechanical keyboard can be a huge boost to your gaming experience, too. This one is a favorite of mine: The Corsair K70 RGB Pro, currently just $129 at Amazon.

Feel like getting your gamer hours of entertainment? Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a hit among gamers of most platforms, so pick it up and let them step into the shoes of one of the greatest adventure heroes of all time.

Console gamers will always appreciate an Xbox or PlayStation gift card, but you could also score a wireless controller to give them more freedom during long sessions.

Whether that special gamer in your life is usually found using one of the best laptops or they're more into mobile or console gaming, you can bet that you'll make them happy with one of the best gifts for gamers found below.

Best gifts for gamers — Quick links

• Logitech G502 HERO: was $69 now $39 at Amazon
• HyperX Cloud III Wireless Headset: was $149 now $118 at Amazon
• Corsair K70 RGB PRO: was $169 now $129 at Amazon
• Sceptre 27-inch Curved Gaming Monitor: was $179 now $169 at Amazon
• $50 Xbox Gift Card: $50 at Amazon
• $50 PlayStation Store Gift Card: $50 at Amazon
• Meta Quest All-in-One Headset with Batman: Arkham Shadow: $299 at Amazon
• Nintendo Switch with Neon Blue and Neon Red Joy-Con: was $316 now $299 at Amazon
• Sony PlayStation®5 console (slim): $499 at Amazon
• Microsoft Xbox Series X 1TB console: $619 at Amazon
• PowerA Enhanced Nintendo Switch Controller: was $59 now $41 at Amazon
• Microsoft Xbox Wireless Gaming Controller: $72 at Amazon
• Sony PlayStation DualSense® Wireless Controller: $73 at Amazon
• DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO (PS5): was $69 now $45 at Amazon
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (PS5): $69 at Amazon
• Dell G16 (7630): $1,469 at Amazon

Best gifts for gamers — PC and laptop

Best gifts for gamers — Games

Best gifts for gamers — PlayStation 5

Best gifts for gamers — Xbox

Best gifts for gamers — Nintendo Switch

Best gifts for gamers — Other consoles and accessories

No matter how good your gaming laptop is, audio quality can make or break your gaming experience, which is why you need one of the best gaming headsets to complete your gaming setup.

While some of the best gaming laptops have surprisingly good speakers, nothing really immerses me in my favorite games, like a great headset. I've spent dozens of hours testing several top headsets to find a few that offer the best possible value for your money.

In fact, my personal daily drivers are on this list: the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds. These ultra-portable gaming earbuds are the perfect alternative to a bulky headset, especially if you wear glasses or travel often like I do.

There are plenty of fantastic over-ear picks, too. For instance, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X is easily one of the best gaming headsets for budget users. It punches way above its weight class for a sub-$200 headset and features a comfortable, lightweight design.

Whether you're after a budget bargain, a great design, or top battery life, these are the best gaming headsets you can buy, based on dozens of hours of testing.

The Quick List

The best gaming headsets you can buy in 2025

Best overall gaming headset

Why is this our top overall gaming headset?

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X combines all the core features you need in a great gaming headset with a flexible, durable design and solid battery life for a stellar all-around headset for PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch, and mobile.

Buy it if

✔️ You want great audio in a polished design: The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X is reliable, streamlined, comfortable, and offers great audio quality with customizable game-specific audio profiles. It's the perfect balance between price and performance, offering a more premium build quality than the Arctis Nova 5X without getting too pricey.

✔️ You enjoy customization: You can personalize the Arctis Nova 7X with SteelSeries booster packs that include earcup accents and headbands in various colors and patterns. It's a unique feature that's also good for extending the lifespan of your headset in case your suspension headband ever needs to be replaced.

Don't buy it if

✖️ Price is your top concern: The Arctis Nova 7X is a great gaming headset, but the more affordable Arctis Nova 5X offers nearly all the same features and virtually identical audio quality at a much lower price. So if affordability is your top concern, the Arctis Nova 5X is probably a better deal.

See our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X review.

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Best budget gaming headset

Why is it our budget pick for handheld gaming PCs?

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X delivers stellar value for your money, pairing an affordable sub-$200 price tag with solid audio quality, impressive battery life, and a comfortable, lightweight design.

Buy it if

✔️ You want great value for your money: The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X is a fantastic budget-friendly gaming headset. It offers all the basics you need for a great audio experience, paired with a lightweight, comfortable design and shockingly good battery life. It's a phenomenal deal for just $129.

✔️ You want a lightweight headset: If comfort's your top priority, the Arctis Nova 5X is a great pick. Its plastic chassis is flexible and lightweight at just 0.58 pounds. With the soft, breathable fabric earcups, the Arctis Nova 5X stays cool and comfy for hours on end.

Don't buy if

✖️ Mic quality is your top priority: The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X offers strong audio quality comparable with the more expensive Arctis Nova 7X, but its mic isn't quite as impressive. It can get the job done for everyday voice calls, but if you want a crystal-clear mic, this might not be the best option.

✖️ You need noise cancelling: The Arctis Nova 5X has all the basic features you need in a good gaming headset, but it doesn't feature ANC or any kind of advanced noise cancellation. For that, you might be better served with the Arctis Nova Pro or Arctis GameBuds.

See our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X review.

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Longest-lasting gaming headset

Why is it our top battery life pick for gaming headsets?

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is tough to beat on battery life, maxing out at 70 hours per charge. If you want to avoid pausing your gaming sessions to recharge your headset, this one is the right pick for you.

Buy it if

✔️ Battery life is your top priority: The Razer BlackShark truly shines on battery life, lasting an impressive 70 hours per charge. If you often forget to charge your headset or simply want to avoid it, the BlackShark V2 Pro could be a great fit.

✔️ You want a good built-in mic: The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro has one of the best built-in mics of any of the gaming headsets we've tested. It might not be podcast quality, but it's perfect for clear, crisp voice chat audio during all your gaming sessions.

Don't buy it if

✖️ You want something low-profile: The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is a pretty bulky gaming headset. At 0.70 pounds, it's not particularly heavy, but the design itself is on the larger side. It might look noticeably bulky on smaller heads, but it's comfy nonetheless.

✖️ You want something that can take a hit: The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro held up fine during our testing, but its construction uses plastic rather than metal in some key areas, namely around the hinges, suggesting that it might not hold up long-term as well as some alternatives, particularly if you often travel with your headset.

See our full Razer BlackShark V2 Pro review.

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Best gaming earbuds

Why is it our top pair of gaming earbuds?

The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are the ultimate alternative to bulky over-ear gaming headsets, offering a comfortable in-ear fit, solid battery life, and fantastic portability with the same features as SteelSeries's over-ear headsets, including game-specific audio presets.

Buy it if

✔️ You don't like bulky over-ear headsets or wear glasses: The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are perfect for gamers who travel or commute often, wear glasses, or just don't like bulky headsets. You can't get more portable and lightweight than the GameBuds. They won't get in the way of your glasses, either.

✔️ You want noise-cancelling: One of the best features of the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds is its Active Noise Cancelling, which works so well that it even helped prevent motion sickness in our review. The ANC on these earbuds is top-notch and perfect for creating a more immersive gaming (or working) experience. There's also a Transparency mode for when you need to hear your surroundings.

Don't buy it if

✖️ You have sensitive skin or don't like in-ear earbuds: The silicone eartips on the Arctis GameBuds aren't for everyone. If you have sensitive skin or often find silicone irritating, these earbuds could make your ears itchy after a little while and an on-ear or over-ear headset might be a better fit.

✖️ You're looking for a good built-in mic: The built-in mic on the Arctis GameBuds is one of its few downsides. Its mic isn't bad, but it's not as clear as the mics on SteelSeries's over-ear headsets, so if that's a top priority for you, an over-ear headset or external USB mic might be a better solution.

See our full SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds review.

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Recently reviewed

Not every gaming headset we test earns a spot on among the best gaming headsets. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean these headsets were disappointing or a bad buy, they just may not have impressed us enough to make the cut. They could still be a good fit for some people, though.

How to find the right gaming headset

Gaming headsets might all look a bit similar, but each has pros and cons you should consider to find the right fit.

The first thing to determine is whether you want over-ear headphones or in-ear earbuds. The vast majority of gaming headsets are over-ear, which can be more comfortable for longer gaming sessions, with the big exception of gamers who wear glasses.

Over-ear headphones will almost always be a bit less comfortable if you wear glasses since they wrap around your ears, pressing the arms of your glasses against your head. This can be pretty uncomfortable after a while with most over-ear headphones, which is why gaming earbuds are often a better choice if you wear glasses. In that case, I'd highly recommend the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds.

Next, consider how important mic quality and battery life are. If you have an external USB mic, you probably don't need to worry about the quality of the built-in mic on your gaming headset. However, if you don't have an external mic, the built-in mic should be a top priority.

The same goes for battery life. If you mainly prefer to use a wired headset or don't plan to travel with it, battery life probably won't be a deal breaker. But if you want to use your headset in wireless mode only, you should try to get the best battery life possible. The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro and SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X are both good options in that department.

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FAQs

Can I use the same gaming headset on PC and consoles?

Yes, you can usually use the same gaming headset you use for PC on your consoles, but compatibility can vary. For instance, many gaming headsets are only compatible with Xbox or PlayStation. Effectively, all gaming headsets are compatible with PC and mobile devices, though, as long as they have Bluetooth or a wired connection.

The easiest way to use the same headset for both PC and consoles is to pair it via Bluetooth on your PC and use its 2.4GHz wireless dongle with your console. Then, when you want to swap between PC and console, you can swap connectivity modes; no re-pairing is necessary.

Are gaming earbuds better than gaming headsets?

Gaming earbuds can be better than gaming headsets for some people, especially if you wear glasses or travel often. Gaming earbuds are much more portable and lightweight, making them easier to slip into your pocket when traveling or commuting. They can even double as workout headphones.

In contrast, over-ear gaming headsets are typically too bulky to be good for traveling or working out and are often uncomfortable if you wear glasses. However, if you don't wear glasses or your ears are sensitive to silicone earbud tips, an over-ear headset is probably a better fit.

How much should you spend on a gaming headset?

You can easily get a great gaming headset for less than $200. For instance, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X costs just $129 and offers a fantastic experience all around, with a lightweight design and customizable game-specific audio profiles.

Anything above $200 is generally considered premium. There are options in this price range if you want something a bit more high-end, like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro. However, most gamers can get a stellar gaming experience with a variety of less expensive headsets.

How We Test the best gaming headsets

Every gaming headset featured in this guide was reviewed after at least a week of everyday use, along with side-by-side comparisons with other headsets and mics. This ensures we experience the headset the same way you would using it as a daily driver, allowing us to spot issues like long-term comfort or software bugs.

We record audio samples with the mic in each headset, as well, to compare mic quality between headsets and USB mics. Audio tests include a range of different music genres and games to get a feel for the entire breadth of the headset's audio features and quality.

Finally, we also dive into any software features a headset has to test out tools like customizable audio profiles.

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Why Trust Laptop Mag

Laptop Mag reviews hundreds of different laptops and accessories every year, from paperweight ultralights to everyday workhorses to lumbering gaming notebooks that scorch the frame rates of even the hottest AAA games. We're not just experts in the laptop field, as we go one step further by meticulously testing smartphones, tablets, headphones, PC accessories, software, and even handheld gaming PCs.

We are 100% independent and have decades of experience to help you buy with confidence. In fact, Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing products for three decades, and we continue to deliver trustworthy reviews you can rely on.

Our experienced team of writers and editors scour the available information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it.

Our editorial trustworthiness is enforced by one of the world's largest technology publishers, Future Publishing. As a company, we have unrivaled experience across every tech sector — and we're the group's specialist for all things mobile tech.

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I love gaming laptops, but nothing beats the best handheld gaming PCs when it comes to portability.

If you've ever wished you could play your PC games on your Switch, the best handheld gaming PCs are the solution. You get the broad game compatibility of a laptop or PC in the form factor of a handheld. They can also be a more affordable alternative to the best gaming laptops if you're on a tight budget or new to PC gaming.

Most handheld gaming PCs run on Windows 11, meaning you can play any Windows-compatible games. The exception is the Steam Deck, which uses SteamOS, Valve's custom version of Linux. So, if you're considering the Steam Deck or the upcoming Lenovo Legion Go S Steam Edition, it might be a good idea to check out the Proton database to see how well your favorite games will run on the Deck.

The Steam Deck may be the most widely known handheld gaming PC, but it's far from your only choice. Some phenomenal handhelds have launched over the past few years, including a handful of all-stars that made this list.

For example, the Asus ROG Ally X is our top pick thanks stunning performance in our review and a well-earned Editor's Choice award. This ultra-portable gaming powerhouse delivers great battery life, superb ergonomics, and a reasonable amount of storage for the price, making it a fantastic value for your money.

That's just the tip of the iceberg, though. Here's a look at the best handheld gaming PCs after dozens of hours of testing!

The Quick List

The best handheld gaming PCs you can buy today

Whether you've heard whispers of the handheld gaming PC's brilliance and want to try it for yourself for the first time or are looking for an upgrade from whatever you were playing with prior, there are plenty of great options available for every budget and use case.

Best overall handheld gaming PC

When it first launched, the Asus ROG Ally blew my mind, but it had problems. With the release of its mid-cycle refresh, Asus ROG Ally X, the company took the machine to a whole new level.

What's so different about the Asus ROG Ally X? Its ergonomics are significantly improved. There's a springiness to the bumpers and triggers, there's more tension in the joysticks, the grips are more comfortable, and the back buttons are better positioned.

The slight downside is that the machine is a tad heavier, with the original Ally coming in at 1.34 pounds versus the Ally X's 1.5 pounds, but if you can handle that extra weight, it feels great.

Beyond just that, the Ally X's longevity hits new levels with its 80Wh battery (the ROG Ally had a 40Wh battery). Jumping from Ally's 1 hour and 46 minutes to the Ally X's 3 hours and 4 minutes. Other updates include 24GB of RAM and a Thunderbolt 4 port, which increase performance and charging speeds.

The display is the same 7-inch, 1920 x 1080, 120Hz panel as the original, but it scored slightly higher marks. It hit an average of 523 nits of brightness (from 465 nits) and covered 80% of the DCI-P3 color gamut (from 76.1%).

It does feature the same performance, which is decent but a bit disappointing considering the price bump. Playing Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree at maximum graphics with ray tracing turned all the way up produced anywhere from 27 to 35 frames per second.

As mentioned earlier, The Asus ROG Ally X is a bit chunkier, coming in at 1.5 pounds and 11 x 4.4 x 1~1.5 inches versus the Ally at 1.3 pounds and 11 x 4.4 x 0.8 inches. We also found that the D-pad is a little too close to the screen, which is a miss in terms of its revamped ergonomics. Even now, several months after launch, I still accidentally tap the screen while gaming, which registers a random input on the Ally X.

Overall, the Asus ROG Ally X is a great option for those who seek the best handheld gaming PC experience.

See our full Asus ROG Ally X review.

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Best budget handheld gaming PC

The Asus ROG Ally is an excellent gateway into handheld gaming PCs that run Windows 11, as it's the cheapest of the bunch and allows you to enjoy a slew of indie titles without spending anywhere near as much as its competitors.

The 7-inch, 1920 x 1080p AMD FreeSync touch panel sports a 7-millisecond response rate with a 120Hz refresh rate. It averaged 465 nits of brightness, brighter than some premium gaming laptops.

As far as performance goes, you won't play games on high settings, so put that out of your mind. But considering the size, the Ally pushed hard on our testing. For example, with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, the ROG Ally scored 29 fps at 1080p on High. Turn that to low, and you'll likely get over 60 fps.

Regarding portability, the ROG Ally weighs only 1.34 pounds and measures 11 x 4.4 x 0.8 inches. I frequently brought the machine while traveling, but it doesn't last that long in terms of longevity. You’re getting 1 hour and 46 minutes while consistently gaming, which is more than an hour shorter than what competitors like the Ally X and Claw 8 AI+ accomplish.

The Asus ROG Ally is a perfect entry point for handheld gaming PCs. It's affordable and capable, and unless you plan to shoot for the stars, it's more than worth your money.

See our full Asus ROG Ally review.

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Best battery life in a handheld gaming PC

The MSI Claw 8 AI+ exceeded expectations after the original MSI Claw received a dismal 2.5 out of 5 stars in our review. But the company's latest handheld gaming PC delivers in nearly every avenue.

It is designed for the most premium handheld gaming experience, built with 2TB of SSD storage, 32GB of RAM, and an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor with Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics. It also has an 8-inch, 1,920 x 1,200-pixel resolution IPS touchscreen at a 120Hz refresh rate.

Its most impressive quality is its battery life. On the Laptop Mag battery life test, which involves continuous web surfing over wifi at 150 nits, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ lasted 13 hours and 31 minutes before running out of juice. For context, that's more than double the original Claw's battery life of 6 hours and 9 minutes. And the Asus ROG Ally X, which is the second longest, lasted 8 hours and 19 minutes.

On our PCMark 10 gaming battery life benchmark, it also did remarkably well, but it's clear that the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V's efficiency isn't as amazing when gaming, but it still did the best of its competitors. It lasted 3 hours and 6 minutes before running out of juice. The Asus ROG Ally X, which was stomped in the non-gaming battery life test, was only two minutes behind at 3 hours and 4 minutes before dying.

Its display and brightness are both solid, coming in at 80% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 473 nits of brightness. While it's not as bright as the ROG Ally X's 523 nits, it's equally as colorful, with both at 80% DCI-P3.

The MSI Claw 8 AI+ also does excellently in our gaming tests with its Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor and Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics. On the 3DMark Fire Strike benchmark, the Claw 8 AI+ achieved a score of 2243, while the Ally X was a bit behind at 2090 with its Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor and Radeon 780M GPU. That's not particularly surprising, considering the Ally X's chip is older.

See our full MSI Claw 8 AI+

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Best screen in a handheld gaming PC

The Lenovo Legion Go came shortly after the Asus ROG Ally, and it did surprisingly well with specs that had us shaking in our boots. With an 8.8-inch, 2,560 x 1,600-pixel IPS panel and detachable controllers, this has a new class of features that even the Asus ROG Ally doesn't quite have.

Alongside its already mentioned display, it's built with an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB/1TB SSD for anywhere between $699 to $749. This makes its starting price somewhere in the middle between the cheapest and most expensive. While the Lenovo Legion Go is the heaviest on this list (1.88 pounds), Mark Anthony Ramirez claimed its ergonomics were excellent.

You're probably wondering: What am I losing by purchasing the Lenovo Legion Go over the Ally if they're the same price? Well, the Ally comes with a completely different controller layout, and the Legion Go lacks my beloved Armoury Crate app, which makes exploring Windows 11 on a handheld much easier.

Beyond just that, Asus is directly backed by Xbox Game Pass, making it the ideal device to use with that. Otherwise, the Lenovo Legion Go is a great pick for someone needing something larger, bigger, and higher resolution.

Most importantly, however, its display is phenomenal. Boasting a DCI-P3 color gamut coverage of 108% and nits of brightness at 476. It's bright, colorful, and with a 2K resolution at 144Hz refresh rate, it is by far the best display on any handheld gaming PC.

See our full Lenovo Legion Go review.

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Best handheld gaming PC for emulation

The Steam Deck is the first handheld gaming PC that allowed users to get lost in their Steam library on the go. While it's not a Windows PC, SteamOS is built upon Linux, which means users have found ways to do things like get emulators working through EmuDeck.

This is perfect for people who already own tons of games on Steam and want a more convenient way to enjoy that content. We wouldn't necessarily recommend it to folks who don't have a Steam account unless you're willing to begin a whole new library from scratch.

Our reviewer, Jason England, complimented its ergonomics that "slips into your hand's grip with ease," he also pointed out that its heaviness (1.4-1.5 pounds) gave him wrist ache after long gaming sessions.

The Steam Deck LCD model has been heavily discounted due to the launch of the OLED version. However, we haven't reviewed this specific model just yet. You can get the Steam Deck OLED starting at $549, and while its most notable upgrade involves its jump from LCD to OLED, it also goes from 60Hz to 90Hz refresh rate, 7.0 to 7.4-inch screen size, and a 40Whr to 50Whr battery. The lowest-cost model has 512GB of storage space and a 7.6-inch, 1,280 x 8,00 OLED display.

If OLED doesn't appeal to you, we recommend one of the 7-inch 1,280 x 800-pixel LCD models. While the cheapest is 64GB for $349, that's far too little space for most people, so we recommend the 256GB for $399. If that's still too little, the 512GB model is $449 right now. Steam is only selling these until supplies last, as the OLED models are set to become the new base skew, so if you want one, now's the best time to grab it.

See our full Steam Deck review.

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Benchmark comparisons

How to find the right handheld gaming PC

I am obsessed with handheld gaming PCs, and there are a few critical factors to consider when deciding which one is right for you. Thankfully, there really is no wrong answer as long as you're not buying the original MSI Claw or Lenovo Legion Go S, but let's jump into what you should be thinking about.

Budget: They're all affordable, but some are way cheaper than others

All handheld gaming PCs are pretty cheap as far as computers and laptops go. The worst you'll be spending is $899 on the MSI Claw 8 AI+, which is still thousands of dollars cheaper than many gaming laptops out there.

The cheapest you're going to get is either the Steam Deck LCD model at 256GB of storage for $399, or the base Asus ROG Ally Z1, which retails for $499, but is often available for $349 to $399 during deals season. If that sounds like an attractive price point for a capable handheld, you should absolutely go for it.

But if you're willing to invest in greater storage, RAM, processing power, and battery life, don't be afraid to purchase the more expensive models like the Asus ROG Ally X for $799 or the MSI Claw 8 AI+ for $899.

Size: Don't forget, you'll be holding this machine for hours at a time

All handheld gaming PCs are in the range of one to two pounds, but weight makes a huge difference. You cannot forget that when gaming on a handheld device, you will be holding it in your hands for hours at a time, especially if you're as intense of a gamer as I am.

Lighter, smaller machines like the Asus ROG Ally are 7 inches and only weigh 1.34 pounds, while the heavier, larger machines like the Lenovo Legion Go have an 8.8-inch display and weigh 1.88 pounds. If you're prone to hand aches and cramps, consider the smaller machine.

Operating system: Windows 11 or SteamOS?

While it may seem like a small choice, the decision between Windows 11 and SteamOS is a huge one, and each has its advantages and disadvantages.

SteamOS has fantastic user-friendliness and is generally an amazing experience in navigation and ease of use. Windows 11, on the other hand, benefits from its wide selection of applications. SteamOS users are limited to their Steam library, but Windows 11 is an absolute headache to control on a gaming handheld.

The question comes down to this: Do you value convenience over choice? If your answer is convenience, pick SteamOS. If you prefer more choices, pick Windows 11.

Battery Life: Are you going to be tethered or not?

Longevity for handheld gaming PCs varies greatly. Some machines last a long time with an 80Wh battery (like the MSI Claw 8 AI+), while others die in less than half the time with their 40Wh battery (like the Asus ROG Ally).

But that isn't a universal negative. You might think a gaming handheld must be associated with great battery life, but that depends entirely on your use case. I only use my gaming handheld at home, and I'm usually close to an outlet, even when I'm in bed. While that additional juice is definitely welcome, it's not the end of the world if the machine dies fast, as I just have to plug it in.

However, if you make full use of a handheld's portability and take it with you while traveling, you will regret not investing in a machine with a longer battery life.

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FAQs

Can I play AAA games on a handheld gaming PC?

If your primary use case for a handheld gaming PC like the Asus ROG Ally or MSI Claw 8 AI+ is to enjoy AAA games like Cyberpunk 2077, Monster Hunter Wilds, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Alan Wake 2, and more, you have to be prepared to make serious sacrifices.

Many of these games will run, but likely at lower graphical settings, and you might not get the best framerate out of them. Handheld gaming PCs are best when primarily used for emulation and indie games, with the occasional AAA game if you wish. I've played a bit of Elden Ring on my Asus ROG Ally X, and it runs well, but I don't frequently play AAA titles on the device. If you do, we recommend something stronger, like a gaming laptop or PC with discrete graphics.

Can I play PS5 or Xbox games on a handheld gaming PC?

Many Xbox games are available on PC, including Halo Infinite, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Sea of Thieves, Hi-Fi Rush, Avowed, and far more. They're all playable through the Xbox app, and some are even available on Steam.

PS5 games are a bit trickier. Sony continues to port the occasional PlayStation exclusive to PC, with games like Sackboy: A Big Adventure, God of War: Ragnarok, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Returnal, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. However, these aren't available universally on PC, as Sony usually waits at least a year, and sometimes multiple years, before porting a title over. Beyond just that, not every PS5 exclusive is guaranteed to appear on PC.

Why is handheld gaming better?

Handheld gaming has its pros and cons but a lot of gamers consider it better than gaming on a desktop, laptop, or console since you're not tied down to one spot. You can bring your games with you wherever you need to go, whether it's your commute, school, vacation, or anywhere else.

That portability can be a huge advantage. While gaming laptops are technically portable, too, they're significantly heavier and bulkier than a handheld gaming PC.

Plus, sometimes it's just nice to curl up on the couch or in bed to do a little gaming on your handheld gaming PC, which isn't nearly as comfortable with a gaming laptop.

What rumored handheld gaming PCs are we excited for?

The most highly-anticipated upcoming handheld gaming PC at the time of writing is the Steam Deck 2. While it has not been officially announced yet, there have been plenty of rumors about it, indicating that it could launch sometime in 2026 or 2027.

While that's a bit far off, we're also looking forward to the SteamOS version of the Lenovo Legion Go S, slated to launch in May 2025. The Windows version was disappointing, so we're hoping the SteamOS version performs a bit better, especially since it's also expected to be less expensive than the Windows version.

How We Test the Best handheld gaming PCs

When we bring a handheld gaming PC into our laboratory, we aim to see how it can game and the general performance of its specs. While we use industry-standard benchmarks such as Geekbench and 3DMark, we focus heavily on real-world tests that we have developed in-house.

To test endurance, the Laptop Mag Battery test surfs the web at 150 nits of brightness until the system runs out of juice. We also utilize the PCMark 10 gaming battery life benchmark to see how long the machine lasts while gaming.

We use a giant spreadsheet macro that matches 65,000 names with their addresses to judge pure processing power, a video transcoder that converts a 4K video to 1080p, and the Geekbench 5/6 synthetic test.

We ramp up our 3DMark testing to also include Fire Strike Ultra and Time Spy Extreme, which determine how well the handheld gaming PC copes with DX11 and DX12 4K graphics workloads.

We run all gaming benchmarks in full-screen mode with vertical sync disabled, always at least at 1920 x 1080 (1080p) resolution, with some games at 1,280 x 720 (720p) to test against the Steam Deck's native resolution. Games include: Red Dead Redemption 2, Assassin's Creed Mirage, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Borderlands 3, Far Cry 6, and more.

We use a colorimeter to measure screen brightness and color gamut, which is important, especially when bringing one of these devices on the go.

We think about how well a handheld gaming PC's price point matches what it offers. Expensive is only a problem when it's not worth the cost, and while all of these machines are cheaper than most gaming PCs or gaming laptops, we want to ensure what you're paying for is worth it.

Beyond all the lab tests, our reviewers need to go deep into a handheld gaming PC's ergonomics. If you're going to be holding one for hours on end, you need to know how it feels and whether or not you'll get tired of holding it, alongside how well the buttons and grip are designed. Considering how vital software can be, our reviewers thoroughly explore the user experience from gaming to navigating the operating system. This ensures we're not just measuring a device's performance but how it feels to use it day-to-day.

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Why Trust Laptop Mag

Laptop Mag reviews over one hundred different laptops every year, from paperweight ultralights to everyday workhorses to lumbering gaming notebooks that scorch the frame rates of even the hottest AAA games. We're not just experts in the laptop field, as we go one step further by meticulously testing smartphones, tablets, headphones, PC accessories, software, and even handheld gaming PCs.

We are 100% independent and have decades of experience to help you buy with confidence. In fact, Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing products for three decades, and we continue to deliver trustworthy reviews you can rely on.

Our experienced team of writers and editors scour the available information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it.

Our editorial trustworthiness is enforced by one of the world's largest technology publishers, Future Publishing. As a company, we have unrivaled experience across every tech sector — and we're the group's specialist for all things mobile tech.

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At the end of every school year, one or two graduating seniors in my class will ask me to recommend one of the best laptops for students before they head off to college. Some of them decide to major in science, engineering, or business, but if they've spent the last four years with a Chromebook (or a circa 2016 MacBook losing its keycaps), figuring out the best college laptop to get them through another four years of school can be overwhelming.

Most humanities majors just need one of the best laptops for writers (with a great keyboard and long battery life), but most STEM and business majors learn how to use special programs to complete their coursework — programs that need a lot of processing power to run efficiently. But if you don't want to make the first day of class a more nerve-wracking experience by sitting far away from a wall outlet, there are plenty of laptops with the best battery life that can still run demanding programs.

Beyond that, any student looking for one of the best laptops should also take portability into consideration. I've had the misfortune of lugging a heavy laptop across campus multiple times a day and trust me — it gets tiring! Although, I went to college in what feels like the stone age, and it's much easier to find a fantastic, thin and light laptop that's a half-inch thick and weighs less than 3 pounds these days.

This page is regularly updated with our latest reviews to reflect Laptop Mag’s top picks for 2025.

Update Log

6/4/25: Revised FAQs section, fully updated Recently Reviewed section.

The Quick List

Best overall

The MacBook Air 13 M4 is the most well-rounded and affordable premium laptop you can get for college. Its starting price is back down to $999, $100 less than the Air M3 and M2 — and Apple (finally) increased the RAM on the Air M4’s base model from 8GB to 16GB. The MacBook Air was still a great laptop for students in years past, but those two changes make it an even better one.

The 13-inch model “feels like the return of the original M1 Air,” Laptop Mag managing editor Sean Riley said in his review. It offers many of the same benefits for students as the pricier Pro M4, and its performance and battery life are still unparalleled compared to many of its budget competitors.

Its CPU multicore performance is nearly 38% faster than the Air M3, according to our testing. In our real-world video transcoding test, the Air M4 converted a 4K video to 1080p in just under 5 minutes — 2 minutes faster than the Air M3. With double the RAM, the Air M4 handles heavy multitasking better, too.

The display isn't the most vibrant or color-accurate screen you can get, but it covers a larger portion of the DCI-P3 color gamut than last year's Air M3 (83.5% versus 77.8%). For film or graphic design majors on a budget, that's less of a compromise between the Air M4 and 14-inch M4 Pro — assuming you don’t need a larger screen. But you still get Apple's True Tone technology, which adjusts how colors are displayed depending on the lighting. Its max brightness is 476 nits, just like last year's model.

The Air M4's other features have mostly stayed the same or improved compared to last year’s model (Its battery still lasts 15 hours.) If you currently have an Air M1 or earlier, you're in the best position to get the most out of your money by upgrading.

See our full Apple MacBook Air 13 M4 review.

Best under $1,000

Inside the Acer Swift Go 14’s minimalist yet stylish aluminum chassis lies productivity power. It’s a “great pick for people with a need for speed,” as Laptop Mag’s Claire Tabari said in her review. There are plenty of other features that make this an A+ laptop for students, too.

Compared to its main competitors that we’ve reviewed, the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor comes within 1% of their multicore speed — a minuscule difference when it comes to web browsing, word processing, and other tasks that don’t take a lot of resources to run. But more demanding tasks like video conversion don’t slow it down, either. In our Handbrake test, the Swift Go 14 took a little over 5 minutes to convert a 4K video to 1080p, on par with its competitors.

Its SSD storage speed helps with that process, too. In our tests, it duplicated 25GB of multimedia files up to 31% faster than its main competitors.

The Swift Go 14’s biggest drawback is its battery life: 8 hours and 25 minutes. Not only is that shorter than the 9-10 hour minimum we recommend, but it’s also between 2-7 hours shorter than competing laptops at its price point. (It’s also important to keep in mind that battery life can shorten over time.) If you’re a student who likes or needs to take their laptop with them to every class, you might have to call dibs on a seat next to a coveted wall outlet.

See our full Acer Swift Go 14 review.

Best under $500

As I mentioned in my review, budget Chromebooks have become better-value laptops in the last several years. Acer’s new Chromebook Spin 312 is the stand-out example of how much they’ve improved.

Design-wise, its silver colorway and black keyboard, along with a lightweight chassis, make it look more like a Windows laptop. The keyboard does have a strange clicky-squishy feel that makes the thinness of the plastic keycaps really noticeable, but it’s not the worst keyboard I’ve ever tried. However, the trackpad is the smoothest I’ve ever felt on a budget laptop — even compared to some expensive Windows laptops.

Despite Laptop Mag’s tests showing the IPS display has low color gamut coverage, its images are still vivid and clear, likely due to the Corning Gorilla Glass coating. This is great for a $450 Chromebook. But the coating does make it more reflective than the average IPS, and the Spin 312’s max display brightness of 277 nits isn’t always enough to mask reflections. (You will definitely need to watch horror movies in the dark, as they are meant to be watched.)

The Spin 312’s 128GB of storage space might seem like a lot, but for students who want to run Linux on their Chromebook, it’s necessary for installing standard desktop applications and saving larger files. However, this laptop comes with only 8GB of RAM. That’s fine for a light workload (a dozen or fewer open browser tabs and one or two applications), but a minimum of 16GB is ideal for any laptop, especially if you are a heavy multitasker.

See our full Acer Chromebook Spin 312 review.

Best battery life

For fans of powerful, thin and light laptops, Dell’s XPS 13 takes on the MacBook Air M4 in size, performance, and battery life at a similar price. And now that its Snapdragon X Elite has been out for a year, there’s way more programs (even some niche ones) with native Windows on ARM support.

The Snapdragon X Elite also still one of the fastest chips for heavy multitasking you can get in a premium laptop. It outpaces many laptops with an Intel Core Ultra 7 200V series or 100H series, according to Laptop Mag’s testing, and comes within 1.5% of Apple’s new MacBook Air M4. Its battery lasts longer than than the Air M4, too: 19 hours compared to 15 hours.

However, its graphics capabilities is among the slowest we’ve tested in a laptop in this price range, and its display isn’t as colorful as other laptops on this. That could turn some potential buyers away from the XPS 13, but it’s not as problematic as other parts of the laptop.

Rami Tabari, Laptop Mag’s review editor mentioned in his review that the XPS 13’s “thin-and-light chassis forces compromises you’ll be sure to notice.” Unfortunately for this gorgeous laptop, you’ll find most of those compromises in the keyboard and touchpad.

The keyboard could feel cramped for anyone with extra large hands. It runs from edge to edge on the bottom chassis, so the keys are packed closer together than they would be on a 13-inch laptop with a larger footprint. The touch function row doesn’t give haptic feedback, which felt unsatisfying to Tabari (and having used this laptop myself, I agree.) But thank goodness the touchpad has haptics — it’s hard enough figuring out where it begins and ends since it completely blends in with the deck.

But the XPS 13 is close in size and weight to the MacBook Air M4. It’s chassis is a little thicker (0.6 inches versus 0.44 inches), but it’s a touch lighter (2.6 pounds versus 2.7 pounds).

See our full Dell XPS 13 9345 review.

Best 2-in-1

This might Laptop Mag staff writer Madeline Ricchiuto’s favorite 2-in-1 laptop. As she said in her review, it’s a “compelling combination” of solid performance, power efficiency, a stunning OLED display, and smooth iGPU gaming performance. Coupled with a reasonable price tag, the Asus Vivobook 16 Flip is an excellent choice for students who want a highly versatile laptop.

Even with a speedy Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor and 32GB of RAM, this laptop's battery life doesn't suffer for all the multicore performance it cranks out. In our battery rundown test, it surfed the web for nearly 14 hours before it needed a charge — 3 hours longer than our previous pick, the HP Spectre x360 16. And in our Handbrake transcoding test, it converted a 4K video to 1080p in under 8 minutes. That's not the fastest we've ever seen, but for a 2-in-1 laptop that's not primarily designed to be a video editing laptop, that's good!

But if you could use it as one if you wanted to; its OLED display covers 84.4% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is enough to capture the slightest of differences between most color shades. The display also gets surprisingly bright for an OLED laptop. Not the brightest Laptop Mag has ever tested, but a max 356 nits of brightness is enough to ward off all but the most intrusive glare.

To add yet another positive to the Asus Vivobook 16 Flip's long list of features, the integrated graphics makes most games playable (at least 30 fps) on Medium graphics at 1080p — even Baldur’s Gate III.

See our full Asus Vivobook 16 Flip review.

Best for business majors

The Asus ExpertBook P5 has all the essentials to get you through your business classes: a fast Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, a well-spaced and comfortable keyboard, battery life, a 144Hz display, tons of RAM, tons of ports, and even surprisingly good speakers. Its looks are nothing to gawk at, but it provides so much at such a great value it doesn't matter that it lacks panache.

This laptop is a multitasking champ, handling dozens of open Chrome tabs with spreadsheets, music, video, and emails with stutter-free performance. It also shines in two other crucial areas: the webcam and thermals. In a well-lit environment, its color accuracy is on-point, whether what's on screen is the foreground or background.

The ExpertBook P5 also effectively manages the heat it puts out. Our managing editor, Sean Riley, said it's "one of the coolest laptops" he's ever encountered when he reviewed it. All but one spot on the laptop stayed well below Laptop Mag's 95-degree threshold — and the spot that didn't only spiked to 95.4 degrees.

See our full Asus ExpertBook P5 review.

Best for engineering students

Gaming laptops have become a more popular choice among high school and college students in recent years. Some have gotten smaller and lighter, which makes them much easier to carry around campus all day. But it’s their discrete graphics cards that make them a standout choice for engineering majors. The Asus TUF Gaming A14, with an RTX 4060, has the right amount of performance for that kind of coursework — and playing games after class.

In Laptop Mag’s gaming tests, this laptop averaged 77 frames per second in Far Cry 6, which is a mildly-demanding game. Games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 that push the system harder, it averaged less than half that. Enabling DLSS and Frame Generation can help get the laptop past 60 fps, but that’s the level of performance we’d expect to see from an RTX 4060 laptop GPU. It’s respectable for a machine as thin and as light as this one.

We’ve yet to test another gaming laptop with battery life as long as this one, too. They generally aren't known for having long battery lives, but the TUF Gaming A14 shatters that stereotype. Where the average gaming laptop lasts around five hours (and some can't even last that long), this one gets twice the amount of battery power: 10 hours!

To quote our reviewer, Claire Tabari, this is the "longest-lasting gaming laptop we've seen in over four years." The last time we saw this much battery life in a gaming laptop was when we reviewed the 2020 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (11 hours and 32 minutes).

See our full Asus TUF Gaming A14 review.

Benchmark comparisons

Recently reviewed

Not every laptop can be admitted into the prestigious best laptops for college page. (We wouldn't be doing you that much good if that were the case!) We review new laptops every week and over 100 laptops yearly, so here's a look at our most recently reviewed laptops that didn't make this page either due to their battery life, performance, keyboard, price, or something else.

How to choose the best college laptop

There are several factors students should consider before buying a laptop for college.

The first is portability, which goes hand in hand with screen size. Thirteen- and 14-inch laptops are popular among college students because they balance screen real estate and portability well. Ideally, you'll stay below 3 pounds as well, although budget or more powerful systems may have you go higher.

Battery life is another critical component of any good college laptop. If you plan to take the notebook to class or the library, don't count on there being an outlet! Choose a laptop with at least 10 hours of battery life, which should be enough to get you through a couple of classes with enough juice to hit the library, too.

Regarding specs, I recommend buying a laptop with an Intel Core Ultra (100 or 200 series), AMD Ryzen 8000 series (or AMD Ryzen AI), Qualcomm Snapdragon Plus, or Apple M4 CPU. You should also look for at least 16GB of RAM and a minimum of 256GB of storage.

Don't be afraid to go with a Chromebook if you want to keep things affordable and don't have specific Windows or macOS software requirements. Chrome OS can handle typical tasks for university students, and Chromebooks tend to be cheaper and require less support.

A comfy keyboard and a sensitive touchpad will also help you punch up a successful report or research complex topics. And when it's time to relax, get a laptop with a vivid and bright display.

FAQs

Q: Does Best Buy have student discounts?

A: No, unfortunately. Best Buy ended its student discount program in 2022 and revamped its membership plans instead. While you might not see the same spectacular savings as years past, you can sign up for a basic, $0 a month My Best Buy membership to qualify for free shipping without a minimum purchase.

We keep track of other manufactures and retailers that offer the best student discounts.

Q: Are budget laptops good for college?

A: Plenty of excellent budget options exist, but they all might not be suitable for your college major. If the bulk of your studies involves working in Microsoft's 365 Suite, or using Google's Workspace applications, you can absolutely survive with an affordable Windows laptop or Chromebook.

However, if you're video editing, audio editing, coding, graphic designing, photo editing, or anything along those lines, you'll probably need something with faster processing performance, over 16GB of RAM, and possibly a discrete GPU. These laptops usually cost well over $1,000 — but sometimes they are on sale for less.

Q: Can a college laptop be used as a tablet for artists?

A: Yes! College laptops come in many shapes and sizes, but 2-in-1s can be used as a clamshell laptop or a tablet. They even sometimes come with a stylus and have additional features that can assist your creative process, like a stunning OLED display. Some examples include the Lenovo Yoga 9i (Gen 9), which comes with the Lenovo Slim Pen that has tilt detection and up to 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity.

However, if you're looking at another 2-in-1 laptop that doesn't come with its own stylus, check out our best stylus page to see if you find something right for your creative process.

Q: What are the best laptops for remote learning?

A: Remote learning comes with its fair share of challenges, but is often quite forgiving on the hardware-side. Most students only need a laptop that works well enough, supports video calls, and can handle basic productivity tasks. With that said, depending on your major, you might need something more powerful, such as one of the best video editing laptops.

Any of the laptops on our list should be sufficient for most remote students, including budget options like Chromebooks.

Q: What are the best laptops for kids?

A: The best laptops for kids include basic, budget options for remote studies and learning computer literacy. You'll want something with solid battery life and enough performance to support studying and entertainment. Kids who are also gamers might benefit from getting something more powerful, such as one of the best gaming laptops.

How we test the best laptops for students

Student laptops get the same intensive testing as any other laptop that comes across our desks. We put each laptop through extensive benchmark testing—both synthetic and real-world—before we send it to our reviewers. We evaluate each aspect of the laptop, including its performance, battery life, display, speakers, and heat management.

Because students will likely use their laptops in bright spaces, we use a Klein K10 colorimeter to detect the brightness and the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamut of the laptop's display. Anything over 300 nits should be able to handle a well-lit room, but you'll need anywhere from 400 to 500 or more nits for it to handle sunlight.

For performance testing, we run the laptop through a gauntlet of benchmarks, including Geekbench 6 and 3DMark professional graphics tests. The performance you'll need depends entirely on your major.

To determine real-world performance, we task the laptop with converting a 4K video to 1080p resolution and duplicate a 4.97GB multimedia file. Our real-world graphics test is Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm benchmark with medium settings at 1080p and 4K resolution. If it's a gaming laptop, we'll run it through other games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and more.

For our battery test, we continuously web surfing over WiFi at 150 nits of brightness. For MacBooks and premium Windows 11 laptops, we prefer an ideal of 10 hours, but 9 hours is the bare minimum. Gaming laptops and workstations that can stay powered longer than 5 hours deserve an A.

We also run heat tests by playing a 15-minute full-screen video, then measuring temperatures in different areas of the laptop.

After completing lab tests, each laptop is handed off to our expert reviewers for in-depth, hands-on evaluation. Our reviewers integrate the laptop into their daily workflows, using it extensively to gauge real-world performance and gain a deeper understanding of the hardware and software experience. This combination of rigorous lab analysis and practical use enables us to deliver a clear, comprehensive perspective on every laptop we review at Laptop Mag.

Why Trust Laptop Mag

Laptop Mag reviews over one hundred laptops yearly, from paperweight ultralights to everyday workhorses to lumbering gaming notebooks that scorch the frame rates of even the hottest AAA games. We're not just experts in the laptop field, as we go one step further by meticulously testing smartphones, tablets, headphones, PC accessories, software, and even the latest in gaming.

We are 100 percent independent and have decades of experience to help you buy with confidence. Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing products for three decades and continues to deliver trustworthy reviews you can rely on.

Our experienced team of writers and editors scour the available information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it.

Future Publishing, one of the world's largest technology publishers, enforces our editorial trustworthiness. As a company, we have unrivaled experience across every tech sector — and we're the group's specialist for all things mobile tech.

Investing in a Windows laptop is much more than finding a suitable MacBook alternative. Today's Windows laptops offer impressive versatility to break free from Apple's sleek but admittedly cookie-cutter mold.

Variety is the spice of life when it comes to Windows machines, and thanks to their access to the latest and greatest processors from Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm, you'll be able to cater your computing to suit anything from peak productivity to powerful polygon-pushing performance in games — especially when paired with Nvidia's newly announced RTX 50-series of discrete GPUs.

Our roundup of Windows laptops breezes past the requirements for Microsoft's Windows 11, giving you no cause for concern over Windows 10's October 14, 2025, end-of-support date.

Better still, the best Windows laptops will also include some of the best AI PCs and powerful machines that boast NPUs (Neural Processing Units) for further performance and efficiency gains.

These laptops deliver the kind of battery life magic that once seemed exclusive to Apple's M-series MacBooks. Still, they also unlock the full potential of the Windows platform through impressive Copilot+ PC exclusive features and tools for smarter multitasking and AI-assisted creation.

If you want multitasking muscle, AI-backed assistance, or beyond console-grade gaming graphics, it's a Windows laptop you're looking for.

Best overall Windows laptop: Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406)

The Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) is currently our pick for the best AI PC laptop, but it deserves more praise than that. It features the new Intel Core Ultra 200V series processor and even at its full price of $1,499, you are getting a compelling balance of performance, almost 14-hours of battery life, a stunning 14-inch OLED display, plus 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Run whatever AI, productivity, or creative software you want and the Zenbook S14 should remain a multi-tasking machine on the go.

In our review, staff writer Madeline Ricchiuto writes, "From its stunning design to its vivid OLED display panel, there’s plenty to appreciate about the Asus Zenbook S 14."

In our Laptop Mag battery test the Asus Zenbook S 14 lasted 13 hours and 51 minutes, which should let you leave the charger at home even for your worst day of work, school, or play. Speaking of on the go advantages, the Zenbook's scratch-resistant Ceraluminum ultralight chassis should keep it looking brand new even if you tote it everywhere with you.

If you care about your laptops visuals, the Zenbook S 14's 3K (2,880 x 1,800) OLED display will leave you very happy. It is vividly colorful, capturing 82% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is an excellent result for the typically low-scoring OLED, and at 342 nits of brightness, it will hold up well in brightly lit environments.

Unlike many ultraportables, the Zenbook S 14 doesn't skimp on the port selection with a pair of Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm headphone/mic jack. That should cover most people's needs and it throws down the gauntlet for ultrabooks that went USB-C/Thunderbolt-only.

If you have greater performance needs, then something like the MacBook Air 13 M3 may be the answer at a similar size and weight, or if you are looking for a business-focused ultraportable, the Asus ExpertBook P5 is a strong choice. However, for a solid blend of performance, battery life, and price in a compact package the Zenbook S 14 is a standout choice.

See our full Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) review.

More like this: Best ultrabooks in 2024

Best affordable Windows laptop: Acer Swift Go 14

Acer's Swift Go 14 is the obvious choice for the best budget laptop right now. At a mere $749, it isn't the cheapest laptop, but none can match it in terms of value for money.

While Laptop Mag reviewed the slightly upgraded $999 configuration, the main trade-off is moving from an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H to a Core Ultra 5 125H. If you stick to productivity work, browsing, and other general computing, you won't likely notice.

The Go 14 weighs in at just 2.9 pounds. The metallic all-aluminum chassis gives off a faint sparkle that looks and feels far more premium than its price. Popping it open, the contrasting black chiclet-style backlit keyboard looks and feels excellent. Acer also gives you ports aplenty on this portable laptop with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB Type-A ports, an HDMI port, a microSD card slot, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a Kensington lock slot.

The display's color gamut is just below the mainstream average at 79.1 percent of the DCI-P3 (85.2 percent is average), but it beats the category average in brightness at 374 nits (354 is average). If you value a sharper image, you could also opt for the 2.8K display configuration.

Performance with our review model was everything we've come to expect from the latest Intel Core Ultra. Our Geekbench 6.2 overall performance test scored 12,434, overtaking more expensive options like the MacBook Air M3 (12,087). It also scorched the competition for our Handbrake video encoding test at 5 minutes and 18 seconds, almost four full minutes under the category average (9:07), again besting the MacBook Air M3 (7:54).

So what are the drawbacks? The battery life isn't bad, at 9 hours and 50 minutes in our testing, but it is well below top options like the MacBook Air M3 (15:21) or the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (15:52). If you frequently travel or otherwise have difficulty plugging in, this could affect your decision. The built-in speakers are also less than stellar, so plan on some wireless headphones or earbuds.

However, these are minor concerns for most users, so if you are looking for the best laptop value, consider the Acer Swift Go 14.

See our full Acer Swift 14 Go (Intel Core Ultra) review
More like this: Best budget laptops 2025

Best Windows laptop for students: Asus Zenbook 14 OLED

Asus has been on a roll with the Zenbook 14 OLED line for a few years, so it is no longer a surprise that this early 2024 Zenbook takes yet another significant leap forward.

This is in no small part due to the new Intel Core Ultra chipset inside, which puts the Zenbook 14 OLED on par with any productivity and light content creation laptops on the market. It also absolutely blew the roof off our battery life test, with 15 hours and 52 minutes in our test. That's the longest a traditional Windows laptop has lasted in recent memory.

Divining into some of the specifics on performance, it overtook the 13-inch MacBook Air M3 in multi-core Geekbench 6.2 (12,707 vs. 12,087). That wasn't its only win against the much-vaunted MacBook. The Zenbook also beat it in our Handbrake 1.6 test by converting a 4K video to 1080p in 6:36, over a minute faster than the Air M3's 7:54.

The OLED display looks excellent in person, but the benchmarking put it in the middle of the road when it comes to the DCI-P3 color gamut at 79.8 percent, that's below the mainstream average of 85.2 percent and just slightly ahead of the MacBook Air M3 (77.8 percent). It is extremely color accurate with a Delta-E of 0.21, relevant for content creators. Display brightness is a weak point against its competition at 339 nits, which is not a terrible result, but it's something we want to see Asus address for the next model.

The Zenbook weighs 3 pounds, not exactly an ultralight, but not something that will weigh you down too much when you're going from class to class or while commuting. Overall, the Zenbook 14 OLED ticks just about every box we like to see for a student laptop while going above and beyond with its performance and battery life. This laptop should comfortably last through four years of college or for a high school student preparing to head to college in the next year or two.

See our full Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425M) review
More like this: Best laptops for college 2024

The best Windows gaming laptop: Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9)

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) kicks the old challengers to the curb with its powerful Intel Core i9-14900HX processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU with 12GB of VRAM. While performance is a big factor for a great gaming laptop, it isn't the only factor, the bright and vivid display, loud audio, and responsive keyboard make for an unbeatable combo. Did I mention you can often find it for less than $2,500 directly from Lenovo.

In our review, staff writer Madeline Ricchiuto said, "The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is a gamer’s gaming laptop," which nicely sums up this outstanding, but not overpriced choice for gamers.

Let's dig into the details and our extensive testing of this laptop a bit. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i averaged 105 frames per second on the Far Cry 6 (Ultra, 1080p) benchmark, which was enough to inch past the MSI Vector 16 HX (98 fps) and its previous gen (97 fps) but blew past the Alienware X16 R2 (88 fps). The Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium, 1080p) benchmark kept things closer, with the Pro 7i at 96 fps, the Vector 16 at 104 fps, the X16 R2 at 90 fps, and the Pro 7i Gen 8 at 69 fps.

Don't ignore the display when buying a gaming laptop, it's almost as much of the experience as the performance. Lenovo certainly heeded our guidance there with the glorious 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz panel delivering an amazing 108.7% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 456 nits of brightness. This is as immersive as it gets without putting on a VR headset.

If you are regularly gaming on the go then a good keyboard is crucial as well, and the widely spaced keys combined with a crisp and springy actuation force will allow you to avoid packing a cumbersome gaming keyboard.

While the best gaming headset is still worth purchasing for online gaming, if you are strictly worried about audio output, the Legion Pro 7i offers the Harman Super Linear Speaker System. Packed with two woofers, two tweeters, and a smart amp, it's a strong standalone acoustic experience.

At nearly 6 pounds, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 is a little heavier than we'd like, and the 4 hours and 29 minutes of battery life aren't going to win any awards either, but if you want maximum performance, you'll need to keep it plugged in anyway.

But overall, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is the champ.

Read our full Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) review.
More like this: Best gaming laptops

Best Windows 2-in-1 laptop: The best Windows gaming laptop

The Intel Core Ultra version of the HP Spectre x360 14 takes everything we've loved about this laptop line in recent years and turns it up a notch. In addition to the useful 2-in-1 form factor, it has a gorgeous 2.8K OLED touchscreen display for creating or viewing content.

The laptop weighs 3.2 pounds, which is pretty light for a 14-inch 2-in-1. However, thanks to Intel's power-sipping CPU, it still crushed our battery life test, with over 11 hours on a single charge! That's one of the best results we've ever seen from a 2-in-1. Despite its frugal battery usage, the Intel Core Ultra and Arc GPU blew our reviewer away, putting up better Geekbench and 3D Mark results than many heavier clamshell laptops.

So why isn't it perfect? While the display is bright and colorful, we've seen better benchmarks from competitors. However, the rest of the package makes it impossible to argue with the HP Spectre x360 14 as the best 2-in-1 around, which is why the notebook earned 4.5 stars and our coveted Editor’s Choice award.

See our full HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) review
More like this: Best 2-in-1 laptops 2024

Best Windows laptop battery life: Dell XPS 13 9345

The Dell XPS 13 9345 is the first generation of Copilot+ PCs powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chipset. This gives you access to various AI-fueled Windows features that promise to enhance your laptop's work and play. Even if you aren't sold on the AI revolution just yet, this laptop offers a potent combination of features.

The battery life is the undeniable star of this show, coming in at 19 hours and 1 minute and an even more astounding 20 hours and 51 minutes after we installed the BIOS 1.7.0 update. The average premium laptop reached 11 hours and 13 minutes in this test. If you are a student or a frequent traveler who needs to stay powered up on the go, the Dell XPS 13 9345 is unmatched.

Lest you think that battery life comes from a power-sipping processor, the Snapdragon X Elite also delivers an incredible 14,635 multi-core score in the Geekbench 6.3 overall performance test. That obliterates the premium laptop average of 8,927 and its nearest competitors like the MacBook Air M3 (12,087) or Zenbook 14 (12,707).

It's not the perfect laptop, though. Two ports will leave some users searching for a docking station or USB-C hub. The display is rather dull, at just 66.9% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, and our reviewer found the keyboard cramped.

While the Dell XPS 13 9345 remains the longest-lasting laptop we recommend to most people, if you are in the market for a business laptop, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14S Gen 6 narrowly outlasted it at 21 hours and 3 minutes.

See our full Dell XPS 13 9345 (Snapdragon X Elite) review
More like this: Laptops with the best battery life in 2024

The best Windows business laptop: Asus ExpertBook P5 (P5405)

The Asus ExpertBook P5 is a near-perfect business laptop that covers the needs of 99% of business users at an affordable price. The feature list includes a fast and efficient new Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, over 14 hours of battery life, a 144Hz display, all the RAM a multi-tasker could need, and enough ports for you to skip the USB-C hub or docking station.

In our review of the ExpertBook P5 (P5405), our managing editor, Sean Riley, said: "The 144Hz refresh rate is the most eye-catching spec...if you spend all day on your laptop, it is easier on your eyes as it reduces the almost imperceptible flicker of your laptop display." Combine this with the 465 nits of brightness, and you have one of the most formidable business laptop displays around.

The new Intel processor and ample RAM make the Asus ExpertBook P5 a productivity workhorse if you use a typical combination of office apps and browser-based tasks. Suppose you need more robust performance for photo or video work, 3D rendering, on-device LLMs, or similar tasks. In that case, you may consider an affordable workstation like the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 or one of the best laptops for Photoshop.

To put the ExpertBook P5's performance in perspective, it scored 11,259 in our lab's Geekbench 6 overall performance test. That's roughly 9% higher than the average premium laptop's score of 10,308 but 7-12% behind some of its competitors like the Asus Zenbook S 14, MacBook Air M3, and HP EliteBook Ultra. That's close enough that performance alone shouldn't tip you to them over the ExpertBook P5.

Another highlight of the ExpertBook P5 is the webcam. If you are regularly on video calls, you'll appreciate its color accuracy and sharp focus. No more toting around one of the best webcams in your bag.

The ExpertBook P5 also has excellent thermal management, so it won't scorch you if you need to work from your laptop or on a plane. After playing back a video for 15 minutes, the hottest temperature recorded on it was 95.4 degrees Fahrenheit. By comparison, the HP Elite x360 1040 G11 reached 103.1 degrees on the underside. The Zenbook S 14 and Zenbook S 16 reached 97.7 and 105.5, respectively, and the Dell XPS 13 reached an alarming 120.

See our full Asus ExpertBook P5 review.

Recently reviewed laptops

We review new laptops every week, but we don't make the best laptop selections lightly, so there aren't weekly changes to our picks. Here's a look at our recently reviewed laptops that didn't make the cut for this page, some were still excellent, while others missed the mark completely.

How we test laptops

Over a year, we review over 100 laptops, covering every price point and use case. Whether you’re looking for a productivity workhorse, a badass gaming system, or a multimedia machine to kick back and watch a movie or two, we can help you find your ideal match.

To make our best laptops of 2025v list, the system needs to score at least 4 out of 5 stars on our reviews and deliver on the things shoppers care about most. Our evaluations focus on design and comfort, display quality, keyboard and touchpad, performance, battery life, and value.

Our expert reviewers also test each product to see how it looks, feels, and performs in everyday situations. Because we see so many different notebooks, we can compare each to its direct competitors and give you an idea of how it compares to the average laptop in its price band.

When we bring a laptop into our laboratory, we aim to see how it would work if you brought it into your home or office. While we use industry-standard benchmarks such as Geekbench and 3DMark, we focus heavily on real-world tests that we have developed in-house.

To test endurance, the Laptop Mag Battery test surfs the web at 150 nits of brightness until the system runs out of juice. We use a giant spreadsheet macro that matches 65,000 names with their addresses to judge pure processing power, the Handbrake video transcoder converts a 4K video to 1080p, and the Geekbench 6 synthetic test. We measure graphics prowess with both 3DMark Ice Storm / Fire Strike and a series of games, including Assassin's Creed: Mirage, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Red Dead Redemption 2, just to name a few.

We use a colorimeter to measure screen brightness and color gamut, while other instruments help us determine a laptop's key travel and ambient heat. For more details on our benchmarking procedures, see this page on how we test laptops.

Why trust Laptop Mag

Laptop Mag reviews over a hundred laptops annually, from paperweight ultralights to everyday workhorses to lumbering gaming notebooks that scorch the frame rates of even the hottest AAA games. We're not just experts in the laptop field; we go one step further by meticulously testing smartphones, tablets, headphones, PC accessories, software, and even the latest gaming technology.

We are 100% independent and have decades of experience to help you buy with confidence. Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing products for three decades and continues to deliver trustworthy reviews you can rely on.

Our experienced team of writers and editors scour all information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it.

Future Publishing, one of the world's largest technology publishers, enforces our editorial trustworthiness. As a company, we have unrivaled experience across every tech sector — and we're the group's specialist for all things mobile tech.

Keeping this in mind, we've compiled a collection of vital education applications that you might not be able to live without, some providing tutors, others for video lessons, and some even offering a social platform for language learners to interact.

Essentially, these applications can be vital for your education, and if you find yourself struggling with a topic because your professor or teacher is going too fast and isn't taking the time to accomodate you, don't just passively sit by while you lose touch with your understanding of the subject. Taking the extra step to solidify your understanding is highly recommended, and it can get you further along in your field with less of a headache.

So without further ado, here are the best applications for education.

Udemy

Udemy is one of our top picks for the best education apps, as it is especially useful for those who need to quickly learn things through online courses, especially as supplements to their existing classes or even if they need it all on its own.

Udemy is essentially a website that features over a hundred thousand online courses, which are rated by the users who experience them (so you can get a sense of which ones are actually worthwhile and properly teach you what you need to learn). Individual courses can be purchased, but some courses can be accessed through Udemy's subscription service, which starts at $19.99 a month.

You can easily sort courses in Udemy through the category, with options for data science, IT certifications, leadership, web development, communication, business analytics & intelligence, with specific sections dedicated to ChatGPT, data science, Python, machine learning, statistics, web development, JavaScript, and far more.

italki

italki is an excellent language learning platform that allows users to directly connect with tutors and take lessons from them for an alloted time. It's flexible so the user can select their times based on when the tutor is available within a certain slot of time, so even if your availability is constantly shifting, you can figure out what works for you.

I used italki when I was learning Japanese, and I really enjoyed easily being able to stay in contact with my tutor, scheduling lessons without difficulty, and connecting seamlessly through their online platform to engage with lessons. If you're looking to learn a language, and want that extra bit of help to assist in your training, look absolutely no further than italki.

HelloTalk

Whereas italki acts as a solid way to receive tutoring from someone, HelloTalk is a social platform the prioritizes language exchanges to help both users learn more about their desired language. For example, if you're a native English speaker looking to learn Spanish, you can match yourself up with native Spanish speakers looking to learn English. From there, you can engage in text conversations where you both try to take turns chatting with each other in both languages. And any mistakes you made can be assisted by the other person, while you can help the other person as well.

I used HelloTalk for over a year while learning Japanese, and it was an excellent platform for making friends who speak the language, as we'd have weekly scheduled voice calls where we'd each take thirty minutes speaking in Japanese and then another thirty minutes in English. Beyond just being a great tool for learning the language, I made dozens of friends and I was treated to learning more about the culture. It's an excellent tool for all language learners.

Duolingo

I personally have mixed feelings on Duolingo. I used it at two different points in my life, once to learn French, and a second time more recently to learn Japanese. Both times I felt it was lacking and too forgiving, and it was the least helpful language learning application that I used throughout my studies.

However, Duolingo is an enormous platform and it has millions of users for a reason, so ignoring my gripes with the application, there's a chance it could be just right for you.

Duolingo essentially has the user fill go through small lessons, and then fill out prompts and complete sentences over and over again in order to drill those new words and sentences in their head. One benefit of Duolingo's size is the language availability, as there are currently 40 languages to choose from, including Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, German, Italian, Hindi, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, and far more.

Microsoft Office 365 for Education

Most people don't get the priviledge of Microsoft Office 365 without coughing up a good bit of money, as the personal plan costs as much as $69.99 a year, which is typically enough for one person, and allows the user 1TB of cloud storage, providing premium access to Microsoft Word, Excel Powerpoint, Outlook, Defender, Clipchamp, OneNote, Teams, and more. Keep in mind, some of these software are already available to Windows users, but there are premium features locked behind it.

But if you're a student, there's a good chance you can forego the cost entirely through Microsoft Office 365 for Education. All you need is a school-attached email (which usually works for colleges, but can even work for high school if you have a high school email), and by using that school email, you will be given access to Microsoft Office 365 for free.

Quizlet

Quizlet is an application that fosters interactive flashcards, practice tests, and activities for studying. You can also use flashcard sets created by other users, with some popular flashcard sets available now including ones for alegbra, Spanish, business associations, nutrition, spelling, ethic in technology, economics, and far more. There's plenty of options to choose from, but you can also build your own sets.

The application also breaks down each of its subjects into sections, meaning it's easy for you to know what you need to study once you find your key section. For example, if you need help passing the International English Language Testing System exam, there's a section dedicated to that. And if you wanna check sections dedicated to literature, arts and humanities, languages, math, science, social sciences,, and more.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a legendary application that has been helping students through school and college for many years (even when I was in high school, people were using Khan Academy for complex math subjects).

Essentially, Khan Academy features video lessons around all sorts of topics, and provides practice material to help test your knowledge. And now, Khan Academy has grown even more complex, featuring test prep for the LSAT, Digital SAT, MCAT, and having sections divided by grades, with math focusing on Pre-K to 8th grade, but once it goes past that point, it features divisions based on algebra 1, algebra 2, geometry, intergrated math, trigonometry, and far more, even reaching college level calculus eventually.

There's even a part of the website that helps you get an understanding of what's expected out of you in math based on which state you're in.

Photopea

While it's not necessarily an educational app, it can be pretty important if you're in a pickle and need an easy-to-use photo editing software that doesn't require any sketchy downloads.

You can simply go to the Photopea website and begin using it immediately, with the service offering tools to modify photos, use magic wand tools, add text, insert shapes, draw, color select, use stamp modes, add filters, compile layers of images atop one another, and far more. While it's not quite as complex as Photoshop, it is essentially the next best thing if you're on the prowl for something easy to use, and most importantly, completely free.

You'll have to deal with some annoying ads, and the website will constantly ask you to support it after exporting a file, alongside adblockers causing the website to not work (at least the ones I've tried), but it's all worth it for a completely free photo editing service that doesn't cost an arm and a leg like Photoshop does.

Evernote

Evernote's a note-taking application that is popular among students and is excellent for bolstering your education, as it is essentially an easy way to make your work easy to read and organize. It's perfect for students who are allowed to actually use a computer in class, and if you are, then this is one of the best options for making your education more convenient.

While the app's design lacks some finesse, it does simplify note-taking by capturing quick tasks and saving documents as web pages. The process of searching through notes is now simplified through Evernote's AI-powered Instant Recall, so all you need to do is tell it what you want in plain language. For instance, you can tell the app you want to search for "notes from last week" or "my notes about meetings" to quickly find what you're looking for. All of this info is then synced to the cloud, so all of your devices have access to the same data.

Evernote plans include Personal at $15 a month (or $130 a year) that lets you create up to 150,000 notes, 2,000 notebooks, 10GB monthly uploads, and unlimited connected devices. Professional at $18 a month (or $170 a year upgrades to 20GB monthly uploads, alongside AI-powered search and AI editing. Teams at $25 a month (or $250 a year) allows for shared access, a centralized admin account, and an additional 2GB of monthly uploads per user.

More from Laptop Mag

• Best laptops for college in 2024: Student laptops for every budget
• Best free software for students
• Best Mac apps for students

The best laptops for teachers can be a mix of multiple things, largely dependent on the type of courses you're teaching and what your focus is. Fundamentally, we're looking for something good at juggling documents and grading homework. These are also often related to our best laptops for college, as students and teachers have similar needs.

Our number one pick for teachers is none other than the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425M) thanks to its phenomenal balance of having a sleek, lithe design, gorgeous display, staggering performance, and a great keyboard that's perfect for getting work done without being slowed down by a poor typing experience. It's built with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, Intel Arc integrated GPU, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage, and a 14-inch, FHD OLED touchscreen.

But if you have money to spare, our absolutely best pick is the MacBook Air 13-inch M3. It is undeniably perfect for the needs of your average teacher, yielding a perfect typing experience, powerful processor, and gorgeous display. Best of all, its thin and light, and features a beautiful aluminum exterior that feels sturdy and resilient. The model we reviewed is built, an M3 8-core processor, 10-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and a 13.6-inch 2,560 x 1,664-pixel resolution display.

The quick list

Best overall laptop for teachers

The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425M) is our number one pick for teachers, not just because it's beautiful, but because it hits a compelling price point while also being more than strong enough for a majority of teachers to get their work done. With solid specs including an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, Intel Arc integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage, and a 14-inch FHD OLED touchscreen, there's nothing to be disappointed about in this machine.

We also highly prioritize battery life for working folks, and teachers are not exempted from the necessity of having a machine that can last a full day and then some. Thankfully, the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED exceeds all expectations on this front, with longevity that lasted 15 hours and 52 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery life test, which involves continuous web surfing over wifi at 150 nits.

And if you're someone who wants to enjoy streaming content, this OLED screen is stunning, covering 79.8% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Unfortunately, it's not very bright, clocking in only 339 nits of brightness, which is nowhere near enough to see clearly when direct sunlight is being shone on it. However, it's more than bright enough to handle well-lit rooms.

Alongside this, it features incredible built-in audio that had our reviewer banging her head, alongside a comfortable keyboard that will keep you energized throughout your day, with 1.4mm key travel and a pleasant click-to-pressure ratio.

But let us not forget about portability: Getting your laptop to class is as important as what's inside it, and it is exceptionally light at only 3 pounds, with a thickness of 0.6-inches, keeping it thin enough to squeeze into most backpacks without issue.

See our full Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425M) review.

Best budget laptop for teachers

If you're a teacher in need of something that can get your work done, but don't want to completely resort to the bottom of the barrel and invest in a laptop that's only $100 to $200 (which will pretty much result in a slow monstrosity that will likely frustrate more than anything else). Instead, there's a bare minimum you should expect to pay for something that's still capable of performing the bare minimum tasks you need without making you pull your hair out.

Enter the $499 Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus, an affordable productivity laptop that fulfills what you'll need to write and browse the web, while also having enough oomph that it runs decently well. It's built with Intel Core i3-1315U processor, integrated Intel UHD graphics, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of eMMC storage space. It has a 14-inch, IPS touchscreen at 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution. It's built with an aluminum lid and plastic body, and considering it's a 2-in-1 laptop capable of flipping, alongside featuring a touchscreen, it's perfect for those who want to use it to double as a tablet.

Its port selection looks like a USB Type-C and a Kensington lock on the right, while there's a microSD card reader, 3.5 combo audio port, a USB Type-A port, and another USB Type-C port on the left.

Unsurprisingly, the IdeaPad Flex 5i's display isn't much to write home about, which is to be expected of a laptop at this price point. Its 46.5% of DCI-P3 color gamut coverage is low and results in a rather lackluster screen, while its 306 nits of brightness make it less than ideal in sunny environments.

Perhaps most importantly, its chiclet-style keyboard yields an excellent typing experience, as it's bouncy and satisfying to use, which is vital considering the main appeal of this laptop is that it can perform basic work tasks and browsing. On the Geekbench 6 synthetic overall performance benchmark, we saw the Flex 5i hit a multi-core score of 5,384, which is pretty solid for a Chromebook at this price, surpassing the 5,259 Chromebook average.

See our full Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review.

Best high-end laptop for teachers

While the MacBook Air 13-inch M3 is technically on the lower end of Apple's MacBook line-up, there's no hiding the fact that teachers don't get paid quite enough to splurge on a MacBook Pro, so we're treating the MacBook Air 13-inch M3 as the best high-end laptop for most teachers.

The model we reviewed cost $1,499 and is built with an M3 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 512GB of SSD storage, 16GB of RAM, and a 13.6-inch, 2,560 x 1,664-pixel resolution display. It features 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports, a MagSafe charging port, and a headphone jack. What's especially excellent about MacBook is that its aluminum exterior is sturdy yet light, making it perfect for taking on-the-go, without it feeling flimsy.

The MacBook Air M3's display is pretty colorful and especially bright, managing a 77.8% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut. We typically find around 80% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut is recommended for a solidly colorful display, so the MacBook is absolutely within that range. Its brightness is pretty great in typical MacBook fashion, as you'll want something capable of handling rooms caked in sunlight, and at 476 nits of brightness, this should be capable of just that. And of coruse, MacBook's speakers are top-of-the-line, and unless you want to listen quietly with headphones, you'll love its audio.

And don't even get us started on its keyboard. If you've never used a MacBook's keyboard before, you're missing out in ways you wouldn't believe. It features a phenomenal bounciness with its wide keys that allow you to write comfortably for hours on end.

But what about its performance? Its Geekbench 6 multi-core score hits as high as 12,087, while it transcoded a 4K video to 1080p in as little as 6 minutes and 32 seconds. And its read/write speed of 3,030/3,058MBps is absolutely astounding, yielding phenomenal performance overall.

We cannot move on from talking about MacBook without addressing its battery life, however. The MacBook Air 13 M3 lasts 15 hours and 13 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery life test, which involves continuous web surfing over wifi at 150 nits. This is phenomenal, as we typically commend laptops that can last more than 10 hours, so getting 5 hours longer is incredible.

See our full MacBook Air 13-inch M3 review.

How to choose the best laptop for teachers

When deciding what makes the best laptops for teachers, we're looking for machines capable of performing the basic tasks that you'll need to create assignment, grade work, and utilize important software suites like Microsoft 365. This is why our number one pick is the simple yet excellent productivity laptop, the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, with a phenomenal keyboard, great processing performance, solid storage space, RAM, and as an extra cherry on top, a gorgeous OLED screen for those who want to enjoy streaming content in their free time.

Of course, if you'd prefer something more affordable without completely sacrificing quality, a Chromebook like the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i is an absolutely excellent pick. We want something that can ensure it will last you a decently long time while traveling, as having your laptop die while on-the-go is an absolute nightmare. This means we want at least 8 hours of longevity for a full work day, but in reality we're looking for closer to 10 hours of battery life, and two of the laptops on our list hit as high as 15 hours of battery life to ensure you can work without worry.

Another important facet of a laptop for teachers is an excellent keyboard. You'll likely be grading and writing up assignments constantly, and being comfortable with the machine you're using is at the top of the priority list.

How we test laptops for teachers

We put each laptop through extensive benchmark testing — both synthetic and real-world — before we send it to our reviewers. We evaluate each aspect of the laptop, including its performance, battery life, display, speakers, and heat management.

In our benchmark testing, we use a Klein K10 colorimeter to detect the brightness and the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamut of the laptop's display. For performance testing, we run the laptop through a gauntlet of benchmarks, including Geekbench 6 and 3DMark professional graphics tests. To determine real-world performance, we task the laptop with converting a 4K video to 1080p resolution and duplicate a 4.97GB multimedia file.

We don't believe it's necessary for a laptop for teachers to feature a discrete GPU (unless you're in a specialized field or want to play games on the side), so for all of the laptops in this list, we run synthetic benchmarks like 3DMark Firestrike and 3DMark Time Spy to analyze the performance of integrated graphics. Then, we play Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm with medium settings at 1080p and 4K resolution.

We also run heat tests by playing a 15-minute full-screen video and measuring temperatures in different areas of the laptop. Last but not least, our battery test consists of continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. Gaming laptops and workstations that can stay powered longer than 5 hours deserve praise.

These tests are complemented with extensive hands-on testing from our reviewers who critique everything from the laptop's materials to the feel of its touchpad.

Why trust Laptop Mag

Laptop Mag reviews over a hundred laptops yearly, from paperweight ultralights to everyday workhorses to lumbering gaming notebooks that scorch the frame rates of even the hottest AAA games. We're not just experts in the laptop field, as we go one step further by meticulously testing smartphones, tablets, headphones, PC accessories, software, and even the latest in gaming.

We are 100 percent independent and have decades of experience to help you buy with confidence. Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing products for three decades and continues to deliver trustworthy reviews you can rely on.

Our experienced team of writers and editors scour the available information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it.

Future Publishing, one of the world's largest technology publishers, enforces our editorial trustworthiness. As a company, we have unrivaled experience across every tech sector — and we're the group's specialist for all things mobile tech.

Talking about the best cheap gaming laptops will get more complex as time goes on, with availability and tariff issues mixed with Nvidia's latest RTX 50-series gaming laptops launching. However, I've curated a list of the best cheap RTX 4060, RTX 4070, RTX 4080, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090.

Again, "cheap" is a relative term here. I wouldn't call a $2K gaming laptop cheap, but what we are looking for here is value. When you're shopping, you want to find that perfect price-to-performance ratio. To figure that out, you need to know your budget and what gaming performance you want. After over 7 years of reviewing gaming laptops, I'm attuned to finding these perfect points for different gamers and budgets.

For example, folks who want to stay under $1,000 will be pleasantly surprised by the Dell G16 (7630), which totes around an RTX 4060 GPU. A chip not to be underestimated, as it'll hold its own in Cyberpunk 2077 at a minimum of 30 fps at 1080p on max settings. You could also look at the best gaming laptops under $1,500.

Now, if you're looking for the absolute best gaming laptop overall, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is the one you want. It not only boasts excellent power from its RTX 4080 GPU, but it also sports a wealth of features, from its colorful display to its cozy keyboard.

We've added a couple of Nvidia's latest RTX 50-series gaming laptops, which feature the new DLSS 4 technology. That'll allow these laptops to soar to even greater heights thanks to Multi Frame Generation. Right now, the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 and the Razer Blade 16 are our top contenders.

With a minimum of 100 laptop reviews annually, we've covered and considered every budget and use case, from the common to the obscure. We've tested everything on these laptops, from overall performance and gaming to battery life and display. And then we measure that with the value.

That's why what you're about to see are the best cheap gaming laptops at every level of desired performance.

The Quick List

The best cheap gaming laptops you can buy today

Whether you're looking for an RTX 4060 or RTX 4090 gaming laptop, there's always a model out there that is cheaper than the rest. But cheap doesn't mean bad. These gaming laptops offer the greatest price-to-performance ratio when all things are considered. These are the best cheap gaming laptops based on our extensive testing and hands-on experience.

Best cheap RTX 4060 gaming laptop

The Dell G16 (7630) is easily the best cheap gaming laptop, especially when you're shooting for an RTX 4060 GPU, which is by no means a weak competitor. Scoring this baby under $1,000 will net you features that surpass even premium gaming laptops.

Rami Tabari said, "The opening to the Secret Level trailer gushes with neon blue colors, and they radiate on the G16’s display," in our review of the Dell G16 (7630).

The Dell G16 pops off in the benchmarks with its RTX 4060, scoring 88 frames per second on the Assassin’s Creed Mirage (Ultra, 1080p) benchmark. That matched the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (88 fps) and wiped the Asus TUF Gaming A14 (87 fps). It was even capable of capturing Cyberpunk 2077 at max settings (1080p) with an average of 33 fps. Making that game playable on a budget gaming laptop is impressive, but that's in line with the RTX 4060 GPU, as the TUF Gaming A14 (30 fps) and Helios Neo 16 (32 fps) made it across the 30-fps barrier.

Now let's discuss the Dell G16's 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz display. It rocked up with 114% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Seriously, that's more color than I've seen on some premium gaming laptops. You're blessed with greatness on this front, especially for the price. However, it averaged 310 nits of brightness. That's not great, but you can get around that by turning off a few lights. Color is harder to fix.

Then there's the Dell G16's keyboard. It's tough to beat a Cherry MX mechanical keyboard. Most premium gaming laptops don't even support that feature, which is why I love this gaming laptop. The tactile keys are immensely satisfying due to their punchy and clicky feedback. If you're not planning on buying a discrete gaming keyboard, then this is a huge boon.

The battery life isn't as bad as you might expect. At 5 hours and 4 minutes, you can squeeze in a little over half a workday. It's not great since we've seen gaming laptops get above 10 hours, but you can get some use out of it before you need to reach for a charger.

However, not everything is sunshine and rainbows. Unfortunately, the speakers left much to be desired; they're quite sharp and uncomfortable to listen to. I recommend checking out the best gaming headsets.

Despite that and some touchpad issues that may not interfere with the gaming experience, the Dell G16 is a model gaming laptop that belongs in your shopping cart. I wouldn't buy any other gaming laptop under $1,000.

See our full Dell G16 (7630) review.

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Best cheap RTX 4070 gaming laptop

It's tough to recommend any other RTX 4070 gaming laptop besides the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (Gen 9). It's not just because it sits at the top of the best gaming laptops under $1,500. Well, kind of. But its all-around quality features for the price make it the best competitor.

Claire Tabari said, "With the Gen 9 refresh, Lenovo maintained its powerful graphics performance, excellent keyboard, sturdy exterior, and attractive price point," in our review of the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i.

The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i went through a gauntlet of graphics tests, which include benchmarks for Assassin's Creed Mirage (103 fps, Ultra, 1080p), Far Cry 6 (100 fps, Ultra, 1080p), and Red Dead Redemption 2 (71 fps, Medium, 1080p). Those numbers outpaced its competitors, although the Razer Blade 14 made for a strong rival, pulling ahead on Mirage and RDR2.

We loved the previous Pro 5i's keyboard, and thankfully nothing has changed. In fact, Claire Tabari called it her keyboard soulmate. It stands out and excels as one of the best thanks to its decent key travel. We also liked that the arrow keys got a little nook.

Let's chat about this display. You may see one of our cons dinging the Legion Pro 5i's panel. That's because its 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 165Hz screen came in at 78% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and averaged 346 nits of brightness. It's not terrible, but it could be a lot better. And or a $70 bump (still within the sub-$1,500 range), you can make it better. If you get the 240Hz model, you'll get 100% DCI-P3 and hit 500 nits of brightness. That's Lenovo's claim, at least, and I'm inclined to believe that claim, considering Lenovo advertised the model we tested as 100% sRGB and 300 nits of brightness. It beat both those expectations, with sRGB coming in at 110%.

The Legion Pro 5i supports a decent set of speakers. It's not as powerful as its predecessor, but it's still quite punchy and balanced. Gaming headsets are still a better alternative, however.

Before you pull the trigger on that purchase, be careful how you configure the Legion Pro 5i. Get it with Intel Core i7-14700HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 8GB, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, and 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz display. On sale, that should be around $1,500. The difference between our unit is downgrading the CPU and RAM while upgrading the display. This is a great balance overall.

The biggest con is its battery life; you won't get much out of 3 hours and 43 minutes.

Despite that, if you want the best cheap RTX 4070, this is it.

See our full Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (Gen 9) review.

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Best cheap RTX 4080 gaming laptop

It can be tough to find a cheap gaming laptop with an RTX 4080, but Lenovo answers the call with the Legion Pro 7i. It doesn't do it at the expense of performance or quality features. In fact, it supports a gorgeous display, strong audio, and a clicky keyboard. That price tag falls under $2,500 (on sale).

Madeline Ricchiuto said, "While gaming laptops don’t need great audio, the Legion Pro 7i has some incredibly loud speakers onboard," in our review of the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9).

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) traveled across Yara in the Far Cry 6 (Ultra, 1080p) at a strong 105 frames per second. When lassoing the Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium, 1080p) benchmark, it pulled in 96 fps. It consistently landed as the second-highest performer in both benchmarks, toppling the Alienware x16 R2 and the Gen 8 model. The MSI Vector 16 HX landed a few frames ahead of the rest.

Don't worry about the display, either. Its 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz panel covered 108.7% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and averaged 456 nits of brightness. That's a whole lot of gorgeous packed into a 16-inch panel. It's no 4K or OLED, but the Legion 7i is tough to beat in any category.

As mentioned in the above quote, we were impressed with the audio quality, its Harman Super Linear Speaker System speakers producing a pleasant dynamic sound.

We also loved the keyboard, which supports bouncy keys that make it more than comfortable to type with.

Despite being a premium gaming laptop, it does come with a fairly heavy chassis, weighing in at 5.8 pounds. Given that it got 4 hours and 29 minutes of battery life in our testing, it's not the best travel companion anyway.

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i still climbs its way to the top of our best gaming laptops list.

See our full Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 9) review.

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Best cheap RTX 5080 gaming laptop

It's tough to call the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 the cheapest RTX 5080 gaming laptop, and that's because it costs over $3,000. However, what I can say for sure is that this rig will be the sword to hit the most intense games thanks to Nvidia's latest DLSS 4 technology, which can double or even triple frame rates.

Rami Tabari said, "Gigabyte laptops aren’t exactly known for their style, but hot damn does the Aorus Master 16 look sleek. Its metal lid mesmerizes with a pattern of cascading waves over a dark blue colorway appropriately named Dark Tide," in our review of the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16.

So what is an RTX 5080 GPU really capable of? The Aorus Master 16 scored 120 frames per second on the Far Cry 6 (Ultra, 1080p) benchmark, which matched a monster like the MSI Titan 18 HX, and even toppled the Razer Blade 16's more powerful RTX 5090 GPU. We saw a similar pattern on the Assassin's Creed: Mirage (Ultra, 1080p) test, where the Aorus hit 145 fps, surpassing the Titan's 144 fps and the Razer's 120 fps.

One of the coolest things about the Aorus Master 16 is its battery life. We've never seen a powerful gaming laptop last this long. On the PCMark 10 Gaming battery life test, the Aorus scored 2 hours and 54 minutes. For context, something like the Titan managed only 51 minutes.

Meanwhile, its 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz OLED display delivers a gorgeous window into your favorite gaming worlds. I played Monster Hunter Wilds and I never felt more sucked into a hunt thanks to the vibrant colors and infinite contrast. While the Aorus Master 16 came out as the dimmest and dullest among its competitors, that doesn't reflect the in-person experience.

Unfortunately, the speakers are a hit-or-miss. Overall, it's pretty solid for gaming, but I wouldn't play music on it. That's complicated because almost every game has music.

Another con is its super slow SSD. And I mean super slow. Its 1TB SSD is over 1,000 megabytes per second slower than the competition.

Apart from that, and finding the money to buy it, the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 is a stellar gaming laptop to have at your side.

See our full Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 (RTX 5080) review.

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Best cheap RTX 5090 gaming laptop

The Razer Blade 16 is at the top of its game thanks to its massive RTX 5090 GPU packed into a gaming laptop that's just under $4,500. Due to the current political climate, this is the kind of "cheap" we're working with. Even worse, the Razer Blade 16 is running into availability issues, but we're hoping its back in stock soon. Overall, it offers great features that'll carry you like your friends do in most online games.

Madeline Ricchiuto writes, "The Blade 16 is a fantastic laptop, offering a gorgeous OLED display, impactful audio, over 7 hours of web surfing battery life, a bouncy keyboard, and plenty of ports while weighing just 4.6 pounds," in our review of the Razer Blade 16 (2025).

Let's see how the RTX 5090 kills its competitors. The Razer Blade 16 jumped through Red Dead Redemption II benchmark at 87 frames per second, flying by the previous Razer (61 fps) and the Alienware x16 R2's RTX 4080 GPU, which hit only 44 fps.

It also killed on overall performance thanks to its AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU and 32GB of RAM. The 2TB SSD was no slouch, either, blasting through our file transfer test at 1,730 megabytes per second. But don't put this thing anywhere near your lap, or you'll get burned.

What shocked us the most about the Razer Blade 16 was its battery life. It lasted 7 hours and 22 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test. We've never seen that before on a laptop with the highest-performing GPU. It even killed it in gaming, surviving 2 hours and 28 minutes on the PCMark 10 gaming test. It may not seem terribly long, but it is actually super impressive.

Then you've got the stunning 16-inch, 2560 x 1600 OLED display clocked in at 240Hz. It's not the brightest thing, at 372 nits, but it covers a whopping 144.6% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. You'll get the most out of all your favorite titles with this baby running.

While we can't help the price or heat, you should stay tuned to our best gaming laptop deals, and you might see the Razer Blade for a discounted price (eventually... when it's available).

See our full Razer Blade 16 (2025) review.

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Benchmark comparisons

Recently reviewed

How to Choose One of the Best Cheap Gaming Laptops

When shopping for a gaming laptop, there's a lot to consider. We wrote a detailed piece about the nine most important factors. But to simplify the process of choosing a system, here are seven key points to keep in mind.

Budget: How we split cost categories

Money is getting tight. There was a time when you could find a good gaming laptop for under $1,000, but those are few and far between. If you're looking for a quality gaming laptop and are trying to budget yourself, try aiming for at least $1,300. But let's try to keep you under $1,000 to get the most out of your budget.

Remember that the bigger the GPU, the bigger the gaps in price points. So, list the games you play and start checking the PC requirements. Almost any gaming laptop with a 40-series GPU can play an indie game, but if you're dabbling in AAA titles, you have to decide which settings you're comfortable playing on.

Screen Size: 14 and 16 inches are the go-to

You'll rarely find a 13-inch gaming laptop nowadays, and 15.6-inch laptops have taken a backseat to the hyped-up 14-inch and 16-inch laptops. Those 17-inch gaming laptops also feel like a thing of the past. Well, now we have 18-inch gaming laptops. Yeah, they're beasts, but what all these sizes have in common is that they're getting more compact.

If you're looking for a gaming laptop to take on the go and even use as a school or work laptop, 14-inch gaming laptops are the perfect fit. Smaller gaming laptops also tend to have longer battery life. 16-inch gaming laptops are more manageable in size than 17- or 18-inch machines without sacrificing any power.

Under $1,000, you probably won't get an 18-inch powerhouse, but you can still get portable machines in the 14-inch category.

Screen Resolution: 1080p with high refresh rates or 1440p if you're lucky

Regarding gaming laptop displays, you want to balance frame rates and aesthetics. And if you're planning to get a truly mobile system, battery life also deserves consideration. A 1080p resolution is the bare minimum you'll find, which isn't great unless you're trading resolution for a high refresh rate. Panel makers now serve up screens with a 360Hz refresh rate and a three-millisecond response time, but you might not find that at this price range. Try to aim for 144Hz at least.

Forget about 4K screens, they're overpriced. However, you might be able to find a 1440p screen if you're lucky. And they usually offer at least a 120Hz refresh rate. Remember that laptops with lower resolutions tend to have longer battery life overall.

Refresh rate: 120Hz is a minimum

Depending on the kind of games you're playing, particularly first-person shooters and MOBAs, you'll take anything that enhances accuracy. Surprisingly, the higher a display's refresh rate is, the more accurate your shot becomes. We've experienced this firsthand during many demos. At this point, 60Hz is unacceptable for a gaming laptop (even if it's cheap), so we recommend investing in a panel with at least a 120Hz refresh rate.

You also have to balance graphics performance with resolution and refresh rate. Sometimes, a laptop is paired with a low-performing GPU and a high resolution and refresh rate. The math doesn't add up. If your gaming laptop cannot take advantage of the sharp screen or high refresh rate, then what's the point? Make sure you check the benchmarks.

Intel or AMD?

A couple of years ago, the answer to this question would have been undoubtedly Intel. However, AMD has made a furious comeback with its new Ryzen CPUs, which deliver outstanding overall performance and battery life. Thanks to the new Ryzen chips architecture, they're super power efficient without sacrificing productivity. The Ryzen 8000 series CPUs have consistently impressed with its performance versus battery life.

Not to be outdone, Intel's 14th-generation chips are nothing to sneeze at. Laptop manufacturers have started rolling out systems with Intel's Core Ultra chips. These chips are extremely powerful and are catching up to AMD with their battery life game.

Gaming laptops have been balancing performance with battery life, and it's changing the use case for these rigs for the better.

Battery Life: At least 5.5 hours

Unless it's plugged in, gaming laptop battery life tends to be very short, especially when gaming. However, the battery life of gaming laptops has increased over the years. So much so that anything under 5.5 hours is considered below average. We've reviewed several gaming laptops that last a whole workday and jump into the double digits. With results like that, we expect gaming laptops will match their non-gaming counterparts sooner rather than later. Our most recent power-efficient gaming laptop is the Razer Blade 14, lasting over 8 hours.

Specs: 1080p / Core i5 / 16GB are a minimum

You can spend a lot of time delving into specs, but here are the key components. If you want decent mainstream performance, go for a Core i5 CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 1080p screen.

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FAQs

Should I wait for the RTX 50-series gaming laptops?

That's a complicated answer. If you're looking for cheap, the best route may be to stick with an RTX 40-series gaming laptop. There's a couple reasons for that.

One, RTX 40-series gaming laptops will likely be discontinued, meaning retailers will try to sell the stock they have by offering big discounts. And two, RTX 50-series gaming laptops will be more expensive. How expensive really depends on how the U.S. decides to handles the tariff situation.

We're seeing tariffs bounce up and down and we cannot predict the future of the tech industry at this point. So it may be wise to grab an RTX 40-series gaming laptops while you can.

But if you want the best performance, I would wait to see how everything shakes out.

What feature can I cheap out on to get the best affordable gaming laptop?

Again, that depends. But I have a few options for you.

Battery life: You get the most out of gaming laptop's performance when it's plugged in, so this is something you generally shouldn't worry about. However, if you're someone who needs a laptop for school that can also game, then this may not apply.

Touchpad: No one uses a touchpad to play video games. Get the best gaming mouse.

Graphics: This may sound weird, but you do not need the best graphics to play PC games. Even the cheapest gaming laptop on this list can run every single PC game that the others can. You may need to turn down the graphics, but Low, 1080p at a minimum of 30 fps is an all but guarantee. I'm painting a bleak picture here, but the reality is that an RTX 4060 can take on Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p, max settings and still come away with 30 fps. Don't underestimate a cheap gaming laptop.

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How We Test the Best Cheap Gaming Laptops

When we bring a laptop into our laboratory, we aim to see how it would work if you brought it into your home or office. While we use industry-standard benchmarks such as Geekbench and 3DMark, we focus heavily on real-world tests that we have developed in-house.

To test endurance, the Laptop Mag Battery test surfs the web at 150 nits of brightness until the system runs out of juice. We use a giant spreadsheet macro that matches 65,000 names with their addresses to judge pure processing power, a video transcoder that converts a 4K video to 1080p, and the Geekbench 5/6 synthetic test.

We ramp up our 3DMark testing to also include Fire Strike Ultra and Time Spy Extreme, which determine how well the laptop copes with DX11 and DX12 4K graphics workloads. If the laptop is equipped with a graphics card that supports DirectX ray-tracing, we also use the 2560 x 1440 Port Royal test. (We don’t bother with Night Raid here—who cares about integrated graphics on a gaming laptop?) For the best-equipped laptops on the market, we may also run Speed Way, which plies the deepest and most demanding features of DX12 Ultimate.

We run all of gaming benchmarks in full-screen mode with vertical sync disabled, always at least at 1920 x 1080 (1080p) resolution, as well as the laptop's native resolution. Games include: Red Dead Redemption 2, Assassin's Creed Mirage, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Borderlands 3, Far Cry 6, and more.

We use a colorimeter to measure screen brightness and color gamut, while other instruments help us determine a laptop's key travel and ambient heat. See this page on How We Test Laptops for more details on our benchmarking procedures.

However, the most important factor in choosing the best cheap gaming laptop goes beyond our benchmarks. It's all about the price-to-performance ratio. We talk about what value a laptop offers in our reviews and lists like this, but the fact is that prices are always changing. Ideally, they get lower, so what may seem mediocre at full price is actually great at half price. So keep that in mind.

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Why Trust Laptop Mag

Laptop Mag reviews over one hundred different laptops every year, from paperweight ultralights to everyday workhorses to lumbering gaming notebooks that scorch the frame rates of even the hottest AAA games. We're not just experts in the laptop field, as we go one step further by meticulously testing smartphones, tablets, headphones, PC accessories, software, and even the latest in gaming.

We are 100% independent and have decades of experience to help you buy with confidence. In fact, Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing products for three decades, and we continue to deliver trustworthy reviews you can rely on.

Our experienced team of writers and editors scour the available information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it.

Our editorial trustworthiness is enforced by one of the world's largest technology publishers, Future Publishing. As a company, we have unrivaled experience across every tech sector — and we're the group's specialist for all things mobile tech.

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The best portable keyboard for most students is none other than the Logitech Keys-to-Go 2, a simple, light, and easily portable keyboard that is compatible with Android, ChromeOS, Windows, iPadOS, iOS, and macOS. It's battery-powered (utilizing two coin cell batteries), and features a built-in cover to protect the keys from damage. It connects through Bluetooth, its battery is rated to last 3 years (based on two hours of continuous typing per day), and its incredibly light at half-a-pound.

If you're in need of something even more affordable than the $79.99 Logitech Keys-to-Go, look no further than the Logitech Pop Icon keyboard. It's only $49.99, features the same 3 years of battery life (based on two hours of continuous typing, has Bluetooth connectivity and is compatible with iOS, Windows, and ChromeOS. It features less compatibility, alongside not having a key cover, and it's also more than twice the weight of the Keys-to-Go 2.

Let us not waste anymore time and jump right into the best portable keyboards for students you can buy.

Quick list

How to choose the best portable keyboard for students

As mentioned in the introduction, there aren't many choices for the best portable keyboards. Laptops are already built with a keyboard, and tablets usually feature a purchasable accessory that can attach to the device itself. What you're likely in need for with a portable keyboard is something to connect to a 2-in-1 laptop while it's folded, or a tablet (if you don't want to buy the coupled peripheal), or just something to connect to your computers at college.

The first thing you'll need to figure out is connectivity type, but that shouldn't be an issue as long as you have Bluetooth. However, other options include wired and 2.4Ghz dongle, and if you're someone who'd prefer using either of those methods over Bluetooth, it's important to keep in mind when purchasing a keyboard.

Size and weight are similarly vital aspects to keep in mind, as some of these keyboards are far heavier than others. Our lightest option is only half a pound with the Logitech Keys-to-Go 2, while the heaviest option, the NuPhy Air 75, is nearly three times as heavy at 1.3 pounds.

You'll also want to consider if you're in need of a keyboard cover, which can help protect your keys from damage and dirt during travel. Unfortunately, only the Keys-to-Go 2 has a keyboard cover, but you can purchase specially designed packs for the NuPhy Air75 V2.

Typefeel is also something to keep in mind, as for the most part, you won't be able to enjoy the deeply satisfying sensation of a typical mechanical keyboard when purchasing a portable keyboard. Instead, these keyboards will feel a little more shallow in comparison, but you can opt for more expensive options like the NuPhy Air75 V2, which features a low-profile mechanical switch.

FAQ

Do portable keyboards have USB ports?

Not all portable keyboards feature USB ports, so it's important to check which do and do not when purchasing them. Since these keyboards are typically designed to be light and thin, a USB port can add unnecessary bulk, so you'll typically only find the inclusion of a USB port on the thicker (and often more expensive) products.

For example, the Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 connects exclusively through Bluetooth, which is a result of it being an immensely light product that only weighs half-a-pound. On the other hand, the Logitech POP Icon Keys and NuPhy Air75 V2 both feature USB ports, yet they're more than twice the weight.

Essentially, if you want a USB port, you're going to have to opt for something a bit bulkier. If that's okay with you, we absolutely recommend the POP Icon Keys or NuPhy Air75 V2.

Do portable keyboards need to be charged?

Whether or not your portable keyboard needs charging depends on if it's a rechargeable keyboard or battery-powered keyboard. Typically, battery-powered portable keyboards utilize coin cell batteries. This means you'll need to replace the coin cell batteries when they run out of juice, but at the very least, you won't have to worry about charging it. Keyboards of this kind include the Logitech Keys-to-Go 2 and Logitech POP Icon Keys.

Other keyboards, like the NuPhy Air75 V2, are rechargeable and have a battery capacity of 4000mAh. It's estimated to last 35 to 57 hours with its lights on, and up to 220 hours with its lights off. Other keyboards will have their own battery capacity, and that will largely depend on the size of its battery alongside how much power it consumes.

Can portable keyboards connect to iPhone?

While not all portable keyboards can connect to iPhone, most can. Products like the Logitech POP Icon Keys and Logitech Keys-to-Go 2 are portable keyboards which can connect to iPhone devices, alongside functioning on iPadOS and macOS.

It's important to check compatibility when purchasing a portable keyboard, as some exclusively work on PC devices like Windows and macOS, while others have functionality included for tablets and phones.

Our favorite printer for most students is none other than the HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e, which hits a solid middle ground between price and fuctionality, featuring HP Thermal Inkjet printing technology, faxing capabilities, a touchscreen display, wireless printing, and two-sided printing, alongside copy and scanning. There's also a convenient HP app that allows you to print from your smartphone, making this a convenient and easy-to-use printer for students. However, it only comes with 3 months of free ink.

But if you just want something simple to take you through college, you can grab the Brother MFC-J1010DW for less than $100, featuring the ability to print, copy, scan, fax, with a paper tray of maximum capacity at 150 sheets. However, it only comes with starter ink cartridges, which Brother claims should last approximately 200 pages for each color.

Let us not waste anymore time and jump right into the best printers for students you can buy.

Quick list

How to choose the best student printers

Before you even begin shopping for a student printer, you need to figure out what exactly you need one for and whether or not it's a worthwhile investment for your workload. During my college days, I would frequently head over to the campus library in order to print papers I needed for class. If your campus features a similar convenient space, and you don't suspect you'll be printing that frequently, consider that as an alternative.

However, if you'd prefer to not have to do that, you'll then need to think about what type of printing you'll be doing. Are you an art student looking to print high quality color prints of your work, or other people's work? Or are you just in need of something quick and easy that can put ink on a page to hand-in your assignments to professors?

You'll also need to consider what type of connectivity suits your usage, whether that's wifi, USB, or ethernet, alongside the size of what you plan to print (each printer on this list can print in standard 8.5 x 11-inch letter size). Budget is another thing to think about, especially considering how often students don't have much money to spare. You'll especially need to be considerate of printer costs, which we cover in the FAQ section below.

If you're an artistic student in need of a professional grade printer for photos, your needs will also be different, as you'll likely be looking for something that can handle larger print sizes, has an 8-color ink system, and higher resolution prints.

FAQ

Can a printer scan documents

Not all printers can scan documents, but most do. Both the HP OfficeJet Pro 8135 and Brother MFC-J1010DW can scan, copy, and fax. You'll have no issue if that's what you need a printer for with these purchase, but always ensure what you're purchasing is explicitly labeled as a scanner, as some printers do not come with this functionality. For example, the Canon PIXMA PRO-200 cannot scan.

Purchasing ink for your printer

Each manufacturer utilizes its own ink cartridges for its printer products, and beyond just that, some use different types of ink. Even within a manufacturer's line of products, different printers will need different ink cartridges. You'll need to specifically check which type of ink your printer needs to run without issue.

The HP OfficeJet Pro 81235e has plenty of available ink cartridges for purchase, which are mostly limited to the HP 923, 924, and 925 products. You can find the full list of supported cartridges here, but if you simply want to buy the full cyan, magenta, yellow, and black four-pack, you can get the HP 923 CMYB.

For the Brother MFC-J1010DW, you'll need to purchase the LC4013PKS ink packs, which can be found on Brother's website. The cheapest version comes available in a 3-pack of color, which can print approximately 200 pages, but you can also get the high-yield version, which can handle 600 pages. And of course, you'll also want to purchase black ink.

For the Canon PIXMA PRO-200, you'll need to purchase the CLI-65 8-Color Ink Value Pack. Considering this is an 8-color printer (whereas the others on this list are 4-color), you'll need to use all eight. However, if only one of your colors have run out, or you just need to purchase black ink, you can still buy them separately.

The best gaming laptops in 2025 usher in a new generation of GPUs, led by Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 50 series. While we haven’t tested every model yet, some early standouts with these powerful GPUs are starting to join our top picks — alongside excellent RTX 40 series laptops that still deliver incredible performance.

Every laptop on this list runs the latest AAA games like a dream. Your budget will determine just how good those games look, but I’ll help you find a machine that plays your favorites smoothly and reliably.

I’ve reviewed laptops for Laptop Mag for over seven years, including more than 90 gaming laptops. I can spot the pros and cons of a gaming rig within hours, and after a week of hands-on time, I can confidently tell you if I'd buy it myself.

Of course, my expertise is just one part of the process. To find the best laptops, we put each one through a gauntlet of performance, graphics, display, and battery life benchmarks. Some games are poorly optimized (looking at you, Monster Hunter Wilds), while others are just brutal (Cyberpunk 2077), but the best laptops survive both.

After testing, the laptops spend real time with our reviewers—gaming, working, and everything in between. Lab scores matter, but how a laptop feels in daily use is just as important. We evaluate everything from the thermals and keyboard to the software and webcam.

If you're shopping for the best gaming laptops in any category — budget, premium, or somewhere in between — this is the list to trust. If you're looking for the cheapest RTX 50-series gaming laptops, you won't have to wait long, since the RTX 5060 and RTX 5050 might be launching soon.

Update Log

6/4/25: Added another entry: Alienware 16 Area-51 as the best looking gaming laptop.

The Quick List