Buying a great new laptop can be an exhilarating feeling. Whether you're shopping for a new work partner, gaming laptop, or something in between, there's an absolute glut of options to browse through. But getting the perfect laptop for your needs can be difficult, especially if you're only going by the manufacturer's claims. We've reviewed most of the laptops in this list (and many others that didn't make the cut), and we have a great idea of what's good and what's not worth your time.

There are many factors to consider, including screen size, form, performance, and overall design. It's not the same for everyone, either. The specs that make a great laptop for work don't make a great one for gaming, and vice-versa. And while a gaming laptop can handle other kinds of tasks just fine, it will be very expensive and heavy. The choices we've rounded up below cover a good range of use cases, and we're confident that you'll find something that's perfectly suited to your needs.

Our favorite laptops in 2024

render of the hp spectre x360 14 in silver and shown folded and stood up
HP Spectre x360 14 (2024)
Editor's choice

Best laptop for most people

$1150 $1450 Save $300

The Spectre x360 14, refreshed for 2024, gets a big performance bump thanks to Intel Core Ultra hardware. The webcam is now 9MP, the four speakers pump out quality audio, and the keyboard and touchpad are comfortable. It's topped off with a 2.8K OLED touch display with 120Hz refresh rate.

Pros
  • Improved performance (especially GPU) from Intel Core Ultra
  • 9MP webcam, quad speakers, great keyboard
  • 2.8K OLED touch display
Cons
  • Design isn't as flashy as previous models
  • Professionals might want a more business-focused PC

HP's Spectre series represents some of the most well-known Windows laptops, and the new Spectre x360, available in 14- and 16-inch sizes for 2024, again demonstrates why this reputation sticks. It's a convertible laptop with plenty of versatility, put together with close attention to detail for a premium feel. Focusing on the smaller device, HP returned the display to 14 inches for this generation. The screen has a 2880x1800 (2.8K) resolution with OLED panel, allowing it to hit 100% sRGB, 95% AdobeRGB, and 100% DCI-P3 as tested in-house. This makes it suited to more specialized work like photo editing, and the 120Hz refresh rate makes it incredibly smooth.

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HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) review: The new best laptop
The HP Spectre x360 never fails to win

HP removed chassis accent colors for this generation, doing away with the silver strips around touchpad, frame, and hinges. It still has angled rear corners, where you'll find Thunderbolt 4 and 3.5mm audio ports. The laptop otherwise offers one other Thunderbolt 4 port and one USB-A 3.2 (Gen 2). Quad speakers pump out quality audio from the keyboard surround, and above the display is a 9MP webcam packed with features to make your video conferencing as smooth as possible.

Front view of the HP Spectre x360 14 on a metal table
HP Spectre x360 14 (2024)

Intel's new Core Ultra hardware is available in the Spectre x360 14, giving a bump to CPU performance and a big improvement to integrated GPU performance. In our HP Spectre x360 14 review, XDA Editor-in-Chief Rich Woods noted that it "is an upgrade that actually allows you to do more with your PC than you could before." Battery life isn't phenomenal, but at about six or seven hours on a charge you can still head out without always needing to bring a charger.

The Spectre x360 14 is the best HP laptop on the market, and it's also our current favorite for most people. It has the most power we've seen so far in a 14-inch convertible, it has an outstanding keyboard, speaker setup, and webcam, and the 2.8K OLED touch display is a true beauty. If you need a larger screen and the option for discrete GPU, be sure to check out the 16-inch Spectre x360 that also saw a refresh for 2024.

MacBook Air M2-1
MacBook Air (M2)
Runner-up

A lightweight alternative with great battery life

$949 $1099 Save $150

The MacBook Air M2 is a thin and light marvel that's perfect for writers and students who want long battery life and snappy performance. It's available in 13- and 15-inch options, but I'd stick with the smaller model to maximize mobility.

Pros
  • Apple M2 processor delivers great performance and battery life
  • Sharp 13.6-inch display with P3 Wide Color
  • Very thin and light
Cons
  • Only one external display is natively supported
  • macOS may not be for everyone

Not everyone is a Windows fan, and the latest MacBook Air is one of the best laptops for Apple fans. It's one of the best laptops on the entire market, as noted by Editor-in-Chief Rich Woods in his MacBook Air (M2) review. It's also a great laptop for writers thanks to its long battery life, comfortable keyboard, and lightweight design.

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MacBook Air (M2, 2022) review: Setting a new standard
Apple's new MacBook Air is one of the best mainstream laptops on the market, using the new M2 chip, a new webcam, and more.

It's powered by the Apple M2 processor based on Arm technology, which delivers fantastic performance while offering great battery life, far beyond anything you'd find in a comparable Intel laptop. You can also configure it with up to 24GB of unified memory (RAM) and a 2TB SSD for storage, so you have everything you need for a superb experience.

Close-up view of the display on the MacBook Air (2022)
Apple MacBook Air M2

The MacBook Air is available in two sizes: 13.6 inches and 15.3 inches. Both have great panels with up to 500 nits of brightness and support for P3 Wide Color and True Tone, and they're nearly identical otherwise. The smaller model has a resolution of 2560x1664, while the larger model goes up to 2880x1864 resolution. They share the same pixels-per-inch count making them equally as sharp. One thing you may not like is the notch at the top of the screen that houses the clear 1080p webcam.

The M2 MacBook Air also has a brand-new design featuring a flat unibody construction that's 11.3mm thin and weighs 2.7 pounds. The chassis is entirely made of aluminum, and it comes in four color options, including Silver, Space Grey, Midnight, and Starlight. There aren't a ton of ports in this design, which includes two Thunderbolt / USB4 ports, a headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones, and a MagSafe connector for charging. It needs to be noted that the MacBook Air only natively supports one external display due to limitations with the Apple M2 chip.

Dell XPS 13 (2024) OLED in graphite
Dell XPS 13 (2024)
Best 13-inch

Super portable and premium

The Dell XPS 13 (2024) is one of the most futuristic-looking laptops on the market, and it has features like an invisible touchpad and touch-based function rows. It also delivers strong performance and a great display, though the lack of ports may be an issue.

Pros
  • 13-inch display is great in all its configurations
  • Lightweight design makes it easy to take anywhere
  • Updated 1080p webcam and faster performance hardware
Cons
  • Limited port selection

Dell introduced the XPS 13 Plus a couple of years ago, and the futuristic design changes have now become mainstream across the XPS brand. And while the larger XPS models have seen a significant change, what's now simply called the XPS 13 (without any Plus moniker) is already familiar. It's a super-modern laptop with an invisible touchpad and touch-based function keys above the keyboard. Visually, it looks great, but it might take some getting used to. The clean design is made of aluminum and starts at about 2.6 pounds, so it's very portable for what it offers.

In his XPS 13 Plus (2023) review, Editor-in-Chief Rich Woods remarked, "From the sleek design to the capacitive function keys that change at the press of a button, using this machine definitely feels more futuristic than almost anything else on the market."

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Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) review: It still feels like the future
Dell's new XPS 13 Plus is an incremental upgrade to an already modern take on a laptop

The refreshed XPS 13 for 2024 has mostly seen a spec bump as Dell aligns the larger models with the new design. You can now get Intel's Core Ultra CPUs with integrated Arc graphics, as well as up to 64GB of LPDDR5x-7467MHz RAM and up to a 4TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. More power is always good.

Another notable change compared to 2023's XPS 13 Plus is an upgraded webcam. Dell doesn't seem to be keen on pushing resolution, but the 2024 models have been upgraded to 1080p from 720p. These laptops also come with a dedicated Copilot key for easy access to your AI assistant.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 render
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12
Best business

Durable and reliable

The refreshed ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12) is equipped with Intel's new Core Ultra CPUs, an upgraded 8MP webcam, 2.8K OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, and many other security features to keep you safe. It's durable, it's built well, and it's light enough that you'll hardly notice it tagging along.

Pros
  • New Intel Core Ultra CPUs for boosted performance
  • Up to a 2.8K OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, HDR 500
  • Durable and functional design with outstanding keyboard
Cons
  • Very expensive
  • Overkill for casual PC users

Lenovo's ThinkPad family is easily the most well-known family of business laptops, and the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is pretty much the quintessential business laptop. The late-2023 model, or Gen 12, focuses on performance and feature upgrades. It notably has Intel's new Core Ultra CPUs, with up to a Core Ultra 7 155H chip, 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM, and up to a 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. You can expect much-improved integrated GPU performance, matched by the 14-inch display with 2.8K resolution, OLED panel, 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision, and HDR True Black 500.

Lenovo improved the webcam for this generation, bumping it up to 8MP from 1080p in the last generation. It has an IR sensor for facial recognition through Windows Hello. Speakers have Dolby Atmos for improved spatial sound, and port selection is quite broad with a mix of Thunderbolt 4, USB-A, and HDMI 2.1.

lenovo-thinkpad-x1-carbon-gen11-review-10-1
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 11)

The plain black and red design of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon may be a bit boring to some, but it's a perfect fit for business environments. Plus, you get classic ThinkPad features like the pointing nub many business users still appreciate. For this generation, however, the physical mouse buttons can be removed to give you more touchpad space.

hp elite dragonfly g4
HP Dragonfly G4
Best modern business laptop

Made for work with a sleek design

$1274 $2548 Save $1274

If you want a business laptop with a more modern design and features, the HP Dragonfly G4 delivers with its sleek look, plenty of ports, and great performance. It also has a sharp display and a 5MP webcam that makes it ideal for hybrid and remote work.

Pros
  • Modern, but subdued design looks great anywhere
  • Very light starting at under 2.2 pounds
  • Plenty of ports and a 5MP webcam
Cons
  • Pricy outside of sales
  • IPS display could be a bit better

Lenovo's ThinkPad laptops may be iconic, but some models can look dated. If you want a laptop for work that looks great in any modern environment, the HP Dragonfly G4 is for you, with top-notch specs and a sleek design. XDA Editor-in-Chief Rich Woods reviewed the HP Dragonfly G4, calling it "one of the best laptops on the market" for any professionals who are often on the move.

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HP Dragonfly G4 review: What else could you want?
HP's Dragonfly G4 isn't just a great business laptop. It's great for everybody

Specs include 13th-generation Intel Core processors up to a Core i7-1365U with vPro, which includes 10 cores and 12 threads for excellent performance in day-to-day workloads. You also get up to 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD, more than enough for office use for years to come. A 13.5-inch display with a 3:2 aspect ratio is even taller than the 16:10 format of most modern laptops. The base model comes in an FHD+ resolution and uses an IPS panel, with options for an HP Sure View Reflect privacy screen to keep your data safe in public. For the best viewing experience, though, you'll want the 3K2K OLED panel, which is both incredibly sharp and vibrant compared to the average IPS display in the base models. Speaking of sharpness, you also get a 5MP webcam with Windows Hello support, like most HP laptops.

In terms of design, the HP Dragonfly G4 weighs a mere 2.2 pounds to start, making it very easy to carry, and it looks great in its Slate Blue colorway, which is almost black. Despite its sleek looks, it still has a bunch of ports, including two Thunderbolt 4 connections, USB Type-A, HDMI, and a headphone jack. It also comes with optional 5G or LTE support so you can stay online wherever you go. All in all, this is a fantastic business laptop, and a terrific alternative to Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon.

Yoga_9i__1_-removebg-preview
Lenovo Yoga 9i (2023)
Best convertible

A convertible that checks almost all the right boxes

Powered by 13th-generation Intel Core processors, the Lenovo Yoga 9i offers fantastic performance for day-to-day use. Plus, with a stunning OLED display and a powerful speaker system, watching movies and other media is absolutely fantastic on this laptop.

Pros
  • 13th-generation Intel Core i7 delivers great performance
  • Stunning OLED display in two configurations
  • Advanced speaker system makes it ideal for any audio content
Cons
  • Battery life isn't stellar

Lenovo is mostly known for its phenomenal ThinkPad business laptops, but the Lenovo Yoga 9i proves that the company can make a killer laptop for general users too. It's a perfect laptop in almost every way, with Editor-in-Chief Rich Woods calling it the perfect laptop for the vast majority of people in his Lenovo Yoga 9i (2023) review. It's been bumped out of the top spot by the Spectre x360 13.5, but it's still a top contender.

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Lenovo Yoga 9i (2023) review: The best laptop on the market
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Starting with performance, the Lenovo Yoga 9i is powered by a 13th-generation Intel Core i7-1360P processor with integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, delivering terrific performance for all kinds of day-to-day tasks. It also includes 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to a 1TB PCIe 4 SSD for storage, so it's a premium experience all around.

Something else that's fantastic about the Lenovo Yoga 9i is the display. It's a 14-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio, which makes it a great laptop for productivity. Even better is that this is an OLED display, starting with a 2.8K 90Hz configuration, with the option to go up to a 4K 60Hz panel. Atop the display, there's also a 1080p webcam with Windows Hello facial recognition, great to see on any premium laptop.

The Lenovo Yoga 9i looks beautiful, with smooth curved edges that look great and make the laptop comfortable to hold. The premium aluminum chassis weighs in at 3.09 pounds, so it's fairly portable, too. As for ports, you get three USB Type-C ports — two of which support Thunderbolt 4 — plus one USB Type-A port and a headphone jack. More ports would have been nice, but this is fairly standard for premium laptops of this size.

Note that Lenovo has announced a Yoga 9i 2-in-1 for 2024, with an expected April 2024 launch. It has Intel Core Ultra CPUs, boosted display refresh rate, new color scheme, and more. Consider waiting for the new model before buying a Yoga 9i.

Front view of the Lenovo Legion 9i
Lenovo Legion 9i (2023)
Best gaming laptop

Premier experience for gaming and more

The Lenovo Legion 9i is the best gaming laptop you can get. It uses a liquid cooling system to deliver terrific performance in a surprisingly compact chassis, giving you the best of both worlds. Plus, it has a stunning mini-LED panel that delivers a fantastic HDR experience.

Pros
  • Super powerful Intel processors and up to an RTX 4090
  • Liquid cooling loop allows it to be surprisingly thin
  • Mini-LED display gets incredibly bright for HDR
Cons
  • Very expensive
  • The touchpad is very cramped

Lenovo's Legion PCs are some of the best gaming laptops you can get, but the Legion 9i really goes above and beyond to provide the best experience out there. XDA Senior Editor João Carrasqueira called it "the best gaming laptop money can buy" in his Legion 9i (2023) review, but you will indeed have to pay dearly.

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Lenovo Legion 9i review: The best gaming laptop money can buy
Thanks to its liquid cooling system, the Lenovo Legion 9i packs incredible power in a surprisingly thin chassis.

It absolutely delivers on performance, with a 24-core Intel Core i9-13980HX CPU that can handle just about anything. Pair that with up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU that's partly cooled by the first water-cooling loop in a 16-inch laptop, and you have something really special. Performance is certainly not something you'll be missing, especially with up to 64GB of RAM and 3TB of super-fast storage with SSDs configured in RAID 0.

A Lenovo Legion 9i laptop on a wooden table, displaying the XDA homepage

Things are just as interesting when it comes to the display, too. Lenovo packed the Legion 9i with a stunning mini-LED panel with a super-sharp 3200x2200 resolution and 165Hz refresh rate. It's fantastic for gaming, but it's also great for general media and productivity, especially since it covers 100% of sRGB and 98% of DCI-P3. Plus, it's certified for DisplayHDR1000, so you're getting spectacular dynamic range. You even get a 1080p webcam above that display, though Windows Hello support is only here via a fingerprint reader.

The water-cooling loop also helps on the design front, making this laptop just 18.9mm thick despite the incredibly powerful specs. It looks great, too, thanks to a forged carbon lid and a ton of RGB lighting helping it stand out. And for ports, you're getting three USB Type-C connections (two with Thunderbolt 4), two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, RJ45 Ethernet, a headphone jack, and an SD card reader.

New Project-34
MacBook Pro (M3, 2023)
Best for creators

So much performance with great battery life

$1449 $1599 Save $150

Despite already having the best creator laptop on the market, Apple updated the MacBook pro for a second time in 2023 with the M3 family of processors, making the CPU and GPU even more powerful and efficient. The latest MacBook Pro is an absolutely fantastic machine for creative workloads, and it can last much longer on battery than any comparable Windows laptop.

Pros
  • Apple M3 Pro and M3 Max processors are ideal for all kinds of content creation
  • Battery life is fantastic thanks to the new 3nm Arm processors
  • Stunning mini-LED display with up to 1600 nits of brightness
  • Six-speaker system makes for an excellent media experience
Cons
  • Some might not like the notch
  • Expensive, especially with storage and RAM upgrades
  • The base M3 14-inch model isn't great for demanding workloads

Apple was already way ahead of the pack when it comes to creator laptops, but that didn't stop the company from introducing even more powerful and efficient MacBook Pro models in late 2023 despite the previous models being less than a year old. XDA Senior Editor Ben Sin reviewed the MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) and mentioned that those with an M2 model likely won't see a need to upgrade. For everyone else, however, it's the go-to model.

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MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) review: Apple’s just flexing
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The latest MacBook Pro models feature the M3 family of processors, and creators will want to focus on the M3 Pro and M3 Max versions. These processors are based on a new 3nm process, making them even more efficient than before, delivering unparalleled battery life while offering excellent performance for demanding workloads like video editing and 3D rendering. Of course, they're also faster than ever, particularly the M3 Max model, featuring a faster CPU and a totally new GPU with ray-tracing support. You also get more RAM than ever, with up to 192GB of unified memory, along with up to 8TB of storage.

macbook-pro-m3-max-xda-review08764

In terms of the display, the MacBook Pro comes with a 14.2-inch or 16.2-inch mini-LED panel, which are both fantastic. The screen has hundreds of individual dimming zones, delivering high contrast and brightness up to a whopping 1,600 nits, making for a terrific viewing experience. For this generation, the SDR brightness has also been increased to 600 nits, so visibility should be even better outdoors. The resolution varies depending on the size, but both are equally sharp, and to go along with that, you get a six-speaker system, resulting in one of the best media experiences on any laptop. The webcam is also a great 1080p sensor, though there's no facial recognition support. You can use Touch ID, though.

The design of the MacBook Pro is fairly standard, being an all-metal laptop with a clamshell design and starting at 3.5 pounds (for the 14-inch M3 Pro model), which is reasonable considering how powerful it is. The M3 Pro and M3 Max variants also come in a new Space Black colorway, in addition to the classic Silver. As for ports, you get three Thunderbolt 4 connections, along with HDMI 2.1, a headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones, an SD card reader, and MagSafe 3 for charging.

A transparent image of the Dell XPS 16
Dell XPS 16
Best 16-inch

Dell's new XPS size looks great

Dell's XPS 16 is the new best option for power users and pros who desire extra performance and a larger display. It's taking over for the XPS 17, and it's been redesigned to match the futuristic XPS 13 Plus look that was introduced a couple of years ago.

Pros
  • Beautiful displays with plenty of room to work
  • Lots of performance thanks to Intel Core Ultra CPUs and discrete Nvidia GPUs
  • Overhauled futuristic design
Cons
  • Very expensive even for introductory models

Part of Dell's 2024 overhaul of the XPS brand is a new 16-inch form factor. It's replacing the XPS 17 as the largest XPS laptop on the market, and it should remain the right choice for power users and pros who need extra screen real estate and power. It features the same seamless glass touchpad with haptics, capacitive touch function row, and near-gapless keyboard that we first saw on the XPS 13 Plus.

Dell offers up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU with 16 cores, up to 64GB of LPDDR5x-7467MHz RAM, and 4TB of M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD storage. Integrated Arc graphics come with all models, but you can also spec up to either a Nvidia RTX 4050, RTX 4060, or RTX 4070 Laptop GPU.

The 16.3-inch display comes in two flavors, with an FHD+ resolution being the cheapest option. It has about 500 nits brightness, 100% sRGB color, maximum 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision, and an anti-glare finish. You can also upgrade to a touchscreen with UHD+ resolution. It favors 100% DCI-P3 color, up to a 90Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision, and an anti-reflective finish.

Angled front view of the Lenovo Yoga 6 in tent mode facing left
Lenovo Yoga 6 Gen 8
Best budget laptop

Versatile and capable at a reasonable price

The Lenovo Yoga 6 (2023) is an excellent budget Windows convertible with AMD Ryzen 7030 series processors. It also has a Full HD+ display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a 1080p webcam with Windows Hello support.

Pros
  • AMD Ryzen 7000 series processors
  • Full HD webcam with Windows Hello support
  • Solid supply of ports
Cons
  • Pen is only included with some models
  • It lacks bells and whistles of more premium laptops

Spending more than $1,000 on a laptop isn't for everyone, but that doesn't mean you can't get a great experience all the same. The 2023 Lenovo Yoga 6 is a fantastic example of exactly that, and it remains one of the best budget laptops out there.

On the performance front, the latest Yoga 6 model comes with AMD Ryzen 7000 series processors, starting with a Ryzen 5 7530U, with 6 cores and 12 threads, enough for great performance in all kinds of day-to-day tasks. It also comes with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, which is a solid starting point. If you can find some discounts, it's worth considering higher-end configurations, but the base model is more than enough for web browsing and writing up documents.

Front view of the Lenovo Yoga 6 with the lid open at 90 degrees, showing the Windows 11 desktop

The display on the Lenovo Yoga 6 is a 13.3-inch panel, and it comes in the 16:10 aspect ratio with Full HD+ resolution. This is great for this price point, and it's sharp enough considering the size. Since it's a convertible, touch and pen input are supported, though not all models include that pen in the box. The webcam is also a 1080p sensor, and it even supports Windows Hello, a rarity at this price point.

Turning to the design, it's pretty much the same as the Yoga 6 (2022) model we reviewed last year. It uses a plastic base and a metal top cover, and some models have this top cover wrapped in fabric for a unique look. The laptop weighs 3.02 pounds, so it's fairly portable, and it has a good port selection including two USB-C ports, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader, giving you variety and quantity.

Choosing the best laptop for you

HP Spectre x360 2024
HP Spectre x360 14 (2024)

Buying a new laptop is always a fun experience, but asking for a bit of help to find the perfect device is completely understandable. Laptop technology moves at a frantic pace, and if you aren't always on top of the news, you can easily get stuck with an older or unsuitable model. XDA gets to review countless laptops every year, and we have a clear idea of what's good enough to consider and what's worth pushing to the side.

If we're choosing just one laptop to suit most people, it has to be the HP Spectre x360 14 refreshed for 2024. It's priced competitively, it's the perfect size for most people who want to balance weight and functionality (the convertible aspect is a huge boon), and it has one of the best touch displays around thanks to a 2.8K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, touch functionality, and OLED tech. New Intel Core Ultra CPUs will also allow you to do more on your convertible PC than ever before.

render of the hp spectre x360 14 in silver and shown folded and stood up
HP Spectre x360 14 (2024)
Editor's choice
$1150 $1450 Save $300

HP's Spectre x360 is the most powerful 14-inch convertible laptop we've tested thanks to Intel Core Ultra improvements. The laptop now has a 9MP webcam, a 2.8K OLED touch display, quad speakers, and a premium design. Get it in 14- or 16-inch sizes.