The best laptops of 2017: the top laptops ranked

Although pundits were bickering just a few years ago that laptops were on their way out along with the rest of PCs, there’s no denying the permanence of the best laptops. In fact, with the powerful yet affordable Asus ZenBook Pro coming soon to a table near you, it’s clear at this point that laptops are gradually nearing their golden age.

Despite tablets being all the rage for a split second, there’s still an unbridled need for the best laptops. After all, nothing says comfort quite like a built-in keyboard and trackpad, and nothing screams portability like a folding display. And sometimes, as is the case with the forthcoming Asus ZenBook Flip S, that fold comes at a 360-degree angle.

• Find out what's next for laptops in our Computex 2017 coverage

Whether you crave the autonomy of playing your favorite PC games on the go or simply prefer the efficacy of drafting up documents using a full-size physical keyboard, the top laptops have it all. A laptop is the one device to rule them all in both productivity and leisure. After all, there’s nothing like curling up in bed with the bright, vivid screen of the HP Spectre x360.

With hybrids, Ultrabooks, traditional clamshells and more portable than ever gaming laptops in tow, these are the best laptops you can buy. To get straight to the reviews, check the links below:

• Dell XPS 13
• Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA
• HP Spectre x360
• Razer Blade
• Samsung Notebook 7 Spin
• Acer Aspire S 13
• Samsung Notebook 9
• Surface Book
• MacBook
• Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA
• Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2016)
• Acer Swift 7

The Dell XPS 13 reigns supreme as the best laptop you can buy today. Thin and light with a battery life that exceeds 7 hours, Dell’s flagship laptop is the posterchild for what an Ultrabook is supposed to be. Squeezing a 13.3-inch screen into an 11-inch frame, the Dell XPS 13 is outfitted with Intel’s latest Kaby Lake processors and USB-C without skimping on legacy ports, such as the withering SD card slot and traditional USB. Couple that with the option of a gorgeous Rose Gold finish, and it should come as no surprise that the Dell XPS 13 is number one.

Read the full review: Dell XPS 13

Originally marketed as a “premium” Chromebook to compete with the likes of the Chromebook Pixel, it’s not hard to see why we were skeptical of the first Asus Chromebook Flip we reviewed. High-end Chromebooks had been done before, but always at an inordinately high cost. But as Asus has successfully exhibited with the Chromebook Flip C302, you can cut that price in half and still make a Chrome OS-powered laptop that feels like it belongs in the upper echelon. Stacked with a gorgeous design, a keyboard that feels rich to the touch and even a 2-in-1 form factor, the Asus Chromebook Flip proves that Chromebooks can be high-end without going overboard.

Read the full review: Asus Chromebook Flip

The 13.3-inch version of the HP Spectre x360 may not boast the SD card slot of its 15.6-inch sibling, but what it does pack are the same hardy internal components in a more portable physique. Then there’s the keyboard which, with 1.3mm of travel, feels like a significant improvement. What’s more, despite having a lengthy battery life of 8 hours and 45 minutes, the HP Spectre x360 still manages to weigh no more than a mere 2.85 pounds. Just when we thought there wasn’t a laptop that’s cutting-edge in every category, the HP Spectre x360 proves us wrong.

Read the full review: HP Spectre x360

The latest iteration of the flagship Razer Blade may not have a lot of customizable features, but it thrives in just about every other regard. Its slim form factor is joined by not only powerful, discrete graphics capable of running all the latest games at the highest settings, but the Razer Blade puts most laptops to shame when it comes to battery life. Even if you don’t know a GTX 1060 from a 940MX, you can at least appreciate that the Razer Blade lasted nearly 7 hours and 30 minutes in our movie test. Plus, even though you won’t be able to take advantage of this feature in games to great effect, there’s a 4K screen, convenient for lazy Sundays spent watching movies.

Read the full review: Razer Blade

If you've ever wanted a MacBook Pro without the mortgage sacrifice, the Samsung Notebook 7 Spin not only delivers the style and glitz of Apple's professional-level laptops, but it even adds a touchscreen to the mix at an approachable starting price. For a hefty 2-in-1 with a Core i7 CPU, 12GB of RAM and even a discrete Nvidia GPU, the Samsung Notebook 7 provides top of the line specs considering its value. But, as Samsung probably asked while devising this quintessential hybrid notebook, why stop there? The company even went as far as to implement an HDR screen in the Notebook 7 Spin, and although it’s a feature that isn’t widely supported, the deeper blacks and more vibrant colors are appreciated to say the least.

Read the full review: Samsung Notebook 7 Spin

Call it a MacBook Air clone if you want, but don’t quote us when you say that’s a bad thing. The Acer Aspire S 13 is an affordable alternative to Apple’s entry-level laptop that even outdoes it in some ways. It’s not quite as thin and light as many prominently featured Ultrabooks, nor is it particularly expensive looking. However, the Acer Aspire S 13 does pack quite a punch when it comes to performance. USB Type-C and a full HD display put it just over the edge in beating out the 13-inch MacBook Air, and for a much lower cost at that. Despite the efficacy of the CPU, the Acer Aspire S 13 even manages a battery life of 7 hours and 49 minutes.

Read the full review: Acer Aspire S 13

The Samsung Notebook 9 may not be the flashiest product on our list, but bang-for-buck, it’s easily one of the best values. A thin and light Ultrabook with a Core i5 Skylake processor, the Samsung Notebook 9 even has one of the most clever takes on an SD card reader we’ve ever seen. Besides being more powerful than a MacBook Air for a reasonable price, the Samsung Notebook 9 is featherlight without compromise, bearing a full range of ports and even an anti-glare display. On the downside, it's the battery life takes a hit. It only lasted 4 hours and 20 minutes playing Guardians of the Galaxy on loop. For a longer lasting alternative, see the Asus Zenbook UX305.

Read the full review: Samsung Notebook 9

If the Surface Pro is too small but the Surface Laptop is too traditional, Microsoft knocked it out of the park with its first convertible laptop, namely the Surface Book. Though it has a peculiar 3:2 aspect ratio and a 13.5-inch screen that's outside the norm for most laptops, it's one of the best 2-in-1 notebooks ever created. That goes without mentioning its Clipboard Mode, wherein it's among the most powerful tablets in the world. Docking the screen into the Surface Book’s keyboard base affords it even more performance by way of a discrete GPU, assuming you opt for the top of the line Surface Book i7. Save for the controversial fulcrum hinge, the Surface Book is a glimpse of the future, even if it’s long due for a sequel.

Read the full review: Surface Book

Apple’s most attractive laptop yet still rocks an Intel Skylake Core M processor clocked at 1.1GHz to start, aimed at those who don't need power as much as portability and pizazz.The stylish, aluminum unibody design and the Retina display are all back, and the only connector port that remains is USB-C – aside from a single 3.5mm audio jack. Though the reversible port has gained more traction since last year's debut, the 12-inch MacBook still practically requires the willingness to lug around adapters and take a performance hit in the name of stellar design. However, if you don’t mind the sacrifices (or if you just don’t need to use many accessories), the appetizing Rose Gold finish of the MacBook might be just for you.

Read the full review: MacBook

When it comes to crafting an affordable Windows laptop with a premium feel, Asus takes the cake. The Asus ZenBook Flip UX360 in particular combines a mid-range price tag with a convertible form factor, a full-size trackpad and keyboard and an extensive array of ports – like HDMI and USB Type-A – that have been done away with virtually everywhere else. In the pre-2015 MacBook era, these features would be expected, but nowadays, they’re an anomaly given the standards of today’s laptops. Don’t go in expecting the ZenBook Flip UX360 to be old-fashioned, however, because as the name suggests, this is a notebook that prides itself on its ability to shapeshift 360 degrees, “flipping” seamlessly between tablet and laptop at will.

Read the full review: Asus ZenBook Flip UX360

For media production, the 15-inch MacBook Pro has been the go-to for many years now. Slight design changes have annually accompanied CPU upgrades, making every new MacBook Pro that comes out a subtle rewrite of its predecessor. The 2016 MacBook Pro, however, saw Apple make changes – for better or worse – that dramatically altered its utility. To Apple outsiders, the decision to omit all the standard USB ports and SD slots in favor of four USB-C connections is baffling. For the fans, however, it’s a strategic means of future-proofing. Regardless of how you feel about the concessions, the MacBook Pro’s most alluring invention is the Touch Bar, which replaces the function keys and, in turn, introduces a layer of functionality only possible with the latest MacBook Pro. 

Read the full review: Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2016)

If you value portability and design over performance, the Acer Swift 7 may be the best Windows alternative to the 12-inch MacBook you can buy. Featuring a 13-inch full HD screen, what it lacks in pixels, it more than makes up for in its mobility. And, speaking of which, the Acer Swift 7 is thinner than both the MacBook and the HP Spectre, another one of its closest rivals, though it is notably heavier than both of them. Still, the Swift 7 starting configuration is both faster and cheaper than Apple’s, plus it has – not one but – two USB Type-C ports on board. Just be prepared for somewhat substandard battery life.

Read the full review: Acer Swift 7

June 21, 2017 at 06:37PM
TechRadar India Bureau