The Best Computers To Buy: Top laptops & desktops for productivity, gaming, and budget buyers
A balanced choice for performance, battery life, and portability.
The Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch with M4 chip is a powerful yet ultraportable laptop built for modern users. With its 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, you get vivid visuals—500 nits brightness, support for 1 billion colors, P3 wide color, and True Tone—which makes it great for streaming, design, or general productivity.
Under the hood sits the new M4 chip (10-core CPU with 4 performance + 6 efficiency cores, base GPU with 8 cores), which delivers a solid boost in speed and efficiency over earlier models. The baseline model includes 16 GB unified memory and a 256 GB SSD, which is ample for most day-to-day tasks.
Other upgrades include a 12-MP Center Stage webcam for better video calls and Touch ID for secure login. The laptop comes in a fresh Sky Blue color, replacing Space Gray, adding style to the mix.
For those who travel or work on the go, its long battery life, lightweight build, and feature-rich display make it a top choice.
The 2025 Dell XPS 13-9345 Copilot+ PC blends ultra portability with AI-infused performance. Powered by the Snapdragon X series (X Elite / X Plus-class), it delivers speeds that can rival Intel i7-1355U-class machines while staying highly efficient. With 16 GB RAM (LPDDR5X) and 512 GB SSD storage, it handles multitasking, creative work, and everyday productivity with ease. The 13.4-inch FHD+ display (often 120 Hz) offers smooth visuals for both work and media. One of its standout features is its long battery life — tests report up to ~19-20 hours under real‐world use.
Connectivity is modern, including Wi-Fi 7, and it runs Windows 11 Pro. While not built for heavy gaming, the XPS 13-9345 is an excellent choice for travelers, students, or anyone wanting a sleek, long-lasting laptop with strong AI/efficiency credentials.
The 17.3-inch gaming laptop powered by the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS is a beast for both work and play. With 8 cores and 16 threads using AMD’s Zen 4 “Hawk Point” architecture, it delivers multi-threaded performance that often outpaces Intel’s i9-13900H in tasks like rendering, compiling, and AI-enhanced workflows.
Equipped with 32 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD, loading heavy programs, multitasking, or organizing large data sets is seamless. It features a sleek, backlit keyboard, USB-C 4.0, fingerprint unlock, and VR readiness — making it ideal for gaming, students working on creative projects, and business users who need power and portability. Add in fast charging (100W PD) and a ~17-inch display, and this machine is a strong pick for those wanting desktop-level power on the go without sacrificing comfort.
The HP 15.6″ Chromebook with Intel Pentium N200 is a budget-friendly, capable laptop ideal for students, remote workers, or businesses focused on light tasks. It features a 15.6-inch HD anti-glare display (1366×768, ~250 nits), which helps reduce eye strain under bright conditions. Backed by 8 GB of RAM and an Intel N200 quad-core processor (burst up to ~3.7 GHz), it handles web browsing, document editing, video streaming, and basic multitasking smoothly.
Storage includes 64 GB eMMC plus microSD expansion, giving flexibility for files and media. Chrome OS ensures fast boot-up, strong security, and automatic updates. Weighing around 3.8 lbs, with ports like USB-C, USB-A, and Wi-Fi connectivity, this Chromebook balances utility and portability. While it’s not built for heavy gaming or advanced media editing, it’s a practical pick for those who need reliable performance at a very accessible price.
The Acer Aspire 5 15 Slim is a versatile laptop that merges performance and portability, ideal for students, professionals, and multitaskers. Powered by the Intel Core i7-1355U and integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, it delivers solid everyday performance on tasks like spreadsheets, web browsing, light content editing, and multitasking. The model includes 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM and a 512 GB Gen-4 SSD — offering ample memory and fast storage for most productivity workflows.
Its 15.6-inch Full HD IPS touchscreen (1920×1080) adds interactivity and clarity, especially for presentations or creative work. Built into a slim chassis with a backlit keyboard and Wi-Fi 6E support, it’s good for working in varied conditions. While its display and build may not rival premium ultrabooks, it offers strong value, combining power, decent features, and portability. For those wanting reliable performance without breaking the bank, this Aspire 5 is a very appealing option.
High-performance GPUs, fast displays, and good cooling for AAA gaming.
The Razer Blade 14 (2025) delivers elite portable gaming with its sleek CNC-milled aluminum body, mean hardware, and modern features. Equipped with AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 365 CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 GPU, it handles modern games & creative workflows with smoothness. Its 14-inch 3K (≈2880×1800) OLED display runs at 120Hz, offering vivid colors, deep contrast, and fast response—ideal for immersive visuals. Backed by 16 GB LPDDR5X RAM and a 1 TB SSD, load times are fast, and multitasking is fluid.
The Blade 14 also features per-key Chroma RGB lighting, Windows OS, and a thin & lightweight design that still packs power. Ports include USB-C/USB4, HDMI, etc., and it supports modern connectivity standards. While top performance shines plugged in, battery life under load is more modest. For gamers, creators, or anyone wanting performance in a compact form, this model is a standout.
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2025) is a powerhouse built for gamers, creators, and power users. At its core lies an AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX CPU (16 cores, up to ~5.3GHz boost) paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti laptop GPU. Together, they deliver excellent performance for demanding PC games, high-fps streaming, and creative workflows.
Its 16-inch WUXGA / FHD+ display offers a 165Hz refresh rate, ideal for smooth gameplay and responsive visuals. The standard build includes 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1-2TB NVMe SSD, giving lots of speed and storage capacity.
multiple fans, wide heatsinks) helps maintain performance during long gaming or intensive work sessions. Extras like a backlit RGB keyboard, rich port options, and Windows 11 Pro make this a strong all-around machine. While battery life under heavy load is modest, for gaming and performance, it’s a serious contender.
The MSI Katana 15 HX (2025) is a mid-to-high-end gaming machine built for immersive performance. It’s powered by an Intel Core i7-14650HX CPU paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU (8 GB GDDR7), which can handle demanding modern titles at high settings. Its 15.6-inch QHD display runs at 165Hz with 100% DCI-P3 color — great for smooth visuals and vibrant colors, whether gaming or content creation. With 32 GB DDR5 RAM and a 1 TB NVMe SSD, it delivers fast load times and plenty of space. The RGB-backlit keyboard, solid port selection, and Windows 11 Pro round out its feature set.
While its cooling system is robust, expect the fans to work hard under load. Weighing around 5.3 lbs and with a sizable power adapter, it’s not ultra-portable but strikes a strong balance between performance and mobility. Ideal for gamers, students, and creators who want serious specs without breaking the bank.
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