Best Laptop Recommendations

The All-Rounder Laptop: Acer Nitro 5 - The Best of Both Worlds

Rating: 9.5/10

If you’re looking for an all-rounder laptop at an affordable price, then the Acer Nitro 5 AN515-58-525P is a killer choice. With the Intel Core i5-12500H and a CPU speed of up to 4.5GHz, the Acer Nitro 5 can handle multiple programs without any lagging experience. For instance, users were quick to notice how fast programs loaded on the screen.

The Acer Nitro 5 is also equipped with the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050, with 4GB dedicated GDDR6 VRAM, to give you the ultimate gaming performance. You can expect to play all your favorite Steam games, including the ones that take a lot of graphics power with ease.

The Acer Nitro 5 has a Full HD IPS 15.6-inch display with a 144Hz refresh rate, giving you a gaming experience that’s more fluid, immersive, and all the more enjoyable. It has a 512GB HDD storage capacity to place all your files, games, and more.

For the price tag attached to all the bells and whistles, what’s not to love about the Acer Nitro 5? It’s one of the top favorite picks among customers who are looking for a budget gaming laptop that also doubles as a remote work-from-home laptop.

Tech Specs:

CPU Processor: Intel i5-12500H (base frequency of 2.5 GHz up to 4.5 GHz speeds)

Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050

Memory: 8GB DDR4

Display: 15.6 inches Full HD IPS

Storage: 512GB SSD

Available ports: 3 x USB-A ports

1 x USB Type-C

1 x HDMI port

1 x Combo audio jack (3.5mm)

1 x RJ45 LAN Port

Operating System: Windows 11 Home

Weight: 5.51 pounds

The Latest Productivity Powerhouse Laptop: Asus ProArt Studio Book Pro X

Rating: 9/10

Are you a serious power user or high-level creative who’s looking for a laptop that can keep up with you? The Asus ProArt Studio Book Pro X W730 is a top-of-the-line powerhouse laptop for designers, architects, animators, and programmers. It’s powered by the latest 9th Gen Intel Xeon or Core i7 processors that easily run professional CAD and 3D design tools.

With the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 graphic card, you can render multiple files and edit your content without any problems. The 17” Full HD+ NanoEdge display and 60Hz refresh rate also give you an impressive visual experience. So if you do a lot of serious creative work, this is worth noting.

What’s special about the Asus ProArt Studio Book Pro X is its innovative screenpad. It’s a 5.65” interactive touchscreen trackpad that can act as a secondary display for companion apps. It can come in handy if you need quick shortcuts for opening important documents or files.

Considered the roll royce among laptops, the Asus ProArt Studio Book Pro X is a monster mobile workstation laptop that takes creators to the next level. While its $7,000 price tag isn’t for the squeamish, the features, high-end specs, and top-quality performance means it can handle anything you throw at it.

Tech Specs:

CPU Processor: Intel Xeon E-2276M (base frequency of 2.80 GHz up to 4.70 GHz speeds)

Graphics Card: Quadro RTX 5000, 16GB

Memory: 64GB

Display: 17” 16:10 FHD (Delta E<1.5, Pantone Validated)

Storage: 4TB PCIE, RAID 0

Available Ports: 3 x USB-A ports

2 x USB-C ports

1 x HDMI port

1 x Combo audio jack (3.5mm)

1 x RJ45 LAN port

1 x Full-sized SD card reader

Special features: ScreenPad, TPM, ECC memory

Operating System: Windows 10 Pro

Weight: 5.51 pounds

The Best Budget-friendly Business Laptop: Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen 4

Rating: 8.5/10

Tech Specs:

CPU Processor: AMD Hexa-Core Ryzen 5 5625U (6 cores 12 threads, base clock speed 2.3 GHz, max turbo to 4.3 GHz speeds)

Graphic Card: Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics

Memory: 16GB RAM

Display: 15.6” FHD IPS (Anti-Glare, Touch Display)

Storage: 512GB SSD

Available ports: 2 x USB-C ports

2 x USB-A port

1 x HDMI port

1 x Combo audio jack (3.5mm)

1 x RJ45 LAN port

1 x 4 in 1 card reader slot

Kensington Nano Security Slot

Operating System: Windows 11 Pro 64-bit

Weight: 3.75 pounds

One of Lenovo’s latest laptop series, the ThinkBook 15 Gen 4 is designed for people who need a secure business laptop at a budget-friendly price. It has a sleek and sleek design with a two-tone gray finish that gives off a professional feel. The ThinkBook 15 Gen 4 is equipped with AMD Ryzen 5000 series mobile processor with Radeon Graphics which can handle demanding programs with ease.

The Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen 4 has a 15.6-inch FHD IPS display that supports up to 3 monitors and comes with a Kensington Nano Security Slot which is pretty useful against theft. Not to mention it has a cooling feature that prevents overheating even under intense usage.

It’s a solid office laptop that’s perfect for work, business or school. With all the great specs and features, plenty of users have nothing but praise for its amazing performance and quality build. On top of that, the webcam has full HD resolution which under good lighting delivers great quality video images with high contrasts.

For its price tag, the Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen 4 is a solid buy for anyone who works with several demanding programs or needs a good-quality business laptop.

The 2 in 1 Laptop for Work: Microsoft Surface Pro 9

Rating: 8/10

With its modern design and 2-in-1 capabilities, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is currently one of the best PC tablets on the market. Fitted with the faster 12th-generation Intel Core i5, there’s an improved performance compared to other previous models. For instance, working with CAD software, or complex video edits is a cinch for the Microsoft Surface Pro 9.

Battery lasts at an average of 9 hours. However, on the flip side, the battery is easier to replace and there’s an option to upgrade the storage behind the little flap of the Microsoft Surface Pro 9. Additionally, covering the 13-inch display is a Gorilla Glass 5 which protects the laptop against drops or scratches.

One thing that stands out is Microsoft’s decision to make the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 repair-friendly. Most components are easily replaceable with a 1-year limited hardware warranty. It also offers a removable hard drive feature so you can retain important data.

Flexible for various tasks, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is an impressive portable tablet you can carry anywhere with you. Its powerful CPU is great for work or business-related tasks. What’s more, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 comes installed with Microsoft apps which makes it easy to collaborate and work with teams.

Tech Specs:

CPU Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1245U processor

Graphics Card: Intel Iris Xe graphics

Memory: 8GB RAM

Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E: 802.11ax compatible

Bluetooth Wireless 5.1 technology

Display: 13-inch PixelSense Flow Display

Storage: 256GB

Available ports: 2 x USB-C with USB 4.0/Thunderbolt 4

1 x Surface Connect port

1 x Surface Keyboard port

Operating System: Windows 11 Home

Weight: 1.94 pounds

The College Student Laptop: MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020)

Rating: 10/10

Is the MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020) still good in 2023? If you’re on a tight budget and prefer a Macbook laptop, then the answer is positively yes. Even three years after its release, many reviews agree the MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020) is still a solid purchase.

Powered by the Apple M1, the MacBook Air 13 can handle basic to moderate usage. It’s great for schoolwork and intensive research. Its impressive battery life also means it can last a whole day even with heavy use. The MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020) base model comes with an 8-core CPU and 7-core CPU, 8GB RAM and 256 GB.

With all its great features and fast performance, it’s not a surprise why the MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020) is still a favorite pick among consumers today. Not to mention Macbooks can last for a long time. Sometimes, they even go on sale which makes it an exceptional value for your money.

From creating amazing content to school presentations, the MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020) makes for an amazing laptop that every college kid needs in their arsenal. Not only can it handle demanding programs, but it’s also lightweight enough to carry around with ease.

Tech Specs:

CPU Processor: Apple M1 chip

Graphics Card: Integrated 7-core GPU

Memory: 8GB RAM

Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5

Display: 13-inch Retina display with True Tone

Storage: 256GB SSD

Available ports: 2 x Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C)

1 x combo audio jack (3.5mm)

Operating System: MacOS Biig Sur with an option to upgrade to the MacOS Monterey

Weight: 2.8 pounds