Best windows Laptops (2025):โค WIRED-Tested laptops to Buy
Breaking News: Teh landscape โof Windows laptops is rapidly evolving, with new chips from Qualcomm and โIntel promising meaningful gainsโค in performance and battery life.As of early June 2024, the sweetโ spot for value โฃand capability lies between $700 and $1500, โขoffering a blend of features suitable forโข a wide rangeโ of users.
The Windows laptopโฃ market is brimming with options, making it โคchallenging to findโ the right fit.โ This guide, based on WIRED’s โคtesting, highlightsโฃ keyโฃ specs and models to consider in 2025. While budget-friendly โขoptions exist, โขcompromises are โคoften made, particularlyโข in panel and touchpad quality. Anything โขunder $750 isโฃ generally considered a “cheap laptop” and will reflect those trade-offs. Though, laptops utilizing the Qualcomm Snapdragon X chip frequently enough deliver extraordinaryโ battery life even within this โคprice bracket. The Dell 14 Plusโข serves as a strong example of the capabilities available in the currentโ market.
Here’sโ a breakdownโ of essential specifications:
CPU: For thin and light laptops, the Snapdragon X, X Plus, or X Elite chips areโข recommended โfor their balance of battery life and performance. The Intel Core Ultra 7 258V is also a strong contender.
GPU: Intel’s Lunar Lake chips, including the Core Ultra 7 258V, currently offer the best integrated graphics. For โdedicated graphics, look for laptops โwith the โขlatest Nvidia RTX 50-series GPUs, such as the RTXโ 5060. A significant โฃperformance jump occurs between the RTX โข5070 and RTX 5070 Ti, due to the latter’s increased VRAM of โ12โ GB.
RAM (or memory): 16 GB of RAM is now the โstandard, increasingly found even in laptops priced around $600, thanks to the Copilot+ designation. Gamers and content creators should consider upgrading to 32 GB.
Storage: 512 GB is becomingโฃ the standard base configuration โfor many laptops. Upgrading to 1 or 2 terabytes is recommended, especially given that many laptops lack expandable storage options.
Display: Common โคscreen sizes include 13-inch, 14-inch, and 16-inch.Consider size, resolution, refresh rate, and panel type when โขmaking a selection.
Portability: Chassis thickness and weight are key factors determining a laptop’s portability. Dimensions are often dictated by screen size.
Ports: many modern laptops feature limited ports, often only USB-C and a headphone jack. Some include USB-A or HDMI. A USB hub or laptop docking station may be necessary toโ expand connectivityโ and external display support.