If you’ve been holding onto an outdated Windows laptop for too long, now is an excellent time to upgrade. With the recent buzz surrounding AI PCs, computer manufacturers are rushing to release new designs featuring efficient chips from Intel and AMD. Additionally, thanks to Microsoft’s Copilot+ initiative, we’re seeing decent notebooks powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, which provide better battery life and lighter designs.

Whether you’re in the market for a premium ultraportable, a powerful gaming rig, or a versatile mobile workstation, our current list of the best Windows laptops highlights our top picks that have undergone rigorous testing by our team. You might even find a Windows laptop that suits you better than an Apple MacBook if you’re looking to make the switch. For those on a budget, be sure to check out our list of the best affordable Windows laptops to find great options that won’t break the bank.

### What to look for in a Windows laptop

When choosing a Windows laptop, the main question to ask yourself is how much power you actually need. It’s easy to overspend and get a computer that’s more powerful than you need, or skimp too much and end up with an underpowered processor and insufficient memory. Our recommendations are broken down into various product categories, but generally, you should aim for a laptop with at least 16GB of RAM and a modern Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen processor. If you’re a gamer, ensure you get a decent graphics card, which is explained in our guide for the best gaming notebooks.

### Performance

Performance is a critical aspect to consider when selecting a Windows laptop. You’ll want to ensure that your laptop can handle your daily tasks and applications without lagging or freezing. Look for laptops with powerful processors, ample RAM, and sufficient storage.

### What are AI PCs, Copilot+ and Arm-based laptops?

Any computer equipped with a neural processing unit (NPU) is considered an “AI PC,” as this chip can offload tasks from the CPU and GPU. With the AI bandwagon, most systems released today qualify as AI PCs, except for some high-powered workstation and gaming laptops that may have NPU-free chips or extremely cheap notebooks running low-end chips.

To simplify the search for premium AI PCs, Microsoft introduced its Copilot+ program, which requires notebooks to have NPUs supporting at least 40 TOPS of AI processing power, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. The first batch of Copilot+ systems included the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, as well as the revamped XPS 13.

### Display and webcams

When it comes to displays, we look for bright screens (300 nits or more) that are easy to use outdoors or in sunny rooms, with accurate colors and wide viewing angles. High refresh rates are ideal for competitive gamers or anyone who wants smoother document scrolling, while wider color gamuts are essential for content creation and video editing. A decent webcam (1080p or higher) is also a must, even if you don’t plan on spending a lot of time on video calls.

### Ports and connectivity

Dedicated ports for transferring data or connecting peripherals can make or break a laptop. Ideally, all but the thinnest and lightest systems should come with three USB-C ports, and features like built-in SD card readers can be extremely handy when importing media from a camera. A slow or outdated Wi-Fi modem (anything less than Wi-Fi 6) is basically a disqualification.

### Battery life

It doesn’t matter how powerful a laptop is if it runs out of battery when you need it most. Typically, we look for runtimes of at least ten hours on a charge, but when it comes to good battery life, longer is always better. For gaming machines with power-hungry graphics cards, you may have to settle for a bit less.

### Best Windows laptops for 2025

Our top picks for the best Windows laptops include the ASUS Zenbook S14, Acer Aspire 5, ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, Microsoft Surface Pro Copilot+, Lenovo Yoga 9i, MSI Stealth 14 Studio, Razer Blade 18, and Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition. Each of these laptops offers a unique combination of performance, features, and price, making them suitable for various needs and budgets.

### Windows laptop FAQs

#### What’s the difference between a Windows laptop and a Chromebook?

The primary difference between a Windows laptop and a Chromebook lies in their operating systems. Windows laptops run on Microsoft’s Windows OS, while Chromebooks use Google’s Chrome OS. Performance is another significant difference, with Windows laptops capable of handling demanding tasks like gaming or video editing, and Chromebooks optimized for speed and simplicity, focusing on lighter tasks like word processing and web browsing.

#### What’s the difference between macOS and Windows?

MacOS and Windows are two different worlds in the realm of computers, each with its own personality. MacOS is sleek, minimal, and feels intuitive, especially if you like things that just “work” out of the box. Apple designs MacOS to work in tandem with its hardware, so if you have an iOS device like an iPhone or an iPad, the whole ecosystem syncs up seamlessly. Windows, on the other hand, is more like the jack-of-all-trades, known for being super flexible and customizable.

### Recent updates

* March 2025: Updated one of our top picks and added new information about AI PCs.
* September 2024: Added an FAQ section.
* July 2024: Updated our top picks to include the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition.


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