The 10 Best Windows Laptops for 2024 Compared

The best Windows laptop is versatile and powerful enough to help you get through your daily workload with no issues. However, with so many available models on the market, finding the right one isn’t a simple task.

That’s why we’ve created a list of the best Windows laptops to help you make an informed decision — we’ve taken into account factors like build quality, battery life, and value for money, so read on to discover what our top pick, the Acer Predator Triton 300, and its competition have to offer.

Reviews of the Top Windows Laptops to Buy in 2024

Here’s our list of the best Windows laptops in 2024 based on their pricing, specifications, storage, battery life, and other factors:

1. Acer Predator Triton 300 — Overall, the best Windows laptop in 2024 as it boasts a 12th gen Intel Core processor and Nvidia RTX 3000, making it a top choice even for resource-heavy tasks like video editing.
2. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 — A convertible 2-in-1 16’’ laptop with high resolution, exceptional storage, and advanced features like four-finger touchpad gestures.
3. Acer Aspire 3 A315 — The best Windows laptop under $500, with a slim design and excellent battery life that’ll last over 13 hours.
4. Asus VivoBook 15 — Great budget-friendly laptop at just $365, with an excellent port selection and ergonomics, plus minimal bezels and a premium-looking design.
5. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 — Solid mid-range Windows 11 laptop with a sturdy and reliable build with excellent airflow enhancements and modern features that make it a top pick for professionals.
6. HP 15-DY2024NR — Another solid mid-range option if you’re after excellent portability as it’s sleek, light-weight, and charges from 0 to 50% in just 45 minutes.
7. HP 15 Touchscreen — Solid i5 with high-speed SSD storage, great cooling capabilities, whisper-silent operations, and a responsive touchscreen.
8. MSI Thin GF63 — Powerful gaming laptop with 144Hz refresh rate and Nvidia RTX 4050 that ensure an immersive gaming experience.
9. ASUS TUF Gaming F15 — Popular budget gaming laptop with self-cleaning fans and multiple heat pipes for efficient cooling.
10. HP Pavilion 15 — A powerful i7 with sRGB color gamut for vibrant, crystal-clear images, wide viewing angles, and stunning graphics, perfect for video editing.

Reviews of the Top Windows Laptops to Buy in 2024

Windows is currently the most popular laptop (and desktop) OS worldwide, taking 61.8% of the market share as of June 2023. And now that you’ve seen our top picks, let’s get into what each laptop on our list does best.

1. Acer Predator Triton 300 — Overall, the Best Windows Laptop in 2024

The Acer Predator Triton 300 packs a lot of power for a slim and portable laptop, making it the best Windows laptop for video editing on our list.

Although this laptop is ideal for gaming because of its powerful components, a similar setup is necessary for advanced video editing, 3D model rendering, and other resource-heavy tasks.

The Acer Predator Triton 300 offers unmatched performance, thanks to its 12th generation Intel Core processor that reaches up to 4.7GHz and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics. In addition, it has a 165Hz display that provides an immersive experience and crisp, stunning visuals.

It comes with a pre-installed Windows 11 Home operating system that lets you experience a faster and smoother operating experience with the latest system functions a Windows computer can offer.

While this high-end i7 Windows laptop delivers exceptional performance, it has a slightly worse build than other 14’’ gaming laptops in its price range. However, that only concerns the slightly-bending keyboard, which is a small price to pay for its above-average battery life, beautiful display, and massive storage.

Overall, it’s an excellent pick for gamers who want portability they can’t have with the best gaming PCs and professionals after a solid MacBook Pro alternative who need a reliable traveling companion for video editing and 3D rendering.

2. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 —  A Convertible 2-in-1 16’’ Laptop With High Resolution

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is the best 2-in-1 laptop this year that adapts to your needs. It has an exceptional 400nits display with stunning, crystal clear visuals in 2560 x 1600 resolution. Because of this, it’ll deliver vibrant colors even in well-lit rooms and outdoor locations, unlike most 2-in-1 laptops.

Beyond this, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5’s 16’’ 2.5K touchscreen display lets you create, stream, or browse content easily. In addition, you can effortlessly switch between its laptop and tablet modes thanks to its 360-degree hinge. Like its screen, its touchpad feels very responsive to the touch and allows for four-finger gestures.

This i7 Windows laptop achieves an ideal combination of responsiveness and performance thanks to its advanced components. You’ll find that 16 GB RAM and Intel Iris Xe Graphics deliver adequate power for playing games, editing videos, or performing similar resource-heavy tasks.

Although it is large enough to support 2.5K resolution and a comfortable keyboard, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is also lightweight for a convertible laptop, which makes it portable. Its battery life of 10 hours also complements its portability well, as it allows you to use it on the go without issues.

In addition, it offers 1 TB of SSD storage, which is more than most laptop computers have today. However, users complain that the microphone could be better, meaning you may have to invest in a quality headset or external microphone, depending on your needs.

3. Acer Aspire 3 A315 — The Best Windows Laptop Under $500

The Acer Aspire 3 A315 is the best Windows laptop under 500 dollars, thanks to its excellent performance. Plus, it has a purposeful slim design, allowing you to carry it anywhere, making it easy to travel with. It sits firmly on its four rubber feet that prevent it from sliding on your desk, so you won’t notice any display wobbling either.

It has a full HD IPS panel with a 60Hz refresh rate and excellent contrast, making it a solid pick for entertainment, work, and everyday use. Although it’s not the best gaming laptop, the Acer Aspire 3 A315 is powerful enough to deliver 60 frames per second on popular MOBA and FPS games, thanks to its capable processor and heat dissipation.

It also has excellent battery life and can last up to 13.5 hours while browsing the web and working. In addition, its 8 GB of DDR5 RAM and exceptional internal cooling will ensure it works reliably through your shift or gaming sessions.

That means you can rest easy knowing it can prevent overheating, which slows down the performance of laptops, making it great for students and freelancers who do resource-intensive tasks.

Besides offering unmatched performance as the best cheap Windows laptop, the Acer Aspire 3 A315 has sturdy hinges, a decently large touchpad, and overall excellent build quality for its price range. The only build-related part we dislike is its keyboard, with tiny up and down arrow keys and the lack of keyboard backlight, which will only be an issue in a dark room.

4. Asus VivoBook 15 — Great Budget-Friendly Laptop With Ample Ports

The Asus VivoBook 15 is a reasonably priced option and the best Windows 10 laptop on our list.

Despite its slim profile, it offers a microSD card slot, HDMI output, a headphone jack, two USB 3.0 ports on the right side, and two USB 2.0 ports on the left. It’s hard to find more ports even on high-end laptops, making the Asus VivoBook 15 excellent for connectivity.

The Asus VivoBook 15 is also exceptionally lightweight (it weighs just 3.5 pounds) and, therefore, it’s incredibly travel-friendly, making it the among the top laptops for students. In addition, the frameless four-side NanoEdge display keeps its dimensions down to a minimum.

It also features ErgoLift, an ASUS feature that angles the keyboard deck slightly to improve ergonomics and provide a better typing experience. This makes it a good option not only for students but any working professional, as it can help you prevent “tech-neck” and other issues that stem from having a bad posture.

However, placing the Asus VivoBook 15 on a desk leads to strained volume output from its bottom-facing speakers. This design flaw makes voices sound distant, and you shouldn’t expect the best bass performance. That said, although it doesn’t have the best speakers, its wide selection of ports allows you to connect headphones or external speakers without worrying about cable management.

And while the Asus VivoBook 15 doesn’t offer enough performance for video editing or gaming, it’s an excellent pick for college students and office workers looking for a portable, reliable solution on a budget.

5. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 — Solid Mid-Range Windows 11 Laptop With a Sturdy Build

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 feels well-built and is ideal for multitasking and completing daily tasks as a student or an office worker. Its AMD Ryzen 5500U chip provides enough processing power for web browsing, media consumption, and even some light photo or video editing.

That makes it one of the best business laptops for professionals. Furthermore, it has decent speakers that sound clear but aren’t very loud, a reliable microphone, and a decent 720p webcam making it great for video calls and work conferences.

Although you won’t be able to edit 4K videos or play the newest AAA games on this Windows laptop, it can easily handle that type of workload for 1080p videos and light gaming. Plus, it comes with a comfortable keyboard for its price range — in fact, it matches the quality of some high-end models.

Beyond all this, it has a versatile port selection that includes a USB-C port, which allows you to transfer files and charge devices at higher speeds. Unlike traditional USB 2.0 ports that offer a maximum of 480Mbps data transfer rate, the USB 3.2 port on this laptop reaches 5Gbps. That means it’s more than ten times faster, making this laptop an excellent choice for users who need to import and export data.

While its build quality is superior to most of its competition in the same price range, some users complain about screen wobble while using the laptop when it’s not on a desk.

6. HP 15-DY2024NR — Popular Mid-Range Laptop With Excellent Portability

The HP 15-DY2024NR lets you work, stream, or browse content anywhere, thanks to its lightweight design and HP Fast Charge feature that charges 50% of its battery in a mere 45 minutes.

This Windows laptop also has a convincing high-end look with silver styling and sharp edges, even though it’s a typical mid-range office laptop. It provides lots of compatibility with its two USB-A, one USB-C, and HDMI ports, a headphone jack, and a micro-SD card slot.

Although it has a comfortable keyboard that’s tactile, responsive, and smooth, it has no backlight, meaning it would be tough to use in dark rooms. That said, when it comes to the touchpad, this HP model is an excellent alternative to the MacBook Pro as it features a large surface that offers lots of travel for your fingers.

Unlike most other cheap laptops, this model also offers snappy performance, thanks to its 11th-generation Intel Core CPU and speedy PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage. Complemented by 8 GB of RAM, these components make office work and video editing a breeze.

Although it’s an excellent pick for office work and freelancers, users have said that it’s not the most ideal solution in well-lit rooms due to the lack of brightness.

7. HP 15 Touchscreen — Solid i5 With High-Speed SSD Storage

The HP 15 has a beefy Intel Core i5 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of high-speed SSD storage, which means you won’t have any performance issues with this model while completing your daily work and social tasks.

It also stays cool and doesn’t produce much noise while you work — even if you push it to its limits by using resource-intensive programs or video games, its fans won’t become unbearably loud, and its internal cooling will keep it from overheating.

Although the lack of a dedicated GPU makes this laptop unusable for resource-heavy video editing or 3D rendering, its other components offer enough power for day-to-day office work, browsing, and multimedia tasks.

Its keyboard is one of its strong points, as it has a full-width ten-key layout with reasonable key travel and a little flex. The keys are reasonably spaced, which offers a comfortable keyboard typing experience, and its screen has an ideal contrast and pixel density for text to appear sharp and visible, even in brightly-lit rooms.

While you won’t find the HP 15 Touchscreen ideal for streaming or playing games, it’s a reliable laptop for office work and everyday usage.

8. MSI Thin GF63 — Powerful Gaming Laptop With 144Hz Refresh Rate

The MSI Thin GF63 offers excellent 1080p 144Hz gaming performance, but it does come at a price higher than standard Windows laptops.

Although this laptop doesn’t look like it’s made for gaming at first glance, it hides an impressive set of components under its minimalistic black chassis. The only feature that gives away its focus on gaming is the red keyboard backlight, which is bright enough to illuminate the keys in dark rooms.

Although the best gaming headset would serve you better, this Windows gaming laptop also has solid speakers and excellent microphone quality, allowing for effortless communication with your team while you play.

However, like Microsoft laptops, MSI laptops come with pre-loaded bloatware that’ll take some time to uninstall. Unfortunately, the MSI Thin GF63 offers just 512 GB of SSD storage, meaning you’ll have to clean your drives often to make room for new games or programs.

While $999 isn’t a small amount of cash to spend on a new laptop, this Windows gaming laptop offers excellent value since it includes a DLSS 3-compatible graphics card, a powerful Intel Core i7 processor, and a beautiful display.

9. ASUS TUF F15 — Popular Budget Gaming Laptop With Self-Cleaning Fans

The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 is the best budget laptop for gaming on our list, with a fast IPS panel and high-speed Thunderbolt 4 ports. It sports a 15-inch 1920 x 1080p display with a 144 Hz refresh rate on its IPS panel. That means you can expect wide viewing angles, crisp and vibrant colors, and no ghosting or stuttering in fast-paced games.

While 512 GB NVMe PCIe of SSD storage offers plenty of space for your favorite games, gamers will be glad to know that the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 is easily upgradeable via its open SSD slot that allows you to add terabytes of storage.

Having the best cheap Windows laptop for gaming would mean little if it was prone to overheating and physical damage. That’s why you’ll appreciate its self-cleaning fans and anti-dust tunnels that minimize the maintenance this laptop requires. In addition, you should know that this gaming laptop offers military-grade toughness, as it’s near-impervious to drops, humidity, vibration, and extreme temperatures.

However, some users complain that its touchpad, webcam, and speakers could be of better quality, which means you’ll likely need extra peripherals that complement this device.

10. HP Pavilion 15 — A Powerful i7 With sRGB Color Gamut Crystal-Clear Images

The HP Pavilion 15 is a reliable mid-range Windows laptop for office use and light gaming, and even video editing tasks, thanks to its exceptional processing power.

That said, what makes this Windows laptop stand out from the crowd is its 100% sRGB color gamut, meaning it displays sharp, vibrant colors that can improve your viewing experience.

Having PCIe NVMe SSD storage means this laptop will perform up to 15 times faster than laptops equipped with a hard drive. That’s particularly useful for office workers and students that need to transfer large files quickly or open advanced programs without waiting.

The HP Pavilion 15 also has a fingerprint reader that lets you lock or unlock your laptop using your fingertip. That means you won’t have to type the password every time you start it up, and it enhances your overall security.

However, users do note that the battery drainage is a flaw with this laptop, particularly when using any resource-heavy programs — however, reducing the brightness helps make the battery last longer.

The Best Windows Laptops Compared

We’ve prepared a master table to give you a better overview of how these products from the best laptop brands compare head-to-head. It should provide better insight into their crucial features and help you make an informed decision:

How to Choose the Best Windows Laptop for You

Choosing the best Windows laptop comes down to your needs, preferences, and budget. For example, a student that needs a laptop just to download material for school and occasionally watch their favorite shows and movies on Netflix doesn’t need a gaming laptop.

Once you decide which type of laptop would fit your needs, you’ll notice that the market is full of seemingly similar options. Some offer more RAM, while others have better storage, making the choice harder if you aren’t tech-savvy. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve created a list of crucial factors to consider while shopping for a laptop.

Use Case

The first step you need to make when buying a laptop is to identify your needs. If you’re a student, a lightweight, portable laptop with decent battery life will serve you well as you carry it between classes and finish assignments. An office worker might value a comfortable keyboard, massive SSD storage for documents, and multitasking capabilities.

For high-end laptops, professional creators, such as graphic designers or video editors, will need a powerful processor, ample storage, and high-resolution displays. Gamers will focus on laptops with dedicated graphic cards, efficient cooling systems, and high refresh rate displays.

Understanding your specific needs will help narrow down your options and saves you from overpaying for something you don’t need or won’t fully use.

Performance

Processors (CPU) have the biggest impact on your laptop’s performance and handle most computational tasks. Look for laptops with powerful processors, like a 12th-generation Intel processor or a Ryzen 7000, as they offer unmatched speed, efficiency, and processing power. To differentiate a powerful processor from a mediocre model, consider its cores and clock speed (GHz). Higher clock speeds and more cores result in better multitasking capabilities and performance.

A powerful graphics card (GPU) is crucial for visual processing tasks such as rendering videos or images. Good laptops for professional designers will have dedicated GPUs from a reputable manufacturer since they provide significantly better performance than integrated GPUs within the processor.

If you’re a professional or a gamer, look for a laptop with high-end components, like the Intel Core i7-12700H processor or the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card, that’ll increase productivity and deliver lag-free gameplay.

Build Quality

A well-built laptop ensures longevity, reduces the risk of physical damage, and delivers a superb tactile experience that increases your satisfaction with the product. Look for laptops that can withstand daily wear and tear by reading user reviews and identifying the materials they consist of.

For example, checking for quality hinges is mandatory when purchasing a laptop, as they ensure smooth opening and closing, comfortable viewing angles, and longevity. Look for laptops with sturdy hinges that provide stability and durability and prevent screen wobbling or loosening over time.

To help save you time, we’ve provided balanced reviews of all the market’s top Windows laptops on this list by including both the advantages and disadvantages as expressed by users.

Connectivity

Look for a laptop with numerous ports, as they play a vital role in the versatility and functionality of a laptop. The number of ports determines how well you can connect and integrate it with various peripherals and devices.

The most important ports to look for are USB-A and USB-C, which allow you to connect external storage, printers, or other devices to your laptop. In addition, having a USB-C port that lets you charge your laptop is a massive advantage if you often use your laptop on the go. It allows you to use a portable charger when you’re away from a power outlet.

An HDMI port lets you connect your laptop to a projector or external display, while a Thunderbolt port supports high-speed data transfer, docking stations, and external GPUs. Other ports to look for include headphone jacks, SD card readers, and Ethernet ports.

Storage

Consider laptops with SSD storage, which provide faster performance, quicker boot times, and improved responsiveness. There’s also HDD storage, which is slower but cheaper, and usually offers ample space for storing large files, such as videos or photo albums.

Although you can still purchase laptops with HDD storage, we advise against it, as SSD storage outperforms HDD by up to 15 times. Besides the speed, you should also consider the size of the storage. For example, a 256 GB SSD might be fine for a student, but a gamer or video editor could fill that in a couple of days.

However, most laptops offer an additional SSD slot, allowing you to purchase a laptop with small storage and upgrade it when needed.

Battery Life

Good battery life is crucial, especially for travelers and commuters who might not have access to an outlet for hours. A laptop with longer battery life can give you peace of mind knowing it won’t shut down when you need to work, study, or enjoy a TV show or movie.

However, there’s no real way to test a laptop’s battery life before you purchase it, which makes user reviews an ideal source of information. You can compare the manufacturer’s estimated battery life to real-world usage via user reviews. In addition, look for a laptop with power management, screen brightness, and processor efficiency settings, as those allow you to control how much battery it spends.

Operating System

However, switching from S mode to Home is easy since all you need to do is open the Microsoft Store and choose “Switch out of S mode.”

Windows 11, the latest version, brings various improvements and a fresh user interface with a centered taskbar. It also offers a modern, streamlined touch and pen input experience and enhanced productivity features, such as a redesigned file explorer that’s more intuitive, a unified search bar that finds results from the web and your computer simultaneously, and a customizable start menu.

However, Windows 10 is a mature and stable OS compatible with a wide range of software and hardware configurations, making it a reliable choice. Besides features and hardware compatibility, you should consider your preference for the latest features and user interface changes Windows 11 introduced.

Conclusion | What’s the Best Windows Laptop to Buy in 2024?

Our list of the best Windows laptops for 2024 has the best picks for different use cases, which means we can’t decide on one that fits everyone’s needs and preferences. However, we’ve arranged our list on a value-for-your-money basis, and we’re confident that our top pick will exceed your expectations.

The Acer Predator Triton 300 offers exceptional performance, reliability, and massive storage. In addition, it has an excellent battery life for a high-end laptop, and its well-designed internal cooler keeps the model from overheating even after extensive use, making it an exceptional pick for professionals and gamers.

Windows Laptop FAQs

Ilijia Miljkovac

Technology Writer

Ilijia Miljkovac

Technology Writer

Ilijia Miljkovac is a Techopedia writer with seven years of experience covering all things tech. He writes about cybersecurity topics, spanning VPNs, antiviruses, and hosting, helping to inform B2B and B2C audiences about the latest products and services. He's written for publications such as Business2Community, TheTechReport, Comparitech, and more. When he's not working, Ilijia spends his time hiking in nature or holed up in his apartment gaming.

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