8 laptops for people who want the absolute best

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8 laptops for people who want the absolute best

dell xps 13

Dell

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Sometimes you just want the best.

No matter the price, and no questions asked.

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If you want the best possible laptop experience, you need to think about four main things:

  • A slim premium design and materials
  • A sharp display
  • An Intel Core i7 processor
  • And at least 16GB of RAM

It's tough to say which of these 4 checklist items matter the most - each person might value one particular element more than another. One of the factors that makes the biggest difference, in my opinion, is the screen resolution. After using laptops and computer monitors with high-end 1400p and 4K resolutions, laptops with standard less-sharp 1080p resolutions feel decidedly less premium.

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Keen spec-watchers out there might argue that you don't need a powerful Intel Core i7 processor, as it can be overkill for everyday computer tasks. For the average user, many would say an Intel Core i5 gives the best bang for the buck.

Normally, I'd agree. But these laptops aren't for people who care whether they're getting the best value. We're talking about machines that will give you the confidence that you're getting the smoothest and best performance for anything you might want to do on a computer, and a Core i7 will deliver just that.

That's also why you can't settle for 8GB of RAM. You'll need 16GB to ensure smooth and snappy performance, especially if you like to run lots of memory-hungry apps at the same time, or keep dozens of browser tabs open.

With that in mind, we set out to find the "best-of-breed" laptops on the market, the ones that best combine our four criteria to provide the ultimate laptop experience.

Note that I upgraded the storage on some of these machines to 500GB if their standard configurations come with 250GB. If you don't think you'll need 500GB of storage, you can always downgrade to a smaller storage option.

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Check out the eight laptops, ranked in order of my preference, that will give you a premium, top-of-the-line experience:

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8. Refurbished 13-inch 2017 MacBook Pro (with reservations, not the 2018 model)

8. Refurbished 13-inch 2017 MacBook Pro (with reservations, not the 2018 model)

Price: $2,380

Screen size: 13.3-inch

Screen resolution: 2560 x 1600 (similar sharpness as 1400p)

Touchscreen: No

CPU: Intel Core i7-7567U (2 cores up to 4.0 GHz)

RAM: 16GB

Graphics chip: None

Storage: 1TB SSD

Ports: 4 Thunderbolt 3 USB-C

Worth noting:

Good: I can fully recommend refurbished Macs for their quality and like-new presentation. Runs clean and simple macOS. Repairs at Apple store are usually easier than getting Windows 10 laptop repaired.

Bad: Much more expensive than others on this list. Runs on last year's 7th-generation Intel CPU. Known issue with Apple's butterfly keyboard, Apple offers free repairs for four years as of the date of purchase. 2018 model also has butterfly keyboard, but it's unclear if it's more reliable, and it's not included in Apple's keyboard repair program, so I can't recommend it. No standard USB ports.

7. Refurbished 15-inch 2017 MacBook Pro (with reservations, not the 2018 model)

7. Refurbished 15-inch 2017 MacBook Pro (with reservations, not the 2018 model)

Price: $2,760

Screen size: 15.4-inch

Screen resolution: 2880 x 1800 (sharper than 1440p 2K, less sharp than 4K)

Touchscreen: No

CPU: Intel Core i7-7920HQ (4 cores up to 4.1 GHz)

RAM: 16GB

Graphics chip: AMD Radeon Pro 560 (4GB, similar performance to NVidia GTX 1050Ti)

Storage: 1TB SSD

Ports: 4 Thunderbolt 3 USB-C

Worth noting:

Good: I can fully recommend refurbished Macs for their quality and like-new presentation. Runs clean and simple macOS. Repairs at Apple store are usually easier than getting Windows 10 laptop repaired.

Bad: Much more expensive than others on this list. Runs on last year's 7th-generation Intel CPU. Known issue with Apple's butterfly keyboard, Apple offers free repairs for four years as of the date of purchase. 2018 model with newer specs also has butterfly keyboard, and it's unclear if it's more reliable, and it's not included in Apple's keyboard repair program, so I can't recommend it. No standard USB ports.

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6. Dell XPS 13

6. Dell XPS 13

Price: $1,900

Screen size: 13.3-inch

Screen resolution: 4K

Touchscreen: Yes

CPU: Intel Core i7-8550U (4 cores up to 4.0GHz)

RAM: 16GB

Graphics chips: None

Storage: 512GB SSD

Ports: microSD slot, 1x USB-C 3.1, 2x USB-C Thunderbolt 3

Worth noting:

Good: Slim bezels deliver premium experience.

Bad: Expensive compared to others in this list. No standard USB ports.

5. Dell XPS 15

5. Dell XPS 15

Price: $2,100

Screen size: 15.6-inch

Screen resolution: 4K

Touchscreen: Yes

CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H (6 cores, up to 4.1 GHz)

RAM: 16GB

Graphics chips: Nvidia GTX 1050Ti (4GB, suitable for casual gaming and other visual-based work)

Storage: 512GB SSD

Ports: 1x SD card, 2x USB 3.1, HDMI 2.0, 1x USB-C Thunderbolt 3

Worth noting:

Good: Slim bezels deliver premium experience. Comes with standard USB ports.

Bad: Expensive compared to others in this list.

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4. Microsoft Surface Pro

4. Microsoft Surface Pro

Price: $1,900 + $130-plus for detachable keyboard

Screen size: 12.3-inch

Screen resolution: 2736 x 1824 (similar to the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro's resolution, sharper than 1440p, less sharp than 4K)

Touchscreen: Yes

CPU: Intel Core i7-7660U (2 cores up to 4.0 GHz)

RAM: 16GB

Graphics chip: None

Storage: 512GB SSD

Ports: 1x USB 3.0, 1x microSD, 1x mini DisplayPort

Worth noting:

Good: Can be used like a tablet. Incredibly portable. 3:2 display aspect ratio looks more square than typical 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, but is great for apps where you scroll down often, like a web browser. Comes with a standard USB port.

Bad: Runs on last year's 7th-generation Intel CPU. Expensive, but you're partially paying for incredible portability option in this list. Does not include keyboard, have to buy detachable keyboard separately.

3. HP Spectre x360 15

3. HP Spectre x360 15

Price: $1,600 ($1,455 on Amazon at the time of writing)

Screen size: 15.6-inch

Screen resolution: 4K

Touchscreen: Yes

CPU: Intel Core i7-8550U (4 cores up to 4.0GHz)

RAM: 16GB

Graphics chip: Nvidia MX150 (less powerful than the Nvidia GTX 1050Ti that's included with some laptops in this list, but should help with visual tasks)

Storage: 512GB SSD

Ports: 1x Thunderbolt 3 USB-C, 1x USB-C 3.1, 1x USB 3.1, 1x HDMI

Worth noting:

Good: Best value in this list considering 15-inch screen size and resolution. Can flip screen for tablet-like experience. Comes with a standard USB port.

Bad: Comparatively large bezels compared to others in this list.

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2. Lenovo Yoga 920 14" Platinum Silver (80Y70062US)

2. Lenovo Yoga 920 14" Platinum Silver (80Y70062US)

Price: $1,600

Screen size: 14-inch

Screen resolution: 4K

Touchscreen: Yes

CPU: Intel Core i7-8550U (4 cores up to 4.0GHz)

RAM: 16GB

Graphics chip: None

Storage: 1TB SSD

Ports: 2x USB Type-C, 1x USB 3.0

Worth noting:

Good: Excellent Lenovo keyboard. Can flip screen for tablet-like experience. Comes with a standard USB port.

Bad: Comparatively large bezels compared to others in this list.

1. Huawei Matebook X Pro

1. Huawei Matebook X Pro

Price: $1,500

Screen size: 14-inch

Screen resolution: 3K (3000 x 2000)

Touchscreen: Yes

CPU: Intel Core i7-8550U (4 cores up to 4.0GHz)

RAM: 16GB

Graphics chip: Nvidia MX150 (less powerful than the Nvidia GTX 1050Ti that's included with some laptops in this list, but should help with visual tasks)

Storage: 512GB SSD

Ports: 2x USB-C Thunderbolt 3, 1x USB 3.0

Worth noting:

Good: Extremely thin bezels around display gives most premium experience out of all laptops on this list. 3:2 display aspect ratio looks more square than typical 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, but is great for apps where you scroll down often, like a web browser. Comes with a standard USB port.

Bad: Not much, really.

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Look out for the Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE when it's released.

Look out for the Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580GE when it's released.

Price: TBA

Screen size: 14-15.6-inch

Screen resolution: 4K

Touchscreen: Yes

CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H (6 cores up to 4.1 GHz) - Intel Core i9-8950HK (6 cores up to 4.8GHz)

RAM: 16GB

Graphics chip: Nvidia GTX 1050Ti (4GB)

Storage: 1 TB SSD

Ports: 2 USB-C Thunderbolt 3, 2 regular USB 3.1, HDMI, microSD

Worth noting: Ultra-high end specs. Could be expensive. Touchpad is also a 5.5-inch touchscreen for secondary functions in apps.