High performing laptops for work, gaming and more

The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED is a terrific all-rounder, offering a superb combination of productivity, creative and gaming performance as well as a stylish and lightweight frame.

On the productivity front, the Asus will comfortably take down plenty of tabs, along with strong multi-tasking capabilities. However, it’s the boosted graphical capabilities of the new Intel Core Ultra and its Arc integrated graphics that are worth noticing. Admittedly, it remains far from a gaming powerhouse but it gives this laptop the ability to comfortably dip its toe into AAA gaming at low to medium settings along with being ideal for creators on the go.

The laptop looks good while doing all this too, from a terrifically bright and detailed 1800p OLED display to a slim 15mm design that weighs just 1.29kg. Despite this, it manages to pack in a solid range of ports, from two Thunderbolt 4 and a USB-C to a handy HDMI 2.1 and a headphone jack. Another factor that manages to not be hindered by the light frame is the keyboard, we found it to be delightfully clicky and crisp.

One area in which high-end Windows productivity laptops have lacked over recent years, particularly Intel ones, is on battery life. Well, the Zenbook 14 OLED may not hit the heights of the MacBook Air, but it comes closer than before. It reaches close to a solid 13 hours of juice.

Reviewer: Stuart Andrews
Full review: Asus Zenbook 14 OLED review

Apple is at it again, creating another excellent all-rounder with its new MacBook Air M3 13-inch. It’s the best MacBook for most people.

Admittedly, not much has changed with the new M3 model compared with the previous M2 iteration, with a nice bump in performance the key change. However, if you want the latest and greatest, you won’t be disappointed with this machine.

This version of the MacBook Air, since it was redesigned last year, offers wondrous fanless power for serious productivity and light creative tasking. Alongside, you get an excellent keyboard, huge trackpad, useful set of ports and a luxurious design.

On top, you get some of the most stunning battery life on the market, with this device being capable of more than 15 hours of work. All around, this is a device that’s a joy to use and offers tremendous value despite its around £1000/$1000 starting price, as you’re getting so much bang for your buck.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: Apple MacBook Air M3 13-inch review

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) is the best all-round gaming laptop that we’ve reviewed so far. Not only does it boast incredible gaming firepower, but also an ultra-portable, slender design that’s easy to carry around.

Asus chose to give its G14 range a major design refresh this year, which involved an even thinner design than before. That means it’s remarkably just 16.3mm thick, while hitting the scales at a dainty 1.5kg, which is even lighter than the 15-inch MacBook Air.

Thanks to the discrete Nvidia GPU under the hood, it offers fantastic performance, to such an extent that it can run intensive games such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Returnal at a Quad HD resolution. The 14-inch OLED screen also helps to ensure that games look absolutely stunning, with colours popping out of the display.

Having so much firepower does leave battery life a little short, coming in at just 6 hours in our benchmark tests for productivity workloads. But if you’re after an ultra-portable gaming laptop, that’s a minor compromise for such an excellent overall package.

If you think the price of G14 is a tad too high for your budget, then also consider the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8. This is another 5-star gaming laptop with incredible specs for your money. It’s not quite as portable or stylish as the G14, but it performed better in our benchmark tests, making it an outstanding alternative.

Reviewer: Adam Speight
Full review: Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) review

Asus’ Zenbook S range has been charting an impressive course for ultrabooks for some time now, but it’s in the Zenbook S 16 that it feels as though Asus has truly hit its stride.

The highlight feature of this 2024 iteration is the use of Asus’ all-new material known as ‘Ceraluminum’. If the portmanteau doesn’t already tell you as much, it’s a combination of ceramic and aluminium, that now comprises the upper chassis and makes for quite a lightweight yet durable presence. Plus, best of all, it’s not a fingerprint magnet.

The trackpad has seen a 40% increase over the last generation, making gestures that bit easier to enact. The 65% keyboard is also incredibly tactile with pleasing travel, making this a delight to work on.

What really cements the S 16 as an outstanding ultrabook is the powerful Ryzen 9 AI HX 370 processor which, in our testing, was able to outdo the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H-toting Dell XPS 14 (2024), and even show off comparable results with the MacBook Air M3. Pair that with a long battery life of just over 13 hours from our testing and you’re looking at the ideal workstation for those on the go.

Reviewer: Reece Bithrey
Full review: Asus Zenbook S 16 (2024) review

At this point in time, the 2-in-1 tablet/laptop concept is almost synonymous with Microsoft’s Surface Pro line, and while it has been home to some great devices, more recent picks have felt a tad iterative. Not so with the Microsoft Surface Pro 11.

Making the jump to ARM architecture (correctly this time) via the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite or the mid-range X Plus chipset (we tested the version sporting the former), the Surface Pro 11 now runs buttery smooth in everyday tasks. Admittedly, you will find faster performance on the Surface Laptop 7, but it’s now at the level where general slowdown is a thing of the past, and you’re free to crack on with your work unencumbered (so long as it’s Arm compatible of course).

While it’s still outrageous that consumers are expected to buy a keyboard separately from the Surface Pro 11, the new Surface Flex Keyboard does open up the versatility of the device via a wireless Bluetooth connection. This means that you can have the keyboard on your lap whilst the Pro 11 is propped up on a table, and type away as normal.

If your budget can stretch to accommodate it, we also recommend picking up the OLED version of this device. Not only does it make your most used apps pop on-screen, but it also lets the Surface Pro 11 work great for entertainment when in tablet mode, although you’re best pairing it with a set of headphones as the built-in speakers aren’t the best out there.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: Microsoft Surface Pro 11 review

The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 360 is the dark horse of the laptop world in 2024. It hasn’t been touted by Samsung all that much, overshadowed by the Galaxy Book 3 Pro and new Galaxy Book 3 Ultra. But, when it comes to broad appeal and value, it’s comfortably the best of the bunch.

Despite its lower price than many key rivals, the 13th Gen Intel Core P-series chip inside provides plenty of productivity performance, no less than you need for a student or word processing workload. And, it’s aided by a display that may look under-specced initially.

Coming in at just Full HD, the screen redeems itself through Samsung’s AMOLED panel, which is crisp and lush. With a 16:9 aspect ratio and 360-degree hinge, this is a laptop that’s ideal for media consumption too.

The keyboard experience is excellent, you can spend hours comfortably typing away on the Galaxy Book 3 360. And, you’ll be proud to do it in whatever setting, with the design matching that of most high-end, and more expensive machines, with an all-metal build. The top-notch S Pen is included too, for breezy drawing and handwriting capabilities.

Reviewer: Adam Speight
Full review: Samsung Galaxy Book 3 360 review

When you’re buying a budget laptop, there are going to be compromises. However, far too many laptops ask you to compromise on too much. The HP Pavilion SE 14 gets the balance right for under £500.

Right off the bat, the Pavilion SE 14 impresses by giving you modern specifications, when many budget laptops ask you to pay top dollar for last year’s processor. This laptop offers up a 13th Gen Intel Core chip alongside a solid 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD. It is a potent combination that’s great for productivity and solid multitasking, while also giving you plenty of room to store tons of documents and photos.

Other key compromises for budget laptops often include a shoddy keyboard and tinny speakers, but the Pavilion SE 14 bats this norm away. The keyboard is comfortable and you’ll have no trouble typing out a long essay on this machine, even if it takes you hours to mull over. We were surprised to discover the speakers offered surprisingly full and loud audio too. The 1080p webcam is another top-notch inclusion for a budget laptop too, meaning this laptop is also suited well to video conferencing.

Where the HP Pavilion SE 14 doesn’t pull up trees is with the display. It isn’t an OLED, so the colours won’t knock your socks off but, being an IPS panel rather than a TN, it offers satisfactory viewing angles and brightness. The battery life isn’t amazing either, at around 7 hours. Nevertheless, the design should still please the likes of students who want something durable yet stylish, with it being made from plastic but offering a deceptively sleek look.

Reviewer: Alun Taylor
Full review: HP Pavilion SE 14 review

The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 was part of a new range of ChromeOS devices that launched in 2023. The aim of the Chromebook Plus initiative was to raise standards for cheap Chromebooks, making it easier for buyers to feel comfortable picking one up. The CX34 absolutely did that, a laptop that punches well above its low £429 price point.

The specifications are unlikely to knock your socks off, with just a 12th Gen Intel Core i3 chip leading the charge. But, backed up by 8GB RAM and the lightweight ChromeOS, the CX34 is a machine that can handle intensive browsing with ease and multitask comfortably too. That lightweight ChromeOS also means that, despite donning a rather small 50Wh battery, it manages to give you an impressive 11+ hours of battery life.

The chassis may be plastic and feel rather cheap but it offers stylish signature Asus looks and a plethora of ports. We were also mightily impressed by the solid travel of this keyboard that makes this a joy of a laptop to type away on. The display is strong for the price too, offering pleasing detail if lacking a little in the brightness department.

Google’s Chromebook Plus devices offer some neat new features to users as well. You’ll find the Magic Eraser onboard, moving over from its Pixel phones, letting you erase unwanted figures and objects from images. AI video calling features are here to tidy up your meetings also. Then, there is Offline File Sync, which makes it easy to access your files on the go, a feature long absent from ChromeOS laptops.

Reviewer: Reece Bithrey
Full review: Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 review

The Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max) comes with a high price and is aimed squarely at serious professionals who need hardware that can live up to intensive computing and graphical processing demands. If you fall into that bracket, you won’t be disappointed.

The MacBook Pro remains the leader of the pack when it comes to performance up against key rivals on the Windows side of things and it retains the top trick of M-series MacBook, being able to provide almost equal performance when not plugged in as it can when it is. This remains mightily impressive as the drop-off is large on high-performance Windows laptops.

Across most of our testing benchmarks, this laptop barely made noise above a whisper and the machine never got overly warm. If you are someone who has less complex graphical needs but is looking to future-proof your machine by buying more power than you need, you’re going to find a device that tackles most graphical tasks with stunning ease.

Aside from the solid boost to performance, you’ll find strong features that remain the same from the M2-series MacBook Pro. That’s a reinvigorated set of ports and a luscious Mini LED display that’s stunningly bright and accurate. The battery life remains remarkable too, being able to last for around 15 hours of web browsing.

The only reason to snub the MacBook Pro for video editing is if you’d prefer to use Windows instead of macOS. If that’s the case, we recommend checking out the Dell XPS 16 (2024) and Asus Vivobook Pro 15 OLED instead.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max) review

Samsung’s flagship laptops have the habit of being a bit of a mixed bag, and the Galaxy Book4 Pro 360 is no different. It has some excellent features and some middling ones, but the pick of the bunch is stellar battery life.

In recent years, Windows laptops have struggled to keep pace with the MacBooks and the efficiency that their Apple M-series chips bring. However, this 16-inch machine has managed to get within touching distance. In our testing, we found it could offer around 15 hours at its maximum and will comfortably get you through most working days.

The second best feature of this Samsung laptop is its display. It comes with a luxurious 120Hz 3K AMOLED panel. It’s stunning for watching movies, streaming games and getting down to creative work. This is also a laptop with a 360-hinge meaning you can take advantage of the lush panel in tablet mode, and do some light drawing with the excellent S Pen.

The new Intel Core Ultra chip inside offers strong productivity performance while allowing you to dabble in some light editing and very light gaming. Samsung isn’t the pick of the bunch in terms of getting the most out of this chip but it’ll suit the needs of most typical users.

Reviewer: Adam Speight
Full review: Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 360 review

A new trend has emerged in recent years, as a few manufacturers have launched dual-screen laptops. We’ve already reviewed a couple of them, and the Asus ZenBook Duo (2024) is our favourite option so far.

Not only does the second screen make it easier to view multiple apps and browser tabs simultaneously, but also increases the number of ways you can use the portable. You can stack the two screens vertically or horizontally, with the Bluetooth keyboard placed on the desk in front. Or alternatively, you can sit the keyboard on top of the second screen to take the form of a classic clamshell.

Importantly, the Zenbook Duo excels in areas beyond its dual-screen design. It also has lovely OLED screens, a speedy productivity performance and a keyboard that’s a joy to type on.

The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i is another great dual-screen laptop, but we still suggest sticking with the Asus model since it offers a more complete package, including more streamlined software, a built-in kickstand and the inclusion of a trackpad on the keyboard.

Reviewer: Stuart Andrews
Full review: Asus ZenBook Duo (2024) review

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is one of the fastest gaming laptops you’re likely to find, taking advantage of AMD’s new 3D V-Cache technology for stunning results.

The laptop is all about cutting-edge gaming performance, so let’s get into it. The ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D offers up remarkable QHD results at Ultra settings, achieving above 90fps for both Cyberpunk 2077 and Returnal. What’s more, with Cyberpunk 2077’s demanding RT:Ultra mode enabled (for high-quality ray tracing), it was still able to manage 75fps.

There’s a powerful display to present all those glorious frames on too. It’s got a 1440p 240Hz IPS panel that is fast and offers good colour accuracy. It may not have flashy Mini LED technology but it hits all the right notes for gamers, with a 3ms response time included too.

This device also features a MUX switch, making sure your CPU doesn’t get in the way of raw GPU performance. The keyboard is up to the ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D’s high standards too, providing solid travel and feedback.

Reviewer: Alun Taylor
Full review: Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D review