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Buying Guide: Extreme Performance Awards: The Fastest Laptops
It's not essential for e-mail. Word processing gets along without it. And some of today's spreadsheet users weren't even born when simply entering a value and recalculating a worksheet in Lotus 1-2-3 brought a blinking "WAIT" signal. But sometimes, for some computing operations, there's no substitute for sheer speed, for performance that powers through tough tasks and demolishes delays.
That's why we at PCMag benchmark the laptops we review, and why every so often we celebrate systems that blow away the benchmarks—that simply raise responsiveness to a whole new level—with our Extreme Performance Awards in the category of overall performance. The laptops listed here may not be the lightest travelers. Their batteries may not last the longest (see a different Extreme Performance Awards roundup for those). But they're fast, and you know you can't resist that.
Of the numerous tests we run, the best all-around performance indicator, and hence the prime mover behind this list, is Futuremark's PCMark 7. This Windows 7 benchmark combines seven workloads or scenarios—a Windows Defender quick scan; importing images into Windows Live Photo Gallery; launching World of Warcraft; playing back and transcoding a video file; playing a DirectX 9 animation sequence; putting several images through a variety of editing operations; and loading and reloading tabs in a Web browser—to generate a numeric score.
PCMark 7 isn't perfect—with three of its seven tests based on storage, it favors PCs with speedy solid-state drives (SSDs), such as lightweight ultrabooks, over more muscular models with conventional hard disks. So we've looked at other numbers, but let Futuremark's carry the most weight. We've also skewed most of the following categories toward more recent rather than middle-aged reviews, because the only thing faster than laptop performance is laptop evolution.
Regardless, we're sure this list will provoke discussion, and maybe a few hot-rod buying fantasies. Are you ready to finish your work faster? Fasten your seat belt and read on.
DESKTOP REPLACEMENT
Samsung Series 7 (NP700Z5A-S03)
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A hybrid hard disk and quad-core CPU give this 15.6-inch trimline, officially dubbed the Series 7 Chronos, the right stuff to climb our benchmark charts. Read the full review ››
MAINSTREAM
Asus U46E-BAL6
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If you seek a 14-inch system that can stand up to demanding applications, look no further than this under-5-pound overachiever with its quad-core CPU, 750GB hard drive, and WiMAX. Read the full review ››
BUDGET
HP Pavilion dv7-6b55dx
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Not only did this affordable ($699.99 list) 17.3-inch laptop's Core i5 processor deliver a solid score in PCMark 7, but its beefy battery lasted for a full nine and a half hours in our rundown tests. Read the full review ››
MEDIA CENTER
HP Envy 17 (2012)
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As you enjoy HP's 17.3-inch flagship's stunning 1080p screen and bouncy Beats Audio, you might almost overlook its 2.2GHz Core i7 quad-core horsepower and ample 750GB, 7,200-rpm hard drive. Read the full review ››
ULTRAPORTABLE
Sony VAIO VPC-Z214GX
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This exquisitely thin executive laptop offers not only a desktop-class Core i7 processor but an innovative desktop dock with discrete graphics card and Blu-ray drive, as well as a 128GB SSD. Read the full review ››
ULTRABOOK
Asus Zenbook UX31-RSL8
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Asus' 13.3-inch ultrabook, like the Editors' Choice HP Folio 13, combines a swift SSD and Intel Core i5 power to ring the bell in PCMark 7. So does ultrabooks' top target, the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Thunderbolt). Read the full review ››
GAMING LAPTOP
Asus G74SX-A2
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Both the G74SX-A2 and G74SX-BBK8 versions of Asus' 17.3-inch, quad-core Core i7 gaming laptop blazed through our benchmarks, but the A2 wins for its hybrid SSD/7,200-rpm hard disk and 1080p display. Read the full review ››
RUGGED
Dell Latitude E6420 XFR
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What's a tank doing amid all these sports cars? Dell's fully rugged 14-inch field worker is a 9.4-pound brute of a laptop—with surprising speed thanks to the brute-force combination of a 128GB SSD and a 2.7GHz Core i7-2620M processor. Read the full review ››