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Buying Guide: 10 Cool New Laptops
If you haven't spent time reading through PCMag's laptop page, you don't know what you're missing. While the laptop is a staple of the PC world, the entire category is undergoing dramatic changes, with seismic shifts in design, capabilities, and mobility. From featherweight ultraportables to heavy-duty gaming machines, there are more more options on the laptop aisle than ever before, so we wanted to highlight some of the coolest systems we've had in the PC Labs.
While the traditional clamshell design still makes up the majority of laptops on the market, the recent trend towards mobility and touch capability have pushed manufacturers to experiment with some novel designs, from laptops that flip and fold to become ersatz tablets, to tablets with accessory keyboards for laptop functionality. There are a few that really stretch the definition of laptop, with unconventional designs that are nearly unrecognizable.
Even where designs have stayed relatively the same, ultra is the new normal. The entire category has slimmed down thanks to the rise of ultrabooks and ultraportables, and new components from Intel and AMD promise even thinner designs, better heat management, and longer battery life.
The world of gaming is going slim, with new systems offering ultraportable designs that still manage to pack gaming-level performance, but the thin and light trend only goes so far. Gamers still crave power and performance, and as a result, if you want a beefy 17- or 18-inch system, a gaming rig is about the only way to go. Thanks to seriously powerful processors, potent graphics hardware, and large 1080p displays, a full gaming rig can also do double duty as a powerful media laptop, whether you want to consume or create.
As always, our How to Buy a Laptop advice applies. It's a good idea to try to check out a laptop's screen and keyboard at a retailer before you buy, particularly if it's a hybrid ultrabook with a touchscreen but also if it's a regular ultrabook, where slim designs sometimes result in shallower keyboard travel than you're used to. Our reviews will tell you whether a system has the ports you need and how it did on our industry-standard benchmark tests so you can make your best buying decision.
The only trouble with highlighting cool new laptops is that today's laptops are cooler than ever. Check out these samples to get started, then stay on top of the market in the pages of PCMag.FEATURED IN THIS ROUNDUP
Budget
Dell Inspiron 15 (I15RV-6190 BLK)
$349.99
The Dell Inspiron 15 (I15RV-6190 BLK) is a relatively thin 15-inch laptop offering Intel Pentium processing power and good battery life for under $400.
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Chromebook
Acer C7 Chromebook (C710-2055)
$279.99
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Though it still has a couple of faults, the new version of the Acer C7 Chromebook is faster, longer lasting, and better all around. All this and its very low price tag makes it the best inexpensive Chromebook on the market.
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Asus VivoBook V551LB-DB71T
$999.99 list
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The Asus VivoBook V551LB-DB71T desktop replacement laptop is deceptively sleek and slim, offering category leading performance and battery life that will carry you through the day.
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Desktop Replacement
Acer Aspire R7-571-6858
$999.99 list
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The Acer Aspire R7-571-6858 has an innovative hinge mechanism, but the overall design is dragged down by the decision to swap the touchpad and keyboard, resulting in a design that is awkward at best.
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Hybrids
Acer Aspire P3-171-6820
$899.99 list
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The Acer Aspire P3-171-6820 is an affordable tablet hybrid powered by an Intel Core i5 CPU. It offers a responsive, albeit low resolution, 11.6-inch touch-screen, a detached Bluetooth keyboard, and relatively good battery life.
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Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S
$999.00 list
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The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S is a versatile touch-enabled convertible laptop/tablet combo. We applaud Lenovo for its innovation, but internal components and battery life in particular leave us asking for more.
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Ultrabooks and Ultraportables
Acer Aspire S7-392-6411
$1449.99 list
If you're looking for a svelte laptop to show off, yet still be able to do real work in Windows 8, the Acer Aspire S7-392-6411 is the ultrabook you want at the top of the list. It's the current pinnacle of the ultrabook trend and shows the brilliance that the PC makers can return under Intel's increasingly stringent standards for ultrabooks.
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Gaming and Media
Alienware 18
$4499.00 list
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Big, bulky, and ostentatious as heck, the Alienware 18 is the ginormous gaming laptop you want to use to show off your riches on the game grid.
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MSI GX70 3Be-007US
$1399.00 list
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The MSI GX70 3Be-007US gaming laptop provides playable 3D gaming, even at full HD resolution and with all the eye candy, for a modest price.
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Gaming Ultraportable
Razer Blade (2013)
$1999.99 list
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The oh-so-portable 14-inch Razer Blade has got you covered when you want to take your gaming on the road, with an Intel Haswell processor and the latest Nvidia graphics.
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