PCWorld prides itself on laptop experience and expertise. We’ve been covering PCs since 1983, and we now review more than 70 laptops every year.
What happened
Our reviews span PC laptops at every price point to meet the needs of any budget, from affordable everyday laptops to powerful gaming machines .
Where the sources line up
Let our extensive hands-on experience help you with your laptop purchasing decision. Because while shopping for a laptop can start out simple enough, it often ends with a dozen open tabs full of specs you don’t really care about, or need. Graphics cards, display types, confusing processor names… it can get overwhelming, fast.
Practical impact for readers
Acer Swift 16 AI (Panther Lake) – Best laptop overall MacBook Neo – Best budget laptop Alienware 16X Aurora – Best gaming laptop Acer Nitro V 16 AI – Best budget gaming laptop Acer Swift 16 AI – Best college laptop Microsoft Surface Pro – Best lightweight laptop Dell 14S – Best laptop for battery life Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 – Best Chromebook Framework Laptop 13 – Best laptop for upgrading All of the picks below have been personally tested and selected by PCWorld’s expert reviewers, who’ve applied not only performance benchmarks but rigorous usability standards.
Who should pay attention now
Updated September 2026 to reflect the latest prices and retailers, and to update our list of “other laptops we tested” below our top picks.
What is still unclear
Updated September 2026 to reflect the latest prices and retailers, and to update our list of “other laptops we tested” below our top picks.
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