2025 Laptop Awards - The Best of the Best!
November 26, 2025
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2025 Laptop Awards
Summary
Below is a look at every laptop we loved in 2025, along with the defining reasons each model earned an award in its category.
Table of contents:
Best Budget LaptopHP OmniBook 5 (14" & 16")Best Value for Money LaptopMacBook Air 13 & 15 (M4)Best Premium LaptopMacBook Pro 14 (M5)Best Premium Windows LaptopLenovo ThinkPad X9 15Best Budget Gaming LaptopLenovo LOQBest Value for Money Gaming LaptopLenovo Legion 5i (Intel)Best Premium Gaming LaptopLenovo Legion 7iBest 14-inch Gaming LaptopASUS TUF A14Best 16-inch Gaming LaptopASUS ROG Strix Scar 16Best 18-inch Gaming LaptopAlienware 18 Area-51Best Portable Gaming LaptopASUS Zephyrus G16Best Creator LaptopASUS ProArt P16Best Programming LaptopMacBook Pro 14 (M5)
Laptops in this Article
13 Inches512 GB16 GBM4 10-CoreM4 10-Core GPU
13 Inches | 512 GB | 16 GB | M4 10-Core | M4 10-Core GPU
Best Price Ever
Great Deal
$949$999
Save $50Best Budget Laptop
HP OmniBook 5 (14" & 16")
Why it won:
- Consistently available near $400, an unmatched price-to-spec value.
- Strong fundamentals: current-gen processor, solid build, good display, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage.
- Competitors under $400 compromise heavily in at least one key area.
Notable drawbacks:
- 14-inch model runs warm while charging.
- Slightly heavy for its class.
HP OmniBook 5 2-in-1 Flip 14 - 2025
14 Inches | 512 GB | 16 GB | Core 7-150U
Pros
- Very well built
- Fantastic value when on sale
- Excellent keyboard
- Surprisingly good speakers
- Display is acceptable at this price point
- 2-in-1 Capabilities
- Chassis has rounded edges
Cons
- Performance is very basic
- Battery life is average
- Heavy for its size
- Webcam isn't great
- Gets very warm on the left side when its charging
- Fans can be heard in a quiet room
Best Value for Money Laptop
MacBook Air 13 & 15 (M4)
Why it won:
- Premium chassis and excellent performance for under $1,000.
- Regular sale prices: $750 for 256GB and $950 for 512GB configs.
- Delivers reliable everyday experience: top-tier trackpad, speakers, battery life, and silent fanless operation.
Notable drawbacks:
- Still limited to a 60Hz display.
- No Wi-Fi 7.
Apple MacBook Air 13 - M4 Series - 2025
13 Inches | 512 GB | 16 GB | M4 10-Core | M4 10-Core GPU
Pros
- M4 CPU is very fast for a thin and light laptop
- Premium built laptop - chassis, speakers, keyboard, trackpad
- Sky Blue color looks good
- Improved webcam
- Price is good for what you get
Cons
- M4 chip throttles a little in the MacBook Air's chassis
- Display is out dated. 60 Hz IPS panel
- 256 starting storage is disappointing
- Keyboard feels a little low travel
Apple MacBook Air 15 - M4 Series - 2025
15.3 Inches | 256 GB | 16 GB | M4 10-Core | M4 10-Core GPU
Pros
- M4 CPU is very fast for a thin and light laptop
- Premium built laptop - chassis, speakers, keyboard, trackpad
- Sky Blue color looks good
- Improved webcam
- Price is good for what you get
Cons
- M4 chip throttles a little in the Air's chassis
- Display is out dated. 60 Hz IPS panel
- 256 starting storage is disappointing
- Keyboard feels a little low travel
Best Premium Laptop
MacBook Pro 14 (M5)
Why it won:
- The most complete all-around laptop of 2025.
- Extreme performance paired with top-tier battery life and quiet operation.
- High-end Mini-LED display, excellent keyboard, speakers, and strong port selection.
Notable drawbacks:
- Lacks Wi-Fi 7.
- Large display notch.
- macOS may not suit everyone.
Apple MacBook Pro 14 - M5 Series - 2025
14 Inches | 512 GB | 16 GB | M5 10-Core | M5 10-Core GPU
Pros
- Excellent performance
- Very long battery life
- All round premium laptop
- Exceptionally quiet and mostly feels cool to the touch
- Very premium - Great speakers, webcam, trackpad, keyboard, dsiplay
- Extremely fast storage
Cons
- An incremental update that doesn't change much from the M4 version
- No Wi-Fi 7
- Not good for gaming
- No Thunderbolt 5
Best Premium Windows Laptop
Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15
Why it won:
- Exceptionally portable for a 15-inch laptop with standout battery life.
- Bright, high-resolution OLED display.
- Super comfortable keyboard and haptic trackpad combo.
- The Core Ultra 7 variant allows light gaming.
Notable drawbacks:
- No iconic ThinkPad TrackPoint. Pretty minor if you ask us.
Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition - 15 - 2025
15.3 Inches | 1 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 7 258V
Pros
- Fantastic 4k Webcam
- Great screen options
- Effective anti-reflective coating on the display
- Accurate haptic trackpad
- Great speakers
- Good port placement
Cons
- Missing the red Trackpoint
- Pricey
- Port selection is limited
- Its performance is at the lower end for similar laptops
Lenovo
Thunder Grey
$1,679Save $410
On Sale
Lenovo
Glacier White
$1,779Save $340
Best Price Ever
Out of Stock
Best Budget Gaming Laptop
Lenovo LOQ
Why it won:
- Rare combination of good build quality, 100% sRGB display, strong keyboard, and proper GPU power at this price.
- Outperforms similarly priced gaming laptops that often cut corners in cooling or display quality.
- Competing budget models often suffer QC issues—LOQ avoids most of them.
Notable drawbacks:
- Bulky and heavy
Lenovo LOQ 15 - Intel - 2025
15.6 Inches | 512 GB | 16 GB | Core i5-13450HX | RTX 5050
Best Value for Money Gaming Laptop
Lenovo Legion 5i (Intel)
Why it won:
- Around $1,000 for an OLED display, high-wattage Nvidia GPU, and Intel Arrow Lake HX processor.
- Strong performance, comfortable keyboard, and compact footprint at 15 inches.
Notable drawbacks:
- Weak speakers.
- No face recognition.
- Ports placed inconveniently.
Lenovo Legion 5i 15 - Gen 10 (Intel) - 2025
15.1 Inches | 1 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 7 255HX | RTX 5060
Pros
- Very comfortable keyboard
- Excellent OLED display
- Compact and portable
- Well built
- Fast current gen CPU
- Powerful GPU (full wattage)
- Pricing is very competitive
Cons
- Ports are far forward and may get in your way
- Speakers aren't great
- No fingerprint reader or facial recognition
- No Advanced Optimus
B&H Photo
$1,399Save $300
On Sale
Best Premium Gaming Laptop
Lenovo Legion 7i
Why it won:
- Bright 500-nit OLED panel—rare for gaming laptops.
- Excellent keyboard layout with large arrow keys.
- Powerful Intel HX processor and mid-range GPU with high wattage.
- Upgradeable memory.
Notable drawbacks:
- Limited to 8GB VRAM. Some modern titles might need more.
Lenovo Legion 7i 16 - Gen 10 - 2025
16 Inches | 1 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5070
Best 14-inch Gaming Laptop
ASUS TUF A14
Why it won:
- The only 14-inch gaming laptop of 2025 without a major design flaw.
- Excellent cooling, rare in this size.
- Strong battery life.
Notable drawbacks:
- Not the most premium or highest performing device.
Asus TUF Gaming A14 - 2025
14 Inches | 1 TB | 16 GB | Ryzen AI 7 350 | RTX 5060
Pros
- Exceptional battery life
- Very lightweight
- Feels comfortably cool under load
- Extra 10 Watts GPU power in 2025 version
Cons
- CPU downgraded from Ryzen 9 to Ryzen 7
- Plastic build
- Speakers aren’t great
- More expensive this year
BestBuy
$1,499Save $200
Best Price Ever
Amazon
$1,749
Out of Stock
Best 16-inch Gaming Laptop
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 16
Why it won:
- Best thermals of any full-power 16-inch gaming laptop.
- No numpad, keeping hands away from hotter center areas.
- Rear exhaust design prevents hot air from blowing on hands.
- Stunning fast-refresh Mini-LED display.
- Up to Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and RTX 5090. Great components.
Notable drawbacks:
- It's big, but not bigger than the competition.
Asus Rog Strix Scar 16 - 2025
16 Inches | 2 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5080
Pros
- High end components
- Feels very cool to the touch while gaming
- Exhausts hot air out the back
- Comfortable keyboard
- Great Mini-LED display
- Ports in good locations away from your mouse
Cons
- Heavy
- Like all thick laptops, you may feel it biting into your wrist a little
Best 18-inch Gaming Laptop
Alienware 18 Area-51
Why it won:
- Coolest operating temperatures among 18-inch competitors, especially vs. Legion 9i.
- Curved front edge adds comfort during long sessions.
- 2560 × 1600 panel enables higher FPS than 4K alternatives.
- Optional Cherry MX mechanical keyboard.
Notable drawbacks:
- Extremely heavy.
- Side exhaust vents can direct heat toward the mouse hand.
- Mechanical keyboard produces a slight ringing noise when typing fast.
Dell Alienware 18 Area 51 - 2025
18 Inches | 1 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 9 275HX | RTX 5070 Ti
Pros
- Extremely powerful
- Feels premium
- Remains cool even during performance use
- Fan noise is minimal if used on Balance mode (95% of max performance)
- Thunderbolt 5, 2.5 Gbe, PCIE 5.0 SSD, SD Card Reader
Cons
- Heavy, almost 10 pounds
- Does not have an OLED or Mini-LED display
- Soldered Wi-Fi card (though it is Wi-Fi 7)
Dell
$3,099Save $520
On Sale
Best Portable Gaming Laptop
ASUS Zephyrus G16
Why it won:
- Balanced performer: good for gaming, editing, Linux, and general use.
- Cooler and quieter than the 2024 model.
- Compact form factor with GPU options above 8GB VRAM.
- Comfortable keyboard and solid speakers.
Notable drawbacks:
- GPUs aren't fed full wattage so they don't perform at full capacity.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 - Intel (Arrow Lake) - 2025
16 Inches | 1 TB | 32 GB | Core Ultra 9 285H | RTX 5070 Ti
Pros
- Fan noise is minimal for a gaming laptop
- Very light and portable for a powerful laptop with a 16 inch screen
- Display is great - OLED, Fast Refresh Rate, High Resolution, G Sync, Advanced Optimus
- Great speakers
- Batery life is good for a gaming laptop
Cons
- GPU does not run at full wattage. The RTX 5080 and 5090 models perform poorly. Get the 5070 Ti
- Keyboard doesn't feel as comfortable as the Razer Blade 16
- Webcam is grainy
BestBuy
$2,629
Best Creator Laptop
ASUS ProArt P16
Why it won:
- Creator-focused version of the Zephyrus G16 with elite color-accurate displays.
- Optional 4K Tandem OLED panel looks exceptional; super bright.
- Strong specs: Ryzen 9 HX 370 + RTX 5090.
- Fast full-size SD card reader and highly portable design.
Notable drawbacks:
- GPU isn't fed full wattage, so it will not perform at its best.
- Tandem OLED configuration (the one we recommend) is extremely expensive.
Asus ProArt P16 - 2025
16 Inches | 4 TB | 64 GB | Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | RTX 5090
Pros
- 5090 version is a standout with its Tandem OLED panel and great performance
- High resolution and high refresh rate screen options
- Excels in creator tasks
- Games decently well
- Comfortable keyboard
- Never gets too hot
Cons
- 5070 versions are not as competitive, <400 nit screens and lesser performance
- Some fan noise even in lighter use
- Less efficient than a MacBook Pro
- Average battery life
- Always a little warm
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Best Programming Laptop
MacBook Pro 14 (M5)
Why it won:
- Extremely bright, high-resolution Mini-LED display ideal for reading code.
- Exceptional battery life, even under heavy development workloads.
- Very fast CPU performance and silent operation.
- Reliable unplugged performance unlike many Windows laptops.
Notable drawbacks:
- Higher RAM configurations are expensive.
- Base keyboard has lower travel vs. higher-end M4 Pro/Max models.
Apple MacBook Pro 14 - M5 Series - 2025
14 Inches | 1 TB | 24 GB | M5 10-Core | M5 10-Core GPU
Pros
- Excellent performance
- Very long battery life
- All round premium laptop
- Exceptionally quiet and mostly feels cool to the touch
- Very premium - Great speakers, webcam, trackpad, keyboard, dsiplay
- Extremely fast storage
Cons
- An incremental update that doesn't change much from the M4 version
- No Wi-Fi 7
- Not good for gaming
- No Thunderbolt 5