Even though the holiday specials may be a thing of the past, now is still a great time to get a new laptop, and we can help. The top laptops of 2025 will help you start the new year in style.
In addition to January’s alluring sales of laptops, MacBooks, Chromebooks, and other gadgets, there’s also the significant CES 2025 tech show, when laptop manufacturers showcase their newest models and give a sneak peek at what’s coming up in the future.
You can trust our recommendations because we only feature the best laptops on this page, and each one has been rigorously tested by our laptop experts at Greatreviewsoffiical (you can read about how we test laptops, and all the ways we put laptops through their paces during our reviews).
Table of Contents
- No 1 Apple MacBook Air M3
- No 2 Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max
- No 3 ASUS ROG Strix G16
Top 3 Best Laptops In 2025
No 1 Apple MacBook Air M3
A vibrant 13.6-inch display, a sleek, contemporary design, and four color options are just a few of the characteristics that made the MacBook Air 13-inch M3 so fantastic. This notebook is a winner because of that and the potent M3 CPU, which provides excellent performance for work, gaming, and AI tasks.
A few improvements over the 13-inch MacBook Air M2 are appreciated, but the new MacBook Air 13-inch M3 isn’t a revolution.
The addition of an Apple M3 chip, which aligns it with the latest generation of Pros, is the primary selling point. This processor boasts graphics and artificial intelligence enhancements in addition to outstanding CPU performance. Furthermore, compared to its predecessor, the already remarkable battery life has been enhanced. Similar to the Air M2, this upgraded notebook has a vibrant 13.6-inch Retina display that is ideal for working, playing games, and watching videos.
It features a comfortable keyboard, a snappy touchpad, MagSafe charging, and the same sleek, useful design of the latest MacBook Pros. Additionally, this 2.7-pound notebook is portable, living up to its Air moniker
It took 28.5 seconds for the 15-inch MacBook Air M3 to produce the prompt. Considering how long the Air M2 took—37 seconds—that’s not too bad. This popup took 14.9 seconds to generate on the XPS 14 using the Easy Diffusion software. This last example isn’t a one-to-one comparison since we had to use different apps (there is no DiffusionBee for Windows), but this is interesting nonetheless.
Pros
- Powerful M3 performance
- Bright and colorful display
- Ultraportable design
- Exceptional battery life
- Dual monitor support
Cons
- Marginally better performance over M2
No 2 Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max
Finally, your MacBook Pro is receiving the CPU it is due. While the iPad Pro was given the M4 while the MacBook Pro line was still stuck in M3 territory, something seemed out of sync. Of course, Apple’s powerful portable usually has the best and brightest in the Apple Silicon lineup.
The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, which come with new 3-nanometer M4 CPUs and two new, even more powerful flavors—the M4 Pro and M4 Max—put an end to it today. As is customary, the now entry-level M4 CPU will only be supported by the 14-inch MacBook Pro. Configurations with the more potent M4 Pro and M4 Max will be available for both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
With a maximum CPU of 16 cores, a maximum GPU of 40 cores, and up to 128GB of unified memory, the M4 Max pushes the boundaries of performance. An additional Thunderbolt 4 port is added to the MacBook Pro M4, increasing the number to three.
Although I haven’t used these new methods myself, I did witness one in use when it was used to alter a 3D picture of a race vehicle in Substance 3D Viewer. We altered the rims from black to a shimmering gold and the car’s color from black to crimson. The modifications took only a few seconds, despite the fact that the 400MB image had millions of vertices.
These new MacBook Pros will run Apple Intelligence, which supports the version of Apple’s own Generative AI that is available at the time of delivery, just like existing MacBooks that use Apple Silicon.
Pros
- M4
- Nano-texture screen
- Centerstage camera
- Excellent design
Cons
- No design updates
- No Wi-Fi 7
No 3 ASUS ROG Strix G16
Despite a few small drawbacks, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is one of our favorite high-end gaming laptops because of its combination of performance, elegance, and portability.Thinner and lighter than it looks, the ROG Zephyrus G16 packs some serious hardware in a stylish 16-inch frame.
While there are multiple configurations available, the G16 that was sent to me for this review features an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU paired up with a Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 that can boost up to 100W.
Sadly the 16GB of LPDDR5X 7467MHz RAM is soldered in and not upgradeable, and 32GB is only available on the Ultra 9 with RTX 4070/4080/4090 configuration for a significantly higher price.
The 16-inch IPS screen has a 16:10 ratio, with a 2.5K (2560 x 1600) resolution, up to 500 nit brightness, a 3ms response time and a 240Hz G-Sync compatible refresh rate. You also get a 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD, Wi-Fi 6 and a large 90Wh battery.
It’s challenging to assess the G16’s worth because the base specification (in some areas) isn’t very attractive, and choosing higher-specced models might significantly increase the G16’s cost and lower its total value. I tested a G16 with the most affordable RTX 4060, but you can upgrade to an RTX 4070, RTX 4080, or RTX 4090, or go with a less expensive RTX 4050. The RTX 4060 is a good fit for the G16 form factor, even though the other alternatives are also attractive.
Pros
- Excellent gaming performance
- Fantastic display
- Slim and sleek build
Cons
- Somewhat underwhelming battery life
- RAM can’t be upgraded
- Higher-end variants are expensive
Other laptops to consider :
Every month, new laptops are released, and although this list features the best of the best, there are plenty of other options that are still worth looking at even if they didn’t quite make it onto our list of the top laptops.
Other laptops we evaluated that are worth looking at are listed below with honorable mentions
Which laptop brands are the best? Each of the leading laptop brands—Apple, Dell, Lenovo, and HP—has advantages over the others. For instance, Dell produces a wide variety of high-end ultrabooks, as well as more reasonably priced devices and Chromebooks, while Apple creates incredibly well-designed, thin, and light laptops. HP has recently produced some stunning laptops that are among the best in the world, while Lenovo is renowned for producing well-built business computers (as well as some fantastic 2-in-1 laptops).
How much RAM is required for a laptop? One crucial feature to search for in a laptop is RAM (Random Access Memory). For a Windows laptop, 4GB is the minimum you should have, while many individuals are advised to have 8GB. By doing this, the laptop will continue to function well for many years to come. Low-cost Chromebooks can get by with 1GB or 2GB of RAM.
Battery life considerations And lastly, battery life. When deciding which laptop to purchase, this is probably one of the most crucial factors you have to take into account. The best laptops should allow you to work and play for extended periods of time without constantly searching for a power adapter. Longer battery lives are a result of modern computers becoming more power-efficient. A laptop must have a battery life of at least five hours in order to be listed among our top laptops.
Battery life: The best thing about laptops is that they allow you to break free from your desk and use them almost anywhere – which is why checking the battery life is essential. For pure battery life, Chromebooks are the best laptops you can buy – but Apple’s latest MacBooks with M1, M2, M3, and brand-new M4 chips come close, offering well over 10 hours of battery life. Meanwhile, gaming laptops usually sacrifice battery life for performance instead.