Welcome to our current buying guide to the best business laptops in the market today. Here, we have done well to break it down into categories that will suite every wallet size; based on design, performance, critic reviews and consumer feedback. If you are in the hunt for an office companion, we are certain that in this guide, you will find exactly what your heart desires.
Regardless of the price range, a good business laptop needs to be able to handle everyday office work effortlessly. Basic computer functions like document processing and internet connectivity should be tackled without breaking any sweat. It is also important to consider to the laptop’s design.
A business laptop should look and feel professional with emphasis put on portability for convenient office strolling and business travel similar to the traits of a good laptop for college. However, some consideration may need to be taken for performance if work requires the use of more advanced applications for video our audio rendering. Business users can also view our best high-end laptops guide for some additional high-end options to consider or our guide to the top laptops under $1000 if your budget is more limited. That said, the best work laptops will strike a great balance between performance and portability without compromising on either.
Best High-End Business Laptop – Top Pick
Apple Macbook Pro MPTT2LL/A 15.4-inch
The 2017 Apple Macbook Pro MPTT2LL/A 15.4-inch laptop is the newest version of Apple’s stunning, but expensive range of Macbooks. It shares the beautiful aluminum unibody design of its predecessor, but Apple has made it 40% thinner, giving it an even more sleek profile. The omission of some key ports has received criticism, along with the MagSafe charging port that was so well received. Apple has decided to use only USB Type-C ports (Thunderbolt 3) that will require additional adapters. Now something as simple as connecting a mouse has become a bit of headache. The Macbook Pro MPTT2LL/A, while super slim and portable, packs some impressive specs. The 2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM makes this computer production orientated, and running demanding audio or design applications on the market will be a breeze, especially since Apple have also included a Radeon Pro 560 with 4GB memory. The RAM is, however, not upgradable, which may be a drawback for some. The new Touch Bar will display shortcuts depending on what applications you are working in and promises to speed up your workflow. The integrated Touch ID allows you to quickly and safely approve Apple Pay transactions and will allow you to quickly switch user accounts and login securely. The 512GB solid state drive is fast and the 2880×1800 Retina display remains one of the most beautiful displays available on the market. The Macbook Pro MPTT2LL/A does come at quite a price however, and there are equally powerful Windows machines that retail for lower prices. But most Apple fans quickly point out the convenience and productivity orientated approach Apple take with their machines, and the Macbook Pro MPTT2LL/A is no different.
Pros
- Touch Bar with Touch ID
- Powerful CPU
- Dedicated AMD graphics
- Large SSD
- Brilliant Retina display
- Great battery life
Cons
- No standard ports
- No MagSafe port
- Non-upgradable RAM
- Price
- No SD card slot
Specs
- Intel Core i7 2.9GHz
- Radeon Pro 560 4GB GDDR5 [View Framerates]
- 16GB DDR3 RAM
- 512GB SSD
- 15.4 inch, 2880 x 1800 pixels
- Mac OS X 10.12 Sierra
- 10 hours battery life
- 2.9 lbs
Summary & Score
The Apple MacBook Pro with Touch Bar MPTT2LL/A is a powerful MacBook Pro for the power user, however the price is steep and the lack of legacy ports will inconvenience even some of the most diehard Apple fans.
on BHPhotoVideo
(as of 04-10-2022 03:48 -07:00) Details
Best Mid-Range Business Laptop – Top Pick ($751 – $1250)
Microsoft Surface Book SX3-00001 13.5-inch
The Microsoft Surface Book SX3-00001 is not just powerful, it’s also extremely stylish and ultra portable too. The Surface Book SX3-00001 offers outstanding battery life for those who spend hours on the road or in airport lounges and has the hardware to back it up. With a powerful Skylake i5-6300U processor and 8GB of RAM, the Surface Book will cope with everyday business tasks with ease and without frustration. While many other 2-in-1 designs only allow for the main chassis to be folded behind the display, the Surface Book allows for the display to be removed from the chassis to allow it to be used as a sleek and powerful tablet. The larger 256GB solid state drive is an improvement over many of the other products in the Surface range, meaning users will be able to store more of their work or multimedia. The NVIDIA Maxwell GPU has been specifically designed for the Surface and is based off of the 940M architecture, meaning users will be able at play modern gaming titles on medium to high settings. However the small 13.5-inch display will be a bit small for users who play frequently, but an external display can be connected for a better gaming experience. The crystal clear display offers wide viewing angles and rich and accurate colors, but has a unusual 3:2 aspect ratio. With a 100% sRGB coverage and a touch and digitizer pen interface, the Surface Book SX3-00001 can be used for design tasks and also allows artists to create beautiful artwork in Photoshop and Illustrator. To make sure that users have full control of all that Windows 10 has to offer, Microsoft has preloaded the Surface Book with Windows 10 Professional. This allows for more control of features that are catered towards business professionals. While many ultrabooks offer good battery life figures, the Surface Book SX3-00001 offers users an exceptional 12 hours off of a single charge, making it perfect for those users who need a laptop that works as hard as they do.
Pros
- Exceptional battery life
- Powerful hardware
- Thin and light
- Pin point accurate touchscreen
- NVIDIA graphics
Cons
- No Ethernet
- No USB Type-C
- 3:2 aspect ratio
- No HDMI
- Price
Specs
- Intel Core i5-6300U 2.4GHz [View Benchmarks]
- Nvidia Maxwell (940M) GDDR5 [View Framerates]
- 8GB DDR3 RAM
- 256GB SSD
- 13.5 inch, 3000 x 2000 pixels (IPS)
- Windows 10 Pro
- 12 hours battery life
- 3.34 lbs
Summary & Score
The Surface Book SX3-00001 is a purpose built business laptop that offers great performance, an NVIDIA GPU and excellent battery life that will get you through the day.
on Amazon.com
(as of 07-12-2020 23:38 -07:00) Details
Best Budget Business Laptop – Top Pick ($450 – $750)
ASUS VivoBook F510UA-AH51 15.6-inch
ASUS’s new Vivobook F510UA-AH51 15.6-inch laptop is a capable budget-conscious laptop that is perfect for the modern day businessmen. With its 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8250U 1.6GHz CPU and 8GB of RAM, it drives a solid performance making the overall laptop feel responsive, and it will run your applications without breaking much of a sweat. It has an improved design when compared to last years VivoBook, and it is both lighter and thinner, weighing in at 3.7 pounds, making it highly portable for those out-of-town business trips. The keyboard is said to have quite a bit of flex, taking away from the VivoBook F510UA-AH51’s premium feel. ASUS included a 1920 X 1080 IPS NanoEdge display, which has an awesome 80 percent screen-to-body ratio. ASUS have cut some corners with the storage, opting for a slow 1TB 5400RPM HDD as opposed to an SSD. This is going to make applications and boot times rather slow and tedious, but the other hardware does compensate for this. It has an average battery life of around 5 hours, 30 minutes according to reports, and most reviewers have pointed out that the audio quality is good overall. The Intel UHD 620 graphics won’t win any awards for gaming performance, but it will allow you to run some classic titles well, and even some newer titles on low settings. It also comes with USB 3.1 with a reversible USB C connector for super fast data transfers. ASUS’s new Vivobook F510UA-AH51 15.6-inch laptop offers a great performance for the price, and its portability and solid construction makes it well suited for our road warriors out there.
Pros
- Responsive
- Solid performance
- Up-to-date CPU
- Portable
- Lightweight
- Premium look
Cons
- Keyboard flex
- Slow hard drive
Specs
- Intel Core i5-8250U 1.6GHz [View Benchmarks]
- Intel HD Graphics 620 Shared [View Framerates]
- 8GB DDR4 RAM
- 1000GB 5400 RPM HDD
- 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels
- Windows 10 Home
- 13.25 hours battery life
- 3.7 lbs
Summary & Score
With its premium look and ultra portable design, the ASUS VivoBook F510UA-AH51 offers users a solid performance at a very reasonable price.
on Amazon.com
(as of 31-05-2023 19:08 UTC) Details
Best High-End Business Laptops – Runners-Up
ASUS ZenBook 3 Deluxe UX490UA-XH74-BL 14 inches
The ASUS ZenBook 3 Deluxe’s design is anything but dull. Its rigid aluminium body has a beautiful royal-blue color with a large golden ASUS logo slapped bang in the middle, along with golden edges around the display. The NanoEdge display is stunning, with the ultra-thin bezels giving it a 84% screen-to-body ratio overall, which is pretty impressive. With the lid closed, the entire body is only 0.5-inches thin and it has a overall weight of 1.1kg, meaning it is as portable as it gets. Its display is a crisp Full-HD IPS display that has a 100% sRGB gamut. Considering its compact build, it always impressive to see how modern ultraportables are able to pack so much power. The Zenbook 3 Deluxe boasts a powerful 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8550U processor and a whopping 16GB of RAM, which when combined with the super fast NVMe 512GB delivers a fast and smooth user experience. The Intel UHD Graphics 620 chip will allow you to do basic video and photo editing, and even some low-end gaming, but if you are looking to game, you can always make use of one of the two Thunderbolt 3 supported Type-C ports to plug in an external GPU dock. There is a third USB Type-C port too, but this only supports USB 3.1 Gen 1 speeds. ASUS claims that the battery life is around 9 hours, but users have found that it is around 5-7 hours at most, but using battery saver settings does increase it slightly. Fortunately, it charges to around 60% in around 49 minutes. Sadly, the “innovative cooling” system isn’t as effective as ASUS makes it out to be. It runs hot under load, and it heats up quite a bit – a common problem in the ultraportable laptops. Its keyboard is comfortable to use and it offers good feedback and has 1.2mm travel, and it’s backlit for those working in the dark. The touchpad doesn’t have dedicated buttons and it features a fingerprint reader to access Windows (it comes with Windows 10 Pro). There were quite a few folks who were very unimpressed with ASUS customer support, finding their overall attempts at resolving issues immensely frustrating.
Pros
- Responsive
- Solid performance
- Up-to-date CPU
- Portable
- Lightweight
- Premium look
Cons
- Keyboard flex
- Slow hard drive
Specs
- Intel Core i5-8250U 1.6GHz [View Benchmarks]
- Intel HD Graphics 620 Shared [View Framerates]
- 8GB DDR4 RAM
- 1000GB 5400 RPM HDD
- 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels
- Windows 10 Home
- 13.25 hours battery life
- 3.7 lbs
Summary & Score
With its premium look and ultra portable design, the ASUS VivoBook F510UA-AH51 offers users a solid performance at a very reasonable price.
on Amazon.com
(as of 31-05-2023 19:08 UTC) Details
Dell XPS 15 9560-7001SLV-PUS 15-inch
The Dell XPS 15’s 4K InfinityEdge display is one of the best screens available, and Dell have thrown a decent GPU into a mix of already powerful hardware, making it an awesome all purpose laptop.
Dell’s XPS 15 9560-7001SLV-PUS is the older brother of the highly regarded 2015 Dell XPS 13. The first thing many notice about this laptop is its incredible display. The 15-inch IPS 4K InfinityEdge display is simply gorgeous, and it has a near 100 percent Adobe RGB color according to Notebookcheck, but not a full 100 percent as claimed by Dell. The display is also a touchscreen, and is said to be highly responsive, allowing you to “interact naturally with your technology” as per Dell’s description. The XPS 15 is an incredibly versatile machine, as it’s both suitable for productivity users looking for a powerful workstation thanks to its powerful 7th-Gen Intel Core i7 and 16GB of RAM, and it’s suitable for mid-tier gaming, thanks to its entry level NVIDIA GTX 1050. It’s clearly designed for power users, however, with laptops dedicated for gaming delivering a much better gaming performance in this price range. The GPU will also allow for some heavy duty video and photo editing, however. The XPS 15’s aluminium body feels great and the construction of the laptop is awesome. Some noted that it is surprisingly heavy, however. The battery life, according to users, when used moderately, is around 6-7 hours and typing is great thanks to the carbon fibre palm rest. Quality control is a major concern, however, since some customers received laptops that had various issues: no OS installed, faulty drivers, and damaged laptops. Fortunately, they were able to return them. But this is worth noting in case you do find yourself receiving a faulty machine. It runs quietly under moderate use, but stressing it does seem to make the fans get quite loud according to reports. This did not deter many people though, and most were immensely happy with their purchase. If you are looking for an excellent all purpose workhorse of a laptop that easily has a class leading display, then look no further than the Dell XPS 15 9560-7001SLV-PUS.Pros
Cons
Specs
Summary & Score
on Microsoft
(as of 04-10-2022 03:47 -07:00) Details
HP Spectre X360 15t 15.6-inch
Thin and light 2-in-1 laptops have become popular among those users who enjoy both laptops and tablets. The HP Spectre X360 15t closes the gap between the two markets and can easily be transformed into a super powerful Windows 10 tablet. The brilliant 4K touchscreen helps this laptop standout from the competition and will allow you to easily enjoy the best 4K series and movies right in the comfort of your own lap. Driving the 4K display is a dedicated NVIDIA 940MX graphics card, though it’s not suited for hardcore gaming. Instead the graphics card is more intended for running photo and video editing applications. You also get an HP Active Stylus Pen which can be used to illustrate breathtaking artworks or draw amazing blueprints for ground breaking products. The brilliant display and the Active Stylus Pen are not this laptop’s only amazing features, you also get 1TB of SSD storage, a seventh generation Intel Core i7-7500U processor and a whooping 32GB of memory. This combined make the HP Spectre X360 15t a great choice for power users on the go who are looking for a powerful machine that won’t skip a beat and that will keep up with their high standards. Overall, the price might be steep for some who are looking for more powerful graphics, but to be honest it is not meant for gaming. Instead it’s meant for those working professionals who need and what a powerful, yet elegant 2-in-1 laptop.
Pros
- Brilliant 4K touchscreen display
- Elegant design
- HP Active Stylus Pen
- Large 1TB SSD
- 2-in-1 design
Cons
- Higher price
- Not as light as we would have liked
- Only one full-size USB port
Specs
- Intel Core i7-7500U 2.7GHz [View Benchmarks]
- Nvidia GeForce 940MX 2GB GDDR5 [View Framerates]
- 32GB DDR4 RAM
- 1000GB SSD
- 15.6 inch, 3840 x 2160 pixels
- Windows 10 Home
- 8.25 hours battery life
- 4.4 lbs
Summary & Score
The HP Spectre X360 15t is a powerful laptop for the working professional, though it does come with a steep price and only one full-size USB port.
on Amazon.com
(as of 31-05-2023 19:07 UTC) Details
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 20FQ000QUS 14-inch
Lenovo designed the X1 Yoga to be both light and durable thanks to a combination of different materials in the build. It weighs only 3 pounds while being only 0.66 inches thick making it very portable and easy to carry on-the-go. Nonetheless, it still retains rigidity and feels sturdy. It features a 360 hinge design to allow use in different modes. At the core of this specific configuration, we find a Skylake i7-6500u that handles day to day tasks. The 8GB DDR3L RAM improves communication speed with the processor with the 512GB SSD allowing for fast load times while providing ample storage space. The 14-inch WQHD IPS touchscreen display is pleasing to look at with wide viewing angles but hard to see outdoors that you may think it’s turned off. It comes with an active stylus which is accurate, features two programmable buttons and has its own slot on the laptop. The display is driven by the integrated graphics on the chip which allows modest gaming. The keyboard is well designed with concave keys that are comfortable to type on for extended periods. The glass touchpad is very accurate and there is also a Trackpoint to control the cursor. There is also a wide array of full size ports though it lacks a USB-C port. The battery lasts about 6 -7 hours of normal use, which is not bad, though it could be better for a laptop this portable.
Pros
- Light
- Good battery life
- World class keyboard and touchpad
- Good performance
- Windows 10 Pro
Cons
- Expensive
- No USB-C port
Specs
- Intel Core i7-6500U 2.5GHz [View Benchmarks]
- Intel HD Graphics 520 Shared [View Framerates]
- 8GB DDR3L RAM
- 512GB SSD
- 14 inch, 2560 x 1440 pixels (IPS)
- Windows 10 Pro
- 7 hours battery life
- 2.8 lbs
Summary & Score
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 20FQ000QUS is a very slim and light 2 in 1 indeed, with a great keyboard and touchpad, good performance and sturdy build. It is however, average looking, and a bit pricey for the hardware received.
on Amazon.com
(as of 13-08-2017 14:12 -07:00) Details
Dell Precision 15 5510 Workstation 15.6-inch
While many gaming laptops can be used for design and animation work thanks to their dedicated graphics cards, if you are serious about your work then you will consider a dedicated workstation laptop. One of the cheaper workstations on the market is the Dell Precision 15 5510 Workstation, which offers a dedicated NVIDIA Quadro graphics card. But other than the Quadro card, the specs are a bit average for its over $1000 price tag. Powered by a 6th generation Skylake Intel Core i5-6300HQ processor and a meagre 8GB of RAM, the Dell Precision 15 5510 Workstation will cope with most tasks, but is slightly underpowered for more intensive rendering and processing. The crowning feature, the Quadro M1000M is NVIDIA’s entry level rendering card and will offer users the performance that they need while working. The card can even be used for gaming, but the lower shader count puts it just below the GTX 950M. Designed for a specific purpose, you would expect more storage space to store larger projects, but the Dell Precision 15 5510 Workstation has a 500GB mechanical hard drive. But it is a 7200rpm drive, which offers better performance than the 5400rpm hard drive that is commonly used. If you have a larger budget then we recommend looking at the MSI WT72 6QM-423US, but if not then the Dell Precision 15 5510 Workstation is worth looking at.
Pros
- Sharp display
- NVIDIA Quadro card
- USB 3.1 Type-C
- Designed for rendering
Cons
- Battery life
- Only 500GB of storage
- Only 8GB of RAM
- Intel i5 processor
- Price
Specs
- Intel Core i5-6300HQ 2.3GHz [View Benchmarks]
- Nvidia Quadro M1000M 2GB GDDR5 [View Framerates]
- 8GB DDR4 RAM
- 500GB 7200 RPM HDD
- 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels (IPS)
- 16 hours battery life
- 3.93 lbs
Summary & Score
The Dell Precision 15 5510 Workstation offers users a Quadro M1000M rendering card, but the RAM and storage space are below average for its price
on Amazon.com
(as of 31-05-2023 18:23 UTC) Details
Toshiba Portege Z30-C1310 13.3-inch
Most modern laptops are made from aluminum alloy, but for those that are keen on shedding weight like the Toshiba Portege Z30-C1310, magnesium is the way to go. The all magnesium body of the laptop gives it a sleek, professional look. It keeps it light and thin without compromising on strength, keeping flex and screen bending to a minimum. Inside, a speedy Intel Skylake 15-6300u will perform any task you throw at it with relative ease, and the 8GB of RAM lets you run multiple windows and programs simultaneously. The SSD, though blazing fast as compared to traditional HDDs, is much slower than ones found on competitors like the Dell XPS 13, and with only 128GB, you’ll be looking for external storage after a short while. The display on the Toshiba Portege Z30-C1310 is a real disappointment. Its low 1366 x 768 resolution means text and images are not as crisp as on other competing laptops. It is quite dim hence poor outdoor visibility, and the color reproduction is nowhere near accurate. It makes up for it, however. This reduced resolution and brightness mean the laptop can last over 9 hours on a single charge. This combined with it is slim and light figure makes it a great carry around device. The keyboard is premium. The touchpad works well, and it also features a pointing stick and a fingerprint reader. A healthy number of ports can also be found on the sides, with the exception of a USB-C port.
Pros
- Great battery life
- Fast processor
- Wide array of ports
- Windows Pro
Cons
- Low 1366 x 768 resolution
- Display is dim
Specs
- Intel Core i5-6300U 2.4GHz [View Benchmarks]
- Intel HD Graphics 520 Shared [View Framerates]
- 8GB DDR3L RAM
- 128GB SSD
- 13.3 inch, 1366 x 768 pixels (IPS)
- Windows 7 Professional
- 9.25 hours battery life
- 2.65 lbs
Summary & Score
The Toshiba Portege Z30-C1310 has some great features for a business laptop, but its poor display and high price do not stand up to the competition.
on Toshiba
(as of 09-03-2018 05:37 -07:00) Details
Best Mid-Range Business Laptops – Runners-Up ($751 – $1250)
Microsoft Surface Pro FJX-00001
The 2017 Surface Pro, which is technically a tablet with the performance of a laptop, is the improved next generation of the Surface Pro 4, and it has upped its quality and overall performance. This particular model of the 2017 Surface Pro that we are looking at is the Intel i5 with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage space. Needless to say, it performs exceptionally well thanks to the seventh generation Intel i5 processor. Multitasking and web browsing are a breeze with the 8GB of RAM and the build quality is great. The elegant finish gives it a very stylish quality much like its predecessor, but it does have fewer ports, like a USB Type-C port. It comes equipped with a single USB 3.0 Type-A connection, along with a mini-display port. Many pointed out that the kickstand is improved, and just under the kickstand is the microSD card. The speakers are front facing on each side of the display, with many noting how loud they are overall and how decent the sound quality is. The Surface Pen is said to be a lot more sensitive compared to the the Surface Pro 4, but it is not included, and it is pricier. The 2-in-1 laptop should also ideally be used with the keyboard, but even that is expensive. The Surface Pro ends up being pricier than the Surface Pro 4 when you factor in all these additional costs of essentials. The battery life has been improved by about 3 hours, amounting to around 13 hours compared to the Surface Pro 4, which only had around 10 hours of battery life. The 256GB SSD is fast, and it has Intel HD Graphics 620. Microsoft’s Surface Dial is also compatible with the Surface Pro, but it will cost you around $90 extra. The 2017 workhorse Surface Pro is stylish and a truly high performing 2-in-1 laptop, and it is an excellent follow up to the Surface Pro 4.
Pros
- Elegant and stylish
- Great performance
- Improved battery life
- Surface Pen more responsive
- Fast 256GB SSD
- Great display
- Improved kickstand
Cons
- Surface Pen and keyboard are expensive
- Minimal port selection
- No USB Type-C
Specs
- Intel Core i5-7300U 2.6GHz [View Benchmarks]
- Intel HD Graphics 620 Shared [View Framerates]
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- 12.3 inch, 2736 x 1824 pixels (IPS)
- Windows 10 Pro
- 10.75 hours battery life
- 1.7 lbs
Summary & Score
Despite having a small selection of ports and no USB Type-C, Microsoft’s new 2017 Surface Pro packs the power of a notebook in a tablet format.
on Amazon.com
(as of 31-05-2023 19:08 UTC) Details
Apple MLH72LL/A MacBook Air 13.3-Inch
The latest MacBook Air retains the slim and light unibody form featured on the original 2010 model. It still looks genuinely attractive thanks to a solid aluminum shell. Opening the lid, you’ll find a sleek keyboard with black island-style keys which has also remained unchanged since 2015. The trackpad is also unchanged so it doesn’t support the Force Touch technology found in the new MacBook Pro. Apple has been criticized for not bumping its 1440 x 900 screen to Full-HD. However, the screen is sufficiently bright and clear for productivity users who are the primary users of the Air. Photoshop experts and videophiles can benefit more from the MacBook Pro which includes a higher-resolution Retina display, a more powerful processor, a bigger memory and a better graphics card. The Intel Core i5-5250U not only carries out modest tasks with ease but preserves the battery life so that it runs for more than 12 hours. While the 2015 model only featured 4GB of RAM, the 2016 model comes standard with 8GB of RAM for more hardware intensive apps. The Air also features a faster flash storage and the new Thunderbolt 2 interface. However, despite these upgrades, the performance boost is not very significant over previous models. That said, if you still have the old 2015 MacBook Air, then we recommend hanging onto it until Apple release an updated version with significant changes. However, if you’re in need of an affordable and durable ultrabook, the latest MacBook Air is definitely one of the top options in its category despite lacking a Full-HD display thanks to its paper thin design and exceptional battery life.
Pros
- Ultra thin and light
- Great performance
- Very long battery life
Cons
- Low resolution screen
- None upgradeable
Specs
- Intel Core i5-5250U 1.6GHz [View Benchmarks]
- Intel HD Graphics 6000 Shared [View Framerates]
- 8GB LPDDR3 RAM
- 128GB SSD
- 13.3 inch, 1440 x 900 pixels (TN)
- Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan
- 12 hours battery life
- 2.96 lbs
Summary & Score
A super thin and light MacBook with incredibly fast boot and load times. The resolution could have been higher but more modern versions of the Air have better resolutions.
on Amazon.com
(as of 31-05-2023 18:23 UTC) Details
ASUS VivoBook S S510UA-DB71
The ASUS VivoBook S S510UA-DB71 is a lightweight, powerful laptop. It comes with a thin “NanoEdge” display bezel, which many enjoy about this laptop, making the 13.3-inch 1080p IPS display seem borderless. The brushed aluminium chassis gives the laptop a professional look and the 4.4-pound design means you can take with you anywhere. The Intel i7-7500U and 8GB of RAM drive a solid performance, and it will allow you to run your day-to-day tasks with ease. Couple CPU and RAM with the fast SSD and you have a machine that feels responsive. While the SSD does come with only 128GB of space, ASUS have included a 1TB HDD for additional space, but it is going to be quite a bit slower than the SSD. The keyboard feedback is said to be average, and the touchpad equally as poor, but the keys are backlit, making them easy to navigate in darker settings. Most noted that the audio is good for laptop speakers, but nothing to write home about. It comes with a USB Type-C Gen. 1, USB 3.0, USB 2.0 ports, as well as an HDMI port, but ASUS have not included an ethernet port, which did disappoint some reviewers. The built-in fingerprint scanner is great for security purposes and saves you from typing your password every time you want to login. Another drawback is the battery life, with most finding that it lasts around 5 hours, which is quite a bit less than its competitors.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Professional looking
- Powerful performance
- Fast SSD
- Backlit keyboard
- USB Type-C Gen. 1 port
- Runs quietly
Cons
- Average keyboard and trackpad
- Battery life
- No ethernet port
Specs
- Intel Core i5-8250U 1.6GHz [View Benchmarks]
- Intel HD Graphics Shared
- 8GB DDR4 RAM
- 1000GB 5400 RPM HDD / 256GB SSD
- 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels (IPS)
- Windows 10 Home
- 3.7 lbs
Summary & Score
If you are looking for a powerful, lightweight and professional looking laptop, then the ASUS VivoBook S S510UA-DB71 is for you. But it does not come with an ethernet port, so it will only run on Wi-Fi.
on Amazon.com
(as of 31-05-2023 19:12 UTC) Details
[emaillocker]
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 CR5-00001 12.3-inch
The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 has seen massive improvements from the original Surface Pro that was launched a few years ago. The ultra thin aluminum design weighs in at an impressive 1.73 pounds without the keyboard, making it perfect for users after a powerful and compact 2-in-1 laptop. But Microsoft still does not offer the Surface Pro with a keyboard as a default accessory and you will have to purchase it separately. While there are cheaper third party options, we recommend two of the Genuine Microsoft keyboards, the Surface Pro 4 Type Cover or the Surface Pro 4 Type Cover with Fingerprint ID. While the keyboard is not included, you do get a stylus to navigate around Windows 10 and for basic drawing and design tasks. The onscreen keyboard can be used and is quite responsive, but it does take up valuable space on your display, which might annoy some users. The Surface Pro is powered by an Intel Skylake Core i5-6300U processor and 4GB of RAM, which allows for snappy performance when it comes to basic tasks. While the i5 processor will handle more intensive multitasking, the 4GB of RAM does limit its overall performance and cannot be upgraded at all. The battery life offers between 7-9 hours off of a single charge and this will allow you to use it comfortably throughout a normal workday or while on a long haul flight. The 128GB solid state drive allows the Surface Pro 4 CR5-00001 to boot in seconds and offers fast performance. You can extend the 128GB of storage space with a microSD card, giving you up to an additional 256GB of storage. The display offers crisp colors and great viewing angles. The responsiveness of the 10-finger multi-touch screen is among the best on the market and will not leave you disappointed.
Pros
- Intel Skylake processor
- Good battery life
- Crisp and responsive touchscreen
- Comes with Windows 10 Pro
Cons
- Only 4GB of RAM
- No physical keyboard included
- Only one USB 3.0 port
- Underpowered for designers
Specs
- Intel Core i5-6300U 2.4GHz [View Benchmarks]
- Intel HD Graphics 520 Shared [View Framerates]
- 4GB SDRAM DDR3 RAM
- 128GB SSD
- 12.3 inch, 2736 x 1824 pixels (IPS)
- Windows 10 Pro
- 9 hours battery life
- 1.73 lbs
Summary & Score
The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 CR5-00001 offers a great performance for its compact size, but you will have to purchase the keyboard separately and the 4GB of RAM hurt its overall performance with heavy multitasking.
on Amazon.com
(as of 31-05-2023 18:19 UTC) Details
Best Budget Business Laptops – Runners-Up ($450 – $750)
Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM 15.6-inch
The Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM features integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 graphics powered by the latest Intel i3 Kaby Lake processor and next generation connectivity such as USB 3.1 Type-C and Bluetooth 4.1. It holds its own with an unbeatable price to performance ratio compared to its competitors, clocking in at a $100 or more cheaper than many similarly specced laptops such as the Inspiron I3567 and HP Pavilion 17 1BQ14UA below. Powered by a 7th generation Intel Core i3-7100U CPU and 4GB of DDR4 RAM, the Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM will easily cope with basic tasks such as video streaming, web browsing and word processing. We recommend installing a second 4GB RAM module which can be done cheaply without much hassle, and it will allow you to browse the web and multitask more effectively. Although the lack of a dedicated graphics card will make running newer games challenging, the E5-575-33BM can run popular games such as Counter-Strike GO on medium to high settings with no problem. The 1000GB storage drive is sizable but low in comparison to modern solid state drives. You can replace it with an affordable solid state drive, however this will mean sacrificing storage space for speed as a similar size SSD will cost as much as the laptop. Overall the Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM is packed full of great features that you would expect from more expensive laptops and delivers the latest generation Intel HD Graphics 620 integrated graphics at the best price possible.
Pros
- Full-HD display
- 7th Gen Intel processor
- USB 3.1 Type-C
- Battery life
- Price to performance ratio
Cons
- No dedicated graphics card
- Only 4GB of RAM
- Slower 5400rpm HDD
Specs
- Intel Core i3-7100U 2.4GHz [View Benchmarks]
- Intel HD Graphics 620 Shared [View Framerates]
- 4GB DDR4 RAM
- 1024GB 5400 RPM HDD
- 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels
- Windows 10 Home
- 12 hours battery life
- 5.27 lbs
Summary & Score
The Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575-33BM offers a lot of great hardware for its sub $400 price tag. But you only get 4GB of RAM and we recommend upgrading to increase the laptop’s day-to-day performance.
on Amazon.com
(as of 31-05-2023 18:19 UTC) Details
Acer Aspire E 15 E5-576G-5762 15.6-inch
The Acer Aspire E 15 E5-576G-5762 15.6-inch laptop comes stacked with some impressive hardware for a reasonable price. The up-to-date Intel i5-8250U that is coupled with 8GB of RAM will run most heavy tasks with general ease. Multitasking will also not be much of problem, as the RAM will allow you to run quite a few applications and browser windows at once. It comes with a somewhat small SSD, affording you only 256GB of storage, but you can always add an additional SSD if needed. It comes with a Full-HD IPS display, but some have noted that it is fairly dim and unspectacular. Regardless, you will get decent viewing angles and the matte finish will prevent any potential glare. It has a solid battery life of around 8 hours and 30 minutes, despite the Amazon product page suggesting up to 15 hours of battery life, but this may be more accurate for light users, while heavier users will drain the battery around the above mentioned time. The NVIDIA GeForce MX150 is by no means a beast a when it comes to running games, and most modern AAA titles will struggle somewhat, but lowering the graphics will afford you some playability. Both the keyboard and trackpad have been given a thumbs up from most who own this machine. There was a lot of critical commentary delivered on quality control, with many users receiving defective machines. While this may be only a select few reviewers, it is always worth mentioning quality control.
Pros
- Good Intel i5-8250U CPU
- Decent 8GB of RAM
- SSD
- Full-HD Display
- Price
Cons
- Dim screen
- Potential quality control issues
- Limited storage capacity
Specs
- Intel Core i5-8250U 1.6GHz [View Benchmarks]
- Nvidia GeForce MX150 2GB GDDR5 [View Framerates]
- 8GB DDR3L RAM
- 256GB SSD
- 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels (IPS)
- Windows 10 Home
- 15 hours battery life
- 5.27 lbs
Summary & Score
The Acer Aspire E 15 E5-576G-5762 15.6-inch laptop is well priced and comes with a good CPU and fast SSD, but the storage capacity is fairly limited, and the matte Full- HD screen may not be for everyone.
on Amazon.com
(as of 04-10-2022 03:48 -07:00) Details
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DELL INSPIRON I3567-5664BLK-PUS 15.6-inch
The Dell Inspiron I3567-5664BLK-PUS 15.6-inch laptop has received positive reviews for its decent specs for the price, coming with an Intel i5-7200U and 8GB of RAM, affording you decent multitasking capabilities and a machine powerful enough to run some demanding programs reasonably well. Users liked the backlit keyboard and the 2TB of storage space. The construction is said to be solid, too, which impressed many users. However, some pointed out that screen quality is subpar, offering limited viewing angles, and furthermore, it is only 720p. While there is a plenty of storage space, the hard drive is a mechanical hard drive, meaning boot and application load times will be slow. Lastly, the 5-hour battery life is fairly average. The Dell Inspiron I3567-5664BLK-PUS 15.6-inch laptop offers users a solid experience and is really well priced for the CPU included, but the display quality may be a drawback for some.
Pros
- Price
- Decent performance
- Backlit keyboard
- Plenty storage space
Cons
- Mediocre screen quality
- Slow HDD
- Average battery life
Specs
- Intel Core i5-7200U 2.5GHz [View Benchmarks]
- Intel HD Graphics 620 Shared [View Framerates]
- 8GB DDR4 RAM
- 2000GB 5400 RPM HDD
- 15.6 inch, 1366 x 768 pixels (IPS)
- Windows 10 Home
- 5 hours battery life
- 5.07 lbs
Summary & Score
The screen quality is the only real drawback of the Dell Inspiron I3567-5664BLK-PUS 15.6-inch. Otherwise, it delivers a decent performance overall thanks to its solid CPU and RAM.
on Amazon.com
(as of 31-05-2023 19:07 UTC) Details
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 i5570-5364SLV-PUS
The Dell Inspiron 15 5000 i5570-5364SLV-PUS 15.6-inch comes with a TrueLife Full-HD IPS display that was well received by customers who liked its crispness and high resolution, but it was noted that it is a bit dim. It doubles up as a responsive touchscreen that has 10-finger multi-touch support, offering you a more intuitive way of interacting with your computer. It drives a fairly strong performance thanks to the hardworking Intel Quad-Core i5 8250U processor and the 8GB of RAM, both of which will run most demanding tasks with little effort. The included Intel UHD Graphics 620 will even allow you to do some video and photo editing work, and during your offtime you will be able to enjoy some light gaming. However, do not expect to get the same performances] you would get from a laptop with a dedicated GPU. Dell had to make some compromises when it came to storage, opting for a large, 1TB 5400RPM hard drive that is as sluggish as they come. However, in this price range, you can either settle for a slower HDD with more space, or a fast SSD with minimum space, such as the Acer Aspire E 15 E5-576G-5762 15.6-inch. It has a large selection of ports to boost your productivity, but the exclusion of a USB Type-C port is disappointing, and another area where costs were cut in order to provide a stronger CPU and more RAM. The keyboard is said to be comfortable, and the backlighting can be dimmed or shut off completely. The battery life isn’t that great, however, draining in around 5 hours, requiring you to be near an outlet for longer periods of use. It comes with Windows 10 and the included webcam is 720p, which is fairly standard. When handling too many tasks or resource heavy applications, the laptop runs quietly, which impressed most users who come from laptops that get loud and hot under load.
Pros
- Strong, Up-to-date CPU
- Sufficient RAM
- TrueLife IPS display
- Touchsreen capabilities
- Good sound quality
- Storage space
Cons
- 5 hour battery life
- Display may not be bright enough for everyone
- No USB Type-C
- Sluggish hard drive
Specs
- Intel Core i5-8250U 1.6GHz [View Benchmarks]
- Intel HD Graphics 620 Shared [View Framerates]
- 8GB DDR4 RAM
- 1000GB 5400 RPM HDD
- 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels
- Windows 10 Home
- 5 hours battery life
- 4.85 lbs
Summary & Score
With its up-to-date and powerful Intel Quad-Core i5-8250U CPU and 8GB of RAM, you get a laptop with a lot of potential, but the Dell Inspiron 15 5000 i5570-5364SLV-PUS is held back by the slow hard drive.
on Microsoft
(as of 04-10-2022 03:47 -07:00) Details
Acer Aspire E 15 E5-575G-57D4 15.6-inch
Although priced slightly higher than $500, the Aspire E 15 E5-575G-57D4 earns our top pick in our guide due to its great customer reviews and its overall popularity. The E 15 offers a max resolution of 1920×1080, and comes with a GeForce 940MX, making this laptop suitable for graphics designers, video editors and gamers (it also features in our Best Gaming Laptops for Under 500 guide). Acer have also fitted the Aspire E 15 E5-575G-57D4 with the latest generation Intel Core i5-7200U processor, which is powerful enough to handle more hardware intensive apps. It features a super fast solid state drive, but its storage space is slightly too small for modern games which can take up over 40GB of storage space once installed. You might want to consider upgrading the size of your SSD or purchasing a 7200rpm external hard drive for more storage space. We are also impressed with the Full-HD display which offers good image quality and vivid colors for gaming or streaming your favorite series. Acer claims that the Aspire E 15 E5-575G-57D4 will give you 12 hours of battery life off of a single charge, however this would be under ideal conditions and not while gaming or while using hardware intensive applications. Despite this fact, we are still very impressed with the battery life that it offers as most laptops in this price range will barely offer you 4 hours of run time.
Pros
- Dedicated NVIDIA graphics
- Seventh generation CPU
- Superfast SSD
- USB 3.1 Type-C
- Full-HD display
- Excellent battery life
Cons
- Small SSD
- Average keyboard
- Not the easiest to upgrade
- Acer bloatware
Specs
- Intel Core i5-7200U 2.5GHz [View Benchmarks]
- Nvidia GeForce 940MX 2GB GDDR5 [View Framerates]
- 8GB DDR4 2133MHz RAM
- 256GB SSD
- 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels (TN)
- Windows 10 Home
- 12 hours battery life
- 5.27 lbs
Summary & Score
The Aspire E 15 E5-575G-57D4 is a budget friendly multimedia laptop that offers a fast SSD and dedicated NVIDIA graphics.
on Amazon.com
(as of 31-05-2023 18:16 UTC) Details
ASUS UX360CA-AH51T 13.3-inch
A laptop with great battery life makes all the difference. Having your laptop die halfway through a business meeting will mean either finding a socket to plug it in or going back to the old ways of pen and paper. However, the ASUS UX360CA-AH51T offers great battery life off of a single charge and will easily last through a day of taking those all-important notes for your next big midterm. Not only does it offer great battery life, the ASUS UX360CA-AH51T is also super thin and very light, making it easier to carry between classes. The touchscreen display can even be folded 360 degrees backwards to turn this ultrabook into a Windows 10 tablet. This will allow you to even scribble down notes and ideas during lectures and save them directly onto your storage drive. To store all of your college work and personal files, the ASUS UX360CA-AH51T features a superfast 512GB solid state drive. While the Intel i5-7Y54 processor is slightly less powerful than most of the latest seventh generation Intel i5 processors, it will still allow you to easily run everyday tasks. However, more intensive applications will strain this processor, leaving the whole laptop feeling sluggish. Due to the fact that the processor has been designed for passively cooled laptops and for tablets, it does not require a fan. This means that there will never be a noisy fan starting up while you concentrate on your lecturer or while studying in the library. While it only features two SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports, you can connect a next generation dock to the lightning fast USB 3.1 Type-C port. This will allow you to extend your ports and most docks even feature a full size HDMI port for that extra screen while working on a paper.
Pros
- Thin and light
- Battery life
- Large SSD
- USB 3.1 Type-C
- Great touchscreen display
Cons
- Slightly underpowered i5 processor
- Only two USB ports
- microHDMI port
- Some ASUS bloatware
Specs
- Intel Core i5-7Y54 1.2GHz [View Benchmarks]
- Intel HD Graphics 615 Shared [View Framerates]
- 8GB LPDDR3 RAM
- 512GB SSD
- 13.3 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels (IPS)
- Windows 10 Home
- 10 hours battery life
- 3.0 lbs
Summary & Score
The ASUS UX360CA-AH51T is a light and compact ultrabook that offers great battery life and a large SSD. However, the processor will struggle with more intensive applications and there is no full size HDMI port.
on Newegg.com
(as of 04-10-2022 03:48 -07:00) Details
Conclusion
Our list ends here and it is our hope that you now have a much clearer idea of what laptop will be perfect for your business. For more research, feel free to browse through our other guides such as The Best Laptops Under $500, The Best Cheap Laptops Under $400 and The Best High End Laptops. Do you have any questions? If so, hit us up and we’ll be happy to help.