The Best High end Laptops in 2016

Dell XPS 13 Touch (2016 Rose Gold Edition)

This updated XPS 13 has a stunning nearly edge-to-edge high-res display, and an upgraded processor and graphics. The excellent Dell XPS 13 series gets a high-end upgrade in this gold edition with improved performance, but also a high-end price to match. Despite this, the XPS 13 became one of our favorite 13-inch class laptops, and the recent 15-inch version (naturally called the XPS 15) impressed with its own large screen and minimal bezel.

DELL XPS 13 (GOLD EDITION): Best High end Laptops in 2016; Best High performance Laptops

Rather than continuing to try squeezing out features to hit a more mainstream price, the latest version of the XPS 13 takes a more premium approach. The processor is a current-gen Intel Core i7, paired with 8GB of RAM and a big 256GB of solid-state storage. The touchscreen display has a very high 3,200×1,800-pixel native resolution, and the same very narrow bezel (Dell calls it the Infinity Display) that made last year’s original such a standout. Graphics get an upgrade, too, adding the Intel Iris GPU, which isn’t as good as having a discrete graphics card from Nvidia or AMD, but is a big step up from standard laptop fare. Read the full review ››

Lenovo ThinkPad 13

There’s an Intel 6th Generation Core processor, but it’s the low-tier i3-6100 at 2.3GHz. There’s a solid state drive, but it only offers 128GB of storage. And there’s just 4GB of 2133MHz DDR4 memory. The ThinkPad 13 is an ultrabook, measuring only .75 inches thick while shut, and weighing only 3.17 pounds. The ThinkPad 13 offers three USB 3.0 ports, one of which can charge your phone even when the computer itself is asleep.

There’s also a USB 3.1 Type-C port. An HDMI output and headphone jack handle your external audio and video needs, respectively. Wireless capability is handled by an Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 826 card. It brings 802.11ac Wi-Fi along with Bluetooth 4.1 for connecting peripherals.

The Lenovo ThinkPad 13 is powered by an Intel i3-6100U dual-core processor, which is a low-end member of the current generation of Intel chips. It’s modern, but not premium, as our benchmarks made clear. Our Geekbench tests showed a single core score of 2,143 and a multi core score of 4,773. Predictably, this is comparable to the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 (2015), which also sports a dual-core i3, but lower than the Asus Zenbook UX305U, which uses a Core i5.  Read the full review ››

Lenovo ThinkPad X260

Lenovo ThinkPad X260 aims to as well, with its Ultrabook design, swappable battery, Intel Core i processor, a full complement of ports, optional fingerprint sensor, and familiar ThinkPad QWERTY. he Lenovo ThinkPad X260 laptop looks the part. It measures 12.03 x 8.21 x .8 inches and weighs 2.9 pounds. Its rubberized chassis is slightly textured, and it resists smudges, fingerprints, and scuffs phenomenally well. It also adds grip, is very light, and according to Lenovo, aids in making the ThinkPad X260 MIL-STD-810G certified. This means the X260 can withstand harsh conditions involving pressure, shock, temperatures, dust, humidity, and other device killers beyond your average laptop. Best High end Laptops in 2016; Best High performance Laptops

Lenovo offers the X260 with three display options, all 12.5 inches: 11366 x 768 TN at 200 nits, 1366 x 768 IPS at 300 nits, 1920 x 1080 IPS at 300 nits. In general, IPS (in-plane switching) LCD displays have better color reproduction and much wider viewing angles than TN (twisted nematic). TN LCDs are cheaper to produce and refresh faster, but invert colors and lose details at wide angles. None of the three support pen or touch input. Our X260 review unit has the 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) IPS display. Read the full review ››

Asus ZenBook 3 (UX390UA)

Slim, compact and light; excellent build quality; surprisingly good keyboard; solid specs and overall good performance; potent speakers; solid performing wireless; the battery life is decent, considering the actual size of the battery.  he Zenbook UX390UAK gets a 12.5-inch display, with a 1920 x 1080 px IPS panel and a sheet of protective Gorilla Glass 4 on top.

Specs as reviewed: 

The one spec that you can’t change, and one of the ZenBook 3’s main letdowns, is the standard 1,920×1,080 screen resolution, which is the only option available on this 12.5-inch non-touch display. Premium laptops, even with smaller sub-13-inch screens often hit 2,560×1,440 or higher.

There’s a good case to be made for the very similarly configured Razer Blade Stealth, another slim laptop with a 12.5-inch screen. The newly refreshed Blade Stealth (full review coming soon) has the same Core i7-7500 CPU, and can be configured with similar RAM and hard drive specs. But, its display is a 2,560×1,440 touch screen, and our test configuration (Core i7/16GB RAM/256GB SSD) is $1,250 in the US. My biggest knock against that system is the dated-looking extrawide bezel surrounding the screen. .Read the full review ››

Acer Chromebook 14

Cheapest option (£170) with 2GB of RAM and a 1,366 x 768-pixel screen. One step up is a £280 model that nets you a Full HD screen and 4GB of RAM. Acer Chromebook 14 looks very similar to the MacBook Air. Stylish, sharp edges, rounded corners and an integrated keyboard tray make the Chromebook 14 look far more expensive than it is.

The Acer Chromebook 14 has a starting price of $280 (£250, AU$450) with different configurations featuring: Best High end Laptops in 2016; Best High performance Laptops

• 14-inch screen with either HD (1,366×768) or full HD (1,920×1,080) resolution
• Intel Celeron processor, either quad-core N3160 or dual-core N3060
• Either 2GB or 4GB of onboard memory
• Either 16GB or 32GB of storage (eMMC)

Standard for all configurations are:

• Intel integrated HD Graphics 400
• 720p forward-facing camera
• 3.4 pounds (1.6kg) and 0.67 inch (17mm) thick
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2
• HDMI-out, headphone/mic jack and two USB 3.1 ports

Chromebook 14. Acer includes two USB 3.0 ports and a full-sized HDMI connector on the left, which are all very welcome. On the right sit the power connector and a combination 3.5mm jack for headsets. The Chromebook 14 is home to a low-power Intel Celeron N3060. It’s a dual-core chip running between1.6GHz and 2.48GHz, depending on thermal conditions. It has no cooling fans, so it runs silently.

The processor is supported by 2GB of RAM, which in this day and age is barely enough to have five media-heavy browser tabs open at once.  Read the full review ››

Samsung Notebook 9 (15-inch)

Extremely light; Great touchpad; Strong performance; Bright display with wide viewing angles.The 15-inch, 1920 x 1080 display on the Notebook 9 produces crisp images with extremely vibrant, but slightly inaccurate, colors.

he Notebook 9 is extremely portable, and unlike on its closest competitor, you’ll be able to get through most of the day without hunting for an outlet. Samsung’s laptop lasted for 7 hours and 20 minutes on the Laptop Mag Battery Test, which involves continuous web browsing over Wi-Fi at 100 nits of brightness. With a Core i7-6500U processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, the Notebook 9 is a productivity and multimedia powerhouse. Read the full review ››

HP Spectre x360 13-w023dx

The Spectre x360 looks rather like its predecessor at a glance, it features the latest 7^th-generation Intel Core processors. Pricing starts at $1,049 for a Core i5, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB solid state drive. Our review unit, with a Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, costs just $1,299. The most expensive version has all that and a 1TB SSD, for $1,499. The HP Spectre x360 has a modern array of ports. That means two USB 3.1 Type-C ports, which also support charging and Thunderbolt 3. HP Spectre the finest laptop in the world

The HP Spectre x360 offers incredible value for the money. Its slim, premium aluminum frame houses a speedy processor, comfortable keyboard and touchpad, plenty of full-size ports, a beautiful touchscreen and a surprising amount of battery life under the hood. Read the full review ››

Origin EON17-X 10 Series

The Origin EON17–X 10 Series (starts at $1,858; $3,567 as tested) is the most powerful gaming laptop we’ve tested, with an overlocked Intel Core i7 processor, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card, and a 4K display.

Stunning display; Blistering-fast SSD; Comfortable keyboard; Excellent audio; Great overall and graphics performance. Read the full review ››

New Razer Blade Stealth (Late 2016)

Apple MacBook Pro 15-Inch (2016)

The least expensive Touch Bar system is the one reviewed here, at $1,799 (£1,749 or AU$2,699). Previously, the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro cost $1,299 (£1,249 or AU$1,999), but that model had half the storage of these new ones, only 128GB. Note that if you’re kicking yourself for missing out on the older Pro (which was excellent in its own right), with its lower starting price and wider variety of ports, Apple is still selling a single 13-inch and single 15-inch 2015-era configuration, at least for now.