54 laptops put to the test: These are the best notebooks in winter 2025/2026!

92.4 %: Lenovo ThinkPad T1g Gen 8

The ThinkPad T1g G8 (review waiting for you here) is an excellent, albeit very expensive, multimedia laptop for professionals, gamers and content creators. It's an outstanding system with future-proof features: upgradeable RAM, two fast PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs and Thunderbolt 5. Its matte tandem-OLED display offers enormous brightness in HDR mode with fewer-than-normal reflections. What makes a lot less sense is the name change from the tried-and-tested X1 Extreme branding.
With a price of around 4,500 euros at Lenovo Germany, the SKU tested is primarily aimed at professional users. The ThinkPad can be had for less, assuming one is fine with a few downgrades.

91.6 %: Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 8

The P1 G8 (full review here) scores points with Thunderbolt 5 and a more compact charger while retaining the proven ultra-flat chassis of the previous generation. The star of the show is the optional tandem-OLED display: at 1500 nits, it offers outstanding brightness and HDR quality. However, picking this display will reduce battery life, which is why the classic 4K IPS panel is probably the more sensible choice for professionals on the go. Overall, the P1 Gen 8 is a specialized workstation for professional users with the highest visual demands.

The ThinkPad P1 Gen 8 can be had straight from Lenovo Germany. Prices start at circa 3,000 euros, rising sharply if configured with more powerful components.

90.9 %: Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2025 model, M5 chip)

Apple's new M5 SoC sets standards as the fastest single-core processor currently available, with significant improvements in graphics and multi-core performance evident as well. The MacBook's SSD has also been upgraded to reach PCIe 4 speeds. While the new MacBook Pro (review) is quiet in everyday use, the single fan creates a clearly audible background noise when under sustained full load. The lack of Wi-Fi 7 as well as charger in the box are where the model lags behind rival laptops. There is a new matte display coating option, though.
In Germany, the 14.2-inch MacBook Pro (M5 model) starts at less than 1,600 euros with steep cost increases for faster SKUs.

89.9 %: Lenovo ThinkBook 16p G6

The ThinkBook 16p G6 (reviewed here) is an excellent 16-inch laptop for media consumption and content creation alike. It impresses with its sturdy aluminum chassis, good maintenance and upgrade options, and first-class keyboard. The efficient WQHD panel ensures improved battery life, but should be user-calibrated for proper image editing. Thanks to Intel's Core Ultra 7 255HX and the RTX 5060, the device can handle gaming as well as other demanding tasks, aided by powerful speakers. Not ideal are the lack of Ethernet and loud fans when under full loads.
The ThinkBook 16p Gen 6 can be configured in Lenovo's German online store starting from around 2,100 euros.

89.7 %: Asus ProArt P16

The ProArt P16 proved to be an excellent Windows laptop for content creators in our testing. Its new 4K tandem-OLED panel impresses with its significantly increased brightness and excellent image quality. With an RTX 5090 (24-GB VRAM) in the top SKU, the Asus system also offers graphics performance that leaves many rivals far behind.

its fans are on the louder side when under sustained load, RAM is soldered-in and battery life is relatively unimpressive.
The Asus ProArt P16 comes in at around 4,600 euros as tested, with entry-level models starting at around 2,600 euros featuring a GeForce RTX 5060.

89.5 %: HP ZBook Fury G1i 18

The 18-inch ZBook Fury G1i (consider reading the full review) is notable for its cool and lightweight chassis, physical keys on the touchpad and easy, tool-free maintenance/upgrades. It also has a 165-Hz-fast display, making movement appear much nicer. The Fury has plenty of firepower, but rival systems can usually score a few percent higher depending on the benchmark.

In terms of ergonomics and usability, the ZBook Fury is in the top league, its low case temperatures and solid battery life playing a big role.
HP's ZBook Fury G1i 18 can be ordered directly from HP. The base configuration is around 4,000 euros.

89.1 %: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13

Despite the good Notebookcheck review score, Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon G13 and its Intel Arrow Lake U SoC underdeliver. Unlike the much-praised Lunar Lake model, this system almost seems like a step backwards. It gets hotter and louder while offering few advantages in terms of battery life despite the use of an IPS panel.

Its aluminum casing is heaver than certain alternatives. What this model has going for it are the new WWAN option, and the option to have 64 GB of RAM. Those who can make do with fewer gigabytes should go for the Lunar Lake version as that delivers significantly better user experience.
German pricing: Around 1,800 euros for the Arrow Lake U version, 2,200 euros for the Lunar Lake version.

88.9 %: Dell Pro Max 18 Plus

The Pro Max 18 Plus (review) is a first-class workstation that deserves a chance with its modular USB-C ports, CAMM2 RAM and DGFF-interface GPU. Repairability and upgradability are strong with this one. With its Arrow Lake HX-class CPU, 175-W RTX 5000 Blackwell GPUs and up to 256 GB of RAM, it is currently one of the fastest systems on the market.

It also ships with a 280-W USB-C charger compatible with most tablets, phones and laptops - a unique selling point. Worth frowning upon are the high CPU temperatures under load and limited display option selection with no OLED panels.
Cheaper Dell Pro Max 18 Plus SKUs can be ordered for around 3,200 euros in Germany.

88.9 %: Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 6

With Lunar Lake, Intel provides the ideal platform for the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 G6 (reviewed in November 2025). The office notebook impresses with extremely long runtimes, low casing temperatures and quiet fans. The fact that this efficient new technology is now available in more affordable T-series models instead of just the luxury class (X1 Carbon) makes it attractive and useful to a wider range of buyers. The only downside is that RAM is soldered-in and not user-upgradable here, unlike other T14 models. Nevertheless, this is an excellent, durable workhorse for everyday use.
Price in Germany: From around 1,700 euros.

88.8 %: Lenovo Yoga Pro 9 16IAH10

Lenovo's Yoga Pro 9 16 Gen 10 (to the review) impresses with its excellent design and first-class display options. The RTX 5050 SKU that we tested is not necessarily the best buy; it is barely cheaper than the RTX 5060 model while offering significantly less performance per euro. In addition, the weaker GPU does not come with any battery life or noise improvements.
In Germany, only the version with RTX 5060 is currently available as of late January 2026 anyway. Price: from around 2,000 euros.

88.4 %: Dell Pro Max 16 Plus

The Pro Max 16 Plus (extensively tested by Notebookcheck in Q4 2025) marks a significant step forward compared to the Precision series. Highlights include a 120-Hz OLED display, Thunderbolt 5 and modular USB-C ports for better repairability. Despite the increased performance, its housing remains relatively compact but can get a little hot. In addition, the GPU does not fully realize its 175-W potential.

Those looking for maximum performance will be better served by the larger 18-inch model. Nevertheless, the Pro Max 16 Plus is one of the best mobile workstations available.
Dell offers numerous SKU in its own online store, with prices starting at around 1,900 euros.

87.9 %: Dell 16 Premium

The Dell 16 Premium (detailed review here) is essentially a higher-performance XPS 16 9640 with more up-to-date Intel and Nvidia chips. The Premium retains known weaknesses such as the controversial keyboard and clickpad design. Compared to rival systems, some graphics performance is sacrificed to deliver the compact design, including a rather small charger. To make up, the Dell machine offers a neat 120-Hz OLED display and around 11 hours of Web-surfing on battery.
The Dell 16 Premium can be configured in the company's own online store starting from around 2,000 euros.

87.8 %: XMG Apex 16 MAX

The Apex 16 Max impressed in our test as an affordable gaming machine with a lot of performance. Thanks to the fast RTX 5070 Ti (12-GB VRAM) and the very good mini-LED panel, HDR gaming in particular is a marvel. Some cost-cutting on housing and features such as Wi-Fi 7 enables an attractive entry-level price without putting a dampener over the gaming fun.

Those who need a reasonable battery life can configure the system with an energy-efficient IPS display. The Apex can be had from Bestware starting at 2,199 euros.

87.5 %: XMG Fusion 16 (M25)

The XMG Fusion 16 (review here) showcases a new OLED panel with excellent picture quality. The optional 300-Hz IPS display with no PWM is impressive, too.

The fast Intel HX-class processor offers high CPU power, though this is not as important for gaming as graphics cards are. Also noteworthy are the system's (comparatively) quiet fans and the lots of RAM options - up to 128 GB.
The Fusion 16 can be ordered directly from the Schenker/XMG from around 1,900 euros.