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Laptops to fall in love with this Valentine's Day

Love is in the air. Valentine's Day is surely a reason for celebration and togetherness for many around the world. This is also a great time to invest in or gift technology that can enhance your partner's work or play. In this article, we've lined-up some of the best laptops that we think will complement most personalities. These laptops are not just ones that you can gift to the ones you love; they are also ones that you can fall in love with, too.

Introduction

Right from the days of the Lupercal festival in ancient Rome to the Valentine's Day as we know it today, February 14 means many things to many people. No matter the local customs, the exchange of greetings and gifts is a hallmark of this day. We don't claim to be "love gurus" but as as laptop enthusiasts, we do feel that the gift of technology can be very rewarding. While gifting a partner is definitely one of the most romantic things you can do on Valentine's Day, this is also the perfect occasion to pamper yourself by purchasing a laptop that suits or defines your personality. 

In this article, we have categorized laptops that appeal to people with various traits — be it a creative person, a gamer, or the busy professional. Admittedly, the choice of such personalities is in no way exhaustive (nor was it meant to be) and we totally understand there could be other preferences as well, especially if you've been a regular reader of our reviews. That being said, we have chosen those models that truly emphasize their outlook and define certain traits of people.

So without further ado, here are our Valentine's Day laptop recommendations for l'amour de votre vie.

For the creative genius — Dell XPS 15 9570

The Dell XPS 15 9570 complements your love for creativity very well.
The Dell XPS 15 9570 complements your love for creativity very well.

recent study found that falling in love actually makes us more creative. So while you are getting ready for the next big date, how about fueling your partner's creative genius by considering the purchase of a capable multimedia laptop?

The Dell XPS 15 9570 ticks all the checkboxes for a top-class multimedia notebook experience. You get CPU options up to the 8th generation Intel Core i9-8950HK and GPU options up to the GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q. While more power is good to have, we found that the XPS 15 9570 with the Core i5-8300H is the perfect choice for an overall excellent multimedia and creative experience with minimal throttling issues. Of course, the Core i7 and Core i9 versions are potentially more powerful, but we found the overall balance of performance, portability, and display quality the best in the base model. No matter what model you choose, the XPS 15 9570 is a performance beast and is a perfect companion for creative sojourns.

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For the busy professional — Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is made to delight the busy professional.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is made to delight the busy professional.

Kahlil Gibran said, "Work is love made visible." For the professional in your partner who loves you as much as they love their work, a good business laptop will enhance their productivity manifold. 

Lenovo laptops have been the darling of a majority of professionals and the upgraded ThinkPad X1 Carbon underscores this fact once again. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is lightweight and weighs in at just 1.11 kg, making it extremely portable. The nearly bezel-less 14-inch WQHD HDR panel (optional) offers excellent brightness and color. The X1 Carbon comes with the latest Intel 8th gen ULV processor options and allows for better performance at sustained loads, albeit at the cost of slightly higher surface temperatures. With a keyboard that is still one of the best in the business and a versatile port selection, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon makes for a gift that will be treasured for a long time.

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For those who value style and substance — Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2018)

The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2018) can cater to most use cases.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2018) can cater to most use cases.

"You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers." These famous words from Steve Jobs are as golden as they get.

The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2018) has something for everyone. Those looking for a sleek, elegant, and functional laptop often end their search here and so do those looking for good performance in an ultra-light form factor. While Apple has retained the same chassis since 2016, the internals have received noticeable upgrades. This iteration offers improved performance and longer battery runtimes, but we felt the cooling constraints will kick in under load. This Core i5-8259U-powered MacBook Pro 13 with an integrated Iris Plus Graphics 655 GPU offers an excellent 16:10 TrueTone display, the renowned Force Touch trackpad, and a much improved butterfly keyboard.  Dongle hell is a "feature" of modern MacBooks, but the solace here is that all four ThunderBolt 3 ports now operate at full speed. You can make what you want of the Touch Bar, but it does prove to be useful in supported apps. All in all, this is a great notebook for those looking for a good blend of form and function.

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For the versatile individual — Microsoft Surface Pro 6

The Microsoft Surface Pro 6 continues to be the best 2-in-1 in the market.
The Microsoft Surface Pro 6 continues to be the best 2-in-1 in the market.

Love and versatility are seldom thought of together but author Velvette Celestial Kraut thinks otherwise. Kraut defines "love versatility" as "the ability to effectively navigate one’s own ever-changing interpersonal connections and personal growth with emphasis on honesty, creativity, choice, and compassion." The 2-in-1 laptop form factor best embodies most of these qualities. 

The Microsoft Surface Pro 6 continues to refine the tablet-laptop hybrid form factor and the latest iteration offers excellent performance in a slim and light-weight chassis. The Core i7-8650U offers good sustained performance with minimal throttling and the display continues to be one of the best selling points of this series. Battery life, while not class-leading, will definitely last a typical workday. A major gripe with the Surface Pro 6 is Microsoft's insistence in sticking with traditional ports instead of offering at least one USB Type-C port. There aren't as many USB Type-C devices yet so this shouldn't be much of an issue. Factoring in the optional Type Cover and the Surface Pen or Surface Dial can increase the price substantially, but then there aren't too many contenders in this market that do a fine job of making versatility lovable. 

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For the discerning gamer — Asus ROG Chimera G703GI

The Asus ROG Chimera G703GI offers desktop-level gaming performance.
The Asus ROG Chimera G703GI offers desktop-level gaming performance.

In the words of Rufus Wainwright, "Life is a game and true love is a trophy.

Satisfying the needs of the discerning gamer is not easy but the Asus ROG Chimera G703GI manages to have a lot of things going for it. Sporting a 17-inch 144 Hz G-Sync display, a Core i9-8950HK, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 GPU, and a 4.7 kg chassis weight, the ROG Chimera G703GI is more of a desktop replacement than a laptop. Despite the large footprint, there is a lot to love in the ROG Chimera G703. Be it the excellent overclocking potential, an RGB backlit keyboard, the inclusion of three NVMe SSDs in RAID 0, or good audio prowess, there is little to get disappointed about with this laptop. The only cons are the battery life (as expected) and noisy performance under load, but there are not many laptops that come within its reach. If you'd like to satiate your partner's quest for gaming excellence, gifting the Asus ROG Chimera G703GI on Valentine's Day is a huge step in the right direction.

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For the highly style conscious — HP Spectre x360 15

The HP Spectre x360 makes a strong style statement.
The HP Spectre x360 makes a strong style statement.

"Style is often understated. Love can never be overstated." Or so they say. Laptops these days are more than just functional tools, they are a style statement.

The HP Spectre x360 isn't afraid to show off its good looks and is equally good when it comes to performance. The Spectre series has always been about making a style statement and the latest iteration is no different. The Ash Gold finish lends a luxurious look while the sharp rear corners give a professional look and feel. The top-notch build quality further adds to the sophistication. The Intel Core i7-8550U makes for a relatively silent operation without heavy throttling and the GeForce MX150 is capable of gaming at medium settings. Despite the slim profile, it does not skimp on productivity features. The webcam can be found in the appropriate position and HP has also provisioned for a good Numpad. Interestingly, we found the supposedly powerful Kaby Lake-G version to offer significantly lesser performance. There aren't too many convertibles that can match the elegance of the Spectre series and the HP Spectre x360 makes a perfect companion for those who love style and don't hesitate to flaunt it.

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Conclusion

That was our take on some of the best laptops to fall in love with this Valentine's Day. Of course, there are a host of other types of people that can be catered for, but we feel the personalities above are best served by the chosen models. Irrespective of whether you choose to gift a laptop or use one for yourself, these notebooks are bankable for the task at hand. 

What is your preferred Valentine's Day gift? Let us know in the comments below.

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Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 2019-02-14 (Update: 2019-02-14)