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MagyarThe Best Business Notebooks
With prices mostly significantly above $1,000 business notebooks tend to offer a lot. However, business customers also tend to ask for quite a lot in return. Long-lasting and robust cases, a wide variety of safety features, top-of-the-line communication modules, and last but not least a high level of performance paired with a low level of emissions. And to make matters worse, professional users have the habit of frequently asking for extended warranties and service options.
Given the often significantly longer life cycles of business notebooks, particularly in regard to the long-term availability of spare parts, we have extended the time frame for this category to at least 12 months or more. Please consider the following top lists when making a decision as well:
- The Best Budget Office Notebooks (affordable office notebooks for less than 800 Euros)
- The Best Mobile Workstations (powerful workstations for professionals)
- The Best Subnotebooks (compact and portable notebooks)
- The Best Laptop 2-in-1/Convertibles (notebooks that can also be used as tablets)
The Best Premium Business Laptops
Pos. | Date | Rating | Image | Modell/Testbericht | Height | Weight | Size | Resolution | Screen | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 08/2020 | 91 % |  | Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | 16.1 mm | 1.3 kg | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | matte | |
| 2 | 04/2020 | 90 % |  | HP Elite Dragonfly-8MK79EA Intel Core i5-8265U Intel UHD Graphics 620 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 16.1 mm | 1.1 kg | 13.30" | 1920x1080 | glossy | |
| 3 | 07/2020 | 90 % |  | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 Intel Core i7-10510U Intel UHD Graphics 620 16 GB Memory, 512 GB NVMe | 14.9 mm | 1.1 kg | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | matte | |
| 4 | 02/2021 Neu | 90 % |  | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE Intel Core i7-1160G7 Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 16 mm | 946 g | 13.00" | 2160x1350 | matte | |
| 5 | 07/2020 | 90 % |  | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2020-20UCS03S00 Intel Core i7-10510U Intel UHD Graphics 620 16 GB Memory, 512 GB NVMe | 15.5 mm | 1.3 kg | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | ||
| 6 | 08/2020 | 90 % |  | Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20UGS00800 AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 16 GB Memory, 512 GB NVMe | 16.9 mm | 1.3 kg | 13.30" | 1920x1080 | matte | |
| 7 | 07/2020 | 89 % |  | Dell Latitude 7310 Intel Core i7-10610U Intel UHD Graphics 620 16 GB Memory, 512 GB NVMe | 18.3 mm | 1.2 kg | 13.30" | 1920x1080 | matte | |
| 8 | 11/2020 | 89 % |  | Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20UES00H00 AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) 16 GB Memory, 512 GB NVMe | 17.9 mm | 1.5 kg | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | matte | |
| 9 | 07/2020 | 89 % |  | Dell Latitude 7410 Intel Core i7-10610U Intel UHD Graphics 620 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 19.3 mm | 1.4 kg | 14.00" | 3840x2160 | matte | |
| 10 | 07/2020 | 89 % |  | Dell Latitude 9510 2-in-1 Intel Core i7-10810U Intel UHD Graphics 620 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | 13.99 mm | 1.7 kg | 15.00" | 1920x1080 | glossy |
The table above contains an overview over the best business laptops reviewed by Notebookcheck over the course of the past 12 months as well as still relevant and available older products. In cases of identical score the more recent device is listed first. All prices in above table and price comparisons are updated daily and can thus differ.
Editors' Comments
1st – Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 1
Intel is no longer the performance king of the hill thanks to AMD’s Ryzen 4000, and it is thus only logical for an AMD Ryzen 4000-based laptop to storm to the top of this business notebook top 10 list as well. Lenovo’s Renoir-based Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 1 is leaps and bounds ahead of the more expensive ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 while offering the same level of quality as its more expensive sibling. In some areas the T14s even manages to outshine the X1, such as for example with its better keyboard thanks to longer key travel.
Other benefits include the robust case, the decent battery life, good connectivity, and last but not least the excellent matte low power display, all of which help to make the ThinkPad T14s AMD am excellent mobile business laptop. Unfortunately, there are a few drawbacks as well, such as the lack of Thunderbolt 3 and 4K display as well as the hard to reach microSD port. Nevertheless it remains one of the best business laptops of 2020.
Top 10 Laptops
Multimedia, Budget Multimedia, Gaming, Budget Gaming, Lightweight Gaming, Business, Budget Office, Workstation, Subnotebooks, Ultrabooks, Chromebooks
under 300 USD/Euros, under 500 USD/Euros, 1.000 USD/Euros
Best Displays, for University Students
Top 10 Smartphones
Smartphones, Phablets, ≤5-inch, Camera SmartphonesThe Best Smartphones for Less Than 160 Euros
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2nd – HP Elite Dragonfly
Thanks to its magnesium case the HP Elite Dragonfly is HP’s most lightweight business laptops. It also looks pretty good, with its dark blue exterior and its comparatively narrow display bezels, and HP did not forget to include features important for business users, such as LTE, USB-A, HDMI, various warranty options, a multitude of security features, and a decent keyboard. Its batteyr life and good speakers are also on the pro list.
Atypical for a business laptop are the reflective display and the laptop’s limited maintenance options. CPU performance was also below average.
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3rd – Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the grandpa among its ThinkPad siblings. After all, it is the eight reincarnation of a series first introduced back in 2012. Nevertheless, Lenovo manages to keep it fresh and exciting year after year. This year’s update is minor in comparison, and the most significant difference is the support for Wi-Fi 6. A major refresh was probably unnecessary after all, and the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 remains one of the best business laptops available.
One of its major pros is the lightweight case. Other benefits include the bright matte display, decent battery life, and enjoyable speakers. The keyboard might not be as good as it was on previous models due to its shallower key travel, but it still remains a great keyboard. The lack of SD card reader is definitely a downside, as are the poor maintenance options when compared to other ThinkPad laptops.
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4th – Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 1
The only new entry this quarter is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 1, Lenovo’s first foray into the world of 13-inch laptops since the original ThinkPad X1 back in 2011. The X1 Nano is even more portable, which means as small, compact, and lightweight as possible. A first for the X1-series is the 16:10 display resulting in a display that is just as wide as that of a 16:9 14-inch laptop. It is powered by a Tiger Lake UP4 CPU and is thus about as fast as the older ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 in regard to CPU performance.
There are, however, a few downsides as well, particularly connectivity and keyboard. With just two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports the X1 Nano is very limited for a business notebook, and the keyboard’s key travel is just 1.35 mm (yet another first for a ThinkPad) making for a completely different typing experience. Despite these flaws the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 1 scored an impressive 90 % from the get-go, and was thus able to secure a place high up ont his top list.
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5th – Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2020
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon and ThinkPad X1 Yoga are basically two sides of the same coin. Both feature an identical mainboard design and are thus alike yet very different at the same time. Like its predecessor, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 5 features a case made completely out of glass and metal, and plastic is nowhere to be found. And while this makes for a more robust and sturdy case it also increases weight when compared to the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. Other than that, its strengths and weaknesses are very similar to the X1 Carbon, save for the fact that the X1 Yoga is of course a convertible.
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6th – Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 1
Yet another AMD Ryzen 4000-based ThinkPad that made our business top 10 list: the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 1. Its list of pros and cons is mostly identical to the AMD-based ThinkPad T14s’s, compared to which the display, keyboard, and case are slightly smaller, and the battery life is slightly shorter. In addition, the ThinkPad X13 performed slightly worse than the T14s. In return, unlike the T14s it offers an easily replaceable keyboard.
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7th – Dell Latitude 7310
The Latitude 7310 is the professional cousin of Dell’s popular XPS 13. Instead of an eye-catching metal display lid it features a more refined and unobtrusive professional design with a dark-gray carbon-fiber-based display lid. Unlike the XPS 13 the Latitude 7310 comes with various ports, built-in LTE, and other business features. In addition, it is lightweight, quiet, and it offers a long battery life. It is optionally available with aluminum case.
Drawbacks include the soldered RAM as well as its Intel CPU’s disappointing performance. The fact that Dell does not offer an AMD option is a major showstopper as well.
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8th – Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1
The ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 is the first generation of Lenovo’s probably best-sold ThinkPad series following the new naming convention. Unlike before, where we had a ThinkPad T490 and a ThinkPad T495, the new generation do not differ in name any longer. Accordingly, we had to combine them in our top list as well. With 89 %, the AMD SKU scored a little bit higher than the T14 with Intel's 88 %.
The excellent keyboard and very good case are identical on both models, as is the high-quality low-power FHD LCD and its plentiful connectivity. Unfortunately, the AMD SKU lacks Thunderbolt. In return, it features the much more powerful AMD Ryzen Pro 4000-series CPUs that in the end turned the tide in favor of the AMD model.
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9th – Dell Latitude 7410
To everyone’s surprise Dell decided to redesign its premium Latitude 700 series once again this year. With its robust aluminum case the Dell Latitude 7410 is supposed to compete against Lenovo’s ThinkPad T14s and X1 Carbon. And while it fails to outshine its competitors in every aspect it does offer a few benefits, such as for example the large touchpad, integrated WWAN, and a very long battery life.
In return, it ended up being comparatively large and heavy, its RAM is soldered onto the motherboard, and it lacks a trackpoint. And last but not least there is no AMD Ryzen 4000 option, which is the main reason why it failed to keep up with the ThinkPad T14s.
Pricecompare
10th – Dell Latitude 9510
15-inch business laptops are less common than 15-inch laptops in the consumer space, as is reflected by our top 10 list. The Latitude 9510, a member of Dell’s new Latitude 9000 high-end-series, still managed to make this list, mainly because it is comparatively lightweight for its size and offers a very good battery life thanks to its large battery courtesy of the larger case.
In return, RAM is soldered onto the motherboard, which is uncommon in laptops this size. It also lacks a dedicated GPU option, and CPU performance was disappointing to say the least. The Dell Latitude 9510 would definitely have benefitted from an AMD Ryzen 4000 option.
Pricecompare
Test Results
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14s-20UJS00K00 | HP Elite Dragonfly-8MK79EA | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2020-20UAS04T00 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2020-20UCS03S00 | Lenovo ThinkPad X13-20UGS00800 | Dell Latitude 7310 | Lenovo ThinkPad T14-20UES00H00 | Dell Latitude 7410 | Dell Latitude 9510 2-in-1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | ||||||||||
| Display P3 Coverage | 66.82 | 68.99 | 68.94 | 70.43 | 64.32 | 64.84 | 71.78 | 66.11 | 71.78 | 71.19 |
| sRGB Coverage | 97.89 | 99.38 | 91.62 | 99.92 | 95.46 | 95.61 | 99.3 | 95.79 | 99.3 | 99.27 |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 68.96 | 70.86 | 67.05 | 71.98 | 65.63 | 65.67 | 72.37 | 67.2 | 72.37 | 71.31 |
| Response Times | ||||||||||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 32.4 (16.4, 16) | 60.8 (30.8, 30) | 64.8 (30.8, 34) | 46.8 (22, 24.8) | 52 (24.4, 27.6) | 56.8 (29.2, 27.6) | 40.8 (22.4, 18.4) | 64 (30.8, 33.2) | 39.2 (20.4, 18.8) | 52.8 (25.2, 27.6) |
| Response Time Black / White * | 15.2 (6.8, 8.4) | 33.8 (17.2, 16.6) | 30.4 (10.8, 19.6) | 28 (13.2, 14.8) | 25.6 (12.4, 13.2) | 30 (16.8, 13.2) | 28.8 (14.8, 14) | 29.6 (13.2, 16.4) | 22.4 (12.4, 10) | 32 (16.4, 15.6) |
| PWM Frequency | 26040 (50) | 2404 (50) | ||||||||
| Screen | ||||||||||
| Brightness middle | 404 | 411 | 422 | 460 | 409 | 331 | 332.7 | 406 | 388.6 | 426.7 |
| Brightness | 371 | 388 | 395 | 434 | 405 | 315 | 329 | 403 | 365 | 394 |
| Brightness Distribution | 88 | 87 | 90 | 92 | 95 | 90 | 89 | 88 | 82 | 87 |
| Black Level * | 0.34 | 0.22 | 0.27 | 0.27 | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.25 | 0.2 | 0.35 | 0.3 |
| Contrast | 1188 | 1868 | 1563 | 1704 | 1948 | 1576 | 1331 | 2030 | 1110 | 1422 |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 * | 1.4 | 1.8 | 4.7 | 1.1 | 4.9 | 6.1 | 2.15 | 3.3 | 4.04 | 4.28 |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 max. * | 3.2 | 4.1 | 10 | 4.5 | 8.4 | 10 | 3.89 | 4.8 | 9.2 | 10.43 |
| Colorchecker DeltaE2000 calibrated * | 0.8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.09 | 1.5 | 1.25 | 1.46 |
| Greyscale DeltaE2000 * | 1.6 | 2.5 | 6.4 | 1.6 | 5.8 | 6.3 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 6.4 | 8.1 |
| Gamma | 2.13 103% | 2.26 97% | 2.12 104% | 2.2 100% | 2.53 87% | 2.77 79% | 2.3 96% | 2.43 91% | 2.3 96% | 2.26 97% |
| CCT | 6480 100% | 6448 101% | 7106 91% | 6475 100% | 7009 93% | 6938 94% | 6347 102% | 6893 94% | 6957 93% | 7993 81% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 63 | 64.7 | 59.5 | 65.7 | 60.7 | 60.7 | 64.1 | 61.5 | 66.4 | 65.2 |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 97.9 | 99.3 | 91.5 | 99.9 | 95.3 | 95.4 | 99.4 | 95.5 | 99.4 | 99.2 |
| Noise | ||||||||||
| off / environment * | 29.2 | 29.5 | 29.5 | 24.9 | 29.4 | 29.1 | 29 | 29.3 | 28.1 | 27.2 |
| Idle Minimum * | 29.2 | 29.5 | 29.5 | 24.9 | 29.4 | 29.1 | 29 | 29.3 | 28.1 | 27.2 |
| Idle Average * | 29.2 | 30 | 29.5 | 26.3 | 29.4 | 29.1 | 29 | 29.3 | 28.1 | 27.2 |
| Idle Maximum * | 29.6 | 30.3 | 29.5 | 31.8 | 30.6 | 29.1 | 29 | 30.3 | 28.1 | 27.2 |
| Load Average * | 30.2 | 31.6 | 31.6 | 34.3 | 33.7 | 31.1 | 30.1 | 31.3 | 30 | 33.4 |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 32.3 | 34.3 | 33 | |||||||
| Load Maximum * | 32.3 | 31.6 | 33.9 | 37.5 | 33.7 | 31.8 | 41.3 | 33 | 39.3 | 39.5 |
| Heat | ||||||||||
| Maximum Upper Side * | 44.7 | 41.1 | 45.2 | 42.2 | 44.1 | 44.8 | 45.2 | 49.2 | 44.6 | 42.8 |
| Maximum Bottom * | 44.6 | 47.5 | 45.7 | 47.5 | 48.4 | 42.1 | 52.8 | 59.2 | 48.4 | 41.8 |
| Idle Upper Side * | 25.6 | 26.4 | 24.7 | 24.3 | 26 | 24.1 | 28.2 | 26.7 | 28.8 | 29.2 |
| Idle Bottom * | 25.6 | 29.7 | 25 | 25.3 | 25.8 | 25.1 | 31.6 | 35.8 | 29.8 | 31 |
| Battery Runtime | ||||||||||
| Reader / Idle | 1297 | 2246 | 1879 | 3537 | ||||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 612 | 605 | 604 | 596 | 654 | 522 | 758 | 502 | 661 | 1124 |
| Load | 127 | 166 | 95 | 98 | 120 | 92 | 106 | 71 | 172 | 241 |
| Power Consumption | ||||||||||
| Idle Minimum * | 5.7 | 3.5 | 2.96 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 6 | 2.7 | 5.8 | 3.7 | 2.1 |
| Idle Average * | 8.9 | 5.1 | 5.9 | 5.7 | 6 | 8.9 | 4.4 | 8.3 | 6.2 | 4.6 |
| Idle Maximum * | 11 | 8.1 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.6 | 11.3 | 4.8 | 11 | 7 | 5.3 |
| Load Average * | 38.2 | 35.6 | 42.1 | 29.6 | 42.6 | 34.2 | 33.4 | 39.5 | 43.2 | 45.8 |
| Load Maximum * | 40.2 | 44.7 | 65.1 | 55.1 | 67.3 | 37.2 | 69.7 | 40.8 | 68.6 | 96.3 |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 27.7 |
* ... smaller is better
