Ranking: Best workstation laptops tested by Notebookcheck

No more "Precision"! Dell has come up with a new name for its 2025 workstation portfolio: Dell Pro Max. The largest and heaviest model in this series has an 18-inch diagonal screen and goes by the name of Dell Pro Max 18 Plus. Equipped with the most powerful mobile CPUs from Intel, Arrow Lake HX, as well as the professional Nvidia RTX Pro GPUs, the Pro Max offers extremely high performance, also thanks to a total of three fans. One weak point: The display resolution is limited, there is no resolution higher than WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600). Otherwise, the Dell Pro Max 18 Plus is an excellent workstation - if you can largely do without the mobility.

The Dell Pro Max Plus is available in an 18 inch and 16 inch versions. The smaller version, the Dell Pro Max 16 Plusswaps a little of the performance of its larger sibling for a little more mobility - aspects such as design and input devices remain the same, but there is also the option of a high-resolution 4K OLED screen. Overall, the Dell Pro Max 16 Plus is only inferior to the 18-inch model in a few aspects and thus also earns its place on the workstation best list.

ZBook Power becomes ZBook X, nothing else changes! But that's not quite true. Although HP has not changed the positioning of the new HP ZBook X G1i 16 compared to its predecessor, the ZBook Power 16, it does have a new interior, with Arrow Lake H and the RTX Pro 2000 Blackwell. Innovations that are worthwhile. Of course, as a mid-range model in the ZBook lineup, the ZBook X lacks some features, such as OLED displays, but the new model delivers excellent battery life and continues to offer great upgradeability.

The entire workstation segment is firmly in the hands of Nvidia graphics chips. But with the ZBook Ultra G1a 14 hP has launched a Gallic workstation that shakes up the status quo. True to its name, it is a compact 14-inch workstation that is equipped by HP with processors from the AMD Strix Halo series - and does without an Nvidia GPU. Instead, HP relies entirely on the integrated AMD graphics solution, the AMD Radeon 8060S. The result: very high performance in a compact and high-quality metal casing. The biggest disadvantage is the soldered RAM, but with up to 128 GB ex works, this should be bearable for many users.

Lenovo's ThinkPad P16 G2 is a minor refresh following a major overhaul in the previous generation. The workstation now features Raptor Lake and Raptor Lake Refresh processors, along with slight GPU upgrades. RAM capacity has been increased from 128 GB to 192 GB. However, Lenovo has not addressed previous criticisms, such as the lack of an RJ45 Ethernet port and the inclusion of only two M.2 2280 slots in a workstation of this size.

The HP ZBook Fury 16 G11 builds on the success of its predecessor, which ranked highly in last year’s workstation list. The new model remains largely unchanged aside from an update to Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs. It retains its strengths, including excellent upgradeability, a bright and fast display, and high performance, though performance stability could be improved. Despite this minor drawback, the ZBook Fury remains a solid choice in 2024.

With the 2025 models, HP has adapted the naming system of its ZBook workstations to its EliteBook laptops for the office sector. The ZBook Firefly 14 thus becomes the HP ZBook 8 G1i 14. We tested the new model both with dGPU and with Intel GPU only, the model with Nvidia RTX Pro 500 Blackwell performs slightly better in the workstation tests. Overall, the ZBook laptop is a good compact entry-level solution, even if we lack an SD card reader.

The HP ZBook Studio 16 G11 aims to strike a balance between performance and mobility. Weighing just 1.8 kg, it is impressively lightweight for a powerful workstation. It is also highly upgradeable and features an excellent display. However, it has only one SSD slot, a subpar webcam, and mediocre battery life.

The Key 18 Pro is a mobile workstation in a large 18-inch format. The Key 18 Pro (E25 model) impresses with a good keyboard as well as high upgradeability and performance, and Schenker also installs a great 4K UHD display with a 200 Hz refresh rate. The disadvantage of all the performance that an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 means: The large laptop is quite loud under load, and the performance is also reduced in battery mode. Unpleasant: The lid sometimes creaks a little, which shouldn't really happen with a laptop that costs over 6,000 euros.

Lenovo’s ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 continues its tradition of combining performance with mobility, positioning itself as a premium option alongside the ThinkPad X1 series. This latest version enhances quality with a haptic touchpad and an aluminum lid, making it more premium than its predecessor. While it no longer offers the highest-end GPUs, overall performance remains excellent. The inclusion of a 120 Hz display and improved battery life enhances the user experience, though the high price may be a deterrent.

The ThinkPad P14s Gen 6 (AMD version) is Lenovo's most compact and lightest mobile workstation. This year, this model has been significantly upgraded, as Strix Point has found its way into this compact workstation laptop. The Ryzen AI 9 HX CPU impresses with its high performance and the ThinkPad laptop has great upgradeability as well as good input devices and a wide range of connectivity options. Weak point: As a pure AMD workstation, there is no dedicated GPU. Although the AMD Radeon 890M is not completely useless, it cannot keep up with dedicated GPUs.