The best laptops of fall 2023 - 76 reviewed laptops compared

In order to quickly identify the potential areas of use of each individual laptop, we have added the terms "work", "create" and "play" to them. "Work" means laptops that are primarily equipped for everyday digital work that isn't tied to any massive performance demands. "Create" represents a package made up of CPU/GPU performance as well as display quality specifically for editing and creating content. "Play" is more targeted toward users who, at the forefront, use their laptop for gaming. Of course, there will be some overlap between the different areas — we would recommend taking a look at each model's detailed review we have published to help with this.

Within the last three months, the recently reviewed Apple MacBook Pro 16 with an M3 Max CPU achieved the highest overall rating. However, the powerful all-round laptop isn't cheap, currently costing around US$2,400. In second place is the HP ZBook Fury 16 G10, an extremely powerful workstation for professional users. Prices start from around US$2,700. The Lenovo ThinkPad P1 G6, a true workstation, is about on the same level and can be had in lots of different configurations. Prices start from US$1,640. The Asus ExpertBook B9 also places itself right at the top. The compact work laptop is a jack-of-all-trades, but at US$2,000, it isn't the most affordable. Fifth place is occupied by HP's Elitebook 845 G10, a sleek 14-inch office laptop based on AMD. Currently, the high-quality allrounder can be had for US$1,370. Asus' ZenBook Pro 16X UX760 is another powerful and well-ranking model. Price: around US$4,500.

Lenovo's ThinkPad T14s G4 with AMD components received a total score of 91 % in our test, while the Intel version managed 89 %. The mobile laptop for office professionals costs around US$2,200. The first of the gamers within our top-rated laptops is called the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8. You will have to pay about US$2,000 for the gaming laptop with an AMD CPU and an RTX graphics card. The Dell Latitude 7340 is a very mobile 13-inch laptop, which achieved a high total rating of 90 % within the sub-notebook category. It can currently be found for about US$1,600. The next highly-rated gaming laptop is the Lenovo Legion 9 16IRX8 which also achieved an impressive total score of 90 %. However, you will have to part with around US$5,000 for this high-end device. Apple's new MacBook Pro 14 M3 did just as well, and its prices start from about US$1,730. Next up is the Lenovo ThinkPad T16 G2, an office allrounder with a generous display which costs US$1,500 (32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD SKU).

The LG Gram Style 14 specializes in maximum portability thanks to its low weight of under one kilogram — but unfortunately, it isn't yet available to purchase. Lenovo's ThinkPad X13 G4 is also portable with great flexibility thanks to its 13-inch display and its price of just over US$1,000. One option for professional users who require high performance while still maintaining good portability is the Dell Precision 5480, costing US$2,480. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano G3 also lies beneath the magical weight cut-off point of one kilogram, achieving a high total rating of 90 % in our test. The laptop can currently be found for about US$1,080. Lenovo's ThinkPad X13 Yoga G4 is compact and extremely flexible thanks to its 360-degree hinge. Price: US$1,020. We already tested Alienware's m16 R1 gaming laptop with AMD and Intel — both models secured themselves a great total score. The system can be had from US$2,000 (in Germany).

The XMG Core 16 can also be classed as a gaming device and it can be had in a variety of CPU/GPU variants. You can get it for US$1,800. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon G11 is Lenovo's newest high-end business laptop, coming in at about US$1,270. In theory, Dell's Precision 5680 should be able to tackle current games, however, the mobile workstation is configured as a work device for digital professionals. The Precision can be found in different configurations with prices starting from US$2,200. The Schenker Vision 14 is a slim and compact (but still powerful) office laptop which costs about US$1,900. Lenovo's ThinkPad L13 Yoga G4 is one of the cheaper options if you're looking for a ThinkPad convertible — depending on the configuration, you can get it for around US$1,400. When it comes to Lenovo's classic clam-shell ThinkPad designs, the Lenovo ThinkPad L14 G4 (which did great in our test) will cost you the least, namely US$1,000.

The Schenker Vision 16, which costs US$1,500, features a big display and lots of CPU power. The Acer Swift Edge SFA16 did great in our test, too — despite its AMD hardware and big display, the laptop only weighs 1.2 kilograms. Price: Around US$1,300 (in Germany). The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 G4 is a versatile office laptop made for daily and intensive work use, without any unnecessary frills. It can be found starting from US$910. The Lenovo Yoga 9 Pro opens up a wide variety of multimedia and creator opportunities at a price of US$2,600. On the other hand, the EliteBook 1040 G10 is a portable business laptop intended for daily office use, costing US$1,699 (16 GB, 512 GB, i7-1355U SKU). Lenovo's ThinkPad E14 offers a more affordable introduction into the ThinkPad series, at US$920.

The Predator Helios 18 is Acer's top-of-the-range gaming device. High-end graphics meet high-performance processors and an impressive display. This fun begins at US$2,600 (in Germany). Asus' ROG Flow X13 is a compact 13-inch gaming convertible that's especially interesting for mobile gamers and creators. Price: US$2,200 (in Germany). The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 combines powerful AMD components with a slim and lightweight case as well as a great OLED display. Unfortunately, the laptop isn't yet available to buy. For primarily stationary office use, take a look at the Lenovo ThinkPad E16 which only costs around US$900. The HP Envy x360 2-in-1 15 is super versatile thanks to its convertible display. It can be had for US$860. Lenovo's Yoga 9 Pro 16IRP8 aka the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i packs lots of CPU/GPU power into a 16-inch case and is first and foremost targeted towards creators. Get it via Lenovo's US store.

HP's Omen Transcend 16 manages to fit lots of performance into a comparatively thin case, as a result creating a sleek gaming laptop. Prices for this device start from US$999. Gaming and content creation are the main strengths of the XMG Pro 16 Studio (M23). The laptop can be freely configured, with prices starting from US$1,900. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 16APH8 is a 16-inch gaming laptop with an attractive price. It can be had for US$1,500. Its smaller brother (14 inches) is the Lenovo Legion Slim5 14 APH8, which can be had for about US$1,200. The last laptop that got a very good total rating in our test is the Asus VivoBook Pro 16. Configured with the RTX 4060 Laptop and the Core i9-13900H, this multimedia allrounder can be had for about US$1,200.

In addition, you can find even more interesting laptops in the top list below, ranked according to their overall Notebookcheck test ratings.

Based on the test results within the period under review, we carried out an editorial vote among our senior authors in order to present the Editors' Choice Award. Special awards are given to the laptops that stand out thanks to their successful overall package, absolute top performance in special evaluation areas — or if they boast a particularly good price-to-performance ratio and represent an attractive purchase option for our editors in the respective category.

In our detailed review of the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8, the laptop impressed in many ways. Its case not only looks great, but it is also stable and high-quality. Its input devices are also appealing, which gamers and creators will appreciate. The installed display features good brightness levels and the 240-Hz display's low reaction times fit well with the Legion Slim 7's intended field of use. In terms of performance, the installed AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS is a top-of-the-range component, while the Legion's pure gaming performance trails slightly behind the top-scoring laptops with comparable features. However, fans of quiet laptops will get their money's worth: In quiet mode, the Legion can be operated with whisper-quiet fans and only loses around 15% of its performance when running games. With up to 7 hours of mobile Wi-Fi use, the Legion Slim 7 also offers solid mobility.

The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 is currently available on Lenovo's online store for just US$1,099.

Please note: Commercial use of the award graphics may require a license. Further details.

The table above shows all laptops tested in the period under review with their overall and partial ratings in our detailed test, as well as a selection of important parameters and benchmarks. All results and details can be found in the linked reviews. 
The table can be sorted in each column, simply click on the respective column title, for example "weight".