Details, details, and more details! Buying the best laptop for you can be maddening, given all specifications and features you'll encounter in your search. Which class of laptops is best for you depends on your budget and how you plan to use it. Take a systematic approach when shopping -- here's how to make a smart pick.

Let's start with a rundown of the main types of laptops on today's market.

Now that we've covered the major types of laptops available to buy, let's explore the laptop specifics you'll need to decide on before pressing the Buy button. In the main part of the guide below, we'll get into each consideration in detail, but here's a TLDR summary of what we'll cover:

Choosing a laptop based on what might be the "best" laptop brand isn't the best initial approach -- assess laptops model by model instead. Some brands have reputations for what they're best suited for. But going by those alone can mean you miss a winner from a different brand.

For instance, Apple has long been known for its MacBooks' particular aptitude for creative professionals, from writers to photo/video editors and even digital designers. Meanwhile, Lenovo is best known for its class-leading keyboards, and its ThinkPad business machines and mobile workstations. As a last example, brands like Acer and Asus, while they have high-end models, tend to dominate the midrange and budget sectors with value-minded systems. Other major makers of first-rate laptops include HP and MSI. But there's tons of crossover in all of these assessments that them almost meaningless.

If knowing the top laptop brands still drives you, go with the wisdom of the crowd: See what you can find within our running Readers' Choice: Best Laptop Brands series, which polls readers like you to name their favorite laptop brands for specific use cases and scenarios.

Many of the best laptops can last the better part of a workday away from an outlet. You'll find exceptions. A leading laptop with a 4K display and a powerful CPU may last less time, and gaming laptops deplete far sooner than most other machines. And when playing demanding, GPU-taxing games? Gaming laptops run out of juice faster than most. A lot depends on how you compute; even powerful laptops have become adept at sensing when maximum power isn't required and reduce various components' consumption.

This is where PC Labs' battery testing comes in. We evaluate battery life by playing a locally stored video file nonstop at middle brightness. An excellent result suggests that the laptop can adapt its power use to the task at hand; our testing lets you compare the potential of the machines you are considering. We evaluate all laptops using this test. At the preceding link is an extended summary of the best battery performers.

Measuring battery life is never an absolute, though, since it depends on how you use your laptop. Your usage profile probably doesn't match our test -- or anyone else's -- to a T. So you'll want to look at tested battery life in a relative, not absolute, sense.

If you're keeping score, HP's OmniBook X AI (based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite CPU) and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (the M3 model) are today's longest-lasting laptops we've reviewed, enduring 30 hours on our battery rundown test.

Don't care about cutting-edge design and robust components? A cheap laptop could suffice. Today's market is flooded with basic but full-featured models under $500. "Shopping holidays" like Prime Day and Black Friday, and actual holidays like Presidents' Day, bring frequent sales, discounting some of these models even further.

Most handle word processing and email checking just fine, but they'll struggle with heavier tasks, such as keeping many web browser tabs or memory- and CPU-demanding programs open simultaneously. Look at our reviews to compare performance. PC Labs has tested many late-model budget laptops; some are classic clamshells, and others are convertible or detachable 2-in-1s. (See a few of our top cheap laptops in our lineup of favorites above.)

Spending closer to $1,000 unlocks many of the cutting-edge features modern laptops offer: slim, sturdy aluminum chassis, brilliant touch-enabled 4K displays, powerful processors and graphics chips, and all-day batteries. Some leading laptops bring these features closer to $800; check brands like Acer, Asus, and HP.

A major caveat: In this price range, you'll have to choose the most important features. You might land a beautiful 4K display or a cavernous terabyte of solid-state storage at this price, but probably not both.

If your piggy bank has $2,000 or more, you can choose almost any combination. Even the most powerful laptop that money can buy, though, must still obey the laws of physics. Powerful hardware generates heat, and the cooling mechanisms required take up space. Hard-core gamers who want a large display and a screaming-fast graphics processor that requires bulky cooling pipes and fans won't find it in a thin, light laptop.

IT-manageable, security-conscious business laptops -- models made primarily by Dell, HP, and Lenovo -- have their own pricing dynamic and tend to cost a bit more, all else being equal. That's because of their premium warranty or support plans, enterprise-specific silicon focused on manageability or security, fingerprint or face-recognition login features, and more rugged build quality.

Most people searching for the best laptop should choose one that measures about half an inch thick and weighs 3 pounds or less. These are the maximum dimensions and heft a laptop can have to be considered ultraportable, and for most users, portability is the key to maximizing use and enjoyment.

Aiming for that weight and thickness usually means a laptop with a 13- or 14-inch screen, although a few models with 15-inch or larger screens qualify. You can find models in either conventional "clamshell" laptops or 2-in-1 designs at most of these screen sizes.

Some Windows laptops and ChromeOS laptops do have smaller 11- or 12-inch displays, often not technically laptops in the classic sense but rather tablets with detachable keyboards. Avoid these designs unless you're looking for a part-time tablet or the lightest possible laptop. They're lighter than most 13-inch ultraportables, often less than 2 pounds, but they're not as effective at being tablets as the Apple iPad is, and their detachable keyboards mean typing on most of them tends to be subpar.

At the other end of the size spectrum are 17-inch and 18-inch laptops. They mostly appeal to hard-core gamers, but you can find the occasional 17-inch productivity machine or workstation if you like a larger screen for other reasons. A 17-inch or 18-inch laptop can closely mimic a desktop experience at the expense of size and weight. Most 18-inchers are meant for gaming; the larger panels complement the latest GeForce and Radeon GPUs, which make use of the extra chassis space for cooling. These monsters from Alienware, Asus, and Razer tackle the hardest graphics tasks to date to varying effects.

Some of these designs can exceed 8 pounds and measure more than an inch thick. If you plan to park your gaming rig on your desk and seldom move it, a 17-incher or 18-incher is a possibility. Otherwise, most gamers should stick with 15- or 16-inch designs.

The best laptop screens have grown more pixel-dense over the past decade, making for crisper text and sharper images, often with better-looking colors. Displays are sometimes measured in pixels per inch (ppi), but native resolution, expressed in horizontal by vertical pixels, is the most popular method.

Most laptops have screens with at least "full HD" resolutions. Also known as "1080p" displays, they comprise 1,920 by 1,080 pixels (or sometimes 1,920 by 1,200) and most commonly employ LCD panels built on in-plane switching (IPS) technology. IPS screen quality varies, but these screens maintain image color when viewed off-center. Thin-film transistor, or TFT, technology predates IPS and has faded out due to its inferior viewing angles.

Only the very cheapest laptops still use TFT (resolutions of 1,280 by 720 and 1,366 by 768 pixels are common here), which cannot touch the crisp text and vivid colors found on smartphones or TVs. If you're not picky about image quality, though, a lower-resolution display might be an acceptable sacrifice.

For the crispest text and details, common resolutions beyond 1080p include 1440p (2,560 by 1,440), 1600p (2,560 by 1,600), and 4K or 2160p (3,840 by 2,160). Some high-end screens still use IPS panels, while others use OLED technology. OLED screens command a premium for their inky blacks and luxurious colors. A few premium laptops have moved to mini LED backlighting technology for finer control over color depth and image brightness, especially boosting HDR content.

Regardless of the specific screen tech, people who plan to use their laptops in brightly lit rooms or outdoors will want to make sure that the panel has a maximum brightness level of at least 500 nits.

Finally, gamers and video content creators must pay attention to the refresh rate, or how often per second the screen redraws content, measured in hertz. A 60Hz rate is standard, with 120Hz and 144Hz common in gaming laptops and reaching as high as 360Hz. Unless you're an esports gamer seeking extreme frame rates, don't worry about going past 144Hz. And before you pay a major premium for a high-refresh screen, be sure the graphics chip, or GPU, is muscular enough to push your games at a high enough frame rate to make a difference. If you are playing games at 60 frames per second or lower, a high-refresh screen won't confer many benefits.

If you want to take advantage of the touch-screen support present throughout Windows and ChromeOS, seek out a touch-enabled laptop and perhaps even a digital stylus to write or draw on it. Some Windows laptops come in touch- and non-touch versions, so check specs carefully. Touch panels tend to be glossy screens; most matte screens designed to filter out glare from ambient lighting aren't. Most gaming laptops lack touch panels, and Apple MacBooks don't do touch screens at all.

Most $1,000 ultraportables use Intel Core processors or, less commonly, AMD Ryzen CPUs. All of these offer plenty of power for everyday computing tasks, but remember that higher CPU model numbers in a given family of chips typically indicate more processor cores, higher maximum clock speeds, and sometimes even multithreading. With multithreading, each CPU core can run two sets of software instructions simultaneously instead of just one. Modern software is designed to take advantage of as many CPU cores as possible so it can run faster on multithreaded chips.

Meanwhile, budget laptops typically use AMD Ryzen 3 processors, or Core i3 or Pentium/N-series chips in Intel's case. These typically have just a few individual cores. At the other end of the spectrum, high-end powerhouse laptops have workstation-class Intel or AMD CPUs with double-digit core counts.

Regardless of which CPU a laptop has, it's typically designed to use less power and generate less heat than its desktop counterpart. In the latest mainstream, lightweight laptops, Intel laptop CPUs typically consume 15 watts (W) of power (or less) up to as much as 45W for the highest-end mobile tasks.

Gaming laptops and mobile workstations typically feature higher-powered CPUs, usually denoted by an "H" in the CPU's model name. These require more cooling hardware and consume more energy, but they drive performance closer to that of a desktop PC. You'll find H-series CPUs from both AMD and Intel.

Apple is in its third generation of M-series silicon for MacBooks. As of this year, all of Apple's laptop models contain some variation of its M3 processors.

Getting into laptop-processor specifics can get you pretty deep in the weeds, but for a decent overview that doesn't overwhelm you, check out our guide to choosing a laptop CPU that fits what you do. As a 2024 rule of thumb, though, Core Ultra-family chips are Intel's latest, while the Ryzen AI 300 and Ryzen 8000 series are AMD's newest offerings. Chips with a "U" in the model number are typically lower-powered CPUs for thin machines, and the "H" chips indicate power-user machines. A new 2024 CPU variant is the Snapdragon X Elite and Plus family from Qualcomm, powering some recent AI-equipped models that run a special Arm-based version of Windows. (See more about these in What Is an AI PC?)

A graphics processor built into the CPU (also known as an "integrated graphics processor," or IGP) is perfectly adequate for most everyday laptop use. You'll know you're looking at an IGP if you see a reference to Intel's Arc Graphics, HD Graphics, UHD Graphics, or Iris as the graphics solution on an Intel-CPU laptop (or Radeon Graphics on an AMD-based laptop). An IGP shares the CPU's processor cores, memory, or both. The amount of memory available to the integrated graphics chip is usually fixed, so increasing the system memory won't result in better graphics performance.

Most gamers will want to consider a discrete GPU with dedicated computing resources. Even a budget gaming GPU will offer an immense advantage over an integrated graphics processor when it comes to playing 3D games. Hard-core gamers should look for Nvidia's latest GeForce RTX GPUs at the high end.

With gaming laptops, the level of GPU you need is deeply tied to the frame rate you want to run at the laptop's native screen resolution and the kind of games you play. That's where our reviews come in handy. We test with demanding gaming and industry-standard benchmarks to give you a relative sense of a laptop's graphics performance. Check out our roundup of the best gaming laptops overall and the best budget gaming laptops for much more. PC Labs has tested all of the latest gaming laptops across the market, from budget models to cost-no-object deluxe ones. In our lineup of favorites up top, we've also detailed our top picks in three categories (budget, mainstream, and high-end).

All modern laptops above entry level now use solid-state drives (SSDs), which store data using memory cells instead of spinning platters (the classic hard drive). SSDs' much faster access times make them a vast improvement. They're also immune to jolts and bumps that might crash a spinning platter's heads.

Note that not all laptop SSDs are created equal. SSDs that use the more modern, generally faster PCI Express NVMe standard, as opposed to the older, slightly slower SATA interface, are preferable. (PCI Express SSDs are rapidly taking over the field.) Either is far better than a third type, which is a not-quite-SSD: the much slower eMMC, a kind of flash storage drive found in budget machines. (If your budget laptop has 32GB or 64GB of storage, it's probably eMMC. Check the specs.) Traditional spinning hard drives are now rare in new laptops, and eMMC is the slowest and least desirable flash tech.

The minimum amount of storage space to consider is 256GB. This will accommodate operating system updates and large apps with room left over. Seek out a minimum of 512GB for multimedia storage (also PC games). At the high end, you'll find 1TB or even roomier SSDs, but going beyond 1TB can add a lot to the overall cost. It's more cost-effective to get a 512GB or 1TB SSD and add an external drive if you need additional space.

While a laptop's SSD stores your data, its system memory (or RAM) works with the CPU to run apps and helps define its multitasking capacity. While you might squeak by with 8GB of RAM, 16GB is essentially the floor now for RAM capacity, especially for heavy multitaskers and PC gamers. A minimum of 16GB of RAM reduces the chance of slowdown while browsing resource-hungry websites and allows you to run multiple apps at once. It's also necessary for running the various AI tasks that modern laptops are capable of.

Beyond 16GB is mostly needed by content creators or high-end PC gamers; meanwhile, steer clear of anything with less than 8GB of RAM. Even Chromebooks, which are designed to demand fewer computing resources than Windows laptops, suffer with less than 8GB of RAM at minimum.

Starting with wireless connectivity, the latest mainstream Wi-Fi standard is 802.11ax (or Wi-Fi 6), an important feature to look for. Steer clear of the older 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5). Today's high end is Wi-Fi 6E, with the cutting-edge Wi-Fi 7 showing up only in the most premium devices; the latter reduces latency and provides access to additional bandwidth with a compliant router.

Serious gamers should consider a laptop with a Killer Networks setup, which more granularly prioritizes wired or wireless gaming traffic. Business users and gamers may also want a dedicated Ethernet jack. Most gaming machines will have one, and some gamers insist wired Ethernet rules for competitive online gaming. Some leading laptops implement Ethernet as a full-size or fold-out jack; others may come with an adapter that routes Ethernet through a USB port. Others leave wired Ethernet up to you to add via an accessory.

As for other physical connections, pay attention to the type and quantity of USB ports each laptop has. Look for laptops with both USB Type-A and Type-C ports. USB-A is the familiar rectangular connector that has been around for decades, while USB-C is smaller, pill-shaped, and sometimes accepts the laptop's charger.

Some budget laptops may only have USB-A ports. On the other hand, some ultra-thin designs only have USB-C ports, which means you'll need dongles to connect USB-A peripherals you own. A mix is what you want.

Check for an HDMI or DisplayPort connector for video output, especially if you plan to connect your laptop to your TV, desktop monitor, or lecture hall A/V system. Sometimes, DisplayPort video outputs are implemented on laptops via USB-C ports to save space.

Photographers may benefit from a built-in SD or microSD card reader for image uploading. Finally, if you plan to use your laptop in an unsecured location, a Kensington-cable style or Noble-lock style security notch for fastening a physical locking cable is helpful. Make sure the notch type matches the kind of tethering cable you intend to use.

Every manufacturer and reseller has different standards for refurbishing used laptops. It's best to buy any refurbished machine directly from the manufacturer's online store rather than from a reseller.

Some resellers or third parties will rate their refurbished stock with a grade. (It pays to ask who has done the refurbishing -- the manufacturer itself or the reseller.) Refurbished laptops are sold and rated with grades of A, B+, B, C, and so on to reflect their wear and tear. However, it's generally up to the reseller what the grade means. We strongly recommend insisting on an ironclad return policy in the case of purchases like these if you decide to roll the dice. You could end up pleasantly surprised, but usually, a refurbished laptop deal that looks too good to be true...is.

Most laptop makers offer one-year warranties on parts and labor. These standard plans are limited, so they won't cover accidents like spilling a drink on the keyboard or dropping the system on the sidewalk. Fortunately, your credit card issuer likely covers such mishaps for a short period after you buy a new product, and it also may extend the manufacturer's warranty. (For example, many Mastercard accounts include a doubling of the standard warranty period up to one year.) Check your account benefits guide for details.

If your credit card issuer doesn't cover you, some top laptop makers will happily sell you extended warranties. Apple, Dell, HP, and Lenovo all offer wide ranges of extended warranties and coverage for accidental damage. Expect to spend $100 to $300 for these options. Our rule of thumb is that if a warranty costs more than 15% of the laptop's purchase price, you're better off spending the money on backup drives or services that minimize downtime.

Of course, you can't put a price tag on peace of mind. You'll encounter instances when the logic board or the display -- the most expensive parts of a laptop -- fail, and while rare, such a catastrophe can cost you half of what the laptop is worth in repair costs.

Shopping for a leading laptop is an exercise in patience. An ultra-competitive market means that even if you've got specific requirements, you can almost certainly find a handful of excellent models that will meet them and another handful of perfectly serviceable but ho-hum models that will, too. Now that you know which specifications to look for, parsing the good from the bad will be much easier.