The best Windows laptops you can buy: 12 we recommend for every budget

Tech specs: OS  Windows 11 (Home, Pro) | CPU  Intel Core i5-12500H, Core i7-12700H, Core i9-12900HK | GPU  Intel UHD Graphics, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050, RTX 3050 Ti | RAM  8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB | Storage  512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB | Screen  15.6in. FHD+ (1920 x 1200) non-touch, 500 nits; 3.5K (3456 x 2160) OLED touch, 400 nits; UHD+ (3840 x 2400) touch, 500 nits | Wireless  Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) | Ports and slots USB-C, 2x USB-C/Thunderbolt 4, SD card reader | Camera 720p HD | Audio  dual array mics, stereo woofers/tweeters, 3.5mm audio in/out jack | Battery  86Wh | Dimensions  344.40mm x 230.10mm x 18.54mm (13.56in. x 9.06in. x 0.73in.) | Weight  1.92kg (4.22 lbs) - 2.1kg (4.62lbs)

When ZDNET reviewed Dell's XPS 15 in 2020, we described it as setting 'a new high bar' for 15.6-inch laptops', while the 2021 model was dubbed 'the standard against which other laptops are measured'. It carries a premium price tag, but you're getting a solid industrial design and flexible configuration options that can be tailored for a wide range of use cases.

The $1,449 entry-level configuration has a 12th-generation Core i5 processor with integrated Intel UHD Graphics, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB PCIe SSD and an FHD+ (1920 x 1200) non-touch InFinity Edge display with 500 nits brightness. At the top end of the scale, $4,674 buys you a Core i9-12900HK processor, a discrete GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU with 4GB of dedicated video memory, 64GB of RAM, 8TB of SSD storage, and a UHD+ (3840 x 2400) touch display with 500 nits maximum brightness. There's also a 3.5K (3456 x 2160) OLED touch screen option with 400 nits brightness for the same price as the UHD+ display. 

Read the review: Dell XPS 15: It's good to be king

Covering everything from mainstream productivity to power user, creative and some gaming workloads, the Dell XPS 15 is our choice for the best Windows laptop overall.

OS: Windows 11 (Home, Pro), Windows 10 Pro, Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora) | CPU: Intel Core i5 (1235U, 1240P, 1250P), Core i7 (1260P, 1270P, 1280P) | GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics | RAM: up to 32GB | Storage: up to 2TB | Screen: 14-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS non-touch/touch • 2.2K (2240 x 1400) IPS • 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED • WQUXGA (3840 x 2400) non-touch/touch, 16:10 | Wireless: Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), optional mobile broadband (LTE, 5G) | Ports and slots: 2x USB-C/Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB-A (3.2 Gen 1), HDMI, optional Nano-SIM | Camera: 1080p, 1080p + IR | Audio: 4 speakers, 4 mics, 3.5mm audio in/out | Battery: 57Wh | Dimensions: 315.6mm x 222.5mm x 15.36mm (12.43in. x 8.76in. x 0.60in.) | Weight: from 1.12kg (2.48lbs)

Lenovo's 14-inch ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the standard-setter for business laptops and the latest Gen 10 model brings 12th-generation Intel Core processors, an OLED screen option, Wi-Fi 6E (with 6GHz support) and a 1080p webcam. Along with these features you get a compact, lightweight and durable design, a good set of ports including Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI, and optional LTE or 5G mobile broadband.

Also: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 10) review: The best business laptop?

The keyboard is as good as you'd expect from a ThinkPad, while the Dolby Atmos quad-speaker system delivers excellent audio quality for a moderate-sized laptop. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 delivers perfectly good performance when running mainstream productivity apps and undemanding games, but its integrated GPU rules out more serious graphics-heavy workloads. Battery life is perhaps the main drawback with this superb laptop, and you may struggle to get an 8-hour day's work out of it away from a mains socket. It also lacks an SD or MicroSD card slot.

Also see:

• HP Elite Dragonfly G3

OS: Windows 11 (Home, Pro), Ubuntu Linux 20.04 LTS | CPU: Intel Core i5-1230U, Core i7-1250U | GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics | RAM: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB | Storage: 512GB, 1TB | Screen: 13.4in. InfinityEdge, FHD+ (1920x1200, 169ppi), non-touch/touch, 500 nits | Wireless: Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | Ports and slots: 2x USB-C/Thunderbolt 4, MicroSD | Camera: HD (720p) RGB and IR | Audio: 2 mics, stereo speakers, USB-C to 3.5mm headset adapter | Battery: 51Wh | Dimensions: 295.4mm x 199.4mm x 13.99mm (11.63in. x 7.86in. x 0.55in.) | Weight: from 1.17kg (2.59lbs)

Knowledge workers spend a lot of time staring at the screen and pounding the keyboard, mostly running a mix of productivity and collaboration apps. As well as a decent screen and keyboard, knowledge workers need solid all-round performance, a spare connection for an external monitor, if required, and a good webcam/mic/speaker combo for handling video calls (this will be particularly important if the user is working remotely). Many devices could perform these duties, but the Dell XPS 13 leads the field, in our opinion.

The 2022 model (9315) is compact, lightweight yet durable, and is powered by 12th-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processors with integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics. The minimal-bezel InfinityEdge display is available at 16:10 FHD+ resolution with 500 nits of brightness, with or without touch capability, while the keyboard is responsive and well laid out. This model lacks a 3.5mm audio jack, but you do get a USB-C adapter in the box. Performance is fine for mainstream productivity workloads and all-day battery life should be achievable from the 51Wh battery, depending on the workload mix and screen brightness setting.

Also: Dell XPS 13 9310 review

Dell offers a variant of the previous-generation XPS 13 (9310) with a 3.5K (3456 x 2160 pixels) OLED touch display with 400 nits brightness. At the time of writing, there isn't an OLED version of the 9315 model.

Also see:

• Dell XPS 13 Plus
• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano

OS: Windows 11 Home 64 | CPU: 11th & 12th-generation Intel Core i5, i7 • AMD Ryzen 5 5625U, AMD Ryzen 7 5700U | GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics • AMD Radeon Graphics, AMD Radeon Vega 8 | RAM: 8GB, 16GB | Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | Screen: 14in. FHD (1920 x 1080), QHD (2560x1440) • 13.5in. 2256x1504 | Wireless: Bluetooth 5.x, Wi-Fi 6 & 6E (802.11ax) | Ports and slots: USB-A, USB-C, HDMI | Camera: HD (720p) | Audio: 1 mic, stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone/mic combo | Battery: 7-16h | Dimensions: 323 x 218 x 18mm (12.71in. x 8.58in. x 0.71in.) | Weight: from 1.2kg (2.65lbs)

Not everyone can afford the laptop they might like to have (students and employees of small businesses spring to mind), but that doesn't mean you have to settle for a substandard device. The top-tier manufacturers all have 'affordable' ranges, and there's any number of unashamedly budget brands, many of which offer excellent-value devices. Our choice, Acer's Intel- or AMD-powered Swift 3, is from a top-tier vendor and gets the nod thanks to its excellent combination of sub-$1,000 price and solid performance without making too many trade-offs on features, build quality or support options.

Most Swift 3 models come with 14-inch FHD (16:9) screens and either Intel or AMD processors, with current prices ranging from $600-$1,100 (Intel) and $800-$880 (AMD). There is one current Intel-based Swift 3 variant with a 13.5-inch 3:2 aspect ratio screen at 2256x1504 resolution, and one with a 14-inch 16:9 QHD (2560x1440) screen.

Not only are CPU, RAM and storage options well up to scratch, but wireless connectivity -- up to Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6E on certain models -- is bang up to date, which is impressive in this price band. The Swift 3's build quality is good, there's a good selection of ports (including Thunderbolt 4 on some models), the keyboard is backlit, and you can expect to get a full day's (not too demanding) work done on battery power. It's not too heavy either, starting at 2.65lbs.

Read more: The best budget laptops

Also see:

• Acer Aspire 5
• Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
• HP Pavilion Aero 13

OS: Windows 11 Home 64 | CPU: Intel Core i7-1240P, Core i7-1260P | GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics | RAM: 16GB | Storage:  512GB, 1TB | Screen: 14-inch touch screen: FHD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS, 400 nits • 2.8K (2800 x 1800) OLED, 400 nits • WQUXGA (3840 x 2400), OLED, 400 nits | Wireless: Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | Ports and slots: 1x USB 3.2, 1x USB-C 3.2, 2x Thunderbolt 4 | Camera: 1080p with IR | Audio: Bowers & Wilkins rotating sound bar, 2x mics, 3.5mm audio in/out jack | Battery: 75Wh | Dimensions: 318mm x 230mm x 15.2-16.5mm (12.52in. x 9.06in. x 0.6-0.65in.) | Weight: 1.48kg (3.26lbs)

Convertible 2-in-1 devices that can be used in conventional laptop mode or as a tablet, and can orient the 360-degree-hinged screen at points in between, can satisfy a variety of use cases depending on the specification. Leading the field, in our opinion, is Lenovo's 14-inch Yoga 9i, a premium 2-in-1 that currently starts at $1,453.

The entry-level model has an FHD+ (16:10) IPS touch screen, but the Yoga 9i's true glory is its vibrant OLED screen, which is available in 2.8K or 4K resolution. This is housed in a rounded and solidly built Comfort Edge chassis weighing 3.26lbs. Inside, you'll find 12th-generation P-series Intel Core processors, 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage, which deliver good performance for a wide variety of apps, although the integrated Iris Xe Graphics rule out more demanding graphics apps and games. 

Also: Lenovo Yoga 9i 7th Gen review: The best 2-in-1 laptop, if you can buy it

The edge-to-edge keyboard is quiet, although somewhat 'mushy' of feel, and the touchpad huge. You get a 1080p IR-equipped webcam, a fingerprint reader and a decent set of connections including two Thunderbolt 4 ports. You also get a stylus pen with the Yoga 9i, but there's no on-device housing for it. Another highlight of the Yoga 9i is its speaker system, which comprises a pair of tweeters in a 'rotating soundbar hinge' and a pair of subwoofers on the underside of the chassis.

Perhaps the only disappointment with the Yoga 9i Gen 7 is its battery life. In ZDNET's test, the 75Wh battery averaged eight hours under an everyday mix of workloads -- that's good, but not class-leading.

Also see:

• HP Spectre x360 14
• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga
• Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360

OS: Windows 11 Pro, Windows 10 Pro | CPU: Intel Core i3-1115G4, Core i5-1145G7, Core i7-1185G7 | GPU: Intel UHD Graphics (Core i3), Intel Iris Xe Graphics (Core i5, i7) | RAM: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB | Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB (removable SSD) | Screen: 13-inch PixelSense Flow touch screen (3:2, 2880 x 1920), 120Hz max | Wireless: Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), 4G LTE Advanced option | Ports and slots: 2x USB-C (USB4/Thunderbolt), Surface Connect port, Surface Type Cover port | Cameras: front: 1080p + IR • rear: 10MP | Audio: 2x speakers with Dolby Atmos, 2x far field studio mics, 3.5mm headphone jack | Battery: 51.5Wh | Dimensions: tablet: 287mm x 208.3mm x 9.4mm (11.3in. x 8.2in. x 0.37in.) | Weight: tablet: 891g (1.96lbs)

Detachable 2-in-1 devices can operate in laptop mode or separate the keyboard and screen sections to use the latter as a tablet. Microsoft's Surface Pro devices exemplify (and indeed began) the 'tablet-first' genre of detachable 2-in-1s (there are many OEM examples), where the screen section is propped up by a kickstand when in laptop mode rather than using a traditional screen/keyboard hinge. 

Our choice for the best Windows 2-in-1 detachable is Microsoft's Surface Pro 8 for Business -- the main 'for Business' elements being Windows 11 Pro rather than Home, a 4G LTE mobile broadband option and a Core i3 CPU option, plus enhanced warranty and financing choices. 

Surface Pro 8 hardware highlights include an industrial design very similar to the Arm-based Surface Pro X, a 13-inch 120Hz PixelSense screen, a compartment under the kickstand housing a removable SSD and the SIM card slot (the Surface Pro 8 also has eSIM support), two 40Gbps USB-C ports, a Surface Connect port for charging and peripherals, and a port for an add-on keyboard. Keyboard options include the $180 Surface Pro Signature Keyboard and a version of this unit with a fingerprint reader, which costs $200. You can also get a Signature Keyboard/Slim Pen 2 bundle for $280. With the Surface Pro 8 for Business tablet starting at $1000 for a Core i3/8GB/128GB model, that gives a baseline price for a 2-in-1 detachable bundle of $1,280.

Also: Microsoft Surface Pro 8 for Business review: Still in love

In October Microsoft released the Surface Pro 9, which has a similar design and comes in Intel-based (12th-generation Core i5/i7) and Arm-based (Microsoft SQ 3) versions -- the latter with support for 5G mobile broadband.

OS  Windows 11 Home | CPU  Intel Core i7-1260P | GPU  Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 (4GB) | RAM  16GB | Storage  1TB | Screen  17-inch IPS 2560 x 1600 (177.6ppi) | Wireless  Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | Ports and slots  2x USB-C Thunderbolt (4), 2x USB-A, HDMI, MicroSD card slot  | Camera   FHD IR webcam | Audio  2W or 1.5W stereo speakers, 3.5mm audio jack | Battery  90Wh | Dimensions  381mm x 274mm x 19.8mm (14.97in. x 10.24in. x 0.70in.) | Weight  1.43kg (3.16lbs) | Price $1500 ($500 off at time of writing)

Many laptop users would like a large screen -- for more expansive knowledge work (multiple document windows, large spreadsheets), video viewing, or gaming, for example -- but are wary of the weight of a typical 17-inch device. If you fall into that category, the LG Gram 17 may be the laptop for you. It weighs from an astonishing 2.98lbs (1.35kg), but despite this its slim, lightweight magnesium alloy chassis is robust to MIL-STD 810G standard.

The screen on the highlighted Core i7-1260P model is a 17-inch IPS panel with a 16:10 WQXGA resolution of 2560 by 1600 pixels and support for 99% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Graphics are handled by Nvidia's discrete RTX 2050 GPU with 4GB of video RAM and there's 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The LG Gram 17's large-footprint chassis provides plenty of room for the backlit keyboard, a separate number pad, and a large 16:10 touchpad.

Also: LG Gram 17 (2021) review

Wired connections run to two USB-A (3.2 Gen 2x1), two Thunderbolt 4/USB4, HDMI and a 3.5mm headphone jack, with one of the USB-C ports used to charge the 90Wh battery. The wi-fi module supports the latest Wi-Fi 6E standard with support for the 6GHz band. Note that the 1.43kg/3.16lb model highlighted here weighs a little more than the base 1.35kg/2.98lb unit, thanks in part to its discrete Nvidia GPU (other models use integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics).

Also see:

• Dell XPS 17
• Razer Blade 17

OS: Windows 11 (Home, Pro) Windows 10 Pro, Ubuntu Linux 20.04 | CPU: 11th generation Intel Core i5, i7, i9, Xeon processors | GPU: Nvidia T1200 (4GB), Nvidia RTX A2000 (4GB), RTX A3000 (6GB), RTX A4000 (8GB), RTX 5000 (16GB) • AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (8GB) | RAM: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB | Storage: 4x M.2 slots for up to 8TB | Screen: FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS, 250 nits, 400 nits, 1000 nits with privacy screen • 4K (3840 x 2160) IPS, 600 nits, DreamColor | Wireless: Bluetooth 5, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), optional LTE mobile broadband, optional NFC | Ports and slots: 2x USB-A (5Gbps), 2x Thunderbolt 4/USB4 (40Gbps), RJ-45 Ethernet, Mini DisplayPort, HDMI, smart card reader, SD card reader | Cameras: 720p, with IR option | Audio: 2x Bang & Olufsen speakers, 2x mics, 3.5mm audio in/out | Battery: 94Wh | Dimensions: 14.21in. x 9.55in. x 1.02in. | Weight: from 5.18lbs | Price: from $1,507 (Core i5-11500H, Nvidia T1200, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, FHD IPS)

Many people require more compute, graphics, memory and storage than even a power user/creator laptop provides. These demanding professionals include 3D designers, architects, engineers, scientists, video editors, VR developers and more, and what they need is a full-blown mobile workstation.

As well as Core i7/i9/Xeon or Ryzen 9 CPUs, Nvidia RTX or Radeon Pro GPUs, at least 16GB of RAM (32GB or more preferable) and multiple terabytes of storage, workstation-class laptops need high-quality IPS or OLED screens with high resolution (4K preferable) and good colour space support (sRGB, Adobe RGB, DCI-P3). To signify that specific configurations are optimised for mission-critical apps, they also need certifications from ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) such as Adobe, Autodesk, Avid, and others.
The leading mobile workstation vendors are Dell, HP and Lenovo, but your search for a suitable solution may also encompass recent entrants from the gaming market such as Gigabyte, MSI and Razer. We've chosen HP's 15.6-inch ZBook Fury 15 G8, which is a compact but highly configurable all-rounder (and also available with a 17-inch screen).
The ZBook Fury 15 G8 can be had for a modest $1,507 with a Core i5-11500H processor, a 4GB Nvidia T1200 GPU, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD storage and an FHD IPS screen with 250 nits brightness and just 45% of NTSC colour gamut coverage. But that doesn't touch the sides of what this well-built chassis can pack in. Processor options rise through 11th-generation Core i7, i9 and Xeon CPUs, discrete GPUs go up to a 16GB Nvidia A5000, RAM to 128GB, SSD storage to 8TB. The top-end screen configuration is a superb 4K IPS DreamColor panel with 600 nits brightness and 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. It's a shame the webcam is only 720p, though.

High-end specifications don't come cheap, and you can rack up an impressive price tag by piling them on: with a Core i9-11900H processor, the DreamColor display, an 8GB Nvidia RTX A4000 GPU, 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage, the price is currently $3,348 -- and you can easily more than double that.

Also see:

• Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 5

• Dell Precision 5560

OS: Windows 11 Home, Pro (for Business model) | CPU: Intel Core i5-11300H, Core i7-11370H | GPU: Intel Xe Graphics (Core i5), 4GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU (Core i7) | RAM: 16GB, 32GB | Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB (removable SSD) | Screen: 14.4-inch PixelSense Flow touch screen, 2400 x 1600 (3:2, 201ppi), 120Hz max | Wireless: Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) | Ports and slots: 2x USB-C (USB4/Thunderbolt 4), Surface Connect port | Cameras: 1080p + IR | Audio: 4x Omnisonic speakers with Dolby Atmos, 2x studio mics, 3.5mm headphone jack | Battery: 58Wh | Dimensions: 323.28mm x 228.32mm x 18.94mm (12.72in. x 8.98in. x 0.746in.) | Weight: Core i5: 1.74kg (3.83lbs) • Core i7: 1,82kg (4.0lbs)

The Surface Studio is an unconventional convertible laptop, with a 14.4-inch screen that can operate in laptop mode, be pulled forward to cover the keyboard in 'stage' mode, or lain almost flat over the keyboard in tablet (or 'studio') mode. Based on 11th-generation Core i5 or i7 processors with integrated (Core i5) or discrete Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics (Core i7), up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of removable SSD storage, this is a laptop that can be configured to handle a range of workloads, from mainstream productivity to demanding creative applications. The PixelSense screen has a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, which makes for smooth scrolling, the keyboard is a comfortable typing platform, the touchpad is a good size and its compatible with Microsoft's Surface Slim Pen 2.

Also: Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio review: A true convertible, with designer appeal

If you go for the Core i7 model, you get a portable discrete-GPU laptop that handles most creator and developer tasks with ease. It's not cheap (Core i7/dGPU models start at $1,600), but it can handle workloads from machine learning to gaming, and features one of Microsoft's best screens, which quickly converts from studio to stage to laptop.

OS: Windows 11 Pro, Windows 10 Pro (downgrade option) | CPU: Intel Core i5-1145G7 vPro, Core i7-1185G7 vPro | GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics • AMD Radeon Pro W6300M | RAM: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB | Storage: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB | Screen: 14-inch IPS FHD (1920 x 1080) touch, 1200 nits | Wireless: Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), optional 4G LTE & 5G (sub-6GHz + mmWave), optional dedicated GPS | Ports and slots: 2x USB-A (10Gbps), Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps), RJ-45 Ethernet (1Gbps), Micro SDXC card slot, HDMI, power, port replicator connector, quad pass-through antenna connector | Camera: 5MP + IR + privacy cover | Audio: 2x speakers, 4x mics, 3.5mm audio in/out jack | Battery: 6500mAh (18h, 36h with 2nd battery) | Dimensions: 354mm x 301mm x 54.4mm (13.84in. x ) | Weight: from 3.36kg (7.4lbs) | Price: from $4,899

Laptops must often brave the elements, which can include bright sunshine, rain, a dust storm, baking heat, serious vibration, and drops from a variety of heights onto different surfaces. No wonder that 'rugged' laptops come in many shades -- 'extreme' or 'fully' rugged, 'semi' or 'business' rugged, for example. Two main classifications are used to assess the ruggedness of laptops and other equipment: the US military's MIL-STD 810 series (810G, or the latest 810H); and the IP or Ingress Protection code. There are numerous MIL-STD 810 tests, and most laptops will only undergo a subset, so check the specs carefully to see which they are. The IP code reports two numbers, the first concerning resistance to solids (5 denotes 'dust protected', for example, while 6 means a device is 'dust tight') and the second to liquids (1 = 'dripping water', 9K = 'powerful high-temperature water jets').

Our choice in this tough-laptop category is Panasonic's 14-inch Toughbook 40 a fully rugged modular device that can be configured for a wide range of challenging use cases in sectors like the military, police and utility companies. As well as undergoing MIL-STD 810H temperature, humidity and vibration tests, and carrying an IP66 rating, the Toughbook 40 has been extensively drop-tested from a height of 1.8 meters (6 feet).

Also: Rugged laptops: Panasonic's modular Toughbook 40 is built for the toughest use cases

There are multiple configuration options thanks to the Toughbook 40's modular design.  As well as the ability to swap out the main battery, RAM and SSD drives, there are four areas – left and right sides, rear and palm-rest – that can accept a variety of options. These include a second SSD and a second battery, an optical drive, a smart card reader, various combinations of ports and a fingerprint reader. If that's not enough, there's a fully featured desktop port replicator available too, along with an ecosystem of accessories including a vehicle mount and a four-bay battery charger. Panasonic claims the Toughbook 40 will last for 18 hours on one battery and double that with two batteries installed. There's even a one-touch Concealed Mode function designed for military operations that disables light and electronic transmissions.

Top PC manufacturers like Lenovo, HP and Dell all offer rugged laptops, and there are a number of specialist vendors as well as Panasonic, including Getac, Xplore and DT Research. Here are some more notable rugged devices:

• Panasonic Toughbook G2 (10.1-inch)
• Panasonic Toughbook 33 (12-inch)
• Getac B360 (13.3-inch)
• Dell Latitude 5430 (14-inch)
• Panasonic Toughbook 55 (14-inch)

OS: Windows 11 Home | CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop (8GB) | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 1TB | Screen: 14-inch QHD (2560 x 1440), 165Hz | Wireless: Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | Ports and slots: 2x USB-A (10Gbps), 2x USB-C (USB4, 40Gps), HDMI 2.1 | Camera: 1080p + IR | Audio: 2 speakers, array mic, 3.5mm audio in/out jack | Battery: 61.6Wh | Dimensions: 220mm x 319.7mm x 16.8mm (8.66in. x 12.59in. x 0.66in.) | Weight: 1.78kg (3.92lbs) | Price: $2,200

The Razer Blade 14 delivers a 'perfect balance of power and portability', according to ZDNET's roundup of the best gaming laptops. With a powerful AMD processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics, along with a 165Hz QHD (2560 x 1440) screen, it packs a lot into a 1.78kg chassis. Quality specs mean a hefty price tag, but at the time of writing Razer is offering this specification at 15% off.

Also: What is the best gaming laptop and is there a good one for under $1,000?

Also see:

• Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

OS: Windows 11 Home, Pro | CPU: Intel Core i7-1250U | GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 1TB | Screen: 17.3-inch folding OLED, 2560 x 1920 (4:3 aspect ratio), 500 nits | Wireless: Bluetooth 5, Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | Ports and slots: 2x Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps) | Camera: 5MP + IR | Audio: 1 speaker, array mic, 3.5mm audio in/out jack | Battery: 75Wh | Dimensions: 378.5mm x 287.6mm x 8.7-2.9mm (14.90in. x 11.32in. x 0.34-0.51in.) | Weight: 1.5kg (3.31lbs) - without keyboard | Price: $3,499

A subset of the laptop-buying population will always be hankering after the latest form factors and platforms -- no matter what the cost -- and there has been plenty of innovation in recent years, mostly centred around folding screens.

For 2022 we've picked out the Asus ZenBook 17 Fold OLED, which was announced in January at CES and is now making its way through reviewers' hands and onto the market. It's a folding display that can work in laptop, tablet or desktop mode. Strictly speaking, the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold isn't a brand-new laptop form factor because Lenovo got there in 2020 with the first-generation 13.3-inch ThinkPad X1 Fold (now superseded by a 16-inch Gen 2 model). However, it's definitely the first 17-inch transformer-style laptop.

Unfolded, the 17.3-inch OLED screen -- which offers 2560x1920 resolution, 500 nits brightness and 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut -- can be used as a large tablet, or propped up with its kickstand and used along with a Bluetooth keyboard as a desktop PC. Inside there's a 12th-generation Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and 1TB storage. There's no discrete GPU, which benefits battery life but rules out demanding graphical apps and games. Fold the screen down the middle and you can use an on-screen keyboard or drop the physical one onto the bottom half of the screen, giving you a 12.5-inch clamshell laptop.

Also: CES 2022: Asus launches 17-inch folding OLED laptop and space-themed Zenbook

This is a new way of making a portable but flexible computer, and there remain issues with the smoothness of hardware and software interaction when flipping between usage modes. It's also an expensive device right now, although battery life seems to be pretty good considering the size of the screen and internal specification. Watch this space to see how the foldable laptop concept develops.

Here are some other innovative laptop form factors out there that might catch the eye of the early adopter:

• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2
• Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15
• Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
• Framework Laptop