Two laptops recently joined the ranks among my Windows favorites in the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 and Asus Zenbook A16. The OmniBook Ultra 14 offers a choice of Intel Panther Lake or Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 processors, and I tested both. I lean toward the Qualcomm model, but there are reasons to side with Intel. In either case, the laptop offers strong overall performance, long battery life and a fabulous design. Meanwhile, the Zenbook A16 has no right being so thin and light for a 16-inch laptop. It also supplies a gorgeous OLED display and leading AI performance from its Snapdragon X2 chip. Keep reading to see the best Windows laptops that CNET has tested.
Our Picks #
The HP OmniBook Ultra 14 is my favorite Windows laptop. With a head-turning design, strong overall performance and long battery life, its It's the closest thing you can get to a MacBook Pro in a Windows machine and a fantastic do-it-all laptop.
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Pros
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Intel and Qualcomm CPUs offered
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Strong overall performance with long battery life
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Compact, thin and rigid design
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Top-notch keyboard, touchpad
Cons
- HP's pricing fluctuates wildly so you may need to be patient before buying
- Sharp, polished edges are pointy and prone to scratches
- Limited ports
After killing it off last year, Dell turned right around and brought back the XPS this year. The XPS 14 marks a grand return for Dell’s longtime premium laptop brand.
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Pros
- Sleek, solid design at a reasonable weight
- Strong performance with long battery life
- Quiet and cool operation
- Physical keys have returned to the Function row
- Huge, haptic touchpad
- Quad speakers produce great sound
Cons
- Matches MacBook Pro in price but not performance
- Seams along the edges and below the keyboard are magnets for debris
- Limited port selection with no adapter included
- No fingerprint reader
Based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme processor, the Zenbook A16 is a rightful successor to last year's excellent Zenbook A14 and one of the best 16-inch laptops you can buy.
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Pros
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Leading application and AI performance
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Thin and light, yet has a rigid design
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Huge OLED is crisp, smooth and bright
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Good sound from six-speaker array
Cons
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Lackluster 3D performance
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Meh mechanical touch pad
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No room for internal expansion
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Beige = boring Only a few weeks after ceding the battery life throne to Lenovo in our tests, HP has snatched back the crown with the OmniBook 5 14.
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Pros
- Unbelievable battery life
- Sturdy, stylish and compact design
- OLED display delivers deep blacks, vivid colors
- Generous RAM and SSD for the price
Cons
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OLED display isn't the brightest
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Slow USB-C ports The Prestige 14 Flip AI Plus has a Core Ultra Series 3 processor from Intel’s new Panther Lake series and offers an unprecedented combination of 3D graphics power and all-day battery life.
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Pros
- Playable framerates from integrated Intel Arc B390 graphics
- Around-the-clock battery life
- Thin, light and quiet
- MSI's new Prestige design is huge improvement
Cons
- Display is only 60Hz
- Bottom panel gets hot during games
- Diving-board effect with mechanical touchpad
This recent release from Acer's budget Aspire line is based on an Intel Lunar Lake CPU. Its Intel Core Ultra 5 226V features a neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 40 trillion operations per second for local AI processing, which happens to be the minimum requirement for Microsoft's Copilot Plus PC platform. The Aspire 14 AI is on sale for $619 at Amazon and only $500 at Costco, making it easily the cheapest Copilot Plus PC I've reviewed.
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Pros
- Exceedingly long battery life
- Competitive performance for the price
- Useful port selection
Cons
- Dull display
- Dull design
The ProArt P16 delivers a big, beautiful 16-inch 4K OLED alongside enough graphics horsepower to provide the performance in Adobe and CapCut that creators crave inside a reasonably slender, lightweight chassis.
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Pros
- Gorgeous 16-inch, 4K OLED touchscreen
- Strong component lineup, including RTX 5070 GPU
- Slim and light given the size and what's under the hood
- DialPad controller on touchpad is useful
Cons
- Runs hot and loud
- 3D frame rates are good but not great
- Display bezels are a bit thick
- Stylus not included for the touchscreen
The Zephyrus G16 we tested is relatively pricey at $2,700 for an upscale configuration with a 16-inch OLED screen, RTX 4080, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H.
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Pros
- Excellent fast, calibrated OLED screen
- Well designed
- Performance vs. size reasonably balanced
- Good port selection
Cons
- Battery life is just okay
- Big power brick
- Bottom and hinge areas can get hot
- Settings in Armoury Crate software can get confusing
The Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 10 is overkill for most budget gaming laptop shoppers, in terms of price and features. But if you view it as two laptops in one -- a competent gaming laptop with a reasonably large 15.1-inch display and a general-use laptop that's thin and light enough to carry around more than occasionally -- then its price begins to look like a great value.
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Pros
- 2.5K OLED display is crisp, bright and fast
- Snappy keyboard feels fast for games
- Thin and light for its size
- Free M.2 slot to add second SSD
Cons
- Short battery life
- No biometrics for easy, secure logins
- Lacks fast Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 ports
- Always-on power button LED is annoying
The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition is greater than the sum of its parts. Based on a common Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processor, its component lineup is not all that unusual. But placed inside a sleek and compact enclosure and outfitted with a beautiful 2.8K OLED display becomes a truly exceptional two-in-one.
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Pros
- Beautiful OLED display
- Compact package with sleek aesthetics
- Record-setting battery life
- Great audio and webcam
Cons
- Mechanical rather than haptic trackpad
- No HDMI port or SIM card reader
Built around an Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor, the Zenbook A14 is the extremely light and incredibly long running. It weighs less than 2.2 pounds and offers a battery life of more than 24 hours.
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Pros
- Incredibly thin and light without feeling flimsy
- All-day-and-all-night battery life
- OLED display at this price is a nice surprise
- Ample RAM and storage for the price
Cons
- Meh performance from Snapdragon X CPU
- Meh mechanical touchpad
- Meh speakers
LAPTOP DEALS OF THE WEEK
- $595 (save $255)
- $590 (save $210)
The best Windows laptops come in all shapes and sizes #
If you aren't ready to take the plunge with a Snapdragon X series processor and worry about potential Windows-on-Arm compatibility issues, then I have Intel- and AMD-based favorites, from budget models and two-in-one convertibles to high-powered laptops for gamers and creators. With decades of experience testing and reviewing laptops, my colleagues and I conduct performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET labs and perform extensive hands-on tests to assess the design, features and performance of each laptop we review.
You'll find a good number of recommendations here but I also have more specific picks in different categories, starting with the best overall laptop, the best gaming laptop, best cheap gaming laptop, best laptop for college students and best two-in-one laptop. If you narrowed it to a specific brand, check out our picks for the best Asus laptop, best Dell laptop, best HP laptop and best Lenovo laptop. Beyond Windows, I have recommendations for the best MacBook and best Chromebook.
Pros
-
Intel and Qualcomm CPUs offered
-
Strong overall performance with long battery life
-
Compact, thin and rigid design
-
Top-notch keyboard, touchpad
Cons
- HP's pricing fluctuates wildly so you may need to be patient before buying
- Sharp, polished edges are pointy and prone to scratches
- Limited ports
The HP OmniBook Ultra 14 is my favorite Windows laptop. With a head-turning design, strong overall performance and long battery life, its It's the closest thing you can get to a MacBook Pro in a Windows machine and a fantastic do-it-all laptop.
Why we like it
It gives you the choice between Intel Core Ultra and Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 processors. I tested both versions, and each offers a good balance between peppy, everyday performance and great battery life. If I had to choose, I would go with the Snapdragon X2 model, but there are reasons for Intel as well. I also like both inputs devices; the keyboard and touchpad are excellent.
Who it’s best for
If you like the idea of Apple's MacBook Pro but want that premium design, strong overall performance and lengthy battery life in a Windows machine, the OmniBook Ultra 14 is the move I'd make. You don't necessarily need to spend the $3,000 or more on a loaded config like the models I tested -- a still well-equipped system for closer to $2,000 will meet most people's needs. Who shouldn’t buy it
Creatives and gamers willing to spend $2,000 or more on a laptop will not be impressed with the OmniBook Ultra 14’s integrated graphics options and will need to forego its compact, thin design for a chunkier laptop that has a dedicated GPU.
Pros
- Sleek, solid design at a reasonable weight
- Strong performance with long battery life
- Quiet and cool operation
- Physical keys have returned to the Function row
- Huge, haptic touchpad
- Quad speakers produce great sound
Cons
- Matches MacBook Pro in price but not performance
- Seams along the edges and below the keyboard are magnets for debris
- Limited port selection with no adapter included
- No fingerprint reader
After killing it off last year, Dell turned right around and brought back the XPS this year. The XPS 14 marks a grand return for Dell’s longtime premium laptop brand.
Why we like it
The XPS 14 corrects many of the errors of the Dell 14 Premium, including the most egregious ones, while coming in at a reasonable weight and retaining a solid, well-built chassis. Physical keys returning to the Function is another move in the right direction. Based on Intel’s latest Panther Lake processors, the XPS 14 delivers strong overall performance and long battery life.
Who it’s best for
Creators and other power users who want the power and style of a MacBook Pro in a Windows laptop.
Who shouldn’t buy it
If you are OS agnostic, the MacBook Pro offers better performance and battery life for the same price.
Pros
-
Leading application and AI performance
-
Thin and light, yet has a rigid design
-
Huge OLED is crisp, smooth and bright
-
Good sound from six-speaker array
Cons
-
Lackluster 3D performance
-
Meh mechanical touch pad
-
No room for internal expansion
-
Beige = boring Based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme processor, the Zenbook A16 is a rightful successor to last year's excellent Zenbook A14 and one of the best 16-inch laptops you can buy.
Why we like it
The Asus Zenbook A16 has a lot going for it. It boasts leading AI performance and is fast with non-AI tasks, too. It offers good battery life, has a beautiful 3K OLED display and is the lightest 16-inch laptop I've ever tested.
Who it’s best for
Anyone who wants a big, 16-inch laptop that they can take with them. The 16-inch OLED provides a wonderful work surface, and the sub-three-pound weight makes the Zenbook A16 an easy travel companion. Plus, it’s well equipped to last a long time. With its stellar application and AI performance, the Zenbook A16 is a modern laptop well equipped for today's demands and those of tomorrow. Because even if you aren't using your laptop to perform AI tasks now, you might next week, next month or next year.
Who shouldn’t buy it
While the Snapdragon X2-based Zenbook A16 outpaced competing Intel Panther Lake laptops in AI and application performance, Qualcomm's Adreno graphics chips can't match Intel's integrated GPU in 3D performance. The Zenbook A16 model I tested costs $1,700, which is pricey for a laptop with little to no gaming capacity.
Pros
- Unbelievable battery life
- Sturdy, stylish and compact design
- OLED display delivers deep blacks, vivid colors
- Generous RAM and SSD for the price
Cons
-
OLED display isn't the brightest
-
Slow USB-C ports Only a few weeks after ceding the battery life throne to Lenovo in our tests, HP has snatched back the crown with the OmniBook 5 14.
Why we like it
For starters, it runs and runs (and runs and runs). It’s the current battery life champ, lasting more than 28 hours in testing. In addition to record-setting battery life, the OmniBook 5 14 offers a simple, elegant design and easy-to-carry weight -- plus, an OLED display that delivers stellar contrast and vivid colors. It also supplies an ample 32GB of RAM and a roomy 1TB SSD, neither of which is a given in a laptop that costs less than $1,000. It has a full price of $1,100 but can usually be found for hundreds less from HP. Who it’s best for
For students and others constantly on the go, the OmniBook 5 14 is a fantastic pick at a great price. With HP's discount at the time of this writing, pricing starts at $660. With upgrades, my test system system is on sale for $1,200. Who shouldn’t buy it
If you are concerned about Windows-on-Arm compatibility issues, then you should skip the Snapdragon X-based OmniBook 5 14 and go for an Intel- or AMD-based laptop.
Pros
- Playable framerates from integrated Intel Arc B390 graphics
- Around-the-clock battery life
- Thin, light and quiet
- MSI's new Prestige design is huge improvement
Cons
- Display is only 60Hz
- Bottom panel gets hot during games
- Diving-board effect with mechanical touchpad
The Prestige 14 Flip AI Plus has a Core Ultra Series 3 processor from Intel’s new Panther Lake series and offers an unprecedented combination of 3D graphics power and all-day battery life.
Why we like it
It’s the first laptop with integrated graphics I’ve tested that delivers playable 3D frame rates in AAA titles. So, without needing a dedicated GPU, the Prestige 14 Flip AI is compact, portable and quiet during operation. These are not things that usually describe a laptop capable of playing games. And it offers incredible battery life -- calling it “all-day” battery life undersells it.
Who it’s best for
Anyone who wants a do-it-all laptop with enough power for gamers and creators inside a compact, lightweight design with luxuriously long battery life.
Who shouldn’t buy it
If you're shopping for a true gaming laptop, then you’ll still want a model with dedicated Nvidia RTX graphics that supplies higher frame rates. You’ll also want a display that’s faster than the 60Hz panel found here.
Pros
- Exceedingly long battery life
- Competitive performance for the price
- Useful port selection
Cons
- Dull display
- Dull design
This recent release from Acer's budget Aspire line is based on an Intel Lunar Lake CPU. Its Intel Core Ultra 5 226V features a neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 40 trillion operations per second for local AI processing, which happens to be the minimum requirement for Microsoft's Copilot Plus PC platform. The Aspire 14 AI is on sale for $619 at Amazon and only $500 at Costco, making it easily the cheapest Copilot Plus PC I've reviewed.
Why we like it
The Aspire 14 AI is a great pick among budget laptops. Its performance and battery life exceed what you can expect for the price and the design is nearly the same as you get with Acer's more expensive Swift models. You're forced to sacrifice display quality to hit such a low price but that's an item that's usually not very high on a budget shopper's priority list. More important is getting a modern CPU that delivers sufficient performance for everyday use that's also efficient to allow for lengthy battery life -- plus a bit of future-proofing with its AI capabilities.
Who it's best for
With the lengthy battery life we've come to expect from Copilot Plus PCs and with application and AI performance that's competitive with pricier models, the Aspire 14 AI offers great value for budget shoppers looking for a Copilot Plus PC.
Who shouldn't get it
If you care about the overall look of your next laptop and have the money, you can find more exciting designs. Spending more will also get you a brighter display with better color performance.