TOP 10 best laptops for work

Many people use a laptop for work, finding it a more convenient and compact alternative to a regular PC. It is convenient to take such devices with you to the office, university and on a business trip. If necessary, they can easily turn into a stationary station, for which you need to connect a monitor, mouse and keyboard to them. If you value these advantages, then our rating today will help you choose the best laptop for work, based on individual preferences and the allocated budget. In this TOP there was a place for both solutions for office workers and students, as well as expensive models with productive hardware, a first-class keyboard and an impeccable screen.

What to look for when purchasing

Each user has his own needs, so the parameters that you should first pay attention to may differ for different buyers. In most cases, the following characteristics play a significant role:

1. Processor . Both the performance and the novelty of the “stone” are important. The fresher the CPU, the lower its heating and power consumption. The speed of task execution, in turn, depends on the number of cores, frequency and cache memory size. To put it simply, we recommend looking at the processor line. So, Pentium and Core i3 are suitable for simpler tasks, while i5 and i7 can withstand heavy workloads.
2. Type and volume of storage . A laptop can have a solid state drive or a hard drive. In the first case, it can be in a regular 2.5-inch format, M.2 or eMMC (soldered on board). The last option should be chosen only if you do not plan to upgrade the device in the future. For best speed, choose M.2 drives. HDDs, in turn, are cheaper, so at a lower cost you can get more capacity (for storing movies, TV series, music and other files). It is also possible to combine different types of storage by purchasing a separate SSD or hard drive in a device where it was not originally provided.
3. Amount of RAM . It can also be replaceable or soldered on the board. Moreover, in both cases, the manufacturer may or may not equip the laptop with an additional RAM slot. Of course, you should choose as much RAM as possible (minimum 4 GB). However, if you lack money, you can buy a laptop taking into account a possible upgrade in the future.
4. Type and power of video card . The graphics adapter can be built-in or discrete. The first is enough for simple tasks (office, Internet), and a separate video card will be required for games and multimedia work. Moreover, the more powerful it is, the faster the work will be done and the better settings you can choose in games.
5. Screen and its resolution . Most laptops have TN and IPS matrices. The former are cheaper, but their color rendering and viewing angles are worse. The latter are more expensive, but are better suited for working with graphics. As for resolution, companies are increasingly installing FullHD displays, but models with screens of 1366x768 pixels are often found. Matrices with a higher pixel density are less common, because for most tasks they are still redundant.

Laptop for an accountant, how to choose characteristics

Models from the same manufacturer can differ greatly, so there is no need to focus purely on the brand. For comfortable work you need a powerful processor with 2-4 cores and a good amount of RAM 4-6 GB. But the built-in video card is sufficient, even with it the accounting program will work quickly.

It is necessary to have at least two USB connectors. One will be needed for the printer, scanner and other peripheral devices. And the second one is for connecting a flash drive. A network card is also required. You can do without a DVD drive. It is enough to take a hard drive of 500 GB.

When going to the store, choose a laptop based on its characteristics; trying to purchase a universal model will be a mistake. Don’t pay attention to the country of manufacture; all components have been made in China for a long time. Only the countries of assembly are still different, and the price often depends on them. Rely on the specified characteristics, then you won’t even have to ask a consultant to advise you on anything.

A wireless computer mouse would be a good addition. It is convenient to take with you, the wire will not get tangled. It’s even better if it has high accuracy and good cursor movement speed.

The best budget laptops for work

Do you work with text documents, spreadsheets and email? Or maybe you need a device on which you can complete labs and coursework, read tutorials, and perform other similar tasks? In any of these cases, you should take a closer look at budget laptops. They do not stand out for their luxurious appearance and unique capabilities, but they please with high-quality assembly and can cope with all the responsibilities assigned to them.

DELL Vostro 3590

Vostro 3590 is the junior model of the current 15.6-inch line from DELL. The design of the laptop turned out to be very stylish. It will appeal to students, office workers and other categories of consumers.

The screen of the device is made using TN technology, but its color rendition is quite good for its price. And Full HD resolution also provides high comfort when working with the device.

Inside a good laptop for working with texts and office applications, there is a modern Intel Core i3-10110U processor (a pair of cores with a base frequency of 2.1 GHz). It is complemented by 8 GB of RAM and a fast 256 GB SSD.

Advantages:

• nice design;
• autonomous work;
• excellent assembly;
• good cooling.

Flaws:

• the body collects fingerprints.

HP 15s-eq0002ur

Excellent appearance, exemplary assembly and good equipment for a reasonable price. HP has done everything necessary to attract the attention of buyers to the 15s-eq0002ur model. This affordable laptop is equipped with a Ryzen 3200U processor, which offers high performance with modest power consumption and low heat.

The graphics core is built-in (Vega 3). The laptop also includes a fast M.2 SSD with a capacity of 256 GB, which is enough for the system, documents and work programs. By the way, the OS here is Windows 10 Home. Alas, the 4 GB of RAM installed here is not always enough for her (an upgrade may be required).

Advantages:

• good performance;
• small thickness and weight;
• pre-installed Windows 10;
• long battery life;
• one of the most comfortable keyboards.

Flaws:

• little RAM;
• noisy under high load.

Acer Extensa 15 EX215-51KG-32UK

A good work laptop for 2021 that can be recommended to users with minimal requirements. Extensa 15 EX215 is a simple “typewriter”. Inside this model there is an energy-efficient Intel Core i3 of the Kaby Lake family, a 1 TB HDD and only 4 gigabytes of RAM.

RAM, if necessary, can be manually expanded up to 12 GB.

The graphics here are discrete, but the capabilities of the GeForce MX130 are also only sufficient for low-demanding tasks. The cooling of the cheap Acer laptop is efficient and not too noisy. Unfortunately, there is no card reader, and among the three available USB-A, only one port complies with the 3.1 standard.

Advantages:

• spacious storage;
• space for installing SSD;
• high build quality;
• quiet cooling system.

Flaws:

• no card reader;
• There may not be enough RAM.

Lenovo V130 15

Next up is a laptop that we can recommend to schoolchildren and students. V130 15 is produced by the Chinese brand Lenovo. This device has a modern Core i3-7020U processor running at 2.3 GHz and graphics from Intel. The laptop has 4 GB of RAM (DDR4, 2133 MHz), but it can be expanded if necessary.

Lenovo V130 15 is the thinnest and lightest device in this category (22.3 mm and 1.8 kg). Among the advantages of the laptop we can also note the ability to tilt the display 180 degrees and a curtain for the webcam.

Lenovo V130 has all the necessary interfaces, including a pair of USB 3.0, Wi-Fi with support for the 802.11ac standard and HDMI video output. But the battery here is not the most capacious, so if you plan to work with the laptop all day, you will need to take a charger with you. However, even with a power supply, the device turns out to be lighter than its main competitors.

Advantages:

• relatively small thickness and lightness;
• One of the best CPUs for the price is installed;
• strict but attractive appearance;
• webcam (0.3 MP) can be hidden;
• combination of price and performance.

The best laptops for work price – quality

Are you ready to spend more money, but want to do it wisely? Then we offer you another category of working “machines”, which contains the best devices in terms of cost and performance. Here we looked at three devices from companies from the USA, China and Taiwan. Their average cost reaches 45 thousand rubles, but this price is definitely worth paying for the characteristics, design and reliability offered by the manufacturers.

HP PAVILION 14-ce3013ur

Many users are interested in which is the best laptop for working with text from the mid-price category to purchase in 2021. There are a lot of worthy options, but among them, model 14-ce3013ur deserves special attention. This is a laptop from HP's Pavilion line, so it's built to perfection and looks great.

For the laptop under review, the manufacturer chose an Intel Core i5-1030G1 processor. It is produced using a 10 nm process technology, equipped with 4 cores (4 threads) with a base frequency of 1 GHz and the ability to overclock to 3.6 GHz in Turbo Boost mode. Low power consumption allows the device to work up to 10.5 hours on a single charge, while remaining quiet and cool.

Advantages:

• magnificent colors;
• fingerprint scanner;
• metal case;
• modern processor;
• all USB standard 3.1;
• battery life.

Flaws:

• flimsy, uncomfortable touchpad.

ASUS VivoBook 15 X512FL-BQ555T

If you need more performance, for which you are willing to shell out more money, then the ASUS VivoBook 15 X512FL laptop is the best option for your work. Its heart is the Core i5 of the Whiskey Lake family, and this “stone” is complemented by very good (for its category) GeForce MX250 graphics with 2 GB of video memory.

If you plan to use the reviewed laptop for photo processing, please note that it only reads microSD cards. However, this is even beneficial for mobile photographers, because they don’t have to use an adapter.

The IPS matrix installed in the VivoBook 15 is distinguished by accurate color reproduction and a moderate brightness reserve. The RAM in one of the best laptops for work is 8 GB. But if this is not enough for you, then the RAM can be expanded to 16 GB without losing the warranty. But the storage (solid-state drive) of 512 GB will probably be enough for most buyers.

Advantages:

• compact and lightweight;
• almost does not heat up;
• high-quality screen;
• presence of two GPUs;
• compact charging;
• backlit keys.

Flaws:

• no SD card reader;
• speaker quality.

Lenovo ThinkBook 15

Parents often have a question about what laptop to buy for schoolchildren and students so that the child has enough productivity for studying, but not for useless activities. One of the most interesting solutions in this case will be the ThinkBook 15. Lenovo offers a really good working tool at an extremely attractive price.

The Intel Core i5-10210U has enough power for any office-level applications. The same applies to built-in graphics, which will no longer show themselves in games. The only weak point of this laptop model is the slow hard drive. But for most tasks its capabilities are sufficient. And if you wish, you can quickly install an SSD.

Advantages:

• metal body;
• two USB Type-C ports;
• good cooling;
• laconic design;
• cool keyboard.

Flaws:

• mediocre build;
• modest autonomy.

Lenovo IdeaPad 530s 15

First on the list is the stylish and thin (only 16.8 mm) Lenovo IdeaPad 530s laptop. This device is perfect for working with documents, Internet surfing, watching videos and other undemanding tasks. The laptop costs an impressive 45 thousand rubles, but for this price the buyer gets a compact and lightweight (1.69 kg) device with 8 GB of RAM (expandable to 16 GB), an i3-8130U processor (2 x 2.2 GHz) and a solid-state M. 2 drive size 128 GB.

Please note that this model does not have a number pad. This is an unusual solution for a 15.6-inch Windows laptop, but with such thin bezels around the display, the body of the device turned out to be more compact and there was not enough room to accommodate the Numpad.

The device has an elegant design that is in no way inferior in attractiveness to premium models. The same applies to the quality of the case materials. Of course, the device could not do without a fingerprint scanner, with which it is very convenient to log into the Windows 10 operating system without entering a password each time.

Advantages:

• minimal frames around the display;
• well-designed backlit keyboard;
• amazing design for its price;
• no complaints about build quality;
• performance and autonomy;
• reliable aluminum body;
• high quality of assembly and parts;
• matrix with excellent viewing angles.

Flaws:

• very noisy cooling system;
• uneven illumination.

Comparison table of characteristics

After a visual comparison of the presented models, we hope that you will be able to choose which laptop to buy for work and study.

You may be interested in: TOP 10 best gaming laptop: rating, how to choose, characteristics, reviews, pros and cons

Premium laptops for graphics and heavy applications

Many modern professions can provide not just a lot, but a huge income. Skilled programmers and talented graphic designers can earn several thousand dollars a month. Owners of their own blogs, YouTube channels, as well as those involved in video editing can earn impressive income. However, you can only do your work efficiently and efficiently on an appropriate “machine”. And, of course, if you have enough money, you shouldn’t neglect the opportunity to get a premium laptop.

Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro 15.6 2019

The Chinese brand Xiaomi does not often please fans with laptops of its own production. But each of the company’s devices turns out to be truly excellent, especially considering the asking price. Thus, the Mi Notebook Pro 15.6 model is offered at a price of 68 thousand rubles. If you pay more, you can get a modification with 512 GB or even 1 TB storage. The amount of RAM varies from 8 to 16 gigabytes.

The laptop has enough power for games and demanding applications, especially if you take a model equipped with an Intel Core i7 processor. True, in the case of gaming tasks, you should not count on impressive results: Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro 15.6 can run some modern projects only at low settings and at HD resolution. However, for this money, few will offer a more productive device.

Advantages:

• durable metal case;
• good performance;
• storage up to 1 terabyte;
• a pair of USB-A and two USB-C ports;
• long battery life;
• discreet but stylish design.

Flaws:

• low quality fan;
• There are some errors in the assembly.

2. Apple MacBook Pro 13 with Retina display and Touch Bar Mid

The review of the 2021 MacBook Pro 13 continues. Depending on your budget, you can choose a modification with an Intel processor from i5 to i9. In the basic configuration, the laptop is equipped with 8 GB of LPDDR3 RAM, and 16 GB of RAM is available for an additional fee. However, even in the younger version, this laptop copes well with office work and pleases with its excellent battery life.

One of the key features of this laptop is the Touch Bar. There are many scenarios for using this panel, from displaying multimedia buttons to displaying shortcuts and elements of various programs.

The 13.3-inch screen installed here deserves special attention. It is made using IPS technology, and the matrix resolution is 2560×1600 pixels. It is worth admitting that in the laptop rating there is no model that offers the best color reproduction. This makes the MacBook Pro 13 ideal for photo work. And here there is truly reference sound, and in most cases it is enough even for listening to music.

Advantages:

• perfect screen;
• convenient Touch Bar;
• great sound;
• performance;
• cool keyboard;
• excellent autonomy.

Flaws:

• Ports are USB-C only.

ASUS ZenBook 13 UX334FLC-A3230T

A stylish laptop with a discrete graphics card, characterized by minimal weight (only 1.19 kg) and compactness. The device received a first-class 13.3-inch screen with FHD resolution, 16 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of storage. Thanks to the comfortable keyboard, the laptop is perfect for working with documents.

Like the MacBook, the ZenBook 13 from ASUS is equipped with an additional screen. However, here it is built into the touchpad. It can be used as a full second display or used for work (calculator output, commands, shortcuts, etc.). The frames around the display in the reviewed model are very thin. However, the engineers managed to place a camera in it, which is necessary for the Windows Hello function to work.

Advantages:

• proprietary Ergolift hinge;
• additional screen in the touchpad;
• amount of RAM and storage;
• magnificent appearance;
• compact size and lightness;
• powerful and energy efficient CPU.

Flaws:

• microSD card reader;
• noisy fan under load.

Acer Swift 5 (SF514-54T-740Y)

For comfortable work, it is better to choose the Acer Swift 5 laptop. The weight of this 14-inch device is only 1 kg. Thanks to the use of energy-efficient Intel Core i7-1065G7, the device is not too power-hungry, so you won’t need to constantly carry a charger with you. Under ideal conditions, this laptop will last 12 hours, and if we talk about the actual usage model, we will get a confident 6-8 hours.

Of course, discrete video will not allow this laptop to easily handle graphics and video. But if necessary, you can complete not too complex tasks here. First of all, this tool will appeal to businessmen, writers and people of other professions who do not require . This laptop doesn't have many downsides. First of all, they criticize the screen’s illumination that is not too uniform. Also, for its price, the presence of not the most up-to-date USB 2.0 is somewhat disappointing.

Advantages:

• compactness and lightness;
• powerful Core i7 processor;
• spacious storage;
• fingerprint scanner;
• high-quality assembly;
• excellent autonomy.

Flaws:

• uneven illumination;
• one of the USB 2.0 standard.

TOP 5 best laptops by price/quality

ASUS TUF Gaming FX505

Powerful gaming laptop with a 15.6-inch screen and a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels designed for everyday work tasks, work in text and graphics editors, games and complex computing tasks.

Depending on the purpose of the laptop, you can optionally select basic parameters, for example, total storage capacity, RAM capacity, processor.

The widescreen screen has a matte or anti-glare coating, making it easy to operate the device in any lighting conditions.

It is glare-free and features dimmable LED backlighting.

The video card is also optional: there are modifications from both AMD and NVIDIA. The storage configuration is optional - HDD / HDD+SSD / SSD.

Interfaces include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI connector, several USB ports, Ethernet, audio input and microphone.

The battery has an autonomy of 3 to 5 hours without recharging, depending on the battery capacity of 2526…4240 mAh.

Specifications:

• resolution: 1920×1080;
• CPU (optional): Core i5 / Core i7 / Ryzen 5 / Ryzen 7;
• RAM capacity: 6…16 GB;
• matrix: IPS;
• operating time: 3…5 hours;
• diagonal: 15.6".

pros

• metal housing cover;
• IPS matrix;
• screen with anti-glare coating (optional);
• powerful processor;
• keyboard backlight.

Minuses

• autonomy;
• no GPS module.

Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro 15.6 GTX

A thin gaming laptop from a world-famous Chinese manufacturer has an SSD drive for long-term and reliable storage of information with a total capacity of up to 1 TB / 256 GB.

The model has a metal body and a glossy screen with a diagonal of 15.6 inches and a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, as well as an IPS matrix with good viewing angles.

The laptop is compact and lightweight (2 kg), so you can take it with you to school or the office.

There is a webcam for video communication or video conferencing, and a security lock slot to protect personal data . Unlocking is carried out using a fingerprint.

The design has a microphone and good speakers, and for ease of working with text in limited lighting conditions, the keyboard is backlit.

The model has a 4-cell Li-Pol battery that provides up to 9 hours of operation without recharging.

Specifications:

• resolution: 1920×1080;
• CPU (optional): Core i5 / Core i7;
• RAM capacity: 8…16 GB;
• matrix: IPS;
• working time: 9 hours;
• diagonal: 15.6".

pros

• metal case;
• autonomy;
• keyboard backlight;
• light weight;
• amount of RAM.

Minuses

• glossy screen (glare);
• unsoldered memory.

Apple MacBook Pro 16 with Retina display and Touch Bar Late 2019

16-inch laptop with Apple's own macOS, SSD storage and a wide range of features and options.

Optionally, the processor can belong to the Core i7 or Core i9 family and have 6 or 8 cores, making the performance and speed of the device suitable for everyday tasks, as well as for games and complex multimedia processes.

RAM capacity 16…64 GB . This is enough for multitasking. However, Apple devices fundamentally do not have slots for memory cards, so it is not possible to increase the built-in storage.

The total storage capacity is 512…8000 GB.

The screen has an unusual diagonal size of 16 inches, the highest resolution of 3072×1920 pixels and an IPS matrix, and is also equipped with an LED screen backlight. The manufacturer chose fifth-generation AMD as the video card.

Interfaces include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thunderbolt 3×4, headphone jack and microphone . There is also a Touch Bar, speakers and a subwoofer with clear, loud sound, a webcam and a fingerprint scanner.

Specifications:

• resolution: 3072×1920;
• CPU (optional): Core i7 / Core i9;
• RAM capacity: 16…64 GB;
• matrix: IPS;
• working time: 11 h;
• diagonal: 16".

pros

• design;
• autonomy;
• there is a subwoofer;
• powerful processor;
• user-friendly interface;
• Touch Bar;
• metal case.

Minuses

• price.

ASUS VivoBook 15 X512

Asus laptop with a wide range of configurations, from body color to processor generation, so you can choose the appropriate option for each specific user .

The model has a 15.6-inch screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 or 1366x768 pixels and a built-in Intel HD Graphics 610 video core.

The widescreen screen can optionally be constructed on an IPS or TN matrix. In the latter case, the final cost of the device is reduced, but the viewing angles are significantly narrowed.

LED backlighting and anti-glare or matte finish ensure comfortable work on the laptop even in poor lighting conditions.

The manufacturer offers optionally several options for video cards, both NVIDIA and AMD, but the amount of video memory in any case is 2 GB. The total storage capacity varies from 128…1256 GB.

The model has Wi-fi and Bluetooth modules, memory card slots, HDMI input, headphone output, audio input, several USB ports and speakers.

Specifications:

• resolution: 1366×768 / 1920×1080;
• CPU (optional): Core i3 / Core i5 / Core i7 / Pentium / Ryzen 3 / Ryzen 5 / Ryzen 7;
• RAM capacity: 4…12 GB;
• matrix: IPS/TN;
• operating time: 5 hours;
• diagonal: 15.6".

pros

• large selection of configurations;
• weight less than 2 kg;
• quiet cooling system;
• good screen quality;
• price variability.

Minuses

• video memory volume;
• Fingerprints are visible on the matte finish.

HONOR MagicBook Pro

A versatile, powerful laptop with a large screen with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels, an IPS matrix and a capacious battery that allows you to work in active mode for up to 12 hours without recharging .

The model has a modern SSD drive, a pre-installed Windows 10 Home operating system and a mid-price segment processor capable of working in office, gaming and professional modes, Core i5 / Ryzen 5 optional.

The device supports DDR4 memory and has 8...16 GB of RAM, which is enough to run heavy applications, multitask and run modern games.

The screen has a diagonal of 16.1 inches and a matte finish with LED backlighting. The video memory capacity is only 2 GB. Interfaces include Wi-fi and Bluetooth modules, USB 3.0 Type A x 3 / USB 3.1 Type-C / HDMI output / microphone/headphone Combo.

Unlocking is carried out via a fingerprint scanner.

Specifications:

• resolution: 1920×1080;
• CPU (optional): Core i5 / Ryzen 5;
• RAM capacity: 8…16 GB;
• matrix: IPS;
• operating time: 9…12 hours;
• diagonal: 16.1″.

pros

• autonomy;
• light weight;
• good high resolution screen;
• metal case;
• keyboard backlight;
• does not heat up and does not make noise.

Minuses

• price;
• amount of video memory.

Which laptop to choose for work

To choose a laptop that is ideal for work, you need to identify the tasks for which it will be used. If nothing is more demanding than working with text files and simple tables, then choose any inexpensive laptop from this review. For more difficult tasks, you should take one of the models in the second category. Games, video editing and other serious processes are best performed on a “machine” like the Xiaomi model. Editing photos and working with graphics, in turn, costs on a device with an ideal screen, like an Apple MacBook.