We’re finally starting to see some action in the laptop market after a few stagnant months as manufacturers awaited the latest hardware to become available. Intel officially launched its Ivy Bridge architecture back in April, but it wasn’t until around May and June that the first laptops equipped with the new Core i chips started rolling out, bringing improved performance and battery life. To no one’s surprise they’re completely dominating the scene while AMD, even with their solid integrated graphics, is relegated to the budget segment.
As was the case towards the end of last year there’s been an increasing focus on devices with fast SSD storage, slim profiles, long battery life, and a price that won't break the bank -- basically, everyone’s answer to the MacBook Air. Intel is putting a lot of weight behind the Ultrabook concept, expecting it to be the main driver of PC market growth in the short term, and we’re finally starting to see some real interesting products emerge.
When choosing the right laptop it all comes down to what you are willing to spend and what you plan to use it for. This guide will help you navigate through the countless options out there. As usual, we've narrowed down our favorite notebooks and grouped them into five different categories: ultraportables, business and workstations, desktop replacements, gaming, and budget-oriented machines.
Ultraportables
Thin and light laptops offer a smooth blend of performance, portability and battery life. This segment was previously reserved for super-expensive laptops that tried to emphasize all of these features. While some luxury systems still fit that description, nowadays with the MacBook Air and Intel heavily pushing 'Ultrabooks' you can find great thin and light systems priced between $900 and $1,300.
The typical thin and light sports an 11-, 12- or 13-inch display, Intel's third-generation Core i3, i5 or i7 processors, 4GB of RAM, 6+ hours of battery life, and start with around 120GB SSD storage -- although you can find some models with standard or hybrid HDDs if you need the extra space or want to save a few extra bucks. The vast majority of them also drop the optical drive for the sake of portability.
Apple MacBook Air (2012)
The MacBook Air doesn't appear to have changed much since 2011's refresh. It still has the same flawless design, only now it packs an Intel "Ivy Bridge" processor inside, offers more RAM, and supports USB 3.0 at last. There's also a smaller MagSafe connector this time around. Some might be disappointed that the Retina Display hasn’t made it to the MacBook Air range yet, but Apple's iconic ultra-portable is still the gold standard by which ultrathin machines are measured against.
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Quick specs | Full specs  | Starting price: $1,199 |
| Processor: Intel Core i5-3427U 1.8GHz | Graphics: Intel Graphics HD 4000 |
| Memory: 4GB DDR3 1600MHz memory | Storage: 128GB SSD |
| Display size: 13.3" (1440 x 900) | Optical: none |
| Weight: ~2.9lbs (~1.3 kg) | Battery: ~7 hours |
Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A
The 13.3-inch Zenbook Prime UX31A, a follow-up to last year's Zenbook UX31, brings updated internals along with the same sleek MacBook Air-like aluminum shell of its predecessor. Asus included a third-generation Intel Core processor for a nice speed boost, a comfier backlit keyboard, better webcam and audio, and a gorgeous display that produces bright and clear images with wide 178-degree viewing angles.
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| Quick specs | Full specs | Starting price: $1,099 ($1,350 as configured) |
| Processor: Intel Core i7-3517UM 1.7GHz | Graphics: Intel Graphics HD 4000 |
| Memory: 4GB DDR3 1600MHz memory | Storage: 128GB SSD |
| Display size: 13.3" IPS (1920x1080) | Optical: none |
| Weight: ~2.86lbs (~1.3 kg) | Battery: ~6.5 hours |
Dell XPS 13
Dell's new XPS 13 ultrabook measures just 0.71 inches at its thickest point and 0.24 inches at its thinnest. The laptop's main body is a mix of magnesium alloy and aluminum along the lid and keyboard deck, with a carbon fiber base that's cool to the touch. This makes it quite rigid yet also lightweight at just under 3 pounds. Ports and connectivity options include 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, one USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 port each, as well as a mini DisplayPort, but there's no HDMI, Ethernet, or a memory-card reader.
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| Quick specs | Full specs | Starting price: $990 ($1,400 with 256GB SSD) |
| Processor: Intel Core i5-2467M 1.6GHz | Graphics: Intel Graphics HD 4000 |
| Memory: 4GB DDR3 1600MHz memory | Storage: 128GB SSD |
| Display size: 13.3" (1366 x 768) | Optical: none |
| Weight: ~2.9lbs (~1.3 kg) | Battery: ~5 hours |
Toshiba Portege Z930 / Z935
Toshiba’s well regarded Portege Z835 is also getting upgraded with Ivy Bridge processors and rechristened as the Z935. The 13.3-inch laptop is super light, weighing in at just over 2.4 pounds, and it's a slim 8.3mm at its thinnest point. Specs include Intel's HD 4000 graphics, up to 12GB of DDR3 RAM, up to 512GB SSD, and an array of ports that include USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA and an SD card reader.
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| Quick specs | Full specs | Starting price: $900 ($1,200 as configured) |
| Processor: Intel Core i7-3667U 2.0GHz | Graphics: Intel Graphics HD 4000 |
| Memory: 6GB DDR3 1600MHz memory | Storage: 128GB SSD |
| Display size: 13.3" (1366x768) | Optical: none |
| Weight: ~2.4lbs (~1.1 kg) | Battery: ~7 hours |
Other noteworthy Ultraportable options
Samsung Series 5
The 13-inch Samsung Series 5 Ultra is a more affordable ultrabook than the Series 9, and has plenty of ports crammed into its sleek body. If you can settle for an Ultrabook with HDD storage instead of SSD the Series 5 is a good deal at $800.
Price range: From $800 |
Business and Workstations
Business notebooks offer a combination of mid- to high-end components, but with an emphasis on extra durability and longer battery life. Many of them also come with increased security features such as drive encryption and fingerprint readers that aren't normally found in mainstream consumer laptops.
This category encompasses a little bit of everything, but commonly you'll find 14, 15 and 17-inch screens, mid-range discrete graphics cards (though some are also settling for Intel's Ivy Bridge integrated HD 4000 graphics nowadays), at least 4GB of RAM, and plenty of connectivity options.
Lenovo ThinkPad T430s
Lenovo's ThinkPad T Series has long been known as the gold standard for business notebooks. Starting at $999, the T430s offers all the business-minded and security features you'd expect from the ThinkPad line while maintaining a slim design that's easy to lug around. It sports an island-style keyboard, and offers choices of the latest Intel Core i processors, integrated or discrete Nvidia graphics, as well as both SSD and HDD storage options.
In terms of connectivity you'll get Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Mini DisplayPort, a couple of USB 3.0 ports and a 4-in-1 multicard reader. Battery life is rated for up to 6.5 hours.
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Quick specs | Full specs  | Starting price: $999 ($1,569 as configured) |
| Processor: Intel Core i5-3320M 2.6GHz | Graphics: Nvidia NVS 5200M 1GB |
| Memory: 4GB DDR3 1600MHz (1 DIMM) | Storage: 500GB 7,200RPM HDD |
| Display size: 14.0 (1600 x 900) LED backlit display | Optical: DVD recordable multiburner |
| Weight: 3.94lbs (1.79kg) | Battery: ~6.5 hours |
Lenovo ThinkPad W530
The ThinkPad W530 is a 15.6-inch desktop replacement workstation for content creators and business types, packing a choice of Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors – up to the 2.9GHz Core i7-3920XM – along with up to 32GB of RAM, Nvidia Quadro graphics, and an optional color calibrator.
It has the same chassis as the last-gen model but includes several minor changes. Among them is a new 6-row chiclet style backlit keyboard and support for DisplayPort 1.2-ready. Otherwise, its core specs are the same (Ivy Bridge notwithstanding) and so is the port configuration: two USB SuperSpeed 3.0, one USB 2.0, one USB 2.0/eSATA, VGA, DisplayPort out, FireWire 400, ExpressCard/34, SDHC-card reader, and a headset combo jack.
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| Quick specs | Full specs | Starting price: $1,299 ($1,649 as configured) |
| Processor: Intel Core i7-3720QM 2.60GHz | Graphics: Nvidia Quadro K1000M 2GB |
| Memory: 6GB DDR3 (2 DIMM) | Storage: 1TB 7200RPM HDD |
| Display size: 15.6" (1600 x 900) LED backlit display | Optical: DVD recordable multiburner |
| Weight: 5.95 lbs | Battery: 9 cell Li-Ion Battery |
HP EliteBook 8570p
Like its predecessor, the EliteBook 8570p features a design based on HP's so-called "Forge" framework that includes aluminum-alloy hinges, titanium-alloy display latches, a bottom-case drain in case of spills, and a platinum-colored DuraCase enclosure that actually manages to comply to the MIL-STD 810G military testing spec. This business powerhouse comes equipped with Intel's third-generation Ivy Bridge processors, an extensive security and wireless feature set, and a wide selection of ports.
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| Quick specs | Full specs | Starting price: $899 ($1,499 as configured) |
| Processor: Intel Core i7-3520M 2.90GHz | Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 7570M 1GB |
| Memory: 4GB DDR3 1600MHz (2 DIMMs) | Storage: 500GB 7200RPM HDD |
| Display size: 15.6" (1600 x 900) LED backlit display | Optical: DVD SuperMulti |
| Weight: 5.75 pounds (2.6 kg) | Battery: ~6 hours |
Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display
The all-new, 15.4-inch Retina Display packing MacBook Pro represents the next-generation of Apple’s professional-grade notebooks. It's an impressive 0.71 inches thin — almost as thin as the MacBook Air’s 0.68 inches — while weighing under four and a half pounds. The display is 15.4 inches across and sports a 220ppi 2880 x 1800 native resolution.
Besides the specs listed below, noteworthy features include dual Thunderbolt ports, dual microphones “to enable a new generation of voice applications”, USB 3.0 support, HDMI-out (finally no need for adapters), and a thinner MagSafe port, as well as the usual SD card reader, webcam and backlit keyboard.
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| Quick specs | Full specs | Starting price: $2,199 |
| Processor: Intel Core i7-3615QM 2.30GHz | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT 650M 1GB |
| Memory: 8GB 1600MHz DDR3L | Storage: 256GB SSD |
| Display size: 15.4" (2880 x 1800) LED backlit IPS display | Optical: none |
| Weight: 4.46 pounds (2.02 kg) | Battery: ~7 hours |
Multimedia and Desktop Replacements
Laptops in this category pack the most complete feature set. They won't match a high-end desktop in terms of performance, but they can deliver enough computing power for most productivity uses and some models are particularly well suited to consume or create media content. Desktop replacements usually offer large screens from 15 inches and up, as well as comfortable full-sized keyboards, often with a separate number pad.
The average desktop replacement weighs 6 pounds or more, sports a Core i7 quad-core chip, at least 6GB of RAM, around 750GB of HDD storage (256GB or 512GB if you opt for an SSD), and offers tons of connectivity. Battery life has never been one of their strong points due to the large displays and powerful hardware, but surprisingly newer models are getting up to 6 hours of runtime. You can thank Intel's Ivy Bridge for that.
Laptops in this category start at around $1,000 but fully-loaded models can easily fetch upwards of $2,000.
Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display
The all-new, 15.4-inch Retina Display packing MacBook Pro represents the next-generation of Apple’s professional-grade notebooks. It's an impressive 0.71 inches thin — almost as thin as the MacBook Air’s 0.68 inches — while weighing under four and a half pounds. The display is 15.4 inches across and sports a 220ppi 2880 x 1800 native resolution.
Besides the specs listed below, noteworthy features include dual Thunderbolt ports, dual microphones “to enable a new generation of voice applications”, USB 3.0 support, HDMI-out (finally no need for adapters), and a thinner MagSafe port, as well as the usual SD card reader, webcam and backlit keyboard.
Additional views:
| Quick specs | Full specs | Starting price: $2,199 |
| Processor: Intel Core i7-3615QM 2.30GHz | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT 650M 1GB |
| Memory: 8GB 1600MHz DDR3L | Storage: 256GB SSD |
| Display size: 15.4" (2880 x 1800) LED backlit IPS display | Optical: none |
| Weight: 4.46 pounds (2.02 kg) | Battery: ~7 hours |
HP Envy 17 3D
The redesigned Envy 17 premium notebook from HP offers the latest Intel processors and AMD graphics, Beats Audio with a built-in knob for precision volume control, optional SSD storage, and a host of new features, like HP's wireless audio, a proximity activated keyboard backlight, and a sleek new all-metal chassis. The range-topping model also includes a 3D display for gaming and watching movies, as well as an 80GB mSATA solid-state drive for snappier system performance.
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| Quick specs | Full specs | Starting price: $1,450 ($1,800 as configured) |
| Processor: Intel Core i7-3610QM 2.30GHz | Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 7850M 1GB |
| Memory: 8GB 1600MHz DDR3 (2 DIMMs) | Storage: 80GB mSATA, 750GB Hybrid HDD |
| Display size: 17.3" (1920 x 1080) 3D LED backlit display | Optical: Slot-loading Blu-ray player |
| Weight: 7.4 pounds (3.35 kg) | Battery: ~6 hours |
Samsung Series 7 Chronos
The 17-inch Samsung Series 7 "Chronos" offers a slim and lightweight design with an attractive aluminum chassis. There's plenty of power under the hood with Intel's latest CPUs and discrete Nvidia graphics. Among its notable features is what Samsung calls ExpressCache technology, which provides 8GB of flash memory on the motherboard for faster start-up as well as increased overall performance.
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| Quick specs | Full specs | Starting price: $1,350 ($1,500 as configured) |
| Processor: Intel Core i7-3615QM 2.30GHz | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT 650M 2GB |
| Memory: 8GB 1600MHz DDR3 | Storage: 1TB HDD, 8GB ExpressCache |
| Display size: 17.3" (1920 x 1080) LED backlit display | Optical: Slot-loading DVD SuperMulti |
| Weight: 6.24 pounds (2.84 kg) | Battery: ~6 hours |
Gaming Laptops
Serious gamers will always tell you to go with a desktop computers for their flexibility when it comes to upgrading and the sheer power of their components. However, if mobility is a priority, there are some solid choices in this category. Intel's Core i7 processors are recommended for gaming, as well as a top-of-the-line discrete GPU from ATI or Nvidia, at least 6GB of RAM, and up to a terabyte worth of storage.
Similar to desktop replacements, most gaming laptops are large, heavy and usually lack in the battery life department. There are a number of specialized brands and boutique shops that will let you customize their products with all the latest components and even tailor their looks to your taste for a nice premium.
Alienware M17x / M18x R4
Alienware's range-topping M17x was updated earlier this year with a third-gen Intel quad-core processor and the latest discrete GPUs from ATI or Nvidia, while keeping the distinctive Alienware lighting and styling.
The M17x starts at $1,469 and the price ramps up quickly as you start adding options. If you're willing to part with the cash, you can add a solid-state drive, Blu-ray and up to 32GB of RAM. There's also an optional 3D screen for an immersive gaming experience that you can pack up and take with you. The 18-inch Alienware M18x is worth looking at if you want to go all in with dual-GPUs.
Additional views:
| Quick specs | Full specs | Starting price: $1,469 ($1,861 as configured) |
| Processor: Intel Core i7-3610QM 2.3-3.3GHz | Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 7970M 2GB |
| Memory: 6GB DDR3 1600MHz (2 DIMMs) | Storage: 750GB 7,200RPM HDD |
| Display size: 17.3" (1920x1080) | Optical: Slot-loading DVD burner |
| Weight: 9.39 lbs | Battery: 90WHr 9-Cell |
MSI GT60 / GT70
The 15-inch GT60 and the 17.3-inch GT70 gaming laptops from MSI offer Intel Core i7-3610QM processors and Nvidia's latest graphics cards -- up to the GTX 675M right now but the Kepler GTX 680M will be available soon. The GT60 and GT70 are the first gaming notebooks to feature SteelSeries keyboards, which include multi-color backlighting that can be configured to your liking. You can customize these machines with up to 32GB of RAM and solid-state-drive RAID options, starting at $1499 for the GT60 and $1549.99 for the GT70.
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| Quick specs | Full specs | Starting price: $1,550 ($1,650 as configured) |
| Processor: Intel Core i7-3610QM 2.3-3.3GHz | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 675M 2GB |
| Memory: 12GB DDR3 1600MHz | Storage: 750GB 7,200RPM HDD |
| Display size: 17.3" (1920x1080) | Optical: DVD Super Multi |
| Weight: 8.6 lbs | Battery: 9-Cell |
Samsung Series 7 Gamer
Designed with feedback from PC gamers, the Series 7 Gamer notebook has all the ingredients required for gaming on the road, including an Ivy Bridge 2.3GHz Core i7-3610QM (four cores, eight threads), a discrete Nvidia GeForce GTX 675M graphics chip and 16GB of RAM. Although there doesn't appear to be an optional SSD, the hard disk is supplemented with 8GB of onboard flash that uses caching technologies by Diskeeper and Samsung to boost performance. The Series 7 Gamer also has a hardware dial to switch between four settings tailored for common usage scenarios.
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| Quick specs | Full specs | Starting price: $1,820 |
| Processor: Intel Core i7-3610QM 2.3-3.3GHz | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 675M 2GB |
| Memory: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz | Storage: 1.5TB HDD, 8GB cache SSD |
| Display size: 17.3" 1920x1080 (400 nit) | Optical: Blu-ray |
| Weight: 8.39 lbs | Battery: 8-Cell |
Origin EON 17S
Boutique PC builder Origin has updated its Eon 17 gaming notebook with the latest Intel "Ivy Bridge" processors and high end graphics from AMD and Nvidia, all crammed into a lightly-modified edition of a Clevo chassis. The base Eon 17-S model starts at just $1,560 and includes an Intel Core i5-3320M dual-core processor along 4GB of RAM and a 1GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M card. Although that's nothing to write home about, if you can stretch your budget beyond $2,000, there are endless configuration options to pack all the horsepower for your gaming needs.
Additional views:
| Quick specs | Full specs | Starting price: $1,560 ($2,540 as configured) |
| Processor: Intel Core i7-3720QM 2.6GHz | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 680M 4GB |
| Memory: 16GB DDR3 | Storage: 1TB HDD, 40GB cache SSD |
| Display size: 17.3" (1920×1080) LED-backlit (matte) | Optical: 8X DVD Dual Layer Burner |
| Weight: 12+ lbs | Battery: 8-cell (~2 hours) |
Other noteworthy options for gaming
Maingear Pulse 11
The Pulse 11 combines the best in small form-factor laptop design with Intel's 3rd Generation Core processor with up to 8-thread processing, and Nvidia's Optimus technology for portable gaming on the go. The Pulse will fill the gap left by Dell's phased out Alienware M11x.
Starting price: $999 | 
Asus G75VW-AS71
82 With a chasis design inspired a stealth fighter, the G75VW offers uncompromising power with a third generation Intel Core i7 CPU and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M GPU with 2GB of GDDR5 VRAM. It's 15% thinner and almost a pound lighter than the previous version G74.
Starting price: $1,450 |
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