The Best Laptops to Buy Right Now: Budget, Premium, Creator & Gaming Picks

[00:00] Laptop prices are going through the roof right now, but in this crazy market there are still deals to be had, and there are excellent laptops out there that do justify their current price.

[00:12] So today, I'm going to go through the best laptops that you can buy right now. I'm going to start with laptops for those on a really tight budget. Then I'm going to cover the premiums in a light, and after that I'll go through the best laptops for professionals,

[00:24] you know, programmers, engineers, and of course creators. And finally, I'm going to finish off with the best laptops for gamers. All the laptops I'm going to talk about today, they'll be linked down below the video, and of course, we're going to keep those recommendations up to date well after this video goes live.

[00:39] So make sure you check there just in case there has been an update. Let's get into it. If you're looking for the best budget laptop to buy right now around $700 or less, I'm going to let you in on a little secret.

[00:51] It isn't the MacBook Neo. It's actually a MacBook Air from last year or the year before. You get faster ports with the Air, a haptic trackpad, a keyboard backlight, and a larger battery, which results in better battery life.

[01:03] If you can find an M3 or M4 MacBook Air, all the better. Those are significantly faster than the Neo. And if you can snag one with 16 GB of memory, it's going to really expand what you can do on your laptop. You see, the Neo and some of those older Airs, they only have 8 GB, which is just very limiting.

[01:19] Many of these Prime Model Airs are still being sold at retailers, sometimes new, sometimes with returned or even refurbished models. If you buy one of those from a reputable seller or Apple's own refurbished store,

[01:31] they normally come with a manufacturer's warranty. So if something is wrong, you have recourse. $400 to $700 is a fair price for one of those older Airs, depending on what CPU and configuration you get.

[01:43] Now, if you can't find one of those older Airs, then I would consider the MacBook Neo. For a new laptop, around $500 to $700, the Neo, it punches way above its weight. It feels more premium than Windows alternatives.

[01:55] It's chassis. It's better built. You don't have keyboard deck flex or lead flex or anything like that that most of those cheap Windows laptops have. The Neo, it looks stunning. It has a comfortable keyboard. Its display is excellent at this price point,

[02:07] and its trackpad works really well. Its main downside is really its performance, which is very middling. This laptop is really only suitable if you're sticking to very light tasks, like, say, basic office work, web browsing, and that sort of thing.

[02:20] Set in Sierra, they found it very suitable for their daily use, but Ethan and I, we didn't love it. On that note, if you are studying STEM or Creator Field or anything that relies on specialized software, this is probably not the laptop to get.

[02:33] So, if you need more performance than what a Neo can offer in the Windows space, and you don't want to spend more than $600, the Angele Respire 14 has been on some phenomenal sales as of late. For around $600, you should be able to snap one up with 16GB memory,

[02:47] 1TB of storage, and a Core Ultra 7 Series 2 Luma Lake processor. That processor is plenty powerful for student use and basic tasks, and it comes with a pretty good integrated GPU. Given the additional memory that this laptop has,

[03:01] and it's better integrated GPU, you'll be able to do more on it. Some very light creative work, and even some light gaming. However, we still don't recommend it for much more than that. Guys, this processor is still very basic. Now, the Aspire has much better specs than the Neo,

[03:16] So what's the catch? Well, it looks and feels very cheap, and its screen colours are just way off. What about if you've got around $1,000 a spin? Well, the best laptop for most people right now is the MacBook Air with M5.

[03:30] At the time I made this video, it was going for $950. Nothing. Nothing else comes close to the value this laptop offers. It is just an all-round premium machine with no major gotchas.

[03:42] The Air 10 5 chip, it is very powerful for a thinner light laptop. You can do some moderate creative work on the air and definitely something like programming totally fine Even some basic games assuming your titles run on macOS But just be aware this laptop it doesn have a fan to call its processor

[03:58] so it does get pretty warm to the touch in these kind of performance tasks. Other Windows laptops at this price point, they may have some positives, but they tend to have material cons too. For example, Asus' new ZenBook A14.

[04:10] It has a lower resolution display, which just makes more text not look as sharp. It also has some compatibility issues with its Qualcomm processor, and it costs more. The Air, it really is my number one recommendation for students and people just looking for a great everyday laptop.

[04:26] Now, if you do want Windows, I do have a surprising pick for you. I mentioned Qualcomm. I'm actually going to pick the Slim 7X from last gen. This is an incredibly premium Windows laptop.

[04:38] It's got a stunning high-resolution 14.5-inch OLED touchscreen that gets really bright, by the way. It feels very well built too. Now, this one, as I mentioned, it comes with a Qualcomm chip, the original X1 Elite one.

[04:51] It's not the current gen too, but it's still very powerful for the kind of people that I'm actually recommending this laptop for, which is people who are just sticking to basic tasks like office, internet, email, and collaboration apps. Not only does this laptop perform really well for those apps,

[05:06] but it has very solid battery life too. But what makes this laptop just make the list is its price. At $900, it's really hard to beat. If you want a laptop that truly beats it right now, you have to step up a lot in price.

[05:20] And that brings me to my next one. The new Yoga Slim 7i Ultra, which is the absolute best laptop that you can buy right now in the thin and light category. Why, you say? It feels even more premium than a MacBook.

[05:34] You may not think that's possible, but it is. The Ultra is not only well built, but it has this soft touch coating all around it that is just chest kiss. It feels so premium. It weighs a lot less than the Air and significantly less than a Pro.

[05:48] It has a great screen, high resolution, fast refresh rate, touch support. It has a very comfortable keyboard, more comfortable than the Airs. And it has one of Intel's new, Hansel 8-core Ultra Series 3 chips inside.

[06:00] The base version of that chip gives you plenty of performance for basic tasks while giving you incredible battery life. The Ultra with an 8 chip, that actually trades blows with Apple's M5 chip in CPU performance. And the X version of that chip, it trades blows in both CPU and GPU performance.

[06:17] That's because that version comes with Intel's excellent B390 integrated GPU. Now, since more games and programs run on Windows and Mac OS, it just further adds to the Yoga Slim 7i Ultra being a better all-round machine.

[06:30] Its only real material issue is that it only has USB-C ports. I don't mind this, but some people will. but the bigger concern with it right now is its price. The X-Chip version that we sell really makes that laptop sing.

[06:42] It just costs as much for MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro chip. But if you prioritize maximum portability without sacrificing much on performance, this is it. Alright, what happens if you want a larger screen ultra-portable for basic tasks

[06:57] and you don't want a MacBook Air 15? Well, the ThiepPad X915, it's the way to go. It's got a stunning large OLED display with all the bells and whistles. It's got a comfortable ThinkPad keyboard, a haptic trackpad, and it has very long battery life.

[07:11] On that note, the X9 14-inch isn't quite as special, it has a much smaller battery, and it has less ports. You can often find the 15-inch on sale for around $1,200. At this price point, you'll likely get it with a Core Ultra 5 Series 2 Linoleic processor.

[07:25] Again, this is good enough to save basic web browsing and office work, but not much more. The Core Ultra 5, just to be a note, it has a significantly cut-down integrated GPU versus the Quadra 7 that I talked about earlier with the Acer.

[07:37] At this price point though there is no Windows large screen laptop that comes close to the overall quality of the X915 If you do want to get it with an Intel Series 3 X chip good news there is a model called the 15P available

[07:50] It just recently hit the market, I'll link it down below. It is probably a great laptop, we have ordered one in, but guys, it is very, very expensive. If you want something similar to the 15P at a more reasonable price with one of those new X chips,

[08:04] Acer Swift 16, that's our pick. It's a very premium laptop that provides a lot of value. Like the 15p, it has an Intel Series 3 X chip. But this time, it's $1,700, not close to $3,000.

[08:17] With the Acer, you get good CPU performance, very good integrated GPU performance, solid construction, good screen, and it's very light and portable. The Swift's main downside, though, is that at a trackpad, it is crazy big,

[08:29] and it has dreadful palm rejection. With this laptop, you are going to want to bring a mouse with you. All right, time to step it up a notch. What happens if you want more performance? Say, you're programming, doing engineering, or doing creative work.

[08:42] Well, the best performance laptop to get right now that is still portable is a MacBook Pro. Nothing competes with the raw performance and efficiency of Apple's M5 Pro and Mac chips. Competing Windows laptops, guys, their prices have just skyrocketed where the MacBooks haven't.

[08:57] So that really makes them even more competitive. I'm about to release my full MacBook buying guide for 2026, but here's a little synopsis. The MacBook Pro 14 with a base N5 chip really doesn't offer that much performance over the

[09:10] air, so only get it for its longer battery life, its better ports, and its better display. The N5 Pro chips though, those are a huge step up in performance, and those laptops come standard with 24GB of memory, which is plenty for most people.

[09:24] These are the ones that I think most programmers should buy. Get the MacBook Pro 16 over the 14 if you want to be more productive, that's because of its larger display, and you want longer battery life. Get the 14 if you want more portability and a less expensive laptop.

[09:39] Video editors should definitely go for an M5 Max version, that is of course if you can afford it. The extra media engine that the Max chips have, it really does make a big difference for you. Those doing 3D tasks, the more GPU cores, the better.

[09:52] Those doing AI, the more memory, the better. If you are considering getting a Mac chip in that smaller MacBook Pro 14, just be aware you do lose a little performance. You also lose some battery life, and that configuration of the laptop gets really hot under load.

[10:07] Now, if you want a similar Windows laptop to the MacBook Pros, the new Yoga PronoNi is the way to go. The PronoNi, it is a super premium 16-inch laptop. It comes with a good Series 3 16-core CPU

[10:19] paired with up to an NVIDIA RTX 5070 12GB. The inclusion of a dedicated GPU and the fact it runs Windows, it really makes it a solid option for gaming in your downtime. That's if you like to do that. The Pro9i has a stunning Tandemolo display and one of Lenovo's signature amazingly comfortable keyboards.

[10:36] Its cons are that its performance for creative apps, it is worse than a MacBook Pro 16 and its battery life is worse too. Particularly if you're doing performance tasks while you're unplugged. Now, if you're just doing programming, or something that really only needs CPU performance,

[10:51] I'd actually take a look at the ZenBook A6D. It is a super light and portable laptop for the incredible CPU performance it has, and it has a large 16-inch display that is absolutely stunning. It comes with 48 giga memory and a very powerful processor,

[11:06] at least for CPU-only tasks, which is really what most software developers care about. Given its $1,700, it sounds like a dream, but there is a catch. Like all Qualcomm laptops, it uses an ARM processor.

[11:18] Not everything works or works well on this hardware. We went through a ton of professional apps to test what worked and didn't. I'll link that video down below. For example, Linux right now, it doesn't really work. If you only sticking to apps that run well on this hardware though the Zenbook A16 is a great option Rounding out our professional focus laptops is the new Framework 13 Pro This is an ideal laptop for techies

[11:40] It's completely modular and upgradable. It has fantastic Linux support, and it's actually one of the more recently priced laptops with an Intel Series 3 CPU. Its main downside is its size. It has a pretty small screen which coders may not like, and it has a limited cooling solution with a single fan.

[11:57] Finally, gamers. If you're looking for bang for your buck when it comes to a gaming laptop, the Legion 5i, that's from 2025, it offers tremendous value. There are several variants available with a powerful Intel HX chip.

[12:10] It's portable for what it is. It's a 15.1-inch gaming laptop. It's all pretty premium, and it has bells and whistles like an OLED display. Its main downside is its battery life, which is a bit rough. Now, if you're looking for more gaming performance

[12:24] and you don't want to cough up a ludicrous amount of money, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S with a 5070 Ti, that's what you should get. Guys, it isn't a forward-ish 5070 Ti, but it's still powerful enough to play most modern titles

[12:37] on good settings on its native display, which, by the way, is a beautiful 16-inch OLED panel. The Predator's main downside, though, is that it's just as ill as premium with something like, say, a Razer Blade 16, and its battery life once again sucks.

[12:51] But at $1,700 for the 5070 Ti model, that's a fair sacrifice to make, given where prices of gaming laptops currently are. Alright, more happens if you want even more gaming performance.

[13:03] The laptop to look at is the last year's 2025 Legion Pro 7i. It comes with a full-wattage GPU, and it's an all-round premium gaming laptop, more so than the Predator. At the time I made this video, you could actually get it with a 5070 Ti,

[13:18] 30 GB of memory, and 2 TB of storage for $2,000. The 5080 model, it regularly goes on sale for $2,500, and it's going to give you fantastic all-round gaming performance. Josh is out today, but I'm hopping in to add some great deals we found recently around the $1,500 mark.

[13:34] If you want max gaming performance, the Strix G16 comes with a powerful AMD HX processor and a full-wattage 578i. It delivers great performance while gaming and stays super cool thanks to its easy cooling solution.

[13:47] Or, if you want a premium thin and light gaming laptop, right Josh, you can buy the Legion 7i for around this price as well. The Legion 7i looks super stylish while also performing very well with its Intel HX processor and full-powered 4D60.

[14:00] Just take a look at the Legion 7i's display. It has a bright, vibrant, color-accurate OLED panel, which is a joy to look at. And its keyboard is one of the most comfortable of any laptop. Back to you, Josh.

[14:12] As you've seen throughout this video, we actually used our own website, BestLaptop.Deals, to find these deals. Prices are fluctuating like crazy, and you really need to sign like ours to keep track of what's going on.

[14:24] Over there, you can see historical prices. You can set price drop notifications to catch big sales, and we even call out, is a laptop's current price makes it a good or great deal? So you know you're getting a real sale, and not one of those bogus fake ones.

[14:39] Just keep in mind, a lot of good deals are on last year's models, and so for them it will of course run out. So don't wait around if you see a good price and if you can afford it. This leads me to how I want to end today's video.

[14:53] Do not use Karma, do not use Affirm or a Buy Now Pay Later scheme to purchase your laptop. Buying a modern laptop, it is a want, it is not a need. This is not a Coachella ticket. Do not put yourself at a financial risk to buy the latest and greatest laptop.

[15:08] There are plenty of older and second-hand laptops available that want a good home. Let me know with a comment below if I missed any killer deals. Until next time, I will catch you later.