Best laptop PC: which one to choose in 2023 ?

© Lemon squeezer

2023 is a big year with lots of “best laptops” to buy in each category. It's difficult to dismiss Apple, which hit very hard by launching computers without Intel, with its own high-performance chips.

Designed entirely in-house, and perfectly optimized for macOS, these new chips allow the latest Macs to achieve record battery life (up to more than 20 hours ) without compromising on performance.

Added to this are micro-LED screens on some models, which are on paper as good as the expensive Apple Pro Display XDR external screen. The category remains in the minority, but with 28.3% additional sales from one year to the next, it is indeed Mac sales that are growing the most on the market at the moment.< /p>

The firm delivered 29 million units last year, and we can say that Apple is the firm that has best benefited from the pandemic and the generalization of teleworking. Fortunately, Apple is not the only company to make great proposals. The firm remains, despite its excellent results, only the 4th computer seller behind Lenovo, HP and Dell (but ahead of Acer).

Among the models worth checking out, we can cite the latest LG Gram 17″ which we find quite incredible given its small footprint, its high performance and its light weight, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G15, an incredibly powerful and compact gaming laptop, or the HP spectrum x260 14 other “best laptop pc 2023” to purchase for all of its services.

In this comparison, we have tried to avoid repetition by only offering in each category the model that seems to us to be the best laptop to buy in 2023.

Top 5 which laptop to buy in 2023:

1. MacBook Air M2
2. Dell XPS 13+
3. MacBook Pro 16″ M2 Pro or Max
4. MacBook Pro 13″
5. LG Gram 17

Even better than the best laptop to buy in 2022

© Presse-citron

After the excellent MacBook Air M1 of 2020 updates the MacBook Air range with a new M2 chip and a new design. The format remains the same, but the screen is larger (+0.3) and has a notch like on the most recent MacBook Pros, and new colors are also available. available (Space Gray, Silver, Midnight and Starlight).

The screen is Liguid Retina, which means better contrasts and increased brightness. In terms of performance, there is an 18% increase in raw CPU performance between the MacBook Air M1 and the M2 version. They also have a GPU that is 35% more powerful than the previous generation.

We still find on these models what Apple calls “Unified Memory” that both the GPU and the CPU can use. The bandwidth of this memory jumps 50% between the two generations. In addition, it is now possible to configure the machine with up to 24 GB of unified memory compared to 16 GB on the previous generation.

On the charging side, Apple is bringing back the MacSafe secure magnetic charging port. It has fast charging, and with a 67W charger you can easily reach 50% in 30 minutes. The device also physically has more batteries, although Apple simply promises the same autonomy (around 18 hours) as on the previous generation.

The best alternative to MacBook Air M2 under Windows

© Dell

If you absolutely want to stay on a PC, the Dell XPS 13 Plus is undoubtedly the best laptop of 2023. The ultra-thin and ultra-light device is one of the rare laptops to actually include an OLED screen for unparalleled contrast, even on Apple computers.

As always, we have an ultra-premium construction, a pleasant-to-use keyboard and a not-so-bad trackpad on a PC. Unlike the MacBook Air, it has an active cooling system (fans) and is therefore not perfectly silent. But the “optimized” allows you to achieve a balance between noise and performance.

Above the keyboard Dell has integrated a sort of capacitive Touch Bar. This replaces the function keys (which we may regret), and is not really interactive (they are permanent buttons). The XPS 13 Plus runs on an Intel EVO processor with powerful options, but you need to know one thing right away.

We remain on an x86 architecture, but with a construction inspired by ARM processors. However, the formula does not achieve the same characteristics as the Apple Silicon chips in the latest MacBooks – it must be said that from this point of view, Apple develops the chip, the hardware and software part of its products at the same time…

In particular, autonomy risks disappointing some users, but from this point of view, Apple no longer has any real competition, with equal performance, since the launch of the first Mac M1.

Buy the best laptop for battery life

The “M2 Pro” and “M2 Max” Macs offer exceptional performance and battery life. Depending on the chip chosen, you can benefit from a 12-core CPU, up to 38-core GPU, 400 GB/s of memory bandwidth and 96 GB of unified memory which provides both RAM and VRAM (in addition to be used for machine learning). Enabled to perform tasks like 3D rendering, color grading or video editing up to 6 times faster than the fastest Intel MacBook Pro.

Apple has not just boosted the power of its machines: the MacBook Pro 16… also have exceptionally rendered Liquid Retina XDR displays, which offer contrasts close to OLED displays – including a brightness of 1 600 nits and compatibility with the P3.

color space

Small revolution: Apple has also met the expectations of professionals in terms of ports and connectivity – after years of “all USB type C”. The MacBook Pro 16″ thus have an HDMI port which supports 8K screens, an ultra-practical integrated microSD card port for emptying your camera. These computers also see the return of the MagSafe charging port (version 3) that saved so many computers from falling. And there are still three Thunderbolt 4 ports. Beyond that, the design is slightly thicker – but it's rather a good point since Apple took the opportunity to equip it with a significantly more capable battery.

Among the models available, the MacBook Pro 16″ with the M2 Max chip offers the same benefits as the M2 Pro model, but with a more powerful GPU, higher memory bandwidth. The device can be purchased with up to 96 GB of unified memory – and displays a record battery life of 22 hours, the longest ever seen on a computer from the company.

The best power-autonomy ratio of the moment

© Lemon squeezer

Apple has just unveiled the first computer with a new iteration of the M  chips: the MacBook Pro 13″ M2. More professional than the MacBook Air, the MacBook Pro 13″ M2 uses the same chassis as the MacBook Pro 13″ with M1 chip. And is equipped with a Touch Bar, which we thought would forever be stored away among the brand's missed appointments.

The connectivity won't suit everyone: count on an audio/microphone combo jack and two Thunderbolt 4 ports and that's it. But the real interest of the show is the performance of the new M2 chip. The M2 has an 18% more efficient CPU, a 35% faster GPU and a 40% more powerful neural engine.

Apple promises that the device is 1.4 times faster on Final Cut Pro editing compared to its M1 equivalent – which translates into 6 times higher performance than the latest MacBook with Intel chip. For encoding, the M2 is 2.9 times faster than the M1 version and 7.9 times faster than the latest Intel Mac.

All this with autonomy as interstellar as ever. In general use, the MacBook Pro 13″ M2 still lasts 17h11, about twenty minutes longer than its predecessor M1.

Buy the best laptop 17″

© LG

Among the rest of the manufacturers, the best laptop to buy for its size is undoubtedly the LG Gram. Particularly if you like the 17″ but a little less bulk that it represents when it comes to moving it. LG Grams have always been true design tours de force. LG seeks with these machines the best possible balance between ultra-pure design, lightness and solid performance.

From this point of view these machines are simply astonishing. The LG Gram 17 weighs only 1.35kg. To give you a point of comparison, the MacBook Air M1 weighs almost the same at 1,284 kg. It is also MIL-STD-810G certified, which is a set of durability standards developed by the US Army attesting to its durability.

For the rest we have unparalleled performance thanks to its Intel Core i7-1065G7 accompanied by 16 GB of RAM. On the storage side we have a 1TB NVMe SSD. You will definitely not have the same autonomy with this thing as a MacBook Pro 16″ of 2021. However, this very capable machine will be able to accompany you everywhere, very easily.

Buy the best gaming laptop

© Asus

For having had the chance to test it, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 is a truly incredible machine, both from the point of view of design and the small innovations that make it the best laptop PC to buy for gamers. Nothing can resist it: it is possible to configure it with all the best that Intel, AMD and Nvidia produce.

It has several screen options, including a 165Hz QHD option that delivers incredibly smooth animations. The audio part is neat, and the keyboard and trackpad are among the best on the market. To preserve this compact format, Asus has deployed a few tricks.

For example, when you open the screen, the bottom cover of the computer flips up to allow a greater volume of air to circulate. Enough to avoid less practical and overly imposing cooling solutions like those used on certain Alienware laptops.

Buy the best laptop for professionals

© Lenovo

Lenovo's ThinkPad line has always had a very attractive look that seems to scream 'I'm a true professional' to anyone who will listen. The funny thing is that this design is repeated from year to year as something that is very intimately part of the range.

The most compact model, the ThinkPad X1 Nano does not deviate from tradition. We find this look all in red and black which smells of the futurism of the year 2000. We find the small red button in the middle of the keyboard which turns out to be a surprisingly practical pointer.

Some people prefer it to traditional trackpads. On top of all that, we have all the security features you would expect from a PC for professionals, biometrics included. And performances… all this in a featherweight. The ThinkPad X1 Nano only weighs 900 grams, even less than the MacBook Air M1 or the LG Gram 17.

Before knowing which laptop to buy in 2023, you must determine what your needs actually are. Finding decent performance in 2022 is generally not a problem. The biggest differentiating points are in fact the size, technology, refresh rate and quality of the screen, the weight of the machine, gaming performance and, increasingly, autonomy.< /p>

In addition to this, with the rise of Macs, it is worth carefully considering whether the Apple or PC/Windows ecosystem is most appropriate for your needs. PCs are the most compatible with applications, and are also the machines suitable for gamers. But Macs are holding up well, with very high quality professional applications. And unparalleled autonomy.

Apple is setting the bar very high on this last level with the new MacBook Pro 16″ which lasts up to 22 hours on a single charge. The best alternatives from other manufacturers tend to display around ten hours. In addition to these points, you must determine whether you prefer to buy a classic laptop PC or rather buy a convertible laptop PC which can act, on occasion, as a tablet.

Finally, don't forget that you will have to transport the laptop you are going to buy. A very important point when some offer machines weighing less than 1 kg, while delivering astonishing performances – while other manufacturers produce machines that are certainly powerful, but which weigh several kilograms.

This is the case for most Gaming PCs. In use, it must be emphasized that these very heavy machines are very unpleasant to transport. They sometimes even require two power supplies to be plugged in at the same time. And autonomy is obviously not there. This type of machine is dedicated to a very specific audience, and clearly not everyone will find what they are looking for.

So, which laptop PC to buy in this 2023 ? comparison Share your opinion in the comments. We will of course update this content regularly as new models are released.

📍 To not miss any news from Presse-citron, follow us on Google News and WhatsApp.