In the first part of the review - about the main, again, first of all for me personally, as a buyer and user, characteristics that should be paid attention to when buying a laptop this year. In the second - the best in the author of the laptops of 2021 for various tasks and in the latter - a selection of relatively inexpensive and good laptops of various price range (up to 60,000 and 50,000 rubles, up to 30,000 and 20,000 rubles and within the framework of other budgets) from those already now Available to buying in stores.
- General principles for choosing a laptop in 2021
- Best Laptops 2021 for any tasks
- Best compact laptops for work and study
- The best game laptops
- Laptops - Mobile Workstations
- Best laptops at a given price
- Additional Information
Characteristics to pay attention to when buying a laptop
First, about general hardware characteristics that, from my point of view, are important if you decide to buy a new laptop in 2021. Once again I remind you that this is the personal opinion of the author and I inform about important characteristics for me.- Today, it is reasonable to acquire laptops from the 11th, 10th or 9th generation of Intel processors. The acquisition on the basis of earlier generations is not justified, even if there is an attractive price. Additionally: In the article, you will not meet laptops based on AMD, but the reason is not in some shortages, but only that I personally would not buy a laptop on AMD, although for someone such a choice can be quite justified.
- As of the current year, it is not necessary to acquire a laptop less than 8 GB of RAM, and I would not do it even with a limited budget. If there is a serious work and modern games, I recommend to focus on a minimum of 16 GB of RAM or the ability to increase the amount of RAM. Consider that in recent years, many laptops restrict such an opportunity (for example, in stock only one slot, in addition to the displayed memory) - if the RAM Upgrade is in the plans, specify this information.
- When purchasing a laptop with a discrete video card for gaming or working tasks, you should pay attention to GeForce GTX 1650 video cards with a limited budget and RTX 20XX, and even better - RTX 30XX with funds. Often, choosing a laptop according to the characteristics pay attention to the discrete graphics of the entry level, like NVIDIA MX230 or MX330. Often, the discrete video card of this kind is simply not needed (at the same time increases the laptop price): The specified adapters in the speed of operation differ little from the modern integrated Intel graphics, especially if we are talking about IRIS Xe Graphics, IRIS Plus G4 and Iris Plus G7, where integrated graphics can To be faster than the specified discrete solutions from NVIDIA even in some games.
- If there are no games, mounting video, working with 3D graphics and other tasks that require a discrete video card, the choice of a laptop with integrated Intel graphics can be justified - for the "normal" work, they are more than suitable, you can also win in time of autonomous work, price And the silence of the laptop when working.
- SSD solid state drive or it is possible to install it, the presence of free slots M.2 (from SATA Most manufacturers have begun to refuse) - excellent (speed, energy efficiency, less susceptibility to damage during physical impacts). At the same time, I recommend to avoid laptops, where SSD (or EMMC) is declared to 64 or 32 GB.
- The presence of the USB Type-C connector with the possibility of charging (Power Delivery) and the image output to the monitor over the DISPLAY PORT interface, and ideally the Thunderbolt interface is very desirable. An increasing number of peripheral equipment is equipped with connectivity interfaces, it is also very convenient to use such connectors to connect the laptop to the monitor with simultaneous charging with the connection of the external keyboard and the mouse (and all one cable).
- Subject to the existence of a significant budget should pay attention to the modifications of laptops with 4K screen. Such permission may seem redundant, especially on compact laptops, but as a rule, the 4K matrix wins not only in the resolution: they are noticeably brighter and have better color renditions (in the case when we compare one laptop model with Full HD and 4K screen).
- If you feel about the group of users who immediately after buying a laptop format a disk with pre-installed licensed Windows 10, I recommend looking at the laptop: and there is also the same model, but without pre-installed OS (or with Linux, Freedos and similar systems) to Do not overpay for the pre-installed license.
It seems that I haven't forgotten anything, I turn directly to good laptop models today.
Best laptops for any tasks in 2021
Laptops from this section must come in almost any goals: programs for working with graphics or for development that require high performance, modern games with a sufficient level of FPS, as well as for ordinary documents with documents, photos, Internet during the working day from the battery.
All laptops in the list have high-quality screens, while many of them are available in modifications with different resolution and manufacturing technologies, relatively lungs and compact, have a good battery capacity and excellent assembly quality.
- Dell XPS 15 9500
- Dell XPS 17 9700
- Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G3 T
- LG Gram.
- Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED
- ASUS Zenbook Pro Duo
- Acer Conceptd 7.
- MSI Creator 15 and Creator 17
- Lenovo Yoga Slim 7
Each of the above laptops is available in various modifications that differ in combination of characteristics and, accordingly - prices, but any of them has sufficient performance, in addition, for most models there is an opportunity to upgrade (with the exception of Conceptd 7 - it will not be so simple here ).
Dell XPS 15 and XPS 17
Dell significantly updated its flagship laptop XPS 15 last year, and also introduced a new model - XPS 17, which may be preferable for those users who need a larger screen size. Not only the processors (before the Intel of the 10th generation), but also appearance, aspect ratio of the screen (now 16:10, which increases the area with the same diagonal), a set of available connectors. The reviews also suggest that the situation with cooling and noise level has improved when working under load.
And 17 and 17-inch model can boast an excellent choice of available modifications for any requirements and a different budget, low weight (less than 2 kg for XPS 15 and from 2.1 kg for a 17-inch model), the capabilities of the upgrade (two slots M.2 , up to 64 GB RAM), excellent screens and assembly quality. Available processor selection - i5 10300H, i7-10750h, i7-10875h, i9-10885h. If only GTX 1650 Ti 4 GB was available as a video card in these laptops, then in 2021, modifications were added to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 MAX Q, but only in the model with a 17-inch screen.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G3 T (Gen 3)
ThinkPad X1 Extreme is a 15-inch lightweight and very productive laptop from Lenovo, similar to the combination of characteristics on the XPS 15 line from Dell and being its competitor.
At the beginning of 2021, the 3rd generation of these laptops is relevant (on the 10th generation of Intel processors) with brighter screens with a curtain on the camera and, according to the manufacturer's applications, less marked hull. In Russia, models with processors to Core i9-10885h, 64 GB RAM and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650Ti MAXQ are available on sale. The laptop is equipped with two slots M.2, weighs only 1.7 kg and promises up to 12 hours of battery.
LG Gram.
For the first time about LG GRAM laptops in this ranking of laptops, I wrote a few years ago. Since 2021, these laptops have become officially sold in Russia, and models with three diagonals of the screen are available: 14, 16 and 17 inches.
A distinctive feature of all line laptops is an exceptionally small weight: 999, 1190 and 1350 grams, respectively (the hull is made of magnesium alloy). And, additionally:
- Covered screen DCI-P3 99%
- The 11th generation of Intel processors (integrated graphics, but very worthy of performance: for games - is not the best option, but for work that is not associated with 3D and editing video is more than enough).
- Very long battery life.
- The presence of Thunderbolt 4, with the possibility of charging and connecting the monitor via USB-C.
In addition to the specified parameters, both the applications of the manufacturer and the reviews of the owners talk about the high reliability of the LG GRAM.
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED
The laptops of the Gigabyte Aero line also have also been relatively recently supplied to Russia. One of the most interesting models - 15-inch laptops with an OLED-screen, available in a variety of modifications that differ in the video card (RTX 3060, 3070, 3080), generation of processors (10th and 11th), installed by the operating system (Pro or HOME) and other characteristics). The 17-inch version of this laptop is also available, is presented below in the image.
The laptop is positioned as a solution for content creators (and has factory screen calibration), but it will be suitable for almost any other tasks. Among attractive features - an extremely adequate price when taking into account the characteristics. I personally acquired myself that is this device, more - review Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED 2021.
ASUS Zenbook Pro Duo
Zenbook Pro Duo is not the most common and not far from the cheapest laptop, but with a high probability for someone can be convenient due to the presence of an almost full-fledged second screen above the keyboard.
The quality of the manufacture, characteristics or OLED screens of claims should not occur, everything is at level: in the Russian Federation, models are available with Intel Core i9 10980HK, 32 GB RAM and RTX 2060.
Acer Conceptd 7.
Acer Conceptd 7 laptop-whoed last year a representative of the class of premium productive consumer laptops from Acer. Benefits - calibrated to work with graphics (especially for print) screen, presence of standard USB and HDMI connectors, relative compactness, excellent design, silence when working and an attractive price, if compared with high-quality analogues with the same characteristics. In the current year, the Conceptd 7 EZEL model is also available, but in my opinion, it applies to another category.
The disadvantages include the absence of a memory card slot, the conditional absence of an upgrade for a non-specialist, according to some reviews - the battery life is lower than that of the analogs. However, the laptop seems very attractive for purchase. Modifications are currently available with Core i7 9th generation and graphics to RTX 2080.
MSI Creator 15 and Creator 17
Updated in 2021 MSI Creator 15 are interesting to what can be equipped with a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 or RTX 3070 graphics, while the laptops themselves remain compact and mobile. The models with the previous generation of NVIDIA video cards are also available and all this on the Intel processors of the 10th generation H-series, SSD and up to 32 GB of RAM.If the larger screen is required, you can pay attention to MSI Creator 17, however, only models with graphics to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SupermQ are available in our retail.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7
This laptop is not quite similar to those presented above and, if among the priorities of the game or work with 3D graphics, it may not come up. For the working tasks and not the most resource-intensive applications, it will be an excellent choice.
This is a 15-inch laptop, weighing only 1.68 kg and with a capacious battery. Feature - 11th generation of Intel processors and a very productive integrated integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics accompanying graphics. It is inferior to "serious" discrete solutions, but faster than those commonly found in the laptops of video cards as GeForce MX330 and the previous generations of MX from NVIDIA.
Compact and light laptops for work, study and internet
If you need a compact, high-quality, quiet and long battery life of a laptop, showing an excellent level of performance for tasks that are not related to the game or hard graphics processing (but for the photo it is quite suitable), you can pay attention to the following models.
Consider that the specified laptops can be available in various modifications: with the processors of the 11th generation, for example, I7 1165G7 (so far only rare models, but if possible, it is necessary to choose them) and the 10th, such as i7 1065G7, i5 1035G4 and Others.
- ASUS ExpertBook. - An excellent 14-inch laptop is available in configurations with the 11th generation of Intel processors, a productive integrated Intel IRIS Xe Graphics graphics, weighing 1.01 kg and with long battery life.
- LG GRAM 14. - The benefits of LG GRAM laptops have already written above.
- Acer SWIFT 3. and SWIFT 5. With the Intel processors of the 11th generation. Everything that has been said above for a laptop from Asus will be true here. Single nuance: The specified laptops are available in configurations with a discrete graphics of GeForce MX. In my opinion, if there is Intel Iris Xe Graphics, the discrete graphics of this level will be superfluous.
- Lenovo Thinkbook 14 G2 and Lenovo ThinkBook 13S G2 - If I start writing about them, you have to repeat everything that has already been noted for laptops with processors as Intel Core I7 1165G7. But, perhaps, someone will attract ThinkBook design, as well as what they come with Windows 10 Pro.
- Dell XPS 13 9310 and 9305 - an updated line of one of the most popular compact laptops in recent years, the 11th generation of Intel processors, fast memory LPDDR4, 13.4-inch screen with aspect ratio 16:10, are available in the form factor of a conventional laptop or laptop-transformer.
- Apple MacBook Air 13 and MacBook Pro 13. With Apple Silicon M1 processors. If you do not need to work with programs that exist in versions only for Windows or play popular games, and battery life and silent (as well as the quality of manufacture) - in priority, Apple's new models will be an excellent choice. Moreover, their performance and battery life is really impressive: I say as the owner of such a device.
Separately, I note that if a laptop is required for study, listed above options can be excesses: there are cheaper options for compact autonomous laptops that are quite suitable for education.
Best Game Laptop
Among the game laptops available for sale this year, if there is an appropriate budget, I would recommend paying attention to the model with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, 3070 or RTX 3080 graphics, which are already on sale. Among them can be allocated (in the near future, I think other models will appear):
- Gigabyte Aorus 15G.
- HP Omen 15 (take into account that versions on Ryzen, despite the exceptional power and pleasant cost, very noisy).
- Acer Nitro 5 is one of the most adequate at the ratio of cost and set of characteristics.
- ALIENWARE M15 R4 - for those who are not too limited in the means.
Laptops - Mobile Workstations
If the performance of the laptops from the first part of the review is not enough when the capabilities of the upgrade are required (as about the SSD pair, sometimes an additional HDD or 128 GB of RAM and professional NVIDIA Quadro RTX video cards), connect a significant number of peripherals to a variety of interfaces, work 24/7 Under the load and without noticeable trottling, and mobility is not important, the best here will be:
- Dell Precision 7550. and 7750.
- Lenovo ThinkPad P15 and P17
- HP ZBook Fury
If such bulky solutions are not suitable for you, there are compact mobile workstations on sale, which, in fact, are modifications of consumer analogues from the first part of the review, but with professional video adapters, other warranty conditions, sometimes different screens:
- Dell Precision 5750. and 5550.
- Lenovo ThinkPad P1. (updated version with the 10th generation of Intel processors)
- Acer Conceptd 7 EZEL
- ASUS Proart Studiobook Pro 15 W500
Yes, the price of these laptops is not low, but it is precisely professional tools for working with 3D graphics and video, CAD, resource-intensive development.
Best laptops for a certain price
In this section, those laptops who personally would choose with a certain purchase budget. Most of these laptops have several modifications, because the same model can be indicated immediately in several sections, it is always referred to in mind the right price with the best characteristics.- Laptops up to 60,000 rubles — for work: Dell Vostro 5502, Honor MagicBook, HP ProBook 430, 440 and 450 G7, ASUS Vivobook M433IA, Lenovo Thinkbook 13S, Acer Aspire 5 A515-55G, For games: Acer Aspire 7 A715, Lenovo IdeaPad L340-15IRH, separate modifications HP Pavilion Gaming 15.
- Up to 50,000 rubles — for work: Dell Vostro 5391 and 3400, Asus A516JA, Acer Extensa 15, separate models Acer Aspire 5 A515-55, Lenovo IdeaPad S340-14, HP ProBook 445 G7. Unfortunately, this price choose a laptop for games becomes very difficult: the model with GTX 1650 is not included in the price range, and from 1050 have already come out of the sale (and also almost not included). With the specified budget, the choice remains between Radeon RX VEGA 10, GeForce MX 330 and Intel IRIS XE. Performance tests speak in favor of NVIDIA or Intel solutions, depending on the task.
- Up to 40,000 rubles - Some modifications of Acer Aspire 3 (on Intel Core i3 1005G1 or Ryzen 5), Dell Inspiron 3585 (on Ryzen 5) and ASUS A516JA.
- Up to 30,000 rubles - At this price, the choice of a laptop becomes very difficult: in any case, performance and other characteristics will be mediocre. You can pay attention to the ASUS ViVobook E410MA lineup, but in no case in the modification with EMMC to 64 GB, Dell Inspiron 3583. Either use the recommendation from the next item.
- Up to 20,000 rubles - I will not recommend none of the laptops that you can buy new ones for 20 thousand rubles. But if you look at laptops, used for all known ad sites, you can find a decent option. Important: If you are not very versed in computers, with this approach there is a big risk to purchase a printed machine (according to modern standards), which the seller was indicated as a "powerful game laptop", and also not to notice technical problems.
Additional Information
Choosing a laptop, do not forget to read the reviews about it and reviews on the Internet, perhaps watch it "live" in the store. If you see that many owners celebrate the same drawback, and it is critical for you - it is worth thinking about to consider another option. If someone alone writes that he has broken pixels throughout the screen, the laptop falls apart in front of his eyes, melts when working and everything hangs, and most of the rest with it is all right, then probably the negative feedback is not very objective. I also recommend paying attention to the reviews with an average estimate (that is, not 5 and not 1 "star"), as a rule, they are more weighed to describe both the advantages of both the disadvantages.
At the same time, it is worth considering that when it comes to very popular laptops and related news about their disadvantages you will read much more often than less popular: for example, about problems with Dell XPS 15 can be read more than about problems with ordinary Dell Inspiron , which is 3 times cheaper, about MacBook Pro problems - more often than about some complaints about the quality of cheap Prestigio, but this does not mean that the second is more reliable, just the first is a good news render and write about it more often. Well, ask questions here in the comments maybe I can help with the choice, but do not forget about my subjectivity in Recommendations: My Tips are rather what I would choose myself, and you may have may prefer different options.