Laptops of 2017

laptop

We have seen drastic changes in laptops market in past some years. Thanks to companies that are launching their back to back flagships with amazing specifications. There are different kinds of laptops of various companies available in the market. On concord, not all are the best. If you’re planning to buy one of the best laptops of 2017, then this article is very useful for you. Our list has the best-looking laptop, best budget laptop, best ultrabook, best gaming laptop, etc. These list of best laptops 2017 helps you to choose wisely. All the laptops are assessed by our experts. The below published are views of the best in the market. We provide a list of top 10 best laptop 2017 under budget.

1. HP Spectre 13

HP-Spectre-13

Currently, the Spectre 13 is the world’s thinnest laptop. Despite that, HP has managed to cram in Intel’s Core i-series of processors rather than Core M. As that is quite a feat. It easily has one of the most eye-catching designs in terms of looks.

Without compromising on power, the Spectre 13 is a premium Ultrabook that’s designed for Windows users demands the absolute best in terms of portability. For the globe-trotting executive looking to make a statement as this laptop is poised to be the perfect companion.

The Lid and the bottom portion is built using the copper accents and carbon fiber add a lot of bling is the best way to describe it. The design and color combination is unique and is certainly doesn’t look like anything out there.

The Spectre 13 offers the best kind of feature set with a stunning design and at a price point that’s competitive. There’s no need to copy the competition. The obvious comparisons here would be Apple’s MacBook and the Dell XPS 13. On concord, it’s safe to say HP is leaps ahead in the style department.

HP surprised everyone when it announced this stunning piece of hardware in April. HP has launched it just a few months later in India. Now it’s time to put it through the grind for seeing if it truly stands out.

This features a Core i7-6500 CPU, 512 GB SSD and 8 GB of RAM. The Spectre 13 is the world’s thinnest laptop and weighs just 1.1 kg. The highest end model of the Spectre 13.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Intel Core i5 or i7-U processors
  • 10.4mm thick
  • 1.1kg
  • 13-inch Full HD screen
  • 8GB of RAM
  • 256GB or 512GB PCI-E SSD
  • Manufacturer: HP
  • Review Price: £1,299.00

2. Dell XPS 15

dell-xps-15

The Dell XPS 15 has been the standard-bearer for Windows 10 laptops since last 2 years. With dedicated graphics, powerful quad-core processors and a sub-£2,000 price. This is the machine that takes it to the top-end 15-inch MacBook Pros.

The latest model, the 9560, is perhaps the best yet. Nvidia’s power-efficient Pascal graphics architecture and that now-famous “InfinityEdge” display with the latest 7th-Gen Intel Kaby Lake processors.

In terms of design, the new XPS 15 9560 is pretty much identical to last year. On concord, that’s not a bad thing. It’s still a great-looking machine with soft-touch carbon-fibre-composite palm, an aluminum chassis, and that wafer-thin screen bezel.

You get a 6-inch screen in a 14-inch body. It even fits in a 13-inch laptop sleeve. So it’s much more portable and easy to use on trains and planes.

The Dell XPS 15 is built with stylish design, good battery life, Excellent screen and great CPU and GPU performance.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Quad-core, 2.8-3.8GHz Intel Core i7-7700HQ
  • 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x Thunderbolt 3.0 & USB-C 3.1 combo, 3.5mm headset jack, HDMI out
  • 16GB DDR4 RAM
  • Model reviewed: 9560
  • 6-inch 1,920 x 1,080 matte screen
  • 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
  • SD card reader
  • 11ac Wi-Fi
  • 92wH battery (57wH in cheaper models)
  • Weight: 2kg
  • Manufacturer: Dell
  • Review Price: £1,599.00

3. Asus UX305

asus

The Asus UX305 is quite simply one of the most exciting laptops we’ve seen in years. It continues Asus long line of Zenbook ultrabooks. On concord, at a price many more people can afford, it really sets itself apart by bringing the same level of build quality and design we’ve come to expect.

From a long time, Asus has been the nearest competitor to Apple when it comes to ultrabook design. The UX31E, right from when it launched its first model it absolutely nailed the premium metal look and feel.

Asus makes this thin and lightness doubly impressive. It hasn’t skimped on connectivity indeed it’s better than many ultrabooks.

There’s also a microHDMI, a full-size SD card reader and of course a headphone jack. Whereas many ultrabooks have only two USB ports, the UX305 has three, and they’re all USB 3.0. A couple of pinprick lights on the right edge indicate that the laptop is charging and if it’s on.

There are a few areas where compromises have been made. On concord, for the most part, this is a phenomenal machine. The UX305 undercuts the majority of ultrabooks by some £350, starting at £649, while it’s £200 cheaper than the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Air.

Asus includes a USB Ethernet adapter even you don’t get a wired network connection and if there’s inbuilt 802.11 b/g/n/as Wi-Fi. Performance is compromised, no keyboard backlighting and trackpad isn’t best.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 1.2kg weight
  • 12.6mm thick
  • 13.3-inch 1080p IPS LCD screen
  • Intel Core M-5Y10 CPU
  • Aluminium construction
  • 45Wh battery
  • 11+ hours battery life
  • 8GB RAM
  • 128GB SSD
  • Manufacturer: Asus
  • Review Price: £649.00

4. Apple 12-inch MacBook

macbook-12

Apple’s flagship laptop has had a refresh and while not huge amount has changed over last year’s model. It’s the same price for an improved specification.

Including Skylake-generation CPUs over the Broadwell versions of last year. Prices start at £1,049, with laptops. We’ll have a glance at whether this makes much difference.

The 2016 MacBook is 13mm thick and weight is weighing 970g at its deepest point. Making it lighter and thinner than most 12-inch hybrids once a keyboard is considered. This laptop also has a slightly more modern design than the other MacBooks as well as being extremely portable. The screen surround is slimmer and the display’s surface is entirely flat, unlike the current Air models.

Apple may one day merge its iOS worlds and OS X. On concord, there’s no hint of such progress here. The company’s vision for the future is about wireless computer use, continuing the precedent set with the MacBook 2015.

The 2016 MacBook features just one main connector, a single USB Type-C port used both to charge the laptop and connect any peripherals with this in mind. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack on the other side of the device.

Apple Mac is built up with the High-quality screen, good battery life, loud speakers, excellent trackpad and great portability and quality. This doesn’t support ultra-shallow keyboard and annoyingly spartan connections.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Intel Core m3 0.9GHz dual-core CPU
  • 12-inch 2304 x 1440 IPS LCD screen
  • USB Type-C connector
  • 8GB DDR3 RAM
  • OS X
  • 256GB SSD
  • Manufacturer: Apple
  • Review Price: £1,099.00

5. Lenovo Yoga 900S

Yoga900s

The Yoga 900s ($1,099 as tested) claims to be the thinnest convertible on the market in which you can judge a notebook by its cover. With an eye-catching design and stunningly slim edges that look like it belongs in a jewelry store. The 900s is more than just a pretty piece of machinery, too, with a crisp 1080p touch display. A cozy keyboard and enough battery life to get through a workday. The Yoga 900s combination of fashion and function is hard to pass up while you can find better processor performance on competing ultraportables.

The result would probably look a lot like the Lenovo Yoga 900s if a luxury watchmaker were to take a crack at building a laptop. The notebook’s black-and-gold design is immediately arresting. Largely thanks to the bedazzled, Rolex-esque hinge that allows the notebook to be flipped and folded into a variety of useful modes. The size of Lenovo Yoga 900s size’s weight 2.2 pounds and dimensions 12.01 x 8.19 x 0.5 inches. 

Where the notebook’s stunning gold keys are surrounded by a layer of textured, soft-touch material that’s as elegant as it is cozy that first-class sense of style extends to the keyboard deck. Our Yoga’s carbon-fiber outer chassis is all gold, though there’s also a silver option.

The world’s thinnest convertible Lenovo touts the Yoga 900s laptop and this device sure looks the part. Lenovo’s notebook is a breeze to carry around at just 0.5-inches thin and an airy 2.2 pounds. The Yoga is even more stylish than Apple’s sleek, 12-inch MacBook, which is also just a half-inch thick and weighs a feathery 2 pounds.

The Dell XPS 13 is a bit heavier at 2.9 pounds. On concord, it tapers down to just 0.33-inches thin,  while the 2.65-pound, 0.5-inch-thin HP Elite x2 is about on par with the Yoga.

This is having a Stunning lightweight design, Bright and crisp display, Solid battery life and Comfortable keyboard. It doesn’t support Core m5 model trails competitors in performance. There’s no included pen and Stiff click button.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Intel Core m Skylane CPU
  • Intel HD Graphics 515 GPU
  • 8GB (1x 8192MB) – DDR3 RAM
  • 12.5-inch IPS multi-touch, QHD (2560×1440) resolution, glossy display
  • 256GB SSD (M.2 Samsung NVMe PCIe, 2280) HDD or SSD
  • 2x USB 3.0
  • 1x USB 3.1 Type-C
  • 3.5 mm combo audio jack
  • LED-backlit keyboard
  • 360-degree rotateable watchband hinge
  • 999 g (2.2 lbs) weight
  • 2×2 Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity
  • 52Wh (6960 mAh) battery
  • 12.7 mm (0.5) thickness
  • Manufacturer: Lenovo
  • Review price: £899.00

6. Microsoft Surface Book

microsoft-surface-book

Microsoft has become the defacto trailblazer for Windows-running devices in its short tenure as a hardware maker.  With the lofty promise that its Surface tablet could replace your laptop, it’s started. We were skeptical about it three years ago but after the Surface Pro 3. Microsoft nearly perfected the formula and showed veteran computer manufacturers how to make hybrids.

Microsoft introduces the Surface Book as the “ultimate laptop” now. This laptop takes a unique spin on the notebook format that’s been around for over 40 years like the Surface tablets before it. Between the 3:2 aspect ratio, 13.5-inch screen and its practically-trademarked “dynamic fulcrum” hinge. There isn’t any machine on the planet like the Surface Book. Then, with the touch of a button and a gentle tug, it becomes a tablet.

On the paper, it sounds like an amazing idea, and with the added “holy shit, Microsoft made a laptop” factor. The Surface Book sounds like a thoroughly amazing device. Let’s see just how well Redmond made good on the hype.

If a tear in the space-time continuum were to suddenly rip open, two things would fall out. The Terminator and then the Surface Book quickly tumbling to the Earth behind it. The flat design and even down to the washed-out silver color of this laptop from the snake-like hinge. Everything about it just seems like it came from the future.

The Surface Book feels sturdy and has a most minimalistic style unto its own, milled from two solid blocks of magnesium. This doesn’t support thicker and heavier than some competitors, astoundingly it’s expensive and there is no USB Type-C.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Versatile form factor
  • Beautiful display
  • Solid construction
  • Above-average performance
  • Amazing battery with Performance Bas
  • Bundled keyboard dock and Surface Pen
  • 13.3-inch PixelSense display
  • Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU
  • Optional secondary NVIDIA GeForce GPU
  • 8-megapixel rear, 5-megapixel front cameras
  • 8GB or 16GB RAM
  • Manufacturer: Microsoft
  • Review Price: £1,300.00

7. HP Chromebook 14

HP Chrome book

The HP Chromebook 14 is a 14-inch laptop that runs on Google’s browser-based Chrome operating system. Definitely, there’s plenty of room for improvement. This is HP’s second stab at making one. It extensively used the HP Pavilion Chromebook for the past year.

This is far more pleasing on the eye and with a Haswell-based Intel processor runs faster than first generation Chromebooks with all the added battery boosting benefits. HP’s new Data Pass pay is also included as you go mobile broadband service. For two years, it gives users free 3G access. It might be possible to make this the one Chromebook to own but we are not totally convinced.

The HP’s first Chromebook was not the prettiest, it’s a fair assessment to say. It is cheap, Black and largely uninspiring. HP has dropped the serious look in favor of something more brash and loud for the Chromebook 14. You can get the Chromebook 14 in Snow White or Peach Coral Ocean Turquoise such as the one we had the pleasure of playing with.

This is different but in a much-needed departure and a good way from the original. The dimpled base and the soft matte is not something we have seen on other Chromebooks. This is nice to grip and gives the sub-£300 laptop a far more luxurious feel than its plastic build suggests.

The chassis is clearly MacBook-inspired from the button-less chrome trackpad when you open it to the square chiclet keys. Albeit it doesn’t use the same expensive materials as found on Apple’s laptops. It consists of more space around the keyboard and a larger palm rest. On concord, it definitely looks nicer from the outside than it does from the inside.

The Chromebook 14 features a 14-inch LED-backlit 1,366 x 768 HD display. This display matches the screen resolution on the 13-inch Toshiba Chromebook and the 11-inch Acer Chromebook C720. That means we have another Chromebook that serves up yet another below par display. This also accepts a little more on an 11-inch display but it’s not great on 14-inch screen. It has nice matte finish design, comfortable keyboard, and supports 3G. It doesn’t support average screen quality, slightly heavier than original and low default brightness setting.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 14-inch LED backlit 1366
  • 1.4GHz Intel Celeron 2955U
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • HDMI
  • 2GB RAM
  • 768 display
  • 16GB SSD
  • 3G support
  • USB 2.0 and 3.0
  • Manufacturer: HP
  • Review Price: £279.00

8. Acer Aspire E5-551

acer-aspire-e5-551

Back to school season has arrived, so it’s worth looking at the latest laptop releases to find a machine with the versatility and power to cope with the new term.

Acer’s Aspire E 15 is a prime contender. This consists of 15.6 in the screen that’s ideal for streaming video and work. Acer has deployed an AMD APU to provide the power. This means there are four processing cores and a Radeon GPU inside the same chip.

This is made from black plastic and not a distinctive notebook. There are few sops to extravagance. It also consists of a brushed metal effect used across the lid and much of the interior. On concord, it’s barely detectable, the power button is black. There’s a simple AMD sticker on the wrist-rest.

Acer could have made up for the bland design by making this Aspire light and slim. It weighs 2.5kg and is 30mm thick. Both figures are mid-rang numbers even in the world of mid-range laptops. It’s possible to spend similar cash and get slimmer and lighter systems elsewhere. Lenovo’s diminutive IdeaPad Yoga 2 11 hybrid is more than 1 kg lighter, costs £500 and almost twice as slim. The £499 Toshiba Satellite Click 2 L30W-B-10D is another thinner, lighter hybrid.

The Acer has done little to impress so far. The tablets aren’t turned by the 15.6 in the screen. It isn’t touch-compatible, and the 1,366 x 768 resolution is low. Enough for a single window, and for watching 720p films, but not enough for Full HD movies or serious work. This is built-in with decent build quality and performance and consists of reasonable battery life. It isn’t thicker and heavier than competitors and has a poor screen.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • AMD A10-7300 1.9GHz APU
  • 8GB RAM
  • Radeon R6 graphics
  • 2.5kg
  • 1TB hard disk
  • Windows 8.1 64-bit
  • 15.6in 1,366 x 768 screen
  • Manufacturer: Acer
  • Review Price: £430.00

9. Razer Blade Stealth

razer

The Razer Blade Stealth is a high-end Ultrabook that tries to upset the status quo currently lead by the likes of Apple, Asus, Dell, and Lenovo. This isn’t a gaming laptop while Razer is a gaming brand. It instead matches the specifications of the work-focused Dell XPS 13.

Razer hopes you’ll pick up its Core graphics dock to augment the Stealth’s gaming capabilities. On concord that’s an expensive, separate product that warrants its own review that is coming soon.

The Stealth appears as a mini-gaming laptop. Taking design cues from the thin and light MSI gaming machines from years gone by. Its aluminum shell has curved corners and sharp edges. Managing an impressive mix of gamer-chic and work laptop style. The biggest clue to its gaming background is the green Razer logo that lights up when the laptop is switched on.

The base model Razer Blade Stealth comes with a 2,560 x 1,440 IGZO touchscreen that’s 12.5 inches. A 13.3-inch panel is more usual on a laptop of this size. The other problem with a screen this size is that everything looks absolutely tiny unless you turn Windows 10’s display scaling options up to maximum aside from the bezel issues mentioned above.

The best feature is the RGB backlighting. The keys are individually lit, unlike most other gaming laptops. This means each key can display a different color that allows for some fun effects including flashing the keys for every press, and colorful wave patterns.

The touchpad is fine, but not special. It doesn’t have the instant precision of its high-end rivals and actually feels sluggish upon first use. A quick tweak of Windows touchpad settings saw me right. On concord, it still isn’t a great experience for a laptop designed to be used on the move. Its performance is great, thin and light design and has excellent speakers. It doesn’t have grease magnet, small screen with huge bezels, noisy and so-so battery life.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 2.7-3.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i7-7500U
  • 16GB LPDDR3 memory
  • 256GB PCIe SSD
  • Intel HD Graphics 620
  • Thunderbolt/USB-C 3.1, 2x USB 3.0, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3.5mm headset jack
  • 1.24kg
  • 802.11ac Wi-fi and Bluetooth 4.1
  • 12.5-inch IGZO 2,560×1,440-pixel touch screen
  • Windows 10
  • Manufacturer: Razer
  • Review Price: £1,249.99

10. ASUS CHROMEBOOK C201

ASUS CHROMEBOOK C201

From the Taiwanese tech giant, the Chromebook C201 is the latest laptop, Asus to run Google’s cloud-focused Chrome OS.

This doesn’t aim to rework the Chromebook wheel and, like the stellar Toshiba Chromebook 2, it targets the affordable end of the laptop market.

The Asus Chromebook C201 is a compelling value for money laptop while not terribly original. If it’s used in areas with solid internet connections.

The Chromebook C201 is not different and features a dark blue plastic case, outside of its Chrome and Asus branding doesn’t feature any notable design features.

It ticks all the important boxes when it comes to connectivity and portability while the design does teeter on dull.

Measuring in at 287 x 194 x 17.9 mm and weighing 0.98 kg, the Chromebook C201 is perfectly satchel-sized and light enough to carry around without breaking.

On Chromebook C201, it features an 11.6-inch 1366 x 786 HD screen. By using the Asus laptop, I noticed a few issues with the screen, while it matches the cheaper HD 13.3-inch Toshiba Chromebook 2’s resolution.

Colors on the display are very cool for starters to the point they look slightly dull and washed out. Reds are particularly washed out and lack any real dynamism. Whites have a bit of a murky hue adding to the screen’s issues which hint to me the screen hasn’t been calibrated very well. This is affordable with decent performance and has a great battery life. The Chrome OS app offering is limited and disappointing display.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Quad-core CPU
  • 13-hour projected battery life
  • Chrome OS software
  • Manufacturer: Asus
  • Review Price: £200.00

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