The Best Traditional Laptop Computers under $1200
Dell XPS 13
★ Top Choice
BUY NOW
From $1079
Features
- Video editing just under a minute.
- Raising the bar on connectivity.
- Energy efficient: XPS 13 is energy Star certified.
- Saving Our seas: recognized as a CEC 2018 best of innovation awards honoree, our black Packaging trays are a step beyond recycled. 25% of the material consists of ocean plastics collected from coastal areas, while the remaining 75% is made up of other recycled plastics.
- Faster performance empowering people to focus, create, and connect like never before.
Pros
- ⊕ Touchscreen.
- ⊕ Lightweight.
- ⊕ Premium design.
- ⊕ Powerful specs.
- ⊕ Centered webcam.
Cons
- ⊖ Expensive.
- ⊖ Update isn't huge.
- ⊖ Mediocre battery life.
- ⊖ 2019 update isn't huge.
- ⊖ Otherwise small upgrade.
Specs
- GPU: Intel UHD.
- Weight: 2.7 pounds.
- RAM: 4GB/8GB/16GB.
- Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB.
- Display: 13.3-inch, 1080p or 4K.
- Size: 11.9 x 7.8 x 0.5 inches.
- CPU: Intel Core i3/Core i5/Core i7 (10th Gen).
Mentioned
Best College Laptops - laptopmag.com
Apple MacBook Air
♥ Runner Up
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From $1097.99
Features
- Dual-core 8th-Generation Intel Core i5 Processor.
- Intel UHD Graphics 617.
- Touch ID.
- Stereo speakers with wider Stereo sound.
- 8GB memory.
- Stunning 13.3-Inch Retina Display with True Tone.
- Fast SSD Storage.
- Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports.
Pros
- ⊕ Highly portable.
- ⊕ Reasonably priced.
- ⊕ Only 15.6mm thick.
- ⊕ Solid battery life.
- ⊕ Now with smaller bezels.
Cons
- ⊖ Thunderbolt ports only.
- ⊖ Very stingy with ports.
Best for Home Use
The 10 Best Laptops of 2020 - lifewire.com
Best Budget Laptop
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Runner-Up, Best from Apple
The 9 Best 13-Inch Laptops of 2020 - lifewire.com
Huawei MateBook X Pro
Best for Programming
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From $1199
Features
- Home Theater: 3K touchscreen with 3, 000 x 2, 000 resolution, 1500:1 contrast ratio and 260 PPI allow you to see vivid details when viewing HD content. 2nd Gen Dolby ATMOS for immersive audio.
- Powerful Inside: Windows 10 Home Signature Edition with no bloatware. 8th Gen Intel Core i7 8550U processor + NVIDIA GeForce MX150 - boosts performance up to 40% over its predecessor.
- Includes compact Mate Dock 2.0: USB-A port, USB-C port, HDMI port and VGA port. Includes 1 year Office 365 Personal and 1 year manufacturer warranty.60Hz refresh rate.
- One Touch Power Button: Enabling users to power on the notebook, finish identity authentication through Windows Hello and access the desktop in less than 8 seconds. Bluetooth - Bluetooth 4.1.
- World's First FullView Display: Immersive 13.9-inch 3K touchscreen with 91% screen-to-body ratio, only 0.57-inch thin and weighs only 2.93 lbs., perfect for at-home or on-the-go computing.
Pros
- ⊕ Great value.
- ⊕ Gorgeous design.
- ⊕ 3K touch screen display.
- ⊕ Respectable battery life.
- ⊕ It's even got a headphone jack.
Cons
- ⊖ Runs hot.
- ⊖ Subpar webcam.
- ⊖ Heats up easily.
- ⊖ Oddly-placed camera.
- ⊖ SD card slot not included.
Best for Programming
The 10 Best Laptops of 2020 - lifewire.com
Most Popular
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Best for Coding
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Acer Aspire VX 15 Gaming Laptop
Best Overall
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From $1199.99
Features
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM.
- 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen IPS display.
- HDD upgrade kit available (2.5” bracket with SATA and power cable). Contact Acer support for your complimentary kit.
- 16GB DDR4 Memory, 256GB SSD.
- 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ Processor (Up to 3.8GHz).
Pros
- ⊕ Inexpensive.
- ⊕ Speedy 256GB SSD.
- ⊕ Responsive keyboard.
- ⊕ Excellent Dolby audio.
- ⊕ Vibrant backlit keyboard.
Cons
- ⊖ Fairly heavy.
- ⊖ Lots of bloatware.
- ⊖ Sound quality could be better.
Runner-Up, Best Budget
The 11 Best Gaming Laptops of 2020 - lifewire.com
Runner-Up, Best Sound
The 8 Best Gaming Laptops for Under $1,000 in 2020 - lifewire.com