How we test
Mashable staff put all the laptops on this list to varying degrees of real-world testing. At the very least, this involves checking their build quality and using them on a variety of real-world tasks for weeks at a time. This includes working on different types of documents, checking email, watching videos, taking pictures on a webcam, participating in video calls, listening to music (via Spotify), playing games (if possible) and trying out any unique software features or using them Cases claimed to support.
Additionally, most of the laptops featured here can run industry-standard benchmark software. We perform these benchmarks because they replicate real-world tasks to produce scores that we can use to easily compare the performance of different laptops. We’ve recently started implementing these benchmarks in our testing, and you can expect to see them in all of our future new laptop reviews.
Performance benchmark
We evaluate the laptop’s overall performance by running the appropriate version Geekbench 6 by Primate Lab. (macOS for MacBook; Windows for Windows laptops (including gaming laptops); and Android for Chromebooks.) This test measures CPU performance in some common tasks and records a final multi-core score. The higher the score, the better.
To understand the graphics prowess of gaming laptops, we also Play Cyberpunk 2077 on them. We chose this game because it’s a graphics-intensive AAA game that pushes many systems to their performance limits. If the laptop has a discrete/dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card (instead of an integrated GPU built into the CPU), we can play cyberpunk Once turned off DLSS technology, turned on DLSS again, using the high preset without ray tracing. This tests the machine’s raw GPU power and the performance of its AI upgrades respectively.
We follow up on this 3DMark’s Time Spy Benchmark gaming computers and record their scores. Again, higher is better.
Battery life benchmark
The MacBook we tested had battery life of about 11 to 12 hours, with 15+ hours being excellent, while the Windows laptop we reviewed had 9 to 10 hours, with 12+ hours being ideal. . Gaming laptops are different: Each charge only needs to last at least 2 hours to earn our approval, with additional bonus points earned when hitting the 4-hour mark. Meanwhile, 8 hours is the benchmark for Chromebooks, but 9 to 10 hours is optimal.
We’ve evaluated laptop endurance in a few different ways in the past. To standardize our battery life testing methods, we performed video loop tests on MacBooks and Windows laptops, which included a 1080p version of the playback loop. tears of steelan open source Blender short film with a brightness of 50%. For gaming laptops, we use PCMark 10’s battery life test, and for Chromebooks, we use CrXPRT 2.
final thoughts
After evaluating a laptop’s real-world performance and benchmark results, we make our final recommendations based on whether we think they offer a good overall value for money. If we think a too-expensive laptop looks and performs so well that it’s worth bothering with a discount, it sometimes gets a pass.
It’s worth mentioning that these aren’t the only laptops we’ve tried – we’re constantly testing and evaluating new models in different categories, and many don’t make the final cut. With that in mind, you can expect this guide to evolve on a fairly continuous basis. We’re always looking for new top contenders.
