The best laptop 2018: our pick of the 10 best laptops you can buy this year

The best laptop 2018: our pick of the 10 best laptops you can buy this year              

            

Welcome to Dare CCC team. In our list of the best laptops of 2018, where we rank and compare the top notebooks money can buy.

This year has already had its fair share of amazing laptops, and this week we're expecting to see Microsoft unveil a new range of Surface products, including the Surface Laptop 2. Microsoft has been reliably releasing some of the best laptops we've tested, so we're hoping we'll see some of its new products grace our best laptops list soon.

The best laptops of 2018:

1.      Huawei MateBook X Pro

2.      Dell XPS 13

3.      Asus ZenBook Flip S UX370

4.      Apple Macbook Pro with Touch Bar 13-inch 2018

5.      MSI GS65 Stealth

6.      Dell XPS 15 2-in-1

7.      Acer Predator Helios 300

8.      Asus Chromebook Flip

9.      Microsoft Surface Book 2(13.5-inch)

10.  Acer Switch 3

1. Huawei MateBook X Pro

Our pick for the best laptop in the world

CPU: 8th generation Intel Core i5 – i7

Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 , Nvidia GeForce MX150 2GB GDDR5

RAM: 8GB – 16GB

Screen: 13.9-inch 3K (3,000 x 2,080)

Storage: 512GB SSD

Min Cost:₹153902

Beautiful designFantastic displayTerrific battery lifeNo SD card slotWebcam not great

The Huawei MateBook X Pro is our pick for the best laptop money can buy in 2018. After years of this list being dominated by the (still excellent) Dell XPS 13, the MateBook X Pro has proved to be a truly brilliant challenger. This is a gorgeously-designed laptop with a stunning screen (albeit with a rather odd aspect ratio), and it comes packed with cutting edge components that allows it to perform brilliantly, and a battery life that runs rings around many of its rivals. It also has a very competitive price, giving you features, design and performance for quite a bit less money. Sadly, it's not available in many countries, so if you struggle to grab hold of it, look into getting the Dell XPS 13 (below).

2. Dell XPS 13

Still one of the best laptops ever made

CPU: 8th generation Intel Core i5 – i7

Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620

RAM: 8GB – 16GB

Screen: 13.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – 4k (3840 x 2160)

Storage: 256GB – 1TB SSD

Min Cos:₹107352

Centered IR webcamGorgeous new designBeautiful optional 4K displaySteeper starting priceWhite option is pricier

Even though the Dell XPS 13 has been knocked into second place by the sublime MateBook Pro X, it’s still an absolutely brilliant laptop. There’s a good reason why it was at the top of our best laptops list for three years running. The 2018 Dell XPS 13 is a slimmer, more powerful version of the award-winning laptop with a stunning 4K display and a gorgeous Rose Gold on Alpine White color option. The Dell XPS 13 rocks an 8th-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processor and a bezel-less ‘Infinity Edge’ display, this Dell XPS 13 continues to be the most popular Windows laptop in the world. What’s more, there’s a wide range of customization options, so you can really make the Dell XPS 13 the best laptop for your needs

3. Asus ZenBook Flip S UX370

An absolutely incredible 2-in-1 laptop

CPU: Intel Core i7-8550U

Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620

RAM: 16GB

Screen: 13.3-inch full HD touchscreen

Storage: 512GB PCIe SSD

Super thin and lightPowerful core componentsNot the cheapest convertibleFingerprint magnet

Asus has struck gold with its new refresh of its ZenBook Flip S 2-in-1 laptop, with the Asus ZenBook Flip S UX370 impressing us so much it's landed straight at number 3 in our best laptops list. With a new Kaby Lake R 8th-generation processor powering the device, plenty of RAM and a super-fast PCIe SSD in certain models, this is an absolutely stunning laptop. Its 2-in-1 design means you can use it as both a laptop and a tablet, and while it's not as affordable as some machines on this list, if you have the budget you'll be really happy with this fantastic device.

4. Apple Macbook Pro with Touch Bar 13-inch 2018

The best Macbook Pro ever, improved for 2018

CPU: Quad-core Intel Core i5 – i7

Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655

RAM: 8GB – 16GB

Screen: 13.3-inch, (2,560 x 1,600) IPS

Storage: 128GB – 2TB PCIe 3.0 SSD

The best Macbook Pro everSuper fast performanceExpensiveNot a huge generational leap

If you're after the latest and greatest laptop from Apple, we suggest you look into the 2018 model of the 13-inch Macbook Pro with Touch Bar. While Microsoft had the performance edge over last year's MacBook Pro, with the Surface Book 2, Apple has come out swinging with some seriously beefed up specs for the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2018, and even more so if you go for the larger 15-inch model. The headline Touch Bar – a thin OLED display at the top of the keyboard which can be used for any number of things, whether that be auto-suggesting words as you type or offering Touch ID so you can log in with just your fingerprint – is again included. It's certainly retained Apple's sense of style, but it comes at a cost. This is a pricey machine, so you may want to consider one of the Windows alternatives. If you're open to switching to a PC, definitely consider the XPS 13 or the excellent MateBook X Pro. But, if you're a steadfast Apple diehard, this is definitely the best laptop for you!

5. MSI GS65 Stealth

The best gaming laptop of 2018

CPU: Intel Core i7

Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB GDDR5X VRAM, Max-Q)

RAM: 16GB

Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) anti-glare, wide-view 144Hz panel

Storage: 512GB M.2 SSD

Min Cost:₹297899

Beautiful, subtle design Excellent performance Underside gets very hot

The new MSI GS65 Stealth has knocked our previous choice of the best gaming laptop, Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501, off this list, thanks to its excellent array of cutting edge components, which includes an 8th-generation Intel Core i7-8750H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU. It's also more reasonably priced than the Zephyrus GX501, and its subtle design means that it can double as a work or study laptop without raising any eyebrows. If you're looking for a more affordable gaming laptop, however, check out the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming below.

6. Dell XPS 15 2-in-1

Luxury meets power

CPU: Intel Core i5-i7

Graphics: Radeon RX Vega M GL Graphics with 4GB HMB2 Graphics Memory

RAM: 8GB

Storage: 512GB PCIe SSD

 Impressive power  Ultra-thin design  Kind of expensive

Last year’s Dell XPS 15 was already one of the best laptops you could buy, but now that Dell has taken the beautiful redesign of the Dell XPS 13 and applied it here – while also making it a convertible. Well, it’s amazing. Not only do you get one of the most aesthetically pleasing 15-inch laptops on the market, but it also packs one of those new Intel  Kaby Lake G-series CPUs featuring ‘discrete-class’ Radeon graphics. This means that this laptop packs serious power – even if it can get a little loud.

7. Acer Predator Helios 300

A budget gaming laptop with brilliant performance

CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H (hexa core 2.2GHz)

Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 + Intel UHD Graphics 630

RAM: 16GB DDR4

Screen: 15.6-inch, Full HD

Storage: 256GB SSD

Min Cost:₹117990

Lots of powerAffordable priceRuns

                                                                                                        hotLoud fans

The Acer Predator Helios 300 is a fantastic affordable gaming laptop that proves that even if you don't have the kind of money to buy the MSI GS65 Stealth that also features on this best laptops list, you don't have to sacrifice too much when it comes to power. The Acer Predator Helios 300 packs some excellent components, such as a new 8th generation 6-core Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia GTX 1060 graphics card and 16GB of RAM. While it's still an expensive proposition compared to regular laptops, for a gaming notebook you are getting a heck of a lot of power for the price.

8. Asus Chromebook Flip

Premium Chromebook specs, economic Chromebook pricing

CPU: Intel Pentium 4405Y – Intel Core m3-6Y30

Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 515

RAM: 4GB

Screen: 12.5-inch, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) LED backlit anti-glare

Storage: 32GB – 64GB eMMC

Min Cost:₹42601

Elegant tablet modeTactile keyboardNo out-of-box Android app supportMiddling speakers

When it comes to the best Chromebook laptop, you have a choice between two stark alternatives. There's the premium Chromebook Pixel, which we list further down this page, and then there's the excellent Asus Chromebook Flip C302, which combines premium features in a much more affordable package. For many people, Chromebooks are excellent and affordable laptops that are perfect for students, and the Asus Chromebook Flip C302 is easily one of the best Chromebooks, and one of the best laptops, money can buy. It comes with an Intel Core processor, full 1080p display, touchscreen, backlit keyboard and USB-C port.

9. Microsoft Surface Book 2 (13.5-inch)

The most powerful 2-in-1 laptop in the world

CPU: Intel Core i5-7300U - Intel Core i7-8650U 1.9GHz

Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620; Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 (2GB GDDR5 VRAM)

RAM: 8GB – 16GB

Screen: 3,000 x 2,000 (267 ppi) PixelSense display, 3:2 aspect ratio

Storage: 256GB – 1TB SSD

Min Cost:₹137666

Very good battery lifePowerfulPriceyNo Surface Pen included

With the Surface Book 2 (13.5-inch), Microsoft has crafted one of the most powerful 2-in-1 laptops in the world. The Surface Book 2 has some powerful enough components to handle most day-to-day tasks, and even some light gaming and video editing if you go for a model with a dedicated graphics card. Brilliant build quality and excellent battery life makes this a wonderful device for using as either a laptop, or as a powerful Windows 10 tablet. It also comes in a 15-inch version, which is more powerful and with a larger screen. If you're after a more affordable 2-in-1 device, then the Acer Switch 3, below, is well worth checking out.

10. Acer Switch 3

A great Surface Book 2 competitor at half the price

CPU: 1.10GHz Intel Pentium Quad Core N4200 - Intel Core i3 7100U

Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 505

RAM: 4GB

Screen: 12.2-inch, 1920 x 1200 IPS LCD touchscreen

Storage: 64GB - 128GB eMMC

Excellent build qualitySuperb valueTricky hinged standNo good for games

If you want the Microsoft Surface Book 2 but you want to spend a lot less, the Acer Switch 3 2017 is definitely the your best option. It's designed around essentially the same concept as the Surface Book 2 and it's a less capable thanks to slightly lower power innards, but for most tasks it's a brilliant little machine. What's more, to add further value this 2-in-1 laptop/tablet comes with the keyboard upgrade which means no little extras to pay for. As usual it comes in several different versions, with USB Type-C, 8GB RAM, an IPS display and Intel Core i3 7100U CPU coming with the more expensive option.