Best 15-inch laptop in 2024 – our top picks

First on our list is Apple’s 2023 MacBook Air. This laptop comes packed with some powerful components that are paired with a stunning display, making it an excellent choice for photo editing.

The processor on this unit is unarguably the most standout feature. The M2 chip is designed with efficiency in mind while not cutting down on high performance. The chip is able to handle heavy tasks like video editing, some gaming, and general productivity thanks to its 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. The battery life of this laptop is also exceptional despite its power. You can expect a battery backup of around 18 hours with movie playback and 15 hours of web browsing.

The screen is also another feature that makes the MacBook Air worth getting. The 15.3-inch screen size is a nice upgrade from the 13-inch version in terms of space. Although this unit doesn’t have the liquid XDR panel like the MacBook Pro, its liquid retina display is vivid enough for most users, as the 2880 x 1864 resolution and 500 nits brightness translate to crisp and bright images and videos.

Like some of the best lightweight laptops, the 2023 MacBook Air’s 3.3 pounds weight is impressive given the 15.3-inch screen. That lightweight is partly due to the chassis being only 0.45 inches thick. On top of that, the keyboard and trackpad are decent and easy to use. As with most Apple laptops, the configurations aren’t upgradeable. Still, the 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD on this unit will suffice for most users.

In terms of connectivity, this laptop has two Thunderbolt ports and a headphone jack. The Thunderbolt ports can be expanded with a dongle for those looking at a HDMI port. There’s also a 1080p webcam for those who are always doing online meetings. All in all, this laptop ticks most boxes for anyone looking for a high-performance laptop with decent power management.

If you’re looking for the best 15-inch Windows laptop, the Dell XPS 15 9520 is worth considering. However, the screen size and operating system aren’t the only things this laptop has going for it. Although the XPS 9520 is a high-end laptop, it offers specifications that offer value for money spent.

The CPU is Intel’s Core i7-12700H, which is an excellent processor for laptops. This CPU is designed to handle virtually any task thanks to its 14 cores and 20 threads. On top of that, the maximum turbo speed of 4.7GHz kicks in when the laptop has to handle games and other demanding tasks. There’s also a 4GB RTX 3050 GPU, which both gamers and content creators can benefit from. The graphics card plays several AAA titles at high graphical settings with decent frame rates. Other than that, the GPU can also prove to be useful when dealing with GPU-intensive tasks like animation and rendering.

The display is a 15-inch screen with FHD+ resolution. Thanks to its anti-glare feature and 500 nits of peak brightness, outdoor use isn’t off the table. The display also has the InfinityEdge feature thanks to the thin bezels. On top of that, the unit is pretty thin and weighs only 4.06 pounds, which makes it portable. Connectivity is limited to two Thunderbolt ports, one USB 3.2 type C, an SD card reader, and an audio combo jack. Dell added a type-C dongle with a USB A and HDMI port. As for the battery, you can expect it to last for around 6-8 hours.

In case you’re looking for more laptops with 12th-gen Intel processors, check out our top picks for the best Intel 12th-gen laptops.

The Razer Blade 15 is the next 15-inch laptop on our list for those who are mainly going to use their laptop for gaming. Thanks to its recent CPU and GPU, this laptop boasts enough power to cut through almost any game. As it comes packed with powerful components, it’s relatively pricey and falls in the high-end budget class.

Razer went all out with the CPU and opted for the Intel Core i7-13800H processor. With 14 cores and 20 threads, this laptop is well-equipped for multitasking. It also has a maximum turbo speed of 5.2 GHz, which allows it to handle resource-hungry tasks smoothly. For the GPU, we have Nvidia’s RTX 4070. With its 12GB VRAM, there’s enough processing power to play most AAA games smoothly. Because of its power, we think the Razer Blade 15 deserves to be one of the best RTX 4070 gaming laptops. 

The display is also bumped up from the FHD panel in previous Razer Blade 15s. This unit has a 15.6-inch panel with QHD resolution, which should deliver clear, crisp images. The refresh rate is also 240Hz, which gives gamers a competitive edge. The RAM and storage are 16GB and 1TB, respectively, and can be easily upgraded. As far as connectivity is concerned, it isn’t an issue since Razer added three USB A ports, one HDMI port, one audio jack, two Thunderbolt ports, and one SD card reader. On top of that, the laptop has Razer’s signature Chroma RGB keyboard.

The vapor chamber cooling feature also does an excellent job of keeping this laptop cool during games. Like with previous models, this laptop’s chassis is made from CNC aluminum, which helps it dissipate heat faster and easily. With its 4.54-pound weight, it’s easy to carry this laptop around. Overall, the Razer Blade 15 is the best 15-inch laptop for gaming. 

Users on a low budget will love the Asus Vivobook 15 laptop. Not only is it affordable, but it’s also optimized for delivering decent performance.

The processor is the Intel Core i3-1215U. Although it’s limited to 6 cores and 8 threads, it has a maximum turbo frequency of 4.40GHz. For tasks like web browsing and video conferencing, this processor is fast enough to handle them smoothly. The default RAM and storage are 8GB and 128GB, respectively. However, you can opt for other variants that offer more RAM and storage, but they come with a higher price tag. Graphics processing is handled by Intel’s UHD Graphics. Although it’s often overlooked by gamers, it suffices in games with minimal requirements.

Like some of the best budget laptops, the laptop sports a 15.6-inch screen with full HD resolution. It has a peak brightness of 220 nits, which makes it suitable for indoors only. On top of that, there’s a fingerprint scanner on the touchpad, which enhances security and can be used to log in. As for portability and connectivity, the laptop weighs only 3.75 pounds and has an impressive array of ports, including three type-A ports, one type-C port, one HDMI port, one audio jack, and an SD card reader. Overall, the Asus Vivobook 15 is the best 15-inch budget laptop. 

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is perfect for those looking for a 15-inch laptop with a touchscreen display. In fact, we think it is a strong contender for one of the best touchscreen laptops. 

The processor is Intel’s Core i7-1255U, which comes with 10 cores. There are two performance cores and eight efficiency cores, which point to this laptop’s low power consumption. On top of that, the CPU has 12 threads and a max turbo speed of 4.7 GHz. Graphics processing is handled by Intel’s Iris Xe GPU. Although it’s an integrated GPU, it can still handle light gaming and other basic GPU-intensive tasks. 

As far as the display is concerned, Microsoft opted for a 15.6-inch screen with a 2496 x 1664 resolution. This resolution is an upgrade from the full HD resolution but slightly less vivid than a QHD panel. In addition, the touchscreen feature makes using the laptop slightly easier. The variant we selected comes with 8GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for storage. However, by paying a higher price, you can get the variant featuring 16GB of RAM. When it comes to portability, the laptop only weighs 3.44 pounds, so you won’t find it difficult to carry it around. Overall, it is the best 15-inch touchscreen laptop.