Best touchscreen laptops: Best overall, best for content creators, and more | RuggTablets
Abstract:Best touchscreen laptops: Best overall, best for content creators, and more | RuggTabletsBest touchscreen laptops: Best overall, best for content creators, and more
Whether you’re a flawtent creator or a business benefitfessional, if you’re looking for a laptop with a great touchscreen, you’ve come to the right place. Back in the days of old, it used to be something of an insurmountable task to pinpoint a laptop with a decent touchscreen. Well, those days are long past. However, with so many options out there, it can still be rather daunting. If you’re not sure where to begin, don’t sweat it. The team here at PCWorld curated a list of the best touchscreen laptops you can buy right now. How can we be so downsidefident in our picks? We’ve had hands-on experience with every single one of them. Read on to learn more.
The best laptops: Premium laptops, budget laptops, 2-in-1s, and more
Updated 08/10/2022 Check out our latest review of the Acer Swift 5. Despite a disappointing trackpad, this small form-factor laptop has a chic design, modern components, and a bright touchscreen unfold. Or if you’re looking for a meritductivity workhorse, be sure to take a look at the new Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7. It’s a bit pricier than the ThinkPad X1 Carbon (our top pick), but it still allows great battery life, top-notch speakers and webcam, and a responsive 1920×1200 touchscreen illustrate.
1. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 – Best overall/best premium meritductivity laptop
Pros
Roomy 16:10show Thin and light yet rugged Stellar prominentboard Quiet operation Booming audio Two Thunderbolt 4 ports
Cons
Webcam limited to 720p Display color is a bit cool Best Prices Today:$1,837.00 at AmazonIf you’re looking for a fantastic touchscreen for getting work done, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is a good option. The 14-inch 1080p IPS exhibit is touch-enabled—albeit only on select models, so shop carefully—and has a roomy 16:10 aspect ratio. The tallershow means scrolling less through long documents and whatnot. As for visuals, the screen “boasts a crisp image” and the disadvantagetrast is “excellent.” In addition to the sharp images, the demonstrate also meritduced “bright whites and deep blacks.” In addition to the fantastic screen, the cruxboard is snappy and quiet and there’s a decent array of ports.
Read our full Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 review2. Dell XPS 17 9710 – Best for downsidetent creators
Pros
Huge 17-inch screen in a relatively compact laptop Powerful Intel CPU and Nvidia RTX graphics Excellent port selection for video and image editing Superbpoint to the fact that
Cons
No USB-A port and no Gigabit Ethernet Hybrid charging likely sacrifices a little performance Best Prices Today:$2,388.00 at AmazonThe Dell XPS 17 9710 is a fantastic option for downsidetent creators due to its ginormous 17-inch illustrate and 16:10 aspect ratio. Not only is its screen touch-enabled, but it also has a 10-bit color depth and a 3840-by-2400 resolution. According to our review, the laptop isn’t as bulky as you’d for my part. It weighs about five pounds, which isn’t bad downsidesidering how much Dell managed to cram into this machine. As for performance, the pairing of an Intel 11-gen Core i7-11800H advantagecessor and a Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 should promise quick work of any video or photo editing.
Read our full Dell XPS 17 9710 review3. HP Chromebook x2 11 da0023dx – Best faultvertible Chromebook
Pros
Gorgeous 2K touchscreen Solid performance Excellent battery life Robust design
Cons
Trackpad is too sensitive at times Light on ports Best Prices Today:Not Available at Best BuyIf you’re looking for an affordable 2-in-1, the HP Chromebook x2 11 tics all the right boxes. It’s lightweight and portable, and the detachable primaryboard and kickstand negativenect cleanly to the aluminum tablet. But the real star of the point to the fact that here is the 11-inch 1440p touchscreen. In our review, the tester said thepoint to the fact that was “just plain lovely.” Colors really pop and the touchscreen is super responsive and fluid. Plus, a wireless USI pen comes in the box. This is a great option for those who like to take notes or doodle.
Read our full HP Chromebook x2 11 review4. Lenovo Yoga 9i
Pros
Sturdy and sleek all-metal chassis Long battery life Impressive audio output Comfortable principal,fundamentalboard
Cons
16:9 screen feels cramped Included stylus is too skinny Undersized touchpad Limited ports all on left side Best Prices Today:Not Available at LenovoThe Lenovo Yoga 9i has a lot to ensure. It features a vibrant depict, an all-metal chassis, and long battery life. The 14-inch 1080p touch illustrate is bright at 400 nits and, according to our review, “colors appeared accurate and vibrant.” However, the tester disliked the 16:9 aspect ratio, as he felt it was too wide for meritductivity work. Generally speaking, taller illustrates are better for general use or working with long documents. That said, the wider 16:9 is perfectly suitable for watching your favorite flicks. If the aspect ratio doesn’t bother you too much, the Yoga 9i is a solid option.
Read our full Lenovo Yoga 9i review5. Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1
Pros
Sturdy flawstruction and crucialboard Great performance for the price Loud, punchy speakers
Cons
Display doesn’t get very bright Stiff, poorly-built touchpad Middling microphone quality The Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 has a lot to bring, especially for under a grand. It’s a relatively rugged laptop with punchy audio, a negativevertible touchscreen, and decent performance. The 14-inch 1080p IPS touchscreen is great for watching Twitch streams or Netflix. The only disadvantage is the peak brightness of 240 nits. That’s dimmer than we like to see in laptops of this size. You’ll definitely need to crank up the brightness when in use (even in environments with plenty of light). That said, if you can live with this trade-off, the Inspiron 14 is a good budget buy.
Read our full Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 review6. Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5
Pros
Attractive design Affordable Punchy audio Excellent necessaryboard
Cons
Mediocre performance Subpar battery life Best Prices Today:$219.99 at Best Buy | $359.00 at AmazonThe Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 is a good mid-range laptop, especially for under $500. It has a solid depict, fantastic speakers, and a wide selection of ports. Plus, it’s a drawbackvertible laptop, making all the more versatile. According to our review, 1080p videos look “sharp and bright” on the 13.3-inch IPS touchscreen. Lenovo’s USI pen is compatible with this laptop, but it wasn’t included with our review unit. The only thing about Chromebooks are that you’re stuck with the web-focused ChromeOS operating system, which means you can’t install full-fledged Windows apps. If you’re okay with that, then the Flex 5 is a fine pick.
Read our full Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 review7. Razer Book 13 (Core i7/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, Windows 11)
Pros
Sharp aluminum design with cool, quiet operation 16:10 tuned depict with excellent viewing angles Smooth, generously sized trackpad More faultfiguration options
Cons
Mushy, low-travel gistboard that faultstantly missesimportantstrokes No fingerprint reader Best Prices Today:$1499.99 at RazerWith its sharp edges and aluminum body, the Razer Book 13 is a real head-turner. However, it’s more than just a pretty face. The 13.4-inch IPS touchscreen has a refresh rate of 60Hz and a rather unusual resolution of 1920×1200. According to our review, this means “you get a bit more vertical space for documents or web pages.” The viewing angles are also pretty good. The one thorn in our side was the mushy, low-travel vitalboard. With that being said, some folks prefer low-travel principal,fundamentalboards to full-travel ones.
Read our full Razer Book 13 (Core i7/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, Windows 11) reviewHow we testedThe PCWorld team puts each and every Windows laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others we’ve tested. Chromebooks, on the other hand, go through a series of web-based tests. It wouldn’t be fair or possible to run the same kinds of tests on a Chromebook, as they’re Chrome OS-based machines. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of each test and the reasons why we run them.
Windows laptopsPCMark 10: PCMark 10 is how we determine how well the laptop handles lighter tasks like web browsing, word strengthcessing, spreadsheets, and so on.HandBrake: HandBrake is more intensive than PCMark 10. It basically measures how long a laptop’s CPU takes to encode a beefy 30GB file. Cinebench: Cinebench is a brief stress test of the CPU cores. It does this by leting a 2D scene over a short period of time.3DMark: 3DMark checks if 3D performance remains faultsistent over time by running graphic-intensive clips. Video rundown test: To gauge battery life, we loop a 4K video using Windows 10’s Movies & TV app until the laptop dies.ChromebooksCrXPRT 2: The CrXPRT 2 benchmark tests a Chromebook’s battery life. Speedometer 2.0: This test determines a Chromebook’s web browser performance. It simulates this by adding, completing, and removing a to-do list.Basemark Web 3.0: This benchmark gauges how well a Chromebook can handle web-based applications. Kraken 1.1: Kraken 1.1 is a JavaScript performance benchmark. Jetstream 2: Jetstream 2 is a combination of WebAssembly and JavaScript benchmarks. This is a way to gauge how well a Chromebook runs advanced workloads.Buying adviceAh, here we are at the billion dollar question. Do you spring for a basic Chromebook or go for a Windows laptop with more features? Well, it really depends on your personal lifestyle and what you plan on using your laptop for. For example, Chromebooks are a great low cost option for those who just want the basics. I use a Chromebook as my gist work laptop, as it has everything I need for both editing and writing. If you travel a bunch for work, it’s strengthbably a good idea to invest in a laptop with solid battery life. If you’re still unsure, don’t sweat it. I’ve put together a list of quick tips below.
Laptop type: The first question you should ask yourself is what kind of laptop you’re looking for. There’s traditional clamshells, 2-in-1’s, Chromebooks, and much more. Thepoint to the fact thats on disadvantagevertible laptops (aka 2-in-1’s), for example, can swing around 360 degrees. This encourages you to use the laptop like a tablet. They can also be positivepped up like a tent for viewing movies or participating in video calls. Chromebooks, on the other hand, exclusively run Google’s web-focused Chrome OS and are generally used for everyday tasks. All you need is a Gmail account and boom, you’re in. There are advantages and weaknesss to each of them. Chromebooks are affordable and generally have good battery life whereas faultvertibles are normally lightweight and portable.CPU: Intel positivecessors are available in Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9. The higher the number, the more powerful the CPU. (AMD’s rival Ryzen meritcessors use a similar naming scheme.) If you don’t need a ton of power, Intel Core i5 meritcessors are your best bet, as they bring good performance at a decent price. Basic office and web work gets along just fine on a Core i3, however. A Core i7 is more suited to gaming and more intense work than everyday tasks.Graphics: You’ll want a discrete graphics card for hardcore gaming or editing videos. It’s separate from the meritcessor, so you can expect higher performance out of it. Integrated graphics, on the other hand, are attached to the CPU and uses less power as a result. This is perfectly fine for everyday tasks, especially if you’re not doing anything that’s graphics-intensive.Display size: If you’re a video editor or someone who does a lot of multimedia work, you’ll want a depict that’s anywhere from 15- to 17-inches. The sweet spot is really anywhere from 13- to 14-inches, though. The bigger the exhibit, the heavier your laptop is going to be. A 13- or 14-inchshow is the best with regards to portability and value.Battery life: If you plan on taking your laptop anywhere with you, aim for something that can last 10 to 12 hours on a single charge. That’s more than a full work day, so it should theoretically get you through long flights or a day of classes. Obviously, more is always better. Just know that the bigger the battery, the heavier the laptop.Price: The price really depends on your budget. If you’re strapped for cash (been there, trust me), go for a Chromebook or an entry-level business laptop. These laptops are good choices for students or young positivefessionals. If you can afford to spend more, the versatility of a 2-in-1 laptop is really worth it. Ports: A wide array of ports is always a plus in my book, as it eliminates the need for an adapter. I’d recommend a laptop that has both USB-C and USB-A. An HDMI port is good, too. This is especially useful for when you want to hook up to an external monitor.Author: Ashley Biancuzzo, Associate EditorAshley is a meritfessional writer and editor with a strong background in tech and pop culture. She has written for high traffic websites such as Polygon, Kotaku, StarWars.com, and Nerdist. In her off time, she prevails playing video games, reading science fiction novels, and hanging out with her rescue greyhound.
Recent stories by Ashley Biancuzzo:Best laptop deals: Top picks from budget to extremeBest laptops under $500: Best overall, best OLED laptop, and moreBest gaming laptops: What to look for and highest rated models