Pick what the laptop is for, your budget and any must-haves, and the finder shows the three best matches from our shortlist of laptops with checked specs and dated prices. Every pick says why it made the cut and links to the guides that recommend it.
Laptop finder
From our checked shortlistHow the finder picks
It starts from our shortlist, the same list of laptops behind every pick card on the site. Each one has specs from the maker's own spec page and a price from a named store with the date we checked it. We don't buy or test laptops, so nothing here is a lab score.
Your answers filter that list first: system, size, budget and must-haves. Then the finder drops anything that can't do the job you picked, and ranks the rest on the one spec that matters most for it. That spec is the yellow cell on each pick.
| You need it for | What a laptop must have to show up | Ranked mostly on |
|---|---|---|
| School and everyday use | 8 GB of memory or more (any amount on a Chromebook) | Weight, then claimed battery life |
| Work and Windows business software | Windows on an Intel or AMD chip | 16 GB of memory, business models, weight |
| Photo and video editing | 16 GB of memory and a strong graphics chip | Memory |
| 3D, CAD and engineering | Windows on Intel or AMD, an NVIDIA RTX card, 16 GB | Graphics card |
| Gaming | Windows on Intel or AMD with an NVIDIA RTX card | Graphics card and its memory |
| Running AI models locally | Unified memory of 16 GB or more, or a graphics card with 8 GB | Memory the graphics chip can use |
| A kid's first laptop | No gaming laptops; 8 GB on Windows | Price and weight, with a little extra for a touchscreen or ChromeOS |
If fewer than three laptops fit your budget, the finder adds the closest ones about 30% over it (or $300, whichever is more) and says how far over each one is. If nothing fits at all, it shows the cheapest laptops that do the job. It won't bend the rules for your use to fill three slots, and if a choice rules everything out, it tells you which one.
Why some choices rule laptops out
Windows on Arm laptops, the ones with Snapdragon chips, run most everyday apps. Specialist work software, many games and some exam software are a different story, so for work, CAD and gaming the finder sticks to Intel and AMD laptops.
Macs don't run most CAD programs or most PC games, and Chromebooks don't run Windows programs at all. Pick one of those systems with a need it can't meet and the finder tells you, rather than showing a laptop that won't work.
The Examplify box keeps laptops that meet ExamSoft's requirements and ranks the ones with no caveat first. A caveat is spelled out on the pick: a laptop that ships in S mode (you switch it off once, free), a Snapdragon laptop that some schools don't allow, or a chip your program should confirm. Our ExamSoft guide explains each one.
Already have a laptop?
Check how worn its battery is with the battery health check, or see all our laptop tools. A new battery or more memory often costs far less than a new laptop.
Questions people ask
Why only these laptops?
The finder only ranks laptops on our shortlist, where we've checked the specs on the maker's page and the price at a named store. A smaller list we've checked beats a huge one we haven't. It grows as we write new guides.
Are the prices current?
Each price shows the store and the day we checked it. Prices change often, sometimes daily, so the store's own page is the final word. The Amazon button opens a search, because we don't show Amazon prices.
Do you get paid for these picks?
We may earn a commission if you buy through our links. Commission never decides which laptop the finder shows; the rules in the table above do.
What if my school or program lists its own requirements?
Their page wins. Check it before you buy, and look for our guide to your school or program, which lists what it asks for.