If you want to get a new laptop for your home office, all the different options can be quite overwhelming. But don’t worry, in this article, I will walk you through some of the best options available today.
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How To Choose A Good Laptop
When choosing a new laptop for your home office, the main things you’ll want to keep an eye on are, CPU, RAM, Storage, and Price.
Features like a high-resolution screen and backlit keyboard can be a nice touch and make using your laptop more enjoyable, but you should mainly focus on the four things mentioned above before you worry about other features.
CPU – The CPU or “processor” is the chip in your computer that does all the work, you want to make sure you get a CPU that’s fast enough, or your computer will be slow and frustrating to use.
RAM – The RAM on a computer is where everything that’s currently open is stored. The more RAM your computer has, the more browser tabs and apps you can have open at the same time. For most people, 8 GB will be a good amount of RAM, but if you like to keep a lot of stuff open like I do, you might be better off with 16 GB.
Storage – Storage is where all the files and apps on your computer will be stored. Thanks to cloud storage services like Google Drive being so popular these days, storage space is not quite as important as it used to be, but it’s still nice to have a good amount of storage space on your computer.
If you want to store all your files on your computer, you’ll probably want to get one with 500GB or 1TB (1000GB). But if you store most of your files on the cloud, you should be fine with 128GB or 256GB.
Price – Obviously you don’t want to be spending more than you can afford on the fanciest laptop around, so while you want to make sure you get a good laptop, you should also keep your budget in mind.
In this article, I’m going to cover laptops that are in the mid to high price range, but if you’re on a bit of a tighter budget, you might want to check out my article on the best budget laptops for your home office.
Best Laptop For Home Office Use
Image | Name | CPU (Processor) | RAM | Hard Drive | Buy On Amazon |
 | Dell XPS 15 | Intel 10th Gen Core i7-10750H | 16 GB | 1 TB SSD | |
 | Apple Macbook Pro | Apple M3 Pro or M3 Max chip | 36 GB | 512 GB or | |
 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon | 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U | 8 GB | 256 GB SSD | |
 | Microsoft Surface Pro 7 | 10th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 | 8 or 16 GB | 128, 256, or 512 GB SSD | |
 | HP Pavilion x360 | 12th Gen Intel 10-Core i5-1235U | 8 GB | 512 GB, 1 or 2 TB SSD |
The Good
- Fast CPU With Plenty Of RAM And Storage
- Nice Design
- Great Screen
- Good Keyboard And Trackpad
The Bad
- Limited Port Selection
- Fairly Pricey
The Dell XPS 15 is one of the most expensive laptops on this list, but if you’re looking for a high-quality powerful laptop that won’t let you down, this could be the one for you.
With an Intel 10th Gen Core i7 processor, it will give you a blazing fast experience no matter what you need to do with it.
A processor this powerful might be overkill for a lot of people, but if you use your computer for more demanding tasks, want a really fast experience, or just want a futureproof computer, it won’t disappoint.
It has 16GB of RAM so you’ll be able to open all the apps you want at the same time without running into any issues. And for storage, it has a 1TB SSD so you will have plenty of space to store all your files.
The build quality is really nice with a full high definition display, a nice backlit keyboard, and a spacious trackpad.
The only real downside to this laptop other than the high price tag is the port selection, it has three USB – C ports (which is really good if you want to connect a USB – C hub), an SD card reader, and a headphone port.
But it doesn’t have any other ports like a traditional USB port, HDMI port, ethernet port, etc. Of course, with the right adapter or USB – C hub, you can connect anything you want to it but it would be nice if it had a few other ports.
Want to Buy The Dell XPS 15?
The Good
- Fast CPU With Plenty Of RAM And Storage
- Great Quality Retina Screen
- High Quality Look And Feel
- Great Keyboard
The Bad
- Most Expensive On This List
- Limited Port Selection
The Apple Macbook Pro is the most expensive laptop on this list. Lots of people prefer to use Macbooks over Windows computers so if you’re a MacBook fan, this could be the one for you.
Want to see my list of the best Macbooks for your home office? Click here.
This one has a choice between a 9th Gen Intel Core i7 or i9 CPU so whichever option you choose, you will have an extremely powerful computer that will easily handle very demanding tasks.
The i7 option will probably be more than enough for most people, but if you do some very demanding tasks on your computer like video editing, it might be worth choosing the i9.
For storage, there is a choice between 512GB and 1TB (1000GB). Both options will give you plenty of space to store all your files, but if you feel like you have a lot of files, you might want to go with the 1TB variant.
All of the different variations have 16GB of RAM which means you’ll be able to have pretty much anything you want open simultaneously.
Much like the Dell XPS, the Macbook Pro’s only real downside other than the price is the port selection. It comes with four USB – C ports (which is good if you want to connect a USB – C hub), and a headphone port.
So whilst like the Dell XPS, you can connect anything you want to it with the right USB – C hub or adapter, it doesn’t have any other ports like a traditional USB port, HDMI port, ethernet port, etc.
But if the price tag and the ports don’t bother you, this really is a very good laptop.
Want to Buy The Apple Macbook Pro?
The Good
- Best Keyboard In A Laptop
- More Affordable
- Good Selection Of Ports
The Bad
- Gets A Bit Warm When Overworked
- Not The Most Powerful
The Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon has a lower price tag than the previous two options on this list, it is slightly less powerful but it’s still more than enough for most people while not being quite as expensive.
It has an older 8th Gen intel core i5 CPU so it won’t be quite as fast as some of the others on this list but for most normal work it will still get along just fine.
It has 8GB of RAM which is still plenty for most people and you’ll still be able to have plenty of different browser tabs and other apps open at the same time.
For storage, it has a 256GB SSD which is plenty of space to store all your apps and possibly even all your files but you might find yourself needing to store some of your files on a cloud storage service like Google Drive, or an external storage device.
Where this laptop really shines is the keyboard. It is backlit as most laptop keyboards are these days, and the keys are very clicky and satisfying to type on. So this could certainly be a good option if your work requires a lot of typing.
It also has a much better port selection than some of the others on this list, it has two USB – C ports so you can still connect a USB – C hub, but it also has two USB A ports (normal USB ports), an HDMI port, and a headphone port.
So overall, this is not the fastest or most powerful laptop around, but if you want a decent dependable device with a good keyboard at a more affordable price, then this could be the one for you.
Want to Buy The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon?
The Good
- Can be detached From The Keyboard
- Nice Looking Screen
- Fast Performance
The Bad
- Doesn't Sit Very Comfortably On Your Lap
The Surface Pro is quite different from other laptops, it has a detachable keyboard allowing you to pick it up and use it as a tablet.
Of course, this is not for everyone but if you like the idea of being able to walk away from your desk and move more freely around the house from time to time, this could be a good option for you.
It can still work very nicely as a proper computer on your desk, as it still has fully functioning Windows 10, and a USB – C port (for connecting a USB – C hub) and a Surface Connect port (for connecting a Surface docking station) so you can easily connect a bigger screen, full-size mouse, and more.
It has the choice of a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU so it will be lightning-fast and able to handle whatever you throw at it. The i5 will probably be more than enough for most people but if you want to do some more demanding tasks, you might want to go with the i7.
You can also choose between 8GB or 16GB of RAM. For most people, the 8GB variation should be plenty, but if you like to keep a lot of things open at once, you might want to consider the 16GB option.
The storage also has several different options, you can choose between 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. Any option should be plenty if you plan on storing most of your files on the cloud, but if you want to store all your files on your computer, you should probably get the 512GB variant.
The only real downside of this quite different device is that it doesn’t sit very well on your lap, you can set it on your lap if you want but it will feel a little flimsy.
Of course, this isn’t a problem if you plan to set it on a desk or table and then use it as a tablet when you want to move around, but it is something you should keep in mind if you plan to sit it on your lap.
So overall, if you like the idea of a more tablet-like form factor, but still want to be able to use it as a powerful computer, this is the device for you.
Want to Buy The Surface Pro 7?
The Good
- Can Fold Into A Tablet
- Good Selection Of Ports
- Cheapest On This List
The Bad
- USB - C Port Can't Charge It
The HP Pavilion is the cheapest device on this list, but it’s still a very nice computer and will be able to breeze through day to day tasks with ease.
Like the Surface Pro, it too can convert into a tablet, but in a different way. Instead of detaching from the keyboard, the keyboard can fold around behind the screen.
It has a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU which is not the fastest on this list, but it’s still very fast and should be more than enough for most people.
The RAM is a similar story, it has 8GB of RAM which is not huge, but you’ll still be able to have heaps of different browser tabs and other apps open without running into any problems.
For storage, it has 512GB which gives you sufficient room to store all your files, if you have heaps of files you might need to use an external hard drive or cloud storage service. But for most people, 512GB will be more than enough.
It has a nice wide selection of different ports:
- One USB – C port (which is good for connecting a USB – C hub)
- Two regular USB ports
- An HDMI port
- An SD card reader
- And a headphone port.
One small downside is that it can’t be charged through the USB – C port, this isn’t a huge deal, but it means if you want to use a USB – C hub to easily connect all your accessories, you will still have to plug the laptop into a separate charging cable.
But overall it’s a fast dependable laptop for quite a reasonable price and it just might be the one for you.
Want to Buy The HP Pavilion x360?
So there you have it, with 5 different good laptops to choose from, hopefully, you’ve found the perfect one for your home office!
But if these ones are a bit out of your price range, check out my article on the best budget laptops for your home office.
If you’re looking for a Macbook, you should check out my article on the best Macbook for your home office.
Or, if you’d prefer a Chromebook, check out my article on the best Chromebooks for your home Office.
If you want to find out how to create the best computer setup for your home office, click here to read my full guide on creating the best work from home computer setup.
