Discover the best laptops to buy in 2014 and read our in-depth laptop reviews, as rated by our team of expert reviewers.
Discover the best laptops to buy in 2014 and read our in-depth laptop reviews, as rated by our team of expert reviewers. Not sure if a laptop is right for you? We've got something for everyone here, from 11in budget bargains to the latest flagship models and laptop-tablet hybrids from all the major brands. Our always up-to-date list will help you make the right choice.
Chillblast Fusion Defiant Mini - A petite powerhouse gaming laptop
For 2014, Chillblast has decided to make just modest upgrades to the formula, and the 2014 Defiant 2 Mini has a GTX 860M graphics chip and an i7-4710MQ processor on board instead without upping the price, and we'll have a full review of the new device in due course.
Price when reviewed: £899. For the latest prices, see our full Chillblast Fusion Defiant Mini review.
| Key specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-4700MQ |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Dimensions(HxWxD) | 32x330x227mm |
| Graphics | 2GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 765M |
| Weight | 2.1kg |
| Screen size | 13.3in |
| Screen resolution | 1,920x1,080 |
| Total storage | 1TB |
| Operating system | Windows 8 64-bit |
| Parts and labour warranty | one year RTB |
| Part number | Defiant Mini |
Asus Transformer Book T100TA - The definitive budget two-in-one laptop
It does come with Microsoft's controversial Windows 8 operating system, but it's this sort of device that the software was designed for. If you embrace its oddities and idiosyncrasies, Windows 8 can be a very effective operating system for an ultra-portable, multi-form factor device.
Price when reviewed: £349. Fort the latest prices, see our full Asus Transformer Book T100TA review.
| Key specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | 1.3GHz Intel Atom Z3740 |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Dimensions(HxWxD) | 24x263x171mm |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics |
| Weight | 1.1kg |
| Screen size | 10.1in |
| Screen resolution | 1,366x768 |
| Total storage | 32GB |
| Operating system | Windows 8.1 64-bit |
| Parts and labour warranty | one year RTB |
| Part number | T100TA-DK002H |
Apple 13-inch Macbook Pro with Retina Display - The ultimate laptop just got even better
It's also immensely stylish and can't be mistaken for anything other than an Apple device. The 2,880x1,800 pixel Retina display is a brilliant piece of tech that puts many other laptop screens to shame. While we're seeing plenty of business-end laptops reaching into the realms of 2,560x1,600 pixel displays, its fantastic colour accuracy combined with Apple's well-tuned UI scaling that makes MacBook Pro's screen not only technically brilliant, but visually stunning as well.
Price when reviewed: £1,499. For the latest prices, read our full Apple 13-inch Macbook Pro with Retina Display review.
| Key specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | 2.6GHz Intel Core i5-4288U |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Dimensions(HxWxD) | 18x314x219mm |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 5100 |
| Weight | 1.6kg |
| Screen size | 13.3in |
| Screen resolution | 2,560x1,600 |
| Total storage | 512GB |
| Operating system | MacOS X Mavericks |
| Parts and labour warranty | one year RTB |
| Part number | ME866B/A |
Acer Aspire V3-772G - A powerful 17.3in desktop replacement
As a result, Acer's machine is a very capable all-purpose machine, meaning you could feasiby use it to play the latest games at Low or Medium settings without too much trouble. The screen on the Aspire V3-772G is very pretty indeed, while battery life is an respectable 5 hours 8 minutes. We were impressed with this laptop, and would thoroughly recommend it; if you can find one new or refurbished you won't be disappointed.
Price when reviewed: £770. For the latest pri ces, see our full Acer Aspire V3-772G review.
| Key specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | 2.2GHz Intel Core i7-4702MQ |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Dimensions(HxWxD) | 34x415x275mm |
| Graphics | 2GB Nvidia GeForce GT 750M |
| Weight | 3.2kg |
| Screen size | 17.3in |
| Screen resolution | 1,920x1,080 |
| Total storage | 750GB |
| Operating system | Windows 8 64-bit |
| Parts and labour warranty | one year RTB |
| Part number | NX.M74EK.001 |
Asus Zenbook UX302LA - Stylish performance for under £1,000
It also has a great screen, the 1,920x1,080 panel is bright and vibrant and excelled in our screen benchmarking tests. On top of all of this, you get an Intel Core i7-4500U processor and 500GB of storage, too. It's a great all-round package and it performs brilliantly in simple tasks and has some processor punch when it's needed for challenges like photo editing and video transcoding.
Price when reviewed: £999. For the latest prices, see our full Asus Zenbook UX302 review.
| Key specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-4500U |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Dimensions(HxWxD) | 17x325x226mm |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 4400 |
| Weight | 1.5kg |
| Screen size | 13.3 in |
| Screen resolution | 1,920x1,080 |
| Total storage | 500GB |
| Operating system | Windows 8.1 |
| Parts and labour warranty | one year RTB |
| Part number | UX302LA-C4008H |
Scan 3XS Graphite LG156 - A great value gaming laptop
It has the latest Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M mobile graphics chip on board, along with a quad-core 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-4710MQ and 8GB of RAM. These are the perfect ingredients for a powerful, yet good-value gaming laptop, and it powered through our standard benchmarks with ease. We also tested it with the likes of Watch_Dogs and Titanfall and were impressed to see how far we could turn up the graphics settings. This is certainly a gaming machine you'll be able to rely on for years to come.
Price when reviewed: £899. For the latest prices, read our full Scan 3XS Graphite LG156 review.
| Key specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | Quad-core 2.5GHz Intel Core i7 4710MQ |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Dimensions(HxWxD) | 42.7x374x250mm |
| Weight | 2.7kg |
| Screen size | 15.6 inches |
| Screen resolution | 1,920x1,080 |
| Total storage | 1TB hybrid hard disk |
| Operating system | Windows 8.1 Enterprise |
| Parts and labour warranty | Two-years RTB |
| Part number | 3XS Graphite LG156 |
Apple 13-inch Macbook Air - Apple's super thin laptop just got even better
Our only real complaint is that its screen isn't quite as good as we'd expect for a laptop in this price range, and we're particularly disappointed with the lack of a full-HD panel. Its other specifications are great, however, and it'll speed through any task you throw at it with relative ease, while maintaining excellent battery life that'll see you being able to work for a whole day while unplugged.
Price when reviewed: £949. For the latest prices, read our full Apple 13-inch Macbook Air review.
| Key specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | 1.3GHz Intel Core i5-4250U |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Dimensions(HxWxD) | 17x325x227mm |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 5000 |
| Weight | 1.4kg |
| Screen size | 13.3 in |
| Screen resolution | 1,440x900 |
| Total storage | 500GB |
| Operating system | OS X 10.8 |
| Parts and labour warranty | one year RTB |
| Part number | 13-inch Macbook Air |
Toshiba Chromebook CB30-102 - Bigger Chromebook, low price
One thing to bear in mind now is that later in 2014, Chromebooks will be going on sale with more powerful Intel Core i3 processors on board, so it may pay to wait a little while to see whether these new devices pack the promised punch while maintaining an attractively low price.
Price when reviewed: £230. For the latest prices, read our full Toshiba Chromebook CB30-102 review.
| Key specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | 1.4GHz Intel Celeron 2955U |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Dimensions(HxWxD) | 328x227x20mm |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics |
| Weight | 1.5kg |
| Screen size | 13.3 in |
| Screen resolution | 1366x768 |
| Total storage | 16GB |
| Operating system | Chrome OS |
| Parts and labour warranty | one year RTB |
| Part number | CB30-102 |
Comments
Post a Comment