which laptop is best in 2013 ?

 

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Discover the best laptops to buy in 2013 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.

Samsung Series 7 Chronos

A super powerful laptop with near-desktop performance

Our Expert Opinion The Samsung Series 7 Chronos gets everything right. It has a powerful quad-core Core i7 processor, a great dedicated graphics chip, a Full HD ten-point touchscreen and a superb nine and a half hour battery life. It's expensive, but the Chronos is in a class of its own.

Read our full Samsung Series 7 Chronos review

SPECS
CPU 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-3635QM
RAM 8GB
STORAGE 1TB hard disk
GRAPHICS 2GB AMD Radeon HD 8870M
OPTICAL DRIVE none
DISPLAY 15.6in, 1,920x1,080 LCD
OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 8 64-bit
DIMENSIONS 23x376x250mm, 2.5kg
POWER CONSUMPTION 1W standby, 17W idle, 74W active
WARRANTY one year RTB
PART CODE NP780Z5E-S01UK

BUY IT FROM £1,300 from PC World

Dell Inspiron 15

A budget laptop with plenty of power

Our Expert Opinion Dell's latest Inspiron 15 is an extremely powerful and well equipped laptop for £400. While it’s not particularly svelte, it's much faster than many other laptops at this price, thanks to an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i5-3337U processor and 6GB of RAM.

We also like how the inside and outside of the chassis are decorated with a scaled pattern of textured black triangles. The result feels durable, is resistant to smears and fingerprints, and it looks great.

Read our full Dell Inspiron 15 review

SPECS
CPU 1.8GHz Intel Core i5-3337U
RAM 6GB
STORAGE 750GB hard disk
GRAPHICS Intel HD Graphics 4000
OPTICAL DRIVE none
DISPLAY 15.4in, 1,366x768 LCD
OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 8 64-bit
DIMENSIONS 26x375x261mm, 2.3kg
POWER CONSUMPTION 0W standby, 9W idle, 28W active
WARRANTY one year onsite
PART CODE N0035122

BUY IT FROM £399 from Dell

MSI CX61

An excellent gaming laptop for under £600

Our Expert Opinion Gaming laptops with this kind of specification are usually significantly more expensive, so it’s great to see one for under £600. Its quad-core 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-3630QM processor offers near-desktop level performance and its 2GB Nvidia GeForce GT 645M graphics chipset gives a competent gaming experience as well.

Read our full Dell Inspiron 15 review

SPECS
CPU 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-3630QM
RAM 8GB
STORAGE 1TB hard disk
GRAPHICS 2GB Nvidia GeForce GT 645M
OPTICAL DRIVE none
DISPLAY 15.6in, 1,366x768 LCD
OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 8 64-bit
DIMENSIONS 37x383x250mm, 2.4kg
POWER CONSUMPTION 1W standby, 18W idle, 75W active
WARRANTY one year collect and return
PART CODE CX61 0NF-638UK

BUY IT FROM £599 from Dell

Acer C7 Chromebook

The cheapest and best value laptop

Our Expert Opinion Chrome OS is nowhere near as versatile as Windows 8, but you can't really argue with the C7 Chromebook when it's less than £200. The C7 also goes one better than most other Chromebooks, as it's got a 320GB hard disk instead of a 16GB SSD, which gives you much more room to store your media collection. It's battery life isn't so great, but if you're on a limited budget then the C7 should be at the top of your list.

Read our full Acer C7 Chromebook review

SPECS
CPU 1.1GHz Intel Celeron 847
RAM 2GB
STORAGE 320GB hard disk
GRAPHICS Intel HD Graphics 2000
DISPLAY 11.6in, 1,366x768 LCD
OPERATING SYSTEM Chrome OS
DIMENSIONS 27x285x202mm, 1.4kg
POWER CONSUMPTION 1.7W standby, 15W idle, 23W active
WARRANTY one year RTB
PART CODE C710-B8472G32iii

BUY IT FROM £199 from Amazon

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13

The most flexible Ultrabook

Our Expert Opinion The Yoga 13 is one of our favourite Ultrabook convertibles. Its hook is simple - just fold the screen all the way back and, hey presto, you've got a tablet. Having the keyboard underneath your fingers will take a little getting used to, but its Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM make it pretty speedy. It's also got an impressive battery life of over 7 and a half hours, putting it head and shoulders above the rest of the competition.

Read our full Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 review

SPECS
CPU 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U
RAM 8GB
STORAGE 128GB SSD
GRAPHICS Intel HD Graphics 4000
DISPLAY 13.3in, 1,600x900 LCD touchscreen
OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 8 64-bit
DIMENSIONS 17x333x224mm, 1.5kg
POWER CONSUMPTION 0W standby, 12W idle, 28W active
WARRANTY one year RTB
PART CODE 20175

BUY IT FROM £1045 from Portagadgets

Asus VivoBook S200

A great-value touchscreen laptop

Our Expert Opinion At £450, the Asus VivoBook S200 is an absolute bargain. We were a little disappointed with its dim screen, but its responsive touchscreen was hugely impressive and Windows 8 has never felt so smooth. Its small size means it’s also perfect for slipping into your bag while you’re on the move, and a Core i3 processor gives it enough performance power to make it fantastic value for money.

Read our full Asus VivoBook S200 review

SPECS
CPU 1.8GHz Intel Core i3-3217U
RAM 4GB
STORAGE 500GB hard disk
GRAPHICS Intel HD Graphics 4000
DISPLAY 11.6in, 1,366x768 LCD touchscreen
OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 8 64-bit
DIMENSIONS 22x303x200mm, 1.4kg
POWER CONSUMPTION 0W standby, 12W idle, 20W active
WARRANTY one year RTB
PART CODE X202E-CT009H

BUY IT FROM £450 from Currys

Dell XPS 12

The ultimate laptop-tablet hybrid

Our Expert Opinion The Dell XPS 12 is one of the best laptop-tablet hybrids we’ve ever seen. Push the screen from behind and its 12.5in display spins round to form a tablet that looks absolutely stunning thanks to its Full HD 1080p resolution. It’s also got the storage and performance power to match its outstanding design, with a Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD. You won’t find a more beautifully crafted hybrid anywhere else.

Read our full Dell XPS 12 review

SPECS
CPU 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U
RAM 8GB
INTERNAL STORAGE 256GB SSD
GRAPHICS Intel HD Graphics 4000
DISPLAY 12.5in, 1,920x1,080 LCD
OPERATING SYSTEM Windows 8 64-bit
DIMENSIONS 20x317x214mm, 1.5kg
POWER CONSUMPTION 1W standby, 12W idle, 34W active
WARRANTY one year RTB
PART CODE XPS 12

BUY IT FROM £1300 directly from Dell