Best laptop overall

Dell

The Dell XPS 13 strikes an incredible balance between the most powerful mobile hardware to date in an attractive, thin, and light chassis for a reasonable high-end price.

Screen: 13.4-inch, starts at 1920 x 1200 non-touch

13.4-inch, starts at 1920 x 1200 non-touch Processor: Starts at 11th-gen Intel Core i3

Starts at 11th-gen Intel Core i3 Operating system: Windows 11 Home

Windows 11 Home Memory and storage: Starts at 8GB of RAM, 256GB storage

Starts at 8GB of RAM, 256GB storage Read our full review of the Dell XPS 13

Pros: Attractive design, excellent screen, long battery life, latest hardware

Cons: Webcam should be 1080p

Dell's flagship 13-incher has been the overall best laptop for years, and in 2021 that's no different. Why? The Dell XPS delivers the best cross between power, portability, and looks for most people.

The current generation Dell XPS 13 runs on Intel's latest 11th-generation Core processors (CPUs), bringing gains when it comes to performance, graphics, and battery life. To make it even better, Dell recently launched an optional OLED display for the Dell XPS 13. This provides excellent contrast and more vibrant color. Movies, photos, and games look outstanding on the OLED display, though the base LCD screen is also good.

Dell estimates that the non-4K LCD model (with a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution display, which we'd recommend) can last for 14 hours and 11 minutes on a single charge, although in my testing I found that it lasted for about six hours in real-world usage. The OLED model offers similar performance. While that may not live up to Dell's claims, it's enough to get through most of a workday without plugging in.

Unfortunately, the webcam still only has a 720p resolution, which you can find on almost any laptop. Video looks grainy, dull, and unattractive.

The base configuration of the Dell XPS 13 starts at $969.99 and offers an 11th generation Intel Core i3 CPU; a 13-inch non-touch display with a 1,920 x 1,200-pixel resolution; 8GB of memory (RAM); and a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD). The top-of-the-line model maxes out at an Intel Core i7 processor with 32GB of RAM, a 2TB SSD , the platinum silver exterior design, and a 3,456 x 2,160 touchscreen OLED display for $2,069.99 when you buy through Dell.