The 9 best laptops you can buy in Feb. 2024

Note: The Dell XPS 15 is being phased out and replaced with the new Dell XPS 16, which debuted at CES 2024 alongside the new XPS 13 and 14. We’ll be reviewing one of them in the very near future, but the XPS 15 retains its spot as our top pick in the meantime — it’s hardly outdated.

Why we picked this:

Last year’s Dell XPS 15 is a 15.6-inch machine from the brand’s premium laptop line. It boasts a solid build quality, a beautiful edge-to-edge display, and specs that can crush everyday tasks right out of the gate. (Its base configuration easily justifies its $1,499 price tag with a 13th-generation Intel Core i7 H-series processor, 16GB of RAM, and an Intel Arc A370M GPU.) For those in need of even more oomph, optional upgrades like NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics for gaming, up to 4TB of storage space, up to 64GB of memory, and a vivid OLED touchscreen will turn the XPS 15 into a bona fide desktop replacement.

The experts over at PCMag (owned by Mashable’s publisher, Ziff Davis) gave the XPS 15 a 4.5/5 rating and an Editor’s Choice distinction, calling it “one of the best and most flexible luxe laptops for a range of audiences” despite their disappointment with its 720p webcam and limited selection of ports. It does come with a free USB-C to USB-A and HDMI adapter, at least.

Note that the base XPS 15 has a lackluster listed battery life of up to nine hours, but the PCMag team was able to squeeze over 14 hours of use out of its upgraded testing unit.

Who it’s for:

The Dell XPS 15 is a stellar multitasker for Windows users who want a laptop that strikes the right balance between brawn and beauty, delivering desktop-level power in a glossy package. Bargain-hunters should also put it on their watch list: It will be easier to find on sale in the coming months now that Dell’s announced its successor. (At the time of writing, several NVIDA GeForce RTX configurations were $500 off on Dell’s website.)