Best laptops 2022

A laptop is a portable device that includes the main and peripheral components of a desktop PC. The monitor, keyboard, pointing device (touchpad or touchpad), disk drive, and card reader are all optimized for the size of the laptop. In addition, the device is equipped with a rechargeable battery, thanks to which it can work autonomously.

A laptop differs from a standard PC in its mobility. It can be carried, used anywhere, keep at hand the necessary programs and applications, a set of files and documents that may be needed in everyday life. 

The type of laptop largely determines its capabilities. Classic laptops are comparable in functionality to desktop PCs and can be used for everyday tasks, including working with office programs, browsers, watching movies, surfing the Internet, simple games.

In addition to the classic ones, there are the following types:

• An ultrabook is a thin laptop with a metal or metal-plastic case. Usually these are executive class models.
• Transformer – a laptop that combines the functions of a laptop and a tablet, often has a touch screen.
• A gaming laptop is a laptop with a high processor performance. A great option for modern games, heavy graphics tasks and video editing. Such models are often heavy and noisy, quickly heat up and discharge. 

Editor’s Choice 

ASUS ZenBook 14 UM433DA-A5038T

The best laptop of 2022 in terms of price, quality, functionality and usability. This versatile model is very easy to operate, equipped with a high-performance processor and a powerful cooling system. The stylish aluminum body will appeal to aesthetic lovers. 

ASUS ZenBook 14 UM433DA-A5038T is a lightweight (1,15 kg) executive laptop in an aluminum chassis. The design of the laptop uses an ErgoLift screen hinge, thanks to which, when the lid is open, the ultrabook keyboard automatically tilts to the most comfortable angle. This device can be classified as universal: it is suitable for work, study and the most modern games: RAM from 8 to 16 GB allows you to process several tasks at the same time.

The IPS-based monitor with a screen resolution of 1920×1080 provides high image quality, and the screen is equipped with an anti-glare coating. The comfort of work in the evening is provided by the backlighting of the screen and keys.

Powered by AMD Ryzen 5 3500U quad-core processor. The SSD has 256 GB of memory, which is enough for everyday tasks. The laptop is equipped with a webcam and microphone, and ports and connectors are provided for connecting third-party devices and information sources. A full charge of the lithium-ion battery provides an autonomous operation of the device for about 12 hours with a small load on the system.

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Top 10 best laptops of 2022 according to KP

1. HP ProBook 450 G7 

The body of the device is made of durable metal-plastic, the quality of which complies with the American military standard MIL-STD-810G. This means that the HP ProBook 450 G7 endures any mechanical stress. The device itself is quite light (2 kg) and thin (19 mm).

The laptop keyboard is completely impenetrable and is equipped with a spectacular white backlight. The power button is equipped with a fingerprint scanner, which limits the access of strangers to the device.

With a 5th Gen Intel Core i10210 4U (1600x10MHz) processor, a fast 512GB SSD included and 8GB/16GB of RAM expandable up to 32GB, the laptop has enough performance to take on any task.

The laptop monitor is made on the basis of an IPS matrix and is surrounded by thin bezels around the entire perimeter. The capacious battery gives up to 13,5 hours of battery life, and in half an hour of charging the original charger replenishes 50% of the charge. The case has 4 USB ports, thanks to which you can connect everything you need, including one USB-C.

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2. HONOR MagicBook 15

This model of HONOR laptops has a minimalist and stylish design: no protrusions, unnecessary backlighting and other things. The MagicBook 15 features a quiet membrane keyboard and a large, comfortable touchpad. The device is quite light – 1.5 kg, thanks to which it can be used for work outside the office and taken on trips.

One of the main advantages of the HONOR MagicBook 15 is the 15.6-inch bezel-less display. The laptop screen is based on an IPS-matrix, which has wide viewing angles and a sufficient refresh rate of 60 Hz. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 10 graphics card is responsible for the high-quality image and graphics component.

The high performance of the gadget is provided by the 4-core AMD Ryzen 7 3700U processor, the maximum speed of which can reach 2700 MHz and 16 GB of RAM.

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3. Haier U1510SM

One of the most popular budget laptop models in 2022. HAIER A1400EM is universal: it is suitable both for solving office tasks (online meetings, calls, using text editors and office programs), and as a device for study and home use (surfing the Internet, watching video content, listening to audio content).

Thanks to the fast Intel Celeron N4000 (2×1100 MHz) processor and 4 gigabytes of RAM, the device runs quietly and quickly. The eMMC drive (Integrated Multimedia Memory Card) allows you to speed up the loading of the operating system to achieve the best possible experience when working with a laptop. The slot for installing HDD/SSD on the back of the device allows you to add additional storage space for audio, video, photo content and documents.

The laptop can work for a long time without recharging. And if you need to charge it, the charger will fit even in your pocket due to its small size.

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4. Apple MacBook Air 13

It is still one of the thinnest models with a screen of 13 to 14 inches. Externally, the device is almost indistinguishable from models of previous generations, but it has undergone a major upgrade. 

The main feature of this model is that the old MacBook keyboard with a scissor mechanism was returned to the laptop: the thickness of its keys is 1 mm, and the internal structure of the keyboard is perfectly protected from dust and dirt. 

The Touch ID fingerprint scanner is located in the upper right corner of the keyboard, which protects the device data from unauthorized access.

The model is equipped with a 256 GB SSD in the base configuration. Memory is expandable up to 2 TB. RAM in the Apple MacBook Air 13 is from 8 to 16 GB. This model has the ability to connect external displays with a resolution of up to 6K (6144x3240p), in particular, the top-end Apple Pro Display XDR monitor.

The retina screen of the device is 13.3 inches and displays an image at a resolution of 2560×1440 pixels. It uses the technology of automatic image adaptation to ambient lighting conditions (True Tone).

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5.Lenovo Ideapad 330 15

This is a budget model with a 15,6-inch display that can be used for work, school, multimedia functions and light gaming. The device is placed in a plastic matte case and is equipped with a battery, the capacity of which lasts for 6-8 hours without recharging.

The laptop monitor is made using TN technology, which is not as bright as the IPS matrix used in monitors of more expensive models. With a diagonal of 15,6 inches, it has a low level of brightness – up to 200 cd / m2, so using the Lenovo Ideapad 330 15 will only be comfortable indoors. On a sunny day with street lighting, the image will be faded. The laptop is equipped with a webcam with a resolution of 1280×720 pixels and a built-in card reader.

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6. Xiaomi RedmiBook 14

This model is equipped with a 14-inch screen, which has only a thin edge at the bottom. Due to this, the working space of the display is increased to 90,6% of the front of the device. High screen resolution (1920×1080 p) allows you to perfectly see the fine details of the image.

The NVIDIA GeForce MX350 graphics card is not only enough to solve standard office tasks – its power is enough to play at maximum graphics settings in FIFA 2019 or at medium graphics settings in Dirt Rally 2.0 at a frequency of about 30 fps.

Despite the 14-inch screen, the laptop weighs only 1,3 kg, but it has a built-in high-capacity battery (40 Wh), which provides about 10 hours of operation on a single charge. You can charge a laptop by restoring half the battery charge in just 28 minutes thanks to 1C technology.

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7. HUAWEI MateBook D 14″ 

The HUAWEI MateBook D 14″ laptop is very light – only 1,38 kg and compact. Its Full HD IPS display is framed by a narrow bezel (4,8mm) and has a wide viewing angle (178°). The screen is equipped with an eye protection mode that effectively reduces UV radiation from the screen, making working with a laptop as comfortable as possible.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the battery of this device: its capacity of 56 Wh is enough for 9-10 hours of video viewing and 7-8 hours of operation at a low screen brightness. This time is enough for a long flight and work away from the outlet. If the laptop runs out of power, the 65W fast charger will replenish the power supply in a matter of minutes.

The increased performance of the HUAWEI MateBook D 14″ during its operation is provided by the Intel Core i5 processor, and the NVIDIA GeForce MX250 video card is responsible for high-quality image processing. The built-in Shark Fin 2.0 cooling system prevents the device from overheating.

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8. DELL XPS 13 7390 2-in1

The DELL XPS 13 7390 2-in1 is a convertible with a fully 360-degree flip back lid that combines a laptop and a tablet at the same time. Due to the lightness and portability of the body, it is especially suitable for those who work outside the office.

The laptop-transformer XPS 13 is made of two aluminum blocks. Thanks to the Corning Gorilla Glass 6 coating, it is highly durable, as well as resistant to impact and scratches. The device is equipped with a flat, almost borderless touch display and an Intel 11 generation processor. 

The laptop turns on in a fraction of a second, regardless of what power mode the device was in before. The laptop is unlocked thanks to Windows Hello, a face recognition system and a fingerprint scanner built into the power button.

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9. Acer Swift 7 SF714-52T-78V2

In terms of performance, this is a modest device: it is not suitable for serious video editing tasks, but for office work on the road or working with text or light image editors, it will be fine.

Thanks to the absence of a fan and a very thin battery, this model weighs only 0 kg. The Acer Swift 99 SF7-714T-52V78 features a 2-inch touchscreen display with Corning Gorilla Glass for vibrant colors. The display bezel is so thin that it is almost invisible. When folded, the laptop is only 14mm wide.

In addition to the stylish design, the laptop is well protected in terms of security: the power button of the laptop scans fingerprints, and the webcam, when not in use, is hidden in the body of the device.

The cooling system is never overloaded thanks to the 7th generation i8 processor with integrated graphics and 8 GB of RAM.

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10. Prestige Ecliptica 116 C3

A budget model from the price segment up to 50 rubles: it is perfect for a schoolboy or student. In terms of its functions, it is not inferior to some of the more expensive counterparts.

The gadget is equipped with the Windows 10 Pro operating system, which is great for educational and workflow. And the Intel HD Graphics 500 graphics card and IPS screen allow you to view video content and play simple games. The diagonal of the screen is optimal both for watching videos and for the educational process (11 inches).

The Celeron processor does not promise high performance, but is great for working with text. Prestigio Ecliptica 116 C3 is ideal for essays, projects and presentations – the amount of RAM (4GB) is enough for these functions. 

Prestigio SmartBook 141 C 5 is lightweight and compact. This laptop is a good solution for simple work tasks outside the office and short trips.

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How to choose a laptop

First of all, you need to decide for what purpose a laptop is being bought: for watching video content, surfing the Internet and storing a small amount of files, or a super-powerful gaming gadget, or a laptop for work. In each case, you need to pay attention to many parameters, the main ones being processor performance, RAM, screen size and image quality.

The importance of each parameter is determined by the purpose of using the laptop. For example, a laptop for study and simple office tasks should be primarily autonomous and ergonomic. In this case, a device that will provide comfortable surfing on the Internet, work with text editors and spreadsheets, and also allow you to make presentations and abstracts is suitable.

Devices for gamers should be characterized by high processor performance, high-quality video and powerful cooling systems. For serious work with graphics, three-dimensional modeling and video editing, the screen resolution, video core and processor power are important.

Popular questions and answers

The editors of the KP asked to answer the actual questions of users Sergey Pashkin – system administrator and Internet marketer at Megapolis Group LLC.

What laptop parameters are most important?

When buying a laptop, you should pay attention to the following characteristics:

• Screen (diagonal, resolution, etc.),
• CPU,
• Installed video card (if games are supposed to be used).

The expert claims that these parameters are the most important in the operation of a future laptop due to the fact that they cannot be changed. In some cases Sergei Pashkin allows for the possibility of upgrading these components, but emphasizes that this is associated with a large number of difficulties and limitations. 

Does it make sense to buy a laptop with a pre-installed OS?

Laptops with a pre-installed OS cost 1-000 rubles more, so if the user is able to install the OS himself or with the help of a familiar specialist, then you should not buy such a device. Also, according to the expert, it does not make sense to buy a laptop with a pre-installed OS if you need a different OS or a different assembly.

How to reset laptop to factory settings?

Sergei Pashkin makes three main recommendations in this regard:

1. If you bought a laptop with a pre-installed OS, then, as a rule, there should be system recovery disks in the package with the laptop, or the laptop manufacturer allows you to download the image (an electronic version of the recovery disk) from the official website.
2. If you installed the OS yourself, then you need to configure the backup copy yourself in the “Backup and Restore” section – there you can configure the frequency of creating restore points (for example, 1 time per day, 1 time per week or 1 time per month). There is also an opportunity to choose the location for storing the system image in electronic form or burn it to disk. Attention! When planning where and how to store the system image, keep in mind that it can take up a lot of space! Your personal files and folders (for example, your photos, videos, documents, etc.) will most likely be saved, but it is better to save them to external media!
3. You need to remove the old OS and install it again along with the drivers and necessary programs. Attention! All the necessary folders and files must be saved to external media, as they are also automatically destroyed when the old OS is removed.

How to enter the BIOS on a laptop?

Depending on the manufacturer of the laptop and its model, the ways to enter the BIOS differ. Usually, when starting a laptop, you need to press one of the following keys: F1, F2, F12, Esc. More detailed information can be found in the documentation for the laptop or on the Internet.