The A-List The best products on the market, as picked by our editors
PREMIUM LAPTOPS
Apple MacBook Air
Affordable Apple M1 ultraportable from £999
from apple.com/uk
Apple’s ARM-based M1 chip is blasting away its AMD and Intel x86 opposition with truly extraordinary speeds. Even the low-end model with 8GB of RAM is ludicrously fast. Apple makes no changes to the Air’s design, but it still looks fabulous and now supports both USB 4 and Wi-Fi 6. Add battery life into the teens and its biggest threat comes from the updated M1 MacBook Pro 13in.
REVIEW Issue 316, p40
ALTERNATIVES
Dell XPS 17 (2020)
The XPS 17 is an excellent alternative to the 16in MacBook Pro, thanks to a 17in IPS screen, plenty of power, all-round quality and a great range of specifications. From £2,299 from dell.co.uk
REVIEW Issue 315, p48
Apple MacBook Pro 13in (M1)
Apple has replaced Intel’s Core processors with its own M1 chip and the results are sensational: the MacBook Pro 13in is fast with an incredible battery life. From £1,299 from apple.com/uk
REVIEW Issue 316, p44
LG Gram 17 (2021)
The combination of a 2,560 x 1,600 17in screen and 1.3kg weight – as well as a well-rounded specification – make this a great buy for homeworkers. £1,549 from amazon.co.uk
REVIEW Issue 320, p51
GAMING LAPTOPS
Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 G733
GeForce RTX 3080 graphics for £3,499
from scan.co.uk
We’ve reviewed a lot of RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 gaming laptops this year, but three factors make the ROG Strix Scar 17 stand out: first, its chart-topping gaming speed. Second, the finesse of its mechanical keyboard. And third, its all-round quality, from the chassis to the 17.3in screen.
REVIEW Issue 321, p56
ALTERNATIVES
Asus TUF Gaming A15 (2021)
The TUF Gaming A15 is a great choice if you need power and portability, thanks to a Ryzen 7 5800H processor and RTX 3070 graphics. £1,600 from cyberpowersystem.co.uk
REVIEW Issue 319, p51
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XC
We’re not fans of the sky-scraping price, but the gorgeous 17.3in 4K screen makes the most out of Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3070 for creatives. £2,699 from scan.co.uk
REVIEW Issue 319, p53
MSI GF65 Thin
If your budget doesn’t stretch into four figures, you can instead make do with this RTX 2060 laptop with its Full HD, 120Hz, 15.6in screen. £900 from currys.co.uk
REVIEW Issue 319, p86
BUSINESS LAPTOPS
Dynabook Portégé X30W-J-10F
The best convertible money can buy
£1,022 exc VAT from uk.insight.com.
Not only is this 2-in-1 convertible ludicrously light and slim, but it also offers a quiet keyboard, performance fireworks, ports a-plenty, a natural-feeling touchscreen and a battery that will see you through a busy working day. Dynabook by name, dynamite by nature.
REVIEW Issue 319, p56
ALTERNATIVES
HP EliteBook 845 G7
If you can’t
