Gifting a Laptop? Here’s the Right Fit for Anyone on Your List

The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 is an exceptional value for budget-conscious shoppers who want a powerful and reliable machine. For just $499, it provides an Intel Core i5 processor that delivers impressive performance and feels fast, outclassing many other Chromebooks in its price range. The laptop’s attractive, user-friendly design includes a comfortable keyboard and touchpad. The device also features excellent connectivity with a generous selection of ports for its size. The CX34 is a no-fuss, speedy laptop perfect for everyday use, making it a wonderful gift for students and anyone who primarily works within a browser.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition sets a new standard for portability and performance. Weighing in at an incredible 2.17 pounds, this Editors’ Choice award pick is one of the lightest laptops in the world, making it the perfect travel companion. Its stunning 2.8K OLED screen and comfortable keyboard provide an excellent user experience, while its surprisingly generous port selection gives it a significant advantage over competitors. For executives, frequent travelers, and anyone who requires a powerful, premium, and exceptionally lightweight machine, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition is the ultimate choice.

The average office worker will be content with a standard fleet business laptop. However, demanding professionals will love the HP ZBook Power 16 G11 A. Combining laptop workstation-grade performance with just the right amount of mobility, this laptop would make a generous gift for a power user. Its AMD Ryzen 9 processor and Nvidia RTX 3000 Ada GPU deliver much more power than most systems for demanding professional workloads. The ZBook boasts a premium metal design, comfortable inputs, useful ports, enterprise features, and a long-lasting battery. You’ll find even more powerful workstations out there, but for keeping the cost within (high-end) gift territory, the ZBook Power 16 G11 A is an excellent choice.

The MacBook Air has long been the ultimate college laptop for several reasons: portability, potency, longevity, and reliability. This year’s model features the latest M4 processor and doubles the starting memory to 16GB, all at a reduced price over the last iteration. While its entry-level storage capacity is still small, and its super-sharp LED screen still isn’t an OLED, you’re getting a lot more laptop for a lower price from the updated MacBook Air.

Framework’s new convertible Windows laptop represents a significant performance upgrade over your typical hand-me-down 2-in-1 Chromebooks. It’s also a more durable, consistent, and sustainable solution for supporting the kids on your gift list. The Framework Laptop 12 supports Intel Core processing in a 2-in-1 frame that has been MIL-STD-810 tested and features rubber-coated edges. Of course, the system is fully customizable, repairable, and upgradable, right down to its CPU, so it’s a gift that could last indefinitely without ever needing a full replacement, short of substantial physical damage. It’s the laptop gift that truly keeps on giving.

When it comes to budget gaming laptops, the MSI Katana 15 HX is our current favorite. Meeting that vaunted $1,000 mark is increasingly difficult in today’s market, but the Katana delivers mainstream gaming chops at that price point. Its RTX 5050 GPU proves itself as the entry-level GPU it should be, capable of running AAA and competitive multiplayer games smoothly. Nvidia’s DLSS 4 technology enables games that this laptop tier may not have been able to run well in the past, and allows higher settings than before on other titles. While the physical build isn’t much to write about, the laptop is fast enough to serve as an ideal general productivity station for school or work.

If you’re shopping for a desktop-monitor-like experience on a laptop, the LG Gram 17 is your best bet. Its roomy 17-inch screen features a sharp 1600p resolution, which is easier to work on and easier on the eyes than a compact 14-inch laptop. The Gram line is known for its featherweight design, and its 3.1-pound weight is especially impressive at this size. Generally, the largest laptop screens are 18 inches, which tend to be found exclusively in advanced, high-end gaming laptops and mobile workstations. The Gram 17 has much wider appeal, so this relatively affordable, productivity-focused slimster is today’s best big-screen laptop gift.

If someone in your life would love an original and powerful gadget but never buy it for themselves, check out the Asus ROG Flow Z13. This is more than just a tablet; it’s a gaming console in tablet form. The real magic lies in its top-end AMD Ryzen AI Max+ processor. This groundbreaking “Strix Halo” chip delivers performance for demanding productivity tasks and gaming with integrated graphics that rival a dedicated GPU. The device’s premium build quality, sharp and bright screen, and seamless detachable keyboard make it a joy to use on the go. While a traditional laptop might drive more pure gaming performance for the price, the ROG Flow Z13 carves out a special, unmatched niche, making it an incredible gift for the tech enthusiast or on-the-go gamer in your life.

Without a doubt, Apple’s best MacBook Pro is the current M5-powered model, making it the best gift for the creative in your life. Apple’s pro-grade laptops aren’t cheap, but you get quite a lot for the money, such as unparalleled performance in creative tasks like Photoshop and video editing. And with the new M5 chip, you’ll not only get a more powerful processor for CPU-heavy tasks, but you also get the incredible new GPU, which adds graphics silicon turbo-charged with AI acceleration, delivering massive gains in graphics rendering and a huge AI performance boost. The MacBook Pro is a steeply priced gift, even at its starting price, but Apple hardware has always commanded a premium due to its reputation for reliability and quality.

The Asus ProArt PZ13 is an excellent choice for artists and designers who value the flexibility of a tablet-first device and pen support. Priced lower than competitors like the Microsoft Surface Pro (especially once that model is outfitted with its optional keyboard and stylus), this detachable 2-in-1 provides exceptional value. It features a beautiful OLED touch screen tailored to creators, along with dual high-quality cameras and a convenient SD card slot. Unlike many other devices, the ProArt PZ13 includes a kickstand and an above-average keyboard right in the box, giving you everything you need to switch seamlessly between a tablet for drawing and a laptop for typing. If you have a creative person in your life who needs a portable and powerful tool for digital art, this is the perfect gift.