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Today, a laptop is almost a must-have tool for us to work and relax. Whether you are a student, a gamer, an artist, or a businessman, this multifunctional and portable device is always your best companion apart from smartphones and tablets.
When it comes to laptops, 13-inch models are among the most popular because of their portability. Although they may not be as powerful as 15-inch laptops, or 17-inch laptops, they certainly have their use to a lot of people.
Here, in this article, I will provide you with a comprehensive review of the best 13-inch laptops and a detailed buying guide. Keep reading to learn!
3 Top Best 13-inch Laptops
1. [Best Overall]
5/5
Made of brushed solid aluminum alloy, this i5 laptop is extremely sleek, durable, yet elegant.
The in-plane switching (IPS) technology together with the anti-glare Full HD 1920x1080 display screen gives you the comfort to view glorious pictures on the laptop screen from any angles.
2. [Best For The Money] Microsoft Surface Book 2 13.5”
4.9/5
This 2-in-1 laptop is a laptop and a tablet at the same time. Yet, it is still very powerful with seventh-generation Intel Dual Core i5 Processor, 256 GB of storage, 8 GB RAM, and more than 16 hours of playing videos.
An Intel HD Graphics 620 integrated into the latest NVIDIA GeForce GPUs, vibrant PixelSense display, and a full-size SDXC card reader are enough to satisfy your eyes and gaming requirements.
3. [Best For The Powerful Graphics]
4.8/5
Born for professional gamers, the Razer i7 laptop features a quad-core Intel Core i7-8565U processor, a 16GB dual-channel RAM, and a 256GB solid-state drive. Hence, every action of yours will be on the fly no matter how complex they are.
Combining that with the 8th generation Intel Core Processor, the laptop supports professional users to write code, layer multiple tracks, render 3D models, add special effects, or encode video effortlessly.
Here Are The Best 13-inch Laptops You Can Have At Present
[Best Overall]
5/5
Made of brushed solid aluminum alloy, this i5 laptop is extremely sleek, durable, yet elegant.
The in-plane switching (IPS) technology together with the anti-glare Full HD 1920x1080 display screen gives you the comfort to view glorious pictures on the laptop screen from any angles.
The modern eighth-generation Intel i5-8250U and 1.6 GHz Processor means quick storage and maneuvering. Additionally, its memory features 256GB SATA 3 M.2 SSD along with 8GB LPDDR3 RAM for skyrocketed multitasking.
The built-in fingerprint sensor allows you to have one-touch login via Windows Hello without needing to type the password. Moreover, you can adjust the audio with various modes at incredible ease just by default software.
Noticeably, there are both three built-in USB 3.0 ports and USB 3.1 Type C with USB Charger+ available for extra data transfer and charging speed.
The ergonomic full-size backlit keyboard along with a rubber palm rest as well as a massive touchpad will let users type in comfort for endless hours.
Pros
Cons
[Best For The Money]
4.9/5
This 2-in-1 laptop is a laptop and a tablet at the same time. Yet, it is still very powerful with seventh-generation Intel Dual Core i5 Processor, 256 GB of storage, 8 GB RAM, and more than 16 hours of playing videos.
An Intel HD Graphics 620 integrated into the latest NVIDIA GeForce GPUs, vibrant PixelSense display, and a full-size SDXC card reader are enough to satisfy your eyes and gaming requirements.
Besides, there are up to four versatile modes of use and a new USB-C port for you to complete most tasks.
If you are working in creative fields, this half-laptop half-tablet product and its Surface Pen are all you need. You can draw, write, or compose unlimited artistic works without effort. As a bonus, here comes a full-size keyboard, a big trackpad, an interactive touchscreen to save your working time.
Pull the screen off simply by pushing an unlock button, turn it around, and reposition to show it to everybody and make some presentations. This is quite a versatile feature to have . At the same time, let’s speak with Cortana, and it can help you interact with the laptop without any touch.
Pros
Cons
[Best For The Powerful Graphics]
4.8/5
Born for professional gamers, the Razer i7 laptop features a quad-core Intel Core i7-8565U processor, a 16GB dual-channel RAM, and a 256GB solid-state drive. Hence, every action of yours will be on the fly no matter how complex they are.
Combining that with the 8th generation Intel Core Processor, the laptop is ideal for programming, layer multiple tracks, render 3D models, add special effects, or encode video effortlessly.
What’s more, due to NVIDIA GeForce MX150 combined with 4GB VRAM graphics, you are able to play heavy-load games and watch razor-sharp videos on the eye-opening Full HD Thin Bezel Matte Display 1080px screen.
In addition to the image’s quality, what separates this device to other similarly priced laptops, is a smart amplifier technique included in four stereo speakers to improve the sound dramatically. Thus, feel free to get the best audio and graphics settings in all games regardless of their sizes.
Even if you are not a gamer, you can enjoy the precise glass touchpad for smooth working and other interactions.
Last but not least, no matter what you do to this thin laptop, its CNC Aluminum coating will hardly break or crack. We can say it is strong from the inside out.
Pros
Cons
4.7/5
If you don’t know, this is the latest version of Microsoft laptops.
The compact design allows you to bring this lightweight laptop with you everywhere without taking up much space.
Furthermore, its battery capacity and graphics are more than expected, which allows you to have around 14 hours of streaming full HD films and videos. And, memory storage is also really massive, which lets you save all of your huge files such as 4K media libraries.
There is something special for people who are keen on music, too. With the Surface 2, you can listen to your favorite Lossless songs via an omnidirectional and radiant sound system.
The Windows 10 Home OS is familiar but now more powerful to enhance your experience. Thanks to the newest Intel Core processor of the eighth generation, you can enjoy the maximum speed and performance ever.
In addition to the 8 GB RAM and ultra-fast SSD, the 2256×1504 pixels screen enables this laptop to run medium games at their average graphics settings but still provide beautiful images smoothly, making this laptop perfect for graphic design.
Furthermore, the excellent touch screen makes your work and interactions on the computer easier than ever, which saves you a lot of time in a more professional way.
Pros
Cons
4.6/5
In terms of the best laptop, it is difficult to ignore the name Macbook. With a 2.3 GHz quad-core processor Intel Core i5, this is one of the strongest 13-inch laptops at present.
Apple provides its customers with True Tone technology, Intel Iris Plus Graphic 655, P3 color, and sharp Retina display so that they can watch the most voyeuristic images and videos.
Apart from the Touch Bar, there is also a Touch ID that assists your job remarkably. Plus, a vivid stereo system in combination with broad sound span and bass promises to you in the mood for great tunes whether it's classical music or vibrant EDM pieces.
For people who frequently store a lot of important data on their laptops, the Apple T2 chip consists of a Secure Enclave coprocessor for secure boot as well as encrypted storage capabilities.
Also, it conjuncts a range of specific controllers like the system, audio, and solid-state drive (SSD) controllers into one convenient management panel.
What’s more, the universal connector port allows not only charging but also data transfer and video output at the speed of 40 GB/s. And, you can have up to four ports like that to do everything from both sides.
Pros
Cons
How To Choose Your Right 13-inch Laptop
1. Operating System (OS)
This is the most important thing you need to bear in mind since the OS of your computer will decide what software you can use. So what you prefer among Windows, Chrome, and Mac? Think about it.
In my opinion, only iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, Apple Watch users should use Mac since the system is quite familiar and easy to use for IOS users.
Meanwhile, most people will love Windows, and simple people may like the Chrome operating system of Google.
However, a Macbook can still operate on the Windows platform with some techniques. And you can also combine different OS on one computer, too.
2. Screen quality
Because a screen can affect not only your game/movie experience or work performance but also your eyes, it is very vital for you to have a good screen.
Firstly, you may want to think about a touchscreen. It can support you to interact with your computer and help the operation of the laptop feel more interesting.
Next, what you desire is the high resolution of images and videos. At least, let’s pick a 1920x1080px resolution (Full HD) laptop. Meanwhile, 4K laptops are probably for movie addicts and creative artists who have a big budget. However, HDR is enough in most cases, even for photographers.
Tips:
- If you are a gamer, the refresh rate of the screen can affect your in-game FPS.
- Laptops with IPS (in-plane switching) technology integrated into their screens allow you to view them from any angles whilst others don’t.
3. Keyboard quality
If you are a blog writer or usually do some typing-related work, try to get a comfortable and convenient keyboard.
Depending on your typing habits, you can choose different types of keyboard. However, I highly recommend those with anti-spill and backlight features. They are very common but useful.
4. CPU
When it comes to CPU, the Intel’s Core is what we should be taking extra care of. The Intel Core Processor brings about excellent performance for multiple tasks. We rarely find core i3-based devices in new laptops but core-i5 instead.
Nonetheless, if your work requires more, you can try a Core i7 laptop.
At present, there are even Intel's i9 Core processors in bigger models for rich consumers!
5. RAM
The better your laptop's RAM is, the more apps you can use simultaneously. Besides, you can also access more data faster. Hence, this factor is very important if you desire speed, performance, and experience.
In this era of IT, perhaps most of us will need a RAM of at least 8GB to operate normal tasks that help us with technology. For advanced users, it’s best to double the amount to match the advanced task they are doing. However, if you want to enjoy extra heavy games at their highest graphics, you can invest more to get a laptop with 32GB RAM.
6. Storage
In the old days, most of us may really care about hard drives. But not now. Especially if you are seeking a lightweight and portable laptop, a solid-state drive is much faster, quieter, and more space-saving but produces less heat.
Try to experience the optimal speed when you load data and boot up your system with an SSD-integrated laptop.
A good solution is combining both kinds of drives, but an NVMe solid-state drive is the best if you have enough to spend.
7. Battery life
Normally, the battery life that the manufacturers introduce to us is always called for an upgrade. It is not because they want to cheat us, but there are many factors affecting our laptop’s battery life.
For example, depending on different screen brightness and resolution, the number and size of apps you are running, the Bluetooth and Wifi connection status, your laptop can operate without charging in various amounts of time.
If you run multiple heavy-load apps, videos, and games simultaneously with maximum graphics and audio settings, your laptop is likely to run in half of the quoted time without charging. It is not weird for you to calculate the using duration at a totally different ratio.
Besides, the OS plays a crucial part in determining your use time, too. For instance, a plain Chrome OS will help your laptop last longer than Windows 10 or Mac.
Conclusion
Through this article, now you must have enough information about the best 13-inch laptops on the market today. As I indicate, they are all multifunctional, compact, and dependable.
Additionally, with the buying guide that I provide above, you can also rely on it to learn more about mini laptops that suit your purpose, requirements, usability, and uniqueness.
Thanks for reading!
