Skip to main content

The best laptops of CES 2020: Dell, Lenovo, Samsung, and more

This story is part of our continuing coverage of CES 2020, including tech and gadgets from the showroom floor.

This year’s CES has been a fantastic show for laptops. Our favorite conventional laptops got more refined, while others experimented with exciting new designs.

With dozens and dozens announced this year, we’ve gotten our hands on as many as possible to show you what was hot this year.

The products in this article were selected by our editors as standouts in the laptops category at CES 2020. Check out our Top Tech of CES Awards, which award our favorite products in over ten categories, to see all the hottest gear.
best tech ces 2020 digital trends editors pick
CES 2020

Dell XPS 13

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Some things you can depend on at CES. A new XPS 13 is one of those, but this year, it’s more than just a spec bump. It’s a complete redesign of the XPS 13, bringing a new 16:10 display and a reduced bottom bezel, resulting in a laptop lid that feels like it’s all screen. The new XPS 13 also a more comfortable keyboard, a larger touchpad, and even an infrared camera up top for Windows Hello.

It was already the best laptop you could buy, but with the changes Dell has brought this year, it’s somehow even better than ever before.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold

Image used with permission by copyright holder

We knew CES would be full of announcements regarding foldable laptops, but Lenovo’s impressed us most. It’s an OLED 4K screen that can be folded in half, just like the Galaxy Fold. It can be used as a tablet, but also an e-reader — and a full laptop, too.

As with all dual-screen laptops, the keyboard solution is detrimental. And Lenovo got it right. The keyboard itself folds right into the device itself, making for one neat, portable package. The 13-inch OLED 4:3 screen is gorgeous, regardless of the orientation you’re using it in. But most importantly, Lenovo seems to have thought through each of the use cases and modes. Even without the support Windows 10X to back it up yet, it’s the most convincing implementation we’ve seen of a dual-screen device yet.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook is audacious. It’s more than just the bright red color, it’s everything about this high-end Chromebook. First off, it has a 13.3-inch 4K AMOLED display — a first for Chromebooks. Nearly every aspect of the Galaxy Chromebook is top-of-the-line, from its aluminum build quality to its preposterously portable size, it might be the most refined laptop Samsung has ever made.

It does come at a price though. Even with the 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor inside, $999 is a lot of money to pay for a Chromebook. That didn’t make me any less impressed at the engineering muscle Samsung is flexing with this laptop.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

Image used with permission by copyright holder

AMD made a big splash with its powerful new Ryzen 4 mobile processors at CES this year, though not many laptops feature the new chips. The ROG Zephyrus G14 was the stand-out, though. It’s a beautiful gaming laptop all on its own, complete with cute programmable glowing lights on the lid. But the real excitement is around the form and how AMD’s new processor.

Despite being a smaller 14-inch laptop and weighing just 3.5 pounds, the Zephyrus G14 has an 8-core processor and up to an RTX 2060 graphics card. That means serious power in a shockingly small package.

HP Spectre x360 15

Arif Bacchus/Digital Trends

Like many of our favorite laptop designs, the Spectre x360 15 has been refined to near perfection. The diamond-cut edges are still there, as is the fantastic keyboard and the option for a 4K OLED screen remains.

But set the 2020 Spectre next to the previous year’s model and the difference is obvious. HP has cut the bezels around the display significantly, resulting in a far smaller and more efficient laptop. It’s now every bit as portable as the XPS 15, and with options for the latest Intel and Nvidia hardware, it’s every bit as powerful, too.

Dell Concept Duet

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Dell brought a few interesting concept PCs to CES this year, but one of the most interesting was the Duet. It’s a dual-screen device, featuring two full-sized 13-inch screens. It makes for an incredibly futuristic look, and with Dell’s patented thin bezels, it feels like the modern PC we’ve always wanted to see.

But the two screens are only the beginning. It also comes with a removable keyboard that can magnetize to the bottom of the screen when you need to get some serious typing done. It’s like the Surface Neo, just on a bigger scale. This one’s still a concept, but we’re definitely going to keep our eye on it.

HP Elite Dragonfly

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Dragonfly was launched a couple of months ago, but HP already followed that up with a new version this year at CES. While it doesn’t look all that different, HP made a few interesting changes to the laptop in its quick second generation.

First, the Dragonfly is now one of the most sustainable laptops ever made. The chassis is now made out of recyclable materials, along with ocean-bound plastic used in other elements of the device. HP’s also added 5G support, making for one of the most advanced business laptops we’ve ever seen.

Follow our live blog for more CES news and announcements.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Luke Larsen
Senior Editor, Computing
Luke Larsen is the Senior editor of computing, managing all content covering laptops, monitors, PC hardware, Macs, and more.
Best Dell XPS deals: Save on Dell XPS 13, Dell XPS 15 and Dell XPS 17
Dell XPS 15 OLED on a table.

There are a lot of laptop lineups out there, with brands like Apple, Lenovo, and Microsoft making some of the most popular among them. Dell is another popular name in the computing world, and the Dell XPS laptop lineup is one of our favorites. With it Dell offers a nice blend of customization, sizing options, and pricing. Dell XPS laptops are often among some of the best laptop deals you’ll find, which is why we’ve tracked down all of the best Dell XPS deals currently taking place. Below you’ll find deals for each of the Dell XPS models — the XPS 13, XPS 15, and XPS 17 — as well as a little information on each that may help you decide which size is right for you.
Best Dell XPS 13 deals

The Dell XPS 13 is the smallest in the Dell XPS line. It's great for commuters and students. These laptops don't generally have powerful GPUs, but they're fast, reliable and sleek.

Read more
Best Lenovo laptop deals: Save on Yoga and ThinkPad laptops
Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 8 front angled view showing display and keyboard deck.

Lenovo is regularly in the conversation to be one of the best laptop brands. It has a huge lineup of laptops to choose from, with different builds of different models available to suit any range of price points. Because of this, you can get almost anything you’re looking for with a Lenovo laptop, and that includes some savings. Some of the best laptop deals currently going are on Lenovo laptops. If you’re looking to get your work done with a Lenovo laptop, we can help you save. Reading onward you’ll find what we consider to be the best Lenovo laptop deals you can find right now, as well as some information on each laptop and why it might be the best Lenovo laptop to suit your needs.
Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 -- $275, was $430

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 is cheap because it's only equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2, integrated Qualcomm Adreno Graphics, and 8GB of RAM, but it still promises smooth performance because as a Chromebook, it runs on the web-dependent Chrome OS. It's also a versatile device because it's a 2-in-1 laptop that can function as either a tablet or laptop, categorized by our laptop buying guide under the detachable category as its keyboard also serves as a protective cover for its 11-inch 2K touchscreen.

Read more
Best Buy laptop deals: Cheap laptops starting at $159
Apple M1 MacBook Air open on a desk with plants in the background.

A good place to search out some of the best laptop deals is Best Buy. It always has a lot of laptop models discounted from many of the best laptop brands. In fact, Best Buy is one of the best places to buy a laptop online specifically because of all of the great discounts that are always taking place. And right now is as good a time as any to shop laptop deals at Best Buy, as the retail giant has top models from Dell, HP, Lenovo, and even Apple discounted. We’ve rounded up what we think are the best Best Buy laptop deals to shop right now. Reading onward you’ll find some great savings, as well as information that would go well with our laptop buying guide to help you figure out which of these laptops deals may be right for you.
HP 14-inch Chromebook — $159, was $299

The HP 14-inch Chromebook is a fast and fun computing device. It is a great option for anyone searching the best laptops for high school students or the best laptops for college. It has an Intel Celeron processor and 4GB of system RAM that combine to push through homework assignments, work presentations, and hours upon hours of binge watching. The 14-inch screen sports HD resolution, and makes this HP Chromebook a great way to enjoy movies, photos, and other digital content. It has a minimal design that makes it as portable as any Chromebook. The HP 14-inch laptop is able to reach up to 14 hours of battery life on a single charge, making it a great all-day option for people who like to do their work on the go.

Read more