The best 4K laptops in 2023 (2023)

The best 4K laptops are beautiful enough to blow your mind. Yes, you can watch movies and TV shows in 1080p if you want, but at a sharper 3840×2160 resolution, 4K panels are often brighter and even more colorful than 1080p displays. And since there are more and more games that support this resolution, theThe best gaming laptopsThey are stacked to provide the best possible experience.

There's a wide range of the best 4K laptops out there, and you'll find those super-sharp displays in thebest laptopsYou can buy including theThe best 2 in 1 laptopsand jobs. And the best 4K laptops can also double as video editing laptopsThe best laptops for photo editingAlso. However, keep in mind that 4K laptops generally don't have the best battery life, so you'll have to make some compromises. Check out our latestLenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 im Test.

We identified the top 4K laptops by measuring the brightness nits and the percentage of sRGB their panels cover. When (not when) 8K laptops arrive, we'll be ready for a whole new page for you.

What are the best 4K laptops?

If you're looking for the best 4K laptop ever, the Dell XPS 15 would be it. Not only does it have the brightest 4K display, but it also has an impressive battery life, so you don't have to compromise. what you would normally do on most 4K laptops. This is also the first time the XPS 15 will get an OLED screen, which is monumental in itself. But the system also packs an overclockable Core i9 processor and pairs it with a discrete Nvidia GTX 1650 GPU, making for a beautiful beast. If you want to get into video editing or low-to-intermediate level gaming, this laptop is perfect for you.

But if you're a serious gamer, the Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR is the best 4K gaming laptop you can buy. You get all the bells and whistles, including a gorgeous 17.3-inch 4K HDR display, super-comfortable keyboard, solid battery life, and solid overall performance, all wrapped up in a sleek design. You even get an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU, and while it's not quite as good as the competition, it'll give you high frames in your favorite games.

People who need a machine for professional creative work like 3D modeling and video editing of 4K content will likely want the MSI WS65 9TM, which is the best 4K workstation out there right now. The WS65 packs a powerful 9th ​​Gen Core i7 processor and Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 Max-Q GPU into a super slim and durable chassis. Top it off with solid battery life and a gorgeous 15.6-inch 4K display.

The best 4K laptops you can buy today

At this point in the game, Dell has made the premium ultraportable thing a science. The Dell XPS 13 has undergone a number of minor tweaks, including a smaller bezel, slimmer bezels all around, and a larger keyboard and trackpad. Combine that with one of Intel's latest 11th Gen processors and new integrated GPUs and you've got a laptop that looks good and performs hard. Plus you have a nice, super high-resolution screen to look at.

While it's really hard to find faults with the XPS 13, there are a few, namely subpar battery life and a lack of ports. Despite this, the Dell XPS 13 retains its place on our top laptops and top 13-inch laptop sites, and is one of the best options for anyone looking for a premium ultraportable.

See our fullTest Dell XPS 13 (Modell 9310, 4K).

The Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15's beautiful OLED touchscreen features Pantone-validated colors to ensure vivid accuracy in any creative work. That's especially important for this beast, which appears to have been built for pro workloads with an 11th Gen Intel Core i9 processor, RTX 3070 GPU, 32GB RAM, and 1TB SSD.

But the duo has a display advantage. As the name and image suggest, there is a second screen. The ScreenPad Plus is a 14 x 4.3-inch, 3840 x 1100 pixel touchscreen panel on the bottom deck, making it an incredibly useful tool for prosumers: get extra controls in Photoshop or use the stylus for drawing work .

See our fullAsus ZenBook Pro Duo (UX582L) im Test.(opens in a new tab)

Alienware continues to raise the bar for what a gaming laptop can and should be. The newest member of the family is the X17, a beautiful desktop replacement that's only 0.8 inches thin. The ultra-premium system is equipped with all components, including an Intel Core i7 processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU and a dual SSD. need more? How does a 17.3-inch 4K display, powerful speakers and a Cherry MX keyboard sound?

Of course, something this beautiful and powerful is also very expensive at $3,679 (starting at $2,199), so not for the faint of heart or those with a small bank account. But if you can afford it, the Alienware X17 is an incredible powerhouse that easily makes our best 4K laptops page.

See our fullAlienware X17-Test.

Gigabyte got a lot of things right with the Aero 15, including its sturdy, jet-black, all-aluminum body, beautiful OLED panel, and satisfying tactile keyboard. The gaming and performance benchmarks are also decent. However, Gigabyte messes up that hideous nose cam. Given the new normal of the workforce, I wish Gigabyte would put more thought into implementing a more practical webcam. The Aero 15's battery life might also be an issue for users who hate being plugged into a charger all day, but short battery life is par for the course for most gaming rigs.

The Aero 15 is a great option for content creators. Photo and video editors will benefit from the Aero 15's color-accurate 4K panel, but will also have the pleasure of diving into one of their favorite Triple-A titles after a long day at work.

See our fullGigabyte Aero 15 Test mit 4K OLED (2021, RTX 3070).

Bigger is better, especially when it comes to the Dell XPS 17. Since its resurgence in the premium laptop market, the XPS 15 and 13's big brother has proven its strength at every turn, delivering ample power, a head 17-inch swivel screen and excellent audio quality. And it does so without being bigger or heavier than the average 15-inch laptop. It's big, ok, but big where it counts and deserves a spot on our top 4K laptops page.

However, it's also quite big in the price department with a tag of $2949 (for our configuration); That's sure to leave all but the wealthiest shoppers clutching their wallets. And while all that power and a super high-resolution screen are tempting, they take their toll on endurance. But if you're looking for ridiculous performance in an easy-to-manage form factor, the Dell XPS 17's shortcomings are just pleasantries.

See our fullDell XPS 17 (2021) im Test.

This year's HP ZBook Studio G8 maintains the style of the award-winning G7 series, but increases performance to support content creators in their creative projects, whether in the studio or in the field. The $4,727 system is beautiful, powerful, MIL-SPEC rugged, and one of the best laptops for content creators on the market. Oh, I forgot to mention that the 4K OLED touchscreen is bright, vibrant, and really impressive.

This obscene looker is equipped with an 11th Gen Intel Core i9 processor, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD storage and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU that will more than meet all your Adobe Creative Suite power consumption needs and more. It's easily one of the best 4K laptops we've tested, even though it costs $4,727 in review.

See our fullHP ZBook Studio G8 im Test.

Is the HP ZBook Fury 17 G8 the best workstation out there? I suppose it depends on your budget and setup, but if your pockets are deep enough for an Intel Xeon processor and Nvidia RTX A5000 graphics (whoops!), this is about as future-proof as laptops are right now have. .

When it comes to performance, this laptop is hard to beat, and even if it runs out of battery on the go, it's still heavy enough to fight crime. Of course, the $6,000 configuration we tested is overkill for most laptop users; It's almost impossible for this type of flexible muscle to underperform too much in our standard benchmarks. And that, I think, is partly the point. The world of mobile technology continues to evolve at an exponential rate, and if you don't have the right laptop for your career, you could miss the opportunity.

But that's hardly an issue with the ZBook Fury 17 G8, thanks to an impressive 17.3-inch touchscreen, intimidating specs under the hood, and plenty of ports for powering your relevant peripherals.

See our fullHP ZBook Fury 17 G8 im Test.

Make the workaholic's dream come true. The Dell Precision 5760 starts at $2,059, compared to $3,941 on our review unit. It's a sleek and attractive workstation that combines performance and endurance in a sleek, portable package. But the Precision is just beginning.

It features a huge 17-inch bright and colorful 4K WLED touchscreen that renders smooth and eye-catching images and videos. And it packs some solid powerful specs, including an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, an Nvidia RTX A3000 GPU, and a 2TB SSD. You also get a variety of security features.

Packed with wins, the Dell Precision 5760 has earned its spot on our top 4K laptops page.

See our fullDell Precision 5760 im Test.

At this point in the game, Dell has made the premium ultraportable thing a science. The Dell XPS 13 has undergone a number of minor tweaks, including a smaller bezel, slimmer bezels all around, and a larger keyboard and trackpad. Combine that with one of Intel's latest 11th Gen processors and new integrated GPUs and you've got a laptop that looks good and performs hard. Plus you have a nice, super high-resolution screen to look at.

While it's really hard to find faults with the XPS 13, there are a few, namely subpar battery life and a lack of ports. Still, the Dell XPS 13 earns its spot on our top 4K laptops page and is one of the best options for anyone looking for a premium ultraportable.

See our fullTest Dell XPS 13 (Modell 9310, 4K).

Thirsty for badass from Nvidia's 30 series? Look no further than the new Alienware m15 R4. This baby packs a punch. Strength, beauty (inside and out) and soft touch. For $2499, the Alienware m15 R4 will have you in a familiar, but graceful design.

According to our colorimeter, the Alienware m15 covered a whopping 149.5% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, easily beating the premium gaming laptop average (89.9%). At 362 nits, the Alienware m15 exemplifies what a premium gaming laptop should look like, beating the 346 nit category average. In the Another Round trailer, Mads Mikkelsen's maroon shirt was so vibrant and eye-catching that for a second I thought I was looking at Hannibal. In the same scene, the panel was bright enough to detail the carpet at the back of the dimly lit restaurant. Mikkelsen's hair was also as sharp as ever, literally and figuratively.

See our fullAlienware m15 R4 (RTX 3070) im Test.

How to choose the best 4K laptops for you

Choosing the best 4K laptops for you really depends on what you are going to use the laptop for. Do you just want to watch movies on a pretty screen? Do you like gaming and want to experience a high frame rate of 4K? Or are you a professional creator who needs a 4K laptop for video editing and 3D modeling?

If you just want something nice to look at, your best bet is the HP Specter x360, which gives you a vibrant 15-inch OLED display at a relatively affordable price. If you are a hardcore gamer who knows what the best gaming laptop is with a 4K display, go for the MSI GT76 Titan that can handle the best PC games. However, if you are in the market looking for a workstation, take a look at the Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition or even the HP ZBook 17 G5.

How we tested the best 4K laptops

We put each laptop through extensive benchmark testing, both synthetic and real, before it gets into the hands of our testers. We evaluated every aspect of the laptop, including performance, battery life, display, speakers, and thermal management.

In our benchmark tests, we used a Klein K10 colorimeter to measure the laptop's display brightness and sRGB color space. For performance testing, we ran the laptop through a series of benchmarks, including professional graphics tests Geekbench 4.3 and 5.0 and 3DMark.

To determine real-world performance, we asked the laptop to upconvert 4K video to 1080p resolution and mirror a 4.97GB media file. Our real-world graphics test measures Dirt 3 on medium settings at 1080p resolution.

We also run heat tests by playing a full-screen 15-minute video and measuring temperatures in different areas of the laptop. Finally, our battery test includes continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. For MacBooks and premium laptops running Windows 10, a runtime of more than 9 hours is considered a good result, while gaming laptops and workstations that can stay on for more than 5 hours deserve praise.

Complementing these tests are extensive hands-on tests from our reviewers, who critique everything from the laptop's materials to the trackpad's tactile feel.