Windows 10 is set to enter end-of-life support on October 14, 2025, roughly 10 years after its launch. While Microsoft has backpedaled a bit on its original hardline stance with an extra year of free Windows 10 security updates that will carry users into 2026, the time is nigh to replace your Windows 10 PC.
That is, of course, assuming that your PC doesn't support an update to Windows 11 from Windows 10, or assuming that you don't want to attempt a workaround to get Windows 11 working on an unsupported PC.
In any case, you might be wondering which laptop works best as a replacement for your aging hardware. While you can always check out our list of top-rated Windows laptops for general buying advice, I've put together a more focused guide right here to help you choose.
Best Windows 11 laptops for general users
In this section, I'm focusing on Windows users who don't need a discrete GPU for gaming or specialized work, who don't need additional security measures for the business world, and who just want a quality laptop for general productivity, entertainment, etc.
Any Windows 11 users who prefer a more premium device with high-end display and speakers.
Lenovo's Yoga 9i (Gen 10) is currently the Windows Central team's top pick when it comes to the best Windows laptops of 2025. The convertible design is flawless, and the two halves are joined by a rotating soundbar hinge with stellar audio quality.
Add a 2.8K or 4K touch display with OLED panel, strong Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) performance, and access to Copilot+ AI tools in Windows 11, and you have a winner.
Windows Central Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino remarks:
"It perfectly showcases everything that the ultimate Windows (non-gaming) laptop represents. Amazing audio, display, keyboard, touchpad, design, and a 2-in-1 with pen support. The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (Gen 10) does it all."
The ASUS Zenbook A14, featuring Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus chipset with Neural Processing Unit (NPU) powerful enough to handle Copilot+ AI tools, is an ultralight 14-inch laptop that I love to recommend.
Anyone who wants an ultralight Windows 11 laptop with AI capabilities and stellar battery life that usually costs between $600 and $1,000.
Battery life is exceptional, it has a generous selection of ports, the keyboard and touchpad are tops, and the best part? It often drops to about $600 at Best Buy with frequent promotions.
Windows Central laptop expert Zachary Boddy reviewed the Zenbook A14, noting:
"It starts with that lovely minimalist design, but not the kind of reductive minimalism that uses aesthetics to justify stripping away features. No, this is the kind of minimalist design that makes full use of absolutely every element of the laptop, and you're not losing out on features or build quality to achieve that super-light design."
This is one of my top recommendations if you'd like to replace your old Windows 10 laptop with a Snapdragon X PC.
Samsung's laptops remain underrated. The Galaxy Book5 Pro, available in 14- and 16-inch sizes, is a super-thin PC with a gorgeous AMOLED display, strong performance from the Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) chips, and around 17 hours of battery life, as tested, when going about regular tasks.
Those who need a larger 16-inch laptop with a 3K AMOLED display, strong performance, and long battery life.
The keyboard and touchpad are comfy, the design is flawless, and you get a decent selection of ports, including a microSD card reader. In her Galaxy Book5 Pro review, Editor Rebecca Spear says:
"Not only does it have a refined style, but it offers excellent performance to keep up with your daily workloads. The AI Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processor offers better NPU performance than the previous Series 1 processor, and the Intel Arc graphics card is more than capable of handling creative programs and even some gaming. Plus, the gorgeous AMOLED touchscreen really shows off movies and art projects to great effect."
This AI PC is often on sale, and a 14-inch model with a 3K AMOLED display and Core Ultra 7 CPU can usually be found for about $1,100 at Best Buy.
Best Windows 11 laptops for PC gamers
The PC gaming world is all about discrete GPUs, strong processors, capable cooling, and fast displays. These requirements all come together (nearly) perfectly in the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 10).
Gamers who want a mix of ultra-premium features and unthrottled performance.
Its redesigned chassis, bulked up a bit to accommodate the new NVIDIA RTX 5000 Laptop GPUs, is covered in RGB lighting, and it has the cooling capacity to prevent throttling. Its OLED display is bright and accurate, and its QHD+ resolution hits a 240Hz refresh rate with 0.5ms response time.
You can add up to an NVIDIA RTX 5090 Laptop GPU to go along with the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX for extreme gaming performance.
In their Legion Pro 7i (Gen 10) review, Zachary Boddy said:
"The performance is unmatched, the thermals are cool and breezy, the OLED display is among the best I've tested... Pit the Legion Pro 7i against a rampaging truck, and I feel this laptop may emerge from that confrontation the victor with how sturdily it's built."
We're still in the process of testing the 2025 ROG Zephyrus G14 for a full review, but you can check out our hands-on piece that explains the changes from the 2024 version.
Gamers who want a more mobile 14-inch gaming laptop that doesn't sap too much top-end performance.
Long story short: it hasn't changed much, and that's not a bad thing. Our laptop expert, Zachary Boddy, had this to say in their ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) review:
"ASUS set out to perfect its 14-inch gaming laptop and kissed the feet of sublimity with the latest version. It's a very different laptop from its predecessor with different focuses, but the result is one of the most refined and premium devices in this category. It's more than powerful enough to play all the latest and greatest PC games but trades top-end performance for a stunning, impeccably constructed aluminum chassis."
The newer model has the latest AMD Ryzen AI and NVIDIA RTX 50-series hardware for the best performance possible.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is all about balancing portability and power, whereas the Strix G16 is more about opening up the throttle as much as possible.
Gamers who want a ton of power from a 16-inch laptop without overspending.
Zachary Boddy, in their ROG Strix G16 (2025) review, remarked:
"The ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2025, AMD) isn't revolutionary by any means, but it is a really good, well-rounded gaming laptop with an excellent keyboard and fantastic, reliable performance. It's also priced well, and it's sure to go on sale in the coming months, too."
It's available with a 16-inch QHD+ display at 240Hz, and you can configure it with up to an AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D CPU and NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU. It's a great alternative to the Legion Pro 7i, thanks to more affordable pricing.
Best Windows 11 laptops for AI
The Surface Laptop 7 is the best AI laptop on the market with a Snapdragon X chipset inside, mostly thanks to its impressive balance of form, performance, and battery life.
Any Windows users who want to use AI and who love the idea of a MacBook Air but don't want to deal with macOS.
Senior Editor Zac Bowden, in his Surface Laptop 7 review, said:
"It's basically perfect. It's peak clamshell form factor. Of course, some minor areas could still be improved, but those are more subjective changes rather than objective ones. Things like adding an OLED screen is something that sounds like an upgrade on paper, but the IPS panel in here is already excellent and doesn't run the risk of any burn-in."
This is the perfect antidote to something like the MacBook Air for Windows users, delivering a thin and light PC that runs Copilot+ AI tools locally thanks to the NPU.
Looking for an AI PC that's more versatile than the Surface Laptop 7? HP's OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 is a successor to the awesome Spectre x360, and it doubles down on the premium design with a thinner and lighter chassis.
Those who want to use Copilot+ AI tools in Windows 11, but with a more versatile (and premium) convertible PC.
It features a 14-inch OLED touch display with perfect color, the keyboard and touchpad are outstanding, and battery life is quite generous, with more than 9 hours of life during regular use, as tested.
The laptop runs on Intel's Core Ultra (Series 2) chips, complete with an NPU powerful enough to handle Copilot+ AI tools in Windows 11. Our own Zachary Boddy reviewed the OmniBook Ultra Flip 14, stating:
"This device embraces everything I love to see in premium Windows laptops — it looks good, it's incredibly thin and light, the OLED display is bright, colorful, and smooth, it runs great and can even play games, and it lasts all day no matter what I throw at it."
Lenovo's Yoga Slim 9i (Gen 10) is one of my top picks when it comes to the best laptops with bright screens, all thanks to a gorgeous 4K OLED display that hits up to 750 nits brightness.
Any users who need a bright display (up to 750 nits!) that will work outdoors while also having access to Copilot+ tools in Windows 11.
Its Intel Core Ultra 7 258V CPU includes an NPU with enough juice for Copilot+ AI tools in Windows 11, and it otherwise delivers strong everyday performance and around 6 hours of real-world battery life. That's not a bad tradeoff for the brightness and display resolution.
Zachary Boddy reviewed the Yoga Slim 9i 14 (Gen 10), saying:
"There were no surprises here, and I mean that in the best way possible. The design is just as premium as it needed to be, the display is every bit as stunning and magnificent as Lenovo claimed it would be, the performance and core experience is exactly what a high-end Windows laptop should deliver."
Best Windows 11 laptops for professionals
The EliteBook Ultra 14 (G1i) is a part of HP's massive laptop overhaul, and it's a top contender for any professionals who need extra security and durability in a thin and light design.
Professionals who desire a thin and light laptop with cutting-edge security and privacy features. The OLED display doesn't hurt, either.
HP's Wolf Security suite keeps the PC secure, while its NPU allows access to Copilot+ AI tools. Performance from the Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) chips is more than enough for a standard workflow. The 14-inch display comes with a crisp 2.8K resolution, and the OLED panel delivers perfect contrast and deep color.
Windows Central's Zachary Boddy reviewed the EliteBook Ultra 14 (G1i), remarking:
"This device may not be aimed at regular consumers, but it still has all the fixings you expect from an ultra-premium flagship. The modern and refined design, the smooth and colorful OLED display, and true all-day battery life are all here. You'll also enjoy one of the best keyboard and touchpad combinations on any laptop you can buy right now, and that attention to quality extends to every other hardware feature (and there are a lot of them)."
Microsoft perfected its Surface Pro with this latest version, complete with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chips with an NPU powerful enough to handle Copilot+ AI tools. It might not be a dedicated business PC like the others in this section, but it will certainly do a great job for any busy professional.
Busy professionals on the move who need the versatility of a 2-in-1, long battery life, and snappy Qualcomm performance.
The 2-in-1 form factor means it works as a tablet or as a notebook, and the 13-inch display with OLED panel and 2.8K resolution is a treat. This is the PC to get if you want the best of Windows 11.
Windows Central Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino reviewed the Surface Pro 11, stating:
"Having witnessed the evolution of every Surface Pro version and yearning for a device that excels in performance and battery life akin to the best Windows laptops (and even MacBooks), Microsoft has undeniably nailed it with the Surface Pro 11, making it a strong recommendation."
The ThinkPad brand is synonymous with the business lifestyle, and Lenovo's latest ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 (Gen 10) is the best version yet. The convertible PC is sleek, lightweight, and durable; it has an outstanding keyboard, and Lenovo has baked in tons of extra AI and security measures.
Professionals who need the versatility of a convertible, with strong performance and security. Many configurations are available at Lenovo.
Lenovo offers myriad customization options, including 5G connectivity, haptic touchpad, and inking compatibility, all alongside the usual run of Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) CPUs with an NPU powerful enough for Copilot+.
In Zachary Boddy's ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 (Gen 10) review, they noted:
"What this is, though, is a damn good laptop. Boring doesn't always mean bad, and the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 (Gen 10) takes the same versatile, ultra-durable design of yesteryear and pairs it with more powerful and more efficient hardware. The result is a capable convertible Windows laptop that's perfect for working on the go, especially with optional 5G connectivity. It's expensive, but all ThinkPads are — just wait for the inevitable sales from Lenovo, they'll happen."
