WIRED has refreshed its annual roundup of top laptops, featuring new models with AI enhancements and extended battery life. The October 2025 update includes additions like Lenovo's ThinkBook Rollable and replacements such as the Dell 14 Plus over the XPS 13.
WIRED's latest guide, updated in October 2025, evaluates laptops across categories like overall best, Windows, gaming, and budget options, based on extensive testing for performance, battery life, and build quality. The top overall pick remains the Apple MacBook Air with M4 chip, praised for its fanless design, 16 GB starting RAM, and support for two 4K external monitors. Reviewer Brenda Stolyar notes, 'The MacBook Air M4 commonly sells for as low as $799 on Amazon,' highlighting its value with improved graphics, CPU performance, and a 12-megapixel webcam.
For Windows users, the Asus Zenbook S 16 stands out with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 CPU, 24 GB RAM, and over 14 hours of battery life. It introduces Ceraluminum material for a thin 2.65-pound chassis. The guide states, 'It’s got an AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 CPU and Radeon 880M graphics, plus a hefty 24 GB of RAM,' emphasizing power for AI tasks like real-time translation.
In gaming, the Razer Blade 16 (2025) features the RTX 5090 GPU with multi-frame generation technology for high frame rates in ray-traced games. It's described as 'one of the thinnest gaming laptops you can buy, at just 0.59 inches.' Budget options include the Dell 14 Plus under $1,000, offering 1 TB storage, Intel Core Ultra Series 2 chips, and up to 18 hours of video playback.
Other highlights cover Chromebooks like the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 with OLED display and exceptional battery life, and repairable models like the Framework Laptop 13. The guide advises considering needs like portability and OS preferences, with prices starting from $139 for entry-level Chromebooks. No major contradictions appear in the recommendations, focusing on verified testing results.