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The Best Traditional Laptop Computers under $1200

★ Top Choice
♥ Runner Up
Best for Programming

Huawei

MateBook X Pro

BUY NOW

From $1199

More info
Best Overall

Acer

Aspire VX 15 Gaming Laptop

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From $1199.99

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Dell XPS 13

★ Top Choice
BUY NOW From $1079

Features

  • Video editing just under a minute.
  • Raising the bar on connectivity.
  • Energy efficient: XPS 13 is energy Star certified.
  • Saving Our seas: recognized as a CEC 2018 best of innovation awards honoree, our black Packaging trays are a step beyond recycled. 25% of the material consists of ocean plastics collected from coastal areas, while the remaining 75% is made up of other recycled plastics.
  • Faster performance empowering people to focus, create, and connect like never before.

Pros

  • ⊕ Touchscreen.
  • ⊕ Lightweight.
  • ⊕ Premium design.
  • ⊕ Powerful specs.
  • ⊕ Centered webcam.

Cons

  • ⊖ Expensive.
  • ⊖ Update isn't huge.
  • ⊖ Mediocre battery life.
  • ⊖ 2019 update isn't huge.
  • ⊖ Otherwise small upgrade.

Specs

  • GPU: Intel UHD.
  • Weight: 2.7 pounds.
  • RAM: 4GB/8GB/16GB.
  • Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB.
  • Display: 13.3-inch, 1080p or 4K.
  • Size: 11.9 x 7.8 x 0.5 inches.
  • CPU: Intel Core i3/Core i5/Core i7 (10th Gen).

Apple MacBook Air

♥ Runner Up
BUY NOW From $1097.99

Features

  • Dual-core 8th-Generation Intel Core i5 Processor.
  • Intel UHD Graphics 617.
  • Touch ID.
  • Stereo speakers with wider Stereo sound.
  • 8GB memory.
  • Stunning 13.3-Inch Retina Display with True Tone.
  • Fast SSD Storage.
  • Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports.

Pros

  • ⊕ Highly portable.
  • ⊕ Reasonably priced.
  • ⊕ Only 15.6mm thick.
  • ⊕ Solid battery life.
  • ⊕ Now with smaller bezels.

Cons

  • ⊖ Thunderbolt ports only.
  • ⊖ Very stingy with ports.

Huawei MateBook X Pro

Best for Programming
BUY NOW From $1199

Features

  • Home Theater: 3K touchscreen with 3, 000 x 2, 000 resolution, 1500:1 contrast ratio and 260 PPI allow you to see vivid details when viewing HD content. 2nd Gen Dolby ATMOS for immersive audio.
  • Powerful Inside: Windows 10 Home Signature Edition with no bloatware. 8th Gen Intel Core i7 8550U processor + NVIDIA GeForce MX150 - boosts performance up to 40% over its predecessor.
  • Includes compact Mate Dock 2.0: USB-A port, USB-C port, HDMI port and VGA port. Includes 1 year Office 365 Personal and 1 year manufacturer warranty.60Hz refresh rate.
  • One Touch Power Button: Enabling users to power on the notebook, finish identity authentication through Windows Hello and access the desktop in less than 8 seconds. Bluetooth - Bluetooth 4.1.
  • World's First FullView Display: Immersive 13.9-inch 3K touchscreen with 91% screen-to-body ratio, only 0.57-inch thin and weighs only 2.93 lbs., perfect for at-home or on-the-go computing.

Pros

  • ⊕ Great value.
  • ⊕ Gorgeous design.
  • ⊕ 3K touch screen display.
  • ⊕ Respectable battery life.
  • ⊕ It's even got a headphone jack.

Cons

  • ⊖ Runs hot.
  • ⊖ Subpar webcam.
  • ⊖ Heats up easily.
  • ⊖ Oddly-placed camera.
  • ⊖ SD card slot not included.

Acer Aspire VX 15 Gaming Laptop

Best Overall
BUY NOW From $1199.99

Features

  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM.
  • 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen IPS display.
  • HDD upgrade kit available (2.5” bracket with SATA and power cable). Contact Acer support for your complimentary kit.
  • 16GB DDR4 Memory, 256GB SSD.
  • 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ Processor (Up to 3.8GHz).

Pros

  • ⊕ Inexpensive.
  • ⊕ Speedy 256GB SSD.
  • ⊕ Responsive keyboard.
  • ⊕ Excellent Dolby audio.
  • ⊕ Vibrant backlit keyboard.

Cons

  • ⊖ Fairly heavy.
  • ⊖ Lots of bloatware.
  • ⊖ Sound quality could be better.