These are the best laptops to buy in Summer 2025 - 78 notebooks thoroughly tested

It's that time of the year again: We're taking a good look at the last few months and presenting the best laptops we've tested over the past few months. Since our last round-up, best laptops - Spring 2025, we have comprehensively measured, benchmarked and put 78 laptops through their paces. All of the laptops tested are listed in the table found close to the bottom of this article, with only the best models covered in detail. Review links can be found both in the table and throughout the article.

91.2%: Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4 SoC, entry model)

The new MacBook Air 13 with Apple M4 (reviewed here) impresses with enormous performance packed into a thin case with no active cooling. The M4 outperforms Intel's Lunar Lake chips in multi-core tests and clearly distances itself from the competition in terms of single-core performance. New features (as compared to the base M3 chip) include Thunderbolt 4 support and support for two external displays. The laptop's 60 Hz display offers very good image quality without PWM flickering, although its high power consumption at maximum brightness is annoying. The price-performance ratio of the base SKU is good, but the soldered-in 256 GB SSD is a minus point, especially considering how high upgrade prices are. Still, the MacBook Air 13 remains an excellent overall system and an ideal everyday companion.
In Germany, the base M4-powered 13-inch MacBook Air is available for just under 1,000 euros from all numerous retailers such as Amazon or NBB.

91.2%: Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4 SoC)

The new MacBook Air 15 with M4 (review) is an excellent everyday machine, impressive due to its high CPU performance and passive cooling. Even under continuous load, the M4 is faster than Intel's Lunar Lake chips and offers a clear advantage in single-core performance. There is no other fanless Windows device with similar performance. New to the 15-inch model are Thunderbolt 4 (now with two external displays) and an improved 12 MP webcam. The entry-level SKU is now 100 euros cheaper, but high surcharges for RAM/SSD upgrade and non-existent maintenance options remain. The proven IPS display continues to offer very good image quality without PWM flickering and battery life is still good, even if competitors such as the ThinkPad X9 are better in this regard. Despite minor drawbacks, the MacBook Air 15 is a strong overall option in the current Apple line-up.
The new M4-powered MacBook Air 15 can be purchased for around €1,300 in Germany from many well-known online retailers such as Amazon, MediaMarkt/Saturn or Notebooksbilliger.

90.0%: Schenker XMG Neo 16 E25

The XMG Neo 16 E25 (our extensive review of which can be found here) is a fast gaming notebook, exactly as expected. With Intel's Core Ultra 9 275HX and Nvidia's RTX 5090 laptop GPU, the machine offers excellent, throttling-free performance for all 2025 games. Its matte mini-LED panel impresses with HDR brightness (over 1,500 nits), a smooth 300 Hz refresh rate refresh rate and reasonable power consumption. The battery life is also very good for a gaming notebook. There is also an optional external water cooling station available that aids cooling and lowers noise levels. The mini-LED display and RTX 5090-toOting SKU costs approx. 4,300 euros and can be had directly from Bestware. There is also a version of the XMG Neo 16 with an AMD processor, called the A25, which we tested, too.

90.0%: Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2025

The 2025 ROG Zephyrus G16 (please consider reading our extensive review) offers more performance than its predecessor thanks to Intel Arrow Lake and the RTX 5090 laptop GPU, even if the graphics adapter doesn't set any new records. Other upgrades include Wi-Fi 7, 64 GB RAM and improved battery life. Input devices and speakers are still top-notch. The OLED display is perfect for gaming, but HDR brightness is not as high as some might expect. With a price of around 4,600 euros, available from NBB for example, the G16 is a very good high-end multimedia and gaming notebook in the upper price bracker.
We also tested the RTX 5070 Ti SKU. With an overall score of 89.9%, it performs about as well as the top configuration while costing significantly less at around €3,400.

90.0%: Dell Pro 13 Premium

The Pro 13 Premium (Notebookcheck review here) is an excellent business laptop. It is compact, light, power-efficient. It also offers up to 24 hours of battery life. It ticks a lot of checkboxes with its high-quality magnesium casing, 8 MP webcam, Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 7 and other features. The laptop has plenty of performance reserves, including the graphics department, and its cooling solution did not get on our nerves during testing. However, the high price of around 2,500 euros, for example on Amazon Germany, is not something all consumers will be happy about - and some things, like upgradeability, should be improved here, if you ask us.

88.9%: Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA403WW

The new ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) gets an RTX 5080 laptop GPU for a significant leap in performance compared to the direct predecessor. On the flip side, its case is slightly thicker and the fans are very easy to hear with computational load present. The CPU performance of the AMD chip used is very good and the 120 Hz OLED display selected by Asus is excellent. Battery life has also been improved. The caveat? This machine is anything but cheap at around 4,500 euros. (We also tested the slightly weaker model with the RTX 5070 Ti which is available from around 3,400 euros.)

88.8%: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10

The ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 (tested here) is a significant improvement on its predecessor with longer battery life, quieter operation and faster graphics performance thanks to the Lunar Lake SoC. The SoC isn't able to show its true potential here due to power constraints, but many users will still be happy with how the Lenovo performs. Its battery life is out of this world, as the X1 2in1 leaves many competitors behind with more than 21 hours of practical Wi-Fi Web surfing.

In Germany, the convertible is available directly from Lenovo at a price of around 2,500 euros.

88.8%: Lenovo ThinkPad X9-14 Gen 1 Aura Edition

Lenovo's ThinkPad X9-14 G1 Aura Edition (reviewed here) parts with the classic ThinkPad visual design, but retains its core qualities nonetheless such as the clever base plate opening, excellent keyboard and full-size HDMI port. However, missing are some rather important features such as full-size USB ports, a webcam shutter. Long-time ThinkPad fans looking for a classic TrackPoint won't be happy with this machine, either.

The ThinkPad X9-14 is a strong alternative to MacBook Air and Dell XPS series offerings, we believe. It can be had for around 1,600 euros.

88.8%: Lenovo Yoga 9 14 2in1 G10

The Yoga 9 14 2in1 Gen 10 (tested by Notebookcheck here) is a very good convertible with a high-quality aluminum casing. Its Lunar Lake processor ensures fans never get too loud, energy is spent efficiently and battery runtimes are long. System performance is good here, and the iGPU should be competent enough for some light gaming. The Yoga 9's input devices are decent, the included stylus is comfortable to use and the sound system is equally impressive. The 4K display offers a sharp picture. This Yoga computer costs around 2,200 euros.

88.6%: Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 Intel

The Intel-powered ThinkPad T14s G6 (reviewed here) is the perfect choice for those in need of a mobile business laptop thanks to Lunar Lake. It's cooler, more durable and quieter than its predecessors. It outperforms the identical AMD version in terms of battery life, heat development and noise. It also offers a high-quality housing, many connections, extensive security and communication features and a bright matt WUXGA screen. Most important feature: Over 20 hours of battery life! Price: Around 2,000 euros, available from various stores in Germany.

88.5%: Medion Erazer Beast 16 X1 Ultimate

The Erazer Beast 16 X1 MD62732 is a high-end gaming laptop in the upper price segment, equipped with a Core Ultra 9 275HX and Nvidia's RTX 5090 laptop GPU. It achieved a "very good" rating in our testing thanks to its excellent 16:10 mini-LED display (2,560 x 1,600, 300 Hz) with high brightness and contrast and wide color gamut - ideal for gaming and professional work alike. The high-quality metal housing, good input devices and extensive connectivity (incl. Thunderbolt 4) are impressive. An optional external cooling kit is available. The price of this notebook? Around 4,000 euros.

88.4%: Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 2025

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (review) offers outstanding gaming performance without compromises thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and Nvidia's RTX 5090 graphics chip. The mini-LED display is excellent and has precise color profiles. The system offers good maintenance options and Thunderbolt 5, the most modern data transfer port that money can buy in 2025. Price: Around 4,600 euros, available from various stores in Germany.

88.0%: Asus Strix Scar 18 G835LX

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (Notebookcheck testing) is a high-end gaming flagship built around the Core Ultra 9 275HX and RTX 5090 laptop GPU. The case has been redesigned and now offers enhanced lighting. Maintenance options and access to the installed components are comprehensive and simple here. The machine's mini-LED display (240 Hz) impresses with excellent image quality. The drawbacks to keep in mind are the loud cooling solution, high power consumption and the shockingly high price of around 5,800 euros.

87.6%: Lenovo Yoga 7 14 2in1 G10

The Lenovo Yoga 7 14 2in1 G10 proved to be a very good convertible with a Lunar Lake SoC. It offers high enough performance, low emissions and long battery runtimes. The aluminum casing is of a high quality and outdoes the Yoga 9 in terms of connectivity - thanks, HDMI output, thanks, card reader. The new 2.8K OLED display (120 Hz, over 1,000 nits HDR mode brightness) impresses in the test despite a slight grid effect. The Yoga 7 14 2-in-1 Gen 10 is available in Germany for around 1,500 euros.

87.5%: Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7 16 G10 (reviewed here) takes an interesting approach where it is deliberately larger and thicker to ensure both its components and cooling solution perform to the limit. Performance enthusiasts should ne happy with the system. The OLED display is equally outstanding, offering high refresh rates, Windows VRR, DisplayHDR1000 and G-Sync, with 1,000 nits of HDR brightness. Those who prioritize maximum performance will appreciate the Legion Pro 7i Gen 10. Price: Around 3,400 euros (RTX 5080 SKU).

Note: Commercial use of the award graphics may require a license. Further details.

The table above shows all notebooks tested in the period under review with their overall and partial ratings in our detailed test as well as a selection of important parameters and benchmarks. All results and details can be found in the linked test reports.
The table can be sorted in each column, simply click on the respective column title, for example "Weight".