There are a list of factors that should be considered when shopping for a brand new i7 laptop, and at the top of that list is the processor. Faster processors ensure greater productivity as they’re able to run multiple applications simultaneously without notable performance spikes.
Laptops that are housing Intel’s Core i7 processor tend to be some of the most powerful on the market. They’re ideal for literally everyone, from gamers and streamers to animators and video editors.
With so many laptops adopting Intel’s powerhouse of a processor, finding the best i7 laptop can be a very daunting task considering that not all Core i7 processors are the same. We aim to help you find the perfect i7 laptop…
Making a purchase decision is never easy when it comes to finding the best i7 processor laptops, as there are a lot of factors and models to consider. However, in this article, we’ve narrowed down your options to just eight laptops that are sure to impress. Grab a cup of coffee because we’re about to get a little savvy.
At only 2.65 pounds, the Acer Spin 5 is one of the lightest, most compact laptops on the market today. Traveling or walking around with this laptop is a complete breeze. If you champion portability, the Acer Spin 5 is right up your alley.
Housing a 54Wh 4-cell battery, the Acer Spin 5 is capable of delivering 15 hours’ worth of battery life. Of course, running intensive applications can very much shorten the estimated battery life, but it’s still a very hopeful runtime statistic.
The Acer Spin 5 is certainly not the most powerful laptop on our list, but it does strike an excellent balance between high functionality and cost-effectiveness. It’s one of the most reasonably priced i7 laptops considering what it has to offer.
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Bear in mind that the Acer Spin 5 is available in two models: the Core i7-1065G7 model and the Core i5-1035G4 model, but in this article, we’ll be focusing on the i7 one.
Compared to its somewhat chunky predecessor, the Acer Spin 5 has undergone radical design changes that have clearly pushed its aesthetics to the next level. By pushing its lid 360 degrees, you can transform this convertible laptop into a tablet, thanks to the incorporation of a flexible chassis.
Despite the lid being a bit rigid, you should find it easy to move it without any difficulty. The Spin 5 is a very compact laptop, weighing just 2.65 pounds and measuring 11.8×9.3×0.6 inches. If you champion portability and ease of handling, the Acer Spin 5 should be at the top of your list.
Powered by the latest Intel 10th Gen Core i7 processors, the Acer Spin 5 is capable of handling multiple CPU-intensive tasks with swiftness and grace.
In terms of graphics, the Acer Spin 5 is equipped with Intel’s Iris Plus graphics, which isn’t really as good as discrete GPUs, but it should be adequate for tasks that aren’t too graphics-intensive. The laptop features 16 GB of RAM and you can easily configure it with up to 1 TB of SSD.
Graphics HandlingBattery LifespanSleek Construction
Equipped with the powerful AMD Radeon Pro 5300M, which kind of compares to the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti from Nvidia, the brand new MacBook Pro will certainly display admirable graphics handling capabilities.
Not a lot of laptops can flaunt having an excellent battery lifespan. Thankfully, the all-new MacBook Pro can. This tremendous laptop from Apple can offer you up to 11 hours of wireless web battery life, which is quite impressive.
It doesn’t come as a surprise that the MacBook Pro is one of the best-looking laptops on the market today. After all, Apple is one of the best manufacturers when it comes to appealing aesthetics, and not just performance.
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Currently, the 16-inch version of the latest MacBook Pro is deemed the most capable MacBook ever produced. The 16-inch MacBook Pro might not look different from the 15-inch model when you first look at it, but upon closer inspection, you’ll begin noticing its fairly larger footprint.
The small difference in dimensions between the 16-inch models and the 15-inch model is a feat that deserves lots of admiration considering how the former features a larger display. As far as pricing, it’s just as expensive as other MacBook Pros, but to be frank, it’s worth every penny!
The MacBook Pro features a diagonal LED-backlit Retina display that’s absolutely gorgeous. It’s not as stunning as the pixel-packed Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition screen, which happens to be the screen to beat nowadays, but it’s a fairly decent screen with a 3072×1920 native resolution.
Unlike the Acer Spin 5, the new MacBook Pro packs a punch as far as graphics handling, as it’s equipped with the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M boasting 4GB of GDDR6 memory, in addition to the integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 chip. Definitely an excellent laptop for almost all purposes.
Graphics HandlingValue for the MoneyRapid Processor
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is one of the best graphics cards for laptops at the moment. It’ll offer you superb performance when playing at 1080p, but you shouldn’t expect too much from it beyond that.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is arguably the best gaming laptop in its price point. Its capabilities are just miles ahead of other alternatives within its price range. It certainly offers unbeatable performance for the price.
Whether you’re purchasing this sub $1500 laptop for gaming or for day-to-day computing, the Helios 300’s Core i7-9750H processing unit is fast enough to keep up with your applications, as it can be boosted up to 4.5 GHz.
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Picking an i7 laptop for general purposes is one thing, but picking one for gaming, that’s a totally different challenge, as the marketplace for gaming laptops is a hyper-competitive one. Equipped with the GTX 1660 Ti GPU and the Core Core i7-9750H, the Helios 300 is not to be overlooked.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is one of the most popular gaming laptops out there, which is not surprising considering the amount of band for the buck that it offers. This laptop costs a bit over $1000 while flaunting capabilities that can rival laptops that cost twice as much as it does.
The Predator Helios 300 is an excellent laptop for 1080p gaming, courtesy of its GPU. However, when it comes to anything beyond 1080p, the laptop seems to have problems with ray-tracing. It doesn’t really take anything away from the value it provides, though, considering its price tag.
This laptop excels in terms of performance, even gaining a top spot in our computer science laptops write up, but when it comes to its build quality, there’s really not much to shout about. The design is pretty simple and the build quality is average. Moreover, the port selection isn’t that impressive. Overall, it offers a fair amount of value for the price.
Graphics HandlingValue for the MoneyStriking Design
Despite being one of the most affordable laptops on our list, the MSI GF65250 still manages to deliver some top-tier graphics handling with the aid of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060. It’s definitely a showstopper.
Once again, it’s very hard to find another laptop that can offer the amount of value that the MSI GF65250 has to offer within its price range. Some laptops do come close, but they usually cost an extra one or two hundred bucks.
Most gamers care deeply about aesthetics and find nothing more repelling than a plain, boring-looking laptop. If you’re one of those people, you’ll definitely find the MSI GF65250’s sleek design to be up to your standards.
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The MSI GF65 Thin 9SEXR-250, or just GF65250 for short, is yet another superb gaming laptop that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. From its visually striking design to its A1 hardware, there’s just a lot to like about this laptop. Certainly one of the best laptops for gamers on a budget.
Compared to its predecessor, the GF65250’s exterior isn’t very innovative, but why fix what isn’t broken, right? This laptop flaunts the same inornate chassis that its predecessor had. Its body is mostly plastic, which makes it pretty portable but takes away from its sturdiness notably.
When it comes to graphics handling, the MSI GF65250 is an absolute beast, as it houses the very powerful GeForce RTX 2060. Just let that sink in for a moment while bearing in mind that this laptop costs only around $1000. Powerful, sleek, and affordable? Check, check, and check!
With such a powerful GPU and a 9th Gen beast of a processor, this laptop is capable of running modern titles with superb graphics. Further, it’s capable of rendering 4K videos and handling ray tracing gracefully. We would’ve loved 16 GB of RAM, but some compromises had to be made.
Equipped with the new ScreenPad 2.0, the ZenBook 13 grants you an innovative alternative to the standard laptop experience with a secondary touchscreen that improves multitasking and control capabilities.
With its stylish and sleek blue aluminum finish, the Asus ZenBook 13 makes it to the top of our list of the best-looking i7 laptops on the market today. It’s also fairly lightweight and slim, so high portability is guaranteed.
The Asus ZenBook 13 is equipped with the Harman Kardon speakers, which offer surprisingly good audio quality. The bass is apparent and the treble is crisp but not harsh. They’re not the loudest speakers, though.
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The Asus ZenBook 13 is one of those laptops that you just fall in love with at first glance. It does an outstanding job of taking laptop aesthetics to the next level. In our opinion, the ZenBook 13 is by far the most visually appealing laptop on our list, with its super-sleek blue aluminum finish.
Despite adopting an aluminum finish, the ZenBook 13 manages to stay pretty portable and slim, weighing just 2.80 pounds and spanning 11.89×0.72×7.44 inches. Compared to the older model (UX333), the ZenBook 13 (UX334) has more memory and storage, and a more capable CPU.
Boasting an NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphics card, 10th Gen Core i7 processing unit, 16 GB of RAM, and an astounding battery lifespan of around 11 hours, the ZenBook 13 by Asus Laptops surely offers an excellent deal of performance and visual value for the price, as it costs a little over $1000.
Sadly, the ZenBook 13 isn’t capable of pulling off a 4K display like some of its competitors within the same price range. However, it does offer an innovative ScreenPad touchpad that doubles as a calculator and a program launcher. An outstanding laptop for work environments, overall.
Powerful ProcessorExcellent Battery LifeBalanced Feature Set
As we’ve just stated, the Core i7-9750H is arguably 2019’s most popular CPU for gaming. Whether you’re tackling high-end gaming or intensive multitasking, this processor will surely deliver outstanding performance.
The Dell D5 15 is capable of providing up to 10 hours of movie playback, which is a runtime that many laptops seem to claim to be able to pull off but fail miserably to support their claim when put to a hands-on test.
There are no compromises and no unnecessary frills with the Dell G5 15. It’s a brilliantly well-rounded gaming laptop that’s equipped with A1 hardware capable of delivering an enjoyable, lag-free gaming experience.
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The Dell G5 15 is a force to be reckoned with in the world of gaming laptops. This is mainly due to the fact that it doesn’t have any unnecessary frills. It’s an integrated system that has only one goal, and that’s to deliver an outstanding gaming performance. Nothing more, nothing less.
Housing a six-core 9th Gen Intel Core i7 and NVIDIA’s GTX graphics, in addition to a super-slick IPS display, the Dell D5 15 is capable of handling high-end gaming with ease. It also flaunts the aesthetics that all gamers fancy, with a keyboard backlit in blue and two levels of brightness.
This laptop’s strongest selling suite is its powerful 9th Gen Core i7-9750H, which happens to be one of the most frequently used CPUs for gaming laptops. It can easily handle some of the most intensive multitasking, thanks to its six-core build, 4.5 GHz maximal speed, and 12 MB cache.
The battery life on this laptop is nothing short of impressive. It can last about 10 hours of movie playback, which is quite impressive compared to other laptops that claim similar runtime but fail to back up their claim in reality. All in all, the Dell D5 15 is a gamer’s dream gaming notebook.
Most Core i7-powered laptops tend to offer excellent computing performance, but it’s hard to find i7 laptops that can rival the HP ENVY 13 in terms of portability. This laptop weighs only 2.6 pounds! Let that sink in.
The HP ENVY 13’s 4K touchscreen is arguably its strongest selling point. If you’re into watching movies or TV shows, then you’ll definitely love the visual fidelity that the ENVY’s screen has to offer.
The ENVY doesn’t just showcase excellent performance and display, but it also does a brilliant job of granting the user optimal comfort with its keyboard, which happens to be extremely quiet, by the way.
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You can’t have a proper list of the best i7 laptops without including the popular HP ENVY 13. It’s super-slim, features a comfortable keyboard, and offers vivid 4K display. Not to mention that this laptop comes with a discrete GPU and noteworthy battery all while costing under $1000!
The ENVY 13 is one of the most portable laptops on our list, weighing in at only 2.6 pounds and spanning 13.30×8.90×0.90 inches. It’s so lightweight that you won’t even feel it in your backpack as you’re traveling with it. The ENVY 13 is certainly one to consider if you care about portability.
One of this laptop’s strongest selling points is its 4K touchscreen. Yes, you read that correctly. It features an impressively bright touchscreen with IPS display technology. It also boasts a backlit keyboard that’s extremely comfortable and notably quiet compared to keypads on other laptops.
The ENVY 13 houses a quad-core Intel Core i7-8565U, so it’s a little bit behind other laptops on our list as far as the CPU department. Nevertheless, it still offers an admirable performance and adequate graphics handling capabilities, thanks to the incorporation of the GeForce MX250.
Large 17-Inch DisplayLightweight ConstructionRemarkable Battery Life
The LG Gram is the largest laptop on our list, which makes it ideal for people who enjoy watching movies and TV shows on larger screens. The screen is bright and vivid, with a native resolution of 2560×1600
Finding a 17-inch laptop that weighs under 4 pounds is a pretty challenging feat, let alone finding one that weighs under 3 pounds. Despite its large footprint, the 2020 LG Gram manages to weigh only 2.98 pounds.
The manufacturer-quoted battery life on this laptop is around 17 hours. Of course, the runtime is governed by how intensively you use your laptop, but it’s still a pretty hopeful analytic, nevertheless.
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Not interested in a 13-inch or 15-inch laptop? Looking for something a little bit larger but worried about portability? Look no further. The 2020 version of the LG Gram is exactly what you’re in the market for. This laptop flaunts a large 17-inch screen all whilst weighing just under 3 pounds!
This version of the LG Gram isn’t very different from the 2019 model, design-wise. You can see minor differences in the keyboard and chassis. Internally, it houses a larger battery than its predecessor, in addition to the new quad-core 10th Gen Core i7-1065G7.
If you compare the LG Gram with the Acer Spin 5, you’ll notice that the main difference between them is the display size. They both have the same processor, RAM, and graphics card. In terms of pricing, however, we feel that the LG Gram is priced extortionately compared to the Spin 5.
What we’re trying to say is that the selling point of the LG Gram is its larger screen, and nothing else. In our opinion, the LG Gram is a bit overpriced considering its specs, but if you care about being able to watch movies and TV shows on a commodious screen, then this laptop is for you.
When in the market for a new laptop, it’s imperative that you take your time and not rush into a purchase decision right away, as there are a lot of factors that must be taken into consideration. Let’s break down each of these factors briefly so that you have a good idea of what to look for.
Screen Size
Unlike RAM and ROM on a laptop, screen size cannot be upgraded, meaning that you need to contemplate the ideal screen size for you before purchasing a laptop. Screen sizes range from 11.6 inches to 17.3 inches, with 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch models being the most popular.
If you’re into watching movies or playing video games, you should consider a laptop with a big screen. This also applies to professionals who make use of software like Photoshop, AutoCAD, or others. In addition, you should consider anti-glare features as well as your ideal resolution.
Operating System
There are numerous laptop operating systems, including popular ones like Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux. Your choice of an operating system will determine the applications you can run on your laptop. For instance, Windows cannot run macOS apps and vice versa.
Your choice of an operating system shouldn’t be based solely on the type of applications you’re looking to use. You should also take into consideration the system’s interface. To add, you have to consider whether you’re looking to adopt a 32-bit or 64-bit operating system for your apps.
Specifications
Now, this is where things get a little bit tricky. There are lots to consider when it comes to specs, but we’re going to focus mainly on the three most important components: CPU, GPU, and RAM. Since we’re looking at i7 laptops, you’re pretty much guaranteed an ideal CPU performance.
As far as the GPU, it all boils down to how you intend to use your laptop. If you’re into gaming, high-resolution video editing, or things of that nature, you need a laptop with a dedicated GPU. For day-to-day computing, you can get away with a laptop that has an integrated graphics chip.
In terms of RAM memory, we strongly recommend opting for laptops that offer 8 GB of RAM or more. Anything below 8 GB isn’t really worth your money. Having these three vital components in mind will help simplify the process of selecting a new laptop for your requirements
Storage
Selecting the right laptop in terms of storage is dependent on your demand for space. For most people, more storage is always favorable, as it allows you to store as many files as you want. It is highly recommended that you opt for laptops with SSD storage rather than HDD storage.
Now, this is where things get a little bit tricky. There are lots to consider when it comes to specs, but we’re going to focus mainly on the three most important components: CPU, GPU, and RAM. Since we’re looking at i7 laptops, you’re pretty much guaranteed an ideal CPU performance.
Connectivity
Make sure you opt for a laptop that offers a good range of connectivity options so that you won’t have to spend more money on an adapter. Also, make sure the laptop has at least two USB 3.0 ports, as they’re much faster than their USB 2.0 counterparts, allowing for faster data transfer.
Battery Life
Having to recharge your laptop’s battery every couple of hours isn’t something to fancy, so you need to make sure you opt for a laptop that offers a respectable battery lifespan. You shouldn’t take the manufacturer-quoted battery lifespan to heart. Rather, you should refer to user reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the advantages of i7 Over i5?
Generally speaking, most Core i7 processors have faster base clock speeds than their Core i5 counterparts. Further, Core i7 processors feature Hyper-Threading, allowing them to complete more tasks at the same time. Not to mention that i7 CPUs have more cache memory; we’ve provided an overview of the differences of i5 and i7 CPUs.
How much faster is an i7 than an i5?
A gaming laptop still finds its appeal among hardcore gamers for its portability. You trade off some of the horsepower and upgradability for a sleeker, compact machine that can go with you anywhere.
Is an i7 laptop good for gaming?
Most definitely. Core i7 processors are some of the most competent processors on the market. Not only are they perfect for high-end gaming, but they’re also well-suited for multimedia tasks, intensive multitasking, and other CPU-hungry tasks. An i7 CPU is right up a gamers alley.
Is it worth upgrading from i5 to i7?
If you’re tackling CPU-intensive tasks on a regular basis and want to streamline your workflow as much as possible, then yes, upgrading from Core i5 to Core i7 is a good move. However, if all you do is tackle basic day-to-day computing, then investing in an i7 laptop isn’t necessary.
Finding The Best i7 – Conclusion
Not sure which of the above-reviewed laptops you should opt for? Let’s recap things briefly. We highly recommend the Acer Spin 5 for general computing purposes. It’s competent, flexible, and has excellent connectivity. Not to mention that it’s priced reasonably for the value it provides.
If you’re into gaming, you should consider the Helios 300, MSI GF65250, or Dell G5 15. If build quality is what you champion the most, the Apple MacBook Pro is the way to go. Lastly, if you’re looking for an innovative laptop with a lot of charm, the ZenBook 13 is your best bet.
