Is 1000 dollars good for a laptop?

A jack of all trades, but master of none, the Asus ZenBook 14 is perfect for anyone that wants a versatile laptop that can handle anything from intense productivity tasks to acting as a gaming laptop or even a decent business laptop. Its not top of the class in any category, but similarly, theres nothing it cant do at a more than respectable level. The Asus ZenBook 14 is a versatility king.

Under the hood, the Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU does all the heavy lifting on Windows 10 with admirable performance, whether thats fast loading times when youre browsing the internet, streaming video, good FPS counts when gaming, and reliable performance when editing video and photo. 8GB of LPDDR4X memory ensures the Asus ZenBook 14 can handle multitasking well.

Other specifications include a roomy 512 GB SSD, 400 nits brightness 14-inch display, 1920×1080 resolution, 65 W battery [up to 22 hours according to Asus], 90% screen-to-body ratio, Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, backlit keyboard, and a useful NumberPad that appears on the trackpad at the press of a button.

As for gaming, the Asus ZenBook 14 performs admirably in popular titles such as Overwatch, League of Legends, Rocket League, and Fortnite, even with settings on high and even ultra in some instances.

The i7-1165G7s integrated Iris Xe Graphics certainly pulls its weight and lives up to Intels promises with the new 11th Gen Tiger Lake chips.

The only real complaint we have is the absence of an audio jack, although Asus does supply a USB-C to audio jack adapter with the Asus ZenBook 14.

For those eyeing up a portable workhorse within this price range, we have the 2020 refresh of the HP Envy range. The 2020 HP Envy x360 allies a sturdy and classy all-aluminum chassis, a compact design, and performance that belies its small 2-in-1 form factor.

Its far more than looks that make the 2020 HP Envy x360 a key competitor in the sub $1000 market, though. The excellent 11th-gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU teams up with 8 GB of DDR4 RAM, a 512 GB SSD, integrated Iris Xe Graphics, Bang & Olufsen dual speakers, 13.3-inch IPS screen, FHD 1920×1080 resolution, and 65 W battery to offer a pleasant, responsive experience. The tablet-mode also works well with good touchscreen chops.

Performance is smooth, snappy even, whether thats under heavy world loads with multiple apps, gaming, or video/photo editing. Much like the Asus ZenBook 14, which sports the same chip, the Envy doesnt knock it out of the park in any specific category but shows proficiency whatever the task. For those with a particular task in mind, a more specialized device may be a better use of your money, but for a well-rounded option, the 2020 HP Envy x360 is a generalists dream.

While the 2020 HP Envy x360 handled everything we threw at its way, eating through it with its processing power, its worth noting that it does run hot not to the point of damaging the innards, but the heat emanating from the keyboard is certainly noticeable. This, coupled with a less efficient battery than the Asus ZenBook 14, pushed the x360 to the runner-up spot on our guide to the best laptops under $1000.

Gaming on a budget can all too often feel like hitting your head against a brick wall, especially with the demand for ever more powerful specifications emerging with each new big-budget title [Cyberpunk 2077, anyone?]. The Dell G5 15 5500 aims to plug the gap between an on-point gaming experience and affordability at this price point..

Designed through-and-through for gaming, it sources most of its power from a generation Intel Core i7-10750H CPU, 8 GB of DDR4 2933MHz RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR6 GPU.

Its worth noting that the Dell G5 15 5500 can be customized to feature up to an RTX 2060 and 16 GB of RAM turning into a much more powerful gaming laptop but doing so pushes the price tag beyond the $1000 threshold.

Other specs include a 15.6-inch FHD display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, 1920×1080 resolution, 250 nits brightness, Anti-Glare tech, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, a 51 W battery, and 256 GB SSD. Storage is definitely on the small size, especially when you consider how rapidly your install of Windows 10 can grow, but compromises are needed to pack in a dedicated GPU.

Performance in games as varied as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, PUBG, Control, and Metro Exodus surges comfortably past the 60 FPS mark, although mileage varies based on your chosen graphical settings. Overall, we were impressed with just how well the Dell G5 15 5500 performed across the board, and thats why it is here in the best laptop under 1,000 category.

A minor gripe, that doesnt detract from the quality innards, is the laptops underwhelming build quality.

The bulky, plastic shell wont suit those accustomed to a more premium feel. The chunky bezels feel a little outdated as well. At this price we just expect better build quality really. Similarly, while the battery is serviceable, dont expect a day-long gaming marathon unhooked from the power supply.

The Surface Pro 7 has established itself as the premier 2-in-1 laptop for work productivity and with good reason and one of the best laptops under 1,000.

The compact, lightweight design of the Surface laptop and laptop/tablet orientations suit professionals always on the move that need a reliable device. The attractive price also helps prop up Microsofts proposition with a laptop that boasts performance usually reserved for more expensive options.

The spec sheet reads 10th generation Intel Core i5-1035G4 [i3-1005G1 and i7-1065G7 also available], 8GB RAM [4GB and 8GB available], 256 SSD [128 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB available], 12.3-inch touch screen, 2736 x1 824 resolution, Iris Plus Graphics, USB-C, USB-A, audio jack, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.0.

As above, more powerful models are available, but with the $1000 price range in mind, this iteration proves the most well-rounded.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 comes into its own for work and productivity tasks with smooth operation even when jumping between multiple apps, web browsing, and the like.

Gaming performance on the Microsoft Surface laptop lags behind other laptops on our list, but you can expect a decent casual game experience.

One point that does detract from the overall quality of the Microsoft Surface laptop is middling battery life, partly due to the power-hungry Intel chip. Still, you can expect six hours of fairly intensive use per full charge and more for less demanding tasks.

Rounding off our pick of the best laptops under $1000 is the Acer Swift 3. Acer has succeeded in packing lots of value into the Acer Swift 3 with excellent performance, long battery life, and a compact, ultra-lightweight design.

Tapping into the power of an AMD Ryzen 7 4700U chip with Radeon Graphics, 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and a 512 GB SSD, the Acer Swift 3 sports excellent specs for the price. Switching out Intel for AMD pays dividends here with equivalent, if not better, performance at a more affordable price. Other features include a 14-inch display, 1080p FHD resolution, Wi-Fi 6, and 56 W battery.

With its AMD Ryzen CPU this is a real pleasure to use, the Swift 3 laptop is responsive and nippy, churning through casual use, productivity, and even a spot of gaming with ease.

The long battery life is nothing short of excellent with a full days use part and parcel of owning the Acer Swift 3. Fast charging also helps in that respect. Its also incredibly lightweight at 2.6 lbs and boasts a sturdy but slim aluminum-magnesium body.

The display is the only real feature where the Acer Swift 3 stutters. Its entirely decent but lacks the vibrant, crisp pop of other sub-$1000 options.

The excellent specifications soften the blow, but those that need clear, consistent colors for video or photo work may want to look elsewhere at this price point.