Best 15-inch Laptops – 2020 (Portable & Budget Friendly)

When you think about buying a new laptop, one of the first questions that come to your mind would probably be, “what size laptop do I need?”. Laptops today are available in a wide range of sizes, from ultraportable models to desktop replacement laptops, the options available to you are endless. This makes choosing the right size laptop for your needs much more difficult. Moreover, when it comes to choosing your laptop’s size, it depends not just on whether you need a smaller or larger model, but also on various other factors. Let’s take a deep look at what the best 15-inch laptops can be used for.

15-inch Laptop’s Purpose

When choosing the size of your laptop, the first factor you should consider is how and where you will be using the device; in short, the laptop’s purpose. If you are a frequent traveler or will be carrying your laptop to school or college on a daily basis, then the portability of the device should be your first consideration.

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you should go with a laptop with a smaller screen. This is because many manufacturers today have introduced 15-inch laptop models wrapped in a 14-inch frame. These devices are designed to be slim and light in weight while sporting a bigger 15-inch screen. Also, if your profession involves starting at the laptop screen for longer durations, like editing big documents, blogging, etc., you will hugely benefit from a 15-inch laptop.

Connectivity Options

Regardless of the type of work you do, if you know that you will need more ports or connectivity options on your device, then choosing a 15-inch laptop would be the viable option. Why? Because, as laptops get smaller and smaller, the number of ports they can actually fit lessens as well. With a 15-inch laptop, you are guaranteed to have a decent number of ports to suit most, if not all of your needs.

Graphics Card

Whether you are a gamer or a creator, one important aspect you would want in a laptop is a dedicated graphics card. For a laptop to be equipped with a good graphics card, it has to have more room to accommodate the GPU and its cooling, which means the laptop itself has to be pretty big. While there are some smaller laptops out there with pretty decent graphics options, a 15-inch laptop is again your best bet if you really want a proper GPU in your device.

Now that you know 15-inch laptop is the best option if you are looking for the features discussed above, or even if you have already decided to purchase one, here are the best 15-inch laptops that should be on your list for consideration:

7 Best 15-inch Laptops of 2020

15-Inch Laptop Reviews

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1. Acer Aspire E 15 Laptop (E5-576G-5762) Best Value for Money

If you have a strict budget to stick to when purchasing the best 15-inch laptop, Acer is one of the top go-to brands. Popular for their budget-friendly laptop models, the brand always offers great value in terms of features and specifications, and this particular model from Acer’s E 15 series is yet another example for the same.

The first point you are likely to notice about the E5-576G-5762 laptop is its pretty big and bulky body. The device weighs 5.27 pounds, which lies in the mid-range in terms of weight, and has a thickness of 1.19 inches. Though the laptop is not really huge and impossible to be carried around, it is still bulkier than many other devices in the category.

In terms of its appearance, though it is not the best-looking laptop in the 15-inch lineup, it is still quite professional yet really simple. However, you could face some level of flex when handling the machine, contributed by its plastic body.

The display you get with this Acer E 15 laptop is a 15.6-inch full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution widescreen LED-backlit IPS display. Despite its full HD resolution, the display quality is quite mediocre, less than average color output and brightness. However, since this is an IPS display, you can expect to have really decent viewing angles. Above everything, it is the thick bezel of the device that fails to make the display impressive.

Powering up the Acer Aspire E 15 E5-576G-5762 laptop is the 8th generation Intel Core i5-8250U processor, which can reach maximum clock speeds of up to 3.5 GHz. Yes, there are devices in the price range that come with processors delivering better clock speeds; regardless, this processor will be able to handle all your daily multitasking needs without pushing it. The device carries an 8 GB RAM and for storage, you get 256 GB SSD.

For graphics, what you get with this laptop is NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics with 2 GB of dedicated VRAM. With this graphics card, you will have no problem playing your favorite games, as well as engage in some creative activities, such as video editing, without facing issues. For battery life, the device is able to last for around 9 hours on a full charge.

 

💡Did you know? The Acer Aspire E 15 is one of the best-selling budget 15-inch laptops. It lies under $600 price range and if you are looking for some more laptops under $600 price bracket, then take a look at this guide with other great options.

2. Lenovo ThinkPad E15 – 15-inch Laptop

Lenovo ThinkPad E15 is a robust and dominant notebook in the 15-inch laptop lineage and is also a solid laptop for teachers and working professionals. It is equipped with an Intel Quad-Core i5-10210U processor speeding from 1.6-4.2GHz. 16GB DDR4 RAM is sufficient system storage for snaking through multiple professional software at a time when it is supported by a super-speed 512GB PCIe SSD.

The rugged-body Aluminum fabrication is proven to withstand any climate after passing the MIL-SPEC test. The ultraportable ultrathin laptop contains a 15.6-inch FHD Anti-glare TN Display with 1080p resolution and 220nits of peak brightness which makes outdoor visibility a bit problematic. However, the max resolution for the external monitor is set for a 4k standard. Intel UHD 620 integrated GPU can handle any light graphics work. The Windows 10 Pro preloaded business laptop is provided with a full-size chiclet keyboard.

A 180-degree hinge movement is a nice approach for any professional and study purposes for continuing day-long jobs. However, less than 4 hours of battery power is a dealbreaker for that. The 720p camera is advanced with ThinkShutter technology. The sound quality is also notable.

It has a pretty conventional network approach with the dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5, which maintains consistency in the wireless signal. With ports-variety of USB 3.1 Type-C, two USB 3.1 Gen1, one USB 2.0, and HDMI we have got RJ-45 and an audio jack to serve your common day-to-day needs from a full-fledged 15-inch laptop.

 

💡Along with Lenovo Ideapad 330, there are many other laptops with i5 processor and 15.6″, 13″ and 17″ display. Consider checking out the best i5 laptops for more interesting models.

3. ASUS VivoBook S512 S15 Laptop

While checking another slick yet powerful laptop in the 15-inch category, the Asus VivoBook S15-S512FL-PH77 could be a perfect companion as a workstation device. A solid specification of the Intel Quad-Core i7-10510U processor with 8MB cache and Turbo Boost ability up to 4.9GHz is coupled with 16 GB of DDR4 RAM and 256GB of PCIe SSD for a blazing-fast multitasking capability. 1TB SATA HDD is another innovative addition for gigantic storage capacity.

Even with a silver-colored metal chassis, this laptop weighs only 4lbs to become your perfect mate for carrying around. The 15.6-inch LED-backlit FHD display showcases a 178-degree wide-view angle inside the almost frameless NanoEdge bezel, which offers an 87% screen-to-body ratio for a clean-view 1080p resolution window. The dedicated NVIDIA GeForce MX250 GPU with its 2GB VRAM enables a crispy graphical representation on this Windows 10 Home preloaded laptop.

The exclusive Ergolift hinge of this laptop automatically lifts the backlit keyboard to 2 degrees for an ultimate typing position. This unique feature also helps to keep heat production at bay. The trackpad beneath the keyboard is very responsive and has a fingerprint scanner that can work with Windows Hello.

Drain this beast for nearly 8 hours before you plug it in. However, the in-built camera may flicker sometimes. Also, the sound quality is not good enough. The built-in Bluetooth 4.2 and 802.11ac Wifi 5 gives you fast and reliable wireless communication that you can always depend on. A USB Type-C, one USB 3.1, and two USB 2.0 ports along with HDMI, audio jack, and MicroSD card reader represents a full-fledged I/O section for a 15-inch notebook.

 

💡Have you read the post: Best Laptops for Nursing Students [Suggest it to a friend who’s a medical science student]

4. Lenovo S145 with 15-inch Display

If you are a student looking for a good-looking as well as an efficient 15-inch laptop while sticking within your budget, then the 2019 Lenovo S145 could be just what you need. As one of the affordable laptop models from the brand, yes, the device has a few flaws here and there, but those are compromises that you can afford to make for the amount you pay.

For the start, despite its minimalist look, the S145 looks really stylish and will be loved by students. Its simple design makes it a great choice for both school and office use, and the dual-tone interior makes it even more attractive. Backing the attractive design is its decent weight and thickness, 4.08 pounds and 0.8 inches respectively, which make this device ideal for those of you constantly on the go.

The display on the Lenovo S145 is a 15.6-inch full HD LED-backlit non-touch display, where the screen resolution is 1920 x 1080. The display comes with an antiglare coating, which is great as eliminating reflections in different lighting conditions.

The display, on the whole, is quite decent, delivering good visual output, brightness, and viewing angles. The narrow bezel of the display not only makes the laptop’s design look cleaner but also gives you a larger display area to work with without any distractions.

The Lenovo S145 is powered by the latest 8th generation Intel Core i7-8565U processor, with maximum clock speeds of 4.6 GHz. This quad-core processor delivers eight-way processing, and its high-efficiency power enables it to perform a wide range of intense tasks, let alone everyday multitasking. With 12 GB DDR4 RAM and 256 GB SSD, you have sufficient memory and storage space, which together make for good speeds and performance.

Intel UHD Graphics 620 is the graphics option you get with the device. As you would be aware, this on-processor graphics is a basic GPU setting, which provides only basic image quality for everyday use, and enables casual gaming and basic photo editing.

If you are into graphics-intensive gaming or carry out other similar tasks, you would be disappointed. When it comes to battery life, you can expect around 5 hours and 30 minutes of run time from the device on a full charge.

 

5. LG Gram 15Z990 Laptop with 15-inch FHD Display

While most 15-inch laptops always weigh at least in the range of 3.5 to 4 pounds, LG Gram is perhaps the only model we have come across so far that weighs only around 2.5 pounds, which is absolutely remarkable. Therefore, if you have been waiting for an ultraportable with a 15.6-inch display for a long time now, then the LG Gram 15Z990 would be the ideal choice.

Unlike with other laptops, where the first thing you would notice is the exterior design, with the LG Gram, you cannot help but notice how lightweight the laptop really is. As mentioned, the device weight only 2.44 pounds, and is 0.7 inches thick, which makes it an extremely lightweight 15-inch laptop.

Despite its lightweight nature, the laptop is still durable, because the body is made from full metal premium nano carbon magnesium, which is known to be solid than the shell of traditional laptops. In fact, the device has passed several military-grade tests, which backs up its durability claims.

The LG Gram 15Z990 comes with a 15.6-inch full HD IPS touchscreen display with an ultra-slim bezel. The 1080p screen resolution is able to deliver crisp and vivid visuals. However, brightness is an area where the display lags, as a result of which using the laptop outdoors can be troublesome. Thanks to the IPS panel, the viewing angles of the display are really good. The touchscreen is designed to be really responsive, promptly responding to swipes and taps. But, there is no pen support, which some users might prefer.

The device is powered by the latest 8th generation Intel Core i7-8565U processor, a maximum clock speed of which is 4.6 GHz. As already mentioned, this processor is capable of handling all the tougher tasks you throw at it, right from daily multitasking to professional photo or video editing, especially with its impressive maximum clock speed in Turbo mode. The 16 GB RAM and 1 TB (2 x 512 GB) SSD further push the performance of the device.

The integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 is good for a basic photo and video editing, and you can also play less demanding games without any concern. However, if you need the laptop to watch 4K videos, perform graphics-intensive tasks, or play the latest versions of games, this GPU wouldn’t support any of it.

If there is one area where the LG Gram excels, it would be its battery life. The device has a run time of around 14 hours on a single charge, which is an unbeatable number.

 

💡Do you know? LG Gram 15Z990 is one of the high-end laptops which can run the Linux operating system. Also, if you are an ethical hacker and do a lot of penetration testing then this model from LG might work great for you. Here are some other good laptops for Kali Linux.

6. Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch Laptop

When you are looking for the best 15-inch laptop, you cannot forget about the MacBook Pro. Always known for its excellent build quality and great performance, the MacBook is a widely preferred device among people with varied needs.

The latest MacBook Pro is also one such package, which has more positive aspects than negative. It’s not only the choice of modern students but has also been loved a lot by budding and professional architects. It has also been mentioned in our list of laptops for architecture students.

As always, Apple stands out with the design and build quality of their machines, which is easily reflective in the MacBook Pro as well. Available in Space Gray and Silver color options, the device looks elegant from the exterior, carrying the standard Apple MacBook design all over.

Yes, the design does get a bit boring, but the brand compensates it with the excellent quality of the device. The use of aluminum in building the device makes it highly durable. Weighing just over 4 pounds and 0.6 inches thick, the laptop is fairly portable.

Apple MacBook Pro comes with a 15.4-inch LED-backlit Retina display with IPS technology. The resolution of the display is 2880 x 1800. The Retina display is able to deliver a good level of brightness, is accurate and colorful, and also reduces strain to your eyes.

The color and visual output from the display is really good and more natural, thanks to the True Tone technology. In fact, this is one of the best you can get in terms of the display from a 15-inch laptop.

The device is powered by the latest 2.4 GHz 8-core Intel Core i9 with Turbo Boost up to 5.0 GHz. Evidently, this happens to be the most powerful processor on a 15-inch laptop present on our list. As a result, what you have is one of the fastest devices you can get that can deliver excellent computing performance. Also, this 15-inch MacBook Pro can be configured with a maximum of 32 GB of DDR4 memory, and its storage can go up to 4 TB in SSD.

For graphics, the device carries Radeon Pro 555x Graphics with 4 GB video memory. The GPU packs impressive power, and along with the 4 GB memory, you can enjoy seamless, real-time performance from your favorite games, including 3D ones. The battery life you can expect from the MacBook Pro is between 7 and 8 hours, making it one of the best 15-inch laptops available on the market.

 

7. Dell XPS 15 9570 Touchscreen Recommended 15-inch Laptop

In your quest for a 15-inch laptop, what we have here on our list is a premium 4K UHD touchscreen laptop from Dell. The XPS 15 9570 is one top-end laptop models from the brand that packs quite a punch and is equally high-priced.

The Dell XPS 15 9570 is an attractive laptop, with its silver finish on the outside. The internal soft-touch black finish gives the outside great contrast, which adds to the attractiveness of the device. The laptop is sleek and professional-looking, and at 3.97 pounds and 0.7 inches, this is one of the very few 15-inch 4K laptops that is fairly lightweight and slim, making it a portable option.

The 15.6-inch touchscreen InfinityEdge Anti-Reflective 4K Ultra HD display is definitely the highlight of this laptop. When it is 4K Ultra HD, your screen resolution will be 3840 x 2160, which is capable of delivering amazing colors and visuals, perfect for any task you wish to perform on the device. This is yet another laptop that comes with thin bezels, and the touchscreen works really well too.

The XPS 15 9570 is geared up by the 8th generation Intel Core i7-8750H 6-core processor, which can reach up to 4.1 GHz with Turbo Boost. Along with the 32 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD, you can expect the machine to perform really well, handling most of the tasks you require it to excel in. With the 4 GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Graphics, you can engage in some full HD gaming, but nothing beyond that. In terms of battery life, you can expect anywhere between 5 and 8 hours, based on the intensity of the tasks you perform on the device.

 

💡Did you know? The Dell XPS 15 9570 is a recommended laptop award winner and the credit goes to the perfect balance of software and hardware structure which makes it a perfect beast for multitasking. It has also been a preferred choice for web developers. If you are a coding pro or a budding programmer, this post about on the best laptops for programming might help you a lot.

Conclusion

As discussed earlier, a 15-inch laptop is your best bet on various fronts. And regardless of your needs, you will be able to find several feature-rich models in this category. From high-performance processors to 4K displays and everything in between, you have an infinite array of options to choose from.