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.

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 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 with 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 a good 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 Ideapad 330 Budget 15-inch Laptop

Once again, a mid-range 15-inch laptop model from Lenovo, the 2019 Ideapad 330 is a solid laptop for teachers and working professionals. While the device comes with a lot of perks on offer, there are, however, certain areas that still need improvement, especially if you are after a high-performance machine.

The design of the Lenovo Ideapad 330 is just basic. The whole laptop is plain, with rounded corners, sporting a silver finish with the standard chrome logo in one corner of the lid. The overall design of the device is not really appealing. If you are someone with less interest in design or prefer your laptop to be very simple, then this design could appeal to you. Since the body is made of plastic, the device does flex under pressure, which is a drawback. Weighing 4.84 pounds and with a thickness of 0.9 inches, this device is neither highly portable nor very bulky to carry.

The display option with the Ideapad 330 is a 15.6-inch HD LED touchscreen display with multitouch support, where the screen resolution is 1366 x 768. Before anything, the fact that the laptop doesn’t come with a full HD display, similar to the several other laptops in the category and price range, is really disappointing. With the available HD display, you cannot expect much in terms of visual clarity. The viewing angles of the device are not great either, which can really hinder your gaming or movie watching experience.

Powering up the Lenovo Ideapad 330 is the 8th generation Intel Core i5-8250U processor, with maximum clock speeds of 3.4 GHz. While this processor is an improvement from the previous versions, it still is not as efficient as other CPUs you can find on machines. However, you will still be able to multitask and engage in moderately creative tasks without much trouble. The memory in the device is 8 GB DDR4 RAM and for storage, you have a 1 TB HDD.

Another downfall of the Lenovo Ideapad 330 is its graphics. With the Intel UHD Graphics 620, you cannot perform graphics-intensive tasks, whether it is gaming or video editing. For battery life, the device is capable of running for up to only 5 hours, which is really low in comparison to other models on our list.

 

💡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 S15 S512 Laptop

Whether you are looking for a compact laptop that you can carry along during your business trips, or a reliable one for everyday college use, the ASUS VivoBook S15 S512 is one top model you should definitely take a look at.

Right off the bat, the design of the VivoBook S15 S512 is something any user will love. Neither too flashy nor too plain, the device has everything going right in terms of its overall design. With its classic silver metal finish, the laptop carries a sophisticated look. One of the highlights of its design is the ErgoLift hinge, which enables the keyboard to be set at an angle, implemented to improve your typing experience. To make it a proper travel-friendly laptop, the device is designed to weigh under 4 pounds, with a thickness of 0.7 inches.

With the ASUS VivoBook S15 S512, you get a 15.6-inch full HD. Yes, 1080p screen resolution delivers good visuals and brightness. But, what’s more, attractive about the display is the four-sided NanoEdge display, which comes with a smaller footprint, providing you with an amazing 88% screen-to-body ratio, which will be beneficial for a lot of tasks that you perform.

The laptop is powered by the 8th generation Intel Core i7-8565U processor, which is powerful enough to reach clock speeds up to 4.6 GHz. This processor belongs to the higher end of Intel Core’s 8th generation processor lineup and is capable of performing all the heavier tasks you want it to carry out. From watching high-resolution videos to performing video editing, this processor can support everything. For memory, you have an 8 GB RAM, and for storage, you get a combination of 256 GB SSD and 1 TB HDD.

However, for graphics, you only get the Intel UHD Graphics 620, which is just basic and doesn’t let you perform highly demanding graphics-related tasks. On a single full charge, the laptop is able to run for more than 7 hours.

 

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

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 weight 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 and Pen-Testing.

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.

 

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.