Best Thin and Light Laptop PCs

Thin and light laptops are beginning to morph more into performance systems. This means they have also tended to add a bit more heft and weight than they have in the past. A new crop of 16-inch models have also entered the segment. Performance continues to improve thanks to advances from Intel and NVIDIA. They continue to remain as the primary workhorse laptops for both business and consumers. Here are my selections for the best laptops with 14 to 16-inch displays based upon my research and experience.

Best Value - HP Pavilion dv5-1250us 15.4-inch

The Pavilion dv5-1250us certainly isn't one of the latest laptop designs on the market. What it does offer is a very solid performance laptop this isn't too big but also comes in with a price tag that is under $800. Unlike most laptops that use the Intel processors, this one uses an AMD Turion X2 ZM-80 dual core processor that helps keep the costs down. Performance is good but goes lag behind a little. The 400GB hard drive is above the more typical 320GB size and the DVD burner can burn labels to LightScribe compatible media. It even manages to include a dedicated graphics processor for those looking to play some casual 3D games from time to time. The downsides are the very reflective display screen and a fair amount of trialware. Read Review

Best Overall - Apple MacBook Pro 15.4-inch

Apple's laptop certainly isn't inexpensive, but it makes up for it with strong performance, excellent design, durable chassis and being one of the most portable 15.4-inch laptops on the market. The 15-inch MacBook Pro stands out because of its solid block aluminum case design that helps keep the weight down yet makes it very sturdy. Performance is strong thanks to the Intel Core 2 Duo processor, DDR3 memory and hybrid graphics system that can switch between an integrated or dedicated processor depending upon the performance demands. The biggest downside beyond the price is the storage and memory amounts are below average and it has fewer USB ports than Windows based PCs.

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Best Gaming - MSI GT627-216US 15.4-inch

Gaming on a laptop doesn't necessarily mean an extremely large and heavy design that costs thousands of dollars. The MSI GT627-216US offers up a laptop that is just 1.2-inches thick, weighs 5.6 pounds yet comes equipped with Intel Core 2 Duo processor, DDR3 memory, 15.4-inch display and an NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GS graphics processor with 1GB of video memory. This allows the laptop to play all the current PC games without issues up to its 1280x800 resolution panel. It can even go higher when using external displays. And the best part, the price tag is under $1100. Some may be disappointed by the limited performance of the sound or the fair amount of keyboard flex, but it is hard to beat the gaming performance for the price. Read Review

Best Display - Dell Studio XPS 16 16-inch

When someone needs a laptop for use with professional graphics work, the display is a critical aspect. It needs to provide a bright, high color display that can most accurately reflect the final graphic work. This is where the Dell Studio XPS 16 with its LED backlit 16-inch display panel really excel. It provides some of the best brightness and color possible in the laptop display. While the more expensive 1920x1080 display provides a better experience, the lower 1366x768 display is still quite good. Like most new laptop displays, it features a glossy coating that produces a lot of reflections. Performance and features are also quite good with Core 2 Duo processors and DDR3 memory. Battery life is a bit lower than average. Read Review

Most Portable - Toshiba Satellite E105-S1402 14.1-inch

This Best Buy exclusive laptop may not be the highest performance or stylish on the market, but with its 14.1-inch display, 1.2-inch thick case and five pound weight, it is easily one of the smallest and lightest laptops in this category. The $800 price tag makes it also very attractive to those on tighter budget. It comes with an aluminum trimmed case that definitely gives it a higher price look even though it isn't as nice as Apple's design. The Core 2 Duo P8400 may not be as quick as newer laptops but this helps it have an above average battery life. It does ship with 3GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive though. The big downside to the Satellite E105 is the integrated graphics preventing it from doing much 3D work. Read Review

Best Business - Lenovo ThinkPad T500 15.4-inch

Business users have a very different set of needs from those of consumers. They generally put their laptops through more abuse because of frequent travel and use. Lenovo has been a leader in business class laptops for good reason. Their new ThinkPad T500 offers up a very sturdy design that business users can trust. It also features probably the best keyboard around for a laptop system. Performance is good thanks to the use of Core 2 Duo processors and DDR3 memory. It also uses a hybrid graphics system that can use an integrated graphics processor or an ATI Radeon HD 3650 depending upon what performance is required. The best part is that Lenovo sells the system with an XP downgrade that many corporations will greatly appreciate. Read Review

source by: Mark Kyrnin