The best artificial intelligence laptops at CES 2025
From MacBook-like mobility to "rollable" screens, these PCs have it all.
It was easy to identify a common thread among the new Windows laptops on display at CES 2025. Beyond the expected next-generation upgrades, this year's major trade expo was focused on convincing more people to embrace the concept of AI-powered PCs.
With customers still hesitant to adopt AI laptops, preferring hardware advancements over sophisticated software capabilities, organizations' selling reasons have to come from a variety of perspectives. Most embraced price, promising to deliver Qualcomm's forthcoming entry-level Snapdragon X chip to dozens of low-cost devices.
(Copilot + PCs at the same price as excellent Chromebooks? Yes, please. Some experimented with innovative building materials, targeting environmentally aware buyers with chassis constructed of oyster shells and lighter "plasma ceramic aluminum." One manufacturer just renamed all of its long-standing laptop models in the goal of making it easier for customers to locate the AI PC that best meets their needs—but it does not appear to have gone down well.
And then there's Lenovo, which introduced a unique new "rollable" display AI laptop solely to test what was feasible with OLED technology. This time, it is also genuine.
The best desktop computers and PC components will be on display at CES 2025
After numerous hours on the Las Vegas Strip and considerable debate, here are our three best AI laptops from CES 2025, along with a few notable honorable mentions.
The best AI laptop overall is the Asus Zenbook A14.
Asus' new 14-inch ultraportable weighs as low as 2.18 pounds, depending on the model, and is made of a magnesium-aluminum alloy dubbed "Ceraluminum" that is sleek, strong, and 100 percent recyclable. It has a stunning OLED display, a gesture-controlled touchpad, and a battery life of up to 32 hours per charge, which is unequaled among laptops in Mashable's testing database. Asus hasn't openly stated so, but all things considered, this is a clear answer to Apple MacBook Air. (The numerals in its name even resemble the word "AIR.") It's also fairly reasonably priced.
Starting January 13, a Snapdragon X Elite configuration will be available for $1,099.99 at Best Buy and on Asus' website. This March, Best Buy will offer a Snapdragon X version for $899.99.
The most revolutionary AI laptop: Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable.
Lenovo's new 14-inch business laptop with a "rollable" OLED display is set to hit the market shortly, as we predicted. Users may extend the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6's screen with a simple hand gesture or the press of a dedicated key; the display pulls smoothly up from behind the keyboard, providing 50% extra vertical real estate. Lenovo spent two years developing its design after debuting it as a concept, and it's quite solid and polished in person. It's an appealing new option to dual-display laptops for hardcore multitaskers, if you can afford it.
The ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 will be priced at $3,499 when it is released later in Q1 2024.
The most surprising AI laptop: Acer Aspire Vero 16.
Acer's newest Aspire Vero 16 gives new meaning to the term "clamshell laptop." The chassis is largely composed of oyster shells mined in Taiwan, where the company's headquarters are located. The shells are cleaned, crushed, and blended with a composition of over 70% post-consumer recycled plastic, yielding a tough gray casing with a somewhat speckled look. It's powered by Intel's recently unveiled Core Ultra 200H CPUs.
The Aspire Vero 16 will be on sale in April for $799.99.
Honorable mention: Several new GeForce RTX 50 Series gaming laptops.
Nvidia's GeForce RTX 50 Series announcement was one of the highlights of CES 2025, and we got a first peek at a few forthcoming gaming laptops that would use them. (This includes the redesigned Razer Blade 16, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16, and the HP Omen Max 16, as shown above.) We didn't get to play anything on them—they simply looped a few clips in our demos—so all we can say for now is that they all seem really shiny and costly. However, we look forward to examining a slew of them once they become available in March. Next-generation PC gaming is soon here.
Honorable Mention: Asus Adol 14 Air.
Asus dedicated a tiny section of its CES booth to their scented notebook, created in collaboration with fashion designer Anna Sui, and has a delicate, swappable fragrance diffuser embedded into the middle of the lid. It's gimmicky, yes, but it's also really cute. The notebook comes in four pastel hues, including a purple one with butterfly decorations and a matching quilted travel cover. It is now only accessible in China, but it may become available elsewhere soon. Put me down for one, please.
Topics: technology, laptops, Lenovo
The best artificial intelligence laptops at CES 2025
The best desktop computers and PC components will be on display at CES 2025
Asus, Lenovo, Acer, and Other Manufacturers Offer the Best Laptops at CES 2025