7 Different 4K Laptops You Can Buy in 2023

On a laptop, there are few things as important as the quality of the screen, which is why the idea of a 4K laptop has recently taken the industry by storm.

A few years ago, the idea of a 4K laptop was something many consumers could not have imagined, but today, there are numerous 4K laptops available for purchase even as their price tag is right around what you might expect for a best-in-class viewing experience. For anyone who values high resolution gaming or watching Netflix in its best possible quality, you want something in a laptop that can give you the best detail possible on screen. 

Let’s take a look at the best 4K laptops you can buy in 2023.

Best Overall: Dell XPS 15

When it comes to computers for the everyday user that offers 4K screen resolution, the Dell XPS 15 is going to be the best choice.

Packing a 15.6-inch 4K Ultra HD display with 3456 x 2160p resolution, you can expect outstanding clarity and detail with every task or video. The InfinityEdge anti-reflective touch display is as much of a joy to use as it is to watch while offering six million more pixels than 1080p Full HD. Dell claims that with this display you can expect to edit images with pinpoint accuracy which is something photo editors will jump for. 

Beyond the display, you have plenty of power with a 12th-generation Intel Core i9 processor, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card which includes its own 4GB of dedicated RAM. With this processor and graphic combination, you should be able to breeze through everyday tasks like opening up as many browser tabs in Chrome as you dare. 

Even in a 15-inch size, the Dell XPS 15 is still very slim to the tune of 0.71 inches while still offering around 13 hours of battery life with its 4K screen. 

Best Overall

Dell XPS 15 9520 Laptop (2022)

$2,386.99

• 15.6" 4K Touch
• Core i9
• 1TB SSD
• 32GB RAM
• 3050 Ti
• 14 Cores @ 5 GHz
• 12th Gen CPU

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11/27/2023 02:31 am GMT

Best for Gaming: Razer Blade 15

If you can look past the jaw-dropping price tag, the Razer Blade 15 is the best gaming laptop you can pick up in 2023 with a 4K display.

Running in 4K Ultra HD with a 144Hz refresh rate, gamers make every bit of use of the NVIDIA GeForce 3080 Ti GPU, which includes its own 16GB of dedicated DDR6 memory for powering through all of the latest AAA games. Adding to the power structure is a 12th-generation Intel Core i9 processor that can boost all the way up to 5.3Ghz, giving you all of the zoom you need to get through games, multiple applications, and everyday PC work. Should you want to do so, Razer makes it easy to add more storage and RAM for extra power boosts.

Best of all, the Razer Blade 15 comes out of the box with zero — that’s right, zero — bloatware, which is reason enough to spend a fortune on this laptop. Instead of worrying about uninstalling a dozen unnecessary preloaded applications, you can jump right into gaming. This means you get Razer’s typical black metal chassis that looks and feels just as good as it performs, which is pretty great with its 4K screen.  

Best for Gaming

Razer Blade 15 Gaming Laptop

$3,109.99

• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
• 12th Gen Intel 14-Core i9 CPU
• 15.6" 4K UHD 114Hz
• 32GB DDR5 RAM
• 1TB PCIe SSD
• Windows 11
• CNC Aluminum
• Chroma RGB
• Thunderbolt 4

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11/27/2023 02:31 am GMT

Best Portable: Dell XPS 13

Like its larger sibling, the Dell XPS 15, the Dell XPS 13 is as good as it gets for a 4K screen in a portable laptop package.

If you want the best the Dell XPS 13 has to offer, spring for the Dell XPS 13 9310 and its 4K UHD+ display. Offering a resolution of 3840 x 2400p at 500 nits, this is one of the best displays available in a laptop package that is both portable and powerful. 

The power comes from the 11th-generation Intel Core i7 processor which is paired with 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD. Not only do you have enough power to push through the day, but you also have enough space to download as many movies as you want to view on the InfinityEdge touch display. As a bonus, Dolby Vision is included, which Dell claims makes content 40 times brighter than previous Dell XPS 13 models.

The portable size doesn’t mean the computer lacks ports either as you can connect the Dell XPS 13 to plenty of accessories through the three USB-C ports and two USB-A connections. Add in enough battery to last throughout the day and this is the complete 4K package, sized just right for a small backpack. 

Best Portable

Dell XPS 9310 Thin and Light Touchscreen Laptop

$2,099.00

• 13.4" UHD+ 4K display
• Intel Core i7-1185G7
• 32GB LPDDR4x RAM
• 2TB SSD
• Intel Iris Xe Graphics
• Windows 10
• Platinum silver

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11/27/2023 02:31 am GMT

Best Workstation: HP ZBook Firefly G8

When it comes to big screens and big performance, the HP ZBook Firefly G8 delivers all of the above and does so with a bigger name.

You can add one more big reference as soon as you look at the price tag, but for the price, you get excellent performance in a 17.3-inch laptop. Powered by an 11th-generation Intel Core i7 processor with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive, there is enough power to keep you going at all times. 

When it comes to a laptop workstation, sometimes you need a break from all things work related and want to jump in and do a little gaming on the side. Thankfully, the HP Zbook Firefly G8 also includes a NVIDIA Quadro T1000 GPU with 4GB of dedicated RAM. While it won’t compare to a 3060/3070 GPU performance wise, it’s more than good enough for gaming sessions. 

Of course, everything around the HP Zbook Firefly G8 centers around the display and with 3840 x 2160p resolution, you have plenty of screen real estate to perform a wide variety of tasks.

Best Workstation

HP ZBook Firefly G8 15.6" Mobile Workstation Laptop

$3,199.00

• 15.6" display
• 4K UHD
• 3840 X 2160p resolution
• Intel Core i7 (11th Gen) i7-1185G7 Quad-core (4 core)
• 32GB RAM
• 1TB SSD
• Windows 10 Pro
• NVIDIA Quadro T1000 with 4GB

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11/27/2023 02:31 am GMT

Best Features: Asus Zenbook Pro Duo 

When it comes to the wow factor with a 4K laptop, few computers do it better in 2023 than the Asus Zenbook Pro Duo.

Right from the jump, you are immediately drawn to the second display, which is something almost no other laptop can claim to have. The second screen is a 14-inch wide and 4.3-inch 3840 x 1100p touchscreen that sits above the keyboard and is a great tool for illustration, video editing, and more. As it tilts up as high as 9.5 degrees, the second screen is ergonomically friendly and helps drive an entirely new creative workflow. This is multitasking at its absolute best and is likely a glimpse into the future of laptop design. 

Second screen aside, turn your attention to the primary 15.6-inch 4K OLED UHD display which is, in a word, gorgeous. Paired with a 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, 1 TB SSD, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 3070 GPU, and there appears to be very little the Asus Zenbook Pro Duo cannot handle. 

Speaking of things this laptop can handle, the Zenbook Pro Duo meets military standards for durability, which includes a MIL-STD 810G rating for handling heat, cold, and harsh environments.

Best Features

ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15

$2,199.00

• 15.6" OLED 4K UHD Touch Display
• Intel Core i7-10870H
• 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
• GeForce RTX 3070
• ScreenPad Plus
• Windows 10 Pro

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11/27/2023 04:47 am GMT

Best for Creators: Gigabyte Aero 15

Gigabyte isn’t the first computer manufacturer name many buyers gravitate to when looking for a new machine, but the Gigabyte Aero 15 hopes to change that.

What stands out most with the Aero 15 is its color-accurate 4K panel. The 15.6-inch UHD 3840 x 2160p display utilizes Samsung AMOLED technology, which all but guarantees you are going to enjoy photo and video editing.  

As a creator, you will want a break from work every now and then and that’s why Gigabyte included an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU with its own set of 6GB of dedicated DDR6 RAM. Throw in 16GB of system RAM (upgradeable to 64GB) plus 512GB of storage and it’s easy to see why the Gigabyte Aero 15 is a creator’s dream. Not to mention you have a total of nine ports including multiple Thunderbolt/USB-C ports as well as an SD card reader for quickly grabbing video clips right off a camera. 

If the Gigabyte Aero 15 has any downsides, it’s that it weighs a little over five pounds but if you can keep this laptop in one place, creators are going to be thrilled with its display and performance. 

Best for Creators

GIGABYTE AERO 15

• 15.6" UHD 4K AMOLED IPS
• Intel Core i7
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU 6GB GDDR6
• 16GB RAM
• 512GB SSD
• Windows 10 Pro

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Please note: As of July 19, 2023, the GIGABYTE AERO 15 with the specs mentioned above is out of stock on Amazon. Check back for availability.

Best 2-in-1: HP Spectre x360

While the 2-in-1 computer hasn’t quite taken off with the public as much as computer manufacturers like HP would have hoped, the HP Spectre x360 is still a fantastic 4K machine.

As a 16-inch 2-in-1 computer, the x360 can completely twist 180 degrees so the screen of the computer essentially becomes a tablet. This is good news for 4K screen fans as writing, drawing and browsing on this 3840 x 2400p OLED screen is a pure joy. 

In fact, the whole computer is wonderful to use when you factor in a 12th-generation Intel Core i7 processor with a boost up to 4.7Ghz, 12-cores, 16-threads, and a dedicated Intel ARC graphics card with 4GB of dedicated RAM. This is on top of the already existing 32GB of system RAM which complements the 1TB drive. The 4K x360 is available in smaller sizes like a 14-inch display, but the brighter AMOLED display in the 16-inch size shows just how color accurate a 4K display can really be on a laptop.  

As long as you keep your expectations to some light gaming, you can pick up the HP Spectre x360 and use it for all types of creativity as a must-own for any 2-in-1 fan. 

Best 2-in-1

HP Spectre x360

• 16" Touch 4K OLED
• 2-in-1 laptop
• Intel i7-1260P 12-Core
• 32GB RAM
• 1TB PCIe SSD
• Intel ARC A370M 4GB
• Backlit KYB
• FP
• Thunderbolt 4
• Active Pen
• Windows 11 Pro
• With Dockztorm Hub

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Please note: As of July 19, 2023, the HP Spectre x360 with the specs listed above is out of stock on Amazon. Check back for availability.

How to Pick the Best 4K Laptop: Step-by-Step

Picking a 4K laptop isn’t as easy as choosing a regular laptop as you need to consider a few important factors, including:

• Display
• Battery life
• Performance
• Storage

Let’s break them down below.

Display

Choosing a display type for a 4K laptop should be relatively easy as they all have roughly the same resolution. However, you also need to consider refresh rate, brightness, and the type of panel available. For example, Samsung’s AMOLED technology is a step above most of the competition which makes the Gigabyte Aero 15 a big winner. 

Battery Life

The more powerful the display, the more likely it is to help chew through your battery faster. Look for a long battery life like that of the Dell XPS 15, which offers close to 13 hours of run time. Having a 4K display on a laptop is great, so long as you can use it for more than an hour or two. 

Performance

Both RAM and your CPU will make a big difference in how a computer performs. Fortunately, in the case of 4K laptops, you are still looking (mostly) at higher-end hardware so it’s important to make sure you are getting the latest Intel chips, at least 16GB of RAM or more. Anything less than that and your computer may not have the right hardware to push all of the 4K pixels on screen plus keep more than a few tabs of Chrome open. 

Storage

Having a 4K laptop almost begs for you to watch 4K content so having enough storage to hold a wide variety of 4K content is going to come in handy. The last thing you want is to try and download a movie only to find out you don’t have enough space to download it. The same goes for gaming on a 4K screen as games can take up hundreds of megabytes so it’s important to have enough storage for them as well. 

Using a 4K Laptop: What It’s Like

Unsurprisingly, using a 4K laptop is pretty great as there is something truly special about using this type of display on the go. Even if you never take your laptop anywhere, watching movies, playing games, or  even brief YouTube clips are so much better on a 4K screen. For now, no matter what you want to do on a 4K computer, you are going to pay a bit more in 2023 as the inclusion of this display technology is still somewhat limited. 

Whether you are a creator, gamer, or someone who works morning till night on a laptop, doing it in 4K is going to make things a little bit easier each time. When you need to be in front of a computer, having the best possible monitor is going to be better for your eyes in terms of reading, looking at photos, setting up PowerPoints, and more.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©FOTOGRIN/Shutterstock.com.