Best Windows on Arm laptops in 2025

Running Windows on Arm devices is nothing new at this point. Since 2017, we've been seeing a full version of Windows running on PCs with Arm processors, but 2024 has been a pivotal year for this market segment. Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon X series of chipsets, which changed everything we could expect from Windows laptops, and with Windows 11 version 24H2, the operating system is also more optimized than ever for Arm along with introducing Copilot+ PCs.

That mens it's never been a more exciting time to buy a Windows on Arm laptop, and there's never been this much choice in the past, either. So if you're looking to get your very own, here are the best options with our seal of approval.

Best Windows on Arm laptops in 2024

Microsoft has always made some incredibly popular laptops, but with the Surface Laptop 7, the company has truly justified its position with one of the best laptops of the year. it really just nails everything from the performance to the design. In his review, Rich Woods said "I think this is the best Surface Laptop ever", and he's not wrong.

Like all the laptops on this list, the Surface Laptop 7 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X series of processors, with your choice of a Snapdragon X 10-core or a Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 (with 12 cores and dual-core boost). While the latter model is definitely faster, both processors have fantastic performance and, more importantly, efficiency, finally giving us the all-day battery life Windows laptops ahve been missing for years.

But Microsoft didn't stop at that. We also got some big improvements to the display, which now has way better color reproduction, nearly hitting 100% of DCI-P3, which is excellent for an LCD panel. Plus, Microsoft reduced the reflectiveness of the cover glass, so the laptop is much more usable outdoors than its predecessors. It still comes in 13- and 15-inch versions, so you can choose what you prefer, and the 13-inch version actually has a slightly bigger screen.

Regardless of what model you choose, it's going to be smaller than previous Surface laptops, too. Microsoft finally redesigned the chassis for the first time, and this new model has much smaller bezels and rounded corners around the display, so the Surface Laptop 7 feels more modern than ever. Plus, we finally get a 1080p webcam, and the port situation is also pretty solid, with two USB4 ports, one USB Type-A port, a Surface Connect port, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader.

It's hard not to love the Surface Laptop 7, and it has absolutely earned its place at the top of this list.

If you love what the Surface Laptop 7 offers but you just want a bit more, then the Dell XPS 13 may be for you. The XPS lineup is usually the pinnacle of Windows laptops, and with this iteration, that's no different. Our reviewer, Sherri L. Smith said that this is "as close as you can get" to a powerful ultraportable laptop, which is pretty high praise.

Inside the Dell XPS 13, you'll find the Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 chip, meaning that even the base model comes with the top-tier chip, and you can go all the way up to 64GB of RAM for a truly top-of-the-line experience. Of course, the usual benefits of an Arm chip, meaning great performance and efficiency, still apply here.

Where Dell really starts to stand out, though, is the display. The base model is a Full HD+ 120Hz IPS panel, and you can upgrade to a Quad HD+ version if you want. But the real magic is in the OLED panel, which sarifices the higher refresh rate but gives you the highest resolution and response times, plus the best colors and brightness thanks to the use of Tandem OLED technology (yes, the one Apple advertised for the latest iPad Pro). It's a stunning display and something you can't get on many other laptops.

Add on to this the ultramodern design that Dell introduced two years ago yet somehow still feels futuristic, and you've got a winner. With its invisible touchpad, touch-based function row, and zero-lattice edge-to-edge keyboard, the Dell XPS 13 still feels kind of unreal, and we mean that in a good way.

The top-tier models will get fairly expensive, but the Dell XPS 13 is undoubtedly one of the best laptops on the market, regardless of whether you're specifically looking at Arm PCs or not.

No business laptop is as famous as Lenovo's ThinkPads, and even though they all have that classic look, the new ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is modern in all the right ways thanks to the Snapdragon X series chips. In the XDA review, Sherri L. Smith called it "perfect for mobile professionals", and we're inclined to agree.

This laptop comes in a new flavor, the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core, giving you a cheaper way to get into the world of Arm, but considering the small price difference, we recommend getting the Snapdragon X Elite model we reviewed if you can, though this is the X1E-78-100 model without dual-core boost. Either way, though, you're getting that signature efficiency and fantastic battery life, so it's just a matter of how much performance you need. You can go up to 64GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, too.

The 14-inch display is fairly basic in the base model, but if you have the budget for the OLED version, you'll get a terrific viewing experience with vivid colors, HDR support, and a 120Hz refresh rate. It's an expensive upgrade, but it's definitely worth it if you can afford it.

Design-wise, this is a very classic Thinkpad with its black chassis and red accents, even still including the iconic TrackPoint. However, it's very thin at under 17mm, and it only starts at 2.72 pounds, so it's super portable and it will look great in an office without causing distractions. It also comes equipped with a ton of ports, including two USB4 connections, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI 2.1, a headphone jack, and even a nano SIM slot if you choose the cellular version. Indeed, this is a 5G laptop, so it's perfect for working anywhere you go.

Lenovo truly made a great business laptop for everyone here, and this is a very easy machine to recommend.

ThinkPads may be the quintessential business laptop, but you can't deny that the way they look isn't modern or very appealing by today's standards. If you want something more modern, the HP EliteBook Ultra is the laptop for you, perfect for business without the drawback of looking like it's from the 90s.

The HP EliteBook Ultra is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-78-100), though a version with a Snapdragon X Plus 8-core model is in the works if you want something more affordable. Still, the current model is the most powerful by far, and it still delivers that fantastic performance and battery life Snapdragon is known for. You also get 16GB of RAM and 612GB of storage, and oddly enough, no upgrade options for any of this. Still, this is a very performanct laptop, and in our review, Rich Woods had no shortage of praise, saying "Performance is fantastic, battery life is long, and everything about the EliteBook Ultra just feels delightful to use".

Along with that great performance, you get a 14-inch display that comes in a 16:10 aspect ratio and 2.2K resolution, which is a bit different from the Dragonfly models this laptop is replacing. There's no 3:2 aspet ratio and, oddly enough, no OLED model. All you get is a solid, but relatively basic IPS panel. Again, not bad by any means, but it won't blow you away.

Design is definitely where this laptop shines, with HP's sleek design language that's a great fit for modern business laptops, especially in this new Atmosphere Blue color. It's subdued, but not lifeless, so it can look great in an office without being boring. The port selection is a bit more limited than a THinkPad, meaning there's no USB Type-A or HDMI, but you still have USB4, a headephone jack, and a microSD card reader. 5G support is also not an option, which is a bit odd for a business laptop, but not everyone needs it.

While we'd say the ThinkPad is the better laptop, the HP EliteBook Ultra is a fantastic option if you want something that looks more modern.

Windows tablets aren't the most common, but that shouldn't take away from how fantastic the Surface Pro 11 is. Microsoft's Surface Pro series has always been the best in the Windows space, but this year, that's more true than ever thanks to the Snapdragon processors. Our reviewer Rich Woods said it best: when it comes to Windows tablets, "you can't beat the Surface Pro 11".

Indeed, the Surface Pro 11 is available with either the Snapdragon X Plus 10-core or the Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100), and regardless of your choice, you're looking at a tablet that finally has great performance while also having proper tablet battery life. It's a device you can actually cary with you all day and still be able to use like a proper tablet. It gets plenty powerful, too, since you can get up to a massive 64GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.

On top of that, the Surface Pro 11 also comes with a brand-new OLED display option if you get the Snapdragon X Elite model. It took a while, but Microsoft has finally embraced OLED, and it looks fantastic on this tablet, making it perfect for watching movies on the go. It still has the smooth 120Hz refresh rate, too, and Microsoft has also reduced the reflectiveness of the screen so it's easier to see outdoors.

As a tablet, the Surface Pro 11 is the most portable device on this list, and it's also the most versatile thanks to accessories like the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard that let you use it as a proper laptop. Because it's a tablet, the ports are limited to just two USB4 connections, but that's still better than most tablets. And to make it even better, there is an option for 5G support, which is always great to see in a Windows PC.

Windows 11 still isn't the best operating system for tablets, but the Surface Pro 11 is the best experience you can get in that context.

Lenovo makes more than business laptops, and the Yoga Slim 7x is another fantastic device, now aimed at the more mainstream crowd. It really hits it out of the park in almost every way, too, with the graet performance and efficiency you've come to expect, paired with a great design and display. Our own Rich Wods reviewed it, and he simply said "It's everything I want a laptop to be".

Of course, it starts with the Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-78-100) processor, which is included in the base model and gives you terrific performance and battery life, just like every laptop on this list. You can pair it with up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for a truly premium experience across the board, though even the base model is already very good, and it's astounding considering the relatively low price.

But that's not enough for Lenovo, and not only do you get a top-tier processor, but you also get a stunning OLED display that's included by default. Indeed, this laptop has a 14.5-inch OLED panel with an unusual, but great 2944x1840 resolution and a smooth 90Hz refresh rate. It's a treat for the eyes, and Lenovo touts up to 1000 nits of peak brightness in HDR mode, so the viewing experience is stellar here.

The laptop also looks great, it comes in a beautiful but relatively subdued blue colorway that's elegant but still eye-catching. It also includes three USB4 ports, which is pretty good for connectivity, though the lakc of a headphone jack or any other ports may be a problem for some users.

This small drawback doesn't stop the lenovo Yoga Slim 7x from being one of the best laptops on the market, though, especially in terms of value for money.

The world seems to be moving away from the classic 15.6-inch laptops, but Asus is still here to deliver for those who miss that form factor with the Vivobook S 15. And despite the old-school form factor, the Asus Vivobook S 15 isan excellent laptop that delivers the right innovations to make this an excellent laptop. I reviewed this one myself, and I called it "the kind of complete package anyone would love to have in a laptop".

That starts with the Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-78-100) chipset that powers the laptop, delivering excellent performance and battery life. While my battery life tests didn't match what my colleagues got on some other Snapdragon laptops, this laptop still delivers excellent performance and better battery laptop than any intel laptop before it. It's also paired with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for an excellent experience across the board. There is a cheaper Snapdragon X Plus 8-core variant available, too, though we definitely recommend the former option.

As mentioned above, the Vivobook S 15 comes with a 15.6-inch display, and it's a super-sharp OLED panel with 2.8K resolution and a traditional 16:9 aspect ratio. It also has a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, so everything about this screen is great despite its more traditional aspect ratio.

Design-wise, we're looking at a premium laptop with a metal chassis and a subdued look thanks to the silver colorway. It's not exciting but it looks good, and it excels in terms of ports since you get USB4, USB Type-A, HDMI, a headphone jack, and microSD card reader. There's nothing missing here, and it's simply a great offering of ports.

If you're still in the market for a typical 15-inch laptop, you can't do much better than the Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED.

Finally, we have the excellent Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge rounding out the collection. This is one of the few 16-inch laptops with a Snapdragon X Elite chipset, but that's not the only reason it's the best one. This is a laptop that stands out all on its own for a few reasons, and in the our of our reviewer, it's "here to put the competition on notice".

First off, the processor. Every laptop on this list has the Snapdragon X Elite processor, but all of them use either the X1E-78-100 or X1E-80-100 variants, with the latter being a bit more powerful. While the Glaaxy Book 4 Edge's base configuration also uses the X1E-80-100 chip, you can go all the way to the X1E-84-100 version that's even more powerful. This model has higher base clocks (up to 3.8GHz instead of 3.4GHz) and dual-core boost is even faster (4.2GHz instead of 4.0GHz). And it also has a much more powerful GPU, so it's a big upgrade in every way. Oddly enough, even with this powerful chip, the laptop is limited to 16GB of RAM, but it's still a performance king.

This is made even better by the excellent display, which is a large 16-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with 2.8K resolution and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. It's another fantastic panel, and the large size makes it perfect for multitasking as well as watching movies and videos.

What's even more impressive about this laptop is its design. This 16-inch laptop is only 12mm thick and werighs a ,ere 3.4 pounds, making this one of the most portable laptops of its kind. What's more, it's made of aluminum, so it still feels premium.It even has a solid supply of ports, including USB4, USB Type-A, HDMI, and headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. You can't ask for much more.

The Samsung Galaxy book 4 Edge is simply one of the best laptops out there, and the fastest Snapdragon X Elite PC you can buy right now.

Windows on Arm PCs are excellent in 2024

No matter which one of these PCs you end up choosing, Windows on Arm is finally great. All of these are absolutely fantastic laptops and we've reviewed all of them, so we're confident in recommending each and every one. Our top pick has to go to the Surface laptop 7 for its combination of performance, compact design, and great display, while still having a great supply of ports. Plus, with two sizes to choose from, it's easy to get the right version for you.

But really, there's no way you can go wrong with any of these. The Surface Laptop 7 may be my personal favorite, but there's something to love about all of these, and they all have some unique differences that make them worth considering for different people.